> Answer Me
>  by Black Hailstorm
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue: From the Beginning
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

You could feel it. The air was thick with it.

An unspoken atmosphere that made itself known between the echoes of every hoofstep down vinyl polished floors. It followed them from the moment the announcement had been made twelve days later, two days almost too late. It tip-toed behind her from the entrance stairs she once climbed over a thousand years ago to a castle that had once been solely meant for courtly duties among the citizens and aristocracy. It peeked ahead from the next corner, their ears always perked for the simplest sign of an attack awaiting to subdue them or the simplest movement that showed signs of retaliation. And as her guards flanked out behind and in front of her, Empress Luna could feel this oppressive, unspoken presence tighten its hold on the tense muscles of every Guard beside her as they moved along empty corridors.

It's name was tension, and it was only just getting through introductions.

Click-clack, click-clack, click-clack, the sound was almost rhythmic as they moved. 

She was a guest, not a prisoner. It was important you remember this lest you cross the returned Lunar Princess once praised for her military achievements, known as being the backbone of Equestria's might. She who had led many battles, she who had built the first training regimen of the Guard.

So yes, she was a guest. Not a prisoner. Empress Luna told herself this not because it was a lie that needed to be believed but because it was the truth. Not because she needed it as she was beyond petty justifications, but because she had both been told this by her hostess and also knew it for herself. She knew she was a guest not because she'd been welcomed as one per their agreement, but because they had no choice in the matter.

After all, it was better for everyone involved she be treated as a guest instead of a prisoner. No one wanted to see what she could do in an escape attempt, especially not now.

Not that it really matters, her other half whispered in one ear, to which Luna could only mentally nod in agreement.

For one is only a prisoner, if they do not have the strength to free themselves of their captors. And if the current circumstances were anything to go by? The new Princesses or 'Representatives of Equestria' (for whatever reason they chose such a title), were surely aware of just how powerful she could be.

The Royal Guard and Cosmic Storm moved as one, heading towards another unit that they would meet with before the three squads would move on to their final destination. Guards of all sizes  wore gold armor reminiscent of the same color honoring royalty and the Crown. They moved forward at a pace she barely needed to think on to match, while guards dawning dark purple and orange in contrast moved beside and behind her. They marched, she followed. And as she followed it was difficult not to notice the changes.

Like for example, some of these sapient creatures weren't all of equinal origin. 

She was still getting used to that, even if it had been almost two weeks since her comeback. The fact that the Army allowed other species as a joint part of Equestria's military was like the distant dream two sisters had hoped achieve in their time of rule...only to realize that dream would take awhile.

"You", the company stopped a second too slow as their target of interest came to a halt. 

"Me?" was the surprised reply. She ignored this.

"What is your name?"

The griffon blinked.  He was surprised, they all were. The spell of silence that had persisted since she'd been summoned had been broken. What they didn't see what she immediately saw, was that even if there had been a war not too long ago, this griffon had a look about him, young, almost but not exact. She could see it in his eyes. The knowledge he had joined not because he had been given the freedom to choose, but because he had to.

The young joining the Army back in her time had been normal. He was older, no doubt, definitely older than the ages she could recall back in that time. But...Things were different here. There was an extended age limit now. You had to be this old to join and there were no exceptions. Joining these days seemed to be a choice not a requirement or even necessary need...

Which made this confusing. You didn't conscript the young unless you were desperate.  In her youth, 9 years old was the standard to begin training. Younger if it was a time of war. As young as 6 or 7-- "...better to start them early when their spry, limber and full of energy", the saying had went.

In this time, it was 19. You could go into Reserves at 16 but you didn't join the Army till 19. You didn't need to join because Equestria had been in a time of peace for centuries following her absence, and the other nations had faired better in some degrees as well-- so if that was case why did he look so...familiar?

In that moment of silence, as Luna stared, images flashed through her mind. Images of the dead. 

Hundreds of faces on ghostly wings floated by. It was in the winter. She could feel the cold dig its icy fangs in her coat. Feel the wind whip against her face as she found herself staring through the griffon guard and out onto a horizon covered in ice and snow, watching the silhouettes of a hundred griffons flying towards her and her army, the waves the only thing to greet them below. This was back then. 

Back when Sombra had taken his place as successor.

A Sombra who had still been sane, but was filled with anger against a griffon kingdom under the control of Queen Paulina. A queen who clawed her way through the trying patriarchy of griffon society and solidified her reign by ruthlessly executing any and all that opposed her. A queen who had been responsible for the death of his beloved guardian, Princess Amore, a friend she'd had to bury. Luna watched hundreds of young griffon faces, both male and female alike, take wing to the skies to charge into a war against Equestria over a piece of the Crystal Empire that neither the Crown nor the leader were going to give up without a fight. It had been the start of the first battle; the beginning of the Griffon Wars. It began along the Eastern borderline between what was now Baltimare versus what was formerly Queen Paulina's capital. One-by-one the faces floated by, some of them those under her command- many of them on the enemies side as they counted the casualties at the end of a battle and a shakey victory. Movement caught her eye, and there he was.

A griffon, male, he was younger than the one in front of her but she saw the resemblance even if it was distant. The look in those eyes, the shape of the beak, the coat color while not exact was similar; both cerulean of different shades, the roguish appearance even while matted in snow, sweat, and blood-- 

She was back there. The cold nipped at her. Her body was sore but she stood tall and watched.

Watching in a mixture of awe and apprehension as something shifted in the snow and out came a body-- two bodies.  He heaved the dead body of a  crystal pony off and rose. Barely alive, struggling to draw in breathe. A survivor, struggling to survive in the frozen warzone, talons wrapped around a bloodied knife stuck into the chest of a corpse. She watched him shiver, hack, spit out a wad of blood and phlegm, eyes glazing in pain as the life escaped them when the talon pressed onto a deep wound on his side just to hear him hiss as he turned his head to meet her stunned eyes.

There were no words between them. There was just resignation. Time ticked, neither of them noticed.

Then all of a sudden those eyes were filled with recognition followed swiftly by hate. Hatred that burned like the fires of a bonfire as he was suddenly filled with strength. The griffon gripped his weapon, newfound willpower forced shaking limbs to move and  he rushed towards her with alarming speed for a being on death's path. He moved like lightning, closing the distance, raising the blade towards the lunar harbringer, determination burned in his bright orange eyes as he saw her caught off guard by sheer surprise and-- 

She blinked. Luna stared a thousand miles away into the past, the voice in her head shouted, forcing her back to the present.

It was only a second or two of hesitation in real time. The uncertainty had faded and the Griffon stood just a bit straighter after regaining etiquette and looked up into those opal eyes. "Lieutenant Gallus Windchaser", he paused for a second then added "your Highness."

"Lt.  Gallus", she said nothing more. The griffon-- the one she'd helped draw his last breath was somehow related to the one standing before her now-- remained silent. The alicorn eyed the griffon with a curious stare devoid of emotion. Her eyes locked onto the scar across one of his forelimbs, in the background, tension got comfy.

"How did you get that scar?" came the question, which to the surprise of almost the entire two units was a question they had not seen coming. The Empress ignored this.

"It is impolite to keep one waiting when a question has been asked, Lieutenant", Luna's eyes narrowed and she took satisfaction in seeing the military training take effect when the griffon went rigid and stood at attention.

"I received the wound three years ago in a confrontation involving gang violence in the Battle for Manehattan. I provided support for friendlines on the battlegrounds during conflict with the Chalice family. Fighting broke out in their refusal to submit to the Representatives demands. After the Overlord was defeated the mafia divisions of Manehattan that sided with him revolted and refused to back down on the stolen assets of the National Alliance, Empress", Gallus informed. "We had to move in when Jagged Edge and his gang of misfits attacked and killed a few of the guards sent there to issue a warning."

And there it was, the event that still filled the papers and continued to be the talk of today. A piece of the bygone war and one of the many causes of its continuing aftermaths.

"When I was last here" Luna pondered aloud, "Equestria had only just settled our strenuous relationship with the Griffons of the Griffon Kingdoms. Now they help us handle the squabbling of foals." She leaned her head down, eyeing him curiously "Your nation was very divided in its early times. Each clan that held noble titles battled against another for the right to rule and lead their people. And when one clan member succeeded they kept themselves always wary of betrayals. It was what took us so long to form any kind of pact with Griffonstone. This war however", her tone dropped low, "It seems this Twilight Sparkle and the Ladies of Equestria have done much for international relations in my absence. For that I cannot deny. During my time in the tower, I've come to see that much has truly come to pass...outside of the Solar Witch's passing..." Luna trailed off, a lance of anger spiked into her heart mixed with a pinch of grief, her eyes dilated becoming slits and for a second the blue of her coat went two values closer to black--

"What are you waiting for?" Nightmare Moon's voice hissed. "Lead on! We waste time standing here."

There was a brief pause where tension bit its nails and hoped for its buddy violence to make a swift pass by with the drinks, sadly it didn't happen. The griffon nodded, barked one or two words towards his peers, the Captains of the units righted themselves, and off they all went down the corridor they'd been walking.

Steps echoing, tension lapping at the heels.





They headed for the Royal Courts, the destination they'd been aiming for all along. Trotting through the dimness provided by a row of archways, the company and their asset stopped in front of the last archway as the doors closed behind them.

Standing before them, three unfamiliar faces. Nightmare Moon could not have looked more bored to have been there or see them.

As one, an officer of each unit stepped forward. Standing in front of one of the three figures before them.

"Captain Moondancer of the Cosmic Storm" the cream yellow unicorn mare saluted to the unicorn mare that wore the crescent crown. "Reporting in."

"The Great and Powerful releases you." The light blue unicorn responded.

Immediately, the members of Cosmic Storm's Unit stood down.

Nightmare Moon's eyes narrowed. She eyed the mare that no doubt represented her night, and she found herself seething even if the mask of blankness showed nothing beyond the tense jaw.

"Captain Flash Sentry of the Crystal Solitaire", the pegasus responded, causing an ear to perk "reporting in."

A stallion with the role of Captain of a branch? unheard of in her time. If a male led any branch it would have been a ruler or being in a powerful position of office.

The white stallion bearing the virtually impossible to see scars, at least to normal eyes, returned the salute. "At ease." The troop of crystal ponies stood down, and moved to the side as Cosmic Storm had.

"Captain Tempest Shadow of the Royal Guard", snapped the orchid unicorn mare saluting to the other unicorn mare before them. 

"At ease", she responded. Which was when Nightmare Moon noticed the sun themed crown on her head, and that's when the room dropped into a noticeable chill.

"Empress", the unicorn with the solar crown nodded a tight smile. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

"The pleasure is all yours", came the Nightmare's even reply. "We presume you are--"

"Solar Representative", the mare quickly interjected, "Sunset Shimmer. Yes, and again, it is a pleasure to finally meet the mare I've read so much about and heard so much of from my mentor."

There was no response. Slit pupils eyed Sunset Shimmer, the same mare letters had been exchanged with on her refusal to meet face-to-face with anyone till the agreement of her deal with the other Princesses had been met. After a time she eyed the other two, said nothing, and waited.

The fraud that filled her position glanced cautiously to the stallion beside her that also wore a crown. "I...We are uncertain of--"

"She's probably waiting for you to introduce yourselves", Sunset Shimmer tried to whisper but failed in the empty room among guards that stood like statues.

"Oh", she coughed, "right, well... The Majestic and Regal Lunar Representative, Trixie Lulamoon is humbled to meet you, Empress Luna of the Night."

The Empress was a statue. Her eyes eyed Trixie with aloof silence but there was a subtle nod at the theatrics shown in her honor. Her eyes turned to the last one.

"Lord Shining Armor, Emperor of the Crystal Empire." Which caused her eyes to widen.

"...you? A son of Sombra?" The stallion stared with a look of confusion but before more could be said Nightmare Moon shook her head and looked forward. "We will answer these questions in time. Lead on."

The three rulers glanced at each other, then with subtle nods, turned towards the large gold doors behind them.

"The others are already here, so we won't need to wait" Sunset informed. "Shining, if you would."

"Captains, on me! Move!"

Without a sound the courtroom doors opened, no magic, no manual pushing or pulling. She heard metal turn and work as the massive doors were mechanically opened and then without missing a beat the three rulers moved forward.

Nightmare Moon followed behind as the soldiers formed a wall of bodies along the walls, creating shadows that blocked the light of windows that flanked each side. As soon as they were all in the captains shouted an order, then moved to follow the four rulers into the court.





She stood in a large dome shaped room, different windows framed different pictures on the walls. Pictures of the past embedded in the walls.  Above them the dome of glass divided into two circles; one inside the other. The first was stained by an alicorn surrounded by five mares, the Ladies of Equestria.  Beyond that stained glass made way for regular glass cut into large triangles that shaped the see through roof of the outer circle. The walls were white, touched in a warm glow of yellow from the sun above. The pillars that stood to support the roof above the dome glass were guarded by three statues of the three tribes, all of them armored.

Ears perking, Nightmare Moon looked down at Shining Armor, her steel gaze meeting his unwavering small smile. "Empress, excuse us, but before we can begin we must retrieve the others. They are beyond those doors."

She looked to where he pointed and saw a smaller pair of redwood doors waiting just beyond them by several feet. Looking back down the Nightmare replied "Then we go through them with you."

Shining Armor made to speak but Princess Sunset Shimmer, cut him off. "Empress, if you'll excuse my interruption Shining", he nodded, "we hoped to address your questions easily in the Hall of Truth. You did say in your letters you had many questions, outside of the one's relating to Princess Celestia's passing, yes?"

"...yes", her eyes narrowed. "That is correct."

Sunset Shimmer smiled. "Then please, wait here with our captains. We merely thought it would be best to give you a chance to look around. Especially since there have been...changes" she said carefully, "from before."

They waited for her response, or to be exact her reaction.

"Fine. Be gone. We shall wait here for your return. Do not keep us waiting." And without a word she watched them give a low dip of the head to no doubt appease her before they trotted off towards the court room doors.

It was not long Nightmare Moon let her eyes wander, she ignored the sound of doors opening and closing, knew a Silence Spell had been put into place when she couldn't hear the heartbeats of multiple living on the otherside of the door.

"Empress", eyes turned to slits and she looked down at the unicorn mare with a scar running from cheek to eye. 

"Captain Tempest Shadow", she stated. "I am not surprised you chose to accompany us."

The unicorn nodded. "As I said before Princess, I am your guard, not your warden."

Nightmare Moon stared. "Hm, we shall see." She turned, eyed the statues in front of the pillars, ears perking for the sounds of the guards beyond the doors they had entered from. After a few seconds she turned her full attention to the stained glass on the walls. Each one holding a story that touched on questions she had every intention of getting answers to.

The first answered one question: The Elements of Harmony had found new Bearers. Six mares stood around a bipedal figure blasted by the Elements of Harmony. The figure was shrouded in light, silhouette only thing visible and the crown they wore shattered as images of dark magical energy flowed out into the sky like a dam breaking and a torrent flowing.

She stared at this for a few seconds. Knew her theories had been answered, then moved on.

A colt with a blonde mane carried a battered changeling infant on his back, fleeing a storm of trampling hooves and carrying the pieces of a broken crown in his magic, as he fled the trampled pieces of a several rings she recognized were signs of status. The desperation in the colt's eyes was exquisitely detailed, and in the stained window next to it the same unicorn colt could be seen running to a figure made of fire.

Curious, Nightmare moved on.

An image of a unicorn (Sunset Shimmer she believed) wrapped in shadows,  floated in the abyss. Light from her horn shot out like rays of sun and cut through the inky black surrounding her, the Crystal Empire making it just barely in the distance overhead of her dimming light.  One eye glowed a sickening green, the other glowed pure white. Phantom wings hovered at her back; two barely visible shadows of the same unicorn stretched out before her. 

On the right, the shadow was made of faded white light, a gold field encasing her horn. On the left the shadow was a light red and had the field of purple light emitting from its horn. 

Turning her head slightly to the right Nightmare Moon stared at the second depiction of stained glass. The same unicorn appeared, the same fire-haired unicorn was depicted fighting shadows-- Fighting Sombra.

"The Crystal War", she heard the voice state. She turned to Flash Sentry. 

"Sombra returned stronger than anticipated. He started a war. Solar Representative Sunset Shimmer played large a role in it." Captain Flash stated. 

She turned back to the window, then looked at another one. "And this."

A stallion, he was orange in color. Had white fetlocks, wore full moon shaped glasses.  His horn glowed with power and scrolls held in his magic wrote something down while at the same time his magic lashed out in tendrils of white. Touching crystal ponies in armor with sickly glowing green eyes in some, removing the glow in others.

"Sunburst." Moondancer smiled. "He was the reason we were finally able to beat Sombra after Twilight was captured and Spike was struggling to get the Crystal Heart to Empress Cadenza."

She stared at it for a second, then her eyes skimmed through the others till they fell onto that.

As if being compulsed, as if there was a force pushing her forward, Nightmare Moon moved towards one specific window and as she did the three captains shared different expressions of concern, worry, and sadness.

Armored hooves echoed as she moved, and before she knew it there he was. A image that called to her.

Without even thinking about it, Nightmare moon reached out and touched it.

Manastatic zapped her metal shod hoof and travelled up her leg in a subdued white glow.

Nightmare Moon's eyes flashed white. And in an instant, as voices in the ever growing distance shouted protests, the world fell away.





"I was born to destroy." Her mind knew he stated a fact.

She blinked. He sat there. They were on an island.

Cape hugged his form, armor bulked underneath. He looked out on the edge of a cliff, sea breeze tugging at their mane, a gentle breeze flowing through the grassy plains.

There were two of them now.

One was Nightmare Moon, her mane a blue so dark it nearly was black as the night.

The other was Princess Luna, her mane a soft bluish-purple. Sitting beside her other half.

"I was created to conquer." His head turned slightly to the left just barely giving them the chance to make out his features. It was odd really. To be as large as they were and have to look up towards a being so vague in the distance.

"You must understand that." The wind echoed his words. "Had my creator had his way, there would be nothing. He hated you all. He gave me life to spite the Scholar and torture him for everything he reminded my creator of. Despised you all for all of what you reminded him of and he would have stopped at nothing to ensure your princesses knew the pain he had felt in defeat and in Tartarus. Yet..." and there was his pride, the hints of a smile forming into a grin. "I surpassed my destiny, and chose to create another."

The wind stopped, the calming ocean went silent. "I wish to help you all. I want to help you all. Your heroes will not always be there for you, so I will build you up...But others... Those who do not agree with me...they may tell you otherwise."

He pointed with a armored hand that became a hoof encased in grey armor and said "Look, and see with your own eyes what goes on in your world. Open your eyes and see."

The thunder struck, Princess Luna and Nightmare Moon found themselves pulled by a unknown force forwards-- faster than they could see, faster than they could process-- a feat that should have been virtually impossible by anyone other than Discord-- they looked, and saw.

A buzzing cloud of floatsprites attacking a town. Devouring everything in its wake. Ponies screamed left and right-- the vision changed.

Changelings seizing Canterlot. Ponies going missing. Dragged to a cocoon by changeling warriors, forced into the opening cavity as it started to fill up with goo--

A bugbear bulldozed through walls and lunged at the nearest creature in sight--

Chocolate cake rained from the sky and singing daises accompanied a deep laughing voice. 

"I was created to destroy, and had he won, though my body be weak I would have found another way."

The world plummeted into darkness. Nightmare Moon and Luna found themselves pressing against each other. Flank to flank, protecting the other as they had been since the change.

Green eyes burned to life and purple flames rose outward. The shadow moved as if it was alive. It rose like a wave growing larger and larger--

"Sombra", Luna said her eyes narrowing.

"Fallen", Nightmare Moon hissed, her serrated teeth clenching.

The mass of darkness that was Sombra's shadow laughed, only to charge a second later as his darkness pressed down on all sides.

In an explosion of magic from both Luna and Nightmare Moon the shadows were pushed back by barriers of magic and an instant later as Sombra tried to crush them, the vision collapsed as a inner light broke Sombra apart.

Their eyes were shielded, but they felt the thumping. The ground shaking. 

A entity stomped across hills. It was massive, enormous. Light bended around it masking its form and only allowing glimpses. A horn, a tail, a beard, a hand. And with every step the land shook with power. The world was barren of life save the two alicorns and as the giant moved closer he began to shrink but lost none of his muscle or youth.

"Tirek" Luna and Nightmare Moon said as one, their bodies rising into the air by unnatural wind. "Back to the bowels of yon cell with ye betrayer!" the two said in union. Their eyes glowed white and their horns flared to life.

"Never."  It was the one word he spoke. Cold and heartless, chilled and uncaring. Their horns sent out a beam of light, it formed a spear that flew towards his heart-- it did nothing. It imploded into bubbles, dissipated into the air.

Nightmare Moon and Princess Luna scowled, their expressions synced, their eyes glowing brighter as dark flames and green light danced from their horns.  

"You dare defy ME?! Defy US?! Foolish mortal, you play with forces you could not comprehend!" they yelled but the towering centaur said nothing. He stood several steps away, a chasm mirroring the Great Rip of the Badlands dividing them. 

With a snarl the two lashed out, never leaving an opening of the others side. Magic lances soared like Roc the Hunter after prey. It aimed to maim but did nothing but bounce back, sending them on defense against their own attacks. Spear after spear their attacks were useless. Finally, He raised a hand, snapped a finger--

POP

They were powerless.

They were falling.

They were weak. 

The two foals landed with a thud on the ground and huddled together, hoof over each other's shoulders.

Tirek looked down at the foals before him and the only visible thing outside his shadowy form and the hair that moved dramatically behind him like angry vipers were his eyes. Glowing yellow eyes where one pupil was smaller than the other.

The sign of madness. The sign of change. The sign of death.

No the two foals thought as one. "How?" they whispered as they gazed into the abyss that shrouded him and it gazed right back.

He smiled. Stars exploded overhead and the barren world flashed the ghostily images of hundreds of bodies, dead buildings, injuried soldiers, ruined homes.

"A destroyer" the stallion's voice said from afar.

Light flared above Tirek's head but before he could do more, the stallion with the cloak appeared. He intercepted the magic, beam for beam, and with a terrible cry from both Tirek and himself the world exploded into light.

Nightmare Moon and Luna screamed as they were blinded, two bodies becoming one once more.

In the distance, faintly, as the light consumed them- she heard his voice whisper; a plea of desperation: "Let me help you."

"Don't make me do what must be done."





She blinked. She was aware of being shaken.

"Empress!" Captain Flash Sentry shook her. "Empress are you with us?"

Wings flared out and in a blink of light Flash had returned to Moondancer's side her eyes wary, her horn glowing, posture defensive. 

"We are fine", she blinked and took a step away from the glass, her eyes seemed unable to see it before.

Realization hit her and she knew it was an enchantment. A complex spell that drew the person towards the object with curiosity without ever fully showing what it was till the message had been delivered.

"Who is this...Captain?"

The three captains glanced at each other. The tension leaving them as they noted the curiosity and interest in Nightmare's voice.

"Supreme Lord Overcast", Flash Sentry stated, she glanced back to find the scowl matched his tone. "As he preferred to be called when he began taking power."

His coat was rusted orange, his mane was pure white with streaks of red, his eyes glowed white with power. The artist filled his surrounding form with crackling magical energy, cloak billowing on aether wind, the land around him charred in some places yet lived and flourished in the background behind him. The citizens looked happy underneath him, he was surrounded by guards and nobles in the background, all bowing or saluting.

She narrowed her eyes and there was the reflection of a cage on the gem that buttoned his cloak. His goate was straight, his expression confident on the surface but in the fragmented parts above him that made up parts of the clouds showed he was kind, he was calm, and he held a ruthless smirk.

Underneath the enormous stallion and the happy citizens beneath him was a map of the world. The erosion at his hooves reached out, darkening the ocean; turning geographic landmasses a dark red-orange wherever it touched and leaving those it had yet to touch white, clean.

A crown hovered above his head, but the nameless stallion didn't seem to acknowledge it. It floated above his head, carried in grey and black aura, the color of his magic. And there it stayed, repelling weapons, spells and anything else thrown at it. A picture of power.

A part of Nightmare Moon, the part that wasn't Luna, felt something for this tyrant; strange and unknown it stared intensely at the stained window as the feeling that blossomed in their chest. Enamored, romanced, amazed by the sheer strength. The other half however, it revealed itself through Nightmare Moon's silence.

"Empress?" the Nightmare tensed. She turned and watched Princess Twilight Sparkle, Empress Cadence,  Emperor Shining Armor, Princess Sunset Shimmer & Trixie Lulamoon, a dragon, a blonde unicorn stallion and the Ladies of Equestria striding towards as they made their way down hall, now emerging from.the redwood doors.

"Is something wrong?" Twilight asked with her smile switching to concern.

Nightmare Moon cut in before anyone else could with a firm and resolute "No."

Twilight glanced at the captains, Tempest shrugged. "Oh...well then" she smiled, "Are we ready to begin?"
> Ch 1: Start With The Elememts (Part 1)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Princess Twilight Sparkle smiled after she'd asked her question, but as the seconds went by and a silence carried over she found her guest, wasn't answering. Choosing her words wisely as the memories of their first meeting had not yet been entirely forgotten Twilight said the best thing in the most careful way she felt was the best way to break the silence that had stretched on as they all waited.   

"Empress...is everything okay?"

Nightmare Moon stared right at her. Eyeing her with judging eyes the alicorn responded, "You have brought the Elements of Harmony." A statement not a fact.

"Yes", was the careful reply. "I was actually going to--"

"Why?" was the cutting response.

Twilight opened her mouth then made the mistake of closing it as she worked out a response that didn't sound like,  'we don't trust you'; even if they really didn't have any major reason to trust her it didn't seem right to blatantly say it up front. Which was why she had come with a response prepared from the courtroom, the others helping her pick words that wouldn't sound insensitive, like a challenge or anything else that could incite the wrath of a possessed alicorn. On paper she had this planned out easily but, she was finding her tongue having a tougher time phrasing it.

The Empress waited. Her eyes looked from the Element Bearers to focusing solely on Twilight, when no response came after a literal second of hesitation, that's when she acted.

Nightmare Moon's wings flared out-- 

"Oh no you don't!"

A colorful blur streamed past Twilight. Strands of mane were tugged in the pegasus' passing and in an instant the pegasus collided with the Nightmare the second she took to the air. Metal meeting metal as the two slammed into each other.

"Consarnit Dash!" another voice shouted in frustration as one body sent the other flying backwards.

With a echoing thud and clang Nightmare Moon found herself standing back up from the ground that had rushed to meet her unwelcomed retreat. As she rose her ears perked up, and without even thinking, instinct alone, she vanished in a flash of light-- the blur of a pegasus falling right into where she'd just been-- then reappeared in the sky.

"Rainbow Dash, stop! What are you doing?!" Princess Cadence shouted.

"Saving our flanks before she throws a hissy fit!"

"Rainbow Dash!" scolded Twilight.

"What?!" the mare shouted indignantly, "I'm trying to help us here!"

"The only thing you've done is show me this was a mistake." Luna's cold voice cut through the argument like a warm knife on cake.

They looked up yet despite the sun clearly still being up they could barely make her out in the dimming light of the ceiling. Light darkened her image,  gleamed off the enchanted dark armor and somehow made the crescent emblazoned on the center of her chest plate glow. The air grew chilly, Twilight became keenly aware her breath was coming out in puffs of visible moisture.

"Luna--" Sunset began.

"You have no right to speak of that name." Was the cold reply. "None of you hold that right. I did not come here to be executed, We came for answers. We will have our answers."

In the corner of her vision, something moved.

With a glow of her horn, all movement stopped. Nightmare Moon fell slowly towards her preparing assailant, like a serpent creeping through grass she edged towards her prey with painfully slow movement till she was right there, right in front of them.

"You. You remind me of her. I do not know if her name survived but perhaps you know this one." She eyed the glaring pegasus and snorted. "Have you ever heard of the name Private Pansy?" 

The twinkle of recognition was all she needed to see. "Even in death that name follows her to the Beyond." Nightmare Moon's head shook and a small smile touched her lips before it was gone and replaced with a stern glare. "Quick to act, slow on the consequence."

"Empress", Shining Armor struggled. Muscles tensed and flexed and she could feel every single one of them straining to break free of her hold. "Stop. We can-- umph-- talk about this. Rainbow Dash made a mistake. We don't--"

"Where I was from", she cut him off and her voice rose to cut anyone else from speaking "we punished the foolhardy by letting them learn the consequences of their actions. When the Diarchy ruled, I spared none of my own in the training they endured and the consequences for a foolish action even less. You ask for forgiveness?" She turned to look at the others. "No."

Unholy slit pupils turned to look the defiant pegasus in the eye. "One chance. We give you one chance to tell us why the Elements were brought here. Lie, and I will break a wing. A thousand years and more may have passed but I walked the dreams of Aeros during Eurae Hurricane's struggle for control and I know the fears of the Pegasi in that broken sky capital, carry on to their progeny now. Clip their wings" she felt the struggles intensify forcing her to redouble her efforts as the scowl from exertion formed and the glare from this insult intensified "and they wail like foals."

"So tell me", her horn pulsed and one wing was slowly forced to spread itself open and flex as Nightmare Moon eyed the appendage carefully then looked to the fear that tried to hide itself in those defiant magenta eyes. "Tell me why you wear the Elements of Harmony here, or I will make you listen as I dislocate her--"

"WE DON'T TRUST YOU!"

In an instant she was in front of the yellow pegasus. "I see that. Trust however is a two way canter. I did not come with the intent to do harm" Empress Luna stated as she eyed that look; where courage betrayed the hackles rising in fear. "I came to discuss, and you brought weapons to a meeting of discussion."

Instantly Sunset said: "We had no intention of using them against you--"

"YOU DO NOT NEED TO USE THEM TO SHOW YOU HAVE THEM! SIMPLY HAVING THEM IS SIGN OF DISTRUST ENOUGH! YOU RULE THIS NATION, OUR DOMAIN, YET YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND SIMPLE STATECRAFT AS THIS?!" She whirled in the air and her eyes bore into Sunset Shimmer with barely restrained rage, "You did not even have the sense to try and hide them! Pitiful." Venom seethed in the word.

"AND you" like lightning she was in front of Twilight. "You promised me-- your royal oath-- that you would ensure my questions would be answered before the deadline. It has been twelve days. Two days remain before we take matters into our own. Do you have the answers we seek or was this all just a waste of time?"

The hold released them, and in an instant the Be Still spell died away.

Hooves clopped as they landed and a second later the doors behind them groaned open as Guards ran inside. 

"HALT!" Tempest Shadow barked and hooves came to a skidding halt as Guards stopped several feet away from Nightmare Moon with confusion and wariness written all over their face.

"Empress", Nightmare Moon's cold gaze looked over to the mare wearing the hat. "We apologize for offending you. I argued from Day to Night that things would only get ugly if we brought the Elements in with us, but...understand, we're trying to be cautious. Measures have to be taken. You understand, don't ya?"

Nightmare Moon said nothing. She was a statue whose eyes were the only thing that moved. Her gaze locked onto Twilight. "There are two questions I require answered first." She turned and moved towards the wall on her right, the Elements of Harmony and their bearers attacking a silhouette.

"The first one: How is it you possess the Elements? Leave nothing out. And the second and most important will be asked if I am satisfied with the answers of the first."

Glancing slightly behind her, a single eye narrowed. "You may begin now."





In the beginning, I didn't understand it. After the Summer Sun Celebration I thought I would be heading back to Canterlot, but the Princess gave me two options. And one of them...involved having my own library."

...I couldn't say no. Anyway, two weeks went by after the Summer Solstice and I started getting letters from Princess Celestia now and then. It was about her-- the two of you, the old capital, your old castle. I didn't think anything of it until one day she gave me an assignment: to look into the archives of The Two and use the map she'd added to maneuver through the castle's hidden passages and see if the castle treasury had been tampered with or if anything appeared out of the ordinary in the castle. 

I thought you were weird asking us to help you look at some old dusty castle.

Thanks Dash, now stop interrupting.

"So explain to me again why exactly we're going to the Castle of Two and not some of the Guard? "

"Because Princess Celestia said in one of her letters the guard had already done their investigations and came up with nothing. Besides she said I should make sure I should bring help. And, well, you five were the first that came to mind aside from Spike of course."

"Uh-huh", Applejack said as she glanced around the trail they tread. "How you doing back there Shy?"

The curtain of pink mane just barely managed to reveal the smallest of smiles that was hiding behind it.

"Ughhhhh! This is going to be so boring! I thought you said this was going to be cool Twilight!"

The unicorn glanced back with a raised brow. "This isn't cool?"

The pegasus seemed to hang back, if not physically stunned considering they were still airborne, then mentally.

"NO!" she screeched. "HOW in Equestria is this cool at all?!"

"Well I don't know about you dear but the ruins are a famous historic spot." Rarity quipped. "Besides, Hot Topic Weekly has said the ruins have had some success with, ahem, couples." 

"What does that matter?! This isn't some search mission on dating sites anyway! We're just going to some crusty old library that's been rotting away since it was abandoned for a thousand years! The Everfree is a weird place with mostly weird animals and creatures! Us going in to check on some committee member's freak out is just some wild goose chase!" 

"Oh c'mon Dashie" Pinkie turned her hop-trot to a backwards-hop-trot "we might get to see something neat in the ruins!"

"Name one thing that would actually make visiting some old boring castle exciting!"

"Wellll", Pinkie pondered, "we could always run into some spooky ghosts! Or-- oh oh! The Pooooony of Shaaaaadows! Or ohhh, Nightmare Moon's creepy henchponies that have been searching the castle for a way to free her from her eternal prison, trying to break the curse that keeps her locked away in a silver cage, trapped among the moon and stars till her chosen heroes can find the spell that breaks her out!"

"..."

"..."

"...Huh...that last one actually sounds...kinda cool."

"N-N-Not to m-me it d-doesn't."

"Don't worry Fluttershy", Spike patted the mare's withers gently. Leaning down he smiled. "I'm sure nothing like that's going to happen. Besides, the Castle of Two is just a tourist spot now. I'm sure whatever spells the Princess says were being disturbed is nothing more than thauma decay from old spells not being refreshed."

"Whatever the case is, I can see the bridge up ahead." Applejack nodded with a squint. "Eyup, looks like that old bridge still holds firm."

"This better be worth missing my 2 o' clock nap", the athlete grumbled.

Believe us, Empress Luna it really was.





Hooves clipped and clopped across stone ground. The Castle of Two was a relic, a tourist spot. Famous as the Old capital. It was known as the historic home of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna not long after they became the Crown.

It was the historic landmark that had existed for fourteen-hundred and sixty years. It was--

"Wow", Applejack whistled. "This place is duuusty!"

As if the magic words, torchposts flared to life with aetherfire providing added light for all its curious readers and would-be customers.

"Mmm, quite." Rarity frowned at the threshold and wouldn't have taken a step forward if it had not been for a sudden push from behind her. 

"Pinkie!" 

"Sorry!" she smiled and with a jump and a tap righted her friend before she fell.

"Honestly now! It's hard enough to keep my coat clean, I'd really rather not have any...grime, stain my coat." Glancing around Rarity grimaced as she moved through the steps of the hall of the library, taking carefully measured steps so as not to agitate dust particles and cause some to settle in her coat.

The farmer rolled her eyes. "It can't be that bad."

Eyes narrowing, a frown turning sour, blue eyes stared into green and-- "um, girls?"

All eyes turned to Fluttershy and the pegasus flinched at the attention. "Um..." Little claws gave her a reassuring squeeze, "um...well, Twilight do you...um know how long it's been since the committee paid for a tourist group to come by?"

"No? The Princess didn't say in her letter. She asked if anything strange had happened in the days after the festival though, outside of the complaints that were reported to her she mentioned to me she didn't say anything else." One ear perked, the other drooped. "Why?" she asked with a hint of curiosity.

"I um, I think I may have found our lead." She vanished up the stairs, and with a shared look, five faces stared back in Fluttershy's chosen path before Rainbow Dash took off after her friend. Seconds went by as not a sound was heard till a sudden shout echoed back to raising ears.

"Whoa! You guys gotta see this!" Rainbow Dash cried.

The group of four rushed up the stairs, entered into a hall of faded yellow and green carpet, paintings yellowed, torches covered in cobwebs  raced by as each mare took a sharp right, moving quickly down the corridor.

Twilight gasped. "What..." she whispered, "what-- oof!"

Bodies collided, legs went everywhere. Applejack winced and with a apologetic smile tried to get off Twilight-- felt a horn poke her in the flank, just near her cutie mark-- with a yelp and lash of her tail she heard a pony shriek as they stumbled backwards, away from the makeshift blonde whip, into cobwebs where there was a pause before--

"It's in my mouth!" the shrill voice cried.

Shortly, "Oh hey Rari--"

Pinkie braced herself for the impact before it even happened.

Dust collected, settled (much to the chagrin of only one unicorn), and slowly bodies pulled themselves apart and limbs moved away from others.

"Sorry!" Twilight and Applejack said together.

Between Rarity's pained or frustrated groans as she spat something unsavory from her taste buds, in the dust and dirt, Pinkie smiled lightly and said with the same exuberance as always; "We're fine, don't worry! Accidents happen."

