> Shadow Through the Mirror
>  by King-Mac-13
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Through the Mirror
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Twilight was standing by the school’s statue waiting for her friends. They each had something planned for their various clubs and hobbies, and after that they had band practice. After all of that, they were all going to go out to Sugar Cube Corner for a treat. For now, however, Twilight waited for them. As she sat on the statue’s base, she couldn’t help but look around. The school was getting ready for a celebration for 50 years in operation, so there were a number of banners hung on the walls. There were a few select decorations, but most of them were inside. When she looked back to the statue, she was just reminded of her power trip as Midnight Sparkle during the Friendship Games and it did nothing for her mood.
A metal clanking sound caught her attention. She looked down toward it and found a little metallic object on the ground in front of the statue. She jumps down to pick it up and examine the object. As she does so, the portal area of the statue starts to glow a deep red. She turned to the base and backed away.
“Uh… Sunset?” She hoped that her friend could hear her.
A skeletal hand stretched out from the portal.
“Sunset!” She cried again, still no verification that she was heard.
The rest of the skeleton’s upper body flowed from the reflective surface. It had a pair of blue flames in place of eyes and the fires spewed forth from its mouth. Its skull was surrounded by a bright red, blood-like mist. It turned its head to face Twilight. As Twilight reeled back in horror, it spoke, “Will you hear my song?”
Twilight was frozen in fear. She couldn’t move and was on the verge of tears.
The skeleton tilted its head and called out again. “Are you there, Twilight?”
“How do you know my name?”
“Twilight!”
“What do you want?!”
“Twilight! Twilight! Twilight!”
“TWILIGHT!” This finally roused the sleeping brainiac from her dream and caused her to fall from the statue’s base only to be caught by Rainbow Dash.
“Uh… Hi.”
Rainbow helped Twilight back on her feet. “Have a nice nap?”
“I’ve had better. Sorry. I guess I fell asleep waiting.”
“No problem. Actually, Sunset said she wanted to talk to us back in the music room. Come on.”
\/
When Rainbow Dash and Twilight arrived, Sunset nodded and took a deep breath. “Okay. I just received a message from Equestria.”
“Oh my.” Rarity placed a hand dramatically over her heart, “It’s not another magical creature trying to take over again, is it?”
Sunset smiled. “Don’t worry. This time it’s something nicer.”
“Thank goodness. Perhaps this time my wardrobe will finally go through an Equestrian event without any wear and tear.”
Sunset rolled her eyes and continued. “This time, the Princess is sending over a sort of new student.”
“What do you mean by ‘sort of’?” Applejack questioned.
“She didn’t really explain that part. But she wants us to help him understand both our world and the power of friendship.”
“So it’s a he?” Rarity flipped her hair a moment and started to think. “I wonder if he’s a handsome prince…”
“When is he getting here?” Pinkie interjected.
Sunset opened the book and skimmed it before answering. “Tomorrow morning just before school.” The book started to glow, indicating a new message. Sunset looked through the pages and found the new piece. “…make that less than five minutes.”
The group rushed to the statue as it started to glow. The portal was open and the visitor was coming through. A single hand stretched out from the mirrored surface. It seemed to be feeling around for something. It grabbed the upper edge of the base. With a new found leverage point, the arm showed signs that it was pulling something out. After a moment, the head of the figure popped out. He took in a deep inhale and pulled his other arm out from the mirror. He reached out to the side, toward the group.
“A little help, please,” he seemed both distracted and focused. This guy wasn’t quite right… “Seriously! Dimensional shifting is not as easy when you have more than one base form back home!”
The group rushed toward him and pulled him out of the mirror falling over in the process. When they looked back up to him, they found a dark grey young man with bright red hair. He was dressed in black pants and boots paired with a white, button-up shirt under a black lab coat. A messenger bag crossed his torso from his left shoulder. As he tried to stand up straight, he started to fall over.
“Woah boy…” He was able to catch himself and strained to stay upright. “Okay… new center of gravity and transportation method. Quadruped to biped… Alright.” He stretched a bit and audibly cracked a number of joints in his arms, legs, and spine. After a moment of cracks, he stood without issue. “There we go.” He paused a moment, “No inherent magic…” He reached into his messenger bag and pulled out a notebook and pen. He opened the book and started to write something down. “This requires more research.”
“Uh…”
The new face looked over to the group. After a moment of motionless silence, he closed the book with one hand and cleared his throat. “Hello there. Nice to meet you!”
Sunset looked to the visitor and had to pause. He was too familiar. But it hardly seemed likely… right?
“Sunset?” The new face snuck up to her and looked her in the eye.
This caused Sunset to jump back a bit. “Uh… hi?”
The visitor picked her up in a tight hug. “It’s so great to see you again!”
“Grimoire?!”
After returning her to the ground, he replied. “The one and only!”
“You know him?” Applejack interrupted.
Sunset took a breath before answering. “He was an old classmate back in Equestria…”
“Yeah. ‘Classmate.’ Says the prize student of the princess at the time.” Grimoire pulled out his journal again and started to write things down again. “I’d like to speak with all of you at some point and, hopefully, ask a few questions about this world. But first, I’d like to speak with Sunset.”
The group looked to Sunset, who nodded, “Start practice without me. We need to… catch up.” After the rest of the group went back inside, she turned back to Grimoire. “You know… don’t you?”
“Perhaps you could be more specific…”
“Don’t start. You know what I mean.”
“You mean, do I know that you were the one to inform the dean about my use of Dark Magic, thereby getting me expelled?”
“Yeah… that.”
“I always knew.”
“Well… I wanted to say I’m sorry…”
“No need.”
“What?”
“There’s no need to apologize. I made the most of my situation and became more than I could have at that school. That said, it’s not for everyone and it was far from easy. So I’d avoid a second attempt.”
“Okay… I… honestly thought you’d be angrier…”
“Don’t get me wrong. I was absolutely livid. But, I chose not to let it hold me back in my life and experiments.” After a solid ten seconds of silence, he continued. “Were you expecting some dramatic, angry outburst when I saw you again?”
Sunset chuckled nervously, “Actually… yeah. I kind of did…”
“Hmm… maybe next time you’ll remember that I’m never so straight forward. Now, I need to hand in my paperwork to the school’s administration.” With that, he handed her a folded paper and walked off into the school.
Sunset’s friends, who were not so secretly hiding in the bushes nearby, walked up to Sunset. Rarity grabbed Sunset’s arms, “What did he say?”
“Rarity… calm down. It was a simple discussion.”
“Hardly! Sunset, not only did he recognize you despite… a different look, but he remembered you after all this time and where he remembered you from. You were clearly on his mind.”
“I doubt that…”
“Trust me, I can tell these things.”
“Well, if I was on his mind, it’s not for what you’re thinking.”
“What do you mean?”
“I ruined his chances in the academic field… His dream to teach… I robbed it from him because I was jealous and paranoid he would take my place as Celestia’s student. I found out he used Dark Magic and used it to get him expelled him. I was finally able to apologize. Oddly, he forgave me pretty quickly.”
“What about the note?” Rainbow Dash asked.
Sunset took the note and unfolded it. When it was open a quarter of the way, she found a quick note, [My thoughts on Sunset Shimmer]. The group crowded around her to read the note. She finally opened the note completely. Inside was one word, [Cute].
“Oh my God!” Rarity nearly jumped for joy for Sunset. “I told you! He actually likes you.”
Sunset’s face was far from happy. She clutched the paper, causing it to crumple slightly.
“What’s wrong? This is a good thing, isn’t it?”
“No… He’s looking down on me…”
“What?”
“Back then… there was one thing I was able to figure out about him with certainty; to him, ‘cute’ is only used for things he is beyond. It’s a condescension…” She pauses a moment.
“Come now, Sunset. He can’t think like that. He hadn’t seen you for a long time. He doesn’t know what you’re capable of.”
Sunset became distracted. “Seen… See… Wait…” She looks at the paper again. “Never straightforward…”
“What do you mean?”
Sunset holds the paper closer and closes her eyes. After a quick whiff, her eyes burst open and she makes a b-line for the school. When the others caught up to her, she was setting up a Bunsen burner system in one of the labs.
“Sunset? Um… What’s going on?” Fluttershy asked.
Without stopping setting up the burner, Sunset replied, “We see the world with our eyes. We experience the world with our minds. Yet we will always be blind to something.”
“Um… what?”
“That was one of the ideals of Star Gazer, a career philosopher back in Equestria. That was his discourse on reality and it was something Grimoire followed practically as law. When Rarity said he hadn’t seen me in a long time, it reminded me about that old saying. Reading the letter, I was blind.” With the fire up, she held the paper up to the light and smiled. “There we go.”
The page had filled with a full letter.
“Invisible ink?!” Rainbow looked over Sunset’s shoulder.
“Sort of.”
“How could you tell there was more on there?”
“A faint scent of lemon on the paper. It’s the primary ingredient of the ink.” Sunset looked over the letter.
[Dear Sunset, I congratulate you. You have remembered the fundamentals of Star Gazer and can now see the truth. I left one word, ‘cute,’ visible to gauge the reactions of you and your friends. It also helped to test whether you really remembered me, or at least remember my old outlook. The old you would remember the condescension the phrase held in my voice and disregard the hidden possibilities to confront me directly. The fact that you’re reading this shows that you’ve grown beyond what you were while retaining your intuition over this time. I look forward to our time while I visit this world. Signed, Grimoire Maleficarum.]
Sunset sighed with a smile before folding the paper and putting it in her pocket. “Alright. Let’s get to practice.”
\/
After an hour of practice in the music room, the group left the school. As they walked down the courtyard, Sunset had to stop and look to the right.
“You cannot be serious…”
Set up on the grass off to the side of the school was a large white tent, a 20 feet by 20 feet base and 10 feet tall. Emblazoned on the side of the tent was an open black book with a bright blue fire ball hovering above the pages. Moving around the tent was Grimoire with a number of pieces of equipment. He was placing the instruments down, each measuring something different.
Sunset walked up toward the tent, “I’m pretty sure you can’t just set up a tent on school grounds.” Grimoire took a moment and calmly handed her a paper before continuing his set up. The paper was a permit to set up an operation for a survey of the environment of Canterlot High. “Why do you have this?”
“Simple.” Grimoire kept working as he answered her. “I can’t learn anything here through conventional means. If I want to learn about the world, I need to take the lesson into my own… hands? I think they’re called… It’s how I really learn.”
As the rest of the group approached, Sunset just sighed. “You can’t be serious… How did you even get away with this? You’re basically the same age as the rest of us and you need credentials to set up as a researcher.”
Grimoire held up a set of papers. “Credentials.”
“How did you…?”
“Never doubt what I am capable of.”
“Uh… Sunset?” Rarity pulled Sunset to the side, “Was his hair always that long?”
Sunset raised an eyebrow. When she looked back, sure enough, Grimoire’s hair was now accented by a long red ponytail. Sunset ran up to him and when she got close enough, she saw a pair of pony ears sticking out of his hair that were easy to miss at a distance. “How do you have that power?!”
“Hmm?” He turns back to Sunset. “You mean the magic? Easy. There’s enough coming from the portal to use it at will. Granted, using it like I do would require a certain level of understanding of the system… Not like the system of the portal, but more like the system of the magic. And the only reason I know that, is because I have a serious understanding of both Light and Dark magics which gives me an advantage.” With his job done, he reverts the ponytail and ears to normal.
“So… you can just pony-up whenever you want?”
“Pony-up? What a weird phrase… Then again, I don’t have a better one for a magic induced hybridization of human and Equestrian. So, we’ll go with yours. Anyway, yeah. I can. It’s nothing new. I can turn alicorn whenever I want back home, so this just makes sense.”
What he had just said took a moment to process in Sunset’s head. When it was done, she burst out in shock, “WHAT?!”
“Yeah.”
Sunset was speechless. It took her friends to shake her from her shock and collect herself. “So, let me get this straight, you became an alicorn?”
“Um…” Fluttershy chimed in, “What’s an alicorn?”
Grimoire was the one that answered her. “A sort of amalgamation of all three pony types, with a horn and wings, traditionally taller, and basically a symbol of unity and regality. The current alicorns are all the princesses of Equestria.”
Rarity gasped hearing this, “Does that mean you’re a prince?”
“No. I don’t like the idea of the regality. It makes my job more difficult if the citizens around me think I’m some kind of prince. I prefer to remain as a unicorn for the day to day. But that’s not the point right now.” He ducked into his tent and returned with a set of papers. “Each of you take one.”
Sunset raised an eyebrow. “And what is this?”
“A survey. It’s a sociological approach for my mission here. I need to learn more about this world and these will help me, if you’re willing to fill out the form. At least for the first experiment. After this, we’ll need direct interaction. I am here to learn about friendship, after all.”

> Shadows on the Horizon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	As the week continued, Sunset had just gotten used to the tent set up at the school. She and her friends would stop by every so often to talk with Grimoire or help him with understanding the world. She would also enjoy talking to Grimoire about Equestria whenever she had the chance to see how things had changed, or didn’t. Today, with a shortened practice and the others all off fulfilling various obligations, she decided to stop by again. When she arrived at his tent, the scene she saw was a bit confusing.

Grimoire was pacing back and forth within the tent, going from machine to machine. He often mumbled to himself as he worked, “Huh… that’s weird.” This was nothing new, as far as Sunset remembered. What was strange, however, was that he was doing so with another Grimoire (the only difference being that this one had blue hair rather than the usual deep red) sitting nearby looking at a chess board.

The blue Grimoire moved one of the white pieces. “Bishop to king’s knight five.”

Grimoire, without looking back at the board, replied, “Queen to king’s bishop one. Stalemate.”

Blue Grimoire sighed. “Again.”

“You put up a good fight.” Grimoire started to record something in his notebook.

“But another tie? We can do better than that?”

“Can we? We know each other’s strategies and thought processes. Neither really has an advantage…”

“Um… what?” Sunset wasn’t certain how to take what was in front of her. She knew there was likely a Grimoire in this world, but she assumed he wasn’t anywhere near here. After all, he didn’t go to the school and Twilight said she didn’t know anyone named Grimoire from Crystal Prep.

The red haired Grimoire turned toward Sunset. “Oh! Hey, Sunset.” He waved his hand and the blue haired version disappeared. “Wasn’t expecting you for a while.”

“I figured as much. Duplication spell?”

“A modified form allowing others to tell the genuine article.”

“Huh… I thought you only sang to yourself when you were bored.”

“Sometimes I like to have someone to talk to. I hope you don’t mind if I work while we talk for the moment. Shouldn’t be too long, just need to set up the scan. After that, it pretty much runs itself.”

“I don’t mind, but now I have to ask what you’re scanning for.”

“Alright then. Go ahead.”

Sunset smiled and rolled her eyes. Some things never change. “What’s the scan for?”

“Something that doesn’t make sense. You told me about how you brought an element of harmony in to this world and filled the area with magic as a result. You also told me about your exploits against the Sirens and at the Friendship Games. However, looking at the numbers, there’s more magic in this world than there should be.”

“What do you mean by too much magic?”

“All the magical adventures you’ve had, I’ve been crunching the numbers into the scanner. But there’s more magic here than what you told me about.”

“How much more, exactly?”

“You and your friends constitute 30% of the magic in the area. Another 30% is miscellaneous magics, likely from the portal’s opening before being stabilized and guarded. The next 20% comes and goes seemingly at random. And the last 20% fluctuates in strength, meaning that it’s mobile. I also wanted to investigate a couple locations, but they are private property and I can’t just walk in and test it.”

“Do you know who owns it? If it’s close, someone from the school might be able to help with that.”

“The first one is Camp Everfree.”

