Mavis was still walking south. She hadn't stopped at a block, nor at two. She'd kept walking past the gate and right down the road. It just seemed like the thing to do, to walk, to get away from it all. She hoped that Rainbow would wash down Jubilee carefully and respectfully, and deep inside she knew she could trust her most loyal friend to take care of Jubilee.

That was the hardest thing to think about though.

It wasn't Spike, her son/younger brother who she had loved dearly until his death. The dragon that had been the closest thing to a friend since entering Ponyville and had known all her secrets.

Nor her parents, who had never ever once not sent a letter to her once a week since she'd become Celestia's student, and those letters had persisted throughout her stay in Ponyville and even after her coronation. The very ponies that gave her life were gone, and yet that wasn't what troubled the alicorn's mind the most.

It wasn't even the vast changes in her friends.

No, it was Jubilee. Or Sparkler as it stated on the braille medical records, Sparkler Whooves. Mavis could still remember the filly, not as quick on the uptake as her younger sister, but still formidable in her own right. She could still remember when Dinky's father rolled into one day and stormed into one of Twilight's sessions with her personal student. When he'd yelled at Dinky, Sparkler charged up a blast of magic that not only catapulted him through the wall, but transmorgified the stallion into a hospital bed pan. It was then that Mavis had discovered that Twilight was not only dealing with one powerful unicorns, but two, possibly as powerful as she had been at that age.

Magical potency aside, it was the fact that last time Twilight had seen Sparkler, the unicorn was just becoming a mare, having just turned twenty while she was twenty-six, and now, though immortal, she was technically thirty four and Sparkler was twenty six!

Then there was the 'Twilight Conundrum'. Mavis did not feel like she was Twilight any more. Twilight was the awkward bookish, naive mare that had no idea how to talk to cute ponies. Twilight was the mare that loved Celestia like a mother and would never go against her. No, it was clear that for Mavis, Twilight was no longer the same mare she had become. It was actually a little sobering, knowing that a part of her had died and would no longer exist.

But then, wasn't that what it was to be an alicorn? Grow older, accept deaths? Did that mean that new parts of Mavis would grow and die with time? Would Mavis' personality itself shift and change before ceasing to exist? Was this what she was doomed to be? An ever shifting being with no true name or personality, just whatever fit the bill at the time? If 'Twilight Sparkle' could be thrown away so easily, her lavender fur extinguished, her cutie mark changed, could the same happen to Mavis? at any point in time? It all was beginning to give Mavis a massive migraine when she heard hoofsteps come up to her.

"High Priestess, I see you've altered your eyes already! I was ordered to come escort you into the town!"

Thinking fast, Mavis gave the best condescending grin she could.
"Oh, and how do I know you are who you say you are? Tell me, what are the exact details of your mission?"

"To infiltrate the town outpost, find the mare Sparkler Whooves, and then to report to you so you may go kill her High Priestess!"

With a flash of magic the stallions neck snapped and Mavis was away over his body running back to town.

^~^~^~^

Rainbow Dash was watching the clock. She'd sworn that she would take care of Jubilee until Mavis returned, and she meant it. The subtle click of the door let the pegasus know that Applejack had let the nurse in with the wet cloth. Upon entering the nurse looked uneasily at the new pony in the room and the distinct lack of the vicious and protective grey alicorn. It also seemed to both worry and relieve the haggard nurse.

"Don't worry about t too much. Mavis and I...talked, and she's out cooling down. I told her I'd take care of Sparkler for now, and Applejack is just there to make Mavis feel better about leaving."

The nurse seemed to accept the answer, but still took a jab at Mavis as she hoofed over the rag.
"Well personally I'm glad the uptight wretch is backing off."

Rainow glowered at the mare for a moment before turning a pointing a hoof to the comatose mare on the hospital bed.
"List her injuries."

"Wh-"

"Just list her injuries."

"Multiple lacerations ranging from her shoulders to her haunches, numerous contusions, lacerations on her fore ankles and has been the victim of a rather brutal rape." the nurse replied, flinching slightly as she mentioned the rape.

"And can you tell me why this happened?"

The nurse blinked in shock for a moment.
"I can imagine there would never be any valid reason for this!"