"Yes", Rarity literally spat, "big ones." She sighed her muzzle scrunching then un-scrunching to avoid future wrinkles. "Thank you dear." She added as the party planner helped her to her hooves.

"Girls!" Rainbow Dash called from above. "Are you seeing this?!" she exclaimed in a mixture of excitement and foal glee. "LOOK!"

Books, bookshelves, bookcases, torn apart carpet, clawed open paintings, tossed open scrolls. The damage went on and on and as Twilight refocused she couldn't help but stare.

"What...happened here?"

"It looks like it's been vandalized", Applejack stated with a frown. She jumped over a tipped over bookcase that was blocking the rest of the path. 

"Has been over a thousand years, wouldn't surprise me if some folks decided to steal what they could for selling and trash the rest."

"Yeah but, this place is a tourist site!" Pinkie pointed out. Offering a hoof she helped Twilight, then Rarity to the ground as they made it over the obstacle in their path. "You don't attract customers by showing them the worst of what you have to offer, that's how you scare them away! And doesn't the Guard perform monthly check-ins on the castle anyway? They've been doing it since the Princess moved right?"

"Yes", Twilight said with a frown, "they haven't stopped.  It's why the Princess asked me to check the spells here." Unconsciously shifting her hips as her saddlebags lightly jostled their contents. Taking a step forward Twilight paused at the sight of torn out pages and felt her ears splay. "Who could have done this?"

"Better question is why?" Spike looked around. "The castle was closed for Moons after the fight between Princess Celestia and Nightmare Moon. There's no way the guards would have allowed anypony into castle grounds back then! Especially after the Princes decided to move the capital and take copies of all the books here."

"And you said you're not sure when the last tourist visit was, Twilight?" Rarity gently checked.

"No", Twilight sighed. "I didn't ask." Sitting on the ground Twilight stared forlornly at the broken shelves, ripped apart books, overturned book cases and couldn't help but feel a hint of anger as she looked at the floor they were on, then looked to the one above them.

"Is it the same on the other floors also?" she felt a pressure against her saddlebags and looked to see Pinkie leaning against her. Offering a small smile of appreciation, the unicorn looked at Rainbow Dash.

"One sec." With a flap she was off, out over the rails then flying on first floor level where the others were. Flapping her wings and ascending to the second then the third, before reaching the last floor, Rainbow Dash looked around.

Each floor was circular in shape. Donut like but not quite that round. There were stairs just barely visible below each one at the far topmost and bottom of each floor. Stairs split on the right side and left side of each floor, with the bottom acting more as an entry way while the top lead to the next floor.

On every floor each book section divided into separate categories in a diagnoal or slanted line. The faded writing above each column suggested similar topics while the space provided between a collection of cases showed a change of subjects. There were two that went along the walls, several feet away from the entrances where one would enter at the bottom right or left. Some of these sections had been destroyed: books lay a disorganised mess in their shelves, either spilling onto dirt stained floor or worn out moldy carpet, others having been dragged over the railings at the center of each floor and tipped over to the ground level where other books could be seen in a heap of splinters and broken wood thanks to the holes in the roof above,  providing extra light below. 

Rainbow Dash's eyes scanned her surroundings as she made her way up to each of the floors before she finally came to a stop at the top.  Her initial excitement fading for grim silence as she saw how destroyed some of the floors were compared to others.

While two sections of books were divided near the walls in a diagnoal line, the middle section, where ponies no doubt had been meant to read given the room each floor had in those parts, clearly looked to have been a display of violence or frustration. 

"More or less", came Dash's hollered reply.

"What do you think they were looking for?" Spike asked.

Applejack shrugged. "Who knows. There's old stories about the princesses gathering old treasure, storing it in vaults locked tight for Equestria's benefits in the past. Legends about them locking up dangerous magical monsters and keeping them buried deep under the castle. Stuff about Star Swirl the Talented and his findings that needed to be kept away from the public. Honestly? I just think it might have been a bunch of good for nothing's having some fun."

"Well it can't be that barbaric. There must be something more than just baseless hoodlum violence!"

"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash cheered, her vigor returning. "I'd be furious to find out in the end all of this was just some group of jerks having a bit of fun at my napping expense!"

Two pairs of eyes rolled at that last particular statement.

"Um I think everypony should see this." Came the not-so-quiet call.

"I think there's a bit more to worry about than napping here Dash." Twilight frowned. "Look at this mess! All these books ruined! Whoever has the Princess' attention must certainly be up to no good!"

Quieter but still just as urgent, "um, g-girls!"

"Or it could just be a buncha good for nothing's that started this whole mess in the first place!" AJ argued.

Barely approaching the definition of a whisper "girls..."

Spike adding his voice shouted "Okay maybe things are getting a little too heated here--"

"Or maybe we might be right and Twilight doesn't want to admit!" Rainbow Dash huffed.

"Dashie!" Pinkie scolded.

"What?! I'm a bit grumpy, I got the late afternoon shift, and if I'm not practicing--"

"Crashing", Applejack coughed.

"--awesome" she really emphasized here, "mind-blowing routines, then I'm catching some well needed z's for my well needed rest!" she continued without even glancing the farmer's way.

"I'm just saying that the Princess wouldn't ask me to come here if it wasn't important!" Twilight shot back. "If you wanted to sleep so bad maybe you shouldn't have come!"

"Maybe I shouldn't!"

"Now Rainbow Dash don't be so rude! And Applejack, really now, I'm certain the Princess would  have perfectly logical reasons for coming here. Questioning Twilight is uncalled for!"

"Yeah!" Pinkie punctuated her statement with a disapproving glare as she parked herself next to Twilight and forced the slightly smaller unicorn into a hug.

"I wasn't arguing against the reasons for coming!" there was frustration here that drowned out Fluttershy's seventh attempt at gaining attention as she crept further away from her own discovery. "I was suggesting an alternative for why we're out here!"

"Guys!" Spike tried again. Digits fiddling nervously with a tail. "Maybe we should calm down here a little?"

"Oh I'm totally calm, Spike!" The upset look she was shooting Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie suggested otherwise. "I'm--"

"Would you all stop Shouting AT EACH OTHER AND GET YOURSELVES OVER HERE ALREADY!?!"

In the distance there was a thunk as rubble fell from the fourth floor down to the ground below. At the same time, Rainbow Dash blew dust out of her face.

"I" she squeaked, shivering as she crept back into the wall, "s-sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"Sugarcube", Applejack gently shushed. "It's okay. Sorry, we...went a little to far there." A glance back to the others gave a collective nod, all save for Spike who ran towards the shaking pegasus who was trying to regain control her breathing.  

"...Are...are you okay Fluttershy?" Pink curls drooped as the question was asked.

"No...j-just a moment" she gasped, "p-please."

There was collective silence as the group rejoined into a party. Pinkie moved carefully to Fluttershy's right and frowned when the pegasus flinched away as she pressed into her side. Rarity had stopped trying to avoid the filth around her and now sat near Spike who was on Fluttershy's left, gently combing his claws through her coral pink mane and rubbing another claw soothingly along her back to comfort the rigid shaking mare.  Applejack with a grim expression moved with Rainbow Dash to the far left corner of the topmost stairs where the latter had informed she could feel air coming from the direction.

Twilight looked at Fluttershy then the duo ponies heading to inspect Fluttershy's findings, unsure what to say. "Fluttershy, I..." words trailed off, she wasn't sure what else to say. 'Sorry' had already been said and it felt almost redundant to say it again.

Spike gave her a brief smile, mouthed something to her. She nodded dumbly, eyes flicking back to the diffident pegasus mare who was slowly calming down. Then after a second, she moved to follow Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Horn brightening the room in orchid glow, chasing away the dark.





There were staircases behind the staircase. 

It would have made for a good joke had the abruptly ended argument never happened.

For the sake of this retelling, I shall be honest Empress Luna. We...we didn't always get along. That moment, arguing in the ruins of an abandoned castle library? It was not our brightest moment. I had my doubts of even continuing any further after what happened. It didn't seem right, what with how we upset Fluttershy dear, here.

But...we did. Because it was for the Princess. And if it had been you who asked us to do the same, even if some of the old myths of um, well, Nightmare Moon, are excuse me to say-- true-- we would have pushed on anyway. You simply don't say no to one of Equestria's most memorable saviors.

So we pushed on. And boy, did we stumble in at the wrong time--





There were echoes, and then there were echoes.

Hoofsteps stepped on solid stone that took a curve on the circumference of castle walls before dropping off seven individuals on what could only be seen as a very big hall.

A great hall, one might say.

In here there were no cobwebs. No dust. No other signs of demolition from a fight long passed, there was just grey, lifeless, boring stone that stretched into the dim blankness barely illuminated by orchid and blue field aura.

"Uh...Twilight", she would later deny the crack of nervousness that slipped in "did the Princess have a map for uh this passage also?"

She had almost forgotten the map. Digging into saddlebags, a open envelope appeared and then from that, parchment.

The parchment showed a complete outline of the castle's underground passageways, secret pathways, and closed off rooms.

"Wow. That's a lot." Came the observation from above. "Hey Shy, you sure you're okay?"

The mare nodded but stayed silent. Her friend eyed her criticially for but a second before turning forward again. "Right, lead the way then Twilight."

She did. Off they went.

Steps echoed along the corridor making it difficult to hear as they went along. For a long while, a few minutes or more, they saw nothing. What made this difficult especially was that there had been no sign of a forced entree. Whatever or whoever came looking had not tried to tear the castle apart to find a passage so there was no immediate way of knowing.

"Y'all see that up ahead?" Applejack squinted through the light, trying to make out shapes. "Looks like some kind of e--

Her hoof sank into a step like a rock in a water.

There was a brief moment of nothing. Then, Pinkie's leg started shaking. Confused Twilight turned to look at along with Spike who sat on Fluttershy's back. Both oblivious to the horrified expressions the other four mares were making as Pinkie's muscle spazzing right front and hind leg stopped their convulsing abruptly. Like it never happened.

"What. Was. That?" Twilight asked. It was hard for even her to tell which pony she was talking to. Applejack and the sudden thunking sound that came from her or the surprising (and disturbing) shaking Pinkie's legs had suddenly started and stopped shortly following.

"Something's coming!" Pinkie looked behind them. Ears perking. The echoes continued however for several more seconds even after they'd all stopped moving. No doubt an enchantment of sorts to avoid letting trespassers known they'd been caught.

Or were being followed.

"That doesn't answer my question!" Twilight cried.

"Later!" Rainbow Dash looked forward, wings beating and adding to the echo.  "We need to go. Now!"

"But--"

Something caught Spike's eye. "Run!" he yelled, breathing fire, instantly the heat caused Fluttershy to jump as she moved forward, running through the group, rushing down the path as she pushed Applejack out of the way and made a beeline into the darkness as Spike screamed at the others to "Ruuuuuuun!"

Applejack didn't see it. None of them did because they were all so focused on Spike. But she heard Dash gasp, Rainbow Dash gasping was rare because everyone knew how she liked her image. 

So she looked, and they all were drawn to it.

About a foot away, where she'd been. Where her head had been. Was an arrow. It stayed there, daring them to defy its existence. Then it glowed, brighter and brighter, before breaking up into pieces and sliding silently through the air in flakes of brilliant orange light, sucked into the hole.

Pinkie's legs shook again.

So surprised by the sight Rarity took a step back over a step she'd missed before and her hoof sank into that spot.

Several holes opened in the wall on the left, and that's when Twilight's eyes widened and she threw a wall like barrier around them as the arrows began pelting away at her concentration a second later.

"Twilight!"

"Nnnnngah!" She groaned as strike after strike the arrows dug into her focus, uncomfortably prickling away at her body, poking at her sides, her legs, her haunches-- "RUN!"

Hundreds of little holes opened up, hundreds of steel arrow heads pointed at them and fired. The barrier cracked. The crack elongated. Spiderwebbed. One arrowhead forced its way through causing Pinkie to 'eep' and jump back. Twilight grunted. She and Rarity weren't as fast as Applejack, Pinkie or Rainbow Dash but the three for strange reasons kept by them as the four grounded ponies stumbled into another floor trap and opened up more holes.

"Where's Fluttershy and Spike!?!" Applejack cried desperately. The strain was getting to Twilight. For every crack that formed she would grind her teeth and her horn would pulse a bit brighter, fixing old cracks as new ones formed.

She had forgotten about the traps. She was so caught up in discovering the mess she'd forgotten about disabling the traps.

"I see them!"  a voice cried from above.

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!" Fluttershy's frantic voice repeated. Heavy exhales and deep breaths, Spike would nervously chant.

"Spike!" Dash cried.

"There's three paths! I don't know which one we should take!" his voice fearfully called back.

"The map!" Applejack yelled to Twilight who could barely hear her voice as she fought the discomfort and the growing ache building in her--

"Rarity! Here!"

The tingle of a foreign field enveloped hers, she eased her iron grip back and the blue took over as Rarity's eyes flittered through. 

"Right!" she yelled. "Go right!"

The herd met head on, merged, harded a into the right curve and the arrows suddenly ceased.

Twilight kept the barrier up, huffing and puffing. She frantically looked left and right, searching for anymore signs of danger before-- 

"Twily" she heard Shining Armor say. She looked. Saw him. He was staring down at her, her eyes had to look slightly up at him.

"It's okay Twilight." He said gently. Pulling her unwilling form forcefully towards him, she kicked, squirming.

Her flanks tingled with the freshness of her cutie mark.

Yet still, despite the discovery she resisted. Trying to get away. Trying to escape the incoming hug she didn't deserve.

"It's my fault!" she choked. Eyes briefly opened, shattered windows, overturned tables and chairs. She failed, and for an exam to get into the greatest school for unicorns and completely lose control like that-- she didn't deserve hugs. So she struggled. Trying to fight the pull and failing. Her horn sputtered sparks, trying to not hurt the pony she cared about in front of her.

"No. It ain't" his voice was firm. "How could you have known this was going to happen?" he asked.

"I should have!" she snapped back, wetness touching her cheeks in reply.

The stallion gave her a sad small smile, and somehow his efforts were strengthened.

"You stress over stuff too much. Now c'mere. And don't make me ask again."

The muscles she felt past the fur gave her comfort and she let her magic go, and nuzzled into one of the two only stallions that mattered in her life.

"Thank you", she whispered. Unaware she was crying.

"It's alright sugarcube." The feminine voice replied.

Twilight sighed contently. She squeezed the stocky form before her. And the muscle bound form squeezed back. Other warm things collided around her but it didn't matter. When her brain finally dropped the memory, and caught up, she realized other bodies had crowded around her.

That was when I knew...I found the best ponies and little brother a mare could ask for.

It took time for them to separate. But when they did, wordless smiles were passed all around.

"Let's keep moving." She sniffed.

Spike looked up at her, squinted an eye of little brother concern, then looked at the others who looked at him. He nodded.

The group moved on.





They moved in silence. Horn's ready, cautious steps made. Entering a completely different room they found armor. Strange armor.

Armor that had been torn apart with gash marks or had been hit by something so powerful it collapsed into itself completely and left the forms disfigured or had gaping holes where sparks flew and wires bled out.

Minotaur like in shape and form but nothing at all similar. There were no horns, no hooves, nothing of the sort. What little else could be deciphered from the metal suits was virtually indescribable due to how damaged they were.

Silently stepping over pieces of brown stone and scraps of metal and wire, broken weapons or bits of stone from the walls the group moved towards the only exit till Rarity shouted for a halt.

"What is it?"Twilight asked. Eyes flicking left to right.

She didn't answer. The mare merely pointed. Several eyes followed and they saw what she did. A stain. Broken and spotted. Red.

Fluttershy moved quicker than the rest. "...It's...blood" she frowned.

Five ponies shivered, one dragon frowned.

"Are you sure?" And for the first time the bravado had left Dash's voice.

"..." Spike slipped wordlessly, moved towards Fluttershy's position, bent down and prodded with his claw. Lifted and sniffed he said nothing, his face neutral. Shoulders slumping he frowned. "...yes."

"Maybe..." the words were fighting to be pulled back. "Maybe we should head back." Rainbow Dash winced at even having to be the one to say this. "Maybe we have enough information. We should send a letter to the Princess and call it a day. Maybe head to Sugarcube Corner. Heck, I'll pay."

Which was surprising because in the two weeks Twilight had known the pegasus, she usually didn't.

"I...don't think we should." Pinkie finally broke the silence. "If Princess Celestia felt this was important enough to send Twilight, I think it's a good idea we go through with the whole search. Maybe we might be able to confront the one who broke in and caused all this trouble."

Twilight stared. Actually stared, the look of surprise was hard to miss and it made Pinkie ask "what?"

She blinked, realizing she'd been caught the fur under her cheeks turned just a shade darker. "I, um, nothing. Sorry." She apologized. "I just-- it was rude, I'm sorry."

Accepting the apology Pinkie moved on. "Okie Dokie! What do you girls think? Oh, and Spike?"

Glances were shared. "I...will admit I did not find this trip as exciting or...as inviting as I had hoped. Then again", Rarity nibbled her bottom lip and her eyes looked around. She'd be lying saying she hadn't grown scared. Had she not visited the lady's room before well the earlier excitement might have made her cause a very embarassing scene. But-- she looked at the others.

"I will stay...if you all decide to continue."

"I...I'm staying."

"Fluttershy?" Dash asked with incredulity. "Why? I thought--"

"Well I'm sorry, but you thought wrong." The heat from those words splayed ears just a little and she frowned. "After all we've seen I think...I-I think we should find out what's happening. I can't for the life of me think why anypony would risk getting hurt and continue coming down here, but if whatever treasure is really worth the risk, then...I could at least help get them some help when all of this is done...i-i-if that's okay that is?"

Applejack sighed. "I'm in. Can't leave y'all behind. Kick myself for days if anything happen to y'all. Plus there's them arrow trap back there."

"I'm kinda stuck here." Spike shrugged. "And if you teleport me back I'll message Mrs. Twinkle."  

"You--" she fumed, glared, was matched by Spike with a glare of his own before finally. "Fine." Twilight sighed, breaking eye contact. "I can't go now after all we've seen. I wouldn't be able to sleep."

"Guess that just leaves me, huh?" Rainbow Dash met six sets of eyes and then looked at the dried blood on the stained carpet floor. "I...Ugh, I can't say no to you guys." Perking up she grinned slightly and said, "at least I'll get to tell a good story when we get back."

"About how you fended off a hundred magic arrows with your bare hooves?" the farmer quipped with a smirk.

"Hey! I totally saved us when some started poking out of the gaps!"

"Yeah yeah." The earth pony snorted as she waited for the baby dragon to hop on. "Whatever you say."

So they moved on. The steps no longer echoed, and for awhile they just moved following Twilight as she led the way through the maze. They passed more rooms. Some were destroyed, damaged, and the traps no longer operational. Others had to be deactivated. 

It wasn't long till they reached another set of stairs that went deeper down the castle. Finally they reached a massive gate of which a entrance had been forced open.

"...believe the traps they set are still bloody active! What in Tartarus Gulliver! And you just had to blood step on one dintcha?"

Following the voices towards the pounding noises and open passageway the seven figures peered inside, and would have been right to take a double-take.





A creature. Two of them. Both bipedal. Both bigger than Celestia herself, slammed their glowing green rune marked fists into the metal vault in front of them. The whole thing shook, and when the fist moved back there was a dent in the metal.

"C'mon Obelisk!" A voice barked.

"Their golems, Brutus, they do what we tell them because the boss allowed it and yelling won't do a thing." The calmer voice spoke and upon peeking the owner looked almost canine in appearance except its features were...different. 

He was tall, tall as a Diamond Dog!

So true Pinkie, oh but you left out the details.

Here we go again.

Hush now Applejack! It's rude to interrupt. We all have a say in this now if you don't mind?

It was clear between the two of them the griffon was more equiped for combat. His companion however was not without his own arming. While the griffon wore a faded, tattered jacket that had seen years of use- the other had a unique taste. A belt of fine violet with a gemstone center in the buckle held the tights of brown, yellow-brown pouches decorated the sash he wore atop the dirty white shirt. A sleeve had been torn to act as a bandaid around the slim muscle of an arm. His right ear flicked with gold piercings and his hazel brown eyes narrowed at the griffon shouting at him.  Had circumstances been different Rarity would have said his features were actually quite fetching. The scar across his snout to his cheek may not have helped too much in making him look kinder, but it certainly boosted his roguish charm. And the way those muscles moved--

"HEY!"

Hearts stopped, the pounding continued until the griffon snapped two talon digits and then it slowly ceased.

"Pinkie!" Twilight hissed despite it being too late. "Get back here and hide!"

She ignored these words. "What do you think you're doing here?!" the earth pony demanded with a stomp.

The two looked at each other. The griffon wore armor,  light weight and maneuverable under his tattered open top. There was a insignia of some kind on it. It was gold and red, looked vaguely like a talon.

"We are stealing." The redish orange, bipedal creature stated with slow words but clear wariness. "How did you get past the traps?"

Pinkie's eyes glanced over the two of them. The griffon was reaching for something in its coat, past the armor. The not-a-Diamond-Dog, looked ready to move. Ears perked, she felt no wobbling knees, no shaky limbs or sore or aching or twitching. They were being cautious. That was perfect.

"I think I asked you a question first and I wanted an answer!"

The not-a-canine snorted. "What makes you think we'll tell you?"

Aching knees. She ducked as the griffon's foreleg whirled out of his jacket.

Two metal objects flowed right past her head, one cutting a single strand of pink, severing a single curl.

"Pinkie!" A blur of motion rushed past and zoomed right for the bipedal creature. As Rainbow Dash charged, the griffon barked "back to work Obelisk, open that vault!"

"Oh no you don't!" She curved, aiming straight for the Griffon. He took off, narrowly avoiding collision.

"Gulliver!" The griffon cawed as it ducked behind a pillar, dodging a streak of blue. "Do something you damn fox!"

He held up a hand, and signed the middle finger as he turned his attention to the emerging six.

"OI! YOU FLUFFY RED--" this time he hitched a ride on Rainbow Dash and the two spiralled in a blur. A flurry of limbs as one tried to dominate the other.

Without wasting a beat as the pounding continued, growing more intense with every thud, Gulliver watched the Earth pony with the hat glance at the others, the lavender unicorn nodded and without a word she went off after the griffon and pegasusc trading blows in the air.

They were four now, and a baby dragon. Not to be underestimated if they made it here.

"Why are you here?" The purple one repeated Pinkie's question. "Tell us and maybe the Princess will be lenient when we take you in."

He smiled, it was the confident kind. "Miss, I'm afraid I'd be a dead lad if I allowed you to do that. Dead especially if the boss got me back.  So instead why don't we--" he threw something. Shield raised. It barely managed to catch the shuriken as it soared threw the air and stuck dead into a spot where hler foreleg was. 

By the time her attention had refocused her ears perked at the sound of feet landing behind them. Twilight swiveled to face her opponent, Pinkie beat her to it by throwing-- "Eat this!" a plate of cake went soaring into the air and with deft movements almost like a snake, he dodged, advancing.

"Well well", his eyes swivelled to Pinkie's and there was a glint of interest in those eyes. "An eccentric Earther if I've ever met one." Gulliver felt magic ensnare his clothing. He looked around and saw blue aura around his pants, the tool belt around his torso, the belt with the embedded gem buckle in the center, and the pouch that rested on his side.

As if multiple hands travelled over him, he was disarmed from the surface. Knives, lock picks, a dagger, stiletto, shuriken, orbs of black pulled from his pockets and he was forced to stay still while he was virtually disrobbed.

"There." Rarity smiled, moving his weapons out reach. "Such a charming fellow, it's a shame really."  She tsked. "Perhaps the Princess will be able to turn you around to a better leaf once we've taken you and your friend to the guard."

The griffon proceeded to curse as a lasso was pulled out. The pounding was getting worse. The dents in metal growing deeper.

"Call off your construct Gulliver!" Twilight demanded.

"Oh? I didn't realize we were acquainted" he replied. "You know mine but I don't know yours, how's that fa--" aura ensnared him and he was hefted up into the air. 

"Call them off!" Twilight tried to yell over the pounding. 

"I don't think I will." And on cue there was a defeaning screech sound. A sound that increased as metal groaned, louder and louder as it was tugged on, yanked and pulled.

"Pinkie!"

"You gotcha!" From nowhere a cannon emerged, and with widening surprise Gulliver watched the party planner pull on the string. 

BOOM!

Confetti slammed into one and the compact ball exploded on contact as the juggernaut of stone was knocked to the side. 

"Well", Gulliver muttered from the background as Twilight stared with mouth agape. Her magic nearly fizzling out, till she recalled the dangerous felon behind them, "she must be a blast at parties."

For the first time the party planner grinned at her foe. "And don't you forget it, mister!"

The creature rose, pieces of itself falling away and new pieces crumbling into place to mend the cracks across its back. "Obelisk! Defend!"

"What are you doing?! Attack! Kill 'em so we can make this easier, no witnesses!" on his hind legs the griffon yanked on the rope on his talon, waited for the pull, flew with it when it came and then deftly whirled over the pegasus projectile while lashing a flank as he careened over the pegasus projectile with the farmer's rope. 

The yelp and glare that came from the unruly spanking was enough to make Brutus' crest feathers raise in smug satisfaction.

"Kill 'em!" the griffon cried. "Kill 'em Obelisk!"

Green runes and glowing green eyes burned brighter. The monster roared a unholy scream as it left its companion to continue ripping off the vault's door which was slowly coming undone. 

"Overwrite command, Obelisk! Capture them!"

The stone beast slowed its charge and now circled around them. 

"I think this is where we bid adieu miss?"

"Twilight" she replied her eyes on the golem. "Wait, what do you mean--" she turned to see and that's when she saw the glowing gem in his belt matching the color of her aura and Rarity's. 

A pulse emitted from the belt, spreading outward like a wave and immediately Twilight found herself dazed, her control slipping as the beast took that moment to charge them. One hoof wrapping around her as Pinkie hauled her up and moved out of the way, Fluttershy lifting Rarity to the air with Spike holding on as their magic fizzled out and the fox landed gently to the ground. 

"Keep them busy." He instructed. "Brutus, you about done?" He called out, moving towards his askew items and grabbing one of the small black orbs that had been held in Rarity's magic.

"In a bit--" He was cut off by the forceful pull closer.

A light caught the corner of his eye and with practiced movement and quick feet the fox made a unnecessary move to avoid fire that was never aimed at him at all.

For a second, Gulliver paused and let his eyes look the fearful dragon in the eye. Then, he turned to the construct and said: "Capture them if possible. Detain them, if not. Make sure they don't die." 

His eyes locked on Twilight. And before Pinkie could make a move to try and do anything, a defeaning screech roared as metal was ripped out of wall and flung aside. 

Paralyzed from the sound, everyone recovered, and that's when the shadow getting bigger became visible as the five yelled and tried to get out of the way-- Twilight's horn sputtered, trying to teleport away as many in her magic as she could, trying to push herself beyond the limits of two passengers only for her head to ache and send sparks, the incoming collision with a vault door coming right at them--

Immediately Applejack and Rainbow Dash turned, their eyes widened, and they gave Brutus the opening he'd been looking for.

Before it even happened, Twilight cracked an eye open, and that's when she saw brown stone hands holding the metal door a good foot away from all their heads.

Wordlessly, the construct lifted the metal door, tossed it farther away and down the exit where it rolled out of sight, then moved to try and grab Pinkie.

The blue blur that slammed into its chest and threw off its centermass caused it to lose its balance completely and stumble several steps to the side and into  a wall with a crack.

"Are you guys okay?!" the Pegasus was in front of them in a second and in that moment Fluttershy gasped.

"You're hurt!"

"I'm fine! Is anyone hurt?"

"Just a minor headache dear" Rarity quietly informed.

"Spike?"

"F-Fine, frazzled, but fine."

Rainbow Dash breathed in deeply. She ignored the sting on her cheek where the griffon's dagger had cut her, ignored the aches on her body and exhaled. 

"Where's Applejack?"

Hooves clipped behind them and the mare moved forward with small cuts peppering her forelegs, one on her shoulder and a slight limp in her gait. "Here." She smiled lightly. "Just a little scratched up."

"Well ladies, and young dragon." The deep voice drew their attention. 

The griffon landed beside the fox, eyeing him with a sour look on his avian features, yellow and white crest feathers raising, right forelimb gingerly massaging his side underneath the left wing 

"It's been a pleasure." In each hand, six different gems. But they were gems like Rarity had never seen.

The cut, the form, the shape...so-- so--

Complex. They were...perfect

I agree Pinkie. And you should take her word for it Princess. She grew up in a rock farm. Crafting and shaping rocks into various other minerals was their job.

It was like looking at the most perfect diamond or quartz, ruby or sapphire I would ever see in my entire life. And...I'll be honest with you, I couldn't help but start--

"Rarity?" Spike's voice held concern, his eyes flicking to the gems in the grasp of the fox, hanging off pendants linked by chain. "What's wrong?"

She felt the tear get brushed away on her right cheek. When she blinked, reason returned and for reasons she couldn't understand, she couldn't stop the tears. Nor did she understand why she was crying.

"Pinkie you too?" Applejack asked in similar bewilderment. 

"I-- they're--" the party planner choked, and while the griffon took one of the gems to look at, the fox eyed the enemy. Just as curious about the strange reactions as the friends were surprised.

"You arse!" He swung a closed claw at the fox and he took the blow to his ribs with nothing but a grimace. "What in Tartarus is the matter with you!? We have the magic Stones--"

"They're not stones. You and I both know that, get your crap together Brutus."

A second swing was missed as feathers fluffed from fury. "Give me one reason why I don't stick it to ya right here and give you a limp like her!" he pointed a talon claw at the cowpony. "No. WITNESSES!" The dirt white griffon yelled. "Kill 'em! You gone soft?! Knew you were a good thief but killing to much for a fox?"

Gulliver sighed a patient sigh. "We're wasting time."

The griffon pulled out his dagger. "Right we are! Obelisk--"

"Will not be killing anyone."

"Guys", Rainbow Dash whispered. "Now's our chance! While their busy arguing let's grab that jewelry and--"

"It's not like that!" Pinkie's outburst caused the whole room to go silent. She was still crying, Rainbow Dash's stunned surprise gave way to concern. "Pinkie?"

"What's wrong with you two?" Applejack asked, clearly perplexed. "And why are you still staring at those gemstones?!"

"It might be magic." Twilight whispered, just as confused. "I can feel it from here." She shivered. Powerful magic. So powerful it made her skin tingle underneath her coat and made some of the hairs raise.

"It's definitely magic." 

"Well snap out of it!" Dash chided. "We've got one chance to--"

"That's it-- Pillar, kill these seven now!"

The other construct with green glowing runes and glowing green eyes, turned, looked at the seven, and took a step forward. 

"Overwrite commands--!" The griffon felt a hand wrap around his dove like beak and clamp it shut. 

"--do not kill them." The construct stood down at Gulliver's command and in that same instant, Gulliver's hand was smacked away and he was tackled to the ground. The gems went with him and in that instant, Pinkie and Rarity moved before anypony else could.

"THE BLAZES IS WRONG WITH YOU, YOU IJIOT?! NO WITNESSES!" He pressed the fox into the ground and pulled out his blade, digging it just above the shoulder. "You gone soft on me all of a sudden tod?! I oughtta--"

They watched companion flip companion. Back on his feet Twilight and the others watched Gulliver look around, eyes moving around left and right. And that's when his eyes locked onto something between them.

Three gems. Red, blue, green.

Ears perked, hooves pounded. 

Gulliver performed a powerful leap to grab one chain, tried to grab two of the others as he turned his leap into a cartwheel-- met magenta eyes as she came at him with a wicked grin plastered on the owner's muzzle. 

They were seconds from impact, if the hit landed his ribs would certainly suffer some damage and that would only make moving harder.

The fox scowled, a glowing green rune appeared on his forehead faster than an eye blink, then, he vanished. 

Rainbow Dash, stunned, almost didn't register the shadow of a hand as it came down towards her. Twitch of the tail and adjustment of the wings and she jerked into a tight J-turn, running up the construct's arm and shooting past his shoulder. The wind from a back swing nearly threw her off, but when she spun back into control she was over the others by several feat. 

Immediately she saw the fox rushing towards Rarity who was still stunned from seeing the unique magical display.

"He's coming, move!"

The cry kicked Rarity into motion, she looked left and right and then took off at a run away from Gulliver while Brutus took to the air. 

"Idiot" the fox hissed, as he gave chase. "You can't kill any of them!"

"And why the bloody hell not!" Rarity felt the adrenaline increase her gallop as she the fox gained pace, somepony called to her.

"Rares!" She met green eyes, saw the baby dragon nod, tossed it.

Gulliver leaped with a snarl in the direction of the red and blue gems in the silver pendants he had stashed them in, his fingers missed the chains by centimeters.

"Got it!" Spike cried and that's when Applejack made for the exit.

"BECAUSE", clear fustration as he lay on the ground and slammed a palm to get back up "the unicorn with the pink highlights is the SOLAR GODDESS' PROTEGE, YOU BIRDBRAINED BRUTE!" 

Twilight stumbled as she ran. 'How did he know?' was what had went through her mind.

"OBELISK!" Gulliver's desperate cry shouted. "The exit, block it!"

Applejack scrambled out of the way as a juggernaut, bulldozed past her with blinding speed for its size, and spread its arms out as it blocked the only exit outside.

"Get the Elements!" 

With a cry Spike ducked as a hand swooped towards them. Applejack ran for all she was worth, powerful legs moving away. Adrenaline numbed her pains, earth pony endurance strengthened her resolve-- she ran from their attacker as he leaned forward but kept to the exit as a blockade.

The griffon tucked his wings in and landed in front of them, just as Applejack was about to turn, she something trip her leg, she tumbled and with Spike on her back the baby dragon was thrown clean off.

"Ahhhhhhh!" 

"Gimme that you little runt!" The talons swipped at empty air as the baby dragon was pulled away in blue aura, the griffon squakwed in alarm as a telekinetic wall went straight for him.

"You idiot!" Gulliver shouted. "I refuse to go back with only four of the Elements! We are taking them all or we don't go back at all. She will kill me, us, if we don't! What were you thinking!" Despite giving chase, Gulliver managed to shout his thoughts as he chased after Spike who was being carried away by Rarity. Switching tactics when Fluttershy flew by and snapped him up only to have blades thrown at her. At the same time the fox dodged magical blasts, ducked under firecrackers tossed by Pinkie and avoided ariel assaults that came from Rainbow Dash who drifted by with an pendant out of reach.

"Shut up!" Brutus snarled, turning and shooting after Rainbow Dash. "Pillar, with me." 

The pegasus turned and immediately began to avoid the griffon and his big and stoney friend.

"Use your damn magic you ijiot! Circe's Gem! Use it!" Brutus cried.

A crack sounded as Applejack winced and bucked at the stone creature, shattering an entire arm up to the elbow as it reached out to grab her.

"It can only be used once every half hour! It needs time to recharge you fool! Draining my reserves screws us if I can't get us out of here later!"

"Roc's bloody talons!" Brutus swore as Dash got a hit in. "Give me that pendant, filly!"

"I'm 22!"

"That's what the first broad I slept with said and she was 16!"

Frustrated, magic runes appeared around Gulliver's forehead, the same green glow and in a blink of lime green light, he was in front of Rarity. He jumped on Spike, stole the pendant by its chain, then chucked the dragon randomly into the air like a ball just as he ominously took a deep breathe.

"Got one!" Orchid aura tugged on an arm. "Let go!"

"No! Not until we bring you and stop you from taking these 'elements', you keep calling them!"

Gulliver smiled. "I'll tell you what. How 'bout no?" He threw a shuriken and it went flying clean away from the unicorn just as magic laced it in a glow.

"Got it!"

"Let me go!" Rainbow Dash thrashed in the golem's grasp. Biting and trying to gnaw her way free. Brutus landed at the open palm of the golem's waiting free arm, grinning as he held the blue gem and its pendant by a chain.  

"Game over protege", Brutus smirked. "Let go of my fluffy red ijiot companion over there, and I'll let go of your friend."

The room had went silent. Applejack who abandoned her confrontation to catch Spike, stopped. Rarity who had lifted multiple pieces of stone from the first construct was no longer pelting them. Fluttershy who was hovering in the air, stared back through one eye.

"You lose. Let us go, we'll let you go."

Twilight felt the sweat build. She felt a tug as Gulliver pulled back but didn't feel him try to move any further when she tightened her field around his arm and the three gems he'd wrapped around it with the chains of each pendant.

"No." Dash said. "Don't do it! Whatever those things are the Princess, AH!" 

"Quiet you!" Brutus snapped as he signed for the construct to squeeze. 

"STOP!" 

The griffon smirked in derision. He turned to the most useless member of the group and then watched as she shook with what he mistook for delicious fear.

"You've been nothing but cruel and mean! Now I'll ask you nicely once!" The eye narrowed, "let. My. Friend. Go. NOW!"

"Or what?" he pulled out a blade, twirled it and tapped it against a cheek as Rainbow Dash went still and scowled. 

