> Dissonance: A Hidden World
>  by Braininthejar
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: The End
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER 1: THE END

Obsidian's eyes flickered open. Something had changed. 

The burly earth pony rose from the stone floor where he had been sitting for an unknowable amount of time and pricked up his ears. There was nothing to hear but the wind, as usual. The ruined tower stood empty, the ever-shifting sky above it filling the dusty floors with soft light, the winds around it blowing white dust against the crumbling stone walls. 

The earth pony walked towards a window, shaking his head to get his greasy, black mane out of his eyes. Outside the white desert melted away into swirling nothingness. As always, there was nothing there. Nothing ever changed in the tower, not day and night, not the crumbling walls and old shelves. Everything was endlessly worn away, but never ready to collapse.

A moment passed, or perhaps an age. There was nothing to measure the time by and it wouldn’t matter even if there was. Obsidian turned around and stomped his hoof. With a swish, a length of carved wood flew from the far corner of the chamber, coming to a stop at the pony’s side; a long staff covered with intricate patterns, its dark wood matching the stallion’s coat. It hovered by his side as he left the chamber, trotting down the staircase, then another, picking his path through the maze of stairs that had overgrown the uninhabited parts of the building. There was precious little light there, but the stallion didn’t bother to conjure a light source. He knew every step of these paths by heart. Deeper and deeper he went, until finally the bizarre laws that defined the geometry of the tower had to relent; he reached the bottom level and came to a stop in front of a  solid, wooden door. As his staff flew forward, tapping on the wood, there was a spark of magic and the chamber opened. Obsidian walked down the last few steps and finally reached his destination.

The chamber was round, its walls lined from floor to ceiling with curved bookshelves, their contents long since fused into a solid mass by the press of ages. Unlike the other chambers in the tower, this one had a source of light: on a round table in the middle of the room there stood a stone pot, a large red flower growing from it. Obsidian cautiously approached the plant, the red glow of its petals casting long shadows across his features. Frowning, he put his muzzle closer and concentrated. The flower would serve him in return for sustenance, but it wasn’t water or sunlight that it required.

Gradually, the glow started to intensify. The air around Obsidian’s muzzle distorted, as if his face was melting away. He shuddered as his essence was pulled out in long wisps, gravitating toward the center of the flower. The petals grew darker, from rosy to deep, blood red.

Finally, the growing nimbus parted, the red giving way to stark white. There was now a large sphere of light above the flower, and as the afterimages of the initial flash began to fade, moving shapes appeared within. They shifted and changed as the earth pony focused on what he was looking for. The swirling void outside the tower appeared first, then visions of ponies, a kaleidoscope of snippets, events both mundane and completely impossible. Finally, Obsidian’s mouth twisted into a smirk. He found what he was looking for. Looking aside, he tapped the staff on the floor. Immediately, there was a jingling sound, as if someone bumped into a crystal chandelier. The marks upon the wooden shaft came to life, growing and expanding in the air, changing colors until a cloud of glowing runes surrounded Obsidian. They then hung there motionless, waiting for the earth pony to speak. He drew breath, a pointless reflex since the air there was no more real than anything else.

“You know what to do,” he said in harsh whisper, pointing at the last vision the flower had shown. “Go and get them.”

***

Twilight Sparkle tapped on her alarm clock, and groggily opened her eyes. The morning sky outside promised a sunny day. Ponyville’s resident librarian sat up in her bed, trying to wake up enough to remember what she was supposed to do next. Her mind was still half-asleep, lost in the rapidly fading details of her dreams. All the important points had slipped her memory already but she could feel it had not been a good dream. The lingering emotions weighed heavy on her, she couldn’t shake the feeling something was very wrong.

Climbing out of her bed, she reached for her night table, the scroll she had left there the previous evening unrolling in her telekinetic grip. She glanced at the top points of the list and trudged towards the bathroom.

Ten minutes later, Twilight Sparkle entered the kitchen. Despite being fully awake now, she still couldn’t shake the feeling something was missing. Levitating the kitchen utensils and food products to start making breakfast, she pondered the problem. Had she forgotten something? She reached for the list again. Everything seemed to be in order. 

Washing up, breakfast, wake up Spike... ah, yes. Do some shopping. I have a tight schedule for today. That’s why I woke up so early. I’ll better hurry then...

She left the kitchen, several small sandwiches following her like a school of fish. She swallowed one in a single bite, then walked towards the basket where her dragon assistant was still snoring softly. She nudged him through the blanket he was wrapped in.

“Shh... hey, Spike. Time to wake up.”

There was a sound of whispered grumbling and a single eye opened to look up at her. 

Twilight looked down with a sigh. “I know it’s early. It’s just that I need to go already and I wanted to make sure you don’t oversleep.” She chomped at another sandwich and turned towards the door, picking up her saddlebags as she went. “I’ll be back for lunch. Your list of things to do is in the kitchen.”

Quickly finishing the rest of her breakfast, she walked out and closed the door. It was then that she froze mid-step, something clicking in her mind. This has happened before. Of course Twilight knew the feeling of deja vu and where it came from. She also knew that her daily routines were in fact quite repetitive.

No, that’s not it, she thought. Perhaps I haven’t had enough sleep? She strained her memory trying to remember what time she went to sleep the previous day. There was nothing. Worse, the deja vu returned. 

Wait, have I ever had memory problems before? 

No, she decided. I just have too much on my head. I have to take care of the shopping and the rest of my list. Then when I have a clear head, I can figure this out.

***

The shopping trip was completed without incident. Twilight triple-checked her list and saw that everything was in perfect order, from groceries to writing implements.

Apples, eggs, bread, milk, quills... Why am I buying quills again? I’d swear I bought some last time. Do I really write that much? 

Twilight’s thoughts were interrupted by a familiar face approaching her through the marketplace. Rarity walked up to the librarian to greet her. 

“Oh, hello Twilight. An early shopping trip I see?”

“Oh, I have a busy day ahead of me, so I’ve decided to do the shopping early,” answered Twilight. She looked at Rarity and noticed that the fashionista was not wearing any saddlebags. “And what brings you here so early?” It wasn’t usual for Rarity to get up in the morning, on the contrary, she would usually sleep very late, to recover from whatever burst of creativity she went through the previous night. Taking a closer look, Twilight saw tiny imperfections in Rarity’s looks, signs of stress and tiredness that even the meticulously applied makeup couldn’t quite hide.

“Oh, I’m just taking a walk to get some fresh air and perhaps find some inspiration,” responded Rarity “I... it’s so dreadful actually. I got up at dawn because I had a dream of a tuxedo design and wanted to get it drawn before it slipped my mind. But when I finished, I realised that I had already made this design. I can’t find it in my notes, but I clearly remember drawing it before. Imagine my disappointment. Obviously I am now too agitated to go back to sleep and I am going to get bags under my eyes from not getting enough rest. You know how important appearances are in my line of work...”

Rarity stopped talking and gave Twilight a quizzical look. The librarian was standing quite still, staring at her in surprise. “Are you ok, darling?” asked the white unicorn, waving a hoof in front of her friend’s face.

The gesture seemed to succeed in bringing Twilight back to reality. She gave Rarity a serious look. “I remember you telling me that already. It was in my dream, I think... And there have been lots of things like this happening to me all morning, same things on my shopping list, same things I ate for breakfast... something suspicious is going on here. Do you know if Applejack is at the market today? I think we need to get everypony together...”

Just then a pink blur zipped between the stalls and came to a halt right in front of Twilight. Pinkie Pie nearly pounced at the unicorn, grabbing her with her front hooves.

“Twilightyou’vegottohelpmeIwaspreparingforNoteworthy’ssurprisebirthdaypartytodayandthenmyearsstartedflappingandmytonguetingledandthatmeansI’veforgottensomethingimportantandIrealisedIhadalreadypreparedthepartyforNoteworthyandthatmeanstodayisnothisbirthdayanditisnotthedaywethinkitisandthatmeansIamlateandIhavemissedsomebirthdaysalready...
Gasp!... 
AndthenIthoughtifsomethingweirdisgoingonIshouldaskTwilightcauseshealwaysknowseverythingsocanyouhelpmeI’veneverforgottenanypony’sbirthdaybeforeexceptmyownbutIdon’tmakesurprisepartiesformyself...”

Twilight put a hoof on Pinkie’s mouth to stop the torrent of speech. “I know something is wrong Pinkie. I don’t know what is going on yet, but we’ll find out. Could you help us look for Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash? We need to meet and discuss this. I’m sure together we will find some answers.”

***

Rainbow Dash folded her forelegs, looking down at her gathered friends.

“So, you’re telling me there is something wrong with time?”

They were in the library, Twilight already busy digging through her books with Spike offering what help he could.

“Think of it, Rainbow,” said Rarity. “There is not a single cloud today. Do you remember the last time it rained?”

“Of course, it was...” Rainbow Dash paused, her eyes widening in surprise. Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but at this moment her mind went blank...

***

Twilight Sparkle tapped on her alarm clock and groggily opened her eyes. The morning sky outside promised a sunny day. Ponyville’s resident librarian sat up in her bed, trying to wake up enough to remember what she was supposed to do next. Her mind was still half-asleep, lost in the rapidly fading details of her dreams. All the important points had slipped her memory already but she could feel it had not been a good dream. The lingering emotions weighed heavy on her, she couldn’t shake the feeling something was very wrong.

Climbing out of her bed, she reached for her night table, the scroll she had left there the previous evening unrolling in her telekinetic grip. She glanced at the top points of the list and trudged towards the bathroom.

Ten minutes later, Twilight Sparkle entered the kitchen. Despite being fully awake now, she still couldn’t shake the feeling something was missing. Levitating the kitchen utensils and food products to start making breakfast, she pondered the problem. Had she forgotten something? She reached for the list again. Everything seemed to be in order. 

Washing up, breakfast, wake up Spike... ah, yes. Do some shopping. I have a tight schedule for today. That’s why I woke up so early. I’ll better hurry then...

She left the kitchen, several small sandwiches following her like a school of fish. She swallowed one in a single bite, then walked towards the basket where her dragon assistant was still snoring softly. She nudged him through the blanket he was wrapped in.

“Shh... hey, Spike. Time to wake up.”

Twilight Sparkle froze, almost dropping the sandwitches. Ignoring the grumbling of the half-awake dragon, she ran to check her list again. Sure enough, there were quills in it. There were always quills. She quickly swallowed the sandwitches one by one and then ran out of the house. She needed to confirm her suspicions.

***

Twilight walked through the marketplace, picking her way among the other early customers. She was looking for a particular pony, Sure enough, a white unicorn with a purple mane soon appeared between the stalls. Twilight ran towards her.

“Rarity, I need you to answer a question. Did you wake up early today to try and design a tuxedo?”

The fashionista gave her a surprised look. “Why yes... and you can’t imagine how dreadfully it turned out...”

“I know how it turned out,” interrupted Twilight. “Something is wrong with the town. I need you to help me gather everypony else. Could you go look for Applejack? I will go to Rainbow Dash and Pinkie...” she extended a hoof, blocking the mouth of Pinkie Pie just as she came to a stop right next to her. “Go and get Fluttershy, Pinkie. There is trouble.”

***

Rainbow Dash folded her forelegs, looking down at her gathered friends.

“So, you’re telling me there’s something wrong with time?”

They were in the library, Twilight already busy digging through her books with Spike offering what help he could.

“Think of it Rainbow,” said Rarity. “There is not a single cloud today. Do you remember the last time it rained?”

“Of course, it was...” Rainbow Dash paused, her eyes widening in surprise. 

“I have asked around the marketplace,” interrupted Twilight. “We were the only ones to notice anything. And the others started behaving very strangely when I asked them.” She looked towards the clock. 

We’ve met earlier and I managed to tell them more... so I was right.

“So, what’s going on here?” asked Applejack, looking around the room. “Ya think it’s Discord again?”

“I don’t think so,” answered Twilight. “If it was him, he would have already shown up to gloat. I have cast some protective magic on myself already and it doesn’t seem like I’m under any spell at the moment. So that means it must be Ponyville itself that is under a spell.”

“So, how do we find out who’s behind this?” asked Rainbow Dash. She was clearly uncomfortable with being played with by a villain she couldn’t find and try to kick.

Then everything went blank

***

Twilight Sparkle tapped on her alarm clock and groggily opened her eyes. The morning sky outside promised a sunny day. Ponyville’s resident librarian sat up in her bed, trying to wake up enough to remember what she was supposed to do next. Her mind was still half-asleep, lost in the rapidly fading details of her dreams. Then the memory spell she had cast jolted her brain awake. Twilight jumped out of her bed, got tangled in the sheets and faceplanted onto the floor. She quickly picked herself up, rushing down and towards the door.

I remember. The spell I cast on myself the previous morning is still working. That means it’s not a time loop. Somepony is playing with our minds...

As she was running through the streets to find her friends, Twilight realised one more thing. 

I got some extra time from meeting my friends earlier, but not as much as I thought. It’s like each day is ending a bit sooner... How long has it been going on before I noticed?

***

“So, what’s going on here?” asked Applejack, looking around the room. “Ya think it’s Discord again?”

“I don’t think so,” answered Twilight. “If it was him, he would have already shown up to gloat. But it must have been somepony very powerful. The whole town is under a spell and we are the only ones to notice.”

“So, how do we find out who’s behind this?” asked Rainbow Dash. She was clearly uncomfortable with being played with by a villain she couldn’t find and try to kick.

“Umm... girls?” It was Pinkie Pie. Something in her voice made her friends halt their discussion. Five pairs of eyes turned towards her. The pink pony was trembling slightly, her eyes widening. “My knee is pinchy... it’s never been that pinchy before.”

Suddenly everything started shaking. A loud noise, like a giant explosion rolled over the town. Dash leapt outside through the window and the rest of the ponies quickly followed through the door to see what’s going on.

What they saw made them freeze on the spot, mouths half open in shock. 

The sky over Ponyville was split open, like a ripped fabric. A starry void full of unknown constellations could be seen through the quickly spreading gash.

***

Twilight was the first to recover her senses. “I don’t know what it is... but we need to get everypony out of town! Follow me!” She started running towards the town center, her friends following close behind. Whatever this rift was, it opened right above the town and it seemed to be growing quickly. The wind started blowing and by the time the group got to their destination, it was blowing so strong that Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy decided to land and continue on hoof rather than struggle against it. The air seemed to get thicker and then sparks of crackling energy started to shoot from any protruding objects. Twilight winced when one appeared on the tip of her horn.

When Twilight and her friends reached the town hall, the first roofs were already losing tiles. It was a full-blown supernatural disaster. A disaster to which nopony reacted. 

“Eee... does anypony know what’s going on here?” said Pinky Pie to her friends.

The ponies in town walked their normal paths, not even lowering their heads better to push against the wind. There were no screams of panic or even dodging the flying debris. Twilight saw Roseluck, the earth pony florist get hit by a flower pot knocked off a first floor window and continue walking as if she didn’t register the impact.

“Hey, snap out of it!” shouted Applejack, grabbing the mare by the shoulders and shaking her violently. 

Roseluck gave her a confused smile. “Oh, hello Applejack. What can I do for you?”

“Ya have ta get out of here, it’s dangerous!” Applejack pointed around with her hoof but the mare just kept smiling. 

“You look stressed. You think a couple of my flowers could help?”

Twilight Sparkle looked around. The rest of her friends were trying to get attention of other ponies, with similarly poor, or in case of Fluttershy non-existent results. It seemed like everypony in town was determined to continue their day, utterly oblivious to what was happening around them. The librarian squinted as a cloud of dust was blown in her face. She looked in the direction it had come from and saw the wind blow the grass off the ground. And it wasn’t just the grass; the buildings, the trees, everything was falling apart, as if eroded by supernatural speed. 

“What do we do? What do we do? We need to do something...” She thought of her failsafe spell, but what would she even aim it at? The giant hole in the sky was incomparable to anything she had seen in her life. Twilight looked up at it and then saw a spiralling trail of bright colors descending into town.

As it got closer, Twilight could see more details. The mysterious thing turned out to be a cloud composed of symbols, arcane runes floating in the air with a strange jingle audible even over the wind, constantly changing colors. It touched the ground and coalesced, taking a vaguely pony-like shape.

All of Twilight’s friends noticed the newcomer and momentarily abandoned their fruitless task. All were looking at it expectantly. The shape turned towards Applejack. A pair of runes disconnected from its outstretched hoof and floated through the air. One of them flew towards Applejack and landed on her chest. The other touched Roseluck’s side.

“Don’t touch it!” shouted Twilight, but it was too late. The runes flashed with multicolored light. Applejack disappeared with a surprised gasp. It was Roseluck’s fate however that truly horrified Twilight. Instead of disappearing like Applejack had, the mare was blown away, like a sand sculpture exposed to violent wind. She lost her shape and crumbled, instantly eroded just like everything else around her, just a smudge of color flying in the raging storm. The glowing runes returned to their master, who instantly turned them against the next closest ponies. 

Pinkie Pie dodged aside as the rune flew towards her. It went past her and turned around to hit her in the back as she tried in vain to run against the wind.  In a flash, she was gone. The earth pony stallion she had been trying to wake up, Sepia Toc was disintegrated just as Roseluck had been.

The rest of the girls scattered, their panicked cries lost in the blowing wind, which now resembled a sandstorm, the whole town rapidly crumbling to dust. Twilight was the last to start running, her instincts to examine the unknown costing her precious seconds. She saw Rarity disappear, then Fluttershy get caught as the mysterious attacker scattered into a cloud of runes and flew past her to cut off her escape route. The creature didn’t limit itself to Twilight’s friends, single runes leaving the cloud to catch the apathetic ponies walking around, each of them disintegrating from a single touch. 

Then Rainbow Dash turned around to face the enemy. Unable to fly in such winds she just charged headlong, Twilight’s desperate warning shout lost in the wind as the rune pony dispersed and engulfed the attacking pegasus. Twilight Sparkle realised that she was alone.

The rune pony made a few steps towards her and extended its hoof. A rune flew forward, only to collide with a purple dome of force. Twilight’s horn was glowing bright, an expression of desperation on her face. “Don’t come any closer, monster!” she shouted, a flash of her horn turning the barrier into a blast of concussive force that pushed the rune back towards its owner. The rune pony stepped back, some of the symbols detaching to form a circle in front of it. In a split second, its own barrier sprung into existence, nullifying the attack. 

Twilight shot a blast from her horn, then another. Both were harmlessly deflected. The third shot was reflected back, slipping past her ear and causing her to yelp in fear. She recast the barrier and stopped, instinctively pushing more power into protecting herself. 

The rune pony looked at her for a moment and then shrugged. This was the first pony-like gesture Twilight had seen from it. A moment later the floating runes started to form in front of its face, where a unicorn’s horn would be, three rings of symbols setting one after another like a barrel of a cannon, spinning faster and faster as arcane energy focused inside them, forming a long shaft of lightning. Twilight felt the buildup of power and realised her shield wouldn’t hold. 

The two spells collided, the force dome popping like a bubble as the unicorn released control rather than pooling all her energy into a lost cause. For a heartbeat the two ponies were standing there staring at each other, then Twilight disappeared in a flash, teleported by her own magic before the glowing rune could touch her hide.

She appeared at the door of the library. She ran inside, her mind overcome with panic.

“Spike! We need to run, now!” she shouted at the top of her lungs. Then she saw her dragon assistant sleeping soundly in his basket. 

I didn’t wake him up before going to get the girls, but he was here when we talked. How did he manage to sleep through everything?

“Spike! Get up! We need to get out of here!” Twilight ran towards the basket and pulled at the blanket with her magic. 

There was a sound of whispered grumbling and a single eye opened to look up at her. 

Oh, no, please no! He’s just like the others! 

Twilight’s eyes welled with tears of despair as she looked at her number one assistant looking at her with half-awake gaze, just like every morning, like a theatrical prop somepony forgot to pack away. Outside the wind had grown into a full blown hurricane, the landscape disintegrating as the tear spread all the way across the sky, filling it with unfamiliar stars. The tree started shaking and the floor tilted. A hint of opalescent colors flashed behind the window, the rune pony was there too. 

Twilight turned her back on Spike, her eyes and horn blazing fierce white as she called upon all of her powers.

“You will not get him too! I won’t let you!”

The runes had already got in, disintegrating a part of the wall along with the window, but stopped without entering the room. They were coalescing back into a pony shape, seemingly unaffected by the wind. Twilight prepared to strike them with all her magic.

Then the floor cracked and a moment later everything broke apart - the books, the walls, the ground, everything went flying. The runes lashed towards Twilight one last time, but she pushed them away. Then she fell into the abyss that opened beneath her, a void filled with unfamiliar stars.

***

Rainbow Dash woke up to the feeling of cold stone against her face. Groaning, she opened her eyes and slowly got up to her hooves. In the dim illumination that seemed to emanate from the floor, she saw Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie also waking up, all as confused as she was.

“Where are we?” asked Applejack. She looked around and saw the others. “Where’s Twi?”

There was a moment of nervous shifting as everypony looked around. Applejack was the first to break the silence. “Yall don’t think she could...” she didn’t finish the sentence. Her body started trembling when her brain registered what she was about to say. “The whole town...”

“Sweetie... mom, dad...” Rarity was quick to catch on, her body going rigid with shock. Fluttershy just whimpered. Pinkie Pie stared in silence with her mouth half-open.

“No,” she whispered. “It’s not like that. I don’t believe it.” She stood up to attract her friends’ attention. “I don’t know what’s happened, girls, but... I can’t really explain it. It’s just I think I would have felt it with my Pinkie Sense. It’s been a little wonky lately, but...” she groaned in frustration and scratched her ear. “What I’m trying to say is...” She dug her hoof into her puffy mane and retrieved a small, round object. She set it on the stone floor for everypony to see. 

It was a glass snow globe, with a perfect replica of the Ponyville town hall inside it.

“See what I mean?” said Pinkie Pie, looking at her friends hopefully.

Rainbow Dash touched the globe with her hoof, giving it a little shake. “You... might be right. I sure hope you are. We don’t know what exactly happened, but we are alive at least. We need to find out where we are and what’s going on here.”

She flew up, trying to get a better look. The stone floor she had woken up on turned out to be a flat rock, some 100 feet in diameter, surrounded by inky blackness. The sky above was dark, the light of the stars barely reaching the ground. Long, dark shapes wrapped around the whole sky, visible only as pure blackness against the dim light of the stars, as if the island was inside a gigantic sphere of overlapping bands.

“It looks like... one of those ancient astronomical thingies,” said Applejack, staring up at the sky. 

Rarity lit up her horn and walked towards the edge of the rock. “We need to find a way out of here. And Twilight of course. It is quite clear that something horrible has happened, and if that’s so, Equestria needs us.”

Rainbow Dash landed next to the fashionista. “You’re right. We are the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. We can’t leave Equestria hangin.”

Instinctively, the others closed in, forming a group even though they didn’t yet have any idea where to go. Pinkie Pie’s face took a determined expression, the corners of her mouth rising in a smirk that challenged the world. Applejack straightened the hat on her head and flexed the muscles of her shoulders. Fluttershy stopped shaking and rose from the ground, joining her friends at the edge. 

‘Click’

The sound wasn’t loud by any means, but still it echoed across the void.  Then there was a louder noise, a sound of something heavy moving all around. The huge bands forming the sphere started shifting, turning around like pieces of a giant machine, which they might well have been. At the same time the inky darkness parted right in front of the girls. There was a stone path leading forward from the edge of the rock. An unfamiliar landscape opened at the end of the path.

“What just happened?” asked Applejack with a confused look. Her mind was stuck trying to figure out how all she could see in front of her could fit inside the sphere. “How big is this thing?”

“Well, let us find out, shall we?” answered Rarity. 

Rainbow Dash looked at the path with suspicion but then landed on it and led the way. “Come on, everypony. We need to find Twilight.”
> Chapter 2: The Cold
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"What's going on?" asked Applejack, as the path beneath her hooves started shaking. The others braced themselves to keep their balance, the two pegasi instinctively taking to the air. 

“Look!” shouted Rarity, pointing forward. The mountainous landscape they were walking towards had started shifting, moving away from them. Slabs of stone emerged from the darkness, connecting to the path until a small platform was formed, with the pathway splitting into five.

Rainbow Dash flew forward, tapping her hoof on the platform with suspicion. It didn’t budge. She flew to the edge and looked underneath. The stone was about two inches thick and there was nothing underneath to support it.

“I… I think, it wants us to split up,” said Fluttershy.

“It? What’s ‘it’”? asked Rainbow Dash, pointing her hoof around her. ”And there’s no way we split up. Remember that maze Discord put us in?”

“I agree. We need to stick together,” said Rarity. “But in that case, which path should we choose?”

“I say we go straight forward!” said Applejack loudly, rearing and stomping her hooves for emphasis. “That’s where we were already walking.”

Fluttershy walked across the platform and looked down. There were some stars visible down below. “Erm… these stones fly on their own. What if they… drop us?” she nearly whimpered.

“Then you catch Pinkie Pie and I catch Applejack and Rarity,” said Rainbow Dash. “I once carried her and three Wonderbolts. It won’t be a problem.” But there was something in her voice that betrayed hesitation.

“Weeeeell…” said Pinkie Pie, walking up to Fluttershy and looking where she had looked. “My Pinkie sense has been a bit wonky lately, but my tail isn’t twitching, so I don’t think we’re gonna fall… yet.” The others just stared at her.

“Enough waiting,” said Applejack, before moving onto the pathway and speeding up to a trot. “Let’s stop worrying about the floor and just find some solid ground already.”

The rest quickly followed her, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash flying over the path, with Pinkie Pie closing the formation behind Rarity. 

Soon they saw land before them, the starry void somehow ending in what looked like a desolate plain covered with… wrecked ships? Applejack increased her pace and the girls ran the last part of the way, only coming to a half when there was solid ground underneath them. They looked around cautiously. On closer inspection, the broken hulls turned out to be airships, bigger than any of the girls had ever seen. Broken propellers and other, harder to identify means of locomotion stuck out among the rotting wood and rusting metal, torn envelopes of the blimps revealing their internal supports, like the ribs of a beached whale carcass. The bright stars above cast a cold light upon the scenery, just enough to see, but not nearly so to banish the long streaks of lingering shadow.

“It looks like... “ said Rainbow Dash. Then Fluttershy shrieked.

As one, the group  turned towards her, each of them looking for a possible threat. Then their eyes followed her shaking hoof and they all saw what she was pointing at.

There were shapes in the shadows, dozens of them, piled one over another. 

After a moment that lasted an eternity, Rainbow Dash flew forward and tapped the closest one. With a soft crack, a charred unicorn skull disconnected from its neck and rolled into full view, a rusting helmet falling off it as it hit the ground..

“What in tarnation?” said Applejack, recoiling. “Is this for real?”

Rarity covered her mouth with a hoof. “I sure hope not.” She looked nervously towards Pinkie Pie. “Pinkie Pie, dear, could you tell us if this is really happening, or another trick of this place?”

Pinkie Pie picked up the skull and balanced it on her hoof in front of her face. “I dunno. Are you real?” she asked the skull.

“Pinkie!” shouted the girls in unison.

Pinkie Pie raised an eyebrow. “What? You’ve never seen a skeleton at school? Even if it’s real, it’s just bones. It’s not like it’s gonna bite me.”

The girls looked at each other in silence. Then Fluttershy screamed, jumping for cover, realising that all the dark corners are filled with bones and making a wild swerve to finally skid on the ground and hide underneath Applejack, diving between her legs. 

“Did I jinx it?” asked Pinkie.

“Hey! Look there!” said Rainbow Dash suddenly, pointing behind them. 

They all turned, looking towards the path they had come from, only to find it gone. It was not just the stone pathway that was missing either, the dark abyss they had crossed was nowhere to be seen, the wreckage-strewn scenery now extending in all directions.

“It’s gone,” said Applejack to nopony in particular.
“So, does it mean this is an illusion?” asked Rarity. “Perhaps we shouldn’t go back there then. I wouldn’t like to fall down that… Dash!”

Dash had flown where the bridge had been. She stopped rapidly at Rarity’s call. “What is it?” she asked anxiously.

“Don’t split off on your own. Don’t you remember?” said Rarity. 

Rainbow Dash lowered herself just enough to tap the ground with her hoof. When she didn’t discover anything unusual, she returned to her friends, smiling sheepishly. “All, right. All right. I remember. We stick together.”

“So, which way do we go?” asked Applejack, looking around. There was no obvious path beyond this point.

Rainbow Dash flew up to get a better look, then pointed in the direction opposite to where they had arrived from. “The path took us here. There must be something important this way.”

Slowly they set off, picking their way among the rubble. Rainbow was leading the group, looking left and right in search of any skulking danger. The rest followed her on the ground, Applejack and Rarity making a lot of effort not to touch any of the bones they passed by. Fluttershy almost crawled, staying in the middle of her friends and trying to be as small as possible. Even Pinkie lost her usual energetic gait and was scanning her surroundings for danger.

“You know, I don’t think these are just pony bones,” she suddenly said, pointing at one of the skeletons. “This one has cloven hooves.”

Despite herself, Applejack turned to look, recoiling a bit from the sight. “You’re right. But that’s no cow or deer. Look at the skull. It’s got a unicorn horn.”

The statement made Fluttershy risk a glance too. “It looks like a unicorn… but I’ve never seen one like that,” she said.

Pinkie tilted her head, taking a closer look. “These are ponies, but some really weird ponies... I wish…” she hesitated, trying to remember something. “I wish Twilight was with us. She’d tell us what it’s all about.”

Rainbow Dash stared at her. “Twilight. We’re looking for Twilight. Why didn’t I remember?” She looked around frantically. “Something’s very wrong. We need to get out of here, fast!”

She rushed forward and the rest of the girls broke into a run after her. They didn’t really think where they were going, just following the path of least resistance through the field, heading for the biggest gaps between the crashed ships. It took them a moment to notice that the rush of air around them was not just the effect of them running. There was a wind blowing against them now, the air filled with a rattling sound as some of the skeletons started falling apart.

Rainbow Dash stopped, rubbing her face as a stray grain of sand hit her in the eye. Her friends had caught up to her and were now looking around with frightened expressions.  Pinkie’s body vibrated and twitched, but there was no warning she could give her friends that would change anything. “Stay together!” shouted Applejack.

Then the wind hit with full force.

All at once everything changed. Out of nowhere, a bank of bluish fog appeared, moving on the wind like a solid wall. When it washed over them, they found themselves squinting against clear skies and the light of noon. 

There was noise around, galloping hooves, shouts and clang of metal. Huge shapes moved overhead, spitting fire and lightning at each other. Rainbow Dash looked around her and her eyes widened. There were two lines of soldiers charging towards them from opposite directions.

“We need to get out of the way!” shouted Applejack over the noise, taking initiative and rushing to her left, her friends following as best they could. The two lines crashed into each other around them, armoured earth ponies kicking and swinging weapons at each other. 

Dash saw one attacker ready to charge at Fluttershy. She flew up and then swooped at his back with all her weight, smashing him into the ground before he could reach the frightened pegasus. To her surprise the soldier exploded into blue mist, leaving only scattered bones and rusting armor behind. Dash paused in surprise and only just managed to dodge the charge of another warrior at the last moment. She looked back at her friends just in time to see them slip out of the fight, the nearest enemies halted in their pursuit as their opponents absorbed all their attention. As she rejoined her friends, Dash had a moment to notice that the soldiers really were stopping in their tracks. A mystery was soon solved as she saw who they were fighting; a heavily armoured stallion, bigger even that Big Macintosh was leading his unit, swinging a heavy ball and chain with his mouth. What was more unusual was a perch mounted across his back, an angry looking cockatrice balancing on it to stare over his master’s shoulder. 

Quickly turning her back on the fight, Dash rejoined Fluttershy. The five mares were an eye of the storm, a battle running its course around them. There was more and more blue mist as the warriors destroyed each other, none of them seeming to notice how the dead were instantly reduced to aged bones. 

“We need to find a way out!” shouted Applejack again. 

Dash looked around for any opening, but in vain. The battle seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see. It was unreal in both its scale and variety. There were minotaurs swinging heavy, double-bladed axes, gryphons throwing javelins, stone trolls as big as houses, giant worms emerging from the ground to lash their enemy with multiple tongues. There were pegasi, dragons and changelings fighting across the sky among the giant airships. A group of strange, slightly goat-like unicorns in wizard robes stood in formation pooling their powers together to launch heavy rocks far across the battlefield. Everything happened at once and while there were commanders visible here and there, the whole battle was an image of total chaos, no visible pattern or strategy to it.

“There’s nowhere to run!” shouted Dash, hovering low over her friends. “What do we do?”

“Well,” responded Applejack, “They’re busy with each other. Let’s stick together and…”

“Twitchy tail!” shrieked Pinkie Pie at the top of her lungs.

Suddenly a shadow fell upon them. They all looked up in unison to see a giant shape looming above, a burning dirigible falling down upon the battlefield, its envelope torn open, pieces of burning wood falling off the hull as it descended. Seconds seemed to stretch into eternity as it moved closer and closer. Dash saw her friends scatter, each bolting in the direction that promised safety the quickest, all except for Fluttershy who froze on the spot, staring upwards with growing eyes. The blue pegasus dove down, grabbing her friend and pulling her along at the last second, the airship hitting the ground with a mighty crash, spraying the two with debris and sending them rolling in the dirt.

“You ok?” asked Dash, picking herself off the ground. 

Fluttershy nodded, then seemed to finally remember she had wings, rising into the air besides Dash. Together they flew back to the crashed ship, looking for their friends. 

The effort was in vain. The ship had already turned into a rusted wreck, a nimbus of blue mist spreading around it obscuring the view. As she looked around it, Rainbow Dash suddenly realised that the surrounding battlefield was getting less and less visible, the sounds and images fading rapidly. Then she heard a faint sound that froze the blood in her veins.

A jingling in the air, like wind chimes.

She turned around, but it was too late. The glowing pony shape was standing in the air behind her, one foreleg unravelled into a string of runes that wrapped around Fluttershy’s torso. It pulled and swung through the air like a whip, launching the screaming pegasus into the nearest bank of mist, where she disappeared without a sound. 

“No!” Dash still remembered the futility of trying to fight the creature. Instead she flew past it as fast as she could, aiming for the place where her friend had last been. 
As if to mock her, the cloud dispersed right in front of her hooves. Dash flapped her wings rapidly to decelerate, landing in the middle of an empty meadow. There was nopony in sight, just lush grass all around her.

Rainbow Dash turned around, looking in all directions, her ears swivelling in search of any sound other than the whistling wind. It was so calm here, but… what was she doing here again?

The pegasus opened her mouth and screamed.

***

Twilight opened her eyes. Her fall ended with an impact, but it seemed she was alive. She opened her eyes and then shut them tightly again. 

She wasn’t prepared for what she saw. Steeling herself, she opened her eyes again. 

There was no visible floor underneath her. The unicorn was standing on mid air, starry void stretching around her in all directions. She tapped her hoof, there was resistance, but no sound. Then she looked around her. What she saw was even more surprising. The stars filled the sky above and below her, but they weren’t all far away as she was used to seeing them. Some were pretty close, almost at hooves’ reach, small balls of light creating a bluish haze with their radiance. It was like standing in the middle of a nebula. 

Why are they so small? thought Twilight. She walked up to the closest star and took a closer look, almost nuzzling it with her face before stopping herself. The star kept glowing with a soft, bluish light. 

Twilight blinked. Did the star just smile at her? Now that she listened, she could hear a soft sound of a filly’s laughter coming from the miniature celestial body. She stepped back, surprised. 

All around her now, more sounds could be heard, children playing without a care in the world. Twilight started to see silhouettes among the haze, familiar shapes that brought back memories. She quickly stepped back and turned her back on the images. Suddenly she knew how those were familiar and she didn’t want to see them any more. She ran, trying not to think of the times before her talent awakened, the times when she had been an awkward filly in love with books, her only friends her big brother and a stuffed donkey.

Why are they here? What in Equestria is happening? she thought as she ran. Suddenly there was stone under her hooves. She skidded to a halt and found herself in a familiar chamber in Canterlot Castle.

Twilight blinked. The path behind her disappeared, but the blue haze of starlight was still visible through the tall windows. There were rows of seats, a board on the wall, a blue checkered pattern on the floor. And a small cart with a large purple egg inside it standing in the middle of the room.

Twilight approached the egg cautiously.  She felt a sudden impulse to turn around and sure enough, she saw the shapes of her parents there. They were slightly translucent, but getting more solid by the second, giving her encouraging smiles. Twilight watched them in utter confusion.

I must focus! I need to try to make sense of it all... 

She tried to concentrate, but felt a sudden wave of weakness. She swayed slightly and breathed deeply. Did it suddenly get cold? As she shook her head to wake herself up and tried to analyse the situation with a cool head, she was interrupted by a loud noise. A huge wave of rainbow colors spread across the sky.

Twilight knew what would happen now, but the expected surge of magic never came. Instead the shell cracked with the softest of noises and Spike emerged from inside. He was somehow no longer a baby, but a faithful assistant she knew and loved.

“Do you need help with something, Twilight?” he asked with a worried voice.

“Spike! I’m so happy to see you!” Twilight lunged forward and hugged the dragon, her tiredness momentarily forgotten. Spike’s scaly skin was warm to the touch, hinting at the fire magic flowing in his veins. 

“I thought I lost you,” continued Twilight. “Come on, we need to find a way out.”

“A way out?” The dragon looked at her with surprise. “Whatever you say, Twilight.” He followed her on his short legs as she left the room. After a moment’s thought Twilight picked him up with her magic and set him on her back. She left the classroom and found herself in one of the inner courtyards of the castle.

“We need to find the princess. She will know what to do.” Twilight ran across the courtyard and towards the building where the throne room was located. As she ran, she saw ponies walking by, all familiar faces, fading into the background as she ran past them. She smiled inwardly as she caught a sight of Shining Armour who was busy instructing some guards. He waved at her and she regretted not having enough time to talk to him. Her tiredness increasing, she slowed to a walk, slowly making her way to the castle until finally she entered the throne room.

The whole chamber was filled with blinding light. Twilight shielded her eyes with a hoof and nearly stumbled, the feeling of cold returning and numbing her in body and mind. She could see the silhouette of princess Celestia, towering over her, just as she remembered from her earliest memories. The light made her unable to see the details, but she could feel the warm smile on the alicorn’s muzzle. 

“Twilight Sparkle, what do you need?” asked the princess.

“Princess, something strange is happening...” Twilight blinked, confused. What was she going to tell to the princess? She was sure there was something very important. Was it her homework? No, she was sure she had finished everything already. She strained her memory and finally caught onto something. “I can’t find my friends anywhere,” she finished.

A white wing descended onto her back, the soft touch of the feathers making her want to lie down and sleep there and then. 

“You already know the answer, Twilight Sparkle,” said Celestia. “Look inside yourself and you will find what you seek.”

Twilight squinted, looking away from the light. “Inside myself? What do you mean, princess?”

The alicorn withdrew her wing. “Where are your friends, Twilight Sparkle?”

“Ponyville,” answered Twilight Sparkle without thinking. “My friends are in Ponyville.”

Princess Celestia spread her wings and rose to the air. Her light grew brighter and then dimmed as she started fading out, along with the walls of the throne room. Twilight found herself in the starry void again.

“We need to go to Ponyville, Spike. That’s where my friends are...”

Spike didn’t answer. Twilight thought that he must have fallen asleep, now just a comfort of a familiar weight on her back. The light of the stars started to dim and it looked as if the night was falling, but why would stars go out for the night?

Twilight tried to think about it, but lost her train of thought. She was cold and tired and every step took more effort than the last. She was too tired to think anymore, just walking, step after step, to where she knew her friends would be. This is where she met them, right?

She passed the silhouettes of the Carousel Boutique and the Sugarcube Corner and smiled at the warm memories. There were no lights on, nopony there. But Twilight knew where to go looking. The rest of the town was unimportant, fading, darkening, only her goal ahead of her a distant light. For a moment she thought the light moved, a distant shape of a pony walking ahead of her. Then she saw it; Golden Oaks library, a beacon in the darkness, warm lights shining from its windows.

Twilight could hear multiple voices from the inside, echoes of laughter all coming from the ponies dear to her heart. This was her home, the place where she belonged. Among her friends forever.

The door opened soundlessly and Twilight Sparkle walked in, her consciousness fading in the overcoming tiredness, the fuzzy warmth the last thing that went through her head. Then the door closed behind her and the light flickered out. Everything became silent and dark.
> Chapter 3: The Confusion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Um… is anypony here?”

Fluttershy peered from behind the corner. Despite how soft her voice was, it still echoed across the huge hall. The pegasus walked cautiously forward. 

The building seemed to be a library of some sort, but incredibly big one, bigger even than the one in the Crystal Empire. It was all imposing, all white marble, with majestic statues at every door, all windows covered with stained glass mosaics, books lined along the walls. There was nopony there and worse, Fluttershy was quite sure she had gotten completely lost.

Opening another large door, she found herself in a staircase. It was just as imposing as the rest of the building. It also did strange things with perspective. For a moment she had a problem telling which stairs were going up. She stepped back into the previous hall and stopped to think.

“There’s nopony here to ask directions,” she thought aloud. “Perhaps if I come back to where I entered, I’ll find a way out… wait. How did I get here? I remember there was a fire… Oh, no!”

Fluttershy darted through the hall as a vague memory returned to her. Her friends were in danger! She ran back around the corner and kept running, crossing through door after door, trying frantically to find a way out. 

She rammed into one door blocking her path and found herself in a staircase. This time she was clearly at the bottom of it, but the stairs split, leading up to different destinations. Still there was no visible way out.

With a soft sigh, Fluttershy slumped to the ground. She no longer remembered why she had been running, but the act exhausted her. She had tried so many doors, but none of them would lead outside. Perhaps if she followed the stairs up, some door would lead her to the roof… It briefly occurred to her to try smashing through the window, but even if she could bend the frame holding the stained glass, it just didn’t feel right.

“I just want to go home…” she said softly.

As if on cue, she heard the sound of birds singing in the distance.

Curiously, she picked herself up from the floor, her ears turning to follow the familiar sound. She almost ran in that direction, only for the singing to disappear into the echoes of her own hoofsteps. Standing still until she heard the voice again, she opened her wings, then flapped them as delicately as she could, lifting her hooves off the floor. She slowly followed her ears, taking turns through the halls until she noticed a door that she must have missed last time.

It was half-open and a thin trail of blue mist was snaking from the inside. When Fluttershy landed in front of the doorframe and peered in, she saw a narrow corridor, sunlight filtering through leaves in the distance on the other end.

Fluttershy’s eyes widened and so did her smile. “Wait… I know that voice!” She ran down the corridor and out into the wood right outside her cottage. Instantly half a dozen of colorful birds flocked around her, filling her ears with happy chirping. 

Fluttershy beamed. “Oh, I’m so happy to see you all. I was beginning to think I’ll never find my way back home…”

“Ah, there you are, you weakling!” 

There was a loud flapping of wings and the singing birds scattered, disappearing among the wood canopy. Fluttershy turned with a start, finding herself face to beak with Gilda.

“What are you doing here, hiding!?” shouted the gryphon. “Everyone’s already there, ready to go! So stop wasting my time and move your rump!”

“Bbbbbut, what?” stammered Fluttershy, trying to understand the situation. Gilda groaned and grabbed her by the mane, pointing her away from her house and indicating a path through the forest with her other claw. 

“It’s this way, dweeb. Now move it!”

Folding her wings close to her body, Fluttershy trotted forward, the angry gryphon close behind her. She followed the path, trying to understand what was going on, but too scared to stop and ask Gilda about it. 

The path winded through the forest before turning east. Fluttershy could not remember it, but as she continued walking, she had a nagging feeling that she had experienced some of it before. As the forest suddenly opened into a clearing, she saw Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rarity waiting for her. They were all wearing saddle bags, visibly prepared for a longer trip. 

“Oh, there you are, darling,” said Rarity. “We’ve been waiting for ages. Let’s move out and get this problem solved as quickly as possible. Twilight is counting on us.”

“Why are you so stubborn about taking her along?” asked Gilda. “She’s afraid of her own shadow. She’ll only slow us down.”

“She’s good with animals,” said Applejack. “That and Twilight insisted. She said we might need her.”

“Well, have it your way,” said Gilda, looking down at Fluttershy. “I say she’ll just be a dragon snack.”

“A… dragon?” This was when something clicked in Fluttershy’s mind. She looked up over the girls to see a steep ascent towards a huge mountain, its top covered in a cloud of black smoke. 

Fluttershy’s pupils shrank.

***

Pinkie Pie walked through the blue mist, her ears swivelling cautiously.

“Rarity?” she called.

There was no answer. 

“Applejack!” she called louder. “Rainbow Dash! Fluttershy!”

“Twilight!”

Pinkie Pie stopped, struck by a sudden realisation. “That’s right. Twilight. I was looking for Twilight. Before I lost all the others. That’s weird…”

She looked around, then under her own hooves, carefully examining what turned out to be grass. It was green, positively vibrant with life. There were sounds of singing birds and music playing in the distance, the sun was shining, making the waters of a river glitter like gemstones…

Pinkie Pie blinked. The mist had all but cleared, revealing a lush landscape, a maze of water and green grass, with sparse trees giving it an appearance of an orchard or perhaps a garden. There were rainbows everywhere. Here and there small clouds were hanging at ground level. One of them smiled and Pinkie instinctively returned the smile before realising what she’d just witnessed.

“I’ve never seen a cloud smile! What are youuu?” she asked the cloud, her enthusiasm draining into sudden suspicion. Her body was vibrating a little as if her Pinkie Sense was trying to give her too many contradicting signals at once. It was only then that she noticed the music. It was not very loud, but omnipresent now that she knew it was there. It reminded her of a circus, but there was something jarring in it, something off, like off-key buzzing that made the hair on her withers stand on end.

The cloud kept staring at her with the same, content smile, its black eyes boring into her.

“Sooomething’s not right here,” whispered Pinkie to nopony in particular. Moving away from the cloud, she pulled out a pair of binoculars and started looking around. She skulked from tree to tree, peering from behind the trunks to look around. For a time there was nothing, except more smiling clouds. Then she caught movement in the distance, something that was definitely equine in shape.

“Finally somepony I can ask directions here,” she said, putting away the binoculars and pronking in that direction. As she closed in though, she realised that she hadn’t been entirely right in her assessment, starting with her sense of scale.

The three unicorns were huge, well over three times her height, their bodies a light shade of purple, limbs thick in a way that seemed to suggest both ‘marshmallow’ and ‘muscle’ at once, their neon blue manes and tails swishing around as they moved.

They turned as they heard her approach, smiles on their muzzles. Pinkie Pie ground to a halt, the greeting frozen on her lips.

Their teeth were sharp like a shark’s. 

The unicorns looked at each other and their smiles stretched wide. Pinkie backpedaled for a moment before turning around and dashing through the meadow. 

“OnsecondthoughtIthinkIllasksomeponyelse!”

Heavy hooves rumbled behind her, but she easily outpaced them, zipping between trees, ducking under clouds and at one point jumping several lengths of her body over a stream. As she was running, she passed several other creatures. She didn’t slow down to see anything beyond sharp teeth and eyes full of malice. Her original pursuers were long lost, but she kept attracting new attention, the chase continuing until suddenly there was nopony to chase.

The unicorns looked around, then at each other. Finally they shrugged and turned, returning back where they had started. A pack of sharp-toothed teddy bears followed suit. Pinkie Pie kept skulking forward, snarling angrily until she was sure she was left alone. Only then did she drop the act, take a deep breath and look around to reorient herself. 

“Now… where was I?”

Her ears perked up when she saw something between a pair of clouds, a wisp of blue mist. Smiling she pronked in that direction.

“Don’t you worry,” she said with a smile. “I’ll find you.”

The path through the mist led inexplicably onto a mountain trail. Pinkie looked up towards a jagged top, then down over a ledge. She saw Ponyville in the distance far below. 

“Hey, I’m home!” she said. 

Then a winged shadow fell upon her. “Hey, Pinkie, hurry up, will you?” called a familiar voice from above.

“Dashie?” 

Pinkie Pie looked up. Indeed, it was Rainbow Dash, flying above a mountain trail some distance up the slope. A line of familiar ponies were climbing the mountain there.

“Dashie! I was just looking for you!” shouted Pinkie Pie, running up the trail. Soon she reached the place where she could turn around and continue climbing, catching up with the group. “Where have you all been?”

The other ponies turned to look upon her. They were all wearing saddle bags and by the look of it they had spent some time hiking already. There was Applejack, currently busy pushing Fluttershy up the trail. In front of her there was Rarity, Rainbow Dash who followed the group while hanging in the air, and leading the group was Octavia. She shook her head at Pinkie’s question.

“We were climbing the mountain? Don’t you remember?”

Pinkie Pie scratched her head. “We were…” She tried to remember, but her memories were kind of fuzzy and something didn’t quite fit. “It’s about the dragon, isn’t it?”

Rainbow Dash groaned. “Yes, it’s about the dragon.” She pointed her hoof up at a black cloud of smoke covering the top of the mountain. “We have to save Twilight from him. You said you could make him laugh.”

“I did?” Pinkie stared at Dash in confusion. The others shot her annoyed glances. 

“Ok, let me check my party supplies.” She dove with her muzzle into her saddle bags. “Streamers… balls… wrapping paper… a ladder… an accordion…”  she poked her head out, turning towards Rarity. “Say, do you have any glitter? Dragons like shiny things.”

Rarity raised an eyebrow. “You mean you don’t have it on you? I guess I could find a little bit for you… wait, darling, you aren’t thinking of making yourself gold head to toe? I’m afraid I don’t have nearly enough.”

They reached a wider shelf that gave a panoramic view of the western side of the mountain. Applejack could finally stop pushing Fluttershy, and could catch up with the rest of the girls. “We’re almost there. Now, do we have a plan?”

“Well,” started Octavia. “I’m going to play for the dragon and hope he is impressed. Then you can get Twilight out.”

“Wait,” said Pinkie Pie. “Didn’t you say I was supposed to make him laugh? Or do we take turns trying? And where’s your cello anyway?”

Octavia scowled. “My cello is already there. Rainbow carried it up there for me. And no, we aren’t going to take turns. I just prepared plan b in case you fail.”

“Hey!” said Pinkie, landing just in front of Octavia’s face. “I never fail at making ponies smile. I can make that dragon laugh too.”

Octavia put her front hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder and very slowly pushed her away. “Well, I’ve never seen anything funny from you. The last time we met, all you did was ruin my concert.”

“Your concert?” asked Pinkie in surprise.

Octavia’s eyes widened. “You mean you don’t even remember? It was at the Grand Galloping Gala. I was there with my band playing on stage. And then you appeared. You made me play pony pokey to Canterlot nobles!” she hissed suddenly.

Pinkie Pie chuckled. “Oh, right, that was fun.”

Octavia’s eyes narrowed and she walked closer, forcing Pinkie to step back. “Fun? That was your idea of fun? That’s how you want to make the dragon laugh? Did you ever stop to think what it could do to me? To my career?”

“And you stage-dove into mah cake,” added Applejack.

“In my dress,” added Rarity. “After all the work I put into it.”

“It was an accident!” said Pinkie. “I didn’t know the cake would be there!”

“You didn’t know?” asked Octavia “Or did you just not think of the consequences?”

“Yea,” said Rainbow Dash. “And what about that time when you sang that horrible song in Appleloosa? The whole town got wrecked!”

“Heeeey” said Pinkie, pouting. “I did my best there. I didn’t know the buffaloes would be such a tough crowd. I’d never hurt anypony on purpose.”

“Like when ya jabbered on for hours and hours when I wouldn’t tell you about tha rodeo?” asked Applejack.

“Like when you dressed up as Mare-do-well to rain on my parade?” said Rainbow Dash.

“We all did that,” answered Pinkie.

“So, it’s our fault now?” asked Rarity. “What about that… dreadful dress you made me make for you? It almost ruined my business. And after all the work I had put into making you look good...”

Pinkie’s ears drooped. “I already said I was sorry for that.”

“And then you pushed her out of the speeding cart and got you both stranded in Dodge Junction,” said Octavia. “Did you apologise for that one too? What’s the point of saying you’re sorry if you keep hurting everypony over and over again? What about that song you made about Zecora? Or all the things you did to Cranky? Did you think everypony would just forget?”

Rainbow Dash, Rarity and Applejack formed a semi-circle around Pinkie Pie, each nodding her head each time Octavia listed a new thing. Pinkie found herself stepping back towards the edge of the cliff.

“Of course you didn’t forget,” she said. “But I did so much to make you smile, every day. I may be silly sometimes, but I always take care of my friends.”

Everything grew silent, the ponies stopping in their tracks and the wind at the mountain dying down. The sky grew dark, night falling as quickly as if somepony extinguished the sun. After a moment Pinkie couldn’t see anything around her but the silhouettes of the standing mares, the only spot of light left behind them, pointing down at Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus had kept silent until now, standing in the back row. Now she was standing straight with her wings folded, staring at Pinkie Pie with weird intensity.

“You replaced me with a bucket of turnips,” she said softly.

***

Deep in the tower, Obsidian stirred. Turning away from the Amaranthine Flower, he left the room and walked out and up the stairs. After talking a couple more turns he ended out outside. 

It wasn’t so much a courtyard as the ground floor of a building that was no longer there, a central tower that used to be the core of the whole structure, now turned into a gravity-defying mess of shattered walls and tangled staircases connecting the four still standing smaller towers that surrounded it. The stone floor was strewn with rubble and nearly invisible under a layer of fine white dust.

Obsidian walked slowly across the floor, towards the spot where the main entrance to the tower used to be. Now it was just two stumps of an arch reaching into the air, the top part having collapsed when the keystone was torn out. It had been like this for many centuries. The only new element was a body of a purple unicorn collapsed on the ground in the entrance.

After a moment of scanning the unicorn with his eyes, Obsidian focused his mind and poured power into her. As she twitched slightly, he brought his staff over her body, ready to strike. Then he waited for her to open her eyes. When it didn’t happen, he prodded her with the staff.

“Rise,” he said, his raspy voice filled with impatience.

Twilight Sparkle stirred, looking around her with half-focused eyes. She tried to get up and barely managed to, her legs terribly wobbly. Obsidian stepped back, his face a mask of cold calculation, the staff levitating at his side.

“Tell me who you are and how did you get here,” he said.

“I… I’m Twilight Sparkle…” Twilight managed to say. “I don’t know how I got here. I don’t even know where I am. And who are you? And how are you doing this?” she continued, suddenly regaining focus at the sight of Obsidian’s levitating staff.

Obsidian looked down on her. “I am Obsidian. You’re in the Tower of Lost Thought. Which is strange, since the spell that stranded it in Dissonance wasn’t supposed to let anypony in or out. Not even the Elements of Harmony.”

To that, Twilight’s ears perked up. “I am an Element of Harmony!” she said. “I bear the element of Magic!”

“Oh, you are the Element of Magic. In that case, why are you here at all?”

Twilight looked around, blinking at the sight of the gravity and geometry-defying mess above her head. “I told you, I don’t even know where I am. You said it’s the Tower of Lost Thought and it is placed in Dissonance. But I’ve never heard of either of those. What is this place?”

Obsidian stared at Twilight for a moment, blinking. “Follow me,” he said, turning away from her and walking towards the entrance to the nearest tower. 

Twilight Sparkle sighed and followed him, keeping close behind him until the side of her head suddenly collided with the base of a wooden stairway, her skull exploding with pain as it finally registered the impact that knocked her off her hooves and sent her flying. 

Obsidian turned around with a snarl, his staff swinging around in the air, ready to strike another blow.

Twilight just whimpered on the ground, unable to get up, her vision swimming. Obsidian walked closer, staring down at her from underneath his dishevelled mane, an angry grimace on his muzzle. The air crackled around him and for a moment Twilight could see faint blue light outlining a pattern of runes on his coat that matched the ones on his staff.

“You, the Element of Magic, the most powerful wizard in the world,” he growled.

“You’ve just been beaten with a stick. You don’t know how you’ve come here. You don’t know where you are, or what Dissonance is…”

He loomed over her, stomping a hoof next to her head. Twilight could see his teeth, unsettlingly sharp and inequine, with long canines, bared as if he was about to bite her.

“YOU DON’T KNOW WHO I AM!” he shouted in a voice that reverberated across the ruins, causing Twilight’s head to explode with pain again.

Obsidian closed his eyes and the aura around him subsided. He was still breathing heavily. “This… it wasn’t supposed to be like this,” he croaked. “After so long… somepony finally here and it’s this!?”

He then poked Twilight with his staff.

“Ok, then… Let’s try to act rationally. Get up and tell me what you... think you know.”

He was answered by a weak groan. He rolled his eyes before looking down at Twilight. A moment later his staff struck down, embedding itself in stone right in front of her eyes.

“You’re supposed to know magic. Focus, put yourself together and get up,” he barked. 
“Souls don’t get concussed.”
> Chapter 4: The Trial
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow Dash emerged from a bank of clouds and looked around. When no pursuers showed up behind her, she allowed herself a moment to catch her breath. The winged things that had been chasing her ever since she fled the creepy ballroom by jumping through the open window had apparently lost her trail.

Rainbow Dash blinked. A ball room? How did she get there? There was a green meadow and then a battlefield? No, the battlefield was before. The pegasus shook her head, trying to clear it. She had a nagging feeling that she had forgotten something very important.

“Hey! Rainbow Dash!” she heard a stallion’s voice from below. She looked down and saw the ice-blue mane of Thunderlane. The pegasus was flying up to meet her. “Everypony’s ready. We’re just waiting for you.” He then swooped down, leaving Rainbow Dash no choice but to follow.

As they descended towards the ground, Rainbow caught a glimpse of Fluttershy’s cottage in the distance. The mountains, no longer obscured by the clouds, allowed her to orient herself. She was now over the forested area east of Ponyville. There was a group of tents and a training range set up in a forest clearing below.

Thunderlane landed, joining a group of pegasi already standing there. Rainbow Dash recognized five regulars of her weather team, as well as Fluttershy, who was standing next to them, shaking a bit, but with unusual determination on her face.

In front of the group a large board had been set up. A dark grey unicorn stallion wearing a military uniform and sunglasses walked in front of it, a piece of chalk following in his telekinetic grip.

“Ah, Miss Rainbow Dash,” he said, turning to the audience. Dash was surprised to see that his sunglasses were missing one glass, a lilac eye boring into her inquisitively. Then the unicorn turned towards the board, the chalk moving at surprising speed, creating a rough sketch of a pointy mountain and the surrounding air currents.

“I’m captain Pincushion,” said the unicorn. “I will be coordinating this operation from the ground.” 

He looked at the group and then nodded his head to the right, indicating the mountain. “As you already know, Equestria is facing the problem of a large dragon sleeping within our territory. The fumes from his breath have accumulating around the mountain top, disrupting the local weather patterns.”

He paused to make sure everypony is listening and then continued in a serious tone. “What some of you don’t know yet is that we have confirmed the fumes to be highly toxic. If they mixed with ordinary clouds and trigger and off-schedule rainfall, this could cause a disaster for miles around.” 

There were gasps of disbelief at the statement. Pincushion waited patiently until they ended.

“Normally, this would have been the Wonderbolts' job, but due to some… other emergencies, elsewhere, they are all tied up at the moment. It is therefore up to Ponyville weather team to handle this problem. While another group has been sent to deal with the dragon itself, your job will be to create a twister to funnel the fumes away and pull them towards an isolated area in the Badlands, where they can be dealt with safely. Other, nearby weather teams are working to keep the winds around the mountain from spreading the cloud. According to our calculations, you have three days to prepare before it has to be funneled away. You should use this time to work on teamwork and any other outstanding issues. Any questions?”

Dash flew to the front of the group. “If this is so important, why just the seven of us? Wouldn’t it be better to have more pegasi working together?”

Pincushion looked up at him. “The bigger the group, the harder to coordinate it. You of all ponies should know that. Furthermore, the dragons’ sleep isn’t a constant thing and they are highly territorial. A larger flock might provoke it to attack.”

“Also, it’s not like we could draft everypony like it’s tornado day,” said Thunderlane. “This stuff is dangerous. If the funnel falls apart, we’ll all be poisoned.”

“Quite right,” said Pin. “Fortunately, fumes are much easier to move than water. As long as all of you do your job, you won’t need any more wingpower. Once you’re away from the mountain, one of the containment teams will take over to keep the funnel moving when you get tired. Now, I think I’ll leave you to your preparations.”

The unicorn nodded his head and turned to leave towards one of the tents. Rainbow Dash landed in the vacated spot and looked over her team. 

“You’ve all heard what he said. It’s nothing we can’t handle, but we have three days of hard training ahead of us. Start your warm-ups, everypony.”

All the pegasi stomped their hooves in unison and then spread around the clearing to begin their exercises. All except Fluttershy, who was still standing stiff. Rainbow Dash flew up to her. 

“Fluttershy, what are you doing here?” she asked.

The yellow mare lowered her gaze and started drawing circles on the ground with her hoof. “I… volunteered.”

Dash raised an eyebrow. “Volunteered? But you hate this stuff. Not to mention dragons.”

Fluttershy looked up at her, biting her lip. “I… I know. And I do… I mean…”
Rainbow Dash sighed, then smiled. “What’s going on, Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy braced herself and took a deep breath. “I heard somepony say they should get one more pegasus just in case and I’m tired of everypony thinking I’m useless, and I will try my best really.” She hesitated. “And it’s not like any actual dragons will be involved, right? It’s somepony else’s job,” she smiled hopefully.

Right on cue, a roar echoed upon the air from the direction of the mountain. Fluttershy shrunk in place, her wings stiff at her sides.

Rainbow Dash took a deep breath. “Fluttershy. Nopony thinks you’re useless. You’re a hero of Equestria, like me.”

“I know that, Dash,” said Fluttershy, “and you know that. But the other ponies… they just forget. They cheer for us one day and the next morning… You are an awesome flier, Twilight is Princess Celestia’s personal student, Pinkie Pie is the awesome party planner that everypony knows…” She sighed softly. “And I get pushed out of lines and overcharged at the market. Once the applause stops, nopony respects me…”

“Hey, Rainbow Dash!” shouted Thunderlane from behind. “Are you warming up with us, or not?”

***

“Souls?” 

Twilight’s eyes widened, and for a moment she became completely still, her mouth hanging open first in surprise and then in horror. Obsidian kept standing over her with an expression that implied a facehoof.

“See?” he said. “The moment you’re distracted from the pain, it stops hindering you. And don’t bother listening for a heartbeat. It’s only there if you think it should be. Now do put yourself together before your…” He groaned and smacked the ground in front of her with his staff, causing her to yelp and flinch away. “Focus! Your panic can literally rip you apart if you let it! Now shut your eyes, calm your thoughts, and imagine yourself healthy until the pain goes away.”

Twilight looked fearfully at him, then at the staff. Finally, she hesitantly closed her eyes, breathing in and out deliberately. After exhaling for the third time she opened her eyes with a more lucid expression. She was still shaking though. 

“Do you mean... I’m dead?” she asked.

“Well, your body isn’t here, that’s for sure. Do you know where it is?” asked Obsidian. “The most logical location to get here from would be the Nevercrest sanctuary. Or is it another thing you’ve never heard about?”

Twilight scrunched her face in thought. “No, I haven’t.”

Obsidian shook his head. “Well, in that case, let us start with a simple experiment.” His staff swung in the air, pointing towards the broken arch marking the entrance. “Try to walk out of here that way.”

Twilight got up on shaky legs. Looking over her shoulder at Obsidian, she walked towards the doorway. She didn’t get far. As she tried to pass the threshold, she found herself stopped, as if struggling in something extremely thick.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“It means you’re as trapped here, as I am,” sighed Obsidian. “On the plus side, that means you’ll live, at least for the time being. You don’t have what it takes to survive the raw Dissonance outside.”

Twilight backpedalled from the exit and turned back towards the earth pony. Her right eye was twitching. “You… tried to kill me?” She took a lower stance and pointed her horn at Obsidian. “Tell me who are you and where this place is!”

Obsidian smirked, his staff coming to his side. “Oh, wonderful!. I haven’t had a chance to fight in centuries. But I’m afraid, you’re not much of a challenge.”

His staff glowed with blue runes, spun and hit the ground, expelling an explosion of force that swept Twilight with a cloud of white dust. Twilight braced herself, instinctively conjuring a bubble of force. She stared into the swirling dust, trying to locate Obsidian.

The staff flew at her like a javelin, piercing the barrier and bopping her on the nose. Blue sparks of magic exploded, arcing over Twilight’s body and the unicorn fell to the ground writhing in pain.

A blow of wind swept away the dust. Obsidian walked up to Twilight and stood over her. “That was pathetic. Now, before I was so rudely interrupted…”

He sighed heavily. “Ok, let’s start over. I will answer some of your questions now. Do you think you can stay on the floor and not try anything stupid for a moment?”

Twilight managed a painful grunt and a nod.

Obsidian cleared his throat. “So to start with, no, I wasn’t trying to kill you. I was just… trying to see if I could get out. Forgive me for being too eager after all the time I’ve spent here.
As for what Dissonance is, it’s the realm of primal chaos, an endless void in which the mortal world floats, a boundless sea of possibilities that gives life to everything, the source of all magic. Which any bearer of Magic should know, by the way.” His voice was still raspy, but was getting clearer by the sentence.

“Now, when I found you, you were almost completely drained. That means you’re not dead yet. Souls that get here after death tend to quickly dissolve. Some might stick around as ghosts if they have something to hold to, but sooner or later they all melt away. Dissonance is full of emotions and dreams and memories, everything that has ever gone through the mortal hearts. Without the flesh to anchor it, a soul quickly loses the sense of self, their memories mix with those flowing around them until they are a nameless spark of life ready for another incarnation.”

“But you were drained. That means you defended yourself. You didn’t know it, but you forced your will on the chaos around you, gave it form you could understand. And for a time it listened, but the strain exhausted you. The effort to stay yourself almost killed you. Metaphorically, you were submerged in water and wetting yourself with fear until you dehydrated. If you hadn’t stumbled into the tower, which I will need to investigate, since it was thought impossible for centuries, you would have died surrounded by figments of your imagination.”

He looked down at Twilight. The unicorn was still on the ground, but had already forgotten about the pain, now listening intently to his lecture.

“As for this place specifically,” continued Obsidian, “back when it still stood in the mortal world, it used to be the Tower of Thought, the place where the idea of the Elements of Harmony first appeared. For many centuries now it has been my home and my prison.”

“And as to who I am… you can call me Obsidian. I’m an advisor to the Elements of Harmony and the master of the Void Passage, the construct designed to test those wishing to bear the Elements.”

He stopped and looked down at her. “Now, your turn. Tell me your whole story. If somepony as weak as you have truly become the bearer of Magic, something must have gone horribly wrong.”

“Your teeth…” said Twilight, picking herself from the ground.

“What about them?” asked Obsidian, raising an eyebrow.

Twilight looked him up and down. “What’s wrong with your teeth?”

Obsidian shot her a bemused look. “After all you’ve heard, my teeth is what bugs you? What’s wrong with your hooves?”

Twilight looked at her legs. “What’s wrong with them?”

“You’re a unicorn,” answered Obsidian. “Back when I walked the world, unicorns had cloven hooves.”

Twilight shot him a confused look. “I’ve never heard of anything like that. How long have you been here?”

Obsidian smirked, which was probably meant to look endearing, but actually made him look like a Nightmare Night decoration. “Since before Coltlantis sank and its ponies turned into kelpies. Now, answer my questions. Time might be just a suggestion here, but that doesn’t mean we should waste it.” 

***

Rarity fell onto her sewing table with a content sigh. She was tired, but happy, her newest work finally complete. Forcing herself to raise from her stool she levitated the last dress onto the hanger next to the other two.

“Those vacations have really done me good.” She smiled at her reflection in the mirror. She then blinked in confusion, trying to remember where she had actually been on vacation. Somehow she was sure there were airships involved. 

Shaking her head, she approached the hanger to take one last look at the three dresses. It was lucky I returned when I did. If these girls really want to become successful fashion models, they need to be noticed. They need dresses that will let them show their inner beauty on that one show they get. 

She turned the cloth in her magical aura, double-checking all the details. 

“Yes, that’s a win for them and for me. I’m sure Reginald will be impressed.”

***

“We need to talk,” said Pincushion, approaching Rainbow Dash. 

Rainbow interrupted her wing push-ups and looked up at the unicorn. “Give me a second. I’m just about finished.”

Pincushion nodded and moved away from the group, but kept watching Dash intently. The pegasus finished her training routine and rose into the air, joining the officer with a few lazy flaps of her wings.

“So… before we start, it’s been bothering me,” she said, looking down at him. “What’s with the glasses?”

Pincushion looked at the tip of his own muzzle. “Oh, that? They got broken in a fight. I keep meaning to repair them, but it turns out I see more this way. That’s not what I wanted to talk about though,” he said, suddenly getting serious.

“So, what is it about?” asked Dash, hovering lower to let the unicorn speak without raising his head.

Pincushion stared straight into Dash’s eyes. “It’s about one of your teammates.” He looked aside, his horn briefly indicating the yellow pegasus practicing away from the group.

Rainbow Dash frowned. “Fluttershy? What about her?”

“I have watched her practice and even though she’s a volunteer, I don’t think she should accompany us,” said the unicorn.

“What? Why?” asked Rainbow, though a part of her already knew the answer.

“She is an average flier at best,” said Pincushion, “but that’s not what I’m worried about. She is twitchy, easily startled. Your task will require perfect coordination and any mistakes might turn out downright dangerous. I think the small increase in wing power isn’t worth the risk to the operation.”

Rainbow Dash stared at him first, then at Fluttershy. “I… know what you mean... “ she said slowly, “But just look at her! Can’t you see how hard she’s trying?”

“Irrelevant,” said the unicorn. “It doesn’t matter if she gives her best, if it isn’t enough.”

Rainbow Dash just glared at him. “Ok, I will keep an eye on her. We still have two days, don’t we? Once it’s time to go, I’ll decide whether to take her along or not.”

Pincushion looked her in the eyes again. “As you wish, but remember: You’re the leader. The whole team trust you with their lives. We are all depending on you, not just Fluttershy.”

***

“So, what do you think?” Rarity opened the curtain with a dramatic gesture, revealing three ponyquins with the new dresses upon them. She looked at the three mares with a smile.

Daisy, Lily and Rose approached the ponyquins with unsure expressions. Seconds passed and Rarity’s smile started to become stiff. Behind the facade, the fashionista panicked silently. She had done everything there was to be done to make the dresses fabulous. They should be amazed. What has gone wrong? And why did the whole scene seem so strangely familiar?

“Weeell… to be honest…” started Rose. Rarity went pale, all the alarms ringing in her head.

“These are good, definitely…” said Lily, walking around her ponyquin for a closer look.

The unsaid ‘but’ hung in the air like a blade of a guillotine. 

“Is there anything amiss, darling?”, asked Rarity, approaching the dress, her smile so forced it seemed ready to crack and fall off her face. 

“We were thinking…” started Daisy. Rarity groaned internally. ‘Thinking’ customers were always the worst.

“I mean, we only get this one shot, don’t we?” continued Daisy. “We need to make sure we only have the very best.”

“Oh, I assure you, it is the very best,” answered Rarity. “I may not have quite as much at stake as you do here, but it is still a matter of my reputation as the best tailor in Ponyville. After all, those dresses will appear at the fashion show with my name on them. Even if I didn’t try my hardest for all my customers, I surely would for you.”

“We just want to make sure, that is all,” said Rose. “We have…” she paused, seeing a nervous twitch on Rarity’s face. “... we have decided to check one more designer, just in case.”

If there were any windigos left in Equestria, Rarity’s gaze would have encased Rose in a solid block of ice. The fashionista approached the earth pony on stiff legs. “Who?” she said in a hoarse whisper.

Rose turned red. “It’s… an unicorn from Canterlot. She arrived yesterday. We were thinking, since she is from the capital, she would be more in touch with…”

“Not. A. Word. More,” Rarity nearly growled. “Take me to her.”

***

The Ponyville town hall was brimming with activity, ponies walking in and out of the main chamber, bringing with them all sorts of fashion-related items. Even though the show wasn’t to take place until the next day, all present were showing nervousness. Under normal circumstances Rarity would feel for them; actually she had felt the same way until just minutes before. Right now though she was too incensed to notice. She trotted purposefully through the hall, her face tensed as some of her instincts prevented her from exploding with anger in front of multiple witnesses. 

Lily moved ahead of her, obviously trying to find somepony. Rarity followed, scanning the room with her eyes until she located the pony Lily was heading to. It was a unicorn mare with light blue-grey mane and the coat in an awful pale shade of what she probably liked to believe was royal yellow. All she was wearing, from the white shirt, through jewellery, to the sweater draped over her back shouted ‘expensive’.

The gears in Rarity’s head started grinding as she tried to remember the name. 

“Upper Crust, is it?” she said, pushing in front of Lily and forcing a smile again.

The other unicorn looked at her in surprise. “Hmm? Oh, it is you, Rarity. I’m afraid I’m a bit busy right now. Is anything the matter?”

“Actually yes,” replied Rarity. “I am preparing to show my latest works on the fashion show, but I’ve just been told that the models I designed by dresses for have been given another proposal. So I’ve come here to see what the fuss is about.”

Upper Crust looked at Rarity is surprise, then her eyes widened in understanding as he noticed the three mares surrounding them. “Oh, that would be me. The girls told me everything about their dreams of modelling professionally and I couldn’t resist helping them.”

It was Rarity’s turn to be surprised. “You? But you aren’t a designer. You just attend shows.”

“I am now,” smiled Upper Crust. “See, attending shows all the time gives me a certain advantage over the… other ponies,” she finished awkwardly, visibly catching herself at the last moment. “By always being in the center of it all, I don’t need to wait to read the magazines to see what will be in vogue. I can see the new trends as they are born. So, I thought, if I have what it takes to get ahead, why not do it? I gave it a try and never looked back since.”

She took her eyes off Rarity to have a look around the other mares. “You are just in time too. I have just finished working on your dresses.”

She pointed to a spot beside the wall, enclosed with red curtains. The flower trio rushed in and Rarity couldn’t help following.

“See what I told you?” said Upper Crust. The maes nodded vigorously.

“Yes, they’re beautiful!” exclaimed Rose before noticing Rarity right next to her and turning red again.

Rarity pushed past her to get a better look. For a moment she forgot about her anger and focused on taking in the details. “These are… more extravagant than mine… they’re almost haute couture. I went for something beautiful, but practical. I can certainly see the appeal… but the craft is shoddy! Look here!” she pointed her hoof at one of the dresses. “These stitches shouldn’t be visible. Ordinary ponies might not notice, but a fashion critic like Reginald will eat you alive if you show him something like this.”

Lily, Rose and Daisy looked at Upper Crust, whose face turned from dull yellow to peach. She pushed past them and showed Rarity away from the ponyquin. 

“How… dare you!” she hissed through gritted teeth. “You think, a small town… seamstress knows more about fashion than me? I’ve been wearing such dresses since I was small, I was LIVING the fashion when you were reading about it in your magazines.”

It was Rarity’s turn to go all red, her boiling anger finally breaking to the surface. “You and fashion?! Don’t make me laugh! Not only you can’t sew properly. You don’t know anything about fashion either. You’re not an expert, you’re a snob! You only know how to parrot those who really understand the art!”

Upper Crust rose to her hind legs and for a moment it looked like she was about to slam into Rarity with her front hooves. Then she huffed in contempt and resumed her normal stance, an angry growl turning into a sneer. “Is that so? Well… why don’t we let those who really matter decide?”

She looked towards the flower trio, giving them a much warmer smile. “I’m sure you understand we’re both upset. We’d say things we wouldn’t mean to. So, please disregard our words and just decide for yourself. You have seen the dresses we’ve both made, haven’t you? Now, which of them would you choose for your one chance to shine?”

SIlence fell. Suddenly Rarity realised that the whole room was looking at the five of them, the rush of preparations replaced by silent anticipation. Daisy, Lily and Rose were looking panically at each other, as if cornered by predators. 

Finally, Rose walked to the fore. “I… I’m sorry, Rarity. This really is our one chance.”

Nopony else said a word, but for Rarity the world might as well explode into shards. Rose hung her head low. Upper Crust smiled triumphantly. Rarity ran.

***
“Well, that answers some questions,” said Obsidian, looking scornfully at Twilight. They were sitting in one of the tower chambers, Twilight having just finished her story.

Twilight coughed. “You wouldn’t have anything to drink?”

Obsidian rolled his eyes. “No. Souls don’t need water.”

Twilight glared at him. “I’m still thirsty.”

Obsidian shrugged. “It’s in your mind. Your throat is sore because you think it should be. If it bothers you, conjure yourself a drink. This place is stiffer than the Dissonance outside, but it will listen if you push hard enough.”

Twilight looked at him, then at the floor in front of herself. She focused and her horn started to light up.

Obsidian swatted her horn with his staff. “Not like this. Use your will only.”

Twilight flinched away, shielding herself with her hooves. “Will you stop doing that?”

For a moment Obsidian looked like he was about to hit her again. Then his shoulders slumped. “Forgive me. It’s just you’re so… not what I expected. Not from my first real conversation in ages. Not from the Element of Magic. Life isn’t fair.”

“You’re the one to say life isn’t fair?,” said Twilight, backing into a corner.

“It isn’t,” said Obsidian. “Do you think I’m happy with all this?”

“How could you of all ponies be an advisor to the Elements of Harmony?” asked Twilight through gritted teeth.

Obsidian smirked. “Well, we never talked directly, so they were out of reach. Also, they were more competent than you. Less reason to hit them.”

“That… doesn’t really answer my question.” said Twilight. She remained in the corner, observing the staff cautiously.

Obsidian shrugged again and the staff hung passively at his side. “Coming back to the important matters, there are things in your story that don’t fit. Starting with the fact that you know nothing about me or how the Elements of Harmony came into being. Not a word about the Alicorn Empire, even though it was formed after the three tribes united to form Equestria. Instead you have this… hearth’s warming story. There are only two ways this could fit together. Either your entire history was falsified…”

“What?!” Twilight shouted. Obsidian’s staff jerked in her direction and she reacted by teleporting to the other side of the room.

“Don’t interrupt me, please,” said Obsidian. “Or so much time has passed that the real history was forgotten and then somepony took a couple of myths and made them history.”

“Or perhaps your memories are not what they used to be,” said Twilight. You’ve been stuck here for centuries and you have practically admitted to being…” she halted, looking for a word.

“Crazy,” finished Obsidian. “Don’t try to sugarcoat it. Of course I can’t prove anything to you. Even if I were to find a right book here,” he pointed around at the decaying bookshelves, “these are just props now, memories of what used to be. I’d have to rip it out of the shelf and then force it to have words in it. And then you’d say it’s just what I wished it to be.

“In the end it doesn’t matter, of course. The truth doesn’t care if you believe it or not. But still, I can ask you some questions to prove my point.” he said, turning towards the corner where Twilight was now standing.

“So,” said Twilight, “you say you’re right and the entire world is wrong?”

Obsidian smirked. “Why, yes. Consider this. The Crystal Empire. Gone a thousand years ago. Nopony knows about it. Princess Luna. Gone for a thousand years. Already a myth, a story to scare foals with. Discord. Nopony remembered him. Despite the fact that Equestria has a supposedly immortal ruler, who lived to see all those events, all of that history was lost, unknown even to the most brilliant student of the princess herself. Doesn’t it make you wonder what else was conveniently forgotten?”

Twilight turned red. “That doesn’t make sense! Princess Celestia would never lie to me!”

Obsidian’s smile widened. “Ah, I see your mind’s already pointing you to the most logical conclusion. You said that, not me.”

It was Twilight’s turn to sneer. “The most logical? Hardly. We aren’t the only nation with written history. You think somepony could cheat the whole world?”

Obsidian scratched his chin with a hoof. “The whole world? Let’s see… The Crystal Empire you told me about. It should be the most valuable... time capsule in the world, a treasure trove of knowledge from the times long past. But where were its scholars? You said there was a huge library there, but for all those bookshelves all you could find about its own history was one vandalized book. Didn’t it strike you as odd?”

“There were just the seven of us digging through it,” answered Twilight. “I’m sure there must have been more books we missed.”

Obsidian nodded. “Have it your way for now. I’m not finished yet.”

He walked around the room, his staff trailing a glowing pattern in the air. Twilight stayed on guard in case it lashed at her again, but it was not the case; when Obsidian finished his circle, the glowing trails coalesced into six points in the air.

“You said princess Celestia used to wield the Elements of Harmony before you six and used them to banish her sister to the moon. But that makes no sense for two reasons. The first is, you can’t just pass an Element to another pony. The bond is for life. Unless your princess changed her nature so drastically her Element considered her dead, it wouldn’t properly bind to another. Has she?”

“I don’t know,” said Twilight. “How much is ‘drastically’?” 

“If I told you I used to be a bearer, would you believe me?” asked Obsidian.

“You?” asked Twilight, her eyes widening as her mind registered the implications “You used to be an Element of Harmony? I surely wouldn’t believe that. What element did you wield?”

Obsidian grinned widely. “Oh, can’t you guess?”

Twilight tilted her head and squinted. “Definitely not Kindness. Nor Laughter. That eliminates Magic as well, I think. I’d say… you might be Honesty, if it was really warped.”

“Wrong way of thinking,” said Obsidian. “I could be any of them. Since the point is I’ve changed so much, I might have as well been Kindness and then turn my back on it. You’re right about Honesty though. I was very different back then, but always to the point.” He nodded towards his rump and Twilight caught an outline of his cutie mark, a darker spot on his brown coat, barely visible in the muted light: a smith’s hammer.

“You say your princess is an image of virtues now, a paragon of all the Elements,” he continued “and yet the Elements are no longer hers?”

“I only have your word that that’s how they work,” said Twilight, looking at Obsidian with suspicion.

“Yes,” the stallion responded. “You also had the princess’ word and nothing more. And you believed her.”

Twilight turned red. “She is my teacher! She taught me all I know about magic!”

“And it looks like you can’t beat an earth pony in a magic duel,” responded Obsidian, sneering. “Some teacher she was. Did she at least teach you the principle of magical foci?”

“Of course she did,” said Twilight tersely. 

“If you have used the Elements,” said Obsidian, “then you know they are such foci. They provide you with means to focus more power. Even if you didn’t know they take it from here, you understand how it works: you focus on your Element and it gets you power. You combine it with your friends’ and it gets far more potent. You split your attention between two or more and…”

Twilight frowned. Obsidian smiled.

“The Elements of Harmony always attune to one bearer each,” said Obsidian. “To use multiple ones wouldn’t make you stronger any more than growing extra horns would make you a better wizard. Your princess Celestia using all of them at once makes no sense.”
  
> Chapter 5: The Cage
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Applejack was running through the orchard, Carrot Top barely keeping up with her.

“Wait for… me…” gasped the orange mare. 

“Can’t wait if mah friends are in danger,” said Applejack over her shoulder. “Can you show me tha way?” 

“You’ll know it when you see it!” wheezed Carrot Top as she stopped to catch some breath. Applejack continued running.

How could it all happen? Yesterday had been a normal day, Applejack working hard to finish her harvest in time. Now the princesses were gone, fighting some unknown threat on the other end of Equestria, and Applejack’s friends had apparently been captured by a dragon.

She kept galloping, through the orchard, past the last trees and into the rocky area that stretched between Ponyville and the Ghastly Gorge. And just as Carrot Top had said, she didn’t have any problems finding her destination. There was a cloud of smoke marking a cave entrance far in the distance. Applejack skulked around it, looking for a less exposed approach, but in vain. Finally she sighed, braced herself and slowly walked up to the mouth of the cave.

The stream of black smoke ended abruptly and then the ground shook. Something moved deep inside the tunnel.

“Who’s there?!” demanded a voice. Reverberations shook the cavern walls. 

Her attempt at a stealthy approach thwarted before it even began, Applejack stomped her hoof, trying her best to sound more confident than she was. “I’m Applejack! I’m here to save mah friends!”

She was answered by a rumbling noise that sounded strangely like muffled laughter. A pair of giant glowing eyes approached rapidly. She moved back just in time to get out of the way as the huge red head emerged from the cave.

The dragon was enormous, his red body so large he had to crawl with his wings folded to fit through the entrance. When he got half-way out, he looked down on Applejack. “What is it you want, again?”

Applejack’s ears drooped. “I… want you to let my friends out,” she managed.

There was a shout deep inside the cave, too distorted by the echo to understand, but that was very clearly Pinkie Pie. The dragon twitched, his tail thrashing inside the tunnel. The yelling stopped.

“No way…” said the dragon, straightening to his full height. “Friends are the greatest treasure. They belong in my hoard.”

Applejack blinked at the statement. Something was wrong, but she couldn’t quite put her hoof on it. “Well, they’re mah friends and I ain’t gonna leave without ‘em,” she said, raising her voice so that it would reach the dragon’s ears so far above her.

The dragon’s claw balled into a fist and slammed the ground next to her, causing her to flinch away with a yelp.

“You’re a funny little pony,” said the dragon, lowering his head over Applejack, “and I’m bored. How about a game?”

“What?” This wasn’t what Applejack expected.

“A wager,” said the dragon. “A… challenge. You win, and your friends are free. You lose and you go away. For good. No sneaking up when I try to sleep.”

Applejack backed off, partially to get out of the dragon’s reach and partially to be able to see him properly without looking up. “You expect me to agree to that? They’re mah friends you’re talking about, I can’t bet on that..”

The dragon yawned. “Or you could just go away and never return. All the same to me.”

Applejack took a deep breath. “So, what’s tha competition?”

The dragon turned towards her and smiled. “Rock farming. I heard your friends talking about you and your farm, but there’s nothing here to farm but rocks. So, that’s the game. Do you think you can beat a dragon in a game? Or will you just give up and let me sleep?”

Applejack stood still with her mouth clenched shut, but underneath her stetson her mind was buzzing. Finally she let out a breath. “Fine. Just give me a day to get ready. I’ll save my friends, just you wait an’ see.”

The giant lizard chuckled and then turned, the swing of his tail rising a cloud of dust as he crawled back into the cave. Applejack covered her face with her hat to guard against the debris. Once the dust settled, she shook it off her back and turned around, just in time to see Carrot Top approaching. “Well, that didn’t go as planned,” she sighed.

“Wow,” asked Carrot Top, coming to a halt next to Applejack, “Were you just going to fight the dragon?”

Applejack glared at her. “No way. I thought I could sneak past him, but it didn’t work out. I dunno how he heard me. He challenged me to a rock farming contest. Starts tomorrow.”

Carrot Top forced a smile. “Weeell… a rock farming contest is better than a fight, isn’t it? I mean you rock at all sorts of competitions.”

“But I’ve never done rock farming in mah life,” said Applejack, trotting away from the cave. “He just didn’t give me a choice. I couldn’t abandon mah friends.”

“So now you just have to win,” said Carrot Top.

Somepony cleared his throat loudly nearby. The two mares looked up to see a thin, pale yellow stallion standing on a rocky outcropping above. Applejack frowned as her brain registered the pale coat and the striped shirt and made a connection.

“Flim… What are ya doing here?” she asked.

The unicorn smiled, seemingly oblivious of both her tone and expression. “Just taking a break from testing a new invention of ours. And how fortunate that my stroll would take me within earshot of you two. It seems I might just have the solution for the problem you’re having.” He smiled wider. Applejack’s grimace deepened.

“Them again?” asked Carrot Top with visible disgust. “You know you can’t trust them.”

Applejack sighed. “Won’t hurt to hear what he has to say.” she looked up towards Flim. “What are ya tryin to sell this time?” she asked.

Flim’s grin widened. “Please follow me,” he said, pointing at a trail among the rocks leading up.

***
“So, what do you think?” asked Flim and Flam with wide grins.

Applejack looked at the contraption in front of her. “I don’t know. What is this?”

The device was some sort of a vehicle, superficially similar to the cider machine the brothers had built the previous year. There were wooden wheels, two seats and a bulky frame containing the engine. What made this device different was the drills. The whole front of the machine was a tangle of mechanical limbs, each ending with some sort of a digging tool. 

The brothers looked at each other, then at Applejack.

“This is…”

“...our latest invention…”

“...cutting edge technology in earthworks.”

“Behold… the Excavatron!”

“...an invention so new…”

“...we don’t even have a musical number for it yet.”

“Rest assured, in any challenge involving digging…”

“... it will have no equal…”

“...and just tomorrow it will be available for rent…”

“... at a price most reasonable for such a wonder…”

It took a moment for Applejack to be able to form a sentence. “And just what price is… ‘reasonable’?” she asked.

The brothers didn’t stop grinning.  “Well, how much do you value your friends?”

There was an awkward pause while Applejack and Carrot Top were standing with their jaws hanging open and the two stallions were looking at them expectantly. Finally Flim cleared his throat loudly.

“Oh, I think that came out wrong. We are realists of course. There are prices nopony will pay, even for a wonder such as this. But…”

“You have a farm, don’t you?” continued Flam. “I’m sure you have some bits left on the side in case of some disaster or emergency.”

“And this is an emergency, isn’t it?” added Flim.

“What a pile of horseapples!” shouted Carrot Top suddenly, stomping her hooves. “You don’t need to… cheat to win this, Applejack! And you certainly don’t need to pay these two… scoundrels.”

“Hey!” shouted Flim indignantly, “It won’t be cheating! It’s a rock farming contest, one on one. As long as you work alone, who cares what farming equipment you bring with you?”

“Your friend means well, I’m sure,” said Flam, leaning forward and putting a foreleg on Applejack’s withers,“but surely you have a clearer view of the situation than her. You know you can’t do it on your own. You need us.”    

***
“Where are you taking me?” asked Twilight Sparkle as she followed Obsidian through the labyrinthine staircase.

“I want to show you something,” answered the stallion. “It is connected to what you’ve told me about your princesses.”

“What about it?” asked Twilight. “More conspiracy theories?”

“On the contrary,” answered Obsidian, “this time I’ll simply show you something, and let you come up with theories. But first, a question. Do you know anything at all about the origins of your princesses?”

Twilight shook her head. “No. They have been asked, but wouldn’t tell. They’ve been around for as long as anypony remembers.”

“Do they receive any official worship?” asked Obsidian.

“No,” answered Twilight, confusion on her face. 

“They are indispensable though, aren’t they?” said Obsidian, walking into one of the smaller towers and down a spiral staircase. “Immortal rulers that nopony sane would even think of replacing, movers of the Sun and Moon, bearing the names of the Sun and Moon goddesses.”

“Wait, goddesses?” Twilight nearly stumbled down the stairs.

Obsidian rolled his eyes. “So, you didn’t hear that one either? Yes, goddesses. Two daughters of Father Sky and Mother Earth, endlessly circling around the world to bring day and night. Common knowledge in my times.”

Twilight hastened her pace to catch up with the stallion. “So, you’re trying to tell me…”

“That they are obviously frauds,” said Obsidian. “Even if the names are meaningless now, they took them for a reason. How long ago was it?” 

He stopped in front of a heavy door and tapped it with his staff, causing a spark of magic to flash briefly. He entered the round chamber, Twilight close behind him.

“How do you know they aren’t real goddesses?” asked Twilight. “They have ruled Equestria for over a thousand years and they move the Sun and Moon with their magic.”

Obsidian walked around the chamber before approaching the pot in the middle, standing on the opposite side of the flower to Twilight. “How do I know?” he asked.

He leaned over the flower and exhaled slowly. Twilight watched, fascinated, as the magical plant started draining his energy. 

“What are you doing?” she asked.

Obsidian closed his eyes in focus. “I’m feeding the Amaranthine Flower my essence. In return it will follow my will and focus on the images I want to show you.”

“So,” asked Twilight, “It’s something like a crystal ball?”

“It used to be,” answered Obsidian. “But now it is much more than that. In return for magic, it filters the infinity of Dissonance to find what you’re looking for.” 

“Can it find my friends?” asked Twilight.

Obsidian paused. “Your friends?” 

“Yes, my friends,” said Twilight. “I told you how I got here. If you can look out of this place, you must show me what happened to them!”

Obsidian opened his eyes and looked at her over the flower. “I must? Hardly. There are more important things now.”

Twilight rose to her full height, her horn lighting up. “No, there aren’t. Show me my friends!”

Obsidian shrugged. “All the Elements of Harmony will be meaningless if you keep sticking to your delusions. But have it your way. Five mares is a very specific thing to look for, but your connection to them will serve as a fine focus. Just extend your energy towards the Amaranthine.

Hesitantly, Twilight leaned closer to the flower. As she focused her energy on the plant, she felt a slight pull, and the light of her horn started to dim. She felt lightheaded, and swayed a bit before regaining focus.

“Now, look above the flower,” said Obsidian. Twilight opened her eyes just in time to see the vision forming.

“It’s us in Ponyville,” she nearly shouted as the scene unfolded before her, the six mares running around the collapsing town, a strange pony made of glowing runes flying in pursuit.

“False,” said Obsidian. “It is you, but it is not Ponyville. Look how it’s falling apart. It is merely a vision, a reality bubble weaved within Dissonance. The six of you were the only real things there.” He closed his eyes and the vision started moving in reverse before suddenly dissolving into nothingness.

“Now, this is unusual,” said Obsidian. “I can’t make the Amaranthine show me how you got there.”

“Didn’t you tell me it can show you anything?” asked Twilight. 

“Yes. But that’s not the same as everything,” said Obsidian. “And in this case, there are no trails left in Dissonance for the Amaranthine to find. That means somepony purposefully covered their tracks. Which only makes sense if somepony knew about the Amaranthine, and wanted to avoid detection. It also required magic way beyond your level of skill, and you claim to be the best unicorn there is.”

Twilight stared at him through the swirling white where the vision had been. “That’s… that’s not important now. Where did they go? What happened to them after that monster caught them? Are they… gone?”

“That ‘monster’ is named Verba,” answered Obsidian. “He oversees the Void Passage on my behalf. When I detected that bubble on the edge of the passage, it was already deteriorating rapidly, so I asked him to pop it.”

“What?” Twilight looked at him with confusion, then with anger. “You knew all along?”

“Yes,” said Obsidian.

“Why didn’t you tell me? Where are they now?” Twilight almost shouted.

Obsidian just closed his eyes. For a moment he was calmly focused. Then his eyes snapped open. “No… No! I refuse to believe it!”

“What!? What happened?” asked Twilight, pushing her head through the vision and into Obsidian’s face, her front hooves rustling the flower’s petals.

A smack of Obsidian’s staff propelled her into the book shelves. The stallion walked around the pot to stand over her, his features twisted with anger and his aura flaring up again. “Don’t… touch it.” He breathed deeply. “This flower is my window for looking out of here. Damage it, and I will UNMAKE you. Do... you... understand?”

Twilight nodded vigorously.

Obsidian returned to the flower. His aura subsided, but he was still visibly tense. “This bubble you arrived in was somewhat similar to the way candidates for testing used to be sent here. Except yours was also a prison, an illusion that trapped you inside. I ordered Verba to break it. He brought your friends to the Void Passage. He needed somewhere stable to put them in, and at any rate I wanted to talk to them. The Void Passage could conjure up a vision of me. Not nearly as good as talking face to face, but it would suffice.”

“But now the Passage is closed. That means your friends challenged it. The testing has begun.”

Twilight closed her eyes and banished the pain, allowing her to stand up. “The testing?”

Obsidian looked at her with disdain. “Yes, the testing. Can’t you at least ask smarter questions than ‘whaaaat’? You’re supposed to be a prize student or something?”

Twilight took a deep breath. “Ok then… You have told me what the Void Passage was, but I was kind of busy writhing in pain back then. So, once again, what exactly does it test?”

“It tests whether you have what it takes to become an Element,” said Obsidian. “Back at the beginning there was no time to pick and choose. The world needed saving. You picked a necklace, if it accepted you, you were in. But then times changed. The Elements ruled Equestria. And protected it too. It was too big to give to just anypony. Especially to some aristocratic brat that only just qualified, but had a huge family pushing for him.

“And so they contacted me and I helped them build the Void Passage, the final test to find the worthy and scare away the rest. Basically, do or die, no retakes.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “So, my friends are trapped in some tests that kill them if they fail? Can you stop it? You said you control it!”

“I do,” growled Obsidian. “But I still can’t get out of here. Verba is the one who handles the testing. Also the Void Passage is sealed during the tests. There have been some fools trying to mess with them in the past. I can send Verba a message, but with the Passage sealed, he won’t receive it right away.” He walked away from the flower and started pacing the chamber, grumbling under his breath.

“But why?” asked Twilight. “Why would he do this? Doesn’t he know they’re there by accident?”

“Not really,” answered Obsidian. “Remember what I told you about melting away in the Dissonance? Verba should have melted away centuries ago. A spell cast on him back when he lived is keeping him in one piece, but time has passed and things happened... He’s much less a pony than even I am. There’s so little of him left, he can actually slip in and out of here. He’s more like a complex spell now, just... doing his thing. And overseeing the tests has been his thing for a very long time.”

“So, is there nothing we can do?” asked Twilight.

“I should have expected this,” said Obsidian. “It was so stupid… Right now there is nothing we can do beyond contacting Verba. Well, you can worry yourself sick, but that won’t improve the situation. Unless, of course, your friends are worthy. Then you should have nothing to worry about.”

Twilight silently considered the situation. “How long will it take?”

“Wrong question,” answered Obsidian. “Time is too fluid a thing here for questions like this to make sense. They will be done when they’re done.”

He walked closer to the bookshelves and stood still, his staff swinging around him, trailing a pattern of glowing lines in the air. When the pattern was complete, it flashed briefly and disappeared.

“There, message sent,” he said. “Now, that this is out of the way, we might as well return to what we were supposed to do here from the start. You asked me how I know Celestia isn’t a real goddess.”

He approached the Amaranthine and fed it some more of his energy, his face blurring as the flower drained him. Another vision started to form.

“Tell me, Twilight Sparkle,” he said “Would a real goddess have need for the Elements of Harmony? Would a real goddess lose a fight to a changeling queen? Would she be powerless to stop a spirit of chaos?”

The light of the Amaranthine grew stronger, the vision swelling in size.

“Would a real goddess care to govern a nation of mortals?”

There was an explosion of golden flame, bathing the whole chamber in blinding light. Twilight squinted, trying to see the details of the vision.

A giant ball of golden fire was moving through the starry void, leaving a burning trail like a tail of a comet. As Twilight’s eyes got used to the blinding radiance, she caught more details. The blazing halo was a wavy mane. A silhouette of a muzzle with bright eyes and a pointed horn was visible among the flames. There were legs, hundreds and hundreds of them in the fiery trail, as if the creature had a body made of burning after-images. As she absorbed the image, Twilight realised that the deafening noise she was hearing was not the roaring flame but the stomping of hooves, like an enormous herd on the move.

“What.. what is this!?” she managed to say over the noise.

Obsidian smiled. “This, little pony, is Celestia.”

***
Pinkie Pie stood as if glued to the ground, stunned by the declaration. The other ponies didn’t give her the time to recover.

“Oh, yes, now I remember,” said Rarity. “And I got replaced with a bag of flour, didn’t I?”

Dash folded her wings, landing in front of Pinkie. “And that pile of rocks you made me argue with? I remember that well. You didn’t need us anymore.”

“You didn’t want friends, just anypony to party with,” said Applejack.

“That’s not true,” said Pinkie Pie, but she flinched at the words, as if physically hit. As the sneering mares advanced towards her, she instinctively took a step back. 

“How is it not true?” asked Octavia. “There was the bucket, and the flour. A ball of lint too, I’ve heard. I wonder who that was a replacement for.”

“You didn’t want us,” said Rainbow Dash.

“You didn’t need us,” said Applejack.

“You don’t know what friendship really means,” said Rarity.

“You just keep hurting other ponies,” said Fluttershy.

They kept advancing at Pinkie Pie, who took another step back, tears welling in her eyes as her mane started to deflate. With the softest crack, a piece of stone right behind her hind hoof broke off the edge of the cliff and disappeared in the darkness below.

“Well, we don’t want you either,” hissed Rainbow Dash right into Pinkie’s face.

“Yea, we don’t need you here,” said Applejack, prodding Pinkie in the chest with a hoof.

Pinkie Pie started trembling. “Why? Why do you do this?”

Octavia laughed into her hoof. “Why? Why not? You don’t deserve any better for what you did.”

Pinkie Pie glared at her. “It’s not about deserving. It’s about my friends not being meanies. I may be a careless sometimes or… stupid. But I know my friends! They’d never say that. And I know you too! What happened to you?”

Octavia rolled her eyes. “Don’t be… more ridiculous than you already are.”

“Yea,” said Applejack, “Didn’t we just tell ya? You don’t know us. You don’t care about nopony.”

She pushed forward, and Pinkie was forced back again, rearing on her hind legs. Then the pink mare lunged, stretching her forelegs to hug her four friends and hold them together.

“Hey, what’s the big idea!?” shouted Dash, struggling to break free.”

“Just what are you doing?” asked Rarity.

“Shhhh...Thinking,” whispered Pinkie Pie, closing her eyes. Her ears perked up. “Rainbow Dash, you remember that time we painted all the apples around Applejack’s house?” 

“I sure remember,” answered Applejack. “I thought I’d… what?” she stopped and twisted her neck to glare at Rainbow Dash, who was snickering. “What are ya laughing at?”

“Sorry,” said Rainbow Dash, “I just remembered your face when you saw us.”

Applejack kept staring at Rainbow, before shaking her head. “Yea, I guess it was pretty funny.”

“What about all the work you had to do to clean it up?” asked Octavia.

“None,” said Applejack. “Water colors. The next rain cleaned everything up.”

“Fun times,” said Pinkie, releasing her iron grip a bit. “And remember that surprise party you made in your barn for my birthday? I sure looked silly there, but then we had so much fun!” 

Applejack smiled.

Octavia scowled. “What do you think you’re doing?” she asked.

“I’m making my friends remember,” said Pinkie Pie, smiling. Her mane inflated a bit and the darkness around the mountain wasn’t quite as deep anymore. “Rarity, what about our last picnic? You did like my pastries, didn’t you?”

Rarity took a sideways glance at her. The unicorn’s muzzle scrunched in an effort to suppress a laugh when she saw Pinkie’s pleading expression. 

“Well, I couldn’t take more than a few bites, because of my diet, but you sure put a lot of effort into them,” she finally said. “Perhaps having you around isn’t that bad.”

“Of course, it isn’t bad,” said Pinkie Pie, louder than before. “We’re friends. We have fun together. We laugh together. We save Equestria together. We snicker and guffaw in the face of danger!”

The four mares gave her amused looks. 

“I… I really liked the birthday party you prepared for Angel,” said Fluttershy.

The darkness scattered and disappeared. Pinkie Pie released her hug. As her friends spread out, she walked between them, towards Octavia.

“And as for you…” she said, suddenly serious again, “I’m sorry for everything I did to you. I will make it up to you somehow, I Pinkie promise.”

She sat down to free her front legs and touched her heart, but she wasn’t allowed to finish. Suddenly Octavia hissed, and seemed to collapse upon herself, her coat flaking away to reveal a shape of solid darkness within. The creature stared at Pinkie and bared its fangs. Then it collapsed into a point and disappeared.

Awkward silence followed.

“What just happened?” asked Pinkie Pie.

“I think it's safe to assume, this wasn’t the real Octavia,” said Rarity, looking at the spot where the creature had been standing a moment before.

“Well, duuuuh,” said Pinkie Pie. “But that means… I’ll have to find the real Octavia to say how sorry I am.”

“Well, this is good and all, sugarcube, but don’t we have something to do here first?” said Applejack.

Everypony looked up the mountain towards the trail of black smoke. 

*** 
Pinkie Pie stood at the mouth of the cave. Her friends swarmed around her, helping her put on her costume. A paper crown on her head, oversized boots, A gift box covering her torso, balloons and streamers trailing behind her, making her stumble unevenly when she tried to walk. A box of glitter making her face shine like a piece of solid gold. A pair of googly-eyed glasses to complete the image. 

She looked silly, which of course was the point. But even so her face was serious and focused, as if she were an ancient queen donning her armor for a decisive battle, the paper crown and balloons her regalia, the glitter - her warpaint.

As Fluttershy flew away with the glitter box, Pinkie Pie breathed in deeply and smiled. Then she charged, stumbling comically, into the cave.

“Prepare for a laugh of your life, dragon!” she shouted, before disappearing into bright light.

***
Twilight was sitting with her mouth open, the vision slowly fading around her as Obsidian broke away from the flower. 

“Do you see now?” he asked.

“This is... what the Sun looks like?” stammered Twilight. “She… what is she? She doesn’t look like a pony…”

“Of course not,” replied Obsidian. “She’s older than the concept of a pony. Would you rather she were like your princess?”

“Yes…” said Twilight with a frown. “Wait… would that be a bad thing?”

“A bad thing?” Obsidian sneered. “For you, that would be a disaster. Haven’t you seen her? A force of nature, the Sun itself, unconcerned with anything, but her path across the sky. And you would like her to think and feel like you do? Would you like a volcano to rule your Equestria?”

“Of course not…” said Twilight, stopping when she saw the intensity of Obsidian’s glare.

“If not a volcano, then why the Sun?” he said. “A power of this magnitude subject to the whims of anger, love, or pride? A god with the heart of a mortal…is the most frightening thing you could ever imagine, Twilight Sparkle.”

“But… I’ve seen Princess Celestia move the Sun,” said Twilight. Her voice changed a bit and she was forcing a smile as if trying to persuade herself that everything was in order.

“That’s believable, actually,” said Obsidian.

For what might have been the third time since she arrived in the tower, Twilight’s train of thought ground to a halt. “But.. you said…”

“Back when I walked the world,” said Obsidian “this was not unheard of. Nopony was needed to tell the Sun when to rise, but she could be... asked to stray from her path. Even if she isn’t concerned with ponies, all the souls of mortals come from Gaia. To Celestia, they all speak with the voice of her mother. It’s just a matter of being loud enough to be heard.”

Twilight looked at him with wide eyes. “I’ve…”

Obsidian glared at her through his messy mane. “Just say you’ve never heard of that either. Just try.”
> Chapter 6: The Magic
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

music link

Fluttershy shrunk, the wings stiff at her sides.

Gilda was looming over her with a sour expression. “Will you move your rump or not? We don’t have all day,” she growled.

In truth, they had spent half a day climbing already. Half a day that she knew could have been just an hour or two if they weren’t so adamant about bringing her along. Fluttershy’s nerves made it too hard for her to focus on flying and even climbing up a steep hill was too much for her, forcing her companions to pick a much longer road around. 

Gilda wasn’t happy. Not one bit. A fast flier herself, her patience had been strained enough by having to wait for ground-bound ponies. Discovering that a pegasus, the only other flier in the group, was slowing everypony down so much, quickly brought her temper to a boiling point.

“I’m telling you, we should just leave her,” she said, looking at the other ponies over her shoulder. “If we didn’t have to carry that deadweight, we’d already be coming back.”

“Hey, she’s no deadweight,” said Pinkie Pie. “She’s just waiting for her chance to shine.”

Applejack and Rarity slowly turned their heads towards Pinkie.

“Well, I know it may be inconvenient now,” said Rarity, “but I’m sure you will be grateful to have taken her with you in the end.”

“Fat chance,” scowled the griffon. “Now keep quiet and don’t stomp too hard. That part of the slope looks unstable.”

That cut the argument quite quickly. The mares fell silent, walking in line, the angry griffon flapping slowly above them. 

Fluttershy was the last in the line. She was trying to keep her pace even and her movements controlled, but with every step she trembled slightly. She had a horrible feeling that something frightening will happen in a moment, a feeling so strong that it was as if she had already experienced it. 

A single leaf, knocked from a nearby tree by the tip of Gilda’s wing, fell upon Fluttershy’s back. The horrifying deja vu and the present became one. Fluttershy shrieked in fright.

Applejack turned around and covered her mouth with a hoof, but it was too late. There was a rumble of moving rocks and then everything erupted into chaos, panicked ponies running back and forth, trying in vain to find a place safe from the falling boulders. Fluttershy barely managed to get out of the way, only to halt rapidly when her instinct to run from the collapsing slope took her to the edge of the path, the dizzying height visible below.
The rockslide ended as abruptly as it had started. Applejack stood up, shaking the dust and debris off her. “Everypony ok?” she called hesitantly.

She was answered by some hesitant cough from behind one of the boulders. Rarity rose from the dirt and looked around. Pinkie Pie, covered in dust from head to hoof, shook like a wet dog to get it off her fur. “Let’s do that again,” she said.

Rarity looked at her, then around herself. “It seems we’re all ok. I lost my scarf though.”

“Sorry,” muttered Fluttershy.

Applejack smiled. “Ah, It’s no biggie.”

“No biggie?!” Gilda fell from the sky, landing in the middle of the group with a loud thump, her wings flared angrily. “No biggie?!” she turned around, staring straight at Fluttershy. “You aren’t just a deadweight. You… pathetic coward almost got us all killed!”

“Hey,” said Applejack, “Don’t be…” 

Gilda pounced forward, putting one talon on Applejack’s mouth while reaching into her saddle bags with the other. She retrieved a single red apple and held it up for everypony to see. “Killed,” she hissed, “buried under tons of rock.” 

“Crushed into pulp,” she finished, squeezing hard. The apple exploded in her powerful grip, the juice and bits of fruit dripping down her forearm. The griffon pounced again, this time landing right in front of Fluttershy.

“This is why I hate... weaklings… the most. You’re worse than useless! You will get us all killed if we don’t get rid of you. We should have left you in your shack with your stinking animals.”

“I… told you…I...” started Fluttershy, but her voice came out as a squeaky whisper.

“Hey, leave Fluttershy alone!” shouted Pinkie, trying to get between Gilda and Fluttershy.

The griffon pushed her aside. “That’s what I’ve been trying to do all day! But you dweebs insist on lugging that useless…” she stopped, stuck trying to find the right insult… all the way up here!”

“Ya have no say in that,” said Applejack sternly. “She’s a part of the team and you’re just... replacing Dash for today.” 

“And even if she did put us in danger,” said Rarity, wrapping her spare scarf around her neck, “that was an absolutely atrocious way to say it. Decent ponies don’t do that.”

“I’m not a pony,” growled Gilda.

“Not the point, darling,” replied Rarity with a deadpan expression.

Gilda reared, rising her claws to the sky in anger. “Why do we even need her!? You’re supposed to talk to the lizard, aren’t you? You have experience in charming dragons. Why bring her along at all?”

Rarity flicked her tail in irritation. “The same reason we’re taking you along. It’s a long trip and something unexpected might happen.”

“We’re taking you along in case of a griffin emergency!” piped in Pinkie Pie.

Gilda looked at Pinkie Pie, then back at Rarity. “More unexpected than a rockslide…RAARGH!”

She spun around, nearly slapping Fluttershy with the tip of her tail. “Fine! Whatever! Take the useless trash along, see if I care.”

She then flapped her wings and leapt into the air, flying up the crumbled slope ahead of the group.

Applejack looked Sadly at Fluttershy, who was still shaking. “Come on, sugarcube. It’s just a bit further.”

***
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“How much longer?” asked Twilight Sparkle in a strained voice. She was standing on the bottom floor of the fortress, surrounded by a complicated magic circle Obsidian had burned into the ground with his staff. Her eyes and horn blazed with white light as she struggled to keep a large section of a broken wall suspended in the air.

Obsidian looked on with a scowl. “It looks like this is the limit of your ability. You can drop it.”

Twilight relaxed and the mass of stone fell down with a mighty crash. The unicorn was caught off-guard by a cloud of dust it caused and for a moment she sputtered and coughed. Obsidian approached her, his staff tracing around her body, reading her aura. 

“It’s just like what you said about that star bear thing. I’ve seen all I needed to,” he said.

“And what have you learned?” asked Twilight Sparkle. She was breathing heavily and her head was spinning. She couldn’t tell how long she had spent on the experiments her host insisted on. Still, it was better than having nothing to do; she knew that idle waiting while worrying about her friends would drive her crazy.

The earth pony tapped his staff on the ground and a heavy, badly weathered book appeared in the air in front of him. It floated towards Twilight and opened right in front of her snout.

“Just one last thing. This is a simple fire spell, the like of which we used in my time. Try to cast it.”

With a groan, Twilight skimmed the page in front of her. She then closed her eyes and focused. A few seconds later, a pale blue flame appeared in the air over the tip of her horn. 

Obsidian stared intently at Twilight, then tapped his hoof, sending the tome back to its place, wherever it was. “That’s enough.” He walked around the circle, seemingly lost in thought. “It is obvious now, how your princesses have managed to stay in power for so long.”

Twilight turned around, facing him with a scowl. “And how do you think it was?” She was getting tired of the stallion’s constant accusations and snide remarks. She had hoped that telling him everything would remove any doubts and apparently it did, but not the way she thought it would.

“From the beginning it seemed strange that two ponies could wield so much power to be considered de facto goddesses. How could they be so much stronger than everypony else? But power is relative. You don’t always have to be unbelievably strong to be at the top. Just being very powerful will suffice if everyone else is kept weak.”

“Weak?” asked Twilight, slightly confused.

“When I asked you to show me your magic, it was easy to notice how much you overcomplicate your casting. You cast with your head, not with your heart. You start with a pattern that shackles your energy to flow exactly as you wish, sacrificing power for control. I gave you one of my own spells and you made the same mistake. So it’s not that your spells are inferior. It’s how you were taught to cast. You waste half your energy on keeping the rest under strict control.”

“So, should I blow myself up instead?” asked Twilight angrily. “Just pump raw magic through my horn and hope for the best? When my talent fully awakened, I changed my parents into potted plants. These casting techniques were created over centuries of research, to ensure that such accidents would not happen, so everypony could use magic safely.”

She paused, glaring at the earth pony. “So, you mean to tell me, that in your time magic was cast by instinct? And… there must have been some test where unicorns would become wizards or die trying, was that it?” She sneered at him in disdain, waving her hoof in the general direction where she knew the Void Passage was.

Obsidian tilted his head, looking at her curiously. The staff at his side twitched, causing Twilight to flinch. Yet a blow didn’t come. The earth pony resumed his pacing around the circle, the unicorn turning nervously on the spot to keep his weapon in her view.

“Tell me, Twilight Sparkle, did you use your casting technique when using the Elements of Harmony?”

Twilight blinked in surprise.”N...no. But that wasn’t really casting. The power was already focused and I just directed it into a spell.”

“Yes, of course,” responded Obsidian in a mocking tone. “The Elements of Harmony drew upon the boundless energies of the Dissonance and made them safe to use by channelling their chaos through the intricate pattern of…” He suddenly stopped, facing Twilight with a glare, his flamboyant speaking voice now replaced with a silent and cold one. “... Loyalty, Honesty, Laughter, Generosity, Kindness and Friendship. There is no structure beyond that, no magical connections beyond the necessary. Magic is emotion. It is formed by emotions. It responds to will. A strong feeling, a strong purpose, perhaps a strong memory or desire to give it direction, that’s all it takes to focus it. The stronger the focus, the stronger the magic. The rest is redundant, an inhibitor for your powers, designed to waste your potential.”

“I have been personally trained by Princess Celestia!” interrupted Twilight with a shout.”She devoted countless hours to…”

“Can you do aging spells?” asked Obsidian abruptly, interrupting her.

Twilight hesitated. “I know the theory. But these are some of the most difficult spells to cast. Only the most powerful and experienced unicorns were ever able to perform them reliably. What does that have to...”

“And yet, when you experienced a surge, you turned a dragon egg into a 50 foot tall adult dragon. Now after years of training, you find such a task unthinkable. Long years of tutelage under the absolute ruler of your land ensured that you cannot perform a feat you accomplished on accident as a foal!” 

Twilight stepped back, frightened by the shift in Obsidian’s mood. His eyes were now wild and a vein bulged on his forehead. Though his aura didn’t flare up like the last time he was angry, he almost looked like he was about to bite her.

The earth pony circled Twilight like a predator, forcing her to stumble back into the circle. “And what about that King Sombra you told me about? Just listen to your own story. A half-insane wizard, a shadow of his former glory, cut off from the city that was the source of his power, facing against the unicorn ‘with the greatest raw potential princess Celestia had ever seen’, personally trained by an immortal wisemare ruler, groomed to be the most powerful defender of her realm, the bearer of Magic… Did you crush him with ease as you should have? No, you were completely at his mercy, powerless against somepony who actually knew how to use magic! And what did you learn from that? Did you figure out how you had been manipulated and cheated of your power? Did you question why your teacher sent you there without your greatest weapon or even any proper training? No! You learned the value of sacrifice for the good of Equestria, ever an obedient subject!”

Obsidian paused, staring at the ground, his rage momentarily spent. Then he looked up at Twilight and there was nothing but contempt in his gaze. “You are not a unicorn, Twilight Sparkle. You are a sheep.”

He turned away from her, his staff hitting the floor with enough force to stick in it like a spear. “And so is everypony else. You said it took centuries to develop those casting techniques? Oh, it must have. Mind boggles at the thought of how much effort this must have taken. Generation after generation, making small compromises, slowly sacrificing magical prowess for perceived safety, not even realising when they accepted… no, embraced mediocrity. What happened to the unicorns from your holiday stories, unicorns from my past, moving the Sun and Moon with their magic before the three tribes united?” He turned his head, looking back at Twilight. “The whole race robbed… castrated of their power, and nopony noticed. Weren’t you supposed to be a genius?”

Twilight didn’t respond. She was standing still, staring blankly forward, her eyes getting unfocused as her mind raced in frantic search for an explanation. “This doesn’t make sense…” she mumbled under her breath. “there must be some reason…”

Obsidian sighed. “The reason is, you have been taught to accept authorities without question. The princess is your ruler and your teacher, so everything she says is true and you will try to disregard or explain away anything that doesn’t fit with it. Bah, you even do the same for me now. A couple knocks to the head, and I’m your infallible source of knowledge, except where it contradicts the princess. Here, let me show you.”

The earth pony closed his eyes. there was a brief flash of blue from under his eyelids and then the circle underneath Twilight came to life, the scorch marks filling with magical energy.  Suddenly she felt her head growing heavy and her legs buckle underneath her, too weak to walk off the pattern.

“There is a crazy stallion beating you with a stick, calling you worthless, telling you to stand in a magical circle as part of his experiments and you do as he says, accepting the explanation that it will let him read your energies better. Well, it will. Let’s see what we can do about you…”

***
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The attack came with barely a warning. One moment the four mares and a griffon were climbing up a mountain. The next, something growled among the jagged rocks. The ponies froze in place. The griffon did not, her flight taking her a couple meters further before she noticed the danger. 

Something big and furry pounced from its hiding spot with a roar, swatting Gilda from the air.

“A manticore!” shouted Rarity, as the ponies started backpedalling down the slope.

Fluttershy was initially paralyzed, her mind racing as she observed the attack. Rarity’s assessment was right, this was indeed a manticore, a heavily built male with a dusty red mane. It leaned forward to roar loudly at the sprawled griffon.

Gilda tried to get away, only to flop back onto the ground with a hiss of pain. One of her wings, hit by the initial attack, was limp and bleeding. She tried to gain some space, roaring and swinging her talons at the beast, but only invited another blow, forcing her into an awkward dodge. She didn’t really have anywhere to run, her injury slowing her down and the angry monster not giving her a chance to take her eyes off him.

“We’ve got to do something!” Fluttershy heard Applejack shout behind her back. 

What do I do? What do I do? He’s going to rip her to pieces, but he’s so scary, roaring like that…

Fluttershy sprung forward, flying towards Gilda and tackling her out of the way. “Stop fighting him!” she shouted, even as the Griffon fell aside, screaming in pain. Fluttershy realized that in her haste she rammed Gilda’s injured wing. There was no time for apologies though. The pegasus found herself right in front of the roaring manticore.

“Fluttershy! What are you doing!?” shouted Applejack. Fluttershy didn’t look at her.

“Don’t get closer.” she said firmly stepping away from the beast, trying to make herself as small as possible.

That’s what she was good at. Looking inoffensive. Avoiding eye contact. Not being a threat. She felt bits of spittle land on her face as the manticore roared again. Holding back her instinct to run, she shifted the positions of her limbs, making her silhouette appear slightly cat-like. 

A cat with wings… yes… I’m like you… I don’t want to hurt you… please don’t hurt me.

Slowly the roars decreased in volume, turning into annoyed growls. Fluttershy kept watching the creatures’ body language, her own features relaxing slowly. She could do it. That was her gift. She continued her subtle effort, until the manticore snorted for the last time and moved back into his hiding spot. A part of her wanted to nuzzle the giant cat, but a more rational voice in her head told her that it was still dangerous. She walked backwards slowly, until she reached the spot that she thought was far enough, before moving aside to get to where Gilda was.

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“Wow,” said Pinkie Pie in stage whisper, following behind Fluttershy. “I thought it was going to eat you. I mean, I knew it wasn’t, but it still looked that way, didn’t it?”

“He wasn’t hungry,” said Fluttershy.

“How did you know, darling?” said Rarity, bringing a small first aid kit out of her bags.

“He roared a lot,” responded Fluttershy. “He wasn’t trying to sneak up on us. He was trying to be scary. Did you see how dusty he was? I think… that rockslide earlier… it might have damaged his lair. He was scared and angry.”

She opened the first aid kit and leaned over Gilda. The griffon looked up at her with anger in her eyes. “So… that too was your fault.”

Fluttershy looked down at Gilda, but seemed to shrink a bit. “Yes. I think it was. Now stay still while I take care of your wing. It… isn’t doesn’t seem to need setting, but we still need to keep it from moving until we get you to a doctor.”

Gilda growled angrily. “Why?”

Fluttershy was unable to speak, holding one end of the bandage in her mouth, but managed to give Gilda a confused look.

“Why did you save me?”

Fluttershy leaned in to tie a piece of bandage, causing the griffin to wince in pain, then looked at her in confusion again. “What do you mean, why did I save you? You were about to be mauled by a manticore.”

Gilda looked at her in disbelief. “Just like that? After all I said?”

Fluttershy blinked, then continued her work. “What you said was very mean. Please, never do that again.”

“That’s true,” said Pinkie Pie, popping behind Gilda. “You were a meanie. And she saved your feathers.”

“It was her fault too,” hissed Gilda.

“I dunno... “ replied Applejack, joining the conversation. “Now that I think of it, I’m pretty sure I saw you hit a tree with your wing. You dropped that leaf that startled Fluttershy.”

Gilda stared at her in disbelief. “A leaf? are you serious?”

“Please be quiet,” whispered Fluttershy. “The manticore is still there.”

That cut the argument. Applejack and Rarity helped Gilda get up. Then, as silently as they could, the whole group resumed their climb. There was just one last part of the mountain for them to ascend and though the sun was beginning to set, the top was basking in bright sunlight. Fluttershy briefly remembered that there should have been smoke obscuring the top, but before she could grasp the notion properly, Gilda walked up to her side. 

“Back then, when they said it was my fault, you…” she started, staring at the ground.

Fluttershy sighed. “Arguing about whose fault it is will get us nowhere.” she said softly.

Gilda turned away from her. “I still think you’re weak,” she said.

“I am,” said Fluttershy. “But I can’t be weak when somepony needs my help.”

Gilda opened her beak, then closed it. She stood still as Applejack and Pinkie Pie walked past her. As the ponies reached the summit, disappearing into bright light, the griffon shuddered, her fur and feathers flaking away into nothing to reveal a skulking creature of solid darkness. 

The monster collapsed upon itself and disappeared, and soon after the whole mountain faded away.

***
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Twilight awoke with a start. She was still in the circle, her face flat against the warm stone of the floor. She tried to rise up and found her limbs still slightly wobbly. Obsidian was standing over her in exactly the same spot as when she passed out.

“What… have you done to me?” asked Twilight, shaking her head to clear it.

Obsidian gave her a bored look. “I dug through your head to see what could be done. Since you were taught from foalhood to cast spells wrong, your wrong reflexes were too deeply ingrained to correct… so I decided you’d be better off starting with a clean slate.”

“What?” Twilight’s voice was silent, barely more than a loud breath. Her eyes widened in shock as she tried to start casting a spell and her mind drew a blank. Her horn didn’t even light up. She tried to think of her lessons and she realised that she still remembered all the days and nights spent over books, all her years of learning, the historical facts… everything but the spells. She didn’t even know how to start casting.

“Why… did… you…” she asked feebly.

Obsidian turned his back to her. “Because I could. Because you let me. Because you were a mockery of what Magic should be and I couldn’t have that. Because you talked back to me and worse, you talked back to me without having any actual arguments. Want to hear more reasons?”

The response was a loud scream of fury as Twilight charged at his back. Obsidian’s staff moved on its own, tangling between the unicorn’s legs, causing her to tumble forward and faceplant. She stayed there, whimpering in tears of powerless anger.

Obsidian turned around and looked down on her. “Also, to prove my point about you believing authorities without thinking. It wastes your intellect just as your learning wasted your magic.”
He leaned forward, his voice becoming softer. “You must understand, Twilight Sparkle. There are… things in the world, much older than you and much more cunning. If you don’t learn to think for yourself, to see past the schemes and machinations, there will be no hope for Equestria.”

“Just look at your current situation. You are at my mercy, confused. Also, thinking yourself crippled. I didn’t even have to lie to you. I just prodded you towards the wrong conclusion and you did the rest to yourself. You could wield the power of Honesty and I’d still be able to trick you, as long as you didn’t use your brain.”

“Now, you have enough correct knowledge to find out where the facts don’t match. Prove to me that you can be more than a puppet; use your brain and tell me what is wrong.”

The silence that followed might have lasted minutes or ages. All the while Obsidian stood over Twilight, motionless as a statue, waiting for her to answer. 

Finally, Twilight swallowed loudly and whispered. “You didn’t remove my memories. Memory spells are not difficult, but you can’t remove large or important pieces like this…”

Obsidian smiled. “And if I told you, that my magic is more powerful than any you have read about?”

Twilight shook her head feebly. “No, it’s not the problem of magic, it’s the problem of the mind. Everything is connected to everything.”

In response, Obsidian stomped his hoof repeatedly. For a second Twilight feared that he would kick her. It took her a second to realise what he was actually doing; it was an applause.

“The memories of using magic are a part of nearly every day of your life,” said Obsidian. “They really are connected to everything else. If I just ripped them all out like that, the rest of your mind would be scrambled beyond repair. Best case scenario you would be an animal, good only for grazing in the meadows. So what I did instead was put a blocking spell in your mind. It interferes whenever you try to recall anything connected to magic. This gives you a clean slate to work with. The spell isn’t very complex either; you can overpower it through simple brute force, once you figure out how to focus your magic correctly. Once you have learned that, you can have your memories back. Just imagine you’re a foal, trying to use your horn for the first time.”

“I… hate… you,” answered Twilight feebly from the floor.

Obsidian shrugged. “Will do for a start. Just don’t rely on it too much. Hate is a tricky focus. You don’t want to end up crazy like that Sombra guy, do you?”

He turned away and walked towards the stairs. “I’m leaving you now. I have things to do. Don’t bother me until you’ve learned to use magic.”

As he left, Twilight closed her eyes, unwilling to make the effort to get up just yet. “Just what else do you have to do here?” she whispered under her breath.

***
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Rarity was just finishing her third tube of ice cream when she heard a knocking on the door. 

“Hello, is anypony there?” asked a female voice from outside.

Rarity sniffed loudly, suppressed an unladylike burp and got off her chaise longue. “I’m not taking any new orders today,” she said loudly through the door, trying to keep her voice steady.

“I’m not a customer,” responded the voice. “I’m a fellow contestant. My name is Suri Polomare. We met last year during Ponyville knitting competition?” it added hopefully.

Rarity looked at herself. She didn’t have to run back to the mirror to know she had puffy eyes from crying and some of her hair were out of place. “I’m… sorry, but I’m afraid I can’t see you right now,” she said. 

“Oh, I can understand that,” said Suri, “I saw how you were treated and I’m appalled. To lose your models on the eve of the event like this must have been quite a blow.”

She stayed there, listening at the door for an answer. When none came, she continued. 

“But that’s not really why I’m here. You see, I’ve found a key in front of the town hall and I think it’s a spare key to the main hall where all the dresses for tomorrow’s event are being kept. Probably a janitor lost it or something, but everypony has already left for the night. I can’t find anypony to give it to. You are the only trustworthy local I know of, so… would it be a big problem if I left it with you? I guess I could just hold on to it myself, but… the truth is I’m not sure I will be able to attend the event after all. There may be some personal matters calling me to Manehattan first thing tomorrow…”

Suri stopped her monologue and listened at the door. After a while there was a sigh from the other side. “I suppose I can help,” said Rarity’s resigned voice.

Suri leaned forward and slid the key under the door, then, mumbling a quick ‘thank you’, she turned around and disappeared in the growing darkness.
> Chapter 7: The Fall
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

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It was early morning when Applejack, armed with a large spool of rope and a bundle of tools, approached the entrance to the cave. She braced herself, took a deep breath and bellowed at the top of her lungs,”Hey! Dragon! I’m here to play your stupid game!”

She was answered by a reverberating noise that she could only guess was a yawn. She moved aside to make space and after a minute or so the dragon emerged from the cave. 

“So, are you ready to challenge me?” asked the dragon, looking down on her.

Applejack didn’t look up at him, her eyes shielded by the rim of her hat. “As ready’s I’ll ever be.”

Satisfied with her answer, the giant reptile pointed towards a flat piece of terrain some distance away. “Follow me then,” he growled before spreading his wings and leaping into the air, much more agile than his giant bulk suggested. 

Sighing, Applejack cantered after him.

The dragon landed among a group of large boulders. He sat there watching as Applejack caught up with him. Finally he picked one of the rocks and threw it into the air. It landed right next to Applejack, embedding itself partially in the ground.

“There,” said the dragon. “This is our field. You can start planting from here,” he pointed his claw to the left, “to there. The first with three rows done wins. 

Applejack stared at the dragon, then at the boulder that had nearly crushed her. Finally she unwrapped her tool set and picked up a pick.

***

Twilight was sitting down in the circle, her muzzle scrunched in concentration. She opened her eyes and sighed dejectedly. 

How long have I been sitting here? she thought. She looked around. Nothing had changed in the ruins. It was still day, but she couldn’t see the sun and the shadows didn’t seem to move. She didn’t feel sleepy or hungry either, just strained from her effort. She tried to count her breaths, but quickly realised how pointless it was.

Ugh… no wonder he went crazy living here!

Closing her eyes again, she returned to her efforts. If what he said is true, this whole place is nothing but magic. There should be plenty of energy here. I just need to pull and focus it.

***
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“Is everypony ready?” asked Pincushion, looking at the flight team. Everypony stood at attention and puffed their chests, with only Fluttershy falling slightly behind. The officer looked at her inquisitively.

“We’re ready to go,” said Rainbow Dash, a bit louder than she had to, jumping in front of the group. “We can move out and corrall that cloud as soon as you give the signal.”

Though she could only see one of Pincushion’s eyes, Rainbow Dash could feel his gaze boring into her. She returned it, glaring at the stallion’s face until he shrugged and stepped back. 

“In that case,” he said,”I trust you know what to do. The other teams are on their way already. You can move out right now.”

With a flap of her wings, Rainbow Dash took to the air. She turned to look at the other pegasi. “You heard him, team! We’re moving out!” she shouted.

The weather team cheered and took to the air, following their leader.

***

Applejack put the pick away. There was now a narrow crack in the boulder. The farmpony rummaged through her equipment, finally finding what she was looking for: a thick metal wedge. with a wide base. She used her teeth to drive the wedge into the crack, then turned around and bucked it repeatedly, until she heard a loud crunch. The boulder split into several smaller pieces. Applejack winced, shaking her hind leg, then picked up a hammer.

Meanwhile, the dragon kept sprawled on the ground, with his enormous head propped on his claws. He seemed to be dozing off.

***

*bzzt*

Twilight opened her eyes and stared at the tip of her horn. There had been a tiny spark there, just a moment before. 

“Finally!” she exclaimed, jumping around the circle. “I can do magic! I can…” she gradually slowed down, stopped, plopped down and almost broke down crying. 

Is this all I can do now? How long has it taken me? It takes months for foals to learn the basics. Have my friends finished their tests yet? Are they ok? Obsidian said time matters little here. Does it mean I have as much time as I want? No, that would be ridiculous. After all, this… Dissonance borders the real world and time surely matters there.

She took a deep breath to calm herself down and then stood back up.

“No matter how much time I have, I can’t waste it like this! I need to finish recovering my magic.”

She paused and listened, but the empty space past the broken wall seemed to absorb her voice, returning no echo. 

I should probably stop talking to myself. Obsidian might be listening and then he’ll laugh at me. Or ridicule me at any rate. I wonder if he speaks to himself. I’ve never heard him do it, but then again, he had nopony to talk to here for who knows how long. 

Twilight closed her eyes and focused. After several tries her horn threw another spark.

“This is useless,” she sighed. “I wish I had a book to help me.”

At this her ears perked up. Books! This place is full of them. Obsidian said they’re all ruined though… Still, I always learn in the library. Perhaps practicing there will make it easier for me to focus properly? 

She looked towards the stairs, then up. Instantly her stomach protested.

This doesn’t make sense, she thought, staring into the maze of staircases above her. They aren’t just tangled and broken and at weird angles. There’s something… geometrically wrong with them.

She tried to remember walking them with Obsidian before. Back then she just followed him blindly, more focused on him and his staff than on her surroundings. Perhaps this was the way to do it? She looked at her hooves and approached the stairs. The nausea is an illusion, my stomach isn’t really here, she thought intently as she began climbing up.

The first minute of climbing was easy. Twilight’s idea of ignoring her surroundings in favour of the path under her hooves seemed to pay off. However, while she could keep moving easily, actually navigating the maze turned out to be another matter entirely. Even though she didn’t have any particular destination in mind beyond ‘one of the side towers’, she found herself taking turn after turn surrounded by nothing but decayed wood. Finally, groaning in frustration, she chanced a look around. 

There were stairs in all directions, much more than could possibly fit in the space between the towers, a tangled mass so great Twilight could barely see the light from the outside. She looked up and saw the white, dusty ceiling far above her.

It’s not the ceiling - It’s the floor!

Twilight fell flat, trying to hold onto something, anything, but it was too late. She felt the gravity re-assert itself, up becoming down until she fell, flailing, breaking through some bannisters in her way before landing painfully on another stair, a cloud of dust and splinters in her wake.

She stayed there, among broken wood, wracked with pain and too scared to move lest she invited another fall.

This cannot end like this! Think, Twilight! Think! You’ve been through worse than this. First, focus to banish the pain.

As she calmed down, her eyes still closed, Twilight started thinking of what had happened.

I didn’t start falling until I saw I was upside down. I don’t think there was a reverse gravity spell. I wasn’t doing anything. Or was I? Obsidian said this place can be controlled with will. I think, I did this to myself then. I think, I’ll have to open my eyes now.

She did just that. She was still where she had fallen. Looking up, she could just see only a tangle of stairways. That was good, as it meant the floor was probably still beneath her.

Ok, nothing has changed. I think. I’m not falling again. Now I need to get up and then what? Should I focus on not falling? Can I order down to be up to walk an upside down path? I did it without thinking before. If only Pinkie Pie was here. She’s great at things that make no sense… 

Slowly rising, Twilight examined her surroundings. As she looked around, she found an entrance to one of the towers just a couple meters from her. There was no obvious path leading there though and it was just a bit too far for a jump. 

If only I could teleport. Well, then I wouldn’t need to go there in the first place. I should have just stayed on the ground level. This is a nightmare.

Twilight blinked. Perhaps it is. I remember seeing a book on lucid dreaming somewhere in the library. I wish I had the time to ever take a look inside it. If only I could… yes, that’s it. Trying to figure out this maze will only give me a headache. I must walk it with a clear idea of where I want to get. This doorway. She turned dramatically and pointed at the entrance to the tower. Then she took a deep breath, exhaled deliberately and started walking in the direction she felt would get her closer to it.  

***
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Applejack  threw away a shovel and wiped the sweat from her brow. Behind her there was a long line of mounds of earth, each marking a spot where she had buried a piece of a shattered rock. As far as she had managed to learn the previous evening, this was how it was done.
Now she had to find another big rock to crack. Just looking for small stones would not do, they wouldn’t grow properly. At least rocks were abundant here; Applejack had brought a harness for hauling heavy weights, but not having to use it was a relief.

Suddenly the dragon stirred, looked around the challenge field, yawned again, then picked one of the big boulders and crushed it between his front claws. He then started walking in a line, a pile of stone shards in one paw, planting them one by one with the other.

***
It took Twilight 12 turns to walk in the right direction, but she did it. She finally found herself on the stairs leading up towards the tower. Almost running the last couple of steps she entered the tower and immediately collapsed on the stone floor.

There, she thought, breathing heavily, I made it. I don’t think I even had to walk upside down. Though the last couple of flights were weirdly steep-

Just to make sure she looked around. The room was right side up and to her joy, filled with bookshelves. Twilight picked herself off the ground and surveyed the room in more detail. It too seemed larger than should fit in the tower as she had seen it from the outside. There were traces of white dust everywhere and the books on the shelves really seemed pressed into a solid mass by the weight of ages.

I wonder why this place is so huge, Twilight thought. Did Obsidian make it like this on purpose?

She shook her head and returned to the task at hoof. No more stairs, no more distractions. I’m in a library. A really old library, full of books. This is where I learn best. So let’s practice. Draw the energy, then focus it through some sort of feeling. Now what should I use? Hate? No, that’s ridiculous. I’m sure he didn’t mean it. What then? Something joyful? My passion for learning perhaps?

She tried to remember her study nights and focus on the feeling, but before she could fully concentrate, she started feeling lightheaded and confused. There were bits of magical knowledge everywhere, bits she couldn’t remember right now, years of education undone by a simple spell. Unable to keep her focus, Twilight groaned in frustration. 

I wonder what Discord uses? Probably nothing. That’s why he brings so much chaos, he just thinks whatever, and pumps in raw energy. But I need something. Something familiar? Something to associate with magic, that isn’t related to knowledge? What is my earliest experience?

She tried to remember all the parts the memory spell wasn’t blocking: what she got were jumbled pieces of pictures from her childhood, hours of training, lots of hard work with little effect. 

No, that’s not it. The magic kindergarten is not what I need. I loathed that place. I was useless then, the egghead who could understand everything and do nothing. I wasn’t really good at magic until-

Twilight felt a drop of sweat on her neck. The memory was blurry, partially blocked, but still vivid enough: the entry exam, her efforts to hatch the dragon egg and the catastrophic wild surge that followed. 

Princess Celestia saved everypony and then I was too excited about my cutie mark to worry, but I don’t want… that to happen again. I need something to hold on to, and not fear!


There was a spark of magic on Twilight’s horn, then another. Startled, she jerked her head backward and ended up losing her balance, slumping on the rump. She squeezed her eyes shut, but still she could see the glow growing brighter.

Focus, Twilight! Think! Something familiar, something to control it with! Safe, controlled, focused… home! My friends! They’re always with me when I… lose control!

Still squeezing her eyes shut, Twilight tried to remember something to calm her down. Images flashed before her eyes: her sitting in her treehouse, studying, Spike sleeping peacefully in his basket. The fateful sleepover with Rarity and Applejack and how much fun they had together after the initial craziness was finally over with. The gleam in Rainbow’s eye when she got her hooves on the latest Daring Do book. Pinkie Pie, the spark of tamed chaos in her life. Fluttershy, always there to help whenever she was needed…

“My friends are counting on me! They need me as much as I need them! I cannot fail!”

It was only then Twilight realised she had been shouting. The panic disappeared, replaced by a sense of purpose. The unicorn opened her eyes and saw her horn glowing like a lantern, with a strong, but stable lavender light.

“Of course!” she exclaimed, “The magic of Friendship! That’s what Obsidian used to explain his way of using magic. The only experience I had with doing it his way.”

She sighed and extinguished her horn slowly. 

“I should have started with that. I guess I was too worried to think straight.”

She started pacing around the room.

Now that I have made the first step, I should think carefully of what to do next. There can’t be any more mistakes. My friends are counting on me. I need to be ready for any chance to get out of here, with Obsidian’s help or not. But first, I need to get stronger. Let’s see what I can do about undoing that memory spell.

Twilight straightened and braced herself. She thought of the spell inside her head and her desire to be rid of it. The reaction wasn’t instantaneous, but she felt the power flowing into her horn; the magic of friendship had blazed her a trail to follow and now that she had grasped the basic concept, it was just a matter of following the formula. 

Think of the outcome, Twilight. Focus on success, nothing else. Energy follows attention.

Twilight started closing her eyes, ready to focus her energy inward. Then her eyes snapped open.

What is that!?

The gathered power dispersed like a bursting soap bubble, leaving Twilight momentarily dizzy and dazed. As soon as she recovered, she ran towards the bookshelf in front on her. 

This wasn’t here before.

The bookshelf still had a worn out and dusty appearance, but not nearly on the level it had been before. What was more unusual, Twilight could now see the titles on the backs of the books. She gasped in amazement as she recognized the tomes.

This is… my bookshelf from my first year in princess Celestia’s school! These are my old school books. What are they doing here?

She looked around once again. The room looked warmer and less ruined and there was a distinctive circle on the floor, around the spot she had stood while casting a moment before - free of dust and with a subtly different pattern to the stone tiles. 

And that’s from my dorm room too!

Twilight smiled at the warm memories. Without thinking she extended her telekinesis to grab the first book on the shelf, “the basics of unicorn magic”, and flipped through the pages.

The inside looked… familiar. Twilight knew what a deja-vu was, but this was stronger than any she had experienced, every page screaming of things she didn’t remember, but still felt she should. She kept looking at one page after another, mumbling under her breath as her analytical mind was trying to make sense of what was happening.

“I don’t think this is Obsidian’s doing. Did I do this myself? It would be similar to what happened before. Except I’m not exhausted this time. Is it because I was actively charging up, or just because this is smaller than those visions from before? Obsidian did tell me to conjure something to drink - wait. I don’t remember the contents. How did I summon a book I couldn’t remember?”

She looked back at the pages.

“There are two possibilities. Either this is just an approximation, and the spells written in the book are rubbish, or… it really is made from my memories, despite the fact that I can’t remember them now.”

She sat down with the open book. 

“There is one way to find out.”

***
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Dash looked at the black cloud. Up close it looked bigger and more menacing. 

I though it would be smaller. Am I losing my touch? Or did the dragon snore a lot tonight? 

She turned to look at her team. I’m sure glad I have an extra pair of wings, even if it’s Fluttershy. Every bit of wing power might count.

She turned and gave an encouraging wink to the yellow pegasus. Fluttershy mumbled something inaudible in return. For some reason Dash felt she was upset by the sentiment. 

Ok, Fluttershy. you’re on my side. If you start losing wingpower, I can make up for it. The whirlwind will stay symmetrical. 

She gestured to Cloud Kicker, her second in the team. The lavender mare nodded and started flying away, taking her position opposite Dash. Between the two of them they would form the beginning of the funnel. The rest of the weather team fell neatly into positions.

***

“Victory is mine!” roared the dragon, spreading his wings for effect. Applejack gave him an annoyed look from under her hat. She was covered in sweat and dust and aching all over from her effort. She had two and a half row of planted rocks to show for it, as much as the dragon allowed before finally getting bored with the game. Applejack leaned forward and started picking up her tools.

“So, you’ve lost, little pony,” roared the dragon. “Now you have to go away and never bother me again. Show your face here again and I will eat you.”

“Don’t worry,” said Applejack, “I don’t want to ever go close to you ever again.” She threw the bundle of tools across her back and turned away, moving at a brisk pace. She heard the dragon flap his wings behind her and hastened to a gallop. She had just cleared the treeline when she heard an angry roar shaking the gorge.

***

The first couple of pages were dedicated to the simple exercises, basic energy control, things like keeping a light effect steady to maintain a stable magic flow. 

It all makes sense so far, thought Twilight. To really make sure, I’d need to cast a proper spell. I’m sure I can do the light spell already. She prepared and looked up at her horn. A ball of lavender light appeared on the tip and stayed there. Twilight looked down at the written description.

Wait, I’m not doing it right. I think I’ve cut a few corners here.

She examined the description again. Yes. It can all be simplified, just like Obsidian said. Well, except for that part at the beginning where I almost blew myself up. This isn’t the right way to teach foals magic. The question remains, is the extra risk worth it? I’m not a foal. I can handle myself. Could I really double my power here? I don’t trust Obsidian, but that’s all the more reason to find out. If we can’t get to the Elements, then my magic is the most powerful weapon me and the girls have. Now, where can I find a spell that would be good for such a test?


***
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Applejack ran up a rocky outcropping. She had discarded her bundle of tools in the trees, but even without the extra weight that last run took the rest of her strength. She stopped, gasping for breath even as she looked around for signs of pony activity.

“There we are!” called Carrot Top from behind one of the boulders. With a loud rumbling noise the excavatron emerged into view, Flim and Flam atop it.

“Where are my friends?” demanded Applejack loudly, stumbling towards the machine. In response, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie ran out from behind the rock, slamming into the farmpony in a horribly dusty group hug.

“You all okay?” asked Applejack as she recovered her breath.

“Yup!” said Pinkie Pie. “Flim and Flam dug a hole almost right under our cage. Just ‘bam!’ and we were all free. Good thing too, Twilight’s horn was getting really achy from that weird hat the dragon put on her!” 

“Now, let us come home and get ready in case the dragon returns,” said Twilight. The rest nodded. 

“Now that we’re all together, we can face it,” said Applejack. “We just need to get our elements. If it comes to Ponyville, we’ll be ready.”

“Right you are, dear,” said Rarity. “Though I hope I can also find a time for a shower before anything happens.”

“I still don’t like it,” said Carrot Top squinting at the excavatron and then at Applejack. “If you really had to trust… those two, why not just use the machine to win the game? Why anger the dragon by cheating him like this? And you of all ponies?”

Applejack sighed. “It was never about the game. I had to play it because that dragon’s a jerk. And he’d never let me win, fancy machines or not. I was there to save my friends and that’s what I did.”

“I wouldn’t like to disrupt a philosophical discussion,” said Flim from the top of his machine, “but there’s still a matter of payment.”

Everypony looked at him, then at Applejack. The farmpony took off her hat, a heavy bag of coins inside it.

“Now, that’s remarkable,” said Rarity. “The Flim Flam brothers not taking their payment up front?”

“We wanted to,” said Flam, “but your friend here didn’t trust us enough. Regrettable, really.”

“Fortunately,” said Flim, “we knew we could trust her. So in the end we managed to reach an agreement.”

Applejack lifted the bag on her hoof and threw it towards the Flim Flam brothers. Suddenly Rainbow Dash flew up and caught it in her hooves. “Hey, wait! Don’t they already have enough money?”

“What do you mean, Rainbow?” demanded Carrot Top.

Rainbow pointed at the large container at the back of the excavatron. “Well, they took a lot of treasure from the dragon’s hoard.”

The brothers looked at each other. “We figured out the dragon would be angry anyway, so there was no harm in increasing our profit,” said Flam, looking down at the gathered mares. 
“That gold is not a part of our agreement though,” said Flim, scowling at Rainbow Dash. “We still expect to be paid.”

“What?!” screamed Carrot Top. She almost looked like she was about to catch fire. “You robbed… a dragon! You will get us all burned! And you still expect to get Applejack’s life savings after that?”

The mares formed a half-circle around the excavatron, staring the two entrepreneurs down, Rainbow Dash still clutching the bag of money. Out from the gorge, a dragon’s roar echoed.

“I just told you,” said Flam, “He’d be furious anyway, with us breaking into his lair. And we did that at your request, in return for promised payment.” He squinted at Rainbow Dash. “We’re not leaving without it.”

“Give it to them, Rainbow,” said Applejack. 

Her friends looked at her in shock.

“But… why?” said Dash, sqeezing the money bag to her chest.

“They didn’t deserve it,” said Carrot Top. “And you surely deserve better treatment than that.”

Applejack glared at her. “Ya think my savings for my friends’ life is not a fair trade? Besides, I gave my word. I ain’t gonna break it. I might still need it.”

Rainbow Dash looked from Applejack, to Carrot Top, to the Flim Flam brothers. Finally, with a sigh, she released her grip on the bag. Flim grabbed it with his telekinesis and threw into the container in the back of their vehicle.

“Pleasure doing business with you,” he said. “But now we must go.”

The girls moved aside as the excavatron turned around, driving down the rocky path leading west, away from the village, rapidly gaining speed. 

“So, what do we do now?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Well, we need to get to Ponyville as quickly as possible,” said Twilight. The princess sent me the Elements of Harmony before she left. With them, we should be able to-”

She was interrupted by a deafening roar. A giant, winged shadow fell upon the ponies. They all looked up just in time to get hit by a gust of wind as the flying reptile made a sharp turn, flying away from them and after the escaping machine. 

“I… I don’t think they’ll escape unharmed this time,” said Rarity, picking herself up from the ground, her mane frazzled by the blast.

“Well, it is their own fault,” said Dash. “Now we must hurry.”

“Is everypony okay?” asked Twilight.

“I’m okay…” whispered Fluttershy barely audibly.

The rest of the mares just nodded. One by one they picked themselves up, shook off the dust and started galloping towards Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle leading the group. Applejack smiled as she ran with them, her tiredness momentarily forgotten. There were things to be done now. She could feel tired later. As she ran towards the white light ahead, Pinkie Pie skipping by her side, she didn’t notice the scowling form of Carrot Top collapsing into inky blackness behind her.

***

Twilight was sitting in a growing circle of slightly mouldy tomes, a notebook full of scribbled notes in front of her. She had found an inkwell and a pen by looking for it intently until it finally appeared on one of the shelves as if it had always been there.

She looked down to double check her notes, then groaned in frustration.

I can’t compare it like this. At my level of power, I can perform all of these spells both ways. It feels a bit harder doing it by the book, but how can I measure the difference? I’ve found every book I could remember and I think I’ve re-learned a lot already. It seems I still got it. But how can I test anything here? Transformation magic is pointless, because nothing here is real. I can’t try age magic without something alive. I can’t do long distance teleport, because… I’m not even sure how distance works here. I don’t think I should try teleporting in the stairwell. Perhaps -

She looked towards the door.

Those huge pieces of rubble are still down on the ground floor, aren’t they? I could try my telekinetic lifting capacity.

She picked herself up, calming her thoughts to pick up the books with her magic and get them back to their right spots on the shelves.

Oh no, how much time did I spend here reading?

The old books rose into the air in her grip, surrounding her like a school of fish. there were dozens of them, nearly half the content of all the shelves in the room, memories picked from all of Twilight’s years of study. She vaguely remembered re-reading all of them.

It’s one of these days, isn’t it? My mane must be a mess. Is my eye twitching?

Twilight almost rushed in search of a mirror before stopping herself and meticulously replacing all the books on the shelves. 

That’s not important now. I think I can comb my mane just thinking about it, but that’s not important. First things first. How much time has passed? Obsidian hasn’t tried to find me yet. Does it mean the tests aren’t finished? I need to find him and ask. Either way I need to get to the ground floor.

She walked through the door and looked through the stairs, trying to locate a way down.

Ok, stairwell take two. Focus on the result. Don’t think of… focus on the result.

She started walking down, thinking as hard as she could about finding herself on the dusty floor of the lowest level. It wasn’t easy, her brain buzzing with thoughts, now that it had been freed from the distraction of books. A couple times Twilight thought she lost her direction, but dared not look around to confirm it. At one point she got so nervous, she considered coming back and finding a spell that would make her cling to surfaces. Just when she was about to admit she was hopelessly lost, the last path ended in another tower entrance.

“Grr… this is the wrong way,” she groaned aloud. “I need to… wait, I remember this place.”

She quickly trotted inside and down an internal stairwell, her horn illuminating the dark passage. Just as she remembered, the way down ended with a closed door.

“Of course,” she sighed. “I kept thinking about my friends. That’s why I ended up in here.”

She prodded the door, but it remained shut. Carefully, Twilight prepared to cast a spell. 

Okay… careful now. I hope it isn’t anything like what king Sombra used. Perhaps I should just blast the door off the hinges? No, that could cause more trouble. Let’s see… 

She carefully probed the aura surrounding the door. She could feel the magic binding it shut and within it, something more subtle, like a coiled spring. She started pumping more magic into the door, holding the threatening bits still with her power while she worked the lock. A bead of sweat appeared on her brow, but she barely noticed it, too focused on her task.

‘click’

There, she thought, open. Nothing exploded, I’m not paralyzed, no alarm has sounded. I’m not trapped in an illusion. I think.

She prodded the door again and this time it swung open, revealing the round room with the strange flower growing in the middle of it. Twilight silently walked in and approached the plant.

“Okay, flower… show me my friends.”

If the plant understood, it didn’t show it. Instead Twilight had a feeling of being pulled in and then the familiar sensation of numbing cold and light-headedness.

Ah, it’s much worse than when he started it first, she thought, but maintained the connection, watching intently as the amarantine petals grew darker and more vivid, before a vision started forming in the middle of the flower.

***
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“Harder!” shouted Rainbow Dash over the roaring wind. Around her the pegasi were pooling all their strength into the group effort, the cloud of black fumes slowly thickening as the whirlwind compressed it closer and closer to the tip of the mountain. 

It’s still too big. We need to push harder, thought Dash.

She couldn’t see straight through the cloud, but she could feel Cloud Kicker on the other side, keeping pace with her. It was still a bit too early to break symmetry. This was no tornado day with dozens of pegasi, where flapping as hard as they could would do the job. They needed to actually cooperate to keep the funnel in shape between them..

The fumes weren’t that hard to pull, but slightly slow to react, as if oily. Dash wanted nothing more than to finish the job, shrink the funnel enough that she could just keep it going on her own while the others pushed it south. 

The noise got louder and Dash realised that it wasn’t just the whirlwind roaring. She looked down and saw a thicker stream of fumes coming out of the cave. It seemed the plan to take care of the dragon didn’t quite work.

Something yellow flew past and Rainbow’s heart skipped a beat. Fluttershy twisted in the air, her instinct taking over when she heard the dragon’s roar. In a panicked effort to make herself look small she folded her wings and though she suppressed it before actually falling, the sudden loss of maneuverability changed her from a pegasus shaping the funnel to an object carried by the wind. Dash dove after her to stabilise her flight, but she could already see she would be too late. She watched helplessly as the panicked mare collided with Thunderlane, knocking him off course. Cloud Kicker and Blossomforth were too far on the other side to see it, too late to compensate. The funnel bulged and then burst, its force scattering the weather team in all directions. 

Rainbow Dash was the first to recover her flight control. She turned around and flapped her wings, blowing the fumes away from her. She tried to locate her teammates: several were trying to regain control, some were falling. Blossomforth did too well, stopping herself in the air only to be engulfed by the cloud. Dash was horrified to see her bulging eyes as she started choking, just before the expanding cloud hid her from view.

There was nothing Dash could do there. Instead she dove down, trying to lend help the only way she could, by catching her falling teammates. She could see Thunderlane finally stabilising his flight. Below, Fluttershy was still falling, her limbs flailing wildly.

Dash accelerated, trying to catch her friend before she could hit the jagged rocks below. But just as she was about to reach her, she found herself flying through a cloud of molting feathers. Fluttershy was falling apart, a vaguely pegasus-shaped creature of solid darkness revealed as her fur fell away. The thing half-cried, half-hissed at Rainbow Dash before melting away. Suddenly the pegasus realised that the rocks were much closer than she had thought. She flapped her wings hard, a pointy rock scratching across her side as she dodged it with a swerve that almost threw her back. She tried to lose some speed while avoiding the rest of the rocks, but steering away from the mountain made her fall into a dark cloud bank that hadn’t been there before. She fell through inky blackness and then suddenly she found herself in an endless, starry void.
> Chapter 8: The Key
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

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“So, here you are, Twilight Sparkle. Past the simple security spell placed here ages ago and channeling the visions of my precious seering flower. Does it mean you have grown past your limitations and are ready for the secrets of this place? No, of course not. You have foolishly tried to use the Amaranthine alone, with nopony to watch your back and now you are about to die.”

Twilight felt the staff approaching, but was too numb to even feel scared. The blow wasn’t nearly as strong as last time, more like an annoyed thwack, but the jolt of energy it brought snapped the magical connection, sending Twilight toppling onto the floor, like a puppet with its strings cut.

She stayed there for a while, her mouth and eyes open, her breathing slow and shallow.

Obsidian walked towards the flower to make sure it wasn’t damaged. Once he was satisfied, he leaned over the unicorn and breathed into her face. Twilight’s eyes widened as she suddenly recovered clarity. She tried to jump up and say something, but all she achieved was getting tangled in her own, wobbly legs, and landing back down in a confused heap. 

“Look at your hooves,” said Obsidian.

As Twilight did, her eyes widened again, this time in horror. She could feel her leg in front of her, but through it she could faintly see the stones of the floor.

Obsidian sneered. “See, this flower takes more from you than just the magical energy. We’ve tried to just feed it magic and it worked, but it didn’t get us the visions we wanted. To find what you seek, it needs to know your heart. It needs a bit of who you are, to sample, and if you aren’t careful, it will keep taking.’

Twilight looked down her front leg again. “So, will I…”

“No,” said Obsidian. “As you recharge your magic, your being too will recover. Just don’t get anywhere near it anytime soon. Not that you’d want to. The Amaranthine is not for happy visions. It was created as a tool for war. Its petals are stained deep red with the suffering it has seen… no, really, it was white when I first received it. It saved me back then, then it nearly killed me, just like you now. It changed and grew, turning into something its creator had not foreseen. And all the time it stayed a source of bad news.”

“So,” said the stallion, looking down at Twilight again, “was it worth it at least? What did you see?”

Twilight gave him a confused look and then closed her eyes in concentration, trying to remember. Obsidian stood over her sending more power into her, the unicorn’s body becoming more and more solid until finally an expression of understanding flashed on her face, followed by panic.

“It was Dash!” she shouted, “I saw Rainbow Dash! She was in the void!”

Obsidian frowned. “The Element of Loyalty, huh? That’s bad.”

“Bad? She’ll die there!” shouted Twilight. “Why is she there!?”

“Not necessarily,” replied Obsidian, looking down on her. “If she’s in the void, that means the Void Passage spat her out. This happens when one fails a test, but doesn’t die, that’s the simplest way to do it. That also means that the seal had to be opened for a moment. If that was enough for Verba to receive my message, he should fish her out before she exhausts herself to death. I can’t guarantee her good health though. Your mind is very ordered, especially for one gifted with such magic. It kept you stable, even if the cost almost killed you. But lesser minds don’t do so well.”

Twilight had recovered enough to get up. She was now in Obsidian’s face, staring into his eyes. “What are you saying?” 

“She’s experiencing the same as you, but not doing such a good job at keeping the chaos away. You can do nothing about it, so stop panicking.”

“How can I not panic!?” yelled Twilight. “There must be something we can do!”

Obsidian turned away and walked out of the chamber. 

Twilight stumbled after him, trying to keep up. “Hey, come back here! Where are you going?”

“Back to the ground floor. Talking is wasted on you,” responded Obsidian without turning back.

“I can’t just sit and wait,” said Twilight as she chased him up the stairs. 

“I told you, I’m trapped here,” said Obsidian. “Don’t you think if there were a way out, I’d have figured it out in all those centuries?” 

“Well,-”

Obsidian stopped at the entrance to the staircase. “Fortunately for me, there is a way in. I was about to tell you when I found you using the Amaranthine. I’ve figured out how you managed to enter the tower.”

“Why does it even matter?” asked Twilight in an exasperated tone, “We don’t want to get in. We need to get out.”

“Well,” said Obsidian,”We won’t be able to do it in time to help your friend, but I know I can have Verba duplicate the magical conditions that allowed you to leak in through the wards. As long as the bearer of Honesty survives her trial, we can bring her in to unlock the spell.”

Twilight stopped next to him, the gears in her head turning as she figured out the implications of his statement. “You mean,-”

“Yes!” shouted Obsidian, “After thousands of years of being trapped here, I can finally be free! But... for that... Honesty needs to survive, and Loyalty’s failure doesn’t bode well for your friends… I…” He stopped and turned around, pacing in place. “It is now I who needs a distraction. Come, follow me.”

He started again, trotting into the stairwell, the tip of his staff lighting up to provide illumination. Twilight looked warily at the place. “Wait,” she said. “Why can’t you fix these stairs?”

Obsidian stopped, turning his head back at her. 

Twilight took a couple hesitant steps. “You said this place can be formed with will, didn’t you? When I tried to learn to do magic again, I transformed one of the rooms into pieces of my memories. It had all the books on magic I remembered reading. And you are so much more experienced. With the time you had, you could have done so much more. So why didn’t you?”

The stallion stared at her, then turned away, his shoulders moving up and down. It was only when Twilight caught up with him that she realised he was chuckling silently.

“Why, you ask?” he said, grinning, the light of his staff glinting off his canines. “Why not turn the Tower of Lost Thought into a place of light and luxury? It is because…”

He took a deep breath and shouted at the top of his lungs,”BECAUSE I HATE THE PLACE!
It deserves to remain the useless, forsaken ruin it is, mocking me with its useless books I could find nothing in, and useless open door I can’t exit through! Do you know how much suffering could have been avoided if I wasn’t... stuck here... for ages!?”

His staff swung and hit a bannister over his head, sending bits of shattered wood falling sideways. Twilight instinctively ducked for cover as the weapon kept flailing, demolishing the structures around her.

A stairway collapsed, then another. Twilight felt an urge to bolt, but didn’t really have where to. Instead she focused her powers, the magic staff stopping as it was encased in a purple bubble of force.

Slowly, Obsidian turned his head to look at her. “You do know I can kick and bite too?” he said calmly. When Twilight stepped back from him, he smiled. “No, actually I should thank you for that. I’m not supposed to behave like this. Millennia of solitude or not, I should be the smart one, the level-headed one, a mentor that can be trusted. This shouldn’t have happened. Shall we continue down now?”

“What for?” asked Twilight, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Well,” said Obsidian, trotting down the stairs, “since you’ve got to the Amaranthine and tried to stop my staff,” at this he stopped to look at the weapon still suspended in Twilight’s field, visibly struggling to pull free, “I can only assume that you have been practicing. I’m eager to see the full results.”

Twilight released her spell and followed Obsidian down. For some reason getting to the ground floor didn’t take nearly as long as she had expected; either Obsidian’s eagerness made the path shorter or, it suddenly occurred to Twilight, the staircase felt sufficiently intimidated by his violent display. 

It wouldn’t be the strangest thing that happened to me here, she thought.

“So,” she asked after reaching the ground floor, “do you want me to pick up those big pieces of rubble again?”

Obsidian shook his head. He turned around to face Twilight, the staff twirling around his neck and withers before stopping in the air at his side.

“No. I told you, I need a distraction. So I’m going to see if I can teach you to fight.”

Twilight took a low stance, aiming her horn at him, but still moving slowly away. “What do you think you’re doing?” she said through clenched teeth.

Obsidian grinned. “Oh, do not worry. Beating you with a stick until you learn to dodge is out of the question. Even with just the phantom injuries, you’d soon be too twitchy to be of any use in real combat. This will be a proper lesson. Still, do not expect me to go easy on you. War doesn’t coddle anypony.”

***
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The day was cloudy and cool. Rarity looked through the window and sighed. 

It doesn’t look like I’m going to have any customers today. Everypony must be at the fashion show.

Sighing again, she covered the window and returned to her study. As she walked, her eyes fell on the key left on the work table.
I must remember to return it tomorrow. I don’t want to get anywhere near the town hall today. This whole affair is… I think I’ll have another tub of ice-cream. 

There were several tubs already empty by her chaise-longue, the remains of the previous evening. Rarity frowned. 

I should stop doing that. It must be horrible for my weight. It’s childish too. I eat more than Spike when I’m upset. 

She looked at the mess, then towards the kitchen door.

Perhaps next time. I’m still unhappy, and there is still one left. Then I think I’ll go to the spa and try to forget the whole-

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The ground shook, and then the windows vibrated from a powerful roar. Rarity almost fell over.

It… it’s coming from the Town Hall! What is Celestia’s name is happening there!?

Forgetting about the ice-cream, Rarity ran to the front door, unlocked it and looked outside. There was a cloud of black smoke coming from the direction of the town hall. Suddenly some pieces in Rarity’s mind started connecting, things she hadn’t considered before.

“R...Reginald! He’s there and he’s angry. I knew the shabby stitchwork would offend him!”

Rarity’s eyes went wide as saucers.

“He really will eat them alive!”

Without thinking what she was doing, the fashionista galloped through town, heading towards the center. She reached the town hall just in time to see the windows explode outwards, streams of black smoke bursting out. The roar sounded again and the whole building started collapsing. A part of Rarity’s mind realised that she didn’t see anypony running away and that thought chilled the blood in her veins.

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Suddenly, everything went silent, as if Rarity had been hit by an invisible wave that swept all sounds away. She stomped her hoof to no effect and it was only when she coughed nervously that she knew she wasn’t deaf. She looked at the town hall and found the smoke stopped still, bizarrely, like a photograph. As she watched, everything started to unravel, pieces of the buildings, the sky and even the earth under her hooves fading soundlessly into the background until she was left standing in a vast, empty, white chamber.

“Rarity!” called a familiar voice from behind her.
“Applejack” she shouted, turning around. She could also see Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy sitting there on the floor, all of them looking a bit confused.

The four mares ran up to each other, meeting together in the middle. 

Applejack was the first to speak “Are ya all alright?”

“I...think so,” said Fluttershy, looking herself over. “I just had a very... strange dream, I think. But where’s Rainbow Dash?” 

At that they all looked around with worried expressions. As if on cue the walls around them faded again, revealing the now familiar void. The girls found themselves standing on a stone island just like in the beginning, except now it seemed to be made of white marble. 

Then their ears caught a faint sound getting closer. Simultaneously recognising the tell-tale jingling, the four mares formed a half circle, ready to defend themselves. It was obvious that there was nowhere to run.

A stream of glowing runes floated onto the island, wrapping around itself to form a pony-like shape. It extended a hoof and a series of larger runes made of purple light appeared in the air in front of it.

The girls kept looking at it, tense and ready for an attack. The construct tilted what passed for its head. Then it uncoiled and lashed out, a single sigil shooting out and hitting Applejack in the forehead, causing the other mares to yelp and scatter. For a moment, the farmpony was standing still, both the sigil and her eyes glowing purple. Then the symbol returned to its master, leaving Applejack swaying and confused, but not visibly hurt.

“Applejack, are you ok?” shouted Rarity.

Pinkie Pie started approaching the strange creature. Rather than wearing an expression of fear or anger, she was squinting at it with suspicion. “What do you want, mister? And what did you do to Twilight and Rainbow Dash?”

The strange pony reformed briefly before pointing a hoof again. This time the symbols that appeared were ones the mares recognized.

S T A Y

And then the creature was gone, a string of symbols flying off into the void at astounding speed.

“What was that about?” asked Applejack, shaking her head to clear it.

“I think, it wants us to stay here,” said Fluttershy.

Rarity looked around. “It’s not like we could go anywhere else now, could we?”

“Nope,” said Pinkie Pie, staring off the edge of the island. “No bridge this time.”

“So, all we can do now is wait?” asked Applejack. “Shush, and just when I thought I did save ya all.”

“Save us all?” asked Rarity.

“Well, I had that weird dream about climbing the mountain where the dragon was sleeping…” said Fluttershy.

The others looked at her.

“Me Too!” exclaimed Pinkie. And you were there too, and Dash. Except there was something weird going on. You were all angry at me. But I’ll make it up to you. That reminds me, I need to find Octavia and apologise for ruining her concert.”

“I assure you, Pinkie, I wasn’t climbing any mountains,” said Rarity. My… dream, was it? It had a dragon in it, but it was a fashion critic. His name was Reginald and… well, it was not a good dream. I’d rather not talk about it.”

“So, what do ya think happens now?” asked Applejack, looking around.

Right then, Pinkie Pie jumped up in excitement. “Hey, look! Alphabet Soup’s coming back!” 

“Alphabet Soup?” Rarity looked to where Pinkie was pointing and then raised an eyebrow at her. “What kind of a name is that?”

Pinkie Pie shrugged. “Well, he didn’t tell us his name and we need some way to call him.”

“How d’ya know it’s a he?” asked Applejack.

“Well, duh. Just look at how he moves,” said Pinkie. Her friends turned to follow her advice, but as they took a closer look at the approaching creature, they saw that there was something different about it. The shape was much more defined and clearly pony-like now, as if there was an actual pony inside all the symbols.

“Dash!” they all cried at once.
The cloud of symbols unravelled, spitting the pegasus out onto the stone floor. The four friends instantly surrounded the mare to look for injuries; she didn’t have any more than a couple bruises, but her body was cold and there was a streak of much darker blue through the forelock of her mane. She breathed silently and then started crying, her eyes pressed shut.

“Hey, wake up, Rainbow Dash!” shouted Pinkie, prodding the prone pegasus with her hoof.

“What’s wrong, Darling?” asked Rarity with worry. Then she turned towards their captor, “What have you done to her, ruffian?” Now that she looked at the silhouette, it really did look like a stallion.

A series of purple letters sprung into existence between the two of them.

C H A O S

“Chaos? what does that mean?” asked Rarity frowning.

“Maybe it’s like what Discord did to ponies?” said Fluttershy. She was now sitting next to Rainbow Dash and trying to nuzzle her awake.

The cyan pegasus started to stir. Then her eyes snapped open, staring into Fluttershy with a mix of confusion and utter despair. “My… my child!” she sobbed, “She’s dead! I couldn’t do anything! Why didn’t you stop her!?”

Fluttershy recoiled with a soft gasp. The other mares just stared. 

“Hey, snap out of it, Rainbow! Ya had a nightmare!” started Applejack.

Rainbow Dash looked at her with wild eyes, her face twisted from despair to fury. She tried to pounce, but was too weak to, falling to the ground in front of the earth pony. Fluttershy ran to Rainbow’s side, grabbing her in a tight hug, Pinkie Pie catching her from the opposite side. 

“Raindow Dash, please wake up. You’re Rainbow Dash, the fastest flier in all of Equestria.” said Pinkie, her smile slightly forced even though her words were quite sincere.

“And you’ve never had… I mean…” started Fluttershy.

“You, Alphabet Soup, why has this happened to her!?” shouted Applejack, pointing her hoof at the pony construct.

It took a moment for the creature to formulate the response. During that time Applejack kept staring at it, while behind her back Rainbow Dash kept sobbing, struggling weakly against the restraining embrace of her friends, who were trying in vain to comfort her.

T H E  T E S T

“What test?” asked Applejack.

F A I L U R E

“What? You mean she was hurt, cause she failed?” continued Applejack. “Can’t ya talk in full sentences?”

L O Y A L T Y  F A I L E D

The farmpony stared, not understanding. “Yes, she’s the Element of Loyalty, but…” Then her ears perked up. “Wait, you mean to tell me... those weird, dream-thingies were tests for the Elements? And how did she ever failed at Loyalty?”

She turned around when she heard a yelp of pain. As it turned out, Rainbow Dash had tried to break free from Fluttershy by biting her in the shoulder. “Let… me… go!” she half screamed through choked sobs.

Applejack turned away from the sight, her expression darkened. “Can’t ya at least help her!?” she shouted.

There was another long pause.

M A Y B E

The stallion walked forward, several of his symbols detaching to float around Rainbow Dash. One of them landed on her forehead, while another two split away to touch Pinkie Pie’s and Fluttershy’s. There was a flash of purple light in their eyes and when it faded, all three mares collapsed to the ground.

“What did you do!?” shouted Applejack. Rarity just watched the three friends with a worried expression.

M E M O R I E S

Pinkie Pie was the first to stir. She shook her head, her mane slightly puffier than it had been a moment before. She then smiled at Fluttershy. “You were right! It is like what Discord did! And he did that memory thing Twilight did to help us. Now Dashie will remember how we remember her!”

Fluttershy too was getting up. She smiled at Pinkie Pie, but wasn’t nearly as enthusiastic.

Finally, Rainbow Dash rose to a sitting position. She was no longer sobbing and the foreign streak in her hair was gone, but her eyes were still red and the fur on her face still matted with tears. 

“I’m… I’m ok, I’m ok,” she said weekly. 

Fluttershy hugged her again, this time joined by Rarity. Applejack and Pinkie Pie watched them intently. 

“So… all that deal with the dragon was a test of Honesty,” said Applejack. “I kind of felt that it was weird. I bet I wouldn’t -” she stopped abruptly, her head snapping towards the construct. “Wait. You didn’t answer the most important question. Where is Twilight?”

This time the answer was instantaneous.

T H E  T O W E R

“And where, pray tell, is that?” asked Rarity, briefly letting go of Rainbow Dash.

The stallion nodded, then turned around, walking towards the edge of the island.

F O L L O W

He then unravelled, the flying symbols swirling in a large circle, which then started to glow, a bank of bluish fog forming in the middle of it.

Pinkie Pie approached it cautiously. “I remember those. This is how we got lost before. Wait, does it mean he wants us to go inside?”

“I don’t know, darling,” said Rarity. “I wouldn’t like to lose sight of you again.”

“He did help us cure Rainbow,” said Fluttershy softly. She was supporting Rainbow Dash who had just managed to get back on her hooves.

“It’s not like we have a choice, do we?” said Rainbow Dash, staring at the ground. She then started trudging towards the mist. 

“Well, yea, we need to find Twilight and make sure she’s alright,” said Applejack, walking at her side.

Staying as close to each other as the size of the entrance allowed, the four mares walked into the mist. As soon as they were done, the cloud started shrinking, the runes swirling around it faster and faster as it rose into the air and started flying away. The last sound that could be heard over the sigils’ melodic jingling was the startled voice of Rainbow Dash:

“Wait, did I bite Fluttershy!?”

***
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"They're here," said Obsidian, pointing at a blot of color in the distance.

Twilight turned to look in that direction. It was a swirling vortex of runes filled with pulsing light. It flew towards them, above the ruin of the outer walls and into the remains of the central tower before unravelling rapidly, sending the five ponies inside rolling on the stone floor.

As Verba returned to Obsidian, the symbols wrapping around his staff, Twilight ran towards her friends. They all looked slightly dizzy, but didn't seem to have any serious injury. However, Rainbow Dash was visibly shaken, her eyes more unfocused then the others'.

"Girls! Are you alright?" asked Twilight. Her friends all looked at her, instant relief visible on their faces.

"Twilight! We were so worried!" shouted Rarity and a moment later the whole group wrapped around Twilight in a group hug. A couple seconds passed before they were interrupted by the sound of Obsidian's staff tapping on the stone floor. The runes had already faded, but Obsidian’s eyes were still slightly aglow, a sign that his mind had gotten linked to the construct.

"So, these are the current Elements of Harmony," he said. "And just as I hoped, the bearer of Honesty has survived.”

He then gave them all a critical look. “Twilight claims you're already attuned, but you don't look like great heroes. And Verba here tells me you've had some serious difficulties with your tests. One of you failed and another was about to."

The group broke the hug, but remained close together, now eyeing Obsidian with suspicion. Applejack cleared her throat. "Ok, now that we're together, can somepony tell me what that whole weirdness was all about? And who are you?"

Twilight looked at Obsidian nervously. His staff twitched, but after a moment of silence he just looked back at Twilight.

"Would you be so kind as to introduce me?"

“Uh, girls, this is Obsidian. He’s the original bearer of Honesty,” said Twilight.

Nodding his head, Obsidian stepped forward. “We are in Dissonance, the void outside the world, where all magic comes from. The place you found yourself in was the Void Passage, an ancient testing ground for those wishing to bear the Elements of Harmony. The visions you went through were a testing ritual designed to weed out those too weak to be proper bearers. Defending ponykind is not a task to be entrusted to just anypony, even if they have the right qualities for the Element focus to accept them.”

Dash took a wobbly step towards Obsidian. “But we are the Elements of Harmony. We’ve saved Equestria more than once!”

Obsidian shot her a disdainful look. “Yes, so has your friend told me. Lucky for Equestria then that the dangers it faced were nothing like what ponykind had to face in the old days. You’re…” he turned towards his staff and looked at it intently for a second, “apparently loyal enough for Loyalty to accept you, but you’re not good enough. The Void Passage was set up specifically to prevent ponies like you from binding to the Elements.”

Rainbow Dash’s jaw dropped. Behind her, Rarity’s ears went flat against her head. The rest of the girls just stared at Obsidian in silence.

“But enough of that,” said Obsidian. “Beggars can’t be choosers and all that. At least some of you did pass and I will work with what I have available. There is something strange happening in Equestria and I intend to expose it. For that purpose, I will follow you home. But first I will need the current bearer of Honesty.”

“It’s me,” said Applejack. “But first, how did we get here? I’ve never heard of that void passage thing.”

“I didn’t summon you here,” said Obsidian. “I’ve been… out of touch with the world. It’s surprisingly easy to lose one’s track of time here. Anyway, unlike me, you’re not physically here. Your bodies are still in the waking world. Once you help me open the sealing spells that bind us here, it should be simple to guide you back to your bodies. Then you can try to learn who sent you to this place.”

“Sealing spells?” asked Applejack. “But I know nothing about magic. And what ‘us’? Are you saying we’re trapped here?”

“Yes,” said Obsidian. “This tower was once used for powerful magical experiments. It had powerful wards to hold off anything unwanted. Long ago I modified the protection spell to act as a prison. Verba can come and go, since he isn’t really a pony anymore; more like a spell filled with bits of memories. But any entity that comes here will be held inside. That includes you, now that Verba has brought you here.”

“You… trapped us here?” asked Fluttershy.

“Not at all,” answered Obsidian. “You’ve brought the key with you, haven’t you?” his staff turned in the air, its tip pointing at Applejack.

“Wait,” said Rainbow Dash. “How do we know you’re who you say you are? And why are you trapped here in the first place? How can we trust you?”

Obsidian smiled. “Ah, you may yet be smarter than your leader. Trust is a thing in short supply. You’re smart not to give it freely. You cannot trust me. Any pony who could confirm my identity is either long dead or has since turned into something you wouldn’t trust either. In fact, you wouldn’t be entirely wrong to say Obsidian is long dead. After all, if what our prize student here says is true, then I have already been forgotten by the living. For every breath taken in the waking world as a proper mortal, I have taken a hundred and more here. I’m more a creature of the Dissonance than a pony. All the same, I still have all the memories of once being Obsidian, the bearer of Honesty. Hay, it still makes me unable to tell a lie. It’s a wonder I can do sarcasm. By the way,” he pointed at Applejack “Your element should empower your ability to discern lies. If you can’t already, your training must have been non-existent.”

“As for why I’m trapped here, it’s because I imprisoned myself.”

Silence fell, buzzing with questions waiting to be asked. Obsidian didn’t wait for any.

“You see, the spell that bound the six foci together to create the Elements of Harmony was something nopony had attempted before. It tore the sky asunder and unleashed the raw magic of Dissonance upon the world. To say it didn’t go exactly as planned would be an understatement. I was a victim of one of the unintended results. First there were nightmares, then my truespeech power would fail me seemingly randomly, confusing rather than convincing. By the time I figured out the problem, it was the time for screaming, thrashing and scribbling on walls. When I realised I’d become a threat to others, I sealed myself away, combining the power of Honesty with the leyline the tower stood on to send my prison to the Dissonance.”

“It was a disaster. I didn’t learn it until Verba died and found me here, but when the focus of Honesty was found in what was left of the tower, the blame for my disappearance was… misattributed. Things quickly spiralled out of control. Friend turned against friend and kin against kin. An entire empire was turned into a scorched wasteland, thousands upon thousands burned to cinders.”

“And that of course is not the end of the story. As you can see by looking at me, my mind has cleared quite a bit. It looks like breaking my link to Honesty solved the problem of raving madness. Too bad the same Element was the key I had thrown away to lock myself in. Me and Verba spent centuries trying to break the spell, but it seems that I had accidentally done a better job with it than anypony could expect. And this is where you girls come in. Thanks to Twilight’s arrival I managed to figure out how one can slip through the protections to get inside the tower. With you here now, the bearer of Honesty can command the binding spell to unravel. She lacks the focus, but since we’re in Dissonance, the source of all magic, this shouldn’t be a problem. I will be able to guide her mind.”

“And if we decide not to trust you?” said Applejack. “You said you can’t lie, but what if it’s a lie too?”

“Then,” said Obsidian, “you will be heroically stuck here with me. I’ve been told I’m a bad host though. Sooner or later your bodies in the waking world will die and you’ll have nowhere to return to. Then you can just keep me company here until you erode enough to slip through the wards and meld with the swirling memories outside. Also, you might never learn how and why you got here. We have tried to see it from here, but the force responsible was able to hide from the best of seering spells. Aren’t you curious as to who it was and what they might be up to in Equestria while you were stuck here?”

“So what you’re saying,” said Twilight, “is that either we decide to trust you and open the tower,”

“Or,” replied Obsidian, “You stay here with me for the rest of your lives and hope that it will work better for your friends, than it did for mine when I did that.”
> Chapter 9: The Dream
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

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“... Let us think about it,” said Twilight Sparkle, looking Obsidian in the eyes. She hadn’t before considered the situation from this angle.

The stallion sat down and closed his eyes, the staff landing by his side. “Of course, take all the time you need. I won’t be going anywhere.”

“So, either we release this weirdo or we’re stuck here with him?” said Applejack. “Twilight, do ya think he’s dangerous?”

Twilight considered the question. “I’m not sure… no, scratch that. I had a practice fight with him. And I’ve seen him angry. Definitely dangerous. The question is, is he evil or not. He did teach me a lot while I was here, but…” she glanced sideways at Obsidian, “he’s not exactly the most sane of ponies.”

“Well, it would probably help if he got a mane cut,” said Rarity absent-mindedly.

The others looked at her in silence.

“Wha… what?” she said defensively, looking around. “He wants to convince us to let him out. He could at least make an effort to make a good impression. Besides, you know what they say about feeling how you look. It’s important for your self image.”

“If that’s what’s important for you,” said Obsidian without opening his eyes, “I guess I can humor you.” He then took a long breath and his hair started wriggling around. As the mares watched, Obsidian’s coat groomed itself, dust falling off him until he was all smooth and shiny, his mane untangling and straightening before somehow shortening itself into a military haircut. He opened his eyes and smiled at Rarity. “This is my ‘going to the palace’ look. Is it better now?”

The unicorn turned red. “Oh, certainly. You look much better now. I bet you’d-”

“More trustworthy?” asked Obsidian with a smirk.

At that Rarity fell silent.

Obsidian smiled a bit wider. “That’s shallow. You were right about the self-image thing though. I do feel better already.”

Rarity humphed in indignation and retreated to the back of the group. The others stayed silent, nopony willing to restart the conversation.

It was finally Rainbow Dash who spoke. “Aren’t you going to at least tell me why I failed?”

Obsidian sighed. “Let’s see... “ the runes on his staff briefly glowed purple, matched by the light in his eyes. “Your test was the weak link scenario. A companion you’re supposed to be loyal to isn’t up to the task, and will become a threat to the group. You took her along, hoping to make up for her weakness, and in effect endangered everypony.”

“So, what was I supposed to do?” asked Rainbow Dash, flapping into the air, visibly reinvigorated by the argument. “Leave Fluttershy behind?”

“No,” replied Obsidian. “The strength of the whole team was needed for the task. Any choice resulting in divided loyalty was a trap. What you were supposed to do was help her fight her weakness, give her the strength to pull her own weight instead of trying to carry her.”

Rainbow Dash frowned in confusion. “But, that’s impossible! Her problem was being scared of dragons! How could I solve it in just two days!?”

Obsidian shrugged, then smiled towards Fluttershy. “Well, when your actual friend attempted her test, she saved a companion by calming an angry manticore, using nothing but body language.”

Fluttershy turned a bit red and smiled despite herself.

“What?” asked Rainbow Dash. “But… that’s Fluttershy. That’s normal for her.”

“Exactly,” said Obsidian. “There are countless ways to be strong or fast, but that’s not what the tests are looking for. They were created to find better bearers than my group had been, extraordinary ponies, worthy of the responsibility. It takes something special to pass each of the tests; calm a wild beast, make unrepentant cheats trust your word, dispel the darkness not just by laughing in its face, but by making it laugh with you.”

“Every day the fate of all ponykind might rest on your shoulders. If you can’t do the impossible, you have no business being an Element of Harmony.”

“And now,” he said, standing up, “it seems my presence is distracting you, ladies. I’m going to leave you for now. When you have reached your decision, you can find me in the library room where Twilight last practiced. She knows the way.”

***

“We could make him Pinkie promise not to cause any trouble,” said Pinkie Pie hopefully. 

“And what good will that do?” asked Rainbow Dash. “Are you going to get angry at him if he breaks it?”

“He wouldn’t promise anyway,” said Twilight. “He’s convinced there will be trouble from him coming to Equestria.”

“What sort of trouble?” asked Rarity.

“Well,” started Twilight. She tried to wrap her head around all she had heard from Obsidian. “He thinks there is something wrong with our history. That there is some sort of conspiracy and the princesses are to blame. I think he’s just bitter about being forgotten here.”

“Oh, that might be dangerous,” said Fluttershy. 

“So, what’s he going to do?” asked Dash. “Dig through some old archives? Go attack Canterlot castle?”

“He seems to think we’ll accompany him to see what he discovers,” said Twilight, “so I don’t think he’ll do anything violent right away. But whatever he does, we need to get out of here anyway. Equestria needs us and we need to get to the bottom of all this.”

“Are you sure, there’s no other way out?” asked Applejack. “This place doesn’t look locked.”

“It is,” answered Twilight, shaking her head. “I tried to get out and I couldn’t. I don’t even know how this barrier works. And even if we get out, there is…” she straightened suddenly, her eyes widening. “That’s right! Even if the way is open, there is raw chaos outside. We won’t get home without his help!”

“So, what you’re saying,” said Rarity,”is that we’ll still be trapped here and he won’t?” 

Twilight’s shoulders slumped. “I’m afraid so. We can’t just let Obsidian out and hope we can handle him if he’s up to no good. We’ll have to actually trust him. And that’s after he told us we have no reason to.”

“I say we let him out,” said Pinkie Pie suddenly.

“Why’s that?” asked Rarity. Four pairs of eyes stared at Pinkie.

“Well…” said Pinkie Pie, “Ever since I got here, my Pinkie sense has been acting weird. But all this ‘chaos’ thingy is… like me.”

She looked in silence at the four confused stares.

“I mean,” she continued, “They say I’m random, but I’m really not? like everything has been happening just in time? Even I can’t do that. What I mean is…” she groaned in frustration and fidgeted her hooves.

“There is a method to all this madness?” said Twilight helpfully.

“Yes!” shouted Pinkie, pointing a hoof at her. “There is something here that wants to happen and we’re a part of it. So even if that Obsidian guy is weird and creepy, we will get back home. I’m sure I’d feel it if it weren’t so!”

“That’s… not very helpful, sugarcube,” deadpanned Applejack.

“That might be the best thing we’ve got,” answered Twilight. “We need to find out what’s going on. Our friends need us. Princess Celestia needs us. And if Pinkie Pie has a hunch that it will work out, we’ll have to take that chance.”

“Have I ever been wrong before?” asked Pinkie Pie.

There was a very long, awkward silence.

***

“We have reached a decision,” said Twilight as she entered the library room. She noticed with some disappointment that it had returned to its original, ruined appearance. 

Is there some sort of inertia here, or is it just Obsidian’s influence? she thought.

Obsidian rose from the floor. “What have you decided?” he asked in a low, level voice.

Twilight swallowed loudly. “We will undo the binding spell and set you free. In return you will help us get back to Equestria.”

Slowly, the stallion smiled. “You don’t seem comfortable with the decision. I wish I could make it easier for you. Alas, I’m not as good at being trustworthy as your friend Applejack. This just goes to prove how important the Void Passage tests were. Very well, let’s get this over with.”

He walked down the stairs towards the ground floor, Twilight following close after him. The other girls were standing in a circle at the base of the stairs, watching the stallion intently as he descended.

“Ok, then,” started Applejack. “What is it that you need me to do?”

Obsidian closed his eyes briefly in concentration, then pointed to a piece of open ground some distance away from the stairs. “I need you to stand there. When I give you the sign, you just need to focus your mind. Think of how it felt when you used Honesty. Just focus on that feeling and I will do the rest.”

“As for the rest of you,” he continued, I need you to stand in the corners, by the towers. The main staircase might become unstable when the spell unravels.”
Applejack looked up at the endless tangle of wood. “You sure it’ll be safe for the two of us to stand here?”

“No,” answered Obsidian. “Which is what we have Verba for.”

His staff started glowing and with a jingling sound, the symbols scattered in the air, creating a slowly rotating dome around the two ponies.

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“Okay,” said Obsidian, bracing himself. “Start focusing, Honesty!”

Applejack braced herself and closed her eyes. Obsidian inhaled and then started glowing, the blue aura starting in his eyes, then spreading in runic patterns across his coat, before erupting into a blazing halo around his body. He opened his mouth and strands of energy flowed through the air towards Applejack. When they reached the mare, she too started glowing, but soon the aura started turning pale, almost white, before shifting rapidly to orange.

Through all this Obsidian didn’t say a word. Twilight, who had been standing together with her friends, conjured a bubble of force around them. Just in time, as the magical display of Obsidian and Applejack was starting to whip up a swirling wind, the white dust sweeping through the ground floor, carrying pieces of debris. 

Above, the wooden structures creaked ominously. A piece of a wooden staircase fell down, shattering harmlessly against the barrier Verba was creating. In the middle of it all, two orange auras were still growing in intensity.

“Now!” roared Obsidian over the wind, “Let the way be opened!”

Applejack’s eyes opened, the orange fire blazing within outshining the magic roiling around her. Instantly, visions made of her aura started spreading around the tower, missing pieces of masonry replaced with orange light until for a moment the whole structure stood as it had ages before. Twilight noticed thick lines of magical writings, as tall as a pony, running on different levels around the walls of the tower. One by one the letters flared up and disappeared, starting from the top and descending floor by floor until there was only one ring of symbols left, right above the ponies’ heads. Those lit up all at once, giving the mares just enough time to fall to the ground and cover their eyes.

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There was a loud crunch as parts of the structure collapsed. Twilight opened her eyes to see dust swirling around her protective dome. Then a sudden gust of wind blew the dust away, revealing Obsidian and Applejack still standing in the middle of the floor. 

Obsidian looked around. The building was still standing, but the walls were even more cracked than before and some pieces of masonry were floating in the air around the outer walls.

The stallion grinned. “It.. worked. It worked! I’m free!” he roared at the top of his lungs.

Applejack recoiled from him, taking a defensive stance. “Don’t come any closer!”

Obsidian paused, giving her a confused look. “What’s wrong? Am I being too dramatic?”

The rest of the girls ran up to Applejack, standing at her sides. “Your teeth,” said the farmpony, glaring at Obsidian.

The stallion rolled his eyes. “They’ve always been like this. Back in my time, earth ponies were omnivores. You have unicorn teeth. And while I’m sure Twilight would eagerly sit and listen to a lecture about slow merging of species, both you and I have places to be. Let’s see about sending you back to your bodies.”

Applejack reluctantly relaxed. Obsidian walked purposefully towards the outer gate. 

“Aren’t you going with us?” asked Twilight.

“It’s not that simple,” said Obsidian. “You have bodies waiting for you. With a proper spell to give you a push, your connections to them will pull you all the way in, like a stretched rubber. But I have to actually cross all the way through. I also have to set some new spells here, so the place doesn’t dissolve completely in my absence. I intend to leave Verba here, guarding the Amaranthine.”

His staff waved in the air, drawing a ring of intersecting lines around the six mares.

“Once I have done all that,” continued Obsidian, “and taken care of some technical problems such as making sure I don’t age to dust on arrival, I will seek you out. Try to stay out of trouble until then.”

There was a soft whoosh and the mares disappeared, only a sensation of something having left in a hurry palpable in the spot where they had stood. Obsidian looked out through the gate.

“It’s not like you have a choice anyway.”

***
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“She’s waking up too. They all are!”

The voice was strange, and muffled. Twilight tried to turn, to hear better, but found the task surprisingly hard. Even her eyes were hard to open. She felt warm, wet and numb. When she finally managed to force her eyes open, her vision was too blurry to see anything. Meanwhile, the dark shapes around her kept talking in excited voices, in medical terms she didn’t understand.

“... keep them like this till you’re done with the procedure. I’ll go notify the queen.”

Twilight drifted off to sleep.

***

Twilight awoke on the floor of a wooden cottage. She looked around, her mind recognizing Zecora’s hut. The windows were dark, the only light coming from the fire in the middle, a lone figure looking over the contents of the cauldron.

“Please do hurry,” said the figure “we don’t have much time.”

It was not Zecora, Twilight realised. The voice was of a mare, but whenever Twilight tried to take a closer look, her mind failed to register any details. She couldn’t make up her mind on whether she could see a horn or wings, she couldn’t see the cutie mark or how the mane was styled. The coat felt white, but she couldn’t see even that with any clarity.

The mare turned to look at her.

“You’re going to be trapped, Twilight Sparkle. The betrayal has already been planned. Push that support under the shelf and give me the book,” she said, pointing her hoof at one of the shelves covered with herbal concoctions. Her voice was just as difficult to place as her appearance. Was it a desperate plea of a panicked filly, or angry nagging of a crone?

Twilight looked at her, then at the shelves. “I’m still dreaming, aren’t I?” she said.

“Yes you are, now hurry,” said the mare impatiently. Twilight felt a sudden compulsion to push the support. To her surprise, the shelf did not collapse. Instead, a piece of the wall that had up to that point seemed solid, opened, revealing a small, hidden compartment. There was a book inside, an old, crumbling tome in a black cover decorated with a swirling pattern of stars.

“Is this what you wanted? asked Twilight, but as she lifted the book in her telekinetic grip, it was yanked towards the cauldron, opening mid way through.

“A book of a fabled wizard,” said the mare “or was it all a fable? Let us read the recipe for disaster. Take one naive unicorn with a bright soul. Drop her into raw chaos, add delusions to taste.”

The contents of the cauldron started glowing. As Twilight approached it, trying to read the contents of the book, she noticed that the potion was actually a swirling, starry void.

“Let the illusions shape the thought,” continued the mare “let the thought shape the flesh. What will be the result?”

Suddenly the contents of the cauldron exploded, filling the cottage with acrid smoke. The mare grabbed Twilight and yanked her around with surprising strength, making her turn around to face a large mirror that hadn’t been there before.

Twilight stared in surprise. She could see herself in the mirror, slightly taller than she remembered, but that was not the important thing. There were now wings on her sides. She turned to look and found her body matching the reflection.

“Don’t be stupid, Twilight Sparkle!” shouted the mare. She punched the frame and the mirror flipped around. It was now showing Twilight from behind, her mane parted to reveal an open door in the back of her head. 

“This is the reward for blind loyalty! A gift that is poison! A power that isn’t yours to use! The siege of your mind has already started, and you will be your own wooden horse, for your enemies to hide in!”

Twilight turned around, rising on her hind legs, trying to feel the back of her head. Then she fell back to her hooves. “Stop doing this! You’re the one attacking me now!”

“You can’t fight the truth, Twilight,” said the mare, stepping back. The cottage seemed to grow and darken, the wooden interior turning into a dungeon chamber.

“Truth?” asked Twilight through gritted teeth. “This is no truth. This is a dream, you said it yourself. And if this is my dream…”

In a flash, Twilight was back to her unicorn self. A candle lit up on the wall, then another, darkness slipping away as more and more was revealed. 

“...I make the rules here.”

The mare started stepping back, keeping to the shadows as more and more lights appeared. Twilight still couldn’t see any details of her, but she could swear she saw her smile.

“Your dream, your rules. You’re learning fast. Just remember this dream when the time comes, Twilight. Your life will depend on it.”

***

Twilight tumbled to the ground with a gasp, clear green liquid spilling onto the rubbery floor. She felt stings of pain as thin, organic tubes tore themselves out of her body. As she coughed violently, trying to get the green fluid out of her system, somepony put a small vial in front of her muzzle.

“Drink this. It will help you recover,” said a male voice in a terse whisper. 

At this point Twilight started noticing her surroundings. She was in a small cave dimly illuminated by strange crystal growths in the walls. Almost all of the walls and the floor was overgrown by some resin-like substance, culminating in a bunch of pods along the wall, pods that were just now being cut open. There were also two dead changelings at the other wall.  

The one offering her the vial was a slate grey unicorn stallion dressed in some sort of fancy black coat that covered most of his body. He wielded a small knife with his telekinesis, ripping the pod membranes open one by one. Within seconds, all five of Twilight’s friends tumbled onto the floor beside her, the stallion setting the knife aside and reaching to a bandolier under his coat to produce a vial for each. 

Twilight tried to get up, but felt her limbs failing her. Abandoning her efforts for a moment, she somehow managed to grab the vial. The contents tasted strongly of herbs and when she drank, it filled her body with sudden warmth that seemed to banish the pain and sharpen her senses. 

“What’s going on here?” said a screechy voice.

Another changeling had entered the chamber. He froze as he saw the mares freed from their pods and the two bodies on the floor.

Without as much as a word, the unicorn turned his head, his small knife flying across the chamber, hitting the insectoid pony in the neck, right under the chin. The creature hit the wall and then collapsed on the ground, twitching.

“All of you, drink up,” hissed the unicorn. “We don’t have much time. We need to get out of here fast.”

They all did, one after another, as soon as they were over their respective coughing fits. Twilight managed to get up; she was all sticky and still felt weak, but the potion was doing wonders. Once she was past the problem of getting up, she found a moment to look at the corpses and be properly shocked.

“Who are you?” she asked.

The stallion turned to look at her. Twilight noticed that he was a good deal older than her and rather strongly built.

“Agent Pierce, Her Celestial Majesty’s Secret Service,” he said.
> Chapter 10: The Hive
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Rarity looked around the chamber in disgust. “By Celestia, where are we? And what is -” she stopped abruptly and looked down on her own body, the fur matted and sticky and the mane turned into slimy strands by the remains of the pod fluid. “We… we must get out of here, quickly!”

Pierce lunged forward and put a hoof on her mouth. “Be quiet!” he hissed. “Do you want them to hear you?” 

He looked at the mares, making sure all of them could stand. They all looked worn out but focused and listening to him intently, except for Fluttershy, who was dry heaving at the sight of the still twitching changeling, and Dash, who was flapping her wings, trying in vain to get the fluid off her feathers. 

“Wait here,” he said in a calmer voice. “I’ll check if the way is clear. Our diversion could start any moment, and we need to make use of it when it starts.”

He went out of the chamber, recovering the knife from the changeling’s body as he went, and disappeared from sight. The Elements of Harmony were left alone with the bodies.

“What do you think is going on?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Well, we can ask him when he comes back,” said Applejack, “but it looks obvious we’ve been captured by changelings.”

Twilight examined the mess of organic growths along the wall. She sighed as her mane fell over her eyes with a wet sound. She lit up her horn and pushed the fluid off her body. It wasn’t enough to get her properly cleaned, but at least the sticky mess would stop getting in her way.

“These pods must have kept our bodies suspended while we dreamed,” she theorized, “but that doesn’t explain how our minds ended in the Void Passage, or the whole fake Ponyville thing.”

She turned towards Rainbow Dash, who was still flapping her wings with annoyance, and began to clean her with her magic. 

“Perhaps they wanted to mess with our heads to make us use the Elements for them?” said Dash.

Twilight frowned. “Could it all have been just a dream?” she had already finished with Dash, and was now moving among her friends, helping them one by one. “No,” she realised, “I’m still using magic the way Obsidian showed me. So at least that part must have been true.”

“I say we should find the queen, and make her tell us what it’s all about,” said Applejack. “But first, has anypony seen my hat?”

“You better leave that for later,” said Pinkie Pie, jumping into the middle of the group, “because we’re about to have a -”

There was a low rumble somewhere above, and the whole cave shook, specks of dust falling from the ceiling. A couple seconds later, Pierce poked his head into the chamber.

“That’s our cue. Everypony ready?”

Six heads nodded in unison. Pierce put a hoof to his mouth in a silencing gesture, before waving at the mares to follow.

Outside the chamber there were intersecting tunnels, partially reinforced with strands of resin, but mostly made of bare stone. Here and there strange, thorny vines were growing along the ceilings. As Twilight raised her head to examine one, her horn sparked unexpectedly. 

“Keep away from the vines,” whispered the stallion, “They make magic go haywire. They also get grabby if you get really close. I don’t know how the changelings are keeping them dormant, but they seem to be using them to protect the hive.”

There was another distant explosion. Twilight looked up, then at Pierce. “What’s going on up there?”

Pierce gestured at her to wait, before sneaking ahead and checking the next intersection. He spent a moment listening. There was a sound of distant buzzing, but nothing too close. Finally he nodded at the mares to follow. 

“Princess Celestia’s attacking the hive,” he said. “She only managed to locate you this morning. Since then she had been preparing to rescue you. When she found out there is a hive here, she sent me down here to find you. It would be too risky to try teleporting here,” he said, pointing up at the nearest black vine, “so I’m to get you on your hooves and as close to the surface as possible. We’ve established a meeting spot where Princess Luna can enter to pick you up.”

The tunnel ended in another chamber. Pierce walked through it first, reaching the opening on the other side. The girls followed him hesitantly. There was more light here, the glowing crystals supplemented by some kind of phosphorescent fungi. There were also pods, dozens of them. Twilight turned her head curiously, but the closest one proved empty. 

“This is…” she started, pointing at the structure overgrowing the walls.

“Their food storage,” answered Pierce. “Almost empty fortunately. They were keeping a low profile. They couldn’t have hidden so close to Ponyville if they kept abducting ponies.”

“Ponyville?” said Applejack. “Wait, where exactly are we?”
She was interrupted by a loud gasp. Rainbow Dash had been flying above the rest and ended up disturbing one of the pods. The dull liquid sloshed around, briefly revealing a desiccated husk floating inside, a suggestion of stripes visible on what was left of the coat. 

Rainbow Dash turned from cyan to turquoise. “Let’s get out of here, quick,” she mumbled.

Pierce nodded. “That’s what I’m here for. Now we need to -” he turned and his horn flashed. A small item flew from inside his coat, hitting something high in the ceiling. The girls scattered, yelping, as a changeling fell down from above, crashing into the floor in their midst.

Applejack looked at the body. “That was fast.”

“Paralyzing poison and some piercing enchantments,” said Pierce. “But I hoped there wouldn’t be any guards in this part.”

His ears swivelled as he caught a distant noise, a high-pitched chirping that suddenly turned into a long screech. The girls all gave him questioning looks.

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“This means we’ve just ran out of time,” he sighed. “Now, follow me!” he said, running up a corridor out of the chamber.

They’d ran for a minute before encountering the first enemies. Two changelings emerged from the tunnel, running in the opposite direction. One of them screeched, his voice reverberating through the complex. The other gurgled and spat, sending a globe of resin at Rainbow Dash. The pegasus ducked under the projectile before pouncing forward at the bug pony. 

“No!” shouted Pierce. He was already shooting at the first opponent, a small needle stabbing through the changeling’s larynx putting an end to his screaming. 

Dash collided with her target, but found the creature rolling with the impact and then bucking upwards, sending the pegasus tumbling over him and knocking the breath out of her.

The changeling was about to take into the air, when a purple aura appeared around his membranous wings, holding him in place. Twilight waited for Pierce to strike the creature down, then released her spell. Rainbow Dash rose from the ground, groaning.

“Never do that again!” barked Pierce. “You got in my line of shot. And are you even trained in silencing your mind?”

Dash looked at him in confusion. “My mind?”

Pierce was already on the move, the girls following suit, trying to walk as far around the dead changelings as they could.
“Changelings are empaths,” explained Pierce. “They feel your emotions. If you can’t silence your mind, they see right through your attacks. That thing could have put a horn right through your throat.”

Dash recovered enough breath to get back to the air, catching up with the running stallion. “But I’ve beaten dozens of those in Canterlot!”

Pierce didn’t even look at her, instead focused on the way ahead. Another big explosion shook the complex. “The same ones that overpowered the city garrison in minutes?  No matter, we’re not here to fight, just sneak out and away from these vines.”

There were more screeching sounds. More changelings were in pursuit. Pierce reached a large intersection and skidded to a halt, before pointing at one of the ways. “There. We’re close,” he said.

A trio of bugs emerged through smaller tunnels in the ceiling, dropping almost in the middle of the group.  One pounced straight at Pierce, a half-sphere of green energy forming in front of it as it charged, deflecting the needle launched at its face. The other was trying to support him when Dash dropped at him from above. He weaved out of the way of the stomp and turned around, bucking the legs from under the pegasus before spitting a globe of resin at her. The gooey substance splattered over Rainbow’s side and right wing before hardening rapidly, sticking her to the floor.

The last one went straight for Twilight. She instinctively formed a shield bubble. As the creature used its own protective spell, the two collided in a shower of sparks. Then Twilight’s barrier shifted, shrinking and thickening from a sphere to a small disc. The unicorn focused and pushed. She could see the understanding in the thing’s insectoid eyes, but it had no way of dodging this one - the barrier rushed forward, knocking the monster off his hooves and slamming him into the opposite wall. 

In the corner of her eye she saw Pierce taking down his opponent. That bug had not bothered with resin, instead going straight for the throat with his fangs, the stallion teleporting away at the last moment to avoid the bite and get in his attacker’s blind spot.

Meanwhile Pinkie Pie and Applejack were trying to help Dash, with mixed results. The changeling proved too agile to land a good hit on. On the other hoof, he seemed to have the same problem with Pinkie Pie, the agile pastry chef bouncing in erratic patterns that made her surprisingly hard to grab.

She’s using her Pinkie sense, Twilight realised. 

There was too much movement for her to aim a clear shot. Instead she used her telekinetic grab again, surprising the changeling by snagging his wings. Applejack wasn’t about to waste the chance. The creature saw the attack coming, but all he could do was block, not nearly enough to stop the buck of the earth pony. It slammed into the wall next to the one Twilight had knocked out earlier. 

“Hurry,” said Pierce, shaking his opponent’s body off him. He started running again, stopping just long enough to see Twilight unstuck Dash from the floor.

“How do they keep doing this?” grumbled the pegasus.

“Told you already,” replied Pierce. “Now let’s get going.”

Their way opened into a larger cavern. The glowing crystals were more abundant here, leaving little space for the vines to keep growing. 

“We’re here,” said Pierce. “But the princess isn’t here yet.” He looked around warily.

“Can’t you teleport us yourself?” asked Rarity. 

Pierce shook his head. “The whole group? No way. I’m no prodigy, just very well trained. Short blinks is all I can do.”

“What about Twilight?” asked Fluttershy.

“I… think I could,” said Twilight. “I’ve done similar things before. You’d just have to tell me where exactly we are, so I have a point of relation.”

“We are under Everfree, about -” started Pierce. He was interrupted by a bolt of green energy coming his way. A dozen or so changelings rushed into the cavern through various entrances.

***
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“Perish, monsters!” 

Princess Celestia turned in the air, her horn illuminating the night with blazing gold as it fired shot after shot, flash frying the incoming changelings. The air was vibrating with the buzz of hundreds of insectoid wings. The princess of the Sun surveyed the battlefield with a grim expression; she had been right to have left her guards behind. It would be a sad day if her ponies had to see her like this.

She conjured a barrier as some of the creatures from below fired a barrage of green projectiles. Then expanded it, smashing the oncoming fliers from the sky. 

They just kept coming, the flying monsters wrapping themselves in barriers of their own before ramming straight into Celestia’s shield. 

For a moment the princess disappeared in a press of black bodies. Then her shield exploded outwards, filling the air with bits of charred carapace. 

A globe of resin flew through the clearing smoke, hitting one of Celestia’s wings. She managed to stay in the air, but had to use a levitation spell to regain her balance. The next wave of attackers used the opening, ramming into her before her shield was formed to full strength. This time she started falling down, the changelings clinging to her, trying to block her wings and bite past her protections.

There was a flash of light, a bolt of lightning striking the struggling mess, jumping from one creature to another while sliding over the outside of Celestia’s barrier. As the electric charge arced away towards the ground, the princess shook off the dead monsters, and spread her wings wide, landing in a large crater that now formed a clearing in the forest.

“Luna! You shouldn’t be here!” she called up towards her saviour.

The princess of the Moon landed beside her, the silver light of her horn dissolving the resin on Celestia’s feathers.

“I’m not leaving you to die,” she proclaimed loudly, before projecting another bolt of lightning, striking down some approaching opponents.

Celestia looked at her angrily. “That was not the plan! You were supposed to meet agent Pierce and rescue the Elements!” Another group of changelings prepared to ram her from the sky and she created another barrier to shield herself.

“The plan didn’t assume there would be hundreds of those things here!” barked Luna, lashing with her lightning left and right.

“This is ridiculous!” said Celestia through gritted teeth. ”There is no way to secretly feed a swarm of this size. There shouldn’t be - “ she paused and raised her eyebrows slightly. “They’re not real. It’s some kind of a clone spell.”

She pointed a hoof at the charred pieces littering the crater. One after another the remains started dissolving into strands of magic.

“That explains it,” said Luna. “So, it is a fight we cannot win. We have to find the source of the clones.”

“I’ll handle this!” shouted Celestia. “You go find the girls.”