“That’s shouldn’t be too hard. Twilight’s actually seeing one of the councilors, and it is family run, so that might help. Why do you want to look there, anyway? We brought the magic back with us.”

“True. But that doesn’t mean we have an explanation about how it got there. I’d like to find out.”

“Fair enough. And the other site you were looking at?”

“It’s a compound registered to an ‘Iron Wolf.’ Which I have learned is an organization that has no records I can access. I don’t know members or any connections to contact the group for permission to investigate.”

“That doesn’t help…”

“No. No it doesn’t.”

“So, what’s the plan now?”

“I monitor the situation and keep record. It’s all I can do.” He flipped a switch and placed his notebook in his bag. “But enough about that for now. What’s on the agenda today?”

“Just us. The others all something to take care of.”

“Alright, then.” He takes out some refreshments and sits down at the table. “Let’s get started, shall we?”

Sunset smiled and sat down across from him. The two talked about Equestria, their days at school, and magic for nearly an hour.

\/

Meanwhile:

“Another week, another school trip!” Gloriosa took in the scene of Camp Everfree. She always enjoyed the feeling before the campers arrived. The excitement and anticipation of what the week would hold. And without Filthy Rich’s shadow over the camp, she felt even better. If only Timber could be as enthusiastic. He was spending most of his time hanging out with that girl, Twilight, from Canterlot High School. He wasn’t even here! But that didn’t matter. Gloriosa knew she had this.

The tents were all set up. The mess hall was stocked. The left over damage from the Canterlot visit were fixed. The camp was perfect.

Until something strange happened.

A strange figure walked up to the camp from the main road. A large man dressed in some weird combination of fur and leather. The mask covering his face was adorned with two rows of antlers and had a pattern that gave off the impression of having four eyes.

Gloriosa didn’t like the look of this guy and he couldn’t be here for the campers’ arrival. “Um… excuse me, sir. You have to leave.”

The man turned his head toward Gloriosa. He remained silent, tilting his head slightly to the side.

Okay… that’s unnerving. Gloriosa couldn’t let that keep her quiet, though. This guy had to leave! “I’m serious! This is private property. You need to leave…”

She was cut off when the man appeared in front of her in an instant. He remained silent. Watching.

Gloriosa nearly had a heart attack, but she had a job to do. “Sir, if you need help, I can see what I can do, but you can’t just walk into this camp. It’s private property.”

“Where are they?” The man finally spoke. His voice was raspy and haunting.

“What are you…?”

“The gemstones. Where are they?”

“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

After a minute of silence, he replied, “I think you do know… Gloriosa Lily.”

“How do you know my name?”

“Answer my question, living one. Where are the gemstones?”

Gloriosa’s mind returned to the visit from Canterlot High and the gems that gave her magic power. Why is he looking for those…? Whatever it is, it can’t be good. “Sir, you have to…”

She was cut off when the man’s hand flew up to grab her neck and lift her up off the ground. She could still breath, making it clear that this was the threat of force rather than the use of force. “You will tell me their location, or I will have to find out by other means.”

Gloriosa was in shock and couldn’t speak. But even if she could, she wouldn’t endanger her campers, present or past.

“Fine then.” The bottom row of eyes on the mask began to glow red. The glow spread across the mask and eventually reached his hand. Gloriosa could feel the energy from the man probing her mind. Her thoughts were forced to the faces of the campers that now held the gems. When the glow stopped, the man dropped her back to the ground. “Canterlot High School…” The man turned and started to walk away.

Gloriosa struggled to stand back up. She found speech difficult and her mind was clouding. Whatever this guy did, it had definite repercussion s on her mind. “Don’t you dare hurt them! Do you hear me?”

“I don’t plan to. As long as they stay out of my way.” With that, the man disappeared into particles of some kind.

Gloriosa balanced herself using the sundial. I have to warn them… She passed out soon after this thought.

\/

An hour later, she awoke in her bed. She felt rested, as though she had been out for a while now. When she looked into her cabin mirror, she saw no signs of the man’s choke hold. Huh… I guess it was a weird dream… As she made her way outside, she found the new campers arriving. Okay, Gloriosa. You got this. As she greeted the new campers, she couldn’t help but have a bad feeling about the future. Something big was coming… and it had something to do with Canterlot High.

> Let's Play a Game
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Sunset was enjoying her day. Sure… her classes were pretty boring that day, but she could still look forward to practice with the others. And after that, they were all getting together with Grimoire for a nice picnic. As the day ended, she made her way to the practice room to find her friends standing outside.

When she walked up, she had to ask, “What’s going on?”

“The door’s locked.” Rainbow lightly kicked the door.

“When did they start locking the door?”

“They didn’t. According to the note, you have the key. And it’s signed by Grimoire.”

“Grimoire? Wait. I don’t have the key. Do I?” She rummaged through her pockets, and found the key in question. “How did he…?” She shook her head and unlocked the door.

Inside was not their music room, but rather a large open field, but not a normal field. The grass was a light grey and the nearby trees were without leaves. The sun was black, but still seemed too bright to gaze at for long. The sky was a dark pink/light red and the clouds that pass by were a deep green.
Grimoire was sitting atop a headstone in the middle of the field. As the group entered, he waved from his perch. “Hello.”

Sunset looked around before zeroing in on Grimoire with a burning glare. “Where’s our practice room?”

“Ooh! Haven’t seen that face in a while. Of course, last time you were a pony. And now that I can compare the two, the pony version isn’t nearly as threatening.”

“Grimoire!”

“Calm down.” He jumped down and the headstone sunk into the ground. “Your practice room is exactly where you left it. I just changed the destination of the portal.”

“Portal?” Fluttershy tilted her head slightly, “What do you mean?”

“A doorway is often considered a portal between two states of location. Inside vs outside. Hallway vs room. Room one vs room two.”

“Oh. That makes sense…”

Sunset snapped her fingers to get their attention. “I hate to cut the lesson short, but we have to practice. So could you put things back to normal, please?”

“I could… but first, hear me out. I got thinking lately, and I came to the realization that I’m not proactive in this whole… friendship thing. Sure, I gave you all the questioners, but I don’t really know any of you. So, I came up with an idea.”

“What idea?”

“A game night!”

The group looked between one another and back to Grimoire. “Seriously?”

“What? Am I not interesting enough for a game night? I’m hurt.”

“Calm down, Grimoire,” Sunset pinched the bridge of her nose for a second before continuing, “You really should have discussed this with us first, rather than springing it on us like this.”

“I was under the impression that surprises were an important part of the friendship process.”

Rainbow chimed in with, “To be fair, we are pretty awesome. I think we can skip one practice.”

The common consensus of the group was that they wanted to see where Grimoire was going with this. Eventually, Sunset had to capitulate. “Alright. What’s the game?”

Grimoire gave a quick laugh before jumping up onto a headstone that rose up to catch him. “The game is a modified version of a game known as Nightmare. In this, you don’t face your fears, rather you draw cards to eventually reach the end of the board. First one to the end, wins.”

“Okay… so where’s the board?”

“You’re standing on it.” At the snap of his fingers, flat stones rose up from the ground, creating a board for them to play. He jumped back down to the others, who were now standing at the starting space. “I’ll go first to demonstrate.” He holds out his hand and a card appears between his index and middle fingers. He brings the card to his face and reads it aloud.

[You got off easy. You won’t be so lucky next time. Move ahead two spaces.]

“The cards appear in your hand and you follow the instructions on the card. The only cards that you don’t read out loud are chance cards, which you are awarded based on the card you pull from the movement deck. Some of the movement cards also have challenges to complete, but those are spelled out. The best way to learn is through experience. Who’s next?”

Rainbow jumped to the front of the pack. “I’ll go! So how do I get the card?” As she asked this, the card appeared in her hand. “Oh! Cool.” [A good stretch is always important before strenuous activity. Maybe next time, you’ll remember to do that before you pull a muscle. Move ahead five spaces, but lose your next turn.] “Huh…” Rainbow moved the requisite spaces, “So, how far to most of these cards send us?”

Grimoire thought a moment. “It depends. Sometimes there are high risk, high reward cards.”

“Well, let’s see what we get.” Rarity drew a card next. [Your designs are selling extremely well. Move ahead three spaces as you make a name for yourself and take a chance card in profits.] “Oh! How lucky!” She moves ahead and takes her chance card.

“My turn! My turn!” Pinkie drew a card and read it aloud with her usual gusto, [All you need is a smile. What else is there, after all? Move ahead three spaces and party!] “OOH! I like this card!”

“Hey, wait a second.” Sunset was up next, but she had to confirm something. “These cards seem kind of weird.”

“Nice catch.” Grimoire smiled. “Each of us has a separate deck with custom cards. After all, it’s more fun that way.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow but drew a card. [Portals are risky… Move ahead 10 spaces, but take two turns to readjust.] As Sunset stepped forward, she found herself ten spaces ahead. “What?” After re-reading the card, she put it together. “Portals…”

Applejack drew a card next. [The best solutions are often the simplest. You excel at finding the solution, when it isn’t your problem. Move ahead four spaces. If you pass one or more players, draw a chance card. If not, you lose a turn.] “Nice. Great time to get this card.” AJ passed the group, sans Rainbow Dash, and received a chance card.

Fluttershy wasn’t sure what would it was her turn to draw a card. But it was clear a lot of thought went into this, and she didn’t want to seem ungrateful. [Sometimes, it’s just nice to sit back and enjoy the day or go for a walk in the woods. Move ahead one space.] Fluttershy let out a sigh of relief and moved her space.

Now it was Twilight’s turn. [Choice: There’s so much we don’t understand in life. So much that we can’t explain. Care to take a crack at it? If yes, draw another card and follow its instructions. If no, move ahead three spaces.] “Um… what?”

“Oh! Right…” Grimoire clears his throat before explaining, “Some cards are choices. You get to pick what you want to do. So, here, you can either draw a new card or move three spaces. The average move is three spaces, so you could risk moving farther or being slowed.”

Twilight looked back at her card and to the board. “Alright… I’ll draw.” Another card appeared in her hand. [Well… That can’t be good. Your experiment yields unforeseen circumstances. The resulting explosion blasts you forward 7 spaces, but you have to take a turn to rest.] “What?” As if on cue, the space below her erupted, sending her seven spaces forward. “W-what happened?”

Grimoire answered her before the others could panic, “Exactly what the card said would happen. But don’t worry, you can’t really get hurt here. It’s a game board after all.” With that, he drew a new card. [You really need to keep better track of your journal. Move ahead three spaces in your search and take a chance card.] As he moves forward and takes his card, his smile fades. “Son of a… {Activate immediately! You just love to help when you can. But this is a competition. As a result, you gave one of your opponents an advantage. A randomly chosen opponent moves ahead two spaces and takes a free chance card.} “Lovely…”

An arrow appeared over their heads and moved between the other players, finally settling on Rainbow Dash. Dash gave a quick celebration and moved forward. However, since she had to skip her turn, her celebration was short lived.

Rarity reached for a new card and read aloud. [Using gems in your designs are a double-edged sword. Profits are down. Move ahead only 1 space.]

Now it was Pinkie’s turn again. [Rain? Snow? Heat? Doesn’t matter! We’re having a party! Move ahead four spaces.]

“I get the feeling she’s going to get a lot of those.” Applejack took a card as Sunset had to skip her turn. [Apple surplus. Move ahead three spaces. Take 2 chance cards, play one now and save the other for later.] “Not bad.” When she moves her spaces and reviews her cards, she settles on one and plays, {Be more careful next time. Pick one other player, they move back three spaces.} She looks over her competition and points to Rainbow Dash. “Move it back, Rainbow.”

“Oh, come on!” Rainbow moves back, clearly annoyed that she lost her avantage.

Now it was Fluttershy’s turn again. [Stop and smell the flowers. Nothing wrong with that. Move ahead two spaces and enjoy a turn off.]

With Twilight out for the round, it was Grimoire’s turn again. “Okay… Hope I get something that can help me.” He draws his card. [Experimental Success! Move ahead four spaces and take a chance card.] “Excellent.”

Now it was Rainbow’s turn again. [It’s good being the best. Move ahead 3 spaces and take a chance card. Of course, if you want to be really awesome, take 6 spaces but get no chance card.] “Nice! I’m going six spaces!” Rainbow rushed forward in front of the group and took her place in first.

“Oh no you don’t.” Applejack played one of her chance cards. {Tripped at the starting line. Target opponent moves back four spaces.}

“Nice try, Applejack. But I have this.” {Sonic Rainboom! When targeted by an opponent’s chance card, you can play this to negate the effect. The speed sends you forward four spaces.} The sky erupted with said rainboom and Rainbow was pushed ahead four spaces. “Thanks AJ.”

Applejack could only sigh and face-palm. “You’re welcome.”

Now, Rarity’s turn could begin. [Fabulous! Amazing! Awe-inspiring! Your latest line is turning heads. Move ahead three spaces and take a chance card.] Rarity moved next to Pinkie Pie and drew her card. {Play immediately! A shining testament to your vision! Move ahead three spaces and bring one other player to your new location.} “Ooh! What a lovely card.” She moved to her new locale and looked at the board. “You know… I think I’d like to give a boost. Fluttershy, come up here, s’il vous plait.”

The shy girl made her way up to Rarity. She wasn’t sure about the game, but she supposed she was having fun.

Pinkie was next and drew the card, excited to see what happened next. [Did someone say party?! No?! Well, I just did! Move ahead two spaces and take a chance card as a gift.]

It was finally Sunset’s turn again. [Dusk is upon us. As the sun sinks in the horizon, the promise of the future light weighs on the mind. Move ahead four spaces and take a card from inspiration.]

With that, Applejack drew her card for the turn. [Choice! It’s always best to be honest. But what do you when you have to argue against two truths? You can either move ahead seven spaces and lose a turn or move one space and take a chance card.] Applejack barely thought about it. “Seven spaces forward!” This put her alongside Rainbow Dash.

Fluttershy had to skip a turn, so it was Twilight’s turn again. [Welcome… to the Twilight Zone! Move ahead three spaces. Any player you pass has to lose a turn.] This took Grimoire, Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy out of the round.

Or it would have, if not for Applejack. “How about this? I play my chance card.” {Helping out is just what you do. Any player that lost a turn on the effect of one card ignores the effect and you move forward one space for each player effected.} With that, Applejack moved forward four spaces and the turn order remained normal.

With his turn restored, Grimoire drew a card. [You activated your trap card! Pick one player, they discard a chance card and you move three spaces.] Grimoire grinned, “Nice. Oh, Applejack…”

Applejack had a mini freak out when her card disappeared. It read, {Play when you spend a lost turn: move ahead six spaces if you couldn’t move this turn otherwise.} “Dang it…”

“Nice try, AJ. Can I call you AJ? I’m going to call you AJ…”

Now it was Rainbow Dash’s turn. [Not in first? Let’s fix that. Move ahead four spaces. If you aren’t in first place after that, move another four.] Rainbow was now next to Applejack, at the half-way point, and tied for first. So she had to stop.

Now it was Rarity’s turn again. [Glorious possibilities! Move ahead three spaces.] “I think this is a good time to play this,” {Unbelievable! Move ahead an extra three spaces.} This put Rarity into the lead.

With that, it was Pinkie’s turn again. [Sadly, the party must end. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t ready for the next one. Move ahead five spaces and get ready for the next party.]

Now, it was Sunset’s draw. [You’ve seen through the lies, but there’s something else to which you remain blind. Move ahead two spaces, and take a chance card. However, a random player receives a chance card as well.] After the arrow returned, it landed on Twilight.

Since Applejack lost her ‘get-out-of-lost-turn’ card and Fluttershy still had a turn to wait, it was Twilight’s draw. [The twilight hour approaches. Advance 10 spaces. All other players move forward three.] Putting Twilight in first and only ten spaces from the goal.