Shaking her head, Rainbow locked eyes with the nurse.
"Well there was. In an attempt to protect Mavis, Jubilee took every lashing meant for the alicorn, and then was raped. Jubilee suffered this to protect Mavis, and now Mavis feels guilty and is trying to both protect and pay Jubilee back. I agree, she's uptight, but she's scared and worried. Unlike us, she can't read all the medical records that we can. She's all of seen the patient records in braille but knows nothing else. She is scared out of her mind, and the only way she knows how to cope with that fear is currently unconscious in that bed. So yes, Mavis will rip a nurse's leg off if she feels it will keep one of the only things she still cares for in this world alive. It's called being loyal."

The nurse froze for a moment and Rainbow's words sank in before she turned and trotted out quickly.

^~^~^~^

Mavis was damn near exhausted. In her fear she'd 'blinked' all the way back to the hospital lobby. She would have done a straight teleport, but with the lack of her eyes she couldn't be sure of where she'd come out at. Instead she'd used multiple, rapid short distance telportations, or 'blinking', to minimise the chance of an accident. Doing her best to shake fatigue from her head, Mavis began using the most basic echolocation she could to rush up to Jubilee's room. Three I.V pole collisions, two torn curtains and four broken mesh doors later Mavis rounded the corner to find the vague ourline of a hulking mare that could only be Applejack laid out on the floor.

"Oh goddesses don't let me be too late!"

Throwing the door wide, Mavis garnered three bodies. Rainbow Dash was out cold in a chair. Mavis deduced both the pegasus and Applejack had been drugged. Jubilee was still laying in her hospital bed. Finally there was one more pony, a mare, standing over Jubilee with a knife, albeit frozen and seemingly staring at Mavis' sudden entrance. Throwing caution to the wind, Mavis teleported the knife to where the stallion had accidently ruined the plans at before growling menacingly.
"I don't know who you are, but I'm going to stop you, and I will kill you!"

In response the other pony cackled wildy before throwing itself into Mavis, causing both of them to roll back out the door. Though gifted in magic, Mavis was only just maintaining her guise as well as poor in physical combat. There was little the alicorn could do aside from yelp or grunt in pain as her attacker smashed her into walls and doors. Losing track of the number of items she'd been slammed into, Mavis' only reprieve was when she felt the other pony's grip release her as she went tumbling and skidding across the floor before slamming into a wall, knocking her breath out.

"Truly pitiful," the pony leered, "Did you really think you could stop me? Change your colours all you like Twilight Sparkle, but you can't change who you are on the inside."

Mavis whimpered as her sore and bruised muscles strained to lift her up off the ground.

"Add a cutie mark, but you still didn't have friends, add a few years of age, and you still couldn't take care of yourself!" continued Mavis' antagoniser, "Even as an adult you needed ponies to pull you from the fire! Your 'friends' the Elements had to save you from Nightmare Moon. I had to 'save' you from Discord. Cadence and your brother at the wedding, and your now dead little pet dragon from Sombre Winds! Face it Twilight, you can't do anything on your own, even your new friend in there has suffered because of you! Don't worry though, I'm going to go end that suffering. You just lay there and think about what you've done, 'High Priestess Sparkle'."

Mavis listened to the pony laugh jeeringly again, but was not about to stay down. Activating her echolocation, Mavis raced back to the room to find her opponent lifting the knife from earlier up off the ground. And much to the alicorn's glee, the pony was standing right in front of the window! Charging up a spell with the last vestiges of her magic, Mavis tackled the pony all while unleashing a powerful arcane electricity out of her horn to course through her adversaries body.

Wind whistling as they fell from the forty sixth floor of the building, Mavis began expanding her wings to slow her fall, but the other pony held tighter and leaned in close.

"Oh, so you still had some fire in you after all? Well that's okay, Twilight Sparkle, because there are a lot of curious ponies down there, that and your true colours are showing." laughed Mavis' aggressor as she began to melt in Mavis' hooves, "One more thing. Tree."

Without even enough time to gasp as her opponent melted away, Mavis slammed into a tree trunk forcefully before her body played pinball all the way down before she came to a sudden, painfully jarring, stop on the ground at the base of the tree. Whimpering in pain, Mavis attempted to stand when a spell slammed into her roughly, knocking her off her hooves.

"There she is!"

"Get her, kill her!"

"Kill the High Priestess! Kill her!"