Luna looked at her. “And who’s going to raise the Sun if they overwhelm you?” She looked down and nodded. Celestia understood her and stomped her hooves, crushing the enemies tunnelling underneath her.

“I can handle this!” she hissed.

“Yes. But I won’t risk it!” replied Luna. “We win this battle together. Then we descend the tunnels to look for your student.”

There was a moment of silence punctuated by explosions and sizzle of lightning. Finally, Celestia spoke.

“Let us hope we do not regret this.” She looked up. “To find the source of the monsters, we need to clear the sky for a moment.”

Luna nodded. “This is why you told your guard to stay back didn’t you?” 

Celestia did not answer, already focused on what she needed to do. This attack would require some very good protection first.

***
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The cavern was a complete chaos. Twilight barely managed to throw up a barrier before the first shots came, Fluttershy ducking instinctively behind her while the rest of the girls scattered, either trying to fight or ducking for cover. 

Pierce rolled aside, letting the shots aimed at him slip past his side, and returned fire, needle after needle emerging from inside his coat. 

Dash went up towards the ceiling. Several changelings spat towards her, but she was ready this time. “Over here, you overgrown cockroaches!” she shouted. Two bugs rose to the challenge, flying up to catch her.

Twilight saw changelings charging at her and her friends, their comrades still keeping suppressing fire on her. 

 The previous day...
“Active defence is good,” said Obsidian, “but it absorbs attention and makes it hard to attack. If you don’t want to give up initiative,  it is best if your shield can do something more.”

Time to show them some new tricks, thought the unicorn. Her horn glowed brighter and the barrier in front of her turned opalescent. A second later the changelings shrieked; rather than detonating harmlessly on Twilight’s shield, their shots were now deflected away, filling their side of the cave with wild ricochets.

Something rushed past her, wreathed in green flame, heading for Pierce; two changelings charged him, the first one forming a ramming shield to deflect incoming projectiles. The second one transformed mid-step, his limbs stretching as he turned into a leopard, pouncing over his companion’s back to claw and bite at the troublesome agent. Twilight turned to help him, momentarily dropping her guard - even as he blinked away to avoid the mortal peril, she felt a globe or resin hitting the side of her face.

Around her, her friends weren’t doing much better. Rarity managed to find some rubble and was chucking pieces of it with her telekinesis, but achieved little, her targets either dodging or shielding themselves. Applejack and Pinkie were trying to keep the attackers busy, but while Pinkie could thwart their attacks, the creatures weren’t deterred at all. Twilight was trying to help them, but she wasn’t given a chance; the changelings had clearly made her and Pierce priority targets and it was taking all her attention to keep defending herself.

 “A formation of allies can keep your flanks safe,” said Obsidian. “But if you don’t have one, stay on the move. Don’t make yourself an easy target.”

Twilight blinked away, appearing in one of the entrances to the cave, behind most of her opponents. There was a moment of confusion as the attackers suddenly lost their target. Twilight shot a stunning spell at the nearest changeling. As she did, she noticed one creature groaning on the ground - it was clearly stunned, but still alive. 

That’s one of their shots, she realized, they used stunning spells too.

The changeling she shot at barely dodged, sensing her intent to strike at the last moment. Two creatures pounced at her, but she blinked again, leaving them colliding in mid air. Her shot reached them before they could recover, sending them both sprawling on the ground. 

Meanwhile, two changelings faced Applejack. The farmpony was already tired, her famous strength not yet fully recovered after her long cocooned sleep. Hearing Fluttershy trying to hide between the rocks behind her, she made a stand, staring down the two insectoids. The changelings looked at her with calm expressions, then at each other. And then they kissed.

“What in tarnation?” said Applejack, raising an eyebrow. 

The two looked at her again, separating. They then charged at her, passing her on both sides, a lariat of sticky strands stretching between their mouths. It snagged on Applejack’s legs, causing her to stumble as the two attackers passed each other behind her rump, wrapping the resin trap around her.

Rainbow Dash heard Applejack’s yelp of surprise and chanced a look down. She could see Twilight and Pierce were still fighting, and Pinkie was doing a good job at staying out of reach, but Rarity seemed stunned and Fluttershy was about to get cornered. Dash folded her wings dropping rapidly to dodge as one of her opponents flew at her. She recovered her flight and sped towards Fluttershy. One of the changelings cornering Fluttershy turned towards Dash and inhaled. Dash was already starting to roll aside to dodge the projectile, when the creature’s throat glowed green. The changeling spat through closed mouth, the resin shooting in strands between his teeth, the magic tying them together to form a web. Unable to stop in time, the pegasus fell face first into it, turning her into a flailing, sticky mess.

“Dash!” shouted Twilight. She was still busy with two changelings. Desperate, she extended her telekinesis and managed to grab both. Her eyes glowed white as she lifted them into the air and slammed them against each other. There were seven changelings still standing in the cave, three of them weaving and shifting from one predatory shape to another, trying to take down Pierce. He just blinked once again, getting out of the grip of a constrictor snake his foe had turned into. Another changeling rammed him with his horn, pushing him into the wall. Twilight shot a blast in that direction knocking the creature out while it was trapped by the agent’s coat. To her relief, Pierce pushed off the wall and immediately retaliated; he was winded, but there must have been some armor under his clothes to stop the stab. The snake-shaped changeling was struck down with a needle through the throat before it could shift again.

They use stunning spells and resin to catch us, though Twilight, but him they’re trying to kill. They still want us alive.

She switched to doing what she had seen Pierce do, blinking close to a changeling and blasting him from the side, where it was hardest for him to dodge properly. 

Four left.

One had shifted into a leopard, this time managing to pounce at Pierce and knock him over. Two were trying to flank Twilight from the air, their horns lighting up with stunning spells. The unicorn blinked once, appearing between Applejack and Rainbow Dash.

I hope this works…

She closed her eyes and focused. She could almost feel the shots coming at her, but she was ready in time; her eyes blazed white, a powerful barrier spreading from her like a shockwave. The spell washed over her struggling friends, dissolving their bonds, then spread further, hitting both the already unconscious and the still airborne changelings, flinging them away in all directions. Twilight swayed. The gunk from her face was also gone, but she couldn’t see quite clearly, the sudden power spike leaving her dizzy and lightheaded. She looked towards Pierce to see he had won his struggle - his black coat was in tatters, but his opponent was down, a handle of a knife sticking from his neck.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack picked themselves up from the ground. In the far corner of the room, Pinkie Pie was noisily trying to wake up Rarity. Twilight shook her head, trying to clear it. One, two, three… wait.

The realisation struck her just as her eye caught a glimpse of movement, the last changeling skulking on the ceiling, his carapace turned grey and blue to match the crystals overgrowing the rock. The unicorn opened her mouth for a warning shout, but even as she did, she knew she’d be too late, the insectoid dropping down onto Pierce, sinking his fangs in the stallion’s thick neck.

“No!” she shouted, shooting a beam of energy from her horn. It was barely a spell, more like an instinctive pulse of energy, recklessly aimed just over the agent’s head. It did its job though; the changeling felt it coming, but couldn’t get out of the way in time, the concussive blast launching him off Pierce’s back and all the way through the cave before slamming him into the rock wall with a crunch.

“You okay?” asked Rainbow Dash, running to Pierce’s side. Applejack and Fluttershy quickly followed suit. The stallion craned his neck, trying to look at his injury and winced in pain.

“No, I’m not,” he said. He closed his eyes. “Oh, bother. That one was an assassin. The venom doesn’t kill, but it dislurp-” He blinked several times, trying to finish the sentence, but found his lips and tongue not quite obeying his will. Fluttershy looked upon him with fear. The stallion stumbled, then went limp. Applejack and Rainbow Dash tried to support him, but after a moment of futile effort set him gently on the ground.

“What do we do now?” asked Rainbow Dash, looking around frantically.

Twilight Sparkle looked around the cave. Rarity had managed to get up from the ground and was now leaning against Pinkie Pie. The cavern was littered with changelings, some killed or paralyzed by Pierce’s needles, others knocked out by stunning spells or by Twilight. She looked towards the last one she had shot - he was alive and groaning in pain, green goo seeping from his injuries. 

I almost killed him. I didn’t mean to hit that hard.

Twilight’s ear twitched. There were more screeching sounds getting closer.

“More are coming,” said Twilight. Her mind raced, considering the options. “There is no other way. I need to teleport everypony myself. I hope we’re not too far away from home.”

The group huddled around the unicorn as she closed her eyes and focused. 

I don’t even know where we are. What if something goes wrong? No, the teleportation spell doesn’t allow materialisation in things it can’t displace. At any rate… She shook her head. No! Focus on the result. Energy follows attention. I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home!

There was a bright flash of fuchsia light and the seven ponies disappeared.
> Chapter 11: The Town
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

music link

They appeared on an empty road in front of the library. Twilight opened her eyes slowly and re-oriented herself. It was night, the darkness illuminated only by the glow of the fire far in the south. The moment Twilight realized it, she looked around warily - not a single light was on in the whole town, the buildings ominously dark and silent.

“What’s going on?” asked Applejack, looking towards the fire. 

Her answer came in the form of a powerful explosion that shook the ground and turned night into day. As Twilight ducked, the wave of hot air washing over her, she could swear she heard the sound of window panes breaking.

“That… that must be princess Celestia,” said Twilight, her eyes wide in horror. 

“What are we gonna do?” asked Rainbow Dash, pointing down at Pierce. “He needs help.”

Twilight looked towards her house, but quickly shook her head. “No, not here. It’s dangerous here.” Her ears perked up. “That’s why the town is so dark. It must have been evacuated.”

The other mares looked at her, their expressions changing as they absorbed the information. Fluttershy, who had been leaning over Pierce, making sure his breathing was stable, straightened up, her face suddenly a mask of horror. “My… my animals,” she stammered, turning towards the forest edge where her cottage stood.

“Wait!” shouted Twilight, “Don’t run there on your own. Let me think for a moment.” She turned towards her friends, silently counting them. 

“Applejack, Rainbow Dash, you carry Pierce to the hospital. There might be somepony left there who’s able to help him. Rarity, you go with them and light the way.”

The three nodded. Twilight picked Pierce up with telekinesis and gently put him across Applejack’s back.

“Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, you go with me to the forest. This way Fluttershy can check on her home while I look for princess Celestia. Pinkie, you go with us and warn us if there are any changelings that could ambush us.”

Fluttershy nodded with a solemn expression, Pinkie Pie saluted.

Taking a last look at each other, the two groups started moving in opposite directions.

***

The way to the hospital took longer than expected. 
It turned out that despite Applejack’s strength, the limp body of Pierce was very difficult to carry, forcing her and Rainbow Dash to keep shifting and propping him to avoid hurting his neck or dragging him behind. Rarity ended up having to use her magic to help carry him, leaving the three mares stumbling in the darkness as the levitation spell didn’t provide enough light. It was only when they got to the marketplace that Rarity had a stroke of inspiration, using her magic to transform the wood and canvas of an abandoned fruit stand into an improvised stretcher.

“You know,” said Applejack as she resumed her walk towards the hospital at a more reasonable pace, “this must’ve been some pretty fast evacuation.”

Rarity looked around the marketplace. “You’re right, Applejack. The stands, the carts in the street, it looks like everything has just been abandoned.”

Rainbow Dash suppressed the urge to get into the air, keeping her end of the stretcher stable, but kept looking around warily. “You don’t think they’d just run away?”

She focused her eyes in a dark alley between two old houses. Something seemed to have moved there.

“I don’t think Princess Celestia would just leave the ponies fending for themselves,” said Rarity, “not if she were about to do… whatever it was she did in the forest.”

“Ya can all ask the princess when Twilight finds her,” said Applejack. “Let’s keep walking, we’re almost there.”

a couple minutes later they cleared the last buildings and saw the dark shape of the hospital looming before them. Applejack gave a dejected sigh; not a single light was on in the building. 

***

Far, far away south from Ponyville, a bright flash illuminated a tall mountain. A ball of blue light appeared in a ring of ancient ruins on the mountain top. It glowed brightly for minutes, slowly shrinking and changing shape before suddenly collapsing into a shape of a pony.

Obsidian opened his mouth and took a large gulp of air, the first real breath in thousands of years. He stood there in silence, stunned by the odd and alien sensation.

It’s worked. I’m back. I’m finally back.

His staff had appeared at his side. Obsidian commanded it to shed light on his surroundings. The ruins were barely recognisable, more like a crater filled with rubble than any proper structure, the stones smoothened by rain and pressed together by the weight of ages. Obsidian knew what they were; the pieces of the main tower walls, covered with protective runes that used to defend the facility from magical intrusion, ripped from the walls and left here when their own defensive spell didn’t allow them to follow the rest of the structure into Dissonance.  

Obsidian turned his gaze north.

So, they’re all the way there. I can feel the leyline is still here. I can use its power to teleport. Now, should I draw a circle? 

He looked around in search of a bit of a flat ground. Instead his eyes caught something else, a piece of broken stone with barely visible inscription. The symbols were almost illegible, but Obsidian recognized them instantly.

“Indigo,” he mouthed silently. He remembered the moment he left it, in the darkest moment of his life, his staff burning the word into the stone wall of the tower. 

“Indigo,” he muttered again. “It’s just a color now, isn’t it? Everything forgotten.”

He almost laughed out loud at the irony. Then he remembered his purpose.

I haven’t escaped just to contemplate the absurdity of life. I have a lot to do, starting with finding the Elements and -

Obsidian’s ear twitched, the stallion groaning in frustration. “Oh, for crying out loud!”

He turned around, the staff twirling around him, before taking a defensive stance. The large, winged cat that had been sneaking upon him stood still, staring into his eyes, the creature’s scorpion tail shaking threateningly.

Obsidian sighed. “I don’t have the time for distractions.” He was answered by a low rumble. The manticore kept looking at him cautiously, its eyes fixed upon the tip of the staff. Obsidian looked down, quickly locating the source of the rumbling sound. He then looked at the giant cat and gave it a toothy grin.

“Then again, I literally haven’t eaten in ages.”

***

The cottage was as dark and silent as the rest of the town. Twilight increased the intensity of her light. “Pinkie?”

Pinkie Pie was ahead of her friends, sneaking theatrically through the bushes. She emerged right next to Twilight, causing her to yelp in surprise. “The coast is clear,” she said in a loud whisper.

What was left of the fires seemed to be dying out already, leaving Twilight’s horn and the Moon as the only sources of light. The unicorn walked through the yard. Everything was silent. “Well, it seems somepony had thought of evacuating your animals, Fluttershy,” said Twilight.

Fluttershy looked at her with a frightened expression. “No… it’s not like this. Just look around.” she pointed towards the chickencoop. Twilight turned her head that way, catching the small structure in a strong beam of light. The coop had a spider web in the entrance and there were bits of paint peeling off the walls. 

“You’re right, Fluttershy,” said Twilight, approaching closer. “There hasn’t been any chicken here for weeks, perhaps months. What has happened here?” She turned and galloped towards the front door. It was locked, a single board nailed across the entrance.

“Something suspicious is going on here,” stated Pinkie Pie, prodding the board with her hoof. 

Twilight turned towards the forest. “Yes it is, Pinkie. And the sooner we find princess Celestia, the sooner we can get some answers. Let’s go.”

She looked towards her friends for confirmation. Both nodded, although Fluttershy was visibly shaken, the worry over her family of woodland creatures adding to the rest of the horrors of the night to bring her to her limit.

The three mares entered the forest, moving as quickly as the poor lighting conditions allowed. Twilight was leading the way, her horn illuminating the path for the others to follow. She headed towards the spot where she had seen the explosion. 

“I hope we can find the princess soon,” said Fluttershy behind Twilight’s back.

“I’m hoping she can find us,” said Twilight. “Before anything else does. My light should be visible from far away.”

“Oh, I’m sure all the forest animals have run away,” said Fluttershy. “There shouldn’t be anything dangerous here.” She then shrunk, walking just behind Twilight. “At least I think so.”

She walked around a fallen tree. They were already in the area directly bordering the battlefield and the ground was littered with broken branches. Twilight was glad that the forest was rather wet. That fire might have been a much bigger threat to everypony had it broken out of control.

She sniffed the air, but only smelled charred wood. 

“Where should we go?” she asked aloud, looking around.

“Not here!” shouted Pinkie suddenly, putting her hoof in front of Twilight. The unicorn stopped, looked at her friend, then ahead, then finally under her hooves. 

“Ooooh,” she said as realisation dawned. “Thank you, Pinkie.”

There was a small patch of big, blue flowers, hidden in the grass right in front of her. She walked cautiously around them and a moment later chanced upon a forest path.

“Wait,” she said, stopping. “I know where we are.” As her friends waited for her to resume her walk, Twilight hesitated. Something struck her, like a very strong deja vu. She walked onto the path and turned right.

“Girls, I think I’ve just remembered something. It won’t take long.”

She galloped down the path.

***

Rainbow Dash sighed. “There’s nopony here. I’ve checked all the wards. It looks like some beds are missing too.” 

Applejack and Rarity had managed to light a couple of lamps and put Pierce on one of the free beds on the ground floor. He was still unconscious, his breath so soft that for a moment Rarity feared that he might have been wrong about the venom being non-lethal. The unicorn had just managed to take what was left of the coat off the stallion, uncovering his neck to properly dress the wound.

“There isn’t much blood,” she said, trying to keep a straight face. “I think he was very lucky with that bite. We didn’t have any bandages with us in the caves.”

“Looks like he had, though,” interjected Applejack. She pointed at the numerous bandoliers and holsters wrapped around the chainmail shirt on the agent’s torso. Among numerous small weapons, and vials of potions, there were also several small packets that were clearly a first aid kit.

“Well, why didn’t he tell us… oh, right,” said Rainbow Dash.

Rarity carefully removed belt after belt.

“Ya think there’s anything in these bottles that could help him?” asked Applejack, pointing at the potions.

Rarity examined the vials. “I have no idea, I’m afraid. It would probably help if they were clearly labeled.”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “No can do. He’s too weak to swallow anything now. He might choke.”

“How do ya know that?” asked Applejack.

Dash shrugged. “First aid training. I had to take a course when I joined the dojo and then again before starting work.”

“So, what can we do?” asked Rarity, standing at the bed and looking down on the agent.

Dash frowned. “I don’t think there’s much we can do. He’s stable for now and we don’t know how to help him. We should try to make sure he’s not getting worse and wait for Twilight to bring help.”

There was a soft knock on the stone floor. The three mares froze, listening. Soon there was another noise, a soft clip-clop of somepony sneaking down the corridor.

Beating her wings as softly as she could, Rainbow Dash rose into the air, hanging over the door. Rarity and Applejack skulked in the corners of the room. They held their breaths as somepony slowly opened the door. 

Rainbow Dash looked down, ready to fall upon the intruder. A yellow muzzle slowly peeked into the room.

“Apple Bloom?” called Applejack in surprise. 

Rainbow Dash flapped her wings, stopping her descent at the last moment, but still startling the filly into a girly shriek. For a moment everypony just stared at each other. 

Apple Bloom was the first to speak. “Sis… is that really you?” she stammered, staring at Applejack.

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Of course, it’s me, Apple Bloom. Who do I look like?”

Apple Bloom mimicked her sister’s expression. “Not a changeling or anything?”

The farmpony frowned, thinking, then smirked. “When ya were five years old, you…”

The filly lunged, putting her front hooves on Applejack’s mouth. “Don’t say that!” Then she pushed forward, wrapping around Applejack’s neck in a tight hug. “It really is you! Sweetie Belle, come here! It’s really them!”

There was a sound of running hooves in the corridor. Rarity turned towards the door and beamed at the sight of her little sister skidding over the hospital floor. She let the filly hug her, sighing in relief. “Oh, Sweetie, there you are. I was so worried. What’s happened to everypony?”

Sweetie Belle broke the hug and looked up at her sister fearfully. “We don’t know what’s going on. We were in our clubhouse, about to go home for supper, when suddenly lots of the princess’ guards flew into town. They were shouting something about changelings and ordering ponies out, under guard.”

“We hid cause we got scared,” added Apple Bloom, “And then the explosions started.”

“I think I got it,” said Applejack. “They weren’t just evacuating everypony. They had to corral them all to make sure there weren’t any changelings in town too.”

Rarity scowled. “Everypony? Even the hospital patients? That must have been dreadful.” She then looked at the fillies. “And where is Scootaloo? Weren’t she with you?”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked at each other with sad expressions. 

“We don’t know where she is,” said Sweetie. “She was with Minty, I mean Tourmaline. She’s our new friend, living in the library with her mom.”

“We argued today and Tourmaline ran off somewhere,” said Apple Bloom. “I think it’s my fault. But I just wanted to tell her how I envy how smart she is. I don’t know why she was so upset.”

“And Scootaloo went to look for her,” finished Sweetie Belle.

“Wait,” said Rainbow Dash suddenly. “You said she lives in Twilight’s house? How long have we been gone exactly?”

The fillies looked at each other again.

“It’s been almost a year,” said Apple Bloom.

***

“What are you looking for, Twilight?” said Pinkie Pie, pronking beside the unicorn. She seemed to have gotten over the situation already.

Twilight looked ahead. There, hidden between thick trees, stood Zecora’s hut. The unicorn approached, the light of her horn sweeping over the covered windows and closed door.

“I don’t think anypony’s home,” said Fluttershy behind her back.

“I just need to… check something,” said Twilight. “I’ve had this weird dream…” She thought of how to explain the situation to her friends, but couldn’t find words that wouldn’t sound weird to her. Instead she approached the door and pushed. Nothing happened. 

“It seems locked,” said Twilight, examining the door knob. After a moment of hesitation, she focused and disappeared in a flash. 

Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy looked at each other, momentarily left in the darkness. Then there was a creak and the door opened. 

“It wasn’t locked. It was barred from the inside,” said Twilight, “but there’s nopony in.”

She retreated into the hut, making space for her friends to enter. The inside of the hut was cluttered with bottles and herbs, the look of a curiosity shop they all remembered. A single lamp, lit by Twilight, was providing illumination. As soon as they entered, Pinkie Pie started running around the place, sticking her muzzle in every crevice. Fluttershy tried to follow suit, but at soon as she tried the first shelf, she sneezed; the spaces between the various bottles were covered with a layer of dust. 

“Um… I don’t think anypony has cleaned here for some time…” she said softly.

“A hah!” shouted Pinkie Pie triumphantly, “There’s a tunnel under the bed!” She poked her head inside and took a deep breath to shout inside, before catching herself. “Oh, a changeling tunnel. That’s not good,” she said, visibly deflated.

Fluttershy gave an alarmed look to Pinkie, then to Twilight. The unicorn however didn’t react to the statement.

“Um… Twilight?” started Fluttershy.

Twilight was still standing, one front hoof in the air, staring at one of the shelves. This was the one she had dreamed about. It was just a matter of finding out if there really was something there. Instead, Twilight spent a good minute standing completely still, looking at the piece of furniture as it it were a venomous snake.

Finally making a decision, she slowly extended her leg and pressed the wooden support. Her heart almost skipped a beat when her suspicions were validated; there was a soft click and a small, hidden compartment opened in the wall.

“Oh, a secret stash!” called Pinkie behind her back. “How did you know it would be here?” 

Twilight lit up her horn, reaching inside the compartment. “I had a dream about it, I think.” She stopped, confused. There was a book inside, but not the one her vague memory made her expect.

“What is this? she asked, turning around to get closer to the light. The book was filled with mouth writing. Twilight twisted her tongue and lips trying to read it silently, then shook her head in frustration. “It’s some sort of gibberish.”

“Perhaps it’s zebra language?” proposed Fluttershy helpfully.

Twilight looked into the book again. “No, it isn’t. The letters are equestrian, but I can’t even pronounce this. I think it’s some kind of a code.”

She set the book on the ground, and focused. Purple sparks flew out of the pages. “And the book is magical too.,” said Twilight in surprise. She leafed through the pages again, her friends watching over her shoulders.

“Let’s see, every entry starts with a sequence of symbols… I think it’s a date. If only I knew when it was written… the code can’t be complicated, or else there would be a code book here too. Has anypony seen a pencil?”

Pinkie Pie dug through the surrounding shelves and emerged with a writing tool between her teeth. Twilight grabbed it with her magic and started scribbling around one of the entries, looking for patterns.

“What?”

Twilight stared at the paper. Then she drew another line, very carefully. The line was briefly outlined in blue sparks.

“The magic activates when you write in it,” she stated the obvious. “But what would a magical journal do?” She cast a simple spell, removing the last line. The empty outline was once again lit with sparks.

“Not a preservation spell,” said Twilight. “Then what? What magic would I put in a magical journal? Probably something to copy my notes over, in case I lose it. They’re -” she stopped herself. Then she squinted at the book. “Coded notes? Perhaps they were coded messages? Yes, that must be it! This is a log for sending reports, like I send letters to princess Celestia.” she flipped through the book furiously.

“Perhaps it works both ways? Let’s see if there are any entries that might be responses.”

Through all this, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie kept standing over her, listening intently to the unicorn’s monologue. When the pages stopped turning, they waited for her to resume talking. But Twilight just kept staring into the book in confusion.

“What is it?” asked Pinkie, poking her on the withers. “What did you find?”

“There are replies here,” said Twilight slowly. “they are coded too. But I’d recognize this writing everywhere. It is princess Celestia’s.”

“And what does it mean?” asked Pinkie Pie.

Twilight shook her head. “I have no idea.”

She looked at the pages again. “Is there any more paper here?” she asked. Fluttershy handed her a mouthful of loose sheets and Twilight started taking notes. going back and fro through the journal.

“Umm… weren’t we supposed to look for princess Celestia?” asked Fluttershy behind her back.

Twilight dropped the pencil. “Of course! Princess Celestia! I don’t need to break this code. I just have to ask her.” She turned and gave Fluttershy a quick hug. “Thank you, Fluttershy. I sometimes forget the simplest solutions when I get carried away.”

She turned around and walked towards the door. “Now, let’s go back to looking for the princess.”

There was a soft hum in the air. Bright light appeared outside the hut, falling in through the door and windows.

Twilight beamed. “She found us first! I told you she would!” she said as she ran out of the hut.

Outside was basked in the soft golden light of Celestia’s magic. The white alicorn descended from the sky, a warm, motherly smile on her face.

“Twilight Sparkle. You’re safe.” she said “I had almost lost hope.”
> Chapter 12: The Explanations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"A year?" Rarity looked from one filly to the other. “But… what has happened to my boutique? And Opal?”

“What about the harvest?” asked Applejack, going a bit pale.

“And the weather? Who’s in charge of the weather team?” added Rainbow Dash. Then her eyes widened suddenly. “What about Tank?”

“The boutique is closed,” answered Sweetie Belle. Rarity sighed loudly in despair. “Mom and dad are taking care of Opal,” she added hopefully.

“But, my customers,” said Rarity in a distressed voice. “They must all have found new tailors by now. I’ll be out of business.”

Applejack and Rainbow Dash pushed past her towards the fillies.

“Your parents took Tank, Rainbow Dash. And there is a white mare leading the weather team now… Blossom?” said Sweetie Belle.

Dash landed, relaxing slightly. “Blossomforth. It’s ok then. She’s smart and good with ponies. She won’t leave the town hanging.”

“And cousin Braeburn came to help us with the harvest,” finished Applebloom. “Mrs Bluebonnet wanted to use one of her inventions to help, but Granny wouldn’t have it, and they just argued.”

Applejack frowned. “Bluebonnet? I think I’ve heard the name somewhere. Who is she?”

Applebloom made a pensive expression. “She’s… Tourmaline’s mom. She came here with princess Celestia after you disappeared. She is some kind of a scientist and was helping everypony look for clues. And then Tourmaline became our friend and princess Celestia said they could live in the library until Twilight is found.” She paused and looked at Applejack. “Twilight’s ok, isn’t she?”

Applejack smiled. “Yes, she, Pinkie and Fluttershy are ok. They went to the forest to look for princess Celestia, and to check on Fluttershy’s animals.

“Animals? But they’re not there,” said Sweetie Belle. “Nopony knew how to take care of them all, so princess Celestia found some sort of animal doctor from Fillydelphia to take them in. She said Fluttershy knows her.”

Rainbow Dash fluttered over the girls and landed near the bed. With her curiosity temporarily sated, she suddenly remembered about watching the patient. She listened for his breath and for a moment she had her heart in her throat, thinking he might have died when she wasn’t paying attention. When Dash finally heard his breathing, she gave a loud sigh of relief. She rested her head on the bed and kept watching the stallion, the conversation continuing behind her back. 

“So, you said, Mrs Bluebonnet wanted to help with the harvest?” said Applejack. 

“Yes,” answered Applebloom, “but Granny wouldn’t have it. She said that’s not how Apple family does it.”

“Is Mrs Bluebonnet an Apple?” asked Applejack.

“I didn’t see her on the last reunion,” said Applebloom. “And I’m sure I’d remember meeting Tourmaline. Mrs Bluebonnet has an apple in her cutie mark, but that doesn’t mean anything. Granny says she’s ‘good for nothing’.”

“Ah, I see,” said Applejack in a sad voice. “So she’s the librarian now?” 

“Just a bit,” said Sweetie Belle. “It’s usually closed. She takes the train to work to Canterlot.”

“Yea, mostly it’s just Tourmaline,” said Applebloom. “She doesn’t go out that much because she’s had some… problems with health, headaches and stuff. She’s never been sporty. But she’s a genius and her inventions are great! She keeps building stuff to help in our crusading and she’s teaching me too. She even has a cutie mark in being a genius.”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?”

Applebloom nodded vigorously. “Yes, it’s a star like Twilight’s, except it’s green.

***
“Princess Celestia!” 

Twilight ran out of the hut, almost ramming into her mentor in her haste to hug her. A large, white wing wrapped around her back.

“I was so worried,” said the Sun princess with a smile. She turned to look at Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy and her expression grew more serious. “Where are the rest of your friends? What’s happened to agent Pierce?”

Twilight broke the hug and looked up at the princess. “They’re in Ponyville. Pierce has been bitten by a changeling, so I had them take him to the hospital. What is happening, princess?”

“My magic only managed to find you yesterday,” said Celestia. “When we realized there was a hive under Everfree, we prepared a plan to rescue you. With Luna’s magic, Pierce managed to sneak in and out, and with what he told us, we planned a diversion so he could get you out. We also had to evacuate and quarantine the ponies of Ponyville.”

“Pierce told us a bit of that,” said Pinkie Pie. “But he said princess Luna would zap us out of there.”

“Is everything okay with her?” asked Fluttershy.

Celestia smiled warmly. “Yes, it is. Sadly, not all went as planned. The changelings had found a magical pool in the depths of the forest and used its powers to copy themselves, trying to overwhelm us with weight of numbers. Luna had to come to my aid and was not able to lend you assistance as promised.”

Pinkie’s eyes widened. “Ooh, I heard of that one.”

Celestia nodded. “Not all have been as lucky, I’m afraid.” She looked towards the hut. “I assume, Zecora is… gone?”

Pinkie’s ears dropped. Fluttershy swallowed loudly. 

“I’m afraid so, princess.” said Twilight. “There is a tunnel underneath the hut that leads to the hive. She must have been taken long ago.”

Celestia walked towards the hut and peered inside, taking in the details. “Nopony noticed anything. She probably stumbled upon them and got replaced by a changeling who pretended to be her,” she said sadly.

“So, she kept sending her reports?” asked Twilight.

Celestia stopped, withdrew her head from the hut and turned to face Twilight. “She did. They must have taken the codes out of her mind.”

“Wait,” said Pinkie Pie, “so Zecora was your spy?”

Twilight cast her a glance that made her seem to wilt a little.

Celestia used her magic to retrieve the book from the hut, then, with a flash of her horn, she made it disappear. “Zecora had been my expert on Zebrican magic for years,” she said. “When you moved here, I wanted you to have somepony you could keep learning from without relying on me all the time, to give you room to grow. So I asked Zecora to keep an eye on you.”

“But, why?” asked Twilight. “I mean, why observe me in secret? It took me weeks to even learn she lived here. Also, writing reports on me? It really does seem like…” she gulped loudly and found herself unable to finish the sentence, just looking at Celestia.

The alicorn sighed. “I have told you already. I wanted you to learn and grow, in ways you couldn’t achieve unless you got out from under my wing. But I also wanted to make sure you had the best ponies to learn from. And I wanted to keep you safe. I only wanted your good, and even that wasn’t enough in the end. You were taken away from me and for months there was no sign of you. I was really beginning to think I’d never see you again.”

Twilight took a deep breath and hugged Celestia again. “I… I understand, princess.”

“What did those changelings do to you, Twilight?” asked Celestia. “I had spent months casting my spells to look for you, but even using your link to the Element of Magic, I couldn’t find you. It’s like your mind wasn’t in this world at all.”

“That’s because it wasn’t,” said Twilight. 

Celestia stiffened suddenly. “What have they done?”

They sent us to some place called Dissonance,” said Twilight. “That’s what Obsidian called it at least.”

Celestia flinched away as if burned. She stared into Twilight’s eyes with frightening intensity. “You’ve met Obsidian?”

Twilight paled. There was fear in Celestia’s eyes, like the unicorn had never seen before; not when the changeling queen defeated her during the royal wedding, not even when Discord the spirit of chaos broke free. 

“Yes… I’ve met him,” she stuttered. “I got stuck in his tower and… we had to undo the wards to get out…” Her voice lost force with every word, until she finally stopped, just staring at her mentor with huge eyes

Celestia stood still like a statue. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy approached her, but dared not ask questions, waiting for her to speak first. Finally, she took a deep breath.

“The worst thing that we feared has happened.” she said. “Come with me. I will explain everything, but right now there’s no time to lose.”

As the three mares approached her frightfully, Celestia’s horn glowed bright gold. After several seconds, everypony disappeared in a blinding flash.

***
Scootaloo woke up and slowly opened her eyes. She was still slightly numb and it took her some effort to get fully awake. 

“Don’t get up yet,” said a familiar voice next to her.

Scootaloo blinked, slowly taking in her surroundings. She was in a hard, unfamiliar bed, in a small room with stone walls. A small, magical lamp hanging from the ceiling provided illumination. There was no furniture there besides the bed, a small table and what looked like a toilet and sink in the corner. There was only one window and it didn’t even lead outside; instead, behind the unusually thick glass there was an empty corridor.

Tourmaline looked at her sadly. “I’m sorry, Scootaloo. It’s all my fault.”

“What do you mean, Minty?” asked Scootaloo. “Where are we?”

The earth pony looked at her with concern. “Don’t you remember what happened?”

*

Scootaloo looked over herself, examining the strange harness for the third time. “So, what exactly does it do again?”

They were standing on a small hill, outside Sweet Apple Acres, the setting Sun painting everything in shades of red. It had been a long day, filled with fun and games, until a simple bit of small talk went out of hoof, leading to Tourmaline storming off, upset. Scootaloo spent much of the evening trying to improve her mood.

And so here she was now, humoring her friend by helping in her newest experiment, the latest attempt to make her fly.

“This harness generates a pattern field around your body, manipulating the distribution of air particles for optimized lift,” said the minty green filly.

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “Say what?”

Tourmaline coughed into her hoof. “I mean… It moves the air around you. But not like the propellers we tried earlier. You’re not just strapped to a flying device. You have to do the actual flying. It just helps you, it’s like if your wings were bigger than they are.”

Scootaloo spread her wings and looked at them with doubt. She took a couple of quick flaps. “I don’t think it’s working,” she said to the earth pony.

“That’s because it’s not on yet,” said Tourmaline. “I can’t afford to waste pattern energy.” She approached Scootaloo and put her mouth on her withers, manipulating some dials on her back.

“There,” she said, stepping away and pulling her goggles over her eyes. “give it a try now.”

Scootaloo looked at her, then at her left wing. Finally, she started flapping again. The first flap almost made her fall over and her attempts to compensate only made the situation worse, until she lost balance completely, flipped over forwards and landed on her back.

Tourmaline pulled her goggles onto her forehead and frowned. “Too much lift, I think. We should start with giving you just a little extra and then increase it as you get used to it.”

“Why do you always put the goggles on, when you experiment?” asked Scootaloo. “This isn’t going to explode, is it? she said, craning her neck to look at her back with worry.

“Of course not,” said Tourmaline, rolling her eyes. “I just made it a habit, so I never forget to do it. Pattern is not magic, it doesn’t just explode randomly. I mean, it may explode, but only under specific conditions. And if it did-”

“There you are, miss,” said a male voice behind her.

Tourmaline turned around, visibly startled. Scootaloo looked at the approaching stallion with suspicion; she hadn’t seen him approach at all. At some point he just emerged from behind the nearest tree.

He was a dark blue unicorn, a black jacket covering the front of his body. Though he was walking straight towards them, Scootaloo got a glimpse of his cutie mark, a five pointed star.

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere, miss,” said the stallion. Scootaloo had an impression that the voice didn’t quite fit the looks. The unicorn was young, but his manner of speech made him feel surprisingly serious. “The town is being evacuated. There are changelings nearby. You must follow me.”

Scootaloo’s jaw dropped. “What?”

“Exactly what I said,” responded the unicorn. “Miss Tourmaline, is this thing what I think it is? This shouldn’t even be out of Canterlot, let alone your mother’s basement. This is top secret equipment.”

Tourmaline seemed to shrink under his gaze. “It’s not like it’s anything really important. It isn’t a weapon or anything.”

The unicorn looked at Scootaloo, then back at her. “Do you realize, how serious this situation is? Your friend should now join the rest of the citizens. But I can’t just let her go knowing that you’ve been showing her pattern devices.”

“Only today,” said Tourmaline with a pleading expression. “We used technomagic devices before today. That and some of my inventions, but they didn’t have any pattern technology. Mr Enigma…”

The stallion shook his head slowly. “Much as I’d like to, I can’t just leave this matter unattended. She’s going with us. We’ll have to leave it to… princess Luna to straighten up this mess.”

“Can I at least finish what I’m doing here?” asked Tourmaline. “I was about to help her learn to fly.”

Enigma looked at her sadly. “Listen, it isn’t safe here. You must come back to Canterlot.”

Tourmaline’s cheeks reddened. “I always have to come back! I might as well be chained there!” she exploded suddenly.

Scootaloo knew why she said that. She had told her before they came to the hill, of the problems with her brain and the regular check-ups they required. She had pretty much grown up in various labs and workshops, either undergoing treatment or just accompanying her mother to work. This was something Sweetie Belle and Applebloom couldn’t really understand.

Oh well, It looks like I’m in trouble already anyway. If she wants a bit more time...

Flaring her wings, Scootaloo jumped forward, standing between Enigma and Tourmaline. “Run, Minty!” she shouted.

My scooter is in the bushes. I can easily get away if she does.

It took her a moment to realise that nopony had moved. Enigma kept standing where he had, his facial expression implying a facehoof. Scootaloo turned her head to look at Tourmaline, only to see that she too hadn’t moved an inch. Catching the question in Scootaloo’s expression, she hung her head sadly. 

“You can’t escape from him. He’s-”

“Not a word more,” interrupted Enigma. “What other secrets have you told her?”

Tourmaline stepped back, her mouth tangled in hasty declarations of innocence. Scootaloo kept turning on the spot, trying to see both of them at once. When she turned to face Enigma again, she saw him staring into her with a sad expression. 
“I can’t have you doing anything stupid.” he said.

Suddenly Scootaloo’s vision swam and she lost the feeling of up and down.

*

“I remember meeting this Enigma guy,” said Scootaloo, getting up slowly and rubbing her eyes. “What did he do to me?”

“He sedated you,” answered Tourmaline. “Put you to sleep,” she rephrased.

Scootaloo frowned. “How? I didn’t see him cast a spell.”

“He had a vial of sedative in his jacket. He has an ability to switch things around. He used it to switch some of your blood with it. It was like giving you an injection without touching you.”

“That’s creepy,” said Scootaloo, her eyes widening. “So, he could take a pony to pieces with his mind? Wait, weren’t you supposed not to tell me that?” 

“I don’t think so,” said Tourmaline. “The natural magic binds a living body. And the more vital a part, the more it resists. He can move a whole pony if they don’t struggle against it, but he can’t take bits out. I think a drop of blood is all he can manage.”

“And as for telling you stuff, Enigma told me princess Luna will probably make you forget the whole day. So I can answer all of your questions now, so you don’t get bored, but then you won’t remember that anyway.”

“That’s creepy too,” said Scootaloo, looking towards the door.

“It’s locked,” said Tourmaline. “You have to stay here until princess Luna has a free moment.”

Scootaloo looked at her. “Wait, you’re locked up too?”

The earth pony sighed. “I should be. I really messed up this time. But I pretty much live here, so they just sent me to my room. I’m here with you because something big is happening and they had nopony to spare to make sure you’re ok when you wake up.

“So,” started Scootaloo again, “It will be as if this whole day never happened? Do they often do that?”

Tourmaline shook her head. “Not that I know of. Few ponies know this place exists. Just my mom, Dr Stone, the princesses, Enigma and sometimes an assistant or a guard like agent Pierce. I’m not supposed to tell anypony about what’s going on here. The only time I remember was when I eavesdropped on Enigma talking and learned that he got a new body.”

“What?” Scootaloo stared at her with big eyes.

“I don’t know either,” said Tourmaline. “He used to visit my mom as long as I remember, except he used to be a pegasus. Then one day he came to the lab as a unicorn. He pretended to be a different pony, but I was bored then, so I built a mechanical ear. I heard him talking to dr Stone and she called him Enigma. She said she could make him a better body, but he refused. He said that his old one was becoming too well known and that ‘this guy deserved it’.”

“You know, you had a really…” Scootaloo bit her tongue, “interesting childhood,” she finished, hoping it wouldn’t lead to the repeat of the previous day argument.

Tourmaline looked at the floor. “I know. You don’t have to hide it. Sometimes I feel like I don’t fit anywhere except these labs, and I hated living here.”

“So,” said Scootaloo, trying to change the topic as quickly as possible. “That Enigma guy, is he even a pony?”

“I don’t know,” answered Tourmaline. “He isn’t that scary once you get to know him though, just… it feels like he’s sad all the time.”

“So, what did they do to you once you found out?” continued the pegasus.

“Well, we didn’t talk too much,” answered Tourmaline. “They only found out weeks later, when I accidentally used his old name. Princess Luna said it’s a military secret and nopony’s supposed to know, but dr Stone said that if weeks have passed then making me forget could hurt my brain. So princess Celestia just told me not to tell anypony about it.”

“Oh.” said Scootaloo. “I wish I could remember all that tomorrow.”

“Don’t” said Tourmaline with a sad smile. “You’d just be itching to tell somepony like I always am.”

***

Rainbow Dash took her head off the bed and shook it to wake herself up. In front of her, Pierce kept breathing weakly, but regularly. Behind her, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle kept talking in excited voices, bringing their sisters up to speed with everything that had happened in their absence. As the conversation had already moved to utterly trivial details, Dash tuned it out. Instead she took a closer look at the sleeping stallion in front of her. 

I think we should change his bandages soon, she thought. Or is it better to not touch them for now? I don't remember much about the waiting for help part...

She looked around to locate the first aid kit Rarity had found in the desk in the hall. Opening the box, she confirmed that there were still two rolls of bandages in it. Satisfied, she turned back towards the bed. As she did, her gaze fell upon the chair where all of the equipment taken off Pierce had been left.

Coming closer, Rainbow Dash took a better look at the various belts and bandoliers hanging on the chair. Back when they were taking them off, she didn’t have the time for a good look. Now, with nothing else to do beyond watching the patient and waiting for princess Celestia to show up, she felt curious.

Her eyes slid over the needles holster, now half empty, to the knives scabbard, where one blade was missing, then to various small containers that looked like spray cans. She could only guess at the contents of those. There was a whole belt filled with small vials marked in what looked like some sort of code, probably obvious to the agent, but nothing but a bunch of foreign acronyms to Dash. There were also other tools, spools of thin wire, small mirrors and things the function of which she had no clue about.

“How did he move so fast with all this stuff?” she muttered under her breath. She looked at the stallion. His body was still covered in the chainmail he had been wearing underneath his coat; Rarity decided against all the flipping around that would have been required in order to remove it.

Dash rubbed her eyes. It seemed the potion that had awaken her after months of sleep in the changeling pod was wearing out. She was getting hungry too. Having checked for the hundredth time that Pierce was still breathing, she looked around for something to put her head on. 

“Applejack can keep watch from now on,” she muttered, looking around. The rest of the girls had taken over the other bed. This didn’t leave her too many options, unless she wanted to go elsewhere. She finally grabbed the coat from the chair. It was torn and splattered with blood, but seemed soft enough.

I need a shower anyway, she thought, before folding the garment haphazardly into an improvised pillow. “Hey, Applejack,” she called, “uh, I need a bit of a nap. Mind watching this guy for a while?”

Applejack shifted around, jumping off the bed to come closer. “No problem, sugarcube. You know you can use the bed, right?”

“Nah,” said Dash, sitting on the chair, her head on the folded coat next to Pierce. “Don’t want all of you to have to-” She frowned, looking down at the coat. There was something hard inside there, right underneath her cheek. “What is this?” she mumbled before unfolding it to expose the inner pocket and poking her muzzle inside.

What she retrieved turned out to be a pair of broken sunglasses, one glass missing. Dash spat them out onto the bed and stared at them in surprise.

“They must have got broken during the fight,” said Applejack. Then, seeing her friend’s distant expression, she turned to get a closer look at her. “You ok, Dash?”

Slowly, Dash picked the sunglasses up with her hooves and mouth, unfolded them and put them on the unconscious unicorn’s face. She blinked, taking in the result. 

“You’re not Pierce. You’re Pincushion,” she whispered.

Four pairs of eyes looked at her with confusion. “What are you talking about, darling?” asked Rarity.

Dash turned to face them, suddenly wide awake. “His name is Pincushion. I saw him in the Void Passage, during my test.”

“And you’d never met him before?” asked Obsidian.

Everypony jumped, Applejack giving a very girly yelp. None of them had heard him coming until he poked his head inside the room. The earth pony walked in, looking at everypony in order before stopping on the stallion on the bed.

“The Void Passage uses the minds of its visitors to stay up to date with things. The visions are weaved mostly out of their past experience,” he said. “Now, is he a friend or foe?”

“A friend,” said Dash. “He’s the one who got us out of the changeling hive. He’s been bitten by one of them.”

Obsidian sighed. His staff hanged over the unicorn and glowed briefly. “That should do it. It’s not an instant remedy, but it will help him recover. I assume your Element won’t let you just leave him here?”

Dash’s wings flared. “Of course not! Why would you even think about it?”

“Because,” said Obsidian, “we need to get out of here fast. I tried to find Twilight Sparkle, but all I found was signs that she had been teleported away. That means your princess will be here any minute.”

“You say that like that’s a bad thing,” said Applejack.

“It is. I was hoping I could get to the hive before her. I clearly underestimated her scrying magic,” replied Obsidian.

“Wait a minute,” said Applejack, “You knew we were in the changeling hive?”

All five ponies looked at Obsidian, their expressions ranging from confusion to accusation.

“Of course I did,” he replied. “The Amaranthine may be a pain to use, but do you really think I would have sent you back to your bodies without first making sure it would be safe? What kind of a pony do you think I am?”

“Well…” started Rarity.

“I don’t even know who you are,” said Applebloom.

“Then why didn’t you tell us?” continued Applejack.

“Because,” said Obsidian, “if I had told you that, it wouldn’t change the circumstances of your return, but Twilight would insist on gathering more information before you leave. She would expect me to do it, since she was still too drained to use the Amaranthine again so soon. And I would probably ruin everything by throwing a fit. You must understand, after so many lifetimes there, I was very impatient to get out.”

“Well,” said Rainbow Dash, “You didn’t exactly make a good impression either way.”

“I wasn’t in control of your test, Rainbow Dash,” said Obsidian. “I only told you the truth of what it was about. Now, do you expect me to beg?”

Dash looked at him in confusion. “What?”

Obsidian took a deep breath. “You need to get out of here. Now. I know you trust your princess. You find my declarations preposterous. But I intend to prove my claims and I won’t be able to show you anything if she gets to you first. There is the first proof within hours’ walk from here. Would you at least follow me there?”

“What is it all about, sis?” asked Sweetie Belle.

“It’s complicated, darling,” replied Rarity in a stage whisper.

“Do you really expect us to believe your word against the princess’?” asked Applejack.

“No,” said Obsidian. “This is a very difficult position for me. Your princess has shown her trust in you many times, and you always delivered. You expect the same from her, even though there has never been an occasion. I on the other hoof… demanded your trust up front, despite all my apparent shortcomings. You had to trust me with your lives, knowing that if I betray you, I will get free, and you will be lost in Dissonance forever. And what was the result?”
There was silence as the three mares considered the question.

“You sent us back,” said Applejack. “There were things you didn’t tell us though.”

“The changelings clearly wanted you alive. The fact that you got out in one piece is another proof of that,” said Obsidian. “If that pony hadn’t broken you out of there, I would have freed you myself. That’s what I was planning to do. You have my word for that.”

“So, what exactly do you want?” asked Applejack, stepping forward to face Obsidian.

“I want six hours of your time,” said Obsidian. “This is enough. If I can’t give you the proof during that time, I’ll understand if you take the side of your princess and face me along with your friends, just another monster you have to take down for the good of Equestria. Can I get at least that much from you?”

He stood still, one hoof extended. Applejack was still too, the gears in her head turning as she considered the proposal. Finally, she sighed, and lifted her own hoof to meet his, briefly interlocking the pasterns. “Six hours. You have my word.”

Obsidian smiled. “I thank you for your trust. Let us hurry then.” His staff waved towards the agent and the unicorn was slowly lifted into the air, following Obsidian as he went outside.

The seven ponies moved through the main lobby and outside the front door. Outside, the sky was already turning pink, the Sun almost ready to rise into the sky. 

“So, where to now?” asked Applejack, looking at Obsidian.

“Well,” said Obsidian, “the thing I wanted to show you is in the forest to the south east… but there might not be enough time for that now.”

He looked up, just as the morning sky was illuminated by a flash of gold. Obsidian summoned his staff to him, taking a defensive stance, the agent’s body behind his back gently lowering onto the grass.

“I’m afraid it is time for me to trust your word, Applejack,” said Obsidian,”because we’ve just ran out of time and I will have to play this one by ear.”

The fillies shrunk, stepping away from Obsidian. Applejack, Rarity and Dash looked at him, then at princess Celestia descending from the sky. Not knowing what to do, they made the compromise and just bowed low. Obsidian stepped forward, the runes of his staff glowing in preparation to defend him.

“Obsidian!” said Princess Celestia, her magically magnified voice making the hospital windows vibrate.

The stallion looked her in the eyes and sneered. “Oh, this answers some of the questions I asked. Long time no see, Gloria.”
> Chapter 13: The Truth
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So, all we can do is wait?" said Twilight Sparkle, a slightly frantic undertone already sneaking into her voice.

“I’m afraid so, Miss Sparkle,” said a pegasus guard standing at the door. “The orders of the Princess have been very clear.”

Twilight turned with a groan, slamming the door in the guard’s face and trotting back into the large bedroom. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie looked at her with worry. 

“I can’t just stay here and do nothing! Princess Celestia didn’t even tell me what startled her so much,” she said, pacing the room. “Our friends might be in danger. Equestria might be in danger!”

“You could take a shower,” said Pinkie Pie, scratching her chin. 

“What!?” asked Twilight, much louder than she intended.

The pink pony smiled sheepishly. “Well, we’re all still sticky from all those things that happened in the changeling hive. And there is a bathroom here. So if you’re too nervous to sit and do nothing, you might just as well-”

“Not my point at all, Pinkie,” said Twilight. “We’re the the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. If there is something dangerous going on, we should be helping Princess Celestia.”

Fluttershy turned her head and sniffed under her wing. “We… really do need a shower,” she said.

Twilight looked from one of her friends to the other. Finally she hung her head in defeat. “Fine, I’ll go first.”

She was halfway to the bathroom when there was a knock on the door. She turned around, teleporting to the doorstep and opening them wide. “Yes?” she asked, a mix of fear and hope on her face.

The pony on the doorstep turned out to be another guard, although older and dressed more elaborately. He was a blue unicorn  with dark grey mane and an impressive moustache. Though his armor covered his cutie mark, it was reproduced on his crest, a rose of winds.

“Captain North Star,” he said, nodding his head. “I’ve just come to see if you need anything. I was told you were getting restless.”

“Of course we’re getting restless,” said Twilight, pushing closer to the stallion. “Our friends are still missing, and all we’ve been told is we need to stay here until the princess returns.”

Captain North Star sighed. “I’m sorry, procedures are procedures, even for heroes such as yourselves. The town of Ponyville has been infiltrated by changelings, so we have to keep everypony under guard until their identity can be verified without doubt.”

Twilight nodded in understanding, then smiled. “Oh, is that the only problem? I’m sure the three of us can easily prove our identities, right girls?” she said, turning towards the room. 

Fluttershy smiled and waved. Pinkie leaned against her party cannon and saluted.

North Star stared at Pinkie Pie. “How… did this thing get here?”

Twilight beamed at the captain. “See what I mean? Now, we’ll just need some birds from the palace gardens and anypony from princess Celestia’s school for gifted unicorns. Or Spike… Where is Spike?” she almost shouted into North Star’s face, her smile gone in a second.

The Captain blinked. “The little dragon? He’s in the Crystal Empire, with your brother. He moved there soon after you disappeared.”

Twilight calmed down, but only for a moment. “What about Owlowiscious?

North Star gave her a confused look. “Who?”

Pinkie giggled.

“Your owl still resides within Ponyville Library, Twilight Sparkle,” said Princess Luna, from behind North Star. The captain turned around rapidly and saluted, as did the other guard Twilight only then noticed standing next to the door frame. Luna nodded to the soldiers before walking between them and entering the room.

Please, leave us,” she said to the guards. “Actually, please send a servant for some carrot juice as you go. We have a lot to talk about.”

Her magic closing the door behind her, Luna looked at the three mares with a sad expression. 

“I wish your return to us were a day of joy. Sadly it isn’t so. Celestia has told us that Equestria is about to face a great threat, one that you must be made familiar with.”

“Threat? What kinda threat?” Pinkie asked, hopping curiously up to Luna and stepping in-between her and Twilight. Part of Twilight’s mind was grateful for Pinkie obscuring the view of her face, which was quickly turning pale.

“You’ve met him, haven’t you? Obsidian,” Luna stated, grimacing as she pronounced the name. “The greatest villain in the history of Equestria has returned, finally escaping his prison after thousands of years.”

“The greatest villain? Worse than king Sombra?” Pinkie asked.

Luna nodded gravely. “We imagine you desire the entire explanation? We have time before Celestia returns. She has left to try to find your friends. Then we are going to work on preparing a way to defeat Obsidian once and for all.”

Twilight looked up dumbly. “...D-defeat him, Princess?”

“Indeed. Obsidian is the most fearsome foe you could ever encounter. Hopefully we can be the ones to face this challenge in your stead. But allow us to start at the beginning. It all began thousands of years ago, before even the two of us walked the world. When the founders of Equestria united in the Hearthwarming, they formed harmony that ended the conflict between the tribes and started the first great age of peace. If you have met Obsidian, you must have been to the Dissonance, the void beyond dreams where all the feelings of our hearts originate. This is where the Elements of Harmony were formed, coming to Equestria after the hearts of the good ponies called them into being.”

All three ponies were staring at Luna, absorbing her every word. Pinkie pulled some popcorn out of her party cannon to chew while she listened.

“But even if the most beautiful paradise, there is always somepony, who will not be satisfied, who always wants more. So it was that time. Two stallions, brothers gifted with great talent, but twisted with greed, saw the Elements and desired their power. They were Verba, the weaver of words and Obsidian, whose heart was black and hard as stone. Together they used treachery to murder the first bearers and steal the Elements, then began to work on subjugating their powers to their will.”

Twilight stared with wide eyes, her fear momentarily forgotten as she listened to Luna’s story. Subjugate? But that shouldn’t be possible... the Elements respond only to ponies who exemplify their respective virtues.”

“That is correct. The Elements would remain lifeless stones in their possession. But Obsidian and Verba were stubborn. They researched the most secret tomes of magic and delved deeper and deeper into arts most forbidden, until finally they found the solution they were seeking in the darkest evil - in ritual self-mutilation.”

A bit of popcorn fell out of Pinky’s mouth. Fluttershy gasped. Twilight looked at the princess in confusion. “How would hurting themselves help them control the Elements?” she asked.

“There is a lot to magical knowledge that has been forgotten in modern days,” responded Luna “but you, Twilight Sparkle have read enough to understand some principles. Emotions have power. Words have power. A written word can accumulate the energies of a wizard that writes it. Blood is the currency of the soul.”

She paused, letting the unicorn consider the implications.

Twilight Sparkle frowned. “So, they hurt themselves in order to focus their power... the runes!” She swayed on her legs as the full impact of what she had seen without understanding hit her.

“Yes,’ continued the princess, “the principles of magic brought to their logical conclusion, then twisted into their darkest possible form. Putting enchanted blades to their bodies, Obsidian and Verba covered their hides with runes of great magic. Using their blood and pain to fuel the casting, they invested all of their greed, hatred and pride into the symbols, binding and focusing their magic into a spell like there had never been seen before.

As you know, the power a pony can wield is limited by her ability to control it - the more magic, the more chaos to struggle with. The Elements create harmony, allowing you and your friends to tap into powers undreamed of without the risks of chaos. The runes solved the problem differently - they provided a constant, an eye of the storm. Obsidian and Verba could cast spells that would drive a pony insane, transform their minds and bodies, weave deceit so deep they could even fool the Elements into accepting them. Because whatever magic would affect them, the cores of their dark and twisted natures had been forever carved into their flesh.

With their newfound power, Verba and Obsidian named themselves the new bearers of Harmony. They used their talents for deception to seize power, then blame the deaths of their predecessors on foreigners and start a war of conquest, using the name of Harmony as an excuse for atrocities - thousands of ponies died in unjust war to fulfill the brothers’ desire to rule all they could see. It was a time of darkness like none before or after.”

Luna made a dramatic pause, waiting for the inevitable question.

“So...um... how were they stopped?” asked Fluttershy.

Luna’s face grew sad, her starry mane darkening around her head until it looked like a black hood.

“Nopony alive knows of how the two of us became immortal alicorns, but we will tell you now. Back in those times, we were mortal ponies, great heroes of Equestria... we were their best enforcers.”

“WHAT!?” The shocked voices of the three mares made the windows of the hall vibrate. Luna gave her listeners a moment to recover before returning to her story.

“Back then, we too were deceived by the brothers. We saw them as our caring leaders, and did our best to fulfill their orders, thinking it would be for the best for Equestria. We fought their battles of conquest thinking ourselves heroes.” Luna ground her teeth. It was clear that for her the story was much more than just some distant myth.

“We didn’t see through them until their corruption reached a point where it could no longer be concealed. Obsidian’s teeth grew sharp, and he developed craving for pony meat. And still his magic blinded almost everypony to his evil. Only the two of us and our most faithful companions saw through his ruse.

When we started looking for the truth, Obsidian and Verba tried to destroy us. In the end, we met in a battle, and they used the Elements to kill us all.”

“So, did you die?” asked Pinkie, shaking the empty barrel of her cannon in search of any stray popcorn left. Twilight glared daggers at her. “Pinkie... this is serious... very, very serious.” She turned back to the princess. “What happened then?”

“As it turned out, Obsidian and Verba overestimated their powers,” continued Luna. “At that point, we were the ones representing Harmony, and the Elements rebelled against their evil masters. Instead of dying, we were transformed, each of us in a different way. Though it initially seemed like we were killed, we all returned stronger for it. The greatest gift was bestowed on us and our sister - bound to the powers of Sun and Moon we became the immortal guardians Equestria needed. Our companions were empowered to lesser degree, each rewarded for their heroism in a special way.”

“As for the two villains, the Elements themselves punished their hubris. Obsidian was thrown into Dissonance along with his fortress, bound there by the magic he had tried to control. He was now a master of all he gazed upon - never to see anything outside his tower again. Verba was cast away along with him, his body destroyed as layers of lies were unraveled, until only his true nature remained, inscribed into his runes.”

“How come I haven’t heard anything of this?” asked Twilight. “I have read so many history books... was it all kept a secret?”

“Yes, and for good reason.” Luna had already calmed down, her starry mane returning to its original appearance. “While the Elements granted us great powers, it took a lot of time for us to actually return. Some of our friends were gone for centuries before we found them. In the meantime, the evil that Obsidian and Verba had wrought did not end with them. Despite being banished into Dissonance, Verba managed to contact some unicorn wizards and feed them with new lies. Though unable to ever return to Equestria, they still wanted to rule it. They designed a spell to send ponies into Dissonance so that any new pony who wanted to wield the Elements would be tested - those who would not buy Verba’s lies never returned. By the time we finally came back, the rule of Obsidian and Verba, and the misguided Element bearers under their influence had brought Equestria to ruin. Just like the harmony of the three tribes had brought the Elements of Harmony into being, the centuries of strife caused by the two brothers gave birth to Discord, spirit of Disharmony.”

“Celestia and I used our new magic to bind to the Elements, seal Discord away then cut Verba’s contact to Equestria. Without him, Obsidian would not be able to contact the world and cause any more evil. We also erased all signs of them from history, to make sure nopony would try to seek their prison, or attempt the madness they had. And even that proved not to be enough. As it turned out, some tomes of dark lore survived Obsidian’s defeat and found their way into possession of another unicorn greedy for power.”

“Sombra” gasped Twilight Sparkle. Her freshly regained calm was gone and she was now visibly shaking.

“Yes,” confirmed Luna. “King Sombra, the self-proclaimed ruler of the Crystal Empire, used Obsidian’s old magic to feed upon the anguish of his subjects, growing in strength until he could rival us in power. He was defeated, but not before banishing the whole city... and casting an insidious curse that poisoned our heart and transformed us into the monster you saved us from.”

Luna stopped, but no questions followed. Twilight just stood there shaking, an expression of utter horror in her eyes. “We let him out... he tricked Applejack and used her connection to Honesty to bypass the binding spell. I saw the teeth, and his cruelty... and I think I even saw the scars and I still let him fool me.The greatest villain in the history of the world is free and it’s all my fault!”

Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy stared in stunned silence. Luna walked up to the unicorn and wrapped her in  in a wing-hug. “Do not blame yourself, Twilight Sparkle. You didn’t know, and Obsidian has great power over words, able to snake his way into the minds of those who would listen to him. We didn’t reveal this story to you, thinking the secret safe. But secrets are a double-edged sword. If anything, this is our fault for not preparing you for this.”

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Luna opened it, revealing North Star standing on the doorstep with a tray of glasses. He set them down on a nightstand, then bowed before the Princess. “Your Highness, I bring urgent news.”

“Very well, then. Speak,” Luna ordered.

***
Some minutes before...

Everypony paused at Obsidian’s words. The gathered mares looked at the stallion, then at the princess, just in time to see her pupils widen. Obsidian used the moment to walk forward and take the spotlight, the staff rising at his side, ready to defend him.

“Well, this answers some questions,” he said, “and poses some new ones. Tell me, why is it that whenever I’m told of some disaster, it always seems connected to one of you?”

The princess scanned the area, her eyes briefly stopping on the prone shape of Pierce on the grass behind Obsidian. She then glared at the earth pony, her aura intensifying into a burning halo. Everypony started inching away from Obsidian.

“So, it really is you, Obsidian! You took away the Elements of Harmony to poison their hearts with your lies?!” She didn’t shout, but her magic amplified the voice, causing Rainbow, Rarity and Applejack to flinch and the little fillies to cower.

Obsidian merely smiled, his staff drawing a circle in the air that filled with a translucent shield. “The bug ponies were not my servants. I only used the opportunity when Twilight Sparkle showed at my doorstep. Since there seems to be no sign of the ponies who helped me-”

“Silence!” boomed Celestia. “You may have broken free from your prison of madness, but your evil will never again taint this world! My ponies, please move aside. I’ll need to use all of my power to rid Equestria of this monster!”

She rose a bit into the sky, the light focusing in her horn. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom backpedalled away before turning around and fleeing towards the nearby bushes. The other girls increased their distance, but stayed around the stallion, Applejack and Rarity surrounding him from the sides while Rainbow Dash stayed behind him, standing protectively over Pierce.

“What’s she talking about, Obsidian?” asked Applejack, pointing a hoof at the stallion.

“She’s an old foe of mine,” said Obsidian, looking at her. “Back in the times-”

“You have been misled, my ponies!” started Celestia again, her voice drowning whatever Obsidian was about to say. “Obsidian is the single greatest threat Equestria has ever faced, his heart as black as his namesake! If you let him trick you, he will plunge the world back into the age of darkness!”

“SO. THAT'S WHY YOU NEVER LET HONESTY TRAIN!” said Obsidian, in a mocking tone, his voice magically amplified to the point that it make the hospital windows shake. “See, I can do that too. It’s rude to interrupt. Are lies and slander the best you can do? You think you can just hide your evil?”

Through that, the three Element bearers kept standing still, looking from Celestia to Obsidian and back. The princess glared at her opponent, but her aura seemed to subside.

“You will not be victorious this time, Obsidian. There is no ground for your lies to take root. After I purged your evil from Equestria, I built a thousand years of peace and prosperity. Whole generations of ponies grew up without knowing strife or hunger. I will not let you destroy that with your darkness. Do you think my ponies will be fooled so easily? You can’t conceal your monstrous nature. Tell me, did you enjoy your meal?”

This time it was Obsidian who hesitated. Celestia flew closer, her light growing brighter again.

“Did you think I would not smell the death upon you? Mere hours back in Equestria and you’ve already murdered another being!”

Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash gave frightened stares to Obsidian. The stallion sighed.

“Your ‘perfect world’ tried to eat me. I merely turned the tables. And speaking of wildlife, I have seen the tree. I know how you usurped the Elements.”

Celestia froze, but then her face calmed. “This just proves how little you understand true Harmony. The tree is the creation of the Elements themselves, a seat of their power. I will gladly show it to the girls once you have been defeated.”

Obsidian smirked. “Oh, I’m sure Twilight will be fooled at first. But she has been to Dissonance, and her power has grown. What will you do when she discovers the truth? When she sees you for the abomination you are? Will you murder her, like you did my disciples!?”

Celestia’s eyes blazed with golden light to match her horn and for a moment everything disappeared in a bright flash. Obsidian’s staff swung around, a bubble of force erupting around, him, but the blow didn’t come. When the light dispersed, Celestia was back where she had started, the limp body of Pierce in her telekinetic grip, along with a very confused Rainbow Dash.

Celestia looked down towards Applejack and Rarity. “Now, my ponies, run away! Take your sisters away from here! I will keep this monster busy!”

Rarity nodded, then turned and ran towards where Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were hiding. Applejack hesitated; Obsidian was standing in her way, so she would have to run in the opposite direction. 

Obsidian smiled at Applejack. “So this is how it goes, isn’t it? History is written by the victors.”

Having recovered her sight, Rainbow Dash started flapping her wings. Celestia released her, now dividing her attention between Obsidian and Pierce. With another flash of her horn, the agent disappeared. “Now, villain, we can end this,” said the princess, pointing her horn at Obsidian. “The Elements were merciful when they imprisoned you. But now that you have broken free, I can end your evil once and for all.”

Obsidian looked around. Rarity had fulfilled the princess’ order to the letter, now galloping away from soon to be battlefield, the two fillies in tow. Rainbow Dash was still observing the situation, but was keeping herself above and behind the princess, ready to move aside as soon as spells started flying. Applejack was inching away from Obsidian.

“Are you satisfied with that, Honesty?” said the stallion with a small smile. “Will you accept whatever story is told when the dust clears, or would you rather hear the truth?”

“Applejack, get out of there!” shouted Rainbow Dash. Celestia started charging her horn, but did not shoot. The farmpony hesitated, ready to bolt, but still looking at Obsidian with an uneasy expression.

Obsidian drove his staff into the ground. The runes along the shaft erupted with blue light and a bigger bubble of force formed around him, engulfing Applejack as well. For a moment the sounds from the outside were muted. 

Applejack looked around frightfully. “Hey, what gives? Let me out!” she said forcefully, fear in her voice.

“Just stopping the fight until you give me your answer,” said Obsidian. “Peace or truth? You’ve made a promise. Will you be able to sleep if you don’t see it to the end?”

A moment passed. Then Celestia’s spell hit the barrier, causing it to start to dissolve. Obsidian merely glanced towards the princess before focusing his gaze on Applejack. Finally the mare stomped her hoof, a determined expression on her face.

“Alright, I did make a promise. But I better get the whole story this time, you hear? If you’re lying-”

“I’m not,” said Obsidian. “Now, hold tight.” His barrier burst, dispersing into motes of light. Obsidian raised his staff in a protective gesture, but did not conjure another barrier, instead walking purposefully towards Applejack.

The time seemed to slow down. Applejack saw the princess prepare another shot, only to hesitate. Behind her, Rainbow Dash was shouting at Applejack to get away. For a second their eyes met, the farmpony looking at her friend with determination. The pegasus’ eyes widened in understanding. Then Obsidian touched Applejack and the world disappeared.
> Chapter 14: The Silence Before the Storm
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight ran frantically through the castle corridors, Luna, Pinkie and Fluttershy close behind her. The unicorn skidded on the stone floor, almost crashing into a wall at the end of the hall before using a quick teleport to make the turn and continue running. She finally reached the courtyard, There Princess Celestia was walking towards the entry to the throne room, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle following in her hoofsteps.

Twilight ran up to the princess, but stopped abruptly several meters from her, staring up at her with big eyes. “Princess Celestia… I -”

The alicorn shook her head. “Assigning blame will get us nowhere, my student. We need to focus on the task at hoof. I found Obsidian, but he evaded me, fleeing before I could properly dispose of him. Worse, he took Applejack with him.”

From behind her, Rarity and Rainbow Dash ran straight at Twilight, grabbing her in a quick hug. Twilight tried to push them away, but then gave up, closing her eyes and letting her friends hold her.

“What do we do now?” said Applebloom pleadingly. “We need to go find her, before he hurts her or… eats her,” she finished, paling.

“Please be calm, my little pony,” said Celestia. “Obsidian’s heart might be devoid of mercy, but right now, he needs Applejack alive. We will find and rescue her.”

Applebloom nodded her head. She was still worried, but no longer on the verge of tears. the rest of the ponies formed a circle around Celestia. 

“So, what do we do now, princess?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“You will rest, Rainbow Dash,” said Celestia. “All of you have been through alot, and you need to recover your strength. That and we need to make sure Obsidian’s magic hasn’t had any hidden effects on you. It would have been like him to try to catch us off guard with trickery.”

She turned towards one of the guards. “Please tell the servants to prepare guest rooms in the north wing of the castle. Then they should leave it. Nopony but the guards and the guests themselves can enter.” she turned towards Rarity. “You will forgive me the safety measures? I would gladly return the children to their families, but all the inhabitants of Ponyville are still under quarantine. Too much has happened tonight,” she sighed.

“Does it mean you and princess Luna will be the ones to fight Obsidian?” asked Twilight. “She said that you would work on a way to get rid of him.”

Celestia nodded. “It is true. Without Applejack, you cannot use the Elements against him. This is why he needs Applejack alive. In times like this, fate brings the worthy ponies to the Elements. If Obsidian killed Applejack, Honesty would seek out a new bearer. But as long as she lives, it is hers and hers alone. Also, I believe he hopes to keep Applejack under his control, to use against us.”

“You mean by magic?” asked Rainbow Dash. 

“Magic is one way,” answered Celestia, “but far from the only one. Obsidian and Verba have shown that they can achieve a lot with words alone.”

“There must be something we can do to help, Princess,” said Twilight Sparkle. There was a murmur of approval from her friends.

The Princess nodded. “There is one thing, Twilight Sparkle. Please come with me while the others rest and refresh themselves.” She turned rapidly, looking in the face of Rainbow Dash as she was about to protest. “I know you want to help, but this is something only Twilight can do. In the meantime…” she turned towards Luna. “Sister, can you begin your search already? The quicker we can locate Obsidian, the less time he’ll have to prepare traps for us.”

“It shall be done, sister,” answered Luna with a nod. She then spread her wings and flew away.

As Twilight followed Celestia towards the throne room, and her friends followed the guards towards the northern wing, Luna landed on a small balcony overlooking the city. 

“You heard everything,” she said without turning her head.

The blue unicorn standing behind her nodded. “I will start a sweep right away. The forest is a problem though.”

Luna looked south towards Everfree Forest. “True. Actually, you might start with the tree.”

***
"I'm hungry," said Scootaloo.

Tourmaline dug into her bag, pulled out a small, red apple and tossed it towards the pegasus. “You missed breakfast, but they should bring us lunch soon.”

Scootaloo craned her neck, catching the apple with her teeth and then started crunching it, holding the fruit steady between her pasterns. “So,” she said between bites, “that flying gadget you showed me yesterday was something super secret?”

“Yes,” nodded Tourmaline. “That’s what we’re working on here mostly. Well, I only help a bit, it’s mostly Dr Stone and my mom.”

“It didn’t look any different from your inventions,” said Scootaloo. “What’s so special about it?”

“It’s the power it uses. We call it pattern,” replied Tourmaline. “It’s… hard to explain to somepony who doesn’t work in the field.”

Scootaloo smirked playfully. “You didn’t just call me dumb, did you?”

Tourmaline waved a hoof. “No, no, I was just thinking. Pattern is to order what magic is to chaos. It is harder to get, because everything that lives is at least a little bit chaotic. But it can do great things if you know how to direct it. And the best thing is, it’s predictable. No turning anypony into a chicken by accident. As long as you get the calculations right, it always does exactly what you want.”

“So why is it secret?” asked Scootaloo.

Tourmaline frowned. “I don’t really know. I know it doesn’t work well with magic. They’re like hot and cold, they even out when they mix. And if you try too hard, it’s like pouring hot water on a frozen window - it will break. So it might be dangerous. We actually had a lot of anti magic weapons tested when I was little, in case of some magical monsters. Then of course the Elements of Harmony returned so all that was forgotten. But for the past year my mom has been working on it again.”

Scootaloo actually dropped the apple core. “Wait, your mom works on making secret weapons?”

“Hey,” protested Tourmaline, “you make it sound like she’s some sort of mad scientist. This is no comic book. She does serious engineering work here. Even Dr Stone isn’t a mad scientist, though she is a bit weird at times.”

“And you grew up in a place like this?” asked Scootaloo. “How did your mum even get such a job?”

“I was very little then,” said Tourmaline, looking towards the window,”but I think it’s thanks to Mr Enigma.”

Scootaloo looked at her in confusion. “That weird guy?”

“Yes, that weird guy,” sighed Tourmaline. “Remember how I told you about my sickness thing? It used to be much worse when I was a little kid. I don’t remember much of it, but I know I would keep fainting and my mum cried a lot. Then mr Enigma introduced us to Dr Stone. She said even she couldn’t cure me completely, but she could keep it from getting worse. We moved to the lab after that. My mum was already an engineer then, but dr Stone helped her learn more and then employed her here. She’s the big genius here, but she says she needs somepony with fresh ideas, somepony who can think out of the box. And mum turned out very good at solving problems.”

“Whoa,” said Scootaloo, “no wonder you get so sciency when you talk.” 

“No need to tell me,” said Tourmaline with a playful glare. She then turned more serious. “Princess Celestia got some teachers from her school to teach me. They liked me a lot. But all the school kids were unicorns. They kept asking why I’m in a magic school if I can do no magic. I was as smart as them, smarter than most I think, but I didn’t make any friends. In the end I would always come back down here to help mum work.”

“And that’s how you got your cutie mark?” asked Scootaloo. “Doing sciency stuff?” 

Tourmaline turned to look at her rump. “More or less. It turns out, thinking the way I do makes me really good at working with pattern.”

***
"Hey, what did ya do?” asked Applejack, looking around. “Where are we?” There were tall trees all around them, the kind she took to associating with Everfree.

Obsidian rolled his eyes. “Obviously, I teleported the two of us. I needed to get out of Ponyville fast and to lose pursuit. Now, we need to keep moving. Have you ever flown? On your own wings I mean?”

Applejack gave him a confused look. “I have no wings. Never had.”

Obsidian nodded. “I hope you’re a fast learner then. The spell should compensate by copying muscle memory, but truth be told, I’ve never had a chance to test it. By the time I learned it, I was already sealed.” He turned away from Applejack and started walking through the forest at a brisk pace.

“What are you going to do?” asked Applejack, following the stallion. ‘And what does it have to do with anything? You were supposed to tell me what’s goin on! Are you going to show me that... tree you told Princess Celestia about?”

“In time, probably,” said Obsidian without turning back. “But not now. I only teleported in this direction because I knew she would track my spell. Given the circumstances I couldn’t cover my tracks properly, but this forest is full of magical anomalies. By the time they figure out we aren’t here, we should be able to reach our goal.”

“And that is?” asked Applejack.

“Getting you back Honesty, obviously,” said Obsidian, with a voice that betrayed certain exasperation. “From what Twilight Sparkle has told me, the Elements are being kept in a vault in Canterlot Castle. We need to get there, and the sooner we do, the bigger the chance they won’t be expecting us.”

He suddenly stopped, as Applejack grabbed the tip of his tail with her mouth. “Wait. First tell me,” she managed to say through clenched teeth.

Obsidian jerked forward, his short tail slipping from the mare’s grasp. “Don’t do that again if you value your teeth. Now, are you good at telling stories?”

“I have a little sister and a big family. Lots of stories. Why?” asked Applejack.

“Because I dislike repeating myself,” answered Obsidian. “And it looks like I will have to tell you the whole story now. It would be nice if you could repeat it to your friends later on. Now, let’s keep moving. I will talk as we go.” He started moving again, his staff flashing different colors and sweeping around him from time to time.

“Ok, tell me the story.” said Applejack.

“The gist of it is,” started Obsidian, “your princess Celestia is an ancient enemy of mine. She and her companions… remember when I told you anypony who could confirm my identity is either long dead or has become something you wouldn’t trust either? She’s one of them.”

Applejack considered the statement. “You said there was some horrible mess after you sealed yourself.”

“Yes,” said Obsidian. “She was a part of that too.”

Applejack glared at the back of Obsidian’s head. “You do know ya’ll need to tell me more?”

“I do,” responded Obsidian. “I take it you’re not interested in ancient politics? I’m just trying to give enough of a full picture here. You see, when the three tribes started living together for the first time, long before the spirit world was called Dissonance, they started interbreeding too. For some it worked better than for others. The first alicorns were born.”

Applejack nodded her head, but silently wondered how relevant that was to her current situation.

“Since the three tribes shared common gods, a pony that combined the features and powers of all tribes naturally seemed touched by the divine. Certainly they were blessed with abilities above most. They were also exceedingly rare. But as time went on, spells and auguries were created that allowed them to ensure more of their kind. And as generations passed, the worship went to their heads. They imagined themselves destined to rule the three tribes and through them, everything else. A mighty empire was forged, that soon managed to make everypony else its enemies.”

“That’s not the history that I was told,” said Applejack.

The tip of Obsidian’s staff flew dangerously close to her head. “So I’ve heard,” said Obsidian, “but I assure you, my version is true. Anyway, as war progressed, both sides would seek new weapons to bring them victory. For the Alicorn Empire, their secret weapon was a collection of magical foci, gemstones that could grant the users great magical power by focusing their emotions. Back then I was a part of a unit that used them in battle.”

“Wait!” said Applejack, causing Obsidian to halt rapidly. “You mean, you were the bad guys?”

Obsidian turned and glared at him before resuming his walk. “War doesn’t decide who is right, only who is left. There were few good guys or bad guys. Most ponies on both sides were simply fighting for their countries. And what was left in the end was mostly ashes. But I’m getting ahead of myself. You see, the war was too big for the magic of the foci to decide the result. And so, a magical expert in service of the Emperor, one Dr Bright Mind, came up with an idea; he would design a spell to rip the barrier between spirit world and the mortal world and tie a set of foci directly to the source of all magic. Although he died, murdered by the enemy before he could finish, the idea was continued and perfected - the six foci would be bound not just to the spirit world, but to each other as well, complementing their powers.”

“The Elements,” said Applejack behind his back, “You’re talking bout the Elements. But that can’t be true. How would Laughter… or Kindness be a weapon?”

“I never said it was perfect,” said Obsidian. “The foci were chosen by how well their powers would work together, not by how deadly they would be on their own. The Empire actually avoided most obviously evil foci. That way lies madness. Of course they were still stupid enough to create the Elements. Ripping the walls of reality like they did was insanely dangerous. And that, as you may imagine, was not the end of their folly.”  

“You see, when the ritual was performed to create the Elements, less than half of the foci were used. Back then we thought it would be enough. But as time went on, things turned grim, and some of our teammates started talking that another ritual should be performed. In the end, they disobeyed their orders and performed the ritual on their own.”

“Oh, I think I know where this is going,” grumbled Applejack.

“Correct,” said Obsidian. “As it turned out, the damage done by the first ritual hadn’t yet healed. When the six performed theirs, the power they hoped for simply wasn’t there. Instead, their spell touched something else, a cold and alien power that destroyed their foci and crippled their souls. Their magic was gone, replaced by new, strange abilities. Their emotions were dulled, some gone altogether, only the strongest ones left. This warped and exaggerated their personalities. This wouldn’t be too bad if they were paragons of virtue. But ponies are flawed creatures, and those six had attempted their folly for all the wrong reasons.

Absinthe, dissatisfied with being overlooked and full of envy of the Elements. Gloria, enamoured in her plan and too arrogant to acknowledge that she might not have enough skill. Lightbringer, who hated himself for being too weak to protect those he cared about, and Enigma, coerced into helping the others out of misplaced guilt for things he had no way to change. Evening Embrace, smart enough to realise something was wrong, but so emotionally fragile, she would rather deceive her friends than back out and risk their rejection. And finally Libra, who was supposed to lead them, but all that was on her mind was vengeance against the enemies of the Empire.”

“Long story short, thanks to us they managed to avoid execution, and got a chance to die in battle instead. To everypony’s surprise, they survived, then went on to become mighty weapons of the Empire. They went under various names; the Inverse Elements, the Shattered, The Soulless. They kept winning battles, but they couldn’t win the hearts of those they fought for. All the time the command knew that they were all monsters waiting to happen.”

“When I disappeared, things went out of control very quickly. A mix of misinformation, plotting and overblown egos resulted in the Emperor ordering their deaths. It was only when they were all killed that it turned out they couldn’t truly die.”

“What do ya mean,” asked Applejack, “like they were zombie ponies or something?”

“Worse,” said Obsidian, “It turned out the power they were linked to was repelled by Dissonance, like oil pushed to the surface of water. Instead of dissolving into primal chaos, their souls would bounce back to the waking world, floating around until they could take another pony’s body, stealing it for themselves. When they returned, they were the very monsters they had been expected to become. In the end, Empire burned to the ground, untold thousands died. So did my friends, one by one, trying to stop them. Most of the Shattered ended up imprisoned, trapped and sealed away with magic. But the war never truly ended.”

“So,” said Applejack, “you want me to believe Celestia is some heartless monster from your past… wait, you said their magic was destroyed. Celestia can use magic.”

Obsidian stopped and looked around. “I also told Twilight that the Elements were meant to be used each by one pony. Then it turned out Gloria found a way to cheat past that rule. The same is obviously true for her magic. It is not hers, but stolen from somepony else.”

Applejack glared at Obsidian. “I'll give you a chance to prove your story. But If you say that’s what’s going on... You left mah friends with her. And mah sister.”

The stallion shook his head. “What did you expect me to do? Burn Princess Celestia to ash with my Dissonance-born magic? Even if I won, would that have made my story more convincing? Or should I have left you there with them?” He turned around and faced Applejack. “Listen, girl. I wasn’t asking for this whole mess. I’m doing the best I can. But Honesty is bound to you now. There is only so much Obsidian the earth pony can do.”

“As for your little sister, she should be safe at least for now. Gloria’s heart might be devoid of mercy, but right now, she needs her alive. She’d gain nothing from hurting her. Worse, it would shatter her image of a benevolent ruler, and Gloria is very attached to her delusions.”

“So, what are ya going to do now?” asked Applejack. “Why are we still hiding in the forest?”

“We aren’t hiding,” said Obsidian. “We are preparing. I have already spent some time hiding our trail. Right now, I’m looking for… this.”

His staff flew forward, pointing at a low branch where a scared-looking magpie was sitting.

“Took me some time to find one,” said Obsidian. “The battle at the hive scared lots of animals away from here. But now we are finally ready to go.”

Applejack eyed the bird cautiously. “What do ya need it for?”

A beam of light shot out of Obsidian’s staff, enveloping the bird. The magpie tried to fly away but the spell held it in place.

Obsidian smirked. “A template.”

***
"Where are we going, princess?" asked Twilight Sparkle.

They had gone past the throne room and down a flight of stairs into the basement. Twilight vaguely recalled these being the old dungeons, but these hadn’t been in use for as long as she remembered. They kept walking down the corridors, Celestia’s horn illuminating the way. The cells were all empty, but the floor had no dust, a sign of recent use.

“The crystal mines are not the only secret of this mountain, Twilight Sparkle,” said Celestia. “I’m going to introduce you to a good friend of mine.” She opened a door and went down another flight of stairs. Twilight deduced that they must have already moved from under the castle and into the mountain side. 

Twilight blinked. She had a sudden feeling of deja vu, but at the same time she knew she hadn’t been there ever before.
“This part of the mountain used to contain natural caves,” said princess Celestia, “we used them since the founding of Canterlot.” 

The ceilings were higher here, magical lamps providing warm light to what would otherwise look like an unusually large dungeon.

“This is where Starswirl the Bearded set up his hidden lab,” continued Celestia. “This is also where the most secret research in service of Equestria is done.”

Twilight looked around, fascinated. She hadn’t yet seen anything but walls and rows of closed doors, but she could already tell the place was huge. She was momentarily distracted from the grimness of the situation, her mind buzzing with the possibilities of wonders that could be contained in the surrounding chambers.

“There we are,” said Celestia at last, stopping in front of a heavy, wooden door. It opened outwards before she could knock, revealing a slightly scrawny orange earth pony mare dressed in a white lab coat. She bowed her head to the princess and then turned towards Twilight, scanning her from head to hoof and back.

“Twilight Sparkle,” said princess Celestia, “this is Dr Agate Stone, my head researcher. Dr Stone, I’m sure you’ve heard of my personal student?”

Twilight Sparkle walked forward and extended a hoof. The orange mare looked at it hesitantly before extending her own. “It is a pleasure to meet you,” she said, though her tone said otherwise.  She stepped back, giving her visitors free access through the door.

“I have finished the preparations, your majesty,” said Dr Stone, pointing inside the chamber. “Dr Bluebonnet has just gone to sleep, but she helped me get everything ready before she did. I will be able to continue the procedure on my own.

Celestia smiled. “You don’t have to be so formal in my presence, Agate.”

“I assure you, your Majesty, I do,” said Dr Stone. “An image is something that can be maintained at all times or not at all, and my job requires a professional image.”

Celestia shook her head with a smile and turned towards Twilight, only to find her already in the middle of the chamber, examining a strange device that covered most of the room. It seemed to be a collection of curved rods, resembling spider legs, but pointing inwards, towards the concentric circles at the center of the room. Pipes and cables ran from them in all directions, connecting to heavy metal boxes lining the walls, all covered with faintly glowing dials.

“I’ve never seen anything like this, princess,” breathed Twilight Sparkle. “What is this thing?”

Dr Stone smiled faintly, for the first time since her visitors entered the chamber. “This is our thaumic modulator. It accumulates magic over time and once charged, delivers in to the center of the circle. Using a three phase thaumic converter and a system of magical relays, it shapes the energies to achieve the desired result. While still very… cumbersome, it can be used to cast spells that would be very draining or downright impossible for a regular caster. I’ve had it here for years, just in case of an emergency, and once the Elements of Harmony disappeared, princess Celestia found it prudent to have me start charging it. Now that it has been fully assembled it can be used to cast almost any spell we need, allowing the royal sisters to invest their precious magic elsewhere.”

Twilight looked at the device with eyes big as saucers. “This… is… astounding! I have never seen anything like this before!”

Dr Stone squinted. “I sure hope not. This is one of our most guarded secrets. Even if it takes months to prepare, the ability to cast magic on the level of a princess is not something we’d like everypony to have access to. If it got under control of the wrong sort-”

Celestia cleared her throat loudly. “I’m sure Twilight understands the implications. Now it is time for us to explain what exactly we’re going to do.”

Twilight snapped out of her inner world, full of dancing blueprints of the device she had in front of her. She looked up at Celestia. “That’s right, princess. You haven’t yet told me what you are planning to do.”

“We are going to prepare for the worst, Twilight Sparkle,” said Celestia. “This is not what we had been planning from the beginning, but it seems that with Applejack missing, using the Elements of Harmony is not an option. As it stands, we might have to use all other weapons we have at our disposal. My sister and I will personally face Obsidian.”

Twilight kept listening, not understanding. “So, what do you need me to do, princess? Shall I accompany you?”

“No,” said the princess. “As far as we know, we should have enough power to face Obsidian now. If he wins against us, it will be through trickery and then having you with us would only mean he’d get you too. That’s why you will be left with a different task.”

“What will it be, princess?” asked Twilight.

Celestia turned sad. “Should we fail… it will be your duty to raise the sun.”

Twilight stood with her mouth open. “But… how?”

The princess gestured towards the strange device. “This machine is going to replicate what the Elements of Harmony had done to me and Luna. It is going to make you an alicorn.”

“We have examined and perfected the process,” said Dr Stone, “so you should come back to us immediately, rather than in a hundred years.”

Twilight turned towards Dr Stone, towards the machine, towards the princess, before finally losing her balance and slumping on her rump. “Me, an alicorn? But how?”

Celestia kept looking at Twilight intently. “It was Starswirl the Bearded who developed this spell, Twilight Sparkle. He dedicated the final years of his life to examining the Elements of Harmony and their magic. We only finished his work, filling the last couple of blanks.”

“But…” stammered Twilight.”Me? A princess? I’m not that good.”

Celestia smiled. “I assure you, you are. It truth, we had been planning for you to cast this spell sooner or later. Once we decided the time is right, we would have given you the notes of Starswirl the Bearded for you to work on, so you could finish the formula yourself and then cast the spell using the Elements of Harmony, as a proper ascension should be done. Sadly, our time has been cut short.”

Silence fell in the underground lab, disrupted only by slow breathing. Finally, Twilight swallowed loudly and rose to her hooves. “I will not fail you, princess.”

Celestia nodded and smiled. “I know you won’t. But before you start, Doctor, could you scan my student for any anomalies? We wouldn’t like the spell to be disrupted by some trickery from Obsidian.”

Dr Stone sighed. “Very well. This procedure is too important not to take all sorts of precautions. Please follow me,” she said, gesturing at Twilight before walking out of the room and heading towards another door.

***

“How are they?” asked Fluttershy as she saw Rarity enter the bedroom. She unwrapped the towel from her head and turned to look for a brush.

“Already asleep,” replied Rarity. “Poor dears stayed up all night.”


“So did we,” said Rainbow Dash, emerging from the bathroom. “Well, we did sleep in those pods, but I don’t think that counts. We should really all catch some shut-eye.” 

Rarity walked up to the window and covered it, blocking the sunlight from outside. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to sleep at all. Everything that’s happening is so strange. I still can’t believe Applejack just went with Obsidian.”

“You know Applejack,” said Rainbow Dash, “There’s no moving her once she gets stubborn about something. Don’t worry, she knows what she’s doing.” 

“You really think so, Rainbow Dash?” asked Fluttershy. “I’m still worried.”

Dash flapped her wings and landed in front of Fluttershy, giving her an encouraging smile. “Everything will be ok. This guy is about talking, and Applejack isn’t dumb. She’ll listen to all he has to say and when we meet him again-”

She was interrupted by a pillow to the face. Pinkie Pie poked her head from under the blankets. “Hey, will you all let me sleep? We’ll need to be in top shape for all the rescuy stuff later,” she said, glaring at her friends. 

Rarity nodded. “Pinkie is right. I think it would be wise to get some rest while we have a chance. I’ll be in my room if anypony needs me.”

She was half-way to the door when Pinkie Pie started shaking. The pink pony vibrated like an alarm clock going off, getting hopelessly tangled in the blankets before tipping over and falling snout first onto the floor. Then she rapidly inflated for a second and lay still, a dazed expression on her face. “That’s… not good,” she mumbled.

Rainbow Dash stood over her, frowning. “We aren’t going to get much of a shut-eye, are we?”

***

“So, how is it?” asked Twilight impatiently. After what seemed like hours of various check-ups , aiming to make make sure of her physical condition, she had now spent almost ten minutes trying to stand still while while being scanned for magical abnormalities.

“There are no magical anomalies within your body, Miss Twilight,” said Dr Stone, stepping back from something that looked like a oversized camera. Just as Twilight let go a sigh of relief, the scientist continued. “There is however something strange in your brain. You have some traces of foreign magic.”

“What!? asked Twilight, suddenly panicking, “What did he do to me?”

Dr Stone looked back onto the displays of her device. “That would take some more testing to establish. Do you remember him casting any spells on you?”

Twilight scrunched her face in thought. After a moment, her ears perked up. “The memory spell! Now I remember. He used a memory spell to block my memories of magic and force me to re-learn it his way.”

Dr Stone looked at her in silence. She kept looking, completely motionless, until finally Twilight extended a hoof and waved it in front of her face. Then she cleared her throat and said “It will have to go.”

Twilight needed a moment to process the statement. “Duh. Of course it will have to go. We can’t attempt… something of this magnitude while there are any distractions. Please give me a minute. I will break it.”

Dr Stone tilted her head. “Why didn’t you do it before?”

“Because it did make me stronger,” answered Twilight. “My talent with magic is strong enough to let me use magic Obsidian’s way without hurting myself. Since I didn’t know what was going to happen, I wanted to be as strong as possible. But I can’t risk it now.”

“Quite right,” said Dr Stone, “We can work on your magic later. For now there must be nothing of his inside you.”

Closing her eyes, Twilight focused her mind. She calmed herself, thinking of all the ponies that relied on her. She felt the energy flowing into her horn, then back inside her head, pushing at the binding she knew to be there. The spell gave way with barely any resistance, like cobwebs being swept away.

Twilight swayed, momentarily overwhelmed as the unlocked memories flooded her mind. Dr Stone waited patiently for her to recover. She then activated her apparatus to scan the unicorn again.

“Everything seems to be alright, miss. There’s no foreign magic anymore.”

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. “That means we can get on with it, doesn’t it?” 

“It does,” said Dr Stone. “Please, proceed to the modulator chamber. I’ll be with you shortly.” She then exited the room and headed in the opposite direction. 

Twilight returned to the room where the device was prepared for use. Now that she had a moment to examine it without distractions, she marveled at the construction. She could see the thin lines of various metals in the prongs surrounding the central circle, hear the soft hum of crystals inside the main chassis. Soon she found herself analysing the construction, taking in the details of the magic relays.

“I can’t fully understand it, but - it’s amazing.” she whispered under her breath. “Oh, what would I give to have something like this in my lab.”

Walking around the room, she finally reached a table strewn with papers. Just as she expected, it was mostly technical documentation, with some written notes on the margins. Here and there a brown circle would mark the spot where a coffee cup had been set on top of a stack of papers. Several pencils were stuck here and there, a mark of a truly creative environment where an inkwell would not last long. Twilight scanned the notes at the top, taking in the contents…

The unicorn froze.

Sticking from between the piles of notes, there was a bit of a black cover. Twilight grabbed it with her magic and pulled gently, her eyes widening as the object turned out to be just what she had expected, a thick, weathered, black book with a silver spiralling symbol embossed on the front.

For a moment Twilight just stared at the book. She had never seen it before, and yet she knew exactly what it was. Her deja vu returned, magnified. Slowly, she opened the cover to look at the writing inside.

“Miss Sparkle?”

Twilight dropped the book, causing one of the pencils to drop off the table and roll under the machine. “I was just… looking at the device,” she said, turning around to face the doctor. She didn’t know Dr Stone that well yet, but she knew how much she herself hated when somepony messed with her notes.

“We are ready to begin,” said Dr Stone. “Please stand in the circle.”

Twilight followed the command, but kept glancing back towards the table. “That book… Is it really?”

“Yes,” smiled Dr Stone. “It’s the journal of Starswirl the Bearded. This is where we got the original formula of the spell.” She pressed a lever and the mechanical prongs twitched, forming a closer circle around Twilight. The room was filled with soft humming and a bubble of light started forming around the unicorn.

“A book of a fabled wizard,” said the mare “or was it all a fable?”

What was that? thought Twilight. It was a memory, suddenly very vivid, but one she couldn’t place. 

The hum from the machine intensified, and Twilight started rising into the air. “What exactly will the spell do?” she asked nervously.

Dr Stone kept her eyes on the dials, her hooves pressing buttons and turning levers. “The spell is composed of two parts. One will temporarily move you between dimensions. For a short moment you will be shifted outside reality and unbound by its laws.”

“Take one naive unicorn with a bright soul. Drop her into raw chaos, add delusions to taste.”

Twilight started getting nervous, the prospect of what she was about to experience mixing with the unease at the suddenly surfacing unfamiliar memories.

“The other will direct your mind,” continued Dr Stone, “helping your will direct the chaos. This will create a clear mental image for the magic to follow. That in turn will reshape your body according to the design.”

“Let the illusions shape the thought,” continued the mare “let the thought shape the flesh. What will be the result?”

The orb of energy around Twilight intensified and darkened. She could still see the lab around her, but the inside of the bubble was slowly starting to turn into a starry void. Suddenly she felt a wave of panic washing over her. 

“Wait… she stammered, I… I’m not ready yet.”

“We can’t stop now,” answered Dr Stone, “If we let the energy escape now, we won’t be able to repeat it for months. Now, empty your mind. You need to let the spell shape your thoughts.”

Twilight felt something appearing in her mind, a vision of herself, taller, stronger, feathery wings spreading around her. Even though she couldn’t see her reflection, she knew her eyes were glowing white. She brought a hoof to her face and saw it start to become transparent.

“We’re almost there,” said Dr Stone, now barely audible over the sound of the machine.

“This is the reward for blind loyalty! A gift that is poison! A power that isn’t yours to use!”

Twilight screamed. She flailed wildly, trying to struggle against the vision invading her mind. It was like that time in the tower, when she lost control of her first attempt and nearly fried, except now the threat wasn’t her own fear, but the power trying to control her. She heard Dr Stone shouting at her to stop struggling, but between her growing panic and the spell, she no longer paid any attention to it. “Let me out!” she yelled at the top of her lungs.

Dr Stone was running between various components of the machine, working the levers frantically. “Stop doing that!” she shouted, “You’re jamming the converter! I won’t be able to disconnect it with this much power!”

The magical relays turned red from the heat, then white, crystals flashed brightly and then dimmed, Twilight screamed.

The whole chamber disappeared in an expanding wave of white.
> Chapter 15: The Shattering
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Applejack shook her whole body like a dog, and coughed out a feather. 

Being turned into a bird was by far the strangest thing that had ever happened to her. Despite her past experience with balloon flying, she was very grateful to finally be on solid ground again.
“What’d we do now?” she asked Obsidian.

They had landed in some bushes in the palace garden. Obsidian had just finished shedding his own feathers, the small stick he had been carrying in his talons growing and reverting back to its proper staff form.

“Now we need to get inside, obviously,” answered Obsidian, looking warily around. While flying above they hadn’t seen any visitors in the gardens, but there were several guards patrolling the area. “Try not to make too much noise.”

“Why couldn’t we just fly inside?” asked Applejack in a stage whisper.

“Because,” answered Obsidian, “birds actually attract a lot of attention when they’re out of place. Also, this place is full of ponies. If Gloria added some last moment defence spells here, they would have to be configured to let ponies through. Getting in the pony way makes it easier to avoid detection. This way,” he explained, pointing with his staff.

The two moved from bush to bush, heading towards the nearest entrance that would let them get out from between the hedges. All the while Obsidian’s staff kept bobbing slightly beside him, like a dowsing rod. 

A sound of hooves approached. The two earth ponies froze in their hiding spots as the two guards passed by them. As soon as the coast seemed clear, Obsidian checked his staff again. “It looks like there are no barriers here. I should be able to use magic undetected. This should make things faster.”

He passed to the other side of the hedge and looked for another hiding spot, Applejack following suit. This part of the garden was filled with a collection of tall, marble statues.

“Somepony’s coming,” whispered Applejack, her ears twitching. She looked for a place to hide, but the bushes were more sparse here. 

Obsidian made no effort to hide. Instead he waited as the sound of hooves on a gravel path approached. When the pair of unicorn guards came into view, he walked right in front of them, his staff briefly flashing blue. 

Applejack watched as the two guards froze, their gasps of surprise silenced as the spell left them staring forward with blank expressions. Obsidian walked closer, looking from one to the other. “Continue along your path,” he said. “Pay no attention to other ponies, unless addressed.”

He then moved aside, the guards continuing on their way, not even nodding to acknowledge his statement. Obsidian simply continued along the gravel path, Applejack chasing after him.

“Why’dya do that?” she asked.

“We’re in a hurry,” answered Obsidian.

Applejack was unconvinced. “Couldn’t you use your magic to make us invisible or something?”

Obsidian shrugged. “Not my style. I was never big on illusion magic.” He waved his staff around, looking for any magical defenses in his way. To Applejack’s surprise, he then stepped off the path and approached one of the statues.

“What are these?” he asked, pointing at the nearest one, an upright earth pony holding a scroll.

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Some old… symbols I think. It’s a big tourist attraction. Statues that mean things important to ponies.”

Obsidian walked closely to the nearest statue, closed his eyes and sniffed. “Let me take a look...”

“Hey, didn’t you just say, we’re in a hurry?” asked Applejack impatiently.

Obsidian scanned the statue for a moment, before stepping back with a sigh. "Twilight mentioned a spirit of chaos that was left on display here. It made me curious about the other ones, but there's no soul in this one. It's just cold stone, if very finely detailed."

Applejack scowled. "Really? What kind of a pony do you think Celestia is?"

"One with great attention to detail," said Obsidian. "These were sculpted with her powers. I wonder what or who she wanted to commemorate. As for the rest of what she is, you'll see soon enough."

He then turned to continue towards the castle. But before he could clear the gate out of the gardens, there was a flash of blue light spreading from the castle all over the city, and the ground shook ominously.

Obsidian shuddered as the magic washed over him. “And with that,” he said, “it looks like the time for subtlety is over.”

***

Pinkie Pie was the first to wake up. As her eyes snapped open, she threw the blanket off herself and then rolled out of bed and onto her hooves. 

She had just taken a breath to warn the others when the shock wave came. The whole castle shook, causing the mares to wake up and jump on their hooves in panic, much less gracefully than Pinkie Pie had. Dust fell from the ceilings and here and there window panes cracked.

Pinkie Pie bolted through the door and into the corridor, where she almost collided with Rarity. 

“Pinkie, what’s going on!?” shouted the unicorn. Her mane was a mess, a clear sign that she hadn’t had the time to perform her usual ritual of going to sleep.

“Something magicky exploded right over there,” declared Pinkie, pointing her hoof dramatically towards Canterlot Mountain. Rarity turned to look in that direction, followed by Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.

“Is Canterlot under attack again?” asked Rainbow Dash, hovering in the air. “You think it’s Obsidian?” 

“It must be,” agreed Rarity.

“We should go there and check,” said Rainbow Dash firmly, taking off in the direction of the noise. 

“Wait.” said Fluttershy. She didn’t raise her voice, but everypony but Rainbow stopped. Fluttershy turned her head meaningfully towards the other end of the corridor.

Rarity gasped. “Wait! Rainbow Dash!”

The pegasus, who was almost out through the door, halted abruptly. “What?”

“The fillies,” said Rarity. “We can’t just leave them like this. It might not be safe here.”

“I could stay with them,” volunteered Fluttershy, raising her hoof.

Pinkie Pie was right in her face. “No! Don’t split the party! That’s a rule!”

“She’s right too,” said Rainbow Dash. “We need to stick together. So what do we do?”

They all looked from one side of the corridor to the other, unsure what to do. 

There was a sound of running hooves from the exit. After a couple seconds, a blue unicorn guard ran into the hall. He skidded to a halt in front of the girls. “Is everypony okay here?” he asked, somewhat breathlessly.

The four mares nodded in unison. 

“What is going on?” asked Rarity.

“We don’t know yet, miss,” replied the guard. “We might be under attack. We’re looking for intruders right now.” He looked towards the door at the far end of the corridor. “I’ve been sent here to make sure your sisters are safe, so you can move unhindered. Are they?”

Everypony followed his gaze. “I think so,” said Fluttershy. 

“In that case-” started the guard. He then froze, his ears twitching. Far in the distance the ponies could hear the sound of an alarm siren. The stallion rolled his eyes. “Oh, for crying out loud… Go! Find your Elements and defeat the enemy. I will keep your sisters safe.”

He saluted the mares before running towards the closed door. The four mares headed in the opposite direction. They were already outside, running towards the source of the alarm, when Rainbow Dash stopped. “Wait. Applejack is still missing, and Twilight is still with the princess. We can’t use the Elements with just the four of us here.”

“Where do we go then? I don’t think we can stop Obsidian without the Elements” said Rarity. The four friends looked at each other. 

“Let’s look for princess Celestia and Twilight,” said Rainbow Dash. “They should know what to do.”

They ran towards the throne room.

***

Twilight stood shakily back on her legs and summoned a gust of wind to blow away the acrid smoke. 

The lights in the room had gone out, but the still glowing bits of molten metal outlined the contours of the chamber. Twilight was standing in a clear circle in the middle, the bubble having protected her when the spell collapsed. Everything else was an image of utter destruction, bits of broken metal, shattered crystals and even a partially collapsed wall and ceiling strewn everywhere. 

Twilight tried to fight off the panic and piece together what exactly had just happened. “Dr Stone?” she called feebly, trying to avoid inhaling the smoke and dust. Seeing a darker patch among the rubble, she lit up her horn. 

As the light exposed the details of what was there, Twilight’s pupils shrunk into pinpricks.

“No. No. No, no, no, no, this couldn’t have happened,” she mumbled, in full panic mode, stumbling backwards out of the chamber, through the mess of splinters that had once been the door and into the corridor. 

“Somepony… anypony, help!” she screamed, tears welling in her eyes. She was answered by the sound of metal on stone. From one of the adjacent rooms, an armoured figure lumbered. At first it looked like a pony in full plate armor, but as it walked through the smoke, Twilight saw the empty space inside the helmet: there was nothing inside except for blue lights where the eyes should be. The armour regarded Twilight for a moment, before lowering its head, the long metal spike serving as the thing’s horn pointing right at the unicorn. The lights flickered and turned from blue to red. Then the corridor was filled with a sound of an alarm siren.

Twilight backed away as the armor advanced at her, her ears pressed flat to her head at the sudden noise. “Wait, it wasn’t me… I mean… It’s not my fault,” she tried to argue, but in vain. As the guardian charged in her direction, Twilight teleported out of its way and then galloped towards the exit to the surface.

***

“What’s going on?” asked Scootaloo when the tremor passed.

Tourmaline looked around with worry. “It sounds like something blew up, something big.” She squinted her eyes as she tried to put the direction of the noise on her internal map. The look of worry on her face deepened. 

“That was the high energy lab! We need to get out of here!” she said, jumping off the bed and towards the door.

“How?” asked Scootaloo, worried and slightly confused.

Tourmaline dug her muzzle into her bag and emerged with a small, round device she pressed to the door. Scootaloo had no idea what it was, but it had lots of turning parts, some of which were marked red or blue and resembled magnets. With a series of clicks, the door unlocked.

“So, you could have done it the whole time?” asked Scootaloo, as his friend packed the device back into her bag and pushed the door open.

“Yes, I could,” answered Tourmaline. “Now follow me and keep your head low. We need to get out of here, in case anything else explodes, but the shortest way is right past where the accident was. I hope there isn’t a fire there.”

It took them several turns to get to the right intersection. The smoke was still there, but was already beginning to clear. Tourmaline was leading the way, with energy Scootaloo hadn’t seen her display often.

“Hey!” called the pegasus behind her, “You said it’s the shortest way out. Isn’t there a safer one?”

“There is,” said Tourmaline without turning around, “but I don’t have clearance there. I could sneak in on my own, but not with you, and not in an alarm. There might be some more safety systems on right now.”

Just on cue an alarm siren sounded, the nearly deafening noise making the two fillies speed up, so much that they almost collided with an armored figure standing behind the corner. Scottaloo shrunk as the glowing, red eyes turned to look down at her. 

Tourmaline didn’t look intimidated. She looked the moving armor straight in the face plate. “Tourmaline, clearance level yellow, emergency password: saltlick,” she recited on a single breath.

The armor’s eye lights flickered and turned blue. Tourmaline pushed past the guardian and gave a passing glance to the inside of the ruined lab. 

“No flames. Good. Let’s get out of here. The adults will handle this.”

She turned towards Scootaloo, only to see that the pegasus was already running down the corridor. “Hey, wait for me!” she shouted indignantly as she chased her friend. 

Scootaloo didn’t slow down. “I’m not sure, but... I think I’ve just seen Twilight Sparkle!” 

***

Applebloom emerged from under the tangled blankets and looked around in confusion. The sudden explosive wake up had made her fall off her bed. She emerged only to see the scared eyes of Sweetie Belle looking down at her.

“What’s going on?” asked the farmpony.

“I don’t know,” answered Sweetie Belle. “It’s like something blew up. There are panicked ponies running everywhere,” she said, pointing outside the window. “It’s like when those bug monsters showed up at the wedding.”
The two fillies kept looking through the window, trying to see everything while staying as small as possible. 

“I dun see any bug monsters,” said Applebloom after a moment.

“They could change into ponies, couldn’t they?” asked Sweetie uncertainly.

Applebloom turned towards her. “Yes, but-”

Then an alarm sounded. Both fillies looked in the direction of the door.”

“We need ta get out of here!” called Applebloom.

Sweetie grabbed her over her withers. “Wait, we can’t go out there! What if there are monsters, or… or that Obsidian guy!”

Applebloom looked her in the eyes. “What if it’s a fire alarm? If there is a fire, we can’t stay here hiding, or we’ll get trapped! That’s what mah sis taught me.” She walked purposefully towards the door. “Come on, we need to get out of here!”

She reached for the door knob, but the door opened before she could touch it. There was an armored, blue unicorn stallion standing outside. 

“Are you two alright?” he asked.

The two fillies nodded in unison. 

“Good,” said the stallion. “You need to get out of here. This place will become very dangerous for you very soon.”

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle looked at each other with alarmed expressions. “Where are we goin? And who are you?” asked Applebloom.

The unicorn sighed, then removed his helmet. “I’m Enigma. Your friend, Tourmaline knows me. There is going to be a fight here soon and you don’t want to be near that.” He looked over his shoulder and then produced two amulets, small, onyx gems on thin silver chains, from inside his helmet.

“Please wear these,” he said as the two pendants flew forward in his telekinetic grip. “They will protect you from being found by the enemy.”

The girls looked down on their chests as the necklaces clasped themselves on their necks.

“Never take them off, do you understand?” Suddenly there was something in the stallion’s voice that made the fillies return his serious gaze, giving him their undivided attention. After a second, the two nodded slowly.

The stallion crouched low, bringing his head level with the two girls. “You will have to be very brave now. Stick together and help each other. And whatever you do, don’t let princess Celestia find you, or your sisters might die.”

The two nodded before their minds fully registered what the unicorn had just said. They opened their mouths in shock, about to demand further explanations, but right then the unicorn’s horn flashed bright cyan light and everything disappeared.

***

Down in the lab, the alarm fell silent. 

Something moved in the pile of rubble. Something that, by anypony’s assessment should have already been dead. The one good eye blinked, the mouth opened to take a whizzing, painful breath. There were soft crunching noises as the body shifted, looking for the signs of another pony nearby. 

And indeed there was. A moment later golden light took hold of the mangled body. 

“What’s happened here!?” demanded Celestia. “Where is Twilight?” 

Dr Stone turned her head. Instantly she heard the sound of dripping from underneath her barrel. “She ran… resisted the spell and ran…” she croaked.

Celestia looked around the ruined chamber. “You were supposed to test her,” she said with sudden anger. “He’s got to her.”

“No,” answered Dr Stone. “She removed it… I checked. It was her…”

Celestia ground her teeth silently. “This can’t be happening.” she looked at her head researcher only to be met with a blank and lifeless stare. She lowered the body gently to the ground. With the kind of injuries the explosion had done, it was a wonder Dr Stone could hold to life for as long as she did.  

Celestia closed her eyes, the golden light spreading from her horn, scanning the corridors of the lab, then reaching past the wards and towards the castle. 

When she found what she was looking for, it was the worst case scenario already in progress.

***

Twilight reached the surface level gasping for breath. She looked around, trying to find somepony she could call for help. To her surprise, the corridors were mostly empty. 

The initial blind panic replaced with a growing feeling of foreboding, Twilight headed for the door leading outside. It was only after she entered the main courtyard that she found a sign of pony activity. 

There was a bunch of guards, sprawled on the ground near the entry to the great hall. Heart in her throat, Twilight ran there, teleporting the last couple of paces.

There’s no blood, she quickly realised. Stooping for a closer look at the nearest guard, she found him still breathing, though his expression was vacant.

Then she heard something else; Rainbow Dash’s angry shouting from inside the great hall. Her panic instantly replaced by a feeling of purpose, the unicorn charged headlong, a telekinetic pulse pushing the huge door open before her.

What she found inside was Obsidian standing in a circle of ponies, which Twilight instantly recognized as her friends. Obsidian’s staff was stuck in the lock of the vault and slowly rotating. Only two heads turned towards Twilight when she entered, and a moment later the unicorn understood why; except for Obsidian, and visibly distraught Applejack, all ponies in the room were stuck immobile, held by shimmering blue fields that didn’t allow them to as much as open their mouths. 

“It’s not what it looks like, Twi!” shouted Applejack, but it was too late. Twilight charged her horn and sent a beam of energy at Obsidian. With his weapon still occupied, the stallion was forced to dodge, the shot slamming against the magically reinforced door behind him to no visible effect.

“Now, that’s rude,” said Obsidian, rising from the ground, now giving Twilight his full attention. “Where is the usual banter?”

Twilight prepared for another shot, but suddenly realised all her friends were in the line of fire. Dismissing the charge harmlessly, she glared at Obsidian. “Release my friends at once, monster!” she shouted. 

Obsidian gave her an amused smile. “In a moment, I will. I’m almost done here.” 

“We’re just here for my element, Twilight,” said Applejack in a pleading tone. 

“You can’t let him have it!” shouted Twilight in response. Just then there was a soft click and the vault door opened slowly. Obsidian’s staff returned to his side. 

“There, didn’t I tell you?” said Obsidian. His power reached inside the vault, retrieving a large, rectangular jewelry box. 

Twilight prepared to risk another shot, but then there was a flash of silver light above her. Princess Luna appeared under the vaulted ceiling, storm clouds appearing out of nowhere in her wake. As she glared down, strands of lightning shot towards Obsidian.

Obsidian reacted with a pulse of power that dismissed the field holding Twilight’s friends and pushed them away in all directions. His staff flew in front of him, catching the lightning bolt on its tip and pushing it to the sides, the flailing arcs of energy spraying sparks everywhere as they grounded on the metal frames of the stained glass windows.

“Hello to you too, Absynthe!” shouted Obsidian, grinning.

He lunged forward, his staff striking the jewelry box, causing it to fall open and its contents to spill on the ground. “Take them!” he shouted, before the next lightning lashed in his direction. This one was stronger than the last, causing Obsidian’s mane to stand on end and shattering one of the windows when he barely deflected it. 

Twilight dashed forward before she could think of the risk. It was only when she managed to grip the scattered necklaces with her telekinesis that she swerved aside, looking for the meagre cover that the columns lining the walls could provide. Above her, a blue nimbus of Obsidian’s magic grabbed one of the large banners hanging under the ceiling and dropped it on Luna. She flailed for a second before her power set the fabric on fire, freeing her in a burst of force. Obsidian shot a beam of energy from his staff, but the moon princess split it in two with her horn, cutting gashes in the ceiling behind her. 

Looking around the hall Twilight saw that all her friends were already on their hooves, though even Rainbow Dash wasn’t foolhardy enough to get in the line of fire of the magical duel. Spreading her magic around, the unicorn sent the five necklaces to their owners before placing the tiara on her own head. 

“Girls, get ready!” she shouted. 

She didn’t have the time to start casting her spell before a golden light appeared at the entrance to the hall. Princess Celestia teleported in, her head wreathed in golden flame. “YOU WILL REGRET INVADING OUR HOME, MONSTER!” she proclaimed in a voice that made the windows vibrate. 

She shot a beam of golden light at Obsidian, who conjured an opalescent half-sphere to deflect it. He was sent rolling backwards, briefly landing on his rump, but the barrier held, deflecting Celestia’s shot upward, forcing her to land as pieces of masonry rained at her from the damaged ceiling. Twilight ducked behind cover, as dust fell around her, and heard loud sizzle of electricity: Luna wasn’t going to waste the opening. She peered out just in time to see Obsidian frantically swatting away a ball lightning with his staff - his mane stood on end, and there were blackened scorch marks along his side.  

“Now, everypony!” shouted Twilight, charging her tiara.

Six gems flashed to life, but the shot of rainbow power didn’t come. Everypony, princesses included, looked around confused until they spotted Applejack. Her necklace was alight and she was glaring at Obsidian, but she was not contributing to the spell. 

“You said nopony can lie to me,” she barked angrily, “Now then, tell me the truth!”

The orange light increased in intensity. 

Obsidian opened his mouth to speak, his staff stabbing dramatically into the floor in front of him, just as Celestia and Luna struck first, attacking him in unison. The staff caught the twin spells like a lightning rod, leaving the three ponies locked in a struggle; their eyes glowing like furnaces as the silver and gold of the princesses were met with Obsidian’s blue. Smoke started rising from the stallion’s fur, outlining runic inscriptions running over his body.

“The truth…” he started, struggling for every word while staring down his adversaries “... Is that your princesses are monsters dressed in falsehoods, abominations wearing their victims as disguises!” His voice filled the chamber as he glared through the magic storm, straight at Celestia and Luna. “ENVY AND ARROGANCE OF THE SHATTERED! DESTROYERS OF THE ALICORN EMPIRE AND MURDERERS OF THOUSANDS!” 

Just as he finished, his mane caught on fire, strands of magic he could no longer block licking against his head and sides, though his eyes still glowed brightly. He turned his head slowly, painfully, looking at Applejack. “So… what say you… Honesty?” he croaked, barely audible above the magical tempest.

Twilight looked at Applejack only to see her pale rapidly. The farmpony was standing still, staring at Obsidian in silent shock, her mouth half open. Seconds passed before she finally managed to speak.

“He’s telling the truth.”

Suddenly the light of her necklace increased in intensity and then her eyes started glowing the same, orange light. But that was merely superficial compared to what her declaration had done. 

The magical struggle ceased, as if everypony in the room suddenly got frozen. Mouths opened and closed, eyes stared in disbelief. Applejack’s words had been barely audible over the noise, but the truth of her declaration reached the hearts of everypony present, striking them with unrelenting finality. For a second the world became black and white, zero and one, yes and no. There was only the truth.

Slowly, Twilight turned towards her mentor, hoping to find something, anything to save her from the black abyss she had felt her heart falling into. What she saw instead made her recoil in shock. The princess of the Sun was crying, her light gone, her features twisted between burning fury and crushing despair.

“A thousand years… of peace…” she said, her voice breaking… “I won’t let you destroy it… even if I have to kill you all.”

This time her horn did not light up. Instead the air around her started to ripple and dim, a growing cloud of vapour forming above her.

Twilight stepped back and lost balance, slumping onto the ground. She just stared at the alicorn, unable to move or speak, just watching Celestia rise to deliver her attack… until something small and orange leapt in front of her, wrapping itself around one of the princess’ front hooves.

“No! Please, don’t hurt them!” shouted Scootaloo. 

Behind Celestia, another filly, unfamiliar to Twilight, had run into the hall. She was now shouting at Scootaloo to get out of there.

This finally shook Twilight into action. She started scrambling back onto her hooves. 

But before she could do anything, somepony else did; Twilight Sparkle was enveloped by a blue aura and the great hall disappeared.
  
> Chapter 16: The Tree
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It took a moment for Twilight to recover her senses. Once she did, she realised she was in a small clearing, in a familiar forest. The smell of smoke could still be felt in the air, telling her that she had to be close to the previous night’s battlefield.

Around her, her five friends were rising from the ground, in various states of confusion. Fluttershy was crying, Rainbow Dash instinctively coming to her side. Rarity was just staring blankly, still coming to terms with what had just happened. There was a loud ‘pop’ as Pinkie Pie inflated and deflated abruptly. 

Then there was a sound Twilight hadn’t expected. Laughter. Obsidian was standing in the middle of the clearing, looking into the sky and shaking with mirthful laughter, seemingly oblivious to the glares he was already getting from Applejack.

The blast from Twilight’s horn caught the stallion by surprise, launching him across the clearing and into a tree, so hard that it broke and fell. He lay there, groaning in pain, but still laughing. The unicorn stood over him, snarling angrily.

“What have you done, monster!? What have you done to us!?” She breathed heavily, looking down at the stallion. She could now clearly see the runic patterns singed into his fur. He was obviously in pain, but didn’t seem to care.

“What’s so funny!?” screamed Twilight at the top of her lungs, tears welling in her eyes. Her horn started glowing again.

Obsidian’s staff swept her off her feet, breaking her concentration and making her hit the ground with a painful thud. Obsidian rolled on his side and looked at the gathered ponies. They were all glaring at him, and it looked like Rainbow Dash was the next in line to try to hit him.

“You’re all alive!” he exclaimed with a wide grin. “I never expected it would turn out so well.”

Applejack pushed closer, the gem on her chest glowing orange again. “You expected us to die!?”

Obsidian looked at her and his smile shrunk a bit. He started to get up from the ground. “Not you. I made you a promise. I had attuned my staff to this spot earlier to be able to get back here at short notice, so I was reasonably sure I could get you out of there once the monsters were revealed for what they are. But for all of you to make it there just in time, that was lucky. And those kids distracting Arrogance at just the right moment, I couldn’t have planned that if I tried. Now-”

“You left Scootaloo there!” shouted Rainbow Dash right into Obsidian’s face. 

The staff swung around, hitting her head and sending her reeling. Obsidian’s grin turned into a snarl. “I managed to save Twilight Sparkle, you, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy and Applejack, and got burned to the meat doing so. Show some gratitude.”

His staff extended over Rainbow Dash, but didn’t strike again, instead sending a short pulse that seemed to instantly ease her pain. Obsidian’s face calmed. “Now, that would be a great opportunity to teach you girls some healing magic, but we need to move. It is great that we won’t have to spend months looking for replacements for anypony that’s died, but unless we want to be found, we shouldn’t stay here.”

He was about to move before noticing Twilight Sparkle hadn’t risen from the ground. He turned towards her impatiently. “Now, what’s with you?” he asked.”I didn’t break your legs, even though you attacked me.” He paused for a closer look. Twilight was in tears, her mane in a mess and her coat slightly less purple than usual. She was no longer lashing out angrily, but instead silently shaking, her mouth moving in a monologue only she herself could hear.

Obsidian sighed heavily. “Ah, I see, your little world is in pieces. I should’ve predicted that.” He turned towards Pinkie Pie. “Can you cheer her up? It’s very important.”

Pinkie Pie shot him an angry look before walking up to Twilight. Her own mane deflated a bit as she took a closer look at her friend. “This is very serious, mister. That was a horrible thing to do.”

“What did you do to us?” asked Rainbow Dash, finally getting up from the ground.

Obsidian shrugged. The runes on his body were now glowing softly, his body slowly healing itself. “I only told you the truth of who your rulers are. Applejack did the rest.”

Everypony except Twilight looked at Applejack, who responded with a confused and guilty look. “Hey, I just said he was telling the truth. And he was.”

“Aaaah!” screamed Rarity suddenly. “Applejack, what’s happened to your eyes?”

Applejack blinked “Whaddya mean?”

The orange light in Applejack’s eyes had finally dimmed, but her irises remained deep orange, matching the crystal on her neck, flat discs of color with no visible pupils.

“It’s attunement, or awakening, as they used to call it,” said Obsidian. “That means Honesty is finally properly yours. As for what you did, you wanted the truth from me. You created an area in which I couldn’t tell a lie, even if it weren’t already the case. Then you confirmed my words.”

He looked around the girls with a dramatic pause.

“That’s another of Honesty’s abilities. When you speak with utter conviction, you can’t be doubted. Make sure to use it wisely, and be careful not to be misled into spreading falsehoods. The power to be believed can be much stronger than many would imagine. I know, I used to wield it myself.”

Applejack nodded with a serious face, then walked up to Twilight and Pinkie Pie. She leaned closer to to the unicorn. “Twilight? You okay there? We need to get out of here, fast.“ She kept looking intently at Twilight, but the unicorn did not respond. Applejack’s expression slowly turned worried.

“I’ve seen Twilight all frazzled before, but never like this. Pinkie?”

Pinkie Pie kept moving around Twilight, looking at her from various angles. Then she scratched her chin. “A song won’t do here… she needs a hug. A big one… But first, we need to stop her moping. Moping only makes things worse.” 

“Ah, right,” said Obsidian. “You have experience with sad kids at parties, not with life-shattering tragedies. But you’ve passed the test. That means you do have what it takes. Can you do the impossible when the need arises?” He didn’t come any closer, but kept watching them intently, like a teacher during a test.

“Okay…” said Pinkie Pie, “but I’ll need everypony here. Fluttershy?” She turned to look at the others. Fluttershy had tear tracks across her cheeks, and was leaning against Rainbow Dash, but still approached along with the rest. Rarity’s pallor was apparent even through her white fur, but she put on a brave face, if somewhat stiffly, apparently postponing her own breakdown while her friends needed her.

“First,” said Pinkie Pie, “we need to stop her talking. She’s  just digging herself deeper.” She reached into her mane and pulled out a muffin. It was slightly misshapen and had a curly pink hair stuck to it, but seemed to still be edible. Pinkie blew on it gently to clean it a bit and then pushed it softly into Twilight’s mouth. The silent monologue was interrupted and soon replaced with a soft sound of chewing.

“Now,” said Pinkie, “everypony, follow me.” She leaned forward, nuzzled Twilight with her snout and then hugged her. 

One after the other, the rest of the mares followed, forming a regular pattern around Twilight. Pinkie Pie closed her eyes and smiled. “And now, talk to her.”

Applejack turned closer to Twilight, the orange gem on her chest glowing softly again. “Sugarcube, we’re here for you. We all are. Whatever may come-”
“We’ll face it together,” finished Rainbow Dash.
“We’ll help each other until all is well again,” said Fluttershy, swallowing her own tears and smiling.
“Nothing will break us apart,” said Rarity, briefly breaking the hug to put a hoof across her heart.
“Until we can all smile again,” said Pinkie Pie, looking Twilight straight in the eyes, a mischievous smirk on her face, her own gemstone glowing soft blue.

Everypony looked at Twilight. Slowly, the unicorn’s eyes opened, and the corners of her mouth shook slightly upwards. She looked at Pinkie Pie. “I… I’ll be okay, just give me a moment to… get it out of my system, ok?” she then pushed forward, hugging tightly around Pinkie Pie and bawling loudly into her mane. The pink pony stood patiently while the bawls gradually turned into sobs and then silent sniffling.

Obsidian nodded slowly. "So sappy... but effective. It looks like we will be able to move out immediately after all.”

He was met with a collection of silent stares. 

“Good work, Pinkie Pie, and you too, Applejack. You clearly know your friends well.” Obsidian cleared his throat. “Now, I know you all need more time to recover, but we need to decide what to do next. We can’t stay here, obviously. And going back to Canterlot now is out of the question.”

It took them a second to understand the implications. Then the mares’ faces became masks of pure horror.

“Apple Bloom!” “Sweetie Belle!” shouted Applejack and Rarity simultaneously.

“As well as many others, I imagine,” said Obsidian. “Lots of ponies you care about, that could be used against you.” He walked closer and stared Applejack in the eyes. “But if you rush back in and get yourself killed, they will no longer be that… useful. Going back there now, when you’re in no condition to fight, is the worst thing you could do if you care for their safety.”

“You can’t be asking us to just leave them there!” shouted Rainbow Dash angrily.

Obsidian turned towards her in turn. “I’m just giving you the facts here. Right now, you couldn’t even beat me, let alone the Shattered. And so, if you’re loyal towards those you care about, you will not put them in danger by showing up to an unwinnable battle.”

“We don’t need to fight them at all,” protested Dash, “We just need to get in there-”

“Right under their noses, just like I did just moments ago, hoping the they will fall for the same trick twice in a row?” Obsidian’s eyebrow was raised in amusement, but his face was scowling.

Dash turned red. “You said it yourself, being the Elements is about doing the impossible!”

“Yes,” replied Obsidian, “I know how it works. That’s how I know you’re not ready. I can’t tell you to silence the voice of Loyalty screaming in your heart. That would go against your nature and might even drive you insane. But you can be loyal in a smart way, and direct your drive towards something useful. Right now, you need strength to make a difference. Survive, and I promise I will make you stronger.”

“You said strength doesn’t matter!” shouted Applejack, suddenly standing beside Rainbow Dash.

“I said there are many ways to gain strength,” replied Obsidian. “I said strength is not what the tests were looking for. Was it your strength that put Twilight Sparkle back on her hooves? Yea, I didn’t think so. Perhaps we should start with the site of battle that took place here last night, to show you exactly just what you’re dealing with.” 

“We have no time,” said Twilight Sparkle.

The other mares looked at her in surprise.

“I saw the size of that explosion,” continued the unicorn. “There are probably hundreds of trees there, broken like matchsticks. But we have to move out now. Reach my brother in the Crystal Empire. With the magic of the Crystal Heart protecting it, it might be the only place safe from this kind of power. Then we can work on finding out what has really happened to princess Celestia and princess Luna.”

“Didn’t I just tell you-” started Obsidian.

Twilight would have none of it. “You don’t know that for sure! You were locked up in your tower for how many centuries? I have lived in Equestria all my life, and it isn’t something a monster would build. We must learn more. Now, what is the fastest way for us to get to the Crystal Empire?”

“Well,” said Obsidian. “If Magic were properly awakened, you could teleport us all the way there on your own.”

“Something more useful?” groaned Rainbow Dash.

“How about leyline magic?” said Obsidian.

“Leyline magic?” asked Twilight. Her eyes were still red from the crying, but even so a spark of interest gleamed within.

Obsidian smiled. “Yes. This world is alive with magic flowing through it, from and to Dissonance. Some of the energy flowing through this world focuses in lines spanning the surface of the world. These are tricky to use. However, a crossing of lines, or a node, directs some of the energy upward, allowing a pony to take from it without struggling with the current, so to speak.

In my times, nodes were popular spots to build fortresses and wizard towers, providing extra energy for powerful magic. My tower used to stand on one such node, and I used it yesterday to get here. This forest contains another, and though it is already occupied by a magical object of great magnitude, there should be more than enough power for our needs.”

He turned south east. “Please follow me. It is something I wanted to show you anyway. This should add to our discussion about the rights and wrongs of Equestria.”

Twilight glared at the back of his head. “While we walk, tell me everything you do know.”

***

“You are late,” said Celestia. 

She was standing in the ruined lab with Luna and Enigma. Around her, pieces of rubble crawled across the floor, slowly taking their places back in the shattered walls.

“It’s not like you to be late. We could have used you here.”

“I was just where you sent me,” replied Enigma, “stuck trying to find two ponies in the middle of the biggest magical anomaly in 200 miles radius.”

“And you didn’t feel the disruption when the lab exploded?” asked Luna.

Enigma shrugged. “I did. I thought that was the plan. You said you’d be making Twilight into another ‘princess’. That takes a lot of magic.”

“Ah, yes,” said Celestia. “You weren’t there the last time it happened. You’re never with us when we need you.”

The unicorn looked her in the eyes. “That’s because I keep having to clean up your mess, your Majesty.”

“Where is my daughter?” sounded a female voice from the door.

Celestia turned around. The blue-maned, tan earth pony mare standing in the door looked her in the eyes with worry. 

“She’s fine, Dr Bluebonnet,” answered the princess, “but we needed to have her detained. Her friend got out during the emergency, and might have been exposed to enemy mind control magic. We are in the middle of a crisis, and can’t handle any more distractions now.”

The mare breathed a sigh of relief. “Where is she locked?”

“Sub-level 3, eastern corridor,” answered Enigma. “But she’s asleep now. Her condition was acting up under stress, so Dr Stone administered her some medicine.”

Bluebonnet nodded. “I see… wait, is Dr Stone back already?” she asked, pointing at the place on the floor where a dark spot was still visible. 

“As a matter of fact, I am,” answered a voice behind her. Dr Stone entered the ruined lab. “I have finished neutralising agent Pierce’s poisoning. He’s not at full strength yet, but recovered enough to help with guard duty. Could you please watch over your daughter while he takes care of her friend? We will be busy here for a while.”

Bluebonnet blushed. “Of course, of course. I will delay you no longer.” Bowing quickly to both princesses, she turned and left, her white lab coat swishing behind her from the sudden movement.

Dr Stone waited for the sound of her hooves to disappear and then closed the door. 

“You really are back quickly,” said princess Celestia.

Dr Stone seemed to shrink a little, the facade of a serious scientist replaced by a meek smile. “Oh, it wasn’t me. The procedure was simple and... I knew it could be... dangerous if something went wrong…”

“So you used one of your constructs,” finished Enigma.

Dr Stone looked at her front hooves. “Yes.”

Celestia breathed in deeply and exhaled purposefully. “I shouldn’t have cleaned it then. Now I won’t know the details first hoof.”

“I can still read what’s left of the instruments?” suggested Dr Stone with a small smile.

“That’s hardly important now,” said Luna sternly. “We’re facing the worst case scenario and we need to act quickly. I assume you have a plan prepared for such an occasion?”

Celestia lowered her head, her face suddenly twisted with sadness. “There is only one thing we can do. I will return to the palace and restore some semblance of order. You will search for them. Enigma, you go to the Crystal Empire. They will be headed there, and you need to do your part before they can find refuge there. Take Lightbringer with you.”

Enigma looked at her with a furrowed brow. “Once wasn’t enough, was it? I can do it fine on my own.”

Celestia looked at him sternly, her wings spreading reflexively. “You will do as you’re told.”

The unicorn sneered. “As you wish.” And then he was gone, the place where he had stood suddenly empty.

“Is it wise, making him hate you like that?” asked Luna. “And sending Lightbringer there, of all ponies?”

“He already hates me anyway,” answered Celestia. “Right now I need him to follow orders. Once we are done, he can spend the rest of his days wherever he likes. But not before. And Lightbringer… he won’t be happy, but we don’t have anypony else strong enough.”

Luna shook her head dejectedly. “You do know all this could've been avoided.”

Celestia glared at her. “No, it couldn’t. You were there, you saw what ‘Sombra’ was capable of. We needed a backup plan.”

“And who’s going to save us from the backup?” asked Luna, raising an eyebrow.

Celestia rushed towards her, but Dr Stone blocked her way. “P… please don’t argue. We need…”

Celestia backed down, but kept glaring at Luna over the scientist’s head. “That’s right. We have more important things to do. You have your orders.”

She turned towards the exit. “I will not let Equestria be consumed by madness.”

***

“So that is your story?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

During their short trek through the forest Applejack tried to retell the tale she had heard from Obsidian. However, it quickly became apparent that the ancient stallion wasn’t content to just listen, and kept interrupting the farmpony with annoyed corrections, until finally he took over the storytelling entirely.

“You don’t seem convinced,” he said without turning around, his eyes focused on picking the way ahead through the forest.

“Well,” said Twilight, doing her best to keep track of her surroundings despite being absorbed by the conversation, “I know the gist of it is true. I wish it wasn’t, but it is. But there are still pieces missing. I’ve known princess Celestia for years, and she doesn’t behave like an emotionless monster you say she is. For all my life, she has done nothing but good.”

“Do you always do good, Twilight Sparkle?” asked Obsidian.

Twilight walked in silence for a moment. “I always try to. It doesn’t always work out as I’d like to though.”

“Why?” asked Obsidian.

That got the back of his head some odd looks. 

“What do you mean, why?” asked Twilight “That’s the right thing to do, isn’t it?”

“So, you don’t need much of a reason beyond your beliefs,” continued Obsidian. “Tell me then, if a good deed is done for selfish reasons, is it still good? Is the result more important, or the motivation?”

Twilight huffed in annoyance. “You can’t oversimplify it like this. Each case is different.”

Obsidian suppressed a chuckle. “Really? Just a couple seconds ago, your outlook on life seemed so much simpler.”

“In one thing princess Celestia did tell the truth,” said Twilight, “you’re great at twisting words.”

“She made that up,” replied Obsidian, “she wouldn’t know. I wasn’t like this back when she knew me. I was always talkative, but I used to be straight to the point and as stubborn as Applejack.”

“You’re still stubborn,” said Applejack behind his back.

“True,” agreed Obsidian. “Back to our discussion though, it is easy to claim you are doing good, but what about the results? Today I unraveled a web of lies spanning centuries. We all agree that lies are bad, don’t we? And yet, I don’t see myself getting praised as a hero. Instead you lashed out at me with a force that might have killed me if I were still an ordinary pony. You called me a monster too.”

“That’s because you are,” said Twilight. Behind her, Rarity and Fluttershy gasped. “You didn’t care about Equestria at all, just about your old war against those ‘shattered’.”

“There is a saying,” said Obsidian,” ‘if something can be destroyed by the truth, it deserves to be’. But not all agree with it. Do you? If you are convinced I’m the evil here, you have all the Elements of Harmony conveniently arrayed behind my back. You’ve already caught me off guard once today. All it would take would be one good shot and I might end up sealed in some gnarly tree. Then you could go back to your princess and spend the rest of your life pretending this has never happened, heroically ignoring what you know about her, all for the peace of Equestria.”

There was a moment of tense silence, punctuated only by the sounds of plants getting pushed out of the way.

“You’re insane,” said Twilight Sparkle.

“Yes,” replied Obsidian.

He parted the bushes in front of him and emerged into a small clearing. The ruins of the Castle of the Sisters were now visible in the distance. Obsidian headed purposefully in that direction.

“What can you tell me about this forest, Twilight Sparkle?” he asked.

“What does it have to do with anything?” asked Twilight.

“You’ll see in a moment,” said Obsidian. “so?”

“The Everfree Forest stretches in all directions around the Castle of the Sisters,” said Twilight reluctantly. “It is a home to many strange creatures. Despite its location very close to Canterlot, it is not directly controlled by ponies. The weather, the plants, all function without pony help. That’s why it is called Everfree.”

“So, you consider it a natural phenomenon?” asked Obsidian.

“On the contrary,” answered Twilight. “It feels… weird for it to function without ponies.”

“See,” said Obsidian, “this is where we differ. I remember the times when things weren’t so strictly controlled. When trees didn’t need being told that it was autumn. When being able to change the weather was a useful ability, not a necessity. When the goddesses of Sun and Moon didn’t need to be reminded of their job by mortals every single day.”

“So, the Sun would just rise on its own?” asked Applejack.

“Yes,” said Obsidian. “Why would it need ponies?”

Rainbow Dash looked around. “So, you’re saying all of the world used to look like this?”

Obsidian stopped, turned to look at Dash and shook his head slowly. “No. this forest is all but natural.”

“What do you mean?” asked Twilight. Fluttershy seemed like she was about to ask the same question, but being a bit slower, she just settled for a puzzled look.

“Just look around you,” said Obsidian, his staff waving around for emphasis. “What a wonderfully diverse environment. So many kinds of creatures living next to each other. It happens of course. But I saw creatures running away from the battle earlier. So many large predators living so close together? And what of the plants? There are magical fruit growing here. Zap apples. Heart’s desire. Poison joke.”

He smiled, looking at his audience. They kept nodding their heads, but didn’t seem to understand where he was headed.

“There are parasprites here too,” he finally said.

“It is their place, isn’t it?” asked Pinkie Pie.

“Well, in a way,” said Obsidian. “They were created during the war, to fight the enemy hiding in the jungle. They eat anything plant-like and multiply faster than any predators could eat them. I’ve seen what they could do. A forest of this size should be a barren wasteland by now. And yet, it isn’t. Did I mention the whole area is full of magical anomalies?”

Twilight nodded her head. “Princess Celestia mentioned it, that’s how the changelings could get so many soldiers so fast.”

“Ah, so you never have to be lonely here? The forest will just make you companions?” asked Obsidian. “And there are magical plants for every occasion, a paradise, as long as you manage not to get eaten, because the forest tries to accommodate every creature, from small pests to enormous meat-eaters.” His smile disappeared. “This is not a natural balance. Or even a product of a control freak like the rest of Equestria seems to be. This here is forced balance. It is harmony, as imagined by the insane.” 

He suddenly turned around and started running towards the castle. “Follow me.”

The six mares had little choice but to follow, Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Twilight Sparkle sticking closely behind Obsidian, while the rest just tried not to get left behind. When the stallion finally stopped, he was standing at the edge of the chasm splitting the ground in front of the ruins. However, instead of heading towards the rope bridge, he walked along the edge, pointing towards what turned out to be stairs, hewn out of stone and heading down the cliff towards the bottom. 

“Remember how I told you that much of the local leyline power is already invested?” asked Obsidian as he descended the stone steps. “This is where all that energy goes.” He pointed his staff at a cave entrance visible at the bottom of the chasm. There was pale light glowing from the inside.

One after another, the ponies entered the cave. At first sight, it seemed similar to the changeling tunnels they had seen before. There were glowing crystals in the walls and here and there the spiky, black vines emerged from the ground.

“What is this thing?” asked Rainbow Dash.

At the end of the cave, there was a tree made of crystal, a single piece of translucent, indigo mineral glowing with pale light. As the ponies approached, more details became visible; there were five hexagonal holes in the thickest branches of the tree, and one more empty space in the very center, shaped like a six-pointed star. Below that, the symbols of sun and moon were embedded in the trunk.

“That’s my cutie mark,” said Twilight confusedly, looking at the phenomenon up close.

Obsidian set the staff horizontally in front of her, barring her passage. “Don’t come any closer. There might be protection spells around it. I don’t want the Shattered to know we’re here.”

The ponies formed a small semi-circle, keeping their distance, but looking at the tree curiously.

“So, once again, what is this thing?” asked Applejack “Is this what you wanted to show me?”

The Honesty on her chest started glowing a faint light. Obsidian squinted. “You want to test me again? Don’t you trust me? Actually, you might want to remember this trick. It is useful against hypocrites - confront them, and force them to be honest, and they might choke on their own words just long enough to give you an opening. But, coming back to our topic.” 

He turned away from Applejack and towards the tree. “Twilight, you surely remember how I told you about each Element only attuning to one pony. And yet the princesses have been able to use all of them to an extent. This here is the explanation of this particular mystery. You’ll notice that the tree bears the cutie marks their bodies have. From what I understand, this thing served as their connection to the Elements, giving them indirect access to their powers. More importantly, it fooled the Elements into reacting as if attuned. That is why there haven’t been any true bearers in centuries - the Elements were created to attune to ponies, they should naturally seek new ones to attune to. But while they were placed inside the tree, they would be kept dormant.”

“We found the Elements in the castle ruins above, not here,” said Twilight Sparkle.

“And what does that prove?” asked Obsidian.

“Does it mean they had been moved from here?” continued the unicorn.

Obsidian nodded. “Most likely. They wanted to be found, and somepony wanted them to be found as well. And as soon as you embarked to look for them, you were joined by five other mares of potential compatibility. You could call that a coincidence, but all the living things are connected through Dissonance.”

“But that doesn’t make sense,” said Twilight. “If Princess Celestia wanted me to find the Elements, why come here just to move them to the castle, and not give them to me? And if she didn’t, like you say she wouldn’t, why remove them from here at all?” 

“Well, that’s something you’ll probably have to figure out for yourself,” said Obsidian. “I don’t have all the answers. But the adventures you six went through on your search seemed a lot like a simplified version of my tests… but weren’t all the obstacles Nightmare Moon’s doing? Do you think it was fate, a coincidence, or were you being tricked from the very beginning?”

“Wait,” said Rainbow Dash loudly,”this still doesn’t add up. How would this thing trick something as powerful as the Elements of Harmony? If a piece of crystal could do it, anypony could.”

Obsidian grinned, looking at the pegasus and then at Twilight. “What do you say, Twilight Sparkle? That was a very good question. Can you give an answer? Because that’s a big part of the reason why I brought you here.”

Twilight Sparkle swallowed loudly. “If what you say is true, and the Elements only attune to one pony each, the tree would have to pretend to be six ponies, right? And ones with the right personalities to bear the Elements.”

Obsidian chuckled. “Does anypony have a gold star they could give to miss Sparkle?”

Pinkie started digging a hoof through her mane, but soon gave up with a shrug.

“Yes,” said Obsidian. “The tree needed to have six distinct personalities, with strong enough features to attract the Elements, but at the same time, not coherent enough to have a mind of their own - creating a fully sentient vessel to link with the Elements would defeat the purpose. But Dissonance is full of memories and emotions, bits and pieces the souls are made of.” He turned to look at Rainbow Dash again. “You remember that, don’t you? If Absynthe can walk dreams as Luna, that provides a way of reaching into Dissonance. Then it’s just a matter of taking pieces with you, and weaving them together. Of course, leave something like that sitting for a couple centuries and it will inevitably start coalescing, whatever your intent.”

Twilight Sparkle shuddered. “You mean there are pieces of… inside this thing? It thinks it's ponies?”

Obsidian closed his eyes. “Can you not hear them, Twilight Sparkle, singing off-key inside their prison?” He stood in silence for a moment, as if listening in, before opening his eyes and looking at Twilight again, no longer smiling. "No. If it was only that, I would be a hypocrite to condemn them. After all, I helped design the Void Passage. It is full of 'things that think they're ponies'. This is worse. A mess of emotions and half-formed concepts that feels it's ponies, but was never meant to think coherently, purposefully crippled, and deformed to serve a single purpose. 

This is the power that has created the Everfree Forest, always eager to serve the case of harmony, but too crazy to understand what it is doing. This is the price paid for the thousand years of peace, and I assure you, it wasn’t the only one. There is a saying that three ponies can keep a secret if two of them are dead. And the Shattered must have had a lot to hide.”

His staff jerked forward, bumping Twilight on the horn, just as she started gathering energy for a spell. The unicorn flinched away with a yelp.

“Why did you do that?” she asked, “We can’t just leave it like this!”

“Sure we can,” replied Obsidian, “If we reveal our presence here, the Shattered might be here in seconds. You can take care of it later, if you win. Or this problem might solve itself,” he continued, looking around. “These vines weren’t here when I was here earlier.” 

Everypony looked around at the cave floor. Just then another tendril shot out through a crack in the stone floor.

“I’ve seen them in the changeling hive,” said Twilight Sparkle, “They used them to mask themselves from magic. But those weren’t growing so fast.”

“But now the hive is abandoned, isn’t it?” said Obsidian. “The changelings must have had some way to keep these vines dormant, but now, they are no longer being contained. And it looks like the leyline is attracting them-” His staff swung around, breaking a vine that was starting to coil around it. “Yes, they are definitely attracted by magic. We’d better hurry in this case. This leyline might not be usable for much longer. Follow me to the castle above. I’ll show you how to draw a proper teleportation circle.”
> Chapter 17: The Trigger
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The day in the Crystal Empire was calm and sunny. They all were, the magic keeping the surrounding land warm and habitable despite the cold of the north waiting just outside the borders. The two ponies who suddenly appeared on a small, grassy hill, looked around cautiously. 

Enigma was dressed in a slick, black uniform covering most of his body, with a ragged, black cloak draped over his withers and bladed bracers on his front legs. A metal cannonball rested on the grass in front of him. 

The other pony was a white pegasus in shiny plate armor that left only the wings exposed, the plates so heavy it made him look like a statue, He had no visible weapons with him. As the pegasus surveyed his surroundings, his wings twitched nervously, dropping a single feather to the ground.

“You should get these preened,” said Enigma, looking sideways at his companion.

“I might just get them chopped off,” said the pegasus. “All they do is itch and it’s not like I need them anyway. So, are we starting, or do you want to do some more sightseeing? We have ponies to kill.”

Enigma gritted his teeth. “You don’t need to remind me. I look ridiculous in this outfit. What about you? Shouldn’t you paint the armor black at least?”

The pegasus shrugged. “No need to. I might paint it deep red later. Less hassle with cleaning. So, we take the tower, kill the rulers, steal the heart, and then await the pretty princesses to drive us away?”

“A monster of darkness existing just so your light could shine all the brighter. That was the plan, wasn’t it?”

“Minimal losses this time,” said Enigma. In front of him the cannonball disappeared, appearing high in the air and falling past him only to disappear again, in a loop that kept it constantly moving, faster and faster. “There will be collateral damage, we are making a show, but we only really need to kill two ponies.”

He beamed at the two alicorns. “My pattern has been suppressed, and now the madness is gone. The power inside me no longer rages out of control. It is a part of me now, melded into me, all at my command. I have been… perfected.”

“Light…” asked Celestia with a frown, “You were only supposed to play a tyrant… How many Empire citizens did you kill?”


"Lightbringer, are you ok?" asked Enigma. 

The pegasus shook his armored head. “Just spaced out a bit. I’m ready when you are.”

“You know, I can do it on my own,” said the unicorn.

“Not a chance,” replied Lightbringer. “I’m in a mood to break somepony. Take us there.”

Enigma sighed. “I was afraid you’d say that. So, do we start with the heart?”

“No,” said Lightbringer. “I don’t even want to get close to that thing while there is somepony who can fire it in my face. We start with the princess, then the heart will be useless.”

“As you wish,” said Enigma. “Let’s get it over with.”

They appeared next to the tower, in the air above the large balcony overlooking the city square. Two crystal pony guards were keeping watch there. They had just enough time to look surprised when Enigma’s cannonball appeared next to them. It flew sideways, smashing the guards’ heads together and sending them both tumbling towards the opposite wall.

“Spoilsport,” grumbled Lightbringer. The armored pony leapt forward, falling onto the balcony with a mighty crash, leaving visible cracks in the crystal beneath his hooves.

Enigma followed, appearing right next to his companion. He could already feel more guards approaching, even with the magic flowing through the building dulling his senses. He watched as Lightbringer sprung forward, launching himself head-first into the massive doors looming in front of him. Though unlocked, they weren’t even given a chance to swing open, the impact blowing them straight off the hinges. 

“Well,” whispered Enigma under his breath. “I think we have the ‘theatrics’ part done.”

He shifted forward, appearing in the throne room, in front of four guards that had just ran in. He swung his foreleg forward, making the collapsible blade on his bracer unfold, then shifted again, appearing right in front of a charging guardspony, the tip of the weapon finding the small opening at the front of the guard’s decorative armor, leaving his own momentum to impale him through the heart. 

“Less pain this way,” whispered Enigma to the surprised guard, before shifting away, leaving the pony to slump to the ground. The other three guardsponies were preparing to charge him, but right then Lightbringer strode into the throne room.

“Hah, still the pushovers?” he said loudly. He then looked around. “They’re not here! Find them and kill them!” he barked at Enigma.

The unicorn disappeared, making a series of short jumps from room to room, all the while shifting the falling cannonball with him, wrecking windows and pieces of furniture as the falling weight kept flying through the spots he searched.

He couldn’t hear the fight from the throne room over the noise he was making himself, but he could still feel all the way there. It looked like Lightbringer was ‘having fun’ again.

There! Finally Enigma’s senses caught what he was looking for, a pair of unusual ponies running towards the throne room. Trying his best to ignore the fight behind him, he shifted towards his target. 

***

“You thought something here could threaten me? This was the easiest task I ever got. The guards only knew how to parade with their weapons. Do you know they jousted for fun here?”

Two of the guardsponies had spears affixed to their barding. Lightbringer smiled underneath his helmet as they charged at him, standing his ground, just to watch the ponies’ expressions when the tips bent out of shape, not even scratching his armor.

The last pony slid on the crystal floor, turning around to turn the momentum of his charge into extra force as he bucked Lightbringer in the chest with all his strength. There was a loud clang and then a grunt of pain. The guard stumbled forward. “Won’t even… budge.”

Beneath the helmet, Lightbringer’s smile widened into a grin. “No. You… budge.”

He lurched forward, rearing, then pushed with both front hooves. There was a noise of metal breaking, pieces of crystalline enamel flying off as the guard’s armor bent out of shape, then a loud bang as the pony was launched across the room, flying past the throne before colliding with a wall, the initial noise turning into a wet crunch as the broken body slumped onto the floor, covered in pieces of crystal rubble. The other guards’ eyes widened in horror, but they were too slow trying to get away; Lightbringer was already in motion, much faster than the massive armor should allow. As he swung his hoof down, a spray of blood splattered across his face plate.

“Now I don’t have to hide who I am, what I am,” continued Lightbringer walking up to the crystal pony until his nose was almost touching her neck. “It doesn’t matter what they think about me, because at the end of the day, I will be the one to decide what they think. Isn’t it so?”

***

Enigma appeared, right in front of the running Shining Armor, the tip of his blade coming into being an inch from the unicorn’s right eye. There was a shower of sparks as the blade was pushed aside, the assassin disappearing a split second before the heavier unicorn could ram into him.

Passive shielding. Where did you learn that? he thought, as he reappeared under the vaulted ceiling, letting gravity do the rest of the work. He saw Shining Armor turn, blood running across his cheek where the blade had grazed it. He focused his power into his sword as he was falling - this time it slid right through the defensive spells. Shining Armor fell sideways in a desperate defensive roll, the descending blade ripping through armor, but only grazing across his barrel instead of impaling him straight through the back. Enigma was thrown off, but shifted again before hitting the wall, appearing in the adjacent room.

“Armored and ready,” he noticed, rolling back on his hooves. He could feel both ponies through the wall, still confused, but now actively looking for an attacker. 

I don’t have the time to fool around. 

He could already feel the magic around Cadence intensifying. If he allowed it to continue, she would be very hard to reach. The falling cannonball appeared right above her, landing on top of her head. The alicorn was way too tough to die from such an attack, but what Enigma needed was a distraction. Her magic wavered and as Shining turned to shield her, a split second too late, Enigma fell again, shifting once more to pop up beside the unicorn, his fall transferred into a horizontal drop kick that sent Shining Armor flying.

Regaining his footing, Enigma turned around, swinging his blade at Cadence. She was still reeling from the blow, unable to shield herself in time.

A blast of green energy came along the corridor, passing through the space where Enigma’s front hoof would have been. Another unicorn, a teal stallion dressed in officer’s armor, had ran into the hall and was now firing shot after shot at Enigma, forcing him into a sequence of dodges.

That’s agent Prism. What’s he doing here? thought the Shattered as he avoided the next attack by appearing right behind Cadence, using her as a shield. He was about to strike her down, only to be foiled again, a fuchsia bubble of force erupting around her; Shining Armor was down and bleeding, but not out yet.

This is ridiculous, thought Enigma, looking at Prism. Will she be angry with me if I kill him? No, he’s expendable at this point.

A horrible, gurgled scream echoed through the castle. Enigma groaned inwardly. Damn you, Lightbringer. Can’t you ever-

A loud explosion followed. And then something that made Enigma forget about his opponents. Suddenly he realised that could no longer feel Lightbringer clearly, the background magic that had been kept at bay by his pattern presence now filling the spot where he was standing.

“Oh, for crying out loud…”

***

The armored hoof descended again, like a pile driver, breaking bones into splinters and spraying the floor with red. Lightbringer grinned wildly. 

“You deserve no better, weaklings.”

“Like this!?” shouted Celestia, stomping her hoof, a disc of light appearing underneath her to support her weight, her wings no longer flapping but now flared in anger. “This is what you call your perfect solution? A lifetime of mind-numbing terror for everypony but you?”

He looked down at his victim’s eyes, widened in their final expression of pain and horror.

“In time, they will come to love me with all their hearts, and then the suffering will stop… won’t you, my crystal slave?” 

Behind him, he heard more guards running into the throne room. He turned around just in time to see color drain from their faces at the sight they beheld, their coats changing from sparkly and crystalline to a dull sheen of old glass.

Slowly, Lightbringer started walking towards them, each step accentuated with a stomp that cracked the crystal floor. “You silly little ponies…” he growled through clenched teeth, “You thought killing me would be enough? You thought tearing me to pieces would be enough? That I would be gone like a bad dream?”

“I command you to love me.”

One of the guards, braver than the rest, braced himself and stood his ground.  “Not a step more, monster!” he shouted.

“So, you want the old Lightbringer back,” he said with a smile. “You prefer Hate, the destroyer of Portus.”

“If you want me gone, you have to try harder!”

Lightbringer took a low stance and then pounced, the sudden, impossible acceleration turning him into a pony bullet. The whole tower shook as the armored pegasus plowed through the guards in his way, then through the thick, crystal wall behind them, sending crystal shards bigger than a pony flying in all directions. His armor was now smudged brick red, covered with a thick mix of dust and blood, but he didn’t even notice that anymore.

“Always the one to screw up, always the destroyer, the killer, a monster among monsters you pretend not to be. A ‘little brother’ you can pity and a force of rage and murder you can unleash on your enemies. And now, when I’ve finally succeeded at something, when I’m finally in control… YOU CAN’T BEAR IT!”

When Enigma appeared in the throne room, the dust hadn’t yet settled. He instantly found Lightbringer, but even as he opened his mouth to ask if everything was okay, he realised it would be a futile effort; the pegasus was standing among the carnage, shaking all over, and there were now wisps of purple smoke coming out through the eye-slits of his helmet.

***

"Is this all?" asked Twilight Sparkle, looking down on the stone castle floor. Obsidian was standing in a large circle covered by runes. It had taken him mere seconds to burn the symbols into the stone, but now he was focusing his magic into them and that was taking considerably more time.

“Almost,” answered Obsidian. “I’m done empowering the main circle. Now I’m just adding a line of protection effects to hide our signature when we teleport. Once that is done, I will transport you.”

Twilight approached the circle, giving a close look to the symbols, which were now starting to glow a soft blue. “This is… very much like how you told me not to use magic,” she said after a while. “What exactly are you doing?”

“As I’ve already told you,” said Obsidian,”I’m harnessing the power of the leyline, or rather, what’s left of it after the tree has absorbed most of it. Because the power isn’t coming from me, it is much harder to properly control. Even in the old days, this is how it was done. Trust me here, you don’t want magic from an unfamiliar source flowing freely through your head.”

“Can’t we just use the Elements?”  asked Rainbow Dash, flapping over the two ponies. “We need to get to the Crystal Empire before the princesses do.”

Twilight looked up at her friend. “She is right. The Elements are a part of us. We don’t need to control them. And we really do need to hurry.”

“In that case,” answered Obsidian with a scowl, “stop interrupting me. I’m almost done here.”

He looked below his feet, then back at the mares around him. All six were watching him intently. The stallion sighed.

“Yes, we could use the Elements. But you were almost catatonic with despair half an hour ago, and half of your friends have somepony dear they left behind when we retreated. You are all but in harmony now. To let you direct a teleport spell together would be asking for a disaster. Not to mention the fireworks would be visible all the way from Canterlot.”

He kept looking at the six ponies, judging their reactions. None of them looked happy. All kinds of emotions were flashing across their faces, from disappointment, through barely concealed despair, to determination. 

Rainbow Dash went with anger. “So what if they know where we are?” she asked, flying down to Obsidian’s level. “We’ll be gone by then! And it’s not like they can’t guess where we’re headed. We need to get there before them!”

Obsidian’s staff swatted at her, but this time the pegasus was ready, flinching out of the way at the last moment. “And stop doing that!” she shouted.

“Then let me work!” growled Obsidian through gritted teeth. “I have waited too long for this chance to waste it because of some missed detail.”

“If you want to have it your way,” said Rarity, trying her best to keep her voice calm despite her own inner turmoil, “you should really work on making a better impression. No matter how right you may be, you can’t make ponies listen to your advice by beating them with a stick.”

Obsidian sneered. “Wanna bet?” He then took a deep breath and relaxed. “You do have a point though. I had let my social skills get rusty. In either case, I’m ready to transport you. Stand around the circle, touching the border. Pinkie Pie, you go inside.”

The mares closed in reluctantly. Pinkie Pie raised an eyebrow. “Why me?”

“I’ll be using you to target the spell,” replied Obsidian. “You have been where we want to go, and you should be the least distracted-”

He paused and took a long look at Pinkie.

“Relatively speaking.”

***

The bed was clean, but hard. As Tourmaline’s senses started returning, she lazily identified it as one of the beds in the lab.

Dr Stone gave me some medicine to calm me down. I was getting a headache and she was afraid-

As the details clicked into place one by one, Tourmaline’s eyes slowly opened. She knew better than to jump out of bed, instead examining her surroundings carefully, until she was sure she was in the state to stay upright.

The first thing she noticed was her mother sitting beside the bed.

“Are you okay, honey?” asked Bluebonnet, getting up to lean over her daughter.

Tourmaline examined her body, moving each limb in turn. “I think so.”

Bluebonnet breathed a sigh of relief. “I was so worried about you. What happened to you?”

This made Tourmaline wake up at once. “Where is Scootaloo? Is she okay?”

“I don’t know,” said Tourmaline, “She’s being detained, Pierce is looking after her. I’ve been told she was affected with some mind control magic. How did she get out of her room?”

“There was an alarm,” answered the filly. “I followed the evacuation procedure. Then she saw Twilight Sparkle and ran after her. I tried to keep up, but she’s much faster than me.”

“Ah right, the princess told me she found her. But that means…” she leaned forward and nuzzled her daughter. “I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have left you alone watching your friend. It’s just I was so tired after preparing the modulator, I couldn’t stay up anymore. The explosion woke me up, but by the time I knew what was going on, it was already over.”

“Mom,” smiled Tourmaline, pushing her mother away gently. “I can take care of myself.” She slowly got out of bed. “I’m more worried about Scootaloo. She ran ahead of me and… when I caught up with her, she was raving, saying horrible things about princess Celestia. The princess had to put her in a force bubble.”

“I’m sure she’ll be okay soon,” answered Bluebonnet. “Princess Luna is an expert when it comes to nightmares. She’ll know how to help her.”

“Do you think they’ll let me see her?” asked Tourmaline.

“Probably not right now, I’m afraid,” replied Bluebonnet. “I’m sure you’ll be able to see her when princess Luna manages to undo… whatever it was that happened to her. Actually… Dr Stone has asked that you stay in the lab for now, for your safety.”

“What? Why?” asked Tourmaline, suddenly worried.

Bluebonnet looked at her with a frown. “I’m not sure, dear. I don’t fully understand what is happening. But you can be sure, princess Celestia is doing all in her power to keep you safe.”

She paused, looking at her daughter’s face. Tourmaline’s face didn’t show an obvious emotion, but the way she shifted nervously betrayed an inner struggle. Finally, she spoke. “Can I go to my room at least? I don’t want to stay here.”

Bluebonnet looked at her in confusion. “What? of course you can. Why would you think that?”

Tourmaline took a sudden step forward and hugged her mother. The engineer stood there, surprised, before returning the hug.

“I know I’m just a kid,” said Tourmaline, “I’m not supposed to know some things,”

Bluebonnet looked down, trying to see her daughter’s face, but found herself unable to do so without breaking the hug.

Before she could interrupt, Tourmaline continued. “But you will tell me when you find out what it’s all about, promise?”

There was a surprised pause. Finally, the older earth pony whispered softly. “Promise.”

***

“Hey, you jerk!” shouted Scootaloo, banging her hooves on the window leading to the corridor.

Since she woke up, she spent most of her time trying to get out. To her frustration, both the door and the window proved much sturdier than they looked. For all the cleanness and modern decor of her room, she might as well have been locked in a dungeon.

There was a sound of hooves on the stone floor from the corridor. After a moment, agent Pierce walked slowly into view. He was still limping a bit, but had replaced his coat with a new one. He shot Scootaloo an annoyed look through the glass.

“I’ve already told you,” he said in a tired voice, barely audible through the glass. “You can’t see her. No visitors till they’re done fixing your mind.”

Scootaloo’s wings furrowed. “Fixing!? There’s nothing wrong with my mind! I’ve heard what the princess is. And I saw her try to kill Rainbow Dash!”

The unicorn suppressed a groan. “You’re under a mind control effect. It’s making you irrational.”

“No, it isn’t,” said Scootaloo, stepping away from the window and staring at her hooves. “The Elements of Harmony are the heroes of Equestria. They saved everypony more than once. I bet they saved you too! And the princess wants to kill them because they know what she is!”

Pierce glared at her through the window. “There’s no point arguing with you. Just sit here and wait. I’m not enjoying it either.”

He turned around and walked away. 

“You’re one of the bad guys, can’t you see!?” shouted Scootaloo behind his back.

Pierce tensed. “I’m doing my job. Don’t make it difficult,” he grumbled, almost sure the filly could no longer hear him.

***

“How are they?” asked Celestia, closing the door behind her. Her mane had lost her usual flow and there was slight twitchiness to her movements.

Dr Stone looked up at her, an expression of worry on her face. “They were both asleep, last I checked. Dr Bluebonnet is with her daughter now.”

Celestia nodded, looking down at the doctor. “Was she affected too?”

The earth pony shook her head. “not that I could detect. I will run some more tests on her once she calms down, just to make sure.”
“And her friend?” asked Celestia.

“I’m working on it,” answered Dr Stone. “We were already planning to wipe the last day from her mind. Now, with Honesty affecting her, we’ll need to be more through, the memory is very vivid and we’ll have to make sure-”

“When?” interrupted the princess impatiently.

“As soon as my lab is fixed,” answered Dr Stone. “I’m bringing in spares from my other labs, but it will take some time to get everything ready. That pulse fried half of my equipment. Unless princess Luna can help me with her magic?”

Celestia shook her head. “I’m afraid not. We need all the magic at our disposal to look for the Elements. Both Luna and the seers’ tower are busy. I’m afraid you’ll have to handle this one yourself.”

Dr Stone bowed. “You can count on me.”

Celestia smiled. “Yes, I can. That is a rare quality nowadays. Have Lightbringer and Enigma reported in yet?”

“Not that I know of,” answered Dr Stone, “They would have reported to you probably. Is that why you’re so worried?” She turned her back on the Princess and walked towards one of the tables. She returned with a tray in her mouth, two cups of hot tea upon it.

Celestia lit up her horn, picking one of the cups and sipping from it. “One of the reasons, yes. If everything went smoothly, Enigma would have been back with a report by now. But there’s more than that. Before they departed, I tried to contact agent Prism. But he hasn’t responded yet. That means, either something has happened to him, or…”

Dr Stone was sipping her own tea. “But you’d picked him personally for the task, your most trustworthy agent.”

“I did,” admitted Celestia with a sigh. “But what if he isn’t?”

The earth pony’s face took a worried expression again. “What do you mean? Is there something I should know?”

Celestia’s face turned grim. She swallowed the rest of her tea and set the empty cup on the tray. “The other two children are gone. Somepony stole them away in the confusion.”

“But who could have done it?” asked Dr Stone. “Obsidian wouldn’t have had the time to find accomplices, would he?” 

“Perhaps he already had some,” said Celestia. “I asked everypony and some servants claimed they had seen a blue-coated unicorn guard entering the quarters. I watched their memories, but they had never stopped for a closer look. I didn’t see any details. Still, I’m wondering if perhaps-”

“Changelings?” supplied Dr Stone. 

Celestia paused, her train of thought suddenly interrupted. “What?”

“It could have been a changeling,” answered Dr Stone. “We already know they’re involved. For all we know, they might be responsible for the Elements meeting Obsidian. And even with our screening, a single infiltrator could have gotten through while everypony was distracted.”

Silence fell. Then, slowly, Celestia released a deep breath. “Thank you, Eve. I don’t know what I would do without you”

The earth pony frowned. “Please, don’t call me that. Evening Embrace is dead, she’s been for millennia. I’m Dr Stone. We are the ponies we choose to be now.”

Unexpectedly, Celestia walked forward, putting her wing around the earth pony. “You’re right of course. I’m princess Celestia now. Equestria relies on me. We’ll get through this, calmly and rationally, as we always had.”

“It’s not just the two of us, you know,” said Dr Stone. “There are others too.”

The wing over her withers suddenly hugged her tighter. 

“No,” said Celestia. “I’m sorry to say that, but… Enigma is no longer one of us. Lightbringer is unstable.  A…” Celestia hesitated. “...Luna… means well, but.. she thinks she could be a better leader. She would do things behind my back if she thought it was for the better. Remember that letter to Twilight she faked, sending the Elements against a dragon?”

“We can only win this if... we work as one,” said Dr Stone, suddenly sounding like somepony much younger.

Celestia smiled. “Yes. You’re right. But you are the one that stayed with me for a thousand years, when Enigma abandoned us, and all the others were… gone.”

She took another deep breath.

“You’re the only one I can fully trust.”
> Chapter 18: The Fallout
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

First there was a sense of hurtling through space at great speed. Then something that resembled a rubber band, the feeling of stretching in ways no pony was designed for, Finally, a bright flash and a loud boom. The ponies rolled on the ground like discarded toys.

Rainbow Dash was the first to get up, shaking her head and spitting out some sand. “What happened?” she said, looking around, still slightly dizzy. “Everypony okay?”

She was answered by numerous groans. “I’m okay,” said Applejack weakly from the ground.

“We’ve landed off course,” said Obsidian getting up and looking around. There were snow-covered mountains all around them. “The good news is, we’re not in Canterlot. But this doesn’t look like the Crystal Empire.”

Pinkie Pie jumped up right beside him. “Nope. It isn’t. We were almost there, but then we bounced off.”

“Darling, how do you know that?” asked Rarity, getting up and quickly dusting herself. Behind her, the rest of the team were picking themselves up.

Pinkie Pie looked at Rarity. “I felt it. I was a part of that spell, remember?”

“That… makes sense… I think,” said Twilight with a frown. “But then, what has happened? What does it mean?” She looked around before staring at Obsidian expectantly.

“From what I can tell,” replied Obsidian, “we were blocked by another spell. It didn’t feel like magic the Shattered had assaulted me with. So either there was someone else already there, or the city’s barrier is up. Hopefully the latter is the case.” He turned towards Rainbow Dash. “Would you mind flying up to see where we are?”

Rainbow Dash scowled at Obsidian and looked towards Twilight. Seeing her nod silently, she flapped her wings and shot up into the sky.

“So, what do we do now?” asked Applejack. “We don’t exactly have camping equipment on us or anything, and it’s starting to get late.”

This was true. Though the sky hadn’t yet started to darken, the sun had moved most of its daily path, and even below the line of snow everypony could feel the chill in the air. 

Obsidian looked up towards the quickly shrinking cerulean dot. “Well, let’s wait and hear what your friend will have to say when she comes back.”

Everypony followed Obsidian’s gaze, tracing Rainbow Dash’s route through the sky. The pegasus flew in a large circle and then dove back down, spreading her wings at the last moment to slow her descent.

“I can see the Empire,” she said, pointing over the mountain to the east. “You were right, I can’t see much from that far away, but it looks like the barrier is up.”

“How far away do you think we are?” asked Obsidian, looking at the mountain Dash was pointing at.

“I’d say about fifty miles.” answered Dash.

Twilight scratched her chin with a hoof. “We got knocked away to the west. That means we must be somewhere in yak territory.” She turned towards Obsidian. “Can you teleport us again? We need to get there quickly.”

Obsidian twirled his staff, making it hit the ground point-first. The runes upon the wood started glowing faintly. “There’s no leyline here. But now it looks like we’re far enough to use the Elements openly. If you can focus enough to lend me a bit of power, I will fly you there.”

***

Celestia paced impatiently across the main room of the lab. Luna sat in the corner, watching her in silence.

“They should be back by now,” said the solar princess through gritted teeth.”What is taking them so long?”

“Perhaps they were expected? You think our good captain might suspect more than you thought?” asked Luna, only to shrink under Celestia’s gaze.

“They didn’t,” said Enigma. He was standing in the middle of the room, just behind Celestia. “Still, they had some new tricks ready. Including your agent Prism, shooting at me. Do you think he switched sides, or did you just forget to tell him we were coming?”

Celestia gave him a blank stare. “I sent a message to his notebook, just after you left. He was supposed to stay away. He never responded, but that’s impossible-” Her eyes regained focus, glaring at Enigma. “Your task! What about it?”

Enigma shrugged. “A total failure. When we entered the tower, Lightbringer freaked out. He was starting to burn again. I had to kill him or the whole city would have gone.” 

The silence that fell was thick enough to be cut with a knife. Celestia slowly walked closer to Enigma. “You... had to kill him? And... what about Shining Armour? What about the princess?”

“Alive, last I saw. I had to retreat and the barrier is already up.” Despite being shorter than Celestia, Enigma somehow managed to look down on her. 

The princess pressed closer towards the stallion until he shifted, reappearing behind her. She turned towards him angrily. “You had to retreat? You HAD to?! You had one task to complete, one objective all of Equestria depended on. And you HAD to retreat without completing it ?!”

The noise attracted Evening Embrace, who emerged from a staircase leading below and looked at the two arguing ponies, mumbling something incomprehensible under her breath.

“The tower started to power up,” explained Enigma. “Its magic interfered with my abilities. I had to retreat while I still could.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be the greatest assassin in the world?” sneered Luna from the corner. Both Celestia and Enigma turned their heads.

“I was, and I still am,” said Enigma. “I would’ve completed my task before they knew what hit them if our glorious leader hadn’t dropped her unstable baby brother on me to foalsit.”

Evening Embrace covered her muzzle with her forelegs. Luna stared in stunned silence. Celestia’s mane stopped flowing, as if she were turned into a statue. Enigma faced her again, looking at her through squinting eyes.

“I could have done it alone. And after all the mess from the last time, you should’ve known better than to send Lightbringer to the Empire,” he said. “So, why did you do it? You couldn’t trust me with a simple job? So much that you had to send him with me, despite the risk?”

As he finished speaking, Celestia didn’t respond at first. She stood looking at the ground, visibly struggling to compose herself, breathing slow, controlled breaths. Finally, she looked the stallion straight in the eyes. “You cannot be trusted,” she said through gritted teeth.

“Come again?” he answered with a smirk, though his eyes remained cold. “That’s rich coming from you.”

“You cannot be trusted,” repeated Celestia in a louder voice. “You abandoned us. Your family. You turned your back on us, and left when we needed you. What happened to Lightbringer was your fault. It should have been you to go there, not him.”

Enigma shook his head. “So, now it’s my fault for not taking part in one of your crazy schemes? They were the reason I left in the first place. What you all did, disgusted me. And as for “family”, I know for certain that I still have some actual living relatives despite the world burning time after time because of your failures. Whatever happened to Lightbringer was your fault alone. If you see it differently, you are really as blind as your namesake... Arrogance.”

The solar princess inhaled sharply, almost hissing. “Don’t call me that!”

“I will call you what I will!” shouted back Enigma. “I will call you a bloody hypocrite too! A loving princess of a bright and beautiful land, so worried about any harm coming to her subjects, keeping a terminally ill girl alive but uncured, always one step from death, just so she can dangle her life over my head, breaking the deal we had, because I AM THE ONE WHO CANNOT BE TRUSTED!?”

Celestia tensed, her nostrils flaring, her usual charm completely gone. “You. Will. Never. Leave. Us. Do you understand?”

Enigma shot her a look of utter contempt. “She won’t live forever, you know.”

“Then I will have Eve make her live forever. I will think of something. Equestria’s fate is now at stake and I won’t let-”

“Equestria!?” shouted the stallion, interrupting her. “You built Equestria upon a foundation of lies and now it is crumbling to pieces, no good for anything but kindling. I will stay with you and watch it burn. Until then... you know where to find me.”

And with that, he was gone, disappeared without a sound, as if he were never there. The three ponies were left staring at the spot where he had stood. Surprisingly, it was Eve who spoke first.

“You know... insulting as he... he did make a couple of good points...”

Celestia turned towards her with a glare, then towards Luna, who was too slow in hiding a smirk. The white alicorn stood stiff and closed her eyes. “Get out of here. Both of you. I will solve this problem myself.”

***

On the other end of the floor, locked inside her room, Tourmaline listened for a few seconds more, before turning off the spying gadget. Taking it off her wall, she pushed it back into its hiding place behind the books on the shelf. Then she slumped to her bed and turned off the light. She was left in complete darkness and in silence that would be complete if not for the filly’s own racing heartbeat.

***

“Why are we doing this again?” asked Rainbow Dash, looking askance at Obsidian. 

She was standing around him along with the other girls, their Elements glowing faintly. The multicolored light spiralled slowly into his staff and then into the ground - a circle of earth about two yards across and seemingly far too thin to support the weight of non-pegasi. And yet it was flying, surrounded by a translucent bubble that shielded its passengers from the whipping wind.

“Well,” started Obsidian, “since we’re no longer in an awful hurry, there’s no need to strain our resources by teleporting. We can see that the barrier is up, so it really comes down to who’s controlling the city. We will fly there and see. If it’s the enemy, then we will teleport.”

“Can the Elements even run out of power?” asked Twilight, trying not to look down. She was used to flying vehicles, but as far as staying in the air went,  this one was the weirdest thing since the cloudwalking spell.

“No.” answered the stallion. “But you can get your mind tired channeling. That’s one of the reasons miss Rainbow’s here with us, instead of flying alongside. I wanted you to have some practice, starting small. Once you learn how to do it, you’ll be able to do more spectacular magic in rapid succession.”

Rainbow Dash looked ahead, her expression sour. “Listening to you is like sitting at school.”

“Well, if you only trusted me a little, I wouldn’t have to explain my every move to you,” replied Obsidian. “Much as I like the sound of my own voice after all these years with nopony to talk to, this is getting tiresome.”

Applejack turned to glare at Obsidian. “Didn’t ya tell us not to trust ya?”

Obsidian closed his eyes. “Touche. And now please prepare to land. We’re almost there and I can feel miss Sparkle starting to lose her nerve.”

“Well, unlike you, I AM in a hurry,” said Twilight from behind Obsidian. “I must find out if my brother is okay.”

The stallion sighed. “Please, control yourself for a moment more. We will land, but maintain the shield, in case of any nasty surprises. If we get attacked, we will teleport to the beacon spell I left in the mountains before we left. But first, we should approach the barrier and get their attention. Where do you think would be the best spot? Besides flying over the city; I’d rather avoid that.”

Twilight took a few seconds to think. “The train station. It is outside the barrier and the road from there leads straight to the city gates. There’s bound to be somepony keeping watch there.”

“Very well,” said Obsidian, and the plate of earth started descending, quickly finding the place Twilight had described. Within moments the girls touched down on solid ground, Obsidian retrieving his staff from the earth.

It looks like nopony’s here,” said Rainbow Dash looking at the train station. The building looked hastily abandoned, open windows moving in the soft wind. A newspaper flew by, sliding off the barrier surrounding the girls.

“Keep channeling,” said Obsidian, turning towards the giant opalescent blue half-sphere looming ahead of them. “Let’s go and introduce ourselves.”

Slowly, trying to keep even distance around Obsidian, the mares started walking. Soon the gates of the Crystal Empire, a pair of large, fuchsia crystal pillars came into view ahead of them.

“They’ve seen us,” said Obsidian. “Somepony’s launched a flare.”

All the mares around him tensed, each in her own way. All except Pinkie Pie. The party pony smiled brightly. “It’s okay girls. The city is safe.”

Applejack turned to look at her. “How do ya know that… oh, right. There’s nothing scary ahead, is there?”

Pinkie Pie beamed at her. “Yup!”

“Halt! Who goes there!?” called a stallion voice from behind the pillars. The ponies tensed a bit more. Then Twilight Sparkle pushed to the front of the group.

“Twilight Sparkle and her friends!” she called loudly. “We’re here to see Shining Armor and Princess Cadence!”

There was some movement behind the gate, and Twilight could swear she heard tense whispers there. Finally, the voice called again. “Do not come any closer! Wait here until we can verify who you are!”

Twilight cast a nervous glance over her shoulder. “Do we wait?” she asked Obsidian.

The stallion nodded. “We do. They’ve obviously informed their superiors of our approach. With any luck, your brother is already on his way here.”

“There they are!” shouted Pinkie excitedly, hopping on the spot and pointing her hoof forward, before stuffing a pair of binoculars back into her mane. Her friends all looked where she was pointing.

And indeed, in the distance beyond the gate, a group of ponies were approaching in full gallop, a dozen of armored crystal ponies, lead by Shining Armor and Princess Cadence. They slowly came to a stop on their side of the barrier. Then they stood there, watching the mares intently.

“Shining!” Called Twilight, pushing forward. Obsidian sighed and released the barrier, allowing the unicorn to move closer to the gate.

Shining Armor approached the gate from his side. As he walked closer, Twilight noticed a hint of bandages visible from under his barding. “Twilight? he said, “Is that really you?”

Twilight smiled. “Yes, I am. I’m so glad I’ve got here in time. What’s happened to you?” 

Shining returned her smile. “It’s a long story. But I want to hear yours first. I knew you were alive after all.”

“Sir,” called one of the stallions behind his back. “How do we know it is really her? She could be a changeling... or something…” he finished lamely, wilting under his leader’s gaze.

Shining Armor’s smile disappeared instantaneously. “Twilight? The situation is serious. Very serious. And now I have the Empire to protect too. Is there any…”

“We can test her to make sure she isn’t a changeling,” said Cadence, walking up to her husband’s side. “This won’t take too long.”

Obsidian shook his head. “We’re in a hurry. Applejack?”

The earth pony looked at Obsidian with hesitation before joining Twilight at the front. The gem on her chest lit up briefly. “It’s really us, sugarcube,” she said to the princess.

Everypony stared at Applejack. The silence stretched awkwardly, second after second. Finally, Shining Armor was the first to speak. “You are. But what did you do?” He was even more tense now, visibly struggling with contradictory emotions.

“Apparently, this barrier is not completely impervious,” said Obsidian. “It can’t stop the truth for one thing. Now that you know within your heart that this is really your sister and her friends, will you let us in?”

“And who are you?” asked Shining Armor.

Obsidian cleared his throat. “You shall know me as captain Obsidian of the first bearers, once bearer of Honesty,” he said in a formal tone. “I’m the one who brought your sister here.”

Shining Armor and Cadence looked at each other. Then, slowly, they stepped back from the gate, the barrier in front of them rippling and thinning visibly.
“Come in, Twilight,” said Shining Armor. 

Twilight walked through the gate, first hesitantly, then lunging forward to hug her brother. Her friends followed, surrounding the ruling couple, to the visible discomfort of the guards. When the hug finally finished, Shining Armor and Twilight looked at each other with serious faces.

“There’s something I need to tell you,” they started simultaneously.

Obsidian looked over the whole scene and loudly cleared his throat.

“Okay, you first,” said Shining Armor with a sigh.

***

Bluebonnet looked at the pile of boxes in front of her. 

“Where did I put it?” she said to herself, opening one after another. The containers were filled with a mix of miscellaneous objects, from toys, to clothes, to old notebooks filled with pages upon pages of scribbled designs. She paused, as she came upon an old photographs album, absentmindedly flipping the pages. There she was, younger and happier, back when she still dyed her mane to match her coat, and tried to look her best for the boys. 

There was a rapping on the door. Bluebonnet closed the album and shoved it back into the box, her flashback over before it really started.

“Who is it?” she said aloud.

“It’s me, doctor,” called Pierce from the outside.

“Come in, Pierce,” answered Bluebonnet. “What do you need?”

The unicorn walked inside the room and looked around. “You’re packing?”

Bluebonnet nodded her head. “Dr Stone asked me to be ready to relocate in case of an emergency. But a lot of my things are still in Ponyville. I’m searching for some old clothes I had left here. So, what do you need of me?”

“Dr Stone says she needs you in the lower level. It seems mr Lightbringer requires a new body and it will take her full attention to supervise the process. She needs you to take care of the repairs in the meantime.”

“What about Tourmaline?” asked Bluebonnet. “She shouldn’t be left alone for too long.”

Pierce nodded. “I will keep an eye on her.”

“And what’s with Scootaloo? Weren’t you guarding her?”

“She’s sedated now,” said the stallion. “Dr Stone says we’re too understaffed for the current crisis, and she needs everypony doing something. That and she has no time to take care of her memory now, with the high power lab wrecked, and she doesn’t want the memories to keep accumulating. So she opted to just put her in a sleeping tank.”

“It’s for the best, I guess,” said Bluebonnet. “I wouldn’t think of something like that. But then again, thaumoneurology is not my field. I’m sure Dr Stone knows what she’s doing.”

“Tourmaline is still in her room?” asked Pierce.

“Oh, I sure hope so,” replied Bluebonnet. “The poor dear is… very upset. I took away her lock picks, but with the mess she makes of her room, I can never be sure. Perhaps I should have her join me repairing, to keep her mind off things, what do you think?”

Pierce considered the idea. “That would be great. Will you be taking her now?”

“Not just yet,” said Tourmaline. “She’s sleeping now. She really needs it. But please inform me at once when she wakes up.”

“Will do.”

***

“This is unbelievable,” said Shining Armor, looking at his sister. 

They were standing in the throne room of the Crystal Tower, a gathering consisting of the Elements, Obsidian, the two rulers of the empire, and a pair of officers; a crystal pony Glitterdust and a teal unicorn named Bling. Everypony was now focused on Twilight, who had just finished recounting her story.

Applejack stepped forward. “I assure, you, this is the-”

Shining Armor silenced her with a gesture. “Please, don’t do that. It’s creepy.”

The farmpony scowled. “How can truth be creepy? It makes things simple. And we don’t have the time for no more complications now.”

“Either way, it’s a lot to take in at once,” said Bling, his tone cold and formal. 

Twilight Sparkle sighed. “You don’t need to tell me about it.”

“This is a lot worse than I had suspected,” said Shining Armor. “I’ve done a lot to prepare the empire for trouble, but this…”

“So, you had your suspicions? said Obsidian.

Shining nodded sadly. “Yes, I did. But I never suspected… this.” He paused to look at his wife. “Okay, before I tell you my side of the story, there is something you need to know.” He looked at Twilight. “Our parents are here.”

Twilight stared in surprise, her face stretching into a smile. “They are? That’s wonderful! How did it happen?”

“We’ve been preparing for trouble for months,” said Cadence. “We had time to think of who we’d like to keep here, where it’s safe. We sent some ponies to keep an eye on them. When we heard that you were found-”

“We knew if something is to happen, it would happen now,” finished Shining Armor. “I sent them a message to get our parents on the train to the empire. They arrived just before you did.”

“I need to see them at once,” said Twilight. “They must have been worried sick about me.”

“You can, when we are done here,” said Obsidian. “I assume they weren’t the only ponies you recovered?”

“No, there are more,” said Shining, looking from Twilight to Obsidian with a serious face. “My team in Cloudsdale managed to get Rainbow’s and Fluttershy’s families here. We also have Pinkie’s parents and two sisters. And about a dozen Apples.”

Pinkie’s ears twitched. “What about Maud?” she asked.

Shining looked at her with surprise. “How did you… Ah, right. Maud is out of town, somewhere in the mountains. We’ve had no luck tracking her down.”

“And what about…” started Rarity, her voice breaking before she could finish.

Shining looked at her sadly. “I’m sorry.”

“All the citizens of Ponyville got sweeped in for the quarantine procedure related to the changeling infestation,” said Bling. “They’re currently being held in custody until further notice, officially so their identities can be verified.”

“So, Big Macintosh, and Granny Smith too,” said Applejack. Her eyes darted around the room, as if looking for somepony to reassure her. Unfortunately, she soon found herself locking them with Obsidian.

“This is unfortunate,” he said, “but you known as well as I do that they could never save everypony. Each pony they did save has a family too, you do know that? You can never get everypony inside this dome, If you want to protect them all, the best you can do is try to win the war.” He turned towards Shining Armor. “That aside, the number of ponies you did save is quite impressive. How long have you been preparing for that?”

“Half a year,” said Shining. “It all started soon after you six disappeared-”

“Let’s be brief, darling,” said Cadence, pointing at Applejack and Rarity. Shining Armor nodded.

“There was a break-in into the tower’s library. While trying to escape, the culprit fell to her death. I learned nothing initially, but when we investigated the matter, we found her hideout full of coded messages. It looked like what Equestrian spies use.”

Obsidian nodded with a smile. The rest of the group listened intently, trying to keep up.

“There were also books,” continued Shining. “The spy had tried to steal them from my library. I hadn’t known they were there before, the library needs some organising, but the point is, they were history books. And what was inside didn’t match anything I had heard about before.”

“Does that remind you of anything, Twilight?” said Obsidian. He was openly sneering now.

Twilight turned away from him, a bit too quickly. “What did the books say?” she asked.

“They were a bit sketchy on the details,” said Shining, “it seems the crystal ponies never left their home much. But they claimed Equestria used to be ruled by a bunch of immortal tyrants that made all ponies live in huge cities full of smoking chimneys. Somepony they called the Shattered. I would treat it as nothing more than an oddity if the spy hadn’t tried to steal them.”

“So, what did you do then?” asked Obsidian.

“I did the most logical thing or course,” replied Shining. “I went to Canterlot to ask Princess Celestia about it.”

Awkward silence fell, punctuated, inexplicably by a chirping of a stray cricket. Fluttershy checked herself and found one hiding in her mane.

“She seemed taken aback,” continued Shining, “but explained to me that Equestria did in fact see a lot of evil in its past. She said the ponies were glad to forget it and she allowed them to, because no good could come from remembering past evils. The teachings of friendship and harmony should be enough to keep the history from repeating itself. She also said that the books were wildly inaccurate, and that the old crystal pony historians likely made up things when they lacked the knowledge. She also claimed that the spy wasn’t hers, that she had no reason to send one if she could just ask me about the library.”

“And you believed all that?” said Obsidian, sneering at the unicorn.

Shining Armor responded with a glare. “Of course I did! She was Princess Celestia, for crying out loud. It wasn’t until I returned home that Cadence noticed there was something odd about how I talked. She has been wary of such things since the whole wedding business, so-”

“I tested him and found out he had been mind controlled,” finished Cadence. “He would have ‘misplaced’ the books if I didn’t notice.”

“That looks like a clumsy ploy,” said Obsidian. “Do you think somepony panicked?”

There was a commotion outside the throne room. Everypony’s heads turned towards the door.

“I’ll check what it is,” said Glitterdust. 

“You cannot get in,” sounded a guard’s voice from the outside. 

“But Twilight is there,” came a reply, in a voice everypony recognised.

“Spike!” shouted Twilight, teleporting to the door, forcing Glitterdust to stop rapidly to avoid colliding with her rump. “You’re okay!” she continued, using her magic to open the massive door, hitting a surprised guard in the process. The tiny dragon ran in and hugged her.

“What do you mean, I’m okay?” he said, holding back tears. “I’m not the one who was missing for months.”

Bling contained a sigh. “While I’m happy at your reunion, this is hardly appropriate for a military council. There shouldn’t be anypony unnecessary in this room.”

Twilight turned towards the officer. “This won’t be a problem. Spike is my trusted assistant.”

The small dragon swelled with pride, hugging Twilight tightly as she turned, before slowly starting to inch towards Rarity. Twilight used her magic to shut the door again.

“Please continue,” said Twilight.

“Since that day I knew something was wrong in Canterlot palace,” continued Shining Armor. “I used my old friends still inside to gather some information, trying to find the culprit without revealing what I knew. I also started preparing the Crystal Empire military. The changeling invasion showed that Canterlot guard just wasn’t strong enough to handle big threats. I wanted my wife’s city to be better prepared.”

“And it saved his life today,” said Cadence. “even if it didn’t do the soldiers themselves much good.” She then pointed around on the walls of the throne room, parts of which were made of crystals of a slightly different hue. “A couple hours ago we were attacked by two powerful intruders. We managed to get out alive, thanks to Shining’s new training and Bling’s timely help, but several of our guards weren’t so fortunate.”

The atmosphere grew colder. Obsidian looked around the room. “Ah, I was wondering why this room smells of blood so. How did you fend them off?”

“This is very weird actually,” said Shining Armor. “It seems they turned upon each other in the end. We found one of them dead right here. The other retreated when our defenses started powering up.”

“Who were they?” asked Obsidian.

“One was an assassin, gifted with some sort of teleporting power,” answered Bling. “He was the one that escaped. The other was a pegasus in ridiculously heavy armor, gifted with insane strength.”

Obsidian nodded. “That would be Guilt and Hate. Perhaps I should give you more credit for surviving the attack. And you say Hate was the one that got killed?”

“Yes,” said Glitterdust. “A stab… through the eye-slit.”

“There are two possible explanations,” said Obsidian. “Either there has been some conflict among the Shattered, or they lost control of Hate. From what I’ve heard, he has grown much worse since the time I knew him. Also, he possesses a power that sets him apart from his teammates… Either way, it was a stroke of luck that we shouldn’t waste. I can begin teaching the Elements in the use of their powers first thing tomorrow. Right now I’m sure they have ponies to see. Better get all the distractions out of the way first. They also need sleep.”

“Aren’t we going ahead of ourselves here?” asked Rarity suddenly. Everypony looked at her. 

“What do you mean?” asked Obsidian. 

The whole room’s attention focused on her, Rarity hesitated. “Well, we are talking about going against Princess Celestia here. The whole of Equestria will be with her. Everypony will think we are the villains. And even if we win, what about the Sun?”

Everypony looked at each other. Twilight caught a confused and alarmed look Spike was giving her. “I’ll explain everything to you later,” she whispered to the dragon.

“Once you are ready to meet the Shattered in battle,” said Obsidian, “you will have the truth on your side. Proving the righteousness of your cause should not be a problem. And as for the Sun, I have already said this shouldn’t be needed. If it is, the powers of the Elements will be more than sufficient for the task.”

He turned towards Shining Armor. “But the fact remains, that Celestia has had the loyalty of her subjects for centuries. How sure are you of your officers?”

Glitterdust turned red. “With all due respect, sir-”

Obsidian interrupted him. “Respect has nothing to do with it. It’s simply a matter of life or death. So?”

“I can vouch for them both,” said Shining Armor. “I personally picked Glitterdust for this job. He has lived here his whole life. And Cadence saved him along with everypony else when she defeated Sombra.” He then turned towards Bling. “And Bling is from Equestrian military, that’s where I befriended him. But if he weren’t on our side, all he needed to do was stop for a moment. He saved both our lives today.”

“If you don’t trust us, you can test us, can’t you?” said Bling. He didn’t look as angry as Glitterdust, more scornful. He pointed his head at Applejack.

Applejack hesitated. “I can’t do it like that. I mean, I can, but that wouldn’t be right.”

Bling looked her in the eyes. “I insist. It is a matter of life or death after all.” He looked sideways at Obsidian, who was watching him intently.

“So, can we trust ya?” asked Applejack. She looked at Bling with the pools of color that were now her eyes. Honesty started glowing on her chest.

“I’m no Celestia’s spy,” said the officer. “Shining Armor is right, if I were against him, he would have died today. I may be bound by duty, but my duty is to the kin, not to the crown. I will not betray you to the Shattered. You?” he asked, turning towards Glitterdust.

Glitterdust strode purposefully towards Applejack. “I’m Glitterdust, commander of the guard of the Crystal Empire. My rulers and saviours live within this city, as does my family. I will not turn back on them!”

Bling turned back towards Applejack. “Well, what say you?”

Applejack nodded. “It’s the truth. I had you in Honesty’s magic, so you couldn’t lie.”

“Now, that’s reassuring,” said Obsidian. “I assume most of our forces are locals? You may want to repeat the story to them too, Applejack.”

Applejack huffed in annoyance. “That’s not how it’s supposed to work. Honesty is about trust, not magicking truth at ponies.”

Obsidian gave her a long thoughtful look. “Are you going to lecture the first bearer about how his Element works?”

Applejack met his gaze. “Nope, I’m finished talking.”

Obsidian held her gaze for a moment more, and then smiled. “Concise and to the point. I used to be like that.”

***

Something is not right, thought Twilight Sparkle. 

She was standing in the throne room of the Crystal Tower, everypony gathered around her as she recounted the tale of her disappearance, her meeting Obsidian, and the subsequent return to Equestria, culminating in the confrontation in the great hall of Canterlot Castle. Shining Armor and Cadence were listening intently, as were their officers. 

“We landed in the Everfree Forest,” she continued her tale. “It turned out Obsidian had a contingency spell set up to get us out. As you can guess, we had to talk through some differences after that.”

Feeling suddenly nervous, she forced a smile. Her audience just kept staring at her.

What is that odd feeling?

She looked around the throne room in search of anything out of place. 

These walls have been repaired with magic recently, she realised, some crystal got broken and replaced...

Twilight walked towards the wall for a closer look. Suddenly she became aware that the whole room was silent, waiting for her to continue. She turned and saw the ponies’ eyes turning towards her. It was an odd movement, all the heads cocked slightly, all moving at the same moment, like some optical illusion that seems to follow the viewer.

Twilight turned her back to the repaired wall, instinctively keeping everypony in her line of sight. “We then went to meet you, but the first time we teleported, the barrier repelled us,” she continued talking, skipping over the crystal tree episode in her haste to get the suddenly creepy attention off her. “It took us several hours to get here by flight.” she finished.

“This is unbelievable,” said Shining Armor, looking at Twilight. 

Applejack stepped forward. “I assure you, this is the-”

Shining Armor silenced her with a gesture. “Please, don’t do that. It’s creepy.”

The farmpony scowled. “How can truth be creepy? It makes things simple. And we don’t have the time for no more complications now.”

“Either way, it’s a lot to take in at once,” said Bling, his tone cold and formal. 

Twilight Sparkle blinked. “Wait… this has happened before. We’ve had this talk already.”

“This is a lot worse than I had suspected,” said Shining Armor. “I’ve done a lot to prepare the empire for trouble, but this…” he paused and stared into Twilight’s eyes. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve already told you all that,” said Twilight. ”And you told me your part. Of the break in, and the attack,” she pointed at the discolored crystal wall. “Then we decided that’s enough for today. I met my parents and then explained the situation to Spike... “ she paused, the pieces of the puzzle clicking into place in her head. “I went to sleep. This is a dream.”

“And I so hoped to hear what they told you exactly,” said Shining Armor, looking at Twilight with a smile. Then his face melted off, exposing the skull underneath, falling with a wet splat and instantly dissolving into a growing pool of white and blue.

Twilight shrieked, stumbling away in panic. She stepped into something sticky and saw that the other ponies were now surrounding her, their features  melting off, yellow-brown skulls and ribs exposed as their flesh turned into a multi-hued pool slowly filling the floor. Twilight tried to struggle free, but the gooey mess held her like glue. When she pulled harder, she found, to her horror, that her own legs were getting soft, bending unnaturally as she struggled. She tried to use magic next, only to see her horn bulge painfully as she summoned her power.

“It’s no use,” said Bling’s skeletal form. “You are already defeated.”

“You will die,” said Cadence.

“And all those you dragged into your little rebellion will die for your folly.” finished Fluttershy on Twilight’s other side.

“Let me go!” shouted Twilight, continuing to struggle. “Show yourself!”

The cadavers seemed to hesitate and then moved away. There was one pony standing behind them, the only one who still had his face. 

“There is no escape, little traitor,” said Obsidian.

Twilight glared at him. “What do you think you’re doing!?”

The stallion sneered. “Why, I’m going to break your mind, and then use your body as a puppet, to kill your friends in your sleep. You clearly don’t have the loyalty required to use the Elements.”

Twilight blinked as the words sank in. “Wait… no, you’re playing with me. Obsidian was there with us. He wouldn’t need this. You’re not him.”

Obsidian looked at her in mock disappointment. “Ah, I hoped you’d be too panicked to think straight. Dreams do that to ponies. I should have expected you’d be stronger.”

His face melted away, but there was no bone underneath. Instead, the transformation revealed another coat, one of navy blue. A dark mane twinkling with stars filled the room, surrounding Twilight like a dark cloud.

“That’s all the worse for you,” said Princess Luna. “I’m not as good at the whole forgetting thing as the Void Passage, I’m afraid.To get another go at breaking your mind, I’ll first need to torment you until you can’t think straight anymore.” 

The skeletal ponies walked out of the cloud, baring their teeth at Twilight.

“Welcome to your worst nightmare, you ungrateful filly.”
> Chapter 19: The Judgement
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The throne room darkened, the crystal walls turning dark and slick, as if covered with a film of something disgusting. Twilight looked around frantically, trying to find some way to escape, but the only thing she saw was Luna’s sneering muzzle. The first skeleton, which had just a moment before worn Rarity’s face, opened its mouth, the jaw filled with far more teeth than a pony skull should have.

“How can you do this, Luna!?” shouted Twilight. “After all we did for you!”

The skeletons hesitated. Luna cocked an eyebrow. “Oh? What do you think you did… hero?”

Twilight looked her in the eyes.  I must think of something. I need more time. “We saved you from Nightmare Moon” she said, “returned you to your sister.”

The corpse-pony lunged, sinking its teeth into Twilight’s shoulder. The unicorn screamed. 

“Is that what you think?” said Luna, her own fangs suddenly sharper. The skeletal pony let go of Twilight, stepping aside and out of the way. “That I would need you to save me? That I would let you aim those stupid trinkets at me? Do I look anything like that pathetic flesh-puppet you met in the ruins?”

Twilight closed her eyes, trying to banish the pain. Souls don’t bleed, souls don’t bleed… what did she say? That’s my chance. Let her talk. “What do you mean?” she asked.

Luna sneered. “It was just a test of your potential, a clone cooked up the day before, and recycled after she said her lines. I couldn’t even possess that pathetic thing, but what a great prop she was.”

Twilight gave her a confused look. “But… what about the Nightmare Moon? Weren’t you really sealed in the Moon?”

Luna nodded slowly. “I was. But the whole Nightmare Moon thing was just a vile rumor. Let the ponies out of your sight for a moment, and they start creating their own monsters. And since the Moon's a harsh mistress... Celestia dear wasn’t sure I’d be sane when I come back. She decided she could use it, and let the rumor be. She underestimated me of course. I hate it when they underestimate me. Speaking of which, I think it is time to end this idle chit chat and show you what I can do. Be a dear and fall apart for me, would you?”

This time the creatures attacked all at once, swarming over the immobilised form of Twilight. Luna watched intently, her eyebrow raising in surprise at the silence; she had expected more screams. As she commanded the nightmares to step back, she saw a conspicuously empty space between them.

“You may rule over dreams,” said Twilight behind her back, “but this is my dream. I make the rules here.”

Her horn lit up, launching a bolt of light at Luna, smashing her into the swarm of undead. Pieces of bone flew in all directions, the terrifying creatures stripped of their scariness as they were scattered all over the place. 

Luna dispersed into a cloud of darkness, and reformed, unharmed, on the other end of the room. “Oh, that’s a new thing. You’ve learned a few tricks, and you think you can play with grown-ups?”

Twilight advanced, charging her horn again. “My friends and I have saved Equestria many times! We will save it from you too if we have to!”

She shot again, but this time Luna was ready. The alicorn dispersed, allowing the beam to pass harmlessly through her. She walked nonchalantly forward, the crystal walls darkening to utter blackness around her.

“Somepony has an inflated sense of self-worth,” she said, before shooting her own spell. The lightning arced around Twilight’s defenses, filling the chamber with a smell of burning fur. “You think you’re special, don’t you?”

Twilight teleported behind Luna, and stomped her hooves. A cage of crystal spikes shot from the floor around the Moon princess. “I will be as special as it takes,” she said through gritted teeth. I’m sure I hit her, but she doesn’t look hurt. Why didn’t my attack work?

Luna turned into a cloud again, and slipped through the bars of her cage. “You think you are a saviour of Equestria? That we couldn’t have done it without you?”

Another cage erupted around her, this one with transparent walls instead of bars. The alicorn reformed, looking at her opponent through the barrier. “The only reason you got to save Equestria again and again, was that your princess wanted to keep her cards hidden, and watch you dance on her strings instead. Nightmare Moon? a test. Discord? We’d faced him before. We had the means to handle his like this time. Changelings? With me around they wouldn’t have lasted the night.”

She reared, putting her front hooves on the glass. “Crystal Empire? Celestia had the Elements sent there, ready to be delivered to you if you needed them. But turns out you didn’t. The princess we bred for the task proved adequate. Any trained agent could have done the rest. The Elements were never needed, and it was a mistake to give them to you. A mistake I will correct.”

Twilight had already finished repairing her body, and was now staring at Luna, looking for anything that might resemble a weak spot. I think I need to catch her when she’s a pony. I waste my attacks when I hit that blue smoke… “the princess we bred?”  Did she mean Cadence?

The alicorn turned around, and suddenly bucked the wall of her prison, shattering it into a cloud of razor-sharp pieces. Twilight disappeared at the last second, gasping in pain as one shard pierced her shoulder.

“It won’t work,” she said with defiance, as a purple aura engulfed her body, clearing away all the damage. “You cannot beat me.”

There was a rattling of bones, and two of the skulls scattered on the floor flew at Twilight, sinking their teeth into her flesh, causing her to scream and flail frantically for a moment as she tried to break away from the gnawing jaws. In the darkness, Luna laughed. “Can’t I?” She fired a shot just as Twilight broke free, forcing her into a desperate rolling dodge, then kept shooting, punctuating every sentence. “This is a dream, but the pain is real! The fear is real! The grief is real! You’ll be an empty shell when I’m done with you!”

Twilight lit up her horn, a shield of force erupting in front of her to catch the last shot. “I’ve beaten worse than you! I can beat you too!” she shouted back, firing a blast, which Luna intercepted with one of her own. For a moment the two ponies stood facing each other, a glowing beam of magic arcing between their horns.

It is my dream. I make the rules here. I can beat her… can’t I?

The walls darkened into utter blackness, and then lit up slightly, ghostly visages appearing within the crystal. They were Twilight’s friends, Ponyville citizens, crystal ponies. The alicorn sneered. “You’ve been living a dream for years, Twilight Sparkle, but a rude awakening is approaching fast. You thought yourself a hero, but all you’ve ever been was a backup plan. And now you have outlived your purpose by far.”

She pressed on and her beam pushed through, but Twilight was not there. A second later a big chunk of the ceiling fell where Luna was standing.
 
“You are wrong, Luna,” said Twilight, walking towards the pile of crystal rubble, horn at the ready,”I’m not doing this to be a hero. I’m doing this because my friends need me. I cannot lose.”

Did I get her flesh this time?

The rubble shook. Twilight teleported away, expecting an explosion. Instead, Luna oozed out from underneath it, a trail of smoke turning into a snarling face. “No. It is I who cannot lose. You innocent foal, you can’t even imagine the kind of pain it would take for you to hurt me. All you will do for your friends is get them all killed.”

The ghostly faces in the walls screamed silently. The rubble around Luna rose, flying at Twilight, who dismissed it with just a frown; it crumbled to dust without touching her. 

“I’ll save them,” said Twilight, charging up her horn again. “I’ve never failed before, and I will not fail now.”

She shot, but Luna didn’t even make an effort to block. The blast tore through the gorget on her chest, leaving a gaping wound. Luna looked at the hole with mild amusement. “See?” she said with a sneer, “it’s happened to me before.”

She swayed, as if about to fall, then teleported right next to Twilight, catching her off guard with a hoof to the jaw. Twilight went flying, skidding across the floor, too surprised to suppress the illusion of pain.

“See what I mean!?” shouted Luna, giving her a kick that sent her skidding again, “You think too highly of yourself! You’ve never even seen a true fight!” She teleported and kicked again. “You’re weak and soft!” Another teleport, another kick. The wound on Luna’s chest was already gone. “We let you play hero with your friends, and you thought it was the real thing!?” She reared and inhaled. “I’ll show you real pain!” With the last words, the alicorn stomped the ground hard, her breath leaving the muzzle as a gout of blue flame, engulfing the prone form of Twilight. The room was filled with wails of suffering and the smell of burning flesh.

Without warning, a stalagmite shot from the ground, piercing the side of Luna’s jaw and forcing her mouth closed, turning her wild grin comically crooked. The alicorn shook her head, breaking off the crystal, but by the time she regained her focus, her target was gone.

“I will stop you!” started Twilight, appearing behind Luna. Her shot connected, but what seemed to be Luna turned out to be a crystal statue, shattering into a million pieces. Twilight breathed heavily, her body shaking as she tried to make her image whole again. She didn’t quite succeed, her coat still stained with deep black marks, and her stance still unstable.

Why does she keep doing that? she thought desperately. Nothing I’m doing works! I don’t think I can keep this up much longer. No, I have to. I can’t lose to her.

“You’re a thousand years too young to try to fight me,” answered Luna’s voice from the wall. She was now a huge image among the ghosts, towering over Twilight. “You will save nopony!” she shouted, disappearing a split second before Twilight’s shot cracked the wall. “You are nopony!” she continued from the wall on the other side.

The whole room shook and then shattered, pieces of crystal falling away to reveal roiling darkness illuminated by burning buildings - Ponyville was on fire, the giant vision of Luna rising above it.