Grimoire’s turn. [CHALLENGE! They don’t see what’s before them. You don’t understand what’s coming. Roll a six sided die. If the number comes up less than 5, move back the number of spaces you roll. If you roll a five or six, move forward double your roll.] “Well… Knowing me…” He materializes a die and rolls… a four. “Yep… just short.” He moved back four spaces.

Sunset stopped him to play a card. {Helping out: move another player forward five spaces and take another chance card.} “Get back up here, Grimoire.”

“Aw… you do care.” He made his way back. As he approached, he played his own chance card. “But I’m not going to pull punches.” {When a chance card is used against you, move ahead three spaces and take one chance card from an opponent.} He snapped his fingers and Sunset’s new card flew to his hand. “Thanks, Sunset.” Once he looks it over, he smiles. “I think I’ll play this now. {Sundown Showdown! Move ahead until you reach another player. You and the other player roll a die. The winner moves forward three spaces.}

Grimoire moved next to Pinkie and the two were given dice. Pinkie rolled a 4 while Grimoire squeaked by with 5. This extra boost put Grimoire next to Twilight.

“Okay,” Rainbow drew her next card. [Not everything is sunshine and rainbows. Move forward one space.] Rainbow was clearly annoyed that she didn’t move farther.

Now it was Rarity’s turn again. “Let’s see…” [Life is more fun with friends. Move forward until you reach another player.] She didn’t move far, joining Twilight and Grimoire on space 20.

Now it was Pinkie’s turn. [How? How do you do that? You break reality and move ahead seven spaces without consequence.] Pinkie was in the lead now and only six spaces from the win.

As Sunset drew her card, she got her chance card ready. [Acceptance of one’s mistakes makes one stronger, if you actually learn from them. You’ve clearly done more than just learn from them. Move ahead five spaces.] Sunset was now even with Pinkie Pie. She had to admit, she was having fun. And it was clear her friends were too.

Now it was Applejack’s turn. Before she drew her movement card, she played her chance card, {Harvest! Roll a die, move ahead equal to the number you roll.} She rolled her die and claimed an extra six spaces. Now she drew her movement card. [Cider season is great. If only you could make enough for everyone. Move ahead one space.] Applejack was now the lead with only five spaces away.

As Fluttershy drew her card, she wasn’t sure what would happen. [Back of the pack? Not anymore! Sorry, was that too loud? Move ahead until you reach the first place player.] This put Fluttershy next to Applejack.

It was Twilight’s turn now. [Why is it so dark? The midnight hour is here! Move ahead five spaces. Every player you pass is moved back one space as a result.] “Wait… what?” She moved forward and everyone in front of her was knocked back a space. “Sorry.”

Now it was Grimoire’s turn again. [To light a candle, is to cast a shadow. Move ahead three spaces and draw a chance card.] Once he made his way to his new spot, he drew his chance card, and immediately wished he didn’t. {Play immediately! You had to see this coming. Good night sweet prince! The game ends here. Additional quotation! GAME OVER MAN! This game is now over. Any player within three spaces of the goal wins the game. Every player more than four spaces away loses. Sorry.} “… well… shi…”

The board began to glow and erupted into flames. The group was dropped into their practice room, coughing from the smoke. They eventually brushed themselves off, but Grimoire was not so easily raised. As he landed in the room first, he took the brunt of seven humans worth of gravitational force.

He eventually stood up, with a little help from Sunset. “I think I shouldn’t make games anymore…”

“Are you kidding?! That was awesome!” Rainbow smacked Grimoire’s shoulder. “We have to do that again one day.”

As Grimoire strained to hold back tears of pain, he smiled. “Thanks. But I don’t see it happening for a bit. I think I’m going to bed early today…”

\/

While the friends enjoyed a fun, if tiring, competition; a familiar trio were forced to work together. The Dazzlings (now just Adagio, Sonata, and Aria) had to get jobs to support themselves now that they lost their powers. Now forced to work at the local Taco Shack, as it was the only place that would hire them, the sirens were positively miserable. Well… that’s not totally true. Sonata was perfectly fine working at the drive through, but that’s because of her naturally bright personality. The other two were so board that they would have preferred dealing with the students from CHS again. Aria was asleep at her post, nothing new. She hated this job and was trying to find ways to get fired. Adagio, especially, was at her wits end. She wanted something to happen. Anything!

(Careful what you wish for, Dagi…)

The door didn’t open. There was no indication that something had changed. But, suddenly, there was a large man standing in front of Adagio’s register. He was a tall man, nearly 2.5 meters (over 8 feet) in height, and dressed in a strange combination of fur and leather. He had a mask adorned with four antlers and a design making it look like he had four eyes.

She sighed upon realizing he was there, “Hello… welcome to Taco Shack. May I take your order?”

The man just stood there. He was motionless and unnerving. A small groan escaped his throat, but it was indiscernible.

Adagio rolled her eyes. “Sir, if you have an order then say so. If you can’t speak, write it down.” She passed a company notepad toward the man.

The man took the pen and snapped it between his fingers.

“You’ll need to pay for… that…” Adagio noticed that the ink from the now broken pen fell on to the pad and spelled out [CHS]. “Uh… I…” Now the siren noticed that the man had no breath. When this realization hit her, she internally panicked.

“Where… is it?” The man’s voice didn’t help. It was a deep, raspy tone.

“I-if you need directions, I s-suppose I can help…”

The man reached his hand toward her, a red glow surrounding him. After a moment, his hand returned to his side and he turned around. “Thanks…” With that, he was gone.

Adagio was shaking. This was a first for her. What was it? This strange feeling that made her shiver in such a way. Was this fear? No! It couldn’t be! She is Adagio Dazzle! Sure, she might not have her powers, but that doesn’t change that fact that she isn’t afraid of anything. She is to be feared! Not the other way around! Then… why was she shaking? What on Earth was that thing?

Aria woke up and groggily asked, “What happened?” Aria didn’t need an answer. The foreign look on Adagio’s face was enough of an answer. This can’t be good…

> Iron and Fear
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Grimoire could still feel the stings from the game. It made moving around difficult from time to time, but he could fight through the pain. Thankfully, he had decided to make today an easy day. A nice Saturday to relax with some field work. He decided to make his way to, what he has deemed, ‘The Iron Wolf Compound.’ As he arrived, he took in the sight of the area.

The compound was surrounded by a large stone wall separating the compound from the outside world. The only way in seemed to be a cast iron gate off to the side. He could see through the bars of the fence, showing a massive yard accented by a harsh looking building that would look more at home as a prison. He noticed that the grounds were ill-kept, but he couldn’t help but feel that it took work to look the way it does.

“Yikes…” Grimoire found the lock on the gate and used a bit of magic to unlock the entrance. He knew it was technically illegal. This was why he came to this site alone. If the others were here, they would have risked being arrested.

He walked across the yard, stepping over a handful of dirt piles. Can’t be too careful in a place like this. He eventually made his way to a large cast iron door. The door would open with a push, but that required a level of strength he didn’t have. So, he used his magic to meld into his shadow and sneak under the door.

Once inside, he could see the compound for what it was. Within was a harsh, but lavish interior. The walls were decorated with tapestries and metal decorum. The decorum ranged from sterling mirrors to what appeared to be a metal wolf head hanging above the far door. The floor was solid marble with a bright blue carpet down the hall. His curiosity peaked, Grimoire made his way to the door and crept inside. He found himself in a… dining room? It had a long rectangular table with chairs on every side, each chair a custom design. Grimoire looked over the table and found that he was not alone.

To the right of the head of the table was an older man with grey hair. He dressed in black robes with a white mantle draped over his shoulders. As he stood, he turned his head toward Grimoire. “Welcome, young man.”

Grimoire was confused, but intrigued. “You almost sound like you were expecting me.”

“I was.”

“Okay… that’s unnerving. I didn’t see any cameras…”

“There are none. This is an old building, you see…”

“I noticed. It must have quite the history.”

“It does. The Iron Den has stood for a very long time.”

“The Iron Den?”

“Yes. It’s the name of the compound.” The old man motioned for Grimoire to follow him. “If you want, I can tell you the story.”

“Before we go, I’d like you to tell me something. How is it that you were expecting me?”

“I believe you mean, why I was expecting you…”

“Why isn’t what I care about. The why is obvious once I know the how.”

The old man smiled. “Perhaps, you already know.”

“So… am I correct?”

“You will ask if I possess the ability to see into the future. And, yes. I can.”

“Okay… So, the question remains. How?”

“Would you believe I was born with the ability?”

“We both know the answer…”

The old man laughed. “True.” He takes a small medallion from around his neck. The pendent on the end was a bronze circle with an etching of the head of a unicorn with a third eye.

Grimoire remained a state of shock for a moment. “The Oracle’s Song…” A sudden realization hit him upon this reveal. “The Iron Wolves of Dragon’s Bone…”

“A version of our order in your world?”

“I… then… this is…”

The man returned the pendant to his neck. “A long forgotten home of a long estranged family…” The man’s voice was somber, but accepting. This was clearly something he had to fight before.

“But… I… I thought…”

“You thought… what?”

“I’m sorry… but you are correct that there is a version of your order in my world. Despite this, there are few that know the stories of the Wolves. So, I always thought it was just an old story they used to inspire the children.”

“A worthy goal…”

“Yeah… but, if your order exists here… then they might be real back home as well. I have to ask, how long has your order been in… this state?”

“At least a generation and a half.”

“That’s not really a long time for an order like this… Why haven’t I heard about this before? I tried to look up what I could before coming here and couldn’t find anything.”

“That’s because we never became the stories to inspire, no one told our tales, and the world left us behind.”

Grimoire took a deep breath and smiled. “Not anymore.”

“Pardon?”

“You see, back home, I tend to travel around a lot. I hear stories all the time and like to spread what I learn. I’d like to tell the story of the Wolves. Though, to do so, I’d like to know the name of the Wolf I met. It only seems fair.”

The old man laughed. “I thank you for your offer, my friend, but a name is no longer my concern. I appreciate your willingness to spread our story, but I cannot give a name I no longer have. If you must call me something, then just call me Oracle.”

“Okay then… Oracle… My name is Grimoire Maleficarum. And if you wouldn’t mind, I would like to hear the story of the Wolves.”

“I would be happy to tell our story. Though, perhaps we could move to the study. It has better chairs. You see, I’m not as young as I used to be.”

\/

Journal: M-A-50

Entry: 57

Subject: The Iron Wolves overview

So many years in the past, the nation found itself at war from within at the hand of bandits and the like. The army was strong, but not invincible. And with rigid rules of conduct for combat made fighting an enemy made it difficult when dealing with someone who did not follow the rules. From this, the Wolves rose to take over the defense. The Wolves were not the knights that thought themselves above the common brawl. These were warriors. Their mission was to protect the weak and innocent by any means possible. Theirs was not a noble visage or a grand ideal.

Until the rise of Golden Blade the Righteous a mere three years later. Golden Blade remade the Wolves and turned them into a noble force. The Wolves now wore armor. They now had a visage of honor and power. They had become the strongest fighting force in existence in such a short amount of time. With this reputation came a flood of potential members. However, they could not risk becoming too populous. After all, their mission was to do what the army couldn’t. If they were the size of an army, it would just lead to the same issues. So, they split the group.

From here, the Wolves separated into several Packs. To the north was the gallant Crystal Pack. To the east was the industrious Copper Pack. To the west was the unyielding Silver Pack. To the South stood the noble Gold Pack. Remaining in the center, and seen as the original Pack, was the Iron Pack. Each stood for the same ideals, but could act autonomously from one another. Each Pack would set up one singular location to become their Den, a local headquarters for the Pack. Over time, the Packs would spread their presence, and Dens, across the globe.

However, each Pack would be forced to disband for one reason or another. The Copper Pack was forced to disband as they grew too large to be a Wolf Pack. They would, instead, grow so large that they would be considered a stand-alone nation. The Gold Pack, inversely, would have too high a bar to pass and no new members could join, leading to the disbandment from lack of members. The Silver Pack lived up to their legend. However, they were not invincible and were captured in battle and soon disbanded. The Crystal Pack tied itself closely to the Empire which it settled that, when a Civil War broke out, it disbanded to become an official military.

The longest of all the Packs to survive, the Iron Pack remained together as a group for as long as possible. As time moved on, however, the Pack could not keep up. They were becoming unnecessary. Eventually, they had to face facts and officially disbanded the order. With this, the Wolves were retired and forgotten.
Side Material:

According to Oracle, Golden Blade brought with him several relics that bestowed upon their wielders certain magical abilities. My theory is that Golden Blade was an Equestrian that brought these items with him. Relic magic doesn’t require any ambient or internal magic to be utilized. All it takes is to know how to activate the magical ability. Each relic grants a different ability. Oracle utilizes what’s known as the Oracle’s Song, allowing him to see the future. I am unaware what relics have been brought to this world, but I look forward to finding out.

-Grimoire Maleficarum

\/

Rainbow was finishing her afternoon sprint. Being the captain of all those sports teams means she had to keep in shape, after all. She takes a few deep breaths but wasn’t exactly tired. If anything, she was disappointed. Ever since she got that super speed from Camp Everfree, these runs just don’t have the same kick they used to. That said, the runs still helped clear her head, the fresh air was good for her, and it was still fun to her. She took a seat on a park bench and just took in the sights. Everything was positively awesome.
Though… she should really be more careful with the super speed. She found herself on the other side of the city. But, she decided to roll with it and jog back at her normal speed. Still fast, but not ‘super’ fast. So, now, she was half way through the jog and almost home. That said, a high school student, unfamiliar with the city, and showing clear signs that she didn’t know the city plan was a dangerous combination.

“Well now, ain’t this interesting.” A group of punks clad in leather jackets blocked Rainbow’s route home. In a moment, Rainbow was surrounded. “You’re clearly from out ‘a town so you wouldn’t know. But this is a toll road.”

Rainbow sighed and rolled her eyes. “Really? You couldn’t come up with anything better than this?”

The lead punk raised an eyebrow, clearly angered by Rainbow’s remark, “What?”

“I mean… this is just sad. You know it’s not the 50s, right? And this isn’t some movie. So, cut the act and get out of my way.”

The leader was silent a moment before snapping his fingers. One of the other punks walked over to him and handed him something. “Okay… you want it that way. I’ll play.” The item in question was a switchblade knife, which the leader now pointed toward Rainbow Dash’s neck. “Hand over the valuables and I don’t have to slice that pretty little neck of yours. Or maybe, you’d prefer… another payment method.”

It was this moment Rainbow knew… she messed up. She moved for a quick escape, but was caught by the other punks before she could get a running start. “N-n-now hold on!”

The leader pressed the blade against Rainbow’s throat. “This real enough for you, brat?” After a second to let it sink in, he continued. “But I’m a nice guy. So, I’ll let this one go for now. Gold Leaf, take the stuff.”

No one moved.

“Gold Leaf! Grab the stuff off the brat!”

No movement.

“GOLD LEAF!”

“Sorry!” Another leather clad punk waved from across the street. “I got turned around after the last chase.” He started to run toward the group.

Rainbow could feel something strange about this situation. There were goosebumps up her arms and the hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end. She was still scared of the unstable man threatening, but this felt… different.

“Moron. Get over here!”

“You got it boss!” As Gold Leaf ran across, he was caught up in a burst of smoke from underneath the street.

“The hell? Gold Leaf! You okay?”

No answer.

The leader gestured to two of the punks that weren’t holding Rainbow Dash down. “Go check on that idiot.”

