> Emerald Fires
>  by FolkloreBrony
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1-The Devil in the Forest
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

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////Prologue////
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The land was filled with the unholy aroma as we pursued our fallen brother. His rain of terror had only started two months before, but so much had been lost in that time. I shall always to the end of my days be haunted by the evil that has fallen on us all, and as I look out and beyond the black plains that now lay before me, with the twisted and deformed bodies of not thousands, no, but millions, as far as my eyes can see, and think back to the sight above the mountains, when the sun would not give its light for the day, even as all the clouds were distant and unseen from its face, where not even an eclipse scared its gaze, and the moon that rose from the horizon would not give her light, even when it rose every night in its fullness, and only when visible, had the appearance of blood, that I wonder what good could come out of this that the One would allow so much death and ruin. But I do not question, and I do not doubt, for I myself cannot see all ends.

Onward we went running after this dark spirit, and had been on his trail for five days, but had finally caught up with the demon that was now in control, who had fled into the city of Tar-La-Mina, yes, the very city that he would have died to protect, but now a barren waste of desolation. His eyes were a sickly yellow, that pierced through our very souls, frightening and evil, full of hatred as they burned with only that rage which fire can bring. No white emitted from them, only black, consumed in his own wickedness, doomed a prisoner in his own mind. His once beautiful coat was now a horrid black, and his mane furiously burned with flames of orange and yellow as a shadow of ash and dust hung in the air before him. The atmosphere of his body made the very air around him hot as a furnace, and his lust for the blood of others was unrestrained, nay, not even unto his own kin, and had we not been prepared, we would have surely perished.

But we fought long and hard against this monster who, being driven into madness, murdered so many for so few, brutally, without mercy or conscience, and with fire, he doomed them all to eternal damnation. So we were forced to fight with our full strength, though the innermost evils within ourselves threatened to drive us to that same insanity as well.

And in that final hour we subdued him, and with the help of those heavenly jewels, the El-I-Harmoni, we freed our friend, our Allie, our brother, from that living hell. But alas, what greater hell he had to face when he saw all that he had done. And so we shall lock ourselves away in a tomb, and we shall ever be there, till a brighter day shall dawn when SHE shall return. But I pray to Moa that all these things may come to pass before the power of those jewels return to us, and the seal that holds the darkness back is broken. Amen.

Passage from “The Book of Archs: Ancient Histories of Equestria” pg. 247.

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Chapter 1: The Devil in the Forest
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A calm silence dominated the road leading to Sweet Apple Aches, save for the sound of sparrows perched in the orange and yellowed trees to sing their early autumn songs, while the sun slowly made its way from the eastern horizon to climb into the blue void above. It was the start of the Golden Delicious picking season at the farm, so it wasn't much of a surprise that the path was littered with ponies going to and from the orchards on business.

But the peace and calm were disrupted by the youthful voices of laughter as the Cutie-Mark Crusaders ran down the path, many of the adults having to move aside to avoid being run into. The CMC had grown since a certain black alicorn filly joined the group, acting as a snowball effect that allowed them to expand, so that in the two years since it had added the names of Dinky Hooves, Pipsqueak, Rumble, and Peppermint Twist to its membership list, even though Twist had technically earned her cutie-mark a day before the organization's founding.

Nyx had certainly brought a lot of change to the table since she first joined the group. Her quiet, sympathetic nature and intelligence made her easy to talk to, if of course, she wasn't shy enough to pick up a conversation. Still, she was loved by her friends and family, and though she was made from magic and the bad memory of a Nightmare, friendship was what shone brightest from her and those around her.

That being said, not everything was good in paradise. Her little rain as Nightmare Moon had only ended a year and a half ago, and many still held a bit of a grudge. At first, the Princesses had denied that she even existed, trying to cool the flame. But it was a fire that wasn't to be tamed, and the truth eventually got out. Still, for the most part, things had been okay for the young filly, for the moment oblivious to an unfriendly world.

They had started the day with a meeting at the clubhouse to discuss their new ideas for their campaign to find their cutie-marks, but they had soon found themselves faced with a rather uncomfortable stalemate. Dinky, along with the first two colts to join the club, had suggested their ideas for carpentry, bowling, or baking as a good place to start. Nyx had agreed that these were pretty good ideas, and Twist happily stood with her on the matter, but because the original three members had already attempted these themselves they were unwilling to participate in them. To counter it, they had insisted that they should try something more into the direction of getting their cutie-marks as house painters, not really exciting anyone with their obvious lack of imagination.

That's when Scootaloo had suddenly dared them to a race, surprising everyone by coming out of the blue like that. At first, they had declined her, pointing out that they needed to devote their time coming up with new ideas for their crusade. But she had encouraged them by suggesting that one of their special talents might be as track-runners. They seemed to like that idea, immediately setting up plans for the rules and a location for the start and finish lines. Truth be known, Scootaloo had grown somewhat bored with crusading and just wanted to do something else. Not that she was giving up, but after wasting two months of doing the exact same thing when they could have been engaging in more social activities for the extent of their summer vacation, she was in desperate need for a break.

So they decided that they would run on the road that led from the farm towards Ponyville, but instead of the straight path that was normally used to get between the two locations, they would be taking a detour through Millsberry Road, where a dirt path lined the top of a hill that ran above the treeline of the Everfree Forest, and from there they would make their way to the castle, where Twilight was having several crates of books shipped in from Canterlot to supply the new library that she was setting up to replace the old one.

Turning on the path, the crusaders were now drawing closer to the borders of Everfree, trying to keep up with the pack leaders with little success, content with keeping them in their view while the speed demons worked anxiously to overcome the miniature orange pegasus.

In the lead, Scootaloo ran with the determination to win, hoping to score some recognition points with Rainbow Dash, since nothing would make her idol prouder than if she were to beat her friends in a competition. Since none of them had expected to be racing that morning, they had neglected to put a restriction on the use of wings for pegasi, and she had quickly used that to her advantage. Not that it really made a difference, but it proved to be enough to keep ahead of the earth-ponies and the unicorns. However, the same thing couldn't be said for Nyx or Rumble, who used their own wings to even the score, keeping themselves close on her heels. Surprisingly, Pipsqueak was also leading in the race, his legs able to move a lot faster than what any of them had thought possible.

“I’m gonna get you, Scoot!” Nyx shouted out happily, enjoying the opportunity to use her wings out in the open as she ran just a few feet behind her.

"You know Nyx, you might be right, but I'm placing my bits that Pipsqueak here is gonna leave all of us in the dirt!" Rumble commented, earning a grin from the colt, knowing beforehoof just how fast the spotted pony could move.

“Hey! Would you’ll slow down? Let us catch up!!!” Applebloom wined, breathing heavy, wondering why this was so taxing on her energy reserves.

“Yeah, no fair! Why do you guys get to use your wings!?!” Peppermint Twist called out, definitely feeling the last few batches of peppermint sticks getting burned off.

"Well next time make it a rule not to use them!" Scootaloo laughed while she looked behind herself as they entered on Millsberry, "I mean it's not my fault you guys are nothing but a bunch of slowpokes! You're never gonna catch me unless you hit the gym!" she yelled over her head as she made herself run just a little faster.

The group rounded a corner in the road where a grove of trees stood. The hill they were on was lined with tree roots and dead vines that protruded from the path, making it difficult to maneuver. But Scootaloo wasn't focused on this. She was too busy smiling at what she saw as she looked back on her pursuers. Applebloom and the rest of the slackers were getting harder to see, Rumble was falling behind, and soon Nyx and Pipsqueak would tire themselves out of the running, leaving her to take home the gold. She was going to win, and even if the two ponies in the lead were holding their place right alongside her, she wasn't going to back down now!

Of course, if she HAD been paying closer attention to where she was placing her hooves instead of how close her friends were, she might have noticed the tree root jutting out of the path. But before she could react, her hoof snagged on the upturned plant, sending her forwards into Nyx, who rolled on top of Pip, throwing them off the side of the road, and with a yelp, Scootaloo fell over the edge of the hill, taking the other two ponies with her into the trees down below.

The three foals tried desperately to grab a hold of anything that would slow their fall, scraping their hooves into the dirt and rock. But it was futile, since the steep hill was propelling them down faster than they could hope to grab hold of any of the roots that grew out of the dirt, and if any one of them WOULD get a hold of a root or branch, one of the other foals would slam into them and take them back down with them. Their arms and legs flailed frantically against the stones for what seemed to them an eternity, until it all came to an end with a loud crash as they hit the base of the hill, hard.

The three young ponies groaned, shaking their heads around so they could regain their senses. Scootaloo had fallen on top of Nyx, cutting herself slightly on her horn before she rolled onto the filly's back while suffering some minor scrapes on her legs and flank, but nothing serious. Nyx laid on the ground underneath Scootaloo, her glasses bent sideways with the frames cracked, finding it hard to breathe due to a combination of Pipsqueak lying on her head, blocking her airway, while simultaneously struggling to catch the air that had been forced out of her lungs by being crushed under Scootaloo’s weight, and Pipsqueak's eyes were rolling around in their sockets, and he was starting to get a nose-bleed.

Finally snapping back into reality, Scootaloo slowly looked down at both of them, wincing at the pain she felt in her legs, “Are you guys alright?”

“Huh huh…Y-Yeah...Huh…Yeah, I-I think so.” Nyx panted as she looked around, taking in her surroundings before she looked up at the colt lying on her head, "HEY! Get off me!"

Looking down at her half-dazed, it took Pipsqueak a moment to realize the awkward position he was in sitting on Nyx, his rump planted flat on top of her head.

"Oh, ah...sorry about that, Nyx." he stammered nervously in a British accent, rolling off her onto the ground with a thud.

Nyx nodded, deciding not to even dwell on the matter. Instead, her attention was focused on something that held more importance, and the moment she realized where she was it filled her with fear.

“Guys...I-I think we’re in the Everfree Forest.” She said fearfully, the admittance to the fact somehow making the reality worse.

Scootaloo and Pip raised their heads and looked around in acknowledgment of what she had said, though it still took them a few seconds to process the level of danger they were in. She was right, they were in Everfree, the fact sending a chill down their backs. The adults always talked about this forest as a bad place to be. Nyx and Scootaloo knew this all too well. Scootaloo had almost been turned to stone by a cockatrice, and Nyx had been forced to witness the worst nightmare in her life after getting a major download of Nightmare Moon's memories. The forest was far scarier from the inside than it had been on the outside. The trees themselves seemed to lock the darkness of the world underneath its canopy, and any ray of sunlight that placed its warmth on the leaves was soon choked out of existence by the tight interaction of the outreaching branches, whose gnarled, twisted bark worked to play tricks on their eyes, gazing down upon them like hungry trolls. Everfree was truly a dangerous, and deadly, place to fall into even for a grown-up, let alone a colt and two fillies, and if they didn't find a way to get out of there soon, not only could they be placed under some dark enchantment that the forest's black magic had to offer, but they would likely draw the unwanted attention of one of the many numbers of creatures that lived in these woods that would not hesitate to kill a pony to satisfy their hunger.

"HEY! What are you guy doing down there?!" a familiar voice rang from above them.

Turning their gaze upwards, Scootaloo, Pipsqueak, and Nyx looked back up the hill where they were met with the faces of the Cutie-Mark Crusaders, which would have been nice, if they hadn't started to tease them about falling down the hill.

“Yeah, what ARE ya guys doin' down there?” Applebloom shouted at them from the top, “I didn' know that hidn' seek was part of the race!” she mocked.

“We didn't do it on purpose!” Scootaloo wined, her face turning a deep red from her friend's teasing. This was embarrassing! One moment she was the leader of the pack, and now she was in the Everfree forest, at the bottom of the hill, lying on top of a pony. She quickly got off of her friend and looked around, hoping for any possible way to get out of this, “Can you guys get a rope?” She shouted up to them.

Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow, looking down at her curiously, “Why? I can understand Pipsqueak needing help, but you and Nyx have wings. Can't you just fly out?”

Nyx looked up at her in annoyance, trying to readjust her glasses into a possession that was more comfortable, “You guys know that we can't fly outta here! I've just started my flying lessons with Twilight!" she then looked at Scootaloo with a devilish smirk, "And Scootaloo STILL hasn't gotten anywhere with the flying lessons she gets from Rainbow Dash.”

Accomplishing the impossible, Scootaloo's face turned an even deeper red than it had just been moments before, growing more embarrassed as she listened to the snickers that escaped from her friend's lips. Even in the midst of the danger they were in they could still find ways to get a giggle from each other, Nyx and Pipsqueak not even trying to contain their laughter. She jumped Nyx suddenly, causing her friend to squeak as they rolled around in the dirt.

Snap.

The sound of a twig breaking in the bushes made them both stop, slowly lifting up their heads to try and see what had caused the noise, as a silence filled the air.

"Guys, there's somethin' movin' down there," Applebloom called, noticing a black shape that moved slowly in the foliage far off to the right of them.

Pipsqueak looked in that direction and gulped. They couldn't see anything, but they could hear it, and he knew that whatever was moving around couldn't be good. Turning his focus on the girls, he immediately realized just how frightened they were.

"Don't. Make. A sound." he mouthed, keeping his eye on the bushes.

The girls stood frozen as the creature made its way through the underbrush. Everyone held their breath, hoping that the animal would pass them by without any incident. They could hear the low growl that it gave, a slow breathing that was replaced with a low rumbling sound every few seconds. They didn't know what to do, since both running and staying where they were seemed to be terrible ideas.

But soon it did pass, and after a few moments of patent silence, they were able to release from their breath a sigh of relief, but kept their guards up, looking up to their friends on the path to enforce their security.

"Is it gone?" Pipsqueak called.

The group at the top of the hill looked around the clearing carefully, sure with themselves that the danger had passed. In fact, it was too quiet, not even a bird's song could be heard.

"It's clear!"

The three foals finally allowed themselves to smile, however, this didn't divert their minds from the fact that they still needed to get out of the forest.

Too bad they wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.

Nyx, Scootaloo, and Pipsqueak looked around at the foliage for a way to get out, when the sound of breaking branches could be heard off to their right, before from out of the thickets, a large, translucent-blue wolf came crashing out, snarling as it made its way towards them.

The beast towered over the foals with a large, broad, hairy midsection, with a star that glowed on its chest. Its eyes burned an amber gold that glowed furiously like a flame. It was twice the size of Big Macintosh, and the constellation pattern that lined its tail identified it as only one thing.

A Lupus Major.

Pipsqueak was the quickest to react, barreling away at top speed to escape this approaching monster. However, panic had temporarily taken a hold of the two remaining foals, holding them in place in the path of the monster. The creature was quickly closing the gap between them and would have caught them, if its attention hadn't been distracted from its goal by a stone that knocked into its side.

"HEY UGLY! Up here, you flea-infested FREAK!" Rumble shouted, as the girls beside him began to throw anything that they could at the wolf, yelling and screaming at it, before he picked up another stone and hurled it right into the side of its face.

The Lupus took its focus off its prey for a moment to bellow at the ponies throwing stones at it from the top of the hill, giving the fillies the chance they needed to escape.

"NYX! SCOOTALOO! GET OUT OF THERE!!!"

Snapping out of her trance, Scootaloo grabbed Nyx, who had frozen up and dragged the filly with her, chasing in the direction that Pipsqueak had run off to.

“NYX! RUN!!!”
////
Scootaloo and Nyx ran as fast as they could under the forest underbrush, keeping just ahead of the star-wolf that was chasing them. Pipsqueak was running a few yards ahead of them, and if he hadn’t gotten himself caught momentarily in one of the surrounding thickets, they would have lost him in the forest maze of rotted trees and dead vines. The fillies were barely able to escape it, coming within a few inches of its mouth, the jaws of the Lupus snapping down on them only to miss its target. But thankfully the Lupus was strangely moving rather slowly for its species. However, it was still faster than the three foals, and the only thing that was giving them an advantage over it was the fact that the surrounding forest was overgrown with foliage to the point that their way of escape was composed of tight, underlining arches that acted as the only entryways to the path that they were taking, so whereas they were small enough to get through the cramped areas that they were passing through, the growingly furious Lupus Major was too large to enter in with them. Each time they entered into a space that it could not follow into, it would let out a deafening roar, baring its sharp teeth at them menacingly.

Entering into a clear pathway, the three were able to run together between the trees for a good ten seconds before the wolf crashed through the dead oaks about twenty yards behind them, quickly closing the gap between them. The foals ran faster than they had before, so hard that they could feel the burning in their legs, so that when the path came to a sudden drop, their speed made it impossible to stop themselves from sliding over the edge down to the clearing fifty feet below.

Scootaloo, Nyx, and Pipsqueak rolled down the hill unharmed, but even so, it took them a moment to get their bearings down so that they could see where they were. The three were stranded in a large space that was surrounded by trees in all directions, except for the steep hill behind them and an opening in the foliage that was completely illuminated in sunlight, and where it led nopony knew.

As they struggled to get back on their feet, the clearing was filled with the chilling roar of the beast that followed them. Looking up on the hill, the Lupus bellowed at them angrily, but they could tell that it was having second thoughts about its prey. The foals had been lucky to have gotten down the hill without a scratch, but it would be unlikely that the wolf would come out of it the same way. This was enough to give the group of ponies cheer, if not a little breathing room.

But as it roared out its rage, the ground under its paws caved, and with an angry cry, it fell down the slope towards them, and soon it would be right on top of them.

The three ran ahead as fast as they could into the light beyond the small clearing, before they came to a dead stop. Blocking their escape was a cliff that dropped straight down into the dark waters the forest's infamous Black Lake. A waterfall flowed to the right of them, dumping thousands of gallons of water into the pool. Scootaloo and Nyx both looked over the edge, as a few stones fell into the water, causing a ripple in the lake that churned the still waves, while Pip looked back anxiously to where they had run from. The body of water was the ending point of the forest river that came in from the mountains, cutting through the forest like a blade. But because it was the only calm part of the river, it was also the home of Everfree’s aquatic species, and gazing down into its stillness, they wondered want new threat could possibly be lurking under the dark waves.

Scootaloo broke the silence, panting, “N-Nyx, we need to go now!”

“But, where are we supposed to go!?”

“Umm...” Scootaloo looked around, but there was nowhere for them to go but back the way they came. Groaning, she called out to Pip, “You got any ideas?”

“Well, maybe if we go back and circle around, maybe we could find another way down there?”

The look that she gave him told him exactly how she felt about that.

“Right, that idea was awful.”

“Well, what else are we supposed to do?!” Nyx shouted out, just as the Lupus crashed into the bottom of the hill, “We don’t have any options at the moment, and the only thing we’re doing is wasting time!”

Scootaloo frowned, she didn’t like this. But what could she do? They were running out of time, and retracing their steps seemed to be the best course of action that they had left.

Sighing dejectedly, Scootaloo nodded as they both headed towards Pipsqueak to turn back into the forest. But they hadn't even made three steps before the Lupus crashed out of the entranceway to the foliage, blocking their escape. The three took several steps back as the wolf let out a roar before it began to circle around, stocking them. They watched helplessly while the beast eyed them devilishly as drool ran from its mouth down its chin, licking its lips at the thought of its next meal. Nyx looked at it carefully, noticing the strange limp that held it back, gazing at the web of scars that ran down its leg.

Pip tried to do his best to protect the girls, running up to the lupus and shouting at it, which was met with a growl and a loud bellow to the face, sending the colt backward into the fillies.

“That was stupid.” Nyx moaned.

“Sorry.”

As the three backed away, Scootaloo felt her back leg slip as they came in contact with the edge, giving her an idea, and the only option they had.

“Nyx, we need to jump!” she yelled.

Nyx’s went wide-eyed as she stared at the orange pegasus behind her, “Are you CRAZY?! Don’t you realize what could be living in that lake? Everypony is afraid of it for a REASON! We'll drown, or worse!!!”

But Scootaloo wasn’t going to back down, “Everypony talks about what lives in the forest RIVER, Nyx! Nopony said anything about the lake! And I'd rather take a possible maybe than becoming a definite lunch!” Scootaloo said with a quick glance at the wolf closing in on them.

Nyx wanted to retaliate but found that the words caught in her throat. She looked down at the water below, then turned her gaze at the hungry Lupus in front of them, which had not taken its gaze off her during the whole ordeal, before finally placing her eyes on her friends, who looked to her with kind encouragement. And, after a few moments, she came to her decision, turning to Scootaloo with a sigh.

“Well, whatever happens, you and the others have been the greatest friends that I could have ever hoped for. I... I just wanted you guys to know that."

Scootaloo nodded as the three turned, looking towards one another for what might be the last they would ever see of each other. Turning back to the edge, the foals took a deep and final breath, before taking that first step over the side.

"Let's do this!"
////
SPLASH!!!

Nyx, Scootaloo, and Pipsqueak gasped for air as they all broke the surface, paddling their hooves, coughing up the water they had sucked in when they hit the lake. Nyx had lost her glasses to the waves, revealing the serpentine eyes underneath, Pipsqueak was swimming around them to see if they were alright, while Scootaloo was holding her stomach after making a belly flop. It was truly a sad scene, three foals cold and wet, left to struggle to survive in a place where death was a common occurrence for those too weak to defend themselves.

But they were ALIVE! And now the only thing that motivated them to start swimming again was so they could reach the dry sandy shore far in front of them.

Scootaloo was the first to make land, rolling on her back with her tongue sticking out, with Pip soon in tow, panting up a storm, while Nyx passed out as soon as she made it to the shoreline. Scootaloo cracked open one of her eyes long enough to see the infuriated Lupus Major roaring at them from the top of the cliff. 'Hey, what's a matter, Fatboy? Don't know how to swim?' she thought to herself with a smile. But it was a smile soon faded, quickly leaving her as the wolf suddenly bolted off in a hurry into the darkness of the forest. At that moment her mind was racing, until one thought penetrated through the rest to the forefront of her brain.

Get out.

Quickly getting back onto her hooves, Scootaloo walked over to get Nyx, whose dazed expression showed that she was on the verge of falling into unconsciousness from exhaustion. But that wouldn’t do, and Scootaloo was determined to help her friends to safety.

“Come on Nyx, we need to go now,” she whined while nudging the filly to wake up.

Nyx groaned, wiping away several strains of her mane away from her eyes, before she looked around, trying to clear her head from all that had happened and the swimming that was going around in her skull.

“Augh… Mom’s gonna freak out when she finds out I lost my glasses.” Nyx whined with several appropriate coughs.

Scootaloo giggled, which eventually caused the others to join in as well. It was truly an odd thing to experience, given the danger they were in, but even through it all, they could still find a reason to smile. “Well, she’s REALLY gonna freak out if you get eaten, so get off your flanks and come on!”
////
Nyx, Pip, and Scootaloo walked slowly through the trees, keeping as quiet as possible, listening for the slightest sound from the foliage around them. The sun, now at the highest point in the sky ringing in the noon, with great difficulty illuminated the forest floor with its light, and other than the danger of what was following them, the forest surrounding did show off a form of beauty, bringing some cheer back to the foals.

Nyx, however, was too deep in thought to take in the scenery. Something about the Lupus that was tailing them troubled her greatly. It’s behavior just seemed …off, and it’s persistence made her even more uncomfortable. Something about its limp seemed so familiar to her, it was like it was the clue she needed for this riddle, but it was a clue that persisted to escape from her thoughts.

“So, d-do you guys know where we’re going?” Pipsqueak choked up hopefully, though he was placing them on bad odds.

“Ugh, no...I don’t think we’re anywhere NEAR Zacura’s.” Scootaloo sighed, “I could have sworn that it was in this direction.”

“I’m hungry.” the spotted colt complained, a loud rumble echoing from his stomach.

“Then go eat some berries.”

“And end up catching some weird disease from some strange plant-like Poison Joke? I think I’ll pass.” Pipsqueak groaned, lowering his head to the ground.

In the distance, the sound of a howling wolf made them huddle ever closer to each other. They could tell that it was nowhere near them, going off somewhere far behind them, but the mere sound was enough to send chills down their backs.

But with that sound, the answer that Nyx had been mentally searching for suddenly slammed into her like the Friendship Express, filling her with a cold realization that caused her to tremble a little. Having this knowledge, she turned to her friends, knowing that they needed her to tell them about her conclusions, “Scootaloo?”

Scootaloo gave her attention to the black filly, ignoring for the moment the fear that was welling up in her chest, “Yeah, Nyx?”

“You remember that stampede that went through Ponyville about two years ago? When...when I was-”

“Yeah, I remember.” Scootaloo interrupted, freeing Nyx from finishing her sentence. Scootaloo knew how sensitive Nyx was on that subject, and she wasn’t going to let her dwell on it.

“I still get nightmares about that hydra.” Pipsqueak admitted.

Really? Because I wasn’t scared!” Scootaloo said proudly, earning a glare from the colt.

“What do you mean, you weren’t scared? You, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle were being chased around by a pack of lupus minors!” he protested, a huge frown spread over his face.

“Psst...Big deal. We knew that Twilight or one of her friends would come and save us. Besides, Nyx was flying around Ponyville kicking butt!” She proclaimed, a blush forming on Nyx’s face.

“Guys, would you just stop?!” Nyx shouted, silencing the two arguing parties, “We were all there, and it was pretty scary, but that’s not my point!”

“Well, what are you trying to say, then?”

Nyx cleared her throat, “Umm, well...Do you remember anything about the Lupus Major who tried to killed Twilight?” she asked.

The two foals just stared at her for a moment, both deep in thought as they tried to recall that day. It was difficult, but they slowly began to recall the events of that day and the showdown that followed.

“Yeah. Yeah sure, I remember that old fleabag. But, I also remember that after you were done with him, he was running with his tail between his legs!” Scootaloo said, starting to giggle at the thought, “By the way, I think what you did to that mutt was awesome!” she said admirably, almost girlishly.

Nyx was flattered by this small piece of popularity, but she had every intention to answer Pipsqueak’s question, as she continued on to make her point.

“Well, I think that old fleabag is the same lupus that’s chasing us.”

Scootaloo and Pipsqueak stopped in her tracks, staring at Nyx in disbelief as they ran over what she had told them through their heads. They could not understand how Nyx had been able to come to such a conclusion, since that it only stood to reason that there had to be more than just ONE Lupus Major living in that dismal, God-forsaken forest.

Pipsqueak raised an eyebrow, “Nyx, what makes you so sure that THIS Lupus is the same one from the stampede?” he asked skeptically.

“Yeah Nyx, I mean come on!” Scootaloo laughed nervously, “That seems a bit out there, don’t you think?”

But Nyx held firm to her conclusions, “Because,” Nyx answered as they continued to walk slowly down a hillside, “While we were being chased by that wolf, I noticed that it had a limp in its left leg, which would explain why it was moving slower than normal.”

“So what? That ugly overgrown drool baby could have hurt himself recently. I’m sure that would be an easy thing to do in this place.”

“Well...yes. But that’s not the only thing I’ve noticed. What got my attention was WHY he was limping. And the fact is that his entire flank is scared with lightning bolt burns.” Nyx pointed out, causing the foals to think. Now that Scootaloo thought about it, she DID remember seeing those scars when the creature had circled around them on the ledge, and how those scars snaked down its side like a tree branch.

As reality set in, a coldness seemed to fall upon the group. If the Lupus Major was after them because of Nyx, then this would go beyond its basic hunting behaviors. This was a game, and out of all the games in the world, this was one of the most deadly among them.

A game of Cat and Mouse.

“If that’s the case,” Scootaloo started, “ then we better get out of here, and fast. If you’re right and this thing IS the same lupus, if he catches up with us, he’s probably gonna want to have some fun before it actually kills us.”

The three foals walked silently after that, often stopping to listen for a sign of their pursuer. But luckily that never came, silence dominating their surroundings, so it was likely that the lupus had lost them to the foliage.

Soon the group of equines came to a grove of trees that twisted tightly around each other, creating a narrow space to move through. But they moved on anyway, though the trees that they had to pass through, on closer inspection, were thorny and sharp. Scootaloo was the first to go in, wincing as the thorns dug into her flesh, earning some nasty cuts on her legs. Pip was next to go in, scraping the skin of his knees against the sharp plants tearing into him, leaving Nyx alone on the other side.

“Nyx, come on!” Scootaloo shouted through the trees.

Nyx stared anxiously at the thorn trees in front of her. She wasn’t necessarily afraid of the plants, but the trees reminded her too much of the thornbush that she had been trapped in for the first few hours of her life. It wasn’t a pleasant memory for her, and at that moment, she felt as if she was reliving it.

“I-I can’t!”

Scootaloo rolled her eyes in frustration, “What do you mean, you can’t? Stop being such a crybaby and get in here!”

Nyx groaned. She didn’t like this. But, she knew she couldn’t stay in the forest. So, she held her breath and stepped inside, pain going down her body as the needles stabbed at her sides. It took a few moments, mostly because she had her eyes closed shut, but she finally came through, falling on the ground with a thud.

“Nyx, you okay?” Scootaloo asked, extending a hoof to help her friend up.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” She said, holding back a tear from the pain across her body. Nyx looked at their surroundings. They were standing in a clearing of trees, the forest floor beneath them covered in a mass of roots and vine-like plants that extended along the path ahead of them. But there was a familiar sight that they were able to make out through a break in the trees, where a large orchard came into view, several apple trees growing near the opening.

“There! I-I think that Applejack’s farm!” Nyx cheered, all three ponies jumping for joy at the sight. They began to walk ahead eagerly towards the welcoming light of day, the roots cracking and snapping underneath them. It was with great anticipation that they realized that it would only be a few more feet and they would be free from this nightmare. They could on imagine the scolding they would get from their parents, but they would meet them with relieved smiles, ones that they would wear until they were safe in the comforts of their homes.

CCCCRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCCKKKKK!!!!!!!

The foals stopped right where they stood, held in place as they lessened to the threatening sound that came from beneath them. The roots at their feet suddenly began to break apart right from underneath their hooves, snapping under the combined weight of the three foals. They soon desperately tried to turn back the way they came. But they were too late, as the ground underneath them caved, several cries escaping their throats as they were sucked down under.

Pipsqueak, however, had been able to grab hold of the edge of the pit, keeping himself from falling into the darkness below as he desperately clawing at the loss dirt at his hooves. He slowly lifted himself over the edge and painted, then turned on his belly to look into the cavern. It was too dark to see where it went, but he was certain they would be safe, at least for now.

“Oh, bloody hell.” he silently cursed as he rolled on his back. He ached all over but, he had to get help. It was vital that somepony knew where they were, and now, he was the only one who could do that.

“Don’t worry, guys. I’ll get you out soon enough,” he said to himself, before climbing onto his hooves, running out into the orchard.
////
The two rolled down the dark tunnel, the hole made out of tree roots and thorny vines that had wilted long ago, and had been left to dry out in the cool autumn weather. Each earned a few cuts and brushes along the way, but what was worse was the speculation of where the tunnel was leading them. Their journey soon came to a close, however, as they fell out from the end of the tunnel and rolled on top of each other for the second time that day in a small open field illuminated by the warmth of the sunlight.

Groans escaped from both of them as they slowly got back on their hooves. For both of them, this day was turning into the worst nightmare of their lives.

They slowly began to investigate their new surroundings. they were in a tightly packed area that led off onto a path to the right of them. Deciding to peer around the corner, they were surprised to see an old rusty gate standing twenty feet ahead of them, which opened up into a large courtyard, littered with several pillars and crumbled statues that had eroded away long ago in the time since it had been built. But at the end of the courtyard, standing in the defiance of time, there stood erect before them the ruins of an old temple, long deserted and broken down while it was being reclaimed by the forest.

Nyx and Scootaloo stood in wonder as they took in the old but beautiful design of the building. At first, Scootaloo had thought that these were the ruins of the castle that Twilight and her friends had gone to defeat Nightmare Moon. But Nyx knew better. Though the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters was roughly the same size as the temple, these ruins were much older, dating back centuries before the founding of Equestria. The temple had a round exterior that was covered all around in thorny vines, with four passageways that aligned perfectly with the north, south, east, and west, and a tower in the back of the building that would easily have broken through the tree line, but its top had been knocked down ages ago, either by the course of time or by some monstrous creature, nopony knew. The roof was set with a beautiful dome, lined with silver, gold, and what used to be royal blue, but had faded into what is now a blueish-gray.

As they both walked up towards the gate, their gazes were drawn to a pair of decorative statues of ponies that stood as the guards to the entrance of the gates. The two stone ponies wore a ceremonial armor similar to that worn by the  Canterlot Royal Guards, though they were more warlike in nature, with swords held close to their sides and a spear and a shield held in their claws.

Wait...claws?

The fillies did a doubletake on the statues, not at first believing what their eyes had seen. Sure enough, they had claws, one statue holding a spear ready to strike and the other holding the shield in defense, both posed ready for a fight. But that wasn’t the only thing that was strange about them. These ponies had a pebbly texture to their skin that popped out of their fur here and there. They were also bulkier than most ponies, and their eyes were large and serpentine, the irises slits just like Nyx’s. But it was the tails that really gave it away, thick and muscular, with a patch of hair that grew from the tips.

“What is this place?” Scootaloo asked, stunned by the architecture.

“Well,” Nyx started, “judging by the rate of decay, and the design of the building, we could conclude-” Nyx stopped mid-sentence, looking at the expression spread on her friend's face.

“What?”

Scootaloo looked at Nyx like her brain was going to have a short circuit, “Nyx, WHAT are you blabbing about?”

“Twilight said that I needed to use the books at the library to study for the history and archeology exams that we're gonna be taking when school starts next week,” Nyx said matter-of-factly.

“Their gonna make us do test right when we get back?!” Scootaloo shouted in surprise.

“Well, no.” Nyx answered, scratching her leg with her hoof, “The test isn’t for a few months, but after talking to Ms. Cheerilee, Twilight thought it’d be a good idea to get a head start. I've been reading up on ancient monuments and lost civilizations. It's really fascinating.” 

Scootaloo sighed, “You are such a geek.”

Nyx just rolled her eyes in annoyance as she turned to the side. That’s when she noticed that they were missing somepony.

“Hey, where did Pipsqueak go?”

Scootaloo quickly turned around to see where the colt had gone. Sure enough, he was gone, no evidence suggesting that he had even come down with them.

“I don’t know. But I don’t think that he fell down here with us. Maybe he got out.”

Nyx nodded. That made sense, and if it was true, then he would be going to get some help right now, meaning they would soon be rescued. She then turned to the gate, walking up nearer to it so she could study the masterful design of the structure, taking in every detail as they moved about the bars.

RRRRRRROOOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nyx and Scootaloo were both frozen in place as they turned around to face what had just entered the clearing behind them, hoping that it had just been their imaginations. But it wasn’t. Standing twenty feet behind them, with its fangs bearing and foam forming at its mouth, the monstrous form of the Lupus Major hung over them. It had finally caught up with them, glaring devilishly at its prey as it crept slowly towards the foals.

Panic swept over scootaloo as she stared mesmerized by the creature, while curiosity and determination were dominant in Nyx. She had a theory to test, and this probably was a good a time as any, as she began to move towards the left, one step at a time, not once taking her eyes off the wolf.

“Nyx, what are you doing!?!” Scootaloo asked desperately, not wanting to be left alone.

“I want to see if this really IS the same Lupus from Ponyville!” she whispered loudly, keeping her eye on the monster. As she moved further to the left, the Lupus followed her movements, licking its lips as it did so. To be sure, Nyx told Scootaloo to move around so it would look like she was trying to run away. She was very convincing, too, dragging her left wing on the ground, pretending that it was broken. But it didn’t pay her any mind. In fact, it didn’t even look into her direction, it’s gaze upon Nyx seeming only to grow darker, crueler, and more menacing. It’s was a coldness in its expression that could only spell out one thing: Hatred.

Nyx quickly rejoined Scootaloo as they took a few steps back into the courtyard. They were lucky that the lock on the gate had fallen off years before, but it only meant that they would have a few extra steps to take before it caught, though they were steps that they were thankful for. That was of course, if they couldn’t get the doors to the ruins opened.

Nyx instructed Scootaloo to run for the doors. The pegasus was reluctant to do this however, knowing she would be leaving Nyx alone with the creature. But Nyx had pointed out to her that if she did it herself, the Lupus would be close behind, since any sudden movements on her part would trigger the beast to chase after.

“I-It's locked!” Scootaloo shouted frantically.

Nyx heard those words of desperation as if they were her own death sentence. She turned and ran as fast as she could towards the doors, using all of her strength, trying to help Scootaloo to force the doors open.

As if the Lupus knew that they had no chance to escape, the wolf charged them, snapping its jaws into a scowl, growling and snarling as it closed the gap between itself and the two fillies. Scootaloo and Nyx stared wide-eyed in fear as they held each other tight, tears forming in the corners of their eyes as the events of their entire lives flashed before their view.

FLASH!!!!!!

The two fillies opened their eyes to the blood-curdling sound of high-pitched whaling. At the entrance to the gate, a magical barrier had formed where the Lupus had passed through, trapping it in a field of energy that lifted it up into the air, and was now electrocuting it. Sparks and small lightning bolts flew of its body, forcing the two to duck underneath a pile of boulders to avoid being hit. The agonizing waling that the creature made pierced their ears like a hot knife through butter, howling in pain as it's body convulsed and smoked before flames burst from its mouth and eyes, silencing it. Finally, the energy field dissolved, allowing the charred remains of the Lupus to fall to the ground, rolling over with a thud.

Nyx and Scootaloo peeked their heads over the rocks to see what had become of their pursuer, looking at it's cold, lifeless body. Building up the courage, Nyx ventured out towards the corpse, levitating a stick in front of her.

“I-Is it dead?”

Nyx poked at the Lupus's stomach, testing it to see if the creature was just hurt. She got her answer when the end of the stick went right through its gut with no effort at all.

“Eww!” Nyx wined, trying not to throw up.

“What? What happened?” Scootaloo asked, still on her guard.

Nyx through the stick into the bushes and turned her focus to her friend, “Yeah, it's dead.”

Scootaloo relaxed her body as she walked out in the open, only to stop as a nauseating odor entered her nostrils, “More like deep-fried. He stinks, too!” She said as she struggled to cover her nose with her hoof to blot out the smell of burned fur. She stepped back to the temple doors, “What do you think happened to it?”

“I don't know. Maybe that gate is enchanted so nothing can get in.” Nyx suggested.

“We got in just fine.” Scootaloo reminded her.

“Well, maybe it only lets ponies in.”

“Who knows, who cares?” Scootaloo sighed as she leaned against the doors, standing on one leg and placing her front hoof on the door to keep her balance.

However, the door that she was leaning on suddenly yielded to her weight and opened, making her lose her balance as she fell flat on her butt while the doors flung on their hinges with a loud creak.

“Ouch!” she cried, rubbing her flank, “I thought you said these doors were locked!”

“They were!” Nyx protested, “You should know, you tried to open them, too!”

Scootaloo got back to her hooves and looked around, and as soon as she was able to gain a focus on her surroundings, she was captivated by the beauty of the interior of the temple corridor.

“Nyx, come look at this.”

Nyx walked up to the doors and looked inside, making her gasp. The walls were made of marble with decorative designs cut into them. The bases were laid with cobblestone, and just above the base of the walls, masterfully made murals were painted onto them. These murals acted as-as historical record, going over the countless ages and hundreds, perhaps thousands of years of events.

The first painting showed a small dragon and a pegasus happily flying through clouds together, and the next painting showed the dragon and the pegasus standing side-by-side, while ponies of all kinds stood around them, performing some kind of ceremony. The murals went on and on with similar depictions of the two characters until about halfway down the hall, where the scenes began to depict a third party. It was at the seventh mural, this one showed the two wrapped around each other while cradling a infant in their arms, the expressions on their faces all but joyful. The next one showed a filly and two colts playing in a meadow, and all three looked exactly like the gate statues outside, and the final painting had a large group of these ponies standing around together while both the dragon and the pegasus hovered above them with the warmest of smiles.

Nyx and Scootaloo came to a stop at the end of the hallway as their way into the main chamber was blocked off by a barred door, allowing them only to gaze into the mysteries inside.

Scootaloo huffed in annoyance, “How are we supposed to get in now?”

“Maybe you'd like us grown-ups to lend you a hoof?” a familiar voice said.

The two fillies made a sharp turn with their heads to see who had come up behind them. At the entrance, two mares stood in front of them with relieved smiles on their faces. One was a blue pegasus with a rainbow mane, and the other was a light purple alicorn with a six-pointed star as a cutie-mark.

“MOM!”

“RAINBOW DASH!”

Scootaloo and Nyx ran as fast as they could towards the two mares,  running right into their hooves as they hugged the two foals close to their bodies, letting the two cry their eyes out from their horrible experience.

“We were worried sick! We thought-” Twilight bit her lip, not wanting to continue with that statement, “Don't you two EVER do something like this again, do you understand us?” she said in a scolding voice, though what she really wanted to do was hold her little foal forever.

“The same can be said from me too, you guys!” Rainbow added, holding back the same emotions as Twilight, “You two could have been eaten! I don't even want to see you two anywhere NEAR this forest again!”

The two fillies nodded their heads in response as they continued to cry while burying their heads into Twilight and Rainbow Dash's chest, not wanting to say one word.

“Oh, it's alright, shhh,” Twilight said, allowing her own tears to run freely as she wrapped her hooves around Nyx, as Rainbow Dash did the same thing, happy that the two were alright and safe.

“So, what is this place?”
////
> Chapter 2-The Vessel
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

////
Chapter 2-Temporary Vessel
////
“Alright, pull on the count of three,” the guard ordered, “One. Two. Three!”

The two unicorns focused all their magic on the lever wedged into the bars and pushed on it, applying a steady amount of pressure until the door gave way, falling to the stone floor with a crash.

“Thank you, Flash.” Twilight smiled at her favorite guard, who replied with a salute. Ugh! How many times would she have to explain to this pegasus that he didn't have to be so formal around her? She would have very much liked for him to act as he had in that other world. She knew he could do it. But now that she was a princess, she could really understand why Nyx hated the royal lifestyle so much. Everyone around you acting like you were going to blast them into oblivion if they put even one percent of normality into their actions around you. It just... sucked.

“Flash,” she whined, “I've told you time and again, stop being so uptight around me. It makes me uncomfortable.”

“Understood, Princess.”

“And stop calling me 'Princess'. Call me Twilight.”

“Understood, Twilight?” Flash Sentry croaked out, unsure of himself. His insecureness made Twilight giggle. When she had first met him, Flash had had no trouble when it came to talking with her, but as soon as he learned that she was royalty, every time he spoke to her he would act like he was walking on eggshells.

“Wow... Twilight, this place is awesome!” a purple drake exclaimed as he hurried into the chamber ahead of her. Spike, along with Applejack, had come along with Flash Sentry when Twilight had sent orders to bring an excavation team to the ruins. Something that Twilight wasn't too happy about.

Twilight sighed as she stepped forward into the chamber, immediately taking her breath away. The beauty of this place was like nothing she had ever seen, the only place that she could think of comparing it to was the Friendship Castle back in Ponyville, even as it had been left to crumble back into the earth. The innermost chamber was set in a circular design, the walls decorated with banners of different colors.  

There were four individual windows, slender in their design resembling the castles from the pre-Gothic Dark Ages, each one set in between the entrances, letting in just enough light to see what one was doing. The floor was carved with inlaid stone, going around in a circle with extravagant designs placed into them.

“Why, would y'all take a gander at these here marble posers.” Applejack said as she pointed towards the middle of the room, where six individual statues were erected around a stone altar.

A ring of gold had been placed into the floor around the statues, and each one was connected to the other with a circular disk at the bases, while a gap had been made for an entrance, allowing access to the altar, opening up right before them and the northern gate. 

Each statue depicted an alicorn in a different pose. Even Twilight was impressed with their beauty and power.

Starting with the one that was placed to the far left, the statue was a stallion whose long hair and two braided locks resting on his shoulders, a warm smile spread on his face. It made him look like one of the great chieftains of the plains buffalo, but unlike a buffalo, he held a scepter to the right in his magic and wore a long robe, with a breastplate with several different designs in it, most notably a zigzag line at the bottom and an indent symbol in the middle that resembled an eight-sided cut diamond. However, there was no diamond, just the outline, which somehow made it feel incomplete.

The second one was little different from the first, except this one was more harsh looking, which was clear even under the mask that hid the lower part of its face. The third was proud, the fourth joyful, and the fifth looked as though it was unimpressed with anything that went about it.

But it was the sixth that took hold in the minds of the ponies looking. The statue depicted a stallion whose spirit had been broken. Fallen over, his head held low, this character had a face that had been worn away by troubles and hardships, and its presence brought a grim depression over the group.

“These statues… how old would you say they are?”

“Well, judging the rate of decay, and the design of the building, we could conclude that it was built in the pre-plasodian era. Now, how old that PRE is will be hard to determine, but...” Twilight stopped to look at Spike. The young drake was positioned on the head of one of the statues, hanging on as he stared starry-eyed down upon the center altar, “Spike, what are you doing?”

“Oh, huh...nothing” he lied, brushing her off with a wave of his claw.

“Spike?” Twilight toyed with him, knowing that he was being dishonest with her.

“Ugh...Oh for Celestia’s sake! Come here.” He made a gesture with his claw, signaling for her to draw closer. She was a bit surprised by his rashness, but decide to discard it to the back of her mind for now. She was curious about what was getting him so worked up.

Spike was peering down onto the altar in the middle of the room. Looking more closely at it, Twilight could see that it was designed with true craftsmanship. From the bottom to the top, the sides of the stones were carved in six horizontal rows with a unique design for each one. From the carvings, it appeared as if they were meant to represent the elements of nature, each with a different gemstone for an element. Water, earth, stone, wind, ice, and a sixth that look as though it was a great light, one that shined at the top of the altar above all the other rows.

But that wasn't what Spike was staring at. On the top of the altar was a bowl, made with onyx and lined on the brim with gold. But at its center, there lead an emerald-green jewel which had a cut of a master. It seemed to have a faint glow about it, the smooth surface glistening in the light, almost like a fire. The cut had been made to give it the appearance of a peril, and it was certainly beautiful to look upon.

“Spike, you can't eat that,” Twilight spoke up, realizing what was going through the drake's head.

“Oh come ON, Twilight! Don't you realize what that is?!” he shouted, wide-eyed.

“Ah, should I?” she asked feebly.

“It's an emerald peril! They’re one of the rarest gemstones in the world! And...this one looks like it's been aged, too.” he said that last part with a low moan, his tongue hanging out while a small dribble of drool beginning to form at the corner of his mouth.

“Spike, it's an artifact. It might be important. You can't just eat something that somepony put there for a reason. That's for an archeologist to decide.” she said firmly, lifting Spike up in her magic.

“But-” Spike tried to protest, but was silenced by Twilight's firm stance.

“Alright, but I want a ruby when we get home!” he said, pointing his claws at her, as she sat him down on the floor.

Twilight giggled, “We'll see, Spike. We'll see.”

Twilight moved on to speak to Applejack, who had called her over to look at some pottery, her mouth curling into a smile as she opened one of the jars, one that she filled with a silvery-black powder.

“Ew, vanilla.”

Spike shook his head as a soft chuckle escaped from his lips. Twilight would definitely be getting him some rubies. In all the years he had known her, if she started to giggle in response to a request, it would usually become a reality, something he was sure Nyx was catching on to. Casually he kicked at a stone, unaware as the stone behind him gave a faint glow, and began to call.
////
“My oh my. That's a really good scent there, Twilight. I swear ya smell like an ice cream cone.” Applejack commented, smelling the sweet scent of vanilla coming from her friend.

“You really think so?” Twilight asked.

“Think so? I know so. Curtain to get any boy a'callin'.” She joked, making Twilight blush.

Twilight then bore a devilish grin as she turned to look at her favorite guard, “Flash?” she said in a sing-song voice, batting her eyes at him as she moved closer, “Does this smell okay to you?”

“It's alright, I guess,” he answered awkwardly.

“Really? I don't know,” she then leaned on him, placing her head on his shoulder, “I wouldn't want it to be overwhelming.” she replied with a pouty face.

“It...It's fine. Really.” he croaked, his eyes dashing left to right.

Applejack couldn't help but laugh at Twilight as she flirted with the guard. Twilight had told her and the rest of their friends all about the Flash from the human world. She had formulated her scheme to transfer him from the Crystal Empire to Ponyville about a month after the castle had separated from the ground, transferring his entire unit to get him into her range. It hadn't been a LARGE unit, only five strong, but still, she was determined to get a hook on him.

But boy, was she awkward.

Huffing in defeat, Twilight moved back over to Applejack, “Ugh, I wish I could get through to him.”

“Oh shoot Twilight, don't sweat it. I'm sure you'll get to 'em eventually.” she encouraged, placing a hoof around her shoulder, “Ya just need to take your time and get 'em interested is all.”

“Thanks, Applejack.” Twilight turned, gazing on a painting on the wall. It was a depiction of a major battle in a valley. There were pegasus soaring through the air, unicorns blasting away at enemies, and earth-ponies charging into legions of griffins. It was a picture of victory, triumph, and spirit. It was truly something that struck awe in the hearts and minds of both Twilight and Applejack. It was hard for them to imagine such an event to have taken place.

“The artwork in this place is certainly beautiful.” Twilight stared admiringly.

“Yeah, I reckon it is.” Applejack nodded in agreement, “It was a mighty good thing Nyx and Scootaloo found this place yesterday. I'd hate to think what coulda happened if they hadn't.”

“Please. Applejack, I don't want to think about it.” Twilight said flatly.

“Right, sorry.” She cursed herself, knowing that it wasn't a good subject.

The two stood there in silence, fixating on every last detail on the moral, every brush of paint a new delight to the eyes. It was highly detailed for ancient art, but that just made it all the better. From the multicolored spectrum of the sunset in the sky above, to the rainy-thunderclouds slamming into the mountains of the distance, to every individual blade of grass on the rolling plains where the battle was fought, the scene that the artist depicted was unlike any other they had ever seen.

And it wasn't this painting alone. The temple was filled with depictions similar to the one that they were studying. The other halls, like the one that Nyx and Scootaloo had walked into, were lined with pictures that told different stories. It was almost as if the building was one large storybook within itself, even the stones used to build it had been carved to have a little story of their own.

“Ya know Twi, I wonder if Princess Celestia knows about this place.” Applejack commented, turning to look directly at her friend.

“I wouldn't know. The Princess and I are close but, there are some things that she keeps to himself. And for good reason, I'm sure.” Twilight looked down at her hooves, “It’s strange really. Celestia has ruled Equestria for over a millennium, it's hard to imagine a world without her or her sister to guide the sun and the moon.”

“Yeah, I reckon it must have been tough.” Applejack tipped her hat as she leaned on the marble, “So ya gonna write to the Princess about this?”

“That sounds like a good idea.” She then began to walk around, reciting what she wanted to say in her head before continuing, “Spike, take a letter.”

“Dear Princess Celestia,” She started, beginning a letter as she had done on countless occasions, “Yesterday, Nyx and two of her friends fell into the Everfree forest on accident while competing in a race, and were attacked by one of the Lupus Majors of the territory. Don't worry, they're fine, but during their little adventure they stumbled onto an astonishing discovery.”

“This letter is to inform you that I am now lending an archeological project on site of what appears to be the ruins of a high-class society of ponies that date back to a time before your rule or the founding of Equestria. This might prove the theories that same of Canterlot's leading historians have about our past, and that we were not the first to settle here. This could possibly be one of the greatest discoveries of our age, but before we jump to any conclusions, I write to you to ask if you have any knowledge of these ruins existing, or if you have no prior acknowledgment to their presence.”

“Hoping for your soon reply, your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight finished her letter and began to walk back to Applejack. But when she realized that the fire that Spike used to send letters hadn't sparked, she turned to her assistant in confusion.

“Well, Spike? Aren't you gonna send-”

Twilight blinked as she stared at the drake. Spike stood with his back towards her, staring straight at the altar. He was completely unmoved, as if he was in a trance, his arms limply hanging from his shoulders.

Twilight stepped forwards, “Spike? Did you even hear what I just-” she was cut short by a sudden burst of energy, which shot up from the floor, catching her by surprise.

“Agh!” she cried, falling onto her back, as a field of magic surrounded the statues, trapping Spike inside.

“Twilight! Hey, ya okay there, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, lifted Twilight up as the guards came over to help.

“Yeah, I'm fine.” Twilight grunted as she got to her hooves, “What just...happened?” she fell silent, gazing at the center of the room.

Spike was now curled around the top of the altar gazing down on the peril that ordered its center. His face was fully exposed to them, and they could see the dead expression on it that made him look like a zombie. He looked around as if he was uncertain of what to do next, holding a claw in the air above the emerald stone. The jewel at the heart of the altar glowed angrily, stabbing at her eyes with its brightness.

“Spike? What are you-!?”

Spike's claw came down on the gem like a mallet, slamming into it with full force. The jewel lit up like a torch, glowing so bright that it hurt to look upon, until it generated enough magical energy that it stopped glowing, before shooting a single bolt of lighting directly into Spike's chest, sending him flying into the opposite wall, slamming his body into the stone.

“Spike!” Twilight shouted, flying forwards to help the little drake.

Spike laid on his back moaning as Twilight rushed towards him, Applejack and Flash close behind. Twilight immediately began to nuzzle him, trying to get a response.

“Ugh...What-What happened?” Spike's world slowed came back to him, rubbing his head as a dull ache spread over it. He could barely hear Twilight's voice, coming through against a loud ringing in his ears.

“Spike? Spike!? Can you hear me!?” Twilight's muffled voice came into his hearing in pieces, but he could still make out what she was trying to say to him.

“T-Twilight? What...Where am I?” he moaned.

Twilight sighed in relief, “Don't you remember? We're in the ruins that Nyx found yesterday.”

“Yeah, I think I...remember. It’s just...Ugh, my head!” he exhaled, placing his hand above his forehead.

“It's okay, Spike. You hit yourself pretty hard, I'd be surprised if you weren't having problems remember a few things.”

“Well you're right, I can't remember anything,” he said as he tried to keep his eye open.

“Nothing?” she asked.

“I-I remember you telling me not to eat the gem because it belonged to the project, and...wait, where's that mare?” he asked.

Twilight looked at him confused, "Mare? What mare?"

"Didn't you hear her voice? She was just talking a moment ago, I can't remember what about," he questioned, his eyes swiveling about confused.

Applejack lowered her brows, "Spike, nopony's here but us."

"But she was here! I know it!" he assured them, rolling over with every intent to sit up, only to fall back as a sharp pain rocketed up his spine. He cried, hunching over as he bit his tongue in pain.

“Spike? What's wrong?” Twilight asked immediately, concern overpowering her as she came to his aid.

“My-My back! It's...Ugh!” he cried again, doubling over at its intensity.

Twilight wasted no time rolling Spike over to see what was wrong with him, letting out a horrified gasp. All along the course of his back, the scales had been pealed off while the tender flesh underneath, which what was normally bright pink, was now blackened and charred, burned to the point of deformity as congregated pus and red bloated across the horrible wound.

“Oh god, Spike. Yer back.” Applejack exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hoof.

“Oh, dear Celestia! We need to get you to a hospital!” Twilight then began to lift him up in her magic gently cradling him to the door.

“Twilight?” Spike wined through the pain, tears welling in the corner of his eyes, “Please...”

“Don't worry, I'll keep you safe,” she reassured, directing her attention towards the guards, pointing at the two beside Flash Sentry.

“You two stay here and watch that altar. If nothing happens in the next hour, report back to Ponyville for further instructions. Flash, come with me!”

Twilight, Applejack, and Flash left the building, leaving the guards to watch for any possible threat. As the time passed away and the hour was spent the two kept a watchful eye upon the altar, but it was clear that they would have to return to the palace. They stayed for a few moments longer, but soon the dead silence of the building drove them to leave, returning to Ponyville to turn in their report.

Only then, did the mists swirl into existence, forming around the altar to gaze upon its surroundings. It had been too easy enticing the dragon into his snare, and he would make sure to reward him for his compliance.

But he would be the one that would benefit the most from their deal. He had been locked away for far too long, and many had come and gone who had refused to help him, all so that the one would finally come who deserved it.

He couldn't help but laugh.
////
The moonlight shined in through the window of Spike's room in the castle, the young drake lying on his bed passed out, and after what he had been through earlier that day, he was justly so. After being hit with that spell, Twilight had rushed him back to Ponyville as fast as possible, though at first, he had felt that she had been overreacting a bit, and he had protested her babying him, but she had refused to pay any mind to him. However, he was grateful that she hadn't listened, because as they got halfway to town, Spike had been hit with the most severe pain in his skull that he had ever experienced. By the time they had reached Ponyville, the pain had become crippling, the feeling close to being stung repeatedly by a swarm of wasps.

But after being taken to Dr. Heartstrings’ clinic, where he had spent nearly an hour being poked and prodded at and getting a pop-sickle stick shoved down his throat, he was finally sent home with strict orders to stay in bed, as the doctor had diagnosed him with having a slight concussion along with a minute case of the dragon-measles, something that both he and Twilight had found utterly ridiculous, and had strongly argued against. But Dr. Heartstrings was unable to give any other explanation for the burns across his back, since it was well established that dragons were highly magic-resistant. Of course at first he had complained about having to be restricted to his room for however long, that is until he had been given a strong dose of pain medication.

And that's where he had remained for the rest of the afternoon, his head and chest bandaged while he was drugged up on whatever the doctor had given him, but whatever it was, he liked it, he really liked it. He felt great, everything around him seemed to be floating pasted him like a dream. Twilight and Nyx, who for whatever reason that had compelled him had given and had repeatedly called Nyx Moonie's Crybaby, had brought him water, which he had asked a lot for, along with anything that he had asked for during the duration of that afternoon. Even Rarity had come over when she had found out that he had been hurt, giving him some herbal tea that she had made for him with a guarantee that it would make him feel better. However, just to be in the same room with her was to him the same equivalent as drinking herbal tea and experiencing a high from painkillers. She just had the effect to make him feel like a million bits.

However even though he felt fine, his head had felt really light, like he had inhaled a large amount of Zecora's incense. He had considered telling Twilight about it, but he had shrugged it off as some side-effect of the drug that he had been given. That, and the fact that something in the back of his mind was forcing him to stay silent, telling him that it would be better if he kept his mouth shut. All he wanted to do was sleep, and after struggling to keep himself alert, he finally allowed himself to slip away, spending the next four hours mumbling in his sleep.

But suddenly Spike’s eyes opened, and instead of the natural green they were known for, they revealed that the two glowed luminous blue in the darkness. He slowly looked around his room before he rose up out of his bed and walked out into the hallway. He quickly and quietly passed both Twilight and Nyx’s bedrooms, creeping down the staircase into the opened space of the library. There, after looking all around him to assure himself that he wasn't being watched, he knelt down on the wooden floor in the middle of the room and held out his right hand, closed his eyes as he started chanting in a voice and language foreign to his own.

“MAJ-IN! MAJ-IN! YAR TRIṈ KȮL YÜNA. HƎR MǏȮIS NAŮ, ƎN Ȱ-ƁĀ MǏ KE-ḾAN, WÊ MĀ-BE ẂƎNBORA.”

A light began to glow above his hand as he repeated his words, but he didn't react to it. Instead, he continued his chant over and over, each repeat causing the light to grow brighter and brighter until, with a blinding flash, a large purple gemstone fell with a small thud into his claws.

A smile crept onto Spike's face as he held the star-shaped gem to his chest, while muttering something inaudible underneath his breath. Spike then got himself back to his feet, sighing before walking to the front door, opened it, then turned and looked over his shoulder one last time to make sure that he wasn't going to be followed before running out into the darkened street. But unknown to him, a pair of serpentine eyes had watched his every move from the upstairs railing.
////
“Mom. Mom! Wake up!”

Nyx had walked into Twilight’s room just moments after Spike had left the library, and now she was on top of her mother, who was proving difficult to wake.

“Come on, Twilight, wake up!” Nyx wined.

Twilight groaned and opened her eyes halfway to look up at her daughter, who was staring back down at her with a pretty worried look. It had been almost a year since the Hearth’s Warming Calibration, and her now nine-year-old foal had her hoof jabbed in her stomach. She moaned, moved slightly, causing Nyx to fall off of her in an attempt to return to her sleep. But the filly would have none of it, taking the blanket covering Twilight in her teeth and started to pull it off of her, immediately drawing a reaction from the purple mare, who grabbed it with her own teeth, beginning a heated tug a war between the two. Nyx used her little wings to give herself some extra strength, giving her somewhat of an advantage over her, while Twilight, on the other hand, was in an awkward position that left her unable to use her own, silently cursing herself that she had allowed Rainbow Dash to train her daughter in the ways of flight.

But Nyx finally prevailed over her groggy mother, falling backward when Twilight gave up on the sheets and let them go, squeaking in surprise as her body was buried under the cover.

“Nyx, what do you want? It’s one in the morning!” Twilight grumbled while look at the clock, agitated that she had been pulled from her rest.

Nyx steered from underneath the blanket trying to find an opening to poke her head out, “Mom, you need to come with me right now! It’s Spike, he’s in trouble!”

“Hmm, what about Spike?” Twilight said weakly, her eyes threatening to close.

Nyx bit her lip, worried, “Mom! Spikes’ left the library!”

“Oh, that’s nice, honey.” Twilight let out a yawn before lying down on her pillow to go back to sleep.

“WHAT!?!”

A small yelp escaped Nyx’s throat, quickly jumping back under the sheets to avoid being hit by one of Twilight’s flayed out wings as she stood up on her bed, her head jerking around this way and that in a panic while Nyx fumbled under the sheets to make some space between herself and her frantic mother.

“Spike?Where’sSpike?!Wheredidhego?!Whatdidhedo?!Whydidheleave!?!Didhesayanything!?! What-”

Twilight was suddenly silenced by a pillow that Nyx had levitated to throw into her mother’s face, pulling Twilight back into reality.

“Mom, please! Just calm down, I can tell you what happened!” Nyx cried, jumping up to catch one of Twilight’s front hooves, which she wrapped herself around, her eyes beginning to tear up in fright.

Twilight stared down at her crying child, that one image beginning to tear at her heart. If one thing had not changed about Nyx after she became Nightmare Moon, it was that she was so easily upset, allowing her sensitivity from time to time to draw her into a crying-spell. Nyx had become more resilient to depression, but she would still resort back to the scared crying filly that she had rescued from the Everfree forest three years before, and at times it made Twilight happy that Nyx kept that one trait, feeling that somehow it formed her warm innocence into a living reality. But now it broke Twilight’s heart that she had frightened her foal so badly.

Looking down at the trembling child at her hooves, Twilight lowered her head and nuzzled Nyx’s cheek, using her hoof to raise the filly's chin up so that she could look into her daughter’s eyes, “shhh, it’s okay. It’s alright. I’m sorry I upset you Nyx, it’s just that...Spike has never done anything like this before, not even when he was first hatched. I’m just worried about his safety. Can you at least tell me that he’s alright?”

Nyx had stopped crying, but her ears still drooped down to her forehead, “Umm...Well, I’m not sure.”

Concerned, Twilight looked down at the grim face on her daughter, “W-What do you mean, sweetie?” she said feebly, cocking an eyebrow.

“I-I...,” Nyx said weakly, her words forming slowly in her mouth, “Well, I got up to get some water from the kitchen, but as I was walking out of my room, I heard a voice coming from downstairs. It was Spike, but something didn't seem right, so I hid behind the railing where he wouldn’t see me, but I could watch him in secret. I think he was talking to himself, but I couldn’t understand what he was saying. He was talking really funny, too, like when you’re speaking through a microphone.”

“Talking really funny? Microphones? Nyx, are you sure that you didn’t just dream this up?” Twilight asked, a little doubtful.

“Yeah, and it was really deep, too, like this.” Nyx lowered her voice, trying her best to make the deepest, manliest tone that she could, “And he was all like ‘I’m in charge. I’m in control.’ attitude, and really calm acting, Mom.”

“But,” Nyx began, her voice returning to normal, “I was gonna go down there and ask him about what he was doing, but before I could do anything, this bright light came out of nowhere, and when I looked back, he was hold-” However before she could continue Nyx fell silent, not exactly sure what she was supposed to say.

“Nyx, what was he holding?” Twilight asked, trying to coax an answer out of her, but the little black filly said nothing.

“Nyx, please tell me?”

Nyx looked up at Twilight, a strange, cold fear that she couldn't understand welled itself up inside of her as she spoke, “He...he was holding your element, Mom.”

Twilight was taken aback by this, not really processing what Nyx had said to her, “What?”

“Before you tell me that I must be mistaken, I KNOW what the elements look like. I’ve seen them up close, and I say it again, Spike left the library with the Element of Magic.”

Twilight’s mouth hung open, unable to grasp anything that she had just heard, “But...but how? The Elements were returned to the Tree of Harmony, sealed away with a powerfully advanced magic! None of them can be removed unless Equestria desperately needs them. So how did Spike get ahold of mine?! He can’t even use magic!”

Nyx, however, didn't have an answer for this, instead choosing to look down at her hooves while Twilight was off trying to gather any logic from this. However, Nyx suddenly felt herself being lifted off the ground by Twilight’s horn, setting the filly on her back along with her saddlebags.

“Where are we going?” Nyx asked.

“Nyx, we’re going to find Spike before he gets himself hurt even more, or worse. But first, we need to gather the girls. We’re gonna need all the help we can get if we’re going to get any answers, and solve this mystery.”

“Let’s go.”
////
“Now yer sayin’ he did WHAT?”

Applejack looked forward dumbfounded along with the rest of the mares, all of them standing around Twilight and Nyx in the middle of Sweet Apple Acres. Twilight had gone to each and every one of their houses, half-dragging them out of the comforts of their beds all because she was going off on some nonsense that they had a critical situation on their hooves, and that’s where they had spent the last thirty minutes, listening to a half-crooked story that the two alicorns were trying to pass off to them. Unfortunately, the group was having a hard time accepting their claim, and each one of them was closer to falling asleep right where they stood than they were in following, let alone comprehending, a word of what they had to say. So Twilight had to start all over again. And again. And again, until the group finally showed some sign that they were beginning to understand what was coming off of her lips.

"So yer all tellin' us that Spike, our Spike, was goin’ around sayin’ some kind of hocus-pocus, and then SUDDENLY, the Element of Magic just appeared?" Applejack asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, I wouldn't call it ‘hocus pocus’, but yes." Twilight answered, a little annoyed that she would refer to magic as ‘Hocus Pocus’.

Applejack snorted, shaking her head, "Oh, what the hey is goin' on, Twilight? Honestly, I think you might need to have yer head checked."

Twilight scoffed at this, gaining some snickers from her friends. Of course, not all of them were taking this unrealistically, though maybe not as seriously as one would hope for.

"This is so awesome! And here all this time I thought dragons couldn't use magic. That little sneaks' been holding out on us!" Rainbow Dash chimed in, finding the whole conversation all too interesting for all the wrong reasons.

Fluttershy looked over at Dash, who was hovering over the rest of the group, while she herself preferred to stay on the ground, a little more worried than the rest, as expected, "Umm...that's because they can't, Dash.”

Dash looked at her confused, “Well what do you know about it, then?”

Fluttershy looked down at her hooves, not really wanting to speak up in the first place, but it was too late now, having sparked everyone’s curiosity, “Umm...dragons are greed driven, Dash, and because of that, they can't focus well enough to use it. In fact, any kind of negative emotion in a non-unicorn will cause an inability to perform magic. That's why not many other races can do it."

All of them stared at Fluttershy slack-jawed, causing the yellow pegasus to frown, hiding behind her mane.

“Tarnation, that was a mouth-full.” Applejack broke the silence, trying not to laugh.

“Fluttershy, where did you learn that?” Twilight asked inquisitively, amazed by the block of knowledge that had come out of her friend’s mouth.

“Umm...I borrowed some books from the library about it.” Fluttershy answered plainly, keeping her head low.

Twilight looked at her curiously, "I-I never realized that you had an interest in that kind of subject. I mean, you're scared of dragons! What motivated you to pursue it?"

“Oh,” Fluttershy said while looking at Twilight through the strains of her hair, perking up a little, "It was back when you first moved into Ponyville. I just thought if Spike ever got sick, it would be good for me to know any natural remedies that would help the poor thing get better."

Twilight allowed a smile to form on her face as she placed a hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder, "That was very thoughtful of you, Fluttershy. Thank you."

The pegasus blushed, smiling shyly before she returned her gaze to her own hooves.

"Ah, excuse me, I don't wish to be rude but, don’t you think we may be getting a little diverted from the current situation at hoof." Rarity spoke up. All this time she had been listening a little more anxiously to Twilight and Nyx’s story than the rest of the mares about what had happened to Spike, and she was making it quite evident.

"Yeah! If we don’t find Spike soon, how can I give him his "Super Duper, Hope You Feel Better" party tomorrow if he won’t even be there to have it?" Pinkie Pie chirped out, being as childish as usual while she bounced up and down.

Rarity glared at her, "Really darling, how could you possibly think of a party at a time like this? Spike is wandering out there in the dark somewhere, alone! The poor dear is probably frightened out of his mind, covered in...icky mud or something."

However, Pinkie didn't answer Rarity. In fact, she had stopped bouncing all together, instead, her attention was drawn to something that she had spotted off to her right.

"Alright, so this is my plan.” Twilight began, levitating a stick towards herself so she could draw a map into the soft dirt, "We'll split up into three groups. Rarity and Nyx will go with me to investigate..."

"Umm, Twilight?" Pinkie said nervously, but Twilight didn’t hear her.

"...the palace. Now, Applejack, you and Rainbow Dash can go and search..."

"Twilight?" she said a little louder.

"...with Fluttershy. That way we can all cover more ground in a shorter amount of time. That way-"

"TWILIGHT!?!"

Everyone in the group was caught off guard by Pinkie’s sudden increase in volume, and immediately turned their heads to face the pink mare, whose hair was standing on end in a crazy pink jungle, staring ahead of them wide-eyed, frowning.

"Pinkie? What's wrong?" Twilight asked, frowning at the Party-pony’s sudden change in demeanor.

"I-I think I know where Spike is," she said nervously.

"Oh, thank Celestia for your pinkie sense," Twilight cheered, "So what is it? Wrinkled nose? Twitchy tail? Achy hoof?"

Pinkie shook her head in reply, choosing instead to answer by lifting up her hoof to point ahead of her, refusing to take her eyes off of what she was focused on, causing everyone else to look at whatever she was staring at.

What they saw made them all turn white.

They were all staring at Everfree, but the threatening atmosphere the forest was known for looked a hundred times worse, thanks to a large mass of clouds that had formed above the forest canopy, changing the skyline all around into different shades of gray, black, and red while lightning flashed across the circling cloud. A low thumbing could be heard being carried on the wind, moaning in the clearing. But the phenomenon wasn’t following the random pattern of normal weather. instead, the clouds were being focused over one central point above the forest.

The vortex circled above the ruins of the Everfree temple.
////
Spike walked slowly across the floor towards the stone altar that rained from the middle of the temple, a smile spread over his face as he gazed around the beautiful interior of the structure. He was both thrilled and astonished that after all the long years since it had first been built it had withstood the sands of time, and though he could see that the eastern wall had begun to crumble, signaling that it had started the path into slow decay, it made him happy that at least ONE thing was left to survive from his world into modern times.

His world. His...home.

Spike quickly shook the unhappy memory away from his current thoughts. He would have plenty of time to mourn later. But for now, he had some work to do.

Eagerly placing his claws on the altar, Spike began going over the right materials that he would need to prepare in his mind. Of course, potions and enchantments had never been his forte during his youth, leaving those areas of study in the worthy hands of his younger brother, and he would only get one shot at this. 

Of course, if he DID screw up he'd never realize it until it was all too late, and to say the least, the ending result would prove disastrous for everyone.

So looking around the chamber, Spike spotted a series of jars lined side by side of each other against the furthermost wall. His eyes glowed, and out of the corner of the wall a large jewel-encrusted vase levitated over to him and came to a rest in his claws. Peering inside to stare at its contents, he was filled with satisfaction as his eyes made contact with the blackish-gray powder inside. He took a strong whiff of it and smiled as his nostrils were overwhelmed with its aroma, the scent a cross between raw cinnamon and vanilla. The rarest of the ingredients needed, the aged ashes of the Northern Black Oak tree was probably the most important as well, a hot, burning herb that he would need if he was ever going to hope to awaken from his stone slumber. And right now, his heart was a burning furnace.

Pouring the contents of the vase into the bowl-like container on the top of the altar, he filled it up until it covered the emerald jewel that was at the heart of the bowl, then he levitated two smaller jars towards him, emptying the contents of the first one in with the black oak powder, but with the second he opened the lid and only took out three golden threads, placing one into the mix of ingredients but lying the other two on the rim of the altar. He would have to wait and put the others in throughout the ritual, otherwise, he would run the risk of...complications.

Finally, after he felt that everything was ready he sat the empty jars onto the floor away from him. He prepared to have the final piece of this delicate puzzle, which came when he inhaled a large amount of air and held it, waiting until the fires deep inside of him were hot enough before he let out a stream of the emerald flames onto the collected mixture, devouring it all before it burst into silver flames.

Spike backed away for a moment, contemplating the reality of his situation while at the same time marveling at the scene. Soon, soon he would finally be free of his stone imprisonment, and this one thought was starting to fill him with anxiety. He so desperately desired to go out and breathe the fresh mid-night air and to feel the cool wet morning grass underneath his hooves, but at the same time, he was afraid of what might await him in this new world. He wasn't a fool; he knew that a great amount of time had passed since he last walked the earth, and for all he knew, things could have gotten even worse since then. But looking down at the pouch at his side he was comforted that he would have the power to make things right. Nothing could change what had happened, but he could make amends for the damage caused by his brother, vowing that he would never allow for that horror to ever happen again, and now that he would soon be reunited with his element, he would do everything in his power to set things on a new and brighter path.

The flames above the altar suddenly flashed white, signaling that he would have to put in the second thread. It was important that he waited to put them in, otherwise, the spell could become unstable and potentially cause an explosion, one that could easily wipe both Ponyville, Canterlot, and half the Everfree Forest right off the map. Of course, he wasn't completely stupid when it came to performing a ritual spell, and after a few minutes the white flash would appear again and he would place the third and final thread in, after which it would be ready to receive the purple gemstone that now rested comfortably at his side.

But for now, he would have to wait patiently for the time to come as he sighed and walked back to the altar and placed the second thread in.

“Spike? What are you doing?” A voice said from behind him.

Spike stopped dead in his tracks, looking behind himself to gaze at the pony who addressed him. At the entrance of the temple stood seven ponies held right where they were like stone, one of them considerably younger than the rest in the group, all of them staring in disbelief. He turned his body around to face them, his eyes passing slowly between each member of the group. He noticed the look of shock and confusion on their faces, trying to remember who they were.

One pony, in particular, stood out from the rest, her attitude suggesting to him that she was the leader, “Spike? What are you doing? Get away from there!” she yelled.

Spike frowned. This pony had only spoken a few words and already she was testing his temper, disturbing him from his work so she could scold him. However, though she was trying to be firm with him, he noticed her expression, betraying her by telling him that she was more distressed than angry. At the same time, she was beginning to spark his interest, studying her body over, from her lavender coat that went well with the tri-color of her mane and tail. And for a cutie-mark, she had a six-pointed pink star, with five smaller white stars circling around it, and-

He trailed off from his line of thoughts when he noticed the horn and wings that indicated her as an alicorn, something that shocked him. But as he looked to the other mares he discovered that there was yet another pony among them, the youngest of the group, had also been blessed with such a high status, though he was a bit confused with her irises, glowing brightly in the dark. Interesting…

“Spike, please come home.”