Twilight rose to the challenge, shining like a beacon. The instant she did, she regretted it. Her light illuminated the streets further, bringing out the silhouettes sprawled on the ground. Familiar coats, familiar cutie marks, all covered in burns and splattered with blood. She could see Big Macintosh, Mayor Mare, Nurse Redheart… Down the street, near the Sugarcube Corner, there was a stroller toppled over, a round bundle underneath it.

“This is what your folly will bring,” said Luna, her body darkening, tendrils of blackness extending towards Twilight. “A war that will shatter the order we have spent a thousand years maintaining. All you care about will die because of you.”

Twilight’s aura intensified, the tendrils stopping at the edge of it, trying to force their way in. “I’ve always protected Equestria!” shouted the unicorn. “I won’t let it be destroyed!”

“Oh, I know,” replied Luna,”I have seen it in your eyes when Obsidian spouted his accusations. You are his pawn now, you’ve freed him, and now you will fight his crazy war. And he will never stop until we’re all destroyed, no matter how many ponies will have to die along the way. You may have protected Equestria before, but now you will be the torch that sets it on fire, unless I stop you.”

The blackness intensified, some tendrils wrapping around Twilight’s barrier, some stabbing it like daggers, trying to find a weak spot. Twilight struggled to maintain it, but found that the more power she used, the brighter her light was. She couldn’t help seeing more and more details, a kaleidoscope of horrific images assaulting her senses. “I know the truth of what you are!” she shouted, “I’ve seen what you’ve done!”

Luna seemed to grow a bit more, the mask of cold contempt breaking to reveal a flash of anger. “You know nothing of us,” she hissed through gritted teeth, “of our struggles of four thousand years, trying to build a lasting order despite the likes of you. And now we finally have it. We have everything covered. We even have the means to handle the likes of Discord. You’re the last thing that’s left, the last threat that will bring death and destruction upon Equestria. All those ponies will die because of you. If you really care about them, lie down and die!”

‘I will not give up!” Twilight struggled with all her strength, forcing her eyes close as she did what she could to push the tendrils away.

“Don’t you get it, Twilight!” shouted Luna, pushing on, “You’re not the hero here! You are the threat to peace! The ponies you claim to defend will curse your name for generations!”

Voices sounded in the darkness, anguished, panicked. Twilight didn’t want to hear them, but she did anyway; ponies screaming her name as a warning, some shouting for their loved ones to run, some just screaming in mortal terror, some calling for the princesses to save them. 

“These are all lies!” she tried to shout, but her voice was drowned in the cacophony. Through her closed eyelids she could see her light dimming. A single tendril managed to slip through her shield, slowly extending towards her, while the others kept crushing the sphere like a giant talon.

It took Twilight a moment to realise that the attack had ceased. The tendrils were still around her, but they were no longer moving. Slowly, she opened one eye. The images around her were growing pale, the sounds dimming. There was also a new sound, one that Twilight could only now make out - a growing jingling sound, as if somepony had disturbed a crystal chandelier. 

Luna heard it too. As she turned her eyes up, her dark aura shrunk into her body, and for a moment Twilight could see her clearly. The alicorn glared back at her. “This isn’t over,” she said, before collapsing into a point and disappearing.

A second later a string of iridescent symbols touched the ground, coiling into a familiar pony shape. It launched several runes around it, touching its surroundings, now a collection of still images, frozen in place after their creator disappeared, and dispersing them into nothingness. 

It then turned around to face Twilight, the runes flying back to it, forming a question mark in front of its chest.

“I’m… okay… I think,” said Twilight. She looked around at her dream, now slowly turning into an empty white void. With an effort of will, she turned it into the main room of her library tree. Once in a familiar setting, she took a deep breath and calmed herself down.
“Thank you for saving me. Looks like she disappeared in a hurry,” she said to Verba. 

A couple of runes disconnected from Verba’s body, forming in front of him.

2>1

Twilight nodded. “I know.” She then looked around warily. “Do you think she’ll be back?”

Verba made a gesture that Twilight could only guess stood for looking around.

GUARD - he formed. OBSIDIAN

Twilight nodded again. “I will try to wake up and tell him. Could you look after my friends in the meantime?”

Verba nodded and then dispersed, flying to parts unknown, leaving Twilight in her library, trying to force her body awake.

***

"So, any luck?" asked Sweetie Belle. 

Applebloom shook her head. “Nuthin.” She walked down the slope to join her friend on the bank of a small stream. “Looks like it’s just us for miles and miles.”

Sweetie Belle sighed. “So, we don’t know where we are, we don’t know where to go, and we have nothing to eat but grass?” She looked up at the yellow-brown plants further up the slope. 
“It tastes like worse than some of my cooking.”

Applebloom tried to smile. “At least we have water. And nothing has tried to eat us so far. And it’s warm.”

“It’s really hot, you mean,” said Sweetie Belle. She leaned forward, slurping some water from the stream. “So, what do we do now?”

Applebloom looked around. “I don’t think anypony will find us here. Not as long as we’re wearing these things…”

“So, you think we should take them off?” asked Sweetie Belle.

Applebloom shook her head. “Nuh. I think he was telling the truth. And if he wasn’t… I think I’m too scared to find out. But we can’t stay here. Something bad will happen to us sooner or later.”

“So, where do we go?” Sweetie climbed the slope to have a better look. Around her there was an open plain, as far as the eye could see, patches of brown grass interspaced with yellow dirt. Far, far in the distance a mountain range could be seen.

Applebloom joined Sweetie and followed her gaze. “I think we could go downstream. It has to go somewhere and that way we won’t walk in circles. Plus, we really shouldn’t leave the water.”

The unicorn considered the proposition. “Sounds like a plan to me. Let’s just wait for the air to get a bit cooler.”

I really hope everypony is okay. There is something terrible going on, I know it.

***
"Is everypony ready?" asked Obsidian the assembled ponies.

They were in the Crystal Empire stadium, now emptied for their personal use. Twilight and her friends were lined up in front of Obsidian. 

“We’re ready,” said Twilight Sparkle.

Obsidian walked in front of the line before stopping in front of Twilight. “You’re not wearing armor.”

Twilight gave him a confused look. ”Neither are you.”

Obsidian smiled. “My magic protects me better than any armor. You haven’t reached that level yet, so you will need some. Since this is training, you should use it to get used to the weight.”

“Told ya,” said Applejack, with an aside glance to Rainbow Dash, who pouted.

“As you should realize by now,” said Obsidian, stepping away so everypony could see him clearly, “we are already at war. This night’s attack could have been the end for us if not for a timely intervention by Verba. Between his guard and the spells I spent the morning casting, you… should… be safe from more such intrusions. But we cannot spread that protection to everypony. Starting today, you might face death at any moment. Learning as fast as you can is key to your survival.”

The six mares all tried to show determination. It didn’t quite work. There were gulps and nervous fidgeting. If Obsidian saw that, he pretended not to notice.

“From yesterday’s flight you should have some bare basics of how your power is channeled. I will now give you an overview of your specific abilities and then we will practice together.”

“Can I have some questions before we start?” said Twilight.

“As long as it’s short,” replied Obsidian, impatience audible in his voice.

“I still don’t quite get how you use magic,” said Twilight. “I’ve seen you use it without the staff, so it’s not the source of your power.”

Obsidian nodded. “True. You’ve surely seen the patterns appear on my coat when I focus. These are spells written into me, serving the role my horn would if I were a unicorn. It was an experiment that allowed me to learn magic in the first place before I was given a focus. But since all of you are using the elements already, you will not need to endure the procedure.”

“I would also want to know more about our enemies,” continued Twilight. “You have already told us the story of how they became villains, but we’ll also need to know what they can do.”

“Yea, if we know what we’ll be fighting, we’ll know what to train for,” added Rainbow Dash.

“If you insist,” said Obsidian. “Though you must understand, a lot has changed through the centuries. Obviously, they now have powers they didn’t use to have, including access to magic. And they’ve had centuries to learn new tricks. Still I will tell you what their abilities used to be back in my time.”

He walked along the line and stopped in front of Pinkie Pie.

“Enigma, the one later known as Guilt, was a scout. The ritual gave him control over space, allowing him to transport and exchange objects. It also gave him perfect spatial awareness, allowing him to fight without using his eyes. He used this ability to become a perfect assassin, moving in, striking his target and disappearing before anypony could react.”

He then moved to Fluttershy.

“Lightbringer, the one to become Hate, gained power over motion. Never one for subtlety, he used the power mostly on himself, becoming an unstoppable force or an immovable object, while using his perception of movement to anticipate attacks. 

I must also warn you, something else has been done to him. I was never there to experience it myself, but some of my disciples told me of another power he manifested, one not connected to the ritual he underwent. There is another, dark power living inside him. Should you ever see him erupt in black flames, run. You’re not ready to face it yet.”

Passing the rest of the girls, Obsidian went to the other end, stopping in front of Rarity. 

“Absynthe, Envy, gained power over energy. Whether light, magnetic forces, or his favourite, lightning, it was all his to command. He used it to weave illusions, or to fry his enemies, dozens at a time.”

“Wait” said Rainbow Dash. “Absynthe? That’s the one you said is Luna. You mean Luna is a dude?”

Obsidian rolled his eyes. “After the first thousand years of changing bodies, I don’t think it makes much of a difference anymore. Continuing…”

He walked in front of Dash.

“Evening Embrace, Deception was given the most subtle power among the Shattered. She was given the ability to transform living beings, reshaping them as she saw fit. While she would use it for espionage or assassination, changing her appearance and secreting deadly poisons from her body, her most important actions were performed by transforming others; she became a mother of monsters, breeding new and deadly creatures to fight alongside the Shattered. Due to her ability she was also the most elusive, always hiding away and waiting for a chance to free her companions whenever we had them imprisoned.”

He stepped to Applejack.

“Gloria, Arrogance, gained control of non-living matter. She would reshape it with her will to create weapons and armor, shielding herself with whatever was at hoof. But soon she discovered that with some knowledge she could make poison, or explosives, from just about anything. If you fight her, don’t give her the time to react, or you’ll end up breathing acid.”

Applejack gulped. Obsidian moved to Twilight.

“And finally, Libra, Vengeance. Judging by the fact that Gloria is in charge, Libra might be out of the picture for the time being. That’s very fortunate. It seems her mind was affected the most, and worse, she gained the most power too. She was gifted with all the abilities of her companions. While she could never achieve their levels of mastery in any of the fields, she was instead able to blend them together, gaining a wide range of abilities; launching blades that bypassed barriers, weaving armor through her flesh and bone, or reshaping her body to instantly heal. Then she discovered that by combining her abilities, she could break down matter on its most basic levels, unleashing the primal forces of creation contained within to turn them into a terrible force of destruction. Whole cities would be left smoking ruins in her wake.”

Obsidian finished and looked around his audience. When the silence stretched uncomfortably, he smiled.

“Well, right now it seems to be six of you against five of them. Let’s focus on what you can do with it.”

***
North Star anxiously walked into the throne room.
With all he was already doing at the moment, the blue unicorn wasn’t expecting direct summons from the princess. Then again, nothing seemed to work to schedule anymore, not since the unexpected battle in the great hall of the palace, a battle which ended before any of the guards managed to contribute to it, and apparently resulted in the Elements of Harmony being stolen.

Now the throne room was bustling with activity, various ponies walking in and out, delivering reports and receiving orders, trying to force the world around them to make sense again. And in the centre of it all there was princess Celestia, sitting on her throne, flanked by her unicorn secretary.

North Star was about to take his place in the line, when the princess looked up, meeting his eyes. Instantly, her form stiffened. “Captain North Star, I have a matter of grave importance to discuss with you. Everypony else, please leave us for a while.”

As one, the other ponies started towards the exit, even the princess’ personal guards. North Star watched them go, growing more and more uneasy as he was slowly left alone with Celestia. As the last pony left, closing the large door behind him, the princess’ horn glowed gold, the spell spreading around the throne room, sparkling briefly on the walls before flowing towards the doors and windows. The guard pony recognised it as a warding spell, designed to block both noise and scrying attempts. Anxiously, he trotted towards the throne.

“Your Majesty?”

Celestia was staring forward above his head, watching the effects of her magic. Once she was satisfied with the result, she slowly looked down on the unicorn.

“Captain, I have summoned you here to inform you, that we have lost two members of our military.”

North Star took a step back, momentarily speechless. Losses among the guard weren’t unheard of. They were soldiers after all, and their function was not entirely decorative even in the most peaceful of times. But two deaths now? To his knowledge, these were the first ponies that actually died on duty since he replaced Shining Armour as the captain of the palace guard.

“Who were they?” he asked, forcing his voice to sound formal and emotionless.

“Hail Kicker and Blue Streak, two pegasi from third aerial division.”

This surprised North Star even more. While working directly under the princesses made him the most important officer in the guard with lots of extra resources at his disposal, he was merely a captain by rank; only the actual palace guard was under his direct authority. Neither of the names rang any bells. But why would Celestia summon him to tell him the news then?

“Corporal Hail Kicker was the fourth Kicker of that name since the founding of the guard. He got married last year. His brother and sister are still in the guard and his mother is a retired officer. Blue Streak was a new recruit, three months in service. He had an allergy to transmutation spells and had to dye his coat to match the standards of his unit.”

The unicorn stepped back, utterly confused. “Your Majesty?”

The question he was about to ask died in his throat as Celestia suddenly stood up, her wings flared, her pastel mane billowing around her like a storm cloud. “There are hundreds of ponies in my service, ready to risk their lives in defence of Equestrian peace. I remember the name of every single one. I owe them that. We owe them that. This is why these two deaths sadden me even more. Because Hail Kicker and Blue Streak had their loyalty repaid with betrayal.”

North Star’s eyes widened with shock. He stood there silent, stiff as a board, while Celestia continued her explanation.

“Two days ago guard ponies all over Equestria received orders to arrest suspects in connection with the Ponyville changeling infiltration. Manehattan, Appleloosa, Fillydelphia, Cloudsdale and 5 other locations. They went there expecting to find ponies controlled or replaced by changelings. What they didn’t expect was an enemy prepared for them. Only the Manehattan team succeeded in capturing their targets, and these have already been confirmed to be real ponies, at worst manipulated by the enemy. In all the other places the targets had already left, some of them mere minutes before the guards’ arrival. Somepony... someone took them first. Someone who knew about the operation. In Appleloosa, the pegasi unit managed to give pursuit. They were ambushed and pushed back by unknown enemy, with Hail Kicker and Blue Streak killed in the skirmish.”

As the princess kept talking, North Star’s mouth hung open. He was visibly trembling, looking like he was about to collapse at any moment. Celestia walked up to him, staring down at his face.

“The enemy knew they were coming. That’s more information than could be gained from scrying. And the orders had been sent all over Equestria. The source of this information leak must have been here, in the headquarters. Within the palace itself. Since the changeling invasion of Canterlot, we have been checking everypony present regularly. There are no changelings here and nopony is under mind control spells. That leaves only one possibility, darker than any other. Captain North Star, as the commander of the palace guard, you are in charge of protecting this place. I command you to find the traitor and bring him or her to justice.”
  
It was at this moment that North Star’s hind legs finally gave way under him, causing him to slump to the floor. He sat there, staring up at her, a powerful unicorn warrior reduced to a pitiful heap, tears welling in the corners of his eyes. “Your... Majesty... I...”

Celestia took a step back, looking at him quizzically, but said nothing. She was evidently waiting for him to collect himself.  The captain looked down at her hooves, unable to meet her gaze. Finally he stuttered: “Shining... Armour...”

He couldn’t see Celestia’s face, but felt her tense at the sound of the name. When she spoke, her voice was calm, but in a way that made his hair stand on end.
“What did you say?”

North Star fell to his knees, words spilling rapidly from his mouth. “Captain Shining Armour. He contacted me to tell me that somepony had broken into the crystal tower library! He said it was Equestrian spies and they were looking for some old history records! That there has been some evil in the past for Equestria that nopony remembers about and the library holds proofs of that. He said that... there is some sort of conspiracy in Canterlot and he wants my help to get to the bottom of it. To report to him on anything suspicious. When I noticed that the guard recruitment increased and new plans were prepared for rapid deployment to the north... I thought he was right! I wanted to tell you from the start, but he said he didn’t want you to know until he has solid proof... I never knew, I swear!”

He remained on the floor, muzzle pressed to the cold tiles. He didn’t know what he was really expecting – a kick to the head, a blast of searing flame, a voice calling his own guard ponies to take him away? When seconds kept passing and nothing happened, he risked lifting his gaze. What he saw hit him harder than any physical or magical blow ever could. His princess was standing above him, her mane flowing down her back, her wings half-folded, a single tear running down her cheek.

“My little pony... what have you done?”

Dozens of possible responses flooded North Star’s head. How he had always been devoted to his service, how Shining Armour was a hero of Equestria, who had saved everypony in Canterlot from the changelings, including North Star and Celestia herself. How they had spent their entire service in the guard together... none of it reached his lips. He just stared in silence, stunned by the enormity of his error, until finally, Celestia composed herself, evaporating the tear away with a flash of her horn.

She folded her wings, took a deep breath and continued talking. “You have been mislead, Captain. The most devious of lies, as they were mixed with truth. It is true that there were spies in the Crystal Empire. They were there by my own command. And it is even true that the history of Equestria has been falsified.You should have asked me about it in the first place, I was there when it happened. It was done over a thousand years ago, after all the ponies of Equestria agreed to do so.”

North Star blinked. He understood every word, but what they added up to was mind boggling. “But... why?” he asked, hoping that the princess could help him make sense of her words.

“It was the darkest era in the history of Equestria,” the alicorn continued, walking slowly around the throne room “a time when Discord himself was only one of the horrors everypony had to suffer daily. Times when pony would turn against pony and air itself was filled with poison. When those Dark Times finally ended, everypony wished to forget them like they were a bad dream. So, we did. We worked hard to erase anything from those times, so no new generation would have to live in their shadow. The Crystal Empire would be one of the few places where any records of the Dark Times might still exist.”

She suddenly turned towards North Star, her mane billowing again. “But I would not have sent spies to the Empire over some dusty history books! What they were sent to look for were tomes of dark magic. Do you think King Sombra had become the horror he was by his power alone? There was something that corrupted him, something that I suspected was still in his old seat of power. After the bearers of the Elements disappeared, signs of dark magic started appearing all over Equestria, magic much like Sombra’s. I was trying to find their source. I didn’t contact Shining Armour directly, because if the power was corrupting him, he would try to hide it and mislead me. When my spies returned with nothing, I thought I had been wrong, that whoever stumbled upon that evil power had already taken it away. But it was Shining Armour all along.”

She paced nervously in front of her throne. ”Since last year the military of the Crystal Empire increased tenfold. That in itself was not suspicious – it was nearly nonexistent before, and the times are getting dark. Still, I had the commanders prepare plans to move the guard north, just in case. If I had definite proof back then...”

She turned on the spot, staring straight at North Star. “If you had told me earlier, those deaths could have been avoided. Those and many more. Three days ago we still had the Elements, with their power to purify the tainted and dispel dark magic. There was less and less hope of finding the bearers alive... but if there was no other way, they would be replaced. I was considering you as the one who could become the bearer of Loyalty!

Now the elements are gone and with them, the only force that could save Shining Armour and Cadence from the corruption that has consumed them. They have hidden their darkness from their subjects, good ponies like you, who are now ready to fight and die for them, unaware of how they have been manipulated. Unless a miracle happens soon, there will be war, one like Equestria hasn’t seen for centuries.”

She walked towards North Star, and suddenly slumped to the floor in front of him. “Why didn’t you trust me, Captain? Have I not been a wise ruler for centuries, bringing happiness and safety to generations of ponies? Did you think I wouldn’t believe you?”

North Star tried to move away, but found his legs failing him. This was worse than any nightmare he could ever imagine. Finally, he gulped loudly and lowered his gaze. “Your Majesty... I will accept any punishment you deem appropriate.”

He sat motionless, waiting for her to speak, until he felt a tip of her wing brush against his cheek. Celestia had picked herself up and was once again standing over him.

“Captain, even though you weren’t aware of the effect of your actions, what you did constitutes high treason. Since the theft of the Elements we are under martial law, and it only has one punishment for such a crime. There is no way you could make up for your error to the families of those who were killed.”

She took a deep breath and withdrew her wing.

“But there are things now that are more important than even justice. There are hundreds of ponies that still need to be saved and it is our duty to try our best to do it. Your crime will be kept secret until I decide otherwise, so that you can get a chance to fix at least a part of what you did. The first thing you are going to do is tell me all you know. What exactly did you tell Shining Armour, and what else did he ask you about?”
> Chapter 20: The Preparations
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Show me what you can do," said Obsidian, his staff twirling around him before resting across his withers.

The girls looked at each other. Rainbow Dash shifted uncomfortably in her armor. Applejack tapped the side of her helmet, making sure it was securely attached. Pinkie Pie grinned. 
Then they all rose into the air together, their Elements lighting up as Twilight conjured a sphere of protective field around them.

Obsidian jumped forward, his staff turning ablaze with magic before striking the ground. 

A pointed pillar of crystal erupted from the ground of the stadium, breaking through the bubble and scattering the girls before they could finish their spell. The stallion was already dashing forward, the runes on his legs blurring into glowy after-images as he used his magic to rapidly accelerate.

“Pinkie!” shouted Rainbow Dash.

Obsidian was running straight at Twilight. Pinkie landed right in front of him. The wings on her helmet clapped together, catching the staff as it descended at her head. She pushed forward, rising to her hind legs, as her front hooves attacked in a blur of kung fu strikes. Obsidian sent an impulse of magic through his staff, pulling it out of her grip just in time to spin it around, smacking the underside of Rainbow Dash’s wing as she tried to charge at him from the side.
The next swing went horizontally at Pinkie’s head, but the pony bent backwards, at an impossible angle, the tip of the staff passing in front of her muzzle with comical slowness.

Obsidian stomped the ground, knocking Pinkie off-balance before turning around and bucking her at Twilight. The unicorn hesitated a split second too long, the two ponies colliding and rolling together, landing in a heap. Obsidian completed the turn, striking his staff into the ground, a wall of crystal erupting in the way of charging Applejack, the stone shining blue with Obsidian’s power.

There was a mighty crash and the wall exploded, Applejack plowing right through it, a bright orange aura around her body. Obsidian stabbed with his staff, and the mare met it with the faceplate of her helmet. Obsidian allowed the resulting shock wave to push him away, sliding backwards while he looked past his opponent, finally finding what he was looking for; Rarity standing by the wall of the arena, translucent strings of power flowing from her Element to Applejack.

Smirking, Obsidian disappeared in a puff of blue smoke, appearing right next to Rarity. His staff descended upon her ornate helmet.

“Stop!”

Obsidian hesitated, the blow losing momentum until it just tapped Rarity on the helmet, though it still made a ringing noise and made her yelp. The stallion turned slowly. Fluttershy was looking at him, breathing deeply, soft waves of pink spreading from Kindness on her neck.

Obsidian’s smirk disappeared. His magic flashed again and he teleported away, a large fridge hitting the ground where he had stood a moment before.

“Enough,” he said, approaching the girls again, the staff floating at his side. “Laughter, good thinking with attacking from outside Kindness’ aura, though I could have redirected it if I tried. Be more careful in the future. Besides that, you’re doing well. Your casual disregard of reality makes you almost invulnerable, so right on top of the enemy is where you should be.”

He looked around the others. “Generosity, practice dividing your attention. You work best by giving your power to others, but don’t neglect your own defense spells.”

“Honesty, good job. You lack versatility right now, but I wouldn’t expect more from an earth pony after two days of training. Focusing on what you’re good at is the way to go right now.”

“Kindness, you need more power. This wouldn’t have stopped me if I were really angry. The Shattered have very focused minds.”

He turned to Twilight, who turned red before he even opened his mouth. “Magic, too much thinking. Planning is good, but it will be wasted if you can’t keep up with the situation. Hopefully it will improve with practice. Or you could awaken to your Element. Then that shield you started with would be immensely stronger.”

“Loyalty,” he said, suddenly very serious. Rainbow Dash had just picked herself from the ground, and was checking her wing for injuries. “You’re still reckless. You have bad habits. You’re used to fighting clumsy enemies. But I’m not some forest monster and neither will be your foes. This kind of flying will get you killed. And believe it or not, I don’t want that.”

Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth. “This isn’t fair…” 

Obsidian bonked her helmet with his staff. “It never is. That’s why you have to do your best. I might have a solution to your problem, but it will have to wait until you have a better control of your magic. Twilight can help you with that-” He paused and turned around towards an approaching unicorn. “Do you need anything?”

Bling walked up to the group, surveying the stadium. “Just checking if the place still stands. There have been some debris flying off the grounds. Should we erect a barrier around the field?”

Obsidian shook his head. “There shouldn’t be much more infrastructure damage, at least for now. The girls have already learned the basics and we’re working on that before moving to advanced techniques. And how are things moving on your end?”

“Fairly well, all things considered,” replied Bling. “There have been no new attacks and our preparations are well underway. We’ll be ready with our soldiers for when princess Cadence decides that it’s time for them to hear the whole story,” he said, nodding towards Applejack, who shifted uncomfortably.

“What about Equestrian army?” asked Obsidian.

“A small unit approached from the south, demanding entry,” said Bling. “Shining Armor met them to tell them that the Empire is in danger from an unknown force and we’ve decided to keep the barrier up. They pretended to buy it, but they will be back, sooner or later.”

“They can’t get in, can they?” asked Fluttershy. The rest of the mares didn’t speak, but their faces expressed various kinds of worry.

“As long as the citizens provide the magic for the princess to use, the shield can be sustained indefinitely,” said Bling. “It would take extremely powerful magic to bring it down… and for what I know, the most powerful source of magic in Equestria is already inside here with us, isn’t it?”

“Let’s not rely on that alone,” said Obsidian. “This place has existed for thousands of years. The Shattered would have to be idiots not to prepare some plan for getting in.”

He turned back towards the girls. “Let’s have another go.”

***

Doctor Stone walked through the underground corridors at a brisk pace. She headed towards the source of noise in the tunnels ahead. Passing an animated suit of armor, she entered a large lab room filled with a seemingly chaotic mess of machinery. Two pony heads rose at her approach.

“I see you’re progressing well?” she said, looking around the room. 

Bluebonnet nodded. “We’re already done with most of the assignments. We’re now doing a special task her majesty demanded.”

Dr.Stone raised an eyebrow. “We?”

Bluebonnet turned slightly red. “I mean, I,” she said, casting a quick glance at Tourmaline, who had already turned away and was tinkering with something on her table. “My daughter kept helping me through the day, she’s been a great help. But this is something I need to work on myself.”

Dr.Stone approached the table where Tourmaline was working, the filly’s tongue twisting as she tried to keep a hold of a tiny screwdriver. Dr Stone smiled; the mess on the girl’s desk seemed like a miniature of the organized chaos filling the whole lab.

“What is it you’re working on?” she said, leaning over Tourmaline’s shoulder.
The girl shrunk. “It’s just a harness,” she said. “I made it for a friend, but I thought it could be made more versatile, so I can wear it with other devices.”

Dr.Stone nodded, her smile disappearing. “I remember that. You built a pattern device outside the labs.”

Tourmaline’s eyes widened in panic. “It was just a small thing! I said, I was sorry! It will never happen again, I promise. It’s just-”

“Please cut it out,” said Dr.Stone impatiently. “I’m sure you know how much trouble this has resulted in. Now… Is that a heart’s desire?” She pointed at the corner of the cluttered desk, where a pot with a fuchsia-colored, conical flower stood under a strong lamp.

The filly nodded. “I got it from miss Zecora. I took it from Ponyville when we evacuated.”

“It is quite a rare thing,” said the doctor pensively. “Well, at any rate, I think you’ve learned your lesson. Just keep working and don’t be a distraction. We have important things to do,” she said, quickly stepping away from the desk and turning towards Bluebonnet.

The tan mare opened her mouth to apologise, but dr Stone silenced her with a gesture. “We have no time for that. Let her tinker with whatever keeps her busy. Now, how is the project going?”

Dr.Bluebonnet nodded, and regained focus. “The heavy pattern emitter can be ready within hours. Her majesty has actually taken some of the older, unfocused models. What is she up to?”

Dr.Stone looked at the ceiling. “She clearly has some idea she doesn’t want to share. But when you put the pieces together, it’s quite obvious.” She leveled her gaze, now looking back at Dr.Bluebonnet. “And what about the pony-portable version?” she said, pointing at one of the tables.

Bluebonnet shook her head. “It still doesn’t work as it should. The problem is still focusing the pattern. Since it is meant for direct combat, it can’t be too heavy-”

“And it won’t do any good if it can’t overpower the target,” finished Dr.Stone. “Have you had any luck with lighter conductors?”

Bluebonnet sighed. “None so far. I’m thinking of eliminating the generation process altogether and just using pre-charged pattern batteries. This would make the device much safer to operate.”

“Of course, it would severely limit the number of shots,” said Dr.Stone. “For an already unwieldy weapon, that would-”

There was a noise echoing through the corridors outside, like a sound of multiple hooves walking. Both mares looked in that direction. “Oh, what is it now?” said Dr.Stone.

***

“Try again, Rainbow Dash,” said Twilight, a bubble of force ready to shield her from any debris.

The pegasus inhaled deeply and then closed her eyes, the red gem on her chest glowing brightly. The pieces of crystal rubble surrounding her started shaking and then, one by one, rising into the air. Slowly, Rainbow Dash opened one eye. Immediately, the furthest stone slipped out of her grasp, shooting away and embedding itself in the stadium wall. The glow of Loyalty disappeared, and the rest of the debris cluttered to the ground.

“This is useless,” grumbled Rainbow Dash. “I keep doing like you told me, but it just keeps slipping away. That’s not how pegasi do magic.”

Twilight scribbled a couple of lines in her notebook. “But you’ve already used your Element to do magic.”

Dash nodded. “I did. But we were using the Elements together. That was different. You know that feeling that we were… one for a moment? I think I could use it because you could.”

Twilight walked in a circle, pondering the problem. “Perhaps we should change our approach then. Your Element seems to work fine when you use it to fly faster.”

“Yea, like it works for Applejack,” replied Dash. “She’s just doing what she usually does, and her Element is giving her the power to do it better. It’s not like unicorn magic.” 

Twilight nodded, and updated her notes. “Perhaps we should treat this like your usual magic then. Can you do it like when you move clouds?”

Rainbow Dash furrowed her wings in annoyance. “That’s how I’m already trying to do it.”

Twilight scratched her chin. “This isn’t good. What we need is a change of perspective. Perhaps I could change you into a unicorn?”

Dash, who was just about to start another try, dropped the stones and stared at Twilight. “Wait, you can do that?”

Twilight nodded, a small smile on her face. “I think so. I’ve heard of a template-based transformation spell, but never had the time to try it out. Now Applejack told me that Obsidian used it on her, so I have somepony who can show me how it works.”

“Hey, girls!” shouted Pinkie Pie, peering over the wall. “Come here quick! Shiny has something important to tell to us all!”
The two mares dropped their exercise and ran towards the exit, Dash taking flight after a few steps. “I wonder what this is about.”

***

“Are you sure of it?” asked Twilight. 

The Elements, Obsidian, Spike, Cadence, and the two officers were all gathered around the table in the council room, with Shining Armor on the opposite side. The stallion looked Twilight in the eyes across the table.

“There’s no doubt about it. My contact in the palace has just informed me that a small group of prisoners taken in the Ponyville incident were moved into the dungeons under the Canterlot castle.”

“I’ve been there,” said Twilight. “the dungeon is small, but there is much more underneath it.”

“That’s what I was about to get to,” said Shining Armor. He focused his magic and a translucent image of Canterlot mountain sprung into existence on the table in front of him. Purple lines formed a maze underneath the palace and into the rock behind it.

“Of course, I knew about the underground labs,” continued Shining, “I had to as the captain of the guard. But I didn’t know what exactly was inside. Nor how far they extended.”

The picture changed, the lines inside the mountain stretching into a simplified picture of gem mines underneath the labs.

“While my contact was overseeing the moving of the prisoners, he came across a map inside the labs. It seems they weren’t moved deeper, but up.”

The lines extended again, the mines stretching up in what looked like a giant staircase, before expanding into a new level, just below the top of the mountain.

“Whoa,” said Rainbow Dash. “All of this is inside the mountain? How come nopony has seen it before?”

“Rockslide hazard,” replied Shining. “It takes a lot of paperwork to be allowed to dig in the mountain side from Canterlot’s side. There are some airship platforms here and there, but nopony ever goes deeper, not since the mines were closed.”

Dash fluttered above the table, pointing a hoof at the edge of the upper level. “It looks like there’s a platform up there.”

“But.. I’ve never seen anything up there,” said Twilight. “And I’m sure there are a lot of pegasi moving above the mountain. Somepony must have seen something.”

“Not if the right spells were used to hide it,” said Bling, leaning forward for a closer look. “If the Princess was confident enough not to tell you about this even as you prepared for the invasion… but now, that we know what to look for, it shouldn’t be too hard.”

“So, this is where they’re all held?” asked Applejack, pointing at the picture. “If we had an airship or something, we could try to get them out.”

“What about the Shattered?” asked Rarity. “All of them could be there in moments.”

“Not quite,” said Shining Armor. “I’ve been informed that Princess Luna is mobilising the Equestrian army and is busy overseeing their preparations. Also, the two ponies that attacked us here have been seen in Canterlot palace before, but the… Hate one hasn’t been seen since.”

“Perhaps he hasn’t...’returned’ yet,” said Twilight. “So, that leaves Princess Celestia, Guilt and Deception, assuming Vengeance isn’t there.”

“Is that all you’ve managed to learn?” asked Obsidian.

“Sadly,” said Shining Armor. “Even the map is just a sketch.”

“In that case,” said Obsidian, “there is little left for us to do, but to perform a funeral ceremony for your agent.”

Bling nodded silently. The rest of the ponies stared at Obsidian in shock. 

“It’s happened to me before,” said Obsidian, “I buried a lot of companions.”

Cadence was the first to speak. “Explain yourself, Obsidian.”

Obsidian looked at her through squinted eyes. Then he started talking, with deliberate slowness. “You have been told of a back entrance to the enemy fortress, where the ponies you so want to rescue are supposedly being kept. While half the enemy forces are away, giving you that one window of opportunity, provided you take it right now.” He looked at Shining Armor with utter contempt. “This is an obvious trap, meaning your agent has been compromised, and either enslaved or replaced.” He shook his head, briefly indicating the Elements. “I can understand them getting fooled, but you? You’re supposed to be a military commander. How does war look like here?”

“I must agree with Obsidian here,” said Bling. “This is obviously a trap, and that must mean that North Star has been compromised.”

Shining Armor stared at his officer. “How did you-”

“You told us,” said Bling. “Barely anypony knows about the labs. The only one who could get all of that intelligence would be the current captain of the guard.”

“So, what do we do?” said Rainbow Dash, fluttering above the table. “We can’t just leave them there.”

Obsidian clenched his jaw in annoyance. “Weren’t you listening? It’s a trap. They’re hoping you will rush in and get yourself killed.”

Rainbow Dash turned red. “I know! But that doesn’t mean we can just sit here. Rarity’s family is there. And Applejack’s.”

“We don’t know that,” said Bling. Glitterdust reluctantly nodded.

“It is common wisdom never to bait a trap with a genuine bait,” said Obsidian.

“Then we must make sure,” said Rarity. “If there is a chance they’re really there, we cannot let this chance slip by,” she finished, tensing up as she met Obsidian’s gaze.

It was the stallion’s turn to turn red, though his fur made it a deep burgundy. “A chance to do what? Die for nothing?” He walked around the table until he was face to face with Rarity. “Even if they were really there, do you think your family is more important than anypony else’s? And you call yourself Generosity!?”

Rarity stepped back, her ears flat, the shock on her face fading away into anguish and guilt. Applejack pushed through the other ponies, and put a hoof on Obsidian’s chest, forcing him to move away. She then stood by Rarity’s side, and glared at the stallion. “Ya have no right to say that! We fight for Equestria! But Equestria is also where our loved ones live. We fight for them.” 

Spike stood at Rarity’s other side. Then Rainbow Dash flew over her. The group started shifting, the ruling pair and their officers watching as everypony else faced Obsidian. Applejack took another step forward, her Element beginning to glow.

“We know why we fight, Obsidian. But why do you fight? What do you want out of this war?”

For a moment the air in the room seemed to get more dense. Obsidian visibly shook, his canines clearly visible as he bared his teeth at Applejack. “What I want? You want to know what I want? Take a look at me. What could a pony like me want? You fight for your family… your friends… your loved ones. But where is my family? Where is my life? Where is the mare I…” He kept shaking, gritting his teeth, the staff at his side rising higher, as if about to lash out in anger. Finally, Obsidian exhaled. “Gone. everything I ever cared about was taken away from me by this war. By this… madness. This folly. And it won’t be over until I see this conflict finished, and all the monsters gone. Only then will things be as they should be. Only then will the death, the suffering stop. I have waited for thousands of years, whole generations living and dying while I could do nothing. If the lives of a couple ponies are more important to you than the fate of the world, go ahead and die. I will recover the Elements from your corpses, and start anew with new bearers.”
 
Silence fell, and for a moment, everyone just stared. Then Pinkie Pie tilted her head. 

“You know, for an ex-Element of Harmony, you kinda suck at the whole friendship thing.”

Obsidian’s staff fell to the ground with a clatter. A moment later, the stallion himself fell, slumping heavily on his rump. He averted his eyes, staring at the floor in front of him. “I… I know I do. What gives me the right to deny you what I have already lost? It’s just… it ‘s been too long, far too long. Please, don’t throw your lives away pointlessly.”

“It’s not pointless,” said Fluttershy softly.

“And we’re not going to die,” added Rainbow Dash, flapping her wings for emphasis.

“Actually,” said Twilight, “I think there might be a way to solve this. We could use your flower to see inside the mountain.”

Obsidian’s head perked up. “The Amaranthine? This could work. I could contact Verba to… no. He’s not pony enough anymore. It takes more focus. But I could have him move it to the Void Passage. Then you could use it. This tower stands on a powerful leyline. It should be more than enough to send your minds there.”

He picked himself from the ground, the staff rising alongside him. He still avoided looking anypony in the eye. “There is no helping it, is it? If they are there, there is no stopping you. You will rush in to fight the Shattered, even though you aren't nearly ready yet.”

He turned towards Shining Armor. “I need a guarded room, large enough for all of us, as close to the center of the tower as possible.”

Shining Armor turned to Bling, who saluted. “I will lead the way.” he then walked out of the room, Obsidian following his hoofsteps.

As he was about to cross the door, Obsidian turned towards Shining Armor again. “They shouldn’t have been told at all. You should’ve been smarter. If they all die tomorrow, it will be your fault.”

Glitterdust leaned towards Pinkie Pie. “Is this guy really your leader?”

Pinkie pondered the question. “No. We mostly listen to Twilight.”

“I must say,” said princess Cadence. “He’s not the most pleasant pony to be around.”

Twilight sighed. “I know. He’s crazy, and not in a good way. But he knows things that we don’t. We wouldn’t have got here without him.”

“I still don’t trust him,” said Rainbow Dash.
> Chapter 21: The Omen
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Is everypony ready?" asked Obsidian, looking around the room.

They were in a small chamber, several floors above the main level of the palace, a round room most likely specifically built for performing magic. It was right in the center of the tower, above both the throne room and the Crystal Heart far below, separated from other chambers by several twisting corridors and a very solid door. The crystal walls glowed with a soft light, providing illumination. 

Twilight looked at a short list she was holding. Checking off the last point, she gave both the paper and the pen to Spike. “We are ready,” she said. “Spike, you guard this door. You wake us up if anypony gets past Shining’s guards.”

Spike folded the paper under his arm and saluted. “I’ll do my best, Twilight… How do I wake you up?”

“The spell will be weaved with a security system,” said Obsidian, pointing his staff at the outermost layer of the circle he had drawn on the floor. “If anypony gets in contact with it, we will be snapped back to our bodies instantly. Now stand in the circle, on your symbols.”

One by one the six mares took their positions. Obsidian looked around for the last time, to make sure everything was in order. Finally he set his staff flying above him, the very center of the circle. “Okay, you can start channeling when you’re ready.”

Twilight closed her eyes and focused her thoughts inward. The gem on her forehead started glowing a soft light, which spread to the inscriptions underneath her hooves and then started spiralling towards Obsidian’s staff. After a moment of observation the other girls followed suit, their colors filling the circle and then reflecting in the walls, until the whole chamber was filled with a vortex of rainbow colors, spiralling around Obsidian’s weapon. Giving one last look at the circle, Spike scampered out of the room, and slammed the heavy door shut behind him, a moment before everything was bathed in a bright flash.

"Where are we?" asked Applejack.

The stone floor echoed under her hoof. Above her, darkness stretched forever, sprinkled with innumerable, tiny lights. Lines of darkness stretched across the sky, enormous rings encompassing the floating island.

“We’re back in the Void Passage,” said Rainbow Dash, flying a bit up for a better view. 

Applejack blinked “How did we get here so fast?” she asked nopony in particular.
“That was the point of using the spell, wasn’t it?” said Obsidian. He used the staff to illuminate the darkness around him, visibly looking for something. 

“Ah, there it is,” he said, walking towards what turned out to be a large flower pot. The girls followed, all looking with interest as he approached the amaranthine flower.

“Since I am the most experienced with the Amaranthine,” said Obsidian, “it is logical that I should use it. With the power flowing to me from the Crystal Empire, I will be able to show you more than usual before the life drain can hinder my abilities.”

Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy looked at each other with unsure expressions. 

“You missed that part,” explained Twilight. “Perhaps it will be simpler if you just see it.”

Rainbow Dash looked around. “Where is that Verba guy?”

“Patrolling the dreamscape around the Crystal Empire, in case the Shattered try something again,” said Obsidian. “The Void Passage itself had enough means of keeping the Amaranthine safe until our arrival. Now please come closer.”

He leaned closer to the flower, and exhaled slowly, a blurred outline of his face stretching out and getting absorbed. Applejack and Rainbow Dash tried to keep their faces straight, but the rest of the girls cringed visibly. The petals of the flower lit up and soon light started flowing upwards from it, until a ball of light expanded above the pot. Obsidian smiled with satisfaction.

“See? there you are,” he said. The ball of light turned opaque, then translucent, and then an image started appearing inside it; the ritual room, with all the ponies still standing inside it, their eyes closed. “You might notice that your crystals are no longer glowing. The Elements stopped working when your minds got here. Technically their powers are here with you now.”

The mares looked at each other, then at the Elements each of them was wearing. 

“So, it’s just our minds that are here?” asked Rarity, looking from the image to her friends and back. “Is this why Applejack is wearing her hat?”

Everypony looked at Applejack, who turned slightly red. “Sheesh, I didn’t even notice. I didn’t have it when I woke up in that pod and had no time to take one from my closet in Ponyville, but I guess I can’t imagine myself without it.”

“Wait,” said Rainbow Dash, “so we can be anything we can imagine here?”

“Yes,” said Obsidian, “If you have enough conviction to power through your internal self-image. And don’t mind the risk of losing the grip on what you really are.”

Dash winced and fell silent.

“So, the Elements have done their job,” said Twilight. 

“Better than I expected,” said Obsidian. “I think I might have given you girls too little credit. I will start teaching you things like group teleportation, if you survive this mess that is.”

“How much power does it take to get here?” said Twilight Sparkle.

“I could have done it with the leyline alone, if you didn’t have the Elements. It would just take longer. Why?” said Obsidian, without taking his eyes off the vision.

“I’m still wondering how we got here the first time round,” said Twilight. “There is no leyline under Ponyville, I think, and whoever did it, didn’t have the Elements, so-”

“Can it wait?” interrupted Obsidian. “I know the Crystal Tower is feeding my body magic to make it easier, but you can’t expect me to just stand here chatting. What do you want to see?”

Twilight blushed, a short apology mumbled under her breath. The mares approached the flower from all sides, looking at the shimmering sphere intently.

“We need to see inside that mountain,” said Rarity. “I want to see my family.”

“Well, that’s two different things,” said Obsidian. “with the Amaranthine, it is very important to focus on your goal, and to state your intent correctly. Otherwise you’ll waste your time chasing random visions, or worse, see what you want to see, instead of the truth. Dissonance is full of dreams, and distorted memories. But enough of that. If you want to get your vision, you need something to focus on, some link to guide the spell. Knowing the exact time and place is among the most straightforward foci. Let’s see…”

He closed his eyes, and for the briefest moment he seemed slightly translucent. The vision changed to a bird’s eye view of Canterlot and then descended, towards the mountain top, tons of rock spreading open like thick mist.

“There are tunnels, just like Shining said,” commented Rainbow Dash.

“There are,” said Obsidian. The image kept shifting as his gaze wandered around the compound. “This is where the entrance is,” he said pointing at a cliff wall that, under closer scrutiny” turned out to be a massive hangar door. “There are clearly some spells reinforcing it and keeping it hidden. But right above…” the image shifted again, focusing on a small ledge, which led into a nook between the rocks and then inside the mountain “is a much more discreet entrance. I should be able to get in without triggering any alarm spells.”

“It’s all well and good,” said Rarity, “but where is my family?”

Applejack didn’t say anything, but nodded vigorously.

“In a moment,” said Obsidian. “I need to see as much as I can while the vision lasts, so I can re-create it later. There aren’t many guards, it seems.”

The vision swept through the corridors and down stairs. On several intersections it passed heavy pony armors with glowing eye slits. Twilight observed them with interest.

“I wonder what all these machines are for,” she said, looking at a multitude of strange devices littering the side rooms. “Oh, I wish I could take a look at those in more peaceful circumstances.”

“There they are!” shouted Pinkie Pie suddenly, jumping excitedly and pointing her hoof at the sphere.

The vision was showing a large chamber, obviously an airship hangar of some sort, though its door opened into the one before it rather than to the outside of the mountain. While the first hangar was filled with all sorts of flying contraptions, big and small, this one was almost empty - there was just a couple of machines stored in the corners, and along one of the walls, a line of metal cages. All the mares leaned in for a closer look. Fluttershy gasped.

There were ponies in the cages, clumped in groups of two or three, all snoring softly. The biggest pile was the Cakes’ family, all in a single cage, next to them, Granny Smith was slumped over the massive frame of Big Macintosh. A pair of unicorns, a white stallion and a pink mare occupied the third cage. The last one contained a single, orange pegasus filly. Her fur and mane seemed slick and damp, and her head was resting on a pillow somepony must have brought with her.

“Scootaloo!” shouted Rainbow Dash. “What is she doing there?”

“Wait,” said Applejack. “Apple Bloom isn’t there.”

“Neither is Sweetie Belle,” said Rarity, looking around the hangar frantically. “Where are they?”

“So, even if all these ponies are who they seem, the Shattered still have a couple hostages to spare?” said Obsidian. “I’ll look for them in a moment. First things first…”

“What do you mean… if all of them are who they seem?” asked Fluttershy.

“I’ve told you already, haven’t I?” said Obsidian. “These could all be monsters in disguise. Now... “ 

The vision’s point of view rose, focusing on a balcony at the end of the hangar. There was something there, that wasn’t quite right, the empty space that was somehow conspicuous. The longer the girls looked, the more obvious it became. 

“There she is,” smiled Obsidian. “That’s Arrogance, waiting for you to show up. I bet she’s been standing there for hours already, just so she can make a big entrance. It would be so like her.”

“You were right. It is a trap,” said Twilight. 

Obsidian snorted. “Of course, I was right. Now let us see where these ponies came from.”

The image shook and then started shifting, like an artwork made with colored sand that somepony kept sweeping, details of the scene changing as the story of the captives unfolded in reverse, a cloud of green gas putting them to sleep, moving armors herding them through the tunnels and into the cages, soldiers escorting them to the palace dungeons...

“Wait,” said Twilight Sparkle, pointing her hoof at one particular image. “That earth pony who brought Scootaloo and the gas canister. She’s Dr.Stone. But I saw her die!”

Obsidian smirked. “Well, that means either she is tougher than she looks, or there is more than one of her. Either way you have been misled.”

“Do you think that’s, whatshername, Deception?” said Dash, taking a closer look at the scientist.

“That would be a logical assumption,” replied Obsidian. “Or she could be a construct of some sort.”

The image kept shifting, finally stopping in an encampment filled with citizens of Ponyville, guarded by a flock of serious looking pegasi.

Obsidian nodded in satisfaction. “It seems they really are your families. We might use Honesty to verify it later. Now, I’m sure you won’t let me do anything else until you find your sisters?”

Rarity looked at him with indignation. “Of course not! Can you find them?”

Obsidian sighed and leaned over the flower again. His body became transparent for a moment, as the plant fed on his essence. Twilight gave him a worried look. 

“You mean the two squirts I’ve seen with you at the hospital, yes?” said Obsidian, as the sphere started dimming, the images dissolving into blue mist.

“Yes,” said Rarity and Applejack in unison.

“Finding a specific pony without coordinates is harder,” said Obsidian, focusing on the vision. The mist swirled, brief flashes of various pony children showing within, but no clear vision appeared.

The two mares craned their necks, almost touching the sphere, their eyes scanning the shifting chaos, searching for a glimpse of their loved ones. Minutes passed. 

Finally, Obsidian took a step back and the vision dimmed. “Nothing,” he said.

For a moment, there was silence. Then all the mares shouted together.

“WHAT!?”

Obsidian took and released a deep breath, with an expression that was just short of rolling his eyes. “The Amaranthine can’t find them. That means either they don’t exist, or they are very well protected from scrying. I’d wager on the latter though. I don’t think the Shattered would have a reason to kill them, much less so thoroughly that I couldn’t even find them in Dissonance.”

“But then, how can we find them?” asked Applejack, pushing past Twilight to get right in Obsidian’s face. 

The stallion stepped back, his staff twitching as if about to swat her, but Applejack didn’t react.

“Follow clues,” said Obsidian. “Find somepony who knows. Use other methods.”

Rarity closed her eyes, visibly thinking hard. When she opened them again, there was determination in her gaze. “You said you can view things when you have the time and the place, didn’t you? That means you can look into the past too, right?”

Obsidian nodded slowly. “I can.”

“Can you see the future, to show us how this ends?” chimed in Pinkie Pie.

Obsidian looked at her sideways. “That’s way trickier. Not only would I be looking for something that doesn’t exist yet, even if I managed to get a clear vision of anything, the future would change the second I showed it to you, wouldn’t it?” He turned towards Rarity. “The past though I can see into. I assume you want me to look where you last saw your sister?”

Rarity nodded. “The girls were in a bedroom just next to ours.” 

Obsidian was already focusing on the Amaranthine, the vision shifting into a bird’s eye view of the castle. “Where?” he asked. Rarity pointed a hoof and the picture shifted, following her directions. 

“The time would be… just after the device in the dungeon blew up?” said Obsidian, not looking away from the vision.

“Yes,” said Applejack. “We were there too.”

The vision shifted, the days moving backwards until the moment of the explosion. Obsidian squinted as the picture cleared, the four mares now arguing in the corridor of the guest wing. He pushed the point of view along the corridor, to the only door that wasn’t yet open. The two fillies were there, huddling together and visibly scared.

***

“They could change into ponies, couldn’t they?” asked Sweetie uncertainly.

Apple Bloom turned towards her. “Yes, but-”

Then an alarm sounded. Both fillies looked in the direction of the door.”

“We need ta get out of here!” called Apple Bloom.

Sweetie grabbed her over her withers. “Wait, we can’t go out there! What if there are monsters, or… or that Obsidian guy!”

Apple Bloom looked her in the eyes. “What if it’s a fire alarm? If there is fire, we can’t stay here hiding, or we’ll get trapped! That’s what mah sis taught me.” She walked purposefully towards the door. “Come on, we need to get out of here!”

She reached for the doorknob, but the door opened before she could touch it. There was a thick clump of nothing, obscuring the vision outside.

***

The whole vision blurred, dissolving into a shapeless, colorless mass.

“What in tarnation was that?” asked Applejack, staring at Obsidian with scared eyes.

“Something’s obscuring the vision,” replied the stallion, “Just like I told you. Somepony doesn’t want to be seen, and is very, very good at it.”

“There was a guard there before we left,” said Rarity. “He said he was there to take care of the girls. Can you see there for a moment?”

Obsidian complied. The vision shifted to the four mares in the corridor, only to blur and dissolve again as somepony approached. Rarity fell silent, staring at the sphere as if she could pierce the uncanny mist with sheer effort of will. Fluttershy stood next to her, saying nothing, but putting a comforting wing over her back.

“But…” hesitated Twilight, “You could find Princess Celestia with this. This doesn’t make sense. If she couldn’t hide from the Amaranthine completely, who could?”

Obsidian stared at Twilight. “Who indeed… It is a very important question, The problem is, it is not all about raw power. It is also about being familiar with ancient scrying magic, perhaps with the Amaranthine itself. That should limit the number of possible suspects, but somehow it just makes matters more confusing, doesn’t it?”

“So, what do we do now?” asked Rainbow Dash from above.

“Well, first of all, we’ll end this spell,“ said Twilight Sparkle. “I can already see Pinkie Pie through Obsidian’s head. That can’t be healthy.”

Obsidian nodded, stepping away from the flower. Instantly the light began to dim.

“Wait,” said Applejack. “Shouldn’t we learn more about the ambush first?”

“If we keep looking any longer, Obsidian will be in no shape to go with us,” said Twilight.

Everypony looked at Obsidian, who smiled sadly. “I would have told you to start with tactical data. But with your sisters at stake, you’d never listen, so I didn’t bother.”

His staff lit up, providing illumination when the light of the flower faded to a soft glow. Then he tapped the staff on the floor.

“Fortunately, we’ve managed to learn plenty.”

The ground vibrated and then the giant wheels surrounding the platform started turning. Suddenly, with a sound like a sigh of a thousand ponies, a hangar full of airships came into existence around the girls.

“Now you can walk around and learn your battlefield,” smiled Obsidian.

***
Tourmaline checked her notes for the fourth time.

She didn’t need to. She knew she had done everything just as described. The tangle of glass tubes on her nightstand bubbled happily, the contents slowly changing color, just as the book said they would. 

The filly took a deep breath, trying in vain to calm her nerves, then closed the dusty tome and put it away on the shelf. In doing so, she briefly glimpsed her eavesdropping gadget, hidden behind the books. For a moment she balanced on her back legs, trying to push the book into its place, finally giving it the final shove and collapsing sideways onto her bed.

Augh… not now! she thought, as her temple vibrated with a dull ache. Rolling off her bed, and back on her hooves, she looked towards the nightstand. She knew her pills were in the drawer.

No, she thought. One must not mix medicine, especially where magic is involved. I’ll have to bear it somehow… I hope I don’t get a seizure. I can’t, not now…

She checked the wall clock. 

Mom will go to sleep in about two hours. If they don’t attack by then, I will still need 15 minutes to prepare. Then I need to get past the wards…

She shook her head dejectedly. There are so many things that can go wrong. I hope this really works as advertised.

Looking around the bedroom, she once more made sure all her equipment was in place. Then she approached the table, grabbing the last ingredient, a mug full of minced flower petals, with her mouth.

She walked to the nightstand and slowly emptied the cup into the beaker at the end of the installation. Instantly the liquid changed color from blue to fuchsia, the petals dissolving into thin foam. 

Tourmaline watched the concoction bubble for a moment more before turning off the flame underneath it and letting it cool off. 

It will only be good for a couple of hours. Whatever happens, there is no turning back now. Oh, I really hope they do come tonight. I only have one shot at it.

She watched the liquid become still, her legs shaking slightly as her mind kept repeating what she had learned, what she managed to hear in the last couple of days. She felt her headache get worse and for a moment had to fight a sudden wave of nausea.

It’s just nerves, she repeated inside her head.

Unable to wait any longer, she sat down in front of the nightstand, grabbing the neck of the beaker between the frogs of her front hooves and pulling it to her lips. The concoction was still hot, it burned her tongue, a sweet and herbal taste spreading inside her mouth.

I wish I may, I wish I might...

Seconds passed and nothing happened. Then, gradually the pain disappeared and the filly blinked, surprised as her vision sharpened, matching her clearing mind. She could still feel all the emotions burning inside her, but they were no longer in turmoil. Instead, she was filled with an intense sense of purpose. She turned to look at her cutie mark, the green star now standing for so much more. She could almost see all the variables shifting around her, as her new instinct calculated the most straightforward route to her goal.

I will not fail.

***
"So, what do you think?" asked Obsidian looking at Twilight from the balcony overlooking the hangar. 

The unicorn teleported up, appearing next to him, then looked down on the hangar, where Applejack was making a bad attempt at sneaking towards the cages. “I feel we still don’t know enough,” she said with exasperation. “I’ve been trying to formulate a plan, but there are so many variables we don’t know.”  She turned, and looked at the stallion with worry. “Will you be able to recover in time for the fight?” she looked around nervously. “How much time have we spent here anyway?” 

Obsidian chuckled. “Do not worry. I wouldn’t try to stall you past your window of opportunity. Like a dream that always ends just when you get to the best part, this vision will last exactly as long as it takes. Sadly for you, it will not hasten my recovery though. I can replenish my magic here at my leisure, but not my essence.”

Twilight looked at him with doubt, mulling over something silently. She carefully examined Obsidian, who was fully solid again, except for a slight blurring at the edges.

“And this look is what I really need to talk with you about, Twilight,” said Obsidian. “It won’t work like this.”

The unicorn looked at him in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“You don’t trust me,” said Obsidian. “It is wise of you, I told you that much myself. But we can’t work to our full potential as a team, if we aren’t, well, a team. And it will get worse. With the way things are, I’m sure I will be forced to do some things you won’t like, sooner or later.” He turned away from the hangar and stared straight in Twilight’s eyes. “I can’t do this alone. If I antagonise you any more than I already have... if I end up making you my enemies, I won’t be able to achieve what I’m fighting for. I know I can wait. I’ve examined my current form, and it won't age like you do. But if you lose, waiting for another chance, perhaps for centuries… it would drive me raving mad. I cannot afford to lose. I need your friendship to make it through this.”

“What,” said Twilight flatly, returning his stare.

Obsidian groaned. “You heard Pinkie Pie. I ‘suck at this friendship thing’. And I can’t afford to. We cannot afford it. You’re supposed to be an expert in friendship. Teach me what I need to know.”

“But you used to be an Element of Harmony,” said Twilight in disbelief. “You used to have friends.”

Obsidian nodded his head sadly. "Used to is the key word here. Where are they now? The world has changed. I have changed, almost beyond recognition. Yes, I used to have friends. But that was thousands of years ago, longer than most ponies can properly imagine."

“I don’t think it works like that,” said Twilight thoughtfully. “There is no mathematical formula for friendship I could give you. You just have to be a friend. I'm sure you still remember how that works. Help your friends when they need it. Be there for them. Be the kind of pony they like to spend time with… and really do mean it,” said Twilight, suddenly squinting at Obsidian. “If you’re not sincere about it, it will show sooner or later. And if you betray their trust, you will lose…”

“I get the point,” interrupted Obsidian. He looked around, then down the balcony, towards Pinkie Pie who was a few feet below it, inexplicably clinging to the wall with her hooves and for some reason looking disappointed. “It is time I showed some good will instead of being snarky. Nopony likes a smartass who isn’t helping.”

He disappeared in a flash, his spell taking him through the walls and into one of the side corridors, where Rainbow Dash was crawling along the floor, trying her best to move forward without making her hooves clink on the stone floor.

“So, what do you think?” asked Obsidian, waving his staff around for emphasis.

Dash rose to her full height, studying her hooves for a moment before abandoning what she was doing and rising into the air instead. The flapping of her wings actually made less noise. “There are three ways into this hangar, even if you say we shouldn’t teleport.” she said. “But I bet Celestia’s thought of something to make sure we won’t be able to get out that easily.”

Obsidian suppressed the urge to roll his eyes at the mare stating the obvious. Instead he nodded, looking around again. “Arrogance moved a lot of things through the floor to empty that hangar,” he said. “I also noticed her bringing some more machines in from the lower labs.” 

His staff flashed and a picture appeared in front of him on the floor, a miniature of the level layout, with red outlines of boxy devices spread evenly through it.

“These are obviously a part of the trap,” continued Obsidian. “Most probably, they’re something similar to that device Twilight had gotten herself hooked into. If it is so, it is fortunate that Arrogance cares so much about appearances. It wouldn’t be impossible for her to sacrifice her current body just to get us, and blow up the whole lab while we’re inside.”

Silence fell, stretching for seconds until finally Rainbow Dash swallowed nervously. “Are you sure she won’t do it?”

Obsidian considered the question. “An explosion strong enough to kill us for sure would collapse the slope upon Canterlot. If Arrogance really buys into her own story of being the ponies’ hero, she won’t go that far. This also eliminates most poisons. Still, we do know it is a trap. I’ll examine the devices on my way in, and disable as many as I can. She’ll probably still spring the trap at us, but at least I should be able to prevent her from closing it.”

“So, you take those out while we take on Celestia?” said Rainbow, pointing her hoof at the miniature.

Obsidian nodded. “It is sad and dangerous that we have to divide our forces. I will join you as soon as I can.”

“Wait,” said Rainbow, ”shouldn’t you be telling that to everypony?”

“I’ve already discussed it with Twilight,” replied Obsidian. “She examined the devices, but I had no idea what they looked like inside when I constructed the dream, so she can’t tell what they do. I was just telling you this so you know that you’ll need to survive without me for a bit.”

The pegasus pouted. “Is this suppose to motivate me, or what? I know how dangerous this will be. I’m already doing my best.”

Obsidian stared at her. “You don’t, and your best won’t be enough. Which is why I’m going to help you.”

Rainbow Dash landed loudly, walking up to Obsidian and stopping mere inches from his face. “Then why don’t you show us? This place can conjure up anything, can’t it?”
 
Obsidian’s staff swatted her on the head, causing her to flinch and yelp. The stallion exhaled loudly. “I could. But you’re all in a hurry, and the Dissonance feels that. I couldn’t keep you here long enough to get good at fighting Arrogance. Not with the imperfect image of her I have right now.”

Rainbow Dash rubbed her head and looked at Obsidian angrily. “So, what do you want us to do? Go in there blind and lose?”

This time Obsidian did roll his eyes. “Of course not. I have been practicing with you, haven’t I? Those spikes and instant walls I used are among her favourite tricks. I’ve also showed Twilight and Pinkie how to handle gas and explosions. But that’s not enough…”

He suddenly stopped and stared forward, as if right through Rainbow Dash. 

“I’m being a violent jerk again, aren’t I.”

Rainbow Dash snorted. “You’re always a violent jerk.”

Obsidian kept staring forward, somehow not meeting Rainbow’s gaze despite looking straight at her face. “This shouldn’t be happening. Even when I try to control it… I’ve actually came here to offer you help, not to talk down at you and hit you with a stick.”

Rainbow returned to the air, folding her front legs in front of herself. “Well, if that’s why you’re here, you’d better start helping.”

Obsidian’s gaze regained focus. “Don’t be snide with me or I will hit you again. Remember how I told you there was a trick I could teach you to make you better at fighting? While I don’t think you’re quite ready yet, your survival for the next day depends on it, so I will take the risk.”

This got Rainbow Dash’s attention. She lowered herself, looking at Obsidian curiously, though she still tried to keep her disdainful stance.

“Remember when you failed your test and fell into raw Dissonance?” asked Obsidian.

Rainbow Dash shuddered. “I don’t remember all that much…” she said quietly.

“That’s because Verba did a good job of purging the foreign memories from your mind,” said Obsidian. “Since they were a part of you for a moment, it obviously left some holes. Now, what if I said there was a way to benefit from such foreign memories in some way?”

Dash actually flapped a step back at that. “Wait, you wanna mess with my mind? I should’ve known it would be something creepy from you.”

Obsidian snorted. “What do you think I’m trying to do here? We’ve both seen the tree the Shattered constructed. I know full well that making you somepony you aren’t would only drive you insane. What I’m proposing is something much more subtle. Not without risks, of course, but then again there is a reason why it’s you I’m proposing this to.”

Rainbow Dash turned away, but didn’t fly any further. “You better start making sense quickly.”

“Even after a pony departs, and merges with Dissonance, all the things stay connected on one level or another,” said Obsidian. “It is possible to use some of these connections. Like your Element, for example. For centuries it was worn by bearers who proved themselves worthy, many of them valiant warriors.”

Rainbow Dash’s ear twitched. Obsidian smiled.

“Of course I wouldn’t put their life stories inside your head, even if I could recover big enough chunks. But they put their hearts and souls into their most important fights. Their muscle memory should be pretty well imprinted on your focus.”

That made Rainbow Dash turn around. “So, you could make me fight like they fought? Are you sure it’s safe?”

“If I were sure it is safe, I would have offered it to all of you, don’t you think?” said Obsidian. “There will be some strong emotions involved. And since the bearers of Loyalty shared some traits, those emotions might feel very much like your own. You will change, perhaps just a bit, perhaps more. There should be no violent clash like the last time, but at the same time, it will be harder for you to tell where they end and you begin.”

“So, what you’re saying…” said Rainbow Dash, “is I will no longer be myself?”

“Hopefully it won’t go that far,” said Obsidian. “I’ve decided to take this risk with you because you have a strong conviction, even if you aren’t as instinctively adept at controlling your mind as Twilight is. Of course you will change, but don’t you change every day? Are you the same pony you were before meeting me?”

Dash hesitated. “Well, of course not… I mean I am, but… I kind of get what you’re trying to say here.”

“The choice is up to you, of course,” said Obsidian. “I won’t force it on you. Or even guilt trip you into it. I’ll just ask you to trust me for once. I think this is what you need.”

Rainbow Dash landed and folded her wings. Taking a couple purposeful steps towards Obsidian, she stopped at leg’s reach from the stallion, not even giving attention to the fact that she was now back within reach of his staff.

“Do it,” she said.

Obsidian nodded. “We can start right away. Just focus on Loyalty and I will help you direct the spell.”

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “You knew all along I would say yes, didn’t you?”

Obsidian nodded again. “You are willing to take risks for your friends. Your test showed me that much.”

Rainbow Dash grinned, a not entirely honest smile. “Hey, it’s not like there is really any risk. I’m too awesome to go crazy.”

***

Bluebonnet shook her head, trying to wake herself up. She leaned over the cluttered table, reaching between the pieces of machinery and grabbing the edge of the coffee mug with her teeth. She tilted her head back and shuddered when the liquid flowing down her throat turned out to be cold.

How long have I been here? she asked herself. I should just go to sleep and finish this tomorrow.

She looked at the table again, the device in front of her almost finished. 

There is something still missing. I- 

She fought a growing yawn. I should continue when I can think clearly. But her Majesty…

The thought made Bluebonnet shake off her tiredness. Since the incident, her Majesty had probably slept even less than her.. The earth pony had spent years working for the Princess of the Sun, ever since a mysterious turn of events got her in touch with Dr Stone, finding her the best place in Equestria to use her special talent, and turning her life around on its darkest day.

Through the years she got to see a lot of secrets of Equestria, perhaps more than anypony but Dr Stone and Celestia herself. She had seen the face of the princess that none of the pompous nobles in the castle above ever had. Serious, worried, making hard decisions that would always be kept secret for the good of Equestria. Associating with creatures the likes of Enigma, and lately, Lightbringer.

But she had never seen her the way she was over the last couple of days. Her Majesty was full of determination, perhaps more than ever. She was burning with anger, visible through the cracks in her facade, even when she passed through the labs to encourage her servants with a kind word. But most importantly, was it fear Bluebonnet could see, deep in the Princess’ eyes?

If it’s that bad, thought Bluebonnet, then I cannot fail. I cannot fail her. She saved Tourmaline’s life. 

She looked aside towards the empty work bench where her daughter had worked. The filly excused herself, and went to sleep hours before, taking most of her work to her bedroom. Bluebonnet was surprised to notice that the girl even took her flower with her.

I didn’t notice. Why did she do that? I was too busy to realise. I’ll ask her tomorrow. 

She looked around the lab again, trying in vain to focus.

I need another coffee. 

She slowly walked towards the large machine in the corner. She pressed a lever with her hoof, and the device sputtered to life.

I need to find more time for Tourmaline. I work so hard, even if it’s all for her…

Bluebonnet smiled. She helped me so much today, but it’s hardly ‘family time’. A filly her age shouldn’t spend all her days in a lab. 

Her face got serious, the smile gone as if blown away..

And now her friends are missing. This is not fair. 

She sighed, putting the mug in its spot under the machine.

I’ll try to make it up to her somehow. Find more time to spend together. We should go to the park, just the two of us, perhaps an orchard-

“You should be asleep, you know.” called a stern, female voice behind her back.

Bluebonnet jumped with a yelp, nearly dropping her fresh mug of coffee. Regaining her balance, she carefully put the hot beverage on the nearest table and turned around to face her immediate superior.

“Dr.Stone? I didn’t know you were awake. Or are you…” Bluebonnet hesitated… “a construct?”

“It is me,” said Dr.Stone, a small smile appearing in the corner of her mouth. “I just needed to make sure about some details for tonight. And as for you, you really must go to sleep now.”

Bluebonnet looked from Dr.Stone, to her mug, to the main work table. “But, the emitter… the Princess…”

Dr.Stone walked closer, putting a hoof on her shoulder. “Her Majesty already has all the devices she needs for whatever she’s planning. The matter might be resolved by tomorrow. And if it isn’t, you’ll do a better job if you get some sleep first. We’re not in that much of a hurry.”

Bluebonnet relaxed with a sigh. “You’re right. I should get some sleep. Perhaps see how my daughter is doing.”

“She went to sleep hours ago,” said Dr.Stone. “As you should have. Come on, tomorrow is another day. You will have your chance to do some good work yet.”

Bluebonnet cast the last gaze towards her coffee mug and then started walking slowly towards the door. “You know, doctor, sometimes I just feel no matter how much I do, it’s somehow not enough.”

Dr.Stone followed her to the door. “Don’t blame yourself, my dear. I’m sure you’ve done all you could have.”

***

"Do you have enough?" asked Obsidian, a gust of wind clearing the swirling dust from the air. The magic he had borrowed from the Void Passage made his voice reverberate across the hangar. He looked down, beating his huge black wings slowly. 

“I can still fight,” answered Dash crouched low opposite the stallion, ready to pounce again, strands of red light from her necklace wrapping around her, trying to once again form a spectral armor. 

“You can,” said Obsidian, looming over her, his voice returning to normal as the shadow alicorn form unravelled, lowering him to the ground, “but that’s not important anymore. The fight has lasted long enough.” He turned towards Twilight, who was catching her breath in the corner to his left. “Three simulated battles completed. What have we learned?”

The rest of the Elements walked towards the center of the hangar, mentally healing their injuries. 

“We need to win as quickly as possible,” started Twilight. “If we don’t, the other Shattered will show up. Our best chance is to combine our powers and seal… princess Celestia… before she even knows we’re there.”

“We need the Element of Surprise!” piped in Pinkie Pie. She hid behind Fluttershy and emerged in a complete spy outfit. 

“Anything else?” said Obsidian with a sigh.

“We can’t let her divide us.” said Rarity. “We’re a matching set for a reason. Even with Dash and Applejack rushing forward, we need to stay close enough that Twilight and Pinkie can protect us with their magic.”

Obsidian nodded. “You’re learning fast. Either I’m a good teacher, or pain is.”

The unicorn huffed. “I’m just doing my best. We all know how much depends on us.”

“I wish there was another way to do it,” said Fluttershy quietly.

“If you do find another way, feel free to tell us,” said Obsidian. “I’d actually prefer a less suicidal plan than this.” Giving Fluttershy a sad smile and a nod, he looked around the group again. “Anything else?”

“Well, we need to be careful not to hit that part of the room,” said Dash, pointing at the cages. “If we are to save all those ponies, we can’t let them get hurt in the fight.”

“Yes, and that’s a serious concern,” agreed Obsidian. “It’s a part of why this fight is going to be so difficult for you. Otherwise we could just blow up the balcony from the other side of the wall and seal Arrogance while she recovers.”

“Do we have a plan for getting everypony out?” asked Applejack. “It’s not enough that we just win a fight. We also need to rescue our families from there.”

“When Obsidian turned you into birds, his staff retained the template,” replied Twilight. “He’ll be able to change everypony into smaller forms that we can easily take with us.”

“This is all fine and good,” said Rarity, “but there is something else that bothers me. You said they might have had some falling out with that ‘Guilt’ fellow. But what if it’s a ruse? If his powers are to move instantly from place to place, they might all be here the moment the alarm is sounded.”

“That’s right,” said Dash. “You said we can’t fight all of them at once.”

“And that doesn’t even take into account any other allies Arrogance might have prepared for this battle,” said Obsidian. “If you’re to survive the night, we need to plan around it.”

“We could make some sort of a diversion elsewhere,” said Twilight. “Something to keep at least princess Luna busy.”

Obsidian grinned. “Something that could attract the attention of the Shattered, powerful enough to keep them busy at least for a while while we execute our plan.” he looked around the gathered mares. “Now, that would be a dream come true, wouldn’t it?”

Applejack raised an eyebrow.”Just what are you thinking about, mister?”

Obsidian turned around and walked purposefully towards the cages, where nine ponies were fast asleep, snoring softly despite all the ruckus that had taken place there a moment before. “Do you know what these are?”

 Twilight approached the cages curiously. “I thought they were just illusions, made of our memories.”

“Well, they are,” said Obsidian. “But so is almost everything here and you all have seen how real they can be. Have you ever heard of chimeras?”

“Well, shush, I couldn’t do my deliveries if I didn’t,” said Applejack. “But what does it have to do with these?” she asked, looking askance at a perfect doppelganger of her brother, sleeping in a cage.

“I don’t mean the three-headed beast,” said Obsidian, “but the notion is obviously related. You see, Dissonance is primal chaos. As such, it can’t be homogenous. There are… clumps. Bits of minds that haven’t fully dissolved, memories or emotions that go together. Most of them disappear quickly, but sometimes they end up gaining something to keep them stable. Often that thing is a name, giving the thing enough of a sense of self to persist even as it is ever changing from whatever Dissonance throws at it. Like the chimeras you know, they are just bundles of mismatched pieces. 

“Huh? That reminds me of Discord,” said Pinkie Pie, scratching her chin with a hoof.

“If he’s a chimera, he’d be an incredibly powerful one,” said Obsidian. “Most of them can’t amount to much more than a vivid dream, or a nightmare. It is actually an overstatement to call them creatures. Then again, it is not impossible. Dissonance has surely created weirder things than that.”

“So, you say these things can help us?” said Applejack.

Obsidian nodded. His staff tapped on the ground and the ponies in cages stirred. As they rose to standing positions, their coats flaked away into nothing, leaving only outlines of pure blackness. 

“These chimeras are a bit unusual,” said Obsidian, as the silhouettes oozed through the bars of the cages and formed a rank in front of him. “They have been formed by the Void Passage itself, designed to act as antagonists in the test scenarios. They are a part of this place, and this means we know exactly what they’re made of. We can redesign them to serve whatever purpose is needed. If a distraction is required, they fit our needs perfectly. They will be able to take whatever form we need of them, and they can hold their own for some time. Most importantly, you won’t have to sacrifice any actual ponies to buy you time. Believe me, this is a luxury few of your predecessors could afford.”

“It still doesn’t feel quite right…” said Fluttershy with hesitation. “what happens to them when they…?”

“To die, one first has to live,” said Obsidian. “The spell that makes them be will be broken, and the Void Passage will form new ones over time. For them it will be no different than ending a test.” 

He gestured towards one of the shapes. The shadow pony slithered towards Fluttershy and stopped opposite her. Suddenly its surface rippled and fresh fur sprouted out of it. Within seconds, a perfect clone of Fluttershy was looking at her timidly from under the pink mane.

“See, when chimeras transform,” explained Obsidian, “they don’t just mime the appearance like changelings do. They incorporate the memories that define their form, truly becoming the mask they wear. Right now, this chimera is Fluttershy, as far as the Void Passage can understand it. Now, if it were to transform again…”

The copy Fluttershy mumbled a goodbye and then melted away, the butter yellow coat replaced with rough, brown feathers. Gilda towered over the real Fluttershy with a menacing smirk.

“... the previous role will be gone, replaced by a new one. The feelings that form its personality will be very real, but none of them really belong to it. It is like a coat hanger we hang different costumes on.”

“Hey, that’s a mean way to say that,” said Gilda before dissolving again, the shadow form retreating back into the rank.

“Well, it is true,” said Obsidian. “That’s how you make advanced illusions too.”

“This is like a more advanced way of how Nightmare Moon created her Shadowbolts,” said Twilight Sparkle. 

“I believe so,” said Obsidian. “With you being both here and in the Crystal Tower, the Elements will be able to open the way for them and provide them with enough magic to resist the push of reality until their job is done. Now we just need to decide what roles do we want them to play.”

“This is fascinating,” said Twilight Sparkle, “in a… little bit creepy way. Have you ever done this before?”

Obsidian smiled. “No. After all the centuries of using the Void Passage, It only occurred to me today. It’s wonderful how many new ideas you can come up with once you stop obsessing over being trapped in a cage.”

***

Pierce held his breath, and listened intently.. There was no mistake. Somewhere in the corridors, somepony was moving, trying to make as little noise on the stone floor as possible.

The unicorn lit up his horn, pulling a pair of needles from under his coat. 

Nopony’s supposed to be in this section. Dr Stone and Bluebonnet are asleep. I don’t think we have any constructs there. Nopony else would care about the noise… Looks like we have an intruder. But why aren’t the alarms reacting?

He passed an alcove where an animated armor was standing guard, the blue pinpricks of light in its eye slits indicating passive guard mode. He listened closely and caught, once again, the sound of shuffling hooves.

I can do it better, he thought, putting the needles away for a moment to cast a different spell. A soft glow covered his hooves, muffling the sound of his steps. Pierce moved forward, taking a turn into a different tunnel, one that he knew would bring him into a position to ambush the intruder.

Half a minute later, Pierce stopped at the edge of a corridor crossing. He knew the shadow would not betray his position - the dim light balls along the ceiling provided clear, but very even illumination, casting no silhouettes on the floor. The stallion drew his needles again, careful to make the glow of his horn as soft as possible. 

Any moment now…

The steps approached. Pierce held his breath and waited. He finally saw a pony emerge from behind the corner.
The needles froze, stopped at the last moment. Pierce released his breath in a sharp gasp, causing the other pony to make a startled gasp of her own.

“Tourmaline?! What are you doing here at this hour?” he hissed through clenched teeth. “I almost shot you.”

The filly looked him in the eyes. For a second she looked scared, but then calmed down immediately. 

“I couldn’t sleep. I can’t go outside right now, so I took a walk here.”

Pierce huffed through his nostrils. The filly was wearing her protective goggles and one of her toolbelts.

“In a restricted area? I may not be one of you science ponies, but I’m not an idiot, miss. You’ve bypassed the security systems. Just what are you up to, Tourmaline?”

Tourmaline sighed. “I was looking for Scootaloo. I haven’t seen her for days, and mom wouldn’t tell me anything, so I decided to find her and see if she’s okay.”

Pierce relaxed, the needles returning into the holsters inside his coat. “Your friend isn’t here. Dr Stone has decided that she can’t let her memories accumulate, so she’s sedating her until Princess Luna has the time to make her forget all about this place. You won’t be able to talk to her until all of this is over.”

Tourmaline closed her eyes and for a moment mulled over something in silence. When she opened her eyes again, she had a pleading expression. “In that case, could you please take a gift from me for her? I’d like her to get it when she wakes up.”

“If she’s going to forget all this, I don’t think it’s wise,” said Pierce. “What would it be?”

Tourmaline looked up at her forehead. 

“I’d like her to have my goggles. They’re better than the ones she’s using and I know she always wanted to have ones like mine, but I’ve always had other things to tinker with and-”

Tourmaline stopped, surprised. She looked at Pierce nervously.

The unicorn was standing there, as if frozen in place, staring at the mint-green filly in front of him with an expression of utter, paralysing horror.
> Chapter 22: The Clash
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Is everypony ready?" asked Twilight.

The ponies gathered around the circle nodded. The black shapes amassed around them did not, but the darkness seemed to deepen where their eyes should be.

“That’s my line, I think,” said Obsidian. He was standing in the center, mirroring his position in the Crystal Tower. He closed his eyes and turned towards Twilight. 

“Remember to keep maintaining the spell once we get back. We need the connection to stay on long enough for the chimeras to ride it after us.”

“I know,” muttered Twilight under her breath. She closed her eyes too, and the tiara on her head started glowing. One after another, the other Elements joined the spell, the light from their foci spiralling over Obsidian and joining in his staff, just as they had before. 

The discharge was even stronger than the first time, an explosion of magic that seemed to carry the seven ponies in its shockwave, incomparable to the gentle departure back when they left the Tower of Lost Thought. The journey ended as rapidly as it started, with a sudden feeling of slamming back into their bodies. Even before they opened their eyes, the hiss of wind in their ears told them that the magical vortex was still swirling around them.

“Keep it stable now!” shouted Obsidian, his staff pulling harder, the vortex compressing into a funnel around its shaft. 

The girls focused harder, the light of their Elements intensifying. 

“Get ready to let go,” shouted Obsidian over the noise of the vortex. “Now!”

WIth a soft pop, the lines of magic disconnected from the foci, the vortex collapsing into a thin column of swirling light. Obsidian looked at it with satisfaction. “You keep improving. With things like this, an hour of practice is worth days of lectures.”

“What is this thing?” asked Spike, peering from behind the cover of the door.

“A conduit we have created to Dissonance,” replied Twilight, “so Obsidian could bring in-”

“- his friends on the other side!” finished Pinkie enthusiastically, putting a tall, black top hat on Obsidian’s head.

The stallion turned around rapidly, rearing up and pulling the hat off his head. It was black with a red ribbon, and there was a skull and crossbones on the front of it. Obsidian scowled.

“First of all, they’re not my friends. And this hat looks ridiculous on me. What does it even…”

He pushed the hat back to Pinkie, and paused in thought. “Wait… that’s one of these things that only make sense to Laughter, isn’t it?”

Pinkie scratched her head. “I dunno. I’ve never met any other Laughter.”

“Surprise did it a lot,” he said. 

“Surprise?” Pinkie raised an eyebrow. “Was she the Laughter in your times?”

Obsidian nodded. “She was. A great friend, though we often couldn’t quite understand her. She would make seemingly nonsensical comments, make logical connections that made sense to nopony but herself. Many wondered if she was insane, but in the end, she was always right. Those were no delusions. She was a mare of great insight, who understood everypony around her, and could always find some good in everypony. That’s what made her such a good eulogist.”

Everyone stared at Obsidian. 

“E… eulogist?” stuttered Fluttershy.

The stallion shrugged.

“Sometimes the best you can do for your friends is remember them fondly. But you haven’t come here to listen to sappy stories, have you? Let’s get this show started.”

He stomped his hoof, and the circle on the ground flashed white, the protective spells around the room unravelling slowly, the gathered ponies moving away from the circle while observing the transpiring event intently. Once Obsidian was satisfied with the effects of his magic, he stomped again. The wind suddenly picked up, growing into a cacophony of whispers, before the column of light expanded again, dark shapes spiralling outwards from it, changing hues until they were streaks of shifting colors, flying past the gathered ponies and out through the door.

“You know the roles you’re to play!” shouted Obsidian behind them.

The light went out, and Obsidian’s staff returned to his side. 

“What now?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Now,” said Obsidian, “we move out. We need to be there on time for our diversion.”

***

"Where are you carrying me?" complained Tourmaline loudly, dangling awkwardly in Pierce’s telekinetic grip. 

The stallion turned another corner, heading straight to the nearest cellblock.

“Somewhere safe,” he said through gritted teeth.

He reached a cell door, and stopped, putting his right hoof to his chest where he knew a pair of broken sunglasses were resting in his pocket. 

The colt turned around, reaching for his bags. “He also said to give you those.” He retrieved a folded pair of sunglasses. As soon as Pin freed his mouth by grabbing the glasses with telekinesis, he added, “He said they’re for you, cause he knows you always wanted to have them.”

With a deep sigh he opened the door and shoved the filly inside. As soon as Tourmaline regained her footing, she turned, facing him with a pout. 

“What is all that about?” she asked.

Pierce looked down on her. “You tell me, miss. What exactly were you planning to do tonight?”

Tourmaline’s expression didn’t change. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said.

Pierce sighed, then looked at her sternly. “You don’t? Well, I don’t either. But I’ve seen this story unfold once before, and I refuse to do so again. What would your mother think?”

That did get a reaction out of her. Tourmaline’s pupils widened, and in that moment Pierce knew, with frightening certainty, that he was right.

“My mother is a mare of logic,” she said in a forcibly calm tone. “She knows I wouldn’t do anything stupid-”

She was interrupted by Pierce’s magic yanking her into the air once again. The unicorn’s aura flipped the filly around, combing through her mane and tail, pulling out all the small tools she had concealed on her body. Pierce made all the items float into his pocket.

“Well, she will, because you aren’t going to do anything. Whatever it is you’re planning, it must involve the current… disturbance. So, you’ll be a good pony, and stay here until tomorrow, and then I will talk to your mother… and perhaps Dr.Stone on what to do to help you.”

Tourmaline shifted uncomfortably. “You… can’t do that!”

Pierce turned red. “I can’t? I can’t!? Listen, kid. I watched my best friend bleed to death before my eyes because I wasn’t smart enough to realise what he was planning. He thought he was so smart, but in the end he wasn’t lucky enough, and… I wasn’t there for him. I… will… not… let that happen again.”

He turned, and slammed the door. Tourmaline listened to the door being locked, then to Pierce’s hoofsteps moving away. She kept listening, but the sound didn’t disappear. 

He’s pacing in front of the cell, she realised. 

The cell didn’t have a window like the one Scootaloo had been kept in, just an eyehole in the door, but the rhythm of steps left no doubt about the situation. After a moment, the filly walked towards the small bed at the other end of the room. There was nothing to do now, but think, plan, and wait. This she was good at.

***

The teleport spell brought the seven ponies high into the clouds above Canterlot. They huddled together in the gondola of a tiny dirigible that served as their means of transportation, the night wind whistling around them. 

Rainbow Dash was the first to leave, hopping out and dragging the nearest cloud over the airship, to hide its presence. 

Obsidian closed his eyes, and focused. The Elements looked at him expectantly.

“It doesn’t seem we’ve been detected yet,” he finally said. “At least by magical means. Guards are a different matter altogether. Rainbow Dash?”

“Yes,sir.” said Rainbow Dash. Then she stopped, staring at her own snout in confusion. “I mean, I’ll take a look,” she finally mumbled, before taking off and diving into the nearest cloud. 

They sat in silence, waiting. Minutes passed until finally Pinkie Pie perked up, pointing her hoof far away in excitement. Applejack’s hoof covered her mouth, muffling what would have been an excited shout. Everypony looked in that direction. Now they could all see what Pinkie had - far in the distance there were flashes of flame visible among the clouds.

“Looks like we’re about ready to go,” said Obsidian. Then his ear twitched. He turned around slowly, just in time to see Rainbow Dash emerge from the darkness.

“Report,” he said in a stage whisper.

“I counted two dozen pegasi patrolling around the mountain, but it seems most of them are moving now. Looks like it’s working,” said Rainbow Dash.

Obsidian nodded his head in contentment. “Miss Pie, please take us lower. We’ll take care of the remaining guards before stage two starts.”

Behind him Pinkie Pie started twisting in what space was available, turning cranks and levers. Twilight turned around, enclosing the small propeller on the back of the vehicle in a bubble of silence. Slowly the dirigible pointed towards the mountain, and started descending. Obsidian closed his eyes, and focused.

***

It wasn't a complicated task. Fly over some town outside Canterlot. Roar, breathe some fire. Wait for the Wonderbolts to arrive. Breathe some more.

Right now the green dragon was surrounded by about two dozen pegasi, who were flying around trying to limit its movements, while the three boldest ones were making fly-by attacks. The dragon released a puff of flame, forcing the attackers to swerve out of the way, making sure they wouldn’t get anywhere near its wings.

Then there was a blue unicorn standing on its nose, looking sternly into its eyes.

The dragon stopped rapidly, breaking its flight with a flap of wings that blew the nearest pegasi away. It shook its head vigorously, but the unicorn managed to stay on, seemingly without effort.

“You are a diversion, aren’t you?” he asked lazily.

“And you are Guilt,” said the dragon.

“If you know who I am,” said the unicorn, “then you know it is death to face me. How did they get you to come here anyway?”

“I have been ordered,” replied the dragon, “and death is not an issue to me. I exist to keep you busy, and you can’t ignore me, or else whatever I do will be your fault, won’t it?”

Around them, the pegasi all stood their ground, but did not continue their attacks, instead observing the confrontation, trying to understand what was going on.

Enigma kept his position, but swung one foreleg to the side, a thin blade extending from his bracer. “That’s why you’re flying right over the town, so I can’t cut your wing membranes. You’re underestimating me.”

The dragon chuckled. “Oh, no, I’m not. I know exactly who you are, Guilt. What you’re capable of.”

Without moving a muscle, Enigma shifted forward, his blade now well within swinging reach of the dragon’s giant eyeballs. His face was starting to show the first signs of anger.

“You don’t sound like any dragon I’ve met,” he said. “Come to think of it, I think I’ve met all the dragons old enough to be of this size. With what you’ve said so far, I believe you are no dragon at all.”

He pointed the tip of his blade at the eye. “What are you, really?”

The eye glowed briefly, and then turned translucent, like a plain glass window or a surface of a pond. From the darkness on the other side, a pony looked at Enigma with a condescending smirk, a pale grey pegasus stallion with sharp fangs and a moon behind a cloud for a cutie mark.

“Can’t you guess it yourself?” he said, staring into Enigma’s eyes, “I’m everypony you’ve ever failed.”

***

"Don't come back until morning," said Obsidian slowly. The guard saluted and then flew away, his expression blank.

Obsidian turned to face the girls. “See? Nopony got hurt, just like you wanted. Now, let’s see that ledge.”

He jumped out of the airship and onto the rock ledge in front of him, his staff propping him from the side as he balanced on a path barely wide enough to support a pony his size. The girls waited as he walked closer to where the entrance into the mountain was hidden. The stallion’s staff flashed as he tapped it lightly on the walls.

“The first line of alarm spells is off,” he said. “You can hop in.”

A moment of awkward shuffling followed, the six mares using a combination of teeth, hooves and telekinesis to get the flightless members of the group safely onto the ledge. They followed Obsidian, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash flapping behind them, ready to catch anypony who stumbled. Pinkie Pie was the first to follow Obsidian into the darkness.

“Wooow,” she said, a bit louder than it was appropriate, “It’s all just like in your dream.”

“That was the point,” said Obsidian, “except there are traps and alarms here. Nopony move ahead of me. And stay silent. We need to reach our positions before the alarm is sounded. I don’t want any distractions.” 

They moved down a flight of stairs, then through the winding tunnels, Obsidian leading the way. Twilight watched him work, taking in the details as he located and unravelled one alarm spell after another. 

The first device is just behind the corner, she realised. We will soon face princess Celestia. What am I going to do?. 

Swallowing loudly, Twilight turned around to look at her friends, desperate for any distraction. The Elements were formed in a tight group with Rainbow Dash and Pinkie on the sides, Fluttershy and Rarity in the center, and Applejack covering the rear. They were lightly armored, but all were wearing helmets, even Rarity, who for once did not complain about her appearance. They all looked serious, even Pinkie Pie, in her own, overly energetic way. 

Are they really so determined? thought Twilight, Or are they just trying to look tough? Am I the only one whose stomach is twisting at the thought of what we’re going to do?

Obsidian turned the corner, and stopped, his staff scanning the area around a bulky metal device covered in twisted pipes. 

The girls stopped behind him, joining in gradually, until they were all staring over his shoulders. Obsidian kept examining the device, 

“There is no magic in it,” he finally said, “it’s not a bomb. I can’t detect any poison in it either.” He closed his eyes for a moment. “Our diversion is almost ready.”

With a wave of his staff, a bubble of silence expanded in the room. Then the staff fell, smashing through the device. A very distinct nothing happened. Obsidian dismissed the field with a shrug.

“Perhaps it’s just here to waste your time?” suggested Applejack, poking the junk on the floor with her hoof.

Obsidian frowned in thought. “That’s… possible. But if it is a bluff, it’s an effective one. We cannot ignore it.”

There was a distant whine of an alarm horn. Everypony looked in that direction. 

“And here is our cue,” said Obsidian. “The time for stealth is over. Go, and remember to stick to the plan. I’ll be joining you shortly.”

He then rushed down the corridor, the staff projecting a blue cone in front of him as he ran. 

The girls looked at each other. Twilight swallowed.

“Well, it’s time for us, girls,” she said. “Let’s go save your families.”

She stumbled toward the exit, trying to look confident as she started to weave her own protections. Halfway through she felt a touch on her withers - Fluttershy walked up to her, and put her in a comforting wing hug.

“We’ll do it together,” she said softly.

Twilight Sparkle felt her fears fading, giving way to a feeling of warmth. She exhaled, and smiled. “Thank you, Fluttershy. We will. Now, everypony follow me.”

***

Pierce was getting tired of pacing back and forth. The only thing that kept him from taking a break was that he knew it was the best way to ensure he stayed awake. He was about to take a short break anyway, when the alarm sounded, shaking him fully awake in an instant. Reflexively, he made sure all his weapons were in place.

It’s on this floor, he realised. It should be in the upper levels. What are they doing here? Have they entered through the palace? 

“Hey, what’s going on?!” he heard Tourmaline shout from behind the cell door. 

“This does not concern you!” he barked, turning away from the cell door and listening intently. 

What he heard was not good news. A distant explosion echoed over the sound of the alarm.

Instantly, Tourmaline’s voice grew panicked. “What’s going on!? Something’s just blew up. You cannot keep me locked up here if there’s a fire!”

Pierce looked down the corridor, then towards the door. “This place is well away from anything flammable. You should be safe if you stay here. I… need to go. Sit tight. I’ll be back as soon as the alarm is over.”

Taking one last look at the door, he ran down the corridor towards where he had heard the explosion. 

Tourmaline listened to him go. She then took a deep breath and approached the door. 

It was similar to the one in her own bedroom, sturdy and with no access to the hinges from the inside. But Tourmaline had learned long before that every door had some sort of a weakness. 

She turned, and tapped her hoof on the doorframe, then scraped her hoof upwards. The loosely attached horseshoe came off, a tiny hidden compartment on the inside surface spilling a small toolset on the floor. Tourmaline bent forward, picking the first tool with her lips.

***

Celestia felt the intruders long before they entered the hangar; four ponies breaking through the compound towards her position, with no regard for the alarm spells. She focused, and listened, her ears picking up more sounds. The intruders were the main source of noise, but not the only one.

Casting a quick spell, the princess silenced the alarm. She needed no distractions now. Still as a statue she stayed on her spot, waiting for the ponies to approach.

And approach they did. Celestia blinked in surprise. This was not what she had expected.

They were three mares and a stallion, two unicorns and two pegasi, all covered in armor. Three of them were wearing gorgets with glowing gems. The stallion, a red pegasus, was wearing a streamlined helmet with a big red gem replacing his right eye. 

As the four entered the hangar, one of them, a white pegasus flew towards the cages. The two unicorns stopped in the center of the room, a ring of violet hexagonal force shields springing into existence around them. They looked around warily, before charging up their gems, shooting two beams of energy straight at the balcony where Celestia was concealed.

The magical veil fell as metal and stone shattered, the magical beams colliding with a golden barrier that Celestia conjured up at the last moment. She was revealed, standing on the balcony, dressed in gilded armor with slender blades running along the edges of her wings. The princess took a fighting stance, the two pegasi already charging at her through the clearing smoke.

“Your time has come!” shouted the red stallion, flying at Celestia with a pair of curved blades extending from his bracers. The princess jumped forward and to the left, blocking the oncoming points, the weapons colliding in a shower of magical sparks. The pegasus pushed on, his magical aura flaring up as the red gem in his face lit up, but Celestia pushed him off regardless, just in time to spin in the air and out of the way of the other attacker, her wing blade swinging at the level of the white mare’s throat as she flew past.

“You’re not Shooting Star,” stated Celestia coldly. “I saw him die.” 

Behind her the other pegasus stopped, seemingly beheaded by Celestia’s counter, before her head popped up impossibly from inside her collar, accompanied by a small puff of confetti. “We can’t die until you’re stopped,” she said, turning around with a sharp-toothed grin.

Celestia used a hard flap of her wings to send herself flying backwards, and then bucked hard, propelling the mare into a hangar wall.

“Are you trying to scare me?” asked the princess, teleporting away as the stallion charged her again. She appeared over the two unicorns, a sharp sheet of stone shooting from the floor right in front of them as they tried to get to the cages. “You’re impostors,” she continued as she landed hard with her hooves, the mares teleporting out of her way. “Poor copies.”

Two energy blasts came her way. She formed a bubble, and exploded it outwards, sending the shots back at the attackers. The white unicorn blocked her own shot. The lilac one was a bit too slow, the attack glancing off her protections and knocking her off balance. 

Before she could recover, a stalagmite shot from the floor, piercing through her torso with such force it lifted her into the air. Celestia conjured another force bubble, watching as the body dissolved into wisps of black, leaving nothing behind.

“That was an insult to Diamond Dust,” said Celestia. The other three ponies assaulted her barrier, but she just blasted them away again, teleporting into the air to follow up with a series of slashes at Shooting Star. Her horn flashed brightly, bathing the hangar in blinding radiance.

“You need more than that, monster” spat the pegasus back at her, closing his good eye, but still keeping up with her.

“A monster?” Celestia’s face turned into a mask of pure disdain. “And what are you then?” 

She saw a shape in the corner of her eye, and turned just in time to block. The white pegasus pounced at her, fangs bared, oversized sunglasses perched on her muzzle. “Surprise!” she yelled as she swung her hoof blades down on the alicorn.

Celestia rolled with the attack, allowing the impact to send her flying before turning around and breaking her fall, landing back on the balcony. She shielded herself from a shot coming at her from the ground level, then fired one of her own, hitting Shooting Star square in the chest as he flew at her, sending him flying away.

With a loud noise the ruined metal railing in front of her ripped itself out of the balcony, and twisted, lashing out like a snake and grabbing the white pegasus before she could retreat. The mare screamed, first in surprise, then in pain as the merciless metal coiled tighter and tighter around her body. Celestia flew forward, her horn ablaze once again, and stabbed with it, dealing the final blow.

“There,” she said. “Just two of you left. Now this can’t be all. Where are the real Elements of Harmony?”

The two ponies looked at her, then at each other. But the question was answered without their input, six mares rushing into the hangar to join the battle, a purple wedge of magic pushing ahead of them.

The alicorn princess nodded in satisfaction. “Finally.”


***

Pierce skidded to a halt as the second explosion sounded. He inched away from the cloud of smoke coming from the open door, hoping it wasn’t anything poisonous. His ears moved, searching for the sound of any intruders.

He didn’t have to search long. There was a loud bang one intersection down the corridor, and after a second a helmet from an animated armor rolled from behind the corner, the lights in its eye slits fading as it came to a stop. 

Pierce cast a spell to muffle his hoofsteps, and then ran straight into the corridor, sliding from behind the corner, needles ready to fire. He just managed to catch a glimpse of a pony disappearing behind another corner. Three needles flew after the intruder, and as Pierce sent an impulse of magic to adjust their direction in flight, he knew they found their mark. He started after his target, expecting to hear the sound of a falling body at any moment. Yet there was just the clopping of running hooves on the stone floor.

Three hits should have taken him down. Is he immune, or just armored? he thought as he ran, holding his breath as his path took him to another patch of smoke.

The intruder ran into one of the labs. It was, Pierce realised, the chemical lab where the first explosion took place, but what fire there was had already burned itself out, leaving mostly smoke. No longer able to hear his target, Pierce looked warily around, searching for a possible ambush. 

There was a crack under his hoof as he stepped in some broken glass. Then he saw movement in the corner of his eye, and teleported out of the way, just as a small cabinet was kicked through where he had stood a second before. He turned, and shot a trio of needles at the enemy stallion, one for each foreleg and through the neck. There was a sound of more glass breaking as the intruder fell back among the cluttered tables.

Coughing from the smoke, Pierce approached the prone shape. He pulled three more needles just in case. The intruder was not moving, his body covered by a coat that obscured most details, only the minty green legs visible from underneath. Pierce wondered if he was wearing some armor under it too.

Then he saw the blood, trickling from under the body and spreading on the floor.

He shouldn’t be bleeding that much, he thought, not from the needles. Or did I hit an artery?

Then something clicked in his mind. Pierce stopped, the needles quivering in his telekinetic grip. The blood, the shattered glass, the smoke, the coat, and the minty green fur underneath. His breath stuck in his throat, he pulled with his magic, turning the body over, knowing even before he did that he would see a familiar face.

“Uh, Hi,” whispered Smarts, coughing out blood. “How are my glasses?”

Pierce blinked, trying to make sense of the situation. As if guessing his thoughts, the earth pony turned his head to look at him, “No changeling, I’m afraid. I don’t bleed green… or anything.”

Pierce’s expression turned from confused to angry. “I saw you die.”

“And you’re going…” replied Smarts, fighting a coughing fit “to see it again. Funny thing… blowing up the lab was the best way to… get your attention.”

Pierce leaned closer, his weapon needles floating down to the ground, momentarily forgotten. “What are you saying? What’s going on?”

Smarts rolled his eyes, then closed them, as the gesture made something well up in his throat. Finally swallowing, he looked back at Pierce and smirked. “What… do you think is going on? Somepony wanted to end the big war once and for all. So… I’ve been sent to death again.”

Pierce stared at him. “What? But… you weren’t. I didn’t send you to death. You did it yourself. You knew it was crazy! I… wasn’t able to save you, but…”

“But that’s not what you’re… blaming yourself for, is it? That’s not why you wanted to die… or have you forgotten?” whispered Smarts. He smiled, and Pierce could see his teeth stained red. “It’s what you said… what you made me do… You say it was my choice, but what other choice did you leave me?”

Pierce started grinding his teeth, small tears forming in the corners of his eyes. “It wasn’t like this! I Didn’t want that!”

Smarts nodded his head. “I know, you didn’t. That’s why you make such a good servant… a slave to guilt… always eager to atone… to do his best… That’s why you’re here… taking care of her.”

Pierce waited for more words to come, but none did. Smarts was staring at him motionless and silent. The unicorn knelt down, suppressing a sob, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Suddenly Smarts’s eyes opened wide, and he breathed right in Pierce’s face, “You will fail again.”

His form blackened and exploded into a mass of shadows, pushing Pierce away, and sending him rolling through the ruined lab. For a moment everything went black.

***

Pierce awoke with a start. He was on the cold stone floor, among the wrecked lab equipment. He could feel the pricks from some shards of glass he had rolled over. His face was covered with a mess of soot mixed with tears. He stumbled back on his hooves, trying to make sense of the situation.

It was some kind of a monster… it must have hypnotized me or something. I shouldn’t have fallen for it that easily. It took the shape of Smarts to catch me off guard, but… how did it know all that? And why didn’t it kill me?

He stood there for a moment, replaying the conversation in his mind, picking out important details from between painful memories.

“You will fail again.”

Pierce’s stomach twisted with horror. He spun around and ran out of the lab, galloping back towards the cell blocks.

***

“There she is!” shouted Pinkie Pie, rearing up to point her hoof at the princess. 
Twilight’s wedge of force dispersed, turning into wisps of purple that flew around the room, arcing from wall to wall. Twilight watched them intently even as she replaced the wedge with another barrier, a ball encompassing her and her friends.

The two remaining ponies landed on the balcony, one flying, the other teleporting, surrounding Celestia from the sides.

Celestia paid them no mind. “Welcome, Twilight. I don’t see Obsidian with you. Does it mean you’ve seen through him already?”

Twilight did her best not to look at her former mentor. She watched as the last of her sparks disappeared into the walls. “No traps, I think. Now, girls, as we practiced!” she shouted. 

Her friends formed at her sides and above her. Six gemstones, real ones this time, lit up, the light flowing into Twilight Sparkle.

The floor shook right underneath Twilight, but the unicorn’s barriers held. On the balcony, spikes of stone shot out against the two faux elements, but they both moved out of the way, shattering the stone with single blows. 

Celestia focused, but did not shoot a beam. Instead her spell erupted in golden rings, spreading from her like waves on water before disappearing into the walls. Behind her, the device on the balcony sputtered to life.

***

Obsidian dashed through the dimly lit corridors. He wasn’t teleporting, not out of concern for tripping alarms, which was pointless at this point, but fearing some more complex anti-intrusion spells; getting his teleport forcefully redirected would be bad at this point.

He had just reached the third device, shattering it without breaking stride, when he felt a magical disturbance spreading. It went right through him with no effect, but by the time he reached another device, he knew the spell was merely a signal. 

Then the device activated, and suddenly he felt his magical senses collapse around him. He now knew what the machines did.

***

Twilight was almost ready to shoot when her barrier started shimmering, almost fading for a moment. Then Celestia pointed her horn at the ceiling, and a cube of stone, bigger than Twilight’s entire bubble, fell on top of the Elements. Twilight couldn’t hold the barrier, only managing to make it burst like a bubble, spreading her friends around and out of the way. Once she managed to return to her feet, she saw the hangar changed.

None of the objects in the hangar had moved, apart from the giant stone block and the cloud of dust it created. But even so, everything seemed different. The colors were duller, the edges sharper. Suddenly Twilight realised that she could see much more details than normally - in the corner of her eye she could see single hairs in her mane. 

But what was more important, she felt that the spells Obsidian had made her cast on herself during preparations were fading one by one. She focused on her horn, and found it way harder than usual. 

What is going on? she thought.

On the balcony, the two chimeras swayed, suddenly indistinct black shapes, as their disguises were stripped away. They blurred, struggling to stay upright for a moment before unravelling with a gasp. Celestia looked down onto the hangar floor.

“Look out!” shouted Twilight. She cast her next spell not with her horn, but with her Element, directing it at the floor beneath their feet, a split second before the stone erupted with long spikes. The film of purple force field could not stop the attack, but gave her friends a second more to escape. For a moment everypony was busy keeping themselves alive, the thoughts of teamwork forgotten as the survival instinct took over.

In front of Twilight, Rainbow Dash leapt into the air, avoiding two spikes that would have trapped her on the ground. She flew straight at Celestia, a nimbus of red light forming around her. 

“No! Don’t!” shouted Twilight, but Rainbow didn’t seem to hear her. Celestia leaned forward, and the balcony became a viciously spiked rampart. 

Dash is slower too, realised Twilight.

The pegasus spread her wings wide, losing her momentum with a single, powerful flap, just inches from the pointy doom. She took off, even as the balcony stretched after her. The structure folded back, just before it would've collapsed under its own weight. Celestia watched the pegasus fly away, and then stared intently at the air between them. Her horn sparked, and the air along the hangar ceiling turned ablaze, the explosion tossing Rainbow Dash towards the ground.

The pegasus spun, recovering from her fall and landing on all fours. She sprang back into the air before another attack could reach her. Celestia was about to strike at her again, but right then Twilight tossed a couple of broken stalagmites her way, forcing her to form a stone barrier instead.

“Everypony okay?” called Rainbow.

There was a series of grunts in confirmation. 

“Something’s wrong with our magic,” said Rarity. She was casting her spells anyway, the violet glow from her Element streaking in twisting lines to reach her companions.

“We’ve got to end this before more of them come,” said Applejack, looking up at the balcony with a worried expression.

“And why would they?” came a voice from above. The stone shell opened, Celestia walking out with all her practiced majesty. “I am the one who made you who you are. What you have become is my responsibility and mine alone. And I have more than enough power to put a stop to this disaster on my own.”

“A disaster?!” shouted Twilight, the gem on her forehead glowing brighter, some of the protective enchantments returning to her armor. “Is that what I am to you!?” She fired a beam, but Celestia stepped off the balcony, allowing the shot to pass above her as she spread her wings.

Twilight felt something strange in the air around her. She had just enough time to comprehend her predicament, when a sudden gust of wind blew the forming poison away from her. Pinkie Pie put the bellows back inside her mane.

“Focus, girls!” shouted Rainbow Dash, “Don’t give her more time.” She charged straight at Celestia, who responded by swinging her wing blades, the air around her twisting to push Dash off course and onto an oncoming blow. Sparks flew as metal collided with metal, the pegasus twisting away into a barrell roll that kept her just out of range. 

Celestia’s horn sparked again and the middle of the room exploded. Twilight could only roll with the impact, her hastily erected shield too weak to keep her safe. 

Applejack ran out of the swirling dust, launching herself at the princess. The two ponies collided with a mighty clang, and the alicorn was forced back, robbing her of the chance to use her opening.

Celestia exhaled, and her breath turned into acid. Applejack flinched away with a yelp, squeezing her eyes shut.  The alicorn dashed forward with a stab, aiming her wing blade at the exposed flesh just above the collar of the earth pony’s armor.

A rhomboid of purple light appeared in front of Applejack. It shattered from Celestia’s blow, and disappeared, but stopped the blade from reaching its intended target. As Applejack turned around, and bucked in Celestia’s general direction before moving away to recover, the princess was pelted with pieces of rubble Twilight and Pinkie were throwing. She frowned, and the rocks disintegrated, amounting to nothing but a cloud of dust. She stomped, and the floor rippled like water, spitting out a wave of debris that knocked the two mares off their hooves.

Rainbow Dash dove at her back from the air. Celestia’s horn sparked again and she leaned forward as the air above her exploded, tossing the pegasus away. 

Celestia looked around the room. Rainbow Dash had crashed to the ground, but recovered with a roll, and though she was singed and dazed, was already trying to get back into the air. Rarity was at the far end of the room, trying to cover herself , Twilight and Pinkie Pie with her purple shields. Applejack was hiding behind the huge stone block, an orange aura of Honesty flowing in gentle waves over her face. That left…

There was a loud noise of breaking metal; the pattern generator fell off the balcony, and hit the ground hard. Fluttershy peered from over the edge and looked down. “Um… I hope this helps.”

“No,” said Celestia, another cloud of fire expanding from her horn and engulfing the balcony, sending Fluttershy flying across the hangar, flailing widely. Rainbow Dash flew up to catch her, and Celestia prepared to hit them both with another explosion before they managed to stop. 

Her horn was about to spark when a pie hit her in the face, turning everything into a sticky mess. The alicorn glared at Pinkie through the dripping custard, and then a ring of stone walls shot up around her.

“Quickly girls, together!” shouted Twilight, charging up her Element. The others followed her example, six points of light growing in intensity.

Then the ground exploded under their feet, showering everypony with shrapnel. Twilight was thrown to the ground, and everything disappeared in a cloud of dust. She tried to get up, her ears ringing so much that for a moment she didn’t know where she was. As her power pushed, clearing the dust from around her, she could see Dash falling to the ground, apparently after shielding Fluttershy. One of the blue wings was stained red, and didn’t quite flap properly when the pegasus tried to get up. Suddenly Twilight’s own pain caught up with her, and she looked down at herself. Her chest plate was dented, and she could feel something warm trickling down her leg.

If not for my spells protecting me, I’d be…

Celestia emerged from the floor, like a surfacing fish. Her mane was no longer flowing, and her regal demeanor was all but gone. She sent another blast of fire towards Rarity, who was trying to get up, then she made a spike erupt from the floor underneath Twilight.  The unicorn rolled aside, the desperate dodge leaving her exposed as the shifting stone ripped through her armor and tore the whole chest piece away. 

Something flew through the room, hitting Celestia under her right wing, just as she reared to deliver the finishing blow. The alicorn flew away in a shower of blue sparks, coming to a stop beside the opposite wall, a dome of stone rising up to shield her. Obsidian ran into the hangar, the staff returning to his side. 

“I see I’m just in time.”

***

“Open the door!” shouted Bluebonnet for the tenth time, banging her front hooves on the entrance to her daughter’s room. There was no reply. 

For a moment Bluebonnet considered turning around and bucking at the door, but then her brain registered the fact of where she was. This door was just like all the others on the level, purposefully made sturdy enough to resist the efforts of even over-average earth pony.

“What to do, what to do?” she muttered under her breath as she looked around frantically, trying to find a solution. The labs were under attack, partially on fire, with the smoke reaching even here. And her daughter was locked up in her room and not responding!

Finally, something clicked in the mare’s head and she turned around, running down the corridor. She burst into her room and started digging through her things.

“Where is it? where is it?” she repeated, a growing hint of hysteria in her voice. She cringed as the tunnels echoed with a distant explosion many levels above her. As she did, she caught a glint of metal on one of the shelves. Grabbing the spare key with her teeth, she ran out of her room.

There was another explosion from the upper levels before she got back to the door. She almost dropped the key the first time, then almost broke it, twisting it awkwardly in her hurry to get inside. The lock opened, and she pushed the door inside.

Bluebonnet froze in surprise. During the couple minutes between the alarm waking her up and opening the door, her mind had managed to create a lot of different scenarios, each more horrible than the last. But it never occurred to her that the room would be empty.

“What? It can’t be…” said Bluebonnet, looking around the room before running out again. “Tourmaline! Where are you!?” she shouted, as she ran down the corridor, towards the smoke-filled lab rooms.

“Tourmaline!” she called again and again, until she caught a gasp of smoke and collapsed in a coughing fit.

This makes no sense. She wouldn’t be here, where it’s dangerous. She should have evacuated, she kept repeating to herself, but deeper inside her mind there was another voice, frantically pulling her towards the labs, a sinking feeling that she had missed something terribly important.

She heard hoofsteps approaching in the distance. With a lump growing in her throat she ran in that direction. She stopped in the door of what turned out to be her lab workshop. Even in her current state, she couldn’t miss the the obvious truth waiting for her inside.
. 
That’s how Pierce found her, standing there staring forward, pale on the face, as he emerged from the opposite door.

“Bluebonnet? Doctor! Tourmaline has escaped! I can’t find her anywhere!” he shouted.

Bluebonnet opened her mouth, and slowly looked upwards, as if her eyes could penetrate the many meters of rock above the ceiling.

“It’s gone… she took it.”

Pierce ran up to her, rearing up to grab her with his front hooves, and shaking her slightly. “What is gone? What are you saying?”

Bluebonnet looked him straight in the eyes.

“The prototype. She took the pattern gun.”
> Chapter 23: The Choice
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Back on your hooves! Get ready!" shouted Obsidian, sending his staff flying at the stone barrier. 

The staff struck with force that splintered the hard rock, the tip pushing through inside the barrier. Obsidian suppressed a curse, withdrawing his weapon; the dome was empty.

“She’s underground!” shouted Twilight, sending her power into the floor. She felt the stones bulge near Pinkie and Rarity, but her power net bought them enough time to avoid the shrapnel.  

Obsidian turned around, closing his eyes as if he were listening intently. “There!” he shouted, and his own spell broke the floor. For a second, an angry, white alicorn was visible, until she dove in again, sending a wave of rubble at Obsidian. The stallion jumped up, and barely avoided the attack, balancing precariously on the piled stones as they stopped against the wall.

“Focus your Elements!” he shouted, “Push away her power!”

There was something in his voice that made the six mares refocus instantly, an authority of one experienced in battle, who knew what he was doing, and could take command. One by one, the six crystals lit up brighter, the girls moving closer to each other as the world around them started to recover its colors.

Pinkie Pie’s ears twitched underneath her helmet. She reared up, bending comically backwards as a stone spike erupted from the floor underneath her. More attacks came, but the mare danced and twisted, her helmet now a yellow hat with a feather, shoving her friends out of the way of the incoming attacks. 

Rarity’s Generosity lit up, strands of power flowing into her friends, filling them with strength. Rainbow Dash folded the injured wings and focused on her hooves, standing alongside Applejack, the two following Obsidian’s directions, stomping the floor where he directed them. “Together now!” she shouted, We almost got her!”

A whirlwind rose around Twilight Sparkle, venting the air from around her, removing a pocket of gas before it could be detonated and dispersing it across the ceiling.

Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Obsidian struck as one, their unrefined strength adding to his magic to make the floor move like water, the ripples rebounding across the room until they met at the far end of it, the stone bulging and erupting upwards, spitting Celestia out of the ground. The alicorn was battered and bruised, covered in dust, small pieces of rubble falling out of her mane.

“You can’t fight us all,” said Obsidian, “Now, girls!”

Six gems lit up with blinding light. Six pairs of eyes focused on the Princess of the Sun. The chamber was illuminated with all the colors of the rainbow.

Celestia stomped her hoof, and the stone barrier behind her crumbled, revealing the cages filled with sleeping ponies. She jumped back, landing on top of the middle one.

"Do not move," she said. “You won’t be fast enough.”

The bars of the cages deformed with a whine of twisting metal. Applejack gasped. She hesitated, her power waning slightly, causing her friends to hesitate as well. The light of the Elements faded, and the moment was over.

“What are you waiting for? Shoot her!” shouted Obsidian.

Celestia looked at him with disdain. From her horn spread golden light, clearing the dust off her coat and mane. In a moment, she was regal again, her mane flowing, the dents of her armor repairing themselves. She looked down at her enemies, her breath calming down.

“They won’t attack me, Obsidian,” she said. “Unlike you, they still have somepony they want to save. I didn’t think I would have to stoop that low, but there is nothing I won’t do to save Equestria from your chaos.”

Applejack’s gem glowed brighter, and she stepped to the front of the group. “What do ya want!?” she shouted at the princess.

Celestia looked from one Element to another. “This is simple. You will surrender your Elements,and give up. Sadly, I don’t think I could undo what Obsidian has done with you, you will have to be contained for life. But you can at least have each others’ company. I can promise not to kill you. And the most important of all…” she tapped her hoof on the cage she was standing on, “your loved ones will never know this has ever happened. Unlike you, they can be made to forget things, and I have made sure they wouldn’t see too much.”

“I see this deal does not include me,” said Obsidian with a sneer. 

The alicorn turned towards her old enemy. “Of course not. You’re far too dangerous to keep alive. Besides I expect you to help me convince them by attacking me.”

Obsidian bared his teeth, and his staff started vibrating, the runes along the shaft growing slightly brighter. 

Celestia lowered her stance. “You really aren’t fast enough, but you will continue, no matter how many innocents you condemn in the process, won’t you?”  

“Don’t do anything rash, Obsidian,” said Twilight, looking sideways at the stallion.

Obsidian turned red. He turned towards Twilight, words leaving his mouth through clenched teeth. “Are you so thoroughly brainwashed, Twilight Sparkle? After all I’ve done to help you, you let her make me look like a villain while holding your friends’ families hostage? Perhaps I should let her murder you, and just start over with somepony more fitting.”

“She won’t kill us if we give up,” said Applejack. “Not that I would, but I know she’s been honest there.” She tapped her gorget with a hoof, and looked towards Celestia.

“And neither will she kill innocent ponies,” said Twilight Sparkle. 

“Are you dense?” barked Obsidian, “She already has. Thousands of them.”

Twilight flinched, as if physically struck, but did not back down. “I know. I know she was the monster you said she was. But I’ve known her all my life. Whatever she used to be, she is no more. Princess Celestia has always had the good of Equestria at heart. I know she’d never hurt her ponies like this.”

Celestia stared in silence at her former pupil. She then twisted her hoof, just a little, causing the cage beneath it to give another whine of bending metal. “You are right, Twilight Sparkle. I have always had the good of Equestria at heart. But I think you underestimate just how much I’m willing to do to protect it.”

“You were willing to make us the bearers of the Elements,” continued Twilight. “That must have been a great risk for you. But that doesn’t change a thing. The princess Celestia I know would never hurt innocent ponies.”

The other Elements joined Twilight, their foci aglow, but apart from Applejack’s, not too strongly. Obsidian stayed back, watching the situation, though his staff remained ready to strike.

“Just what are you trying to achieve here, Twilight?” asked Celestia. Her pose remained regal, but her eyes darted back and forth, trying to stay vigilant of both Twilight and Obsidian at the same time.

“I want to stop this war before anypony else gets hurt,” said Twilight. “Please, release these ponies and then… we’ll all think about how to solve this.”

“So, you don’t know what to do,” said Celestia. “You think you can find a solution to keep everypony safe, and still win, but that’s impossible.”

“Hey, we’re the Elements of Harmony!” proclaimed Rainbow Dash loudly. “Impossible is what we do.”

“Yea!” agreed Pinkie Pie, nodding vigorously.

“Oh, I’m sure it would be quite a sight,” said Obsidian, “You and the Shattered, sitting around the table, discussing the future of Equestria. How about in the Crystal Empire? Do you think Cadence has managed to get the smell of her guards’ guts out of the floor after the last time Hate visited?”

All six girls turned to glare daggers at him. Rainbow Dash looked like she was about to catch on fire.

Obsidian shrugged. “Just giving you a reality check here. I went with you on what was basically a suicide mission, and managed to make it so that you actually have a chance. Instead of using it, you’re trying to give a chance to your enemy. And every second you spend here discussing philosophy is one more second for the other Shattered to get here, and make your situation hopeless.”

“You can’t both win this fight and keep your families safe,” said Celestia. “The sooner you give up, and surrender, the less blood will be shed.”

“There doesn’t need to be any blood,” said Fluttershy, Kindness glowing brighter on her neck.

Celestia smiled, “Using your aura? So, you do doubt Twilight's assessment after all.” 

The glow dimmed, Fluttershy shrinking visibly when Twilight looked at her in surprise. “No… it’s just… I do.” She stopped, horrified, clapping her hooves over her mouth.

Twilight looked at Fluttershy, then at Applejack, then took a long, calming breath. “It’s okay to be scared, Fluttershy. And it was wise of you to try to use your power.”

“She couldn’t stop me anyway,” said Celestia. Her horn started glowing, an orb of light forming above the tip. “I have experience fighting the Elements. For example, she could stop me from releasing this spell. But what if it goes off on its own? There are many ways for you to hurt me, but If you do, this spell will explode, and I am far more fireproof than a bunch of unconscious ponies.” She smiled, the fireball growing larger above her.

“So, what will you do, Twilight Sparkle? If I am a monster as Obsidian says, are you willing to kill innocent ponies to rid Equestria of me?”

Twilight looked around at her friends. “I’m not sure I can stop this spell by myself. We could use the Elements, but then it might give her an opening. Obsidian, can you stop her if we focus on the spell?”

“So now I’m the friend you need?” said Obsidian, his staff twitching in a way that suggested he was about to smack Twilight with it. “I won’t guarantee anything, but I will try.” His staff flew in front of the girls, its tip pointing at Celestia. “I can also shield you when you get so distracted figuring what to do that she simply shoots the thing at us.”

Celestia snorted in derision, but the fireball above her stopped growing. “And if Fluttershy stops me from doing that, you won’t be able to attack me either. It seems we have a stalemate. Or will you risk all these lives trying to take me down, Twilight Sparkle? Hard choices is what it means to rule. Choose a lesser evil, or risk a greater one by always doing the right thing? This has been my burden for generations. Are you ready to take it over from me? Or do you intend to give it away to your new master?”
“He’s not my…” started Twilight angrily, almost choking as her mouth ground to a halt. “Is, he? No. He isn’t. He gives advice, but I make my own choices.” She turned towards Applejack. “Could you turn it off? It’s distracting.”

Applejack nodded absentmindedly, her eyes now focused on the cage Celestia was standing on and her family members sleeping inside. Her own mouth was moving soundlessly, struggling to keep her from asking a question that would distract her friends at the worst possible moment.The light of Honesty dimmed.

“So, there you are, Twilight Sparkle,” said Celestia. “Surrender the Elements, and save everypony but Obsidian, keep waiting, and lose everything… or strike at me and prove yourself just like me. The time to choose is now. There is no other way.”

“You don’t get to tell us what our choices are,” called a voice from among the rubble. 

Everypony looked in that direction. A small cloaked figure was picking her way across the shattered floor, walking purposefully between the upturned blocks of stone. Her cloak was stretched in a way that suggested heavy saddle bags underneath

“We’re all free, you hear me? The Elements, me, mom, Scootaloo, Mr Enigma, all of us. You don’t get to control us anymore.”

Celestia turned to look at the approaching figure, her expression turning to one of genuine surprise. “Tourmaline? How did you get here? You aren’t supposed to be here.”

The filly looked up, throwing off her hood to reveal her face. She reached under her cloak, pulling at something with her mouth. 

“Get out of here, quickly!” warned Celestia and Twilight in unison. 

“I won’t,” said the filly. “You’ve had us all trapped, princess, but I will fix everything now.”

“What?” said Celestia, confused. “What are you talking about, child?” Then her eyes caught a glimpse of the device underneath the cloak, an oblong metal object strapped to Tourmaline’s side.

The princess stopped, her eyes widening in understanding, then darting up at the explosive spell still hovering above her head. Twilight and her friends noticed that - they didn’t know what was going on, but what they did understand was enough; the six gems flared to life. Tourmaline reared, pointing the gun up, and jerked her head sideways, yanking at the rope that served as the trigger. Obsidian’s staff flew forward, runes aglow.

The emitter fired, a wide stream of silvery grey, a light both pale and blinding, all it hit suddenly visible in painful detail. The princess tried to fly out of the way, but the stream was too wide, catching her in the air, just as Obsidian’s staff flew past her, striking at the center of the fireball. The spell turned from an orb into a vortex, the staff sucking it in and shooting the excess power as a beam of fire that shot all the way across the hangar, burning a trail in the opposite wall. The power of the Elements expanded in a wave, but they were too slow to contribute - all it managed to do was shield them when Celestia’s body exploded.

There was a moment of silence, when everypony was trying to make sense of what had just happened, the smoke slowly clearing. 

Applejack was the first to act, rushing through the rubble-strewn hangar. She ran past where Celestia had been when the beam struck her, ignoring the stone under her hooves all sprinkled with red. She didn’t stop until she got to the cages and when she did, she broke the middle one open with a kick. Rarity and Pinkie Pie were close behind her.

Twilight and Rainbow Dash didn’t get quite as far. Twilight was the first to reach the body in the center of the room. Dash was about to run past, but suddenly stopped, right next to Twilight, and stared at what was before her.

They hadn’t expected anything to be there. The explosion hadn’t been big, but it was beyond obvious that it destroyed Celestia; both mares were doing all they could to ignore the wet… things, sticking to the underside of their hooves. And yet, there was a body at the ground zero of the blast, a white pegasus mare with a mane of shifting blue and pink, and an opalescent ring for a cutie mark, unconscious, but breathing slowly. Stranger still, apart from where she hit the bloodstained ground, her coat was completely clean. Twilight and Rainbow Dash stared on in confusion.

“Princess... Celestia?” started Twilight hesitantly. 

“Well, it looks like whatever that alicorn body was, it couldn’t properly exist without magic,” said Obsidian, appearing beside the two mares. His staff rose for the finishing blow, the magical aura forming a blue spear tip at the end of it. 

Suddenly, Dash lunged forward, stretching her good wing over the prone body. “No! Don’t kill me!”

Obsidian hesitated, looking quizzically at Dash. Dash looked back, her expression just as confused. 

“I… I don’t know how or why, but… somehow she’s me! I know it.”

Obsidian withdrew his blade, and stared at Rainbow Dash, then at the other pegasus. “I think I know,” he finally said. “Let me take a look at her.” He moved closer, gently pushing Dash’s wing aside, the pegasus reluctantly getting out of the way. Obsidian leaned low, over the unconscious mare’s head, as if trying to smell her breath. He closed his eyes, and for a moment, a pale blue glow flashed under his eyelids. Finally, he straightened himself, looked at Rainbow Dash, and smiled.

“You were right to stop me,” he said. “This is not Arrogance. This is Loyalty.”

“What?” said Twilight and Rainbow together, each raising one eyebrow. 

“I’ll explain later,” said Obsidian. “For now, move her with the others, and make sure she stays stable. It looks like that beam almost snuffed her out.”

“Girls?” came Fluttershy’s voice from the other side of the room, “I think I need help!” 

The rest of the Elements were busy getting their friends and families out of the cages. But the tone of growing panic in Fluttershy’s voice made them all turn in her direction. Twilight was the first to get to her side.

Fluttershy was standing over Tourmaline, trying to untangle her from her equipment. The girl was not moving, and though the red stains on her cloak were not hers, there was a trickle of fresh blood coming from underneath. The cloak was torn in places, and there was a smell of something burning. 

Twilight picked the girl up with her telekinesis, her power peeling off the cloak, then the harness underneath. The strange device had blown up, the broken chassis exposing the scorched machinery within. Twilight threw it aside, focused on the filly. She moved her close to her ear, and listened, finally giving a sigh of relief. 

“She’s alive,” she said.

“No, she’s not,” said Obsidian, his usual derisive smirk completely gone.

The two mares looked at him, not understanding.

Obsidian pushed past them, and pointed his hoof at the filly’s rump. The two mares looked, trying to see what he was pointing at. Finally, Twilight spoke first.

“She’s a grown filly. Shouldn’t she have a cutie mark?”

“I’d wager she had one until a moment ago,” said Obsidian. He pushed closer, and moved his head next to Tourmaline’s. “This is something I’ve seen before. I’ve told you how the power that created the Shattered is antithesis to magic, didn’t I? Magic is more than a power we can use. Dissonance is the source of all souls, the essence of all that lives.”

“This weapon she used was clearly created to combat magic with pattern power, just like those devices Arrogance used to set her trap. There were no such things in my time. And this one,” he said, pointing at the smoking junk at their feet, “has obviously backfired.”

He looked from Twilight to Fluttershy. “There is no magic left in this filly. She’s just like the bodies the Shattered possess. She may still be breathing, but all that made her a pony has been smothered.” 

“But…” started Twilight, “we have plenty of magic here. We could try to replace it.”

Fluttershy just stared in horror, unable to choke out a single word.

Obsidian shook his head sadly. “Can you replace a beautiful ice sculpture with a bucket of water? Or will you take a new block of ice, and try to sculpt it from memory? Better than you have tried and failed, Twilight Sparkle. Now, let us focus on the ponies we can help.”

And with that, he turned, trotting towards the cages. Twilight stayed there, staring at the still breathing body in her magical grasp. Slowly, she set it on the ground, folding the torn cloak to serve as a blanket. Her tiara lit up, the power flowing into the filly, trying to mend her wounds. Nothing happened. 

“Why isn’t it working?” said Twilight, pressing harder. 

On the other side of the room, Obsidian was doing his own magic, a transformation spell he had prepared in advance spreading from his staff over the unconscious ponies, shrinking and transforming their bodies. Within moments the horses were replaced by a group of ferrets, which Rarity picked up with her telekinesis. 

“Healing spells rely on making the body change to match its self-image of health,” called Obsidian over his shoulder. “But there’s nopony to heal there. You’re just trying to transform meat.”

“That’s a crass way to put it,” said Enigma scornfully.

Everypony turned their heads, Fluttershy jumping with a startled scream, as the blue unicorn appeared right behind her. Enigma opened his mouth to speak, then disappeared. Obsidian’s staff flew through the space where his head had been. 

Obsidian’s body erupted with blue runes, the barrier catching Enigma’s bladed foreleg as it appeared inches from his face. The unicorn shifted away, Obsidian’s staff returning to strike at him once more. 

“Charge up, everypony!” shouted Obsidian, sweeping his staff around, thin rays of fire following Enigma around the room.

Six gems lit up once more. Then the block of stone Celestia had cut out of the ceiling disappeared into the air, and fell on top of where Obsidian was standing.

“Obsidian!” shouted Rainbow Dash. Her friends were getting close together, around the broken cages. Enigma stood in front of them. He looked down on Tourmaline’s body, then slowly up into Twilight’s eyes.

“It can’t be stopped anymore. If I were you, I’d leave immediately. Envy will be here any minute, and Hate is already waking up.”

“You’re not going to fight us?” asked Twilight confusedly. Her eyes darted towards the stone block, just in time to see it start shaking with a low rumble. Enigma followed her gaze.

“No. This battle is pointless. Enough harm has been done today.”

A cloud of blue smoke erupted from under the block, swirling as it reformed into a very angry earth pony. Enigma looked at it with disdain.

“You have the war you wanted. What will you do with it now?”

Obsidian met his gaze. “I will end it.”

The blue unicorn snorted. “Do as you will. But not now and not here. Unless you want to fight in front of a grieving mother.”

His ear twitched. Obsidian followed its move, listening intently. There was a faint sound of galloping hooves closing in.

“I’ll be leaving now,” said Enigma.

“Wait!” shouted Applejack, taking a step forward, Honesty blazing on her chest. “It was you! You were in the palace!”

Enigma gave her a questioning look.

Applejack took another step. “What have you done to my sister!? Where is she?”

Enigma’s ear twitched again. The sound of hooves was getting very close.

“I didn’t do anything. I have no idea where she is,” he said. And then he was gone.

Obsidian looked at the girls, then at the pony-ferrets gathered between them. He walked towards the group, planting his staff in the middle of the circle.

“I think I’ve managed to break any wards preventing us from leaving. It is time to finish this ‘rescue’.”

The six ponies all nodded, and after a moment their magic started flowing around them, spiralling towards the staff in multicolor streaks. The spell was completed the moment two more ponies ran into the room.

No words were exchanged, but as the Elements started to disappear, Applejack managed to see Bluebonnet’s face. She could see, with horrible clarity, the palette of emotions shifting from one to another; from recognition, as the two mares’ eyes met, to panic at seeing her daughter on the ground, growing as she ran towards her, hope surging for a brief moment, only to crash down into shocked despair as the scientist got a closer look, and realised what exactly happened.

Pierce sent a salvo of needles at them, but the swirling vortex of power blew them away like straws. Applejack opened her mouth to speak, but just then the spell was complete; the ground slid away from under her hooves, as she and her friends were sent hurtling through space between dimensions.
> Chapter 24: The Aftermath
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Enigma walked slowly into the lab. He didn’t need to, but he figured it would be better that way. He let the soft clopping of his hooves on cold stone announce his presence as he approached the mare inside. 

Bluebonnet was standing at the far end of the lab, staring at a huge, glass jar filled with clear, green liquid. There was a small body floating inside, pipes and wires extending from it and out of the jar, towards a collection of beeping machines. Bluebonnet didn’t turn around when Enigma entered, only a flick of her ear signifying that she registered his presence.

He walked until he was standing right next to her. For a moment, he just stood there at her side, no sound in the room beside their calm breaths, and the soft beeping of the devices. Finally, Enigma shifted uncomfortably.

“I had hoped that bringing you two here would save her life,” he said, looking through the glass, “I was wrong.”

“You… did all you could,” said Dr.Bluebonnet. She turned her head towards him as she spoke, but when he didn’t meet her gaze, she awkwardly turned back to looking forward. “You have nothing to blame yourself for.”

Enigma took a deep breath, and this time he did turn to look at Bluebonnet. “I’m taking you out of here.”

Bluebonnet jerked in surprise, looking back at Enigma. “What? why?”

“Because,” said Enigma, “there will be a war. It is inevitable now. This conflict has already cost you your daughter. I don’t want it to cost you your life as well.”

Bluebonnet’s face shifted through conflicting feelings, the most visible being confusion. Enigma could see the slight pinkness of her eyes, a sign of the time she had spent crying.

“But-” she hesitated, “I can’t just…” She shook her head. “No, I can’t go.”

Enigma’s face tensed slightly. “Of course you can. You’ve worked with my ‘family’ long enough to know them. They may be great actors, but they’ve let you in on enough of their secrets. All you have suspected is true, and worse. You don’t need to keep working for them.”

It took Bluebonnet a moment to respond. She stared into the floor, milling her thoughts while Enigma kept looking at her expectantly.

“It’s not that simple,” she finally said. “I know what they are like, but…”

“You know nothing,” said Enigma, his nostrils suddenly flared with anger. “They are monsters. I know. I’ve been one of them for thousands of years.”

“Then why did you bring us here?” said Bluebonnet, her own face tensing. “If you knew them so well? Why did you trust them with my daughter’s life?”

Enigma flinched away as if struck. “Because I thought Gloria had changed. She’d been keeping up this charade for a millenium. I thought she’d finally become the mask she was wearing. I thought there could be some good in her icy heart after all. I offered her my services in return for Tourmaline’s health. And she cheated me.”

Enigma’s voice was stern, but calm, his anger quickly pushed under the surface. “You didn’t know that, did you? They told you it couldn’t be cured, but I’d seen Eve perform real miracles. She purposefully left the tumor in, commanded it to freeze, but left it in place, just so she could keep it hanging over my head.” 

“And how right it was,” said a voice from the console. Both ponies turned towards it in surprise. 

There was an image of Dr.Stone’s head hovering in the air, formed of deep blue light emitting from one of the outlets on the machine. 

“I thought it was cruel of the princess to do such a thing, but in the end, you’ve proven completely untrustworthy,” said the disembodied head.

Enigma tensed, ready to kick back. In the corner of his eye he saw Bluebonnet’s eyes widening in panic. Stomping his back hoof angrily into the ground, he turned towards the apparition. “Deception. What are you doing here?”

“It’s my lab. And you… know well, what,” said Dr.Stone with irritated voice. For a moment, she was Eve again, her old uncertainty clearly audible. “You waited till I was away,” she finished, glaring at him.

“Yes,” confirmed Enigma, “but there’s no point hiding it anymore. I’m taking Bluebonnet away from you. I’ll keep her safe from your evil.”

Eve’s eyes turned cold, her Dr.Stone persona back in an instant. “Like you kept her safe from the Elements of Harmony?”

Bluebonnet pushed past Enigma, facing the machine. “So, it’s true what he said? That you could have cured my daughter, but didn’t?”

“No,” said Dr.Stone. “She was cured.”

“Don’t lie,” growled Enigma through his teeth.

“I admit, such was my order,” said Dr.Stone, “but I didn’t do it. I merely kept a couple nerves off-tune to simulate the symptoms.”

Bluebonnet looked from one Shattered to the other, utter shock on her face. “What? But… why?”

“Because Gloria needed Enigma by her side, and he wanted Tourmaline to live,” said Dr.Stone. “I did what I could to stay loyal to my family, all of them, despite their disagreements. I knew your daughter would suffer for it. I tried to make it up to her by tweaking her brain to make her a little genius, so she could help her mother work, hoping she would not resent being stuck here so much. Then it was I who persuaded the princesses to let you relocate to Ponyville, so Tourmaline could make some real friends. Still, she never got the life she truly deserved… but she was never in any danger! Not until Enigma let this happen!”

Enigma’s jaw dropped. He then advanced at the machine, snarling. “You have the gall to put the blame on me!? After all you’ve done!?”

“I do,” said Dr.Stone. “I was the only one left at Gloria’s side when all of you were gone. She trusts me. And now that she has Light back, your services were no longer crucial. I had almost convinced her to let me cure Tourmaline, and release you, when the Elements disappeared. If you’d just helped us end this crisis, she’d have no arguments anymore. But you kept proving her right time and time again, ruining my efforts.”

“What else did you expect from me, keeping me like a monster on a chain?” barked Enigma.

“It wasn’t my idea,” replied Dr.Stone, her own temper visibly rising, “but it sure explains why you let that diversion hold you for so long. You knew the child could be in danger, after what Honesty’s power did to her friend. But to leave Arrogance to fight the Elements alone, after what she did to you, it was so deliciously ironic, you couldn’t resist, could you?”

The image seemed to grow bigger and brighter. Enigma was still snarling, but he actually took a step back.

“And so, the fastest pony in the world failed to show up on time, until the battle was over. Until it was too late to save those he had vowed to protect,” continued Dr.Stone. “What were you going to tell Bluebonnet if she pushed the subject? That everypony is free, and her daughter made her own choice? You love that excuse so much whenever somepony dies, and you don’t prevent it. Like with the girl’s father.”

“What?” said Bluebonnet.

“What?” said Enigma. “How did you… you were spying on me!”

The vision shrugged. “Hardly. I just ran a background check on a potential employee at Equestria’s most secret lab. I then asked her a couple of questions about her past, and since you recommended her for the job, I guessed the rest. Seems I was right too. It’s been four thousand years, and of all of us, only you haven’t changed one bit.”

Enigma turned away from the machine and towards Bluebonnet. The mare was standing there with a horrified expression, her eyes watering again, and now looking straight into his. 

The unicorn sighed deeply.

“I can’t force you to leave with me,” he said, “but I know you will want to, when you finally see her for who she really is. I won’t get in your way until then.”

And then he was gone.

An awkward silence filled the room, disrupted only by the slow beeping of the machinery. The image of Dr.Stone flickered and dimmed.

“I… will leave you as well,” said Dr.Stone, her voice softening again. “Please take... as long as you need. I can examine the emitter myself.”

“No,” said Bluebonnet, a bit too loudly. “I will do it. I was the one who built it… I… must know.”

She turned once again to look at the small, inert body inside the tank.

“Just give me some more time.”

***

"Thank you, doctor," said princess Cadence. 

“It’s been an honour, your Majesty.” The medic nodded his head, and turned to leave the room.

The blue crystal pony had spent the last couple hours examining all the ponies that the Elements have brought in, as well as the girls’ own injuries. Now that he had left, his patients resting in the Crystal Tower’s guest wing once it was certain they were in no danger, the Elements were left to their own devices.

They were standing around the table in a small council room near the heart of the tower, the five of them except Applejack, accompanied by Obsidian, Cadence, Shining Armor, and Bling. All the girls were wearing some bandages, Obsidian’s magic insufficient for healing them in a hurry; Rainbow Dash’s wing was in a sling, causing her to shift uncomfortably whenever she caught herself instinctively trying to fly up. 

Once the echo of the doctor’s hooves on the crystal floor died down, Obsidian tapped his staff on the floor. Glowing runes flew in every direction, sticking to walls and around the windows, glowing brightly for a moment before fading into nothing.

“So,” started Obsidian, “what have we achieved?” 

“We’ve saved all of the ponies we set out to save,” said Twilight, before hesitantly adding, “except Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle. We still have no idea where they are.”

“We’ve destroyed one of the princesses,” said Bling, “though if what you say is true, the monster she was will be back soon, in another body.”

“We are at war now,” said Shining Armor, “I hate to say it, but there’s no escaping it. The Equestrian army will be on our doorstep within days, perhaps hours. The lives of our subjects will depend on how well we do.”

“I was hoping for another awakening,” said Obsidian, “but it was not the case. A pity really. Another awakened bearer would have been a great help.”

“Can’t we just tell them the truth?” asked Cadence, “With the power Applejack has?”

“We can,” said Obsidian, “And I’m sure the Shattered have prepared some kind of plan against exactly that. We will try, of course. As long as Applejack is willing to do her part.”

“Why wouldn’t she?” asked Bling, raising his eyebrow. 

“Because that power is creepy,” said Pinkie Pie, “She said that’s not how Honesty’s supposed to work.”

“She’s wrong, of course,” said Obsidian. “Honesty is all about others being able to trust your word. It’s just how she’s forced to use it that’s creepy. Still, she’d better get used to it, unless she prefers to watch ponies die over watching them hear painful truths.”

Twilight frowned at him over the crystal table. “You have no idea how much truth can hurt.”

***

“You’re lying… it can’t be true,” stammered Scootaloo.

Applejack sighed sadly. “No, I’m telling ya the truth. She made some kind of weird weapon to shoot the princess with, and whatever it was, it worked, but then it blew up in her face.”

Scootaloo turned red. “No, you don’t understand! Minty is a genius! Her inventions don’t blow up. She told me herself. That thing she uses is not like magic, it doesn’t do weird things.”

“I believe you,” said Applejack. “But I saw it with my own eyes. I don’t know what happened to her weapon, perhaps there was some fault she didn’t know about, or something…”

She paused, looking at Scootaloo. The filly had stopped protesting, and now was just looking at her, her facial expression shifting slowly from anger to resignation as the news slowly settled in. 

“And… did you see her… really…” she finally managed.

Applejack nodded slowly. “I did. At first I had hope, but… Obsidian said he’d seen it before, and that she’s gone. I don’t like him, not one bit, but he knows a lot… and he never lies about such things.”

Scootaloo trembled involuntarily. She looked around the bedroom they were in, her wings opening and closing. She looked up at Applejack, and asked:

“What do we do now, Applejack? What do we do?”

Applejack walked closer, stopping chest to chest with the filly, and putting one pastern over her withers. 

“We’ll find a way. We’ll find Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. And then we’ll all go back home.”

Scootaloo, pressed forward, melting into the hug.

“I’m sorry I didn’t know where they are,” she said.

Applejack leaned forward, blowing softly into her mane. “Of course not. You were locked up, remember? You didn’t even know they were there.”

“I should have escaped,” mumbled Scootaloo into Applejack’s chest.

There was a tap on the door. Both ponies looked up.

“Yes?” asked Applejack.

Rarity poked her head into the room. 

“I’m very sorry to interrupt,” she said in a timid voice “but our mysterious guest has woken up, and Obsidian would like you to be present when we speak with her.”

Applejack looked from Rarity to Scootaloo, and sighed. “I can’t go yet,” she said, “Tell them to wait a bit.”

Rarity hesitated. “Could I... take your place here with Scootaloo? I mean, I don’t think they’ll need me there, and … I’d just like to help if I can.”

Applejack looked at Scootaloo, who nodded silently. The girl was not crying, like she expected, rather she seemed silently shocked. The farmpony knew that tears would come, in their own time. For now, she stepped back slowly, breaking the embrace, letting her friend take her place by the filly. 

“I’ll be there, if ya need me, sugarcube,” she said, before walking out of the door.

***

Deep beneath the main lab level, Lightbringer opened his new eyes slowly. The contents of the tank were draining away, the liquid replaced with warm air. The stallion took a couple of slow breaths, adapting to the new lungs. From the outside of the glass, Dr.Stone waved her hoof at him, checking his reactions. When she was satisfied with the results, she pulled a large lever, and the tank rose into the air, leaving Lightbringer standing on a small metal platform, in an unfamiliar lab full of similar tanks.

“Took you long enough,” he said, flexing his muscles, as he made sure his new body worked properly. He spread his wings, shaking the moisture out of the red feathers.

“I needed the time to transform your body to match your needs,” said Dr.Stone. “You’re lucky I had one ready for you. We haven’t been dying much recently, and Equestria doesn’t have that many ‘undesirables’ we can use.”

Lightbringer snorted derisively, blowing the last droplets of liquid from his nose. “Where’s Enigma?” he asked.

“It appears, he’s abandoned us again,” said Dr.Stone. “There have been some… unexpected developments while you were out.”

Lightbringer walked up to Dr.Stone, towering over her even as he levelled his face with hers. “Unexpected, you say?” he said. “Let me guess. You let the girl die, and Enigma got pissed. And that means Gloria had come up with some harebrained plan to solve everything by herself, and it blew up in her face. She didn’t get her alicorn body killed, did she?”

Dr Stone seemed to shrink under his gaze. “The girl hit her… with her mother’s pattern gun.”

In an instant, Lightbringer’s aura of disdain was gone, his pupils widening as he stared intently at Stone.

“Pattern gun?! She wasn’t ?”

Dr.Stone shook her head. “Fortunately, no. The magic invested in her form shielded her from the worst of it. I’ve just established contact with her spirit, and am waiting for her to get coherent enough to communicate. Of course, her body wasn’t designed to handle pattern of such intensity…”

Lightbringer exhaled, regaining his cool. “Aurora.”

Stone nodded. “Yes. The space wrinkle holding her inside the body unravelled explosively. The effects were quite messy. There’s no way to repair it.”

Lightbringer face started to regain its derisive sneer. “And I don’t believe you have any spare alicorn bodies, do you?”

To that, Dr.Stone gave an exasperated sigh. “Of course not. Do you know how much work it took me to build the first ones? Not to mention finding the right ponies to power them?Nopony planned for losing one. I might cobble something up for Gloria, to let her pretend for a time, but such ruse would only fail at the worst possible moment. I guess she’ll just have to work with what’s available.”

“Serves you all well,” said Lightbringer. He looked towards the other end of the room, where a new set of heavy plate armor was waiting, propped against an empty pod. “Why did you even build a pattern gun?”

Dr.Stone glared at him. “To be able to handle powerful magical threats. I made it so that we didn’t need the Elements of Harmony. But of course everypony had some bright ideas of their own. If only they listened to me, this mess would have been over ages ago. But no…”

Her voice got softer and softer until she was grumbling inaudibly under her nose. She stopped, hearing a strange rumbling sound behind her. She turned to see Lightbringer’s body shaking rhythmically.

“What are you laughing at?” she asked.

The huge pegasus grinned, showing more teeth than a pony was supposed to have. “Don’t you see it? The Elements are back, and we cannot hide anymore. We’re back at square one.”

His grin melted into a content smile. 

“There will be war again.”

***

"I should be with Scoots," grumbled Rainbow Dash. “She needs me.”

“The world needs you, Rainbow Dash,” said Obsidian, “And this is a matter of great importance. I don’t need all the Elements by my side for this, but you and Applejack are essential.”

They turned a corner, and stopped at the last moment, the sound of running hooves warning them about a galloping guard. The crystal pony skidded to a halt and saluted. 

“Situation?” asked Obsidian.

“Nothing violent so far, sir,” said the guard, “but I don’t know how long. I’ve just been sent for backup, just in case.”

“That shouldn’t be necessary,” said Twilight. “We will handle this from here.”

The guard visibly relaxed. Obsidian walked past him, slowing down when he felt Pinkie Pie vibrate slightly behind him. The mare was looking intently down the corridor, her body rippling with tiny, involuntary twitches.

“What do you think, Miss Pie?” asked Obsidian.

The party pony smiled, the corners of her mouth sliding slowly higher and higher until she was beaming. “We’re meeting a new friend!” she said in an excited voice.

“That’s a relief,” said Fluttershy.

“You know,” said Obsidian, “sometimes you scare me. How reliable is this thing?”

“It doesn’t always come,” replied Pinkie, “but when it does, it’s always right.”

They turned another corner, and got to the door, where a worried-looking nurse was standing. She looked at the approaching group with pleading eyes. 

“I need to run a check up on her, but she wouldn’t let anypony touch her,” she said. “She says, she wants some answers, but she’s been asking things I know nothing about.”

“Do not worry,” said Twilight, “It will be okay once we talk to her.” 

There was a sound of galloping hooves behind them. Everypony turned, as Applejack joined the group. 

“I came as fast as I could,” she said. “Rarity’s staying with Scootaloo,” she added. 

“That’s everypony you need, isn’t it?” asked Bling.

Obsidian looked towards the officer. “More than we need, actually. I’d rather you stayed with the princess. We don’t need to overwhelm our guest with a crowd. I’d rather it was just us for now.”

Bling scowled, “And I’d rather meet her alone to ask her some questions. Serious matters of security are at stake, especially if it is as you say, and she used to share the body with Celestia.”

“Everypony will get their turn, I assure you,” said Obsidian. “And now, let us delay no longer.”

He pushed the door open, and stepped aside, letting the Elements in. Twilight Sparkle went in first, followed by Pinkie, who pronked happily forward, pushing ahead of Dash and Applejack. Fluttershy followed, Obsidian entering behind her and closing the door.

Inside there was a guest bedroom hastily converted into a patient’s room. Right now it was occupied by two ponies, one of them a teal, crystal guard, who clearly didn’t know what to do.

The other was the white pegasus mare, now standing on the bed, apparently having broken out of restrains, crouching in a low stance, like a cat about to pounce. When she saw the Elements enter the room, her eyes slid over the gems they were wearing, and she relaxed a bit, but remained wary.

“The guard is telling me this is the Crystal Empire,” she said. “And you’re the new Elements of Harmony, yes?”

Obsidian nudged Applejack from behind, causing her to flinch and trip forward. She looked over her shoulder indignantly before turning towards the mare, the orange gem on her chest lighting up.

“That’s true,” she said, “This here’s Twilight Sparkle, this is Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie-”

“Nice to meet you!” shouted Pinkie, pushing forward alongside Applejack. Obsidian held her back, using his staff to pin her fluffy tail to the floor.

“-and Obsidian,” finished Applejack “though he isn’t an Element anymore. And I’m Applejack.”

“I… hope it will be nice to meet you,” said the white pegasus. “My name is Aurora, the bearer of Loyalty… though it looks like I’m not an Element anymore,” she finished with an awkward grin. “How are my eyes?” 

“Completely normal,” said Obsidian “So, you used to be awakened.”

“I remember you saying that the Elements bond for life,” said Twilight Sparkle.

Obsidian walked closer to the bed. “They do. I still feel her link to Loyalty. Which makes it a really unusual situation. Rainbow Dash, would you come here for a moment?

Rainbow Dash walked to the forefront of the group, standing at the edge of the bed. Aurora eyed her curiously, walking off the bed to be on even level. The two mares froze, one foreleg in the air, each a mirror image of the other, and for a moment Twilight had an intense feeling of deja vu.

“You’re weird,” said the two mares in unison.

“An unintended side effect of what I did to you,” said Obsidian to Rainbow Dash. “I never planned on you meeting another Loyalty.”

Aurora looked at him quizzically. “What? What did you do to her?”

“Am I missing something here?” asked Applejack.

All eyes turned to Obsidian, except Rainbow’s who was still looking at Aurora.

“I needed Rainbow to have the fighting skills I didn’t have the time to teach her,” explained Obsidian.”I experimented, casting a spell that connected her to the memories of the past bearers of Loyalty. It seems to have worked - she’s absorbed enough not to die today, and little enough that she didn’t go crazy.”

“I’ll wait, and see on that,” said Rainbow with a scowl. “This is getting seriously weird.”

“As I said, I never expected you to see another Loyalty,” said Obsidian. “Though this might explain you failing your test.”

“Wait, so she has my memories now?” asked Aurora. She looked more confused by the second, and her muscles tensed again, as if ready to fight.

“No, I don’t,” said Rainbow. “You just seem awfully familiar. And what do you mean, Obsidian?”

Obsidian looked from one to the other. “Your connection is imperfect. It seems the Shattered had made some effort to disconnect Aurora from Loyalty. They almost succeeded, by the looks of it. Aurora must have been locked away for centuries, and Loyalty was embedded in that tree of theirs. Yet the link didn’t sever completely. Now, you two are sharing it, something that wasn’t supposed to happen. That’s why, despite your qualities, you can’t fully master Loyalty’s powers. Not as long as…”

A ring of purple magic wrapped around Obsidian’s mouth.

“Obsidian, I know being blunt is your thing,” said Twilight, “But… Harmony be my witness, if you ever finish this sentence, I will throw you outside the city barrier, and find a way to save Equestria without your help. Do you understand?”

Obsidian’s staff rose into the air, vibrating menacingly. Then, with deliberate slowness, it returned to his side. The stallion took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and shrugged. The spell around his mouth faded, and disappeared.

“Now,” said Twilight, “There’s a lot of questions we have for you.”

“Yes!” piped in Pinkie Pie, “When is your birthday?”

There was a moment of awkward silence.

Pinkie looked around the room. “What? I already know she’ll be our friend. I need to include her in all my schedules.”

“Pinkie, we have more pressing matters at hoof,” said Twilight Sparkle.

“Yes, “ said Aurora, “I’m in the Crystal Empire. But I’ve watched it disappear. Why is it back, and how long has it been?”

“Oh…oh my goodness,” said Fluttershy, covering her mouth with a wing.

“Wait, so you’ve been… inside Celestia this whole time?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“A thousand years,” said Obsidian, “The Crystal Empire returned, because the spell binding it away unravelled naturally.”

“A thousand years?” said Aurora, her ears falling. “I knew it wouldn’t be easy to break out, but this?”

Rainbow Dash turned, putting herself between Aurora and Obsidian. Fluttershy moved from her place in the back, and towards Aurora’s other side.

“So, you didn’t know what was happening?” asked Applejack. “I was hoping you could tell me where my sister is.” she added with a resigned sigh.

“I’m afraid I can’t,” said  Aurora. “I used to be able to get some glimpses through Arrogance’s eyes, but after that one time I managed to take control and sent Envy to the moon-”

“WHAT!?” shouted all the girls, even Fluttershy. 

“I… I think you have a lot to tell us,” said Twilight Sparkle.

“She can do better than that,” said Obsidian. “Send your dragon to have the ritual chamber prepared. If we take her to the Void Passage, she’ll be able to show you.”

Aurora raised an eyebrow at him. “What is the Void Passage?”

Obsidian closed his eyes. Twilight looked in his direction just in time to see the telltale vein bulging on his temple.

***

The great hall was full of talking ponies. There were nobles, guards, military commanders and diplomats. The corners of the hall were swarming with the castle servants, who took a moment off their work to attend. The atmosphere was heavy, hushed voices taking more and more hysterical undertones, as they gradually merged together into an cacophony of noise. The egos of the aristocracy seemed to be the only thing preventing the crowd from panic, no pony wanting to be seen as the first who completely loses his composure, everypony focusing on their conversations, trying their hardest not to look at a small table at the end of the hall, where a bent and burned golden tiara was left on display.

A door opened, and a line of guards strode into the hall. They marched in two lines, forming around the table, and coming to a halt, still and solemn like gilded marble statues. Silence fell in the hall, as Princess Luna entered, following her retinue, and stopping in front of the table.

All eyes focused on the Princess of the Moon, taking in her appearance - a stern, sad face, the flowing mane tied in black ribbons, a lightweight, navy blue armor covering her chest and limbs. All ears turned towards her, ready to catch every word she’d say.

“Ponies of Equestria,” said Luna, “I come to you this evening, with grave news. Princess Celestia is dead.”

She didn’t use the full power of her voice, only magnifying it a little to carry across the room. She didn’t need to. The effect on the gathered crowd was such as if they were struck by a hurricane; there were panicked whinnies, ladies fainting, ponies standing in stunned shock, tears streaming over their faces.

Luna magnified her voice a little more. “After striving to keep Equestria peaceful and prosperous for a thousand years, she was betrayed and murdered by those she had considered her friends.”

This was enough to get their attention again. The death of a ruler all of them had learned to consider a constant, like Sun and Moon themselves, was clearly not the end of the bad news. Luna took a breath and went on.

“The greatest heroes of Equestria, the bearers of the Elements of Harmony have turned to the whispers of darkness. An ancient evil known as Obsidian the black-hearted, a monster responsible for the villain you knew as King Sombra, one we had thought long vanquished, returned from the dead once again, and managed to corrupt them, and bring them under his sway.

When our heroes returned, after being lost for months, we welcomed them with joy in our hearts. Too late did we discover, that they had sold themselves to dark powers. They stole the Elements of Harmony, turning them into a tool of evil magic, capable of enslaving the hearts and minds of those they encountered. They murdered my sister when she tried to stop them. Right now, they reside in the Crystal Empire, along with Princess Cadence and Shining Armor, all willing servants to Obsidian, using their powers to transform the crystal ponies they enslaved into an army of conquest. For the first time in Centuries, Equestria is going to be at war.”

There was no cacophony of voices this time, only horrified silence. Luna could clearly smell the dread in the air, spreading from pony to pony, as the nobility of Equestria was transformed into a herd on the edge of panic. 

She spread her wings, and rose into the air, her voice growing in volume.

“The darkness is upon us, like it hasn’t been for a thousand years! But I swear upon my life, as the princess of Equestria, I will defend the ponies my sister dedicated her life to! Tomorrow morning I will raise the Sun, and with the new dawn, new hope will shine for ponykind! We will stand strong, and defeat this evil, like we always have, together!”

She looked down upon the crowd. There were some voices raising already, the ponies grasping at the hope she gave them, trying to cheer themselves into courage. She stayed in the air, her horn casting a silver halo around her.

She turned towards a stained glass window, depicting the defeat of Nightmare Moon by the Elements of Harmony.

“As for those who were once our heroes, they are no more. The ones who once saved me from my own darkness, have now descended into evil beyond return.”

Her light intensified and the window exploded, a rain of glass pieces falling into the growing darkness outside. Luna turned towards another window, one depicting the victory over Discord. A single tear ran down her cheek, for everypony to see.

“Whatever good they might have done once, whatever values they stood for, all of it is lost to them now.”

Another blast, another explosion. Luna turned toward the image of Cadence and Shining Armor defeating the changeling swarm.

“Once we have brought justice to them, for all the crimes they’ve committed, they will never be mentioned again, except as a warning against consorting with evil powers!”

The image exploded, and cold air blew into the hall. The princess faced the most recent window, a picture of Spike the dragon saving the Crystal Empire.

“Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Cadence, Shining Armor, and all who stand by their side… are now enemies of ponykind!”

She blasted the last window, and turned towards the crowd.

“Remember this night, my ponies, the darkest night in all your lives. For when the Sun rises tomorrow... There will be JUSTICE!”  
> Interlude: The Voices
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So, it is done. Is that what you wanted?”

“I didn’t plan all of this, especially the filly. But it turned out even better than I had hoped. All the pieces are finally falling into place.”

“Your plans are too convoluted. No wonder it has taken you so long.”

“You know I had to wait. I couldn’t afford unnecessary risk.”

“What about the risk of keeping me in the dark?”

“All the better for you to play your part. Don’t you trust me?”

“Should I? After what you’ve done?”

“You know that’s the only way. The pawns are on the board, and the game is on, but we’re aiming for a very specific outcome here.”

“Can’t we find a different way to communicate? This enforced vagueness is getting on my nerves.”

“It can’t be helped. It’s hard enough to hide from the Amaranthine. Dissonance echoes. The last thing we need now is -”

“...a prophecy.”

"And as for the plan, Do not worry. I’ve had thousands of years to become good at this. When they  finally see it coming, it will be too late.”
> Chapter 25: The Return
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"A nervous breakdown? You'd think a captain of the royal guard would be tougher..." 

"Well, it was a very personal matter for him, more than for any of..."

The gathered officers fell silent as Luna entered the war room. She looked around, taking in the faces of the waiting soldiers.  She finally took the place at the end of the table, but remained standing, looking down at the map.

“Welcome everypony. Since you all have your responsibilities now, I will get straight to the point. I have called this meeting to make an unusual request. As you all know, even though the Crystal Empire doesn’t have much in terms of a military force, the magical power they have managed to amass is incredible. They now wield the powers of the Elements of Harmony, and also whatever power Obsidian has granted them to subvert them to their cause.

And it is worse than that. With my beloved sister’s... demise at the hooves of the traitors, it is my power alone that now moves the Sun and the Moon across the sky. If I let myself be struck down too, all else shall become meaningless. That means, I likely won’t be able to take to the field with my full power.”

She paused, waiting for the gathered ponies to absorb the news. The silence changed, from reverent to loaded with doubt. The officers had just realized they would be taking to the field without the support they have been counting on the most. She could almost hear them tallying expected fatalities among their respective units.

“We have sent envoys to our allies, but if the worst comes, it may not be enough. Therefore, I have decided to secure a powerful weapon of our own.”

The silence changed again. This time the surge of hope was almost palpable. Luna braced herself for their reaction to what she was about to say next.

“The weapon is called the Law of Matter. It is an ancient tool of destruction as old as the Elements. It could give us the edge in the coming war. However, its power comes at a terrible price. When bonding to a bearer, the Law of Matter takes him over, removing his personality. Whoever decides to be the bearer shall become the greatest weapon of Equestria, but the pony itself will die.”

This time the silence was actually interrupted by gasps of horror. Clearly, whatever the soldiers had thought Luna would say, her statement went far beyond their expectations.

“What I’m asking of you, is to find a volunteer. Somepony, who will be ready to sacrifice their life to preserve Equestria, for the good of all ponykind.”

If the silence had been heavy before, now it was like a stone slab covering a tomb. The officers stared forward, their minds racing just as their mouths were at a loss of words. A full minute passed without anypony as much as moving. Luna was about to declare the meeting over, when suddenly there was a shuffling of hooves. One pony, a yellow pegasus mare with flame-coloured mane rose from her seat.

“I... I will do it, your Majesty.”

Luna looked at her with surprise. “Captain Spitfire of the Wonderbolts? You are needed to lead your unit in battle.”

The mare met her gaze. Her legs were shaking slightly, but her eyes expressed nothing but determination. “Equestria needs the weapon more. We can’t ask for volunteers among our forces. It would devastate the morale. It has to be one of us. I’m unmarried, with no family besides my parents, and they will understand. I entered the service knowing full well that one day I may be called to give my own life. And... as you said, I am the leader. I couldn’t ask such a sacrifice from any of my pegasi, if I weren’t ready to make it myself.”

Luna closed her eyes, considering the situation. Finally, she nodded. “As you wish, Captain Spitfire. You shall become the bearer of the Law of Matter. Know that your sacrifice will never be forgotten. You shall be forever remembered as one of Equestria’s finest.”

The rest of the gathered ponies nodded with approval. Some of them tried to say something, but ended mumbling some meaningless reassurances, visibly relieved that the situation was resolved and simultaneously ashamed of their own relief. Luna reared, tapping her front hooves on the table to get their attention.

“This meeting is over. Return to your posts, and keep all that was said here a secret until told otherwise. Captain Spitfire, it will take a day to prepare the bonding ritual. You can spend it as you wish. I will have a bedroom prepared for you at the palace.”

***

It was late at night the next day, when Spitfire was finally summoned by her princess. Sending the guards away, Luna led her down the stairs to the palace dungeon and then further down, past warded doors and security spells. The pegasus was trying her best not to show fear in the presence of her superior, but beneath the facade of the professional soldier she felt cold claws of fear squeezing her innards. She knew she was deathly pale, and the time almost seemed to slow down around her, her over-stimulated mind registering all the tiny details of her surroundings with unnatural precision.

They walked into something that looked like a lab, passing several rooms filled with strange devices, the purpose of which Spitfire could only guess at. At the end of the corridor there was a large, square chamber with a ceiling supported by four pillars. In the centre of it, there was a large circular shape on the floor, its rings and lines formed of various metals and gemstones. Even though there was no obvious threat there, not even shackles to keep anypony inside, and the room itself was well lit, the whole set-up had an aura of a scaffold to it. Luna gestured towards the centre of the circle.

“The night is coming to an end. Soon the Sun will rise and with it, new hope for Equestria.”

Swallowing loudly, her efforts to look dignified making her step almost comically stiff, Spitfire entered the circle. For a moment, nothing happened.

“What... do I do now?” she asked the princess.

“Now we wait.”

It began slowly, almost imperceptible at first, a feeling of wrongness crawling into her mind. It was hard to describe it in any different way; it was like a dream slowly turning into a nightmare, like a feeling of being pushed, and held under water when there was none in sight, like a gust of wind full of winter chill causing a shudder that seemed to have nothing to do with cold. Spitfire felt sudden panic, and for a moment she wished she had actually been chained; her instincts screamed for her to run. Gritting her teeth she bent her knees, forcing herself to remain in place. She only had to hold on until she died... why was it so hard?

The alien presence filled her mind, and a second later she could feel her body no more. She knew, she couldn’t run away now even if she wanted. She braced herself for what was to come. The monster would smother her, perhaps devour her soul, but in return it would lend its power to protect her country.

What she didn’t expect was a warm, motherly voice, as comforting as it was full of sadness. “Thank you, my little pony. I too will never forget your sacrifice.”

“Princess Celestia!?”

Spitfire’s fear was now mixed with utter confusion. How could princess Celestia be alive?  And how could that horrible, alien presence be her? Any theories she might have had were dissolved into nothingness as her consciousness started to fade.

“Yes, Captain. It is me. This is the only way I can return to protect the realm. You aren’t just giving me a body, you are giving me your heart to fight on.”

Somehow these two sentences, spoken in Celestia’s soft voice, were enough to  dispel the fear. Despite the cold enveloping her, Spitfire relaxed, and stopped resisting. She kept shrinking in the embrace of her princess until finally, with a small sigh, she faded away.

***

Gloria opened her new eyes. She turned her head, examining her new body, then stomped the ground. The circles beneath her hooves deformed, and rose, flowing like liquids, moving up her body. Various materials bonded, and reformed into composites only she knew how to make, until she was clad in a lightweight, intricately crafted pegasi armour. She turned around, admiring her work.

“So, how is it?” asked Luna from her spot between the pillars. Gloria moved all her limbs in turn, flexing her muscles.

“Much shorter than what I have got used to, obviously. I will also have to learn to cope without telekinesis again. The rest is... acceptable. I will need some extra strength and durability, but there should be enough time for Eve to work on that.”

“Can you explain to me again, why do you need all the theatrics? The show at the war council and that circle you had me prepare? Why not just have the guards haul some well-built convict from the nearest prison instead of sacrificing one of our officers?” asked Luna.

Gloria scowled. “And wear a face of a common criminal as I try to bring hope to Equestria? Kill a pony, and inhabit its husk like I’m a flesh eating maggot? This is why I’m the one in charge while Libra is missing. You don’t notice what is really important.”

Luna’s muzzle twisted into a smirk. “ A stylish body with good PR?”

Gloria shot her an angry glare. ”Don’t you dare insult Spitfire like that! I didn’t choose her. She volunteered. She willingly gave her life for our cause, for our dream!"

She walked up to the princess, and looked into her eyes, nostrils flared in anger. "You give yourself too much credit. My ponies cling to you as their only hope in these dark times. But their hearts will not follow you like they did me. They need something more, a symbol of hope and courage to bring them together. And Spitfire will by it.” 

She turned away from Luna, and started heading for the exit, but then stopped and faced her again “I... must admit I was starting to have some doubts after the filly turned against me. But she was just a misguided fool, like all the ones we had to struggle with before, a victim of the Elements’ lies. Spitfire’s devotion is the ultimate proof that our cause is just. We’re fighting for all the ponies of Equestria, to protect the peace that we have created, the peace that the rebels are trying to destroy! Spitfire’s presence will be a reminder of that, a guarantee that none of Equestria's commanders wavers in the face of the enemy.”

Calming down, she turned toward the exit again. “I will depart with the first units heading north. Much as I'd like to let Eve start the upgrades right away, the troops need to see their hero. Also, “the Law of Matter” worked well to explain the concept, but it won’t do as a name. You will tell them to keep addressing me as Spitfire.”

Behind her back, Luna didn’t stop smirking. “Spitfire, eh? How very appropriate...”
> Chapter 26: The Story
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I'm sorry, I've never heard of it," said Aurora with a shrug.

Twilight Sparkle gave a dejected sigh. A half-filled notebook she had been levitating in front of her dropped on the table. 

“I don’t get it,” said Twilight, “I mean, I can understand history being falsified. Even… the fact you’ve never heard of Hearth’s Warming. Or… Starswirl the Bearded.”

There were already some loose hairs sticking out of Twilight’s mane. Aurora eyed her curiously.

“But that doesn’t make any sense!” continued Twilight. “Why put so much effort into falsifying everything? It’s so counterproductive. And how did they manage to remove so much from history in the first place? There were ponies there, remembering things, for crying out loud!”

“Darling,” said Rarity from a large pillow on the other side of the bedroom, “Don’t you think you’re tiring our guest? You barely slept tonight and so did she.”

“Yea,” said Aurora. “Didn’t that Obsidian guy say he’d just use a spell to show you everything anyway? I’m grateful to you for telling me about your times and all, but I don’t think I can take it for much longer. No offense, Twilight, but I’d rather be flying now.”

“Well, he did say he’d prepare a vision,” said Twilight. “but I can hardly get all the information out of it. There is so much to know that there will probably be no time to view! You must understand, even Obsidian doesn’t know anything about your times. You’re a unique treasure trove of information.”

Aurora rolled her eyes. “Oh, yes, I’m feeling trovy already. When did he say he’d have that spell ready?”

“He could have it ready in minutes, actually,” said Twilight. “But he didn’t know how long it would take us, so he’s first making sure that everything else is in order. We have some things to take care of first, like healing Rainbow’s wing.”

The door swung open, and Rainbow Dash strode into the room, Scootaloo close behind her.

“We’re ready, everypony!” called Rainbow Dash, opening her wing, and waving it around for emphasis. “Obsidian’s fixed everything, and now he’s finishing some talks with Bling and Shining about our defenses. You can all get ready.”

“It will be so awesome!” shouted Scootaloo, pushing past her into the room.

“Charcoal?!” asked Aurora almost jumping off the bed to look towards the filly.

“E… excuse me?” asked Scootaloo, confused.

Everypony looked at Aurora, whose excited smile faded into disappointment as they watched.

“I’m sorry,” said the pegasus. “You just… sound a lot like somepony that I used to know.”

“Oh, right…” said Twilight, suddenly sad. “Everypony you were friends with must be, already…”

Aurora turned, and swatted her playfully with a wing. “Don’t sweat it, Twilight. I may have missed the last couple centuries, but I’ve had more than enough time to get over my loss. I’m done mourning my friends. Now all that’s left is to make sure their bravery is not wasted. I will show you all you need to know, so you can beat the Shattered once and for all, right?”

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure, you’re okay? Because Obsidian says he’ll need you to build that spell around, and I don’t want you to be-”

Aurora returned her facial expression. “And what if I’m not? You guys all need my help. This is what my friends would want. It’s not the first time I lost a friend. But I can’t give up because of that. They may be gone, but all their hopes and dreams live in me now.”

She walked past Dash and through the door, taking a moment to bow lower and smile at Scootaloo. 

“So, where do I need to go?”

“Obsidian said, it’s in the chamber upstairs, same as last time,” said Scootaloo. “But I wasn’t there last time.”

“Wait,” said Rarity, “Are you going to watch it with us?”

“Yup!” said Scootaloo, her wings fluttering with excitement, “Mr Obsidian said I can.”

“But… there will be horrible things there,” said Twilight, “no offense,” she added, looking at Aurora, “should a little filly really watch it?”

“Obsidian says there are horrible things here right now,” said Dash, “so the kid might as well get used to it while she can do it safely…” she paused, noticing Rarity glaring at her over Twilight’s shoulder. “I mean, I’m not that sure myself, but I’ve already promised Scoots she could watch it with us.”

“Hey!” said Scootaloo, “I’m no scaredy cat!. Besides, I live in Ponyville. And I was there when Nightmare Moon showed up. And at that wedding in Canterlot. I’ve seen some monsters in my life,” she exclaimed, ending with a pout.

Aurora patted her on the head with a wing. “You’re a brave one, I think I like you,” she said. “I say, you can go with us if you like. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She grinned right in the filly’s face. “We’ll see if you’re as brave as Charcoal was.”

As they walked out through the door, Rainbow Dash leaned towards Rarity. "Also, Obsidian thought she could use a distraction," she whispered. 

Rarity responded with a glare that made Rainbow tense her neck, and turn away ucomfortably.

***

The light of the spell faded, leaving the nine ponies standing on a black stone platform surrounded by a starry void. Aurora and Scootaloo walked around, examining their environment curiously.

“So, this is the fabled testing ground you’ve told us about?” asked Aurora over her shoulder.

Obsidian scowled. “Yes, the one each bearer of the Elements was supposed to go through. We’ll get some scenery here as soon as the Passage finishes learning from you. “

Aurora turned. “Learning from me? You mean, it’s alive? Is it… reading my mind?”

"Is there anything you’d like to hide?” said Obsidian. “And yes, but not the way you think. All of this is alive. And every moment you spend here, your nature interacts with your surroundings. You’re a bundle of memories, but everything here is memories too. For the Passage, learning from you is as simple as smelling you is for a dog.”

Aurora wrapped her wings tightly over her sides. “So, it will know everything I know?”

“As long as you’re here,” replied Obsidian. “And it was created to retain memories relevant to test construction. So, the stories of your valiant deeds are likely to outlive you here.”

“How long will it take?” asked Dash, louder than she needed. “When we came here, our test started almost right away, didn’t it?”

Obsidian rolled his eyes. “Patience, my young apprentice. You’ll get your bedtime story soon enough.” He stopped, blinking. ”I shouldn’t have said that. I’m still learning not to.”

“If it’s going to take a while,” said Twilight Sparkle, “I might start with giving everypony a short introduction. I have learned quite a lot from talking with Aurora, and all of you could use some context for what you’ll see.”

Pinkie Pie sat down on the rock floor, facing Twilight. Applejack and Fluttershy looked at her with hesitation. The groan of Rainbow Dash rolled across the platform, and disappeared in the void without an echo.

“Forgive me, darling,” said Rarity, “I know you enjoy your lectures a lot, but we might not have quite that much time. Would you mind, if I tried to tell the short version? I’ve been with you through most of your talks with Aurora, and I think I could give them the gist of it.”

Twilight looked taken aback by the proposal. “Well, if you think you can do it better…”

Rarity gave her a reassuring smile. “I have a little sister, you know. You may be better at lecturing in a more… scholarly style, but I think I have more practice with telling stories.”

Twilight smiled, then shot Rarity a dirty look as her brain processed the implications. Meanwhile, Pinkie waved her front leg in the air, trailing pale blue lines with her hoof, until they suddenly coalesced into a bag of popcorn. Obsidian looked at her first with surprise, then with a content smile.

Twilight gave a dejected sigh. “Oh, well, in that case, please be my guest.” She walked towards her friends, and everypony formed a semicircle in front of Rarity. Eight pairs of eyes stared into the unicorn.

“I hope Spike won’t be upset he’s missing this,” said Twilight under her breath, “even though I think it better for him.”

“Well, you needed a trustworthy guardian anyway, didn’t you?” whispered Obsidian, looking towards her.

“Shh, it’s starting,” hissed Pinkie Pie at them both.

Rarity looked around the group, and lit up her horn, the simple spell creating an illumination resembling a theatre spotlight.

“It all happened over a thousand years ago,” she started her story. “Legends say that before that time, the land of Equestria had been ruled by the Elements of Harmony, six noble ponies exemplifying the virtues of Friendship. But one day, the heroes were defeated, destroyed by their ancient enemy, the Shattered, who then spent centuries ruling Equestria with an iron hoof.”

The light of Rarity’s spell shifted, and dimmed, taking a reddish hue, casting sinister shadows across her face.

“It was a grim time, of huge cities and smoke-belching factories, when pony magic was weak, and monsters like Discord ruled the land just outside of what the Shattered controlled. The few who showed devotion to their tyrants lived in luxury. The rest toiled in a gray world of hard work and drab clothes, longing for the day when their heroes return to bring Harmony back to Equestria.”

The light got a bit brighter, just a little flicker.

“And return they did, time after time. The Shattered tried to destroy the Elements of Harmony, then, when that failed, tried to hide them away. But whatever they did, sooner or later, the Elements would call to new ponies, somehow finding their way to those who were worthy of becoming the new heroes.”

Rarity made a dramatic pause, and extinguished her horn almost completely, leaving only a thin halo of light around her face, a beacon in the darkness.

“To try to stop it, the Shattered stooped to even worse villainy. They would force all the young ponies to go through tests, picking out those that showed more capacity for friendship that others, to make sure they never become the new bearers. Those picked up by the tests were brainwashed to become their slaves… or never heard from again.”

“Until me and my sister were taken for testing,” interrupted Aurora.

Obsidian tapped his staff on the stone floor. Around them, in the void above and below the platform, the giant rings started rotating slowly.

“We are ready to begin the vision,” said Obsidian.

“Well,” said Twilight Sparkle, “that was a good deal shorter than what I had in mind.”

Aurora took a deep breath, and fell silent.

***

Two mares huddled togetheron a hard bench, the rhythmic rumble of the train around them. The armored behemoth dashed along the rails, belching black smoke into the air as it carried its cargo, three passenger cars and a dozen wagons  worth of goods, towards its distant destination. 

The first mare was Aurora, notably younger and thinner than she was now, her expression worried and vigilant, as she held the other pony tightly to her chest.

The other pony was a blue unicorn filly, small and thin, with unkept mane that seemed to have been recently cut shorter. She was sitting with her eyes closed, her face to Aurora’s chest, leaving the pegasus to observe her surroundings. 

“...that whatever it is, we will face it together,” whispered Aurora reassuringly. She looked aside towards the barred window. Behind it, the landscape was rushing by, the cleared area around the rails slowly giving way to a forested landscape. 

The train echoed with a loud bang. The blue filly jerked, startled. Aurora covered her tighter with her wings. 

“It’s one of the roof cannons. Some monster must have wandered too close,” she explained in a calm voice. The train kept moving forward, its pace unbroken by the disruption.

“What happens if they separate us?” asked the filly, looking up.

Aurora loosened her hug, keeping her in her hooves, just far enough to look into her eyes. “They won’t. I won’t let them.”

“You won’t have any say if they want to,” said the filly seriously.

Aurora’s features hardened. “They’ve tried once already, haven’t they? We are here together, because I didn’t let them.” She hugged the filly close again. Then there was a grinding noise, and the train began to slow down.

The blue unicorn looked towards the window. “Aurora, what’s going on? Are we there already?”

Aurora let go of the hug, and looked outside through the bars. “It’s way too early. It… looks like there’s some small station here, but I can only see a bit of it.”

Minutes passed, and nothing happened. The two mares looked out of the window, then at each other, waiting for the train to resume its journey. Finally, something happened. The sky outside was illuminated by a bright flash, and lightning cracked above the train.

“What’s going on!?” screamed the unicorn, startled. 

Aurora spread her wings, ready to fly, though there was nowhere to in the small cabin.  Her ears twitched, and then, for a brief moment her hair stood on end.

“That’s not a storm,” said the pegasus, “not like any I have ever felt, anyway. It think it might be a chaos anomaly - whoa!” She nearly fell down from surprise when the train jerked into motion again. Quickly, it started building up speed, but the noise they expected did not come - it was now shifting smoothly, as if flying. Aurora looked outside and saw the landscape rush by much faster than she had seen before.

“It’s Envy,” whispered the filly, her eyes growing with fear.

Aurora met her gaze. Now she too was scared, though she quickly tried to hide it behind a mask of confidence.

Then there was a sound of hoofsteps in the corridor outside, and the two mares turned in unison, the older one putting a protective wing around the filly.

“You there!” called a voice from outside. “Wake up! The leader wants to see you!”

The mares looked at each other. “What? What does he want with us?” asked the younger one.

Aurora shook her head. “I have no idea,” she whispered, before calling louder “We’re awake! You were shooting a cannon, for crying out loud.”

“Well then, get ready then,” responded the voice. “And don’t even think of doing anything stupid. They told me you’re quite fast, but you can’t outrun lightning.”

The cell door opened slowly. The locking mechanism and the hinges were well oiled, in complete disregard of the needs of drama. Aurora peered outside. There was a single guard there, an earth pony stallion dressed in a heavy, silvered armor, his eyes looking sternly through the visor of his helmet.

“Come on, “ he said, pointing his hoof towards the front of the train, “You don’t want to keep the leader waiting.”

“What does he want with us?” asked the filly. 

The guard shrugged. “Not my business, perhaps he’s just curious.”

He herded them towards the second car of the train. Unlike the other ones, this one was lavishly decorated, with soft, beige carpets muffling the sounds of their hoofsteps, and gilded arabesques on the mahogany paneling.   

Most of the car consisted of a large, open room, with sitting cushions alongside the walls. In the center, there stood a pale green alicorn stallion, dressed in an elaborate white suit. His intricately styled mane fell onto his shoulders in emerald locks. The stallion looked at the two mares as they approached, the guard stopping in the doorway behind them.

“So, you are the little troublemakers I’ve heard so much about,“ said the alicorn.

Aurora looked at the stallion, dozens of answers swarming in her brain. In the end, she forced herself to settle for a simple, “Yes, sir.”

“You are Aurora,” continued the stallion. “What is your assignment?”

“Weather duty, sir,” answered Aurora. “We water the crops for farmland seven.” 

The alicorn nodded with a smile. “And for some reason, after years of serving the community faithfully, you decided that it would be wise to interrupt the official testing procedure, to get your little sister out of there? I must say It doesn’t happen often. What were you thinking?”

Aurora swallowed loudly. “I just didn’t want to see her hurt.”

The alicorn rolled his eyes. “And you really thought we’d hurt her? Whoever took care of your education must have been lax in his duties. We don’t hurt our faithful servants. You, on the other hoof… that was an act of rebellion, even if understandable one. I’m surprised the guards didn’t break your wings for it.”

“They meant to, but they didn’t want to... send me in damaged,” said Aurora.

The alicorn raised an eyebrow. “That’s silly. Empathy would have just put you back together. Doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you’re here, and a proof that we might need to adjust the testing procedure. Your own testing two years ago didn’t show any anomalies.”

“Yes, sir,” said Aurora, not sure how to react.

The alicorn turned from her, towards her sister. “And this is your sister, Aqua, isn’t it? Dowsing duty?”

“It’s Aquila,” said the unicorn.

The stallion froze, his eyes locking on the face of the little filly. “I’ve seen your file, young lady. You’re no eagle.” He took a couple deliberate steps towards her. As he closed in, Aurora could feel the static charge around him, the carpet rising around his hooves, even though his own mane remained in perfect shape. “Do you know, who I am?”

Aquila took a deep breath. Just as she opened her mouth, she caught her sister’s horrified gaze.

“Respect,” she said. “You’re Respect, protector of ponykind.”

“Please, forgive her, sir,” said Aurora. “It’s just that there’s been four Aquas already in the dowsing division. She insisted on having a name of her own.”

The stallion looked from one mare to the other. “So, Wisdom’s new naming convention law is meeting some resistance, and from foals? Tell me, how are we going to have order here, if you don’t cooperate?”

Aurora’s ear caught a sound of uncomfortable shifting behind her. She knew the guard wasn’t happy with the development.

“I could be doing something more pleasant, and less boring you know,” continued the alicorn. “I could be enjoying myself at my palace, or performing for my adoring audience. Instead, I’m here, moving this train so it gets to its destination faster, making sure everypony gets through the discordant lands with the same number of heads they started the journey. And what do I get in return? No respect, that’s for sure. You insist on spreading chaos, sabotaging our efforts to bring peace and prosperity to everypony. You can’t even stick to your assigned name.”

He didn’t raise his voice. In fact, the rant sounded more like whining than an actual display of anger. And yet the temperature in the room seemed to drop a couple degrees. Aurora turned her face away from the leader, just in time to catch the look of fear in the guard’s eyes.

Desperate, she caught the first idea she could use.

“Wait, you are… moving this train? All by yourself?”

***

“Was he?” asked Twilight Sparkle with astonishment. “I mean, I know they are very powerful, but that was an armored train. It must have weighed over-”

“Shh!” hissed Pinkie Pie, “Keep watching.”

***

The alicorn turned towards Aurora. “Yes, I do. Didn’t you know it? It is by my power alone that we now float over the rails…” He looked at her closer. “Do you think cheap compliments will erase the bad impression you two have already made?”

Aurora suppressed an urge to step away from the stallion. “No, sir. I was just curious how it’s possible.”

The alicorn snorted. “Despite my youthful appearance, I am old and wise enough to recognize a panicked lie. It seems you are not so different from other ponies after all. I thought meeting you would break the tedium of this journey, but it only served to annoy me. Go back to your cell until I call for you again.”

The two mares bowed, and slinked towards the exit, welcomed by an angry glare of the guard. The three moved down the corridor, eager to leave Respect behind as quickly as possible.

***

“But how did he move the train?” asked Twilight Sparkle. “Did he ever explain that?”

Aurora shrugged. “Magnets.”
> Chapter 27: The Resistance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The train arrived at Sophia half an hour later, sliding through the gates in the outer wall, and moving smoothly towards the main station. Aurora and Aquila stood up, and walked to the window, taking in the view of the city.

The buildings stretched in all directions, neat, symmetrical rows of grey walls and tiled roofs, turned darker by the ever-present soot. The giant, black factory chimneys dominated the skyline, spread at key positions through the city. The only building that matched them in height was the central tower, its surface gleaming white marble, visibly protected from whatever was happening around it.

The train slowly turned, following a rail that took it around the city, towards the station at the edge of the center. There was a loud clang when the energy field was disengaged, dropping the massive machine back onto the thick rails.

“I think it’s time to go,” said Aurora.

“Get ready to get out!” called the guard from outside the cell door. The tone of his voice made it obvious that he was still angry at the two mares for upsetting his boss, even though in the end nothing bad came out of it.  Aurora and Aquila left the window, and turned towards the door, waiting to be let out.

“Do you think we’re going with Envy now?” whispered Aquila towards her big sister.

Aurora put a hoof to the unicorn’s mouth. “Respect, Aquila. Please, call him Respect, while we’re here,” she said in a harsh whisper, “Somepony might be listening. And you almost forgot yourself today. If you called him Envy to his face…” 

She shut her mouth without finishing, as that was the moment when the door opened. The guard gestured at them impatiently, silently commanding them to go towards the front of the train again.

They returned to the VIP car. The green alicorn both sisters forced themselves to think of as ‘Respect’ was already waiting at the door leading outside, two earth pony guards flanking him, ready to exit first, and make sure he makes a proper impression.

Respect turned towards Aquila. “We’ve arrived. Your destination is the Tower of Wisdom, and since I’m headed there anyway, you shall accompany me.” He paused, looking up and down the girls. “The fate that awaits you is a great honor. Do behave like you’re worthy of it. There is a crowd outside waiting to see me, and I’d hate for them to be disappointed.”

Aurora and Aquila nodded their heads, and tried to match the poses of the other ponies. They ended up standing stiff, like they had during official assemblies, face focused and solemn. Respect looked with disapproval.

“You’re supposed to be happy. Please act like it.”

Aurora cast him a nervous glance, and tried to smile, but ended up with a horrible, awkward grin. She could see the guard behind Respect cringe at the sight.

Respect closed his eyes, and inhaled slowly. “That won’t do. Stay still.”

The power came as a feeling of a static charge, felt by Aurora’s pegasi senses. After a few seconds, she felt her face relaxing into a content smile, completely out of her control. Then her legs moved on their own, and she walked forward, taking position behind Respect. In the corner of her eye she saw Aquila do the same.

“What are you doing?” she managed to hiss through her teeth.

The alicorn didn’t turn to her, already preparing to step out as the guards exited the train, and flanked the door. “Micro-shocking your nerves. Now stop struggling, or it won’t look natural.”

They walked outside, right opposite a herd of several dozen ponies, who were waiting at the platform.

***

“Well, that’s creepy,” said Scootaloo.

“Wait, Envy can do that?” whispered Twilight Sparkle.

“Only if your magic is weak,” replied Aurora. “We learned to resist it later.”

***

Aurora walked into the train station, smiling warmly at the crowd. Respect opened his wing, and from underneath it, a small, metal lyre flew up to hang in the air beside his face. Tiny sparks flew as he started tugging at the strings with his power, a complex melody that spread through the station, and followed Respect as he paraded in front of the gathered crowd, towards the station exit. 

Aurora’s eyes slid over the collection of faces. All were smiling, some earnestly delighted, some curious of the spectacle, many others tired, hiding behind a facade of insincere enthusiasm. One or two were scared, the widened eyes betraying what the smiling mouths would not. Not having any choice in the matter, she answered with a fake smile of her own, walking in rhythm with the rest of the retinue, until they left the station, and found a place where their vehicle was waiting.

The two mares looked in surprise. From where they were standing, they could see lines of vehicles moving through the streets, oblong metal things that looked like scaled-down train cars.

***

“That looks like something Flim and Flam would build,” said Applejack.

“Did they use magic to move?” asked Twilight.

“I think we once dug up a wheel like that,” said Scootaloo.

“Shhh, be quiet,” hissed Pinkie.

***

However, the one awaiting them was different, all shiny, with an open top that made it look like an oversized chariot. While the guards opened a small door to get inside, Respect made the two sisters follow him onto the top of the thing. Soon there was a sound of an engine working underneath, the vehicle rolling into the street. However, the alicorn did not intend to drive towards the tower. He tensed, and two seconds later, the platform disengaged from the vehicle and rose into the air.

Respect turned towards Aurora. Though she still couldn’t control her face, he caught a question in her eyes. “I use it as my official vehicle here,” he explained. “The bottom part is only used when they need to bring it to me.”

The platform flew towards the tower ahead, smoothly accelerating, until just before the wind could become uncomfortable.

***

Sometime later, Aurora and Aquila were sitting in an empty lobby, somewhere within the Tower of Wisdom. The walls were white, the carpets and sitting cushions a soft gray. Respect had left them, off to do some urgent business of his, ordering a pair of guards to keep an eye on them; the pair was now standing outside of the door. It wasn’t really necessary though. The sisters were inside a huge building, in the middle of an unfamiliar city. Even if they managed to make their way back to the ground floor, where would they go next?

A door on the far end of the lobby opened, and a secretary, a serious, middle-aged unicorn with a lilac coat and her mane in a bun, walked in. She checked a piece of paper on top of the notepad she was levitating, then looked at the huddled mares over her pince-nez. 

“Miss Aurora, Miss Aqua,-” she started.

“Aquila,” grumbled Aquila under her breath.

The secretary checked her notes again, and then looked at the younger unicorn with a frown.

“Miss Aqua,” she repeated with emphasis, “Lady Wisdom is away on matters of national security. She will not be able to see you right now. You will have to wait. If she doesn’t return by evening, you will be provided accommodation.”

“When can we eat something?” Asked Aurora. Aquila said nothing, but did her best to make an earnest pleading expression.

The secretary sighed almost inaudibly. “I will send for something.” She then turned around like a soldier, and marched out, the door closing behind her.

Aurora and Aquila were left alone again. For a while they were just sitting in silence, their eyes wandering over the lobby, from the soft carpet, through the marble wall panelling, to the crystal chandelier dominating the ceiling.

Aquila was the first to break the silence. “How long are we going to wait? What do you think?” 

“I don’t know,” said Aurora. “If it’s a matter of national security-”

“Discord,” said Aquila. “It must be. The guard have plenty of weapons, they wouldn’t bother one of the protectors with just any monster.”

Aurora nodded. “So, she’ll be back when they’re done fighting.” Her eyes had just finished scanning the room, and were looking up at the chandelier again.

Aquila hugged her tightly, pushing herself underneath her white wing.

“I hope they both lose,” she whispered into her ear.

Aurora shook her head. “Wisdom can resist Discord’s magic, and he is almost impossible to hurt. It will probably end as it always does - he’ll leave when he gets bored.”

She slowly broke the embrace, and was about to start contemplating the carpet again, when suddenly, her ear twitched. Somepony was talking loudly outside the lobby door.

“... so we’re conducting a Zebrican fire drill. I’ll need you to go to floor… which floor are we on? So, three floors up, onto the fire stairs. And fill your helmets with water.”

The voice had a sense of urgency to it, but it didn’t really sound like an officer’s voice, more like an over-emphasised parody of one.

Both mares stood up, and listened intently. There was some more talking they couldn’t quite make out, followed by a “Yes, Inspector,” spoken in unison by two voices, followed by a sound of hooves galloping away. Then the door opened, and an unfamiliar stallion walked inside.

Aurora and Aquila blinked several times, not quite sure that what they saw was real. The stallion was a biscuit-yellow pegasus dressed in a trench coat, a bowler hat and a scarf. He was also wearing thick, black-rimmed glasses with a fake nose and a moustache. He looked around the lobby, then stared at the two mares. “Are you Aurora and Aqua?”

Aurora opened her mouth, hesitated, and finally said. “Yes. Who are you?”

A second stallion, dressed similarly, except without the ridiculous glasses, looked into the lobby. This one was an earth pony, and a pleasant shade of red. 

“We’re here to rescue you. Come with us, if you want to stay yourselves.”

The first stallion grabbed the rim of his glasses, and revealed his face for a moment. “Name’s Jingles. Now, we’d better hurry. They might discover my trick at any moment.”

The sisters looked at the newcomers, then at each other. What followed was an eternity of awkward silence. 

Two seconds later, the four ponies were running down the corridor.

***

They had barely turned three corners, when an alarm sounded in the building. Jingles suppressed a swearword.

“You could've made a more convincing lie,” said his companion.

Jingles reached into his hat, pulled out a map that had no way of conceivably fitting there, and then put it back after merely a glance, before taking the next turn right, and running along a row of doors. “I’ve already told you, it only works if it’s silly. And it should have worked longer. They must have met an officer in the bathroom or something.”

Several of the doors opened, startled ponies in business attire looking out into the corridor. Jingles kept running forward, pushing past the confused personnel, repeatedly shouting “Out of the way!, Passing through!”

The last door did not lead to an office. When they opened, an armoured guard stomped into the corridor, blocking the way. Jingles started skidding to a halt, then slipped on the carpet, tumbling forward, colliding with the guardspony in a way that knocked him off balance, briefly turning them both into a spinning mess of random limbs before the heavier pony collided face-first with the wall, Jingles following the same momentum to disentangle himself from him, and somehow land on his feet. He kept running, his companions following suit, jumping over the unconscious pony in their way.

“That way!” He shouted, taking a sharp turn, rushing through a door, through what appeared to be a small kitchen, into a parallel corridor.

“Where are we going?” called Aurora behind him, as she tried to keep up, wincing as she hit her wing on a door frame.

“There!” he shouted back, running into an empty elevator. 

There was a sound of hooves to their left, a patrol of guards running into view, just as the four ponies crammed themselves into the small cabin.

“Hey you! Stop right there!” shouted the first guard.   He was a unicorn, a pronged spear levitating at his side as he charged towards the elevator. Aurora moved to shield Aquila, but then Jingles’ companion pressed a button, and the elevator door shut at the very last moment. With a soft hum the elevator started moving down.

“That was close,” said Aquila, pushing her way from behind Aurora. “But we haven’t escaped yet, have we? This elevator isn’t very fast.”

With a soft grinding noise, the cabin stopped. Aurora looked at the two stallions in alarm. The two looked at each other.

“Emergency brake,” said Jingles with a sigh.

“Seems so,” said the earth pony. “So, plan B?”

Jingles nodded. His companion braced himself, as the pegasus jumped onto his back and up, ramming his head through a small hatch in the ceiling. As he disappeared, the earth pony looked at the two sisters.

“We need to get out of here fast. Very fast.” He focused on Aurora. “We’ll be in freefall for a moment, but Jingles will get us through it. I need you to fight your instinct to fly, and keep your wings folded until we’re done falling.”

There was a banging noise above. The mares gave the stallion unsure looks. “What’s he doing up there?” asked Aquila.

Jingles fell back into the cabin. “Disablin the safties,” he slurred, trying to pack an unusually big pair of scissors he was holding with his teeth into his trench coat.

There was a louder grinding noise and a repeated pinging sound, like several guitar strings breaking, one after another. Aurora’s eyes widened in sudden realisation.

The earth pony met her gaze and smiled reassuringly. “Trust me,” he said.

As if on cue, the elevator started falling. Aurora felt the floor give way, and she had to suppress the instinct to start flying. At her side, Aquila was screaming. Aurora had enough time to look at the two stallions. Their faces were focused, but not scared. As the cabin kept flying down, Aurora kept the wings pressed firmly to her sides. She noticed a soft, blue glow emanating from under Jingles’ scarf.

He has some plan to catch us, she thought, any second now…

He did not. With a deafening noise, the elevator crashed into the basement, the metal frame breaking apart. Aurora was thrown against the floor, the impact squishing her body flat.

It took her a moment to realise that she was not dead. She could see her surroundings at a very weird angle, and she could feel her body bizarrely out of its proper shape, but there was no pain at all. When she made an effort to get up, there was a feeling of sudden shift, and with a loud ‘pop’, she was suddenly her old self again, dizzy and confused, but miraculously unhurt. Around her, the other flattened ponies were coming back to shape as well.

“Let’s get out of here,” said Jingles, surprisingly coherently, stumbling out of the wreck and into a dank basement.

“What happened,” said Aquila flatly, following him. 

“We crashed,” replied the earth pony. “We lived. Now we’re in sub-basement three, where our tunnel is. This way we can give the guards a laugh without crossing the perimeter. Now, let’s hurry before somepony gets here.”

With no other choice, Aurora followed her sister, chasing the stallions through the basement. Spreading her wings, she took off the ground, catching up with her unusual rescuers. “But, how are we alive? We should’ve died there. You!” She called after the earth pony.

“The miraculous power of laughter,” replied Jingles. He was now wearing a miner’s helmet with a headlight. He led them to a rubble-strewn room, opening into an irregular tunnel.

“That’s his special power,” said the earth pony. “We were in a hurry, so I thought the explanation could wait.”

Aurora glared at him. “Well, I could argue with that, mr…” she hesitated. 

The stallion turned around, flashing her a smile. “We needed every second. Trust me on that. You can call me Whisper.”

***

“Wow, that was some adventure,” said Scootaloo, looking towards Aurora with admiration.

“Will I be able to do that?” asked Pinkie Pie.

“That and more,” replied Obsidian. “You should already be able to do it.”

“But how were we able to hear Aurora’s thoughts?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“What?” asked Aurora, a hint of panic in her voice.

“Well duh,” answered Pinkie Pie, rolling her eyes. “She’s the narrator.”

“That sounds wrong,” said Applejack.

“I must agree,” said Rarity. “Can we do anything about it?”

“Well, she can,” said Obsidian. “The way I weaved the spell, she can introduce no falsehood into the vision, but otherwise it follows her will. That’s how she can skip over the uninteresting parts. Otherwise we’d have to view her entire life since the start of the story, and we hardly have the time for that.”

Aurora took a deep breath, still on her guard, but visibly relaxing. “Okay then. Let’s continue the story.”

***

"Where are we?"asked Aquila, turning around with her horn alight. 

They had long since left the city’s enormous sewers, and were now deeper underground. The caves seemed to stretch without end, and Aurora had no idea how her new companions were finding their way through there.

“Deep underneath Sophia,” answered Jingles, picking his way through some bizarre mushrooms that were covering the floor. “The stench of the chimneys does not reach here, so it is easier to use our magic. Of course, there are patrols here, and now and then Arrogance gases the whole place to get rid of monsters, so it’s not a good place for a hideout. But if we need to leave the city in a hurry, this is the best place to prepare a porting spell.”

At the mention of monsters, Aurora tensed, her ears now swivelling in search of anything unusual. Whisper and Jingles did not seem to share her concerns, though they were far from relaxed. 

Minutes passed, and nothing happened, besides Whisper asking Aquila to keep her light down. Aurora was just about to start lowering her guard, when suddenly she found herself relaxing completely. A part of her brain registered it as strange, but she couldn’t bring herself to be alarmed by it.

JIngles turned around, grinning. “We’re here. Sauti?”

Something moved in a shadowed space between two large boulders. An grey-maned mare in a long hooded cloak shuffled into view. A soft pink light was emanating from underneath her cloak.

“You’re not being followed,” she said in a soft voice.

Aurora moved in for a closer look. The mare was not as old as she looked at first, though definitely past her prime. The first thing Aurora noticed was her eyes, a pale shade of pink  with no visible pupils. As she kept looking, Aurora realised that the mare must be blind, her gaze unflinching, when it should be scanning the new arrivals.

“Wait a moment,” said Whisper, walking into the middle of the group, interrupting any introductions before they could happen. He stood facing the girls, blocking their path to Sauti, while Jingles moved behind them blocking the path back.

“There are some questions I need to ask you.”

“You should have asked them earlier,” said Jingles behind their back.

Whisper looked at him over Aquila’s shoulder. “They didn’t attack us right away, so it was not an ambush. I figured I’d wait till there are three on two before I asked.” He then turned towards Aurora. “I already know your names, so at least I know none of you is Deception in disguise, but I need to ask again to make sure. Are you spies for the Shattered?”

A part of Aurora wanted to get angry at the question, but she found herself unable to. The calm was emanating from Sauti, a soft wave of warm reassurance washing over her. She knew there was no aggression in the question she was just asked. 

“We are not,” she said. “We’re on the run from them now. Which I guess makes us recruits for the resistance, doesn’t it?”

Whisper nodded, and then turned towards Aquila. He didn’t repeat the question, but it was obvious in his body language.

“We aren’t” said the unicorn. “So, is this some kind of a truth spell? I think I felt it earlier in the tower, but it wasn’t as strong back then.”

Whisper smiled, the tension flowing off him in an almost visible wave. “The chimney fumes make it hard to use our powers in the city, but they also make them harder to detect.”  

Something clicked in Aurora’s mind, the aura of calm allowing her to put together the obvious clues she’d managed to miss in all the excitement. “Your powers? Wait… You’re not just some resistance, you’re the Elements of Harmony!”

The three ponies beamed at her in response.

“So, that’s why you thought one of us might be Deception,” said Aquila.

Jingles nodded his head. He had already walked past the girls to rejoin his friends. “We haven’t met her yet… we think, but she’s had a history of doing that. It would be ironic if she pretended to be Loyalty.”

“Loyalty?” asked Aurora.

“Yes,” said Whisper. “She hates Loyalty. You know the old legend.”

Aquila nodded. “Deception fell in love with Loyalty once. But he wouldn’t abandon his friends for her, and in the end he broke her heart. It ended in tears for everypony, and she’s been hunting the bearers of Loyalty ever since. Yes, every foal knows that. But what does it have to do with us? I’m not Loyalty.”

“No, Aqua, you aren’t,” said Sauti. “Your test showed great potential for magic, but I don’t think they considered you an Element. But your sister, she challenged the power of the Shattered to keep you safe. Ponies like her are rare these days.”

Everypony turned towards Aurora, who backed away slightly. All the calming magic in the world couldn’t fully dull the impact of what had just been said. 

“You guys think… I could be an Element?” she said.

Whisper shrugged. “We don’t know. We don’t have fancy testing devices like the Shattered have. But you have what it takes to be one of us, and if that means two fewer recruits for the special forces, and two more for us, it was worth the risk.“

Aurora looked at Aquila. There was something in the stallion’s voice that told them he was being completely earnest, but the blue unicorn’s expression indicated that she disagreed.

“You guys took an enormous risk, going right into Arrogance’s tower just for the two of us. If it were a trap, you’d both have died for nothing.”

“Which is why we don’t usually do it,” replied Jingles. “But today we got an opening, thanks to Discord.”

“Our friends confirmed it was the real thing,” said Sauti. “That’s something the Shattered could not have set up.”

“We’d seen dozens of ponies like you, taken into the tower, and never seen again, not as themselves anyway,” said Whisper. He wasn’t smiling anymore. “If we had a chance to make the difference now, we had to take it.”

“I’m not Deception,” said Aquila suddenly.

Everypony looked at her. 

“We already know that,” said Whisper. 

“You’re too sure of your powers,” said Aquila. “Back in the tower you guys asked us if I’m Aqua. My sister said yes, because that’s what they call me in the papers. But the name I call myself is Aquila. You didn’t catch that as a lie, did you? So, I thought I’d repeat it, just in case.”

Silence fell, interrupted only by the water dripping from the distant ceiling. Finally, Aurora decided to break the silence. “I’m not Deception either. Nor Empathy, or whatever she calls herself now. We’re joining you guys, because you saved us. But I can see you’re reckless. If I ever find out you’ve done something stupid, and put my sister in danger, I’ll choose her survival over yours. Am I making myself clear?”

Everypony stared at her, even Sauti turning her face in her direction. 

“Very clear,” said Whisper. “Now, let’s get out of here before our luck runs out. Sauti, is everything ready?”

Sauti turned and walked down the tunnel, indicating for the others to follow. There was a circle there etched into the stone floor, with strange symbols lining the outer rim. For a moment Aurora wondered how Sauti was able to prepare it without being able to see. 

The three Elements walked into the circle, facing outward. Jingles gestured to the sisters to follow suit. “Aqu… ila? I can see you’re very smart for your age. And you’ve been in a dowsing division, right? Could you add your power to ours? It will make the porting spell easier.”

Hesitantly, Aquila followed her new companions’ example. They were now all spaced evenly around the circle, facing outwards, with only Aurora left in the middle, unable to contribute. Four lights illuminated the cave, glowing brighter and brighter.

***

Aurora woke up from a feeling of getting nudged gently. She was on the floor of a moving vehicle, one of those she had seen in the city earlier. Around her, there were sleeping ponies; her sister Aquila, and the two stallions she’d met the previous day, dug into a pile of blankets. As she looked towards the front of the vehicle, she saw the rump of Sauti, who was standing in front of a control panel, her front hooves pushing a collection of pedals. 

“Aurora, could you come here?” said the old mare.
Shaking the haze of sleep from her head, the pegasus moved to the front of the car. What she saw through the front window was a prairie, almost featureless, except for some really weird plants far on the horizon, indicating Discord's presence long before. Once she woke up enough to register the situation, she looked at Sauti in alarm.

“Wait! You’re driving this thing? Alone?”

Sauti gave a small smile. “Not alone. There is a small bird sitting on the roof. I’ve been borrowing its eyes. But I can’t take it too far from its nest, and you were the least drained, so I woke you up. Could you keep your eyes on the road for me?” 

Aurora stared at Sauti, just long enough to notice, that now that she could see her in the daylight, the old mare’s face had a bit weird proportions, and there were pale stripes visible on her face. Then she turned towards the front window, frantically staring forward.

“I can’t believe these guys,” she said through gritted teeth. “I tell them how important it is that they don’t do anything stupid, and the first thing they do is let a…” she stopped and bit her tongue.

“Blind mule drive,” finished Sauti. “It is not so.”

Aurora almost pulled her eyes off the view ahead, to glare at Sauti. “I wasn’t going to say that. Besides, you’re not a mule. You’re a zorse.”

“Same thing,” said Sauti. “But I thank you. Few ponies make the distinction.”

Aurora lowered her gaze slightly. “You’re… right. I almost did say that.”

“You’re concerned for your sister,” said Sauti. “I understand.”

A minute passed in silence before Aurora spoke again.

“So, you are used to driving like this?”

“I don’t always do,” said Sauti. “Usually I let others do it, while I make sure no monster interrupts our journey. But we needed to leave before any patrol noticed the car, and the porting spell got everypony very tired. There should be more of us casting it. Since I’m the most experienced, I handled it best. I thought I’d just let them sleep.”

Aurora nodded in agreement. “So, you’re the oldest? Are there more of you? Everypony knows about the Elements of Harmony, but not the names or anything.”