As the two approached the smoke, Gold Leaf flew forward into them, knocking them over. The smoke started to dissipate, revealing a large figure within the wreckage of the street. He was a tall man, over 8 feet, wearing some strange combination of leather and fur. His head was covered by a mask adorned with four antlers and a design making it appear that he had four eyes. He stood in the middle of the road, just staring at them.

The leader wasn’t quite sure what to say about this. He pointed to Rainbow, “What? You her friend or something?”

The figure remained silent and still. His eyes faintly glowing red.

The leader got his knife ready for a fight. “If you have a problem, then get over here!”

Not even a full second had passed before the figure was among the punks, staring the leader down.

The leader’s legs had started to shake, but he couldn’t show fear. “Fine!” He moved his arm to stab the figure in the neck, but was stopped the large figure catching the leader’s arm mid swing. “Let go, you freak!”

The large figure started to raise the punk up to stare him down at eye level. The red glow in his eyes becoming more pronounced. The figure squeezed the lead punk’s arm so much that he was forced to drop the knife.

The leader tried to struggle out of the figure’s grip, but to no avail. “A little help here?!”

The group jumped to their leader’s aid and Rainbow found her opportunity to escape. She knew using the super speed right now might cause undue attention and with the punks distracted, she didn’t need to use it. As she got herself together, she ran passed and addressed the figure in her escape, “Whoever you are, thanks a lot!”

The figure watched as she ran off from the scene. The red glow growing brighter and a low growl escaping his throat. The figure dropped the punk and began to walk after her.

As Rainbow ran off, she turned a corner and ran into someone at high speed, causing her to fall to the ground. “Ow… Sorry, I’m in a bit of a hurry.” She quickly got to her feet and looked at who she ran into. “I…”

The figure that had just saved her was now standing in front of her.

“How did you…?” Rainbow couldn’t finish her question as the figure lashed out at her. She ducked the attack and jumped away from the figure. “Okay… you weren’t saving me. You were after me and those jerks got in the way.”

A low growl escaped the figure. It held out its hand toward Rainbow. “Gemstone…”

“What?”

The figure’s hand moved to point toward the gem Rainbow received at Camp Everfree. “Hand… over…”

“Yeah… How about ‘no’?” Rainbow flew at him with blinding speed. She delivered a few hits before having to dodge an attack. “Got more where that came from.” She sped forward again.

The figure endured each strike for a minute before he decided to deal with the nuisance keeping him from the gem. His mask chipped around his mouth and a crack began to form across the mask. Once it spread completely, it let out an inhuman roar.

Rainbow’s speed seemed to disappear. Now she was only her usual speed. “W-what?”

The figure stood above her. His mask fusing back together as though it never cracked. “Gemstone. Now!”

Rainbow backed away a moment. “What on earth?” She wasn’t sure what it was, but she had a feeling that she had to escape. She turned quickly and ran at full speed away from the figure. She knew he was fast and when he moved in front of her, she was ready. She took a handful of dirt and threw it in his eyes. As the figure groaned, she made her escape.

The figure wiped away the dirt and looked on toward his fleeing target. He could give chase, but too much time has passed. His roar unusable for the moment and her magic would return soon enough. She would alert her friends. He could fight one or two as he was… but, if there was one thing he learned from the siren’s mind, it’s that fighting all of them would be self-defeating. He turned away and walked off. More power was necessary before he could face them as a group.

> Where Are They Now?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	As Grimoire started to leave the Iron Den, he looked up to the sun. The star had passed the apex and had begun its decent in the sky. He estimated that it was around 12:30 and 13:00. So, what’s the plan now? It was his stomach that reminded him he hadn’t eaten anything today and it made its complaint known.

He smiled and stretched his back. “I hear you… lunch it is.” He pulls out a small map of the area and looks for the closest place to procure food. Seems like the closest was a small establishment called the Taco Shack. “Better than nothing.” He gathered his bearings and made for the restaurant.

When he arrived, there was hardly anyone in the establishment. Odd for the lunch rush on a weekend, but not unwelcome. He made his way to the counter and found no one there. He looked around and found a ‘ring for service’ bell. He rang the bell and waited. No answer. He rang a second time, still nothing. With a third ring, the empty restaurant started to make more sense. He looked around before leaning over the counter. Sure enough, the cashier was asleep behind the counter. She was a young girl with purple and aqua-green hair in a set of twin tails. Grimoire could have tried to lightly wake her. He could have walked away and tried somewhere else. But that would be boring. He took out a set of headphones from his equipment and gently placed them over her ears. A good employee doesn’t fall asleep on the job. He blasted a powerful opera piece, forcing her to jump up, awake and alert.
When she came to her senses, she spotted him and gave an aggravated grown. “What do you want?”
“First, my headphones back. Second, a taken order.”
She rolled her eyes and gave him back the headphones. “Can I take your order?” It was clear that the fact that she had to say those words pissed her off.
Grimoire had a smug grin. “Can you?”
The cashier was visibly ready to kill him. “May I take… your order?”
“You know… with an attitude like that, I’m not sure if I want you to…”
“You can leave if you want!”
“Aria!” Another figure walked out from the back. This one was a young woman with a dirty blonde, almost orange puffy… pony tail… what would you call that? It was tied back, but not really. It was a like a weird fluffy cloud-looking amalgamation of odd. Either way, it was a lot of hair. She also wore the managers’ version of the Taco Shack uniform. “Stop harassing the customers.”
“Adagio…” Aria groaned again. “He started it.”
Grimoire raised a hand slightly, “It’s true. I did start it.”
Adagio pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. “Aria, head to the back and take inventory.” As Aria left, Adagio took her place at the register. “How can I help you?”
Grimoire smiled. “Finally, some decent service. A number 3, if you wouldn’t mind. To go.”
“Of course.” Adagio punched in the numbers. “That’ll be $6.85.”
After paying for the meal, Grimoire stopped a moment. “Have we met before?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Are you sure? I swear I know you from somewhere…”
“Sorry. But I don’t think so.”
“Adagio… Aria… wait…” He leans to the side and catches sight of Sonata. “Sonata?” He gasped at the realization and started to chuckle. “The Dazzlings… working at a Taco Shack…”
Adagio kept her smile unchanged, but her aura made it clear that she was mad. “Sir, I’m certain… I don’t know what you’re talking about. Understand?”
Then Sonata arrived with the food. “Oh? Come on Adagio. How do you forget that? We tried to use our magic to take over the school. Then we lost to the Rain-booms, I think that’s what they were called. Then we lost our powers and we have to work here because of that.”
Adagio replied through clenched teeth. “Thank you, Sonata… I don’t know how I could possibly forget that.”
“Glad to help.” With that, she walked back to her work.
Grimoire’s smile was impossible to hide (and frankly, he didn’t want to hide it). “I’m sorry. I don’t mean no disrespect. It’s just… so funny…”
Adagio dropped her smile and folded her arms. “Yes. Yes. Very funny. Clearly I can’t contain my laughter.”
“Oh, come on, Dagi. It’s not that bad.”
“Don’t call me that. You have your food. I’ll kindly ask you to go before I charge you with loitering.”
Grimoire smiled and rolled his eyes. “Alright. But first…” He snapped his fingers and a ball of blue fire appeared in his hand. He closed his hand around the flame and produced a card with the flick of his wrist. “My card. If you ever want to do something about the lack of singing voice, give me a call. The offer extends to all three of you if you want. Word of warning though, I’m only in town for a few more days. My offer expires when I leave. Think it over.” He picked up the food and started to move toward the door. He suddenly stopped and looked around.
“You forget something?”
“Maybe…” He places the food down on a nearby table and started to check his pockets and messenger bag. After a moment, he started to look around the restaurant. “Wait.” He kneeled and picked up a piece of paper from the ground. “Got it. Until next time, Dagi.” He raised an arm and caught a packet of hot sauce that had been thrown at him. “You know, I don’t really like this stuff… But thanks, all the same.” He turned, grabbed his food, and left.
Adagio rolled her eyes. He was positively infuriating for a first impression. Then she remembered the card. It was a solid black base. The back of the card was dominated by his symbol (an open book with a bright blue fire ball hovering over the pages). On the front, she read: [Grimoire Maleficarum: Master of Light and Darkness, Socially Infuriating.] Accompanying this, as well as the number to contact him, was a small message, [Dagi, if you decide to go through with the offer, you can find me in the tent on the CHS lawn. If the tent is gone, I’ll have returned home and your chance at your old singing voice will be gone. Just thought I’d let you know.]
Adagio looked at the message confused. “When did he have enough time to write that?”
As Grimoire returned to his tent, he finished his burrito (because who orders tacos to go? Seriously…) and entered to find Sunset and her friends waiting inside. Their eyes told him everything he needed to know. “This can’t be good.”
\/
They’re still out there… But, to face them, more power is necessary. Where to find that power? Need power. Need strength. Need magic. With magic, comes strength. With strength, I’ll have power. Must find magic. They have magic. Too strong together. Must find them separated. They will be warned by the rainbow one…
The creature walked along the street. It had to find a way to separate them. Pausing in the middle of the street, it looked up toward the sun. It had to find more power.
The sound of a car horn pulled it from its thoughts. It looked over to find a man cursing him out for standing in the road. The creature turned to face the vehicle and raised an arm. Its eyes began to glow and it punched into the car’s hood, breaking the engine. The man watched in a panic. After a moment, the driver jumped out of the vehicle to run from the creature.
The creature gave a low growl and continued is walk. A new approach may be necessary… It stopped in shock. My thoughts… are coherent?
“I see you noticed.” The creature turned to find another human stepping out of the back of the vehicle it had destroyed. She stood there, refined and unfazed by the beast before her. She wore a dark green suit that accented her hair and eyes. “I’m surprise it took you this long to notice I was here.”
The creature loomed over her. “Who… are… you?”
“Trying to act scary? Sorry, but it will take more than that to get to me.” She smiled and crossed her arms. “You can call me Chrysalis.”
“Why… are you here…?”
“Right to the point, then? I like it. I saw your little display in the city. I think we can help each other. It’s clear you’re strong, but you lack something. I can offer you what you seek. All I ask is your help with a project.”
The creature looked to this woman and the danger she posed to him. Could she truly give me power? Wait… something’s not right… Something is effecting my mind and it has something to do with her.
“Is this too difficult for you? Or are you holding out for something more? Well, I should tell you that this is the best offer you’ll ever get.”
The creature growled. Something’s here… It decided to test something. Its mask began to crack around the jaw. Once it spread across the mask, the creature let out a quick roar. Something in woman’s pocket began to glow. There…
“Can I take that as a ‘yes’?”
The creature’s eyes began to glow. “Give me the power…”
Chrysalis raised an eyebrow. “Pardon?”
In a flash, the creature was behind Chrysalis, a pendant dangling from his hand.
Chrysalis looked back to him and smiled. “Oh, that? It’s just a worthless trinket I retrieved from someone who got in my way. It’s useless.”
The pendant started to absorb into the creature’s hand. The red glow in its eyes intensified. Its body seemed to shrink slightly, leveling out at 7 foot 9 inches. The antlers shrinking and a few of the points disappearing into the core. The amalgamation of leather and fur it wore seemed to separate and settle into a more contemporary style.
As Chrysalis watched the transformation, she was in shock. “What the hell?”
The creature turned to face her, “You’re help is not necessary. Though I thank you for the magic power you have brought me.” The raspy voice seemed to have disappeared. Its voice became a deep, haunting bass. It seemed more natural than its previous tone.
“Magic?”
“In reverence of this, I’ll let you live. However, I warn you, if you get in my way you will die.”
“Now, hold on! You can’t just…”
The creature was directly in front of her in the blink of an eye, its eyes glowing a bright red. “Oh… I think I can. You saw what I did to your little car. Imagine what I could do now that I am more powerful and more intelligent. And now, I give you ten seconds. So, shut up, run, and stay out of my way.”
Chrysalis’s knees shook. What the hell?! She couldn’t look weak, no matter what. “I… I won’t back down.”
The creature grabbed Chrysalis by the neck and raised her off the ground. The creature tossed her back to the car and through the windshield. “That should put things in perspective. Now, stay out of my way. I have magic to collect.”

> Round 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“Then I called everyone and we met here. It made sense at the time.” Rainbow Dash finished explaining her encounter with the figure in the city. “So, any idea what that thing was?”

Grimoire was looking through his modest collection of reference guilds as she spoke. “You’re sure it’s Equestrian?”

“I can’t think of anything in our world that can do that…” Rainbow’s voice would have been sarcastic; but whatever that thing was, it got to her.

Grimoire stepped away from the collection and sat down. “I can’t think of anything like what you described from Equestria. The outward description is unhelpful as, though we know what it looks like here, I don’t know what the Equestrian creature would look like. And looking at the powers just makes it more confusing. I don’t know any creatures that could do what you described. Teleportation and magical suppression? Only a powerful unicorn back home could come close to something like that.” Grimoire crossed his arms and thought for a moment. “But I get the feeling that this thing isn’t human here, so it’s likely not a pony back in Equestria.”

“That’s not exactly reassuring…”

“Never said it would be.” Grimoire leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. “Now, the next question is, why didn’t it follow you?”

“What do you mean?” Rarity crossed her arms. “I would think the real question would be how to deal with it.”

“Okay… did not expect that from you, Rarity.”

“One of our friends was attacked! This is a serious matter.”

“True.” Grimoire jumped back up to his feet and began to pace. “All the more reason to figure out the details first. If it attacked her to achieve something, why not follow her? Why let her get away to warn the group? Dirt in its eyes wouldn’t stop it forever. And if it had a real mission, it would power through its temporary blindness to catch Rainbow or, at least, try to. So, why didn’t it? What’s it after? Why attack Rainbow Dash? These are important questions that, if answered, can help us to solve our problem. Once you identify the subject, it’s easier to deal with it.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “That’s a new one. Which philosopher did you get that one from?”

“That was the second law of Dark Magic.”

“Second?”

“We can discuss it later.” He continues to pace for a minute before he stopped suddenly. “Wait… Why was it after Rainbow? What does Rainbow have that the others around her at the time didn’t?”

“What are you getting at?”

“Magic! That thing knows about and is after magic! That’s why it didn’t pursue!” He broke his stillness and grabbed Sunset’s shoulder, followed by shaking her. “It’s after your magic! That’s why it attacked, but why not follow?” He lets go and Sunset drops to the ground, dizzy. “Does it know about your group? Does it know that all of you have magic? So many questions!”

“Grimoire!” Grimoire spun around to find Applejack staring him down. “You need to calm down and go through this without sending someone down to the ground.” She gestured to where Twilight was helping Sunset back to her feet.

“Oh… Sorry. But there’s so much that we don’t know…” He took a deep breath. “For now, it’s probably best to stay in groups. Whatever that thing was, something kept it from pursuit. So, staying together should help mitigate any future attacks.” He made his way outside the tent. “Uh… Rainbow. What did that thing look like again?”

Rainbow raised an eyebrow in confusion. She came to the realization rather quickly. “You cannot be serious.”

The group rushed outside and found the figure standing before them. Rainbow dropped into a combat stance. “That’s him!” At that confirmation, the rest of the group followed suit and activated their magic forms.

The figured looked over them and laughed. “Perhaps challenging you isn’t out of the real of possible this early.”

Rainbow’s face shifted in confusion. “Okay. He did not sound like that before.”

“What did he sound like?” Rarity asked.

“Is this really the time?!” Applejack shouted.

The figure folded his arms. “No, no. By all means, converse. You can trust me not to attack you while you talk things over.”

Rainbow remained ready for an attack. “He was raspy, like he had a sore throat or something.” As she took a second glance, she added, “He also seems… shorter?”