Ears folding back in a desperate attempt to block out the multitude of screaming voices, Mavis quickly found herself under the barrage of sticks, stones and detritus littering the streets as the ponies of the city/outpost swarmed about her. Amongst the objects striking her coat, Mavis also slowly began to make out the sound of rain, which in turn activated, much to her relief, a self sustaining enchantment she'd placed one herself upon first escaping that activated it's own form of echolocation. Granted this did little other than allow her to 'see' the rope that was quickly yanked tight around her neck before the opposite end was thrown over one of the tree branches.

Reaching up with her hooves, Mavis began desperately tugging at the tightened noose before being roughly jerked up off the ground. Crying out as best as she could, Mavis' tear glands leaked profusely as she felt her airway restricted. It wasn't too long before Mavis began to her things as if underwater as her mind began to hover on the brink of consciousness. Before her eyes finally closed, she swore she felt like she was falling.

^~^~^~^

Nopony made a move towards the seething unicorn. Her mane was replaced with roiling flames, and any rain that fell within a metre of her was instantaneously evaporated. To add to the mare's dangerous appearance numerous metal needle head stuck out from her body, the plastic tubing having already melted away.

"You do not touch my fillyfriend!"

Everypony looked taken aback, none of them quite sure of how to handle the new addition, a flaming maned mare that looked ready to strike them all down. Well, none that is, until one stallion at the back lobbed a rock while yelling about how there was only one of her and all of them.

Rocks and trash came flying in from all directions as Jubilee did her best to ward them off, but the flames were faltering just like her energy, and the detritus thrown began to collide with her, sending waves of agony through her body as stitches tore and lash wounds were torn back open, causing rivulets of blood to snake down Jubilee's body.

Attempting to retreat, Jubilee was met with a painful strike from behind, whatever spell that had hit her sending her sprawling across the ground. She watched helplessly as an angry looking stallion reared up before her, ready to drive his forehooves into her face. Then the forehooves started arcing down...

*BYCHOW*

The stallion faltered and fell off to the left under the ear splitting retort that tore through the air. Every single rioter froze at the noise, realisation and fear written plain across their faces. For Jubilee, still laying on the ground, the crowds parted to reveal a large bipedal figure holding an odd looking stick in his right appendages grip that was smoking from one end. A long duster covered its body, and a cowpony's hat with upturned sides both adorned and obscured its head as it strode forward. Suddenly a gravely voice exited its throat, marking the being as male.

"Last I check, I was the law bringer in this town! Now, I've got no quarrel with those forming a posse to bring in a criminal, but execution without a proper trial? Well, one more of you punks put a limb near those two, and I'll put a thirty odd six in your skull."

As Jubilee watched the ponies scatter, the bipedal creature put the stick in a holster on its back before walking over and crouching next to her. One of its arms, ending with a claw, reached up to remove its hat, revealing a warm smile with two kind looking slitted emerald eyes.
"I think it'd be best if I got you and Twilight-"

"Mavis, she goes by Mavis..."

"Well, then you and...Mavis...back to the hospital, especially you."

Jubilee simply nodded before exhaustion took over and she fell back into slumber.

^~^~^~^

"Oww...I feel like I got bucked in the face by a manticore..." groaned Mavis as she tried sitting only to find that she was chained to the bed via padded collar. The alicorn immediately started working at it furiously with her hooves when a voice interrupted her.

"Mavis, you're awake!"

Mavis froze and began scanning her ears about when another pony hugged her lightly.
"It's just me, Jubilee. You have no idea how glad I am you're awake. I don't remember anything other than picking a fight with a guy with a whip, not my smartest idea mind you, and then nearly char broiling a bunch of assholes trying to lynch you."

At this Mavis shot straight up.
"Wait, so you saved me?! You've been out cold for over a week, what woke you up?"

"Well," Jubilee replied, jokingly hitting Mavis on the shoulder, "Some ass hat decided to open the window while it was raining. I can never sleep when I know it's raining, guess that goes the same for being comatose. But no, actually Rarity came by and said it had to do with magic and instincts, oh, and she enchanted the scarf I gave you to make you always appear as the Mavis I love so you aren't dependent on your own magic."

In seconds Mavis was straining against her collar as tears began dampening her shroud. Her hooves were wrapped around Jubilee's neck, and as she felt the bandaged, yet healing, marks of the lash she was overcome with guilt and remorse.
"You stupid foal, I should smack the tar out of you. You should have kept your mouth shut! I already have scars, a few more wouldn't have bothered me...But you..."
Mavis ran her hooves gently across Jubilee's back as Jubilee sat still and leaned closer.
"Goddesses Jubilee, I need you to promise me that you will never put your life on the line for me again! I'm tougher than you think, but...but I swear if I lose somepony close to me again...I...I can't say...I wouldn't make it Jubilee, do you understand that? I can't keep losing the ponies I love."