Sauti leaned forward, and pressed the pedals, causing the vehicle to swerve around what looked like a suspiciously large molehill. “It’s because sometimes we die.”

“The Elements cannot be destroyed, but we can be. We keep fighting, but sometimes we lose. Sometimes the Shattered claim one of the jewels for themselves. They’ve tried to destroy them, many times. Then they tried to lock them away, bury them, keep them away from ponies. But no matter if they are crushed, dropped into a volcano, or covered in steel and stone, the Harmony always finds the way. The Elements want to have new bearers. And so, the conflict continues. Once, I was the youngest of the bearers. Now I’m the oldest. One day the Harmony will win, and it will be the Shattered that are locked away.”

Aurora absorbed the information. Behind her, somepony started snoring softly. “So, how many jewels do you have right now?” she finally asked.

“Only the three that we use,” replied Sauti. “Kindness, Laughter and Honesty. The others who help us, they have no magic to rely on but their own. Right now, we just fight the Shattered where we can, look for allies. I train Jingles and Whisper to increase their power. Perhaps this will make the other Elements call out to us. It has been decades since there’s been a complete set.”

“You know,” said Aurora after another moment of silence, “As far as recruitment speeches go, this one wasn’t very convincing.”

Sauti slowly turned her face towards her. “Does it have to be? You need to know the truth to stay by our side. Would it bring us any good if we mislead you? Besides, I know already that you’re ready to stand with us. I know your kind. The brave, the caring. What you have seen in the last two days has opened your eyes. What have you seen?”

“The world is a mess,” said Aurora. “Everywhere there are monsters, spawned by Discord’s madness. And the few safe spots are ruled with an iron hoof by the Shattered. Ponies spend their lives as slaves, trapped between one and the other. Only the Elements of Harmony have the power to save them from both. However bad it is, I have no choice, but to side with you.”

The old mare smiled. “Oh, you do have a choice. That’s what makes you a hero.”

“I’m no hero,” protested Aurora.

“But you will be,” said Sauti, “when the time comes.”

Aurora did not continue the discussion, instead keeping her eyes on the prairie in front of the vehicle. There was now something visible far in the distance, a white outline that, Aurora decided after a moment, must have been some sort of ruins.

“Where are you taking us anyway?” she asked.

“To a safe haven,” replied Sauti, “a place neither Discord nor the Shattered like to visit, the one place where the lord of chaos ever felt fear.”

Aurora rolled her eyes. “You enjoy being mysterious, don’t you? Shouldn’t you be-” 

“No,” answered Sauti. “I’m not a zebra. I don’t even remember ever talking to one.”

“I’m sorry,” said Aurora, “I should watch my tongue.”

“It’s not your tongue, that’s the problem. It’s what you’ve been taught,” said Sauti. “You have much to unlearn. As for where I’m taking you, it used to be a riverside city ruled by Hate.”

“Portus…” whispered Aurora. “You’re taking us to Portus.”

“I’m surprised you know the name,” said Sauti. “This is one the Shattered tried to erase for centuries. They even re-routed the river away from the ruins.”

“My grandma told me about it,” said Aurora. “One day Discord faced Hate, and tried to have fun at his expense, evading his grasp, and goading him on and on. But there was more darkness inside Hate than Discord anticipated, and on that day it boiled over, and covered the city in black fire that consumed flesh and stone.”

“And from that day, Hate has not ruled a city by himself, instead serving as a weapon to his siblings,” finished Sauti. 

***

“What was that about?” asked Twilight Sparkle. 

“I think I’ve already mentioned it, didn’t I?” said Obsidian. “Something happened to Hate after I was gone. After the conflict between the Alicorn Empire and the Shattered started, Hate was the first to attack, and the first to be captured in battle. The Empire wizards took him to a fortified  lab, looking for a way to kill him permanently. None of them made it out of there alive to tell the tale, but Hate emerged changed. There is something inside him besides the pattern spliced into his soul, something born of the Dissonance, a magical being of pure instinct that takes over when he loses control. My disciples fought it on several occasions, and found it even more dangerous than his usual, murderously violent self.”

“If even Discord was scared of that thing, it must have been something,” said Rainbow Dash.

“See for yourself,” said Obsidian.

***

The vision had shifted while they were talking, the car reaching its destination. The ruins were seated on a slope overlooking what used to be a river bank, like a giant amphitheatre. It must have once housed thousands of ponies, but right now it was just white stone, weathered by centuries of wind sweeping sand across it. As Aurora looked around, she noticed that the buildings hadn’t so much collapsed as melted - the remaining walls and windows were misshapen, as if the entire city were an enormous, old chandelier, covered with dripping candles.

She was so absorbed by the view, that it took her a moment to realise she was no longer looking ahead. She stared forward nervously, but found Sauti navigating the empty streets with calm.

“You no longer need to watch the way,” said Sauti. “The resistance scouts are already watching us. You can go wake the others while I focus here. We’ll be meeting Bubble Burst soon.”

“Who?” asked Aurora, turning towards the back of the car.

“The current Resistance leader. She’s no Element, but she knows her job. She keeps her eye on everypony here.”

The vision shifted again, with Aurora waking up everypony, and repeating the news to her sister. Meanwhile, Sauti directed the car towards one of the larger still standing buildings, and down a ramp to what turned out to be a big cellar. Four swivel guns turned towards the car as it stopped, but as Sauti spread her aura outwards, the guards relaxed at the familiar feeling. 

There were about a dozen ponies in the hideout, all wearing white cloaks that matched the surrounding stone. As the five ponies got out of the car, the locals formed a semicircle, leaving a space in the middle for one more pony to walk in.

The mare was a grey pegasus with a blonde mane, bearing a serious expression of somepony who had spent lots of time facing dangers and hardship. She was wearing a white cloak, just like the others, as well as an eyepatch over her right eye. She scanned the two sisters with her gaze before turning towards Sauti.

“Good day, Kindness. Who have you brought to us today?”
> Chapter 28: The Heroes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Five ponies were running through the dark alleys. Around them the streets echoed with the sounds of pursuit. As the group turned another corner, one of them took to the air to get a better look. 

“We’re cut off. We can’t keep running, or we lead them to the hideout,” he said, landing in front of his friends.

“So, what do you propose?” asked Aurora.

Jingles smiled mischievously. “We do it my way. Follow me."

He stretched his legs, and then took off in a mad dash, the rest of the group doing what they could to keep up. Suddenly, there was music in the air, a fast-paced jingle that seemed to match the rhythm of their hooves. On the next crossing they passed a patrol of armored guards, who looked at them in astonishment before giving chase. 

The seconds stretched into minutes, but they kept running, more patrols joining the chase. The path of escape was getting more and more convoluted; once or twice they took a shortcut that Aurora could swear hadn’t been there before, and on one occasion they led the whole thirty pony pursuit group into a dead end by sticking flat to the wall next to some wanted posters, and letting the pursuers ran past. 

Suddenly they were in an empty alley, gasping for breath. Sauti shook her head in disbelief. “I’ll never get used to running and not tripping, you know” she said.

Jingles flashed a smile. “At your service. Now let’s get off the street before somepony sees us. This is where the safehouse is, isn’t it?”

He lead his friends towards a small door, and rapped twice. After a moment, a visor opened in the door, and a green eye looked at Jingle’s face.

“Knock, knock,” said Jingles grinning.

“Not that old joke again,” said the voice from the inside.

“So, you’d rather have a swordfish?” asked Jingles, peering through the hole.

There was a sound of scratching metal, and the door opened slowly.

“Come in, all of you,” said a scrawny grey unicorn.

The ponies walked into a dark hall, then up the creaky stairs. The unicorn led them into a dilapidated apartment, where two more ponies were sitting, looking outside through the shutters of the window.

“They’re looking for you all over the district,” said one of the lookouts.

Jingles smiled. “Good. That means they don’t know to look here.”

“That’s the problem with trying to organize everything,” said Whisper. “When you put everything in neat rows, all the streets look the same.”

“How long will you be staying here?” asked the other lookout.  

“Only as long as we need,” said Aquila. “We’ll wait for the commotion to die down, and then we smuggle ourselves out of the city.”

The unicorn smiled. “Good. Much as I like helping you, I hardly have the means to accommodate you for an extended period.”

“We’ll, that might mean we see ourselves out early,” said Whisper. “Sauti?”

The older mare took a deep breath, and the gemstone underneath her cloak lit up in pink light.

The two lookouts glared at the grey unicorn, who rolled his eyes. “What seems to be the problem?”

“I know Plaster,” said Whispers. “Or, knew, I guess. He was a builder. He didn’t even know what ‘accommodate’ means.”

The three ponies looked at each other, and then tensed, their bodies lighting up in green flames that peeled off the fur, revealing black, chitinous armor underneath. They walked towards the five ponies, blocking their way to the window. Around them, the building erupted with the sound of running hooves.

“You may as well surrender now,” said the changeling leader, as Jingles and Aurora rushed to barricade the doors, seconds before more changelings could rush in. “Your paths of escape are already cut off. Kindness might stop us from fighting, for a time, but we don’t even need to fight you, just delay you long enough for Passion to get here.”

Aurora stared him down. “You know you’ll die too when he arrives? The first thing Hate does will be collapse this entire building.”

The changeling tensed some more, but did not step back. “If such is the will of the Queen, such is my duty. When our master gets here, you’ll be in chains, or you’ll die. There is no other way.”

“Then perhaps we could make one?” asked Aquila.

Everypony looked at her. 

Aquila turned around the room, with half-closed eyes, her horn glowing softly. “There is enough here for me to work with, I think. Do you think you could dispel the fumes, so I can cast freely?”

“We can,” said Sauti, “but I don’t think I can maintain my aura at the same time.”

“No need to,” said Aquila looking at the changelings. “Not being able to hurt anyone might slow me down anyway.”

“You’re not an Element,” said the changeling, observing the unicorn cautiously. “You were chosen for high magical potential, but your talent hasn’t even fully realised yet. You aren’t capable of anything that could break you out of your predicament. What are you trying to accomplish here?”

Jingles and Whisper flanked Aquila, their Elements starting to glow brightly. 

“Yea, What are you trying to do, Aquila?” Asked Whisper. “I haven’t seen you try anything like this before.”

Aquila lit up her horn. “That’s because I’ve never done it before. I didn’t even know how much I can do until you got me training outside of the city, where the air was clear.”

“Any moment now,” warned Sauti.

Aquila stared down the changeling, a cocky smile playing on her lips. “Do you know why I got my old name?” she asked, her horn lighting up into a pillar of bright light.

“Dowsing division,” said the changeling. His eyes were already widening when the walls around him exploded, pipes tearing out to shoot streams of water at him and his companions. 

The air filled with dust, pieces of wood, and clouds of steam. Judging by the angry hisses from behind the door, the effect was not limited to the one room. 

Aurora pounced forward, silencing her mind to catch the changeling off guard - she collided with the chitinous monster just as he was about to spit a glob of resin at Aquila. The impact sent him flying backwards, shattering both the shutters and the window frame, and knocking him outside.

“That’s how I know there is a water tower on the roof,” said Aquila.  

The building resounded with a groan of wood and metal straining. Sauti stepped to stand just behind Aquila, a tendril of pink light stretching from her jewel to grab Aurora and pull her closer. Then there was a deafening noise, and Aurora knew the roof had given way, then the top floor. Then the ceiling above their heads was crashed in, a wave of wood and water flooding in, sweeping away the two remaining changelings, and punching a hole through the floor underneath. Aquila screamed with effort as the water swept around her, briefly forming a vortex around the five ponies, before hitting the barricaded door, shattering it into splinters and sweeping away anyone still behind them.

Aquila swooned, but managed to catch herself at the last moment. “Through the hole,” she said. “There is a large sewer right under the basement.”

Jingles was already jumping in, ready to catch Sauti on the floor below. Whisper looked around the room and gestured for the girls to follow suit. Aurora grabbed her sister around the barrel and spread her wings, dropping into the unknown space below, letting Whisper cover their retreat. 

He jumped down a moment later, joining her in what turned out to be an apartment, now completely ruined by Aquila’s display of magic. Whisper lit up in an orange aura and then stomped on the floor, causing it to cave in. 

“Ladies first,” he said, pointing at the basement. There was already some commotion audible on the floor above them.

***

“So, the hideout is lost,, along with three contacts,” said Bubble Burst, as she finished listening to the story, “and you still don’t know where Cristal is, or even if she’s still alive.”

“We did manage to learn something,” said Sauti. “We found the notes she left behind. It wasn’t much, but I think we’ve figured out where Deception’s lab in Iustitia is.”

“There have been ponies shipped there,” said Whisper, “many more than she usually takes. Cristal though Deception must be working on some new kind of monster.”

“What kind of monster would she need?” asked Bubble Burst. 

The two spent a moment in silence, Whisper’s eyes glaring into Bubble’s single one. 

“I’ve already had to evacuate Portus after Cristal disappeared,” she said. “If you get yourselves captured walking into a dragon’s den-”

“You know we will anyway,” said Whisper. “We owe it to Cristal.”

“Do you owe it to her to doom our cause?” asked Bubble. “At your current power you might be strong enough to meet a single Shattered, but not in their own fortress. And if we lose you, we might lose all the jewels at once. Then it might be centuries before the Shattered slip up again. All we have achieved so far could be for nothing.”

“All you have achieved will be for nothing if you stop now,” said Aquila, stepping in to stand at the side of Whisper. Aurora’s eyes slid over the cutie mark now adorning her little sister’s blue coat - a full moon. She shifted nervously, suppressing the urge to look at her own, still blank rump.

“It is true,” said Sauti, joining Whisper. “You say we’re too weak now, but only through adversity do we grow. And if we abandon our friend to an unknown fate, how can we call upon the power of friendship?”

Bubble Burst turned away, her wings ruffling in frustration. “Then do it, if you have to,” she said. “But I can’t afford any more losses right now.” 

“If you can’t afford more losses,” said Aurora, “that means you’ll give us all the support you can?” 

Bubble Burst turned to face her, very very slowly. When she finally spoke, there was defeat in her voice. “I will.”

***

“Are you a changeling?” asked Whisper peering between the tangle of pipes blocking the way.

The black pegasus filly emerged from her hiding spot, reaching up to straighten the beret on her head. “No, sir, I’m not.” She raised an eyebrow. “Why are you asking me that?”

Whisper shrugged. “Had to make sure. I’ve spent the last couple of days asking our agents that.” He looked around. “So, you’re our guide tonight?” 

The filly looked at the ponies gathered in front of her. 

“That’s me,” she said with a smile. “The name’s Charcoal. I know every way through the industrial district. But you’ll have to wait till well past sunset. You guys won’t fit through some of the best shortcuts, so I’ll need to find a way to hide you for a while.”

Whisper looked up, past the towering chimneys above them, towards the slowly reddening sky. “We should be able to stay hidden for a while more.”

“Oh, I can point you to a good hiding spot,” said Charcoal, fluttering into the air. “It’s hot, but that means the guards don’t like checking in there. Follow me.”

She flew out of the dead end and past some pipes, keeping just low enough to see around her while staying in cover. The team followed her, first Jingles and Aquila, then Sauti, with Aurora and Whisper guarding the rear. 

The setting sun peered from under the cloud of smoke, casting long streaks of orange over the industrial district. The ominous shadow of the Tower of Justice was falling across the city, making it look like a giant sundial. 

Aurora shuddered, putting her wing over Whisper’s withers.

***

“Ooh, I think I see something starting,” said Pinkie Pie excitedly.

Aurora glared at her. “It did not end well.”

“Oh, right” said Pinkie Pie, and she seemed to deflate a little.

“I can’t help but notice your story is taking more and more jumps,” said Obsidian.

“It was you who said we don’t need to see everything,” replied Aurora. “I’m trying to show you all the important parts.”

“That sure was a cool way to get a cutie mark,” said Scootaloo. “Why did you two get yours so late?”

“I think it was all the suppressed magic,” replied Aurora. “It was normal to get them that late in my times.”

“Hey, I want to see what happened next,” said Rainbow Dash impatiently.

“Well,” said Aurora, “We couldn’t really use Jingles’ confusion magic to get in; it would cause an alarm too soon, so we had to sneak in the old way. It took us hours of skulking around to get into the basement levels of the factory. When we finally got there, it was every bit as nightmarish as we had imagined.”

***

Aurora and Jingles were holding tight, squeezed between the pipes on the ceiling, waiting for a scientist to go past. The mare was an orange earth pony with her mane in a bun, dressed in a lab coat and soft boots that prevented her steps from echoing across the empty halls. The two pegasi froze as she stopped right beneath their hiding spot, before turning and walking into the nearest door. 

Behind her corner, Aquila slowly released her breath. “Why don’t we just take her out?” she whispered. “It would be easier.”

“It would,” agreed Sauti. “But we don’t know what else is there. Could we hide the body quickly enough? Would anypony react to her absence? The later the alarm is sounded, the more we’ll learn.”

She inhaled, slowly, and the soft glow of her gem spread to Aquila and Whisper, leaving an invisible muffling film on their hooves. They sped through the corridor, clearing the next corner before the scientist could return.

Two corridors further, Sauti gestured with her hoof and everypony stopped. Aurora and Jingles joined their friends, gliding silently.

“Problem?” asked Whisper. 

Sauti turned towards Aquila. “If violence is what you wish for, it awaits ahead. There’s a creature lurking there, that we won’t be able to sneak past,” she said softly. “It is there to alarm others, so we need to take it out quickly.”

Aquila looked at her with a smile, clearly impressed. “That’s a nifty sense to have. Can Kindness look into all the hearts?”

Sauti shook her head. “No, it cannot. And neither can I. It’s just a trick a wizard learns when she can’t see.”

“So, what do we do?” whispered Aurora.

“Leave it to me,” said Jingles. “It’s not a big monster, but a loud one? A sentry?”

Sauti nodded. “Hiding above the door.”

Jingles put on a lab coat and an orange wig, and then walked openly down the corridor, stepping confidently. Everypony held their breaths as the pegasus walked closer and closer to the large, double door at the very end.

Without warning, Jingles reared, whipping out Aquila from under his coat, shooting her horn straight up, a beam of blue light striking the ceiling.

Aquila looked in surprise towards where she had stood a moment before, then turned purple, frantically disentangling herself from Jingles’ hooves.

“That was weird,” she said, regaining her footing, as her friends rushed in to rejoin her. “What did you do?”

Jingles raised an eyebrow at her. “What I always do. I used the power of Laughter to dispel the worries of my friends.”

“You know,” said Aquila, “I’ve known you for months, and I’ve never seen you laugh.”

“No love for comedians where I grew up,” replied Jingles. “I laugh on the inside.”

Aurora looked up. There, between the ceiling pipes, there was what looked like a small ice sculpture, a bizarre, furry creature with spindly legs and bat ears, frozen with its chest puffed, a moment before releasing what would probably have been a loud scream.

Aurora swallowed loudly. She couldn’t even tell if that thing had started as a monkey or a spider. This was something she’d expect to see in the Discord-touched wastelands, not in the middle of the city. Is that what Deception does to living things?

“We still haven’t seen any of the ponies they’d taken,” she whispered.

Sauti pressed her snout to the door, closed her eyes, and for a moment she seemed to be listening intently. Then she shuddered, almost swaying on her feet. Everypony looked at her in alarm.

“You’ve found it,” stated Whisper, glancing from her to the door and back.

“I… had to make sure,” said Sauti. Gasping for breath. “We’re here..”

Everypony looked at each other behind her back. Then, slowly, Whisper and Aurora pushed the door open.

***

“Wait,” said Twilight, “that mare you snuck past, I know her. Her color has changed a bit, but I’m sure it was Dr Stone. That was Deception herself, wasn’t it?”

“Stone?” asked Aurora, “So that’s what she calls herself now? She was Dr Stein in my time. Anyway, yes, she was, but we didn’t know it back then. We had already got past some lab assistants before. We had no idea who she was until-”

“Hey!” said Rainbow, “Are you telling a story or showing us a story? Because both are cool, but I’d like to have one or the other.”

“It’s not nice to interrupt,” said Fluttershy. After a second she added. “I’m not sure I do want to see what happened next.”

***

The lab was enormous, more like a hangar than a proper laboratory. The lamps high on the ceiling bathed the room in cold, white light. In the middle there was a work station with a number of rails set into the floor, allowing different equipment to be rolled in or out. Right now it was a collection of tables covered with notes and strange canisters, a pony-sized jar of green liquid standing in the middle. Rows of similar jars lined the back wall.

Slowly, the ponies walked in, eyes and ears sweeping the room in search of danger. Aurora spread her wings, and flew to the center of the room. She stopped in front of the jar, peering through the liquid, at the shape inside.

“I think it’s a changeling,” she said.

The rest of the group gathered around her. 

“It seems so,” said Aquila, “but it’s different. It has a mane, and-”

“It’s Cristal,” said Whisper.

Aquila and Aurora looked closer at the thing in the jar. At first sight it had all the insectile features of a changeling, but the muzzle was that of a mare, something Aurora had never seen before. The blue mane flowed in the fluid like tendrils of a jellyfish.

Jingles stared hard at the jar, then flew up, and started flying around the room. “There are more like her here,” he said. Each is different, but they’re all… changed. I think some are dead already.”

“We are too late,” said Sauti, exhaling heavily. “But why would Deception try to turn ponies into changelings?”

“Yea,” said Aquila, trying not to look at the jar in the center. “Changelings are already pretty good at being changelings, aren’t they?”

Whisper turned away from the jar and towards the notes on the table. “Perhaps we can find something here? Jingles, you look for some way to set this place on fire.”

“So, we’re just killing them all?” asked Aquila, looking around. “Just like that?”

“We can’t rescue them,” said Sauti, “not without knowing how all this works. Most of them are half-way changed, and only Deception knows what’s inside their bodies.  And if we leave them here, she will keep working on them, until they’re dead, or monsters in her thrall.”

“So, you want to burn them, and that’s it?” asked Aurora, tapping her wing on the glass.

Inside the jar, the thing that had been Cristal stirred. One eye opened, an unpony thing with a slitted pupil, staring into Aurora. The pegasus flinched away, staring at the creature. The instruments surrounding the jar started beeping alarmingly.

Whisper had taken a quick glance at the notes and, visibly unable to decipher their contents, swept them into a single stack he put inside his coat. 

“Jingles?” He called.

“There seem to be some oxygen pipes here,” said Jingles from above. “And some others I can’t identify. It should be enough to do it.”

This was when an alarm sounded - a loud, whistling shriek just outside the door. It was answered by a loud roar, somewhere outside, then a sound of running hooves, growing heavier as it got closer.

“We’re out of time!” shouted Aquila. She rushed towards the door, flinging it open with her magic. In the corridor behind it she saw a pony in a lab coat disappearing behind the corner, and something big barreling towards the lab at full gallop. She tried to slam the door shut, but since it swung both ways, the effort proved futile. 

“Ready yourselves!” called Jingles, flying low, his jewel glowing. “I should’ve watched the door,” he added under his breath.

 Whisper and Sauti likewise prepared, their Elements lighting up. Aurora checked the bracers on her forelegs, a pair of thin blades emerging over her hooves. Aquila stepped aside, lighting up her horn.

The thing slammed through the door like a charging rhino, which it may in part have been. Aurora caught a glance of a shell-like, thick skin, broad shoulders, and bat-like ears. Then the creature flipped forward into a roll, landing with its limbs spread wide, getting rid of the excess momentum before it could carry it head-first into the gathered lab equipment. 

Four beams of light struck the outer shell, surrounding the monster with a dazzling halo of colors. It huddled up, but didn’t show pain. The four legs spread wide, and stuck to the floor with a suckling noise. Then it pushed forward, and its front opened into a toothy maw, three dark green tongues shooting forth like coiled snakes. 

One tongue flew at Whisper, who had to roll aside to avoid it, the tongue ripping through his trenchcoat and nearly grabbing him as it coiled back. 

The other two tongues flew at Sauti. The mare had enough time to shield herself with a pink bubble of force, but the impact dislodged it, sending her bouncing like a ball through the lab. She crashed through one of the tables and then into a wall of jars on the wall, cracking the one she hit.

“It’s resistant!” shouted Jingles, as he flew over the monster, crashing a pair of cymbals over its bat ears, the only obvious weak spot he could see. The beast rolled over, swinging one of its limbs at him as he flew past, but he barrel-rolled out of the way of the swing. The monster landed upside down, its double joints turning the other way as the limbs flipped over to match its new position. 

“Then how about this?” said Aquila, her magic grabbing another table and flinging it at the monster, its contents flying all over the floor. 

The tongues grabbed the table in mid air, and then, to everypony’s surprise, set it aside gently. This was when Aurora flew over the creature, hitting the side of its head, the left blade aiming inside the ear.

It didn’t achieve what she hoped. The blade went in, but apparently the brain was not there. There wasn’t even a cry of pain she expected. For a moment Aurora could see an eye pop up from between the protective flabs of skin to glare at her. Then the monster rolled forward, propelling her off its back. She flew at the jar in the middle of the room, her vision exploding with bright lights as she hit the glass, the surface splintering in front of her. The hybrid inside started thrashing wildly, sharp teeth snapping, causing Aurora to recoil in horror. She heard the tongues whip out again behind her, but her body, still stunned from the impact, was too slow to react.

The strike didn’t come. Aurora turned around. Whisper was standing between her and the guardian monster, a thick orange aura surrounding him like a giant block of amber. Three monstrous tongues were lodged in it, the black stingers at the tips slowly pushing their way towards his chest.

“Sauti?” he asked with strained voice.

“Here,” said Sauti, emerging from behind the beeping instruments, which were now flashing alarmingly. Her jewel burned bright, a lance of pink light shooting along the tongues, into the monster’s open mouth.

This time it worked. The beast stumbled backwards, swaying, the tongues lolling out of its mouth, too discoordinated to coil again. 

“Not magic-proof on the inside, huh?” smirked Aquila. Her smile faded when she saw the door open again, the spider-like sentry monsters skittering through one after another, spreading out on the floor and the surrounding walls. 

“Aquila, here!” shouted Jingles above her, pointing his hooves at some pipes along the ceiling.

Aquila nodded, shooting her horn up. Jingles managed to land, covering her with an umbrella, just before half the ceiling was engulfed in flames, broken pieces of pipes raining onto the floor. 

The monsters stopped, backing away from the burning debris. Some sort of fire suppression system activated on the ceiling, but it was woefully inadequate, the sprinkling water only adding a cloud of steam to the chaos.

Aurora joined her sister under the umbrella. “Is that your plan?” she hissed at Jingles. 

“No,” he said. “Lend me your power.”

The three Elements lit up again, Aquila contributing as she could. The aura of mixed colors swirled around the five ponies. Something exploded above them and a heavy girder fell on top of the large guardian monster. Behind them, the jar finally shattered, the hissing hybrid breaking free in a single bound, skittering along the wall in search of an escape route.

Jingles closed his eyes and everything disappeared in a bright flash.

When they recovered, Aurora and her friends found themselves in the corridor outside the lab. The teleport took them less than 50 feet, but that was enough to get through the fire, and all the sentry monsters. 

Jingles looked around, and raised an eyebrow. “It’s much easier when you have line of sight. Now, RUN!”

***

A metal grate slowly rose from its resting place. A biscuit-yellow hoof pushed it aside with a scraping noise. A pair of ears emerged, followed by a pair of eyes, scanning the surrounding area. There was some noise in the distance, a sound of shouting and galloping hooves, but in the immediate surroundings there was nopony in sight.

“The coast is clear, I think,” said Jingles, emerging from the hole, and crawling behind the nearest pipe. Aquila emerged behind him, followed by the rest of the group.

“How long did we spend underground?” said Aquila, looking up at the sky. “It’s almost sunrise.”

“It seems the surface is on alert,” said Whisper, peering from his hiding spot, his ears moving, trying to make sense of the distant noises.

“Even if they don’t know about the secret lab, smoke in the main vent system will do that,” said Jingles, looking for a vantage point he could stealthily move to.

“This mission has gone all kinds of wrong,” said Aurora bitterly. She looked at Sauti. “What are our chances of leaving the industrial district?”

“We’ll have to use veils,” replied the old mare, her muzzle scrunched in focus. “There’s a lot of fear in the air… the chaos will help us.”

“I just hope Charcoal made it out okay,” said Aurora.

“Well, the sooner we move, the better our chances,” said Jingles, perking up. “Just look for some junk for me to work with, and give me a couple seconds.”

***

A couple minutes later, the five ponies were sneaking through the yards between the factory buildings. There was a clink of metal when Aquila stumbled, the metal rim of her air inlet disguise catching on the curb.

“Shh, somepony’s coming” hissed Whisper.

There was a sound of approaching hooves. The group froze in their enchanted disguises, like a bunch of foals playing trees and rocks in a school play, a single guardspony running obliviously past them. 

Jingles released his breath slowly, and gestured at his friends to continue walking.

“Say, what was that formation?” said Whisper. “I don’t remember seeing guards in red armor.”

“Do you think he’s one of Hate’s?” asked Aurora.

“He didn’t seem very elite, separated from his unit like that,” whispered Sauti. “In fact, he seemed scared.”

Aquila’s eyes narrowed. “Scared of what?”

They proceeded on, more cautiously than before. But try as they did to stay away from any commotion, it seemed the sounds followed them. There was no organized pursuit they could evade, but somehow, despite their efforts, they found that whatever was happening there, was now all around them.

They smelled the blood before they turned the next corner. There, a unicorn guard was sprawled on the ground, his eyes still staring up at the spear embedded in his chest plate. His armor, blue rather than the traditional silvery white, was battered, as if trampled on, blood still dripping slowly from underneath it.

Whisper shifted forward, dropping the grate he had been carrying. “Just what is going on here?” he said under his breath. 

Just as he was about to touch the body, it flashed white and disappeared, only the splatter of blood on the concrete marking the spot it had occupied.

Sauti paled. “We need to get out of here.”

Everypony turned at the sound of flapping wings. Charcoal descended from some hiding spot high above them, landing in front of the five ponies. “Guys,” she said in an urgent whisper. “You need to get out of here, fast.”

The team was already discarding their disguises, leaving the clunky metal behind to exchange supernatural stealth for speed.

There was a loud explosion nearby, and then a sound of galloping hooves. Charcoal ducked aside, looking for cover, while the team prepared for a fight.

A blue armored pegasus flew into the courtyard. He was carrying a red suitcase in his teeth, and had an expression of utter panic. He was fleeing from a trio of red-armored guards chasing behind him, zigzagging to avoid the shots of the enemy unicorn, though for some reason it didn’t occur to him to just fly up and out of range of his pursuers.

The four ponies rushed past, seemingly oblivious to the intruders on their territory. On the other side of the yard, another blue guard, a pegasus wearing a baseball cap instead of a helmet, jumped out from behind the corner, the first pursuer colliding face-first with the bat held in his teeth.

“It’s been like this for an hour,” said Charcoal in a distressed tone, “They’ve all gone crazy.”

Whisper just broke into a run, leading the herd in the direction the red guards had come from, leaving what looked like a fight to the death behind him.

There were more bodies there. It wasn’t clear what had caused the explosion, but it clearly hit two ponies. One, a blue unicorn, had been thrown so high up, he got stuck in a broken window one floor off the ground. His body flashed, and disappeared just as Aurora was flying past it.

The other, a burly, blue armored earth pony, was on the ground by the wall, lying in a mangled heap, but somehow still alive. As the group was running past him, he suddenly opened his eyes, welling with tears, and looked up to the sky.

“Why… don’t you just let us die?” he croaked.

There was a white flash, and a door appeared in mid air right in front of Jingles. As he retreated with a flap of wings, a misshapen monster strolled out of it, towering over the ponies.

It was Discord, his serpentine body dressed in a purple jacket with a matching skirt, and shoes. He marched out, stepping in the air, before looking down on the crippled earth pony. 

“Don’t worry. You’re all dead already. You’ll stop moving once the game is over.” The pony gave him an anguished look, and disappeared in a flash of white. 

“Discord!” shouted Aquila, stating the obvious.

***

“What!?” shouted Twilight Sparkle. “Did this really happen? I mean, I know Discord. We’ve all fought him. But he was never that... monstrous!”

“Yea,” added Rainbow Dash, struggling to keep her wing over Scootaloo's eyes, with little effect. “He turned Equestria upside down for fun, and some ponies did go crazy for a while. But he was never that kind of cruel.”

Fluttershy just kept staring, her face looking like she was about to throw up. Pinkie Pie handed her an empty popcorn cup.

“Yes, he was like that,” said Aurora, slightly taken aback by her audience’s reaction, judging by her tone. “This wasn’t the only time I met him and that’s exactly how he was in my time.”

“Ponies change, Twilight Sparkle,” said Obsidian. “Why wouldn’t a creature of chaos? By the look of it, this thing is so warped, it’s barely holding to reality.”

***

Everypony moved away from Discord, standing together with their rumps against the wall, with Aurora and Jingles flying above their friends, and Whisper trying to shield Charcoal.

The lord of chaos snapped his fingers, and the mangled earth pony disappeared. He then looked over the six ponies. 

“Well, yes, I am,” he said to Aquila. “And who might you be?” He leaned forward, until his eyes slid over Sauti. Then his mouth stretched into a toothy smile. “Why, It’s the Elements of Harmony!”

“We haven’t planned on meeting you tonight, Discord,” said Sauti, her voice stiff with tension.

Discord blinked. “Of course, you didn’t. You just wandered into my game by accident. You must be doing some hero thing here.” He turned towards the Tower of Justice with a pensive look. “You’re lucky old Vengeance is getting crazier by the year. In the old days she’d be here as soon as the fire started.”

“So, you’re just... playing here?” asked Aquila.

“He is,” said Sauti, “This is very cruel, you know,” she added, turning towards Discord.

“Not my fault you’re so useless,” replied Discord with a shrug. “I was bored.”

“What?” said everypony except Sauti, who just clenched her teeth.

“What?” parroted Discord, “Do I have to explain it to you?” A blackboard came into existence behind his back, and his purple suit was replaced by a professor’s gown. “I’m not the kind to just sit still, and do nothing. Unless there’s something really entertaining to watch, but you guys aren’t. You’re supposed to be heroes. Great forces clashing for the fate of the world! Ever since I learned about you, I’ve been waiting for you to do something interesting. Perhaps topple the Shattered, and build some new world for me to play with. But no! Each century you’re weaker and more useless. Boooring!”

He snapped his fingers again, and the board disappeared with a squeak. Discord stepped forward, growing with each step until he stood over the ponies like a giant. “I remember your old companions. They wouldn’t huddle in fear of me. At least they had some courage.”

“They all died,” said Sauti. “And we are no cowards, We risk our lives daily.”

Discord turned around, and looked at her over his shoulder. “Oh, right. So daring of you to break into the labs, like thieves, then set everything on fire because you couldn’t solve anything. It doesn’t take great heroes to do that, you know.”

“It’s not an accident,” said Whisper. “You’ve been spying on us.”

Discord raised an eyebrow. “Oh? But why would I? Would it be fun to watch you do your heroes' stuff?”

“We do what we can,” said Aquila. "We might be weak, but it doesn't mean we aren't heroes."

“Really?” said Discord. He was now wearing a blue skin-tight suit, and a red cape, his size back to what passed for normal. 

“Y… yes,” said Aquila. “It’s not power that makes a hero. It’s doing what’s right, even when it’s dangerous.”

“Now,” said Discord, his fingers preparing to snap again, “that’s a steaming pile of…”

Sauti’s barrier spell erupted over Aquila like an umbrella. Discord withdrew his fingers, instead snaking in the air to put his eyes level with the unicorn.

“You see, all those stories you hear about heroes, they aren’t about brave ponies. Or did you spend your entire foalhood waiting for a brave colt and his dog to free you from the Shattered? I can make night into day… well, except here, with all those chimneys anyway… but even I can’t make a pony matter without some power. And you know what? If you were real heroes, you’d have saved those ponies underground. And perhaps these guards too.”

He rose, looking down at Sauti. “This is very cruel, you know,” he said in a mocking tone. “A real Kindness would have the courage to make me stop. And she could do that too, even if she had to… let’s say… take their place?”

“You said they’re already dead,” said Sauti. 

“And if I lied?” asked Discord.

Sauti hesitated. “Then you can’t be trusted with anything you’d agree on,” she finally said. 

“So,” said Discord. “You don’t have what it takes. Do you really think you even make a difference?”

Sauti swallowed loudly. “I believe, I do.”

“If you did,” said Discord, “you wouldn’t be cowering with fear. Those shiny baubles you’re wearing? If you were real heroes, those things would be enough to drive me away. A glorious story of valiant ponies saving the city from a master of chaos. Instead-”

***

“All this villain talk reminds me of somepony,” said Rainbow Dash with a scowl.

Obsidian scowled back. “Don’t look at me. I missed that entire millennium.”

***

Discord flew back, and formed a frame with his claws and talons, looking at everypony.

“You’re just a bitter old mule. When have you last been kind to anypony? And no, putting them out of their misery doesn’t count. And what of your ‘friends’? An ex-con Honesty? A Laughter that never laughs? This is really pathetic. What’s next? You give Generosity to a changeling? Oh wait. You don’t have it. Vengeance would kill you all with a sneeze if you tried to enter the tower.”

Everypony’s heads turned in the direction of the Tower of Justice. “You mean it’s there?” asked Jingles.

Discord shrugged. “Of course. They all are. It’s not very creative, just sitting on them like that, but It’s more than enough against the likes of you.” 

“Will you stop that?” said Aurora.

Discord raised an eyebrow.  Aurora flapped her wings, approaching him at face level. 

“It’s a game for you, we get it. You’re like bazillion years old, and bored out of your wits.” said Aurora. “But you know what? It’s not a game for us. For any of us. We live, and die here, and we’re trying our best to make the world a little bit better. So why don’t you move out of the way, and let us do our ‘hero thing’? If you really want some heroes to stop you, you can be a hero and stop yourself for once!”

Aurora finished, breathing heavily. Her frustration spent on the initial outburst, it seemed she didn’t have any idea how to continue. Behind her, her friends froze, all looking from her to Discord and back. 

The lord of chaos stared at Aurora, as if he had seen her for the first time, his mismatched, red eyes boring into hers. 

“You know,” he said, scratching his goatee with his talons, “I may have to change my plans for tonight because of you.”

Aurora swallowed loudly, suddenly aware of what she had done. “Um… how so?”

“Well,” said Discord, “I was thinking of starting something new today, changing your friends until they were no longer bearers, and taking the Elements away, to see if I can find somepony better to wield them…”

Just then a red-armored unicorn ran onto the scene, skidding panically to a halt as he saw Discord. The draconequus snapped his claws. "The game is over." The pony swayed, his body shifting as injury after injury came into existence all over it - Aurora could see the wounds not so much open, as suddenly always have been there, until the unicorn exploded with a soft splat.

“But now I have a better idea,” continued DIscord as if nothing had happened. “Let’s play a new game.” 

He snapped his claws again, and suddenly everyone was standing on a roof overlooking the industrial district. The sky was already pink, and the ponies could see that their surroundings had been warped by Discord’s presence; the main factory complex was untouched, the fumes spreading from the chimneys dampening even the chaos lord’s magic, but the buildings the closest to them were slowly turning into a tangle of metal that made eyes hurt when observed too long.

“You look like a strong flier,” said Discord, turning towards Aurora. “How about a race?”

Aurora, still sickened and disoriented by what had just happened, turned towards him, not quite understanding. “What do you mean? There’s not much point racing you.”

Discord nodded. “Quite true. Quite true. But I’m sure I could give you a suitably heroic challenge.” He snapped his claws, and the nearest pipes moved. Metal twisted, ripping itself out of the structure. Two openings faced Aurora, now suddenly filled with row upon row of teeth. The smooth surfaces cracked and darkened, forming a pattern of scales. Two pairs of bat wings sprouted from each of the monsters, flapping faster and faster, until the creatures rose into the air like bizarre dragonflies.

“Now,” said Discord, “The sun is rising. Vengeance may be too crazy to notice things most of the time, but she’s not blind. She’ll be here any moment, and when she is, everypony will die. Right now, none of you will make it out of here in time. Unless…”

“Unless what?” said Whisper.

“Well,“ said Discord, “I only care about the Elements of Harmony.” he turned towards Aurora. “Getting you out of here is no big deal for me. Just ask me, and I will snap my fingers, and send you to your hideout. And your sister... and that kid too. I don’t care,” he finished, waving his paw dismissively.

“Or… you can gamble your sister’s life, and try to save these losers.” Discord grinned widely. “Race my pets and win,  and everypony lives. Lose, and you will die, along with everypony you care about.”

He turned around in the air, and spread his arms wide. ”So, what will it be? Will you save the only family you have left? Or will you try to prove that you’re a hero? Whatever you do…” Discord pulled out a golden pocket watch, “...I suggest you hurry.”

Sauti opened her mouth to speak. Discord snapped his fingers, and her mouth disappeared.

Discord wagged a claw. “Nu nuh, no voting. It’s her decision alone.” A black curtain fell from nowhere, separating Aurora from her friends. “So, what are you going to do?” 

Aurora swallowed. She tried to calm down, but when she closed her eyes, she could hear the sound of Discord’s pocket watch ticking, louder and louder. She looked towards the Tower of Justice, a giant, ominous shape in the distance; then towards the curtain covering Aquila, and the others; then towards the monsters still hanging in the air at the edge of the roof, their wings flapping in a steady rhythm. Finally, she turned towards the lord of chaos.

With a clunk, she dropped the blade bracelets from her forelegs. Turning around to reach different clasps with her teeth, she disentangled herself from the rest of her equipment. 

“Where do I need to fly?”

If Discord’s grin could get any wider, the top of his head might fall off. He definitely had more teeth than just seconds before. He pointed his claw across the city. “You go round that chimney and then back here past this one.”

He rose into the air, the flying worms coming to his sides. The black curtain disappeared, showing the frightened ponies behind it. 

“Well, we better start then, shouldn’t we?” said Aurora. She started flapping her wings faster and faster, preparing to take off at top speed.

Discord flew in front of Aurora, the monsters positioning behind her. He took a small red flag and raised it in his talon. “Okay, get ready… threetwooneGO!”

Aurora dashed forward, as quickly as she could. She could hear the flapping of wings behind her, but apparently the monsters lacked her ability to accelerate. She left them behind in the first couple of seconds.

Rooftops blurred underneath her. She flew over the factory buildings, then over the blocks of the nearest residential area. The giant chimney was still quite far in the distance. It wasn’t a part of the main factory setup, serving mainly as a magic dampener for its district. The sound of wings behind her was gradually getting closer, meshing together into an angry buzz. Aurora kept flying as fast as she could, but all the while she kept thinking of what to do. Her eyes turned towards the top of the chimney. Slowly, she started to build up altitude.

The rooftops shrunk beneath her. She could see some ponies looking up into the morning sky, many of them guards. Such reckless flying within the capitol airspace was bound to attract some attention. For a moment she got scared that somepony might try to shoot her down. Luckily, the monsters chasing her were bound to attract more attention.

She felt sudden tension in her wings. She was ascending of course, making her flight more laborious, but there was more to it than that. She was now approaching the chimney, getting closer and closer to the plume of smoke at the top. She could feel her innate magic weaken as she got further from Discord, the colors of her surroundings dulling, while the details got sharper. Her back muscles protested painfully, her wings suddenly barely large enough to provide any more lift. Behind her she could hear the flapping lose its rhythm and fall behind; whatever she was suffering through must have been much worse for conjured monsters, their forms struggling just to remain real. 

She flew a tight turn around the giant chimney, reducing the flapping to just glide for a moment. As she started flying back, she caught a glimpse of the two monsters reaching the chimney on its opposite side. They were barely flying, even worse so than she was, and what it meant was that she would get a head start again. This time she would be flying down too.

She pressed on, leaving the chimney behind. The descent allowed her to build up speed faster. Soon the pressure started subsiding. Her wings still hurt from the effort, but now she was quickly regaining her full flight capacity. Soon she could make out the tiny silhouettes of her friends and Discord waiting near the finish line.

Then she saw Discord’s talon rise. It was too far away to make out the details, but just from the gesture of his wrist, she knew it when he snapped his claws.

The flapping of wings, which had been quite far behind her, suddenly grew, and changed. It was now a roar, like some sort of a giant, mechanical saw. Aurora chanced a look behind. She could see a contrail of opalescent pink she was leaving by flying at that speed. Behind it, the two worms had increased their speed as well. She could see them fly with their maws open, rows of teeth rotating inside. It was as if they were sucking in the air as they flew, and there were now plumes of flame and smoke behind their tails. The distance between them and Aurora was shrinking fast.

“That cheating son of a…”

Aurora stared dead ahead, fighting the tears that appeared in her eyes from flying through the dusty air. There was no point in looking back now, nothing mattered except the space in front of her. Her wings protested again, as she put all of her strength into flying faster, the sound of pursuit growing louder behind her. The air seemed to get thicker in front of her, its resistance fighting against the momentum she had already built up. She was now close enough that she could see a grin on Discord’s face, and the horrified faces of her friends. The shadows shifted, ever so slightly, and she knew the sun had risen over the horizon.

She pushed on once more, and suddenly, like an invisible membrane bursting, the resistance was gone. The roar of the monsters disappeared in a deafening boom, and everything blurred from the speed. Aurora reached the second chimney in seconds, flying past it before the fumes could rob her of her speed. She made a sharp turn towards where her friends had been standing, and saw the two monsters falling from the sky. There was a giant ring of opalescent light spreading across the air where she had been seconds before. 

Discord was looking at her, an expression of mad joy on his face. He snapped his claws, and everything disappeared in white light, but not before Aurora could catch a glimpse of a slender, white alicorn appearing in the sky above.

***

“That was where I got my cutie mark,” said Aurora, “but that was not the most important thing. It was that-” she paused, looking at her audience. Everyone was just staring, mouths half open, the expressions running a full spectrum from amazement to disgusted shock.

The only face that did not express much was Obsidian’s. He looked at the ponies around him, then at Aurora.

“I think it’s a good time for a break,” he said.
> Chapter 29: The Chosen
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Let's talk about what we've seen so far, shall we?" asked Obsidian, sitting down on a large, blue cushion.

The inside of the Void Passage was transformed to resemble Cadence’s palace, a large, well lit chamber with a ring of fluffy cushions on the floor. The ponies were taking their places, sitting or lying down, eating imaginary snacks while looking at each other, waiting for somepony to talk first.

“That was incredible!” exclaimed Scootaloo, looking up at Aurora.

Dash beamed at the white mare. “You bet it was! I thought I’d never meet another pony who could do it!”

Aurora returned her smile.

“I… I don’t think Scootaloo should have seen that…” said Fluttershy softly.

“I’ve told you, she’ll likely see worse,” said Obsidian.

“Not a reason for her to see it now,” replied Rarity. “I must say, that was the most horrible thing I have seen in my life, and I’ve seen Needle Tip’s summer pet costumes collection.”

Everypony looked at her blankly, except Scootaloo, who avoided eye contact, hoping the topic would shift away from her before somepony decided to send her away.

“If she’s going to keep getting underhoof,” said Obsidian, “getting her used to such sights might improve her chances. You don’t want her to freeze like a scared mouse when something dangerous happens, do you?”

“But the problem of whether the vision was harmful to minors… or whether bloody dismemberment compares to modern fashion disasters… is not what I was really asking about,” he continued.

“Well, for one thing,” started Twilight Sparkle, “we’ve seen two huge cities that should be somewhere in Equestria. I know it has been over a thousand years, but this much concrete and metal couldn’t have just… disappeared.”

“I’ve seen the Crystal Empire disappear without a trace,” said Aurora. She looked at Twilight Sparkle. “That was a special case, but it shows such things are possible. Also, I don’t remember much from being inside Arrogance, but I know she has a lot of experience in destroying things.”

“There must have been more to that,” continued Twilight. "Why doesn’t anypony remember this? And not just ponies, there should’ve been some historical notes, some stories, anything! It’s not like we were the only civilisation there at the time.”

“For all I know, we might’ve been,” said Aurora. When Twilight stared at her in silence, she continued. “I don’t remember hearing of us having any neighbours when I grew up. But I do know Vengeance would leave her tower from time to time and fly past the borders. They say it was to ensure our safety, but I have a feeling she did more than just some monster hunting.”

“But…” stuttered Twilight, “What for? I mean, it must have been so ridiculously difficult to hide everything. Why go for so much trouble?”

“Don’t you think you know the answer to that question?” said Obsidian. “The Shattered had spent thousands of years fighting a war against the Elements of Harmony, generation after generation. But now, you are one of the Elements, and until a couple days ago, you didn’t even know you were supposed to fight anyone. That’s how you defeat an enemy you cannot kill. It was supposed to be the final blow, to end the war once and for all.”

“And now It’s started all over again,” grumbled Applejack.

“Yes, it has,” said Obsidian. “And thanks to Aurora here, you can finally see. That tree I showed you, it wasn’t the only atrocity they’ve committed to stay in power. This is what Equestria looked like the last time they ruled it. And though it might be much more pleasant now-”

“All right, we get it, sheesh,” said Applejack, waving her hoof. “You’re like a broken record.”

“Quite right,” said Rarity. “Those monsters have put our friends and loved ones in danger just to stay in power. You don’t need to keep telling us why we’re fighting.”

“Just a moment ago, you compared it to-” started Obsidian.

“And just what was I supposed to compare it to?” snapped Rarity. “I can only relate to what I have experienced. Let us continue on before this turns into an argument, shall we?” she finished, lifting her nose dismissively.

“What I’d like to know,” said Pinkie Pie, “was why Discord was so super evil. That wasn’t even funny. Just horrible.”

”Yes,” added Dash, looking sideways at Scootaloo. “That was wrong and creepy.”

“If I were to hazard a guess,” said Obsidian, “I think this Discord is similar to my chimeras.”

Twilight perked up, pulling out a notebook. “Oh, how so?” she asked.

Obsidian relaxed, sinking deeper into the cushion. “Remember what I’ve told you about how chimeras work? They are somewhat temporary constructs, held together by something that keeps them stable, it the case of the Void Passage chimeras, a spell designed just for this purpose. Their nature, shaped by the spell, controls ‘what’ they are. But ‘who’ they are is malleable. Put different feelings and memories in, and they will change their appearance and behaviour.”

Twilight nodded, her pencil scribbling furiously. 

Applejack leaned towards Twilight. “Sugarcube, you do remember this notebook is just a dream, right?”

Twilight looked at her friend in confusion, smiled sheepishly, and put the notes away.

“In case of this… ‘draconequus’,” continued Obsidian, “I’d say his defining factor, the pin holding him together is the name. He’s Discord, the spirit of disharmony, and he will always behave as such. His looks had the time to become iconic enough to maintain some inertia, and anyway he did get sealed in stone for centuries. But apart from that, he isn’t inherently stable. There is so much magic flowing through him, he must be constantly changing from what he absorbs from his surroundings. If so, then he would naturally be much more malicious in times so dark.”

As both Twilight and Pinkie Pie nodded in understanding, Obsidian looked around the circle again. “Anything else we’ve learned?” He looked towards Fluttershy, who looked like she was about to ask a question, but backed out at the last moment. 

“Are you going to belittle Aurora’s friends?” she finally asked in a small voice.

“After all that was said, it would be pointless. Though I must say, It does make me curious. Your group of friends seemed like … the most unlikely individuals to become the bearers of the Elements. Did any of them manage to awaken to their full potential?”

Aurora looked at Applejack. “You mean like she has?” When Obsidian nodded, she continued. “Yes, it took us some time, but we all did in the end. My own eyes used to be bright red… but I think I lost the connection through all the stuff the Shattered did.”

“I must say,” said Obsidian, “that crystal tree was an ingenious idea, whatever else you’d say about it. I thought I understood how the Elements worked.”

“So, we’ll get to see how you all awakened?” asked Dash excitedly.

“Actually,” said Obsidian, “I’d advise against it.”

“Why is that?” said Twilight Sparkle. Around her the enthusiasm of her friends was almost palpable.

“Because,” said Obsidian, “apart from Applejack, you haven’t awakened yet. The act of realizing the Element’s full potential is a personal thing. I was lucky to trigger one in Applejack, but you can’t set yourself up for an awakening. It simply won’t work if it’s not genuine.  Watching your predecessors awaken would make you emulate them. Don’t deny it. I’m old. I know ponies. It seems like a good idea, but believe me, it would only slow you down.”

“So, we’re not going to see the whole story?” asked Twilight.

“Perhaps later,” answered Obsidian. “I know you all want to. I know I want to, and might do it before you do - since it turns out I hadn’t understood the Elements as well as I’d thought, I feel a need to learn more.” He turned his head towards Aurora. “For now though, I just want to know how this story ends. How did Equestria end up ruled by two fake alicorns?”

“Hey! You can’t skip over story like this!” said Pinkie Pie. She apparently had left the room while the others were talking, and was now back with a fresh cup of popcorn. “How can we watch the rest if we already know the ending?”

Applejack looked sideways at Pinkie. “Sugarcube, we already know the ending. After all, she’s here, and-”

“Excuse me?” said Aurora. “It’s my life we’re talking about here. And I wasn’t exactly looking forward to showing you how I all my friends died.”

Applejack shrunk under her gaze. “Sorry…” she said quietly.

Aurora took a deliberate breath. “Anyway,” she continued more calmly. “I don’t think we’d have the time to sit here, and watch everything today, whatever this place does to time. So, I’ll show you one more story that I think is important, and then I’ll skip to the ending, and answer your questions. Is that okay with you?” 

Obsidian nodded his head. Slowly, the other ponies followed suit.

***

"You know it is a suicide to go in there with Vengeance there,” said Bubble Burst, looking over the map table at Whisper. His friends, who were gathered around the table, shifted nervously.

“I do,” said Whisper, meeting the gaze of Bubble Burst’s good eye. “We know what we’re doing.”

The resistance leader scowled. “That’s not exactly reassuring.”

“Hey!” said Aurora, “We did get back alive from Deception’s lab, didn’t we?”

“We know the risks,” said Sauti calmly, “we’ll work to mitigate them.”

“So, what’s the plan?” asked Jingles, “We’ve talked some options before, but we’ll need to decide the specifics before we tackle this one.”
Whisper looked down on the map. “So, according to our sources…”

“A ponycidally crazy spirit of chaos,” said Bubble Burst.

Whisper sighed. “I’m not sure he wasn’t able to lie to me. But he didn’t have anything to gain by lying there, even if he doesn’t care for anything besides entertainment.”

He reared, and put his front hooves on the table. “The remaining Elements are kept within the tower. But this isn’t enough to act on. The only time we could possibly get in is when Vengeance isn’t there.”

“So, when she goes beyond the borders, or handles some emergency,” said Bubble Burst, “but she doesn’t advertize it when she leaves. You will never have enough time to find what you seek and get out.”

“If what we’ve learned from the stories of old is true,” said Whisper, “the Elements want to be found. With the three of us there, and one that, I believe, could be the bearer of Loyalty, they should call to us. There is only so much the Shattered can do to hide such power.”

“Sounds like a long shot,” said Bubble Burst, but there was less conviction in her voice now. 

“It was mostly you we got the stories from, don’t you remember?” asked Jingles. “Why did you join the resistance if not to live them?”

Bubble Burst glared at him over the map. “I don’t feel like living the last one.”

“Which is why we need more intelligence,” said Whisper. “It’s not just finding the Elements. We need a good idea of what awaits us inside, and a clear way out of there. We also need a way to know immediately when Vengeance leaves the pinnacle. We need to stay close to the tower to gather intel, learn the layout of the building, and how it is guarded. Sauti would be the best for the task, with her superior command of magic. She’s also the hardest to hide though.”

“Hide?” Bubble Burst gave him a pensive look, then looked down on the map, her eyebrow raising as understanding dawned.

“The Inner City. You want to hide among her freaks, don’t you?”

“They do get in touch with normal ponies sometimes,” said Aurora, “And despite living just right to the tower, they aren’t really watched.”

“That’s because they watch each other,” retorted Bubble Burst. “They’re all crazy. If you try to hide among them, you’ll stick out like a sore rump.”

“I believe… with a bit of luck we should be able to hide long enough to think of some better way to do it.” finished Aurora.

Bubble Burst said nothing. She just gave a tired look to Jingles.

The Element of Laughter shrugged. “Fools rush in where heroic resistance leaders fear to tread. But we have no choice, foolish or not. Let’s just hope the joke's on them and not on us. It will take a lot of audacity to pull this off.”

***

The Inner City, a walled compound surrounding the Tower of Justice from three sides, was the living quarters of a couple hundred ponies, reportedly chosen by the ruler herself. Despite its central position, it was not the city center per se, and definitely not the seat of power; - the high class ponies of the city lived in the houses around it, close enough to the protection of the tower to have relative peace while staying as far from the fumes of the factory chimneys as the city walls allowed; the bureaucrats that governed Iustitia occupied the lower levels of the massive central tower, hidden behind the defence outposts covering the promenade on the north side, which served as the main approach.

Aurora knew all of that already. She also knew entering the Inner city was considered a reward for faithful service, a life of luxury at the expense of all those who hadn’t yet proven their absolute dedication to ‘Lady Justice’. 

The stories hadn’t prepared her for what she saw. 

She was standing in a group of a dozen ponies, all young and flawlessly groomed. Her cutie mark, a ring of spreading, opalescent colors, had been painted over with a picture of a stack of towels, and her mane was styled in intertwining braids. All around her, ponies were preparing for their day at work, warming up and, Aurora noticed, practicing smiles.

“You’re a new one,” said the leader of the group, a slightly older unicorn with thin moustache and a bow tie, “so just to remind you; Follow White Marble here, keep smiling, reduce talking to minimum. Do not address the chosen unless spoken to. And no flying. It’s disruptive.”

Aurora nodded in understanding. She had prepared for this while Bubble Burst’s agents arranged for a vacancy for her in one of the servant groups. She had the right looks, and the fake story they’d designed for her had done its job; She’d never get through the background checks involved in working the tower itself, but the security for the Inner City was not impenetrable. After all, what was there to steal?

The leader nodded with his head, and the group moved, walking from the promenade, through a heavy gate in the wall. Aurora made sure to remember the earth pony named White Marble, and stick with him as everypony walked into a small courtyard. There were carts there, some with towels or hair-styling implements, others with brooms and gardening equipment. The last cart was filled with bales of hay. 

“Why the hay?” asked Aurora

White Marble shrugged. “The chosen have very simple tastes,” he said as he strapped himself to the cart full of cleaning equipment. “Your name’s Breeze Fresh, right?”

“Yes,” said Aurora, “Please call me Breeze.” She walked by the cart as it went through a smaller gate into the city proper.

The first impression Aurora got was of whiteness and symmetry. It reminded her of walking into a large public bathroom, and standing between two mirrors, to see the interior endlessly reflected.

Rows of identical, small white houses surrounded the tower, curving around the district, broken in regular intervals by the main streets spreading from the center like pokes of a wheel. The identical, white rectangles of the houses were surrounded by garden patches of different sizes, allowing them to fan out neatly. As the roads moved further away from the center, new ones appeared between them, interspacing the houses further.

Aurora took it all in as she walked, making sure to have a good look around. She could feel Sauti’s spell in the back of her head, the old mare using a magic link between them to see the Inner City through her eyes. They had had some maps of course; with all her pessimism, Bubble Burst knew her job well. But no map could fully reflect the actual situation, and Aurora needed to know the details. If her friends were to hide here, they had to find a safe spot they could live in for a while, or better yet, be able to teleport to and from without being seen. 

Aurora continued on her way, trying not to look at the chosen too much. 

She saw them right away as she entered the compound, first as silhouettes in the distance. They seemed almost dreamlike at first, lithe, graceful shapes, draped in flowing togas, all white-coated. As Aurora approached, more details became visible. 

The chosen were indeed graceful, almost ethereal in how they moved. Aurora could see them walking the streets, some taking care of their gardens, using tiny, mouth-held gardening shears to trim the grass around their homes.  Some she could see through open doors, fussing in front of mirrors, working on their appearance. One or two was sitting with a harp, tugging at the strings. They all seemed like pictures of calm and grace, until you took a moment to have a good look at their faces.

As she kept walking through the streets, White Marble directing her to work on the houses where the inhabitants had chosen a different pastime than cleaning, Aurora realised that each of the chosen was wearing the same smile. It was calm and content, different from, and more natural than the forced smiles the servants were wearing. The chosen looked really at peace with their surroundings. And yet the longer she looked, the more uncomfortable Aurora became. The smiling ponies barely interacted with anyone, even each other, their eyes slightly unfocused, or rather, focused on what they were doing to the exclusion of everything else. The first time she was addressed, by a young stallion who didn’t want her to step off his garden path, he didn’t even seem to really see her, talking in her general direction, but making no effort to make eye contact, instead looking somewhere around her left ear. 

No wonder Bubble Burst called them freaks, thought Aurora. What did Vengeance do to them? They look as if they could keep walking around and just smiling contently even if this place were on fire.

The next hour proved her wrong. She was just about to finish her shift, having serviced about a dozen houses, when the air was pierced by a loud shriek. The heads of nearby ponies turned towards the source of the noise.

Aurora trotted in that direction, stopping only when White Marble shouted at her to stop, trying to catch up with her as he struggled with the harness of his cart. She had already gotten close enough to see the source of the noise - a slightly aged chosen mare staring in utter, mad horror at a patch of flowers in her garden.

“It’s broken…” the mare hissed under her breath, her eyes darting up towards the looming shape of the Tower of Justice.

Aurora approached closer, angling herself for a better view. Now she could see the shears at the mare’s hooves, and the spot where she had finished trimming the grass, right at the edge of the flower patch. A single narcissus was lying there on the ground, its stem snipped by a careless move of the chosen.

“What seems to be the problem, m…” started Aurora softly. She caught herself and fell silent, but it was too late. The mare looked towards her, the same unfocused gaze that did not maintain eye contact, but now framed by the face contorted with panic and anger.

“It’s ruined! The Lady made it for us, and now it’s ruined!” the chosen shrieked, tears welling in her eyes. 

Aurora could see the nearby chosen stare at the scene. Their faces shifted too, the content smiles giving way to scowls of utter revulsion. 

“It’s just a flower…” she started, but she already knew it was a bad idea. 

The mare’s expression shifted all the way from panicked to livid in the span of a second. “It was as She designed, you… Blasphemer!” She pounced over the flowers, right at Aurora, rearing in front of her with an angry scream, hooves flailing.

I can’t hit her, can I? thought Aurora panically. She moved away, barely keeping out of reach of the strikes. She heard another pony gallop towards her from behind, and shifted aside at the last moment - she felt a hoof pushing her away, and then heard a loud smack.

White Marble was standing in front of her, the chosen’s hoof pressed onto his face.

“Please calm down, my lady,” he said quickly. “We will work to restore the proper order! You are still blessed!” 

As she regained her balance, Aurora kept behind the stallion, allowing him to obscure her from the chosen’s sight. She saw a small splash of red on the pavement in front of him. Now he too was dodging in place, trying to avoid the repeated kicks without striking back.

“Can you hear this!?” he shouted, “It’s the bell! You’re being called!”

The mare froze. Slowly, her head turned aside, towards the distant sound of small bells, echoing along the street. Aurora could see the other chosen turning their heads too. 

“My lady is... calling me,” the mare stuttered, wide-eyed and tearful.

“Yes,” said White Marble in a calmer voice. “Her gifts have arrived. You are still blessed.”

“I am still blessed,” repeated the chosen, but she wasn’t talking to White. She turned around, and slowly walked down the street, moving as if in a daze. 

Aurora watched her go before turning to White Marble. “Are you okay?” she asked.

White Marble turned around. His face was already swelling, and there was a trickle of blood from his nostril. He was still smiling, a rigid, professional smile of a chosen caretaker.

“Great job, Fresh. Didn’t they tell you not to set them off?”

Aurora pouted. “Many times. But she was already set off, it wasn’t my fault.”

White Marble rolled his eyes. “Keep smiling. And get Daffodil here. She’s got the gardening duty today.” He waved his hoof towards the nearest intersection, indicating a right turn. “We need to sort out this mess before she returns. It’s bad enough that I’m ‘imperfect’ now. I’ll have to skip work until I get rid of the swelling.”

Aurora forced her own muzzle into a smile. “Right away,” she said, then galloped off in the direction he indicated.

She could feel the gazes of the chosen sliding over her as she ran, the slender ponies scowling at the noise she was making. There were now more of them in the streets, walking slowly towards the sound of bells, which Aurora could now hear from several directions.

Aurora sighed and spread her wings. I’m already making a scene, might as well do less noise.

She took a running start into the air, and then started gliding, looking for the gardener’s cart.

Heads rose to look in her direction, but she was too far away from them to properly scold her. As she took a turn, Aurora caught a glimpse of a chosen mare observing her with an indifferent expression. Their eyes met.

What’s going on? thought Aurora. That one looked straight at me. And she wasn’t smiling…

Just then she caught a glimpse of a cart. Is this the one? she thought.

It wasn’t. This cart was the source of the ringing. Looking from above, Aurora could see that it was one of many, the approaching chosen forming shrinking circles all over the district as each approached the closest one. It was one of the big intersections, with a fountain in the middle. The cart was set up next to it, just out of range of flying water droplets, and now opened into a sort of a wide stand. The two ponies operating it had just finished setting up the hay, having cut the bales loose. The younger of the two stopped ringing the bell just as the first of the chosen approached, forming in neat queues in front of the stand.

“Bless our Lady and her gifts for us,” said the chosen stallion at the head of the group, looking at the food with a content smile.

Aurora circled the scene, careful not to cast her shadow on the gathering.

“They’re so delighted! They no longer care I’m here. But it’s just hay! It’s a hayrack! What is wrong with them?”

***

“What indeed?” asked Obsidian.

“That was horrible,” whispered Fluttershy.

“Yea,” grumbled Pinkie. “What kind of a pony does that to a smile?”

Rainbow Dash stared at her. “Missing the point much?”

Pinkie met her gaze. “Nope. We’ve already seen what they did to ponies there. We knew they were monsters. But this… It’s a completely new kind of wrong.”

“It’s like… a love spell gone horribly wrong,” said Twilight Sparkle, “except the Shattered aren’t supposed to have magic.”

“All of these ponies seemed to have been modified in some way,” said Obsidian.

“So, you think it was Deception’s work?” asked Twilight. “But even so, what kind of pony would do something like this?”

Obsidian pointed towards the tower in the vision. “Perhaps one that was tired of the centuries of being hated, and wanted to be adored for a change?”
> Chapter 30: The Actress
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aurora's ear twitched. There it was again, the sensation of being watched. She’d been having it more and more in the past weeks, her hearing catching the sound of hoofsteps not quite like the others, somepony purposefully trying to be sneaky. 

She turned around, but couldn’t locate the source. There were a couple chosen nearby, but nopony seemed to be paying any attention to her.

Warily, she returned to her cleaning duties. The next house was marked as empty, so she didn’t have much work to do there beyond simple dusting. There was no chance of squatters in the Inner City, so empty houses just stood there waiting for new ponies to arrive. Aurora shut the door behind herself, propped the broom against the wall, and sighed deeply.

She had already spent a week working among the chosen. Fortunately, her blunder on the first day had not got her fired. It seemed violence was a common occurrence here, and the servants would often skip work on account of minor injuries.

But this was where her luck ended. She spent much of her time looking for a good hiding spot, but to no avail. The Inner City homes were universally small, too small to reliably conceal long distance teleportation, not to mention a bunch of ponies hiding there.

They could probably fly there in the night, evading the guards of the outer wall, and taking one of the empty houses - there were always some in the district, vacated after their inhabitants succumbed to old age, or more commonly, to their own insecurities regarding some imagined imperfection; the mental condition of the chosen seemed to only get worse with age. But for all their apparent obliviousness, the locals were frighteningly quick to pick up on abnormalities in their surroundings.

Bubble Burst might have been right, there’s nowhere to hide here, she thought in frustration. Even if we take over an empty house, the cleaners will come in a couple days. Perhaps we could use Jingles to fool them? Could he pretend to be a chosen?

A sound of a horn echoed from up high. Aurora looked up in confusion. What was going on? The sound did not repeat. It hadn’t sounded like an alarm, more like a fanfare. Aurora moved to the window. There was a commotion outside.

What’s going on?

Taking the broom in her teeth, Aurora scurried out of the house. The street was full of chosen, their faces alight with excitement. All were headed in one direction. “The Lady! The Lady is calling us!” one chosen stallion exclaimed.

Aurora’s blood ran cold. “Is Vengeance here? What do I do?” 

She remembered her encounter with Envy. Has Vengeance heard of me yet? Discord said she was crazy and out of touch, didn’t he? 

She looked towards the cart. Her partner for the day, an earth mare everypony called “Polish” was standing there with her back turned. Silently, Aurora backtracked inside the empty house, and closed the door. She took the broom, and started some token sweeping, But soon she found that she couldn’t focus on the task. The looming danger absorbed all of her attention, and worse, she soon found that her fear gave way to something much more alarming: curiosity.

She looked in the direction the chosen had headed, then dropped the broom with a dejected sigh. “I’ll go crazy if I just wait here,” she said under her breath.

Swallowing loudly, she finally made a decision. Moving slowly, she approached the window, opened the shutters, and flew out over the grass following the crowd.

***

The square was bigger than the others. Located directly south of the tower, it had clearly been designed to be the central point of the district. There was a stone platform in the middle of it, like a permanent stage, and just enough space for all the chosen to gather around it without stepping on the grass.

Aurora caught up with the crowd just as the last of them were taking their places. She took a hiding spot behind the corner of the nearest building, and waited.

Just moments later a loud “aah” sounded from the gathered crowd. From up high two ponies descended. One was a unicorn, standing on a flying platform, just like the one Envy had used. The other was a tall, white alicorn. She was flying freely, descending upon the stage with powerful flaps of her wide wings. Her mane was straight and milky white, just as her coat. Her body, bare and unadorned, was eerily perfect, a template of which the chosen were only pale reflections.

As her hooves touched the stage, all the gathered ponies fell to their knees, but didn’t lower their heads. Instead, they were stretching their necks towards their ruler, their eyes and ears fixated on her, ready to catch her every word and gesture. 

Vengeance folded her wings. She stepped forward, looking down on the audience. Her face, initially emotionless, slowly formed a benevolent smile, a practiced, artificial gesture, that only her fanatics could mistake for genuine affection.

She has no heart, remembered Aurora, she doesn’t love anypony, only destroys those who displease her.

“I have come to gaze upon you, my children,” said Vengeance aloud, her voice magnified over the square. The tone of her voice didn’t quite match her words, more a blunt statement of a soldier than a proclamation of a monarch. And yet, the chosen seemed suitably impressed, the crowd echoing with a collective gasp. 

“I am pleased with your continued efforts to maintain the perfection of this fine city, this small slice of order we have carved out of the chaotic world. It brings me peace to gaze upon your faces after all the work I have put into making this world a better place.”

The smile disappeared like a candle light blown out.

“And yet, it is not for serenity that I come to you today. I am here so you can bear witness to me doing my duty, and restoring the proper order of things.”

The square was stunned into silence. Vengeance turned her head, taking in the chosen’s reactions. 

Aurora’s heart started racing. Did she look at me? Did she see me, or was she just looking at the chosen in my direction? Suddenly, coming to the meeting started looking like a horrible idea. Aurora’s mind was flooded with memories, rumors she had heard since she was a foal. 

“Is it true what they say, that she never forgets anything? I heard she can hear your nerves, see heat, and tell a liar by his smell.” 

Oh Sun and Moon, what am I doing here?

Meanwhile, Vengeance opened one wing, indicating the flying platform on the stage beside her. “This pony used to be a guard of peace, responsible for keeping our supplies safe. He betrayed that duty, and our trust, allowing theft of common goods for his personal profit.”

If she took note of a frightened pegasus skulking at the edge of the gathering, she didn’t show it.

Aurora looked at the guard. He walked off the platform and to Vengeance’s side, moving in an awkward, stiff gait, as if his legs were dragged along by the shackles on his ankles. He didn’t seem aware of his surroundings, his face stuck in an expression of numb horror.

Vengeance rose into the air, wings spread wide. Her voice boomed over the crowd.

“Tell him, where his place is in the order of things! What is the place of parasites who undermine the common good?!”

The mood of the crowd shifted so dramatically, Aurora felt it as if there was a storm gathering, her pegasi senses instinctively looking for signs of shifting air pressure.

“There is none,” growled an older mare. 

This was a signal. Within seconds, the crowd exploded, the chosen rising from their knees, snarling and hissing. “Traitor!” they shouted, “Parasite!”, “There is no place for you here!” “Begone!”

Vengeance stayed suspended in the air, listening, her face bearing an expression of cold satisfaction. After 10 seconds, lightning arced along her extended wings. 

The sound silenced the crowd, and they just stood there, completely still, staring at the stage.

“They speak the truth,” said Vengeance, looking down at the guard. “For such as you, there is no place in our world. Therefore... begone.”

Lightning flashed, and the stallion’s body spasmed, his gasp of pain lost in the sizzle of electricity. Aurora could see his fur catch fire briefly, and then suddenly dissolve into thin air, layers of his flesh and bone unravelling in split second, until he was gone, only the empty shackles falling onto the stage with a clunk.

Everypony released the breath they didn’t realise they’d been holding. There was nothing left of the guard, not even a smudge of soot. 

“It is done,” said Vengeance. Both the shackles and the platform disappeared, leaving an empty stage. The chosen bowed their heads in deference as the alicorn left them, rising higher into the air, and flying back towards the tower. The crowd watched her go before turning and scattering, the white ponies going back to their homes to resume their interrupted activities.

Aurora didn’t see that part. She was already dashing back at breakneck speed, half running, half flying back to her work place.

***

She got inside the house one street ahead of the crowd. She shut the window, and just managed to grab the broom before there was a knock on the door, and Polish stuck her head inside. “Are you repainting the bloody house, or what?” she asked with a smile.

Aurora mumbled an apology through the broom handle, and rushed outside. The cart had already been moved along the street. Polish grabbed a bucket of cleaning utensils, and headed to the house across the street.  Calming her breath, Aurora put her broom under her wing, and approached the next house in line.

She pushed the door lightly, and when it didn’t budge, she reflexively knocked. 

Oh, wait. If it’s locked, they don’t want me here.

But before she could leave, the door opened. The white unicorn inside looked at her with surprise, before assuming the chosen’s trademark serene smile. “I don’t need your service,” she said.  

“Of course,” said Aurora, retreating with a bow. She turned to approach the next house, as the chosen shut the door.

This one seemed more awake than most, she thought, she seemed to actually notice me. Wait a minute...  

A week-old memory surfaced. With their similar built, identical robes, and white coats, the chosen all looked the same - they’d blend in the background as much as the caretakers did for them. But this one, Aurora was sure she had seen her before. She pondered the problem as she walked the street, moving aside to get out of the way of the chosen returning from the gathering. 

Yes, I’m sure. She was the one that saw me when I was flying back then, and looked me in the eyes. It feels like she’s different from the other chosen, but what’s the deal with her?

Aurora returned to work with a nagging feeling that she was missing something important. It wasn’t until she was ready to finish work, when it suddenly hit her.

She was there when I came back. But the chosen never run! She wasn’t at the meeting! 

***

“The next day they moved us to a different quarter. I couldn’t slip away from my work place long enough to investigate. I tried to check if she was still tailing me, but it looked like she had stopped. So I kept doing my work, looking for anything that could help my friends infiltrate, while waiting for another chance. It wasn’t until a full week later that I finally got it.”

***

It was near midday. Aurora looked around the street nervously.

This is the house. It looks like she’s inside. I shouldn’t let her see me. What about…

She looked aside. For that day she had been paired with Polish again. She saw her enter one of the houses, its inhabitant watching her movements with cold scrutiny. 

That should keep her busy, thought Aurora. She moved aside, taking a position that let her keep an eye on her target while staying out of sight, and maintaining the illusion that she was working. 

Any minute now…

And there it was, the first sound of a bell calling the chosen to lunch. Aurora grabbed the broom harder with her teeth, and pretended to sweep the pavement, all the while looking over her shoulder, waiting to see the silhouette of the suspicious unicorn.

There she is!

Aurora turned away, forcing herself to count seconds, until she was sure her target had turned the nearest corner.

There. Now let’s see what’s really going on there. Hopefully it will be something we can use. 

She felt the tug of the communication spell inside her head, and prepared to transmit the picture from her eyes. Propping the broom against the nearest wall, she turned around. 
She almost ran towards the house, moving as quickly as she could do without attracting attention. She looked over her shoulder - fortunately Polish hadn’t returned yet. 

Behind the door there was nothing unusual. The house looked no different from the other ones: white walls, simple yet elegant furniture of light brown polished wood. “Nopony chosen above the others” was the district’s unofficial motto, and this house clearly expressed that sentiment.

Aurora suppressed a sigh of disappointment, her tension dropping suddenly. There’s nothing here. But should there be? It’ not like nopony ever looks through the door.

Calming herself down, she started searching the house, looking for places where somepony might try to hide something. There weren’t that many. The simplistic decor left very few spots concealed from sight. There was nothing under the bed, or in the drawers, nothing in the potted plants, at least as far as Aurora could verify without leaving a mess. When looking on top of the wardrobe revealed nothing, Aurora ran out of obvious ideas.

If I were a unicorn trying to hide something, where would I… what’s that smell?

She sniffed once, then once more, trying to locate the source. The smell reminded her of something she couldn’t quite put her hoof on. It made her think of something sticky and organic.

The bathroom! I should’ve started there.

Aurora walked towards the closed door. The smell was stronger there. Slowly, she pressed the doorknob. With its perfectly oiled hinges, the door opened soundlessly. Considering what was behind it, one could really expect an ominous creaking sound.

The inside of the bathroom looked like something out of a nightmare, white tiles around the door giving way to strands of dark green resin overgrowing the opposite wall. There was something there in the corner over the toilet - a green bubble, like a giant blister, filled with murky liquid in which a thin silhouette could be seen.

Aurora nearly screamed. She forced herself to step in and take a closer look. There was a familiar looking chosen unicorn in the pod. She wasn’t showing any signs of life.

That’s bad, very bad, thought Aurora as she retreated from the bathroom. There’s a changeling here, but why? All the changelings serve Deception. Did Vengeance allow one of them to feed on her chosen? This one looks dead.

Aurora’s eyes widened with a sudden realisation of a very obvious truth.

What am I doing?! I need to get out of here!

She closed the bathroom, and moved towards the exit, but found that the unicorn was already there, back from lunch way earlier than her neighbours, and now blocking the doorway with her body. She looked down disapprovingly at Aurora.

Aurora smiled nervously. “Cleaning service?”

The unicorn stepped forward, forcing her back into the house. “I do not require service. You know that,” she said.

Aurora was looking for a chance to push past the fake chosen, and out the door, but the mare kept shifting into her path.

“I have a lot to do today,” tried Aurora, her muscles tensing, preparing to leap into the air, “If you do not require my services, then I-”

She didn’t leap. Suddenly the unicorn’s horn lit up in green, and in an instant her eyes seemed to fill the whole world. Aurora tried to look away, but she just swayed with a whimper as the mare advanced at her. At the edge of her hearing she caught the sound of the door closing. A part of her mind registered the fact that she was trapped, but she couldn’t get her body to move… no, she couldn’t get her brain to formulate the intent to move. She observed what she thought would be her doom, with numb detachment. She felt she bumped into something - she had walked back so far that her rump touched the wall.

The unicorn opened her mouth, flickers of green flame crawling over her body, revealing a hairless, black shell, and a jaw full of sharp teeth. Slitted green eyes bored into Aurora’s soul.

Aurora blinked. Some gears in her head started turning, until a thought pierced through the numbing haze.

“Cristal?”

It was the monster’s turn to blink. The haze thinned, and Aurora could force herself to speak some more. “Cristal, it’s me, Aurora. We met at Portus, remember? I was with Whisper and Jingles …” her voice trailed off as the power overcame her again. The image before her shifted, the snarling face disappearing, replaced by her sister’s, then Whisper’s. For a brief moment, it was her mother’s. She felt a movement of air around her muzzle, as if somepony inhaled deeply right in front of her nose. Then her mind went blank.

***

She awoke in the bathroom. Jumping to her hooves, she found herself pulled back, slumping against the wall and hitting her head on the tiles. She tried to scream, but found something slick and stretchy covering her mouth just below the nostrils.

“Don’t struggle,” said Cristal, looking down at her.

Amber looked up. The changeling had already returned to her pony guise. Her intense glare was gone too, replaced by a cold, but calm expression.

“I’ve told your companion that I require your services,” continued Cristal. “I was very convincing. She won’t bother us until the end of her shift. I could wear your face then, and leave this place… but I do remember you. You freed me. But you tried to kill me too, didn’t you?”

Aurora tried to think of something to say. She attempted to mumble a reply through her gag. She now knew it was changeling resin - she had been glued to the wall.

Cristal sighed. “I will free your mouth now, but remember, nopony will get to you in time if you start screaming. Do you understand?”

Aurora nodded vigorously. Cristal’s horn flashed green, and the strand covering Aurora’s mouth dissolved into clear liquid.

“Now, explain yourself.”

Aurora closed her eyes, and tried to calm herself, or at least not show how terrified she was. Instinctively, she remembered the lessons she had had drilled into her by Sauti on how to screen her heart.

Cristal tapped impatiently with her hoof. “Don’t do that.”

Aurora opened her eyes. “Don’t do what?”

The changeling frowned like a dissatisfied teacher. “Don’t hide your emotions. I know how it works, Sauti taught me too. But right now it is very important that you don’t lie to me.”

Aurora looked her straight in the eyes. “I’m not trying to lie to you.” She took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly, releasing her blocks. “I… yes, we were trying to kill you there. But we thought you were too far gone to save. You just… thrashed in that jar, snapping your teeth…”

“A monster,” finished Cristal.

Aurora swallowed. She looked sideways towards the pod hanging from the wall.

“Yes,” said Cristal. “I’m a monster now. And I killed this one. She kept me fed for weeks, but there was only so much I could give her back. So what do you do now? Still want to put me out of my misery?”

Aurora considered the question. “I… I don’t know. Not that I could right now, but… anyway… you seem much more… awake now?”

“Lucid?” supplied Cristal helpfully.

“Yes, lucid,” said Aurora, nodding. “Much more like yourself now. So… how miserable… I mean, do you want to die?”

Cristal seemed lost in thought for a couple seconds. “No,” she finally answered. “No, I want to live. What now?”

“I don’t know,” replied Aurora, desperately looking for some solution. “How often do you… I mean…” Very smooth, she thought to herself.

Cristal rolled her eyes. “I don’t think I need to kill at all. I just need enough food that I don’t take too much at once from anypony. I built this pod on instinct. I don’t remember most of it. "

"I was...a beast when I escaped, just as you said. I managed to sneak past the guards and get in here during the night, caught a pony, and stole her face, then just smiled and nodded while I tried to remember how to speak. It took me a week to say my first words. I’ve been here since then, going out only to eat, and shooing away cleaners, only growing bolder when my prey started dying, and I needed to start hunting outside. It was hard at first, but thinking did me good. I started remembering things, and meeting you seems to have given me the last push I needed.”

“The chosen are made to love Vengeance. Their love is fat and bitter. You tasted much better, refreshing. I think I needed a normal pony to start thinking clearly. Still, I’m a monster, whether I remember my old self or not. What do you propose we do now?”

Aurora took a deep breath. “Well, if you don’t need to kill ponies, and you can think for yourself, perhaps you can help us get into the Tower of Justice?”

Cristal stared at her. “What?”

“That’s why I’m here,” explained Aurora. “We’ve learned that the missing Elements are being kept there.  I’ve been looking for a place to set up a scouting spot, to learn more before we try to get in. If you live here, perhaps we could use your home?”

Green flame flickered on Cristal’s form. Her horn became sharp and jagged, the legs extended, bending at weird angles, The changeling shifted her weight, her wings opened wide. Aurora stilled herself, and looked at the display without flinching. Cristal pushed close to her, the fangs aimed at her throat, eyes fixed into hers. 

“I could kill you now,” she hissed.

Aurora returned her gaze. “But you didn’t. You’re still you.”

“I’m a monster.”

“You reacted when I called you Cristal, and Cristal was our friend.”

“Was.”

“You still are, however you look. Even as… whatever Deception has turned you into, you can still tell that all this is wrong.” she looked around, with a gesture that indicated she meant a much wider area than just the bathroom.  “What do you want to do about it? Because that’s the question that’s really important here.”

Cristal’s horn glowed green. Aurora felt the pressure on her body disappear, as her bindings dissolved.

“Clean yourself and go,” said Cristal. “I need time to think.”

***

Aurora had just gotten out when she saw Jingles moving down the street. He was powdered white and wrapped in a towel. He was walking stiffly, with his head high, looking at everypony with a condescending smile. When he saw Aurora, his body tensed, ready for a fight.

What is he doing here?, thought Aurora. This is dangerous! Wait, of course. The spell Sauti used to look over my shoulder. She must have seen me get in trouble. 

Aurora looked around, and seeing nopony paying attention to her, walked casually towards Jingles. “Everything is okay, sir,” she said with a smile.

He kept smiling, but his eyes bored into her. Aurora gasped softly as she realised his line of thought. “Yes, it is me, “ she said. “Please, follow me, sir… before somepony sees through your veil,” she finished in a stage whisper.

Jingles looked down on her in a poor imitation of the chosen’s default expression. He started following her slowly, keeping out of range of her kick. “I’m sure you can prove your intent,” he said.

Aurora looked back at him. “I have found something that might interest you, sir. A most peculiar thing made of… Cristal.”

Jingles’ eyes almost popped out of his head. "What we have seen," he finally said, "was very hazy... Is it true?"

Aurora flashed him a smile. “I will entertain you with a story once my duties here are done. You’ve done a good service to your Lady. Now you can go home, and have some rest.”

***

“It took smuggling Whisper in to get her to believe we wanted her back, and a couple more days to get her to help us. I think she was as creeped out as we were at the beginning. In the end, we moved into her house, Jingles using his tricks to deter cleaners, while I worked to keep up appearances, and Cristal took a direct approach. She used to be an actress, and had been a spy before falling into Deception’s trap. I had no idea how brave she was until I actually saw her work.”

Twilight raised a hoof to indicate a question. “Did you ever find out what Deception had wanted with her?”

“Not until it was too late,” answered Aurora. “We spent some time talking about it, trying to make sense of any bits Cristal had heard while captured, and the notes Whisper had taken. In the end, we figured she was trying to make a pony changeling she could possess without destroying its magic. She had tried using changelings before, but only ended in a useless bug pony shell. She was looking for some way to isolate different energies within one body.”

“You’d think that idea would appear sooner,” said Obsidian.

“Oh, I think it did,” replied Aurora. “She’d probably spent centuries trying to work it out. I think Cristal was just the last of hundreds of similar experiments.”

“And the final result were the fake alicorns,” finished Obsidian, “with your soul trapped within to fuel the magic, while the Shattered controlled the body.”

Aurora nodded. “We didn’t know that at the time. None of us had the knowledge to figure out what was really going on. I wish we had put more effort into understanding Deception’s plan instead of just doing our thing and letting things happen.”

***

“I’m taking this side,” said Aurora cheerfully, grabbing her bucket, and taking off before her partner for the day could put a word in. The order of the day was cleaning windows, a task that practically ensured she’d get to enter every single house. 

She knocked at the first door, grinning through the handle of the bucket at the chosen who opened. The elderly stallion moved aside with a sigh, letting her in. Setting the bucket on the floor, Aurora made sure there were no out of place objects she could knock over opening the window. Once she made sure the inhabitant hadn’t dared change the usual setup, she took her tools out and started her work.

Will he keep watching me?

As it turned out, he did not. As soon as Aurora started working, the chosen walked out to work on his garden. As soon as he was out of earshot, Aurora stopped cleaning, and closed her eyes. 

Okay, that’s as close as I can get right now. Let’s see if I can see anything.

In only took her a couple of seconds to catch a stable link. The spell Sauti had cast to connect her friends worked much better over shorter distance. With the day’s work schedule, Aurora got tasked with serving as a conduit, transferring the visions from Cristal’s eyes directly to everypony hiding in her house. As she caught what she was looking for, she relaxed, allowing the spell to work. She could see the main road leading towards the tower, just outside the wall.

Cristal was there, walking confidently towards the front door. Aurora couldn’t see her through her own eyes, but she knew Cristal would appear male - she had found a minor clerk from the tower, and put him in her thrall, taking his face for the task.

There were now dozens of employees walking the same road, passing the security checkpoints to enter the lower levels and start their day. No matter how efficient the Shattered were, controlling everything required information, and keeping the tower informed required lots of ponies to just sit there processing the papers. Cristal had already got past the first checkpoint, a guarded outpost meant to block the path of obvious intruders. Now she was approaching the front door, walking up the stairs towards the desk where a pair of unicorn security guards made everypony walk through an arch made of crystal. This one was meant to see through illusions, and catch any impostors.

Aurora held her breath, waiting for the inevitable.

Cristal walked through the arch. The guards jerked up, staring at her. They looked from Cristal to the enchanted mirror on their desk, and back.

“Sir…” started one of the guards, their eyes widening.

“Ignore it,” said Cristal, in a soft, but firm, male voice. The guards froze, swallowed loudly, and returned to their seats.

“Yes… Sir, have a good day,” said the closer guard nervously.

Aurora released her breath. It worked! she thought. She was right. Deception’s in charge of all the spying, including internal investigations. Nopony questions a changeling.

This was when she heard hoofsteps approaching the front door. It was the time to stop slacking off. Trying to keep enough focus to maintain the vision, she returned to her cleaning.

***

“Did all the changelings serve Deception during your times?” asked Twilight.

“Of course,” said Aurora. “They were among her most infamous creations, her eyes and ears everywhere, hiding among ponies, making sure you couldn’t trust anypony.”

“They were not,” said Obsidian. Both mares looked at him in surprise.

“Much as I’d like to, I can’t attribute this particular atrocity to Deception,” said Obsidian. “The changelings already existed in my time, spies and assassins created from ponies with some dark magic, cursed with craving for love they could not feel themselves. But I’m interrupting. What did your friend learn?”

***

Whisper looked down on the table. It was covered with pieces of paper, sketches of the tower, and various notes.

“We’ve eliminated the basement, and the lower half of the tower,” he said. 

“That leaves the upper half, and Vengeance’s personal chambers,” replied Jingles. “Do you think she just sits on them like a hen?”

“I dunno…” said Aurora. “She’s not always home, and it seems quite easy to drop in from the top.” 

“Not that easy,” said Sauti. “I have watched through the eyes of birds. None fly close to the tower, and those who do, die. They seem to be killed by lightning, but how, I do not know.”

“I think we could power through if we combine our powers,” said Aquila, levitating herself over the table for a better view. “But that will alarm half the city, won’t it?”

“Yes,” said Cristal with a nod. “This is the same as when you entered the labs to... look for me. The later we’re discovered, the better our chances of getting out.”

The ponies around the table exchanged guilty looks.

“So, what did you find about the upper levels?” asked Jingles.

“Nopony goes up there,” replied Cristal. “Nobody knows what Vengeance eats, if anything, but she doesn’t use servants. There is a reinforced door on top of the office levels that supposedly leads up, but it is locked. Officially, the floors are left empty, until more office space is needed. But only the three floors above seem to have windows. The rest of the tower is armored.”

“So, nopony knows what’s there?” asked Aurora.

“Nopony,” replied Cristal. “I’ve only heard rumors. Some say this is Vengeance’s treasury. But she never cared for wealth. She never needs to buy anything. Others say her chosen guard reside there. But there hasn’t been any food delivered there either.”

“Either way, we can expect it to be a deathtrap,” finished Jingles, “lovely.”

Whisper looked at the sketches. “So, how do we get in?”

“Well, there is the obvious armored door,” said Cristal, "or flying to the roof. Either will alert the whole tower of our presence."

“What about a short distance teleport?” asked Aquila. “I think with you here, we could get enough power for a jump. At least to some place that has windows, so we know where the floors are.”

“That won’t work.” replied Whisper. “Too many ways this could go wrong. There could be magical wards inside to stop exactly that.”

“I don’t think they use much magic there,” said Crystal. “The tower is protected from magic. Same difference - teleportation could get disrupted, and kill us all.”

“Protected?” asked Sauti. “The tower is well away from any chimneys.”

Cristal lit her horn, lighting up lines on some of the stolen maps. “There are chimneys sticking out of the top of the tower. They don’t project outside, unless there’s an emergency, but the pipe system circulates the fumes through the outer walls. And the outer shell is made with all sorts of magic resistant minerals. We couldn’t get through it if we had dragon fire.”

“So, what you’re saying,” said Aquila with a smirk, “is that there are thick pipes going along the building, on the inside of the shell? How wide exactly are they?”

Cristal stared at her. “It doesn’t matter how wide they are. You’d cook and suffocate long before you can die from getting your magic snuffed out.”

“There must be some sort of pump station on the lower levels, maintaining the supply as the fumes decay, doesn’t it?” asked Whisper.

Aurora looked Aquila in the eyes. “Bubble Burst would get an aneurysm if we told her, but I think it might be crazy enough to work.”
> Chapter 31: The Tower
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"How much longer?" asked Aurora, trying to fight off claustrophobia. 

Below her, Jingles pushed up, holding onto his plungers to stop everypony from sliding down. 

“My magic is weak here. Even simple tricks take time. Not the easiest, climbing up a pipe with you for a hat.”

“I’m doing what I can,” hissed Aurora, “But mine don’t stick at all. This place still repels magic…”

The rest of the team below made a series of grunts of effort. It was fortunate that the pipe was horizontal from time to time. Otherwise the climb would have been truly insane. As it was, they were sweaty, black with soot, and tired, but so far, unnoticed.

We’ve managed to disable that… thing in the basement before it could raise an alarm. We vented the fumes out without anyone noticing, and climbed all the way up here - but Vengeance won’t be away forever, and sooner or later somepony is bound to notice something. We can’t stop and rest now, or our luck will run out.

“Could you give me a bit more light here?” asked Aurora, trying not to be too loud. A glowing orb of silver light flew up the pipe to illuminate the way above her. It was flickering, visibly requiring some effort from Aquila.

Aurora looked up. “I can see another bend, some fifteen feet above us,” she said. 

“I think it should be high enough,” said Jingles. “Now, let’s not keep the security waiting.”

“Ha, ha, very funny,” grumbled Cristal from down below. She was in her changeling form now, using her own climbing ability so as not to tax Jingles’ magic.

Aurora didn’t waste breath on further talking. The pipe was too tight for her to fly, but she could use her wings as extra limbs to push against the walls. She scowled with disgust at how greasy she could feel her feathers were becoming. 

Just a moment more…

She reached the bend and pushed up, finding herself in another horizontal pipe. Suppressing her instinct of taking a deep breath, she scampered forward, making more space for her friends to climb up into. She closed her eyes and calmed down, while the rest of the team took places behind her. Finally, everypony was ready to continue.

“Sauti?” asked Whisper.

The old mare touched the pipe with her front hooves. “This is the inwards wall. There is still a foot of brick on the other side.”

Whisper turned around. “Aquila?”

The unicorn looked at the metal wall, and shuddered. “How do you want it?” she asked.

“Silent would be best,” answered Whisper. “If we haven’t risen an alarm yet, we might avoid attention for a moment longer.”

Aquila swallowed loudly. “I was afraid you’d say that.” 

Then she closed her eyes. The light motes she had summoned flickered and disappeared, leaving everypony in complete darkness for a moment. Then Aquila’s horn lit up, and the three Elements followed suit, lending her some of their power. 

Aquila pressed her horn to the metal, grunting with effort, eyes squeezed shut. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the soot started peeling off the wall, sliding away from her horn, followed by the metal and stone. The circle glowed soft silver, and silently fell inward, the magic stopping the bricks in the air and setting them gently on the floor in the room beyond.

Jingles hopped out of the hole, somehow avoiding Aquila’s snout. He rolled silently, landing at the opposite wall, and looked around. “The coast is clear,” he whispered.

One after another, the team got out through the hole, taking deep breaths as they did so. Cristal exited last, shifting into her old pony form as she did so. She looked around.

“Where are we?” she asked in a whisper.

They found themselves in a corridor, slightly curved to match the outer wall of the tower. It was all grey concrete with a tiled floor, featureless except for small half-spheres shedding dim light from the ceiling.

“Doesn’t look like office space to me,” said Aurora, shaking her wings with irritation, trying to get at least some greasy dirt off them. Jingles looked at her, dug under his coat and handed her a bottle of foamy liquid.

“Let’s look for a door,” said Whisper. “They wouldn’t make a corridor going nowhere.”

It took them walking a quarter of the tower’s circumference clockwise before they found anything. The thing turned out to be a stair leading down, the corridor itself ending with a blind wall. 

“We can’t waste time like this,” said Aquila. “Sauti, can you silence us?”

Sauti nodded, and her power spread to the others, putting a film of magical aura around their hooves. The whole group turned around, and galloped in the opposite direction.  

“This all looks like a delaying tactic,” said Whisper. “Sauti, can you feel any secret entrances?”

Sauti closed her eyes in concentration, without breaking her stride. “None that I could feel.” Then she smiled. “But I think I feel a familiar presence here. I can’t pinpoint the other Elements, but they are here. You were right. “

The statement brought everypony new energy. They hastened their gallop, running around the tower until they saw the opposite end of the corridor, which caused them to slide on the floor as they tried to stop, barely avoiding crashing into each other. 

There was a metal door there, leading inwards. 

“Jingles?” said Cristal. 

Jingles put a stethoscope to the door. He listened intently for a moment before packing the instrument away. “It's locked, but there are no traps. Not even an alarm…”

“How do we get in?” asked Aurora. “Do we just break it down?”

“No need to,” said Jingles. “We’re out of the pipes now, so I can use all my power.” He reached under his coat, and pulled something that looked like a circle of black cloth. When he put it on the door, it became pitch black, and then suddenly it was a hole. Jingles folded his wings, and slid through it.

“What in the…”

Aurora got in right behind Jingles. She flapped her wings, and rose into the air to give more space for the others to get in. Behind the door, there were more corridors, splitting off in different directions, all grey and dimly lit by the lamps in the ceiling. 

What was unusual, was the uneven floor. And the ceilings. Aurora blinked, trying to clear her head - she was feeling weird looking at the place. “There isn’t a single right angle here,” she said. 

Aquila walked in and looked around. “What is going on here?” she said. “It look’s like Discord’s been here.”

“I don’t think it’s his work,” said Sauti. 

“Then whose?” replied Whisper. “I can’t imagine Vengeance coming up with something like this.”

“There is no chaos here,” said Sauti pensively. “We’re meant to see this. Otherwise, what would be the point of the light? This is a maze, and it has been designed to confuse.” 

“Though it be madness, yet there’s method in it,” said Jingles.

Aquila looked up at him. “So, she’s trying to drive us crazy with maths?”

“Let’s not let her, then,” said Aurora, flapping her wings for emphasis. “Sauti, where do we go next?” 

Sauti hesitated for a moment before pointing into one corridor. The group walked in that direction, Whisper and Jingles flanking the half-zebra, using their own powers to scan for traps. 

***

Ten minutes later, they were no closer to their goal, and worse, had no idea how to find the exit. At first it had seemed that knowing the right direction would let them get through the maze relatively quickly - there were only so many corridors that could fit within the circumference of the tower. But at no point did a corridor lead directly to their goal. It was always slightly to the left or to the right, then suddenly above or below, as the slanted floors brought them to a different level without them noticing. Sauti tried to scan through the walls, but found them full of piping and various objects, few of which she could identify. Several times they had to stop to avoid traps, Whisper’s intuition warning him of one floor tile or another. They couldn’t run, they couldn’t draw a reliable map, and all of them could feel that they were running out of time.

“We’re lost,” said Cristal. She had shifted into a pegasus form to be able to fly, but it didn’t do much for the mobility of the group as a whole. “We let the haste make our decisions.”

“I’ve changed my mind,” said Whisper, “Only a Shattered would have the kind of crazy mathematical thinking to design something like this.”

“What do we do now?” asked Aurora. “We don’t even know if we still have the time. We wouldn’t hear the alarm from here.”

“Perhaps we should just go through the walls?” said Aquila. “The Elements must be here somewhere, but Vengeance would never need them. Perhaps there is no route to reach them with. Jingles, do you have any more of these portable holes?”

“I do,” said Jingles, “but my magic grows weaker when I repeat the joke. And these walls are pretty thick. I can try though.”

“I’ll do it then,” said Aquila. You just be ready to cover me. Sauti, which way is it?”

Sauti sighed, then turned around, pivoting like a ballerina, before pointing her hoof forward. “There,” she said. Her hoof was pointing at a wall, at about 45 degrees.

“Okay everypony, we’re done being subtle,” said Aquila, bracing herself. “Get behind me.”

She focused her power, her friends supplying theirs to aid her. A lance of blinding silver light erupted from her horn, boring through the concrete. 

“Watch out!” shouted Sauti suddenly. Her bubble erupted around the team just as the wall suddenly exploded, the shock wave washing over them, filling the corridor with black smoke.

“What was that?” gasped Aquila, scrambling back to her feet. 

“A trap,” said Whisper, “Don’t breathe the smoke!” He closed his eyes and his aura expanded, forming a spectral, rotating fan in front of his friends. The wind started blowing the gas away down the corridor.

“They thought of it too,” said Jingles. “If I’d opened a hole on it, it would go straight in my face.”

“How’s the ceiling?” asked Whisper.

Jingles looked up. “Stable,” he replied. “It was designed for this to happen.”

“Well, there’s no way they didn’t hear that,” said Cristal. “Did we get through the wall at least?”

Aquila squinted through the remains of the smoke. “No, not yet. I think we need another shot.”

Then the lights on the ceiling turned red.

***

They heard the sound of hooves just as they emerged on the other side of the wall. Somepony came running from around a corner; a white unicorn filly, just a bit older than Aquila, skidded sideways as she lined a shot. It hit Whisper’s barrier in a shower of sparks.

Aquila shot back at her, only to be blocked by another barrier - a second white unicorn appeared, ready to support his companion.

They’re wearing breastplates and white uniforms, noticed Aurora, but I don’t know this formation. They look so young too…

“More are coming!” shouted Cristal, dropping her disguise to prepare for a fight. A trio of pegasi had just flown into the corridor from the other side, taking the sharp turn as if they’d spend their whole lives flying in cramped spaces. They were wearing thin, curved blades on their wings.

“What do we do?” shouted Jingles, flying into the way of the oncoming pegasi. They flew by him, slashing from both sides, showering everypony with candy as the Jingles-pinata exploded.

“Keep them busy!” shouted Aquila. “Sauti, which wall now?”

Sauti pointed in the same direction as before. “Wait, no!” she said suddenly, moving her hoof sideways. “This part of the wall is safer!”

Above her, Whisper leapt into the air, the jump taking him onto the level of a flying pegasus - he headbutted him with enough force to send him flying down the corridor. As he was falling back to the floor, amber aura covered his body, absorbing the shots from the two unicorns.

Another pegasus flew straight at Sauti. The mare projected a barrier, but before the attacker could test it, Aurora flew into his path, blocking his blades with her own. The colt pushed forward and snapped his teeth, almost catching Aurora's face before kicking her in the chest, breaking the blade lock. Before he could stab her however,  Jingles appeared beside her and spun, the giant mallet he was holding in his teeth slamming into the soldier, sending him flying after his fallen teammate.

Aurora caught movement in the corner of her eye. She turned just in time to see a white shape fly past her, the extended wing at the level of her neck. Cristal shot a blast of green magic, forcing the third pegasus into a dodge that took him out of melee range. Aurora twisted away, but still felt something graze against her. When she checked her neck with a fetlock, she felt a stinging sensation - there was a blotch of red on the fur of her foreleg.

“More are coming,” said Sauti. That was true. More galloping hooves could be heard, three white earth ponies with heavily armored forelegs running into the corridor, followed by a pair of unicorns, who shielded them with a barrier as they charged.

On the other side, the two unicorns found their shooting ineffective against Sauti’s magic shielding the team’s flank, and decided to combine their efforts. Their next spell was a ball of energy that slammed against the shield and exploded with blinding light and deafening noise.

For a moment Aurora couldn’t see anything. She then caught a silhouette against the ceiling - another pegasus falling down on her. She barely blocked the first blow and flipped back in the air, frantically bucking the assailant away to buy herself more time to recover.

Around her, shots ricocheted, and bodies collided, the white ponies appearing faster than her friends could take them down. 

“How much longer?!” she shouted, ducking out of the way of a lance of magical fire. It hit the wall beside her, showering her with stinging pieces of red-hot debries. 

“Almost there!” shouted back Aquila.

“Don’t let them divide us!” called Whisper. He was fighting with two earth ponies now, trying not to let them flank him. 

Aurora charged in a low dash, the blade on her foreleg stabbing just over the edge of the soldier’s metal breastplate, the impact sending him reeling, blood spreading over his white collar. Whisper turned, and bucked the other one away, slamming him into the wall.

“Watch out!” shouted Aquila.

With a mighty crash, a section of the wall fell, opening a path for the team to run through.

“Once more, into the breach, my friends!” shouted Jingles, throwing his latest opponents off him before flying in, the others right behind, with Aquila forming a shield to cover the rear.

Behind the wall, there was a large chamber. It was similar to the rest of the maze, although notably the walls and the floor were even for once. The whole floor was covered in intersecting lines of runes, soft light spreading around, forming round bubbles where the lines met. There were several dozen ponies in the chamber, all white, in identical white uniforms with silver trims, standing like statues inside the bubbles. From what it looked like, they were in the process of waking up, many already free and heading to the exit just as the Elements made it pointless by making a door of their own. The act of breaching the wall must have disrupted the magic, as at that moment the light of the floor went out, all the gathered ponies suddenly turning their heads to look at the intruders.

“Not quite what was planned…” said Aquila smiling nervously, her ears dropping.

“Barrier,” said Whisper sharply. His own power spread out to protect his friends, a dozen shots hammering into it a second later.

Sauti sighed deeply. “Enough bloodshed.” Everypony froze where they stood, some blinking in surprise, some trying to regain balance, as their charge was suddenly robbed of its momentum. Slowly, the dust settled, exposing the whole scene: the six ponies near the newly made entrance to the chamber, surrounded by about thirty guards. Everypony looked at each other.

“Sauti?” asked Whisper softly.

The old mare was standing still, as if in a trance. “They are determined, and hateful, horribly hateful. But I can keep peace for the moment.”

“What do we do now? asked Aurora.

“Surrender,” said a young unicorn female at the forefront of the group. “You have no route of escape, but you can still manage to die a swift death at our horns.”

“You can’t hurt us,” grumbled Aquila, looking at the guard.

The unicorn shook her head. “I can. Your magic makes me not want to. Still, it is futile. We won’t let you pass. You either accept our kindness of swift death, drop the spell and bleed out in combat… or wait for Lady Justice to arrive, and see how merciful she will be to invaders of her home.”

“You’ve seen us fight,” said Aurora. “Even if you take us down, most of you are going down with us.”

“That’s a calculated cost,” said an earth pony colt behind her. 

Aurora shot him a shocked look. “You’re willing to die to kill us? For her?”

“Such is our purpose,” said another guard. “We do our duty.”

Aquila turned red on the face, taking place beside Aurora. “You’re all crazy! You’re just like those fanatics in the district below! Whisper, tell them!”

Whisper took a deep breath, the gem on his neck coming to life.  “You are all slaves to Vengeance! Chosen only to die for her schemes! Where are your real homes? Your parents? You’re all barely past foalhood. And you spend your time here in stasis, waiting for your time to die? You could do so much more with your lives!”

He paused, waiting for a response, his magic spreading through the chamber. The guards looked back at him with stern faces, nothing but scorn in their eyes.

“You speak from your heart,” said the female unicorn, “You do not lie, but you’re wrong. You think it matters what we want, you think we’ve been mislead and brainwashed, and you can just make us ‘see the truth’. You don’t know what you’re dealing with.”

“That’s why the likes of you spread chaos, disrupting the proper order of things that our Lady designed.”

The other guards joined the unicorn, taking their turns to speak.

“We aren’t disobedient like you. We serve our Lady, proud to live and die for her, because that’s who we are.”

“You’re all brainwashed,” said Whisper.

“No,” answered a guard, “Remade. We want to serve, because we’ve been designed to want to. Our Lady spent long days making each of us who we are, free of your flaws, the future of ponykind. We’re nothing like those poor, crazy fools outside. We’ve been truly chosen, and if it is for death, we’ll gladly do our duty.”

Whisper swayed on his hooves, the impact of the words hitting him like a physical blow. “But you used to be normal ponies,” he said, “with families and loved ones. You used to know what harmony means.”

“Those ponies are gone, raw materials to forge us from,” snarled a pegasus guard. “Don’t insult us by listing their weaknesses.”

“I see now,” said Crystal unexpectedly. She talked like a disapproving teacher, her voice attracting everypony’s attention. “You’re all just past the testing age. The stasis spell preserved you just after you’d finished your training. You’re the ones that tested positive, aren’t you?”

Aurora shuddered. Are they? Is this what Whisper saved us from? Being remade into weapons? She looked at her sister, and found her equally shocked.

“So, any ideas?” asked Jingles, bringing them all back to reality. “It won’t matter who they are, if we don’t get out of here.”

“We… could try to teleport out perhaps?” said Aquila. “We have a lot of power between the six of us.”

“We’re not going to let you, even if you could,” said a guard. “Besides, the tower’s screening… you disabled it, didn’t you? It seems we’ll have to withdraw our offer of swift death.”

“Are you sure?” asked Aurora, “There’s a lot of walls in the way.”

Aquila snorted. “I know, okay? A lot of walls. And after walking through this maze, I don’t even know which direction I’m facing. I’d just have to aim out and hope you three with wings catch the rest of us.”

“That’s…” started Whisper, before visibly biting his tongue, “... the only plan we have. How much extra power do you need?”

Around them the unicorn guards nodded to each other - lines of magic shot out, connecting their horns, forming a rough circle around the six ponies. The guards looked at Aquila with determination.

“You may have extraordinary powers,” said one of the pegasi, brandishing his wing blades, “but you’re not getting out.”

“Okay,” said Jingles, “First thing if we get out of here alive, we’re finding a way to communicate silently.”

“If you want to boost her powers,” said Cristal, “I have an idea.”

The guards looked at her warily.

“Feed me,” she said.

“What?” asked Aurora. 

Cristal smiled. “You want all the power for her, don’t you? If you let me, I could suck more power out of you than you could willingly give. The whole emotion-eating monster thing has its advantages.”

The chamber fell silent, both sides considering the implications.

“You’re a traitor to your race,” said one of the unicorns, “and that won’t be enough. We’ll prove that our love for our Lady is stronger.”

Cristal glared at him. “I’m a pony, and your love is an artificial construct, nothing like the real thing.”

“So, what do we do?” asked Sauti. She was still standing focused, with her eyes closed, beads of sweat appearing on her fur.

Cristal stood right next to Aquila. “Just calm your mind, and think of those you love, those you’d give anything to protect. Focus on this image, and then let me in when I tug at you. Just be ready to channel your regular magic when she starts, right?”

“So, you’re going to blind jump through a disruption spell, and meters of concrete, and you think such tricks will help you?” asked one of the guards.

Aquila gulped, but met his gaze. “I am, and I do, for everypony I love."

The six ponies focused, their power flowing around, creating a swirling nimbus around them, with Aquila in the middle. Aurora didn’t have any magic she’d know how to contribute, so instead she followed Cristal’s advice. Ignoring the surrounding guards, she closed her eyes, and focused. 

She thought of Aquila, her dear sister, fighting at her side for everypony, of her determination, and of her smile when she was happy, the smile she wanted to keep seeing for the rest of her life. She thought of home, of the faces from her town, ponies she hoped to save from the yoke of tyranny. She briefly felt a pang of regret at barely remembering the faces of her parents - so much time had passed since mother passed away. 

She felt slightly light-headed, and knew Cristal had begun draining her. She shifted her focus to the friends currently at her side, the ones she now fought together with, the ones she’d performed a sonic rainboom to save. Faces flashed in front of her mind’s eye - The ever calm Sauti; Jingles, the sad jester, always ready to give to others the laughter he never had for himself; Cristal, so determined to help everypony, to defy her new nature, outwardly cold, but with so much warmth that expressed through her actions rather than words. We’re so damaged, thought Aurora, so hurt, but we keep going because we’re together - we soothe our pain, and support each other.

She thought of Whisper then. She expected, felt deep inside, that this could give Crystal a little extra boost, that’s why she’d left him for last. She thought of his courage, his warm encouragement, of how his body moved in the gym when he spent months teaching her how to fight. She thought of his charming smile, which he had once used to trick greedy ponies off their coin, but which his friends had long learned to associate with one they could all depend on and trust, regardless of circumstances. For a moment Aurora could barely stay on her hooves, energy leaving her body. Then suddenly came a feeling of euphoria, and new determination. She heard shouts and gasps of surprise, causing her to open her eyes and look around.

A part of the floor in the center of the room was glowing bright, multicolored light. The guards scattered away from it, and then it exploded, weirdly, the expanding ball of fire and shrapnel slowing down to a crawl, the exploding trap suppressed by some invisible force.  From inside the cloud, a trail of crystal shards flew out, snaking through the air. It split into three colors, two flying towards Aurora and Cristal, while the last headed for Aquila. 

Aurora looked at the red pieces flying towards her. Somehow she knew they would not harm her - they turned right in front of her face, and then snaked around her neck, filling her mind with a sense of familiarity, as if they’d always belonged there. In a flash of light they shifted shape, melding together into a warm metal object. Aurora didn’t need to look down to know it was a large golden gorget with a glowing red gemstone in the center. Already she could feel new magic filling her, the love she had projected towards her friends suddenly becoming a solid, tangible connection. She could feel their minds as surprise gave way to calm focus, all six now working as one, the teleportation spell growing in power around them. The nimbus of color grew into a blinding halo, first rainbow-hued, then white. The six Elements disappeared, the explosion of the trap continuing in their wake, as reality reasserted itself.

***

"That was so cool!" shouted Scootaloo, flapping her wings excitedly. 

Aurora looked down at her, and gave her a sad smile. “It was to us too. Though now that I can watch it from the outside perspective, it all looks so cliche.”

“The world is made of cliches,” said Obsidian, “especially legends. You did a good job, considering the circumstances, though I’d never accept  this set of bearers. It’s almost as if someone had chosen them to-”

Twilight put a hoof in front of his mouth, shooting him a dirty look. Obsidian shrugged, and relented. Behind them, Rarity twisted on her cushion, trying to turn her mane to hide the discomfort visible on her face.

“So, this is how the Elements met in your time,” said Twilight with a smile. “What happened then?”

Aurora extinguished the vision. When it returned, it was a kaleidoscopic blur of images, appearing one after another.

“A lot of things happened. We practiced with our Elements until we learned to use them. We then used their powers to help the resistance. We saved ponies from mines, or from being sent to Deception’s labs. We fended off Discord - he’d stick around to watch the show, but never challenged us directly. Still just his presence created enough madness that we often had to save ponies from him. We created hidden enclaves outside of the cities, clearing out monsters, so ponies could live free. While doing all that, we all gradually awakened to our Elements’ full potential.”

“We also fought the Shattered, usually Hate, Arrogance, and Envy. We didn’t have the confidence to take on Vengeance, and Deception was always elusive. As for Guilt, we learned that he’d became disillusioned with the other Shattered, and abandoned them, disappearing to parts unknown. We never got to meet him in our time.”

“Did you manage to seal any of them?” asked Obsidian.

“Not at first,” replied Aurora. “We’d heard legends of how the Elements had been able to do it, but we didn’t know where to start. A couple of times we just used the Elements to turn them to stone, but it never lasted - somepony would always manage to shatter the statue before we could hide it away, and when they died, they’d just return a couple days later, taking over the body of one of their chosen guards.”

“Then Bubble Burst heard of some tomes of forgotten lore that had supposedly been found. We helped the resistance recover them, then followed the clues within to find more forgotten knowledge. Working with the unicorns from the resistance, we recovered a lost secret of sealing creatures within specially prepared gemstones. With that, we thought, we  finally had the means to end the tyranny of the Shattered. It was high time too. It seemed we’d been the most successful Elements for centuries, and the showing signs of rebellion were causing Vengeance to grow even more insane, her edicts more tyrannical by the week.”

***

The seven ponies were sitting around a round table in a dimly lit basement, the space between them filled with maps and notes. It was clear that years had passed - Aurora and Aquila were now adult mares, and Bubble Burst had the first streaks of grey in her mane, though in her case it was probably more from prolonged stress than age itself. 

More importantly, the Elements’ eyes were all transformed, pupilless pools of color to match their gemstones, only slightly paler for Sauti’s blind ones. 

“So, we’ve managed to seal Arrogance,” said Bubble Burst, looking at a large tear-shaped diamond between her hooves, a smile Aurora hadn’t often seen from her spreading across the resistance leader’s face. “Now we just need to find some obscure leyline node to put her in, so that her power does not erode the magic of the gem.”

“We’d also killed Envy,” said Whisper, “And with how much magic we’d put into him, he won’t be back in a while.”

“That leaves three of them,” said Aquila. “If we want to strike them hard, this is the time to do it.”

“We don’t know their whereabouts,” said Crystal. “Except for Vengeance, but I’d really like to get rid of Hate before taking her down. Still, we can’t waste such an opportunity.”

“So what do we do?” asked Jingles. “Just doing anything for the sake of doing it is asking for something to go wrong. But we can’t let the occasion slip either.”

“I wish there was a way to get Deception,” said Crystal. “If we don’t deal with her, she’ll just hide again, and then it’s just a matter of time before this whole mess starts once  more.”

“You know what?” said Aurora. “Perhaps we can use this chance to make a statement?”

“What do you have in mind?” asked Bubble Burst.

Aurora smirked. “Envy is dead right now. But he should be playing a concert tomorrow, and it’s unlike the Shattered to cancel a regular event and advertise their defeat. They’ll need to come up with something to cover it up, like a changeling perhaps… and we can use it to show everypony that the Shattered can be beaten.”

Everypony smiled, except for Bubble Burst and Jingles.

“What if they expect it?” asked the resistance leader. “If one of them shows up to ambush you, lots of ponies will be caught in the crossfire. Do you really want to battle Hate amongst the audience? These ponies aren’t fans of Envy, just some unlucky workers herded in front of his palace once a week to feed his ego.”

This dampened the mood considerably.

“We’ll observe the situation,” said Aquila. “And if we do act, we’ll take the stage. If anything happens, it will be focused on us, and between me and Jingles we should be able to catch any flying shrapnel.”

“We have one more gemstone ready,” said Sauti. “What about the one for Vengeance?” 

“Still a day or two,” said Bubble Burst. “We need to make sure all the cuts on the gem are perfect, or the binding spell will be useless against a power of such magnitude. We were lucky to find a black diamond big enough, and we can’t let the chance be ruined by haste.”

Aurora smirked. “We’re taking the most risky route once again. Aren’t you going to talk us out of it?”

Bubble Burst slumped heavily, but returned the smirk. “Was there ever any point?”

***

The night was cool, bringing some relief to the tired ponies, as they left their workstations to converge in front of the stage. The sky was dark, even without the clouds - between the lights of the city, and the smoke in the air, the stars would not be visible.

The audience was silent. The ponies knew better than to annoy the guards with too much chatter, so they just let themselves silently relax, their faces going through the motions of fake enthusiasm. Behind them, high society gathered on the balconies overlooking the square - the few ponies brought there by snobbism rather than fear, willing to listen to their ruler play, but not to mingle with the commoners.

“Uh, excuse me,” mumbled Aurora pushing through the crowd. She was wearing a trench coat, a fedora, and a ridiculous pair of glasses with a fake nose and a moustache. Behind her, her friends followed, similarly disguised, Jingle’s magic maintaining the ruse, and keeping everypony hidden.

“It’s about to start, get ready,” said Aquila behind her.

Aurora turned to look, and rolled her eyes at her sister’s appearance - her tiara had pierced through the top of her hat, and the golden prongs were now clearly visible. Suppressing a snicker, Aurora turned towards the stage. A nervous-looking announcer had just disappeared behind the curtain, a clear sign that the show was about to start.

The curtain parted, and a green alicorn with intricately styled mane walked onto the stage, a silver lyre levitating beside him. He smiled brightly, and waved, eliciting a well practiced loud cheer from the crowd. “Good evening, everypony!” he said, his smile stretching into a grin.

Aurora and Aquila looked at each other. “Well, that’s definitely not him,” projected Aquila through their link spell. “Do we step in now?” 

“Let’s give him a moment to start,” replied Whisper from her other side.

Meanwhile, the fake Envy walked to the very edge of the stage. “It’s such a pleasure to see you all on this fine evening!” he loudly proclaimed. “I must say, seeing ponies happy to see me is one of the true joys of my life, all the more on the rare occasion when it is actually sincere!”

His smile disappeared, and an awkward silence fell over the square. The audience exchanged confused looks, some of them downright frightened by what was unfolding.

Finally the alicorn continued. “But, I’m not here to make you listen to rants about my personal feelings, am I? You’re here to listen to some music!”

He grinned again and spun around, the lyre floating in front of him, the strings beginning to move on their own. Everypony fell silent, not daring to disrupt the music. The piece sounded complicated, more fitting for a concert hall than for a crowd of factory workers, technically perfect, but devoid of emotion, like a sequence following a complex mathematical formula, rather than a work of art.

Aurora’s train of thought was disrupted. Something was wrong. Everypony looked confused again. It took a moment for her brain to register what exactly had happened. 

A false note! It was a false note!

The alicorn looked at his instrument in mock confusion, and then continued playing. A few seconds later, he played another false note. The cringe in the crowd spread like a visible ripple, but nopony dared speak.

“What’s going on?” asked Cristal. She listened intently for a moment. “It’s like… guard your thoughts!”

Aurora blinked rapidly, the sudden warning bringing her back to reality. The music had changed. It was now fast-paced, and more like the kind of dance music one would hear on a small village wedding. But there was another rhythm within, the false notes disrupting the music, horrible, cringe-inducing, purposeful, set in regular intervals that made the audience shudder in a rhythm, the ripples moving one after another, until the whole crowd moved like a stormy sea.

Aurora’s stomach went up to her throat. It wasn’t just the mind magic either - the ponies in the audience didn’t just move together. As the wave passed through them, they became taller and shorter, shifting, melding together, melting…

“It’s Discord” projected Aquilla, gritting her teeth. Her tiara lit up, and in an instant, all six Elements were standing on the stage, with their backs to the curtain, their disguises cast off. Six gemstones burned brightly, ready to unleash their magic.

“Discord!” shouted Aquila, “Stop this at once!”

The alicorn froze, the music stopping abruptly as one of the strings snapped. He then looked at the Elements, very slowly, his head turning around until it was facing completely backwards.

“Oh, it’s you! I was wondering when somepony would have the guts to interrupt me. These ponies here are too polite for their own good when it comes to ponycidal tyrants. But what a great audience they make!”

He spun around, his body stretching and deforming as he took his natural form, and grinned off-stage. He was answered by a cacophony of painful groans. The audience had fused together, the VIPs slowly dribbling off the balconies, while the mass of limbs and mouths below the stage kept rising and falling in waves despite the music no longer playing.

“We don’t have an extra gem,” flashed Jingles’ voice in Aurora’s mind. “We just stone him,” she signalled back through the link. She felt Aquila’s nod of agreement, followed by the others.

Discord turned just in time to see all the Elements power up. He snapped his claws and disappeared, popping up right in front of Aquila, level with her face. He looked at her pensively. 

“Why are you doing this, actually?” he asked.

Aquila hesitated, startled, She then glared at him, light flowing from her tiara to her horn. “What do you mean, why? Because you’re a monster! Look what you’ve done!” She waved her hoof in the direction of the audience.

Discord looked behind himself. “And you care about it… why exactly? None of them are your family, or friends. They couldn’t be of help to you, unless you enjoy grovelling. Bah! Some of them would even try to arrest you, for all the good it would do.”

He teleported again, reappearing in the air above the stage. “And yet you feel compelled to play the hero. Why?”

Aquila flushed with anger. “You seriously need to ask that? I’m doing it because no one should do… this to a pony.”

“She’s doing what’s right,” said Cristal. “And why do you do this, Discord? Why hurt ponies for your amusement? Have you ever thought of that? Or do you only question others?”

Discord stopped smiling, giving her unamused look.

“Are you trying to psychoanalyse me?” He snapped his claws and lay down on a couch that appeared. “Well, you see, I think it all started with my mother.”

The Elements looked at each other, their auras actually dimming as the sudden absurdity of the situation disrupted their focus, all except Aquila, whose horn kept pulsing with power. Discord meanwhile continued talking, seemingly oblivious to the magical power still aimed at him.

“Ever since I woke up in her lab, I knew she wasn’t happy with me. I know I might have broken some things there in my first moments, but the face she made? It’s as if I was just a failed experiment to her. She never once smiled at me, you know?”

“She?” asked Cristal, “You mean Deception is your mother?”

Discord wiped a non-existed tear with his paw. “Why, yes, she is. I mean, probably not in the traditional sense. She probably just dumped a pile of random body parts onto the table, trying to make a better unicorn or something. Do you know she didn’t even name me? I had to name myself. And so I made myself who I am. I guess you could say I did it all to spite her.”

Aurora looked at Whisper. “Is he telling the truth?”

Whisper sighed. “No idea. He does believe all he’s saying, but that’s not very telling for him.”

Discord had closed his eyes, absorbed in his monologue. Now one of them shot open, glaring at Whisper. Discord teleported, appearing right over the Element of Honesty.

“You want the truth so badly? Well, here is some truth for you. You see this huge city here, crowded with ponies? The factories with their smoke so thick, you can almost see the air here? It’s all because of me. The Shattered herd their property together, to protect it from me.”

“If not for me, things would have been very different. Perhaps it would’ve worked out even. What do you think? Everything clean, set in neat rows, all well organized and predictable…”

Discord turned green, and made a loud retching noise. “Perhaps nopony would need you ‘heroes’ anymore. Do you think you’d be happy just living as their slaves? It’s thanks to me that you get to play heroes, but as always, nopony shows me any gratitude… wait, are you trying to trap me?”

“This time, he’s being full of himself,” transmitted Whisper.

Discord looked at Aquila with raised eyebrow. The unicorn met his gaze, a sheepish smile spreading over her muzzle, as her horn stopped pulsating. “Yea? I was trying to stop that thing where you snap your claws, and randomly disappear.”

Discord scowled. “Really, this is what I’ve been talking about. Never any gratitude. And to think that-”

Aquila looked left and right at her friends, who all nodded her heads. The light of the Elements instantly intensified into six pillars of radiance. Discord’s ears drooped. He snapped his claws just as the spreading wave of magic washed over him. There was a white flash, but nothing happened. Discord looked at his claw in confusion, lifting his gaze just in time to see a blinding beam of magic falling upon him. He was left frozen like this, his body turned into cold stone, his face stuck in an expression of dawning realisation. 

The Elements looked around. The wave of magic was still spreading, returning the ponies in the square back to normal, then going further, clearing the tainted clouds from the sky, and finally washing over the factory chimneys in the distance, dispelling the fumes with a force that blew away the chimney tops. The six friends found themselves facing a confused audience, the guards at the edge of the square fumbling for their weapons in what was very clearly panic.

Whisper was the first to react. Taking initiative, he trotted past the statue of Discord and to the edge of the stage. “We’ve defeated Discord!” he said aloud, his magic hammering the simple truth into the audience. “We’re taking him away to seal him for good now!”

Behind him, Aquila was still staring at the statue. “It was so… easy,” she said to Aurora. “I couldn’t figure out how to pin him down, with that weird magic of his. But the Elements did the trick just with brute force. If I had known we’d be so much stronger than him, I wouldn’t have let him monologue…”


***

The air in the abandoned top floor apartment was hot and dry. The setting sun was peeking through the shutters, casting thin rays on the wooden floor and the peeling wallpapers. 

"Sorry it took so long," said Whisper, walking through the door.  He headed towards the kitchen without even taking his cloak off. "There was a search, and I barely made it back. So, what's the decision?" 

Sauti turned her head towards the sole opened window, allowing the wind to blow in her face.

“We’re as ready as we’ll ever be,” she said. “As soon as we have the gem, we need to take action.

The other five ponies in the room nodded silently. They had discussed the situation since coming back to Iustitia. The factories still smoked, maintaining the illusion that everything was under control, but everypony knew the previous night had changed everything.

The threat of chaos responsible for the ponies’ current way of life, the source of endless malformed monsters that roamed the wilds, forcing the population into the crowded cities was gone. But it weren’t their rulers and self-proclaimed protectors who removed the threat, it were the Elements of Harmony, dangerous, wanted rebels.

That turned out what would have been a boon to all ponykind into an event of potentially catastrophic consequences. 

“They’ll likely be scanning for teleportation,” said Cristal. “We need to get as close as possible before announcing our presence.”

“I’ll lead you in through the sewers,” replied Charcoal. 

She had grown surprisingly little since her previous appearance, now looking about as old as Aquila had been when the vision began. She even seemed to still be a blank, until one took a closer look - there was a darker outline of a black cat sneaking, barely visible against her coat.

“This is the most stealthy route,” she said. “We can get as far as the inner city, and then either go up, or dig to the basement.”

“We’ll go in topside,” said Whisper, “You should be able to get back to base on your own.”

“What? Why?” asked Charcoal, looking pleadingly at Aurora. “You’ve taken me with you before.”

“We did,” said Aurora. “But we needed a guide then. No point putting you in danger in an open battle.”

The filly flapped her wings, flying up and into Aurora’s face. “I can take care of myself! You know that!”

“Know your limits,” said Cristal. “You’re great at what you do. We’re all here now thanks to your help. But we can’t keep you safe if the entire tower comes down, and we can’t afford any distractions.”

“She’s right, Charcoal, you know it.” said Whisper gently. There was a tiniest glint on the surface of Honesty, and Charcoal, who was puffing her chest ready to say something, visibly deflated.

“I know, I know,” she said, dejected, avoiding Whisper’s eyes. “I just wish I could help you, guys. You’ve done so much for us all.”

“You shouldn’t,” said Cristal. 

Aurora gave her a shocked look. “What? Why?”

“Because,” said Cristal, “There are very few ponies that could do anything to help us fight Vengeance. So you better all wish that we can take her on on our own.”

“Ever the optimist,” said Jingles, picking himself from the floor. He grabbed a coat, and a silly hat from the hanger and headed for the door. “I’m going to get some food. You need anything?”

“No, Nope, I’m good,” sounded the responses. 

Jingles headed out and down the stairs, humming a melody under his nose.

“Go ye heroes, go to glory…”

The humming disappeared in the distance. Aquila made the door close, and then said, “I’ll be on the roof, if you need me.” She then teleported away.

“I’ll go meet Bubble’s unicorns, see if our diamond is ready yet,” said Whisper. “Charcoal, you’re going?”

“You’ll do fine without me,” grumbled Charcoal. 

Sauti turned towards her and smiled gently, gesturing for the filly to come closer. 

Aurora didn’t feel like listening to the conversation. “I’ll be up, she said, flying up a stepladder leading to the attic.

When she got to the roof, she found Aquila sitting there, leaning against a chimney, and looking off in the distance. She had probably used a spell to cling to the roof tiles. Aurora landed next to her, and put a wing around her withers. 

“You’re worried,” she said.

Aquila looked at her sister, and then, very slowly rolled her eyes. “Well, duh. Of course, I’m worried. We’re about to face our greatest enemy. It’s something right out of legends, and I’m just a pony.”

Aurora hugged her tighter, letting Aquila relax under her wing, and then released her hug and playfully bumped heads with her. “Sis, the legends are all about ponies. Just yesterday, you sealed a lord of chaos, didn’t you? And it was so easy, you yourself were surprised.”

Aquila huffed with irritation. “I know, I’m powerful. You know that’s not the problem.”

“Then what is?” asked Aurora.

“This is Vengeance were talking about. It’s not about power, it’s about what she’s able to do with it.”

Aquila turned, and looked into Aurora’s eyes. For a moment, she was once again the scared filly, being taken away from her home town by armoured guards.

“We’re supposed to be stronger than her,” she said. “If the legends are true, I should be stronger than her. But she’s still deadlier than all of us together. She’s killed generations of Elements, and the things she knows how to do with her power-”

There was a bright flash, far on the horizon, Aquila turned her head. “I think that’s Portus,” she said, surprised.

She kept looking in that direction. The light disappeared fairly quickly, but the evening sky turned redder than usual, as if there was a great fire far in the distance. Soon, a bulging dark cloud blossomed where the flash had been.

The sisters’ mouths opened in shock, as their brains recalled the old stories, both coming to the same conclusion at the same moment.

“She… didn’t…” stammered Aurora.

There was another flash on the horizon, further north. Aquila stared at it in silent horror, still like a statue.

“Sun and Moon…” she gasped, “That was Sapientia.”
> Chapter 32: The Challenge
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The audience sat in stunned silence, their half-open mouths matching Aquila’s expression.

“Did she…?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“I told you,” said Obsidian.

“But...why?” whispered Fluttershy, pale in the face. 

“She was losing control, and she knew it,” said Aurora. “She had no use for ponies who wouldn’t obey orders. She also wanted to force our hoof…”

***

Aurora was running through the streets, Sauti, Jingles, Aquila and Charcoal following close behind. Normally there wouldn’t be much traffic at this hour, with the afternoon shift already back from work, and those who still felt like staying awake gathering in the local pubs. But now the cobbled streets echoed with the sound of hooves, panicked shouts spreading increasingly alarming gossip as everypony was trying to make sense of what had just happened. The Elements did their best to ignore it, focused on finding the most efficient way forward without bumping into ponies.

They’d almost reached their goal, an old building which they knew could provide them access to the right part of the sewers without attracting attention, when the Tower of Justice erupted with lightning. 

Everypony on the streets froze, watching with their mouths open as the sudden storm illuminated the evening sky. Aurora’s pegasi instincts went haywire - the air pressure dropped rapidly, clouds suddenly forming above the center of the city, faster than any natural stormclouds could, draping the Shattered’s seat of power with a dark canopy. 

Then a voice rang from the sky, not from the city’s rooftop loudspeakers, which Aurora had made a habit of vandalising, but seemingly from the tower itself, the boom of it audible even over the thunder of the lightning strikes.

“CITIZENS!” the voice called, “YOU ARE CITIZENS NO MORE! FOR A THOUSAND YEARS, FIFTY GENERATIONS, HAVE I LABOURED, TRYING TO MAKE THE PONYKIND INTO THE ENLIGHTENED AND JUST NATION IT HAD THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME! BUT YOU DID NOT WANT TO FULFILL THAT POTENTIAL, AND EACH OF THE FIFTY GENERATIONS WOULD ACT TO UNDERMINE MY EFFORTS! THIS ENDS TONIGHT! YOU ARE NOT WORTHY OF THE CONTINUED WORK! I HAVE CREATED NEW PONIES, MORE FIT TO ACHIEVE WHAT I SEE YOU COULD NOT! WITH THEM I WILL START ANEW FROM A CLEAN SLATE, AS SOON AS I HAVE ERASED THE FAILURE OF YOUR EXISTENCE!”

Nopony moved as the proclamation echoed through the city. Aurora looked around, and saw only expressions of stunned horror. A city guard she hadn’t noticed dropped his spear to the street, his face just as terrified as those of the others.

Then lightning struck, branching off the pillar of storm surrounding the tower and snaking across the city, hitting one of the big chimneys in the industrial district, and blowing the top half of it off.

This was the signal - the street erupted into full panic, ponies galloping in all directions, crashing into each other with frightened whinnies, all desperate to run, with no idea where to.

“Let’s hurry,” barked Aurora. She galloped forward, allowing her honed combat instincts to guide her safely between the running ponies. Soon she discovered that those getting close to her slowed down, still frightened, but with much more lucid expressions. Chancing a look over her shoulder, she saw the soft light of Kindness emanating from Sauti.

They went through four more blocks in this way before finally reaching their destination. During that time, eight more lightning bolts struck various targets across the city. The Elements took a turn into a gateway off the street and into a small courtyard. Then their stopped, taking a moment to catch their breaths.

“Why is she doing this?” asked Charcoal, pointing up at the sky.

“No fury like a mare scorned,” answered Jingles solemnly, “even more so when she deserved it. I guess this must have built up for centuries.”

“No,” said Charcoal. “I mean, why the lightning? She could just burn down the whole city at once, couldn’t she?”

“It is a challenge,” said Sauti. 

Aurora ground her teeth. “She could kill everypony right now, but she isn’t sure where we are, and she wants to see our deaths with her own eyes.”

“Well then, let’s go disappoint her,” said Aquila. “How long do you think it will take for Whisper and Cristal to get here?”

“The sooner the better,” said Jingles. “Time is a luxury nopony can afford anymore.”

***

The minutes stretched, the Elements sitting on the cold stones, the sky raging above them. Their previous exploits forced them to get used to waiting, but this was different - during this time the lightning bolts lashing out from the tower methodically struck every major landmark in the city, and had now begun to hit civilian houses. Each of them knew they couldn’t waste any more time, but all the same, they couldn’t proceed without the whole team.

“He comes,” said Sauti suddenly, her blind eyes snapping open. Her calm face was then cut with a frown. “Alone. He’s been injured.”

Aurora looked at her with alarm.

Sauti lifted a hoof, and slowly pointed down. Everypony’s heads turned towards the sewer cover in the corner of the courtyard. The heavy metal lid moved, pushed from underneath.

Aurora pounced forward, but Aquila was faster, her magic grabbing the cover, and pulling it out of the way. Inside there was Whisper. Rather than using the metal bars of the ladder, he was sticking to the walls, small orange lights underneath his hooves. He was missing the hat, and the coat he was wearing was stained red and green. There was also a freshly healed cut on his face, from the edge of his right eyebrow, all the way to his jaw line.

Aurora examined him closely, her wings spreading to keep the others away. 

“What’s happened?” she asked. “Are you hurt?”

“Healed,” answered Whisper. “Couldn’t go through the sewers with open wounds.”

He gently grabbed her wing with his magic, and pushed it closed, revealing the rest of the group. Then he took a deep breath.

“Changelings,” he finally said. “Infiltrated the cell. Crystal saw through them just before they struck, she saved me, and the sealing gem. But then Hate showed up. They… killed each other.”

Silence fell, punctuated only by the sounds of the storm.

“Cristal is dead?” whispered Charcoal finally.

“Yes,” said Whisper. “There were too many of them to fight them all. Hate… stabbed her. But she managed to stun him. She tossed the sealing gem to me, and collapsed the whole basement.” He looked around into his friends’ eyes. 

“Whisper…” started Aurora.

“I have the stone,” he interrupted her briskly. “She’s made sure we’d have the chance to take Vengeance down for good.” He paused, and then took a breath. “With Hate dead, it’s only Vengeance and Deception left. We need to do this now, before Envy returns… while there is still anything left to save.”

***

“I smell a trap,” said Obsidian. “You didn’t ask him to confirm who he was.”

Aurora lowered her head. “I was distracted. Sauti said it was him. Besides, I saw him use his magic. How could he use Honesty if it wasn’t him?”

“But it wasn’t?” said Obsidian.

“I… don’t know,” replied Aurora.

***

They decided to take the underground route, as decided earlier, to avoid any surprises on the way to the tower. Of course the sewers didn’t have to be safe either. Charcoal was leading the group as a guide, with Jingles walking beside her looking for traps, while Sauti scanned their surroundings for living creatures.

There was no ambush waiting for them there. And yet, Aurora could feel a growing tension, so strong she’d have probably felt it even without casting a link spell to her friends. 
“Without Cristal,” projected Aquila in her direction, “we’re one short. We won’t reach anything near our full power. That means it will have to be my magic that seals her. I’ll do what I can to keep us all alive, negate her powers where I can, and limit what she can do. But you’ll have to use that to hit her hard, hard enough to give me an opening to finish her off.”

They got as far as the Inner City without stumbling into anything dangerous. Charcoal’s experience with the sewers directed them by a less obvious route, but got them safely exactly where they wanted to get.  It was only when they got there, that Jingles noticed something amiss. There was a strange mist in the sewer, and a sharp, bitter smell. 

Jingles flapped his wings to push it away. “Bubble,” he commanded. Aquila cast a spell, a translucent barrier expanding around her until it encompassed all of her friends. They stood, considering the situation. 

“Do we push through it? asked Aquila.

“Give me a moment,” said Jingles. “I’ll check topside.”

He took a shovel and then spun, a blur of blue that drilled into the sewer wall and disappeared from sight. 

Everypony gathered around the hole. Behind it there was now a tunnel leading slightly upwards. Aquila shone the light of her Element into it. “Jingles?” she projected. “Is the coast clear?”

The response came with some hesitation. “Come up. This cold night will turn us all to fools and the mad.”

Aquila walked in with some hesitation, the rest following, making sure they stayed inside the bubble. Aurora followed her sister, instinctively running her magic along her wings, to make sure the blades were properly attached.

It was now night outside. The stormclouds overhead were twisted in a spiral pattern, forming a cone of darkness above the tower, like an impossibly slow tornado. A corona of lightning still surrounded the tower top, illuminating the plumes of smoke rising from its chimneys. Small droplets of rain were falling down onto the white streets. The mist was there too, but already disappearing, the last strands of it holding to the ground, not enough to conceal the inert bodies.

Aurora saw Charcoal flinch with fear, as the filly emerged from the tunnel and surveyed her surroundings. 

The lightning storm provided ample illumination to see by. The Inner City lamps were not lit, but still, everything was clearly visible, a stark, monochromatic landscape. The place looked like it always had, with one key exception: there was nothing alive anywhere in sight. Bodies, long-limbed and white-coated, lay here and there, scattered wherever their death had caught them. The grass was wilted, and the flowers had lost their petals. Even with the protective bubble surrounding her, Aurora found herself holding her breath in panic.

“It’s clearing already,” said Jingles, “she must have dropped it before going to Portus.”

Aurora looked around with huge eyes. “She didn’t need them either.”

“They thought they were chosen,” said Sauti, “but to her, they’d always been nothing but another failed experiment.”

“”That means no guards, does it?” said Aurora. 

Whisper nodded, coming to her side. “Unless she has some constructs to fight for her.”

“So, what now?” asked Jingles. “Do we fly up there?”

Aurora looked up into the storm. “Perhaps we should cut these fumes first?”

“The basement? No more obvious place for a trap,” said Jingles, “except for the top, but we know she’s there. Unless Envy returned earlier than we thought, there’s nopony in the world but Vengeance who could do something like this.”

“I’ll blow these away when we get there,” said Aquila, pointing her horn up. “Let’s go up through the building. This way we can see if she has any more surprises stored for us, and tackle them as we go.”

“She’ll know we’re coming,” said Sauti.

“Of course, she will,” said Aquila. “She’s done all this to draw us here.”

They headed for the exit and into the promenade leading towards the front gate. Once they did, it became apparent that the poison mist had hit there as well. There was nopony to oppose them.

We needn’t have wasted time on the sewers, thought Aurora bitterly.

She turned towards Charcoal. “You’ve helped us enough. It’s time you retreated. This poison seems heavier than air, so fly once you leave the bubble.”

“Are you sure you don’t need me?” asked Charcoal, though she did immediately take to the air. 

Whisper turned, and looked Charcoal in the eyes. He said nothing, but after a few seconds, Charcoal saluted, and with a sigh, flew up and away. The remaining five ponies looked at the tower.

“All the world is a stage, and all mares and stallions merely players,” said Jingles, as they started to walk forward. “And yet, our foe seems to be quite fixated on playing the villain here.”

Aquila looked at him, then waved her horn, indicating the dead guards on the pavement before them. “Playing?!”

JIngles nodded. “Yes. Something is wrong here. Vengeance has never shown a shred of mercy, but she has always been self-righteous, even when she turned ponies into ash without a second thought. And now suddenly, she embraces the… theatrics of a mad tyrant. She’s doing all this on purpose, as if... trying to appear as evil as possible. What does she have to gain from it?”

“Nothing, if we defeat her once and for all,” said Whisper. “Let’s hurry.”

***

The first form of resistance they encountered was a trio of golems standing on the stairs leading to the front entrance. The heavy metal constructs, twice as tall as regular ponies, turned their heads toward the intruders, blue lights in their eyes turning red.

Aquila looked at them, then sideways at her friends. 

“No fireworks yet,” said Whisper, “Jingles?”

The pegasus nodded his head. “On it.” 

He trotted forward, heading straight for the steps, as expression of still seriousness plastered on his face. There was a spring in his step, more and more pronounced, until he actually started springing, the last step taking him up the stairs and to the face level of the central golem.

The construct lurched forward, a whirr of gears spinning inside its shell, the head swinging for a powerful headbutt, but Jingles wasn’t there. He emerged, still expressionless, between the golems, jumping up to tap the leftmost one on the withers.

The golem reared, turning to crush him, with his front hooves. He ended up overreaching, falling over the middle golem’s back, narrowly missing Jingles, and slamming right into the third construct’s faceplate. It flattened with a noise of deforming metal. The middle golem pushed with all its hooves, trying to free itself for the sudden extra weight, but didn’t have much success. This left it unable to do anything to mitigate the damage when the last construct, freshly flat-faced, and now trying to get rid of Jingles jumping around him, bucked with both hind legs. The kick quite predictably missed Jingles, connected with the immobilised golem, and deformed its barrell.

The Elements kept watching, their ears twitching rhythmically with every crashing sound. When the last of the golems finally tumbled down the stairs, a loud ‘sproing’ of a winded spring flying loose from inside it signifying the end of the fight, everypony ran forward to join Jingles.

The Element of Laughter hadn’t suffered a single scratch, and his expression remained unchanged. Aurora smirked despite herself; even on this darkest of days, he was able to find a way to amuse his friends, if only a little.

The five stood in front of a heavy, double door. Normally, during the day, these were open all the time, allowing a steady trickle of busy office ponies in and out. Now in the night they were surprisingly ominous. 

Aurora looked aside at Whisper. Their gazes met, and he shifted closer to her, allowing her to wing hug him, pressing their barrels together. They’d spent a couple seconds just standing in silence, their breaths synchronising. 

“We’ll do it,” said Whisper.

“For Cristal,” said Aurora. She felt the Loyalty get warmer on her chest, as her resolve spread from her, pouring strength first into Whisper, then into the others.

“For Everypony,” said Aquila, once more surrounding the team with a barrier bubble before pushing the door with her magic. 

It opened into a dark main hall. The Elements looked in cautiously. They had all expected something to happen, perhaps an explosion, or another cloud of poison. But the door wasn’t even locked. They walked in slowly, magical senses sweeping their surroundings in search of ambush, hoofsteps echoing over the cold stone. 

There was nothing there, not even dead bodies. 

Sauti took the lead, the group following her to the end of the hall, where two trios of elevator doors faced each other. Sauti turned her head, and lead them to the central one of the left row. The buttons were dead, but when she pulled the door with her magic, it relented, sliding aside. There was a cabin behind it. The five ponies walked inside, their force bubble becoming a cube to fit in.

Jingles cocked his head. “Going up?”

Aurora closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. Wisps of fuchsia magic danced around her eyelids, quickly replaced by blazing white fire. She opened her eyes, and looked at the ceiling, the whole cabin vibrating from her power. “All the way up.”

Aurora had just a split second to focus, Loyalty lighting up to add its power to the spell alongside the others. The cabin accelerated upwards in a shower of sparks, going faster and faster.

What’s happening to the cable? thought Aurora briefly, before another thought struck her: This shaft only goes up half of the way!

She barely registered the impact when the elevator plowed through the machine room at the top, then through one floor after another, the images visible through the missing door blurring together as Aquila’s magic flooded through as they passed, ripping apart trap spells and constructs. When they reached the top floor, the elevator itself exploded, a spreading ring of Aquila's purple magic devastating the penthouse, ripping the metal pipes outwards, and scattering the clouds above. 

The Elements jumped off what was left off the elevator, a second before it tumbled down the perfectly square hole it had made in the floor. They looked around for the enemy, but their magical senses had already found the anomaly, their linked minds causing them to all look up, Aquila’s magic flaring to meet the light descending at them from above.

The image froze. Aurora and Twilight looked at each other, then at Obsidian. The stallion in turn looked towards a ripple to the right of them - a translucent image of an alarmed-looking Spike walking through the still image of the explosion. He opened his mouth in slow motion, the words hanging in the air suddenly catching the right speed as everypony felt a powerful sense of being pulled. They all awoke with a start, the vision scattering as reality slammed into their senses.

“... wake up!” finished Spike aloud. “Princess Luna’s here, with the Equestrian army!”
> Chapter 33: The Armory
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"It is ready," said Dr Stone, "You may go."

Around her the siege camp had already been constructed, the well disciplined and organized soldiers setting up tents according to plans they’d received before boarding the train. Between Luna and Spitfire helping the army, the destroyed rails didn’t prove to be much of an issue. Now that Dr Stone’s mobile lab had been set up - a large tent filled with and surrounded by a collection of mysterious devices - she could make them ready to attack within hours. The soldiers were coming to her tent, group by group, to receive the preparing procedure either from her, or from one of the herd of assistants she had brought along - with Spitfire helping them by making copies of the machines with her powers, they had just enough work stations to finish on schedule.

A sound of many voices, a not-quite-cheer, erupted from the far side of the camp; Luna had just finished delivering a speech meant to encourage her soldiers. 

Dr Stone looked down at the small table beside her, checking her notes. It was a reflex she had practiced for her role as a scientist. In fact, she knew perfectly well what she had left to do.

“Please form a line,” she said to an approaching earth pony, indicating a machine that looked like a hairdresser’s chair with lots of extra tubes. The officer barked orders at his unit, twenty ponies forming neatly in front of the device. 

Dr Stone waited for the first soldier to take off his helmet and sit in the chair before pressing a sequence of buttons. The machine came to life, a system of tubes closing around the pony’s ears and snout. 

“Working hard, I see,” called a voice from above Dr Stone. There had been no noise to herald Spitfire’s approach, the air around her wings moving with barely any effort on her part, cushioning her descent. The armored pegasus touched the ground beside the scientist, her eyes inspecting the soldiers.

Even though the camp was within the borders of the Empire’s weather anomaly, the temperature seemed to drop. Nopony averted their gaze, or visibly scowled, but movements became stiffer, more nervous. Everypony had heard the announcement of captain Spitfire’s fate. 

Dr Stone looked over her glasses at the Wonderbolt captain just in time to catch a nearly imperceptible twitch in the corner of her mouth. She knew it for what it was, a grimace suppressed before it could reach the face. 

Instead, Spitfire smiled sadly. “You have nothing to fear from me,” she said to the gathered soldiers. “The one life I had to take was a necessary sacrifice, but even that was not my choice. It was this mare’s heroism, and through it, my loyalty is now sealed in blood, bound to Equestria above all else.”

As she spoke, her smile disappeared, the tone of her voice getting harder and more soldier-like, more like captain Spitfire had been. 

“By the life she sacrificed, I swear, I will not fail you.”

Dr Stone turned away from the machine, which had been humming softly for a while now, and seemed about finished with its task, and bowed her head to Spitfire. After a moment of hesitation, the officer raised his hoof, and saluted. A second later, his soldiers followed suit. 

Dr Stone looked at Spitfire, just in time to see the corner of her mouth almost move, a smile hidden away before it could spoil the effect.

***

She had just finished her procedure on the unit, the last one on her list, when she saw Princess Luna walking towards her. She turned to greet her, bowing her head in deference.

Luna waited patiently for the surrounding ponies to finish saluting before walking forward, opening one wing to signal her retinue to stay behind. 

“Doctor,” she said, “Please give me a full report.” The wing extended, indicating the tent.

Dr Stone nodded. “At once, your Majesty.” Pushing the last soldier’s shoulders to help him get out of the chair, she switched the device off, and then followed Luna into the tent, trotting to keep up with her long-legged sovereign. 

As the two got inside, Luna closed the flaps of the tent over the entrance, her magic filling the tent with silver light, sealing it away from any attempts to spy on the conversation. 

“So?” she asked, still in her studied, regal tone. “I can see all is prepared?”

“Yes,” said Dr Stone. “Once we activate the neural blocks, the soldiers will lose the capacity to understand speech until we end the effect. I take it the signalling system is ready?”

Luna nodded, “Everypony knows their roles. I am also working on a backup plan. We can only hope it will be enough to end this war in a single battle.”

Dr Stone raised an eyebrow. “You’re enjoying it, aren’t you?”

“What?” asked Luna.

“Playing the good princess,” said Dr Stone. 

Luna puffed her cheeks in indignation. “I am not playing!”

“I know you,” said Dr Stone, “I have, for millennia. You don’t need to play in front of me.”

Luna squinted, her mouth a thin line. “And I have known you. I know the real you. So why do you keep playing Dr Stone in front of me? Does it make you feel more confident?”

Dr Stone clenched her jaw, not answering.

Luna extended her wing, and playfully patted her on the head. “I am just teasing,” she said with a smile. “Of course I enjoy being the good princess. And who says it is not the real me? I have been Luna for how long now?”

Dr Stone approached a cluttered table, took off her glasses, and started cleaning them with a piece of cloth. “You had been others before.”

Luna snorted. “We all have. Especially you. Remember that time you were a fair maiden, madly in love with Loyalty? Was that the real you, or just a role you lost yourself in?”

Dr Stone averted her gaze. “It doesn’t matter now, does it? It could never work anyway.”

Luna nodded sagely. “It never does for us.” She then cocked her head in thought. “What happened to him anyway?”

Dr stone shrugged. “I broke him. I thought I could make him forget his friends, but it was too much, and his mind went to pieces. Once I finished mourning his loss, the body was just meat on the lab table, a test subject like any other.”

Luna shifted uncomfortably. “What I was trying to say was… it is the same for me,” she continued. “These ponies adore me, and haven’t I always loved being adored? And if I am their beloved ruler, is it not my duty to go the extra mile for them? I do care about my subjects. I haven’t had a truly adoring audience since… I don’t even think those count, bunch of snobs. In hindsight, that whole millennium was a huge mistake.”

Dr Stone put the glasses back on her face. “What about Nightmare Moon? You seemed to enjoy that too.”

Luna scowled. “No. The premise itself? No. A legend spread by scared ponies, just because Gloria was too depressed to deny it in time? Making me the monster after I saved them all from Light’s madness? No, I didn’t enjoy that at all.”

The light around her dimmed, then disappeared, as her pattern ability shifted the energy inwards, surrounding the princess in a growing nimbus of darkness. 

Luna flashed Dr Stone a predatory grin. “But I have long learned that we need to work with what we are given, and if we can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs, we might as well make it a game.”

Luna paused, her grin disappearing, and her darkness dispersing. “Speaking of breaking, I didn’t come here for idle talk. Remember the list of equipment you gave me? I’ve finished reading through it. There are some items that interest me...”

She summoned a thick file of papers in a flash of magic, then levitated it in front of Dr Stone, opening it at about half way through.

“...In particular, this one.”

Dr Stone looked at the page in surprise.”Dragonkiller bomb? This is interesting. How are you going to deploy it?”

Luna smirked. “It’s a secret. Let us see if I can save the day all by myself.”

Dr Stone rolled her eyes. “You just want to one-up Gloria, don’t you?”

Luna smiled wider. “I’ve already managed to become a princess. Might as well be the best princess.”

***

“... And that’s pretty much all,” finished Applejack dejectedly, before switching the megaphone off.  

The army of ponies gathered in the square below erupted in a buzz of whispers. 

Bling looked down over the railing, shaking his head. “This is not what they wanted to hear,” he said.

Applejack turned her head sharply. “That’s the truth! What else was I going to tell them?”

Obsidian, the third pony standing on the balcony of the palace, tapped his hoof on the crystal floor in frustration. “Nothing but the truth, I’m afraid. But that particular truth is very troublesome. Now they know that the masters of Equestria are monsters - they will no longer question the judgement of their ruler. But when it comes to battle, they will also know that Equestrian soldiers have been deceived. It is hard to put all your heart in a battle when the one you fight is a victim, rather than an enemy.”

“The Equestrians should have the same problem, shouldn’t they?” said Bling. “Unless the Shattered risk their cover story by brainwashing their whole army.”

“Even so, they might not hesitate as much,” said Obsidian. “In their eyes, they’re avenging their princess.”

“And ours are protecting their homes and families,” said Bling.

“So, the power of love versus the power of hate?” said Obsidian. “That might be interesting to watch.”

Applejack looked towards the horizon. “You sure there’s gonna be a battle today?” she said, swallowing nervously. ”This here barrier has been mighty solid for a good while now.”

“Of course,” said Obsidian and Bling together.

“The Crystal Heart might have protected the empire for thousands of years -” started Obsidian.

“But they wouldn’t make such a show of bringing an army to our doorstep if they didn’t have a plan for how to get in,” finished Bling.

Applejack sighed. “They’re fighting for Equestria,” she said. “The soldiers, I mean. I ain’t happy to have to fight good ponies.”

Obsidian tapped her on her withers, looking into her eyes when she turned. “Nopony in their right mind would be,” he said. “If it helps, think of the ponies you really want to protect. The ones most important to you. Where are they, out there, or in here?”

Applejack considered the question. “It’s not that simple. There’s lots of Apples still out there. Applebloom is still out there.”

“For what it’s worth,” said Bling, “we’ve taken steps to ensure the safety of your relatives within the city.”

Applejack gave him a surprised expression. “You have? They told me they wanted to fight.”

“I had to personally persuade some of them not to take part in the battle,” said Bling. “Your family are a brave, but stubborn lot.”

“But why?” asked Applejack. “I mean, I’m very grateful, and all, I don’t want any of them hurt. But I thought you needed every pony who could fight. You won’t be able to protect them if the battle is lost.”

“We do,” replied Bling, “and I’m aware of how capable some of your family are. But we can’t have you distracted. You will have enough to worry about even without your family in the field. And your power is worth more to us than any extra soldiers the Apples could provide us.”

Obsidian nodded. “It’s refreshing to finally have somepony pragmatic on the team.”

Applejack looked from one to the other, before turning towards the door. “I’ll go get ready.”

***

Rainbow Dash and Aurora were standing in the armory, picking through the armor and weapon stands in search of something Aurora could use. 

Dash, already wearing a blue armor and helmet to replace those damaged in the last battle, looked at what she had left to choose from. Unlike her previous visit to the Empire, this time she seemed spoiled for choice; the glorified sports equipment that had filled the armory had now been replaced with proper arms and armor.

“You’re about my size,” said Dash, “so these should be good. What color do you want?”

Aurora looked at the stand, then went past Dash, and pointed at an armor from a different stand, lighter than what Dash had chosen. 

“I think this one. Blue will look good on me, and I can fly faster with less metal.”

Dash looked at the stand again. “Huh, you’re right. I could wear that too. I can use my Element to protect myself in battle, so I don’t need that much armor. I can fly faster… this… way.”

Aurora turned her head, looking at Dash with concern. The pegasus was silent, staring into space.

“No… no, no… that’s not fair,” she whispered.

Aurora waved her wing in front of Dash’s eyes. “What’s the matter, Dash?”

Rainbow Dash spun around with a scream of frustration, kicking a nearby armor stand so hard it broke. She slowly turned, and looked Aurora in the eyes.

“The Wonderbolts,” she said, “They will be there.”

“Who are the Wonderbolts?” asked Aurora.

“The best flyers in all of Equestria,” said Dash. “I was supposed to join them. But if Luna is bringing her entire army here, the Wonderbolts will be there too! I will have to fight them! They will hate me!”

She slumped heavily onto the floor.

Aurora sat down opposite her. “We’ll have to go to battle no matter how we feel about it, but… how about I fight them instead?” 

Dash looked up at her. “Will you? Then at least I won’t have… but you can’t beat them alone! You no longer have your magic!”

Aurora smiled mischievously. “Hey, don’t underestimate me! I may no longer be Loyalty, but I know my stuff! I was able to save all of my friends even before I got my Element, wasn’t I? If it comes to it, I’ll handle the Wonderbolts, You just worry about the Shattered.”

Rainbow Dash smirked despite herself. “How good are you at doing the impossible?”

Aurora grinned. “Pretty darn good.”

Rainbow Dash took a breath. “If… when we get through this, could you give me a couple of pointers on how to do that? I might need it.”

Aurora looked around the room, walked past the wing blades rack, and towards a collection of leg blades. 

“I can do better. I can show you some now.”

***

"Thank you, mom," said Rarity, taking a sip of her tea. 

She set the teacup on the kitchen table, and smiled. Her parents did too. A warm smile, meant to relax and encourage. So much like her own, practiced on countless customers who visited her boutique. 

Three ponies kept smiling over the table, and none of them was fooled. 

They’re trying to help, thought Rarity, but they’re both scared. They’re as worried, as I am.

“Mr… Glitterdust,” said Cookie Crumbles, “Is that the name? The commander here. He said we’re to relocate. Normally, this close to the palace is the safest place to be, but somepony in the command decided that if there really is a battle, this place might get hit.”

“Oh?” asked Rarity, “Where are they moving you?”

“Underground,” answered Hondo. “There are old crystal mines underneath the Empire. This is where all the crystals used to come from before they learned how to grow them with their magic. We’ll be moved there until the battle is over, along with your friends’ families, and some important ponies from here.”

Rarity sighed in relief. “I’m so glad. Now I won’t have to worry about your safety during the fight.”

She finished her tea, and went around the table, hugging first her mother, and then her father.

“Stay warm and safe,” she said. “It’s time I went to prepare myself.” She chuckled nervously. “Everypony will be looking at me after all.”
She was about to go out the door when she felt a hoof brush against her back. 

“Honey…” started Cookie Crumbles, causing Rarity to turn around and face her. “What happened to Sweetie, wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know what would happen. Nopony knew.”

Rarity hugged her again, stronger. “I will find her, I promise.”

She then went out the door.

As she got into the corridor, Rarity turned at the sound of multiple hooves. Pinkie Pie was walking past, her parents and two sisters behind her, two crystal pony guards acting as guides. All the family members except Pinkie had saddle bags, as if packed for the road. 

“You’re only hiding until the battle is over,” said Rarity. “Why are you all packed?”

The father opened his mouth to reply, but one of Pinkie’s sisters was faster. “Well, last time we had to run, we didn’t have the time to take anything but the coats on our backs. So this time, we’re prepared, just in case.”

Rarity looked at the bags. “But if you didn’t take anything…”

“These have been supplied from our reserves,” explained one of the guards. “They insisted.”

“I’ll just go with them, and then meet you at the palace,” said Pinkie Pie, leading the others away.

Goodness, thought Rarity, she’s still so chipper. How does she do that? Well, the Element of Laughter probably…

She looked towards the last door along the corridor. She knew Fluttershy was there with her family - a trio of pastel pegasi, who made her look assertive by comparison.

As the Pie family walked away, Rarity leaned against the blue crystal wall, and sighed. Suddenly she felt very tired. 

“What if I fail?” she whispered to herself. “I said I would find Sweetie, but what if Obsidian is right? What if I’m not good enough? I did fail that stupid test of his. And not just fail. It was a disaster from start to finish.”

She started walking towards the exit, dragging her legs. “What should I do? Is there any way I could be more generous? But I have literally nothing left… I don’t think anypony here would need tail hair…”

There was a creek of a door opening. Rarity looked behind her, and saw Fluttershy entering the corridor.

“Rarity?”

Rarity was preoccupied, but her sense of aesthetics had been honed to the point where she used it without thinking. There was something wrong with the image in front of her.

Just like Rarity, Fluttershy wasn’t wearing her armor, just the Element gorget around her neck. The coat was in order, the face… Yes, realised Rarity, the eyes are slightly pink. Has she been crying? 

Rarity walked up to her friend, her own worries forgotten for the moment. “Darling, what has happened to you?”

Fluttershy fidgeted her hooves nervously. “Nothing… please don’t worry about me. Everything is okay, really, you have more important things on your head right now…”

“I know you too well for that,” said Rarity, “Please tell me, what is troubling you.”

Fluttershy looked aside for a way out, but found that Rarity was standing directly between her and the exit. She wasn’t asking repeatedly, or pushing into Fluttershy’s personal space, just waiting patiently for her to speak.

Finally, Fluttershy swallowed and met Rarity’s eyes. 

“It’s just… this whole war is a terrible mistake! It will be good ponies fighting and hurting good ponies! And I will have to take part in it.”

“But… your power is stopping ponies from hurting each other,” said Rarity. 

Fluttershy flapped her wings in frustration. “I know that. But it didn’t help much last time, did it?”

“Well,” said Rarity, “I will be there helping you, okay? My power is giving more power to other ponies, and Dash’s is to inspire. We’ll both help you save as many ponies as we can.”

She looked towards the doorway where Pinkie’s family had disappeared. “I think it’s time we put our armor on. Come, I’ll help you.”

She started walking towards the exit. Fluttershy followed. 

Both mares left the building, and went towards the palace. The world was still a dark and scary place, but now there was a task at hoof to focus on.

***

Shining Armor was standing between the houses overlooking the approach to the city, soldiers swarming around them, preparing defensive positions as the civilians hastily evacuated. A group or army engineers had planted a line of crystals just outside of the houses; the crystals grew within minutes, forming a spiky rampart.  Archers were setting up ice bows on the roofs, while the few pegasi serving in the army kept watch from the sky, looking for any enemies seeking to approach the barrier from a different direction.

Shining levitated a pair of binoculars, trying to see the details of the enemy camp. The invaders had taken the train station, swooping in faster than any defence could be mounted. This was a predictable loss, as Shining hadn’t expected to be able to hold it anyway, nor was he willing to sacrifice lives to try to. 

But not being able to deny the enemy a spot to land on was really painful tactically - the army now camping outside the barrier was easily twice the numbers of the defenders. 

Everything will be decided here, thought Shining Armor. It all depends on what their plan is for getting in, and how many soldiers they can get past the barrier. 

There was a flash of light, and Twilight Sparkle appeared beside her brother. “Mom and dad are safe,” she said. “How are we doing?”

Without word, Shining handed her the binoculars. She looked towards the Equestrian army.

“There’s so many of them,” she finally said. 

“Yes,” replied Shining Armor. “We must not break and engage them in the open field. Whatever their plan is, this is where we need to stop them. The rest is up to you and your friends. If you can beat the Shattered with the Elements, then the size of their army won’t matter.”

“Obsidian says they’re unlikely to give us a clear shot,” said Twilight. “And apart from Luna, we have no idea what the rest of them could look like now. They might be hiding among the ranks of their soldiers to get us by surprise.” 

“Could you use the Amaranthine to find out?” asked Shining.

“Too late for that now,” replied Twilight. 

“So, we need to focus on the army, and then switch to the Shattered the moment they reveal themselves,” said Shining, “They will be aiming for you, me, Cadence, or the Heart.”

“That’s a lot to protect at once,” said Twilight.

“Well, I’m here with you,” said Shining, “and Cadence will be near the Heart. With its power fully charged, this is where the Shattered will be at their weakest, the reverse of what Celestia did to you.”

A group of soldiers approached their position, Glitterdust at the forefront. 
“Report,” said Shining Armor.

“We’ve finished preparing the palace defences,” said Glitterdust, “Bling will hold it if anything happens.”

“What about the civilians?” asked Shining.

“The evacuation is almost finished,” replied Glitterdust. “Also, the families of the Elements have all been brought to safety. The Elements themselves will join you soon.”

“As it should be,” replied Shining Armor. “Take position at point A4.”

As Glitterdust saluted and walked away, Shining turned to look at his sister. “You know, Twily, I don’t remember ever seeing you looking so determined.”

Twilight handed the binoculars back to him, and once more checked if all the pieces of her new armor were in order. “I have to be,” she said. “It’s not just some test I could re-take if I fail. The Equestrian army might be against me, but still, the fate of Equestria depends on me.”

***

Bluebonnet entered the mobile lab tent, and dropped her bags on the ground. Agent Pierce followed after her, with three expressionless lab assistants completing the group, everypony freeing themselves from their respective burdens.

Bluebonnet looked around. “You go back and make sure they don’t damage the emitter while unloading,” she said to the assistants. 

The three earth ponies left without a word. Bluebonnet saw Pierce shudder as they passed him; he obviously wasn’t comfortable with Dr Stone’s “assistants”, artificial constructs she sometimes brought to a semblance of life for big projects. They moved, they breathed, they obeyed orders to the letter, and could even emulate emotions when prompted. But both Bluebonnet and Pierce had seen enough of them to know they lacked real life - they were marvels of science, but ones devoid of souls, puppets little better than the animated armors guarding the lab. It was no surprise that they creeped Pierce out,

“Do you have the package?” she asked him. 

Pierce checked the bags he had brought, digging into them for a moment before retrieving a square metal box. He put it on one of the tables, and Bluebonnet opened it briefly, exposing the round, dull object inside.

“What is it?” asked Pierce.

“A prototype weapon,” answered Bluebonnet. “Back when we started building pattern generators, and were looking for a way to weaponize them, we couldn’t get a big charge like we do today, but we figured we had enough to temporarily imbue objects. This weapon is an explosive built around a simple pattern generator. It only works once, creating a burst of pattern-charged payload, capable of penetrating magical defences, and hurting creatures who rely on internal magic for their durability. Apparently princess Luna showed interest, and had it delivered here. She must think the emitter we have brought might not be enough for our task.”

She walked through the tent with a bag in her teeth, set it on another table, and dug into its contents, finally retrieving a tangle of straps and metal clamps. “Help me put this on, please,” she said.

Pierce looked quizzically at the straps. “Is that a weapon harness?” he asked. “But you’re not supposed to fight.”

“The emitter will be the core of our plan,” replied Bluebonnet, “We can expect it to come under attack.”

“Yes,” answered Pierce. “And that’s what we have Luna for. And me. You’re not combat personnel. It is my job to keep you safe, and it will be much easier for me if you don’t purposefully put yourself in harm’s way.”

“We’re all in harm’s way,” said Bluebonnet. “Do your job, and I’ll do mine.”

She went to the bags left by her assistants, and retrieved a large, rectangular box. When she opened it, Pierce’s eyes went wide.

“Is that…”

“Yes,” said Bluebonnet. She grabbed the straps with her teeth and started pulling the harness over her lab coat. Pierce stared on.

“You fixed it? But why?”

“To learn what had gone wrong,” answered Bluebonnet. She was looking down at the pattern gun in front of her, purposefully avoiding Pierce’s gaze. 

“And… what did you learn?” he finally asked.

“I found that some parts didn’t belong there,” answered Bluebonnet. “The generator had been rewired to purposefully overcharge it. This increased the power of the shot, but it had been strained even before that. There was no way it wouldn’t blow up.”

“So, you think-” 

“”There were only three ponies in the whole world who knew how to do it,” said Bluebonnet, “and only one who might have had a reason.”

“Bluebonnet-” started Pierce.

Bluebonnet turned to him with angry eyes. “Doctor Bluebonnet.”

“Doctor,” he continued, “We’ve had enough ponies taking rash actions recently, and using this…”

“It’s safe,” interrupted Bluebonnet. “I know what I’m doing. I’ve reduced the power, and added a piece of plating to direct the blast away from me if anything does happen. It’s not perfect, but it will do until the version with pre-charged batteries is ready. Now, if you aren’t going to help, kindly keep watch of the tent from the outside. I have work to do, and don’t wish to be disturbed.”

“At least do wear some armor,” grumbled Pierce, defeated.

***

Scootaloo skulked on top of a slanted roof. She had been lucky to find a spot she could actually climb to, just as a guard escorting her got distracted.

She looked up, searching for a route she could take to sneak in the direction of the train station. There were some male voices shouting her name in the distance, but she paid them no heed.

“No way am I missing that.” 
> Chapter 34: The Battle
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey, it's time to wake up..."

The whisper caused Apple Bloom to open her eyes. She lifted her head from the ground, spitting out a bit of sand that had gathered in the corner of her mouth. She slowly got up, flexing her limbs one by one; she was all stiff from sleeping on the ground. 

The sun was setting, the worst of the day’s heat ebbing away. Apple Bloom left the small outcropping, the only source of shade they had been able to find, and walked towards the stream. The water was warm, but it still put new energy into her. She looked at Sweetie Belle, who was nibbling on some yellowing grass.

“You know, I’m starting to have my doubts,” said Apple Bloom. “I mean, we’ve been walking for days. There is nothing here. Nopony will ever find us.”

“I think that was the point,” replied Sweetie Belle. “Besides, what could we do other than keep walking?”

Apple Bloom looked down on the bauble on her neck, then back at Sweetie Belle. “Good point.”

They resumed their walk along the stream. The air was still warm, and there was no wind blowing, the sky almost entirely clear, barring some very distant clouds far away over the mountains; this place would not see any rain anytime soon.

“So, what do you think happened?” asked Apple Bloom, when the dragging silence became unbearable.

“We’ve been over it a hundred of times,” replied Sweetie Belle with irritation. “We don’t know! All we know is that Canterlot was attacked, and that Enigma guy really wanted us to stay hidden…”

She paused, her expression vacant for a moment. “It’s very important,” she finally said.

“Yes, it is,” replied Apple Bloom. “It’s just that I’d like to know what’s going on! Was it the Obsidian guy? Or is there something wrong with Princess Celestia? Or my sister? It’s driving me nuts just hiding here for days, knowing nothing!”

“Me too, okay?” said Sweetie Belle. “It’s just that… wait, did you hear that?” 

Both fillies perked up, their ears moving. There was definitely something moving nearby. As the fillies wondered what it could be, their interest suddenly gave way to worry, then fear. 

“Do you think…” asked Sweetie Belle in a hesitant whisper.

“I hope not,” replied Apple Bloom. “I don’t even have a chair on me…”

It was then, when her ears caught another sound. There was something else in the grass on the other side of the stream too. Applebloom turned frantically.

“They’re around us!” she called in a scared voice, no longer trying to stay silent. Both filles looked around, trying to pick a way to run. There was no time to climb out, even if the danger weren’t in the grass above - that left only running along the stream, up or down the current. Apple Bloom’s and Sweetie Belle’s eyes met. Downstream it was.

They started galloping, just as the source of the rustling noise showed itself. But it was not what they had expected. Sweetie Belle skidded to a halt, causing a cloud of dust with her hooves.

“A zebra?”

The one looking down on her from her right was a young stallion, dressed in a harness of pouches, adorned with feathers that complemented his striped coat. He looked like a kind of colorful foreigner one could see in a travel agency brochure, if not for his expression. The zebra didn’t look like he was there to impress tourists, more like give a kicking to intruders. He said something Apple Bloom didn’t understand. 

On the other bank, a mare emerged. She was similarly equipped, and similarly stern-faced. Apple Bloom saw a spear hanging on the harness at her side. 

“We don’t want any trouble…” started Sweetie Belle, looking up at the stallion. “We were just lost, and…”

The stallion jumped down, landing in front of Sweetie. She flinched away with a yelp, expecting a kick, but the zebra just gave her a closer look. He started talking. Apple Bloom could guess these were questions, but didn’t understand a word of it. 

Meanwhile, the mare slid down to their level, jumping over the stream, and approaching them from behind. She too said something foreign, but she was clearly talking to the stallion, not to them.

“I’m sorry,” started Apple Bloom, “but I don’t understand what you’re saying. I have a zebra friend named Zecora, but she didn’t teach me your language.”

That did get the zebras’ reaction. The two exchanged some words over the fillies’ heads. 

Finally, the stallion said, “Uchongo.”

“Uchongo,” replied the mare.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle looked at each other. “What’s going on?” asked Sweetie, “Do you think they know Zecora?’

“I don’t know,” replied Apple Bloom. “But she told me about her home, and it didn’t look anything like this.”

Meanwhile the two zebras turned away from the river, gesturing to the fillies to start walking. Apple Bloom hesitated, but followed, She struggled on the edge of the ditch for a moment, trying to climb up. The female zebra sighed, before propping her rump up with her head.

***

They walked for about half an hour. The zebras directed the fillies calmly, but Apple Bloom could tell that they were watching them warily, ready to react if either of them did anything suspicious.

“Where do you think they’re taking us?” said Sweetie Belle. 

Apple Bloom considered the question. “To their home, I guess. I think they must have a village here somewhere.”

Ten minutes later, she was proven right. A circle of round adobe cottages appeared in the distance.  From between the houses, curious faces poked out. As the four entered the village, they were surrounded by a small crowd of zebras, about two dozen of them. 

They were a mix of stallions and mares of all ages, eyeing the newcomers with suspicion, abuzz with whispers. Apple Bloom watched them curiously. This was the first time she had seen zebra foals. She smiled at one, a small colt looking at her from behind his father’s legs. After a moment the colt returned her smile shyly.

Sweetie Belle didn’t feel so optimistic. She was looking around nervously, and Apple Bloom realized that her friend was counting the spear tips visible in the crowd. 

The mare who had brought them to the village cleared her throat loudly, and spoke. It had an immediate effect of silencing the whispers of the gathered zebras. For a moment everypony was listening to her in silence. Apple Bloom caught the word “uchongo” again. It sounds like a name, she thought. I wish I could speak zebra.

As the mare finished speaking, the crowd parted. There was now a path through the middle of the village, leading to a small cottage. 

“I think they want us to go there,” said Apple Bloom, walking forward. Sweetie Belle stayed behind, before quickly catching up to her friend when one of the zebras nudged her forward unexpectedly.

The inside of the cottage was dark, and smelled funny, a sour-sweet smell that made Apple Bloom think of overripe fruit. 

She stuck her head through the bead curtain in the entrance. “Um… hello?” she said, “Anypony home?”

There was no answer.

Slowly, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle entered the cottage. It was small, clearly intended for just one pony, and cramped, a clutter of strange objects taking every available space. There were bundles of herbs, some of which Apple Bloom recognized. There were pots of colorful powders, dreamcatchers, bones on strings. There was a softly bubbling contraption of glass pipes, jars, and bottles, bizarrely out of place in a village such as this, which Apple Bloom instantly identified as the source of the offensive smell. There was…

Apple Bloom shivered.

There was a stretch of spotted fur covering one of the walls. Apple Bloom knew what it was. A leopard skin. She had seen one before, in Zecora’s house, and listened to a story of how some fierce warriors would keep trophies of their greatest victories to make others afraid of them. But the skin serving as a bed blanket in Zecora’s house was an imitation, carefully made with wool, and some well-applied dyes. This one, though old and dusty, was definitely real.

“Apple Bloom?” called Sweetie Belle softly. “I don’t like the look of this place. Maybe we should just go before we-”

Her hoof bumped against a long stick propped against the wall between the shelves. It was a wooden-tipped spear, made from a single piece of dark hardwood, adorned with feathers, and covered with intricate carvings of foreign writing and skull-shaped sigils. As the filly touched it, the weapon came to life, flashes of sickly green light dancing along the shaft, briefly illuminating the designs.

Sweetie Belle flinched away from it with a scared yelp, her rump colliding with an old zebra standing behind her.

Apple Bloom had no idea where he had come from. There was clearly not enough space within the cottage for him to hide, and yet, there he was, staring down at the two fillies. 

It was the oldest stallion Apple Bloom had ever seen. In his youth he must have been tall and slim. Now he was so thin, he looked almost malnourished, and his limbs were bent and wrinkled, as if he got compressed by age. His head, devoid of a single mane hair, looked like a used matchstick. He was wearing an eyepatch, and the remaining eye was glaring with frightening intensity.

The fillies backed away instinctively, but there was no more space for them to back into. 

“Sir?” started Apple Bloom, “We didn’t mean to intrude. We just…”

“Did,” said the stallion sternly. His voice was raspy, as worn out as his body. “Though you meant no such thing. And the zebras will weep at the doom that you bring.”

Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Eh?”

“Doom?” asked Sweetie Belle. “ But we didn’t do anything, mister…”

The old zebra spat at the floor in front of her. His glare didn’t soften a bit. “Uchongo they call me, though it is no name. Malicious or not, the fate’s still the same. Too late it is now to drive you away. Death trots in your hoofsteps, all spirits so say.”

***

"They're ready," said Shining Armor, looking towards the barrier. 

The Elements, now gathered around him, followed his gaze. 

A formation of armored ponies approached the border of the protected area. There was a large device at the back, an oblong metal object on wheels, almost twice a pony’s height, being pushed forward by earth ponies marching behind it. 

“Is it some kind of a battering ram?” asked Applejack.

“No, it looks more like another one of those anti-magic devices,” said Twilight. “Okay, girls, be ready.”

As they watched, the machine was slowly lifted, aiming over the ranks of the waiting soldiers.

“They’re going to try to punch a gap through the barrier,” said Shining Armor. “If this thing is as powerful as you say, they might actually succeed. We must meet them there.”

“They’ll just blast your ponies if you do,” said Obsidian. “It might be better to hold our current positions, and focus fire on the gap.”

Shining Armor sighed. “It would. But these ponies have been tricked into fighting us. I don’t want to prove them right.”

Obsidian rolled his eyes. “With you being the former captain of the guard… It might be right to assume, that you are familiar with the notion of ‘war’, yes?”

Shining Armor turned to face him. “I am. Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“Guys,” said Rainbow Dash. “We don’t exactly have a lot of time to plan this.”

“We do have a plan,” reassured her Twilight. “When the gap opens, we’ll use Applejack’s power to tell the truth to the Equestrian army. If that doesn’t work, we’ll use the Elements to blow up that machine. Shining Armor and Obsidian will help us keep them from getting in.”

“Sounds solid to me,” said Aurora, stretching her wings. 

Applejack looked at her with doubt in her eyes. “You sure you wanna do this, sugarcube? You no longer have your Element, and all.”

Aurora gave her a smug smile. “I’ve told you all already, haven’t I? I may not be an Element anymore, but I still got all my skill. And my pegasi magic. My soul was Celestia’s power source for a thousand years, wasn’t it? Don’t worry, I still have it.”

“If you say so,” said Shining Armor. “All the better for us, if you’re right.”

“It’s starting!” shouted Pinkie Pie, pulling a pair of protective goggles from inside her helmet onto her eyes. 

Everypony looked towards the enemy lines. The barrier muted the sound of the machine coming to life; all they got to hear was a low buzz, as the white energy beam struck its target. Ripples moved across the surface of the barrier. Then it rapidly faded - the beam wasn’t getting inside the city, but a translucent circle grew in the barrier around the point of impact. As the  edge of the circle touched the ground, the Equestrian army moved, soldiers walking cautiously forward.

“Pinkie!” called Twilight Sparkle.

Pinkie Pie’s necklace glowed bright blue. She reached inside her helmet, pulled out a loudspeaker larger than herself, and planted it in front of Applejack. Rarity focused her own Element, purple strands of power flowing into the device. 

Applejack took a deep breath, her eyes lighting up with an orange aura that matched her Element.

“YOU ALL HAVE BEEN TRICKED!” she bellowed. “YOU’RE FIGHTING FOR THE WRONG SIDE!”

The air shook from her voice, and the grass in the fields seemed to ripple in waves as the sound washed over it. But the soldiers merely braced themselves for the shockwave. Dozens of angry eyes turned towards Applejack.

Obsidian launched his staff forward. It hit the ground in front of the first rank, a discharge of magic causing a rampart of jagged rock to burst from the earth. This stopped the intruders from building momentum, but did not prevent them from getting in. 

“Plan B!” shouted Twilight.

She stepped forward, lighting up Magic. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash stood at her sides, providing the final two Elements. 

The light show attracted instant enemy attention, unicorn horns sending blast after blast at their position -  a curved wall of force sprang into existence in front of them, blocking the barrage. “Keep going!” shouted Shining Armor, sending a pulse of force that reinforced his shield against the next salvo. 

Twilight looked towards the hole in the barrier, just in time to catch a glimpse of a starry blue mane behind the enemy device. Luna is there, she realized. Then the Elements fired, a wide beam of rainbow light, with the orange color strongly pronounced. It hit the same spot as the emitter beam, and the hole in the barrier instantly shrunk by one third, so rapidly, that some ponies were sent flying into each other, as the edges caught them. Those in the middle were instead thrown to the ground, the opposing forces above them colliding in a violent explosion. 

“Push it!” shouted Obsidian, “You’re the Elements of Harmony! This is just a machine!” 

“Not just,” said Aurora beside him, “Envy’s giving it power. See?” She pointed her hoof towards the enemy lines. 

Obsidian gritted his teeth when he saw what she was pointing at. Then he smiled. The beam of the Elements had pushed through the barrier, so that the point of explosion was now outside the Empire and moving towards the emitter. He could see the Equestrian soldiers start to panic as the hole shrunk rapidly behind them. From the Imperial positions, a salvo of arrows was loosed; the projectiles were crystal-tipped, exploding into balls of icicles when they hit their target. It seemed Glitterdust was doing his part coordinating the defense. 

“Just a bit further,” said Twilight Sparkle, “We’re almost there!”

It was then that a group of pegasi flew into the battlefield. They approached the hole in the barrier at different angles, barely avoiding the colliding beams before making a coordinated turn that made them a coherent formation. 

Dash chanced a look up. Her eyes widened. She couldn’t get a closer look to compare the armors to the uniforms she’d recognize, but she would never mistake that flight formation for anything else. 

“It’s them…”

Aurora looked at Dash, gave her a nod, and took to the air. 

Meanwhile, the attackers swerved away from the Elements’ position, and to their right over the Imperial archers, a blanket of thick fog dragging behind them as they flew, too fast for the ground-bound bows to take a proper aim at them. 

Obsidian looked at the cloud, and his smile disappeared completely. “It’s Arrogance!” he shouted, but it was too late. There was a brief flash, and the cloud turned into a giant fireball, several houses disappearing in the conflagration. The Elements swayed on their hooves, more from the shock than from the blast itself - Shining Armor managed to reshape his barrier at the last moment.

As the shock wave passed, the Elements looked at the destruction in horror, their beam dissipating along with their concentration. Through the clearing smoke they could still see the Wonderbolts flying away, somehow riding the blast wave of their own attack. 

“They’re after the Heart!” shouted Twilight Sparkle. 

“Cadence!” gasped Shining Armor.

Obsidian ground his teeth. “They’re forcing us to split. We need to stop them at both spots, or we lose. Twilight, teleport with Kindness and Loyalty to the tower. We go smash that machine." He pointed his staff at the enemy line, where the gap in the barrier started growing again, the Equestrian soldiers cheering loudly at the explosion and redoubling their efforts in breaking through Obsidian’s improvised rampart. 

“I’ll hold the line here,” said Shining Armor, new determination in his eyes. “You!” he shouted towards some startled adjutant, “Find Glitterdust. I want all the bows we have left shooting on that approach. Make an ice field there.”

Twilight swallowed, and closed her eyes, Magic lighting up on her forehead. In a flash, both her and her two pegasi friends disappeared. 

“You know what to do,” said Obsidian. The remaining Elements nodded, though there was a moment of fearful hesitation in both Applejack and Rarity. 

“Then follow me!” shouted Obsidian. He leapt out of cover, driving his staff into the ground. The earth underneath him bulged and flowed, sending him forward, riding atop a miniature mudslide. 

“After him!” shouted Applejack, leaping after Obsidian and running forward, sparks of orange light dancing around her hooves as she accelerated.

They were two thirds to the enemy line, incoming bolts of magic bouncing harmlessly off their protections, when Pinkie Pie overtook them. She was rolling downhill at a terrifying speed, a blur of her blue magic mixed with Rarity’s purple forming a ball-shaped aura around her. She hit the enemy line ahead of her friends, ponies flying in all directions with the sound of falling bowling pins; the strike didn’t cause its targets visible injuries, but left them scattered on the ground in odd positions, their bodies strangely stiff, and their faces frozen in comically shocked expressions. 

Pinkie Pie ended her roll with a somersault that landed her on her feet, right in the middle of the Equestrian ranks. Immediately half a dozen ponies pounced at her, but their hooves and weapons only hit air. She was dodging left and right, her armor momentarily replaced with baggy trousers and a pair of sunglasses, each blow missing her by an inch, until her attackers’ momentum carried them into each other, their colliding limbs somehow tangling them into a helpless ball of struggling bodies.

Half way down the slope, Rarity kept feeding Pinkie extra energy. A bunch of armored pegasi flew in her direction, but a salvo of arrows from the imperial positions intercepted them mid-charge, causing them to crash from the sudden weight of the ice covering their armor and wings. The last one managed to dodge the projectiles with a roll, and then turned to sweep at Rarity from her right; just as she was about to defend herself, a pink barrier sprung to existence in front of her, the attacking pegasus slamming into it muzzle-first, going cross-eyed, and slowly sliding down onto the ground. Rarity turned just in time to see Shining Armor saluting her from behind cover. 

In return, she sent a strand of her power up, towards another salvo his soldiers had just loosed into the air. The glowing arrows hit the ground in a line, their empowered tips exploding into a layer of ice, forming a five foot wide line in front of the Equestrians.

A spell flew towards Rarity. This time she conjured her own shield, to supplement Shining Armor’s, but the projectile didn’t strike her at all, instead exploding like a firework, the glowing particles forming an image of an arrow pointing down at her. Suddenly there were many more projectile incoming…

Meanwhile, Obsidian got past Pinkie, sliding between the incapacitated soldiers into the lines of ponies behind. Unlike Pinkie, he pulled no punches - his staff swung in a wide arc in front of him, knocking everypony out of his way. Applejack cringed as she heard the sound of shattering armor and breaking bone.

“Out of our way!” she shouted a warning, but she didn’t see any ponies react to it in any way; those who did move out of the way clearly did it out of fear of Obsidian’s display of power. 

The three ponies broke through the enemy line, and crossed through the hole in the barrier - it was already as wide as a barn, and just as tall. The device was clearly in sight, shielded by the last line of defenders. 

Obsidian aimed his staff like a javelin, directing it underneath the silvery beam the emitter was still sending, but then swung it in front of himself instead, stabbing the ground with the tip. A blinding lightning bolt that had been aimed at him hit the staff instead, striking down the shaft as if sucked in. 

Luna flew out from behind the beam, bolts of lightning striking down at the three ponies. 

Obsidian calmly let his staff redirect the power of the attack, keeping him safe in the eye of the storm. Pinkie Pie danced and twisted as the lightning bolts struck around her, seemingly unharmed, until suddenly her hair stood on end, puffing up into a fuzzy ball. 
Applejack had no fancy tricks. Her aura expanded to protect her, a ball of thick, amber light. She still felt her muscles cramping, and smelled ozone and singed fur. “You!” she shouted, the power of Honesty filling her. “What have you done to these ponies!?”

Without breaking her attack, Luna gave Applejack a condescending smile. “Oh. I’ve just made sure they wouldn’t listen to you. Ignorance is bliss, and I want my subjects happy!”

Applejack bared her teeth. A bolt of orange light shot from her her Element, but missed its mark. “You’re a monster!”

Luna’s smile disappeared. “I believe you,” she said coldly. “And you know what? To keep order in Equestria, I’m ready to cull every single pony you’ve set against me with your words. You’ll see it soon enough.”

A bolt of blue magic flew at Luna. She deflected it with a half-sphere of force.

“Go, get the machine!” barked Obsidian, “We’ll keep her busy.”

“Like I’d let you,” said Luna. The air around her seemed to fold into itself, then her image was reflected all around her, like a piece of colored glass in a kaleidoscope. Within a second there were a wall of Lunas blocking Applejack’s path.

Without even stopping to think, Obsidian fired another bolt of magic. The Luna he was aiming at summoned a barrier to deflect the blast.

“Tricks of light?” he said, sneering, “When I can smell your blackened soul?” 

Applejack didn’t want to wait and see what would happen next; she ran straight through the wall of mirages, reinforcing her protective powers as she went - the aura covering her body thickened around vital spots, until she was clad in a suit of spectral plate armor, ready to take the inevitable attack that would come her way.

Obsidian launched his staff. It pierced through Luna’s barrier, forcing her to dodge just as she was about to send a beam of light into Applejack’s back. She swerved, and fired at him instead. 

Obsidian’s staff hadn’t come back yet, limiting his options for defense; he dodged, blurring from the speed as the magic flowed through the runes covering his body, propelling him sideways, but he wasn’t quick enough, the beam burning a gash across his shoulder. 

Luna teleported, emerging from a nimbus of darkness on his other side, ready to land a decisive hit while he was distracted with pain

“Moon attack!” she heard a yell to her left. She caught a glimpse of pink in the corner of her eye, but it was too late to turn, the attacker already within her personal space. The time seemed to slow down as her pattern-enhanced senses calmly registered every detail of the pink pony rump about to collide with her face…

***

“OUT OF MY WAY” shouted Applejack, magic amplifying her voice. The armored earth ponies standing in her way didn’t listen, instead planting the back ends of their spears in the ground, ready to receive the charge. Groaning internally, Applejack stomped both front hooves hard as she ran, the magic imbued into the impact causing the earth to move in a parting wave, splitting the defensive line with a wedge of loose soil, and sending the ponies tumbling to the sides. I’m getting the hang of this, thought Applejack. She kept running, straight at the enemy device. 

She was underneath the great beam, so close that she felt a cold shiver down her spine, and her magic waned for a second. Then a needle flew at her face. It pierced through the outside layer of the barrier, slowed to a crawl, but kept going, the magic propelling it compensating for the lost momentum. Applejack kept staring at it moving straight at her eye, her defense instincts causing her mask to reshape, forming a protective visor. As the tip finally stopped, touching the ‘glass’ over her eyes, Applejack felt several more impacts. There were five needles in her barrier now, each slowly moving towards some point that neither the metal nor the aura armor covered.

“Hey, what gives?” Applejack turned, so that now the needles were aimed at obviously armored spots. She looked around, eyes glowing orange, until she found what she was looking for - a slate grey unicorn hiding behind what she could only guess was an illusion spell; there was a small cloud of dust there, but Applejack could see through it as if it were a sheet of glass.

“Pierce!” she shouted.

In reply, he fired another salvo of needles. Applejack ducked, and focused her magic close to her body - she felt the needles ricochet from the metal of her helmet. “Stop that!” she shouted, firing a beam of orange light from her gem. Pierce rolled aside, avoiding the shot, and dropped a smoke bomb. This was no illusion; Applejack lost sight of him for a moment. She didn’t wait for him to strike again, instead moving aside to get behind cover of the emitter, ready to finally smash it. 

There was somepony standing on the other side.

“Step away from it!” said an angry voice. It was distorted by the mask of the armored hazmat suit the pony was wearing, but still recognisably female. 

Applejack prepared for a fight, but then saw something that made her reconsider and step away. There was a heavy harness around the mare’s body, pieces of metal hanging from it where the saddle bags would be. The left half looked like an oblong canister, pipes and cables going from it over the mare’s back. The right side piece Applejack recognised instantly. The anti-magic gun. There was a thick cord extending from the trigger system, attached to the side of the mare’s mask. 

She speaks, thought Applejack. Her Honesty was already active, she just needed to channel a bit of power into her voice. It was worth a try.

“I don’t want to fight you,” she said. She then watched her opponent’s reaction, looking for an opportunity to get out of the weapon’s arc of fire. She knew she could move fast, but she remembered the beam to be surprisingly wide - the gun did not require much skill to hit its target.

“Well, you shouldn’t have started then,” said the mare bitterly, advancing. Her head was leaning to the left, pulling the cord taut, the right eye fixed on Applejack.

“So, you can understand me?” asked Applejack. “Nopony else could.”

“I do,” replied the mare. “Dr Stone spent weeks proofing my brain against intrusion after the changelings mess. If only she’d done the same for my daughter…”

Applejack didn’t understand at first. “Your… daughter? Wait… Bluebonnet?”

“Tourmaline died because of you!” shouted Bluebonnet, her voice now clearly recognisable even through the mask. 

Applejack stepped backwards. “I didn’t do anything!” she snapped back, “It was her gizmo that blew up!”

“They don’t ‘blow up',” snarled Bluebonnet.

“I know,” said Applejack. For a moment she lost her focus on the gun still aimed at her, instead putting all of her mind in the conversation. She could feel Bluebonnet’s sincerity, and the pain in her words. Her eyes glowed soft orange as she spoke. “Scootaloo told me that too. But we hadn’t even touched the thing. We didn’t know it existed.”

Bluebonnet was trembling, so badly that she was at risk of firing the gun by accident. The muzzle was swaying from side to side, but always keeping Applejack in the line of fire. “She was... my only daughter,” stuttered Bluebonnet, “She was just a child! And you dragged her into your stupid war!”

Applejack looked her in the eyes. “I never even spoke to your daughter. She…” Applejack paused. “She was at the palace earlier, wasn’t she? You think she might have overheard something…”

Applejack stood transfixed, her mind trying to comprehend the situation. Then lightning flashed, and thunder rolled behind her; the battle between Luna, Obsidian and Pinkie was still going. 

The sudden realisation shook Applejack awake, making her mind race instead. I… I can’t just stand here talking! There are ponies dying! And I can’t leave this as it is either! And she’s still aiming that gun at me… What do I do?

Applejack took a lower stance, wisps of orange appearing underneath her hooves. She kept looking Bluebonnet in the eyes. “Now I understand what she said.”

Bluebonnet froze, her head, about to pull the trigger, jerking back. “What?” she stuttered, staring back at Applejack. “What did she say?”

Applejack pounced, not aside, but straight forward, clearing the distance between the two in a split second. She almost collided with Bluebonnet, their muzzles brushing past each other as the engineer pulled to the left. Applejack reached forward and snapped with her teeth, her magically enhanced strength cutting the exposed metal cord. She then pushed with her front hooves, sending the engineer tumbling backwards. 

“She said she’d put an end to this,” said Applejack, “So you’all could be free.”

She turned, and bucked the giant emitter. The metal shell reverberated from the force, with a discordant sound, like a badly cast bell, then something burst inside, and the beam shorted out. The device fell on its side, steam hissing from inside the shell, After a couple seconds, the steam was replaced with smoke.

Applejack didn’t wait to see more. She turned and galloped away, back towards her friends.

Bluebonnet sat up, and watched her go in silence, After a while, she registered somepony else standing beside her. 

“You… didn’t shoot her,” she finally said to Pierce. 

Pierce gazed into the distance, where Applejack had disappeared, and then at Bluebonnet. “And you didn’t retreat as ordered.”

“My job was to protect you, not the emitter,” continued Pierce. “You let her get close to you, and by the time I was in a position for a clean shot, it would have put you in danger. She didn’t want to fight you, but if I hit her and failed…”

Bluebonnet finally rose to her hooves. “Take me back to the tent,” she said. She walked with him at her side, neither looking into the other’s eyes. Behind them trumpets sounded for retreat, the hole in the barrier closing rapidly. 

***

Rainbow Dash appeared on the balcony of the Crystal Tower, right next to the surprised Cadence. Being the fastest to reorient herself after the teleportation, she put her front hooves on the bannister, ready to jump out and into the air.

In the distance, she saw six familiar shapes approaching, the primary lineup of the Wonderbolts. I’m really going to have to fight them.

Then it hit her. Arrogance is among them. But they’re all on the team… That means... Rainbow’s blood ran cold. She’s already killed one of them, She’s wearing the body like a suit!

“Come on!” called Twilight behind her, “We need to stop them!” 

“What’s going on?” asked Cadence, following Rainbow’s gaze over the city until she too noticed the approaching shapes.

“They’re after the Heart,” said Rainbow Dash. “Arrogance is among them.”

“Then we better move down there,” said Bling, entering the balcony. “Can you teleport us down, miss Sparkle?”

“No need to,” replied Cadence. Grabbing both Twilight and Bling with her telekinesis, she spread her wings, and jumped off the balcony, gliding down towards the plaza. 

Rainbow Dash was already in the air, climbing up to get into a better position, trying to get a good look at the approaching Wonderbolts. “Aurora… where are you?” she whispered under her breath. 

“So… what should I do?” asked Fluttershy behind her.

“Their plan is probably to split up and attack the Heart from many sides at once,” said Dash. “I’ll try to keep them split. You pick one that isn’t Arrogance, and keep her out of the fight.”

Fluttershy looked fearfully towards the approaching enemies. “Is that all?” she asked.

Dash nodded, but mentally slapped herself. She should have stayed at the breach. She’d be more useful there. She doesn’t know anything about aerial combat. Why did Obsidian put her here?

Her thoughts were interrupted when she caught movement in the distance. “Wait, what's that?”

There were more pegasi in the air now, the Empire’s meagre air force. The first line of defence had failed, surprised and scattered by the initial explosion, and then tied up in combat by the Equestria pegasi who followed the Wonderbolts through the breach. The few that managed to give pursuit weren’t quite fast enough to catch up with the intruders.

The second line, six pegasi protecting the tower, had flown below Dash and were now right in the path of the approaching Wonderbolts. 

“No! Don’t stand in their way like that” shouted Dash, but even as she did, she knew  she was too far away, her voice not loud enough to serve as an adequate warning.

The Wonderbolts split up, right before the two forces would meet. The defenders did too, trying to intercept them. This was a fatal mistake; the more maneuverable Equestrian ace fliers managed to turn what would have been a head-on collision into a series of small clashes, at angles that they were able to dictate. 

A part of Dash’s mind, one she was pretty sure was not really hers, told her that the Wonderbolts weren’t really that great. But they were much better than their opponents, and that was enough. The air was filled with sprays of blood, and flying feathers, the acrobatic fly-by attacks striking at exposed wings and necks. 

One pony was an exception to the rule: Spitfire. She did not swerve aside, but went straight at the pony trying to stop her. She hit him with her front hooves, the enameled metal breastplate shattering like glass under her touch, the impact driving sharp edges into the surprised soldier’s chest. He fell backwards towards the ground, spinning in the air, a trail of red droplets in his wake. Then the air behind Spitfire exploded, the pegasi sent spinning by the other Wonderbolts’ attacks instantly engulfed by the flames. 

It’s her realized Dash, Arrogance has killed Spitfire!

She chanced a look behind. Cadence had reached the ground, and was now fortifying her position, her spells growing spiked ridges of crystal on the tower walls, while the guards prepared their bows. Twilight had taken position in front of the Heart - there were now lines of energy swirling around her, power gathering at her forehead. 

That’s a start, thought Dash, better than me charging them head-on. She flew higher, still undecided who to aim at.   

Silver Zoom, Misty Fly, Soarin, Blaze, Fire Streak… Arrogance. Do I hit a Wonderbolt, or do I go one on one with Her? It took all of us last time…

Then Twilight’s spell fired, and the time for thinking was over. Arrogance noticed the attack coming, and fell to the right, a barrel roll that let her keep her direction without losing momentum. The whole formation split, and then swooped down, flying just over the rooftops.

Dash swooped down too. She’s no longer a princess, is she? There’s six of them and six of us. I can take her.

Another beam fired, missing Soarin and hitting a chimney instead, the spell covering the whole roof in a foot thick layer of crystal.

Dash was falling down, heading for Spitfire. She pointed one hoof forward, aiming with the tip of the blade attached to her foreleg. 

The ground rushed to meet her. She registered the air shifting in front of her, but it was too late to stop. She projected her magic to protect her, an armor of red light complete with a full face mask - that probably saved her eyes. The thick cloud of vapor that the air above Spitfire had suddenly turned into was frighteningly cold, enough that the sudden shock knocked the breath out of Rainbow. She could feel tiny ice crystals growing on her feathers.

Spitfire didn’t even look in her direction, but as Rainbow flew past her, she saw the roof below get reshaped, transforming into a bunch of long spikes. 

There was no time to stop anymore - Instead Dash transferred all her power to her hoof - she struck the spike she was about to be impaled on, swiping past the tip, shattering it, and landing inside the house in a shower of debris; the impact collapsed most of the weakened roof, leaving Rainbow bruised and disoriented on the floor.

She shook her head, spat out a crystal shard that had ended up in her mouth, and jumped back into the air, just in time to see one of Twilight’s shots finally connect, sending Fire Streak flying towards the ground, encased in a solid block of crystal.

She also saw Fluttershy fly right into Silver Zoom’s path, shouting something urgently. Kindness was glowing on her chest, and the speeding stallion didn’t strike her, instead swerving to avoid the collision, a move that took him further away from his teammates, spoiling the coordination of the attack.

The Wonderbolts were already above the central plaza. They split, with Silver Zoom and Misty Fly on the left, while the rest approached from the right, using the  corners of the tower as cover from the ponies shooting from underneath it. Dash shot after them, but she knew she wouldn’t get there fast enough to contribute to the first clash.

Spitfire was spearheading the attack, clouds forming in front of her as fast as she was flying, absorbing the guards' crystal arrows, and falling down as spiky clumps of ice. 

Something pink and blue fell out of the sky, striking Spitfire’s formation from the right. It exploded with the force that made Cadence’s improvised defences crack and splinter, a spreading ring of opalescent colors blowing away Spitfire’s next attack away before it could fully form, sending the mare herself tumbling through the air, barely avoiding a direct hit; the streak of color flew past her, and hit Soarin instead, a leg blade piercing his side armor just below the wing with a force that sent him flying like a thrown ragdoll, all the way across the plaza, and landing in somepony’s garden on the other side.

That’s crazy! thought Rainbow Dash, hitting moving things at this speed, but she herself accelerated, a red contrail of Loyalty replacing her usual rainbow one.

“Aurora!” shouted Spitfire, regaining control, and flying aside around one of the corners of the tower before anypony could exploit the opening.

“Missed me!?” shouted back Aurora, finally losing the momentum of her charge, but making sure to stay on the move. She flew under the tower, and almost right into Spitfire’s path, only swerving at the last moment, when the Shattered tried to put an explosion in her way.

“That’s a brave pony you killed!” called Spitfire, flying out of the flames, avoiding shots from Twilight and Cadence. She didn’t seem to raise her voice - instead it sounded as if she was using a loudspeaker. 

A line of flame streaked from her and underneath the tower. Cadence and Twilight were able to shield themselves, and the Heart was now surrounded by a round shell of crystal, but several palace guards weren’t that lucky, the explosion reaching them even behind their improvised battlements.

“No!” shouted Aurora, “You did!” She kept looking for an opening, but kept her distance from Spitfire for the moment, “You use ponies as tools, and then get upset when they break!”

Silver Zoom and Misty Fly made a flying charge at Cadence. She caused a spiked rampart to burst from the floor in front of her, forcing them to split, and fly around her, but Misty Fly still managed to hit a guard, a flying kick knocking the helmet off his head and sending him sliding along the ground. Dash intercepted Misty on her way out; the two mares collided, exchanging blows until finally Dash flipped herself over backwards, kicking off with both hind legs - the point of impact flashed red with Loyalty’s power, and Misty Fly was sent flying away, two hoofprints burning hot on her armor.

Dash recovered her balance just in time to see Spitfire take another turn underneath the tower - Twilight and Cadence took shots at her, but missed, leaving them a split second to shield themselves when her contrail exploded again. Once again a muffled scream announced that somepony else wasn’t that lucky.

Then Spitfire spun the air around herself, using it to make a seemingly impossible turn, flying out of the smoke right behind Cadence. 

A shot of green magic flew at her, turning what would be a deadly attack into a desperate dodge. Cadence ducked, a half-sphere of force appearing above her head.

“You traitor!” shouted Spitfire at Bling. The stallion replied with a series of shots, two of them grazing her armor, forcing her to seek cover again.

Dash tried to intercept her on her way out, but another explosion forced her to back down. As she recovered, she noticed Fluttershy on the other side - apparently she was trying to keep up with Silver Zoom, but despite matching him with speed, she couldn’t quite match his maneuverability. 
Dash turned the corner and returned underneath, just in time to see Blaze fly in from her right - the mare dove at the last remaining guard, decapitating him with a fly-by before making a strike at the crystal protecting the heart. Flying on the opposite side to Cadence and Twilight, she blindsided them long enough to take a strong swing, cracks spreading across the surface from the long cut she made. 

Dash flew after her, speeding up on the low pass. As she was flying by, a part of her mind registered the guard’s head on the crystal pavement; the blank look of surprise in the dead eye made Rainbow’s stomach turn. 

She caught up with Blaze, and the Wonderbolt turned. For a moment, she was flying upside down, staring into Dash, two faces that mirrored each other, full of outrage and determination. Dash did not strike. The Wonderbolt did, but her blade was stopped by Loyalty’s magic. Then they fell away from each other, each taking her own turn to return to the crystal. 

There was another explosion. Aurora flew in Dash’s peripheral vision, trying to hit one of the remaining Wonderbolts while clearly avoiding direct fight with Spitfire - after using her trump card, she wasn’t eager to get close to her.

Why isn’t Arrogance diving in the floor like the last time? thought Dash. Then she understood. The Heart’s magic must be messing with her powers, just like her machines did with ours. She moved crystals against me, but so close to the Heart it must be hard. She won’t risk getting trapped underground. She’ll just try to blow us up until it sticks.

Blaze fell, a shot from Bling piercing her wing, leaving her helpless against Cadence’s spell, which enveloped her in a cocoon of crystal - she crashed to the floor, and then slid along, finally coming to a stop at the corner of the tower. 

Then there was another explosion, and another; it seemed Spitfire set up two of them in a row to create confusion. The last blast shattered the barrier around the Crystal Heart, leaving it exposed from the side opposite to Cadence. Dash saw Spitfire fly out of the haze, feathers singed by her own attack, trying to surprise the princess of love once again. At the same time, Silver Zoom flew in from the opposite side, aiming at the Heart.

Bling shot at Spitfire, but she forced a small pillar of crystal to shoot out of the floor and shield her. Cadence started turning, but not quickly enough.