"Brutus!" Gulliver warned. The griffon smirked back. Looked back to the widened frightened eye and found such satisfaction in seeing the stupid pegasus get put in her place.

"What could you possibly do? Huh, little pegasus." He traced the tip along the cut on Dash's cheek.  "You going to cry? Ya've done nothing else but cower so far so it sure as Tartarus...wouldn't...surprise...me..."

A single head flip. Two emerald eyes. One glare. Absolute stillness took control.

Brutus trailed off, eyes ensnared by the strange and bizarre look. His muscles twitched. He couldn't move. He could only stare. Muscles locked tight like a jolt of static had been sent through him and he found his body relaxing, freezing, unwilling to disobey that cold, reprimanding gaze.

"Twilight", Fluttershy didn't break eye contact. "Hurry."

And that's when the smoke bombs sounded and Gulliver moved quickly up to the twitching griffon's grimacing side. "Enough's enough. I bid you adieu."

...and then they were gone. The golems, Brutus and Gulliver. The magic crystals Gulliver called 'the Elements'.

They just vanished in the smoke. We looked around the castle for hours. But eventually, we gave up. They were gone. 

And after all of that? I sent a letter to the Princess, and on that very night- we had a wing chariot escort the seven of us to Canterlot.

All of us had questions. Just like you, Empress. And we wanted answers.
> Ch 2: Start With The Elements (Part 2)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

We were confused. It didn't take much to figure out that whatever had been stolen from the castle had been important. We just didn't know how important. 

As we combed through the other rooms in search of Gulliver and his friend, we found out pretty quickly that the only treasure that had been stolen was what Gulliver had referred to as the 'Elements'. Maybe it was intentional, maybe it was because they weren't expecting six mares and a baby dragon to bust their heist? Point is, the only thing they got away with was those gemstones and after spending what I'm pretty sure was an hour or two searching the castle we started to see that they were probably long gone.

So we gave up. Twilight and Spike decided to head straight back to the library to see if they could find anything about the thing that jerk and Gulliver stole. Meanwhile Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy and I went to Ponyville General to get ourselves checked out while Pinkie rushed back to help the Cakes with the late afternoon rush.

"I just don't get it Spike!" Twilight groaned in frustration as she dropped yet another book into a growing pile of failed discovieries. "There's nothing here! Nothing! How can there be nothing about these magic crystals called 'the Elements'? There's more history about Princess Celestia, and when she was still around, Princess Luna, that couldn't even fit one volume and there's not a single thing on anything like 'elements' outside of Bode Well's periodic table, mentioned once in any of the history books I have or magical theory documentations I can find anywhere!"

"Maybe that's cause no one knew about them?" the young baby dragon tried helpfully, though with a hint of sarcasm laced in the suggestion as he grunted in closing one of the tombs he'd been hunched over.

Another hair joined the rest of its kind in the mess that was Twilight's frazzled mane.

"Don't be silly, Spike" the unicorn snapped back. "How could the Princess or Princess Luna hide something when it was accessible to the Castellan? Constable Heartful Effort was still alive during and after the Invasion of Everfree. He led the defense against the Shrouded Legion, and he later published his son published his journal entries on the events of the attack on the castle: the disappearance of Princess Luna and had detailed listings of everything the treasury had were all there! There's no way he wouldn't have known or at least mentioned it!"

"Okay! Okay! I get it. Take it easy, I'm just as frustrated." 

Ears pinned back and the straight posture, glare and scowl faded away with exhaustion as she slumped over the coffee table. Twilight let out a tired sigh. "I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that Spike. I'm just so frustrated we can't find anything, and I'm scared of what the Princess might say to us. Forgive me?"

Claws drummed at the wood of a desk and for a few seconds that stretched into a minute, Spike's silence started to cause her vision to blur. Somehow, he must have sensed it because when she felt like she was going to break, he let out that understanding sigh, walked over, and gave her a hug that smoothed over tense nerves. "You're not the only one who's worried you know?" he said morosely. "I'm worried to and I'm sure the others are at least a little concerned also."

She sniffed and leaned in. "I know...I'm sorry." The hug tightened and she returned it with her own. "Thanks." 

"Anytime...so, what now?"

Twilight let out a long exasperated sigh as she looked around her, books, scrolls, scholarly articles, and binders of everything related to magical artifacts or historic mentioned items surrounded them in heaps, stacks and piles. After a minute of frowning and staring in silence she shook her head slowly then tightened her embrace on the baby dragon next to her. 

"Take a letter Spike, we need to message the Princess."

So I sent the message and in less than half an hour the Princess responded. She told me to gather my friends and that she would be meeting us personally at the library.

In truth, I wasn't sure what she'd say when she found out. I was worried she'd be upset or angry. None of us really knew how she'd react.





Pacing.

Applejack went in a straight line, up and down across the library. She went from the social science section all the way down, came back up to the main hall where the librarian's desk was located, and then went straight to the literature section across from it, disappearing from view as she went down that path then popped back up just to glance at the time.

Whenever a minute went by she would nicker her frustration with a series of tongue clicks, a single tail whip to show just how frustrated she was getting then she would continue pacing without saying a single word.

The minutes became longer and the unspoken tension settled more.

Twilight forced herself to stay busy by reading or trying to, then every few minutes would take a nervous glance at the clock just to bite her bottom lip, shift her sitting position then shift it back to the way it was before in a repeated cycle of anxiety.

Fluttershy sipped tea in silence, glancing at her companions with a single eye peeking out behind pink mane. Her frown visible but as usual, silent.

Rarity sat on a cushion, busying herself with designs that existed only in her mind. Edits and altercation, touch-ups and changes were made or in some cases entire dresses were scrapped. While in the background, above her, sitting in an open window and leaning on the frame was Rainbow Dash who had been keeping an  eye out but after a time, grew tired of  that so was now just 'trying to relax till the Princess arrived'.

It was now settling into night in Ponyville, the last rays of sun fading over the horizon and as everyone waited, Spike brought out a tray of tea for Rarity as had been kindly requested when it became apparent waiting would imply 'a while.'

"I don't get it." Applejack mumbled as she looked at the time for the sixteenth time. "Why isn't the Princess here yet? I thought she'd be here immediately after you sent that letter Twilight."

The unicorn in question spared a glance at Applejack before she turned her attention back to the clock hanging on the wall. "We just need to be patient." Twilight simply replied. "There's nothing we can do if the Princess is busy."

Grumbling, the farmer nodded her agreement. Even if she did have a gut instinct feeling that something about this whole thing wasn't right she wasn't about to complain on the monarch of their nation being late when there were probably a hundred other things to take care of.

"Why don't you take a seat, hm Applejack? Surely you don't intend to walk around the library till the Princess arrives do you?"

"I'm fine", came the reply. "Just don't see how the rest of y'all 'cept for Twilight over there can act so calm."

"Baking is always a good way to ease nerves!" came Pinkie's reply from the kitchen. "Besides", she stated as she exited and took a cushion across Twilight and chomped into three cupcakes in one go, "I'm starving! I missed lunch after all that running we did."

"Sorry about that", Twilight smiled weakly. "I...if I'd known things would have gone the way they did I wouldn't have--"

"Up-bup-bup!" the party planner silenced with a hoof pressing Twilight's lips together. "No apologies!"

"Bmh--" she jerked her head back and continued, "it's my fault Rainbow Dash and Applejack got hurt in the first--"

"No apologies!" Pinkie repeated louder, then with a critical eye at Twilight she opened her mouth to repeat the chant as soon as the unicorn across from her opened hers. This repeated till finally Twilight just gave in.

"Fine", Twilight huffed with a pout. "Be that way."

"Gladly!" was the chipper reply.

"Ain't the first time I suffered a few cuts or scrapes myself, sugarcube." Applejack chimmed in with a grin as Pinkie dug back into her meal. "Sides, we're all alright, Nurse Redheart took care of Dash and I real quick. Nothing but a few cuts and a bruise or two."

"But that's the problem!" a quick glance and a glow of her horn hit Pinkie with a quiet spell, just as the other young mare opened her mouth. "If it weren't for me asking you all to join and help none of this would have happened! You wouldn't have had to put yourselves in danger like this and--"

"You would have been the only one in danger, right Twilight?"

The room went silent at Fluttershy's proclamation. Frowning with a glow of her horn the spell on the party planner faded. "I don't think things would have gone any better if you had gone alone...and I'd rather not think about what",Fluttershy paused, breathed in deeply then let it out, "Brutus would have done if it was just one pony."

"I doubt he would've done anything."

The whole group looked towards the windowsill at the pegasus who yawned and scratched the bandage on her cheek. Wincing as she pulled her hoof away she shrugged, "I get the sense that Gulliver guy would've fought him personally to avoid any of us getting seriously hurt."

"And what makes you say that?" Spike asked with as raised a brow a dragon could possess.

"He knew Twilight." 

That got everyone's attention in Pinkie Pie's direction. The party planner had stopped eating and was now staring at her hooves with a small smile. "He knew who you were Twilight, and he wasn't willing to hurt us anyway."

Frustratingly Twilight rubbed a temple. "I know. I was there, what I don't get is how did he know?"

"Wellll, it's not exactly a well kept secret." 

"But it's not made public knowledge either." Twilight frowned at Pinkie. "The only reason you all knew was because you were all part of the festival's prep crew and were informed ahead of time by Mayor Mare that I would be arriving to manage the festival's progress and make sure everything went smoothly. If it weren't for that I'm pretty sure you wouldn't have known at all."

"That's...", the argument walked off and Rainbow Dash found she had nothing to say to that. "Huh...well when you put it that way that's..."

"Kind of disturbing", Spike supplied.

"But Twilight you can't possible be telling us that the Princess keeps it a secret of who her students are, are you?" Rarity asked. "If I recall correctly in fifth primary year, both Princesses Luna and Celestia's students participated in the siege of Everfree. Capella and Horizon Light were both present when Constable Effort took charge during the princesses absence. His son was there also."

"That was then though, this is now." Rainbow Dash interjected. "Things are way different from back then."

"She does have a point", Fluttershy quietly added.

"'Hiding her students' isn't the right way to put it--"

"Though it's true?" Applejack's brow quirked up.

"No", was the defensive response. "It's not about hiding us from the public. Every student that takes tutelage under the Crown has the freedom to choose how far its known they are being trained under the Princess. Sunset Shimmer and Starlight Glimmer--"

"Twins?" Pinkie perked up.

"No, but I thought so the first time don't worry. As I was saying, every student under the Princess has some say in how much of the public hears about them. It's not some secret the princess is desperately trying to keep. Sunset liked the attention, Starlight didn't really mind it, and well, I was okay with ponies knowing...I thought I might even make some friends just as long as it didn't turn into a big deal... " the dour expression said more than she could.

Welcoming the hoof rubbing circles on her back Twilight relaxed a little. "Thanks Fluttershy."

The pegasus smiled, "Anytime."

"I think I hear them", Rainbow Dash turned both ears and head to the sound of wings in the distance. "I think it's them!"

And just like that the tension was back. "What?!"

"O-Oh dear..."





There was a scramble to make everything tidy. Books, scrolls, pillows, chairs, cushions were all adjusted in a rush.

Though it was not enough time to fix the frazzled mane.

"Princess", the six said in unison, all of them dropping to bow as the guards opened the door and the princess ducked inside.

"My faithful student", the Princess smiled with a cursory eye over the others before her eyes returned to Twilight and Spike with a cheerful expression. "Rise my ponies," and as they did she continued, "I apologize for keeping you waiting. The Night Court had unexpected visitors before closing that I had to attend to before rushing over. Now, what is this urgent news relating to the castle you discovered?"

Which was when Applejack's jaw dropped, a sight that did not go unnoticed. "Um, is there something wrong Miss..."

"Applejack" Spike helpfully whispered.

"Miss Applejack, you seem, tense?"

Shaken from her stupor the farmer offered an apologetic smile that quickly turned into a glare shot Twilight's way. "Forgive me Princess", she responded with her manners demanding eye contact be made with the monarch, "it's just that. Twilight here said she'd informed you of the reason we needed an urgent summons to talk to you. I thought", she shot the fidgetting pony a glance that got as many confused looks from the others, "she had but it seems I was mistaken."

Multiple eyes looked to a fidgetting and gaze avoiding Twilight who suddenly found the floor more interesting to look at.

"Twilight", the Princess couldn't help but crack a frown briefly at the flinch she saw, "what is this about? Your letter said you found something that disturbed you greatly when you all investigated the archives but..." the pause widened. Twilight felt the lump rise in her throat. Her eyes looked up and with horror she saw her mentor, the savior, her hero studying them with careful eyes for the first time. 

She took note of the bandage on the cyan pegasus, the wrapped gauze on the farmer's forelegs, the hastily patted down mane of Twilight's that had more than a few strands of hair sticking out of place; signs of stress and then her eyes fell on Spike.

Spike whose claws tapped away in a familiar tic at the scales of his tail.

"... Something happened...didn't it?"  the chill that filled the room and the noticeable silence almost made her whimper with guilt.

"I- I'm sorry." Twilight whispered and huddled into herself, staring at the ground and tail tucked in as she desperately tried to make herself smaller. "It-- we weren't able to-- I tried--" the tears were building up again. Her vision was blurring, her throat felt to hot, everything felt too hot all of a sudden and the chill that travelled up her bones was suffocating.

I felt like it was my fault.  Sometimes, I still do.

Twilight--

 No. We should have turned back the moment we found the second room destroyed and evidence of trespassing. There was no reason we should have continued no matter how many times we tell ourselves otherwise. Sure, everything turned out fine in the end...but still...if it weren't for Gulliver...

Maybe I could have teleported back in time, gotten a letter out faster and alerted the Solar Guard sooner.  Maybe we might've been able to catch them in time...but...I hesitated. I was scared. So I asked Spike to omit things--

No, you don't get it Nightmare Moon. You probably never could with what the legends say about Princess Luna and  Princess Celestia facing off against monsters from the Everfree and all sorts of obstacles...and um, you, if you'll excuse me saying, by extension: you.  This was...different. Not fright from the situation, not scared about the previous events, it was feeling like I failed the Princess. I don't like to feel I've let somepony-- someone down when I could have been able to help it if possible. It's like eating something sour and having the taste cling to your mouth.

With the Princess, I... I was terrified of failing her. It was a nightmare that haunted my dreams after the first week of school in the Gifted, and it didn't help I got a lot more attention when a former friend I thought I could trust let it slip to her friends that I was taking extensive tutelage under royalty.

Maybe a thousand years ago it wasn't as big a deal because of the number of nobles back then, but the nobility aren't as large as they are like they were before. Especially since some sided with...with him even after he... I just... I was scared Empress. I thought confronting her face to face would be easier but, I was wrong. Because a lesson I would learn much later, is that  the Princess-- and even you, you both have this...atmosphere about you. Princess Luna most likely had it also.  I'm willing to bet even Queen Chrysalis has it with how dedicated her changelings are to her.

It's not something a normal sapient with a normal magic system can sense. But it's there and it does two basic things. 

It can either make you wary; like how we all slighted you by bringing the Elements, or it can blind you or those around you; my friends weren't affected by it nor was my family when I Changed, but most ponies...well, after the change I got a lot more hggattention than I ever did as either the Princess' student or a regular unicorn. It's like a magnet based off attention but that's as far as I can understand about it.

It's one of the theories I have on why so many were able to follow Overcast when he attempted to seize power.  It wasn't just herd instinct taking over when the Princess was gone and the various figures started bickering bitterly over the throne. It was more than that.

And it's one of the reasons I was so scared of the nicest, most patient mentor I'd ever had in that moment.





She was shivering, shaking. She was enveloped in white.

"You have nothing to apologize for Twilight. You could not have known," the warm voice whispered softly. "It was my mistake to have not sent guards with you and your friends when I felt old spells breaking and could not trace the source. I should never have assumed. I..." she couldn't see it with how tight she was up against the Princess with the massive wing enveloping her, but she could envision the pained frown. "I made a mistake", disappointment clear in those words "and for that", the Princess looked up and met each eye, "I am sorry."

The silence that followed was humbling. Each and every individual with their own thoughts on the situation and matter. Finally, Pinkie broke through.

"So what do we do now?"

The next pause to follow it was almost as long as the last. The princess said not a word. Her eyes looked between the six mares and baby dragon, rolling thoughts through her head and to the rest it was clear she was formulating a solution; as she always had done.

"You said", the words were slow coming, "Gulliver, was the one who called the artifacts stolen from the treasury the 'Elements'?"

"Yes" was the reply.

Ears sagged for the first time and a wave of nervousness passed over the others upon seeing it.

"I-Is there something wrong Princess?" Fluttershy politely asked.

There was another pause, this one almost just as bad. As the seconds ticked and the obvious answer became clear in each passing tick, Twilight slipped free of her hiding spot beside the Princess and with familiar motion drew Spike close as they all waited to see what was on her mind. 

"No", she finally answered with an accompanied heavy sigh. "It was only a matter of time I suppose. And after risking your lives to stop them, the least you deserve is to know what you all risked yourselves for."

With a sad smile and horn glowing- the Princess's horn ignited and in a glow of light the six gems they'd seen appeared. Orbiting around them all the six gems moved in slow orbits around each of them as the Princess began her explanation.

"We called them the Elements of Harmony. Magical artifacts we discovered a long time ago during Discord's reign. They are powerful artifacts, with magic not even we can begin to understand and they are-- were, the only way we could end his reign.  No magic we used could touch him, no spell we casted could harm him, no rune created could be assigned to subdue him. For all his boasting, for all his taunting... Discord was a being of great power. And when angered, genuinely angered", the shiver alone that went through her caused the same shiver to go through all of them. "Words do not begin to describe just how truly lucky we all were to be spared his power for destruction."

"Princess", she turned to look at the young dragon she'd taken as her own, "you said 'we', do you mean perhaps--"

"Yes", came the gentle whisper, so gentle yet so strong with emotion no matter how hushed it was. "I mean my sister", she smiled sadly, "Princess Luna."

"The Elements of Harmony are how we defeated Discord and brought peace to the world. Though the world was not truly at peace after his reign came to an end, it would take us centuries, millenia to fix the problems that had been brought to the surface under his control."

"I don't understand", Twilight stated. "How come we've never heard of them? There should have been records, paintings, drawings, art or tapestries- something about the Elements! But there's nothing, Princess, why? Why would you and Princess Luna hide something so important?"

The etheral mane billowed slowly in non-existent wind and as the Princess looked at each passing gem, she was lost in thought for a time of seconds before she closed her eyes and responded "because Equestria was not ready to know." she said quietly.

"The world was not ready to know at such the frail state it was in at the time. Back then it was our only option. In those times of civilizations falling, unrest settling, disharmony rising--

"--led to the appearance of alicorns emerging to help to those that needed it, when all seemed hopelessly lost." Applejack, Pinkie and the Princess said together as one.

"The legends were true", the farmer said in a aghast whisper as her eyes widened. "All those foal tales of alicorns appearing out of nowhere to aid the lost, broken or desperate in the darkest hour were telling the truth."

"You really did come to save Equestria", Pinkie stared with a wide eyes and awe.

The princess only smiled and said nothing more. That is till--

"But that still doesn't make sense." Twilight's frustrated voice broke the mystic stupor. "Why would you hide the Elements if they were so important?"

The Princess sighed, and Twilight couldn't help but feel a pinch of guilt at having caused that smile to fade.

"In those times Luna and I feared what would happen if the world knew the truth. Equestria was given it's peace for a period of time because we were the ones who stopped the Fallen Prince, not because of our power to lift sun and moon. In ancient times wars were still fought between the three tribes despite the propagated belief unicorns were the only ones that ensured the cycle of life continued. Whether that was true or not, matters little now. The reason Equestria was left in peace for a time was because of the sheer distability that effected the globe even after Discord's reign ended, and as such it was our fear in those desperate times that others would hunt after them Elements if they knew the truth. We had to hide them, keep them a secret. For fear of desperation bringing something just as bad as the Age of Chaos."

"Wait--" Fluttershy's voice cut in as her ears splayed and fear kicked in, "d-d-does that mean those two have--"

"Oh buck!"  Rainbow Dash shouted, "they just stole the most powerful artifacts in Equestria!"

A small chuckle cut through the growing panic before it boiled over into a full freak out.

"P-Princess?" Rarity asked in stammered nervousness, "may I ask what is so funny?"

"While I am concerned of the loss of the Elements, I am certain our thieves will have no way to use them. At least...at least till they reach the one who hired them."

"And why's that?" Pinkie asked.

"The Elements will not work for just anyone. They have..." she paused as if searching for the right word to phrase this, "limits on who may weild their power. Alone, they cannot do much. Together however, when all six are active, that is where their true power shines. And..." she smiled as her eyes fell on the designer and party planner. "I believe you have already found two of the owners to them already."

"We have?"

Smiling at the baker the Princess gave a confirming nod. When her only reaction was worried silence the smile widened just a little and she leaned in and whispered, "I believe it's you."

"WHAT?!"

"You said it yourself in your retelling." Turning to Rarity she said, "you, Miss Rarity saw the Elements as perfect gems, the most beautiful gems you'd ever seen that could outshine the Sun itself, did you not?"

Dumbly she nodded.

"And you Miss Pie", now eyeing the bubblegum pink mare, "you saw the Elements in a similar light did you not? You said if put on a cake they'd be the brightest candle in the world?"

"Oh absolutely, Princess!"

"And the rest of you?"

Applejack rubbed the back of her neck, Spike said nothing, Fluttershy traced a circle with her hoof and Rainbow Dash frowned with a shake of her head.

"The Elements do not show themselves to anyone. They reveal themselves in their own unique ways to those that have the potential to weild their power. It is the same thing Luna and I experienced when we weilded them. While to others there may be sense of understanding they are powerful, only those who are truly worthy of using them will see them for what they are in their own unique way."

"I felt...something", all eyes turned to look at Twilight. She smiled sheepishly.

"Continue", the Princess insisted.

"Well", she sniffed to clear her throat and then smiled apologetically- the Princess either didn't care or notice as they all waited. "Well I um, I  felt magic from them. Strong magic", she shivered at the memory. "It was so strong but so faint at the same time but just the feeling of it alone sent shivers through me. Is that...does that mean...  Princess?"

Celestia had closed her eyes and the smile she'd been holding was now gone. In it's place a solemn expression. She didn't say a word, but it was clear hearing Twilight's answer and both the confirmation of the others had made the Princess weigh the situation in.

"If I ordered you all to follow the trail of these thieves and retrieve the Elements with the support of the Guard,  would you refuse?"

Silence.

"I'm sorry Princess but could you uh, repeat that?"

"I believe you heard me quite clearly Miss Apple. If I requested you follow the lead to retrieve the Elements, would you?" she repeated. Then met several sets of surprised or stunned eyes. "Would you be willing to put yourselves in danger, this time with help, to retrieve the most powerful artifacts of our nation?"

I'll be honest here, I was scared for you girls when the Princess said that.

The seconds that ticked by were agonizing. No one said a word. Not at first, not immediately.

Till Pinkie broke the silence with: "So, like a roadtrip, right?"

Which based on the reaction from the Princess, just as easily as it threw everyone else out of the austere tension that settled with the question.

"I-- Pinkie this is serious!" Twilight yelled.

"I know." was the first serious tone (but not the last) Twilight had ever heard from the eccentric mare. "But", and she smiled, "we'll be together and I know we'll be able to handle anything. Even if the Princess says we don't have to, I know we can."

"But", and Fluttershy looked around, "how?"

"Yes, Pinkie, darling this is a very dangerous situation we'd be going into. Not just a one time thing. We'd be gone for...who knows how long to get the Elements back. What makes you so certain we or even you could handle something like this when we have no experience?"

The smile got bigger. "Because we handled a dangerous castle, a mean griffon mercenary, a thief, and two golems on our first ever mission. And we did that together", she touched the hoof of the shy mare then met every eye in the room before resting on the monarch's. "We came back with a litte scratches sure, but our friendship came back stronger than before. And for our first mission ever, even if it wasn't an official one," she grinned "I think we did AWESOME!" and as she jumped steamers and confetti flew into the air.

"So", the party planner turned to face Celestia and said "I'm going, but" she looked at the others and Pinkie's smile became hopeful "I can't do it alone, and I can't do it without my friends."

There was no movement. No agreement. Pinkie kept her smile hopeful the entire time though, even as expressions changed as final decisions were made.

And one-by-one we each came to our decision.

"We'll do it."

Princess Celestia smiled. "Thank you my little ponies."

 And that's how our journey started on an air ship to chase down the Elements brought us all the way out to Southern Equestria.
> Ch 3: Start With The Elements (Part 3)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Close Call was a  pegasus stallion with a periwinkle coat in color, a dark green mane just a few values from black and was on the built side for a cruise hosting captain. Seeing over the docking process and ensuring the ship's fuel was being restocked, something in the distance caught his eye as it approached the airship docking stations of the capital of Equestria. Moving through the flow of traffic, six mares and one baby dragon were followed by an assembly of their assigned security as they waded through the crowd of passengers hurrying towards their destinations, to and fro.

It was from his high disposition on the ladder to the ships main deck that the above average sized pegasus spotted the thing that had caught his eye. Among Canterlot's citizens he had never seen a level of pink so vibrant, nor one that trotted with such pip in every step. Oh sure, he spotted the disapproving glances, the judgemental eyes that quickly turned the other cheek upon seeing the Princess' favorite trotting alongside her. But whether the pony herself noticed these disapproving glances or was aware of them at all, hardly seemed to be a concern on her list.

The group of seven plus added company, moved across the sea towards his ship and as they moved Pinkie was certain she'd caught sight of the smile aimed her way.

Upon seeing the group approaching his ship the captain eyed them warily then began the most nonsensical form of idle banter anyone had ever heard a captain say to seafaring customers once he touched wooden planks and came to ground level with his future passengers.

"You get that goose, or we still lookin'?"

It was Pinkie who took a step forward, her eyes narrowing at the stallion as she approached. Ponies passed by the group in two lines heading in different directions; those boarding and those leaving. Despite the hussle and bustle of Canterlot on an afternoon, there were many who passed the group without a glance. Pinkie however only had eyes for one.

Marching right up to the stallion, her eyes narrowing, she replied: "The quack keeps quacking and the whole neighborhood can't sleep because of it! It's madness! You wouldn't believe it!"

The stallion eyed the mare, passed a cursory glance at the dozen and then some mares and stallions around them that wore no armor but carried baggage with them on the line to his ship. Flicked his gaze over to Twilight who refused to make eye contact and was blushing up a storm, and then raised a brow at the dragon trying to keep a straight face and failing.

Looking back to the pink mare he eyed her serious expression then shook his head, possibly trying to conceal his mirth.

He snorted. "Sounds like an annoying goose. No wonder you been having trouble."

Pinkie's stern glare turned into a mischievous grin. "You have no idea Closey! The kids can't sleep and we've been looking for it everywhere!"

"Well we can't have that." Close Call grinned, a chuckle escaping him. "Let me help you lot find em, yeah? Ay boyyos we got ourselves a destination to be prepping for. Take this groups bags up for them!" He turned a head up as he nodded for the crew to begin loading the passengers gear and climbing up the ladder to the upper deck of the ship. "C'mon now, best get you onboard and settled in now!"

I will never forgive you for asking the Princess to help you make up that ridiculous code.

I personally think she had fun with that. See! If the Empress is rolling her eyes, she must agree!

Spike, I really don't--

Hey, it worked didn't it? Besides, we had to stay in character. Tourists on a trip was a smart disguise and we couldn't let the whole cruise with all those passengers know we were on a secret mission from the Princess!

She has a point dear.

Made it more realistic to me.

Not you too Dash-- 

Hoofbump!

Uh guys, I don't think Nightmare Moon appreciates this lul in the story

I'll handle it Spike...





Ya see Empress, finding that no good brute of a griffon and his sweet-n-sour partner in crime, wasn't easy. It took the Princess nearly a week before she sent word back to Twilight about anything relating to their whereabouts. During that time, we all went about business as usual...or as usual as possible when we could be out there at any short notice. 

Suffice to say, we were all on edge at the time. And we were even more on edge when we finally got the call to head on over to Canterlot. Arriving there we made our way straight to the docks. Raven Inkwell, the royal assistant to the crown who I know you've met, and was the assistant to the Princess at the time, as she is now, gave us a run-down of the situation after we got off our train ride to Canterlot. We were heading straight for the airship docking stations on the edge of Canter mountain to meet the captain of the ship that would be dropping us at the last known location he dropped off our targets of interest.

Close Call was a former member of the Solar Guard, he left not long before Discord's return. Bought an air ship with money he'd been saving up and finally went out to fulfill his dream of being a captain of his own deck.  Lucky for us when the Princess sent out word of an urgent message through all her captains and through every cruising and flight path to be on alert for wanted fugitives, Captain Close happened to be coming back in from his most latest voyage from Southern Equestria. Lucky too, a few hours more and we probably would have missed them completely.





Maritina was a hub of activity. Arriving in the capital once controlled by a lost empire of Chimps, the now heavily diverse populated nation of Muul, was home to a large demographic of donkeys, ponies, griffons, felines, Dingo and Diamond Dogs, Minotaurs, and the occasional...fox.  Unfortunately, these usually sparse demographics sprinkled here and there, converged in Maritina, a city renown for its trading centers.

A hub of business.

Why so many omnivores or carnivores/ meat eating creatures in one place with herbivores?

Simple: it once belonged to the Pan empire.

Yes Empress, the same one. 

Panderins, or specifically the Chimps who ruled Maritina when it was a capital over a thousand years back, made deals where it was most beneficial to avoid conflict by offering a share of what they owned, provided certain rules were followed. It wasn't so much because of a fear of conflict but more so because they had fled their previous home in the distant jungles of another continent, conquered this one, and wanted to avoid losing their empire as it grew from infant to adult that was surrounded by competitors.

Interestingly enough, it worked. For a while.

They increased trade, hosted the other ape tribes they conquered or defeated as a part of their culture, and when the pigs came sailing from the west seeking iron, silver, and produce the chimps yielded and became allies with a force that would (and could) have easily wiped them off the map if push came to shove. Not only did the pigs get to gain a share of influence in the trading market which allowed them to introduce their vassals, the felines to the upper parts of the region but the chimps also gained a temporarily powerful ally that soldfied their existence for a few more centuries. At least till the Dingos did the smart thing and betrayed the empire when the Diarchy noticed the pigs were expanding into their territory.

And while the nation of Muul carried multiple species, more than any nation in the entire comtinent, Maritina was dominantly a Minotaur-donkey-griffon city...at least till its neighbor city residents came in for business. 

Moving through the stream of busy bodies was like trying to push through a rapid river. It was not easy work. It required a lot of pushing and shoving, something many of the guards could do while only some of the seven were willing or physically capable of successfully pulling off without getting dragged back down the road.

On several occasions everyone lost sight of Spike.

Those were not pleasant moments. The little dragon tended to vanish behind carts being pulled along or just generally anyone bigger than him and moving with a crowd did not help this.

On three of the times he had went missing, Twilight did not notice till either a guard or Fluttershy pointed it out--

How many times do you want me to apologize for that? I still feel bad over it!

Frankly you should all feel bad. Forgetting him till after lunch?

Thank you Shining.

-- Which, once someone noticed, caused a panic because sapient dragons were apparently a minority here too. And losing Spike in a crowd like this was just as terrifying as Brutus finding him first because that meant the security might think he was one of the hatchlings that wandered away from their nest. The panics and scattered searching that followed after lunch would cause many eyes to turn in that direction, which caused one pegasus (when she wasn't fretting over Spike's disappearance) to try and perform a disappearing act by shrinking in to herself. Which would require the fastest flyer of the whole party to try and nudge Fluttershy along when the anxiety really kicked in--

Ultimately, the start of the trip after leaving the captain's ship had not been going too well. Especially when the concept of manners was not one every creature in the city seemed to stand by, let alone bother to understand. You either pushed through the crowd or you were shoved back down steam. For Rarity, this was a nightmare. And if you wanted evidence? Well-

With a gasp Rarity's hoof came up to avoid the splash back of a stomped on mud puddle. Checking for stains on her yellow sundress the fashionista could not but harrumph at the lack of courtesy towards a maiden and her entourage as they left behind the dirt road for a brick one.

"I can't believe they scheduled an unexpected shower while we were leaving the ship! I didn't bring anything to handle the rain with me! And this humidity", the scowl was just as visible as the strands peeking out of a once perfectly curled mane, "simply dreadful!"

"You brought three more bags than any of us", a raspy voice from above felt the obligation to point this out. "I'm surprised C. C. let Lug, drag your stuff out when we moored."

"The captain" the emphasis was necessary here since one of class did not go nicknaming anypony you became buddies with, "was very kind as were the rest of his crew. Lug was merely being nice."

In the background Pinkie giggled while Applejack muttered in a sarcastic drawl her agreement to that last statement.

"Bet it had nothing to do with you batting those eye lashes of yours."

"Hmph!" the giggling grew into a guffaw of laughter.

"Um, so I know we're supposed to find an inn first, but where did Sergeant Slipstream go?"

"The sergeant went ahead of us when we went to get lunch. Keeping a distance to attract less attention in case the targets are nearby. Better to keep a low profile when our targets know what you all look like, and since they'll be taking the luggage to the inn we'll be going to it seemed like a wise idea to split up. Most ponies that come from the mainland don't come for anything but business or to see the old city ruins of Pan out on the south but I doubt that's going to fool a mercenary let alone a thief." The unicorn mare beside Fluttershy informed. "Muul sees a large amount of trade to the regions of Minos, and other non-herbivore dominant nations because it holds a large chunk of influence in the seafood industry in this region. I have to say, smart move coming here."

"I'll say." Applejack grunted as a passing donkey shoved his way past her shoulder. "So, what do we do when we get to the inn. I doubt we'll be sweeping through the whole country to find two shifty snakes."

"According to the friend of the captain, once we get to the inn, at night tonight she'll send somepony to get us and guide us through to where they're staying. Apparently our thieves have been switching locations every two nights."

"Wait", the light red mare looked up to meet the athlete's eyes, "why are we going to meet this friend of CC's if she's not even hosting them?"

"Because it pays to know the gossip around here when the guilds that handle most goods around these parts are in competition with each other." Twilight replied sagely. Upon the curious looks she was receiving she smiled sheepishly.

"I uh, ahem, have an older cousin.  Minimumm Value loved her business economics. She's actually why--"

"Hey! Hey you!" Rainbow Dash suddenly exclaimed.

"Rainbow Dash what are you--?"

The pegasus took off without so much as a word.

And before anyone knew it, the chase was on.





Hooves of multiple individuals pounded on bricked road, and the destination of one individual as a flyer gave chase suddenly changed completely.

The griffon that oddly chose to run instead of fly, body checked a earth pony stallion in his passing, snatched the flyers out of his muzzle, and then threw it into the air.

"Oh--", was all Rainbow Dash had the chance to say before she flew through uncut confetti that unfortunately went in her direction thanks to the wind.

"I'm going down! I think he went right!" she shouted blindly. The ensuing crash Spike witnessed with a Minotaur talking to a donkey about his pumpkins (he guessed, because what else would you be discussing in a pumpkin stall) was almost as painful as it sounded.

"Ouch", before the vision faded as he was caught in a magical field and hoisted on to Rubber Runner's back. The light red unicorn mare casted a spell that amplified her voice and shouted: "Move it or lose it, official crown duty!"

It only managed to make a small fraction of the crowd budge. Still, it was better than nothing.

Slipping through the small gaps and shoving where necessary a distant pegasus took to the sky to aid the scattered guards and her friends in surveillance. Looking around the market place that they'd gravitated towards from the docks, Fluttershy skimmed countless moving bodies and then her eyes locked on a small figure, a griffon pushing and shoving his way to the open street where just across that, another market place laid ahead behind the background of settlements.

"He's headed this way!" she called to the other three pegasi: Skid, Boltrush, and Twirls followed after the pegasus as the griffon ran on all fours. Pushing, shoving, jumping and running over anyone or anything in his path. In a crowd this large he shouldn't have had it easy moving but whoever this was, was tiny. Small in stature and was using that size to their every advantage. If it weren't for the sore thumb of blue, black, and grey feathers that gave him away against the brick red road this would have been a lot more difficult to track.

"Whoa dare!" cried one voice owned to a Earther stallion as the griffon leaped over their stand of berries. "Watch it wouldja!"

"Sorry!" Fluttershy called as she flew overhead.

The griffon rounded a corner, slipped behind a group of passing Minotaurs and bolted down the downwards slope into the alley of a row of stalls. Fluttershy heard Boltrush curse under his breath as they lost sight of him on the left turn he made behind a closed stall. Grimacing he took up higher altitudes, eyes scanning this way and that. 

"Anything?!" Twirls flew up to them from her groundview of after minutes of searching had passed. The shake of a head caused her to scowl which only intensified Boltrush's.

Fluttershy frowned. She saw Skid go out farther up ahead over the plaza and peer between the gaps of the arrayed commerce stalls, trying to make out anything for the target of their eye. He kept moving up and up, occasionally talking to locals and listing descriptions.

Below on ground the grounded division of their group went in pairs or trios, following the trail and lurking through the market to try and find where their target had went. 