Spike looked back at the older alicorn’s face. The mare’s eye’s had started to tear up, making him question why she was so attached to this dragon.

“WHAT DO YOU WANT, WOMAN?”

The group jumped when Spike spoke, startled by his sudden use of words. But his voice was too deep to be compared to the drake they knew, the way it echoed through the chamber sent chills down their backs. None of them answered right away, too fixed on what had happened to him to speak.

Finally, Twilight stepped forward and swallowed, “W-What did you say?”

“I SAID,” he began calm and slowly, though his voice still held a great deal of its power, “WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT, ALICORN, ARE YOU DEAF? OR DOES STUPIDITY MATCH YOUR YOUTH?”

“My word!” a white unicorn gasped, taken aback by his sudden rudeness.

Spike immediately turned his head to face the unicorn, a gentle smile spread across his face.

“Rarity?” he said softly in a voice more closely resembling his own.

Rarity stared at him blankly, a little curious about what he had to say, “Y-Yes Spike?”

He shook his head around for a moment to clear his mind. He had lost control of his host for a minute there, allowing the dragon’s emotions to mix with his own. But he regained his dominance, though not before he had been bombarded with memories of these ponies; happy memories of friendships, loyalties, admiration, and love. Things that he shouldn’t have seen, but was surprised to find, but this knowledge was going to make what he had to do much harder. 

“I AM CONFUSED. IF YOU CARE TO EXPLAIN, HOW HAVE YOU BECOME FRIENDS WITH THIS DRAGON? PREFERABLY I WOULD LIKE AN ANSWER FROM YOU, TWILIGHT SPARKLE.”

“I’ve known and raised him from an egg, and we’ve…” Twilight looked at him skeptically, taking a step towards him, “Wait a minute, who are you? How do you know my name?”

“WHO AM I?” he repeated her question, pondering it over in his mind,“I...I AM A GHOST. A MEMORY. I WAS AWAKENED WHEN YOUR ‘FRIEND’ PUT HIS GREEDY CLAWS ON MY ALTAR.”

Spike looked at her with a smile, “AS TO HOW I KNOW YOUR NAMES, YOU CAN THANK HER.” he said as he pointed a claw at Rarity, making her uneasy.

“Me? I don’t understand, what did I do?” Rarity asked rather quickly, aware of the looks that she was getting from her friends.

“NOTHING. AT LEAST, NOTHING DIRECTLY. SPIKE IS NOTHING BUT A PASSENGER, AND WHILE YOU SEE HIM BEFORE YOU IN BODY, EVERYTHING THAT HE HAS DOWN OR WILL DO ON THIS NIGHT IS THE RESULT OF MY WILL.”

“HOWEVER,” he said, looking at their confused faces, “THE EMOTIONS I SENSE INSIDE HIM TOWARDS YOU ALL ARE STRONG, BUT IT IS AT IT’S GREATEST POTENCY WHEN I AM CLOSER TO YOU, RARITY. HE SEEMS DRAWN TO YOU, CLOSE TO YOU. I WONDER WHY?” he asked her with a grin, the mare blushing violently.

Rarity stared in shock as she listened to something so personal, while Twilight stepped a little closer to him, looking at him grimly, “So, tell us, why did you steal the Element of Magic?”

Spike arched an eyebrow at this question. What was the ‘Element of Magic’? He looked at Twilight inquisitively, pondering how to respond to such a ridiculous accusation. He had stolen nothing, and the fact that they had claimed that had done otherwise was adding more fuel to his anger. He could feel it welling up inside him threatening to burst, but before he could dwell on this matter for longer than he should he tightened his grip on the jewel that he was held in his grasp, forcing a particular memory into his mind. That’s when he pieced it together.

“DO YOU TAKE ME AS A THIEF? IT'S MINE!” he held up the purple gem for all of them to see, “WHO ARE YOU TO SAY THAT I AM A THIEF WHEN I HAVE TAKEN ONLY WHAT RIGHTFULLY BELONGS TO ME?!” his voice rose in volume, growing hotter with his agitation.

“What belongs to YOU?!” they all shouted in unison.

“The Element of Magic doesn’t belong to any one pony, it belongs to all of Equestria!” Twilight shouted.

“HOW DARE YOU QUESTION ME! YOU IGNORANT LITTLE-” Spike stopped himself and breathed, trying to keep his cool. So instead of blowing up on these ponies, he turned his back on them so he could face the altar, just in time to see the fire in it glow white for the second time, “I HAVE SEEN HIS MEMORIES OF YOU ALL, TWILIGHT SPARKLE. IT IS FOR THAT REASON THAT I DO NOT WISH TO CONTINUE IN THIS ARGUMENT FOR ANY LONGER, FOR HIS SAKE ONLY. SO I ASK THAT YOU DO NOT INTERFERE. OTHERWISE, I ASSURE YOU, THINGS WILL BECOME UNPLEASANT. YOUR HEART WAS ABLE TO UNLOCK THE ELEMENT’S POWER. BUT I, I AM IT’S MASTER. AND I WILL DEFEND MYSELF.”

“NOW, IF YOU'LL EXCUSE ME, I HAVE SOME UNFINISHED BUSINESS TO ATTEND TO.” With that, Spike made his way to the altar. But before he could get halfway across to his target destination, he suddenly felt himself being lifted off the ground by a levitation spell.

He spun his head around, just in time to see that Twilight’s horn was glowing, lifting him in her magic.

“W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” he shouted in alarm, struggling against her hold on him, “LET GO OF ME!”

But she wouldn’t, looking at him with a scowl, “NO! I’ve had enough of listening to this malarkey, Spike! You're coming home with us right now!” Twilight turned to the temple doors, levitating Spike behind her as he struggled.

“I SAID,” he motioned his hand forwards, directing it towards Twilight, “LET. ME. GO!”

Suddenly, she was rocketed forward by a blot of pure energy, slamming her into the wooden-frame doors, knocking the air out of her lungs. The force of the hit momentarily stunned her, but after a moment she was able to shake it off, her attention being drawn back to the origin of the blast, everyone in the group staring at it in shock.

“Wha-!?!”

Floating in midair before them, magical energy pulsated around Spike’s body and claws, the one that he had pointed at Twilight smoking from the spell he had used to force her away.

“S-Spike?!?” she whimpered.

Spike raised his head and looked at the horrified ponies before him, bearing down his teeth on them while his eyes glowed a bright, burning electric-blue, “DID I NOT JUST SAY TO NOT INTERFERE?! DAMN YOUR STUBBORNNESS!” he raged at them, forcing them to back away, “IF YOU WILL NOT CONCEDE TO MY WISHES WILLINGLY, I WILL MAKE YOU LEAVE!!!” He raised his head back, sucking as much air as possible.

“SCRATCHY NOSE!!!” Was all that was heard before he lurched forward, blasting them with a stream of emerald fires.

Yelps and screams escaped all their throats, dodging behind fallen columns and rocks to avoid being singed by the flames, while Twilight and Rarity used their magic to create a barrier between them and Spike. This enraged him, retaliating by amping up the intensity of the fire, causing the rocks that had not been encircled by the shield to glow red from the heat. When that didn’t work, he canceled the stream and cast a spell around his claws, slamming his fists into the barrier. They had to use all the magic they had to keep the shield up, and it was starting to put a strain on them, a growing pain swelling in their horns as they continued to fight back. They tried to reason with him to stop with no success, the only thing that their protests seemed to accomplish was to make him angrier. They were shocked at how powerful his attacks were, and they knew that if something didn’t change soon, he was going to break through.

But he was growing tired as well. He knew that if he kept this up, he was going to faint. As he ran over different outcomes to get out of this he tightened his grip on the Element, looking at it as he did so while an idea formed in his head, then looked over his shoulder back to the altar. He wouldn’t have time to put the string in and wait, but he had gone too far now to give up to defeat. He only had one option, but he had to risk it.

He stopped his attack and stared at the two for a moment, eyes narrowing as he hissed at them. It was a hiss that they had never heard before, something that would have been expected from a full-grown dragon, not him, and it pursed right through them like a knife.

Rarity lips quivered as she looked at him, “S-Spike?!”

Spike suddenly turned on all fours and bolted to the altar with blinding speed, something that would have made Rainbow Dash take a stand. Twilight and Rarity let the barrier disappear, galloping after him. But they were too late, and could only watch as he placed the Element into the silver flames, smiling as he did so.

Immediately Spike was blasted back as another shockwave shoot from the altar, sending him flying through the air until he slammed headfirst into a wall, falling onto the stone floor with a small thud, knocking him out cold as the blue glow in his eyes faded.

Twilight and Rarity ran over to him to see if he was alright, shaking him frantically to get a response. It took a few tries, but he finally gave a weak moan, signifying that at least he was alive.

Their attention, however, was soon drawn back to the altar, which began to turn on its axis with a loud crank, twisting the turbines inside that started to move the statues around in turn. As it moved things around, the Element glowed brighter and brighter until it liquefied, mixing in with the ritual fires, changing it’s color from silver to a turquoise blue. Suddenly, after the last of the Element had dissolved into the spell, the flames formed into two flaming streams that circled around each other and fused into a single beam of light that shot upwards, penetrating through the cloud cover above.

However, nothing happened right away. In fact, the wall of clouds seemed to slow in their movements, while all the sound in the forest ceased, the breathing of the ponies the only thing left to be heard. An eternity seemed to pass as the group watched anxiously for what would happen next, slowly beginning to wonder if it had all been some sick gag. But then, the clouds turned more violently than they had before as a series of powerful lightning bolts rumbled and cracked in the heavens, traveling across the skyline to the central point of the vortex, creating a sphere of energy that grew and grew with each pulse until, after it had completed its task by expanding to consume the storm into itself, it exploded in a blinding flash of white light, crashing down towards them.

CCCRRRAAAACCCCKKKK-KKKKAAABOOOOOMM!!!!!!!

The earth shook as the sphere slammed into the altar, stirring up dust and debris in its wake. The ponies screamed and hid, trying to cover their eyes from the light. Soon, the energy began to shrink into a small blue globe the size of a soccer ball. However, it’s light in comparison grew only brighter until it was so powerful that it lit up the chamber as if they were standing in the presence of the sun. But the globe was spinning out of control, faster than the eye could hope to keep up with, until, and with a final pulse, it shot forward and struck the nearest statue with a loud BOOM!
////
“Twilight? Twilight! Are you alright?”

Twilight groaned as the world around her slowly came into focus, bring a headache with it. She moaned, her vision blurry from the light, the world coming into focus slowly.

“Come on Twilight, say something! Can you hear me?”

Twilight looked up to face Rainbow Dash, who hovered over her with a hoof extended to help her up.

“Y-Yeah, I’m okay, thanks Rainbow,” Twilight grumbled out, shaking her head around in an attempt to get rid of the ringing in her ears. Rainbow Dash helped her to her hooves, allowing Twilight to lean on her side for support until she could regain her balance.

But, as her eyes became focused on the room around her, her body began to shake with anxiety, her head searching around the surrounding destruction in a panic, “Wait, Where’s Nyx? Where’s Nyx?!” She cried, breathing heavily.

“I’m over here!”

The two mares turned their heads behind them in unison, looking across the rubble lining the floor of the temple at a broken column that had succumbed to the force of the blast and toppled over. And crouched underneath, Nyx and Fluttershy laid close together coughing from the lingering dust in the air.

Twilight let out a sigh of relief. Fluttershy had been quick enough to grab and pull the black filly under a pile of boulders with her to avoid the fire. And they had both stayed under when the pillar fell down on top of them, keeping them in safety.

But out of the corner of her eye, Twilight noticed the rest of her friends gathered together off in a corner, and when she turned to look at them, she saw that they were nudging Spike around, trying to wake the unconscious drake, and quickly made her way towards them.

“Spike! Is...is he?” she asked frantically.

“He’s fine, Twilight. No need ta get upset, he’s just a little shaken up is all.” Applejack assured her, nudging Spike with her hoof until he gave a weak moan, calming Twilight’s fears. However, her fears began to surface again when the ponies in front of her stared ahead wide-eyed, transfixed on something behind her, something that she was soon made aware of by an intense, purple glow that it began to emit, blinding her when she turned to look at it.

The light’s intensity was too great for them to see anything, but as its glow began to fade slightly, they were able to make out the outline of a large pony that stood high above them. It stood in the place of the statue that had been hit by the blast and was now nowhere to be found. When the light had softened to a faint violet glow in the center of its chest, the pony in front of them became fully defined.

By the facial features, they could tell that the pony was a full grown stallion, though he was a bit bigger than average. In fact, he was so large that at first, they had almost mistaken him for a horse, due to the similar stature that he shared with Trouble Shoes. But that assumption had been ruled out when they noticed the long horn on his head, and to their astonishment, the two large, majestic wings that popped and cracked at the joints as he stretched them out from his body, both traits that were exclusive only to ponies. And with the pure-white coat that he sported, it almost would have been possible to have passed him off as a male version of Celestia.

In the light, they were about to see that he was individualized by his long-haired characteristics. Any stallion seen on the street had a mane and tail that was short and solid colored, but it was long like a mare’s, the hairs of his tail grown out to the point where they almost touched the floor, though it needed some tending to in its ruddy state. His mane was light-blue with white locks that streaked through his mane like lightning, coming up in one thin lock that was in an alfalfa manor at the crop of his scalp, and he had a short, white beard that only came down a little under a few inches. Finally, he had a cutie-mark of a golden scepter atop a shield on his flank, a pair of raven’s wings growing out from both sides.

But what got to them the most was the electric blue of his eyes, something that they got a good look at when weakly opened them to gaze at the group, the same bright orbs that Spike had used to stare angrily at them just a few moments before, holding a soft glow around the pupils. They were old and tired, puffy and red from some fit from only a short while ago.

A minute passed before he made a move. Breathing heavily he took a step forward, and with the chaos that had just taken place and the evident shock that the group was experiencing that if he had moved forward normally, they would likely have run in terror. But, it was soon clear to them that he was having difficulty with his balance, wobbling from left to right until his face contorted and fell over screaming in pain as the light, which had originated from his chest, changed from violet to a violent red, his body shaking on the floor until relaxing while everything in his world went black, and with it the light, revealing the element that had been its source.
////
> Chapter 3-Miracle To Be Alive
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

////
Chapter 3- Miracle To Be Alive
////
“Be careful with him, he’s in pretty bad shape!” Twilight grunted out.

“Dag nab it! How much does this guy weigh, anyhow? I’ve been halin’ fully loaded apple-carts that were lighter than him!” Applejack mumbled out as she, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Twilight carried the unconscious Alicorn into the main hall of Friendship Castle. Behind them, Nyx and Rarity walked alongside each other while Rarity carried Spike on her back, readjusting her weight to make sure that she didn’t lose her balance and drop him.

Rainbow Dash snorted, “Oh horsefeathers, at Wonderbolt Academy, we have to group with a partner and try to lift three-hundred pound cinder blocks to train us when we’ll need to carry ponies out of danger when they can’t move themselves. I’m telling you, this guy weighs TWICE that much, at least!” She looked the immobile alicorn over, “You gotta admit though, he’s built pretty well. Most of that weight is muscle.” She said admirably.

Applejack stared at her blankly, “But ya don’ GO to Wonderbolt Academy.”

“Yeah, but I’ve heard about it!” Rainbow defended.

Twilight rolled her eyes while she looked around in the dark. “Can anypony find the light-switch?” she asked, “Oh, how I wish I had a map for this place. We’ve been living here for almost four months and I just recently found the bathrooms! Oh, wait, here it is.” Twilight found the right switch and pushed the ON button, illuminating the whole castle so they could see where they were going.

“Twilight? Where are the bedrooms?” Fluttershy asked while she balanced the alicorn’s left leg on her shoulder.

“Guest bedrooms are on the second floor,” she answered, pointing a hoof at the staircase.

“You mean we have to carry him all the way up there?!” Dash wined, groaning at the aspect of having to do more work than what she considered necessary as she stared at the long stairwell.

“Oh, come on, Dashie! It’s good exercise, and besides, it’ll be great to get Heavy-set McChunky off our backs!” Pinkie chirped with a slight grunt as she readjusted her grip on the stallion.

“Well, sorry if I don’t share in your enthusiasm, Pinkie. But, it will be nice to get this guy off MY back!”

“Twilight?” Nyx walked up along her mother’s side, then proceeded to bombard her with questions, “Where do you think he came from? Who is he? And why is he an alicorn? I thought there weren’t any boys like us.” she asked anxiously, curious about their new house guest.

“I don’t know, honey. I thought so, too.” Twilight answered her with a heavy sigh, “All I know for sure is that as soon as this jerk wakes up, I’m gonna have a word with him!”

“Well, he deserves it more than anythin’, but Twi?” Applejack said firmly, “jus’ be careful around him, sugarcube. Now I don’ know a thing about magic an’ all, but if that boy could keep ya an’ Rarity here back jus’ by usin’ Spike, I think it’s safe to say that he’s gotta pack a punch, an’ with that temper of his he gets ornerier than a rattlesnake!”

Twilight nodded as she looked at the alicorn’s face, “Don’t worry, Applejack, I’ll be careful.”

Rarity walked up to the front of the group, “Twilight darling, may I go up first? I would very much like to get Spike into his bed.”

“Can I go up, too?” Nyx asked, chiming in.

“Sure, Nyx. Show Rarity where Spike’s room is while I help with our... guest.”

“Okay!” Nyx chirped out. Rarity nodded and followed Nyx up the stairs, leaving the rest of them behind.
////
“Alright, let's sit him down now,” Rarity said gently as she levitated Spike off her back onto the soft cushions. Spike breathed slowly as she ran her hoof down his frills, barely giving any notice to her touch, “there, I think that should do it.” She looked Spike over, noticing that his bandages were coming undone.

“Nyx dear, does Twilight have a First-Aid kit around?”

Nyx, who had been going through Spike's things trying to find a few items that she knew would cheer him up later on, looked up from a storage case on the side of the bed. “What?”

“A First Aid kit, darling. Spike's bandages are coming loose.”

Nyx nodded and walked out of the bedroom, leaving her alone with Spike. He was sound asleep now, allowing her some time to her thoughts. She began to go through the basket that Nyx had brought out, giggling a little as she went through the more embarrassing items.

“Rarity?”

Rarity turned to look at Nyx, who was staring at her with her slit turquoise eyes and a small white box with a red cross painted on the side levitating it by her side.

“Oh thank you, sweetie,” Rarity took the box into her magic and placed it down on the bedsheets. She then took a roll of new bandages and a bottle of rubbing alcohol out of the kit.

“Rarity, is Spike going to be alright?” Nyx asked slowly, growing anxious as she looked the baby dragon over.

“Sweetheart, I'm sure that Spike is going to be just fine.” Rarity told Nyx reassuringly. Truthfully, she wasn't sure about Spike at all, and she honestly did not believe that he would get better mentally. The poor thing had been through a lot that day, and she wondered if he would ever truly recover. She was also troubled by what that thing had said to her back at the temple. “I can only assume that there is a special connection between the two of you to warrant such power, what do you think?” What was that supposed to mean? She knew that the little Dragon was...fond of her, and she, of course, cared for him as well, but she knew that there could be nothing between them but friendship. It just wouldn't work, wouldn't it?

Rarity shook her head and pushed her thoughts aside while she replaced the bandages on his forehead. Spike only gave a slight moan as she put some of the rubbing alcohol on all the cuts that he had gotten from being slammed into a wall. Oh, Celestia, he was burning up. She would have to call the doctor after she finished with her work, finishing with his head and working on the bandages wrapped around his chest.

“Nyx, could you help me lift him up so I can change this?” Rarity asked slowly.

“Sure.” Nyx jumped onto the bedsheets and with some difficulty, she started using her magic to lift him forward.

Rarity noticed her struggling and said, “Now dear, don't strain yourself. If this is too hard for you-”

“No, I'm o.k. I've been practicing with mom,” she answered. Gritting her teeth, her horn glowed and she got him leaning forward so Rarity could get to work.

“Thank you. My, you're starting to get pretty good.” Rarity commented as she busied herself with removing the old cloth, “Twilight must be really proud.”

Nyx smiled at her as Rarity continued to remove the bandage wrappings around Spike's chest, making sure that she did not hurt his back. But while she worked to remove them, she started to notice that the bandages seemed to be stretched out, as if Spike had grown a bit since that afternoon. Her mind began to race at the memory of the time that he had gone on his little greed-driven rampage just a few years before, and she quickly used her magic to open one of his eyelids, half expecting to see those red-halo glowing emerald orbs that he had when he had gone through that momentary madness. However, his eyes were the same normal emerald color that she was used to, and her investigation did not stir him from his sleep, making her give a sigh of relief. But why were the bandages stretched like that? If he hasn't gone into a dragon's rage-shift, then what? How else could someone increase in size in such a short amount of time? That was-

“Rarity, look.”

Rarity and Nyx both looked down at Spike's back dumbfounded. All of the burn marks had disappeared, leaving no trace that they had even been there. But in their place were several large bulges side by side of each other about the size of golf balls, all of them growing all the way down his back like tumors. The tumors were the same shade of green as his ears, though they had a more milky hue, and they had a web-like texture, very much like the skin between the fingers of frogs. The strange phenomena left Rarity mystified, and she slowly extended a hoof to feel one of them.

This proved to be a mistake. As soon as she came into contact with his skin, his eyes shot open and he jerked forward, causing an eep to escape Nyx’s throat before she was knocked off the bed while Rarity barely had time to register what had happened before the little dragon fell back on his pillow screaming his head off.

“Oh Celestia, Spike! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean-” Rarity was cut off when the hoof she extended to comfort him was swatted away by one of Spike's claws.

“P-Please! Please, j-just don’t t-touch...Agh!” Anything else that issued from Spike was mumbled out while he curled up into a small ball, gritting his teeth as the pain in his back caused him to tear up.

Rarity didn’t know what to do. Twilight would probably have a better chance at handling this situation, but she was scared to face her, worried about how Twilight would react.

So she took Spike into her arms and held him close to her chest, slowly rocking him while repeating an apology in his ear. They stayed in that position for several minutes, any whimpering that escaped his throat was quickly hushed by Rarity, who calmly and quietly hummed to him a lullaby that she had sung many a time to Sweetie Belle when she had on occasion awakened from a nightmare in the middle of the night until, after thirty minutes of comforting, Spike finally drifted off to sleep.

At the same time Rarity, who had grown weary from the overthinking processes of her mind which had been running since the beginning of this dreadful night, slowly started to drift herself, her eyes growing heavier and heavier as the clock ticked by. However, before she could completely slip away, she was pulled away from sleep by a loud crash, and was alarmed at the sound of her friends raised shouts and cries poured in from the other room.

“Colors, for Celestia's sake, keep him pinned down!”

“I-I can't! He won't stop mov-” there was a pause for a moment before she heard anything else, “Oh My God!”

“I-Is t-t-that what I-I think it is?!?”

“Pinkie, what are you...Eup!!!”

“Oh, God! Twilight!!!”
////
Twilight ran right into the next room only to be faced with a horrific scene. Rainbow Dash was in a corner trying to comfort Fluttershy who was rocking back and forth with her watery eyes closed shut while blood stains covered both of their bodies. Pinkie Pie was off in another corner and was also stained in the red liquid, more so than Fluttershy, and her usual self for the second time that night was replaced with a sense of revulsion, which was followed by her vomiting all over the floor. But the most disturbing part of this horrid picture was the Alicorn convulsing on the carpet. He was suffering a violent seizure, foaming at the mouth while making blood-curdling gurgled noises, but what was worse was that several visibly severe cuts were forming all across his body, making a bloody mess. Applejack was behind him trying to get a handle on things, but fruitlessly.

“Applejack, what happened?” Twilight half shouted out.

“Hell if I know, he just snapped!” Her hooves were slipping all across his body as she failed to get a good grip on him, “Please Help!”

Twilight hurried her way across the room to Applejack, using her magic to lift the Alicorn off the ground. It wasn’t easy however, as the alicorn’s violent shaking made it hard to keep her focus.
But when they finally got him on the bed, he suddenly lurched his head forward and coughed up an alarming amount of blood, falling back on the pillows as the red liquid continued to come up.

“Oh Celestia, this is bad, this is really bad!” Twilight worded out while hyperventilating. Her eyes danced across the room until they connected with Rainbow Dash, who was lying on the floor alongside Fluttershy.

“Rainbow!” she shouted, an idea popping into her head.

Dash quickly turned to face Twilight, her blood-stained face showing a small amount of fear.
“Rainbow Dash, I need you to get Dr. Heartstrings as fast as possible!”

“B-But Twilight-”

“Just do it!” Twilight cried. Dash nodded, turning to Fluttershy to say a few comforting words to her before she flew out the window, after which came a loud crack as Rainbow Dash flew as fast as possible towards the local clinic.

“Applejack!” Twilight said as she turned her head back from the window, “I need you to hold his head down, good and tight.” She said as her horn glowed, materializing an Advanced-Aid kit beside her, quickly taking out several medical instruments out.

Applejack did as she was told, doing her best to retrain him so Twilight could do whatever she was planning. However, her eyes went wide when Twilight pulled out a scalpel along with some translucent tubes, the blade reflecting in the light.

“Now hold on there partner, whataya up to?!” she said with her eyes farrowed, worried that Twilight might still be a little mad at this guy for using Spike as a puppet and trying to barbecue them.

“We need to make an airway for him to breath with, so I’m gonna make an incision in the throat, and push this tube into his lungs!” She answered quickly, not taking her eyes off of what she was doing.

“Wow there nelly, wait a sec,” Applejack said panicky, “why don’ we just’ wait for Rainbow ta come with the Doc an-”

“There’s no TIME!” Twilight shouted, scaring Applejack a little, “If we don’t do this now, he’ll drown in his own fluids!”

“Well, why the hey doncha just put it in his mouth then, whaddya gotta cut ‘em for?” Applejack asked, confused by Twilight’s extreme approach.

“And take the chance that he BITES it while he’s having this seizure? I’m not gonna take that risk, Applejack.”

Applejack sighed at her friend’s ever conquering logic as she got herself into position, “Alright,” she said, “but y'all make it quick, ya hear? I don’ know how long I can keep ‘em steady!” She got underneath him and wrapped her hooves around his torso and grabbed his head, signaling Twilight to go ahead and do what needed to be done.

Twilight was sweating all over as she brought the scalpel to his neck. She had read up in several medical textbooks that had talked about this kind of procedure; She knew all the terms, the right and wrong places to cut, what to do when you got the airway in, but now that she was actually doing it, she was nothing but a nervous wreck. What if she screwed up? Even if this colt had tried to hurt her friends and her family, she didn’t want to be responsible for his death, but if she didn’t do this, there was no doubt that he WOULD die. She wondered if she was making the right decision, wishing that Rainbow Dash would just walk in with Dr. Heartstrings, untying her hooves from this responsibility so that the doctor could take over the situation.

But they never came, no dramatic entry into this nightmare, no salvation revealing itself to her. So Twilight, taking a deep breath, brought the scalpel to his throat.

She felt sick to her stomach as she made a cut through the skin, giving special attention to what she was doing so she didn’t sever an artery. She pushed in a little deeper, forcing a gurgle from the stallion, while she continued until she made contact with his windpipe, causing a jet of blood to squirt upwards in her face. She recoiled from this, tasting copper, almost throwing up right then and there. But she held it down and continued, making a clean incision about two centimeters in length into his throat.

“T-Twilight, ya need ta hurry!” Applejack grunted out, “He’s real strong!”

Twilight nodded and quickly levitated the tube, directing it into the small hole that she had made in his throat. As she pushed it in, blood immediately started to flow through the clear tube, forcing Twilight to move the exposed end away from her to avoid being drenched. She slowly moved the tip down into his body, poking and prodding for an opening. She eventually found what she was looking for and wasted no time forcing the tip into it. When she did, a strong flow of the red liquid poured through the tube, spilling into a puddle on the floor beside the bed. She frowned, knowing that this meant that the lung was completely flooded. She pulled on the tube a little until she was satisfied that the tip had exited the air chamber, then twisted it to face the opposite direction, hoping that the other lung wasn’t flooded as well.
To her relief, as she pushed it in, the blood in the tube began to flow back into his body. She watched closely at the exposed end of the tube, waiting for a sign that air was pumping in and out of the tube. But when none came, she quickly started to panic.

“Oh, crap! Oh crap, oh crap, OH CRAP! DON’T DO THIS TO ME!” She cried as she desperately breathed into the end of the pipe.

It seemed like forever, but eventually, copper-flavored oxygen started to pump out of the end of the tube.

“YES!!!” she cried out as she got off the bed, “Applejack, we did it!”

“That’s great, Twi,” Applejack said as she let the alicorn go, “But he’s still bleedin’, BAD.”

“I know, but I think we bought him a few minutes. We just need to make sure he doesn’t slip until Dr. Heartstrings gets here, so-”

“He’s in here, Doc!” a familiar voice was heard from outside the door, and after a few moments, Rainbow Dash came running inside the room with Dr. Stable and Nurse Redheart tailing her, along with two other nurses trailing behind.

The Doctor took one look at the scene, then turned to one of his nurses, “Band Aid, get these mares out of here, NOW. Then immediately report back in here and help Nurse Redheart to set up my instruments!”

“Yes, sir.” a pink mare with a red and white mane nodded and started to direct the group out of the room. Fluttershy, who had been frozen in place by all the chaos had to be carried out by Applejack and Rainbow Dash, while Pinkie slowly scooted out carrying a bucket that she held close to her gangrene colored face. 

And last to come out was Twilight, who all the while just hoped that she had done the right thing, trotting out into the hall as the door to the bedroom that they had all left behind was locked to ensure of no interruptions.
////
“Princess Twilight?”

Twilight steered from the nap that she had been taking, slowly opening her eyes to look around her. Nyx was sound asleep tucked underneath Twilight’s wing, and her friends, except for Rarity, who was tending to Spike upstairs, were all spread out across the entertainment room of the castle passed out, each of them recovering from their ordeal just a few hours before.

“Princess Twilight Sparkle?”

Twilight twisted her head back, peering over the rim of the couch to face a wary Dr. Stable standing at the door, his doctor’s coat covered in dried blood. He wore an exhausted expression on his face, one that worked perfectly with his rat-nested mane.

Yawning, Twilight gave him a warm smile before fixing her own mane, “What time is it?”

“It’s nearly dawn.” he answered with a quick look at his pocket watch, “Twilight, could you step out into the hallway for a minute? There are a few questions that I would like to ask you.”

Twilight nodded, quietly and carefully getting to her hooves, mindful not to wake Nyx with her movements, giving her a soft kiss on her forehead before walking slowly out into the hallway with the doctor.

As soon as he had closed the door behind him, Dr. Stable took Twilight to the side and calmly sat her down on the hallway couch, leaning forward until his face was only within a few inches of Twilight’s, looking her straight in the eye, “Before we start,” he said grimly, “Was it you who performed a Tracheotomy on that patient upstairs?”

Twilight nodded, fessing up to it, “Yes, yes I did.”

“I just hope you realize,” the doctor said in a harsh tone, “just how stupid it was for you to even attempt to do something like that. A vast number of things could have happened in there. One false move and he could have bled out right there on the spot! You could have killed him!”

Twilight sighed, “I know, I’m sorry. I panicked. When he started to choke up all that blood, I lost my sense of better judgment, and… I-I just didn’t know what else to do.” Twilight confessed, lowering her head to stare at the ground, ashamed for being so careless.

“Well, all the same,” the doctor sighed, “though I don’t approve of your actions, what you did may have saved his life.”

“But,” he narrowed her eyes, “I don’t what to catch you performing this kind of procedure ever again. Do I make myself clear?”

Twilight looked up to meet Dr. Stable’s serious expression, one that was soon followed with a gentle smile. Twilight returned it with her own and nodded. Satisfied, Dr. Stable levitated a clipboard and pen towards himself and began to go down a long list of questions.

“Well, first I’d like to know the patient's name,” he said.

Twilight groaned, biting her lip before giving the only answer that she could, and hated to give, “I don’t know.”

The doctor quickly scratched off something while adding some notes before continuing, “Alright, what about age or residents?”

“I don’t know that either.”

The doctor sighed as he jotted something else down before looking up to Twilight, “Alright, since it’s obvious that you don’t know him personally, nor does it seem that you had any prior engagements with him, might I ask where you found him?”

So Twilight took in a deep breath and looked at Dr. Stable, telling him everything that had happened in the course of events over the last twenty-four hours, recalling every small detail that she could think of, from finding the foals inside the Everfree Temple to confronting a spellbound Spike, then finally to all that had happened with their “guest”, from their journey from the forest to him going into epileptic-shock. She finished her story before lowering her head again, finding it hard to believe that all of these things had happened in such a short amount of time.

“And he didn’t show any signs of bodily harm or trauma when you first brought him here?” The doctor asked.

“No. He was fine when we carried him all the way from the Everfree forest, but when we got him inside the bedroom, THAT’S when all of Tartarus broke loose.”

“Interesting.” Dr. Stable looked down at the notes that he had made, “Well, I think it’s obvious that he wasn’t under any form of concealment spell, otherwise he would have been long dead.” he paused for a moment to scribble something down, “My best guess is that, while Spike was under a hypnotic state, there had been several different stages that were required for the seal-breaking ritual that you’ve described. But when you and your friends encountered him in the temple, he was diverted from his task, and he was deprived of his chance to complete whatever it was that was left out of the ceremony.”

“Well, that seems logical.” Twilight laid back on the couch and stared at the ceiling, “So, when will I be able to speak to this guy?” Twilight asked.

The doctor’s poster quickly changed as he placed the clipboard down on the couch, “Honestly, I can’t guarantee that you ever will.”

Twilight’s ears went flat on her forehead. Frowning, she looked down at the doctor, “What exactly is that supposed to mean?”

“It means,” Dr. Stable said coldly, “that that stallion up there is a sick pony, a VERY sick pony. Twilight, the damage to his body isn’t isolated to his lungs. He’s suffered substantial wounds all over his body, and most of them are lethal! I had to operate on him for almost three hours, and then it took me another forty-five minutes just to assure that he would STAY in a consistent, reliably stable condition.”

“Y-You had to operate?!” Twilight stammered “H-How bad is he?”

“Take a look yourself. I have a list here of everything that I could find.” the doctor levitated the clipboard and gave it to Twilight, who quickly took it in her own magic and read it to herself.

Her eyes blinked rapidly as she skimmed down the paper. Appalled, but taking her time to go over the graphic details. He had a dislocated wing and shoulder with the rest of the arm fractured in five different places, and seven of his ribs were broken. There had been damage caused by the shattered glass to both of his eyes, and unfortunately, the doctor had made a note to the side that said that she had removed the right one to avoid infection. The doctor had relocated three vertebrae in his spinal column, and the worst of it all was that his stomach, pancreas, and both of his kidneys had all shut down. Of course, as she had already known, he had suffered severe cuts and bruises that encompassed his entire body, along with the one that she had given him so that she could open up an airway for his lung to operate. Dr. Stable had even done an assessment as to why his lung had flooded, jotting down that he had been wounded by a foreign metal object-

Twilight paused, looking at the words that she had just read, before looking up to the doctor, “Wait, what object?”

“This one.” the doctor said calmly as he pulled out a translucent container out of his lab-coat that held a large, thin piece of metal, one end, in particular, was visibly sharp.

“Is that a spearhead?!” Twilight choked out.

“No, I believe that it’s likely the broken end of a sword.”

“Sweet Luna.” Twilight gasped, her mind immediately directing to the next obvious question, “I...Is he going to die?” she asked.

However Dr. Stable shook his head in reply, “That’s where things start to get…complicated. Twilight, I need you to tell me everything you know about the Element of Magic.”

“Wait, why?” Twilight asked, her ears perking up, “If this is about it being embedded in his chest, I really don’t-”

“Embedded!?” the doctor cried, “Twilight, the Element has FUSED itself to his heart.”

“WHAT?!?” Twilight shouted in shocked.

“Believe me, Twilight, I don’-”

“NO! NO! NO! That’s not possible! What do you mean fused?! The Element of Magic would never merge with such a terrible pony like him! It’s unethical!” She spat out.

“LOOK!” the doctor growled, snapping Twilight out of her post-argumentative rage. Satisfied that he had calmed Twilight down enough that she would listen to him, he continued, “Look, I’m just telling you what I saw when I cut him open, and I’m telling you, though I can’t explain it, that there’s an outgrowth of veins and muscle that’s connecting the Element to his heart. And I don’t know why, but at the moment it’s put him in a coma, but it’s also acting as a powerhouse for the organs that have ceased to function. Hell, it’s even pumping the vital minerals and nutrients that he requires throughout his body, along with enough oxygen-rich blood to keep his brain functions intact.”

Twilight just sat there to contemplate everything that she had heard, “And… it’s doing all of this, just to keep him alive?”

“Yes,” the doctor answered, “and it seems pretty damn clear to me that it’s well set on that one goal. Take a look at this.” Dr. Stable lifted up his hoof and revealed a patch in the fur where his hair had been singed with a pretty good burn to go along with it.

“What happened?”

The doctor huffed, “When I tried to surgically remove the Element from his body, it lit up and SHOCKED me!”

Twilight couldn’t help but giggle at this, “Well why did you try to remove it if it was helping him?”

“Well, I didn’t know what it was doing yet, and when I saw that connecting tissue, I guess I panicked a little myself. Guess I was just asking for trouble.” The doc laid back and let out a chuckle, his own mixing in with Twilight’s.

The two just sat there for a few minutes going over a few legal medical custodies and policy issues before Twilight looked up at the hallway clock, “Well, thank you for your time, Dr. Stable, and thank you for everything that you’ve done. You know, if you could, I’d like for you to come back every few days to check up on him, if that’s alright? Medicine really isn’t my strong point.”

“Oh don’t worry, I would have done that whether you had wanted me to or not.”

They both laughed as Twilight showed the doctor to the door, “Well, thanks, and I’ll be seeing you on Tuesday?”

“Yes, and please keep a close eye on him. I can’t guarantee that his present condition will stay as it is,” he said as he walked out the door.

“I will. Good day to you.” Twilight closed the door behind her and immediately slumped down to the floor. She felt so confused, everything around her seemed to be happening too quickly. It had only been a few months when everything and everyone that she loved had almost been taken away from her by Tirek, and after that, her life had been made to constant work. She was assigned to look over everything that happened in and around the provinces of Ponyville and the Everfree Forest, and about three weeks before, both Luna and Celestia had left for the Crystal Empire because Shining was too busy taking care of Cadence, who had herself not been able to act in the government since she had entered her ninth month of pregnancy, leaving all of Equestria’s matters in Twilight’s hooves. Since then Twilight had mostly stayed in Canterlot along with Nyx and Spike, spending several sleepless nights butting heads with the government officials. Everything had come down on her almost overnight, and now this.

Twilight looked up the staircase and saw a little light shining from Spike’s room. She slowly got to her hooves and walked up the stairs, deciding that it was time that she finally needed to talk to her closest friend.

She was going to see Rarity.
////
Knock. Knock. Knock.

Rarity’s body moved slightly when the knocking started, but at the moment she was too busy enjoying one of the most wonderful dreams that she had ever had. In it she was enjoying a picnic with all of her friends, each and every one of them, including Pinkie, acting as though they had been blessed with the highest of aristocratic upbringings, all of them discussing the events of their everyday lives. Then she was left alone with Spike, the two of them enjoying some sandwiches and laughs while watching the sunset, sitting close together on a hill. Then they started to sit closer to each other, Rarity leaning her head on his shoulder. They stayed in that position for what seemed like forever until, as the setting sun plunged under the horizon, Spike leaned in and kis-

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

The loud banging at the door woke Rarity from her sleep, at least she believed it did. Realistically, she wasn’t quite sure if it had been the knocking or the dream that had steered her, nor was she certain whether she was thankful or mad as hell that the dream had been interrupted before its conclusion. She just wasn’t sure about anything anymore.

“Rarity?” a voice said through the door, “It's me, Twilight. Can I come in? I need to talk to talk to somepony right now.”

“Twilight? Oh! Oh, yes Twilight, yes please come in, dear.” she said.

Twilight opened the door to find Rarity lying in the same bed as Spike, the little drake curled up in a ball, sound asleep. Rarity was sprawled out on the bed, and had given up all of the blankets to Spike to keep him warm, while at the same time she had curled around him, offering her own body heat. The scene brought a smile to Twilight's face, happy to see that Rarity was willing to do anything, even if it meant leaving behind her own comfort zone, just for her makeshift brother's well-being.

Twilight stepped inside and closed the door, “Hey, how’s Spike holding up?” she asked softly, not wanting to wake him.

“He’s holding up, I guess.” Rarity sighed, taking notice of his labored breathing, “He was off and on a few hours ago, but I think that now he’ll be fine sleeping it off, at least until morning.”
“That’s good.” Twilight walked over and sat on the bed, watching Spike’s chest move up and down, “So, how are you feeling?”

“I’m fine, I’m… fine.” she said while righting herself to face Twilight, “I just can’t believe that that ruffian would hurt the poor thing. Why would he do something so horrid? Taking over his mind, making do terrible things, trying to hurt us, all so he could just fall over and die.”

“Yeah, no joke.” Twilight said with a fetched laugh, a flood of emotions going through her mind, “Do you want to know something, Rarity?”

Rarity raised her ear to listen, “Sure, pray-tell darling.”

“All my life,” Twilight started, “I’ve been under a sexist impression. I’ve been taught by all my teachers, the so-called experts, even Princess Celestia herself, that it was impossible for a male of any pony-race to be born or even made into an Alicorn. All because they were either too testosterone-driven or spent most of their time thinking with their peckers instead of their heads, and because of that they could never become spiritually strong enough to handle the pure magical energy to achieve this form.” Twilight made a motion with her eyes to draw attention to her horn and wings before continuing, “And you know what? I believed it. I believed it with my whole being because I wanted to. I mean, how could some dumb stallion with his tongue wagging at every mare he sees ever be able to reach such a state of power and majesty? In a way, I was the perfect symbol and image of sexual bigotry… and then HE showed up.”

“Yes, I do say that that would definitely be enough cause to make anypony reevaluate everything that one has believed in.” Rarity nodded, followed by a sigh.

“But it’s so much more than that!” Twilight exclaimed, going into analysis-mode, “Not only does he defy everything that we as a race have believed in for over two thousand years, but he’s powerful! I’ve read books about performing spells while possessing another pony, most of them were even written by Star Swirl the Bearded himself. It’s not a widely known subject, nor is it a small feat either. From what's been studied, it’s practically impossible to cast a spell from a non-magical host. Even when Star Swirl tested it on a fellow unicorn studying on the same subject, he was barely able to cast a few levitation spells before he passed out from exhaustion.”

“But that stallion in there is incredible! You’ve seen what he was capable of, not only was he able to maintain a stable levitational fluid to lift Spike off the ground, not to mention throwing me half-way across a room, but when we put up a barrier to protect ourselves, he started to pound on our shield furiously, until-”

“Until it began to shatter.” Rarity interrupted, remembering the pain she felt in her horn as the barrier surrounding them had slowly begun to collapse.

“Exactly. However, what a shame it is that with all that power, not to derail from the fact that he could be the first male alicorn in history, but we have the opportunity to learn everything about him, and he has to be a complete asshole.”

“I’ll agree to that.” Rarity giggled before looking down at herself, “Still, we’ll be able to give him hell when he wakes up. I highly doubt that he’ll be able to do much of anything in his condition.”
“If he ever wakes up.” Twilight sighed.

“Now, Twilight-”

“I’m just facing reality, Rarity. He’s had it. Even if the Element of Magic is keeping him alive, being in a coma is practically the same thing as death! Now it won’t take anything short of a miracle to get him back.”

“Now that’s where you’ve hit the nail on the head, Twilight darling, but at the same time, you’re wrong. You’re thinking about this the wrong way,” Rarity stated as she leaned in closer to the purple mare, “Twilight, it IS a miracle that he’s alive. Dr. Heartstrings told me everything about what's happened to him, and really the details are rather appalling. I could never imagine somepony to be capable of going through whatever kind of hell on earth that he has, and though he’s wronged us greatly, I would never even think to wish it upon him.”

“But,” she repositioned herself so she could look Twilight in the eye, “He’s gone through that hell and he has survived! He’s alive! Right now, in that bedroom, he’s breathing, and every breath that he takes is a sign that he is fighting for his life, and that should give us hope, Twilight. Maybe there’s a reason for what he did to Spike. It might not even be a good one, but I want to know.” Rarity sighed, “All I’m trying to say is, don’t give up hope. You’ll get your chance to crucify him.”

Twilight smiled as Rarity looked back to Spike, her mind still at odds about her feelings for him.
“So, do you want to stay here for the rest of the day? It’s nearly dawn now, I don’t know if you're busy or not.” Twilight asked, unaware of Rarity’s conflict.

“No, I need to go make sure that Sweetie Belle hasn’t gotten into…” Rarity stopped mid-sentence and thought for a moment, “No, I’ll stay here, but I’ll need to get a few things from the Boutique.”

“Alright. Well, I’m gonna go back down stairs and continue my nap, so I’ll be seeing you in a couple of hours, okay?”

“Alright.” Rarity replied as Twilight walked out of the room, closing the door behind her, leaving Rarity alone with Spike and her thoughts.

She looked at the young drake while sweat dripped off of his body, the expression on his face telling her that he was in a lot of pain. She felt like she wanted to cry seeing him like this, wishing that she could do something for him. But she could only stand there, and wonder what was happening to him.
////
> Chapter 4-Archive
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

////
Chapter 4: Archive
////
“Alright girls, before we go in, we need to lay down some ground rules,” Twilight announced, leading the group of mares to the front doors of the Canterlot Royal Library.

“Oh, come on, Twilight! It's a library, not a tour through the princesses bedrooms.” Rainbow Dash pointed out, walking alongside her.

“Rainbow's got a point there, Twilight. I hardly think that this is anythin' ta get jumpy for.” Applejack added, winning a glare from Twilight, who stopped and turned to face them all.

“Girls, this is serious! The Canterlot Royal Library is the home for some of the oldest and rarest pieces of literature in Equestria. Some of this books are older than even Celestia and Luna put together! We can't allow anything wrong to happen in there, which, brings me to my first rule.”

“Rule One: There is to be no absolute quiet inside. No outburst, No yelling, and definitely No shenanigans.” she said the last part while looking directly at Pinkie, with a sort of “That means you” gaze in her eyes, before resuming with her conditions, “If you need to talk to me or to each other, but that pony is not around, wonder about until you find them, then walk up and WHISPER what you have to say to them.”

“Rule Number Two: If you pull a book off the shelf, DO NOT place it on a table unless you think its important. Put it back EXACTLY where you found it!” Twilight stared at them seriously, silencing any complaints.

“And Rule Number Three: Don't bother asking the guards for any-” she paused, noticing the dirty looks she was getting from her friends, “What?”

“Oh, nothing darling.” Rarity said coyly, “We just would like to know how well you want us to dust the sheaths.”

“Or at what time we should get out of the barracks, at o'four or o'five hundred?” Applejack huffed.

“Oh, and when we should practice our marches?” Rainbow Dash chimed.

“Mine Komindont, should we whip ourselves into shape, show'em that we're the greatest platoon of book readers in Equestria?” Pinkie Pie mocked, giving Twilight a salute.

“Umm, what they said.” Fluttershy barely mumbled out.

Twilight blushed as she realized what they were comparing her to. She looked away, glancing at the library doors, huffing out a defeat, “I'm sorry everypony, I bet I look real pushy right now, don't I?”

“Aww, don' sweat it, Sugercube. We know that ya always respected this here fancy-schmancy bookstore, an' ya wanna make a good impression.” Applejack said with a smile that was shared by the entire group, “An' we also know that ya been under a lot here lately.”

It was true. Twilight had been dealing with a cartload of trouble since that jerk showed up over a week before. What had it been now? Ten days? She had been forced to deal with legal issues, city hall, everyone in the whole bloody town asking her who this stallion was as if she was supposed to have an answer. Well, she didn't. She didn't know a damn thing, and that was the reason why they were in Canterlot, in the hopes that there might be something in the city's library that would give them a clue to who the hell he was. And it had been this constant pattern of being tossed back and forth for the small offshoot chance that she might learn something about him that had given her her bad attitude.

“Twilight, hasn't Princess Celestia given you any information about him? Surely she must know something?” Rarity asked hopefully, not really wanting to go into a building full of dusty old books.

“No. I sent a letter, but the reply said that she's completely in the dark about this. Whoever he is, he pre-dates Celestia's lifetime.” Twilight sighed, “I was hoping that the princess herself would be able to come back to Canterlot to help in this matter, but trying to govern an empire while working to keep ponies away from intruding on Cadance and my brother's privacy has both her's and Luna's hooves tied.”

“Oh, it's good to hear that Spike's well enough to be sending letters to the princess again.” Fluttershy beamed happily.

However, this only left Twilight feeling depressed, frowning towards the ground, “He...didn't send the letter. I did.”

Everyone looked at her sad face, then turned to look at Fluttershy, who was now feeling a bit guilty for bringing Spike up. He had become a sensitive subject for Twilight. Spike had become extremely reclusive, so much to the point of locking himself in his room in the castle, and no one had seen him in the days since.

And Twilight, being the one that worked the hardest to get him to come out, had become the target end for Spike's sudden increase in temperament.
////
“I said NO, Twilight!” Spike shouted from behind the door, leaving Twilight standing with nothing to support her arguments. She had come up to try and persuade him out with food, but, much to her dismay, she had been informed that he had been clever enough to smuggle a box of gems into his room the night before. That failing, she then told him a story that Rarity had planned to come over for a visit, sure in herself that Spike's crush on her would convince him to socialize again, but was surprised when instead it seemed to make him even more determined to stay in his seclusion, hearing him moving something large and likely bulky to barricade the door, further surprising her with his strength.

“Come on Spike. You can't stay in there forever!” she protested.

“Oh yeah? Watch me!” he retaliated.

“Spike, please! I need you. Nyx needs you. Your friends need you, and hiding away like this is beginning to hurt them.”

Twilight swallowed hard, holding back a tear, “But more importantly, your starting to hurt me. Something's wrong. You know it, and I know it, but you don't even trust me enough to tell me what it is! This isn't like you, and after what happened at the temple, your attitude is making me feel like we're drifting apart.”

A silence hung in the air, nothing being said between the two as Twilight hoped for some reply.

“I'm sorry you feel that way. But NOTHING is wrong. I just want some space and a little time to think, gather my thoughts. But until I accomplish this I'm gonna stay right in here.” Spike answered coldly through the wood paneling, before going silent.

“Spike, please?” Tears were now running freely from Twilight, but they were never answered. Spike was determined to stay where he was, and nothing that Twilight said could bring him out. He would have to go through this on his own, and it would be a long wait before he would finally unlock that door again.
////
Twilight had stared off into space while she reminisced over the past few days, not even taking notice of the yellow hoof that came down on her shoulder. However, when it lightly shook her out and away from them, she turned to look at her friends, who gave her their sympathy.

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you.” Fluttershy apologized, looking up to her with her head held low, “If...if there's anything that we can do, then-”

“It's fine.” Twilight reassured the yellow pegasus, before turning to her friends, “Just leave him be. He's probably just brewing over some guilt about what happened. But I'm sure that as long as we keep our distance and allow him to think it over, he'll realize that none of this was his fault, agreed?”

Everyone nodded their heads, ready to get past the discomfort of the present conversation. Smiling in triumph, Twilight turned to the large decorated double doors in front of her, and with the gleeful/nervous anticipation that washed over her, she led them up the steps to what she considered the greatest place in Equestria.
////
Though Twilight had been brought here many times in her life by Celestia in the pursuit of her studies, none of those visits were able to take away the child-like bubbliness that she felt when walking into the vastness of the books surrounding them right now. Sure, the library that they had entered in their search of the Crystal Heart for the Empire years before was greatly larger than the one that they were in now, but in comparison, the treasures that the Canterlot Royal Library had to offer were far greater and much older. Twilight had not exaggerated about the age or rarity of these books; in the more protected areas of the building, the princess had shown her a book of old proverbs from Saddle Arabia that had been bound by leather, something that was understandable for being extremely taboo, and was dated to have been written somewhere between forty to forty-five hundred years ago.

The building itself was set up to resemble a museum more than a library. The lobby was large and spacious, with reading desk and display-cases that homed artifacts donated by the Canterlot Museum, holding anything that had historic significance to some of the most famous writers whose works were placed inside. There were two halls that separated from the lobby, one on the left and one on the right, both leading to eight rooms in each hallway, making sixteen rooms in all. Both halls circled around the building until they connected, but no one could enter one hall and exit the other because they both ended with a large gate that was guarded by the Canterlot Elite, protecting the restricted section that was the holding place for some of the darkest spellbooks, secret diaries, and unknown works that would likely never see the light of day.

Twilight walked over to the entrance counter, where a mare in her early sixties sat reading the Canterlot Journal with her mussel nearly kissing the paper. Twilight cleared her throat to gain her attention and gave her the biggest smile she had when the mare looked up from the current events section.

“Why, hello Twilight! I haven't seen you around here for quite some time.” the aged mare said smoothly while placing the paper on the table.

“Hello, Mrs. Print. I've been kinda busy lately,” she said, still smiling like a little school filly.

“So I've heard. A princess now, huh? And to top it off you've been looking after a little one down in Ponyville. That was some news that I was glad to hear about. And, who are your friends?”

Twilight motioned for her friends to come forward, naming them off to her.

“So girls, what brings you all to Canterlot?”

Twilight looked back at her and stared blankly, “We want to know if you have any literature on male alicorns.”

Mrs. Print snorted, “Oh Twilight, I didn't know you had a sense of humor!” Mrs. Print fell back into her chair and continued to laugh, levitating a tissue to wipe a tear from her eye, “If you wanted a book about an all-powerful stallion, then maybe you should have visited the comic-book store on Coltingham Street. No, this is a HISTORICAL library, Twilight. We don't carry works of fiction, and...what's this?”

Twilight had taken a file out of her saddlebags and placed it on the counter in front of Mrs. Print, who opened and pulled out the set of photos inside, her mouth a gap as she realized what the pictures depicted.

The photos in question were taken a few days ago by Twilight, and showed her new house-guest resting comfortably in his new home; a royal bed at Twilight's castle, with monitors and machines surrounding him to keep his vitals in check. He was bandaged and hooked up to a blood bag, and he wore an oxygen mask that had really been given him only as a just-in-case. Altogether, he looked peaceful, if not the only pony in the castle that felt that way in his comatonic bliss. Twilight personally was uncomfortable with the idea of him living in the same house as her family, but she really didn't have a choice. The library had been destroyed by Tirek, and she wasn't going to admit him into a hospital and leave him out of her sight, even if he DID make her nervous. To her, the castle WAS the library now, and a library was where she always felt at home, and she wasn't going to allow herself to be robbed of her home a second time, especially not from a comatose pony.

Mrs. Print swallowed, “Twilight, is this a hoax?”

“No Mrs. Print, it's not.” Twilight scooped up the photos and the folder back into her bags, “This is official Equestrian business, and I need your full cooperation.”

“Oh...oh, I see. Oh, oh my.” Mrs. Print looked around anxiously, before staring blankly at Twilight, experiencing some sort of epiphany, “No, Twilight.”

Twilight's ears drooped over her head, now familiar with the feeling of a dead-end, “You don't have any material?” she asked, disappointed.

“Now I didn't say that, but that's duly because I don't know everything that's in here. But you do.” she looked away for a moment, confusing the purple unicorn about where she was going with this, “You've been in here more times than I can count, and read every book in this library from cover to back, which I consider a marvelous feat for anypony to accomplish.”

“Every book, except for those in the restricted section. That's why I said no. You want access to them, don't you?” Mrs. Print raised an eyebrow at her, in an almost “all-knowing” fashion.

Twilight frowned. She couldn't deny it, but that's exactly why she was here. That summoning spell that he performed was like nothing that she had seen before. And it was true, she was well aware that none of the books in the main library had any of the information that she desired, but the restricted section was a potential gold-mine. It was her best bet.

“This isn't one of my field trips with the princess, Mrs. Print. I need to get in there, the safety of Equestria might depend on it!” Twilight argued, hoping to sway the mare into her wishes.

“I'm sorry Twilight, but I-”

“Let me handle this.” Rainbow Dash interrupted suddenly, moving right alongside Twilight.

“Now, Princess Celestia made Twilight here a princess herself, right? And Twilight's authority comes from the princess, right?” she said while grinning slyly at Mrs. Print.

“I-I guess that's true.”

“So,” Dash looked up to the ceiling, “Twilight's 'say-so' is the same as Princess’s 'say-so', and if you think about it, if you say no to Twilight, your really saying no to Celestia.” she lowered her head back to Mrs. Print, loving the nervous look she was getting from her.

“NO! I would never question the princess! I'll take you back there right now!” Mrs. Print quickly grabbed a key-chain off her desk with her teeth, half-walking, half-galloping towards the left hallway.

“Wooey, way-dago Rainbow Dash! Might not have been how I'd done it, but that was some mighty fine con-artin'!” Applejack cheered, everyone agreeing on her ability to handle the situation.

“No, no. Don't thank me, just doing what I can, with what I got.” Rainbow said proudly, gloating in their praise.

“Come on, everypony.” Twilight said happily, heading in the direction that Mrs. Print had run off to, “We've got some work to do, and hopefully, we'll be out of here in no time.”

Unfortunately, they wouldn't.
////
The restricted section, to Twilight's much-anticipated delight, was beyond anything that she could have imagined. However, it also felled her with a sense of urgency.

The hall itself outside of it was empty, unlike the rest of the library's sections with a room at almost every few feet that carried it's own subject matter, save for one entryway in the middle of the corridor. But that entrance made up for itself with the vast space that it offered. It had a cylindrical bookcase in the middle of the room with six tables lined up around it, the top of the case built right into the ceiling, and five little walk-in compartments about twenty feet in depth were set up on the outline of the room with books upon books held on shelves from wall to wall. Each shelf, however, had been lined with glass-slides, and over that, barred henge-gates had been built to keep anyone out. This would have presented a problem, but thankfully, Mrs. Print had been kind enough to leave them the key to the gates, allowing them free access to whatever they wished to view.

But to everyponies dismay, that's all that they had been able to accomplish. Many of the books in this section of the library were written in old-Equestrian, and due to their lack of publicity, none of them had been treated with the translation spells that were common for most old literature. And sadly because of this, Twilight had been almost immediately positioned as the translation transitioner, and because it required a page by page enchantment, they had been stuck in there half the day, and if somepony didn’t find what they were looking for soon, they would likely be there for the day's remainder, and all night as well.

So Twilight, with her head leaning on the table with an expression that conveyed the strange, conflicting mix of excitement and boredom, flipped through a black border book, when she suddenly jumped, slamming it shut upon realizing to her disgust that it was a personal diary that had belonged to King Sombra prior to his betrayal.

“Twilight darling, are you alright?” Rarity said while trying to catch the air in her throat. To speed things up some, Twilight had given Rarity a quick lesson in translation spells, appointing her as her assistant in their task. And because they had been sitting right beside each other four the last four hours with no communication between the two whatsoever, Twilight's sudden jolt had easily spooked her.

Looking at the startled mare, Twilight could only shake her head, “No, I'm sorry Rarity. Just ran into some reading that wasn't very pleasant.”

Rarity levitated the book that Twilight had just closed and opened to read a few words, and by the look on her face, it was clear that she had just read some of the more disturbing parts.

“Oh my, I can see why you closed it in such a hurry.” she then closed it and levitated it away from them to another table, “I wonder why they would keep such a horrid thing.”

“Just to keep records, I guess.” Twilight looked around. Everyone was busy with their individual section of books that she had assigned them, each more or less flipping through one book after the other in the hopes that there might be something since most old books depicted drawings and illustrations of the stories and events inside their texts, that would reveal something promising to them.

“Ugh, this is taking too long!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, slamming her head down on the cover of a book, “We're never gonna pony's life-story in here!” she whined in a muffled voice.

Everyone was feeling the same way. Even Pinkie Pie had fallen asleep more than once, snoring quietly off to herself until somepony would shake her back to consciousness.

“Twilight, can you help me open this?” Fluttershy asked, holding up a brown wood-bound book that had a lock on it. Casting a spell, the lock immediately came off, rolling on its axis with a click.

“Thank you.” Fluttershy opened the book to peer inside. Unfortunately for her, the pages suddenly contorted and lurched out at her, taking the form of a screaming pony's head, startling both mares. Twilight closed the book as quickly as possible, putting the strap back over its cover and locking it, but Fluttershy was still freaking out over it, screaming before taking to the air and bolting at top speed, slamming into Applejack who wasn't able to get out of the way in time, ramming them both into one of the room's decorative head statues.

“Applejack! Fluttershy! Are you two alright?” Twilight asked with genuine concern, though she still had trouble holding back her laughter.

“Ah, I think I mighta broken somethin'.” Applejack groaned, nudging Fluttershy to get off of her. They were wrapped around each other like a tight pretzel, and while trying to free themselves from each other, Applejack ended up slamming her elbow into something hard with a whack!

“AGH!” she cried.

There was a deep rumble that came suddenly from beneath them, and then, to everyone's surprise, the bookshelf in the center of the room opened up, cranking on an old set of gears. The bookshelf soon broke apart, and in its place, a staircase leading into perfect darkness.

Applejack looked at this in amazement, then looked behind her to see what she had hit, staring down at the head of the bust that she had been rammed into, detached and hanging on a henge from the rest of the marble.

Secret panels should have seen that one coming. But that wasn't relevant. They all had one thing on their minds now, and hopefully, it meant that they would be back to Ponyville in time for dinner after all.
////
The group continued to decent into the blackness that surrounded them, save for the light that emitted from Twilight and Rarity's horns, plunging further into this unknown void. Minutes passed, nothing changing save for the notable drop in temperature. They were somewhere deep in the mountain, and wherever this path led to was anyone's guess, but it had to be old. Canterlot had originally been built as a fortress, but before it had been constructed, it was said that this area had been the resting place for ruins that had been left desolate centuries before during the early Plasadion era.

The stairway spiraled as their path was soon illuminated by a series of torches that lined the walls for them to see, surprising them by their presence. But as they continued, their integrity was swiftly growing thin. The end was nowhere in sight, just the ever-increasing moaning and groaning of tired hooves and existed patience.

“Oww, my knees are killing me!” Pinkie grumbled, her legs literally shaking with every step she took.

“Can't you two just teleport us to the bottom?” Rainbow asked desperately, looking back and forth between Rarity and Twilight.

“Unfortunately darling I don't even know how to teleport ten feet in front of me.” Rarity sighed to herself.

“And I don't know where the end is.” Twilight added, looking over her shoulder, “So unless you want me to go in blind and end up teleporting us into the rocks we're gonna have to just brave it.” she said rather unhappily, “This reminds me too much of the Crystal Empire.”

Almost instantly Twilight came to a dead stop, almost falling forwards as everyone bumped into her. She seemed to be contemplating something, remembering the stairs that she and Spike had climbed to reach the Crystal Heart that Sombra had hidden.

“Hey Twilight, what gives?!” Applejack fussed, not liking the fact that she had ended up face-first into Fluttershy's rear-end.

“I just remembered a spell that I can't believe I had forgotten.” Twilight's horn began to glow, growing brighter as her memory of the desired spell came into focus, “Everypony hang on, we're about to go sledding!”

No one, of course, was prepared when Twilight's spell was cast, turning the steps beneath them into a perfect slide propelling them downwards, yelps escaping from everyponies throats. Twilight was glad that she had been able to remember this spell, and was growing more thankful by the minute as they zipped down the stairway at a safe and fixed speed. “Dear Celestia, does this thing have an end?!” she thought anxiously, starting to feel a rump-burn developing.

Fortunately, their journey soon came to an end, all six mares sliding out from the passage, unable to stop themselves from crashing into the opposite wall in one large knotted heap.

What followed next was a sad effort to get themselves free of each other. Hooves sticking into another pony's side, more than once a poor mare got a mouth-full of tail, and everyone yelling at the other to get off. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the mares got themselves separated, going over their bodies to check and assure that they were in one piece.

“Is everypony alright?” Applejack said quickly, taking a head count. To her relief, everyone was fine, save for a few aches and some brushes, nothing that a stretch and a good crack in the neck couldn't cure.

“Hey girls, take a look at this.”

Everyone turned towards Twilight, who was standing at the entrance to an overhang, peering into the room that lay beyond. Looking inside, everyone's mouths hung open in amazement at the great stone chamber that could easily hold the throne room of Canterlot in its space. The walls had been carved with an architectural precision that was very similar to the Everfree Temple, but was held in much better condition. Marble and Onyx had been used to make the pillars that held the ceiling up, and everywhere that they looked, gold and jewels had been incrusted into fine works of art that were painted on the walls like a picture storybook.

Everyone followed Twilight into the chamber, looking around to find in astonishment at the many rows of books that lined the way they came, all of them completely filling the shelves that they were placed on, and just looking at them was beginning to make Twilight's mouth water. Coming out of the “Library” section, four stone tables sat neatly around a beautifully decorative fountain that surprisingly bubbled with clean, crystal-clear water. A light shined on the fountain and the tables around, and turning to see where it originated, they were exposed in the many colors of a large stain-glass window that, though the sunlight wasn't coming in through it as well as it could, they could see the designs of six magnificent alicorn murals that took up their own individual window.

Altogether, their surroundings was a worthy rival to the castle in Canterlot, and it's held preservation made it even more awe-inspiring. I was indeed a sight to behold, but they didn't have time to take in the view, they had business to attend to.
////
Twilight galloped giddily down the long book columns, thrilled by the seemingly endless amount of topics and interests that were held in the contents of these books. Everyone had been assigned a section to go through, and unlike their previous scavenger hunt in the library, the only problem they seemed to be having was trying NOT to read every book that they opened. Even Rainbow Dash, who normally could only be persuaded to crack open a book if it had “Daring Do” on the cover, was having a hay-day do to the passing of dumb luck that she had been assigned to the section of books that happened to contain the most war-history and action and adventure novels and topics on its shelves. Sure, Twilight had been a little offset by the convenience that every book in the chamber appeared to have been given the translation spell in advance, especially after the experience of translating almost half of the restricted section, and the fact that she felt a bit betrayed by Celestia for not telling her about this place, but her own personal love for new reading material had proven to be a potent detraction from those facts.

And she was having the time of her life! There was a constant flow of new things to learn, every opening book a potential discovery.

Twilight rounded a corner and was held in place by the sound of soft whimpering off to her right. Taking a peak from behind the shelf, Twilight was taken off guard by what she saw.

Rarity sat alone in the back end corner of the records section, slowly flipping through a large, red leather-bound book. But as Twilight looked on, it soon became clear that she wasn't really dwelling on anything, in particular, that was inside the book. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, her watery eyes staring off into space while she pawed at something that she was holding close to her body. Trying to focus on the object, Twilight realized that it was a large fire-ruby that was cut into the shape of a heart that she had engraved into a golden necklace. Even from a distance, she could tell that it was a beautiful piece of jewelry, but it made her wonder why Rarity would be crying over something like a gem. Then again, Rarity was known to overreact or get bent out of shape by anything that had to do with a pony's outward appearance when it might disrupt it. But Twilight could tell that this wasn't the case. Rarity was more prone to over-dramatics, not a heartfelt crying spell held in privacy. No, something was wrong, and somehow it had something to do with that necklace, and whatever it was bothering Twilight, especially since it looked so familiar.

Then it hit her. The ruby was the same one that Spike had planned to be his birthday dinner, but had given to Rarity the day before. It had been a surprising gesture on his part, but it seemed so long ago that Twilight had almost forgotten, and she had never known that Rarity had appreciated it enough to have kept it all this time.

Stepping out from the shadows, Twilight decided to make herself known, “Rarity, are you alright?” she asked, pretending that she hadn't been watching her for the past two minutes as she walked over to her.

Rarity was startled by Twilight's sudden appearance, quickly attempting to hide the necklace in her saddlebags, “Twilight!” she said, trying to wipe away her tears, “W-What do you mean? I'm simply fine.”

“Then why were you crying?” she asked, now standing right beside the white unicorn.

“Oh, that.” Rarity looked around like a caged animal trying to find a way out of this, before settling her eye on the book on the desk, “Oh, I was just caught up in this story I was reading. It was really quite emotional!” she laid, blowing off as nothing.

“Oh, really?” Twilight said coyly. Suddenly, before Rarity had time to react, Twilight snatched the saddlebags right from underneath her nose, pulling the necklace out and levitating it in front of her accusingly, “Because I'm pretty sure it had something to do with this!”

Rarity just stood there silently.

“Rarity, what's going on?” she placed the necklace down on the table and stepped closer to her, “I'm your friend, Rarity. If you can't open up to me, then what use am I?”

Twilight was right. She so badly wanted to open up to somepony about her true feelings, and Twilight was probably the best pony to do that with. But oh Celestia, she was so afraid to admit to what her feelings pointed to, and she knew that Twilight wasn't going to like it.

“It's what that damn alicorn said that night, Twilight!” Rarity cried, new tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

Confused, Twilight cocked her head and stared at her questionably, “What do you mean?”

“He said that Spike cares for me, Twilight! Oh, I know that the boy has had a thing for me, but I'm so used to men sharing that same admiration that I've always considered it like a harmless little crush. It was cute.” Rarity looked away, “But now I realize that it's more than a crush, it's an infatuation!”

“Rarity, I think you might be over-thinking this,” Twilight said in an unbelieving tone, ready to brush it aside.

But Rarity wasn't finished, “Twilight, when he was possessed, there was a moment when Spike was there. Right there with us, but only after he saw me.”

Twilight was silent. She remembered how the alicorn's hold had somehow weakened for a moment during their encounter, but she had dismissed it as either a random event or Spike trying to fight back, but now that she thought about it, Rarity might be closer to the truth than what felt comfortable. Spike had only been conscious for a brief moment because of Rarity, and that kind of strength only came from one thing, and it wasn't from a childhood crush.

“I'm concerned, Twilight. Those feelings are not healthy, and allowing them to continue will only make things worse.”

Twilight looked down at herself. Rarity was indeed a good friend, but there was a question lingering in the back of her mind that she needed an answer to.

“Rarity, how do you feel about him?” she asked.

Rarity opened her mouth to speak, but soon fell silent. She knew exactly how she felt about Spike, and the truth terrified her.

“I-I have to go.” Rarity picked up all of her belongings and had begun to make her way towards the exit, but Twilight teleported herself between Rarity and her only means of escape.

“Rarity, you're not leaving until I get a straight answer,” she said, giving her an expectant look that Rarity couldn't back away from.

“It's not fair, Twilight. It's just not fair!” she cried, feeling like a criminal.

“It's not fair for you?” Twilight looked at her coldly, feeling disappointment.

“It's not fair for him!” Rarity answered, surprising Twilight. Rarity sighed, “Dragons live for thousands of years. In that time he's going to grow, and when he does, ponies are going to judge him for what he is and ran away in fear. Under those circumstances, he'll become resentful and better!”

“But his friends-” Twilight began, but was silenced.

What friends, Twilight?! Other than you, Nyx, and the other princesses, everypony that he has ever loved or cared for will die! Not me, not Applejack, or Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, or Fluttershy are going to see him grow up.”

“And when I think of that, I begin to think of you and Nyx. You two are going to have to go through the same dreadful thing. You'll never see us again. I'm thankful that she'll still have you and Spike, But Applebloom? Scootaloo? Sweetie Belle? Don't you realize what that can do to you both?”

Twilight had thought about this matter for a long time, but she also knew that Rarity was wrong. She wouldn't be forced to watch her friends grow old while she stayed young as Luna and Celestia had, but the same couldn't be said for Spike and Nyx. She remembered when Nyx had wanted to throw out the Twilight doll that she had made for herself for comfort during her rulership of Equestria, But Twilight had convinced her to keep it because she had believed that there would come a time that she wouldn't be there for her daughter anymore, and that remained the case since the princess had rejected her immortality. She had known from the start what it would mean, and though she would not go through that, the thought that her daughter would have to suffer through all that pain broke her heart.

But it would be even worse for Spike. The terror and fear that he would immediately install in the hearts of ponies would make him an outcast, and the friends that he had made would die while he was still technically a baby. When that time came, all that pain and heartache would make him a truly horrible menace to anyone who crossed him, and if that happened his last remaining friendship with herself and the rest of the alicorns would end forever.

Rarity stared at her for a moment, the expression on Twilight's face telling her all that she needed to know. Turing aside, Rarity spoke up, “Regardless of my feelings, I will never do anything that is going to hurt him in the long run. His feelings are more important to me than my own. I'm sorry.”

Rarity walked past Twilight and stopped at the staircase with a frown on her face. Turning her head back, she looked at Twilight rather helplessly, Twilight, do you mind helping me with this?”

“Sure.” Twilight's horn glowed, flipping Rarity upside down and sending her straight up on the stairway's ceiling, immediately sending her back to Canterlot above.

Twilight stood there staring at the stairs, thinking about all the cold facts of what was said, and though she knew that in her life there would be a lot of happiness throughout, she felt no hope.

And then she heard a scream.
////
Applejack stood in the middle of her section going through a boring old records book. It figured that she'd get stuck with the bottom of the barrel while everyone else got the exciting books.

But as she stood there, she got the feeling that somepony was watching her. Looking from left to right, she saw that she was alone, but the feeling still lingered. “Fluttershy? Pinkie? Is that you?” she called out, but no answer came.

Applejack began to sweat. She didn't like this, and every second that passed by was making her even more nervous, so much that she almost didn't even notice that shadow that was cast on the bookshelf in front of her. Almost.

Spinning her head around, she was just in time to dodge the massive hoof that slammed into the spot where her head had been just a moment before.

“Who are YOU?!” her attacker bellowed, forcing her against the bookshelf and pushing his arm into her throat, holding her in place, “How did you get down here?!”

But Applejack wasn't going to give up that easily. Gritting her teeth at him, she brought her hind leg up and slammed it right between his legs, sending him back in pain. She quickly bolted away from him to get to her friends, however, she soon realized that he was in hot pursuit, yelling and screaming in anger to get out.

But he didn't get far, as he was knocked to the side by Twilight, who had charged him from his right and tackled him to the side, sending them both into a desk where his head was slammed into the table's edge hard, falling to the ground in a daze, while a small amount of blood streamed from his wound.

Soon everypony was coming over to see what all the commotion was about, immediately coming to Twilight's side as soon as they saw her. Shaking it off, Twilight turned angrily towards the intruder, but was quickly set back when she realized just who the earth-pony was.

“Ancient Folklore?” she said, shocked.

“That's MISTER Folklore to you, young lady!” he growled, shaking his head around to regain his senses. Mr. Folklore was a stallion in his late forties, with a reputation for being reclusive but educated, talented with all the forms of art and literature, signified by the Artist Beret, parchment, and quilt on his flank. Well known as a renaissance pony, he was vastly rich and established among the highest in Equestrian Aristocratics, where he was greatly respected. He had a milky-blue coat and a gray mane, and he wore an old weathered trench-coat, which was surprising, considering the size of his wallet.

Having some difficulty standing up, Twilight came to his side and helped him up, handing him his glasses that had fallen off when he fell, “Are you alright?” she asked, concerned.

“Young lady, I have an ulcer the size of a grapefruit. How 'Alright' do you think I am?” he snapped at her, adjusting the glasses on his face, “What are you kids doing down here, anyway?”

“Well, I could ask you the same question. We came down here by pure chance. There's a hidden staircase in the restricted section at the Royal Library.”