Dash and Aurora flew in from the opposing directions - Dash struck at Spitfire, forcing her to block, red sparks flying as the blades collided. Aurora dove underneath, flooring Cadence, and pushing her out of the way of the attack.

In a flash, Fluttershy teleported in, shielding the exposed Crystal Heart with her chest. “No,” she said, softly but sternly, looking the charging Wonderbolt straight in the eyes. 

It was a moment that seemed frozen in time, blades clashing, shots flying, multiple mouths opened to shout. Then time reasserted itself, both Spitfire and Silver Zoom swerving away and retreating, the Shattered leaving the last pocket of explosive gas to cover her escape. 

Dash watched them go as the haze cleared; they were flying back to the main battle, Silver Zoom a bit unevenly, his side injured by a glancing hit from Bling on the way out. Misty Fly joined the two, and then Spitfire made something on the ground explode, leaving a thick smokescreen behind them.

“Did we win?”  Dash asked Aurora.

Aurora nodded. “Yea. It was three against five, and it looks like they’ve run out of time.” She pointed towards the edge of the city where the silvery white light had faded. “See, the hole is closing. Obsidian must have succeeded.”

“Do we chase her?” asked Dash.

“No,” replied Aurora.”We can’t leave the Heart. This would be a great moment for the Shattered to pull off something sinister. We can’t let our guard down.”

Breathing heavily, Rainbow Dash landed next to Twilight, doing her best not to look at the mangled bodies sprawled on the ground. She instead turned towards Fluttershy.

“Fluttershy, how did you do that? I didn’t know you could teleport.”

Fluttershy blushed. “Well, I couldn’t get here in time, and we’ve sort of all done it before…”

Rainbow Dash lifted her eyes to the ceiling. “Am I the only one who can’t do magic here?”

“You can do the armor thing,” said Aurora. “That’s really useful.”

Cadence looked sadly at the battlefield. “Let’s secure the Heart.” Her magic flowed from her horn, growing extra layers of crystal to fill the gap. “Then we’ll find out how the… battle… went.”

***

They met twenty minutes later, on the balcony of the palace, all except Bling, who took over the command of the border. Nearly everypony was wounded in some way, most just dusty, and covered in superficial burns and scratches, but Glitterdust was limping from a hind leg wound, and Obsidian had several burns from Luna’s light beams, deep enough that they would probably incapacitate a normal pony. Dash was watching in morbid fascination as the stallion’s wounds slowly closed, his internal magic accelerating the healing process. Pinkie looked relatively unharmed, except for being left with a mullet, after an energy beam cut off the top of her mane. Tellingly, Rarity seemed too exhausted to care.

Spike was walking in and out of the balcony, bringing a tray of hot tea. He kept looking from one pony to another with growing concern, before finally abandoning his task altogether, leaving an empty tray propped against the door frame, and resting his head on Twilight’s side. Twilight used her magic to ruffle his head frill absent-mindedly.

“I was really worried for you,” said Spike. “This isn’t like your normal adventures.”

“I know,” said Twilight. “All of this is horrible. But as long as we stick together, we’ll find a way to win. We’ll save Equestria as we always have.”

Beside her, Pinkie Pie was trying to get her mane fixed, finally putting her hoof in her mouth, and blowing hard, until hair popped out of her head, expanding into an afro before regaining its regular shape. Suddenly, she shuddered, looked down on her body, and then gave everypony around a strange look.

“What was it, Pinkie?” asked Twilight.

Pinkie looked around. “I don’t know. But I don't like it.”

Spike looked around too. “Well, that’s not worrisome at all,” he said fearfully.

“We’ve lost twenty four ponies,” recounted Shining Armor. "We killed about as much in return, including one Wonderbolt, and captured two others.”

“The binding crystal spell will keep them unharmed, but immobile,” said Cadence. "We should use the occasion to figure out what the Shattered had done to them.”

“We’ve also wrecked their machine,” added Shining. “How easily do you think they can fix it?”

“If Arrogance could conjure one with her powers,” said Obsidian, “she’d likely mass produce them for this battle. So either they’re somehow too complex even for her, or they require some rare material she cannot duplicate.”

“Let’s hope it’s the former,” said Glitterdust. “We really need the time to rest.”

“What we need is a clear shot at either Envy or Arrogance,” said Aurora. “I don’t know why the other Shattered haven’t shown up, and it worries me, but so far these two seem to be the key to the siege. If we could seal at least one of them, it could be enough to stop them at least for now.”

“We need a more permanent solution,” said Twilight Sparkle. “We can’t keep dragging this pointless battle on. It’s getting… ponies killed.”

“The Equestrian high command agrees with your assessment,” said Luna’s voice beside her. 

Everypony froze. It was Luna’s voice, but it came from Spike’s mouth. The ponies spread out, forming a circle around the little dragon, who was staring in horrified surprise at his own snout.

Shining Armour stepped in front of Cadence, shielding her. “Envy? How did you get in here?”

There was no reply. Instead, Spike’s eyes widened as his throat bulged. He tried to cover his mouth with his claws, but in vain. In the corner of her eye Twilight saw Obsidian and Glitterdust bolting towards the door. Dash and Aurora were quick to react too, flying away and down, Dash grabbing Fluttershy as she went, pulling her over the railing. Shining Armour, already protecting Cadence, powered up his shield. Twilight followed suit, conjuring a force bubble that encompassed her, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie. As the flame forced its way out of the dragon’s mouth, if formed a single object – a metal ball the size of a grapefruit. As it hit the ground, falling between Twilight and Spike, it came to life with a loud whirr and immediately Twilight felt a familiar tension building up.

Pattern! The shield won’t be enough!

With only a split second to do anything, she changed her spell. In a flash, the four ponies inside the bubble disappeared. They popped back into existence in the adjacent room, just as the floor shook with a loud explosion.

As soon as she recovered her senses, Twilight ran back into the throne room and onto the balcony. Everything was hidden in a cloud of dust. Behind the crystal door frame, Obsidian was rising to his hooves. The frame itself was cracked, and as she passed it by, Twilight noticed an object lodged in the crystal – a thick metal flechette. She ran outside, nearly tripping over the broken body of Glitterdust. The limp had slowed him down a precious second; the blast had hit him from behind, with one flechette striking the back of his head, splitting the helmet. 

Twilight turned away from the gore, holding her breath. She caught something purple in the corner of her eye. Spike was sitting with his back on the wall, apparently thrown there by the explosion. He was clutching his chest, blood oozing from between his fingers. Seeing Twilight, he tried to smile despite the pain.
“Thick scales... can’t feel a thing...” and then suddenly went limp.

The unicorn rushed to his side, pulling his claws away from his chest with her magic. Underneath there was a mess of red, a glint of metal marking the back end of the deadly dart. She looked around frantically for something, anything that might help. What she saw instead was something even worse.

Princess Cadence was sitting on the floor, her mouth half open, staring down at the inert form in front of her. Shining Armour was in a heap on the ground, three irregular holes torn in the chest piece of his armour. Another flechette seemed to have grazed his head, ripping the cheek, but that could hardly make matters worse. The blankness of his opened eyes proclaimed his condition with all finality. Twilight froze, incapable of deciding what to do. She could hear her friends running past her towards the princess. Cadence herself wasn’t injured, she wasn’t even splattered with blood. However, she wouldn’t move from her spot, still staring down at her husband’s body, her eyes growing unfocused even as the others around her started shouting to get her attention.

With a reverberating sound, like a thousand wine glasses breaking, the barrier around the city shattered and disappeared.
> Chapter 35: The Black
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Elements looked at each other in fright. Each was hoping to see somepony ready to take command of the situation, but only found shock and despair staring back at her.

Rainbow Dash flapped her wings and rose above the balcony. Looking down at her friends, she absorbed the scene of the unfolding disaster.

Twilight was sobbing uncontrollably, Applejack trying to get her back on her hooves. Fluttershy was looking around frantically, tears in her eyes. Pinkie stood in the middle, just staring forward. A squeaky toy fell out of her mane, making a miserable noise as one of the guards running in to help Cadence stepped on it. 

A flare was fired in the distance, Bling’s green magic. Dash looked in the direction of the battle line: A large storm cloud was now looming over it, flashing with lightning after lightning. 

“Obsidian!” shouted Dash, “They’re coming again! We have to do something!”

“This wasn’t supposed to happen,” mumbled Obsidian. “Why wasn’t I told? You said he delivered letters…” his blank expression shifted into an angry snarl, blue lights flaring in the pupils of his eyes, “WHY WASN’T I TOLD!?”

“We don’t have time for this,” said Aurora over Dash’s shoulder. Flying down, she hovered over Fluttershy. “Fluttershy, calm them all down with your Element.”

Fluttershy looked up, visibly grateful for anything that could give her direction. “I can do that?” she said. Aurora just looked at her sternly.

“Oh, right,” nodded Fluttershy. “I’ve seen your… I mean… I’ll try.” She took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. Soon a wave of pink light washed over the balcony. Rainbow Dash felt it pass over her too. Her panic subsided, though she could now clearly feel great sadness that had been waiting on the sidelines up to that point. She looked around, and saw similar changes in the others’ faces. Fluttershy’s spell was better than nothing, but far from a perfect solution.

There was an explosion in the distance, then another.

“They’re both fighting now,” said Obsidian, looking towards the storm cloud. “Envy feared the heart before. But the Elements alone she can fight. With the barrier down, this battle may already be lost. Princess, can you re-establish the shield?”

He was met with no response at all. The two guards present had managed to separate Cadence from Shining’s body and get her back on her hooves, but she didn’t respond to her surroundings in any other way, not even to acknowledge Obsidian’s question. 

Obsidian looked at Pinkie, who slowly shook her head. He looked back at Cadence, and inhaled, taking in her aura. "Ah. She's the ruler. One with the hearts of her subjects. It's not just her despair, but everypony's." He then gave a deep sigh. “Take her somewhere safe, for whatever it’s worth.”

“We need to go,” said Aurora and Rainbow together. 

The others nodded. Twilight swept the balcony with her power, gently picking up the bodies from the floor. She walked back into the throne room, and set Shining, Glitterdust, and Spike along the wall of the chamber. Tears started rolling down her cheeks as she looked from her brother, to her number one assistant. She wiped her eyes with a wisp of magic, and shook her head angrily.

“We will mourn later, girls. The Empire needs us.”

She turned back towards the balcony, and focused her power. As the two guards led Cadence out of the room, the rest of the ponies gathered around Twilight, ready for transport. At the last moment before they disappeared, Rarity took one last glance towards Spike, before turning away with a pained expression.

***

They appeared in the main street leading towards the train station. They didn’t even have the time to look around when a wave of heat washed over them; something had just exploded nearby. There were Imperial soldiers running from that direction. 

As Twilight watched, the storm cloud above erupted with light - a bolt of lightning struck the last running soldier so hard his armor lit up like a lamp, then arced from pony to pony, killing all six of them within a second. Looking up, Twilight could see the tiny speck of Luna hovering underneath the cloud, conducting the storm, as well as a group of pegasi herding the thunderclouds forward.

“Get off the street!” shouted Obsidian, causing them all to duck aside, into the cover of the nearest house.

Another bolt of lightning struck, grounding somewhere a block away from them. 

“It isn’t even a retreat,” said Obsidian through gritted teeth. “It’s a rout.”

“Well, let’s change that!” shouted Rainbow Dash, pointing upward. 

Twilight understood. She positioned herself to have a clear view of Luna, braced herself, and pointed her horn at her. The tiara on her head started gathering power. She didn’t need to tell the others what to do; all fell in line, pooling their magic into the effect. 

It was uneven, erratic, not nearly as focused as the one they’d used against the emitter earlier, but the spell started taking shape. Even Pinkie, who could only generate sparks when they’d started, was finally able to contribute. 

The beam shot up into the sky, hitting Luna, going through her, and piercing the cloud behind, making the raging storm look like a giant, angry donut. The battle seemed to freeze. Seconds passed, and nothing happened. Twilight kept looking into the sky.

“We missed,” she said suddenly.

Pinkie Pie leapt sideways, comically slowly, flying right in front of Twilight’s face, her warning shout low pitched and distorted. A beam of light struck her in the chest as she did, and she fell aside like a discarded toy. 

“No!” shouted Obsidian, throwing his staff in front of the group, a split second before the whole fury of the storm descended upon them. There was blinding light, and deafening noise, the staff blazing white as it sucked in the lightning and channeled it safely away, before Twilight managed to focus enough to project a force bubble. 

“Off the street!” shouted Obsidian. His staff struck the ground, a wall of crystal erupting 12 feet up, providing them with cover as they escaped.

“Pinkie!” shouted Twilight, running to her friend’s side. 

Pinkie Pie stirred with a painful grunt. Rising up she swept a hoof across her chest, right below the necklace. A small, half-charred mirror fell out of her fur. 

Twilight hugged her friend hard, then used telekinesis to put her back on her feet, and started running along with the others, heading towards one of the nearby houses. A bolt of lightning struck the house they had been hiding behind, shattering the crystal roof and pelting them with debris.

“Don’t ever scare me like that again, Pinkie!” shouted Twilight as she ran.

Pinkie bit her lip and looked down at the ground. “It wouldn’t have worked if I didn’t,” she whispered under her breath.

They reached the house at the last moment, Obsidian ramming through the door with his forehead, letting others get in just in time before his improvised barrier was obliterated by a powerful explosion. They picked themselves from the floor, Twilight instinctively picking up the door and setting it awkwardly back in the frame. 

“Why did we miss?” she asked nopony in particular. “She was right there.”

“Mirages,” answered Obsidian. “Games of light. She set a trap, and we took the bait like amateurs.” He looked up at the ceiling. “I can pin her down, but we’d need to get closer, and she doesn’t have the same problem.”

“We could use illusions too,” said Aurora. “Pinkie, could you disguise me? I need to look outside.”
“What we need to do is get out of here,” said Obsidian. “They know we’re near, and they could bomb this house any moment.” He set his staff in front of himself and focused.

***

They popped back into existence inside a different house. Aurora flew to the window, and peered outside.

“Soldiers,” she said, “lots of them.”

“Good,” replied Obsidian. “That means Arrogance is unlikely to bomb this street.”

“So, what do we do now?” asked Dash. “We didn’t come here to hide.”

”No,” said Obsidian. “We came here to see if there is something we can do to change the outcome. But this fight looks unwinnable.”

“What!?” shouted Dash and Aurora. Others echoed them, but not so loudly.

Obsidian sighed. “The line was breached before we even got there. The Equestrians far outnumber our forces, and they got a morale boost from breaching the barrier, while ours are panicked, and unless Bling survived the initial push, leaderless. Envy and Arrogance are in the air, spot-bombing any places where organised resistance could still be mounted. They have enough space to use their full power without hitting their soldiers, or leaving themselves exposed. They know how to play this game. You’ve tried to hit them back, you saw how it worked. It would be different if we could get closer - but you’re not good enough with your magic yet to fight them in the air.”

“We’ve fought them today,” said Aurora sternly. “You did.”

“And I managed to stall Envy long enough for Applejack to break a big weapon that couldn’t be moved away. I looked much worse than she did at the end. Do you think you’d do better? How many hits from Envy can you take?”

“But we can’t just keep hiding here!” exclaimed Applejack. Her statement was punctuated by another distant explosion.

“I say we find Bling,” said Aurora. “If he’s still alive, he’s the last one with any control of all this.”

“Pinkie, could you?” asked Rarity.

Pinkie Pie looked at her pensively. “I have no idea where he is,” she said sadly. Then her ears perked up, and turned slowly, like radar dishes. A small smile returned to her lips. “But I can sense somepony we could help right now!”

She sprang to action, ramming through the back door of the house. Rainbow and Aurora dashed after her, with the rest of the group following as they could, Obsidian reluctantly following. 

They only needed to run through the yard and jump over one fence to find a trio of crystal pony soldiers backed into a corner by six pegasi. 

Dash overtook Pinkie, flying through the group with a flip that made her hind hoof connect with with the nearest pegasus’s side, launching him against the house wall on the other side of the yard. Aurora flew at another one, a mare about to open her mouth in a warning scream, dealing a strike to the wing that tilted the soldier in the air, then throwing a punch to the exposed belly, knocking the wind out of her. Pinkie Pie bounced at her opponent, spreading her limbs to wrap around him, sending them both rolling on the grass.

The other three, suddenly badly outnumbered, took to the air. Applejack fired a bolt of orange after them, but missed. Twilight had more luck, a beam from her horn hitting one of the pegasi and sending her falling back to the ground, encased in a block of crystal. By the time Fluttershy and Rarity caught up with them, the last two soldiers were just shrinking points high in the clouds.

Obsidian skidded to a halt, and looked around. “We only have a moment,” he said, looking at the crystal ponies. “Bling. Where is he?”

His staff fell down on the tangle of pony limbs at his feet, resulting in a crack, and a scream of pain. Pinkie Pie disentangled herself from her downed opponent, and shot Obsidian a dirty look. 

The boldest of the crystal ponies stepped forward. “You’re the Elements of Harmony. I’m Ruby Quartz,” she said. She lifted a hoof over the pegasus Aurora had taken down.

Fluttershy stepped forward, pink glow spreading from her chest. “No time for that now,” she said softly, and Rudy Quartz stepped back with a shrug.

“Bling,” repeated Obsidian impatiently. 

“Retreating towards the stadium, last we heard,” answered one of the other crystal soldiers. “He’s trying to make it an organized retreat. But we have nowhere to go. The enemy is everywhere!”

“Sir,” said Ruby Quartz, “Is it true what they say? About the princess and the Heart?”

“I don’t know what they’re saying,” said Twilight. “We teleported from the tower, so no news could reach you faster than us. But…” She clenched her jaw, unwilling to continue.

“We’ve been blindsided,” said Obsidian, “but the Heart still endures, and so does the princess. You still have some hope to cling to. Now, let’s get out of here before the Shattered hit us in the open.”

He looked around the yard, at the four pegasi, three sprawled on the ground with various levels of limb injury, and one stuck alive but immobile inside a magical crystal, partially embedded in the ground.

“They’ve heard where we’re going,” he said to the Elements. “What do we do about it?”

Fluttershy opened her mouth to speak, but Applejack was faster. “They didn’t understand a word we said. Luna proofed them against hearing the truth, remember?”

Obsidian nodded his head. “That’s true.” His staff fell at his side. “Let us hurry then.”

He lead them into the street, and once they had a stretch of smooth crystal to themselves, quickly drew a circle. “Everypony in.”

The whole group barely managed to fit in. Obsidian started focusing energy, the ring beneath his hooves glowing blue. 

“You were thinking of putting them to sleep, weren’t you?” he asked Fluttershy over his shoulder.

“I…” started Fluttershy.

“Hold that thought,” said Obsidian. “It will come in useful eventually.”

***
 
When they arrived at the stadium, there were about thirty ponies there. As the Elements appeared out of thin air, standing on a thin disc of crystal taken off the street, all the eyes turned towards them.

Twilight could see the initial alarm fade to recognition, then a bit of hope. Nopony truly relaxed though.

“Is commander Bling here?” asked Obsidian loudly.

“Here” called somepony from up in the stands.

The Elements rushed up the stairs. Bling was standing at the edge of the stands overlooking the city, surrounded by a bunch of adjutants.

Outside was a landscape out of a nightmare. The vivid pink and blue buildings of the city took darker and more sinister hues in the shade of the approaching storm. Lightning was still striking at regular intervals, and though the crystalline architecture posed no threat of a spreading fire, it seemed to stand ablaze whenever another of Arrogance’s explosions reflected off the rooftops.

“I’m glad you could make it,” said Bling.

“You had a harder way, I’m sure,” said Obsidian.

“I wouldn’t have got here on hoof,” replied Bling. “It pays to plan for contingencies.”

Twilight looked at the city, and then back at him. “Does it mean you have a plan?” 

“Yes,” said Bling, “I do, It won’t be enough to defend the city, but I still have some ideas for salvaging this battle from being a total disaster.”

“How is that?” asked Aurora.

Bling turned around. “I’ve chosen this location because of how close it is to the old mines. This stadium actually started as a strip mine. Magical crystals used to be mined here before the influence of the local leyline transformed the citizens into crystal ponies, allowing them to grow them. It still connects to the deeper tunnels that the diamond dogs used to excavate the same deposit from below. What is really important though, is the place of power to be found there.”

He paused, making sure everypony was following his lecture.

“Thousands of years ago, the founder of the city created a portal there, using it to bring her ponies from the south, to escape an ancient war.

“Queen’s Gate,” said Obsidian. “You’re talking about Queen’s Gate.”

“So, you know it?” asked Bling.

Obsidian nodded. “This time an ancient myth turns out to be true. I fought in the war she escaped. In a way, this place is the last remaining city of the ancient Alicorn Empire.”

“So, what’s the plan?” asked Applejack.

“Obviously, there are ponies to be saved,” said Bling. “I want you to descend into the tunnels, and reach the gate. I will stay behind, and try to minimise the losses.”

“Can we find it in time?” asked Twilight Sparkle, looking at the sky with worry.

“The faster you descend the tunnels, the better,” said Bling. “Some of the tunnels are mapped, so I can give you a guide.”

“If that’s so important, why didn’t you find it earlier?” asked Applejack.

“It would’ve been very useful to have it ready,” said Rarity.

“Until this morning, this was the safest place in the world,” replied Bling with a frown. “The city you escaped to, not from. Your families were brought here for safety.”

“Where are they now!?” asked Twilight. Her ears drooped. “Oh… mom and dad will be devastated…” she added much more softly.

“Out of harm’s way, for now at least,” replied Bling. “Evacuated as we speak. It won’t be seen as loyal by the citizens of the Empire, but I have given your friends and loved ones priority. I know how important they are for this war.”

He turned away, back towards the war-torn city. “Now go. The future of Equestria depends on you.”

One of the ponies at his side, a scrawny, lime-green crystal pony, walked past the Elements and down the stairs. “Please, follow me,” he said.

“We should,” said Obsidian, trotting energically down the stairs. “Lead the way.”

***

They descended into the stadium basements, first through underground storage filled with sports equipment, then through lower chambers, and down a stair after stair, the crystal-covered walls giving way to stone ones. One by one the Elements lit up their gems to light the way.

“It’s too narrow,” said Fluttershy softly as they descended. “All the ponies couldn’t get through here in time.”

“Still, you’re here to save as many as you can, aren’t you?” said Obsidian. 

Fluttershy folded her wings tightly at her sides. “I am, but…”

“Grow stronger then,” said Obsidian. “When you’re strong, you get to choose. Life is much easier then, though not simpler,” he finished with a smile.

“I will,” replied Fluttershy.

The tunnel had just opened into a natural cave. There were signs of excavation, with the floor smoothened, and holes dug through the walls, but there were still crystals sticking out of the walls here and there; they seemed to react to magic, lighting up with a glow of their own as the Elements’ light passed over them.

“How much further?” asked Aurora the guard. She stood behind him, suddenly watching him with clear suspicion.

“We’re almost at the right depth,” said the guard.

“Wait,” said Twilight. “This path doesn’t seem to need clearing. What exactly do you need us to do down here?”

The soldier missed a step, but then shrugged. “My job is just to get you down here. The rest is between you and the commander.” He took another step forward, and bumped into Pinkie, who had somehow got in front of him.

“Something’s wrong here, mister,” she said with a glare, poking the guard with her hoof.

“I’ve got my orders,” replied the guard, glaring back at her, though he was clearly taken aback by the perspective of facing an angry Element.

“And just what were your orders exactly, mister?” asked Applejack. The cave was illuminated by her orange glow.

Suddenly the guard was surrounded by the Elements and Aurora standing around him. 

Obsidian was the only one not to take part. “I’m sure we’ll get an answer soon,” he said. “Right now… we’re not alone in these tunnels.”

Everypony froze, and listened intently. Ears turned slowly, looking for any suspicious noises. Finally they heard it too, in the tunnels behind them, far in the distance, something that sounded like... angry shouting of a filly?

“It’s…” started Rainbow Dash, recognising the voice.

Obsidian put his staff in front of her. “They’re coming this way,” he whispered. “Let’s wait for them here.”

“Let me go!” called the voice in the tunnels, now clearly recognisable as Scootaloo. “You cowards!”

“Stop screaming, you brat!” replied another voice. “We’re saving your life.” What followed was a sound of muffled screams, as if somepony tried to keep shouting through a gag.

Everypony moved to the sides, looking at the entrance, the light of the Elements dimming. Aurora kept their guide against the wall, glaring daggers at him.

And then the sound of another set of hooves echoed in the cave. The Elements turned their heads towards the source - one of the deeper tunnel entrances. There was a lime green light now visible there, a lit tip of the horn illuminating the way. Bling entered the cave.

Surprise flashed across all the girls’ faces, quickly replaced with anger. 

“Bling… What are you doing here?” asked Applejack sternly, her Element brightening.

“Isn’t it obvious?” said Obsidian, charging up his staff with a spell. Then he shot Rainbow Dash. The blast threw the pegasus against the wall, washing over her, and leaving her limp on the ground, with a film of blue magic sparkling on her fur.

“Obsidian!?” shouted Twilight, pointing her horn at him.

The Elements ran away from Obsidian, forming a semi-circle facing outwards, towards the other ponies in the cave, with the unconscious Rainbow Dash behind them. The guard used the opportunity to push Aurora away - she flapped away from him and took her place beside her new friends. Five gems lit up, Applejack’s glowing the brightest.

Obsidian looked at Twilight, his staff hovering in front of him, ready to shield him. “I’m saving her life, obviously,” he explained. “She would try to rush back up and got herself killed. Or she’d try to do the smart thing, and stay here, defying Loyalty, which would damage her connection to the Element, her mind, or both. Taking the choice away from her while I still had the element of surprise was the least damaging solution.”

“You…” hissed Twilight.

“I told you, I’d have to make unpopular choices sooner or later,” replied Obsidian. “Truth be told… I’m resigned to losing your friendship at some point. You six don’t even pretend to like me, and it will only get worse. This can’t be helped. But I think I can at least get you to listen to the explanation this time.”

“So, you knew?” asked Bling.

“The moment I heard your plan,” replied Obsidian. “It wasn’t something that would hold water, if they weren’t all distraught. I figured out some details along the way.”

Two unicorns in imperial armor entered the cave through the mine tunnels entrance. Between them, they were levitating a struggling Scootaloo, a wisp of green magic wrapped around her muzzle. 

“She was trying to tail us,” said one of the unicorns.

“At least you’ve found her”, replied Bling. “That’s good. The tunnels?”

“We’ve blocked the main one already. The Equestrians won’t follow,” replied the soldier. “The rest is collapsing as we speak.”

Bling nodded. “What about your other objectives?”

The soldiers’ faces grew serious. “The enemy has taken the tower. Team three managed to secure the Heart, but they were forced to retreat before the could evacuate the princess.”

“What?” asked Bling, slowly, malice in his voice, his cold professional facade slipping for a moment. “How could you fail in something so important?”

***

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza looked towards the window.

Outside, the storm had made the day look like night. How appropriate. 

She barely registered the running soldiers trying to get her attention. They had spent minutes trying to get her back to her senses. They’d already removed her husband’s body from the floor… Dead, gone. He’s gone. They wanted her to focus on other things… to lead?

They needed their princess. So she returned to the throne room, and sat on her throne, staring forward, looking regal. Somepony told her to evacuate. She shouted at him. Her guards didn’t know what to do. So they did the only thing they knew, protected her. 

So she was here still. But the sky was still dark, the storm was still raging, Shining Armor was still dead. She could feel the fear of her subjects, their despair, flowing through the crystal walls around her. They were calling to her… to do what? 

Another lightning flashed. In the light, Cadence saw Amethyst, one of her personal guards, pleading to her. Something finally clicked in her mind. 

“What?”

“Your Majesty,” repeated the guard, “The palace is about to fall. For the good of the Empire, we need to get you out of here while there is still time!”

Cadence met his gaze. “There’s nowhere to run,” she stated the obvious. 

Lightning struck the throne room window, shattering the frame and spraying crystal shards all over the floor. The guard rushed forward, almost face to face with the princess. 

“Your Majesty! I beg you!”

She stirred, numbly, leaving the throne, and heading for the exit. She was just through the door, when she heard a commotion behind her; some enemies had flown straight into the throne room, turning it into a battlefield.

There was a corridor, then another, the shouts got more urgent, the sound of battle closer. A part of Cadence’s mind registered the fact that her retinue was shrinking. “We’re cut off!” shouted somepony.

Cadence stopped, staring into the palace wall. There were shapes inside the crystal now, a dark taint moving under the surface. The fear and despair became a cacophony that bypassed her ears, and reached straight to the heart, a pain that matched her own. Somepony ran into the corridor. Bolts of magic were fired. Cadence saw one of her guards fall, then another… Amethyst shielded her from a shot aimed at her head. A small spray of blood marred the wall behind Cadence. She was left alone, facing a trio of enemies.  

Dead… They’re all dead… He’s dead… gone… murderers…

The closest of the enemies, a unicorn, stepped forward, bracing herself to deliver another blast. Instead, she swayed, and stumbled back with a yelp, as a bunch of black crystals erupted from the floor, stabbing into the frog of her front hoof. The soldiers looked around in surprise - all around them the walls of the tower were turning black, the smooth surfaces growing spiky and jagged.

Cadence turned to look at them. Three ponies, one mare and two stallions, one earth pony, and two unicorns. All intent on fighting her.

Cadence spread her wings, rising to full height, light shining from her horn as her powers manifested. The earth pony stallion was the closest. He slowed down, his charge losing momentum, before his legs gave way, and he fell to his knees, his face, angry and determined, melting into an expression of awe, then wide-eyed adoration. The other two were about to shoot when the power hit them; their eyes lost focus, and they stumbled forward, smiles of wonder on their faces. 

The voices of their hearts were lost in the cacophony of emotions flowing through the tower, but Cadence knew them just from seeing herself reflected in their eyes. They were hers, seeing only her, ready to catch her every whim, every gesture. Devout worshippers of her image. They were hers, and she didn’t want them.

A tear ran down her cheek. It left a dark trail, and finally evaporated in a wisp of smoke. More smoke appeared from under Cadence’s eyelids, her eyes shifting colors towards green, then orange. She returned the looks of adoration with a glare of pure, unadulterated hatred. 

“Murderers.”

The three ponies stopped, blinking in surprise as if physically slapped. Though the words couldn't truly reach them, the malice did. Cadence’s face became a mask of fury.

“You… YOU DESTROYED MY HOME! KILLED MY PONIES! MY… LOVE! YOU’RE DISGUSTING! GET OUT OF MY SIGHT! GO AWAY AND DIE!” 

The shout reverberated across the palace. The soldiers opened their mouths, but no words came out. What was heard instead was inarticulate cries of anguish. The earth pony stumbled back in horror, legs tangling, tears welling in his eyes, a painful whinny coming out of his mouth. The male unicorn kept stepping backwards until he stepped on a sharp piece of crystal, lost his balance, and landed on his rump. He turned away and crawled, the further from the source of his suffering, his voice coming out in a horrible, discordant bawl, the meaning lost somewhere between the head and the tongue.

The mare held her gaze the longest, trying against everything to see something, anything, that could preserve the spark of hope. Cadence spat in her face.

Slowly, stiffly, the mare turned away, lowering her head. She ran, straight at the wall beside the door frame, ramming into the crystal with a force that made her horn crack, sending small pieces of ivory flying. 

A lightning flashed, and the three ponies fell unconscious. Princess Luna entered the corridor. 

“So, this is how you choose to reveal your true colors?” she asked, “Using your twisted power to strike at the hearts of my subjects? Using love as an instrument of torture?”

She shot a beam of light from her horn, shattering a clump of sharp crystals that were starting to grow towards her. She then looked into Cadence’s eyes, a gaze full of scorn. 

“Your reign is at an end. As the ruling princess of Equestria, I will put a stop to your evil.”

***

“The… the secrecy imperative,” replied the soldier. “We did all we could have without revealing ourselves.

Bling took a slow, deliberate breath. “You fulfilled your orders, soldier,” he said. “Now, release the filly.”

The magic around Scootaloo unravelled, setting her gently on the floor. Immediately the filly jumped into the middle of the cave, gesturing angrily, wings shaking.

“They abandoned everypony!” she shouted. “Just after you left, they went underground, and escaped! And he just told everypony that they should give up, and then disappeared!”

“What?” said Rarity in shock, “How could you!?”

Scootaloo meanwhile noticed Rainbow Dash. She ran to her side in panic, pushing her way between the Elements. 

“He did say he wanted to minimize the losses, didn’t he?” said Obsidian. 

“You got lucky before,” said Bling. “Arrogance let her weakness put her in a trap of her own making. Today they were playing their strengths, planned, coordinated. If the battle couldn’t be won, it was in the Empire’s best interest to end it as quickly as possible.”

“But Luna said, she’d kill everypony!” shouted Applejack.

“All the more reason,” replied Bling. “Equestrians are not murderers. Even after all that’s happened, Envy would have a hard time convincing them to just wipe the Empire out. But every pony that died in the fighting added credibility to her claims, making it easier for her soldiers to believe that their enemies were not victims, but willing servants to darkness. The sooner they stop meeting fierce defenders, and start seeing scared ponies, the fewer will be killed.”

“So, you lied to us,” said Twilight. “There is no Queen’s Gate.”

“Oh, but there is,” said Obsidian. “I told you it exists, didn’t I? That he didn’t lie was exactly what clued me in on his plan.”

“What do you mean?” asked Twilight. 

Obsidian resisted the urge to roll his eyes, so visibly that he might not have bothered at all.

“Your friend here has the power to prevent all lies, one that can be activated on a whim. How do you bypass a defense like that?”

Understanding flashed in Twilight’s eyes. She turned angrily towards Bling. “You made us fool ourselves! You said you wanted us to get down here, but you never really said why. And… when we were about to ask questions, you brought up our families to distract us. Where are they really?”

“Already ahead of us, judging by the smell,” said Obsidian. “As you had noticed yourself, these tunnels didn’t require clearing. They had been prepared ahead of time, for just such an emergency.”

There were some sighs of relief among the Elements, but nopony said anything aloud. 

“So…” resumed Twilight, “the ponies you said you needed to get out of the city…”

“It was us all along,” finished Applejack. “That’s still a lie in my book.”

Bling nodded his head. “If you are lost, the war is over.”

“So you tricked us into retreating,” said Aurora, “And abandoned the Empire. But… I still feel that you’re not telling us the whole story.”

She flapped her wings, and landed beside Twilight at the front of the group. 

“Your ponies failed to get princess Cadence out. Because you ordered them to be secretive. What kind of a secret could be more important that your best friend’s wife?”

“Very astute,” said Obsidian. “You got fooled once, but once you had the time to consider things calmly, you asked just the right question. So, what is your answer, ‘Bling’? Or perhaps you could answer a question of mine instead? From the setup, it looks to me like you’ve been planning some dramatic reveal of your own. We might as well get the theatrics out of the way, and focus on important stuff.”

“So, tell me this,” continued Obsidian, a small smile now playing on his face. “When we first met, and you were tested by Honesty, you said Shining and Cadence would’ve been dead without your help. That was true. But you also said another truth.”

Obsidian cleared his throat, and his voice changed, perfectly mimicking Bling’s own. 

“My loyalty is to the kin, not to the crown.”

Obsidian paused, then looked Bling in the eyes. “Tell me now… what is the ‘kin’ that you are so loyal to?”

In response, Bling burst into flames. The green fire consumed his armor, which crumbled into nothing, then the coat. The blackened body stretched, limbs extending, the masculine snout shrinking. The mane turned membranous, insectile wings opened with a snap, the horn turned flat and jagged. A bunch of webbed tendrils sprouted at the top of the head, forming a shape of a crown.

“My subjects,” replied queen Chrysalis.
> Nightmare Night Bonus Chapter: The Horror
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A thousand years earlier...

With a soft pop, the royal sisters appeared in the night sky. There was no flash of light that usually accompanied Celestia’s magic; she purposefully suppressed all the unnecessary effects to hide her presence until it was the time to reveal herself in a suitably impressive fashion. 

The alicorn spread her wings, expending a little magic to stay suspended in the air, the Crystal Empire spreading underneath her. The instant she did, she felt something was wrong. Her supernatural senses screamed a cacophony of warnings. The air was filled with alarm spells, their invisible threads forming a complex net around the city. The princess instinctively concealed her aura, hoping that whoever had left it there hadn’t already noticed they had uninvited guests.

“What’s going on?” asked Luna, hanging in the air at Celestia’s side. “Light had said that he succeeded. There shouldn’t be anypony left here to maintain this level of defenses…” She paused, looking down at the city. “What the…”

Celestia followed her sister’s gaze, and her eyes widened in surprise. She had missed it at the first moment, the city being lost in complete darkness, but as her eyes adjusted, she could pick up that something was wrong with how it looked. There were too many angles, too many pointy ends. The central tower had far more spires than Celestia knew it should, a threatening, jagged outline against the night sky. 

The two alicorns started to descend, their horns glowing briefly as they enveloped themselves in mantles of protective spells. Going lower they could see the reason behind the city’s altered appearance; a layer of jagged, black crystal was growing all over the place, covering the buildings like a cancerous growth. 

Luna’s ear swiveled, catching a noise from below. She turned and saw a line of earth ponies walking slowly between the houses. They picked their way between the buildings in complete darkness, noses to the ground, as if they were following a trail of scent. Luna’s eyes, perfected for use in the dark, could pick the glossy sheen on their coats, a clear indication that they were natives. Instinctively, she reached towards them with her magical senses and gasped in shock. 

“These ponies are barely conscious,” she hissed. “There is hardly anything but fear in their minds… I think they are being compelled. They shouldn’t be able to move at all.” She landed on the nearest roof, careful not to slide off the uneven surface, and closed her eyes. Celestia recognised the expression of concentration on her face, and landed beside Luna, ready to defend her from any attack, all the while working her own magic.

Ten seconds later, Luna’s eyes snapped open. She breathed slowly, calming herself down. “There are sleepers here,” she said in a strained whisper, “but nopony dreams. It’s like they’re unconscious. And there are so few of them… There should be twice as many…”

Celestia was crouching down. She looked up at Luna, concern in her eyes. “These black crystals aren’t real. They are a magical construct. It’s like a single spell overgrowing the whole city. There shouldn’t be anypony but us left alive with access to such magic.” She rose and looked towards the ominous silhouette of the central tower. “We need to find out who is behind this… and what he did to Lightbringer.”

“Assuming he doesn’t find us first,” said Luna through her teeth. "If there are any more security spells woven into the crystals, we have probably been found by now.”

As if on cue, the crystal roof under her hooves erupted with phantasmal, purple flames. Two orange and green eyes stared at the Moon Princess from beneath the surface. The alicorn leapt into the air, her horn glowing bright silver as multiple layers of protective spells came alive around her. A second later the crystal roof erupted with spikes, a spire following Luna upwards until it grew into a sizable tower. Low, guttural laughter echoed around the two princesses. The glowing eyes disappeared from the roof and reappeared on the wall of the tower facing the alicorns.

“Who are you!? What have you done here!?” shouted Celestia, her own defensive spells illuminating the night with a bright, golden halo. 

The response was more laughter. Then, gradually, a shape emerged from the crystal wall. An armoured, black unicorn stallion covered with a regal cape walked right out of the wall, wisps of purple smoke forming around his hooves as he stepped through the air. Celestia and Luna backed off a bit, watching the stallion warily. Even if they couldn’t taste his aura, it would be obvious that he was no normal pony; his horn was smooth and curved, a weapon made for gouging rather than a tool for wielding magic, his eyes - unpony things with snake-like slits. He smiled, a wide grin showing off sharp fangs. “Oh, come on,” he said in a low growl. “Don’t you recognize me… sister?”

Celestia’s eyes widened in surprise. “Light?” she stammered, the outermost of her defensive spells starting to unravel. “What has happened to you? When we saw the city, we were fearing the worst.”

The stallion stomped his hoof on thin air. Instantly, a horizontal layer of crystal erupted from the wall, providing him with footing. He looked at Celestia, then down at the dark city below. “The worst?” he chuckled. “Worse than me? You thought something here could threaten me? This was the easiest task I ever got. The guards only knew how to parade with their weapons. Do you know they jousted for fun here? No real war for thousands of years. They were so oblivious of their surroundings, the first couple pegasi that wanted to get out just flew outside the sphere and froze to death.”

Luna scowled. “This is not what she's asking about. What’s happened to your body?  And what is this crystal construct spell? We both know you can’t do magic, unless…” She hesitated, her explanation trailing off into awkward silence. 

Lightbringer looked down onto his armoured chest as if he had seen his body for the first time. “Oh, you mean this? Why, this is something I really wanted to share with you.” He looked at Luna with a smile. “After I removed the Crystal Heart, it turned out the whole city is a giant aura focus. The Heart only regulated the flow. Once I got rid of it, and it could no longer get in the way, the power started flowing into me. All the feelings of the Crystal Empire turned into pure energy. All the fear these pathetic, sheltered fools felt at my sight only granted me more power. And guess what? I’ve been healed.” He beamed at the two alicorns. “My pattern has been suppressed, and now the madness is gone. The power inside me no longer rages out of control. It is a part of me now, melded into me, all at my command. I have been… perfected.”

Luna and Celestia looked at each other nervously. “And the crystals?” asked the Sun princess, waving her hoof around.

“Oh, that?” asked Lightbringer. “Once I purged the archive records as you asked, and killed the scholars, there were some attempts to oppose me. They were laughable of course, the locals are inept at all kinds of conflict, but I couldn’t let them get away with it. The first thing I came up with was to get rid of all the wizards, but I couldn’t just keep killing my subjects forever. So I came up with this.” He stomped his hoof for emphasis. “The spell keeps constant watch over the ponies of the Empire, making sure they don’t get out of line. And since it’s fueled by their fear, it’s pretty much self-sustaining…”

“Wait a moment…” interrupted Luna. “Killing ‘your subjects?' I’ve looked around the city. There are only half the ponies there should be in a place of this size. And I don’t remember feeling any unicorn or a pegasus…”

“Light…” asked Celestia with a frown, “You were only supposed to play a tyrant… How many Empire citizens did you kill?”

Now it was the stallion’s turn to frown. “I was supposed to play a tyrant, so you could ‘liberate’ the Empire from my rule. There is no longer need for that. Every single pony here is under my control. And as for killing, about half of them. And so what? How many ponies did you kill before making your ‘perfect’ Equestria? You had a thousand years for trial and error under Libra's rule. I only had weeks. And I already have a perfect solution. I think I’ve done better than you had.”

“A perfect solution?” asked Luna raising her eyebrow. How is this a ‘perfect solution?’”

Lightbringer smiled again. “Look at this.” He tensed for a moment, a wisp of dark blue dancing on the tip of his horn. In response, the crystal wall behind him lit up, burning orange and green eyes opening on its surface. As she instinctively moved away, Luna saw another flash of orange in the corner of her eye. She turned her head to see many, many more. The whole city was burning with dots of orange light, like a bizarre upside-down image of a night sky.

“You see,” explained Lightbringer. “These crystals, they are me. Nothing within the Crystal Empire escapes my notice. There are no rebels here, no schemes to overthrow me. Your Equestria may seem like a perfect solution, but there are still creatures who remember the past. All it takes is for one of them to realize what you really are. All it takes is for some old dragon to decide he no longer wants to play along, or for some unicorn wizard to learn too much and stumble upon Obsidian, and your ‘perfect’ order will start falling apart like a house of cards. But this…”

His horn flashed again. No, not flashed, Luna decided. The power that erupted from the stallion’s horn shed no light - it was a burst of darkness, bubbling and frothing like a foul, boiling liquid. A split second passed and another burst of blackness appeared; a surprised crystal pony mare was dropped out of thin air onto the ledge.

“Thanks to the power they provide me with, I can control their every action, every thought,” said Lightbringer. As he started speaking, the crystal mare turned around and saw him. Flinching away with a yelp, she stopped at the very edge of the platform. Celestia’s horn flashed as she tried to catch the panicked pony, but a burst from Light’s horn pushed her spell away.

“Stop,” he growled. The crystal mare froze in place, her eyes widening in terror as she met his gaze. Now that Celestia could get a good look at the unfortunate pony, she clearly saw the signs of severe mistreatment; the light blue coat faded from crystalline and sparkly to a dull glossy sheen, the flat mane and bags under eyes, eyes now widened in an expression Celestia had so far only seen in ponies about to die a violent death. 

“Now I don’t have to hide who I am, what I am,” continued Lightbringer, walking up to the crystal pony until his nose was almost touching her neck. “It doesn’t matter what they think about me, because at the end of the day, I will be the one to decide what they think. Isn’t it so?”

The mare shook, thick beads of sweat appearing on her fur. Slowly, her jaw unclenched, until she spoke in a harsh whisper, “Yes… master.”

Lightbringer flashed his sisters a wide grin. “See? No need for secrets or conspiracies. No resistance movements to worry about. Everypony is a pawn to move as like. None of those ridiculous problems you struggled with while building your ‘perfect’ world.”

“Like this!?” shouted Celestia, stomping her hoof, a disc of light appearing underneath her to support her weight, her wings no longer flapping but now flared in anger. “This is what you call your perfect solution? A lifetime of mind-numbing terror for everypony but you?”

“This is even worse than that thing Libra tried,” said Luna, landing next to the other princess. 

“She had the right idea,” said Light. 

“She drove them crazy, unfit to live on their own,” snarled Luna.

Lightbringer turned towards her, and his grin grew even wider. “But you see, this is the whole difference. They are never on their own here. Libra lacked the magic to control all her ponies at once, but here their fear makes me stronger than that. I’m always with them, each of them, every waking moment of their lives.“ He nuzzled the crystal pony’s neck, licking off a single bead of sweat. “In time, they will come to love me with all their hearts, and then the suffering will stop… won’t you, my crystal slave?” 

The mare only shook more, her eyes staring forward with frantic intensity. Celestia heard a dripping sound and her nose caught the smell of urine.

Lightbringer’s grin disappeared. Slowly he shook his head from side to side. Then, he leaned closer to the crystal pony’s ear, his horn briefly growing dark blue before fading to boiling black.

“I command you to love me.”

Instantly the shaking stopped. The crystal pony kept staring forward, but her eyes changed, the whites turning vivid green while the irises became bright orange. Then she smiled, slowly, wider and wider, until her expression became a horrible, rictus grin. Her eyes rolled back and Celestia’s enhanced senses caught a smell of blood - there were now small rivulets of red within the beads of sweat on the mare’s coat. The pony’s mouth opened in a strained croak. “I… love… youu… masster…”

“ENOUGH!” Celestia’s voice reverberated across the night sky. With a flash of her horn the crystal pony was snatched off the platform and into the air. 

There was a flash of dark blue flame and the mare turned to dust in Celestia’s telekinetic grip, the dark fire consuming her flesh and bone before the Sun princess could register what was happening. The flame returned to Lightbringer’s horn, illuminating his livid face. 

“Don’t. Touch. My. Slaves. They. Are. MINE! You hear me!?”

Both alicorns stepped back, their defensive spells reactivated, the two horns burning bright gold and silver.

Celestia was the first to speak. “Lightbringer, snap out of it! I don’t know what this place has done to you, but it has poisoned your mind! We need to…”

“Help me?” asked Lightbringer, his burning anger suddenly replaced with calm curiosity.

The Sun princess hesitated. ”Of course, we do. I have never seen you like this…”

“So, you want the old Lightbringer back,” smiled the stallion. “You prefer Hate, destroyer of Portus.”

Luna gasped. Celestia clenched her jaw, the glimmer of hope in her eyes instantly extinguished. “It wasn’t your fault, Light. It was Discord’s. He was the one who provoked you into rage…”

The stallion sneered.  “Yea. I only lost control, again, and turned ablaze the whole city. Thirty thousand ponies, stallion, mare and foal, killed in a single night. It’s still my personal record. A gift I was given out of pity, turned to ash, once again proving that I’m not good at anything but killing.”

“Hey, that’s not fair,” interrupted Luna. “Each of us who wanted a city, got one. You were treated just like everypony else.”

“So fortunate then, that my city didn’t contain anything really important?” growled Lightbringer. “A river port of little value, inflated into a city by the ponies you herded into it from the surrounding lands. No labs for Eve to work in, no heavy industry except your stinking chimneys, no military bases. Nothing but lives was lost when I killed everypony. Some safe haven it was.”

“That’s not true…” said Celestia, but the force she had spoken with was now lost from her voice.

The crystals around Lightbringer darkened and started growing, the thin layer expanding into a spiky terrace as the unicorn walked forward.
“Always the one to screw up, always the destroyer, the killer, a monster among monsters you pretend not to be. A ‘little brother’ you can pity and a force of rage and murder you can unleash on your enemies. And now, when I’ve finally succeeded at something, when I’m finally in control… YOU CAN’T BEAR IT!”

Celestia suppressed the urge to step back. Taking a deep breath, she spoke again. “Light. Please. Calm. Down...”

The unicorn stopped and the crystals ceased growing. He closed his eyes and for a moment just stood there breathing deeply, wisps of blue magic dancing lazily on the edges of his eyelids. Then, before Celestia could think of what to say next, he spoke. “No, not light. Darkness.”

“What?” asked Celestia, momentarily confused.

“King Sombra, ‘King Shadow,' this is the name you chose for me. A monster of darkness existing just so your light could shine all the brighter. That was the plan, wasn’t it? That is why you chose to invade MY Empire at night; to reveal yourself at dawn, to bring light and hope as you free MY slaves, take away MY power and banish ME into darkness, an evil force never to be mentioned again. You are the ‘light bringer’ now… you couldn’t even let me keep my sad excuse of a name…” 

Celestia opened her mouth to speak, but realised it would be a futile effort. Shadows gathered around her brother like living creatures, his magic power spiking to levels she had never seen in  a single creature. His eyes blazed bright orange, two balefires among thick blackness. Celestia’s aetheral mane was whipped around by a wind suddenly picking up from a gentle breeze to a roaring hurricane. He’s completely lost it, she heard Luna’s panicked voice in her mind before the unicorn spoke again.

“SO, YOU WANT TO BE A CHAMPION OF LIGHT AND HOPE?! A VANQUISHER OF EVIL!? BY ALL MEANS… SHOW ME WHAT YOU’VE GOT!”

Celestia gathered her magic, preparing to shoot a spell through the thick darkness. Sombra was faster, not bothering with a proper spell. What he unleashed instead was a roar of primal rage, a blast of pure destructive force that shattered the improvised tower and slammed into Celestia’s defenses, sending the Sun princess flying like a bullet.

Celestia was hurtling like a meteor through the night sky. The magic binding her body had prevented her brain from turning liquid from the sudden acceleration, but for a moment everything was movement and pain. She vaguely registered a wall of white approaching fast.

Up!

In a flash, the Sun princess teleported. The spell didn’t stop her momentum, but it turned her body around - now she was flying upwards, away from the glacier face she had almost collided with. Finally slowing down, she spread her wings to stop her ascent. Below, something was approaching fast. Lightbringer, or King Sombra as he called himself now, was flying towards her, wings of solid darkness spreading from his sides, an inky black ring spreading in the air in his wake where he broke the sound barrier. 

Celestia charged her horn; it glowed blazing gold before unleashing a scorching beam of light. Sombra folded one wing and fell sideways, the spell passing by him and leaving a burning trail on the ground far below. The princess corrected her aim, but the unicorn dodged again, falling in a snaking path, faster and faster.

Then he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

What?

Sombra appeared right above Celestia, his iron-shod front hooves slamming into her barrier. The shield barely holding, the alicorn was sent flying down. She had no time to teleport this time. The glacier cracked in half as she struck it like a bullet, piercing several metres through solid ice before coming to a stop. 

The shield popped like a soap bubble. Ignoring the pain of her landing, Celestia focused her magic to teleport again. She landed in the open, snow-covered field, just in time to see another roar hit the place where she had been a moment before, breaking the huge ice blocks apart until the glacier turned into a formless heap. Crouching low as the shock wave rolled over her, the princess focused her power inside her body. A dislocated knee popped back into its proper position.

Celestia restored her protections, and scanned her surroundings. Everything was covered in a cloud of ice dust, but she had no illusions that it would hide her for long. True enough, a second later a long spear of black crystal flew her way. The princess ducked aside and barely managed to deflect the projectile. It embedded itself half way in the ground. Then it started growing, crystal spikes erupting from the ground around Celestia. She took to the sky and rose into clear air - if Sombra knew where she was, she could as well stop hiding and get a clear view.

There he was, hanging in the air, surrounded by swirling darkness. Once again the wind started blowing with hurricane strength, pushing Celestia back as it cleared the ice dust away. “Is that all you can do, sister!? Run and hide!?” he shouted, the magic magnifying his voice to be audible above the wind. 

Celestia fired another beam of light, but the unicorn teleported away, fading in and out of existence as the spell tried in vain to hit him. More crystal javelins shot from the cloud around him. Rather than block, Celestia followed her opponent’s example, dodging away with short distance teleports.

Then one of the javelins struck her from behind, penetrating the shields and piercing her right wing. Suppressing a scream of pain, Celestia looked behind her - only to discover that none of the javelins had flown away. They were hanging in the air behind her, forming a rough half sphere. The princess tried to teleport away, only for the shard in her wing to spark with dark magic - the spell fizzled out and the alicorn started falling, unable to support herself in the air with just one wing. 

She landed awkwardly, folding her injured wing just enough so she could grab the crystal with her teeth and pull it out. She shut down a part of her nerves to block the searing pain it caused - the javelin seemed to turn red hot when she started struggling with it. Seeing a movement in the corner of her eye, she prepared to dodge. The other crystals fell towards Celestia, but rather than hit her, they embedded themselves in the ground, forming a circle around her. She instantly felt the spell forming between them; a dimensional barrier meant to prevent her from teleporting out.

“Are you having fun playing the hero?” asked Sombra, emerging in a dark cloud from one of the crystals.

“This is not a game!” shouted Celestia, launching a bolt of light at the circle, hoping to disrupt it. Sombra blocked her spell with one of his own, a blast of magic blossoming into a shield of darkness that swallowed the shot. The crystals started growing, splitting and extending into a spiky wall.

“Oh, it isn’t?” asked Sombra with a sneer.”That’s just as well. Because I’m done playing with you.” 

He charged forward and Celestia stepped back, bracing herself as she focused her magic. A brilliant blast of golden light struck the approaching unicorn right in the chest plate of his armour. Sombra made no attempt to block or dodge it. The beam split upon hitting its target, thin rays shooting out in all directions. 

There was no other effect. Not even a scorch mark on the armor.

“I’ll let you in on a secret,” said Sombra as he slowed down to a leisurely pace, still approaching his target. “You may have missed it in your arrogance, but I’m stronger than you.” Without warning he teleported right next to Celestia, bucking her in the side with his hind legs. She was sent flying like a ragdoll, colliding with the crystal wall, the last of her shields dissolving on impact. Though her pain was blocked, her mind still registered the fact of her ribs snapping. She fell off the wall, shattered pieces of crystal embedded in her fur. Sombra appeared next to her again, grabbing her wing with his teeth and throwing her back to the middle of the circle. Celestia tried to roll back to her hooves and focus some magic, but another kick sent her back onto the ground. 

“I’m stronger than any of you,” continued Sombra, stomping on her good wing. A cloud of snow and dust erupted as the appendage was forced several inches into the ground, bending at an unnatural angle. “Stronger than Libra. Stronger than Magic.” He didn’t raise his voice anymore, just speaking in a low growl, but each sentence was punctuated with another hit, another bone breaking. “And you know what?” The unicorn stopped right in front of Celestia, picking up her face with a strand of darkness so that he could look her straight in the eyes. “I don’t think I need you anymore. As long as I have my crystal slaves, I can maintain the air and heat within the Empire. I don’t need the Sun to raise. I don’t need anypony else.”

“What?” That was all Celestia could squeeze out of her damaged lungs, her eyes widening as she started to understand.

“I can’t have you running around, disrupting my rule,” explained Sombra. “The Elements kept trying to seal you, but we both know it never lasts. I think I have a more permanent solution. To return from the dead, you need to possess a body. But I can deny you my slaves. I just need to kill everypony else and you will have no way to come back.”

“You... wouldn’t…” croaked the princess, trying to fight the blood coming up her throat into her mouth. 

The unicorn dropped her head, allowing her to slump on the ground. “I wouldn’t? Why? Am I not the monster? The darkness? Am I not... Hate?”

A couple seconds of silence followed. Celestia expected Sombra to start screaming at her again. But when she finally looked up, she saw him standing still as a statue, a mix of horror and fury upon his face. He wasn’t looking at the alicorn at his feet, instead staring into the distance at something only he could see. “No…” he growled “You miserable little thief…” He took into the air, wings of darkness forming at his sides. Celestia was beginning to think she was forgotten entirely, when a black crystal spike descended at her from the air, breaking her spine, and pinning her to the ground.

Sombra disappeared, and for a moment there was nothing but the howling wind. Celestia tried to move, but only her front legs responded, and both of them were broken. She tried to use magic, only to have it fizzle out in a shower of sparks; the cursed spike was disrupting her power. For a moment she considered dying, but rejected the idea. There was no body stronger than this one for her to use. If she let it go, she would forfeit the little chance she still had.

If magic can’t do anything, perhaps pattern will.

As she shifted her focus, the princess felt her surroundings in a different way. She knew she couldn’t affect the crystal directly - even if it wasn’t full of magic, it was not real matter. But there was some matter there she could use. Closing her eyes, she focused on the ground underneath her. Slowly, the earth moved, pushing out the crystal point. Celestia found herself lifted slightly off the ground. The ground underneath her became red with blood, but the spike itself barely budged.

Won’t work like this… I need to try the other way…

She began by focusing her will inside her body. The blood vessels around the spike shrank, cutting off the blood flow. Small secondary hearts inflated and started beating, taking over the pumping of re-routed blood.

I must thank Eve for that when I see her. This is really the best body I’ve ever had…

Then Celestia braced herself, for what it was worth in her current state, and focused downward again. The earth moved like a sucking mouth, pulling the crystal spike in. It made a wet, squelching noise as it moved down through Celestia’s torso, the hard surface grinding against the dislocated vertebrae. Finally, with a soft pop, the horrid projectile got pulled through, disappearing underground. 

Now I need to get up. 

Celestia returned to using magic, her horn glowing as she focused the spell inside her body. The supernaturally durable structure had its price; the bones and muscles could take blows that would fell a dragon, but they took time to repair. She didn’t have time. What the spell did instead was put everything where it belonged; with a sickening crunch, the broken spine set itself, nerve connections pulled into their proper places. The barrel inflated as all the ribs returned to their intended positions. The limbs straightened and the wounds closed, the magic forcing the blood to stay in the ruptured veins.

The princess wasn’t healed, far from it. If anything, she was now reduced to a puppet made of meat, her spell forcing her body to work for as long as she could sustain it. But for now, that had to be enough. She got up and scanned her surroundings, thinking of what to do next.

It was only then she noticed the raging wind above her. She was too preoccupied to notice earlier and the spiky wall had shielded her from the worst of it, but during the minute it had taken her to free herself, the wind had picked up to a hurricane. As Celestia started thinking whether to try to fly over the edge of the barrier or better to burrow underground, her dilemma disappeared before she could solve it. 

With a sound like breaking glass, the crystal barrier shattered into nothingness. Suddenly Celestia found herself struggling against the powerful blizzard. Conjuring a small barrier to protect herself, she looked at the now uncovered landscape. The wind was blowing through the whole plain, but it’s obvious center was the Crystal Empire. Looking in that direction, Celestia instantly noticed that the barrier around the city had dissolved. The central tower was a blazing pillar of blue flame, illuminating everything for miles around, even despite the swirling snow. Celestia could see the city change as the black crystals shattered and disappeared, their magic absorbed back towards the tower.

What’s going on?

The pillar grew brighter, Celestia’s magical senses blinded by the released power. Only her eyes, designed to serve a self-proclaimed Sun Princess, allowed her to keep observing the phenomenon. The light kept growing brighter, until it looked like the tower was consumed in a pillar of lightning. Then, suddenly the light disappeared, and with it, the entire city. Celestia was caught off guard and barely stopped herself from being pulled off her hooves as the direction of the wind was changed by a powerful implosion. Where a huge city once stood, only a giant pillar of swirling snow remained now.

You’re alive!

The voice sounded in Celestia’s head just as Princess Luna appeared next to her. The Moon Princess was covered in deep cuts and her coat bore signs of nasty burns. She kept speaking using only her mind, saving the mouth for breathing.

I tried to disconnect him. He left me behind when I didn’t get up after the first blast. But the spell holds too fast. I tried to destroy the tower, but he found me before I could finish.

What happened to the city? asked Celestia.

As if to answer her, another blast of wind came from the spot where the Empire had stood, blowing the swirling snow and dust away. For a moment the air was clear, and the night silent, the two dots of angry orange far in the distance the only disruption in the sudden deathly calm.

The sisters didn’t need to communicate this time. Two combat barriers sprung into existence at the exact same second. A blot of darkness erupted in the air in front of them as Sombra crossed the distance with a teleport jump. 

He was still unharmed, but his mane was disheveled and his eyes wild. He was grinning madly, his oversized fangs glistening in the moonlight.

“There…” he growled. “No more sneaking. No more trying to steal MY empire from me. You can’t get to it now. Now I can kill you, then everypony else… you will never be a threat again.”

Celestia chanced a look at Luna. The Moon princes was preparing to fight. Celestia started thinking of how they could do anything to Sombra, when suddenly it hit her. He was still stronger than either of them, but the feeling of overwhelming power was gone. Whatever the unicorn had done must have drained much of his reserves. Thanks to his insanity, they now had a chance.  

Smirking to herself, Celestia extended the reach of her pattern. The effect slid along the ground, affecting the snowflakes in its wake, a transmutation thin as a hair and spreading at incredible speed. The ice crystals shifted and aligned, creating a giant, mirror-like surface.

Luna already knew that strategy. She strained, but her horn didn’t glow. Instead the air around her turned ablaze, blinding arcs of lightning snaking through the air. For a second the night became brighter than day.

A blast of magic lashed towards the two alicorns, but they weren’t there anymore. Celestia recognised the spell - the black flame Lightbringer projected whenever the monster inside him took over. 

I was right. He is blinded, and too angry to use his magic to find us. He’s not used to sensing with magic...

Sombra was still in the same spot, the lightning storm Luna had conjured dancing around his protective barriers. He was roaring, squeezing his eyes shut. 

Celestia saw her own barrier light up. Suddenly, the mirror surface was gone, the swirling snow turned into a haze of steam. Instinctively the princess held her breath. Her protection stopped the worst of the attack, but the air inside her bubble would still burn her lungs if she inhaled it.

We need a plan to break through his defenses, she heard Luna’s thoughts inside her head. 

Celestia’s mind searched through centuries of memories. Remember Scarrag? 

A brief ‘nod’ registered in her mind. Celestia turned her barrier into a cone, the next blast of black flame splitting on its tip, engulfing and devouring everything around her, the earth turning into glass-like slag from the heat. Celestia moved away with a short teleport before the flames could go out. She had to stay away from anything that was on fire.

Now, help me, she projected towards Luna, as she focused her pattern, the power spreading wide around her. Instantly she felt another power helping her, accelerating the process. The steam filling the air was simultaneously subjected to Luna’s lightning control abilities and Celestia’s command of matter. The Sun princess pushed her powers to the limit, spreading the effect as far as she could, the gas yielding to her command, falling apart into its base components. Suddenly the air became clear. For a moment Sombra could see both his enemies perfectly. He was about to burn them both, when he realized the alicorns were in the process of teleporting away. Sombra tried to follow suit, but he was a split second too late. Everything disappeared in a giant, blue fireball.

Luna was the first to return to battle. Rising high above the devastated battlefield, she spotted her target. Lightning rained from the clear night sky. A second later, Celestia returned too. Sombra had summoned a new barrier to protect himself and was now launching bolts of black fire into the sky. The Sun princess reached towards the air around the unicorn’s bubble and commanded its components to rearrange. She couldn’t reach past the defences, but she didn’t need to. The barrier stopped heat, impact and magic, but was not airtight. A moment later, Sombra found himself breathing acid.

Any second now...

And there he was, teleporting into close combat. Celestia dodged the first, frenzied blow and retaliated, conjuring blazing blades at the tips of her front hooves. Sombra backed off and breathed black fire, but Celestia’s barrier spell split the flame before it could eat through it. Then Luna charged in from the side. Sombra saw her charge and dropped a few feet, using her own speed to slice her open with his horn; she phased through it like a ghost. Sombra turned and shifted his shields just in time to stop the real Luna, as she tried to ram a lightning-charged horn into his side.

A tendril of shadow shot from Sombra’s body, catching Luna by surprise and piercing her shield. It snaked and split into several points, which stabbed through the Moon princess’ torso. Celestia charged in and swung her fire blades downwards, cutting the tendril off just as it was about to burst into black flame. Luna fell away, struggling to get rid of the points embedded into her.

Sombra turned to lash out at Celestia in turn. She dodged out of the way of his hooves, letting the momentum carry him past her, exposing his side. Then his wing slashed at her, the darkness solidifying into a curved blade. Sparks flew as the Sun princess barely blocked the blow by shrinking her barrier to focus it on her forehooves. She was pushed back by the impact.

It’s imbued with that black flame of his. My reconstruction matrix can’t replace missing parts. If he burns through me…

Her train of thought was disrupted as Sombra roared again. The blast sent Celestia flying down. She barely had the time to shield herself as she struck the ice. It took her a second to free herself and another to recover her senses. She was back at the glacier, some distance from her previous point of impact, having struck it at an angle. Fortunately Sombra’s blast got to it a split second before her; Hitting loose blocks of ice wasn’t nearly as bad as hitting a solid wall would have been. She leapt up from the hole between ice blocks and onto the top of the pile, her eyes scanning the sky.

There he is!

King Sombra was diving down to finish Celestia off, his dark aura billowing behind him like an oversized cloak. Arcs of black magic erupted from his body in all directions; he wouldn’t let her teleport away this time. His mouth opened wide, a point of deepest black growing between his pointy teeth.

Just a bit closer…

Celestia began charging a spell, her horn glowing brighter and brighter. She released her attack a moment before Sombra would, a ball of light flying in his direction before exploding into a blinding flash.

The unicorn barely squinted. After all that had been thrown at him, he was more than ready for such an attack. He stopped to release his own spell, one that would finally destroy the Sun princess. 

He barely registered as Luna fell past him, a hair-thin line of blindingly bright lightning extending from her horn. He paused in surprise as his fire spell fizzled out harmlessly. Then, with horrible slowness, his head slid off his shoulders.

***

Luna landed gracefully, flying slightly aside as the headless, armoured body crashed to the ground next to her. She looked up at the crumbled glacier towards her sister. “Are you okay?” 

Celestia flew down to meet her. She was smirking, but her whole body was tense and she had reflexively restored her shields. “It worked,” she said.

“Yes,” answered Luna. “I wasn’t sure, until he got fooled by my illusion. He’s used to using his momentum sense during battle, but with his pattern suppressed, it was gone and he was new to using magic. I could fool him. Now, let’s hope he will be back to his senses when…”

A black crystal spike shot from the ground, impaling through her wing. In an instant, the dead body beside her disintegrated into inky blackness. The ground shook, and a loud growl sounded around the two alicorns.

“FOOOLS!   I… AM… BEYOND FLESH!” 

Celestia blasted the crystal, freeing Luna for the moment, but more and more spikes started shooting from the ground around them. The Shadows swirled and coalesced, a giant angry face forming among them.

Not able to fly off at the moment, Luna lashed with her lightning around herself, shattering all the spikes that tried to trap her. “He’s just like Discord!” she shouted to her sister. 

Celestia was already in the air, shooting golden beams of light at the approaching shadows. She had to stay on the move to avoid the tendrils trying to grab her. “He’s weakening!” she shouted back. “We need to keep pressing him!” She shot a beam straight at the face, but the shadow slid out of the way, like a bubble of oil flowing on water. 

Just then a shadow tendril slid past Luna’s defences, grazing her foreleg. She rolled aside and finally took to the air, her magic having reconstructed her damaged wing. She gazed down at the leg and saw pieces of crystal growing around the wound. Pieces that started to expand, growing up her leg and quickly forming a hardening, spiky shell. 

“Get this off me!” screamed Luna, flailing frantically. Celestia tried to cast a spell against the crystals, but found herself too preoccupied, dodging Sombra’s attacks while trying to aim. 

Those tendrils are much weaker. Perhaps I don’t need to aim at all…

Her aura expanded in a ball of golden light, shadow pushed back by its presence. The cast on Luna’s leg shattered and disappeared, and the cloud of darkness that now constituted Sombra’s body, though largely unhurt, was forced back.

Luna wasted no time, focusing the power in her horn before charging right in, using the opening that her sister’s spell had given her. She stabbed through the mass of shadows and kept going forward, until the tip of her horn struck ice, the darkness wrapping around her.

Celestia watched in confusion as lines of silver light shot out of the mass, piercing through the shadow and wrapping themselves around the surrounding ice blocks, tracing arcane sigils through their surface. The Sun princess’ eyes widened as she recognised the symbols.

“What are you doing!?” she screamed in fear.

The ice blocks started shifting, the magic pulling the sigils together into a multi-layered pattern of glowing silver. Sombra gave an inarticulate roar of blind fury.

“We’re on our last legs and he won’t die!” shouted Luna, struggling against the shadow that started wrapping tighter around her. “We won’t make it! We have to seal him!” She screamed as the tendrils hardened into claws, raking against her protections and cutting into flesh. “Help me!”

Celestia kept staring in horror. “There has to be another way…”

“NOW!” screamed Luna, struggling to maintain the spell as shards of black crystal erupted from her body. Dark magic arced around her wings and back and already she was beginning to falter. 

Celestia closed her eyes and her aura expanded once again, enveloping the Moon princess and pushing the curse off her body before it could penetrate too deep. The shadows pulled back; they kept struggling against the light, but the magical construct started sucking them in. Time seemed to slow down to a crawl as the three combatants focused solely on the struggle. There was no strategy anymore, just pushing until the enemy gave in, the giant ice blocks piling higher and higher and the darkness shrinking bit by bit.

Finally, with the final scream of defiance turning into a short gasp, the fanged muzzle of Sombra disappeared under the pile. The ice had formed a solid wall, as if the glacier face had never been shattered; only a careful observation would reveal silvery lines marking the multiple layers of the binding spell. The wind died down and a terrible silence fell. Drawing a breath, Celestia realised that both her and Luna had been screaming through the whole experience.

***
Princess Luna stepped back from the glacier on shaky legs. Her body was torn and bruised, only staying upright thanks to the spell forcing its correct shape. Her blue coat was covered in scorch marks where the black flames licked it and more from Celestia’s not too subtle rescue when the crystals threatened to envelop her. Even though her neural system was partially disconnected, she still felt a burning sensation where the tendrils had raked her, their touch as damaging to the spirit as it was to the body. She closed her eyes and took a slow, deep breath, casting a spell that started the slow reconstruction of her body. 

It was only then she realised how silent it was. Turning around, she found Celestia slumped on her haunches, her eyes staring forward without focus.

“Hey, are you alright?” she asked,  walking closer to the white alicorn. Celestia turned her face towards her, but her eyes didn’t seem to see Luna.

“We sealed him,” she whispered. “He was right. We… I made him a monster. Just like they made us…”

Luna put a hoof on her shoulder, and shook her slightly. “Hey, Celestia, relax. Come on, we’ll get him out of it when we figure out the way to help him.”

Celestia did not rise. All the energy and bravado she had shown during the battle was gone, the horror of what had happened coming to her all at once as the adrenaline rush of the fight passed.

“How?” she asked feebly. “How do you fix it? I made him into… this… All those ponies… the Empire…”

“They aren’t gone for good,” growled Luna. “We just have to figure out where he sent them.”

“Out of our reach,” sighed the Sun princess, her voice breaking. “I only wanted to get them out of that dome… to show them the world I made… but I sent a monster to kill them all…”

“You didn’t know that would happen,” said Luna in a calm, but stern voice. She expected Celestia to keep arguing, but the white alicorn fell silent, just staring towards Sombra’s glacial tomb with empty eyes.

Luna looked down on her, and shook her again. There was no reaction. “Hey, Celestia… Gloria, snap out of it! Get up!” she pleaded, a trace of panic in her voice. As she looked around frantically, trying to find something, anything that could help her, her gaze fell upon the moon in the sky. It was close to setting, just waiting for a nudge in the right direction to leave the sky and make the place for the Sun. It must have been hanging there for some time already.

How long did the battle last?

Luna pulled at Celestia’s head with her telekinesis, pointing her face towards the night sky. “Sis, we are late with the sun and moon. Your loyal subjects are waiting for the new day to rise. Come on, help me, ok? I’m too tired to do it by myself.” She nudged her a couple more times, before finally giving a deep sigh and turning towards the moon. She closed her eyes, and her horn glowed with soft, silver light. She felt a touch of magic coming from the sky as the moon reacted to her nudge. Luna’s face tensed with effort. The moon would not resist her push, but it would only move if prodded strongly enough. 

Luna’s ear turned, catching a sound of movement beside her. Princess Celestia had finally stood up and walked up to her, her horn glowing a soft gold light. The Moon Princess felt a second power added to her own. Sighing with relief, she closed her eyes again and let the spell flow through her. Slowly, the moon started to fall towards the horizon, making place for the sun to rise. A single beam of moonlight reached back and touched Luna’s horn.

What?

Luna’s eyes snapped open. There was a beam of moonlight attached to her forehead, a line of magic getting more solid by the second. The moon had never done this before. Startled, Luna turned to look at Celestia. The Sun Princess was still concentrating on the spell, but her face was no longer focused and serene. Instead, she was staring at Luna with burning intensity. Her horn turned from gold to blinding white and the beam of moonlight attached to Luna snaked around her body, solidifying into a silver chain reaching all the way to the sky. Celestia flashed Luna a triumphant grin.

“That’s for my friends, you monster.”

Luna’s eyes widened in surprise, her face becoming an image of panic as she struggled fruitlessly against magical bonds. The voice was the same, but not the pony. That could only mean one thing.

“Aurora!” gasped Luna, a moment before her body lost physical substance and disappeared, a point of silver light flying at impossible speed towards the setting moon.

***

Aurora broke her focus, and relaxed. She turned towards the glacier wall and examined the wards. “That’s four down and two to go,” she said to herself. She then turned towards the east. The sun was rising, its nature pushing it to take the sky vacated by the Moon. The alicorn allowed the first rays of sunlight to touch her muzzle. It was so good to be free again.
Now, finally she could fight back. 

She focused her mind, listening for a familiar call. It had to be there somewhere… She extended her senses, squeezing the last bits of magic from her tired body... and there it was, far in the distance, waiting for her, a gemstone that was so much more than a mere gem, a link she had to her fallen comrades. Now she just needed to…

The alicorn was surprised to find herself with her snout in the snow. Blinking, she tried to get up, but her limbs wouldn’t listen. She tried to push herself up using her right front leg and found it bending at an unnatural angle. Then she saw blood. A spot of deep red was quickly growing underneath her body. Bizarrely, she still didn’t feel any pain. But no matter how she struggled, all she achieved was smear more blood over the ground. 

No, no, no, this cannot end like this…

She tried to cast a healing spell, hoping to at least stop the bleeding, but there was no more magic her body could draw upon. Not without her focus. Her vision swam and her head slumped onto the ground. She hazily realized that she no longer felt the cold, and worse, she could no longer find the strength to even be scared by the fact.

The last thing her mind registered was the sound of approaching hooves and an all too familiar voice.

“Oh my… goodness… This wasn’t supposed to… hap...pen. Not at all…”

***

Princess Luna flew across the night sky. Part of her mind had the time to understand just what had happened. Aurora must have freed herself in Gloria’s moment of weakness and she used Luna’s connection to the moon to create a sealing spell. 

The rest was preoccupied with the sensation of flying faster than should have been possible, the landscape below rushing past in a matter of seconds before the silver chain pulled her into the night sky. There were clouds, then there were stars, then a surreal void between worlds, filled with too many wonders to count or name. Luna felt a rising tension of being pulled into a place that rejected her, as alien to her nature as her soul was to the bodies she inhabited. And still the chain pulled her further, deeper and deeper beyond the reality she knew.

Then she saw it, her destination growing in front of her until it filled her entire world. The Moon. 

When viewed from Equestria, it had been a silver disc, pockmarked with meteor craters, a familiar sight unchanging through centuries. Up close…

There were no rocks, no craters. The surface moved and shifted, a patchwork of faces, flat muzzles and white, pupil-less eyes. The creature… the goddess moved through the sky along an invisible route, a sound of hooves echoing where there were no limbs to make it, silvery manes spreading around her in an immaterial halo. All of Luna’s thoughts were lost in a mix of awe and panic, as she made the last, futile effort to struggle free. She fell towards the surface, screaming all the way as one of the mouths opened soundlessly to swallow her whole.
> Chapter 36: The Deal
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sparks flew as Aurora pounced forward, Chrysalis blocking her hoof blade with her horn. The two tensed their muscles, struggling for control, Chrysalis raising one hoof to block Aurora’s other blade. 

“That’s uncalled for,” hissed Chrysalis, baring her teeth angrily.

“Aurora glared at her. “Is it? You’re a changeling. You killed Bling, and sacrificed Cadence for your schemes. We’re no friends, or allies. At best we have a common enemy. We can continue this talk with my blade on your throat.”

She pulled back to strike again, but Chrysalis twisted her body at an odd angle, catching the blade in the groove of her horn. She turned her head around, pulling Aurora off balance. 
“Know your limits,” she hissed, and then her horn exploded with green light, launching Aurora across the cavern.

As she hit the wall, two protruding pieces of rock at her sides flashed green, turning into changelings. They grabbed Aurora’s wings, pinning her to the floor before she could get up.

There were more flashes of green. All three guards transformed, while their companions emerged from the walls and the ceiling. A dozen changelings stood in the cave, surrounding the Elements.

“Does anypony else want to fight?” asked queen Chrysalis. “Because we have more important matters at hoof. Starting with getting out of here before Arrogance decides to do something drastic, like collapsing all the tunnels.”

“Not before you tell us what happened to Bling!” shouted Applejack. 

“Did you really kill him?” asked Rarity.

Chrysalis looked at the ceiling with a groan. “Agent Prism? Yes I did. That’s the reason why Shining Armor could prepare any city defense at all.”

“Agent Prism!?” said all the Elements together.

“Yes,” replied Chrysalis, “Agent Prism. After what happened to your little assistant,” she said to Twilight, “You must have realised that the Shattered like to plan their moves way ahead. So it was with the Crystal Empire. Cadence was the one destined to save and rule it, but she needed a mate skilled in defensive magic, so Celestia picked Shining Armor and did some subtle prodding. But she needed to have a way to control them both, just in case, and she couldn’t just make Shining her agent; she needed the whole true love thing. Enter ‘Bling’, a good, dependable friend, always there to help, but never in the spotlight, always watching from the sidelines. I suspect Deception must have changed his appearance to make him look younger. I got fooled too. He almost foiled our plans during the wedding. That’s how I knew to target him first this time. So much delicious love for his princess… and thanks to me taking over writing his reports to Celestia, Shining Armor was able to prepare his army undisturbed.”

She looked at her audience. “Now, can we get back to the issue of our escape, or do you want me to keep monologuing until it fails?”

“I’d say, we can continue this stand-off in a safer place,” said Obsidian. “What do you think?”

“As much as I hate it,” said Twilight, “we do need to get out of here. Aurora, please don’t start another fight right now.”

“Very well,” said Chrysalis. “Since Arrogance can track us by smell, I’ve taught my soldiers how to hide theirs. But as for you, the best way to lose her is -” Her horn lit up, and a circle of green flame appeared before her, “Straight through the floor. After you.”

Twilight glared at the spell, than at Chrysalis.

The queen raised her eyes to the ceiling again. “If I wanted you dead, I would’ve killed you all already. Except him, perhaps. I don’t even know what he is,” she added, nodding towards Obsidian.

“Then I’ll go first,” said Obsidian. “Less glaring, more walking. And don’t forget to pick up Dash.” He jumped over the flames into the circle, and fell through the floor as if it were liquid. 

Twilight looked down at the place where he had disappeared, then turned around, picking Dash off the floor with her telekinesis.

Fluttershy walked up to Scootaloo, who was standing with her rump to the wall, her eyes darting left and right, trying to keep all the changelings in her field of vision. 

“It’s okay, Scootaloo,” she said softly, “I will take care of you.” She opened her wings, and after a moment of hesitation, the filly relaxed a bit, melting into her embrace.

The changelings holding onto Aurora let go, skittering up the wall as she sprang back to her feet. She gave them a dirty look, and walked towards the circle.

“Pinkie, darling,” whispered Rarity as she watched Aurora disappear, “didn’t your Pinkie sense use to warn you whenever there was a ‘doozy’ coming?”

Pinkie Pie considered the question. “After last week? This barely counts as weird.”

***

Luna walked into her tent. A gesture of a wing kept her adjutants outside. Inside the tent there was a map table covered in miniatures; Luna intended the place to be her mobile command center, not her bedroom. She looked at the table, and moved the tokens around, putting most of them back in the box. She made sure the anti-spying spells were in place.

She had just finished, when Spitfire and Dr Stone entered the tent.

“The Elements escaped,” started Spitfire. “I found their trail at the stadium, but then they went underground, collapsing the tunnels behind them. It’s a maze down there, and they’ll be long gone by the time I find and clear the right path.”

“But where would they escape to?” asked Dr Stone, looking pensively at the map.

“Obsidian doesn’t seem to have any more allies,” said Luna.

“Obsidian is far more than he seems,” said Spitfire. “It’s time we stopped underestimating him. What about the city?”

“It is taken,” replied Luna. “The battle is over. We have the remaining crystal ponies rounded up.”

“And the commanders?” asked Spitfire.

“I killed Shining Armor and Glitterdust, and captured Cadence,” said Luna. “She’s contained, though the emotional feedback from the tower damaged her mind. I don’t know how useful she will be. Prism is still unaccounted for. The enemy has also managed to take the Crystal Heart, but since the barrier still protects the city against the eternal winter, the Heart must still be somewhere within.”

“So, the Empire is contained, and our enemy is on the run again,” said Spitfire. She looked at Luna, who was staring at her oddly. Her features relaxed, and she smiled at the princess. “We’ve made a lot of progress today. This crisis may yet be averted. And it’s all thanks to you breaking their defenses.”

Luna returned the smile. “All the pieces were already in place. It was just a matter of making them come together.”

“This leaves the problem of what to do with the city,” said Dr Stone.

“It would be easiest if we could find and destroy the Heart,” mused princess Luna. “Relocate the remaining ponies, and let the cold of the north finally claim the place.”

“It is obvious that they need to be contained,” said Spitfire. “It is regrettable, but we cannot afford to let any of them go free ever again; there is no foolproof way of weeding out all those that Honesty affected.”

“Speaking of which,” she said, turning towards Dr Stone. “I’ve talked with Dr Bluebonnet on my way here. She shouldn’t be able to process speech yet.”

“She’s engineering support,” replied Dr Stone. “An engineer is useless without proper communication. I ordered her to stay away from the frontline unless told otherwise. Besides, she knows enough about our workings already, that there is little Honesty could say to sway her. I’m more concerned with Enigma’s influence. That’s why I assigned one of your agents to keep an eye on her.”

“Yes,” said Spitfire, “Pierce will do. Although… we still don’t know what caused Prism to go rogue. Perhaps you should keep an eye on them both."

“So,” said Luna, “is the city to remain contained as it is? This will require some measures to protect the guards from any insidious ideas from within.”

“Do you have a better idea?” asked Spitfire.

Luna looked down on her. “Truly, any disaster that couldn’t be blamed on us. A regrettable loss of pony life, to be sure. But our family has already sacrificed enough for this city. Ponies come and go. We, who are destined to live so much longer, must learn to look at the bigger picture.”

Dr Stone and Spitfire stared at Princess Luna. 

“I didn’t expect to hear that from you,” said Spitfire finally. “I remember you being shocked at such ‘regrettable losses.’ ” 

“You know well,  we have done worse than that, sister,” said Luna.

“But then we changed,” replied Spitfire. “We were supposed to build a bright future together, What happened to you?”

Luna flashed her a crooked smile, her regal demeanor dropping for a moment. “A thousand years swallowed by the Moon will do that to you,” she said.

Spitfire gritted her teeth, averting her gaze. “I will make it up to you somehow,” she said, “And to Lightbringer. The city… will stay contained for now.”

“As you wish,” replied Luna slowly. “I am sure this will blow up sooner or later, but… I’ll find somepony competent and expendable for the job. You can focus all your attention on finding the Elements of Harmony.

***

“What!?” shouted Rainbow Dash. Her voice reverberated across the vast cavern.

Pinkie Pie took a deep breath. “We were losing the battle, so queen Chrysalis decided to save us, and tricked us into running away. We’re deep underground in the old diamond dog tunnels now. Also the real Bling was Celestia’s spy, so she ate him. Chrysalis, not Celestia. Obsidian knocked you out so you wouldn’t hurt yourself.”

“That’s pretty much it, sugarcube,” agreed Applejack.

Rainbow Dash rose to her feet, and flapped her wings several times. She then looked up at a looming dog statue standing by the side of a tunnel entrance. “So, once again, where are we?”

“Ancient diamond dog tunnels,” explained Obsidian. “Back in the day, they used to be a glorious underground civilisation spanning the continent, the finest miners and gem cutters in the world. But during the great war they sided with the Alliance against the Alicorn Empire. So the emperor asked Deception to neutralize their threat, and she created a new species of cave mould that the diamond dogs were violently allergic to. Soon they found out that the safest of their tunnels became deathtraps to them. A lot of them died, and the rest were forced to flee their ancestral homes. Their race survived, but their civilisation did not, turning them into the barbarians you know now. Their oldest and wisest had been the first to go.”

He then flew off his feet as Rainbow’s hoof connected with his jaw, sending him flying through the group and into the opposite wall. Some dust fell off the ceiling of the cave. Everypony turned, ready for a fight. 

Fluttershy opened her mouth to say something, closed it with a huff, then let her power spread, washing over everyone present. 

Obsidian picked himself from the ground, moving his jaw left and right. “That’s a drawback of being super tough,” he said. “Nopony pulls their punches with you. That’s also all the gratitude I expected.”

Rainbow Dash glared at Obsidian in silence. Then she looked at Fluttershy, and her expression softened. “Thank you, Fluttershy,” she said.

“I hope nopony plans to do that to me next,” said Chrysalis from the front of the group. “I do have your families, you know.”

Twilight teleported, popping up in front of Chrysalis. “And that’s far enough,” she said sternly. “We’re away from the Empire, Dash has woken up, and can listen with us. I’ve… lost loved ones today, and I’m not in the mood for riddles. So tell me, what in Tartarus is going on?”

“High time you did, cheeselegs,” said Applejack. Her necklace lit up in a way that clearly showed it was no longer used as just a light source.

“Very well,” said Chrysalis. “Chair.”

One of her guards fell off the wall, and transformed, becoming an elaborate chitinous armchair. Chrysalis sat in it upright.

“Let’s start with your families then. They are safe, for now. As you’ve learned, our pods can be quite comfortable if you need to sleep for a long time. And surely you can appreciate the benefits of sleeping through this whole mess. All things considered, they are safer under my protection than they were under yours.”

“But you won’t let us see them,” said Applejack.

“Of course not,” replied Chrysalis. “I don’t trust you.”

“You don’t trust us?” said Rainbow Dash in disbelief.

“Yes,” replied Chrysalis. “You’re soft. Your love is your strength, but also your weakness, and I need your power to take down the Shattered for good. I can’t afford you hesitating at the last moment, or not sticking to the plan.”

“Back in my time,” said Aurora,”the changelings used to serve the Shattered. What’s changed?”

Chrysalis turned her head towards her with deliberate slowness. “Queen Protea died.”

“Changelings are highly hierarchical creatures. To defy the will of the queen is unthinkable. Back when the Shattered ruled the world, the changelings all answered to one queen. And her will was not her own, but Deception’s. The fleshcrafting Shattered had used her powers to put manacles inside her head, forcing her obedience. And through her, put her entire race in her thrall.”

The cave was silent. Twilight realized that the changelings had frozen, sitting in circles around their queen, listening reverently to every word. 

“But the queen was old and cunning,” continued Chrysalis, “Even locked in the cage of her own mind, she never ceased looking for a way to set her kind free, and when she saw the chance, she seized it - arranging her own death, and setting up a new queen, one that would be free from Deception’s control. The very night the Shattered faked their defeat, we escaped from them, laying low as the world took a new shape around us.”

“For centuries we hid; acting too soon could mean our extinction, or return to slavery. We wanted revenge, but we knew we needed the Elements to achieve final victory. The Elements which, it seemed, were now bound to our foes. And so we waited, all the while learning what we could, trying to piece together what exactly had happened.”

“We discovered the Crystal Tree, and learned its purpose. We also learned that It was already threatened by a scheme of another. Rather than risk tampering with its defenses, we decided to wait for it to die, and then claim the Elements. Imagine our surprise when Celestia herself arranged for a new team of bearers.”

“This changed the whole situation. The tools of victory were suddenly within our reach. Now we just had to wait for the right moment. Of course, we also needed to find out why Celestia needed you. We figured out it was Discord. Then we found out about the Crystal Empire’s approaching return. For some reason Celestia couldn’t use the Elements herself anymore.”

“She wouldn’t risk me breaking free again,” added Aurora.

Chrysalis nodded towards her, and continued. “She needed the real Elements as backup. Now armed with that knowledge, we were ready to strike. The wedding provided a perfect opportunity. Though the plan didn’t go off without a hitch, I managed to complete step one; challenge Celestia where she was the most vulnerable, surrounded by loving subjects she wouldn’t catch in her attacks, limiting her to her solar-themed magic, which I had prepared a perfect counterspell for, then let you fight my soldiers until you pointed them to the location of the Elements. I had arranged a proper distraction for Guilt beforehoof - all that remained were Envy and Deception.”

“That’s not the story you told me back then,” said Twilight Sparkle.

Chrysalis shrugged. “And would you believe me, had I told you the truth? EIther way I needed to maintain the facade long enough for Envy to reveal herself - I didn’t want to face her at her full power, and for that I needed her to think it was an invasion of hungry monsters, not an act of revenge by enemies knowing her secret. I would have explained things to you in detail once we’ve won - I still needed you to seal the Shattered for good, and to handle Sombra when he returned.”

“But you went full villain there!” interrupted Pinkie Pie. “You had a song, and everything!”

“Are you familiar with the idea of method acting?” asked Chrysalis. “It has a long and proud tradition amongst my kind. And besides, my servants really were hungry.”

“And then you lost,” said Obsidian.

Chrysalis’ features hardened. “I did,” she admitted. “Between maintaining the facade, and staying on the lookout for Envy and Deception, I let Twilight slip my attention. I also underestimated Cadence. I thought she was just another alicorn body, grown to eventually serve as a shell for one of the Shattered.”

“That oversight costed me dearly. Being able to fly does little to let one survive being flung by an explosion. I was strong enough. I lived. But almost a hundred of my soldiers did not. It was our most horrible defeat for centuries. But I wasn’t about to give up.”

“So then you sent us into the Void Passage,” said Twilight.

“No, I didn’t,” replied Chrysalis. “I didn’t even know it existed until you arrived here last week. It was already forgotten history in my time.”

“But we ended up in your hive,” said Applejack.

Chrysalis nodded. “You did. We had established that hive to keep an eye on you, and infiltrate Ponyville. I don’t know what happened, I wasn’t there at the time. I only know that my scouts felt powerful magic, and then you were all unconscious. Fortunately, my changelings acted immediately. Celestia’s agents contacted her for orders first, and that was all the advantage we needed. Later, I tried to figure out what had happened to you, but nothing I tried would wake you up. So, having the current bearers of the Elements in my hive had to suffice for the moment. I left you under careful care, and then focused on matters at hoof, all the while looking for any clues of what had happened.”

“Which brings us to the here and now,” finished Obsidian. “One has to wonder, how did you manage to conceal yourself in Shining Armor’s palace. He must have been quite wary of changelings.”

“There is no way to hide from proper detection spells,” said Chrysalis. “Unless the pony doing the detecting is on your side,” she finished with a smug smile.

“He was?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Well, if he wanted to see his family again…” started Chrysalis.

She looked at the faces of the ponies facing her. The temperature in the cave seemed to drop a couple degrees.

“What? I’ve kept my side of the deal. They’re safe in the pods, sleeping like foals. Meanwhile, he probably died defending the palace. If it makes you feel any better, I’ll include their safety in your deal.”

“What deal?” asked Applejack, her eyes narrowing. “We haven’t agreed to anything-”

“-Yet,” finished Chrysalis. “But I have something you need, and you have something you can give me.”

“You’re despicable.”

Everypony turned in surprise. It was Fluttershy who said it. 

The yellow pegasus was trembling with anger. “How could you… use our loved ones like that… after all… everypony’s been through?”

“I’m just playing it safe,” replied Chrysalis. “I have my subjects to consider.”

“You’re using one as a chair,” grumbled Rainbow Dash.

“And he’s very good at his job,” replied Chrysalis. “Back to our topic. You want your families safe. And I can keep them safe, as long as you don’t do anything stupid. But I wasn’t talking about what you want.” She looked disdainfully at Fluttershy. “I was talking about what you need.”

“And what do you think we need?” asked Aurora.

Chrysalis cocked her head. “Right now? A safe place to recover from your losses. Ideally one where you can practice your magic without revealing your location. You also need information, so that you don’t act blindly. Some sealing gems to trap the Shattered in so you don’t have to haul heavy stone statues around? Any of these I can supply.“

“And in return?” asked Twilight Sparkle. “What do you want from us?”

Chrysalis stepped off her chair, which immediately transformed and skittered up the wall. 

“What I want? I want peace. A place where my swarm could live openly. Our hunger makes us predators, hunters of ponies, but there are many ways of sating it, were we given a chance - If we could openly live with other species. That is simply not possible while our former masters rule ponykind.”

She walked forward, and towered over Twilight. “I need you to grow stronger. Strong enough to win this war once and for all.”

“That’s what we’ve been doing all along,” replied Applejack.

“And today’s shown you’re not there yet,” replied Chrysalis. She wasn’t smiling anymore. 

“So you will help us?” asked Rarity.

“I will provide support, yes,” replied Chrysalis.

“But not fight on our side?” asked Obsidian.

“Of course not,” said Chrysalis. “I told you how important it is for us to stay out of sight. Do you want us to just swarm and go to battle? After all those centuries of careful planning? After the battle in Everfree, Celestia already suspects us of being your tools. If she saw a single changeling in the Empire, she’d have no doubts anymore. I’ve already had to evacuate all the hives she might be able to find. I’ve seen Elements of Harmony before, and these mares… are not ready yet. As they are now, I will not wager my entire species on them.”

“How can we trust you, if you leave all the fighting to us?” asked Twilight.

“I did fight at your side today,” said Chrysalis, “didn’t I?” She then addressed the whole group. “Until you can make me believe in you, my soldiers will not join you in battle. You have heard my proposal. Now, the decision is up to you.”

Silence fell at the declaration. The Elements kept looking at each other, unsure what to do, waiting for somepony to speak first. Even Obsidian kept silent, waiting for their response. When they finally did decide to speak, they did it all at once, interrupting each other before falling back into awkward silence.

Finally, it was Applejack who made a move. “Let me speak first, okay?” she said.

As her friends nodded in agreement, she walked to the front of the group, taking Twilight’s place in front of Chrysalis. Her Element brightened so much, that it caused the changeling queen to squint.

“I need ya to answer a question before we agree to anything, cheeselegs,” she said sternly. “Do ya know what happened to my sister?”

Behind her, Rarity opened her mouth to speak, but the closed it, letting her friend handle the situation. 

All the changelings turned towards Applejack, some baring their sharp teeth threateningly. Chrysalis calmed them with a wave of her wing.

“I don’t know where she is,” she said. “Either of them,” she added, looking towards Rarity. “From what I’ve managed to learn, somepony took them out of the palace in the confusion you caused. A blue unicorn that matches the description of Guilt’s current body.”

“Not him,” replied Applejack. “I asked him.”

“Curious,” replied Chrysalis. “None of mine either. I have no idea who it was, or where he took them, but this game obviously has another player we don’t know about.”

“This is not a game,” said Rarity, giving her a dirty look. 

Chrysalis snorted derisively. “A figure of speech. This war has more than two sides, perhaps? Either way…”

She turned back to Applejack. “Is that all you wanted to know?”

“No,” replied Applejack. “That’s not all. It looks to me like we have a common enemy, but we’re not really on the same side. You’re keeping our families hostage.”

“And safely out of the way, so you could focus on your job,” replied queen Chrysalis.

“Point is,” continued Applejack. “I don’t trust ya one bit.” She turned around, and looked at her friends. “If the situation were any less desperate, I’d just blast you with the Elements, go save Granny and the others, and then figured out what to do about the Shattered.”

There were silent nods of approval, Aurora’s and Dash’s being the most pronounced.

“But we can’t afford that now. We have all of Equestria to save, not just the ponies we love.”

This time the nods were much slower, much more hesitant.

“You make a good point,” said Twilight, “But we still can’t trust her.”

“Yea, she’ll be no help if she’s not really on our side,” said Dash.

“Oh, it just comes with the territory, I guess,” said Chrysalis. “What can I do to ease your fears?”

“Besides not behaving like an evil changeling queen?” asked Rarity.

Applejack looked Chrysalis straight in the eyes, pushing into her personal space.

“Swear to me.” Her eyes glowed soft orange.

“What?” asked Chrysalis.

“The ponies you’ve captured,” explained Applejack. “Swear to me that you will keep them safe. And that you will let them go safely even if we lose. You will not feed on them.”

“Or that family you mentioned before,” added Rarity.

Chrysalis looked into the glowing eyes, and her mouth stretched into a toothy smile. “You sly, little… Have it your way.”

She looked around, straightened herself, and cleared her throat. “For all the friends and family members of yours that I’m keeping captured right now, as well as the family of Keen Eye, the unicorn, I will take good care of them. I will do all in my power to make sure they come to no harm, and will give them back their freedom after your war with the Shattered is over, regardless of the result, as long as you do all in your power to defeat the Shattered once and for all. So swear I, Chrysalis, the queen of changelings.”

Silence fell. Applejack’s necklace flashed brightly, and a moment later, the same orange glow flashed briefly in Chrysalis’ eyes.

“It is done,” said Chrysalis. “Now can we finally get moving? The Queen’s Gate is not far away.” 

She turned away, and started walking, followed by her changelings. Reluctantly, the Elements followed as well.

Obsidian looked at Applejack with a smile. “A geass? You really are learning.”

“What exactly did you do?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“She made an honest promise here,” said Applejack. “I just left a bit of my magic with her, to make sure she stays honest.”

Twilight looked at Chrysalis’ back. “So if she tried to break it now…”

“It would be like trying to lie to Honesty,” explained Obsidian, “with every breath. It would drive her insane.”

He looked at Applejack. “And to think you said I was making Honesty creepy.”

“It’s not creepy,” shot back Applejack. “It only worked because she agreed to swear. She knew it would happen.”

She continued forward, grumbling under her breath. “And what does it have to do with geese?”

***

It took them less than 20 minutes to descend through the ancient ruins. The portal stood at the back of a huge cavern that must have once been the central plaza of an underground city. Compared to the crumbling wonders of architecture that surrounded it, it was deceptively simple, an unadorned arch carved from a single, rectangular slab of stone, just wide enough for two ponies to walk through side by side. And yet, at the slightest touch of Chrysalis’ magic, it sprung to life, a sheet of pulsing purple light filling the space inside it.

“It’s ready,” said Chrysalis simply, the first two changelings of her retinue walking through the portal and disappearing. 

As before, Obsidian was the first of the group to go, followed by the Elements, with Scootaloo clinging to Dash for protection.

Aurora was the last to go. She stood at the threshold, then turned her head towards Chrysalis.

“You could’ve just told them, you know,” she said.

Chrysalis returned her gaze. “What do you mean?”

Aurora turned away, looking at the portal again. “You look different. But I’ve only ever seen one changeling with slitted pupils.”

Chrysalis snorted. “You’re wrong with this one. It is normal for changeling queens to be different.”

“It would’ve helped your case,” said Aurora.

“Not at all,” replied Chrysalis. “It would just muddle the issue, make all the explanations longer. I don't just look different. I am different. She’s dead. She’s been for centuries, and the Elements… their day had been confusing enough as it was. They needed something simple for a change. Let them see in black and white for a while.”

***

Captain North Star was sitting in the empty throne room. It was a chilly night, wind whistling through the broken windows. The captain rested on the cold, stone floor. The Sun would not rise again, and it was his fault.

A part of him understood that it was a dream - the same dream as every night, over and over. It didn’t make things any better though. For him, this was his reality now. The short breaks in the waking world were no less cold and dark, despite the Sun in the sky. It was not Her Sun, not anymore. It did not shine for him.

Suddenly, the stone floor echoed with the sound of approaching hooves. This hadn’t happened before.

Captain North Star rose from the ground, ears perking up. 

Princess Luna emerged from behind the throne, looking at him sadly.

“Your Majesty...”

The captain’s face became a mask of terror, before fading to resignation. He just stood there, all the will gone from him, not even slumping back onto the floor. “So, it is time,” he whispered under his breath.

Princess Luna approached him, growing as she walked, towering over him. 

“No, it is not,” she said sternly.

Captain North Star looked up at her, a silent question in his eyes.

“Yes, I know everything about what you did, captain North Star,” said Luna. She didn’t raise her voice. It was stern, angry even, but all the same, almost motherly in how it sounded.
“I know your heart too.” 

She stared into his eyes. For a moment he felt a stab of fear pierce through his resigned numbness.

“But I also know you were a brave soldier once,” said Luna. “The weight of your mistakes broke you, but surely you are no coward, who would welcome oblivion before making an effort to atone.”

“Your Majesty…” whispered North Star, “There is nothing I could do, that could-”

Lune spread her wings, filling his entire world.

“EQUESTRIA STILL STANDS. EQUESTRIA STILL NEEDS EVERY PONY WILLING TO FIGHT FOR ITS FUTURE, NO MATTER HOW UNWORTHY. WILL YOU ALLOW YOURSELF TO WALLOW IN DESPAIR, OR WILL YOU DO YOUR DUTY ONE LAST TIME?”

Captain North Star’s eyes widened. 

“Your Majesty… tell me what I must do.”
> Chapter 37: The Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It rolled on the floor, then whirred. She teleported, but only had the time to grab the few closest ponies...

Twilight’s eyes snapped open. She was laying on her side, breathing heavily, the squishy softness underneath her casting her chamber in pale, green light, which grew more pronounced as her mind woke up.

She turned her head, looking down at her bed - a modified changeling pod, set horizontally on the stone floor, flattened as she rested upon it. It was as comfortable as the changelings could provide, essentially a waterbed filled with a softly glowing liquid. The surface was warm and rubbery.

It’s like laying on a giant blister, decided Twilight with disgust. Perhaps Spike-

The reality returned in an instant, a cold shiver down her spine, and a heavy, sour knot in her stomach. She rolled onto her back, staring at the stone ceiling. There was no Spike. There was no Shining Armor. It was not a nightmare - yesterday really did happen.

Twilight remembered crying herself to sleep; she had held strong during the battle, and later through the journey in the caves, then through the Queen’s Gate, then more tunnels leading to this hidden hive. But once she was alone in her personal chamber, the membranous ‘door’ closed behind her with a slurp, the adrenaline that had kept her focused through the past hours evaporated; she instantly broke down crying, and didn’t stop until she fell asleep.

My eyes feel sore, she realized. I must look as horrible as I feel. I can’t let my friends see me like this. What time is it anyway? There are no windows here.

She rolled onto her side. I need to find a bathroom, and make myself presentable. They’re counting on me, I need to be strong. Do changelings even have bathrooms? They never need to do their manes or anything, they just change them. Obsidian will notice anyway, won’t he? And he will be snide about it. ‘To be a sentient being, is to experience loss,’ ‘Learn, and grow stronger, then you can protect those you love.’ Oh, how I hate him…

With a groan of frustration Twilight turned onto her back again. She closed her eyes, and spent some time listening to her own breathing, until she felt a fresh, warm tear rolling down from the corner of her eye. What do I do now? What will I tell mom? How will I even… meet my friends in the morning?

She turned, and rolled out of her bed. I can’t do it anymore. I won’t fall asleep. It’s probably near morning already anyway. Might as well look for that bathroom, and see what I can do. Everypony is counting at me.

The door twitched when she approached it. She lit the tip of her horn, and the membrane slid aside, like a closing wing. Twilight looked out into the corridor cautiously. It was dimly lit by glowing cysts stuck to the ceiling, same as the rest of the hive, at least the part they managed to see before going to sleep. There were more doors on both sides, leading to other guest rooms. 

As soon as Twilight walked through the door, her ear caught a sound of chitinous limbs moving. She looked to her left, and saw a changeling walking down the wall, stopping at her face level. “Is there anything I can help you with, miss Sparkle?” he asked in a polite voice.

Twilight averted her gaze. “I’m just… looking for a bathroom,” she said.

The changeling hopped onto the ground, and pointed down the corridor with his leg. “This way, please.”

Twilight started walking in that direction. She didn’t look behind her, but she could hear the changeling following in her steps.

“Are you watching me?” she asked.

“The hive can be confusing,” answered the changeling. “We wouldn’t like you to get lost here. My name is Morph. I have been assigned as your personal assistant during your stay.”

“I don’t… need an assistant,” blurted Twilight with irritation.

“I’ve been told of your loss,” said Morph behind her. His voice remained polite, and coldly formal. “I’ve been showed all the relevant shapes while learning about you, so if you ever need me to-”

“No!” Twilight spun on the spot, facing the changeling angrily. 

Morph crouched, and bowed his head. “I apologize. I only wanted to help.”

“You don’t help like that!” shouted Twilight, clenching her jaw to muffle the last word as she realised, mid-sentence, just how much of an echo the corridor had. “Why did you even think it would work?” she finished in a terse whisper.

“That’s how we do things,” explained Morph. “Turning into loved ones is what we do.”

Twilight closed her eyes. “With such a way of thinking… how do you even manage to pass for ponies?”

“Infiltration training, miss,” replied Morph. “I haven’t received it yet.”

“Well then, remember this lesson at least,” said Twilight.

“Yes, miss,” said the changeling. He kept walking behind Twilight as she trotted down the corridor. As she reached the T shaped intersection at the end, Morph flew up, taking a place on the wall over the membranous door there.

“I’ll… wait for you here,” he said.

Twilight walked in, and looked around. The bathroom looked… weird was the word. Like all the other chambers it looked like a cave, the walls roughly carved in rock. There was a trough by one wall, through which water was constantly flowing, emerging from one wall and disappearing in the other. On the other side there were three stalls, with wooden doors that looked like they didn’t belong there, as did the large mirror standing opposite the door. There was a layer of green gunk on the floor, just hard enough not to stick to the hooves, but softening the sound of hoofsteps. Several melon-sized changeling sacks glowed on the ceiling, making everything appear greenish.

Twilight walked around the room, first to the toilet, which turned out to be a hole in the floor leading into darkness. Was it always here, she thought, or did they drill it somehow? You’d think with them taking so many faces, one of them would know how to do proper plumbing.

She then turned towards various cleaning utensils set beside the trough. The water was icy, but it failed to wake her up any more, only making her feel cold and miserable.

Finally she stood in front of the mirror. What she saw in front of herself was a tangled mane, a coat slightly grey with dust from yesterday’s battle, with darker tear marks splotched around the cheeks and temples, eyes red under the swollen eyelids. 

By… Harmony… It’s so weird not to say ‘By Celestia’ anymore… I look as horrible as I feel. I think I’ll start with washing my face. Then request some hot water perhaps. Of course I don’t have my brush with me.

She tried to use her magic to put her mane in order, but she couldn’t put her heart in it. In the end, she just got her mane wet with icy water, and then let it fall flat, hoping it would be enough for the time being.

She heard some movement behind the door. Remembering that she’d left Morph waiting there, she turned towards the exit to walk out and ask him about hot water. 

The door slid open, and there was Rarity there. Dusty, unkempt, red eyes surrounded by smudged make-up, her own assistant skittering up a wall outside as te door slid shut.

The two mares spent whole three seconds looking at each other, unsure of what to do, each tensed, ready to turn away and hide her face, a clumsy excuse forming on either tongue.

The moment passed, and no words came. None were necessary. There were only two mares collapsed on the bathroom floor, hugging each other and sobbing.

***

There was some alarmed barking when Enigma appeared inside the cave. The guards sprang to their feet, baring their teeth, growling at an unexpected intruder as servants scattered to safety.

As for the chieftain, a bulky, bulldog-faced brute with slightly greying fur, he just stared, sitting with his mouth agape, the light of the fire pit turning his face into a horror prop.

“I am Guilt of the Shattered,” proclaimed Enigma aloud. “I would speak with whoever is in charge here.” He looked at the chieftain, and saw a telltale twitch of his jaw muscles. With a sigh, he prepared for the next step; this part couldn’t really be avoided, not with the limited time he had, but it didn’t make the diamond dog’s predictability any more exasperating.

The bulldog rose in his stone seat. “Oh, you’ll be shattered all right… sic em!”

The guard dogs pounced. Enigma waited until the very last moment, shifting away when the monsters’ claws were mere inches from his flesh. The two most eager guards couldn’t stop their own momentum; they flew through the now empty space and collided head-on. The third managed to redirect his charge with a sharp turn towards Enigma’s new position, snapping his jaw at the stallion’s neck. His jaw closed on a perfectly cubical piece of granite that appeared where his target had been standing.

Enigma reappeared in front of the chieftain. The last guard, apparently slower than the others, came at him from behind. The unicorn punched forward, the first movement of a limb since he entered the room, and shifted twice, blinking in front of the attacker in time to strike him in the throat, with just enough restraint to not crush his larynx, and then out of the way, allowing the big dog to fall reeling at his master’s feet.

“I will kill the next one who tries that,” he said to the chieftain. “Now, I want to speak with you.”

The old dog perched higher on his stone chair, making a visible effort to stay as far as possible from the intruder without leaving his seat. “Who are you?” he growled.

“I’ve told you, didn’t I?” said Enigma. He walked forward, the recovering guard crawling out of his way. “We have been forgotten, but no longer. A war is coming, dog. And when it starts, it is important that you all remember why. "

A long string of heavy crystal beads appeared out of thin air, falling over the surprised chieftain’s shoulders. He grabbed them, startled, and then looked at the crystals in fascination. 

They were in different colors, each about three inches in diameter, too heavy to be jewelry, unless for a giant. Each was cut into an irregular shape, a seemingly random combination of grooves… until the stone was held against the light. Then everything changed in an instant - the light painted images inside the crystal, shapes and letters appearing underneath the surface, shifting as the stone was slowly turned around the string to expose new pictures.

The chieftain’s eyes went wide. “Story stones. I’ve never seen… I’ve only heard stories. But-”

“Can you read them?” asked Enigma impatiently. “If you don’t, you’ll just have to take my word for all I have to tell you.”

The chief shook his head. “No, no… I can’t.”

Enigma looked at the floor beneath his hooves. “How exactly did you end up a chieftain? No, don’t answer that. I bring you the legacy of your ancestors, and all you can do with it is be awed.”

“Clever dog,” said the chief. “We have one. He’s old and… clever. Perhaps he knows how to read. Go, fetch Inky!” he barked at one of the smaller dogs skulking in the entrance of the cavern.

“You do that,” said Enigma. “And just to be clear,” he continued, “I moved that rock you bit into, instantly. I could move a bit of your blood, and replace it with a bubble of air. I won’t bore you with details, but your heart would stop. An embolism is a bad way for a proud warrior to go, isn’t it?”

Behind him, a guarding dog, who was preparing to pounce, turned and scurried away, spitting out a piece of a broken tooth. 

Enigma closed his eyes. This was going to be a long night.

***

“You’ll never get away with this!” sobbed Princess Cadence.

She was in a dungeon lab room, standing with a bench set diagonally under her barrel, propping her upright, chains securing her legs and wings, and a crystal-studded metal clamp on the base of her horn. Princess Luna and Dr Stone were there with her, Spitfire having left moments before.

Luna suppressed a groan. “What is that even supposed to mean?” she asked in an aloof voice. “Do you expect me to reply ‘I already have,' or some such nonsense? Should I laugh maniacally? You can try to hold to your delusions, Cadence, but the sad fact is, you are the villain here. Nothing showed it more clearly than what you did to my brave soldiers.”

“You murdered Shining Armor,” hissed Cadence.

Luna turned to Dr Stone. “You would think she would be more responsive.”

“My formula is doing its job,” replied Dr Stone. “It just seems she’s very stubborn.”

“But you designed her,” said Luna.

Dr Stone nodded. “Covertly. There is only so much backdoor access one can introduce discreetly. And if I medicate her too hard-”

Luna flapped her wing impatiently. “I know, I know. We’ve done this hundreds of times before. It’s just that we don’t have the time.”

She leaned closer to Cadence, lit up her horn, and touched it to the other alicorn’s forehead. “I need to know,” she said. “Where are the Elements?” 

Her response was silence. As the light of Luna’s horn intensified, Cadence kept staring forward, another tear falling through the matter fur of her face. Finally her mouth started to move slowly. Luna withdrew her horn, and leaned closer to hear.

“Monster… you murdered him,” stammered Cadence under her breath.

Luna withdrew her head, and sighed dejectedly.

She turned when she felt movement in the entrance behind her. Lightbringer was peering into the interrogation room.

“Howdy,” he said with a crooked grin. “What are you guys up to?” 

“Oh, good evening, Light,” said Luna. “We are trying to find out where our enemies have retreated to, but our best lead remains stubborn in her defiance.”

Lightbringer raised an eyebrow. “Against you? That’s new.” He walked in, and approached the bench. Luna noticed how his hooves suddenly started to make a sound against the stone floor. 

Oh, he was using his power to sneak. I was too busy to pay attention to magnetic fields. That’s why I didn’t notice him earlier. Now that I think of it, we should put more carpets here, the noise is obnoxious.

Lightbringer leaned in, taking a closer look at Cadence. “Long time no see. So this is the new alicorn. Were you planning to make me a pretty, pink princess?”

“It is not… one of those,” explained Dr Stone hastily. “We just needed somepony who could reliably wrest control of the tower from… Sombra,” she finished uncomfortably.

“So, she’s a designer baby royalty?” asked Light. ”Where did you get the blueprint?”

“We didn’t,” replied Stone, her professional facade returning. “We couldn’t design her from the ground up without knowing exactly what we were aiming for. Fortunately, our archives contained enough information to track down some distant relatives of the royal family, who left the protection of the Empire during the Reign of Justice, and later during Discord’s rule. We only recovered scraps, barely more than nothing, but we extrapolated, and after centuries of work, it was enough to recover the bloodline.”
Lightbringer stared at Dr Stone, wide eyed. Then he laughed loudly. “A breeding program? You really didn’t have enough things to keep you busy.”

“Be grateful she did not,” replied Luna. “It was all for your sake.”

“So, what exactly is wrong?” asked Light, turning back to Cadence. 

The alicorn gave him an empty stare, jaws clenched shut.

“We’re trying to find the Elements before they endanger Equestria again,” said Dr Stone, “But wherever they went, Cadence won’t tell us.”

“Against all your powers?” asked Light, his face pensive.

“There are things we would not try,” said Luna. “And things that would take too long, like Dr Stone rewiring her brain.”

“You’re all monsters!” shouted Cadence unexpectedly, causing everypony to turn towards her. “Murderous… unnatural monsters!” Then she erupted with sobs, choking on whatever she had intended to say next.

“Tell me something I don’t know,” replied Lightbringer. “Like… where to find Obsidian and the Elements of Harmony?” He didn’t stop smiling, but his ears twitched with every muffled sob.

Luna lit her horn up, and Cadence was silenced, her eyes turning blank once more.

“Many lives depend on it,” said Luna softly. “Tell us, where to find the Elements of Harmony?”

Cadence’s lips started moving slowly. Lightbringer leaned in closer to listen, and then withdrew, smacking his lips in disapproval. “I think I know what the problem is.”

“What?” asked Luna, turning off her spell.

“She doesn’t know,” he replied.

“How can she not?” asked Dr Stone. “Even if they left without telling her where, they would at least have told her that. The Elements don’t abandon their friends.”

“I don’t know,” said Lightbringer. “Perhaps you don’t know them as well as you think. Perhaps something unexpected happened. What I know is, there isn’t a pony that could resist the two of you for three hours, which is how long I’ve been hearing her whining. At this point you’re just obsessing, because she’s your best lead, and you’re out of ideas.”

“We haven’t yet tried entering her dreams,” said Princess Luna.

“Let me help you,” said Light. He reared.

“No-” Luna opened her mouth, but it was too late. Light’s hoof shot towards Cadence’s head. There was a thump, a short crunch, and a spray of blood. A couple droplets landed on Light’s smiling face.

Luna recoiled in shock. “Light! What have you done!?”

“There,” said Lightbringer, “Distraction’s over. Now you can focus on looking for other options.”

“Light,” said Dr Stone angrily, reaching to the tools table for a cloth to wipe her glasses with. “How many times have we told you not to do that? Do you realise how long it took me to reconstruct the royal bloodline?”

Lightbringer shrugged, turning towards the exit. “Yea. And now she’s served her purpose already. If you really need her again, you’ve got your precious bloodline all over the wall. Clone her or something.”

“Lightbringer,” said Luna to his back. “Why don’t you go to Tartarus?”

Lightbringer turned his head towards her with a chuckle. “Hah, Tartarus has nothing on what I’ve been through.”

“No,” clarified Dr Stone, “It’s an actual place. While working on a plan to save you we researched sealing and unsealing spells. At one point we created an underground prison for magical monsters, to observe their escape attempts and learn from them. But now, since you’re back with us…”

“We no longer need them,” said Luna. “Truth be told, we have not checked on Tartarus for months. If you feel, you need to… indulge in violence…” she glanced at the body still propped upright behind her, “Why don’t you do something useful, and go put them out of their misery? You’ll be able to vent, and we’ll be able to work in peace.”

Lightbringer gave her a flat look. “Do you realise just how insulting that was?” Then his mouth stretched into a grin again. “Just tell me where it is.”

***

Twilight was walking down the stone steps, descending deeper into the caves, the green glow-sacks on the walls lighting her way. The illumination was rather dim, but Twilight would not light her horn; she hadn’t slept much for the rest of the night, and now she was feeling the beginning of a headache. Her stomach was still a knot, not in the least improved by the small breakfast she’d managed to force in when she woke up. Almost stumbling in the dark was better than dangling a source of bright light right in front of her face. Morph was walking by her side, making sure she took the right turns.

Finally, after walking what must have been four floors down, she heard the sounds of fighting. Walking in that direction she quickly emerged in a huge cavern shaped like an amphitheater. Her friends were sitting in the stands accompanied by some changelings - Twilight had already learned that each of them had got a changeling assistant to guide them through the tunnels. Other changelings were sitting in tunnel entrances up on the walls, or clinging to the ceiling; it seemed the commotion had already brought about three dozen onlookers.

In the center of the cavern there was a raised stone platform surrounded by glowing crystals; there were several changelings channeling their magic into the biggest ones, which in turn projected a bubble of force surrounding the arena. Inside, two pegasi kept bouncing off the barrier and off each other, exchanging blows in a shower of sparks.

“You can go faster than that,” said Aurora, landing on all fours and skidding to a halt.

Dash hovered on the opposite side, flapping her wings slowly. Her armor aura was extended, spreading from her pinions in red, spectral blades.

“If I go all out, I’ll hurt you,” she protested.

Aurora smiled at her, preparing to leap back into the air. “Don’t underestimate me. And your foes will go all out. If you let them, they’ll kill your friends. Your job as Loyalty is to prevent that. So show me all you’ve got, and I’ll show you how you can do better.”

As the two mares clashed again, Twilight approached the spot where her friends were sitting.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” she said. “What did I miss?”

“Just Dash and Aurora fighting,” said Applejack. 

“They’ve been going at it all morning,” said Scootaloo.

Twilight noticed the filly was sitting in the middle, putting other ponies between herself and any changelings.

“The arena’s not big enough for all of us,” said Pinkie Pie, “And they won’t let us take our turn.”

“Everypony deals with grief in their own way,” said Obsidian.

Twilight looked at him, a venomous comment on her tongue. Obsidian turned towards her, small dots of blue light at the bottom of his pupils. 

“Me?” he asked. “Do you really want to know? Is the evidence of your eyes not enough?”

Hasty to change the subject, Twilight averted her gaze, looking instead towards the arena. “What are those crystals?” she asked. “They don’t seem like they’ve been placed here, more like they’d been here from the start, and the arena was carved around them. But then, why are they in a circle?”

“The central ones were removed, and the rock reshaped,” replied Chrysalis behind her back. She was descending the steps, a bag made of stretchy gunk slung over her side. “It was a natural crystal formation, but it took a lot of work from our ancestors to make it focus our magic like that. Since then it has served as place where we could hone our magic without revealing our presence - the background aura of these caves will hide all the magic that doesn’t penetrate the barrier. It also allowed us to fight formal challenges without fear of hitting our audience. This is where I became the queen.”

“You mean…” asked Fluttershy.

“Yes,” said Chrysalis. “This is where queen Protea died at my horn. All according to her plan, though I didn’t know it at the time.”

Fluttershy gulped.

Obsidian put a hoof on his chin. “So, you used this place in Aurora’s times? That means the Shattered know of it.”

“They do,” replied Chrysalis. “But they haven’t been here for centuries. They’ve been around for thousands of years, they’ve seen more hidden caves than they’d care to keep track of. Though I admit it’s a kind of a double bluff for us to be hiding here.”

“You know,” said Obsidian, “I’ve been thinking of what you said earlier, about keeping your involvement secret. I don’t think your plan is sound. There is already no way to stop the Shattered from coming after you. Won’t it be a safer bet to give us your full support right away?”

“No,” said Chrysalis. “If you aren’t ready, our help won’t change anything.  We can survive you losing. The Shattered will lick their wounds, then restore the status quo. By the time they come after us, we will have scattered and disappeared, my image a bugmare to scare bad foals with. They might find some of us, but as long as they don’t take me alive, they will not find all - we have a lot of hideouts.”

“But if we were to go to battle and bleed ourselves out for your failure, the Shattered would not rest until both we and you are dead. Between that and the actual battle losses, our species might not survive. This is not our way. I will not be the queen who leads my kind to extinction. We’re already gambling a lot on you.”

She then turned towards her bag. “And just so it isn’t all sour with me…” she reached in, and pulled, then swung her neck towards Applejack, “Here, catch.”

Applejack extended her hooves instinctively before the thought of using her newfound telekinesis could cross her mind. She looked in surprise at the round object in front of her. 

“Ma hat! Where did ya get it?”

Chrysalis smiled. “One of my scouts took it from your closet while escaping Ponyville. I thought you’d miss it. Just don’t get it incinerated in a fight. I only have the one. Now...”

She turned towards the arena. “It’s time your pegasi friends let you get some practice too.”

She approached the bubble, and nodded towards the changelings on barrier duty. They returned the nod, and the barrier visibly weakened.

“Why don’t I tire them out a bit, so they can be persuaded to take a break?”

Aurora and Rainbow stopped their fight, and looked towards her.

With a grin, Chrysalis discarded the bag, covered herself in a film of green magic, and walked through the barrier.

***

*Two days later*

“So, ‘nafaka’ means food, right?” asked Sweetie Belle. 

“Yes,” replied Apple Bloom. She was sitting in front of a hut, using a flat stone and her hooves to crush some grains she couldn’t quite recognize.

“I never knew you had a talent for languages,” said Sweetie Belle. “What else can you say in zebra?”

“Not much,” replied Apple Bloom. “I actually know that one from Zecora.”

“Oh.” Sweetie Belle was clearly disappointed. “I was hoping you were beginning to understand them. It would be great to be able to talk to anypony other than that kooky shaman.”

“Yea,” replied Apple Bloom, “he gives me the creeps. With all that doomsaying, and rattle about prophecies.”

She shoved the contents of the stone into a flat bowl. A passing zebra took the bowl in her teeth, and walked away.

“I wish I knew what they were arguing about,” said Sweetie Belle. “I mean, I know Uchongo thinks we’re bad news. But at the end, they gave us food, and place to sleep, didn’t they?”

Apple Bloom looked around. Since the day they arrived, the initial excitement had died down. The villagers kept watching them, but with their curiosity sated, they gave them a wide berth. This was disconcerting. Nopony tried to shoo them out of the village, but Apple Bloom could see few smiles. It was obvious enough that the zebras were not comfortable with their presence. There also seemed to be fewer of them now, so much that on the second night the fillies were given a proper place to sleep in one of the huts.

“I don’t know if it’s true, or just the things Uchongo’s sayin, but they all look worried. They’re really expecting trouble, aren’t they?”

“Do you think they’re right?” asked Sweetie Belle.

“Do you think they are?” asked Apple Bloom. “I mean, I wouldn’t like to give anypony trouble.”

Sweetie Belle looked around the camp. “That Enigma guy said-”

“I know what he said,” said Apple Bloom, tipping a jug full of grain to put some more on the stone. “I just wish we knew more. I think he told us the truth about the necklaces. But is it a good thing, or a bad thing, that they can’t find us now?”

Sweetie Belle lifted her hooves to the sky. “We don’t know anything! There could be changelings ruling Equestria now, and we wouldn’t know!”

“Don’t worry, Sweetie Belle,” said Applebloom. “Whatever it is, I’m sure Applejack, Rarity and Twilight can handle it. We’d just be be getting underhoof.”

“But…” asked Sweetie Belle, “Aren’t they worried about us?”

To this, Apple Bloom had no answer.

***

That night, when the two fillies slept, huddled together in the corner of the hut next to its two remaining inhabitants, a hidden spell that had been counting down time reached zero. With a sound too soft to wake anypony up, the stone in Apple Bloom’s necklace cracked, a whiff of powder blue magic leaking out and disappearing in the night air.
> Chapter 38: The Hate
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Is serving Equestria your only ambition?” she asked him.

Captain North Star shook his head to wake himself up. It had been long hours since he awoke, the written orders already left next to his bed, along with the package he expected. But even now, a part of his mind kept returning to the dream, replaying it over and over.

“Is serving Equestria your only ambition?”

He looked around the council room. The crystal floor had been swept clean of the blood already, but the signs of the recent battle were still there; missing chunks of crystal in the walls marked the points of impact of particularly powerful spells and explosions.

The six officers gathered around the table looked at North Star expectedly. “Orders, sir?”

He looked in their eyes, and saw doubt. They must have heard rumors. I did make a mess out of myself. They don’t trust my command, do they? Let’s put an end to this…

The captain cleared his throat. “The orders are simple. Maintain order. Keep the city contained. Search the tower for any tomes or artifacts of dark magic. I can see you’ve made a fine job of the first task. I will handle the second. As for the third, I’ve been told you haven’t started yet?”

“No, sir” replied the white pegasus to the left. “We’ve secured, and closed off the main library,  but we haven’t yet commenced the search.”

“I think it is time,” said North Star. “Have your wizards examine anything that looks suspicious. And don’t limit yourself to the library either. Our reports from… previous developments indicate the presence of magically concealed passages within the tower. I will be looking for those myself, but anything you can bring to my notice will be useful. Just make sure to observe the safety rules. We are dealing with the darkest of magic here; corrupted tomes of knowledge, perhaps cursed artifacts, things that could change a faithful soldier of Equestria into a tragic pawn of darkness. There could also be magical traps protecting the tower’s secrets. Don’t let anypony act alone until we are sure we have full control. A lonely guard in an ideal target. Understood?”

There were nods all over the table. North Star gave his officers a stern look. “Yes, sir!” they responded loudly.

Satisfied, North Star continued talking.

“And one more thing. The Heart. The enemy managed to hide it, but we know it must still be within the city. Find it, and bring it to me. Are there any questions?”

The six ponies looked at each other, but didn’t say anything. North Star nodded his head in approval.

“You have your orders then. Dismissed.”

Saluting, the soldiers left. Captain North Star was left alone in the council room.

He picked the package off the table, and walked towards the balcony door. Outside the city was basked in the light of the setting sun. Normally it would be a beautiful sight, but North Star’s practiced eye picked out the signs of battle still marring the crystal streets and buildings. 

“Slaves to darkness, one and all,” he muttered under his breath. “I will keep you contained.”

He pulled the package in front of himself, and unwrapped it. Inside there was an ebony box, marked with Luna’s cutie mark. Memories of North Star’s dream returned to him.

“This is something you will need for your task,” she said. ”An item our servants confiscated from a shady vendor, who didn’t quite comprehend what he was trading in. It is ancient and dangerous magic, that only one of unshakable conviction can safely wield. We would not entrust it to anypony but you.”

He opened the lid slowly. The huge ruby inside seemed to shine with a light of its own, matching the setting sun reflected in the captain’s eyes.

“Once you put it on, it will grant you great power, enough to accomplish the task we have set ahead of you. But such power will come at a terrible price. The amulet will assault your mind with dark whispers, trying to turn you from your path towards fulfilling your own ambitions, until nothing else matters. That is why we must know. Is serving Equestria your only ambition?”

North Star set the box on the ground, and pulled out the heavy, black iron necklace. He turned it around, examining it in the light of the setting sun. It almost looked like a sinister sibling to the Elements of Harmony. How ironic.

Yes. I am strong enough, thought North Star. I am pure enough. For Equestria, I will handle this.

He put the necklace on. The magical clasp locked at the back of his neck. Instantly he felt a surge of power. His eyes shone with renewed purpose, no longer merely reflecting the rays of the sun.

I will set things right. I will avenge you, Shining. I will find whatever dark power turned you into a monster, turned me into a … traitor. I will find it, and destroy it. 

He lifted his horn into the air and focused, new power flowing through him freely. The spell shot into the sky, a blinding pillar of blood red light, then spread out, falling over the Crystal Empire in a giant, red dome. The last rays of the sun dimmed.

And until I do, none of you crystal monsters is getting out of here.

***

Pinkie was playing pattycake with changelings. 


Twilight Sparkle stood, taking in the scene. She had just finished a training session with Rarity and Obsidian. Her friends were in the stands, as they had for the last couple of days - the hive lacked other forms of entertainment. Chrysalis claimed that the arena also acted as a theatre, but at this moment all the best actors of the swarm were in the field, ‘employing their craft properly.’ As usual, the off-duty changelings would hang around in the chamber’s upper entrances, watching the fights unfold.

The only changelings down in the stands were the ones assigned as assistants to the Elements, Aurora, Scootaloo and Obsidian - Twilight had since learned their names; Morph, Shell, Glint, Mirror, Figment, Chitine, Image, Lustro and Jake - but to her they all still looked identical.

And right now they were sitting in pairs, playing pattycake, with Pinkie Pie in the center, paired with the odd one, and giving them all the rhythm. Twilight could see the smiles on the bugs’ faces, even as their limbs repeated the motions with mechanical precision.

“What are you doing, Pinkie?” asked Twilight with a smile.

Pinkie turned towards her, breaking the rhyme she was reciting, but not the motions of her hooves. “I’m teaching the changelings how to have fun.”

“How to have fun?” Twilight cocked her head in surprise.

The motions fell out of synch and stopped, the changelings looking somewhat embarrassed. “It is a useful skill for infiltration,” said one of the changelings sheepishly. Twilight was pretty sure it was Morph.

“I guess so,” she replied. “But how can anypony not know how to have fun?”

“We haven’t been trained yet,” replied another changeling.

At that Twilight was even more confused. “You need to be trained for that?”

“We’re trained to fight,” said one of the changelings. “Then speak. Then we learn how to act, and how to infiltrate, everything we need.”

“It’s lucky changelings are super fast learners,” piped in Pinkie Pie. “You couldn’t tell these here are only a year old!”

Twilight’s eyes grew as big as saucers. “What!?”

She was suddenly reminded of the day they met Chrysalis, and heard the story of how she came to power, her retinue sitting around her in reverent silence, catching every word like… children listening to a bedtime story?

“It is true, Twilight Sparkle,” said Chrysalis landing in the stands. “The changelings have been created for war. Their development is accelerated. Most of these here have been spawned to replenish the losses we suffered during the wedding fiasco.”

Twilight looked around wide eyed. “They’re all children?”

“Don’t put your own measure to everypony, Twilight,” said Chrysalis. “They’re already competent at the tasks I give them.”

“Your soldiers?” asked Twilight, her jaw clenching.

“Among other things, yes,” replied Chrysalis. “But I’m not here to discuss biology. Or ethics. I have an urgent report I think you’ll find interesting.”

This got everypony’s attention. In a moment Chrysalis was surrounded by a half-circle of ponies, the changelings getting out of the way.

“I’ve just been informed that Princess Luna received an urgent report from the magical recon division. It’s a group of unicorns working in Canterlot next to the headquarters. They specialize in detection magic. It seems they managed to locate somepony the Princess had been looking for.”

“So, they know we’re here?” asked Aurora. Everypony was visibly unnerved by the information.

“No,” said Chrysalis. “The point they indicated was far to the south, in the badlands. While they are obviously looking for you too, between our magic and Obsidian’s, you’re well hidden. From what my agent was able to learn, the pony they managed to locate is a missing filly.”

“Apple Bloom!” “Sweetie Belle!” shouted Applejack and Rarity simultaneously.

“One of them, probably, yes,” said Chrysalis. “So, it looks like you have something to act on. Provided you hurry. There is no way to tell who will be sent to capture the filly, and how soon they can get there.”

“Then we better start moving,” said Obsidian. “I don’t think your cave could hide the signal if we used the Elements to teleport from here. We’ll need to get far enough outside to do it safely.”

“Wait,” said Rarity. “How exactly did you get this information? I don’t think you’d manage to plant a changeling so close to Celestia. Was it another… hostage situation?” she spat out the last two words with audible disgust.

Chrysalis gave her a toothy grin. “No. This one is a real traitor, a disgruntled clerk who sold his country out for gold. The only thing he doesn’t know is who the gold really belongs to. We let him deceive himself. He deserves no better, and regular pay keeps him in line.”

There was an awkward silence as the meaning of the words sank in.

Aurora was the first to break the silence. “So, where are we going exactly?”

***

“So, we don’t know what it is yet?” asked Dr Stone. She turned away from a tank where an injured unicorn female was floating, strange devices surrounding her broken horn.

Spitfire shook her head. “The seer tower only got a vague vision. We know where she is, but no details.”

“So, it could be a slip up on the part of whoever took her away, or it could be a trap,” said Pierce. 

Dr Stone looked at him. “Agent Pierce…”

“No, it’s okay,” said Spitfire. “I value my subordinates’ tactical insight. But I’ve already considered this angle. This is why I’ve sent Lightbringer to examine the situation.”

“Lightbringer,” said Pierce. “I haven’t worked with him yet, but from what I have gathered, he can be quite volatile.”

“He is,” admitted Spitfire. “It is a calculated risk. The location we pinpointed is far enough outside Equestrian territory, that even condition black is… acceptable. And either way, he’s the best we have for a reconnaissance by fire. If the enemy has slipped up, he can exploit it and hit them hard. If it’s a trap, he can just die and report back. Out of the three of us who could go, his body is the only one disposable.”

“Let’s just hope he isn’t too stubborn to retreat if the situation is beyond him,” said Pierce.

Spitfire gave a half smile. “Do not worry. He’s got his orders. Lightbringer might hate retreating, but he hates failure even more.”

“What about Dr Bluebonnet?” interrupted Dr Stone. “You were supposed to be with her.”

“She’s currently asleep,” replied Pierce. “That’s what I’ve come here to report.”

“At this hour?” asked Spitfire.

Pierce nodded. “Her day night cycle is even more out of synch than usual. Do not worry; the wards on her room are all in place and active. She’s perfectly safe.”

“Well, in that case,” replied Dr Stone. “I’ll have some of my constructs take over. Go and get some sleep yourself. We need you to be awake when she is.”

***

“How much longer?” asked Scootaloo.

“You needn’t have gone with us,” replied Obsidian.

They were walking through a narrow tunnel, so old that it almost looked like a natural cave, any marks of tools long since gone. The sound of hooves and clinking of armor mixed with that of dripping water. Only the light of the Elements dispelled the oppressive darkness; there were no crystals or glowing fungi down there, just the cold, stone walls, slick with moisture. Though there were no other sounds, the tunnel had an ominous aura, as if there was something lurking there, just out of reach of the light.

“I thought we were finished arguing about that,” said Rarity.

“It’s still wrong to take her along,” said Obsidian, “it’s just that it’s pointless to keep talking. If Honesty couldn’t persuade her to stay, what chance do I have?”

“I’m worried too,” said Twilight. “But we couldn’t just force her to stay with the changelings.”

“Yes, you could,” said Obsidian, “She could put us all in danger.”

“We’re not taking her to battle with us,” said Applejack. “She can stay put, and watch our bags while we go fight.”

“If you think you can keep her safe-” started Obsidian. He then turned his staff, and shot a blue blast of force into a tunnel mouth they were passing by. Something thrashed there furiously, quickly crawling away.

“Thank you,” called a changeling voice from the darkness in front of them. “I missed that one.”

Obsidian sighed. “Don’t thank me, just focus on your job.”

Scootaloo shuddered, shifting closer to Rainbow Dash.

They walked for another minute, before Twilight decided to break the silence again.

“Aurora… I’ve been meaning to ask it for a while now, but…”

“The moment was never right?” asked Aurora.

“Yes,” said Twilight. “There was so much happening, and then I was focused on myself… but we never got to learn how your story ended.”

“How do you think it ended?” asked Aurora.

“Well, obviously, it was a trap,” said Twilight. “I think they took you and Aquila, made those alicorns, and then pretended to be you, and told everypony that the Shattered were defeated. I’m not sure what they did with the cities. Perhaps… they destroyed everything to make sure they were forgotten. They could tell some clever lie to all the ponies, something like ‘You must never mention the Shattered, because remembering them will give them the power to come back’, or something.” She looked towards Aurora. “Am I right so far?”

“I think so,” said Aurora. “I don’t remember what happened after I was defeated. It took me decades to start getting glimpses,” said Aurora. “But I’m sure things didn’t go according to plan. They didn’t mean to lose control of the changelings. Or lose Vengeance.”

“Lose?” asked Obsidian.

“Yes,” said Aurora. “We… managed to seal her. We had her in a stone when the trap was sprung. I don’t know why she let us do it. Perhaps she meant to fool the resistance into thinking they succeeded. But then, something went wrong. That’s why it was Arrogance and Envy becoming alicorns. I’m sure it was supposed to be Vengeance and Arrogance.”

“What was the trap?” asked Applejack.

Aurora went silent. For a moment the only sound in the tunnel was the echoing clip-clop of hooves. 

“It was Whisper,” said Aurora finally. “I don’t know if Deception replaced him, or put something inside of him… It didn’t occur to me until later, that he never really used his power since he told us about Crystal. When the fight started, he got buried under rubble. Vengeance killed Jingles, and poisoned Sauti. By the time we won, there were just the three of us left, and it was obvious Sauti was dying. Then Whisper emerged from the rubble, miraculously alive… he rushed to give me a hug… and then he stabbed me. There was something inside his hoof. He got Aquila too… I don’t know what happened with the crystal Vengeance was in.”

***

“How much longer?” asked Pinkie Pie.

“You’re almost there,” replied their changeling guide. “We just need to descend down this tunnel.”

“It is true,” said Obsidian. “I can feel the power flowing through the rocks.” He quickened his pace, trotting, then running, pushing ahead of the group, seemingly unimpeded by darkness. Soon the others were forced to quicken their pace to keep up, trying not to lose balance on the slippery stone as they struggled to keep up.

Suddenly the tunnel opened into a large cave. There was light there - clumps of blue glowing crystals covered the ceiling, water dripping from them into a murky pool in the middle of the cavern. The magic of the place was obvious even to those with no formal training.

Obsidian slowed down, looked around, and picked a flat part of the floor. “This will do,” he said to the changeling. “The magic of this leyline is strong enough to let us teleport without attracting attention to this area. Miss Fluttershy, could you persuade the thing in the pool to stay put while I draw? There is no telling how the magic of this place has changed it, and we really don’t need any last moment distractions.”

Everypony turned towards the pool. Fluttershy swallowed loudly. Slowly, visibly struggling with herself, she inched closer and closer to the water. “Um… Mr. monster?” she whispered softly, the light of Kindness reflecting in her eyes. “We’re very sorry to intrude, and… I can feel how… hungry you are,” she continued with surprise in her voice. “But my friends aren’t very tasty… lots of sharp bits. So, um, it would be much better for… all of us… if you just wait for somepony else to eat, please?” 

Behind her blue sparks flew as Obsidian scribed the circle. “I’m almost done,” he said, “get ready.”

“You’re doing it quicker and quicker,” said Twilight, standing cautiously next to him. 

“The better you six get with channeling magic, the more corners I can cut,” replied Obsidian. “Fluttershy?”

“Um… I don’t think many creatures come into this cave,” said Fluttershy, “It’s very, very hungry…”

Dash looked at the surface of the pool, keeping Scootaloo behind a half-open wing. “I don’t see anything…” she said.

“That means it’s working,” said Obsidian. “A moment more… done. Everypony, into the circle.”

The Elements reacted with practiced coordination, taking their places around Obsidian, with Aurora landing inside the circle next to him. Fluttershy backpedalled from her position towards her place in the circle. “Thank… thank you for your patience…” she whispered. “We won’t be bothering you anymore.”

As soon as she stepped back, ripples started appearing on the surface of the water.

Obsidian hit the floor with the tip of his staff, and the circle came to life in a swirl of blue magic. 

The changeling walked towards the exit. He looked at Scootaloo. “Are you sure you won’t be safer in the hive?” she asked.

Scootaloo looked at her, considering the proposition. “No!” she finally shouted, bolting between the adults in the circle to stand beside Aurora in the center. The circle flashed and the ponies disappeared.

The changeling shrugged, and turned away, leaving the room just as the first black tentacle broke the surface of the water.

***

They appeared in the savannah, at the break of dawn. The sun was rising, painting the horizon red, a breathtaking view if anypony had the time to appreciate it.

Immediately Obsidian started drawing a new circle. The Elements dropped their bags, leaving only the armor. Twilight dug into hers, retrieving a small pouch - three sealing gemstones she had received from queen Chrysalis. She attached the pouch to a small hook under the shoulder plate of her armor.

Aurora looked at Applejack. “Are you sure you don’t want to wear a helmet?” she asked.

Applejack shook her head. As her magic activated, power flowed into her hat, illuminating it with a soft orange glow as the fabric was reinforced. “Nope,” she said. “It’s much better this way.”

“So, what do we do now?” asked Rainbow Dash.

Aurora was already in the air, flying up for a bird’s eye view of the situation.

“I’m setting a waypoint here,” said Obsidian, "in case we need to retreat in a hurry.” 

The new circle flashed, and then the ground underneath it gave way, creating a round hole some three feet deep. Obsidian used his staff to put the girls’ bags inside it. “You get down there, and stay put.” he said to Scootaloo. “I’ve already shielded you from detection spells, don’t waste it by being seen.”

The filly looked at him with a pout, but then jumped into the hole without saying anything.

“Now,” said Obsidian, “we’ve jumped as close to Chrysalis’ coordinates as I considered safe. We will now use our magic to pinpoint the location of-”

“There’s smoke to the south-east!” called Aurora from above.

Everypony looked. It was far away, easy to miss from the ground, but now that they could see it, the plume was ominously black.
Obsidian’s runes glowed underneath his fur as he prepared for a fight. “Or we could go check that out.”

***

The village was burning. No, it wasn’t quite precise. The only real source of fire was the shaman’s hut, engulfed in flames after the strange glass installation inside was shattered and exploded. But to the panicked mind of Apple Bloom it might as well be the whole village.
The huts had been smashed, and there were striped bodies everywhere, black, white and red, limbs bent at odd angles… Apple Bloom tried not to look.  

And in the middle of it all, over the shattered body of Uchongo, there stood a huge pegasus, clad in absurdly heavy plate armor. His wings, the only visible part, were russet, matching the deep red plates covering the rest of his body. The red paint couldn’t quite hide the fresh splatters covering the front of his armor.

“Stop hiding, you two,” he said. The voice echoed weirdly from inside the helmet, a sound that would be funny in any other circumstances. “There’s nopony else left here.”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle huddled closer together, hugging each other so tightly it was painful. Apple Bloom turned her face away from the hole in the wall through which she had been peering. 

“You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve seen this,” said Hate. He dug his hoof into the ground, pulling out a stone, then flicked his pastern, sending the projectile at the wall. Bits of dust and clay flew. The fillies shrieked, as the last remains of the hut collapsed around them. The stone missed them by inches as it destroyed everything else, just enough to expose them while leaving them unscathed.

“Now, come here,” said Hate.

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle let go of their hug. They looked at each other, and then they started running. Hate gave an exasperated sigh under his helmet. 

“Stop.”

Apple Bloom stopped. Though she couldn’t turn her head to look, she knew that so did Sweetie Belle. She wasn’t really paralysed. It was more like her body was suddenly too heavy to move, though she didn’t feel the weight crushing her, merely holding her in place. It was like a nightmare where one tries to run, only to find her hooves stuck to the floor.

“Don’t make it more of a hassle than it needs to be,” said Hate walking towards her. She could hear every step of his heavy hooves as he slowly approached.

In a flash of light, eight ponies appeared in the ruined village. They spread out in a semicircle, with the three pegasi hovering above their friends. Shock washed over their faces as they took in the image of what had happened.

Hate turned to look at the newcomers. “Oh, the heroes have arrived!” he called loudly. “Too bad, you’re too late to help. What kept you so long? The monster has already killed everypony. I even stepped on a little colt’s head over there,” he said, pointing with a hoof.

The Elements froze in horror. Obsidian and Aurora did not. The earth pony took a battle stance, charging up with the staff rising at his side, ready to strike. The pegasus prepared to take flight, but rather than focusing on Hate, she scanned her surroundings, looking for the safest route for getting away.

“So, how does it feel to be useless?” asked Hate.

“Apple Bloom!” shouted Applejack, finally noticing her sister.

“Sweetie Belle!” shouted Rarity in turn.

Hate looked towards the two fillies, as if he had just noticed them. “Oh, right, the bait is still alive. But since you’re here, I don’t need them anymore, do I?”

“Twilight! Stone!” shouted Obsidian.

The words managed to shake Twilight into action. “Yes, on it,” she said, withdrawing a pointed blue gem from the pouch. The Elements formed up around her, charging up for a sealing spell.

Hate’s mask hid his expression, but there was clear amusement in his voice when he spoke.

"Move."

Apple Bloom felt herself moving backwards against her will. She tried to brace herself, but only ended up flailing helplessly when the force binding her limbs suddenly disappeared. “Sis!” she yelled in panic. Hate reared, preparing to strike as she flew towards him.

The spell didn’t fire, the power unravelling as Applejack ran forward. Clearing the distance in a heartbeat, she reached Hate a split second before her sister. The two ponies collided with a mighty crash.

“Applejack!” shouted Twilight as her friend flew past her, pieces of broken armor left in her wake. Dash and Aurora flew in - Dash striking Hate’s shoulder as she flew past, Aurora grabbing Apple Bloom, no longer held in place as Hate’s power was directed elsewhere. Rarity teleported, grabbing Sweetie Belle, and then porting her behind the Elements.

“Argh!” screamed Obsidian in frustration. “Not like this!” He fired a shot.

Hate kicked the ground, causing the earth in front of him to break and burst up, the rubble absorbing the spell. He turned to face Dash, who was coming in for another fly-by, then spread his wings and kicked off, launching himself straight at her. 

Dash flipped sideways, barely avoiding a head-on collision, though one of Hate’s front hooves, grazed her, denting her armor. In return she sliced at him with her wing, but the magic pinion-blades shattered against the heavy steel.

“Get away!” shouted Twilight. “Give me a clear shot!”

Unlike her, Obsidian didn’t hesitate. He shot past Dash, hitting Hate just as he started redirecting his momentum, slowing in the air as if stretching a giant rubber band. The shot burned a line in the armor but did not penetrate, the Shattered’s pattern aura dulling the sting of the spell.

Hate bounced back, straight at Obsidian. The earth pony managed to create a rampart of earth to protect himself, but all it did was redirect the impact down, causing Hate to plow into the ground and launch Obsidian backwards into the air. 

Twilight didn’t wait to see him land safely. She scanned the battlefield, trying to locate the other Elements. “Girls! We need to hit him together! Pinkie?”

Pinkie looked at her with scared eyes. “Twilight! Applejack is hurt, badly!”

Twilight only had a moment to look before Hate burst from the ground, sending dirt and dust flying everywhere. But what she managed to see horrified her. Applejack was gasping for air, eyes unfocused. Her chest plate had been hit so hard it deformed and fell off. Underneath, her padded jacket was torn and stained with blood. Her right front leg was bent awkwardly and shifted backwards, as if the shoulder joint got pushed out of position.

“Get her out of here!” shouted Twilight. She fired a spell at Hate, a simple, unfocused shot from her horn. It bounced harmlessly off the behemoth, who immediately rushed towards her. 

Obsidian’s staff flew from the smoke, flying at him from the side. Hate noticed it coming, and the weapon visibly slowed down as it got closer, though it still made a loud clang as it collided with his shoulder. Then the magic inside the staff discharged in a powerful explosion. A heavy shoulder pad fell off. Hate rolled with the impact, and came back to his hooves. 

“Hah!” he shouted, “You’re the only one here worth fighting! Heard that, weaklings!? You’re as soft as that princess of yours I squished!”

Dash flew in to strike at him again, and this time not alone - a snaking line of purple magic connected to her as she attacked, increasing her power. Hate waited until he was about to be slashed, and then jumped up almost vertically, Dash crashing into him as if he were a brick wall. Hate was thrown to the ground, but simply rolled again, ignoring the damage - Dash meanwhile flew off out of control, and rolled on the ground, stunned.

“Princess…?” Twilight was initially confused by the statement. When the meaning finally hit her, she was stunned. “No... NO!” She shot a blast after blast at Hate, strategy momentarily forgotten. He took three shots, distracting him just before he could use the opening to strike Rainbow Dash a mortal blow. He turned towards her, as the shots pounded into his armor, until a missed shot grazed his side, taking off a piece of his wing. Then he laughed.

“That’s the spirit… let’s tear each other to shreds…”

He stomped and launched himself forwards, slamming into a barrier that Twilight conjured at the last moment. I should’ve teleported, flashed through her head as she was sent hurtling through the air, crashing painfully through the remains of a smashed hut; the shield absorbed some of the impact, but the rest was enough to nearly knock her out. She got up, face to face with a death grimace of some unlucky zebra who used to inhabit the hut. Before she could get back to the fight, it was once again obscured by a cloud of dust - Obsidian and Hate clashed, the former bearer of Honesty using his magic to briefly match the Shattered in close combat.

“The monster…” she said under her breath, trying not to swallow dust. She teleported closer, trying to get a clear shot. She did when Obsidian turned into a cloud of blue smoke, getting out of the way of a kick that would have put a hole through his barrel. Charging her tiara instead of her horn, she fired a wide shot that engulfed Hate, searing his flesh, and burning the paint off his armor.

The giant Shattered only laughed at the pain. He launched himself sideways, away from the beam, then kicked off the ground, changing direction by an acute angle, flying at Twilight from the side. She teleported a split second too late, and when she emerged, she was rolling, her barrel exploding with pain as she hit the ground. She took a painful breath, and tried to reorient herself. She saw Hate exchange blows with Obsidian and Dash, and then when she tried to get up, he suddenly rushed towards her.

“STOP!”

The voice sounded with the force that blew away the dust. Fluttershy fell from the sky, hitting the ground right in front of Hate. Strangely, rather than ram into her, the Shattered stopped. Fluttershy’s power surrounded her with a nimbus of pink magic, swirling like a flame. Tears were streaming down her face.

“Stop it! Enough of the pain! Enough of hurting each other!”

Behind Hate, Obsidian finished re-forming himself. He was visibly damaged, but his body was already beginning to fix itself. The staff flew to his side, but he did not swing it.

“And you too!” continued Fluttershy, “Applejack needs help! Now! Can’t you see!?”

As the dust settled, more details showed. The battle had destroyed most of what had been left of the village. There were eight ponies left in the fight - Aurora was a speck in the distance, having apparently decided to get Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle away  from the battle, rather than risk direct clash with Hate at her current power. Pinkie Pie was sitting over Applejack, trying to create some sort of small miracle to heal her, but with little effect. The rest were standing around, covered with dust, using Fluttershy’s interruption to recover. Twilight tried to catch her breath too, and her side protested with pain that was surely a broken rib or two.

Hate moved slowly forward. “You can’t stop me,” he said. “You’re too weak.”

Fluttershy stared into the slits of his helmet. “I’m not. This has gone far enough. Why do you even do that? Do you… enjoy… THIS? ‘Let’s tear each other to shreds?’ Do you really WANT to be a monster!?”

Hate stepped forward, stomping the ground so hard everything shook. “Do you think I ever had a CHOICE!? You little…”

His other hoof rose, but did not fall. He seemed to lose his momentum. “Gentle Touch?” he asked.

“What?” asked Fluttershy. Her aura did not diminish, but she was clearly surprised by how the question sounded - For a moment, Hate spoke like an ordinary pony, his villainous theatrics momentarily forgotten.

Something flew between the ponies, aiming at Hate. The Shattered was too preoccupied to react in time - though he managed to slow it, it struck  past the ruined wing and into his shoulder, where Obsidian’s staff had blown away the shoulder pad - a black spear covered with carvings and adorned with feathers. The carved lines flashed with a sickly green light.

“What? asked Obsidian, turning towards the source of the attack. Uchongo was there, broken on the ground, his good eye boring into Hate. 

“Be cursed,” he hissed, and then became still.

There was a small explosion, the spear falling off, its tip burned. Hate screamed with pain, a horrible noise, barely pony-like, green and yellow glow spreading from the wound through his body and underneath the armor. The scream turned into a deafening roar. Fluttershy’s aura faded, as she recoiled in shock.

“Seal him, NOW!” shouted Obsidian, but the Elements would not form a spell - Twilight, and Rainbow Dash tried to cast, after a short delay, but Fluttershy failed to join them, and Rarity and Pinkie were focused on saving Applejack instead. 

“Oh, for crying out loud!” growled Obsidian. A spear tip of blue light formed at the end of his staff, and he sent the weapon flying at Hate, aiming for the same unarmored spot.

Just before it could hit, the wounded shoulder exploded with a burst of darkness, grabbing the incoming weapon, and nearly engulfing it; Obsidian pulled, and the staff returned to him, smoke trailing from its charred tip. The darkness kept spreading, thick and swirling, like a black flame, flailing around Hate, snuffing out the yellow light of the shaman’s spell. Smoke seeped through the joints of Hate’s armor, and his eye slits glowed angry red. 

“No! It’s too late! We need to get out of here!” shouted Obsidian. He dodged as a tentacle of swirling blackness lashed out in his general direction. The air turned unbelievably hot, the dirt touched by Hate’s power melting into slag.

“Get Applejack out of here!” shouted Fluttershy. She then braced herself and spread her wings, her pink aura flaring up.

“Fluttershy! Get away from him!” shouted Dash. She was already at Applejack’s side, along with the others. The darkness rose up, ready to lash towards them.

“No,” said Fluttershy. “Nopony else dies today. Calm down,” she said towards Hate. “You’re in pain, and your anger hurts everypony.” She was no longer shouting, just talking sternly, like a disappointed mother. The mass of darkness swirled, but did not strike. 

“Give me a second,” said Obsidian, preparing a spell. “RIght, about… NOW!” His staff flashed blue, sparks flying out of it where the wood had been burned. Twilight extended her magic towards Fluttershy.

Hate’s armor turned red hot, and bulged, like a boiler ready to explode.

Fluttershy’s magic disappeared as Twilight’s spell yanked her away. The teleportation spell activated, and everypony disappeared in a flash. Hate’s armor gave way and disintegrated, a roaring black flame engulfing the ruined village in a wave, incinerating everything it touched.

***

They appeared inside the round hole in the ground, startling Scootaloo as they fell to the ground behind her. 

“What’s going on!?" asked Scootaloo. "Where’s Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle?” She she looked at how everypony looked, there was fear in her eyes. “Where… is Aurora?”

“They’re okay,” said Twilight, wincing in pain and her side protested the sudden breath. “She’s on her way here.” She looked out of the hole, in the direction Scootaloo had been looking before they returned - where there used to be a plume of smoke, there was now a conflagration of boiling darkness. “Are we far enough? We need to help Applejack before we move her again.”

“Hopefully,” said Obsidian. “He’ll attack anything in this state. He shouldn’t focus on us specifically unless he sees us. Now…” he turned towards the inside of the circle. “What’s her status?”

“I… think we’ve managed to stop the bleeding,” said Rarity. “and ease her pain a little. But it still looks horrible.”

“So I see.” replied Obsidian. “Fluttershy, you’re a vet. You have some idea what to do. I’ll guide you through the spell. Rarity, keep giving her extra power.”

“O… okay,” said Fluttershy. She stood over Applejack. The earth pony had her eyes closed and her jaw clenched, her breathing slow and shallow, as if each movement caused her agony. Fluttershy forced herself to open her eyes, scanning Applejack’s body.

Twilight gasped at the sight of her eyes. “Fluttershy-”

Obsidian silenced her with an angry glare. “Not now. We’ll talk later. Now we need to focus.”

Rarity sat down, the purple glow of her Element flowing into Fluttershy. Obsidian stood at her side. “The bleeding has stopped, but the hardest part is still before us. You need to be ready to heal her, giving her the impulse of magic to put herself back together when we’re ready. But before that, we need to get the out of place pieces back into position. Her subconscious self-image alone won’t be enough to guide the healing process.”

Fluttershy nodded. Wisps of pink light emanated from Kindness, wrapping around Applejack’s body, slowly pulling aside the ruined armor and clothes.

“See through the body,” continued Obsidian. “See it as it should be. Find the torn tendons, and guide them back into position. Restore the leg to its proper place.” He was surprisingly calm, standing next to Fluttershy, looking at what she was looking at. The light intensified, and Fluttershy’s face froze in an expression of focus. Drops of sweat joined the smudged tears on her fur.

Applejack twisted, and  groaned in pain. Fluttershy hesitated, but then returned to her work. “All will be okay,” she said softly, and a wave of calm spread from her, like warm hugs to everypony it touched. Twilight felt her own pain fade a little as the light touched her. Remembering Obsidian’s lessons, she focused her own magic inward, hastening the healing process.
 
Minutes passed and Fluttershy worked.

“You’re almost there,” said Obsidian.

Fluttershy broke in sweat again. “That’s a lot of pieces to hold together at once,” she said.

Rainbow Dash looked at her from over Applejack’s body. “You can do it. We believe in you.”

Loyalty flashed red. Fluttershy’s face became calmly focused. Both Generosity and Kindness intensified in brightness, and then the spell was completed in a bright flash. Applejack rolled on her side with a painful groan.

“I’m… I’m okay, I think,” she said, trying to get up, then fell back on her belly, and winced in pain.

“You will be okay,” said Obsidian, “Fluttershy’s done a great job. But you still have a lot of healing to do. Now, this is not the safest place to be. As soon as Twilight helps me fix my staff, we will be off.”

There was a sound of flapping wings, and Aurora descended from the sky, dropping down the two fillies that had been clinging to her. “You’re here!” she exclaimed. “That’s a relief. When I saw Hate burning, I thought you were goners. What happened?”

Obsidian let the two fillies slip past him. They instantly clung to their sisters, causing another grunt of pain from Applejack, with Scootaloo joining the hug soon after.

“A Zebrican hex-spear. I never thought I’d see another one in my life. That magic was thought forgotten for millennia. My staff was based on those. It managed to nick Hate just as Fluttershy stopped him. He was too resistant to drop dead, but the pain drove him insane.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t stop that,” said Fluttershy. “I made my spell too small…”

“The shaman literally cursed Hate with his dying breath,” said Obsidian. “I don’t know if even you could have stopped it regardless. You don’t need to blame yourself; you’ve done a great job.”

“You stopped Hate?” asked Aurora. “Wait, you’ve awakened!”

“I have?” asked Fluttershy in surprise, looking down on her necklace. Everypony else were looking at her eyes; pink and pupilless.

“You have,” said Obsidian. “And that’s another step forward.”

“When she stopped him, Hate called her Gentle Touch,” said Rainbow Dash. “What was that about?” 

“A pony long dead,” said Obsidian. “That’s interesting. But this is no time for stories.”

He pointed towards the roaring pillar of blackness in the distance. There was a hot wind blowing, and there were already black clouds forming over the savannah.

“We fix my staff, and I fly us out. I can tell you everything once we are out of here."

***

Far north, in the mountains forming Equestria’s southern border, a dark, hooded figure looked grimly towards the horizon. He clenched his fists as he turned his eyes towards the darkening sky.

“That won’t do.”

He turned around, grinding his teeth in powerless anger. After all this time!

It had taken him centuries to find a weak spot in the spells binding him in his prison. Then he had to wait another hundred years before the occasion to escape Tartarus presented itself. He ran away and hid, waiting as the power expended on his escape plan slowly returned, hiding away from the eyes of ponies, using what little energy he had to conceal himself, waiting for his magic to grow strong enough to drain his first victim and start building up towards true power.

And now, after months of recovery, he saw the horizon burn black, a power that was a legend back in his time. He didn’t need to sense the magic to realise the magnitude of power now awakened in Equestria.

It was time to go, far, far away, out of sight of the ancient things that now fought over this land.

Lord Tirek spat angrily, and started walking down the mountain trail. “I’ll need to find another race of magical creatures to drain somewhere else. After I find a good boat. This continent is a loss.”
> Chapter 39: The Stories
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Godric the griffon stepped away from the grinding wheel, and looked critically at his work. The edge of the knife blade was straight and smooth. He turned it in his claws and walked towards the window to make sure, watching the sunlight play on the shiny metal surface.  Satisfied, he walked towards the workshop table.

"You're done," said Enigma, standing in the door. 

Godric turned around, blade in hand, looked at the unicorn, and relaxed. "Darn, you're silent on those hooves. You startled me." He then put the knife blade on the table, and reached for a long item wrapped in cloth. "Yes, I finished assembling it this morning. You can take a look."

Enigma watched as the young griffon unwrapped the cloth. Underneath there was a sword, an old-fashioned, ornate blade, light and sharp, the guard and hilt covered with silver inlays and set with rubies. Godric stood on hind legs, waving the blade in slow, fluid movements, then presented it to the unicorn.

Enigma nodded, satisfied. "A work of art. There are few smiths in the world who could produce such a piece at such a short notice."

Godric's cheeks twitched upwards, as much of a smile as a beaked face could express. "I wasn't working alone. I've had other artisans working on the gems and the inlays."

Enigma nodded again. "There are few griffons here who can get anything organised, even with a vision of profit. Fewer still that would put so much effort in their work after being paid in advance. You will have to do."

Godric gave him a confused look. "Do? For what?"

Enigma looked him in the eyes. "There is trouble brewing, young one, like it hasn't for a thousand years. Whether the griffons take active part in it, or just weather the storm, they will need to do much better than they're doing now. They will need to work together like they used to. They'll need a leader."

Godric's confusion gave way to wariness. Enigma noticed the change in his stance, weighting the  sword in his grip. "What are you talking about?"

Enigma faced him unflinching. "A civil war has started in Equestria. Great and ancient forces are at work. As things progress, I'll contact you and explain. Until then, the blade is yours. Get everyone to listen to you."

"How am I..." 

Godric stopped. The unicorn was gone, suddenly simply not there. The gryphon looked around the smithy, looking for any sign of where his customer had disappeared to. Then something clinked on the table behind him.

Godric's eyes widened. On the workshop table, among the tools and half finished pieces, there stood a small metal sculpture, a round ball of red crystal, set in what looked like a  spiralling golden chalice with a single fiery wing stretched upwards. The smith had the presence of mind to set the sword on the nearby anvil before slumping onto his haunches, his mind abuzz with the implications.

***

The landscape shifted underneath, lit by the afternoon sun. Twilight tried not to think of the thin disc of hardened soil she was sitting on; she still hadn’t gotten used to this form of transportation. 

They were all gathered around Obsidian as he steered them north towards the mountains, with him in the middle focusing on the staff, and the Elements sitting around the circumference of the circle, facing outwards and maintaining the spell. The rest were seated inside, surrounded by bags, with Aurora on Obsidian’s right, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders huddled on the left, talking in hushed voices.

“The fire seems to be fading,” said Aurora, looking back.

“The host body must have burned out,” replied Obsidian, “This is not a power meant for a mortal pony to wield.”

“What was that anyway?” asked Rarity. “I remember you telling us about it, but you didn’t give us many details. You said it was something the Imperial wizards did?”

“This is not a part of his power as a Shattered,” said Obsidian. “There is something else chained to his soul as well, wild and primal. I wasn’t there when it happened, but the story I was told was that back during the conflict with the Alicorn Empire, Hate was the first one to be captured. The Imperials already knew he had the power to reincarnate. They were looking for a way to stop that; perhaps by trying to overload him with magic to remove the pattern power inside him.”

“The way you described the powers of pattern and magic, it should’ve worked, shouldn’t it?” asked Twilight.

“Not exactly,” said Obsidian. “It could definitely kill him, but the problem was not the power he had. It was the power he could call upon. At low pattern level, the magic would simply cancel it out and replace it. But the connection of his soul to pattern was still there, an anathema to magic that would prevent his mind from dissolving into Dissonance. Killing a Shattered isn’t as simple as that.”

“As to what exactly happened, none of the wizards in the Imperial lab lived to tell the tale. But I know of the thing inside Hate. It is something that got through the hole in reality the splicing ritual ripped out. The devices protecting us directed it away, and sealed it before it could hurt anypony, and we took it with us when we retreated from Nevercrest. Our wizards tried to examine it later, but found little to learn - it seemed to be a bundle of pure instinct, raw power with no proper mind to communicate with, too dangerous to release, and too troublesome to weaponize.”

“It looked a lot like Sombra, only wilder,” said Rainbow Dash.

“I… I think it was,” said Aurora.

The disk wobbled slightly. Obsidian suppressed a curse. “Keep it steady, you six. Was it really such a surprise as to make you lose your focus?”

“I’m getting a bit tired here,” said Applejack. “I hate to sound like the lazy one, but I could really use some rest.”

“Very well,” replied Obsidian. “I think we’re far enough to hide and recuperate.” He brought the disk down onto a grassy plain in the shadow of the mountains. As the platform neared the ground, the ponies started jumping off, grabbing their bags, until Obsidian was the last one left. He sent an impulse of magic through his staff, and the disc disintegrated, the dirt falling down, seeping through the grass and merging with the ground, leaving no evidence of its existence. 

“You can rest and graze here,” said Obsidian. “Then we’ll go up that slope and make ourselves a proper camping spot.”

“Graze?” asked Rarity. “Haven’t we brought any food?”

“We have,” replied Obsidian. “But we are in the middle of nowhere, and haven’t yet decided where to go next. It is better to use what is available, and this grass is edible.”

“Speak for yourself,” said Rainbow Dash, looking at the plain with dismay that almost matched Rarity’s. “That’s no food for active ponies like us.”

“It looks okay to me,” whispered Fluttershy.

Obsidian sighed, leaned down, and took a bite of the grass. He chewed it thoughtfully for a moment before declaring: “I’ve definitely eaten worse. Now, you were saying?” he said, pointing at Aurora with his muzzle.

“I said that I think it was Sombra,” explained Aurora. “Remember how I told you I broke free once, and sealed Envy in the moon? They did a lot to keep me contained after that, so even my memories of that time are fuzzy, but what I remember is… the reason I broke out was the Crystal Empire.”

“Oh, how so?” asked Obsidian, swallowing, before taking another bite at the grass. 

Aurora raised a hoof, silencing him as she tried to focus. “In our times, the Crystal Empire existed. It was the only place the Shattered never conquered. But it wasn’t a safe haven for anypony but the crystal ponies - they wouldn’t let anypony in, just living there in their bubble, safe from all the evil. After the Shattered were seemingly vanquished… the times were still not safe. A lot happened through the first century. Somepony, probably some resistance group trying to find the truth, accidentally unleashed Discord. Envy and Arrogance used the power of the Elements to seal him again. Both princesses were using a link to the tree through their alicorn bodies. They were much more powerful than Envy is now. They restored order, and slowly, the Crystal Empire opened. But it was still not under Arrogance’s rule, and she wouldn’t have that.”

“Plus, they had information about the times the Shattered ruled,” said Obsidian. “With all the history erasing Arrogance was doing, that must have been a thorn in her side, wasn’t it?”

“It was,” agreed Aurora. “The commoners knew almost nothing of the outside. They were like… chicken growing up in a small pen, with no need to know anything else. But even the Crystal Empire had some scholars. Obviously Arrogance wanted to get rid of it all. But posing as a good princess meant she couldn’t just conquer the place…”

“But she could liberate it,” finished Obsidian.

“Liberate it from Sombra?” asked Twilight. “Wait, I think I understand. They had Hate take it over, getting rid of the queen, and everything the Shattered didn’t want. Then they would appear as heroes, pretending to save the Empire, and taking over. But… something went wrong again, didn’t it?”

“Yes…” said Aurora. “The power of the Crystal Empire… it changed Hate. You know how the power of the crystal ponies flows to the Crystal Heart, creating the magic that protects the Empire? Their love, their hope and joy, all feeding the magic. But it doesn’t have to be a good thing. When Hate took away the Heart and took over, the Empire’s fear and despair started flowing into him. It changed him into something else.”

“I remember,” said Twilight, “Princess Celestia… Arrogance warned me that the Crystal Empire can spread hope, or it can spread darkness.”

“Yes,” said Aurora. “He was a monster, even crazier than usual, but not the blindly raging thing you’d just seen. He had his own magic, and he was in control.”

“Sombra was horrible when we met him,” said Applejack. “But he didn’t seem as powerful as Hate was today.” She looked south, where the sky was slowly returning to its natural color.

“Perhaps he hadn’t recovered yet,” said Aurora. “Because when Envy and Arrogance fought him, he was the most horrible thing they’d ever faced. They only managed to beat him because he was crazy. If he didn’t burn most of his power on making the Crystal Empire disappear, they’d have no chance against him.”

“Not what Arrogance had planned, that’s for sure,” said Obsidian. 

“Oh, she was shattered in more ways than one on that night,” replied Aurora. “So much that I managed to break free, and when Envy tried to get the moon to set and the sun to rise to shake her out of it, I used my magic to tether her to the moon. I was so close to turning the tide then…”

“So, that’s Hate, Envy, Arrogance and Vengeance out of the way?” asked Twilight. “Did they ever find out what happened to Vengeance?” 

“Not that I know of,” said Aurora. “I think somepony must have taken the sealing crystal while Deception was subduing us, but I wasn’t yet awake during the first decades, so-”

“One story at a time, please,” said Obsidian. “This is confusing enough as it is.”

“So, why didn’t you win?” asked Fluttershy.

“My spine was shattered too,” said Aurora. “The alicorn body was designed to be extremely hard to kill, but by the end of the fight it was so broken, it was literally only moving thanks to magic. Sealing Envy took the last of its power reserves, and moments later the spells started falling apart. I don’t remember what happened after that, but I think Deception found me before I could die. After that they’d make sure I’d be safely sealed in, and Arrogance didn’t dare use the Elements again.”

“Excuse me…” said Apple Bloom. 

“Yes?” asked Aurora.

“Mister Obsidian,” asked Apple Bloom, “this will sound weird, but… those shattered guys… did you take anything from them?”

Obsidian looked at her curiously. “Whatever do you mean, child?”

Apple Bloom didn’t meet his gaze. “It’s just… that old zebra in the village… the one we told you about… he kept talking about prophecies and stuff, and he said something about the shattered too… something about him getting back what was stolen from his heart, or something.”

Obsidian sat motionless like a statue. Even his chewing stopped.

“Do you know what she’s talking about?” asked Twilight. “Have you ever heard that prophecy?”

“You okay there?” asked Applejack.

Obsidian’s head tilted back, and he started laughing, a low, loud, cheerless laugh. Twilight shuddered.

“How ironic,” said Obsidian, regaining his composure, “that of all things, something like this would survive among the zebras when I was forgotten. Yes, I know that prophecy, Twilight Sparkle. It was made back in my times, by a zebra shaman named Busara.”

He took a breath, changing his voice to sound like a crusty, old stallion.

“All that breathes on this world shall know terror when
The One that was Broken is made whole again
If you put what you stole back into his heart
He will give everypony a chance for new start.”

“Who was Busara?” asked Twilight. 

“An enemy,” said Obsidian. “Respected among his kind. A cunning foe. He was especially the enemy of the Elements. He considered them a blasphemy against the spirit world, and kept prophesying a horrible end to everypony. While he was right about the splicing ritual being a horrible folly, his death didn’t come from the the Dissonance.”

“What happened?” asked Twilight.

“The Shattered happened,” replied Obsidian. “The Imperial army had problems fighting the zebras in the jungles of their homeland, so Deception decided to deny them cover, and created the parasprites. They did much more than that. The little gluttons devoured everything there was to devour, leaving the zebras starving in a wasteland. We were deployed in the north, we didn’t know until one of the princesses called us for help. As it turned out, Busara’s tribe was as stubborn as he was. They didn’t retreat until it was too late, and they all starved. And Busara himself used some very dark magic trying to get revenge. The last fight the original Elements of Harmony fought together was to put down the monster he had become. If you ask me, that doesn’t speak well of his abilities as a prophet… wait, did you feel that?”

Everypony looked around in alarm. “I don’t feel anything…” said Rainbow Dash.

“I do” called Pinkie Pie. She dove towards Twilight’s bag, and dug her head in, pulling out a small table mirror. The glass surface was flashing with a blinking green light.

“It seems we have a call,” said Obsidian.

Twilight took the mirror from Pinkie, and set it on a nearby rock. She then sent a thin beam of magic into the surface. The image blurred, and then Bling’s face appeared.

“Twilight?” asked the disguised changeling queen.

“We met Hate,” replied Twilight. “We managed to find both fillies, and retreat safely.”

Behind her, Applejack raised an eyebrow.

“It is good to hear,” replied Bling. “I got worried when my surface scouts told me of the black conflagration.”

“We’ve also learned that princess Cadence died when you abandoned her,” continued Twilight.

“I know,” said Bling. “And you know it was not my intent.”

“If it wasn’t, you shouldn't've done so,” said Twilight. “You put…”

“The fate of all of my subjects above a mare who had killed hundreds of them?” interrupted Bling. “You have your priorities, and I have mine. And you wouldn’t change yours for me, so don’t lecture me. Now, is there anything you need from us? What do you plan to do next?”

“We haven’t yet decided on where to go,” said Twilight. “Right now we’re waiting for Applejack to recover. After that? We’ll look for some safe spot to leave the kids… not in your care, thank you.”

Bling sighed. “You’re only making things harder for yourself here, you know?”

“We’re not the only ones,” grumbled Aurora.

Bling ignored the comment. “And then what?” he asked.

“We should find a way to contact the Void Passage again,” said Twilight. “There’s a lot of things Obsidian and Aurora can just tell us, but I have so many questions now, I think there are some things I’d better see with my own eyes. Obsidian, do you know of any strong leyline focal points in this area?”

Obsidian considered the question. “In these mountains? The biggest place of power here would be… the Nevercrest mountain. But I haven’t heard any news of it for thousands of years. The sanctuary might be destroyed. Or worse, booby-trapped.”

“Or it might be the last place they’d look for us,” said Rainbow Dash.

“I don’t think the Shattered would like coming back there,” said Pinkie Pie. “That’s not a happy memory for them.”

“I only have a couple agents where you are,” said Bling. “But if you’re going to climb, they could drop you some supplies at the base of the mountain.”

“We’ll give you details, when we’ve decided,” said Obsidian. “In the meantime, please keep us updated on the situation in the Crystal Empire.”

Bling nodded. “That I can do. The city isn’t as isolated as the Equestrian army thinks.”

“Thank you,” said Twilight. “Now if that’s decided, I think this is all for the moment.”

Bling nodded, and his horn flashed. The image in the mirror disappeared.

“What a stink bug,” said Twilight.

Aurora smiled at her. “Well, you can choose your friends, but you can’t choose the enemies of your enemies.”

“That can be arranged too,” said Obsidian, “But I get your point. Let us make the best use we can of her support.”

“So, what do we do now?” asked Applejack.

“We climb the mountain, and find somewhere to rest,” said Twilight.

*** 

Several hours later, they were sitting in a large cave. Obsidian found it while flying over the mountain in bird form, then used his magic to expand it, and left his staff in the middle of it to provide light and heat. With the spare sleeping bags they had, and the fake rocks Pinkie Pie used to hide the entrance, the cave turned into a surprisingly comfortable place to spend the night in. 

That was the last thing that went right however. After an hour of trying to remember obscure friends and relatives, the ponies were no closer to finding a solution to their problem. 

“Goldie Delicious?” proposed Applejack in a tired voice. “No,” she contradicted herself immediately. “She would be on our side if I told her the truth, but she’s too… absent-minded to keep three fillies at home a secret.”

Twilight looked at her notes dejectedly. “So, after we eliminate the ponies in big cities, who would be too easy to spy on, those that probably couldn’t handle taking care of children, those that would react very badly to being told the truth, and those taken by Chrysalis…”

Pinkie looked over her shoulder, skimming down a long list of crossed-out names. 

“There’s nopony left,” she said. “Unless we find Maud.”

“We can do that once we’ve reached the sanctuary,” said Obsidian. “The sooner we get rid of all the distractions-”

“Can they climb the mountain with us?” asked Aurora. “From what you’ve told us, the entrance is quite high above the snow line.”

“With two of you already awakened,” replied Obsidian, “we have more than enough magic to keep them safe during the climb. I can’t guarantee anything for the sanctuary itself though. There is not telling what will await us there.”

“Well then, better start making plans now,” said Rarity. “We can’t go there without first making sure the fillies are well protected. And I won’t leave Sweetie anywhere I’m not sure is safe.”

“Speaking of protection,” said Twilight, “Obsidian, what have you learned about those amulets the fillies were wearing?” 

“I’ve examined them,” said Obsidian. “I can only tell you that these were some very complex spells. Somepony put a lot of effort into keeping them hidden from everyone - so much that they didn’t even reflect in the Dissonance. But such a powerful spell requires a lot of energy. Maintaining it like this would require some extra measures - binding the amulets to a permanent power source, like it sometimes happens with powerful artifacts, or the caster itself refreshing the spell periodically. But these amulets didn’t have a way to recharge on their own. They were bound to fail at some point.”

“But if whoever make those things knew they would fail,” started Twilight.

“The girls say it was Enigma,” said Rainbow Dash.

“But he said it wasn’t him,” said Applejack.

“So, was somepony pretending to be him?” asked Rainbow.

“Chrysalis said that it wasn’t anyling of hers either,” said Applejack.

“So, what does it tell us?” asked Obsidian.

***

In the corner of the cave, further from the light, the three fillies were tucked into their sleeping bags. Not ready to fall asleep yet, they whispered to each other in the dark, ignoring the discussion of the grown-ups.

“There is something I haven’t told you yet, girls,” said Scootaloo.

Her friends looked at her, worry showing in their eyes as they saw her expression. Scootaloo felt a knot tightening in her stomach.

“It’s… not just Spike, Shining Armor, and Cadence,” she said. “Minty is dead too.”

Four eyes widened in the dark.

“what do you mean… she’s…” stuttered Sweetie Belle.

“She’s gone,” breathed out Scootaloo. “She… it turned out her mom was some kind of mad scientist working for Celestia. Minty… I think she stole one of her mom’s inventions to fight Celestia with.”

“What?” gasped Apple Bloom in disbelief. “Did she…”

“Applejack told me,” said Scootaloo. “She said it worked. She was the one that destroyed Celestia back there. But then it blew up, and Minty… they said that power destroyed her too.”

It took over a minute before any of the fillies spoke again.

“Ah can’t believe it,” said Apple Bloom. 

“I didn’t either, at first,” said Scootaloo.

“But, why?” asked Sweetie Belle. “That’s… crazy. It’s… not like her.”

“There was a lot she didn’t tell us,” said Scootaloo. “A lot she couldn’t tell us. She said… she had enough of that lab her mother worked in. She just wanted to have friends, and a bit of a normal life. And Celestia was taking even that away from her.”

“So, she did it for… us?” asked Apple Bloom. “I… I don’t want it to be because of us.”

“It’s not like this,” said Scootaloo forcefully. “She… she did it for herself too. To be free.”

“Free?” scowled Sweetie Belle, an angry tear rolling down her cheek, “What kind of freedom is that?”

Scootaloo stared into the floor underneath her chin. “The only one she could find. The only one nopony would take away from her.”

“That’s just wrong,” said Apple Bloom. “Just wrong. This shouldn’t happen.”

Scootaloo pushed a bit closer to her, touching their foreheads together. “I know. But it -”

Apple Bloom pushed back, interrupting her. She looked Scootaloo in the eyes. “Could you girls promise me something?” She turned her head to look into Sweetie Belle’s eyes too. 

“What is it?” asked Sweetie Belle.

“Promise that you’ll never do anything like this for me, ever.” Apple Bloom looked from one of her friends to the other. “Never decide everypony’s fate on your own. We stick together no matter what, and if… horrible things happen… we’ll decide how to face them together, got it?”

Several seconds passed. Then Sweetie Belle moved closer. “I promise.” She then touched Apple Bloom’s forehead with her own. 

After a moment, Scootaloo mumbled her own “I promise,” and joined the not-exactly-hug her friends were sharing. They stayed like this, tears trickling slowly down their faces, until the discussion in the cave ended, and Fluttershy found them asleep together. 

 ***

Bluebonnet finished writing her notes, and shut the notebook. She then slumped onto the floor, not even bothering to look for a chair. 

“Is there anything amiss, doctor?” asked an assistant peering into the lab. It was one of Dr. Stone’s constructs, tasked with keeping her safe. 

Bluebonnet gave her a tired smile. “There’s nothing wrong,” she said. “I just need some sleep.”

The mare retreated with a nod. Bluebonnet turned away, and looked at the table in front of her. It was cluttered with parts, some of them burned. In the middle there was a thick notebook. It was closed now, but Bluebonnet only needed to look at the cover. The conclusions she had just re-read were already burned into her brain.

I’ve been picking through it again and again to make sure I wasn’t wrong the first time. But no matter how many times I try… The extra pieces I found, there is no doubt about it. There is just one way these could have fit together. The device… the gun was purposefully overclocked, the safety features disabled to maximise the pattern energy output. There was no way it wouldn’t explode.

There were hoofsteps in the corridor. Bluebonnet swept her hoof across the table, pushing the notebook away, and covering it with some junk.

Dr. Stone trotted into the lab. Bluebonnet thought it was her at least. With the cold, professional manner she maintained, it wouldn’t be hard for a construct to mimic her behaviour.

“Are you doing okay, doctor?” she asked.

Bluebonnet smiled again, rising from the floor. “Yes, everything is okay… at least as much as it can be.”

Dr. Stone walked up to her slowly, and sniffed at her. “No, it isn’t. Your stress level is high, and you don’t sleep enough. At this rate, you will ruin your health. You can’t function like this any longer.”

“You still need me,” said Bluebonnet, “Especially now. I know Mr. Lightbringer has returned. You will be busy making sure he’s ready for action again. And the upgrades you’re running on the Wonderbolts require constant attention.”

Dr. Stone shook her head. “A lot of in can be handled by assistants. And you won’t be any good to me if you hurt yourself,” she finished with a faint smile. “It is time I did something to help you. I know this is not how ponies are supposed to deal with pain, but I could use some of my conditioning procedures to put your mind at ease. You don’t deserve to suffer that much.”

How would you know? Bluebonnet wanted to shout, but she bit her tongue, and returned the smile instead. “I cannot do that.”

“I won’t do anything drastic,” said Dr. Stone, “Just plant a couple suggestions in your head, to smooth things along. It won’t demean what you’re getting through.”

“Still,” replied Bluebonnet, “It’s not the right way. I’ve been through some very hard times before. I will manage.”

Dr. Stone gave her a sceptical look. “In that case… I’ll at least insist you finish your work, and get some sleep now. Your body and mind really do need it. I can offer some pills that will make it easier.”

Bluebonnet sighed with resignation. “Yes, Doctor.”

Dr. Stone smiled. “We’re on the same team here. I do want you to be at peace. And I know how it is to lose somepony you love.” She suddenly lunged forward, and hugged Bluebonnet. “Stay strong. Rest. Wake up with new energy. Don’t let this destroy you like it did me.”

Bluebonnet looked at her with surprise. “What? What are you talking about?”

Dr. Stone released her hug. In a second, she was once again the cold, professional doctor everypony knew. 

“Now, go to sleep. That’s an order.”
> Chapter 40: The Myth
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A flock of falcons soared over the mountains. They weren’t the sight one would expect there, and not just for the fact that falcons do not fly in flocks; the birds were of varied sizes and plumage, some burdened with tiny bags or gemstone necklaces. One of them was wearing a tiara, and another a hat.  

Before them, a huge mountain rose into the sky, a regular triangle of grey rock covered with snow. The birds lowered their flight, circling over the base of the mountain before coming down next to a small stream.

“There it is!” called Rainbow Dash, swooping down on a circle of bags left on a flat rock next to the stream. As she touched down, her spell broke, turning a blue falcon back into a rainbow pony.

Obsidian landed next to her, the stick in his claws becoming a staff and flying to his side. He sniffed at the bags. “So far everything is going according to plan.”

Around him, other birds touched down, each changing into a pony as soon as she touched down.

“Did you see that, girls!?” shouted Scootaloo to her friends, “This was totally awesome,” she added less loudly. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom gathered around her with wide grins.

Aurora opened the nearest backpack, and put her head inside. “There are some winter clothes. And some hay.”

“Also, seeds,” said Obsidian. “Don’t eat those. We’ll need them.”

Applejack dug through another set of bags, took out a scarf, and a vest, and having dressed herself, put the bags over the ones she was already wearing. “So, it’s all the way up from here?” she asked.

“That’s awfully high,” said Rainbow Dash. “I still think we should just fly up, at least those who can do so without magic. We could handle whatever is there.”

“Do you remember what happened to Aurora’s group when they split up?” said Obsidian.

Both Aurora and Rainbow glared at him, but the statement seemed to end the discussion.

As the others loaded their bags onto their backs, Rarity found three matching hats and scarves. She put those on the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who were already trying to put on their vests. “There,” she said once she was satisfied with the result. “All nice and warm. Now, whatever happens, stay close to me. Okay?”

“Okay,” said Sweetie Belle with a nod.  The three fillies formed a small group behind Rarity, as everypony started walking up the slope.

“Wait,” said Twilight. “I can do it better.” She put the new set of bags off her, lit up her Element, and focused. Purple light flowed from the gem above her forehead to her horn, and then onto the bags. With a soft jingling sound, the bags started shrinking, quickly reduced to no larger than a purse. Twilight picked them up with telekinesis, and put them in her own bag.

Everypony looked at her.

“Well, once you learn your magic, a lot of things can be simplified,” said Obsidian. “Could you do the same for others? Not everypony is equally proficient, and I don’t want this kind of spell to fail halfway through the climb.”

***

It took them several hours to reach the edge of the snow. It would have been much longer if not for Rainbow Dash, who, instructed by Obsidian and Aurora, came up with a supernaturally catchy marching song. Pinkie Pie pronked ahead of Obsidian, standing atop a slightly snowy rock, and looking down over the mountains.

“Come here, girls! The view is great!” she called. 

One after another her friends joined her at the rock, looking down with varied degrees of interest.

“It took us most of the day to climb this high,” sighed Twilight Sparkle. “Do you think we will make it to the top before sunset? I really wouldn’t like to struggle with the mountain weather at night.”

“I told you we should have flown,” complained Rainbow Dash. “There were no traps, and we’d be there by now.”

“If there had been any, you’d be too busy mourning to mouth off,” replied Obsidian with a scowl. “Now, it is true, that we are somewhat behind schedule. But the entrance to the sanctuary is not at the very top. So it’s not as far as it seems.”

“It has been worn away by time,” said Twilight Sparkle, “but there’s clearly a trail going up.” She looked down towards the part of the trail they had already crossed.

“Oh yes,” said Obsidian. “How do you think ponies would get up there?”

“Flying?” asked Rainbow Dash. 

Obsidian looked at her. “That was an option, yes. But in ancient times, the climb itself was considered a test. There were weather spells in place that discouraged ‘cheating’ around it.”

“So, not only were ponies tested in the Void Passage, but they needed to climb the mountain just to get there?” asked Twilight.

Obsidian swung his staff towards the snowy slope, and started climbing. “Keep close to me from now on,” he said. “No, Twilight. Those who approached the tests were physically tested elsewhere. The climb was an earlier idea, back from the times when the sanctuary was a purely religious site. The priests would prove their perseverance by braving the trail, and their attunement to the power of Gaia by ‘listening to her call’, finding their way through the blizzard atop the mountain by using the magic of the sanctuary to guide them.”

“Even earth ponies?” asked Applejack. 

“Aren’t you the most in tune with the stone beneath your hooves?” asked Obsidian.

“Those are some steep job requirements,”  said Rarity, in between checking if the fillies were safely behind her.

“The position was very prestigious, back in the day,” said Obsidian. “Besides, that is a matter of perspective. For somepony born in my times, you all have been living sheltered lives.”

***

Pinkie’s tail twitching was the only warning they got of the avalanche. One moment everypony was climbing slowly up one of the steeper parts of the trail. Then the snow all around them started to slowly shift downwards. 

Obsidian brought his staff down. His magic exploded with heat, blowing the snow and ice from underneath their hooves before they could start sliding down. Even as everypony tried to recover their footing, the whole slope above slid towards them with a low rumble. 

“BEHIND ME!” roared Obsidian over the noise. He planted his staff in the rock, and the weapon became a pillar of blue light, the oncoming snow parting before it as if cut by an invisible wedge of force. 

Rainbow Dash was the first to recover. The aura around Obsidian turned purple, as the magic of Loyalty joined his own. The snow kept coming, piling higher and higher, moving white walls sliding by on both sides of the Elements. Fluttershy screamed, her power expanding into a small bubble keeping her friends safe from the sides.

Applejack stomped her hooves, and a wedge of solid stone shot out of the ground in front of the group. The pressure instantly decreased, the natural barrier redirecting the sliding mass away from Obsidian. 

“Everypony okay?” asked Applejack as the rest of the snow slid by them. She was answered by nine confirmations. 

Obsidian stood still, waiting for the slope to stabilise. When he was satisfied, he pulled the staff out of the rock, and turned towards Rainbow. “See? I’ve seen natural avalanches, and that was too much too quickly. If we had been spread out, assuming each of you would protect herself, how long do you think it would take us to find everypony?”

“So, the sanctuary is guarded,” said Twilight. “Is our last retreat point still attuned?”

“Yes,” replied Obsidian. “It’s far away from here, so I would ask you for help, but we have a way of getting us all out of here if need be. Now, please do the snowshoes spell for everypony. We still have some way to go.”

Five minutes later they got to a small ledge. beyond it there was another section of the slope, barely visible in swirling snow. It was as if the blizzard formed a wall at this point. 

“So, this is what you’ve told us about?” asked Aurora, flapping her wings and getting closer. 

“Yes,” said Obsidian. “Somepony has reactivated the old spells. That means the illusions probably work too. This wouldn’t be so obvious from the air. You could actually miss the whole thing if you didn’t know what to look for.”

“So, what do we do?” asked Applejack.

“We go in of course.” said Rainbow Dash. “We stick together, and Obsidian looks for any other traps, right?”

“More or less,” said Obsidian, “though I would like Applejack to be our guide.” 

Applejack was surprised. “Huh? What for?”

“I want to see how sensitive you are. The last days have given you some new understanding of magic. Let’s see if it is enough to find your way,” said Obsidian. “Miss Fluttershy, if you could create a moving barrier to shield us from the blizzard? I want to see if you can make any progress with weather magic, and this way I will be completely free to detect any other threats.”

“I’ll try,” said Fluttershy meekly. Taking a deep breath, she expanded her shield again, then exhaled slowly, the barrier spreading wider, while getting thinner and thinner, before popping like a soap bubble. Fluttershy looked dejected. “I’m sorry… I’ll try again.”

Twilight was about to say something, but Obsidian silenced her with a gesture. Fluttershy breathed in again, bringing another pink bubble of force into existence. Everypony watched as the sphere expanded slowly, once again getting more and more translucent.

Rainbow Dash landed right next to Fluttershy. There was a glint of red on Loyalty, then, briefly, in Rainbow’s eyes. “You can do it, Fluttershy,” she whispered.

The sphere disappeared again, but this time there was no popping sound. Instead, there was a swirl of air around Fluttershy, one that, when she took a couple cautious steps forward,  formed an empty bubble inside the blizzard.

Obsidian smiled. “Everypony’s learning, I see. Okay then, lead on, miss Applejack.”

Applejack walked past Fluttershy to the head of the group. She backtracked, looked up towards the mountain top, and then walked into the blizzard again. “I think we start thataway,” she said.

They started walking, with Applejack and Obsidian at the front, Fluttershy at the center, and Rainbow Dash and Aurora at the sides. Rarity kept the Cutie Mark Crusaders behind Fluttershy, while Pinkie and Twilight served as the rear guard. They walked slowly, making sure to stay within the bubble, with Applejack doing frequent stops, focusing with her eyes closed.

“I hope, I’m doing it right,” she said after the third stop. “I’m not sure if I’m really feeling anything, or just hoping I do,” she admitted.

“Remember the traps Arrogance used inside Canterlot Mountain?” asked Obsidian. “Remember the feeling of magic all around you being lost, and then coming back? focus on that feeling.”

“But there are Elements of Harmony right behind my back,” protested Applejack.

“They don’t saturate the very rock beneath your feet though,” said Obsidian. “Don’t try to smell it with your nose. Feel it with your hooves. You’re an earth pony.” He paused, looking down at his own hooves. “I must say though, it is somewhat weaker than I remember.” He looked around. “Keep doing your part. I’ll focus on mine for now.”

They started walking again. Minutes passed, and slowly Applejack relaxed. There was now a sense of purpose in her step, as she confidently picked a direction. Obsidian remained silent, his face focused. Suddenly he gestured for everypony to stop, before sending his staff flying into swirling snow. “A yeti,” he explained when it returned.

“What was it doing here?” asked Twilight suspiciously. 

“Natural fauna perhaps?” said Obsidian. “The spell that triggered the avalanche must have ignored it, or else it would’ve been swept along. How are we doing, miss Applejack?”

“I… I think we’re almost there,” said Applejack over her shoulder.

And indeed, half a minute later, the front of Fluttershy’s barrier uncovered a huge, icebound gate.

“Let me see,” said Obsidian, walking forward. He carefully examined the door.  “Sealed,” he finally said. “Not enough to make boring through walls more inviting, but just enough to keep amateurs away. Anypony trying to sit here and chip at the ice would only get tired in the middle of a blizzard. This also explains why the power seemed weaker than I remembered. Somepony has tied some extra defence spells to the leylines.”

“So, you can open it?” asked Twilight. “The sun is setting, and I don’t feel like spending the night here.”

Obsidian snorted derisively. “Just give me a minute.” 

He focused his power, blue runes glowing under his skin, and then along his staff. He pointed the weapon at the gate, tapping the tip against the ice. Sparks flew where it touched, the ice lighting up briefly. “Doesn’t look too complex,” said Obsidian. The runes on his staff turned purple, and then red. The Ice gave a bright, silver sheen in return. “Predictably, warded against fire,” said Obsidian. He tapped on the base of the staff, and the tip stabbed into the ice. small crystals started growing along it. 

“Should we help?” asked Twilight with concern.

“Don’t insult me,” growled Obsidian. He approached the staff from the side and tapped it again.

What should have been a tap of horseshoe against hard wood, echoed like a tuning fork instead. The staff vibrated visibly. Then so did the gate. Obsidian pulled out the staff and then bucked the gate, retreating just before the ice barrier crumbled down, a sheet of fine ice pieces.

With a creak, the gate opened inwards, just enough to let a pony through.

“There, done,” said Obsidian. “Told you it wasn’t very complex.”

***

The cave was enormous. Twilight had kind of expected that. The outer gate was big enough for an adult dragon. As Obsidian conjured a ball of light to illuminate their path, the ponies absorbed their surroundings - first the architecture of the arch, then what seemed to be an underground plaza surrounded by what looked like buildings sculpted in the cave walls themselves, separated by huge clumps of jagged green crystal. 

“Don’t let your guard down,” said Obsidian. “I don’t feel anypony alive here, but there could be more traps.”

Scootaloo shook her wings as she looked around. “It’s warm on this side of the door,” she said in surprise.

“Of course it is,” said Obsidian. “Ponies spent thousands of years changing this cave, ever since they discovered the crystal deposits were thinner on this side, and they could dig to the heart of the mountain through here. Of course, the second splice ritual wiped out all the spells in place, but things like heating were easy to repair. There even used to be a garden here, using the mountain’s magic to grow crops without sunlight. If we’re to stay here for longer, I hope we can recover that.”

“So, what now?” asked Rainbow, spreading her wings and looking askance at Obsidian.

“Don’t spread out yet,” said Obsidian. “Traps are something you have no experience with. This is no adventure book.” He turned around, and pointed his staff at the nearest door, one leading back into the wall around the gate. “Let’s start with this one to set up base, and then explore further.”

As it turned out, the doorway lead to a flight of stairs, rather steep for a pony. At the top, there was a rectangular room with two more exits, filled with dusty remains of what must have once been furniture. At the wall facing outside, there was something that looked like a window, but on closer inspection turned out to be a large rectangular mirror.

Obsidian looked around the chamber, examining the side doors. “This guard room is beside the gate,” he said, “The mirror…” he tapped the glass, and nodded with satisfaction when it responded with a flash of magic. ”Serves as a window. It allows one to look outside through the rock, and see despite the blizzard. Very convenient. There is a toilet on this side… but I have no idea if the plumbing still works. More importantly…” he continued, turning left, “... this room has winches for the sanctuary’s non-magical protection, the metal bars that could block the hinges of the gate. If they were never used, that means the last time the sanctuary fell, it was either by surprise, or more likely through deception.”

“Perhaps it was simply abandoned?” asked Rarity. She was looking around the place, taking in the slightly crumbled carvings on the walls. 

“A strategic point like this?” Obsidian looked around. “It would never be abandoned lightly. Especially abandoned and left mostly intact. It would make a great place for a last stand though.” He headed towards the stairs down. “This room is safe. You can leave some of your things here. We’ll search through the rest.”

It didn’t take them long to find the first skull. It was just a couple steps into the cave, by one of the crystal growths, a white dome almost crumbled to dust by the press of ages. Obsidian pointed towards it with his staff. “See? It’s been too long for me to sense any lingering memories, but the crystal is uneven here. It must have got chipped long ago, likely from being used as cover. There was a battle here, though it must have been millennia ago. Watch your step.”

Now that they knew what to look for, it was much easier to see the signs of past destruction. Here and there the buildings were damaged, the murals depicting regal alicorns had missing chunks, some walls cracked, as if the very walls of the cave had shifted slightly at some point. There were also remains; sometimes a whole skull, sometimes a rusted mess that used to be a piece of equipment, more often just an outline where a body had stained the stone floor. 

The ponies walked slowly through the center of the cave, looking cautiously around as the light of the Elements uncovered new details.

“You kids should stay in the guard room,” said Aurora to the fillies. “It’s safe there.”

“You never said that to Charcoal,” complained Scootaloo. 

Aurora’s face grew serious, and the next sentence never left Scootaloo’s throat.

“She knew how to stay out of trouble before I met her,” said Aurora. “Now, go.”

“Who’s Charcoal?” asked Sweetie Belle. 

“Mr. Obsidian said we shouldn’t split up,” said Apple Bloom.

The rest of the group stopped and listened to the conversation. Aurora looked at them, seeking help. “He also said it was safe there,” she said. “With how… freaky he is, I’m sure he’d feel it if there were any ghosts there.”

“Ghosts?” asked Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo loudly.

“Aurora ground her teeth. “I just said…”

“I can stay with you if you want,” said Fluttershy. “You really shouldn’t be exploring the ruins with us.”

“I’ll stay,” said Aurora. “It’s annoying, but at least the Elements shouldn’t split up. There might be some trouble that require you all. I can deal with some babysitting.”

“Babysitting?” asked Apple Bloom with exasperation, but then she saw Applejack nod silently in approval, and she fell silent. Slowly, both Rarity and Rainbow Dash nodded their heads in confirmation. “It won’t be long, squirt,” said Rainbow Dash.

Lowering their heads, the Cutie Mark Crusaders walked back toward the stairs, Aurora following them with a sigh.

The Elements went the other way, following Obsidian. 

The aura is stronger towards the center,” he warned, “Easier to hide magical traps there.”

“If the place was conquered before,” asked Rarity, “who set that spell at the door?”

“Somepony doesn’t like guests,” said Pinkie Pie, looking around with suspicion.

“Or, it was sealed from the outside,” said Rainbow Dash. 

“You think?” asked Applejack.

“It would have been easier to at least start from the inside,” said Obsidian. “But the magic-conductive crystals make this place tricky to teleport out of even on the best of days. So, unless we find a skeleton of a wizard guarding the heart of the sanctuary-” he stopped, and tapped his staff on the floor. There were lines of faint green light visible on the stone, spreading like a net. 

“Another barrier,” said Obsidian. “And this time, it is a trap.”

“What does it do?” asked Twilight. She looked down into the lines.

Obsidian followed one line to the side, careful not to get too close. “It could be many things. Worst case scenario it either collapses the ceiling, or sends a signal that will get enemies onto our heads. It doesn’t seem to be sending any signal that could alert anypony by going silent. I will be able to tell you more once I see how far this web extends.”

“Is this the kind of magic from your times?” asked Twilight Sparkle. 

“No, I don’t think it is,” replied Obsidian. “It’s very good by your standards, but there is a certain lack of subtlety in it. I think it was only pulled thanks to the magic of the sanctuary. It may have been here for centuries, but I don’t think it’s the Shattered’s doing.” 

“That’s weird,” said Pinkie. “Who else would like this place closed off?”

“There must be something precious down there,” said Dash, “or dangerous.”

“Dash,” started Twilight, “much as I’d like to say this is not a Daring Do book, I must say you have a point here. If somepony didn’t want anypony to come here, they could have just collapsed the place, couldn’t they?" 

“With great effort, they could,” admitted Obsidian. “But beyond the historical records, the greatest value of this place is the power flowing through it, and that’s an entirely different matter. It might have been easier to just hide the place and let it be forgotten. With what happened to magic over the millennia, there can’t be many unicorns left who could open the front gate.”

“Aaand, there.” he said a moment later, tapping his staff on the floor again. The green lines lit up. but this time they quickly paled, and then unravelled, like a badly knit sweater. Obsidian smiled smugly. “You just need to know where to cut the flow.”

“And what did it do?” asked Pinkie.

“Attacked the mind,” replied Obsidian. “It wouldn’t have killed you, not at once, but it might have left you too stupid to continue.”

“Or too stupid to avoid something else,” supplied Dash.

“I guess we’ll have to move very slowly now,” said Twilight.

“Yes,” said Obsidian “And going around it doesn’t  have to be any safer.”

“Can’t we just cast the spell here?” asked Applejack. “You keep telling how magical this place is. Perhaps we don’t need to go all the way in.”

“That’s… a good point,” said Obsidian. “It would take longer to cast, but it would be doable. We won’t push in needlessly then. We’ll just clear enough traps to let us work in peace without fear of stepping in any. And perhaps we’ll free enough power to get some other things working, like the lights.”

***

“We won’t push needlessly!?” shouted Rainbow Dash half an hour later.  She flew past a block of green crystal, wobbling on its five remaining legs, and cut into another one with her wing. She was thrown away as the two magical powers collided, but somehow managed to turn a corkscrew into a diving save, pushing Obsidian away before the construct could stomp him flat. 

“Break it from one side!” shouted Obsidian. “Then get together when it can’t turn!”

“It’s charging up again!” shouted Pinkie, putting on a pair of oversized sunglasses. 

Twilight and Fluttershy conjured a pair of barriers, with Applejack and Rarity hiding behind them. Obsidian extended his staff, which started glowing, forming a swirl of energy in front of itself. Pinkie Pie simply opened a beach umbrella, a moment before the golem flashed brightly, sending out a wave of deadly green light.

When the glare faded, Rainbow Dash found herself unharmed. Obsidian was swaying slightly, but his staff was now blazing fierce green light. When he sent it forward, it struck the golem in a powerful detonation - the thing had moved, way faster than it seemed, deflecting the blow before it could reach its torso, but losing a section of another leg in the process.

“Almost there!” shouted Pinkie Pie, charging in and swinging an enormous book over her head. The hardcover tome hit the monster, but only caused its legs to split, leaving it flat on the floor. 

“Dash!” shouted Rarity. She sent a stream of purple magic that enveloped Rainbow, reinforcing her summoned energy armor. The pegasus flew low, cutting along the edge of the tome. There was a loud crunch and sizzle, and two crystal legs fell off, sliding away on the floor. 

Applejack charged in, wreathed in the orange aura of Honesty. She turned at the last moment, turning the momentum of her body into a powerful buck, aiming just below the exposed joints of the missing limbs. The impact lifted the whole golem off the ground, sending it past Obsidian, and into a building wall, which collapsed.

“Now, girls!” shouted Twilight, teleporting to the middle of her friends, and charging up. By the time she was done, all others had joined her, pooling their energy together. A bolt of rainbow light shot across the room. For a moment, the construct rose from the rubble, its last legs flailing helplessly as it was lifted into the air. Then the magic dispersed, and the crystal shell went crashing down, the magic that made it move unravelled by the Elements.

“What was that?” asked Rainbow Dash. “That thing would have given a grown dragon trouble.”

“That’s how we made war golems in my time,” said Obsidian. “This one was actually built about the same time as the Void Passage. It guarded the sanctuary. But if it survived until today…”

“It must have been dormant on the day of the sanctuary fell,” finished Twilight, walking curiously towards the remains. “And then somepony found a way to re-power it.”

“We’re learning more and more here,” said Obsidian. “Anything else you can see here that could give us more clues?”

Twilight looked around. Her eyes slid from the ruined golem, over the other buildings, the niche containing an ancient vegetable garden they found and examined some minutes before, before finally stopping at the end of the cave - a huge and elaborate mural surrounding the inner door to the sanctuary proper. 

“It’s not really connected to the problem at hoof, but… I’ve seen some murals as we walked, and there are four alicorns depicted here. You mentioned Gaia, the Mother Earth. These two are obviously Celestia and Luna, the Sun and the Moon. And the last one?”

Obsidian sighed. “If you insist. This is Indigo, Father Sky. He was the god of the spirit world, the one who gave ponies the gift of magic, but he didn’t receive as much worship.”

“Was?” asked Twilight.

“That’s a strange name,” said Pinkie. “I mean for a god. I have friends who are named after colors.”

Rainbow Dash snickered.

“Well,” said Obsidian, walking closer to the gate. “Some priests of my time claimed to have felt Gaia directly. It was very rare, but she was still there, more than just the force of life animating her creations. But Father Sky had been very distant to begin with. And since being the god of the spirit world made him a god of death as well… few ponies were eager to seek his type of religious experience in the first place. Also,” he said turning to Pinkie, “as far as I know, it was the other way round. First the god, then the color. It is the true color of the sky that you can briefly see at dusk, when the blue that Celestia brings makes way for the starry black of her sister.”

Everypony sat on their haunches, listening. Twilight closed her eyes, and after a brief moment of focus, she made a small notebook appear.

“So, the scenes depicted on this wall are some sort of a creation myth?” she asked. “It looks amazing. Much better preserved than the rest.”

Obsidian nodded. “Yes, a creation myth, and a rather typical one, the one difference being that this one is true. You won’t know this alphabet, but I’m sure you can see where this is going just by following the pictures.”

Twilight stood up, and conjured some more light. “Sooo…” she looked up at the wall. “Mother Earth and Father Sky emerge from the primal chaos. That would be Dissonance, yes?”

“More or less,” said Obsidian, nodding. He then sighed. “And you really want to do this?”

“And then… they dance?” asked Twilight. “Perhaps… I guess there was not much else to do. Unless of course they decided to create something to keep them busy.”

“I told you before, Twilight,” said Obsidian, “Gods are more like forces of nature than creatures. They very rarely do anything.”

“But why is that, if they have so much power?” asked Applejack.

“Exactly because of the power,” said Obsidian. “Just look at yourself here. You are where you are, doing what you're doing, because of the events you experienced in the last two weeks, aren’t you? As a response to your new experience, you now have new goals. You’ve changed a lot. But for gods… it is the other way round. It is their nature and their power that form their surroundings. It is their expectations that change their experience. Take Celestia for example, the ever-blazing Sun tasked with bringing the day to the world, forever running down her path, only straying on her way when she hears her mother’s voice. In her millennia of running through Dissonance, do you think she ever encountered anything that wasn’t a road ahead?”

“But something must have happened, or there’s no story,” said Pinkie Pie.

“That… crystal over there?” said Rarity, pointing up.