The figure chuckled and reeled back his right fist. “Time’s up.” He punched the air in front of him, creating a wave of magic headed straight for the group.

Rarity materialized a barrier of crystals to block the attack. “What is that thing?!”

Grimoire looked over the creature. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen anything like that.”

The figure’s eyes began to glow red and the mask began to crack along the jawline. Rainbow Dash noticed this and warned the others, “That’s the power that takes away out magic!” The figure ripped open the mask and let out a massive roar. The magic forms of the group began to disappear.

Sunset moved back a bit, “Now what?!”

“Calm down!” Grimoire stood among the group. “A spell like this takes a lot of power and doesn’t last long. It might last a minute or two at most.”

“The question is…” The figure’s eyes began to glow again, “… can you live that long?” The figure charged toward the group. When it arrived, it slammed its fist into the ground, creating a shockwave sending the group back. The figure popped up behind Sunset and grabbed her by the neck. “How about I start with you?”

“Sunset!” The group tried to fight back, but their magic was still gone.

The figure just laughed. “I can get rid of one you now, and deal with the rest later. I think I like that plan.”

“I don’t.” Grimoire stood on the opposite side of the figure from the group. “Let her go.”

“Why should I?”

Grimoire let the Dark Magic build in his eyes. Everyone, including the figure, could feel the atmosphere around them get heavier. “This a good enough reason.”
The figure dropped Sunset once he felt the power coming from Grimoire. “How is that even possible? My power should have sealed all your magic!”

“Sorry, but I’ve long since mastered getting around the effects of spells. You’ll need to up your game.”

The figure laughed. “Then so be it. You’ll die first.” It reeled back its fist and prepared to let loose.

“Too bad. Time’s up.”

The figure’s attack was cut short by a solid fist to the face from Applejack sending him flying into the school’s wall. The figure shook its head and looked on as the group regained their powers. “Crap.”

The group stood together, ready to use their ultimate ability. As the power charged, a rainbow began to surround them. The figure charged forward in some attempt to stop the attack, only to run right into the blast. The figure erupted as a rainbow arc rose into the sky, taking the figure with it.

After a minute of silence, Rainbow finally blurted out, “That was AWESOME!”

“It was rather impressive.” Rarity chuckled.

As the group celebrated, Grimoire thought over what happened. This isn’t right… Something doesn’t add up. Something caught his eye, a red glow. CRAP!

Circles of red light appeared underneath each of the Human Seven. Grimoire jumped in among them and clapped his hands together. He unleashed a bright purple wave of magic. The red circles began to siphon away from the girls and toward Grimoire. As the red lights collided, a pillar of magic rose and surrounded Grimoire.

When the light disappeared, Grimoire began to fall to the ground. Sunset caught him and helped him remain upright. Sunset looked to Grimoire with concern, “What was that?”

Grimoire winced in pain as he answered. “Nightmare’s Requiem. It’s a Dark Magic technique designed to send the targets’ magic into chaos, allowing the darker impulses to run riot.”

“Are you going to be okay?”

“I’ll be fine. I’ve made peace with my darkness and my light. I just need to rest.”

“But will you get the chance?” Standing before the group was the figure they had just sent skyward. The figure seemed injured, holding its shoulder as it walked toward them, but still very dangerous. As the group gathered in line, it continued, “Your little trick won’t work again. So, how about another Requiem?!”

“How about ‘No’!” Grimoire placed his hand on the ground and the area around them began to glow purple. After a second, the group was gone.

The figure looked over the now empty space. After a moment, it dropped to its knee. “We will meet again. Now that I know what your powers are… I’ll be ready for next time. Be ready little fools. I’m coming for you.”

\/

The group arrived at the destination of their teleport and most fell over in shock. The only two that didn’t were Grimoire, who was already seated, and Sunset, who was used to teleportation. Grimoire winced in pain as his magic tried to go haywire.

Sunset helped the others up and supported Grimoire so he could walk, “What now?”

Grimoire looked around before answering, “We can’t go back, and that thing likely knows where to look for each of you. We need to lie low for now.”

“And do you suppose we do that?!” Rainbow challenged, “Whatever that thing is, it knew where to find us and you’re talking like it knows where we live! If it’s so smart, where do we hide from that?”

“I might know a place. Oracle told me about a house we can hide at should we need it.”

“Who’s Oracle?”

“It’s a story I can’t tell you right now. For now, we head southeast. It shouldn’t be too far.”

After a few minutes of walking, they arrived and saw something a little… odd. For one thing, there was a house, three floors with a decent amount of space for anyone inside, just sitting there in a field. No other houses around. It was quite the odd sight. As they approached, Sunset’s phone began to ring. She looked at the number and hesitated. She answered the phone, which immediately switched to speaker mode without her input.

The voice on the other end spoke before she could, “You better have a good explanation for coming here.”

“How did you…?” Sunset shook her head in slight frustration. It was something to figure out later. “Look, we just need a little help and a place to rest. We’ll leave as soon as we have.”

“Sure. How about you leave now? That sounds fair.”

Grimoire cleared his throat. “I was told by Oracle that we could come here if we needed to hide out.”

The voice on the other end paused for a moment, “Oracle? The old man at the Den?”

“That’s him.”

“Fine. Come on in, but I’m keeping an eye on you.”

“Thank you.”

“Shut it.”

“Maybe later.”

The group arrived at the front door and heard the door unlock. It swung open to show a young man with yellow-orange skin, short sky blue hair, and a goatee. He wore a black hoodie accompanied with jeans and sneakers. He seemed kind of familiar, yet not. He was clearly not happy to see anyone. “Well, come in. Just don’t touch anything.”

Sunset helped Grimoire to sit down at a chair in a side room, which seemed to be a lounge of some kind. “Thanks again, mister…”

“Grey Hat. Now hurry up before I change my mind. If at all possible, I’d prefer you left before my brothers get home.”

“We won’t be long.”

“Based on the fact that you had to help your friend there… you’ll be long enough.”

As the group began to rest, they had to discuss the issue at hand. Rainbow was the first of the group to break the silence. “So, what do we do now? That thing knows our school and it took our strongest attack and kept fighting. How do we fight that?”

“I don’t know.” Sunset replied. “None of this makes any sense.”

As they discussed the creature and how to deal with it, they heard the door open. In walked two young men. As they walked, they seemed to be discussing something.
The first had a similar color scheme to Grey Hat (yellow-orange with blue hair) however, his hair was accented with blonde streaks. He dresses in a black uniform with a gold shield design on the upper arm and wore a pair of rounded glasses. “I’m just saying that it doesn’t make any sense. Grey isn’t the type to help you with sound for your band.”

“I know that.” The second young man remained out of their sight for the moment but he sounded very familiar. “But, you have to admit, it would be a great way to…” As he rounded the corner and made his way into the room, he stood in shock at seeing everyone sitting there, who were all staring in silence at the person before them, Flash Sentry.

“What’s the issue, Flash?” The first young man looked over his shoulder at the guests. He pinched the bridge of his nose once he saw them. “Grey! You better have a good explanation for this!”

Grey Hat walked over to the two. “Don’t blame me for this! One of them said that Oracle told them to come here if they needed help.”

“How long have they been here?”

“Not long overall, but longer than I wanted them here.”

Flash finally recovered from his shock. “What are you all doing here?”

Grey turned to Flash, “You know them?”

“They’re friends from CHS.”

As the young men before conversed, the group noticed something about them. All three were extremely similar. Sunset looked between the three, “Uh… Flash. Could you explain…” She motioned between the three, “… this?”

Flash looked between the two and the group. “Oh! Um. Everyone, this is Grey and Bastian, they’re my brothers.”

Bastian waved to the group. “Triplets, actually.”

“Tri… what?”

“That said,” Bastian smiled to his guests, “any friends of Flash are welcome here.” He turned to his brothers. “Flash, don’t be rude, get our guests some refreshments.” Flash gave a quick salute and walked off. “Grey… there’s no hope for you. Go do whatever it is you do.” Grey walked off with a customary flip of the bird to his brother. “Classy. Now, Sunset, was it?”

“Yes?”

“I’d like to talk to you for a moment, if you don’t mind.”

“Sure…” She followed him into the nearby dining room. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

“Like I said before, any friends of Flash are welcome here.” His smile disappeared. “But the harpy that used my brother to further her goals isn’t.”

“What? I…”

“No. I know who you are. And I’m aware you think you’ve changed. So, I’ll let you stay. But know that I’m watching you. If I think for even a moment that something’s up, you’re gone. Am I understood?”

Sunset knew she couldn’t argue with him, but she didn’t have to. “Alright.”

“Good. Now,” his smiled returned as quickly as it left, “Best get back to your friends. Flash will be back with something to eat soon.”

> A Grim Dream
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Sunset sat opposite of the couch where Grimoire lied. He had stopped writhing, at least, but now he was out cold. Sunset was worried, but she couldn’t let it get to her right now. She had to think of a way to deal with that monster. To do something like this to Grimoire… What would have happened if he hadn’t been there? There had to be a way to stop that thing.

“Well, that’s a scary face.”

Sunset looked up to see Flash standing in the doorway to the lounge. “What do you mean?”

“Well, it’s clear that your worried about this guy. At the same time, you’re determined about something. It’s the look that says, ‘I won’t let this happen again.’”

“I suppose that makes sense.”

Flash leaned in the doorway. “So, let me ask, why are you here?”

“We needed a place to rest. That’s all.”

“I mean why in here right now. Everyone else is out back training their magic.” After a moment of silence, Flash continued, “You know him well?”

“What?”

Flash motioned toward Grimoire.

“Oh… I guess. We used to go to the same academy in Equestria. But I got him expelled for using Dark Magic because I thought he would take my spot as Princess Celestia’s student. I don’t know that much, really. But I guess we get alone all right.”

“Well, that’s a start at least. So, if you don’t my asking, what did happen anyway?”

“More crazy stuff with magic. Until we actually know what it is, there’s not much else to say.”

“Huh… Well, I’m sure you’ll figure it out in no time. Though, if you ever do need help, just give me a call and I’ll do what I can.” As he moved to leave, he stopped for a moment, “By the way, it’s clear your friend doesn’t have any physical injuries. It might be something you need to deal with at the source.” He tapped his index finger on his head and left.

Sunset turned to Grimoire. He might be right. It’s worth a shot, at least. Sunset placed her hand on Grimoire’s forehead and activated her powers.

\/

Sunset found herself walking in a corridor of stained glass. It was surreal, to say the least. Though, not what she was expecting for Grimoire’s mind. I expected a library or something… As she walked, she found herself looking around the hall. Wherever this was, it felt strange; like there was something she wasn’t seeing. Something in the back of her mind.

Something at the end of the corridor caught her eye. She found herself making her way to the object. Waiting for her was a shadowy figure in a grey hoodie. A symbol emblazoned on the hoodie was an open book with a blue fireball over the pages.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Sunset.”

“Grimoire?”

Said figure walked into the light, revealing Grimoire under the hood. “Hey.”

“Thank goodness. I needed to talk to you. I think we might be able to work together to get rid of this spell on you.”

“Oh yeah? A little late to try to help things, don’t you think?”

“What do you mean?”

“Denying it to help your mind… I guess I can understand that… After all, how could I stand being responsible for getting the others killed.”

“What?!”

“No, you’re right. That’s not what happened.” His normally royal purple eyes stared into her soul with an ice blue hue. “You murdered them all.”

“No! I could never do that!”

“Couldn’t you? That knife says otherwise.”

Sunset looked to her hand and stared in horror. A bloodstained knife rested in her hand. “Wha… what’s going on?”

“What’s going on, is your sins catching up to you, crawling up your back.” He took a deep breath and looked out one of the windows. “I guess now you’ve come to finish your work. Any particular reason you saved me for last?”

“This isn’t real! This is the effect of that spell!”

“Make your excuses…” He looked back to her, his piercing gaze seeming to glow in the light from the window. “I don’t care anymore.”

“Grimoire, I’m serious!”

“So am I. You know, it’s a beautiful day. The sun is shining. Flowers are blooming. Birds are singing. On days like this… people like you… should be burning in hell.” He reached out with his magic and pushed Sunset into a wall that seemed to materialize behind her.

Sunset stood back up with what strength she could muster. There was likely a fractured rib in there thanks to that wall… “Grimoire, please. I don’t want to do this!”

“Now you don’t want to do this?! What about Rainbow?! What about Pinkie?! Rarity?! Applejack?! Fluttershy?! Twilight?! What makes me special that you’d be willing to send them all to their graves but you stop at me?!”

“No! I could never hurt them…”

“Stop it!” Grimoire rushed forward and took a swing at Sunset. She dove to the side, only to get caught in another push from Grimoire’s magic. “Stop denying it!” He swung his arm and slammed her into the window (which did not break). “Stop denying what you did to them!” Another swing sent Sunset to the floor. He charged forward, his fist raised.

Sunset managed to sit up as he approached. “Stop!” She closed her eyes and braced for a strike, hoping that he would listen. When no strike came, she sighed in relief. Maybe he’ll listen now. When she opened her eyes, she was horrified. Her arm was outstretched and the knife in her hand was buried into Grimoire’s chest.

Grimoire’s eyes showed pain, shock, and a sense of personal failure. He staggered back and fell to the ground. “Damn it…” He started to laugh, blood running down from his mouth. “I guess I should have seen this coming… You took my dream. What’s my life on top of that… after what you’ve done?” He stood back up and moved passed her. “At least… I’ll get to see them all again…”

Sunset remained still in shock. The sound of Grimoire falling to the ground didn’t help. Tears began to run down her face. This can’t be real…

The image of Rainbow Dash propped up against a tree, clearly beaten and bruised, entered her mind. This isn’t real… 

Pinkie lying on the ground, a party cannon nearby with smoke emanating from the barrel. I couldn’t do that…

Rarity slumped over a fancy couch, her white dress clearly stained. I would never do something like that…

Applejack tied to a tree on her farm, blood flowing from her nose. I wouldn’t hurt them…

Fluttershy lying in the forest, animals crowding around in mourning. I can’t hurt them…

Twilight sitting up against a wall, her face hidden, and chemicals around her. This isn’t real!

Grimoire, lying behind her, blood flowing onto the floor. So why do these feel so real?

Sunset buried her face in her knees as the tears continued. Whatever was happening, it felt so real. Why? She knew she could never do something like that. So why was this happening?

“You know…” This voice nearly gave her a heart attack. She turned to see Grimoire standing behind her, no worse for the wear His eyes their usual royal purple. “… your nightmares are seriously dark.”

Sunset flew upward and wrapped her arms around him. “You’re okay!” She realized what he just said a moment later. She let go and took a step back. “What do you mean my nightmares?”

“I protect my mind with a special spell that causes anyone trying to break into my mind, which you’re doing right now, to experience horrifying nightmares. It’s a defense mechanism.” He waved his hand and a doorway opened from nowhere. “Come on, we can talk in the mind, proper.”

As Sunset walked through the door, the images disappeared. She felt at peace again. The visions and events in the nightmare were fading, details forgotten. It was comforting as the memories faded away. Sunset went to wipe the tears from her face, only to find two things: 1) The tears were gone, likely a result of leaving the nightmare, and 2) her hands were now hooves! 
As she found a mirror, she realized she was now back in her pony form. “What the…?”

Grimoire tapped her shoulder, he was also back to being a unicorn. “Been in this world so long you forgot what you look like back home?”

“No… I just… How?”

“You’re in my mind right now. I might be human in form, but my mind is still Equestrian and I haven’t been here long enough to adjust. As a result, in here, I’m still a unicorn. So, care to fill me in about why you’re in mind?”

“Well… you’ve been out for more than three hours. I thought I might be able to help you get rid of the spell somehow… I admit I didn’t really think this through as much as I should have.”