Mr. Folklore rolled his eyes in annoyance at her statement, “I know ALL about the staircase. What I want to know is why YOU are down here.”

“Oh yeah? Well, I wanna know why ya chose ta choke me!” Applejack stared at him darkly, everyone gasping upon learning this fact.

“Don't flatter yourself, honey.” he mocked, earning a scowl from her, “I was just trying to scare you off of my property.”

“Property? What are you talking about?” Twilight tilted her head, “The Princess didn't tell me to come to you for the information in here, how is it you're property?”

“Because the princess doesn't know this place exists, my ancestors made sure of that.” he pulled a chair out and sat down, leaning on the table while he tended to his aching head, “My family has lived in Canterlot since it's founding, and I can tell you that that was no accident. This chamber was owned by my father, and by his father, and his father before that. This is where I go to study, and I don't need some snot-nosed kids destroying the place!”

“Excuse me!” Twilight's face scrunched up from his disrespect towards herself and her friends, “But we are not 'snot-nosed'! And if you haven't noticed, I'm a princess!” she motioned her eyes to her horn and wings, expecting that the fact of her royalty would in some way have an effect on his attitude.

“That's great, congratulations. What do you what from me, a metal?”

“Why you-!”

“Would you two stop FIGHTING?!” Fluttershy suddenly shouted, making everyone jump out of their skins. Seeing how much she had startled them, and how much-unwanted attention she was getting from them, she quickly retreated underneath her mane, regretting her bluntness.

“Oh, umm...if you don't mind, that is.”

Twilight and Mr. Folklore looked back at each other, both feeling a little embarrassed for their behavior, exchanging apologies soon after.

“I'm not a very social pony, umm...Ms. Twilight, isn't it?” he began, waiting for her to nod before continuing, I've spent most of my life down here or at the library, the books you see around you are really my only friends. I guess that the only thing they never were able to teach me was tact.”

“I know the feeling,” Twilight blushed, realizing that she probably would have acted the same way as he had five years ago.

“What is this place?” she asked

Mr. Folklore pondered this for a moment before answering, “That's a little hard to explain, but personally, I've come to call this place the 'Archives'.” he then turned, motioning for them to follow.

“I really can't take all the credit, I've only made a few small breakthroughs during my studies of this place. But it was my great-grandfather who made probably the greatest discovery of the antediluvian culture that built this place”

“And what was that?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“According to the text found in this book,” Mr. Folklore pointed to a large old golden book with a small emerald pearl at its center, held in a glass case that he had built just for it, “that their culture believed in a creator that was more powerful than even Celestia. With a single word, they write, he created the universe and everything in it. He even had the power to raise the dead.”

“And is there any truth behind this?” Twilight asked curiously, always being interested in creationist theories.

“I highly doubt it.” he said, firing down her hopes for more information, “But it wasn't something you questioned, and it was reinforced by those in power. I really don't know why, but my theory is that they used it as a scare tactic to keep citizens under control.” Turning a corner, he led them to a fountain, “Now to some more interesting myths.”

Standing as a group, Mr. Folklore directed their attention to the stain-glass windows that they had seen when they first entered the chamber. However, more light was coming through them now, and unlike before, when they had just given it a passing glance, they could now better appreciate the workmanship put into its beauty.

“Allow me to introduce to you with reverence, the Minsore, the great kings of Fontijzena.”

Each portrait was like looking into a different story. One showed a dweller of a cave, alongside another who flew through the heart of a storm. Snow fell around a kind-faced alicorn, while its neighbor swam deep in the abyss, and the two others showed a stallion with an obsession for plants and a wind dancer. They were truly pieces of inspirational art, but that's not what got their attention.

“Twilight, is that?” Applejack asked excitingly.

Twilight just stared wide-eyed at the windows. It was him. The one they had been searching for.

“Mr. Folklore, whose the pony in the storm?” she asked hopefully, but he only shook his head.

“That, my dear lady, is a complete mystery.” he turned and sat down at the table, “The Minsore were revered as the advocates of god, but they were never distinguished from one king to the other. Not that it matters, they're a myth.”

“I disagree.” Twilight then pulled the file she had in her bags out and handed it to the confused stallion. Taking the photos out, he flipped through them slowly at first, then quickened his pace as a deep frown came over his face, looking back and forth from the pictures in his hooves to the windows on the wall.

“Where...Where is this pony now?” he asked, acting a bit panicked.

“He's in Ponyville at the castle, in a coma,” she answered his question, though she was puzzled by his urgency.

“You need to put a guard on him, lock him away, NOW!” he shouted frantically, scaring them.

“Mr. Folklore, what's wrong?” Twilight walked right beside him, but he pulled away from her, turning to the glass-case and inserting a key into it to get to the book inside.

“Where is it? Where is it?!” he muttered to himself, flipping through the book in search of the information he desired.

Coming to a dead stop, he looked up as all the color left his face, “Twilight, there are many things that I have learned from my studies here, and one of those is that our world suffered a great disaster nine-thousand years ago. Hundreds of millions of ponies died terrible, horrible deaths, and somehow, the Minsore were responsible for it.”

Everyone listened to him in fear of what he had to say, taking in every word like it meant their very lives, “I don't know who, but it's written that one of them betrayed the others, and when he did he brought to the surface of the world an eternal fire that destroyed everything in its path. They're dangerous, and as long as one of them is alive, everything we know could be lost.”

As if by instruction, everyone ran out of the chamber to return to Ponyville and deal with this crisis, leaving Mr. Folklore alone to his thoughts. Looking down on the face of the book, he reminisced over all the lessons he had learned from it. The “Book of Arches”, and informational meeting point of fifteen-thousand years, and he had been foolish enough to dismiss it as a book of fables.

One fable, a psalm, came to his mind, and turning the pages, he looked with grief at the painting of a once beautiful world set ablaze like an eternal hell, then read the passage aside of it aloud to himself, left alone in one of the last remaining monuments to that doomed past.

“We are the Children of the Damned,

And those before us the Children of the Flame.

And do we live?  To be left to starve for nothing,

So that we may wonder an endless wasteland,

In hopes of greener pastures?

Nay, we go down to die, and who shall mourn our bones,

But the saddened sun in the sky?”
////
> Chapter 5-Apple Pie and Fashion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

////
Chapter 5- Apple Pie and Fashion
////
The Alicorn woke to a loud ringing in his ears, disorienting him from the world around him, but soon he was able to take in his surroundings. He was in a bed set in a large bedroom with several types of furniture lying around along with an endless amount of books lining the walls, easily enough material to keep somepony busy for a LONG time. Looking down at himself, he saw that there was some kind of mask that covered his mussel, its surface transparent so that he could see his breath moving inside of it when he exhaled, fogging the inside. Not only that, but noticed a small metal collar that had been placed around his neck, but when he tried to take it off, he found that it was held in place by a locking mechanism, ensuring that it stayed put. Sighing into the mask, his eyes scanned around the room, processing everything that came into view, until his attention was drawn to a group of medical instruments that, unknown to him, were keeping a close tab on his health. His eyes started to follow the many tubes that were connected to the metal boxes and was horrified to see that they ended with needles that were inserted into his body.

He started to panic. He had no understanding of want these accursed boxes were or want they were doing to him, and he didn’t like it. Only one thought ran through his mind, and it was that he had to get them out.

He tried to sit up, only to gasp as pain shot through his body, sending him into a world of agony that in his whole life had never experienced. He felt like he was going to vomit.

It took a few minutes for him to regain his composure, taking his time to go over his situation before he attempted to try that route again, hoping that he would have better luck on a second try. But once again, he found that any movement made the pain intensify, sending the unpleasant sensation up and down his spine.

He would have given up if it hadn’t been for his pride, forcing him to push all feelings aside as a surge of determination shot inside of him. ‘No, I can’t give up’ he told himself. He had never conceded to anypony in his life, and he sure as hell wasn't going to start now, especially to a soulless machine! So building up all the strength that he had, he shut his eyes tight and gritted his teeth as he shot straight up in his bed for the third and final time.

The intense pain that rocketed through him made the world circle around him, the extremity of it nearly causing him to black out again. He wanted to scream, but he assumed that whoever had placed him in this nightmare would likely be close by, and he really didn’t want to take his chances in his present condition. However, the pain dulled down to a sharp aching sensation, allowing him to use all of his focus to rid himself of the tubes attached to his arms, wincing as blood trickled out of the tiny wounds that the needles had made.

The stallion through the tubes on the ground, but as he began to remove the sensors, he was caught off guard when one of the machines, which had been monitoring his heart rate a moment ago, started humming loudly as the rhythm on the monitor flat-lined. And though he didn’t fully understand why, the noise it made was pissing him off.

“Shut. UP!” he hissed out as his hoof slammed into the monitor screen, sending several sparks to fly off its surface as the innocent machine was completely demolished, falling silent with a sharp, metallic screech.

Satisfied that the metallic menace was destroyed, he jumped off the bed onto the floor and walked across the room to a beautifully furnished dresser that had a mirror mounted on the top, anxious to get a good look at himself.

The stallion gasped as he stared at his reflection, studying the many scars that ran down his body. He now fully understood why he felt like crap; his right eye was bloodshot while his left was covered in bandages with a scar clearly visible despite the cloth. His mane was a mess, along with a leg that hurt when he stood on it, concluding that it was probably broken. Looking at his sides, he noticed that both of his wings were set in a type of cast, but what he considered to be the worst was the SCARS. His entire body was covered in scars, making him look a little too monstrous for his taste. However, before he could become too upset with his looks, his mind was drawn towards a new problem that reared it’s ugly head as all thought was focused down into his stomach.

He was starving.

“Well, we know how to fix that, don’t we?” he said quietly to himself, as he walked to the door, turned the knob, and stepped out into this new world that he had entered.
////
“So, you in or out, Flash?” the guard beside him asked.

Flash Sentry sat around the kitchen at a table along with three other guards, studying the cards in his hooves. Twilight had ordered them to watch over the alicorn upstairs while she and the elements of harmony dealt with some business in Canterlot, and order that he was not willing to disappoint. However, standing over a comatose pony in a make-shift hospital room for hours on end had its limits, and so they had decided to go downstairs and play a game of poker. But just to play it safe, Flash had taken out a magic-canceler and placed it on him. Twilight had warned him that the alicorn had displayed an incredible ability for advanced magic, and he wasn't going to take any chances.

Iron Shield stared at him impatiently while he tried to plan his next move, but was disgusted to find that his hand was a total lost cause, again. Huffing, he laid he cards face down on the table, conceding to his losses, “I'm out, dude.”

Iron Shield looked at him sympathetically, knowing that he had been able to get his hooves on a decent set of cards the whole game. Turning, he faced with a bit of discontent to the one pony that no pony was liking at the moment: Platinum.

“Alright, what do you have?” he asked rather coldly.

Platinum sat proudly at the end of the table with his hindlegs plopped on its surface, looking at everypony with a big ugly grin. Platinum had somehow been able to win almost every game that they had started, and he sat there fiddling with his winnings like they were trinkets, and no pony was sure if he just had a bad habit of handling things or if he was deliberately toying with them.

Looking up, he simply stared straight and smiled, “Pass.”

This surprised everypony. Maybe there was hope that somepony else could win in the confounded game. Turning to gaze at Blazing Armor, Flash and Iron waited anxiously for him to reveal his hand, hoping for some change in the tide.

Looking rather pleased with himself, Blazing Armor placed his cards on the table for everypony to see, “Two Jacks, two Queens.”

Flash Sentry and Iron Shield sighed triumphantly at his set, even though that they had lost a good amount of money, they were relieved that Platinum hadn't won.

“Ha! I guess that it's not your lucky day, after all, Platinum!” Blazing laughed before looking at Platinum's blank expression, “Hey, what was your hand, anyway”

“Oh, just this.” Platinum placed his cards down, a grin spreading across his face as they all realized just exactly what he had, his whole hand consisting of four kings and a five of hearts.

“Sorry.”

The anger that fueled Blazing Armor was channeled into his arm, which he slammed onto the counter of the table, “How the hell do you keep winning?! No pony's THAT lucky!” he spat, coming within an inch of Platinum's face.

But Platinum stood his ground, not even blinking at Blazing's sudden outburst, “Temper, Temper.” he said calmly with a grin, “I would suggest that you bottle it for now and let it out on the battlefield if we ever go to one. It might save your life.”

Blazing would have retaliated, but was cut off by Flash, looking at Platinum oddly, “You know platinum, he's right. You HAVE been winning a lot here lately. You wanna maybe explain that?”

Platinum just stared at him, shaking his head in a care-free state, “I guess I'm just better at this game than the rest of you.”

“Maybe.” Flash then revealed his hand, everypony looking at it curiously. In it, one card, in particular, standing out from the rest. A five of hearts.

“Or maybe poker's not the only thing your good at.”

“Now wait, wait, wait! There's a perfectly good explanation for this!” Platinum rose in a panic, quick to defend himself.

“Oh really, because this is MY deck, and I don't keep extra cards in it.” Flash and the rest began to get up from the table, moving closer to him, “So if I take a look in those cards, I'm not gonna find anything out of place, am I?”

But apparently, Blazing Armor had the same idea, quickly going for the first card at the top of the deck, which also happened to be the king of spades.

“Why you cheating, lying, son of a-!”

Blazing grabbed him faster than lightning, and before any of them knew it, both stallions were on the ground with their hooves on each other, one trying to get away and the other hoping for an attempted murder.

Grabbing Platinum by the throat, Blazing raised his other hoof in the air with the full intention of bloodying his nose, “You're luck just ran out, you-!

Crash!

Everypony was startled by the sound of glass shattering on the ground, their heads turning to see what had caused the disturbance. To their horror, behind them, leaning on a stand that had displayed an old antic vise, stood the alicorn that they had been ordered to watch, huffing and wheezing from his journey down the stairs. Everypony froze to look at this new resident, who had lost his balance and knocked over the vise in an attempt to prevent his fall, eyeing them cautiously, unsure of what to do next.

“How the hell did he get out of his room?!” Iron Shield shouted frantically, immediately picking up his spear by instinct, “I thought he was in a coma!”

Standing as a group, they all slowly made their way towards the alicorn, who upon realizing their intention quickly began to panic.

“P-P-Ple-assss-e, d-dooo-nn-t-” was all he could say at the moment, barely letting it out in a whisper, having too much difficulty speaking their language now.

The soldiers moved cautiously, unsure if it was safe to be confronting him on their own. But Flash Sentry suddenly grew more confident, upon remembering what laid around his neck, “Guys, we can take him! He's completely helpless with that collar on!” he announced, drawing their attention to the magic-canceler that had been placed on him.

Smiling comfortably, they all made their way to him at a normal pace, not feeling the need to keep their guard up. That soon ended, however, when the alicorn stood up in a defensive position, the horn on his head glowing brightly as it was amped up with magical energy. Frowning disappointingly at them, he closed his eyes as the final spark in his horn lit.

“I'm s-sorrrr-ry.” he said, before firing his spell at them.

“What the-!?!”

FLASH!
////
The streets of Ponyville were crowded as the alicorn made his way from the castle, taking in everything that came into his view, and though everything that caught his attention would have normally brought a smile to anypony's face, he was left feeling depressed. Deep inside he felt a small pang of guilt for paralyzing the guards. He hadn't actually harmed them, however, he would have preferred to have made it out of that situation peacefully, but they really hadn't given him much of a choice.

But that didn't matter now, what MATTERED was finding something to fill his empty stomach, and that's exactly what he intended to do, looking around into each individual food-stand, booth, and cart that was set up in the make-shift marketplace that he was in, while keeping an eye on any and every pony that happened to look in his direction, cautious of any unwanted attention.

Not that any pony actually GAVE him any, to begin with. Before he had left the castle, he had taken the time to have a second good look at himself in a mirror, quickly taking note that a blooded-up alicorn that towered over everypony else, walking blindly through a town whose residents had hooked him up to strange metal boxes, all while taking the risk that one of these evil ponies would recognize him, was probably not the closest thing to a wise and logical course of action. So in the light of this, he had cast a concealment spell that he had learned from a small hive of such nice changelings, so many years ago. He wondered if there were any of them left. So now he was just walking around town in the form of a light-gray unicorn with a solid black mane, his height now barely exceeding any other stallion on the street, if only by an inch or two.

Of course, he wasn't entirely successful in keeping under the radar, as he had been the temporary focus of the occasional inquisitive mare or stallion, commenting their convictions of never seeing him before, and by proxy wanted to welcome him to their town. That was how he had learned of where he was, the facts being that he was now presiding in the Provence of Ponyville, a rural community somewhere in the Kingdom of Equestria, a country that he was unfamiliar with. However, because he recognized some of the geological characteristics of the landscape, he deduced that he was somewhere near the ancient city of Tar-La-Mina, a revelation that brought a lot of pain to his heart.

Fortunately, he wasn't able to dwell on his unhappiness for long, as his senses were soon flooded with a delightfully pleasant aroma, quickly drawing his attention away from the past to an apple-stand set up off to the right of him in the present.

So he decided to walk over and look around, studying the many different verities of apples on display, gazing hungrily towards the jugs of juices, ciders, and the display-case filled with a bazaar of pastries showing off to any passerby.

"Well howdy there, partner!" a deep, southern voice said, suddenly out of the blue.

The disguised alicorn looked up with a jerk, startled by the sudden presence of a large red earth-pony smiling at him from behind the counter, his big green eyes giving a friendly atmosphere to him.

"Sorry, didn' mean ta spook ya." he chuckled softly, giving him a warm smile.

"Oh, um...hello." the colt mumbled weakly, still finding it a bit difficult to speak this new and unfamiliar language.

The red stallion eyed his uneasiness, but dismissed it, “If y'all just give me a sec', I'll ten' ta ya after I get some business aside.” With that he turned his back on him, allowing the alicorn to breathe a sigh of ease.

By no means was he made nervous by the integrity of his deception or the possibility of this colt seeing through his illusion, he was too old and had used it on too many occasions to be swiped away by that kind of foolishness. But his inability to master the common tongue of these ponies would be the death of him. If he got careless and started speaking in his native language, he would likely be discovered, and all hell would break loose.

An idea however suddenly popped into his head. His mind reverted back into an earlier part in his life when he had been invited by his youngest brother to live among a group of nomad ponies from the Frozen Waste, ponies who at that time had not spoken the same language that was used throughout the rest of the realm, but they had developed a spell that they had been more than willing to share with him which could translate anything that was said between the user and the receiver into something that they could both comprehend. And more importantly, it would go completely unnoticed.

Quickly casting his spell, the unicorn looked over the counter to see if the southern pony was coming back. But seeing that he was busy with some mare, and by the way that they were speaking they would probably be in the conversation for a while, he simply decided to just sit there on the ground, and politely wait his turn.
////
Thank ya kindly for yer purchase, hope ta see ya again!” Big Mac said proudly as he handed the bag of apples to Ms. Cherilee, smiling as she walked away. Turning his head back to the second counter, he was a bit surprised to find that the unicorn wasn't there. But when he looked over the counter ledge, he found him with his back leaning on the stand, “Sorry fer the wait, mister. Wha' can I do ya fer?” he asked.

The unicorn, however, didn't respond, making Macintosh wonder if he had heard him, “Umm...Mister?” he said with a little more volume, shaking him by the shoulder as he did so.

As if he had been sleeping(which he had), the unicorn's head shot upwards, startled by the sudden inquiry made by the red earth-pony. Big Mac looked at him rather closely, noting the dazed expression on his face as he got himself to his hooves, making him feel a little uncomfortable.

“Sir, ya feelin' alright?” he asked, genuinely feeling concerned.

“What?” he said slowly, shaking his head profoundly, “Oh, um...y-yes, yes I'm fine, just, just feeling a little light-headed.”

“Ya sure? Cause it looks ta me that yer gonna hurl. Ya like me ta-”

“NO! No, its nothing to worry about.” he said quickly, doing his to avoid any eye-contact, “I've just been...going through a lot lately.”

Macintosh nodded understandably and dropped the subject, not wanting to pry into his personal affairs.

“So, is there anythin' I can get ya?”

The unicorn took a quick glance at the jugs lined up in the back of the stand, “Is that cider you have back there.”

“Eup, homemade too. Ya wantin' some?” Big Mac asked.

The unicorn sighed, looking up rather awkwardly, “That depends. Is it hard?”

The red farm-pony looked at him for a moment before leaning under the counter, pulling out a clear bottle of cider and setting it on the plywood, the liquid inside reflecting the light of the sun like crystal, “It'll cost ya extra, now.”

“It's worth it.” the unicorn said before using his magic to materialize a large sack beside him, the loud clanking inside suggesting that it was filled with money.

Big Mac didn't know why, but something didn't seem right about this stallion. There was just a feeling he got when he looked into his eyes, something that said that he was the type of pony that had been traveling from hell and back his entire life. But he decided to toss his thoughts aside and handed the bottle to him. He was greatly alarmed when the unicorn, taking the bottle and placing the cork in his teeth, pulling and spitting it out, brought the brim to his mouth and choked down half the bottle.

“Wow there, partner! Ya need ta take this stuff slowly,” Macintosh said, reached out with his hoof, “Don' wanna get crocked in the middle of the day, do ya?” he chuckled, until falling silent when the unicorn took the bottle from his mouth and stared at him with a cold glance.

But then he broke out with a soft snicker, taking his eyes off of Big Mac and looked back down to the ground. He hadn't realized just how thirsty he had been until the liquid had come into contact with his tongue, “You're right. Sorry, haven't exactly had a decent meal in a while.”

“Well, we can fix that, I reckon.” Macintosh grinned as he turned to one of the crates, “How 'bout some farm-grown apples?”

“Sure, I think four will do.”

Big Mac nodded and grabbed the fruit from the crate, placing them on the table, “Tha'll be about eight bits.” he smiled.

But his smile soon faded when the unicorn started to take the coins out of his bag, his eye quickly noticing the unfamiliar currency, “Wow, wait a sec,” he said, picking up a coin to inspect it, “Wha kind of coin is this?”

The unicorn immediately froze in place, giving him a severely worried look, “W-Why? What's wrong with it?”

“What's wrong with it? I don' even know wha kind of currency it is!” Macintosh's voice raised in volume, making the unicorn look even more frightened, “I can' make enough profit for my family with this, it's worthless!” he spat, throwing the coin back on the table.

“B-B-But-”

“But nothin'! Get outta here before I-” Macintosh paused.

Looking more closely at the unicorn, his eyes went as wide as saucers as he looked at his stomach. At first glance, everything seemed normal. But on closer inspection, watching his body moving from side-to-side, he could see the bones sticking out in the skin, changing Big Mac's emotions away from being angry with a no good trickster trying to get his hooves on a free snack to having compassion on a starving neighbor. Usually, he was a pretty level-headed guy, but sometimes he really could make a jerk out of himself with his temper, the one trait that he could share with his sister, and he felt foolish for judging this pony so quickly. He was obviously malnourished, no question about that, and if he turned him away nopony in town would give him any charity. As bad as he needed the money, his upbringing wouldn't allow him to turn a pony in need away.

Turning aside, Big Mac looked at the starved pony out from the corner of his eye, “Ya know, now that I come ta think of it, I reckon I recall seein' some of those same coins bein' tossed around by them Crytal Empire folk visitin' a few months back.” he laid, hoping that the unicorn would catch on to his vibe, a smile spreading across his lips as he did so.

And he did, his own smile growing on his face while his tail began to sway from left to right excitingly, reminding Macintosh of Wenona waiting for a treat back on the farm.

Macintosh almost lost it right then and there, holding back his laughter to continue speaking, “Ya know, I think we can do somethin' better than just apples.” Mac smirked before opening up the pastry box, pulling out one of Granny Smith's apple pies, freshly baked earlier that morning.

The unicorn only looked at the pastry questionably before looking back up to Mac, “What is this?”

That nearly gave the red earth-pony a heart attack, “Oh, come off it, ya know a pie when ya see one.”

But the unicorn only shook his head in disagreement. The only thing that Big Mac could do in response was raising an eyebrow at him like he was an alien, “Where's the rock ya been livin' under all these years?” he asked sarcastically.

“Oh...um, I-I-” the unicorn stammered over himself, growing more nervous by the second.

“Hey, don' sweet it, ya don' have ta explain yerself ta me. Ask ya no question, ya tell me no lies, right?” he smiled at him.

That seemed to relax the unicorn, resting his shoulders that had tensed up just a few moments before, while Big Mac cut him a piece.

“Here, try this.” Mac placed the slice of pie on a plate with a fork and pushed it towards the unicorn. He looked at it for a moment, then levitated the fork over to cut himself off a sizable proportion before placing it into his mouth.

The unicorn's eyes widened as he chewed the mouth-full slowly. The flavor was like nothing he had ever tasted before, the blend of ingredients bringing a warm comfort to all his troubles as he swallowed. When it hit his stomach, he was shaken by a violent rumble down in his gut, bringing a sense of just how hungry really he was.

So he abandoned his fork and quickly devoured the remainder of the pastry, not really caring if the work-pony in front of him saw him as a slob or not, licking and smacking his lips at the remaining crumbs left behind from his messy eating.

“So I take it that ya like it?” Mac smiled at the enthusiasm exhibited by his eating habits.

The unicorn nodded eagerly, before looking at his bag, “How much is this going to cost?”

“Well, the cider's four bits a bottle, an' each slice of pie comes ta about two bits, but I suppose that since yer a new costumer, I can spare y'all plus the rest of the pie for about ten.”

A loud rumble from the pit of his stomach was all the response that Macintosh needed to hear, taking out seven more coins from the bag before handing it back to him along with the rest of the pastry. The unicorn thanked him for his kindness before he turned and walked on his way, levitating his well-earned prize alongside himself. Mac watched him as he left and then stared down at the worthless coins on the counter, frowning at the foreign language on its surface that he began to aimlessly work to spell out.

He had no idea that he had just made the greatest business deal of the century.
////
The stallion walked happily down the street while enjoying a mild autumn afternoon breeze, eating his meal eagerly as he basked in all that Ponyville had to offer. He was truly impressed. For a small town, it was surprisingly busy with ponies running here and there as they went about their daily lives, and the abundance of larger infrastructures, both for business and royal dignitaries, was almost a contradiction. However, as far as he was concerned this was considered normal. So many things had changed since he had been separated from this world, but by his observation, he was greatly relieved by everything he saw, and he had high hopes in what the changing times had to offer, with the appearance of a better world than the one he left.

As he rounded a corner, he was amazed to find a second castle erected in the small proceeds of this town. He had not been too surprised by the one that had been made his prison; he was well aware of the origins of the Castle of Harmony and the tree that was its seed and foundation. His second youngest brother was an expert in plants and how they worked, and the same process had been used frequently in the ancient cities.

But as he got closer he could feel the lingering magic of a darker force, something that he was naturally sensitive to. Looking up to the great towers that stood as monoliths over the town, he took note of every detail of its design, from the black mortar that had been used as the building blocks for it's walls, to the ominous, dreadful forms and likenesses of ponies that had been carved for the railings as gargoyles, the twisted wickedness in their expressions displaying the corrupted minds that had seen to it's construction. Turning away, he saw that the iron gates to its inner court were held under lock and chains. Walking over to peer inside, he soon realized that whoever had made the place a reality had long since vanished, as he gazed at the autumn leaves and the withered vines that grew around the base and up along the sides of the walls and the ordinate fountain in the middle of the court, cracks beginning to form on the statued pony by means of neglect. But still, that dark presence remained, and studying the ponies that would pass by it, he could feel their fear as they hurried along, lowering their faces as if the castle would destroy any who dared looked upon its walls.

Deciding that it was time to move on, the alicorn walked along the avenue when he came across a large cylindrical building set up just two houses ahead on the street corner. What got his attention was that the building was ordained with fabrics and small expert cut jewels that hung on the overhangs like little chandeliers. Trotting up to the front of the store, he gazed at a sign that had been placed outside its entrance that read “Carousel Boutique”, before the menswear displayed in the widows called out to him and grabbed his attention, looking admiringly at the unique designs woven into the casual wear, dresses, coats, and suits that littered the widows of the building, then looking down at himself, he moaned when he realized he had nothing on. Now, he wasn't what you would call a 'flashy' pony, nor was he really that concerned whether he wore a suit or not, but he never truly felt comfortable unless he was wearing something that would cover his subconscious nakedness, and he would be completely satisfied with something simple like a neckerchief or a carrying bag hung around his shoulders. That perked him up a bit, the idea of getting one of those for himself, being able to carry things around him without having to use magic. He laughed at himself, realizing just how much he was getting involved with the idea. It was amazing how old habits tended to be hard to get rid of.

So the unicorn decided that he should have a look inside, a little bell ringing above his head as he opened the door, drawing his head up to look at it for a moment. But when he looked back down, he gasped at the decorum around the shop, looking anxiously at the mannequins with different suits and dresses, beginning to pick and choose what he liked, wondering who's creativity had inspired these magnificent fabrics.

“I'll be right with you, darling.”

The sudden call from the back room left him a bit startled by a greeting that he had not expected, and would have mentally kicked himself for forgetting that a store would have a manager running the place. But at the moment he was puzzled by the familiarity he had with the voice, even developing a slight headache just trying to wrap his mind around his confusion. But his confusion was quickly turned into horror when he was greeted by a white unicorn, whose runny make-up made the fact of her crying evident, even though she had made the attempt to clear them away. She looked at him with a weak smile, one that wasn't returned. Looking around the store, she quickly made an effort to take the focus off herself, “Oh, I don't think I've seen you around in Ponyville before. Was there something that you would like for me to do for you today?” she asked.

But he just stood there transfixed on the mare in front of him, the fear inside of him slowly transforming into anger. This was the same mare that had accompanied the group chasing after his previous host, the same one who had been able to bring the dragon to consciousness momentarily, this 'Rarity' who was somehow involved with his imprisonment. Pain shot through his skull as he tried to remember more details of what happened, but everything was fuzzy, the only thing accomplished in his attempt to recollect was in intensifying his headache. It was odd, she didn't seem like the type of pony who would comment such a heinous act against another pony, but he knew all too well, that appearances can be deceiving. If anything, he was determined to discover the reason why she had done those 'horrible' things to him.

Cocking an eyebrow at his dark expression, Rarity to a step back, “Is everything...alright, sir?” she asked uneasily.

“No, just the opposite,” he said slowly. Casting a new spell, a field of magic surrounded both himself and the now panicked mare who tried desperately to get away through one of the backrooms but was held inside by his magic's blue glow, looking at her with a heavy frown. Then, after she had stopped going at the wall that now surrounded the entire room in a feeble attempt to escape, she turned to face him, caught in his immediate gaze.

“Ms. Rarity,” he said calmly but harshly, taking a step closer to her, “You and I need to have a little talk.”

“You better not try anything!” she shouted, trying to intimidate him, “I'll have you know, that I am well acquainted with the Canterlot royalty, my friends and I are the barriers of the Elements of Harmony, and I will not be bullied by some ruffian, so whatever your intentions are you can just forget them! And it would be wise if you tell me who you are! She threatened.

Frowning, another glow emitted from his horn, as he looked at her hatefully, “Telling you will take too long for what I have to say, and I think you will know my intentions when you realize just who I am.”

Rarity's eyes shot opened as a blue flame trailed down his horn and onto his body, while a wheel of fire circled around him. The flame began burning away the gray coat and flesh from his head, quickly spreading along the length of his torso and down his legs. But no scream of pain came from him, he only closed his eyes as the fires stripped away the last remaining evidence that the gray unicorn had ever existed, revealing his true identity as the white alicorn that had lived shortly under its disguise.

“Hello.” he addressed her with a fetched smile.

He smiled quickly became replaced with panic when Rarity's fears were overtaken by rage, as she began to throw everything that she could find at him, dodging around to avoid being hit by the flying brushes, hairspray canisters, scissors, yarn balls, and mannequins that came his way.

“You BASTARD!!!” she screamed at him with dagger-eyes, “How DARE you come in here and threaten me, after everything that you have done?! You stole one of the elements, you tried to kill my friends, and you brainwashed Spike! Why are you even HERE!?!”

“I'm sorry! I'm SORRY!” he cried, moving his head to avoid a potted-plant that zoomed past him, barely missing him by an inch. Had he really done all that? He knew that the enchantment holding his consciousness in the altar had been forceful, but he had never considered it in any way dangerous, but here she was, accusing him of horrible deeds. No wonder they had treated him so cold-heartedly. “I didn't mean for it to turn out that way!” he said, coming out into the open where she could see him, “I would have returned your friend Spike back to you unharmed, and I can't remember if I was attempting  to end you're friends lives or not, but you have to believe me, I would never do something like that in my right state of mind!”

Rarity froze, ending her onslaught to hear what he had to say, “I couldn't fully control what I did and didn't do. It wasn't even me, it was a spell, Rarity. A spell created upon our basic instinct to survive. It was made for the purpose of luring a dragon with no prejudice or favor, and get him to do whatever it took, even if it meant turning upon his friends and family in the event that they tried to stop him, in order to release me from that stone nightmare! Out of all the dragons in the world with their mentality for being uncooperative brutes, how was I to know that the one that would activate the enchantment would be one of the good guys? Tell me that!”

Sighing, the alicorn lowered his head, “I know I've wronged you and your friends, and I'm sorry, I really am. Maybe I deserved the punishment you gave me, locking me away in the castle, left to be experimented on with those strange machines and the needles in my arms.” he admitted, though cringing at the thought of going back there, “But fighting isn't going to solve anything between us, so can we at least start from the beginning and talk?”

Rarity looked at him closely, part of her wanting to continue throwing everything she had in the store at him. But the other part could see the sincerity of his apology in his eyes, and she felt that he was probably a good pony deep down. He was even accepting a punishment that had not been given to him.

She also wanted answers. She would have a better chance of learning something from him if she made him feel comfortable around her, but more importantly, she wanted to know how he had made himself look so healthy. She had seen him lying on his bed just a few days before, so beaten and bruised that he looked more like a slab of meat torn around in the dirt by a pack of greedy, slobbering wolves. But now he was almost fully healed, save for the more severe scars on him and a limp that he had in his back-leg. Even his left eye that Dr. Heartstrings had removed had grown back, just as functional as the right.

She had to turn away for a moment, realizing that she had been staring at him longer than what she thought was proper or comfortable. But she DID acknowledge that he was indeed handsome, though she didn't like to think of him in that manner. Mature and strong, he had high cheek-bones and a hard, stern look in his gaze. He had made himself smaller, as he had been significantly taller than herself the night that they had confronted him, but now he stood only about a good foot or more than herself, which was larger than he had been as a unicorn, but nowhere NEAR what he had been on that night, weighing at a size somewhere between Caramel and Big Macintosh.

“Fine.” she finally said, giving the alicorn what he needed for some relief.

“But,” she turned to face him, eyes glaring coldly, “If your lying and try anything that would endanger another pony again, I don't care if you ARE an alicorn, I promise that being turned to stone again will be the least of your worries when I'm done with you, understand?”

His eyes widened, nodding in agreement. She gave a cocky smile, proud that she had been able to scare him, “And, incidentally, you weren't being punished, darling. You were being held under medical surveillance because of how bad a shape you were in, and those machines were there for your benefit.”

Now he really felt stupid.

“Well, I think I'll make us some tea if that's alright with you. That way we can at least be civil while we talk over this.” she headed towards the kitchen, then stopped to look at him, “I'm sorry. You seem to know my name well enough, but I've completely forgotten to ask you your?”

He looked down at his hooves sheepishly, a little nervous to be giving away that information. But he realized that it was trivial to be conflicted over something so irrelevant. It had been so long ago that nopony would have any reason to be afraid of what he was, the memory of his life had long been forgotten by everypony but himself by the sands of time.

“My...my name is Novis.”
////
> Chapter 6-Metamorphosis
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

////
Chapter 6-Metamorphosis
////
The sun was sinking low into the mountain range as Twilight flew across the skyline above Ponyville, searching desperately for the Alicorn that had escaped from her custody. However, her search high and low was completely fruitless, save for putting in some extra flight time. It was almost as if he had completely fallen off the face of the map. Nopony in the town had claimed to have seen him, and adding onto her frustration was the fact that she had started a mild panic among them by informing everypony that he was no longer under her watch-care.

They had arrived back in town around six o'clock after their unexpected meeting with Mr. Folklore, and had immediately made their way to the castle, intent on doubling the security detail on the potentially destructive stallion. Mr. Folklore had obviously been disturbed by the news of his arrival, and after what he had said, and not wanting to take any chances, Twilight would see to it that he wouldn't pose a threat to Equestria. But they were horrified to find Flash and the guards petrified, held in their aggressive positions when they had tried to overtake him before he paralyzed them, completely helpless to stop him from ransacking the kitchen. The floor was a complete mess; crumbs juice spills, empty jars, and pillaged shelves were all that was left of Twilight's pantry. She had just bought those groceries! Now she would have to go to the market and spend more of her money, just to replace what had been taken by this colt's apparent appetite. Freeing the guards, it only made the dark pit developing in her stomach to dig deeper inside her when Flash told her that the alicorn's magic inhibitor had been completely useless. That inhibitor would have stopped Celestia herself, and it didn't even weaken him. What the hell was he?

Deciding to return to the castle, Twilight landed within a few steps of the front doors, where her friends waited, hoping for some progress in her search.

"Did ya see anythin'?" Applejack asked.

"No, I can't find him anywhere," Twilight grimmest, "The only lead I could get was that there has been a mysterious new unicorn that's been wondering around Ponyville, but nopony knows where he went either."

"Well, he couldn't have gotten far, especially in his condition." Rainbow Dash pointed out, landing right beside Twilight with no useful information herself.

The nervous glances shared by everypony paralleled the situation that they were in. None of them knew of these pony's intentions and weren't in the mood to find out. They wanted nothing more than for somepony to find him in an alley conveniently slipped back into another coma, making their circumstances a whole lot easier. But that was an unlikely outcome, and the only thing that put their worries at ease at the moment was the fact that he obviously hadn't destroyed the town yet.

"Oh, I hope he doesn't hurt himself," Fluttershy said softly, earning some glances in her direction. She was probably the only one in the group that felt concern for his wellbeing.

"Do ya think we might be able ta fin' him on that Equestrian map that ya got upstairs in the council room?"

Twilight stared at her friend as a grin spread across her face, "That's a GREAT idea! I'll bet it'll lead us right to him!" Twilight beamed, galloping inside the castle.

Following behind, the group quickly made their way to the council room on the top floor, swinging the doors opened so they could get down to business. However, they stopped as they peered at the display table, where a glowing red beacon hovered over the table screen for an incoming message.

Who could possibly be sending her a message at a time like this? She somewhat hoped that it wasn't the princess, since telling her mentor that she had misplaced a fellow alicorn was not a conversation that she was going to be comfortable having.

Preparing for what might come, Twilight slowly walked away from the rest of the girls to the magic-generator screen and mentally braced herself.

"Activate message playback program."

With a musical whistle, the holographic screen came to life, and to Twilight's relief, the face that appeared was Rarity's, who was looking a little preoccupied.

On the screen, Rarity looked from left to right as if someone might be listening in on what she was about to say, "Twilight, it's Rarity. I...think you might need to come down by the boutique. If you're listening to this message, you may have noticed that our newest resident of Ponyville is missing. Well, he's here. I'm alright, and I've been spending the last half-hour trying to get something out of him, but he's flying a little too high above my intelligence level for me to really get anything usef-"

"Rarity? Are you coming back?" a voice in the background said rather impatiently, making Rarity jump.

"Y-Yes. I'll be with you shortly, Novis." Rarity called, then replied to something that was left inaudible to the group, before turning back to the screen, "Twilight, we may have been wrong about him. He may seem rude but, there's something about him that gives me a good feeling. I really don't know. Just...hurry." with that, the message ended, leaving everypony to process what they had just heard.

"I hope that Rarity is alright. She seems so calm with him in her house." Fluttershy said feebly, happy that the stallion hadn't done anything to harm her.

"Novis." Twilight said quietly to herself as she stared out into oblivion. She had heard that name when reading the books in the Archives. It had come up quite often; the great hero of the people, a moral, compassionate, and respectable pony. Well, he certainly hasn't been living up to his image lately. But what if Rarity was right? Had they judged this 'Novis' character too soon?

She would just have to go over to the boutique and find out herself.
////
Walking alone across Ponyville, Twilight made a note not to draw too much attention to herself as she made her way to the front of Carousel Boutique. The last thing she needed was for everypony in town provoking Novis by swarming around the dress shop. He came with a short fuse already, she didn't to be supplying the matches.

The front door was locked, with the closed sign set outward to deter anypony from entering. Knocking on the door, Twilight waited patiently as she listened to the sound of Rarity rummaging around the store to get to the door. Peering through the window-blinds, Rarity stared at her for a moment before retreating back to unlock the door, motioning Twilight to come inside.

"Rarity, are you alright?" Twilight asked as soon as the door was closed, grabbing hold of her, and going over her body in search of any scars or bruises.

"Twilight, I assure you that I'm perfectly fine." Rarity strained, pulling from Twilight's hold on her and taking a step back, "See? I'm completely in one piece."

Twilight couldn't deny it, Rarity appeared to be unmarked by her visitor, but she wasn't going to be satisfied until she was sure that she wasn't under his control. Making a quick scan with her magic, she couldn't detect anything that would suggest that she was under any influence, which relieved a lot of stress on her shoulders.

"Alright," she sighed, not really looking forward to what would happen next, "Where is he?"

Giving her a glance, Rarity directed Twilight to the kitchen entrance, where the form a relaxing pony could be seen sipping a cup of tea. Deciding that it would be best for her to go in first, Rarity moved ahead of Twilight and made herself visible in the eyes of the alicorn.

"Novis, I'd like you to meet somepony who is a dear friend of mine." she gave Twilight a nod, signaling for her to come forward, "I would now like to introduce you to-"

"Twilight." he said softly, startling them both.

"Y-Yes, that's right." Rarity stammered, "How did you-"

"I can hear her thinking, and she does a lot of it." Turning around in his chair, the stallion froze as soon as he made eye contact with the lavender mare.

"You." He half-choked, half-growled at her as he rose from his chair.

Twilight grimmest at the sudden souring of his mood, but probably would have retaliated with her own negative emotions towards him. However, Rarity quickly got in between them in an attempt to be the peacemaker.

"Now I certainly will not allow the two of you to get into a heated confrontation in my home, so the both of you will sit down and we will discuss our differences in a civilized manner." she gave them both a cold stare, forcing them to put their feelings aside and to suck it up. Sitting back down, Novis levitated his cup and added a little more sugar to his tea, twirling a spoon to mix it in with the liquid as he eyed Twilight closely, which was returned in due manner. Satisfied with their moderate civility, Rarity showed Twilight to her seat at the table as she levitated a new teacup and platter from the covered, pouring a fresh cup of tea for Twilight to ease the tension she was feeling right now.

An awkward silence filled the room as they sat quietly gazing at one another, placing the entire shop in an uncomfortable setting. Sitting in front of Twilight was the stallion who had caused a rift in her own house. The man who was responsible for making Spike become a social recluse, and who had tried to harm her friends. Needless to say, she wanted to tear his head off.

On the other hoof, sitting before Novis was arguably the most stubborn, argent mare in Equestria. This mare had a habit of poking her nose where it didn't belong, and if it hadn't been for her, he would have been having this conversation two weeks ago instead of wasting them self-regenerating. It was because of her that every bone in his body felt like it was broken, and why he had gone on a hunger spree that left him feeling like a pig.

Clearing her throat, Rarity took a sip of her tea and started, "Well, we certainly have a lot to talk about. Why don't we start with Twilight?"

Inhaling through her nose, Twilight reverted back to everything that had been said that night, to what they had learned in the Archives, focusing on some of the main points.

"Well first off, I want to know what you meant when you said that you were a ghost." she stated, not showing any emotion.

Rarity turned her head to look at Novis as he contemplated the answer in his head to something she would understand, "The conscious entity that you engaged in intercourse with was only one part of me. A spell with the instinct, and the desire for my survival. Any sense of right or wrong was replaced with the ability to assess the situation in motion. Any hostility on my part would only be acted upon if the task of freeing me was jeopardized, and if I attacked you, I am sorry, but you obviously crossed a dangerous line."

Twilight sat there in her seat groaning to herself. He was good. With an explanation like that there wasn't any way that she could condemn him for his actions. But she wasn't going to let it go. He had no right to use Spike as his own personal puppet, and she was going to make that point clear to him.

"Alright, but why Spike? He's a baby dragon, why not go after an older, stronger member of his species?"

Rarity was looking at Novis very closely now, obviously wanting to know the answer to that question as well. He could sense the raw emotions emitting from the both of them, and he knew that his answer had to be the whole truth.

"I never chose him. The emerald gemstone in the altar was enchanted with a spell set to full aggression for the ensnarement of a dragon since dragon's fire was needed for my resurrection. I never considered the possibility that relations between ponies and dragons could have changed over the years for the two races to coexist peacefully. He was just the poor devil who pulled the ticket."

“Well, actually, Spike is the only civilized dragon we know.” Rarity corrected, knowing how rude they could be, before turning her gaze on Twilight, wondering if she had anything to say on the subject.

Twilight sat motionless before them. Again, Twilight felt that she had nothing to stand on to allow her to be angry with him, and she hated it. Based on her previous encounter with him and the conversation that she was having with him now it was clear that he possessed a higher intellect than her own. But she so badly wanted to be angry with him for what he had put her through, and Spike was in the forefront of that frustration. “Is that why you did want you did to him? Just so you could finally gain the upper-hoof, or where you trying to prove something?”

“Prove?”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Twilight rather sarcastically, starting to rise from her seat, “You don’t really have anything left to prove, do you, your Highness?”

“I sorry, I don’t understan-”

“WHAT GAVE YOU THE RIGHT TO HURT SPIKE?!” she shouted, cutting him off, and startling the two ponies in front of her as she released all her anger on them, “He was perfectly fine until YOU came around! Now he won’t even come out of his room!”

Novis looked like his anger was about to blow too. Rarity was even going to say something to calm him down when she noticed the dark expression on his face but seemed to calm down on his own almost as fast as it had flared up. She didn't say anything, brushing it off as nothing, but she could have sworn that the element on his chest had faintly glowed from his anger.

"I don't understand. The spell shouldn't have harmed him." Novis said, concerned.

"Well, he is! And he's at the castle right now, sulking!" Twilight retorted.

Great. Now he was going to have to deal with a spell foul-up. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. The spell was designed to bestow a BLESSING, not a curse. Hey, if you're gonna steal a person's free will for a couple of hours, might as well be courteous and make it worth their while, right? It was the honorable thing to do.

Sighing, Novis looked down at his teacup and ran over the situation in his mind, and while he thought, he cast a spell that dropped a small amount of a clear, mildly golden liquid into the tea that went completely unnoticed by both mares.

Then Rarity suddenly had an idea.

"Novis, you have healing powers, correct?" she asked hopefully, looking over his body where all his wounds had been, save for the few scars left behind, "I mean, you obviously cleaned yourself quite nicely."

He nodded, knowing where she was going with this. He personally considered his healing abilities one of his greatest powers, and hopefully, if he cured the dragon of his ailment, it might appease their present anger, and he would finally be allowed to depart from this town peacefully to journey on the paths of this world so that he could be left alone.

"Yes, I will heal your friend," taking his eyes off her for just a second, "but only if I am allowed to leave Ponyville after the fact."

Twilight didn’t like this. She didn’t trust him to be left alone to wreak havoc across Equestria. But, she needed Spike, and if yielding to his conditions was how she would get her assistant back then so be it, she would go along with his demands.

For now.

"Fine." Twilight said coldly, not taking her eyes off him, "However, we still have a few things that we need you to answer. After you heal him, you will appear before the council of harmony for questioning, understood?"

Novis wasn't happy about this. He just wanted to be left alone, but from the looks of it, he wasn't going to be getting that anytime soon. After everything he had been through, didn't he deserve that? Groaning, he gulped down the last of the liquid, enjoying the sweetness of the sugar. They watched him, and as they scanned his body, one thing surprised them.

The scars, and the remaining bruises across his body healed.
////
The walk back to the castle was a quiet one as the two mares kept a close eye on Novis, who was getting a lot of attention because he wasn't wearing his disguise. Twilight and Rarity had insisted that he shouldn't walk around Ponyville openly yet because of the panic he would cause, but he resisted their warning dead on. Call it courage, or foolishness, but now that he knew the true intentions of these ponies, he refused to continue hiding behind the shadow of a mask.

Twilight couldn't help but notice that his face displayed the great weight that he carried on his shoulders. She knew so little about the world that he had left behind, and she was certain that was what was troubling him. She wanted to know what happened to his world, but she had the feeling that he wasn't going to be in the mood to be talking about that anytime soon.

Drawing closer to the castle, Twilight and Rarity both began to see more and more ponies staring in their direction. This was making them nervous, but it didn't seem to even phase Novis. He just stared forward emotionlessly. However, that didn't stop the two mares from trying to reassure the town that he wasn't going to hurt them, no matter how uncertain they were of that.

"Rarity." Twilight whispered into her friend's ear, "As soon as we get to the castle, I need you to take the girls up to the council-room and wait for me and Novis to get back from Spike's room."

"But, shouldn't I be there with you?" she whispered back, a little louder than the level that Twilight had been on, "After all, it would help if he saw me there because, well...you know," she answered a bit awkwardly.

"No, Rarity. I only want Novis and myself to be present in the room. Spike has been through enough, and I don't want you there seeing him until after Novis can fix this mess."

Rarity sighed dejectedly, looking down at herself. "Don't worry, Rarity." Twilight reassured, placing her hoof around her shoulder, "You'll have time to talk with Spike, but we need to get this straighten out first, okay?"

Rarity nodded, but was still unsure of herself at this point. They walked in silence for the rest of the way, arriving at the castle with the rest of the mares to greet them with confusion.

Rarity explained to them all the things that had happened in past three hours, while Twilight stood beside Novis, watching the expression on his face change in a full range of emotions. He kept a regal composure in light of the situation that he was in, but behind that exterior, she noticed a hint of sadness.

"Are...you alright?" she asked, still not quite sure of her emotions towards him, but that wasn't going to stop her from inquiring.

"So...many memories...I had... I had almost forgotten how beautiful it was." he stated dejectedly, and silent, slowly looking over the exterior of the castle.

Twilight wanted to ask him what he meant by that, but he turned away, making for the entrance to the large infrastructure. She would have to write to Princess Celestia about this, since the princess might have an idea for his strange behavior. Though his attitude seriously pissed her off, he still sparked a fascination within herself, and the questions that she had for him were endless. The only thing that she hoped for was that he would be able to help spike, and this mess would soon be cleared up.

So, deciding that it was time that she introduced him to her assistant, Twilight lead Novis into the castle, mentally readying herself for whatever she might see.

She would be completely unprepared for what was to come.
////
The ascent to the top of the stairs was long and slow, due to the faint limp that Novis still had in his leg, keeping Twilight from her schedule. It was painful to look at, like watching an old stallion trying to scoot himself across a ten-foot distance. But, it wasn't like Twilight could actually SAY anything about it. He HAD only just recovered from a coma a few hours ago, and was understandably in a lot of pain. However, his rude attitude prevented her from truly feeling sorry for him. In fact, she was still unsure if anything he had said was true, or if he was playing them into some unknown scheme that had been brewing in his head. She seriously doubted this, but still, she had learned to never let an appearance to define her judgment on a pony. There were still many things she didn't know about him, and until she could cross-examine him herself, she would treat him based on those attitudes. It wouldn't be long either, as she had given Mr. Folklore directions to send her all the information he had on this "Minsore". All she had to do was wait.

“Could you possibly move a little faster?” she called down to him in the nicest tone she could muster, which was only met with a grumble.

“Twilight,” Novis began slowly, taking his time with his movements, “I may look young, but I assure you, I am very old, and I will get up there when my legs permit it.”

Twilight looked down from the top of the stairs at him pitifully, “Can't you just teleport?”

Novis stopped to look up at her, tilting his head to the side in confusion, “Teleport? What does a teleport do?”

“Oh, you gotta be joking!” Twilight's horn glowed, enveloping her entire body in light before she disappeared, only to reappear right in front of Novis leaning into his face startling him, and if he hadn't been holding onto the railings, he almost certainly would have fallen off balance.

“That's teleportation.”

“F-Fascinating.” he was truly enthralled by this action, and it surprised Twilight how much it seemed to interest him, “How does one perform this...teleportation? Is it a fairly simple spell?” he inquired, looking her over for any abnormalities.

“It requires a great deal of concentration, Novis. It took me years of study to finally learn how to do it properly,” she stared at him blankly, “But you'd probably be able to do it without any trouble.”

“I wouldn't be so quick to assume,” he said as he began to focus his energy into his horn, grunting as he tried to perform the spell. But through the sparks that shot out from its tip, the only thing that was conjured was his splitting headache, coming back to him in full force.

“Ugh...I-I don't think that this is going to be possible.” he moaned, rubbing his forehead.

“What's wrong?” Twilight asked.

“I'm...still recovering from the weeks of immobility. What strength I had was used on your guards, and on my shape-shifting talents.” he paused, looking up to lock his eyes with hers, “I know what your thinking. You believe that this is all a ruse. That I'm more powerful than what I'm letting on.”

“The thought had crossed my mind,” she answered flatly.

“Well, you're correct. I AM stronger than what I am now. But you must understand that I am not invincible. Though we are Alicorns, we as a race do have weaknesses, Twilight Sparkle. And right now, I feel...drained.”

“Fine. I'll teleport us both to the top,” she then turned away, only to look back at him, “Unless you have any objections.”

“No. I have a feeling that this will be most interesting for me.” he stepped forward, placing his hoof around her neck, “Ready when you are.”

Twilight nodded her horn lighting up again to its full power. The next thing that Novis knew, he was falling on his flank at the top of the stairway, Twilight standing over him as he worked to overcome a feeling of nausea.

“I-I don't...I don't think I w-want to do that again.” he panted, slowly wobbling to his hooves.

“Regardless, I think I should point out that you actually did quite well. Most ponies vomit on their first try.”

“C-Can't imagine why.” Novis moved away from Twilight towards the fireplace, where he openly welcomed the warmth of the flames. Twilight watched him from the stairs, studying every move that he made. He...didn't seem so bad of a stallion like she had first thought. Of course, he was snappy and impatient but, he seemed depressed, like a sad, fallen shadow of a once noble character. He was certainly more troubled than angry, and she could sense that there WAS something that was troubling him, something horrible. However, it wasn't her place to ask. Besides, it would probably set him off if she were to bring it up for questioning.

“Novis?” she stepped forwards, not too sure of what she really wanted to say.

“Hmm?” he slipped out, not once taking his focus off of the fire.

“Umm...Spike's room is just down the hall,” she swallowed, “If you would just follow me.”

Novis followed as Twilight lead him down the hallway to the first door on the left. Knocking on it, the two ponies stood at the entrance to Spike's room, waiting for a reply.

“So, I've noticed that you've done a great deal of work turning this castle into a home for you and your child,” Novis commented, leaning against the wall.

“I'm sorry?” Twilight said absent-mindedly, her thoughts dwelling upon something else at the moment.

“The castle. I've been able to look at some of the rooms, and I've noticed that you've made quite a few renovations to the original design of this building.” he looked down the hall to the living room, “I must say that the fireplace was a lovely addition to that room down there. Makes it feel more like...home.”

“You talk as if you've been in this castle before.”

“Well, I have. At least, in a way.” he turned to look at her, “My brother was the one who designed the seed from which this structure grew. He never actually planted it himself, obviously. In fact, I didn't know that he had actually succeeded in creating it. But, he would always show me his designs and sketches, bragging that he would finish it someday. It was always something that brought great joy to his heart, and rightly so. It was his dream that this place could be used for a good purpose one day. I'm happy that it came to be owned by someone like you.”

Blushing, Twilight turned, “You have a brother?”

“I have five. And I assure you that they are just as old and strong as I am.”

“Well, hopefully they don't have the same mannerisms as you do.” she laughed, looking away towards Nyx's room, beginning to notice the almost cheery mood she was experiencing with Novis. Why was she so comfortable talking to him, even after everything that he had put her through. She should be angry with him, but all she could feel was yearning to learn more.

That's what it had to be. Twilight's interest to study and discover new things had always been her greatest strength, but it was also arguably her most bitter weakness. Though it helped her to see things that others would normally look over, it had on many occasions lead her to get into trouble. Once, when she was still a young filly, Twilight had been studying Equestria's history revolving around Celestia, and had run across Luna's name several times along with a few references to that of Nightmare Moon's, and that she had once dwelt in the castle. Of course at the time she had not known that Luna and Nightmare Moon were the same mare, nor that they were Celestia's sister. But, she'd gone around the castle, hoping to find some hint of her existence, and eventually found Luna's old bedroom. It wasn't until several hours later that the Princess was able to locate her, and by that time Twilight had completely ransacked the bedroom, which understandably upset Celestia. She hadn't spoken to Twilight for the rest of that evening, choosing to keep silent while Twilight had been sent off to bed feeling sorry for herself, not actually understanding what she had done wrong. After all those years she finally understood why Celestia acted the way she had,  drumming up old memories that had left her feeling her loss, the loss of the one pony in the world that she could relate to, who could share past experiences, the one she could confide in, something Twilight hoped she'd never understand.

“What in God's name is he doing in there?” Twilight was drawn from her thoughts by Novis staring impatiently at Spike's door, leaning his arm on the wooden frame as he looked at her, “What do you think?”

Twilight looked at the door, beginning to worry herself, “Spike? Are you awake?” she knocked, listening for an answer.

“I'm going in.” Novis said, starting to cast a spell on the door.

“What are you doing? You're not gonna break it down, are you?” Twilight asked nervously.

“That won't be necessary.” he cast the spell, creating a blue field to appear on the door's surface that fazed the solid material out of existence, a sort of door within a door being created to make an entrance to the room.

“How did you?” Twilight was in amazement, “I thought you said you were too sick to cast a spell.”

“I said I can't cast advanced magic within a stable field. Remember Twilight, not all spells are complex. This one, in particular, is so simple a baby could do it.”

Twilight opened her mouth to say something but soon fell silent. That is until she remembered the magic restrainer around his neck.

“Umm, Novis...wait a moment.”

Novis stopped to look at Twilight, just as her horn glowed to cast an enchantment on the device. With a few clicks, the locking mechanism fell off, allowing her to slide the uncomfortable metal collar off of him.

“There you go, I hope that's better.” she placed the collar on the nearest table, “I needed to get that off of you. I'm afraid that you wouldn't have been able to get the restraint through the door. It's designed to reject any form of magic.”

“Obviously it was faulty, but thank you all the same,” Novis said as he rolled his head around, cracking the joints in his neck that had been begging to be popped.

Novis smiled as he stepped through the portal and made his way into the room. It was a strange feeling to have your body passing through the wooden panels, and soon a number of books on a shelf that had been placed behind the door to block it from being opened, every molecule of his body fusing into the pages of the books, the wood, and the nails. He passed through none the less, coming out of the other side, looking around the darkened room while Twilight made her way through herself.

“Ugh...What's that smell?” Twilight gagged, placing a hoof to her nose.

Novis took the air into his nostrils. She was right, there was an offensive odor in the room. At first, he thought that it might be ammonia but, it wasn't as pungent as urine. No, this was more like the smell of decay, and burning flesh.

The room was dark, so they both had to light their horns to see where they were going, which was important since the floor was littered with garbage. Still, it was hard to determine exactly WHAT it was that was cluttering the floor, but whatever it was, it was gooey.

Twilight made her way into the bathroom, where the center of the burning smell seemed to be focused. Like the bedroom, the bathroom was rather messy, especially the tub, where there was a black, smoldering mass on the bottom that stunk profusely. Twilight was about to turn away in revulsion but stopped when the light of her horn began to reflect on something on the tub. Looking more closely, she saw that it was some kind of liquid, something too dark to be water that was for sure. She took a dab of the liquid on her hoof and brought it to her mouth, immediately spitting it out as it came into contact with her tongue, recognizing exactly what it was that she was tasting.

Blood. Only, it wasn’t just blood. It tasted weird, almost milky, and it seemed to stick to her hoof like goo.

Turning back to the bedroom, Twilight looked towards the bed, “Oh Spike, what have you done to yourself?” she said to herself, walking over to the bed where a large lump laid hidden under the covers. Twilight reached for the blankets with her magic, pulling them off of what she thought would be the lovable dragon that she was familiar with.

But what was lay there on the bed was nothing that she or Novis would have expected. A form laid sprawled on the sheets napping in a cold sweat, shivering as the cool air of the room made contact with its bare flesh. The thing was a little over three-fourths the size of Twilight and had rough, pebbly skin that had patches of light purple fur growing out here and there. Its legs were strange, forms similar to hooves, but had a digit or two growing on the sides of the legs like fingers that had long ago lost their purpose.

Needless to say, Twilight completely flipped out, letting out a shriek before she levitated a book and began to bet the poor creature with it, quickly gaining a reaction from it.

“Wa...Twilight? Wait! S...S-Sto...Stop! STOP IT!” it shouted, the voice so familiar that Twilight dropped the book in mid-air without considering where it was, which fell right on top of her forehead and left a dale ache from the impact.

“S-Spike!?” She choked her mouth a gap.

“Twilight, have you gone mad!? What the hey do you think your doing!?” Spike shouted, agitated for being beaten by a book.

“W-What happened to you!?” she cried.

“Well, that seems to be the question of the day. The trials and tribulations of the local FREAK show!” he hissed, groaning as he sat himself up on the bed.

Twilight bit her lip as she turned to look at Novis. Spike wasn't acting like his normal self. He was increasingly temperamental, and his voice was deeper somehow, almost similar to an adult than the boyish fifteen-year-old dragon that she knew.

“What...What did you do to him, Novis!?” she began to shout.

Making a double-take, Novis was quick to get on the defensive, “Twilight, I hardly think I can be blamed for something like this? Now, just try to calm down, and-”

“Calm down? CALM DOWN!? Look at HIM! Don't tell me to CALM DOWN!”

“Twilight? Who's this joker?” Spike asked rather impatiently.

“Oh, pardon my rudeness. My name is Novis.” he offered his hoof to Spike for him to shake.

“Don't talk to him! You're the reason why he's in this mess!”

“Oh, so this is my fault now.” Novis said sarcastically, “And how do you suppose that is, hmm?”

“Don't play stupid with me! This has something to do with that altar of yours in the temple.” Twilight looked at what had once been a drake, “Its obvious to me that he's under some dark enchantment.”

“What in the name of CELESTIA are you two arguing about!?” Spike yelled, still feeling a little groggy from being awakened from his nap.

Twilight turned to him, put off by his lower, far more commanding voice, almost forgetting that she was dealing with a child, “Spike, this stallion is the one that took control of you a few weeks ago. He's the reason why your in this mess. He's the reason for whatever is happening to you.”

Spike was stunned. He looked Novis over closely, finally able to see who had been behind the voices, the mystery of the phantom, revealed in its full light.

Spike was about to say something but was stopped by his gag reflex that started to make him create a heaving sound.

“Spike? Are you alright?” Twilight immediately went to his side, holding onto him as he continued to gag.

“I-I don't-” was all he could say before he bent over, opening his mouth so that he could take a hold of tongue with his claw, or at least what was left of a claw, pulling on the organ until it fell off, a few bits of flesh still holding on between the divided halves before he yanked it all away.

“Oh my...!” Twilight held her hooves to her mouth, holding back a flood that was threatening to be released from her throat. As both she and Novis watched, herself in horror and Novis in revulsion, she saw that his tongue began to heal itself. In fact, it was reforming into a new organ, from what had been a long, slender mass that had been forked and flexible into a shorter, knife-tipped tongue that was the norm in most creatures. It was still very long, far greater than Twilight's, but nowhere near the length, it had been.

Spike coughed, then spat out a small milky ball of blood and saliva, wiping his mouth before he let out a light, forced chuckle, “You know, things like that are really starting to get annoying.”

“Spike, I-” Twilight started, only to be silenced by a quick wave of Spike's arm in the air.

“Leave,” Spike said softly with his eyes closed, not even opening them to look at her.

“But Spike, I-”

“Twilight! Just...leave.” Spike lowered the volume of his voice to a calm whisper, looking away towards the window.

Twilight wanted to protest, but in his condition, Spike probably deserved privacy more than anything else. She turned away, directing her way to the door, “Alright Spike, have it your way. Come on, Novis.”

“No, Twilight.” Spike spoke up, gazing into the direction of Novis, “I want him to stay. I want to talk to him.”

Twilight turned to look at Spike, “I really don't think that's a good idea.”

“It's not a debate, Twilight.” Spike huffed, “Its something I have to do.”

Twilight sighed, “Fine.” She moved the bookcase away from the door with her magic, then opened the door, only to turn for a moment to gaze upon Novis with a dark stare before she made her way out into the hall.

“So, your the stallion behind the voice,” Spike started gaining Novis's attention, “You're the one who made a deal with me in the temple so many days ago,” he said, leaning forward with a blank expression formed on his face.

Novis sighed, “I supposed I am.”

Spike, who had been staring out the window, turned around as a smile began to spread over his lips.

“I think you and I are gonna get along just fine.”
////
> Chapter 7-The Council of Harmony
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

////
Chapter 7-The Council of Harmony
////
The sun had set on the town of Ponyville as a murmur arose from the throne room of Twilight's castle. One need only to walk down its long hall and turn into that room to find five friends who were in the middle of a heated debate. Their voices echoed throughout the large auditorium, ringing off of the crystal lined walls. Six thrones rose from the floor around a smooth, circular table, its surface reflected the faces of the ponies as they discussed the situation at hand. Currently, it was in a stalemate, due mostly to a rather ridiculous opinion currently in question.

“He's obviously some kind of spy. I bet he's working with Tirek somehow.” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, her wings flaring up as she sat up from her seat.

“An' how exactly would he do that, Rainbow? Tirek's locked back up in Tartarus.” Applejack pointed out, tipping her hat back with a skeptical look on her face.

“I don't know. Telepathy?” she offered as an explanation.

“Oh, here we go.” Rarity grimmest, slumping her head into her hoof while she sat in her stone chair.

This debate had gone on since before Twilight returned from Rarity's Boutique. Everyone seemed to have their own theory on this new stallion, and likewise, they couldn't seem to agree on anything. It was an endless squabble of ideas and opinions, and there certainly wasn't any sign of an end anytime soon.

“Ah, horsefeathers. Fluttershy, what do you think?” Applejack tilted her head to the side, looking at the pegasus with a look of curiosity.

“I don't know. He seems nice, but at the same time sad,” she looked down at herself, “He looked heartbroken to me.”

“Sad? What are you talking about?” Rainbow huffed, looking at her with a sneer, “Hotheaded is more like it if you ask me! He attacked us for no reason.”

“That's not true, Rainbow Dash!” Flutter defended, “He told us not to bother him in the temple, and we ignored his warning. AND, it wouldn't surprise me if that was why he got so sick. If Twilight hadn't tried to take Spike away, none of that would have happened.”

“Fluttershy's got a point there, Rainbow,” Applejack commented, leaving the cyan pony to look at her, “I don't like what he did any more than you do, but ya gotta understand his point of view. I can't imagine myself hurting another pony, but I've never been trapped in stone for thousands of years, either. If anyone of us was put in the same position that he was, I doubt we'd act any different. Especially if somethin' like could potentially kill us.”

"Well I for one find him rather charming. Sure he's rough around the edges, but once he opens up a little he's a complete gentlecolt." Rarity stated proudly, her eyes glossing over as she let out a sigh, "Though I must admit, something is indeed bothering him."

“He's certainly not the party type.” Pinkie Pie said with a frown, definitely feeling disappointed with the fact.

“Pinkie, I don't think he's interested in any of yer parties.” Applejack said flatly.

“That's what I just said, Dah.” Pinkie rolled her eyes, “I'm gonna have to go out with everything I have to get his frown turned upside down into a smile! He wouldn't even laugh at my pub jokes.”

“Pinkie Pie, I'm amazed at you! Do you really think it's going to give him a good impression of you by doing that? You've told me those jokes, and they're a tad bit vulgar.” Rarity commented, only for Pinkie to stare at her.

“Yeah, but they're funny.”

“Well...I can't argue with that.” Rarity admitted, beginning to lightly chuckle as she recited one of them in her head.

Fluttershy peeked her eye towards Rarity, tilting her head as she rose a question, "How do you think Twilight is handling this?"

Rarity let out a moan, "That, I can't be for sure. The two really don't get along with each other by my observations. You really can't blame Twilight for being mad at him, but still..."

Just then, the doors to the throne room burst open, as Twilight stormed into their presence in a rage. She began to mumble to herself, which was typical of her when she was conflicted with an issue, but what was not usual was the steam coming off of her body, hot enough that none of them dared to speak a word until she sat down, only to wear a scowl.

"Ah! Twilight dear, we just talking about you!" Rarity rose from her throne smiling, only to be ignored by the mare. Twilight had her gaze fixed upon the table, bringing her hooves together in a contemplative gesture.

“Ahh, Twilight? You alright over there?” Applejack asked, a little unnerved.

“Oh, I'm FINE, Applejack. I'm absolutely thrilled. Do you perhaps have any further questions that have an obvious answer? No? Good!” she spat out sarcastically, earning an unsettled glare from the farmer, arched eyebrows and concerned looks appearing on her friends.

“Well, did you get to talk to Spike?” I hope there wasn't any trouble.” Rarity said innocently.

“Trouble? Who said there was any trouble?!” Twilight shouted, clearly disturbed by something, “Nopony said there was ANYTHING wrong, Rarity. And nothing DID go wrong, OKAY!?”

“Twilight, there is absolutely no reason to get angry, especially with your friends.” Rarity said firmly, taking a stand to calm her friend, even start a heated argument if necessary. Twilight, however, just stared at the girl, her expression softening to somewhat of a sad look, which Rarity caught onto immediately. “What happened?”

“I'm sorry, I shouldn't be like this.” Twilight admitted, though she didn't know exactly what to say to express herself, “ I-I don't know how to explain it. Spike's fine but, at the same time he's not."

"You're not making much sense, darling." Rarity stated, growing rather concerned along with the rest of the girls.

Twilight quivered, shaking a little in her seat, "Novis...Novis DID something to him. Something horrible perhaps, I don't know.”

“What did he do?” Rarity asked.

“He-”

“He has done nothing more than grant a “friend's” wish.”

They were all startled as their heads swung back behind themselves to face Novis who had silently entered into the room. He stood quiet and alone and was content to stay in his corner, but he decided to walk among them, regardless of the mixed emotions that he was entering.

"Wish? What are you talking about?" Rarity asked, craning her head around the throne to look at him.

“What your friend saw was an Arthulm. A type of transformation magic, quite painful,” he started, walking into the middle of the thrones, where he touched the map laying there as if he knew how it worked, which it responded by falling away back into the floor from which it came, “From one form to the next, his body is reforming itself into something new.”

“What are you saying?”

“I'm saying that he's going through a metamorphosis. Like...” he paused, staring at Fluttershy as an inspired grin spread over his face, “...a butterfly, waiting to be released from its chrysalis. It shouldn't be long now, judging by how far he's already gone.”

Everyone sat as still as possible, staring at him while they thought on the things that he said. It disturbed them that he spoke so calmly about this as if it were, in fact, natural. Twilight leaned forwards and sighed, now feeling the urge to scream more than ever. But restrained herself, which was a feat in its own.

“What exactly is he turning into?” She asked, hoping that the answer would be nothing unnatural.

Novis shrugged his shoulders, “I can't be certain, but if I were to guess, I would say that he's being transformed into a Kiren.”

“A...what?” a murmur began to form amongst the group, each trying to grasp what was being said. That word was all but unfamiliar to them, and as they sat there in wonder, Novis raised an eyebrow, confused by their confused whispering, deciding to elaborate.

“A kiren. A creature both pony and dragon, yet neither. A stepping stone between species, as it were. They are renowned for both their cunning and their strength. Their magic, though slow to mature, when ripened is second only to an Alicorn's.”

The room was silent. This was truly a shock to everyone, especially Twilight. Spike? More powerful than a Unicorn? It was inconceivable. Twilight couldn't imagine Spike being anything more than a lovable baby dragon. What would a kiren even look like? Would he look hideous, like a freak? Or would he be a strong, handsome stallion? Was that even the correct thing to call a male Kiren? It was too much to go over at one time, too many questions to be asked at one time.

Novis stared at them, a frown forming on his face, "What's wrong with you, haven't you ever heard of a kirin before?"

"As a matter of fact no, we haven't," Twilight stated flatly, Novis' heart skipping a beat.

"What?" he said, hiding his emotions.

"I'm afraid that such things don't exist in Equestria. As a matter of fact, I doubt they exist anywhere." Twilight informed him, those words striking his mind like a bolt of lightning.

Novis fell silent. None of them had survived to the modern day. He stood there in thought, hold back to keep calm, if only for the moment.

“How long? How long until the transformation is complete?” Rarity spoke up, breaking the silence.

“Twenty days. Maybe less,” he stated, looking down at his hooves. Fluttershy eyed him thoughtfully for a moment, knowing something was bothering him, though she decided not to press it.

“And is there anything you can do to stop it?” Twilight asked.

Novis sighed, “No. I didn't design the spell, nor can I counter it. What has happened is his own doing. He will have to endure the change.”

And once again, silence fell upon the room. Novis shifted where he stood, moving his head back and forth as though he didn't know what to do with himself. The girls looked at each other, each drawing up their opinions on this. This was an unknown, and it frightened them. Novis was lost in thought, watching them as they exchanged looks before deciding to speak up, testing the waters.

“Well, if I've answered all of your questions, I'd like to get started on my way.” Novis began to turn, fully intent on leaving Ponyville forever.

“No.”

Novis stopped at the doors, slowly turning his head around to gaze upon them, “What?” he hissed, frustration beginning to spread over his face.

Twilight sat upon her throne, “You will stay here for the remainder of Spike's transformation, however long that takes to go through. Once that is over, you may go.”

“But you said I could leave now!” Novis's voice echoed loudly through the room, feeling betrayed, “You promised to let me go!”

“Twilight, maybe we should-” Rarity started, only to be hushed by a wave of Twilight's hoof.

“That was before I knew the full extent of the damage caused. I'm sorry Novis, but that is how it has to be.” He stared at her with a scowl, one that she returned gladly, "That's an order."

Novis growled. To think she had the gall to order him around like he was some underling. It was insulting, he felt lied to, it was as if they expected HIM to fix this. His anger now bowling, Novis' hoof lighting up with his magic. The girl because startled by the display, taking defensive stances, not knowing what to expect. As he turned, he spotted a stand with a marble image of Starswirl the Bearded's likeness sitting on it. Pulling his hoof back, he brought it forward into the statue and destroyed it, the magic in his hoof shattering the stone and the stand with it. He then stormed out of the room, leaving them to listen to the violent screams and curses that he spoke as he made his way down the long hall of the castle.

“Damn.” Applejack said, her mouth a gap.

“Twilight, are you sure you really want him staying here?” Rainbow Dash choked, surprised by his strength.

Twilight sighed, “No, I don't. But he seems to know what he's talking about. If anypony can help Spike through this, it's him.”

The group continued to discuss matters for the next hour, going over everything that they had learned, but soon the hours began to grow late. The sun would soon set, and everyone had things to do at home. One by one they left, until only Twilight remained. She stayed sitting on her throne for a while, before an idea came into her head, leaving the throne room to return to her bedchambers, closing the doors behind her.