For Jubilee's part she half wanted to laugh off the mare's worries, but she knew exactly what Mavis was talking about. The night prior had been one of the worst things she'd experienced since her sister had been murdered. It was a soul chilling experience, to see how close a loved one could come to death. She felt Mavis plant a small kiss on her forehead, and then another on her brow, and another on the bridge of her nose trailing down to the tip, and then felt the alicorn's soft lips meet hers gently.

Mavis leaned forward and shifted to pull Jubilee down to where they could lie closer together only to be stopped by the sudden jerk of the forgotten collar. Any calm thought from just seconds ago deteriorated as Mavis began manically pulling and jerkin at the chain. She was still magically exhausted, so that wouldn't help. Suddenly a calming hoof wrapped around her shoulders.

"Don't worry, I've got this." grinned Jubilee.

With a sizzle of magic the unicorn cut right on through the collar and Mavis immediately began stretching her neck every which way to ensure there were no cramps.

"So, what is our plan exactly, I don't think that the townsponies like me." Mavis stated flatly.

Jubilee just pulled Mavis closer and placed a hoof on her lips.
"We don't worry about it, the girls are taking care of things right now anyway."

^~^~^~^

Sombre Winds grinned grimly from behind one of Clover's nigh impenetrable shield. As the smoke from the spell on shield explosions cleared, the soldier shot out from the haze and launched several offensive spells at the opposing forces. Three of the highly lethal spells struck home, tearing vicious holes in the defenses of the enemy platoon. This was followed up with Clover erecting another barrier as their enemies retaliated violently.

"Tis truly a jest of the goddesses, is it not Clover?" Sombre Winds called, "That such bitter enemies wouldst be comrades yet again tis night!"

Clover just grunted, leaving her focus to ascertain the needed calculations to regulate her shielding.

In response Sombre rolled to the left as Clover allowed the shields to collapse. From the resulting debris cloud strolled non other than Luna herself, now flanked by Sombre Winds on her left and a slender, dark, shadow like alicorn on her right.

All three fired off spells that quickly decimated their opponents.

From there it was a clear walk for Luna to approach the cage that the stallions had been guarding, regardin the two beings inside curiously.
"Ah, Starswirl, it has truly been a long time."

The bearded unicorn nodded before turning to introduce his captive companion, a crystalline mare of ice.
"Your majesty, this is Icene Myst, she is a wendigo and my newest friend."

^~^~^~^

The Sheriff grunted out hellos and good mornings as he walked down the street. Nestled on his back was a unique item called a rifle that Applejack had brought back from the south. The Minotaurian weapon fit him easily due to the similar upper body structures they shared. Still, today the Sheriff couldn't get his mind off of the mares he'd rescued the night before. Idly letting a claw life up, the Sheriff slid his duster coat open and felt at a scar in his chest.

"It has been a long time, but I suppose it was inevitable..."

With a grunt, the Sheriff turned to head towards the hospital when Luna's face appeared in a ghostly visage before him.
"You need to head north, meet us on the edge of the badlands."

"Not now Luna, I have other things to do."

"You don't get a choice, all of Equestria depends on this!" Luna snapped back, her expression hard.

The Sheriff glared daggers at Luna and shook his head.
"With who I just found in town, after what happened to me all those years ago? No, I need to get to the bottom of this. I need to figure out what is going on, and she's the only one I can ask that will answer me!"

Luna's face softened for a moment before she replied.
"I understand, Spike Pendragon, and I know you hurt, but there are things I am discovering that date back even further than mine and my sister's reign began, things that make little sense, but explain a great deal of things. I promise I will let you get your answers, but now is not the time for it."

With an annoyed groan, Spike, under the guise of the Sheriff, a travelling law keeper, turned and started trudging towards the gate.

^~^~^~^

Peregrine, or Skeleton Jack, was a pure black pegasi with abnormally large wings. He was also very good with his hooves, proving to be just as good with the paint brush that had graced his body with the skeletal structure painted on as it was with the vicious, jagged daggers that were sheathed under his wings.

He was currently standing in front of three prostrated guards, two who were cowering, another glaring at him contemptuously. His crew had already circled the group and had left them to talk to them.