“Hmm… Let’s talk in the central garden. It’s the best place to really discuss anything.” He began to walk toward the nearby shelf, which split apart allowing him to pass. “Stay close.”

Sunset followed him as he passed through each of the shelves, each closing as they passed. They made their way to a central area. Unlike the rest of the mindscape, this looked like a scene from a beautiful painting. The floor gave way for a patch of grass. In the middle of the small field was a table and chairs built for ponies from polished marble. The walls, formed from the backs of the shelves surrounding them, were covered completely by vines.

Grimoire took a seat at the table and waved for her to sit. “Would you like something to drink?”

Sunset took the seat opposite him, “We’re in your mind. How would that work?”

“Obviously, it wouldn’t actually sustain you, but I still remember my manners. Now, you wanted to talk about the Nightmare Requiem?”

“Yes. I want to try to help rid of it.”

“Truth be told, I’ve already isolated the magic. Now I’m just breaking it down to make sure there’s nothing of it left. This is a methodical process that will take time… Not really a team project… Sorry.”

“Oh…”

“If I may, a certain level of consciousness is available to me, and I can’t help but notice that the others aren’t here with us. Where are they?”

“Training their magic. Whatever that thing that attacked us was, it’s clear we need to get better at using our magic.”

“And… you’re here rather than training?”

“I… don’t really have a skill I can train. I touch someone and I see into they’re mind. Not much more I can do with that.”

“Isn’t there?”

“What do you mean?”

“Sunset, I designed that nightmare spell you experienced to fight back against the most experienced magic wielders from entering my mind. I only appeared because you aren’t experienced at the mindscape and the nightmare was starting to break your own mind. That’s usually the point where I arrive, wipe the memory of the event, and toss the consciousness from my mind.”

“I’ve… been meaning to ask about that.”

“Alright. Allow me to explain. I created the spell to keep my mind safe from any that would try to break in. It’s designed to place the intruder into a scenario they fear. Your fear is hurting your friends in some way. The spell put you into a worst case scenario to force you out, but your inexperience caused your mind to believe what it was seeing. It’s the feeling one feels in a dream that seems quote, so real, unquote. The same logic applies here, except you’re not sleeping. As a result, you don’t jolt awake to get away. You’re either forced out or your mind shatters from what you’ve seen. I try to avoid the second option at all costs. If you had trained your ability, you would have been tossed from my mind instead.” After a moment of silence, he continued, “So! If you’re willing, how about we train that skill.”

“Wait… how?”

“There’s repetition, but I don’t think you want to go through that again. So, mental training is the best option.”

“You’re kidding…”

“Before you say it, I know you’re intelligent. But that’s not enough for your skill. Right now, you can spit out facts about the ability. We need you to truly understand the skill on a deep level. The process of removing the Requiem will take another hour and a half. Until then, spend time with your friends. When I wake, your training is mandatory. Understood?”

Sunset smiled. She couldn’t help but think back to his old goal. In the end, he was still able to teach others. “Got it!”

\/

The creature looked out over the forest below him. In his hand was another relic necklace he had torn from the neck of the fool to stand in his way. As it absorbed into his body, he shrank two inches and the antlers on his mask continued to recede. His mind was clearing. He was becoming stronger. I will find them. It’s only a matter of time. For now, I must gather strength. I barely beat them before, and they will only be getting stronger. I must do the same.
The thoughts stopped when he felt the antlers disappear entirely. What’s… His face began to burn. It was unbearable. He tried to claw at the issue, only to be stopped by the mask. After a minute of clawing, a piece broke away. He broke the mask away, his mouth revealed. “So this is the feeling of the air…” He began to laugh. “Soon… I can feel there’s something… Something I’m moving toward. Regardless…” Three spikes grew from his mask, on in the center and two flanking it. They almost seemed to form a crown. “… I know one thing. I will continue to become more powerful. When next we meet, I will be unstoppable.”

> It's All In The Mind
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	With Grimoire scheduled to be out for the next 45 minutes, Sunset decided to walk around the house for a while. Within a few minutes, she came to two realizations: 1) the house was very large and 2) she was lost. As she tried to make her way back to the entryway, she just got turned around again. How could I get lost? The house is only three floors tall, how did I get turned around?

She stopped to try to get her bearings again. She found herself in a hallway with rooms all along each side. Each of the rooms’ doors had two symbols on them, a lightning bolt overtop a shield and another etching that differed with each room. Perhaps she could use this to find her way back… She walked slowly, observing the symbols beneath the lightning shields, for lack of a better term. There was a number of symbols: a single music note, a book, crossed swords, and a sun. This last symbol caught Sunset’s attention as it resembled the symbol of the Equestrian Royal Guard.

There’s no way… The very thought of Flash being a royal guard was preposterous to Sunset.

After nearly an hour, she finally found the room where Grimoire was resting. Back in familiar territory and not wanting to have a repeat of the last half hour, she leaned on the wall outside the room. Her eyes wandered around the hall and found a multitude of pictures hanging on the wall. In the upper left seemed to be a post-wedding picture, likely Flash’s parents. From there, pictures spread with, what appeared to be, each major event. Sunset’s attention rested on a picture of the three brothers as children. Flash had a toothy grin across his face, Grey was turned slightly, as if he was trying to avoid the photo, and Bastian had a simple smile as he pulled his brothers close for the photo.

“Is there a reason you’re standing out here?”

Sunset turned to find Bastian standing in the hall. “Just waiting for Grimoire to wake up.”

“So, is this… Grimoire… my brother’s replacement?”

“What?! No! He’s an old friend.”

“You sure? Seems like an odd reaction for my question.”

“I’m sure.”

“Whatever. Though, I have to ask, which of you broke off your relationship?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Because, depending on the answer, it either means you tossed him aside or he came to his senses.”

Sunset took a deep breath. “Look, I get that you don’t like me because of who I used to be, but I’ve changed. I’m not that person anymore.”

“Perhaps. But that doesn’t matter. You used my brother and I won’t forgive you for that. Not everything gets solved nicely after you say ‘sorry.’ There are still wounds. Broken trust. To be fair, I never liked you before. But after that, I hated you.”

“Wait. Hated? Why the past tense?”

“Because I don’t hate you. I still don’t like you and, if given the choice, you would out of here so fast your head would spin. However, I made a promise to Flash to be civil, so you can stay.”

“I’m almost concerned to find out what you would do if you hated me…”

“It’s likely best you don’t know.” The fact that he said that as if it was the most common thing in the world was seriously concerning.

“Okay…” Sunset turned back to the pictures. “If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to ask a question.”

“I have to be civil. That doesn’t mean I need to answer a question. Go ask Flash.” Bastian walked passed her and out the front door at the end of the hall.

“Well… you’re just a ray of sunshine, aren’t you?”

“Actually,” Flash was apparently in a nearby room and walked out after Bastian left, “that’s my job.”

“What?”

“It’s an old family joke.”

Sunset rolled her eyes with a smile, leaning back against the wall.

Flash scratched the back of his head nervously. “So… how have you been?”

“I… guess I’ve been okay. Recent events notwithstanding.”

“What did happen, anyway?”

“I’m not entirely sure, honestly. Some crazy Equestrian creature attacked us, but we don’t really know what it was. I’m not even sure if it was really Equestrian or just some crazy magic creature.”

“Yeesh… Well… I…” Flash sighed. “I’ve got nothing.”

“Huh?”

“All this magic stuff… I don’t really know what to say or do when it comes up. I’d like to help somehow, but I really can’t.”

“It’s okay. Honestly, I don’t really know how we deal with it. Constantly changing, popping up out of nowhere…”

Flash gave a quick chuckle. “It’s worked for you so far.”

“Maybe…”

After a moment of silence, Flash sighed. “Well… I’ll leave you to it. Good luck with this magic stuff.”

“Thanks.” As she watched him walk back into the house, she couldn’t help but feel kind of bad for him; for everyone at the school, really. They ended up caught in the middle of these magic events and there’s nothing they can do.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice behind her. “Aw… are we regretting the one that got away?” Grimoire was up, about, and already messing with Sunset.

Sunset blushed slightly but kept eye contact. “About time you woke up.”

“I woke up exactly when I said I would. Now, it’s time to train.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask about that. How are we supposed to train my power, anyway?”

“Simple. Since I doubt you want a repeat of your last visit to my mind…”

Sunset shuddered at the memory of the nightmare.

“… I’ll train you to defend your mind. That way, you’ll know how others will try to defend themselves and you can go on the offensive if needed.”

“Okay, but that doesn’t really answer my question.”

“It doesn’t?”

“I asked ‘how’ we would train. Not what you’ll teach me.”

“Poor naïve Sunset. Think about it. What, in my opinion, is the best way to learn?”

“Through… experience.”

“Bingo. I’m going to attack your mind and you will try to stop me.”

“This won’t end well…”

“I’ll certainly have fun.”

After getting directions from Flash, the two made their way to a relatively empty room. Grimoire moved toward the center and sat on the floor. When Sunset sat opposite him, he began.

“Now… Are you ready?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“If you want to undermine the training.”

Sunset sighed. “Let’s go…”

“Good to hear.”

Sunset watched as Grimoire’s magic surged and formed his pony tail and ears. His eyes filled with magic energy. The light and shadows in the room seemed to distort. In seconds, Sunset found herself in a sort-of black void. She tried to move around, but couldn’t tell which way was up. Eventually, she found her bearings and floated forward as she searched for something in the void.

She found Grimoire leaning on a door with her cutie mark on it. He waved once he saw her approaching. “Yo.”

“What’s with this place?”

“I figured this might happen. You see, this isn’t quite your consciousness. That’s behind the door. The void is a sort of staging ground. This is the kind of place I set the nightmare trap in my own mind.”

“So, why am I out here?”

“Who knows… but that doesn’t matter. You’d best get to defending your mind.” Grimoire opened the door and walked through into Sunset’s mind.

After half an hour, Sunset and Grimoire returned to reality in the room. Sunset took a deep breath and leaned backward, holding herself up with her arms. Apparently, defending her mind was physically draining. She looked over to Grimoire and found him holding a small notebook. “What’s that?”

“My findings.”

“Findings?”

“Yep. As I search your mind I’ll be recording everything I find. It allows me to track your progress and doubles as incentive to stop me.”

Sunset couldn’t help but be concerned with the possibilities. “You can’t be serious.”

As if to prove his point, Grimoire flipped a page, “During your training with Celestia, you decided to research the Dark Magic you felt the portal mirror possessed. Ultimately finding nothing, you jumped through when given the opportunity.”

Sunset knew that he was already aware of the story. The question was, why bring it up? It hardly proves anything.

“And the moment you tried to walk on two legs, you fell flat on your face. Attempting to stand again, you fell backward on to the corner of the statue around the portal.”

Now Sunset was concerned. No one else had been around when that happened. She knew the only way he found that out was in her mind. “Why do I have the feeling I’m not going to enjoy this training…”

“Likely because I will be extracting more information until you finally learn to stop me. Now, let’s get back to work.”

Six more dives and six embarrassing stories later, Sunset was finally able to limit what he could learn from her mind. She felt like she had really accomplished something. Real progress! Then… he pulled out his book again. Sunset sighed in defeat. She knew that meant he got something again.

Grimoire looked over the pages a moment before responding, “Impressive.”

“What?”

“You were never going to be able to stop me from finding something. However, you did keep me from the deeper information I tried to dig for. If you could stop me from getting to what I want, you can stand against any mental attacks.” He stood and offered his hand to help her up.

Sunset smiled and let out a quick chuckle as she stood. “You weren’t going easy on me, right?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it. Speaking of,” Grimoire handed her a small piece of paper, “make sure your ‘ex’ gets this, would you?”

As she takes the paper, she raised an eyebrow, “Why the emphasis on ex?”

“That’s not for me to detail. Let’s get the others and move out. This was a temporary arrangement, anyway…”

\/

The creature moved silently, the sun sinking into the horizon. His new found mental state and power gave him a better understanding of his being. He knew he was proficient with Dark Magic, but he couldn’t remember why he is so knowledgeable of the ability. He also recognized that he was still too tall. He felt, off balance. The upper half of the mask still plagued him, his skin beneath burning.

He growled, “I must have that power. I must be rid of this mask. But, first, I have to find them. Then… there’s the boy…” No. That’s not quite right… What is he? His Dark power is too far beyond his years. That one cannot be human. Perhaps… Equestrian? The creature knew the word, but he couldn’t recognize the meaning. What was Equestrian? Why did he know that phrase? Questions that will be answered with more power!

The creature stalked through the underbrush. He could feel the feint presence of magic. He approached a large, three story house. He looked over the compound. The magic is gone… They were here. Where did they go? I know I can sense them… so why can I not tell where they’ve gone? Wait… The creature looked to the forest around him. They could hide their magic, but forest beasts they were not. They left a trail.

“I’ll find you soon. It’s only a matter of time.” He laughed as more of his mask fell away in chips. Soon…

> Obligatory Star Wars Reference
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The creature followed their tracks through the brush. He could feel the magic in the forest. He was getting closer. It was only a matter of time before he reached those that kept him from his power… nay, his destiny. He approached a small clearing and found something he hadn’t expected. The boy.

Grimoire was leaning against a tree as the creature approached. “Hey, big guy. Nice to see you again.”

The creature laughed, his deep bass of a voice had raised to a low baritone. “So, the young man stays behind to delay my advance to the magic.”

“Something like that…”

“Then I suppose I have to get passed you to reach them.”

“That’s the idea.”

“This actually works in my favor.”

“Oh?”

“I’ve been learning more about my power. My magic disrupting skill only works on Light magic. Your Dark magic caught me by surprise last time, but not again.”

“You sure? I’m told I’m full of surprises.”

“Soon, all you’ll be full of is broken bones and holes.”

“Nice line. Bet I could do better.”

The creature swung a fist and obliterated the tree trunk where Grimoire was standing. The insufferable Dark Mage had dodged the attack at the last second.

“You’re supposed to hug the tree. Not punch it.”

“You’re getting on my nerves, you insufferable brat!”

As Grimoire dodged another attack, he responded, “59.”

“What? That hell are you going on about?” As the creature tried to fight, Grimoire just kept dodging each swing or magic beam.

“35.”

“Take this seriously!”

“130!”

“I will kill you!” Another miss.

“6.”

“Alright, what the hell! Explain yourself!”

“297. Well, no matter where I go, I’m met with certain phrases. I started to keep a mental list of specific phrases or fun.”

“That’s absolutely ridiculous.”

“92.”

“Stop that!” The creature unleashed a massive burst of magic, tripling the radius of the clearing.

Grimoire stood within a magic dome, unharmed. “500! Congratulations! We have a winner!”

“Do you think this is some game?!”

“First: 36. Second: hardly! If this were a game, I’d be having fun.”

The creature’s anger was reaching a boiling point. “Enough! I’ve had it with your insufferable quips and annoying demeanor!”

“Oh wow! It took this long? I’m off my game.”

The creature was about to let his anger loose when he caught himself. The creature took a deep breath, “No…”

“Hmm?”

“No. I will not let my anger consume me. That’s your goal. If I fight you in anger, I might as well be fighting you blind.”

“Careful. It’s learning.”

The creature growled, “Your little distraction won’t stop… me…” The creature arrived at a realization. “This… was…”

“IT’S A TRAP!”

The creature began to shake with rage, “You…!”

“Me!”

“This… this was a distraction! You left that trail on purpose to bring me here!”

“Yep. The others are long gone.”

The creature finally let its anger out. The creature’s eyes began to glow a deep, blood red as he charged forward. He broke Grimoire’s barrier and held him up by that smug Mage’s neck.