The room sat in a darken silence, alone and cold with no one to warm its vacancy. But silence would not be the dominate for long, as the table began to reform into the room. The map grew into its form, the mountains rising and the lakes sinking. Trees grew, buildings became visible, and the borders of the north became focused.

And it was there, in the volcanic mountain ranges of the north, that a glowing red beckon shined in the darkness of the room.
////
The halls were adorned in the moonlight as Twilight strolled about the halls of her castle, lost in thought. Her time living alone in Canterlot had ingrained in the mare a need for self-company, to take a moment to get away from everyone else and be left alone to think. Currently, she was trying to work through her stress, hoping to relax from the current situation that was torturing her.

And yet she still felt alone.  It had been so long since she had been able to talk to Spike face to face, but seeing him like that was too much for her to bear. She felt angry, panic, confused, and she didn't know where to turn.

And then there was Novis. For all her ferocity she hated him. Hated him and what he had done. Even if he claimed that nothing that had happened was in anyway personal or with intent, she insisted to put the blame on him. She knew that it wasn't necessarily fair, but she didn't care. She was upset, and she needed to direct that anger at someone.

Twilight made her way to the balcony of the third floor looking down at the foyer of the castle below. Had she not heard the clanking of glass, she may not have looked down far enough to see Novis, sprawled across the floor leaning against the wall. slurred and belched words fell from his lips, kissing on the bottle of cider he had obtained earlier that day. Twilight stayed to the shadows of the darkened castle, going unnoticed as she watched him with a look of disgust. She watched him down his liquor, then stepped aside, walking upstairs towards her room.

What wasn't noticed by Twilight, however, was the dagger which he held off to his side. Novis breathed heavily, picking it up in his hoof as he eyed it vigorously, studying its edges with a sharp look. The blade was ordained with a simple blue jewel, reflecting in the firelight. Trembling he slowly brought it to his neck, pressing it against his skin. He breath became heavier, clenching his eyes shut as he dared to press it harder, just a little, let it slide. The cold metal brushed against his flesh, threatening to finish the job.

And then he relaxed, lifting the dagger from his throat, a small cut left behind as he cried. He body visibly shook as he let loose, bending over and curling into a ball, tears falling from his cheeks as the blade fell to the floor, echoing throughout the chamber.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." he whispered feebly, silently weeping alone.
////
Volcana-Somewhere Near the Crystal/Equestrian Boarder
////
The cold night sky was filled with wisping clouds that cut across the atmosphere above the rocky landscape. The moon was hanging in the sky, illuminating the world in its soft light. Few trees grew in this place, but the ones that did were tall and black with age, growing deep within a valley filled with ash below the rocky slope. In the distance, a mountain range spread across the entire northeastern horizon, smoke rising from their fiery summits.

It was here that a large watchtower had been built by the Equestrian Government long ago, set upon the side of a mountain as the first frontline in the event of danger from the North. A stairway that had been carved into the rock connected the tower to a pare of barracks and a recreation hall fifty feet below, where it had been set up to replace the keep that had once stood there but had fallen in war's past. Of course, it wasn't well manned. After all, it WAS a time of peace, and a fully operational force wasn't a priority. So a facility that could hold five-hundred soldiers, had been assigned to only twenty-five to handle it's required functions.

At this hour the soldiers were congregated in the recreation hall, the building filled with radio music and the smoke of cigars. A group of ponies stood around a pool table, watching on as two of their comrades clashed against the other in a game.

Of course, a minor misunderstanding of the rules soon turned into a full-fledged fight, hooves flying and kicking about, up until the captain of the base came in and broke it up. He was a shrewd officer and would have none of this foolishness. Grabbing hold of one of the soldiers, a young Unicorn who was notorious for starting these things, he threw him out with a barked order to stand watch in the tower above.

The young guard grumbled to himself as he slowly walked up the stairs. This happened on several occasions, enough that he knew how this would play out. He would be spending the night in this watchtower, and would then be scolded in the morning to straighten up his act. It was a speech he had heard many times. But what could the captain do, lock him in the stockade? Send him to some distant, pointless hell-hole out in the middle of nowhere? There were too few soldiers in the base to afford to lock him up, and after all, he was already assigned to that hell-hole.

Finally reaching the top, the stallion made his way to the balcony, looking out into the valley below. It was certainly a beautiful night, that was at least a blessing. The guard pulled out a cigar and a box of matches, with the full intention of lighting one for some relief. He brought the lit match to his mouth but was disheartened as it's light was blown out by a sudden updraft in the wind. He quickly lit another one, only for the same thing to happen again. He looked out into the valley, having to cover his face to shield it from the rising heat of the wind, looking out as the trees were swayed back against the might of the draft. It wasn't long before he realized exactly what was happening.

“Oh, no,” he said as he quickly ran to the other side to where a large bell stood, grabbing onto the rope at its side to ring it as he shouted down below.

“EVERYPONY TO THEIR POST, NOW! GET OUT OF THE BARR-!!!” was all he was able to call before he screamed out in agony as a plume of fire slammed into the side of the tower, knocking down the stones and ringing the faint dong of the bell that crashed into the mountain. The barracks were soon to follow, no one having time to escape as the buildings were consumed in the orange licks of flame. Everything was burning, everything was destroyed, and out of the shadows of the night, illuminated only by the light of the flames, a form moved to behold the desolation, the darkened body of a creature standing erect surveying all that it had accomplished, and laughed with a evil, dark self-pleasure.
////
> Chapter 8-Letters
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

////
Chapter 8-Letters
////
Rarity stood at the entrance of Spike's room, ever hesitant to knock on the door. What would he be like? Would he yell at her as he had done with Twilight for bothering him at this time, and more importantly, for what she had to say? These thoughts crossed her mind, nagging her not to go in, bring only guilt with them. It made her feel so horrible because she wanted to avoid her friend, and she had no reason to. This metamorphosis was making him sick, and she knew that it was her duty to tend to her friends when they were sick.

Slowly, she reached her hoof out to knock on the door, mustering up the courage to face the reality.

“Come in.”

Rarity stepped in through the door, walking into the room with regrettable expectations. Spike was nowhere to be seen, probably hidden somewhere in the shadows of the dimly lit room. She had never been in his room before, but now she had to admit that it was quite lovely. Like the rest of the castle, the walls of the room were fine crystal, but it had been styled by wooden frames to give it a natural feel, so when the crystal meet with the wood it gave it the texture of clear water falling through wooden doors.

“You look lovely tonight.”

Rarity could not see his face, but the rest of him she could see the resting peacefully in his chair, tucked safely in the dark of the corner of the room. “Thank you, sweetheart.” she said kindly, moving over to sit on the bed.

A disapproving snort escaped his nostrils, “Oh come on, Rarity. Don't call me that, it's too girly.” he wined.

“Oh, I'm sorry, dear.” she giggled. At least he was in a better mood then what Twilight had described.

“Novis told everypony about what's been happening to you. What I would like to know is, how are you?”

“Well,” Spike began, “I'm always thirsty, but other than that, I guess I'm alright.”

“Doesn't it hurt?” she asked.

Spike sighed, “Not anymore.”

“That's good to hear.” Rarity paused for a moment, turning to gaze at the bed for a moment, “That's not really what I wanted to know, to be honest. What I really what to know is, how do you feel about it?”

“Well, it's not all that bad. I mean, at least you won't have to custom make those tuxedos for me anymore.” he shrugged it off, though he was feeling a bit queasy at the moment.

“Your not telling me everything.” she pressed.

“I don't know what you mean.” he lied.

“Spike, why would you want to become a pony?” she asked, leaning forwards on the bed, “You seemed happy as a dragon to me.”

“Oh, that.” Rarity could hear Spike inhaling in the dark, pondering on what he really wanted to say, “It's because I wanted to be respected by you guys and included in your adventures. I want to be treated more than just a baby.”

“But Spike, you ARE a baby.” she reminded.

Spike let out a loud, sarcastic ha!, taking in the irony of that statement, “Yeah, I'm a baby in DRAGON terms, and that's a real joke. I'm a baby, and yet I've got the intelligence and responsibilities of an adult. I'm fifteen for pony's sake!”

“You still have some growing up to do, especially since you've done some very immature things during your life here in Ponyville.” Rarity retorted, though she was beginning to see things from his point of view.

“Rarity, EVERYPONY in this town has done stupid, immature crap. I swear, sometimes I think they put something in the water supply.”

That was true. Rarity couldn't deny it, but the citizens of Ponyville were weird. They had a confused screw-up for a mailmare, some green-tie who went around town babbling about time-travel and would only answer to as “The Doctor”, three flower vendors who would go into epileptic shock if a petal fell off of one of the Persimmons, a jelly obsessed stallion, and a pony who sat human-style everywhere she went. Even her friends were a bit awkward. Stubbornness, social insecurity, and over reactiveness were some of the bigger issues among her circle of friends, issues they were only just starting to work upon.

But were they treating him unfairly? She was beginning to see the truth. Often they would leave him out of their affairs, even in cases where he could have been involved. Now that she thought about it, it really wasn't fair that while she and the others were traveling around Equestria spreading the magic of friendship that he was left at home to dust off the shelves.

“But why haven't you ever spoken up about your feelings before? Surely Twilight would understand.” Rarity reassured, hoping to understand why he had thought this through.

"No, she wouldn't. Twilight still sees me as a baby, and knowing her, she'd probably get a foalsitter to keep me company." Spike said begrudgingly, show that he had spent the time to think this through.

However, there was yet another reason that Spike would have wanted to become a pony for, a reason that was beginning to bother Rarity. A reason she was beginning to fear, a reason she wished would go away.

“Spike, is that the only reason you wanted to become a pony?” she asked.

A quiet fell upon the room. Spike didn't answer right away, now feeling cornered in this conversation.

“You know.”

“Spike, did you think that just because you become a pony, that I would automatically fall in love with you?” Rarity asked, putting her hoof to her side, frowning and raising her eyebrow.

“No. If there's one thing I know, is that you're the kind of mare who deserves respect. To be treated well in a relationship. But that's what I want as well.” he said.

Rarity's expression softened.

“I never expected you to fall in love with me. I guess I see that now. But...I just wanted to at least have a chance.”

“Spike, that's sweet, but,” Rarity sighed, “I don't think we can.”

Spike frowned, “Why?”

“Wouldn't you rather be with your own kind?” she asked desperately as he scowled.

“I want nothing to do with dragons!" Spike snapped at her suddenly, "Their vile, and their cruel! And you're avoiding the question.”

“Spike, I-”

“No! Now I want you to look at me and tell me that I'm wrong!” Spike leaned forward, exposing himself to the light as she gasped. The scales of the right side of his face had fallen off, showing the tender pink flesh underneath. The frails on the top of his head had been replaced with small patches of green hair, the follicles growing all the way down his back. His right eye was colored milky white, unevenly sized with his left. A bulge was growing on his forehead, which Rarity concluded was the beginning of a horn, jutting out painfully. Rarity had to turn away. She felt ashamed of herself for feeling a sense of revulsion. After all, he was her friend. But she couldn't help it, it was disgusting.

“Rarity, look at me.” he said, beginning to feel a nausea spell coming on, “You have to understand. I have feelings for you, and nothing will ever change that.”

“I...I have to go.” Rarity got up and turned, heading for the door as he panicked.

“Rarity, please! I'm sorry!” he called, now regretting his last statement.

Rarity paused. But only for a moment, just so she could wipe a tear that was rolling down her cheek.

“So am I.”

She left, leaving Spike, and what she feared had damaged their friendship forever.
////
Twilight watched as the flame at the end of the candlestick flickered in the stillness of her room. Today had been too much for her to take, so she had to come up here to write a letter to her mentor Celestia. It was always calming when she spoke to her. The Princess always knew how to handle a situation, but as Twilight raised her quell to write, she found herself at a loss for words. She was so used to Spike writing these letters, she couldn't stop thinking about him, and that was interfering with her emotional composure.

Twilight was scared. Spike was so many things to her; he was like a brother, he was like a son. She had looked after him since his birth. But now he was growing. Too fast. She felt cheated out of his childhood which she wanted desperately to be a part of, but now, what was she to do?

Slowly, Twilight dipped the quill into the ink and waited as the words began to form in her mind, taking a deep breath before she began to write on the parchment.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today has been long and tiresome for me, so I'll try to get straight to the point. This morning I, with the company of my friends visited the Canterlot Royal Library in search of answers to the mystery surrounding our newest resident. While searching the restricted section we stumbled across a hidden passage leading to a chamber deep in the heart of the mountain. After using it, however, I would suggest that somepony install an elevator. Rarity left early for personal reasons, but soon after we were discovered by a pony named Ancient Folklore. Based on what he told us, his family has guarded the chamber for centuries. He also told us that the stallion was one of six kings that ruled this land in ages past. However, when we returned to Ponyville, we discovered that he had recovered from his injuries and had paralyzed four of my guards, but was later found with Rarity.

His name is Novis. He is more than I imagined, and nothing I expected. He is well spoken in the way he talks, and Rarity has told me that he seems rather literate, explaining philosophical principles with her and even getting into a debate with her. When I first met him, he seemed calm and polite, and I was certain that things between us would run smoothly.

However, there is another side to him. I brought him to the castle so that we could remedy what had happened to Spike, but the end result did not go well. Spike is being transformed into a kirin, and since I don't know whether you know what that is or not, I will tell you what Novis told me. A kirin is a creature both pony AND dragon, and has the magical traits of both races. Novis said that they were a strong race and that I should be proud of this change. But I can't. Spike is changing in both age and appearance, and I'm afraid that this will alienate him from everypony else. From me. And when I explained this to Novis, while commissioning him the responsibility to look over Spike during this transition, he became violent, and destroyed my Starswirl statue with a single blow.

I'm at a loss of options, Princess. I feel as if Spike's childhood is being taken away from me, and I am completely unprepared to deal with Novis. So, it is with great humility that I ask for your help.

Your Faithful Student, Twilight Sparkle

Twilight finished the letter and rolled it up, placing her royal seal upon it before she sent it away with her magic. It was only then that she let out the air she had been holding in. She hoped that Celestia would know what to do, because she simply could not deal with this kind of stress on her own.

She would just have to wait and see what the Princess had to say.

“Mom? Mom! I'm home!”

Twilight turned away from her writing and looked at the door. Nyx had just returned from a day with her friends, and was probably rummaging about the living room looking for her.

“I'm in my room, Nyx!” she called, laying back in her chair.

Nyx opened the door to Twilight's room and stepped in, “Hey mom.” she said as she walked over, “Whatcha doing?”

“Oh, I was just trying to think out a letter to Princess Celestia,” Twilight answered, slunking her head onto the desk.

“You're writing a letter? Why are you doing that?” she asked.

“Well, I already finished and sent it, but I was just trying to get a second opinion about Novis.”

“Who's Novis?” she said, looking at Twilight rather confused.

“Right, you don't know about him yet.” Twilight said to herself, rubbing her temple with her hoof, “Novis is the stallion that's been staying with us for the past two weeks. He just woke up today, and quite frankly he's been giving me a headache.”

“He woke up?” Nyx's eyes widened, filled with excitement, “What's he like?”

“Awful.” she said with a sneer, making Nyx's ears droop, “He has absolutely no manners, at least not where it counts. And, he acts like what's happened to Spike is a good thing.”

“Wait, what about Spike?” Nyx looked up at Twilight, her eyes filled with innocence and question.

Twilight looked at her and sighed, “Come here.”

Nyx complied, allowing herself to be picked up and sat down in her mother's lap. Twilight watched the filly beneath her positioning herslef to get more comfortable, the mare running her hoof through her daughter's hair, “Spike is...going through a change. And, when its over, he won't be the same dragon.”

“What kind of change?” Nyx asked, looking up at Twilight's face.

This was becoming increasingly difficult to say for Twilight, “Spike's being transformed from a dragon into a kirin. He's...also aged a few years, so when you see him next, he'll be bigger than me.”

“Really?” Nyx asked, perplexed by this news.

“Yes. I just hope that he'll be able to have a life after this.” Twilight said as she looked away.

“Why would you worry about that? This is so cool!” Nyx sprang up happily, surprising Twilight with her enthusiastic attitude. However, Nyx soon became silent, a thoughtful look spread over her face, “Wait, what's a kirin?”

“I don't really know. Novis said that they're like a dragon and a pony made into one creature, like a hybrid.” Twilight explained, though she was still wondering why Nyx would think this was “cool”.

“Well, I think your being silly. Spike is Spike, and nothing's ever gonna change that.” Nyx giggled, thinking of the advantages of this, “Besides, now when we play hoofball, he won't get excited and burn the ball.”

Twilight smiled at the simplicity of her daughter's logic. Her words also made her think. Was she being silly? Could things stay the same regardless of the form that Spike took? She had thought that it would destroy their relationship before, but now she wasn't sure.

She didn't have long to think about it, however. There was a magical puff in the air of light and smoke, and out from the cloud, a letter with the Canterlot Royal Seal fell upon her desk.

“Nyx, could you give me a minute? This is an important letter I need to read.” Twilight asked.

“Sure.” Nyx nodded, hopping out from between Twilight's leg and walked over to the bed. Twilight broke the seal on the letter, and began to read the words written within.

Dearest Twilight, My Faithful Student,

It grieves me to know that you are troubled by recent events, and though I cannot be there to help, I would certainly hope that the words that I write can bring peace to your mind.

Regarding Spike, you knew when you were mortal that you would never see Spike grow into adulthood. When you became an Alicorn, you were given the choice to be gifted immortality, and even though you knew that you could give it up at any moment, you refused. Thus, you prepared yourself to see Spike forever as he is now. But since he is growing, I think that you are afraid that he will no longer need you to guide him in life. But this is folly. To Spike, you are a sister, and all siblings need each other. I have seen it. Take your brother as an example. Your loyalty and undying love for him is forever, and just like your relationship with Shining Armor, Your relationship with Spike can never be undone.

Now, concerning Novis. You've described him to me as both calm-minded AND ill-tempered. These are two opposing things and are a sign of a mind at war with itself. This is unhealthy for both himself and those around him, and will drive him mad if left unchecked. He is in pain, Twilight, I know. I've seen it before. Therefore, it is your duty to discover what disturbs him. You have said that he fancies himself with conversation and taking the time to go over areas of expertise when given the chance. This is a common trait of a teacher and a debater. Therefore, it is my suggestion that you approach him as a student, by which will put him at ease, relaxing him to your inquiry.

Twilight, I cannot explain myself, but I have sensed a change in the wind since his arrival. It is not by chance that he has come to us at this time. Some force unseen has worked to bring him here for a purpose, but to what end I cannot tell. Watch him, my student. For I have foreseen that the journey's road that he shall traverse will be a hard one indeed.

Your fellow ruler and friend, Princess Celestia

Twilight finished the letter and looked up. It was true. Twilight had prepared herself to always see Spike as a baby, but now that he was growing up, she would have to redefine her relationship with him. But did he see her as a sibling as well? Did he really feel that close to her as she felt to him?

Brother.

“Nyx, can I ask you something?” Twilight spoke. However, no reply came. Twilight looked behind her, expecting to find Nyx lying on the bed, but the filly was nowhere to be seen. She looked left and right, but she was no longer in the room with her.

Now, where had that silly filly gone?
////
Twilight walked down the hall from her bedroom, looking around to see where she had gone. She had checked her daughter's room, gone into the living room and looked into the upstairs kitchen, but she was in none of these places, making Twilight even more curious of where she had run off to.

Twilight turned the corner of the hall and headed for Spike's room. And that's where she found her. Opening the door to his room, what Twilight saw brought made her heart skip a beat. Sleeping on the bed lay both Spike and Nyx, resting peacefully together. The room had been cleaned of its earlier residue, whether by Novis or Spike himself she'd just have to guess. Spike was sleeping on his side, and by the look of the position, Twilight guessed that Nyx had nuzzled herself into a ball right underneath his belly, taking in the warmth of his body. It was a scene that brought a warmth to her heart as a small fear deep inside her was put to rest. She had been worried that Nyx would be afraid of Spike and avoid him, but she now saw that this was not the case.

She wasn't sure if she considering Spike as a brother was even an appropriate look at their relationship, but if one thing was certain, Nyx saw him in that light. The two shared a bond that was as close as the relationship Applejack and Rarity had with their sisters, and just like an older brother when Nyx was in trouble, Spike would come to her defense, and she was confident that he would always be there for her.

Perhaps Celestia and Nyx were right. Spike would always be the same, regardless of age or form. And more importantly, they were family, and they would always need each other. Twilight was being silly to think otherwise, and she was beginning to feel ashamed to have thought of only the negative.

As for Novis, Twilight would take the advice of her mentor. If Novis would respond more readily to the questioning of a student and perhaps opened to a debate, then it was certainly worth a try. But she would have to be careful. Whatever was bothering Novis, she knew that it had something to do with the destruction of his world. But it was puzzling. It was terrible what happened but, there was something about it that was hidden from their knowledge, something that only he knew. But what could be so horrible that he would want to keep it a secret?

She would just have to wait and see to find out.
////
> Chapter 9-The Way Things Are
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

////
Chapter 9-The Way Things Are
////
Novis stood upon the brink, unable to move as he stared out into the valley. The moon had diverted its course to block the face of the sun, slowly eclipsing just shy above the mountain range in the distance. A hot, dry wind was carried before him, blasting past his body as his gaze was cast on everything in sight, and upon the wind, a dark, harsh voice spoke that pricked the hairs on the back of his neck.

Failure.

Everything that casted a shadow within the valley, was dead. Volcanic rock flowed from the mountain tops, falling like rivers into the once flowering fields, and the smoke that rose from its summits choked out the skyline with its smoldering ash. A fire broken out in the once mighty forests, to the point that only a few trees, charcoaled black by the firestorm, stood here and there from the ground.

Their blood is upon your hands.

The ground beneath his hooves began to shake violently, forcing him back from the ledge to stare at the soil. Out from the ground, cold, decaying hooves reached out from the rock, pawing at him for sweat release. The bodies of ponies long dead rose up from the ground leathered skin falling from their bare bones as they crawled painfully towards him, horrid cries echoing from deep within their bodies in desperate need for help that he couldn't hope to give.

Novis turned to escape the pleading gazes of their ghostly faces. This had never been what he wanted, why couldn't they accept that? There had been nothing for him to do to stop it, why couldn't he accept that?

He was escaping from this madness, until he was faced with something more horrifying. Sitting in front of him, a little filly waited silently, staring at him with cold, dead eyes. Those eyes; terrifying, ungodly, and glowing yellow in a background of black. She screamed, but it was an unnatural sound, like a phantom in a nightmare world. He watched the little girl scream, and in horror he watched as her tiny body burst into flames, the scent of burning fur and flesh punctured his nostrils.

Failure.
////
“NO!!!”

Novis shoot up from his bed like lightning, eyes darting about the room in a frenzy. His body was broken out in a cold sweat, as he slowly began to recover from the nightmare he had just experienced. Where was he? The books, the crystal...the castle. Why was he in the castle again? It was all slowly coming back to him, but certainly not quite quick enough for his liking. All those souls...lost. It was his fault. He should have seen the signs. He should have been stronger. He should have-

He should have treated Twilight and her friends less harshly.

Was he wrong? Could his anger be justified? These questions crossed the old stallion's mind as he held himself tightly, laying back on the cushions. He had guessed that perhaps his aggressive behavior could be the result of the day he had been having, disorientating him beyond his normal senses. And yet, he felt so angry. That in itself was infuriating. It felt so unnatural, like his mind was being swelled with a thousand thoughts at one time. It was at a time like this when he needed a moment of peace, and more importantly, guidance. But at his age, who could he go to in order to find any? Who could give him the comfort he longed for?

There was of course...one.

But from the moment he had been freed, that voice had remained silent. He could hear it nowhere, not in dreams, not in silent meditation, nor in guided thought. Why wouldn't he answer him? Why stay silent? He was desperate to find the answer, but at the same time, it made him afraid. There were perhaps a thousand reasons for the stillness, but one sat at the forefront, haunting him with its presence.

Disapproval.

That one thought was driving him mad with it's possibility. Could he...no longer have favor in his eyes? Could he no longer be good enough to be called his...

Son?

In the moonlit stillness of the room, Novis hung his head down low. A tear ran down his cheek, and going unnoticed, fell to the floor.
////
What was she to do?

Rarity pondered this question as she tossed and turned in the dark. It was already two in the morning, and she still couldn't decide on what would be best for the both of them. Why was it so difficult? How could she be feeling this way?

Look at me. Tell me that I'm wrong.

She honestly wished she could, but the problem that constantly got in the way was that she didn't know herself. She had never truly thought about the matter, but now she was beginning to understand why this was hard. Ever since she was a teenager, colts had been chasing after her, always with the same thing on their minds. She could of had a part of it, but she would never allow herself to be left opened to a slobbering idiot who didn't truly care about her first. It was a fact that she liked to keep to herself, but she was still a virgin, and it was something that she cherished beyond any other possession.

But Spike had been different.

Spike was always putting her first. His loyalty to her was unsurpassed, he was polite, and best of all, he went out of his way to listen to her problems, no matter how relative. He appreciated her for who she was, not what he could get out of her, which made herself feel important to his life. He was a true gentlecolt; honest, helpful, and genuinely sensitive to her feelings, and she didn't have any doubt that he didn't have one indecent thought of her in his mind. In that light, the only part of having an ideal relationship with him that was creating conflict, was also the most uncomfortable.

Sexuality.

She had never pictured him in any form of sexual activity. It was just too weird. Was. That was the word of controversy. He was growing in years in just a matter of days, and because of that, it was hard for her to understand just exactly what he was to her. But at the same time, his personality was everything she wanted in a stallion. Caring, supportive, and oh! How he made her laugh.

The only question was, would it be right?

And yet, in the back of her mind, tucked away in the subconscious, another question lay waiting to be answered.

Does she deserve him?
////
The morning light rose unnoticed by Novis has he thought quietly in his room. He had sat peacefully on his bed for the past five hours, but now he began to stir. He felt that he needed to do something today, but what?

When he was younger, he found that when he walked through the forest of the world it tended to relieve him of stress and clear his thoughts. But more importantly, it opened himself spiritually. He got up and walked to the balcony, gazing out to the sun rising above the Everfree forest. Its warmth uplifted his spirits, but it did not deter a sobering fact. The Everfree wasn't an ideal location for a short pilgrimage, not because of the wildlife, he could handle that, but because of the darkness that lived there. The hatred that inhabited the Everfree was a constant brooding shadow, and no light, no matter how brilliant or pure, could not coexist in it's black encampment.

And yet, not all was evil in the forest. Patches of the light shined here and there in it's dark embrace. Places where the sun had shined upon the earth it rested upon long before it's birth, and had grown strong through the centuries. The temple was one of them, but others stood as well. Most where small and went unnoticed; fountains, statues, and torn pathways, but others, like the Tree of Harmony, and ones of a more modern time, like the castle where the princesses once ruled were a dwelling place for the light. These were places of memories, echoes from a bygone age.

It was all he had left.

In any case, it would do him good to get out in the sun. He wasn't doing anypony a favor by continuing this mood. But he was confident that his mood would be lifted by this little stroll.

He left his room, and took a look at the long distance to the bottom of the stairwell. Flexing his wings, he checked to see if they were ready to be used again. Sure enough, they felt great, and giving a mighty flap, he descended downwards to the main floor, soon to leave for the world beyond.

Thus, a day of teaching began.
////
Leaves rustled in the wind as Novis walked along the path to Ponyville. The sun had yet to rise fully above the mountains, so there were few ponies who had gotten out of bed, and it made it even better for the time. The crisp, morning air blew softly past his face, an aroma of flowers and grass surrounding him in an enchanting vale.

It had been a wise decision to come out on such a nice day. Still, he could not yet feel the presence of the one he sought for. But there was still time. After all, he had not yet reached the boarders of the forest, so the only thing he could do was to enjoy the walk, and hope for the best.

The journey to the forest was slow and quiet. Normally, the walk from the castle to his destination would only take fifteen minutes, but Novis was taking his time. He ideally walked past booths and stands, buildings and outings, and after about an hour of window shopping, Novis had finally settled down at an outside restaurant to eat a rather large breakfast of eggs, toast, and browns. It was relatively simple fixings, but filling none the less, and soon finishing the meal, he left after paying with some bits that Rarity had given him the day before. She had explained the currency of the land to him, and after she had seen what he had been using for money, suggested that he take them to the head of, what had she called it? Museum? To have their value estimated.

In any case, he had satisfied his hunger, and now that he was refreshed, he went hurriedly on his way to reach the forest.
////
Earlier That Morning...
////
Rarity awoke grudgingly from the short nap that she had been able to get in that night. She turned to look at the clock, just as the large hand rang in the fifth hour of the morning. How desperately she wanted sleep to reclaim her, but alas, it was futile. The gears of her mind were already beginning to turn, and she knew that when that happened, it was impossible for her to return to rest.

Slowly, she got herself out from under the covers and staggered into the bathroom, instinctively looking into the mirror the moment she entered. Just as she feared, her mane was a mess, springing upwards into all different directions.

Great.

Rarity levitated a brush to herself, meticulously running the comb through her hair. She hated it when she had a rat's nest on her head in the morning. Quickly she set the curlers in her mane, knowing that it would take a while for them to straighten her mane out. Now she just sat staring at herself through the mirror, wearing a face of tired thought and boredom.

She felt hungry.

Rarity turned off the light in her bathroom and headed downstairs. Sweetie Belle was still in bed, so she had the shop all to herself. She loved her sister, but she had a talent for driving her up a tree, even though she meant well.

She didn't have much for food at the moment, just some cereal and a loaf of bread for toasting. Not that it really mattered since she wasn't in any mood for cooking. Slowly she made her bowl of brand cereal, pouring out the milk and walked over to sit down at the table. Unfortunately, this also brought up unwanted thoughts of Spike to her mind again. Spike could cook, he could REALLY cook. If he was here, he could wipe up breakfast fit for the Princess.

Stop thinking about him.

She really wished he could. But no matter what she did, HE was at the forefront of her mind. To say the least, it was beginning to tax on her nerves.

As she chewed the food in her mouth she began to think back to the old library in Canterlot. Sure, she had cried half the time, but she had also read strange stories of the world that Novis had lived in. She didn't know much about the matter, but she had actually heard of the kirins BEFORE Novis had revealed what was happening to Spike, and one thing she did know, was that the kirins didn't appear into existence until the seventh millinia of the Minsore's rule. However, what SHE wanted to know was, where did they come from?

Now she seemed to recall that the kirins showed up all over the Everfree Temple in the forms of art. They seemed to be important to the culture, likely viewed as soldiers but, somehow that didn't seem right. She felt as if she were missing something, something important, but she didn't have the capacity to think of what it was.

Perhaps it was time for her to investigate.
////
The Present...
////
Peaceful. That was the word that came to mind as Novis walked along the ancient path of the Everfree. The trees were array with color; reds, oranges, yellows, and as he wondered deeper into the wood, patches of blue and green spread across the treeline. The path was old and ridged, flowing like a serpent below the forest canopy. It was on this that he would be able to return to the temple, but he wasn't in any rush. He found perfect symmetry and enjoyment in the study of pure creation.

Everfree was indeed a a dangerous place to enter, however half the fears towards the forest were foolish reasons. The ponies of this age were frightened by disorder and unpredictability because their lives were managed in all aspects. From the Pegasi controlling the weather up to their rulers who dictated the courses of the sun and moon themselves, their lives were harmonized in almost every state of the natural world.

This was not however, necessarily a good thing.

Nature had been made to follow a certain order of rules, and to go against them would only bring disarray and misery to all life. Even when these laws were broken unintentionally by honest and even innocent reasons they opened up the doors of woe. It was because of this that the Everfree Forest and places like it were necessary for the preservation of the world. Chaos was good, but only when it helped the world to hold balance.

Novis understood this, and it was because of this that he was able to walk into the forest unafraid to appreciate the form and hidden beauty that resided there.

The path made a sharp dive downwards. Walking up to the peak of the hill, he was able to see a broad horizon of green mixed in with autumn color, and just below him, the path turned towards the right where he could see the temple rising ever so slightly above the trees, white marble reflecting in the sunlight. He remembered how it once looked all those years ago. The roads ran from it's doors to the four corners of the earth, each with it's own theme based on the direction they were heading. From ice and crystal to the north, woodland to the east and mountain ranges to the west and south, a city had been built around it as the central trading post of the world. Tal-Merya. But all that was left was the temple, and that was all he needed.

Novis walked to the outer court, nodded in respect to the stone guards that stood there. The statues were enchanted with a powerful magic, and therefore would only allow one into the courtyard for two reasons only. One, out of respect and pure intention, which was what he was using now to gain access. And the second, was for protection. The guards would allow those in need to enter, ponies whose lives were in danger could find sanctuary in their embrace, and they in turn would judge mercilessly on those who threatened life.

Walking past the gate, Novis stepped into the western hall of the temple. He lit his horn aglow, illuminating the chamber with his magical light. He felt at home here, standing among the art and craftsmanship created by the culture of his time, but that was not why he was here.

He felt a coldness as he entered into the main hall. He could sense the unhappiness that had been cast it by a darker time. However, he hoped to find that voice that he longed to hear. He looked to his brothers encased in stone, and though he wished to hear their voices as well, their time was not yet at hand. But one statue in particular grabbed his attention. A large, rocky likeness of a hardy stallion larger than himself stood with a mask of metal covering his mussel. He brushed his hoof past his face, saddened by the cold expression on it's face.

“I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry. I should have been able to help you.”

Novis turned away from the statue and looked up. The sun was rising above the mountains, that much he could tell. But now, he slowly knelt down to the floor and bowed his head to the earth, spreading his wings outwards to lay at his sides. There he began to pray out in the language of his past, calling out to the one he hoped to commune with. Those who were ignorant of his ritualism would have thought that he was broken out in song, but his words were a beckoning, a pleading of the heavens, which to his sadness, still went unanswered.

*Cough*

Like a crack of lightning, Novis wheeled around and materialized a sword with his magic, thrusting the blade within inches of the throat that belonged to whomever had entered the room. The poor mare in front of him cried out in surprise, dropping something from her magic as she jumped in fright. Slowly she mustered the strength she needed to look at him, watching as he recognized the curled purple mane and the white of her coat.

“Rarity? What are you doing here?” he questioned, lowering his sword as it was making her uncomfortable, “Were you following me?”

“N-No!” Rarity exclaimed, still a little shaken up, “I-I've just been going through some things lately, and-and...”

Novis looked into her mind and listened. It was in turmoil; uncertain, unbalanced, a complete and total mess. Something was definitely troubling her, and he would find out what.

“Maybe I should go.” She turned away, fully intent on leaving him for god knows what.

“No. Please, forgive me for my rashness. My judgment has been clouded by uncertainty, but that is no excuse for my behavior.” he stood aside and gestured to the floor, “Please sit, I would appreciate your company.”

Hesitant, Rarity complied and sat down beside Novis, pleased to be passed the awkward moment.

“I ask again, why are you here?”

Rarity sighed, “I don't really know. Ever since Spike began to change, I've just been trying to make sense of things. It's just so strange to me, and-”

“You care about him.” he stated.

She turned and stared at him, “What ever do you mean? He's a friend, nothing more.”

Novis was perplexed. Rarity was jumping too quickly onto the defensive. That only meant that she was feeling guilty about it.

“So...you don't care about him?” he asked.

“Well...no.” she retreated back within herself, not sure what to say.

“Rarity.” he coaxed, looking straight at her, “You're forgetting, I can see into your mind. You are trying to hide feelings too powerful to be shunned and unfaced. To ignore them will only make them worse.”

Rarity lowered her head, “I just...don't know what to do.”

“Then start by telling me.”

Rarity sighed again, “I...came here to learn more about kirins.”

Novis just nodded and listened.

“And,” Rarity swallowed, “I wanted to know about your culture and how you dealt with this kind of thing. The ponies back then seem to have been rather smart in my opinion, surely they knew how to keep things formal.”

“To put it simply,” Novis stated, “You want to know how to resolve this issue with Spike without hurting your friendship.”

“Yes.” she admitted.

Novis smiled, “Come with me.”

He got up and directed her to one of the halls. She immediately recognized it from the paintings on the wall. They were the same ones that Nyx and Scootaloo had seen when they had first discovered the ruin. Novis looked at these paintings like one fuddling over a fond memory. Rarity looked at the pleasant smile upon his face, wondering what he would say next.

“Let me tell you a story, about one of the greatest men I've ever known, and a true friend.” he lit his horn, casting it upon the wall where a portrait of a great dragon was printed.

“Once, the dragons had a culture of their own. Nopony had reason to fear them; they were honorable, and civilized at that time. And the greatest among them, was Bahamut the Golden. He was a wise and powerful Lord of his people, and he was a great teacher. Without him, I would not have learned the ways of governing congressional affairs.”

“But sadly, his rain didn't last. Greed had slowly grown in their minds and hearts, and though Bahamut tried, he could not force back their lust.” he turned to the picture beside the first, and unlike the first, was a scene of violence, “They rose in revolution, and killed the king, my friend, and all his children with him.”

“All...but one.”

“I'm sorry.” Rarity brushed her hoof on his shoulder, showing him some comfort for his loose.

“Thank you. But that does not end my story.” he continued down the hall, Rarity close in tow, “By chance one egg survived the slaughter, so I took it under my watch-care, I owed Bahamut that much. The last son of the Drakonian Throne, though cursed to suffer the shame of exile, flourished under my guidance. With the help of my brothers, I taught him literature, honor, self-denial, and the politics of leadership. But more importantly, he was the closest thing to a son I've ever had.”

“What was his name?” Rarity asked.

“Langerod.”he said, smiling at the memory of him.

“Now let me tell you another story.” Novis walked to the opposite side of the ball, directing Rarity's gaze to follow.

“Langerod was strong and proud, and his devotion and sense of duty towards the people was unshakable. So, he joined the army and became a captain, a true leader of ponies.” he passed mural after mural, until he reached one in the middle of the hall, “When he was three-hundred years old, he was sent out to watch over the southern boarders of the kingdom. He served there faithfully and without complaint, until he met her.”

“Her?”

Novis nodded to the next image, where a dragon and a pegasus formed a circle in a sky dance, “It happened by chance that he came across a band of dragons who were exiled during the revolution for siding with the king. Among them was a girl named Talaia, a mare whose parents had been killed in a war and had found refuge in their company. I do not know why he sought for her afterwords, but when he first saw her something awake deep inside him, and he was in love.”

“What happened to them?” Rarity asked curiously, now fully interested in what he had to say.

“He brought her to the capital of the land where I held council, and asked for my guidance.” Novis looked down at himself, “I cannot deny, for at first I was...disturbed by his request. And the debates, Oh! It lasted for days, and you can't even imagine the chaos it created.”

“But in the end, we allowed Harmony to decide.”

He passed a painting that was truly aw inspiring. A dragon, whom Rarity assumed was langerod, stood in a circle surrounded by six alicorn kings, each with a crown on their heads. They stood staring at langerod, and each one was shedding an inner light upon him, a beam of colors that touched and enveloped the dragon in light, and all six of these lights matched the colors of the Elements of Harmony.

“I must say that I did not expect for the power of the elements to turn him into an entirely new creature, at the most I expected him to lose all memory of her. But, one can't predict these things.”

“So after that, she decided to marry him?” Rarity asked.

“In a way, yes. But what would you say if I were to tell you that she had decided to marry him BEFORE he was transformed?” he asked playfully.

“W-What?” she answered, shocked.

“Somehow it made sense, her herself having been raised by dragons. It was all she knew.” he turned and looked at the dumbfounded mare in front of him, “I don't know what you plan to do with Spike, nor can I make a decision for you. All I can ask is that you consider all aspects of the situation before you make your choice.”

Rarity looked at the paintings that followed, showing the progression of their lives. Married, children, happiness; could that be the same for her? Could she too enjoy these pleasures that she had once dreamed of as a child? She pondered these things around in her mind, beginning to view the more positive aspects of the situation.

“Novis, I-” she started to say, but soon fell silent as she became aware of the stillness that surrounded her. Novis was no longer standing before her. She looked around to see where he had went, but there was no evidence of his departing.

He had simply...vanished.
////
Novis walked up the hill away from the temple. He was still saddened by the silence he had experienced, but he felt good that he had been given the opportunity to teach and to help resolve a conflict. For a moment, it had felt almost like the old days, he wondered if there was more that he could do. But for now, he wished to be left in silence, and to enjoy the waking hours of the forest in peace.

“Novis? Novis! Wait a moment!”

Or maybe not.

Novis turned to see Rarity stammering up the hill after him, “Don't leave me out her alone! Who knows what sort of icky thing might be lurking about!” she cried, feeling security standing next to him then out in the open.

“And yet you were brave enough to venture out here on your own.” he teased, causing her to turn red with embarrassment.

“Sometimes a lady is motivated by necessity.” she defended, which only made him laugh.

“Well, you can certainly come along if you wish, and I can assure you that there is no safer place.” he turned and continued on the path, “Besides, somehow I find your company strangely more pleasurable than the others, though I don't know why.”

So the two continued on their way down the path together, sharing idle comments and remarks as they walked among the trees. Light shined on the autumn leaves in the foliage, casting golden color on the ground before them. It was turning into quite the beautiful day, even by the standards of the forest, and the trees were filled with birdsong. It was a morning that almost seemed to have been created just for them.

“Novis?” Rarity spoke up, drawing his attention.

“Yes?”

“Why were you at the temple today?”

Novis paused in his walk and reflected. How could she understand? The old ways were dead, and the only religious example left in the world was focused in a group of traveling primitives stocking about Equestria smoking hallucinogenic plant matter. However, on the other hoof Rarity was an open-minded  and intelligent pony, certainly she could understand his convictions.

“I was praying to my lord.” he answered, somewhat quickly.

“I'm...sorry?” she said rather confused.

Novis sighed, “I know you might find it strange, but I reserve worship unto a being more powerful than myself or any other alicorn in existence.”

“But, why?” she asked.

“Because he created us, and I honor him for that, as well as to seek him out for wisdom.” he looked away and frowned, “But ever since I was freed from stone, I have failed in my attempts to communicate with him.”

“Oh.” Rarity fell silent. She could tell that Novis was upset about this, though how bad she could not fathom. Though she found it hard to believe in this “Creator,” she was sure that if Novis had actually spoken to him in the past than there must be at least some presence out there that he could commune with.

There was a large steering in the trees, causing everything living to vacate. The two ponies looked up to see birds flying in all directions, but one bird caught Novis's eye. A raven flew above them, cowing and calling out into the world, spreading it's dark wings to sore away into the forest.

“What a beautiful creature.”

“Oh, you like ravens?” Rarity asked casually.

“Their one of my favorites.” he answered.

“Hmm.” Rarity thought to herself, deciding to make a mental note of that, though she didn't know why.
////
The Everfree Eastern Boarder-25 Miles South of Hoofington
////
The early morning dawn had yet to reveal it's light upon the trees, only just starting to paint the sky in hues of purple, blue, and reds. A rolling mist was covered across the evergreen, shrouding the forest in silence and mystery, the sound of crickets could be heard among the trees, chirping their romantic songs into the night. It was a peaceful scenery that brought beauty to a forest with no beauty of its own.

It was here that it came. The elm trees bent and creaked under the swift hot gusting of wind. There was a mighty crash in the trees as it landed, crushing the foliage under its massive weight. The creature took it's time to survey the area surrounding it; nothing would spy on his movements. The citizens of Hoofington lived in a lower level of land, and the distance would insure that they would not hear nor see him passing into the forest. Once more, Everfree was too dangerous of a place for ponies to set up their watch post, so his passage would go completely unchecked.

But now he set himself to work, lighting the trees ahead of him ablaze with his inner fire, burning a path for himself to move through. In most places, the beast could trample the forest asunder, snapping the trees as if they were twigs underneath his claws. But from her to there, where the forest became too thick to pass, he would spew his fire to burn away the obstacle. Soon the path snaked and slithered through the trees like a lake of fire. It would be a long and slow journey to his destination, but he could wait. Canterlot would burn upon the very mountain it stood, and by the time the Princesses would return to save their city, they would be too late to stop him.

A new dawn was rising. The age of his race had come.
////
> Chapter 10-Welcome To My World
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

////
Chapter 10-Welcome To My World
////
“Alright, try to walk towards me,” Novis called from the other side of the garden, motioning with his hoof for the kirin to step forwards.

Spike, who had been standing somewhat awkwardly, acknowledged Novis's order and slowly began to attempt this task. However, it wasn't as easy as it sounded. For the past week, Novis had spent every hour teaching Spike how to take control of his new body, but there were still some areas that needed to be worked out. His horn had grown almost to its full length, though it was crocked in appearance, growing outwards towards his mussel and then curving upwards. Now for the past three days, Novis had been instructing him on the basics of magic-wielding. He had made some progress, though if you didn't consider the ability to lift a stone block five inches off the ground a triumph, then it really wasn't much. But Novis didn't seem too concerned about this, realizing that learning the simple function of moving from one place to another was of more importance to Spike than levitation.

However, it wasn't going so well. Spike wasn't foreign to walking on all fours, he had done plenty of that as a dragon. But this was different. His limbs were formed differently now, to the point that he didn't know how he was supposed to move his legs in unison with the others. Spike took one step forwards, mindful where he was placing his hoof, then took another step with the same watchful care. But on the third step, his hoof pressed on a patch of uneven ground, making him wobble and unbalanced, until he fell forwards, slamming flat faced into the dirt.

“Agh, that didn't work.” Spike groaned, moving his jaw around to rid himself of the soreness in his mouth.

Novis shook his head in disappointment, “You would find yourself spending less time in the dirt if you would focus on ME instead of where you place your steps. If you would allow your body to do what feels natural to it, then you'd find yourself in success.”

“Yeah, easier said than done.” Spike grumbled.

“More than you know. Your mind already knows what needs to be done, you're just overthinking it. Walking is a basic instinct, Spike. As is breathing, eating, sex. Their all the same. What YOU need to do is focus on a goal, not the task. Only then will you succeed.”

Spike looked at him, “And how do I do that?” he asked.

“Focus on me,” Novis stood upright, “look not on the wayside, onto the left nor unto the right. Focus on me and me alone, and simply do.”

Spike let out a sigh and stood up, careful not to fall over again. Then he locked his eyes on the stallion. It was hard for him to do, he wasn't even sure weather or not he was going to make it, but he kept his focus on Novis, just as he had instructed. One step became two, two became four, four became ten, and slowly, he crossed the distance, falling to his knees right in front of his teacher.

“Good. Good! You see? What matters is that you keep your focus.” Novis smiled, lowering his head down to Spike's level of vision.

“Well, I'm just glad I won't be COMPLETELY helpless, otherwise I don't think I'd want to get out of bed.” Spike then turned his head aside, “Does this...end our lesson for today?”

“Not quite. There's still one thing I want to test.” Novis said, silently casting a spell, creating a small orb of light the size of a marble to appear behind Spike, “Just a little something involving your biology.”

“Oh? What's that?” Spike asked innocently, completely oblivious to the light behind him.

“This,” Novis answered. Just then, the orb cracked into a bolt of lightning that lashed out and struck Spike in the flank, jolting him upwards as he cried aloud. Just as Novis expected, the skin around Spike's neck began to ripple with a molten glow, appearing as little rivers of light. Novis ducked as quickly as possible, just as the kirin belched up a stream of green flames that rocketed above Novis's head, heating the stone wall behind him.

“W-What the HEY, man!?” Spike yelled, coughing and hacking to recover from the unexpected discharge, feeling quite angry, until his eyes widened upon realization of what he had just done, “Hey cool! I can still do that!”

“I suspected that you would have retained that ability. Most kirins do, but I needed to be sure.” A mischievous grin grew upon his face, “I know I could have asked for you to try, but I've been in the need of some good humor.”

“Well please, try to restrain yourself next time,” Spike said seriously, though he could feel himself giggling and laughing in the moment.

“Novis?”

Both Stallions looked up. From the castle echoed his name calling down to them, filling the garden with the voice of Twilight Sparkle.

“Oh no.” Novis shrunk back, looking around for a direction that he could retreat into. Spike took notice of the tension that was unsettling him, though confused by the reasons, “Hey, what's wrong with you?” he asked.

“Twilight has been following me around for the past few days. She won't leave me alone!” he darted behind the fountain to hide from the castle's view, “She's tried to hide her thoughts from me, but she hasn't trained herself for that, so I can see past the disguise she's made. I know what she would have me to say for her questioning, but I will have no part of it!”

“About what? Do you mean what happened in your past? Why don't you just tell her to get her off you back?” Spike asked, walking over to face him.

“I DON'T want to talk about it, not with her! Can't we just leave it at that?!” Novis spat, listening for Twilight's approach, “ Besides, your training will be over in a few days, and just as she promised, I may leave after that. All I have to do is avoid her until then.”

“Do you really think that she's going to let you leave without answering her question? Don't get me wrong, I don't doubt her honesty. But it pails in comparison with her curiosity.” Spike pointed out, helping to raise Novis's blood pressure.

“She wouldn't dare.”

“I think she would,” Spike reaffirmed his opinion, “And the sad part is that she's not going to do it because she doesn't like you. She just has a bad habit of letting his curiosity to get the better of her.”

“Novis? Spike? Where are you?” her voice came calling again, now much closer than it had been before. Novis wasn't looking happy, this Spike could see, like a caged animal gnawing at the bars. Novis turned his head to the side with a deep frown on his face, apparently in deep thought. Seeming to have come to a conclusion, Novis began to walk away, heading into the garden's exit to Sweet Apple Aches.

“Wait, Novis! Where are you going?” Spike yelled, trying to follow after him.

“Leaving.” was all he said, as he made his way out onto the path.

“WHAT?! You can't! Twilight's going to be furious when she finds out!” Spike began to panic, but his words fell on deaf ears. Spike grimmest. Twilight wasn't going to like this. She was going to have a fit as soon as she found out, and he'd be caught on the front lines. He could hear hoofsteps approaching, which meant that she had just entered the botanical hall leading to the garden, triggering him to figit. He began to look for his own means of escape, but there was none. He was trapped, and knowing it, he started to practice his teleportation skill with vain hope.

“Spike!”

Spike jumped at the sound of her voice behind him, falling over and slamming his jaw into the ground again.

“Spike, what are you doing?” Twilight asked, her suspicions beginning at his sudden quirkiness.

“Oh, ah...just, practicing with magic and stuff,” he said through the sweat and the pain in his jaw.

“Shouldn't you be doing that with Novis?” she asked him, looking around the garden for the stallion, “Where is he, anyway?”

“Oh' he...ah, I don't know where he is.” he lied, rather obvious.

Twilight narrowed her eyes, “Why are you lying to me, Spike? Where is he?”

Spike bit his lip, “Oh, why do you wanna know where he is? I mean, It's a beautiful day! You've been really tense lately, I think you should really get out and sock up some sun. What do yo-”

“Oh, for Celestia's sake, Spike! Now you're avoiding the question!” Twilight snorted, “If you don't tell me where he is, so help me-!”

“Okay, okay! He left, alright?!” Spike shouted, preparing himself for what would come next.

Twilight stood unusually silent. Spike was ready for her to begin yelling up a storm, but she remained quiet and at rest. This made him even more nervous. She was just staring blankly at him, not saying a single word as the air slowly entered, and exited her nostrils. He looked at her anxiously, gulping before he mustered enough courage to speak up again.

“Ah, Twilight? Are you going to be okay?”

“Where. Is. He?” she said slowly, leaving a space between every word, each filled with the hidden anger that was boiling deep inside her.

“He...he's headed towards Applejack's place. I think he's gonna take the road from there and head for Hoofington. I mean, I've heard him talking about it before, so it's just a guess.”

Twilight immediately directed herself to the pave-way and left, going after the unsuspecting stallion to give him what Spike could only guess would be nothing short of hell. One thing crossed his mind, as he wondered how this day, already running with a bad start, could possibly get any worse.

He couldn't have known that it would get worse, a LOT worse.
////
Novis hurried along his way to the orchards. He couldn't believe that he had wasted his time here in the first place! He had no obligations to them, and he certainly didn't owe them any favors. They DARE to lie to him? Cheat him? Well, to hell with them, he didn't care. He was leaving, and he was never coming back.

But now he was going to have to decide where he was going to go. He had gone over many maps provided by Twilight, and to be honest, Equestria was a big place to live. Manehatten, Cloudsdale, Fillydelphia, and Boltamare were all possibilities, but he decided that perhaps the cities weren't the best of choices, due to that they were notorious for drawing too much attention to one's self. But there were other places to go; small towns, the countryside, and the nations surrounding provided destination points for him to choose from. Equestria was neighbored by cultures both exotic and beautiful; Zafrica, Saddle Arabia, the Crystal Empire, and many others were examples of what awaited him. The Griffin Empire was also among them, but he would not go there. The wounds, both physical and emotional, ran deep, all too fresh in his mind for him to face them and not feel disgusted. But he felt that he wanted to stay within the boarders of Equestria for the time being. He thought of the small towns spread across the country, from Apploosa to Nayshville, and Hoofington...

He paused.

He didn't know why, but ever since he had heard that name, Hoofington had stuck in his mind like chewing gum to the bottom of a shoe. It was almost as if something was drawing him to dwell on that place, as if it held some importance. He didn't know what to think about it, but still, it persisted to distract his mind. Perhaps, Hoofington might provide some comfort to his troubles, he didn't know. It would be a long journey. Hoofington laid on the opposite side of the Everfree forest, which was a two-hundred-mile distance. Yet he felt compelled that this was the place to go. The place he should go. The place he would go.

That was what he would do. A path through the forest would be the best, though not as convinent as the long road through the mountains. But that didn't matter, because this was what he felt was what he needed-

“SURPRISE!”

Novis was jolted out of his skin by the sudden outburst from behind, falling over himself and onto his back. He immediately turned, only to have his vision absorbed by the blazon blue of Pinkie's eyes.

“HI!” she obnoxiously shouted, her mussel a mere inch from his, making him jump back with a scare.

“Oh, sorry! Didn't mean to scare you!” she giggled, offering him her hoof.

“Pinkie Pie! I thought I told you not to do that!” Novis screamed, angry that she had jumped him, again.

“Sorry! I just heard that you were leaving town, so I wanted to surprise you with a cupcake!” she smiled, holding up a vanilla cupcake with a double blue-icing swirl that matched up perfectly with Novis's mane and coat.

“What?! How did you...?” Novis was stunned, “Did Spike tell you about this?”

“No, I just have my ways. I haven't even seen Spike for weeks!” Pinkie's eyes then lit up as something popped into her head, “OH! I was wondering! I was going to throw Spike a party, but I don't know what cake to make for him. I was GOING to make it a sapphire, but he's a pony now, so I'm worried that it would break his teeth. But he was a DRAGON! Wouldn't he still be able to eat them? I don't know, what do you think?”

Novis just stared at her even more confused than he had been before. Out of all the friends of Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie was the most...odd. Of course, he supposed it made since. After all, she WAS the element of laughter. He figured that a pony would have to have at least one screw loose in order to handle that element, if only to live up to it's founder. “Yeeees, I suppose that's a problem needing to be answered. I would say that sapphire is fine. His body will allow him to consume semi-hard minerals. But diamonds and turquoise stones are out of the question. That is of course unless you find a pony with a bloody mouth and broken teeth humorous.”

“Hahaha of course not silly. So, are you going to come to the party?” she bounced happily.

“No. I've had enough of this town.” he grumbled, making his way on the road, “Besides, I'd prefer a cold cranberry Cheri to a slice of 'Birthday Cake'.”

“Awww. Come on! You've just never have had a party Pinkie style! You don't know what you're missing!”

Pinkie began to follow after him, but was suddenly picked up by a wave of magic that lifted her off the ground and flipped her upside down in the air. Pinkie became a little afraid as Novis turned back, staring directly at her with cold, impatient eyes.

“Now I'm going to say this once, and one time only. And I want to get it across, so I will say it slowly. LEAVE. ME. ALONE.” he spat, before throwing her up in the air and tossing her like a football several yards behind him in the direction of the road that he had come from.

“Novis!” came an all too familiar voice. Novis shot around, just as Pinkie was caught in the air by a magenta aurora right before she could hit the ground, which undoubtedly would have hurt her. Pinkie was laid on the grass to the side, and walking up behind her, came an infuriated Twilight Sparkle.

“What the HELL do you think you're doing?!” she shouted, stepping beside the pink pony to help her up, “You could have hurt her, for Luna's sake!”

“Well, maybe now she'll learn to leave certain ponies to themselves,” he said with a sneer, backing away from the both of them.

“Excuse me, where do you think YOU'RE going?” she said with a bite in her tone equal to that being used by the large pony in front of her.

“Leaving this place. If you really think that I'm going to stay here to be badgered by your constant inquisitive behavior, then you really are a deluded fool,” he said, putting a little extra grit into his words.

“Have you lost your mind? I just wanted you to help Spike adapt to his new form. Why are you always so defensive when I'm around?” she asked.

“I'm defensive because you won't leave me alone!” he hissed, narrowing his eyes on the mare as he mocked her voice, talking effeminately, “Oh Novis! What happened to make you turn to stone? Why are you so cranky? Why are you so mean? Why, why, why, why, WHY! Don't think I don't know what you're doing.”

“But I don't...what are you saying?”

Novis growled, “You have been playing the pupil, hoping to win my opinion of you, all so that you might get the chance to have me reveal what happened to my home, nine-thousand years ago.”

“Well, I would like to know that, but I didn't mean to bother.” Twilight admitted rather timidly.

“Then why don't you just go away?” he questioned.

“Because I need to know! What happened to your world could happen to ours, and knowing exactly what happened could help us to prevent that from happening again,” she stated, showing the fear that dominated her very being, the curiosity that he had previously thought had motivated her actions cast away.

“You won't let this go, will you?” he asked. Seeing her shake her head, Novis only growled. Ignorant fool, he thought to himself. She would not want him speaking of it if she only knew. His temper had been bowling up to this point, but her persistence, her need, her unwillingness to back down, it pushed him over the edge. Novis suddenly turned and opened his wings, puffing them out wildly as he stared at her angrily, earning a squeak from the mare as she fell back. Twilight stumbled back towards Pinkie, holding onto her as the alicorn stared madly at them, taking a step forward, his horn blazing.

"You want to know what happened?!" he gritted his teeth as arches of lightning crackled across his body, his focus locked on powering the spell, "Then I'll show you!"

The blinded them as his spell exploded, sending shockwaves through their bodies as they were thrown back, feeling the world around them being torn away. Hot, heavy wind blew across both their faces as their surrounded were replaced, whipping passed them before they lost all strength, falling forward unto hard earth. Pinkie and Twilight coughed, inhaling an abnormally large amount of dust, regaining their senses as they rose to their hooves.

The two looked at each other to reassure themselves that they were alright, only to look forward as their breath was taken from them. Ponyville was gone, the world covered in an eerie red and orange hew. The sky above was overcast and harsh, clouds circling a sun that cast an unnatural dull light upon a blackened landscape. Mountains smoked and bellowed, releasing a choking gas that had killed off so much green off of the earth's surface, mangled husks of dying trees and broken homes rising from the ground like dark monoliths.

"What is this?" Twilight breathed the words, unable to process this strange and horrible world that she was witnessing.

"Home."

Both mares turned with a snap, staring at Novis he looked around sadly, the stallion for the first time since meeting them looking overwhelmed. They were about to ask if he was alright before a group of ponies suddenly rushed through him like he wasn't even there, phantoms of a small young family that rushed forward in uncontrollable fear. Twilight and Pinkie stepped backward as the ran towards them, only to gasp as they passed right through their bodies just as they had Novis.

Twilight and Pinkie watched as the family made their escape when suddenly a rumble came from the distant mountains, fire and brimstone rising from one of its summits before a wild angry ball of fire was launched from the inferno, rocketing upward to the sky as it arched and began to fall, whistling madly as it barreled right towards them. Instinctively the girls ran back behind a rock watching as the family of ponies froze in fear, screaming as the fireball crashed in front of them, the licks of flame dancing wildly. Twilight, however, noticed something off about the fire as it spun, her eyes widening as they formed into a dark silhouette of a pony, staring down unto the group who coward under its gaze. Pinkie rose up beside her, worry etched unto her face for the ponies as the fiery stallion stared coldly, their hearts stopping as the fire around him lurched forward, watching the terror etched upon the faces of the ponies as the mare, assumedly the mother, clutched her children as it consumed the group in a single moment.

Both mares visibly shook as the realization of what had happened came over them, both quickly falling back behind the rock as they stared at Novis. The stallion was in a daze, caught in deep thought as he mumbled, not even paying attention. Then a smell began to creep forward into their nostrils, feeling them with a dark smokey scent. Both looked at each other, confused by the change in the air, but after a moment, it became all to clear to them what it was, a sense of revulsion overwhelming them.

"No more," Twilight's voice shook, begging as he just stared off into space, captivated by all that surrounded him. Twilight worked up the courage to speak louder, screaming at him with the all the might in her voice, "I said no more, Novis! Please stop!"

Novis snapped out of his trance as he looked at them, staring forward as his horn glowed again. The world around them shifted once more, though this time the change wasn't as violent as they stood in silence, the road leaving Ponyville returning to view bring back all the color with it. This did little to comfort the two as they looked at him in terror, unable to comprehend what they had seen.

"What...what was that?" Twilight spoke, her words shaking in her throat.

Novis remained silent for a few moments, forcing the emotions he was feeling to the back of his mind so that he could say what needed to be known, “I was made for one purpose, and that was to protect the peoples of this world.”

“I was not alone in this,” he continued, “my brothers and I used our powers to bring peace and harmony to the world, and it was beautiful!” Novis paused, looking at Twilight, "But we failed."

“Our powers are too great for one being to wield them. When given, the pureness of magic tore our souls into two separate beings, one good, whereas the other is evil. Therefore, to ensure that this evil wouldn't corrupt the good, a balance was needed. A guardian angel, a companion to share in trail and peace. It was thus that the Malor were given to us to love and cherish beyond all other treasure. But we were at war.”

Novis scowled, thinking back to an unpleasant memory, “The griffins, who were once our allies, betrayed us. They made slaves out of the ponies living in their realm, and we would not sit ideally as our own kin were made to suffer. We fought against each other for thousands of years, until peace was once again made. But not all were satisfied.”

The expression on Novis' face saddened, showing Twilight for the first time the sorrow waning on his heart, “Volmar, my brother, found his wife dead in his own house. They killed her, they butchered her, because they thought that the Malor were the source of our power, and if killed, we would become weak.”

Twilight tensed, beginning to understand, “But, that's not what happened, was it?”

“No. Instead, it created that thing you saw.” Novis' face darkened even further, tears beginning to well up in his eyes, “It's ironic. The one whose duty was to preserve life, was the one who destroyed it. And yet somehow what bothers me most, was that I should have been able to stop it, but I couldn't.”

“I couldn't save them.”

Pinkie was quick to come to his side, hoping to bring a smile to his face, “You know, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself! When Princess Luna became Nightmare Moon, Princess Celestia felt really bad because she hadn't done anything to stop it, and that made her really sad. But everything turned out okay in the end, even if it did take a thousand years fort it to happen. I mean we're here, so-”

“So what do YOU know about it?!” Novis shouted suddenly in a rage, making Pinkie wonder what she had said wrong.

“Well, I...I don't-”

“No, you DON'T KNOW!” the stallion growled angrily, “You think you can compare your Princesses to me and Volmar? To HIM?! I've seen the records. I've heard the tales! She was NOTHING like him! Did your Nightmare commit genocide!? Did she turn all that you loved to ash and rot?!”

"Did she burn children alive?"

His countenance began to weaken as tears began to run freely from his eyes, "That was what was left of Fontijzena. Eight billion died, in less than three months.” Novis choked out, “I can't sleep without being haunted by their souls crying out, “Save me!” And what can I do? What can I do?”

The waling of the multitude could be heard on the wind, piercing their ears with the ghostly sound of their voices. They shivered, feeling haunted still by what they had seen.

“The only ponies that survived, were the ones who were the slaves to the Griffins. And that's what you are. I see you before me, and all I can see is a descendant of a cursed people.” Novis shook his head, rubbing a hoof against his eyes, “Are you happy, Twilight? Have the answers satisfied your lust for the truth?”

Twilight stood in silence, unable to formulate a word. The stallion narrowed his eyes, snorting coldly “I certainly hope so.”

The wings on Novis's back suddenly flared opened, showing for the first time how magnificent they were. He gave one mighty flap, propelling him high up in the air, before dead-pinning into the direction of the Everfree forest, leaving the two mares to stand and gaze at his departure, thinking of all that they had heard and seen.

“That...wasn't so happy.” Pinkie said, feeling sadness for the colt as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Twilight remained silent. She had just driven Novis to reveal a horrible part of his life to her, and she had been completely insensitive of how he might have felt about discussing it, and this made her feel terrible.

Could this day get any worse?
////
“Oh, please come down, Angel,” Fluttershy asked timidly looking up at the bunny, who simply shook his head around in rebellion. Angel had gone on a tantrum and had climb up into a nook in one of the overhangs of the house, and was now camping out in there. It was still a mystery to Fluttershy as to how he had been able to get up in there in the first place.

“Oh come on Angel.” she pleaded, giving him the saddest eyes she could muster. She had flown up a few minutes before to try and get him out on her own, but the overhang had been designed to be a nesting place for birds and squirrels, so where as Angel could get himself into the small living hole, Fluttershy couldn't get her hoof into the space.

The bunny looked down at her with a frown, his arms crossed while he tapped his foot on the wood. However, his ears perked up, as if listening to something. He instantly jumped down from the overhang and landed onto Fluttershy's head, looking around before hopping onto the floor.

“Angel, where are you going?” she asked. Angel didn't answer. Instead, he stood up and wiggled his nose in the air, looking around before turning to look at the pegasus with a frightened expression.

Fluttershy looked at the rabbit in confusion, until her attention was drawn to the other animals in her cottage. The many birds that lived in her house were all going crazy, flying about in a frenzy. Squirrels and chipmunks were running around, and the mice were scurrying to exit their homes. Something was upsetting her animals into a chaotic mess, and she was starting to get worried herself.

Thud.

The ground tremored violently underneath Fluttershy's hooves, almost causing her to fall over onto the floor. “What on earth...?” she whispered. Something was moving outside. A shadow was cast about, darkening the windows that had just a few moments before been illuminated by the rays of the sun. She could feel fear beginning to wash over her, but she wanted to see what had entered onto her property.

Slowly, Fluttershy staggered to the front of the house, unsure if weather she would have the courage to turn the knob on the door. But, what if one of the ducks was hurt by the shaking? Or the chickens? Or the rabbits? She couldn't live with herself if one of her poor animals was in pain, and she didn't do anything to help.

This run of the imagination did more than motivate her to turn that knob, opening the door to the world outside, the air hotter than it had ever been before.

What she saw made her scream.

A plum of fire rocketed towards the front of the house at full speed, raging with full intent on destroying the wooden cottage. Fluttershy quickly retreated into her home, slamming the door behind her and running further into the house, just as the flames reached the entrance, impacting with enough force that it was like the paneling had been hit with a large cannonball, exploding inwards as burning boards and shattered glass whistled pasted Fluttershy's ears, knocking her forwards with the force that the shockwave created.

Fluttershy slowly raised herself back up, turning around to view the damage, wincing as pain rushed up into her right leg. The entire front of the cottage had been blown inwards by the blast, and was now burning out of control. But even after almost being blown away herself, all she could think about was the safety of her animals.

“Everyone get out now! You're not safe here anymore! GO!” she shouted with more power in her voice than she had ever had before. She limped her way to the living room, where Angel came running out to her side, trying to help her out.

“Please Angel, no. Get yourself out! I'll be fine on my own.” She tried to reassure the bunny, but he wasn't budging.

“Angel, don't make me-”

Fluttershy was cut off by a loud thrash in the air outside, before the tail of a massive creature smashed down into the roof, slamming at an angle and thrusting through the ceiling into the kitchen just a few yards away. No longer standing with the support it once had, the ceiling above the creaked and cracked, until the weight finally collapsed downwards, falling on top of the pegasus with the sound of wood being torn in two.

The world around her was ringing. Fluttershy tried to move, only to gasp out in pain. A beam had fallen across her body, trapping her underneath its immense weight. But there was something else, something she could feel on her chest, and around it, something wet. Was it water?

She soon began to care less as a kind of lassitude suddenly washed over her. Her world was becoming slow, almost like a dream. She suddenly didn't care that her house was burning, because everything was becoming peaceful and focused. It was beautiful. So, so beautiful.

And then her world was darkness.

Nothing.
////
> Chapter 11-Storm of the Century
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

////
Chapter 11-Storm of the Century
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Twilight, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack ran quickly up the path to Ponyville, each preparing themselves for what was over the bin.

Applejack had been walking along the pathway to do some business in town when she had stumbled on the two ponies sitting around looking glum. Asking with concern for them, they told her everything that Novis had revealed, bring on a look of pure shock from the farm pony due to the graphic nature of the truth. Pinkie was staring off in her own thought, obviously having trouble dealing with it, but Twilight was clearly distraught, not by cold hard facts, but because of her attitude towards the stallion's feelings in the past few weeks. She had acted so coldly towards him, when in fact what he needed was a friend. He was dying inside, and all she could do was to be as hostile as possible towards him. If she had only known the hurt that he was feeling, perhaps she would have acted differently.

However, none of that mattered now. While Applejack had been trying to go over all that had been said, a loud, deafening boom roared through the path, which was soon followed by a mild tremor in the ground, but was strong enough that it knocked the ponies onto the earth. That was when they saw the smoke rising over Ponyville, the black plum hovering in the distance like an omen of doom. Now running as quickly as possible, they would soon have a full view of the town, but for now, they just had each other.

“What in tarnation do ya think is goin' on?!” Applejack called, eying the black smog in the sky.

“I don't know. Everything was fine before I went after Novis!” Twilight answered, imagining it to be a pretty big bonfire to be making so much smoke.

“Oh! Maybe somepony's shooting off fireworks!” Pinkie yelled excitedly, which was ignored by both mares.

The three ponies reached the final hill and climbed. They would be able to see the entire town from there, and that meant that they might be able to get an idea of the situation. They raced up the steep mount, and taking a breath, they looked out to what was Ponyville, and gasped.

“What the...?” they all said in unison.

Half of the town was on fire. Starting in the east, a trail of flames cut itself through the buildings like a river, coursing its way just outside a few blocks from the town hall. And the fire was spreading fast, branching out from the main flow into all directions, destroying the homes and businesses of ponies in its wake. This fire was raging with a fierce intensity, almost as if it was being manipulated by an unknown force, with the sole intent to incinerate the lives of hundreds.

“What the hey happened down there?!” Applejack yelled in pure shock.

They were startled by another explosion, a fireball rising up into the air above where the marketplace was. Several businesses were now set ablaze, smoldering brightly under the sun. Pinkie immediately began to panic, “Oh my gosh! It's headed for Sugercube Corner! The Cakes will be-!”

Realizing exactly what would happen to the Cake Family, Pinkie quickly ran down the hill to help, but was stopped in a levitation field that lifted her up and brought her back to Twilight.

“Pinkie Pie, you can't go in there on your own. It's too dangerous!” Twilight scolded her, saddening the pink pony.

“But the Cakes need me!” Pinkie wined.

“Twilight's right, hon. Ya only get yerself hurt or worse. Besides, I'm sure that the Cakes got out just fine.” Applejack agreed, hoping to comfort Pinkie's fears.

“But-”

“No!” Twilight yelled, silencing her, “I'll go. I'll stand a better chance than anypony else.” Twilight turned to Applejack, now handling herself in a calm demeanor, “I need you both to evacuate as many ponies as you possibly can and get them to Night Stone. Everypony will be safe there. And try to find Rainbow Dash and the others too, we need all the help we can get.”

“Alright, Twi. But watch your back, ya hear? Who knows what you're gettin' yerself into.” Applejack warned, before taking Pinkie who reluctantly followed to the part of town that had yet to be touched by the flames, leaving Twilight to gaze beyond. What can be doing this, and why? For a brief moment, she questioned whether or not it was Novis doing it, but she quickly through that thought out from her mind. Novis was typically ill-tempered, not violent, though he did have his moments. But nothing like this. This was on a different scale entirely. But then what? She tried to see if she could spot anything moving amongst the flame, but it was all for not. The fires were too hot to see anything clearly, and whatever else that would have been possible to be seen was shrouded in the black smog. This left her with nothing but theories, but there was at least one possibility that stood out from the rest. There was only one way to find out.

Twilight quickly but silently made her way to Ponyville. No matter what happened, she wouldn't allow the lives of her townspeople to be destroyed, and she would be sure to use all her power to prevent that from happening.

If only Princess Celestia and Luna were here.
////
Novis landed just outside the treeline of the Everfree forest and collapsed. His mental stability at the moment was now teetering into the direction of insanity. Living with those memories in his head was one thing, but confessing them to the world was another. He felt exposed and naked to the world, now that the horrors of his past were known. Tears fell freely from his eyes, and though he tried to wipe them away, they continued to roll down his cheeks. He could hear their voices; the wailing, the screams, from out of the past all the echoes of pain and misery he could feel all at once, plaguing his mind with the dying sorrow of billions. It was all his fault. He should have had the power to stand up against that monster, but he hadn't, and the cost for that failure was too much for him to bare. And this made him angry. Why shouldn't he be strong enough? Why should he have not had the power to have matched his? He was a Minsore, a being rivaled by only a small number of creatures that resided both in the living and spiritual worlds, why shouldn't he have rivaled him? He knew the reason why, but he didn't want to accept that. He didn't want to accept the truth.

Novis began to push his way into the forest, no longer caring where he was going. He had only briefly thought about Hoofington, but it was a fleeting thought against a flood of emotions that he now felt. Nothing mattered. His very existence had no meaning. The sole purpose of his existence was to protect the different races of this world, yet when he hadn't been able to fulfill that oath, it now called into question; what was the point of HIM being?

Novis found himself on another road leading into the forest and looked up to the sky. For days he had been searching for an answer to his prayers, a sign that he was still in communion with his master. But nothing was being returned. No answers. No promises. Nothing now was certain. He was naked to the world, abandoned by the one being in the universe that he knew cared for him. He couldn't understand why he would hide himself from him, especially now when the pain he felt made him need him most. It was stressing, it...broke his heart.

“Why have you abandoned me? WHY?!” he yelled at the clouds, “Please! I need you! I don't know what to do. Am I not your son!?” he cried out to the heavens, hoping for some sign that he was being heard, something to give him a little comfort from his past.

Nothing.

“ANSWER ME!” he screamed, his anger now mixing with the tears in his eyes. Static began to form around his horn, while the rocks around his hooves started to shift and shake mildly in reaction to his magical output. A bolt of lightning suddenly blasted out from his horn and fired up into the sky, piercing the clouds and causing them to darken slightly. The bolt lasted for several seconds until his whimpering overcame him, allowing it to die. What was the point of trying? His master didn't want to speak to him, and he couldn't blame him for feeling that way. He was a failure, and he felt completely disgusted with himself. His head hung low, Novis moved slowly down the new path, silently cursing himself under his breath. He began to wonder exactly where he was. He had lost all sense of time, though he knew that he had been walking for a while. Perhaps-

“LOOK OUT!!!”

Novis barely had time to look up before the air was knocked out of him as his body was rammed by a large red wagon, throwing him to the ground with a loud thud. He could feel the weight of several little ponies falling on top of him, while the wagon crashed into a tree on the other side of the road. There were a lot of groans around him, he himself sighing aloud, silently wishing that he could be blessed with a few moments of peace. Novis opened his eyes and raised himself up, looking around so he could assess what had happened. Five fillies laid around him, each recovering from the impact. Looking at the group, he immediately recognized one of the foals, her little black coat giving off a mild shimmer in the sunlight.