"Ah see the three'ya 'r'still alive, s'good t'know seein' as Ah don' like ta' kill all of mah enemies. Sides, no' yer fault tha' ye don' know the truth!" Skeleton Jack half cackled like a mad pony. The colt himself was a bit of an oddity. He partied like a college student, fought like a forty year old veteran, yet hadn't even graced the age of seventeen yet. Even then, everypony in his crew both respected and loved him while his enemies feared and loathed him.
"Now th'Ah got alluh tha' said, Ah'd like ta be th'firs' ta welcome ye ta' mah ship, tha' Bleedin' Bitch!"

At this the two younger soldiers got an even more terrified look upon their faces while the older soldier scoffed.
"What, you think this is a game kid? Ponies die and your playing ship captain?"

"Ah take it yer mos'likely in charge'o these two younger soldiers?"

The older soldier gave a grunt of acknowledgement that spurred Skeleton Jack into driving one of his daggers into one of the younger soldiers throats, the ragged edge tearing terrifying chunks out of the neck and esophoguas.

"Well, now yer jes' down ta one! Ye don' make yer fun out'o mah ship's name! S'has ta' do with mah lady an' ye should know not ta' mess with a stallion's lady!"

Casting one shocked look at the now bleeding out soldier that he was in command over, the elder soldier started to sputter.
"Y...you..you've lost your mind!"

Moving his face within inches of the soldier, Skeleton Jack grinned maniacally.
"I've lost my family, my dog, my land and a few hairs and teeth, but not my mind...not quite yet anyway..."

As the golden armoured veteran looked with teary eyes at the body of his fellow soldier, and unbeknownst to most, his son-in-law, Skeleton Jack let out a hysterical laugh.

"A right bitch, innit? Watchin' a luv die, knowin' ya' can't do nothin' 'bout it? Alright luvly, let the stallion up 'fore 'Creaky' here star's blub'rin!"

At the call a flash of magic the 'dead' soldier was revealed to have been an illusion, the real one running from the side of a deadly beautiful mare with a hoof length mane and tale of silky silver. Her coat was a moonlight gold to match the same moonlight gold hue in her eyes as they made contact with Skeleton Jack's. With out looking from the object of her affection, the mare spoke.
"Your fear of losing him was something all these crew members have suffered on a day to day basis. But for now you will be escorted to the guest quarters. You are free to move about that level of the ship, but I swear now, if you attempt to leave the level forcefully, you will be put down. A four course meal will be delivered when you're all settled. Now scoot, enjoy your sleep. I have a somepony to do."

As the three soldiers were escorted away, Skeleton Jack and the mare, Luliana, made their way to the railing of the ship, a massive craft, one of a kind, that floated amongst the clouds powered by the ambient magics of the sun and the moon. The wind whipped wildly against them, and the deck shuddered and shook as it was wont to do, but the two stood firm.

"I heard, dearest Peregrine, that Twilight Sparkle of all ponies is wandering amongst the rebels now."

Peregrine nodded before replying in a fashion very much dissimilar to his original voice.
"As have I dear Lula. I fear our plans may have been rushed more than we had first prepared them to be."

Lulianna leaned in close to Peregrine and nuzzled him gently.
"For the family then?"

"First and foremost." Pergrine nodded.

"Indubitably" Lulianna smiled back with a sudden frisky grin.

Taking the hint Peregrine led Lulianna back to his quarters knowing full well that tomorrow's dawn could wait for a few hours.

And when it dawned, they would find Twilight Sparkle, and they would get what they needed.

Author's Note

Well, a bit different.

I'm definitely starting to make sides now. I figured it was about time the factions started getting shaped and formed.

Obviously there's the Jubilee/Mavis 'half side' as they partially stand alone. Next is Bob the Blob and the whole of the Equestrian military. Luna, Sombre Winds, Clover the Clever, Starswirl and Icene Myst make up their own group,. The Crystal Kingdom and the pirates/buccaneers/ whatever you wish to call Peregrine and Lulianna's lot.

Jubilee and Mavis, Luna's group and the 'Crew' will start getting focused on in each chapter as well, possibly lengthening chapters, and oh yeah also...

Spike's alive mother buckers! But if you want your explanation, you'll have to wait for next chapter(which will be delayed as I haven't a laptop at the mo) when Spike meets up with Luna.

I apologise for the delay everyone, and I can't wait to hear about your thoughts on this chapter and especially about me 'killing off' 'Twilight Sparkle'!