Fluttershy moved lower, her eyes moving left and right, up and down, nervousness momentarily forgotten as the concern of somepony getting hurt or worse nagged at her mind as they searched for this possible link. Without thinking she landed, then broke off into a careful trot as Skid alighted beside her.

She knew the griffon they were looking for wasn't Brutus. Brutus was bigger, he was way bigger than this one. At least twice the size. The colors were all wrong also, where the plumage was a shade of lighter blue with black and grey mixed here and there- Brutus had been a dirty white, yellow splotches found on his crest, chest feathers and near the forelimbs. He was clearly a different griffon, yet somehow something had tipped Rainbow Dash that this griffon was someone that needed chasing.

Ears splaying the mare watched Twirls and Boltrush move east and west in the air with Rainbow Dash who streamed by now and then to exchange words before flying off. Bodies went up and down, passing her by in the narrow street that barely allowed many to go through the intersection. Noise of all kind filled the air from chatter, to bartering, to movement, to the clicking of talons.

Her ears perked, turned as she turned with them to locate the source. 

"Don't move." The clicking stopped.

Every muscle in her body locked instantly and the beating sound of two hearts filled her ears within seconds.  Tension, a friend, made itself at home. Without even thinking, instinct alone guiding action, she made to move away from the source of danger as all herd animals naturally would. 

The step forward was met with the painful tug of her tail and the talons of a limb digging into her shoulder. Never cutting to draw blood but providing a pinch as a dangerous warning.

"I said", the whisper more stern, "don't. Move." He growled, feathers to coat, body-to-body.

She whimpered and went still. Almost half her size but she dared not move.

"Your friend up there", the breathing was labored, he-- no that was female. Fluttershy could feel the anatomical difference on her back, the voice was getting clearer as the seconds went by-- she paused trying to catch her breath before continuing and Fluttershy, for some odd reason didn't take advantage of this. It ws clear she'd done a lot of running and needed the rest, "How far is he?"

"I- I- I'm n-not s-- eep!" she tried to shrink forward from the sharp sting above her shoulder and instead ended up getting her tail tugged on again, pain shot up her dock, caused her hind legs to twitch and she stopped moving as she sat down. Fighting the tears in her eyes.

"Don't give me that. You best not be stalling here I want a proper ansa. How. Far. Is. He?"

She blinked the moisture out of her eyes. Deep breaths Fluttershy, blinking again helped somewhat and she ignored the light sting in her shoulder to focus. 

"H- H- He's I think--"

"No, estimate. Feet. Steps. Distance. Is he in the air or on the ground, are your friends near by, do you see them, hear them? Answer, now."

"M- Maybe, twelve feet away. He's straight ahead, he'll see you the moment you move away from me." She couldn't lie. The only thing saving her captive was the blindspot and they both knew it.

The griffon swore. "Just my damn luck. Out to get some damn lunch and I had the misfortune of running right into that cocky fast one first. Can't believe she chased me just because of a few stolen coins. Should've ran when I turned away, damn" the griffoness sighed an exasperated sigh as she gave the trembling mare whose tail she stepping on another affectionate pat. One or two  griffons passed by with a raised brow and she gave them a sad smile in return as she nuzzled the whimpering mare.

The moment they were gone she stepped back.

"You're going to get me out of here." She whispered into her flicking ear once they were more or less alone. Shadows flickering by from the light of day but none entering the incline they were on just yet. Just ahead she make out Skid's distant form. Walls poked in down the straight road ahead of them providing a minor blind spot in this tiny alley, but if Skid moved to his right just a little and turned around...

She swallowed, said nothing. The griffoness chuckled darkly, pressed her weight on her shivering back even more to let the pegasus know any attempt at shouting would just end badly.

Not that she intended to kill her. Do that and she'd be screwed completely. Maritani had officers in the outskirts of the marketplace, thieves wouldn't get far and if Rainbow Dash had told the others, maybe they'd be on alert.

"Pellets", the griffoness scowled, "hostage won't work. Flying won't work, not with that fast one and what I assume guards are. Can't let the unicorns see me or its over." As she whispered her options and lapsed into silence as it was becoming clear the odds were against her.

Or maybe not.

Shuffling around the griffoness guided Fluttershy to a stand.  Never once did she attempt to make eye contact or even look in the pegasus' general direction. There was some height difference but it wasn't significant. Still though...this brought back memories. Memories that made her stomach churn and reminded her of one more reason why she'd left Cloudsdale as soon as she could, as old as she'd have been allowed.

"I got no intention of murdering you lass", the whisper broke her from the dim walk down memory lane. "All I need is for you to distract your friend. Keep him away, let me go. That's all I need."

Bravely, even with the tremor in her voice, "I can't l-let you do that."

Grimly," It's not a matter of if you can or can't. It's a matter of if you will or won't. You're shakin like a leaf, been so since I touched ya. You won't risk it."

They moved in silence, step-by-step, step-by-step. Clip-clop, click-click, clip-clop, click-click.

Skid hadn't seen them yet. None of the others were around either. He was distracted also, talking to a group of donkeys. This was their perfect chance. It was now or never. Timing had to be perfect as the donkeys were moving away and-- two griffons, the same ones that passed them minutes ago had his attention as they moved up to block him.

"Move." The order came. 

They moved together, keeping pace, matching speed, never trying to slow the other. Down the straight path they went, blending in with others who stood around or nearby vendor stalls, sampled something here or there that was offered or moved through the traffic onto their path from other roads. 

Memories of a similar time trickled in only with a different individual guiding her forward. That time she had been moving with free will not forced to move by a hostile threat backed into a corner. 

A single thought crossed Fluttershy's mind as anger trickled in with every step, a thought that only seemed to make the bubbling anger peak.

At least the griffoness next to me right now wasn't acting like we were friends to get what she really wanted.

The wake up call came when the world violently blurred with sudden movement, shoved forward, Fluttershy collided into a minotaur calf who caught her as she stumbled just as a call from Skid reached her ears, her thoughts derailing she turned to see the tail dip behind the corner and before she even knew what she was doing a new chase had begun.





Anger. Familiar anger washed over her and Fluttershy ran like timberwolves were after her. Well trained muscles from years of handling creature twice or thrice her size, weight, and form, moved with ease as she flew between metal roof sheets and began running on rooftops after the blue griffoness they needed to capture before it was too late.

She ran with a fixed narrowed eye, coral pink mane and tail billowing like curtains on the wind behind her. Metal thundered under her hooves, raising shouts and hollers as she rushed on by. Ignoring it all the demure pegasus gave chase as Skid ran somewhere behind, shouting and yelling for every creature to make way.

The griffoness however was not about to make this easy.

Vaulting over vendor stalls and making sharp turns, she would run straight in and dive into the crowd only to momentarily get lost in the traffic just to barely be caught in the corner of Fluttershy's eye as she made an exit.

Hooves continued to pound over thick metal sheets. Fluttershy ran, anger and adrenaline pumping through her body. She had never been a fast flyer, laughter from those times were always (and maybe would always) be a fresh memory of hers. But when she wanted to, when she felt she had to, she could keep up with even an earth pony. But keeping up with this griffoness was no easy task. 

She weaved, turned, and slipped through the market like it was the back of her own playground. Grabbing fruits in passing and skillfully leaping then using her wings to glide she would hurl it at Skid. Sometimes hitting, other times missing, most of the time tripping. When an opportunity presented itself the griffoness would chuck coconuts at Fluttershy. Causing her to briefly lose her which would only cause her to run.

Spotting Rudder three stalls away the pegasus tried to call out to the light red unicorn but the second her eyes left her target, the griffoness turned around a sharp corner and looped down a different column, away from Skid who was being slowed down by the ponies between his chance to cross and cut her off.

Shouting: "Rudder over here!" before running off and leaping over a gap with a extra glide to cross the distance, Fluttershy guided the unicorn who now shot a flare out into the air behind her to draw the attention of the other parties.

This drew attention, and in the distance shouts from another type of group were being made as the crowd parted to allow officers to flow by.

For a brief second Fluttershy lost sight of the griffoness then all of a sudden a shadow befell her, knocking her from the rooftops and together they rolled into the sky, both instinctively tucking their wings in and landing with a heavy roll to burn off momentum and force before jumping to their stances.

Fluttershy was slower to get up.

The griffoness lashed out with her talons and almost instantly, Fluttershy dropped and rolled to avoid. Bystanders stood confused. No one jumping in to help, unsure if this was a stunt or part of some kind of gimmick to draw customers in or something.

Scowling the griffoness fluffed out her wings, her eyes closed but her attention alert. "Leave me alone!"

Fluttershy didn't answer. Every step she made as they circled each other slowly was another step her friends, Skid and his colleagues or the shouts of market security getting closer. The griffoness would open her eyes briefly, just a crack to see. Uncertain what sort of strange magic allowed Fluttershy to contain hostility she made sure her gaze was always diverted with either her feather tips or looking somewhere else.

Then she struck.

A wing shot forward, whipping the pegasus with a crack of air that forced eyes to shut on the flinch and with new vigor the griffoness ran as voices closed in behind them ordering for citizens to get out of the way.

Fluttershy's ears perked. Tracking the sound of steps, following the gust of wind that came with the griffoness' passing even as she vaulted over another stand and then slipped through the side gate the pegasus was already following by the time her eyes had fully opened.

Leaping over and giving chase Fluttershy followed after her target. Behind her the voice of an officer grew louder but she dare not turn back in case she lose sight of the slippery griffoness.

A voice shouted up ahead, recognizing it as Applejack's and immediately the griffoness jumped into the air, flying low she banked a sharp left, stomped over one of the metal poles holding up the roof of a stand she was passing and launched herself forward to gain further distance before shutting her wings and using the drop to increase speed. 

Somehow when she glanced over her shoulder Fluttershy was still keeping up.

Tactics were changing now as they both heard the voices of officers and her friends gaining on them from different directions.

"Shit!"

"You have to stop!" Fluttershy shouted out. "Give up, please!"

"Never!" she spat with every ounce of venom she could muster. "I ain't no damned traitor!"

She leaped on a passing colt, rolled with him then sneered as Fluttershy froze. "Back!" she pressed her talons into the throat. "Back!" she shouted louder.

The crowd parted and now it was just the three of them.

"I'm not going out like this!" the griffoness snarled. "There's no room from traitors on the ship", she stated darkly. "Now get!"

The colt squirmed and ceased when the grip tightened. "Papa!"

"Charms!" a distant stallion shouted.

Fluttershy's ears perked, the griffoness looked behind her as a griffon wearing a black and green vest with a silver badge floated above the crowd. 

"Tell them to back up!" she shouted at Fluttershy her grip tightening on the foal's throat. 

"STOP!" the griffon leading the charge slowly halted just a couple yards away as did his company. Eyes glaring at Fluttershy he looked up just a little, then noticed the griffoness with the hostage.

"Put the foal down and come in quietly!" the lead officer cawed.

For his shouting he got spit being shot at the ground in derision and the griffoness backing a step away as she moved to a bipedal stance.

"Shove it!"

"Please!" Fluttershy's voice snapped her attention to her, which she quickly averted by looking away. "Just let the--"

"Shove it!"

She took off, foal screaming as they soared and in seconds her wings were pumping harder than she'd ever imagined. They zoomed through the market, turning, twisting, zooming around individuals, obstacles, grocceries, and more. 

"You want this colt so bad, catch!"

"NO--" the griffoness whirled to her back, wings keeping her level as she glided belly up, cocked her limb back and threw him in an entirely different direction.

Cursing her lack of skill and finese, Fluttershy didn't even hesitate to go after the foal, her wings angled on instinct, her pinions kissed the wind trying to turn a straight shot into a sharp twisting manuever--

The colt went sailing by her narrow eyes. Her teeth clenched as she put every ounce of herself into trying to bleed off speed to make the turn as anger welled up inside her, fueling her movement as she recalled every nasty thing, every dirty rumor, every despicable jab at how she was wasting her family's funds on flight school; how she, a pegasus, couldn't even go a lap under the 5 minute mark; how one of the first friends she made in senior flight camp, when the name calling had been at its worst, had only bothered to be her friend for no other reason but because of her looks--

Fluttershy screamed a cry of anguish as tears flooded her eyes. Shame, anger, frustration, guilt was all as she knew as she wouldn't making it in time. The colt was flying. An earth pony colt flying in the air. Heading straight for the ground, face first, seconds ticked by, head mere feet from the hard and sturdy brick road--

They meant nothing to the streak of rainbow that zoomed by and caught the earth pony colt.

"Go!" Rainbow Dash shouted at Fluttershy as she flew beside her. "Get her! The others and the officers will cut her off!" She steamed backwards to where the unicorn stallion had been giving chase the whole time and then with a flap, bolted off after the griffoness.

Bleeding speed off she landed on the roofs, picking up faster than she could fly, the pegasus watched as Skid blocked one path with three griffon officers; a group of bystanding Diamond dogs, dingoes, and minotaurs blocked another forcing the griffoness to circle back and on the next path that led outside the marketplace Boltrush, Twirls, and a few other officers blocked the path.

A caw of frustration followed the griffoness as she sharply turned left into an alley. Fluttershy followed her, the pounding of metal giving her away but the anger burning inside her at the sheer vile behavior she had seen made her ignorant of this.

When the tackle came this time however, she expected it. Hooves, teeth, talons and beak snapped forward; trying to peck while Fluttershy tried to kick her opponent offn create some.sort of distance. 

Rolling and tumbling off the edge of the stall's roof the two tumbled through an opening into a booth containing a stack of cheeries. The customers observing them scattered and together pegasus and griffoness rolled like greased up pigs in berries. Matting their fur and feathers in berry delicious juice that stained them red and then rolling off that into the ground.

"OH YEAAAAH!" shouted a masculine voice from somewhere, but if the two females cared as they tussled on the ground and the crowd gave them space it was easy to tell they didn't.

"You should have let me go when you had the chance you stupid horse!"

The oblivious gathering crowd that had not caught on to the situation "ooooh'd."

"And you should have never used that poor defenseless colt as a bargaining chip!" the angry pegasus snapped back as she rolled the griffoness off her and they broke their lock.

The crowd went silent at this revelation and seemed to catch on this wasn't the usual haggling fight for groceries they were used to.

"It's over!"

"It's not until I say so!" she leaped, Fluttershy didn't.

The clock with the spell that came from behind hit her before her eyes could even register the set up.





Her name... Athena. Athena Grace.

She refused to tell us anything else but that. And there was nothing we could really do to get her to even if we wanted. Any truth spells we tried to uss didn't work as she wouldn't say anything no matter how much you tried. What we did know, was she worked with or knew Brutus and that was enough for us.

After convincing the market officers to kindly hand her over to us, Skid and the rest of the guard that accompanied us stayed to question her while the girls, Spike and I were escorted by Rudder to the inn where sergeant Slipstream and the remaining six of the Royal Guard were waiting .

We were all pretty tired after that hectic afternoon. Once we got to the inn I think everypony kind of just, went to bed early. Especially since we would be meeting Captain Call's friend that same night. 





Four knocks, one tap.

Sergeant Slipstream ignited his magic and slid the door open. "Come in. They're waiting upstairs."

The figure nodded and climbed the wooden stairs up to the room that acted as the living room with the sergeant taking the lead.

The royal suite was large. Large enough to hold ten ponies, and a baby dragon. Entering the living room with the sergeant knocking twice he poked his head in and nodded, a second later the door opened wider and in slipped their guest.

"Chocolate Cherry, I presume?" Rarity asked. 

The mare nodded.  Curls of a bright cherry red bounced with her every step and the tawny unicorn gave the group a small smile that reached purple eyes as she took a seat on a waiting cushion.

"Please, call me Cherry. Now then, there's been quite the talk about the big chase that happened this afternoon", Cherry stated as she took the offered cup of tea. "Thank you."

Twilight nodded. They all waited for her to continue.

"There's been especially a lot of word about you Miss?"

"O-oh, um, Fluttershy..." she said rather quietly. The unicorn hummed eyeing the pegasus mare thoughtfully and after a few seconds, a light red unicorn standing in the corner of the room just outside the kitchen cleared her throat loudly.

"Is there anyone news we don't already know?" Rudder asked with obvious impatience.

Cherry smiled. "Yes. You see--"

"A- Actually", the pegasus shyly interjected causing the mare to go silent.

"Yes?"

"Um, is that colt Athena threw, is he...?"

The silence filled the room for a moment before it was banished by the light brown unicorn's returning smile. Beaming brightly she nodded. "Yes, thank you for asking. He's perfectly alright. Thank you all for helping my nephew by the way."

The shocked looks were ignored and the unicorn smiled brightly at Rainbow Dash next. "He's been talking a lot about you especially."

The flush of pink that overtook the athlete's cheeks made the older mare laugh. "Awww, look at you? So cuute!" Cherry squeaked with motherly adoration.

"Ahem", the sergeant cleared his throat. "Miss Cherry, if you don't mind, we're kind of short on time."

"Of course, of course." She sniffed and took a sip. "The two you're looking for have had friends waiting here for them for a while. Maritina is a place that attracts all sorts of sapients for business due to its market in fruits, crab, and clams. The ones you're looking for have been here to sell things before. They usually sell to jewelry interested crafts. I know a few jewellers here who have done personal business with that griffoness you have in your custody, but I would be lying if I said they stay here long. They're frequent visitors though but they haven't been here recently in the past year till just a couple months back. I don't know the name they go by as a group but I've heard the words: 'Prized Nugget' used now and then when they've been in business around these parts. They come, and go. Known to be a real hard bunch though, have actually gotten into a few fights before in the past and this isn't a first. At least not for Athena."

Grimacing Applejack shook her head. "So what? You got nothing you can tell us about them?"

"Well I didn't say that now did I?" she took a sip and continued. "Brutus, I know him, he doesn't hide what he does. He's a mercenary for hire. Solo act and all, he's got his own code of doing things and it's usually violent. His friend Gulliver however is completely knew. He's a fresh face I haven't seen before but he's been the one switching their placement and lodging for the past week.

"About nine moons ago actually they came in a ship that dropped them off and word around the grapevine is the two of them stayed for a few weeks. They hit the alchemical shops mostly, and then two weeks after one of the ships Athena always comes with dropped her and a band of her co-workers off. Pleasant--"

"The captain's friend?" Pinkie interjected.

The unicorn nodded. "Correct, Pleasant had both of them staying in her hotel on two separate occasions. The first was not long after Athena and her gang came in, the second was recent. Last week before you all showed up. They were in different rooms on different floors but apparently Brutus and Athena did some talking."

"And how do you know that?" Rudder asked.

The raised brow and small smirk was the only answer they all got.

"O-oh..."

Curious, Spike asked "what?", to which Twilight replied with a rapidly growing blush, "later."

"From what Pleasant told me last, one of the maids overheard Gulliver talking about them leaving tonight."

"No doubt with Athena's air ship." Boltrush smirked. "Guess we're lucky the captain of the ship is in--"

Hoofsteps sounded. Seconds later a stallion's voice could be head behind the door  as he yelled in a manic cry: "THERE'S BEEN A BREAK IN! THERE'S BEEN A BREAK IN, IN THE CENTRAL DUTY DEPARTMENT! ATHENA IS OUT OF CONFINEMENT!" The doors slammed open. "A bunch of griffons and minotaurs raided the place and broke her out!"

Under his breath Boltrush cursed the universe.

"Where they headed?!" Applejack jumped to her hooves.

"The docking station should take them thirty minutes to get to on hoof", Cherry gleefully advised. "Such excitement! Is it always like this?"

"I hope not", Spike groaned as he was lifted onto Twilight's back.

"Let's go cut them off!"

"Thank you!" Rarity called back.

"Oh you're very welcome! Do stop by again for business next time!"





We managed to barely make it in time. We met Gulliver halfway and had actually teleported in front of us as we were reaching the docks. Not gonna lie, they weren't too happy to see us. And the brawl that broke out as we were trying to get the Elements back was one of the biggest throwdowns I had ever been a part of at the time.

We stole a ship!

Rainbow Dash?!

What?! We did!

We um...actually bribed them. Sergeant Slipstream bribed the owner of a airship to follow the one Gulliver and Brutus were fleeing on.

That ended badly.

It really did. They shot us down and forced us to make an emergency landing around the peninsula of Minos, Crete. It wasn't great. 

It wasn't. A lot of us got hurt, specifically Twilight and the rest of the unicorns. Feedback hit them hard trying to protect us.

I will never get over how we dragged that poor minotaur into that whole mess. He almost died... Just got swept away in the wind and...that was it, gone. I couldn't stop panicking when I found out he was gone. We were so lucky, really lucky he managed to land with a part of the airship's mast still in tact enough to slow his fall.

Pinkie now don't you start! You know how you and Fluttershy get when you start talking that way!

I- I just couldn't stop crying when we crashed and somehow we were all alright. Till I found out how Hanz went missing then I- I--  

Empress, landing on Crete wasn't easy. We struggled getting off that island to the mainland's shore and after we did that's when we learned about Minos' struggles. The minotaur states were in conflict with each other, or to be exact they were in conflict with a band of pirates and the ruling aristocrats of Kaiti, Babys, and Aragon that had sided with the pirate's captain. 

His name was Captain Merrik Sharp. He was the griffon leading the assualt on Minos' but he wasn't really the one that ordered the Elements be taken.

We found out from the locals in the city of Titus about the raids, the situation and how the head of the aristocracy, the newly crowned minotaur, Queen Rashida was trying to deal with the rebellion. The reason the princess and none of us in Equestria had heard anything about this is because Merrik had cut off chances of airships or naval vessels sending word out to any of Minos' allies. Any ship that wasn't didn't send out a specifc series of flare colors in a different pattern in intervals of time were shot down. With one of his own ships flying in so close he let Brutus and their crew do the shooting and it almost worked.

If we hadn't damaged their air ship on the way down.

To cut a very long and tiring story shorter, it wasn't easy trying to find Gulliver and Brutus and their back up after they crashed. Luckily they crashed while crossing ally territories and had no choice but to try and lay low but to wait for help to arrive. 

If it honestly weren't for Brutus backstabbing Gulliver, literally, leaving him for dead and ditching him I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have been able to get his help stopping them let alone finding them with the tracker spell he placed on the enchanted box they got.

We're lucky he didn't check to open it also otherwise he might've learned sooner Gulliver had it enchanted to activate when a magic signature locked on to it to get it open.

We got lucky a bunch of times. To be completely honest.

Even more lucky when we found out just who we were really fighting.





The shadow of four tails loomed behind him. Standing on his hind legs, Merrik grinned, irises flashing a yellow-green. 

Rock and stone tumbled together forming soldiers that took the form of bipedal canines. Their eyes glowed a deep yellow mixed with the misty forms of green vapor.

"I've waited more than six million years for this", one masculine and one feminine voice said together as one. "I missed my first opportunity when they came but not again. Not this time. So I'm sorry to tell you this filly, but now that I have a body again, even if it is disgustingly mortal, I'm done waiting."

A phantom face flashed over the pirate's for just a second but not long enough to be seen.

Merrik grinned. "And I'm looking forward to having my body again when I'm queen."

She called herself Aoi Ioa.

She was the one who had Merrik steal the Elements. And was the reason some of his crew had been studying magic at all. Apparently Gulliver had been hired moons in advanced to steal the Elements, but needed time before they commit to the operation.

The crown he wore, the one he and his crew stole from Inujima when they were coasting its peninsula, was her crown.

She...knew about you. You and Princess Celestia, Empress. And mentioned something about you having a friend backing you, I didn't really understand it. There was so much going on at the time and so much at stake I didn't bother thinking about it because she knew how to get the Elements working somehow.

Said she'd spent a lot of time roaming the Astral plane after her body was destroyed by Hinata. Tore up her soul and put it into that crown you see on the glass over there.

She said it was the only thing she could do after you, and the Princess used the Elements to decimate her forces with the help of your friends. Although she didn't know there were six. I...still feel like there was more to those words, and I was hoping you could fill us in on that later.

There's another thing though Empress. Just before we took back the Elements and they chose us...before we used them on Merrik and freed him of Aoi's control, she told us...to tell you when we see you again, that--

"You can't hide the truth forever..."

...I...Empress, who is Aoi Ioa?
> Interlude I
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nightmare Moon closed her eyes. The room was silent, they were waiting. All of them waiting for an answer. An answer she didn't want to give and one Celestia had clearly neglected on giving in life. It appeared the late princess had done something right for her students in the art of diplomacy.

Now the issue was how to respond.

It does not mean we must tell them the truth the thought was whispered as the empress returned.

"Empress Luna", the stallion, the blonde one who had yet to introduce himself since his arrival with the rest of the court, said to her. "If  you would please--"

"What would please us, is knowing the name of the one that speaks!" the alicorn snapped in interrupting reply. "Dost thou not understand the neccessities of simple etiquette? Or is that another thing she failed to do properly."

The frowns and glares she received were completely ignored. Nothing she hadn't seen before, nothing they weren't used to.

"Apologies", he dipped his head low, his initial frown vanishing as he crossed the wall of his allies and walked past Moondancer and Flash Sentry. "Forgive me for my earlier rudeness." He trotted with confidence, nose pointed with the head at a pompous angle. Somehow even she could see the cockiness, even with the height difference it was hard to miss.

"I, am Prince Blueblood", the prince bowed his head low. "It is an honor to meet you... ", but he didn't leave it at that, he also had to add, "Aunty."

A nipping chill flooded into the room the second her ears perked at those words. Wings twitched, the semi-tangible mane shifted unsteady as coat changed color and pupils dilated- shifted- changed then became narrow, as irises changed and teeth got sharper, as Nightmare Moon's nostrils flared and the Empress' coat grew blacker just as immediate as the scowl appeared.

"Aunty" the alicorn repeated dryly in yet again that haughty voice once her transformation was complete, in the single barely perceptible second it took to complete it. Spoken with distaste as the foul word rode on her tongue, launched from her lips and flew freely from her mouth. Glaring, the Nightmare rose from her seat before the row of stained windows, taking measured intimidating steps forward.

Blueblood said nothing. For several steps he trotted forwards, creating a minor distance between him and his allies as the others watched the interaction with halting breathe or narrowed eyes. He nodded to her statement, eyed her with an equal distant cold air she once eyed her subjects in what seemed like many lifetimes ago, and allowed only a small small smile to touch his lips as he looked up to her when he came to his stop at a few feet away.

"I was beginning to think we would never meet, matriarch", came the genuine reply with a genuine warm smile.

For some reason, this angered her. Not only did he use a no doubt now dead form of greeting to mock her, he did it openly in public. No matter, it shall serve well, as a welcoming distraction to avoid answering a question she had no intention of answering she took it.

In a fraction of a second Nightmare Moon became stardust, surged forward, and just before she could reach the unicorn that was awaiting his possible-death sentence and failing in vain to scramble away to make his escape as she closed the gap, a shield emerged in front of Blueblood.

She slammed into it like it was a wall and almost instantly Shining Armor gritted his teeth as all of his legs trembled from the sheer force of that impact.

"Foolish colt", the Nightmare spoke through the balls of light in her nebula wisp form. Her voice echoed across the hall and as it did so did the doors groan open in their mechanic operations as guards began to pour in. "I will teach you proper manners when speaking to your elders."

"What did you do that for?!" Sunset Shimmer yelled as Nightmare Moon's gaseous body slammed into the shield again, causing cracks to splinter around the impact point.

"In my defense I was not expecting this sort of reaction!" came Blueblood's equal retort.

Shining Armor grunted then gasped for air. He breathed in sharply as the shield was hit a third and fourth time in rapid succession, one leg buckling under the force as blood began to dribble down his nose. Guards of all three branches were shouting in the background at the specter now. They kept yelling warnings, spouting off that they would retaliate if she did not back down.

"Use the Elements!" Spike called out in midst of the growing alarm.

WHAM! Shining growled at the hit, forcing himself to hold out.

"We're trying!" Applejack shouted. 

WHAM another line of blood trailed out from his other nostril, cracks forming across the shield.

"They're not responding!" Twilight shrieked in growing panic.

"WHAT?!"

A dark laugh came from above as the stardust form of the Nightmare was now being hit with spell after spell from the unicorns of the Cosmic Storm. Spells she either dodged bonelessly in her gaseous form or allowed portions of herself to expand and allow the shots of magic to sail past her and into the rose colored shield behind.

"Stop firing!" Tempest Shadow barked to the panicking troops. "You're hitting the Emperor's--"

A tiny opening in the rose colored shield was all she needed to slip through. Blueblood stood firm if only a moment's hesitation as she came shooting towards him.

"Get out of the way Blueblood!" Pinkie shouted.

He got one word out before the Nightmare set upon him.

"No."





She was out like an arrow.

Flowing through the cracks she streamed after him. Racing forwards madly like a mare on a mission.

Shards of violet fell around her as Shining Armor collapsed and the shield broke up and vanished with his focus.

How dare he speak to us in that manner?! One of the voices challenged.

How dare he speak to us as if our title still matters?! the other voice yelled mentally in agreement as the mass of gas writhed and swirled around him.

"You are either very brave..." the Nightmare's voice whispered quietly in the cyclone she had created to separate them from the rest. "...or you are very foolish."

"I'm skilled in my theatrics", came the living prince's calm reply from the heart of the storm. "You would know something about that wouldn't you, Aunty?"

Even as the mass of glowing lights zoomed by in the streams of space dust, flaring brightly like angry red fire flies, Blueblood kept his cool. His mane whipped wildly around him as did his tail and from the brief flickers outside the cyclone walls, where wind beat on everyone and shook the region around them, he could just barely make out the others.

"You truly wish to die, don't you?" the dark specter stated, reclaiming his stolen attention. In the distance the others watched through squinted eyes as the prince's form was partially obscured by streams of dark purple and violet nebula, the glittering lights of red dwarf stars twinkling in time with the throes of Nightmare Moon's rage as wind pushed back in all directions forcing many to cast magic on the hooves of themselves and their allies to prevent them from being pushed back.

"You wouldn't dare." The fool challenged.

"Arrogant colt", her hiss echoed, carried by wind. A piece of the gas broke forward and Nightmare Moon's face formed out of the swirling space dust to level a withering glare. "What makes you think I won't?" 

"History." Was the cryptic and oddly confident reply. "You won't, your cornered and you won't take a risk like this unless you see a narrow opening to strike from."

Snarling, the stars flared brighter. "And you aren't one of these openings?"

"You won't", his eyes now matched her leveled glare. "If you wanted to you would have. But you're more intelligent than that aren't you demon" He stated, tossing his chips in. "Besides I have something the empress wants, so you won't, and do you know why spirit?"

The sheer audacity of this stallion. She couldn't believe she was hearing this, let alone letting anypony- or anyone for that matter, talk to her in this way. The sheer absurdity of entertaining this level of mortal arrogance amused her.

Laughing a cackle of sarcastic glee mixed with anger serrated teeth glinted in her own light as the floating face grinned. "And  what could you possibly have against me that spares you from being a expendable pawn in this game?" 

He smirked, it was small but it was there, and this only made the voice in Nightmare's head snarl in anger as the face mirrored the rage with a glower.

"It's simple really", he sniffed confidently, "I'm a son of Royal Bronze."

The grin faded, the eyes widened. Nightmare Moon stared in shock as her cyclone died down and the world stopped shaking and the wind stopped screaming and the voice in her head started shrieking in agony. 

LIAR it shouted. What twisted lies had Celestia given her students to use as weapons against them this time? How long had they known of her return? How long had they been planning to counter their appearance? What demented madness and insult was this? She had always played to win but this? This insult? Of all the cruelness of even speaking such a name to them of all entities--

Bubbling waves of anger washed over her and the scream in her mind intensified demanding bloodshed. With a violet tendril Nighmate Moon lashed out, consenting to the voice's request with great satisfaction. Going for the throat.

Gagging he choked out "...no...wait...more time..."

More tendrils struck out lifting the prince up into the air. The forelegs, the hind legs-- "You dare..." Nightmare said coldly, the cold tendril biting into his skin through the touch-- the barrel, hooves, horn-- "YOU INSOLENT CHILD!"

"His letters!" the Prince croaked out on fleeing air.

The tendril around his throat suddenly slackened.

"...w-what", the voice said quietly. Disbelief. He noted it and filed it away. He had played this game the longest. Longer than Cadence, Twilight, Trixie, Shining Armor, and Sunset put together. It had been his heritage before his title, and it was his life after. He knew the game. Dangle something tantilizing and catch them looking at the hoof's stretch prize and you had them right where you wanted them.

Right now, he had her right where he needed her.

Blueblood looked into the eyes and found her staring at him. Anger and disgust, hatred and distaste was all he found in copious amounts. The being before him were like the nobles he had encountered in his early days of training under Fancypants and the Princess. They wore masks but in truth they were cunning, sly, and very willing to ruin you if you crossed them or angered them in any manner at all.

But. There was desperation. A plea. A small glint in those unholy slits of a serpent that gazed back at him with some horribly vague recognition of mortal empathy in there somewhere.

He coughed, feeling the tendril leave his throat, and focused only on her.

"His letters." He said after a time. Trying his best to ignore the distorted shouting he could barely hear over the wind. "The Princess saved them. Aunty Celestia kept them safe. You would know because you taught him the magic. To be able to read or see it, to be able to open the chest he kept them in, you had--"

"--you had to share a bond of blood. A bond as powerful as my sister and I had once been", the Nightmare spoke and the eyes moistened. 

Then they narrowed. "Lies." The tendrils tightened around his legs, he gritted his teeth as the pressure grew. Pain lanced through him, bones pressing beyond their normal limits of flexibility--

"No", his lips moved through the clench of his teeth, "not yet!" he ordered.

"Who do you speak to that feeds you this knowledge to break our guard?!" winds howled.

"I have...a letter!" Magic ignited but died just as quickly. Irritation touched his eyes through the pain. To let fear show was to give her leverage against him.

"Let me...use my magic!"

"Never!" the Nightmare hissed.

"You are..." he grimaced, "...being stubborn...like a foal!"

"Silence!"

"Let me prove it to you!" the pain was becoming too much, "If I'm lying you can...kill me!"

She went silent. The swirl slowly died, the tendrils evaporated, the wind no longer howled, the pieces amalgamated, and the bodies touched the ground.

Nightmare Moon eyed the prince silently. She ignored the horns ignited and aimed at her as if they were toys. Her eyes locked on to Sunset then Twilight who eyed her with glares and looks of caution.

"He has made a promise. He will keep it. Fetch your folly impudent colt. For this gamble you play will be your last." Saying nothing else, the Nightmare went as still as a statue.

Blueblood wavered in pain. He swayed side-to-side, then a pegasus, one of the ones that had been standing in the back with him- moved to support him. Breathing heavy he took a moment. When he looked down and looked at him, the light orange pegasus smiled slightly. Whispering a gracious thanks in his twitching ear the pegasus levelled the alicorn before him a sour glare, Blueblood's horn ignited as magic channeled through and with a glow of his horn and a few seconds of concentration a chest appeared before them all; right in the center, between him and the Nightmare. 

Wood polished, metal glinted from the light shining from above. A emblem emblazoned on the latch.  Above it on the lid a hoof shaped print where one could lift the top made itself known. On the latch there was a sword of bronze that held the hilt of a jeweled crown.

"His mark", the Nightmare nodded numbly with little else as a reaction. "You have proven you have it", she intoned. "Now prove it is real."

Pushing himself off his pegasus companion, the Prince staggered forward. Every step was another lance of pain that made his body ache even more. What should have been less than a second's walk lasted several seconds longer. Finally he made it towards the chest. Lifting his hoof a voice interrupted him.

"Blueblood", Cadence stepped forward, confusion written on her face. "What is this?"

"Proof", he smiled. And then turning back to Nightmare Moon, levelling a defiant look in his eye while his expression remained neutral he stuck his hoof in the hoof print.

Blueblood's hoof sunk in, he winced as something happened, and then with a gasp from those watching the prince dripped blood over the cutie mark lock from his weeping hoof.

Fluttershy moved forward instantly with Moondancer and the two nursed the bleeding Prince as lock collapsed into itself and with a hiss, the chest cracked open.

Ignoring the attention to his wound he lifted the top and pulled out a single letter with his magic before magicking the chest away.

"His fieldscript." He levitated the letter to her. 

Silently Nightmare Moon took it, her aura field calm as she gently grasped the letter and read the entry of someone she knew long ago.

As she dropped it, her coat turned to a different, lighter color. Empress Luna stared at Prince Blueblood with moist eyes that she tried to blink away.

"You really are..." her words trailed off. Stopping before the tremble found a way in. She turned her head away, biting her lip painfully as her eyes scrunched with the passing of regretful realization.

"Yes, Aunty" he sighed with relief then smiled sadly as the pegasus from before moved to steady his trembling stand, "...I am."

"Will someone tell us what the fuck is going on?!" Rainbow Dash finally shouted.

"Royal Bronze.... A name I have not heard in a long time. Before Celestia and I took the throne, we married. It was tradition, and a way to maintain an image after the Age of Chaos. What better way to do that then marry the heroes into the family?" Luna chuckled, remembering a different time. "We were wed into the most powerful families that were in charge", she swallowed, scowled at the tears and looked away with a sour look aimed at the floor. "We married into Platinum's lineage. And if history has not been altered then--"

"Both you and the Princess had children..." Twilight's eyes widened. 