“Nyx? What are you doing here? Why aren't you in school?” Novis asked, lifting her onto her hooves with his magic.

“Umm...” Nyx groaned, still a little sore, but now feeling nervous after finally finding the stallion, “It's...ah, Saturday. We don't have school on Saturday. And we're here because we were looking for you.”

“Oh?” Novis raised an eyebrow, his voice changing to one of playfulness, though he still felt as if his heart was being torn out of his chest, “And what was so important that you had to track me down and run me over with a wagon?”

“Because I heard what you said to Twilight and thought that we could help.” a white filly with a purple and pink mane said, rolling off of her back and onto her belly to get herself up.

Novis frowned. She shouldn't have heard that, “Don't you know that it's not polite to eavesdrop on other pony's conversations...miss?” he asked, suddenly aware that he had never met this pony before.

“Oh, my name's Sweetie Belle,” she responded happily.

“Sweetie Belle? Rarity's sister?” he asked, tilting his head at the little girl.

“Yeah, she's my sister. And I'm sorry for e-eavsdropping, I didn't mean to. I just happened to be there when you said it.” she apologized, truly sorry for making him upset.

Novis sighed, sitting down on the path. He expected that he would have to explain a few things to these kids, “How much did you hear?”

“Umm...enough, I guess. But that's why we came to find you!” she chirped happily, despite the knowledge she possessed.

“Yeah! My sis always says that we should always help ponies in need. An' that's exactly what we're gonna do.” A filly with a southern drawl spoke up.

“And I brought some of my peppermint sticks!” The one he assumed was Peppermint Twist said.

“My mommy let me bring some muffins for you.” a slightly younger unicorn with a greyish-purple coat smiled.

“Personally,” a voice came from the bushes beside the tree that the wagon had hit, a moment later revealing a sixth pony, an orange pegasus pushing a scooter, “I came to see if we could get you to tell us that wicked story,” she said, earning a glare from all of the other fillies in the group.

“What?” she squeaked.

Novis couldn't help but smile. Children truly were his favorite, their willingness to help in the simplest ways and their honesty was both moving and...entertaining. But that wasn't enough. It was sweet that they had gone through the trouble. However, he knew that they didn't truly understand the extent of what he now felt. How could they?

“I appreciate your concerns. All of you. But I'm afraid that there's nothing you can do to help me.”

“Now what kind of nonsense is that? Of course we can help. A bad past ain't nothin' that can't be worked out.” Applebloom said firmly, stomping her hoof on the ground.

Novis only shook his head, “You're young. You wouldn't understand.”

“Why not?” Nyx asked, but was ignored by the stallion who turned away and began to leave.

“Novis!” she shouted, surprising everypony by her use of volume, and causing Novis pause, “Do you think that you're the first pony who had to deal with a bad past? You're not!”

Novis kept silent. He would listen to what she had to say.

“Being Nightmare Moon incarnate isn't an easy thing to get over. There are so many bad things that she...I? I really don't know anymore, did.” Nyx paused, going over it in her head for a moment, “And I did some bad things too when Spell Nexus took me away. I even put Twilight in a dungeon because I thought that she had lied to me, that she didn't love me anymore. I only learned the truth when it was almost too late. Spell Nexus turned her against me, and then he tried to hang her.”

Novis turned as she continued to speak, not having heard this before, “I was just so angry. I wanted to kill him for trying to take her from me. To make him suffer like he would have made me suffer. It was in that moment that I was tempted to give myself up to my past. To take away my fears, my remorse, my compassion.”

“But he hadn't been acting on his own free will. In the end, it was Nightmare Moon's spirit that was making him do all those bad things. And as far as I'm concerned, I'd rather have my friends than power, so I destroyed that monster, once and for all!”

“Novis, what I'm trying to say is, what happens in the past doesn't matter. It's what you do NOW that defines you, and if you face that, you can correct the past by what you do in the present.” she stared at him expectantly, hoping that she had gotten her message through to him.

Novis stared right back at the little girl, clearly deep in thought. He was surprised by the level of maturity displayed by a pony so young. Of course, being the daughter of somepony as studious as Twilight Sparkle would cause the development of a more intellectual mind. But there was something more to Nyx than just that. She was a filly that had been forced to take a part in adult situations and had even made a life or death decision. But, she had also faced her own demons, be they mental, physical, or emotional, and had conquered them. It was something that would make anypony stronger than they had ever been before, but for an Alicorn, it meant so much more. It was, in fact, something that he had been required to do in order to become a Minsore. It was enough to make him wonder, could she-?

Boom.

Novis's ears perked up as a loud thunderous sound echoed through the trees, as the ground beneath them suffered a mild tremor, but nothing too serious. But Novis was still alert, looking in all directions to try and pinpoint where the sound had come from. Seeing nothing but the trees, Novis looked skywards, and that's when he saw the smoke. He needed to see what was going on, but he didn't want to leave the fillies here on their own, so directing them to follow, Novis made his way out of the forest and into the clearing beyond.

What he saw was a sight that he had witnessed many a time, and had hoped to never see again. Flames had engulfed half the town, while the other half was in an uproar of anguished cries and panic. The emergency sirens were ringing loudly, and many of the town's pegasi could be seen directing an aerial evacuation of the town.

Novis almost didn't notice the yellow filly passing him in an attempt to get to Ponyville, which he grabbed by clamping down on her tail with his teeth, dragging her back behind him, “Wow, hold on for a minute, little one. Where are you off in such a hurry?”

“My big sis is in there, I gotta help her!” she affirmed, trying to get past him again, only to be held in place by his hoof.

“You're not going anywhere. It's not safe for ponies as young as you to be trying to go in there.” Novis said, again dragging her behind himself with the rest of the girls.

“But we can't just-”

“I don't want to hear it. I will not willingly allow you to put yourself or the others in harm's way. What would your sisters do, your parents do, if anything were to happen to you?” he asked, looking down on the little farm pony.

“Novis is right, Applebloom.” Nyx said to her friend, “I want to help just as much as you do, but we don't even know what's going on down there.”

“Wah? Ya agree with him?”

As the fillies continued to argue, Novis stared out at the town. He knew exactly what was happening, and, he needed to do something about it. He felt the collective power inside him build up in his horn, but it wasn't enough. He needed to charge, and for that, he needed to get higher. Looking around the area, he began searching for the highest peak in the mountain range, which would provide the best conductor to hone his powers in the shortest amount of time. He eventually settled on one, and though it wasn't very high, it would have to do.

“Alright, I want you girls to stay here, do you all understand? I don't need six dead fillies on my concuss.” he added to scare them into obedience.

Satisfied that they weren't going anywhere, Novis spread his wings and took off, flying away as the fillies sat watching. Of course, as soon as she was sure that he was gone, Applebloom slowly began walking towards town again, just as she had done before.

“Applebloom! What are you doing? Novis told us to stay here!” Nyx wined, glaring at her for lack of the ability to do what she was told.

“I don' care what he said. I know my sis is helpin' down there, and she's gonna need all the help she can get!” Applebloom argued, “Besides, we might just find our cutie-marks helpin' to put out those fires!”

Nyx would have tried to talk some sense into her, but quickly quieted herself when she noticed the eagerness building up in her other friends. Applebloom had said the magic word, working her friends up with the inviting thought that they might just find their special talents. Nyx groaned, she knew that she wasn't going to convince them to stay put now, and if she didn't know any better, she would have sworn that Applebloom had mentioned it on purpose to get them on her side.

“CUTIE-MARK CRUSADER FIREFIGHTERS, YAY!” The five other ponies shouted, hurrying ahead to get to the town.

“Ya-hoo.” Nyx let out, though none of her spirit was backing it up, slowly following after her friends, because deep down in the pit of her stomach, she knew that this couldn't possibly end well.
////
Rainbow Dash flew above the buildings and smoke searching for anypony who was still trapped in the fire zone. Most of the ponies in the town had made it out, running to find refuge in the embrace of Night Stone Castle, but there were still those unaccounted for. There had been many who had to be carried out because they had been injured, some critically, but so far nopony had been killed, thank Celestia. Of course, Dash knew that that could change in a heartbeat if she didn't pick up the pace.

And she also had to stay clear of that...thing.

Thankfully Rainbow wasn't the only one searching for survivors. Flying with her, Firefly, Soarin', and three other Wonderbolts had been dispatched to assist in the evacuation procedures. This had all happened so fast. One moment, she had been resting peacefully on a cloud dreaming of becoming a Wonderbolt, and then there had been an explosion just outside of town, just before the entire east side was lit up in flames, plummeting their lives into hell. That had only been fifteen minutes ago, but so much had happened since then. The fire had finally reached the town's small power plant, which gave electricity to everypony's homes. The power plant was fueled by raw, compressed unicorn magic that was held in large containment units, and because this unique compound was highly volatile, it didn't take long for it to ignite, taking out a three block radius with it in a multicolored explosion of green, blue, and yellow. She could feel the shockwave it created as it riveted through the air, almost knocking her out of the sky. She could also tell that it had a tremendous effect on the ground, watching as several ponies fleeing the town falling over themselves, while the outings on several buildings collapsed as a result of the tremor that the explosion generated.

It was only then that she heard the faint cry for help down below her.

Rainbow Dash looked down at the Town Hall beneath her. She couldn't see anypony, but she knew that there was somepony down there because the cries for help continued to enter her ears. Figuring she would probably need some help, she looked around, hoping to find one of the Wonderbolts around. Sure enough, Soarin' was flying nearby, scouting for anypony who might be in trouble.

Dash whistled loudly, quickly grabbing the pegasi's attention, “Soarin', get over here, quick! I think I found somepony!”

Soarin' responded with a nod as they both descended to the ground. They began searching the area for the pony in need. A large part of the side of the Town Hall had fallen in on itself, leaving boards and beams lying around in a massive mess inside the building.

“Soarin' quick! I found her!” Dash called, standing over a light-brown earth-pony. Mayor Mare laid buried under a large pile of rubble, moving around weakly as the two pegasi worked to clear away the wreckage.

“Oh, Miss Dash, thank Celestia you're here! I-”

“Try not to talk too much, Mayor.” Rainbow said, removing a board that was lying across the mare's stomach, “Are you seriously hurt?”

“I-I can't move my hind legs!” she answered. Rainbow looked down at the mare's legs, where a large beam of timber laid on top. She tried to lift it up herself, but it proved to be too heavy for her to handle. Giving up on trying to move it herself, she directed Soarin' to try and lift the beam himself while she dragged the Mayor out from underneath. She hated to admit it, but the stallion was much stronger than her.

“Alright, on three. One. Two. THREE!”

Soarin' grunted as he lifted the large piece of wood, holding it up long enough for Rainbow Dash to get the Mayor out from underneath, letting it go as soon as she was clear, “Mayor, do you think you can move?” she asked, raising the mare up into a sitting position.

“I don't-Ugh! No! No.” she hissed out as pain shot up from both her legs. Dash looked down at them, seeing that the joint on the left leg was out of place, while the right was obviously fractured by the way it bent in an area where there wasn't any normal articulation.

“Alright, everything is going to be fine, Mayor. We'll get you out of here.” Rainbow said, placing the mare's hoof around her neck as Soarin' did the same. They both helped to carry her out, while Dash hoped that this would be the last time that she would see so much devastation in her own town.

But the day had only just begun, and a storm was coming on the horizon.
////
“Now please! Everypony try and direct yourselves in an orderly fashion.” Rarity called out, trying in vain to keep in check the chaos that was ensuing around her in the courtyard of Night Stone. Ponies were running left and right, either aimlessly in a panic or rushing to help those who had been injured. She tried to keep everything under control, but she just didn't have a talent for this kind of thing. She wished she had Twilight by her side, or Applejack to handle this.

“Rarity! What in tarnation is goin' on here? Why don't you have these ponies under control?” a very familiar and welcoming voice came from behind the mare.

“Oh, Applejack! Thank Celestia you're here! This has just been positively a complete disaster!” Rarity swooned, dramatically lifting a hoof to her forehead and dipping her head back.

“Oh for corn's sake, Rarity! Cut down on the theatrics, wouldja? We don't have time for it.” Applejack scolded. Rarity would have snapped at the farm pony, but was interrupted by a Pinkie Pie who was more hyped up than normal, “RARITY! Where are the Cakes? Where are the CAKES!?”

“I, ah...?” Rarity didn't even have a chance to answer, before Pinkie shot off, covering more ground inside the castle than either of them would have thought possible in search of her employers. After only fifteen seconds of poking her head around corners and into the nooks and crannies, Pinkie was back with her friends, only looking more panicked than before.

“Rarity, please tell me you've seen the Cake family come here?” she asked desperately, a look of pleading burning in her eyes.

“I'm sorry Darling, but I haven't seen them. Rainbow Dash took some of the Wonderbolts with her to search the town for anypony who didn't get out. I'm sure that she'll find them.” she tried to reassure her friend.

“Did somepony say my name?”

The three ponies turned to face the rainbow maned pony that had just landed behind them, holding up a worse for wear Mayor Mare with one of the Wonderbolts helping her. Soarin' helped the mare to one of the medical desks, where a nurse quickly rushed over to have her examined. Rainbow looked at the girls, raising an eyebrow at the pink pony's expression, “Ah, was there something I missed?”

“Rainbow Dash! Where are the Cakes?! Did you see them? Are they okay!? Rarity said that you might have seen them. Their not hurt, are they? PLEASE tell me they're NOT HURT!” she shoved her muzzle into Dash's, her eyes beginning to twitch slightly in response to worrying herself.

“Cakes? I haven't seen the Cakes. I thought that they were already here.” she answered honestly, only pushing Pinkie closer to the edge.

“Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, OH NO!” she fell back on her rump, her eyes darting around like dirt-bobbers while she bit down on her lip, her body shaking ever so slightly.

“Rainbow Dash, could you please fly in there and get the Cakes out before Pinkie Pie has a complete mental breakdown?” Rarity asked, moving away from the pink mare just in case she decided to go off.

“She can't.” Soarin' spoke up, popping his head into the conversation, “I just checked the Hazard Manifest, which wasn't very long, by the way. Ponyville is a pretty clean town. But the power plant is another matter entirely.”

“You see that red-colored cloud rising up from the ground?” he asked, pointing to the smoke that rose above what remained of the plant, “The fire is heating the coolant, so now we've got a large pocket of PCB covering the area. It's too dangerous to fly in there unprotected.”

“Well, why is it red? I thought PCB was clear.” Applejack asked.

“Normally it is, but it's mixing in with the lingering raw magic, which will probably open up some unknown variables.”

“Isn't there anything we can do?” Pinkie wined, praying for one small ray of hope.

“Well, the wind is causing the gas to flow upwards from the ground, so it should be safe to run in and pull them out,” Soarin' paused, shaking his head, “But I would advise against it. That stuff could still be lingering in the streets, and if that gets on your skin or you breath it in, it's gonna do some damage.”

Applejack growled at this news. She had been one of the few ponies who had voted against the use of raw magic as a fuel source for the power plant, worrying about what consequences that it would reflect upon the environment due to the fact that the chemicals required to keep it stable were all potentially dangerous. In the end however, the company got their way. But, they still had to agree to use an alternative coolant system, which was safer and produced by the Pancal Synthetics Corporation based in Manehatten.

But obviously, they had been doing secret business deals behind everypony's back.

“Well then, what do we do?”

“Oh! I got an idea!” Pinkie suddenly bounced, zooming into the castle, leaving the small group of ponies looking at each other. A few moments later Pinkie came back out, walking through the crowd carrying a pair of dark-green canvas suits and a saddlebag on her back. She herself was wearing one, a full-body hazmat suit with a hose connected to the back of the headpiece to an air-filter box hooked onto a belt about her waist.

“Pinkie Pie, where on earth did you get these?” Rarity asked, examining the fabric of one of the suits as she lifted it up in her magic.

“They were in the castle laboratory along with a lot of other weird stuff. I found them a few months ago when Twilight brought those ponies from Canterlot to go over some inventory,” she answered happily, now in a much better mood than she had been minutes before, her voice coming through the suit's sound piece, making her sound like she was talking through a funnel.

Pinkie looked at the ponies hopefully, waiting for them to start volunteering to help her, only having herself being stared at by the group.

“Pinkie, I really don't think we should-”

“I'll go.” Rarity spoke up, silencing Applejack from breaking their friend's heart, “I've barely contributed to anything here, so it only makes sense that I go with you while the ponies who can actually help around here stay behind to keep things managed.”

Pinkie Pie smiled happily as she gave Rarity a suit, sliding into it with relative ease. Soarin' was soon to follow, figuring that they might need a professional in this kind of matter by their side. The three ponies soon left Applejack and Rainbow Dash to manage the chaos around them, quickly using their authoritative skills to get the townsfolk to calm down and to start organizing themselves based on usefulness. Soon they had the situation coming under their control, helping to ease the tension of reality.

“Applejack!” a tiny voice called.

Applejack turned around to see her sister Applebloom and her friends running towards her, each frowning and sweating as they halted in front of her, evident that they had been running for a while.

“A-Applejack! W-We need...need yer help!” Applebloom panted out, trying to catch the breath that was avoiding her at the moment.

“Applebloom? Thank Celestia you're alright. I've been lookin' all over for ya.” Applejack said, pulling the filly into a hug, “Where the hey have you all been? I was worried sick.”

“W-We were tryin' to help Novis not feel sad, but then we heard a bang.” Applebloom flattened her ears upon her head, “Novis told us to stay by the forest, but we came anyway.”

Applejack just stared at her for a moment, before she narrowed her eyes and began to lecture her sister, “Gosh dang it, Applebloom! I know he isn't the best of ponies, but he's still your elder. Why didn't you do what you were told?” she scolded, hoping to Celestia that the girl had a good reason for disobeying him.

“Because we wanted to help!” Applebloom admitted, all the girls nodding in agreement, “I just wanted to know that you were alright.”

Applejack turned to look at Rainbow Dash, who only shrugged her shoulders at her. She wanted to be angry but found herself unable to stay mad with the filly. She just wanted to know that her big sister was alright, and if that was the case, she really couldn't hold that against her. Applejack looked at the other fillies, imagining that their own sisters and parents were freaking out. Derpy with Dinky, Rarity and Sweetie Belle...

Wait, where was Sweetie Belle?
////
Twilight walked carefully through the destruction that was now Ponyville. It was a strange and unnerving sensation she felt going down this wreck of a street; she had just walked on it the day before, shopping for some food and supplies for the three mouths she had been providing for. But now here she was, seeing it all burnt down. Why had this come down upon them? They didn't deserve this, so what had they done wrong? That was the question with only one answer. Nothing. This was the work of a devil, a monster who was hell-bent on destroying their lives.

She rounded a corner in the street, walking past what used to be the Ink and Quill store, which was now a smoldering pile of charcoal. She had to be careful walking near and around the buildings, since several were on the verge of collapse, making it dangerous for her to be moving about them, threatening to fall on top of her at any given moment. This was turning out to be quite the disaster, but she wasn't going to let that stop her. This was her town, her home, and she wasn't about to give it up without a fight.

A low rumbling sound suddenly echoed through the street, startling Twilight into hiding behind a pile of rubble, peering over the top to see what was happening. In the street, just fifteen yards ahead of her, dust and smoke filled the air in a thick cloud impossible to see through. However, something was moving through the dust, shaking the ground with the mass of its body. A moment passed, before a large, muscular tail whipped through the air, slowly moving above her head from the left of the street and disappearing back into the cloud on the far right. The sun, for only a moment, revealed itself through the gray of the growing cloud cover in the sky, allowing her to see the outline of its body through the shroud of smoke for a few seconds before it once more vanished back into the shadows with the passing of the light.

There was no doubt in Twilight's mind that a dragon was what they now faced, but this one was far different than the ones she had previously encountered. In the brief moments she had seen it, she knew that this dragon was significantly larger than it's predecessors. Even the one that Fluttershy had convinced to leave the mountain to nap somewhere else was dwarfed by this behemoth. Also, most dragons walked on all fours, but it appeared that this one only had two, using its massive wings as forearms like a bat to grab a hold of objects and to keep itself balanced. Its tail was barbed like a stingray, it's back horned and jagged, and it's head, while most dragons resembled crocodiles, looked more closely to that of a snake, held up by a curved, powerful neck that swerved as it moved.

She couldn't see what color it was, not that she really cared at the moment. She was terrified. Never before had she faced something so fierce and menacing that frightened her so. True, she had fought the mighty Tirek on her own, but she had the power of three alicorn princesses coursing within herself along with her own at the time. But this, it reminded Twilight too much like a snake in its appearance, stirring deep into her natural fear of such creatures. What if she wasn't strong enough to face such a beast? What if she couldn't stop it from killing everypony in town, everypony she knew and loved?

Twilight quickly discarded those thoughts from her mind. She was being ridiculous, and she knew it. In no way would she allow this monster to continue to execute its dark purposes without using everything in her power to stop it.

However, Twilight was torn from her thoughts when a loud bellow from the dragon ringed through the street, followed by a swing of its mighty arm, propelling a large object through the air straight at her. Twilight stifled a scream as she moved to get out of the way, diving into a roll as a food-cart blazing with fire crashed into the ground where she had just stood. She barely had time to get to cover before the beast wheeled around and roared, swinging its tail into the buildings beside her, sending fast-moving projectiles of broken wood and debris at her. Twilight coughed a little as the dust settled around her, looking up to view the damage, going into the defensive as she half expected to be staring down the beast's throat at any moment. However, it seemed that she had still gone unnoticed, but that didn't expel her problems in the least. Ahead of her, the street was blocked off by the burned refuge of wooden beams and mortar, cutting her off from reaching the reptilian menace. Not that she couldn't just fly over the rubble. That was what she'd do! That's-

Sniffle.

Twilight paused, perking up her ears to listen. Something else was in the street with her, and it sounded like...crying. Twilight turned her gaze to the other side of the street, casting her eye on a building that had long since ceased to burn. Deciding to investigate, she walked over and peered in through the door, looking around but not daring to move inside for fear of the structure's instability. But the crying continued, and not able to take it any longer, she forced herself to enter, and walking around a desk to look at a pile of fallen boards, she found a young colt hiding underneath. Twilight stared down at the child for a few short moments that to her seemed an eternity. He was younger than her Nyx, not yet even five years old. He had probably been separated from his parents and had run in here to hide from the dangers that were transpiring outside. At first, he looked back up at her with eyes filled with fear, but after a moment, relaxed into needfulness, extending his hoofs to her in a familiar gesture that told Twilight that he wanted to be held.

Twilight bit her lip before looking out the door as uncertainty filled her mind. She needed to stop that monster before it could deal any more damage, but at the same time, her maternal instincts were coming into play, telling her that she couldn't just leave this foal here in such a dangerous place. Making up her mind, she knew what she had to do, and though she didn't like it, she knew that it couldn't be done any other way.

“Shh, it's okay. Everything is going to be fine now. You're safe.” she whispered softly as she knelt forwards and picked him up, holding him close to her body. Almost immediately the colt quieted down, gazing up at her with innocent, trusting eyes.

Twilight smiled at this, placing him across her back and headed out the door. The breeze was coming in cool now, whipping past her face welcoming and calm. She would deal with the dragon later, but for now, she needed to find the child's parents, running back into the direction of Night Stone.

All was now quiet, save for the sound of thunder rolling in from the mountains distant.
////
The three ponies walked down the street towards Sugercube Corner, cautiously preparing themselves for what might be awaiting them. The street had yet to be touched by the flames, which was still burning several blocks away for the time being. They had heard the sound of the dragon roaring in the distance moments before, but now the air was still and quiet, too quiet for any of their liking.

“We're getting close, just a few more houses and we'll get them out,” Soarin' said through the suit's microphone, trying to calm  Pinkie Pie who was becoming more anxious by the minute.

“I hope we can get them out in a hurry. This suit is so itchy.” Rarity whined, “So much could be done to improve its fashion appearance. As soon as this is over and done with, I'd like to use one of these suits in a raw fashion line, though there will need to be some design changes.”

They hurried along the street to their destination, and that was where they met their first obstacle. The entrance to the store was blocked off by a pile of boards, plaster, and broken carts, all-embracing the front wall like a wave crashing into the rocks on a beach. They had most likely been cast there by the rampage of the dragon, and with the door now behind a barrier, what were they to do?

“Everypony, stand back!” Pinkie commanding rather suddenly, pulling out her party-cannon from seemingly out of nowhere.

“Darling, I really don't think blowing confetti at that mess is going to do anything to help.” Rarity said, wondering, if anything, was going through Pinkie's mind.

“Oh, trust me Rarity. I've got more packing in this cannon than just confetti,” she said in a serious tone, detouring from her normal self.

Pinkie pulled the cord at the head of the cannon with a firm tug, sending a large cannonball into the pile of debris. The projectile slammed into the mess, splintering wood and plaster in its wake, dislodging enough of it that it collapsed under itself, falling away to reveal the door hidden behind.

“What-who? How?” Rarity babbled, her jaw hanging down, “Where on earth did you-?”

“That's for me to know and you to speculate. Now come on, we don't have all day!” Pinkie said with a bounce, walking up to the door and leaned against it, pushing on it until it gave.

Rarity just rolled her eyes in response as she and Soarin' walked over the rubble into the building, shrugging it off as Pinkie just being Pinkie. The main customer reception and eating room were empty, save for the ordering counter and the booths by the windows. “Mr. Cakes? Mrs. Cake? Are you in here? Where are you?!” Pinkie called, looking around the room for any sign of life. Rarity stepped behind the counter and looked down; the floor beneath her was littered with a tray and broken glass, scattered about in the exact direction of the kitchen, and opening the door, she feared what she saw.

“In here!” she said aloud, running into the kitchen and kneeling down next to the unconscious forms of Mister and Miss Cake. Mrs. Cake was leaning against the cupboard, moving her head back and forth while wheezing profusely while Mr. Cake was lying on the floor completely motionless save for the rising and falling of his chest fueled by his shallow breath. Pinkie Pie and Soarin' entered the room, immediately coming to her side and began to try and draw a response from them.

“Mrs. Cake? Can you hear me?” Pinkie Pie asked, worried about what happened to them.

“P-Pin-kie...” Miss Cake let out, threatening to slip into unconsciousness again.

“Okay, don't do that,” Soarin' said, coming over after checking Mr. Cake's pulse, smacking her in the cheek a few times to get her to wake up. Mrs. Cake opened her eyes wide for a moment, though she appeared to be feeling a bit woozy. The world was spinning around fast, so much so that she wanted to vomit, while her eyes were darting left and right, unable to focus on one object or person.

“Mrs. Cake, you're gonna be fine, I promise.” Pinkie reassured, making sure that she had the mare's attention, “I need you to help me, alright? Where are the twins?”

U-Up...upsta-irs...” she answered weakly, before sitting up like a rocket, “M-My husband...!”

“Is going to be fine, Miss. He's just gonna be taking a little nap for a while.” Soarin' said, placing a hoof on her to push her back and get her to relax.

Pinkie Pie was quick to leave the kitchen to make her way to the stairs, hurrying up to the second floor of the building and stepping into the hall. She was relieved to find that the gas hadn't entered the upstairs, which meant that the twins hadn't been exposed. But she could still hear their cries coming from their room, rushing in the moment the sound entered her ears.

The twins lay in their cribs crying helplessly in the darkness of the room. Pinkie Pie walked over to Carrot Cake's crib, peering down to look at her face, earning a squeal of fear from the babe in response to this new entity. Pinkie looked down at herself. She was probably terrified of her because of the suit. She had to admit, to somepony as young as herself, Pinkie Pie would have appeared to them as a big, scary green monster.

“Hush, Carrot Cake. It's me, your Auntie Pinkie Pie!” She said, her voice quieting the foal. Carrot Cake looked around while she placed a hoof to her mouth as if searching for her number one favorite aunty in the world. Pinkie smiled down at the girl as she realized who she was, giggling at her as she batted her hooves in the air playfully. Pinkie grinned even brighter at this as she picked her up, taking a gas mask out from her saddlebags and placed it over her head, which prompted Carrot Cake to toy with it curiously. Pound Cake had been watching what was going on and reached his hooves out to Pinkie as well, who picked him up and did unto him what she had done with his sister likewise.

Pinkie exited the room with the twins tucked comfortably in her saddlebags and walked back downstairs to rejoin the others. Rarity had Mrs. Cake leaning on her shoulder with a blanket over her back to provide some protection from the gas outside, a breathing apparatus placed over her mussel. Mr. Cake was in the same state, though he was lying across Soarin's back, the stallion grunting as he carried him out of the kitchen. They all left the home, helping the Cakes into the street and back to the safety of Night Stone.

It wasn't until the got within three blocks of the castle that Rainbow came running to find them, skidding to a halt the moment they came into her view.

“Rarity!” she called, galloping up in front of them, “Thank Celestia I found you.”

“Rainbow Dash? What on earth is the matter?” Rarity asked, giving Mrs. Cake over to Pinkie Pie.

“I-It's Sweetie Belle!” Rainbow said, immediately causing a worried glance to form on Rarity's face, “She and her friends got separated coming back into town from the Acres. She's been gone for-”

“I don't CARE how long she's been gone, where IS she?!” Rarity barked, starting to hyperventilate.

“Applebloom said that they lost her somewhere around the floral stands on Saddle Street, but-” she tried to finish, only to be cut off by Rarity screaming hysterically before bolting into the direction of Saddle Street.

“Rarity, no! It's not safe!” Soarin' called. The remaining two mares made similar pleas but were left ignored by the unicorn as she ran down the street faster than she had ever done before.

She had to save her sister.
////
Rainbow helped Pinkie and Soarin' carry the Cakes into the confines of Night Stone Castle. She couldn't believe that Rarity had gone running off like that. Rarity wasn't exactly the brave type. Still, it was her SISTER they were talking about. She was sure if she had a sister, she would have gone off and done the same thing, no matter how stupid it was.

She carried Mrs. Cake over to one of the doctors and laid her down on the harness. Flash Sentry came over as a volunteer nurse and helped to prep her, while Rainbow turned away to look around her. Applejack had done wonders organizing the townspeople into a flowing, working machine. Ponies were running supplies, distributing water and medicine to the sick, giving out blankets. It was truly wonderful that they were so willing to work to help each other.

Rainbow felt a tug at her back hoof. Turning around, she looked down to find a dirty white rabbit that she immediately recognized staring up at her, it's eyes gleaming with fright.

“Angel? What are you doing here?” she asked, looking down at the animal. Angel began to hop up in the air furiously, desperately trying to tell her something. She tilted her head in confusion, giving him a look that seemed to be making him more upset. He began to point in the direction of the fires, thumping his foot against the ground. Rainbow Dash looked out at the destruction. Was there somepony else who had been left in the flames? No, she shook that possibility from her mind. Everypony was accounted for with that last colt that Twilight had rescued. The only pony that wasn't here-

The eyes in Rainbow's head grew wide as she took to the air, flying up above the rooftops to look beyond into the valley. The smoke rising from the buildings was contrasted by the gray of the sky, a crack of lightning striking down in the forest as the storm drew near. However, in the outskirts of Ponyville, a singular cloud of smoke rose from behind a hill. But, the only building out that far was...

“Oh no.”
////
Sweetie Belle slowly walked down the silence of the street, alone and scared. The street was hard to see for the cloud of smoke that enveloped all that was around her. She gave a suspicious glance at everything she saw as if the various buildings surrounding her would come alive and grab her. The sky was becoming dark with the coming of a storm, making it so that the sun would not shine on their town, only allowing the flames that consumed the houses in the next street in front of her to tell the world of its amber light. She was lost. She didn't want to be here, she just wanted to go home. She should have stayed by the forest like she had been told instead of listening to Applebloom and her ridiculous ideas to help. They were kids after all, what could they do?

She felt stupid for going with it, but at the same time, wasn't that the right thing to do? To try and help ponies in need, to do everything they can to carry each other through the trials and dangers? Perhaps she was just being selfish, but then again, why shouldn't she? She was the one who had been left alone.

Sweetie Belle crossed into a back alley, hoping the way leading into the street parallel to the one she was currently on wasn't blocked like so many others she had tried to use. The alley was dark and cold, the sound of water falling onto cobblestone filling the space from a broken water pipe. For some strange reason that escaped her, she felt frightened by the darkness, feeling as though it was closing in on her, choking her. Just get out as quickly as possible, and get to the castle, she told herself, beginning to gallop ahead as fast as she could, breathing a sigh of relief the moment she entered the light.

Unfortunately for her, that relief was short-lived, for what she faced on the other side of the alley was far worse than what the darkness had to offer, making her wish that she would have just stayed in the other street.

She screamed.
////
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity cried, making a hard turn to the right the moment she heard the tiny, high-pitched voice screaming out to the world. She had been running a good ten minutes before she made it to the entrance of Saddle Street, finding that it had been blocked off by several burning carts, having to go over to another street to find an alternate way in. She had then searched every building, every stand, every crack and crevice as she drove herself into desperation trying to find her sister. But she was nowhere to be found, leaving her feeling sadness and defeat.

It was then that she heard the call, the pleading cries of Sweetie Belle's voice permeating her ears with its sound, attracting her like a moth to light. It had come from several blocks away, and Rarity was quick to cut across backyards and alleyways to reach the filly. Rarity came face to face with the next alley and paused. There she was! Sweetie Belle stood before her at the other end, a guard gate at that end the only thing separating her from her sister.

“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity called, tears of happiness forming in her eyes as she galloped towards her. But Sweetie never turned, unmoved by her elder sister's acclamations of joy. She just continued to stare up at an unknown object that was before her in the gap between houses. Something was wrong. Rarity called her name again, this time with a sense of questioning in her voice, slowing to a walk as she tilted her head at the filly's hypnotic gaze. And then she heard it, the low, rumbling growl of a predator who had found its prey, causing her heart for a moment to stall in her chest. Rarity approached the gate and stared up, looking directly at what held Sweetie Belle motionless.

There, staring down devilishly at the girl, stood the mountainous form of the dragon. Its eye glowed mercilessly as it darted it's long, muscular tongue in the air like a snake, shining bright and yellow as the flames. Its head was massive, with a mouth wide enough to devour ten ponies in one bit, it's jawline up to the top of its head horned and barbed with quills, ordaining him like a crown. Its scales were metallic in color, a cross between iron and silver, its belly that of bronze. But what was most frightening about it was the way it looked at Sweetie Belle, it's gaze upon the filly altogether evil, a grin forming on its face, revealing the iron-like teeth concealed behind.

“Well, well, well,” It started slowly with a voice deep and threatening, dripping with hints of its malicious intent in the tone, “What do we have here? Are we lost?”

Rarity quickly worked on removing the lock on the gate, but it wouldn't budge. The lock had been made to resist magical tampering. She found that the hinges had been treated in the same way, preventing Rarity from saving her sister. She began banging furiously on the metal, all in a vain attempt to try and break the gate down. This seemed to draw Sweetie Belle out of her trance for a moment, turning her head to stare blankly at Rarity, tears streaming down her cheeks, making the mare attack the gate all the harder. Sweetie wanted to move, to get away, but found herself paralyzed in its monstrous gaze.

“Are you frightened?” It asked, looking down upon her inquisitively, before it's expression grew dark, “You should be.”

It reached out its arm and rested it on the roof of one of the buildings, the paneling caving in under its massive weight, but able to support it none the less. Sweetie Belle backed away as far as possible, leaning back against the wooden gate behind her as though it would provide some protection. This reaction only seemed to humor the dragon further, the grin on its face growing all the brighter.

“Get away from her!”

The voice echoed through the alley as a third unicorn entered the scene, taking a defensive stance in front of Sweetie Belle. At least, Rarity thought that it was a unicorn. The purple stallion before her was large. The horn on his head was crooked in the form of a lightning bolt, and his underside was matted with hair like a sheepdog. His tail was long and muscular, his eyes glowing green. He hissed at the dragon angrily, the hairs on his back standing on end as his ears flattened against his head. He acted more like an animal than a pony, but despite that, the connection clicked in Rarity's mind, finally recognizing the stallion.

“Spike?! What are you DOING?! What's gotten into you?!”

Spike honestly didn't know WHAT he was doing. He was scared out of his wits by this monster, and yet here he was, standing up against it like a fool. He should have ran, that's what he always would have done. But something deep inside of him had taken control, giving him strength, giving him courage. Something instinctual that told him to protect the filly at all costs.

The dragon moved his head forwards until he was only a mere three feet from the two ponies, growling as he displayed his teeth to them. He had every intent to just snap his jaws down on them and end it, but then he paused. Its nostrils flared as it inhaled the air around them, picking up on the scent of something that was strongly familiar to it.

“What are you?” It asked, continuing to smell the air, “You...look like them, these ponies. But you, you smell like one of us. A serpent.” he stared at Spike for a long moment, thinking it over in his mind, “What have they done to you? What sorcery is this?”

“I did this to myself. This was MY decision. MINE!” Spike barked, trying to address the blame away from the equines and solely on himself, knowing that the beast found disgust in this.

“You would forsake your own kind, and for what? Them?!” it sieved with rage, slamming its arm into the building on its lift, knocking the top floor clean off, “Look at them. They're weak. What is there that they could offer when you could have power?”

“What's power without friends?” Spike questioned rhetorically, “I'd rather have them than to be alone. To be weak, if power means that I'd become a monster like you!”

“Monster?” it repeated, suddenly spreading a wicked smile across its face, “And what will your friends gain you now? Look around, there is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. You're all alone.” it said fiercely, as the scales on its chest and neck began to glow.

Spike went wide-eyed the moment that he realized what was about to happen, “Sweetie Belle, get back!” he commanded, backing up closer to the gate.

“If you would rather have them than your own flesh, then you can die with them!” he hissed, before he thrusted his head forwards, spewing a jet of flames at the two ponies. Spike wheeled around and grabbed Sweetie Belle and pulled her close to his chest, wrapping his arms around her just as the flames consumed them both. Rarity screamed, out of anger and horror she cried out, quick to create a barrier between herself and them before the fire could engulf her as well. She stared weakly as tears began to fill her eyes, frightened to go near the barrier for fear of the heat. What could she do? She could only watch, as her sister and friend were turned to ash.

The dragon would have continued to blow the fires into the alleyway but was cut short rather suddenly when a surge of purple magic blasted against its head. The beast wheeled it's body around and bellowed angrily as a streak of lavender soared across the sky, leading them both away.

Twilight.

Rarity was left alone in the alley, allowing the barrier to fall. The gate was glowing bright orange from the heat it had endured. The lock-in particular steaming. Rarity grabbed a pipe with her magic and began slamming it against the lock, hitting it relentlessly until it gave, falling to the ground with a metallic thud. The gate swung open, and the mare ran out and fell before the pillar of ashes that was the two ponies she knew. The form of Spike loomed over that of her sister, who remained unseen under his large body. She slowly brushed her hoof against his cheek, flakes of ash falling away as she then rubbed her face against his, tears streaming down from her eyes. They were gone, and she had been powerless to help them. She had-

“Ugh...”

Rarity gasped, backing away from the forms in surprise. The layers around Spike's front limbs began to crack, until the joints on his hooves bent outwards, shaking slightly as they fought to break free. Rarity immediately rushed over to help, pulling off chunks of ash so that he could better move, slowly able to find the strength to free his head, gasping for air the moment the ash plate covering his muzzle fell away.

“Spike!” Rarity elated. They were alive!. At least she hoped they BOTH were, “But...how? Are you alright?”

“Ohhh...Get back to me on that, would ya?” he groaned, lifting his hooves to his head so that he could reposition it and crack the muscles in his neck. His coat and mane had been completely burnt off, leaving his skin naked and exposed. But, as Rarity observed, his pink flesh was slowly beginning to recover its losses, growing new hairs that became more profound by the second. Rarity brushed a hoof against it, drawing a raised eyebrow from the kirin. His skin felt hard, like a stone under her touch, which became soft as he relaxed. It was like an armor, and no doubt it had protected him from the fire's touch.

The mare's attention was drawn away from him by a soft grunt that came from the ash casing beneath Spike's belly. Rarity looked down inquisitively as the casing cracked and fell away like an eggshell, and sitting there, dirty and coughing, was the little form of her sister.

“SWEETIE BELLE!” Rarity beamed, grabbing the filly and holding her close to her chest, laughing and crying with joy. Sweetie began to squirm from her sister's assault, not liking the fact of being smothered, only seeming to urge Rarity to hug her even tighter. “Can't...breath!” she squealed, prompting her immediate release.

“I'm so sorry, Sweetie Belle. I really am.” Rarity apologized, wiping away a tear from her eyes, failing to restrain a few happy giggles, “I just thought I'd lost you.”

Rarity then turned to Spike, “How? How did you know that the fire wouldn't hear you?”

“I-I didn't,” he admitted, rubbing his hoof through his mane, which was now halfway grown to its full length.

“You...didn't?”

“I...” Spike started, now beginning to come to terms with the fact that he was still alive, “I just figured that, that if I used my body to cover her like a shield, she couldn't get hurt. But, I didn't think I'd survive.”

Rarity stared blankly for a long moment, processing what he had just said to her through her mind. He hadn't known. As far as he had been concerned, he was going to die, and yet despite this, he was willing to sacrifice it, all to protect Sweetie. For a moment, she couldn't understand this. But soon the facts made it clear to her. Spike had undergone a change, but not of the physical. It was a change in his very nature, as he was not the bravest person she knew. She knew that his normal reaction to a situation was to run, but here he had thought of Sweetie Belle's life and her life alone, while completely disregarding his own. In the past few weeks she had been questioning her relationship with him based solely on the physical, but in that time, she should have been questioning his character. And at that moment, Rarity could see clearly what kind of man he would become. A good man. A selfless man. A man who would be there for her when she needed him, and would always put her first. That's what she wanted, and that's what she needed.

Perhaps when this was all over and done with, she'd write to Princess Celestia on what she had learned about one judging others. But that would have to wait until later. For now, she had some unfinished business to attend to.

“Spike?” she said, calling for him to give her his attention.

“Huh?” Spike only had the time to turn his head and face Rarity before he felt himself being forced back as she leaned in to kiss him. A startled groan escaped his throat. Spike hadn't been expecting this, starting to panic as she pressed her muzzle deeper into his. However, after a few moments, he began to relax into her eagerness, to the point that he began to return those affections. Rarity moaned happily. For someone as inexperienced as him, he was a surprisingly good kisser.

“What the heck did I miss?!”

Spike and Rarity's little moment was cut short by the sound of a particularly familiar party pony's voice. Both ponies separated immediately, Rarity wearing the funniest guilty expression as she blushed in embarrassment, while Spike began to whistle in a vain attempt to fake his innocence. Pinkie Pie could only laugh at their situation. These two, sharing what in her opinion was a beautifully intimate moment, and as soon as another pony saw them, they acted as if they had just been caught stealing all of Canterlot's gold.

“Well, how long has THIS been going on?” she asked in a teasing voice.

“Just-Just now!” Rarity answered, sheepish all the way, generating even more hysterics.

“I think this was their first kiss.” Sweetie Belle elated, causing both the smile on Pinkie's face to grow all the brighter and the blush on Rarity to run all the deeper.

“Awww. Really?!” she gasped, walking over to where Sweetie Belle was standing, both of them smiling ear to ear, “That's so cute!”

“Cute?!” Rarity and Spike said in unison, completely floored by Pinkie's attitude towards this, “Doesn't this even bother you?” Rarity asked.

“Nah, I've seen weirder. Besides, it's nice to see something good come out of all this.” Pinkie said with little to no care.

“Wait, why are you here?” Spike spoke up, finally questioning her presence.

Pinkie puffed out her cheeks as she dug down into her thoughts. Why was she here again? Spike and Rarity kissing had really distracted her more than she thought it would. Twilight was going to FREAK OUT when she hears about this. After all, she tended to teeter towards the overprotective type from time to time when involving Spike or Nyx. Who knows what she'd do to Rarity. Then there were their friends. Applejack would no doubt use this to tease Rarity since the two were always fussing each other, but nothing that wouldn't be in good fun. Rainbow Dash on the other hoof would be most immature about it. Pinkie could just see her now, rolling on the ground, snorting and laughing obnoxiously, making herself look like a foal. And Fluttershy...
Fluttershy.

The smile faded from Pinkie's face as the reason as to why she had come came back to her, “Applejack sent me. Something bad has happened.”

“Bad? What's wrong? What's happened?” Rarity asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

Pinkie turned her head away, “I'm not sure. But Fluttershy is in trouble, that I'm sure of. My Pinkie sense has been going haywire since all this started, and not in a way that I've ever felt before.”

“It's a pain in my heart, and it's getting worse,” she said, placing a hoof to her chest.

“What does that mean?”

But Pinkie honestly didn't know. She didn't want to know. But if one thing was for certain, it was that she knew, deep down in her heart, that it could only be one possible thing.
////
GRRRAAAAAAAAWWWRRRRRRR!!!!

Twilight banked to the left as a jet of flames barreled past her. The dragon roared furiously at her, doing everything in its power to destroy the pestful pony. However, she was flying too fast for it to follow, zipping across the sky with the agility of a fly. Not that she felt any safety in this.

Twilight had to put everything into her wing strength just to stay ahead, brushing dangerously close to being hit more than once. This made it difficult to target the beast with her magic, but when she did manage to find the opportunity to strike, the effect of the blast was similar to that of being shoot with a taser-gun. But this didn't seem to faze the dragon enough, only seeming to anger it further. Twilight swooped down and made a pass by a row of buildings, which was followed by the monster's burst stream of destruction, impacting into the structures with such force that it demolished them to the ground.

The mare reevaluated her options and sought for a higher altitude, and in response, the dragon spread its mighty wings and took flight. Soon it caught up with her, roaring out a challenge as they flew against one another in a great circle. Twilight speed up as fast as her wings would allow, but it was futile against the strength the dragon had in the air. So if she couldn't outfly it, perhaps she could outflank it, she thought as she devised a plan. The beast attacked again, blowing huge columns of fire at her. She easily dodged it, but then she dive-bombed, flaying her wings out erratically to make it appear that she had been injured. The dragon quickly followed, gaping its jaws open as it got close to make the kill. But she wasn't finished yet.

Twilight suddenly shot upwards, blasting past the dragon's head up into the sky. The beast wheeled upwards after her, firing more flames at its enemy. But Twilight had anticipated this, stopping and breaking to her right, rolling in the air away from the burning until she faced the beast, flying forwards towards it. Twilight charged up another spell, but this time it was different. The magic she was now casting was one of her most potent of spells, an energy beam that was powerful enough to cut through solid steel. It was one that she did not wish to use, but what choice did she have?

Twilight reared her head back and fired, sending the beam blasting towards the dragon with accurate precision. The spell met its mark, cutting across the dragon's abdomen, contacting on it's left side and working it's way up to the dragon's right shoulder. Twilight waited, expecting at any moment that the dragon would fall, no longer able to fly due to its injury.

Nothing.

“What?!” Twilight gasped in panic. She examined it's body quickly and found that her spell hadn't actually affected the beast at all, not even leaving the mark of a magical burn. But the state of her foe was the least of her problems. She was now on a collision course with the serpent, with no time to fly out of its way, and the distance was closing fast. She had bet on everything that the dragon would drop out of the sky from her attack, and now her miscalculation was going to cost her. She dove fast, able to avoid the hit by flying dangerously close to the underbelly of the beast. She had escaped the jaws of death, but she wasn't fast enough to avoid the flick of its tail, which whirled in the air like a whip and slammed into her, knocking the breath from her lungs as she fell to the earth.

Twilight was falling too fast. She couldn't slow down. She couldn't get her wings to open. She didn't even have the time to teleport. She could only cast a spell that covered her body in a protective shell as she crashed down into one of the buildings below like a meteor. Twilight groaned, fighting to keep herself from falling into unconsciousness. She felt so light-head like she wanted to sleep. Although, maybe that wouldn't be so bad...

No! Don't blackout, Twilight! She told herself, casting a spell that spiked her adrenaline levels. Twilight looked around. The building had ceased to burn long before, and the structure left unstable, it had easily collapsed under her impact. Therefore, she was exposed, and that was a dangerous state to be in. Twilight tried to move, only to scream in the process. She looked down at her left wing and arm, which were trapped under a heavy beam. She tried to move it with her magic, but it hurt too much. No doubt they were broken, that she was almost sure of.

Twilight's blood ran cold as the dragon let out an animalistic bellow, casting its shadow on the mare as it flew low above Ponyville. The dragon glided down and reared it's body up, flapping its wings to slow it's speed as it made a landing several blocks away, standing on top of the buildings that buckled under its weight, but otherwise stayed erect. The beast growled in maleficence, staring across the distance at Twilight with glowing, dagger-like eyes.

“Fool! Did you really think that you could defeat me with your pathetic incantations.” It asked with a cold sneer, mocking her as it began to draw closer. Twilight froze in terror, so silent that she could hear her own heartbeat, “You are not yet strong enough to even harm me with your sorcery, witch.”

Twilight became frantic, trying to move the beam without caring whether or not it put her in excruciating pain. She turned to gauge the approach of the dragon and found herself drawn into its gaze. She had heard that a dragon's most powerful of weapons were deception and the art of manipulation through doubt, and to stare into one's eyes would cause even the mightiest of men to fall under their spell. Now Twilight was under that spell. Unmoved, unable to think. Paralyzed.

“Are you injured? Oh, that is a shame. Your Princess should never have left you alone. Of course, I suppose that I would have had faith in my student after all the great things you have done.” It said, condescension dripping from its tone.

“H-How do you know me?” Twilight forced out, finding it hard to form words.

“Please. Word has spread wide of the mighty deeds done by the infamous Twilight Sparkle.” the beast answered, now standing only two blocks away above the top of the town square, “I have heard how you helped to destroy Nightmare Moon, how you reformed Discord, and threw the great Tirek back into the depths of the abyss. You have done these things as I am told, and yet, I thought you would have put up more of a challenge. How disappointing.”

The serpent smiled demonically, “Not that I didn't expect it. Your Princesses have lived for over a millennium, and in which are powerful indeed, and could drive me from their lands. But for all their strength they cannot harm me, and compared to them, you are young, weak, and broken. Therefore now there is nothing to stop me from taking your precious Canterlot and burn it to the ground, so that I may build my kingdom upon its ashes!”

“Y-You're a monster,” Twilight said, finding that she had no power left in her voice.

“Monster? That is a matter of perspective.” the dragon said with a sort of self-pride, “Your kind rules these lands as if you are safe. As if you think that you cannot be touched, that you cannot be challenged. But in reality, you are at the bottom of the food-chain. The Order of Nature is broken by the chaos. It is then that nature creates monsters to bring back the order. And it is monsters like me, that will show the world how weak you truly are.”

Twilight was silent.

The dragon grinned all the deeper, “For a moment, I considered on letting you live, so that you could see your kingdom fall, and all those you love die. Then you would know how pointless it is for you to resist. To fight.”

“But you know, you and Equestria are the same, and just like it, you need to be put out of your pitiful existence.” it hissed, the belly of the beast began to glow.

CRACK-KABOOM!!!

The sky above the two adversaries was born alight as lightning cracked violently across the clouds, forcing both of their gazes upwards. The flashes were fierce and blinding to the eye, each touching down randomly across the town that steadily made a path towards them. Then a bolt struck down in the middle of the street between them, sending sparks in all directions as the pillar of light lingered for several moments before dissipating, leaving a large white pony behind.

Twilight knew him the moment she laid eyes on him. Novis.

Novis rose from the ground that he knelt upon and stared emotionless at the beast. His form was the same as the day that Twilight had first met him, his size larger than that of even Celestia's. His mane was blown softly in the wind, making his appearance, combined with his unyielding stance and tightening muscles, that of pure strength. His countenance remained unmoved by the dragon's foreboding intimidation, for he was here to make a stand, and he wasn't backing down.

“What is this? Who are you to stand and defy me? To challenge ME?!” it shouted, angered that it had been interrupted from concluding it's sick game, “I lay low one of your 'great' leaders, and yet here before me stands another, who of which I do not know. Shall I be challenged by all, as if to be some spectacle of a sport? And now they send one, who wields no more than parlor tricks? I-”

“Be silent! Hold back your mocking!” Novis said in a calm but commanding voice, which silenced the serpent's tongue, “I am a Servant of the Light, and your words mean nothing but to dishearten and to sow the seeds of doubt in the heart, and I will have none of it!”

The dragon growled angrily, cursing Novis for his wisdom to not heed his words, “So, your will is strong. It is certainly an improvement to my previous engagement.”

“Leave her be,” Novis said defensively, stepping in front of Twilight, “She knows much of magic, but she's still only a child, and as such has much to learn.”

“Ha! It matters not. What is the conquest of one over that of a nation?”

“Indeed. But you enjoy a challenge when it is made as I have seen, so how would it be if I challenge you?” Novis asked.

This statement only made the dragon snort with laughter, “You? What hope do you have against me?”

“Well, it's not for me, but these ponies. It's my duty to protect them. I would even be willing to set up wagers. If I win, you are to leave these lands, never to return.”

“Why should I bother to wager with you, when I have already won? Look around and see all that I have wrought? You are in no position to set anything as such!” the dragon barked, beginning to lose its patience.

“Yes, I can see you've been busy. But business takes time, and time spent needlessly is time wasted. That is why I set another wager. If I lose, everypony in Equestria will leave with no protest, and you will have this kingdom freely.” Novis proposed, grinning confidently at the monster before him.

The dragon craned its head back and thought over it, for a moment considering to accept such a wager. And then the grin on its face became twisted and dark, smiling smugly at Novis, “Your offer is good, but unneeded. If it's any consolation, I was never going to let them live. After all, to let your filthy race continue would be an abomination, one that makes me sick.”

“And I think, I'll start...with you!”

The dragon roared, and rearing its head back, it sent a blaze of fire at the stallion. Novis never moved, he only closed his eyes as the flames took him. Twilight cried out in alarm, conjuring up a field of magic to shield her from the oncoming flames. Twilight couldn't believe that Novis had stood there and done nothing, allowing himself to be killed. Everything about this was insane, and now they were all going to lose their lives.

A tear fell from Twilight's eye.

The dragon ceased it's assault and laughed, “HA! So much for the noble one!” It hissed out with glee, it's tongue darting out of its mouth like the snake it was.

It continued to laugh until it noticed the flames had not died away. The flames danced around in a sphere, swirling about like hurricanes upon the Globe. It became like a fluid, rippling like water as it began to reform itself. The fire changed color. From the hot orange of embers to the soft vibrancy of blue, glowing as static ripped across its surface. Twilight watched as the sphere grew in brilliance, before it shot like a bullet, smacking the dragon in the abdomen, sending it flying back into the buildings behind.

Novis stood unharmed before Twilight, a frown burned deep in his expression as anger filled his being,

“Oh, you should've taken the offer.”

Novis turned his gaze to the sky, which as if in response to his will, darkened and contorted into the full strength of a storm. Thunder rolled across the town, the rumbling shaking the earth with its power. Twilight looked in awe at him, expecting to see him display a spectacle of magical mastery. But, his horn wasn't glowing, no aurora of magic came off from his body. He was in control of the storm, but he was in control by the principal of mere thought.

The clouds swirled in a vortex above, as lightning struck down in the street at every point. Static pulsated from Novis's limbs, his horn glowing as he casted a spell that lifted him three feet from the ground. He started mumbling back into his native language, reciting ancient incantations that attracted the bolts to strike his body, though no matter how strong any of them were, none did him any harm. With each bolt, his form changed, from that in the physical realm to a being of pure energy. Twilight watched as his body was enveloped in yet another sphere.

The lightning from the storm ceased its assault, the sphere now strong enough to generate it's own. Streams of electricity touched upon the buildings around, moving up and down the sides like a lightning orb. Symbols of his language danced in the air around the sphere as well, forming the Sorcerer's Circle.

Then it ended in an explosion of light and sound.

Twilight placed her hoof over her face to protect herself from the dust and small stones that blew past. The wind was picking up now, whipping past in short burst. Twilight looked into the cloud of smoke left behind by the orb of light. The smoke was picked up by the breeze, and clearing away the veal, revealed the form hidden behind.

Twilight gasped.

What was before her was NOT a pony. The silhouette stood on two legs, increasing it's height exceptionally. As the form became more clear, she saw that it was indeed Novis, but was also very much human. Only, he wasn't like any human she had ever seen. Twilight had estimated that the humans she had seen were just a bit taller than Cadance was, ranging around the four-foot spectrum by their measurements. But he was much larger, unquestionably greater than six feet. Also, his skin was no longer white, but a light-tanned fleshy color. His electric-blue hair danced lightly in the breeze along with the robes he wore. He wore his robes like a trench coat, long, gray clothing along with a blue cloth that he had placed around his shoulders like a pontiff, while hard metal armor was worn underneath. Yes, he would indeed be considered human, if not for one thing.

Two, magnificent wings that protruded from his shoulders, flexing and cracking in anticipation for what was to come.

An Angel.

“My God.” Twilight allowed to slip from her lips, frozen in disbelief.

Lightning lit up the street as the beginning of rain poured down, filling the scene with its sound. Yet, another sound penetrated the air with it. The dragon had picked itself back up and roared out in a terrible rage. Novis braced himself, just as the beast took a large stone that it held in its claws and through it at the biped, hoping to crush him like an insect. The stone hurled at him with tremendous speed, but Novis stood his ground, lifting his hands up in a motion to catch it. The rock made impact with its target head-on, and Twilight was certain that he would be killed, however, it was not to be. The man was forced back by the impact, his legs tearing through the mud twenty feet back, but he came to a halt quickly, holding the boulder over his head.

Twilight was astounded. The stone no doubt weight over a ton, and yet here he was, grunting under it before he tossed it to the ground beside him. Novis put his hands out, allowing a current of electricity to flow between his fingertips, until he ramped up enough energy could be fired, jerking his arms at the dragon to shoot lightning at it through his hands. Each bolt hit the beast at a different point, and with each, the serpent shrieked in anger and pain.

Novis then jumped into the air, and with a spin his form became pure light before he literally cracked like a thunderbolt and struck the dragon, sending them both up into the clouds in a display of blinding light.

Twilight squeaked in both alarm and pain the moment Novis lit up the street with his body, shutting her eyes tightly and covering them with her hoof. Twilight whimpered in agony, hissing as it shot through her brain like a knife. Twilight lifted her gaze around, trying to see her surroundings. But she couldn't, for everything she looked upon was black.

Twilight was blind.

Her world now in darkness, Twilight's hearing became hyper-focused, picking up on even the most subtle of sounds. Minutes past by, and Twilight darted her head left and right, listening and becoming ever fearful for what might come. The rain made it difficult to hear, but for a moment, the mare thought she heard...flapping. Yes, after a moment of focusing on the sound, it was clear that she was hearing the wing-beat of a creature approaching. For a moment, she became afraid. Was it the dragon returning? No, it was too soft a sound for such a massive beast. So, Twilight continued to listen curiously, and soon she found her answer.

“TWILIGHT!? TWILIGHT, ARE YOU HERE?” a voice called out, one that was familiar and pleasant to her ears.

“Flash? I'm here! I need you!” she called, soon hearing his steady approach.

“Twilight? Oh man, what happened?” he asked, walking over to the beam trapping Twilight.

“It's a long story. Please just get me out of here. It hurts too much for me to do it on my own.”

Flash Sentry complied and got into a lifting position, grunting as he picked the slab of wood off the ground. Twilight bit down on her hoof as the pain shoot up her side, muffled whimpers escaping her throat. But the pain soon past and the beam was put to the side, Flash now smiling down on the mare.

“There! That wasn't so bad, now was it?” he said, leaning down to help her up, “Can you walk on your own?”

“No, I can't see. Something's wrong with my eyes. Agh!” Twilight cried, falling to her knees the moment she tried to take a step. Flash was immediately by her side, picking her back up and allowing her to lean on his side.

“Stay with me. You've fractured your leg, so try to keep it off the ground.” he directed, taking a look at Twilight, “let me check you.”

The pegasus took a small flashlight from his bags and flashed it in her eyes, checking her pupil dilation reaction, “Can you see anything at all?”

“No.”

“Alright, it looks like there's some nerve damage to the cornea. Nothing permanent I think, but here.” Flash took two pieces of cotton and placed them over her eyes, then taking out a roll of bandages, he wrapped them around her head and over her eyes to keep the white fluff in place.

“Okay, that should keep them from getting any worse,” he said, beginning to lead Twilight away from the broken remains of the building, 

“Come on, we need to get to Fluttershy's house.”

“Fluttershy's? Why?” Twilight asked, a sense of urgency in her voice.

“I don't know. Something's happened, and Applejack and Rainbow Dash ran off in a hurry, but I don't have the details. They told me to come find you.”

“And Nyx? Is she...?”

“Nyx is fine. She's with Applejack.” Flash reassured, calming any fears Twilight may have had regarding her only child.

Twilight lowered her head, her mind filled with discontent and worry. She was happy to know that two of her friends and Nyx were fine, but Fluttershy? She hoped to Celestia that she was okay. The two continued to walk as the rain fell, damping their coats with each drop while the stallion led the way. Twilight leaned on Flash Sentry as they moved, using him as her crutch. But she was glad that he was here, even if he was hard to talk to...

“Flash?” she asked softly, gaining his attention, “Did...you call me Twilight?”

Flash stiffened a little, feeling a sense of nervousness, “I-I guess I did.”

Twilight was silent for a moment, and then hummed happily, “Thank you.” she said, leaning just a little closer to him than before.
////
Everything was quiet, save for the falling rain and the occasional roll of thunder. But to Twilight, the world was full of sound. She could hear everything, from the rustling of leaves in the trees to the faint bellow of the dragon far up in the clouds above. After everything that had happened today, she was going to have to have a long time to evaluate matters. Her sense of smell was also sensitive at the moment, picking up the scent of the wet grass, the rain, and smoke.

They were nearing the cottage now, and Twilight could smell the smoldering fumes as they approached. She could tell that there ware multiple ponies running to and fro, shouting and running around to accomplish some task that was unknown to her, “Flash, what's happening?” She asked, now relying on him for her sight.

“The cottage is on fire! Everypony is working to extinguish the flames. They almost have it out!” he said, looking around for her friends.

“And Fluttershy? Can you see her?” Twilight asked hopefully.

“No. She's not here,” he said dejectedly, letting out a sigh.

“Twilight!” a voice called, the pony it belonged to walking up hurriedly beside them.

“Applejack?” Twilight called, suddenly feeling herself being wrapped into a strong hug, immediately recognizing the pony by the smell of green apples on her coat. But there was something else, a wetness on her cheeks. She was crying.

“Oh Twilight, thank Celestia you're safe!” she said, sniffing as she wiped away a few tears from her eyes. The farm pony looked up at the mare, and gasped the moment she saw the bandages, “Are you alright?”

“I'm...fine, Applejack. I should ask the same of you. Are you crying? What's wrong?” Twilight asked, before another question raised itself up in her mind, “Wait, where's Fluttershy?”

“She's gone, Twilight. She's gone!” Applejack cried, trembling in her voice.

“What do you mean she's gone?” Flash Sentry asked before Twilight quieted him and raised a hoof to her friend.

“Applejack, what's happened?” she asked, though she was afraid of the answer.

“Oh Twilight...” she began.

Twilight's ears drooped, for by the way that Applejack held her tone, she knew what she was going to say.

“Fluttershy's...dead.”
////
> Chapter 12-Lazarus
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

////
Chapter 12-Lazarus
////
The rain fell violently against Novis as he hovered in the clouds. Everything in the vale was darkness, only illuminated by the cracks of lightning that struck around him. Most ponies would have feared to be in the midst of such a dangerous place, but no fear came into Novis’ mind. The storm was where he was in his natural state, and nowhere else did he feel calmer and at peace.

But calm was not what he was looking for in this storm. He had brought the dragon up here above the clouds to get it away from the people, not to mention that it gave him the edge he needed over the beast. However, it was easy to conceal one’s self in this storm, and the dragon had used that to its advantage the first chance it got. Now it was biding its time, waiting for the right moment to strike. Novis would have felt a sense of weariness if it were not for his experience, but this was not the first time he had been forced into conflict with one of these brutes. It certainly wasn’t the most dangerous of creatures he had faced.

He could hear it, the low, rumbling growl of the creature as the rain dampened his hair and clothes. This beast was an old and cunning one, a descendant of the purer dragon bloodlines, and therefore his armor would be strong. Novis knew this, and therefore, he needed something that would pierce its hide. So Novis reached out his hand, speaking a word heard by no one, and then a sword formed in his grasp.

“Eӧl,” he said to himself, looking down upon the blade.

The sword he held was of black iron, black as onyx, but reflecting like silver in the light. For Eӧl was a sword given to him by the woodsponies of the south, who forged it from a mystic stone, born from a star that had fallen from the heavens. The sword itself was curved in it’s design, ancient enchantments inscribed into the blade, and a purple jewel ordained the head of its handle. It was a sword that he had been forced to use many times and was saddened to use once more.

There was a sound, almost unnoticeable in the wind, silent and subtle, but not one that escaped his awareness. Novis turned, just as a monstrous form barreled towards him like an unstoppable force, threatening to slam into him with over a hundred tons of force.

But Novis was ready.

The beast flew at its enemy, intent on devouring the strange creature who had dared to challenge him but found itself suddenly being lifted further up into the air. Novis held onto its underbelly, rising higher, before slashing at its scales breaking through its armor, cutting into its flesh and drawing blood. The dragon screamed out in surprise and anger, slapping its wings down on its belly to try and crush the threat, but Novis dodged each one, slashing at its wings in defense each time they fell, only to be swatted away in one quick stroke.

Lightning flashed and thunder cracked as the two powerful opponents fought to overcome the other. The beast roared out in rage, blowing flames and wiping its tail at him, while Novis fired shot after shot of electricity at its body.

The selfishness and hate that consumed the beast’s mind sickened Novis. It was an insult to everything this creatures once were, and the more he thought of it, the more he was filled with anger. Novis yelled out in defiance as he concentrated on a spell that he had learned from Twilight, enveloping him in its turquoise light before he disappeared.

The dragon looked around in a kind of animalistic frenzy trying to find the vanished being, which made it completely unaware of the flash of light above it, nor did it hear the sound of his enemy falling, only releasing too late as a stinging pain shot through the back of its head. Novis drove the blade deep into its flesh, connecting with its nerves and spine as it cried out in painful rage. The beast writhed in pain, but because it was so large, it wasn’t fatally wounded. That was not Novis’ intent. With the sword secure in its nape, Novis reached for the sky, summoning all the energy in the storm to come down in one bolt of lightning into his hand, before slamming that energy into the helm of the sword.

The scream that the dragon made was painful to the ears as the electricity coursed through its body, dying down to a weak gagging sound that was drowned out by the rain. Its form limp, Novis grunted as he pulled out the sword, watching as the lifeless body fell passed the clouds down to the earth. He wiped the back of his hand across his bottom lip, reeling in disgust and annoyance as he withdrew it and saw the blood that stained him. His body ached from the blows he had been dealt, but nothing that would leave any permanent scars.

Novis looked up at the sky, thinking for a moment as a realization came to his mind as the rain fell softly on his face. This...this was what he was meant for. It almost made him laugh that he had so easily forgotten. In his despair, he had lost his way, but now, now he felt his purpose again. To protect life, and punish evil in all its forms, that was why he had been made.

But, as he hovered in the air motionless, a dark feeling entered his senses. Something was wrong.

Something terrible.
////
“Get those flames out, NOW!”

Ponies scattered about as they fought against the flames, earth-ponies holding the hoses as the unicorns used their magic to pump the water from the pond. The flames from the inferno were intense, engulfing the cottage and the nearby trees in a mad firestorm. Rainbow Dash had gathered as many ponies as she could, but even then there weren’t many to help. Ponyville was the main focus at this moment, something that Rainbow hated to agree with.

Applejack worked to direct the earth-ponies and unicorns on the ground, while Dash and four other pegasi worked to use the rain clouds that hovered over Ponyville to help put the fire out. They were strange. Rainbow Dash and the other pegasi felt it, almost as if the clouds were alive themselves. They were like no other weather clouds she had encountered, and there was no doubt in her mind that no other pony had ever seen a storm like this before that day.

But, the only thing that mattered was that the clouds were cooperative, almost willing to help. This was a relief, as storm clouds tended to be a little...ill-tempered. Rainbow had always wondered about the reasons behind this, having it finally answered years ago that the weather had a little bit of magic within itself, giving it somewhat of a personality if you could call it that. It was the one silver lining in all of this.

With the clouds positioned, the pegasi bucked at them to give the rain a jump-start, pouring down their contents onto the fiery cottage. The ponies on the ground pounded the flames more fierce than ever, beating back the inferno with unbreakable zeal. Slowly, the flames began to die, leaving behind the charcoaled remains of what was Fluttershy’s home.

“That’s good! Keep it goin’!” Applejack called.

The ponies redoubled their efforts as the fire died away, which signaled Rainbow Dash to immediately fly down to search the opened shell of her friend’s house. Applejack dropped her grip on the hose and ran over to Rainbow, who was working in a frenzy searching, hoping, that her darkest fear was not a reality.

“Rainbow, slow down.” Applejack said, leaning in behind the mare.

“No! We have to find her! She could be hurt. BAD.” Rainbow answered, scraping her way through the rubble.

Applejack blinked a few times, staring at her friend with a sense of concern before shrugging it off, “Alright, Rainbow. Just calm down.”

“Applejack!” a tiny voice called.

The farm pony turned her head to acknowledge the voice as Sweetie Belle came running over the creek bridge towards her. Rarity, Pinkie, and a stallion she did not recognize were close in tow, looking with worry and fret.

“Oh my Celestia, what...what happened?” Rarity spoke, the tone of her voice conveying the shock and astonishment she felt.

“I don’ rightly know. But from what I can guess, this is probably where that varmint entered Ponyville” Applejack said, stepping aside to make way for her sister as she and the rest of her friends ran over to reunite themselves with Sweetie Belle, “Do ya think you can help?”

“Of course! Oh, I do hope that the poor dear is good and well. Just look what that ruffian did to her home.” Rarity said, stepping forwards while Pinkie hopped into action.

“You can help out too, mister. If ya don’ mind, that is.” Applejack said directly to Spike, still not having made the connection.

“Ahh, Applejack, it’s-” Rarity began, only to be silenced as Applejack raising her hoof.

“You can introduce me to your new friend later, we’ve got work to do.”

Rarity opened her mouth to protest, but closed it as soon as she made eye contact with Spike, who just shook his head and gestured with his head to help him in the search. Rarity looked at Applejack again, smiling sheepishly and giving a weak laugh as she joined him to search over near the west side of the cottage. Applejack just shrugged it off as nothing as she went back over to Rainbow Dash, who was steadily looking worse by the moment as her search turned up nothing. This was growing the concern in Applejack’s mind. She didn’t want to give up hope but, she had the facts staring her in the face, and she couldn’t deny what might lie as the truth.

“Rainbow, listen…”

“What?” Rainbow said with barely any acknowledgment, instead focusing on her endless search.

“I know you wanna find her. Believe me, I do too. But, well...just look around.” Applejack gestured to all the ruin that surrounded them, “There’s not much of her place left. I hope, I pray that she’s okay, but we might have to assume that maybe-”

“Shut up,” Rainbow whispered, her voice only raising loud enough for the earth-pony to hear.

“Rainbow, I just-”

“I said SHUT UP! Fluttershy is FINE, AJ! So just stop talking!” Dash bellowed angrily, shaking slightly from her own inner fears. Applejack stared at her in surprise at such an outburst, ready to counter it with some yelling of her own.

“I FOUND SOMEPONY!”

Rainbow Dash and Applejack both snapped their attention towards the voice, which came from a stallion digging near the back of the house where the structure remained mostly intact. The two ran over as fast as they could, with Applejack surprisingly running faster than her friend. However, before either of them could make eye contact with the pony under the rubble, they were pushed aside as Doctor Stable and a few nurses came to see what they could do, keeping the two ponies away from knowing what had happened to their friend.

“Move back! Make way!"

“Get me the defibrillator, quick!”

“It’s not working!” one of the nurses shouted, words which pierced the ears of Rainbow and Applejack like a cold blade.

“No,” Dash whispered.

“Well, what did you expect? She’s probably been lying here rotting for over an hour!” a nurse with a brash attitude said, earning a glare from the doctor.

“Scalpel! Now is NOT the time! Her friends are here, for Celestia’s sake!” Doctor Stable eyed the two mares behind him, along with the other three who were now walking over to what was going on. Desperately he started to push down on her chest, leaning in from time to time to lock lips with her, trying to breathe new life into the girl. The two mares shifted right behind him, afraid to look over his shoulder as he groaned, slowly rising and letting out a deep, pained sigh.

“I’m...I’m sorry. She’s too far gone.” he sighed, turning his head to the group as he stepped away from the lifeless form of Fluttershy.

Rarity stifled a cry as she put her hooves to her mouth, turning away into Spike’s comforting hold, while Pinkie Pie herself was silent, not yet able to process the death of her friend. And what was before them was not a pretty sight. Fluttershy laid motionless on the ground covered in dirt and ash, dirtying her coat with black and gray. A horrible looking burn scar ran down the back of her head, trailing down her left ear to the joint of her wing, black and deformed in some areas and red and blooded in others. And yet there was a calm on her face, a morbid peace despite the pain she must have gone through, the bruises and the long splinter of wood that punctured the right side of her abdomen, stained to its sharpened tip with her blood.

“No…no,” Rainbow mumbled in shock, falling down to her knees beside Fluttershy’s body.

“Rainbow, I’m sorry.” Applejack put her hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder, looking down on what was left of the kindest mare she knew. Rainbow just continued to shake her head, resisting the truth of what she saw as she repeated the same word over and over to herself.

“Come on, there’s nothing we can do.” Applejack reached for Dash’s hoof, but was batted away as the cyan mare suddenly lunged at Fluttershy, grabbing hold of her body and shaking it violently.

“Fluttershy, god damn it!” she screamed, shaking the body back and forth in such a rage that if the mare had been alive she would easily have broken her neck.

“Rainbow?!” Applejack shouted, laying on the ground as she had fallen backward when Rainbow bolted, staring at her in disbelief.

“Wake up, you BITCH! WAKE UP!” Rainbow screamed with an almost insane malice, tears beginning to swell in the corner of her eyes as she began to slap Fluttershy across the face. All in a vain attempt to get some response that would never come, striking again and again while lightning cracked across the empty sky.

“Rainbow, stop it! That’s ENOUGH!” Applejack barked angrily, grabbing Rainbow around her stomach and holding her arms back, slowly dragging her away, fighting against the pegasi’s struggles.

“NO! NO!!! WAKE UP!!! WAKE UP! Wake up!” Rainbow cried. Each time she spoke, the words in her mouth becoming weaker until the only sound she made was her attempt to catch her breath as the tears and the pain took all her strength away.

“I know Dash, I know. Shush...” Applejack hushed her, the tears beginning to well in her eyes as well.

Applejack held Rainbow close to her body, rocking her softly against her chest, trying to calm her down with soothing words. The rain was falling in an almost ethereal slowness, haunting as each drop fell to dampen their coats and the ground they sat upon.

“Why y'all cryin’? What’s goin’ on?” Applebloom asked curiously, standing right next to her friends looking around Applejack and Rainbow to see what all the fuss was about.

“Rarity, for Celestia’s sake, get those youngins outta here! They don’t need to see this.” Applejack said, looking back down to the distraught form of Rainbow in her arms. Rarity composed herself long enough to walk over and direct the fillies away, having to gain the help of Spike to keep them from seeing Fluttershy.