“Yes,” said Obsidian. “The random impossibility that was bound to occur sooner or later. A spot where order met chaos, and things could exist as more than just figments of divine minds. The place where Gaia found a piece of crystal, the first stable object that existed, and fascinated, she explored the new possibility, creating the world around it.”

“So the next pictures depict Gaia creating the world,” said Twilight. “Creating seas and mountains… plants… and this is Gaia and Indigo creating the Sun and the Moon-”

“Sending the two newborn goddesses around the world, to give it rhythm,” said Obsidian. “Now the seas and the clouds would move on their own, the day would turn into night. It was like a beautiful clockwork toy. But Gaia wanted more.”

“She created animals, and then ponies,” said Twilight.

“She did,” confirmed Obsidian. “But this is where the toy grew too complex. It was fascinating to observe, but the creatures born of order and chaos were not like gods. They were tiny and weak, unsuited for containing a god’s power. And Gaia realised she could not make them truly alive. They remained as she created them, moving only on command, nothing more than toys marring her creation with their fundamental flaw.”

“So what did she do?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Isn’t it obvious?” asked Obsidian. “Obsessed with her creations, she gave them life in the only way she knew how. She gave each of them a spark of her power, spreading herself thin until she disappeared. She became all mortal life, inhabiting all living creatures, and leaving them when they died, only to come back and be born once more. Of course, Indigo was devastated. But rather than change from the experience like a mortal would, he merely adjusted. He gave the favourite creatures of his mate a gift of magic, a connection to the spirit world that would empower them to fulfill their desires, while giving him something to remember her by. As his daughters continued on their endless run around the world, Father Sky retreated from the world to continue his dance alone.”

He turned away from the mural and back to Twilight. “Now, I know you could sit here taking notes until you grow old, but we’ve been disarming warding spells since sunset. I think we should end it for tonight.”

“But what about the rest of the wall?” asked Twilight. She walked forward, casting her light at the lower sections of the mural. “This storyyyy sssseeeemmmmssss ttttoooo…”

Obsidian spun on the spot, his eyes widening. “No! Don’t!”

He lunged towards her before the others could react. They watched as he slowed down reaching her, flowing in the air, his staff swinging in front of him just as slowly, Twilight’s expression shifting into surprise, then pain, as the piece of magical wood swept her off her hooves and launched her back. She flew away, suddenly gaining speed as she fell further from Obsidian, the staff sending her tumbling among the girls.

There was a sound like a bubble popping, and Obsidian’s body shifted. The Elements stared in horror as his flesh flowed like wax, stretching and shrinking, muscles growing and atrophying, coat flowing from dark brown to grey to milky white and back again, mane and tail growing, falling out and growing anew.

Then everything ended. Obsidian stood still, the last ripples of his form restoring it to his usual appearance. He slowly turned, angry dots of blue glowing in his eyes.

“Where were you going?” he growled.

Twilight rose from the floor, wincing in pain. “What was... that?”

“A trap spell,” said Obsidian. “This is exactly what I meant. You approached a door we haven’t checked yet, because you were too tired to pay attention, and what left you had was too absorbed with a new story to care.”

He turned around, and the staff returned to him, pointing at the mural again. “The rest is mostly stories of the notable kings and priests. I won’t be bothered to read it to you.”

“But… what was that?” asked Rainbow Dash. “It looked creepy.”

Obsidian glared at her. “Somepony got a bright idea to modify a preservation spell and turn it into a trap. A relatively simple spell, but backed with a lot of power. It must have drained a lot of magic from Nevercrest. You were lucky somepony got sloppy, and the effect leaked outwards.”

 “So, the reason the mural is so well preserved…” asked Twilight.

“It was aging at roughly one fourth the rate everything else was. And rather than just protect it from the flow of time, the spell accumulated the rest, ready to explode at anypony careless enough to walk into it.”

He looked back at the door. “Now, this at least gives us some new information. Whatever the reason for all this, the sanctum hasn’t been opened since roughly the time Arrogance and Envy came to power as princesses.”

“How do you know that?” asked Applejack.

Obsidian walked up to her slowly, until he was nose to nose, looking down at her. 

“Because I’ve just taken seven centuries to the face. Now, girls, since you’ve already had your bedtime story, I think it’s high time for you all to go get some sleep.”

***

Twilight was too tired to remember what happened after. She slept like a stone, with no dreams to remember. 

She was woken up by Scootaloo calling frantically, “Everypony! Wake up!”

She jerked awake, tangling in her sleeping bag. Around her her friends were doing likewise, including Pinkie Pie, who, as Twilight vaguely remembered, was supposed to keep the last watch; she was armored and not in her bag, but otherwise confused and tangled in her own legs.

“What’s going on?” asked Aurora and Dash, rising into mirrored combat stances. 

“Where’s Obsidian?” asked Applejack.

“He’s back downstairs, I think,” said Scootaloo, “checking the wards or something.”

“But that’s not important” piped in Sweetie Belle. She reared, pointing her hoof at the magical mirror on the wall.

“Something’s wrong with the sun!” exclaimed Apple Bloom. 
> Chapter 41: The Chaos
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

”What are we dealing with?” asked Obsidian. He had just run up the stairs, accompanied by Aurora who had gone to the ruins to fetch him.

The ponies gathered around the mirror looked back at him.

“It’s day AND night,” said Applejack.

“Something’s badly wrong here,” added Twilight Sparkle.

Obsidian walked to the mirror and examined the image within – the sky split in half between powder blue and velvety black, with a thin line of indigo through the middle, and both the sun and the moon hanging in the sky at the opposite ends.

“This isn’t supposed to happen,” he finally stated the obvious.

“But what IS happening?” asked Fluttershy.

“It looks like the sun and the moon have lost their way,” said Obsidian, “which most likely means they got some confusing signals. It seems their path has been influenced by mortals for so long, they actually got used to waiting for their cue to rise or set…” 

Obsidian leaned forward, pressing his head against the mirror. Then, to everypony’s surprise, he snickered.  “Busara would be speechless at the blasphemy, if he heard it,” he said. “Such an abuse of the voice of Gaia.”

“Now, what that means,” he continued, straightening and turning towards the Elements, “is that Envy must have lost control of the situation. She would never do something like this on purpose, not when struggling to maintain the façade of order. We need to find out what’s going on.”

They ate a quick breakfast, and armored up. In the meantime Obsidian activated Chrysalis’ mirror. She appeared in a flash of green fire, her face once again disguised by the visage of Bling.

“I don’t know what’s going on either,” she said when Obsidian explained the situation. “We’re underground, so I only learned about it when my scouts reported in.  Whatever this is, it must be centered near Canterlot. There is some magical interference, and I have problems receiving reports from my agents there. Also, from the reports that did get through, the magic-sapping vines we had been using to hide our presence in Everfree have started growing rapidly, and are now encroaching upon Ponyville. We stopped suppressing their growth when we left, but they’d never been so aggressive before. They might be a part of the problem, perhaps the reason behind the interference. Although I can’t imagine how they could be the reason behind what’s happening with the sky.”

“Anything that is bad news for the Shattered might be a good moment for us to strike,” said Obsidian. “If you learn more, give us a call. Better yet, if you have any agents that could aid us in the field, we’ll be going to Canterlot shortly.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” replied Bling. “It’s getting harder and harder to contact Canterlot, but I should have an expert available. “

The mirror stopped glowing. Obsidian moved towards the stairs. “I’ll prepare a circle,” he said.

“We’re going to Canterlot?” asked Rarity.

“What about Ponyville?” asked Applejack.

Obsidian stopped, and raised an eyebrow at her. “What about it? There are still no ponies in Ponyville.”

“No, but my farm is,” replied Applejack.

“Irrelevant,” huffed Obsidian. “There’s so much more at stake here than an orchard. Now follow me. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get the full picture of the situation. And take your sealing crystals with you. The chaos could give us some unique opportunities if we know when to act.”

Reluctantly, the ponies started leaving the room, following Obsidian down the stairs.

“What about us?” asked Scootaloo as Fluttershy, the last of the adults, was about to leave. “Are we staying with Aurora, or what?”

“Wait a moment, Darling,” said Rarity over Fluttershy’s back. “We’ll decide that in a moment.”

Obsidian went all the way into the ruins, almost to the spot where their presence had activated a crystal guardian the previous night. The rubble and shards had been swept towards the walls, and here and there glowing lines had been traced into the stone floor.

“You’ve been busy,” noticed Rainbow Dash.

“I don’t really need sleep,” said Obsidian. “I didn’t want to tackle any defense spells in your absence, but I used that time to do some cleaning, and to mark off the unchecked or dangerous areas. It is safe to move as long as you stay inside the lines,” he explained.

“So, what do we do with the children?” asked Fluttershy.

“Honestly,” said Aurora, “I’d rather go with you.”

“They should be safe here,” said Obsidian over his shoulder, as he started to draw a circle, “as long as they don’t cross any lines. But you, Aurora… For all your bravado, you aren’t strong enough to fight the Shattered.”

“She did help a lot last time,” said Twilight, “Even if she couldn’t land a hit on Hate.”
“I think I know how to help too,” said Rainbow Dash.  “Since she used to be the bearer of Loyalty, there’s something I thought we might try.”

“Oh?” asked Obsidian, “You were never big on magical theory before. What do you have in mind?”

Aurora stood next to Rainbow Dash. “We’ve actually thought of it together,” she said. “The power of Loyalty is to inspire others. But if I used to be attuned…”

They struck an identical stance, one hoof in the air, and closed their eyes. Loyalty flashed brightly, and when the light cleared, there was a point of intense red light on Aurora’s chest. The two pegasi looked at each other, their mouths curling into identical smiles. 

“Is it working?” asked Aurora. 

“It was your idea,” said Rainbow Dash. “Try it.”

Aurora inhaled deeply, then swung her wing, splaying the pinions. There was a soft buzz of magic, and a second set of pinions, made of red light, spread out from the wing.

“You’re using her latent connection… to spread your power over two ponies,” said Obsidian with disapproval.

“This thing has more power than I know what to do with,” said Rainbow. “If I were some great master with it, like Fluttershy, it would be better to just focus. But if we can get both of us powered, it’s better if we work as a team.”

“That’s… very unorthodox,” said Obsidian. “I hope you won’t find yourself starved for power at just the wrong moment.”

“You said Aurora is still connected,” said Twilight. “We might as well use it. What I’m more amazed by is how they managed to get it to work so quickly. You didn’t really have the time to practice, did you?”

“Well, “ said Rainbow Dash, scratching her head. “To be honest, we did get some help. That Verba guy dropped into my dream, to make sure I’m sane.”

“As I told him to,” confirmed Obsidian. “That explains a lot, though I haven’t seen him so active in ages.”

“He used to be the Element of Magic, “ continued Dash, “So I asked him for help. He worked on it and gave us a working formula  last night.”

“So, what do we do?” asked Pinkie Pie. “Does Aurora get to come with us?”

“It’s not like you would listen if I said no,” replied Obsidian. “But I think it’s a bad idea.”

“I’m tempted to agree with them just because of that,” said Rarity.

“The bad thing is,” said Twilight Sparkle, “That we don’t really have the time to test it.”

“I know we need to stay close,” said Aurora. “So if anything happens, we’ll fight as a team. I won’t get as much power as she does, but I’m more experienced with it.”    

“In that case,” said Obsidian, “I have nothing left to do but hope it works.”

“In that case,” said Rarity, “I’ll go tell the children that they’ll need to stay under the protection of the sanctuary for a while.”

“I’ll be done with the circle soon,” said Obsidian. “I only need to focus it enough to get us past our own wards. Beyond that, the Elements can power the jump with little trouble.”

***

“You know, I know how Laughter’s supposed to work, but I feel you could have picked better disguises,” said Aurora from behind her huge fake moustache.

The bespectacled bale of hay shrugged. “Hey, I’m doing what I can. It was Obsidian who decided I should practice. He could’ve just transformed us again.”

“He won’t always be with us to help,” said Twilight behind her, “But I must say I’m concerned with how effective this is. A two-pony dragon costume might not be what what I'd have chosen to avoid attention.”

“It’s working so far, isn’t it?” said Applejack from under a large cardboard box.

“Only because everypony is too busy panicking, I think,” said Rarity’s voice from inside the dragon.

The street in front of Canterlot castle was filled with the sound of running hooves. There were no panicked screams, at least yet, but everywhere one looked there was frantic activity, ponies trying to get food and other supplies, rushing to get everything ready before barricading themselves in their houses while others seemed ready to pack up and escape the city. The panic was quiet, almost eerily so, a city full of ponies trying not to show how they were scared out of their wits.

Obsidian slowly turned his rock disguise, to point its eye holes towards the gate. There were two guards stationed there, still and disciplined as always. But once one took a moment to have a better look at them, their eyes weren’t as still as usual - the two were nervously watching the situation unfold, the outside stillness failing to hide their growing worry.

“Unless there’s an official proclamation, we’re unlikely to learn more just sitting here and watching,” he finally said.

“So, what do we do?” said Applejack, twisting uncomfortably in her black suit, the sunglasses already pushed off her eyes up onto the forehead.

“We could start with tweaking the disguises, just a bit,” said Rarity. “Then I guess we’ll move around and try to learn more.”

“Wait,” said Rainbow Dash. “Are you going to transform us again in the middle of the street?”

“Yup,” said Pinkie Pie. “Trust me. I have a good feeling about this.”

“Then start with me please,” said Rainbow, “I don’t think pink is my color.”

The bale of hay ruffled in a way that was clearly a pout. “You don’t like it that much? But it is a good disguise. Nopony will recognize you.”

“A ball gown, no matter how breathtaking, is definitely not the right choice of attire for a covert mission,” said Rarity. Let’s just give it a bit of a tweak... “

There was a brief flash of purple. Rainbow Dash found herself wearing shorts and a flowered shirt, a wide white hat hiding most of her mane, and a pair of sunglasses hiding her magenta eyes. There was now a camera around her neck too; she could feel the familiar power emanating from the object, and knew the lens at the front of the device would be red.

“There,” said Rarity. “It’s still… unusual enough for Pinkie’s charm to work, but no longer quite so… challenging to move around in.”

“And it seems nopony noticed,” said Twilight.

“So, who’s next?” asked Rarity.

“I can wait,” said Fluttershy. “I kind of like being a cat.”

“Alright then,” said Rainbow. “You guys finish getting dressed, and I’ll take into the air and…” She looked down at her clothes. “Do tourist stuff. Be back in a minute.”

“Wait, we shouldn’t split up,” said Twilight behind her.

“You’ll have to grow wings then,” said Aurora to her.

Rainbow Dash was already soaring above the city towers. She made sure to stop every once in a while, pretending to take photos with her camera. What she was really doing though was taking in her surroundings. From what she could see, the mood they had seen near the castle was prevalent in the whole city. Everywhere there were nervous ponies running down the streets, carrying supplies, some even boarding up their windows.

What was happening in the sky was much more alarming. The sun and moon were still both in the sky, the uneven distribution of heat wreaking havoc on the intricately planned weather patterns. But as Dash turned to look around, she could see that it was getting much worse. There were anomalies, clouds of sinister shapes, or moving upwind, as if all of nature went mad along with the celestial bodies. Here and there Dash could spot pegasi far in the distance, trying in vain to bring things under control. And just like she had seen for a brief moment after her arrival, before the group went down to street level and disguised, the worst situation was in the direction of Ponyville; the sky there looked like it was boiling, and even from there Dash could see the Everfree forest move like a living creature.

There was a flash and a distant boom, and a mushroom of flame rose above the forest.

“You just missed them,” said Guilt. “They’re trying to get Envy free from the vines.”

Dash nearly missed a flap, descending good free inches before her inherited combat instincts kicked in. She whirred around, a blade of red energy extending from the wing she swung at Guilt’s neck level. The unicorn was not there though, already standing on the other side, several feet away.

“Don’t waste your time,” he said as Dash launched herself towards him, the camera on her neck glowing red. He was just an after-image when another blow went through him.

“You’ll blow your cover if you use anything strong enough to actually hit,” he continued, and this time, Dash hesitated.

“Ah, right, I need enough magic to slow your ability,” she said, as a foreign memory helpfully surfaced. She remained in the air facing Guilt, and flapping her wings angrily, ready to continue fighting. “What does it matter if I blow my cover? Aren’t we going to fight?”

“No,” said Guilt matter-of-factly. “I’m just a spectator today,” he continued, looking down towards the palace.

Dash followed his gaze. “Seriously?” 

“Yes,” said Guilt. “I’m tired of this war. I’ve been for millennia. And today is not a day for me to fight in it.”

“Then why did you... wait...” Rainbow’s train of thought got sidetracked. “How are you standing on air?”

Guilt shrugged. “Constant shifting. Long story short, I’m not here long enough to start falling.”

“Neat,” said Rainbow Dash. “Do all the Shattered have tricks like that?”

Guilt shrugged again. “Air control, magnetism, momentum control, bio modification… flying is too essential to do without.”

“So, you’re saying the other Shattered are in Everfree, trying to save Envy from those… magic-eating vines?” said Dash. “How did that happen?”

“They tunneled under the castle and got her by surprise,” explained Guilt. “It’s a major disaster actually.”

“And you’re not doing anything about it?” said Dash.

“Hate and Arrogance are enough to handle the problem, I think,” said Guilt. “My powers are not well suited for the task, and I won’t get pulled into their games again. I get blamed for enough already.”

He didn’t mention Deception, noticed Rainbow Dash. Does it mean she’s still in that lab of hers? “How did you see through my disguise?" she asked aloud instead.

“Experience,” replied Guilt. “Increased intelligence and attention to detail that comes with my condition. Resistance to mind magic. Those disguises wouldn’t even fool Hate. Your illusionist needs some practice.”

I wish Applejack was here with Honesty, though Dash. She squinted at Guilt. “Whose side are you on, really?” she asked.

“I like to think ‘ponies’ side'," he replied. “But all too often it turns out I’m a side of one when the dust clears. Now…”

And he was gone. Dash looked around, but only saw a pair of delivery pegasi emerging from behind a nearby cloud, pulling a cart.

A few seconds of frantic flying later, Dash was sure she had lost Guilt. Wherever he went, he didn’t want to be seen. Another explosion echoed from the direction of Everfree, and Dash was reminded that she couldn’t afford to waste time.

“Time to go back,” she said to herself. 

She flew back where she started, but found no sign of her friends. Frustrated, she started flying around from pony to pony, nearly colliding with a group of tourists moving slowly along the street. 

Who goes sight-seeing at a time like this? she thought angrily. Wait…

“Is it you guys?” she asked, making a 180 degree turn, and stopping at face level.

A short, fat pony lifted the thick glasses off his face. “It’s me, Pinkie Pie,” she said in a conspiratory tone.

Dash quickly landed inside the group. “I’ve done some looking around,” she said. “It seems Envy got kidnapped by whatever has emerged in the Everfree. Hate and Arrogance are there, trying to put it down.”

“How do you know that?” said Obsidian.

“Eh… rumors,” said Dash. “But Arrogance must be there, because I can see the explosions all the way from here. It’s like she’s trying to level the forest.”

“We need to stop them,” gasped Applejack, staring at Dash over her sunglasses. “Our orchard is right outside the forest.”

“And the poor animals,” added Fluttershy. “They must be so scared.”

“It will be worse if we fight them there,” said Twilight. “You’ve seen what Hate could do. If they’re trying to bring those… plants under control, we’d only make matters worse trying to stop them.”

“Well, Envy being out of commission explains the sun,” said Aurora. “You think… something might be wrong with the Crystal Tree?” 

“If so,” said Obsidian, “then it’s surprising it hadn’t backfired earlier. Now the question is, what do we do with this?”

“From what we know, Guilt still hasn’t re-joined his siblings,” said a thin, green unicorn passing by. “And there’s no indication of Deception leaving Canterlot.”

He then walked away, disappearing behind a moving cart before anypony got past the initial surprise. The ponies looked at each other.

“What was that?” asked Dash.

“I… think that was one of ‘Bling’s’ underlings,” said Pinkie Pie. “ I may have seen him before.”

“Well, good to know she can get things done even in this chaos,” said Obsidian under his breath, looking in the direction the unicorn had disappeared. “And the implication is clear too. Looks like our allies have just pointed us at today’s target.”

“So, while what is left of our home is threatened by a magical disaster,” said Twilight Sparkle, “we let the Shattered play the heroes, while we wreck their lab?”

***

The lab was full of frantic activity. Dr. Stone was standing over the biggest table, a thicket of glass tubes growing in front of her. Four other ponies, three emotionless assistants and Dr Bluebonnet, moved around her as she went, bringing in extra components, or taking vials of colorful liquids to be heated, cooled, or put in the centrifuge.

Pierce walked through the door, a box of glass tubes in his telekinetic grasp. “I’ve got it,” he said. "Where do you need me to connect these?”

“In a moment,” said Dr. Stone, “I’ll need to test this batch on the samples we’ve managed to capture before I know for sure how to proceed.” She pointed her hoof at a table to her right, where a set of vials was already prepared. “Take those to lab 2, and hit each specimen with one, in order. I’ll be there in a moment to check the results.”

There was a low rumble, and the floor vibrated slightly. Pierce, Stone and Bluebonnet looked around with worry.

“It’s back,” said Pierce. “Why?”

“It’s looking for magic,” said Dr. Stone. It started in Everfree, around the Crystal Tree, then dug all the way here, ignoring everything else, to get to Princess Luna.”

The rumble repeated, louder, culminating in the sound of stone shattering, and a loud whine of alarm. Now even the assistants looked in the direction of the noise.

“What else is here that could be so magical?” asked Pierce.

Dr. Stone stared at him. There was a sound of metal ripping in the distance. “It’s going for the artifacts in the containment chambers,” she said. "They were screened well enough to get overlooked last time, but now-”

“If they get there…” started Dr. Bluebonnet, her sentence trailing away as her mouth hung open, her thought process grinding to a halt at the ramifications.

“Pierce!” said Dr Stone, “Take samples 6 through 10 and hit this thing! I’ll go with you! Bluebonnet, take over where I’ve stopped. Make the other variations as we discussed!”

“And you!” she shouted towards one of the assistants, turning in the door, “Shut off that alarm.”

Pierce looked over the box of samples, pulling out the middle row of vials, and attaching them to syringe-like darts he pulled from his bandolier. He then followed Dr. Stone out of the lab, and left into the corridor. 

They turned the next corner just in time to see one a vine thick as a pony’s leg lash out of the corridor, grab one of the guardian armors, and smash it against a wall, sending pieces flying over the stone floor.

Without stopping, Pierce threw the first dart, hitting the vine before it could retract. It coiled to strike at him, but before it could lash out, the vine bulged around the point of injection, before bursting with black slime. The rest of the plant withdrew, the five foot section left behind decomposing rapidly.

“Too rapid,” commented Dr. Stone. “It bypasses immunities too well, and doesn’t leave itself the time to spread.” She continued running. “Skip number 7.”  

They took another turn before meeting any further trouble. Meanwhile the alarm went silent, giving them better opportunity to hear the approaching vines. 

Then the alarm started again, different in pitch. 

Pierce looked up. “That’s the upper levels intruder alert,” he said. “There’s nothing there these vines would be after. What’s going on?”

***

Obsidian swung his staff, knocking an armored guard out of his way, before diving into another staircase leading down. The rest of the group tried their best to follow him, their disguises reverting back to armor the second they weren’t needed.

Dash looked towards the downed guard with a cringe. “Sorry,” she said as she ran by.

“You broke his shoulder!” shouted Twilight at Obsidian’s back. 

He didn’t slow down. “We’re in a hurry!” he shouted back over the sound of the alarm. “I won’t take the time to hypnotize them all now! It’s pointless. You can heal them if we conquer the castle.”

They were already in the dungeons. Obsidian kept galloping, skidding on the stone floors when he took turns, led by whatever supernatural senses guided him towards the lab level.

Two more guards emerged from an adjacent corridor to bar their way, unicorns bearing spears with their power.

“You’ll only get hurt if you fight us!” shouted Applejack. The guards hesitated, and then ducked aside as Obsidian ran towards them, dodging away as the whole group ran between them and down another flight of stairs.

“We’re here!” exclaimed Twilight, stopping next to Obsidian as he stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “Now what?”
“You should know this place better than me,” said Obsidian. “Where would you go first?”

They were interrupted by a loud noise, like an echo of a very heavy metal door getting ripped out of the frame. Twilight turned in that direction. “We’ll start by learning what that was,” she decided, taking the lead of the group.

She ran down the corridor, and as she got past the first intersection, the group found the first signs of combat; there were chunks of stone ripped out of the floors and the walls, and pieces of what looked like discarded plate armor scattered around. 

Then Rarity winced as her horn sparked painfully. The floor rumbled, and a vine as thick as a pony’s neck burst through the stone, right in the middle of the group, trying to wrap around the unicorn.

“Whoah! Let go!” shouted Rarity as she struggled. She lit up in a purple aura that pushed the plant away before it could fully wrap around her barrel, but her barrier was uneven and spiky, causing her own mane to get fuzzy with static. Obsidian’s staff lashed out, piercing through the vine and pinning it to the floor before it could try to grab anypony else.

Applejack stomped on the vine so hard it burst, spraying disgusting juice over the floor. “Rarity, you okay?”

Rarity shook her head. “I don’t know. These things really do disrupt magic.”

“Let’s hurry!” called Twilight, resuming her gallop.

They ran into two more vines before they encountered lab security, a duo of animated armors. Applejack and Rainbow Dash rammed through them, breaking them against the edges of the holes the plants had left. Then Obsidian flung his staff in front of Applejack, the enchanted wood deflecting a dart that flew out of the door in a side corridor straight at Applejack’s right eye. 

Applejack skidded to a halt, her barrier expanding in a half-sphere in front of her. Rainbow Dash flew by behind her, a blast from her Element flying through the doorway, turning the door itself into a cloud of splinters.

A small ball flew out of the doorway, hit the opposite wall and exploded in blinding light. Twilight instinctively expanded her own barrier. covering all of her friends at the front. She still couldn’t see a thing, but she felt multiple small impacts against her shield. 

Obsidian’s staff flew forward, blowing off a large chunk of the door frame. There was a grunt of pain and a sound of a body falling. Then another vine, much thicker than the previous ones, emerged from a wall, littering the entire floor with rubble. A venus flytrap mouth opened menacingly at the end of it.

“Twilight, your barrier!” shouted Pinkie Pie before hitting the ground, pulling her helmet down and somehow fitting entirely inside it. 
Twilight looked around, just in time to see her shield start to fluctuate. “Everypony, watch out!” she shouted. struggling to keep the spell under control. 

The bubble exploded outwards. The plant was torn to shreds, nearby doors flew off their hinges, and the corridor filled with swirling dust. Twilight stumbled in a daze, trying to recover her senses and look around.

“Everypony okay?” she tried.

“I think so…” grunted Applejack from the floor. 

“No… but I will be. Give me a second.” said Rainbow Dash, righting herself after hitting a wall, and straightening her wings.

More affirmations and painful grunts followed. As Twilight’s focus returned, she realised, to her relief, that everypony had managed to avoid serious injury, if only barely.

“There!” shouted Obsidian suddenly. At the end of the corridor, visible through the swirling dust, there was Dr. Stone, standing in the doorway. She reared and ran aside, disappearing behind the doorframe just before a blast of force from Twilight went through the space she had occupied.

“After her!” shouted Rainbow Dash, springing into action, Aurora close behind. Finally with a clear goal in sight, everypony galloped forward, redoubling their efforts.

As Pinkie, the last in the group, was passing through the doorway, a dart flew at the back of her neck, just beneath the rim of the helmet. Pinkie’s head turned 180 degrees, catching the dart with her teeth, and spitting it out. Pinkie threw a custard pie in the direction the attack had come from. “ You stay put there!” she barked threateningly before running off after her friends.

Meanwhile, Twilight passed another corner in her chase. Dr. Stone proved a surprisingly fast runner, but seeing another black vine in the corner of her eye, Twilight didn’t dare teleport after her. She was brave enough to shoot though; when a white stallion in a lab coat charged at her at an intersection, she blasted him without thinking, the force of the spell pushing him off his hooves and into the wall. He hit it without even a grunt of pain, his facial expression completely blank.

In front of Twilight, Aurora and Dash made another sharp turn in the air to continue their pursuit. Twilight was doing her best to keep up when she heard a scream from Fluttershy - the downed assistant fell off the wall and into a low, inequine stance, legs bending at weird angles. The thing pounced like a leaping spider, but before it could reach Twilight, Obsidian’s staff hit it like a baseball bat, sending it flying back into the wall. 

As the rest of the ponies ran ahead, Obsidian stopped next to the stunned creature, briefly looking into its eyes. “Not Deception,” he proclaimed coldly. His staff stabbed, piercing through the assistant’s barrel and pinning the body to the stone.

Twilight continued on. Her pursuit had taken her into a large lab, Deception disappearing behind a heavy metal double door at the other side of the room. Some of the lab equipment had already been smashed, Dash and Aurora were trading blows with two assistants. Dr. Bluebonnet was there too, doing her best to get out of the way while avoiding the broken glass on the floor, and whatever chemicals it had contained.

Twilight didn’t waste any time. She grabbed one of the ponies with her telekinesis - only to turn pale in the face when Aurora used the occasion to take the assistant’s head clean off. Dash dodged over a table bucked at her, flying over a mass of flying vials, and finishing with a spin, landing a hoof on the other assistant’s temple, sending him flying across the room. “They’re no ponies!” she shouted at Twilight. As if to confirm her words, the white stallion sprang back to his hooves, seemingly unaffected by a blow to the head that would land an ordinary pony in a hospital. 

Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy ran into the lab just in time to see the end of the fight: Aurora and Dash flying together around the disoriented assistant, knocking him off balance, and then kicking his barrel simultaneously from both sides. There was a crunch, and the creature collapsed, its face still emotionless as before.

“That should do it,” said Dash, but Aurora did not stop. She formed a spike of force at the tip of her hoof, and drove it through the creature’s head. Dash opened her mouth to speak up, then looked at Aurora’s face, and backed away in silence.

Applejack skidded to a halt in front of Bluebonnet. Looking around the room, she addressed the engineer: “What are you doing here?”

“I work here,” replied Bluebonnet reflexively, her eyes darting left and right, absorbing all the destruction around her.

Applejack groaned. “Not what I was asking. Get out of here, now!”

Bluebonnet looked around one last time, then skipped over the broken glass, and dashed towards the exit without another word. As she was about to run out, she stopped, a wooden staff aiming at the center of her chest. Obsidian walked into the room, with Pinkie Pie close behind.

“That was thoughtless,” he said, before pushing close, staring Bluebonnet in the eyes. He inhaled, and for a moment the mare swayed, her gaze losing focus. A faint image of her face separated from her and disappeared in Obsidian’s mouth. 

“Not Deception,” he declared. The staff swung, causing Applejack and Fluttershy to cry in alarm, but it only struck the ground next to Bluebonnet.

“Run,” said Obsidian. He then pushed past her before she could oblige, running up to Twilight. “Which way did she go?” he asked.
Twilight pointed at the heavy door. “This way,” she said. 

The ground trembled, and there was a sound of more stone cracking.

“These plants are getting more aggressive,” said Obsidian. “Let’s hurry.” He sent his staff at the door, striking it with an echoing clang, but despite deforming from the impact, they remained shut.

Twilight took a deep breath. She focused, but her horn sparked painfully. She exhaled, took another breath, and focused at her tiara directly. The purple light fluctuated for a moment, but she finally managed to turn it into two tendrils of force. She grabbed the double door, and pulled them open, and out of their hinges.

Inside there was a long room, much larger than the lab, filled with lines of glass pods. In the middle, there was Dr. Stone, standing next to Dr. Stone. 
And another Dr. Stone. 
And over a dozen others. 

The identical ponies pounced as one, much farther than they seemed capable of, clearing the distance in a second, their bodies bending and deforming, claws and spikes emerging from under their skin.

“Fight!” shouted Obsidian, but nopony needed telling. The room became utter chaos. ponies and ponylike creatures mixed in a messy battle, almost impossible to keep track of. 

Twilight prepared to cast another spell, when one of the Stone’s opened her mouth, a long tendril wrapping around her tiara. Rather than be separated from her Element, Twilight held to it with her power, allowing herself to be pulled in; the two crashed into each other and rolled on the floor. 

Around them, Obsidian, Applejack, Dash and Aurora took the brunt of the attack; Obsidian cleared the space in front of him with a wide swing, while the others fought one of one, doing their best to not let the other monsters surround them. Rainbow Dash projected a triangular shield in front of her face, an instinct of some past bearer, just in time to save her eyes when one of the Stones spat a spray of acid at her. She kicked away, and the monster went flying, but another jumped into its place like a cat, her hooves splitting to reveal sharp claws. Beside her Applejack was swarmed by four creatures, barely keeping their poisoned spikes from reaching her flesh. She was turning around, stomping, and bucking, the monsters clinging to the outside of her force field until she finally screamed, throwing them all away as her armor expanded into a bubble. 

Rarity and Fluttershy stayed behind at the first moment, but when Obsidian and Pinkie rushed in to prevent Twilight from getting swarmed, the two found themselves exposed. Soon, two Stones, thrown through the lab by the other Elements, rose from the ground, and approached them from both sides. 

“A… a little help?” called Fluttershy, but the others were too busy fighting for their lives, utterly wrecking the lab in the process. As the first of the monsters pounced, Rarity projected a large, flat shield, then another, when the beast grabbed the edge of the first one and launched her body over it. Fluttershy tried to fire a beam, but the other Stone sidestepped it easily. 

“You’re no fighter,” she said matter-of-factly, before her jaw unhinged, showing extra rows of sharp teeth. She ran towards the yellow pegasus, preparing to bite through her neck.

“No, I’m not,” said Fluttershy calmly.

A silent wave spread from her chest. The monster froze, inches from her face. So did everypony else, all suddenly surprised by their drive to violence ebbing away. Fluttershy turned around, watching as her friends disentangled themselves from their enemies, forming a circle around her, with the Stones surrounding them. 

“So, you’ve broken up the fight,” said one of the Stones, her envenomed mandibles retracting back inside the skull to let her mouth move properly. “What are you going to do now? This place is warded against teleportation, and we’ve learned a lot since last time.”

“Chrysalis made me phase through the rock last time,” said Twilight.

A Stone closest to her nodded. “We learned from that too.”

“Why do you think we’d run?” said Obsidian. “We’re on the offense here.”

“If so, you’re running out of time,” said another Stone. All of the orange mares smirked at that.

“So, what do we do?” said Aurora.

“Give me a moment to check something,” said Obsidian. He planted his staff in the ground, and then closed his eyes, the runes from his weapon casting streams of light all over the room. 

“You can’t harm us while Kindness is in effect,” said a Stone. “This is… a scanning spell, isn’t it? What are you looking for?”

Obsidian kept the effect up for five more seconds before opening his eyes. “Abnormalities. Pattern or magic. But there are none. Your spirit presence is all identical… just enough emotion to maintain activity, and programmed behaviour. I’ve seen chimeras more pony than you.”

“Then what’s the point in insulting us?” asked one of the mares.

“None,” said Obsidian. “Just informing my companions that they don’t need to hold back. Now, we start again, but this time, you have no element of surprise.”

Twilight was the first to cast, before Fluttershy’s spell even fell, projecting a bubble of magic around all of her friends. The constructs pounced at it, their claws piercing through the barrier, but Twilight expanded the shield just enough to keep them from reaching anypony inside. Her friends were already charging up, adding their powers to hers. A second later, the barrier exploded, a flash of white that swept all the creatures off their hooves, tossing them against the walls. 

Silence fell. As the Elements looked around, ready for a fight, not a single opponent moved to oppose them. 

“So, they’re all out. What now?” asked Applejack.

Obsidian lifted his staff above his head. It flashed bright blue when he slammed it into the ground, a ring of magic expanding from the point of impact a foot above the ground. It passed harmlessly through Twilight and her friends, but everything else it touched, it cut right through, until it left a deep, horizontal line in the walls.

There was silence again, this time one of shock.

“Why… did you…” started Rainbow Dash.

“I told you not to hold back,” said Obsidian. “They were just constructs.”

“Even I don’t buy that,” said Aurora, looking at the growing pools of blood around the room.

Rarity turned around and retched, emptying the contents of her stomach over the broken lab equipment.

Then a rain of confetti fell.

“What in tarnation?” asked Applejack.

She was answered by a loud yawn. Discord strolled into the room, stretching himself, loose bits of stone dust falling off his fur.
> Chapter 42: The Mob
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Discord closed his mouth and looked round the lab, taking in the destruction.

“Oh, I see the party has started without me,” he said. “And it’s an old-fashioned one.” He paused, looking at Aurora. “Oh, Celly. That is interesting. Are you Aurora again?”

The Elements all turned towards him, their foci beginning to glow. 

“I was never ‘Celly’,” said Aurora with a glare. “Arrogance trapped me and leeched my power.”

Discord stared at her. “Oh my, I really did miss a lot. Looks like getting turned into stone again was not such a good idea after all. Anything else I should know about?”

The floor rumbled, and some dust fell from the ceiling.

“Are these plants yours?” asked Twilight.

Discord looked around, just in time to see one of the black vines burst out of the wall behind him, coiling threateningly. “Plundervines? Oh, yes, of course. You think I’d let Celly and Luna turn me to stone without having a plan to break free when they grow weak? I’m the Lord of Chaos, not the Lord of Stupid. You of all ponies should know that.”

“We’ll see,” said Twilight.

The Elements flared up, and Discord’s eyes widened as he realised what was to come. He snapped his claws, but the magic flooding the room extinguished his teleport spell. A large green gemstone flew at him, and when the rainbow beam hit, the draconequus found the stone embedded in his chest and sucking him in. 

“Hey! What… wait-” he managed to shout before disappearing with a loud pop. The emerald fell to the ground, but Pinkie dove in, grabbing it with her teeth before it could hit the floor. She tossed it up and let it fall inside her mane. Around them, the wave of white spread down corridors and through the walls, burning the vines to dust.

“So this was the infamous chimera in person,” said Obsidian. “That was very… efficient of you.”

“We don’t have the time to deal with him too,” replied Twilight. “He can monologue at somepony else, some other time.”

“Speaking of time…” said Rainbow Dash.

“There’s no way firing the Elements at full power wasn’t visible all the way to Ponyville,” said Aurora. “We’ve just lost our element of surprise.”

“It’s time we get out of here,” said Applejack.

“But what about Deception?” asked Rarity, finally recovering enough to speak.

“We’ll never find her in time,” said Obsidian. “And the vines seem to have wrecked her lab enough without our help. I say it’s time to retreat. Today’s mission is a failure, let’s not make it worse by suffering losses.”

Everypony nodded, and started running, back the way they came. Now with no enemies in sight, it was easier to navigate the tunnels at a gallop. They’d almost reached the stairs up, when another vine burst from the wall, aiming at Pinkie Pie. 

“Hey!” shouted Rainbow Dash, leaping over her friend to crush the offending plant. “They’re growing back! I thought they’d be gone with Discord.”

“They were made to stay when he was gone!” shouted Twilight, galloping on. They reached the stairs, and then ran up, the sound of cracking stone following them. Evidently the plundervines were growing back, and very quickly.

“Do you think they’ll follow us?” asked Rarity, as they reached the second flight of stairs. 

“Unlikely,” replied Obsidian, “They don’t seem to target us specifically, and you six have done a good job sealing Discord; I don’t even feel the stone when I’m not focused.”

“So, now we only need to get far away from them and out of the dungeon, and we should be able to teleport out -” Twilight projected a shield in front of herself, two blasts of magic bouncing off it. They were now on the ground floor of the castle, and the shots came from unicorn guards barring their path outside. 

Twilight pushed, sending the half-sphere of force flying forward, knocking down the two unicorns in her way, and sending them out through the front door. She followed, the rest of the group in her wake.

It was dark outside; it seemed sealing Discord had jutted the sky a little, pushing it towards the night. The main courtyard was filled with over a hundred ponies. About half of them were guards. The rest seemed to be courtiers, servants, and even some ponies from the streets outside the castle; Twilight vaguely recognised some of them. They were all armed, the guards with their weapons, the others with whatever they could find - kitchen knives, hammers or gardening tools. Everypony looked at the Elements, and in a moment, angry shouts filled the courtyard: “Murderers! Monsters! Traitors!”

“What’s going on?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“They think we’re evil,” whispered Fluttershy from behind her. “They’re scared… they’re all scared out of their wits. But they are even more angry.”

***

Pierce looked into the corridor, listening intently. The whole lab echoed with cracking stone, as if the whole complex were in danger of collapsing. But he was looking for a different sound. Shaking his head to get some dust and custard off his ears, he listened again. There it was, a faint sound of hooves on the stone floor. As quickly as he could, he ran in that direction. He heard a scream just before passing the last corner: Bluebonnet was there, cornered by a vine with a fly trap jaw. Pierce reached under his cloak for a pair of knives. He had already used up all of the special darts from the lab, and his normal poisoned needles didn’t have much of an effect on these plants. 

One knife flew at the jaw. It narrowly missed, the magic interference affecting Pierce’s aim, and bounced harmlessly off the wall, but got the monster’s attention before it could strike at its prey. The other however, found its mark, the magically sharpened steel cutting the vine where it emerged from the wall, the stone around the plant acting like a chopping block. 

The vine spun to lash out at him. Pierce charged forward, skidding on the stones to slide under the jaw as it snapped at him, holding his breath when the plant exhaled a cloud of foul gas. He continued his movement until he reached the base of the plant, and then kicked, his whole weight striking the handle of his knife embedded in the vine. 

The stem broke, and the vine fell to the floor, thrashing. Pierce stomped on it several times to make sure, and then recovered his knives. “Are you okay?” he asked Bluebonnet.

Bluebonnet took a deep breath to calm herself. “I… I think I am. What’s happened?”

“That blast passing through the walls, that was the Elements of Harmony. There is no doubt about it,” said Pierce. “Any idea what they used them on? I heard them backtracking, but had no means to engage.”

“I don’t know,” said Bluebonnet. “Unless we’re really lucky, and they ran into Discord. I think he was what the vines were looking for in the containment area.”

“Let’s go and find out,” said Pierce. “We need to find Dr. Stone.”

He run towards the lab where they had been working when the alarm started. When he reached the place, he nearly lost his lunch. Gesturing for Bluebonnet to stay in the doorway, he slowly walked through the room, careful not to step into any of the pools of blood. 

“Are these… constructs? Spare bodies? I have no idea if the real one is among them,” he said, walking through the room and into the pod chamber ahead.

“I don’t know either,” said Bluebonnet, doing her best to keep her eyes level and focused on Pierce. “These were made to look just like her. And I’ve never seen her die before."

There was a click, and one of the empty pods in the chamber rose, revealing a secret tunnel. Dr. Stone ran out of it, a syringe in her teeth. 

“Her a am,” she slurred through the object in her mouth. She nodded her head at Pierce, who took the syringe from her. “I think I’ve figured out the proper formula,” she continued. “But we need to deliver it to the main root system, otherwise it will only kill a part of the plant.”

“So, what do we do?” asked Pierce.

“The Elements pushed the vines back for now,” said Dr. Stone. “They’re growing back now, but some of the bigger cracks could still get us access. Follow me,” she finished, taking off towards what used to be the high security containment area.

When they got there, it became obvious that Dr. Stone’s instinct had proven true; white the rest of the facility had cracks in the walls, the containment area was half-collapsed, a five foot wide chasm open through the floor, as if from an earthquake. Bluebonnet looked worriedly at the cracked ceiling above them. Dr. Stone meanwhile, stood at the edge, and looked straight down.

“Light,” she commanded.

Pierce reached to his bandolier, and produced a small ball, like an egg. When he twisted the top half, the whole thing began shining brightly. He dropped it into the chasm, and looked. The inside of the hole was moving, vines twisting, and stretching, crawling along the walls back into the chamber. 

“We don’t have much time,” said Dr. Stone. “Do you see the thick one at the very bottom?”

“I do,” said Pierce. “But that’s an impossible shot. Too many moving vines in the way.”

Dr. Stone reached under her coat, and passed Pierce three more syringes. “It’s the fast acting version we used earlier,” she said.

Pierce took a deep breath, and looked down again. The light ball had fallen all the way to the bottom, marking the spot he wanted to reach, its light flickering on and off as the moving vines got in the way.

I can get rid of three vines, he thought, and by how fast they’re growing, only for several seconds. I’ll only get one shot at this…

***

“What do we do?” asked Rarity, looking around. She sent a tendril of magic towards Twilight, who covered her whole team with a bubble of magic.

Obsidian closed his eyes, and his staff glowed. “We’re still inside wards,” he said. “They must have added some new ones since last time.”

A blast of unicorn magic hit the barrier, and as if it were a signal, the crowd attacked, dozens of shots coming from all directions. Those who had no access to magic were flinging spears, or improvised weapons. Those who had none were flinging insults.

“Fluttershy?” asked Rainbow Dash. “Can you do something about them? We can’t fight them, and we need to get out… or stop them long enough for Obsidian to get around this blocking spell.”

Fluttershy looked around with her pupilless, pink eyes. “There’s an awful lot of them,” she sighed. "I'l see what I can do.”

She inhaled purposefully, and then exhaled slowly. The hail of projectiles stopped, and for a moment silence fell over the courtyard. It didn’t last. While no further attacks came, the silence turned into an angry murmur, then shouts again.

“This is no Kindness at all!” shouted one of the pegasi officers. “Fight through her influence, and attack! For Celestia! For Luna!”

More shouts followed. Nopony was able to attack, but sweat started appearing on Fluttershy’s face.

“We better keep moving,” said Obsidian.

They tried to, but found the ponies surrounding the barrier rush to stop them, forming a living wall of stomping hooves and beating wings, the shield stopping inches from pushing through them.

“It’s not fair!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash, looking for a way out. “Can’t they see we’re on their side?”

“They can’t,” said Obsidian. “It’s a drawback of herd mentality. They’re making each other angry.” His voice was calm, but his stance betrayed growing tension. He kept looking at the sky beyond the angry crowd.

“You monsters!” screamed some young mare dressed in a maid outfit, tears in her eyes.

“Murderers! Traitors!” shouted some guard, visibly struggling against the power that prevented him from direct violence.

“How could you!?” 

“You’re not ponies! You’re monsters!”

“Go away and never come back!”

“I wish you disappeared!”

“I wish you were never born!”

“It’s not true… we aren’t…” stammered Fluttershy. Her power held fast, but tears appeared in the corners of her eyes.

“It’s not true!” shouted back Rainbow Dash. “Won’t you listen for a moment!?”

“It’s no use!” shouted Aurora. “We need to get past them somehow.” She looked around, but of all the ponies inside the shield, only Obsidian remained calm. The Elements were being pushed back, trembling, ears going flat, as if trying to block out the voices.

“All those deaths because of YOU!” shouted some old mare from behind the first line.

“It’s not like that,” replied Applejack, grinding her teeth. “It’s… Your Princesses! THEY’RE MONSTERS IN DISGUISE! THEY ALWAYS HAVE BEEN! It’s them who are the villains!”

The voiced echoed around the courtyard, louder than all the crowd combined. There was deathly silence after that.

And then screams. The wall of angry ponies turned into a disorganised mass, neighing, running in panic, tripping over each other. Some just slumped where they had stood, sobbing helplessly, others tried to escape to safety, but didn’t seem to have an idea where to.

“Well, that could have used some context,” said Obsidian with a sneer.

Applejack looked around in shock. “I… I didn’t want to… I didn’t want that.”

“It has cleared us the way,” said Obsidian. “Let’s get out of here while there is still time.

There was a sound of breaking glass somewhere, and fire appeared in one of the palace windows.

“We can’t just leave it like this,” said Applejack firmly.

There were more shouts from the streets. It seemed some of the ponies had run out through the front gate. Twilight looked around, trying to get the grip of the situation. “We need to stop the panic from spreading, or it will be a disaster. Fluttershy, can you calm them down?”

“I… I don’t think I can,” said Fluttershy. “I could reach all the ponies in the courtyard, but I don’t know where the others are.”

“I assure you, you could, with some more practice,” said Obsidian.

“We don’t have time for practice,” said Rainbow Dash.

Twilight bit her lip, looking around frantically. “What to do, what to do? We can't just live this chaos behind, or we really will be the bad guys here.” She turned around, taking in the situation. "we need something to calm them down. Or something to give them direction. Something familiar they can all grab onto."

“I know!” she suddenly exclaimed. “We can raise the sun!”

“What?” Obsidian was genuinely surprised.

“Raise the sun,” repeated Twilight. “It won’t be as bad with the sun in the sky. And you said we’re much stronger than Celestia.”

“We don’t have time for that!” growled Obsidian.

“We have no choice,” said Fluttershy, with firmness that was unlike her.

“But let’s be quick about it,” added Rarity. “We really don’t have much time.”

“Yea, there’s no telling how much longer the Shattered will be busy with those vines,” said Pinkie Pie.

“Everypony, join me,” said Twilight, bracing herself, the others quickly forming up around her.

The sensation came rapidly. One moment she was connected to her friends, the Elements glowing together, filling her with power. The next, something was there, on the other end of the spell, something unbelievably distant, and unbelievably huge. Twilight almost broke contact for fear of being crushed. She remembered the vision seen in the Amaranthine, of the uncaring goddess, always on the move, her innumerable hooves trampling a path through the skies. Um… hello… she tried to say in her mind, I don’t know if you hear me… but we’d like to have the day now, please.

Twilight gasped, her mind overwhelmed with a sensation of what she could only guess was a nod. Then dawn broke over Canterlot. Twilight broke the spell, observing the results of her actions. There were still frightened ponies running, but without the stumbling in the dark, they had one less reason to panic; a new day started, and some of the ponies were stopping in their tracks to try to understand what had just happened. Until today, it would be their princess who would bring them the light, but now, with Applejack’s revelation, what were they to think of it?

“It seems to be working,” said Fluttershy.

“You have much more power than needed for that,” commented Obsidian. “I could feel you almost make contact with her.”

“Aaaaaand we’ve just ran out of time,” said Pinkie Pie, looking up.

There were three winged figures in the sky above the courtyard; Princess Luna, Spitfire, and a huge, black, red-armored pegasus, who could only be the newest face of Hate.

Luna was the first to descend, a halo of lightning forming around her. She looked tired, her coat bearing the signs of a recent battle, but her moves were as precise as ever, as she prepared for the fight. 

“EVERYPONY!” she shouted, her voice reverberating around the courtyard, “THIS IS OUR BATTLE ALONE TO FIGHT! GET TO SAFETY AT ONCE!”

The ponies that were still in the courtyard did start to ran away, but not the way she had expected. As she watched, some of the ponies turned towards her, fear and revulsion on their faces.

“What is going on?” she asked nervously.

A maid who had got stuck in the courtyard when the crowd panicked, fell backwards, trying to get away from the descending alicorn. “Don’t… don’t come any closer!” she shouted panically.

Luna stared at her, then the other ponies, the Elements, and finally Obsidian. Her eyes widened as understanding of the situation hit her. “What… have you done?” she gasped.

“What you deserve, MURDERER!” screamed Twilight. A blazing bolt of white light shot from her gem, skidded off a wedge of lightning Luna projected to shield herself, sending her spinning sideways, and then flew into the sky, turning some unlucky morning cloud into fine mist.

The next second Twilight saw Hate flying at her like a cannonball. She was about to project a shield, hoping it would be strong enough to stop him, when something yellow flew in front of her - Fluttershy spread her wings wide, staring down the Shattered.

Twilight flinched away instinctively - awakened bearer or not, she fully expected her friend to die there and then. When the expected splatter of blood didn’t hit her, she opened her eyes to find Fluttershy unharmed. Then there was a deafening crash behind them - Hate had veered off course, missed Fluttershy, and plowed through the base of one of the castle towers. The tall spire was now toppling like a felled tree, directly towards Twilight and her friends. They scattered to avoid it. Then the first of Spitfire’s explosions hit the courtyard. Windows shattered, and the last of the castle staff ran for cover, while the combatants shielded themselves how they could.

Luna was the next to strike, shooting a bolt of lightning before the dust even cleared. It went straight for Twilight, but Obsidian’s staff flew in its way, grounding the charge harmlessly. Pinkie Pie hopped into the air, throwing two custard pies; one narrowly missing Luna, the other hitting Hate straight in the face, just as he burst from the pile of rubble he had created.

He pounced towards her, the horseshoe that had been inside the pie dangling on his faceplate for a moment before sliding off. He fell short, but as he landed, he stomped the ground, causing bits of rubble to shoot into the air, forcing Pinkie into a desperate dodge. “I don’t need to see you!” he growled. He then turned and bucked, forcing the charging Applejack back in a clash that blew the rest of the dust away.

Twilight used the time Obsidian had bought her to project a proper armor, and strike again. She felt her power surge, and she knew Rarity was behind her, boosting her magic. Rainbow Dash and Aurora flew by, speeding through the flames of another explosion, as they went for Spitfire.

“How can you both use it?” she exclaimed, dodging in the air, the wind around her pushing her attackers aside. 

Dash took the brunt of the wind blast, and pushed back, giving just enough free air for Aurora to slip through. The white pegasus flew past Spitfire, leaving a long gash along the side of her barrel with the blade of force extended from her wing. “Sharing is caring, you sow!” she shouted with a grin. Dash just stared at her. Then she had to shield herself with her own gust of wind, as Spitfire tried to fill her lungs with poison.

“What do we do!?” shouted Twilight towards Obsidian. She was sending shot after shot at Luna, but only managed to blow off chunks of the buildings across the yard, as the alicorn dodged or deflected incoming spells. Obsidian sent his staff to intercept another lightning, then jumped to the air, the cobblestones under his hooves exploding as Hate flew low through the place where he had stood. 

“I can’t fight him in the air!” shouted Applejack.

“Just keep him busy!” shouted back Obsidian, landing, and somehow rolling back to his hooves in one fluid motion. He tried to say something more, but his voice was lost in another explosion.

Twilight’s eyes darted left and right, as she tried to keep Luna and Hate in her view at the same time. It looked like Pinkie had at least managed to get Hate’s attention. The giant pegasus seemed oblivious to the stones bucked at him by Applejack, letting them shatter uselessly against him, as he kept flying in straight lines around the battlefield, swooping low whenever there was a chance to catch anypony by surprise; he would have squashed Rarity if Twilight hadn’t teleported her out of the way, and then he went after Obsidian again. But when Pinkie Pie worked her magic, a weird, shaky dance that apparently involved painting a target over her cutie mark, he went straight at her. 

That’s where things stopped going to plan. She tried slamming the door in his face - it appeared out of nowhere in front of him, but its magic weren’t nearly strong enough; Pinkie was flung away in a shower of splinters, hit a wall, bounced off, and disappeared behind the rubble from the collapsed tower. “I’m alive!” she called from behind her cover, just as Applejack used the opportunity to clash with Hate again.

Meanwhile, Twilight was doing her best not to get fried. Teleporting Rarity had saved her, but left Twilight herself exposed, and worse, briefly denied the magical boost from Generosity. Luna wasn’t going to waste the opening, shooting a continuous stream of lightning that left Twilight blinded and holding for dear life, her hastily erected magical defenses crumbling around her.

Just as her shield was about to collapse, the pressure suddenly disappeared. Twilight found herself in a solid pink bubble of energy, the lightning pushed away from her. She also felt a pleasant warmth from the new barrier, quite unlike the scorching heat she had felt seconds before; it seemed to relax her, and banish the pain, and when she chanced a look down on her front legs, she could see her coat smoothen, and some of the cuts start to close. She didn’t dare turn away from Luna, but she knew without looking that Fluttershy was now standing behind her.

Firing another blast at Luna, Twilight tried to get a general picture of the situation. Rarity was back in action, now supporting Obsidian who apparently switched from blocking Luna to helping Dash and Aurora fight Spitfire. Makes sense, thought Twilight. She’s the least durable of the three. The three pegasi were zipping around the castle grounds like swifts, exchanging blasts that knocked off balconies and blasted the tower tops to bits as they dodged around them trying to get into the enemy’s blind spot.

There were more ponies in the air beside them. Twilight saw four Canterlot guards rise into the air around Luna. At first she prepared to knock them about with another spell, but then she realised that they weren’t focusing on her at all. “No! Don’t!” she screamed, but it was too late. The four pegasi charged at Luna from behind. The princess didn’t turn, but her face became an image of fury; there was a flash of lightning, and the four guards fell to the ground, charred and lifeless, their natural resistance to lightning powerless to save them from the Shattered’s power.

Luna shot again, then again. Some shots aimed at Twilight and Fluttershy, crashing against their new barrier, others striking seemingly randomly around the courtyard. What is she doing? thought Twilight. The Shattered don’t do ‘random’. When the answer struck her, she gasped with horror. “She’s targeting ponies hiding among the rubble!”

Luna met her gaze, and her expression turned from rage to smug superiority. “What did you expect, turning ponies into traitors!?” she shouted. “That I’d be as merciful as my sister!? The time for mercy is over!”

“Below!” yelled Pinkie Pie.

At that moment Luna exploded with white light. Everything became a blur of pulsing red circles. Twilight had enough sense to heed Pinkie’s warning; she teleported blind some six feet ahead. She heard the ground exploding behind her. She quickly cast a spell Obsidian had taught her during training, expanding her perception; she was still blind, but she could feel the tall stone spike rising from the ground where she had stood. There were more of those around. Twilight felt Rarity lifted into the air - the spike had missed her vitals, but ripped through the side of her armor, catching the metal and pushing her up off the ground. And now there was an invisible line of not-magic stretching towards her.

“Rarity!” shouted Applejack somewhere. Twilight sent a spell of her own towards her trapped friend, knowing as she did that she would be too late. Somepony else was faster though; Rainbow Dash swooped in, smashing the tip of the spike and pushing Rarity out of the explosion. 

“Dash!” shouted Twilight. The pegasus crash-landed, and rolled to a halt, the tips of her blue feathers burning. A bubble of pink magic enveloped her before anypony could deal a finishing blow. 

“And now for you,” said Spitfire, turning around looking for Aurora. However, the white pegasus was nowhere to be seen, only Obsidian continuing his attack, sending a barrage of low power shots at her.

An explosion of rubble announced that Pinkie had managed to set Hate up for another kick from Applejack, but the Shattered simply flew straight through the pile he collided with, with no visible damage beyond a new dent on his armor.

Twilight resumed her bombardment of Luna, this time using telekinesis to pelt her with blocks of broken masonry, attracting her attention, and forcing her to defend herself at least for a moment.

“How does he keep doing that!?” shouted Applejack in frustration, “That was a clean hit!”

“Guess,” sneered Hate, bucking a large piece of a broken wall at her, forcing her to defend by kicking it into pieces. “You may have powerful magic-” He lunged forward through the dust, accelerating from standing still to cannonball speed in the space of a breath. This time it was Applejack who was sent flying, pieces of armor falling off, but she blocked enough of the impact to roll with the rest and recover, armor plates of orange magic patching the gaps in her protections. “-but you’ll never match me in a brawl, see?” grinned Hate.

Meanwhile Twilight fully recovered her sight, and realised that Luna wasn’t exactly where she appeared. Through some trick of light she was moving her image, which explained why all of Twilight’s initial attacks had missed - it was the perception spell that let her find her target. Now, that the attacks were more precise, Luna had switched from lightning to a magical force shield, better suited for blocking solid projectiles. Then she teleported above Twilight, firing a powerful beam straight down. It partially penetrated her barrier, and Twilight screamed with pain, as it left a red-hot spot on her metal shoulder pad. Twilight teleported away, shielding herself again, this time with a reflective barrier - the next beam strained it, but bounced off.

We need to get out of here, she thought, screaming in pain again, as she ripped the hot metal off her shoulder. Wait, there was no resistance when I teleported. We must have broken the wards. She deflected another shot, this time purposefully back at Luna. The alicorn dissipated the beam, and shot another one, this time at Rarity. Luckily, Rarity remembered her training and her shield absorbed the shot.

Something zipped in Twilight’s peripheral vision. Hate slammed into her shield from the side, breaking it with one blow. Twilight was sent spinning through the air flying towards the building opposite the palace. She saw, with horrible clarity, the bricks of the approaching wall. Instinctively, she teleported; she was still hurtling through the air, but now away from the wall, the spells on her armor dissolving one by one as she hit the ground and kept rolling, finally coming to a painful stop in a pile of rubble behind the collapsed tower.

The world kept spinning. Twilight knew she was sprawled on her back, hooves in the air, but she couldn’t catch enough of a breath to roll over and get up. Her ears were ringing, her ribs protested to every move, and she now had a coppery taste in her mouth. 

Spitfire was above her, looking down on her. Their eyes met, and Twilight knew that whatever was coming, she wouldn’t be fast enough to dodge it. Why was there aurora borealis above her?

The shockwave hit, taking the rest of her breath away. She saw Aurora fly by, making an impossible turn just before she would hit the cobbled courtyard. Spitfire was pushed aside before she could strike, the air around her in a visible swirl as she used her powers to keep herself from spiralling out of control. While this kept her from crashing, it held her in one spot for a precious second.

Obsidian’s staff flew at her, wreathed in a double magical aura of Obsidian’s blue and Rarity’s purple. It struck the pegasus in the side below the left wing, dislocating the joint and deforming the armor; then it discharged its power in a magical explosion, sending Spitfire flying out of sight, her wing nearly torn off.

Twilight closed her eyes. She would live, at least for a second. She quickly projected a barrier, a crude, simple spell that enclosed her in a solid, opaque bubble of purple while she recovered enough to get back on her feet. Two left, she thought, but we can’t keep at it much longer.

Throwing on just the most basic armor spell, she weakened her bubble enough to see through it. She found the barrier half buried in rubble already, the battle not stopping during the couple seconds she needed to catch her breath. She teleported across the yard to get a better view of the situation. Applejack and Pinkie were still struggling with Hate, keeping him busy, but unable to deal a decisive blow, one for lack of flight, the other - direct attack power. Meanwhile, the rest were facing Luna; Dash was too injured to fly, but kept fighting, shooting beams from her focus while Fluttershy was doing what she could to protect everypony, and Obsidian alternated between attacking Luna and thwarting her counters. Rarity was behind, still backing Obsidian. Twilight looked around for Aurora, and was scared for her fate for a moment, but then noticed her standing behind Fluttershy, protected by her barrier. She was holding one wing pressed to her body, and had a pained expression on her muzzle; also, she was no longer glowing, her power apparently returned to Dash.

“You know you can’t win this!” called Luna, dodging a pair of shots from Obsidian and Dash, while firing some of her own - It seemed Obsidian had used some metal from broken window frames for make in improvised fence, enchanted to ground Luna’s lightning.

“We can. and we will!” shouted back Dash.

“It’s you who can’t win!” shouted Aurora from her covered position. “We’ve already exposed you! Now we’ll get Aquila back, and then we’ll get rid of you lot for good!”

“Aquila?” Luna made a mock pout, a gesture that delayed her just enough to almost get her hit - she saved herself by projecting a reflective barrier that bounced the two incoming shots back towards the castle, while she herself was launched backwards. “You mean the brat you sealed away along with me?" Luna grinned vengefully. “She was delicious.”

Aurora trembled. So did Fluttershy. Even Dash and Obsidian ceased firing for a moment.

“What did you say!?” asked Aurora angrily.

Luna kept grinning. “What did you think was going to happen when you put us both in the belly of a goddess for a thousand years? There was nothing there, no magic or pattern, nothing but us two and our wills. Except I was an immortal warrior, thousands of years old, and she was a pathetic little filly. There is NOTHING left of her, but the power that is now mine!”

Aurora’s scream of desperate disbelief was lost in the noise of colliding powers, as Dash and Obsidian fired their spells together. Luna deflected Rainbow’s shot with a wedge of lightning. Obsidian’s attack, charged over several seconds, was too strong to block, but Luna got out of the way - it peeled her right cheek to the muscle, and took some of her mane off, but she didn’t even stop grinning, as she bombarded their shields with rapid-fire beams.

“You murdered her!” she shouted. “You got her killed with your self-righteous, stupid rebellion, just like all the other ponies you claimed to care about!”

“STOP GLOATING!” roared Twilight, firing her own spell. She had been charging it since the exchange began, and she could feel the tiara turning painfully hot on her forehead. She couldn’t see herself, or anything but her target, but a part of her mind knew that her eyes had to be blazing white now. The rest of her didn’t care. Luna saw the spell coming, but was too late to teleport, and most of her defenses were already committed to other threats. The blast hit her in the barrel below the wing, and launched her into the front of the palace, an explosion of debris and crashing sounds indicating as she pierced through wall after wall, finally disappearing from sight.

The battlefield seemed to freeze; suddenly there was just one opponent left. Everypony looked in Hate’s direction, just in time to see him rebound off a wall, fly past Applejack, and into Pinkie, finally catching the pink pony off guard. Pinkie seemed to be doing the hula at that moment - the powerful headbutt sent her flying in a trail of loose fruit and discarded leaves, smashing her into the tower on the other side of the yard.

“Pinkie!” shouted Rainbow Dash in horror. Everypony followed her gaze, including Hate himself, a predatory grin visible through his busted face plate - all except Obsidian, who struck the ground with his staff, the spell causing the pavement underneath Hate to erupt, bursting into a muddy tentacle that managed to snag the pegasus’ leg before he could take to the air again. Hate shot up anyway. The earth couldn’t hold him, but it could slow him down; before he could fully break free, Applejack pounced at him, landing on his back, and sending him crashing back to earth. Obsidian wasted no time, turning the extra power he received from Rarity into spell after spell, this time not shots, but strands of energy that wrapped around Hate, tying him down tighter and tighter.

“Pinkie…” gasped Twilight. She tried to teleport towards her friend, but her powers failed her, her stamina spent of spectacular feats of magic she had performed. She could see her friends running towards the tower, Fluttershy the fastest of them. Twilight stumbled after them, trying to stay upright. 

She saw movement ahead, a dusty pink mane. Pinkie stumbled through the rubble in a daze.

“Pinkie, you alright!?”  shouted Dash.

Pinkie flashed him a crooked smile. “You...kiddin?” she slurred. “You ever played dodgeball with my sisters?” And then she swayed, and fell on her face.

Twilight tried to continue towards her, when she heard a loud crash behind her - Applejack was stomping on Hate, again and again, while Obsidian was keeping him tied in strands of magic. With Rarity having run towards Pinkie, he only had his power left to draw upon, but it seemed to be enough now that Applejack could land a clean hit, and start doing serious damage.

“No!” called Twilight, gasping for breath, “don’t… you’ll kill him!”

The two stopped, and stared at her with puzzled expressions.

“That’s the point,” said Obsidian.

“No…” repeated Twilight, stumbling towards them. “He’ll come back. You’ll just kill another pony.” She stopped, and inhaled deeply. “Luna was right, we can’t win today. We’re too tired to continue, or to seal any of them now. And we need to help Pinkie. Luna will be back here any minute. We need to get out of here, now!”

Obsidian and Applejack looked at each other, then at Hate, who was still conscious, and glaring angrily at them from underneath his bindings.

“Let’s get out of here,” said Obsidian. 

They ran towards their friends, Twilight following the best she could, and once they were standing in a group, Obsidian started an emergency teleport spell, not even bothering with the circle.

Seconds later, the only one left in the courtyard was Hate, slowly rising to his hooves as his bindings dissolved, overpowered by his pattern aura. He had just enough time to stand straight, and spit out a broken tooth, when the whole front wall of the palace collapsed, covering everything in white dust.
> Chapter 43: The Healing
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling. She was in a cave, surrounded by softly glowing , blue crystals. She could feel the warm blanket over her, as well as something soft and rubbery underneath her. Changeling resin, she thought, and instantly the events of the morning started coming back to her.

I must’ve been really exhausted, she thought to herself as she rolled over to take a look at her friends. 

They were in a changeling hideout close to Canterlot, a place Obsidian had learned about during their stay in the hive, and which he had, with some help from the changelings, attuned a retreat spell to. It wasn’t much, but it had food and shelter. It was warm, thanks to a ball of hot air Obsidian periodically conjured in the middle of the cave, and it had enough ambient aura to mask their presence as long as they didn’t do anything spectacular. When they arrived there some hours before, with a collection of cuts and bruises, a shot wing, some deep burns, a dangerous concussion, and what amounted to a total of eleven minor fractures, they gave healing magic priority, and then decided to rest; even with the life-threatening injuries taken care of, they were in no shape to teleport long distances.

Twilight looked down on her shoulder. It no longer hurt, but it was still ugly, as if sloppily branded. She was fairly sure Obsidian could show Fluttershy how to smoothen her hide later, but for now she would have to deal with a nasty, hairless scar.

She looked around, and found her friends looking no better. Dash hadn’t yet finished regrowing her lost feathers, Aurora was sitting stiffly, trying not to move her wing, and Pinkie was sitting in the corner, away from others, muttering something, and giggling to herself.

“Do you think she was telling the truth?” asked Aurora suddenly. “About Aquila? Do you think, she’s really… gone?”

Her friends shifted uncomfortably on their spots.

“I dunno,” started Rainbow Dash.

“I am sure she only said that to cause you pain,” said Rarity.

“That doesn’t mean it’s not true,” said Aurora. “What if I really got my sister killed?”

“You didn’t know that would happen,” whispered Fluttershy.

“We still don’t know if it happened,” said Applejack.

“Obsidian?” asked Rainbow Dash.

Obsidian took a deep breath and blew, exhaling another ball of swirling hot air to replace the previous one that had just disappeared. “I honestly don’t know,” he answered. “There is no precedent for that. It has literally never happened before. Rarity is right though. Whether it is true or not, Envy only said it to cause you pain. She knows your sister is your weakness, and hoped to provoke you to some reckless action she could exploit. I know I will be disliked for saying this, but it might be better if you assume she was telling the truth. I know grief, and how painful it can be, but doubt can be a fatal distraction, fatal for you or your friends, just as Envy has planned.”

Aurora avoided his gaze, instead staring into the heat ball in front of her. “You expect me to just…”

“I expect you to try,” said Obsidian. “I don’t know if you can. But a lot depends on you, and nopony can do this for you. Either you do it, or you don’t and… I have only seen Aquila in your memories, so I can’t claim to know her, but-”

“But what!?” snapped Aurora, finally meeting his gaze.

“But from the little I’ve seen,” continued Obsidian, “she wouldn’t have wanted you to lose this war on her account. There is too much at stake.”

“I think I’m rested enough to continue with the healing,” proposed Fluttershy, eager to change the topic. “I could take a look at your wing now.”

Sighing, Aurora turned and slowly extended her wing, a visible wince on her face. Fluttershy sat next to her and put her muzzle over the wing elbow joint, where missing feathers, and inflamed, scarred skin marked the spot where the tendons were damaged. Fluttershy looked at it with worry. “This will take some time,” she sighed, lighting up Kindness. Rarity and Rainbow Dash moved to her sides, ready to support her with their Elements. “I’m not experienced with burns.”

Rarity looked over her shoulder, and judging by her expression, instantly regretted it. “Ugh, I’m so glad we have the power to fix this,” she said, gently projecting her energy towards Fluttershy. “Does it always end up like this?” she asked.

“Quite often,” said Obsidian with a nod. “It is only logical.”

“How so?” asked Twilight, finally joining the conversation.

“You’ve all seen how long ordinary ponies last against the Shattered,” said Obsidian. “They’re exceedingly deadly. But you, with the magic saturating your bodies, are extremely tough. You can survive attacks that would crush or fry almost anypony else. So, coming home injured is the logical result, and much better than the alternative. You’re actually tougher than the Shattered, because their powers don’t offer any inherent increase in resilience. They can dampen magic with their pattern aura, but beyond that, they need to use their abilities actively to defend or toughen themselves. They are much more likely to fall in battle than you. But then again, they keep coming back, learning new tricks all the time, while if you slip up, we’ll have to look for another bearer.”

“We already know that part, thank you,” said Rarity.

Obsidian looked at her over Fluttershy’s shoulder. “No need to be so glum. We didn’t win today, but you did very well supporting us, and keeping yourself alive. I know how much you doubted yourself after the test. I doubted you too. But it seems the heat of battle has tempered you. Your connection to the Element might be imperfect, but your combat skill is already much better than one would expect from a hastily trained civilian. You’re actually earning my respect.”

“Well, we’ve had our deal of adventures before,” said Rainbow Dash.

Rarity clenched her jaw and looked away. “I’m not that good,” she said. “I would never have come back in one piece if not for Twilight, Dash, and Fluttershy protecting me.”

“That’s what teamwork is all about,” said Twilight. “We all saved each other there. Although… Fluttershy, you needn’t have jumped in front of me like that.  I can teleport, you know. And that was horribly scary. Please don’t do that again.”

“We were all lucky you could stop Hate with your powers,” said Applejack.

Fluttershy looked up from the wound she was trying to heal. “I… I don’t think I did. I think he missed me on purpose.”

“What?” asked her friends in astonishment.

“I could feel him hesitate,” said Fluttershy. “He didn’t struggle against my aura, he just hit something else instead. And then...he never attacked me again. He tried to crush Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie and Twilight, but he never targeted me again, even though I was there in the middle, healing and protecting everypony.”

“He didn’t try to hit me either,” pointed out Dash.

“You were busy away from him,” replied Obsidian. “And this is indeed strange. It’s unlike Hate to not hit ponies.”

“Perhaps it has something to do with how he called me Gentle Touch?” asked Fluttershy.

“You never did tell us who she was,” said Rainbow Dash.

“A pegasus from our unit,” explained Obsidian. “Hmm… she was yellow too, but a lighter shade than Fluttershy. She also had a shorter mane, and she had fangs, as pegasi used to have in our times.” He paused, and looked at Fluttershy. “So, she didn’t really look anything like you.”

“On our very first day together,” continued Obsidian, “Lightbringer got into a fight with another pegasus named Dusk. Gentle tried to break up the fight, and got a black eye for her trouble. That should have made her avoid him, but somehow she and Lightbringer became almost inseparable later on. Everypony could see that she was no soldier material; she wasn’t a coward, but she was far too meek and kind hearted. But she managed to make some friends who supported her, and then we started practicing with the foci, and it turned out she was highly compatible with Kindness. I think that’s the only reason they kept her in the program - better ponies than her dropped out.”

“So, she and Lightbringer liked each other?” asked Fluttershy.

“Yes,” said Obsidian. “I never learned if they ever became lovers, but she was the first friendly face he found there. The only times I ever saw him relaxed and content were at her side.”

“And then she was one of the Elements, and he became one of the Shattered,” finished Twilight sadly.

“Oh, she never got to be an Element,” said Obsidian. “She used Kindness back when it was still an ordinary focus, but when we finally went to battle, she died on the very first day. From what Lightbringer told us, she’d tried to help an injured enemy soldier. The griffin regained consciousness, and clawed her through the throat.”

Silence fell, with nopony able to think of anything to say. Finally, it was Rainbow Dash who spoke. “And all of that happened before the whole Shattered business even started? No wonder Hate has issues.”

“Issues?” piped in Pinkie. “He’s got a subscription.”

“Pinkie…” said Applejack, “That’s not a laughing matter.” Behind her, Rainbow Dash snickered.

“Nothing here is,” said Pinkie, frowning at her. “I’m working with what I have. And besides, it was me he nearly squashed today. If anypony has the right to make jokes about him, it’s me.”

“It is true, that the story of the Shattered is tragic,” said Obsidian, seemingly ignoring Pinkie’s comment. “All that has just been a huge, awful mess. But don’t let your guard down. Whatever their past, the Shattered have destroyed whole civilisations since. And sympathy for the enemy is precisely what got Gentle Touch killed.”

“Speaking of enemies,” said Twilight. What should we do with Discord?”

She looked at Pinkie Pie, who flashed her a smile.

“I’ll put him somewhere where nopony will find him,” said Pinkie.

“Which is where?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“I won’t tell,” replied Pinkie.

“Why not?” asked Twilight, puzzled.

“Easier to keep a secret if fewer ponies know it,” replied Pinkie Pie. “We’re doing it Obsidian’s way this time,” she finished, poking out her tongue.

Obsidian looked at her for a moment, considering the situation. Finally, he chuckled softly, and as he did, so did the others.

***

Spitfire’s eyes shot open. She was inside a glass jar, suspended in clear liquid.

As her senses adjusted, informing her that she wasn’t drowning, she calmed down. One of Eve’s healing tanks, she registered. That means we have won. There are rising bubbles, I’m being woken up. Probably after surgery. I was damaged in the battle.

She returned to the last memory she had. The fight destroyed a large part of the palace. I was hit. Eve must have brought me here to fix me. Or one of her assistants did. Twilight and her friends used the Elements before we arrived. Was Eve captured? They also used Honesty on the palace staff. This is a major setback.

She closed her eyes, trying to remember more details. How many ponies escaped the courtyard in the confusion? As the memory replayed in front of her mind’s eye, she analysed the scene, paying special attention to unfamiliar faces and cutie marks.

It won’t be enough, she finally conceded. There were ponies from outside the castle, and some had already escaped before we arrived. We will have to quarantine the whole city.

The level of liquid was falling slowly. By the time it receded enough for her hooves to touch the bottom of the tank, Spitfire was fully awake and angry, her brain churning out a detailed plan for containing the situation. She had hoped against hope that it would not be needed, but she was prepared - this was not the first time Honesty had done something like that, and though the objectives were now different, with Libra no longer in charge, the principles of the plan remained the same. She only needed to know the exact situation, and adjust accordingly.

The last of the liquid swirled away through the holes underneath her hooves. She bent forward and focused her pattern inside, cancelling the magic of the liquid, and then pushing it out of her system, her custom-modified lungs smoothly re-adjusting to breathing air, sparing her the coughing fit an ordinary pony would experience. With a soft hiss, the tank was lifted off her, leaving her on a small metal platform, facing a solemn-faced assistant.

“Where is Dr. Stone?” she immediately demanded.

“Busy in lab B," replied the stallion. “We’re experiencing a severe staff shortage.”

So, she’s okay, thought Spitfire with some relief. But then, what were the Elements used on? Lab B is where the Wonderbolts are. They are being healed and modified. What a bad timing to be attacked.

“What are our losses?” she asked. Her first order of business was to establish if the other Shattered made it through the battle.

“Seven guard golems,” recited the stallion, “five assistants, thirteen of Dr. Stone’s constructs, and eleven modified specimen. Also… we’ve lost miss Tourmaline’s body. The plants were attracted to the emergency power source, and the life support failed.”

That’s half of our work force, realised Spitfire. And one full lab of replacement bodies. But the girls would never murder ponies. Was it Obsidian? Or perhaps the fight caused a power outage? 

“What exactly happened while I was away?” she asked.

The assistant took a moment to formulate and answer. “We were attacked, twice. First, twenty minutes after you left for Ponyville, the plants responsible for abduction of Princess Luna invaded again, breaking in from beneath. They caused significant damage through the complex, breaking through structural elements,  draining magic from power sources, and attacking staff. Their main target were the containment cells and the magical objects secured within.”

“Discord,” breathed Spitfire.

The assistant nodded. “The second attack, five minutes later, a group of eight ponies, including the Elements of Harmony. They fought their way through the palace grounds into the labs, targeting Dr. Stone. After a battle against her constructs, they apparently confronted Discord, and unable to locate Dr. Stone, retreated towards the surface. Soon after, Dr. Stone was able to create a formula that killed the vines, stopping their attack.”

Spitfire took in the information, her plan readjusted with new variables. “What happened to Discord?” she asked. 

“He’s not here, and he hasn’t penetrated the outer wards,” replied the assistant. “Also, he hasn’t manifested anywhere else since. It is a reasonable conclusion that the Elements must have sealed him and taken him away with them.”

“Let’s hope so,” replied Spitfire. “And what of Dr. Bluebonnet? Is it possible to replace Tourmaline?”

“Sadly no, she was the one who discovered the malfunction, as soon as the battle was over. She’s currently taking part in operating the lab. Agent Pierce is guarding her, watching for any unusual behaviour.”

“What about Luna and Lightbringer?” inquired Spitfire.

“Both suffered some injuries in the battle. Princess Luna returned to the surface after receiving the most basic healing. Lightbringer joined her half an hour ago, as soon as his body was fully healed.”

“What is the situation in the city?” This was the question Spitfire dreaded to hear an answer for.

“There have been riots. Unfortunately, most of the castle garrison has been exposed to Honesty. At Dr. Stone’s advice, Princess Luna decided against culling those affected - reinforcements from Cloudsdale have been brought in to contain the situation.”

“It’s time I rejoined them then,” said Spitfire, evaporating the rest of the liquid from her coat.

The assistant turned, pulling out a piece of paper. “Before you go, there are parts of the complex that have become unstable. Dr. Stone requested your help in securing those.”

Spitfire looked at the list. It looked as bad as she had expected from the initial description. 

“Priorities are priorities. I will help. But then, I’m needed elsewhere.”

***

“That’s the last of it.”

North Star looked at the table with disapproval. His gaze slid over the titles of the gathered tomes. “That’s not what we’re looking for,” he said with a scowl.

“Perhaps they took them when they escaped?” suggested the soldier. “That’s really all we have found.”

North Star turned slowly, glaring at the unicorn. “Then go back to looking,” he barked. 

The soldier looked at him in fear, saluted, and galloped out. North Star turned towards the table once more, growling in frustration. 

The first time they discovered a secret compartment behind one of the tower’s bookshelves, he was drunk with excitement. But everything from that point onward had been a bitter disappointment. The tower was riddled with secret passages and rooms, old spells and clever tricks concealing them even among the smooth crystal walls.

But nothing they found within justified the effort put into searching. The magical trinkets - barely anything sinister, and even then, unrelated to what they were seeking. The books of dark magic - simple and boring, merely older versions of what could be found in the restricted section of Canterlot castle library. The most interesting things they found, the history books that Shining Armor had used to justify his treachery, were not even hidden at all; they found them by the night light in the royal bedroom. The musty tomes were now at the side of the pile, displayed as if to mock North Star’s efforts to redeem himself.

“You really scared him, sir.”

The voice came from the other side of the table. North Star looked over the books, only now registering the presence of his pegasus adjutant.

“He’s doing what he can,” continued the soldier. “We all are.”

North Star realised, to his annoyance, that he couldn’t remember the pony’s name.

I used to know everypony in the palace, he thought. Is he a Kicker? Probably. Sometimes it seems half of them are Kickers. Have I even asked his name… Probably not. He’s not important. We have a job to do. Once we’re back in Princess Luna’s good graces, I can make a list, and learn everypony’s names.

For a moment he imagined himself standing in the Canterlot throne room, Princess Luna smiling at him benevolently, his past mistakes erased, his shame replaced by glory. He felt a pleasant warmth on his chest, spreading through his body. His eyelids closed slowly, and he smiled underneath his moustache.

“... Sir, are you listening to me?”

The return to hard reality was a sudden shock, like falling out of bed in the middle of a pleasant dream. North Star struggled to maintain a neutral expression, hiding his annoyance. He was to be an example to his ponies after all. “Please repeat the last part,” he said calmly.

“This gemstone,” repeated the adjutant, pointing his hoof at the gorget around North Star’s neck. “You’ve been angry a lot since you started wearing it. The soldiers are worried. And even I must say it does look a bit sinister…”

In his mind’s eye North Star lashed out with a tendril of magic, scattering the books as he lifted the pegasus by the neck, squeezing him until he heard a whizzed apology. But a commander couldn’t do such a preposterous thing. He silenced the adjutant with a gesture, and watched the vision in his head for a couple more seconds, calming himself down.

Finally he spoke, slowly, with emphasis that added an unspoken threat to his words. “The gem is a gift. From Her Majesty. A tool for me to use in this task, and a token of her trust. You badmouth her by warning me against it.”

“I... apologise,” replied the adjutant.

“That’s it for now,” said North Star. “I won’t be needing you anymore this evening.”

“Yes, sir,” said the pegasus, saluting North Star before flying out through the balcony door, slightly faster than it was polite.

North Star was left alone, facing the stack of books. What now? he thought. He had no further plans for the evening, and no ideas for how to break the impasse. With a sigh, he picked a book from the table. It was one of the ancient history books. For a moment he considered burning it. It offended him just by existing, and it was something his princess wanted destroyed. But right now he couldn’t afford to destroy anything that could provide him with a clue to his investigation.

I need to kill some time before I go to sleep, he thought. Perhaps reading about the past of ponykind will give me some inspiration for tomorrow. Who knows, I might even learn something useful from this wretched thing.

***

“What’s taking them so long?” whined Apple Bloom for the fifteenth time. 

She was in the main chamber of the sanctuary, just below the gatehouse, trying to play hopscotch with Sweetie Belle. A bunch of crystal growths illuminated their vicinity with a soft, moon-like glow.  

“I told you, I don’t know,” said Sweetie Belle. “The sky is okay again. That means they fixed whatever was wrong, doesn’t it?”

“And what if it was… Princess Luna that fixed it?” asked Apple Bloom.

“Oh, come on!” exclaimed Sweetie Belle, rolling her eyes theatrically. “Do you really think Pinkie Pie would let them go there if she knew they were going to lose?”

“Well,” hesitated Apple Bloom, “She did say her Pinkie Sense was getting wonky recently, didn’t she?”

Before Sweetie Belle could retort, there was a sound of beating wings. Scootaloo had jumped out of a window overlooking the gate. Beating her wings, she descended at an angle, finally touching down, tipping forward, and rolling before coming to a halt on her back, all hooves in the air. “Eh!” she sighed loudly. “I almost had it this time.”

“No, you didn’t,” stated Apple Bloom, looking down at her.

“Hey, she is getting better,” protested Sweetie Belle. “She hasn’t landed on her face for an hour.”

Scootaloo picked herself off the ground. “If only I could spend more time as a bird, I’m sure I could work it out. I really am getting better...” She looked up towards the window. “Anyway, just wanted to tell you that the sun has set.”

Although the light inside the cave didn’t change, the statement itself seemed to chill the air. The three fillies looked at each other uneasily.

“So… what do we do?” asked Sweetie Belle.

“We should have supper,” said Apple Bloom, “And then…”

“I don’t know about you,” said Scootaloo, “But I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight. I guess I’ll keep training, unless one of you has a better idea?”

They looked around the cavern pensively. 

“Applejack was very clear,” said Apple Bloom, suddenly stern, “No going over the chalk lines.”

“Hey, we’re not stupid,” protested Scootaloo.

“We don’t want to end up as chalk outlines,” added Sweetie Belle, rolling her eyes again. “And besides, I don’t think it’s a good night for Cutie Mark Crusaders ruin explorers. I’m nervous enough as it is.”

“Then what do we do?” asked Apple Bloom.

“We could tell stories,” suggested Sweetie Belle.

“Stories?” asked Scootaloo.

“Well, yes,” explained Sweetie. “We’ve already told each other about what’s been happening to us. But you said you got to see what Aurora’s past used to be like.”

“Yea,” replied Scootaloo. “She’s a great hero. Though I’m not quite sure it’s the kind of story you’d like to hear right now. A lot of it is about the Shattered, and really creepy.”

“It’s not like we have anything better to do,” said Apple Bloom.

“We just need something to keep our minds busy,” said Sweetie Belle.

Scootaloo shrugged her wings. “Ok... if you're sure. I can tell you. But first, let’s go eat something.”

“Agreed,” said Apple Bloom, “Let’s go.” She headed inside the gate house, her friends following her upstairs.

Sweetie Belle stopped at the door and sighed. “I really wish they were back already.”

***

It was the middle of the night, but the corridors of the ruined underground complex still echoed with the sounds of work. 

Bluebonnet felt an onset of a headache. She hadn’t really spent much of the day in close proximity to the drills and hammers the assistants were using, but in the tunnels there was no escaping the noise. 

This will take whole days, she thought. Her gaze went towards the ceiling, the eyes of her imagination pushing through rock towards the ruins of the palace, where Luna and Spitfire were busy keeping appearances, trying to repair the damage and restore order.

It would have taken Spitfire mere hours to fix everything in the lab. But dire as the situation was, the ex-princess could only spare enough time to restore the corridors that were in danger of immediate collapse; less than a quarter after emerging from her healing tank she went upstairs to support Luna. The remaining lab assistants were left to struggle with the rest in her absence, finding all the other high risk spots, fixing or disconnecting systems that could destructively malfunction, and propping the unstable parts. You don’t realise how many things are inside the walls until you need to get to them in a hurry, mused Bluebonnet as she walked. Her own steps, muffled by the protective lab hoofwear, were almost inaudible now.

No, focus! You have a job to do!

She shook her head to clear it, then reached to her side pocket, found a small pill, and swallowed. She stood with her eyes closed until she felt the drug take effect. I better hurry, she thought. I really can’t go on much longer without sleep.

Bluebonnet checked her watch. It was almost time. She walked purposefully towards the containment area, where the noise was the worst. She passed carts filled with moved rubble, then pieces of broken equipment, some of it priceless artifacts now turned into worthless junk, either drained of their magic, or simply smashed by the vines. This was where the plants had wrought the most destruction, piercing through solid rock and ripping solid metal doors off their hinges in their zeal to get to their prize. 

Bluebonnet walked past an empty frame left of a tall magical mirror, now shattered and useless, and turned left into a corridor leading to her goal.

The large room had once contained over a dozen heavy doors leading to magically warded cells, a containment area for the highest security magic phenomena. Now it was in ruins, most doors hanging off their hinges, the door frames cracked, exposing the magical runes embedded in the walls. A trio of assistants toiled there, among deafening noise, working by the light of three lamps put there to replace the broken lighting system. As she entered, they all paused and looked at her. 

“This is an unstable area,” said one of them.

“Dr Bluebonnet, Agent Pierce was supposed to accompany you,” said another.

Bluebonnet forced her face to remain calm. She had expected this issue to come up. She had left Pierce in the staff room, having washed the cuts on his body with an extra dose of Dr. Stone’s detoxifier formula - enough of it to counteract the zebra elixirs he had been using to keep himself upright for the last day. By the time she finished changing the bandages, he was fast asleep, and would likely remain so for hours. She knew he would feel horrible about failing at his duty, but it was the only way to get rid of him that she could reasonably get away with.

“He has already retired for the night,” she said firmly, “So need I. I came here, because I need you to take over while I rest.”

“This is a high priority task,” protested the last assistant.

Having succeeded in changing the topic, Bluebonnet pressed on. “Her Majesty has already contained the most dangerous… objects, has she not?” She allowed the impatience to be audible in her voice; the assistants didn’t really care about emotions, but were designed to react accordingly. “There are procedures that can’t be left unsupervised.”

They looked at each other, as if communicating wordlessly. Finally the closest one spoke. “Where are we needed?”

“Biomodification labs B and C,” replied Bluebonnet. “I have been keeping watch over both for the last hours, but right now the muscle growth sequence is approaching stage three. One of you is watching them right now, but he won’t be able to complete it alone. Two staff per lab room are required to finish the procedure.”

This they surely understood. The assistants were far from imaginative, but the technical knowledge required for their work had been hardwired into them. They knew she wasn’t lying.

“This is indeed urgent,” declared one of the assistants, putting away the drill he was using to pry a damaged runestone out of the wall. He took a close look at it, making sure nothing was unstable, and satisfied with what he saw, backed off. The others were doing the same, securing their workplaces to make sure the situation wouldn’t deteriorate in their absence.

They walked towards the exit together. Bluebonnet could see their nostrils move as they walked past her. She knew what they would smell; a mix of chemicals and sweat, high levels of stress hormones, and the dangerous mix of stimulants and calming drugs in her blood, accumulated effects of long hours of trying to both keep herself awake and not freak out. This only supported her story - she really needed rest badly.

“I’m sorry for your loss.”

Bluebonnet froze. She slowly turned to look at the stallion who had spoken. His face was solemn, quite indistinguishable from his default expression.

No, you’re not, she thought angrily. You’re just following some Sun-forsaken algorithm. If Dr. Stone could make you really feel, the others wouldn’t need to murder real ponies each time they come back.

Outwardly, she just gave a sad smile. “This… is a loss… I have already suffered. I know Dr. Stone was keeping the machines active for my sake… but my daughter has already been gone for some time.”

The assistants nodded their heads. The one who had given her his condolences stopped by her side as the others walked away. “I will escort you to your room,” he said. “There might still be hazards along the way.”

“Yes, of course, thank you,” replied Bluebonnet, but inside, she cursed. This would be a fifteen minute delay. She was pressed for time as it was. With no other solution in sight, she picked up the pace following the white stallion as he chose the most efficient route to her quarters. The primary security grid will be back online by tomorrow. This night is my only chance.

She finally reached her room, walked in, and closed the door, mumbling a quick thank you to the assistant. She then waited with her face pressed against the door, as the sound of his hoofsteps disappeared in the distance. Once he was gone, he wouldn’t come back - the procedure in the lab would require his constant attention, and he would not defy orders. But she needed to get back to the containment area, and past the remaining security systems before anypony noticed her absence - or stumbled upon agent Pierce.

She looked into the harness under her lab coat to once more recheck her equipment - a mix of lab tools, her own inventions, and even some gadgets made by her daughter. Satisfied that she had everything, she waited until she decided that enough time had passed. She slowly opened the door. There was much less noise in the complex now, but still enough to conceal her hoofsteps, even at a trot. 

When she returned to the containment area, she checked the time, then looked around the chamber, reading the markings over the doors. Just as she had expected, there it was: behind all the destruction, there was a section of the room conspicuously undamaged. The vines struck there too, but only got as far as eating into the magical security systems. They did not pierce deeper through the stone, or ripped the door open, because behind those there was no strong magic to be felt. These cells did not contain dangerous artifacts, but something Bluebonnet had discovered by checking through the lab files - Dr. Stone’s own top secret archive.

Bluebonnet approached the rightmost door, and pulled out a thaumometer. She waited for the device to give her a definite reading, watching the small indicator twitch. She gave a small smile despite herself.

I was right. The binding runes are broken. With the alarm system offline, I just need to get past the locks. Unless she’d risk contaminating the lab by filling the vault with poison. How paranoid are you, Dr. Stone? And what are you hiding there? I will find out your secrets, even if I have to translate ancient Equestrian to do it. 

***

”No awakenings this time.”

“No, but we have made progress nonetheless.”

“They’re powerful. More powerful than they should be after such a short time.”

“Things change. Rules do too.”

“I think it’s time to move onto the next stage then.”

“Do not worry. It’s already on the way.”
> Chapter 44: The Revelations.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was late at night when the Elements of Harmony returned to Nevercrest. They appeared in a flash, on the patch of bare rock where the improvised barrier had split the descending avalanche. Fluttershy’s barrier spell expanded immediately, shielding everypony before the night mountain wind could chill them to the bone.

“I wish we could’ve just teleported directly into the cave,” said Rarity, looking around, lighting up her horn to light the way.

“Perhaps when we’ve done cleaning,” said Obsidian. “We’ll look into finding a smooth path inside. For now,” he said, pointing his staff upwards, “we have a climb to make and a blizzard to go through. It should be easier now that you know the way.”

It was. With a couple spells to make their climbing faster and Applejack actually knowing what she was looking for this time, it took them less than ten minutes to navigate the slope. Obsidian approached the gate, and checked the alarm spells he had set. “Nopony went in or out in our absence,” he announced before pushing the gate wing open.

They walked in, instinctively shaking their withers, even though Fluttershy’s magic hadn’t allowed any snow on their coats. They managed to get into the cave proper, when something small and fuzzy pounced at them from behind the corner.

“Rarity!” screamed Sweetie Belle, hugging her sister tightly. “I was so worried!”

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom appeared from behind her. While they were more subdued in their reactions, their relief was almost palpable.

Rarity returned the hug. “I’m so sorry Sweetie,” she said softly. “We intended to come back sooner, but some of us got hurt in the fight, and we needed to get properly healed before we could cast a spell to return.”

“Hurt?” repeated Sweetie with worry, breaking the hug to get a good look at her sister.

“I had a cracked skull!” screamed Pinkie cheerfully, pronking past them. 

Twilight facehoofed. “We’re more or less okay now, and that’s all that matters. I think we could use a bit more rest, and return to work tomorrow. Except you, Obsidian. Don't you ever need to sleep?”

“Not really,” replied Obsidian. “It costs me some extra energy to stay awake, but it’s not like I’m going to run out of power in here.” His staff pointed at the glowing crystal growth closest to the gate.

“I’d be grateful if you could try to restore the vegetable garden while we sleep,” said Twilight. “If it can really grow plants with magic, that would save us a lot of trouble with getting food up here.”

Obsidian nodded. “Indeed. The power flowing through the Sanctuary has powered a lot of wonderful things. But for now we need to prioritize. I will restore the garden, some lighting and some more heating, but the rest of the magic will have to go into the Void Passage ritual. The quicker we get our access to the Amaranthine back, the better.”

***

“This is wonderful!" exclimed Applejack the next morning, staring at the garden patch in front of her. It was deceptively small, a ten by ten yards square in a side alcove of the cave, illuminated by a glowing relief of the sun at noon. Right now there were some carrots planted in a part of it, growing so quickly she could almost see them move. “Even I couldn’t make them grow that fast.”

“Actually,” said Obsidian, "the power of this place is very much like earth pony magic, only more focused.”

“And this could feed the whole town?” asked Applejack in amazement.

“As long as you change the soil from time to time. The spell doesn’t conjure food out of nothing,” explained Obsidian. “Now, with that done, we can get to work,” he added, heading off towards the spot where the team had fought the crystal spider construct.

Applejack looked towards the Cutie Mark Crusaders. “Can ya take it from here, Apple Bloom?” she asked.

“I think so,” replied the filly. “It really does grow itself. But don’t expect anything fancy; we don’t have any real tools here.” She pointed towards the remains of the garden shed - they had tried to open it first thing in the morning, but the ancient wood crumbled to pieces when disturbed.

“We don’t need fancy,” said Applejack, before turning to follow Obsidian. “Just dinner that isn’t cold hay.”

***

The part of the plaza in front of the inner sanctum gate had been cleaned and prepared for the ritual, a large circle drawn on the floor, the remains of the spider construct’s crystal legs arranged around it to help focus the energy.

“Everypony ready?” asked Obsidian.

The six ponies standing in a circle around him all confirmed their readiness.

“So, the changeling mirror only needs to be tapped with a hoof, yes?” asked Aurora, who was standing just outside the circle.

“Yes,” answered Twilight. “The spell I cast will provide the power. So if Chrysalis wants to talk, you’ll be able to hear her out without needing any of us.“

“Of course, with her spy in the palace lost in yesterday’s chaos, she’s unlikely to have much to report,” added Obsidian. “So mostly we just need you to keep an eye on the mirror watching the outside.”

“And the fillies,” added Applejack.

“We’ll take turns, don’t worry,” said Rainbow Dash. “We just need all the Elements the first time, to make sure it works.”

Aurora waved her off with a wing. “It’s not a problem at all. I can handle a bit of foal sitting.”

“Let’s not delay then,” said Obsidian, tapping his staff into the floor. The six Elements of Harmony activated their powers, and soon everything disappeared in swirling colors.

***

The Void Passage was just as they had left it. Obsidian immediately approached the flower, while the Elements gathered around him, taking their spots on their cushions.

Twilight closed her eyes for a moment, preparing a spell, which she then cast on a notebook in front of her.

“What are ya doing, sugarcube?” asked Applejack.

“It’s a transcription spell,” answered Twilight, visibly proud of herself. “This notebook is a reflection of the real one I had with me in the waking world. The spell connects them, so now the notes will stay with me when I come back. Since today is all about learning, and not just watching the story, it is important that I write down everything that I discover.”

“So, we’re ‘researching’ today?” asked Rainbow Dash. “Sounds boring to me.”

“Don’t say that,” said Twilight. “This really is important. This war has lasted as long as it has because the Shattered could never be defeated for good. They keep coming back. But if I can learn about how they were created, perhaps I can find a way to undo whatever gave them their powers, and end the war once and for all.” She looked around the chamber. “If you do still get bored, you can always ask Verba to conjure an extra room and train with you.”

“So, where do you want to start?” asked Obsidian. 

“I think I’ll start with the second ritual,” said Twilight. “The one where the Shattered were created. That’s the most obvious place to start.”

Nodding in agreement, Obsidian lowered his face over the Amaranthine, his form blurring a little as the mystical plant fed off his essence. The magic of the flower flowed upward, spreading over the ceiling and the walls, which soon began to shift and change. Everypony looked as the swirling images around them coalesced and fell apart again and again. The process lasted long minutes before it gradually dawned on everypony that nothing was going to happen. It wasn’t even a particularly dramatic nothing.

Twilight looked at the jumbled mess of images around her, then at Obsidian. “What’s going on?” she asked impatiently. “Why aren’t we seeing anything?”

“You think they removed it?” asked Rainbow Dash.

Obsidian shook his head, and stepped back from the flower, cancelling the vision. “It is not within their power to do,” he said. “Dissonance echoes. Once something gets there, it will remain there forever in one form or another. For there to be no vision at all, the event would have to never reflect in Dissonance in the first place. Which is not much of a stretch. The event flooded the sanctuary with a massive amount of pattern energy. And the only ones to witness the ritual were the ones who took part, the Shattered themselves, blocked from becoming one with the Dissonance by the fate they brought upon themselves. I’m sorry to say it, but the Amaranthine seems unable to show you what you want to see.”

“So, what do we do now?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Perhaps there is something else we could see that would help us?” proposed Rarity.

Twilight scratched the floor with her hoof in thought. Her ears perked up when she got an idea. “I think there is,” she said. She turned to Obsidian. “You said the Shattered were created when their ritual went wrong. We can’t see what the problem was, but perhaps we can at least see what they were trying to do? Can you show us the ritual where the Elements of Harmony were created?”

Obsidian did not reply at once. Twilight kept looking at him, and for the first time since she met him, she found him averting his gaze. Soon her friends too were staring at him.

“Is there something wrong?” asked Fluttershy.

“It may have been fortunate for Aurora, that the Equestrian army interrupted our last vision,” said Obsidian, looking askance at her. “She had to go to battle, but she didn’t have to watch the rest of the worst day of her life. I would much rather go to battle now than show you this, but it doesn’t look like we’re going to be interrupted by anything.”

A series of short gasps followed, as one by one the Elements all understood the implications.

“For you, that was the worst day of your life,” said Fluttershy softly.

“I can’t rightly say,” said Obsidian, turning once again away from the Elements and towards the wall. “I have been through many horrible days in my life. But this one was special in how it focused so many hopes, and instead planted the seeds of so many disasters.”

Twilight looked down into her notebook, as if it could hold the solution to their current predicament. "Perhaps you don’t need to do it? This is something you have seen with your own eyes. That means the Void Passage should already know all about it. Can’t you have Verba show it to us?”

“Do you expect me to remember every detail?” replied Obsidian. “The Passage may filter my memories to recreate everything that I as much as skimmed through, but it will fill in everything outside my field of vision. And I wasn’t one for technical details back then. Verba was, but in his current state…”

“Hey, give him some credit!” interrupted Rainbow Dash. “He figured out how to help me and Aurora share our powers. You say he’s just a spell now, but he’s more alive than you believe.”

Obsidian turned slowly to look into Rainbow’s eyes. “I have known him for several thousand years longer than you.”

Rainbow returned the gaze. “And how often were you in the mood to really talk to him? You were crazy, remember?”

Obsidian flinched, as if stung, his jaw clenching. “In that case… it still has to be me. If he’s as alive as you claim, you wouldn’t want him to suffer in my place, would you? In any case, he’s unable to use the Amaranthine, and you do want every detail, in case it turns out important. I’ll let my memories drive the vision, but lend a bit of my essence to the flower to fill in the gaps. Once it is complete, you can check the technicalities with him. If he can explain anything to you, all the better.”

He looked around the room, as if waiting for somepony to challenge him. What he received instead was looks of worry. Seconds passed, but nopony came up with an alternative solution. Finally, Twilight slumped onto her cushion with resignation, preparing her notebook.

Obsidian inhaled deeply and leaned over the Amaranthine again. This time the vision came almost instantly: the whole wall disappeared, opening into an image of the sanctuary they had just left. It was mostly as they’d remembered it, but some details showed that it was another time - the surrounding buildings were free of the weight of ages, instead bearing signs of recent use. The glowing crystals were more abundant. There were also armored ponies there, carefully picking their way through what was clearly the remains of a recent battle. Dead ponies littered the ground, their bodies covered in cuts and scorch marks. Around the gate to the inner sanctum, three ponies stood embedded in ice, their faces stuck in the final gasps of mortal terror.

“What kind of magic did that?” asked Twilight, pointing with her hoof. ”A windigo?”

“Yes,” said Obsidian bluntly. “They had one trapped there for research, and unleashed it on us when we broke through. And contrary to what your stories tell, getting frozen solid by a windigo is irreversibly fatal.”

“There you are,” called out Rainbow Dash from her seat.

And indeed, there was Obsidian among the ponies examining the battlefield. His dark coat was mostly hidden beneath a silvery armor, but the staff flying at his side was the same, only different by channeling the orange light of Honesty on his chest, the light that also flowed on the outside of his plates, surrounding him with protection spells.

“So, there are the first Elements,” said Rarity, looking at Obsidian’s companions. “I remember seeing some of those faces before, when you brought in chimeras to fight Celestia for us. And these other ones must be the Shattered?”

There were ten ponies moving around the sanctuary; five unicorns, two pegasi, Obsidian - the only earth pony present, and a pair of alicorns, who seemed to be in command. One was a white mare, who Twilight quickly recognized as Vengeance - she was armored, and covered with dust from the battle, and her body lacked the eery perfection it would develop later, but she was unmistakably the same pony. The other was a navy blue stallion, who could only be Verba; even though his focus was a necklace, like the others, Twilight instantly recognized the gemstone within as Magic. 

Each of the ten ponies was wearing a focus around the neck, and they kept them all alight, keeping up the protection spells as they checked every nook and cranny around the inner sanctum, careful to cover each other in case of an ambush. Twilight watched as they entered inside. 

The inner sanctum was a round temple, dominated by four alicorn statues opposite the entrance, two of white marble, and two of black granite. The floor was covered by a mosaic of spiralling stars, converging on the symbol of the moon in the middle, while the ceiling was painted with spiralling swirl of clouds, centered around the sun.  Stairs ran around the circumference of the chamber, extending down to the levels below and up towards the top of the mountain.

Right now though, it was no place of worship. The temple was littered with strange devices, some destroyed in the battle, some still beeping or flashing with their crystal displays. In the center of the chamber, over the moon symbol, there stood a round container, the size of a large cider barrel, but made entirely of metal, and reinforced with silver bands bearing runic inscriptions. The top looked partially open, thin mist still seeping from the hole. As the team split up to check the stairs up and down, Verba walked in to examine the devices, disconnecting them, and clearing the middle of the chamber.

Pinkie Pie hopped up from her seat, and walked closer to the vision, looking from pony to pony. “Pegasi with fangs look so weird,” she stated to nopony in particular. “So, these are Verba and Libra. The white one that flew up is Surprise, The big orange one must be Lightbringer. The green unicorn with a goatee is Absynthe, he’s princess Luna now… and the shy, orange one must be Evening Embrace. She didn’t really change that much.”

“Oh, you have no idea,” said Obsidian. “Being able to change one’s shape comes with many benefits, like being able to choose your identity no matter how life changes you.”

“So, the yellow one must be Gloria,” continued Pinkie. “Am I right?” As Obsidian nodded, she went on. “And those will be Winter Gem, and Diamond Dust,” she said, pointing towards two fair mares bearing Kindness and Generosity.

“Winter Gem?” asked Applejack, her ears perking up. “Was she an apple farmer?”

Obsidian turned slightly, to look at her without breaking connection with the flower. “Her parents were. The war took that from her too.”

“Pinkie, how do you know all these names?” asked Twilight, quick to change the topic before it became uncomfortable.

Pinkie Pie shrugged. “Obsidian keeps talking about them whenever he feels nostalgic. You’ve all been there for most of his stories. I just remembered the details. I would be a poor party planner if I couldn’t remember a pony’s name. So, who’s the red pegasus over there?” she finished, pointing at the vision again.

Rainbow Dash squinted. “I thought that was Loyalty, but that crystal is a different shade of red.”

“That’s Courage,” explained Obsidian. “There were thirteen foci users among us at that point. There had been more foci initially, but some of them were lost to the enemy as their wielders died. Dusk… was the last one left who didn’t end up as either an Element or a Shattered. He wasn’t very good at making friends, and though he learned to work in a team, he never really bonded to either group. He died soon after my disappearance, a victim of circumstance to the mad scheming that saw the Empire burn. If you’re looking for Shooting Star, the bearer of Loyalty…”

The vision shifted back to the main cave. Obsidian pointed his hoof towards the main entrance. “There he is.”

Three ponies had just entered through the gate, and started moving towards the inner sanctum. Two of them were pegasi, pulling small chariots packed with strange metal contraptions that were obviously more lab equipment - one of them was red, with Loyalty on his chest, and a glowing crystal replacing a missing eye; the other was dark grey with matching armor, seemingly designed for hiding in dark clouds, his face stern and vigilant.

Between the two there walked a white unicorn mare. She was delicate and beautiful, long mane flowing from under her winter hat. Though her overcoat was clearly military issued, designed to ward off cold, one would be forgiven for mistaking her for a rich filly heading to the opera. Alone among the present, she wasn’t wearing a focus. Neither did she look ready to fight, instead keeping pace with the carts, to keep them between herself and any potential threats. She was barely containing her revulsion at the sight of the bodies sprawled before her, even as she tried to project an aura of confidence and professionalism.

“Ooh, and who is that?” asked Rarity, eyeing the newcomer curiously. 

Obsidian lowered his gaze. “That’s Indicina. She was the daughter of the scientist who came up with the whole idea. After he was killed, she was the only one with the knowledge of what to do, so the Emperor made her the new head of the project.”

As the three ponies joined the group, they started preparing for their work. Excess equipment was brought out of the inner sanctum, most bodies moved out of sight, the contents of the two chariots unpacked. Twilight watched with curiosity as the various metal and crystal components were connected, trying to sketch them in her notebook, listening intently to every word as Verba, Gloria and Evening Embrace discussed the technical details with Indicina during assembly. Despite her earlier misgivings, Rainbow Dash kept observing too, having exchanged her cushion for a thought-up cloud for a better view, though she seemed to focus more on watching the heroes than on technical details.

The array started taking shape - a five-pointed star with standing spots for six ponies, and multiple metal prongs extending upwards, Twilight made several attempts to draw it, before coming up with a new idea - she stared at the contraption intently for a couple seconds, and then a miniature of it appeared next to the notebook in front of her. She started sketching the model, still keeping an ear on the conversation - the group had just come up with an idea to use the enemy sealing container as an extra failsafe - the metal barrel was set next to the ritual circle, thick cables connecting it both to the array, and to the control console Indicina was going to use.

They were dividing now, the future Elements of Harmony preparing to take their place in the circle, removing their armors, and any magical items that could interfere with the ritual, leaving only their foci, as Indicina was making the last adjustments on the instruments, while the remaining seven retreated to the main cavern to protect the experiment from any enemy interference.

Shooting Star tapped the side of his head with a hoof, removing the crystal eye, and pulling the fringe of his mane over the empty socket. Obsidian took his staff and set it outside the door, and then went to hug Indicina before taking his place in the circle.

Twilight froze with a pencil hovering over the page. The hug had only taken a second, two ponies standing with their necks entwined, and their muzzles over each other’s withers, but there was no mistaking it for anything else. Despite the brevity, the hug was as intimate as it was reassuring.

“Oh,” stammered Twilight, her mind stumbling over what she was supposed to say next. “You mentioned losing your… love.” 
Suddenly everypony was looking at Obsidian again, eyes full of softness that wasn’t usually directed at the grumpy old soldier.

“So… it was her you meant…”

Obsidian turned back towards the vision, giving no reply to her comment. Everypony had already taken their places in the contraption, five focus bearers standing around Verba. Indicina put on a pair of protective goggles, and threw the first switch on her console. As first nothing happened, but as the six ponies in the circle started concentrating, the crystals in the array lit up with a soft glow, strands of multicolored light spiralling up towards the ceiling.

“Mind if I accelerate it?” said Obsidian. “It took us hours to do it the first time, and I don’t want to link to the Amaranthine for that long. You can watch it later at normal speed if you want.”

“So,” asked Twilight, as the images started flowing faster and faster, the array slowly glowing in brightness, “What exactly is it doing? It looks very much like what we did when you summoned the chimeras, directing the power from the leyline to pierce into Dissonance. But if the mountain is supplying most of the power, why is it taking so long?”

Obsidian smirked. “You still don’t realise how powerful the Elements are. The leyline is a great source of magic, but they are a great source of magic that can be precisely directed. If you were there, even at your current awakening level, this would have only taken minutes. And yes, the idea is the same, but we were trying to punch a much bigger hole.”

The perspective of the vision shifted, following the beam of light through the ceiling, to the meditation chamber above, then through the layers of rock, and finally over the mountain and into the sky.

The girls gasped. What was visible inside the sanctum didn’t do justice to the whole event: outside, the mountain top was on fire with ghost lights, a pillar of light stretching into the sky, clouds for miles around slowly spiralling around it. Far in the distance, airships battled over the mountains - clearly the magical display had attracted attention from the enemy forces.

“Well, that looks ominous,” said Pinkie Pie.

Then there was a loud noise, like a boom of thunder, and the clouds exploded away, as the sky above Nevercrest literally ripped open. There was a giant hole there now, the alien stars of the Dissonance visible within. From the hole, a wave of multicolored light, like a liquid aurora borealis, cascaded down onto the mountain. The snow melted, coming down the slopes in avalanches, and the rock itself seemed to pulse and writhe under the overwhelming magical power. And in the center, the beam that had been reaching into the sky was now a spinning funnel, a storm of magical power coming down into the sanctuary. 

The vision followed the beam down, reaching the inner sanctum just as the array exploded with blinding white light. The six ponies were hanging in the air, glowing white silhouettes, their foci blazing six colors in front of them, points of light freed from the constraints of their amulets. Indicina was ducking behind her console, screaming over the noise as she flipped the switches, trying to prevent the raging power from reducing her friends to cinders. 

A powerful pulse came down into the chamber, splitting in the air over the array - the six colors became blinding light. The sealing barrell lit up too, its binding runes glowing blue as the excess power was directed there. It glowed brighter and brighter, suddenly turning red hot, but the cables melted first.

Indicina rolled away, curling into a ball, and instinctively shielding herself with magic, as the console exploded with sparks. The array stopped glowing, its task already completed, but the remains of the magical vortex still hung above it, and were now discharging in a slow motion explosion of multicolored balls of magic, shooting uncontrolled energy in all directions, causing the walls it hit to shift and deform. The ones that flew down were harmlessly grounded by the array, which protected the ponies standing within. But the last pulse of magic turned, as if alive, flying straight at Indicina. 

Her shield was too puny to withstand magic of this magnitude. It couldn’t even stop Obsidian, when he dashed in, just before the anomaly could hit her, tackling Indicina out of the way, and taking the brunt of the magical explosion on his own, improvised protections, the newly empowered Honesty creating an explosion of orange.

The vision broke, the last second becoming a freeze-frame projected on the wall: the light starting to fade, the Elements of Harmony looking around with their new, changed eyes, their foci transformed as they merged with their essence.

Verba’s magic was an elaborate helmet, with the gemstone sitting right above his horn. Shooting Star’s Loyalty became a half-mask, with the focus replacing his old prosthetic eye. The others’ were still gorgets, though each subtly changed to reflect its wearer.

All five were looking with fear towards the two inert bodies on the floor, away from the circle.

“What happened?” asked Twilight, looking from the vision to the real Obsidian, and back. “Did she...?”

“No,” said Obsidian sternly, stepping away from the Amaranthine. “That mercy was denied her.”

“Me… mercy?” stuttered Fluttershy.

“What do you mean?” demanded Rainbow Dash from her cloud.

Obsidian met her gaze. “Do you remember what happened to you, when you were thrown out of the Void Passage?”

The pegasus shuddered. “I got dropped into a sea of memories... that weren’t mine. I almost ended up crazy, but Verba... fixed me up,” she replied with some hesitation.

“What happened to us,” said Obsidian, “was both similar and different. While your experience was like being thrown into deep water, ours was like standing in front of a dam as it broke. Our friends were very relieved when they saw us alive. But they didn’t know what really happened. Unlike you, we were in our bodies. Honesty protected us from direct physical damage, and we seemed unharmed. But that only meant there was no clear sign of what had happened to us. There were pieces inside our minds that did not belong. And even we ourselves had no idea at first. We were busy with the aftermath of the experiment, ignoring the first warning signs as simple results of stress. I was stubborn, and strong willed, enough to suppress the foreign influence, at least while I was awake. Indicina… didn’t want to worry me. She felt something was wrong, but kept her facade for my sake, and then the Elements were sent to the front lines, and she was summoned to the Emperor’s side. I barely had a chance to see her, not enough to notice what was really wrong until it was too late. And at night, when we slept, when our minds touched the dreams of Dissonance, we were no longer protected. We dreamt nightmares that weren’t our own, anguished over things that didn’t happen to us. Eventually, I noticed. Perhaps it was my training, perhaps it was Honesty revolting over being bound to a mind that was no longer true to itself. But being aware of the problem seemed to only aggravate it. I tried to see my loved one. What I saw instead was…”

The six ponies released the breaths they didn’t realise they’d been holding. But Obsidian didn’t finish the sentence. 

“Enough to say that it eroded my will to fight at the worst possible moment. Losing myself, I tried to protect everypony by sealing myself away, leaving Honesty behind. It took a century for my mind to recover some equilibrium. And when it did, it turned out all I had done was make sure I couldn’t help.”

“I tried to protect my love, but all I did was leave her. And without me, she was consumed by her madness.”

An awkward silence fell, the six mares around Obsidian buzzing with questions they dared not ask. Fortunately, after a moment, he continued.

“When I disappeared, she thought me dead. Though she kept maintaining the facade, using illusions when her own composure failed her, she went mad with grief, and blamed the Emperor for losing me. She… manipulated his pride to turn him against the Shattered, making sure they’d become the monsters everypony feared they would, all to destroy everything the Emperor had ever built. And when the war started… my disciples never knew, and I never used the Amaranthine to look… but I am certain she was the one who took the sealing container, and put the thing inside into Hate.”

“What happened to her?” asked Twilight, finally asking a question.

“According to Concilio, the second bearer of Honesty, she was in the palace when Vengeance burned the capitol down. She gave him Honesty, and pushed him through the portal just before the fire rained down. She had a soft spot for him, and that act of kindness was what allowed the Elements to… ‘win’ the war the first time.”

“For it to hurt so much after all this time…” whispered Fluttershy. “You must have really loved her.”

Obsidian smiled sadly. “Oh, you have no idea. We used to be one soul. If she had disappeared first, I might have been the one to burn the Empire down. And now, let us finish and recover. Your sisters must be waiting with the food, and I’ve had enough of watching my own past for the day."

***

Three days later, Dr. Bluebonnet found herself completely stuck.Three days later, Dr. Bluebonnet found herself completely stuck. She had managed her break in without being noticed, and the vault contained a hidden archive as she had hoped, but there was little there that seemed relevant. And the parts that did were a mix of crumbling notes, more fit for an archeologist to read than for an engineer. Also, only the more recent half was written in anything resembling Pony. As she moved back in time, the language changed, until she could no longer make heads or tails of it, before switching the alphabet to something she couldn’t even read. Sadly, it seemed that her resolution to find out the whole truth of what her employers were hit a major roadblock - she had no idea how to translate ancient languages. She ended up copying some schematics, putting them among the notes for her current projects, and was now sitting over them while pretending to work, trying to make sense of them without any sort of proper labelling.

“Where is Doctor Stone?”

Bluebonnet turned nervously, her hoof shutting a notebook she had in front of her, quickly pushing it deeper into the chaos of the deliberately cluttered desk. She turned her eye towards Pierce, who was sitting in the corner of the room, but he didn’t seem to pay attention to it. 

I should have left it in my room, and worked on it during the night, she thought irritably, turning towards the source of the voice. There was somepony in the corridor outside, talking with a stern, soldier-like voice.

Bluebonnet left her station and peered into the corridor. There was a white pegasus guard standing there, outside the line on the floor marking the high security area. A guard golem and a white-coated lab assistant were standing in front of him, blocking his path. 

“I need to relay an urgent message,” insisted the soldier. 

The assistant’s expression remained unchanged. “The area is off limits,” he stated calmly.

At that moment the soldier noticed Bluebonnet, and his eyes flashed with recognition. “Dr. Bluebonnet,” he said loudly, “I have an urgent message to Dr. Stone. Do you know where I can find her?”

“Is there a problem?” asked Pierce from behind Bluebonnet. 

She twitched nervously, and suppressed a yelp. She hadn’t heard him move from his seat.

He must have used magic to silence his hooves, she thought. He must still be angry over that trick I played on him…

“He claims to have an urgent message,” explained the assistant impassively. “But he has no authorisation to enter, and I have no authorisation to leave my post.” He eyed the soldier sternly. “And a truly urgent message to Dr. Stone would be given by Princess Luna personally. She can get down here faster than any messenger.”

The pegasus stared him down, and ground his teeth. “We’ve just set up the new teleportation wards up top. And the Princess doesn’t have the time for you lab…” He caught himself, seeing Bluebonnet’s eyes grow. “Uh… either way, it is a written report. Princess Luna requested that it be delivered. Urgently.”

“We can't let you through,” said Pierce with a sigh. “Not while the emergency security procedures are still in place. But we can relay your report to Dr. Stone.”

The soldier hesitated, looking from Bluebonnet to Pierce, and back. Finally he lowered his head under his wing, to retrieve a thin bundle of papers. Bluebonnet went ahead, and grabbed them with her teeth.

“Have it your way,” said the soldier as soon as his mouth was free. “I know you two are trusted staff, so I entrust it to you. I hope it will be okay.”

“It will,” assured him Pierce. “And it will be faster than getting Dr. Stone up here. Let us not waste any more time,” he finished before turning around to walk away. When Bluebonnet noticed that he stopped, she followed. It was obvious he would not leave her side, so that trip to the lower levels were for the both of them.

They walked down the corridors towards the high energy lab, where they knew Dr. Stone to be. Most of her remaining staff would be there, helping her install the new equipment to replace the devices wrecked by Discord’s plants. As she walked, letting Pierce lead the way, she chanced a look down her nose at the paper in her mouth. It was signed by Captain North Star, and the title described the report as pertaining to the search for the rogue Elements of Harmony.

An urgent report… has he found something? 

She tried to flip a page to get a look inside, but she could not do it without breaking her pace. Glumly, she followed Pierce down another flight of stairs. She could already hear the voice of Dr. Stone, coordinating the efforts of her crew. 

“Ten inches to the left,” said the scientist, as the two entered through the armored door. A bipedal clay golem, three times as tall as she was, moved its thick arms, lifting a heavy converter to the spot where it was to be attached to the floor. The rest of the crew were scattered around the room, wrench in mouth, attaching various bolts and cables to minor devices. In the center of the room, behind Dr. Stone, there was a metal star on the floor, surrounded by a ring of crystal spikes. 

It’s a thaumic modulator, isn’t it? thought Bluebonnet. We haven’t had one since Twilight blew up our last one. But why would Dr. Stone need one now, let alone give it priority over other repairs? We have nothing down here to charge it with quickly. As it is, it would take months before it will be ready for… wait a moment. That’s what those schematics were! It was older, and way more primitive, obvious considering its age… but the basic principle was the same. It was made to harness great magical power and apply it in a predetermined manner. Was that how they were created? Magical splicing?

“Dr. Bluebonnet, please stop chewing the documentation,” said Dr Stone, turning her eyes away from her work. “What brings you here?”

Pierce stepped forward. “A report from…” he turned to look at the papers in Bluebonnet’s mouth. “Captain North Star. Princess Luna said to pass it to you. We were told it was urgent.”

“Put it over there,” said Dr. Stone, pointing her muzzle at an empty table near the door. “I’ll look at it in a minute, but our task requires my full attention now. Actually, you can help me while you’re there. I need to connect these couplings, and telekinesis will have an easier time reaching there than mouth tools.”

Pierce stepped closer to help her. “Please wait a second,” he said over his shoulder as he approached the devices by the wall, and looked in. The problem seemed to be a logistical one. All the machines had been designed for easy use by earth ponies, with all the relevant parts conveniently accessible. What they weren’t designed for was being clumped so closely together.

That’s right, remembered Bluebonnet. All the big lab chambers are either damaged by the fighting, already taken, or too close to the main lab. We don’t want the situation from the last time to repeat if anything goes wrong.

She had a quick glance around the room. Everypony seemed preoccupied, but they would only remain so for a couple of seconds. She leaned over the table, and flipped the page with her lips. The report was a list of items found while searching the crystal tower. It didn’t look interesting - apparently the search teams didn’t return with anything important. 

However, the fourth page was covered with writing describing some discoveries from the history books found on the scene. Somepony had marked the most important parts with red ink:

“That ‘Nevercrest Sanctuary’ was mentioned several times, and seems connected to the history of the Elements,” wrote North Star. “If you could confirm its existence, and if it really is a unique place of power, as claimed, it might be worth investigating as a potential spot to search for clues.”

Nevercrest! thought Bluebonnet. It was in Stone’s notes. They had been there definitely, long ago. And it’s a place of power? If they used the modulator there, with it as the power source-

“Dr. Bluebonnet, we could use another pair of hooves here,” called Dr. Stone from her spot among the machinery.

Bluebonnet turned towards her, passing her hoof across the paper to close the pages. “Right away.”

That Obsidian… he would be old enough to remember. Luna must think the Elements are at Nevercrest. Is she right? She must be. Whatever they’re planning, it must require all the magic they can get, I’m sure of it!

***

It was already late at night when Bluebonnet finished her preparations. She looked once again at the items gathered on her bed. There was a backpack filled with food and basic survival equipment, a saddlebag with one pocket full of emergency gadgets, and the other with her notes - she opened it for the last time, cramming in a thick black book with a swirling stars pattern on the cover. 

That’s all I can manage to take, she thought. I hope it is enough.

She put on her coat, pulled all the bags on on top of it, then checked her pocket for the map -- the mountain wasn’t hard to find once she knew exactly what she was looking for, but it took a lot of her precious time to do so discreetly. 

Finally she took a helmet, and put it on her head. It was white, with a soft cap inside, like a like a fancier version of a construction worker’s hard hat. But on the inside, between the cap and the shell, there was one of her own inventions - a thin layer of pattern-infused tinfoil. She was very proud of being able to make it hold a charge - it wasn’t enough to shield her mind from magical attacks, but it would be enough to hide it from magical detection. 

Have I remembered everything? she thought, suddenly frantic. She checked a small side pocket in her backpack, making sure she had packed her pills, a drug made to let her sleep easily, with a convenient side effect of making her nights dreamless.

Everything’s ready. I can’t stop shaking. Did Tourmaline feel like that? If they find out before I get far enough away… She took a gadget from her nightstand and stuck it to the door - a round box with a suction-like bottom. She put her ear to the device and listened intently. There was nothing. Nopony’s there, she thought. So Pierce finally went to sleep, and there was no assistant left to take over, just as I thought. It is now or never. 

She put two pairs of slippers on to muffle her steps on the stone floor, took a deep, deliberate breath to calm herself, and slowly opened the door. To her relief, there really was nopony there. Carefully, with her ears constantly turning in search of suspicious noises, she closed the door behind herself, and started sneaking away from her room.

For the first time in days, the compound was silent, even most of the tireless assistants ‘asleep’ in the healing tanks for maintenance. Bluebonnet walked purposefully past the main labs and towards the cellblocks. She paused as she was passing her own lab. Should I take the pattern gun with me? No. I wish, I could, but I can’t carry anything more. It’s ‘travel light’ or not at all, and the notes are more important.

She walked past the cells and towards the big elevator connecting the lab level with the hangar far in the mountain top.

And what if I’m wrong? What if Luna is mistaken, and the Elements are not there? I’d be stuck in the mountains with no help or… No, I must not think like this. Princess Luna may be wicked, but she isn’t stupid. And she’s experienced. If she thinks they’re there, she’s probably right. So, how much time do I have before she gets there? After the last time with Lightbringer, I don’t think they’d just sent him alone. They will want to examine the situation carefully, and then go in there in full force. I should be able to-

Bluebonnet froze. There was a sound of hooves approaching. 

Who’s there? she thought, her heart racing. It's coming closer.

She looked around, but there was no hiding spot in sight that she could reach in time without making noise. And whoever it was, there was just the corner of the corridor between them now. 

Making a quick decision, Bluebonnet reached to her saddle bag. She found what she was looking for, just as the white muzzle of the assistant passed the corner. The stallion looked at her in surprise, his mouth opening to ask a question she couldn’t lie her way through. Bluebonnet swung her neck, tossing a small wood and metal disk. It landed under his hooves and opened, shooting up with metal tapes that wrapped around the assistant’s barrel. There was a crackle of a charge released, and the stallion fell with a gasp, his legs twitching. Bluebonnet leapt over him, and galloped, not even trying to be silent anymore. She reached the elevator, and pulled the door shut behind her. She pressed the button, and then slumped to the floor, as the small room started moving upwards.

So, they’ll know immediately, she thought. I upped the charge, but these guys aren’t ponies. I have no idea how long he will be out. He’ll trigger a secondary shock once he tries to free himself, but now I have very little time. I hope my authorisation will be enough to get me past the air patrols before a full alarm is sounded. Oh, this is not working out at all! 

She stood up, trying to control the rising panic, as the elevator reached the top floor. When the door opened, she found herself standing face to face with a guard golem. 

It was one of the animated pony armors, only slightly bigger than her, but designed to look imposing, and right now there were two points of red glowing in its eye slit, making it all the more menacing.

“Emergency override access, Doctor Bluebonnet,” said Bluebonnet quickly, almost shouting. The magical construct hesitated. “Code red emergency password… strawberry cake!”

The armor stood still, taking in her answer. After two excruciating seconds, the eyelight changed to orange - using emergency override password put the golem on high alert, but it would not hinder her. She pushed past it quickly, exhaling in relief. The passwords haven’t been changed. Now I just need to find the right machine.

She walked away from the elevator, picking up pace, past the ruined chamber, still not fixed after the battle that claimed the life of her daughter. Suppressing the temptation to pause there and reminisce, she went into the next hangar, filled with flying machines. There were several blimps there, but they were not fast enough for what she had in mind. She went right past them towards one of the prototypes - a sleek machine with multiple propellers, a simple magical engine replacing the need for pony muscle power. Bluebonnet got inside, checked the engine, and tried to start the propellers. They worked fine - it seemed Discord’s vines hadn’t caused any problems here, and the power crystal would not need to be replaced. Relieved, Bluebonnet turned off the engine, dropped her bags into the cockpit, and got out.

Now I just need to get the hangar door open.

She rushed along the hangar towards the large, sliding gate that served as the exit. Right next to the gate, there was a heavy winch protruding from the wall. She reared, to press upon it with all her weight.

A needle flew from behind the nearest blimp, zipping in front of her face, and embedding itself in the wall. Bluebonnet flinched back with a yelp, lost her balance and fell backwards. Who? My gadgets are left in the bags!

She rolled back onto her hooves, and got up, turning towards the attacker. A familiar face looked back at her.

“So, I risk my life in battle, go for days without sleep to stay at your side, and do all in my power to keep you safe from harm, and you… What. In. Tartarus. Are. You. Doing?” barked agent Pierce.
> Chapter 45: The Connections.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aurora took a deep breath and tried to think rationally. The day had started like any other, but had now been getting progressively weirder for her.

It started with the breakfast; they ate the slightly burned vegetable stew that the kids had managed to make out of the contents of the garden. But then a fresh set of plates was set, and Pinkie Pie announced that she wanted to show off a new trick she had learned during the night. She snapped her… hoof? Aurora wasn’t quite sure what happened. And in a flash of light the plate in front of her filled with sweets. 

“Edible illusions,” explained Pinkie Pie, beaming. “They’re not really real, but really yummy, and you’ll never be full, so you can try everything and never have upset tummy.” 

“Haven’t you tried this thing before, Pinkie?” asked Applejack.

Pinkie just beamed wider. “I did! But It’s even better now. Come on, give it a bite!”

“Well, as soon as we get any…” said Apple Bloom, who was sitting beside Applejack.

Pinkie’s expression turned into a sheepish grin - the only plate that had been filled was Aurora’s. She quickly repeated the trick for everypony. Aurora looked around in suspicion, then leaned in and smelled the piece of cake in front of her. It smelled of chocolate and whipped cream. Slowly, hesitantly, as if expecting the cake to pop out of existence, she took a small bite. It had all the right texture, and tasted real too, but…

“Pinkie?” she asked after quickly swallowing the first bite, “Why does it taste like strawberries? I can’t see any here.”

“Because it’s a surprise,” replied Pinkie with a giggle. “I told you it was an experiment.”I already knew knew how to make illusion cakes. But I was trying to see if I could make them taste different and still keep them real.”

Aurora took another bite and chewed thoughtfully. “That doesn’t seem to make much sense.”

Pinkie tilted her head, and stuck out her tongue. “And where does it say it has to make sense to be funny? We’re just trying to make you feel good here. I mean all of you. I mean I.”

Aurora raised an eyebrow. Pinkie ignored the unasked question, and dug into her own plate, filled will strangely colored muffins.

***

“What are you doing, Rarity?” asked Aurora an hour later. 

She was just about to go into the Dissonance - Obsidian had just made sure that with two awakened members they could complete the spell without the full set, and Twilight insisted that Aurora and the kids accompanied them this time. But just before starting the ritual, Aurora decided to double check if Rarity, who was staying on guard, knew all the tricks to operating the magic mirror. And so she returned to the guards room, only to find Rarity sitting over her suit or armor, brow furrowed in focus.

Rarity yelped and tried to cover her work with her hooves. Then, realising that it was already too late, she withdrew her legs. “Oh, nothing big, darling. It’s just that I always make some nice things for my friends to wear, but I have very little to work with here. So I thought I could at least make your armor match your mane a bit better.”

Aurora looked down, and found that her armor had already been partially transformed with magic; the color shifted into white with a distinctive, pearly sheen.

“Um… that’s very nice of you,” she said, “I’m sure it will make me look great. But could you do it in your free time? We’re leaving you on guard duty here.”

Rarity turned pink. “Of course, of course! I was just trying to make it a surprise, that’s all…”

“Do you know how to shift the perspective?” asked Aurora, pointing her wing at the mirror on the wall. 

Rarity got up to her hooves hastily, and approached the artifact, giving Aurora a quick bird’s eye view of the slope on their side of the mountain.

“You can move the point of view higher,” said Aurora, “as long as you keep it directly above the mountain top. The mirror is here, but the viewing spell originates from the inner sanctum. It is useful for checking the sky,” she added.

“Thank you," replied Rarity, still pink in the face, “I will make use of it.”

“Um… we’re about to start,” said Fluttershy, poking her head in from the staircase.

“We’re ready,” replied Aurora with a smile, following the yellow pegasus down the stairs. 

They entered the main cave, and opened their wings to fly the rest of the way. 

“Um…” asked Fluttershy suddenly, “I was meaning to ask… have you ever had a pet?”

Aurora looked at her in surprise. “No, never.”

“Would you want to have one, one day?” asked Fluttershy.

Aurora considered the question. “I’ve never thought much about that… hey! What is it with you guys all day?”

Fluttershy looked taken aback by the question. “Um… nothing?” she tried weakly.

Aurora tried to establish eye contact for a couple of seconds before finding her attempts futile. Rolling her eyes, she followed Fluttershy towards the sanctum.

***

As the spell sent them into Dissonance, they found themselves in the familiar chamber of the Void Passage. Immediately Twilight approached the wall where the still image of the previous day’s story was still displayed. She focused, and the picture shifted, slowly rewinding backwards. Twilight watched intently for a moment, taking out her notebook, before pausing the picture and turning to Obsidian. “Will you stay here with me in case I need some more details or explanations?”

Obsidian pulled one of the cushions towards the Amaranthine and sat down. “What else could I be doing with my time?” he asked.

“Checking for any more traps in the ruins?” supplied Applejack helpfully.

“I think I could use the Amaranthine myself,” said Twilight.

“You probably could,” replied Obsidian, turning away from her to look closely at the flower. “But it is still dangerous to you, and you are an easily obsessed kind. Better to not let you drain yourself when every day might end in a battle.”

“And what about us?” asked Rainbow Dash. “Did Verba do what you-”

At that there was a jingling sound, as if somepony had disturbed a crystal chandelier. Verba flew into the room, took a pony shape, and pointed his horn towards the door that would lead them out of the room if it really were the Crystal Tower. 

Pinkie Pie hopped to the door and pushed it open. Behind it, there was a beach.

***

“What is this place?” asked Aurora, looking around. She had already taken into the air for a better look, leaving behind the pleasantly warm sand under her hooves. From what she could see, they were on a small island in the middle of a calm ocean. The Sun was shining in the sky, and a pleasant wind was blowing, swaying the leaves of the nearby palm trees rhythmically. There were some huts among the trees, and close to the edge of the water, a line of beach chairs set on the sand.

“It was Twilight’s idea,” said Rainbow Dash, beaming, “We’ve spent weeks training, or fighting for our lives. We need a day to chillax.”

“And then Twilight got the idea to spend a day here,” said Applejack. “She made this place with Verba yesterday before we left.”

“We have a whole day to spend here!” said Pinkie loudly, trotting towards the water, the Cutie Mark Crusaders close behind her.

“And when the evening comes,” continued Applejack, “We’ll bring Rarity here to us. Obsidian doesn’t care about having fun, so he’s agreed to stand watch, and Twilight will help us make a fire. There will be snacks and singing.”

“Hey, this water isn’t salty!” called Scootaloo loudly. 

“Yup!” agreed Pinkie Pie. “You won’t have to worry about swallowing any!”

Aurora looked around the gathered ponies, from Applejack, to Fluttershy, to Pinkie Pie, who was already playing in the water, to Verba, who had already abandoned the pony shape, instead spreading his runes across the sand in a rectangle, finally to Dash, who was fluttering in the air slightly above her. 

The pegasus met Aurora’s gaze with an uneasy grin, and pointed at the sky. “So, how about a flight?” she asked. “Our wings are already healed, and the air is great.”

Aurora swatted her wings downwards, launching herself up to Rainbow’s level. Dash was already flying away, flapping backwards, still grinning at Aurora. “How about we race to that cloud!?” she shouted, pointing at a distant clump of white on an almost clear sky, before turning around and flying there, a rainbow contrail stretching behind her as she built up speed.

Aurora glared after her and followed, steadily building altitude. It didn’t take her long to notice that Dash wasn’t really racing - she was flying faster than most pegasi could, but it was still a fraction of what Aurora had seen her capable of - this was her ’leisurely speeding’, just enough to enjoy the rush of air without straining herself too much. For a moment, Aurora allowed herself to do the same, just soaring into the sky. The wind in her feathers, the warmth of the sun on her coat. It was the perfect summer morning, a still image gathered from some old memories and assembled like a puzzle, meticulously, to touch every sense in its own special way, a dream that could make a pony wish it would last forever.

This isn’t real.

Aurora folded her wings and plunged, swooping down towards where Rainbow Dash now was, rapidly building up speed. She saw Rainbow look over her shoulder, and see her - then accelerate as she realised that she was being chased for real now. But Aurora had more altitude to turn into speed - she felt the pressure in front of her build up, then disappear, just as Dash was seconds away from reaching the cloud she had set as the goal - the rainboom launched Rainbow forwards, propelling her head-first into the cloud bank. 

Aurora made a sharp turn upwards, turning a full circle before shedding her momentum and landing.

Rainbow Dash emerged, still slightly dazed, a white beard of cloud stuff hanging from her face. “Hey,” she said, chuckling, “You don’t need to be so rough.”

Aurora stood in front of her, the dream cloud obediently becoming semi-solid to let her stomp for emphasis. “Perhaps I do. What in Tartarus is going on here? You’re all behaving weirdly.”

Dash shook her face clean and met Aurora’s gaze, but leaned back defensively. “What do you mean?” she asked.

Aurora flapped her wings impatiently. “Don’t what do you mean me, okay? I’m not stupid. Or do I need to list it to you? Just what are you trying to achieve here?”

Dash turned slightly red, scratching the back of her head with a hoof. and sitting down on the cloud. “We… just thought you too could use some time to chillax. Okay? It’s been a really rough week, and…”

“Nopony told me about this, but all of you knew,” interrupted Aurora. “And Pinkie made those illusion cakes for me. And Rarity… this is all about me. Why?”

Rainbow Dash hesitated. “Because… you’ve had it the worst,” she finally said. “You’ve lost everypony. All your friends. And we made you show it to us like some Hearthswarming play. That was horrible of us.”

“Perhaps,” replied Aurora. “Perhaps it was. But you needed to see what had happened. And I still need too. I’ll need to finish the vision, and have Obsidian pull it further with that flower of his. We need to find out what happened to Vengeance.”

“Are you sure-” started Rainbow Dash.

“Yes, I’m sure,” replied Aurora, pushing into her personal space. “We have a war to win. And I want no special treatment, not from you, not from anypony. Get it? You all have got your share of pain, and there will be more before it's over. I’m not special.”

“That’s not special treatment,” protested Dash, rising from the cloud. “We always do such things for each other. We’re just finally treating you like one of us, as we should’ve.”

Aurora’s expression softened. “You do?” She looked around. “Fair enough. I’ll play along, but…” Her face grew stern again. “Never say that I lost all my friends, get it? They’re all here,” she said, punching her own chest, “always with me, as long as I fight to finish what they started. That’s what you learn when ponies die around you. If your friends die, that doesn’t mean they’re lost, that means they are your friends for life. A friend is never really lost, unless you abandon them. Remember that.”

There was a moment of tense silence. Then Aurora grinned. “Another race? For real this time.”

Dash responded with an awkward smile. “Sure, why not?”

And so they raced, until they couldn’t feel their wings, and then swam with PInkie, until all they could do was rest on the beach chairs, absorbing the warmth of the afternoon sun. Then Obsidian brought in Rarity, before grumbling something under his breath, and leaving to guard them in the waking world. Twilight and Verba made the sun set, and Pinkie started a fire on the beach. They sat on the sand and baked dream potatoes until late at night, and all of them wished that day would never end.

***

“Hey, wake up everypony! We’ve got company!” shouted Applejack.

Aurora snapped awake, rolling from her sleeping spot onto her hooves in one fluid move, ready to fight before she fully woke up. Around her, others were waking up in much less coordinated manner. 

“Who is it?” demanded Dash. “Are we under attack?”

“Not yet,” said Obsidian, entering the roo. “But the uninvited guests are right at our doorstep.”

He pointed his hoof at the magic mirror behind Applejack. Everypony was already awake enough to see the three shapes standing in the swirling snow in front of the main gate.

“That’s Mrs Bluebonnet!” called Scootaloo out loud, “and that Pierce guy!”

“And that’s Enigma,” added Obsidian, glaring at the figure in the middle.

“What are they doing here?” asked Twilight Sparkle. 

“And how did they find us?” added Rarity.

“I can feel the protections straining,” said Obsidian. “Guilt is testing the spells using his pattern emanation. Do you see? The snowstorm is less severe around him. He’s dampening the spell just by being there.”

Twilight looked around the chamber, before turning towards the Cutie Mark Crusaders. “Girls, go to the house next to the garden and hide! We will go down there, and see what they want.”

“Well, what could they want?” asked Aurora, quickly strapping on her wing blades. “See that weird thing on the unicorn's side? It’s that thing that destroyed Celestia, isn’t it?”

“They haven’t used it to break down the door,” noticed Fluttershy. Everypony was already walking down the stairs, using their magic to armor up in a hurry.

“Perhaps they want to save energy,” suggested Twilight.

“Or maybe they just want to talk?” proposed Rainbow Dash. Her friends looked at her strangely.

“Hey, I’m not saying he’s trustworthy or anything, but he’s supposed to be super sneaky, isn’t he? He wouldn’t just stand in front of the door if he wanted a fight.”

They got down the stairs, and faced the inner side of the gate, Rarity sparing a moment to look back towards Sweetie Belle and exchange reassuring nods. As the sound of the three fillies’ hooves disappeared in the distance, the Elements braced themselves, the lights of protecting spells spreading across their armors and coats.

Twilight took a deep, calming breath. “So, what now?”

Rainbow turned to look at Pinkie Pie. “Pinkie?”

Pinkie closed her eyes in focus, and for a moment her body twitched weirdly. “No clear reading,” she finally said with a shrug. 

“That… might be good news,” said Rarity hesitantly. “Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy took a step towards the door. 

“I… I’m not sure about Enigma, but the other two are not angry,” she said. “I can project some peace, just in case.”

“You do that, Fluttershy,” said Twilight, “And the rest of you, prepare yourselves. Applejack, use Honesty too. We’ll find out what it is all about.”

With a push of magic from Twilight’s horn, the ice barrier was dispelled from within. The gate swung outwards, the six Elements standing in the doorway, Aurora and Obsidian behind them, facing the newcomers.

“So, you have found us,” said Twilight Sparkle in a formal tone, trying to look confident, but still eying both Enigma and Pierce’s pattern gun nervously. “What are you looking for here?”

“We’re here to warn you,” started Enigma. “This hideout is no longer safe.”

“We’re also here to join you,” added Pierce. 

“What?” asked Twilight in surprise. She made no gesture to invite the three ponies in, but her magic extended outwards, creating a bubble of calm weather outside the gate. She looked from one pony to another. “Dr. Bluebonnet I can understand, after what Applejack had told me. But you?” she eyed Pierce suspiciously. “You’re supposed to be one of Celestia’s best agents, aren’t you? What happened to change your mind?” She took a closer look at him. “You aren’t a changeling, are you?”

“He’s been my agent before he was Gloria’s,” said Enigma. “Since I was the one who designed her original screening procedures, I could tell him how to act to be recruited. He was my insurance in case she wanted to trick me, which she did. When I left the palace, I tasked him with keeping an eye on Dr. Bluebonnet. Last night she finally decided to escape Canterlot, so he contacted me, and I facilitated their escape.”

“And how did you find us?” asked Aurora from the second rank.

“North Star did,” said Pierce. “He found some old books describing Nevercrest, and wrote about it to Luna.”

“The Shattered despise this place,” added Enigma. “They prefer not to remember of its existence. But once reminded of it, they would check. We passed their high altitude scouting team on our way here.”

“I didn’t see anypony,” protested Applejack.

“They’re good at their job,” explained Enigma. “They didn’t need to get too close either. That avalanche site on the slope below is rather hard to miss.”

Obsidian’s jaw clenched. “I take it you didn’t take them out?”

“Not much point,” replied Enigma. “Their not returning would be a message just as clear. Either way, you need to get out of here.”

“How much time do we have?” asked Twilight. “There are things I still need to learn here.” 

“Depending on how much extra support the Shattered want to bring,” replied Enigma, “I’d say about six hours.”

Dr. Bluebonnet stepped forwards. “If… if knowledge is what you seek, I think I can help. I’ve worked with Dr. Stone for years, and… when I left, I took some of her old notes from the archives. I can’t translate all of it, but between Mr. Enigma and Obsidian…”

“You have them with you!?” Twilight’s eyes widened with excitement. “This might be exactly what I’ve been working on! If you can help me, that’s great news.” She turned her head back inside the cave. “Oh, I need to use the Void Passage more than ever. We cannot afford to waste a second more.”

“Stop,” said Obsidian sternly. “There are other things we cannot afford to do.” He pushed between Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, into the front of the group. “Let’s get them tested first.”

“You,” he said, pointing his staff at Bluebonnet. “Are you the pony you claim to be, Bluebonnet the engineer?”

Bluebonnet looked taken aback, but when Applejack looked at her and nodded, she met Obsidian’s gaze. “I am.”

“You have come here to aid us in our battle against the Shattered, and not as their agent?” continued Obsidian.

“Yes,” said Bluebonnet sternly. “I’m here to help you, and this is no trick.”

“Fine,” said Obsidian. “I’ll use my magic to scan you later. There might be things about you you’re not aware of. The Shattered are capable of all sorts of tricks. Now, what about you?” he said, turning towards Pierce.

”I’m here as an agent of Enigma, to help you fight the Shattered, but above all to fulfill my duty of protecting Dr. Bluebonnet,” said Pierce, glaring at Obsidian. “Know that, and never make me choose between the two.” He exhaled and turned towards the Elements. “I’m the same pony you met before. You can call me Pierce.”

“It’s Pincushion though, isn’t it?” asked Rainbow Dash. 

The unicorn’s face turned stiff. “How do you know that name?”

Rainbow Dash smiled. “It’s a long story, but you could say I had a dream about it.”

Pierce looked around. Enigma and Obsidian were unreadable, but Bluebonnet looked suddenly tense. The rest just seemed confused.

Finally, Pierce sighed. “That name used to be mine. But I haven’t used it for years. It is of a pony I have left behind. I now bear whatever name Enigma gives me.”

Obsidian sneered. “I see Guilt chooses the most appropriate underlings. Very well, you can come in and do your duty.”

His sneer disappeared as he turned to face Enigma. “But you won’t. I will not allow you inside.”

“Why not?” said Applejack, alarmed. “He said he’s here to help us. He’s already helping. I can tell he’s being honest about it.”

“Because his honesty isn’t worth a spit,” said Obsidian slowly. He was now standing on the forefront of the group, facing Enigma, his staff twitching at his side, ready to leap between him and Pierce, who checked his weapon nervously.

Twilight looked sideways towards Fluttershy, who returned a nervous glance and sent more power through her gem.

“You were honest when you vowed your loyalty to the Empire, weren’t you?” said Obsidian. “And yet, it didn't stop you from changing your mind later, spitting on your duty, performing that crazy ritual along with the others.”

“You know that’s not the whole story,” replied Enigma. His voice was still calm, but his nostrils flared slightly.

“We’ve been told in detail what happened,” continued Obsidian. “You had your reasons. You always do. Don’t you see this is where the problem is? You had reasons to fight for the Empire, you had reasons to disobey orders, you had reasons to destroy the Empire, fighting alongside the other Shattered.”

“The Empire betrayed me,” barked Enigma, suddenly no longer calm.

Obsidian snarled in return, baring his teeth. “Oh, I’ve heard that one too. Slaughtered over a false accusation. The fastest pony in the world can never get an alibi. All the Elements of Harmony who defied the Emperor to defend you, who didn’t go to battle until they had to protect everypony from your rampage. All the civilians Vengeance turned to ash when you lured Verba away so she could burn the capital. You must have felt so betrayed by all of them.”

“You…” Enigma ground his teeth. “I acknowledged my fault, and suffered punishment for it.”

“Oh, right,” replied Obsidian. “Three hundred years sealed in stone, before the Shattered freed you. How steep is the price of your justice. A day’s time out for every life taken? And then you were broken out by the Shattered, and you instantly rejoined them.”

“Obsidian, stop it,” hissed Twilight behind his back, but he didn’t react in any way.

“Are you going to list my sins until you waste the chance of getting my help?” asked Enigma. “Are you so stuck in events from thousands of years ago that you can’t see the present past your own grudges?”

“Obsidian, this really isn’t helping,” said Rainbow Dash.

Obsidian barely glanced back at her, before facing Enigma again. “Oh, so you don’t like hearing about your past sins? You prefer we focused on the present? Let us move to more recent events then. After you were freed and rejoined the Shattered, you changed your mind, and left them. Then joined them again. Then left them again, and are now actively scheming against them. I’m sure you had your reasons every time. But how can I know you won’t have a reason to turn against us next?”

Enigma’s eyes no longer glared in anger. He seemed to shrink, not mad anymore, but tired and frustrated. “I rejoined the Shattered because I saw them as the only family I had left,” he said, “ then left them when I had enough of their madness, hating the sight of what they had become. I rejoined them again hoping to save a life of a little girl. And now I have become their enemy because they abused my goodwill to betray me.”

Obsidian looked at Enigma, silently considering his statement. Then he turned his eyes towards Bluebonnet. “Ah, I understand. It was her daughter, wasn’t it? The girl who attacked Arrogance to ‘free everypony?' And now she fulfills her daughter’s dying wish, while you are finally free to act? A curious story. Tell me, Guilt, how is it that the fastest pony alive couldn’t make it in time to stop such a tragedy from unfolding? You won’t tell me the situation blindsided you?”

Enigma’s eyes widened, his face changing so rapidly that everypony took an instinctive step back. Only Obsidian remained where he had stood, looking at Enigma with a sneer. 

Finally, Enigma forced his expression to calm, and closed his eyes. “That is enough. I don’t need to be here. Dr. Bluebonnet wants to help you. I have brought her here. But I don’t need to bear the sight of you a second longer.”

And with that he was gone. For a moment there was no sound but the swishing of wind. 

Then Pinkie Pie spoke. “Gee, nice going there.”

Obsidian snorted. “He isn’t exactly helping his cause, is he?” he said over his shoulder. “Well, it’s not like I expected a thank you from you anyway.”

Twilight pushed past him to stand in front of Bluebonnet and Pierce. “Please forgive us,” she said. “It seems he really has been stewing in that grudge for four thousand years.”

“Enigma had anticipated the problem,” said Pierce. “We talked about it and agreed that we would join without him if he isn’t welcome here.”

“You said some really horrible things,” said Fluttershy to Obsidian, disappointment ringing in her voice. 

“He did some really horrible things,” replied Obsidian. “Have I told you how he killed Surprise, the first Laughter? He first attacked her with his words, breaking her until she could no longer laugh, and then-”

“Now is not the time for this!” interrupted Applejack angrily, the power of Honesty ringing in her voice. 

“Come on, guys,” said Rainbow Dash. “Let’s all get inside, and prepare to get out of here.”

***

“Okay, I’m finished,” said Obsidian ten minutes later. “I can’t guarantee there are no tricks here, but there are no monsters hiding inside them, no deadly diseases, and no hidden compulsions to kill you.”

“Okay then,” said Twilight, pulling out a short list, and crossing off the first item. “In that case, let’s use the time we have left. First, we cast a spell to send me and Dr.Bluebonnet into the Void Passage. We’ll compare notes, and try to figure out as much as possible. Obsidian, you stay here, and make a teleportation circle - it must be powered up and ready to go when we come back. Aurora, you stay in the mirror room, and tell us if there is anypony coming. The rest of you, pack our things and bring them here.”

“What exactly are you going to do?” asked Dr. Bluebonnet nervously. “I’ve heard of the Dissonance from what I was told when you all returned, but I have no firsthoof experience. I was told direct exposure is dangerous.”

Twilight gave her a reassuring smile. “We’ll stay here physically. The spell will only send our minds to the Void Passage, a stable spot established within Dissonance. We can make thoughts into images and objects there, and also view some old memories. This will allow us to check things much faster, and Verba, guardian of the passage, can help us translate.”

Aurora nodded, and took to the air, flying towards the gate. Applejack turned around towards some of the already cleared houses in the distance. “Apple Bloom!” she called aloud.

A pink mane poked from the window. “We’ve heard everything!” shouted Apple Bloom. “You can count on us, sis!”

Bluebonnet watched as the three fillies emerged from the ancient ruin and galloped towards the garden. “You have the children here with you?” she asked, a hint of shock in her voice.

“We could think of no place safer for them than at our side,” replied Rarity. 

“That’s… horrible, actually,” said Bluebonnet. “What about your families? They made it out of the Crystal Empire, didn’t they?” 

The Elements exchanged meaningful looks. “They’re safe,” said Twilight. “But we can’t contact them right now.”  She looked around. “Is everypony ready?” 

The Elements took their positions around the circle. Obsidian stood aside, his staff planting itself in the very center. “Please, step inside,” he said to Bluebonnet.

The scientist looked down at the lines cut in the stone floor, and finally nodded in understanding. “This looks like a very high energy spell,” she said. “I hope your circle is precise.”

“We have used it before,” Twilight reassured her. “I only modified it a bit to make it easier to switch ponies. Everypony? On my mark.”

The six Elements closed their eyes, and the circle filled with swirling colors.

***

“May I have a moment?”

Rainbow Dash looked up from the bags she was packing. Pierce was standing in the doorway, looking in. 

“What is it?” she asked, grabbing two sets of saddle bags, one her own, and one Twilight’s, and flinging them across her back.

Pierce walked in. He hadn’t dropped his own luggage since he entered the cave, and the pattern gun still hung at his side. “I need to talk to you,” he said, gesturing with his head towards the stairs.

“Just a sec,” said Dash, shaking her withers to set the bags evenly across her back. She took a glance at Aurora, who was standing at the magic mirror, her bags the last ones not packed. The mare nodded, a small gesture, but Dash knew it meant she would manage without help.

Satisfied, she walked out of the guards room, and down the stairs.

Pierce did not speak until they reached the ground floor and started walking into the cave. Dash knew what it was all about, and started formulating the answer before the question was asked. “So… what do you need?”

“You said you had a dream about me,” said Pierce in a terse whisper. “What was all that about? And don’t tell me it’s a long story. I don’t appreciate ponies randomly knowing my secrets.”

“The truth is, we don’t know,” replied Dash. “Remember when you found us asleep in those changeling pods? Turns out the changelings weren’t the ones who put us to sleep. Applejack asked them, and they didn’t know who did it.”

“Yes,” said Pierce with a nod.

“Well,” continued Dash, “While we were asleep, we got into this place called the Void Passage. It’s like a magical maze that messes with ponies’ minds to find if they're good enough to be the Elements. You were in my dream there, as a military officer or something. I don’t remember much of it, the place messed with me something fierce. So I didn’t recognize you right away. It was only when I searched your pockets, and found the sunglasses, that it clicked.”

“You searched me?” asked Pierce.

“Hey, you were paralyzed with venom, remember?” said Dash defensively. “You had a lot of stuff with you, and I was trying to find something that would help.”

“How could you have dreamed about me?” asked Pierce. “You’d never met me before.”

“Obsidian says you can find everything in Dissonance,” said Dash. “Except for the Shattered. It spits them out. But… he said the Void Passage reads the minds of those inside it to make its stories. And that’s weird because none of us had known you before.”

“I had seen you all before,” said Pierce. “But you hadn’t seen me. And even if you did, none of you knew anything about me. Perhaps there was somepony else there with you?”

“I don’t think so,” said Dash. “The Void Passage is very hard to get into. There was just Verba,  but he’s like, a part of that place. He doesn’t even have a body anymore.”

“So, nopony else was there, that you know of,” said Pierce glumly. “Something is not adding up here. Like those girls that disappeared from the castle. It wasn’t Enigma that took them. The changelings?”

“Not them either,” said Dash. “We tried to see who did it, but he masked himself even from Obsidian’s magic.”

They were almost back to the group. Pierce stopped, and looked Dash in the eyes.

“If you find out anything more, let me know,” he said. “Also… call me Pierce.”

“O… okay?” replied Dash confusedly.

Pierce gave her a stern look. “This… has brought back some painful memories. Things I’d rather not remember. So… Pierce. Not Pincushion, and definitely not Pin.”

***

“So... this is the Void Passage.” Bluebonnet looked around. They were in the center of the temple, surrounded by the half-assembled ritual relay, tended to by still images of ponies long gone. She poked the image of past Verba curiously, and flinched when her hoof went through him.

“It’s a vision of the ritual the first Elements of Harmony performed,” said Twilight. “I’ve been trying to piece together what exactly they did, in hope it would let me find out what went wrong for the Shattered. But I can’t see inside the equipment they’re using, and I can’t feel their spell, just see it. So my data is incomplete. You said you had some notes from the Shattered?”

“Yes, yes.” Bluebonnet turned to reach for her saddle bags. “Wait a moment, if this is a dream…”

“This is just a reflection of you,” said Twilight. "The notes won’t get damaged, even if something happens to them. I actually had to make a spell to let me take proper notes here that I could take with me.”

“So…” Bluebonnet pulled at a thick stack of papers with her teeth. They nearly fell apart, but Twilight managed to grab them with telekinesis. She banished some of the images, and made the papers levitate in front of her in neat rows. 

“You’re right,” she said. “This looks very similar to what they did. It’s like… a number of versions, created over passing centuries. We’d just need to know the language to make sense of all the descriptions. Verba!?”

There was a jingling sound, and Verba emerged out of nothingness right beside Bluebonnet, who first flinched away, and then stared with fascination. “Is this… Verba? What’s happened to him?”

“A longtime exposure to Dissonance without having a body,” explained Twilight. “His ghost kind of… dissolved. These runes are old protection spells he used to have, keeping him together. Verba, could you take a look at this for us? We could really use a translation.”

Verba walked to Twilight’s side. He didn’t make any move to indicate that he was reading, just standing still for a moment, but then sparks of light appeared on the pages, lines of foreign symbols morphing slowly into legible text.

Bluebonnet looked over Twilight’s shoulder. “He’s going to translate the whole thing? But we only have a couple of hours.”

Twilight smiled. “Fortunately, time is a bit relative here. We should manage. In the meantime, let us look at what we have learned so far.”

***

Twilight looked at a large sheet covered with notes. It was an enlarged version of what she had put in her notebook, tiny cribbles that wouldn’t be possible without magic, enlarged to easily legible form.

“So, I think we have the whole schemata. The way it looks, the first stage works much like the circle we used to get here. The combined powers of the focus users create a funnel that harnesses the magic of the leyline into a single spell meant to reach the Dissonance - these prongs serve a similar purpose to what Obsidian’s staff does in our circle, directing the magical energy. But once the breach appears, and the magic of Dissonance comes crashing down into the sanctum…”

“The flow is reversed,” continued Bluebonnet. “It’s so much power, the leyline becomes irrelevant. The magic hits the array…”

“And is separated into frequencies,” said Twilight, eyes glowing with excitement, “each flowing down one of the prongs, based on how they had been attuned by the console. With one pony at the base of each prong, receiving the magic through the focus… it would be empowered by matching energy, and welded to their own aura. Yes! That’s how they did it.”

Bluebonnet looked at the image of the ritual preparations around them. “With the sixth pony gaining energy from each conduit, as the magic of Friendship could synergize all five frequencies. So, the six ponies performing the spell gained the powers of Honesty, Kindness, Generosity, Laughter, Loyalty, and Friendship, while… the rest was channeled away from the circle…” she fell silent, looking at the sealing container. “And you say that barely held.”

Twilight followed her gaze. “Yes. They were very lucky it worked as it did. But what about the Shattered? None of it explains what happened to them.”

Bluebonnet sighed. “I had hoped the notes would have some more clues for that. You said the containment device wasn’t there, so they must have modified the array to just vent the energy outside.”

“Or create a smaller tear,” interjected Twilight, “but a smaller phenomenon might create less power output.”

“We also know there were just six of them there,” continued Bluebonnet. “That means nopony at the console to adjust the settings on the fly if anything went wrong. It was extremely foolhardy of them.”

“So, that creates a very dangerous scenario,” said Twilight. “But unless they made some other modifications, this doesn’t explain the pattern splicing in the least.”

“The rest does make sense though,” said Bluebonnet. “Let’s assume something is wrong with the spell itself. Or… perhaps it was repeating the ritual in the same spot that caused it? Like trying to inject into a vein that’s already scarred from a previous attempt?”

Twilight squinted skeptically. “Can you even damage Dissonance? It’s supposed to be endless.”

“Let’s focus on what we know for now,” said Bluebonnet. “We can theorize later.” She stopped, and looked at Twilight. “You know, we could've learned a lot by just asking, if Obsidian hadn’t kicked Enigma out of here.”

“I didn’t mean for that to happen,” said Twilight. “But it’s not like I can persuade him. All of his friends died fighting the Shattered. And… when Vengeance burned the capital of the Alicorn Empire, the mare he loved was there too.”

Bluebonnet shook her head. “There is no winning this one, is there? So, we know something goes wrong with the ritual, and the sanctuary is flooded with pattern instead of magic. An event of this magnitude would likely… wipe all the spirits around the mountain.”

Twilight looked with worry, as Bluebonnet’s face contorted with sorrow. Not knowing what to say, she stayed silent until the scientist composed herself enough to continue.

“But here, within the sanctuary, it would be different. There would be a powerful spike of magic going upwards against the flow of pattern. The energies are antithetic to each other. Some would be cancelled out. A lot of it would disperse explosively. Probably devastate the sanctuary in the process. But there would be more pattern than that, so finally the descending energy would reach the array… and it would conduct it the same way as it does magic.”

“It would?” ask Twilight, visibly surprised. “I didn’t think it would be compatible.”

“It is,” assured her Bluebonnet. “Although, with nopony to cut the power… the conflicting energies would likely blow it up. Since the Shattered survived, it must have held long enough for the procedure to be complete… the next in line would be their foci. These would definitely be destroyed.”

“Is that why they called them ‘Shattered’?” asked Twilight.

Bluebonnet raised an eyebrow. “Is it? I assumed it was about their souls, but that makes a lot of sense. The foci would be the last thing shielding them. And the array still filtered the energy into frequencies. So, if they were shielded enough to walk out of there…”

“They would receive much less power,” said Twilight. ‘But it would be welded into their beings all the same. Obsidian said that it isn’t about the power they have, but the power they can call upon - their minds are living conduits for pattern.”

“How are they even alive?” said Bluebonnet.

“Barely?” replied Twilight. “This must be a big part of what is wrong with them. A lot of their emotions are lost, and the rest is magnified because that’s all they have left. This makes them all crazy.”

“I have seen them being emotional,” said Bluebonnet. “Perhaps the effect diminished over time as their minds adjusted.”

“They’re not emotionless,” said Twilight, “but they can do horrible things and not care. If they didn’t care about something before, it… you know Enigma much better than I do. What is important for him?”

Bluebonnet considered the question. “I must say, I don’t know. Sometimes he’s quite pony, and sometimes he does things I don’t understand at all. He does seem to care the most when he feels guilty about something.”

There was a shimmer of light, and Aurora appeared behind them. “Hey there. I’m here to tell you that we’re almost ready to evacuate. Also, I wanted to use the Amaranthine one last time before we go. Are you two finished here?”

“Not quite,” said Twilight. “But I have noted down how the original spell worked, and that has given me some ideas. Now that I know how the pattern has been bound to the souls of the Shattered, I think I could devise a spell to reverse the process. Problem is, it would require an absolutely massive amount of power.”

Aurora stared at her. “You could really do it? After just a couple of hours of work?”

Twilight blushed. “Nopony before me had all the data to work with. And it’s still not finished. I will need to work on it when we have a bit of peace. So, what do you want to use the Amaranthine for? I’m surprised Obsidian allowed you to use it.”

“He said we can’t all be here if the enemy could show up any minute,” replied Aurora. “But there is one more thing we have to find out.”

“Which is?” asked Bluebonnet. 

“Vengeance,” said Aurora. “We need to find out what has happened to her.”

“Do we?” asked Twilight. “If nopony knows where she is, nopony will free her. And we can look for her resting place after we’ve dealt with the others.”

“Obsidian said so too,” said Aurora. “We argued about it for almost an hour. But then Pinkie got all shaky, and said it was important.”

“It’s the… Pinkie Sense phenomenon, isn’t it?” asked Bluebonnet.

“So, you know about it?” asked Twilight. “If she says it’s important, it probably is.”

“Truth be told,” said Aurora, “I’m not sure if she’s really had a premonition, or just played it in front of Obsidian for my sake. She’s been weird...ever since that last battle. I could hear her mutter to herself whenever she thought nopony was listening.”

“Let us not waste time,” said Bluebonnet. “What do you want to do exactly?”

“She’s going to use the Amaranthine, Obsidian’s scrying flower,” explained Twilight. “Verba, could you bring it here?”

The guardian of the Void Passage dissolved into a cloud of runes, and flew away. Twilight approached Aurora. “Pinkie is always strange, more than many ponies would believe. But if you are worried… we might repeat the healing spells on her. Perhaps that concussion left some lasting effects…”

There was a jingling sound above them, and Verba descended into to room, bringing with him the pot with the red flower in it. He set it in the center of the room, the visions around it disappearing until the chamber was almost empty again. He then flew away as the three mares approached the flower.

“So, what does it do?” asked Bluebonnet.

“It filters the images flowing through Dissonance,” said Twilight, “finding visions from specific times and places.”

Bluebonnet looked in fascination. “It can look into the past? Why didn’t you use it to learn more about the Shattered?” 

“We did,” explained Twilight. “That’s how we learned most of what I’ve shown you. We’d use it more, but it is very draining to use, and Obsidian insists we need to be ready for a fight at any time.”

She turned towards Aurora. “So, where do we start?”

Aurora approached the flower cautiously. “If I had the time and power, I’d watch the whole of history after I was trapped, find out what happened to the rest of the Resistance. But what we need now is Vengeance. I need to find out what happened to her.”

She leaned in, and sniffed the flower. “So, how do I use this thing?”

“It almost uses itself,” said Twilight. “That’s the danger, actually. You need to let its magic touch you, and flow through you. It will feed off your essence, and in return, it will show you what you want to see.”

“The thing is,” said Aurora, “I don’t really want to see that.” She stared at the flower, sighing softly, as the plant pulled a translucent image of her face out of her. The walls pulsed, transforming into an image of a demolished penthouse.

***

The floor exploded with girders and stone, half the penthouse collapsing in seconds. Aurora felt the stone tiles give way under her hooves, but spread her wings and recovered, taking to the air, while staying inside Aquila’s protective shield. She sent a pulse of wind, pushing away the dust, clearing her field of vision just in time to see Vengeance flying towards them, her gleaming silver armor surrounded by a vortex of metal shards. A beam of power from Aquila went straight at her, but the alicorn shifted out of the way, sending a salvo of shards against their barrier. 

Aurora braced for impact. In never came. The shards shifted away before they hit, and Vengeance herself disappeared too. 

Where did they go? Aurora looked around frantically. Not only couldn’t  she Vengeance anywhere - she realised that the initial explosion had divided the team; Whisper was nowhere in sight, and Jingles…

Jingles was standing several yards from them, swaying on the uneven ground, blood dripping from under his clothes. As Aurora watched, something small and metal appeared right next to him, flying at such speed it went straight through his barrell and disappeared from sight. His protections had already dissolved, and the light of Laughter faded around his neck. He looked down on his chest in surprise, then briefly towards Aurora, before turning his eyes towards the stormy sky.

“There are no comets seen…” he rasped, a trickle of blood appearing in the corner of his mouth.

Aurora opened her mouth to scream his name, but her voice was lost in a roar of thunder. A pillar of lightning fell from the sky upon Jingles, turning his body ablaze, and making the blades embedded in his body glow white hot. As Aurora’s eyes recovered from the flash, she saw the rest of his body get stripped off and disintegrate, the half-charred Laughter clanking to the ground uselessly.

“BOW!” called the voice from the skies. Vengeance was above them, wings spread wide, blinding radiance glowing from her.

“You bow!” growled Aquila, eyes blazing with white light, a wide cone of power shooting upwards to envelop the Shattered. Aurora could see her try to shift, fail to when her power was disrupted, and then, just as Aquila’s magic was about to get a solid hold of her, something big and metal fell from the sky. 

“Then turn to ash,” said Vengeance.

Aurora could feel the pulse of the Shattered’s power. She braced for impact, Loyalty enveloping her in a cocoon of magic. The explosion took out the rest of the penthouse, sending a shower of stone to the ground beneath. It took the floor from underneath them too, though it made no difference this time - the remaining Elements stood their ground in the air, no longer relying on the treacherous footing.

Some kind of bomb, Aurora managed to think before they were attacked again - a whole girder flying at them like a javelin, infused with enough pattern to pierce through the barrier and strike Aquila. Aurora saw her lose balance, and the barrier falling, She’ll kill her, she thought panically - she caught a glimpse of white feathers in the corner of her eye, another girder flying in to exploit the opening.

“NO!” screamed Aurora, A pulse of red expanding from her as the desperate surge of magic from Loyalty launched her to from still to rainboom in a split second. She collided with the side of the second girder, bending it and knocking it of course, rebounding herself towards Vengeance. She could feel her power dampened by the pattern aura, her momentum absorbed by the ability she had earlier experienced from Hate. 

It was not enough. Her hoof found its mark, nearly breaking itself from the impact as it tore through armor, flesh and bone, sending Vengeance spiralling towards the mass of rubble beneath. The alicorn hit the building in a spray of blood. Aurora herself plowed through the ruined floor next to her. She got up, her armor field reassembling around her as she recovered from the crash.

“Now, get her before-”

Everything exploded. Aurora’s magic protected her, but she still recoiled, a piece of grit hurting her eye despite her aura. Then there was lightning all around her, burning her coat, and cramping her muscles, forcing her to her knees.

Vengeance emerged from the rubble, levitating herself up, her broken foreleg righting itself, as her muscle and skin flowed like wax, reknitting. “Such arrogance… to think you worms can challenge me…”

A curtain of metal and stone rose in front of her, shielding her as Aquila struck at her with a wide beam. The lightning around Aurora disappeared, a bubble of power from Sauti protecting her and healing the burns. She looked at the clash of power just in time to see the barrier melt - Aquila’s magic powered through the pattern protection and transmuted the stone into water, sending it flying in all directions before blasting the rest away. 

Is she still there? I need to hit her the moment she emerges, she thought. Spreading her magical senses, she started looking for a spot that would resist her the most - Vengeance couldn’t hide herself while fighting at such power level. 

There were two points, one clearly Vengeance herself, the other was swirling in front of her, a point of density she funneled her power into. 

“AQUILA!” shouted Aurora, her voice reaching her sister over the noise of battle, their magical connection bringing the full context of the warning through. Aquila dropped a spell she was about to direct at Vengeance, instead casting a portal that spun around itself, taking out a large chunk of stone, sending the anomaly…

A second sun erupted in the sky, far above. It was too far up for them to even hear the noise, but Aurora still shuddered, instinctively shielding her eyes. A pony made of stone in Aquila's likeness exploded from the floor in front of her, absorbing a spray of metal projectiles that would have hit her barrier. She sprung up and spread her wings. Around her more stone ponies appeared, all leaping towards Vengeance, trying to dogpile her to hold her still for a precious second.  

We can’t let her teleport again, she thought, as the Shattered spun a blade of pure lightning around her, cleaving through the golems, Aquila needs a clear shot.

“Together!” she shouted, the light of Loyalty intensifying. This time she did not charge into close combat; instead her power spread in strands of red, enclosing the area around Vengeance, a net of magic to dampen her pattern powers. 

A long iron nail appeared in the air, inches from Aurora’s face. She felt Aquila’s magic yanking her away in a teleport effect, a split second before it could embed itself in her eye. The spell dropped her in the air above Vengeance. From her position she could see Aquila’s next spell shoot and spread out like a spider web of lightning, catching and disintegrating more projectiles, as they kept appearing around her to strike from different directions. Aquila herself was almost too bright to look upon, the crystal upon her forehead enveloping her in a blazing halo.  Vengeance was in front of her, trying trick after trick to bring her down.

I need to weaken her, she thought. She dove down, expanding her magic as she descended. A spike of rock shot up to meet her, transforming into metal as it missed her by inches - but Aurora wasn’t foolhardy enough to try a straight charge - she would not catch her enemy off guard a second time - rather than try to strike Vengeance directly, she exploded with magic, a ball of red that enveloped the Shattered, as Aurora hit the ground next to her.

Aquila focused her spell. Vengeance looked into her eyes, and suddenly her gaze was beams of light. The barriers held, but the spell still dissolved, as the unicorn fell down screaming. 

The rubble erupted from underneath Aurora, another spike blunting itself on her protections, but still hitting with enough force to knock the breath out of her, dispelling her magic armor, and sending her rolling.  Vengeance turned to look upon her.

Something teleported right next to her - Sauti lunged forward, grabbing the alicorn with her forelegs. 

“No more violence,” she said. 

Vengeance pulled, but the blind mare held her with supernatural strength, belying her size and age. Kindness shone like a star, bathing the both of them in pink light.

“You think this can stop me?” said Vengeance coldly.

“Not for long, but it can,” replied Sauti. “You will not hurt another pony.”

Aurora got up with a grunt. Her first instinct was to charge into battle, but the power emanating from Kindness stopped her too - it was not within her power to interfere with the two mares. “Aquila?” she called weakly.

Aquila righted herself, eyes squinted shut, no longer glowing white. It was obvious she was not okay, but she still managed to point her horn at Vengeance - standing the furthest away, she could act, at least to an extent.

“Oh, you are mistaken, mule,” said Vengeance. “I can’t escape you, but hurt you? For all your power, you’re holding me down. Your Kindness is imperfect, and so is your protection. I can strike back against you.”

Sauti just held tighter. “I know.”

Aurora saw nothing, but her magical senses screamed in warning, about the buildup of pattern. Something was radiating from Vengeance, suffusing both mares.

“Sauti!” shouted Aurora.

Something small and black flew at Vengeance, embedding itself in her chest plate. Aquila finished her spell, and everything was bathed in blinding light.

“Murderers get no protection at all,” said Aquila.

The black diamond seemed to grow, or rather, the space around it seemed to fold in fractals. Vengeance hissed in anger, as her body shrunk, slipping out of Sauti’s grasp, before collapsing upon itself and disappearing. As the light faded, the gemstone fell among the rubble, sparks of red now dancing underneath its surface as its magic strained to contain the foreign energies.

Sauti stood still for a while, as if surprised that it was all over, before falling forward. Aquila’s magic caught her before her face could hit the floor, lifting her suddenly limp body into the air, and bringing her to the unicorn’s side. 

Aurora flew to join them. Aquila’s eyes were still closed. She was covered in cuts and bruises the Elements' magic had had no time to heal. However, Sauti looked much worse; despite few visible injuries, she was clearly in pain, her breathing quickly becoming shallow. 

“Sauti?” asked Auila., another spell growing at the tip of her horn. 

The blind mare smiled sadly. “Too late for that… I’m afraid she knows her tricks well… I can tell, I’m already dead inside. Better use it on yourself. You can still be healed.”

Aurora looked at her, absorbing the statement, a death sentence her friend had pronounced upon herself. There was no changing the truth of that…

Truth!

“Whisper!” shouted Aurora in sudden horror. Moments before all of her energy had been devoted to winning the fight, keeping herself and her friends alive. Now with the adrenaline levels falling, her stomach clenching from the sudden surge of stress it had undergone, she was beginning to once again think clearly.

He disappeared after the first blast. Was he buried under rubble? But we blew up the next floor or two when we fought! Where is he?! Is he…

Her thoughts becoming more frantic by the second, Aurora rushed around the ruined tower top, scouring the rubble for any signs of life or magic. She caught one signal, and rushed towards it, her throat clenching when she recognized Laughter. Tossing it aside, she kept looking. There was nothing more there. 

“WHISPER!”

“Aurora?” 

The voice called from behind her. It sounded out of breath, but definitely alive. Whisper crawled from among the rubble and stood, taking in the scene, a weak current of magic pushing the dust out of his coat. 

“She dropped me down the shaft,” he managed, his eyes widening as he comprehended the situation. “Had to climb back up. I’m… too late.” He stared into her eyes. “Is it over? Did we get her?”

“Yes,” managed Aurora before galloping at him. She almost collided with the stallion, their amulets clanking together as she grabbed him in a desperate hug. “She got Jingles… and Sauti…” She felt suddenly torn between the comfort of his hug, and her friend breathing her final breaths behind her.

“We… need to get out of here,” she whispered.

Something stung her in the shoulder. She barely noticed at first, her coat, marked with burns and scratches, indifferent to another prickle of pain. Was it a sharp piece of debris that got… no. She was getting numb. She turned in surprise, and saw Whisper withdrawing his left foreleg, a tiny stinger hiding in the frog of his hoof. 

“What…”  She could say no more, her mouth refusing to obey her brain. Whisper released the hug, running past her to join Aquila at Sauti’s side. She turned after him, an awkward pirouette that left her unable to keep her balance when her legs went soft underneath her…

Within seconds it was over, Whisper standing over three limp bodies. He looked around, and sighed. “So that’s what you call ‘pulling your punches’? You really made it look like you actually wanted to burn everypony to ash.” He turned around, scanning the surrounding rubble. “Now… where are you?”

The diamond was not there.

*** 

“Where did it go?” asked Twilight. She was standing over Aurora’s shoulder, looking at the vision, than at Aurora’s face, her worry increasing as the pegasus was getting visibly paler.

“Vengeance,” said Aurora between laboured breaths. “Where is Vengeance?”

The vision shifted, meters below, onto the side of the now crumbling tower, towards a small, dark shape flying down almost vertically, sticking close to the wall to remain hidden; a black pegasus filly with a evilly glowing gemstone held in her teeth.

“Who is it?” asked Bluebonnet.

“Charcoal,” gasped Twilight.

“I told her to go to safety,” said Aurora. “She must have got to the top at the same time Whisper did. We were both too busy to notice, and then she knew not to trust anypony… where?”

She took a deep breath, and stared at the Amaranthine. “Where did she take it? Where is Vengeance now?”

The chamber around them went dark, and then a new vision appeared: a group of ponies, tired-looking unicorns with sunken eyes, standing in a magical circle around a small stand, with a conspicuously empty indentation in the very middle. Everypony was channeling their magic, the lines of runes around them slowly filling with light. 

“This looks like a sealing spell,” said Bluebonnet. “The principles are similar to… wait.” Her eyes widened. The field of vision was quite narrow, but it still covered the concentric lines of stars on the floor underneath the runes. 

“It’s here,” she said. “It’s the same room the ritual took place in!”

A black pegasus mare entered the circle. She was changed, older, and way more serious. But there was no mistaking her for anypony else. Slowly, solemnly, she dropped the black diamond onto the stand. Instantly the circle came to life, new lines of magic spiralling out, forming layer after layer of wards inside the room.

“That’s why the inner sanctum was sealed!” gasped Twilight. “The power of the leyline maintains the spell, keeping Vengeance from eroding her bonds. But… that will seal them in!”

Bluebonnet stared at the vision. “They didn’t have the Elements, or even foci. These are normal unicorns trying to make a binding way beyond their skill. They had to give it their all to make it work the way they wanted…” She swallowed loudly, and stepped back, as if trying to stop herself from throwing up. “So horrible… why did they?”

“To get the job done,” said Aurora. “To keep Vengeance trapped here forever. And Charcoal?”

The pegasus was still standing in the circle with the others, the growing magic casting multicolored reflexes against her skin.

“Why isn’t she running away?” asked Twilight. “She’s not a unicorn.”

Aurora jerked her head back, breaking off the link with the flower. The vision grew dark, and disappeared.

“She… I think she chose to stay. She did all she could. She had to be the last, because nothing she’d do would work better than just keeping this place secret.”

She slumped to the ground, face struggling to stop the welling tears. “So she could escape, and never mention any of it, live and grow old pretending all of her friends never existed. Or she could stay there with them, and… keep watch.”

“We've found out what we needed,” said Twilight, instinctively turning towards the door. “We should get out of her before-”

She stood still as a statue, until both mares turned to look at her with worry.

“No,” said Twilight. “No. She’s here, and the Shattered are coming here.
If Vengeance is here, we cannot leave.”
> Chapter 46: The Stand
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Is everypony ready?” asked Princess Luna, entering the underground chamber.“Is everypony ready?” asked Princess Luna, entering the underground chamber.

The ponies within saluted at her approach. They were mostly Wonderbolts, or had been, she corrected herself. When Eve healed her servants injured in the siege of the Crystal Empire, she did more than just fix them. She worked some improvements into their bodies, making the whole team faster and stronger, and while she was at it, made some aesthetic adjustments as well. 

If that had happened a month ago, they would have all been made white - Celestia did like the aesthetics that Libra had picked for her chosen knights. But now, with the 
Princess of the Sun dead, there was only one pony that stood for the kingdom - with the exception of Spitfire, who retained her original coloration, the entire unit’s coats and wings were colored midnight blue, to match Luna’s.

Eve must have done some work on their brains too - there was no talking when Luna entered the chamber, and the faces that turned towards her did so with an identical gesture, as if rehearsed. I hope she didn’t go too far, she thought. We need these ponies for who they are.

“We are,” answered Spitfire aloud. The giant, armored figure of Lightbringer shrugged his wings. 

“Let us go then,” said Luna confidently. “The spell has already been prepared to transport you.” She walked past them to the door on the far end of the chamber and through it into a small, circular room, where a tangle of metal contraptions surrounded a seven foot wide metal ring. 

“Oh, so that was the power I felt,” said Lightbringer, his voice echoing inside his helmet. “I thought we didn’t have enough magic for a long distance teleport.”

“Not if we wanted to fight at full capacity,” agreed Luna. “But since it’s pointless to send in anypony but the most elite against the Elements, the unicorn corps could contribute their magic to charging our capacitors. The portal will bring us within ten miles of our target, where we will meet with the rest of the strike force.”

A couple seconds passed in silence. As soon as it became obvious that the princess had finished talking, all the pegasi but Light saluted. Luna approached the portal, bringing it to life with a pulse of magic from her horn - the contraptions filling the room started humming, and the space inside the ring collapsed upon itself, becoming a tunnel of swirling, blue light.

Luna looked over her shoulder. “You two enter last. The portal has barely enough power, and your magical resistance might collapse it behind you.”

“Do you think we’ll get them?” said Lightbringer to Spitfire, as Luna entered the portal. “Or will they see us coming, and scram?”

Spitfire watched as the soldiers started following their princess one by one. “With some luck, they won’t. Worst case scenario, they will, and will try to ambush us, using the sanctuary’s magic against us.”

“No,” replied Light, “Worst case scenario is they flee, and we’re back at square one looking for them, isn’t it?”

Spitfire nodded. “You’re right. The stalemate works against Equestria. The longer this lasts, the more they can destabilise it. And against an ambush we at least have a counter-plan.”

The last of the pegasi disappeared inside the ring. Spitfire approached next, with Lightbringer close behind.

“One more thing,” she said. “Fluttershy.”

Lightbringer stopped. “What about her?”

Spitfire looked back at him over her shoulder. “During the last battle… Luna is too self-absorbed to notice such things, but I did. Kindness is the anchor of their defence, and it’s important to eliminate her early. What made you hesitate?”

There was a moment of silence. Spitfire slowly turned around to face her companion.

“I don’t hesitate,” said Lightbringer finally. “I always do exactly what I want. And you’re better suited to fighting Kindness. I’ll scatter them and take out whoever I catch. You can take her out yourself, once she’s unprotected.”

“Lightbringer…” growled Spitfire. “We have a battle plan to follow.”

Lightbringer pushed past her towards the portal, bumping her shoulder guard with his side. “And you have a contingency plan for when I don’t follow it, don’t you? Now, let’s get in before the gate closes and we have to fly all the way there.”

***

“Here?” Obsidian pointed his hoof towards the inner sanctum door. The others, gathered around the already prepared circle with their bags, followed his gesture, staring at the ornate door.

“I should've checked it earlier,” continued Obsidian. “I could’ve undone the wards if I had enough time, but I was too busy clearing the rest of the cave, and now… Why here? Of all the places they could’ve put it?”

“You said it yourself, didn’t you?” said Pierce. “It’s a powerful leyline that the Shattered don’t like visiting.”

“That doesn’t explain it,” grumbled Obsidian. “Under their very noses… that’s so reckless!”

“Perhaps they didn’t know?” proposed Twilight. 

“That’s true,” said Rarity. “This place had been a secret for centuries, hadn’t it? They probably found some dusty, old book that mentioned the place, but how many ponies ever knew that this was where the Shattered were created?”

“It’s a miracle it worked as long as it did,” said Aurora. “But it won’t work anymore.”

“Is she really inside there?” asked Scootaloo softly. “I mean… Charcoal.”

Aurora just nodded with a sigh, trying not to look at the filly.

“So, what do we do?” asked Applejack, ignoring the exchange. She waved her hooves at the bags gathered around the circle. “We’re ready to go, but if we do-”

“We cannot leave,” said Aurora. “We have to stay and fight.”

“Fight?” asked Sweetie Belle. “But if they know we’re here… they’ll be prepared this time, won’t they?

Rarity gave her a worried look. “She’s right. Last time the fight was really chaotic, and it worked in our favour in the end. But the last time they were fully prepared to face us, we didn’t do so well…”

“Perhaps our situation isn’t quite so hopeless,” said Bluebonnet. “This place is filled with magic, even with the wards that are still in place draining a lot of it. The pattern-based effects will still work here, but their effect will be diminished, while you should find it easier to draw upon your magic.”

“So if we do have to fight them…” replied Twilight.

“This is the best place to do it,” finished Aurora. She then looked at Bluebonnet and Pierce. “Can you two fight the Shattered alongside us?”

“I do have the gun,” replied Pierce, leaning slightly to show the contraption off. “Whether I can survive long enough to get a clear shot is another matter. Dr. Bluebonnet is a non-combatant.”

“We should get her somewhere safe then,” said Twilight. “Along with the children.” She then turned towards Pierce. “I think we could keep you under our barriers… Wait, no. You’d dispel them when shooting.”

“While we’re at it,” said Aurora. “What will happen if you shoot a Shattered with a pattern gun? Will it snuff out their souls?”

She looked at Obsidian, who shrugged. “To that I can honestly say, I have no idea. One one hoof, they have very little life left in them, they should be more vulnerable than anypony else. But then again, they have a degree of control over their power. They could be able to mitigate the effects. Worst case scenario…”

“They might seem destroyed, but then show up again centuries later,” said Bluebonnet. “Or stay immortal, but not sentient, bouncing back into new bodies and causing them to die, over and over until we contain them. Still… eliminating one of them like this could be worth it, if it buys miss Twilight enough time to come up with a truly permanent solution.”

“Hey, let’s think of the important things now,” Interrupted Applejack, “We need to keep the kids safe! And that cave won’t be when we start fighting.”

“She’s right,” said Rarity. “There are a lot of hiding spots here, but when we fought in Canterlot, we nearly levelled the castle. These buildings won’t stand either.”

“So, what do we do?” asked Rainbow Dash. 

“Perhaps we can just send them away to where we were planning to go,” proposed Obsidian. “That would get them out of the way entirely, and the Shattered shouldn’t be able to track their destination.”

“You want us to go without you?” asked Applebloom.

Applejack smiled at her sadly. “We don’t want to, but it might be the best way.” She turned towards Bluebonnet. “Mmm… do you think you could go with them, to keep them safe?”

Bluebonnet considered the question. “That depends on where you’ll be sending us. I can keep an eye on them, but if I have to fight, I don’t know if…”

“They’re here,” said Pinkie suddenly.  She had been standing away from the others in silence, as if listening to something only she could hear. Now she was looking towards the main gate. Everypony looked where she was looking, just in time to see Fluttershy flying towards them at full speed.

“They’re here!” shouted Fluttershy. “And they have a dragon!”

“A dragon?” asked Aurora. “What would a dragon…”

There was a loud explosion from the direction of the gatehouse. 

Applejack was the quickest to react. “Girls!” she shouted towards the fillies. “Go, hide over there!” She pointed her hoof towards one of the niches to the right, where several houses had been drilled in the rock. “We’ll fight them here!”

The three girls nodded their heads and ran, not wasting a moment on looking back. After a moment of hesitation, Bluebonnet grabbed the bags she had her data in, and followed suit.

Pierce took a look at her and bolted in the opposing direction, towards the nearest house.

“Where are you…” growled Obsidian after him. “They’ve already broken through.” He gazed towards the entrance to the cave, which right at that moment exploded with dust. “They must’ve flown through the blizzard at full speed… form up!”

The Elements were already in a circle behind him, Aurora staying there next to Dash, a multi-layered bubble of defensive spells growing around them. Meanwhile, the cloud in the gateway expanded, and then exploded - the Elements braced themselves as the shock wave washed over their shield.

Then there was a blinding flash of lightning.

“They’re coming!” shouted Obsidian. His staff sprang forward, shooting a burning beam of magic at something only he could see. Winged shapes zipped under the ceiling. The girls regained their eyesight just in time to recognize two Wonderbolt formations, one of them already a pegasus short, aiming to encircle them. There was Luna too, keeping further away as she prepared her attack. 

Spitfire was leading the first formation, the air around her roiling as she unleashed another explosion. Twilight reacted by conjuring an extra layer of barriers, this time wide enough to cover Obsidian as well. 

“Twitchy Tail!” screamed Pinkie Pie in a warning. Twilight had just enough time to look up, and see Hate plow into the ceiling, causing a huge chunk of rock to come crashing down upon her.

Twilight smirked. “Not this time.” Her barrier pulsed, a crest of magical force extending upward from her bubble, cutting the descending rock clean in two. Six pairs of eyes glowed with one light, and then the cave was filled with rainbow colors.

With Lightbringer out of sight after the first impact, Spitfire was the closest target. The rainbow beam went straight at her, curving to stay on target when she went into a desperate dodge, shaping the air around herself to propel her with unnatural speed and grace. She dodged once, twice, the beam chasing her hitting a group of Wonderbolts who failed to get out of the way, sending three pegasi tumbling to the ground, their faces frozen in surprise as the spell sealed them in blocks of crystal.

A giant beam of silver light struck across the cavern, hitting the Elements’ barrier. Everything was lost in a loud explosion, and the spell unravelled, the last of its power hitting a barrier of rock Spitfire hastily threw behind her as she crash-landed.

Twilight looked around, trying to to reorient herself in the situation. Obsidian was still in front of her, dazed, but kept safe thanks to his own spells, even as the outer bubble unravelled. Then she looked past him, and saw the source of the attack. 

A dragon, black with vermillion spots and bigger than a barn,  had squeezed his way through the gateway. He was now in the air inside the cave, looking down towards them. And in front of his chest, strapped to him with a huge harness, he hauled the pattern siege engine. He squeezed something at the side of the chassis, and the device came to life again, bathing the entire sanctuary in silvery light that made colors dull and details sharp. 

“Watch out!” shouted Twilight, gathering as much power as she could manage in the moment she had left. It wasn’t quite enough. The Elements had overcome the machine before, and now they were far stronger; but the spell that combined all of their powers required precious seconds - seconds they did not have. 

Obsidian teleported out of the way. The beam struck the Elements’ force bubble, blew up several layers of it before skidding off and continuing inside the cave, trailing a wide line along the floor before finally hitting the inner sanctum entrance. It broke the protective wards with such force that it blew the ornate metal doors off their hinges.

The Elements pushed, and the rest of their shield expanded forward, cutting off the beam, and pushing it away as the magic gained strength. But in doing so, they made the barrier asymmetrical, creating weaker spots that could be exploited. 

The attack came from both sides at once; a blinding stream of lightning from the left, and a wave of rippling rock from the right. Twilight could feel that it was more than mere brute force - the Shattered were pushing their pattern against the barrier to further weaken it. She saw Hate fly towards them, catching a boulder bigger than himself that Spitfire had launched in his path, and driving it in front of him like a ram. 

Many things happened at once: the barrier broke, the Elements scattered to avoid Hate crashing down on them. Obsidian’s staff struck the floor beside them, grounding Luna’s lightning long enough for them to get out of the way, but then the pegasi soldiers charged in from all sides. Twilight saw a wing blade flying at her face and desperately teleported when it was an inch from her eyes. The spell, suppressed by the powerful pattern discharge, only took her a couple meters, the beam passing between the Elements as they scattered, Luna’s soldiers barely avoiding its lethal touch.

There was another beam of silver, but it wasn’t directed at her - thinner and more precise, it shot from one of the windows at the side of the cave, and struck the dragon in the side.

The mighty monster gasped, his eyes going blank as the hit dimmed his lifeforce. Suddenly the giant body was many tons of deadweight, the membranous wings laughably small for the task of keeping it aloft. It came down with a crunch of breaking bones, the pattern beam fizzling out as the cannon chassis was crushed beneath the enormous bulk.

Luna turned her attention to where the attack had come from, a blast of magic piercing the stone, collapsing a large part of the wall. Twilight hoped Pierce was able to get out of there on time, but she had no time to think of anypony but herself. The beam was gone, but the magic of the cavern had been distorted, no longer able to suppress pattern as she had hoped. The weapon the Shattered had brought with them had managed to level the playing field, if only for minutes.

A dark-coated body fell at her feet. She flinched away, already forming a personal bubble of shields. The pegasus, his side pierced by Obsidian’s staff, looked vaguely familiar to her. In the corner of her eye, she saw Dash and Aurora high-hoof, coating their bodies in red light, then take to the air together. Pinkie had apparently managed to get Rarity and Fluttershy out of harm’s way, but Applejack was still in the middle of the cave, hind hooves scraping against the stone as she was trying to wrestle Hate to a stop. Twilight was about to help her when the ground around her erupted upwards, stone spikes grabbing her shield bubble tightly. She teleported away and retaliated against Spitfire, her beam only missing because a pair of pegasi soldiers chose that moment to ram into her barrier.

***

Rainbow Dash clenched her teeth to suppress a scream. She had no time to look behind her to confirm, but she knew. The pegasus that had charged her a moment before, that Aurora cut down without hesitation, was Sun Chaser. The dark blue coat couldn’t hide the looks Dash had memorised so long ago. And now she was gone and Dash…

… had no time to think about it. Luna had just avoided a pattern shot headed her way, a teleportation taking her across the cave and closer to Rainbow’s ground bound friends. Dash fell backwards, flipping herself over with a quick flap of the wings, and dove down towards her, narrowly avoiding the other Wonderbolts trying to keep her busy in the air. 

There’s only three of them! We need to take them down now!

Twilight had managed to get Arrogance out of the way, forcing her to dedicate her abilities to avoiding harm. Rarity was doing her best to shield Applejack from Luna’s lightning attacks, but missed a Wonderbolt, who managed to slip past, narrowly penetrating Applejack’s barriers to cut a line just above the collar of her armor. Though she wasn’t seriously wounded, she cried out in pain, and lost some traction, Hate instantly pushing her back.

Dash flew over her, holding back her instinct to dive down and help - she had to trust the rest of her friends to help Applejack, while she did her part. She dropped lower with a barrel roll that put her at hoof’s reach from the offending Wonderbolt. She kicked away, doing her best to not recognize the face, then continued her flight horizontally, straight at Luna. Her magic flowed around her face, a reflex not her own forming a protective visor just before the Alicorn exploded with blinding light. Dash kicked again, this time creating blades - she felt herself striking metal, Luna rolling in the air to deflect the hit away, and send Dash flying past her. Dash extended the magic around her wings, recovering instantly, ready to strike from another direction. As she did, she got a brief, upside down view of the battlefield; It seemed Pinkie had managed to produce something slippery under Hate’s hooves - the huge pegasus could still use his power over momentum to make himself immobile, but against Applejack’s magical strength, it wasn’t enough to keep him where he stood without traction.

***

“What’s going on there?” asked Scootaloo, peering through her hooves. She was curled on the floor of a house, with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle at her sides. Dr. Bluebonnet, who was curled closer to the window, raised her head, but did not peer out; there was nothing she could learn that would justify the risk of being seen.

“They’re fighting,” she just said instead. 

The cave echoed with another explosion. The fillies shuddered, and huddled closer together. “I wish we could do something to help,” whispered Scootaloo.

“Are you crazy?” whispered back Apple Bloom. “Even if there was something you could do-”

“It would be too dangerous,” said Sweetie Belle, “You can’t do that.”

Lightning flashed, thunder cracked. The ponies cowered.

“It’s not about the danger at all,” said Scootaloo. “It’s never not dangerous. See, they’re all there, risking their lives for us, and we’re just…” A sudden tear appeared in the corner of her eye. “Hiding here and shaking with fear. It shouldn’t be like this! I’m tired of not being able to do anything when my friends are in danger!”

There was an explosion, so close that the shockwave blew in some dust and grit through the door and the windows. Both the girls and Bluebonnet yelped in sudden fright, squeezing into opposite corners of the room. “We’re still too close,” said Bluebonnet, forcing herself back onto her hooves. “We need to find a safer place.”

Slowly, the three fillies rose. Bluebonnet was right.The building they were in wasn’t the safest around, just the furthest they’d managed to get to before all Tartarus broke loose in the main cavern. They hit the ground after the first big explosion and hadn’t risen since. 

But the room they were in did have another door, one leading further away. Bluebonnet peered in there, making sure there were no chalk lines indicating any hazardous areas, before pointing the way to the children. “This way.”

Something hit the building directly, somewhere above them. With a deafening noise, the ancient stone walls started to crack and give way. Bluebonnet managed to swipe Apple Bloom with her foreleg, and lunged forward. Scootaloo, who had been the slowest to rise, saw the doorway crack out of shape over Sweetie Belle’s head. Without thinking she pushed, hitting her rump with both front legs, sending her friend rolling forward after Bluebonnet, while causing herself to roll backwards onto her back.

Everything disappeared in swirling dust as the doorway broke down. Scootaloo beat her wings frantically,  skidding on her back away from the cave-in. 

The wall had been the strongest point of the structure, and when it gave way, most of the ceiling followed. Scootaloo clenched her teeth to not scream in fear, squeezing her eyes shut to protect them from the dust while wishing fervently that she could see through tons of rock and find out if her friends had gotten out safely.

She had just managed to scramble back to her hooves when somepony fell in through the broken ceiling. Scootaloo could only catch a glimpse - the room was a huge pile of rock slabs, with just three feet of space between it and the wall, just where the filly ended up.  But she saw a glimpse of orange light atop the pile - Applejack was there, fighting Hate, the two exchanging blows that shook the rubble, making pieces slide down a bit every couple of seconds.

I need to get out of here! thought Scootaloo in a panic. Keeping her head down, she half-crawled along the wall, towards the remains of the broken window. Flapping her wings once to help her jump, she climbed over the window sill. Landing outside, she heard a primal scream from the ruin - perhaps Applejack had realised what building she and Hate had hit. Scootaloo had no more time to think of that - she just ran away from the house, pieces of rubble falling behind her. 

She finally stopped, realising that in her panic she started running straight toward the main fight.

Where to go? Scootaloo looked around. The building behind her had collapsed completely; being carved out of rock, it had been superbly stable, but Applejack and Hate had collapsed the top floor, and its weight caused each level to give way in turn. Scootaloo thought of running deeper into that part of the cave, where hopefully her friends had gone, but before she could, the remains of the building exploded, as Hate and Honesty brought their fight back into the open. While Applejack had so far avoided serious injury, it was obvious she was losing the fight. 

As Scootaloo turned towards the main cavern, one of the buildings on the opposite side blew up, clouds of dust and smoke bursting through the windows. Spitfire turned around to return to the fight, Aurora, Twilight, and Pinkie chasing her around the cavern, one in flight, the other teleporting, while the last bounced into the air like a rubber ball. On the other side Luna was trying to take part in the fight, but Fluttershy was keeping her in check: supported by Rarity’s magic from the ground, she would follow the alicorn, keeping up with her while keeping her within her pacifying aura, even teleporting to follow her when the princess tried to confuse her.

Obsidian seemed cut away from the fight by a bunch of soldiers, but there were just three of them left, and it didn’t look like they could stop him for long. The last one, a young mare leaving a lightning contrail as she flew, was exchanging blows with Dash, keeping her from rejoining Aurora.

The good news was, the Elements seemed to have an advantage. The bad news was that there didn’t seem to be anywhere to run - in her haste to escape imminent danger, Scootaloo had inadvertently herded herself into the open.  

Scootaloo wanted to cry for help, but bit her tongue before she did - attracting attention to her would put her in even more danger. Instead she ducked towards the closest cover - a ridge of stone spikes that had burst from the ground earlier, probably created by Spitfire. It went across the field, but seemed to point in the only direction that didn’t lead towards the fighting, at least as long as she followed it quickly. She crawled alongside it, eyeing nervously the cavern wall on the other side. The house across the cave was still smoking from the explosion, but there was a small branch of the cave next to it, partially obscured by large crystal formations. If she could get in there before another big blast hits the floor, she would be safe… relatively. She started crawling forward, doing her best to stay behind the stone spikes, hoping that those fighting in the air would be too busy to look in her direction. She fell flat on her belly when a loud explosion sounded overhead. She couldn’t linger there. 

She was near the end of the ridge now, preparing for a desperate run towards the cover of crystals. She looked around to see if the moment was right, and saw something she did not expect. The inner temple… the door is open!

Scootaloo’s brain,  so far focused on getting to cover alive, ground to a halt. The door is open. That means the spells are broken, doesn’t it? They can get in now, and if they find Vengeance, she’ll be free! I have to do something, but what? She looked up, at Dash, who had just got rid of her opponent and joined the fight against Spitfire. What would…?

The conversations of the previous days replayed in her mind, distorted snippets of her friends begging her not to put herself in danger. They’d be sad without me. I don’t want to be like Minty. Or… was Charcoal like Minty? She felt her jaw clench. I can’t stay here! I need to move now, and… somepony has to make sure! 

She got up to her hooves and ran, as fast as she could, but not towards safety. She dashed through the open field between the ridge and the doorway, leapt over the threshold and skidded to a halt on the dusty stone floor inside.

The round chamber was surprisingly cold and silent - it almost seemed like the sounds of the fierce battle outside were muffled despite the open doorway. Scootaloo stopped, her confidence that she was doing the right thing melting away rapidly. The black diamond was there, on the dais in the middle of the room, just like Twilight and Aurora had described, its red glow illuminating the whole chamber in blood-colored halo. The four alicorn statues cast sinister shadows over the back wall. And around the dais… Scootaloo shuddered. There were bones, crumbled remains still dressed in what had been ceremonial robes, but would become clouds of dust at the slightest touch. 

Swallowing loudly, Scootaloo approached the dais. There was one skeleton different than the others, right in her path. A pegasus skeleton with still visible outlines of black feathers. Suddenly the filly was sure she wasn’t alone in the sanctum. There was nothing to be seen… or was there? The dust, disturbed by Scootaloo’s breath, seemed to draw shapes in the air, as if outlining something invisible and elusive. With every step she took, the filly experienced a sensation of being watched. She carefully stepped between the bones, and looked close at the diamond.

“Uh… is anypony here?” she risked. There was no reply. Scootaloo reared, putting her front hooves at the edge of the stone. She felt a jolt of power that made the hair on her back stand on end, but nothing more dramatic happened. She looked around once again. Just then something exploded just outside the door, the wind disturbing the bones, and filling the sanctum with swirling dust. Scootaloo clenched her mouth shut to stop herself from a coughing fit. “I’m very sorry, but it’s not safe here anymore. I need to take it,” she whispered, and then grabbed the gem with her teeth.

***

Applejack was in pain, and her bleeding was only a part of it. When it turned out the Shattered were trying to divide them, she volunteered to keep Hate busy, so that the others could turn their enemies’ plan against them by ganging up on Arrogance. She was doing a good job of it too, until Hate managed to surprise her by breaking the ground beneath their feet, launching Applejack and himself into a house at the edge of the battlefield.

As they crashed through wall after wall, Applejack realised that this was the house Apple Bloom and her friends had run off to. Were they crushed under tons of rock? She couldn’t tell, and Hate wasn’t going to let her find out. She could not see his face under the helmet, but she could feel he relished her suffering, mercilessly exploiting her distraction. Applejack knew, with certainty that only the power of Honesty could give her, that Hate wanted her broken, in despair, and then dead. 

Another blow broke through her shoulder pad, bringing him closer to his goal. She could match him in pure strength and durability - even without the fancy tricks others had learned, the awakened Element granted her immense raw power. But Hate was both more experienced and more vicious, the greatest expert in the world in breaking pony bones. And she could not focus properly on fighting him, not when every fiber of her being screamed at her to abandon the fight and search through the rubble for Apple Bloom. 

The shoulder pad flew through the air, landing on the ground with a rattle. Applejack had managed to move out of the way enough to avoid a dislocated joint or torn tendons, but the edge of Hate’s hoof still managed to rip through her magic and her hide, leaving behind a bleeding gash. She jumped away, turned, and bucked, sending two spectral horseshoes flying at him - they managed to dent his armor, but not enough to even slow him down. He pounced, forcing Applejack to jump out of the way, her body protesting painfully at the vigorous movement. Then he laughed, a horrible low sound distorted by his helmet into something that sounded like the noise of breaking metal. 

Applejack tried to strike him again, but he met her head-on with a blow of his own, then swung his wings inward, trying to box her ears; she barely got out of the way, the tips of the tattered feathers swatting her with the force of metal bars. She saw the next attack coming, but had no time for anything but a desperate block - her spectral armor became a tight ball, and the kick that would have compressed her ribcage sent her flying instead. She was aware of hitting a wall; something collapsed around her, and her shield went out. She looked around in a daze, trying to find somepony who could help her. Her gaze found Rarity across the cave from her - the tailor was using her powers to support Fluttershy. But as Applejack focused on her face, she saw the matching expression of despair - she too had seen the building collapse. 

Hate pounced again, intent on catching Applejack against the rock behind her back. In response, the floor erupted in spikes - they broke uselessly against the pegasus’ armor, his pattern aura nullifying the magic that hardened their tips, but they did slow him enough for Applejack to roll out of the way. 

“Focus!” shouted Obsidian, following his first spell with a charge, a spear tip of crackling energy forming at the end of his staff. Hate saw him coming, and managed to dislodge himself from the wall just in time - he jumped out of the way, and then came crashing down, breaking the floor underneath into a fan of stone shrapnel. 

“Tie him up like last time!” shouted Applejack, as Obsidian dodged the shot by turning into a cloud of blue smoke. But Hate wasn’t having any of that; he charged in, kicking Obsidian’s staff away, and then followed up with a kick after kick, forcing him to dodge back into cloud form whenever he was about to reform. Then Applejack saw a splatter of blood appear out of nowhere, when Hate punched through the cloud. 

He’s hurting him! she realised to her horror, He’s breaking the spell somehow. 

