Garden of Shadows

Chapters

1. Silence and Mystery
2. Heart of the Earth
3. Another World
4. Defy Authority
5. Over our Heads
6. When Justice Falls
7: Ethical Choices

1. Silence and Mystery

It is so hard to learn in
the darkness of the night;
the only colors to discern
are either black or white.

Drip…

“Now tell me again, Twi, why are we explorin’ this creepy cave at night?” Applejack’s voice, usually smooth and confident, shivered with fear as it echoed off of the jagged walls of the cave.

“I thought since you have a lot to do on the farm, I’d do this at a time you weren’t busy. Don’t worry about sleep—I promise we won’t spend any more than an hour down here.” The darkness receded further down the freezing stone tunnel as a bright light advanced further and further. Obnoxiously spilling over into the cave, the light bathed the two intruders in violet fire as it shone around Twilight and around the notebook she held in front of her. Another noise dared to break the silence: the unceasing scritching and scratching of her quill.

Drip…

With every tiny splash of water from the moist stone of the ceiling above them, Applejack grew more and more nervous. She had only agreed helping Twilight to explore the cave because it was on Sweet Apple Acres land…and with every wisp of frozen air that emerged from her muzzle she regretted that decision.

“Could we make that a li’l less? ‘Cause…y’know…I do have to get up early, and it’s chillier than an ice cream in winter in here.”

Twilight stopped; the infernal scratching of her quill ceased for a blissful three seconds. “Hm…I don’t think we’ll be able to do very much in that time, but then again, we wouldn’t be able to do much tonight anyway. I just want to take a few more pages of notes…”

The scratching continued.

Drip…

Applejack rolled her eyes, pretending not to notice the shadows sneaking up behind her. “Can’t you use some fancy spell of yours to speed this up a bit?” she asked, wearing the false mask of simple annoyance.

“Actually…I suppose I could use a spell to light up the darkness of the tunnels ahead. I can’t make it too bright, though; we don’t want to wake up anything that might live down here.” She squeezed her eyes shut and concentrated, sending the inferno of violet light even further into the corridor, stabbing it deeper into the broken earth.

Drip…

“I know I’m gonna regret asking this, but what in the world would live down here? There ain’t sunlight, or plants, or…or anything, really.”

“Well…I don’t know. The Diamond Dogs are only known to live really far away, in the badlands that are filled with gems…but I’m sure there’s something in here that would be cranky if we woke it up. You would be surprised how few books there are about caves in Equestria. That’s why I want to explore here so badly.” The irritating whine of the scratching quill doubled its speed and its volume, sending the alien noise down the black corridors ahead.

Drip…

Suddenly, from further inside of the stone jaws of the cave, a deep growl resonated with the air. A series of powerful vibrations rushed past the two mares, sending a cold shiver through their hooves and up the back of their spines.

The scratching came to a stop.

“Twilight…? What was that?” A few threads of fear snuck into the thinly woven veil of confidence in Applejack’s voice.

“I don’t know.” Twilight replied, finally shocked out of her oblivious excitement. “…I think I have enough notes; we should probably leave now.”

“Ya think?” Applejack backed away slowly, too infected by curiosity to turn tail and run. Likewise Twilight did not move; rather, she stared deeply into the eyes of the darkness.

With bright yellow eyes, the darkness stared back.

“RUN!!!” shouted Applejack, startling the pair into action along with the roof of the cave. A deafening noise shouted like thunder in their ears, vibrating through their whole bodies as they sprinted back towards the brilliant light ahead. Ear-splitting explosions rocked the cave as the ceiling began to collapse, finally exerting its revenge on the meddlesome intruders. Spears of stone and ice crashed down from the cave ceiling, bursting into thousands of projectiles that pelted the two as they raced to the exit.

Roaring with fury, the beast gave chase. The ground shook beneath it as it stomped ever closer to them. Its claws scraped against the bare stone as it barreled forward like a train off its tracks, plowing through the rough ground beneath it.

Twilight began to pant and lag behind Applejack as they sprinted still further towards the exit. “Applejack…” she wheezed, her legs on fire from exertion. The light of freedom shone brightly ahead of them, growing, growing...so close…!

Applejack raced towards the exit. She could see the brilliant light of the cave entrance growing larger ahead of them, first a pinprick, then a window, then a house-!

All of a sudden…the entrance began to shrink. An avalanche of boulders broke loose from the ceiling above and blocked off the entrance, and the jaws of the cave snapped shut.

Darkness and noise surrounded them as the roaring of beast and of the boulders came closer, charging towards them. Twilight turned slowly around, watching the black silhouette grow rapidly larger in her vision…only to be cut off as she was grabbed and dragged to the side. Whirling around, she had just enough time to see a crazy glint in Applejack’s eyes before she was in free-fall, with the farmpony not far behind, falling, falling, falling…

Two screams broke the air, and were suddenly cut off, replaced with a low groan as two ponies fell into the black void of unconsciousness. Silence fell over the cave once again. Now the only noise that dared break it was the tranquil murmuring of an unperturbed river as it washed quietly over the two sleeping mares that laid silent and asleep on its bank.

Slowly, patiently, the river drew the two into its murmuring waters and carried them into the darkness.

2. Heart of the Earth

Uuuggggghhh...

The first thing that Applejack heard was a low moan in her voice echoing out into the wide halls of a cave. A throbbing headache pounded against her skull as she hesitantly stretched her eyes open, only to find a room consumed by darkness. Darkness...except for the soft light reflecting off of the two golden eyes staring straight at her.

"Aaah!" Applejack jerked in shock and immediately backpedaled, colliding with a cave wall. The figure floating upside down in the darkness had to stifle a giggle.

"Why hello there. I have not seen a pony like you before..." said the golden eyed mare as she rolled over in the air and landed rightside-up on the cold stone ground. A pair of jet-black bat wings folded neatly against her sides. Her ashen-gray coat blended almost perfectly into the darkness, only visible when the mare moved.

"Um...hi. What's your name?"

"I'm Starlight. And yours?" she asked, a warm mirth in her golden eyes.

"...Applejack."

"Well, Applejack, what are you doing out here by the river alone? It can get very cold here in the eternal nighttime of the caves."

She looked shrewdly at the bat-pony, still confused. "Me and my friend Twilight were explorin' these here caves when we...uh...fell off a ledge, but this isn't where we fell...speakin' of which, wouldja happen to know where in tarnation we are right now?" Applejack responded, still taking in the strangeness of the whole situation. Fuzzy gray blobs started to take shape in her vision as her eyes adjusted to the darkness.

The mare blinked, temporarily cutting off the only light in the entire room. "Well, where were you before you fell of of the ledge? Where are you from?" she asked, noticeably hesitant to divulge their location.

"I'm from Ponyville." Starlight gave Applejack a blank look. "Y'know, just west of Canterlot in Equestria?"

At the word Equestria she flinched and drew back, her friendly gaze shifting to a hostile glare. Her tone dropped to a low growl as she said, "Oh. In that case you had better come with me."

" 'Scuse me? What if I don't want to?" Applejack said, her eyes narrowing.

In response, Starlight opened her mouth the tiniest smidgen and glanced down the corridor.

Suddenly a rush of air swept past Applejack's head and she instinctively ducked. A huge shadow soared past her and slammed into the ground ahead, right behind Starlight. Another pair of glowing eyes flickered in the shadows.

Applejack charged toward them. With choreographed precision the eyes both disappeared as their owners shot up into the spacious cavern, and Applejack heard the rattling of hooves against stone as her new adversaries landed on the ceiling.

Frustrated, Applejack looked around for something to throw at them, still nearly blinded by the shadows of the cave. Unfortunately she didn't get the chance, though, as a rush of air swept by her for the second time and did not miss. A heavy weight smashed into her side, sending her tumbling into the murmuring waters of an underground river below them.

Applejack splashed to the surface, gasping for air, when all of a sudden something grabbed her from behind and hoisted her up to the roof of the cavern. A pair of golden eyes appeared in front of her, and Applejack glared at them as her hooves dangled above the jagged walls of stone.

She heard Starlight's voice, startlingly cold and commanding, snapping an order to the pony whose hooves dug into Applejack's legs: "According to this one, there is another pony somewhere wandering around by the shore. I will find her and bring her in. Take this one back and put her in the Cells...and tell Lord Duskfall and the Council that we have a couple of Sunlovers to be dealt with."

The cool moist air of the cave relaxed Starlight as it flowed gently over her wings. Scanning the cave floor way beneath her, she found her thoughts drifting to the mare they had captured earlier.

I wonder what it would be like for her to live out in the sunlight. It'd probably hurt your eyes a lot...and how could you possibly blend in with a bright-orange coat like that? It'd be impossible to avoid predators, which makes no sense since the outside forests are teeming with them. Maybe they have some kind of magical protection...

Suddenly a loud echoing voice snapped her deifting thoughts to attention. Her ears pricked up, swiveling to the source of the noise. Still floating through the air, Starlight closed her eyes and opened her mouth, flying by echolocation so she could hear more effectively.

There it was again, but clearer. It sounded like a young mare's voice, probably a half-mile upstream. So 'Applejack' wasn't lying about her friend, Starlight mused. Well, hopefully this 'Twilight' will not be too much of a problem.

The voice echoed out for a third time, and by now it was clear that it was yelling 'Applejack' repeatedly. Starlight cracked a smile as she swooped down to pass through a small tunnel the river had carved. She cannot be a serious problem if she's spent all of this time calling for help-

As she flew out of the tunnel and around a bend in the river, a blinding inferno of light exploded across her vision. She stumbled in mid-air, shielding her eyes with her hooves, screaming as her sensitive eyes stung with throbbing pain. Desperately pressing her hooves against her face, Starlight didn't notice the jagged stalactite until she slammed face-first into it and corscrewed through the air until she smashed into the ground, rolling to a stop in a collapsed heap.