“Umm, Ap...Applejack?” Pinkie said timidly as she tapped the farm-pony on the shoulder. Applejack turn around to see a surprisingly composed and calm-natured Pinkie Pie staring back at her, though she could still see through her eyes the hurt the mare felt.

“Yes, Pinkie?”

“Twilight’s coming. I was wondering if, if you wanted me to tell her?” she asked, wearing a sad, expecting expression on her face, pointing in the direction of the bridge where Twilight was being accompanied by Flash.

“No. Stay here with Rainbow. I should tell her.” Applejack said, wiping away the tears from her eyes. Applejack walked away with her head held low. She couldn’t believe that this was happening. Fluttershy, her friend, was gone. Nothing in her power could change that. She could only imagine understanding the thoughts that were going through Rainbow Dash’s mind at this time. The anger, the grief, the feeling of helplessness. Feelings that were beginning to plague Applejack’s mind as well. If only they had been able to help. If only they had been given the chance. The mare looked up to face the coming Twilight, herself beginning to move at a quicker pace than before. Pinkie had pointed out Twilight directly to her, but only now did it finally click in her mind.

“Twilight!” she exclaimed, running ahead and embraced the alicorn in a strong hug, happy to see that she had made it out okay.

“Applejack?” Twilight called, though her response remained unnoticed by the farm pony.

“Oh Twilight, thank Celestia you're safe!” she said, sniffing as she wiped away a few tears from her eyes. She released Twilight from her grasp and look at her face, gasped the moment she saw her face, her eyes completely concealed behind the bandages she wore over her head, “Are you alright?” she asked, clearly concerned.

“I'm...fine, Applejack. I should ask the same of you. Are crying? What's wrong?” Twilight asked, before another question raised itself up in her mind, “Wait, where's Fluttershy?”

“She's gone, Twilight. She's gone!” Applejack cried, trembling in her voice. This was somehow harder to say than it was to accept.

“What do you mean she's gone?” the guard accompanying her asked before Twilight quieted him and raised a hoof to her friend.

“Applejack, what's happened?” she asked.

“Oh Twilight...” she began, which caused Twilight's ears to droop.

“Fluttershy's...dead.”

Twilight stared at Applejack for the longest time, her expression as emotionless as stone. She then moved the mare out of her way, relying on Flash Sentry to take her to her fallen companion. Applejack watched as Twilight stood in front of the corpse with solemn interest, asking Flash to be her eyes, which Applejack listened to every word.

“How does she look?” she asked, turning her head up to look at Flash who she could not hope to see.

“Dirty. Bloody too. She...has a splintered board sticking out of her.” he answered with a hint of discomfort.

“Did she suffer?” Twilight asked again, only this time in a tone that could have been mistaken for coldness.

“Twilight, I really don’t think that-”

“Did she SUFFER?!” she shouted, startling both Flash, Applejack, and anypony who was close enough to the princess.

“N-No. No, I don’t think so. She looks peaceful, like she died in her sleep.”

Twilight turned away, clearly have trouble containing her emotions as she tried to prevent herself from screaming. Applejack could tell she wasn’t taking this very well, more than likely it was tearing her apart from the inside. But at the same time, she was trying to keep herself composed, if not for the sake of the ponies around.

“It’s coming back!”

“RUN!!!”

Applejack, Flash, and Twilight were alarmed to the frightened screams and cries by those around, instinctively looking upwards for the incoming monster. Out from beneath the cloud cover near the opposite side of town a large, blackened form came crashing through the darkened vale. Twilight wanted to fight back, her muscles tightening as her head swayed in different directions, only to fall on Flash Sentry’s side as the pain in her leg rippled through her being.

“Everypony! Move, move!” Applejack ordered, beginning to herd the ponies towards the nearby trees, not making any time to stop and waste any time.

Twilight, who turned her head to face Flash, readied a spell in preparation for the last stand. “Get ready,” she said, bracing herself for what was to come.

Applejack hurried the ponies along, doing her best to keep them from panicking when she looked up again at the massive form plummeting closer to the ground, and that’s when she noticed the speed at which it was falling and the lack of movement it had.

“Wait!” Applejack called, pointing her hoof up to the sky, “It’s not slowing down. It...It’s falling!”

Her words were enough to force everypony’s attention to the skies above, and whether they looked with curiosity, stupidity, or vain hope, no one could know. But one thing was certain, and it was that the beast was not flying, or moving for that matter. Only falling to the earth from over a mile high above the town outskirts.

It started slowly, a pony or two stomping on the ground as the lifeless form of the dragon impacted down in the forest, shaking the ground mildly from the force of the crash. Then it began to strengthen in sound as more ponies joined in, raising their voices up in triumph and hope, a sound that could be heard from a mile away. 

“What...what’s happened? Why hasn’t it attacked?” Twilight asked, confused by the uproar around her.

“It’s dead. The dragon is dead!” Applejack let out a yell, raising her voice up with everypony else's. The sound of ponies celebrating could be heard coming up from the town, shouting and cheering in sweet relief.

The applause soon died away as the rays of the sun began to slip through the overlying vale, which, to some, revealed a shadow upon them. A few ponies turned, staring in awe at the being hanging in midair behind them. Gasps rose up among the ponies, forcing the attention of the others to look behind themselves as well, until the commotion reacted Applejack’s ears, turning to see the creature with surprise and a sense of fear. 

Novis had come.
////
Fear. He could sense it in every single one of them. The natural fear of the unknown. The uncertainty of his presence, the inability to discern him as friend or foe. Many of the ponies who stood before him were paralyzed in their places, unable to process what he was. Others were more solid, staring at him with skepticism and weariness.

Novis could feel the tension among them as his feet touched the earth, he himself towering over the tallest of them by at least three feet. Many of the ponies backed away from him, giving him his space as he looked around, and continued to do so as he stepped forwards. Of course, the sword in his hand dripping lightly with the blood of the beast didn’t help with making him any less intimidating. But that was not what was on his mind, but rather the whispers that coursed through the crowd like a conduit.

“What IS that thing?” one stallion said, looking on with uneasiness and suspicion.

“Get away from it!” another mare hissed, pulling her foal back as he walked passed.

And yet, not every emotion he encountered was a negative one. Some, who had seen him fighting against the monster that had threatened their lives, were more thankful than their frightened companions, clamoring and chattering amongst themselves over his victory.

“He killed it. He killed the dragon!”

“He saved us...”

It was...strange, yet somehow familiar. Refreshing really, looking ahead to lay his eye upon Twilight and her friends. However, he KNEW that something was wrong. He could feel it in the air, the cold presence of death. Novis stuck his sword into the ground and walked forwards, stopping the moment his eyes fell upon the lifeless form of the yellow pegasus.

“Oh...” he sighed in sadness, witnessing the pain of this poor soul’s friends, and the heartache felt most from Rainbow Dash.

“Excuse me, but who are you?”

Novis turned to look down upon Applejack’s face, looking up with an expression that spoke of uneasiness and sorrow, yet wanting to know the identity of this strange new creature before her. 

“You already know who I am, Applejack.” 

“Novis?” Applejack stood in wonder, backing up a step while she continued to stare. Spike and Rarity heard this as well, shocked by the form of which he had taken. As did Pinkie, who held Rainbow Dash close trying to sooth the mare who was oblivious to the rest of the world, weeping quietly to herself.

“Twilight?” Novis kneeled down in front of the mare, frowning at the sight of her blindness, “Speak your mind.”

“I failed.” Twilight whispered, the words catching in her throat, straining her as she forced herself to complete her sentence, “I wasn’t strong enough to be there for her. I...”

“No, you did everything you could. I would expect nothing more of you than what you have already contributed, Twilight,” he said gently, surprising Twilight in the change of tone he had from just a few hours before, and putting her off even further when he placed his arms around and hugged her, holding her in his warm comfort.

Novis finally let go, his hands placed on her shoulders as he looked upon her with tired, sympathizing eyes. Yet, he began to become aware of a cheering swiping upon the crowd, praising and celebrating the death of the dragon.

“It’s dead! He killed the dragon!”

“Thank Celestia!”

These words and more entered Novis’ ears, permeating his mind with this...ungodly bloodlust, until it came to the point that he could take no more.

“Why do you praise death?” Novis questioned with disappointment, standing up to face the crowd, quieting the ponies around him with his loud, condemning words, “It is a horrible thing. Yes, the beast paid for his crimes with his life, as he deserved, but don't praise it. Even if it was a life of little worth. A life not worth as much as...as hers.”

Novis looked down upon Fluttershy, troubled by the scar that she bore. Burning, charred flesh contrasted against a soft yellow coat. It was a sickening sight that he held all too familiar in his mind.

“Why...why do the innocent suffer? Isn’t it the act of god?” he questioned, one that nopony knew to answer, because it was not a question for them, but one for himself alone which he answered with a shake of his head, “And yet, we forget the devil in each of us.” he whispered, words uttered for no one to hear.

“It is not her time,” he said soothingly, breaking the reverie of his own thoughts. Novis gave a solemn smile as he knelt down by her body, beginning to pick her up in his arms.

“What are you doing? Leave her ALONE!” Rainbow Dash cried, fighting out of Pinkie’s grasp and pounding her hooves into his arms, crying weakly as she did so. Novis grabbed her arms, easily working her down, but gently still, looking into her face and feeling her hurt, placing his hand on her cheek as she continued to cry in front of him.

“Rainbow…”

Dash looked up at him with a broken spirit, wanting nothing but for her friend to be left alone. Yet, as she stared into those eyes, ancient and full of wisdom, compassionate and warm, she felt a strange calm, as if everything in life had halted in a dream-like world, and that everything would be alright.

Novis released her from his grasp and lifted Fluttershy off of the ground, turning to look at all the ponies who watched his every movement in wonder. Novis now lifted up slowly off the ground in a field of magic, rising above their heads while a soft glow emulated from his body. Novis hung twenty feet from the ground, looking down at the ponies looking on to see what he would do next, before placing his attention back on the body he held in his hands, the calm shroud of eternal peace upon her face.

Novis tried to reach out to the one who could fix this, the one who could set things right. Yet, there was nothing. Novis tried again, but to avail. Novis became desperate, calling out his name, hoping, praying to only hear his voice. But there was nothing. Only the sound of every lost soul he had been powerless to save.

Failure. A memory whispered in his mind.

“Please…Just this one last time.” Novis said, a tear rolling down his eye as he held Fluttershy close.

Novis

Novis raised his head, surprised and entranced by the whispered answer given him.

Why do you doubt, as if I would abandon you?

“I-I couldn’t see beyond my failures. I am a disgrace to you.”

You are my son, as are all. And there is nothing that you have done that would make me ashamed of you

Novis looked upwards to the sky, which had cast away it’s blanket of clouds to reveal the sun shining in his eyes, bathing him in its golden warmth.

I am proud of you, my friend

He could only smile as he felt the familiar power pool within him, using him for its purpose. His eyes shot open, revealing nothing but glowing light as his body pulsated with a golden aura that folded reality, surrounding the two in an orb of many colors. Novis let go of her body spreading his arms outwards as her body was left suspended in the sphere, while all eyes watched on in awe and wonder. Novis breathed in the air and released it into Fluttershy’s mouth and into her being. The orb of light and color suddenly exploded with golden threads, blowing past everypony, who had to look away at the brilliance of its dissolving form.

Novis returned his hands to Fluttershy, holding her close as he came away from his trance. He looked down at the mare, staring as she suddenly breathed in and sighed, resting without a care and the tiniest of smiles on her face. Soon she began to stir, which prompted her to wince a little as she lifted a hoof to the back of her head where her scar ran down.

“Oww. W-what’s going…” she began to ask, but fell silent when she opened her eye to be met face to face with the angelic form holding her, “W-What? Eep.” she twitched, shielding her face with her hooves in fright.

“Don’t be afraid,” he said with a voice as soothing as water, brushing his hand through her mane.

“Novis?” she asked, looking up in question as if trying to see if she could recognize the man she had seen only days before. Novis smiled with a loving warmth, feeling a sense of happiness that he had thought he would never feel again. It was-

There was a fleeting sense of pain through his being for a moment, one that set him off center. Then it came again, this time more sharp and potent than the last.

“Novis, are you alright?” Fluttershy asked, looking at him with a concerned frown on her face.

“I-I…” he tried to speak, but found himself clenching his chest as he Fluttershy slipped out of his hold. Novis let out a painful groan, before his eyes rolled back and he fell to the earth, unconscious and silent as he fell.

“Oh my goodness, Novis!”
////
Echoes in the darkness of his mind. Sounds and colors dancing in a lucid trace before him as he slipped back and for between the conscious and unconscious. Senses were heightened, and as such, he felt like he was hanging above mountains, suspended animation, a world of dreams and imagination. A sky filled with stars and galaxies unnumbered, nebulae, and planets, all surrounding him, full of wonder.

Yet, all dreams eventually come to an end, and Novis began to awaken from his own. He steered, beginning to become aware of where he was at. It was a small room painted with an olive green on the walls with pearl white bases. But there were more colors than that in the room, provided by an array of flowers and fruits placed in baskets on the table and around the bed he lay upon. Novis shifted on the bed, groaning as he felt a dale pain in his left arm, hissing when it became a sharp stab. He placed his hand on his head, only to find that it was no longer a hand but hoof, white and mildly dirty. He concluded that he must have changed back to his normal form while unconscious, returning to the same size that was slightly larger than the average pony.

“It’s nice to see you up.”

Novis turned his head to the right. Twilight lay only a few feet away from him in another bed, bandages covering her eyes, as well as her left wing and arm, which were bandaged and put into a cast. Novis looked at the mare half awake, starting to regain his focus.

“How’re you feeling?” she asked, instinctively turning her head to him, even though she didn’t have any hope of seeing him.

“As your rainbow friend would put it, I feel like crap.” he moaned, laying his head back to get himself more comfortable.

“Well, at least you still have your personality,” she smirked, letting out a little chuckle.

Novis let out a snort, “What happened? How long was I out?” he asked, looking to the mare.

“A few hours. You passed out while hovering at a good height above the ground. Honestly, you're lucky your arm was the only thing you broke. Heck, you're in better shape than I am.” she pointed her free hoof at her injuries.

Novis considered this, and it certainly made sense. After all, he wasn’t as strong as he used to be. He looked at Twilight and frowned. He had seen her in this condition only a little while before, but only now did it truly register in his mind, “Will you be alright? Your eyes...”

“They’ll be fine. Though, I’ll probably have to use glasses if I want to read a book for who knows how long,” she answered softly as if it were nothing but a slight inconvenience.

Novis figured just to accept that answer and leave it at that, turning his attention instead upon all the baskets of fruits, cakes, and flowers. Little gifts and cards from children were stacked on the dresser, and one or two bottles of wine and sandwiches were placed here and there.

“What’s all this?” he asked, surprised and perplexed by all these items.

Twilight gave a confused look before she realized just what exactly he was talking about, “Oh, you know. A lot of the ponies in town thought that they were obligated to send you those things for saving their livelihoods. Apparently saving everypony generates gratitude.” she said with a smirk, wondering what his face looked like at the moment.

“Ha ha.” he gave a fake laugh, rolling his eyes as he looked at the number of gifts she had around her bed as well, “It seems you made out with a few things yourself.”

“Yes...I heard them when they brought this stuff in. Though, I don’t feel like I deserve it.”

Novis tilted his head at this comment, looking at her while he listened to her thoughts, “Something troubling you?”

“I wasn’t strong enough to handle the dragon on my own. If you hadn’t shown up, I don’t what to think about what would have happened.” Twilight lowered her head down to herself, beginning to feel as if all that she had contributed in the fight had amounted to nothing, “And...I didn’t respect you enough to allow you to keep your thoughts to yourself, like you wanted.”

Novis frowned, looking at her with pity. Though what she said was true in a sense, he was not entirely free of blame, and she needed to know that, “No.”

Twilight looked up and turned to him, facing him with a confused glance from beneath the bandages, “Twilight, I was wrong. I allowed my past to consume my mind, when I should have moved on.” Novis swallowed, feeling somewhat dry, “In my failures, I had forgotten that my purpose is as true today as it was all those years ago. Today taught me that. It taught me that this world is full of life, and that’s something worth to protect, to fight for.”

Twilight just sat and listened as a smile slowly began to form on her face.

“And considering your strength, I could...teach you some spells that could prove useful,” he said a little playfully, earning a slight giggle from the mare.

Twilight gasped a laugh, before looking down at herself, thinking of all the possibilities of such an offer, but more importantly, his forgiveness and friendship, “Thank you.”

Novis smiled at this, though he felt as if there was perhaps something more, “Is there something else on your mind?”

Twilight was silent for a moment, contemplating on just how she should come to word herself, “How?”

“I’m sorry?”

“How did you bring her back?” she asked, becoming more expectant for an answer.

“Ahh,” he nodded in understanding. He had figured that this question was coming, quite frankly he was surprised that it hadn’t been the first thing she said to her, “I suppose that it’s a question worth mentioning.”

“Worth mentioning? It’s FANTASTIC!” Twilight said elated, “I’ve never even HEARD of any kind of magic that brings somepony back from the dead. It’s-”

“Wait, stop. You seem to be under the impression that I have the power to do these things, but I can assure you that I don’t,” he said casually, confusing the mare.

“I-I don’t understand. I saw you do it! How could you have done it if you don’t have the power to do it?” she reaffirmed, holding to her assumption that he was the one responsible.

“Because I didn’t do it.”

“You’re not making any sense.”

Novis frowned, collecting his thoughts to better present himself for her to understand. It wasn’t an easy matter. After all, the closest thing she had to a deity was nothing more than another part of creation.

“Do you believe in God?” he asked, earning a confused glance from Twilight that told Novis all he needed to know, “Of course you don’t, how could you believe in something forgotten?” he looked down, hearing the warmth that was the voice in his mind, “But I do. And it is through His power that I brought your friend back.”

"I find that hard to believe," Twilight said flatly.

Novis shrugged, "Believe it or not, it hardly matters. All that matters is that her soul is unharmed."

“Soul? You mean our spirit?” she corrected.

“No. We have no spirit. We are a LIVING soul, and when we die, that is when our story ends. No more pain, no more happiness. No more thought.” he said solemnly as if overcome by a feeling of sadness, remembering back to a memory of someone he had no hope of seeing again. She watched him closely, trying to read him.

“There is no afterlife.” he said, looking directly at her, “No Heaven, or hell, but that which will be and what is now not. Today Fluttershy may have been spared, but one day she and the rest of your friends will die, Twilight, that is how things are. I'm only allowed to do this thing once. that's the rule. But don't be sad. For though there is no existence past this life, that does not mean there is no room for hope. For it is not the will of our father that we go down to sleep forever. That’s faith, Twilight. That’s what this element TRULY represents.” he looked down to his chest, where the element of magic rested glowing.

Twilight raised an eyebrow, a little put off, "How do you know if any of that is true?”

"Because that is what I choose to believe."

There was a quiet in the room as the two were wrapped within their own thoughts, Twilight contemplating this strange point of view, while Novis thought back to a happier time in his life, remembering his brothers, remembering his wife. The moments passed by like sands in the desert, silent and slow, full of unknowns.

“Where is your daughter?” Novis suddenly asked, speaking up to break the silence, grabbing Twilight who was more than eager to sever the quiet as well.

“I sent her home. Spike’ll look after her while I’m here, and Rarity volunteered to help him out. The two seemed to be happy to spend time with each other.” she said, pondering their behavior for a moment, but shrugging it off as nothing.

Novis smiled, “She’s a very special little girl. You should be proud, Twilight.”

“Thank you.”

“And Fluttershy?” he asked.

Twilight sighed, “She’s been sent to the observation wing to go through some tests. The doctors were concerned about her brain functions being deprived of oxygen for so long, but she’ll be fine, thanks to-”

Tap Tap Tap

“What on earth is that?” Twilight said, her head turning left and right trying to pinpoint the sound. The tapping continued, resuming the same three tap beat each time. Novis listened, trying to isolate the sound as he narrowed it down to the wall to the outside of the building.

“Something at the window I suppose. If you don’t mind, could you open it, please? My magic is a bit on the fritz at the moment.” he asked politely after getting a pain in his horn.

Twilight nodded, reaching out for the desired goal. She began to struggle a little, not able to find the latch. But, after a few tries and enough concentration, she lifted the knob and pushed the window slide up. Nothing happened in the next passing moments, and soon Twilight shrugged and was about to close it again, when a large black bird swooped in and let out a loud call, startling the mare back into her bed.

“Ugh!” she cried as the bird landed on the railing on the side of Novis’ bed, giving another call at the stallion. It was a large, common raven with an odd white spot on its breast, turning its head to the side to look at him while tilting it as well.

Cr-r-ruck!

Novis stared at the magnificent bird with keen interest, studying every detail on its body, from it’s shaggy black throat to the wedged-shaped feathers of its tail. He then looked at its feet, where a small note was tied to the right leg with a thread of red ribbon.

“Well, hello my friend. What do you have there?” he said soothingly, reaching out his hoof to the raven which looked down at it and hobbled onto it, the feathers on the back of its head standing up a little as it tipped its head and croaked at him. Novis smiled a little as he unloosened the ribbon, taking the note away to read what was written within.

To Novis, whom in this strange new world will need a little friend to guide him

-FS

Novis lowered the note and gave a faint smile, stroking the bird with his hoof as Twilight listened to the sounds echoing through the room. Life had changed since the moment he first arrived, but only now was she starting to realize it. The dragon had been something that she could never have conceived of happening before today, and the future now seemed more terrifying than it had ever been before. So uncertain, nothing was promised, but wasn’t that the point?  To face each day with a little faith that it will have a happy ending? That’s what it meant to live life without fear. Because what was the point of life if every day of it is spent afraid of every shadow.

Twilight felt that way. 

Novis on the other hoof was quiet and lost to his own thoughts, for he had now found peace. Life had gone on without him, and it had flourished beyond anything he could have hoped, with new allies and new guardians to protect the world. He had no doubt that Twilight and her daughter had a special purpose to offer Equestria, and he would help them to discover that, even in the most subtle ways. His past had taken many things from him, but the future had given him so much more, a strange new world for him to explore. It had continued against the odds, and it would continue to do so until the end. In hindsight, all things no matter how bad they can get will always shine again at the dawn of the new day, and everything will turn all right, if one only believe, even if good things were uncertain. But if one thing was for certain, it was that he was now on a journey, one that would take him beyond imagination.

And the journey had only just begun.
////

__________


End of Act I

> Act II Synthesis
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

////
Act II Synthesis
////
Blood and Snow
////
The residents of Ponyville are in the process of repairing the damage caused by the dragon, but a letter from the Crystal Empire has Novis, Twilight, Nyx, Spike, and Rarity on the fastest train to the kingdom.

Celestia and Luna are helping Shining Armor tend to Princess Cadence who, after long months of waiting, has finally given birth. Twilight and Nyx are both excited by the news, while Novis has finally put his past behind him and is now friends with the Princess of Friendship.

But as their train makes it's way to the Empire, it is soon clear that they are not alone. A presence is among them, and soon it plans will wreak havoc upon our unsuspecting heroes.
////
Coming January 2017
////
> Chapter 13-Good News
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

////
Act II
////
Chapter 13-Good News
////
The night sky above the towering pinnacles of the Crystal Empire was like nothing else, a sight that had been lost to the world for countless generations, a thing of beauty long forgotten to the sands of time. It had been something that only the Royal Sisters could remember, a memory both of wonder and sadness. One that the two had hoped to preserve.

When Luna was banished to the moon however, it had fallen upon Celestia to keep safe this ancient knowledge. But in vain she toiled to breathe life to a faded existence. And so, like all things that are taken away, the Empire and its once fruitful line of royalty were forgotten, left to be nothing more than a fabled whisper, said only on rare occasion among the great stories and legends of Equestria.

That was of course, until Cadence was born. She had remained unknown to the Princess of the Sun as was with so many others who lived in the land, but when she helped Prismia to change her evil ways, it became clear of what destiny had in store for the mare. So Celestia took the girl under her wing and made Cadence her adopted niece. And when the time came, after years of study and the pursuit of love, she ascended.

She was indeed a symbol, a pure embodiment of love, the same love that ran in that once noble line of Crystal Royalty. So when the Crystal Empire returned, it only made sense to send her there. Celestia had hoped that with such love and hope that defined her character, Cadence would have found the heart easily. But her hopes were in vain, and as it was expected, the shadow returned, hoping to reclaim its sickened hold upon that forgotten land. Had it not been for Twilight and her friends, the events to unfold afterward would have been disastrous. Perhaps unimaginable. But in the end, hope, friendship, and love were allowed to prevail, sending the shadow back down into the depths of hell, while all that is good shined victorious.

And so the nights returned, beautiful and undying. Stars clearer than any found elsewhere in the world, a tapestry of tender light that wove its way about the sky, bathed with the ribboned color of the Aurora Borealis, dancing with strings of green and purple. A sight truly unrivaled, it was one of the few things in this world that physically showed the true unity of the celestial divide, between the night’s heavenly bodies, and the sun’s graceful touch.

It was a night that Cadence now looked upon with solemn interest. As she had discovered, many of her subjects were night watchers at heart, spending much of their time gazing at the heavens to ask questions and ponder the mysteries of what lay beyond their earthly shores. It was something that rose new questions to the ponies who visited this place, and by no doubt did it please Luna by all accounts. Looking out from the balcony to the streets below, she could see almost half the lights in the city burning in their lanterns as ponies watched in awe at the tiny orbs above them that flickered so bright. She felt a sense of wonder at their devotion, especially considering the time of night. She had found it hard to sleep herself, due to the fact that the small life that was growing inside her was kicking up a storm. Cadence looked down to where the large hump in her belly hung, rubbing it gently with her hoof. The foal inside her gave a soft kick in response to her stroke, gracing her with a smile. She and Shining had decided to keep it a surprise on the sex of their baby, but with all the strong squirms that it insisted on making, she was almost certain that it was a colt. It wouldn’t be long before it would come, especially since after the past few days she had been getting contractions. Cadence drew her attention back to the midnight sky above her, watching as the sickle moon made its slow ascent from the east into the west. It was peaceful, silent. Something she could watch for a lifetime.

But eventually, restlessness overcame her as she made her way back to her bedchambers, where her husband laid sleeping on the bed. Slowly she walked beside him as she smiled softly at him, watching as his chest moved up and down. Cadence leaned down and gave a peck on his cheek before she climbed under the sheets and made herself comfortable on the bed, positioning herself so that she was face to face with Shining. God, she could feel his warmth, comfortable and inviting. Shining Armor was one of those ponies who had a slightly higher body temperature than normal, making him overheat from time to time. She had found that out after many nights of sleeping with him, nothing of significance but, certainly welcome to her, especially during the winter months when the nights would become colder than usual. Cadence rearranged herself on the bed so that her back faced him, snuggling up so that their bodies laid close together with his arm draped over her.

Maybe some ponies would say that someone of her status indulging in such actions was degrading herself as a mare, simply because it was seen by some as a submissive habit. But in all honesty, she didn’t care. The way she saw it, she belonged to him and he belonged to her, simple as that. He treated her like a queen, and so if he asked her to do something, she’d happily oblige him as long as it was nothing beyond her moral standards, which never happened, and it was the same vice versa. It-

“Agh!” Cadence cried silently. A dual pain welled up inside her as a sudden, popping sensation came, followed by something wet between her legs. Cadence placed down a hoof to her crotch, feeling the slow trickle of liquid that came from that special area, signifying only one thing.

“Shining? Shining?!” she said with earnest as she tried to shake her husband awake. Shining steered slightly at her advance, but soon shrugged it off in his sleep as he rolled over away from her.

“Oh, for the love of...” Cadence grumbled, wincing as she suffered through another contraction. The mare looked over to the dresser where a stack of magazines rested, picking one up with her magic. Cadence rolled it up as she looked down at her husband’s face, and when she had it good and tight, she let him have it, swatting him right in the nose.

Shining awoke with a spattered snort, shaking his head around before he opened his eyes slightly but weakly, “Huh? What...what?” he said before he tried and failed to suppress a yawn.

“Shining, I...I think it’s time,” she said in a whisper, not really helping him to register what she was saying to him in his tired stupor.

“Time? Time for what?” he asked with a slur, threatening to lose consciousness at any moment. Shining stared inquisitively as she righted herself up on the bed, clenching at her belly. It took a surprisingly short time for him to figure it out.

“Oh...OH! Oh my god, it’s happening!” Shining jumped from the bed in one bounding leap, immediately walking out of the room without her.

Are you SERIOUS? She thought to herself with a sense of agitation, brushing away a few strains of hair from her eyes. Several moments passed by before Shining Armor came back, stubbing his hoof on the side of the bed as he hurriedly came to Cadence’s add, “Forgot the wife. Forgot the wife.”

“Did you just refer to me as ‘The Wife’?” she asked with a certain bite in her tone, something that she never had any intention of doing NOR ever seen herself acting in such a manner. Luckily, Shining barely even noticed, instead so tired yet focused on helping Cadence get to the hospital wing of the castle that he either didn’t notice or simply didn’t care. Another contraction came, worse than the ones that came before, as Shining walked by her side all the way, from their room, down the hall, to the hospital wing, and he would be with her through it all.

No matter what.
////
Ponyville
////
Warmth filled the living space of the castle as the group of friends sat in their respective couches and comfortable chairs, all enjoying each other’s company in the light of the fireplace of Amicitia Hall, which was now the title that Twilight had given to the Castle of Friendship. A month had passed since Ponyville had been attacked, and many ponies were still trying to pick up their lives where they had left off. Many of their homes and places of business were destroyed in the ruin caused by the dragon, but little by little, life went on. It was an example of the good in ponies when they pooled themselves together to help their fellow man. But if there was any place in Equestria where ponies would stick together in a crisis, it was here, in this small corner of a vast world. The worst had passed, and now was the time to rebuild.

So it was only befitting that after weeks of sweat and blood that they were allowed a little time of peace, as they did now, talking about the things they had been going through in the rebuilding of Ponyville, each telling a tale that brought smiles and laughter to those who listened. But no one listened more than Fluttershy, who sat quietly on her cushion sipping gingerly at her tea. The pegasus grew stronger through each passing day, relishing in the beauty of life like she had never done before. Barely any clue of what had happened to her remained on her exterior, save for a scar that she bore just behind her ear down to her upper back. It had healed exceptionally well, only visible to one’s eye if they looked for it, but it would never truly heal. It would serve as a reminder of the things that had come to pass, and it would be with her until the end of her days.

But it didn’t bother her. Somehow it gave her a sense of liberation, quelling her fears into silence. She had always felt afraid, but now it seemed that all those fears went away. Now by no means did this mean that her insecurities went away with them, nor did it mean that she didn’t feel anxious when socializing with other ponies. But all her tensions, the fear of the unknown, fear of the Everfree, even her fear of dragons, went away. This was certainly odd within itself. After all, she had died because of the rage of a dragon. And yet she felt nothing. She had been one of the first to see the body of the beast. Before, she would not have DARED to come anywhere near the thing, but she had walked right up to it, and strangest of most, had felt pity. She knew that it had deserved death but, she cared about all creatures, all life, so when she stared into its dark, lifeless eye, she had felt for it, shedding a tear for its fall.

But now was a time of happiness and cheer, and Fluttershy was not excluded from the festive mood. She had only started to work again about two weeks before, and she couldn’t have come at a better time. After the fire trail through the forest had died away, many of the homes for the local wildlife had been completely destroyed. Now, the animals were trying to find new homes, and since that involved them invading the living space of Ponyville, it was Fluttershy’s job to tend to them and to work on finding them new homes in a safer and non-inconvenient area. It had been tiring and time-consuming, making it hard for her to spend any time with her friends.

However, the one friend that she had been able to spend a great amount of her time with was Rainbow Dash. Dash had been going out of her way to spend time with Fluttershy, from the moment she was sent to the hospital all the way through the weeks that followed. It was something that Fluttershy didn’t mind. In fact, she relished the fact that she was able to spend more time with her childhood friend more than she had ever done in the past four years. It felt nice that she wanted to spend time with her again, though at times, she did tend to get a little protective of Fluttershy. Just the day before, when Fluttershy had to work with the beavers to divert the waters through Ponyville so that the workers could use it to mix into cement, she had gotten a message that she was needed on the other side of town to fix a problem involving a family of squirrels. This would have been fine and all, if it hadn’t been for Rainbow Dash, who wouldn’t let her walk anywhere NEAR the construction of Ponyville, undoubtedly for fear that she was going to get hurt again. It wasn’t something that Fluttershy really minded, but it was still a bit of an inconvenience, and it was something that she would need to talk to Rainbow about soon if she wished for this to not continue.

“...so when he gets there, he forgot the seeds again. Honestly, I don’t know why I keep gettin’ Caramel to organized the seed planting when he keeps losin’ the darn things.” Applejack complained, lifted the cup of tea to her mouth to take a sip.

“Well what did you expect, darling? He’s always been a scatterbrain.” Rarity sighed, stirring the spoon in her cup, “Even when we were foals he’d misplaced his things almost every other day.”

“I think you’re being a little too hard on him, even if he is a screwup. He does try his best.” Rainbow chimed in, sitting back on the couch that she shared with Rarity, “At least the work in Ponyville is finally getting back on track. It was almost a disaster when the gas main almost went off.”

“Ahhh, TELL me about it!” Pinkie said as she recalled the memory in her mind, “If that thing had gone off, I don’t think there would even BE a Ponyville anymore. Well, not there’s much left of it anyway.”

“We lost a lot, almost too much.” Twilight said solemnly, looking directly at the yellow pegasus sitting across from her, “But what matters now is that we’re all here, and that we can enjoy the experience of rebuilding.”

“Besides, if anything good has come from this, it's that now there might be some opportunity for a few new businesses to push themselves into Ponyville.”

“Oh, I must agree with you, Twilight. With the new space available, houses can be rearranged for the more ‘high class’ of establishments.” Rarity paused, mulling over the thought in her head, “Although it might take a little coaxing. A dragon attack isn’t very good for business after all.”

Everyone laughed at this remark, making light of the chaos that had fallen upon them only a few weeks before. The world for them had changed, though so slightly, it would be carried by each and every one of them for the rest of their lives. Twilight smiled as she repositioned the glasses on her face. Though her eyes had healed, it would be a long time before she would be able to see as well as she had before, so until then, Doctor Stable had prescribed the glasses to her for the time being. They were small, square-rimmed glasses with blackened frames that hugged tightly to her muzzle, but not to the point that they gave her any discomfort.

“Well, if they put anything in, I hope we get a new jewelry store. I’ve been dying for some jade.”

Twilight turned in her chair to look as her assistant Spike walked into the room, levitating with relative ease a tray with refreshments balanced on top. His magical abilities had improved in the past few weeks, an adequate replacement for his claws, though at times he did miss them. Spike levitated a glass of lemon iced tea to Twilight, walking towards the couch Pinkie and Rarity sat, leaning in to give Rarity a peck before he sat down beside her, passing a drink to her while he brought the one he held to his mouth.

Twilight had to turn away as the two ponies shared affections. By no means did she object to the two having this new relationship. If anything, she felt happy for both of them. Spike had finally gotten what he had wanted since he first came to Ponyville, and Rarity had gotten the stallion she had always deserved. But it just felt so...odd. In her mind, he was STILL the same little dragon that helped her out around the castle. Not that that had actually changed. He still helped her and sought her approval, but that feeling of dependence was gone, and it was something she would have to learn to let go.

"Now Spike, do be careful. You may still be able to eat gems, but don’t get too carried away.” Rarity smiled, batting her eyes at him, “Wouldn’t want you to break your teeth and ruin that handsome face.”

He gave a faint laugh as he made himself comfortable in his seat, letting out a yawn. However, that yawn soon transferred into a belch as he released a bellow of flames, a letter forming out from the embers and landing on the floor.

“Oh Luna-ugh!” Spike coughed, hitting his chest with his hoof. Though he could still breath fire, it wasn’t as insulated as it had been when he was a dragon, so every time he did use it, it always left a nasty burning sensation in his lungs. It was something he was getting used to, but did it hurt when it came unexpectedly.

“Oh, a letter from the Princess? What’s it say?” Rarity asked as Twilight levitated the letter to herself, popping the seal and unrolling the paper. Twilight skimmed through the words, lowering her glasses so that she could focus on the print. Twilight ran over the words with increasing speed, lifting her head up as she finished, her eyes growing wide.

“Twilight? Is something wrong?” Spike asked, her friends all staring at her curiously as her face lit up with excitement.

“Cadance is having the foal! She's having the BABY!” She exclaimed, hopping out of her chair and jumping about, the feeling of elation vibrating from her. The jumping and excitement she exhibited were enough to draw out a few snickers from her friends as she danced about, oblivious to their laughter.

Spike lifted the letter up in his magic, reading off the words to the group of friends as Twilight was left to her escapade, “Dearest Twilight...I write to you shortly as I am needed with the utmost haste. I have received word from the castle infirmary that Princess Cadance has been rushed there, registered after going into labor. I am sending you four tickets so that you, Spike, and Nyx can be with her and your family. The fourth I wish you to give to Novis, as I would like to speak with him. Yours truly, Princess Celestia” Spike finished the letter just before he belched again, four tickets flying out from the flames down to the floor before he caught them in a levitation spell.

“Where’s Nyx? She’s going to be so excited!” Twilight beamed, walk towards her daughter’s room.

“I think she’s with Novis.” Spike said, looking up from the second parchment, “They’ve been spending a lot of time together recently, so I’d say that it’s a safe bet.”

“Ooooh! I’ve got to go tell her the news!” Twilight elated, running out into the hall. Things were changing, and for once, they were for the better.
////
Somewhere near the Rainbow Range…
////
A drop of water could be heard in the calm quiet of the darkness. Down, far into the deep, lost to the vacuum of black. Silence soon followed after it, the still touch of cold and isolation, deep within the caverns of the mountains it dropped, until it was dashed about upon some unseen stone. However there was another sound, scrapes and chatter deep underground that could be heard through the black vale. A low buzzing that gave way to a low, chilling hiss.

Something had changed, they could sense it. Like a flare shot up in the darkest of nights, the emotion they felt grew bright in the eyes of their desire. Their lust. That desire only grew until it could be ignored no longer, as the large, black figure aroused from where she lay. This had been the moment she had been waiting for as her twisted horn lit, it’s pulsing green energies illuminating the moving walls with its haunting light. Soon, soon they would have their revenge. Soon they would hold the power to overthrow a nation, a people.

Soon, they would feed.
////
> Chapter 14-The Train
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

////
Chapter 14-The Train
////
“Departure for engine nineteen will be underway in fifteen minutes. Please be boarded by this time. Thank you.”

The conductor shifted back into the engine as Twilight walked hurriedly down the platform at Ponyville station, steam rolling off the wheels down onto the tracks. Following close behind, Novis, Nyx, and Spike along with her favorite guard Flash walked close together, each carrying bags behind themselves. Further behind, Twilight’s friends minus Rarity who was taking her time to get to the station for some reason walked to wish them a happy departure, carrying gifts they had made some time back for the baby.

“Are you sure you don’ want us to come along? I’d kinda like to see the little youngin,” Applejack asked, hurrying alongside the lavender mare, carrying the crib she had made for the foal in the back of a cart.

“I know Applejack, but Celestia made it clear that Cadance only wants her close family to be there for the delivery.” Twilight sighed, but smiled, “But she only wants that for the weekend, so you guys can come on the earliest train scheduled for Monday.”

“Well, just make sure the squirt gets the gifts we made!” Rainbow joked, smiling as she held up a baby chandelier with clouds, rainbows, and lightning bolts dangling from it, “I know the baby is gonna love this Cloudsdale Mobile!”

“Oww, pretty!” Pinkie eyed the mobile, poking one of the hanging pieces with her hoof causing it to fall off and shatter, gaining a dirty look from Rainbow.

“You don’t have to worry about that.” Twilight smiled as the train whistled out into the station, a train steward walking onto the platform to take their luggage and other items of interest. Twilight exchanged some words with the steward before she turned back to her friends, “Spike, could you help the man?”

“Sure.” Spike walked over and took some of the bags, lifting them in his magic as the steward thanked him, carrying his share onboard.

“Wait!” a sing-song voice rang out as Rarity came strutting towards them on the platform, being as elegant as ever, “I’m coming along with you darling!”

Spike turned as she hurried towards him, giving him her bags, “Wait, you didn’t get a ticket, why are you giving me these bags?”

“Oh really dear, I bought my own ticket, I wouldn’t want you to feel lonely while you're there.” she cooed, brushing past him as she smiled.

“Besides, I’ve heard that the Chal Mon’dif Theater in the Crystal Empire is playing Comiti Moncrito, and I’ve been DYING to see it!” Rarity elated as she became starry-eyed. Spike shrugged but smiled as he took her bags and carried them on board, coming back out to rejoin her on the platform.

Twilight smiled as she turned away from the two ponies and looked back at Nyx, her daughter smiling as she talked to Novis while he read out of a book. The two had been spending a good amount of time together, slowly forming a bond between the two. This made Twilight happy seeing Novis interact with another pony in the way he knew best: Teaching. Nyx had come to her a few weeks before excited that Novis wanted to teach her magic theory and technique, bouncing around their living room from the prospect of such a learning opportunity. Honestly, Twilight wished that she could be the one in Nyx’s horseshoes, but she was happy for her nonetheless to be given this.

“ALL ABOARD!” the conductor of the train called out into the station, waving his lantern as he walked back onto the train to start the engine.

Twilight sighed as she called to Novis and Nyx, “Time to get on the train you two, we’re about to depart!” she yelled, climbing up the steps and into the car as they complied. Steam rolled off the engine as they all got on board, looking at the interior to get their cabins set up. Their friends all waved them a safe depart as the train whistled out, the engine starting up as the smokestack belched its black soot. Metal screeched on metal as their train rolled out of the station, pulling out of the station into the night.
////
“Oh my! The Royal Line is just simply divine!” Rarity glazed, roaming around the dining car, Twilight and Spike following close behind. The inside of the car was decorated in red linen and gold tapestry, ordained with images of stars and celestial bodies. The tables were carven wood laden with pearls and the Imperial crest formed on the sides, and the seated booths were red leather and comfortable to sit upon. The Crystal Empire had only been introduced to the steam-powered engine three years before, but their endless fascination with the new had driven them to build the fastest and most prestigious train in both nations with rail line in tow. It was proven to be far superior to any train made even by the Canterlot Royal Line, showing such love and devotion to such works was a forgotten art to the people of Equestria. For eighty years Equestria had the telegram, the zeppelin, and the locomotive and grown accustomed to their luxury, but for the Empire, these advancements were cherished to a people lost to time.

“It’s definitely a lot better than the train we have in Ponyville. That thing is WAY too girly.” Spike commented, looked at the mares staring back at him, “What?”

“Really dear, you're going to have to learn to be a bit more cultured.” Rarity looked back, looking a little disappointed by Spike’s lack of culture.

Twilight smiled, “Good luck with that. I’ve been trying to do that with him for years.” laughing with Rarity as Spike grumbled to himself.

“Whatever, let’s just find somewhere to take a nap, okay?” Spike groaned, nudging Rarity off to the side.

Twilight smiled as she left them behind to set her bags up in the other car. Twilight opened the door between the two cars as the train barreled down the track to the Crystal Empire, sliding the door and stepping into the second car from the chilled night. Twilight sighed, walking down the car to her cabin and opening it up, laying her bags down on the bottom bunk. She felt so happy for Shining and Cadance, finally starting a family of their own. But, at the same time, she couldn’t deny that she felt a little jealous. Ugh, baby fever. She didn’t want to feel that way, after all she already HAD Nyx, but at the same time, she wanted a child she SHARED with somepony else. Furthermore, she wanted Nyx to grow up with a father, at least the opportunity to experience that. She felt...lonely. She could only imagine how much worse she would be feeling if she were in heat at the moment, but thankfully that had passed for now.

Twilight shook her head as she reached up to open the cabinet. It was rather silly that she would allow herself to fixate on trivial things, though to be fair she was in the prime of her life. It was a time when she would want to search for somepony to be with, whether she liked it or not. It was just simple, basic instinct.

Twilight put her bags away and stepped out of the cabin, before noticing movement further down the car. Flash Sentry was walking about checking the cabins to make sure that everything was in order. She smiled as she watched him, starting to fantasize a little.

Slowly, Twilight began to walk towards him, thinking about what she was going to say. Oh, how handsome he looked, why did that have to make her get so nervous? She just couldn’t help but think about him, his body. His...

“Princess?”

Twilight snapped out of her thought as she walked right into Flash, squishing her face right into his side. Twilight blushed, embarrassed by her absent-mindedness as she back away grinning nervously, “H-hey Flash.”

“Hey, Twilight.” Flash smiled, looking at Twilight as he closed a cabinet, “What are you doing back here so soon? Is there something that you need?”

“N-No.” Twilight gave an uneasy laugh, “I was just bringing some bags back to put up.”

“Hmmm.” Flash nodded, putting down his gear, “Here, let me handle that.” he said, taking her bags away to get them put up.

Twilight just continued to stare, watching as he put away her belonging. She drew closer, looking as his muscles tightened while he lifted the heavy cases up into the cabinet, setting them on the shelves. Such fine lines, she thought, getting even closer, not as big as her brother but, definitely in his prime. She loved watching him, to feel him close, as she lean in, her cheek brushing up against his shoulder.

Flash tensed for a moment, pausing while looking back to stare at her, “What are you doing?”

Twilight flinched, suddenly aware of what she was doing as she recoiled back, stuttering nervously, “I-I’m sorry, I...I don’t know what I-”

Twilight fell silent as Flash gave her a stern, unmoving stare. That was a look that Twilight never expected to see coming from him, as he moved further away, “I think you do.” he said, not angry but, cold by no mistake.

“I’m sorry, you’re right. That was out of line.” Twilight stumbled, backing away.

“Twilight, is there something you need to tell me?” he asked, raising an eyebrow as he stared at her.

“I…” Twilight began, only to fall silent by her own embarrassment.

Flash, who looked at Twilight with mild disappointment, sucked in air through his nostrils before sighing, “No.”

Twilight looked up at him, confused by what he said, "Wha-?"

“I mean of course, no. Princess, I mean no offense but, I don’t know you.” Flash said calmly, walking towards her, “It's foolish.”

Twilight tilted her head, taken aback, "What...what are you-?"

“Twilight, I know look like him, I do. But I’m not.” Flash paused, looking at her out of the corner of his eye while Twilight eyes widened, embarrassment etched upon her face.

“You know?”

He nodded in acknowledgment, “I’ve heard rumors.”

With that Flash departed, opening the car door to step out into the chilled midnight air, leaving Twilight to grovel aimlessly to herself, lost within her own thoughts.
////
The train lay bound on its course to the mountains, carrying on its way on the railway journey. The crescent moonlight was now lost to the overcast of clouds that had rolled over the land, making the darkness of the night all the more apparent. A light rain was beginning to descend upon the countryside, contracting metal as the coming cold set in.

It was here that the countryside shifted from delicate grasslands to the pines and oaks of the mountain forests, dark greens and ebony that choked closer and closer together as they drew ever near to the range. few ventured far out into this wilderness on their own, and even fewer returned. Many reasons followed behind this fact; hikers who found a patch of land to claim their own, drifters that simply lost their way, or perhaps finding the misfortune of encountering the few creatures that inhabited it that were not of a friendly disposition. However, the later was of course rather rare, after all the vast wilderness of the mountains were nothing like that found in the Everfree. It was a life-well teaming with many of the more benevolent of Equestria’s mythical species, though ever so rare they were themselves. One could spend a lifetime exploring the land to study its fantastic creatures, and would only catch the glimpse of a blind old fool, though so many try all the same.

The forest began where Appleloosa ended, and stretched long and narrow miles upon miles from the north to the south, near three hundred miles at its longest, and yet only thirty to forty miles if going from either the east or the west. The mountain range snaked within the edge of the eastern side and carves its way up into the middle of the forest as it goes along to the northern Empire, its snow-capped peaks reaching high to the heavens. Long ago so many happy travelers fought eagerly through these summits with neigh a complaint in the summer but recoiled in terror at its unyielding cruelty in the dead of winter, and many had paid dearly to make passage to the lands they so desired.

Now the train would make its way through that same pass, not a worry on any passenger for a safe journey ahead, nor a threat of an oncoming storm. The rain poured and the land lay dark, yet all, for the most part, was only a commotion of joyful conversation. But all too well we learn that such happiness can so easily be stolen away, and one could only ponder what might be watching under the guise of shadows.
////
“Better.” Novis smiled, watching his current student worked with the enchantments spoken of in the book. With Twilight’s permission, he had taken her under his tutelage to teach her the magic of his time, likely in hopes that her daughter might gain a broader range of mystical knowledge. So he went to the Archive under the Canterlot Royal Library to get ahold of a few books that he hoped would help her in their studies. But what Twilight didn’t know was that he wasn’t only teaching her, but was also preparing her, guiding her to what he perceived to be greatness, a destiny he was sure she would live up to.

“Good. See the symbols before you.” Novis instructed, Nyx puffing her cheeks as she focused on her magic, squinting her eyes shut as her horn sparked. Letters began to appear before her, circling around the center.

“How’s this?” Nyx perked up, looking at him for acknowledgment as mystical circle began to form in front of her, though somewhat unstable.

“Try not to strain yourself so hard. Don’t wanna blow us up, do we?” Novis smirked, earning a glare from Nyx.

“Not funny.” Nyx pouted, rolling her eyes as she sighed, taking a deep breath to calm herself as she looked at the circle, focusing on its center as it changed color and form.

“Yes…” Novis whispered, grinning as she perfected her art.

Nyx huffed and struggled, giving it her all as the spell finally grew powerful, the circle falling away to a portal, showing a sunlit savanna while wild umbrella thorn trees swayed in the wind. Nyx was able to hold it open for a few seconds, using them to look in wonder and glee at the doorway she had opened, before she lost the strength and the portal quickly closed into itself and disappeared.

“Fine work. Perfect!” Novis elated, clapping his hooves together at Nyx’s achievement, breathing heavily as she started to rest herself, “That was absolutely superb!”

“R-Really?” Nyx panted, smiling at the praise.

“Of course. You were able to hold it open for almost a full thirty seconds. That’s more than I would have expected.”

Nyx started to grin, feeling a strong sense of confidence washing over her as she looked out of the booth into the aisle, smiling brighter as she saw Twilight walking up.

“Mom!” Nyx jumped happily, excited for the approval of her mother as moved in front of her, “I did it! I did the Magician’s Circle!”

“Hmm?” Twilight looked at her, coming out of another train of thought.

“The spell I’ve been working on for the last few days, I finally did it!” Nyx beamed, oblivious to Twilight’s damp mood. Twilight gave a moment of casual thought before realizing what her daughter was actually saying to her, putting on her happy face as she smiled down at her.

“That’s good sweetheart, I couldn’t be more proud.” Twilight soothed, hugging Nyx gently before raising up, noticing Novis giving her a look before sighing, “I’m a little tired, why don’t you go study some more while I get some sleep, alright?”

“Okay,” Nyx said, smiling as she climbed back into the booth as Twilight left, leaving Nyx and Novis alone again.

Novis watched as Twilight walked out, heading towards a different car. He could sense the conflicting emotions from her, though he didn’t exactly know why they were there. Novis looked out the window, choosing to ponder instead upon their destination. This Empire was something new to him, and he wondered how its culture paralleled Equestria, and he looked forward to learning whatever new things they had to offer. At the same time, he knew that the other Alicorn princesses of Equestria were there at the moment, and he wondered what they would be like. From what Twilight had told him, Celestia was the eldest of them all, but compared to himself, she was still a child.

Novis sighed, laying his head against the glass. It had been so long since he had spoken to anyone over a thousand, and he wondered what it would be like. In the distance the mountain range of the forest grew ever closer, it’s white jagged peaks hidden by the cloudy veil of night.  It was beautiful, a sight that brought calm to Novis’ mind, reminding him of the world of age’s past. But for now, he felt tired, watching as the rain fell against the window, as he closed his eyes,  slowly slipped into the world of dreams.
////
> Chapter 15-Dagger of the Mind
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

////
Chapter 15-Dagger of the Mind
////
The train whistled into the night as the engine rose through the mountains, snow falling in the dark around it. The night was dim and misty, a cold and empty void that swallowed everything within it. The engine sung its tune loud as it barreled through the mountain blizzard, it’s front light cutting through the emptiness. The waning of the frozen wind and the screeching of cold metal was the only thing to be heard in this isolation.

The train chugged its way up towards the summits, the jagged rocks and forest trees pointing upwards so far down below. It was truly quiet and alone, distant to the outside world. Here the storm had culminated into a strong force of premature winter, as was common in that part of the land. Many towering peaks rose high above them still, the rocks lost to the frost.

It was perfect as the shadowed forms moved hastily through the rocks and trees down below, hurrying to catch up to the train above. The darkness of the night-time storm concealed them as they moved further ahead, looking for the right place to make their move. Their goal was close, so close, and they would never stop, or rest, until they had them.
////
“Mmmm, that feels good.”

Rarity cooed as she laid on her belly relaxed in ecstasy, holding on her breath as the pair of hands ran down her back, her tail flicking in the air, “Ahh.”

Spike smiled, working his magic on the pair of hands materialized in front of him, rubbing out the knots in her back, “Wow, you’ve really got yourself tensed up, Rarity. It's a good thing Twilight taught me how to do this. Otherwise you’d be in trouble.”

“And I truly am thankful, Spike. I don’t know what I would have done without you.” she smiled, turning her gaze at him as he massaged her back,  “Oh, could you get the shoulders? Ohh.”

“Sure” Spike complied, rubbing her shoulders in a circular motion.

“Spike?” Rarity said softly, closing her eyes as her head rested on the pillow, “Are you happy?”

“What do you mean? Of course I’m happy.” Spike answered, looking down at her, “I have you and Twilight, all my friends, Cadance is having her baby. Everything’s perfect, why wouldn’t I be happy?”

“I know but...” Rarity hesitated, being mindful to choose her words carefully, “Do you have any regrets? Isn’t there anything you miss?”

Spike paused, relaxing his hold on Rarity’s shoulders, “I...guess I haven’t really thought about it.” Spike gave a thoughtful hoo, going over it in his mind.

“I guess...maybe I might feel a little lost.” Spike shrugged, pressing the hands into her spine, “Like this magic. It's great and all, but it's not the same.”

Spike sighed, “And, well, I’m still different. I’m this new...thing. I’m not a pony or a dragon, I’m not anything.”

“Spike, that isn’t true.” Rarity rose up, looking at him giving him a hug, “You're a friend, a brother, a companion. You're loved by your friends, your family. Me.” she said as she batted her eyes at him.

Spike smiled, giving her a kiss, “Thank you.”

Rarity smiled, closing her eyes as he kissed her, humming in delight. She only broke from this bliss when the pillow hit her in the side of her face.

“Hey!” Rarity squeaked, grabbing another pillow and hitting him in the head. The two laughed and rolled, playfully fighting as the cold fell outside, the darkness closing in, soon to swallow the light.
////
The dial spun into the red, steam seeping out of the bulkhead as the conductor slammed his monkey wrench into the metal, “Come on! Come on, tamper down!”

The conductor tapped his hoof on the furnace, watching as the pressure on the dial spiked again as he let out a growl. The engine had been having this problem for weeks, and nopony had bothered to fix it. This was a universal problem with most of the technology being produced by the Empire at this time. The Empire had some difficulties adapting to the modern environment, their culture literally a 1,000 years out of date, so it wasn’t any surprise that their ability to compete with other manufacturing companies based in Equestria and other surrounding nations was somewhat lacking.

So it was up to the engineers to put out newer models on the product line at a much faster rate, and though they were meeting their quotas, there were obviously gonna be some problems. Bigger. Better. Faster. That was the motto of the game, but for the Imperial Railway, it was the broken, modest, and slow. Sure the Crystal Express was faster than any equestrian model for the moment, but it was also susceptible to breakdowns and delays, and it was rumored that the Equestrian long-distance travel company, Ironbell Expressways, was currently in the development of a newer, more powerful engine model that would surpass anything out at the time, revolutionizing the industry. It was only the constant upgrades to their engines that kept the Imperial company from tanking.

The conductor sighed, sitting back on the bench wiping the sweat from his brow. He couldn’t wait to be back home with the wife, able to settle down for a few days and relax before he’d get called back. Truly it was a never-ending cycle. This was never what he expected to be doing in life. His talents were more akin to gardening, but food needed to be put on the table, and this was the highest paying job at the time.

Just one more night.

Thud

The conductor paused, looking up at the ceiling at the sound of an object hitting against the metal. “What the hell?” he thought, getting up and walking towards the side window, peering up at the engine top. The wind was blowing hard at the speed they were going, the snow whipping hard against his face. The storm was making it impossible to see what was going on, his eye barely able to keep themselves open. The sound continued, just loud enough to hear against the whistling cold, before it suddenly grew silent. The conductor listened, waiting for it to begin again, but to no avail. Nothing could be heard except for the hard wind blowing in his ears.

The conductor closed the window, shaking his head of the snow as he looked back up. “What in Equestria was that?” he wondered, as he moved to the furnace to throw in more fuel. God, it was cold. The Conductor turned his head, now seeing that the second window was wide open the frigid cold blowing in. When had he opened that? He walked over, grabbing hold of the frame to close it, the window jamming. He grunted, putting all of his strength into it as the cover came down with a clang! His hoof touching something sticky.

He pulled his arm back, a thick, sticky mucus connecting his hoof to the windowsill, “Ugh!” he exhaled, trying to wipe it off himself as he stepped back, standing in the middle of the engine room.

Click

He heard a chatter of something moving, moving above him. Hoof on metal. Then something wet fell onto his ear, as he reached up to feel it, the same sticky substance rolling down the tip of his hoof. Slowly he looked up, peering into the jet black cover of the ceiling, as a steady drip of saliva fell onto his forehead.

His scream was silenced by the pull of the whistle, echoing into the night.
////
Twilight stood outside on the caboose balcony, looking out into the cold night air lost to her own thoughts. The cold air blew through her hair and fogged up her glasses as she leaned on the metal, watching the mountain pass by. It was calm, quiet even, the silence only broken by the whistling of the train a short while ago. The mountain peaks rose above her as the train borrowed by, snow falling onto her winter coat.

“Beautiful night, isn’t it?”

Twilight turned, watching as Novis stepped out of the car to join her on the railing, covering himself with a cloak to keep out the cold. He let out a yawn, his wings giving a flutter as he looked forward, the cold air showing his breath.

“Heh, if you say so.” Twilight smiled, giving off a shrug.

Novis walked up next to her, leaning his hooves on the metal bar, “Its cold, but don’t let that take away from the beauty of this place.”

Twilight sighed, levitating her glasses off to wipe them down, “If you ask me the cold is a nuisance. Hurts the wing too.” Twilight said, her left wing still not fully recovered. Novis frowned.

"How's Nyx?" Twilight asked him, warranting his attention.

"She's fine. She misses you though, you two have spent such little time together as of late," he answered, feeling sympathetic. Twilight had been so busy trying to delegate the reconstruction of Ponyville that she had little time to spend with her family. Thus, every now and again Nyx would mop during her studies, saddened even though she understood the circumstances of her mother's absence. He expected her to have a reaction to this, but she only shrugged, watching the snow fall.

“Is something bothering you?” Novis asked, looking over to her, reading her body language, “There is something, isn’t there?”

"It's embarrassing." She whined, feeling rather uncomfortable.

Novis looked at her with an indifferent expression, nodding his head, "Mistakes tend to be, but you'll feel better."

Twilight sighed, “I may have screwed up a little.” she said passively, thinking it over, “I...I really like Flash. You know, one of my guards?”

"I believe like would not be the appropriate word," Novis said playfully, earning a glare from Twilight as her cheeks flushed crimson.

Novis raised an eyebrow, "Don't give me that look. I've seen the way you've eyed him in the halls of the castle when you think he's not looking."

Twilight groaned, embarrassment washing over her, "Yes well, I bumped into him tonight, and well..."

“Got a little too personal?” Novis finished her sentence.

“Yeah.” Twilight blushed, feeling a little ashamed, “I...may have hit on him a little. Okay, a LOT. I didn’t mean too, it just sorta happened.”

“And you thought that would be a good idea, considering you don't actually know him too well?” he asked, looking at her inquisitively.

“Of course not!” Twilight said defensively, immediately shocked at her own tone, “I mean...no. Oh, I’m so confused. He didn’t take it too well, and I don’t blame him. I just...I just don’t know what happened. I just, I don’t want to lose what friendship we might have. Any relationship really.”

“Twilight...”

SCCCCCCRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECCCCCHHHH!!!!!!!

Novis and Twilight were both caught off their guard as the train hit its emergency brakes, sending them off their balance as screeching metal pierced their ears. Twilight stumbled backward, her back hitting the railing sending her over the side, screaming in alarm as her injured wing failed to open for her. Novis regained his bearings, shouting in surprise as he lunged forward, closing the distance between the two as he reached over the railing and grabbed Twilight, who held onto him for dear life, the deep dark abyss gaping just below her.

“Don’t you DARE drop me!” Twilight screamed, her heart racing rapidly as she panicked. The two were suspended in motion, Novis hissing as the cold metal burned into his chest. She swung in his grasp, staring down from the incredible height, then looked up at him pleading.

“Come on! Come on, don’t let go!” Novis grunted, slowly pulling her up back up to the balcony. Twilight struggled, grabbing for the railing and lifting herself up as they both fell back onto the balcony, panting heavily.

Twilight panted, heaving as her chest rose up and down, “What...what the hell was that!?”

Novis grunted as he picked himself back up, moving to the side of the train looking up to the cars in front. The train stood still upon the tracks, steam rolling up from the wheels as the snow fell all around. The lights in one of the cars flickered on and off, before falling silently into the darkness as well.

“The train stopped,” Novis said through the wind, looking back at her.

“What do you mean it stopped?” Twilight moved to the other railing looking over the side to stare at the track, still somewhat out of it from moments before, “Did somepony pull the emergency cord?”

“The what?” Novis called, half because he couldn’t hear her well and also out of curiosity.

“Emergency cord! It stops the train if something goes wrong!” Twilight called back, moving to the door, opening it up to get back inside the car. The lights were flickering on and off jolted by the sudden stop of the engine, bathing her in the deem ambient light.

Novis followed behind, looking up at the ceiling as he wiped down the snow from his coat. Baggage and suitcases were laying all over the inside of the car, open with their contents thrown all over the aisle.

“Oh, look at this mess!” Twilight groaned, tripping up a little on an open baggage case, “Oww, damn it!”

Novis looked at his surroundings as they walked down the aisle, mindful to take notice of everything out of place. The car was dark and intense in its shadows, messy and overturned. Twilight lit her horn as she stumped about, while Novis seemed to have a better time watching where he placed his hooves. Novis stopped to examine the floor, peering at a small dark splotch on the side of a cabinet. He touched it, the surface wet as he retracted his hoof, looking at the substance running down.

Blood.

Novis whipped the blood from his hoof as he followed Twilight to the next car, the door already open letting the cold in as they passed into the next car to find a more brightly lit cabin, less cluttered yet empty. Novis turned and looked down in the corner, where laying limp sat one of the guards. He quickly went over to him, checking his pulse.

“Is he alright?” Twilight asked, looking over his shoulder.

“Yes. He’s just unconscious.” Novis said, examining him. Blood was running from the guard’s snout, damping his fur as he breathed softly. The back of his head had a bump on it, hard to the touch, but it was probably not as nasty as it looked. Novis rose up and laid the guard in one of the cubicles, looking at the ground, studying the scene.

“What do you think happened?”

“Hold on,” Novis said, walking back into the other car, leaving Twilight behind as she rested the guard on one of the sofas. There was some banging and the crunching of glass from the other car as Novis rummaged around, coming out looking at the floor.

“Okay, so...he’s putting away luggage in the back car, leaning up, not well balanced. Then the train comes to a stop, and he falls hand hits his head, stumbles in here, and collapses.”

Twilight looked away, feeling a little uneasy, “I hope everypony else is alright.”

“Let’s hope.”
////
“Is everypony alright?”

Moans and grumbles echoed across the car as everyone picked themselves up from being thrown down. The ponies held in their stomachs trying not to throw up. Regaining their senses are the train came to a stop.

“Come on get up, you’ve taken a pretty bad fall,” Flash spoke, lifting up Nyx into the booth, pulling out a kit to clean the gash right above her eye.

“Ouch!” Nyx whined, recoiling from the sting of alcohol against exposed flesh. Other guards were there as well to assist the passengers, tending to any injury that may have been dealt, “What happened?”

“I don’t know. Somepony must have either pulled an emergency cord, or the engineer stopped the engine, your highness.” Flash said, putting a bandage on your wound.

Flash smiled before he rose up, looking around the car, calling out to another guard, “Iron!”

Iron Shield looked up from the other end of the car, pulling himself up to report to Flash, “Yes sir?”

Flash leaned in to whisper, as so the passengers wouldn’t hear, “Get the other men and search the train. I don’t like this, and I could be wrong, but I want these cars secure.”

“Right.” Iron nodded, returning to his duties, beginning to gather a search group of guards to investigate the other cars.

Flash sighed, looking down at the filly, “Nyx, I need you to stay with Miss Rarity and Spike for the time being. I’ll find your mother and return as soon as possible. Can you do that for me?”

Nyx nodded, lifting herself up, as Flash took to the door, stepping forth to duty.
////
Flash moved slowly through the cabin, moving carefully through the dark. The Car’s lights had gone out, leaving the inside in eerie shadow. The sound of the storm howled through the aisle, cold severing up his spine. The floor was a mess, covered in clothes, suitcases, and personal belongs that were spread around the cabin, making it hard to move. He moved carefully, unblinking and he raised his sword pulling back a set of curtains, only to reveal an empty cubicle. Flash stared for a moment, almost as if to smell the air, before he moved on to the next cubicle.

Flash did this again and again, slowly making his way to the back of the car, silent all the way. Calm, quiet, careful not to make a sound. His breath was slow and harsh, like a wolf stalking an unseen prey. He stepped closer to the back, muscles tense as he reached for the door before a hoof fell unto his shoulder.

“Augh!” Flash jumped, startled as Iron Shield looked at him, tilting his head, “Sweet Luna, you scared me!”

“Sorry.” Iron said, moving to his side, lighting his horn to look around, “You found anything?”

“No.” Flash answered, moving back into the car, looking away from him, “Are the others searching the other cars?”

“Yes, as you ordered. They’ll be a while searching for anything, longer if they actually find something.”

“Good.” Flash smiled, looking at him, his hoof on the hilt of his sword, “And you? Have you found anything of interest?”

“No, but its strange. Some of the train staff are missing, and the others...I don’t know, maybe its just me.” Iron said looking into one of the cabins. He brushed his hoof through his mane, straightening it out as he sighed.

“Perhaps.” Flash raised an eyebrow, looking at Iron, moving behind him as he looked out the window. A low whining sound danced in the wind, moving past the window for him to hear.

“Whatever. We’ll have the train in order soon and then we can get out of here.” Iron said, not paying attention as Flash moved behind him.

“No, you won’t,” Flash said, suddenly pulling his sword out slashing at Iron, the soldier barely able to reach in time as Flash left a deep gash into Iron Shield’s arm, howling in pain as he fell to the floor. Flash swung again, but this time Iron was ready, pulling out his sword to block his blow, putting all his strength into trying not to get his head cut off.

Flash’s eyes blazed with murderous intensity as he pushed against Iron’s sword, fueled with anticipation as he brought their blades close to the guard’s throat, slowly winning the struggle. Iron began to panic, frantically trying to force Flash off of him, to no avail.

Flash finally prevailed, Iron’s sword buckling under as it cracked and shattered, leaving him defenseless as Flash’s sword ran through the cabin floor. Flash smiled menacingly, pulling it out with a jerk and lifting it into the air for the final blow, unaware as a shadowy form moved silent up behind him.

The figure stood behind the stallion, silently pulling out a sword before thrusting it forward, piercing it into his back.

“AUUUUUGH!!!!!” Flash gurgled and screamed, the sword pushing out of his chest stained with crimson. He dropped his sword and reached up with his hooves trying to push out the blade, slowly choking and falling over limp onto the cold floor. Iron looked down at the limp form of Flash as a trickle of blood pooled out of its mouth, then looked up at the form as he lit his horn, illuminating the figure who stepped into the light.

It was Flash Sentry, wiping off his blade.

“Oh hell, what's going on?” falling back holding onto his wound, just as Novis and Twilight came into the car behind Flash.

“Come on, get up,” Flash said, stepping over the body towards Iron, kneeling down to help pick him up. The two rose up, Novis bending over to inspect the body as Twilight looked on, turning her head to look out the window.

Novis looked at the body, pulling out a small knife from his side bag to dip it into its wound, raising it up to taste. The alicorn gave a thoughtful glare, before grabbing the corpse and breaking its back, causing it to suddenly change form, its orange coat replaced with charcoal black plating through the discharge of green magic.

“Aghh!” Iron hissed, recoiling as Flash cleaned his wound with rubbing alcohol, grabbing for the sewing kit.

Novis watched with further interest as the body transformed, becoming slender, hard, and black, the energy working up to the head, changing into the contorted, monstrous form of a changeling. Novis was fascinated, he had never seen one quite like this; its eyes were cold and glossy, staring up at him into oblivion. The horn was rough and jagged, and its jaws were lined with sharp, dagger-like spines that grew out from its shell.

Twilight held her breath, looking out at the empty cold bowing out in the elements. Something was watching, deep down she could feel it, but she couldn’t see anything. The world was too dark, lost in a cold, cold void.

“Where did you come from?” Iron asked, growling in pain, looking at him through gritted teeth.

“I went ahead, guess the bastard got in here after I came through.” Flash looked at the corpse, “A better question is, where the hell did that thing come from?”

“There’s a small hive located not far from here,” Twilight said matter-of-factly, still looking out the window, “We ran into them a few months ago, but they weren’t exactly intelligent. At least not enough to set up an operation like this. This isn’t a coincidence, but how could they have set something up this complicated...unless...”

Twilight fell silent as a small light rose from the blackened night, a cold green glow that began to grow brighter as her eye went wide.

“GET DOWN!!!” Twilight shouted, grabbing Flash pulling him to the ground while the other stallions got behind one of the cubicle doors as streaks of green energy shot through the side of the car, whipping passed over their heads like a wave of bullets. Wood splintered and exploded on impact from the projectiles, throwing debris in all directions.

“Flash, repeal them! Get us out of here!” Twilight shouted over the assault, covering her head from the shattered glass and chunks of wood.

Flash crawled along the floor, making his way towards one of the cabins inside the car where the car’s armory closest was set up towards the back of the car. Novis saw this and moved towards the window, firing magic blindly into the darkness, Twilight quickly coming over to back him up. Flash made it to the locker, grabbing the lock and hitting it with the butt of his sword a few times, breaking it off as he pushed his way into the cabin, grabbing two crossbows and as many arrow cartridges as he could carry.

Flash dodged back down, crawling his way back to the others as he handed Iron a crossbow and moved to the window, loading up the crossbow and firing into the night, darts flying back towards the enemy in the dark.

Plums of green swept above their heads as they fought, the alicorns using more powerful spells to try and trip up the enemy, but it was unclear if it was working. Whether it was or not soon became irrelevant has a sudden ceasefire from the other side made the mountainside fall silent, each of the ponies wondering if the changelings had retreated. However that was not the case, as a sudden, more powerful buildup of magic charged from the shadows, firing into the side of the cars, slamming into them forcing the metal to buckle, crushing inward sending the four back into the other side of the car, just before another blow sent them rolling, the car falling onto its side, moving dangerously close to the edge of the cliff.

Novis rose up, gritting his teeth as he built up the strength to climb up to get a view out the window, having to climb over the cubicles to reach to what was now the ceiling. Novis smashed the window, covering his head as the splintered glass fell down onto his head, raising his head out the window. The changelings were firing on the two cars ahead of them as well, breaking the connection to the cars and engine further ahead, laying on their sides as the lead car was fired upon, sending it over the ledge. And the changelings were about to fire upon their car as well.

“Hang onto something!” Novis shouted down, moving into a safer position, just as they were sent flying again, the car falling off into the abyss, suitcases hitting them as the fell. The car then suddenly stopped in midair, slamming them all down like rag-dolls onto the ceiling floor.

The cars were suspended in the air by rocky offshoots and organic hooks, impaling through the metal into the cabin. Sparks and dust fell around them as the ponies got to their feet, each of them drenched in sweat and hydraulic fluid. Coils of tubing and wires hung from the floor above the, sparking and swinging around.

Twilight immediately ran towards the other cars, fearing what had happened to the others, to Nyx. Novis got stumbled over himself to get after her, running ahead after her towards the next car. Novis reached the door, then stopped and turns to the others.

“You two, stay here and hold this position. Do NOT allow them to take us from behind. We’ll handle the ones that come up ahead. They’ll try and take the dining car first. God help them when they do.” He smiled, before running off after the princess.
////
Twilight and Novis rushed forward as they drew closer to the sound of fighting and struggle. They could see the dining car ahead, and somehow the lights were still powered inside the car.

Platinum was fighting in the middle of the car with an exact copy, swords banging together as they dueled it out. Spike kept Rarity tucked behind himself, protecting her as the changelings came, never able to draw near towards the now agitated kirin, plates harden and smoke puffing out from his mouth. Nyx was cornered in the corner, safe under her shield for the moment as Twilight and Novis were immediately pulled into the fight, Novis drawing his sword and Twilight lighting her horn.

Novis rushed forwards, stepping up on top of one of the booths and jumping over a changeling’s head kicking at as he fell back down, looking up at his opponents standing in front of him.

“Ba-Hot Yut Tuo!” The Changeling in command shouted barking an order, as one of the other changelings rushed Novis, quickly swinging its sword at him smacking his head back away from the creature with the hilt.

Novis slowly turned with a gash on his cheek, looking the bug with eyes lit with such anger and malice that the changeling hesitated, backing away with a strange sense of fear, before he was knocked several feet back by a sudden punch to the face by Novis’ hoof, throwing the changeling to the floor bleeding from the mouth unconscious. The three other changelings turned to look at him, just as he slammed his hoof into the commander’s face, wheeling around and lighting his horn, flash-banging the two soldiers giving him the opportunity to grab them both by their heads and slam them into the ground.

Twilight, on the other hand, shot at the changelings with her horn, paralyzing them. Nyx, she needed to get to Nyx. Spike meanwhile was holding his own, blowing fire at the creatures and snapping his jaws at them when one would venture too close, hellbent on keeping them from getting to his treasure.

Nyx looked up at the changeling as it clawed at her shield, gnawing at it like a hungry animal. She stared scared by its gaze, hating it. Novis saw her and her situation, trying to get to her, but he was too busy trying to fight off the ones who were trying to cut his head off.

“Nyx, get him. Now!” Novis yelled, just as the changeling in front of her brought down his sword. Nyx hesitated for only a moment, before releasing the shield and rolling out of the way, making the changeling fall flat onto the floor, reforming the shield around the changeling. Platinum immediately came to her aid, protecting her from behind as she kept the creature restrained.

A changeling charged Spike. Stronger than the others, it grabbed hold of him, the two wrestling against the other, clawing and biting in a frenzy. The changeling suddenly headbutted him, knocking him back as it pulled out a sword, ready to cut his soft underbelly, before Rarity came from behind, shattering a glass bottle against its head, knocking it out cold.