"Yes", the voice grew tired with the sigh. "More than once did we give birth throughout our time before the The Two was made. Celestia married Lord Magnesium, the heir to the shambles of a throne Discord's rule had left it in. While I...I married Prince Steel, the younger brother and primary force to keeping the other nobles in line."

"He...you had foals before his assassination?" Sunset voiced the disbelief.

"No... I gave birth to Prince Argon's foals", the empress spat in contempt at the name.

"Hey!" Rainbow Dash shouted, clearly getting frustrated. "What does this have to do with you trying to kill Blueblood!"

"He called us matriarch", the Empress replied as if that was enough, though the regret in her actions was somewhere in the look she cast his way before averting her gaze.

Bristling, just as she was about to open her mouth again, Sunset stepped in to cut Rainbow Dash off.

"In the old days", Sunset began "mares were more common to succeed the House than a stallion. If a family had no daughters the sons would inherit it by default, unless that family had no foals at all then by tradition whether male or female the sibling or first cousin of the heir would inherit the throne or in other cases it would be divided between them."

"Oh! Trixie knows this! Back when the female ratio had been steadily increasing!"

"Yeah" Moondancer nodded slowly. "When female successors were becoming more common in Queen Platinum's time."

"Back then, the title of Matriarch was used as a term of respect. The crown were the matriarch of society, of the nation", the Empress' calm voice informed. "Those that led their line to glory or prestige were known as the Matriarch; the head. Her word was law" Luna informed, her eyes glued to the floor on her left. A distant, sad look over her features. 

Frowning, Twilight continued. "It was also used often between relatives of the same House or between other nobles to the senior figures of a noble of another house as a sign of recognition and respect."

"So...what? You got mad Blueblood was showing you some respect?" Pinkie was the one that asked.

Eyes narrowing the Empress turned her head to shoot the earth pony a glare before it faded with a sigh, her coat shifting away from the dark color it was becoming as her temper faded.

"Royal Bronze was a noble of the House of Royal Coats. I'm sure you are all aware of the Decade Rebellion of Baltimare? The conflict fought between several noble houses and the royal crown over the laws applied to the throne when Prince Heft, began to start an uproar among the nobility over Celestia and I as rulers?"

There were a round of nods. 

"During that time he was able to gather the aid of the both the descendants of Pyre Pipe, Heated Edge, and  Fire Blossom;  a few of Celestia's children as well as the descendants of three of my own. Over time, as we married and our husbands and children passed on while we continued to rule as decades passed...we gained power. The rebellion was done by those who wished to overthrow us because" she snorted in mockery, her coat shifting a shade darker, "and we quote: "No nation should have rulers that hold all the power of the throne and refuse to share it equally with their peers.""

The pause was broken by Flash Sentry saying: "...what?"

"He tried to throw a rebellion because my...because Celestia and I were immortal." The shocked looks got a raised brow.

"What?!" Twilight shrieked. 

"You can't be serious..." Rarity said with disbelief.

"Oh believe us you shall",  the empress stated, her eyes looking at Blueblood's just as surprised expression before turning to observe the rest of the stunned room. "That is exactly why it happened."

"Wow", was the only thing Tempest could say. She snickered. "And I thought I had problems."

"B- b-but" it took a few seconds for Twilight to get her words. Particularly a combined pat on the back by Fluttershy, Rarity, and Spike. "THAT'S INSANE!" The stomp and tail lashing really emphasized this.

"Star Swirl said the exact same thing." She smiled wistfully.

"Still doesn't tell us what this has to do with Royal Bronze", Applejack stated.

"Royal Bronze was my great-great-grandson. Of my progeny, he was the one who first called me matriarch and meant it with all the love of a son to a mother and not some figure you bowed to. The union between I and the son of a small king in Southern Equestria,  Prince Calm Breeze was the beginning of his lineage. Their House was the youngest of many. And despite the pressure from all the other nobles, even when our own children began betraying us, he stayed loyal. He fought to defend our honor when it would have been so much easier to side with those who desired a change in power, he never betrayed Tia or I. He instilled that into his whole family, and they suffered bitterly for it."

"The battles", Shining Armor said soberly.

"Yes", the Empress responded as her eyes looked back to Blueblood. "Overtime Prince Heft began losing support when the Diarchy began our own rebuttal, so before he lost more, he waged a rebellion. Apparently his great grandfather took it very personal when Celestia and I kindly rejected his offer of taking our hooves in marriage. Felt it brought shame to their whole family line to be rejected by the heroes of the nation. Especially when he made it so public." Luna shook her head sadly as she continued. "And when the rebellion was fought in Baltimare, the House of Royal Coats was the first to rise to our support, and suffered great losses for it. Royal Bronze among them."

"We're sorry, empress. That must have been very hard on you and the Princess."

Luna's eyes narrowed. Staring silently at Fluttershy the contest of who would look away first began but it was Luna who grimaced when she couldn't bare to stare at the face anymore. "We do not need thou pity." She spat. "Though he and his descendants suffered while we could do little, it seems his spawn somehow survived through time." Her eyes looked back to Blueblood, and before moisture could truly rise she turned away and sighed.

Nothing was said for a time, before the squirming pink earther finally dragged the Empress' attention from her musings on Blueblood.

"What?" she asked curtly.

"Welllll, I just kind of recalled you didn't really answer our previous question...hehe"

The tense jaw was a clear sign she didn't like where this was going.

"Do remind us what that was." One could not help but notice the coat did get darker when she was glaring. 

"Oh! Well that's easy, Twilight was asking who Aoi Ioa was!"

The pause was audible. Finally, she relented.

"Fine. For the knowledge Royal Bronze lives on, we shall grant the request you desire..."





 You are aware of the legends. The tales of our time and legends of an even greater past. How when Discord emerged he wrought chaos and suffering. How we emerged then, hundreds of alicorns moving across the world to aid nations to reclaim order during his reign.

How in darkness, even before he came to rule, there were those who met many of my kind. Stories of alicorns appearing in the past to stop ancient evils, whether they be new, old or one of our own.

One of the most belittled of the oldest legends you have dates back nine-thousand years ago, where the legends of Grogar the Sorcerer first sprouted.  The beliefs of our civilizations even then were believed distant and unknown to many till his reign upset the world and brought us out of our hiding. The stories of how we fought him along side every species. How we battled him and his followers for centuries to millennia before the world finally knew peace and balance once more.

Alongside those stories, there were others. We are certain you have heard it. As foals. In tutelage. In tombs of mythos. Scrolls that have spun rumor to fact and history. Of other beings that helped from civilizations just as...forgotten and lost.

Dragons that knew magic. Nay, not like the few of this time. But dragons that knew magic. Dragons twice the size of the largest dragon you've ever known.

The stories of ancient past of those that taught magic to the unicorns, the old Minoauxs, and many species across the world. The tales of those that reached out to the stars with one massive claw to help push the Sun and Moon.

From these legends there are many species mentioned. One of them, is the one Aoi descended from. A civilization not even Celestia and I had ever known personally.

They called themselves Tailed. We will not discuss why.

The Tailed were one both Celestia and I came to know in time. Though we never travelled to their home, they were one we interacted with frequently.

Their kind and our own...we...did not often get along.

Like Aoi, Hinata, our dear friend, was a Tailed. It was Hinata that dealt the final blow to Aoi when we traversed the bubbling oceans that were filled with nothing but cider to the lands that are now known as Inujima.

Aoi Ioa, was...a very greedy sapient. I did not know her long, our interactions before Discord were short and the relationship between her, Celestia and I was not as personal as Hinata, so I shall tell you little but what I came to know of was her skill and in truth, I respect it.

She was a genius in strategy. That she cut off all means of communication with Minos and maintained an attacking force against the stronger forces of Queen Rashida with small groups sounds exactly like something she would do. She was a brilliant tactician, even we must admit it. And the only reason we believe thee to still draw breath is because of the Elements, as well as her own subordinates betraying one another, and luck. For luck seems to have followed you throughout that journey clearly. And if these stained glass tell the truth of your lives, then you have been truly lucky not one Bearer has yet to die.

Or the majority of you have not suffered worse.

Aoi Ioa, much like us, according to Hinata had once moved to help the ancestors of those in Inujima. However, she strayed. Once some form of stability was attained she moved to conquer the nation for her own and bring about her own reign. 

Hinata had said it was a cultural thing, one she did not agree with. The point is, she allowed greed to consume her. And in that greed we were drawn to help. It is because of her we met  Hinata. 

And it is because of her the Hinata islands exist.

> Ch 4: Now About Alicorns
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The contemplative silence was eventually broken by the following question. "You intend to allow half of these intruders stay for the rest of this meeting?"

"After your previous actions, you will forgive us Nightmare Moon for allowing our soldiers to keep themselves ready for a retaliation. Is this a problem?" Trixie asked, a single brow quirking up.

She chuckled. "Of course not. It matters little of what you do. One way or another we will have what we desire. Princesses Twilight Sparkle and Cadence will follow the terms per our agreement or are We to be mistaken of this assumption?"

"No", Twilight responded. "Nothing's changed." Her eyes slightly narrowed. "So long as you don't actually attempt to harm any of my family or friends again. Prince Blueblood may have taken a very dumb" she shot the stallion a glare and in return Fluttershy who sat by him shot a disapproving frown back while the prince's pegasus companion on his right shot a glare back, "risk" she continued. "However we won't tolerate any other attempts like that again Nightmare Moon. You've already hurt Lord Shining, the third time you attack anypony else will" she stomped, "be the last."

"The first should have been the final. Do as you wish, little one. Tis not our place to correct thine new ways."

The purple alicorn scowled but said nothing more.

"Moving on", the alicorn stated as the slits became round, returning to their natural form. "We have answered as much as we shall about the figure, Aoi Ioa. We move on to the next question."

The guards all nodded as they took position by the door.

"The second question", the alicorn resumed, "as we said will be the most important. You have provided us the answer to how the Elements were re-awakened in absence. Now, this next question will be posed to all of you." A dramatic pause was followed not long by: "What do you know of alicorns?"

Which after several seconds caused the whole room to exchange glances or expressions.

Noticing the train of glances between the Ladies of Equestria that were directed at Twilight, the alicorn then exchanged a glance with Sunset, who then glanced at Princess Cadence nearby the recovering Shining Armor, who ignored the look and chose to whisper softly into the ear of her disoriented husband.

"Right. Um," the muzzle scrunched up as she began to think. "I...know in  history, there  are some accounts of other alicorns that survived the Age of Chaos, like Princess Luna and Princess Celestia. Though there aren't many records of all of them" she glanced at Sunset who slowly nodded, "as far as we know of. And any archeological discoveries that were made in theory to the origins of alicorn culture or civilization, are still just theory and speculation often debated among historians.

"The most knowledge we have relating to the beginning of when alicorns are mentioned to have interacted with the three tribes only go as far back to the Ancient Period; the first mentions of alicorn interaction. Though the more credential figures are in the Recreational Period after Discord's defeat; where a few alicorns are historically known to have permanently indoctrined themselves into various civilizations to oversee the remaining problems that remained after the end of Discord's reign. Those accounts are I believe, either two thousand years old or more since the documentaries of time were still being worked out in the early stages after the Chaos period fell. Because of this many of them are looked at with a grain of salt due to the uncertainty of the writings and what actual facts were real."

Nightmare Moon raised a brow at the idiom and Twilight stared back with blank obliviousness before she blinked and realized the reason. 

"I-it's um...a figure of speech", she blushed.

Shaking her head the alicorn moved on. "What of geographically? What knowledge do you know of based off nations alone?"

This gave Twilight a pause where Trixie stepped in. 

"Trixie believes she can answer this", she smiled and when the alicorn nodded she spoke. "Equestria is the one continent that holds the most historic alicorn accounts, however Trixie believes we also hold the most mysteries as to what happened to these historic figures. Until most recently," and she briefly glanced in the sitting alicorn's direction, "the most popular was the legendary disappearance of Princess Luna and her possible death at the hooves of the unknown leader that attacked Castle Everfree." When the Nightmare did not interrupt or say anything, Trixie continued.

"Historically, there have been eight known alicorns in total, at least if we combine both Equestria and Southern Equestria's historic accounts."

"In Equestria, there have been only six historic alicorn figures.  Southern Equestria had two. Obviously we are excluding Twilight, Cadence,"  he glanced at one particular decorated window, "and Starlight Glimmer." Pausing he took a sip of the water Fluttershy held to him. "Aunty Celestia and Luna already take the spots for Equestria." Prince Blueblood concluded.

Sunset nodded, "True. The other four were..." her ears splayed as the signs of a frown touched her lips. "Weren't they...from the Crystal Empire?"

"The Diamond Facet."

Nightmare Moon's eyes locked onto to the pink alicorn pressed firmly by her husband's side as Moondancer had the wincing Shining Armor drink a materialized glass of water.

"You know of them?" tone of interest and intrigue, though she did not get a verbal response but a curt nod. "Then speak."

All eyes were on Cadence as she rose slowly. Kissing her husband on the cheek as he offered a small smile back, the alicorn gave the captain of the Cosmic Storm a small smile before her expression became neutral as she turned and moved to stand in front of her allies. "Why do you care?"

"It is important for you all to share what you know, lest it jogs the memory of one's fellow allies. We will not settle for half way answers or incomplete truths before we reach the question of Celestia's defeat and who he" she did not need to point merely glancing at the armored unicorn depicted in the glass was enough, "is, you will inform me of anything I wish to know that will aid me in understanding the time passed in absence." Nightmare Moon said with finality. "It was our agreeement, thus you shall answer me."

The neutral mask broke just a smidge as Cadence glared, lips pulling back in a scowl as sparks began to fly from her horn and wings twitched with growing anger, but just before things took a turn, she relented. Her tense posture deflating, body language defeated.

In that moment, Nightmare Moon smiled a genuine smile for the first time.

"Alright, fine." Closed eyes became lidded as the pink alicorn looked at the ground with a melancholy expression. Taking a seat just as she was working herself into getting started Cadence felt a touch. Turning she saw Pinkie shuffle up beside her. Sparing a moment to share a small smile between them as the earth pony came flank to flank, Princess Cadence's took a deep breath, let it all out, opened her eyes and looked Nightmare Moon in the eye.

"The Diamond Facet, the founders of the Crystal Empire. Or at least that's what I was told."

"By Celestia no doubt."

She nodded.

"There were four of them and I only learned of them after we took back the Crystal Empire. Any knowledge we had on the empire as I'm sure you are aware was significantly...small. Princess Celestia was helping me get accustomed to my position but even then connecting with the Crystal ponies and the rest of its citizens hadn't been easy and we knew breaking them out of the trauma Sombra had inflicted would take time. So I tried to do some research and Aunty guided me for a while. Filled me in on the things I needed to know about their culture, and the things that they once treasured before Sombra's madness drove him to tyranny." Here she took a deep breath as she continued. "I first learned about them from the old scrolls that were being preserved in a locked wing of the library. I don't know why, but I'd have thought Sombra would have destroyed any past records of all the previous rulers."

And to this Nightmare Moon snorted. "Sombra was no fool. Quick of temper, yes. But he cherished his history before his falling."

Staring at the alicorn with a bemused expression Cadence continued.

"Yes, well, he certainly did a good job. It took Twilight, me and Starlight a while to break through the locks he kept on the castle's archives along with the traps."

"Mmm", Nightmare hummed, "yes, that does sound like something he would do", she chuckled.

"So what did the Princess tell you about the Diamond Facet?" Flash Sentry asked.

"Why don't we check with the empress?" Cadence said with a smile. A smile that persisted as the alicorn's own pompous grin faded into a neutral blank stare. "There's a few notes I found in that library regarding the relationship between the empire and Equestria. Apparently before the Facet, the empire was made up of states, small ones that shared the same regions as Equestria. As you can guess, this caused some friction between the nobility of Equestria and the council of governors of the Crystal States. It didn't help that tensions were still being settled between the three tribes and the conflicts between the Deer kingdoms and Bison tribes that lived in some of these parts didn't help matters. So when it came to managing the political relationships between them and the crystal ponies, things--"

"Just got more tense because they weren't just competition, but they weren't considered part of any of the three tribes, were they?" Spike supplied.

"Yes," Cadence grimly nodded. "They were seen as obstacles for most of the nobility to expand their power and influence, though from what I found of the old council's notes they didn't think highly of the nobles either. It didn't get better even when the relationship between the three tribes slowly started to mend. It was actually worse after Discord came because he made it impossible to ignore a lot of the problems between them and us. Even after he lost, the main powers governing the seven Crystal States refused to work with Equestria's head figures." Cadence looked at Nightmare Moon, her eyes piercing through the dark alicorn's as if trying to look into a pit and trying to find the source of a missing flashlight. "That is till you and Aunty Celestia came and took over, things slowly changed. The Crystal Empire and a lot of the other races that lived here were never on good terms with Equestria until after the Diarchy began taking over. Princess Celestia told me herself, the governors in charge wanted nothing to do with the royal crown of the nation and before then, period."

"But after Discord was defeated and the Princesses married into royalty, that changed. Didn't it?" Sunset looked at Nightmare Moon.

She nodded, once.

"Why?" Spike asked. "Even when the Princesses did become part of the royal family it took them a entire century before they had enough influence to do anything major. What could have changed?" 

"Princess Celestia wouldn't tell me everything, I don't know how much the Facet changed or how they convinced the council of the Crystal States to do what they did. All I know is that at some point they managed to unite the Crystal States, developed titles and formed the Crystal Empire. How the Princesses managed to work something out with the Facet is anypony's guess. But" she turned her attention back to Nightmare Moon. "I have some ideas as to how they did it."

Bluntly, "And that would be?" the Nightmare asked.

"You knew them." Cadence replied simply.

Nightmare Moon snorted, a derisive sound that came from her throat and shook her form. "How? Each and every nation had their own problems to deal with, Equestria was no different."

"You said it yourself. Alicorns were forced out of their own civilizations when Discord rose to power. You wouldn't leave to fight with someone you didn't trust you could work with if you didn't have some manner of interacting with them. Maybe", and Cadence paused here, "you and Princess Celestia had fortune on your side. Met some old friends. Managed to work something out for your new homes."

The blank stare returned. "What exactly are you implying here, Princess Cadence?"

She shrugged. "Why would you assume I'm implying something. I'm checking with you what the Princess told me."

"Did she tell you she knew them?"

"No--"

"Then your line of questioning is of no use. Are you suggesting you intend to check every detail with me before coming to a conclusion of your own?"

"I never said that." Was the nonchalant response.

"It seems you are trying to say something", Nightmare Moon replied sternly, "and it would be in the interests of everyone in this hall if you simply spit it out."

"Did you know the Facets before they unified the Crystal Empire?"

Glaring Nightmare Moon replied "No."

Immediately Cadence shot back, "Then how did you and the alicorns ruling the Crystal Empire do it?" she pressed. "How did you work something out so easily when neither side was willing to work together at the start? The princesses had to convince the nobility before--"

Immediately the dark alicorn rose to her full height, the guards visibly tensed behind her as she stood with some even igniting their horns. "Your boldness will be your grave, Princess." She stated, all while standing her ground. "What is buried will remain buried, unless you desire to challenge my right to withhold this information", her horn flared to life, "then there is no point we continue this line of discussion. We desired incite into the knowledge you hold of alicorns, not of our own."

Bodies tensed, multiple horns were ignited. Hooves could be heard shuffling. Out of the corner of her eye, Cadence could see both Pinkie and Rainbow Dash fiddling with their Elements, trying to get them to work.

"Cadence," there was a unspoken question in that tone. Turning her head slightly, glancing at her sister-in-law, Cadence shook her head with a barely perceptible move and a narrow of her eyes. "Nightmare Moon", she spoke softly, and the alicorn's corona grew a bit brighter as the posture shifted into a battle ready stance "we all need to just calm down. Everypony needs to relax." Her voice gentle.

"Empress", she gave the poised alicorn her full attention. "All I want is answers, just like you... I'm sure you know how Aunty was", the brief touch of a sad smile graced her features, "always keeping secrets or hiding things or giving out enough but not giving out everything. It helped sometimes, but other times it just made things difficult."

"That is not my concern" was her cold reply. "The Celestia We knew was never much of a planner. She was better working in the moment of things, coming up with plans on the fly was where she worked best. Any plans she came up with she adapted along the way, it was what she was good at. Seeing a problem when it presented itself before her and adjusting to handle it immediately...but... We suppose the absence of our presence forced her to..." she stopped. Saying nothing more after but a few seconds the aura of her horn vanished.

The guards behind her however did not relax so easily.

Awkward silence settled in after a full minute waltzed by and seeking to clear the lingering tension Cadence switched back to the topic with a clear of her throat.

"All I know outside of what I learned, is what the Princess was willing to discuss with me" she said upon the narrow-eyed glare she was recieving. "The empire formed before the Diarchy. Princesses Pearl and Finesse, as well as Princes Light and Dawn brought the governors of the states together and established a council. Under their rule and your growing power the Crystal empire and Equestria were able to settle their border hositilities and form an alliance. Princess Celestia told me that your interactions were few. The storms that often occured around the States blew in from the sea, often making it extremely dangerous and difficult to send messengers back and forth between the kingdoms. And while I don't know the details of what happened to them, I know you and Aunty Celestia did everything you could to help their subjects in the time they lived. I also know that whatever happened, they didn't leave the empire defenseless."

The rigid posture of the alicorn faded, and slowly Nightmare Moon's position was less aggressive. "So it's true, you really did retrieve the Crystal Heart. We had thought Sombra may have done something to it once we had learned of the war."

Cadence shook her head. "No", was her simple response. "It's fine. He locked it away, but never did anything else."

"I see... There may have been a piece of that perverted fool of a prince still in there after all..."

".... Princess Celestia once said you and Princess Amore were very close..." Cadence finally said after a few moments of silence.

"Yes...a long time ago, we were."

"Do you still feel that way?"

Nightmare Moon didn't respond to that. No twitch of the tail, no drooping or rising of the ears, no change in the stone like expression she wore. There was no flare of the nostrils which would have been a clear give away, the semi-tangible mane did not waver but billowed naturally without a sign of distortion, the wings did not twitch nor did the temperature drop around them. There were no holes to truly decipher how she was feeling or if she could even feel anything at all. There was no way to tell if the demon was the source of the indifference or if it was just a perfectly sculpted mask. There were no clues at the moment if it was Luna or a spirit she was speaking to or if this was all some sort of mind game the spirit was playing. No way of knowing if Luna was in control or if she was being manipulated.

Had it not been for her mark, Cadence felt she might not be able to feel how the alicorn truly felt at all. But feel she could. Somewhere. Somewhere deep, she could sense the longing. The emptiness, the anger, the hurt.

Peering at the other alicorn again, trying to read above the superficial, Cadence offered a small sad but caring smile. "Empress... I never did tell you my full name, did I?" she asked softly.

Nightmare Moon raised a disdainful brow. The look alone spoke for itself. 'What the heck are you talking about?' it seemed to say. It made Cadence lift a hoof to stiffle her smile.

"My name," she tried after wiping her grin away, "my actual name is... Cadenza."

"And...your full name?"

She said it. The dark alicorn didn't move but her barrel expanded greatly as if she had just gasped.

The empress looked to Shining Armor, a twinkle of hope in her azure eyes surrounded by swirls of violet, orange and red. "And he is..." her words spoken slowly as they trailed off. "Is he...Sombra's...?"

Cadence shook her head sadly. "No...I'm sorry. Shining Armor is my sister-in-law, Princess Twilight's older brother, and my husband. Whatever happened to Sombra's descendants, I'm afraid we don't know and the Princess...well she never brought it up."

Closing her eyes then reopening them, sitting slowly, Nightmare Moon looked at Cadence one more time. Seeing for the first time all the things she hadn't seen that were clearly there now. The mane, that specific coat color, the eyes, the muzzle, the neck, the colors even if they weren't exactly all accurate she could see the resemblance now clearly.

As if a force drew her eyes over, she looked at Blueblood her distant forgotten son, Royal Bronze, lived on through his surviving descendant.

It surprised her how she'd been so blind to have not seen it earlier. To have not immediately seen the similarities between Cadence and Amore.

Then again, they hadn't seen another living soul in over a millenia. It was a miracle this was not all some hallucination she was suffering on the moon right now.

Shaking her head, smilingly sadly, unable to believe that this much had come to pass in their absence, the alicorn just sat down. To have met the descendants of those she was once close to in what seemed like a blink of an eye and not be there to see their stories unfold. It ached. Ached in a place she'd long since shut away.

Her ears twitched when she heard the steps of another approaching her. Instantly Nightmare Moon's horn sparked to life and her pupils turned to slits of rage, her irises flashed red and without even thinking, just aiming--

A hole appeared within a second of where her telekinesis had slammed into the floor. Cracks and steam rose from the impact point and the interior glowed a fading orange. There was a bark from somewhere and before any pony could do anything--

"Leave her." Cadence commanded immediately, her eyes shifting slightly to the right.

"But, Empress Cadence--"

"Leave her." Cadence commanded again with a wing raised for silence.

Flash Sentry shot a look to his second in command, and without wasting a second after, she stomped hard- the Crystal Solitaire backed down wordlessly as did the other guards relieve their offensive positions when their own officers gave them their own silent commands.

With her attention fully returned to the Nightmare, Cadence frowned and stopped her movement forward, taking steps back as the unblinking wide-eyes never left her till she retreated fully before the dark alicorn blinked again and relaxed.

"Leave us in silence." The alicorn said in a whisper. "Just a moment of silence. That's all we need..."





"There is a reason We asked of your knowledge relating to alicorns" she said at last. The rays of morning day had shifted as the sun had set and she could sense the afternoon begin. Though as she opened her eyes, she saw no horn ignited nor a soul missing to lift the Sun.

How?

"And what reason would that be?" Rainbow Dash asked drawing them back from their observations.

"To see if Celestia may have found one of our own; alicorn foals she kept under her wing. Though in our time here since Our return, I've come to narrow those beliefs significantly by reading your papers."

"Princess--" she winced at the look, Trixie tried again, "Empress, please clarify what you mean?"

"I think she thought when we met we were..." Twilight made a face looking for the most non-offensive way to put this, "...like the ancient alicorns?"

"You thought Twilight was born an alicorn back when you first met her and Princess Cadence at Twilight's castle?" Fluttershy cut in.

"No. We had believed that Princess Twilight and Cadence were." 

For a moment, there was a shift in the room after those words had been uttered. A chill existing only in the social form that was drowned out by the confused looks many of the occupants save a few shared. However it lasted only a moment. It was washed away as Nightmare Moon went on unabated.

"Imagine my surprise. Other alicorns after all this time? It wasn't impossible, I couldn't rule it out that somewhere some place in some corner of the world some of us had carved out a home and managed to survive. It was plausible. So imagine my astonishment seeing two other alicorns before me. It made us pause. It made me think after our agreement."

"After Our escort of the Lunar tower had been completed, we studied the changes of this world. Learned as much as we could and eventually I eliminated Princess Twilight Sparkle from the possibilties, as well as this Princess Starlight Glimmer."

"Because of the Elements." Applejack pitched.

"No, their coronations." Which just made the purple ears fold at the memory. "But you are correct, the Elements were my belief but not one we were certain of till we came here."

"Given the context of our previous discussion I believe I could understand how that could seem...possible." Rarity gently stated.

"But why Cadence specifically? If you read the papers you'd know she was--" Tempest Shadow asked.

"Celestia adopted an alicorn filly." She looked around "Did you know that?" the question was rhetorical. Of course they knew. Everyone in Equestria and every other surface of the globe knew. "I checked, cross-checked, looked through every paper and every article and there was so little I could find. Just a name and the vague mention of some place she was from."

"I thought more about the possibilities," her speech getting faster, "the implications of it all and with it my research broadened. I began looking all over, not just in Equestria but other nations. Celestia was no fool. No, she was a quick thinker, but she was not completely ignorant. Questions would be asked:  'is she really your relative', 'where is she from', 'who are her parents', 'are there others like her?'" Nightmare Moon abruptly stopped. Looked at Cadence, then repeated those very same lines word for word. Whether she read them or whether she knew the now late Solar Princess that well was trivial.

"She is a distant relative." 

"I will not be answering that but she is the daughter of an old friend."

"I cannot disclose her birthplace out of respect to her family's privacy and their wishes."

"Yes, she is my niece."

"Any questions relating to Princess Cadence shall be answered by me, so I ask kindly you leave her be."

"I am increasing security around Princess Cadence's villa as we have become aware of intrusions by those trying to get her picture. I am not happy with this behavior. I respectfully ask you give my niece the privacy you so personally cherish that she also deserves."

If a pin were dropped it would echo. The room shifted, stirred, there was confusion in the air and many of the individuals in the room didn't get it.  Where was this going? Why did this matter? Why the focus on Cadence? If the lunar empress had actually done her research she already knew the answer. 

Cadence had always been an alicorn. What was the point of asking a question you already knew the answer to? 

What most had failed to notice was Nightmare Moon's eyes had always found their way back to Cadence the entire time, and all the pink one did was just stare back with a neutral expression.

"I think--" Pinkie began.

"Silence." A flick of her horn and the party planner was frozen in place. Horn never dimming, Nightmare Moon continued.

"It does my dark heart well to know that after all this time", she finally said, the hints of a grin tracing her lips, "she still can't help but meddle in every thing she feels requires her attention. Those distractions", her grin got wider when Cadence's tail flicked and the wings twitched as the nostrils flared,  "might satisfy the press for a time, but not us."

Shining Armor chuckled, winced then said: "Look, I don't see the point of this--"

"--we should maybe try to..." Pinkie stopped, frowning as she looked around. "Wait..."

"Oh but you will." The Nightmare evenly returned, her sneer evident. "Because you know it too. Don't you?" 

Tempest Shadow narrowed an eye then glanced between the unicorn and the alicorn. "... What are you hiding from us? What does this have to.do with Cadence?"

"It was not up to us to say it." Sunset replied cooly, her eyes never leaving that smug, pleased look on Nightmare Moon's face. "The Princess made us all swear, and you know the saying."

Trixie closed her eyes, recited the mantra: "When the Princess asks, you listen."

"Now that I know you are of Amore's line there is no longer a need to continue the search." Nightmare Moon picked up where she'd left off, ignoring the saying but letting it hang in the air for but a few seconds. "There is but one question we desire answered, however."

"And what would that be?" the pink alicorn smiled, a practiced expression.

Nightmare Moon smiled also. Then the lunar empress asked--

"How did you ascend without the Elements of Harmony?"
> Ch 5: The Nature of Change
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alicorns were a mystery.

This was a fact and why they were so mesmerizing.

It was why historians couldn't stop picking for questions about them. Why pony archaeologists would claim they'd found the next lost ancient city of some forgotten name relating to them. Why some of the aristocrats that descended from the Princesses had swung their authority around like a saber and stabbed wildly (and repeatedly) at anyone that dared cross them and their right of power.

Their civilizations, much like the centaurs, the gargoyles, and many others, lost to time- were a mystery. Only the most minor details could be picked up on that had not been recorded, the majority scholarly guesses jotted down as fact.

Beings of great power that walked in mortal bodies they were known throughout history for appearing when trouble began (or in the often ignored hardly spoken sections, were the main reason trouble started). They were saints, demigods, to be given respect so long as that respect was returned in kind. They were guardians, magik powerhouses, where many of the three tribes had in their own ways revered them on the borders of divinity or honored them as heroes in ancient past.

The Sisters however. They weren't just a name in the history books or a story passed on by generation to generation or a rumor told from folktales of the past, they were real. 

And the evidence had sat right here in Canterlot. They were the victors of the Old World, and the Sentries of the New. Because if it had not been for them...

Well, no one liked to think about the what-ifs.

Which was why Nightmare Moon's presence-- her location was a secret. Well, as secret as it could be. It was impossible to keep Nightmare Moon herself, the mare of the moon, a legend to scare all, a secret when her only historic landmark had vanished off the surface of the Moon. When the craters of her symbol had vanished off the surface of the moon there had been understandable panic across Equestria.

Luckily they bit the issue before it could fester.

The world at large had no idea Princess Luna was Nightmare Moon and as far as anyone in Equestria or anywhere else in the globe was concerned that was going to stay that way.

No pony, no pony except the Princess' most trusted knew that the alicorn once known as Princess Luna was being possessed by a demon; an entity that had manipulated the lunar princess at her darkest moments and corrupted her into acting out in the most twisted of ways after finally breaking her spirit. A demon who knew both sisters and whose past with them had yet to be made clear at all in the slightest. A entity that was now currently making things difficult with the question it just asked.

In a final attempt to deny the truth Twilight asked "What are you saying?"

The Nightmare repeated the question. Somehow, that made the weight in the air worse. 

How had Cadence changed? Not how had Starlight or even how she had changed but how had Cadence changed. Any other day it was easy to deny this.

Yet deny they couldn't because the agreement they'd made prevented them from outright lying. Even if they wanted to, they couldn't.

Ask that question to anypony. The same question, phrase it any other way you want, then ask it again.

Then keep asking till someone gives you an answer or just kicked you out for asking dumb questions.

Ask that to any delegate in both Equestria and the south. They would look at you like you were crazy or just write you off as incompetent. What are you talking about? A normal citizen would tell you. You feeling alright? They might say. Not too long ago, a few years ago, nearly a full decade ago Twilight knew she would have been one of them also.

Because to the public Cadence had never not been an alicorn, just like Princess Celestia had always been the beacon of society before that other one mysteriously vanished or something.

Herd instinct played a role in this to some degree. The Princess had said Cadence was an alicorn, and everypony had accepted it because pecking order demanded it. No pony had questioned it.

Most, didn't care to. Why would you? But more importantly how could you hope to?

So one random alicorn appears out of nowhere and the Princess claims her as her niece. Big whoop. Why would the Princess lie about something like this? When alicorns are virtually nonexistent in these times and many of them just vanished mysteriously in the Age of Chaos it's not that big of a stretch to believe a couple built some civilisation somewhere, somewhere outside of Equestria, and one of them just happened to get in contact with the Princess.

Or, maybe one of the Princess' descendants had tapped into some ley line and finally tapped into their ancestral heritage like theories thought possible.

Besides, how would you check?  You couldn't. At least not on your own. The only way you could involved asking the only one who knew the answer.

And the Princess doesn't lie, at least not outside the arts of statecraft. The Princess would never lie about an important matter like this. She never would ever manipulate a simple conversation, especially not one of such importance as the existence of other alicorns. Celestia was a beacon of honesty, a fountain of knowledge from the Old World (and some even say, Ancient or even beyond that). So you wouldn't question her immortal river of ever-growing knowledge and wisdom when she'd been in the game longer than most --not immediately at least, not always, and never in front of others unless you were particularly bold or rude like some of the nobility--

But, the one in the center of the hall did.  Nightmare Moon dared to ask, and she did it while being so far behind. She was out-of-date, a thousand years and then some out of her time, but she was asking a question no pony, not even the Princess' own students had ever dared to ask.

Probably because a lot of them had been blinded by her light, Twilight felt the Nightmare might say, too blind to see so they couldn't see where they were setting the next hoof till it was too late and they were in the path the Solar Princess wanted.

And honestly it was a simple, innocent, harmless question. What threat could possibly come of it? Rather it was one of those type of questions that really made you think.

One Twilight found she and her allies were not prepared to immediately answer.

It was the same type of question that had led her to stopping the creation of a spell which had ironically led to her own ascension.

Time had went on and soon enough it would be moons since both the eye-opening and terrifying moment that had led to her change, in the times when her coronation as a Princess of Equestria was being prepared. She remembered it vividly.

That day the truth had come out.

It had been during their time on a cruise. Cadence had walked into her suite where her, Spike, and the girls were all sitting at night simply talking to ease her nerves of her approaching rise to royalty, as a figure head of Equestria. She had so many doubts and concerns. Then, not long after Cadence had joined in to help lighten the mood before she'd dropped the anvil through her floor. In all honesty even now she wasn't sure how things had gravitated towards that area of a topic. All she could recalled was what Cadence had told her.

"I was a Pegasus, we've been hiding the truth all along, and I'm so glad I can finally just tell you."

Which Twilight and the rest of her friends had laughed at albeit awkwardly, (Spike not so much, he'd been fidgetting) because she'd thought it was some weird joke to help her relax when she was stressing over her approaching coronation-- but it hadn't been a joke. It was never a joke.

Cadence hadn't laughed with them. She looked even offended when they had started.

The anger, that disquieting, haunted look in her eyes had said so much more than words ever could, and one-by-one they all stopped laughing. Which was when Twilight had said the same words back then she was about to say right now.

She stared at her. Stared at Nightmare Moon and repeated the words. "You can't expect us to take you serious here... can you?" but when the constant silence continued to loom over them - much like it had then- the panic sank its fangs in and so she continued talking when no pony else on her side would.  "That's a bit of a leap to assume that even if Cadence wasn't related to Princess Celestia she had been anything else but an alicorn."

Which was when to her horror, the dark alicorn brought out the evidence.