She groaned, hearing an unpleasant pop! as she rolled into a slightly less uncomfortable pose. Her eyes open, Starlight noticed one of her wings flopping uselessly at her side, bent at an angle that made her wince. The rapid sound of hooves clapping against rock echoed ever-closer towards her, but it accompanied the deadly-painful light which grew brighter and brighter, forcing her to smother her face with her hooves.

The noise slowed to a gentle trot, and then faded into echoes. "Oh my gosh, are you okay?!"

Starlight groaned again. "Please...the light..."

No response.

"TURN OFF THE LIGHT!!!"

The inferno of pain faded immediately, melting into the soothing darkness of the caves. "T-thank you," Starlight croaked, following it up with a raspy cough. Her lungs burned with every breath.

"How did this happen to you?" asked the voice, spilling over with worry.

Starlight mustered the strength to stretch her neck up and glare. Everything she could see was a white blob, but she was pretty sure that she glared at the correct blob. "I was trying to fly and your light blinded me."

"Oh no! I'm so, so sorry. I was just trying to find my way out of here, and...!" The voice stumbled over itself as it launched into a rambling apology.

Starlight lifted a hoof into the air and waved it dismissively. "No, it is not your fault...for the record, I would have normally announced myself if-" suddenly Starlight cut herself off. A shiver ran up her spine as she realized that, now that she was out of range of the main camp and Moon Beam had already left, convincing this pony—her enemy—to help her was the only option.

"If what?"

"I, uh," Starlight picked her words carefully as she continued, "I...was on a scouting mission, and I thought you might be a predator." She winced. Why oh why must I be so terrible at lying?

Misinterpreting her wince, the pony said, "Are you hurting a lot? Because if you need help, I know a ton of healing spells!"

Starlight's ears perked up. Maybe this won't work out too badly after all. "Yes, please. I think my wing is broken." All of a sudden Starlight's blood ran ice-cold as the horrible light burst back to life, and she immediately shielded her eyes. "Ach! Not the light; please, please turn it off!"

The light did not die. "Well, I'm sorry, but it will have to stay on in order for my healing magic to work."

Starlight whimpered. She sighed. "...Fine," she heard herself say.

The inferno of scalding white grew and grew and grew as it flooded over her. Her wing shivered and twitched as it lifted itself off of the floor and shifted around, the thin cartilage rubbing uncomfortably against itself as the unicorn went to work.

Click.

Streeeeetch.

"OW!"

"Whoops, sorry, sorry!"

Click.

All of a sudden the painful light faded and a sense of warmth washed over Starlight's body. "AAAaaahhhhh..." she sighed, stretching and folding her wing.

"Now remember, you'll need to stay off of that wing for a couple days in order for it to heal properly," the mare said. "Do you need me to heal anything else?"

"Nonono, it's fine; I've had worse crashes," Starlight said quickly. "But...I am going to have to walk?"

"...Yeah, I guess. Where are you going?"

"Well..." She thought for a moment. Maybe she could bring this mare in willingly, if the Sunlover didn't know that they were enemies. "I am going back to my home camp. Apparently another Sunlo—er—another pony is headed that way by the name of 'Applejack'; do you know her?"

Twilight's eyes narrowed as she stared down at the gray mare, thinking hard. Did she almost just call me..."sun lover"? And why would Applejack be headed towards their home if she knew I was still out here? Something isn't right here.

"Yes, I know her. How do you?" she said, studying the mare's face for her reaction.

The mare winced, and her response came cautiously: "Well...I..." she stumbled over her words as she tried to come up with an explanation. "Another scout reported finding a pony like you wandering the shore, and he...escorted her to our camp, so she will be safe from the predators."

"You captured her."

"Yes."

"You were sent here to capture me."

"Yes."

This new revelation sent Twilight's mind whirling with questions; the first of which escaped her lips before she could stop it: "Why?"

The mare suddenly stopped and stood onto her hooves, groaning with the effort. She must have gotten a ton of bruises from that crash... Wobbling uncertainly, the mare gave a poor attempt at an intimidating growl: "I should not have told you that. I must take you now to the Council of the Nocturna Lorem, so that you can be tried for the crimes of your ancestors." She bared her tiny fangs.

"What, do you want to fight me? You can't be serious."

"Fight me if you dare, Sunlover!" came the reply as the mare tried to steady herself, still dizzy.

"Well...okay." Twilight ignited her horn and poured all of her strength into its light.

The mare's knees buckled and she fell to the ground, helpless. "AAAH! PLEASEMAKEITSTOP!!!"

Twilight immediately extinguished her light, wincing at the sight of the mare cowering at her hooves. "I'll...take that as a surrender. Still, will you take me to my friend without a fight if I promise not do that again?"

The mare sighed in defeat. "Fine. Follow me." She turned to walk down the tunnel, and Twilight frowned.

"How will you be able to find the way back? I thought my light blinded you..." She felt a twinge of guilt. Pushing the feeling aside, she followed up the awkward question with a much friendlier one. "By the way, I never caught your name. Mine is Twilight Sparkle."

"Starlight. The moon shines on our meeting, Twilight Sparkle," she said, quoting what Twilight could only guess was a very curious traditional greeting. "And do not worry about me. My kind have adapted to the darkness of night by developing echolocation."

Twilight's heart skipped a beat. "Wow! That's really cool! I mean, it makes sense since you're a...bat pony, but still, how do you do that? Does that mean you have extrasensitive hearing? ...Oh," she paused, and another twinge of guilt pinched her mind, "That probably means I'm talking too loud. Sorry," Twilight finished in a soft whisper.

"No; it is fine. That only means my kind can hear higher-pitched noises than yours," she said dismissively.

"Oh, okay. So...is everypony living in your camp a bat pony?"

Starlight hesitated, obviously wary of giving out too much information to an enemy—though why Starlight thinks of me as an enemy is beyond me.

Again speaking with caution, Starlight said, "No. There are ponies kind of like the Sunl—I mean, kind of like you as well, unicorns, earth ponies and the like. However, over the years they have adapted and interbred with us such that they are more than suited to life here under the earth."

Twilight nodded, but something that Starlight said had piqued her curiosity yet again. "When you say 'over the years'..." she began, "how long have you been here?"

"Tonight is the third night of the fifth month of the one thousand and first year since we moved into the Caves of the Night."

The one thousandth year... Suddenly something clicked in Twilight's mind as all of the pieces fell into place. Wait a minute. What was it she said earlier, "pay for the crimes of your ancestors"? And all of the night-themed phrases and names-!

Twilight glanced warily at the bat pony, who seemed perfectly comfortable with the silence as the pair walked down the shore of the river. I bet these ponies have something to do with Nightmare Moon. I should probably not tell them that I and my friends defeated her; they hate me enough just for living diurnally in Equestria...

Starlight suddenly halted, and Twilight almost bumped into her before she pulled herself out of her wandering thoughts. A huge waterfall poured down ahead of them, off a ridge and into a huge pool of water. If Twilight craned her neck, she could make out the shape of a tall rocky spire rising up out of the water into the high cave ceiling; the waterfall and surrounding lake formed a natural moat.

"My home camp is past this waterfall, within that island mountain. Prepare yourself to meet the Children of the Night."

3. Another World

A spire of ashen silver loomed up above Twilight, glaring down at her as she trotted further into its territory. It rose to dizzying heights, eventually fading into the blackness past her sun-blinded vision. She stared up in awe at the underground mountain, her eyes darting at dizzying speeds to take in all of the structures that these ponies had carved into their home over the centuries, transforming a faceless boulder into a magnificent palace, grander than all the towers of Canterlot.

Over the years hundreds of steel-tipped hooves dug into the stone and imbued diamonds across its surface, weaving a pattern of stars that perfectly matched the patterns woven into the night sky. Additional towers of stone reached out of its sides like muscled limbs, their sheer faces and square corners clashing with the rough surface of the spire proper. Countless stairways zigzagged across its surface, some cracked and worn with age, some polished and gleaming in the dim light reflected by the jeweled stars. Hundreds of black dots speckled the surface as well—those must be windows…there are probably hundreds of ponies living down here! Hanging from the largest window that sat smack-dab in the center of the structure, facing the waterfall, was a black flag with a sickly-yellow crescent emblazoned on it.

Twilight gulped.

Staring up in awe at the beautiful structure, with a thousand questions bouncing around her mind, it was no wonder that Twilight did not hear the soft rush of bat wings until their owners flew up behind her and promptly smashed a pair of armor-plated hooves into the back of her head. A surprised gasp had barely escaped her mouth before her body crumpled against the stone.

The two guards who had knocked her unconscious nodded to Starlight before they each picked up two of Twilight’s legs and flew towards the peak of the spire. Starlight stood unmoving as she had before, feeling an unexpected twinge of guilt that she quickly suppressed. She’s just a prisoner. She’s just a Sunlover.

Moon Beam unceremoniously dumped the unconscious Sunlover’s body onto a rocky platform as he alighted on the highest tower of the Nocturnian Citadel—a tower hidden in the shadow of the spire itself—and glanced over to see the familiar eyes of Silver Comet staring into his own. The faint glow of milky white leaking out of the tower door trickled out and washed them in white as Comet’s gruff voice interrupted the silence:

“Now do we just leave her here? The Council has never told us what to do with Sunlovers…”

“No; no they have not,” Beam began, looking uneasily at the glowing cave entrance at the end of the platform, “but our orders regarding Sunlovers come directly from Lord Silent himself.”