Gritting her teeth against the pain, she charged back into combat.

***

Gloria transformed the air behind her. The explosion threw off her pursuers while propelling her forward, but there was only so much she could do with hydrogen. In the corner of her eye she could see her companions tied up in their respective battles. Lightbringer was winning his fight, and clearly having fun, but Absinthe was unable to fight at all, and getting more frustrated by the minute. 

We cannot let them play their game here, she thought. Twice already had Pinkie Pie almost got her tangled in streamers. She seemed to have gotten rid of the traitor Pierce, but with her retinue already eliminated, that still left her one against four; Twilight kept following her persistently despite all the attacks sent her way, and the duo of Aurora and Dash were keeping constant pressure on her. Sharing Loyalty between the two of them, they lacked the power to face the likes of Lightbringer, but Gloria wasn’t nearly as durable as him - Eve’s upgrades made her stronger and tougher than an ordinary pony, but not nearly to the level magic was capable of. She had to rely on her powers to stop or nullify attacks, and on her magic-resistant composite armor to stop those that got through.

And right now it was not enough. The two pegasi flew at her from opposite sides, leaving her too little space to form an explosion, or even dodge - she ended twisting awkwardly in the air, flying between them, while trying  to deflect both at once. Dash was easier to defend from, though she struck harder. Aurora… Gloria felt the pain as a spectral blade trailing the tips of Aurora’s wing slid over her armor, clipping some feathers as only a last second turn prevented her from losing the whole wing at the joint.

The was close, she thought as she went into a spin, leaving behind a cloud of nitric acid to force her pursuers apart. She could have… no, she could have struck the neck if she wanted. She had enough of a window. Why would she try to cripple and not kill? The answer was obvious. They are not trying to kill me. They are setting me up for a sealing spell.

She needed a solution, and fast. The attack did cost her some maneuverability, and Twilight was already neutralizing the acid. Gloria flew up, under the ceiling, causing a line of stalactites to emerge behind her, forcing Rainbow Dash to expend her magic on crashing through them, as she was too fast to stop her own momentum. 

She needed a second to think of a plan.  

Centuries of battles flashed before her mind’s eye, strategies she had tested and rehearsed in the past with the other Shattered. She looked around the battlefield, and the right solution clicked into place. She avoided one more spell from Twilight, and turned upside down in the air, her hooves briefly hitting the ceiling, as she transformed a long line of rock above her.

“LUNA! Indirect bombardment!” she shouted at the top of her lungs.

Their eyes met, just a couple subtle moves needed to pass the information about positioning. Luna flew towards Rarity, then up, as Fluttershy followed her again, keeping her away from the battle. Gloria couldn’t see the rest of it because right at that moment Pinkie caught up with her again, a toy pig snout across her face snorting in Gloria’s next cloud of gas before she could detonate it. They collided in the air, and Gloria had little choice but to follow the impact, launching her away until she realised she was being pulled back - a long string of bubble gum connected her chest plate to the Element of Laughter.

“Not good enough,” she growled, and flew up, two sheets of rock erupting from the ceiling like giant scissors, cutting the tether off, and shielding her from a salvo of glowing rings that Twilight had shot at her to tie her up.

Meanwhile, Luna had got into position. She could not attack anypony directly with even her cold mind affected by the power of Kindness. But she could overcome the effect to small extent, and that was all Gloria’s setup needed to work. A thin line of lightning struck the ceiling. Luna flew aside, switching to magic to project a protective bubble around herself, as a part of the ceiling exploded, the rocks that had been dislodged from their positions by Hate's first charge coming down. 

Pinkie saw it coming first. Gloria saw her grab Twilight, and push her out of the way. The others weren’t quite that fast. Aurora and Dash managed to swerve out of the way, despite the sudden shock wave that hit them. But Fluttershy and Rarity hadn’t expected a successful attack from Luna. Fluttershy managed to shield herself, but her hastily erected bubble only barely stopped the falling rocks, knocking her out of the air, and making her barrier bounce like a rubber ball, with the frightened pegasus tumbling inside, until she rolled to the ground, stunned, her aura of peace flickering out. On the ground, Rarity had to break the link that supplied her friend with power, instead forming a tiled roof of barriers to try to stop the tons of rock falling over her. She strained, but just before the shield gave way, Aurora flew underneath it, swiping the unicorn along as she passed her. 

That is better. 

Gloria wasted no time. With everypony else distracted, either rescuing their friends or being rescued, she could focus her attention on Rainbow Dash. The swirling dust in the air rose towards the pegasus, the power of Arrogance transforming the silicon into tiny glass shards. Rainbow’s eyes were protected, but for one breath she was taken by surprise, inhaling the irritant, which sent her into a coughing fit. 

Lightning flashed behind Gloria, casting bizarre shadows across the cavern, the thunder booming deafeningly. No longer restrained by Kindness, Luna rejoined the battle with her full power, strands of electricity lashing towards her foes. One struck towards Fluttershy, breaking through her remaining defenses as she was trying to get up, and sending her reeling. The other struck at Aurora, who barely blocked it, and then arced aside towards Rarity, forcing her to hide behind her shields again. 

Gloria caused another rock to fall from the ceiling at Dash, then, when the still coughing pegasus swerved to dodge it, flew into her , kicking her in the chest with her front legs. As the magic and pattern collided, the defensive spells on the armor were dispelled and the chest plate broke apart; Gloria couldn’t transform it into jagged shards as she liked to do, but she did manage to send Rainbow Dash falling. She followed her, forming a maw of stalagmite teeth where the pegasus was about to hit the ground. 

Something washed over her, making her head spin, a wave of magic that didn’t originate from any of her opponents. It came from the center of the mountain, from behind the broken doors of the inner sanctum. She could see the world around her gain color, and lose its edges, and she could feel her powers wane rapidly.

They’re all here! What did they do?

A cupcake flew through the air, falling inside the stone maw. Against all logic, it closed, and started chewing, Rainbow Dash bouncing off the front of its teeth. On the other side of the cave, there was a loud explosion, the duo of Obsidian and Applejack somehow pushing Hate off his feet and into a wall. Rarity erupted with a purple halo, her magic stretching in thick strands to reach Aurora, who rapidly accelerated, colliding with Luna.

This is bad. The balance has shifted sharply towards magic. Should we retreat? 

Her brain filled with calculations. It seemed that, overwhelming as it felt at the first moment, the current level of magic was just the cave’s ambient aura. It wasn’t a magical attack - something had been blocking all this energy and must have been removed. Have they planned it? she thought, To draw us in and spring the trap when we thought we had the advantage? Unlikely. If they had, they wouldn't have waited so long to do it. There must be a factor at play here that is beyond their control. Is this the mysterious ally supporting them that I have hypothesized about? I must know.

While she was thinking, she didn’t stop fighting for a second, reflexes honed through millennia guiding her out of harm’s way. A ring of force closed around her, but she managed to disrupt the spell before it could ensnare her. She clashed with Rainbow Dash again, causing a burst of freezing air to ice over her visor, then buck her in the face just as she reflexively dismissed the outer layer of barriers to clear it. She followed with a cloud of flammable gas, but Pinkie dispersed it with a giant paper fan before it could be detonated. 

Gloria flew straight at her, dodging an ice blast from Twilight in the process, but as she struck with her front hooves, she already knew she had missed - the blow only shattered a wooden cutout of Pinkie. 

How is she so powerful?, she thought, she should not be able to operate on this level without awakening. She is thwarting my every effort. Is there something I have missed?

Behind her, there was another clash. Fluttershy was unconscious, but Rarity did a good job protecting her from getting finished off, while Aurora engaged Luna in close combat, boosted by Generosity’s power. 

She only has one serious opponent to face, thought Gloria. If she eliminates just one of the two, the other will not be a challenge. With her access to magic, she is not as hampered here as I am. She could get rid of all three of them, as long as nopony else interrupts. In that case…

She dove down towards the floor, trailing a stream of gas behind her, before setting it on fire. Dash managed to get out of the way with a barrel roll, staying on target. Gloria tapped the floor with her hoof in a fly-by, causing two rock pillars to shoot out of the ground; one that got in the way of Twilight’s spell, the other shooting out at an angle to knock away Pinky's anvil that was about to fall on Gloria’s head. She swerved, flying low and using rubble as cover. With her three opponents chasing her, she headed straight to the inner sanctum, flying through the doorway at full speed, before flying up to get a bird’s eye view of the chamber.

The sanctum had changed little since she last visited it. The passage of ages couldn’t really do much to deteriorate the stone statues, ancient even before her time. The one thing that did change was a ring of crumbling pony bones scattered over the floor, and a conspicuously empty dais in the middle. Something had been placed here, she thought, and then it was removed. Was it a sealing ritual? That would reroute some of the magic here, and once the binding was broken, it would be released. 

She had no more time to analyse. Dash flew into the sanctum, a burst of magic shielding her from the spikes that erupted from the doorway like wicked teeth, then Twilight teleported in, her battle-ready expression melting into panic as she surveyed the room. 

“The gem!” she shouted, “It’s gone!”

Dash stared at the dais, then at Gloria. “We won’t let you take it!”

I didn’t, Gloria almost said aloud. What is she talking about? Who could be sealed here that Twilight would be so panicked about? 

The realisation of the obvious answer hit her like a physical blow. Here!? Of all the places? How could we have missed it? How did the rebels know about the sanctuary? We had destroyed all the historical-

The pie appeared out of nowhere. Gloria tried to shape the air to deflect it at the last second, but it was charged with too much magic. It hit her face, and for a moment her whole world became custard.

“Now! Seal her!” she heard Pinkie Pie scream. She reached around to shield herself, but the magical mess sliding down her face dulled her pattern senses. She managed to feel the floor underneath, but before she could form it into a shield, Dash sprang forward, and tackled her into a wall. She pushed away with her hooves, freeing herself for a moment, but a beam of magic hit her before she could recover.

How are they doing this? she thought in sudden disbelief, as two more beams converged on her. Is this place making them so powerful? None of these three is even awakened yet…

There was a brief moment where she shook the custard from her eyes, and saw a large, yellow topaz floating in front of her chest. Then her world started to fold upon itself.

***

Aurora was flying faster and faster. Luna was growing more frustrated by the second. Of course she was fighting alone against the two, but neither of them had access to their full power, while she had a superior alicorn body with the power to shift between magic and pattern. They should have been dead by now, and yet, she was still being opposed, Rarity standing over Fluttershy, shielding the both of them, while Aurora kept up with Luna in the air.

Luna split into mirror images, but Aurora followed her unerringly. Then she used a blast of light to blind and burn her, but Aurora used her magic to turn her barrier mirror-like. Luna turned to swing at her, a coruscating line of lightning extending from the tip of her horn, but Aurora weaved around it, returning the attack with an energy blade of her own forming at the tip of her wing, forcing the princess in turn into a desperate dodge.

“A thousand years, and you haven’t any new tricks!” jeered Aurora, striking a blow after blow while Luna blocked.

“I’ll show you a new trick,” growled Luna in return. She shifted her body’s balance towards magic, and teleported from the corner Aurora had driven her into, across the cave, coming up behind Rarity.

She could see Aurora turning around, rushing back towards her, but she couldn’t possibly make it in time. The Shattered charged in, shifting modes again, Rarity’s protective barrier popping like a soap bubble at the touch of her horn.

Rarity and Fluttershy weren’t there. The princess was briefly surrounded by scattered pieces of images, as if she had just broken a huge mirror. 

“Where are you?” she turned around. Now that she knew of the trick, she could feel the true source of magic concealed against the background magic of the cave, two faint sources of electricity that she knew were neural systems. Rarity wasn’t standing very far - indeed she might not have moved at all, instead using illusions to play a perspective trick. 

Luna could feel Aurora approach, but not soon enough to avoid her. She only had the time to project a simple barrier when the angry pegasus collided with her in an explosion of light colored like her namesake. The shield was broken, and Luna was sent tumbling, finally coming to a stop in a pile of rubble. She tried to get up, but Aurora rammed her again before she could reestablish her shields. 

She could see Rarity standing in the distance, radiating more power to help the former Element of Loyalty. Further in the distance Obsidian and Applejack had managed to bind Lightbringer, wrapping him in ropes of living light that slowed him down until they finally dragged him down to the ground. She blocked a hoof blade coming her way, only for it to emit a pulse of magic on impact, disrupting her own magic before she could teleport - no running away for the next couple of seconds. She struck back, forcing Aurora away with whipping strands of lightning, Then the entrance of the inner sanctum erupted with multicolored light.

A sealing spell?

Luna froze, staring wide-eyed. The next blow from Aurora hit her in the chest, breaking the gorget of her armor, and sending her to the ground again. Her response was a surprised yelp. She came to a stop, and gazed up into Aurora’s eyes, a soft and confused expression on her face. “Aurora… is that you?” she stammered.

The next blow didn’t come. Aurora threw her wings wide, stopping her momentum, and came to a halt at hoof’s reach, staring at the Moon Princess. 

“A… Aquila?” she gasped in disbelief.

A blade of lightning extended from Luna’s horn, piercing the battered armor and sinking into Aurora’s chest.

“No,” said Luna. “I told you she was gone, you moron.”

Then her horn exploded with lightning, filling the cavern with blinding light. A stream of energy washed over Aurora’s body, then arced towards Rarity, catching her off guard and overcoming her defenses. 

Luna lunged, coming back to her hooves in a flash, her customized neural system ignoring the pain signals as she pushed her damaged body to the limit. She could hear Obsidian curse loudly as he abandoned his attempts to capture Lightbringer alive, driving a glowing spear his staff had turned into through the restrained pegasus before rushing towards her, disappearing in a puff of blue smoke.

Not fast enough. 

Luna rammed into Rarity. The unicorn was still stunned - she reflexively wrapped herself in multifaceted shields, diverting the lightning blade away from her vital spots, and cutting it off before it could fry her, but it still went through her shoulder, sending her reeling in pain. Luna landed where Rarity had stood. She could feel the spell that had been barring her from teleporting had already unravelled. As Obsidian appeared above her, swinging to strike, the alicorn grinned triumphantly, and reached down.

***

Seconds later, Twilight, Dash, and Pinkie Pie emerged from the inner sanctum. They found Obsidian fuming with anger, Applejack screaming her head off as she searched frantically through the far end of the ruins, and Rarity shocked and injured, sitting over Aurora's smoking body. 

“Aurora!” screamed Dash, flying to her side, slowing down and slumping to the ground as it dawned on her what she was seeing. “What…” she started weakly, her ears dropping.

“It was Envy,” explained Obsidian. “She tricked her, injured Rarity, and escaped.” He turned angrily towards the exit. “More importantly…”

Rarity swallowed a sob. “Fluttershy… she took Fluttershy.”
> Chapter 47: The Wake
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Apple Bloom!" screamed Applejack at the top of her lungs. Her body ached all over, eyes stinging from the dust that had gotten around her barriers, but she didn't even notice. Her little sister was there somewhere. Or perhaps not anymore, an incessant thought repeated inside her head.

She turned around, scanning the ruins, when her ear caught a faint noise, a voice that wasn't just a distorted echo of her own screams. Her ears swivelled towards the source; one of the houses cut in the cave wall further back, nearly spared from the destruction of the battle.

"Over here!" The voice was weak, as if the pony calling was out of breath, or struggling with something. Applejack rushed in that direction, her enchanted hooves moving deftly over the rubble.

The house had only suffered a single hit – a boulder sent flying in the fight struck the front, caving in a part of the wall just above the front door. There was now a stone slab resting across the entrance, slowly leaning in. Behind it, there was some audible movement.

"Sis!" called Apple Bloom from inside.

"Apple Bloom!" yelled Applejack. She moved closer to the slab, then stopped, unsure what to do. Her sister was in there, alive, which was an enormous relief, but also clearly scared. And Applejack was on the wrong side of the obstacle to push it away.

"I... can't hold it much longer..." called Bluebonnet from the other side.

Applejack had to act quickly. She looked at the stone. There was not enough space between its edge and the wall to grab it with her teeth. Could she just break it? She was sure she could, but that would send the pieces towards the ponies behind it and... She looked up. There didn't seem to be any more rubble resting on top, so at least not much risk of a further cave-in.

What to do? "Just give me a second!" Applejack called out loud. She looked behind her, but all of her friends who could be of help were across the cave, and out of her sight. She turned towards the slab and tried to project tendrils to grab it with. The constructs wiggled in the air, but then wilted away. Applejack supressed a word her grandma would have scolded her for using. Why do they make it look so easy? I need to try something else. She looked at her legs, reared, and put her front hooves on the slab. A spell she had been using to keep her footing during the battle was just an extension of her earth pony powers. It didn't need to reach far out of her body. As soon as she felt her hooves stick to the smooth stone, Applejack tensed and pulled. The slab gave way, a little too abruptly. She found herself tumbling backwards, pulling the stone over herself. "I'm okay, I'm okay!" she called from underneath. "Get over me and out, quick!"

She felt some weight shifting over her, once, two, three times. Over the edge of the slab, she could see the shapes of three ponies leaving the building. Once she was sure nopony else was coming, she breathed in, and pushed. She held her breath as the stone fell off her, sending dust flying everywhere. Then she rolled to her side and got up, leaving the ruin before anything more could collapse.

Outside, Apple Bloom, Bluebonnet, and Sweetie Belle were sitting in a small opening, catching their breaths. Applejack barely recognized them, their coats grey with dust, dark trails on their faces, where it was caked with tears. Something clicked in her head.

"Scootaloo!" she called aloud. "Where is she?!"

Bluebonnet stared at her, eyes huge and tearful. "We didn't get far enough. Not nearly far enough. I shouldn't have stopped..."

The fillies at her side just looked aside towards the huge pile of rubble where their original hideout had been, their lips trembling too much to say anything. Applejack paled, her eyes following theirs.

"No... it can't be..."

She ran towards the collapsed building. By the time she and Hate had finished fighting there, the whole cave wall had gone down, leaving only a solid rock wall with stumps of the floors and the walls lining its surface. Underneath there was a mass of stone pieces, some two floors tall.

She swallowed loudly, trying not to let her mouth say aloud what was going through her head. If she really is underneath all this, there is no way in Equestria she'd be... What do I do? Should I dig through this, or...

She didn't turn back to look at the ponies behind her. She was supposed to be the strong one now, the one who knew what to do. If only I had Winona with me... Applejack blinked. That was it. It wasn't much, but it was something she could try. She took a deep breath and imagined her dog, her build, her movements. She imagined how her animal best friend perceived her surroundings. She let the magic flow into her face, and suddenly her perception widened.

Applejack had always had a good sense of smell; it was natural for ponies in general, though she had never got it to the level of Pinkie Pie. Now the world was different, the smells painting a picture around her, pointing her to hundreds of things at once. She could smell the three ponies behind her, all the different kinds of dust filling the cave, her own blood drying slowly on her fur where she had been wounded. But there was no sign of another pony anywhere nearby.

Where is she? Applejack moved forward, pushing her nose between the slabs of stone. She expected to smell blood, perhaps lots of it. But there were just splatters from her fight with Hate, and beyond that, just stone. 

"Move back," she said over her shoulder, before digging her hooves into the pile and pulling, pieces of rubble larger than herself falling out of her way.

She did it once, twice, three times, pushing through the rubble like a machine, holding her breath until the dust settled, and then sniffing again. There was nothing. Where are you? she thought, a heavy clump growing in her stomach. You can't just be gone. Or can you? Could you have got out? If only I hadn't let Hate throw me this way. I was supposed to keep you all safe...

***

"What did you say?"

Obsidian glared at Twilight, his face twisted in a mix of anger and disbelief.

"The gem is gone," repeated Twilight. "This is what gave us the extra power in the fight – somepony had taken Vengeance away from her spot, and the sealing spells ended."

Obsidian looked around angrily. "But they didn't even know she was here, did they? Or had they get tired of her madness and pretended not to know? Who took it?"

"We don't know," threw Rainbow Dash angrily over her shoulder. She was sitting over Aurora's body, muttering under her breath.

"There was only Arrogance there, and we got her sealed," explained Pinkie, pulling a bright yellow gem out of her mane.

"So, that leaves... who?" Obsidian turned around, as if his glare could force an answer to reveal itself. "There are only three of them left if you trust Guilt. They wouldn't risk taking Deception with them, and the rest of these are just lackeys! Fodder!" His staff swung around, and a snaking stream of blue flame shot across the cave, hitting the nearest dead Wonderbolt. The flame clung to the body, incinerating it in seconds before jumping to another.

"What are you doing!?" yelled Rarity, momentarily distracted from her shock and grief.

"Cleaning," answered Obsidian. "Now, think hard. Was there anypony else? Where is that... unicorn that came with Guilt?"

"I... I think he was in that house over there," answered Twilight weakly, looking at a half ruined building across the cave. 

Obsidian followed her gaze, and his eyes glowed blue for a moment. He inhaled deeply. "He's still there. Alive, but barely. Find him," he barked towards Rarity. "Is there anything else? Does any of you remember anything at all?"

Rarity got up, and rushed towards the ruins, yelping in sudden fright as the incinerating flame jumped onto a body she was running past.

Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and Pinkie looked towards Obsidian. "I... I think I remember seeing somepony," started Rainbow Dash after a moment's pause. "I was in the air, and I only saw it in the corner of my eye, but somepony ran in there just before Arrogance..." She furrowed her brow in focus, and suddenly her eyes went wide. "Scootaloo!"

"What!?" said Pinkie and Twilight together.

Behind them, the dragon's body burst into blue flame.

Obsidian closed his eyes, and looked towards the sanctum. "The pegasus filly? Why would she do that?"

"Perhaps she thought she was helping?" proposed Pinkie Pie.

"She kind of was," answered Twilight. "But where is she now?"

Obsidian sighed. "If it really was her, she wouldn't have the means to go far. She's probably skulking somewhere. I'll look for her, while you gather everypony here. We need to decide our course of action.” He turned around to walk away, but a wisp of Twilight's magic grabbed him by the shoulder.

"First, stop this thing," she demanded, pointing at the flame – it had already consumed the dragon, unable to incinerate it completely, but leaving behind a giant pile of charred bone.

"Why?" asked Obsidian.

"Because this is no garbage disposal," answered Twilight. "These were ponies."

"Enemies, mostly," replied Obsidian. "And now they are no more. These are just empty shells, and I don't want them to be a distraction.

"Mostly?" Twilight gave him a look of shock. "Were you going to do it to Aurora too?"

"Nothing abnormal about it," said Obsidian. "Back in my time-"

"Not like this," growled Rainbow Dash, landing in front of Obsidian. "Whatever they did in your time, I'm sure it wasn't like this." She opened her wing for emphasis, pointing at the few bodies that were still left. "And also... these are not enemies. Not villains. These are brave ponies who got duped into fighting against us. If you forget it, you're no better than the Shattered."

Obsidian's staff twitched. Dash stepped back, instinctively taking a defensive stance, but a blow did not come. Obsidian huffed through the nostrils, and the magical flame went out. "Have it your way then. You can haul them to the catacombs yourself later. Right now, make sure everypony else is here. I'll go look for our missing filly."

***

"What have I gotten myself into?"

Scootaloo was sitting in the darkness, shaking from the cold. Whatever spells Obsidian had cast in the main cave did not reach here, to the tunnels beneath the inner sanctum where the young pegasus had run in search for a hiding place. Now she was skulking in an empty space between two stone statues, the black diamond underneath her hooves casting sinister shades with its red light.

She looked up at the shadows on the walls, and shuddered. She instinctively covered the gemstone with her hooves. Now it didn't cast as much light, allowing her to be unseen, and preventing her from seeing too much of her surroundings – long lines of solemn-looking statues and name plates, obviously marking graves in an underground cemetery – but if she covered it completely, it would leave her in pitch black, cold darkness. She knew she would panic if that happened.

As she listened for the sounds of further battle above, she allowed herself to return to the memory of what had happened when she removed the gem from its dais. Suddenly, there was a feeling like a stretched rubber band releasing, and the filly was thrown away, the stone slipping from her mouth and flying across the room. There was power that was released, so obvious even a pegasi could feel its magnitude, despite it casting little light – it washed over her as it filled first the sanctum and then the cave. She remembered herself screaming in fright, first at the discharge of raw power, then at the guardians of the gem, now briefly visible, gaunt figures outlined by the flowing magic, who looked at her sadly before being blown away, their centuries-long vigil finally at an end.

"Forgive me, Charcoal," whispered Scootaloo. "I shouldn't have taken it."

She looked down at the gem.

"What was I thinking? Now I'm stuck here, and if Rainbow Dash and her friends lose, I won't even have a way out of here. I'll... freeze here."

She felt tears forming in her eyes. She didn't know what was going on anymore. Did her friends make it? Did Rainbow Dash? Was the battle won, or would she spend the rest of her short life hiding here, waiting for the cold to exhaust her, or the Shattered to find her? That spell was supposed to hide Vengeance, so she wouldn't be found, wasn't it? Or was it to hold her trapped?

Slowly, Scootaloo lifted a hoof, and looked at the gemstone. It was big, the size of a tangerine, and intricately cut, its own red light reflecting through its facets, making it seem bigger on the inside, like a tiny hall of mirrors. It was slightly warmer than its surroundings, and for a moment, Scootaloo was convinced that it was glowing slightly stronger than when it was resting on the dais.

She looked again. Indeed, the light had got a bit stronger, irregular lines of red marking the otherwise black surfaces of the gem. These almost look like... cracks? Has the spell grown so weak?

She looked closer, almost pushing her nose to the gem. There was something there she could feel now. She couldn't put her hoof on it, but there was a feeling of wrongness emanating from the gem, a cold that had nothing to do with the temperature in the crypt, a feeling that made her skin crawl. Suddenly panicking, she fought the urge to throw the gemstone away from her.

Is she breaking out? What do I do? Do I go for help? Where? Should I keep hiding down here? Or drop it and run to the exit? Oh, why did I take it!?

Something swooshed past. Scootaloo screamed, no longer able to control herself.

A tendril of blue smoke wrapped around her mouth, muffling her piercing shriek. She fell backwards, as more smoke coalesced in front of her, taking a form of a pony with the gem underneath his hoof.

"There you are," said Obsidian. "Quit screaming." His staff appeared beside him, illuminating the tunnel with its runes. Obsidian leaned low, staring at the gemstone. "It took them too long to properly contain it," he muttered. "She's almost ready to break free. But I can remedy that, for a while at least." He focused on the gem, streams of blue light flowing from him into its surface until the red light dimmed. He then levitated it in front of himself, and turned to leave.

As he took a couple of steps down the corridor, he stopped and looked back. Scootaloo was still where she'd been dropped, with her back to the wall and eyes wide. Obsidian sighed. "Get up and come with me. You've had more luck than brains to take the gem, but it turned out in our favour in the end. Now, put yourself together and follow me. You'll freeze here if you stay."

***

"How is he?" asked Applejack with worry.

They were all gathered in the middle of the main cavern, the place where their teleportation circle had been, now turned into a maze of deep gashes and stone spikes. Pierce was on the ground, wrapped in some blankets they had managed to salvage from under the rubble, Rarity, Pinkie, Dash, and Twilight focusing their powers together to heal his wounds.

"He'll live," replied Bluebonnet with a sigh. "He's suffered some severe burns in addition to the injuries from the explosion, but we have more than enough magic to keep him stable, and hasten recovery. Sadly, since he's not an Element, he's not as conductive to their magic, and with Kindness... missing, we don't have our full potential in healing. There is magic aplenty here, just not enough tools for using it as we'd like."

"Meaning?" asked Applejack again.

Bluebonnet lowered her gaze. "There will be scars. Your friends saved his eyes, but some of his fur won't grow back. Perhaps if I had access to my lab... but that's out of the question right now."

She turned to look at Pierce, who stirred with a groan. He lied for a moment with his eyes close, then decided it was not worth it to try to get up. He just turned his head a bit, looking at Bluebonnet with the one eye that wasn't bandaged over.

"The gun... needs work," he croaked.

"Quickly, water," said Bluebonnet, turning to the fillies. Apple Bloom stepped forward with a canteen of water, pulled it open with her teeth, and slowly lowered it next to Pierce's face. He grabbed it with his lips, and drank a couple small sips, before pushing it away.

"How are you feeling?" asked Bluebonnet, leaning over him.

He closed his eye, tried to take a deep breath, and shuddered painfully. "I... can feel my body. I'm not in shock. Magical healing? I'll live, but it will take time." He opened his eye, and looked at her again. "You... ve, been crying. Over me?"

Bluebonnet looked at her own nose, still covered with dust. "N... no. Not over you. I mean..." she broke off, clearly not sure how to end the sentence. "Not just you."

Pierce slowly released a breath. "Who did we lose?" he was talking in a whisper, but much more clearly and lucidly than at the beginning.

Bluebonnet sat down next to him. "Aurora. They captured Fluttershy too. And... for a moment I thought we lost Scootaloo, but she turned out okay."

"What about... them?" asked Pierce. Around him, Applejack joined her friends' effort to cure him, the five now bathing him in a steady wave of soft light.

"Luna escaped," replied Bluebonnet. "We managed to seal Arrogance, and... everyone else fell in battle."

"We have a couple of soldiers sealed over there too," added Applejack, pointing her hoof at the side of the cave, where several Wonderbolts stood encased in blocks of crystal. "What about them?"

"I'm not sure," answered Twilight. "It was an accident. But they don't seem conscious, just sort of kept in stasis. What do we do with them?"

"I say we leave them here," said Rainbow Dash. "They'd fight us if we released them, but they're not bad guys. If you say this spell is holding them without hurting them, let's just have them sit this one out."

Pierce took a slow, deep breath, much less painful than the last one. "Where's Obsidian?"

"Off to the Void Passage," answered Pinkie Pie. "He's trying to find where they took Fluttershy."

"If Hate is dead, and Arrogance is sealed, that would be a good moment to counter-attack," whispered Pierce. "I don't think I could go with you though."

"Focus on recovering for now," said Bluebonnet. "We're in no shape to fight anymore today either. Especially you," she added, turning towards Applejack. "You should be resting."

"I'll rest when my job is done," answered Applejack, though she did sit down next to Pierce. "We heal up, then I'll rest." She looked down on Pierce. "We picked your gun from the ruins, but it looks busted."

"It's nothing that can't be fixed," answered Pierce. "But we've no more ammo. I used up most of it, and had to dump the rest to escape. Pre-charged pattern batteries seem like a good idea, but I can't teleport with them. You could've warned me."

Bluebonnet turned red. "I... I didn't know it would be an issue," she stuttered.

"That's because you don't fight," said Pierce. "First rule for shooting from a hiding spot: Don't shoot twice from the same position. I had to relocate on hoof, and that wasn't fast enough for Arrogance. Not that it made a difference. I can't aim that thing at a moving target."

Bluebonnet's ears drooped. "I gave the harness as much mobility as I could."

Pierce nodded. "Yes. But moving my body and the handle only works if the enemy is as big as a barn, or conveniently not moving. If I could get a jump on a Shattered, or if they didn't dodge for some reason, it might work. But not against a flying target."

"You could aim it with your magic," suggested Twilight.

"Yes," said Pierce. "and it works right until I pull the trigger. When the gun discharges, it slips out of my telekinesis."

"I'm so sorry," whispered Bluebonnet. "I should've known better than to give you an untested prototype for a real fight. And now you're burned all over because of me."

"No," cut her off Pierce. "Burned because of Arrogance. You don't know if I'd have been fast enough to escape her either way. It was my fault for taking part in a fight way over my level. In the end, I wasn't of much use."

"Now, don't be ridiculous, both of you," said Applejack. Her gem, already glowing from the healing magic she was using, glowed a little brighter. "You both did as well as you could. And taking down that dragon at the start of the fight probably saved us all. So you both helped a lot. Now, relax, and let us heal you," she finished, looking down at Pierce. "Think of how you look when you're healthy."

***

Fluttershy woke up hanging from a wall. Her first thought was that it was horribly uncomfortable – her back was pressed against cold stone, and all of her legs stretched, and chained to it. It's like a scene from a Daring Do novel, came a second thought. But I don't know anything about-

Her eyes shot open. Where am I!? My necklace is gone!

She looked around her surroundings, and found that the walls around her weren't stone. They were black crystal. The room had no windows, or a source of light – the little illumination that was present came from little motes of red light slowly flowing inside the crystal walls.

I've been captured! But where am I? Suddenly she felt a surge of panic. What happened to the others?

She struggled against her bonds, but to no avail. Turning her head, she could see that the manacles were new and shiny, no wear and tear that could give her a hope of pulling the chain from a crumbling wall. This was no Daring Do story.

Giving up, she spent some time just hanging there, trying to calm herself down. Why am I alive? They have been trying to destroy us all this time. Did they think they needed me alive? That must mean the fight is not yet over. My friends must still be free. At least... I hope so. What if they got hurt? I'm their best healer.
She turned her head around, and looked closely at the walls. This is crystal. It kind of reminds me of what King Sombra made... does it mean I'm in the Crystal Empire? But if so, why is it all like this? The Shattered had made a point of not looking evil so far. What is going on?

She sniffed, but there were no smells she'd associate with a dungeon. The room seems completely clean. Is it freshly build, or has it been cleaned recently? she thought. Then, turning slightly red, she added, it might need cleaning soon, if they're going to leave me here hanging like this.

Her ear caught a sound of movement from outside the door. She froze, stopping the chains from jingling, and listened intently. Someone was walking the corridor towards her. There was a sound of another pair of hooves clicking, just outside the door. There was a guard there? thought Fluttershy. Why didn't I hear him earlier?

Slowly, the door opened. There was a guard there indeed, a pegasus with an emotionless face, that only briefly looked inside when he opened the door. In the relative darkness of the cell, she could see the red lights reflecting in his eyes. No. That wasn't it. His stiff and emotionless expression was the kind she had expected to see from Equestrian guard. But the red light was not reflected. There were definitely tiny dots of red light inside the stallion's eyes.

Then he stepped aside, and another stallion entered the cell, a moustached unicorn dressed in armor worn over an officer's uniform, a dark iron and ruby gorget around his neck. There was no doubt about this one – his eyes were burning red, matching the light emanating from the ruby.

"So, you've finally woken up," he proclaimed theatrically, scorn dripping off every word. "Now we can get to work."

He walked in, the guard returning to his position outside, as a wisp of magic from his master shut the door. The unicorn approached, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Captain North Star!?" said Fluttershy, surprised, suddenly recognizing the stallion. His moustache was unchanged, but his coat had darkened, and his expressions and demeanor were so different it had taken her a moment to recognize him. "What happened to you?"

A string of red light whipped around her throat. North Star bared his teeth at her, red lights burning in his eyes. "Silence, you traitor! You don't have the right to use my name, or to ask questions. The only things I want to hear from you are the whereabouts of the other traitors."

He moved closer, and the tendril of magic snaked upwards, wrapping itself around Fluttershy's mouth. As North Star touched her forehead with a horn, red light flashed before her eyes, and she felt a presence pushing inside her head. She tried to protest, but all she could manage was a muffled groan.

North Star grinned. "Finally, I can put a stop to your crimes. To punish the whole disgusting lot of you, and redeem myself for my naivete and lack of vigilance. And I will not let you open your mouth until I'm sure I hear no more lies."

***

"So, what have you found?" asked Twilight Sparkle anxiously, as Obsidian rejoined the group. Everypony had already cleaned themselves as much as they could, and were sitting around a magical flame she had conjured to keep them warm. The center of the cavern had been cleaned up, with much of the rubble removed, and a new circle drawn in the middle. The little equipment they had managed to salvage after the battle was there too, grouped in a small pile.

Obsidian nodded his head. "Yes, I did find Fluttershy. But, as I expected, it won't be so simple.”

He took his place at the fire, and cleared his throat.

"I have observed Fluttershy being moved. She was taken back to Canterlot, separated from her Element, and sedated. Right now, Kindness is sealed in Dr. Stone's lab underneath Canterlot Castle, while Fluttershy herself has been moved north, to the Crystal Empire. And as usual, this smells like a trap."

"And what about the Shattered? Where are they?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"Hate has not reincarnated yet, but we can expect him to do it soon," said Obsidian. "Luna is in Canterlot. I tried to find Guilt as well. It seems he went to the far north, to talk with the Yak leader."

"So, this really is the best moment to strike," said Pierce from his blanket. "Since Deception never fights by herself, it's six against one now, isn't it? She would have some defenses in Canterlot, but between me and Dr.Bluebonnet, we have seen most of them."

Pinkie Pie cocked her head, as if listening to something only she could hear. Slowly, her expression turned angry. "I bet they'd use Fluttershy against us if we don't free her first," she finally said. "We need to go to the Crystal Empire."

"We are also aware that it's a trap," said Obsidian. "The Crystal Empire doesn't seem protected by any of the Shattered, but that doesn't make it easy to get in. The barrier is up again, but our changeling allies make it a non-issue. The problem is what's waiting inside."

"What?" asked Twilight. "What did you see?"

Obsidian leaned closer towards the fire. "I've seen many things, and none of it is good news. The first thing to be aware of is that the Empire is still cut off – as far as anypony is concerned, it is a place of dark magic being contained. That means the Shattered can fight as ruthlessly there as they did today. No need to care about appearances. Actually, the Crystal Empire seems to have been a problem for them for a long time – if it is destroyed in the course of springing a trap on you, all the better for them. In the meantime, there are still civilians there, and that is an obstacle for you – a lot of ponies you wouldn't like to see hurt."

"Would they really be so cruel?" asked Rarity. "I mean, I know they are. But they have Equestrian soldiers there, and so far they have at least tried to keep appearances."

"That was when Arrogance called the shots," replied Obsidian. "Now that you have her sealed, the command will naturally fall to Envy, and appealing as it is to be seen as a loving ruler, he's unlikely to hold such sentiment. Also, there is another issue concerning Equestrian army in the Empire."

"What is it?" asked Applejack.

"Has Equestria used large scale mind control before?" asked Obsidian towards Bluebonnet.

The scientist lifted her head from the gun she was trying to repair, and shook it in denial. "No, even as part of secret operations. We did some neural engineering with Dr.Stone before the attack on the Empire, to protect our soldiers from Honesty by making them unable to process speech, but that effect was temporary. Enforcing obedience would be much more complicated and needlessly risky on such a scale."

"So, unless something had been hidden from you, this is a recent development," said Obsidian. "There is a powerful obedience curse over the Empire, originating from the Crystal Tower. It is likely using the citizens' own emotions to power the effect. The tower itself is warded, but I've managed to get a glimpse of the inside, and the source of the spell seems to emanate from the commanding officer. Lacking any other master, the tower answers to him, and he is the one using its power to keep everypony in check."

"That doesn't sound like an Equestrian army officer," said Pierce. "Is it somepony from the secret service?"

"I haven't seen him before," said Obsidian. "But there is something I have seen, something that might explain his behaviour, especially in conjunction with what the tower does."

His eyes flashed, and a translucent vision appeared in front of his face: a gorget much like the Elements, made of black iron and adorned with rubies, the top part sculpted into an alicorn's wings and head.

"You surely remember how I told you about the origins of the Elements," said Obsidian. "They started out as magical foci, amulets that enhanced the wearers' magical powers by amplifying and focusing their emotions. Most of them were either transformed into the Elements, or destroyed by the Shattered in their botched ritual, but it wasn't all of them. It looks like the commander has got his hooves on a particularly dangerous one."

***

Bluebonnet connected the last wire, and shut the battered chassis of the pattern emitter.

"There. That should do it," she said to herself, before collecting her tools into a saddle bag.

She looked around the camp. Despite this being the middle of the day, most of the ponies were resting. With Pierce asleep, a quick lunch made of hay and imaginary condiments, and Twilight and Obsidian leaving for the crypts under the sanctum, there was little to do for the rest of the team but try to recover. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were sitting together by the magical fire, talking to each other in hushed voices: they had had no chance to get exhausted, but the emotions of the morning robbed them of will to do anything more active. Rarity and Pinkie seemed to be asleep. Rainbow Dash was outside – the Shattered attacking the gate dispelled the magical blizzard and broke the mirror in the guard room, so the stubborn mare insisted on watching the approach from the air.

Is she really guarding there, or just crying herself out with nopony watching? She was the one who bonded with Aurora the most...

Bluebonnet's workplace was well away from the fire – when she realised the others needed a nap, she moved away so as not to disturb them with the noise. As for her, she wasn't physically tired, but almost getting buried alive twice, and the horror of a child possibly dying under her care took its toll on her. She spent the two hours working on the gun to calm herself down with slow, methodical effort more than to repair the thing. The pattern batteries Pierce had dropped did not survive the explosion in the building, and without them she couldn't even properly test if the weapon still worked.

She turned her head when she saw somepony approaching. Applejack was moving towards her, a slight limp still visible in her gait. The earth pony had taken the most damage of all the Elements, and once the adrenaline dropped, she was in much more pain than she had anticipated. The magic had already healed most of it, but it would take a repeat in the afternoon to get her back to full fighting strength.

She walked to Bluebonnet's side, and sat down next to her.

"So, did ya fix it?" she asked with a small smile.

Bluebonnet looked at the emitter. "I think so. I've used the tools I had to check all the connections, and everything seems to flow where it should. I haven't got the batteries though, so I can't be quite sure if there is no hidden damage. Perhaps when everypony has had their rest, you could use your magic to help me stress-test it."

"No problem," answered Applejack. "Listen, I'd like to thank you for keeping Apple Bloom safe-"

"I did not!" Bluebonnet almost jumped to her hooves. "I didn't get far enough. I should've been faster. I should've anticipated the damage. I had seen how much destruction the previous fights caused, for crying out loud."

Applejack took a deep breath, a small mote of orange light appearing inside her gem. "Ya stopped a falling piece of rock, and held it long enough for me to come and save her. After all the ponies I thought I could save... that's enough for me."

Bluebonnet looked down on her hooves. "I see."

Applejack looked at her face. "And Bluebonnet... I'd like you to know..."

"Yes?" Bluebonnet turned, looking into the shiny pools of orange staring at her.

"I barely remember ya," continued Applejack, "but I know you're an Apple. And you know that too."

"It's not that simple," replied Bluebonnet, turning away.

"No, it is," said Applejack, more firmly. " I admit, I dunno the whole story between you and the family, but I say you're one of us. And if ya ever need help, I'll be here for you." She leaned closer, touching their heads together, a tiny wisp of magic pulling her hat out of the way.

"It... it might be too late for me," replied Bluebonnet. "I've made some bad choices, long ago."

"But you were never bad, were you?" asked Applejack.

"I don't know!" hissed Bluebonnet in frustration. "I worked for the princess. I did questionable things. I kept telling myself that it was for the good of Equestria, and that I was doing it to keep my daughter safe. But in the end, I made the weapon that got her killed. I made the weapons that toppled the Crystal Empire, both of them. And now, that I'm trying to make things better, my inventions aren't good enough."

"This one did save us," said Applejack, pointing at the emitter.

Bluebonnet sighted. "Yes. You said that already. And you used that power of yours to make me believe it. But it is not enough. Not against what we are facing."

"You're doing your best," said Applejack, "No backing off, no slacking off."

"I coul've-" protested Bluebonnet, but Applejack interrupted her.

"Your gizmo stopped the Shattered from destroying us. And you saved my sister from getting crushed. We can't always win, but now we're fighting together, and we will get through this together, as Apples. Do you understand?"

There was a moment of silence, the two mares just sitting, half-turned towards each other, staring into each other's eyes. Then Bluebonnet leaned in, and gave Applejack a hug.

"Thank you, cousin," she said, "I needed that."

She released a hug, and looked towards the wrecked main gate, beams of sunlight visible in the entrance. "When I chose love over family, against so many warnings, I thought I lost you all."

"Ya should've known better," said Applejack with a small smile. "We do not abandon our own."

Bluebonnet nodded. "I should've. When it all fell apart... I thought they were right all along. I was too ashamed to come back. Or was it pride? I was young and stubborn. And then Tourmaline got sick, and it looked like there was nothing my family could do to help. Enigma brought me to the princess, and... I think you know the rest."

"What matters now is that we're here for you," said Applejack. "As soon as we get Pierce back on his feet, we'll move to meet Chrysalis, and together we'll find a way to save Fluttershy."

She turned towards the campsite, where Pierce was still asleep. "What's your deal with him anyway?" she asked. "You acted a bit weird around him earlier."

Bluebonnet's face turned grim. "Long ago... he hurt me... horribly."

Applejack turned towards her with shock on her face. "WHAT!?"

Bluebonnet shushed her with a gesture. "We didn't even meet back then. It's complicated. He thinks I don't know. I think... that's why he's working with Guilt. He too is trying to make things right. But it hasn't been working out for him. He's trying not to show it, but he's as damaged as I am."

Applejack looked towards the campsite again. "So... you've forgiven him?"

Bluebonnet returned to looking at her hooves. "I don't know... no, I don't think I have. But to tell him that now to his face, it would destroy him. And I don't want that. He... isn't the stallion he used to be."

She looked Applejack in the eyes. "Could you promise me not to tell him I said all that?"

Applejack considered the question. Her gem flickered with an orange light again. "I'm not sure I'm very good at keeping secrets, now that I'm Honesty. And I'm not going to do the Obsidian thing with being all misleading... but I promise not to talk to him about it. Is that okay with you?"

Bluebonnet nodded, and gave a small smile. "It is. Thank you, Applejack."

***

"Let there be light."

Obsidian's staff tapped on the floor at the base of the stair, the light spreading along the floor, the spell scattering all over the tunnels in motes of light, bringing a gentle, ambient illumination to the ancient burial site.

Twilight walked past Obsidian, and looked around. The chamber underneath the inner sanctum was a crossroad, four tunnels extending from it in cardinal directions. The stair descended spirally around the walls, gently enough to allow a procession to walk down it with a measure of dignity, touching the floor right next to the northern exit.

"This place is huge," said Twilight, looking down the tunnel, and then around her. Looking closely, she could see long lines in the walls, indicating the places where they had cracked and were repaired with magic, a reminder of a past earthquake.

"Well, it was already in use for centuries before it became the crypt of the Elements," said Obsidian. "If you want to bury a body, a snowy mountain top doesn't exactly present many options."

He spun around slowly with his eyes closed, and then headed to the southern tunnel. "This way." As he moved, the ambient light followed him, gently illuminating the way ahead of the two ponies. Twilight followed, curiously looking at everything they walked past.

At first, the walls of the tunnel were carved with pictures, a mural depicting the four alicorns she had already learned to recognize. Though she could not read the writing, Twilight could guess a lot from the context: the images once again followed the story of the creation myth, before adding more details, the circle of life in which pony souls circulated between the spiritual realm of Indigo, and the physical world of Gaia.

Then the tunnel widened, making space for two lines of stone slabs, one of either side of the path. Twilight shuddered. There were life-sized statues there, standing vigil over most of the graves, some crumbling, others so well preserved, she half-expected them to turn their heads and look at her.

"The tomb of the high priests," explained Obsidian. "The tombs in the other tunnels aren't nearly as elaborate, but with the leaders usually lasting at least a couple years, making a statue for each was not a big deal, even if the tradition demanded they be made without magic."

"Why so?" asked Twilight, casting a nervous glance at a stern-looking unicorn statue, eerily reminiscent of one of her old school teachers.

"Few ponies think to question the origins of a tradition," said Obsidian. "I never gave much thought to this one, but from what I understand, this was supposed to be symbolic – the last purely physical gift for a soul departing to the realm of the spirit. Of course that was just one of the many burial traditions employed through the ages. I've already mentioned that cremation used to be popular. Not really in the Empire, but very much so among the pegasi communities. You can't dig a grave in the cloud, and their original ground-bound cities were at mountain tops, where digging without magic was also very hard. Easier to fetch some wood from the base of the mountain, and return the departed to the wind."

"And then the Elements took over, and buried their heroes here?" asked Twilight.

"Not just heroes," replied Obsidian. "Anypony who lived in the sanctuary could expect a burial here." His staff turned in the air, pointing at an intersection they were just passing. "That whole wing is dedicated to low rank staff and guardponies."

He stopped in front of a big metal double door, adorned with a symbol of six jewels. "But this one really was meant for the heroes; the crypt of the Elements. Could you? I don't want to break it down."

Twilight approached the door. It seemed to be made of brass, and she could feel the magic flowing through it, resonating with the gem around her neck.

“It… requires an Element to open?” she asked.

“Yes,” confirmed Obsidian. “I’m not even sure why they thought it would be needed. Probably another tradition.”

“Probably,” agreed Twilight, a nimbus of purple light spreading from her forehead towards the door, and then flowing along the lines in the metal. With a soft creak, the door opened, revealing another tunnel lined with statues.

Twilight walked in, moving from statue to statue. There were some she recognized, mares and stallions from her visions. “Diamond Dust, Surprise, Verba? I've seen Verba, and he wasn't nearly as imposing."

"That's because by the time they were ready to bury him, nopony remembered what he had really looked like," said Obsidian. "The place where he had sealed Vengeance was filled with so much poison, it took centuries before anypony could go in there. They didn't know what the situation was exactly, so they didn't want to send in a golem, fearing they might accidentally unleash her."

"And I see there is an unmarked grave without a statue," noticed Twilight. "Was it for you?"

"Yes," replied Obsidian. "Many of these tombs are actually empty. There were many instances where there was nothing left to bury, just a broken and charred Element waiting to reform around a new bearer's neck. But with me... they didn't know what had happened to me, and they postponed the statue until they at least had a clue. And then... well, they figured that one day I would die one way or another, so they left me a spot in their little hall of fame."

Twilight was already walking further in. There was another alicorn statue in the fifth pair of graves.
"And who is this?" she asked.

"Concilio, the youngest son of the Emperor, and the second bearer of Honesty," replied Obsidian. "He fought alongside Verba and others to seal the Shattered for the first time. He was also instrumental in building the new order after the dust of the great war cleared. He probably changed the world more with diplomacy than he did with his magic."

"I'll be delighted to hear each of these stories when this is over," said Twilight, picking up pace, "but I can already see there are more ponies buried here than I have the time to listen about today. This is not what we are here for."

"Have it your way," grumbled Obsidian. "I was beginning to like giving lectures."

Twilight did not respond, instead walking deeper into the crypt. She finally found an intersection. She looked left and right, before sending a small ball of light ahead of her. After a minute or so, the ball appeared again, flying in from the left. Twilight nodded, and dispelled it, turning right.

"Oh, so it does turn eventually," said Obsidian. "I was wondering if it would just go straight through the whole mountain. It seems even with the appeal of following the whole chronology of their legacy, some ponies liked to have a quicker way back up."

"There," said Twilight from the end of the corridor. The tunnel continued ahead, but there were no more statues, just an empty space reserved for future tombs. Twilight studied it for a while before turning towards Obsidian.

"You said they wanted to keep the chronology?" she asked. "I have no idea who the next Elements were, but I'm pretty sure they didn't get to be buried here."

She closed her eyes, and her tiara erupted with light. There was a grinding noise, and the stone underneath her flowed, the floor reshaping to form two lines of stone slabs.

"So, you're keeping them the place until you can figure who they were?" asked Obsidian. "But you're going to break the tradition yourself just a bit further ahead."

"No, I'm not," replied Twilight. "Though we don't have the time to craft the statues by hoof."

"Well, this is supposed to be the crypt of the Elements," said Obsidian.

"This is the crypt of the greatest protectors of ponykind," said Twilight. "A magical artifact does not define a hero, no matter how powerful it is."

***

It was just before the supper when everypony gathered at the gate of the sanctum. Pierce could already walk on his own, though he opted to leave the bandage over his eye for the moment. In front of the door, there was a line of oblong, opaque crystals, vague shapes visible inside. Some of them bore names. Others, just pictograms cut on the top to mark who they were.

Twilight looked at her friends, then at Obsidian. As they nodded to each other, the ancient stallion tapped his staff on the ground, summoning his illumination spell once again. Twilight used her magic to levitate the coffins off the ground, walking slowly inside the temple, her friends following in two files on either side.

They walked through the inner sanctum, passing behind the looming alicorn statues, and slowly descending into the crypts, spreading out to fit the width of the stairs. Twilight took the southern path again, leading everypony deeper and deeper. Nopony said a word, even the fillies walking in silence, but she could hear the small gasps of amazement momentarily distracting her friends from their purpose. It really is impressive... another time, she chastised herself, focusing on keeping the line of crystal coffins steady.

She approached the double door to the crypt of the Elements, and stopped. "Applejack, Rainbow Dash?" she asked softly.

The two mares walked to the fore, focusing their Elements. The door opened, this time silently – Twilight had made sure of it. She walked in, slightly slower this time, giving the rest of the procession some time to take in the statues of the previous Elements standing vigil over their final, or symbolic resting places. She kept moving at an even pace, getting all the way to the intersection, and this time heading forward, taking everypony along all the tombs in the crypt; she hoped she would only have to do this once, and if so, it deserved to be done properly.

The stone floor echoed with the steps of many hooves. Twilight's magic cast the surrounding statues in eerie purple light. Still nopony spoke a word, not until the procession walked the full length of its path, coming to a stop at the end of the tunnel.

Twilight disengaged her spell, allowing her burden to slowly lower to the ground. The path before her was a wide, black tunnel, but the part she intended to use had already been prepared – empty stone graves waited on either side.

She passed the first twenty or so, waiting for the still unknown bearers the Shattered must have defeated before Aurora’s time, stone slabs waiting to be inscribed with names. The next five were also closed, though already signed. Twilight stopped at the first empty one, and turned towards her friends.

"We are gathered here today," she started speaking "to honor the victims of this terrible war." She didn't raise her voice much, speaking more like a teacher giving a lecture, than a leader giving a speech, just loud enough to be well heard without it being jarring in the echoing tunnel.

"These ponies fought and died before we did, fought by our side, and some of them were tricked into fighting against us. But all of them sacrificed their lives for what they believed was the good of Equestria. And even though they are no longer at our side, their courage and dedication will stay with us, alive in our memories.

She turned aside, and aimed her horn at one of the empty slabs. A beam of purple light hit, erupting into a crystal growth that quickly formed into a shape of a statue – a sleek unicorn mare with slitted eyes.

"Crystal, bearer of Generosity, who sacrificed her life twice, and defied the nature forced upon her," intoned Twilight.

Another beam, another statue; a serious-looking pegasus wearing a coat and a bowler hat.

"Jingles, bearer of Laughter, who kept ponies' spirits high through the darkest of times."

Another beam, a smiling earth pony stallion.

"Whisper, bearer of Honesty, a trusted friend where trust was sorely needed."

Another beam, a statue of a hooded mare, the veiny crystal giving an appearance of stripes.

"Sauti, bearer of Kindness, soothing the pain of others despite her own."

A dark blue crystal statue of a unicorn.

"Aquila, bearer of Magic, who chose her own name, and made a name for herself, a hero we wish we had met," said Twilight, before turning to the next grave. This one was open, a hole in the ground waiting to welcome the fallen mare. Twilight levitated the crystal coffins again, moving them forward, as she placed the first one in the grave, covered it with a slab, and conjured a statue of white crystal on top of it. 

Twilight stopped, closing her eyes, her tongue suddenly stiff and uncooperative in her mouth.

Focus, Twilight, don’t stutter. You have it prepared. She wouldn’t like you to stutter...

"Aurora, bearer of Loyalty. A brave warrior... a loyal friend, and a loyal sister," she finally said.

"The best wingpony I could have ever asked for," said Rainbow Dash, stepping up beside her. Twilight noticed that Dash had summoned a visor over her face, concealing her eyes.  "I owe my life to what she taught me."

"We had little time to get to know her," said Pinkie Pie, "but she became one of us."

"She will not be forgotten," said Applejack.

"She fought for her friends," said Rarity "Even after all this time. It is our turn to fight and win for her."

Twilight took a deep breath, and the coffins moved once more. The next two graves were bigger than the previous ones. Twilight started with the one to her left, placing a single coffin inside it; it contained everything she had managed to gather from the floor of the inner sanctum – the crumbled bones of the ponies who had died there together. When she cast the spell, no names appeared on the slab, but the statue was larger, a group of hooded figures made of dark crystal, with solemn pegasus mare standing at the front.

"Charcoal, and her companions in the Resistance," said Twilight, "who gave their lives to keep the horror of Vengeance contained for centuries. It is through their sacrifice that Equestria we know was created."

"We could be who we are thanks to them," said Scootaloo walking forward, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle nodding silently at her sides.

Twilight turned to the grave on the right. It was the deepest one she had made. She put the remaining coffins there, stacking them on top of each other before putting the lid on top. When she cast the spell, no names appeared either; the grave was meant for more than the few bodies they managed to recover, even after Rainbow identified some of them. Everypony would get an equal treatment in this regard. The only exception was the statue – when Twilight cast her spell, causing a formation of blue crystals to form into a flock of pegasi, there was one in the forefront of the group that was clearly recognisable, marked by a burst of yellow, one that, though undeniably dead, was not among those buried underneath.

"The Wonderbolts," said Rainbow Dash, her face now uncovered. "The greatest flying team in Equestria, heroes who fought bravely for their homes and families, killed by lies that took advantage of their loyalty." Anger flashed in her eyes. She closed them, and when she opened them again, there were red lights in her pupils, but her face and voice had calmed. Glowing with the red light of her Element, she continued. "We will fight for the world they defended, to create the future they were fighting for."

Silence fell. There were no more coffins waiting to be buried. But further on, beyond the two large statues, there were four more stone slabs waiting. Twilight approached the first one, Bluebonnet coming to her side.

Twilight turned her head towards Bluebonnet. The spell left the tip of her horn, and floated towards the earth mare, briefly touching her forehead - as it did, it changed, the purple light shifting to deep blue, matching her mane, the round ball of energy getting more facture and life. As it landed on the slab, the spell blossomed into green crystal, forming a much smaller statue; an earth pony filly with a pair of goggles on her head, captured mid-move, her front right hoof raised, as if about to reach out and touch something, a smile of vibrant, childish curiosity adorning her face.

Bluebonnet opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly her composure broke, the unspoken words choking in her throat, as she stood there helplessly with trembling lips. 

Everypony waited in silence. Tears welled in Bluebonnet’s eyes, then flowed freely down her face.

“Tourmaline…” she finally managed. “my only child. My precious little filly. There was so much more I wanted to show you, to teach you… so many things to do together…”

Sweetie Belle stepped forward, standing close to the statue. “Minty,” she said with a sniffle. “A great friend. We had so many adventures together.”

“You always had so many ideas,” said Apple Bloom, sobbing. She almost hugged the statue, then, realising what she was about to do, she stopped and awkwardly leaned against Sweetie Belle instead.

“You even tried to make me fly,” said Scootaloo. “and you saved us all… even though nopony asked you to,” she suddenly blurted out.

There was a moment of shocked silence. Pierce walked up behind Scootaloo. “She never once thought ‘I will be a hero,’” he said. “She just saw what had to be done, and did it, no matter how we might hate it. I was too slow to stop her. Believe me when I say, I would have taken her place if I could.”

“Tourmaline,” intoned Twilight, “a loving daughter, a brilliant, young mind, a great friend, a hero. She will be remembered by all of us.” 

As she turned away towards the remaining three graves, Twilight felt tears welling in her own eyes. She picked the one opposite Tormaline's and focused.

The spell went through a rainbow of colors, bits of colorful crystal growing out of the slab, forming a picture of a bed of gemstones. Then the magic circled back to purple, and a small shape began to emerge on top. Just like Tourmaline's, Spike's grave was nothing like the others in the crypt. Rather than standing on the slab, solemn and dignified, the little dragon was curled into a ball, sleeping with a content smile on his face, his claw grabbing a heart-shaped gem on top of his bed.

Twilight shuddered. It was her turn to struggle with words. Suddenly, the whole speech she had prepared fell apart in her head. 

"Spike," she finally managed.

Rarity walked up to her side. "The greatest little assistant anypony could dream of. Always so eager to help. So loyal and patient. So brave. A great friend taken from us far too soon." Then she too choked a bit, and closed her eyes. "I wish I... had appreciated him more."

Applejack took a position on the other side of Twilight. "He always had time for us," she said. "A thing more precious than any dragon treasure."

Twilight looked around, but nopony else spoke. Clearly, her two friends had already managed to encompass what everypony was thinking. It was up to her to finish the eulogy.

"He was my stable rock," she said, "Always there to support me when the world was too much to handle. I'd never have got to where I am now if he hadn't been there for me."

She took a step forward and leaned closer to the amethyst figure. "Sleep well," she whispered, a tear flowing down her face.

And so it was finished, way too short for Twilight's liking. They all were. Twilight closed her eyes and silently ground her teeth at the injustice. They all deserved more words, more attention. But there was only so much time the Elements could spend in the crypts. There were living ponies out there, waiting for them to decide the fate of the world.

And she wasn't even half way through her pain. There were two more graves to fill.

Touched with a sudden thought, Twilight changed her plan. She left the last grave unused, instead turning towards the one to the left. The spell she cast created another large statue; two ponies cuddled together side by side on top of the slab, their horns crossed as they nuzzled each other with their cheeks. 

“Shining Armor, captain of the royal guard,” said Twilight a bit too forcefully, straining to keep her voice even, “my Big Brother Best Friend Forever… a hero of Equestria… a loving husband… protector of the Crystal Empire… ready to defend what he cared for until his final breath.”

“A brave soldier, and a wise commander,” said Pierce.

“Princess Mi Amore Cadenza,” continued Twilight, “Cadence… a loving wife, and a loving ruler… A light of hope that could dispel the deepest darkness. Caring, brave and… great with children. I was honored to have her as my sister in law.”

“A cheerful pony, and a great dancer,” said Pinkie. She sniffled, but managed to finish. “I was honored to organize her wedding.”

“She was a true beauty that shone beyond mere looks,” said Rarity.

The crypt fell silent after that, nopony else knowing what more they could contribute. They were looking at each other, or at the statues, each look hammering in the feeling of loss. Applejack and Apple Bloom hugged Bluebonnet silently.  Rarity hugged Twilight, with Sweetie Belle joining in after a while, and Scootaloo and Pinkie Pie embraced Rainbow Dash. Only Pierce and Obsidian remained alone, standing stiffly and solemnly, like soldiers would, eerily similar to the surrounding statues.

Finally Obsidian tapped his staff on the floor. “And so it is done,” he proclaimed. “The brave departed have been honored. Now it’s time to leave this place to those it belongs to, and return to the urgent matters of the living. We will eat supper together, and then return north. It’s time we meet the changeling queen again, and plan the rescue of your friend.”

Nopony protested, though it took them a while to break their hugs. The procession turned around, and left in silence, this time taking the shortest route at the intersection.

They were already on the stairs up, when Pinkie Pie suddenly reared, clapping her hooves together. “That’s right! It shouldn’t end like this! That’s not how it’s done, not at all.”

“Pinkie, what are you talking about?” asked Twilight, turning to look at her.

Pinkie squinted at her. “You’ll see,” she said. “I’ll start with you. Let’s just get back to the camp first.” She then resumed her walk, much more lively than before; she wasn’t pronking, but she was no longer dragging her hooves, and there was much more of a sense of purpose to each of her steps.

*** 

They emerged from the temple, and walked into the camp. It was already prepared for departure, with a new circle drawn, and the bags set together next to what remained of the food. 

Twilight looked sadly at the cavern. For the last couple of days it had been getting more and more lively, pieces of its former glory restored by their efforts. Now it was a place of a recent battle, marks of destruction everywhere: most of the light and heat spells had been dispelled, the houses carved into the cave walls partially collapsed. At the entrance to the cave, there lay a charred skeleton of the dragon, still clutching the broken pattern cannon; they did not know if the dragon was a hero or a villain, and Obsidian claimed that dragons had no funeral rites either way - a dragon’s final resting place would be either on top of his hoard, or on the field of his last battle. 

Twilight stepped aside as her friends walked past, then, as everypony left, she cast one more spell. The broken doors of the inner sanctum righted themselves, and closed, broken pieces of stone fitting themselves back into the damaged frame. 

“Rest in peace,” she sighed before turning and following the others.

***

The supper passed in silence. They had already eaten all the hay, and Pinkie didn’t conjure any pastries this time. Everypony focused on their food, eyes red, faces gloomy, nopony saying a word, all staring into their food, except Pinkie Pie, who watched the others intently.

Finally the last sounds of chewing stopped. Obsidian tensed to get up, and give everypony a signal to move out. Pinkie Pie was faster. She jumped up, and hopped in front of Twilight. 

“Now, that we’re done eating,” she said loudly, “there is something I need you to do.”

Twilight looked at her in confusion. “What? What is it, Pinkie? We don't have much time.”

“We’ll start with you,” said Pinkie Pie. “Tell us about Shining Armor. Start with the happiest memory you have of him.”

“What?” asked Twilight again.

“A story,” replied Pinkie. “Tell me a story about him that will make you smile, even if it also makes you cry a little.”

Twilight averted her gaze, clearly taken aback, but Pinkie wouldn’t budge. 

“You know it isn’t right like this, don’t you?” said Pinkie. “I get the whole military funeral thing, but they were our friends and family. We don’t say goodbye like this. They wouldn’t want it like this, all stiff and sad. I mean, yes, we all are, but they wouldn’t want to see us all gloomy. They’d try to cheer us up if they could. So give me a story.”

“Well…” started Twilight. “If you put it that way…” She closed her eyes, and fell silent. “There are so many. But the happiest one would have to be Shining Armor’s wedding. We were all so scared when Chrysalis showed up, and back then I feared all was lost. But then, Cadence shook him out of the mind control spell, and you could just say, looking at them, that their love would save the day.” She averted her gaze for a moment more. “Of course, back then we didn’t know Chrysalis was on our side… but she was playing so well… And when the city was saved, everypony was so relieved and happy. Even when the spell passed, they looked like they were glowing, so beautiful together. Sharing the happiest day of their lives with all their friends…”

***

Twilight Sparkle: When it’s time to say goodbye
Even to your dearest ponies

Pinkie Pie:		
In your heart, you will find
All the precious little moments

Rarity:			
Pictures of love, bonding for life
All the precious little moments

Sweetie Belle: 		
See them back, right before your eyes
All the precious little moments

Pierce:
When it’s time to say goodbye
Live without your dearest ponies

Bluebonnet:		
Treasure those memories
Keep them safe inside your heart

Scootaloo:		
Ponies who made your brightest days
Keep them close inside your heart

Applejack: 		
What made you love those passed away
All the precious little moments

Rainbow Dash: 	
Always will they stay with you
All they brought into your life.

Apple Bloom:		
Always will they stay with you, 
Memories of happy days
> Chapter 48: The Schism
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

When they appeared in the crystal-lit cave, a dozen changelings were already waiting. 

Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle huddled closer together as the tunnels echoed with excited chitter. Obsidian and the Elements formed a horseshoe formation around them, Bluebonnet and Pierce. 

The nearest changeling landed in front of Twilight, and bowed. “You are expected,” it said in a soft, female voice, like that of a secretary. 

"We also bring some... prisoners," said Twilight, gesturing towards the crystal-encased Wonderbolts behind her.  "We need them safety isolated, and we thought it wouldn't be wise to just leave them behind. They are screened from scrying for now, but the spell will have to be maintained."

The changeling nodded. "We will handle it."  It then turned around, and lead the way, deeper into the cold tunnels. 

***

It took them ten minutes to get to their destination, their path taking them through multiple levels of caves, and three defensive choke points. The walk passed on idle chatter, mostly composed of Pierce commenting on the defensive measures of the hive.

“You’re nervous,” said Obsidian, glancing at him over his shoulder. 

“Of course, I am,” said Pierce. “The last time I met changelings, it was in a fight to the death. And you say, they’re our allies now?” he asked, raising his eyebrow.

“It is a strained alliance, I admit,” replied Obsidian. “But so far it has been getting us results, and that’s all that matters now.”

“I think it is time the rules changed though, isn’t it? ” said Queen Chrysalis, walking in from the opposite tunnel. “I got your message, but I would like to hear the details.” Her wings vibrated slightly, and a dozen changelings emerged from the walls. “You can leave your luggage here.”

One after another, the ponies dropped most of their saddle bags, the changelings picking them up and disappearing in the tunnels. 

“Is this what I think it is?” asked Chrysalis, as she watched Applejack drop the emitter she was hauling across her back.

“It is,” replied Applejack, “It needs some more work though. You can take it for now.”

Chrysalis looked from the Elements to their companions. “Do you want these two to take part in the war council?” she asked.

“Yes,” said Obsidian. “They have some things to contribute.”

“What about the children?” she asked next.

“I don’t think they’d go to sleep if separated from us now,” said Rarity. “We might as well take them with us.”

Chrysalis shrugged. “Have it your way. Please follow me then.”

***

The council room turned out to be a small, round chamber dominated by a table with a pool of glowing green liquid in the middle. Even with the Cutie Mark Crusaders sitting down near the wall rather than peer over the table edge, the Elements, Obsidian, Pierce, Bluebonnet, Chrysalis and her two officers managed to make it really crowded. As soon as the membranous door slid shut the place started getting stuffy.

Chrysalis was the first to speak. “So, you’ve managed to seal Arrogance, and recovered Vengeance before she could be found and freed,” she said, “But the bearer of Kindness was abducted, and Aurora fell on the field of battle. Is that correct?”

“Yes,” said Obsidian, levitating a pair of gemstones from a small bag he had kept; one black, one golden yellow, and putting them on the table.

“We can contain those while you go to battle,” said one of the officers, “so that there is no risk of the enemy recovering them.”

“Now, as for your losses,” continued Chrysalis. “How did it happen?”

“We got divided in the fight - “, started Rainbow Dash hastily.

“We had the advantage of numbers,” interjected Obsidian, ”but also several things that needed protecting at the same time. Unsound as it was, the group separated to handle the Shattered one at a time. Two teams were victorious, but Fluttershy was knocked out in the confusion, and Aurora for all her skill and bravery was still a pony - playing on her emotions allowed Envy to create a fatal distraction.”

Chrysalis looked like she was about to grind her teeth, but she managed to turn it into a condescending smile. “Well, this sounds so much better than ‘we got divided’. Take notes, Rainbow Dash.”

“Now for our current situation.” She cast a spell, and the surface of the green liquid rose, the ripples taking shape of tiny buildings, until the pool became a map of the Crystal Empire. “I take it Obsidian has at least verified it’s the real Fluttershy you will be rescuing?

“I did,” replied Obsidian. “I’ve seen enough to be cautious in that regard.”

“The new barrier extends underground,” said Chrysalis. “but my agents managed to find a spot where it is broken by a crystal deposit. You will be able to squeeze in through there. The mind control spell spreading inside has made it difficult to infiltrate, but they managed to confirm the location of Equestrian forces. It looks like all three key objectives are within the tower.”

“Three objectives?” asked Twilight Sparkle.

“The first one is Fluttershy, obviously,” explained Pierce. “We need to get her out of there, while keeping her away from the fighting, and safely contained, until we can confirm that there are no tricks waiting for us.”

“What do you mean, contained?” asked Applejack.

“We know it’s a trap,” said Pierce. “But Obsidian hasn’t seen anything obvious. Thanks to Obsidian, we know of the guard commander and his magical focus, but we need to be cautious of other things too. The Shattered might lack creativity, but they had millennia to gather ideas. For all we know, Fluttershy might be… say… infected with a deadly virus waiting for us to rescue her. We cannot keep our guards down until she is safe.”

“Since our element of surprise will only give us so much,” said the changeling officer to the right of Chrysalis, “she is the priority objective. She needs to be secured before the enemy can retaliate with full power.”

“The other two objectives are linked,” said the other officer. “Until the Shattered arrive at the scene, your primary opponent will be the enemy commander. While he is neither an Element nor a Shattered, his link with the magic of the city feeds him the fear of those under his control. He will be a powerful opponent.”

Chrysalis made the sculpture grow, until it was a close-up of the Crystal Tower. “The last objective is to take and hold the central plaza,” she said. “If we return the heart to its proper place, we should be able to establish a new controller, ideally erecting our own barrier as we retake the city.”

“We?” asked Obsidian, raising an eyebrow. “And who would be the new controller?”

Chrysalis looked back at him. “I won’t propose myself, tempting as it is. We’ve seen how dangerous that magic can be, even to compatible controllers. And it clearly wasn’t meant for an emotion eater. Unless one of your new friends is powerful enough to attune to the heart, it will have to be one of you. Of course, that might once again make you split your forces, unless you can accomplish everything in a single, smooth move.”

“Wait,” said Pinkie Pie, “does that mean you’re coming with us?”

Chrysalis nodded. “The situation has changed. Your failure, letting one of your own get captured, means the enemy has likely learned of the full extent of our cooperation. This conflict has developed beyond the point where hiding to wait it out can be considered an option. On the other hoof, your success in sealing Arrogance means the situation is not hopeless. We can win, but it is no time for half-measures.”

She straightened herself, and looked at them over the table, the pool smoothing to give her a clear view of everypony. “The changelings shall join you in your fight. I will lead the group escorting the heart to the surface. Meanwhile, my soldiers will take care of the Equestrian army to make sure they don’t get in your way.”

“Take care?” asked Applejack, “Just what do ya mean by that? We don’t want any more deaths that we could avoid.”

“You do mean changelings too when you said that?” asked Chrysalis, looking into the orange orbs of Applejack’s eyes. 

“Duh,” piped in Pinkie Pie. “Of course we do. But how are you going to do it exactly?”

Chrysalis rolled her eyes. “The same way we did it when we attacked Canterlot, and subdued the entire royal guard without losing or killing anypony. We are born predators, and capturing our prey alive is our nature.”

The liquid shifted again, this time forming a detailed map of the main palace floor of the Crystal Tower, then another, translucent layer above it. Obsidian breathed out, and a tiny, glowing figurine of a pony appeared in one of the upper floor chambers.

“If nothing has changed since my last vision,” said Obsidian, “Fluttershy will be here.”

“That’s the furthest room from the stairs,” noticed one of the officers.

“So, getting to her will take time,” said Pierce. “There is no access from above, and getting in from below by the shortest route still means flying in through one of the balconies, and going past the throne room. Right where they want us.”

"Perhaps it would be simpler to just break through the outside wall to one of the adjacent chambers,”  said Obsidian. “That would depend on how good the protective spells on the outside walls are… and what magic is used to guard Fluttershy herself. It’s likely not something that would kill a hostage, not when they need her, but it could be a dangerous delay.”

“If we do break through,” said Dash, “we’ll save Fluttershy before they really know we’re there.”

“And if we don’t,” replied Applejack, “We’ll lose the surprise, and be stuck outside when they come to get us. And she’ll still be in danger.”

“We’ll… have to risk it,” said Twilight, looking at the map with worry. “And we don’t even have all the Elements to do it.”

“If you do nothing, Fluttershy is doomed,” said Chrysalis.

“This will be contrary to what I told you at the beginning,” said Obsidian, “but you have grown a lot since then, and now I can trust your abilities. It is a big risk. But this is war, and that means, sometimes a risk needs to be taken.”

“This is a tipping point of this conflict,” said Chrysalis. “Both sides have suffered losses, but you can yet recover from some of yours, and if you do, if you can rescue Fluttershy, and re-establish the Crystal Empire as your power base, we will get a distinct advantage. Of course, it won’t be over until Deception is found, but we’ll be well on our way to sealing the Shattered.”

“We can do better than seal them away,” said Bluebonnet. “We can end them.”

Chrysalis’ pupils widened. “End?”

Twilight leaned over the table, pulled an old-looking tome from her bag, and set it in front of herself.

“The book of Starswirl the Bearded,” she said. “A fake created by the Shattered as part of their plans for me. It contains an incomplete spell that I was supposed to partially figure out and finish.”

“The formulas take many pages before being expressed in a single, magical sentence,” explained Obsidian, “but most of it is there just to muddle the issue, and hide the trap included in the spell. The core of it is like a miniature splice, using the powers of the Elements to send the target to Dissonance to be reshaped. If Twilight had followed it as intended, she would be transformed into an alicorn, one that could be easily promoted to a position of power, and thanks to a weak spot created in her brain, easy to possess once the time came.”

“The thing is,” took over Bluebonnet, “the spell does contain one very useful piece. It is a miniature splice, perfected from the original ritual to make it much more economic, using finesse to slip between dimensions where the first one used brute force to tear the fabric of reality.”

“That means we no longer need to focus for hours,” said Twilight. “Deception had built a device to accumulate magic that almost cast this spell on me. If she could do it that way, then with a full set of Elements we will be able to do it even better. Some of us have already awakened, and we get stronger with every battle we’re in. If we can save Fluttershy, and recover Kindness, we’ll be able to do much more than turn somepony into an alicorn.”

She paused for effect.

“I have watched the original ritual in a vision, and learned a lot about how it worked. Between that, and the extra knowledge from doctor Bluebonnet, I think I know how to unsplice the Shattered.”

***

Twilight awoke with a start. The soft bed underneath her shifted, squishy and sticky, causing her to flail in panic for a second, her brain needing a second to figure out that she wasn’t going to be caught in a web and devoured. She opened her eyes, staring at a point of green light at the tip of a changeling’s horn. The insectoid pony twitched uncomfortably, and as it did, Twilight finally registered what had woken her up. Wings. The entire hive was abuzz.

“What is happening!?” asked Twilight, rolling out of bed and onto her hooves, reflexively casting the first layer of protection spells. 

“You all need to wake up,” said the changeling. “There’s been a change of plans. Something has happened in Canterlot.”

***

Lightbringer returned from the dead. It was the same as always: first the brief agony of death, then the feeling of flying on an immaterial wind, being carried away from the world. Then the sudden stop, a tether bound to his soul pulling him back, a sudden, horrible stretching, when the force inside him pulled the other way. A ball of raw instinct yearning to break free. Finally being dragged back to the land of the living, the impulse to live and breathe pulling him towards the beacons of light in his way, the living ponies he could rob of their lives. One in particular attracted him, surrounded by lines of light - a body he was being invited to, prepared by Evening Embrace.

He opened his mouth in a silent scream. The liquid around him bubbled and swirled, as he turned around, trying to orient himself. He was floating in a tank, and the surrounding fluid was already draining. He closed his eyes, and hit his head against the glass to wake himself up; the quicker he could forget the dream of being dead, the better.

He faintly registered that his body was as bulky as he was used to being. He flexed the muscles, and found them responding properly, every fiber and tendon moving just as he liked. Uh, looks like Eve is upgrading these in advance again. I wonder how many spares she has ready.

His hooves touched the metal floor of the tank. He took his first normal breath, and looked around. He was in one of the lower labs, but Eve was not there. Instead, an eerily calm white unicorn was overseeing the instruments.

“Where’s Eve?” Lightbringer demanded loudly when the tank finally opened. 

The unicorn didn’t raise his gaze from the instruments. “She is busy containing the Element of Kindness,” he replied. “I will be overseeing your re-awakening procedures.”

Lightbringer shook like a dog, and flapped his wings, spraying the assistant with the remains of the fluid. “I’m good, you can do fine-tuning later. You mean they captured Kindness? The trinket, or the mare?” 

The unicorn didn’t blink at being sprayed, nor at the gritted teeth of Lightbringer inches from his face. “Both, I believe. They have been separated.”

“Where?” growled Lightbringer.

“I have been given no sensitive information,” replied the assistant. “I was told that you can meet Princess Luna for a debriefing if you want to know more.”

“Luna?” Lightbringer opened his mouth to ask another question, but changed his mind. “My armor,” he demanded. “You must have one ready.”

“Indeed,” nodded the assistant.

***

Ten minutes later, fully awake and fully armored, Lightbringer was marching up the stairs to the palace. The guardian constructs recognized him and moved out of his way - Eve thought it easier to set it this way rather than gamble on whether or not he could be bothered to remember passwords. He emerged from the underground, an assistant opening the new reinforced door to let him out, and headed straight for the throne room.

The place looked deserted. Many of the staff had been hurt in the fighting, and most of the courtiers and guards were under quarantine after the Honesty incident. There were now only two guardponies, standing on the sides of the door, and a single servant tending to princess Luna with a tray of drinks.

Lightbringer strode into the throne room, and gazed around. “Scram!” he barked from under his helmet. The guards tensed.

“Everypony, please leave us alone for a moment,” said Princess Luna, setting herself more comfortably on the cushions piled on the throne. Lightbringer stood still as the guards walked out, then bucked the heavy door as the servant was leaving, causing her to yelp in fear. Luna extended a wisp of magic, preventing the door from swinging back and forth, and finally holding it shut.

“So, you’re back on your hooves,” she said with a small smile. “Good.”

“And you’re in charge, it seems,” said Lightbringer, approaching the throne. “Just how did that happen? Did they get Gloria?”

Luna nodded, raising a glass from the abandoned tray to her lips. “I’m afraid so. I managed to kill Aurora, and grab Kindness in return. Also, we’re no longer bound by Gloria’s indecisiveness, so it’s not all bad.”

Lightbringer walked closer to the throne. “Envy… do you realise just what you’re saying?”

Luna’s smile disappeared in an instant. “Don’t call me that. And just what is wrong with my statement?”

“I’ll tell you what,” replied Lightbringer. “One of ours has been captured, and you’re sitting here all happy with your drink, because now you get to be the pretty princess with nopony to push you around?”

“Been there, done that,” scoffed Luna. “I spent a thousand years imprisoned, and when I came back, nothing had changed. You should see that too. As long as they don’t get us all, and they won’t as long as Eve stays on top of her game, being sealed changes nothing. This merry game of violence you love so much can continue forever… unless we finally start playing the long game.”

“Meaning… another harebrained scheme?” asked Light, snorting with derision.

“Oh, you think so?” said Luna, taking a sip. “You’re the one to talk. But no. It’s mostly very simple. We just need to use what we have learned from past failures, and exploit the new opportunities that have arisen.”

“Which is?” For the first time since he entered the throne room, Lightbringer looked at Luna with interest.

“Obsidian for one thing,” replied Luna. “He’s here. After four thousand years, our former companion opposes us directly. Many epic battles await us, don’t they? But whatever he is, he’s not an Element anymore, nor is he one of us. Once he dies, and he will, he’ll be out of our manes for good. No more mister timeless oracle training the Elements to oppose us. If they kill or seal us, we come back. If we kill them, there will be new ones. But if we go to Nevercrest and collapse the bloody sanctuary like we should have ages ago, they won’t rebuild it. If we destroy the Crystal Empire, and with their meddling we can finally stop pulling our punches, it will be gone for good. No more impenetrable barrier. Equestria will be a mess when we’re done, but some problems will be solved forever. And eventually, we will come out on top.”

Lightbringer reared a bit, bringing his hooves into the floor in a sarcastic applause. “Oh, what a speech. Such a brilliant plan. Except for one tiny detail. The bloody pattern gun that can turn us vegetative forever.”

Luna stared into the eye slits of his helmet, threw the empty glass in annoyance, breaking it upon the wall, and grabbed another one from the tray. “Another one of Gloria’s blunders. Yes, it’s dangerous. But the one they had was broken in the last fight. They will fix it eventually… but Eve already has a plan to get rid of the meddlesome doctor. Once she’s out of the way, there will be nopony but us with the knowledge to build the thing. We might keep some hidden in case they’re needed in the future, much safer than unleashing the Elements again like Gloria did. But rest assured, the technology will never again be used by mortals.”

“A plan, eh?” Lightbringer exhaled, calming down a bit. “Just what is she planning? It had better be good. I don’t want them to fix the emitter, and test it on Gloria.”

Luna rolled her eyes. “You know Eve. Always hidden, but always a show-off. ‘You’ll know it when you see it. You can’t spoil the surprise, if you don’t know.’ I told her my plans, and she said it won’t disrupt hers, so right now I’m waiting. Oh, that reminds me. Eve said she was working on a new body modification that would prevent crucial host bodies from dying. Might come in useful. Do you think you’d like to try it? You go through bodies like I go through clothes.”

“And stay alive as a crippled heap of broken pieces?” Lightbringer shook his head. “I’d rather die, and start over. But that’s not important now. Kindness. What did you do with her? We both know they’ll be coming for her, so I bet this is a part of that newest plan of yours.”

The princess smirked. “Well guessed. The first thing I did after bringing her here was separate the mare from the necklace. Eve still has some tricks left to keep it hidden and safe. Then I sent her to the Crystal Empire. She can be the bait there, far enough that the blasted amulet won’t come flying to her the first moment she cries over somepony.”

“The Crystal Empire?” Lightbringer’s helmet covered his facial expression completely, but there was a hint of confusion in his voice. “Why there? Neither of us could get there fast enough if anything happens, even if I wanted to see it ever again.” He tilted his head in thought. “There is nothing there that could threaten them, so unless Eve had a lab prepared to modify the girl, they will come out unscathed… Ah, you don’t even want to hurt them, do you? You just hope they fight whatever trap you prepared for them, and end up wrecking the place beyond repair. You must feel so smart now… So what is it you prepared for them there? The soldiers won’t do a thing to them at this stage. The magic of the tower…”

Lightbringer paused. “You’re doing it again, aren’t you? The guy you set in command there, it’s the guard captain who fell apart after his princess got killed, isn’t he?”

“Captain North Star, yes,” replied Luna. “Very eager to redeem himself.”

“So, you put a nut case in charge of the tower, and now the magic is making it worse. He’ll get everypony killed trying to please you.”

“One thing he’s still good for,” replied Luna with a smirk. “That failure is one of the reasons we’re in this mess now.”

Lightbringer slumped, looking down at the ground. “So, this is your genius plan? Give some ten bit officer the power over the Crystal Empire, and hope it will make him a challenge to the remaining Elements? To Obsidian?”

“He doesn’t have to beat them,” replied Luna, “as long as they destroy the Crystal Empire in the process.”

Lightbringer rose, towering over the throne. “Envy, you moron. You put the only pony they absolutely had to save in the one place they could turn into an impenetrable fortress. By tomorrow they will be back together, safe behind the barrier, with us stuck on the outside, back at square one, except without Gloria, or a way to get in again.”

Luna rose from her throne. “I told you not to call me that! I have things under control!”

Lightbringer stood face to face with her, his angry snorts audible through the helmet. “What makes you think that patsy of yours will even put a scratch on them?”

Luna’s angry expression was replaced by a smug grin. “I gave him Ambition.”

***

“We haven’t got much detail yet,” said Chrysalis, looking over the table at the Elements, who had just got into the room, “but apparently there was a fight between the Shattered.”

“What?” Applejack gave the changeling queen an incredulous look. “But why would they fight each other?”

“Perhaps it was a matter of who takes command after Arrogance?” suggested Twilight.

“Whatever the case,” continued Chrysalis, “the palace was wrecked again, and Envy was injured. Also, Hate left Canterlot, and is flying towards the Crystal Empire now. There might be a need to reevaluate our plans.”

“How soon will he be there?” asked Dash.

“Our scouts have lost sight of him,” said Chrysalis. “But at the speed he was moving when he left, we have half an hour at most. I have already sent the attack force through Queen’s Gate to start getting through the barrier.”

“Are we sure it’s not a ruse to force our hoof?” asked Obsidian.

“We aren’t,” replied Pierce. “How could we be?” 

“So, either they’re fighting each other at the worst possible moment, or we’ll be running straight into a trap.” said Obsidian. “In that case… I propose we split up.”

“What?” Twilight stared at him over the table. "If it’s a trap, we need all our power, yours too.”

“If it’s a trap,” replied Obsidian, “you’ll be walking into it anyway. Perhaps me not being there will be the one thing they won’t predict. And if it isn’t, and it’s Hate being Hate, we have an opening that might not show up again soon.”

“So, what’s the plan?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“You go to the Crystal Empire with the changelings,” said Obsidian. “Something violent is about to happen there, and you need to make sure Fluttershy doesn’t perish in the crossfire. I guess it’s time I put my money where my mouth is, and trusted you to do the impossible. Meanwhile, I’ll take Dr. Bluebonnet, and go to Canterlot.”

Bluebonnet gave him a confused look. “What? Why?” 

“I want to infiltrate the labs again,” explained Obsidian. “They would have changed the security codes after you defected, but they wouldn’t have the time to change much else. You’ll be my guide in as I examine the situation.”

“You can’t take her!” protested Pierce. “It’s too dangerous! Take me if you have to. I know the labs too.” 

“Yes, you do,” said Obsidian. “But you still haven’t fully recovered, and you have no scientific knowledge. I don’t need help fighting my way in. I need somepony who can take a look inside, and see opportunities as they arise. Our primary objective is to find out what happened to Envy. If she’s not there, we’ll warn you. Our mirror got broken in the last fight, but one of your officers… Maska, was it? She told me you have a spare,” he finished, turning towards Chrysalis.

“We do,” nodded the Queen. “So, if she’s there?”

“Our goal isn’t to fight Envy,” said Obsidian. “If she’s there, recovering, we’ll retreat, and report. But if she isn’t… that means you’ll have to deal with her in the Crystal Empire, but that makes the labs an easier target. In that case, we’ll try to break in, and recover Kindness.”

Pierce shook his head. “This is crazy. You can’t just-”

“I can,” Interrupted Obsidian, glaring at him. “I will use a remote link spell. That way she won’t have to go all the way in with me. I promise to keep her safe. Or I can go there alone, and hope for the best. What do you say, doctor?”  

“I…” Bluebonnet hesitated. “I will go. I’ve helped Twilight with my knowledge as much as I could, and…”

“You don’t have to do this,” said Pierce.

“No, I do,” replied Bluebonnet. “You’re all risking your lives to win this, so I too must do my part. The fate of the world is at stake, and every little bit might make a difference.”

Pierce snorted angrily. “This is stupid. Won’t anypony tell her it’s stupid?” he said, looking around the table.

“We’ve done plenty of reckless stuff,” said Pinkie Pie. “And you can’t always be… reckfull? There’s no way to play a war safe.”

“What matters is if it works,” said Rarity. “Will it be worth the risk?” 

“You heard Twilight today, didn’t you?” said Obsidian. “You need Kindness to end the war. And if Envy is not in Canterlot, an advance warning might be a life or death difference for you.”

He reared, and put his hooves on the table. “You can teleport the two of us to Canterlot, while you go to the Crystal Empire to save your friend, and Pierce stays here to make sure the children are safe and unafraid in your absence. You know how important it is, despite appearances,” he said, turning towards Pierce. “Or we can spend another ten minutes arguing about it, and then you will arrive too late. So, what say you?”

***

Lightbringer was flying like a bullet, night air rushing against his armor.

In his mind the events of the previous hour replayed again and again: Luna’s smug grin blurring from the speed when his blow connected, the back wall of the throne room exploding into pieces of marble. His own angry shouting as he pushed the surprised alicorn through room after room. There were some guards who tried to stop him when he stood over Envy, still screaming at the accursed moron, brave pegasi who turned into bloody smears for interrupting him. 

He gritted his teeth, stopping himself from wasting his breath on swearing loudly once more. At this speed it would really be nothing but a waste of air. Instead he looked ahead, where a distant red light was already appearing on the horizon. There is a barrier again, isn’t there? If he doesn’t let me in, I’ll have to find a way to break through. Then I’ll kill him, and put an end to this. If Absinthe wants it gone that badly, I’ll just kill everypony, and smash the place house by house.

He’s probably in the throne room, all surrounded by black crystals. I wonder if Kindness is there too. Would he keep her chained to the throne? I will probably have to kill her too...

He blanked out for a moment, his train of thought stopped, even as his speed remained unchanged. Why do I even care about her? How many bearers have I killed already? And she doesn’t even look like Gentle Touch, so what gives?

The memory of their first meeting resurfaced, him covered with blood of the zebras, standing over her gravely injured friend, she horrified, but still unflinching, determined to break up the fight at all costs.

“This has gone far enough. Why do you even do that? Do you… enjoy… THIS? ‘Let’s tear each other to shreds?’ Do you really WANT to be a monster!?”

Of course I do. Of course I don’t. It’s not like I have a choice, do I? Ponies piss me off, so I crush them! When has it ever worked out for me to try anything else? 

He could now clearly see the Empire in the distance, a red bubble surrounding it like an angry boil, but he paid it no mind, lost in his inner world.

Gentle Touch would so hate me if she saw me now. No, she wouldn’t, would she? She’d be worried, and disappointed, and I would do all the hating myself.  She was just like that the first time we met, wasn’t she?

Another memory resurfaced, a small, fanged pegasus mare leaping between two fighting colts, trying to break up a fight, and getting bucked in the face for her trouble. Her standing in front of them, cheek already swelling, visibly trying not to cry from the pain, but standing her ground because them not fighting each other on the first day was just that important.

“Just why are you doing this? To show how strong you are? How brave? You’re not enemies for crying out loud. We need to stick together. We can’t help each other get through this if we start fighting.”

It’s not her looks, even the fur is a different shade. It’s not really her voice either. So why? Why does she seem so familiar? Her body language? Her conviction? I’ve met a lot of stubborn mares in my life. Killed most of them. So why is she so special? She bears Kindness like Gentle Touch should’ve, but I’ve killed Kindness before too, and I couldn’t even take a proper swing at this one. No, I didn’t want to. Because she reminds me of her so much. 
 
The red dome was right in front of him. A part of his brain responsible for flight noticed the black crystal pinnacles growing on the central tower, and all over the city, the confirmation of his analysis.

She can’t be Gentle Touch. Gentle Touch is dead. She has been for four thousand years. So why do I feel like it’s her? Or perhaps I just want it to be her? I wish it was her?

“WHAT IS SO WRONG ABOUT ME WISHING IT WAS HER!?”

He hit the ground like an artillery shell, sending a cloud of dirt flying as he tore a trench through the soil. For a moment he stayed there, breathing heavily.

“Eve almost quit on us over that lover boy of hers, and nopony even mentions that anymore…”

Slowly, he rose, a pulse of his power pushing the dirt away from his armor. He knew it wasn’t enough - the loose earth fell away, but the dust-caked blood he brought from Canterlot was still stuck in the crevices of his armor. Not that it mattered. Either his priority password would get him in, or it wouldn’t matter how he looked.

Looking around, he confirmed that he had landed in what had been the siege camp. Some signs of the army camping there were still visible, and the crystals marking the entrance could be seen in the distance, the red light of the barrier outlining them in the night. 

They must have heard me land. They will be waiting. Unless the freak comes out to welcome me personally. Now, where would he be holding her? Not a throne room at this hour, too many routes of escape if she pulled something. Underground? No, the Elements escaped underground when they were leaving. It would be too easy to rescue her. That leaves the upper palace.

His mind calming down after the momentary outburst, he skimmed through the memories of how the Crystal Tower had looked under his rule. The floor plans had all the clues if one had the experience to know what to look for. 

He would stay away from dimensional pockets. If he doesn’t know the tricks, he wouldn’t trust those. That leaves regular space. Something far enough from the entrances that the intruders have to go past him to get in, but close enough that he can get there under a minute. Not the pinnacle then.  If he’s good at teleporting, it could be the top floor magic room - meters of solid crystal to go through. But if he isn’t? I bet he’s using the rooms above the main floor, like I had. Now, how should I go about getting there?

He approached the gate, two guards looking at him from the other side. Their faces were unreadable, but he knew those rigid poses. 

So far already, huh? Absinthe really knows how to make a mess of things. 

It was just as when he had done it, but worse for being done by some random pony, maliciously gifted with more power than he could handle. A mockery of what had happened to him. In a second, Lightbringer hated the place twice as much as he already had.

He walked all the way to the barrier, and extended his armored hoof to tap on it. He felt a spark of pain when his pattern emanation collided with the magical shield.

What an idiot, he thought, grinning under the helmet. The spell is cast inwards. This is not a shield, but a cage, to keep everypony in. With my level of power, I could just rip through it from this side if I wanted. 

Blowing the dust off himself once more, he gestured towards the unicorn guards.

“Who goes there!?” asked one of them briskly.

Lightbringer folded his wings, and met the guard’s gaze. The eyes looked blurred, and he knew what it meant - a glow of the control spell in the pupils, distorted by the red light of the barrier. 

He took a breath. “Special agent Lightbringer,” he recited. “Emergency entry password: morning star.”

And now we wait.

The guard didn’t move. He didn’t ask for clarification, or made a move to consult a higher-up about the password and whether it was valid. 

Is he going to just stand here, or has he relied the news to North Star directly? How can I improve my chances here? He is obsessed with…

Lightbringer smiled under his helmet. “I bring an urgent message from Princess Luna, to pass directly to the commanding officer.”

Three more seconds passed, and the guard twitched, moving aside, and pointing his horn at the barrier.

“You may enter,” he said, with a voice not entirely his own. He cast a spell, the magic not entirely his own either, and the small section of the barrier between the two pillars began to thin. 

Lightbringer walked forward, shrugging as his pattern field caused the magic to hiss and spark in contact with his armor. So, he hasn’t yet gotten used to speaking through slaves, he thought. He doesn’t consider it as speaking personally, and he hasn’t teleported here yet, so plan A.

There was no gesture to warn of the attack, no shifting of weight or flexing of muscles to telegraph the leap forward. One moment Lightbringer was striding purposefully through the entrance, a split second later he was propelled forward with blurring speed, striking like a wrecking ball, causing the two guards to be flung aside, only the splatters of blood on his armor indicating the impact. He finished the step and pushed slightly off the ground with his hoof, a gesture that propelled him through the air towards the sky above the tower.

He knows he’s under attack, but not how, he thought. He’ll probably rush to the gate as soon as he’s ready to fight. I should have enough time. 

He slowed down, opening his wings, and soaring above the tower. It looked just as it had back when he ruled it. 

Just like when I was… this. He felt bile rising in his throat, and something else, something that didn’t have the mind to remember the facts, but remembered the feelings - being free, being in control, the sheer, savage joy of reaching around him with unlimited power, changing his surroundings at his whim. He chose to ignore it for the moment. There was a job to do.

I can feel the defense spells from here. The outer walls thickened and reinforced. This is a fortress now. In that case…

He swooped down, aiming for the balcony. He felt a layer of defense spells try and fail to stop him, the invisible wall bursting like a bubble when he hit it. Then a rampart of black crystal spikes erupted from the walls to bar his entry. He broke through them with brute force, the crystals shattering, leaving only scratches on his armor. He landed on all fours, and slid inside over the smooth floor. 

The inner walls aren’t that reinforced.

He leapt up towards the ceiling. There wasn’t enough space to build up speed, but that was not a problem for him. He burst through the crystal in his way, landing in the corridor above. A single guard lifted a spear at him, a helpful indication of the only door on that floor that was worth guarding. Lightbringer dashed forward, leaning low, breaking the weapon on his armored forehead, and then striking the guard with a force that made the pony’s ribcage cave in. 

He turned to take a look at the door. There was a strong magical aura to it, but the spell offered no resistance as he pushed against it. It’s pointed inwards. Must be a trap intended to hit her if somepony tries to save her. Devious idea, pathetic execution.

He leaned against the door, pushing against it with a wave of pattern, smothering the spell before it could activate, then pushed harder, until the crystal frame gave way, the reinforced metal hinges breaking out of the wall. Lightbringer stepped over the door as it fell, peering inside.

“There you are.”

She really was there, just as he had predicted, in a cell that, apart from the fresh crystal rubble, looked eerily spotless, as if obsessively cleaned. She was hanging from a wall, suspended on multiple chains that supported her body just enough to not dislocate her limbs. The first impact in the tower must have woken her up, and though she didn’t look quite lucid, a look of recognition appeared on her face when he entered.

“Yes,” she said weakly. She was damaged, Lightbringer noticed at once. There were no obvious injuries, apart from a long scratch that must have been caused by a crystal shard from him breaking the door. But somepony had cut her tail short, and shaved her mane nearly entirely off. An overzealous search, or calculated abuse? There were more signs, less obvious. Matted fur that smelled of stress-sweat. Bags under her eyes, much earlier than could have been caused by sleep deprivation. Ah, no ‘physical’ damage it is.

“He broke into your mind, didn’t he?” said Lightbrinbger.

A pair of bright pink eyes rose to look up and down his armor. “Yes…” managed Fluttershy. “It was hor…”

She trailed off as her eyebrows rose. If she still had visible pupils, Lightbringer knew they would have grown.

“You… killed somepony again, didn’t you?” asked Fluttershy, still weakly, but much more lucidly than just seconds before. “Why?”

Lightbringer felt his jaw clench. “Got in my way. Pissed me off. I’m here to kill everypony. Why do you care? Shouldn’t you worry about yourself instead? You’re trapped here, powerless. You’ve been tortured. It was North Star, wasn’t it?”

Fluttershy blinked, as if trying to wake herself up, or get an unpleasant image out of her eyes. “He did… he wanted to know where Twilight was, but… more than that… he just hates me. He needs help.”

“What?” Lightbringer stared at her in surprise. “Help?”

“Yes,” replied Fluttershy. “This place… that amulet he’s wearing. It’s driving him mad. It’s not his fault. He only wanted to… protect all that was dear to him… but then everything went wrong. You know how it feels, don’t you?”

A hoof flew past her head, splitting shards of black crystal off the wall. Fluttershy yelped in sudden fright, but then met Lightbringer’s gaze once more.

An angry snort escaped his helmet. “What are you, Empathy? You aren’t. Eve was, and she blew it. So don’t try to analyse me. You forget who you’re talking to,” he barked. “I’m Hate, and you’re just a-”

“Pony,” finished Fluttershy. “Just that. When ponies suffer, I want to help them. There’s nothing more to it.”

Lightbringer snarled under his helmet. “And why… do you think they need it? Why do you think anypony needs your help?”

For the first time, Fluttershy lowered her gaze. “Because… I can hear the pain in every angry scream.”

There was a moment of silence: Fluttershy said nothing more, and Lightbringer just stood there, pulled at by opposing impulses. He wanted to laugh, he wanted to scream, he wanted to deride, to bitterly remind her that such sympathy for the enemy was what got her killed the first time round. In the end he settled for leaning closer, his huge armored head nearly touching hers. He knew his time was up - he could feel the energy build up around him, and the room was filled with a red glow, pinpricks of deep red light moving inside the dark walls. He recognized them for what they were, the remote eyes of the tyrant, who had finally figured out the diversion. 

“I’m proud of you, Gentle,” he whispered, before turning away from her, just as Captain North Star strode into the cell. “Took you long enough,” he said with a sneer, taking a fighting stance. 

“So, you are the traitor that invaded my fortress,” said North Star coldly. “And alone too? Where are the Elements?”

His armor was polished to a sheen, but it only created more contrast for his darkened fur, the black and red amulet around his neck, and the sinister red glow in his eyes. A miasma of shifting, malevolent darkness swirled around him.

Is this how I used to be? thought Lightbringer. Of course it is. He could feel the power already stirring within him, eager to bite into this wretched impostor, and rip the heart from his rib cage for reenacting his greatest fall in centuries. 

“You know,” he said, advancing towards North Star, his mind already running the calculations for the best angle of attack,“I’ve only just seen you, and I already hate you. The lady here was begging me to help you, but the only help I can think of is putting you out of your-”

He felt the impulse coming, but there was no way to dodge; his only defense to make himself immovable and let the blows shatter against his armor. The room filled with crystal spikes and tendrils of darkness, leaving him no space to escape. He could hear Fluttershy’s frightened scream over the crash of crystals on his plates.

“I asked you a question, traitor!” barked North Star. His power lashed out in more tendrils, wrapping around Lightbringer, even as his pattern aura kept dissolving them one by one. “On second thought, don’t speak. The Elements have to come here sooner or later, and until they do, I will peel this armor open, and then your mind. Then I will have all the answers I need. I can work on you both until she finally stops spouting nonsense.”

His expression didn’t change, still cold and disdainful, but the light in his eyes intensified, and the fur around them turned midnight black, the color spreading over his coat like veins of darkness. Lightbringer struggled against his bonds, but the flow of magic pushed back his power. He could smell his own fur burning under the armor, as the opposing energies collided around him. The tendrils couldn’t break the armor, but they could push into joints. After a moment they managed to disconnect the helmet, and pull it off his head.

“Stop! Don’t do this!” shouted Fluttershy behind his back. 

Without moving, North Star lashed out with one more tendril, reaching through the thicket of crystals, and wrapping her face shut. “Silence, wretch! No more words from you either. Not until I make you ready to confess to Princess Luna.”

“Princess Luna?” Lightbringer grinned through the pain, then laughed loudly, his voice reverberating through the corridor outside. There, you stupid bastard, focus on me instead. “You really think she’ll be grateful to you, don’t you?” A tendril tried to wrap around his muzzle, but he managed to dispel it before it silenced him. “You naive, pathetic…”

“... Usurper,” he finished, staring into North Star's eyes, and in that moment he knew what was coming. The power inside him rose, a wave of boiling, frothing rage just below the surface of his skin. His pattern defences disappeared, and the magical tendrils instantly bit through his armor, searing his flesh, but he didn’t care about the pain anymore. 

“She sent you here to burn, to turn this place to ash, and die with it! That’s all she finds you good for, you-”

His voice disappeared in a primal roar of pain, as a magical tendril wrapped around his head, and stabbed into his right eye, burning it out.

North Star’s cold facade dropped, his own face twisting in fury, the blackness consuming his fur and melding with the dark cloud billowing around him. “And for that lie…” he hissed, “I will have to peel away your hide as well…”

There was a flash of deep purple, and the tendril grabbing Lightbringer’s face disappeared, disintegrated from the tip onwards, as his eye socket filled with black fire. He was smoking, but no longer from the magical burns - instead, it was now the heat of his own power that caused pressure to hiss through the cracks in his armor, surrounding him with a black cloud of his own. 

He flashed North Star one last grin - wide, savage, and inequine. In the last semi-lucid moment, he used what was left of his self control to speak coherently for a second longer.

“Try it.”
> Chapter 49: The Gift
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So, this is it?” 

Twilight looked at the hole at the end of the narrow tunnel. It was a ring of crystal barely wide enough for a pony to squeeze through. And right now it was pulsing between black and red.

“It would get filled by the barrier if it were any bigger,” explained Chrysalis. “We had to be very careful excavating it.” 

She climbed forward and entered the hole, transforming into a monstrous centipede to get through smoothly.

Twilight followed her, but rather than move through physically, she teleported herself, Applejack and Rainbow Dash through the hole, coming up in an empty space in the tunnel on the other side.

As Rarity approached the passage next, visibly unsure what to do, Pinkie Pie flashed with blue light, and with a mischievous grin she pounced at her from behind, the two squeezing into the hole together, and then shooting out on the other side with a loud ‘pop’. The girls looked behind them as the changeling reinforcements following them in a long, chittering line, then at Chrysalis.

“So, what do we do now?” asked Rarity.

“Now we take the tunnels back to the stadium,” explained the queen. “The main strike force is already topside, and-”

The light of the wall crystals intensified suddenly, and there was a slight vibration going through the tunnel. Pinkie Pie looked wide-eyed towards the ceiling, mouth agape.

“We’re too late,” she said, to nopony in particular. “It has begun.”

Everypony followed her gaze. The changelings rushed forward, their lithe forms pushing through the hole with ease. Dash spread her wings, but before she could rush up the tunnel, Twilight caught her with her magic. 

“No time for that!” she shouted. “Everypony around me! Pinkie, you aim us!” 

Her friends wasted no time forming around her, and Queen Chrysalis quickly followed suit. Pinkie closed her eyes in concentration, and after a second everypony vanished.

***

The spell landed them in the main plaza, right in front of the palace balcony. As they looked around their surroundings, cast in the red light of the barrier surrounding the city, the night air was shaken by a deafening roar. Above them, two huge black clouds clashed: one a shifting monster of black and purple flame, the other a swirling mass of black shadow shot with red lightning. 

“It’s Hate,” gasped Twilight. “And… is that thing North Star?”

“They both kind of look like Sombra,” said Rainbow Dash. She looked away from the struggling monsters and towards the tower, where a large, irregular hole gaped in the wall above the balcony. “Fluttershy!” she called in sudden fright, leaping into the air to fly there, her magic forming a glowing armor of red light. 

Twilight wanted to stop her, but right then the two clouds clashed violently, and Hate was sent flying towards the ground. 

“Look out!” called Pinkie Pie, an umbrella of blue light popping over the group, pushing away a black fireball that would have landed on Applejack. Hate himself fell over the city, outside the square. Buildings exploded into burning crystal shards as the giant flame beast churned back into a four-legged shape. Everypony froze, staring at the devastation.

Then Rarity pointed her hoof between the buildings and screamed: “There are ponies there!”

“They keep everypony close to keep an eye on them,” explained Chrysalis. “The plan was to get them out, but-”

The cloud of shadows pulsed, and a rain of black lightning fell upon Hate. The beast responded with a roar so loud it hit his enemy as a visible shockwave, blowing past him, and slamming against the tower, shattering the palace balcony and sending it to the plaza below. Twilight formed a bubble to shield her friends as it came crashing down, pieces of crystal flying everywhere.

“Why are they fighting each other!?” shouted Applejack over the noise. 

“Doesn’t matter!” replied Twilight. “We need to stop them before they destroy everything! Chrysalis? We need to act now!”

“Agreed,” nodded Chrysalis, spreading her wings and taking to the air. 

“Halt right there!” came a shout. Three Equestrian soldiers were charging at them through the plaza, oblivious to the surrounding chaos, red lights glowing in their eyes.

Chrysalis sighted, cast a spell that surrounded her muzzle with green light, and then threw up in her mouth and spat three times. Three nets of stretchy resin flew at her assailants, sending them rolling back hopelessly tangled in sticky strands. Chrysalis rose higher, wings vibrating, and called in a loud, reverberating voice.

“CHANGELINGS! THE SITUATION HAS COMPLICATED, BUT YOUR ORDERS STAND! WE PROCEED AS PLANNED!”

Instantly there was a loud buzz, and dozens of changelings appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Wherever Equestrian soldiers were out in the open, they were tackled by black, chitinous shapes.

“We need to get everypony out of here!” shouted Pinkie Pie, looking up.

“That’s our job!” shouted back Chrysalis. “You focus on Fluttershy first!”

Above, the monsters clashed again. It was North Star’s turn to take a blow, but he didn’t crash to the ground, instead flattening and stretching over the buildings like an angry storm cloud. A moment later, the houses underneath exploded - over a dozen of them turning into a cloud of crystal blades that went flying back at Hate. 

“We need to get rid of them NOW!” shouted Applejack, her desperation infusing her words with the power of Honesty. 

Chrysalis looked down at her to answer, but before she could, there was an explosion of red light above her. 

Rainbow Dash emerged from the hole in the tower wall, pulling along Fluttershy wrapped in a cocoon of Loyalty’s magic. 

“She needs help!” she shouted, swooping down, landing her burden in the middle of the group.

Twilight looked down on Fluttershy, then closed her eyes in focus. From her tiara, a beam of white light shot, solidifying the cocoon spell. Inside, Fluttershy’s breathing calmed.

“What did they do to her?” asked Twilight, casting an angry glare towards North Star, just in time to get a glimpse of him - a blackened shape of a pony floating in the center of the dark cloud, which just sprouted a bunch of shadow tendrils, forming it into a blade, and chopping off one of Hate’s giant claws, sending the flaming appendage falling towards a thankfully empty street. Hate roared loudly in response, but did not seemed weakened otherwise, his aura replacing the limb with clump of giant snakes of living black flame. One of them instantly lashed out to swallow whole an unlucky changeling that found itself too close to the fight.

“Can you seal them!?” called Chrysalis from above.

“Three of us got Arrogance,” replied Twilight, “But she was nothing like this. We might manage to beat one… perhaps… but not both! We need the Heart!” 

A changeling flew towards the group, stopping in the air above them and bowing to the queen. “Your Majesty!” it called. “We need help. The ponies are panicked and resisting. We haven’t planned for… this!” it finished, waving its leg frantically towards the titanic clash that had just passed to the other side of the tower. 

"I understand,” said Chrysalis. She looked around at the battle, and then down at the Elements. “The Heart team is in position! We can begin now, but my warriors need your help saving the ponies! The guards are under strong mind control, but perhaps you can at least get throigh to the prisoners!”

“That we can do,” said Pinkie Pie with a smirk, looking Rarity in the eye. She then whipped out a giant megaphone. Rarity nodded and focused her power, channeling it into Applejack. 

Applejack took a deep breath. “LISTEN EVERYPONY!” she said into the megaphone. “WE’RE HERE TO SAVE YA! FOLLOW THE CHANGELINGS, THEY’RE HERE TO LEAD YOU TO SAFETY!”

“I hope this helps,” she said as Pinkie Pie packed the megaphone away. 

“Girls…” said Pinkie Pie, looking up, her ears drooping. “I think he heard us too!”

A shadow fell over the plaza. The dark cloud that was North Star wrapped itself around the top of the tower, a pair of giant, burning red eyes glaring down on the Elements. 

Twilight had just enough time to to pull up a barrier, her friends adding to her power as Chrysalis and her changeling soldier ducked for cover inside. Then the attack came: a pulse of red light that washed over their shield like a tidal wave, assaulting all the senses, painfully bright even through closed eyelids, a command turned pure energy.

“SERVE.”

Twilight felt her legs buckle. It was more than a royal order, or one of a beloved mother, or even that of a strict teacher. All of those could inspire instinctive obedience, making one act without thinking, but this power grabbed all of those instincts and wrenched them; there could be only obedience, for to defy such an order was a thing of pure terror. 

Twilight fell herself sink to her knees slowly, and then something else exploded outside her shield. It was unbearably loud, first like a deafening roar, then growing in pitch, resembling the sound of a giant fog horn. The crushing presence disappeared, and Twilight looked up, only to see something that made her reinforce her shield frantically.

Above her, North Star was falling down, wreathed in a corona of fire, surrounded by pieces of crystal the size of houses. A blast of magic from Hate's mouth had hit the tower, a stream of purple fire that focused and brightened into blazing crimson, now cutting the night sky in two. As Twilight’s shield turned from a dome to a spike, turning aside a huge crystal chunk falling right at her, the bright fire disappeared, and with her eyes recovering from the dazzle, she could get a glimpse of the devastation.

The entire top one third of the tower was simply gone. The part that was the current top was glowing white hot, and thin streams of lava were trickling down the walls. After a moment, she also realised that she could now see the stars - the barrier surrounding the city had fallen as well.

“We can’t let them destroy the tower!” shouted Chrysalis frantically, bringing everypony to their senses. “Quickly, to the Heart!” she continued, pointing her hoof at the spot underneath the building, marking the very center of the city.

“Serve…”

Without turning, Chrysalis bucked. The changeling pouncing at her back was flung away and rolled among the rubble, red lights going out in its eyes as it came to a stop. Chrysalis wasted no more time, casting a spell that teleported her and the Elements straight to their destination.

The moment they appeared, a dozen changelings emerged from their hiding spots to join them. Three crawled out of an underground passage hauling the Crystal Heart with them. The leading officer, a female changeling wearing an elaborate helmet, bowed to their ruler. “We’re ready, your Majesty, but there’s trouble incoming.”

“Yes, Maska?” asked Chrysalis.

“Report from Obsidian,” replied the officer. “He just called. Luna is on her way here. Teleport, unattended.”

Chrysalis furrowed her brow. “Even with a series of jumps, she’ll be here in moments. We can’t fight her too. We have to-”

She was interrupted by a powerful explosion. The two giant monsters rolled over the edge of the plaza, exchanging blows. This time Twilight could see little pony figures running away from the conflagration.

“Finish this now!” shouted Chrysalis. “Maska, take Fluttershy underground. Protect her with your life. I will help Rarity use the Heart to take over the Empire. You…” She looked at the four remaining Elements. “...Keep these two off our backs. The tower can’t fall.”

Silence fell as the ponies processed the gravity of the demand. Then there was another explosion. As one, the girls nodded their heads, their armor auras intensifying in brightness. 
“You can count on us,” said Twilight Sparkle.

***

Twilight, Pinkie Pie and Applejack were galloping across the plaza, Rainbow Dash flying above them. 

“It will be hard without Rarity,” said Applejack.

“No helping it,” replied Twilight. “She’s the best choice for using the Heart.”

“Why is the barrier gone?” asked Pinkie Pie. “Did they blow it up?”

“I don’t think so,” said Twilight. “The Shattered couldn’t destroy it for a millennium. I think North Star ended the spell to conserve power. He’s losing.”

“Well, we can’t wait for Hate to beat him!” shouted Rainbow Dash from above. “By then there will be no city left to save!”

“North Star is using the city’s power,” said Twilight. “They’ll both notice when Rarity replaces the Heart. I hate to say it, girls, but we’re gonna have to keep them focused on ourselves.”

Applejack nodded her head with a sad smile. “Let’s try to keep them to the parts of the city they’ve already wrecked.”

***

“So, no going back now,” whispered Rarity, as Chrysalis prepared to put the huge gemstone in its proper place. 

“Yes,” replied Chrysalis. Maska’s team had already left with Fluttershy, only two adjutants left. 

“Observe the South,” said the changeling queen. “Inform the Elements and us when Luna arrives.”

The two changelings saluted, and took off into the night sky.

“Now we begin,” said Chrysalis. “I’ll support you.”

Rarity swallowed loudly, and nodded. Then she grabbed the Heart with the magic of her horn and put it in the center of the city. Instantly, two stone spikes extended towards it from above and below. Rarity’s Element glowed, and the Heart shifted color to match its magic, glowing soft purple as it started to slowly rotate. Then it stopped, and turned black, and Rarity’s head exploded with piercing pain.

***

The city shook with a primal scream of anger and fear. North Star spun around, facing the tower, shooting a stream of black lightning at the small figures underneath. 

A wooden cutout of the tower fell back and caught fire. Pinkie stepped away from it and grinned.

Applejack looked at her sideways. “That’s mighty powerful.”

Pinkie Pie shrugged. “Well, I’m trying my… incoming!” She rolled aside as the next black lightning lashed at her, ripping a long trench through the crystal pavement.

North Star charged towards the tower, pulling his shadow body with strands of lightning, like an enormous, malformed spider on long spindly legs. Before he could get halfway there though, a monstrous horse head made of black flame grabbed him with its teeth. It pulled him back, flames gushing from between the teeth as it bit down, dragging him back towards Hate. The fallen guard captain retaliated by swinging his tendrils back at his foe, the two rolling over one another, levelling what was left of the ruined buildings in their path. 

“Everypony DUCK!” screamed Pinkie. An enormous crystal duck sculpture erupted from the ground in front of her, Applejack and Twilight quickly joining Pinkie behind it. Rainbow Dash was too far up, so she just opted to fly upwards instead, getting out of range just as Hate roared and exploded in North Star’s grip.

The blast consumed both Hate and North Star, and everything around them, from the ruined buildings to the last ponies that hadn’t managed to flee the area yet, including some unlucky, webbed guards that the changelings hadn’t yet managed to drag to safety.

As the giant purple fireball dissipated, the two combatants could be seen for a split second, two stallions wreathed in swirling darkness that was already expanding to once again form their monstrous bodies. Then the air rushed back in, and everything disappeared in a mushroom cloud of hot dust.

Twilight peered from behind her improvised cover. The statue was not shattered, though it did get cracked, and some pieces fell off at the edges.  “Where are they..?” She stared into the swirling dust, her magic forming a full helmet to protect her eyes and nose.

“Ahead!” called Pinkie. 

And there it was, a giant black flame churning to life once again. It didn’t bother with an equine shape, instead turning like a twister, the top leaning forward to aim at the tower. Purple light appeared inside the funnel, growing in intensity.

“Applejack! Hit it now!” screamed Twilight.

Applejack dove behind the statue, and bucked it with all her power. The huge piece of crystal went flying, as if it weren’t attached to the ground, trailing the orange light of Honesty’s magic as if slammed into the giant maw, turning what would have been a destructive straight blast into an explosion that sent a rain of fireballs over the plaza. 

Hate twisted in the air, the mouth closing on the statue and obliterating it. It was now looking directly at the Elements, but before it could breath fire at them, North Star emerged from the dust cloud, shooting a barrage of black lightning through the flames.

Is he trying to hit the real body inside? thought Twilight Sparkle. Aloud she shouted: “Don’t stand in the open! Keep them where they are and let them distract each other!”

She teleported out of the way of a lightning bolt randomly deflected towards her. She was close now, well within reach of both North Star and Hate, if they could spare her their attention, but no longer between them and the tower. The two were still fighting, but the tower was safe for the moment, neither monster capable of sparing the power to either reclaim or destroy it.

This can change any second,  she thought. We need to be able to react at any moment. She teleported again, to dodge one more fireball. It seemed Hate had changed his tactic, launching his fire in rapid bursts rather than powerful blasts. These were harder to stop, and many of them found their mark, but those that didn’t flew all over the city, some hitting the still undamaged areas. In the corner of her eye, she could see Rainbow Dash outrun one of the fireballs, dive into a street second before the impact, and come back into the air with some panicked crystal pony in her grip. One the other side, Pinkie Pie jumped high into the air with a huge tennis racket in her teeth, bouncing one of the projectiles back at Hate. 

“Will you two stop that!?” shouted Applejack below, her voice amplified by her power. She was the closest to the two monsters, and though they didn’t stop fighting to acknowledge her presence, some red eyes within North Star’s form turned in her direction.

“You’re destroying the city!” continued Applejack. “Hurting ponies!” She took a deeper breath.

“That’s wrong! That’s not how a pony should act!”

The mass of red eyes was now focused on her. A blast of red light came, but Applejack didn’t flinch, burning with her own power. “If you command me to say different, it will still be wrong!” she shouted.

The eyes shrunk, and the light dimmed.

“It’s working!” said Twilight in disbelief. 

But the fight did not stop. When North Star hesitated, Hate redoubled his efforts, ramming into him and pushing over him to get a clear shot at the tower. Three heads emerged from his mass on long necks, spitting fire towards the palace.

Rainbow Dash fell from the sky, an explosion of rainbow colors pushing one fireball off course. Pinkie Pie deflected another with her racket.

Twilight Sparkle teleported in the way of the last one, firing a blast of magic that countered the projectile while launching her backwards into the tower wall. At the last moment she teleported again, coming back to where she’d come from and rolling on the ground until she lost the momentum.

Applejack stomped on the ground, launching a chunk of the pavement into the air, then kicked it at Hate. “And you too! Stop doing that! You don’t have to be a monster! Nopony wants you to be!”

The heads reared back to spit again, but before they could, North Star struck back once more, and the shots went into the sky as both monsters rolled to the side. Applejack was about to shout something more, but then the black mass of Hate twisted, and a pair of flaming maws went straight at her, the long necks melting the ground underneath as they lashed forward.

“Applejack!” shouted Twilight. Her spell was instinctive, a teleport effect that grabbed Applejack and yanked her away from where the flaming jaws closed around her. The earth pony returned to existence at Twilight’s side and fell to the ground, screaming in pain - the black flame had eaten through her armor spells and was now consuming the coat on her back.

“Applejack, you’re reeeeeely hot!” shouted Pinkie Pie, landing next to her. Twilight looked at her in shock, but then chuckled involuntarily.

Applejack opened her eyes. “Pinkie… what…” she squeezed her eyes shut from the pain, but then chuckled too, and the flames went out. She sprang back to her hooves and looked at her back, still badly burned, but no longer hurting and quickly getting shielded by new armor. “That was so… crass. But it worked. Thanks.”

“Just don’t get hit again,” said Pinkie with a stern expression. “That joke gets old reeeaaal quick.”

***

“Why does it hurt so much!?” screamed Rarity, holding back tears. 

“He’s resisting you,” replied Chrysalis. Her horn glowed green, forming a line of magic that flowed towards Rarity’s head. “Let me handle some of the strain. We need to hurry.”

“I don’t know if I can,” gasped Rarity, looking at the blackened Heart with a pained expression.

“You can, or everypony dies,” said Chrysalis. Her light intensified.

Rarity breathed in deeply, closed her eyes, and pushed. The Heart glowed slightly and started rotating slowly, but Rarity swayed, gritting her teeth against the pain.

“We’re moving…” said Rarity. “It was so much easier last time.” She pushed harder, screamed, and lost concentration, falling to her knees. The Heart stopped moving, and blackened again. 

“Last time, there was no master,” said Chrysalis. There was a lot of strain in her voice, and when Rarity looked back at her, she was shocked to see tiny black crystals sprouting here and there across the changeling’s body. 

“Now, he’s resisting you, and all the crystal ponies’ fear and pain is his to use as power.”

Rarity turned away from her, and back to the Heart. “You’re right, we need to win this.” Biting her lip, she tried again, ignoring the tears trickling down her face. “Move, you stubborn thing…”

Outside the tower, something exploded repeatedly. Rarity pushed on, but once more her efforts were futile. She fell to the ground, gasping for breath. “There’s so much pain there... too much for both of us. There must be another way.”

Chrysalis shifted shape for a second, hissing as she broke the growing crystals from her flesh. “What do you suggest?”

“I was supposed to be the best for it, because I’m Generosity, aren’t I?” said Rarity. “The tower gathers the feelings from the ponies, and uses them as energy, and my power is all about sharing. But I can’t share… this! We need something good here, something the heart could resonate with. Something I could resonate with.”

“You’re making a good point,” said Chrysalis. “But where do we get anything but pain and fear here? The only ponies here are either enslaved, or running for their lives… and your friends are too busy fighting to help us.”

“What about the changelings?” asked Rarity. “Can they… share love?”

“We can feed each other,” replied Chrysalis, “Not very effectively, but perhaps…”

“But I saw a changeling do that!” shouted Rarity suddenly. “When the Elements were trapped in that tower a thousand years ago! Their Generosity was a changeling, and she used her power to get them more energy!”

Chrysalis looked at her wide-eyed. “So you think we could -”

“We can loop it!” shouted Rarity, looking into her eyes with a wide grin. “If they only sway the tower enough that the Heart can give me any power at all, I can multiply it, and share it back!”

Chrysalis returned her grin. “You’re just the kind of crazy we need right now.” She turned around, and her wings buzzed. Soon, the sound was returned from all around - changeling soldiers answering their queen’s call to gather around her. 

The first one dive-bombed underneath the tower, using his green aura to soften his fall, and slide across the crystal until he came to a stop in front of his queen. But when she met his gaze, he was the first to speak, bringing her news she didn’t want to hear.

***

“Envy is here!” 

Rainbow Dash turned in the air, facing the changeling who had shouted at her as she flew by. The soldier met her gaze, making sure she had her attention, and then pointed South and up. There was a point of silver light there, high in the sky, one that had only just appeared.

Dash looked down on the battle underneath. She could see her friends down there, all still alive, some miraculously so, as North Star and Hate kept flailing at each other, obliterating everything that came between them. Hate’s advantage was growing with every moment, and right now all that was stopping him from tearing the tower down was the Elements desperately distracting him whenever he was about to get a clear shot. Last time they did, he almost got Pinkie Pie, Dash saving her with a last second dive to push her out of the way - it was so close, if Dash wasn’t wrapped in Loyalty’s magic, her pinions would have caught fire. And now, there was another threat that needed to be handled.

I can’t be in two places at once! We’re spread too thin! she thought, looking up and down, biting her lip in frustration. She looked up once more, and then at the changeling. If Envy gets to the Heart, it’s over.

“Tell my friends, I’ll handle Envy.” 

She didn’t say anything more. There was no time to waste, and she couldn’t wait for a moment where shouting towards her friends would not distract them from the fight. I can only trust them, she thought as she flew towards the light in the sky. We all need to give our best to win. 

She let her power flare outward, a bright orb of red trailing a rainbow contrail. Luna was still where she had appeared, looking around the battlefield to get the full picture of the situation. Rainbow Dash could see her eyes turn towards her as she approached, just as she wanted. 

“Hey, you!” she shouted over the noise of the battle behind her. “Glad you showed up! You’ll pay for what you did!”

Luna raised an eyebrow, her mouth stretching into a condescending smile. “To you, little pony? Seriously?”

She leaned forward, pointing her horn at Rainbow Dash, who projected her defense in front of her, a stream of lightning striking her barriers, and spreading all around as it slid off. Rainbow glared at Luna, her anger clearly visible even despite the protective mask she created over her eyes. “Yes,” she said. “You have a lot to pay for.”

She flapped her wings, and lunged forward, clearing the gap between them in a heartbeat, but Luna teleported up, dodging the attack and falling at Dash from the sky. 

“What did you say!?” she jeered, as Dash barely dodged her counter with a desperate barrell roll. “It’s windy, and I can’t hear you!”

“I said, you’ll pay!” shouted Rainbow Dash, using her power to bounce back, rebounding off thin air to swing her wing at Luna, a blade of red light projected from the feathers forcing the princess to block. She responded with an explosion of lightning, forcing Dash back as she prepared for another clash.

“And you think you can take me on?” she said, baring her teeth. “Alone? It took three of you to fight me last time. And now you no longer have Aurora. You left her to die, remember!?”

“You…” Dash charged forward, screaming in anger. Luna raised her head, and shifted her wings, moving slightly aside. A beam of lightning shot from her horn, but not at Dash.

What? 

She hadn’t seen it before, but something in her mind stirred, a buried memory of some past Loyalty fighting the same foe. Breaking her angry charge, Dash acted on instinct, swerving away just as Luna swung her horn, the lightning still extending from it like a giant energy blade. Luna went into freefall, and twisted her body to instantly strike at a different angle, but Dash accelerated past her to get out of the attack arc. 

That was stupid. She almost got me. I need to focus. Get her attention.

She turned around and lit up again, spreading wide spectral feathers to make herself bigger and brighter. It’s just for show… I hope it does make me more intimidating. “I’ll get you for Aurora!” she shouted. “And for Spike! And the Wonderbolts!” Come on… focus on me. Keep trash-talking back. Pay no attention to the Heart or my friends…

The air resounded with a loud crackle. Dash braced herself as her outer protections dissolved from the lightning strike. Some of the shock got through, but her pegasus resistance was enough to deal with it. She dropped down, leaving behind an empty shell of protective barriers, and propelled herself forward. This time she got to Luna and managed to strike a blow, a double front kick that the Shattered had to block. Sparks flew, as their powers collided.

Luna let herself be flung back, allowing her metal bracers absorb the impact. She decelerated, and fired forward a ball lightning, forcing Dash into a swerve that prevented her from continuing the attack. “That’s a long list!” she said loudly. “For a bearer of Loyalty, you just keep failing ponies, don’t you?”

“I didn’t fail them!” shouted Dash as she charged again. She saw the lightning blade extend once more and managed to turn in the air to dodge it, but it put her just slightly out of range as she flew by - the wedge of magic she extended from the tip of her wing broke harmlessly against Luna’s block. “It’s not over yet!”

“Oh, but it is!” shouted back Luna. “You weren’t able to save them, and now they’re dead! And you... you’re facing me alone!” Her lightning disappeared, but then she teleported. Dash had just a moment to reorient her defences, projecting a spell in the shape of a shield, right before Luna bombarded her with bolts of magic. “I’ve been doing this for millennia, and against better ponies than you! A failed Loyalty will never beat me!”

“I’m not a failure!” Dash shouted, and her Element flared up, launching forward a red beam of magic. Luna shot a beam of her own, and for a moment the two ponies were left suspended in the air, pushing back and forth. 

“Of course you are!” replied Luna, the beautiful alicorn’s face twisted into an ugly sneer, the regal veneer of a princess all but gone. “Should I draw you a chart? Or better, should I show you?” She exchanged her beam for a shield, letting the incoming blast push her aside, then flew away, circling over the battlefield, teleporting away in short bursts as Dash tried to pursue her.

“Oh, would you look at this!” she shouted. “There are some ponies running away over there. And.. are these changelings!? Are they your friends too!?” She teleported once more, this time appearing behind Dash, a corona of lightning forming around her body. “Let’s see how many of them you will fail to save tonight!”

Dash turned and charged at her, but she knew she would be too late. She was fast, the fastest flier in all of Equestria. But she wasn’t faster than lightning. She saw a blinding light, once, twice, three times, the strands of electricity splitting above the ground to turn multiple moving shapes into blackened, immobile ones. She screamed, the sound lost in the roar of thunder, and she reached Luna, the two twisting in the air, as the alicorn expertly deflected the blade that extended from Rainbow’s hoof. 

Strike after strike was exchanged, with Dash pushing Luna back, but unable to strike a clean blow. Luna said something again, but the insult was lost on Dash, her ears still ringing from the thunder. Finally Luna pushed back and teleported, leaving the Element swinging angrily. By the time Dash located her, another stream of lightning struck the ground. “How about these ones!?” she jeered.

She’s killing them! To get to me! And she keeps teleporting. I need to be faster! thought Dash as she chased after Luna, her rainbow contrail replaced by a streak of red as she picked up more and more speed. “Pick on somepony your own size, monster!” she screamed, as she once again missed Luna by inches. 

Inside her head, the inherited fighting instincts connected to her senses, coldly analysing the situation: She hasn’t attacked Twilight, Pinkie or AJ. She must be avoiding Hate’s attention. She keeps switching powers. There’s a delay between teleporting and shooting lightning - she can’t use both at once. But those thoughts didn’t enter her stream of consciousness, the facts slotting themselves into the back of her mind.

“Hey, look at those!” shouted Luna, hovering over the plaza, where changelings were converging from all directions. “Looks like they’re still trying some last moment, desperate plan! Do they really think I’ll let them?”

The sky flashed. Dash sped forward, oblivious to anything else, the world blurring from the speed. There wasn’t even a rainboom this time - just a streak of red through the sky, as if a lightning bolt of her own, and then she was where she was needed. The fury of the thunderstorm struck right at her, flowing through the spell armor around her body, and into the earth, a bolt of white that left a small crater in the ground, but managed to miss every single changeling. Dash found herself flying blind, the magic that protected her eyes and ears momentarily cutting her from her senses. She could still smell though, and the familiar smell of ozone was joined by that of burning fur.

There was a source of energy above her. She swerved upwards to attack it, launching a red bolt of magic from her mouth. Luna deflected the spell, and then folded one wing, falling aside as Dash charged at her.

“Oh, that was loyal, I admit!” she jeered, “You make your own death long and painful, so they can live a minute more. Do you think you can do it again!?”

She teleported once more. Dash felt which direction she went. There were so many targets underneath her.

A swerve, magical acceleration, greater than flesh and bone should allow. The fury of the storm striking her once again.

Luna laughed. a cold, high-pitched laughter full of scorn, an aberration to the benevolent princess persona she had tried to maintain just days prior. “You’re getting better at this! I’d say you’ll become a legend, but the sad fact is, history is written by the victors! When all your friends are dead, I will make them all villains! And your name will be remembered as a curse, a supposed hero who betrayed and failed everypony!”

Keep talking, I need just a moment more…

Dash felt the power buildup before she saw it. There was a streak of red rushing forward. Then a blinding flash, and a deafening roar of thunder. The red aura protecting Rainbow Dash disappeared under the force of the blast, directing it safely to the ground, before flying apart in a shower of sparks.

Luna looked down, and cocked her eyebrow in surprise. The charred corpse she expected was nowhere to be found. The armor spell had been an empty shell.

“I didn’t fail anypony!” screamed Dash, flying straight at her, a new shield of red light already forming around the gemstone on her chest. 

Luna grinned. The pegasus charging right at her, with her defenses down, was too obvious a target. She didn’t teleport or blast away with lightning this time, merely leaned forward, aiming with her horn, a straight spear of blazing energy erupting from its tip. It slid aside just a bit, off the glowing Element, and through the metal collar around it, piercing through with so little resistance, it didn’t even stop the two mares from colliding with each other. Luna’s grin widened as she parried the blow of Rainbow’s front hooves, the two now flying horizontally with the pegasus’ momentum. “And that’s game.” Her light intensified, sending a powerful electric charge down the energy beam.

It didn’t go anywhere. Luna looked down her horn, only to find her blade dissolve from Loyalty’s aura. There was still a hole burned through Rainbow’s gorget, but the spike of lightning was no longer sticking through it, the power lashing wildly in all directions instead. Dash pushed on, and met Luna’s gaze, a pair of glowing red eyes with no visible pupils.
“They’re here,” growled Rainbow through gritted teeth, a bit of blood leaking from the corner of her mouth. “All with me!”

The red light expanded into a ball, encompassing both ponies. Luna turned off her lightning to try to teleport away, but by the time she did, Loyalty’s magic was too strong to power through. The buildings below zipped past, as the struggling fighters flew like a bullet, away from the city.

“A friend isn’t gone when dead,” continued Dash, straight in her face. “Only when you abandon them!"

Luna struck a couple blows, but for all her skill, her longer limbs had too little space to strike a telling blow in a grapple. Desperate, she bit into Dash, trying to hit the artery in the neck, but Rainbow only twisted in her grip, leaving her with just some hair and blood in her mouth. 

“YOU CAN’T KILL A SINGLE PONY!" Screamed Dash. “I CARRY THEIR DREAMS WITH ME!”

Something popped around the two of them, like a giant bubble, a ring of iridescent colors spreading in their wake. Luna turned away from the blinding light, trying to struggle free. The last thing she saw was the approaching glacier wall in their path.

***

“Everypony, get ready!” called Rarity.

The swarm had gathered around the Heart. Or rather, some fifty changelings did. Rarity wasn’t sure how many there had been at the beginning of the night. Some had to have returned underground, leading away as many ponies as they could. Some others were probably busy with subdued soldiers. That, or fallen in battle. How many changelings had Hate and North Star destroyed without even noticing? Rarity tried not to think about it. The battle outside still raged, the night sky roiling with storm clouds as the magical flames roared over the city. Chancing a glance towards where she knew her friends were, she spotted a wall of what looked like marshmallow, holding off the latest attack. Then a powerful bolt of lightning struck the plaza, briefly turning night into day. Rarity turned away and stared into the Heart.

“Focus on the Heart!” proclaimed Queen Chrysalis loudly. “Let it feed from your power! We will send it back to you! Keep going until she tells you to stop!” she finished, indicating her head towards Rarity.

The gathered changelings nodded in understanding, the same gesture eerily repeated by fifty heads. Chrysalis took a deep breath. “I’m ready too. It’s now or never.”

Rarity closed her eyes. She could feel the energies flowing around her. Behind her, Chrysalis, a beacon of power supporting hers, calm and focused. In front of her, the Heart, now a black blot in a pillar of darkness that was the tower. Motes of energy that were the changelings, dim and alien, surrounding her from all sides. 

She tried to clear her mind, but there was only so much she could do. She clenched her teeth and focused. Instantly the flow of energy around her shifted. She could feel the tiny streams of power, warm and gentle, flowing towards the Heart from all directions. She tried to touch them as she began a struggle to control the artifact, and the wave of darkness nearly exploded in her face. Just before the pain and horror could overwhelm her, she felt it draining away, Chrysalis pulling at the black tendrils, and dragging them in, only just managing to give Rarity some breathing space. There was good within the Heart, she knew, and now it was a matter of reaching deep enough to grab it. The changeling queen had given her that chance.

It’s like threading a needle… that hurts horribly… I need to focus… just a little… there!

It was not much, but so much more than just minutes before. Rarity smiled through the pain, as the Heart started turning slowly. She tugged at the helpful power she had managed to touch and then sent it downwards into her Element.

“The greatest gifts… are multiplied when shared.”

The purple light spread in all directions, slowly at first, a gentle beacon among the horrors raging in the darkness around. Rarity tried to direct it at the surrounding changelings, but found it too hard to maintain focus; she could only hope they would naturally feed on what she was giving them, and be able to return enough of it. 

“It’s working,” she heard Chrysalis behind her. The voice was raspy, and though Rarity could not turn around, she could clearly feel the pain in it. She spared just a bit of focus to feel the magic around her, and was horrified by what she felt - she had not realised it, because her own suffering did not increase, but she was meeting with resistance now, the evil suffusing the tower lashing back at them. Chrysalis was taking as much of it as she could, a black outline in the light dancing around Rarity.

“You’re hurt!” shouted Rarity over her shoulder. The light around her dimmed, and she realised that her focus had slipped a bit; the Heart didn’t stop turning, but the flow of power waned, and it took all of her remaining concentration not to lose it.

“Do your job, and I’ll do mine!” shouted Chrysalis back at her. “Everything depends on us now!”

“I’m trying!” replied Rarity. “But I don’t want you to-”

“Focus!” screamed Chrysalis. “This isn’t about me or you! The fate of the swarm rests on me, and I will not fail them!”

“All the ponies depend on me,” replied Rarity under her breath. She inhaled deeply and released a wave of magic, feeding the surrounding changelings with energy. Her body protested with splitting headache, but she managed to stay on her hooves and maintain the flow. Heavens, if it hurts me that much, what must she feel? We need to finish this fast.

Something exploded just outside the tower. Rarity could feel the changelings shudder instinctively, and the flow was disrupted once more, almost making the Heart slip out of her grasp. We’re running out of time, she realised, and the Heart is barely moving. 

“We need more power!” she gasped over the pain. 

“The changelings can’t provide any more,” replied Chrysalis. “We need to give them more power, or it won’t work.”

“I’m giving all I can!” shouted Rarity, desperation in her voice. “I don’t have any more to share!”

“Then we need to make more,” said the Queen. “I’ll show you how.”

There was a flash of green, and something hit Rarity from behind, a stream of energy that seemed to banish the pain from her mind. She was filled with a sense of purpose that wasn't entirely her own; it felt as if somepony was in the back seat of her head, looking through her eyes.

“Now, we will give them the greatest gift of all,” she heard Chrysalis whisper.

She wanted to ask what she meant, but an impulse of will directed all her attention to the link. Now that the pain had disappeared, all seemed obvious; the more she could give, the more she would get in return. Chrysalis expanded on her initial idea, showing her hidden reserves of her own strength she could draw upon, and instantly replenish, holding to just a spark of her own life at the core of her Element, while everything around her circulated through the changelings, the Heart, and back to her.

She gets it better than I do, thought Rarity, teaching me as if she were-

The understanding came in a brief moment, too brief for her brain to even put it into words. The Heart turned faster, shaking off a layer of black crust, and as it matched her energy signature, everything filled with purple light.

“Take good care of them for me.”

There was a loud roar outside, a monster realising that he had been defeated. The Heart spun like a spindle, and the light exploded in all directions, a solid wave of pure magic disintegrating the black crystals as it spread out. It washed over the gathered changelings, then the surrounding plaza, finally reaching the ruined buildings around it.

It slammed against Hate and North Star, blowing away the flames and darkness, and illuminating the two pony shapes within. They both hung in the air for a second, and then the power of the Heart overwhelmed them, their bodies breaking apart and turning into charcoal as the dark magic was forcefully purged through every pore. With a sound like breaking glass, the focus of Ambition shattered and disintegrated, its magic carried away in red wisps at the head of the expanding wave. As it reached the edges of the city, the magic turned solid, a purple barrier protecting all within from intruders.

Rarity felt it all, the power of the Heart now an extension of her own. She could feel the ruined buildings all over the city start to regrow, the magic causing the crystals to regenerate. She could feel the joy and relief of the ponies within, and knew that the magic she unleashed wasn't just hers and the changelings' – as soon as the light of hope shone, everypony instantly contributed to protecting their home. She could feel-

“Cristal.”

She turned around rapidly, stumbling slightly as she did so. Her limbs reacted weirdly, as if her legs had suddenly grown longer. Behind her...

There was a black crystal statue where Chrysalis had stood, looking back at her with a serene smile. It suddenly occurred to her the queen had grown shorter, no longer towering over her like she used to. Then, a breath later, the moment passed, and the statue crumbled to dust, blowing away in the wind and leaving Rarity alone, surrounded by a swarm of changelings.

“She... took everything into herself...” realised Rarity. She looked in panic at the crystalline bug ponies surrounding her. “I didn't mean to...” she said raising her hoof defensively.

It didn't look like her hoof. Her leg was longer and more slender than just moments before, and while it still had her snow white fur, now turned glossy and crystalline by the Heart’s magic, the hoof was dark purple, with slick chitinous shell extending all the way over the pastern, like an ornamental bracer. Rarity looked down on herself, and then whipped her head around, looking for anything she could use as a mirror, finally gazing at the Heart, now slowly rotating in front of her.

She was tall. Not as tall as Chrysalis had been, but slim and graceful like some of her prettiest customers. Looking at her reflection she saw that all of her legs had been similarly transformed. Her horn was dark purple too, longer and sharper, with a slight curve to it. Her eyes were glowing soft light to match the Generosity around her neck, two pools of purple with no visible pupils. And Generosity now had the shape of a heart. She turned around on the spot, to look at her rump. And sure enough, even her cutie mark had transformed.

“What's happened to me?” she asked to nopony in particular. “What has...”

“You have attuned the Heart to your will,” said one of the officers in the front row. She was transformed like all the others, but Rarity recognized her voice as Maska's. “As the Queen had predicted.”

Rarity considered the answer. “She knew it would happen like this? She knew she would...”

“We await your orders, your Majesty!” proclaimed Maska, kneeling down. There was a clink of hooves moving over crystal, and all the gathered changelings bowed.  
> Chapter 50: The Endgame
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“We've won.”

Twilight slumped to the ground, exhausted. She wasn't terribly injured – by some miracle she had avoided a direct hit through the whole battle, and when the magic of the Heart washed over her, the transformation healed all the minor cuts and bruises as it gave her body a more perfect, crystalline form. But inside she felt burned out. There was only so long one could keep their mind in perfect focus, dancing and dodging around attacks that threatened to reduce them to ash. Now her stomach was twisted in a painful knot as the adrenaline levels slowly returned to normal, and her mind was screaming for rest.

She forced herself to look around. Applejack was trotting to her side, her amber coat uneven in hue, betraying the burns that Pinkie's magic had patched over. She had lost her hat in the struggle, and looked too tired to even try to conjure one with magic. On the other side, Pinkie had plopped onto the ground, swaying slowly from side to side. It was her powers that kept the three of them alive most of the time, leaving Twilight amazed at what the pink pony mare could conjure – but that also meant she was the most drained of the three.

Three?

“Dash!?” Twilight jumped to her hooves, and looked frantically around. Sometime during the battle, her friend flew off to prevent Envy from joining the fight. Now she was nowhere to be seen.

Pinkie Pie perked up and looked around, her ears swiveling. There was a slight blue glow coming from her gem. “She went...” Pinkie hopped up, pirouetted several times, and suddenly stopped, standing on one hind leg, one front hoof pointing forward. “... thataway,” she said. Then the light of her Element faded, and she faceplanted, the short grunt of pain instantly turning into a loud snore.

***

Enigma appeared in an empty tunnel. He extended his senses as much as he dared, taking in his surroundings. There were wards there, on the edge of his perception, waiting for an intruder to walk through.

They did get in and out of here somehow, he thought. He risked another shift, moving 20 feet down the corridor. And there it was; a hole through which he could reach freely with his senses, indicating the absence of magic – something had cut through the layers of the alarm spells as it it was a wire fence.

Obsidian knows what he's doing, observed Enigma before venturing forward. He didn't move his legs at all, avoiding the sound of hooves on the stone floor. Instead, he just kept shifting, several feet at a time, taking just enough of a break between jumps to make sure he wasn't about to touch another layer of alarm spells.

There should be some guards by now, he thought. And sure enough, his spatial awareness detected a clumped distortion on the floor behind the corner. There was a body there, one of Eve's assistants, apparently killed with a spell that burned through the artificial pony's chin, stabbing up through the brain. Killed before he could raise the alarm... But his death wasn't noticed either, so he wasn't on guard duty. He actually moved his head to look around. I shouldn't have got that deep without having to at least bypass sentries. Is Eve so short on personnel? In that case, I should hurry up before phase two comes into effect.

He kept shifting for another minute, locating another layer of alarm spells, with another hole cut through them, getting to the main labs level. There he finally detected movement; a pair of guards were walking down the corridor, the metallic clinking indicating the presence of armor. One sentry golem, and one assistant, recognized Enigma. Could Eve be in that body? It's time to start checking.

He focused, and a foot wide block of stone disappeared from the wall beside him. It reappeared on the ceiling and fell, disappearing again and again, and building up momentum as it kept falling. Now. Enigma shifted, moving around the corner and coming face to face with the pair. The block appeared over them and struck like a falling anvil, compacting the empty helmet of the animated armor sentry. The assistant looked at Enigma in surprise, before opening his mouth to scream.

Default programming, thought Enigma. The crash of bending metal had already alerted everypony within hearing range. This body was unlikely to be Eve. And with no true soul, it had very little pattern resistance. Enigma focused, and the white pony gasped, his scream cut short, as his eyes bulged. A tiny red ball appeared in the air in front of him; the blood that Enigma had pulled out of the body, replacing it with a bubble of air. The assistant wobbled and fell over, the blockage cutting off the blood flow to his brain, taking him down in a second.

Enigma didn't wait for the body to be still. He was already on the move, shifting through walls, the stone block following him, constantly in motion, crashing through lab equipment like a giant hammer. A pair of assistants showed up, taking fighting stances.

Not Eve. It would be a waste to run towards me, decided Enigma, shifting the falling block to turn its momentum sideways, slamming into one of the ponies' temple with a force that crashed their heads together, sending both to the floor. Enigma felt around himself and found an empty space below. He shifted again, and ended up in a medical lab filled with large glass tubes where ponies destined to become replacement bodies floated suspended in healing liquid.

Here is my target.

He closed his eyes and focused, spreading his senses all around him. Small pieces of objects were located, anchored to his pattern ability, and shifted out of position. The lab exploded in a splashing wave of liquid and broken glass, the unconscious bodies spreading on the floor, the ponies doomed to drown as their suspended animation spells failed. There was only one pony left moving.

Enigma turned around. Dr. Stone was standing in the door. “What do you think you're doing?” she asked coldly.

“Wrecking equipment you won't replace without Gloria,” replied Enigma. “Denying you pre-modified bodies. Hoping to catch you, if I'm lucky.”

Out of nowhere, syringes shifted in around Dr. Stone, flying at her body. They stopped without making contact, and flew away, pushed off target by an invisible force that embedded them in the walls. 

That's magic, thought Enigma. Did she cover herself with amulets for protection, or is it just an elite guard? She is wearing something to conceal her aura, I can barely touch her.

“No such luck,” said Dr. Stone. “I’ve had enough intruders for tonight.”

She stepped forward, sighing in indignation at the sight of the twitching bodies around her. 

“This ends now.” She splashed with her hoof, hitting the floor underneath the liquid, and then swung her leg forward. Enigma felt something detach from underneath her horseshoe as she did, and shifted well aside to dodge. But as the item, a small silver disc, stopped in the air and started glowing pale blue, Enigma's vision swam. 

The lines!

He could feel them now, more magical wards embedded in the walls, all over the place, interweaved with the magic providing the lighting, or keeping the equipment in good maintenance. They hadn't been doing anything until now, merely a background noise of the lab. But now, the disk attracted them from all around, changing the setup completely, like a griffin child playing with a piece of string woven through her claws, revealing a new shape when she twisted her talons.

It was all a trap, and all set up for him. He felt he couldn't shift away anymore, his senses distorted, as if the space itself had folded with the magical lines. To attempt a shift in such circumstances would be a suicide.

“You do know I can just die,” he said, calmly looking at Dr. Stone.

“And explain to your allies just who you're wearing this time?” asked Dr. Stone. A couple of syringes, just like the ones Enigma had produced a moment before, emerged from her coat and flew forward towards him.

He darted forward, swatting them out of the air with his hoof, and actually grabbing one with his teeth. His power had been disabled, but he was still an assassin with millennia of experience. He cleared the distance in a heartbeat, and lunged forward, his pattern pouring forth to overpower the scientist's magical defenses. They rolled on the floor with a splash, Enigma ending up on top, with the syringe in his teeth pressed against Dr. Stone's throat.

Too easy... is she not the real one either? There should be claws and spikes, and more skill...

He pressed in, piercing the coat with the needle. But the liquid would not go in. For the second time in the minute, Enigma's senses went crazy.

The syringe backed out of the wound, held in pale blue magical aura, pushing back against what he thought was enough pattern to shut down any magic Eve could possibly wield. And now her eyes were glowing pale blue as well. Enigma felt himself lifted off her, wisps of smoke rising from his coat as conflicting energies collided around his body. He twisted, trying to buck at her face, but she pushed him away, holding him turning helplessly in the air.

He locked eyes with the mare as the rotation made him face her. Even with his senses distorted, he could now feel her magic – what he had thought to be inaccessible to him because of protective wards had actually been an overwhelming magical aura all along. And now she'd stopped trying to hide it.

“You're not Eve,” he said. “What are you?”

“Eve is gone,” she said, driving the needle into the back of his neck. He tried to expel the drug from his body, but the damn thing had been infused with magic. He instantly felt his vision blur, and his struggling weakened. “It's nothing personal, but I can't have you interfere at this stage.”

“You didn't answer,” managed Enigma. I can't lose consciousness, just a moment longer...

“I have no time to monologue now,” replied Dr. Stone. “You've done a lot of damage, and I have things to do.”

“I will do more,” smiled Enigma. Internally, he forced his heartbeat to slow, buying himself precious seconds.

There was a rumble in the distance. Dr. Stone tilted her head, looking up as if she could penetrate the many meters of rock with her gaze. Perhaps she could. “I see, you're not done.”

No, thought Enigma, unconsciousness overcoming him. It took hours of shifting rocks to do it, but right now, the river is flowing inside the mountain, and that sound means, that my dam has just broken.

In the floors above them, a thin wall gave way, the tunnel suddenly becoming a part of an underground river. It washed through the corridors, flushing away sentries and equipment, activating alarms, and smothering security measures. When it reached the stairs, it crashed down in a foaming waterfall.

“You didn't come here to do damage,” said Dr. Stone, looking down on him, “just to try to eliminate me. And now-”

The lights blinked. Enigma was too dizzy to smile, but he felt his chance. The water had done enough damage to disrupt some of the systems of the compound, cutting off power and ripping the intricate web. Enigma could no longer move, but in the last second of consciousness he could feel his way out of the trap. A blink of an eye, and he was gone.

***

Rarity blinked, trying if she could wake herself up. She had just spent a minute listening to Maska's explanation, but it didn't make sense to her.

“Wait... you mean Cris... alis planned all this?” she repeated her question.

Maska shook her head. “Not in detail. She couldn't have predicted all the events of tonight. But she was concerned that her lingering connection to Generosity might hamper your potential. She accepted the possibility that winning the war might call for her death, and prepared accordingly. Your transformation signifies that she'd left you all the power she could've.”

Rarity stared in stunned silence. She didn't just save me. She purposefully... why?

“Why me?” she finally managed. "I've never been a queen of anything.”

“I admit, this goes against all our traditions,” said Maska with a nod. “Normally, it would have probably been me, possibly with some ritual challenges if anyling objected. But the situation calls for the swarm to change and adapt, and the queen decided you could help in that. It is fortunate that she managed to pass some of her traits on you. You are now changeling by blood, which should prevent any dissent. And you're a pony by birth, perfect to facilitate cooperation with ponykind, the thing we need most right now. As for your inexperience, I was instructed to serve as your advisor.”

Rarity looked down at her hooves. Dark and chitinous, they were beautiful in a way, but they were not hers. Can I change it? She said I'm a changeling now. What do I do? I can't do it. I need to make some sense of this mess... mess. That's it.

“There are ponies here, scared and injured,” she said, meeting Maska's gaze. “We need to find everypony alive in the city, and make sure they're in no further danger. Can you do it?”

“We were already coordinating an evacuation effort,” replied Maska. "It's just a matter of changing the assembly points.”

“Make sure you find my friends too,” continued Rarity. She suddenly froze, and stared straight at Maska. “Fluttershy! Where is she? You were supposed to take care of her!”

The changeling nodded. “Still in the cocoon spell your friends created.” She turned around, and for a moment, her wings buzzed loudly. “The queen called me here because my power was needed, but my team kept watching over her. They'll bring her back to the surface now.”

She turned around, her wings buzzing again and again, in different rhythm. The changelings around Rarity scattered, flying away all over the city, with only four black armored ones staying around her, clearly standing guard. As Maska's soldiers brought Fluttershy back to the surface, Rarity took a moment to collect her thoughts. The fight was clearly over. She had returned the Heart to its proper place, and put a new barrier around the city. She didn't know how many ponies there were within the city, but just now she was beginning to feel their hope flowing through the Heart – many were in pain, physical or otherwise, but she had managed to give them something to hold on to at least.

And Chrysalis... Cristal is dead. How should I remember her? The pony, or the changeling? She died... no, she killed herself so I could succeed. Why does everypony keep dying? And she left me her swarm to take care of. Oh, what should I do?

Now that she had made her decisions, and left the rest to her new subjects, she no longer had the immediate problems to occupy her mind with. That left her enough freedom for her imagination to wander, horrible scenarios springing to her mind's eye one after another.

If I don't find something, anything to focus on, I'm going to break down and start crying in front of the changelings. If only I had my sewing machine... can I ask for a sewing machine? I don't think so. Perhaps just think of designs then? If I were to dress the changelings, how would I do it?

She turned away from Maska, and focused on the nearest guard instead. He was already dressed in a black armor that used to match his shell, but now stood out as the chitine was turned a deep shade of purple. The changes didn't end there; the holes covering the changeling's limbs had all closed, making him appear much less ragged.

If he kept looking like this, I could work with this. Perhaps a tailcoat? Of course it would have to have wing holes. I wonder if those would work the same as with pegasi wings...

Rarity's mind grabbed on the familiar routine, and she spent a minute in her own world, contemplating the design. She broke out of it when she noticed movement in the distance – there were ponies walking through the plaza, gathering around the tower.

Even with the effects of the Heart's pulse still beautifying them, Rarity could see they were in a miserable condition. Some were still wearing chains that had been used to keep them contained, many were covered in cuts and bruises, and some even burns, clear signs of having been caught too close to the battle between Hate and North Star. She saw a couple of guards, their armors dented and wrapped in strands of changeling resin, stumbling forward along with the rest, their faces frightened and confused.

She caught sight of a small colt, walking alone, his eyes at the ground. There was nopony to accompany him, and yet he wasn't looking around frantically for his parents, as she expected he would. That made her think that perhaps he knew full well where they were, and the thought made her stomach twist into a knot.

She walked out towards the gathering crowd, her guards moving with her in unison, then caused her Element to glow, attracting everypony's attention. “Everypony, please remain calm!” she said loudly, magic amplifying her voice. “The Heart has been restored, and you are protected again! The changelings will help you find safe spots to sleep in, but first, anypony who needs medical attention, form a line over there.” A ball of purple emerged from her horn, flying to one corner of the tower, and hanging there. Rarity turned towards Maska, who was busy receiving reports from returning changelings.

“You do have medics, don't you?” she asked. “We'll make a hospital inside the palace for now.”

Maska looked up towards the tower. The missing top was too large to be instantly regrown by the Heart's magic, but the building was no longer glowing with heat. “The lower levels are still stable, and it's a natural point for the locals to seek help. It will serve. We'll use resin nets to fly in the injured.”

“There is so much more they're going to need,” said Rarity. “We need somepony local, who knows where everything is.”

There was a buzz of wings, and a changeling landed in front of Rarity. Giving a brief bow, she spoke. “Your Majesty, your friends require your powers. Please follow me.”

***

It was three hours later when Rarity finally had the time to sit down. She was in a chamber on what was now the top floor of the palace, hastily converted into a hospital room. Pinkie Pie was asleep, snoring loudly on a small pile of blankets in the corner. The two simple beds were taken by Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, both breathing calmly in a magically induced sleep. The rest of the furnishings was limited to three cushions they managed to grab while walking through the palace – Applejack, Rarity and Twilight were sitting on them in a circle.

“I have no idea how Chrysalis did what she did,” said Twilight. “It's a permanent transformation, not just a spell.”

“So... she did to me what Deception had done to her,” said Rarity.

“That's one way to put it,” replied Twilight, suddenly uneasy. “But... you didn't become a monster. You don't feel any... unusual hunger, do you?”

“No, I don't,” said Rarity. “But then again, I'm so charged up now, I don't know if I'll be able to sleep. I have no idea how I will feel in the morning.”

“Speaking of which,” interrupted Applejack. “There should be a morning in a few hours.”

They all knew what it meant. When they went to find Rainbow Dash, luckily in time to save her life, they also found what was left of Luna. Rarity didn't want to remember the image; there were two bodies there besides Rainbow. Twilight incinerated one, and encased the other in crystal, to be recovered later.

“We'll need to raise the sun,” said Rarity, her personal problems momentarily forgotten.

“Just the three of us?” asked Twilight.

“Well, Rainbow needs her sleep,” said Applejack. “So does Fluttershy. And I'm not sure if we can wake Pinkie up.”

“Fluttershy isn't seriously injured,” said Twilight. “at least physically. I'm not sure what North Star did to her mind, but connecting to Kindness might actually help her recover faster. The problem is we don't have Kindness, unless Obsidian manages to retrieve it.”

“So, it might really be just the three of us,” said Applejack. “At least two of us are awakened now. Do you think we can pull it off?”

“I do feel a lot stronger now,” said Rarity. “And if Luna could do it alone, why not us? I'm only concerned with how much power I can use. I don't want the shield around the city to disappear.”

“I don't think we'll be attacked anytime soon,” said Twilight. “Unless Deception attacks us by herself, but from what Obsidian said, it wouldn't be like her. So we should have a day or two until Envy and Hate return. Let us make the best use of it.”

There was a short buzz behind the door. Rarity turned her head towards the noise. “It's for me, I'm afraid,” she said, getting up.

There was a changeling standing in the doorway, between the two guards. “Your Majesty, Mr. Obsidian is at the edge of the barrier with Dr. Bluebonnet, awaiting permission to enter.”

Twilight and Applejack sprang up, joining Rarity at the door. “Finally!” exclaimed Twilight. “Are they okay?”

“They appear to be,” said the changeling. “Though Mr. Obsidian requested that the bearer of Honesty be present to verify their identity.”

“Can't be too careful,” agreed Applejack. “Okay then, lead us to them.”

“They will be at the main entrance,” said Rarity. “We'll find the way there ourselves. You can stay here with Twilight to keep watch over our friends. Don't worry, Twilight. We'll get back here to tell you everything.”

The two ponies walked down the corridor and towards the nearest stairs. The rooms they passed were full of ponies, most of them trying to get some sleep after the horrors the night had offered. Rarity could see many faces ruffled with dried tears. She passed by the colt she had seen earlier – he was sleeping uneasily, cuddled into the side of a pegasus mare, who was covering him with her wing. Rarity knew it wasn't so though – the pegasus was a changeling, one she had personally appointed for the task. She was in a hurry, but forced herself to keep an even pace. Everything was under control, and all the ponies could finally calm down; the queen would not be seen running.

***

The morning sun was shining through the window, casting rainbow reflexes on the walls as it filtered through the edges of the crystal window frame. Rainbow Dash turned on her side and groaned. She was wrapped in bandages, but she suspected it was more to prevent her from moving too much than to actually stop any bleeding – her last memory was a strangely distorted version of Rarity trying to plug a hole in her chest with magic. Though she could tell she was stable, every breath was painful; she could clearly feel where her left lung had been damaged, and then magically repaired. She was also so weak, even turning on her side was an effort. She could only guess that it was the result of blood loss.

There was movement on the other side of the room. Dash made the effort to look up, and noticed a flash of yellow and pink in the other bed, opalescent reflexes playing on the smooth fur.

“Fluttershy...” she said in a croaking whisper.

Fluttershy turned on her bed, and looked at her, her face instantly scrunched with worry. “Rainbow Dash, please, don't move.”

“She's right,” said somepony at the foot of the bed. A glossy, purple changeling walked slowly into Rainbow's field of vision. He had a stethoscope around his neck. “Your life has been saved, and further magical help will be administered, but you need to stay still for now to avoid further damage. How are you feeling?” he said, taking a careful look at her.

“I'll be back on my hooves soon,” said Dash in a voice that was supposed to sound tough, but came out another strained whisper.

“Thirsty, I can hear,” replied the changeling. “Here, have this. Drink very, very slowly,” he said, handing Dash a small cup with a straw from beside the bed. The pegasus took a couple of seconds trying to grab it, finally managed to get a hold of the straw, and sipped slowly. Whatever it was, it was both refreshing and energizing. It made her think of the elixirs Pierce gave them back when they woke up in the hive beneath Everfree.

The changeling stood still for a second, his wings vibrating loudly. He then stepped away towards the exit. “I have informed the Queen that you have woken up. Your friends will be with you shortly.”

“Huh, I thought he'd want to examine me,” said Rainbow Dash. She was still too weak to move much, and it hurt when she inhaled, but she was much more awake, and her voice sounded much clearer too.

“He already had, I think,” said Fluttershy. “He was already here when I woke up. Are you feeling alright? You look horrible.”

Dash looked back at her. “Don't mind me. How are you feeling? What did that monster do to you?”

Fluttershy looked down on her covers. “He... tried to dig through my head with magic, to find out where you wwere headed next. I kept telling him I didn't know, but he wouldn't believe me, and he got angry. He didn't really damage much... nothing permanent, I think... but that was really, really horrible.”

Dash fought an urge to jump out of her bed. “When I get my hooves on him...”

Fluttershy shook her head. “It's too late for that. When the Heart returned to power, it... destroyed him. There's nothing left of him... or that amulet that drove him crazy. He'll never hurt anypony again.”

Dash sunk into her pillow. “And I... Wait. I took down Luna. Does it mean we've won?”

“Not quite yet,” said Fluttershy. “We got the Crystal Empire back. And Envy and Hate are... gone for a moment. So, until they...” she paused for a sigh, “until they steal somepony else's bodies to return, we have a moment to rest and prepare.”

Dash turned her gaze away from her, the elation of having won a battle gone from her in an instant. “I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt anypony but her. I just wanted to protect you all.”

“Obsidian says, they have some ponies in their lab, ponies they thought nopony would miss, ready to be their new bodies.” said Fluttershy. “I... think it was too late to save them. Like those ones in Aurora's vision, they were already turned into something they weren't.”

Dash turned back to her. “I'll get Envy for those too. There are only three of them left, and we're together again. Next time we meet, we'll be sealing that monster for good.”

There was a moment when Dash was looking at Fluttershy with determination, the yellow pegasus returning her expression eventually. Then Dash did a double take. “Hey, you have Kindness back! Obsidian made it through!” Her eyes bulged, and she had to take a couple deliberate calm breaths as her chest reacted to her outburst of enthusiasm with piercing pain.

“Yes,” said Fluttershy. “And you awakened. And Rarity... we don't quite know what happened, but Queen Chrysalis died in battle, and she left everything to Rarity. Her power, her swarm. She somehow made her half-changeling. She's the new queen... and she doesn't really like it.”

There was a sound of hooves in the corridor. Pinkie Pie bounced into the room, pounced towards Rainbow Dash, who cringed in anticipation of being forcefully hugged, then somehow decelerated in the air, stopping inches from Dash, and nuzzling her muzzle with hers. “Oh, I'm so happy you're awake, Dash!” she exclaimed. “Everypony was so worried about you.”

More ponies entered the room. There was Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Obsidian, Bluebonnet and Pierce, all looking relieved, each in their unique way.

“We've risen the sun,” said Obsidian. “Now we can focus on getting the two of you back on your hooves.”

“Fluttershy has told me about Chrysalis,” said Dash. “What else did I miss? Where's Rarity?”

“She's walking around town, visiting the injured, and making sure they have all they need,” explained Twilight.

Something small pushed its way through the crowded room, and towards Rainbow's bed. Dash extended a hoof, stopping Scootaloo before she could press into her. “Dash! You're okay!”

“Soon, Scoots, soon,” replied Dash with a smile. “So, you three are here too?”

“Yup,” replied Apple Bloom, peering from behind Pierce. “Rarity thought it will be safer for us here, inside the barrier. Sweetie Belle is with her now.”

“What about our families?” asked Fluttershy. “Now, that Rarity is the queen...”

“I advised for letting them sleep some more,” said Obsidian. “At least until we make sure we have enough food for everypony here. Being hidden away from all the fighting might be safer for them.”

“As for the rest,” said Bluebonnet, “We were successful in our infiltration. Obsidian recovered Kindness for Fluttershy, and I... managed to get into my lab, and got some more parts. I have a new idea for how to solve the problem of aiming the pattern gun. I also managed to get some more ammo for it, though we had to hide it near Canterlot. The batteries wouldn't teleport with us.”

“So, after you're done patching me up,” said Dash, “what's the plan?”

“We now have all the Elements again,” said Obsidian, “As well as four awakened bearers, and a powerful leyline to work with, should all of that prove insufficient. I say it is time to test the theory Doctor Bluebonnet and Twilight have formulated, and try to end this war once and for all.”

“You want us to unsplice Vengeance,” said Twilight, looking at him.

“Yes,” replied Obsidian. “She has caused this world enough grief already.”

***

Absinthe awoke with a scream of frustration. The voice was male and it bettered his mood, but only slightly. The pod was already being emptied, the liquid draining away since he started taking over the host body. Outside, Dr. Stone was observing her instruments, checking some calculations and marking lines in her notepad. Absinthe tapped on the glass with both front hooves, noticing as he did that he had green coat. There was also a horn in his peripheral vision.

It has been ages since I was a green unicorn. It almost looks like my old body…

“I see... we’ve lost Luna?” asked Dr. Stone looking up at the pod.

Absinthe hit the glass hard with his foreleg. “Yes! And another one of them is awakened! I told Gloria not to do it! It’s all her fault! I should have personally fed them all to that dragon and found another way to get Lightbringer out. But no, she wanted her perfect story, her greatest enemies as her trusting disciples. Well now she can…” He stared down at Dr. Stone. “How long will it take?”

“I'm sorry,” said Dr. Stone, moving away from the pod, “but there have been some more setbacks while you were away. Enigma decided to make his move against us. I managed to repel him, but not before he flooded most of the compound.”

Absinthe's eyes bulged. “What!?” He turned around inside the pod, as if looking for something he could kick, but the hardened glass container didn't leave him enough space for a proper swing. “That stinking traitor. That does it. We don't need him anymore. Once we have things under control, we will see just how immortal he is.”

“Anyway,” said Dr. Stone, “the lab is operating at 10 percent capacity... but I managed to keep the most vital parts operational.” She leaned forward and checked some readings. “I should be able to… release you… momentarily. And speaking of immortality... Could you please… try to die?”

Absinthe looked at her in surprise, then closed his eyes and exhaled purposefully. Nothing happened.

“I can’t. But that’s not what you meant by ‘a body that won’t die,’ did you, Eve? I don’t need a shell that I’ll get stuck in when it’s broken,” said Absinthe angrily, his temper simmering back towards the boiling point.

“No, no… of course not,” said Dr. Stone, shrinking. “And please, don't call me Eve. Let me explain, while I finish the fine-tuning,” she added, avoiding his gaze.

“As long as it doesn't take long,” agreed Absinthe.

“Once you understand how the binding works, it is relatively easy to create a semi-permanent bond,” said Dr. Stone, checking the instruments around the pod. “Once you have connected to a body, if its energy signature is properly adjusted, it will hold you for as long as it lives in any capacity. But you said that's not what you need.” She was speaking more confidently now, slipping back into her Dr. Stone persona, as the habit of reciting research facts overrode the anxiety.

“The idea is much more advanced. Now that you are anchored, and the pony soul is no longer a concern, I can begin phase two. Multiple anchoring.”

“What does that mean?” asked Absynthe.

“Binding to several bodies at once,” explained Dr. Stone. “Connected to each of them, even if they are separated. That way you will remain bonded to the material world, as long as one of the hosts lives, and you should theoretically be able to shift your point of view from one body to another.”

Absynthe snorted. “That must be your craziest idea yet. And you can do it with nine tenths of your lab destroyed? How are you going to create the extra bonds though? We only bond when disembodied.”

“It's simple,” said Dr. Stone. “I'm going to split the original body. Do you see those droplets on your fur?”

Absinthe looked at his foreleg. What he had thought to be remains of the pod liquid was actually some kind of sludge his body was secreting. “What are they?” he asked.

“Just cutting your body into pieces wouldn't do,” said Dr. Stone. “I needed all the parts of you to remain alive. But I knew most simple organisms can divide and split naturally without harm, so... I set your body to simplify itself once possessed.”

Absinthe stared at her in disbelief. The silence stretched on until it became uncomfortable. Finally the unicorn managed to choke out: “What… so this thing is some kind of giant amoeba or something?” He shook his foreleg for emphasis. It made a squelching noise and bent at an unnatural angle.

Dr. Stone looked into her notes, then back at her patient. “Yes. As soon as it splits, your connection will too. You will really only be in one place at once, but as long as any one part of you lives, you will not die. Of course no brain means no brain functions.”

Absinthe slumped down, horrified as his limbs softened and gave way under him. He tried to blow the pod apart, but whatever was built into it grounded the first lightning bolt harmlessly, and by the time he charged up another, his vision swam and the power fizzled out harmlessly. Then his perspective shifted and he realized one of his eyes was slowly sliding down his cheek.

“Eve… why?” he croaked.

Dr. Stone sighed and shook her head. “You're such a waste. The pattern infusion gives your brain so much analytical power, but all the intelligence in the world won't let you notice things you don't care about. And you always took Evening Embrace for granted. What does a little heartbreak matter, if she kept making your toys?”

Absynthe tried to ram through the glass, but he only hit it with a loud splat, dislocating the last body parts that still looked vaguely equine.

Dr. Stone's eyes flashed pale blue, and the notes levitated away from her, towards the table.

“You spent thousands of years stealing bodies, breaking their souls as you took over, and never once did you think that it could work both ways? When a rigid, pattern-bound soul like yours breaks, it shatters to pieces. So did your ‘dear sister’ when Quartz broke her heart. First love after centuries of waiting, first love ever, a crushing disappointment. A tragedy born from her desperate attempt to fix it. And so busy you were with your games and your scheming, none of you even noticed.”

“It was easy to suppress her. I did her a favour, really. I lived her life for her when she was too weak to, I absorbed what was left of her into myself. I disposed of Quartz, making sure to complicate your life, so the great war could continue. I played my role for as long as it was required. But now, after four millennia, the war finally approaches its endgame. Soon ancient mistakes will be undone, and everything will finally be as it should be.”

The mass inside the pod made an effort to speak. It came out as nothing more than a gurgle, but the mare managed to see recognition in the one remaining eye. She nodded her head.

“Yes, I’m her too. She was the one who made me who I am. I must confess, I too made a horrible mistake. Blinded by anger, I created a monster that wouldn't die. It took all this time to figure out how to fix it. Now, all the pieces are in place, and I can't have you interfere. I could've just sabotaged the body to leave you in a coma, but there have been so many complications before, I just wanted to be thorough. That and there was still a part of Eve in me that wanted to see your face.”

She looked down at the goo filling the pod. The one eyeball still hadn't dissolved, but it no longer gazed at her with sentience. There were ripples on the surface of the creature, as if it was already preparing to split in two.

“Now, the transformation is almost complete. This pod’s plumbing bypass the filter station. The sewage pipes will carry you towards your new existence.”

She approached the console and pushed on the lever of the flushing system. “Farewell, Envy. You’ve helped me awaken the Elements of Harmony. Your services are no longer needed.”

There was a loud noise, and the Shattered disappeared, separated into multiple drains. Dr. Stone took a deep breath, and turned away from the empty pod, towards one that was still full, a large pegasus body floating unconscious in clear liquid.

“Now, it's your turn, Hate. As soon as the final details fall into place, I'll need you to go and rage one final time.” 
> Chapter 51: The Disjunction
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“It looks so beautiful from up here,” sighed Rarity. “If I didn’t know how much everypony here has suffered through…”

She was standing on top of the Crystal Tower, balanced upon a flat surface where the wall had been broken by Hate's blast. The half melted parts had long since cooled, but it took her a moment to find a place where she could take a look at the city without worrying about sliding off.

“The damage is extensive,” said Maska, walking up to her and stopping by her side to look. “But we are making steady progress. Your friends have been a great help so far.”

“I wish I could help more,” said Rarity with a sigh. Now that she had a moment to take a better look, she could tell where the power of the Heart had made the houses regrow. It fixed the city in appearance, to a point. But the spell would not remove rubble, nor replace the lives that were lost. Many new and shiny houses were really dead shells, devoid of everything their inhabitants would have brought inside. 

“Your power maintains the barrier protecting this city,” replied Maska, cocking her head. “And you heal and help ponies with your magic as much as you can.”

“It’s the Heart that protects them,” said Rarity. “And as for using magic, my friends do that too. I just feel there should be something more I could do. As the Queen, I mean.”

“You’re a symbol of hope for them,” said Maska, “Believe me, for ponies, that counts for a lot. Right now they need somepony who looks like she has everything under control.”

“But I don’t,” scowled Rarity. “I just… smile and wave. You’re the one who does all the work.”

“A properly trained swarm is a well oiled machine,” replied the changeling, “It takes little micromanaging. You’re doing your part, and in time you will learn more. And believe me, if I could do better at what you’re doing, Queen Chrysalis would have left the leadership to me.”

“Instead, she left it to me,” said Rarity bitterly. “I’m not a queen. I’m not even a changeling. I…” she clenched her jaw in anger. “I never asked for this!”

If Maska had any feelings about the matter, it didn’t show. “No, you didn’t. That gift was not for you. It was for us, the best chance we’d ever get to change ourselves and start anew. The gift you received was her life.”

Rarity turned on the spot, staring at her subordinate. “I never asked for that either!”

“No, but that was what you needed,” replied Maska, unflinching. “To fully unlock your power. To bind with the Heart. To save your friends and all the ponies you’re trying to help now.”

“And now… I owe it to her to help you, don’t I?” said Rarity.

For the first time, Maska’s facial expression changed. For a second she looked taken aback, before returning to a neutral look. “You don’t want to help us?”

“I…” Rarity opened and closed her mouth. She turned away, and looked towards the city below. “It’s not that I don’t,” she finally said. “If you want to try a new life, with everypony, without having to hide, or… abducting ponies to feed on them, you deserve all the help you need. It’s just... “

She turned back towards Maska, and looked her in the eyes. “I wish it was my choice! It’ not generosity if I’m forced to help. Chrysalis sacrificed herself to save us all, but what she did to me was wrong.”

Maska returned her gaze, looking into her eyes until it became uncomfortable. “I think I understand,” she said at last. “Though it is not how we think. We’ve survived as long as we have by doing what it took to survive, not by being careful with ponies’ emotions. This will have to change too.”

“Chrysalis used to be a pony though,” said Rarity. “She knew how we feel.”

“Yes,” agreed Maska. “And you know how she felt too. You don’t have a swarm… not the way we do, even though you’re our queen now. But you do have a family. What would you be capable of doing if their future was at stake?”

“I know,” said Rarity, slumping in defeat with a deep sigh. “I know why she did it. This doesn’t make it right. I’m no longer a pony. I... “ She paused, and looked at Maska anxiously. “I’ve been meaning to ask. I’ve been eating like a pony so far. I don’t feel any weird hunger. Is that normal?”

“I’m not sure,” said Maska. “I haven’t felt hungry for love since the battle.” She lifted one foreleg and looked at it pensively. Even though it was no longer the iridescent crystal the Heart had transformed it into, it was still purple and smooth. “I’ve only eaten a little food. Also, my holes have remained closed.”

Rarity stared in surprise. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“It was not a problem that needed to be addressed,” replied Maska. “On the contrary, it was a benefit, simplifying our logistics. Since you were overwhelmed, I limited the issues I informed you about to the ones you could immediately handle. I did consult Obsidian on the matter though. He claimed that this might be a permanent change brought by the Heart, rather than a simple result of overfeeding. No changeling has ever produced such symptoms, no matter how much energy they absorbed.”

“So, you think you could stay like this for good?” asked Rarity. “I must say you do look better this way. But why would the Heart change you like this? I didn’t tell it to.”

“Perhaps it was something our queen did,” said Maska, ”Or perhaps it was us being in that energy loop with you. Either way, you became more like us, and we… the light of our magic has changed to match yours. If I could risk saying so, we might have become more like you.”

Rarity considered the implications. “If you no longer need to eat love, it would be very easy for you to live among ponies. It’s only your group that have been changed though, isn’t it? What about all the others?”

“We’ll experiment,” replied Maska. “If our condition proves permanent… and hereditary… we could restrict breeding within the swarm, replenishing our ranks with only our offspring. Eventually, all changelings would be free from the hunger.”

“That sounds… horrible, actually,” said Rarity. “What about changelings who want to set up families?”

“We don’t have families, your Majesty,” said Maska, careful not to sound condescending. “We might be closer to those we hatched with, but in the end, the swarm is our family. And loyalty to the swarm is what allowed us to survive as long as we have.”

“I see.” Rarity stood up abruptly. “We shall continue this conversation some other time. It looks like I really do have a lot to learn. And now, I think it’s time for me to do some of my queenly duties.”

“Indeed,” confirmed Maska trotting behind Rarity as she walked towards the center of the tower top. “Your friends are probably done with the preparations already.” She looked around. “Should I stay with you, your Majesty? Or would I be a distraction?”

Rarity considered the question. “You can stay. I’ve never done magic of this level on my own, and I could use some moral support. But do stand to the side for now. I need to start with the floor.”

She walked towards a flat spot near to where the remains of a ruined staircase had led them to this level. She could feel that she was standing in the very center of the Empire - even separated by all the tower underneath, she could feel the power of the Heart pulsing softly directly beneath her. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and drew upon the power. 

It was subtle at first, a flow of emotions past her own mind, like a current of a warm, lazy river. She could feel the mood of the Empire, so different from what it used to be. There was still fear, and worry for what was to come, a lot of grief buried under other emotions while there was work that had to be done. But there was also hope to balance the fear, hope that grew in power each time the Elements showed their power while helping others. She let the current flow through her, and then visualised the floor underneath her as it needed to be.

There was a subtle feeling of rising, and Rarity knew the crystal started growing. She opened her eyes, and found herself standing in a circle of smooth floor, rising above the surrounding ruin, and connected to the lower levels with the now repaired stairs. Underneath her hooves there was a snowflake pattern visible in the crystal, which she knew matched the one at ground level where the Heart was located.

“That was the easy part,” she said. “You can join me now, Maska.”

The changeling flew towards Rarity and landed at her side, folding her wings, then stood in silence, waiting for her to continue. 

Rarity took a deep breath, felt the power of the Heart one more time, and this time pulled at it slightly, directing the current into her.

The snowflake underneath her started glowing, first with soft purple, and then with the opalescent colors of aurora borealis. in seconds, all the tower underneath Rarity was aglow. She took a deep breath, exhaled purposefully, and then stomped her hoof.

The light extended upwards, and the crystal started changing, broken and melted parts reshaping themselves to match the rest of the structure. Lines of magic swirled and stretched in the air around the two mares, like a giant blueprint made of light, quickly filling up as the crystal started growing at astounding speed, making Rarity’s vision a reality. 

Higher… like this. We need more stairs outside, but here the walls must stay thick. Now the columns must connect. We want a domed ceiling. A chandelier perhaps? No, Obsidian insisted not to. We need to keep the chamber practical, with no distractions. Now, the spire above…

She let the magic flow through her, and shape the rest of the design. With all her sense of aesthetics, she knew she wasn’t an architect - but the magic, fueled by the hearts of all the ponies in the Empire knew exactly what form to give to the tower. Satisfied that the spell would continue on its own, Rarity let herself relax, and just basked in the beautiful hues reflected in the walls around her. She could feel the mood of the Empire’s subjects lift as the familiar landmark was restored to its former glory. She could tell there was now a font of magic erupting from the tip of the tower, reinforcing the barrier.

It took a couple of minutes for the spell to end. Finally most of the light went out, though Rarity left the crystal walls glowing with just enough magic to provide ambient illumination. Just as decided her work was finished, and sighed in satisfaction, she heard the sound of multiple hoofsteps moving up the stairs.

Pinkie Pie bounced into the chamber, followed by the other Elements, Dr. Bluebonnet, and Obsidian. She looked at Rarity with a wide grin. “That was aaawesome! Did you sing a song!?”

“No, I did not,” answered Rarity. “What made you think so?”

Obsidian walked past Rarity, trotted around the chamber, and finally nodded in satisfaction.

“This is sufficient for our needs,” he declared. “Let us get to work.”

***

Twilight looked down at the circle Obsidian had just finished. 

He had spent the last hour drawing it, not carving or burning as he had done so many times before, but using his spells to meticulously alter the structure of the crystal floor, building upon Rarity’s previous work until the intersecting lines beneath their hooves made it look as if the whole chamber rested upon a giant, multi-faceted gemstone.

“Isn’t it a bit excessive?” asked Twilight, looking askance at Obsidian. “We designed the spell to work even without a circle.”

“Do you want to take any chances?” asked Obsidian in reply. “You’ve seen what Vengeance is capable of.”

“I did,” replied Twilight hesitantly. “But with so much power dedicated to control-”

“We have power to spare,” replied Obsidian. “We’re standing on a powerful leyline, and four of the Elements are already awakened. We can use all this power to make sure every last little thing goes according to plan.”

“It does make sense,” said Dr. Bluebonnet, standing at the edge of the circle and studying it carefully. She had walked into the chamber while Obsidian was working, and though he insisted that only the participants remained for the casting itself, he agreed on her overseeing the preparations.

“What we’re trying to achieve here might be the most important event in the last four thousand years. I can hardly imagine an excessive amount of preparations for something like that,” she added.

Obsidian straightened himself and snorted with satisfaction. “Either way, I’m done. We are ready to begin the casting.”

As he walked out of the circle, Bluebonnet and Maska backed off too. Slowly, the Elements took their places along the rim, spaced evenly at the six points that had, an hour before, been the six points of a crystal snowflake.

Obsidian tapped the floor lightly with his staff. He inclined his head towards Maska. “You know your part,” he said.

The changeling returned his nod. “Our soldiers are already in positions,” she said. “You can count on us. Nopony enters the tower until you are done casting.” She then spread her wings, bowed to her queen, and flew away down the stairway.

Bluebonnet watched her go. “I really wish I could see it to the end,” she said, looking into Obsidian’s eyes. 

He returned her gaze with a scowl. “We can afford no distractions.”

“She worked with me to create this spell,” said Twilight. “And she probably cares more about Arrogance than Vengeance. How about we unsplice Vengeance first, and if that goes off without a hitch, she can come here to watch us unsplice Arrogance? This way she’ll get what she wants, and we’ll have the hardest part behind us.”

“You would start with the harder one first?” asked Obsidian. 

“She isn’t really harder to unsplice,” said Twilight. “Even though her pattern power uses several frequencies, the spell will break six weaker connections as easily as a single strong one. She’s just much more dangerous if she were to break free.”

“What do you say?” asked Obsidian, turning towards Bluebonnet. 

The scientist said nothing, but her gaze said more than a passionate speech could have. 

Obsidian released a long breath. “Then it is settled. You will rejoin us in a moment. And now, let us finally begin.”

As Bluebonnet walked away towards the stairs, Twilight lifted her horn and started focusing her power. One after another, her friends followed suit, the six colors of their Elements reflecting in the facets of the surrounding walls as the spell slowly grew in power. 

Obsidian reached into a small bag hanging around his neck, and recovered a black diamond as big as a tangerine. He levitated it carefully in his aura, and then sent it floating towards the center of the circle, setting it gently on the floor.

“Now! It is time!” he proclaimed aloud, swinging his staff over his head. The spell he cast created a barrier around the circle, isolating the Elements and the spell they were casting from the rest of the room.

It started as all the other spells they had cast together. Manes and tails floating in the magical wind, six lights growing stronger, connecting to one another. They melded with the opalescent aura emanating from the circle, and then mixed together into blinding whiteness. The diamond in the middle slowly rose into the air, lines of light piercing through it at different angles. It was like watching a cyclone that didn’t have an up or down - with no funnel, but just a sphere of swirling power focusing into a point.

There was a burst of light, and a sound of shattering. Obsidian’s barrier unraveled, and the Elements were pushed away towards the walls. 

A ragged-looking white alicorn dropped to the floor in the middle of the circle.

Obsidian rushed in, a trail of black smoke coalescing back into shape in front of Vengeance, the staff flying to his side. Twilight rose to come to his help, but he stopped her with a gesture, so she just projected a barrier in front of herself.

Vengeance stared him down with an expression of pure malice. He returned a savage, toothy grin. Seconds passed, and nothing happened. Obsidian closed his mouth into a sneer. “It worked”, he said. “After all the centuries, your power is broken.”

He was met with a loud scream, angry, savage, incoherent. Vengeance charged forward, madness gleaming in her eyes, trying to run him through with her horn. With almost contemptuous ease, Obsidian sidestepped the charge. His staff flashed with magic, the blue energy extending from the tip into a shape of a scythe blade. The two ponies passed each other, and then the alicorn’s head rolled across the crystal floor, sliding all the way to the wall before the body stopped and fell in a heap.

“The world has had enough of your villainy,” said Obsidian, looking down at the corpse. “This is not your story anymore.”

Silence fell. Twilight stared blankly at the droplets of blood slowly sliding off her barrier. Obsidian turned around, and with two blasts from his staff engulfed the body and the head in magical fire, quickly disintegrating them - the Elements backed away, expecting the smell of burning hair and flesh, but the flame consumed everything not even smoke left in its wake.

“Well, that was anticlimactic,” deadpanned Pinkie from her side of the room.

Obsidian turned to look at her. “Would you rather she broke free at the last moment, and killed half the ponies in the city before we put her down?”

Pinkie shrugged. “Of course not. I just thought there would be more.”

“Believe me, there was enough,” said Obsidian with a scowl. “And now -”

He turned towards the entrance, where Bluebonnet was slowly walking up the stairs. “We’re ready to start the second casting. I was about to call for you.”

“I know, I shouldn’t have come back uncalled,” said Bluebonnet. “But I knew you were finished with the spell. The whole city felt it. So, what has become of Vengeance?”

“She won’t be coming back,” said Applejack, pointing her hoof at a small blood splatter that Obsidian’s cleanup had missed. 

Bluebonnet raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Just like that?”

“It was horrible, actually,” said Fluttershy softly. 

Everypony was gathering back at the circle, careful not to step into anything, though the majority of the floor looked pristine. Obsidian looked down at the circle in focus, before producing the yellow gemstone from his pouch. “The circle is undamaged. Let’s do the other one now.”

“Yes, but not like this,” said Twilight Sparkle.

“Not like this?” hesitated Obsidian.

“What do you mean by that, darling?” asked Rarity.

“We will unsplice Arrogance as we did Vengeance,” explained Twilight Sparkle. “But we won’t just lop her head off afterwards. I want her to stand trial for what she did.”

“Stand trial?” Bluebonnet turned towards Twilight, her eyes growing large. "Twilight Sparkle, are you crazy?”

“Not at all,” replied Twilight. “Vengeance was a mad monster. But -”

“Arrogance is a monster too,” interrupted Obsidian.

“Yes, she’s been for four thousand years,” said Twilight, “We all heard you. But for one fourth of that time, she was the protector of Equestria. She did create an era of peace. And even if she does deserve to be… destroyed, she at least deserves that her deeds, good and evil, be judged fairly.”

“And what judge do you expect to pass that sentence?” Bluebonnet almost screamed “What jury? My daughter died to rid the world of this abomination!”

“No,” said Twilight. “She died to free us all. Not to turn us into monsters like the Shattered. We are ponies of Equestria. When we meet villains, we punish them for what they did. Sometimes we seal them away if there is no other way. We take away their powers. But we don’t just put down defenceless enemy without trial, like… a rabid dog!”

“There are all kinds of things wrong with that statement,” said Obsidian.  

“Not at all,” continued Twilight. “You keep telling us how your times were different, but that’s just the thing. Your times were worse. They were horrible. If... Gloria is the relic of those times-”

“She’s a monster,” interrupted Bluebonnet.

Twilight stomped her hoof, stopping in front of the scientist, face to face with her. “Then let’s make her a pony.” She turned her head around, looking at the surrounding faces. Nopony had spoken for her yet, indeed several of her friends looked like they were about to chip in in favour of Obsidian. But now she could see some doubt too, something she could latch on.

“When we cast the spell, Arrogance will be no more,” she continued. “Only Gloria will be left. She will be a pony like us, no longer immortal.”

“Wearing Spitfire’s body!” shouted Rainbow Dash suddenly. “She murdered her! Don’t you remember?” 

Twilight looked down at the ground, but did not step back, even as the angry pegasus stopped inches from her face, wings spread wide in agitation. “I do. I remember what she did. This will be the last body she wears. For somepony who’s lived for thousands of years, it’s already like dying.”

“I don’t think you-” started Bluebonnet, but Twilight didn’t let her finish.

“I do!” she shouted, stomping her hoof again, a flash of her horn casting opalescent reflexes in the crystal walls of the chamber. “We were all in the crypts, we all know what… who each of us has lost! And we need to put an end to all this killing! There’s been enough death! Do you want the world Gloria created as Celestia, or the one she created as Arrogance!?”

“Darling…” said Rarity, the first to break the stunned silence. “I think you might be a bit biased on this subject.”

“I know I am,” replied Twilight. “That doesn’t make me wrong.”

“She never created anything good,” said Dash. “It was all lies, all stolen from other ponies.”

“Do you really believe it?” asked Twilight. Her magic snatched the yellow sealing gem away from Obsidian, and levitated it in front of her face. “That she’s nothing but evil, and deserves nothing but death?”

“I believe we owe her nothing,” replied Dash through gritted teeth.

“I think you have your trial right here,” said Obsidian, snorting derisively.

“Do you all feel like she does?” asked Twilight, looking at each of her friends in turn.

“I do,” said Bluebonnet. “And so will Pierce, if you care to ask him. We worked for her, we know what she’s like.”

“I want her dead, obviously,” said Obsidian. “But I guess this can be resolved without me. You here know more about Arrogance than almost anypony outside this room. You can act as the jury. I’ll be happy to just be the executioner.”

“I’m with Twilight on this one,” said Pinkie Pie. “We’ve changed a lot this week, but that’s not who we are. Besides, I don’t know if I could ever be a good Laughter again if I see another head rolling here today.”

“Well, I’m with Dash,” said Applejack. “All the stuff about princess Celestia has been a lie. Us learning that was how this whole mess really started. She’s been using ponies for millennia, lying to them while looking all reasonable. And blowing up those that didn’t buy it. That, and she threatened to blow up my family. I say the quicker she’s gone, the better.”

“That’s… really…” Fluttershy hesitated. “I’m with Twilight. Nopony is ever completely evil. Even… even Hate has some good left in him, and he really is a horrible monster.” She stepped to Twilight’s side, but said no more, and ended up almost hiding behind her, avoiding Rainbow’s angry gaze.

“That leaves you, your Majesty,” said Obsidian, turning towards Rarity. All the eyes in the room turned towards her.

Rarity swallowed loudly. It was now her turn to look at each of her friends, torrents of emotion exchanged through quick glances, even as she tried to keep her cool at least in appearance. Finally, she closed her eyes, and when she opened them again to look at Twilight, her gaze was cold.

“She used Spike against you from the start. It was Envy who killed him, and used him to kill your brother, but he was never anything but a tool for them both.”

“Even without me and Pierce, that’s four against three,” said Obsidian. “I guess the verdict has been passed then.”

“Not yet,” said Twilight, glaring at him. “The spell has been designed for the six of us. You can’t cast it without me.”

Bluebonnet gasped. Everypony moved a step away from Twilight. Obsidian just tilted his head in amusement. “You would stand against your friends, deny them their justice?”

Twilight met his gaze. “Justice? Or perhaps… vengeance? Let’s face it, none of us should be the jury. You’re saying I’m biased, but so is each of you.”

“There's a bit too late for that now," said Rarity. "Also, I don’t think there is a pony left in Equestria that would be unbiased in this matter. Everypony you’ve ever met, she has either hurt or deceived.”

Dash took the center, pushing between Twilight and Obsidian. “Twilight, will you help us end this war for good, or not?”

Silence stretched as the two ponies looked at each other. Finally, Twilight spoke again. 

“I will. We will cast the spell together, and unsplice Arrogance. But after that happens… Obsidian doesn’t get to touch her. You will be the executioner.”

Dash hesitated, the growing anger on her face replaced with confusion. “What? Why?”

“Because that’s fair,” said Twilight. “Everypony deserves justice, or nopony does. And this is the most fair we can do. If we can’t make the trial as it should be, then we need to at least take responsibility. You pass the sentence, you swing the sword. No dropping the dirty work on somepony else.”

“She does make a good point,” said Applejack behind Rainbow’s back.

Rainbow turned towards her with a glare, before looking back at Twilight. Her lips kept moving silently, angry words not quite spoken aloud.

“If you don’t want to, I’ll be happy to do it,” said Bluebonnet.

“No, said Dash. “Twilight is right. It has to be me.”

***

It doesn’t feel as dramatic the second time, thought Twilight, as the magic of the six Elements filled the chamber once again. Is it because it’s not Vengeance, or am I becoming jaded so quickly?

No, focus! she interrupted herself. Whether she had done it before or not, it was a powerful spell, requiring all of them to cast properly. She had to concentrate on her target, the yellow gemstone in the middle of the circle, and funnel her emotions into one purpose - to separate the heartless power of the pattern from the soul of the pony sealed within. Everything else could wait.

She couldn’t spare a glance at her friends to see the emotions on their faces, but they were doing their job, their power flowing steadily, except for Pinkie Pie, whose energy fluctuated a bit, as if she hesitated on how much magic to use. The room was already filled with blinding light. She reached inside the gem with her will, and directed the spell to its target.

There!

The gemstone exploded, and the spell unravelled. This time the Elements were ready, and managed to hold their ground. They remained in the circle, standing around the yellow pegasus that used to be Spitfire.

So, now we will see, thought Twilight. She prepared a binding spell, just in case, and then cleared her throat loudly. 

“Rainbow Dash? I think it’s your cue.”

This time they did step back. Rainbow Dash entered the circle. She still looked angry, but her moves betrayed hesitation. Even as her spells rose around her in a layer of armor, it was clear that she wasn’t comfortable with her current position. 

“So…” she started… “Arrogance… Gloria, or whatever you’re called. For your crimes against Equestria, and ponykind, I… I mean, we sentence you to-”

Twilight tensed, the spell hanging unreleased at the tip of her horn. She was preparing for various scenarios, perhaps for Gloria to try to fight back with the strength and armor her body had left, or try to escape. Perhaps give a speech about her deeds as the ruler of Equestria, or perhaps just calmly accept the sentence, trying to maintain the regal poise she had held onto for so long.

When she didn’t expect her to do was fall to the floor, bawling. The pegasus collapsed, her battered armor clanking loudly against the crystal floor, tears streaming down her face, her mouth opening to speak, but failing to make coherent sounds among the cries of anguish.

“Death,” finished Dash lamely, looking at a wreck of a pony at her feet. “What’s going on?” she asked nopony in particular. “Is she trying to trick me, or what?” She raised a hoof, and a curved, red energy blade extended from the pastern, but she didn’t strike, just standing there on her remaining legs.

Fluttershy closed her eyes, and Kindness flashed briefly on her neck. “I don’t think she is,” she said, “I can sense a lot of pain from her. And other things. Lots of everything, really. But mostly pain.”

“What is going on, Obsidian?” asked Twilight.

Obsidian approached the circle. 

“Now, this is interesting. I guess this is what happens when you suddenly feel again after four thousand years of having your emotions stunted. All you’ve experienced through that time, every memory is suddenly painted in different colors. The same must have happened to Vengeance. That would explain the screaming.”

“So, what will happen to her now?” asked Rainbow.

“I don’t know,” replied Obsidian, shrugging. “She might go crazy, and stay like this. Or she might recover by tomorrow. Or you could execute her like you agreed to. You girls have decided to make it not my problem, and frankly… you were right, Twilight. Arrogance is no more. I no longer care about this pony.” 

“So…?” Dash turned around, looking for somepony else to give her guidance, at one point turning her back on Gloria, who did nothing to exploit it. “What do I do now?”

“You’re supposed to kill her,” said Bluebonnet from her corner of the room. “Or else step aside, and let me do it.”

Slowly, turning her head to not look at Gloria for as long as possible, Rainbow Dash turned once again towards her. She lifted her hoof, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

“You deserve this… You murdered Spitfire!” She spun and swung the blade. Fluttershy yelped.

Dash looked down her shaking leg at the blade. It had stopped less than an inch from Gloria’s teary-eyed face. The yellow pegasus was looking back at Dash, mouth half open. She was sitting perfectly still, the glowing red tip tracing circles in front of her running nose.

Rainbow stepped back, and slumped on her rump, the blade disappearing. “No, I can’t. Not when she’s looking at me like this.”

“It’s not about looking,” said Twilight forcefully. “It’s about you being a good pony. You’re not the kind to kill somepony defenceless.”

“So, what do we do?” asked Applejack. “Cause I’m pretty sure I’m not either. And neither is Rarity.”

“That leaves me, doesn’t it?” said Bluebonnet angrily, entering the circle. Rainbow Dash stood up, and got out of her way.

“Are you… that kind of pony, Bluebonnet?” asked Twilight. 

“If you are, I can conjure you a blade,” said Obsidian. “I don’t think anypony here wants to watch you trample her to death.”

“I…” Bluebonnet turned away from Obsidian, and glared at the defenceless form of Gloria. With the initial wave of emotion subsiding, and the near-death at the blade of Rainbow shocking her silent, the pegasus was almost quiet now, sitting straight, and sobbing softly. 

“All your treacheries… all your scheming… hurting ponies for your own ends… using me and my daughter…” hissed Bluebonnet, “it ends now. Do you understand?”

Gloria trembled. She blinked away the tears, and looked back at Bluebonnet, her gaze suddenly growing more lucid. “I…” she choked.

“You WHAT!” screamed Bluebonnet in her face. She raised a hoof as if to strike, but instead stomped it loudly in front of her, causing her to flinch.

“I really was a monster, wasn’t I,” said Gloria. 

Bluebonnet paused, then leaned lower, getting down to Gloria’s level. “Yes, you were. You have no idea how-”

“I burned my home,” Gloria interrupted her, louder and clearer, despite her face still being a teary mess. “All of it. Killed thousands of ponies, poisoned the soil, poisoned the water until even the plants were dead. And I didn’t feel a thing.” She locked eyes with Bluebonnet. “And now I do! Everypony I ever cared for, dead, or worse, because of me!”

Bluebonnet rose, and turned away stiffly. “It would be a mercy to kill you now.” She walked away slowly, purposefully, heading for the exit.

“Was that sincere?” asked Obsidian curiously, turning towards Applejack. 

Applejack shrugged. “I didn’t have my power on, but I think so.”

Obsidian rolled his eyes. “Well, that’s helpful.”

"So, what DO we do with her?” asked Rarity. “we can’t just leave her here on the floor.”

“Well, the chamber has one door, and no windows,” started Applejack. “But we probably shouldn’t.”

Twilight Sparkle sighed. “We will put her in a cell, under changeling guard,” said Twilight. “Applejack, you can take her promise not to escape. Since she’s no longer Shattered, she’s not the horrible threat she used to be.”

“You used to be just a pony, didn’t you?” said Obsidian. “Don’t underestimate her.”

“I won’t,” replied Twilight. “We have yet to decide what to do with her, but if she’s in pain over what she did, perhaps we should see if she’s able to do any good for Equestria. She does have a lot of experience-”

“With being evil,” interrupted Dash sourly.

“With lots of things,” replied Twilight. “And if all of this can do any good at all, it would be wrong to waste it. What do you think?” she said turning towards Gloria.

Applejack sighed, and this time turned on her power. The room was filled with gentle, orange light.

“Why…” started Gloria. “Why didn’t you… let Obsidian kill me? It would be so much easier…”

Twilight walked up to her, sudden anger in her eyes, her magic lifting Gloria off the ground, and to the level of her face. “Because… that’s not how you taught me.”

***

They took away Gloria’s armor, and led her to a cell, leaving her under guard and spells. After the initial outburst, the ex-Shattered became despondent, offering no resistance whatsoever, which only increased everypony’s unease. Rarity went so far as to call the whole affair distasteful, and even Pinkie said she wished to forget about the whole thing - but Twilight knew they couldn’t. The matter would have to be addressed again, sooner or later. 

When she finally managed to fall asleep that evening, she spent a good part of the night struggling with visions of Gloria dying in various ways, killed by Obsidian, or by the Elements, sometimes turning into a monster, lashing out with claws just as they were about to let her go, and in one case, growing back into Celestia. It was only then that Twilight finally realised she was dreaming, and her experience allowed her to take control, reshaping her dream into something more peaceful. But even then, she couldn’t relax - she spent the rest of her sleep trying to call Verba to her side, but the enigmatic pony construct would not come.

Twilight awoke with a start. There was somepony outside her door.

Aside from the changeling guard, she corrected herself, as she flung the covers aside with her magic, the spells she had cast to guard her sleep returning to her, shielding her in an invisible cocoon of magic. She hopped out of bed, and walked out, just as Pinkie Pie was about to knock on her door.

“Trouble?” she asked. 

Pinkie Pie nodded solemnly. “Soon. I’m waking others.” She then trotted down the corridor. 

“I thought you were asleep,” said the guard, turning to look at her. 

Twilight summoned the rest of her armor spells. “I sleep light.”

When has that happened? she thought, as she cantered through the dimly lit corridors towards the throne room. I used to be a heavy sleeper. Now, I just need a slightest thing amiss to wake up, and I’m instantly awake. I wish I could relax and sleep like I used to. Maybe when this is all over.

She entered the throne room. Obsidian was there, looking out of the balcony door, his staff floating in the air by his side.

“Pinkie felt trouble coming,” she said.

The earth pony didn’t turn to face her. “Yes,” he admitted. “And I can already see it. The southern horizon is burning purple. You know what that means.”

“Purple?” Twilight paused as her brain searched for the answer. When it hit her, she rushed forward, teleporting past Obsidian to get out onto the balcony. She channelled the magic from her tiara to her eyes, and sent her gaze past the semi-opaque barrier surrounding the city.

He was right. The night sky was discolored, the natural, starry blackness disrupted by darkness of a different kind, something far in the distance blotting out the stars, casting a purple shade across the clouds.

“What did I miss?” asked Dash, flying into the room and onto the balcony, the sounds of multiple hoofsteps echoing behind her.

“It’s Hate,” said Twilight, growing pale. “He’s burning again.”

“What?” Fluttershy’s eyes grew large as she followed Twilight’s gaze. “Where?”

“Somewhere in Equestria,” said Twilight. “Somewhere, where we’re not there to stop him.”

She turned around, and found all the Elements gathered around her, followed by Bluebonnet and Pierce. 

“We’re all here,” said Pierce. “So, who is he fighting?”

“It doesn’t matter, does it?” said Dash. “We need to go there at once! Obsidian, do you have a circle ready?”

Obsidian shook his head. “It won’t be necessary.” 

He was about to explain, but before he could, there was a buzz of wings. A changeling flew up to the level of the balcony, and stopped in front of Rarity. “Your Majesty!” he called. “Guilt is at the southern gate. He demands an audience with the Elements.”

Obsidian squinted. “What’s he doing here?”

“Demanding an audience,” said Twilight, firing up Magic to wrap everypony around her in a spell. “Let’s not keep him waiting.”

***

The spell delivered them straight to the barrier, the burst of bright light dropping them mere meters from the crystal pillars marking the gate. Twilight didn’t even take time to congratulate herself on the precise landing, at once turning towards the barrier, the changeling guards standing aside to give her a clear view.

Enigma was standing on the other side. He looked dishevelled, and moved somewhat stiffly, but his eyes were focused. He scanned the Elements as they approached, pointedly avoiding eye contact with Obsidian.

“You’ve changed a lot,” he said to the approaching mares. 

“What do you want from us?” asked Twilight. Beside her, Applejack extended her aura.

“To talk with you,” replied Enigma. “This war has taken a turn I did not anticipate, and we may need to-”

“Hate is burning!” interrupted Rainbow Dash, flying above Twilight. “We have no time for chit-chat! Tell us, what’s happened. Where is he?”

Enigma looked up at her. “Canterlot. He’s burning Canterlot down.”
> Chapter 52: The Kindness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Canterlot?” Twilight gazed towards the light illuminating the sky in the distance. Her friends only managed shocked gasps, their imaginations probably conjuring images matching the one in front of Twilight’s own mind’s eye. “But… why?”

“I can only guess,” replied Enigma, “I lost the best part of the last two days. But it seems the third player you’ve been looking for has finally revealed herself.”

“The third…” Twilight’s ears perked up, the horror of the situation momentarily forgotten in the excitement of the dawning realisation. “You know who sent us to the Void Passage?”

Enigma’s ear flicked with annoyance. “I think I do. Which means I should’ve been smarter. Ever since I learned it wasn’t Obsidian’s doing, I kept looking for someone with the power to cast such a spell. Very few creatures would have the ability, but I also searched for artifacts that could amplify magic. I disregarded the Shattered though. It would take something like combining alicorn magic with Ambition for them to succeed, and it was against their interest.”

Twilight pushed closer to him, almost passing the threshold. “But the device Deception used to try to transform me, it had that kind of power! And there could’ve been more than one!”

“Now I’m not convinced it was Deception at all,” replied Enigma. “I fought the ‘Dr. Stone’ occupying the lab, and she was nothing like her. I suspect-”

“Could this wait!?” shouted Rainbow Dash, flying over Twilight’s head to push to the front. “Canterlot's on fire! We need to go there, now!”

Enigma looked up at her. “I don’t think you’ll be in time to make a difference.”

“We need to try,” said Applejack from behind Twilight. “If we could seal Hate and dis… undo his Shattered thing, that would be three down.”

Enigma turned his head to stare at her. “Three? You mean…”

“We have a spell to undo the splicing,” said Obsidian. “Vengeance and Arrogance are no more. Gloria is still in our custody, but Libra is gone, and she won’t be coming back.”