Pictures. Worn, old, burnt-around-the-edges pictures. Pictures of Cadence as a Pegasus from before the Change. The whole Hall was filled with gasps and that's when Twilight knew this topic would never be back under their control.





There was a unique way to describe this atmosphere. Like a live-action play there was a twist waiting at some part of the scene. 

Apparently the twist was Tempest.

Tempest Shadow turned towards her superiors, looked Twilight, Sunset (and for a lack of Starlight), Trixie in the eye and regarded them with a inexpressive look that had once been used on them several years ago when things had been different. A mare that had once been on the other side more than six years ago, eyed them now with the same look she'd worn when serving the Storm King and asked a question of her own.

"What does she mean?" she said in a flat yet calm voice. "From your reactions, if you'll excuse me for saying, it looks like you've been caught with your hoof in the jam jar."

"Tempest!" Moondancer snapped, ignoring the subtle comment in the background her ears picked up about cookies clearly being the superior, rising from her side by Shining Armor she chided her fellow captain with a scalding glare. "Mind your position! We do not speak to our superiors in that way!"

"Forgive me Captain Moondancer," Tempest replied, her gaze fixed, "but I served a tyrant who kept many secrets from me even after I rose to become his most effective general. I. Will not. Sit idle" she stomped, "and allow that to happen again. Princess Twilight", opal eyes met violet for just a moment before turning to- "Representatives Sunset and Trixie, please tell us what she means. It's too late now to change the subject, we all can see that."

Which was true, but it wasn't their place to tell. Had things gone according to plan they wouldn't be having this discussion in the first place!

The initial plan upon Luna's return was to just blast her with the Elements now that they had been reawakened, but that had been where the biggest problem lay waiting.

They had no idea when she'd return and to top it all off, had no clue what exactly Nightmare Moon was capable of. The Princess herself had not been certain of what the alicorn could do, even if she knew what Luna was capable of that did not account for how dangerous Nightmare Moon could be.

So they had looked to Star Swirl the Talented for answers. Searched every which way to find clues. The old unicorn had warned of many things before his disappearance but he had never predicted a when, only a would. He never was good at pinpointing the exact moments but before he could have worked on it anymore he received a letter from an old friend, went off to go tend to the problem with the Pillars...and--

And what?  Twilight had asked. 

"He was just gone"  The Princess had said.

Not a single sign of him or the Pillars that vanished with him one day when they went off to handle some threat plaguing the regions around Rammaly, Minos, Prance, and Germania. He just...vanished and never came back. The council of the Rammaly had personally had his cape and hat sent back with honors for helping them with whatever evil had been plaguing them, but other than that there was no word from him. No letters, no cryptic messages in waiting, no deliberately delayed messages for a dramatic (and infuriating) effect-- they were all just gone.

Which was why they hadn't known when she'd return or what state she'd be in when she did, nor how dangerous she could be, or how powerful considering a demonic entity was fueling her power.

In the time of her absence many legends told a different story of what happened to Luna, She who Ruled Moon. 

Many tales considered her banished to some magical prison by the dark commander of the Shrouded Legions. Many narratives spun a story of some fell creature from another plane mimicking the lunar princess' form after defeating her in bitter combat. All of them made by Written Script, the son of Constable Heartful, all written in some way, shape or form and they always ended in one way: Princess Luna was gone and the monster known as Nightmare Moon was just a monster. One to scare the young to not stray from the light on that yellow brick road.

Over a thousand stories that talked about Luna mentioned her grace, dignity, love of theatre, and tough-love while over billions of poems, haikus, laments, or more written about the Nightmare; her darkness, her corruptive ways to manipulate the feeble, and her heartlessness. 

The Luna spoken in his works and the Nightmare told in others were so different when faced with the real representation in front of them.

Yet not a single one mentioned or hinted if she ever survived her battle against the darkness, if she ever escaped her captor's prison, or if her fate had ended with a chance of her survival.  In every tale the lost lunar princess had vanished, always fighting. The perfect way to honor her in those times and leave a good memory for the citizens that lost their princess who had once defended them before she was all but almost forgotten with time.

The silence that had settled in now had gone from intense to almost suffocating. Twilight felt hot, her skin felt itchy, there was a sudden yet familiar awkward awareness of her wings that made her shift them uncomfortably.

Tempest Shadow was waiting. From the looks of the Guards behind the Nightmare so were they, even Flash Sentry stood with a expression of blankness. No doubt also waiting for some sort of response as the second minute or maybe the third ticked by with no strong rebuttal or forthcoming answer.

"It's true." They all went to look at Cadence who had spoken. "I never ascended with a magical artifact of great power or the Elements of Harmony. I never was related to the princess by blood like the papers said either, neither of them."

"Cadence--"

"It's fine Sunset." She smiled, though it did not reach her eyes or hold much warmth. "Thank you", she looked at all of them. "All of you, for keeping this quiet for all these years. And most of all, thank you Spike."

"M- Me? What did I do?"

The pink alicorn merely smiled wider. "You know what you did. Thank you for being the second one I trusted with this secret."

"And now," Nightmare Moon interrupted, "the secret comes out."

"You don't have to do this you know?" the voice whispered into her ear.

She nuzzled him gratefully. "I know. Thank you, Shiny." 

Throughout the interaction the Nightmare said nothing. As the affectionate display continued however, her snort of derision gained Cadence's attention. "Are you quite done?"

"..." glaring, Shining Armor felt a gentle kiss on the cheek. "Thank you", the Crystal empress whispered, then with a smile at Moondancer and a nod, Shining Armor let the unicorn guide him away from his wife's side.

"Now we're done." 

"Good," the other responded tersely. "Then answer the question. How did you ascend without the Elements of Harmony?" With a pop the orbitting images of a young Cadenza vanished as the images projected on orbs of magic faded with the glow of Nightmare's horn.

Closing both eyes Princess Cadence inhaled deeply, exhaled slowly. Then answered with two words.

How did you change without the Elements of Harmony?

"A sacrifice," was the answer.

Hesitantly, someone, a guard no doubt given the voice, repeated: " A... Sacrifice, Your Highness?"

She frowned, opened her eyes, and looked at Nightmare Moon who stared oddly back with a blank mask that held no emotion. "Yes," she answered eyes never leaving the alicorn, "a sacrifice."

"Cadence," she turned and she could see the hopeful disbelief in Twilight's eyes, "you aren't saying-- you don't mean?"

"Sacrificial magic." The cold and almost entirely now foreign voice of Nightmare Moon spoke. "Magic made illegal in the Diarchy's time of power. Many a time did we come across those who would give a life for some greater power, many a time did Clover the Clever, Stygian, and Star Swirl go off to hunt them down."

Behind closed eyes, she could remember them. Each and every face that lived in their little community. But most importantly Cadence could see her dear departed friends and family. Her brother Trickle, her cousin Dandy, and her friends; the ones who'd went off with her on a quest to beseech the aid of the one noble that was said to care about them that could turn things around for their mistreated little town.

For a moment no pony interrupted the crystal ruler while a wave of emotion washed over her features.

"How did it happen?" The voice was gentle. Maybe not in tone but she could feel it. The understanding was present somewhere in there and that alone made Cadence smile sadly as her eyes glazed over with tears.

"Queen Prismia" was the answer. "She was the most powerful noble of the islands. An orphan, just like me." The sad smile turned a little cheerful. "Did you know she even went to Celestia's school for the Gifted?" She glanced over her shoulder and looked at Twilight. "Just like you Twilight", and from the expression alone, Nightmare Moon knew this was something new they would all be learning together.

"Prismia was a terrible pony." Cadence continued after some given time. "I was blind to that at the start at least till we finally met face-to-face. Personally, everyone in my village and the other islands were blind to it but she was our salvation, once. Our leaders of our towns, villages, and cities were servants to the nobility. They controlled the flow of trade, and were our only connection to the Monarchy funny enough. Equestrian nobles took over the isles some 600 years or so ago after defeating the original rulers, taking husbands for their own or swiping daughters to betrothe. Prismia was our salvation. She changed things, broke apart the selfish parties that had grown distant with the Crown and taken land for their own when the Princess began changing the laws and status quo, and she drove them out of the East Coastal Waters. 

"She was a peasant that got lucky," Cadence's somber tone was not without the nostalgic smile, "a filly from an illegitimate birth that should have died." The room was silent.

"She should have died, if it hadn't been for one loving relative. The only relative she ever had. We all held on to the image of who she used to be, not who she turned out to be, and that blinded us to what she was doing." 

"We all thought she was the reason the nobles in power were being kept under control and why the defense around our little homes had increased but she was the reason the nobles started fighting again and why all our homes suffered when they took that ire out on their subjects." A response that Nightmare Moon noted held no anger, no fury, no disdain, or disgust. What she did detect was sympathy, pity, and sadness. "She was terrible and she wanted us to share in what her cause for us, took from her...And I can understand why. Losing the the ones you love- the ones that always loved you, in a time when you feel no one else did or ever would can change you. For better or worse. In the end, all she wanted was one pony to love her." Her eyes met the Nightmare's, "Just one pony or one sapient that showed they cared, and that was all it took to beat her, but it came with a cost." Cadence spread her wings, the light catching her feathers, her regalia, giving her a majestic flare to her visage. "And  there's not a day that goes by I don't miss them."

Nightmare Moon said not a word at the statement, but the eyes that met Cadence for just one brief moment of a mere second, said enough. 

"We have heard enough," the Nightmare declared, breaking contact with the Princess of Love. "Our next question!" She shifted to look at Sunset Shimmer and levelled her with a curious eye. "Who raises the Sun and our Moon?"

Sunset Shimmer smiled at this. "You'll be surprised to hear the answer to this one." 


"Doubtful" Nightmare Moon returned.


"It's actually Discord who raises the Sun and Moon."


The dark alicorn blinked. Her ears flattened, one ear cocked up while the other splayed to the side. Nightmare Moon blinked again, the two voices in her head clearly stumped. "...Discord?"


The whole room nodded, and only Fluttershy said it with a warmth of somepony who held great pride in this revelation. "Discord."
> Ch 6: Of Lords and Overlords
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Discord?" she repeated.

"Yes," bid the unchanging reply.

It was like they were trying to get a rise out of her. Really now.

What a absolute steaming pile of dung, was this yet another attempt to catch her off guard? Well, she wasn't about to give them the satisfaction. "You mean to tell Us," the dark empress of the night hissed through clenched teeth, "the Bane of Harmony is the one that has continued the Cycle of Life in both my absence and in the time of Celestia's passing?" 

"Yes."

Unbelievable, she really couldn't believe how hard they were trying here.

The gall of these ponies, simply unbelievable. A entity like Discord, even if he had done them one favor in the past, was incapable of forgoing his ways. He revelled in chaos and upset balance, it had been fun to him to topple the Old and those within it. Lives had been ruined and new life had personally seen its birth at his talon and the sheer audacity to suggest he could be bothered to care enough to--

Unbidden, a thought out of nowhere formed.

Was he capable of butchering all of life from this dimension to the next in a heartbeat? came the query, Certainly.

But did he want the extinction of life? Perhaps not. Without either Us or Celestia, extinction is what he would have. Whatever forces once aided the sapients of this realm in the mechanics of their cosmos, when he came those powers were gone. Recall this, he never favored death even if he never did do anything to stop it. But he never did try to end life when he could have. Especially when we opposed him. With but a snap he took the magic of us all, stripped us of our weapons like taking teat from a foal from both our fallen former Sister and us. Yet not once did he try to end us indefinitely. Every time he gave his would-be vanquishers a chance, an opportunity, a moment to try and put an end to his reign; even when it was obvious, not once did he deal the final decisive blow.

For a moment Nightmare Moon found no argument to this. The logic was sound yet it was not enough to curb the rage. 

Putting in the active effort of maintaining all of life and the balance within this realm was one thing, but if there could be possibilities that these filthy pathetic squishy mortals could not see or fathom that could be explored? It was highly unlikely. It defied that which he abided by. Spat in the face of everything they had ever known-- everything they had ever been taught and understood. Besides he knew other ways, perhaps ways that would stow the work on to somepony else. The belief that the unicorns of old times were responsible for ensuring the gears of this realm remained functioning and well oiled was older than their own rule and it had been the primary reason they had gained power, and why most Unicorns had risen to nobility.

Why many of them had still been allowed to maintain nobility.

Knowledge unknown rose to the surface of Nightmare Moon's mind as she stood there stewing in her anger and disbelief. Eons ago, a long forgotten tale spoke of the First Leaders of Terra Magna, the name of this realm. In the days where the elements had been given life by a demon named Erebus, and fey of all kinds skipped into existence playing nasty tricks while the apprentices of Grogar neared their goal.

The Curator of Time, it was an old tale, older than the Diarchy, older than even the Royal Sisters themselves. 

This was a time where a reliance on the nefarious spirits and demons became a necessity as those that walked the dark side looked to soon be the victors.

The universe neared death like honey, the words trickled into her ears, finding hold in her mind. By the ticking second, with every syllable the Nightmare's tense posture relaxed, bit by bit, but never fully.

Grogar's goal and that of his allies finally neared completion. He had won, after centuries of battle with chess pieces always switching sides or losing members, his goal had finally neared completion. He had lost time and time again, but at last, he had won. Good had fallen, evil reigned victor. At last, the universe would die and his time of power as was promised would finally come. Demonic contracts signed in blood, entities beyond understanding from other whens, other realities, other universes, other worlds, had pitched in and he would ascend; become divine or something close, and guide multiple galaxies as he saw fit. 

Slowly. A hint of glee, oh so slowly, a chorus echoed, the planets of Magna slowed their orbital motions; the stars that give life flickered and died, one-by-on; millions of souls made many contracts that day, praying for their lives turning to the dark forces that would be their gamble and their inevitable damnation. The universe itself would halt its motions, gears breaking down from rust of fractured time and become a cruel mixture of dead and alive. In the end he would rule. He had come so close, alas it was not meant to be. The First Leaders, desperate to provide an alternative dug deep and found rituals of old. They gathered on the first ever red moon and performed the ancient summoning where they begged and begged for a means to save their world. Their cries were answered, and their sorrows were appeased.

The Curator of Time was one of the First Leaders, or perhaps, all of them. They led the rebirth when all came to the very edge, a inch from death, and it was said that each and every one of them were granted the means to continue life if Grogar were to succeed.

Reality had been broken time and time again by the battles. Not just with Grogar but with others. Other beings of other whens and other wheres. And so it is said, the First Leaders passed their gifts down to their allies. To ensure life continued, in the hopes Grogar and those like him, would never truly win.

As soon as it had began, just as quickly it ended. The voices hushed into a silent murmur, pushed back into the corners of her mind where they belonged Nightmare Moon regained control of her body, but did not open her closed eyes.

Unicorns had, false or not, gained the power to lift stars and manage the cosmos. He was not possible of true compassion when an option like this remained, she reasoned. Nothing like Discord was capable of empathy, let alone maintaining it for long. He had knowledge of which not even her and Tia had been aware of. Beings like him, and them, were beyond such lowly mortal restrictions and so it was impossible for him to simply take up a task when it could be given to another or something.

What fear did a spirit have when it defied the norms of the physical world? What cautions were necessary when they virtually were nigh-omnipotent and very little, if anything at all, could do them no harm?

Yet despite the evidence, despite her combined vast superior knowledge, these worms dare feign the possibility of Discord actually coming to gain sympathy?

Simply marvelous.

It was becoming clear these answers from the room and the unnecessary third confirmation from Sunset seemed to have struck a nerve, because the glare Nightmare Moon shot when her eyes opened was soon followed by flaring nostrils and the billowing of a semi-corporeal mane and tail combining into a writhing mass of frustration given life. "Utter foolishness." She finally said.  "The Master of Hilarity, the Emir of Discourse, him, the Fallen Prince of Mayhem--"

"Uh, er, um" Trixie uh-er-ummed, interjecting "Empress, we understand this may come as a slight surprise given the" she couldn't stop the wince from having to say it, "time that has passed but Discord has changed and we owe it all to Fluttershy." 

"He's changed", she repeated the word as if it were some foreign language she had never heard of. The whirlpool of colors that were the Nightmare's eyes looked at the pegasus who smiled shyly in response. Fluttershy squirmed as she was scrutinezed only slightly and that's when she noticed the other thing that had dark alicorn's attention.

Her Element.

"Of course," was the dry deadpan. "Kindess, if it were any other I would laugh and call you all deluded fools...but Kindess...of course she would use Kindess." Emerald eyes met the cyan eyes tinted with the warm colors of red and orange that seemed to shimmer in the light. "How did you do it?" the question caused Fluttershy to shiver, as if the words alone held a chill to them, something not natural-- foreign-- when the room had not dropped a single bit of its current temperature. "How did you tame him?"

This made Fluttershy frown. She didn't like this question. The girls had asked her this question in a similar manner once, it had infuriated her. And in return she had given them a piece of her mind of how she felt on them talking about Discord like he wasn't even a pony-- sapient, or had feelings at all.

What was more, she didn't like that manic gleam in Nightmare Moon's eyes. It told of trouble, and she wanted none of it.

"I was just nice to him. All he needed was a friend." Fluttershy answered simply, as if being nice and not a untoward unbearable sod could handle everything in the world.

"Nice?"

"Empress--" Trixie winced as the dark alicorn laughed loudly. The lunar empress fell to her rump and laughed a long resonating deep sound that bounced off walls, yet somehow maintained a pleasance to the ears.

"Empress--" Sunset started.

"Be silent!" The Nightmare's voice boomed, her echoing laughter gone. "The Grand Duke of Shenanigans, Overlord of Giggling, Sovereign of Insanity is the one who raises our Moon and he cares for you all? HA! Where is he then? Where is Discord and why does he not show himself?" She crossed the room in two steps and was blocked by Sunset who stood in her path. "Why does he not take this chance to gloat?"

"It weakens him." The dark empress swung her head to her right to stare upon Twilight who sat staring at her with a frown. "Using his magic the way he does, focusing it to perform in a manner he hasn't used in so long tires him out. But he does it. It wasn't like this always before..." she trailed off, biting her lip Twilight looked away, not willing to finish.

Slowly, the Nightmare's mocking mirth left her face and in its place a inexpressive countenance. "Why?" She could not fathom why he would do it. A sick joke for her Return? Perhaps, it was possible. She wouldn't put it past him. Discord was a messed up entity of volatile nature.

"Because he cares about us." Fluttershy stated with certain defiance.

"Mostly he cares about Fluttershy."

The butter Pegasus shot the cyan Pegasus a look which Rainbow Dash merely shrugged to. "It's true."

The glare Rainbow Dash was still being shot told a different story, but Fluttershy made no response. 

"A single pony changed him. Or...no", rethinking the Nightmare rephrased it. "A single pony opened his eyes to see things in a different light. To see things in our ways." Again, the eyes locked in to Fluttershy, or perhaps it was her Element. "She chose wisely. She would be proud."

Nodding silently, Fluttershy said nothing.

"You said it was not always like this?" Twilight did not look in her direction. "What do you mean?"

Reluctantly, Twilight glanced at the others, her wings twitching, tail lashing, ears pressed back as she nibbled at her bottom lip.

"She has to know sometime" Sunset said, distancing herself from the dark alicorn but not enough to provide openings "Go on, tell her. It's not a secret."

Twilight sighed a breath of relief. "What I meant to say was...Discord didn't initially have to do anything before."

Without giving it away, a cheer of victory burned in Nightmare Moon's mind. "Explain", she ordered.

"It was because of..." she looked in a specific direction. Many eyes followed that same line of sight. Nightmare Moon blinked, turned her head to follow the vision of others and found them staring at a stained glass window.

A stained glass window that depicted a rust orange stallion. The same rust orange stallion that had made her heart beat a unsteady tempo and made her also feel a unnatural sense of shared understanding all at the same time.

"Overcast..." the Nightmare looked back. "This tells me nothing except who held influence in the raising of the Sun and Moon. It tells me little of how it was done or how he convinced Discord to do it."

"Discord didn't need convincing!" an indignant Pinkie incited, declared. "He willingly did it! Fluttershy didn't even have to ask him after we got back with the..." curls lost their curliness and drooped, "Princess..."

A moment of silence. Then Nightmare Moon said what was on her mind, "What does this have to do with Overlord Overcast?"

"He designed the device that would let Discord use his magic to raise the Sun and Moon. Well him, Sunburst, Twilight, Trixie, Moondancer, and other esteemed minds from the Eastern Territories." Sunset informed. "He was the supervisor of the project. Discord picked him personally, we didn't get why....he never talked about his choice, still won't...A lot of the mistakes were corrected by Overcast when he managed to catch them. Helped all of us quite a bit. A lot actually...might not even have finished the project in time without him because Discord wasn't sure how long he could keep going."

"I still think--"

"Twilight, please. I know we could have finished it without him, but not in that short time frame. Not that quickly. Not with how busy we were dealing with the other noble houses and trying to get Equestria as a whole back on track. Our schedules were tight enough as it is shifting between that project and dealing with Lady Pleasant Harp and all those supporting her. You know how tough it was getting policies under control again. If it hadn't been for Fancypants and Blueblood holding things after word got back before we did from Prance things could have been a lot worse. You know that."

Head dipping low, Twilight nodded in agreement.

"...It really is a shame how he turned out." Rarity said in the gentlest of voices.

"And how did he turn out?" Nightmare Moon's voice brought all eyes back to her. "From your own Captain's lips we hear he has done harm. Though the previous war seems to be blamed on him, there are papers that say otherwise. The press", Nightmare Moon said as her eyes scanned the room, "have very mixed opinions. He led the project for the Celestial Antenna that aided Discord in raising the Sun and Moon; he personally funded the Solar Memoriam in which she rests, all of this earning him some form of favor with not just you and yours, but gained him favor among the nobility as well as our subjects. Why?"

"Probably so he could take over it." Applejack surmised and to this there was no argument. 

"Truly?" There was no response, and Nightmare Moon shook her head in utter disappointment. "There must be something more." She said, because she didn't believe for a second it was that simple. Why start with Equestria, why not anywhere else and work your way around like Aoi attempted to do? The Elements of Harmony had become public knowledge at this point even if the Bearers identities were kept hidden. No, Nightmare Moon reasoned, there is more to this. I can feel it. That vision she had seen, it spoke to her. It may have been meant to influence the masses but that vision she saw, there was something about him. Something that spoke to her that she couldn't pinpoint. It was more complex than just a desire to conquer or rule. She felt it in the beating of her heart, unknown yet familiar.

Taking a new approach, curiosity piqued and a thirst for answers Nightmare Moon spoke again. "In the papers you made a speech Twilight." To which the young alicorn's ears perked up. "You, and Equestrian nobility gave Project Celestia's team," she somehow managed to avoid scowling, "medals. You gave Overcast specifically, a Rimstone Medal as special thanks."

Without even turning, Nightmare Moon was aware of several scowls and the ruffling of feathers.

"...Yes" Twilight said neutrally, "I recall that."

"Did you--" a lump formed in her throat. 

Suddenly, it was hard to speak. She wasn't sure why but the words were hard to say. Breathing became difficult also. Blood pounded in her ears and Nightmare Moon suddenly felt uncomfortable saying the next words that were on the tip of her tongue, it suddenly felt like she couldn't say them and for reasons beyond her understanding she wasn't sure why. Celestia meant nothing to her, she was a witch that enchanted the minds of all those that saw her and was worse than any evil spirit or creature to those that dared try to stand in the spotlight.

So why was it hard speaking right now?

Close your eyes a voice whispered into her head, the alicorn was trembling and many in the room weren't certain what that meant. Was she going to attack? What had changed her mood so suddenly? What was the cause? Nightmare Moon found the voices in her head were arguing, words were being whispered. 

Attack.

Kill them.

Do it.

 Look at what they are doing to us. Making us relive this pain. Haven't we suffered enough? After all this time, haven't we suffered enough?

Kill them!

Don't do it.

Reclaim your title!

Kill them, make them scream. Dominate them, make them learn.

Don't do it.

The time has come and there is nothing to stop you. We know the answers already, we knew from the moment we saw him. We knew and there's no need to confirm anything. Kill them. We waste time!

Luna The voice was louder.

Don't listen. Kill them. You know it's true. You know what will happen if you don't.

They'll send you back.

Back to that prison.

Back to that abyss in the dark, no light, no warmth, only cold, only darkness, freezing and fighting in a wasteland where if you run out of magic you won't be able to breathe and you'll be gasping as your lungs fight to draw air-- where air doesn't exist--

They'll send you back. No one respected you then. It's clear they don't respect you here. You can see it in their eyes when they look at you. 

You already have no title in this realm. Not anymore.

You know that don't you. The voices hissed and sparks flew from her horn as her anger rose to a growing crescendo. Your title is gone, just like her, just like your species. You will only get it back if everyone in this room dies.

Close. Your. Eyes. The voice, if it could even be called one in that waterfall of noise, snarled.

She did. She closed them.

Then she opened them. "That is much better."  The voice familiar but not, said. "Where were we? Ah, that's right", the room dimmed, shadows stretching out in all directions. "Did you not thank him at Celestia's funeral for his departing words?" the mare of the moon asked with distant indifference.

Twilight Sparkle narrowed her eyes and stood a bit taller. Her expression tainted with irritation at the insidious aura that was now strongly coming off Nightmare Moon than it had been before. "I regret doing that. I didn't know then what I learned after."

"And what was that?"

Nostrils flaring, ears drooping, Twilight Sparkle closed her eyes "I didn't know he killed the Princess." And there was the pain in her voice.

The room went still, and Nightmare Moon's tense muscles...relaxed.

The papers had not been lying.

The voices returned to a murmur in the back of her mind.

Eyes red as red could be, the lunar empress looked at the stained glass. There he was. A stallion, rust orange in color, his aura a unique color of steel grey and black; dual coronas, a rare feat among those that use magic. Looking at his image alone sent strange shivers and tingles down her spine. She didn't understand it. Nightmare Moon was at a loss. What was it about him that had struck a cord with her? 

With them?

With a glow of her horn a spell was cast, Nightmare Moon sensed no magic, no corruption, no magical compulsion spells she could detect. It had been an enchantment to contain the divination spell. There had been nothing in there, both their senses informed her. To say it hadn't surprised her would have been a lie. The vision had been genuine, honest, just a means of communication. Of sharing feelings with the viewer in a way that the papers could not. She had read the papers. Or to be precise, her other half had. 

"He killed her." The Nightmare said. A fact, not a question.

No one responded. No one nodded. Not a soul said a word, not at least immediately.

"He did." Came the sorrowful, regretful reply. "He told us the day we confronted him on hiring dragon raiders to attack one of the Storm King's territories out in Llamala." Rarity said silently.

"I see..." The red eyes kept staring at the image. "I never thought it would be possible for a normal pony to be your doom..." Time passed and finally another question emerged.

"Did he ever tell you why?"

Many ears perked, some angling in the sign of confusion or uncertainty. The Ladies of Equestria looked at their allies, the Representatives, the Captains, the other guards, the Emperors of the Crystal Empire, and finally it was Twilight who spoke up.

"...No...he never brought it up. After we left Prance he refused to talk about what happened. We assumed it was because he felt guilty about what happened in Fancy, with stopping Eudes and all. We all kind of did, with the revolution being as bad as it was."

"I see...well then, I have another question. What did he do in the battle with the Storm King that was so bad that you finally decided that was the moment you all wanted to intervene?"

Wings flaring Rainbow Dash grimaced. "He crossed a line!"

"Enlighten us then."

"He brought back the law Princess Celestia was vehemently against!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "He brought back the death penalty!"
> Ch 7: Fallings & Failings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The death penalty. A capital punishment that back in the early days almost any noble of well bred lineage could lay if the circumstances were in their favor. Many nobles had made it very clear to the public back before the Diarchy that if they wanted to, they could execute you. And there was nothing you, or anypony else could do about it unless you were of somepony of actual aristocratic importance or the individual preventing another state, region, or country from coming into your territory and butchering you.

At least, as long as none of the other houses or those in positions of office didn't challenge said noble's right to execute a peasant for staring at their daughter or son in an act considered 'most befoul for one of noble blood'.

Back in the day the death penalty had meant nothing. It was a tool. A means to scare and incite fear and caution. Those that could use it, used it for power often more than any true sense of justice.

To keep the dirt stained Dogs in their place well below them, where they belonged. Or so that saying had went.

It was there simply for the few remaining patriarch houses that were desperately clinging to existence back then to simply display that they had as much power and authority as the matriarch leaders that shaped Equestrian society.

The times when they, the two of them, had truly  begun  to grow into their power. If these were those times she could demand her right for the throne now that her other was gone.

But these were different times. The dark alicorn knew that. Equestria had changed in the millenia that had gone by while they had struggled every stellar cycle to simply survive on the moon that was both her  prison and realm of power.

The voices were right about one thing, a fact that brought sadness to her which she kept from her facial expression as she pondered this knew piece of information.

Your title truly no longer has meaning here Luna. For that, I do genuinely apologize.

Yet, to ban the law entirely, that was a matter of another completely. She could ask them why, why that charismatic alicorn she knew a bygone ago would do something like this, a means to rid the world of the most dangerous or worst of scum outlawed by her authority, but in her empty heart, the Nightmare knew they wouldn't have the answer to that.

So she listened, and let the chance to ask pass on by.

"Firstly you must understand Empress." Began Rarity, "Overcast's status and his influence with the nobility...to some degree, is our fault."

"He tricked us! The manipulative son of a--"

"Rainbow Dash!" Rarity interrupted with a glare. "Manners! Honestly! I understand your feelings but please."

The Pegasus let out an exasperated grunt, tail flicking in her aggravation. "Fine, whatever."

"Rarity is right though," Sunset contributed, after a glance at the pegasus. "It...kind of is our fault."

"I frankly think it doesn't matter whether we said anything or not. The nobles were already rooting for him before we started publicly lavishing him with our appreciation after he played such a decisive role in the antenna project. Discord wouldn't pipe down about how we all owed him and Overcast a big ol' heartfelt 'thank you'." Applejack huffed. "He would have gained influence one way or another, with or without us. Reckon a lot of them caught on to that, just another reason to support him meant getting us to consider looking at them in a better light. And that's even if you don't take into account the rumors about his letter exchanges with the Princess."

Snorting again, but with a lot less gusto to it, Rainbow Dash looked away, lips pulled in a frown and ears drooping in defeat. "I doubt that." Though she said it half-heartedly.

"I...I'm not sure." Twilight finally said after a moment of silence. She shook her head. "I don't know. The Princess liked him enough, at least what with them exchanging letters. I still can't believe Sunburst showed him how to do that."

"I still can't believe Sunburst LIED to us!" Rainbow Dash grimaced. "I mean seriously what--"

"He had his reasons." Shining Armor sighed. Clear from the tone this argument had been brought up many times before. "Let's just leave it at that, we don't need to get into that discussion again. He's suffered enough. And frankly, if I had been in his position I can't say I wouldn't have done different."

The room lapsed into a shaky silence of either agreement or uncertainty. 

"Yet here we are", Nightmare Moon broke the revere. "The villain that fooled you all and almost won in the end. Explain what you mean. How exactly was his rise in popularity your fault?" she turned the question to Sunset. "We have read as much as we could gather. Yet twelve days is not enough to digest a full one-thousand and eleven years of Our absence."

"Well", Rainbow Dash looked away when the attention came on to her. "... The idea was actually...kind of mine."

The raised brow she got made the pegasus wings twitch and a embarassed shade of light purple blush creep up into her cheeks. "I was the one who wanted to show how much we appreciated everything he'd done." Her tone bitter as her eyes narrowed. Looking back to a time where she'd been a fool and thought she'd made another wondrous friend. 

A friend. How dumb could I be. When she finally spoke again the embarrassed blush had spread to her neck, though the look of bitterness was now mixed with anger, sadness, and if the Nightmare was reading that facial expression right...disappointed acceptance.

"I suggested to the others we should do something for him. He was our friend, it only seemed right. We all wanted to do something for him after the antenna was a success. Working the magic into it and attuning it with Discord wasn't easy work because of how weird Discord's magic works and how that affected his signature or something, I kinda stopped paying attention after some point. Anyway, point was he spent a full two moons working to push the project forward and piecing together the others work between us trying to maintain policies with that pain in the flank Pleasant. Any stallion that can go so far under the scrutiny and time crunching pressure he was getting from the upper crust about the project, deserved a good reward so I told the others we should...we should...." biting her lip hard enough it felt like she would draw blood. Out of nowhere Rainbow Dash let out a shrill whinny as her tail whipped in her aggravation and with a nicker and snort she stomped out her frustration, her enchanted shoes clanking and thudding with every pound.

"Stupid!" she snapped suddenly, stomping around like an upset filly. "How could I be so blind? I convinced the court to make him honorary nobility, alright!" slam came the sound of one hoof then another. "There I said it!" Rainbow Dash shouted, as if challenging someone to accuse her of something. Ignoring the burning around her eyes, her tail cracked a second whip of frustration in the air. "What no comeback? No "how stupid of you?" no, "I wouldn't expect anything less from some idiot pegasus that goes attacking an alicorn without hesitation!" It's my fault! Mine. I messed up and it cost us almost everything!"

"Rainbow--" Sunset began but it was too late, the floodgates had opened.

" I pushed Sunset, Twilight, and Fancypants in the court to make him a honorary noble! It made sense, hay, Princess Celestia did the exact same thing for half of us after the changeling invasion!  I got our friends to agree because of course how could they not. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't think he deserved it. And don't you start AJ, it doesn't matter if you were thinking it also, I gave the nudge the rest of those snotty nobles jumped on!" 

""Give him the whole status of nobility as a reward for what he did!" I kept saying-- what an idiot I was right? I mean-" she turned to look at her friends, eyes flitting between them, a desperate edge in her voice- "He was out of it for a whole moon after that project! He needed nurses to help him just to get up and in the bath" her voice straining at the memory. "...I didn't know that could happen to a unicorn unless you got into a fight. At worst, from what I understood from Twilight and Rarity, you'd get a splitting migraine and some soreness but not the stiffness he was showing when the project was finally done." Looking back at her friends Rainbow smiled weakly. "He was tough, tougher than I thought for a guy who barely understood what a prank was and how you had to avoid getting caught for it to work. How could I not show the guy I-- we cared? It's what the Princess would have done and I just wanted him to be himself again! He was such a dweeb, just like his 'cousin'" she spat that word out like something sour. "And I was dumb enough to think he was our dweeb-- that he cared about us when he could be just a hassle to figure out sometimes" she rambled, "but of course I thought all dweebs were like that. Twilight was like that, Trixie was like that, and so was Sunburst when we first met. But after the princess died he just...shut down...closed himself off and I thought if I could get him out of his shell", she gulped, talking faster and faster Rainbow Dash had become unaware of the concerned looks she was receiving. 

"I thought if I could snap him out of it like we did for Twilight, get him to leave his cousin's side for more than a day and get him to see that I- we, cared about him  just like when he'd tag along whenever we visited or drop by before that whole stupid fight in Fancy then maybe-- maybe--" she choked, "and- and- and- he just threw all of that away!" slam came her hoof and now she was in the air, the whole room looking at her. "For what?! Power? Wealth? I don't get it! This wasn't Sombra or Tirek or the bad guy in some Daring Doo novel! We've dealt with creeps before and we couldn't even figure this out, worst of all we basically helped him get there and he was supposed to be our friend! I--

Blinking the wetness in her eyes away, Rainbow Dash for control as a look of confusion, disgust and betrayal crossed her face. "I actually liked him", and when she said it she wasn't sure which one she even meant. Maybe it was the one kind she'd always had a gut feeling and denied and then kept denying after everything that followed. How could she like him? The villain, the bad guy, the jerk who'd killed one of their saviors in cold blood during a fight or winds know what really happened. 

A part of her rejected the idea, so she just brushed it aside and moved on.

"Two years since he's been gone" the pegasus said, "and we're still learning stuff about him. Like we didn't even know him to begin with! He didn't even tell us why he killed her or if he did something to the Princess we could reverse! Six years since he killed the Princess, and for four of those, he played us for suckers!" she shouted. "It's like we just let some stranger canter right through our lives, welcoming him in and didn't know it till he started acting weird and the only ones that know anything are Sunburst, who you all don't let me talk to and Discord's keeping a tight lip as usual! I just--"

"Rainbow!" she stopped. Fluttershy was in front of her watching with concern and wide eyes. It took a second, but she realized she was flying, in the air.

All eyes on her.

In fact several of her friends shared Fluttershy's very expression.

It was in that moment, the pegasus had finally realized there were a lot of different expressions in the room.

There were a few stunned expressions at that sudden outburst. Some somber and sad. Others not even looking her way. Flash Sentry respectfully offered the pegasus a small nod of understanding when their eyes met before he looked away also. Then Rainbow Dash, realizing she'd said too much, started flapping her lips. Trying and failing to get something out. To cover her tracks as she backed away from Fluttershy. She landed and started looking for an escape a means to just be outside and away from all of this.

"I- I didn't mean it like that", she said. And she honestly wasn't sure what she was talking about. "I- I just wanted to--"

A hat enveloped her vision, silencing her. The stetson rested, rim covering her eyes as it was tipped at just the right angle to cover a pony's face. Applejack sat down right beside her friend, pulled her into a embrace ignoring her protests, and wrapped her into a one-sided hug.