Comet blanched, and the light of his glowing eyes flickered as he blinked uncertainly. “Can he even do that? The Council told us-”

“Do not question your orders, soldier,” continued Beam, shooting a glare at his companion. “Captured Sunlovers are to be taken to the doors of the Shaded Tower and placed in the holding cells, so that Lord Silent may attend to them himself.”

Comet hunched down and grabbed one of the Sunlover’s hooves, dragging her forward towards the cave entrance, but frowned as he saw that Beam had not moved. “What are you waiting for?”

“Only one conscious pony may enter the Tower at one time. That is his rule, not mine…although I do not begrudge you the chance to escort our guest to her chambers. I have been inside the Tower only once before, and…” Beam’s voice faltered. “Consider this as an opportunity to learn the importance of respect for authority, soldier.”

Silver Comet drew in a sharp breath, but it faded out into the freezing air as he found no words to respond with. He watched the form of the veteran guard disappear into the shadows as Moon Beam soared away from the Tower and back down to the lower levels of the Citadel, probably to deal with a much more boring task.

Boring or safe?

Comet frowned.

Soaring in through the entrance to her second-level cave, Starlight landed on the polished stone floor and pushed aside a thick stone door, slamming it shut with a hind leg. The luminescent moss in the ceiling light fixture pulsed faintly as it washed the room in a glow of pale sea-green, a glow that she could hardly see since Twilight—No, that Sunlover. She is a Sunlover—had blinded her earlier. Stupid Sunlover.

Ignorant, naïve, and disrespectful, abusing her powers at the drop of a hat…She continued walking, ignoring the half-eaten fern sandwich watching her from the kitchen table.

Yawning, Starlight trotted to the side of her bed and flopped over on the soft covers, smiling in bliss as the thoughts faded to a dull buzz in her mind. She grabbed the wind-up alarm clock on the shelf and fumbled with it for a moment before setting it to go off in six hours, when she would have to wake up late for the nightly Moonset Ceremony, and then stay up all hours of the day for the Graveyard Shift. That’s the worst part of being in the Guard…but then again, it does pay better than working in the mines or the Moonlight Gardens. Or the Shadow Garden. Starlight pushed the unpleasant memory from her mind, and sleep crashed over her in a wave of soothing darkness.

Applejack awoke to see a grinning face right in front of her, lying motionless within the darkness. Drawing in a sharp breath, she blinked once and stared at the face again, squinting past the veil of shadows…and exhaled a sigh of relief. It’s just a white shape on a banner.

Looking down, she suddenly noticed another tiny shape sitting on her leg, another insignia of the crescent moon, cast from the ceiling by a ray of moonlight. She looked up and around the room, taking in the faint glow of light hiding beneath the darkness. What is this place?

Standing up to her full height, Applejack immediately bumped her head on the ceiling and recoiled. Not because it was rocky and painful; no, it was…the bump barely felt like anything. She craned her neck up to look at the ceiling and saw that it was still rocky. So why didn’t it feel like anything?

Maybe this is all a dream.

Walking under the pure-black banner stained white with another crescent and out of the door, Applejack frowned and stopped immediately. Two doors confronted her as she stepped into a room of equal size, one door white and one black. Both doors had the same crescent moon in the center of their blank faces, one deep ebony atop the face of shining marble, and one brilliant white within a sea of deathly-black obsidian. The white door is probably a better idea.

She trotted through the door on the right, pushing aside the heavy marble door with her front hoof. Walking through it slowly and carefully, she craned her neck up to gaze into the void above her, a pit that extended to the heavens. A powerful beam of moonlight poured in through the crescent-shaped hole carved out of the ceiling that stared down at her from ten stories up, setting the cavern on fire with a milky-white glow that shimmered and reflecting off the faces of a thousand gems scattered across the coarse stone walls.

Applejack did not give even a passing glance to the gems, or the cavern ceiling, or back to the door as it closed quietly behind her and faded into the wall. Her eyes were transfixed by the dance of shadows and moonlight ablaze on the floor beneath her.

What are those?

Black shapes leapt across the smooth rock face, twirling around each other, exchanging partners as they floated over the stone with mesmerizing grace. Applejack’s eyes glazed over as she stared down at the elegant shapes, tracing the path of every four-limbed shape as it glided freely about. They’re so beautiful…

The mare suddenly snapped out of her trance and blinked twice, hard. Wrenching her eyes from the shadows, she spoke aloud, her voice echoing through the emptiness: “Who’s there?! Y’all better show yourselves!”

No one is here. Nothing is here but silence.

A chill raced down Applejack’s spine.

Luna watched carefully for rips in the fabric of the dreamscape as she drifted over the slumbering city of Ponyville, staring through the shimmering curtain of reality that had been distorted by the hundreds of minds sparking with new thoughts and new worlds. Every dream created a new world within the realm, a world that burst into existence only to collapse within minutes of its creation. And it was her job to gaze over all of the ever-changing worlds within the dreamscape, to search for the prowling nightmares that were usually created by the ponies’ own minds as a manifestation of repressed fear.

Swimming through the undulating threads of interwoven space and magic, the Princess of the Night gave naught but a tiny glance into every world, checking to make sure that none of the beasts were stalking their prey this night. Most of the time she could sense their presence, but some were better at hiding in the shadows of the mind than others.

Seeing none, Luna gave a nod of satisfaction and turned back towards Canterlot, taking the long way over the winding river that sliced through the edge of the Everfree Forest. Right before she turned east to head towards Appleloosa, she sensed something…odd.

Silence.

Twilight Sparkle lay asleep somewhere below her. This alone would not have been cause for alarm, but…something or someone had blocked her dreams.

Luna descended down, her hooves phasing in and out of the ground beneath her as she trotted closer to the noiseless mind. Suddenly, as she stepped forward and the wavering grass brushed softly against her hoof, she slammed into a wall of nothingness and a fierce high-pitched ringing echoed in her ears.

A thick frown crossed her muzzle as she trotted further into the silence, noting the lack of a visible barrier of any form where the magical barrier lay. She stopped, listening to the air around her for the barely audible undulations of magical energy. Reaching out with her magic, she took in a thick whiff of the magical energy, tasting the origin and properties of the spell which wove this barrier.

Why would anypony put up a stealth-barrier spell here? It doesn’t make sense…there’s nothing important in this place-

Suddenly the Princess paused and her eyes widened. Her mind exploding with new realizations, Luna swept up into the night sky, her wings slicing the wind as she flew towards the high and mighty City upon the Mountain of Canterlot.

On her flight over the nation of Equestria, the Princess had failed to notice one of her faithful subjects awaken from his rest. Squinting through the darkness, he looked at the clock and groaned. An incoherent string of words escaped his mouth as he stood up and stretched, taking one look around the room as he walked into the door-frame.

He stopped, his weary eyes shooting open at the sight before him. Not wasting a moment of time, he raced out the door, nearly tripping over himself as he ran out into darkness, not pausing for a second to gaze into the sky or into the shadows that trickled along the ground behind him, murmuring as the trees swayed with a frozen breeze.

The wind nipped at his sides as he flew across the road, but no spear of icy vapor could stop him. After a long run his sprint slowed down to an exhausted gait; finally he lifted his head and looked to the stars as he continued along the empty path, watching the Moon dip down towards the horizon and hide her face behind a building lit black by shadows.

After what seemed like an hour he arrived at his destination. Pounding at the door with frantic desperation, it took an equal eternity for somepony to actually respond. He suddenly perked up as he heard the tell-tale sound of hooves clomping down a stairway, and then trotting closer and closer to him until the door swung open. Staring in he suddenly jerked his head to the side, squinting through the harsh light that flooded out into the empty road. A young filly’s voice called out to him from within the house of rich warmth and blinding light:

“Oh, ha’ Spike. What’re ya doin’ here in the middle of the night?”

Author's Note

Screw the monthly schedule, I love this story! XD I honestly didn't expect to like this as much as i do now when I published the first couple chapters...I guess it's grown on me as I've explored it more. Anywayz, I'll publish the next chapter, "Defy Authority", in probably less than a month.

4. Defy Authority

The day fell in silence as Starlight trotted through the black stone archway into the Council chamber, her hoofsteps echoing on the polished black floor.

Within a dark painted stain on the ceiling above her a silver-blue eye glared down unblinking, guarded by four-pointed stars to its left, top, and bottom. The words “NOCTURNA LOREM” had been carved with fire out of the ceiling above and below, written in shadows. The Council sat beneath the Eye as it always had, hiding behind its walls of black stone, concealing those cruel but necessary decisions that they made behind a mask of shadow, freeing the innocent minds of the Nocturnian populace from all of their worries.

Beneath the Eye, Starlight took her seat beside a gray-blue mare whose wings sat neatly folded against her back. The mare paid Starlight no attention.

“Starlight, Moon Beam, Silver Comet, and Storm Shadow, Guards under the authority and direction of the Nocturna Lorem Council, we have summoned you to this meeting to brief you on your task through the Daylight Hours.” Lord Duskfall’s voice roared through the chamber, vibrating the stone beneath Starlight’s hooves as she tried to stifle a yawn. Duskfall made a habit to rant at his guards before sending them to their posts, despite the routine monotony of their occupations. Perhaps it helped to have something to be annoyed about while trying not to fall asleep…

“As military leader on the Council, I must remind you of the crucial necessity of your occupation. You are our only line of defense between the creatures that lurk in the shadows of daylight—the timberwolves and manticores and the cave-rats, of course, but worse, the Diurn-Equestrians, the Sunloving freaks who dared to cast out our One True Queen! If they should learn of our presence—if they should seek to finish their work started one thousand years ago—then we must be ready. You must remain constantly alert, for if one pony enters and the corruption of the Sunlovers seeps into the Citadel, it will spread like the virus it is and the purity of our society will be compromised.”