“What’s wrong? Can’t take a joke?”

“I’ve had enough of you and your jokes! Now, you’ll tell me where those brats ran off to!”

“You could try asking nicely.”

“Or, I could drag it out of your mind.” The red glow spread to Grimoire as the creature entered the Mage’s mind.

Grimoire smiled as the creature entered his thoughts.

\/

The creature found itself in a field. It felt familiar… but why? The creature moved across the empty space. Looking around as he walked, the creature’s frustration was growing. This wasn’t the mindscape of the Mage. This was something else…

The creature’s thoughts were cut off by a loud roar. A familiar roar. A large beast landed before the creature. A large, grey dragon with horns that curved around his jaw, wearing battle armor, and standing twice the creature’s height. The dragon spoke with a powerful voice, “You are the best they could send?”

The creature backed away. He knew this dragon, but the name escaped him.

“Are you afraid, little one? I don’t blame you. There are few who would stand up to me, the mighty Torch.”

Torch? Wait! I know that name!

Torch let out a breath of fire that surrounded the creature, cutting off his escape, “Poor little weakling. You are not a warrior. You think you can fight me? Then, come on!”

The creature ran from any direct attacks from the dragon. Something told him he had to evade the dragon. This feeling in his gut… could this be… fear? But why was he afraid?

“Enough running, coward! Fight me! Hit me, you pansy!”

The creature’s anger had overridden his fear. He stood and let loose a magic blast, only to have nothing happen. He tried to use another magic attack to no avail. His strength was gone. His magic was gone. He was powerless.

“That’s just sad.” Torch smacked the creature to the ground. “You have to realize something. I am bigger than you, more powerful than you. As a result, I will always beat you. Perhaps, if you had any real power, you might actually be a challenge. Maybe, they’ll send more if I let you go back and ask for help. But I have a reputation. I’m sure you understand.” Torch inhaled before letting out a torrent of flames, burning the creature to a crisp.

\/

The creature flinched and dropped Grimoire as the nightmare broke the creature’s concentration. “What the… what the hell?”

Grimoire stood up and smiled. “What’s wrong? You scared?”

“I fear nothing.”

“I know a dragon that would beg to differ.”

“I will end you…”

Grimoire’s smile spread to a grin, “You can try. But I wonder if you really want to.”

“What?”

“Thanks to your little experience in my spell, I know what you are. I know where you get your power, why you’re so obsessed with it, and why you wear that mask.”

The creature froze. He had to know why. So many questions… “What… do you want?”

“Pardon?”

“What do I have to give you to get that information?”

Grimoire started to laugh.

“What’s so funny?!”

“Oh! You’re serious? Huh…” Grimoire’s laughter just got louder, more boisterous. “This is rich! You must be desperate to find out just what you were.”

“Were?”

“Oops. I’ve said too much. Call it a free sample. I will say this, though… Give up on finding out. You don’t want the answer.”

“I’m fairly certain I want the answer.”

“X equals 2 over pi.”

“I’m not joking.”

“I know. I, however, am.”

The creature growled. I could just torture him for the information. But if I’m not careful, I might kill him before he tells me what I want to know…

“What’s wrong? What happened to that fire?”

The creature shook as his rage began to build again. His mask continued to crack and reveal more of his face, piece by piece. His face continued to burn. Why did it burn? Why did he react to the fire? But, the creature held himself back, for now…

Grimoire continued to chuckle to himself. “You mad?”

“Volatile…”

“That’s good. That means I’m back in the game.”

“I should kill you right now.”

“Should… should not… The real question is can you kill me?”

“You are hardly immortal.”

“No, I’m not. Doesn’t really matter though. I’ve done my part.”

“What?”

“You have no idea how many times I’ve heard that… Anyway, we’ve been at this for a while now and I think it’s best to take a break for now. Besides, it’s not my place to end this fight. I’m just the reconnaissance.” Grimoire’s eyes began to glow a feint red as he unleashed his Dark power. “The honor of ending you goes to another. Until next time…” Grimoire vanished into the shadows.

\/

The main seven had escaped to the school thanks to Grimoire’s distraction and a lift from the Sentry siblings. Now alone in the practice room, they waited for Grimoire’s return.

“Now what?” Rainbow sat on the piano.

“We wait.” Sunset kept an eye out for any movement. If that thing showed up again, she wanted to be ready for it.

“Come on! We’ve been getting even more awesome with our powers. We can fight that thing.”

“You could, but it’s a bad idea.” Grimoire rose from a shadow in the middle of the room. “That thing hasn’t exactly been slouching. It’s gotten stronger.”

“Son of a… Then what are we supposed to do?”

“The seven of you can beat him, but it won’t be easy.”

“You have an idea?” Sunset folded her arms.

“If you gave Flash that paper, then yes.”

“What was so important about that paper, anyway?”

“Nothing, really. Just a part of an idea… If it works, our job gets easier. If not, nothing changes.”

“You’re not going to tell us what the idea is, are you?”

“Nope. Maybe later, but not now.”

“Is there anything you are willing to share?”

“There is one thing. I was able to get more information on the creature.”

“And?”

“He can’t die, can’t be reasoned with, and can’t be reformed.”

“How did you figure this out?”

“He tried to enter my mind…”

Sunset shuddered as she remembered the trap she fell into trying to enter his mind.

“…got himself caught in my trap, and I returned the favor.”

Rainbow jumped down from the piano, “Then how do we deal with that thing?”

Grimoire spoke with a constant grin, “In a way, we can’t. There’s nothing we can do.”

“That’s not comforting.”

“But it’s true. For now, let’s get some sleep.”

“In the school?”

“You got a better place?”

“No…”

“Think of it like a sleep over… at school. My thought process got lost there… Whatever… the Princess told me that there’s a loft in the library that should work.”

With that, the group made their way to the library for some much-needed rest.

\/

As the moon began to peak in the sky, the creature roared in anger. He had searched everywhere in the area and found no trace of magic, no trace of the mage, and no sign of where those brats could have run off to! The Mage played him for a fool! He would not make the same mistake again. The Mage will be the first to die. But the old problem appeared again. They must be found, first. Where would they have gone? Where would they hide?

“I must find them… Think! Where would they go?!”

“Have you tried the school?”

“What?! Who’s there?!”

“Wow… talking to yourself in a forest? How far gone are you?”

“That voice… the Mage!”

“Hello!”

“What is this!?!”

“One of my favorites; The Dark Whispers. I planted the spell in your mind during our exchange. It allows me to project a voice into your thoughts, mess with you a bit.”

“You mentioned the school… why?”

“Why do you think, hotshot? Though, if you want that power, you’ll have to wait until morning.”

“Fine. Tomorrow morning… I will have their power and my answers.”

"Sounds like a plan, Champ. Good luck. You'll need it.

> Endgame
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Grimoire woke with the sunrise. He made his way to a window and looked out over the area. This is it… One way or the other… this hunt ends. He smiles to himself. Of course, I’m more than ready for him. But I have to wonder, how will they react to seeing the truth...

\/

The creature made its way to the school. “I will kill them all…”

“Hey, there’s no need for that.” The Dark Whispers from Grimoire continued to plague his mind, “You don’t need to kill them to take the magic.”

“I know. I don’t need to… I want to kill them. I want the Mage dead for humiliating me and the others dead for association.”

“You’ve got a hell of an anger problem, you know that?”

“Hardly. It’s not a problem if I use it to my advantage.”

“Hmm… true. Well, we’ll see who wins today’s little fight.”

“You make it sound like this is just some game.”

“Maybe it is… Who’s to say…”

“I hate you.”

“Hate is a strong word…”

“But not inaccurate.”

“Good to know. You ready?”

The creature smiled at the thought of pounding those little twerps into the ground and burying them in the crater. “More than you can imagine.” The creature had to admit one thing, though. He wasn’t going to kill them so soon. He saw their bonds. He was going to use that against them. He wants them to suffer.

\/

Sunset woke up with a sore shoulder and a crick in her neck, a side effect of sleeping on books. She stood and stretched, trying to loosen up her muscles. She looked at the clock; 6:34. This was not the ideal Sunday, but it was what she and her friends had to deal with. She looked to the others and found that Grimoire was nowhere in sight. “Where did he go?”

She began her search around the library. After finding nothing, she moved to the immediate rooms, ready to run back if something happened. In the end, she couldn’t find any sign of him. When she returned to the library, even his place the night before showed no sign he was ever there.

“What on Earth?”

The sound of a small explosion outside interrupted her thoughts. What grabbed her attention, however, was the voice that followed, “Get out here! Bring me your magic gems!”

This roused the others from there sleep and into a mini panic before gathering themselves. They ran outside to find the creature standing before them. His mask was halved, revealing his jaw. The antlers were gone and his leather and fur formed into rudimentary armor. He stood at 6’9” and his eyes burned with a blood lust accented by the red glow of his magic.

The creature stood before them with crossed arms. “Did you really think you could escape me?”

Sunset stood in front of the group, “Maybe. You haven’t exactly proven difficult to outsmart.” She was bluffing. She knew this thing was dangerous, and Grimoire’s not-so-pep-talk didn’t help.

“We’re not afraid of you, you freak!” Rainbow challenged, with the support of the others.

The creature tilted his head to the side slightly, “Then you intend to fight me rather than surrender your magic?”

“You’re darn right!” Apple Jack raised her fists, soon followed by the others getting ready for the fight.

The creature took a deep breath before smiling, “Good… I was starting to think your fear would drive you to run again. But… I know fighting all of you will be a problem. So…”

The area filled with a red light and the group seemed to freeze in place.

“What’s going on!?!” Rainbow tried to move with her super speed, but she couldn’t move a muscle. The others all met a similar result.

The creature laughed. “I’ve learned from last time. I’ll deal with you all one at a time. So… who’s first?”

“Mind if I cut in.” Grimoire rose from the shadows with arms crossed. His usual smile was gone; this was serious.

“Not at all… You see, I was hoping you would be first. I can’t seem to get you out of my head…”

“I’m touched. To think I made such an impression...”

“You joke as death awaits you… I suppose I can respect that. But it doesn’t matter.” The creature raised his hand and a blast of magic shot out.

Grimoire dodged as the blast landed on the ground at his feet. “The Nightmare Requiem? You need to learn some new tricks.”

“Why bother, when the classics never fail.” The creature had charged forward and landed a magic fueled punch to Grimoire’s gut.

Grimoire shook as the impact forced the breath from his lungs and the magic did serious damage to his organs. “Damn it…”

The creature smiled. “It’ll be hard to miss from here.”

“Miss?”

A burst of magic energy shot out from the creature’s hand and ran riot on Grimoire as it sent him flying upward. “Was that a good ‘new trick’?”

Grimoire could feel his nerves burning and his magic starting to lose balance. He was in an unimaginable amount of pain. When he fell back to the ground, he trembled in a state of shock. “How did…”

“I learned. I got better. If the same tricks don’t work twice, you spin them into something new. Right?!”

Grimoire, despite his pain, smiled. “Yeah… that’s right.”

“I’m glad we finally agree on something. But, I’m afraid I still need to make sure you can’t stop me once the spell wares off.”

“Alright, big guy. You going to kill me?”

“No. I know I can’t kill a master of Dark magic. However, I can make sure you can’t cast your little spells.” The creature placed his foot on Grimoire’s left arm and applied pressure until a sickening snap. As Grimoire yelled in pain, the creature broke his other arm as well as Grimoire’s legs. “Now, just sit there and watch. They’ll all die, and you won’t be able to stop me.”

“D-damn it… I won’t…”

“You don’t have a choice. Now,” the creature turned to the others, “who’s next.” He looked over the others, stopping at Sunset. “I remember… you being close to the Mage… You’ll die first.”

Sunset prepared for the strike, but found her limbs freed. “What?”

“I decided to let you all fight on your respective turns. But the result will be the same. You will all die.”

Sunset looked over to Grimoire, lying on the ground broken. She was angry, but she also scared. That thing was a monster. She wasn’t sure what she could do with the power she had, but she wasn’t about to back down.

\/

Back at the Sentry Residence, Flash looked over the paper Sunset had given him from that Grimoire guy. [Rip this paper in half at 7:00 AM on Sunday. Do not be late! This is important and may save a life.] He wasn’t sure what to make of it, but that wasn’t a new concept. He didn’t really understand all this magic stuff, so he had to act on faith for this stuff. He turned to his alarm clock. 6:46.

\/

Sunset ran to the side as a small explosion of magic destroyed the ground she was standing on before. She tried to keep her distance, but it proved difficult when your opponent can teleport. She ducked each swing and dodged each blast, but it was clear he was toying with her. There had to be something she could do.

“Are you scared?” The creature appeared in front of her again. “I’m beginning to tire of this. Fight back!”

Sunset ducked another swing. Damn it! What can I do? I could try to attack his mind, but he’s more experienced… He’d run circles around me… As she dodged another blast, she looked back to her still frozen friends. I have to try. She dove passed another swing, this time grabbing on to his arm and using it to jump onto his back.

“Tell hell are you…?!”

She activated her power and dove into his memories. There had to be a way to beat him! After a moment, she was thrown off the creature and landed rather gracelessly. She saw into his mind, but only found a jumble of ideas; like his mind was an incomplete puzzle.

The creature growled. “Trying to use my memories against me won’t work. But it doesn’t matter now. I know what you’re capable of and the same trick won’t work again.”

Sunset clenched her fist. She had to do something.

“Mark this hour, brat. 6:59, the hour of your death!”

Sunset rose to her feet, lashing out with a punch. I have to stop him!

\/

7:00. Flash ripped the paper in half. He wasn’t sure what it would do, but he just hoped it helped them somehow.

\/

The creature smiled. The first death has come and she dies on her feet! His mind stopped. A strange feeling washed over him. His mask cracked and shattered. He remembered everything! The day he died to that damn dragon! His vow of vengeance! His life before his end! He remembered it all! But he still wanted those brats dead. Starting with this little… He froze. The reds and yellows… They seemed to be a flame. A burning reminder of that day. His fear overcame him, allowing Sunset to land her punch to his core. For some reason, it burned. He stepped back and held a hand to his chest. He watched in horror as his wound became ashes. His flesh began to fall away and his bones dissipated. He let out one more roar before the ash met his mouth. Within minutes, there was nothing left of the creature’s body, his magic dispersing into the air.

\/

Sunset watched as the creature that plagued them for days became a pile of ash. She looked down at her fist. There was no way she did that on her own. But she didn’t have long to think about it as her friends tackled her in a group hug. The group laughed as they were finally safe. Sunset looked over to Grimoire and ran over, followed closely by the others.

Grimoire let out a pained groan as he looked up to Sunset. “Not bad, Sunshine.”

“Stop talking. We need to get you to a hospital. You have several broken bones…”

“So, it seems. I should really fix that. Can one of you lend a shadow?”

The group was confused as what this meant, but Twilight moved to put her shadow over Grimoire.

Said Mage smiled and seemed to fall into Twilight’s shadow. After a moment, he climbed back out, no worse for ware and leaving the others in shock. “There we go.”

“How did you…?”

“Not even going to bother keeping track of that one… By merging my body with a shadow, I lose all bodily injuries since my body is basically gone. I, then, reform my body to my usual state. It helps with broken bones, burns… basically any physical injury. Still kind of hurts though.”

Sunset sighed in relief. But there was something she needed to know. “That thing turning into ash… That was you, wasn’t it?”

“Nope. That was going to happen when he got his full power anyway.”

“What?”

Grimoire walked over to the pile of ash and reached into the remains of the creature. From the ash, he removed a small book. After dusting it off, he walked back and showed the others. “This is his story.”

“You… can’t be serious.”