“Thanks,” Spike said, smiling.

Twilight conjured a spell, small purple balls the size of marbles firing at each of the changelings' heads, sticking onto them like glue. The changelings frantically tried to get them off, before they all exploded, forming bubbles around their heads cutting them off from the outside air. The changelings fell to their knees, choking and wheezing as the clawed for breath, falling over one by one unconscious.

Novis dell to one knee, catching his breath as he looked at Twilight, nodding at her as she lifted the spell, removing the bubbles from their heads. Getting back up, he walked towards Nyx, Platinum stepping away for him, looking down at her as she held the changeling in place, the changeling hissing at Novis’ scowl, “Let him go.”

Nyx complied, releasing the shield as the changeling rose up, only to be slammed back down by Novis’ hoof, pressing it against the creature’s neck, “Your comrades, how many are there?!”

“Meh-Ha Val Tou!” it cursed, spitting at him before getting punched in the face, Novis pushing harder against its throat, choking it, “You want to repeat that?”

“Ugh...it doesn’t...matter!” It choked out, looking up at him angrily, “You’re all...going to be our slaves! Gak!”

“Novis, let him go!” Twilight ordered, only for Novis to slightly relieve some pressure, “What are you talking about?”

“Hahahaha...” The changeling gave a weak chuckle, looking up at him with a hiss, “You’ve already lost.”

A loud, collective beeping began to ring around them as green lights blinked rapidly on each of the changelings, growing faster as the changeling smiled, “Long live the hoard.”

Each of the changelings exploded, releasing a heavy green gas that filled the entire car, engulfing everyone. Each of them felt dizzy, their world spinning, wobbling around them as they all fell, coughing trying to catch their breath. Each one began to pass out, succumbing to the gas’s effect. Novis looked up, eyes watery as a figure appeared in the car, walking towards him with a seductive stride, standing before him. The figure looked down, giving a cruel, feminine laugh before slapping him in the face, knocking him to the side.

“Too easy.” the figure said confidently, the gas beginning to clear, revealing Chrysalis as she paraded herself among the fallen ponies, giving a low cackle, “Line them up!”

Three of her guards moved forwards, grabbing the ponies and laying them side by side, getting them in place. Things were going perfect. She smiled, looking over her shoulder as more of her soldiers walked in, dragging Iron and Flash with them.

“Augh! Get your hooves off me!” Flash growled before he got the air knocked out of his lungs as one of the soldiers punched him in the gut, making him wheeze.

“Now now, is that any way to treat our friends?” Chrysalis smiled, bending over to look at Flash, “Hm-hmm, aren’t you the handsome one?”

“What do you want, bug? You here to kill us? Is that it? Assassination?” Flash spat, looking her in the eyes, struggling against their hold on him.

“Oh heavens no, why would I want to do that?” she grinned with confidence, brushing her hoof against his face, making his skin crawl, “I’ve got special plans for you and your Royalty.” She smiled, lighting her horn, firing a beam into his skull that knocked him out.

“Put him with the others.” She ordered, the guards throwing him to the ground, “Bring the device!”

Two changelings emerged from the other car, carrying a small black orb that crackled with magic, laying it down on a specially made pedestal in front of the unconscious ponies. Chrysalis moved behind the orb, gazing at the group as she lit her horn, opening up the orb as its magic shot out of it, swirling around their heads and bodies. Chrysalis smiled. This would be her greatest feat yet, her body tense with anticipation. She would have her puppets take over her enemy’s kingdom from the inside out, bring them to their knees. This was perfect. She would have her revenge, and it was all thanks to these pathetic ponies. And the part, she had not one, not two, but three, THREE alicorns that would soon be under HER power! She couldn’t have even dreamed of such a fantastic opportunity.

The device was ready, and with the lighting of her horn, the magic around the ponies glowed lime green, entering their ears, infecting them with her magic. She could feel the power, such raw power! It was beyond anything she had ever felt, so tasty, the love, the brute strength, the wealth of knowledge.

Yet there was something else, a source of power buried deep within one of them, something ferocious. She had to know what that was, as she began to dig deeper into the collective psyche before she felt something latch on. No, it was pulling her. She started to struggle a little, fighting back as it grew stronger, grabbing hold of her, pulling her into the unknown. Chrysalis screamed, hissing angrily as she was pulled out from her control, sucked in into an unknown world.
////
Chrysalis groaned as she slammed down hard onto the stone floor, catching her bearings as she wobbled back to her feet. Everything was dark...wait, why was it dark? Where was she again? The train, the alicorns, her soldiers, where were they? Something had happened, gone wrong somehow, and she was gonna find out what.

Chrysalis started to move around to take in her surroundings, listening to the sounds that were made around her. The slow steady drip of water could be heard in the darkness, and by the formation of rocks at her hooves, it was safe to assume that she was in some kind of cave. There was a distant echo in the dark, coming to her as if to whisper, pulling her forward. This was such an inconvenience, she thought, moving deeper into the cave, postponing her plans for conquest.

A faint light glowed in the dark before her, pale green and sickly. As she drew closer, the stone walls of the cave became more smoothed, carved out and made for travel. Residue slid down from the ceiling to the ground, oozing down the damp rock, and there was a hot, sour stench in the air. This place seemed...familiar. Yes, this place was definitely familiar, but why? As she drew on, it became more clear by the step. The walls became more hollow, holes and openings coming and going all around her, leading to different corridors and passageways. This was a changeling hive, or at least an outpost of similar fashion. Why was she back at the hive, and what was that god awful smell?

Chrysalis suddenly felt cold, an unwelcome and unfamiliar sensation to her. The cave suddenly didn’t feel right, like she didn’t belong, as if she were a deer falling into the den of a predator. Something was wrong, something was dead wrong, and she didn’t like it. She started to move faster, moving along the passageway, wanting to leave. But it was as if the cave had no end, on and on and on it went. She felt...afraid. She didn’t understand it, she had never been afraid before, at least not in a long time. But it was more than that, something more than fear.

Terror.

Something felt ALIVE about this place, and she had to get out. Her heart was racing, pounding in her chest threatening to pop out of her body. She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t think. The smell, that horrible smell, it was getting stronger, more suffocating. Her world was closing in on her, getting tighter, harder to stand, harder to go on. She felt like she would faint...but she pressed on.

Chrysalis suddenly fell, tripping on a stone to slide across the floor, landing on her jaw as she tasted blood. She slowly shook it off, righting herself up to continue her flight. And then she felt wetness, a small drip on the tip of her nose. She opened her eyes looking to the bridge of her nose as something red slid down, falling to the stone floor. Another drop fell again, then another, and another, staining her. Slowly, she reached up and touched it, lowering it to her mouth, tasting a strong, copper texture.

She rose her head slowly, raising to look up at the ceiling where, staring back at her, was the bloody corpse of a changeling.

Chrysalis gasped, falling onto her back as the body fell to the ground, splattering small drips of blood on her. The body was torn to pieces, ripped apart as if it had been mauled by an animal. Its limbs hanging by threads, its neck half chewed, red and pulping with ragged flesh. Its eyes stared up at her, glazed and still tighten, those haunting orbs screaming in terror. She reached out, trying not to run away, before suddenly a second body fell onto it, bloodied and beaten, forcing her onto her hooves as she ran, ran for her life.

The Queen had never felt so terrified, so scared. She didn’t know where she was going and she didn’t care, she just needed to get out. That was all she wanted right now, to flew, to escape.

She ran as hard as she could, but the smell only got stronger. No matter where she ran, it got stronger. She was surrounded, surrounded by it, everywhere. And then she found it. She stood staring, looking in horror at what she saw.

Chrysalis had stumbled upon a large, dark throne standing twenty to thirty feet high, a crest decorating its top like a crown of jagged thorns. It was her throne, her hive. And on her thrown, piled in an oozing stinking mass, the bodies of changelings crudely placed together in some sick organic sculpture. Her subjects, her children. They were all dead, twisted, broken, torn apart. Hundreds of them, embracing each other, as if trying to claw their way to the top of the pile, flesh fused among flesh. The smell, it burned her nostrils, making her want to vomit with its repulsive rotten stench.

Chrysalis was frozen, unable to move, as suddenly the hyping pile burst into flames, lighting up like napalm. The corpses popped and sizzled, skulls and bones consumed in flames as a form arose among the fire, eyes burning bright and fierce as they stared down upon her.

“Who has come to my prison, my purgatory?” The being asked, staring down at her with a devilish grin as she looked back in unmoving horror. Its voice was dark and cruel, choking her with its imposing presence as it stepped forward, haunting like a jackal.

“Yes, you will be my freedom.” it said as it gave a low, haunting laugh, reaching out a hand consumed in shadow, reaching for her.

But suddenly a light shined within the darkness, pulling at her as waves of color tore at the darkness, peeling away at it as the form was beating back, and Chrysalis pulled away.

“NO!!!” It screamed, fighting against the light, forcing itself to grab hold of her leg for only a moment, before its hand disappeared, and it was consumed by the light, dying away as she was pulled away from this place, never to return.

And then she was gone.
////
> Chapter 16-Psychobabble
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

////
Chapter 16-Psychobabble
////
Twilight steered, moaning as she rolled under the sheets. Lights were shining in her eyes, ponies mumbling words that she couldn’t understand. Cushions and blankets, comfortable and soft, making her want to sleep. Something else. Screeching, hissing, hot breath on the back of her neck. Twilight tensed, feeling wetness, restraint, the sound of beating wings.

“Chrysalis!!!” Twilight shouted, raising up in the bad, a doctor immediately coming to her side to calm her.

“Princess, it's alright, you're in safe hooves now,” he said calmly, lowering her back down onto the bed. Twilight looked up at him, his soft smile giving her some comfort as she looked around. Glass domes adorn above them, showing the crescent moon in the sky above them. Crystal columns rose along the hall, holding up the structure as nurses worked, tending to patients and those visiting.

“Where am I?” she asked, turning her head to look at him.

“The Crystal Infirmary of course. Your train was on root for the Crystal Empire, I’m sure you remember?” he asked, looking down at her.

“Oh...yes, yes I remember. Ohh, my head hurts.” she moaned, resting her head on her hoof. Twilight glanced at him. He was rather short, but strong, dark-haired well kept and trimmed. The skin under his eyes was weathered and wrinkled, but whether this was from age or years of constant stress she did not know.

“I can imagine. You all did take a nasty fall,” he said, checking her blood pressure.

“Fall? Wait, where’s Spike? Where’s Nyx?!” She started to get upset, raising up from the bed again.

“They're fine! Their...fine. I just checked on your daughter myself only a moment ago. They're just as safe as you are, I promise.” He lowered her back down, pulling out a chart.

“What-what happened?” Twilight asked. She knew to an extent, but she was trying to remember some details that were fleeting to her to fill in the gaps.

“Well now that really is the question, isn’t it?” he looked up from the chart, repositioning his glasses, “Changeling attack, hmm? Well, I don’t have all the details, I’m only a doctor after all, but if you really need to know I suppose I could get one of the guards who recovered you and your company.”

“If you could do that please, but not just yet.” she sighed, thinking to herself, “Is...is everypony safe?”

The doctor looked at her, licking his lips, “Your family is fine, and the guards are just as well, though they're a little more battered up. But...the conductor didn’t make it.”

“Oh...” Twilight turned, wondering if he had had a family, “I’m sure you did the best you could.”

“Thank you.” he gave a soft smile, getting up, leaving her as he left to find one of the rescue party. Twilight moaned, repositioning herself off her wing, staring at the other beds in the room. Nurses tended to Flash and the other guards, cleaning wounds and bandaging them. Spike and Rarity sat together in another cubicle, talking to each other over something she didn’t care to know. And as the doctor had promised, Nyx sat playing in her bed, a nurse tending to her, joining in her little game.

Novis, however, stood in the dark near one of the windows, staring out towards the empire outside. He stood there for a long time, just looking out into the night, before he turned, staring right at her. His eyes glowed faintly blue as he stared at her, tired and piercing. She didn’t know why,  but something about it was...

“Princess?”

Twilight jumped slightly, startled by the guard as he saluted her, giving her his attention, “You wished to speak with me?”

“Oh, yes,” she said, gesturing for him to take a seat, "I wanted to hear your report on what happened when you found us."

“Of course your majesty.” the soldier took off his helmet, setting down in the chair next to her bed, getting comfortable as he went over some paperwork, “Well we got a distress beacon from one of the watchtowers that we have positioned across this region that your train had stopped outside the schedule, so we went to investigate. What we found was, well, perplexing.”

“How do you mean?” she asked.

“Well...” he continued, “As you’re well aware the changelings were the ones who had hijacked your transport. But, when we arrived, they seemed to be in a state of chaos.” He leaned forward, looking at her, “Their leader, Chrysalis, she seemed...deranged. Rabid, like an animal, thrashing about, damn frightened me and my officers. We tried capturing her, but her drones wouldn't have it. IT was rather unsettling, they had to drag her away.”

“Hmm.” Twilight leaned back, thinking over on this puzzle. The changelings had retreated for their queen’s own protection, but why? What had happened to make Chrysalis act out like that? Twilight pondered, raising a hoof to her head cradling a headache, letting out a soft moan.

“Princess, are you alright?” the guard asked, immediately raising up on instinct.

“No, I’m fine, I’m just a little dazed still.” she hummed, waiting for the aching to subside, “Is that all?”

“As much as I can recollect, I suppose.”

“Good. Your relieved, and thank you.” she smiled.

The soldier gave a bow, putting his helmet back on before he left, leaving her to her own thoughts. Chrysalis wouldn’t have attacked unless she had a plan, but obviously, something had happened. Gone wrong somehow, but it was something that Twilight wanted to know. Something more would come of this, she could feel it, but exactly what...a mystery. She laid her cheek on the pillow. The night was waning on. She felt tired, so very tired.

She rested.
////
The Princesses moved with haste down the empty halls of the castle as they made their way towards the infirmary, escorted by their own guards. The hall was illuminated by the midnight moon, guiding them as they turned in its corridors. The hall was clean and light sky blue, shining gently in the silver light, while a red satin carpet decorated the floor.

“How did this happen? How did that monster get access to a train carrying three national heroes?” Luna steamed, angry over such a breach of security. Her mane was swirling in a concord of stars and nebulas, a frenzy that matched her ill temper. 

“I don’t know, sister. We can only work to clean up this ordeal. For now.” Celestia sighed, troubled by this turn of events. This should never have happened, and so close to the Empire as well! This was inexcusable. And tonight of all nights, the tracks should have been guarded tooth and nail. She was angry. Angry at the guards, the changeling, Chrysalis, but mostly, she was angry with herself. She should have thought ahead of time. She should have doubled security, ordered the guards ahead of the track. Truly hindsight was a cursed thing.

The two guards standing outside the infirmary stood at attention as Celestia and Luna arrived, standing aside to let them pass as they entered, looking around. The nightly staff was not as thinned out as it was on most nights, but that was to be expected considering.

“Ah! Princess, glad you're here.”

“Hello Doctor Satcher,” Celestia said, accidentally slipping out her frustration in her words.

“Yes…well, I suppose it's obvious why you're here so I’ll get right to the point.” Doctor Satcher responded, “You’ll be happy to know that all the passengers have been processed, nothing but healthy...happy patients.” he said with a slight recoil.

Celestia sighed, “I apologize, this has truly been a stressful evening.” she looked at him, rubbing the bags under her eyes.

“There’s no need Princess I understand how you must feel. Can I get you two some coffee?” the doctor asked.

“Yes, please.” Celestia nodded, rubbing her temple. Dr. Satcher walked into his office, pouring a few cups as he came back out with a tray, offering it to them, both princesses taking them eagerly.

“What of the device?” Luna asked, interested in what the changeling had been doing to the passengers.

We don’t actually know yet. I’ve sent it down to the lab. Hopefully, the engineers down there can figure out what it's for.”

“We must know what they were trying to do. I want you to personally test everyone as soon as possible.” Luna said, looking to the patients.

“I’ll get to that in the morning, However from what I see right now their fine. I’ll write up some paperwork and they can be released with orders to return later.” he looked to the princesses with a smile, “I understand that some of them wouldn’t want to miss the future ruler of the Empire.”

With that he walked away, leaving the sisters to themselves. Celestia sat down, taking it all in, “What a night.”

“Certainly not what we would have hoped, but all things considering the doctor was right, we were fortunate,” Luna said, sipping her coffee.

“Fortunate. Hmph, I’ll feel relaxed on the matter when the results from the lab come in.” Celestia stared at her cup, rolling the liquid inside of it.

“As will I. The fact that Chrysalis was there in person is most troubling. She wouldn’t have come unless it was something important. Something BIG.” Luna looked up, downing her drink, something she was used to.

Celestia looked up, about to say something in response before something caught her eye, her head turning. That’s when she saw him, standing by the window, gazing out into the world pondering over something she did not know.

“Is that him?” Luna asked, looking in the direction that her sister was.

“I thought I’d never see one,” Celestia said, watching as his wings shifted slightly, firm muscles easy to see even from across the room. He was similar to herself in color, though if one looked closer, they would find hints of blue in his coat.

“Guard?” Celestia asked, their escort standing at attention, “Tell him that we wish to meet with him. Say in about three hours?” she looked at Luna, seeing if that time would work for her as she gave a nod, “Also...be sure to notify Twilight and her family as soon as news of the baby’s arrival comes.”

“Yes, your majesty.” The guards answered, moving forward. Celestia stared, watching as the guards introduced themselves to him, as he gave a gentle nod, uttering a few words to them. She watched as they left, and he turned looking at the princesses, staring for a long moment before giving the same nod, turning and walking away.

This was going to be interesting.
////
“Auuugh!” Cadance cried, screaming as pain rushed her body in waves, sweat pouring down her forehead as the nurses did their work.

“Cadance? You’re doing great sweetie, just breath.” Shining tried to comfort his wife, though he was obviously nervous.

“W-Where’s Twilight? Where is she?” Cadance asked, panting heavily.

“She’ll be here I promise. If I know my sister she wouldn’t miss this for the world.” Shining reassured her.

“B-But the t-train...” she groaned, holding onto the bed railing, riding the contraction.

“Then I’d be more worried for whoever tries to get in her way from being here. Princess Celestia just went to check up on her and her family now.” Shining Armor smiled, looking at her sympathetically as he held her hoof “Just a little while longer, honey.”

Just a little while longer.

“AAAAHHHHHH!!!”
////
> Chapter 17-The New Arrival
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

////
Chapter 17-The New Arrival
////
Twilight sighed as she walked along the hallway, leading her to the lobby where she could get her papers signed. They wanted them all to return in the morning for a more thorough check up on everypony. That was understandable, there were still many questions left unanswered, questions she was curious to have answered.

But for now it was all up in the air, and she wasn’t going to allow it to spoil an otherwise joyous occasion. She continued to roll it over in her mind, wondering if it was really true. Her brother’s first child, she could hardly believe it. Cadance would no doubt be looking worse for wear for tonight and the coming days, but that was to be expected. But Twilight, she was absolutely excited. She was an aunt now, something that made her somewhat prideful, though she remained mindful not to focus on herself. This was after all their night, and she would make sure not to detract from that.

Nyx, on the other hand, seemed unusually quiet on her part as they both walked down the hall. Twilight wondered about this, questioning in her mind about what could possibly be going through her daughter’s head. She was hoping that she wasn’t possibly jealous of the prospect of a change of attention on her part. She really doubted that, but still…

“Twilight?”

Twilight turned her head, both of them looking back as Novis moved down the hall behind them, carrying a small decorative wooden box with him. He hurried as he closed the distance, handing her the box as he gave a smile, “Please, if you would I’d like you to take this with you and give it to the baby’s parents.”

“You're not coming?” Twilight asked, both surprised and a little disappointed.

“I’m afraid not. I’ve been made aware that I am required in the Courting Hall. It seems that your Princesses wish for an audience.” he paused, looking at her, “Besides, I would never dream of imposing on this moment. You should all be together as a family, alone.”

Twilight was about to say something, but held it in as she nodded, looking down at the box, “What is this exactly?”

“A gift. It was a tradition in my time to give these to the firstborn of rulers and kings.” he looked up at her, “And now I give one again.”

“While I’m thinking about it, I wish to see Nyx in the morning. It is the end of the week after all and I wish to retire, and I was thinking it would be an adequate time to work on her studies. Wouldn’t you agree?” Novis asked Nyx, watching as her face lit up

“I’ll be there, I promise.” the filly said, smiling ear to ear.

“And I expect you to be there. I take my leave now, so I wish you a pleasant visit.” With that Novis bowed, leaving the two to themselves as he moved away down the opposing hall. Twilight looked down at the box, putting it away in her bag as she turned, calling to Nyx as she led her to the desk.

Everything was settled, papers signed and schedules made. Twilight thanked the nurse at the desk, making her way to the upper levels, Nyx close behind. They both walked in silence once more, their hoofsteps echoing throughout the hall. Twilight glanced down at Nyx, her cheerful smile long since faded, now left with only thoughts and a pondering frown. Twilight felt troubled by this, fearing that perhaps jealousy was stirring inside her daughter.

She pondered on that thought for a moment. Was that really how her Nyx was? No, certainly not. It was true that she was somewhat sensitive, and on occasion could lose her temper, but she was also a level-headed foal. Nyx holding some discontent for her newborn cousin seemed both beneath her and utterly ridiculous. But still, children were unpredictable…

“Mom?” Nyx suddenly spoke, drawing Twilight’s attention.

“Yes, Nyx?” Twilight asked eagerly, wanting to break the silence and her bitter train of thought.

“Do you think Uncle Shining’s baby will like me?”

Twilight stopped in the middle of the hallway, looking down at Nyx in surprise, “Of course she’ll like you. Why would such a silly thought cross your mind?”

“I-I just...” Nyx frowned, staring at her hooves, “I was just thinking maybe I shouldn’t see the baby.”

Twilight knelt down, looking her daughter in the eyes, “Nyx, what’s bothering you?” She asked, her voice open and soft, free for Nyx to say anything she wanted.

“I’m...scared.” the filly’s ear hung back against her head, “What if the baby doesn’t like me?”

Twilight stared at her for a moment, trying to understand where she was coming from, “Why would you think that Nyx?” she asked, only for Nyx to look away, mumbling her words, finding it hard to speak up.

“Nyx, you can talk to me, you know that.” Twilight sighed, resting her hoof on Nyx’s shoulder, “You can tell me anything.”

“What...what if the baby’s scared of me? What if it's just like the Cakes?” Nyx asked sadly, shaking a little.

Twilight sighed. She hadn’t thought of that. Because of her appearance, Nyx wasn’t exactly...inviting. She would no doubt grow up to be a beautiful young mare, it was a shame that such beauty had to be marred with a harsh and dismal memory. Twilight knew this upset Nyx a lot, especially after the incident with the Cake twins, she was terrified to show her eyes among those who didn’t know her. Twilight stared at her daughter, staring into her eyes, serpentine and turquoise, smiling softly as she wiped her little filly’s cheek.

“Nyx, I’m sure it’ll be fine. The baby can barely open its eyes yet, so I can’t think of anything that might happen” she then leaned Nyx’s chin up, making her look up at her, “And even if the baby would be scared at first, I’m sure it will grow to love its new cousin.”

Nyx looked at her mother for a moment, almost trying to decide whether or not what she was being told was true or not, before smiling, giving a slow nod.

“Good, now we should hurry, it's getting late, and I’m not gonna wait until morning.” Twilight booped Nyx’s nose earning a giggle, raising up as the continued down the hall, the town clock stroking at one.
////
Novis walked silently up the stairway as he made his way to the Court admiring the beauty of the architecture, mindfully comparing it to that of Equestria’s. The crystal shimmered in magnificent sapphire, ruby, and quartz, reflecting softly in the pale moonlight. It was calming, almost enchanting, guiding his way in light and color.

He felt somewhat...eager to meet more ponies close to his own kind. He wondered what they were like? He could only get a glimpse from what Twilight had described them, but she couldn’t fully understand one who has lived for a thousand years, at least not completely. Two Princesses, both the embodiments of the celestial orbs. Perhaps they would be youthful, perhaps they would be wise.

He stopped at the end of the hall, standing in front of the two massive doors that led into the court. Standing tall and gaining his composer, he opened the door, walking into the dark of the room within.
////
Twilight sat both eager and impatient as a nurse brought her a glass of water, her brother sitting next to her as he looked on anxiously. Nyx sat opposite of them, a pile of books by her side as she eagerly dug through their pages. Shing had been pushed out of the delivery room by the nurses so they could have room to work, which was probably for the best, considering how nervous he was.

“This is taking too long,” he said, growing increasingly nervous each passing moment.

“Be a little patient. These things take time.” Twilight said, sipping from her cup as the nurse brought him some coffee.

“Well it shouldn’t, it should be over and done with. Why can’t they just use magic?” he asked despairingly, his cup shaking in his grasp. Twilight reached over and rubbed his back with her hoof, while far off in the delivery room Cadance’s labored cries perked at their ears.

“You know why. Just have a little faith, the doctors know what they're doing,” she said, smiling confidently as he rose his coffee for a drink, just as his wife cried out louder than before, painful as it entered their ears.

“Sweet Celestia!” Shining exclaimed, rising up out of his chair, Twilight quickly grabbing his shoulder.

“Calm down, would you?” she said firmly, lowering him back down in his chair, “I know this is hard, but just try to have a little faith, okay?”

He looked at her, opening his mouth to say something, but was silenced. A new sound entering the room, a high pitched, longing cry of a new life that had entered the world. The three looked to the doors, listening as the cry continued, before one of the nurses came out, smiling softly as she peered at the group.

“Shining Armor?” she asked, looking at him as he slowly nodded, “Your wife is waiting for you.”

Shining stared, unsure what to do in his daze as he turned to Twilight, his sister smiling from ear to ear, “Go on, we’ll be in in a few minutes.”

Shining Armor smiled, moving eagerly towards the doors as the nurse moved out of his way, letting him through. The delivery room was an open area made of pristine pearl, ordained with gemstones of many colors. In the middle of the room, Cadance lay resting completely worn down, a bundle in her arms. Interments and towels were left on the operating table next to the bed, the doctor cleaning each and every one. The nurses tended to Cadance with great love and care, drying her and giving her water, all while Shining stood in the dark, watching.

Cadance slowly opened her eyes, looking directly at him as she smiled, weak as she was. Shining Armor stepped forward, slowly at first, but quickly making his way to her, standing over her as their eyes locked.

“Hey,” she said, her voice tired and frail.

“Hey.” he said, gently rubbing his hoof over her head, “How are you holding up?”

“Tired. Really tired.” Cadance sighed, rubbing her head against his chest, starting to cry a little, “There’s someone I want you to meet.”

Shining looked down at her, smiling softly as she lifted up the bundle, unveiling the top as short, downed fluff popped out, colors of naval blue and yellow, a little horn protruding out. Cadance nudged the little foal, the little one whimpering and fusing, but otherwise remaining quiet. They both smiled, looking down at this new life.

“Can I?” Shining asked, wanting to hold the baby. Cadance looked up at him, hesitant at first to give up her new foal. She finally conceded however, Cadance slowly gave it over to Shining to hold.

Shining looked down at the foal, his foal, giving a disbelieving laugh, “Wow, he’s...wow.” Shining found it hard to form his words, overwhelmed by emotion, “Hey there, little guy.” he said softly, his hoof running through the colt’s ruffled hair. The baby gave a half-hearted cry as it stuck its tongue out, its eyes still unopened.

“Can I have him back?” Cadance asked, not wanting to be separated for too long.

Shining smiled and handed the foal back to its mother, cradled with loving care. Shining laid his head on hers, Cadance gently returning the gesture as she rubbed up against his neck, closing her eyes and sighing.

“Oh.” Twilight put a hoof to her mouth, smiling as she watched the two from across the room, Nyx watching from between her legs.

“Twilight…” Cadance looked at her sister-in-law and friend, smiling as she gestured them both to come closer.

“Cady, oh he’s so beautiful.” Twilight’s eyes started to get a little watery, but she held them back as she looked at the baby, “Have you named him yet?”

“No, we haven’t decided yet.” Cadance looked at Twilight, smiling warmly, “I’m so happy that you came.”

“And miss this? Not for the world.” Twilight looked at Shining, then back to Cadance, “Nyx, you want to see your cousin?”

“I...” Nyx hesitated for a moment but nodded when she saw the gentle happiness among the adults. Twilight smiled, lifting Nyx up, letting her look down at the foal. Nyx stared, wondering if this was such a good idea, only growing nervous as the baby began to steer, whimpering as she drew near, her hoof resting on the blanket it was wrapped in.

Then the baby gurgled, its little hoof extending, grabbing onto Nyx’s, feeling her making out this new world. Nyx began to smile, giggling as the baby cooed and squirmed, happy that they could get along. Twilight grinned, looking at them both as her mind wondered, trying to remember something. But she pushed it to the side, for now, focusing on her family as the sat together, in the waning hours of the night.
////
“Come, I’ve been expecting you.”

Novis stepped forward, walking into the middle of the court staring up into the seat of justice, looking at the mare sitting before him. She was larger than the rest, eyes narrow and sharp, dazzling to look upon. At first glance her coat and his were identical, but on closer inspection, the difference was obvious. Whereas hers was pure and shined like pearl, his gave of a natural shine, complimented by the faintest blue. She looked down at him, her hair flowing smooth and gentle as a forest stream, glowing in its own radiance colors of blue and violet, and underlaid with green.

“So your Novis. I’ve heard so much about you,” she said, rising from her chair as she walked down the steps, majestic in her steps as she came forward to greet him.

“I am. Twilight has spoken very highly of you, and I only hear admiration from the subjects of this kingdom. Truly impressive,” Novis said, smiling as he stepped forward, “and now that I’m here, I would like to know you better myself.”

“Oh but I’m more interested to learn about you,” Celestia said, leaning forward in her chair, looking at the element in his chest.

Novis stared for a moment, reading her body language before looking around, “I heard there was two of you. Where is the other princess?”

“Luna? Oh, she’s...around. The night time is her domain, and her duties come first and foremost.”

“I’ve been so looking forward to our meeting. I’ve heard so many things, both the good and the bad.” Celestia smiled, laying back on the pedestal, “But mostly good.”

“That’s comforting to know.”

“Could I...just look at you? What you really look like, only for a moment?” she asked, the male sparking her curiosity.

Novis paused, looking at her, before nodding. Celestia got up and came forward, standing in front of him as he changed, growing taller, soon standing above even her.

“Wow, you really are large, aren’t you?” she said impressed, examining his body as she moved behind him, taking in his strong muscles and powerful wings.

“Is there any reason why you're so interested in how I look?” Novis asked, set back a little by her reaction.

“Just curious.” Celestia said satisfied, returning to her serious mode, “I wanted to thank you for what you did. If that beast had succeeded, there’s no telling the lives that would have been lost. I only wish it could have been prevented altogether.”

“Some things can’t be avoided, only dealt with.” he sighed, wishing the same as well.

Celestia took note of him sighing, looking up at the ceiling, “Hmm. I only find solace in knowing that it was not the act of the horde. When the Dragon Lord heard what had happened he was furious.”

“So the dragon was acting for himself?”

“He was a criminal among his own kind, a thief and murderer,” Celestia frowned, detested of such a creature, “The dragons had been looking for him for a long time. If only me and my sister had been there. He wouldn’t have dared come near our borders, and the dragon may have been able to deal with him themselves.”

“Boring our guest with political trivially?”

Both alicorns looked up quickly as two glowing teal eyes stared down upon them, observant and sharp in their gaze. Shadows swirled into her being as her body formed from the vapor, returning from the dream world into the physical realm. She stood watching them, her body tense as her mane swirled, wrapping around her as stars sparkled and galaxies swirled in and out of existence, all in an endless cycle of creation and death.

“Oh! Luna, I didn’t see you come in.” Celestia exclaimed with a forced laugh, embarrassed that she had been startled a little.

“I was busy. There is comfort that needs to be given, in light of tonight’s events,” she said, stretching like a cat as she walked along the beam, perching herself above their heads.

“Yes I didn’t forget, you just surprised me that’s all,” Celestia said, a little annoyed.

“So, this is the great Novis I’ve heard so much about.” Luna looked down at him, her mane hanging low over the beam, “You’re shorter than I expected.”

“Luna! Don’t be rude!” Celestia turned beet red, scolding her sister.

Novis smiled, raising a hoof, “It's alright. Besides her pictures are misleading, she’s thinner then I expected.”

Luna ruffled her nose, huffing as she looked away, returning his gaze after a few moments, “What of the changelings? Can you tell us anything about what they were planning?”

“Yes, that is one of the reasons I asked you here. The boldness of the attack is...disturbing. I don’t want to be caught off guard again.”

“I...huh,” Novis said, taking a stance, “I really don’t know. It was a machine, but…” Novis tried to think, starting to feel a throbbing in his skull, “you’ll have to forgive me, I don’t know much about this kind of thing.”

“It's quite alright, I wouldn’t expect you to know what it was.” Celestia said, raising an eyebrow, “Is there any more you would like to say?”

“No, and if I may, I would like to get some rest. This really has been a long night.” Novis asked, rubbing his temples, “Perhaps we could continue this tomorrow night?”

Celestia nodded, both exchanging bows before he left, leaving the two sisters alone. Luna made her way to the floor, looking towards the doors he had gone through and pondered, mulling over her observations. Celestia looked at her sister, noticing her pondering, deciding to break the silence.

Celestia shrugged, “Not much of a talker. Hopefully, we can get more out of him the next we met.”

“Hmm,” Luna mumbled, talking to herself.

“Is there something on your mind?” Celestia asked, tilting her head at her sister.

“Just curious. I need to check something. Pleasant dreams, sister.” Luna said, her body fading out of existence as she phased into shadow, leaving Celestia alone again. She sighed, laying back in the chair. She wondered what his existence meant for her and her sister. Was there something more to them than she had thought? Some higher calling she had missed? Or was there more of their kind, lost to the pages of history? Alicorns who had traveled the ends of the earth, questioned the stars, and traversed the secrets of the ocean depths?

Perhaps...even an answer of who they really were? Why they were here, and why they lived so long?

So many questions, so little time.
////
> Chapter 18-Secrets
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

////
Chapter 18-Secrets
////
The sun had risen above the mountains as its light fell upon the kingdom, rays of gold stretched along the halls and rooms of the castle. Birds were beginning to wake, terns and inland jaegers spreading their wings to hunt in the nearby sea. Ponies tolled to set up shop, sweeping the floors and displaying their goods. Mares hung up laundry and other articles to dry between the rooftops as the bells of the medical wing rang.

As the day marched onwards, more of the empire’s citizens came out to go about their daily work, whether it be to spend or to sell, to tear down and rebuild. But soon the natural order would be shaken up. Soon the news of a newborn prince would spread, and celebration would be in order. Merriment and dancing in the streets, songs and the roar of many laughter. But for now it was quiet, save for the ponies in the streets, and the terns and jaegers in the air.

Then the sun rose high, ringing in the noon. Ponies scattered about as they heard the good news, hastily working to set up ornaments and music. Celebrations were soon to commence, the kingdom uplifting with songs on every street corner. All across the city it was about, save for the castle, which was left quiet and off to its own, the sun’s light falling against the crystal walls and rising towers, hospital and library.

The light fell upon the Crystal Library tables and shelves as Novis sat and listened to Nyx recite the words on the old pages, struggling to pronounce the old text. But Nyx was determined to learn what these old books had to say, and the knowledge they possess. It was an absolute thrill for the little filly, and trying to decipher the language of her teacher’s people was like discovering a trove of golden treasure. She was certainly getting good at it too, though she stumbled at times.

“Cha ca, Kito mo sabo?” Nyx asked, her voice echoing throughout the library, ponies moving about searching for their appropriate reading.

“No, its pronounced like this. Cha-Ca, kino mu sabu.” Novis corrected, justering with his hoof as he enunciated.

“Cha-Ca, kino mu sabu, ninmu mi finwa. Baywana nel tol?” she repeated, doing her best to

“Good. and what does it mean?” Novis asked.

“The heart is hardened and lives in the dark. But in the light it cannot dwell. Verily I say, only the light must remain.”

“Well, that’s close enough. But do you know what it means?” he asked.

This was where Nyx became stuck, moaning as she tried to understand what was being said. She rolled her eyes back and forth about the words written on the old page, pondering on each word spoken.

“It means...if you light a candle it won’t be dark anymore?” she asked, taking a stab in the dark.

“Well, no that’s not what means.” Novis smiled, giving a light chuckle at her expense.

“Could you tell me what it's saying?” Nyx asked, giving up.

“No.”

“What?!” Nyx squeaked, her eyes growing wide.

“I can teach you about spells and history, languages and mythology. But when it comes to philosophy, and discovering who you're meant to be, you’ll have to figure that out yourself.” Novis said as he stared off into space, leaving Nyx rather confused and frustrated.

“BUT!” Novis suddenly said with a shout, standing up from his chair with a bound, startling the filly, “Its noon, and I think it's a good time to get something to eat, wouldn’t you agree?”

Nyx nodded as her stomach gave a loud growl, gnawing at her for her neglect. Neither of them had eaten since supper the previous evening, and they were both too eager to satisfy their hunger. Nyx sat happy chewing on a lattice and hey sandwich with apple slices, chewing loudly as Novis poured salt and vinaigrette on a cranberry salad. Novis watched Nyx as he chewed lost to his own thoughts, passing over subjects he might have to go over with the filly, others more personal matters. He thought of Twilight and what she would be doing today

“So Nyx, what can you tell me about Cadance and her husband Shining?” Novis asked, taking a bite from his salad.

“Uncle Shining is silly.” Nyx giggled, talking with a half-chewed piece of food still in her mouth, “We used to not get along, but now he’s really nice, always saying funny things. And Auntie Cadance!” Nyx swallowed, immediately taking another bite, her cheeks slightly puffy, “Cadance is cool too. I don’t really know what she does, but whatever it is she’s good at it. Definitely.”

“Well, its good to hear that they have each other to confide in ruling this kingdom.” Novis smiled, dipping his fork into the lettuce and a bit of onion.

“Do you have a very special somepony?” Nyx asked, looking up curiously.

“Huh?” Novis asked, tilting his head, chewing and caught a little off guard.

“You know, everyone has someone they love very much, don’t they?” She said as if what she was saying was a universal fact, “Don’t you have someone too?”

“As a matter of fact, I do. Well actually, I have a wife.”

“You’re married?! That’s so cool!” Nyx sprang up, standing on the table.

“Yes, for a long time too. We’ve spent many centuries together, so many wonderful years,” he said, smiling fondly as he stared upwards, thinking back to those fond memories.

“Really? You must really love each other.” Nyx smiled, looking at him before she fell back into thought, a question rising in her mind, “But, where is she?”

Novis’ smile, still staring outward, slowly faded, memories pooling about in some mad storm. He looked at her almost confused, trying to answer, but couldn’t find himself to say the words.

“She…”

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything?”

Looking up, they both saw Luna, laying on the top of a bookcase staring down at them, a faint smile on her face at the sight of Nyx. Her tail flicked passively against the bindings, crystal reflecting her starry hair. She then glanced at Novis, her eye focusing as she gave a moan, getting herself comfortable.

“Luna? OH! No, not at all, I was just helping Nyx with her studies.” he smiled,

Luna shrugged, levitating the book on top of the stack next Nyx in her magic, beginning to read through the passages, “Proverbs and Prophecies of Old. I seem unfamiliar with the title.” she said, squinting at the transcript on the cover.

“It's from my personal collection,” Novis stated matter-of-factly, quickly taking back the book to
baby it and check for damage, “One of Twilight’s rare copies.”

“I see.” Luna paused, looking down at the filly with a blank expression, “Nyx, could you excuse us for a moment? I’d like to speak to Novis in private.”

“Sure!” Nyx said as she gathered her things, happily walking out of the section to give them their privacy.

As soon as she left, Luna moved down to the floor, her mane running down onto the floor like water as she stood, moving forwards as she started passively reading, feigning interest in the material written. She seemed tired, most likely from the long work night she had had, yet unusually focused considering.

“So, want can I do for you?” Novis asked kicking back into the chair, luna preferring to remain standing.

“I just want to talk, that’s all,” she said, putting the book down, giving a sideways glance at Nyx as she picked up a book by the door, before finally leaving.

“Fine, talking’s good. It's really good.” Novis said, itching his beard as he gazed at her, noting her natural beauty “What do you want to talk about?”

“What do you have planned for Nyx.” she asked, giving him her full attention.

Novis stammered a bit, a little set-off guard by the out of nowhere question, but quickly got back his track of mind, “Nyx? Oh, I just want her to have everything she’ll need later in life. Is that really not so simple? Better she learns how the world works now when she’s young.”

“Hmm. You talk sweet, and you know how to say things that want to be heard. But I’m not so convinced.” she added, confusing Novis, “I’ve lived a long life, and in it, I’ve made many mistakes. I don’t wish to make any more, that’s a wise choice, don’t you think?”

“Well, yes, I suppose it is. I’m afraid I don’t understand why you're telling me this?” he said, raising an eyebrow.

“I say it because I would ask...would you do what needs to be done for your subjects, even if the few might not like it?” Luna stared at him, becoming tenser, “Because I see everything.”

“Yes?”

“Last night I looked into your dreams, and what I saw...disturbs me,” she said, staring at him with all her reason and power, but also, in the small glimmer in her eye, fear.

“You...you did what?”

“Is it true? Is what I have seen what truly came to pass?” Luna said, staring angry and firm.

“You...you had no right!” Novis spat.

“Is it TRUE?” Luna said, almost desperate. Novis stared at her, silently turning his head in shame, telling Luna what she needed to know.

“You lied. You’ve deliberately lied to Twilight, her friends, all of us. Do you realize the danger this presents?” Luna asked, almost hoping for him to feel any sense of guilt.

“You, you do not lecture ME about this. Not this!” he shouted, gritting his teeth, steaming.

“I will do what I wish when the lives of my subjects are at stake!” Luna quickly drew a sound bubble around them, as they’re argument was drawing too much-unwanted attention, “I know it must be painful, Novis. Such pain is not unfamiliar to me.”

“What?”

“I understand-”

“You understand nothing!” Novis became angry, raising from his seat and pointing at her, fire in his eye, “You think your life’s been so hard, so tragic, and boo hoo. Well, it isn’t. It's SAD. Upset that you were unrecognized for you tapestry of night, grow up! You had a duty, and instead you spat on it for your own vain interest!” he said, making Luna recoil.

“How dare you speak to me that-”

“No, how dare YOU!” he said, stepping ever closer to her, each word like a predatory growl, “Even now you're still not learning from your mistakes, invading other's dreams as if they're your playthings? Who are you to think that is for you to venture what is in one’s mind?”

“DO NOT PRETEND TO KNOW WHAT IS LIKE TO GOVERN THE DREAM REALM!” Luna shouted angrily, speaking in the royal Canterlot voice shutting him up, “My duty is to protect the realm of dreams, and I refuse to be lectured by the likes of you.”

“Whether it be me, or some other, you will regret this.” he threatened, looking at her with heated malice.

“Well, I guess that doesn’t really matter anymore. However, I will give you a choice.”  she said, calming down, compassion and pity returning to her reason, “I urge you to tell the truth before any wound can be made. Tell my sister, tell Twilight, before its too late. Because if you don’t, I’ll do it for you.”

Luna turned, turning off the bubble as her cold exterior made the ponies who had been watching to cower away, pretending as if they had all been minding their own business. What was done was done, and the two were both left feeling as if anything they would look upon would burst into flames. Such a secret, such a terrible secret that could ruin everything he hoped to have. Friends that would soon hate him. What was he to do? Such a secret, could telling the truth really make it any better? No, not even if it was kept for another nine thousand years.

Novis let out an angry growl, the crystal table he stood by cracking down the middle, before he silently left alone, left to ponder over his own thoughts.
////
Twilight waiting outside the castle doors, eagerly awaiting the arrival of her parents. She looked up at the castle clock, now a quarter past noon. They were late, she muttered, nervously tapping her hoof. Where could they be? She supposed the incident the night before could have delayed further engines, but they should have been here hours ago. Twilight groaned, darting her eyes towards every street corner for some sign, any sign that they were coming.

It was already past noon, and the sun was moved faster up her in the north and would set in the next hour or two. She didn’t want to have to tell Shining or Cadance that they weren’t coming. They’d understand of course, but they’d truly be disappointed. Why did Chrysalis have to rear her ugly head now of all times? For once, just once, could they have a moment’s peace for something so special as this?

“I’m sure they’ll be here soon.” a particular orange guard said, surprising Twilight as he had snuck up on her.
“Flash!” Twilight elated, happy to see him alright, but soon stepped back feeling embarrassed, remembering the night before, feeling rather ashamed of herself.

“I just got the report. Tracks are out naturally, so they’ll be coming through the airships.” Flash continued, not showing any recognition of the awkwardness between the two.

“Oh, thank you.” she said, avoiding eye contact, “If that’s all you wanted to tell me, I’ll give you your space.”

“Actually,” Flash said as he turned his head to her, giving her pause in her step, “I wanted to ask you something personal.”

Twilight tensed, feeling the inevitable chastization coming.

“I wanted to ask, would you like to join me at the theatre tonight?” he asked, a kind smile on his face taking her completely off guard.

“W-What?” she said, taken aback by such an invitation, and even more confused by how nice he was being, considering the circumstances.

“I thought we could talk, get to know each other better, try and relax a little, after all, last night was a bit stressful, for many reasons of course.” he said, making her look down in shame, which he caught on pretty well, “Be good for the both of us to know about each other if we’d want to be friends.”

“Friends?” Twilight asked, looking at him surprised.

“If you’d like to make it up, that is.”

Twilight smiled, happy for the opportunity to make a new friend, “Sure.”

“Good.” he gave a grin, turning in to go inside the castle, “Oh, by the way, you might wanna tidy up your mane, they're here.”

Twilight jumped, turning her head to see her parents coming in through the streetway, quickly licking her hoof and running it through her hair, glossing it up to get it straight before they could see her. Her parents were in an equal hurry, a quick lively spark in their steps as they came face to face with their daughter, setting down bags and souvenirs.

“Sweetheart!” Night Light said with a beaming smile, holding onto Twilight as he gave her a nuggy, generating a high pitched squeak from the princess.

“Dad!” Twilight whined, giggling as she straightened her hair out again. Night Light just shrugged, happy to see his children again.

“Now dear, leave her be.” Velvet said, coming in next to Twilight for a long hug, smiling for their reunion, before holding onto her face taking a good look at her, “My my Twilight, your looking a bit peckish. Have you been doing alright? Eating enough?”

“Yes, mom I’m fine. Just tired, that’s all.” Twilight said with a huff, glad to see that her parents were still up to their old habits.

“Oh, the Crystal Empire, so lovely and...crystal.” Velvet said, spinning to take it all in, looking upward at the towering pillars of the castle contrast against a sapphire sky.

“Well come on, get in get in, we can talk inside. I want to see the happy couple, don’t want to keep them waiting.” Night Light said, shooing both mares into the direction of the doors.

Twilight smiled but paused, staying behind for a moment to look out into the streets, feeling as though something was watching, staring right at her, but to what end she did not know. She looked out into the streets, the alleyways and the shadows, observing and taking note all that she saw. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, save for those shadows, distant almost, like a dream, moving almost living. She felt pain in her forehead and winced, holding the bridge of her nose to ease the headache, before looking out again, only to see the town as normal as it could be, and the living shadows gone.
////
> Chapter 19-Phantom in the Opera
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

////
Chapter 19-Phantom in the Opera
////
Time kept moving.

Down below the hospital wing, the research labs were buzzing as doctors stepped with precision around testing new drugs commissioned by the crown. The inside of the labs were white and clean, vacuum sealed by glass doors and steel bearers to keep out foreign contaminants, and keeping the sensitive research save. The squeaks of lab rats were muted by the vroom of centrifuges testing blood samples brought down from upstairs. And in the corner of the facility, a large black mirror stretched across the room, an information center with transistor computers and modems concealed behind, the latest in technology which translated to glorified calculators boosted as the future of research.

There Satcher sat at his desk gingerly sipping down the last of his coffee while going over the engineer notes, looking for anything that stood out as he rubbed his temple. But the research was slow and tiring. He had been working all night into the day, and now the sun was setting again. This wasn’t even his field of study, but the workers had insisted on his presence to try and understand what sort of medical implications the device had on the passengers. He supposed that they felt that he might have some insight on the effects it might have on ponies. Well, he didn’t know much of anything about this sort of thing, and neither did any of the engineers. At least he wasn’t alone.

Still, there was some work to be done. The lab had sent him the blood samples of his patients a few hours before, and currently, he was running some tests. He looked at his watch. He’d have to go to a meeting with the other workers in a few minutes, trying to band together to share thoughts and opinions. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, yet, something didn’t feel right. Like he was missing something. He didn’t know, he couldn’t place a hoof on it.

He paused, looking up. One of the workers came into the room carrying a coffee pot with him, pouring some into his own before looking towards the doctor, “Want another filler-up?”

“No, I’m fine.”

"You sure? Cause we’re probably gonna be here until morning,” he said, raising the pot along with his eyebrows.

“Are you serious?” Dr. Satcher asked, his ears drooping, thinking of how long it had been since he had last slept.

The worker shrugged, “Hey, what can I say? Princesses want this thing dissected down until it’s showing off its pride and joys.”

“Shit.” Dr. Satcher grumbled, before gesturing his cup to the man, getting his fill. Before the stallion could leave however, Dr. Satcher quickly spun around, grabbing his attention, “See if you can get me a heyburger too, okay?”

“Got it,” he said.

Dr. Satcher decided to get up from his seat and stretch his legs, leaning over onto the observing glass, behind of which held the box, glowing a dull green while Celestia’s team did their work. What are you? He thought, staring at the cold device. The box just sat on the table in response, glowing so faint as if it were sleeping. He frowned. He didn’t like the feeling it gave him. It felt at times as though it were alive, waiting for something. At least, that’s what he felt, but he was a doctor, and he would much rather listen to reason. Still, being around it made him tense, a cold seeming to fill the room by its presence. 

The engineers began to clear the room as Dr. Satcher looked at the time again; the meeting was about to start. He grabbed his things and his notes at went to the door, looking back one more time, as though he had heard something, but in the silence, he shrugged it off and left, turning off the lights.

Alone and in the dark, the box reacted on instinct, glowing sickly green in the shadows. Her children were near, spread across the city, but near. A loud humming rose from the box, singing out a cold tune into the shadows, seeking them out. They had work to do, they would have their revenge, and finally, they would thirst no longer.

It was time to feed.
////
The sun painted the sky with the ambient colors of twilight as Novis lay in the bathwater, contemplating his and Luna’s exchange. His hair glistened in the setting sun, flowing down into the water like blue rivers. He ran the bar of soap over his body, rubbing it against his skin as he thought. Luna, how could she? How dare she? How dare she lecture him, how dare she threaten him! What did she know? He thought, lifting his leg up. Life was so easy for them, prancing about their lives without a worry for tomorrow. He had always worried, worried for himself, for his subjects, for those he loved. And she could just come in and hold such a horrible thing over his head?

Through his train of thought, Novis had started to rub the soap harder, back and forth as he grip grew tighter, until he had so much force that he crushed the bar in his hands, flacks falling into the water as he looked angrily, throwing what remained across the room, hitting the wall with a load smack!

How dare she be right.

That’s what he hated most. She was completely, one-hundred percent right. This one secret, haunting him still, holding him back, would grow darker the longer he waited, and if he didn’t take action, his relationships would be broken. Thinking of it more and more, it became ever more clear to him that only heartbreak would come of this ruse.

But he didn't want to. Oh god, he didn’t want to. What would happen if he told the truth? How could they understand? How would they be able to look at him, all the things he’s done. It scared him the most, not knowing with a truth so unpleasant.

Novis sighed, lifting himself from the tub, levitating a towel to himself as he walked out onto the balcony, staring out towards the mountains. It was beautiful, up here in the north, away from the open green fields and sprawling forests of Equestria, instead peaceful cold and snowy top mountains that shined like gold in the reflection of the setting sun. He felt the breeze brush against his face, closing his eyes to enjoy its touch. It made him think of home, and that made him think of his family. He had yet to hear their voices, and he wondered if he ever would again. He knew he had let them down, but he had hope, hope that the could forgive him.

He sighed, and opened his eyes. A shape was coming in from the sky, gliding black towards him, growing only slightly. He smiled as the shape got closer, revealing itself as a welcome and familiar friend.

“Muninn.” he smiled, reaching out as the raven landed, looking up at him and crowing. He smiled, brushing his fingers through the bird’s feathers, to which Muninn rubbed his little head against his touch.

“Chu-ka, muwa.” he said, leaning down, “Maybe you can tell me what to do, hmm?”

The bird just looked at him, craning his head, blinking and grogging at him.

“Yeah, I don’t know either. All I know is that I don’t want to.” he sighed, before recoiling in pain as Muninn peaked his fingers.

“Hey!” he yelped, looking at the raven surprised, only to get an angry caw in return, almost as if the bird was disappointed in him.

“Don’t look at me like that.” Novis groaned, feeling as though he was being scolded. He stared down at his pet for a long moment, then just shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck. His head had been throbbing off and on all day. He needed to relax, to go somewhere and clear his thoughts. He looked down into the city streets, noticing ponies congregating at the front of one of the buildings, a theater house ordained in crystal and gold. And in his mind, he pondered for a moment, until slowly, a smile grew on his face.
////
The stars began to show their first light as the embers of the city were torched, the busy night of the empire shining out as ponies set out for a night out on the town. Twilight however, was focused on herself. She was trying to get the earring to shift in right, her tongue sticking out as she fumbled with it. Rarity sat beside her, working on getting ready for the show herself, staring into the mirror before them. The dressing room they sat in was large, ordained with red patterned walls and gold-leaf ponies. Twilight moaned, her mane standing on end, completely unable to get it under control.

“Do you need help with that, darling?” Rarity asked, watching as Twilight struggled with the dress, wincing as she fought with it.

“Please,” Twilight replied, standing up as Rarity walked behind her, brushing away Twilight’s mane as she worked to zip up the dress, careful to respect the fabric.

“So Flash is your date, how exciting.” Rarity said, stirring up chit-chat.

“It’s not a date. We’re just going as friends.” Twilight answered, looking at herself in the mirror, making sure she hadn’t gone too heavy with the makeup, which to her relief wasn’t even noticeable.

“Oh, well I only assumed...” Rarity cleared her throat, puffing up the shoulders as she looked at her, “It’ll be fine, I’m sure.”

“Oh look at my baby girl.”

Both mares turned as Velvet leaned in from the door, eyes glimmering at her daughter. She quickly made her way across the room, bringing her daughter into a tight hug, much to Twilight’s protest and Rarity’s amusement.

“Mooom, you're messing up my mane,” Twilight whined, trying to escape her mother’s embrace.

“Oh, I’m sorry honey, I’m just happy for you, finally coming out of your shell.” Velvet smiled, almost immediately trying to fix up Twilight’s hair, much to her protect.

“It’s not a date, mom.” Twilight rolled her eyes, before she winced in pain, having to bring her hoof to her head to rub the pain away. 

“Are you alright, dear?” her mother asked, feeling concerned.

“I’m fine, it’s just a headache.” It wasn’t though. It had been growing all day, and each time it hit it only got worse. She didn’t know what to do. She had tried taking a nap, drinking water, she had even taken an aspirin, but it only continued to increase, stabbing her by the hour. Nothing was working, and she was steadily becoming more concerned.

“Have you been getting those too? Spike was complaining about having one earlier,” Rarity tilted her head, wincing, ”And if I’m being honest, so have I.”

Twilight stared at her, thinking over the coincidence, “Hmm, strange.”

In truth, this deeply troubled Twilight. This was a bit weird, having all of them coming down with these headaches. She wondered if it had something to do with Chrysalis’s device. What was she thinking, of course it did. Curse that wretched woman, Twilight thought, sitting down. The first thing she was going to do in the morning would be to go down to the labs and find out anything they might have learned.

“There, I think that should do it.” Rarity smiled, snipping away the final loose strand of hair, stepping away from in front of the purple mare so she could get a good look at herself in the mirror.

“Oh, honey, you look so gorgeous.” Twilight’s mother smiled, holding back a whine as she looked her daughter over, making Twilight blush, “Something seems...missing though, don’t you think?”

Rarity raised an eyebrow, looking Twilight over as well, “Why, yes, I suppose you’re right. Hmm.”

“Oh I know, here.” Velvet reached up behind her head, unhooking the chain of her necklace and handing it over to Twilight, “Take this.”

“Oh mom, dad gave you this, I can’t take it.”

“I know, but tonight is special, so I can part for it for a while. I do expect it back by the time you get back though.”

Twilight took the necklace and stared at it for a long moment, then looked up to her mother and brought her into a hug. In truth, she was looking forward to this night. She had so much to make up for, and she intended to do everything she could to make it special.
////
Flash Sentry stood at the bottom of the castle stairs, checking the time while he waited for Twilight to finish. It was getting late, and he didn’t want them to miss the show. Mares needed to take their time, he supposed, looking up at the stairways. Spike stood beside him, looking down at himself desperately preening himself, making sure he looked as presentable as possible. Flash however was fully erect, wearing his formal military uniform, while Spike wore a full black tuxedo, a red crystal flower tucked into his chest pocket. The hall they stood in was massive, purple carpets of silk and linen lining the floor with beautiful design. Crystal formed its walls that gently reflected every light that touched their surfaces, which gave them the appearance of stars as the moon began to rise. Lights from the streets shone in from the windows, a fiesta in full swing taking place outside. All in all, the night was filled with such joy and pride that it was infectious, spreading to all who felt its light.

But the air around them was wholly awkward. Spike had mostly kept quiet the whole time, and Flash had very little to say. There really wasn’t much chemistry between the two; they knew very little about each other after all. And now they were left together, aimlessly eyeing the room like disruptive children waiting to be called into the principal's office.

The silence was broken however, when Spike let out a sigh.

“I look good. Do I look good? I look good right?” Spike said with fast persistence, overly concerned with his appearance.

Flash looked at him up and down, “Ahh, hey, you look good?” he said, as if it were a question.

“Do I?”

“M-hmmm” Flash nodded, surer of himself this time.

This seemed to calm Spike down for a moment, letting out a sigh of relief. Flash looked at him, noticing how perturbed he was, tilting his head with a sympathetic glance.

“Nervous?” he asked, gaining the kiran’s attention

“Yeah, yeah.” Spike said quickly, breathing in and out heavily. The two stood quietly for a few moments, and the small conversation seemed to have finished. That is, of course, until Spike spoke up again, “I mean should I have gelled?”

“Sweet Celestia, I hope you’re not like this on your date.” Flash laughed, making Spike’s ears to droop.

“I-I’m just new to this you know?” Spike whined, completely unsure of himself, “What if I completely botch it up? I don’t want to embarrass myself.”

“Well man, I don’t know what the tell you. The least you could do is not be so wound up.” Flash said as rubbed his head.

Spike groaned, wiping his forehead before he felt a chill down his back. He looked up, staring down the empty halls, looking for someone who might be there. But there was no one, empty shadows in the gaze of twilight. Yet, he still felt as if he was being watched, and it was making him uncomfortable. It was unsettling.

Something caught his eye as he quickly spun around, looking into the dark corridors before him. Something stood in the dark, staring back at him with unseen eyes. Spike blinked, only for a moment keep in mind, but as quickly as it had appeared it was gone, as if never there. Spike tensed, looking around for the mysterious figure.

“Who was that?!” Spike snapped, suddenly very tense as Flash gave him the eye.

“Who?”

“Down there! There was somepony there, staring at us, then they were gone!” Spike insisted, pointed down the dark empty hall.

Flash stared for a long time, hoping to maybe catch a glimpse of this mystery figure. But there was nothing, save for the sound of the crowds celebrating outside, “I don’t see anyone.”

Silence.

Flash paused and listened. He could hear heavy breathing behind him as he tensed, his response yet to be answered. Cold breath brushed up on his back, the hairs of his fur standing on end. He wanted to look but, he found himself...scared too. Why should he be scared? It’s just Spike, right? No, no it was something else. What stood behind him let out a loud snort, breathing and growling like an animal, as Flash grew the courage to finally look back slowly, inching his vision closer to its source.

And at that moment, his head exploded with such intense pain of which he had never felt before. He gasped in pain, falling to his knees as it overwhelmed his senses, leaving him paralyzed as it soared through him like a virus, taking hold inch by inch.

And then it stopped.

“Hey, are you listening?”

Flash opened his eyes, gaining his senses again. He looked to his side, eyeing Spike as the Kirin stared at him. Spike raised an eyebrow at him, his demeanor wanting a response.

“Did you say something?” Flash asked, gaining an unsatisfied huff from Spike.

“Yeah, I was talking about not wanting to screw this up. Were you even paying attention?”

“Yeah, yeah I was listening but...weren’t we talking about something else?” Flash asked, rubbing his head, the pain daled to the point that it almost went unnoticed.

“What do you mean?”

Flash honestly didn’t know. He tried to remember but, nothing was coming to mind. But still, he felt that they must have been talking about something. He looked down the halls, empty as they had been minutes before. They had been looking at something, hadn’t they?

“Ah-hmmm?”

Both stallions looked up towards the sound, staring at the mares prostrated at the top of the stairs. Twilight glittered in her scarlet red dress, contrasted to her purple skin. She wore a pearl necklace around her neck, a magenta stone ordaining the middle and pressed against her chest. To her right Rarity stood, her hair running more smoothly than normal, gleaming in the faint embers of the hall. Her dress was the faintest violet, fading into the whites.  Twilight smiled, quickly walking down the steps to them, curiously raising an eyebrow to Flash.

“Well? What were you two looking at?” Twilight asked, almost glowing as she half-giggled.

“Oh nothing, we’re just a little nervous I guess,” Spike spoke up, rubbing the back of his head as Flash rolled his eyes.

“Well, what’s there to worry about? I think you look stunning.” Rarity mewed as she leaned on Spike’s shoulder, making him blush a little.

“Alright, alright. If we don’t hurry we’re gonna be late for the show.” Twilight smiled, standing beside Flash as she glanced at him, admiring how he looked in uniform. Rarity nodded, pulling on Spike’s arm and pulling him forward, leading them both towards the castle doors. Twilight sighed to herself, watching as they went, then turned to Flash, who was lost in thought.

“Hey?” Twilight nudged Flash, getting his attention, “You okay? Something on your mind?”

Flash stared at her for a moment, then turned to look down the hail, pondering over something she couldn’t guess.

“Yeah...everything’s fine.”
////
The street was packed in front of the Chal Mon’dif Theater, ponies on their way to see the show. The theater had been destroyed long ago by Sombra before the empire had vanished, and no real plans had been made to replace it. But the populous had been adamant on having it restored, holding the building dear to them. So Princess Cadance had ordered its reconstruction, but there had been problems. The citizens had been very particular about how the building should be designed, and they had constantly made it their mission to point out what the princess was doing wrong. Ornaments weren’t being made with the correct materials, the original art had to be painstakingly reconstructed, rooms being placed in the wrong areas. They were, after all, a culture of heavy traditions and meticulous design.

But, the princess had been patient, and the project finally came to a close. Now a year and a half later, and the theater had become one of the staples of the empire, a must for tourists and vacationers. And what a theater it was. The searchlights pointed towards the front of the building illuminated the structure like a giant pearl, gleaming majestically against blue banners with the royal seal printed on them. The steps to the entrance led down to the cobblestone street, where white posts stood holding up golden lamps. And the face of the building itself was truly beautiful, a stone mural carved into its surface that stretched across the entire front, depicting some battle from a bygone age.

But the most important thing that had been restored was the plays themselves. Painstakingly reconstructed and translated from their original versions to be given new life, to entertain a generation of ponies to an art lost for a thousand years. Many stories held precious to the empire, from the Quod lux vexillifer and the Tempête de Romance to the most famous of them all, the Comiti Moncrito.

And that was the one they were going to tonight. Twilight, Flash, Spike, and Rarity rod towards the theater in an oak stagecoach from the castle, making several ponies turn to see who from the royalty was gracing the building with their presence. Many even hoped that it could perhaps be Princess Cadance herself, but that wasn’t to be. The carriage horse pulled up to the front of the theater and stopped, one of the theater boys immediately hurrying over to open the stagecoach door. One by one they stepped out, gaining excited bows from many in the crowd that had gathered, while getting a few disappointed groans from others.

“Oh, how lovely. It’s even more magnificent than I imagined!” Rarity elated, smiling as she walked ahead. Spike made his way to catch up with her, while Flash stepped out of the carriage and reach up, giving Twilight his hoof to let her down. As she looked around, many ponies started to gather, watching with interest as she began to walk. She hated this part of being a princess. Just go about as normal, Twilight, she thought, keeping her gaze low. Unfortunately, with her eyes to the ground, she didn’t notice the wall of ponies in front of her as she bumped right into them.

“Oh, excuse me.” Twilight politely apologized, trying to move along. However, the ponies weren’t so quick to leave it in passing, beginning to press her for any news on the royalty, all asking in unison.

“What’s the news on the royal heir? Is it a little prince or princess? Is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza alrig-”

Twilight began to retreat into herself, not liking to be pressed, before Flash stepped in between her and the crowd, “Everypony, settle down. We’re just here for the show, we don’t have any news for you.”

The crowd, however, was stubborn, adamant to get some news out of them, “What do you mean, you don’t have any news? She’s related to them, isn’t she? Shouldn’t she know?” One stallion said, farrowing his eyebrows.

“Oh I’m sure she does, but perhaps privacy is on her mind. And is that really so bad?”

Twilight and Flash turned to see who had just spoken, looking up the steps to a white stallion in his mid-fifties, sporting a well-combed mane, business suit, and monocle, strutting up towards them with a friendly smile, a young and beautiful mare with a flowing pink mane close behind him.

“Fancy Pants! It’s so good to see you.” Twilight smiled, truly glad to see him after so many years.

“Princess, it’s a pleasure,” he said, reaching for her hoof to kiss it before his attention returned to the crowd, “Now I’m sure you’ll all hear from the Prince and Princess will tell you everything you want to know soon, but they must just want to be left alone for the moment. You can understand that, can’t you?”

A murmur arose from the crowd, a few nodding heads as the begrudgingly agreed that that was appropriate for the new parents.

“Good, now excuse us, we have a show to catch.” Fancy Pants smiled, leading the two up to the doors.

“Thank you. These people are a menace.” Twilight sighed, shaking her head.

“Oh, they’re just enthusiastic. National pride gets the best of us I suppose.” Fancy Pants said as he cleaned his monocle, Fleur leaning against him, “Rarity! How is the clothing business fairing?”

Rarity turned and brightly smiled at him, quickly coming over to give him a hug, “Oh, it’s going splendidly. I’m hoping to get a branch set up in Canterlot sometime next summer. Nothing’s set in stone, but I think I can pull it off.”

Fancy Pants looked at her, “Marvelous. When I go back, I’ll be sure to put a good word in for you among some investors.” he said, gaining a smile from the mare.

“What are you doing out here anyway?” Rarity asked, tilting her head. The aristocrat opened the door, gesturing her and the rest to step inside.

“Business mostly. Though I must say, being a little romantic too.” He smiled towards Fleur, who nuzzled him on the cheek.

Rarity gleamed, starry-eyed at the two as she smiled knowingly. The mare continued to talk as Twilight began to roam, gazing in wonder at the interior of the building, taking in the craftsmanship of the architecture. Pearl marble carved into wonderful murals of ponies sailing the seven seas, flying above the highest mountains, or battling against creatures of myth.

But in the corner of her eye, she noticed a familiar flash of color pass by. She turned, looking around the crowd, looking for where the figure had gone. She moved into the group of ponies and looked around again, this time seeing the stallion she recognized, standing alone in the corner, admiring some painting.

“Novis?”

The stallion tensed as he turned to look at her, surprised that she was here. Twilight was just as surprised, but somewhat pleased to see him nonetheless.

“Finally decide to spend some time outside away from all those books??” Twilight teased, feeling a little silly to be lecturing him on not spending enough time out of a library.

“Oh, yeah...umm.” Novis muttered avoiding eye contact, causing Twilight to raise an eyebrow.

“Is everything alright? You seem a little tense.” she asked, a little concerned.

“Everything’s fine. Besides, you should be worrying about you. Afterall, I see you’ve got company.” Novis said, gesturing his head towards Flash.

“Oh?” Twilight said obliviously, before her brain snapped back to working properly, “Oh yeah, we thought it would be a good idea if we both spent some time together. Get to know each other better.”

“Hope you enjoy yourselves.” Twilight watched as Novis walked away, frowning. She knew something had him upset, but she didn’t want to press it. She knew better to leave him to his privacy, and if he wanted to talk about it, well he would come to her.

Twilight let out a sigh and turned away. She’d see if he’d be more willing to talk sometime tomorrow, but for now, she wanted to be with her friends.
////
Rarity smiled as she sat down in the booth, Spike beside her while Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis found their seats behind them. The theater was large and open, row upon row of red velvet seats circling around the stage. They however, were staying in one of the overhanging rows of booths above the stadium seats, giving a perfect view to the center of the room, each made of a marble shell decorated with golden doves and olive branches. And above their heads, golden arches held up the ceiling, which presented its own beauty, a grand chandelier hanging from a large sprawling mural, paintings of sirens, pegasi, and umbrum souring against clouds in an open sky.

Rarity wanted to talk about the amazing architecture with Twilight, but she’d have to wait until after the show. Twilight and Flash had decided to get their own booth, wanting to be together in private. Rarity had her suspicions, and she couldn’t be happier. She could imagine them both up there pouring out their hearts to each other, getting to know each other better intimately. 

But it wasn’t proper to fantasize about one’s friend and their relationships, and besides, Rarity had someone to focus on herself. Spike had never been to an official theater house before, and he was completely enthralled. Perhaps it was his fancy towards theatrics, she didn’t know, but she was excited to hear his thoughts after the show.

“So what have you heard about this show?” Spike asked, leaning over to speak into her ear.

“Not much, it’s going to be such a surprise.” Rarity cooed, smiling with child-like glee.

“I heard,” Fancy Pants spoke up, allowing the two to turn their heads around to look at him, “That the Comiti Moncrito is based on an old Imperial legend. Dating back a few thousand years even.”

“Really? What’s the story?” Spike asked, interested in the prospect.

Fancy Pants cleared his throat, “Well if you must know, it’s supposed to tell the early history of Unicornia. Ever heard of them? Apparently, they were a predecessor to the Unicorn Tribe.”

“And apparently, it’s supposed to tell the story as to why the unicorns and the pegasi became hostile to each other.”

Spike and Rarity stared at each other in anticipation. That sounded thrilling to both of them. Rarity was interested in learning more of the Crystal Empire’s history, and Spike had heard about the unicorn tribe’s history for most of his life from Twilight. But the prehistory, what came before was beyond intriguing.

A new sound arose from the crowd as the orchestra prepped, musicians tuning their cellos, violins, basses, and the shamisen. Ponies began to draw their attention towards the stage, the conductor tapping his baton against the stand, signaling the orchestra to be prepared.

“Quiet now, it’s starting.” Rarity hushed them all, her attention given fully to the stage as the lights fell. In the dark, a silhouette of a mare stood in the middle of the stage, a white glow surrounding the figure from behind as music began, the strings slowly building before she spoke.

Let us think back to a time long past,
And a world beyond our own,
When sirens sung and time was young,
And tyrants sat on thrones.

The curtains parted and the light came on the stage as the setting was revealed. In the center of the stage stood a mighty throne, surrounded by ponies either chained or in ragged clothes. On the throne sat a dragon, or at least the puppet of one, yet it was so well made and stunning that it looked real. The magical effects provided by the unicorns were to thank for such realism.

The dragon opened its mouth and roared, spewing flames over the audience's heads, drawing many cries of fright and excitement. The dragon spoke an ancient language, all the ponies on stage cowering in fear as it laughed. They hung their heads though, completely submissive and at the mercy of this tyrannical creature.

But, even in this land of misery, some obscure form of happiness bloomed, in a little village in the countryside...

The stage grew dark as the sets were shifted, and when the lights went up, the audience was introduced to an old medieval village, worn down but filled with life. Ponies went about their business; unicorns stamping metal in a blacksmith shop, pegasi weaving fabrics, foals running in the street. One of these foals, a unicorn colt with a light-grey coat and a short blonde mane, stood out from the rest. His eyes were a deep green, dirty as he darted them back and forth, clearly up to some mischief. Beside him stood an older colt, stone features defining his face with eyes of bronze.

“Come on, Kel!” the younger colt whined, impatient as he hid behind the village well, peering around the stones as the governing family made their weekly pass among the peasants.

Kel rolled his eyes, tugging on the colt’s shoulder, “Torbin, would you quit screwing around? I’m hungry. Let’s go swipe the bakers already.”

Torbin however ignored him, shrugging him away so he could focus on the ponies coming. That’s when he saw who he was looking for: a filly who walk close by the town leader, her father. She was one of the higher-ups in the broken system that could be called the social status. Her coat was clean and white, with long strands of purple and blue hair and eyes of bellflower blue. And to Torbin, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

She moved away from the rest of the group and began to curiously examine the stands where old mares tended to cooking pastries and spun silk. Torbin stuck to the side, watching her movements with admiration, completely taken by puppy love.

Little did he know that she was well aware of his gaze. 

Kel hissed, annoyed by his friend’s obsessions, “Would you cut that out? Amerila’s never going to talk to you, stupid.” he said in a brash tone, looking at him with his jaw tightened.

“Hey, I can dream, can’t I?” Torbin said with a smug grin, staring at her as she walked away.

“Yeah, dream. What are you gonna do, win her over with you’re charming personality?” He teased, rubbing the younger colt’s head, who squirmed and batted at him, looking at him annoyed.

“No...” Torbin said dejectedly. Kel smiled at this, glad to be over with it as he began to walk away, only to be pushed down as Torbin became confident again.

“But I can siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!” Torbin suddenly stood up with a bound, startling Kel who had a miserable look on his face

“Oh no…” Kel groaned, shaking his head in embarrassment.

Torbin left the confines of the well, and stood up to make himself known. He pranced over towards her, following her in a silly manner which drew laughs from the crowd.

Watching from afar,
Something grand, something new,
I watch her as she goes,
Another day, another mare,
But like none I’ve seen before,
My heart souring to her.

Amerila however, was unimpressed. Though Torbin tried, she made it a point to dance out of his steps, actively avoiding his advances. She gave him a passing glance before sticking her nose in the air, shunning him as she began to sing as well.

Being watched from afar,
Nothing grand, nothing new,
He watches as I go,
Another day, another boy,
The same I’ve seen before,
Following wherever I go.

She moved away from him, only for him to follow. They both moved out of sight behind the well, only for older actors to come out the other side, spells made up to make them look the same as their younger counterparts. Torbin smiled as he sang, brushing away his mane which had grown longer.

Watching from a distance,
Walking by, by her side,
Talking as we go,
Through winter chill, and summer breeze,
So much we see as the years go by,
But slow as I stand with her.

This time however, her tone had changed. Now older like Torbin, Amerila was less inclined to avoid him, tolerating his presence, and quite frequently turning her gaze towards him as she sang.

Watching from a footstep,
Something different, something new,
Laughing and singing,
Silly boy, he makes me laugh,
Though much we’ve lost as the years go by,
It’s worth it as I stand by him.

The two began to dance more in unison, complimenting each other in their movements while still distinct as they stared at one another, clearly starting to grow more attracted to each other as time moved on.