Starlight suddenly frowned. Thinking for a moment, she leaned towards Moon Beam and whispered, “Does the Council not know about the two Sunlovers we captured last night?”

Beam gave the slightest shake of his thick square muzzle. “That is Lord Silent’s business. The Council does not have to know.”

The angry monotone of Duskfall’s voice faded to a dull thrum in Starlight’s ears as she tried her best not to stare in disbelief. “Silent does not have authority over the military; that is the domain of the Council! He does not possess the right to secrecy on that level.”

Moon Beam waited for a moment before replying, collecting the thoughts in his head and checking to make sure none of the Council had noticed their conversation. “Do you have any idea how much panic it would cause if the Council knew that we captured two Sunlovers—the first living hostages in over two centuries? They would stage a trial and execution immediately, and try to get rid of them as quickly as they could. Lord Silent is much wiser. He plans to extract as much information as possible before disposing of them.”

Starlight opened her mouth to reply, but suddenly a thought slipped into her head and the fur on the back of her neck prickled: The Council is watching…would it be wise to make a scene right now? She turned back and tried to concentrate on the end of Lord Duskfall’s speech.

“…to uphold the high standard of Purity that our community embodies, free from the corruption of the Sunlovers. With that, I shall assign you all to your posts. Moon Beam—North Entrance. Storm Shadow—Moonlit Tower. Silver Comet—South Entrance. Starlight—Shaded Tower.”

Starlight groaned. Of course, it was not enough that she had to stay up all day for this shift, but now she had to spend all day at the Shaded Tower? That-

Suddenly Moon Beam interrupted the directing Lord of the Council: “Lord Duskfall, I would like to request to switch positions with Starlight.”

“To what end?” asked the high reedy voice of an elderly stallion at the Council podium to Duskfall’s right, sitting with his nose buried in a scroll.

Moon Beam’s eyes narrowed. “I am better suited to guard the Shaded Tower. As Starlight herself will admit, she is far from comfortable guarding that location and would prefer a different post.”

Starlight jumped to her hooves and shot a furious look at Moon Beam, her ash-gray cheeks glowing red with embarrassment. Before she could stop herself, her mouth burst open and she exclaimed “What are you talking about?! I am perfectly capable of guarding the Shaded Tower! I…” She faltered, remembering the eerie glow of moonlight seeping out from beneath the door. It would probably be better to let Beam take the post anyway, even for a stupid reason like that. “…I apologize. I did not think before I spoke…I can confirm what Moon Beam has said, and I support his request.” Her face still hot with embarrassment, Starlight sat down, unconsciously shuffling her wings.

Unperturbed, the light-grey stallion nodded into his papers. “Logically sound despite its triviality. You may switch posts.”

Duskfall cleared his throat in a raspy snarl that made everyone in the room wince. “If we are done discussing these logical trivialities, I motion to dismiss the Guards so that the Council may proceed with further decisions.”

“Upheld,” interjected the motionless stallion right as Duskfall finished speaking.

“Upheld,” echoed the murmuring voice of an earth pony to Duskfall’s left, hidden in the shadow of her outspoken cohorts.

“Then you are dismissed.”

The four ponies swiveled around and trotted out of the room with their thoughts close, to share only out of the hearing range of their ruling Council. The Eye of the Nocturna Lorem watched them trot out of its domain and into the shadows of the caves where it could not see any further.

Exactly two seconds after Moon Beam trotted out of the Council meeting room Starlight ran up to him and whispered fiercely in his ear, “What was that about?!”

A silent voice slithered into his mind. She is too rebellious. It was unwise to trust her with the full extent of my plans. Maybe if you fed her a lie like I told you, she would not cause a problem…

Yes, Lord Silent. I am sorry, Lord Silent. Moon Beam’s own voice echoed in a dull monotone, even within the comfort of his own mind.

Now she will attempt to interfere with our plans. If you can escort her to the Shaded Tower, maybe I could undo your failure…

The indignant mare sat still, waiting for his response with anger glowing in her golden eyes. Beam took a deep breath and said, “Starlight, I need to tell you something—in private.”

She frowned, but followed him into one of the Council side-rooms. Clearing her throat, the mare asked, “So why are we keeping this a secret from the Council? I thought that-”

The mare’s golden eyes flew open in shock as his hoof flew towards her face.

Starlight ducked instinctively, crouching down and shoving her hooves off of the cave wall, using her momentum to slide under Moon Beam while he was still leaning forward. Pushing back against the cold stone floor, she kicked upwards with all of her might right as Moon Beam whirled around with a look of panic etched across his face.

A sickening THUMP echoed across the room as Moon Beam slammed into the wall and rolled onto the floor with one wing hanging limp at his side, struggling to regain his breath. Her heart pumping in her ears, Starlight watched Beam recover as she asked, “Why are you doing this? The Council is the only thing holding our military together!”

She saw Moon Beam grit his teeth as he wheezed, “The Council…will fall…to the Sunlovers…without the Silent Voice…”

“What are you talking about?!” She watched carefully for his imminent counterattack; thoughts whirled around her heard like a nest of angry hornets.

“Lord Silent knows…he has foreseen it…” Moon Beam retched and stood up to his hooves, his dizzy eyes trying to focus on the enemy in front of him.

Starlight took an unconscious step backwards, fear radiating from her shining eyes.

Suddenly Beam leapt forwards again, the dim light glinting off of his armored hooves as they stretched towards her. Starlight immediately sprung into the air, clenching her teeth as she collided with the ceiling and an electric jolt of pain shot through her body. Waiting the second that stretched into an eternity for Moon Beam to look up at her, she kicked off of the ceiling and threw the full force of her body weight into her fall, tensing every muscle in her body for the impact.

One fraction of an instant seared the look of horror in Beam’s eyes onto her vision as she crashed into him, feeling her jaw rattle and the blunt ache of his bony shoulders. Both Nocturnian Guards collapsed to the floor, their limbs splayed against the cold stone.

Starlight stood up on her hooves after a long minute, coughing as she hobbled out of the room.

You should not have done that.

I do not care. I need to find those Sunlovers.

“You sure about this, Spike? Applejack woulda told the family if she was goin’ spelunking in some cave overnight.” The cold wind bit at Apple Bloom’s coat as it swept through the open door.

“Yeah, exactly! Twilight didn’t even tell me when she left—she just left me a note saying that she was going to explore a cave on Sweet Apple Acres and would be back before morning. Since she’s not back…”

“D’ya think something happened to them?” Apple Bloom’s wide eyes shimmered as she stared at Spike, fear spreading through her veins with every throb of her heartbeat.

Spike laid a reassuring claw on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, we can find them. All we have to do is find the cave they were exploring and follow the trail.”

“But…what if something happens to us?”

The dragon placed a finger against his chin, thinking. “Hm…I dunno. Tell you what—I’ll write a letter to the Princess right now, and if anything happens, I can send it so they will know what’s happened. Still, unless something really bad happens, do you think anypony would let us go find them on our own?”

Apple Bloom thought for a moment, imagining Granny Smith’s reaction if she found out what they were planning. “I suppose that makes sense…but still, why can’t anypony else come along, like Rainbow Dash?”

Spike sighed impatiently. “We don’t have time to go around recruiting a bunch of ponies for this—Twilight and Applejack are probably lost, and we need to find them before it’s too late!”

“Alright. I guess we’ll go alone, then…”

“So…do you know where the cave is?”

An unpleasant feeling crawled down her spine, but she took a deep breath and ignored it. C’mon now, you can do this…be a brave pony! “Yeah, I do. Follow me this way; it’s a little ways out on Sweet Apple Acres.” Apple Bloom felt a twinge of guilt in the pit of her stomach as she pushed the door slowly shut behind them. Stepping down onto the cold moist grass, she trotted out into the night, headed straight for the heart of the earth.

Within the grasp of a fear-stained nightmare, Twilight awoke to meet a room consumed by darkness.

Upon an icy throne in the center of the room sat a stallion, seemingly asleep, certainly dreaming. His glossy jet-black coat shone with the pale milky hues of moonlight, and a pure white mane sprouted from his neck, reaching up to wrap around his pointed unicorn horn. Four black stars dotted his flank, within a circle of pulsing indigo light.

Filly of the stars, you do not yet know me. We are one and the same, you and I…opposite reflections in the looking glass. They raised you by sunlight, to learn of the harmonic reality above the earth, and I by moonlight, to learn of the dreamlike surreality below. Your world and mine are twin children grown apart by one thousand years of separation.

And yet these worlds have grown up to become wholly different. Your culture tells of a world built upon the solid foundations of a simple life, and mine tells of a world woven from the fabric of dreams. These worlds should never have met. The blame lies with you alone.

I have known of our two worlds and their separation for many years, and have gently pulled my world of dreams out from beneath the iron hoof of your so-called “reality” as much as my powers allow. Under the presumption of harmony you would bring my world to collide with your own…and yet you cannot synthesize dreams with reality, at least if you expect those dreams to live on.

And that, my dear friend, is why I must kill you.

Sleep well in your final hours of daylight. You are in for a rude awakening…

The familiar body of the bright-purple mare shot up from the cold stone ground, wide awake. Her breaths came quick and shallow as she looked frantically around to find the one who had awoken her. Two violet eyes narrowed as they met their reflection in shining gold.