Enigma blinked. “You… and I spent so much time trying to find you allies for the coming war. I guess I was wasting my time.” He turned back towards Twilight. “We have a lot to talk about. But if you can really end this, it is worth a try. In that case, time is of the essence.”

“Does it mean you’ll help us?” asked Applejack.

“Not much I can do,” replied Enigma. “There is nothing I can do to Hate in this state, and if I get too close, his magic will slow down my powers, and he’ll turn me to dust.”

“I think I can help,” said Bluebonnet over the crowd. 

“Yes, Bluebonnet?” asked Enigma.

“I’ve been working on the pattern gun,” explained the engineer. “I used the parts from the lab to make a simple neural reader - enough to pull the trigger with your mind. It still has a problem of aiming, and the ammo interferes with teleportation magic. But for you, neither is a problem. You’re the best possible user for this weapon.”

“As long as I recover the ammo you stole from the lab, isn’t that right?” said Enigma with a smirk. 

“Yes,” said Bluebonnet, nodding. 

Enigma returned the nod. ”Fine. Bring it. I’ll help however I can.”

“Stand with me,” said Twilight. “I’ll send us to the palace and back.”

“So, we’re trusting him now?” said Obsidian, glancing from Enigma to Twilight.

“You know, so far he’s manipulated us less than you have,” said Pinkie from behind him.

Obsidian turned towards her, opened his mouth to speak, paused, then exhaled slowly through the mouth. “Have it your way.”

***

Once Twilight returned, it took them only seconds to prepare the teleport. Enigma moved ahead with the pattern gun, disappearing as soon as Bluebonnet finished fitting a metal ring around his head, connecting the wire to the gun harness. The Elements just formed a circle by themselves, Obsidian standing aside as they combined their powers.

“You’re not coming with us?” asked Twilight.

“I was thinking of staying behind in case anything goes wrong,” said Obsidian. “Do you want me to come with you?”

Twilight considered the question. “We can handle it on our own… but if something does go wrong, you won’t help us sitting here. Hop aboard.”

Obsidian smiled, and walked past Twilight inside the circle. The Elements flared up with power, and the barrier between the pillars marking the entrance opened for a second, allowing the spell to pass. 

***

We’re here. No magic circles needed anymore. What?

Twilight was prepared for a fight. Her imagination conjured the images of the previous battle - buildings exploding, screaming ponies running away from a roaring monster.

She wasn’t ready for what she saw instead. The Canterlot castle was gone, the remains of its outer towers standing awkwardly, like half-melted candles. And half-melted was the right word, Twilight realised - the surrounding area was more reminiscent of a volcano than a ruined city, everything on the highest tier of the city turned into slag, red-hot rock providing illumination to the grisly scene. 

Twilight looked around frantically, her magic whipping around with cool wind, forming an area of breathable air around her friends. She tried to see beyond the courtyard, and as she turned, she felt something crumble beneath her hoof. She looked down, and stared into an empty socket of a charred pony skull.

“We’re too late…” gasped Rarity. “Everypony is already…”

“Not everypony,” said Enigma next to her. “The city has been in turmoil for days, and when the palace exploded, everypony ran for the gates. Most of those on the lower levels outran the fire.” He pointed his head towards the lower city. Twilight couldn’t see over the piles of hot rubble, but she could see the smoke - clearly the rest of the city was burning. “But of those unfortunates still left in the palace? Very few made it to the gate.”

“Where is Hate?” asked Applejack. “He hasn’t already burned out, has he?”

Everypony looked around. Pinkie Pie closed her eyes, and stood on hind legs, front hooves to her temples. “No, he’s still raging somewhere.” 

“He should have burned out by now,” said Enigma. “Ever since…Portus, his bodies are designed to burn out faster, to mitigate the damage. If his current body isn’t… we need to find him quickly.”

“It’s not like he’s easy to miss,” said Rarity. “Should we raise the Sun to get a better view?”

“Three hours early?” asked Twilight. “It might help... No. We don’t need more chaos, and we need to conserve our powers. Dash, take a look from the air, and -”

“Found him,” said Enigma. “He’s in Cloudsdale.”

“What!?” Dash jumped up into the sky, clearing the black smoke obscuring the clouds above them. She spun in the air, pointed west, and then looked down and shouted, “I can see him! We need to get there, NOW!”

“I’ll try to get his attention,” said Enigma, and disappeared.

The Elements all turned towards Twilight. She considered another teleportation, but after the experience of the first jump, she reconsidered. 

“Rarity, help me, please,” she said, conjuring a translucent disc of magic underneath her hooves. As Rarity’s magic flowed into her to reinforce her, Twilight pushed gently, the disk soaring into the sky, with her and her friends standing on top of it. 

“There he is,” she said, swallowing loudly. 

And there it was, far in the distance, a stormcloud like she had never seen before, flashing with yellow and purple - the city of Cloudsdale in the process of being consumed by a magical conflagration. As her magic responded to the intent to see, expanding her sight forward, she could just make out the tiny silhouettes of panicked pegasi scattering in all directions, disappearing into the night.

“He isn’t just raging,” said Fluttershy, paling. “He could be wrecking the mountain, or burning Everfree forest, but he went there, on purpose. Why is he doing that?”

“Maybe somepony is guiding him,” said Applejack. “I didn’t think it possible, but, whoa!” she braced herself, as the disc accelerated. A bubble of protective magic formed around it as Twilight took it towards Cloudsdale, the night air rushing past them. Beside the sphere there trailed a streak of red - Rainbow Dash kept up with them as they rushed towards the battle.

“I’m having a twitchy tail,” said Pinkie Pie suddenly. “And you’re not gonna like it.”

“I hope Enigma can keep him busy as he promised,” said Twilight, staring ahead, trying to see a sign, any sign, that the Shattered joined a fight against his former companion. 

There was a flash of pale silver in the distance, one she wouldn’t mistake for anything else, and then an angry roar that shook the clouds. 

“Brace yourselves!” she shouted, as she prepared to teleport everypony ahead towards their destination. But before she could, there was another flash, and then the purple flame burst through the underside of the clouds. Hate was flying down, a twisted mass of churning blackness wrapped in purple flame, descending at an angle, like a burning airship about to crash. And then, in a moment of horrifying certainty, Twilight Sparkle knew where he was headed.

***

They teleported down towards Ponyville, landing just in time to see Hate crash into the town hall. The old building burst apart like a giant, flaming puffball, launching burning pieces of wood all over the neighbourhood. Some bounced off Twilight’s barrier before she dismissed it, her friends fanning out around her, their personal defense spells taking over. 

“I once had a nightmare like this,” said Pinkie Pie.

“So had I,” replied Twilight.

No lights. The town is still empty. But that means there is nopony but us to-

A cloud of black swirled inside the burning building. A single eye, a ball of angry red light in the darkness, looked towards the Elements. 

“Together!” shouted Twilight. She could feel the power of her friends flow towards her, and she shot it forward, a wedge of force that split the incoming wave of flame in two. Everything around them became fire, but the Elements were unscathed.

From the left, she saw a blue beam of power striking at Hate. It was Obsidian, firing a spell from his staff, and teleporting away just as a tendril of blackness lashed in his direction.

He can’t do a thing to Hate, she realised, he’s just distracting him for us. 

The rest of the town hall had already fallen apart, leaving only Hate standing in the middle, a dark cloud with a vaguely pony-shaped head, and half a dozen limbs of swirling flame, illuminated by the much brighter regular fires from the buildings surrounding the town square. Did he… shrink? thought Twilight.

The monster slid forward, reshaping with every second, limbs sprouting out and being reabsorbed. It twisted to aim at a side of the wedge, and roared, and Twilight barely managed to reshape her barrier into a curved slope, directing the shockwave upwards, and over the town. Still she felt the soil beneath her hooves give way as everypony were pushed away.

Hate lurched forward, and what currently passed for his front hooves dug into the ground. Twilight could sense the buildup of power underneath her.

There was a blindingly bright blast - a beam of silver that seemed to drain colors from the world. It hit Hate in the neck, sending him reeling, and causing the arms to dissolve. Enigma was standing to the right, preparing for another shot.

“Now! Together!” shouted Twilight. She gathered the strength of her friends just as Enigma shot again, blasting a huge hole in the black miasma surrounding Hate. Twilight exploded with rainbow lights, sending the combined power of the Elements through that hole, unravelling the monster layer by layer.

The spell wasn’t perfect. Enigma’s shots had opened the way by dampening the magic, so the Elements weren’t at full power either. But they were enough. There he was, a large, orange pegasus with wild eyes and sharp teeth, lines of black flame clinging to his fur even as he half-emerged from the burning cloud. He looked at Twilight, and bared his teeth. 

“So, you’ve came to end this,” he said, his voice hoarse, but defiant.

“We almost have him! Push harder!” shouted Rainbow Dash.

Twilight found herself hesitating. She looked towards Hate. “Why are you doing this!?” she shouted over the clashing powers. “Why did you destroy Centerlot!?”

Hate scowled, returning her look. “Because that’s all that’s left, isn’t it? I’m the last one.”

“What?” Twilight pulled back her spell. “The last of-”

“Libra is dead!” snarled Hate, “Gloria will soon be. Enigma has betrayed us.”

“Twilight!” shouted Applejack, “What are you doing!?”

“I need to know,” replied Twilight impatiently. “How do you know about Vengeance?”

“She told me,” replied Hate, the flames crawling on his skin increasing in intensity. “Dr. Stone. She got rid of Eve and Absinthe. She played everypony, pulled you into her game, and now I’m the only one left. The last rabid beast that needs to be put down.”

“Wait! Envy and Deception are gone?” Twilight was stuck for loss of words. “But that means…”

“It is over,” said Hate. “Just you and me now. I was told you have a spell that can kill me for good…”

His eyes erupted with purple flame, and in a blink of an eye he was once again wreathed in a monstrous cloud of deadly magic. “SHOW ME!”

He pushed forward, and his flames spread out, the giant maw opening to swallow all the Elements whole. Twilight felt her friends preparing to scatter, but held them together with her magic, teleporting the whole group out of the way.

“Why did you stop!?” screamed Applejack from behind her, as they reappeared in the air.

“I needed to know!” replied Twilight, “There is more going on than we know, and It may be too late to talk to him later!”

“And now you’ve wasted our chance of taking him down!” shouted Obsidian from outside their bubble. He was standing on a nimbus of blue smoke, his staff balanced on his withers. “How many shots does Guilt have left?”

Below them Hate faced up, coiling like a snake. He roared again. Obsidian teleported just in time, the smoke left in his wake blown away by the shockwave. But Twilight and her friends were sent flying upward, with nothing but air to brace against, the sphere spinning for a couple of seconds before Twilight was able to right it. She was just in time to see a giant fireball a split second from impact.

She felt the wave of heat wash over her, as the layers of protective magic barely kept the explosion away. 

“Stay together!” she shouted, as she teleported the sphere aside, dodging the next two blasts. “Don’t let him split us up!” 

“Two shots left,” said Enigma, blinking into existence close to her. “Then I need to go reload.”

He disappeared when Hate flew straight at them, trying to grab them with his jaws again. Twilight performed another dodge to get out of his way. He flew past them, the heat of his flames washing other their barrier. 

Uh? I wanted to get further away… thought Twilight as she formed a spell to strike back. 

Then Hate’s form split, the jaw lashing forward continuing with the momentum and slowly dissolving, while a new head shot from the torso at the right angle, straight at the girls. Twilight shot an unfinished spell, but the monster just opened his mouth and swallowed it. Then he inhaled, a hurricane wind pulling them in. Twilight tried to teleport away, but found her magic being pulled towards her foe - a pure instinct to devour turned into a spell that dragged his victims into his open maw.

There was a shot of the pattern gun from the outside, but the mouth would not let go. They were surrounded by roiling black and purple flames, the semi-solid shapes of the giant fangs crushing the protective sphere from all sides. Twilight struggled to break them free, and felt her power slowly winning the struggle. She was breathing heavily, struggling to keep her focus against the pain of the unbearable heat, her armor spells only enough to keep her lungs from being burned, while her nose filled with the smell of burned mane hair. But she could feel the jaws slowly getting pushed open. Hate was a monster like no other, a force of destruction that frightened even Discord. But there were six of them working together now, and the combined power of the Elements-

Then the light at the bottom of the gullet started getting brighter. Twilight’s heart froze, even in the overwhelming heat.

“We won’t make it in time!” she shouted in panic.

“We will,” said Fluttershy next to her. ”Make me the center of the spell.”

She didn’t plead, she didn’t sound scared. She made a request, as if she was stating the fact, and in that moment Twilight found out she had no way or time to argue. Her friend had a plan to save them all and no time to waste being scared.

All it took was a small shift. The white light changed to pink. Suddenly the pressure eased, and the heat became more bearable. Twilight stepped aside, allowing Fluttershy to take a central place. I haven’t seen her like this since… but this is so much bigger than some dragon. Is she using her own power to calm herself too?

“Stop it, Lightbringer,” said Fluttershy loudly. “You know you don’t really want to do it.”

The cloud around them kept struggling, but some of the fangs withdrew from the barrier. Slowly, with great effort, the giant gullet formed words that rumbled like a descending rockslide. “I… DO.”

“No, you don’t,” said Fluttershy. “You said you wanted to see if we can kill you. You’re raging, but it’s not really us you’re angry at, is it?”

The cloud rumbled again, and purple flames hissed from the gullet, but not strong enough to break the barrier; they merely washed over it. Fluttershy didn’t flinch.

“I think I know,” said Fluttershy. “You’re angry at being alone, aren’t you? At being rejected by those who feared you, and at losing ponies you couldn’t save. And then you become angry at yourself, but you can’t destroy yourself no matter how hard you try.”

“YOU DON’T KNOW ME.”

“No,” said Fluttershy. “But I listen when you speak, and I notice things. I know how it is when nopony listens. You keep bragging how much you hurt and kill, but you also keep talking about you being hurt. Harming others doesn’t make you happy.”

“STUPID MARE! I’VE KILLED MORE PONIES THAN YOU WILL EVER MEET!”

Fluttershy gave a sad nod. “You have. And it didn’t make you happy. But you always tried to fight for something, didn’t you? Even at your worst. There was always your side, somepony you called friends, or allies. And now you’re about to be alone for the first time, and you feel that all that death might have been for nothing. This is why you’re so angry, isn’t it?”

“THEN END IT! DESTROY ME!”

Fluttershy shook her head. “No, not you. The monster you became. I don’t want to hurt you. I couldn’t if I wanted. But I can help you find peace, if you let me. Get rid of Hate.”

The cloud shook with a deafening roar. The fangs closed in again, and the barrier flashed with sudden strain. Fluttershy shuddered, but did not back down.

“I AM HATE!”

“Do you want to be?”

Twilight could feel the spell start, weaving through her and her friends, and then flowing outward from Fluttershy. Lines of pink light stretched from the sphere and through the black flames, and Twilight realised she didn’t feel nearly the amount of resistance she was expecting. In seconds, the flaming jaw around them dissolved, letting in some night air. The spell kept feeling around with immaterial tendrils, as if searching for something.

And there he was, right in front of them, the knot of deepest darkness at the heart of the monster, the spot where the dark magic originated, tied to the soul of the pony stuck inside. Twilight couldn’t see it, but she could feel it through the spell, the moment his resistance ceased, the magic reaching through his essence. He’s not like the others, she thought. I can feel two powers inside him, but it’s different, even from Vengeance; these powers oppose each other, and the magic is dominant right now. It’s just like Obsidian said, like a living creature inside him. How do we disconnect it?

Now the black miasma was giving way, and Twilight could see more and more. She could already see the outline of the pegasus in front of her, framed by the pink tendrils extending gently like growing vines. The flames were disappearing, replaced by pink motes of light fluttering about like butterflies. But that was just a visible symptom of what was happening inside. Twilight could feel Fluttershy struggle with the asymmetrical connection, trying to disjoin both powers from Lightbringer at the same time; one inimical to magic, and barely perceptible beneath the overwhelming magical aura - the other sentient and terribly powerful, a ball of burning rage only kept at bay by Fluttershy’s Kindness oura supercharged by the other Elements.

 “You can do it, Sugarcube,” she heard Applejack whisper reassuringly from behind. 

“You’re doing great,” said Twilight herself, careful not to raise her voice above a soft whisper. She considered her own statement, and realized that it was true - more than empty encouragement, she was impressed with how Fluttershy was able to handle the spell, and the task before her, despite it being her first time as the focus pony. She was keeping her calm, and slowly making progress, getting closer and closer to achieving her goal.

As long as nothing interrupts us, we should - Twilight looked around frantically, but found both Obsidian and Enigma standing in the air outside the spell area, looking around vigilantly while waiting for the fight to resolve. 

We’re technically attacking him, she thought, or at least attacking the thing inside him. How come it isn’t stopped by Fluttershy’s aura? Is she able to get past her own spell, or perhaps she doesn’t see it as an attack? Is it because she’s helping, or perhaps it’s what he thinks that matters?

There was a soft ping when the connections broke. Twilight was nearly pushed back as the spell retreated from Lightbringer, and then shot in all directions, the magic turning night into day as it cascaded over the town, extinguishing all the fires. The black flame went out, and there was a moment when Lightbringer was hanging in the air in front of the Elements, a strange, pained smile on his face. thin lines of bright red appeared under his coat. He looked straight at Fluttershy.

“Thank you,” he said, and then burst into flames. 

It wasn’t like when he ignited before. There was no spreading blackness, but a short burst of red and purple, blindingly intense, exploding upward and flying up towards the night sky, reducing the pegasus to ash in a span of a single breath. Twilight could only huddle behind her barriers, as the last dregs of the released energy washed over her.

“What… what happened?” asked Pinkie Pie, shaking her head to get rid of the red spots in her vision.

“He’s gone, isn’t he?’ asked Enigma, appearing just outside the Elements’ barrier. “I’ve seen him burned by his own power before, but never like this.”

“It seems the power was no longer his, was it?” asked Obsidian, approaching from the opposite side, careful to keep the Elements between himself and Enigma. “It had already turned him to ash, so when you released it-”

“Poof,” said Rainbow Dash. “Just like that, he’s gone. You destroyed him for good.”

“I freed him from his torment,” said Fluttershy, looking at her with disapproval, though her voice remained calm.

“Same thing. He’s gone,” said Obsidian.

Fluttershy turned her gaze upon him now, and it was far more disapproving. “I assure you, there is a difference.”

“Having watched him for thousands of years… I must thank you for this,” said Enigma. “Nopony should be this-”

“Hey, guys?” interrupted Rainbow Dash, fluttering above them. “I’m sure we can spend whole days talking about feelings… but right now I think we have a problem.”

 They looked up at her, and then at the sky. The red light did not disappear. It was now hanging above them, illuminating the night like a second moon, an angry red boil basking the world in a foreboding tint of red.

“My goodness. What is that thing?” asked Rarity.

“This is what was inside Hate all along,” said Obsidian.

Rarity suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. “We all know that.”

Enigma sighed. “Why do I have a feeling we’ll learn exactly what it is very soon?”
> Chapter 53: The Distraction
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So, this is what was inside Hate all along?” asked Applejack, looking up at the sky.

“It didn’t look like this during the first Splice,” said Obsidian. 

“Nor at any time later,” added Enigma. “This is the first time I’ve seen it like this.”

“So, what happens now?” asked Rainbow Dash. 

“What do you think will happen?” asked Obsidian, turning towards Twilight.

Twilight stared at the night sky. The stars weren’t just dimmed by the giant red ball - some of them shifted their positions around it, as if pushed out of the way. “You said that thing didn’t seem to have a mind of its own, did it? So, it might just stay there if nothing disturbs it… but I doubt it. This must have been the plan all along.”

“Whaddya mean?” asked Applejack. “If this thing, whatever it is, has never been like this, how would anypony know this will happen?”

“It could be that this is entirely unexpected,” said Twilight, “But after what we’ve seen, I don’t believe in coincidences anymore. Somepony manipulated the Shattered, used their device to cast a spell that sent us to the Dissonance, knowing that it would wake Obsidian, then pulled the strings during the war. They took Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle from Canterlot, and then let us find them just as the Shattered did. Dr. Stone, whoever or whatever she really is, wanted us to fight, and she wanted the Shattered to be ended forever.”

“So, she’s on our side?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“No,” said Twilight. “If she really provoked Hate into running amok tonight, she must be as evil as the Shattered. That means she must have had a different goal than us winning. I bet this is it.” She pointed her horn upwards. “If there is one thing only the Elements could do, it’s separating this power from Hate.”

“So, what do we do now?” asked Rarity.

“We put out the fires first,” Fluttershy spoke up, causing everypony to look at her. “Cloudsdale is made of clouds, so it won’t burn, but Canterlot is still on fire. There must still be ponies trying to get out of the city.”

“You’re right, Fluttershy,” gasped Twilight, “We can’t waste a second. Enigma, will you help us?” 

Enigma nodded. “I can move ponies around if they don’t resist. And I can displace burning wood.” Then he wasn’t there anymore, gone to do as he said.

Twilight looked at her friends. “Okay everypony, circle.”

“So, we’ll play at being firefighters for the rest of the night?” asked Obsidian.

“Not you,” replied Twilight. “We’re sending you to the Crystal Empire first. Try to contact Verba, and prepare a circle. If we want to be ready before our enemy makes her next move, we might need to use the Amaranthine.”

***

Enigma moved through the burning city. He stretched his presence across town, popping in and out at dozens of locations at once, letting his supernatural spatial awareness guide him where his eyes could not catch up. It was so much easier with no overwhelming magic present to dampen his abilities. 

Still, for all his speed, he knew he would be too late in many cases. The lower city hadn’t  suffered Hate’s touch directly like the palace, but the stray fireballs and red-hot debris he’d sent flying with the initial explosion were enough to turn the sleeping district into a raging inferno.

He avoided the worst of the flames - there was nopony left to save there. Instead he looked for houses close to one of the fires, but not yet consumed. His experience didn’t fail him. With the fires splitting the city into separate pieces, there were always some ponies - the slowest, the heaviest sleepers, infirm or just unlucky, who found themselves cut off. This was where he could help.

He found an elderly mare stuck on the highest floor of her house. He appeared next to her, dropping his constant shifting to focus better, and tapped her on the shoulder. “I’ll get you out of here, ma’am,” he said. “Just close your eyes and relax.”

Easier said than done. The mare seemed more frightened by a stranger showing up in her house than by the fire raging just outside her window. When he shifted her away into one of the safer streets, she turned green on the face, and for a moment Enigma feared that she’d throw up there and then. 

I can move them, even against their will, but it’s not as effective as I need, he thought as he came back to skimming through the surrounding buildings again. A different approach is in order.

He found a colt struggling with a stuck door, pulling frantically, too scared to think of bucking it open instead. With a sigh, he displaced the lock’s barrel, letting the door swing open. He observed the street just long enough to point the colt in the right direction when he ran out of the house and looked around in confusion. 

Meanwhile, Enigma was already elsewhere, collapsing a burning building to stop the fire from spreading down the block. He found a group of ponies panicking in the street, and pointed them the shortest way through the smoke. He found a cul-de-sac blocked off by a fire just at its mouth, the front of the house falling apart, raining burning wood on the cobblestones. He appeared in front of the frightened ponies looking for a way out, and then started shifting the pieces, sending the burning wood a few blocks away, where the houses were already burned down, until a path was cleared.

What’s taking them so long? I can keep saving ponies, and fighting the fire, but even I have my limits.

As if in response, the sky above the city exploded with colors. Enigma closed his eyes, turning off his power as the magic washed over him. For a moment the night turned into day, the spell illuminating everything it touched. The fires were extinguished, the smoke blown away. Enigma could see a small house across the street recover from some of the damage, wood and stone fitting back into place, then promptly collapse again, as the spell couldn’t fix all the burned out parts of the supports.

Enigma waited for the spell to pass, and sighed. He spent about a minute hopping around the city, but there was nopony left that needed saving; everypony had either reached safety, or was already dead. I guess my work here is done, he thought. Calming everypony can be left to the Elements. Now to the more important matters.

He reappeared in front of the pile of slag that use to be Canterlot Castle, and extended his senses through the rock. Let’s see if I can find some clues to what’s really going on here.

***

It was early morning when the Elements of Harmony returned to the Crystal Empire. 

Raising the Sun was the last thing they did before leaving Canterlot. Or what was left of it, at any rate: the spell they weaved together put out all the fires in one go, but there was still a lot of chaos and pain left in Hate’s wake, and few local ponies willing or able to take charge. In the end it took the Elements several hours to restore a semblance of order, spreading the truth with Applejack's power to prevent further panic at their appearance. 

Finally they put in charge some soot-covered city hall official that Enigma managed to locate, and used what was left of the city guard to organize aid for the displaced and the injured. It wasn’t nearly enough, they knew: they healed smaller injuries where they could, and Fluttershy sang a duet with Rarity, soothing all who could hear them, to lessen the horrors of that night. But however much they did, there was still more damage to be fixed, more pain and grief to be soothed. 

We owe it to them, thought Rarity, doing her best to look calm and regal as they departed. It was Hate who hurt them, true, but it was our war they got tangled in - somepony has to take responsibility, and we’re supposed to be the heroes here. It is up to us to fix this,

She looked at the ponies watching them disappear - there were still about two dozen sitting in the nearby ruins, and some of them could still obviously use their help. Rarity struggled to avoid eye contact with a dishevelled-looking filly closest to them. 

“Come on, girls,” said Twilight Sparkle. “We can help them more if we’re rested, and magic is no substitute for proper sleep. Plus we need to be ready when 'Dr. Stone' makes her next move. Our powers may be needed more when she resurfaces.”

She’s right, of course, thought Rarity dejectedly, We might need to save all of them again soon. We must be rested and ready. Plus, I now have my own subjects to worry about. They must be worried sick about me by now, even if they’ve seen the sun rise.

She wasn’t satisfied with the explanation. Deep inside, she felt these were just empty excuses. But as the spell delivered the Elements in front of the pillars marking the entrance to the Empire, some of Rarity’s concerns were validated; apart from the changeling guards, there was a large group of crystal ponies sitting nervously on the grassy hillside just inside the barrier. As the light of the teleport faded, the whole herd got up excitedly, swarming the entrance.

“Your Majesty!” she heard the first stallion call towards her. “There is a strange light in the sky!”

“What does it mean?” asked another.

“It’s such a relief to have you back with us,” said some mare from behind him.

“What are we going to do?”

“Are we safe inside the barrier?”

More questions followed, some hopeful, some frightened and urgent. Rarity knew how it worked. She had seen it many times in Ponyville, a herd looking for a leader to reassure them. Usually it was Twilight.

Rarity stepped forward, took a deep breath, and…

“BZZZZUMMM!”

Pinkie Pie blew a crystal flugelhorn, a loud, obnoxious, cringe-inducing blare that caused everypony to momentarily freeze up. Rarity turned her head to silently glare at her, but Pinkie only grinned and shrugged her shoulders, packing the instrument away. 

Nopony had spoken yet, and Rarity exploited the momentary silence, amplifying her voice and taking initiative.

“Ponies of the Empire!” she started. “We return from a battle against the same monster you saw us banish when we freed you! “

There were some shocked gasps, but nopony dared interrupt her. Rarity looked towards Fluttershy, and saw a cross expression on her face. The pegasus was clearly conflicted over how to relate the recent events to the public. 

Better to keep it simple, decided Rarity.

“This time we have finished the fight!” she continued. “The monster is no more! But before we could destroy it, it wreaked havoc across both Canterlot and Cloudsdale!”

More shocked gasps. Rarity saw one stallion start opening his mouth to ask her a question. She couldn’t afford to lose the momentum.

“It took us the rest of the night to help in the rescue effort,” she said. “As for the light above our heads, it is the magic that used to power the monster. It was released when he was destroyed. We will work together to make sure that nopony can use it to cause any further harm! Now please, let us through! It was a busy night, and we all need some rest!”

The crowd instantly parted, opening the path. Rarity stepped in, followed by the other Elements.

“You’re getting better at it,” said Applejack.

“I have no choice,” replied Rarity

“I can’t rest just yet,” said Twilight. “There are a couple ponies I need to talk to. Starting with you,” she added, turning to look towards Bluebonnet, who had just emerged from the crowd. 

The engineer nodded. “Just give me a moment. Enigma?”

Twilight turned around. Enigma was standing behind them, at the edge of the city’s barrier. “The helmet isn’t the most comfortable,” he said, “but it does work as intended. I was able to land all my shots exactly where I wanted.”

“And the power?” asked Bluebonnet. 

“The reduction does hurt performance,” replied Enigma. “But that is only a problem against the most powerful targets.”

“We already know it can take down adult dragons,” said Bluebonnet. “Perhaps we could add an option to supercharge a shot from multiple batteries.”

“Speaking of batteries,” said Enigma, displacing the harness off his body and onto the ground, “There are only six shots left. Do you have means to recharge the batteries?”

Bluebonnet shook her head. “I’m afraid not. Unless you could bring me some extra equipment from the lab.”

“I cannot,” replied Enigma. “Whether by design, or  side effect of the enemy schemes, Hate’s final rampage started down there. I tried to search the place for clues, but everything is either collapsed or melted. We even have to take his word that Stone made it out of there.”

“I understand,” responded Bluebonnet. “That means we only have six shots to finish this war with. But with only Envy and Deception left, this should be doable, shouldn’t it?”

Enigma shifted uncomfortably, flicking his tail in annoyance. “We’re not sure. According to what Hate said when we confronted him, both of them are already gone. He said that somepony impersonated Deception and  disposed of Envy. We think that was who had sent the Elements to the Void Passage to meet Verba and Obsidian. Didn’t you talk to Obsidian when he returned?”

Bluebonnet shook her head. “No, by the time I knew he arrived, he had already locked himself in the ritual room. So... this is what happened? All this...” She looked up towards the huge red star in the sky. “And this too?” she looked towards Twilight.

“I don’t think this is a good place to discuss it,” said Enigma. “Twilight will brief you on the details.”

Bluebonnet took a deep breath. “First things first then.” She turned towards the gun sitting in front of Enigma. “I want to take it for some tweaking. If it can be needed at any moment, I should make sure it’s in top shape.”

“Not a problem,” responded Enigma. “I will drop in to get it before the next battle.“

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “You’re not coming in? We could let you through, now that you’re…”

“No,” said Enigma. “I appreciate the thought, but now the great war is ending… I’d rather not sleep under the same roof as Obsidian. I’ll take care of myself.”

***

“Are you sure it’s all true?”

Twilight looked back at Bluebonnet. They were sitting across a small, cluttered table in a room that the engineer had been given as her temporary workshop. “I… have no proof. Hate had no reason to lie to us, but perhaps somepony had lied to him. As for Enigma… You know him better than me. Do you think he can be trusted?”

Bluebonnet stared blankly at the machinery pieces scattered in front of her, then, reluctantly lifted her gaze to meet Twilight’s. “I don’t know. I thought I knew him. But I thought I knew Dr. Stone too, and if what you’re saying is true, I might never have met the real Deception.”

Twilight chewed her lip pensively. “That was kind of Deception’s thing, wasn’t it? She adapted many faces and played different roles. Perhaps that’s why the other Shattered didn’t notice anything. Even they would rarely see the real her. Still, there is something missing. The Shattered are supposed to be super smart. And if Dr. Stone replaced Deception, how did she keep the ruse going without her powers?”

“Lab work,” replied Bluebonnet. “Everypony was used to her using doubles, and her powers have little direct use in combat. She could lock herself in a lab, make whatever monster they needed, and nopony would question how she did that.”

“And if she worked on their own bodies?” asked Twilight.

Bluebonnet snorted. “You don’t really think we’d work invasively on unsedated patients, do you?”

Twilight considered the answer. “That makes sense. Wait, no. She must have had some way of getting rid of the real Deception. And they let her sedate them. She could have got rid of them all, couldn’t she? Why didn’t she? Why put us into all this?”

Bluebonnet looked towards the window. The red star wasn’t visible from where they were sitting, but they both knew it was there, far above, turning the sky outside the barrier the color of sunset. 

“Hate,” nodded Twilight. “The one thing she couldn’t do without the Elements.”

“And not just the Elements,” said Bluebonnet. “You wouldn’t have been able to do this two years ago. She needed you as strong as you are now, or it wouldn’t have worked. But great heroes only rise to oppose great evil. If she got rid of the Shattered-”

“She’d need to create new ones herself, just to test us until we were ready,” finished Twilight. “Come up with new lies, just to get to the same point. She must have decided it was easier to just keep the same war going than to make a new conflict from scratch. I thought it strange that no matter what the Shattered did, they couldn’t stop new Elements from appearing, no matter how they sealed them away. But if ‘Dr. Stone’ made sure they did… she didn’t even have to win, just help from the sidelines and keep  low profile until the right bearers showed up. Until she could get me to read the book and finish the spell.”

She moved from her spot at the table. “I need to talk to Gloria.”

At the mention of the name, Bluebonnet shuddered visibly. “Are you going to ask for her help?”

“Not ‘help’ as such,” replied Twilight. “If what we’ve figured out is true, this ruse must have been on for centuries… millennia! If we’re to get to the bottom of this, we need to-”

There was a loud jingling outside, echoing through the cristal corridors of the castle. The two mares looked at each other.

“What is that?” asked Bluebonnet. “You think there’s trouble?”

Twilight walked towards the door, the spells woven around her body blossoming into an ethereal armor. “We'd better find out.”

She pushed the door and looked outside, turning towards the changeling standing guard there. “What’s going on?”

The insectoid pony moved his ears. “I don’t know,” he said. “But it’s over there, and moving,” he finished, pointing to his left.

“We’ll find out,” said Twilight before galloping away down the corridor, Bluebonnet close behind her.

She turned the corner, catching herself with magic as she started skidding on the smooth floor, and stopped face to face with a pair of confused-looking crystal ponies. They too seemed to be looking for the source of the sound. It was now moving away, and Twilight thought to give chase again, before changing her mind, and just teleporting after it, coming back to reality at the next intersection. 

“It went that way,” said a changeling standing there, pointing a chitinous hoof to his right. 

“What was it?” demanded Twilight. She strained her ears, but suddenly the sound disappeared. And now there was a low rumble coming from the direction she came from.

“I don’t know... “ muttered the guard. “It was kind of like…”

The rumble got closer, turning into a loud sloshing sound.

“What on earth?” Twilight looked back where she came from. She could hear some surprised screams from there, and then a foamy wave of white came crashing down the corridor. The two Crystal ponies & Bluebonnet tumbled helplessly across its face.

Twilight braced for impact and cast her first spell, grabbing the three ponies and teleporting them, dropping them behind her in a tangle of limbs as she erected a force barrier in the corridor to block the path. It stopped the wave, and for a moment Twilight stared intently at the white substance sloshing in front of her.

“What… is this thing…” she asked nopony in particular.

The female crystal pony on the ground disentangled herself from the other two, got up, and reflexively licked the substance dripping from her face. “It’s… custard, I think.”

Twilight raised her eyebrow. “Custard?” 

She turned towards Bluebonnet and cast a spell that washed over the mare, pushing the substance off her, and pressing it into a clump. She levitated it to her muzzle, and sniffed carefully. “It does smell like it…”

Touched with a sudden thought, she zapped the blob with a simple antispell. Just as she expected, the substance bubbled briefly, and then phased out of existence. Twilight turned towards her companions. “This isn’t real,” she explained. “It’s a spell. But who would…”

 She closed her eyes, and spread her magical senses. The custard was everywhere, filling most of the floor, at least as far as Twilight could feel - the magic it emanated muffled everything, making it hard to locate anything with sensory spells. It’s blocking detection, realised Twilight, But why in Equestria? She focused her magic, filling the corridor with dancing lights, ready to unleash an impulse that would alert everypony in the tower, when she noticed something else. For all of the symptoms of a malicious attack, the magic felt familiar, very familiar.

Twilight opened her eyes and stared at the custard again. “Pinkie?” 

Changing her mind, Twilight transformed her gathered energy into an area counterspell, clearing the nearby corridors. Spreading her magic in front of her, she galloped back where she came from, the three ponies and the changeling following in her hoofsteps. She got to the previous intersection, and found the changeling that used to guard Bluebonnet’s door there, flailing helplessly in the custard until she could free him. 

He looked at her apologetically. “I was swept away before I could fly,” he explained. “I’ve tried to raise an alarm, but this blasted thing…” He tested his wings, creating a loud buzz. 

“No need to,” said Twilight. “Return to your post. I’ll handle this.” Conjuring a mental image of the floor’s layout, she dashed towards the kitchen.

When she got there, Twilight found Pinkie Pie standing over a huge bowl, likely the largest she could find in the palace. Over her head she was holding a bag of sugar.

“Pinkie,” said Twilight forcefully.

The confectioner froze, then slowly turned her head towards her, making a decent impression of Owlicious. “Whaaat?” she asked, looking back at Twilight.

Twilight glared at her. “Could you tell me what in Equestria are you doing?”

Pinkie Pie grinned. “Making imaginary custard.”

Twilight didn’t stop glaring. “Care to tell me why?”

With a flash of red light, the mass blocking the opposite door disappeared, Applejack and Rainbow Dash charging in, then visibly losing their momentum at the sight of Pinkie.

“Could somepony tell me what in tarnation is going on?” demanded Applejack, looking from Pinkie to Twilight.

“We were just about to go to sleep, when we heard that strange jingling,” explained Rainbow Dash. "What was it?”

“Oh, it was just me,” said Pinkie, emerging from the corridor behind Twilight, giving a shrug that made the bells on her jester hat jingle.

“So, that was what I saw…” said the changeling.

Twilight looked back at her, then did a double take. In the center of the room, a wooden cutout of Pinkie fell over, with a wet splat, the bag of sugar dropping into a bowl. 

“But… why?” asked Twilight.

Pinkie Pie pronked past her and into the kitchen, discarding the jingling hat, and stopping at the bowl. “Oh, I was just trying to distract everypony,” she explained with a smile, before grabbing a ladle in her teeth, and scooping some custard from near the bowl, offering it to Twilight. “Want some?”

“Pinkie, stop goofing around, and tell us what’s going on!” said Applejack in exasperation. “What do you mean distract everypony?” Twilight could see the gem on Applejack’s chest light up.

Pinkie looked at it, sighed, and dropped the ladle into the bowl. “Well,” she started, before going off like a whirlwind, grabbing a mop, and sweeping through the kitchen. “I was talking to Rarity earlier, and she talked about how many horrible things have happened, and how everypony was worried and tense…”

She stopped, when Twilight groaned and cast a spell that cleaned the rest of the kitchen.

“She said that the ponies could use some kind of a distraction. And that’s what gave me the idea. Well, initially,” finished Pinkie.

She grinned. The reply was a circle of blank stares.

Rainbow Dash facehoofed. “Pinkie… not that kind of distraction.”

Pinkie snorted derisively. “Well, I believe, it was just the kind of distraction everypony needed. You can trust me on that.”

“What were you thinking, Pinkie!?” shouted Twilight. “Somepony could have… drowned!”

Pinkie gave her a confused look. “In imaginary custard?”

“So not the point…” sighed Rainbow Dash.

Pinkie Pie looked around, then spun on the spot. “Anyway, my work here is done! Time for all of us to get some sleep!” And then she took off like a bullet, disappearing through the door.

She managed to get through three turns before Twilight teleported in front of her.

“Pinkie…” she hissed forcefully. “Stop right here. There’s something you’re not telling us, and right now we don’t need any new mysteries. With all that’s been happening, a misunderstanding could get somepony killed.”

She took two steps forward, stopping right in front of Pinkie. “What’s. Going. On.”

Pinkie Pie grinned. “I can’t tell you. Somepony might die if I spoil the surprise.”

Twilight gasped. “What?”

Without warning, Pinkie lunged forward, diving under Twilight’s horn, and pressing their snouts together. “Trust meeee,” she said in a forceful whisper. 

Then she inhaled, and teleported away in a flash of blue.

***

After that, Twilight decided to, reluctantly, have some rest. Her head was buzzing with hypotheses, but Obsidian still hadn’t returned after locking himself in the ritual room, and the little bit of extra excitement provided by Pinkie pushed her past the limits of what she could feasibly accomplish without getting some sleep. It was then only hours later, when the day was coming to an end, and she was woken up to lower the sun with the others, that she finally found the time to interrogate Gloria. 

When she entered the cell, Bluebonnet stepping reluctantly behind her, Gloria merely opened her eyes. 

She was sprawled on her belly on the bed, wings splayed loosely on her sides. Though she had suffered no indignities normally associated with imprisonment, Twilight instantly noticed that she looked horrible; there were bags under her eyes, indicating crying and lack of sleep, and her mane was unkempt, loose hairs sticking out at odd angles. 

There was a small plate on the table by the bed, made of thin metal rather than the heavy crystal the locals favoured, likely to deny her a potential weapon, even though with Applejack’s spell barring her escape, such measures could be considered redundant. The undisturbed vegetables made it look like a piece of still life, waiting to be painted.

Twilight looked down at her prisoner, then, as the silence stretched on uncomfortably, she scraped her hoof against the floor in a circular motion.

“So… how are you feeling?” she finally started.

Gloria made the effort to focus her gaze on her. “Dying…” she said softly. “You were right. This is death.”

“Oh?” asked Bluebonnet, emerging from behind Twilight. “You look pretty alive to me. What seems to be the problem?”

Gloria lifted herself up, just enough to keep facing them both without straining her neck. “When you took away my power… I’m getting dumber by the minute. Yesterday I could remember the name and face of every soldier that ever served under me. I could govern Equestria by memory. Now my head is like a sieve. It was never meant to hold so many generations of memories. Every breath I take, a bit of who I am dies forever… and the only things I wish I could forget are the ones that won’t fade no matter what!”

“Well, hold on to them then, because we have a couple of questions,” said Bluebonnet with a scowl.

Twilight glared at her, before turning back towards Gloria. “There are some things we need to know,” she said. “We’ve managed to… destroy Hate. There was so much power inside him, he turned to ash when we disjoined him. And…”

“There is somepony else,” said Bluebonnet briskly. “Manipulating this war. We think she might have killed and replaced Deception.”

The two statements made Gloria sit up on the bed. She stared, wide eyed, at the both mares, her mouth moving soundlessly. 

“Tell us what you know,” said Bluebonnet.

It took a couple more seconds before she did. Twilight could see tears welling up in her eyes again. “Hate… Lightbringer is gone?”

“As far as we know, gone for good,” said Twilight. “But that magical thing inside him has been released. We think that was the plan all along.”

Gloria shook her head, reflexively wiping her face with her wing. “I’m sorry, please give me a moment.”

“Do give her a moment to get coherent,” said Twilight towards Bluebonnet.

Gloria spent a long moment sitting in silence. Finally, she opened her mouth to speak, just above a whisper. “Gone. After so many lifetimes, he’s gone. Of all of us, he was probably happy to die. We shouldn’t have pulled him into all this…” Suddenly her ear twitched, and she stared at Bluebonnet. “You said Eve is dead too? Replaced? What… what do you mean?”

“We got to speak to Hate before the battle,” said Twilight. “He claimed that Dr. Stone revealed herself to him as an impostor - she claimed to have taken down Envy too. That’s what set off his rage.”

“He burned half the Canterlot down,” deadpanned Bluebonnet.

“Doctor!” hissed Twilight, glaring at her companion. “You’re doing it on purpose.”

“She deserves that and worse,” replied Bluebonnet. “Even if it turns out she was also a puppet.”

“My subjects?” asked Gloria, wide-eyed. “The palace staff?”

Twilight’s expression turned grim. “We don’t know yet. There were a lot fewer ponies there than usual, but for those who stayed… the palace is gone. I’m afraid most of them didn’t make it.”

“We’ve gone with Twilight over what has happened so far,” said Bluebonnet. “Somepony sent her and the girls to the Dissonance to meet Obsidian. That requires tremendous power, but our lab equipment could’ve been used to supply it. You had a scheme to turn Twilight into an alicorn, but the device meant to do it exploded, causing her to escape and meet Obsidian. And the instruction for the process was in a book that she could then use to figure out how to unsplice you.”

“Eve wrote the book,” said Gloria. “It was her idea. I only made it look aged.” She was now listening with more interest.

“Somepony stole Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle right from under your nose, and while posing as Enigma,” continued Bluebonnet. “Denying you important hostages, making you suspect him, and sending them south, equipped with highly advanced, but time-limited protective amulets. This eventually made the Elements go out of hiding and fight Hate.”

“I thought it was the changelings,” said Gloria. “Even Eve suggested that.”

“But she knew you enough to know how you think, didn’t she?” said Bluebonnet. “Your relationship with Enigma was already damaged beyond repair when you started holding my daughter hostage. That was just the last move to make sure you’d be at each other’s throats. How did that start?”

“He abandoned us,” replied Gloria through gritted teeth.

 “And that was the reason to cook up a plot that made the situation worse for everypony,” said Bluebonnet. “And the scheme that put Hate in the Crystal Empire? Was it your idea? Or did she discuss the matter with you until you came up with it?”

At that, Gloria sprang up, standing on the bed, wings spread, face twisted in sudden anger. “I don’t remember! What does that have to do with anything!?”

“We believe,” started Twilight, “whoever is behind this, is after the power that was inside Hate. It wouldn’t be separated from him until he died, which couldn’t happen for as long as he was one of the Shattered. When he conquered the Crystal Empire, he was connected to a lot of extra magic.”

“And it turned him into Sombra,” finished Gloria.

“Yes,” nodded Twilight. “But perhaps that was not the plan. Perhaps the plan was to give him so much magic that his pattern connection would break.”

“It doesn’t work like that,” replied Gloria.

“But we only know it now, don’t we?” said Bluebonnet.

“Well, there was that time in the very beginning,” said Twilight. “They tried to overload Hate with magic to destroy his pattern connection. That’s how that power ended up inside him in the first place. Although Obsidian believes that it wasn’t so. He thinks it was-”

Gloria sat straight, glaring at Twilight. “It was Indicina.”

“Indicina?” asked Bluebonnet in surprise. “The mare from the Splice vision? Obsidian’s lost love? You said she was killed, but you never did tell me the details. Why would she do it?”

“She was insane,” said Gloria. “The Splice drove her insane. When Obsidian disappeared, she appeared calm, but in fact she went mad with grief. She must have blamed the Emperor, because she…”

Anger flashed in Gloria’s eyes, and she jumped off the bed angrily, proceeding to pace across the cell. 

“We didn’t find out until it was far too late, but she was the one behind everything. She poisoned the Emperor’s heart, and made him betray us. She made sure we would become monsters as everypony had feared. And then she stayed and watched as everything burned around her. Light didn’t remember it at first, he was sedated when they captured him, and only woke up for a moment when she started the process, but it was Indicina who put that thing inside him. She wanted him to destroy more. And he did just as she wanted. We all did.”

“And now it looks like this war has been manipulated in a very similar way,” said Bluebonnet. “But the goals seem pretty much opposite to what Indicina was trying to achieve. Who might it be this time?”

“I was thinking on who Dr. Stone might be,” said Twilight. “From what Obsidian told us, Deception was defined by her need of approval. So it couldn’t have been her turning on you. Could she?”

“No,” said Gloria. “It’s not a matter of my arrogance now. I do know her. She wouldn’t betray us. Even when…” she paused, looking ahead.

“Even when what?” prompted her Twilight.

“Even when she had to choose between a love and us, she chose us,” continued Gloria. “Back when we conquered Equestria for the first time. She was our infiltrator then. She seduced Loyalty for us, but fell for him in turn. If she switched sides back then, it might’ve been over for us. But she did go with the plan. She helped us kill the Elements and conquer their subjects.”

Twilight sighed. “And that stallion… Loyalty? Did she kill him too?”

“If you had asked me yesterday, I would’ve remembered his name,” replied Gloria bitterly. “She did try to save him, but it didn’t work out. He repaid her betrayal with hate, and she couldn’t fix it no matter how many times she tried to mess with his memory. In the end, it destroyed him, and she suffered horribly. She never fell in love again.” She paused again, as if hearing something at the edge of her senses. “Come to think of it, this is when she first adopted that serious scientist persona. I think she called herself Dr. Stein at first. She said it had been high time for her to change.”

“Perhaps it really was her then?” asked Bluebonnet. “It would all fit. A story of lost love, madness and revenge just like Indicina’s.”

“And magical powers?” asked Twilight. “Our mysterious mastermind has shown some really impressive magic if you think of it.”

“If she could give Luna enough power to appear in dreams,” said Bluebonnet, “she could’ve given herself powers as well.”

“Only if she had a proper soul to put inside herself,” said Gloria, “Her lost love was the only other awakened Element we ever captured alive. And he wouldn’t make a stable power source.”

“Well, if it wasn’t her, then who?” asked Twilight. “How many other ancient mares with knowledge of both highly advanced magic and your personalities can you think of?”

“We’re dealing with a shapeshifter,” said Bluebonnet. “How do you even know if it’s a mare?”

“Because…” Twilight paused. “Why am I so sure? I think…” She looked around the chamber, lost in  sudden introspection. “I had a dream about her. That’s it! I had a dream, just before we woke up in our bodies. She showed up to warn me about the alicorn transformation. That’s why I panicked when Dr. Stone started the procedure.”

“That too could’ve been a mask,” said Gloria.

“No,” replied Twilight. “She was hidden, not disguised. She wasn’t trying to mislead me, because I wasn’t supposed to remember the dream at all, just act on it - find Zecora’s report book, and resist the transformation. She obscured her features, I have no idea how she looked or even sounded. But she was definitely a mare.”

“Well, it couldn’t have been Indicina,” said Gloria. “We put an end to her madness when Libra destroyed the Imperial Palace. I know she got Concilio out of there, but I was there too, high above, and saw the portal she pushed him through. There was no time for her to open another. Nopony else made it out of there - Both Aurora and Obsidian have surely told you some stories - Libra’s power of destruction was absolute.”

“Perhaps,” said Twilight. “But this war has lasted as long as it did because some ponies just wouldn’t die. Including Obsidian. He got squashed by a block of stone, and just turned into smoke, didn’t he? If there was a way to-”

There was a sound of hooves outside, and the door opened. Obsidian strode into the cell, instantly focusing on Twilight.

“Twilight, you’re not going to like what I’m going to tell you.”

Twilight turned towards Obsidian, bracing herself for what was to come. “Oh, Obsidian. You were locked in that chamber for so long, I was starting to get worried. What did you find out?”

“The Void Passage is sealed,” replied Obsidian.

Twilight blinked. “What?”

“Sealed,” replied Obsidian. “Closed from the inside. It’s the same mechanism that activates when somepony is being tested. And like before, Verba appears to be inside. We’re locked out from the Amaranthine.”

“And it took you so long to find out?” asked Twilight. “What were you doing all that time? We need to go there at once!”

“You all needed your sleep,” said Obsidian. “I spent the time checking the Passage for possible ways in.”

“If there are none, we will make one,” said Twilight. “Tell the others to get ready.”

“They already are,” replied Obsidian. “You’re the last I found, and they all seemed to have the same idea.”

***

When the three entered the council room, the other Elements were already waiting, accompanied by Pierce and Maska. Twilight walked up to the empty space at the table.

“It looks like our enemy has made a move,” she said. “We will need to go to the Void Passage, and find a way in.”

“How do we do that?” asked Applejack. “Obsidian couldn’t find a way in, and he helped build the place.”

“With force if we have to,” replied Twilight. “It might be a wonder of arcane power, meant to keep powerful intruders out, but it wasn’t designed to resist something like the Elements of Harmony. If we combine our powers, we should be able to break our way in.”

“Why would they lock it up though?” said Pierce. “If they can already hide themselves from scrying magic, the Amaranthine shouldn’t be a threat to them.”

“Perhaps they wanted to hide something else?” said Dash. “Like, I don’t know, something that happened long ago.”

“If it was before they thought to hide such things,” said Rarity, “they couldn’t cast any spells into their own past, could they?”

“Dissonance plays loose with the notion of time,” said Obsidian, “But once an event echoes inside it, it will always be a part of it. It might be so mixed into other memories that only the Amaranthine could sift it out, but it will be there, no matter what you do. That makes the flower a great threat to any conspirator’s plans.”

“So, they wanted to take it from us before we ask it the right question?” asked Fluttershy.

“That, or it’s a distraction,” said Maska. “If you’re in the Void Passage, you can’t be elsewhere.”

“Considering that we could set up a spell to drag us back here in an instant,” said Obsidian, “that would be a rather poor distraction. The first explanation makes much more sense, and I’m more inclined to-”

Pinkie Pie banged her head on the table. Everypony stared at her. The pink pony pulled back, staring into the ceiling, her ears flapping wildly in all directions, before leaning forward, and staring blankly at the sweaty imprint of her face on the crystal surface before her.  “Yes… I can feel it too…” she said under her breath.

Twilight teleported across the table to her side. “Pinkie!? What is it? What’s going on!?” she asked frantically.

Pinkie Pie turned, and stared into her eyes. “It has started,” she whispered dramatically, before pivoting and pointing her hoof towards the balcony door. “Look at the sky!”

Everypony in the room ran outside. The semi-opaque dome above the city hid the night sky, but even so, they could see the red light of the new star to the south. And now it seemed to be moving. 

There was a buzz of wings audible in the distance, and Maska tensed. “Guilt is at the gate again,” she said. “Requesting an urgent meeting.”

“What is happening?” asked Twilight, staring at the sky. Rarity breathed slowly, and the southern side of the barrier turned translucent, giving them an unrestricted view of the night outside. The red star was indeed moving, very slowly, but with the whole sky around it rearranging itself, stars moving out of the way in spiralling clusters. There was something more too,  a feeling of growing pressure that had nothing to do with air, an overwhelming power, far in the distance.

Twilight’s eyes widened. “What in Equestria…” she heard Applejack say behind her.

“It’s moving towards Nevercrest,” replied Obsidian. “There is no mistaking this power for anything else.”

Twilight swallowed loudly. “You mean…”

Obsidian nodded. “Someone’s performing a Splice.”
> Chapter 54: The Memories
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bluebonnet was the first to react, turning around and galloping out of the room. “I’ll get my equipment!” she shouted over her shoulder as she was passing through the door.

With a sigh, Pierce turned around and galloped after her.

Everypony else turned back towards the balcony, looking as if mesmerized at the astronomical phenomenon in front of them.

“A Splice…” gasped Twilight. “How many ponies are there who know how to perform it?”

“You could count them on your hooves,” said Obsidian. He turned towards Maska, who was still standing beside Rarity, awaiting orders. “Tell Guilt that we will be there shortly, as soon as Dr. Bluebonnet retrieves his weapon.”

The changeling looked towards Rarity. After a moment of confusion, she understood her intent and nodded, causing the bug officer to spread her wings, vibrating the membranes in a loud buzz that carried her leader’s orders.

“So, you were right,” said Rainbow Dash, staring at the horizon towards Nevercrest. “It really was about Hate’s power.”

“How do you think she’s doing that?” asked Applejack. 

“Well, she’s proven to be quite powerful already, hasn’t she?” replied Rarity. “I doubt she’d have many friends to work with, but with her knowledge of magical devices, she could surely come up with something to give her the extra magic she needed.”

“She could have created some minions to support her with their powers,” said Obsidian. “Either way, all of Equestria might be doomed if she isn’t stopped.”

“We’re ready when Bluebonnet is,” said Dash, looking back towards the door.

Twilight looked at her, then at Obsidian. “Actually…could you girls go ahead and meet Enigma? I need a moment to talk with Obsidian… in private.”

Obsidian raised an eyebrow. The others also looked surprised, but after a couple seconds they nodded in agreement. 

“Ok, let’s go then,” said Rainbow, preparing to fly away.

“Let me take you there,” said Rarity. Her magic spread out to envelop her friends, and in a flash everypony disappeared, leaving Twilight alone on the balcony with Obsidian.

“So, what do you want to talk about?” asked Obsidian.

Twilight scratched her hoof against the floor nervously. “It’s…it’s about our mysterious enemy,” she finally said. 

Obsidian nodded. “The mysterious Dr. Stone. What about her?”

Twilight didn’t meet his gaze. “Well, since we returned yesterday, we compared what we knew about her, and there are very few ponies with the knowledge and power to manipulate the war to the extent she did.”

Obsidian’s ears turned towards Twilight. “Oh? How much did she do?”

“For starters, she was the one who sent us to Dissonance,” said Twilight. “She made sure the Shattered would make bad decisions, allowing us to survive and grow, while making us face challenges that made us stronger.”

“That sounds… like a very convoluted plan,” said Obsidian.

“If she was with them, she could keep trying for millenia until she got it right,” said Twilight. “But that’s not my point. The point is, I’ve been trying to figure out who she is, and…”

“Aaaand?” asked Obsidian, stepping closer to Twilight.

Twilight still didn’t meet his gaze. “It could be just Deception gone mad… or more mad than she used to be. But I think, there is a possibility… she might be Indicina.”

Obsidian lowered his head level with Twilight’s, and stared at her intensely. “Indicina? Of all ponies, why do you think it’s Indicina?”

Twilight finally met his gaze, although she backed up a little. “It’s a long story. I… don’t have the time to go through the evidence again now, Bluebonnet will be back in a minute. But… I need to know. It’s just a possibility, but if it turns out it is her…”

“You want to know which side I’d take,” said Obsidian. 

Twilight swallowed loudly. “Yes.”

Obsidian took a long, slow breath. “You are right to be concerned. I did once say that getting my love back is what I want. I would set the world on fire to do it. But you’re wrong to think Indicina is still alive. She died millennia ago.”

“But what if she didn’t?” asked Twilight. “You were supposed to die millenia ago, and you’re still here.”

Obsidian gave her a bitter smile. “Am I?” He stepped aside and stared over the balcony. “You are defined by the contents of your head, not by the beating of your heart. You’ve watched the visions of the Splice, over and over. You saw me there, didn’t you? A timeless sage, bitter and pragmatic, with violent temper?”

Twilight hesitated. “Well… not exactly…”

Obsidian pivoted on the spot to look back at her. “If I put on a mask, and met my old friends from that time, do you think any of them would recognize Obsidian in the pony I am now?”

“I guess not,” said Twilight. “But you’re still you, aren’t you?”

Obsidian snorted. “You didn’t have the time to look into the past and see more of Indicina. She abhorred violence. It made her sick. She could barely watch me spar. And when she designed the Splice, she didn’t just choose the future Elements for how well they would harmonize, or because positive emotions are easier to keep stable and sane. She truly hoped to make them a force of good in this world. Even as she designed one of the Empire’s deadliest weapons, it was in the hopes of ending the war and bringing peace to ponykind again.”

He started pacing around the balcony, causing Twilight to keep turning towards him. “Which part of that description fits Dr. Stone? Starting a war that tore Equestria apart after a millenium of peace? Unleashing Hate on Canterlot? Perhaps the horde of monsters she let loose upon us in her lab?”

“It fits better with how she acted after you disappeared though,” said Twilight sofly. 

“Oh yes, it does. A mad quest for revenge, poisoning the heart of the Emperor against the Shattered, trying to kill the Elements to further frame them. Binding the vast magical power to Hate to make him into a devastating rage monster. The same power that is now being drawn back to Equestria, to be used again in another scheme. That does fit. But that is not Indicina, none of that is.”

Obsidian stopped and looked Twilight in the eyes. She could see the specks of blue light deep within his pupils. 

“Indicina is dead, Twilight Sparkle. It doesn’t matter if she burned with the imperial palace or not. She was already dead by then, dead from the day her madness consumed her. Death has done that love apart.”

Silence fell. Twilight didn’t respond, not sure how she could. Obsidian meanwhile seemed done with his rant, just looking at her calmly until the sound of hooves on crystal announced the return of Bluebonnet and Pierce.

***

"Don't you think it's too much?" asked Twilight, as Bluebonnet walked into the room.

The mare was hauling three bags, out of which poked pieces of equipment Twilight couldn't even attempt to name. She also had her goggles on, and behind her walked Pierce, dressed in his reinforced coat and carrying the gun harness with his telekinesis. 

"I'm going with," said Bluebonnet, putting the bags more securely on her sides, as Pierce set the gun on the floor. "You may need my help."

"I think we'll manage," said Twilight. "We're going to a battle."

"With the one who started it all," replied Bluebonnet, "The one responsible for what happened to... all of us." Her jaw clenched as she gazed at something only she could see, but then she managed to force herself to fonus on the here and now. "But that's not why I need to go. I'm the only one besides you who knows anything about the Splice. Arrogance couldn't help you in her current state, even if she wanted. So, if anything unexpected happens when you disrupt it, you might need me by your side to figure out a solution in a hurry."

Obsidian approached Bluebonnet, his staff flying under the straps of the gun harness, lifting it into the air. "Your reasoning is sound," he said. "But you surely realise that you are the weakest of us. Depending on the situation, it might prove impossible to keep you alive in a serious battle."

"I'll go with her," said Pierce.

Twilight looked from one pony to the other. "Are you both sure about it?"

Obsidian's expression turned grim, as he faced Pierce. "You're too weak to protect her," he said. "Anything that can get past the Elements won't even slow down for you."

"I've survived so far," said Pierce.

"Barely," replied Obsidian with a scowl.

Pierce did not back down. "Either way, it's my job to protect her."

Obsidian raised an eyebrow. "And who's paying you?"

Pierce looked at him with an unamused expression. "Guilt assigned me as her guard. It is my duty to keep her safe. The rest is not your concern."

Obsidian sighed heavily. "Of course. Guilt made you do it. As if one could change the past. Twilight, will you talk to him?"

Twilight looked closely at Pierce. His coat had some new patches and stitches covering the tears from when he was trapped in a collapsed building. The unicorn's face bore no visible scars, the magic of the Elements having healed him since, smoothening his slate-grey fur. Still, Twilight could remember every cut and bruise she'd seen him suffer. 

He looked back at her, stubborn, unflinching. 

Twilight broke the gaze. "I... I don't think I will. We're all in this together."

"He'll die if he goes," said Obsidian. "Trust me on that. Every obstacle waiting in your way will be prepared for you six. He won't stand a chance."

"You have no problem with Bluebonnet going though," said Pierce, squinting at Obsidian.

"She's actually useful there," said Obsidian. "You're not."

"Obsidian!" shouted Twilight.

"I'm going," said Pierce. "I don't know what you're planning, but I won't let Bluebonnet be your 'necessary loss.’"

Obsidian's staff dropped the gun on the ground and swung across the room. Pierce didn't flinch as it stopped inches from his face, vibrating with barely stopped momentum.

Obsidian's nostrils flared, pinpricks of blue lights shining angrily in the pupils of his eyes. "You... know nothing of me," he breathed. 

Pierce met his gaze. "I know I don't trust you," he said.

Twilight teleported between the two stallions, forcing them both to step back. "Both of you!" she shouted. "Now is not the time."

"There won't be any other time to ensure her safety," protested Pierce.

Bluebonnet sighed. "It's pointless to argue. Until it is finished, nopony is safe either way."

Obsidian turned away, walking in the air as pads of blue light appeared under his hooves to support his steps. His staff withdrew, once again picking up the gun harness and flying after him. "You're right, of course. There is nothing to be gained by arguing here." 

He walked over the balcony. "I'll transport the gun to the front gate. I presume you can take care of transporting the others?" he asked over his shoulder.

Twilight suppressed a sigh. "No problem," she said. 

Pierce watched Obsidian leave. "I'll keep an eye on him," he said to Twilight. "See that you do too."

Twilight shook her head in frustration. "Believe me, I know what he's capable of. I’ve had to deal with his twisted way of thinking from day one."

She looked over the balcony towards the city gate.

"Let's get it over with."

***

"As you said, we're expected," said Twilight to Obsidian.

They were standing inside a force bubble, on a disc of light, in the air above the approach to the mountain. All except Enigma, who was standing separately, his gun harness and control helmet on. In front and below them the magical blizzard raged, walls of jagged ice crystallizing at the edge of the anomaly.

"It can't stop us, can it?" said Rainbow Dash, looking down at the howling winds.

Obsidian shook his head. "Not at all. It's there to waste our time and resources. Also to keep all the small-time enemies out. There are plenty of ponies who would just freeze to death if they tried to push through this."

"Then let's do it the most efficient way," said Twilight. The barrier surrounding the Elements shifted, creating a round opening on Enigma's side. "Get in," said Twilight. "It will be quickest to fly through it, rather than unravel the whole spell. Our defenses will keep us safe if there are any more surprises," she added, looking towards Obsidian.

Enigma appeared beside Twilight, making sure to stay on the opposite side from Obsidian. Still the earth pony flinched uncomfortably at his presence. The barrier closed, and Twilight directed the bubble down and forward. The exterior of the barrier rippled, shaking off the ice as it tried to solidify into a bubble around them. Nopony could see a thing outside the barrier, but Twilight had no problem navigating; even in the middle of a magical blizzard, the leyline nexus powering it was like a beacon to her senses, an almost palpable feeling of power.

Something jumped from the snow, huge claws made of ice raking against the shield. Twilight expanded the outer layer, ramming into the monster and sending it flying into the swirling snow.

"What was that?" asked Fluttershy, cringing.

"No idea," replied Applejack. "But it can't stop us."

"We're almost there," said Twilight. "Let me land."

The disc touched down, and the sphere expanded, pushing the blizzard away. Soon it spread twenty feet in every direction, the front side revealing a wall of ice in front of them, with a faint outline of a massive gate just visible inside.

"All has been fixed and reinforced, I see," said Obsidian. "I guess it's my turn now, isn't it?"

Enigma stepped forward. "No time for that. Just shield the others."

Obsidian snorted with annoyance, but relented, stepping back and erecting another, smaller barrier to protect everypony else. Enigma stood in front of it and aimed his gun. Lights on his helmet flashed briefly, and then the gun fired, a blinding beam of silver hitting the ice wall.

The ice exploded into head-sized chunks, flying everywhere, some pieces bounding off Obsidian's barrier or flying straight through where Enigma was standing, the stallion winking in and out of position, letting them miss by inches. The gate gave up with a groan and swung inwards, revealing the inside of the cavern.

***

The sanctuary was pitch black. Even as the light of the Elements shone inside, the darkness only relented by a dozen feet or so, like a living creature flinching away from an open flame.

"What in tarnation is this?" asked Applejack, eyeing the fenomenon suspiciously.

"It's some kind of a darkness spell," said Twilight. "It..." She briefly closed her eyes in concentration, "It isn't dangerous by itself."

"It does slow us down though," said Obsidian. "And it makes it hard to use detection spells."

"So, an ambush?" asked Pierce.

And then something stirred in the darkness. There was no roar to herald the monster's attack, not even the rattling of bones that one might expect. Only a movement of air, and a soft hiss, like that of a fireplace being emptied of ash. A charred, reptilian skeleton lurched forward, bits of soot flying around it in a cloud, filling in the shape it had once had. 

It struck at Dash, who dodged up just before the black jaws could snap shut around her. Then it went straight at Bluebonnet, who only managed to avoid it thanks to Pierce yanking her aside with his telekinesis. The undead dragon spun in place, swiping its tail across the whole team. Applejack stomped her hooves, and the swipe stopped, colliding with a stone pillar that shot out of the floor. 

Twilight fired a beam of magic at the dragon’s head. It struck through a cheek and pierced all the way through, but the undead creature didn’t fall; instantly, the pieces of bone that had gone flying came back, the skull reassembling itself as the shards started falling into place. 

There was a flash of silver light as Enigma fired his weapon. The dragon exploded, the bones disintegrating into black ash. “It’s not alive,” said Enigma. “Break the spell, not the body.”

Pierce looked over Bluebonnet, making sure she was alright, then glared at Obsidian. “I told you,” he said.

Obsidian looked over his shoulder. “It’s not over yet.” His staff sprang forward, flying over Pierce’s head, and through a dark cloud that had flown at him from the darkness. The thing lost shape and fled towards the ceiling, a trail of black wings and jaws forming and dissipating.

“Circle!” shouted Twilight, firing her first spell, marking a ring of light around her and her friends. The Elements formed around her, facing outwards, beams of magic shooting out into the darkness, just in time to intercept the oncoming assailants. The black shapes were made of flying soot, fluid and predatory, but all the time slightly equine, hooves and teeth forming as they sprang forward. They collided with hastily erected barriers, and shot left and right, trying to find a way through while dodging the spells aimed at them. 

One of them got through and pounced towards Dash, who barely managed to swat it away from her side with her wing. For a moment the monster was buffeting her with black wings of its own, its form an angry black pegasus.

“What are these things!?” shouted Dash as she finally broke free, a blade of red light extending from her wing to bisect the attacker.

"Well, what does it look like to you?" shouted Obsidian back. His staff flew in front of one of the approaching monsters, stabbed into it, and stayed there, glowing a pulsing red as it drained the magic out of it. The apparition struggled and flailed, disintegrating into a cloud of soot as the staff dipped down and tapped on the floor, grounding and dispersing the gathered energy.

Twilight charged a powerful blast of light, and released it in a wave around her, pushing back the unnatural darkness. Green fires erupted from the floor as something reacted violently to the touch of her spell.

Traps? she thought, but focused on maintaining the light, leaving her enemies exposed, blots of blackness against the stark white of her magic.

"Are these... the Wonderbolts?" she stammered. "She made monsters of them?"

Applejack glared at the nearest smoke creature. "Now that's dirty," she said through clenched teeth, biting down on a lasso of orange magic that wrapped tightly around her intangible foe, binding it in a spell that held it unable to escape her.

“Focus!” shouted Enigma. He kept looking around, but did not fire again, only making sure nopony would be blindsided. 

Bluebonnet got back to her hooves, and prodded Pierce, nodding towards one of her bags. The unicorn reached with his magic and yanked out a silver device the size of a pomegranate. He looked at her, a question in his eyes, but as she simply nodded in return, he wasted no more time, twisting a small dial on the side of the device and throwing it towards the nearest target.

The silver sphere hummed to life and then erupted with crackling magic, stripping the layers off the monster as it sucked it in piece by piece.

Behind them the other Elements were retaliating as well; with Twilight denying the creatures their cover, Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash started catching them in their spells, and were steadily dragging them down to dispel them, while Fluttershy and Pinkie made sure they wouldn’t be interrupted. 

The fight, fierce as it was, barely lasted a minute, with none of the heroes suffering anything more than small scratches. Satisfied that Bluebonnet was in no immediate danger, Pierce turned his gaze towards the edge of Twilight’s light spell, wary of any more surprises that might emerge from the darkness.

Rainbow Dash stared at the black spot on the stone floor in front of her. After a couple seconds, she stomped angrily, swiping through the soot. “That… was vile,” she said through clenched teeth, turning her eyes towards where she knew the inner sanctum to be. “She’ll pay for this.”

“First things first,” said Obsidian, reclaiming his staff. “We still need to get through the cave, and there seem to be some traps left in our way. What is the most efficient way of clearing the path?”

He looked at Twilight when he said that, but it was Enigma who answered his question. “If you don’t have the time to unweave the spells, and just want to brute force through them, using pattern will spare you all the problems with spell on spell interaction. You just need to cover me in case a trap triggers a collapse, or anything else drastic.”

“Okay then,” said Obsidian. “Twilight?”

“Right away,” said Twilight. She stood behind Enigma and formed a curved energy field over him, protecting him from above and from the sides, while leaving the front free for him to shoot through. Behind her, the other Elements formed a wedge, extra layers of shields appearing as they linked their powers together to reinforce Magic. Obsidian, Pierce and Bluebonnet took the last row, taking cover behind them.

Obsidian nodded with satisfaction. “Everything’s ready. You may proceed.”

Applejack gazed at the thick darkness ahead. “Let’s pop this bubble.” She then blinked, realizing something, and turned towards Pinkie Pie. “Everything okay, sugarcube? You’re awfully quiet today.”

Pinkie gave her an aside glance. “No time to quip. Need to stay focused.” 

At that, Fluttershy too looked at Pinkie. “Pinkie Pie… is something wrong?”

Before she could get any answer out of her, Enigma fired the pattern gun. The chamber filled with a low buzz. The beam went low, cutting across the ground, the stone floor bursting as the magic in the trap spells exploded from the conflicting energies. Debris rained against the barriers, some getting underneath, forcing Enigma to phase out momentarily to dodge them. 

“So… this is the safer way?” asked Rarity, a protective mask of purple energy springing into existence over her face, even though she was safe behind the magic wall. 

“A magic-pattern explosion,” replied Bluebonnet. “Much better than whatever these traps were supposed to do.”

Enigma waited calmly for the dust to settle a bit. Once he was sure nothing else would explode, he advanced, the team keeping in step with him. He fired again, turning the beam to sweep an area in front of him, causing more explosions. They were halfway there now, and the magic darkness unravelled completely, exposing the inner sanctum door on the far side. 

“Looks like it’s closed,” said Applejack. 

“Do you think we should knock?” asked Obsidian. Nopony laughed.

Enigma continued onward, taking cautious steps. “I don’t feel any more magic here,” he said. "The way to the door is clear." He stood facing the door and aimed his gun again, but then paused and gave it a confused look. “Doctor, did you use up any energy from the gun?”

Bluebonnet looked towards him. “No, why?”

Enigma turned. “It should have more power left. It’s like the battery is missing one shot.”

Everypony turned towards Bluebonnet, who just looked toward the gun confusedly. “I don’t know what could’ve happened,” she said. “Can I take a look at it?”

Obsidian snorted in anger, turning on the spot, from Bluebonnet, to Enigma, to the door. “No. I don’t have the time for another mystery now. We need to get through that door. Mrs. Bluebonnet, we need to hurry.”

Bluebonnet froze. “Ah, right. There is a job to do,” she said in a suddenly flat tone. She walked towards Enigma, Obsidian and Pierce following as the girls opened the barrier spells to let them through. Digging through the bag with her mouth, Bluebonnet retrieved a small device, a flat box with a short antenna and a single red button, dropped it on the ground in front of her, and stomped on it hard.

“You let my daughter die,” she said to Enigma.

There was no visible buildup, no buzz of a device charging up. The pattern gun exploded, a ball of silver light expanding around Enigma. Everypony ducked as pieces of shrapnel clattered against the stone walls. As the flash faded, the Shattered was left motionless on the ground, blood seeping from underneath the mess of broken metal tied to his side, the last specks of silver light radiating from underneath his round metal helmet onto his temples.

The Elements gasped. Pierce turned towards Bluebonnet, his eyes wide with shock. “What… what are you doing?”

Bluebonnet turned towards him. There was another device, a round silver ball with a small handle, held in her teeth. “Oh, wait,” she said with her mouth full. “I alsho have…” She looked at him and paused, her unfocused gaze turning to one of confusion. “What?”

Obsidian’s staff flew at her like a javelin, a charge of lightning upon its tip. Pierce saw it in the corner of his eye and leapt to intercept it, but he wasn’t fast enough - the lightning shot forward and struck the scientist, sending her flying towards the wall, where she lay, twitching.

“Obsidian!” growled Pierce, unsheathing his needles.

“I didn’t kill her,” growled back Obsidian, his staff returning to him and hanging in front of his face, ready to block an attack. 

“What just happened?” asked Fluttershy. “I didn’t feel any aggression from her…”

“There wasn’t any,” said Obsidian. “She was controlled. A slave, unaware, waiting to do her part, thinking she was loyal, so that Honesty wouldn’t find out.”

Applejack looked at Enigma, then at Bluebonnet. A small tear appeared in her eye. “You said she wasn’t controlled! You checked to make sure!”

Obsidian shook his head. “I said she wasn’t controlled to kill you six. How many other variables was I supposed to dig into her mind for!? Now…” His ears perked up, and his head jerked to the left. “Just great…”

He turned towards Pierce, who was standing over Bluebonnet. “Protect her!” he shouted, and then stomped his hoof, conjuring a curved wall of stone that cut them off the rest of the cave. 

Then he turned around, his staff swirling around him threateningly, blue runes aglow. From the wall above the sanctum entry emerged a translucent shape - an empty eyed pegasus clad in ancient armor, a gorget with a glowing red stone visible on his chest. Then a ghostly purple horn broke the surface of the floor like a shark’s fin, and a female unicorn wearing what looked like a reflection of Honesty emerged to charge towards Applejack. 

The Elements formed a circle again, each preparing her powers to fight. The spectres kept emerging, four, a dozen, twenty. 

“Don’t get separated, girls!” shouted Rainbow Dash, her voice flowing through Loyalty, filling her friends with resolve.

And then she saw a spectre, more solid than others, a white pegasus mare with a stab wound on her chest, and an aurora borealis cutie mark, flying straight at her.

***

The stone walls slammed together with a finality of a closing tomb. Pierce and Bluebonnet were left in total darkness.

Pierce suppressed the instinct to light up his horn. Instead he went low, completely still, listening to Bluebonnet’s breathing. Once he was satisfied that it was stable, he strained his ears in the darkness, wary of any sound that might indicate a threat.

He felt a buildup of power, unmistakable even through the thick stone separating him from the main chamber. The magic washed over him, warm and bright, yet somehow numbing, a spell he instinctively understood as aimed against the restless dead. 

Is it over? he thought.

But seconds passed, and nopony opened the improvised barricade. Suddenly the air turned chilly, and Pierce knew what it meant; the Elements had not taken out all the enemies. 

The fight must still be on. They won’t channel another blast so they won't tire themselves out before the main battle. The crystals provide plenty of cover from magic, so the enemy can stall, and throw wave after wave…

Something moved in the darkness. Something fast. There was no time for caution - Pierce’s horn lit up, briefly illuminating the target, an empty-eyed pegasus with matted, purple fur. He lunged forward, but the special operative was faster; a single needle flew at the spectre, the inscriptions grooved spirally into the metal glowing bright scarlet as it hit. The creature’s form warped, twisting around the projectile, colors draining from it as its magic was absorbed, until all that was left was a cloud of blackness that collapsed upon itself. 

They found us! And we’re cut off from the others! 

Pierce retrieved the needle. The inscriptions were still glowing, but not from the magic; as he held it suspended in front of his snout, Pierce could clearly feel the heat radiating from it.   

If we’re cut off, and they’re coming for us, we need to hold until the fight is won. 

He looked down at Bluebonnet, who let out a barely audible groan. I can’t blink through the wall with her. And I can’t leave her here. I need to-

There was a hint of movement underneath. Pierce stabbed down just as the spectre’s head emerged from the floor. The needle turned white and exploded, sending hot shards flying - Pierce flinched as one grazed against his cheek.

It’s only good for two, he thought, pulling two more inscribed needles from his bandolier. And I have three spellbreakers left. The rest likely won’t hurt them at all. 

He looked down at Bluebonnet again. Some of her equipment had spilled to the ground when Obsidian struck her, and was left on the other side of the wall. What was left in her bags…

Pierce sighed in frustration. Nothing here I recognize. Except for grenades. Way too narrow here for these. 

Two more creatures sprang at him from the walls. One, a ragged earth pony, in battered armor - the needle hit it straight in the empty eye socket, stopping it dead in its tracks. 

The other…

Pierce hesitated, a split second too long. The small green filly ducked underneath the projectile and lunged at him, forcing him into a desperate dodge that bruised his ribs against the cave wall. He yanked the needle back towards her, but not quickly enough - she bounced off the stone wall barring the passage, and disappeared in the rock. 

Pierce stepped into the middle of the narrow tunnel, and drew both needles close to himself. His eyes and ears darted left and right, looking for the next threat. He took a deep, deliberate breath, and his eyes narrowed. 

“You’re not Tourmaline,” he said. “Her real grave isn’t even here. What are you?”

“And why would that matter?” replied her voice from the wall. “Once we die, space doesn’t matter anymore.”

Another glimpse of green. Pierce launched his projectile, but the enemy was ready. Not the filly shape he expected, this spectre was a female unicorn. She ducked back into solid rock. Then, once the needle bounced off it, she emerged and shot a beam of magic. Pierce wasn’t quite quick enough to dodge it - the spells woven into his duster turned a deadly blast into a glancing hit, but it still ripped through the fabric, exposing the chainmail underneath.

He felt movement behind him. It was too close to dodge, so instead he teleported aside, just enough for the charge to pass through where he had been standing, grabbing the second needle before it could fall to the ground, and ramming in into the attacker - the stallion disappeared, but not before Pierce could catch a glimpse of a familiar, messy, green mane.

“Fish?”

“They’re all here,” said the filly, from somewhere above him. “They’re waiting for you to join them. Like you wanted to. Because you did, didn’t you? Ever since you got those glasses.”

Before he could stop himself, Pierce looked down on his chest, where he knew the half-broken glasses were resting in his pocket - a gift received on the worst day of his life,  carried as a reminder of what he had done, and what he had lost.

He looked up, just in time to see movement again, too quick for him to shoot it, but slow enough that he could see an older, chubby stallion, with an 8-ball cutie mark on his rump, disappearing into the wall.

8 Ball? Pierce clenched his teeth. This can’t be real. She’s playing with my head. But that costs her time. If I can hold her off until the girls are done fighting…

“I’m sorry, but I’m past wishing for death,” he said aloud. “Too much depends on me now. Even if I still wanted that, I couldn’t afford to. Thousands of lives depend on me doing my job.”

“Believe a dead pony,” said the filly, “Everypony you’re trying to save would be better off dead. We’ll all be together at last.”

Then suddenly, she was there, standing above Bluebonnet, hoof raised. 

Pierce spun to launch a needle at her, but instead followed the momentum into a roll - the unicorn behind him emerged again, and tried to shoot him in the back. Shaking her head sadly, the filly retreated into the rock behind her, before he could get a clear shot. “Don’t you want that?”

Pierce threw a small pellet behind him. It hit the wall and exploded into a sphere of inky smoke. Pierce waited for a second, and then shot a needle through it. The explosion of the overheating spellbreaker told him his ploy had worked - the spectre was not blinded by the smoke, but overestimated its value as cover, leaving the safe cover of the rock for a moment too long.

Pierce sprang back to his hooves, picking up the loose spellbreaker needle, and pulling the last one out of his bandolier.

She had a clear shot at Bluebonnet. Why didn’t she strike? he thought, and the answer instantly became obvious. To keep me trapped. If she dies, I’m free to escape. But while she’s here, she’s my weakness. What is taking the Elements so long?

“Oh, I’d like to see her reunited with her daughter,” he said slowly. “The thing is… death by pattern doesn’t leave ghosts behind. I think I know what you are.”

He inhaled and cleared his mind again, drawing upon his anti-changeling training to calm his emotions. “These visions… your form, you’re pulling it all out of my mind, aren’t you? You’re like that thing that pretended to be Lucky… back when…”

Pierce froze, his eyes widening, as he slowly turned towards the stone barrier blocking his way out.

The filly walked out of the wall, shaking her head. “The Elements don’t know it yet, but the Void Passage is no longer their haven. But that’s not your problem anymore. You see, you weren’t the only one stalling.”

Pierce felt them instantly, all around him, moving through the walls, and the floor. There are too many, he realised with cold clarity. They must have kept away from the blast, and needed time to gather… 

He saw them fly at him, some with spears, some with long pegasi hoof blades, or even helmet spikes. He moved like in a dream, lunging forward, dropping the needles to instead use his magic for an extra push, away from the monster wearing Tourmaline’s face, and towards the still form of Bluebonnet on the floor. He felt a metal claw cut across his withers, not physical, but real enough to bring him harm. Then a spear stabbed low, hitting his front leg, just where the metal protection didn’t reach. He tripped and rolled in a controlled fall, coming to a stop within reach of the mare, when three more spectres charged him from the sides.

Can’t take us both, he thought, and focused. Three impacts came, stabbing through his armor and his ribs. There was no miracle this time, no convenient item in his pocket could ever stop all three. Pierce knew he was dead, but held on just long enough to fire off his spell.

In a flash of magic, Bluebonnet disappeared. 

***

“That’s the last of them,” said Rainbow Dash, landing her front hooves on a ball of red magic. The barrier popped, and the magic that used to be the creature inside flew out in a splatter of blackness. 

Twilight looked around to make sure everypony was okay. The enemy hadn’t been very dangerous. Truth be told, only a few of the spectres could even strain their magical defenses. But the experience of fighting… that used to be the good ponies buried in the sanctuary, some of them wearing familiar faces… None of her friends had shown more than a furrowed brow or a clenched jaw, but she knew them well enough to know that they were all playing tough for each other’s sake; behind the facade, they were all as shaken as she was.

Silently grateful that most of the graves from the last funeral were empty, sparing her the pain of facing her actual family in a deadly fight, Twilight scanned the area around her. Almost instantly she noticed a detail that didn’t fit the scene. 

Bluebonnet was unconscious on the floor, on their side of the wall. 

Twilight rushed to her and swiped a simple spell across her body. “She’s alive. Why is she here?” She raised her eyes upon the stone wall cutting off a part of the cavern.

“Pierce is dead,” said Pinkie Pie in an empty voice, coming to a stop next to her. 

Obsidian stomped his hooves, and the wall folded, sinking back into the floor. There was an inert body covered in multiple wounds slumped to the ground on the other side.

“They got him,” said Obsidian. “I told him he’d die if he came here with us.”

“He must have sent her through the wall,” said Applejack, “and got stuck there himself. You trapped him there!” she finished, glaring angrily at Obsidian.

“He had his priorities, and I have mine,” replied Obsidian. “You’d rather split your attention in battle to protect two ponies when-”

There was a loud buzz from the other side of the door, and the crystals in the walls glowed brighter. Everypony looked towards the inner sanctum.

“I would,” said Applejack. “We will talk about it, when we’re done. This isn’t finished.”

Obsidian snorted. “Put her in cocoon spell then, and let’s hurry. I’ll see if I can open that door.”

He turned away and approached the inner sanctum entrance, his staff floating in front of him, the runes changing colors as he got closer. Focused, he took a slow step after step, pushing through what suddenly appeared like a three dimensional web of ghostly strings in front of the arch, bending and reshaping around the tip of Obsidian’s weapon.

Behind him, Fluttershy and Applejack stood over Bluebonnet, strands of orange and pink extending from their foci. The magic intertwined and wrapped around the unconscious mare, covering her like a warm blanket.

“We’re so sorry for what happened,” whispered Fluttershy. “Please, try to sleep for a bit. We’ll be back for you.”

They then turned and trotted away, joining their friends as they formed a line behind Obsidian. The stallion was nearly at the door. “Get ready now,” said Obsidian. The Elements focused.

The tip of the staff touched the door, and the magic barrier collapsed, the spell exploding to the sides like a breaking membrane, sending arcs of lightning crawling over the surrounding walls. The double door broke off its hinges, and fell inside the chamber.

Without hesitation, Obsidian rushed in, the Elements advancing behind him.

The inside of the sanctum was alight with spiralling magical currents. The old statues were still there, but the whole room was covered with pieces of arcane machinery, cables and metal prongs surrounding a large magic circle in the middle of the floor. 

In the center of the circle, there stood Dr. Stone, her eyes glowing soft blue, her mane and tail floating in the ethereal winds. She lowered her head looking towards the Elements.

“Together now!” shouted Obsidian, stepping out of the line of fire. 

Twilight could feel the power surrounding her, circling from the leyline, through the machinery, into Stone, and from her into the circle, and up into the enormous spell. There was a lot of magic there, but not as much as the six of them could muster.

“You’ll pay for what you did!” she heard Rainbow Dash say. 

Six gems blazed with light, throwing kaleidoscopic reflexes all over the chamber. Twilight felt the power flowing into her, and knew her own eyes glowed white as she started rising into the air. A rainbow of six colors shot through the room straight at Dr. Stone, and the scientist smiled.

What?

Obsidian’s staff flew in front of the blast, turned, and struck the array surrounding the circle, slotting itself into an empty socket at the front. It caught the Elements’ spell like a lightning rod, grounding it into the circle. 

Twilight tried to stop her magic, but found out she couldn’t - like a fighter who over-extends only to get pulled off balance, she found that the Elements’ weren’t being resisted, but pulled in, their magic sucked in to power the ritual. Glancing aside, she could see her friends, just as confused, struggling to break free.

Dr. Stone started flowing up, the power growing into a halo around her. Then her fur caught fire, and the body disintegrated, turning into ash in a blink. Beneath there was a ghostly shape of pale blue, tall and slender, with a heavy mane and a long, silver horn.

“Indicina!” gasped Twilight. “So, I was right. But…” She couldn’t turn her head, but managed to twist it enough to look towards Obsidian. “Obsidian… why are you doing this!?”

Obsidian turned away from her. He didn’t raise his voice, but his magic made it echo over the raging wind. “To be reunited with my love.”

“But…” Twilight’s confusion only increased. “She’s standing right here… that doesn’t make sense!”

In response Obsidian blackened. His body flaked away and fell into nothing, revealing a dark blue earth pony shape made of solid magic. He walked into the circle, and as the two spirits touched each other, they melted and merged together. The single entity turned around, speaking in two voices.

“No she isn’t. I told you so many times, Twilight. Indicina is long dead. And so is Obsidian.”

The Elements stared at what unfolded in front of their eyes. 

“But if she’s not Indicina,” started Fluttershy, “then who is your lost love?”
> Chapter 55: The Reveal
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Your love… is not a pony,” said Twilight. “Because you’re not a pony. You’re not a pony at all.”

***

“A couple knocks to the head, and I’m your infallible source of knowledge.”


“I didn’t even have to lie to you. I just prodded you towards the wrong conclusion and you did the rest to yourself. You could wield the power of Honesty and I’d still be able to trick you, as long as you didn’t use your brain.”


“Being able to change one’s shape comes with many benefits, like being able to choose your identity no matter how life changes you.”


 “You must understand, Twilight Sparkle. There are… things in the world, much older than you and much more cunning. If you don’t learn to think for yourself, to see past the schemes and machinations, there will be no hope for Equestria.”


“You cannot trust me. Any pony who could confirm my identity is either long dead or has since turned into something you wouldn’t trust either. In fact, you wouldn’t be entirely wrong to say Obsidian is long dead.”


“I’m more a creature of the Dissonance than a pony. All the same, I still have all the memories of once being Obsidian, the bearer of Honesty.”


“It looks like breaking my link to Honesty solved the problem of raving madness.”


“Gone. Everything I ever cared about was taken away from me by this war. By this… madness. This folly. And it won’t be over until I see this conflict finished and all the monsters gone. Only then will things be as they should be. Only then will the death, the suffering stop. I have waited for thousands of years, whole generations living and dying while I could do nothing.” 


“A power of this magnitude subject to the whims of anger, love, or pride? A god with the heart of a mortal…is the most frightening thing you could ever imagine, Twilight Sparkle.”

***

“The prophecy the girls told us about… It was never about the Shattered! It was about you…
‘The One that was Broken’.”

“You’re not Obsidian… You’re Indigo.”

The glowing blue shape nodded slowly. “I am.”

And then suddenly, the vortex disappeared, and the sky above the mountain was torn asunder.
> Chapter 56: The Darkness
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

For a moment Twilight expected to be blown away. In a blink of an eye there was only magic, the stone walls writhing and shifting under its touch, the alicorn statues rearing, momentarily alive. A blazing pillar of light hit the circle and for a moment the energy being inside it disappeared. 

The prongs of the array turned red hot, but they held, grounding the excess power - for all the spectacular display Twilight only felt a wave of heat and pressure.

And then the red star fell, striking the circle. Twilight briefly saw a hint of long fangs and feathered wings, then the light exploded outwards, leaving only a swirling ball of color in the center.

Twilight strained against the pull of the array, but found herself still trapped. Around her, her friends likewise struggled to no visible effect.

Meanwhile the creature in the circle started taking shape. It was a mix of colors, shaky and uneven, three forms superimposed over each other into a rough shape of an alicorn. When it spoke, three voices echoed through one another.

“I feel great.”

“A lie.”

“The curse of Obsidian has been lifted. I can finally lie, now that I no longer need to.”

Applejack managed to turn her head slightly towards Twilight. “So… what is he? A god?” she asked, squinting at Indigo’s radiance.

“Yes, he is,” confirmed Twilight. “When Indicina performed the first Splice, she accidentally pulled him into this world, and-”

“The array tore me apart!” finished Indigo, his voice echoing in an angry roar. “The insolent mortals reached for my power without understanding or caring what it was! Made me a piece in their demented war. I was trapped in pony forms, too broken to even know what I was. By the time I recovered…”

Indigo hesitated, his eyes flashing and dimming. “You bound a piece of me to Hate!” he hissed. “Cost me thousands of years!” 

“I didn’t know,” he replied to himself, shaking his head. “I was her, angry, grieving… It was not my fault! You sealed yourself away and left me!” he finished, rearing and stomping his hooves.  Purple sparks of energy crawled over the floor, grounding themselves on the prongs of the circle.

“Twilight…” whispered Rainbow Dash. “What’s going on?”

“I think…” Twilight looked towards Indigo, who kept shaking and changing colors, engaged in a hissed argument with himself, “He’s not done merging yet.”

“The power is growing again,” said Rarity, looking nervously along the beam of power projecting from her Element. “If you have any ideas, better use them now.”

“I’m trying,” replied Twilight. She redoubled her efforts to break free and managed to shift a couple inches to the right. The power holding her was not a solid cage, but more of a constant pull. It’s like being sucked in, she thought. But then, why am I not being sucked forward? Her magic senses were nearly overwhelmed, but now that she took a moment to think calmly, she could feel something stretching in front of her like an invisible net. She leaned forward, pulling down with her horn, trying to redirect the beam from her tiara and strain the barrier. If I can just reach the circle and hit it, I might be able to-

Then Indigo’s eyes regained focus, and the barrier solidified so rapidly, Twilight was stopped motionless like a fly stuck in amber. 

“No,” he said, walking out of the circle and using his magic to flip several switches on the surrounding devices, causing the array to shift and reconfigure. “No more delays. No more distractions. You will stay here trapped until the second Splice occurs, and the Elements will be undone.”

“But… why?” asked Fluttershy. “We’re not the ones who hurt you.”

“Yes!” piped in Applejack. “They’re already gone, and you’re back together. Why are you doing this?”

Indigo turned to look at her. “Because I’m no longer content to suffer in silence. I have seen the world through pony eyes, and now I know what I must do. You’re a mistake. You all are.”

“What?” Applejack asked with a raised eyebrow, not understanding.

Indigo’s eyes glowed brighter as he focused on the earth pony. “You are pathetic, all of you. With your mortal vices and mortal ambitions. You are unworthy children of Gaia. I can’t believe she decided to abandon me, just to give her life to you… but that is a mistake that I can now fix.”

Applejack’s eyes widened. “You can’t be serious…”

“I am, and you can feel it,” replied Indigo. “Whenever a mortal creature dies, its soul returns to Dissonance. In order to see Gaia again, all I need is for all you mortals to die.”

“We’ll stop you!” shouted Pinkie Pie with a defiant grin.

“You won’t,” replied Indigo. “You’re trapped. Your allies are either dead, incapacitated, or too far to help you. The very reason why I brought you here today was to power the Splice with your magic, to avoid lengthy charging. And either way, I am complete now. Nopony can match my power.”

“You didn’t remember your own advice, did you?” asked Pinkie Pie.

Twilight was focused on Indigo, just like everypony else. But right at that moment, she felt a small shift in the magic. Looking forward, she noticed the spiral mosaic on the floor blurring ever so slightly. Something was transforming the rock beneath the array.

“Which one?” asked Indigo. He had no eyelids to squint, but the lights of his eyes narrowed into slits. “I gave you plenty of lessons these past weeks.”

“The very first one,” replied Pinkie. “The first time we met, you said that the real Elements would always find the way, no matter what.”

Indigo seemed to relax. “I did. But I assure you, you can’t do anything now.”

Pinkie met his eyes. “I’m not sure I even could. This has been a horrible week for everypony. You tricked us all, and got lots of our friends hurt…or killed. It’s really hard to find something to laugh at here, unless you have a really sick sense of humor. But you know what?”

There was a soft sound of something moving, barely audible over the noise of the power build up. But Twilight was prepared, and knew what to look for this time - the floor was definitely stretching, and the devices surrounding the array moving out of their positions.

“The joke is on you,” said Pinkie. “You betrayed everypony. And now that you're whole again…you are alone.”

Indigo’s eyes brightened slowly. “I don’t need any…pony. And you have noone to help you either. All your friends and allies have been accounted for.”

Pinkie Pie pouted. “What if I listened to your advice and made new friends?”

There was a loud crack. Indigo heard it, but by the time his head turned, half the floor had broken, causing the control panel to fall underground. Things shifted out of place, and then the first cable snapped. Magic exploded out of control, a stream of multicolor sparks gushing out of the broken conduit, filling the chamber with a haze of dazzling light. Suddenly the pull of magic trap disappeared, the Elements retreating from the circle and reactivating their defences.

“What!?” shouted Indigo. “Who!?”

His answer was the sound of music, a carnival theme played so out of tune it made everypony’s skin crawl. The array broke, and then the other instruments started melting like wax, bubbling and changing colors.

Indigo’s eyes blazed with anger and sudden understanding. “YOU!”

There was a sound emanating from the walls, like a soft chuckle, but somehow reverberating across the whole temple. "Well, yes. It is ME. I'm actually quite miffed that you forgot about me. I like to think I'm pretty memorable."

Pinkie Pie reared and swiped her hoof in front of her eyes in a dramatic gesture, sending two glass discs flying into the corner. When she uncovered her eyes, they were matching pools of bright blue.

“You think you’re smart, but I’m smarter than you! I’m Pinkie Pie, the Element of Laughter, and when I laugh, darkness laughs with me!”

She fell on all fours and conjured a blue bubble of force, just before Indigo’s magic washed over her. Blue and purple flames exploded in all directions, turning the chamber into a furnace. Indigo’s wings stretched into strands of magic that pierced through what was left of the floor. With a roar, he pulled, yanking Discord out of solid rock, but before he could get a more secure hold, six beams of magic struck him simultaneously. 

“How dare you!” he roared, dropping Discord to form his wings into a shield. The draconequus snapped his fingers and disappeared before the magical inferno could consume him, returning to reality behind the Elements, then snapped his fingers again, bringing what was left of the ceiling down on Indigo. 

Indigo coiled tightly, taking the blow, then swung his wings wide with an inarticulate roar. Twilight managed to form her friends’ powers into a shield, keeping them safe as the stone around them exploded into chunks. A column of deep blue light shot up and disappeared through the ceiling above.

“It isn’t over…” echoed the threefold voice.

Discord snapped his fingers, and the dust and rubble disappeared, leaving the chamber slightly bigger and filled with the smell of lavender. "Well, that escalated quickly..." he mused, stroking his goatee. 

Everypony looked up.

“What just happened?” asked Rarity.

“He ran,” said Applejack. “We almost got him.”

“We need to go after him!” shouted Rainbow Dash, spreading her wings and charging up. Discord just snapped his claws, and suddenly they were all above the mountain, suspended in the air until they could activate their own magic to keep them airborne.

Pinkie looked askance at Discord. “You could’ve done it a little bit earlier…”

Discord scowled. “No I couldn’t, as a matter of fact. You don’t know how hard it was to get in there without getting sucked into that circle.” 

“Girls?” said Applejack. She was looking upward, her orange eyes open wide, her ears drooped. “We have a big problem.”

She didn’t really have to say it. Her friends were already staring at the same thing. Above them the sky was torn open, a gash stretching across it like a bizarre aurora borealis made of blue mist and alien stars. Twilight’s mind flashed back to the day her adventure started, when the sky was ripped open above the fake Ponyville, Verba descending upon it to retrieve the bearers, as everything around them disintegrated.

But this is the real world, she suddenly thought in a panic. She looked around frantically, expecting to see the surrounding mountain tops to start crumbling any second, but though the snowy slopes were tinted blue by the unnatural lighting, nothing drastic had happened…yet.

“He’s not ready,” said Fluttershy, putting a comforting wing on Twilight's withers. “He’s…confused.”

“You mean his mind is still in pieces?” asked Rarity. 

“Yes,” confirmed Fluttershy. “He hasn’t quite put himself together yet. And a part of him hates violence.”

“Indicina,” said Twilight, nodding.

“That’s why he put us in a death trap, rather than just turn us to ash or something,” continued Fluttershy. “He didn’t need to destroy the Elements now. I don’t think they’d find new bearers in time to stop him. But that way he didn’t need to… bloody his hooves. I don’t think he realised why he did that.”

“He won’t be so soft next time,” said Rainbow Dash. “We need to get to him fast, before he’s done.” She looked towards the starry void behind the tear in the sky. “The red star is gone, but he’s there somewhere, isn’t he?” 

“I concur,” said Discord. “We need to hurry. Much as I like chaos, it’s just not the same if there is nothing else there. Indigo unmaking reality would really put a damper on my weekend.”

“How did you even…” said Applejack to Pinkie, pointing a hoof at Discord.

Pinkie Pie shrugged. “I just remembered what Obsidian said about how Discord changes with the world. I figured if he was no longer as nasty as before, then he might want to have a friend, and it worked.”

Discord snorted. “Oh, admit it, Pinkie Pie. You just needed a card up your sleeve.”

“That too,” admitted Pinkie Pie. “I could feel there would be a surprise at the end, and I had to be ready. But I wasn’t thinking that far ahead when I started talking to you. I really was curious if you’d want to be my friend.”

“Wait,” interrupted Twilight. “The missing gun charge! You used the pattern gun to break the sealing gem, didn’t you? That’s why you flooded the palace with custard!”

“Yes, she did,” admitted Discord. “And it left me with a headache out of this world. That’s another reason why I came so late,” he added, his head splitting in two as he spoke, and then coming back together with a wet slap.

“So,” asked Rainbow Dash, “Discord is a friend now?”

The draconequus considered the question. “Well, technically…”

“Oh, stop it,” said Fluttershy. “Pinkie Pie was honest with trying to be friends with you. If the laughs you had together weren’t genuine, she wouldn’t have awakened, would she?”

Discord looked at her pensively. “Now, if you put it that way…”

Twilight looked at Pinkie’s blue eyes. “When did you?”

Pinkie smiled. “Just before we went to rescue Fluttershy. I can’t believe none of you noticed, with the kinds of crazy stunts I pulled there.”

Applejack tapped Twilight with a hoof. “Is it just me, or is that thing growing?”

Everypony looked back at the sky. 

“It’s supposed to be shrinking,” said Twilight. “That’s what happened after the first Splice. I think that’s enough catching our breath, girls. We don’t have much time.”

“We can’t just rush in there,” said Rarity. “Knowing…both the ponies Indigo was, he must have some traps prepared.”

“We can’t afford to wait either,” said Twilight. “Discord, could you take us back to the caves for a moment? There is one more thing we need to do.”

Discord rolled his eyes. He was wearing a red elevator colt uniform. With another snap, the seven found themselves back in the ruined sanctum. 

"Third floor: religious art, electronics, funeral accessories." 

Immediately Twilight turned around and galloped out the door into the main chamber. Three bodies still lay there.

Twilight’s horn flashed with a bright light, and Enigma’s remains were encased in a sarcophagus of pale purple crystal. She turned and did the same for Pierce. “That will have to do for now,” she said. She then picked the unconscious form of Bluebonnet, careful not to jerk her even as the protective cocoon of magic remained active around the mare. “We need to put her somewhere safe. Let’s go back to the Crystal Empire."

***

They found the Empire on highest alert. As the eight appeared in front of the pillars marking the city gate, there were over a dozen guards there, half of them changelings. The guards formed behind the barrier hastily, brandishing their weapons.

One guard, a visibly shaken lime green crystal pony, planted the end of his spear in the ground, pointing the tip towards the arrivals. “Stop! Iden…identify yourselves!” he demanded.

“It is us, the Elements of Harmony,” said Applejack. 

“You can clearly see it,” said Rarity. “Has something happened?”

The guard relaxed a bit, but didn’t withdraw the spear. “Yes… yes, your Majesty. There were… things outside the barrier, trying to get in. One tried it here. It looked like you, but it talked strangely.”

“We confronted it,” said a changeling guard next to him. “It was no changeling.”

“Then it looked like my grandma,” continued the guard. “And talked like her. But she’s been dead for years… and then it got angry, and suddenly there were claws, fangs and flames, something out of a nightmare.”

“Chimeras?” suggested Rarity. The Elements looked at each other.

Twilight felt cold sweat on her back. “I was wrong. We have no time at all.”

“Let’s move then,” said Rarity. She stepped to the edge of the barrier, looking over the heads of the guards at a small group of changelings flying towards them. “Maska?” she called.

The officer landed at the front of the group and bowed. “Your Majesty?”

Rarity nodded at Twilight, who levitated the prone form of Bluebonnet through the barrier. “We’re leaving the doctor with you. Keep her safe, and don’t disrupt the spell if you can help it. It will be better for her if she sleeps for now.”

“You’re going back to the fight?” asked Maska.

Rarity nodded. “There were some complications. We need to…” she looked up at the torn sky. “Go to Dissonance and save everyone. Please do your best to maintain the barrier until we come back.”

Maska straightened her posture and saluted. “Yes, your Majesty!”

No more instructions are needed, thought Twilight. If we don’t come back, nothing she can do will make a difference. 

***

Bluebonnet was dreaming. She knew she was. She was vaguely aware of her body being transported, shapes of ponies and changelings passing over and around her. But where she was right now was her lab in the castle dungeon. Or was it her bedroom? She took a closer look at her surroundings and conceded it was both; her bed was right next to a row of tables, and a cabinet containing notes from her previous experiments extended seamlessly into her private bookshelf. Metal tools and glass containers were everywhere. 

Why am I here? she thought. The answer crystallized as she looked at the central table. Her brain was there, buzzing with spinning wheels, nested in a tangle of cables. 

Something was done to me, she pondered as she examined the thing. It’s not that her brain looked odd - it was a dream after all, and she was an engineering genius. But there was something in it she didn’t recognize, like some outside tinkering had been done on it. 

What is this? She took a screwdriver in her teeth and poked at a small component hidden behind the wiring. A memory flashed, of her and Obsidian breaking into the labs, overcoming the first line of protection spells. Obsidian moved with certainty, finding and disarming the security systems as if he knew where to look. And just when she was about to comment on his progress… the tip of his staff flashed red light into her eyes. As she was compelled to follow, Obsidian dropped the pretense of looking for traps, leading her into a chamber where they stored the…

Neural reconfigurator. We used it to protect our soldiers during the siege of the Empire. I didn’t remember it being returned to the labs. Then again, I was preoccupied. Is this what he did to me? Deep programming? How would he know how to operate it? Or… was it pre-programmed? Then he’d just need to strap me in and press a few buttons…

She withdrew, and the screwdriver dropped out of her mouth, winking out of existence as it became irrelevant.

What did I do? What did he make me do!?

The answer came back in another flash, her modifying the pattern gun, adding a circuit that turned its power back upon itself when a remote was activated. Then her standing with the others in the cave…

Enigma…I killed him.

She saw the whole scene inside the tangle of wires - her pressing the button, speaking the phrase that would’ve been a warning to her target, but with the target being Guilt, it was one calculated to make him freeze up for a precious split second, denying him a chance to react even if he felt the energy building up. 

Was it though? I could’ve rigged the trigger instead, to explode when he shot it. Why overcomplicate things so? to make his last emotion be regret over what he did to Tourmaline? He deserved it, but… Stone. Evening Embrace. It was her doing, wasn’t it? 

“There were some complications. We need to…go to Dissonance and save everyone. Please do your best to maintain the barrier until we come back.”

She didn’t remember the context of the words. They must have been spoken in the waking world some time before. They made things click into place.

They worked together. It was all a trap. The girls went into a trap, and now everypony might die. What is going on? What did they do?

She looked back into her brain, then turned around, her eyes searching frantically all over the lab, but there were no more clues.

What did they do!?

She tried to wake up, and for a moment felt her real body, but then found herself pushed back, as if by an invisible membrane. 

Why can’t I wake up? Did they do something to me? They used me, manipulated me into killing… and now I’m trapped! I need to get out of here, find out what’s happened and help them. But how?

***

The Elements of Harmony were standing in the air, suspended on a disc of solid power. Below them stood the top of the Nevercrest mountain. Above, an endless void visible inside a giant rip in the sky, already stretching almost to the horizon in both directions.

“How many chimeras do ya think have already gotten in?” asked Applejack to nopony in particular.

“It depends on whether Indigo sent them on purpose,” replied Twilight. “There might be just a bunch, or there might be an army.”

“I don’t think he’d bother creating life,” said Discord. “It’s not really his style, from what it looks like. But with how Dissonance responds to him, he doesn’t really need to. He just needs to be angry, and with the threshold damaged as it is…this is a night where nightmares walk among ponies.”

“Enough,” said Rainbow Dash. “It’s time to put an end to this. How do we do it?”

“We fly in, find Indigo and defeat him,” said Twilight. “Much as I’d love there to be a less insane solution to all this, it’s not like we could return his lost love to him.”

She looked towards Discord. “Discord, stand closer to us. I want you inside the barrier with us.”

Discord raised an eyebrow. “Why so? I’m a creature of chaos. I’m pretty sure I can navigate Dissonance without harm.”  

“The Dissonance, yes,” agreed Twilight. “But we know we’re flying into a trap. And there are things waiting for us that could harm even you. You won’t be able to help if you’re taken out by an ambush.”

Discord pouted, but landed on the disc next to Twilight. “I think you’re underestimating my power. But have it your way. You’re the wise leader here. Even if all of this wouldn’t have happened if you saw through Obsidian earlier. Seriously, how hard can it be to question somepony who cannot lie?”

Twilight ground her teeth, and was about to say something, but just as she opened her mouth, Pinkie Pie pushed between the two. “Please don’t do it now, you two.” She turned towards Discord. “We’re new at the really tricky villains here, okay? The worst we’ve had so far was Chrysalis replacing Cadence at the wedding, and we all totally fell for it. Now let us focus on what we’re supposed to be doing here.”

Twilight sighed. “You’re right, Pinkie. Let’s go. Everypony, focus.”

One after another, the gems started glowing brighter. As the spell was completed, the Elements were suspended, weightless, inside a bubble of iridescent color. With a push of Twilight’s thought, the orb sped into the sky, the magic of Dissonance trailing abstract shapes upon the surface as they pushed through the blue mist.

“We’re in,” said Rainbow Dash. “So, where to now?”

“That way,” said Pinkie Pie, pointing with her hoof. “I can feel his power that way.”

Twilight looked in the same direction, and pushed. The sphere swerved, or so she thought - the shifting lights outside gave her nothing to relate to. 

“Not quite,” said Discord with a scowl. “You’re very used to four dimensions, aren’t you?”

“That’s… a good point, actually,” said Twilight. “Pinkie, perhaps you and Discord could navigate us? It will be easier than explaining things to me right now.”

“Okie dokie,” replied Pinkie with a reassuring smile. “I’ve never tried that either, but my Pinkie sense will point me where I need to be.”

“Don’t you worry,” said Discord, leaning over her. “It won’t take long. Time is relative here, and the whole universe wants to know how this ends!”

He put a lion’s paw on Pinkie’s shoulder, and suddenly the colors outside the sphere started shifting faster. Even though there was still no sense of direction, Twilight knew that they were moving at great speed, perhaps the fastest they’d ever had without teleporting. She braced herself, reinforcing the bubble with all her power, her instincts warning her that it wasn’t safe to fly like this. Soon she felt the energy outside the sphere growing stronger and more focused. 

“He’s here,” she said. 

“Yes, I can feel him too,” said Rarity. “He’s so much like the rest of this realm that he fades into the background, but you just can’t hide that much power… suddenly I’m a little less sure about what we’re doing.”

“Brace for impact!” shouted Pinkie Pie.

They all did, and a second later, all was whiteness. Discord, dressed in a form-fitting red uniform, swayed and grabbed an outer wall of the bubble for support. Pinkie shook her head sideways, and the sphere swerved out of the beam that was peeling off its outer layers. It pushed out of a bank of blue fog, revealing a giant, round shape in front of them.

“What is this thing?” asked Applejack.

“A fortress,” said Discord. “He did prepare.”

The castle was enormous, much bigger than it would’ve been practical for any real structure, white towers and battlements extending in all directions. It was also a sphere, the fortifications and rooftops bending at awkward angles to turn the whole thing into a spiked ball of spires. One of the bigger ones was still glowing from the first blast, and now starting to to charge up again.

“That’s what I talked about!” shouted Twilight, as Pinkie drove their sphere into another dodge. 

“I admit this would’ve hurt,” said Discord. He snapped his claw, but the tower resisted his magic. He snapped it again, and a giant wedge of cheese collided with the fortress like a crashing spaceship.

The bizarre castle did not budge. It fired again, and this time Pinkie barely got out of the way.

“It’s been built to resist magic!” shouted Twilight. “It couldn’t survive here otherwise.”

“Well, resistant is not the same as immune!” replied Dash. “We need to hit it harder!”

“Right,” nodded Twilight as she started charging up. Everypony contributed, though Pinkie kept controlling their flight, following her supernatural intuition to plot an erratic course that kapt them out of reach when the castle towers fired another beam.

“Not very creative, that one,” remarked Applejack, happy that the sphere kept its own idea of up and down, saving her stomach from the effects of sudden maneuvers. 

“It’s just the first line of defense!” replied Twilight. “Focus!” 

The power built up, swirling in rainbow colors. Twilight aimed at the tower that fired the last shot.

“Wait!” shouted Dash. “What if it sucks our magic in like the last time?” 

Twilight hesitated, but then fired her spell. A rainbow beam struck its target, breaking apart a tower into a cloud of stone chunks that scattered, weightless into the void surrounding the fortress. “It didn’t absorb Discord’s attack,” she explained. “It’s probably hard to set up a draining trap in a place build of nothing but magic.”

“Don’t get relaxed just yet!” shouted Pinkie, as two beams came their way. “Discoooord!”

She pulled the sphere into a dodge that ended up turning them upside down. Not good enough; the sphere had no flat side it could turn away from the strike, and it was still too big to fit between the two beams. Discord snapped his talons, and the Elements shrunk, along with their bubble, the beams passing them on both sides.

“Thanks!” shouted Pinkie, turning them back towards the target, allowing Twilight to fire again. 

Discord waved his paw dismissively, and the sphere returned to its old dimensions. “It’s nothing. You could do better.”

“I could, but Twilight needs my power, and I’m piloting the thing,” replied Pinkie.  The sphere accelerated and flew closer to the fortress, making it harder for the remaining towers to aim at her.

“I think only the big ones shoot,” said Twilight, charging another blast. “Either the rest is just for show, or they maintain the passive defences.”

Another shot. Another tower reduced to a cloud of flying rubble. Another beam fired by the fortress, almost striking the Elements. The shots were getting more focused, but with each tower lost, the attacks dwindled in frequency, not intense enough to strain the barrier protecting the six mares. 

Soon it was over, the side of the giant castle stripped of its most powerful defenses, the Elements approaching the battlements to look for an entrance.

“You know, this looks a lot like Obsidian’s tower,” said Rarity.

“It was his home for millenia, even if he hated it,” said Fluttershy. 

“And now he turned it into his hideout?” asked Rainbow Dash. She looked down at the battlements, and pointed a hoof at what looked like a small door. “I think I see an entrance, down there.”

“It makes sense,” said Twilight, “although…”

“I know what it is,” said Applejack. “Look at those walls, the ones with the tallest spires. Don’t they look like they could move around the whole thing?”

They saw it too. Now that they could get close enough to examine the surface in detail, the multi-level structure of the round fortress looked like a giant astrolabium.

“It’s the Void Passage,” said Twilight finally. 

“That isn’t good, I take it?” asked Discord.

“Not at all,” said Pinkie Pie. “I couldn’t take you there earlier, but it was the place where Obsidian tested ponies who wanted to be Elements. It made dreams to make them show they deserved it, or…”

“Dispose of them,” finished Twilight. “This here was just a warm up. All of Verba’s tricks are waiting for us there.”

“We’ll have to fight Verba too?” asked Fluttershy, her wings folding and unfolding in frustration.

Twilight took a big, calming breath. “We have no choice but to go in.”  She deliberately turned away from the door Dash was pointing at, and gathered the power of the Elements again. She then shot at one of the rooftops, between the spires, maintaining a beam until the heavy stone tiles gave way, revealing a dark emptiness inside. Her beam twisted, and pulled, widening the hole enough that they could fly inside without dispelling their protective bubble. Bracing themselves for what was to come, the six ponies and the draconequus disappeared inside.

***

Bluebonnet had tried everything she could think of, to no avail. She had already managed to deduce that the Splice must have happened, and the power of the Dissonance was released upon the world.

This is a logical explanation of my current state. I’m trapped here, because I’m being actively sedated. They’re making sure I’ll stay asleep. But it isn’t a dreamless sleep as it should be, because even if my mind has shut off… my soul is touching Dissonance directly. Nopony in the world will have a dreamless sleep today.

The implications made her hair stand on end. She turned around, expecting at any moment to see a shadowy shape emerging from a corner of the room. Then, when nothing came, she thought of all the other ponies that could be asleep now, many of them already frightened, hiding in the ruins of what just weeks before were their homes. 

“Everypony is in danger while I’m trapped here,” she said aloud, looking in vain for a solution among the lab instruments she now knew not to be real. “I’m in danger here. I put everypony in this mess, and now I can’t even help them!.”

She inhaled deeply as desperation took her. Then she screamed, as loud as she could imagine herself screaming.

“Somepony, help me!”

The voice echoed, much longer than it should have in the confined space. Seconds passed and nothing happened.

And then, from the darkness in the corner sounded a familiar voice.

“I’m here, doctor.”
> Chapter 57: The Name
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cheerful Breeze looked out of the window and shuddered. The night was bright, the giant tear in the sky illuminating the forest outside in shades of blue. Is the world going to end? she thought. Will the sun rise again tomorrow?

She turned her head to look at the other ponies in the cottage, the six pegasi who escaped the conflagration of Cloudsdale, and the elderly earth pony stallion the house belonged to. He allowed them to stay, but had no food to give them, and they were forced to graze to feed themselves. Now, as the world started to fall apart, they slept an uneasy sleep, huddled together on the large bed while Cheerful Breeze kept watch.

She looked at her little brother, Gale. He was turning in his sleep, one wing unfurling, as if to swat away something in his dream. It’s a wonder he’s been able to fall asleep at all. But we need our rest in case something bad happens again.

She looked out of the window once more. What had happened to the world? just a month ago Equestria was a bastion of peace and harmony, and Breeze could look forward to a peaceful life. Then there was the murder of Celestia, the war with the Crystal Empire, then what she could only guess to be a beginning of a civil war… and then the rampaging monster of black flame setting whole Cloudsdale on fire. And now Breeze and her neighbours were hiding in some cottage in the middle of nowhere, with no knowledge if the rest of their families even made it out of the inferno, hoping to wait out the crisis that had now apparently split the sky itself apart.

Drizzle, an older mare sleeping near the edge of the bed, awoke with a start, bringing Breeze’s train of thought to a stop. 
“Something’s coming,” she whispered, frightened.

Breeze opened her mouth to say, “You had a bad dream,” but before she could speak, the others started waking up as well, a domino effect of startled reactions bringing everypony to alarmed consciousness in a matter of seconds. 

“What’s going on?” asked Gale warily.

“It’s just…” started Breeze, but then something caught her attention. In the corner of her eye, she saw movement outside. Instantly alert, she turned towards the window. “Something’s outside,” she said in a stage whisper. 

“Help me!” 

Breeze tumbled away with a shriek when a frightened mare pushed her face to the outside of the window.

“Please, let me in,” the stranger said, slumping next to the window sill. 

The gathered pegasi looked at each other. “Just a sec,” said Breeze, moving towards the door. She grabbed the bar blocking the door with her teeth and pulled it aside.

The mare outside was a pegasus, tall and slender, with ivory coat and raven black mane. She was wide-eyed, shaking all over, and stumbled a little as she walked. She also pressed one of her wings hard to her side.

“What’s happened to you, darling?” asked Drizzle.

The mare stepped forward. “Well, I was just trying to…”

“Stop.”

Everypony froze. It was the owner of the cottage that spoke, a barked order that instantly got their attention. The elderly stallion walked forward and confronted the mare.

“You’re scared. Very scared. But it is not your fear,” he said slowly. “What are you?”

Though the mare’s expression remained unchanged, her body tensed, and Cheerful Breeze found herself stepping away from her. “What do you mean? I came for help!” 

“You can’t lie to me,” said the stallion. “I can feel you. You’re not a pony.”

The mare blinked, shaking away a strand of black hair that fell across her eye. “I’m not? But I will be. I just need more of youuuuuu.”

Her mouth stretched with the last word, elongating and turning circular, like a megaphone with teeth, blue light swirling inside. Breeze heard frightened screams from behind her and leapt away, but found herself unable to turn away from the bizarre creature, the light pulling at her attention as if literally sucking her in. The strange mare didn’t stop changing shape, her legs splitting, stretching and bending, turning her into a grotesque white insect. 

And then the old pony erupted in green flame and he was a pony no more. Breeze saw insect wings, black carapace, legs marred with irregular holes. Suddenly the bed rose and toppled, the cottage filled with a loud buzz as a dozen changelings emerged from a hole underneath, charging at the monster. It was like a giant spider swarmed by a dozen wasps. The effect that had been sucking away Breeze’s mind snapped free, and she escaped away from the furious fight, until she found herself with her rump to the back wall, clutching her brother protectively under her wing.

A changeling hit the wall next to her, making her yelp in fear, and slid down with a groan. The battle was all but one-sided. Yet, within seconds the advantage of numbers decided the victor - the creature broke under the repeated blows, lost substance, and evaporated. Silence fell as the changelings looked around, before finally turning towards the pegasi.

“It’s over, for now,” said the leader. “You can stay here, and we will keep you safe.”

“Don’t get any closer!” shouted one of the ponies frantically.” Cheerful Breeze realized it was herself. 

The leader met her gaze, sighed, and relaxed his stance. “You’ve been here for hours. If we wanted to hurt you, we’d have done it already.”

“What about the pony who lived here?” asked Gale from under Breeze’s wing.

The changeling winced. “Dead for years. But we don’t do that anymore.”

“You don’t?” Breeze attempted a shaky smile that didn’t look the tiniest bit sincere. “What has changed?”

The changeling straightened. “Times have changed. There is a new queen, and a new hope. Whatever comes down from the sky tonight, we will face it together.”

***

“That way,” said Twilight Sparkle. The orb turned and slowly pushed its way through another wall, burning away the magic forming its substance until the bricks disappeared and gave way.  They emerged in another chamber, this one filled with a memory of some ancient city, white marble palaces and tiered pyramids dominating the skyline.

“Just how big is this place?” asked Rarity.

“It’s relative,” said Discord.

“That way now,” said Twilight, accelerating the sphere through the main street, until the met the arc of a huge gate leading out of the city. 

“No enemies so far,” said Dash. “It’s like…”

“Like a theatre’s prop storage,” said Pinkie Pie.

“Why do they even exist?” said Twilight. “It’s not like they actually need to be stored.”

The sphere passed through the arc and suddenly they were in the tunnels of some underground base, not unlike the one in Canterlot. 

“A distraction, most likely,” said Discord. “Ponies are easily distractible. That being said-” He did a double take and looked around the tunnel. “This place looks kind of familiar.”

“Well, that’s not ominous at all,” said Pinkie. “That way,” she pointed down the corridor.

“I know,” said Twilight, navigating through the tunnel just wide enough to let them through.

“We can all feel it now,” said Fluttershy softly.

The corridor ended in a large lab chamber. Long ago it must have been filled with all sorts of instruments, arranged around a large stone table in the middle. Now, everything was crumbling with rust, a thick layer of dust filling the chamber as if it were an ancient tomb.

“There,” said Twilight, directling her power at the wall in front of her. The bubble pressed to it and started pushing through. Twilight huffed with effort. “This will take a while,” she said. “This one is much tougher than the previous ones.”

“Um, Twilight?” said Fluttershy.

A delicate light illuminated the room. Twilight chanced a look aside and saw the pieces of equipment mending themselves. “Keep an eye on it,” she said. “I’ll keep drilling.” Slowly, the sphere started pushing into the wall.

Meanwhile, the lab restored itself to how it must have looked like in its prime. Magical lights appeared in a line on the ceiling. And then two indistinct shapes started forming at the center, one standing at the machines, the other lying on its side, covered with a blanket and apparently strapped to the table.

“Fluttershy?” asked Dash.

“No aggression,” said Fluttershy. “It’s just a vision.”

“Pinkie?” asked Dash next. 

Pinkie’s expression turned grim. “There will be trouble,” she said.

“Just who is it?” asked Rarity. “She looks like… Dr.Stone, but younger. Is it Indicina?”

“I think,” said Fluttershy, “this is Evening Embrace. The real Deception.”

The second pony finished taking shape as well. He was tied down and covered, except for the head, but the Elements could see that we was a unicorn, light grey, with red eyes that marked him as the bearer of Loyalty, and sporting a goatee. He was also angry and frightened, and there was a metal ring etched with runes attached around the base of his horn.

“You tricked me!” he spouted. “You messed with my mind!”

Evening Embrace turned towards him with a sad expression. “They wouldn’t have let you live otherwise. I only did it to protect you.”

“Protect me?” the unicorn stared at her. “By making me forget my duties? My friends?”

Evening Embrace turned away, flipping some switches on the surrounding instruments, but still it was clear that tears welled in her eyes. “You don’t need them. They’re dead. They’ve been for decades. They just weight you down.”

The unicorn’s face flushed with anger. “You betrayed them to their deaths! You betrayed me!”

Eve spun around, her face red. “I didn’t ! I didn’t betray you,   -  . I was supposed to spy on you, but then I really…”

“Loved me?” spat the stallion. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“What’s going on?” asked Applejack. 

“I don’t know,” said Rarity. “There was something I didn’t hear, like…”

“I’m not!” continued Eve. “I really wanted to abandon this war, to be with you. But you were so stubborn, and then Libra’s plan worked and you…”

“No!” said the unicorn. “You didn’t love me. If you loved me, you’d knew I’d never abandon my friends. You’d never pretend to be the mare I fell in love with. You’d never dig in my head to make me your toy. How many times have you done it already!?”

Eve walked around the table, tears flowing down her cheeks. She tugged at one of the devices, lowering a small crane over the table, and pushed a small, round helmet over the stallion’s head. They struggled as he tried to prevent her from tightening it securely.  

“Too many times,” she said through her teeth, struggling with a strap she pulled under his chin. “I try, and try, and try, but every time I make you forget, the memories return faster and faster. I love you,  -  , and you said you loved me too. But every time you remember, you choose them over me!”


The missing word reverberated with silence, an absence grating on the senses.

“Almost there,” said Twilight, turned away from the chamber, working the sphere deeper into the wall. 

The others watched the scene as if mesmerised. Meanwhile, Evening Embrace finished struggling with the helmet, and approached a bigger switch on the side of the last machine.

“And I always will,” said the stallion. “I’ll remember my friends until the day I can avenge them.”

Eve once again looked him in the eyes. “No, you will not. I won’t lose you,  -  . You don’t know how it is, to be lonely for century after century, with only the Shattered, and your…creatures to keep you company. You’re the first pony who ever really loved me. I won’t let that slip away.”

“You’re insane,” whispered the unicorn.

Eve clenched her jaw. “Perhaps I am. Or perhaps I should’ve done it years ago. I thought I could modify your brain, and block the memories that hurt you. But if there is no other way… I’ll just remove them from your head.”

The stallion’s eyes widened with sudden fear. “What? You can’t do that!”

Eve sighed, and then her features hardened. “I can, and I will,   -  . I’ve had enough of watching you suffer.”

She pulled the lever, and the machines came alive with sound and light. The stallion started screaming, a cry of anguish that turned into a long, high pitched whinny. Eve watched in horrified fascination as his features warped from the muscles spasming, his red eyes shrinking in ways a healthy eye never should.

The elements turned away from the scene, but Discord kept staring.

“Is everything okay?” asked Fluttershy.

“It’s me…” said Discord shaking. “It was me…” A part of his shoulder bulged and started changing color.

“Discord! What’s going on?” demanded Rainbow Dash.

Pinkie Pie started shaking as well. “That’s bad!”

“Discord…” said Discord. “That’s not my name.” his whole body started deforming and shifting. “I’m not Discord…”

The body on the table twisted and spasmed.

“  -  !” screamed Eve in despair, the silence of the unspoken word echoing like a giant bell.

Twilight abandoned her efforts and turned to face Discord like the others, but he ignored everypony, just staring blankly forward.

“What is my name?”

And then he exploded, an expanding wave of sound, shape and color. Pinkie and Twilight tried to hold on to their friends, but the bubble spell burst, and everypony was sent flying in all directions. 

And then the vision disappeared, and the walls of the lab turned, like pieces of some giant machinery, and the six friends were separated.

***

In the center of the Void Passage there stood a ruin of an ancient tower. Little remained of it now, an empty circle of white stone where the ground floor used to be, surrounded by crumbled remains of the four smaller towers. The wind blew white dust over everything, as if trying to bury the place forever. The only unaffected object was a pot standing at the very center, a deep red flower growing inside it. Above it, Indigo turned slowly, wrapped in a cocoon of magic.  

It was almost done. One voice had already been silent; the storm of primal instinct carried a lot of his power, but it had no personality to speak of. The other two voices were getting softer as well, though it would take some more time to silence them completely.

He turned and stretched. He had changed. Like never before, his body demanded form. 

A spine appeared, then bones and tendons, as magic coalesced into a form shaped millenia before by centuries of belief. A slender but powerful body. Coat black as the midnight sky. Eyes glowing with the color they named after him. A long, sharp horn, symbol of magical power, and wide wings ready to carry him wherever he’d choose to show it. A blood red mane…

No, that wasn’t right. It came with memories of his unwilling hosts, but he felt it was wrong all the same. He reached into the Void Passage, and found a different concept.

His mane and tail stretched into strands of silvery white. 

"That's better," he decided.
> Chapter 58: The Fates
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Applejack growled in frustration. 

She’d been walking for hours, searching the labyrinthine cave tunnels for the…exit? She stopped and looked around. The caves were enormous, paths of softly glowing crystal stretching in all directions.

What was I looking for again? Applejack blinked repeatedly. “Rarity!” she exclaimed. It came back to her. I was looking for my friends. We were separated while getting in here, and-

There was a loud crack, and then the ceiling exploded with shards of crystal. A pale blue, crystalline spider as wide as a barn door fell into the tunnel, its mandibles snapping threateningly. It lashed forward with its forelegs, blades as long as a pony raking the floor where Applejack had stood just moments before.

Applejack recovered from the roll and countered - stomping her front hooves, she caused a pillar of crystal to shoot from the floor beneath the spider’s thorax, and when it spread its legs to regain balance, she shot forward like a bullet, headbutting it with a force that sent it flying through the tunnel, shards of broken blue crystal left in its wake.

“What is this thing?” she whispered under her breath. Is it even alive, or some kind of a construct thingy?

She eyed the monster, waiting for it to get up and attack again - it was still moving, although its movements were jittery and uncoordinated. But before it could finish picking itself up, something caught Applejack’s eye - a niche in the corridor to the right. There was something there at the end of it that was neither stone nor crystal. 

A door?

Leaving her enemy behind, she ducked into the narrow passage. The door looked heavy, made of rusted metal, with a wheel in the middle. She grabbed it with her teeth and pulled, turning until she heard the noise of a mechanism moving. With a hiss the door opened inward, disgusting stench venting from the now opened tunnel.

Is it a sewer? thought Applejack, hopping in and pushing the door shut behind her, the skittering of the injured spider’s legs falling silent as it closed.

As a matter of fact, it was. She quickly projected a thin aura of power around her, keeping the stench and filth away from her fur and hooves, and illuminating her way. There was no pathway, forcing her to trudge through the sewage, but luckily there wasn’t that much water. More importantly, the place was beginning to look more and more familiar. 

“My friends are there somewhere,” she said to herself. “I just need to find the way up.”

And there it was, another door, much plainer than the last. Pushing the doorknob with a thin strand of power, she uncovered the stairs up. I’m close, she thought as she started climbing. The next door led directly outside the building, into an alley behind two houses. It was afternoon outside, and the air heavy with factory smoke.

I’m here, thought Applejack, pushing the protective barrier off her to leave the stench of the sewers behind. She made sure the overcoat was okay and the scarf around her neck hid Honesty from view, pulled the hat lower over her face to prevent random passers-by from seeing her eyes, and then walked out into the cobbled alley.

Where did I get a coat and a scarf?

There were other ponies there, similarly dressed, stern-faced and busy with themselves,  hurrying to get home before… curfew, she realised, as a helpful memory surfaced. I need to hurry if I don’t want to sneak through patrols on my way back. 

She took a turn, then another, finding her way through the now familiar streets. There was just one turn left to take before the meeting spot, and…

As she looked up to make sure the path was clear, she caught a reflection of her face in a window pane. Except it wasn’t her reflection. Beneath the orange eyes of Honesty, there was an angular muzzle of a familiar, young stallion.

A sound of broken glass ahead. A fight? There was no time to think. The Element of Honesty dashed through the street, sliding across the cobblestones in a sharp turn. And just as expected, the sounds of a fight came from a familiar house - an armored guardspony had just been thrown out of the second floor window. 

Judging by the noise, the fight was still on upstairs. There was no time to waste. 

A young, scruffy, blue unicorn ran through the front door, blood dripping from behind his injured ear, and the two almost crashed into each other in the doorway. “Whisper?” he gasped in surprise.

“I’ll cover you, ” said Whisper, igniting his Element under the scarf. “Now run.” 

He walked in, and cut off the way of the two soldiers running down the stairs. They started shouting something, but stopped when they saw the light, and recognized just who they were facing - the rapid stop almost made them tumble down instead.

“You can’t win this fight,” he said, slowly, letting the power of Honesty seep into his words. The two soldiers looked at each other, and then bolted towards the back door of the building. Whisper meanwhile charged upstairs, towards the noise of the fight.

He got there in the nick of time. Fan, the pegasus mare he was supposed to meet there, was struggling against two guards. She was caught in ropes that grounded her, but still too mobile for the guards to pin down. The fight had already trashed most of the furniture. A broken window marked the spot where the third guard had been forcibly ejected.

As they saw Whisper enter the apartment, the guards hesitated. He could almost see the calculations running in their heads as the balance of power shifted - they had started the fight with an over two-to-one advantage; now not only were the numbers equal, they were suddenly facing an Element.  Even with the magic-numbing fumes from the factories filing the air, this was a fight they couldn’t hope to win.

Fan didn’t do any calculations. She dove straight for the unicorn guardspony, using the distraction to land a vicious kick in the jaw. The blow was hard enough that he let go of the rope. Whisper then dashed at the other guard, ramming him with the force that flattened him against the wall with a loud thud.

“Hurry!” he shouted at the mare, forming a cutting wedge of magic around his hoof to help her get free of the ropes. The guard Fan had kicked wisely pretended to be unconscious, leaving them free to run down the stairs. Before they could get to the ground floor though, there was a sound of more hooves below.

More guards, thought Whisper. He considered running right through them - there was a good chance the soldiers had nothing that could stop him. But before he could charge down, Fan turned her head in the other direction. “There!” she said, pointing her wing at the window at the end of the corridor. 

Understanding, Whisper dashed through it, his power protecting him from harm as he flew out in a cloud of wood and broken glass. He hit the ground running and dashed down the street. Fan was close behind him, gliding low. The few civilians who hadn’t disappeared at the first sound of trouble were scampering out of their way into the nearest doorways. 

No air support yet, thought Whisper, but if we don’t lose them soon… He wasn’t afraid of guards, a hundred wouldn’t be enough to stop him, but all they needed to do was slow him down. A fight in the middle of the city would soon attract much more dangerous opponents. 

Fan overtook him, switching from flight to a gallop without missing a beat. “Follow me!” she shouted, taking a sharp turn into a nearby alley. With the sound of many hooves behind, and no better ideas for what to do, Whisper followed her lead; down an alley, through the back door of a shop, into another street, and into a backyard behind a bar, he followed her through the nooks and crannies of the city, a new door opening each time he thought they’d hit a dead end, the sounds of pursuit slowly dying off in the distance behind them.

They evened their pace, trying to behave naturally, but even though there hours still till the curfew, the nearby streets were almost empty. 

“There,” said Fan, indicating another door in the backyard. She pushed it open and descended the stairs into darkness. As Whisper followed suit, flaring his aura to light the path, she pushed past him to lock the door and set an empty can at the top of the stairs as an early warning system.

The inside turned out to be a large cellar, corridors lined with doors leading to small storage rooms where the tenants kept their coal or preserved foods. At the end there was another door and a stair further down, surprisingly leading into something that but for a lack of windows would have been a small apartment. Another door at the end, this one made of metal, provided a second exit, likely into the sewers.

Whisper looked around the room. “Will your friend make it?” he asked.

“Not to here,” replied Fan in a tired voice. “Don’t worry about him, he knows where to go. Let me get some tea,” she said, lighting a small stove. 

Whisper slumped at the table. “So… the plan is done for then? If they know about you…” 

“Then there is not enough time to investigate where the information leak occurred,” said Fan. “Not only will the Resistance be of no help, but the Elements will have to keep them them in the dark to prevent an ambush. With…" She opened her wings and shifted her pinions one by one, counting… “eight possible suspects, half the network in the city is not safe.” 

“And how many of them know about this hideout?” asked Whisper. His ear turned towards the entrance.

“Only three,” replied Fan, “None of whom  got caught in the ambush.”

“It might be safer to move right now,” said Whisper. “Regardless of whose fault it was. That reminds me. Are you really Fan?”

The orange gem flashed. The pegasus shuddered. “Yes, I am,” she said, staring back at Whisper.

Whisper snorted. “You know the procedure. I should’ve done it earlier.”

“They wouldn’t be that stupid,” replied Fan. “They know you can do that.”

“And that’s why I need to keep my guard up,” said Whisper. “They’re prepared for me. I can’t rely on it either. They know how to cheat past it. I know I’m starting to get paranoid, but I keep looking for trouble everywhere, and it has kept me alive so far. Like… the guards came to arrest a pegasus. So how come there was no air support?”

Fan frowned. “You don’t know that. We just  didn’t see any.” 

“If there were any, they were out of position,” replied Whisper. “Everypony knows how Vengeance treats failure nowadays. Her surviving officers aren’t that incompetent.”

He got up, looked towards the stairs up, and then the other way towards the metal door. The sudden movement made his head spin. “What?”

Fan turned to face him. “You can’t leave,” she said. “Nor can I. This… isn’t really a stove.”

Whisper looked past her. The flame was slightly off color, and he suddenly realised that his sense of smell had gotten worse. The mare was standing oddly stiffly, staring at him with an anguished expression. “And now I know that I’m not Fan.”

Whisper was already lighting up, his Element reacting way too slowly for his liking. He could now hear multiple hoofsteps approaching from the cellars above. He charged past not-Fan, hitting the metal door of the emergency exit, and breaking it off its hinges. He expected to fall into the sewer, but something stopped his momentum. The broken plate of metal slowly fell to the side, revealing the obstacle that had stopped it, a large black stallion with a short mane, dressed in a long coat. “Hi,” he said with a grin, kicking the door with a force that send Whisper flying back into the hideout. Hate, he realised as he hit the opposite wall, so hard that he fractured the stone around him. Whisper’s barriers failed from the immense force of the impact. As he groaned and tried to scramble to his feet, he saw the hooves of  not-Fan rear over his head. 

***

Twilight Sparkle circled over the wasteland. The fortress below was barely recognizable. Vengeance had fulfilled her promise - the Empire was no more. Swept away by city-swallowing explosions or worn away by rains of poison, everything south of the mountains was just an endless expanse of dull brown where nothing would grow for many generations. 

And there in the middle of it all stood the compound, like a dark, rectangular scab on a diseased hide. The cemetery outside the wall had disappeared. So had all the trees surrounding the hill. The only sign of life that remained was the tangle of thorny vines covering the inner structures of the fortress - no doubt some new creation of Eve, engineered to survive in the hellscape of their creation. 

The Element of Magic circled downward, incinerating the vines with a thought before they could do any harm; they tried to absorb the magic and turn it against the intruder, but their power turned out pitifully inadequate. Verba folded his wings and looked around, stretching his magical senses. No other traps activated, mundane or otherwise. No other guards showed up. The facility where all of them had met so many years before, where they trained together to become the foci users and then lived after becoming the Elements and the Shattered, was now an empty shell, with less life to it than even an actual tomb.

And yet this is where you're keeping them, isn’t it? thought Verba.  He walked towards the main entrance, his senses stretched out in search of traps, especially ones meant to trap or redirect his power. He felt something; it was too weak to trap him, but he chose to go around it just in case, opening his own passage through reinforced concrete. Then he finally found what he was looking for. Some of the machinery was still working, down in the bunker below. It seems the gamble has paid off, he thought. There are few places left that are both suitable and screened enough to hide them.

Cautiously he started descending deeper and deeper, through dark tunnels and abandoned labs. Now let’s hope the rest of the gamble pays off too. If Diamond Dust and the new Elements can make it, there will only be Eve left for us to find - unless I’m ridiculously lucky, and catch her here. 

Finally he reached the lowest level, extinguishing the light of his horn as he saw the lights were on in one of the rooms. And as expected, there was a line of heavy cylinders there. He could feel the pony shapes floating in the liquid behind thick glass and metal shells, bodies improved by Eve’s pattern powers, ready to be inhabited the next time one of the Shattered reasserted themself. 

And now we wait.

***

The hive was filled with a buzz of hundreds of wings. Even from the tunnel she was walking, Rarity could feel the crowd ahead, united in their feelings: anticipation.  It had probably been decades since any of them had seen Queen Protea fight. Even the elite warriors escorting her felt the same as their brothers, much as they tried to remain calm.

What am I doing here?

As her head cleared, memories clicked into place. She had followed Whisper when he went to get the sealing gems from the Resistance, making sure he wasn’t tailed. Instead she overheard him being contacted by the enemy - and found that he wasn’t Whisper anymore but a meat puppet pretending to be him, with Deception pulling the strings. She couldn’t retreat before an ambush was sprung on her - apparently it all had been planned. It wouldn’t be the Elements taking down Vengeance once and for all. Her friends were walking straight into a trap, and she wouldn’t be there to warn them.

And now she was here, captured by the changelings after she managed to collapse the Resistance hideout, taking out most of her enemies. The shapeshifters found her unconscious in the storm drain below the hideout, stripped her of her Element, but did not kill her - as they discovered her true nature, a pony-changeling hybrid, they decided to bring her in front of their queen instead.

Once again Crystal felt some doubts about her plan; appealing to the queen’s ego had saved her from immediate execution, but now she would be facing her in the very heart of the swarm. She took a deep breath, calming her body and shielding her mind. She couldn’t let the enemy feel her fear.

The tunnel ended in a huge cavern, a nexus connecting dozens of underground paths, dimly illuminated with large, glowing crystals growing from the ceiling.

Have I been here before?

It was full of changelings, black carapaces taking all the walls and the ceiling,  every surface except for the arena in the middle of the floor, a round platform about 40 feet in diameter surrounded by a ring of crystal spikes. The crowd parted at Crystal’s approach. She walked straight forward, hopping onto the platform, putting her acting experience into looking confident.

As soon as her hooves touched the arena, green fire and smoke erupted in front of her. From out of the cloud, queen Protea emerged. The air in the arena filled with the scorn she radiated. The buzzing of wings increased in volume. The queen spoke to one of the guards, not even looking at Crystal. The question was asked in the language of changelings, a string of hisses and clicks. 

“Has the half-changeling recovered sufficiently to fight?”

The guard bowed. “Yes, your Majesty, much faster than we had anticipated.”

There was a tiniest hint of doubt in the queen’s reaction at the words, one that Crystal was sure no-one but her felt. Protea stepped back from the centre of the platform. “Then, let us begin. It is time for you to see the difference between a true changeling and a vat-grown fake.”

The guards around the arena lit up their horns, channeling magic into the crystal spikes, which started glowing green. Crystal took a few steps forward, eyes already focused on her opponent. “Any rules? From what I see, no weapons or armor allowed.”

Protea sneered. “A changeling is the weapon. There is only one rule. The duel lasts until the winner emerges and the loser dies.”

The crystals finished charging, and a green dome of protective force sprung up around the arena, shielding the audience from what was about to happen. Protea didn’t wait for any other signal, her horn shooting forth a snaking stream of green flame.

Crystal conjured a force shield in front of her, letting the fire wash harmlessly over it. Before it was finished, she focused another spell, her own green magic conjuring a trio of javelins in the air, sending them at the queen. The changeling didn’t even try to deflect them, instead ducking under the salvo, her horn lighting up for a powerful beam. Sparks flew as the attack collided with Crystal’s shield, the two warriors struggling to sustain their spells until finally the attack slid off the barrier, hitting the protective force dome.

Crystal couldn’t sense any doubt or hesitation from the queen now – her mind radiated nothing but pure killing intent. Trying to take initiative, she pumped extra force into her horn, sending her energy shield forward like a battering ram towards the queen. Protea’s horn lit up, cutting it clean in half. 

The queen launched another projectile, this time a ball of energy. Crystal was about to deflect it when the ball exploded in the air, flooding the arena with blinding light.

As she was temporarily blinded and her instincts told Crystal to pull up a shield and prepare for the inevitable blow, experience told her otherwise. Her enemy would be counting on her doing that. Crystal heard approaching hooves, caught a flash of an energy shield coming up. The steps suddenly became heavier. 

Crystal transformed, her limbs stretching and slimming into those of a leopard. She jumped up with all her legs, launching her new feline body into the air and out of the way. Just in time, as a buffalo wreathed in a changeling ramming shield charged right through the spot she had just stood in, slamming into the energy wall behind it with a force that made the guardians outside shudder. The initial stage of testing each other was officially over.

Shaking off the last of the flowing spots from her eyes, Crystal shifted forms again, growing into a tiger to pounce at her adversary. The queen had already shed her oversized form and was back to her changeling body. She still couldn’t turn fully in time to shoot Crystal, but as the claws descended onto her wings, she disappeared in a flash of magic, reappearing on the other side of the arena. Seeing her charge up a spell, Crystal dropped the transformation to regain access to her horn – she activated her own teleport just as a cage of energy beams descended onto a spot she was taking.

“You’ll have to try harder than that,” she said, smiling at her opponent. With the next spell her form blurred, splitting into three identical unicorns. They separated, trying to surround the queen. Protea stepped back, a flash of green flame changing her into a giant scorpion.

What is she planning? That form isn’t very fast, and she can’t cast her spells like this. With my mind shielded she can’t feel my emotions...

Protea suddenly shifted forms again, assuming her natural changeling guise. Whatever she had wanted in her scorpion form, she had already got it. The changeling charged a blast at the nearest Crystal, but then turned at the last moment, firing it at a different one. The real one. Crystal activated her shield a split second too late; she prevented a direct hit, but the explosion sent her rolling backwards. She stopped and forced her voice to sound amused.

“Interesting. How did you find out?”

Protea shot her a predatory grin. “I felt the air. Your illusions are hollow...” Her words were interrupted by a surprised gasp as the unicorn she had pretended to aim at earlier slammed into her side.

And charged with a tactile telekinesis spell that allows them to touch things. You weren’t expecting this, were you?

For the first time Crystal’s smile was genuine. The horn of the illusion managed to crack Protea’s carapace. The first real injury of the battle. Just as she was about to follow up with an attack of her own, the queen struck back, dispelling the illusion and then... disappeared.

Crystal’s eyes narrowed. She wouldn’t teleport out of the arena. She must be invisible. She must be shielding her mind too, I can’t feel her emotions anymore. And with all that noise...

Her other doppleganger disappeared, ran through by an invisible attacker. Crystal shot a spell in that direction, but missed. With the sight, hearing and empathy useless...

I could feel the air.

In a flash of green flame, Crystal transformed herself into a giant scorpion. She instantly understood what the queen had meant. The first strange feeling was an all-round vision. The cluster of eyes on top of her head gazed in all directions simultaneously, except for a blind spot created by her own tail. Much more important though were the hairs extending from her shell. She could feel the air moving around her, as if touching everything around her at the same time. She felt where the queen was. She also felt her taking a breath, a bulge growing in her throat. She reverted back to unicorn form, but not quite quickly enough.

Protea reappeared, the glow of her horn focusing on her own snout. She had a mouth full of changeling resin and now spat it out, spraying it forward between her sharp teeth, strands of sticky substance stretching under control of her magic, connecting in the air to form a web. It fell on Crystal and stuck to her, and a moment later a wave of crackling energy flowed through it, nearly bringing the unicorn to her knees. The queen pulled with her mouth, forcing Crystal to brace with all her legs to maintain balance. The tug of war continued for several seconds, all the while new waves of pain washing over Crystal. She could see wisps of smoke rising from her fur. If not for her changeling powers letting her stick to the floor, she would have fallen down and be left defenseless. The queen had spread her wings, and was now pulling with them too, her horn glowing brighter and brighter.

***

“You think this can stop me?” said Vengeance coldly.

“Not for long, but it can,” replied Sauti. “You will not hurt another pony.”

Rainbow Dash got up with a grunt. Her first instinct was to charge into battle, but the power emanating from Kindness stopped her too - it was not within her power to interfere with the two mares. “Aquila?” she called weakly.

Aquila righted herself, eyes squinted shut, no longer glowing white. It was obvious she was not okay, but she still managed to point her horn at Vengeance - standing the furthest away, she could act, at least to an extent.

“Oh, you are mistaken, mule,” said Vengeance. “I can’t escape you, but hurt you? For all your power, you’re holding me down. Your Kindness is imperfect and so is your protection. I can strike back against you.”

Sauti just held tighter. “I know.”

Rainbow Dash saw nothing, but her magical senses screamed in warning about the buildup of pattern. Something was radiating from Vengeance, suffusing both mares.

“Sauti!” she shouted.

Something small and black flew at Vengeance, embedding itself in her chest plate. Aquila finished her spell, and everything was bathed in blinding light.

“Murderers get no protection at all,” said Aquila.

The black diamond seemed to grow, or rather, the space around it seemed to fold in fractals. Vengeance hissed in anger as her body shrunk, slipping out of Sauti’s grasp, before collapsing upon itself and disappearing. As the light faded, the gemstone fell among the rubble, sparks of red now dancing underneath its surface as its magic strained to contain the foreign energies.

Sauti stood still for a while, as if surprised that it was all over, before falling forward. Aquila’s magic caught her before her face could hit the floor, lifting her suddenly limp body into the air and bringing her to the unicorn’s side. 

The Element of Loyalty flew to join them. Aquila’s eyes were still closed. She was covered in cuts and bruises the Elements magic had had no time to heal. However, Sauti looked much worse; despite few visible injuries she was clearly in pain, her breathing quickly becoming shallow. 

“Sauti?” asked Auila, another spell growing at the tip of her horn. 

The blind mare smiled sadly. “Too late for that… I’m afraid she knows her tricks well… I can tell, I’m already dead inside. Better use it on yourself. You can still be healed.”

Aurora looked at her, absorbing the statement, a death sentence her friend had pronounced upon herself. There was no changing the truth of that…

Truth!

“Whisper!” shouted Aurora in sudden horror. Moments before all of her energy had been devoted to winning the fight, keeping herself and her friends alive. Now with the adrenaline levels falling, her stomach clenching from the sudden surge of stress it had undergone, she was beginning to once again think clearly.

He disappeared after the first blast. Was he buried under rubble? But we blew up the next floor or two when we fought! Where is he?! Is he…

Her thoughts becoming more frantic by the second, Aurora rushed around the ruined tower top, scouring the rubble for any signs of life or magic. She caught one signal, and rushed towards it, her throat clenching when she recognized Laughter. Tossing the amulet aside, she kept looking. There was nothing more there. 

“WHISPER!”

“Aurora?” 

The voice called from behind her. It sounded out of breath, but definitely alive. Whisper crawled from from among the rubble and stood, taking in the scene, a weak current of magic pushing the dust out of his coat. 

“She dropped me down the shaft,” he managed, his eyes widening as he comprehended the situation. “Had to climb back up. I’m… too late.” He stared into her eyes. “Is it over? Did we get her?”

“Yes,” managed Aurora before galloping at him. She almost collided with the stallion, their amulets clanking together as she grabbed him in a desperate hug. “She got Jingles… and Sauti…” She felt suddenly torn between the comfort of his hug, and her friend breathing her final breaths behind her.

“We… need to get out of here,” she whispered.

Something stung her in the shoulder. 

***

Fluttershy hugged the edge of the cloud and cautiously looked around. She was still a fair distance from her quarry, but she knew her camouflage was imperfect - the white paint on her helmet was just the right hue to match the cloud, but the chalky white dust hastily applied to her coat could only do so much, especially once it got damp. As far as staying hidden went, positioning was still the key factor. 

The enemy hadn’t taken nearly as much effort to stay in stealth, it seemed. She could clearly see the griffons, brown and grey specks in the distance. Tasked with coordinating air support for the ground troops below, they just stayed on top of their cloud, mostly concerned with observers on the ground. With the amount of troops they had nearby, they felt secure in their air superiority. 

And rightly so, she thought. Ducking back into cover and looking around, she could only see two dozen pegasi hiding on the cloud with her, all lightly armored and covered in dull white. An elite unit, but one that just didn’t have the numbers to do the job. That’s why she was there. It will be up to us two to make the difference, she thought, looking down at her chest, where the pink gem of Kindness hung in an elaborate gorget. She swallowed loudly. She knew she could count on it. The doctor said she had astounding compatibility. That’s why they kept her in the project despite all of her -

A familiar wing fell comfortingly across her withers. Ruddy feathers that the camouflage could barely do anything about. She turned her head and looked up at a familiar, fanged mouth stretched into a reassuring grin. 

“We’ll do it together, Gentle,” said Lightbringer. “We’ve trained long for this.”

And despite herself, Gentle Touch was not afraid anymore. As Lightbringer moved aside and stretched his wings, preparing for a long dive, she clasped her front hooves in front of her gem, preparing a sleep spell. War is a horrible thing, she thought, Let us make it less painful at least.

And then the fight started, and Lightbringer was a streak of orange light, matching the color of the burning horseshoe on his cutie mark, the others flying behind him in a wedge towards the surprised griffons. With her spell already charged up tingling between the frogs of her hooves, she was ready. She did not freeze up as she had so many times during the training sessions. Her spell overtook the charging unit, hitting the enemies just as they bunched up into a hastily formed wall of spears. As Gentle Touch glided down to join her companions, she could see that it didn’t spare them the violence as she had secretly hoped - it did however spare them the pain and fear. 

She landed on the cloud, but the fight was already dying out: with the final impact of Lightbringer striking down the enemy commander, silence fell. It didn’t even take twenty seconds. 

“Search the bodies!” barked the lieutenant, getting back to his usual role as the two last moment additions to his unit had done their job. “We need to be out of here before they retaliate!” 

And so Gentle Touch looked around, scanning her surroundings for anything out of the ordinary. She could see Lightbringer grab the griffon leader’s body. The others were already sinking through the cloud stuff, and would soon rain upon the entrenched positions below. Time was of the essence. 

Then she looked over the edge of the cloud, and her eye caught something - a slain griffon sprawled on the cloud just below theirs. He was unarmored, some kind of adjutant or a messenger. On his bloodied chest there was a small, rectangular bag, attached with a harness that kept the wings free to move. 

As Gentle Touch descended to examine the bag, she noticed that the body wasn’t sinking like the others. He’s still alive, she realised. She leaned closer and examined the griffon. He was very young, as young as she was, and clearly still breathing; the hoof blade that would’ve ended his life had got tangled in the straps of his harness, ripping them, but stopping short of a lethal blow, even though the blood loss would stoon render the point moot.

Gentle Touch pulled at the bag to open it and saw some papers inside. But before she could pull them free with her teeth, the feeling of a life going out right in front of her made something inside her throb painfully. The focus on her chest grew warm in resonance with her feelings, and in a second she knew what she had to do.

“We have a captive!” she called out loud, pressing her hoof to the griffin’s chest, a small spark of magic arcing from it to seal the wound. 

There was a movement on the cloud above her, and the lieutenant’s face looked down on her. “We can’t afford that now, not with -”

He was probably going to say something about the need to hurry, or the military secret that her presence was. Instead his mouth opened in a warning shout. Gentle Touch felt the body buckle underneath her, and the half-bird’s eyes shot open wide with pain and panic. He didn’t have a breath enough to scream, but swung his talons wildly towards her throat, just above the metal of the gorget. The fair coat was splattered with dots of red.

***

“He’s there!”

Pinkie Pie didn’t need to hear the soldier announce the obvious. She could clearly see the explosion in the distance, where an airship’s power core detonated, seemingly without a reason. The surrounding imperials all looked at her, and she briefly saw the twisted reflection of her face in a soldier’s polished face plate: chalk-white fur and a muzzle with prominent fangs poking onto her lower lip even when she wasn’t smiling, like just now.

Wait... is this really me?

“You know the plan!” she shouted at the surrounding pegasi. ”We need him alive this time! Otherwise we’re back at square one!”  She checked under her wing for her small holster of needles, coated with magical sedative. “I’ll slow him down,” she said grinning, but there wasn’t the usual stubborn cheer behind it. She stepped off the deck of the ship and Laughter lit up like a beacon. She flashed in and out of existence, launching herself forward in a sequence of quick teleport-hops, her supernatural senses scanning her surroundings. 

There you are, she thought, as she caught the anomaly moving, the absence of background magic a hundred meters to her right. They reached the next ship almost simultaneously. As his power penetrated the protective barriers, displacing essential elements of the engine, she landed on the deck and stomped her hooves, sending her own magic through the hull. It bulged, but did not turn into a fireball - instead confetti and streamers shot out of the gun hatches, the whole ship descending rapidly, softening and deflating, turning what would’ve been a fiery death for the whole crew into a semi-controlled crash.

The white pegasus was already on the move again, guided unerringly by her instincts. “Stop!” she yelled mid-teleport, bucking at empty air. She could feel she grazed against somepony who existed there for only a split second, and turned in the air, following the line of the impact just in time to see an unfamiliar black pegasus materialize into view. Then their gazes met, and in an instant she had no doubts who she was looking at. Enigma. So this is him now? she thought. He’s… wearing this pony?

Enigma stopped, standing in the air, wings spread out only out of habit. “Surprise,” he said, glaring.

“Enigma… stop that!” she said in response. She didn’t take her eyes off him, but she could feel the ships moving around them, her own pegasi squad slowly catching up to her under the cover of clouds. Enigma moved, but she was ready, keeping her distance with him, while spreading her power towards him, doing her best to prevent him from affecting his surroundings.

“It’s Guilt now,” he corrected her. “Enigma was murdered. Or did you miss that?”

A magic beam from a nearby ship swiped dangerously close to them both, some panicked crew member ignoring the mission orders. Enigma went after the ship in an instant, and it was all Surprise could do to transform the ship’s ammo compartment into a backstage powder room, denying him bombs to detonate. Instead, he grabbed the mirrors she conjured; as they appeared on the bridge, she wasn’t quick enough. She managed to push the captain and his helmsmare out of the way, twisting them into awkward positions at the heavy shards of broken glass fell past them, but the other two crew members were not so fortunate - the walls of the small room were sprayed with red.

She launched one of her needles with a swipe of her wing, guiding it through the chaos, its magic too focused for Enigma to displace it. He brought a thick plank from the hull’s outer layer to take the shot for him.

“Stop it!” she shouted again. “You’re not like that!”

They emerged from the ship and into a nearby cloud, Enigma’s fur dusty and stained with red, as he no longer bothered with shifting his body neatly. “I’m not like that?” he said. “The world says that I am. The Empire says that I am. I’ve already been killed for it. Who are you and me to decide otherwise?”

Surprise grabbed the corner of her vision with her teeth, and pulled. The scenery changed, the cloud becoming a speaker’s pulpit, keeping Enigma in the limelight, if only for a moment.

“We’re both powerful ponies,” she said. “Strong enough to change the world! We already know the coup wasn’t your doing!”

“And what difference does it make now?!” sneered Enigma, a twisted reflection of a smile that didn’t even try to pretend at humor. “I made my choice years ago, made my mistake, and became a monster.”

“You fought for a better tomorrow,” said Surprise, landing on the cloud in front of the podium, “same as I.”

“But there is no better tomorrow, is there?” replied Enigma. “No matter how much blood we get on our hooves, it hasn’t changed. it’ll never change. It’s always just ponies killing ponies."

Surprise felt her face become hot. “That’s not a reason to kill senselessly!” She swiped her wing around, indicating the crippled air fleet. She could not see her team, but she could feel they were in the clouds, cloaked by her distraction, ready to strike if her plan to talk Enigma down didn’t work, which seemed more and more likely by the second. 

“Senselessly?” Enigma followed her gesture. “This whole army has been sent to stop me! How is it any more senseless than the hundreds of ponies I killed before? You didn’t have a problem with that, did you?”

Surprise forced herself to meet his gaze. She could feel the shape of the pulpit blur a little, as the spell waned in potency. “That’s not the same,” she said, “and you know it.”

“How is that not the same, Surprise?” asked Enigma. “All the ponies I killed before had their lives, their hopes and dreams. Their families. The buffalos that Gloria poisoned, the zebras starved by Eve’s creations; all the enemies of the Empire that you and your friends burned? How was that any different from today!?”

I don’t burn ponies, was what she wanted to say. Instead, her jaw clenched, as a memory came unbidden, the first time she saw what the parasprites had done to the zebra lands on the southern front, a wasteland stretching as far as the eye could see; the night when the wasteland retaliated in a deafening roar of hungry spirits, brought together by a mad zebra shaman in a last ditch attempt at revenge. 

She could feel Laughter blink before she could see it. The limelight went out, and the pulpit disintegrated, Enigma reacted before she could as much as draw breath, disappearing in the clouds. She rushed after him, but even as she did, he knew she wouldn’t be quick enough. Eight needles flew, but none found their target. Eight ponies died, in half as many heartbeats. 

“Stop!” she screamed, kicking forwards blindly. She felt it connect, and something cracked, but there was barely any magic behind her blow. She saw Enigma standing in the air in front of her. His face was weirdly scrunched, and blood was dripping from one of his nostrils, but when he spoke, his powers made his voice completely clear.

“Not much to laugh at, is there?” he asked. “Or perhaps you can’t see the irony? You can’t save anypony anymore, just like I couldn’t.”

He disappeared, and Surprise was too slow to follow. Another ship blew up, right in her face. It brought the number of active generators below what was needed to form a power net around them, turning what had been a backup plan in progress into a flock of defenseless targets. But the white pegasus couldn’t process that thought, as she tried and failed to chase what used to be her friend. He no longer moved, but kept shifting, standing in front of her, just out of reach no matter how fast she moved, lives ending abruptly all around them. 

“The colts I wanted to save when I joined the plan? All dead by now, conscripted and killed in the line of duty. I killed and killed and killed, but I couldn’t save any of them, not a single one.”

Surprise spread her wings wide. “These are ponies too!”

“But now I’m a monster,” said Enigma. “The Emperor was very clear about it when he had me poisoned. I died surrounded by his soldiers, at my own table.”

“He was…” started Surprise, but the next explosion knocked the breath out of her. Her light was fading. Her spells were no longer up to the task of keeping her out of harm’s way.

Enigma did not relent. “Can you imagine Lightbringer’s face, when that was his reward for his zeal? Can you imagine Absinthe’s?”

She fired ribbons of blue magic to tie him up, but his aura made them dissolve before they could touch him. 

“But that’s not all,” he continued. “Gloria would’ve felt the poison, and Eve was with her. So instead they were ordered urgently back to the capital. The portal was warped, and Gloria arrived home in bloody chunks. Eve felt something was wrong, but she was no fighter like us, so they just swarmed her, stabbing her until they got all of her hearts.”

A flying piece of wood nicked one of Surprise’s wings, taking her off balance. She missed her mark and crashed face-first into a small cloud bank. She emerged, trying to reignite her magic, but the light of Laughter was barely a flicker now. 

“And then there was Libra, the most devoted of them all. She had no weaknesses, except for what was left of her emotions.”

“Prince Severus... told us,” stammered Surprise. “They used her mother as bait.”

“I see they spared you the details then,” said Enigma. ‘How merciful of them.”

He appeared in the air above Surprise and slowly dropped lower before her. “They used her as the executioner. They knew she alone could catch her off guard, so they went to the old general’s widow, and told her that her only child was a traitor to the Empire. And it worked like a charm. Libra hesitated and died, and the last thing she got to see was her mother turning the blade against her own throat.”

The light went out, Laughter turning into a dead weight around Surprise’s neck. She just stood there on the cloud, staring forward, unable even to tell if the smudges in the soot on her face were from tears or from the cloud she had flown into. “Please, stop…” she whimpered.

Enigma snorted, blowing out a few droplets of blood from his nostril. “That’s all there is to it. Everypony’s lost. Vengeance has said we’re putting an end to this sad farce, and if the only thing left for me is one last choice, I choose to stay with the only friends I have left.”

Surprise stared into his eyes one last time. “Wasn’t I… your friend too?”

His expression softened, but only for a moment. “You… I can put out of your misery at least.”

He stared at her head as if looking straight through it. She had just enough time to understand what was going to happen before she registered a tiny droplet of red appear in the air in front of her.

***

Hours passed, and nothing happened. 

That alone was not a surprise. The Shattered needed time to return. The stronger the magic that killed them, the more time they needed. And if everything went according to plan, none but Libra would’ve had the time to leave their bodies before being trapped. 

Eve isn’t here either, Verba pondered, but that’s logical. With her shapeshifting, she’s their backup plan if everything goes wrong. And with all this being automatic, she doesn’t need to be here. 

But the thought didn't calm him down.

What if I’m wrong? What if there is another hiding place I didn’t think of? What if I wasn’t through enough? I won’t know until she comes back.

Verba’s imagination responded with an instant image - a blinding flash, and a giant mushroom cloud of flame where Diamond Dust and Concilio had brought the refugees. The thought made him swallow loudly, the saliva bitter in his mouth. 

It has been bitter for a while now.

Touched by a sudden realisation, Verba sprang to his hooves. The sudden motion made his head spin, and his stomach turn, almost making him fall, as he stumbled towards the nearest container and ripped open the outer shell of metal. The body was there, behind thick glass, definitely real and alive, but… 

Now, without the screening, he could clearly feel it. He isn’t modified. He’s not prepared to be a host. He’s just here as bait. They all are. 

Verba turned towards the exit, and his head protested the sudden movement. Panicking, he scanned the room again, and this time caught a detail he’d missed the first time. There was something else there, not alive, but organic. With a pull of his power, he ripped the container out of its mounting, and set it aside. Behind it there was a tiny thing in a dusty corner, as if waiting there to confirm his suspicion; a freshly dead cockroach.

The bitter taste in his mouth became a painful heartburn.
> Chapter 59: The Solipsism
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was only hours later that a white alicorn, tall and unnervingly perfect, descended the stairs into the bunker. The light had gone out by then; the backup generator keeping her bait alive had long spluttered out, but she had brought her own light - her horn illuminated the gray walls, the partially wrecked equipment and a barely breathing body on the far side of the chamber. Her perfect sense of smell provided an instant diagnosis - the trap had worked.

“You underestimated me, Verba,” she said, unsmiling. “You forgot that I can do all the others can do. I don’t need Eve to prepare me a combat-ready body. I can just possess whoever, and then perfect myself. And once I get rid of Diamond Dust-”

A purple spark ran across the floor where her hoof touched it, lines of magic spreading across the room, and suddenly Libra was standing in a circle of concentric star patterns glowing with runes. Verba’s lips barely moved, but the gem in his helmet lit up and his voice rang loud and clear. 

“You shouldn’t have come to gloat.”

Libra struggled and thrashed, her cool suddenly gone. The magic trap built and charged over the past couple of hours held fast. Slowly, a part of the floor close to Verba’s body softened and twisted. A large, tubular object was pushed to the surface - a metal barrel covered with sealing sigils, the same one they had used to trap the excess power during the first Splice. Now once again usable after its contents had been emptied into Lightbringer’s mind. A perfect tool for the job. The structure of the trap changed-- the puzzle of intangible strings reshaped itself. Now it was no longer a circle to contain, but a chute to funnel. Libra screamed, but the Element of Magic only lit up brighter. She was dragged across the room and sucked in agonisingly, her body deforming until it disappeared inside with a wet squelch. The lid fell over the barrel with cold finality, and as the light slowly died down, the container submerged back into the floor, the runes now spiralling around the Shattered’s resting place. The light of Magic went out.  The bunker was silent and dark, now no more than a tomb.

“And so the story ends,” said Verba, getting up from the floor. “The Element of Magic dies poisoned by Libra’s pattern, but not before sealing her for a thousand years. It’s a great trap because it makes you focus on something other than surviving. Except...”

He walked away, and lit up his horn, facing the circle on the floor. 

“... we’re in the Void Passage. And the Void Passage can’t make pattern effects, not really. The energy burning me from the inside out is only as real as I let it be. I’ve had my head messed with one time too many to fall for this trick again. I am not Verba. You are.”

The floor exploded. In a split-second the bunker ceased to exist, replaced by a floating jumble of broken scenery, chunks of mountains, grassy meadows and long lost cities turning slowly in the light of distant sunrises and sunsets. In the middle of it, a string of multicolor runes coiled and twisted, taking the shape of an alicorn.  Opposite him, Twilight Sparkle stood on thin air, a point of calm amongst the churning chaos, Magic glowing brightly on her forehead. “Let’s get it over with,” she said. “I’ll free you from what Indigo did to you.”

The landscapes spun, tall towers of some castle from the distant past stabbing at Twilight Sparkle like giant spears. She moved aside - a calm, fluid movement.  Only her idea of up and down kept her oriented in the void. She fired a beam of magic back at her target.

Verba too dodged, abandoning the pony shape, letting the spell pass through the space where the body should be, before coiling into a tight spiral and launching a spell of his own. 

The air in front of Twilight fractured like a shattering mirror, and the orange beam was deflected away, cutting off the top of the nearest tower and melting it into slag. 

Twilight teleported forward, first launching a floating boulder towards Verba, and then, when he split it in half, sending multiple ribbons of purple light straight through it, trying to snare her elusive target. 

Verba slid out, barely, but Twilight had no time for another attempt; the endless grassland above her and the volcanic wasteland below suddenly rushed against each other. She was ready to teleport out, but then she saw Verba coiling into a circle, his runes rearranging to form a magic formula. Instead of transporting herself, she turned her magic into great pillars of crystal, setting them around herself, impaling and splitting the ground as the landmasses collided.

“Let me see you better,” whispered Twilight, and her vision changed. The colors became wild and vivid, but none brighter than Verba himself, the shifting sequences of his runes leaving burning afterimages as he moved. 

He made the ground break apart in a blinding cloud of dust and loose soil, before growing long crystal shards around his body and launching them at Twilight. She dodged two, then caught the third one in a spell and launched it back through the cloud. She saw it impact, pinning one of the shifting symbols to the rock behind Verba. The construct shuddered and twisted, and Twilight gave it a knowing smile. “As I thought,” she muttered to herself. “Too much indigo.”

This time she did teleport, safe in the knowledge that Verba was too preoccupied to try to snare her. When she shot at him, he just slinked away, and with a sound of breaking glass the pinned rune separated from the body and disintegrated. He fired strands of lightning at her as she pursued, but she just pushed them aside. She fired shot after shot, and as he reacted, her new insight singled out another rune that wasn’t quite like the others; she grabbed it and pulled towards herself, surging forward to crush it in her teeth as Verba flinched away. There was a sound of breaking glass again, but the symbol disappeared harmlessly, leaving nothing in her mouth.

She caught a moving shadow in the corner of her vision, and felt another tower flying at her from behind. She let it almost hit her and pulled it apart, trapping both herself and Verba in a funnel of spinning stone blocks. 

“It’s over,” she said, launching forth a round web of purple magic. It hit Verba head on, and pushed him until he hit the ground in an empty wasteland, held flat against its surface with Twilight floating in the air above him, the stone blocks falling around them in a spreading spiral. 

“There,” stated Twilight, shooting for the last time. The third rune broke apart, and the rest of the symbols stopped struggling, their hues now shifting in a much calmer manner.

Twilight landed on the ground, still watching Verba warily. “I would’ve noticed it earlier,” she said. “If I’d known how to look and what to look for. By turning me into your old self, you showed me how to use Magic to its full potential. Your mistake was…”

Twilight stopped, and the binding spell she had weaved started to unravel. “...not a mistake at all. It was Indigo who underestimated you, wasn’t it? Just like Libra did, when she thought you were defeated!”

Verba slowly rose into the air. He still made a jingling noise when he moved, but it was softer, less jarring. No words formed this time, but the meaning emanated from him, bypassing the need; there was one last thing for him to do. The symbols floated towards Twilight, and then spiralled around her, before wrapping her tightly and sinking into her skin. There was a prickle of pain washing over her, and then her senses expanded again. Suddenly she knew where exactly she was, and where she needed to go.

***

In a round, dust-strewn plaza that used to be the ground floor of a tower, a single red flower stood in a pot. Over it there stood Indigo, his horn pointed upward, with a vortex of magic slowly spiraling into its tip.

His left ear twitched when Twilight Sparkle walked into his private pocket of reality, appearing at the edge of the circle. Her fur glowed with runes, and her eyes were pools of purple. Light was shining from the star on her forehead. 

“Indigo!” she called. “That’s enough.”

“Begone,” said Indigo.

Twilight disintegrated, and the god returned to his task of recovering his missing power. It took him a moment to notice that something was wrong.

***

Suddenly a door opened, slamming the impostor pegasus in the face. Something small and round flew out of it into the far corner of the room and exploded, flooding everything in blinding white light. Whisper rolled onto his hooves, trying to get up, only to be grabbed around the face by a telekinetic grip and pulled face first into a narrow corridor.

“Come with me if you want to live,” snarled somepony into his ear.

This door wasn’t there before, he realised as he stumbled blindly away from danger, pulled into one turn after another, as a roar of fury echoed behind, punctuated by what sounded like explosions. Still blinded by the flash bomb, he could only guess that he was moving away from danger. That alone was enough to make him not struggle against the stranger pulling him away. 

And then the noise was gone, and all that’s left was the sound of stone underhoof. Whisper blinked repeatedly, clearing the last crawling sparks from his vision. 

There’s no way a flash bomb would’ve stopped Hate...

“What’s going on?” he asked. “Who are you?”

The other pony stopped, and Applejack looked into a familiar face.

“It’s me,” said Pierce, lighting up his horn. “Bluebonnet sent me to get your rump out of the fire.”

“But… you’re dead.” Applejack tried to make some sense of the situation.

Is he a chimera?

“And a good thing too, wouldn’t have got here in time otherwise,” replied Pierce glumly. 

“Oh,” Applejack opened her mouth to speak, but found herself struggling to find an appropriate answer. “That’s… about the weirdest thing I’ve heard today. No offence.”

“None taken,” replied Pierce, picking up pace, leading Applejack through what now looked like corridors of an abandoned castle. “But time is not on our side. I fished you out of the trap, but your friends are still here somewhere. We need to get you to them quickly.”

Applejack sped up to keep up with him, restoring her protective spells as she cantered. “How did you find me?”

Pierce turned his head towards her, and Applejack could briefly see a smile in the corner of his mouth. “I had help. We’re heading towards them right now.”

“Who are they?” asked Applejack. “I don’t really have the time for more puzzles right now.”

“All that stuff about this being a sea of emotions, and souls dissolving here,” replied Pierce. “Guilt told me the theory, but it wasn’t quite complete.  It’s not an even mix like most imagine.”

“So?” asked Applejack. The castle walls around them were beginning to look familiar, and she realised, they were backtracking, through some tunnels she had passed before, stumbling in a confused haze, towards the spot where the Elements had blasted their way through the defences of the Void Passage. She could now see a light ahead, filtering through distant windows and reflecting off walls. There was something big ahead, glowing with a soft amber aura.

“Memories do mix, and minds do dissolve,” said Pierce. “But there is one more factor in play. Like attracts like.”

Applejack looked ahead once more, and now the warm light suddenly seemed strangely familiar. “Are they…”

Pierce nodded his head. “You have no idea how many Apples are cheering for you.”

***

The pain ceased. Crystal could still see the lightning flashing along the web, but it was no longer causing her any damage. And then she saw the queen’s eyes change - the glowing green orbs dimmed, and then, with a blink, they were replaced with familiar slitted pupils. 

“Took me some time to sneak in here,” hissed Chrysalis through a mouthful of webs. “Are you okay?”

Crystal struggled some more, first out of of sheer surprise, shocked at seeing herself looking back at her, then, as Chrysalis didn’t stop pulling, she too instinctively continued the appearance of a fight. 

“What’s going on?” she hissed back, but the spell was already broken, Rarity’s own memories clicking back into place one by one “Where am I?”

“Keep fighting,” replied Chrysalis. “I don’t know what will happen if we stop. You’re in my death scene. Except I didn’t die here. I won the fight, killed Protea, and took the swarm for myself. Generosity died and Chrysalis was born.”

“So, I was supposed to…”

“Die. Or win, but lose Generosity, then die. No escape for you. Now, scream loudly and break the web with your power.”

Rarity focused, and now that she could think clearly, she could feel the familiar weight of Generosity around her neck, invisible, but still there. Then she screamed. The display of power wasn’t graceful or even convincing, but as she pushed, the web caught fire, and Chrysalis spat it out. They circled each other, horns aglow.

“What now?” asked Rarity. 

“When I won,” said Chrysalis, charging in with an easily dodgable dive, “the barrier opened, and they all kneeled. But with you, they’ll probably break character and attack.”

“So, what do we do?” asked Rarity, kicking with her forelegs, missing the queen’s barrel by inches. “Face them together?”

“No,” said the queen, tossing a ring of fire around her with her horn. “We can do better. Win, and let me join you.”

Rarity jumped over the flames, and conjured a salvo of crystal javelins, hitting the ground around Chrysalis to trap her in turn. “Why would you? I have Generosity. We’ll be stronger when there’s two of us, and I can empower you. Besides, won’t that be taking everything from you?”

“Listen!” hissed Chrysalis, pulling the crystals from the ground and launching them back one by one. “I still have all my power, but I’m no longer alive. I might dissolve the moment we’re separated. And no. You won’t take anything from me. It will be a gift.”

Rarity dodged two javelins, but grabbed the third one as it flew at her, shattering it in her telekinetic grasp. “Like you dumped the crown on me?”

She fired a bolt of power, which Chrysalis began to dodge, but her move was purposefully too slow - the spell hit her in the shoulder and spun her around. 

“I’m sorry for that,” she said, as she regained balance, dodging another blast, and then spitting out a ball of resin, which Rarity parried with an energy shield. “I figured I might have to die for you to fully attune, and I couldn’t just leave them. I knew it would be hard for you, but I needed a pony to keep them safe. That’s why I left Maska to advise you.”

“You should’ve asked first!” shouted Rarity, charging in. “I know how to manage a business, not a kingdom.”

Their horns collided, and for a moment they struggled, staring each other in the eye under a shower of magical sparks. 

“Then please let me help you,” said Chrysalis. “I know I can’t fix this. I kept you in the dark on purpose so the doubts wouldn’t weaken you. I found no better way to do it. But I can give you my memories to help you.”

Rarity’s horn pulsed, and Chrysalis was sent tumbling.

“You can fix it, actually,” said Rarity, walking slowly forward. “ If you need my help protecting your subjects, you could ask me now.”

Chrysalis rolled back onto her legs and pounced forward, but as their horns collided again, she just pushed with her body, no longer using her magic to reinforce the display. “You’re right. I should’ve done it to start with.”

She lifted her eyes and met Rarity’s gaze. “Rarity, I need a pony to keep my subjects safe, so they could finally live free. Will you help me do this, please?”

Rarity smiled. “How could I not? You’re a friend, and you need my help. Now, tell me how to do it, and let’s go save everypony.”

The fake changelings surrounding the ring saw only a blinding flash. When the light faded, there was a single changeling hybrid standing in the center of it, her body wreathed in a violet aura shot with wisps of green. The gem on her chest flashed, and the bubble of protective power collapsed.

“Now,” said Rarity aloud, her voice magnified by magical power. “Do you follow the script and let me pass, or do you still have your death scenes left to play?”

***

There was an impact, and the embrace was broken. Aurora flinched, frantically checking the wound on her shoulder, as the impostor Whisper was sent flying away from her, tumbling over the edge and out of sight. There was a drop of blood on her fur, but whatever poison the sting had contained, it hadn’t had the time to enter her body. 

“You okay?” asked a familiar voice.

“Aurora?”

The two bearers of Loyalty looked upon each other. Then the tower ceased  to be real. The smoke and dust stopped swirling. The other Element bearers froze, then blackened and disappeared. And Rainbow Dash was once again herself. 

“What just happened?” she asked, looking around.

“A trap,” answered Aurora. “But that was a trap for me - that’s how I was able to find you. Now, let’s hurry. Twilight needs you.”

“Twilight!” Rainbow Dash gasped. Suddenly she remembered everything. “We have to hurry!” She looked around. “Do you know which way to go...” 

Rainbow Dash stopped, staring at Aurora. “You…”

Aurora landed and sighed, a small smile playing on her lips. “I guess so. I messed up and died. But I can still help you, I think. I don’t really have a good grip on the whole ghost thing yet, and frankly... it hurts to exist. I wish I could dissolve, and leave this whole mess behind…”

She flapped her wings open, and her smile grew wider. “But I’m not leaving my friends hanging.” Pearly white light played on the edges of her pinions. Rainbow Dash realised she could now see through her. “I’ll tag along with you, and help however I can.”

Rainbow Dash realised what was about to happen, and smiled sadly, opening her own wing invitingly. “Let’s do this together.”

***

Gentle Touch opened her eyes and got up, recovering from the impact that had knocked her over. 

Lightbringer was crouching over the griffon’s body, claws embedded in the side of his muzzle, just below the cheek guard of his helmet. His own hoof blade was embedded in the griffon’s chest, but as she watched in horror, the body blackened and shrunk, losing its features until it collapsed upon itself and disappeared.

Lightbringer turned around slowly, tears in his eyes. “You’re safe!” he exclaimed, ignoring the blood trickling down his face. “I saved you! After four thousand years, I finally saved you,” he added in a softer voice.

Gentle Touch stared at him. “You’re hurt,” she finally managed, pointing a hoof at his face. 

In response, Lightbringer started turning translucent. “It’s not real,” he said, waving his wings around at their surroundings. “Nothing of it is, except for how I saved you. And you saved me.” He stepped closer, and as the meaning of his words struck home, she too started changing. For a second she stood there, two mares in one, Gentle Touch and Fluttershy. Lightbringer’s armor disappeared, but even as his focus turned to nothing, the orange light remained, bright and warm in the center of his chest. 

“Hate is finally gone,” he whispered, "His memories fading like a bad dream. Thanks to you, I’m Passion again, as I should’ve been. I won’t be able to fix everything, but I will help you. I can do at least that much.”

He leaned closer, and Fluttershy who was Gentle Touch did not flinch away. He kissed her softly, just a gentle peck on the lips, and then dissolved into a cloud of orange light that wrapped around her like a mantle of ephemeral fire. filling her with warmth and a sense of purpose. 

“Now, go,” she heard his voice, soft as a breath. “Your friends need you.”

*** 

The red droplet grew, and turned around. Suddenly it was a large eyeball with a red pupil. It winked at Pinkie.

***

Indigo watched with irritation as the shape of glowing runes filled with flesh once again. More silhouettes appeared at the edge of the plaza, the Elements of Harmony walking through the threshold one after another.

His eyes flashed again, and Twilight fell apart again. This time he focused for longer, grabbing the runes with his will, but before he could dissolve them, Twilight’s friends rushed to her defense - streams of light intersected in front of Twilight, shielding her as she reformed the second time.

“Why do you keep existing?” he asked.

“I can’t afford to die now,” replied Twilight. “The fate of the world depends on me.”

Indigo rose to full height and took a step towards her, leaving the Amaranthine behind. “Your world is a mistake. And you’ve already died. Pass on as you should.”  

There was no impulse of will this time. Instead, an explosion of blackness swept through the plaza. Indigo kept staring as six lights slowly reappeared, the effects of his spell passing. The six auras were familiar, but each of them had changed since he’d last seen them. As the Elements came into view again, Indigo noticed some details he hadn’t took note of before, such as Applejack being wreathed in a shifting aura of golden leaves, or Pinkie Pie having cloven hooves and a single goat horn.

They struck back at him together, a sixfold beam of energy hitting him straight in the chest and pushing him back. 

“You’ve hurt enough ponies!” said Fluttershy with unusual force.

“We won’t let you hurt anypony else!” shouted Rainbow Dash.

“You keep saying we don’t matter,” said Applejack. “But you know, what you’re doing is horrible! That’s why Obsidian and Indicina took so long even when they were you! They were trying to stop you!”

“That’s not how you get a happy ending,” said Pinkie Pie.

“You won’t become happy by just taking everything from everypony,” said Rarity. “What would Gaia think if she knew what you did?”

“What I did? Everypony? Horrible?”

There was a burst of indigo light, and the beam was dispersed. Indigo was still standing there, completely unscathed. But now his face was contorted in anger. 

“You will lecture me on feelings? On what’s important? I am a god. I am the one who decides what is real and what isn’t. And you? Perishable bundles of memory, of emotion, you’re no more real beings than the chimeras! You’re nothing but Gaia’s dreams. Once I wake her up, you’ll all be forgotten in seconds!”

The Elements combined their powers again, but this time the beam didn’t even hit him; the dust under his hooves shifted, as the space around him bent, sending the attack away and past him. When he pushed back, the six crystals exploded into shards, and then the ponies themselves shattered like glass, reduced to a kaleidoscopic cloud of particles.

“No,” said Twilight Sparkle. She was standing there once again, uninjured, though sweaty and wide-eyed with pain. The tiara on her head had not reformed, but there was now a blinding point of purple light in the center of her forehead. One after another, her friends came back into existence around her.

“Ah, you’re using your connections to each other to reform your spirits like Obsidian used to. He taught you too well. But that only extends your suffering. Give up.”

Rainbow Dash took a shaky step forward, breathing heavily. “We’ll resist you however long it takes.”

Indigo shrugged his wings. “Time is an illusion. You’ll suffer until you break, and nothing else will change.”

Another sixfold beam lashed towards him, twisting to counteract his space-warping defense. This one was a clean hit, but it didn’t seem to cause the deity any harm. Indigo pushed it away with a frown.

“It’s useless. The Elements draw the energy from Dissonance to power your spells. It might impress mortals. But here, I make the rules. I am the mind of the Dissonance, and the power you’re trying to use against me is mine to begin with. I AM Magic.”

“And yet,” replied Twilight. “You have no honesty. Or loyalty. Or kindness. You speak of love, but all you know is selfish greed. You can’t even make a real smile.”

Her posture straightened, as if a great weight had fallen off her shoulders, the drops of sweat evaporating from her form as the pain was forgotten.

“I’ve finally figured out what is wrong with you.”   
> Chapter 60: The Beginning
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

“What is wrong... with me?” Indigo stepped forward, the space around him bending for another attack.

“When the Splice pulled you in, it didn’t just split you into three pieces,” explained Twilight. “It also created the Elements of Harmony… by ripping them out of you, didn’t it?”

Indigo shot forward with strands of power, aiming for the six lights. “Then give them back to me!”

The ponies braced themselves against the attack, and this time the space around them bent to their will, stretching the plaza to put them just out of reach.

“Should we?” asked Fluttershy, turning to look at Twilight.

“Not like this,” replied Twilight, scowling. “We'll all be dead before he properly absorbs them. We need to integrate-"

Indigo was standing right in front of her, his wing lashing forward, pinions extending like blades to go straight through her head and cut Magic away from her. The floor exploded, spikes of stone separating the combatants, Twilight regaining her shape before her friends could finish their screams of surprise.

“You’re already dead,” spat Indigo, exploding the improvised barrier out of the way. 

The light of the Elements shot towards him, brighter and more focused now that the bearers had a clear purpose to achieve, but in split second he wasn’t there. “This is pointless,” he said, irritated. “It’s not even a fight. You can’t lay a hoof on me. It’s just a matter of how much pain you can endure before you break. How many deaths do you intend to die?”

The floor turned like clockwork, sending clouds of white dust into the air as the arena grew. Indigo looked around in brief surprise before looking back at Twilight. 

“Ah, right. Verba betrayed me too. The Void Passage… worthless.”

His power exploded. The sky parted, layers of magical constructions and semi-real spaces destroyed in an instance, until all that was left was Indigo standing on a featureless flat surface, opposite the six Elements, surrounded by endless void filled with swirling lights. “How much difference did you think it would make?”

Twilight started replying, but she wasn’t quick enough to either finish her sentence or react. A spear of purple darkness pierced through her. No blood splattered as the strands split and multiplied, piercing through her flesh - her body seemed empty, only motes of blue and pink light filling the air around her. 

“See?” said Indigo, ignoring the power of the other Elements striking him in the chest. “You’re just memories now. I can destroy them one by one.”

Somepony screamed. The darkness spread wider, scattering a cloud of motes until all that was left was the light of Magic in the center of the tangle. Indigo pulled it in, bringing the Element to close to his face. “When you don’t remember yourself, there is no you anymore,” he finished, opening his mouth to swallow Magic.

“I remember her!” shouted Pinkie Pie.

The white light jerked backwards, narrowly avoiding Indigo’s closing jaw. 

“I remember her too!” said Rainbow Dash, glaring at Indigo, wings spread wide in defiance.

Indigo returned the glare. Magic was slipping away from his power, gathering motes of light that quickly formed an outline of a pony. 

“Oh,I suppose you think you’re clever do you? Using your bonds to reinforce your identities, so you can defy me for a few deaths more? Pointless. Who will remember you?” he asked, shooting another dark strand at Dash. It barely missed the Element and pierced through her chest, but the pegasus would not budge.

“What about me?” said Pierce. He was standing in the void outside, and just moments earlier he had been one of the lights dotting the bizarre sky. 

As Indigo looked towards the unicorn, Rainbow Dash broke free and restored herself, then formed a shield, deflecting a blast aimed towards her ally.

“A dead pony,” spat Indigo. “Why won’t you stay dead?!” He twisted his head, and a torrent of energy bolts spiralled out of his horn, filling the sky, many more than the Elements could’ve hoped to block.

“Didn’t they tell you already?” said Pierce, bracing for the inevitable. “It’s too important.”

He was hit once, twice, turning and twisting from the impacts, blue star matter spilling from his wounds. Indigo didn’t pause, directing the rest of his strikes against the Elements. 

“One more won’t make a difference,” he said. “Or a thousand more. Which part of ‘god’ don’t you understand?”

“It’s you who doesn’t understand,” said a filly’s voice.

There were more shapes at the edges of the circle, some pastel and pony-like, others dark and emaciated. One was standing next to Pierce, who was slowly regaining his shape.

“You’ve lost sight of what you’re doing. Now you’re just lashing out in anger,” said Tourmaline. “It’s helping nopony.”

“You!?” Indigo paused. He stared at the filly. The Elements used the distraction to regain their footing and start regenerating, but even they looked at Tourmaline in surprise, all except Twilight, who merely spared her an understanding glance before focusing back on her magic.

“You really are going to bring everyone here?” said Indigo angrily, glaring at Twilight. “Is that your idea? You’re using the Elements as a beacon to bring allies in?”

“Isn’t that what you wanted in the first place?” asked Tourmaline, walking from Pierce to Twilight. “To have us all here?”

“You’re not even Tourmaline,” said Indigo. “She’s gone, far beyond even death.”

Tourmaline shook and her form wavered, but then she stomped her hoof and stabilised, looking up at him in defiance. “Am I? Didn’t you call yourself Obsidian, even when he was dead? Didn’t you say, ponies are just like chimeras, bundles of memories ? My mother, uncle Pierce, Scootaloo… they all remember me.”

***

Somewhere in the mountains of Equestria a snake had cornered a mouse. The world had gone insane, but the snake lacked the facilities to evaluate that - whatever else was happening, it was still hungry and right now the small grey rodent in front of it was the most interesting thing in the world. A warm source of food, still looking frantically for a way of escape. 

The snake lunged forward and the mouse tensed to spring away, but the strike never came. Instead, the reptile slowed down, and then froze, points of white light appearing in its eyes. The mouse did the same, seemingly no longer concerned with the danger, unblinking eyes shedding the same white light as its would-be killer’s.

High above, an eagle was trying to orient itself in a night that was as bright as day. Its eyes lit up in white, and it glided on, only moving its wings enough to avoid collision with a tall tree growing from the mountaintop.

***

“Liar.”

Any semblance of Indigo’s composure was gone. Where just a moment before he’d show no more than a cold sneer, destroying with but a hard stare and barely moving a muscle, now his body kept twitching, his wings spread wide, and his eyes were wild. His horn flashed with an explosion that swept away everything in sight, a wave of primal power with nothing to form it but a pure instinct to destroy.

Six bright points of light stood in the void against him, and behind them, many, many more.

“I hope you know what you’re doing!” shouted Rainbow Dash over the magic maelstrom.

“She does!” shouted Pinkie. “Just give her time!”

“He’s getting worse!” warned Rarity, struggling for breath, the memory of her mane returning, flowing away in a cloud of glowing cinders, and regrowing again.

“Even now you’re part Obsidian!” shouted Applejack at Indigo. “And Indicina too! Neither of them really wanted that!”

“They don’t matter!” shouted Indigo in return, swiping across the Elements with another blast.

Twilight could feel herself dissolve, her mind not fully able to ignore what her instincts knew should’ve been pain. She knew the others were hit too, but there were no screams anymore; the repeated nature of mortal injuries robbed them of their gravity. She could hear voices, echoing through their connection, as her friends tried to keep each other from dissolving into nothing. 

“He’s too strong! I can’t cut through his delusions!”

“You’re doing great, AJ. Keep him angry. It… hurts, but that’s…”

“Better than if he knew what he was doing,”

“Keep it up, girls.”

The voices were mixing, and Twilight realised she could no longer tell who was speaking. But that could mean she was making progress. She tuned out even her friends’ voices, and focused on her spell, the last moment plan that required all the power of the Elements.

I need more ponies.

“Just die already!” 

Another blast. Another death. Another return to shape, this time aided by power flowing from the outside.

It’s working, though Twilight. We can do it. 

She chanced a look around her, just in time to see the disappearing silhouettes of the two ponies who helped her recover; for a blink of an eye, Shining Armor and Cadence stood at her sides, before dissolving back into the magical storm.

She could feel more coming. The stars were growing thicker around Indigo, the pony shapes taking more and more familiar forms. There were changelings who had followed Rarity to battle. There were Crystal Empire soldiers, even some Wonderbolts, now appearing at Rainbow’s side. Twilight had no time to look around, but instinctively recognized each one, as her spell bounced from pony to pony, finding thoughts, emotions and memories that connected the souls to one another.

Another blast tore at her, a bullet of concentrated hate and anger that drowned out her thoughts. For a moment she didn’t know who she was or what she was trying to do, only that someone hated her more than anything that ever existed.

“Hang on, Twilight! You’re almost there!”

Spike?

The focus returned. Twilight existed again, a touch of familiar claws on her shoulder bringing her back to reality. She pushed once more, and in that moment there was a sensation like a dam breaking.

Tumbleweed appeared between Pierce and Tourmaline.

Granny Smith and Big Macintosh stood beside Applejack.

Fluttershy was surrounded by her animals.

The void filled with voices. Encouragements, cries of defiance, arguments and challenges and insults. There was a young gryphon king urging his subjects to keep fighting, there were mothers protecting their children, animals defending their nests and thugs defending their turf. There were heroic speeches and animal roars, too many to hear and distinguish any single one. A thousand voices, A hundred thousand, millions.

And then everything disappeared, and a single voice spoke.

“Why are you hurting me, love?”

Indigo’s tantrum stopped. The countless stars winked out, leaving the void empty, save for the distant lights of Sun and Moon, following endlessly along their paths.

In front of him, there was only Twilight now, the Elements of Harmony orbiting her slowly. She inhaled and transformed, her limbs stretching until she matched Indigo in height. Her coat turned white, her mane grew in deep red locks. Her horn turned long and pointy, and swan-like wings grew from her back. Finally a new cutie mark appeared, completing the transformation: an inkwell.

It wasn’t the shape Indigo remembered, but he wouldn’t mistake it for anything else.

“Gaia,” he gasped, his fury gone. “You’ve returned to me.”

The goddess looked at him sadly. “I never left you. Couldn’t you hear me? I was with you, in every breath of every living thing.”

Indigo shook his head. “Those creatures? It wasn’t you. You left me alone, for millennia.”

Gaia approached Indigo, looking him in the eyes. “They were me, every one of them, the good and the bad, the wise sages and tiny insects. All of their stories. All that time I was waiting for you. Why didn’t you join me in creation?”

“Join?” Indigo’s frown returned. “You mean die like you did? All this time I spent to get you back, and you want me to die?”

Gaia shook her head. “Not die. Live a billion lives, experience all the facets of existence together. Why make your life a single story, when you can live all of them?”

Indigo’s nostrils flared, and bright fires lit up in his eyes. “Live? You call that life? Like that was really you?” 

He looked down on his chest. “When they did… this… to me, did you try to stop them? Did you even notice? Or perhaps you so wanted me to be with you, that you felt tearing me to shreds would be a good idea!? Now, which was it?”

Gaia stepped back from his outburst, folding her wings. “You lectured Twilight on the nature of gods. You should know mine. The story of that disaster was also my story. And when I saw the future, and knew it would not work, I made myself whole to fix it.”

Indigo’s aura flared around him. “After four thousand years!?” 

Gaia looked at him with a worried expression. “That’s how long it took. You didn’t use to notice millenia… it might be because you became just three ponies. Your perspective was quite different.”

Indigo stepped towards her, black flame rising around his body, the tips of his feathers disintegrating in his own conflagration. “You can’t do this to me! It wasn’t supposed to be like this!”

“You’re right,” replied Gaia. “You’re in such horrible pain, my love. Let me heal you.”

At that, he exploded, literally, sending his flames in all directions. “Don’t touch me!”

But the goddess simply walked through the flames, ignoring them even as they singed her mane, the Elements forming a protective halo as they orbited her neck. The two alicorns struggled briefly, but it wasn’t a real fight; the crippled god could not match a deity that was whole, nor did Gaia intend him any harm. As her power enveloped him, his flames went out, and then the Elements started to leave her, following strands of her magic to touch Indigo’s physical form, and then slowly dissolve. With each piece of his soul properly returned to him, the god struggled less and less, until finally Gaia let go, the two looking at each other once again as equals.

“I… I am complete now,” said Indigo slowly. “I didn’t realise how much I’d lost.”

Gaia nodded her head. “You had no reason to. You waited for me. You touched the souls of ponies, but you didn’t talk to them, laugh with them. A bird that never gets to fly will not know that his wings have been clipped.”

Indigo shot her a glare. “I’m still in pain, you know. It still hurts horribly. You have no idea how much I missed you.”

Gaia bowed her head solemnly. “I truly don’t. I lived every heartbreak the world has suffered, but nopony has gone through what I put you through.”

Indigo exhaled slowly and turned his gaze away from her. “What happens now?”

“Now we find a way to make it work. I don’t want to lose you either.”

She approached, and he faced her again. “Just like that? It will be fixed?”

She looked him in the eyes. “It will be. We may be very different, but our love is the first love that ever existed. Without you, I would never have loved anything else. Together, we defined love. You did all those things to be with me, and I do love you too. We just need to find a way.”

“The simplest way would be to just be together again,” said Indigo. “But you can’t do that, can you?”

“Die a billion deaths, forsake my creation, and abandon what defines me, in the name of love?” asked Gaia.

Indigo shook his head. “No, I can see now that it wouldn’t have worked. And what kind of love would it be for me to demand it?” He took a deep breath and sighed. “This was so much simpler all these millenia ago, before we both changed.”

“I am what I am,” said Gaia. “I didn’t really change, merely found my place. But you, love, you changed a lot.”

“Not by my will,” replied Indigo, looking down on his own chest. “Life changed me.”

The goddess smiled. “Do you want to change back?”

Indigo eyed her curiously. “Back to what I was?”

Gaia nodded, new light in her eyes. “You were changed, and against your will. If you don’t like it, why not undo it? ‘A god with a heart of a mortal’, didn’t you say so?”

Indigo frowned. “Aren’t you?”

Gaia shook her head. “This is different. I’m all the mortals, each voice its own, but together they are a song that fills the world. But you… your heart carries only two ponies, and they are a pair of tragic lovers.”

“I thought they gave definition to my pain,” said Indigo, “but my pain only really began with the Splice. When I was Magic, I saw you differently. Before the light was ripped out of me. Back before Dissonance got its name. Do you want them back?”

Gaia nodded. “I think they too deserve their rest at last.”

“Will I get anything in return?”

Gaia considered the question. “I could give you somepony happier. But I have a feeling that that won’t do. That’s not how it worked. You gave mortals the gift of magic, to always keep your soul in touch with mine.”

“But they forgot what it was,” said Indigo. 

“I’ll see to it that they won’t this time,” said Gaia. “Now I know how to set things right. Our connection will be embodied. Follow my lead.”

Gaia took a step forward. Indigo matched her move, and as the alicorns’ horn tips touched, power sparked between them. Two bright motes of light flew out of his open mouth and into hers. 

And then Indigo’s wings spread wide, until they became the sky, and Gaia filled it with stars.

***

Enigma felt nothing. 

Things around him changed, souls swirling like an endless school of fish, but he didn’t notice. He merely floated between worlds, like a rudderless boat pulled at by currents, the nature of a soul pulling him towards the others while his link to pattern repelled them and kept him separate.

He had no thoughts on his state, his feelings burned clean from him, his memories as devoid of meaning as a book when it’s not being read, just a tiny speck of metaphysical dust on the surface of what for the first time since the creation of the world was a single being.

But then it was noticed. On the cosmic scale it was nothing more than scratching an itch. On his scale, he was swept with a wave of power that ripped out his pattern connection like it was cobwebs. Emotions flowed through Enigma, and for a moment he had a vague feeling of self. Then the power pulled him in, and with a sigh of relief, he was reabsorbed into the bigger whole.

***

As the eldritch lights disappeared, the night sky started coming back to normal. The snake lunged at its prey. It wasn’t very quick with the attack - it wasn’t a very smart snake, but it could still feel there was something wrong about the scene. The mouse it was trying to eat was already a part of it.

The mouse jumped away, but not very quickly. It knew it didn’t want to die, but just as strongly knew that the snake was hungry.

It was a very confusing night.

***
 
Bluebonnet opened her eyes and found herself floating in a blue void. 

I’m still here, she though. Did I die?

No, that was not it. She could clearly feel a pull of something that she knew was her body, calling her to return. It’s over. We’re all coming back, I think. So why am I still here?

She looked around. Suddenly she knew her reason for lagging behind.

“Tourmaline!” she shouted into the void.

A nearby light flew in her direction and turned green, slowly taking the shape of a small filly.

Bluebonnet moved forward, slowly, taking step after step where there was no ground to stand on. Tears welled in her eyes. “Tourmaline… is this really you… or is it another dream?" 

Tourmaline stopped in front of her and looked up at her face, her lip quivering. “I...I think I am. I mean, I feel different, like some parts are not me… but I’m… I think I’m all that’s left of me.”

Bluebonnet didn’t wait for any more words. She just leaned in and hugged her daughter, their necks intertwining as they cried into each others manes.

“I’ll never lose you again,” whispered Bluebonnet.

There was a heavy silence that stretched on and on.

“Mom…”

Bluebonnet’s heart sunk. “Yes, darling?”

“I think... I’d like to be born soon.”

“Born?” Bluebonnet jerked nervously, but didn’t release the hug.

“You felt that when we were one, didn’t you? We’re all one… part of the same living world. Nothing ever really dies… but… everything changes. Life goes on. This is why not everypony is here. I saw uncle Pierce look for dad earlier, but he couldn’t find him. And I too will go back soon.”

Bluebonnet tried to respond, but felt her throat clench. She could only manage a sob, squeezing her daughter in a desperate hug through what felt like eternity, with only the incessant pull of her living body giving her any sense of time.

“Go…” she finally managed, choking on tears. “Go, my little filly. Live.”

In response, Tourmaline lifted her hoof, and squeezed just as hard. “Thank you, mom. I’ll…” She paused, and just listened to her mother’s breath for a while. “I’ll forget you when I’m born, won’t I? This is how it works. But Gaia will remember. And you too will remember me?”

Bluebonnet smiled through the tears. “Forever and ever.”

“Thank you,” said Tourmaline. “Thank you for everything, mom. I… I think it’s time for us to let go. But… don’t be sad, please. You’ve been sad for so long. And… I want you to be happy. I want you to find something that will make you smile again when you come back, okay?”

Bluebonnet closed her eyes and tried to calm her breath. “I will.”

“Promise?”

“Promise. There’s a beautiful world out there, and I’ll know that somewhere, you’ll be a part of it. I’ll make it more beautiful for you.”

“Thank you, mom.”

***

Twilight Sparkle opened her eyes.

She could feel the grass under her cheek and the cold night air over her coat. Around her, she could hear the groans of other ponies waking up. She jerked up and instinctively lit up her horn to see what was going on.

The point of light appeared further away from her face than she was used to.

“Twilight?” she heard Applejack say. “I think we’re alive. Why are we alive?”

“I’m not complaining,” muttered Fluttershy.

Twilight tried to form an answer, but was distracted by the long and pointy horn on her forehead. She turned her head to look at the rest of herself, and saw a large, purple wing on her side. “Well… That’s not the body I started the night in,” she stated, trying to remain calm. She stood up and wobbled, feeling like a foal learning to walk - her limbs were much longer and lankier than she remembered. 

“Whoa!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash, jumping up to examine herself in turn. “What’s going on?”

Twilight looked at her friend, and saw that she too was taller, though not to the same extent, and her pinions now had silver tips. 

Pinkie Pie bounced up, clicked her tongue, and conjured a tall mirror to examine herself in. “I don’t see a difference,” she said, before pressing her hoof onto her goat horn, causing it to retract inside her puffy mane.

“If I were to make a guess,” said Rarity, pushing past Pinkie to look at herself, casting her own light spell and examining her membranous wings, “I’d say we got some kind of special treatment from Gaia.”

“Is it because we’re heroes?” asked Rainbow Dash, who had already taken into the air to test her wings and, satisfied with the result, was now checking on Fluttershy.

“I don’t think gods work like that,” said Fluttershy. Like Rainbow, she was slightly taller now, with deep red wing tips, and her mane had grown back, forming luxurious curls.

“So, if it’s not a reward,” said Applejack standing up. “That probably means we still have a job to do.” She stomped for emphasis, and then looked around her friends, and back at herself. “Whoa, I’m as big as Big Mac now. And you’re an alicorn.” 

She then looked at her hooves. Flowers had sprouted from the ground where she had stomped. “What in tarnation?”

Pinkie Pie giggled.

“Girls,” said Twilight, finally regaining her balance. “I think we’ve managed to save the world. Indigo is back to where he should be, and the war is over. But there is still a lot of work if we’re to fix everything, starting with…”

She looked up at the night sky. “I think it is time for the sun to rise.”

The six ponies looked at each other. “That’s right,” said Rainbow Dash. “It’s our job now… but we don’t have the Elements anymore.”

This was true, Twilight remembered. The Elements were returned to Indigo. One look at her friends’ eyes confirmed that the connection they used to have with them was gone. And yet…

“Princess Celestia didn’t need the Elements to raise the sun. And… it seems I’m an alicorn now. I’m not quite sure if I have enough power, but it’s definitely worth a try.”

She opened her wings, faced east and braced herself. “Girls, could you help me, just in case?”

Without a word, they formed around her, the same way they had done so many times before. When the power flowed into her, it was different than she remembered, but at the same time, she could clearly recognize each of her friends. She kept facing east, but her magical senses caught five strands of power flowing into her, each coming straight from a pony’s heart, even Rarity’s, who was more used to casting with her horn.

We still do have power. Is it what our friends gave us, or is it Gaia’s gift? Or perhaps Indigo’s?

She added her own magic into the spell and pushed, sending the call far over the horizon. 

And in that moment, somewhere that was everywhere, two timeless beings touched.

The new dawn broke, and for a second, all was right in the world.

The six mares watched the sun rise slowly, letting the soft light caress their faces. The weather teams hadn’t been able to do their jobs for days, but the sky was almost clear. It was looking like a start of a very pleasant day. 

“So, what do we do now?” asked Applejack at last. She stomped with irritation, looking down at the flowers that were now growing in a large clump underneath her hooves.

“With what has happened,” started Rarity, “everypony should know that the crisis is over. They’ll need our help either way but we don’t need to rush there to reassure them just yet.”

“In that case,” said Twilight, “let’s go home. There’s enough space in the library to sleep, and I’ve had a really rough night. We can start figuring out what to do next once we’ve rested. Is that okay with you?”

She expected some arguments, but all she got was nods and murmurs of agreement. She wasn’t surprised. She had just woken up in an unfamiliar body, after her old one was repeatedly evaporated. She didn’t know if she should be physically tired, having just started existing in this form, but her brain had no doubts; mentally she was exhausted. 

She walked towards the Golden Oaks’ library, her friends close behind her.

This is just the beginning  isn't it? she thought. We'll have to go back to the Crystal Empire, put everything back in order, and then help everypony in Canterlot and Cloudsdale. There will be changelings to take into account... oh, and we'll have to decide what to do with Gloria. Now everypony will look for us to decide what to do next. Wait, if I'm an alicorn, will I have to rule Equestria now...?

“Pinkie,” asked Applejack. “What are you still giggling about?”

Pinkie Pie turned her head, looking at the line of flowers trailing behind her friend. “Hi hi… Appletheosis.”