"Hush now silly." no, this was Pinkie. "I'm sorry Rainbow, we didn't know you felt that way."

The prismatic pegasus was trembling. "I- no- I-" her voice shaking she slumped into the embrace, "I- I didn't know either."

Unable to see it as a sob worked it's way out, Cadence smiled sadly.

Applejack trotted over and making herself comfortable, wrapped one leg of her own around her friend's other side. "Sadly," she whispered in a way that was meant to be for her friend's ears only, "know that's a lie... I'm sorry sugar."

For once, the Nightmare chose not to capitalize on her opponent's weakness. And instead let the room lapse into silence.





"Such strange times we live in." Nightmare Moon said when all had settled and even she herself had chosen to sit on the cold ground. "I would ask how you came to fall for our strange overlord, but I understand, as you imply, that Overcast's connection to Sunburst: the valedictorian of his class and formerly the Grand Arcanist, gave him many connections by simply being blood related and the fact he was a skilled arcane engineer. This is what allowed him access to...well, all of you, correct."

Pinkie was the one who gave a frowning nod, as did many others in the room.

The dark alicorn chuckled, "if this were an act by Chrysalis I would have to commend her on a job well done."

"That's just the problem" Sunset informed.

"Sunburst lied. From what your friend has frequently been saying." Nightmare Moon stated with a glance as the pegasus was escorted out of the room with Pinkie, Applejack, Fluttershy, and a few guards through the court room's doors, out of the foyer. "Which is why he was taken effective immediately into the Crystal Empire after Overcast was slain."

"Not 'slain'," Lord Shining Armor informed. "Defeated. Slain implies he's dead."

"Which he isn't" Trixie quickly added. "We aren't sure what the Elements did to him exactly."

Flash Sentry nodded. "Correct. After he was defeated we removed Sunburst from his position and have had him under the Crystal empire's hold since. We didn't want it to look like the Grand Arcanist had been conspiring against the thrown--"

"Hadn't he?"

Trixie frowned. "No, he wasn't."

"All the evidence seems to say otherwise," Nightmare casually informed.

"There's no proof of that." Moondancer answered her frown becoming a leer.

"Yes...not yet at least."

Clearing her throat, Tempest stepped in. "I believe we're getting off topic."

"I believe, we're actually right on target. What is it exactly that Sunburst lied about, hm? Captain Tempest you surely have some insight on this yes?"

The captain looked at Sunset. When Sunset nodded, she answered.

"Overcast wasn't an actual relative of Sunburst's family, at least not in the normal sense as far as we get. And any records we tried to get about his origins...didn't...actually exist."

"...meaning?"

"Overcast by any medical accounts or records doesn't exist so far as any hospital in both Equestria and Southern Equestria is concerned. This includes the Shetland isles, and several other peninsula the north and south share with Griff. While it's very possible he could be of distant family ties, we did manage to get a sample of his blood from the Battle with the Storm king, and we know for a fact that he and Sunburst are related, he's just not related to anypony else in Sunburst's family." Tempest concluded.

Face an expression of confusion, Nightmare Moon stared at Tempest then looked around to see if perhaps this was another trick. When she saw no tell-tale signs, she blinked, and found a series of new questions presenting themself.

"You mean to tell us, Overcast and Sunburst are..."

"Technically, yes, they would be the same pony." Twilight informed, though her correction neither made her happier or brought a smug smile to her face save for the empathic look of understanding.

Closing her eyes and breathing deeply, Nightmare Moon sighed. "He's just full of mysteries" she sighed. "We shall return to a less confusing topic then, as I am certain you will explain this in time. What was so wrong about the revival of the death penalty?"

The grimace made it clear she'd hit a sensitive spot.

"He used it as an excuse to kill the Storm King."

She sneered. "And what was so wrong about that? Was he not responsible for the death of chancellor Fancypants? Did he not turn those that refused to submit to him into his slaves?"

"He did, but we had a plan to handle him. And Overcast ruined it."

"Then tell us."





"Bring him to me." The voice echoed across the garden and town walls, and with that same voice the city was silenced.

Through the silence, one could hear it faintly in the distance. Clinking. The clinking and rattling of chains, followed by the sound of heavy steps that drowned out the lighter ones.

Chains clinked and rustled as four unicorns led a creature towards the center of the room. Massive, just a bit bigger than a minotaur yet completely different from the species, the bipedal entity walked forward through the royal courtyards. Guards lined the pillars as the unicorns led their charge forward.

The crowd did not waste a second, somepony threw something at him and immediately many voices started shouting their boos and approvals.

And with ease, he caught it in one restrained limb that dragged the other, the jaw mask hiding most of his features. But his eyes, they twinkled with mirth for the moment that hid his underlying rage. He stood there for a moment soaking in their hate, then his shackles activated and the Storm, fell.

The enchantments glowed, sigils glowing orchid, yellow, red, orange, and blue, and as soon as his hand had caught it the metal and gravity brought the whole arm back down with the rest of him.

Stumbling from the increased weight one of the unicorns, startled by the lurch in his movement brought up one of the many confiscated spears of his colleagues, and jabbed him with the device set to sting.

Unable to snarl or yell with the clamped mask over his mouth the Storm king made a horrible sound as he was zapped with a weapon of his own design, and in turn forced to jump away from the offending object.

He lurched backwards, coming dangerously close to falling and just when it looked like he would, he felt magic. A tingling sensation wrap itself around him as he was jerked back to his hooves and kept standing till he could catch his breath.

Eyes glassy from pain, he looked at his savior and then saw her. His eyes widened for what was but a second, and then he chuckled. Chuckled a dark laugh that was muffled by the mask and his closed jaw, so instead it came out as a heavy, thick humm from his throat.

Fate really was sick if they put Tempest as the one to guide him to his next obstacle.

The crowd meanwhile were being separated by a line of guards. Pushing and shoving, shields were raised to stop anymore projectiles from flowing forward. The guards kept their formation and ensured that no pony else threw anything, as this prisoner was to be clean, immalculate as he was when he appeared to take away their land.

Just as Overcast had ordered.

Led by his guards, they moved down the path towards the open courts. The solar court. It was a shame he never got to meet her, that esteemed princess of the sun. Perhaps, when he got out of this, when he murdered her student, slaughtered the fool who betrayed him, and eviscerate the stallion that thought he was the one in charge, he would be sure to follow the path to her memoriam and piss on her grave.

That would show them, the fallen storm thought. That would show them all.

The thought was amusing, and it made the fallen storm feel better knowing that all he needed was a single chance and he could turn everything around. His thoughts came to a stop however of delusional escapes when he found himself in the atrium of the solar court.

"Remove his mask."

"Sir", Tempest Shadow began. "He's injured some of the guards that brought his meal out to him. Killed one, wounded four others. The mask needs to stay if you don't want him using anypony as a hostage."

"I trust your judgement former General Tempest Shadow of the Rapid Winds division, but while your punishment has already been discussed in detail, his has yet to be done. In discussions it is only fair we give him a chance to speak, rest assured he will bring harm to no one. He will be a good prisoner."

The grey eyes looked down at his prisoner. "Won't you?"

The storm king merely nodded.

"Good. Release him my little moon."

Ignoring the nickname, Moondancer marched forward away from her position by the podium and bowed her head slightly as the guards jabbed their thauma spears dangerously close to the fallen storm's chest and ensured he was standing straight and away from the lieutenant.

A single shot of magic lanced straight towards the fallen storm's mouth and though he flinched, waiting for the end, he found when his eyes opened, no harm on his body. The metal levitated away as the stars cleared from his eyes and the fallen storm blinked several times, trying to get his vision right. In the distance he heard as he heard multiple hooves retreat, no doubt distancing themselves just enough to allow him space to climb the stairs to the podium's incumbent dias.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself storm king?"

The fallen storm grimaced, pops sounding from his jaw as he flexed it. "I would like a glass of water," he replied in a calm yet gravelly voice, "if it wouldn't kill anyone to get me one. Seriously, drinking everything through a straw is just annoying."

Before anything could be said, Overcast raised a hoof. "Somepony get him some water."

The water was delivered and the fallen storm, slightly in a better mood for it.

Shining Armor and Blueblood sat on either side at the end of the court. Below each of them were two other seats. On Shining's side in one he vaguely recalled as Sun bacon or something sat on the left, on the right next to bacon pony, another fuschia unicorn with a purple and cerulean mane. On Blueblood's side sat the Arcanist and next to him his cousin, between the princes was an empty spot where the Ladies of Equestria and Princess Twilight would no doubt be seated. Sitting next to this spot, above her husband, was Princess Cadence.

"Oi!" a voice shouted in the sea of seats where the noble aristocracy sat. Heads turned and a well groomed stallion rose. In a plaque on the plinth, his family crest: crushed grapes oozing juice. The stallion with the grape colored mane to match, rose from his seat to scowl. "Da bloody name in tartare be this? Why is he" he threw his dark blue hoof out, jabbing it at the rust colored stallion decorated in bandages, "up there with you when we've been members of this court since the Princess' time. What insult is this?"

"Ignore him", answered a unicorn mare sitting on the other side of the room, her oversized blonde bun jiggling with the turn of her head and the pleased smile that touched her lips. "This is a matter among the upper crust, you just watch your tongue when you interrupt the emperor Lord Squash."

The storm king, content to watch, did nothing to stop this new turnabout.

"Iz dat so Sunny Harvest? You think becuz us Trottingham folk  have fewer noble blood mixed among our own we 're of lower stock, eh?" he turned his eyes from the canterlotive to glare on Sunburst who sat next to his cousin. "Last oi checked, you needed to be a born citizen of Equestria and bear a title to be a part of this court. And if oi recall proper, y'aren't exactly from anywhere in Equestria soil, are ya?"

"It would be in your best interests to mind your tongue" came Blueblood's snide reply. "The claims to a honorary title were approved by the late Fancypants himself, and by vote of over 257 of you from the 426 seats of this council, Sir Overcast was rightfully granted his position as a noble knight of House Solaris, Her Royal Highness own knight."

"This isn't the time for this", Sunset began. "We are here to--"

"To settle that ugly mug's dues to Equestrian soil. But just because your little frien' "ver 'ere is got it all wit you lot, suddenly a noble of the crusts isn't worthy to pass judgement compared to this honorary shmuck?! If the Princess were here--"

"She would admonish you for your behavior," came Blueblood's cool cutting barb. "Now be quiet, sit still, and you will get your chance as the rest of the aristocracy here to pass your judgement. Do I make myself clear Lord Raspberry Squash?"

Cowed, but not subdued, the stallion sat back down, muttering his curses to himself.

"Serves you right." The same mare said snidely.

"Madam Harvest", the clearly annoyed voice called to attention. "Be silent, we do not need more trouble."

Frowning, the mare nodded. "Yes, lady Starlight."

An awkward second or so passed. 

"Who are we waiting for?" the Storm king heard somepony whisper.

"The Princess protege, Princess Twilight, young Prince Spike and her noble Ladies of Equestria."

"Well what is taking them so long?" said another voice. "It's been nearly a minute, punctuality is important and they are failing every second!"

"At least the Arcanist's cousin can be bothered to show up on time. Honestly, I don't know why her friends come along, the only true nobles of that group are the Apple, miss Dash, and miss Shy. Why bring the rest? The other two are unnecessary additions. Except for Miss Bellé, of course. "

"Hush now!" a female said from across the room, somewhere else. "Don't let Prince Blueblood here you say that!" she went on, reprimanding her partner in the conversation. "Honestly, Consort Brittle isn't that bad looking for a monster. Even if she is one of those horrid changelings."

"...Fancypants would not approve of this nonsense. He may have bended his ear to the Princess's entourage before but allowing a non-noble influence the court? He didn't even go through the hearing requirements to..."

"I didn't know they were struggling to have a foal."

"That's what I've been hearing. Its been four years since their wedding, and still no news of Princess Cadence bearing a heir. Some are starting to think that witch, Chrysalis may have done something to her or the Prince."

"It's sad to think the empire took a princess too weak to even defend herself against a mind warping monster."

"Sorry we're late!" Twilight's voice shattered the stream of hushed whispers his powerful ears picked up. "We had to address the issue with the crowd, they were getting restless."

"Quite alright Princess." Sunburst responded. "We were waiting for you and your friends."

Princess Twilight merely nodded and trotting in, she led her group forward. The storm king watched each of them, but not a single one paid him any mind as they passed the dias he stood on, as they walked around the rows of seated nobles and made their way up to the judges bench. The only one that did look at him, was the dragon, and even then it was with a shake of his head.

"This court is now in session." Shining Armor rapped the table with his hoof twice and from within and outside, the echo silenced all.

"Amadeus dubbed the Storm King by his subordinates, by law of this court and our beloved late Princess we are required to grant you a defense during your trial." Prince Blueblood stated as he leaned slightly forward in his seat. "You have refused, so you will be defending yourself."

"Of course, what idiot would let one of your own lawyers defend me? You'd just set me up for something instead of allowing me a chance, even if I don't have one in the slightest of winning."

Cadence narrowing her eyes, raised a brow. "You doubt our judgement of fair treatment."

He chuckled, a grating sound that sent shivers through many of the nobles in the room. "Please, empress, I'm no fool. I came here to seize the Crystal Empire and convert those of you that were smart to my side. Most of you did the dumb thing, you got lucky, but you rebelled immediately. This trial is rigged and nothing I can say" he raised his shackles up, "or do will change that. So frankly speaking at the start of this conquest, I expected more of a fight."

"And what is that supposed to mean?!" a orange and yellow pegasus with a firey mane snarled.

"You think word doesn't travel over to the Eastern Territories?" he asked and somehow Amadeus maintained the smug look even while he was restrained. "I'm originally from a small country called Wungola, probably haven't heard of it, but that doesn't matter. We hear word from what happens here now and then. You are the only nation in the world to have-- oh I'm sorry" he sneered, "had, a Princess and a ruler that was immortal. Not to mention a powerhouse in Thaumaturgical Science and advancement, you really think word wouldn't spread about Sombra's return? Your nation should have been wiped out had it not been for the spells in place that kept him from personally straying too far from the empire. A nation that has been at peace for 800 years and then some should have been easy and without your secret weapon-- you know what I mean, that chaos spirit or whatever, without him back then you were all screwed. 

"With Sombra back your naive little nation weren't going to be ready for a military fight, yet two years later I hear your country still stands. I was amazed" he said waving his hands in their shackles as he looked around the room with a fang filled grin. "I honestly thought you were screwed.

"And then that legendary prince who got sent to Tartarus of all places from those old tales, Tirek, came and I was certain you all were dead.  Especially when it came out that he was the one who sent those six demons after you."

No one said a word. Chains rustled and jingled as the fallen storm turned around to face his judges.

"Somehow you survived that too. I asked myself 'how'. How did they do it. After Sombra I got curious and so I sent spies. They would send word back by letter, I would hear of the complete crazy that goes around your little home. This place is like a magnet for destruction, you know that? Time and time again, you all manage to squeeze yourselves out with little worse than before. Some of my guys didn't even come back after that whole thing with Tirek so I wanted to test that, and if possible, take control of it."

He shrugged, his chains jingled. "That's my piece. You don't use your power wisely. You sit there, swing it around when you want, instead of using it to take over places that need it."

"I think we've heard enough" Sunset started.

"Ohhohoho," the Storm laughed cutting her off. "I'm not done bacon head. You want to know how I started out my career? Hm? Any takers?" glancing over his shoulder behind him. "My home was ruled by pegasi. My mother? A pegasus, my dad? Monkey. We are a tribal race, just like your kind. And the pegasi there treated my father's race like dirt. I wasn't even considered a legitimate heir to my mother's throne because I was just a fling born between her and a servant she liked a little too much. Couldn't kill me when she showed the signs because old mommy liked to party and she wasn't sure who knocked her up. Isn't that right cotton candy fluff?" he snickered at the party planner. "I got dropped in some orphanage, joined the military because I was a big bipedal for my age, and then I took advantage of the discourse between the guilds that each of the sky lords had control over and tore everything to pieces with my army. I killed everyone that wouldn't submit and then I moved down south east to pick a fight with those damn Hyenas. You wanna know why I did that?"

There was a moment where he actually waited for a response and all that mirth, all that mock humor vanished from the storm king's face. When the silence had settled long enough he broke.

"My home city was a terrible place to live." Amadeus stated. "You either toughened up or crumbled and let someone else do the ordering of your life for you. You submit or you didn't and you would be lucky if you didn't get shived for trying."

"Is this some kind of sob story to butter us up to reducing your sentence?" the rust colored stallion casually cut in.

There was no reprimanding for that remark. But the glances he got, even from his cousin, though short, couldn't be missed. Not from them, and not from several of the gasps the storm king heard behind him.

"Believe it or not, it doesn't matter to me. I'm making a point here."

"And what would that be?" Twilight asked, though her tone was neither cold nor was it void of some warmth.

"It is power is everything. You waste yours sitting up there, only using it when you're pushed into a corner. I heard what happened with Tirek, he had you all beat and its the luck alone that saved you all from him and all the other threats before him. And frankly if you aren't going to use something a lot of people would kill to have, then you deserve whatever comes after you all wanting it."

"...you...you killed Fancypants for no reason. He was your prisoner," Fluttershy said quietly.

Amadeus shrugged. "I've killed many. My former general warned you, submit or prepare for war. You didn't listen, so I made his death public to send a message. If you didn't want anypony to die, you should have listened.  I don't know how your battles went with all those weird things you seem to attract but at worst, it's rare someone dies. Injuries sure, death? Rare. But I guess I changed that this time, didn't I?" he asked with a smug smile.

"THAT IS IT!" Rainbow Dash snarled. With a beat she was in the air, ready to strike. "I'm gonna make you--"

"Lady Dash," the fruity voice called out and she stopped, snapping her angry glare in his direction before it melted into confusion.

"Are you- why are you smiling Overcast?" Sunset, disturbed, inquired.

"He's trying to get a rise out of us. He knows he's doomed so he's playing us into his hands."

"Ha!" the fallen storm laughed. "You think too highly of me!"

"Oh but I had to Amadeus. If I didn't, you would have killed me and then where would we be?"

"With me ruling that's for sure."

"Hahahahaha--"

"Hahahahahaha!" joined the storm king and then as quickly as it began they were silent.

The room was confused. There were a mixture of emotions here and right now, Cadence couldn't tell what Overcast was feeling.

The storm king, he felt apprhensive.

"I would ask the court, to allow me to approach the defendant?"

Blueblood and Shining Armor glanced at each other as did the rest of the judges exchange glances. A reluctant nod later, and Sunburst whispered to his cousin to go.

Hoofsteps echoed upon the wood. Wood creaked as the taller stallion descended. Height wise, he came to the chest just at the Storm king's collar bone or shoulders and that was excluding his horn. Going through the stairs and past the attending rows of nobles all eyes were fixed on Overcast as he made his way towards the podium that the behemoth stood on.

He trotted with a limp favoring his hind left leg. There was red peeking underneath the bandages of his barrel and his neck was also banadged heavily with gauze. It took time for him to get down the stairs, his breathing labored and with every movement he had to clench his jaw as the pain clearly seemed to be effecting him.

"You came all this way for little ol' me?" Amadeus teased as the stallion came to a stop. "I'm touched. Here, take off these shackles so I can give you a hug."

"You'd like that wouldn't you, you giant beast of a teddy bear."

"Name calling, how rude!"

"I think manners are well beyond this point at this time."

They stopped and just eyed each other.

Out of nowhere, "I would like a rematch." Overcast said.

Many eyes blinked. 

"Uh, Overcast what are you doing?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I'm asking for a rematch."

Blueblood gaping said, "you can't just do that!"

"Oh but I can."  Overcast smiled. "I was crowned a knight of noble status and as is my right, I exercise the authority to a duel to the death."

The shouts and gasps that filled the room combined with the shocked and stunned looks of his peers was almost as surprising as the statement itself.

"Are you insane?!" Starlight shouted in outrage. "Wh y would we agree to that? We have him already so there's no need to fight!"

"Oh you're wrong there. If we cast him out somewhere and he finds out how to escape, we've doomed ourselves." The stallion replied, his grey eyes never leaving Amadeus's own.

"How could he possibly escape?" cried a voice among the stack of nobles. "It would be impossible when we've locked away his magic!"

"The stars", he bellowed. One by one they all went silent. "The stars are moving, and everyday, every minute, every second, we waste time."

Murmuring filled the room. Confusion and uncertainty, the kind where you had no idea where this was going or what was happening anymore.

"... Overcast?" he looked at the owner of the voice and smiled at Sunset. Then his eyes passed over the others, and his smile grew sad. "You have been looking urgently. But time is running out and I will do what I must to fix my mistakes before she returns. And so I ask you Amadeus, Storm King," he turned his gaze back to the behemoth. "Do you accept?"

"We won't accept this if he does!" Pinkie shouted. 

"Fine, but a duel does not require acceptance from the crown to be legitimized. This is not a judicial battle, this is a decisive fight. If he lives, his followers will come for him. Now, Amadeus the opponent must accept, and only then can it begin."

The storm king snapped long from his stupor eyed his strange adversary.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why should I agree to this. I can't fight you when I'm chained up. "

"I will remove them." 

"Sunburst do something!" he ignored it however, this was just between them now. There was no one else in the room except them.

"My magic?"

"No. There will be rules and we will be bound by them officially on the day of battle."

"Fine," Amadeus growled. "If I win, I walk free. No attempts at imprisoning me and I leave with my army."

Overcast chuckled haappily, "Don't push your luck."

"Sounds to me you are running out of time, your friends looks ready to tackle you." Amadeus challenged.

"You really would toss out a chance at freedom like this, and killing the one who made those shackles?"

"The way I see it, I have nothing to lose."

"Except your empire."

The weights brought the storm crumbling down the moment his snicker became a snarl. His teeth snapped at empty air as a bark was shouted at the nearby officers to restrain him as he fought against the weights trying to keep him from getting back up.

In a whisp of thauma particles, the rust stallion reappeared above him and when Amadeus tried to lung for his throat there was a thud as magic flipped him over the stallion's back and out of the stand, onto the ground where the nobles had scattered from their seats as the fallen storm struggled against his weights to get up and strike.

"You leave alone" the stallion said as the bonds slipped free from the storm king's limbs. Shackles clicking off and thudding to the ground. In an instant he was on his hooves and with blinding speed he made for a mulberry unicorn.

A flash of grey and black and the unicorn had swapped places with his injured instigator.

Perfect!

They slammed into each other and somehow, through the blur of limbs, for one brief second, the storm king felt he had his captive. Then the world flipped over and he was on his back, his arm screaming in pain, and a weight over his back.

"If he accepts this duel!" Overcast roared over the panicked shouting and rushing guards trying to maintain the peace, "Then he will go free!"

The world went silent. The weight did not leave his body.

"Do you accept my challenge to the death storm king?"

Growling, he attempted to fling the unicorn off but the point of a horn prodding into his back warned of terrible results if he did.

Don't be hasty  the stallion's voice whispered into the storm king's mind. "I will keep to my word if you keep to yours. Once we are bound by this agreement the duel is set. Do you accept this duel before the court?"

Grunting Amadeus snarled. "Yes!"

His horn glowing brighter, the two of them flashed gold, and the agreement was done.

"Three days, on the third afternoon. We duel to the death."

With a flash of his horn, the shackles returned where they belonged on the storm king, and in that same moment, Overcast was gone.

The stunned look of his allies was the last thing he saw before a group of unicorns rushed to wrangle him out of the court.
> Ch 8: Duel Day
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"It will always in my eyes, be a barbaric and unnecessary escalation to a matter we had under control." Rarity announced with her frown.

"But looking back at it" Shining Armor continued, "it was where everything would change."





"Single file line!" the donkey yelled as he made his way inside, flanked by two Royal Guards. "How many times do I have to say it before it sticks? You'll get your seat in the bleachers just wait your turn! If you followed the fee instructions and have your tickets, all you need to do is wait-- and you three", the  pseudo officer snapped, jabbing a hoof in the direction of where his head had turned to find three unicorns arguing with a Solar Guard. "Get back in line or I'll move you to the back of the line myself!" he shouted, "I don't care if you are part of the Noble Court Council! Senior Manager Sandwhich hoofed over the arrangements last night and I've been working since dawn getting everything ready. I will not sit through his complaints if the seating arrangements aren't followed!" the old jack shouted, his lips curling to reveal his teeth in his growing rage. "Now I'll say this one last time, because the last thing we want before this bloodbath starts is more unnecessary fighting. Get. Back. In. Line, now!" each word punctuated by a step forward, with two Royal Guards moving beside him. 

The three mares took one look at the donkey's bodyguards then with frustration the mares turned with a crack of their tail and re-entered their lines. Watching the mares carefully, the jack blew a strand of his mane up into the air as he reset his tuppe.

"Permission to speak sir?"

"What is it specialist?"

"Your blood pressure. The misses did say to watch your anger."

Still eyeing those mares with the stink-eye, the old sour jack took some delight in seeing them finally break eye contact before he turned his attention to the slightly taller griffon.

"And I've told my wife to stop worrying about that! Gallus--"

"Specialist Gallus, Cranky Doodle, sir."

"Bah- you and that promotion. Look, I'm fine, bit of yelling is good for the lungs anyway."

Cranky chose to ignore the raised eyebrow from his bodyguards. Still didn't get why he needed bodyguards, but since Pinkie wouldn't take no for an answer after that whole demon incident...eh, she meant well...good young mare, if she'd learn to just pipe down a little more.

"Sandbar!" the donkey barked to his assistant.

"Sir?" the voice called from somewhere else the donkey couldn't see. Probably seeing to it the citizens that lined up early got arranged in the right way. 

"Make sure Colonel Luke" he nodded to the yeti in a separate line, "and his fellows get a seat among the crowd! Front row! They aren't working guard duty. Knight-Lord Overcast said that as the ones that helped them defeat their commander they should have a right to see this duel through!"

"Got it sir! Oh, hey Gallus!"

Crest raising the griffon winced. Waving Gallus waved with a talon back.

The hard jab in the side along with old jack's snicker didn't help things much. "You should really loosen up some more fledgeling."

"Loosening up gets you killed sir."

"Yeah yeah, cmon you." Crankey Doodle trotted off, his guards in tow. "Hey Trouble Shoes, lets go see what kind of trouble we can scare off today eh?"

"Just lead the way boss, we go where you go."

"Now..." Cranky's ears perked as he came to a stop near one of the training room's exits, "let's see how Trixie and the others are doing with those projector installments..."






The bleachers were filled, the installments arranged, the training room had been turned into at best what one might equate with a jousting event. Those old events of a forgotten time, of which the branches between Night and Day would host tournaments between their guard for the viewing of the public eons ago when there had been a Diarchy.

Bleachers sat along two sides in almost a banquet like fashion along the walls, filled with ponies, griffons, minotaurs, hippogriffs, and individuals across Equestria's borders, all the way to Southern Equestria, Minos, Germania, and even Prance had gathered by the day to see this historical event unfold. Word had spread like fire on dry leaves carried by dangerous wind through a forest that morning, three days ago on the storm king's trial and for an event like this, rumor had it that diplomats were curious to see how things would turn out in this unprecedented event.

Especially if things turned out for the worst if the Knight-Lord lost.

The room buzzed among the masses. Whispere and murmuring, mutters and gossip. The court had not been pleased with the renown Knight-Lord's flippant disregard of the heirs of Equestria's authority although at the same time, relatives of said nobles assured that some among the court had found it rather endearing. There was so much to discuss and so much to hear that for one brief instant the echoing sound of steps was almost drowned out.

Almost but not quite.

All of a sudden the chattering and whispering went silent. And soon enough the many perking ears found out why as hoofsteps and many more, sounded in the distance. 

"From our own homeland, Her Royal Highness very own faithful, our heroes and princes, put your hooves together for The Ladies of Equestria and our Princes of Canterlot!"

The crowd went stomping mad with applause. Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer and Moondancer marched out with four guards in their respective armors amidst the applause and with a barking command they split a narrow path as Princess Twilight and young Prince Spike emerged amongst the Ladies of Equestria alongside Prince Blueblood and his consort, a unicorn mare of sandy complexion with a terribly gnarled horn.  Four other guards, each of them wearing black armor, emerged behind the Prince and his tall, spindly consort, all bearing similar shades of coat color as her.  The group marched forward a few steps then stopped as one in front of the very first column of seats before moving to a space reserved for them on the side where they waited. 

"Announcing the rulers of the Crystal Empire, Lord Shining Armor and Empress Cadenza!" boomed the same voice from the surrounding speakers. 

The two trotted out with their respective guards, led by a unicorn mare that shimmered in the light followed by a mainland pegasus stallion and the rest of their unit. They followed the same path as the Equestrian royals and then moved to the side where the same space had been left open waiting for them. 

Several more announcements went by in similar fashion turning this surprising event forced by the Knight-Lord into a formal event the powers of Equestria had come to at least acknowledge. Diplomats of different species emerged as the voice announced each nation and the ones representing them. By the end of it all the group of diplomats were led up a separate staircase with their guards towards a box-station, separate from the crowd where they would see everything above the others. Equestrian royalty sat with Crystal royalty, below them sat Prince Rutherford the High Prince and his advisor Chief Trevor with his eldest daughter Yona and their respective guards; of the Dragon regions sat the Dragon Lord's daughter Ember with her chief officer Garble and his fellow officers; representing Queen Rashida of Minos sat Count Levi Heartstone of House Love and the bull of steel himself, Commander Iron Will; below them sat Prime Minister Crépe of Prance and her officers. Next to them, Lord Gunter of Griffonstone, with his noble guardsgriffs.

The room had fallen into a silence at their appearance and remained silent as everyone waited.

"Would Major Trixie please activate the visionary channels for all our subjects across the nation!"

With a nod the unicorn mare and her positioned allies signalled with a hoof gesture, their horne glowing the same instruments that had once been used by the storm king to communicate long distance were activated as the unicorns directed the spell matrix's focus onto the stage where the duel would be set. The drums hummed with thaumatic power and released waves of mana-vapor into the air, forming massive bubbles of semi-solid mana energy that reflected the crowd as the unicorn casters worked the angles then zeroed in on the stage where everything would be set.

"Excellent!" the announcer announced ardorly at the vision. "Everything is looking good here, now then, let's get this event started alright everyone? Knight-Lord Overcast, c'mon out!"

There was a flash of magic and in an instant, the stallion emerged from the aether. He trotted around, showing off his surprising lack of injuries, his healed injured hind leg as he hopped and flashed a smile to the crowd which got him cheers and then he took a bow to the nobles, royals, and delegates as he rose once more.

"Thank you Cheese Sandwich, I knew I could count on you."

"No problemo Mr. Overcast!" said the announcer, "Setting up public events is what I do! Now, let's bring out our harbringer of terror, our doom, the Storm King!"

The cheering died almost instantly, and the jingle-jangle of chains filled the air shortly.





"Quite a crowd you've gathered to watch you lose, a fan of humiliating yourself aren't you?" mouthed Amadeus flanked by two guards.

"You may leave, thank you."

The two guards nodded and then stepped off the platform as the fallen king and the knight were left to their own devices. 

For a room packed with over 500 viewers, the training room was oddly quiet.

"I hear the whole country is watching. Smart move there engineer, taking my broadcaster and converting it into a projector for an audience. Too bad this song won't end on a happy note. Per our agreement" the storm king shouted, "he loses, he dies, and I walk out free. You as well as any other sapient out there knows the stories of what happens when you break an oath bound by magic or when you try to intervene", at these words he looked directly into the seat of diplomats. "So, Knight-Lord, here we are." He raised his arms and presented them to the unicorn, "Now take these off" he ordered, "I've got an empire to maintain."

"We haven't completed the agreement", Overcast replied simply. Cooly, calm even.

"We will after these come off."

The unicorn scowled, "And if I refuse."

The storm king raised a brow...and smiled. "You hear that? Your champion is stalling! take off my shackles so we can begin the preparations of the duel and what does he do? He gives me lip!"

"Your lucky--"

But whoever spoke up was drowned out. "Are you not a nation that values fairness. That strives towards a utopia among all species, all sapients, all races that truly wish for a better future for the next generation? I did not call this duel to a start", he pointed "he did. And so by right, I am not the challenger, but am the one who is challenged for his freedom."

There was not a word, and not one moment where the Knight-Lord stepped in to say a word either. He seemed almost surprised at the back talk, but allowed it to continue.

"Did you give Sombra a trial?" came the question.

And then came the shouting, the booing, the yelling, the stomping, the angry tails lashing and thrashing, the feathers bristling and the horns sparking, the minotaurs snarling and the dragons growling--

ENOUGH!

Overcast eyed the Storm King as his voice flattened ears, smoothed away the ripples of anger, and stopped the crowd from forcing the guards to prevent a coup en masse.

"You speak of a time before you or I ever stepped foot on this soil, and as the defendant you have a right to speak." Overcast responded once the crowd had grown calm. "But pick your words wisely Amadeus. The scars the dark prince of the Crystal empire left behind are not forgotten and are still remembered. His return brought back the revival of illegal magic.   What purpose do you hope to achieve by bringing the name of a cretin who turned loved ones against one another in a time of war to further his conquest? Not even you resorted to such measures, had you done so certainly, you may have won, but--"

"But, what? You slaughtered him in cold blood with the Crystal Heart. The only evidence he ever existed was the fracture of his horn. I've read the publishing, the papers about those events. Yet you gave me the opportunity to a trial, one who took your capital, slaughtered your beloved royal marques, and enslaved your subjects...yet a trial I have been allowed. So when I desire to be treated with fairness, you will not waste my time with games like you did at the courtroom."

He paused.

"You won't waste their time" his chains jingled as he pointed out to the diplomats seated and watching, "with your banter. You'll remove my shackles as promised on the day and I'll listen to the rules we agree upon because I didn't start this duel. Who started it?" he asked to silence.

He waited a moment, waited another, looked to the crowd and then all around before he repeated much louder:

"Who. Started. It?!"

"Overcast!" some yelled, others pointed.

"Good" the storm king said immediately and then slogging his way towards the unicorn he presented his shackles.

"Remove them."

And with a twinkle in his grey eyes, the unicorn stallion did.

Clang, clang, clang and then they were all off. A guard was summoned, the unicorn picked the shackles up and trotted off the stage at a brisk pace. She was gone and back with the rest in seconds.

"Now we can begin our arrangements." The storm king said with a satisfactory smile as he rubbed his wrists. 

"Good then. If you're done?"

Amadeus waved his hand to continue.

"Sunburst?"

The unicorn in question stepped away from the guards and moved towards the stadium. "Please, bind the match for us so there can be no foul play."

"Of course." Horn glowing, he said, "shake, if you please."

One hoof went into one hand, the two limbs were surrounded in a glow; one by the wrist, the other by the pastern.

"By this duel neither of you shall have your magic. Overcast, as the Storm King already has his scepter locked away, you shall only be able to use your telekinesis. No spells, no casting of any kind. Do you agree?"

"I do."

"By this duel, your opponent shall be your only target. And" lifting a hoof a adjusting his glasses Sunburst sighed, "because this is a duel to the death you only win when your opponent dies.  Do you..." he glanced at his cousin, waiting, stalling.

Overcast merely nodded, to which Sunburst closed his eyes as his ears splayed, "do you both agree that the duel ends on your opponent's death? And swear to harm nopony, or creature outside of the opponent in front of you alone? No hostages, no attempts at trickery using any lives, agree to these terms...a-and the duel is set."

"I agree" both the Storm King and Overcast said together.

"Then as the Grand Arcanist, the magical advisor to the council and throne, the reseacher of all magical situations and Keeper to the Royal Library, I hereby declare this duel official."

They shook, waited for Sunburst to step off the stage, watched as the terrain around them magically shifted to reveal weapons on overturning walls that clicked back into place and floors that sank into a pit that separated them from the crowd, an endless blackness, a void of no return, then looked at each other with a nod.

"See you in Tartarus."

Overcast, silent, merely smiled.





Though the nation watched metal against metal, cut against flesh, blood seep from wound, there came a understanding from the diplomats of the various nations as they watched two renown figures, a general of an empire and a engineer made knight, duel. 

Sombra had changed them. Revolutionised them. Made them tougher, thicker, more flexible than the changeling invasion before that had shocked the land prior to it.

Often at times, when one heard of the return of Sombra and his war against all of Equestria, one looked at casualties because the casualties were where the detriments were at. And while the casualties had been low, it always seemed to be the mistaken thought that low casualties, meant stroke of luck or skill.

One did not fight Sombra however and go without some form of harm after the end of a battle.

His return had surprised and worried many, which was why the minotaurs been sent out to aid Celestia in her battles against the evil dictator when a unready Equestria sorely lacked a military strength that hadn't degraded to simple fame and a shadow of itself.

Because it wasn't about the death Sombra could cause if he marched up into your city and demanded you surrender, just to sneer at you when you refused.

It was the army he could create from that city of resistors, in not one week or moon, but a single day or night.