Starlight fidgeted on her hooves as she waited for the captive to speak.

“Where am I?”

“Prison.” The single word cut like a knife through the silence. Starlight’s eyes watered as she stared into the eyes of the prisoner, trying not to betray any of the feelings of guilt festering within.

“Why am I in prison? I haven’t done anything wrong!”

“Council’s orders,” she replied too quickly. “They gave us orders to bring in any Sunlovers we found, and take them to the Shaded Tower for further questioning. But right now…uh…” Starlight struggled to maintain a stoic appearance. “The Council wants me to transfer you to a different prison.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow, but did not object. She stood up to her hooves, almost bumping her head on the ceiling before trotting out after Starlight. Leading the prisoner out onto the balcony of the Shaded Tower, Starlight was struck by a sudden realization. Is there anywhere to take her? Silent’s agents will find her if she hides any place where the Eye of the Nocturna Lorem can see her.

Starlight frowned staring down at the fortified Citadel beneath her…but suddenly grinned as she looked over her shoulder at a thick obsidian door. Turning around and walking swiftly to the black door, Starlight did not notice as the Sunlover hesitated for a moment.

“Where are we going?”

“Well…we are going to take this staircase down into the heart of the Citadel, and then I will take you to a prison on the lowest level. Try not to attract too much attention—”

An invisible force slammed into Starlight from behind and she fell against the freezing rock, letting out a gasp of surprise as Twilight advanced towards her. The mare’s eyes glowed as bright as the moonset. “Why should I just go along with you and be a prisoner? Can I at least know why I am a prisoner in the first place? Don’t I at least get a trial or something?!”

Starlight’s eyes darted nervously to the empty halls around them, and she coughed once before replying. “Well…um…I kind of lied. Sorry. That room back there was your prison cell, and I am breaking you out, because…” Starlight hesitated. “The reason is very complicated.”

Twilight glared. “I don’t believe you.”

A sigh of defeat escaped Starlight’s lips. “Alright, fine. Lord Silent owns the prison in the Shaded Tower here, and he is operating without the Council’s permission, which he does not have the authority to do. I need to take you to the Council without his knowledge.” An impossible feat, that…you know full well that Silent knows all. Starlight ignored the annoying voice as it prodded at the back of her mind.

The mare’s eyes suddenly widened as she looked at something behind Starlight, hidden in the shadows. “Okay, I believe you…let’s go!” The black door slammed open and Twilight sprinted through, practically flying down the staircase.

Starlight blinked once in disbelief. She turned around, staring down the hall…and immediately raced after Twilight, down, down, down into darkness.

Trotting up to the open door with all of the time in the world, a jet-black stallion closed the door gently behind them. Do not worry…the time of your capture has not yet arrived. A lazy smile crossed his face.

His eyelids rested gently over their milky golden orbs, and his horn shimmered with a translucent skin of pure indigo as he stared through the veils of flesh and stone beneath him. My stars shall not bow to the dawning sun. I will not let them.

After ten minutes of sprinting down the stairs, Twilight’s hooves felt like bricks of lead as she stopped and leaned against the cold stone wall. Starlight, who had taken to flying through the narrow channel of air above the stairs, paused and looked back with a frown across her muzzle.

“Could you hurry? We must reach the main city before Lord Silent realizes…” the mare’s impatient voice faltered as she looked back up at the door and saw that Silent had shut the door behind them.

“Can…can we take a break?” panted Twilight, still leaning against the wall.

“I guess,” said Starlight as she alighted on the stair below. Silence filled the gap between the two mares as they stared at one another, each wondering what the other would say next.

“Do you know where my friend Applejack is?” Twilight asked suddenly. Where could she possibly be? Did Starlight take her to the same prison? If she did, why would she not rescue Applejack too?

The mare shifted uncomfortably on the cold stone ground. “I could not find her in her cell. Lord Silent must have taken her to the Shadow Garden.”

An ice-cold shiver raced down Twilight’s back. “What’s the Shadow Garden?”

For some reason, Starlight took a deep breath and hesitated before responding, as if to steady her nerves. “It is very difficult to understand…” the mare glanced back at Twilight, whose curious expression would not be refused. “But then again, you seem to be a pony very skilled in magic, so you may understand much better than I can. Do you have the ability to read minds, or to enter the dreams of others?”

Twilight blanched. What? “No…only Princess Luna knows tha—”

“Princess Luna?!” The mare’s face lit up and her eyes doubled in size. “Has she returned? How do you know her? Why did you not call her Nightmare Moon?”

Oh dear. Maybe saying that was a bad idea. Twilight chose her words carefully as she responded, “Well...yes, she returned about three months ago. I know her because—”

“Holy mother of Luna! She is back! I need to tell everyone!” With a huge grin across her face, Starlight almost tripped over her own hooves as she turned around to rush down the stairway. The grin turned quickly into a pouting frown as Twilight yanked the mare back up by the tail.

“Wait! She's back, but now is not the time to rush off and tell everyone! We have to find Applejack, and…”

“But…” Starlight raised her hoof to object, but then lowered it and grimaced again. “Fine.”

Twilight rolled her eyes and continued. “As I was trying to say, Luna is the only pony I know that can enter another pony’s dreams. She would never read or invade another pony’s mind, even though she technically is powerful enough to do that. Why did you ask?”

“You are right; she would never read or invade another pony’s mind…unless she happened to be consumed by jealousy and attempting to overthrow Equestria.”

Twilight frowned.

“She was called ‘Nightmare’ by many for a reason…and she was not the only one. Many among her supporters learned the darkest arts of magic from their Queen of the Night before she was banished to the moon, and those supporters taught them to their descendants after they fled to the caves. However, these high-and-mighty magicians did not want anyone but their own children to know the dark arts, so now nopony knows how to use that twisted magic of the mind…except for one stallion that hides in his high tower, a tower that all others fear to enter.”

“Lord Silent?” whispered Twilight.

Yes.

Starlight nodded in confirmation. “He spent the entirety of his life learning how to manipulate the minds of others with his magic, and though nopony knows the full extent of his powers, I know for sure that he can read and speak to the conscious mind of anypony within his sphere of magical control, as well as craft nightmares.”

“How do you know?” asked Twilight, still processing the disturbing implications of the mare’s story. Why so disturbed? If Silent could read anypony’s mind this whole time, then it is already too late…

“Let’s just say that I used to be a lot less obedient before my first visit to the Shadow Garden.”

Twilight gave the statement a reverent pause before continuing. “So…what happened to you in the Shadow Garden?”

“I do not remember much of it, though this is due not to Silent’s tampering but to the fact that I was only a filly at the time—I do not think Lord Silent yet has the power to access the memories of his victims. Still…I can remember a room with dancing shadows, and staring at the beautiful shadows for hours on end, utterly mesmerized. When I slept, Silent tortured me with nightmares until I finally agreed to his terms.”

“What were his terms?”

“Not to share what I had learned about him when I grew too curious about his Tower, and not to question or defy him again.” Starlight has broken both terms just now… “The Shadow Garden is a realm where Lord Silent has more control over your mind than you do yourself. His power is limited by proximity, so if he is that close to you…” she gave an involuntary shudder.

Twilight decided not to press the matter further, so she switched back to her original topic: “Could we rescue Applejack from the Shadow Garden?”

“No.” The response came immediately. “Doing so will only surrender your mind to Lord Silent’s control.” Starlight suddenly looked back up the hallway. “We must continue into the city now…we have wasted too much time already.”

Her mind whirling with new thoughts, not all of them hers, Twilight followed the ashen-gray mare down through darkness into the heart of the Nocturnian Citadel.

Author's Note

Sorry about posting it later than I implied in the Author's Note last chapter...I ended up making this one a lot longer than usual. The next chapter, "Order", will also be pretty long, so I'll try and stick to the monthly schedule again.

5. Over our Heads

Placing a hoof onto the shining chrome ground at the end of the stairway, her eyes darting to every corner of the vast cavern that yawned open before her, barely noticing Starlight’s shoulders unconsciously loosen and relax, Twilight stepped into the Heart of the Nocturnian Citadel.

Thousands of diamonds glimmered on the ceiling, a beautiful portrait of the clear night sky set afire with light. Glowing spires of translucent crystal towered above the Heart and pierced the cool air, shimmering with warm colors. Each pillar held afloat the curtain of sweet serenity that rested over the Heart after the day had fallen and its inhabitants had given in to sleep’s warm embrace. Along both sides of the road a line of stone buildings stood half asleep, letting trails of glowing moss climb up their walls in carefully-arranged artistic patterns. A deep-indigo curtain hung over every window in the sea of silent buildings, murmuring in the soft breeze that swept through from sources unknown. Twin paths of shining silver guided Twilight’s eyes to the spire at the end of the road, which pulsed with celestial light in the soothing rhythm of a heartbeat.

Tearing her attention away from the shimmering waves of rainbow light, Twilight craned her neck back to look at Starlight…and a grin crossed her face.

The ashen-gray mare’s grimace had shattered into a thousand pieces, revealing a smile that glowed bright as pure moonlight. All of her focus zeroed in on the sky above, its speckled starlight reflected in her wide golden eyes. Her jaw hung open in a huge open smile, breathing the pure cool air which flowed through the Heart of the Citadel.

Through the calm silence a melody reached Twilight’s ears, flowing and soft. From an instrument unlike any she had heard before, its sound that of a thousand tiny bells woven together into the ringing of the stars, the melody poured out into the streets and washed the city in honey-sweet music. A voice soon joined it.

Tell me as you watch the stars…

Starlight trotted forward in a daze, following the irresistible melody. With the serene cityscape before her, Twilight gladly followed.