The two separated again, dancing their way up opposing stairways which led to the top of a tower in the middle of the stage, and as they joined at the top, they were now much older, completely embracing each other as they danced in perfect unison, singing together.

Today is the day we live out our dreams,
Watching side by side,
Say you’ll never leave me,
Hinc animum perducere ad atria caeli,
We’ll be together forever strong,
Standing side by side!

Rarity smiled as the two danced in each other’s embrace, a smile that grew wider as Spike extended his hoof behind her back, holding her by her shoulders and leaning her closer to himself. She leaned her head on him, satisfied and happy to be close to him, as they continued to watch the story play out in silence.
////
Novis couldn’t help but laugh at the little song, smiling at the childlike innocence of it all.

But the innocence didn’t last. The stage had changed once again, now simulating the nighttime as the villagers screamed, fire erupting among the houses as a silhouette spread its ominous shadow upon them, souring and breathing fire down below. This was of course all illusions, but it looked and felt real, Novis feeling the heat of the magical flames even from where he sat.

And then it was over. As soon as the dragon came it had left, taking with it many ponies in its grasp to be eaten. The village was in ruins, and the resident’s spirits broken. That was of course, except for three. Torbin, Kel, and Amerila had been traveling abroad for months, and had only just returned, only to find the carnage. Kel looked on disdain and malice in his eyes, gritting his teeth and spitting. Torbin was silent, thinking over something as Amerila looked out onto the destruction, her eyes becoming watery from a combination from of the pain she was feeling and the ash in the air.

“My home…” she whined, rubbing her eyes.

Torbin looked at her sadly, bringing her into a hug, “I’m going to kill that dragon. Once and for all.”

“Oh hell.” Kel looked at him like he would an idiot, putting a hoof to his side.

“Seriously,” Torbin said adamantly, taking a stance, “Look, I have a plan, and I’ll need you two to do it.”

“Oh, this should be good.” Kel joked sarcastically, before getting jabbed in the gut by Amerila

“Shhh.” Amerila glowered at him, getting him to silence himself.

“Look, we all know that dragons have strong armor. You can’t cut through it. Even their eyes have slits that’ll protect them from arrows.” Torbin pulled out a scroll, opening it revealing a detailed anatomy sketch of a dragon, pointing to it with his hoof, “But, under all that is soft, vulnerable skin.”

“So what? That doesn’t do us much good if we can’t get to it.” Amerila said, looking at him questioningly.

“But I think we can,” He pointed to the sketch’s mouth, showing soft pink flesh, “All we have to do, is drive a spear up the roof of its mouth, and drive it into his brain.”

“Oh well if THAT’S your plan.” Kel rolled his eyes, shaking his head at how stupid this sounded. Torbin looked at him with a huff, a little disappointed.

"Oh come on, where's your sense of risk?"

“It’s crazy, Torbin. You’re crazy.” he said strongly, not liking the idea one bit.

That could actually work, Novis thought, leaning forward as the two argued.

“No, this could work,” Amerila said, gaining a shocked look from Kel.

“Are you serious?! You’re not actually buying this crap.”

“Look! I don’t really know what you think what future we could possibly have, but I’m tired of cowering under this monster.” she said firmly, stepping to Torbin’s side, “And like it or not, I’d do anything to get rid of it.”

Kel looked back and forth between the two with his mouth agape, wanting to say something but could find the words he needed. Defeated, he moaned, shaking his head before taking the sketch to look it over.

“So, what do we do?”
////
The stage grew dark and changed once more. Now returned to the set of the throne room, the three unicorns led a band of ponies they had convinced to help behind them, slowly and quietly making their way towards the tyrant dragon king. The beast was asleep for now, but for how long that would last, they didn’t know. They hadn’t run into any guards, likely the dragon felt confident enough that he didn’t need them. They had little time to waste; they needed to do this as fast as possible, or they were all dead.

Quickly they started setting things up, Torbin pulling a spear with a screw on cap out from a large package they had brought with them. Quickly he took out the spearhead, black steel designed for penetrating the toughest materials, screwing it on tightly. He also pulled out a sword made of the same material, keeping it on himself just in case.

“Okay, get his mouth open,” Torbin said, waving Amerila and Kel over.

The two unicorns complied, using their magic on its jaws, slowly prying them apart. They struggled, having to focus all their concentration on what they were doing. The jaws soon parted, saliva dripping in strains stained red, fresh blood from its latest meal.

“Oh god, he smells.” Kel felt revolted, like he was going to throw up.

“Come on, I need it wider!” Torbin whispered harshly, starting to regret trying this. The two grunted, lifting as hard as they could with their magic.

Only when they had open it wide enough did they realize that its eyes had opened, staring right at them with cold amber eyes.

Kel looked up, his ears laying flat against his skull as he panicked, “Oh no.”

“Bashta kuna tol!” the dragon roared, rearing its head as Torbin held on to its bottom teeth for dear life, shaking violently as the dragon shook its head.

“Torbin!” Amerila cried, throwing a spear at its head, only to bounce off with a clank. The dragon stared at her with an evil grin, preparing to fire.

“The pillars! Get behind the pillars!” Torbin cried, holding the spear as hard as he could.

The ponies scattered, running behind the marble stones, just as the fires reached them, burning like the sun. The music swelled, Torbin crying out as the heat became unbearable before he fell, crashing onto the ground with a loud thud. He groaned, hissing in pain as he rolled, trying to get back up, grabbing for the spear, only to find the entire top half melted away.

Torbin cursed under his breath, scrambling to find the sword. Quickly he felt a jab in his side, wheeling around to find it under a stone, pulling hard on it to get it out. He cheered, lifting it up with pride, before he felt a chill, and looked up. There, looking at him with a cruel and sadistic look, was the dragon. It growled at him, bearing its teeth with a low thunderous bellow. Thorbin stared absolutely terrified, thoughts racing as he created a bubble around himself with his magic without thinking, just as the monster bit down, carrying him into his jaws. 

Amerila and Kel stared up in shock and terror, watching as Torbin screamed, banging around inside the bubble as the dragon tried and failed to bite down and swallow him. He looked around in horror, desperately thinking of what to do next. And then he saw it, the roof of its mouth, just below where its brain was. Slowly, an idea came to mind, as he nervously looked down at his sword, then over to where Amerila was, who was staring right at him.

“Wait, what is he…?” she began to say, only to scream as he canceled the bubble, the dragon’s jaws snapping shut.

“TORBIN!!!”

The dragon smacked its lips and smiled. Now it would eat them too, as he rose on its hind-legs. But then its eyes bugged out, and it began to scream, a loud shrill screech that duffed the ears of all who heard it. Riving about and smashing into the walls, its tail slammed against the pillars and the ground, wheeling around as it shot up, screaming before it quieted down, falling to the ground with a mighty crash.

Dust settled, and the ponies began to gather. The outline of the beast was covered in soot and rubble, caked in the dust of the old castle. Amerila ran to its side, desperately looking for a sign that Torbin was still alive. She listened, pushing her ear against the creature’s mouth, and heard nothing. She became frantic, pushing against it, starting to cry as she opened the jaw up with her magic.

And he was gone.

“No…” she moaned, falling back onto her knees, starting to hyperventilate. That was of course, until a muffled shout came out of nowhere.

“Help! Get me out of here!” she heard, coming from deep inside the dragon’s esophagus. 

Amerila quickly called for the others to help her, using all their magic to lift the jaw open. There inside the sword was lodged in the back of the dragon’s throat, blood pooling down onto its tongue and onto the floor. But further back was something else that moved, a hoof flawing in the air from down its throat in a panic.

“There he is! Pull him out, quick!” Kel said, reaching in to grab his hoof, pulling back with gritted teeth. After a few moments, they finally managed pulled him out, only for many of them to step back at the smell, Torbin completely covered by blood, saliva, and mucus, dripping off him like thick slime as he gasped for air.

“Uuuugh!” Torbin gagged, absolutely disgusted as he whined, flinging mucus all over the place, “Ugh, I’ve got it rubbed into my coat. Oh, it's all up in my crotch!”

The audience laughed. He was soon distracted from his disgust when Amerila embraced him, laughing happily that he was alright. He let out a sigh, giving her a hug, shaking a little as the cold air hit him. The group of ponies cheered, the realization finally sinking in that they were finally free. The audience began to cheer as well, caught up in the excitement as the orchestra played a happy tune. Novis sat back and sighed, captured by the performance, and hungry for more.
////
Time past in the narrative of the story, and the kingdom that Torbin had made for the ponies prospered. Color had come back to the land, vibrant and lush with vegetation and life. The pegasi and the unicorns worked together to rebuild their desolate homes, making their cities glow with their newfound riches. Torbin had been crowned their new king, and with Amerila at his side, they watched over the land for many years, the kingdom expanding into territories previously unknown, discovery after discovery uplifting their lives. It was utopia.

But they didn’t last forever.

Flash watched as events played out and frowned. The tone had suddenly shifted, low based themes playing in the orchestra while on the stage, the pegasi and unicorns began to murmur against each other. The unicorns seemed to become distant from their counterparts, and in turn, became more demanding of the flyers. Unrest and resentment blossomed, and the world rain cold.

Now on the brink of war, and Torbin’s vision of grandeur held in question, he held a summit in hopes to turn the tides.

The court of the castle was in turmoil. Pegasi shouted and screamed on one side, unicorns yelling and pointing accusing hooves on the other. A pegasus ambassador stood in the middle of the court with Kel standing opposite of him, both in the middle of a heated debate. And sitting in the back, sitting on a throne nursing a headache and the weight of a crown.

“The pegasi need to work harder. They must complete the desired tasks presented to them by the crown.” Kel said with a presence of authority, while the ambassador stood looking at him in disgust.

“Why? So that we can be your slaves?” the pegasus stood defiantly.

“Now that’s not fair, we only ask that you do your part.” Kel reassured the representative, placing his hoof on his shoulder, “If that means you have to do harder work, that’s just how it has to be.”

The pegasus, however, wasn’t backing down, rudely struggling off his touch, “Is that supposed to make us feel better? We get nothing in return for our labor. Kind words from a snake are still the words of a snake.” the pegasus said angrily, spitting in Kel’s face.

“What do you think of this?” Flash asked, his hoof on his chin in a thoughtful manner.

“It’s fascinating.” Twilight said, contemplating over something, a thought that wouldn’t leave her, “though, somehow it all seems familiar. I don’t know why.”

Flash nodded as the scene played on. Torbin immediately intervened, getting between the two with his hooves on Kel’s chest, “Now hold on, let’s all take a step back. I’m sure there’s room for negotiation.”

The ambassador sighed, looking at Torbin sadly, “I’m afraid it’s too late for that.”

Torbin and Kel looked at the pegasus in confusion, that was until a scream rang out in the town square outside. They both looked at one another other, running to the doors as the burst open.

In the street before them, a crowd had gathered, terrified faces and trembling voices erupting all around. They all stood far back leaving an open center, where two stallions stood face to face in the middle, a unicorn taskmaster and a pegasus worker with the former’s back towards the noblemen. The pegasus had been doing something to him before he pushed the unicorn, the body falling limp on the ground, blood pooling from a gaping hole in his chest. The two unicorns stared up at the pegasus in shock, as he stared back at them, holding up the taskmaster’s heart in his hoof, screaming out in anger.

“Today, we declare WAR!” he shouted, and then everything was chaos.

Ponies dashed about in panic as pegasi descended from above, fighting and terror erupting in the streets. Torbin and Kel recoiled back inside, both quickly ordering a rally of defense.

“Kel, get to the armory, get our soldiers out there and fight them!” Torbin shouted in alarm, pulling out his sword as a pegasus smashed through one of the winds, attacking before Torbin slashed at his belly, the pegasus falling dead. Kel nodded as he ran, Amerila running on the stage past him with a sword in her magic, joining Torbin.

Twilight and Flash stared at the stage in shock. What had just happened? Pandemonium had completely erupted, the audience taken aback. The two looked at each other, sad looks on their faces; this is not what they had expected.

Flash was about to say something, but his thought was cut short as he held his head in pain, feeling a stabbing sensation course through his skull. Twilight looked at him worriedly, before pain shot through her head as well, making her moan.

“Flash...are you...okay?” She winced, her eyes getting watery.

“Y-Yeah, just...too much light,” he spoke with a raspy voice, hissing before he got up, moving towards the exit.

“Flash? Where are you going?”

“Bathrooms. I just need to...take care of something,” he said rather quickly, making his way out of the booth, leaving the mare alone.

The stage was set ablaze with fighting and bloodshed, armies warring against each other in a display of raw power. But  Twilight didn’t care, all she cared about was the pain. She cradled her headache, her eyes closed shut because of the sore throbbing. And when she opened her eyes again, they glowed a sickly green.
////
Time passed further, and the stage shifted. The story continued, and the war was over. The pegasi had grown tired of the fighting, realizing the wrong in what they had done. And the unicorns welcomed them in, with smiles and warm embraces.

Novis sat in his balcony box watching the stage unfold down below, but his mind was on other things. What was he going to do? How should he do it? Like the play, he didn’t know what was going to happen next.

On the stage, the lights were deemed down low to simulate the hues of night. In the center, a platform rose up above a crowd of ponies eating at a banquet table, characters sitting from both warring kingdoms, Torbin sitting in the middle laughing. Amerila ran up to the middle of the stage and climbed up to the platform. Looking out, the orchestra playing a soft melody; her own personal theme. It rang out into the audience, some even humming such a sweet sound. Amerila looked down on the group, smiling on the happy scene.

Torbin couldn’t have been happier. He had lost so much during this war. His friends, his brothers, his sons. And even then, he chose to forgive, to let it go. His hopes had finally come true. Unicorns and Pegasi mingled together in harmony once again, rekindling friendships long lost. They had fought for so long, they only wished to be together again, if maybe it might be but a short moment. None of them thought this, however; their peace could be forever for all they knew, and really, that’s what they hoped.

Novis, on the other hand, cared very little. He was too deep in thought to really pay attention. That was of course, until something caught his eye. In the shadows, there stood clocked figures, staring coldly at her from the dark. Amerila didn’t notice however, as her focus persisted on the festivities down below.

Torbin raised his cup for a toast, “We sit here tonight, on the very anniversary of this dreadful war, not as enemies, but as friends. So much has come between us, and for us to set that aside, makes me truly glad.”

The partygoers cheered, raising their glasses up to the sky, crying out joyfully. At the same time, the cloaked figures drew closer, swords rising from their cloaks. Novis tensed in his seat, watching first in confusion, and then, as the realization dawned on him, horror.

“We were friends, and we can be again.” Torbin smiled, unaware of what was about to happen.

The cloaked monsters rose their swords high, as Amerila finally felt that something was wrong, and turned back to see what was coming for her.

“All we have to do…” Torbin declared, the orchestra raising in intensity.

Amerila couldn’t escape, as the first blow was struck. The audience gasped, as she fell to her knees, clutching at the sword by her side but too much in shock to pull it, as the five struck her down, stabbing her through many times. The music rose in a horrible shrill screech, each blow striking harder with the musicians backing it up. But no one below noticed, their cheering too loud to hear what was happening above.

“...is be better than what we were.”

The cloaked figures ceased their assault, backing away triumphant. One, casting his sword aside, drew a knife and bent over, his back to the audience to block them from seeing what he was doing. But after only a few moments he backed off, holding up in his hoof her heart, as all five cast away their hoods, revealing who they were, the one standing in front immediately recognized by the audience.

It was Kel.

And not just Kel, but all of Torbin’s loyal generals. They cleaned their swords of their deeds and quickly turned and fled, while Thorbin got up from his seat, and walked to the stairway leading up to the chambers, smiling as he went. The audience soon groaned and sighed, moans echoing out as they realized what would happen.

Novis could only watch, his mouth agape as he watched, captivated by all that he saw. His emotions raced as Torbin entered the room and stop, dropping the cup onto the floor, the glass shattering in the silence so loudly that it was painful. He ran to her side, picking her up and shaking her, desperately trying to wake her to no avail. He looked down at her wound, gasping in shock as he saw what they had done to her, and shook his head in defiance. 

“Amerila…Amerila!” he cried, his voice breaking as he continued to cradle her, holding onto all he had left in the world.

Torbin held her close, tears beginning to swell in his eyes as he began to sing, “Remember me...”

Novis listened, his ears perking up as he watched in silence, hypnotized by the scene.

Torbin continued, “see these tears within my eyes, remember me…”

Novis, as if by instinct, began to sing softly to himself as well, repeating them with such emotion as if he knew them by heart, “Don’t make me say goodbye, don’t let your soul slip away into the lonely, lonely night…”

The theater seemed to pass away as Thorbin was left alone, holding on to her for all he had left in this world, tears rolling down his eyes, “And our paths part ways as lovers often do.”

“Please don’t leave me...please, remember me…”

Torbin’s hand retracted, but it wasn’t his anymore. Novis was crying as he looked down at his blood-soaked hand, shaking in disbelief. She can’t be gone, she can’t leave him. Please...he tried to wake her, but it was a vain attempt. Still he tried, tried to use his gift but, she was too far gone. There was nothing he could do. Him. He could do anything, why not this?

She was gone.

The world came back to him as Novis looked around, the orchestra playing sad, lonesome tunes. He trembled. What had happened was, uncomfortable, but how it felt so real. Novis looked down at the ponies beneath him, his eyes red as his tears welled up, everyone in the audience moved by the scene, watching as so much emotion and pain was delivered upon the stage. But none of them understood better than Novis.

Novis wiped his eyes. He could see now what he needed to do. This was a revelation that weighed heavily on his heart, but he knew it needed to be done, for their sake and his own. Novis got up from his seat and left, walking away from the scene as the music began to build, a low, angry tempest of sound and music sweeping over the orchestra, as the stage was set in red.
////
She felt cold.

Chrysalis had awakened only a few moments before, but was quickly gaining a sense of where she was. The hall she was in was long and empty, with red carpet and golden ornaments lining the walls. She looked down. Her host would do for now, but she needed to feed. She could feel it, a burning hungry in the pit of her stomach. She needed to find love, quick.

She moved down the hall, getting a better bearing over her surroundings, adjusting to this new body. She could feel the strength of magic within; this would be an excellent host once she broke it in. She felt nice, like slipping on a fresh bought set of clothes, hugging tightly against your skin. She wondered where exactly she was, so she began to look, to smell, to listen. Somewhere in the building music was ringing out, a choir singing some sad melody, and every so often she could make out the words being sung.

Upon the path before us, we’ll let the Shadow fall.

Some sort of theater house, she thought, searching the area. She was so lost in her own thoughts that she almost didn’t notice the voices around the corner coming towards her. She quickly leaped into the shadows, watching, waiting for them to come. Then, coming around the corner, two ponies walked side by side, a mare and stallion talking to each other in some conversation she cared nothing about. The stallion was tall, white with a blue mane, wearing a tuxedo and a monocle, and the mare beside him was beautiful, some sort of model she guessed. They were rich, there was no mistaking that but, she could sense between the two, and it was strong. That was unusual in her experience; the rich tended to resent each other deep down, but here it was real.

And she couldn’t pass up on a delicacy this rare.

She hid in the dark, scaling the wall, keeping out of sight as they passed by, deep into whatever topic they found so interesting, as she stepped out of the shadows behind them, quietly following the unsuspecting couple. Yes, they would do perfectly, she thought, smelling the love coming off of them as she breathed heavily, drool dripping from her mouth. Her breathing was so loud that it drew the attention of the stallion, who turned to look behind himself, staring right at her.

“Oh, hello?” he said, unaware of the danger they were in. In the theater, a bell rang out a haunting tune.

Ding Dong Ding Dong Ding Dong

She smiled at him, a wicked grin spread wide as she suddenly rushed him, grabbing him and slamming him into the wall. He tried to get out of her grasp, punching at her several times, but she held firm. The mare cried out his name, slapping her hooves at their attacker. She became annoyed by this, turning her head to slap the mare in the face, sending her plummeting to the floor. She turned her attention back to the stallion, her grip firm against his throat.

“P-Please! Fleur!”

In his panic, he began to punch her even harder, each blow expertly given. She quickly grabbed him by his head and slammed it into the wall repeatedly, wood splintering outward from the wall. That did the trick as he slumped, dazed and beaten with his energy taken out of him. Her smile grew even wider, as she opened her mouth and began to drain him, sucking out the energy that she desired. He struggled, his squirms frantic at first, weakening as she sucked as much as she could out of him, licking her lips as she stared at him.

Fire and madness where darkness dwells, unleashed upon us at the stroke of twelve.

She held him there for a moment, her face hidden from him behind her main. Something...was wrong. She had fed on so much love to fed a dozen of her children, but she was unsatisfied. Confused, she began to loosen her grip, which the stallion took as his opportunity to try an escape, punching her in the face. That quickly got her attention as she snarled like a wild animal, slamming her hoof into his face and stomach repeatedly, drawing blood as he coughed and gagged.

The blood.

She stared at it for a long moment, mesmerized by the scent. It smelled...good. Better than his love had, better than any love she had sensed before. She was like a shark in the open water, a drop of crimson awakening some primal instinct. For a moment, she hesitated, slowly leaning into him, watching as a little bit of crimson welled into his mouth, catching him completely off guard as she closed the distance to give him a kiss on the mouth.

Listen close to the midnight bells, as we descend into the depths of hell.

She pulled away, quietly humming to herself as she looked at him, her pupils dilated, blood dripping from her mouth. He stared at her, and as he looked, he became afraid, beginning to struggle more furious than he had before. He had to get away, but she wouldn’t let him.

He tasted too good.

The mare regained her senses just as their attacker lunged into her lover, snarling and thrashing like a wild animal. Fleur de Lis groaned and rubbed her head, looking up as her world coming into focus, just as she watched the stallion she loved having his throat torn out.

Ding Dong! Ding Dong! Ding Dong!
////
Before their eyes the stage was set ablaze, lights bleeding red. Torbin stood above a large stone, looking out with a dark and haunting scowl, his sword outstretched as he led his soldiers against the pegasi before them. Time had passed in the play, and now there were few pegasi soldiers left, fallen under his vengeful wrath leaving only civilians. But Torbin didn’t care. Too many times he had been betrayed, too many friends lost, and now, even after offering a spot at his own table, they had taken his wife, the last thing he had left to love in the world.

His anger was burned hot as even now they pleaded against him, begging to be spared, if not themselves, their children. His soldiers laughed at their prey, smiling as he passed before them, staring down at the frightened and broken.

“How dare you. You ask for mercy, after what you’ve done?”

“Please...” an older stallion said, his body tired and frail, yet his spirit still strong enough to stand up to the angry king, “We didn’t do this horrible thing, we just wanted the fighting to end. We never touched your wife.”

“Tell that to her corpse!” Torbin said, slapping the old man across the face, sending him to the ground, “Even faced with the wages of your sins you lie to my face.”

Torbin looked at him in disgust, spitting on the ground. From behind Kel, now wearing the full armor of a general came up along Torbin’s side, staring at him as he spoke, “What should we do, your highness?”

At that moment Torbin paused, what was he going to do? He honestly hadn’t thought of it, but many ideas came to mind. But...what about the young, the children? Could they be held responsible for the sins of their fathers? The audience noticed Torbin pause and became hopeful, wanting him to see what he was doing was wrong. The Kel noticed Torbin hesitate too, frowning as he leaned into his ear.

“Your Highness,” Kel said, “They’ve taken so much from us. Our homes, our children, our wives. How long do we take it before we show them who’s the true masters?”

Torbin grimaced at the mention of wives, anger pouring back into him. Closing his eyes, he turned, walking away before he spoke.

“Kill the adults, and take the children in chains. They can pay their penance as slaves.”

The audience gasped, shocked at how cold he had become. The general smiled, rallying his archers to step forward, setting them up to execute them as soldier tore colts and fillies from their parents.

“Please! Mercy!” The old man cried, fear torn through his eyes as he clawed on the ground.

“Mercy’s over.” Kel snarled, stepping on his chest, pinning him to the ground, “Finally you’ll know your place under our hooves!”

“Don’t gloat, this is serious,” Torbin growled.

“Of course it is, my lord, but they should know their place as our underlings.”

“Place? We will only keep THIS generation as servants, let that be clear.” Torbin turned, shouting at the general, “But their children after will be free.”

“What?!” Kel railed in surprise, becoming impatient with his king’s sentiments, “You can’t do that! Not after what they did!”

“Do you want to argue about it?” Torbin said angrily, now looking straight at Kel disapprovingly. 

“As a matter of fact I DO.” he pointed his hoof at him, accusing him, “You’ve always been too scared to make the HARD decisions. You’re too lenient, just like Amerila!”

“What?”

The general became silent, afraid that he had said too much. Torbin stared at him for a long moment, what seemed like an eternity as the two stallions weighted each other up. Torbin looked into his eyes, looking past them searching deep, finding it hard to breathe as the realization came to him.

“You...you killed her. You kill her, and then you lied to me so that I’d...” Torbin stared at Kel in shock, a tear rolling down his cheek as he rose his sword to his neck. In response, all the soldiers turned on him, pointing their spears and arrows at him.

“After all this time, you still don’t see that we’re the superior beings. The master race.” Kel looked at him with an evil glare, confident in his position.

“Superior beings? You’re murdering traitors!” he shouted, gritting his teeth at them, “The pegasi were right about us...all this time.”

“So what? The way I see it, the only traitor is you.” Kel smiled, now pointing his sword at Torbin, “So what are you gonna do about it?”

Torbin looked up at the old general, but this time is expression was different. Rabid, crazed. The general tensed a little, taken aback by this new stance, but held his ground. That was, until he saw his eyes, glowing sickly yellow, wild and angry. He became afraid, taking a few steps back, looking at his fellow soldiers as they began to rethink their situation. But in his stubbornness, Kel decided not to back down, and with a shout, he swung his sword at Torbin, intent on pushing the blade into his neck, cutting flesh and bone.

It shattered.

The general backed away as fear overcame him, and Torbin screamed. A wave of magic expanded around him, shaking the audience in their seats. His eyes grew dark with hate and malice, his mane roaring as his colors shifted white with flames as he rage-shifted, a silhouette of fire. He burned so fiercely that his features could no longer be seen, standing tall and powerful as the soldier began to turn, running for their lives against the pony who looked like one of the four horses of the apocalypse.

And then in a flash, it was over. The audience was blinded by the light, and when they regained their ability to see, the stage had changed. Torbin looked out from the top of a tower as both unicorns and pegasi marched below in shame, silently walking away from the gates of the kingdom. The unicorn watched them leave, saddened that the dream had died. But this was for the best, both their punishment, and his.

In the darkness, the narrator’s voice spoke.

And so, Torbin slew Kel and his army, and banished the rest from the land. And to ensure no other could reap its rich earth, Torbin burned the land and cursed it. A reminder of the bitterness of its people, and his sins.

Thorbin looked out onto the audience, sighing sadly as he contemplated what could have been. Many in the crowd looked at him sympathetically, moved by all that had happened. The orchestra began to come alive again, playing a sad melody as he stared, and in the quiet and with the stage all his in his isolation, he sang.

Is this how I’m to be remembered?
A sad mistake that goes beyond what I intend?
Is this how I should suffer?
A tainted stain upon what once was pure?

Its best that I should go,
My actions will define me until the wrongs are made right,
But myself I will not show,
A burden on my shoulders when darkness came to light,

But one day I’ll return,
To see a greener pasture that’s all I hope to find,
Till one day when I return,
And hope that it’s a better place than what I left behind,

I hope that when the clouds depart the sun will shine again,
And time will tell if all the pain will fade,
And may my sins wash away so I can break the chains,
To put to rest all the doubt and shame,
And the mistakes that I have made.

And one day we’ll rebuild,
Again the world will shine
As prophecies fulfilled,
And answered this wish of mine,

When one day the tears will dry,
I hope we'll stand as one,
And someday if we try,
The world will live in harmony,
Under a peaceful golden sun.

Spike was stunned. He his mouth hung in awe as he listened to those words, and felt moved by each verse. He felt sorry for him, something that felt strange, even after the bad things he had done. But he had been through so much, and all he wanted was the best for his people giving them everything, and they had repaid him by turning on him and taken all that he had.

The lights arose as the play ended, the curtains closing as the actors stepped forward onto the stage, bowing to the crowd. Rarity and Spike rose from their seats to applaud with the rest of the crowd, showing their appreciation for the magnificent performance they had all witnessed. It had truly been a wonder to watch, a moving story that they were sure to remember.

“That was beautiful,” Spike spoke, leaning into Rarity.

“It certainly was.” “There’s no denying the talent of the ponies behind this.”

Spike smiled, stopping his praise to turn to look at Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis, only to stare in confusion at their absence. He looked back into the stairway area, finding it vacant of anyone.

“Hey, where did Fancy Pants go?”

“Huh?” Rarity looked at him inquisitively, looking back only to see empty seats.

“Oh, well I don’t know. I didn’t see them leave.” she furrowed her eyebrows, moving behind her seat and walking out into the exit. Spike quickly followed. He was just as curious as she was to find out where they had gone, looking back and forth the long row just as ponies began to exit, filling up the hall. The two made their way through the crowd, looking everywhere, but with no luck. The mass of ponies was too great, and anyway, wherever they had gone, they had done it during the show. Perhaps something had come up, or perhaps they wanted to discuss something private. Either way, both ponies were quite perplexed.

“Do you see them, Rarity?” Spike asked, looking over the moving heads.

“No, I can’t see past anything,” she said, squinting through the bodies.

They had just about given up on the search when suddenly there came a scream from the entryway down below, quickly grabbing hold of their attention as they ran to see what the commotion was all about. Hurriedly the made their way downstairs, entering the hallway leading to the foyer, only to be met by a huge crowd of ponies blocking their way, all staring in shock. Spike tried to jump up to see if he could look over their heads, but that wouldn’t work, so they pushed their way through the crowd, moving ponies aside as the made their way to the center, where, in the mortal silence of the hall, they looked down upon the scene and gasped.
////
Twilight moved down the hall, looking for where Flash had gone off to. He had been gone for a long time now, and she was getting a little worried. She checked the restrooms first, knowing that that’s where he said he was going, but alas, he wasn’t there. She checked the foyer, empty as it should be. It perplexed her greatly. Where had he gone?

The music in the theater hand become darker in tone, a choir raising their voices to a violent tempest of sound. In the dark of the white and red halls, it gave her the creeps. She didn’t know why, but somehow the halls seemed tighter, more constricted than before. It was a bit unsettling, and it made her want to find him as quickly as possible.

Snort.

A noise came from down the hall, grabbing her attention. Something was moving in the hall, something she couldn’t quite see yet. She decided to investigate, moving slowly towards the sound. It sounded like some animal had gotten into the theater and was making a ruckus, making low grunting sounds and some growling, making her heart skip a beat. What on earth was that soun-

“Twilight?”

Twilight jumped, wheeling around only to have her muzzle planted inches away from Flash’s as she blushed, turning her head sheepishly, “OH! T-There you are.”

Flash smiled weakly, looking a little sick, “I’m sorry, was I taking too long? I didn’t notice.”

Twilight gave him a smile, one that faded once she noticed the sweat pouring off his head, “Flash, are you alright? You don’t look so good.”

“No, no I’m fine.” He said defensively, rubbing the back of his head, “I had to clean myself up, had a bit of an upset stomach.”

“Is that blood?” She asked, staring at his lip.

“Huh?” Flash stared at her, rubbing his mouth, “Oh yeah, I bit my tongue.” he said, waving it off as nothing.

Twilight, however, wasn’t convinced, putting her hoof to his head, “Sweet Celestia, you’re burning up.”

Flash sighed, shaking his head before he looked at her, “Okay, you got me. I just didn’t want to spoil the night.”

“Oh Flash, you’re not spoiling anything.” She gave him a thin smile, sympathetic towards his ill state, “Come on, we can talk about this outside. I was getting bored anyway.”

Flash nodded his head and walked with her, following her towards the foyer and out the doors. Twilight and Flash walked down the steps from the theater and moved out onto the street. Lamps lit the way into the fresh night air, leading the two down the way deeper into town, ponies becoming more frequent the further they went. Flash had improved almost immediately after he left the building, perking up and full of color.

“Feeling better already?” she asked him, tilting her head in surprise.

“Yeah.” Flash sucked in a breath of fresh air, and let it go, “I get I just needed to get outside is all.”

“Well, while we’re here, what do you want to do? I don’t think I really want to go back inside,” she said, looking around at the bright lights of the festival.

“Well, I suppose we could walk for a little bit if that’s alright with you,” Flash asked, raising his eyebrow at her with a smile.

Twilight looked at him, about to counter his suggestion but deciding to remain silent on the matter, nodding her head instead, “Sure. That sounds nice.”

The two began to walk together, keeping silent for quite some time. But that didn’t stop them from admiring the celebration that was exploding around them. The crystal ponies were happily cheering and enjoying themselves, eating festive foods and playing games. Colts and fillies ran past them giggling and screaming in delight, playing with sparklers and lightning jets, all while the adults whistled out and hollered as fireworks lit the sky.

“So how’s Princess Cadance doing, if it’s alright for me to ask?” Flash spoke up out of the blue, making smalltalk.

“Huh?” Twilight looked at him, taken a little off guard by the random question, “Oh, she’s doing fine. A lot better than I thought she would have, actually.”

“I haven’t had much contact with them since I transferred, but hey, we didn’t really talk while I was here.”
“No, I suppose not,” she said, looking awkwardly at herself.

“You’re hungry. Yeah, yeah you’re hungry. I’m hungry too.” Flash Sentry licked his lips, pondering something before he clapped his hooves, “And I know just the place.”

Flash grabbed her by the hoof and lead her around the corner, the street opening up to many nightclubs, taverns, restaurants, and themed shops. The street lamps were strung up with purple and blue lights, leading down as ponies entered and exited the eateries, looking to get a decent meal. It was here that Flash walked up to one of the buildings, a aged stone and crystal establishment with a neon sign hanging in the front, with the bold red and blue letters spelling ‘Platter’s Bar and Grill’.

The two walked inside, Flash holding the door open for her as she peaked at the interior. The inside of the building was spacious, black carpet covering the floors with booths and tables while basked in ambient greens and purples. To the front of the tavern was a bar, a few mares and stallions sitting on the stools chattering at each other, many of whom were off-duty soldiers. The bartender listened closely to the conversations, pouring out drinks from the liquor stored on the shelves behind him, a hundred or two different brands and concoctions lining the wall. The walls were white with hanging pictures of the family business, celebrities, and documents and collected memorabilia from over the years. And in the far back, a band was playing soothing music, an old stallion playing some sweet tune on his piano.

Twilight was a bit surprised. She had expected him to have brought her somewhere higher class, not that she actually minded. In fact, she preferred it. All her years living in Canterlot, studying and always on the go, she was used to eating quick and not really thinking about what it was that she was putting into her belly. It was a miracle that she even learned the most basic cooking skills, but her mother had been dead set on making sure she’d be able to prepare meals and not so dependant on fast food.

They both decided to sit in one of the booths set up by the windows, giving a few out into the street. Twilight sat nearest to the front door, leaning onto the table, while Flash laid back in his seat, making himself comfortable.

“I’ve never heard of this place before.”

“Not many have, but a lot of the guards come here. The owner is really friendly with anypony related to the military.” Flash look signaled that they wanted to be served, “Honestly, I think he might have served at one point.”

“Who?” Twilight asked, giving him a questioning look.

“Flash!” Came a voice from behind her, making her turn her head. Standing behind her was a heavyset earth-pony, round and jolly as he smiled from ear to ear. He was a large stallion somewhere around thirty-nine years old, bearded black with a coffee colored coat and grey hair, bearing a cutie mark of a glass of scotch.

“Hey, Full Platter!” Flash said joyfully, getting up from out of his seat to give the owner a hug, grinning as they patted each other, having a happy little reunion.

“Long time no see, lad. Where have you been?” Platter asked, looking at his hooves and moaning, cleaning off some kitchen grease with a washcloth.

“I got transferred to Equestria. I’m based a Princess Twilight’s castle now.” Flash smiled, gesturing towards the mare sitting down watching the two.

“Well, aren’t you a fancy to see,” the cook said as graciously as he could, giving a slight bow and extending his hoof to her.

“Hello.” Twilight shook his hoof, a little off-put by him.

Full Platter smirked, “Well hey, I don’t want to presume with a Princess, but a friend of Flash is a friend of ours!” he gave Flash a nudge, the pegasus grinning nervously.

“BUT! You’re both hungry, am I right?” he spoke quickly, pulling out an order pad, “Now, what can I get you?”

“The usual for me,” Flash said instantly.

“Soy and hay crumble on rye with grilled mushroom and onion, marinated in home-made honey barbecue. And what would you have lass?”

Twilight stared at her menu for a moment, thinking it over. She didn’t know why, but she felt starved, and that feeling had been persistent all day, “Just the house salad with apple. Oh! And the cheddar and potato soup.”

“Great!” Full Platter wrote it down, tearing off the slip and keeping it in hand, “oh, before I go. Would either of you like anything to drink? We’ve got a large selection.” he said, though he was more or less addressing Flash, expecting him wanting something.

Flash began to answer, before Twilight spoke up before he could, “Two beers, please.”

Both stallions gave her a surprised look at her request before Platter grinned, rubbing his hooves together, “Coming right up.”

Left alone again, the two sat in silence. Flash tapped the table and bit his lip, looking out into the street awkwardly. Twilight avoided eye contact, puffing out her cheeks thinking about whether or not she should say something.

Their drinks finally came, this time a waiter coming to bring them out, a younger mare who looked like she was still in school. They both thanked her and waved, each cracking open their bottles as Twilight immediately downed half her beer, desperately trying to loosen up as Flash looked on worriedly.

“You okay, Twilight?” he asked, a concerned look on his face.

“I...yes,” Twilight tried to lie, but soon found herself unable to hold it up, “I don’t know, I just feel really weird, you know? You, me? It’s kinda awkward.”

“Why? Because of the train?”

Twilight nodded her head.

“Well, maybe it’d be easier for you if you explained why you did it?” he suggested, making her gag a little as she drank.

“You know, this beer has got a great taste!” she stammered, nervously staring at the bottle as she levitated it in her magic.

“Twilight…” Flash said with a bit of tension in his voice, coaxing her to answer his question.

Twilight sighed, feeling embarrassed as she whined, “It’s too embarrassing.”

“Well, you were grinding up against me pretty well, didn’t even bother to buy me dinner first.” Flash joked, “I’d say you owe me a bit of an explanation.”

“It’s silly…” she challenged.

“I’m a good sport,” he responded.

Twilight stared at him for a long moment before shaking her head, letting out a moan, “So like, a few years back I visited this world, an alternate reality that mirrors our own?” she looked to Flash who nodded, “So while I was there, I met this guy, well actually, YOU. And...ooh, we kinda hit it off pretty well.”

“Define pretty well,” he said casually.

“We...went to the prom,” she said, looking away.

“You’re kidding!” Flash laughed, looking at her with a goofy expression as she blushed.

“I don’t know!” Twilight exclaimed, groaning, “It’s just...when we bumped into each other I just felt something. You...he just looked so strong, so dashing, so charming...”

“Well I sound absolutely dreamy.” he joked shrugging his shoulders, happy to take the compliments even if they weren’t actually directed toward him.

Twilight frowned, “You could take this a little more seriously.”

“I am, I just think it’s cute.” he grinned.

Twilight cocked an eyebrow, giving him a bemused glare, “Cute?!”

“Well yeah. You said you were turned into a teenager, right? That must of screwed up your emotions fierce.” Flash leaned forward, moving his hooves away from each other in an exploding gesture, “Your hormones alone must have gone through the roof.”

“Hormones?” she questioned, thinking about it herself for the first time. It made sense, now that she was actually considering it. She had had no interest in relationships before. Never enough time, never worth her time.

“Oh, come on. You remember high school here in Equestria,” he said matter of factly, shrugging it off, only to watch as Twilight curled up into herself.

Twilight “I was privately taught...and I graduated early.”

“So you never...thought about it?” he looked at her questioningly.

Twilight shrugged, “I guess I spent most of my time studying I never bothered.”

“Wow.” Flash couldn’t believe it, he had assumed that she had to have at least gone around the block once, “Well at least you’ve saved yourself a lot of embarrassment.”

“A lot of good that’s done me now,” Twilight said dejectedly.

“Hey, don’t beat yourself up, there’s no harm done,” Flash said, looking at her sympathetically, “Besides, you’re much more pleasant than the guys in my squad.”

“What’s wrong with them?”

“Oh, where do I begin?” Flash leaned back and rolled his eyes, beginning to recall all the stupid crap they would pull on each other, “Platinum and Blazing Armor are always at it, it’s like me and Iron have to babysit them all the time. Just last week the two were throwing punches at each other because of Platinum. Of course, it’s not like he doesn’t deserve it. He’s always cheating, and then he gets the snot kicked out of him. I tell you what...”

Twilight listened to him as he talked about himself and his job and smiled. She was enjoying this, just the two of them talking, letting things out, getting to know each other. She had never realized it before, and she was beginning to see it now, but he was a person, with his own personality and ambition. She had thought of him in a childish light, but now she was understanding the reality, as she leaned in her seat, paying close attention to what he said.

The two continued to talk, enjoying each other’s company as they discussed the inner workings of their everyday lives. Outside it began to rain, the neon lights of the street glowing in the mist. Ponies ran to get out of the rain, staining their coats and manes, while the silhouettes of the two outlined the window from the light within.
////
Luna stood on the balcony of the throne room looking out onto the city, quietly thinking to herself. She had raised the moon about an hour before, bringing on the night and the beginning of the night festivities. Clouds had moved in, and water droplets began to patter on the ground, wetting her nose. Celestia was inside going over some papers from the labs down below, but she couldn’t care less at the moment, she was too distracted by something more important.

Novis.

She had waited patiently for him to come, but in her opinion, it was likely a vain hope at the most. In fact, she doubted that he would come at all. For all she knew he’d try and run, rather hide than face his past. Either way, she was not going to allow this to endanger her kingdom, even if it meant she would have to go over Celestia’s head. She knew her sister. The idealist, the pacifist. And knowing her sister, she would try to fix this situation quickly and quietly, like she would with every other problem.

They couldn’t afford to risk that. Not this time.

Luna sighed, looking towards the stars. At times like this, she wondered what her father would have done. After so many years, she could barely remember her parents. She couldn’t even remember their names. The moon had taken its toll, including many of her earlier memories. Yet, there was one that she did remember, a word of advice that she had carried for most of her life.

Whatever the cost, whatever necessary, do it.

She knew Celestia wouldn’t like it, she would even oppose her, as she tended to do when it came to anything regarding defense. We’re to be better than the other nations, Luna. We will not be known for war, her sister always said. That sentiment had always worked for her for the past millennia, so of course, and when the dark forces started to return, they could always rely on the Elements of Harmony to save them, so why should she think any different?

But Luna knew better. At most, they had been lucky. Times change, and so do people, and luck wouldn’t be so giving forever. They needed to strengthen their forces, Luna always argued, and always Celestia disagreed.

“Luna, we have a visitor.”

Luna shifted where she stood and turned, looking to see if it was who she suspected. She slowly walked inside, and sure enough, there he was. Novis stood smiling talking with Celestia, her sister giving a light chuckle at something that he had said. Luna eyed him suspiciously, her movements towards them cautious.

“Luna! Novis was just telling me a story about one of his brothers, what was his name again?” Celestia asked him, completely unaware of Luna’s tension.

“Arbores,” Novis said, grinning at the memory of his brother.

“Yes. Oh, he sounds like a hoot.” Celestia laughed, holding her side trying to calm down.

“Yes, I’m sure he does.” Luna said, eyeing daggers at him, “Novis...”

“Please, Princess.” Novis raised his hoof, leaving the three in silence for a moment.

Novis walked passed them both, looking outside as he breathed in the fresh night air, before he turned, staring directly at Luna coldly. He then slowly walked towards her, leaning in to make it look as if he was giving her a hug, leaning his mouth to her ear.

“You invaded my privacy, and I don’t know if I can ever forgive you for that,” Novis whispered into her ear with a frown, staring at Luna as she scowled, ready to start yelling at him again.

“But you were right.”

Luna paused. There was a hint of bite and bitterness in his words, but just looking at him her features softened. He looked at her and his eyes were a little sad, and she admitted, she did feel bad for him. But they both knew this was for the best. Novis licked his lips, his throat feeling dry as he looked at Celestia, who had finally caught onto the awkward attitude in the air around her, looking at them curiously.

“Am I missing something?” she asked, becoming a little concerned.

“Yes, I’m afraid there is.” Novis sighed, looking at her, “Once, I couldn’t have seen myself holding secrets, hiding from what was staring me in the face. But, I’ve become old and foolish, and my past keeps chasing me, trying to devour what’s left of who I was.”

Celestia tilted her head, not understanding what he was talking about.

“I’ve been hiding, so long, but now, I think it’s time I be honest with you, and more importantly, myself.”

“Okay? Say what’s on your mind.” Celestia said, Luna, standing off to the side looking away. Novis tensed, bracing himself for what he was about to say.

“My name is-”

“PRINCESSES!”

The three were startled as the doors to the throne room burst open, three guards rushing in towards them. Novis sighed under his breath, content with putting off this conversation as long as possible. Luna remained quiet, wanting to see what was going on. The guards, however, were alert and clearly agitated, completely on edge especially around Novis who they didn’t know, and were cautious of.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Celestia asked, her expression more serious than it had been moments before. Novis and Luna looked at each other, both wondering what could be going on.

“Lockdown, your highness. We were sent to defend you.”

“Defend us? Why? What’s happened?” Luna asked, concern raising in her voice.

“It’s the theater house, your highness. There’s been a murder.”
////
Chrysalis took the backseat while she contemplated what had happened. She was hiding inside now, but she felt exposed. All she could was think and try and contemplate what she had done.

It had almost been immediate after she had killed them that she cleaned herself up in the washrooms, making sure to get rid of any evidence of who had done it. But covering up the scene itself proved to be impossible.

Why had she...done that?

It was foolish, it was brash. She knew better to keep things quiet. Yes, she had killed many times before but...this was different. But something had changed. Something was wrong. It was too ferocious, too out in the open. Chrysalis was used to hiding the things she did, hiding in the shadows and striking like a spider. But her mind had gone cloudy almost like a dream, and the next thing she knew, she was tearing flesh from bone. She had actually EATEN them. The thought should have sent a chill down her spine, it should have made her sick.

But she felt nothing.

All she DID feel was stupid to have done it in the first place. Now they would know something is wrong, that someone’s infiltrated their precious little empire. She needed to lay low for the moment and figure out what was happening, and fix it. She had to stay focused. Her children were dependant on her, and she would make sure that their plans would pull through, and she wouldn’t let anything get in her way. She would do what needed to be done, she just needed to improvise, and figure out how to divert their attention away from this mess.
////
> Chapter 20-Investigation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

////
Chapter 20-Investigation
////
The inside of the theater had descended into hell. Guards had been issued to hold back the crowd gathering outside, clambering to see what had started the commotion. The streets were bustling with law enforcement, a branch of the guard rarely seen in these parts, if anywhere. Cameras flashed and guards shouted, barking orders at civilians who drew too close to the doors.

It was to no one’s surprise when the princesses showed up, though a few drew their gaze at the third male alicorn, following behind the royal sisters as they entered the foyer. The guards prostrated themselves before them, showing their respect for them. Luna’s gaze moved from one end of the scene to the next, her body tense and reclusive. She obviously wasn’t too comfortable being out in the open in so much light. Celestia however, bearly gave them a passing glance, her mind focused on finding the lead investigator.

“Princesses! We’re glad you could get here on such short notice.” one of the forensics ponies said, walked right in front of them to bow.

“What happened? Have you apprehended any suspects?” Celestia asked sternly, eyes furrowed.

“No princess, we haven’t. We...you better see this for yourselves.” he motioned for her to follow him, Celestia calling to Luna and Novis to follow as well. The officer led them down the hall and made a turn, directing them to the intersections between the hall to the foyer and the stairways to the balconies. There a team of detectives worked carefully, searching for evidence as they dusted and swabbed. But the three alicorns were distracted, their attention drawn into the main attraction of the scene, Celestia covering her mouth.

“My God,” Novis whispered under his breath, rubbing his throat. The hall, with its pearl white walls sparkling in the camera flashes, was painted with splatters of crimson. The red carpets were darkened from their original color, made into a deep maroon. There laying in the middle of the hall rested two bodies covered in white sheets, one laying flat on the floor and the other leaning in the wall. However even concealed under the blankets they could see what kind of death they had endured, blood practically soaking the fabric.

“When did this happen?” Luna asked, reluctantly stepping forward.

“Lacerations only have begun to clot, and rigor mortis has yet to set in. I’d say this happened only a little over an hour ago.” one of the officers said, an older stallion nearing his sixties with a brown coat and a black mane that was starting to grey, brushing his short mustache. He pushed back the benny hat upon his forehead as he rose up from the ground, putting some fabric into an evidence bag, “Detective Summerset, leading division investigator.”

“Pleasure.” Novis stepped in, taking his hoof to shake it. He looked towards the bodies, gesturing with his head, “Do you mind if we take a look?”

“Not at all.” Summerset said, motioning with his hoof, “I should warn you though, it’s not exactly pretty.”

The three nodded their heads as the detective led them down the hall, where a pegasus stallion in his mid-twenties was hunched over examining something on the carpet, wearing a sweater and tie underneath a leather brown coat. His fur was tan and his mane was blonde, made up to look spiked and dirty. The stubble of his circle beard was defined against his softer features, sharpened by his aqua blue eyes. Summerset raised an eyebrow at him, glancing down over his shoulder.

“Windmill? What’ve you got?”

“Just a few hairs, can’t identify what their original color was though.” the younger detective struggled, lifting up the strains, glistening red with blood in the light.

“But?” the older detective said expectantly.

“But, if I had to guess I’d say that they were white, and I’d guess they’re from the male victim,” Windmill said, staring up at him with a half smile, confident in himself.

“Send them down to forensics, we’ll go over it later. For now, I’d like you to meet the Royal Sisters and…” Summerset looked at the male alicorn slack-jawed, inspecting him, “I’m sorry, I forgot to ask your name?”

“Novis. I was in the middle of some personal business with the Princesses before we were brought here,” he answered, his eyes locked on the two bodies on the floor.

“Of course you were.” Summerset frowned, stepping aside as Windmill came forward.

It’s such an honor to meet you both,” Windmill shock Celestia’s hoof and then Luna’s, moving in front of each of them as he did so before he came to Novis, and paused, “And you as well, I guess. You’re an alicorn too, so I suppose you must be important too in some way.”

“Anyway,” Summerset said as he rolled his eyes, mildly annoyed by his partner’s infocus, “Let’s get down to business then.”

The sisters watched as the detective lifted the veil on the Fancypant’s body, both holding their breath at what they saw. He stared up with glazed eyes, cold and indifferent now to the world around. He was partly bruised, beaten in some struggle. But it was his neck, the throat torn out, bite marks and scratches covering his neck all around that called attention the most. His gaze was that of shock and terror, no doubt emotions he suffered in the end. His fur was matted with dried blood, panting him in colors of red and white.

“You know him?” Summerset asked, his brows raised at Celestia.

“Yes…” Celestia nodded, hissing as she looked, truly saddened to have lost someone she had interacted and shared thoughts with on many occasions, “It is...painful.”

“You wish to continue?” he asked, looking up.

“Yes.”

Summerset nodded, lifting up the sheet of the second body, revealing Fleur, sprawled out on her chest face down on the carpets stained red left almost unnoticed by its original color. She was afflicted with similar wounds, though with the addition of claw marks across the top of her torso and shoulders. Celestia sighed loudly, raising her head up as if overcome with emotion, looking about before staring down, perfectly composed, “What did this?”

“Anything that’s ever done anything like this was done by an animal,” Windmill commented, brushing away a strain of the dead mare’s mane to look at the side of her neck. He took a picture.

“Of course, there are plenty of creatures, both natural and unnatural, native to this part of the Northern Wastes which could have done this,” Luna stated this as fact, before scrunching up her nose in frustration, “But if so, how did they get past the barrier?”

“And do you think that’s what happened here, Detective?” Celestia asked, leaning in closer along with her sister, Novis remaining in the back.

“I don’t think so,” the old stallion adjusted his hat, pointing at specific points on the killing wounds, “Look at these lines. They look like claw-marks, but at the same time, they’re too exact. Now that could indicate a higher level animal. But, at the same time...”

Novis knew that the detective and the princesses were talking, but he had all but muted him out as he stared at the open wounds on the bodies. He felt sick. He felt like the walls were closing in on him all of a sudden, seeking to press him together into mismatched shapes. He glazed his eyes around him, watching as their mouths moved in slow motion, caught in a drugged-like stupor.

“So what then? A non-pony?” Luna asked.

Windmill nodded, “Honestly, it’s hard to say. But I really think so. In fact...”

“Could you please be quiet?” Summerset stared at Windmill, his tone showing it was more of an order than a question, the younger stallion giving an annoyed huff in response.

“Take a look at this bite pattern. What does that remind you of?” he motioned over the wound with a pencil.

Windmill stared for a moment, then puckered his lips and shook his head, “I don’t know what you want me to say, it looks like a bite out of a sandwich.”

“Exactly, like a bite into a sandwich. Clean in the front, jagged to the sides, and wavy in the back,” he said, motioning across the wound with his hoof.

“What are you getting at?” Luna asked, both she, Celestia, and Windmill caught up in his train of thought.

He stared at the bite for a long moment, his mouth agape as he looked up, realization in his eyes, “This wasn’t some animal or monster. This was an equine.”

Luna and Celestia stared at one another in silence, almost as to read each other's thoughts. Windmill narrowed his eyes, giving the marks and patterns a closer look, studying the way the outlined and moved up into the exposed tissue.

“Then, that makes this…” the young detective looked at his elder.

“Murder.”

Celestia grimaced. Immediately, her thoughts drove her back to the night before, and the train ride her student and family had suffered. She thought back, and her thoughts immediately dwelt upon the changelings.

Celestia whispered, “Sister, you don’t think...?”

“Yes. I do.” Luna nodded in recognition.

“Novis, what are…” Celestia began to say, turning to the side before pausing, “Novis?”

Luna shifted around, looking to where Novis had been only to find a vacant spot. The two sisters turned their heads, searching for the stallion. To Celestia, he had completely disappeared, leaving them alone without a whisper. But to Luna, she caught him in the corner of her eye, a flash of blue and white entering one of the opera’s bathrooms. Gazing at her sister, who was still searching in the other direction, Luna let out a sigh, before her body became a mist, slowly fading away into another world.
////
In his mind he could hear them, the voices in his head rising like the coming tide, washing over him like a maelstrom. He started to breathe heavily, clawing for air. Quickly he lit his horn, a little purse popping into existence as he dug into it, pulling out a bottle unscrewing it and downing about three orange pills. He pulled a glass out as well, filling it with water to drink as he stared into the mirror, looking at himself.

He stood in the bathrooms of the theater with his reflection looking back at him, his surroundings as white and clean as himself. He looked down at the little yellow container. The doctor had given these to him. He didn’t know exactly what he was a doctor of, but Twilight had suggested him, dare say she insisted on it, and a doctor was a doctor after all. If the voices called, take the pills. If the visions pulling him from reality, take the pills. This was something he kept to himself, valuing his privacy. But, he wished that it could end.

He looked into the mirror and stared at himself. His eyes looked heavy and strained from too much thought and worry. This was starting to take its toll on him. He had accepted what had happened, that there was nothing he could do, but that didn’t help much. He still had their faces etched in his eyes. He still had their voices echoing in his ears. Some days were better than others, faint and distant like a bad dream forgotten in the morning. Other days were not so kind, screaming at him until he either took the pill our let out his frustrations onto things near to him. He sighed, sniffing steering the water with his hooves before splashing himself in the face with the cool liquid.

“Novis?”

Novis stared forward into the mirror, only to be met with Luna’s gaze. Her face replaced his reflection and blinked, before pressing forward, the glass bending outward like webbing, releasing her head before him, looking at him with a soft expression.

“Are you alright?”

Novis frowned. He wanted to left alone for the moment, and he found her presence rather intrusive. She stared at him with an expectant gaze, waiting for an answer she perceived she should be rewarded with. 

“What do you want?” he said, slightly annoyed.

“Well, I wanted to ask you about what we talked about earlier today,” Luna said, knowing he wasn’t going to take too kindly to this.

“Yes, don’t think I forgot,” he said with a sneer. He was content with telling the truth, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t still bitter about it, “Honestly, Princess, after tonight I feel like I just want to get some sleep.” He turned away, wanting to just ignore her to the best of his ability.

“...If you wish, I could lend an ear to whatever troubles you,” she said softly, entering and looking at him softly.

He stopped.

“I know that it's been hard for you, but please, I do want to help,” she said, turning into a mist that pulled out of the mirror, reforming in the bathroom with him, stand there staring.

He remained silent for a moment turning to look at her, her expression softer than it had been before. He was put off a little by her sudden tenderness, how she showed concern for him. Why the change? He turned around and looked at her, then sighed, “That’s...kind of you, but I’d rather not.”

Luna blinked, taking a breath, “Is it that hard? Does the wound go that deep?”

He looked away, avoiding her gaze.

“Novis, I’d like to say something, if you’d give me the time?” she asked, walking to his side, swaying in her step in a smooth and elegant nature.

Novis stared at her dead-eyed but nodded in approval, leaning against the wall waiting to hear what she had to say.

“I’m sorry, I truly am. I shouldn’t have invaded your mind without your knowledge or consent, it was wrong,” she said with eyes honest and regretful, pleading for a response.

“You acted on behalf of the safety of your subjects,” he said, flat and plain.

“That still doesn’t make it right,” Luna admitted, feeling defeated.

Novis sucked in air, looking down at himself. He wanted to be angry, but couldn’t find any justice in it, “No, it doesn't.” he said plainly, with very little energy.

In the silence, he moved away from her, stepping in front of the mirror again, lost in thought. Letting out a sigh, he turned the faucet on and splashed his face with the water, rubbing out the tiredness out of his eyes, seeing her reflection.

“Luna?” he spoke up.

The princess looked at him, her reflection staring back at him through the mirror.

“Thank you.”

He composed himself, drying himself off before returning with Luna. The two stood together, looking at one another, before walking out the door.
////
The atmosphere surrounding Twilight with stiff as she marched towards the chambers, feverishly searching for the mare she desired to talk to. She had spent an hour at the restaurant talking with Flash and had only just returned to the palace, which was when she had heard about what had happened. Now she just wanted to seek her friend out and give her the comfort she knew she would need.

Towards the opening to the chamber, Detective Windmill was waiting for her, flipping through his little notebook making quick scribbles before he put it away, standing erect for her.

“Princess, I would like to ask you a few questions before-”

“Later,” Twilight said, not even looking at him.

“But this is import-” the detective persisted before he caught the two fiery irises staring at him.

“Later!” Twilight snapped, glaring at him as he quickly bowed, knowing when to back down. He could wait, holding his breath as she walked passed him, her mind on one thing and one thing only.

Rarity. The room was heavy around her, cold and foggy. Though rare, some unicorns could affect the environment indirectly by their mood. It was so rare in fact, that even if one could do it, it often was only caused by strong emotion, and even then it was random. The room was dimly lit, the candles finding a hard time to burn in the moist air. She had her head hung though, her back towards the archway where Twilight looked at her with a sad sympathetic pose, lightly making her way over towards the mare.

“Rarity? Can I come in?” she said, more out of politeness than an actual question. She noticed the mare was knitting something, a black suit with little floral designs being stitched into the corners.

“Oh? Twilight…” Rarity said calmly, looking up ever so slightly from her work.

“You okay?” she asked, levitating a teapot over, steam rolling off of it. She poured two cups, offering one to Rarity, who declined, nodding to a cup already filled. Twilight frowned at the cup, the liquid inside long since lost its heat, but let it go, taking her cup and sitting down.

Rarity stayed silent, mulling over the designs lost in thought before she felt a hoof on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Twilight's eyes filled with concern for her. She let out a sigh and nodded, relieving the girl's worries.

Twilight looked around the room, noticing it rather silent, “Where’s Spike?”

“Oh, the officers are still questioning him. Honestly, I think they figured out who he was and won’t let him go until half the empire gets an autograph.” Rarity smiled half-heartedly, imagining him getting swarmed by half of the kingdom.

Twilight grinned at the mental image, sitting down next to the mare on the bed. Rarity gave little indication that she noticed the alicorn sitting so close, eyes locked on the needle and its purpose, the string arching high above her head as she pulled. Twilight watched this in fascination, studying the efficient work of the seamstress. 

“What is that?” she asked, pointing to the black cloth.

“Just a suit. He...he should look his best.” Rarity frowned, staring at the stitching. Twilight glazed over the patterns, pondering her next move.

“You know, if not for Fleur, I would have tried dating him?” Rarity said, suddenly and in passing, thoughtful.

“That seems...a little inappropriate to say right now?” Twilight raised an eyebrow to the mare, surprised at such a statement.

“You misunderstand what I mean.” Rarity shook her head. She was quiet for a moment, pondering over something, “Do you know why I’m with Spike now?”

Twilight was about to answer, but quickly dropped it. Now that she thought about it, she honestly didn’t know. Rarity frowned, clinching the fabric in her magic.

“I’m with him because of his character. I’ve never been able to be with anyone ‘just because’. In fact, that’s been true for any relationship really. Honestly, I’m lucky to have you and the girls, I don’t think I could work properly as the representative of generosity if the other elements had been anypony else.” She said, a sad smile forming on her face from the thought of her friends.

Twilight listened to her in silence.

“But with ponies like Spike, it’s always been because of who they were, here that is,” she patted her chest, “That’s what really mattered to me.”

“What I’m trying to say is that…Fancy was one of the best stallions I’ve ever met,” Rarity sighed, a tear falling from her cheek as the air caught in her throat, “He was my friend.”

Twilight watched as Rarity suddenly broke down, sobbing as she folded her hooves. Twilight offered her a shoulder, Rarity leaning on her friend’s inviting sin as she cried, the question of the night ringing out in her mind.

Why?
////
Twilight sighed as she left Rarity’s room, closing the door behind her. She wished that she could do more, but she took comfort that she wouldn’t be alone. Spike had come back from questioning having to fight off a crowd and was now looking after her, so Twilight decided that she needed to go see Cadence. It was important that the figured out what to do next, and she knew that Cadence would know best how to handle gaining information from the Empire’s subjects.

Turning a corner, she was greeted by the large, wooden frames of the chamber doors, leading to the hall of rooms beyond. She walked slowly forward, searching the rooms for the princess, wondering where she was hidden. She started to become impatient, calling for her as she opened another door.

“Cadence? Cadan-oh!”

Twilight blushed hard as she turned away from the coach where sat Cadence, who was currently feeding her foal. The Princess looked up from her work and stared a Twilight, an expression forming on her face that was a cross between sympathy and humor.

“I’m so sorry! I should have knocked, oh...” Twilight blubbered, her cheeks flashing beat red as her eyes shifting left and right.

“Twilight, it’s fine. I was almost finished, anyway.” Cadence smiled, trying to set herself up, the foul in her arms giving a soft whine. Twilight, however, stayed put right where she was, her back towards the new mother as Cadence gave out a giggle.

“Twilight, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. Really.” She said with a smile, albeit that there was ping of uneasiness in her words. Twilight threatened a glance, holding her breath before composing herself, silently walking towards her sister-in-law. Cadence lifted the colt and cradled it, holding him close to her warmth.

Twilight seemed to relax as she focused on the child, a smile soon resurfacing on her lips as she moved forward. She stopped at the end table, peering to look at the colt’s head, his eyes closed and hooves hunched up close to his face, “He’s so adorable.” She whispered, feeling the pride of an aunt.

“He’s perfect,” Cadence responded, grinning before looking up at Twilight, “Now I know how you feel. With Nyx, I mean.”

Twilight nodded, “Well, maybe not entirely. I never got to hold Nyx as a foal. Maybe someday that’ll change.” she mulled, rolling over thoughts in her mind.

“Thinking about the future, are you?” Cadence asked playfully.

Twilight sighed, “Unfortunately, I’m pulled to the present. More specifically, how we need to handle the current situation at hoof.”

Cadence froze for a moment, a dark shadow falling over her eyes before she inhaled, looking at her fellow princess, “Yes...I heard from my guard a while ago. I suppose that is something we must discuss.”

Twilight came forward, sitting in the chair parallel to the coach. She watched closely the movements of her sister-in-law, noting the strange mood she was in that Twilight was unaccustomed to, keeping it close in mind.

“Cadence, I know it isn’t pleasant, but it needs to be discussed. Others could be in danger.” Twilight encouraged, hoping to calm her.

“First Crystalis, then King Sombra, and now this,” Cadence grimaced, her anger starting to rise, “Why? Why can’t they just leave us alone?!”

Twilight gasped. Cadence’s horn sparked and crackled as her temper tittered, threatening to be unleashed upon whatever was closest to the mare. The static flickered against the shadows of the room, illuminating their surrounds in an ill light as the baby began to whine.

“Cadence!” Twilight shouted.

Cadence stared at Twilight in confusion, then snapped out of her anger fueled trance as she shook her head, sheepishly holding her foal close, comforting it until it quieted down.

Cadence sighed, staring at Twilight, “I’m...I’m sorry. I’m just so angry. Why did this happen? The Crystal Heart is supposed to keep us safe.”

Cadence wiped a tear from her eyes, her frustration and her fears combining as she sobbed, nuzzling her foal,  “How can I protect him if I somepony can just walk into my city and kill?”

“Cadence, I understand.”

Cadence looked up, surprised by Twilight’s response as the lavender pony looked off to the side, contemplating the words in her mind. Cadence wondered what she was going to say, but waited patiently for an answer, knowing that she needed her time to construct what she wanted to say.

“Did I ever tell you about Nyx’s field trip to Baltimare?” Twilight asked, earning a shaking head in reply, “I didn’t think so.”

“Well, a little over a year ago, Ponyville’s elementary school had gotten a boost in funding from an increase in tourism. Turns out having two castles in the same small town pulls pony’s interests. Anyway, Mr. Cheerilee decided to use the funds to pay for a trip to Baltimare so students could learn about the city’s rich history.”

Cadence smiled, “That sounds wonderful.”

Twilight shifted her eyes, her ears drooping a bit, “Yes, it would have been.”

Cadence frowned, not knowing where this was going, “What happened?”

Twilight tensed, “One of Nyx’s fellow students, the local school bully, got lost in an alleyway and got caught by gutter trash,” Twilight’s nose wrinkled, her expression forming a scowl, “Nyx found her and tried to help, and they...”

Twilight bit her lip, rage bleeding from her eyes, “They almost took my little girl away from me.”

“Oh my god,” Cadence put her hoof to her mouth, feeling sorry for the poor thing.

“Thank Celestia Cheerilee was there to protect them both, but they got away. And...” Twilight hung her head, sighing, “I think about what happened. They found out who she was, and the things they wanted to do with her. It’s just...”

“Twilight...” Cadence lowered her gaze, a sad expression born on her brows.

Twilight shook her head, composing herself, “Ever since then, I’ve kept an eye on her every moment I can. I don’t think she even knows, but I just...I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to her.”

“So know that I mean it when I say that I understand,” Twilight gave her sad smile, brushing her cheeks. She got up, sitting down on the couch next to Cadence, leaning her head on her shoulder, “To have that feeling of helplessness, not knowing what to do. To kill whatever tries to take what you love away. But you have to be strong. Strong for him” She motioned to the sleeping colt.

“And...” Twilight added, pulling out a small wooden box from her bag, “I think I have something that’ll lighten the mood.”

Cadence stared inquisitively at the box, raising an eyebrow, “What is that?”

“You know, I really don’t know,” Twilight inspected the wooden frame, holding it in her magic, “Novis said it was for the baby, but he didn’t really explain it all too well.”

“A gift from Novis? That stallion Aunty was talking about?” Cadence asked, gaining a nod from Twilight.

“He said that it was a traditional gift for firstborn royals in his time, but…” she bit her lip, fumbling with the latch, her face close to the opening before it shot open, a ring of rainbow light pulsing from the lid.

“Eep!” Both mares jumped at the sudden flash of light, startled further as a form began to take shape above the open box, colors of oranges, blues, and green stitching themselves together. Two glowing amber eyes formed among the colors, opening and blinking before they erupted, the form becoming solid. There, floating in front of them, stood a slender formed fairy, bipedal in form blinking at them with a smile on its face. The fairy fluttered its dragonfly-like wings as it put its hands behind its back, leaning up on its toes.

“Hello!” she beamed, her voice high pitched and bubbly.

Twilight and Cadence stared in awe at the small creature, her bouncy personality elating a pleasant aura around her. She ran her hands over her body and through her hair, stopping to caress the horns that sprouted from the sides of her head.

“What...what are you?” Cadence asked inquisitively, focused on those buzzing transparent wings.

“I’m a Paradel, silly.” the little sprite giggled, hovering in the air in front of their eyes with a wide open smile. Her gaze lasted for several moments, before a soft whimper came from Cadence’s arms, drawing its attention, “Oh! Is this the little one?”

The fairy reached forward to touch the child, only for Cadence to reluctantly recoil, pulling her baby away.

“What are you doing?” Cendence said at once, unsure and suspicious of the new entity before her.

The little thing huffed in annoyance, blowing away a strand of her hair from her eyes, “I’m only doing my job. I’m a paradel, after all!”

“And, what exactly is a paradel?” Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow, studying the creature’s unique movements.

The sprite looked at her in surprise, her cheeks puffing out like she was offended, “You don’t know? I’m one of the best charms ever created by Fontijzena mages, guarantee!” she said with a proud puff of her chest.

Twilight’s eyes widened in marvel, her curiosity stroked, “A charm? Then, you’re not-?”

“Real? No,” she smiled, not at all in the least bit upset by this truth, “I’m an illusion, meant to respond and take responses.”

“Well, what exactly do you do?” Cadence asked.

The sprite smirked, “I’ll give you any advice you need, always! You know, that little voice in your head that tells you something’s right or wrong.” she hummed, her wings vibrating, “I’ll give wisdom when you’re unsure where to go, what to do, what to feel.”

“You’re a wisdom charm?!” Twilight exclaimed, clapping her hooves together in both realization and glee, “I’ve never seen one like you before!”

“Oh, so you DO know what I am!” she playfully stuck her tongue out, smiling happily, “So! I’ve got a job to do, don’t I?” She said, looking at the colt.

Cadence relaxed a little, yet hesitated, concerned for the child, “It...won’t hurt, will it?” she asked, gaining a giggle from the little thing.

“New parents, always so worried!” was her response. Cadence sighed, then looked to Twilight to confirm if it was safe. Twilight nodded her head, confident Novis wouldn’t have given her anything that might harm her nephew, which was enough for Cadence as she presented the child to the Paradel.

She beamed, before taking her little hands and lifting them up to her head, the curved twin horns above her eyes glowing hot white as she dissolved, breathing a cheerful goodbye before her body became a golden dust, blowing onto the sleeping colt as he yawned and sneezed.

Cadence smiled, sighing as she leaned back onto the couch, cradling the foal as she thought, looking over at her sister-in-law.

“Twilight, I want to thank you,” she began. Twilight looking up at her, craning her head as she smiled warmly, “I’ll hold your words to heart, no matter what happens. I’ll try to stay strong, for him.”

“I’d say that’s rather valiant of you,” Twilight said, pondering as she took out some notes that she had brought with her and began looking them over, tapping a pencil against the paper.

“Hmm.” Cadance hummed, pondering in the quiet of the room, as she lovingly brushed away the hair of the baby’s mane, looking at him consideringly.

“Valiant.”
////
> Update: Don't Panic
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Okay, so there's something I suppose I should address. I had to take a break from this story for the moment because I was burning myself out and needed to step back from the project before I completely lost interest. I've also been suffering trying to move out of my father's house who's been verbally, emotionally, and sometimes psychically abusive, and that was really beating the steam out of me. I know this is a familiar speech a lot of writers give that usually translates to, "This story is dead." It's not.

I'm planning on coming back to Emerald Fires at the end of the year. I've got the next chapter halfway done, and I have the whole story laid out from start to finish. However currently, and some of you may have noticed in the blogs, but for those of you who haven't I'm announcing that I'm working on a special 18 chapter project that I'll be releasing in the Fall of this year called, 'A Nightmare in Eidolon'. I've already finished the 5th chapter for it and I'm currently juggling chapters 6 and 7. I've had a lot of stress and hardship these past few months and I've been translating that in pouring my heart and soul into this project, and my editors have expressed confidence that this story is going to be one of the special ones on this site. It may not be this story, but I hope that it's something that you may consider a bit of compensation for my negligence. 

This is something I've needed for a long time. ANiE has revitalized my interest in writing and has improved it greatly. I'm writing faster than ever before(average 2 to 3 chapters a month) and I've become impassionated again. I feel alive once more. I apologize for the delay, I promise I am working on it, and I will return to Emerald Fires soon.
> Update: Panic(But not really)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Okay, Okay, so I guess I should have made this about a month ago, but I've been so busy with classes and things that I neglected a few responsibilities. So, I guess I should get to the point.

I started a new story called 'A Nightmare in Eidolon', which, for those of you who don't know, is a reworking of what would have been part of Act 3 of Emerald Fires. Now you may be wondering, "Folklore, if it was originally supposed to be part 3 of this story, what's going on?"

Well, If I'm being honest with you... I'm done with this story. OR WELL MORE ACCURATELY, I'm done with it in this form. Let me explain. The first act of this story I'm fairly satisfied with, in terms of structure. However, there are certain character dynamics, chemistries, and mishandling of the underlying narrative that, as I've grown as a writer, I'm actually embarrassed by and generally unhappy with. And THEN THERE'S ACT 2. I HATE Act 2. I started writing that when I first entered college and was still mostly optimist with my future, but over the past two and a half years I was beaten down by an abusive household living with my father that I tried to escape, but couldn't. Because of this, Act 2 got sloppier and sloppier until I didn't even know where I wanted to go with it in order for it to flow into Act 3.

So, I took a break in October of 2018, and during the period between then and December I started to become inspired again as I focused more and more on that third Act. The more I thought about it, the more I realized it's potential, and the eventual realization came that I needed to make it its own thing, allow it to stand on its own merits. So, for the past 8 months, I've been doing nothing but writing, I got ahold of some editors, I'm writing two to three chapters a month whereas before it took me three months just to do one, and the quality of writing has sharply improved. I feel fresher and far more talented than I was when I released chapter 21 of this story, and honestly, I'm in a better place as well because I feel proud of myself again.

So now you might be saying, "Alright, asshole, you left us hanging all this time just to tell us your fucking off with this story. Now what?" Well, actually, my current plan is to finish 'A Nightmare in Eidolon', go to work on a secret project that I've been working on in my spare time, and then, when that's all said and done, I'd like to come back to this story and rework it. Even though Emerald Fires is a mess, the ideas behind it I still find interesting, so I'd like to change it around a bit and give it a better format. Some things I put in back in 2014 I'd like to throw in the garbage, while things I was too scared to do I'd like to push.

So yeah, I want to do a remastered edition of Emerald Fires. I won't delete this, and I'm going to switch the incomplete status to hiatus. And, a part of the original vision for the last act of this story will live on in 'A Nightmare in Eidolon'. I'm sorry for ending it for now, but I am still working, and I hope that my work on NiE can in some way make up for the neglect on my part for this story. So for those of you who want to check that out, the link again is provided here: A Nightmare in Eidolon, and for those who aren't interested, I understand. Just keep your eyes out, I'll make another update on this when I start working on the Remastered Edition.

Thanks,
Folklorebrony