It was about the minds he could bend. The personalities he could warp, twist, break, corrupt and manipulate to do his bidding. To become his army. To share the knowledge of his skills or the skills of other talented ponies through his wisdom with mental magic. To create an army out of the harmless and turn them deadly through the power of his wisdom, his dark magic, and wit. By ripping memories out of synapses, cramming them into your head and chiseling-- shaping your muscle memory into acting the way he desired simply by pumping the body with enough magic till it finally gave in from exhaustion and the defences couldn't hold anymore.

He could craft an army of ruthless warriors from a group of innocent foals. And all he'd need is one soldier to do it. 

Sombra had revolutionised Equestria in a way Chrysalis never had.

Which was why the whole nation watched with bated breath as a Knight-Lord and a Storm King traded blows.

Strike after strike, sparks flying as metal clanged against the other and was parried or blocked, stabs and jabs knocked narrowly away to become knicks and cuts.

They danced like two gladiators. A term that only three living beings, and the only two free ones, knew the meaning of in the whole world.

Amadeus carried a dagger in his tail and gripped a spear with both hands. He advanced, slashing and swinging, jabbing, and stabbing. Searching for weakpoints.

While Overcast blocked with his own spear, swung with a gladius and jabbed where he could. Where he had telekinesis, greater distance meant less control and so he took the dangerous option and moved with his weapon, instead of bringing every weapon out on the stacks and skewering his opponent he marched with him and took his blows, trading in his own.

Both of them had their advantages. Amadeus had speed coupled with strength, Overcast had control, timing, and a high pain tolerance to trade strike for strike. 

Had they both been allowed their magic like at the war where the capture had happened, things might have gotten way more messy.

Time flew by, seconds, minutes, maybe it was hours, no pony knew or no one cared because in the heat of battle time itself was measured by the seconds your heart was still beating, you could still breathe, still fight, and your life juice wasn't ebbing away with every pump-and-thump as the seconds ticked on by.

They were covered in cuts. Some just superficial, others worse. The crowd and Equestria as a whole were silent, eyes wide as others watched through the mounted drum vapor screens that had been placed in areas across Equestria across the cities of the nation--

And were broadcasting the same fight to the very same generals in the Storm King's conquered territories.

"You ready to die yet?"

The unicorn merely laughed, a strange cackle that did nothing to settle the Storm king's nerves. A cackle that reminded him of Discord who he knew was watching this somewhere and yet did nothing to intervene, just like the war.

"I'll take that as a no..."

And so the battle continued. A never-ending struggle of trading blows. Till finally--

"No!"cried Dash, echoed by the nation.

Amadeus was successful. He rasied his dagger with one shaking, bloody hand, breath heavy, one or two teeth missing, chest heaving as he aimed to spear his fallen opponent underneath him.

"Yes!" cried his generals, unknown to him that they too were watching. Rooting for his success, rooting for their lord to rise to the gold. "End it! Do it!"

But he didn't.

Amadeus looked down.

The storm king's wide eyes looked at the blade imbedded in his chest.

He looked at the unicorn underneath him, one eye bruised shut, the other squinted closed through spit and blood, and through that narrow window he saw something in that face he had beaten into a mess.

Saw something in that grey eye that made him back up, made him pale in the face as he tried to breathe and started to struggle as his lungs filled with blood. 

"H- how?! I knocked your weapons away!" he choked, gasped, clutched his wound.

"Yes, but you had one more dagger in your belt. I took it." The stallion rose, and wheezed with a wet sound in his breathe and a whistle through his nostrils.

"Y-you c-chea- hurk--"

"I...win."

Black and grey aura, slit of the throat, the duel came to an end. Blood soaked the ground and with a staggering stumble forward the stallion stopped beside his fallen enemy.

"I," Overcast managed through his bruised muzzle, "have..." he breathed, exhausted, "done it."

And slowly. One by one. The crowd stomped. Others clapped.

The nation cheered.

While the Storm King's allies watched in disbelief and silence, as the transmission came to an end.

And Overcast stood triumphant in his bloody beaten state.

"This day..." he said, "marks a change" he looked to his cousin as he said this as the crowd chanted his name. 

"This day..." he breathed as his vision swam and the world darkened as the room shifted, "...marks...a...b-beginning."
> Ch 9: Overcast...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"...so..." the Nightmare stated as she exhaled a sigh, her eyes once more pools of blue, red, and yellow. "He succeeded in defeating this Storm King" she said with no attempt at hiding her derision. "Strange he did not end the battle quickly. From what you say he certainly had the magical strength to perform such a feat, even if he didn't have the exact magical control."

"Yes, well, I suppose that was a...charming quality he had" Rarity coughed lightly. 

"Or a manipulative one", Rainbow Dash sullenly supplied.

"Yes, what else?"

"After Overcast won he was out of it for a week. Sunburst kept a close eye on him and even managed a watch around his room, keeping track of anypony that went in or out."

"I fail to see how this does not prove implications of collusion Princess Shimmer. You said it yourself, they weren't cousins--"

"They were the same pony, or at least, shared the same body."

As if the wind had died, Nightmare Moon's mane froze. The abyss of night that was her mane froze in place for several seconds as the Nightmare's eyes widened, then with hesitation, she spoke.

"...what?"

Sunset and her allies shared a glance. "He and Sunburst aren't cousins, as you correctly said Empress." Trixie answered. "We think he was some sort of demon or some sort of...consciousness that was either summoned or created when Sunburst and Tirek fought."

Eyes widening as the memory of that unicorn appearing to her rescue in the vision flashed through her mind, she blinked. "They fought?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes, but not a magical battle."

"Explain, in detail."

"Well..." a glance to her peers with a single nod was all the confirmation she needed. "When Tirek escaped Tartarus, he set six demons free and used them as pawns to distract the Princess,  Her military, her allies, and us. While they attacked various points of Equestria Tirek used their energy signatures to distract Discord so he could amass stolen magic."

"Tirek" Blueblood continued, "went on to drain magic under the radar of all that chaos. At least that's what we figured after we were too late. He went through every city those monsters hit then sneaked off to other areas while we cleaned up his mess."

The court room doors opened and Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie emerged, the pink one picking up where Blueblood had left off.

"He got everypony in both the south and mainland Equestria! He even got the Princess, Empress! It was crazy!"

Eyes widening, Nightmare Moon could not help but shiver.

Crazy she thought, she could recall that manic look in his eyes all those eons ago when they'd been forced to send him away. To exile him to another land only for him to come back for vengeance. The hatred in his eyes.

"Empress--"

Horn flaring to life Nightmare Moon growled a warning. "Stay where you are" she hissed. And thank the Creators, they listened. The hoofsteps subsided and they came no closer.

To have devoured the magic of not thousands but millions and her fallen sister's? 

Willing herself to stop her shaking legs and regain control of her twitching wings, Nightmare Moon realized something horrible as she calmed her mind a image from that vision came to mind.

"...did he" her mouth suddenly felt dry. Was that murmuring...the voices, they were speaking to her- saying something--

"Did he...take Discord's magic?" she asked.

She got a nod.

It was amazing how Equestria had survived without her.

"How?" she took steps forward then forced herself to stop. "How did you, how could this Arcanist face someone with all that magic?" incredulity written all over her face. "How did he stall him?"

Cadence smiled proudly, but it was a sad smile. Not one that reached her eyes. "He used his head."

She blinked and for a moment she almost gave in to the voices chanting blood, death, murder, till that other voice- her other half pushed her to say "how?"

"Sunburst was always brilliant in magic theory" Shining Armor smiled. "Actually first met him in one of my classes. But... While he was great at theory and application of theory, he wasn't really good at...casting."

"He didn't have the strength to cast advanced spells, and his body couldn't handle it if he strained. He'd give himself migraines or bloody noses, might even get the Shakes if he pushed himself too hard." Cadence said. "Starlight followed him all the way into the Gifted and he was so frustrated when she was performing levels of magic that he struggled terribly with, it actually almost ruined their friendship."

"But", Shining interjected. "He finally grew up. Ponied up and apologized for his attitude and they became better friends for it. But if you think that Sunburst muscled his way through it, you'd be wrong. He had to find other ways to make his magic stronger. All of which only lasted for a time."

"And during that fight he didn't have any of those do-dads on him" Applejack informed. "All we know is they got into some kinda mental duel, if Tirek won, he'd get the knowledge Sunburst could provide him for his means, all Sunburst did was buy his team time to retrieve the Elements from their hiding place. By the time we got to him, he was already losing the fight."

"At least till something happened and Tirek started retreating. After that--"

"No" Nightmare Moon stomped a hoof for silence, silencing Pinkie. "I know the rest. Or at least what the papers offer." Looking at the floor, the empress of the night thought. She stayed silent for nearly a full two minutes, then said "...so he wasn't...real?"

Cadence wasn't sure why, but she was sure she heard a waver in that pitch. A mixture of anger, dissapointment, perhaps even frustration flowed in like a torrent from the nightmarish alicorn and for some reason, she got the sense this next answer would have to be approached carefully.

"Of course not silly!"

Horn igniting, nostrils flaring, Nightmare Moon turned to-

Pinkie wasn't smiling, in fact she was frowning. The high pitch of her voice almost made it sound like she'd been mocking them when she said that, then had the teats to add 'silly' at the end.

"He was real! I know he was!" she continued. "I may not have liked how he turned out to be, but whatever he was, Overcast wasn't some magical weirdness Tirek set to get rid of us. I mean..." the curls deflated here, "he did help us with the antenna, he stopped the storm king even if what he did in the end was terrible, and... I know he cared" she put both hooves on her chest, "I can feel it...even if nopony else believes it. He really did care... He had to...because he knew how dangerous the Elements were to him and he never once, not in that whole fight when we started that civil war with him, he didn't ever try to kill us. Not even when he sided with Chrysalis. Not when he recruited those jerk mob lords as his soldiers against us, and not when he had every chance to put an end to one of us and render the Elements useless."

"Maybe", Pinkie continued and wiped a tear away, "maybe he did want to do something horrible to stop us. Maybe Sunburst stopped him somehow, but I don't think he would have ever done it. I just...feel it."

There was a lapse. A silence. A pause. Then-

"...that was..." Nightmare's horn dimmed, "touching " she straightened.  "Yet that leaves another question open."

Twilight glanced at her friends, then after a look with the representatives, shook her head. "I'm sorry Empress, but we've answered everything we could. We have the smallest amount of information relating to Overcast. The only ones that truly know anything are Sunburst and Discord."

Staring blankly for a second then smiling, Nightmare Moon's ears perked. "Is that so?"

"Yes" Trixie replied. "Trixie believes--"

"It is time for my rule to return." Then without a word she raised a shield as several spells slammed into it. 

Eyes glowing white, soaring on unnatural winds, wings closed, moving towards the sky, the higher Nightmare Moon went, the darker the sky became as the afternoon day was shrouded in the shadows of a blackening sky. 

An overcast sky rained upon the world and Equestria was reminded of why they should fear the night and worship She who is its Mistress.

Scowling she felt a pull against her moon, her right, her rule and instantly she was hit with the memories of that familiar feeling, that unnatural tug-- Discord!

She could almost hear his mocking laughter as if he were right there next to her.

"I WILL NOT GO BACK!" many thoughts without voices screamed as one. "Never again will We return to that insufferable space!"

And then her horn gained a second corona. The whole ground shook as both Nightmare Moon and her shield were enchanted, toughened then slammed into the ground like an airship ripped out of the sky bringing ruin to the surface, levelling it and cracking marble as the whole floor rolled like a angry wave moving forward, lifting and dropping griffons, Earthers, unicorns, as well as royals.  Debris threatened the flyers who quickly moved their allies to the shields of unicorns that were quick to recover and in the midst of the chaos the Nightmare, that mare of darkness, spread her wings as she crouched low and launched herself into the air with a sonicboom that pushed, shoved and knocked down some shields and shattered several stained windows.

With a crack and boom, she pierced through the cieling like it was paper and was in the clear air in seconds.

But then, her ear twitched.

A blur of color followed right behind her, the second sonicboom following hers just now reaching her ears. She moved her eye, caught sight of the pegasus, and then angled her feathers to jerk herself to the right at an angle that let the pegasus miss her.

But Rainbow Dash was a Wonderbolt and the Nightmare knew she would be back on her in seconds.

She was almost right. The pegasus got her sooner.

The slam of enchanted shoes that hit her pauldrons sent her spiralling back towards the castle. The shoes glowing black and grey briefly before flickering to red as the pegasus circled with a leery scowl.

Down the dark alicorn went, losing altitude till she rolled, curled into herself with a snap of her shut wings and righted her trajectory as she spread out again and banked in a arc up to face her opponent.

Thou truly art a foolish mare.

Rainbow Dash winced at the booming voice, snarled as she rubbed her ears, then replied "I've been with your sister, you don't scare-- woah!"

Snapping her wings closed she dodged the beam of magic, then turned the fall into a nose dive as concussion beam after concussion beam went soaring past her. 

A blaring alarm had sounded now and the whole city was now in uproar down below. Rainbow gave the signalling alarm little mind though as she jerked and twisted in the sky, trying to stay alive.

"Could really use some back up here-- wah!" a beam of energy went soaring past, close enough for her to feel the heat of that beam. Looking behind her she saw another flash follow by the rush of another beam of light and angling her wings she curved up-

Only to see the Nightmare flash above her, her lips a moue of delight as she nodded, and sent a beam of light like a spear, flying towards the pegasus.

Goodbye Loyalty and as predicted, the pegasus swerved, the dark alicorn lined up her strike and fired.

Time seemed to slow for the briefest of seconds. Rainbow had been in many aerial maneuvers and taken up a few tasks herself both as an Element and a Wonderbolt. 

This was a dodge she couldn't pull off. The lance of light was aimed at her underbelly, and if it pierced, she would undoubtedly plummet like a rock right off Canterlot. 

The shoes the words echoed from nowhere into her mind, use them, a memory clawed at the surface as the world became to bright and her eyes widened--





"So" the pegasus hovered, "what did you want to show me?"

The rust orange stallion looked up at his companion and smiled a strange smile. While Twilight was all too eager to ask, Rainbow had not been present the first introduction to Sunbuster's cousin. She did see a sort of resemblance though, coat wise. But...the teeth were a bit...strange.

Ponies didn't have canines, and this stallion was no legendary hippogriff. And according to Twi, he wasn't a changeling either, the young alicorn princess had checked upon the first meeting...just to make sure Sunburst wasn't being deceived.

Still she ignored it, no matter how odd his teeth were or his bouts of quirkiness at the natures of Equestrian culture, he was good for a good joke, and that alone, even if pranks weren't entirely his thing, made him okay in her book.

Wasn't too bad looking either, but, she wasn't about to tell him that. Some stallions just let that get into their head and she'd rather not deal with him looking too much into that. Bragging was her thing after all.

"I have something for you" he said with that strange smile. "A gift."

She raised a brow. "A gift?" Rainbow had a look around the blacksmith workshop and all the metal and instruments around. "Why?" this wasn't a prank was it?

It was his turn to quirk a brow. "What do you mean why? I want to give you something."

"Yeah, but like...why?" he really knew how to get somepony curious though. Just what kind of gift could he have gotten her. They hadn't hung out as much in the past few weeks. Sure he came not long after the whole Tirek incident to check on his cousin but still, wasn't like he did any construction around Ponyville. Sides trips between Canterlot took three hours by train, well less if it were her but still. "Outside of Pinkie's 'welcome to Equestria and our world party', we haven't hung out enough for surprise gift exchanges."

The brow rose a bit higher. "Where I come from it is courtesy to give a gift to a friend. Well, maybe not exactly the way I'm doing it here, but, the point stands. I want to give you something. Do you want it or not?"

"Hmmmm" she made a show of rubbing her chin, really milking this whole not interested thing when she clearly was itching to figure out what he got her. 

Overcast for his part didn't roll his eyes.

"So you don't want it then?" he frowned. Kind of cute, whatever though so was Soarin when he was stuffing his muzzle with pies.

"Welllllll" she landed, "I never said that--"

"You implied it."

"Whoa!" her wings flared, "when?! Look just show me what you got, I'll stop goofing."

It was now his turn to "hmmmmm..."

"Overcast!" she whined. He chuckled, then with a glow of his horn a metal box appeared. 

"Open it," he instructed with his smile as he looked down at her. "I'll need some time to enchant it so it opens only for you but have a look, try them on if you like, they are yours."

Try them on? "Well alright then." Reaching over she flipped the lid and she raised a brow. "Uh..." she failed to hide the disappointment, "shoes?" she looked up at him on her left.

He beamed and nodded. "Yup, try them on" he urged.

"Uhhhh, I know your new to Equestria and all" don't blush, don't blush-- "but you don't really give horseshoes to somepony unless...yknow..." her wings twitched and Rainbow had to fight back the scowl as she felt a familiar tension in her back starting to build, "I uh, am flattered though."

Confused, the stallion looked between her and the box. "What are you talking about."

She whinnied, "Look I get it, you aren't the first to do something like this because I'm an Element Bearer and all--"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"--and if it probably weren't for the Elements, we wouldn't be getting as many suitors and all that, so while I appreciate the whole gesture, I'm not really interested in getting married or locked down just yet. I mean I've had tons of suitors, the most out of my friends, even--"

"I uh, haven't said anything to imply you--"

"--AND while it's kind of sweet and..." she muttered as the dark blue blush spread to her cheeks, "a little creepy, what with just meeting a few times and all--"

"Rainbow Dash" he said firmly.

"Look, you don't--" magic guided her face back up to his and she met his eyes.

Those grey pools of mercury, those eyes of silver, something almost obsidian, she was about to cut him off more but she just....couldn't. 

For a second she thought he was a changeling and she looked at his horn to see if there was any flash or any glow or something to signal he wasn't real but he was...normal, in a weird way.

So she looked back into his eyes and completely forgot he wasn't still holding her head to look at him anymore.

"I'm sorry for the misunderstanding but this isn't a proposal. I'm not trying to court you my vibrant warrior."

"Oh..." the blush intensified but she forced it down and made to look away but when he reached out with a hoof and looked up back to him, her heart started pounding and for some reason she felt the need to shift, uncomfortable in here all of a sudden. 

"I'm sure whoever takes your heart, or that of your friends, would be the luckiest being in the world. You all are treasures, especially you my dear."

The blush returned. 

For a second, maybe longer, all she did was drink in those grey eyes. She never realized how cool grey was. Always seemed so dull, so lifeless, so boring. And now that she really looked at his eyes it almost looked like the right was slightly different in color to the left, or maybe slightly off... I should really stop staring at him now.

But she didn't, till he smiled and nuzzled her amicably.

"Sorry, got lost in your eyes there. You ponies have such beautiful eyes."

"Uh-huh" she dumbly said, not really registering his words, more registering the praise. She puffed out her chest when he broke contact, grinning a confident look of cockiness. "Of course I've got amazing eyes, I'm the best."

"Yes, you certainly are" he chuckled. "Now would you please try out these shoes. Please?"

She looked back at the box on her right, his left. Eyed the shoes for a few seconds then looked back to him and saw him waiting. With a sigh, she nodded.

"Fine" she chuckled when he heard the coltish 'yes! Success!'

It took a few minutes but she slipped the shods on, felt them click to the tip of her hooves and settle in nicely. 

"Did you get these measurements from--"

"Rarity" they both said.

"Of course. So what are you getting the others?" 

"Secret" he smiled. "Now, how does that feel?"

She trotted around a bit. Ponies generally didn't need shoes. Their hooves had magically evolved to take a lot of punishment though infections and disease couldn't be ruled out. Earth ponies had the sturdiest hooves, as did donkeys, pegasi and unicorns, well they could handle their fair share but the right mark also went a long way in helping the body adjust to its mark.

"How does it feel?"

"Real nice actually" she smiled. She would never admit she had never worn shoes before. Flight camp was designed to toughen their bodies up and she'd been doing that for years she had no need for protective shoes that few pegasi smiths might wear when dealing with their crafts. 

"Good. I enchanted them to be lightweight. Won't slow you down, and they give you a bit of a energy boost by converting ambient mana to your wingfield, gives you a bit more energy when you aren't wearing them and when you need it. Should come in handy someday. But there's another feature."

"Oh really?" she grinned. "What is it?"

"I'll let you see it for yourself. Click either your hind hooves or your front, do it twice."

"What happens?"

"You'll see."

She clicked them twice and--

The world exploded as the spell slammed into Rainbow Dash.

Nightmare Moon eyed the smoke cloud for several seconds, her eyes becoming slits as she saw nothing, then her ears perked when she heard the buzzing of wings.

"Nightmare Moon!" shouted a lead changeling, leading pegasi, griffons, and other changeling into the air. The sand brown changeling flew from the hole the dark princess had created and buzzed towards her direction with his flock of troops. "You have broken your promise! Cease and desist or you will be under lockdown!"

She laughed, laughed a horrible cackle that echoed across the mountain. "You think you can stop me" her horn glowed. You can't possibly imagine who you face!"

"But I can!"

And then for the second time, she was thrown across the field as a armored pegasus slammed into her. Rainbow Dash bulldozed the alicorn, slamming into her like a truck on a leaf. Nightmare Moon went careening backwards, dazed, as she went flying away.

When she righted herself once more, the mare she thought she'd killed rose between her and the troops come to meet her. Blue armor surrounded her, her body was decked out in it. The underbelly was defended, the head and chin protected, the wings decorated in metal with blades at the outer feathers and along the wingspan. In the tug of war that went on with the moon in the sky, Rainbow glistened in the red and white light, a bird of death, a menace to evil.

She also wore a infuriating grin.

"Well then," the Nightmare said, her horn alight as she continued her struggle with unseen forces for her moon, "let the games..." she rose higher into the air, "begin."

And with a blink she was gone.





Like a wrecking ball, she came crashing down towards a griffon, the same one she had met at the hall-

The image of a bloody knife flashed into her eye, the lifeless eyes as she--

One of the sand brown changelings shot a spell and it sent her completely off course. Right towards Rainbow Dash who used her armor to slam into her and down together they went.

A hoof shot out and somehow, despite the immense difference in strength, managed to make Nightmare's head snap to the left as it met her chin. 

We do not like this.

She returned the favor, and instead of her armored hoof punching through that cheap armor like it wasn't even there, it didn't. Her hoof met resistance.

This, caught her off guard. 

Tears streaming off her eyes, probably from the wind, Rainbow Dash snarled, and hit back. The blow connected, and that made the Nightmare's eyes flash a dangerous red.

Tumbling through the air, free falling, gaining closer to the city grounds, the alicorn headbutted her opponent, it connected and the pegasus went spiralling off, dazed.

Spreading her wings to regain altitude the Nightmare slowed enough she could go back up, only to be met by changeling fire from horns shooting blasts of magic, one connected and the spell shattered after a second of contact with her enchanted armor, the brief stiffness in her left feathered wing leaving her. She shot back, leaving the pegasus to her doom. 

Zooming up to meet her opponents the alicorn swatted the few dragons that came to the rescue of the soldiers, smacking them out of the air with a telekinetic sweep and taking great satisfaction in the sound of their yelps of pain. She laughed at the ones who dodged, and took glee when three sucked wind and breathed out streams of red, blue, and normal, fire.

"Yes!" the dark empress shouted, shooting towards the streams of flame with careless abandon. Her moon slowly looming like a door, almost closing, almost blocking out the light, as she draped spell after spell of fortification on her exposed regions and disappeared into the ire of fire.

The dragons eyes widened, immediately they cut off their flames, the troops stopping their advancement and circling and then a second later, as the smoke and fire mixed, the Nightmare flew out and clashed horns with the first dragon in her sight.

"I will take great pleasure in showing you just how terrifying the night can be" the red pupiled alicorn whispered.

"Gah!" with a crack his nose horn broke off and with a jab, she gored into his arm, swinging him towards his allies as they tried to come to his rescue. 

"LUNA!"

Eyes moved, and there Sunset was. Flying on wings of magic. "Stop this please", then joined Cadence. "We don't want to fight you!"

"You brought the Elements to this meeting!" her voice echoed over the distance. "You wanted this fight!"

"We made a mistake!" Cadence said. "Please, fight this! We know you can! Fight the demons!"

"The only demons We see" her horn glowed brighter, "are you!" she turned grabbed the dragon that was about to shoot her down, and with a jerking motion, snapped his neck clean off his body. 

Shouting angrily, Sunset charged. 

"I warned you!" she yelled, and then she became nothing but living fire, her eyes wells of light. 

"And I told you", the Nightmare could feel the tug drawing their way, the sky becoming darker, the sun slowly being overshadowed, she could feel herself becoming stronger,"I would not be denied my rule."

The unicorn fired a beam of plasma at her opponent, and in return, the Nightmare raised a shield and angled that beam onto the representatives allies.

Pegasi, griffon, changelings, the few dragons, they all flew out of the way of the beam or turned around and fled, abandoning their initial goal of providing support. All while Nightmare Moon laughed maniacally, till the beam stopped and she felt a force slam into her and shake her off course.

"Stop!"

"Ah Princess Twilight" the dark one said smugly behind her own shield, "so nice of you to finally join us!"

"You are lucky" the purple alicorn snarled, "that his armor protected my friend or else--"

"Or else what?"

The sonicboom shook the very air and together, they went zooming over Canterlot, heading straight for the edge of the city's mountain.

Nightmare Moon dissipated her shield and tried to use their velocity to simply slip past the orb of a shield Twilight was in and had used to slam into hers but the second she broke it, magic grabbed her and then with a shriek of pure unleashed anger, the alicorn hurled the dark one over Canterlot's edge and threw her towards the ground thousands of meters below.

Wind whipped by like a whistle in her ears, up was up and down was coming up happily to meet her. Attempts at flapping did nothing and the speed she was going made it almost impossible for her to try and maneuver her body in anyway to turn it into a dive-and-fly. She had two options: take the hit and from what she could see that little one was charging her horn to make sure they stayed down, or use the shield to absorb the blow.

Using the shield would be more painful than taking the hit.

But, there was a third option.

The Nightmare teleported.

And reappeared in the air, going left, moving at the same speed, instead of going down. She had been lucky nothing was behind her or else--

"It's over Nightmare Moon!" Twilight shouted. "You can't win!"

And that's when her eyes widened when she realized she wasn't still pushing the moon. The world had gotten oddly brighter since she had been tossed and now she knew why.

"No!" eyes pools of white. Her horn glowed, and the tug was back on.

Righting herself, she took the speed and flew with it. Aether beams were shot at her and they zoomed back up the mountain. Cadence shot off a blast of magic as they came up, it knicked her and almost instantly a bombardment of emotions caused the dark one to go tumbling out of the sky. Sunset waited at the end ready to catch her but--

We will never return to our prison, this realm will be ours. Your protectors are gone, your heroes cannot stop us, and the Lord of chaos will mean nothing to a being of our combined might.

The Nightmare's eyes snapped open and with a brilliant green glow she unleashed a spell that struck the flying unicorn. And down Sunset went, her expression of surprise as she slowly became nothing more than stone.

In the distance, a pegasus dove after her, his blue mane whipping in the wind as they disappeared into the city.

"Sunset!" Trixie on the scene shouted. "You--"

Begone, insect. And with a spear of light the great and powerful would have been dust and charred fur had she not teleported.

Beams of arcane light went flying in her direction, one pink the other orchid. Magical projectiles from slingfire thundered over as pegasi and griffons fired non-lethal rounds but magical charges to paralyze the possessed princess. 

Pathetic Nightmare Moon boomed and she swept it all away with a spherical explosion of magical energy. The sky now nothing but shadows, nearly blocked all of the Sun. The enchantress of light was gone, her students could not win, and the Moon's time had come. Voices chanted drowning out the most important ones, hundreds of voices spoke in her mind and the dark empress of the night, the witch of moonlight listened.

With every inch the moon gained over the sun, the stronger she became--

Then the sun shifted to the right, and now the world wasn't entirely dark.

Blind fury poisoned her veins and she was certain the master of chaos was mocking her. She could hear him practically giggling.

He shifted it, she shifted it and all while she had to duel her enemies on all sides.

Enough!

The sound pushed back on all sides and her shout echoed for miles as she fought the lord of madness for the right of the Sun now. 

"Luna!" Cadence matched the voice back. "Give up!"

"Never!"

The moment she said that, Trixie appeared out of nowhere from the corner of her eye, hit her with a flash spell, blinding her momentarily, and then knocked her out of the air which was followed by Sunset's return by way of crashing into her.

Down they went. Slamming into the castle's buttress, bouncing off that then heading into the city. They crashed into the road, throwing cobblestones and dirt, and then skipped off the ground before they came to a stop.

The two were surrounded by surprised guards herding citizens out of the streets, but they ignored this. Both breathing deeply. Sunset blew her bangs out of her eyes and Nightmare Moon shifted her stance as the two eyed one another, clearly less winded of the two. 

"You fight well, for a mortal."

"Thanks, I got my lessons from kicking demons back into their infernal realms."

The Nightmare laughed at this, her red irises contracting making the eyes becoming slitted. "Is that supposed to scare us? The demons of Tartarus were sent there because they were caught. It was made to keep the ones that couldn't follow the rules trapped there."

"And what exactly does that make you?" Sunset asked.

"I'm just a Nightmare", she lunged, but didn't go for the representative, she went for the soldiers.

Grabbing one pegasus with her field by the tail, she dragged him in and then with a eye-widening grin, opened her mouth and prepared to sink her fangs in--

A sparkling blast of telekinesis sent Nightmare Moon out as the guard was teleported away in a orange glow. Tempest Shadow appeared on the scene and began hitting the dark empress with strike after strike, accompanied by Moondancer who played defense where the other was offense. They struck and blocked, providing Sunset moments to strike, all while Blueblood moved with an army of groundpounders at his side and changelings of that sand brown complexion above, moving the citizen and surprised guards into action.

Snarling the Nightmare rose on her hindlegs and slammed the ground with her forelegs, it shook and caused buildings to vibrate, glass to rattle, and cracks to appear on the ground.

Tempest, Sunset, and Moondancer waited the worst of it out then threw a combined thauma beam at their enemy forcing her to take flight. 

Twilight, Trixie and Flash appeared with sky support, a iron mare looming with a scowl through prismatic bangs.

The Nightmare snarledn she became a gas of nebula and made to slip past but a rose pink dome slammed into the ground, imbedding itself and when she turned Shining Armor stood not far, his horn glowing in time with his wife's as they pressed against each other. Shortly, the ladies of Equestria joined as well.

"It's over", Twilight landed. "Give up Luna."

"Never!" the gaseous entity shouted. She slammed into the glass dome once, twice, thrice, but it did not give like before.

"Girls", Twilight called to her friends. "Let's end this, Pinkie do you have--"

"Got em!" she pulled the box out of mane. 

Instantly the dark alicorn became solid and her eyes widened. Her horn glowed, calling out to the moon, whispering, pleading.

"Don't worry Princess, we'll set you free. You aren't going--" Twilight paused. A thrum filled the air for just a second. She looked around. "Did you guys--"

"Yeah", Trixie rubbed her horn. "It felt like--"

"Look!"

Eyes white masses of magical energy, mane and tail billowing rapidly, horn aglow, Nightmare Moon moved the moon back into place uttering whispers, the sky darkening, the sun shifting everywhere to avoid it but no matter where it went the moon followed closely. The alicorn whispered words out in the quietest of voices, like a gentle breeze and when the moon locked into place over the Sun both no longer moved. 

Our time has come. We return to claim what is ours. This world we have protected for eons, as was our duty, yet scorn and distance were our own reward. 

No more. No longer will you disrespect your Mistress. You will love the night as you loved the day.  You will love me as you loved her, respect me as you respected her, or you will die.

With a nod, she shattered the shield. Knocking out both Shining Armor and Cadence. 

With a look she dreamed up winds from her semi-astral mane and pushed aside the army in the skies. 

With a whip of her tail she lashed the embers out of her starry lights onto the ground, creating walls of fire that grew and split the Bearers from each other. 

Immediately Blueblood shouted, "shoot! Shoot her! Do it!"

They fired. Slings spewing bullets, casters sending magic but it did nothing. The glowing-eyed alicorn wasn't hit, her mane and tail merely absorbed the blows or the magic as she made her path straight towards Twilight.

Her field grabbed the alicorn, then grabbed Trixie, then grabbed Sunset--

Light exploded above, and the Nightmare looked up with her eyes of unblinking light towards it.

Starlight Glimmer appeared, her expression a look of fury, her mane billowing in the wind. The alicorn surveyed the damage and then with fury shouted: "RELEASE THEM DEMON!"

"Return to me my title," the alicorn of darkness said to the only star illuminating her sky, "and I shall."

Starlight's eyes narrowed. She replied with a beam of magic.

Nightmare responded by deflecting it with a shield.

"I am all-powerful now that my moon has risen and I have accepted my allies power."

"They will ruin you Luna!" the lone star shouted. "The Nightmare will bring you nothing but pain!"

"Wrong", the dark one corrected. "They have given me all I ever wanted. Surrender, or", her horn glowed and the star's friends screamed, "they will slumber eternal and their screams will fill your dreams."

"Don't do it!" Rainbow Dash screamed as she fought under the field glow of the lunar darkness.

"Fight her Starlight!" Trixie shouted.

"We believe in you!" Twilight yelled.

"But do you believe in them, Alicorn of Faith?" questioned the lunar darkness. "Submit."

Eyes aglow, scanning the faces of her friends, Starlight grimaced. Then she sighed. Then she descended, the etheral waves of energy leaving her as she landed.

The lunar darkness smiled. Her glowing eyes seeming to brighten. "And what is your title, Starlight?"

"I am the Princess of Dusk, the Princess of Faith, Lady Starlight Glimmer of House Starblaze."

The Nightmare hummed. "As princess you have the right to restore my title, what say you."

She didn't reply. She didn't say a word. The action chased off the smile Luna sported and the night given by her moon casted an eery, almost demonic reddish-yellow across the sky and land as she waited for a reply that never came.

"What. Say. You?" her voice boomed and when she was met with silence, the stern frown became a cold stare.

"Fine."

And then they screamed. First Spike, then Trixie. Then Sunset followed by Blueblood. Luna willed them to feel pain, dreamed they felt pain, and it became real. Soon Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, Tempest and Moondancer were screaming then more citizens were screaming across Canterlot and their voices were being magnified right before their very ears.

"Only you can end this Starlight" Luna's voice, no, Starlight said to herself, that wasn't Luna, the demon's voice rang clear through the screaming. She covered splayed her ears, trying to block out the sound as they pressed to her head but she couldn't and she buckled and the screams were in her head, in her mind--

In the distance, there was a twinkle in the empty sky that only the moon held. The twinkle came once. Twice. Thrice. Four times, then the object, whatever it was, zoomed across the sky, towards the moon--

The Nightmare looked up. Her unblinking eyes of light  squinting. 

"What?" she whispered, their ears perked and watched the twinkle passing over her moon. "What do you mean?"

The twinkle stopped not that anyone paid attention, they were too busy screaming, torturing Starlight who was trying not to scream herself. It stopped right at the moon, shined--

And then the Nightmare felt the tug, the unnatural tug as Discord began to pull.

"No!" the lunar darkness shouted. Her eyes widening and before her very eyes, the twinkle resumed its course before it disappeared as the moon left the sky and the sun returned, taking away her power, righting reality, and--

"Luna."

Nightmare Moon turned, startled. 

Twilight and her allies stood there. They had surrounded her. The empress of the night looked around, look of a surprise on her face, Starlight Glimmer flying above, watching her.

"Its over."

And as the Princess of friendship said this, the Elements glowed.
> Epilogue: ...To The End
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Princess Luna awoke and did the first thing since her reformation she'd been doing for the past week.

She looked at the mirror. Smiled at her reflection.

And then her reflection altered, like ripples in a pond, it became a darker Luna, one with slitted eyes and multisatured irises. 

"You hate this", the mirror-dark-Luna said.

"We hate this," the real Luna replied, her smile shifting into a frown as she sat down. "I hate this."

"How do you think I feel? Back to being trapped unless you summon me?"

"And the worst part is--"

"Celestia is gone" her double finished.

"You felt him, just like before didn't you?"

"Discord?"

"No" mirror-dark-Luna scowled, "him before the Elements purged us of those dreaded Nightmare demons."

Luna, now trapped in the body of her youth, flipped her mane out of her eyes, and pondered. It took a second, then her eyes widened.

"It was him?!"

"It was him", the mirror-dark-Luna responded.

"Overcast..." they said together.

"So the Elements did not banish him like they did to us." Luna mumbled in thought.

"Perhaps" her double answered. "Or perhaps not."

"So many questions while we prepare for today."

"Yes," the mirror-dark-Luna sighed. "It will be too long before you are free to go about again."

Luna huffed, "Nonsense, in time surely we will be given our freedom. Till then" she looked up to her window, up at the sky. A sky where a twinkle had been. 

"For now there are more important matters. Like today's announcement" her double stated, rising and copying Luna's actions as she rose and headed towards the sound of knocking.

"And we prepare for our coronation this day." Luna whispered to the ghost of a demon by her side.

"Come Bliss, we have much to do."

"And much to learn."

"Before we find him" they said as one.

Opening the door, there was chatter with the guards and then with a click, the princess of the night left her room.