Why would you stray from your heart?

Hoofsteps echoed softly against the silver lines as Twilight and Starlight rounded the street corner.

Sweetness fills the air tonight…

The shining silver gave way to a plaza of pure-white marble up ahead of them. A pleasant tingling feeling swelled within Twilight, and she closed her eyes for a fleeting second to take in the sweet air.

As our world is filled with light!

Two hooves stepped onto the pure-white ground, softly, carefully, not daring to break the spell of the music. In the center of the plaza, beneath a pure-golden statue of Princess Luna, sat the strangest assortment of bells and tubes that Twilight had ever seen, all spiraling around a central wheeled body that condensed into a set of washed-white keys.

A bushy emerald mane flowed down the neck of the stallion sitting beneath the center of this instrument, hanging loosely over his pale-golden fur. A pair of thick hooves danced on the stage of the keys as his voice crescendoed into the chorus of the song.

Come now my dear friend, and I will show you how they glimmer.

Stick by my side, as Time passes this pure night by.

All eyes come and see, and I will show you how they glimmer.

Join our family as we soar out into the night sky.

Drowning in the beauty of the sweet song of the stars, Twilight could not help but ignore the sound of hooves clapping against marble closer and closer behind her.

“Wow! Check out how huge this cave is!” shouted Spike, his voice infected with glee as he waltzed further and further into the darkness.

“Hey, wait up!” laughed Apple Bloom as she scrambled over the rocks behind him, nearly tripping over a boulder hiding in the corner. Suddenly she stopped and trotted back, her brows furrowing as she squinted into the darkness. “Spike, get over here! I think I found something!”

“What?” he asked, turning around, oblivious to the yawning blackness in front of his feet.

“I found a hole in the wall, and I can hear a river runnin’ on the other side! And…” her voice faltered as she bent down to pick up a notebook lying on the cold stone beneath her hooves. “I think Twilight and Applejack went this way!”

Spike sprinted towards her and snatched the notebook from the ground, then groaned. “Of course…”

“What?” Apple Bloom asked.

“Twilight came here to study the cave in the middle of the night with Applejack…but then why would she not come back?” he murmured, unconsciously glancing through the hole towards the river. “I think they went this way-” Without hesitating, Apple Bloom leapt through the hole and Spike heard a scream and a loud SPLASH!

Spike raced to the hole, biting his lips as his widening eyes darted around looking through the darkness. “Where are you?!”

“Ah! Cold, cold, cold!” came the reply, and Spike let out a sigh of relief as he climbed after her, traipsing across the stone towards his friend as they journeyed deeper and deeper towards the heart of the earth and the soul of the dream.

“Hi! I’ve never seen you ponies before. What are you doing up in the middle of the day?”

Starlight and Twilight whirled around at the same time, their relaxed faces injected with sudden fear. “W-Who are you? What are you doing here?”

The colt shrugged his shoulders as he trotted over and sat down next to them. “Dunno. I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I’d take a walk out here and listen to the music.” He gave the two mares a smile, which they returned warily.

“Do you live here?” asked Twilight after a few moments of awkward silence.

“Eeyup! I’ve been livin’ the life here in the Heart ever since I was a little-bitty foal. Do you not live here?”

“…no.” they answered simultaneously.

He frowned for the first time. “Why?”

Starlight poked the ground with her hoof. “I work in the Guard for the Council of the Nocturna Lorem, protecting the Citadel, so I’m not allowed to enter the Heart.”

“The who what?” he asked, his head cocked to the side.

Starlight took a deep breath. “The Nocturna Lorem is the council in charge of the guardsponies like me who protect the Citadel from monsters and whatever other dangers are hiding in the darkness of the caves. My job means that I must live in the outer layer of the Citadel, so I will be close by if danger arises.”

“Oh, that’s silly. I think everypony should be able to live in the Heart, don’t you?”

“I guess,” she responded, still unsure.

“And howabout you?” he said, turning to Twilight and grinning again.

“Um…” her eyes darted around, and the colt’s smile wavered for a moment as he tried to figure out what the deal was with these two mares. “Well, I’m from…somewhere else,” she finished lamely.

He gave a huge gasp and his eyes widened in shock. “Whaaaaaaat? I don’t know anypony who lives anywhere else. Where do you live? What’s it like there? Do you live in a different mountain? How close is your home to the Citadel? Are you moving in here? If you’re moving in here, can we be friends?” his face beamed as he launched out a nonstop stream of questions.

“Wow, slow down! First of all, I’m not moving in here, I think,” Twilight responded, choosing her words carefully.

“Aw…” he said with a pouting expression. “Can we be friends anyway?” he asked, his huge grin immediately returning. Starlight grinned and tried not to laugh at the conversation.

“Uh…sure. What’s-”

“Awesome!” he said. “I haven’t many anypony new in a really really really long time. Wait, where are you from again?”

A long moment passed in silence, but the colt did not seem to mind.

“Well…” Twilight began, “I’m from somewhere above the ground.”

The colt’s jaw practically hit the floor. “Oh my gosh, that is so cool! How do you survive out there with all the monsters?”

“What?!” Twilight exclaimed. Starlight shifted uncomfortably on the marble, her eyes glancing back and forth between Twilight and the enthusiastic colt.

“Y’know, the scary monsters! I heard there are a bunch of scary monsters above the ground, and that’s why we all have to live down here. I certainly don’t mind it, though. The Heart is my favoritest place ever.”

“There aren’t really any monsters out there—well, not anymore. There were monsters across the land several centuries ago, but that was before…” Twilight’s voice faltered as she saw Starlight shaking her head frantically back and forth. “Um, well, all the monsters live in one forest now, and we know that it’s unsafe, but they leave us alone.”

“Cool! I wonder why all of us are still living in the Heart, then?” He lifted a hoof to his chin and frowned in mock contemplation, then shrugged and the grin returned. “Ah well. I wouldn’t want to leave the Heart even if I could. This is the bestest place ever!”

Starlight yawned, stretching her hooves and wings. “Hey, kid, do you have a place we could sleep? We have been up all night running all around the Citadel…”

“Wait, where all have you been? I’ve never been outside the Heart before and I really have no clue what else there is to see in the Citadel. Could you guys show me-” He suddenly noticed that they were still watching him impatiently. “Oh, yeah, sorry. I live just a couple blocks down that way,” he said, jabbing his hoof down the street.

The two mares started to trot down the street he indicated, looking back with surprise as he did not follow.

“Um…do you mind if I stay here and listen to the music? Don’t tell my parents, but I kinda want to stay up just a little bit later…my bedtime was a while ago,” he said, looking down at his hooves and blushing with embarrassment.

Twilight took a breath, but Starlight cut in, “Sure thing. However, we do not know which house is yours, and…will your parents be alright with us staying at your house?”

The colt shrugged. “I dunno. Probably. My house is at 77 Shine Road. See ya ‘round!” he cried, waving his hoof frantically through the air and grinning like a maniac.

Starlight grinned in spite of herself. “See you around.”

Two star-speckled hooves emerged from a tiny hole in the face of the mountain, reaching out from the thick blackness that clung to his coat as he stepped out from the darkness into the dying rays of the sun. He lifted a hoof to cover his face as he pulled the rest of his body out from the stone-frozen world far beneath him, wincing in the brilliant crimson fire that flooded the sky and washed over his black silhouette. He squinted into the sunlight, watching tiny wisps of cloud float across the painted sky.

Silent Voice smiled, and then closed his eyes to check on his dream one more time before continuing. The first Sunlover rested alone in the Garden, her eyes misted over and her whole body completely still as she gazed down at the shadows that danced beneath her. The second Sunlover trotted down a street inside the Heart of the Citadel with the rebel, a wide smile across her face, enjoying the peace that flowed from the shining crystals of the night around her. Both of them now know what eternal peace feels like. I hope they enjoy it…

He climbed up over the freezing rocks, struggling a little over the looming boulders piled haphazardly on top of one another. The stallion nearly slipped on a patch of glimmering snow, one of the many that lay like a pure-white blanket over the slumbering mountain. Time flowed by under his sore hooves as he climbed onwards and upwards over a weary path, making his way to the peak of the mountain.

Finally collapsing against a smooth rock, he took a moment to rest. Several minutes passed as he took a few deep breaths, allowing the fresh air to calm his nerves as it flowed past his nostrils. The Nocturne craned his head to stare into the dying sun, squinting in its blinding glory and frowning, trying as always to understand it.

But why must you light the earth ablaze and bring its mysteries to light? he asked, speaking aloud for the first time in three weeks…though he had lost the ability to discern if his words were said or thought. Why do you force them to fight for their existence if you do not give them a dream to fight for?

The sun did not answer. She never did…but her sister was there to offer a response: “Perhaps there is a dream, a dream that my little ponies hold too close to their hearts to show and do not force into the limelight.”

Silent whirled around and his eyes sprung open in shock to look upon the Princess of the Night in all her glory, standing right behind him, her ethereal mane flowing softly in a nonexistent breeze; her beautiful face stared at him without smiling.

Are you a projection of my imagination? he asked, captivated by wonder.

“No. I returned from the Moon two months ago.”

I apologize, but this feels so…surreal.

“Are you surprised? I thought you knew, since you have been hiding from me even since I returned,” she said, a thread of anger woven into her voice.

I heard…but I thought you were simply another figment of my imagination, like all of the other ideas I birthed down there. I happily believed in you as another lie.

Anger morphed to confusion. “Down where?”

The stallion gestured numbly to the cave he had exited several minutes ago, and Luna’s eyes widened in sudden realization. “That colony is still there? My Children of the Night still live? I thought after one thousand years-”

Do not worry, Princess…I have taken good care of your dream. He smiled at her fondly.