“Rarely, but this is one of those times. This is a Last Memoire, a Dark magic skill anyone could use. It allows the user one last attempt to avenge their death. However, as a side effect, once they have their vengeance or become too powerful, the spell breaks down and the body created by the magic follows suit. If he had absorbed your gems, he would have destroyed himself.”

“Wait, if he was after revenge, why gather magic? Why come after us?”

“Because his killer was a dragon in Equestria known as Torch. He can’t get his revenge here and Torch is very powerful, so the body tried to gather magic to fight back.”

Fluttershy thought about the situation, “So, if we gave it the gems, it would just disappear and we could get them back?”

Grimoire shook his head, “Not quite.” He opened the book and showed several pages with pictures of pendants. “The items absorbed into the body are recorded, integrated, and dissolved. The relics are lost to history now… But that doesn’t matter! We’re alive and that thing is gone. We can go about our lives now. I kind of want to try shawarma… Don’t know why.”

\/

It’s been three days since the creature was defeated and the day for Grimoire’s return to Equestria. He packed away his tent and equipment the night before. He took a deep breath and looked to the portal. He smiled as he thought about everything that happened. Despite everything, he had fun. But now, it was time to go home. Maybe one day he’ll come back for a visit… Who knows?

> Bonus: A Dazzling Reunion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Grimoire sat in his tent looking through a book he purchased in this world. It was a collection of stories known as ‘myths,’ ancient tales to explain the world when civilizations were young. There was a tale of a prince who murdered his father for treasure, only for it to twist his mind and turn him into a dragon. A story of siblings cursed by gods to pull the Sun and Moon through the skies for their arrogance. A tale of a trickster, constantly messing with the other beings. So many wonderful and interesting stories all wrapped in one package. Grimoire found the mythology fascinating for its parallels to Equestria. He couldn’t help but smile at them. Granted, so far, he had only completed the first section (labelled Norse). The next section was from another realm (Greco-Roman). The same planet, but it felt so different. He had reached the stories of the sirens when someone approached his tent.

He closed his book and made for the tent’s entrance. Waiting for him were three familiar faces, the Dazzlings. He smiled, “Welcome. I’d say I’ve been expecting you, but that would be untrue. I legitimately did not know if you would actually come.”

“Cut the small talk.” Adagio responded. Her stance showing clear displeasure. “We’re here to get our singing voices back.”

“Quite… But if you let me finish, you’d know the materials aren’t ready and will take a while to prepare. And you three better be absolutely sure about this. I’m not wasting materials, understand?”

Aria folded her arms and just gave a dismissive, “Whatever.”

Sonata smiled and rocked back and forth on her heels.

Adagio’s was clearly the final word, “Trust me, we want our voices back.”

Grimoire folded his arms and smiled. “Alright. But it’ll cost you.”

Adagio glared at the Mage. “And what is it you want?”

“Right to the point. I can appreciate that. You see, I’ve been rather bored since last Sunday. I’ve done my fair share of reading, and that’s always fun; but I still need some variety. Are following me so far, Dagi?”

Adagio remained composed but was clearly angry, “I told you not to call me that.”

“I know, and I don’t care… Dagi~.”

As Adagio’s anger grew, her companions couldn’t help but laugh. It was the first time someone really got under Adagio’s skin. Sure, she was mad about losing the Battle of the Bands, but she moved on surprisingly quickly. This guy just knew how to push her buttons. “Get to the point!”

“Now?” The Mage smiled.

“NOW!”

“Pushy… fine. While we wait, you three are going to play a game with me.”

The three froze for a moment. Adagio blinked twice, as if to register what she heard, “A… game?”

“Yep! That shouldn’t be too hard, right?”

“What kind of game are we talking about here?”

“I variation of a game called Nightmare. My own version. Shall we? Not much else to do while the stuff gets ready.” Grimoire walked into the tent.

Adagio groaned. She didn’t come here to play a damn board game. To be fair, he could have asked them for anything and they probably would have paid, desperate for their voices’ return. It could be worse… She sighed and nodded to Aria and Sonata, signaling that they were to enter the tent.

As they entered, they found themselves outside in a field with light grey grass and leaf-less trees. The dark pink sky was accented by green clouds and a black sun. The sirens stood there in surprise. Despite their experience with magic, they had never seen anything like this before. Stranger still, they found Grimoire sitting atop a gravestone singing to himself.

You didn’t know that you fell. Oh-woah-oh! Oh-woah-oh! Now that you’re under my spell.

It was hard not to recognize their own material. But how did he learn the song?

He bent backward and looked toward them upside-down. “Hello! Welcome to the game.” He leaned further and flipped himself upright as the headstone sunk into the ground. “Shall we play a game?”

Sonata raised her fist into the air, “Yeah!”

The other two were less enthusiastic.

“The rules are simple. Draw a card and follow the directions. Chance cards are earned based on other cards and can be played at anytime once you have one. First one to the goal of thirty spaces wins.”

“That’s it? That hardly seems hard.” Aria griped.

“Never said it was hard. But there is a strategy. As for that being ‘it,’ I propose a reward.”

This got the sirens’ attention. “What kind of reward?”

“I can’t offer too much. How about one request within my power to fulfill to the winner. You could have anything, really… Enough gold to never have to work again, the power to reign over the music world, or unlimited tacos… whatever.”

This prospect caught the sirens’ attention. After all, how could you pass up a free wish?

“However, keep in mind that are somethings I either cannot or will not do. With that out of the way, let’s play.” The stones rose up from the ground, forming the board. “I’ll go first as an example. You three need to decide your turn order.”

After some finagling, the turn order was established: Grimoire Adagio, Aria, and Sonata was last.

Grimoire stretched out his arm and a card appeared in his hand. [Things are kicking off now. Move ahead three spaces and take a chance card.] He smiled and moved along the stones and taking a chance card on site. He sighed in relief as his luck seemed to improve since the last game. “Your turn Dagi.”

“Don’t call me that.” She mimicked his motions and received a card. [First that bearded jerk, now those damn brats… You may have lost, but there’s no time to mope. Move ahead three spaces.] She moved next to Grimoire.

Grimoire smiled as she approached, “Welcome to space 3, Dagi.”

“Shut it.”

Now it was Aria’s turn. [This isn’t the worst card you could have drawn… move ahead four spaces.] She moved ahead of the two and smiled to herself. It felt nice to be ahead of Adagio for once.

“My turn!” Sonata drew her card, [It’s too nice a day not to enjoy! Take two spaces and a chance card.]

Grimoire took his movement card; but, before he read it, he played his chance card, {If you’re sharing the space with another player, they are effected by your next movement card, but have to lose a turn as a result.} “So, shall we, Dagi?”

“Shut up and read the damn card.” She was seriously mad, but was learning that she couldn’t really stop him.

“A logical fallacy, but that’s not important.” [Life plays the song. We make the dance. Dance forward four spaces to the beat of life.] “hmm… Quite the card.”

“Whatever…” Adagio tried to move forward, but hit a barrier. “What the hell?!”

“A barrier that stops the players from cheating. Can’t be too careful.”

“It said I moved based on your damn card! So, I’ll repeat; what the hell?!”

“Read the card again. ‘Dance’ forward.” He held his hand out toward her.

“You cannot be serious!”

“Rarely am. Now,” He took her hand and pulled her in, “shut up and dance with me.” Adagio was going to spit some more venom, but he beat her to the punch and started a simple waltz step. He led her forward four spaces and finished the dance with a dip. He returned her to a standing position and bowed to his partner. “Until next time, Dagi.”

With a skipped turn for Adagio, Aria drew her next card. [Background Siren, my ass! As if anyone could ignore you. Move ahead six spaces to show them who’s boss! But lose a turn as a result.] “Whatever.”

Now it was Sonata’s turn. [IT’S TACO TUESDAY! Run ahead ten spaces, take a chance card, and lose your next turn to enjoy the delicious tacos.] “Yeah!” Sonata rushed forward and actually had some tacos waiting on a table for her by the space.

“Wait!” Aria turned toward Grimoire, “Where the hell did those come from?!”

“Simple. If the card says it, it happens. That’s how the game works. That’s why Adagio and I had to dance forward and how Sonata got her tacos. It’s a new feature to make it more fun. Speaking of…” He reaches out and grabs a card. [Choice! You can either move ahead five spaces and take a chance card or move one space and take two.] “Not bad. I think I’ll take it easy this time.” He moved forward one space and received two chance cards.

Now it was Adagio’s turn again. [No one should stand in your way. If they were smart, they would keep their distance. Move ahead four spaces and any player you pass moves back one space.] Adagio smiled and moved her spaces, reveling in the fact that Aria and Grimoire were forced back a space in the process.

With Aria and Sonata out for the turn, it was Grimoire’s turn again. [That’s not very nice. But it is a competition… Move ahead four spaces. If you pass a player, they must either give you a chance card or lose a turn.]

“What?!” Aria and Adagio didn’t have chance cards, so they had to sit out the round.

This meant it was Sonata’s turn, who escaped the wrath of Grimoire’s card by one space. [Are you in first? If you are, move ahead two spaces. If not, move five.] She could only move two spaces, but she was still having fun.

Grimoire smirked. He knew Aria was getting mad at the game, but she didn’t want to risk losing. Adagio seemed to have calmed down a little since the game started. She still didn’t like him, but that was never really a goal. He was having fun, and it was clear that they were too. He drew his card for the next turn. [Playing with fire… aren’t you? It’s risky, and so is this card. It’s a simple flip of the coin. Heads: move ahead five spaces. Tails: don’t move, but get a chance card.] “Oh… this should be interesting.” A coin materializes and flies into the air. It lands heads up and Grimoire moves forward.

Finally, it was Adagio’s turn again. [It’s good to be the best. Move ahead three spaces and grab a chance card.] When she picked up the card, she was a little surprised. {Play immediately! The Siren’s song is irresistible. Every player ahead of you moves back to your position.}

Grimoire walked back and stood next to Adagio as Sonata rocked back and forth on her heels on the same spot.

Aria groaned. She was too far behind for her tastes. She drew her card, hoping for a serious boost. [Can’t win them all… move ahead two spaces and take a chance card.] She wasn’t happy that she was still behind the others. She drew her chance card and was met with an immediate activation. {Activate immediately! They are absolutely the worst! If you’re in last place, switch places with the first-place player. If not, move an extra space or something…} Aria was more than happy to get this card. Since those three were all on the same spot, they were all in first place. So, she took their spot, and they were forced backward.

Unfortunately, it was short lived when Sonata drew her card. [You and your peppy attitude… I can’t be mean to that face… take seven spaces.] “Yey!” If that wasn’t enough, all these chance card plays reminded her she had some. {Taco boost! Move ahead an extra three spaces.} This put Sonata at space 21 and only 9 from the goal. With the others still behind the half-way mark, it seemed locked up for Sonata.

“My turn.” Grimoire drew his card, [Let’s kick things off for real. Move ahead five spaces, take two chance cards, and play one now. If, after this, you are in first place, lose two turns.] He smiled as he marched forward his five spaces and grabbed his chance cards. After looking over his options, he picked the card he was to play, {You’re just a big softy sometimes. The player in last place moves forward to your position.} When Adagio reached his space and the effects of his movement card were complete, he played another chance card. {You’ve been inconspicuous for long enough. Drop this chance and replace it with two new cards.}

Now, Adagio drew her next card. [A little magic goes a long way. Move ahead three spaces.] This put her two spaces behind Sonata.

Being in last place again made Aria mad, but it was more from her competitiveness and the fact that the annoying, taco-obsessed airhead was in first. And if she won, she’d probably waste that wish on more tacos. She drew her movement card for the round, [Let’s kick things off! No more holding back! Move ahead ten spaces and take a chance card. Play it immediately, but lose your next turn.] When she reached space 24, she drew her chance card. {This should teach them not to get you mad. Choose one player and force them to lose a turn.} Her choice was obvious as she forced Sonata to take the round off.

Now it was Grimoire’s turn again. [Music fills the world, but you move to the harmony in your heart. Move forward four spaces.] Now at space 20, Grimoire chained two of his chance cards together. {Move forward an extra three spaces. Nice and simple.} and {‘Ten steps ahead’ is ten steps too slow. Move forward double your movement card value as long as it is less than five spaces.} This placed him on space 27. Even if he got that game ender from last time, he’d still win the game.

Adagio stepped up to the turn and drew a card. [A Siren doesn’t lose. If you’re not in first place, move five spaces. If you aren’t in first after this, take a chance card.] Being next to Aria at space 24 put her in second, so she took a card. {Play immediately! The Sun. The Moon. Breath of fire? Something is approaching. You have to wait until next turn for to arrive.} “What the hell?”

Aria lost her turn, so it was Sonata’s turn again. [It’s fun to spend time with friends! But winning is nice too. Move to the space of the first-place player.] She made her way next to Grimoire and smiled. “Hello!”

“Welcome to spot 27!” The two seemed to be enjoying themselves. But now it was Grimoire’s turn. [You got lucky this time. Next time you won’t be so lucky. Move two spaces.] “Well, that’s a blast from the past.” He stopped one space away from the goal. He could have played his last chance card, but he was too curious to their reactions to Adagio’s card.

Adagio’s turn began and the chance from the last turn activated. {Now you three have done it… Father is angry.}

Sonata tilted her head slightly, “Father?”

“There’s more,” Adagio continued. {Now, you must face your punishment. All players within three spaces of your current position are caught in the crossfire. All effected players are forced backward to the closest space from the list: 0, 5, 10, 15. Next time, don’t piss off Poppa Leviathan.} “Leviathan?”

Aria turned to Adagio. “Like the stories…”

They were cut off when a large, siren-like creature landed by the stones. Its eyes seemed to glow like the sun and moon. It was more beastly than their own siren forms, but for some reason, the presence was almost calming. Until he let out an angered roar, sending the sirens flying backward to space 15.

Grimoire smiled and played his las chance card as they gathered themselves. [When another chance card is activated, play this to move forward three spaces.] A little overboard, but perfectly acceptable. The victory went to Grimoire.

The group returned to Grimoire’s tent. Grimoire stretched his back with a smile. “That was fun! When I’m back in town, we should do this again.”

Aria didn’t want to admit it, but it was a little fun. Sonata smiled and nodded in agreement. Adagio, however, had something else on her mind. “What was thing at the end of the game?”

“You mean Leviathan? How did you not know about him?”

Aria tapped Adagio’s shoulder, “From the stories our moms used to tell us. The father of the Sirens…”

“Now,” Grimoire handed the three small pieces of paper. “These are special magic runes. Rip them in half and you’ll have your singing voices back. That’s all there is to it.”

The Sirens didn’t waste any time in ripping the papers to shreds. After a moment, they felt the magic surge around them. When they attempted to sing, they were met with a beautiful melody for the first time since the Battle of the Bands. The three celebrated the return of their voices and started to leave the tent.

The stopped outside when they were face to face with a tall man in a grey suit. His hair seemed to flow like the ocean. His right eye was a bright yellow and his left eye had a solid white iris with black sclera. The sirens weren’t sure who he was, but they just knew not to do anything stupid.

Grimoire followed them outside and saw the man before them. “Hey, Levi! We were just talking about you!”

The Dazzlings turned to Grimoire, hoping he was joking. They knew the stories of Leviathan’s anger with his daughters. They knew about his draconian punishments for the sirens who used their powers the way they had. The man stood silently for a moment, this made them feel on edge.

After a minute, he started slowly walking toward the Dazzlings. When he reached them, they closed their eyes, waiting for what would come. They’d prefer not to see it coming. He fell down onto one knee and wrapped his arms around the three, a tear falling down his cheek and a smile on his face.

Grimoire smiled as he watched the scene. A family reunited; or, at least, what’s left of it.