“I do not doubt it. But have you learned from my mistakes, the same way I did?”

Your what?

“My mistakes. Have you learned from them?”

I…have not, because you have never made any. Your dream is fully realized, Luna, and if you come with me you can live forever as Queen of the kingdom you always wanted. Will you forsake that now?

The Princess hesitated, shifting her weight uncomfortably on the ashen-stone. She glanced to the setting sun, watching as it fell to make way for the night, and glanced to the first stars as they peeked through the blackening curtain. A cold breeze whistled past the dream and the dreamer as each waited for the other to speak.

Princess. I can show you our home. I can give you everything you wanted. He reached out a hoof to her, an offering of peaceful regression.

“I…cannot.”

Silent blinked once, slowly, and looked away. You have betrayed everything you once fought for, so-called Princess of the Night.

“Why was I fighting?”

The voice was silent, for it had no answer.

“Go back to your dream, Silent Voice, and bother me no longer. I will awaken the ponies you have subjected to my dead anger very soon.”

You will regret this, Princess, the stallion muttered as he trotted away from her and back to the darkness of the caves.

“I already have,” she whispered.

Author's Note

Here ya go! This isn't as long as I thought it would be. Sorry about that. Still, I feel like the significance of the scenes makes up for that, hopefully. Also, I decided to change the name at the last minute...i was originally going to put in the next 'big' scene(s) in this chapter, but then I realized I was kinda rushing the whole thing so I decided to save those for next chapter.

As for when the next chapter will be posted, it'll probably be next month, but that depends on whether or not I get enough time to write the next chapter by the day of the Season 4 Premiere! :3

Anyway. What do y'all think of this one?

6. When Justice Falls

When justice falls upon the earth,

I smile as they all run from her.

Their screams shall fill the air with noise

When justice falls to earth.

The stallion smiled as he gazed down through closed eyes at the world beneath him, watching from a comfortable seat in his room at the core of the Shaded Tower. He took a sip of tea as he flipped through a stack of withered scrolls, documents recovered from the first followers of the Night Mare many centuries ago.

I wonder how they would feel to know that their leader betrayed them? he mused, idly twirling a spoon in his teacup as he watched the marching soldiers far below him.

As the sun set far above the Heart of the Citadel, Twilight laid down on the couch, snuggling up with a pillow and listening to the faint murmur of the sweet music that flowed through the door outside. Starlight was already asleep, sprawled out on the couch opposite.

The melody lulled Twilight nearly into the welcoming arms of slumber...until another sound broke through the curtains.

Harsh and noisy hoofsteps clapped against the smooth road, muffled by distance yet echoing through the serene atmosphere. The all-consuming peace shuddered and retreated before them.

Twilight’s eyes shot wide open and she flopped off of the couch, leaping to her hooves and stumbling to the window. She yanked aside the curtains and the dim light rushed in. Her eyes widened as she stared out into the night, immobilized by fear.

“Wha…?” mumbled the other mare, yawning as she gazed at Twilight through bleary golden eyes. “Whatis goin on?”

Twilight immediately snapped out of her trance and slammed the curtains closed, practically sprinting to Starlight’s side. Taking a deep breath, she forced a surge of energy into her horn and violet light flooded the interior of the house. Starlight shrieked, covering her eyes and rapidly backpedaling from the brilliant light. With a burst of powerful magic...

…nothing happened. Echoes of hoofsteps now clearly revealed themselves, audible above the peace.

“What in the world was that?” yelled Starlight, standing once again to her hooves. Her eyes were locked firmly shut as white blobs danced before her vision.

“I...my teleportation spell isn’t working and I don’t know why! We’re locked in!” Twilight gulped, running back to the window. Her pupils dilated as she glanced back through the curtains one more time. “Oh no, oh no no no no no…”

“Why, what is it?” asked Starlight, her voice fringed with annoyance.

Twilight took a breath to respond, but before she could, the door to the house slammed open, smacking her across the face and sending her flying across the room. Her body collided with the wall in a sharp blast of noise that rung through the room. The stomping noise of hoofsteps came to a halt as seven guards marched into the house, and the last thing Twilight saw before blacking out was an armored stallion looking down on her with palpable fury.

“STAND RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE!” roared Moon Beam, his eyes emanating pure hatred as he glared down at Twilight’s unconscious body. “A Sunlover in our midst…inconceivable! And harbored by a member of the Guard, no less! This corruption shall not pass unpunished. STARLIGHT!” he barked, whirling to face the mare.

Still recovering from the earlier flash of light, she glared at the speaker and asked with a flat voice “Yes, sir?”

“WHY ARE YOU HARBORING SUNLOVERS IN THE HEART OF THE CITADEL?!” His voice thundered across the room but Starlight stood her ground.

“It was not I who let this Sunlover into the Citadel, Moon Beam. You know this,” she responded, refusing to blink as she stared up into his furious eyes.

Moon Beam paused, refusing to look away from the fiery golden eyes of his friend. “I do not know what you are talking about.”

“Shall I inform these other members of the Guard what has gone on while their backs were turned, then?” she shifted her gaze to the other guards, matching their steady glares. “Lord Silent has deceived you and all of the Council by harboring this Sunlover—and one more—in secret. The other is currently trapped in the Shadow Garden, and is no doubt conversing with Silent as we speak. I am not the source of the corruption, for-”

“LIES AND BLASPHEMY!” shouted Beam, also turning to face the guards. “This traitor has said far too much. Take her to the cell with the Sunlover, so that she can face justice at the hooves of the Nocturna Lorem.”

Starlight backed up as the seven advanced towards her, taking several deep breaths to steady her nerves and preparing for a final act of defiance. A bead of sweat rolled down her face as she watched them close in around her…and in the corner of her vision, she noticed Beam subtly avert his eyes.

Luna’s hoofsteps echoed through the silence as she stepped into the cavern, her wide eyes absorbing the motionless cavern surrounding her as she walked into the Garden of Shadows, trotting further and further into Silent’s web.

She stopped dead as she saw Applejack’s body lying still on the ground, with shadows dancing across the form. Luna rushed to the mare’s side, placing a hoof under her neck to feel for a pulse beneath the cold fur.

Nothing.

“What have you done to her?!” she shouted out, shattering the thickly-woven silence.

Dear, sweet Princess, do not fret over this simple mare. She could never understand our dream.

“I told you that I gave up that dream.”

I was not speaking to you.

Luna whirled around and her heart skipped a beat. She took in a shocked gasp of freezing air. A chill raced down her spine. She took one step back, and set her horn afire with indigo energy.

A pure-black coat shrouded its skin and every feature of its face, save the heavy makeup beneath its eyelids. A helmet cold as ice and gleaming with the light of a full moon hung over its face. It wore a chestpiece of the same deathly-blue battle steel, forged from death, marred with the symbol of the crescent moon.

The Nightmare opened its mouth, but no sound emerged…only silence.

Surprised to see me?

Without hesitation Luna let forth an explosion of blinding magical energy, nearly recoiling from the shock waves as it travelled through the empty air and incinerated everything in its path. She stared into the cloud of dust, not daring to blink as the dark fog cleared.

The Nightmare had not died. Instead, it split into three.

The swirling shadows halted in their mesmerizing patterns and all converged on one location behind the three, rising from the ground to form the body of the very same jet-black stallion that she had confronted not one hour ago. He walked leisurely towards her, through the three dark motionless forms and stopped midway between the Night Mares.

Dear, sweet Princess…I am so sorry for everything you have gone through. The light of day has blinded you to the passion you once held dearly. I now see that the real Princess Luna has died…but there is still one Nocturn within you. Not all hope is lost. You can be purified.

Luna glared straight through Silent’s eyes as he stepped backwards, not even glancing over his shoulder as the three figures one by one advanced past their master and marched straight for her. Shoving aside the empty air with her powerful wings, Luna rose up into the middle of the cavern, pushing energy into her horn which glowed with a powerful aura.

She fired down a bolt of lightning towards the first as it rose up towards her. The mare promptly rolled to the side to dodge it, responding with a mist of shadows that hissed as it spread through the air. Hastily Luna spun a cocoon of magic around her body, watching with fear pounding in her heart as the mist ate away at her shield. She flinched as one shadow broke through, sailing past her face, and took a deep breath before blasting the remaining mist away with a wave of pure force. Caught off guard by the force, the first shadow of her former self exploded into fragments of nothingness.

Silent remained motionless on the floor of the cavern, watching.

Anger rushed through Luna’s veins as she turned to the other two, who had risen to her level in the stale air of the cavern, watching her with unchanging expressions of raw hatred. Suddenly though…they paused, and in the corner of her eye Luna noticed Silent walking towards her.

Several of my little ponies, the little Nocturnes that live in my dream, wonder how I have attained such powerful magical abilities. They never say it to my face, of course, but I hear it nonetheless…

All of a sudden Luna heard a faint rumbling sound and whirled back to face the two mares, who had conjured a black cloud that sparked with electric fury. A beam of light flashed through the cavern and Luna careened towards the ground, feeling the numb sensation of a painless crash as she smashed headfirst into the unforgiving stone.

They all wish to know how I obtained such powers as these. And the answer, quite simply, lies directly in the corner of their minds, derived from the most powerful corrosive force within us all: Doubt.

I embody that Doubt, that darkest of evils within, and I take all of its power to enforce a system they will gladly follow. None of the purified souls within my Heart possess any Doubt, for I stole their worst fears…and they live proudly and happily within my eternal dream. In every way worth believing, I accomplished what you never could.

Luna rose unsteadily to her hooves, blinking rapidly to clear the hazy forms in her vision. She glanced to the side, and blanched as she noticed the suspicious lack of damage on her wing.

Master of dreams, I have transcended you.

The Princess’s shoulders suddenly fell at her sides, and hot shame washed over her body. Muttering aloud, she said, “Of course. I should have known…”

…that this was a dream? Of course you should have! I speak of dreams in both senses, for you must forsake reality to achieve any ideal worth fighting for.

Luna walked over to Silent’s form, waiting until she stood right in front of his still body to speak. Staring down into his eyes, looking for any traces of life, she then spoke directly into his face: “Liar.”

The dream faded into nothingness.

Princess Luna awoke to find herself in a cramped room, and her vision cleared to view a black crescent in the center of a pure-white door. She looked to her side and frowned, noticing the silhouette of another pony in the dust. “Applejack…?”

Too late, dear Princess. Yet again you find yourself in the unsolvable riddle of my dream…for it is MY dream now, betrayer.

Not bothering to reply, Luna leapt to her hooves and kicked the door open, flying out in a rush of cold wind.

The mare’s piercing screams still rang in Moon Beam’s ears as he soared alone through the darkness. Deafening silence pressing in on him from all sides. He kept his eyes firmly locked on the cave ceiling ahead, blinking rapidly to drive back the tears.

Dear Moon Beam, do not cry. You did what you had to for the soul behind your tears to survive…spoke a soothing voice, silent as the emptiness of the caves.

“No!” he shouted back at the inaudible voice, startling even himself. “I…I did not have to let them take her. I could have convinced her to leave the Sunlover behind. I could have brought her to see reason. I-”

Reason? I hope you do not seriously believe that reason is your ally.

“It is the ally of the Nocturna Lorem.”

Perhaps that is what allowed the Sunlover to slip through Duskfall’s hooves.

“No,” he repeated, his voice shaking. “That was your fault and yours alone.”

…says the pony who carried them to the Shaded Tower. Though I think it is time you stop arguing and concentrate on the task at hoof…after all, who knows what you may encounter here on the banks of the river…

Moon Beam’s ears perked up. As if on cue, the faint echoes of two young voices bounced across the face of the stone towards him. His eyebrows descended over the golden orbs, resolute in the necessity of his task.

“Spike? I think I hear something…” spoke the echoes of a high-pitched voice, the voice of a filly. Only a filly. A twinge of discomfort pinched Beam’s mind.

“What?” A second voice, slightly deeper and scratchier, again the voice of a child.

“I think I hear somethin’…”

Beam gritted his teeth as he pumped his wings faster, straining his muscles to reach them and finish the job as soon as possible. Squinting, he noticed two shapes within the darkness and descended to the ground in front of them, taking a deep breath and readying his commanding voice.

“STEP NO FURTHER.” A wave of relief washed over Beam as he heard the stern mask of his own voice.

The two forms recoiled as Beam gave each of them a once-over. On the left stood a filly with an adorable red bow in her mane—Focus, you fool—and a sun-bleached yellow coat, shivering from the cold. On the right stood a tiny dragon with a scroll clenched in his fist. Beam’s eyebrows furrowed, but nonetheless he advanced towards them.

“W-Who are you?” the dragon asked, his voice drowned by overtones of fear.

“You are trespassing on the territory of the Nocturnian Kingdom, Sunlovers. I...” his voice faltered, and the mask slipped as he continued with a quickened voice. “I will give you the chance to turn back now, and I shall forget that you ever came here.” Are you serious? That will never work…

The filly glared up at him with surprising resolve. “There is no way, no how that we are leaving before we find my sister.”

I told you so.

“If that is the case, I must c-capture you both and take you to the Citadel to be tried by the Nocturna Lorem.” A snake of nervousness crawled up his back. He had never stuttered before, not even when directly addressing the Council.

Both of their eyes widened with the terror of innocent children. Beam’s narrowed with the determination of a soldier. A moment of silence passed.

Suddenly the dragon took a deep breath and stepped forward, advancing, each stride slow yet resolute.

“STOP!”

Spike raised his head and stared into the stallion’s eyes, all fear lost in the shadows. “No. I won’t let you hurt any of my friends. Take me to them, now.”

Defiance. It must be-

“-rewarded,” whispered Beam at the empty silence. “Their ideals are stronger even than yours, in will and in purity.” Raising his head to the children, he sighed in defeat, letting the tension in his muscles fade into the cold stone beneath him. “Fine. I shall take you to your friends and assist you…on one condition.”

“What?”

“Before we rescue them, we must venture together to defeat their captor.” Moon Beam internally winced, but for the first time that evening, the silence gave way to serenity.

Author's Note

I decided to split this chapter into two at the last minute, so hopefully that didn't make things any less epic. ANYWAY! I will probably finish and release the next chapter, "Ethical Choices", around New Year's.

7: Ethical Choices

The black sun ascends now over the horizon, Duskfall. The corrupting influence of the Sunlovers has finally bled into your domain. All of your security, all of your protection…it amounts to nothing. The purity of your community has been compromised by the irreverent fire-stained faces of the Sunlovers. They must be eliminated if the Nocturnian dream is to survive.

“ORDER.” Lord Duskfall’s voice blasted across the room like a cannon shot, echoing off of the walls. “This court shall come…to order.” The prisoners—THE SUNLOVERS—fidgeted on their cold stone seats and withered under his burning glare, which did not stray from their sun-bleached coats.

A pathetic, whining voice slipped out of the lips of one Sunlover. “Do…do we have any defense-?”

“SHUT UP.” Streams of fire pulsed through Duskfall’s veins as he looked down upon the atrocity below him. Terror glimmered openly in its wide eyes as he stared right through its hollow skin and into its soulless core. This beast is only one limb of the collective Sunloving hive-mind that purged its society of passion…this creature defies life itself in favor of the soulless shell of physical reality.

A shudder passed over him as he took a deep breath and shut his eyes, letting the inferno flow freely through his body and mind, harnessing his anger. He opened his eyes and glared once again at the Sunlover that dared to address him directly.

“Listen to me, you common Sun-beast,” snarled Duskfall, “you shall speak only when I tell you to. You shall not object unless a Pure Nocturn objects on your behalf.”

The violet-stained mare slowly nodded, eyes still shimmering with disgusting fear that radiated from every inch of her body.

A gray stallion sitting next to Duskfall leaned forward and raised an eyebrow questioningly. With a sigh, Duskfall conceded the floor and motioned for the stallion to speak.

Clearing his throat, the stallion launched into a memorized speech: “Allow me to explain the process of determination of your fate as per the regulations of the Nocturnian justice system. The Council of the Nocturna Lorem shall provide the case For your condemnation, as a violation of the core Nocturnian Ideals: Faith, Hope, and Purity. You are allowed to provide the case Against your condemnation based on these three Ideals when given a direct order to do so, but any Pure Nocturn who decides to provide a case for defense may do so at any time. In order for one side to determine your fate, they must provide an irrefutable argument for at least two of the three Ideals.”

Duskfall growled impatiently, watching the indifferent face of the stallion next to him and giving a sigh of relief once he finished. “Thank you, Lord Paradox. Can we begin the proceedings?”

“Yes. This trial is now in session.”

The Princess’s heart pounded mercilessly against her ears as she raced down another corridor. Her hooves clattered endlessly against the cold rock. Rays of blue light spilled from her horn onto the ground, stretching across the floor and setting the stone alight.

Suddenly she spotted a clearing in the midst of the unvarying darkness. A small cloud of dust rose from her hooves as she skidded to a stop in the middle of a clearing. She panted for breath once, twice, her eyes darting across the stone face of the wall in front of her, peering into the darkness in each hallway as the path split in twain in front of her and faded beyond the reach of her magical light.

Two doors stood in front of her, built from black and white, stamped with crescents of inverted colors. She unconsciously took a step backward, her shoulders slumping in humiliation.

Oh Princess, are you lost?

The air in front of her parted into shadows. From between them stepped the shimmering form of Lord Silent, grinning in the fiery blue glow of Luna’s horn. The Princess instantly loosed a bolt of fire which spiraled through the air towards her foe. It phased through him and then rebounded against the wall with an unearthly hiss. Luna’s eyes widened as she reflexively swirled her horn, and the light dissipated right before hitting her face.

And now you must choose, former Princess of the Night, to whom you shall give the gift of continued life. The door on your left leads to nightmares and the right to dreams. Your choice.

“I’ve had enough of your games, Silent. Tell me where you are hiding or I will blast apart both doors and come find you myself.”

THERE is your anger! Why have you hidden it away?!

Luna summoned a blinding light to the tip of her horn. Its aura flooded the corridor. Her eyes narrowed.

Now, do be careful, Princess…you would not want to cause the entire cave to collapse. Unless, of course, you desire to see Twilight Sparkle and Applejack crushed beneath the weight of your poor decisions.

A bead of sweat rolled down the Princess’s face, and then faded to a wisp of steam in the blaze of her anger and fear. “Where are they?”

As I stated, one door leads to me and the other to the courtroom where your friends are being tried for execution. The door on your right leads to the nightmare of reality and the left to the utopia of dreams. Can you tell the difference?

Luna’s face paled.

Good. You have realized that here, in my world, there is no difference. The nightmare is no more...

The stallion stepped backwards between two shadows and faded. His ghost of a smile remained for a split second after his body had faded into the air. Both doors vanished behind his absent form, and one door twice as large appeared in their place.

Luna’s eyebrows furrowed. “Illusions…” she murmured to no one in particular.

Finally, you realize the dishonest truth.

She took a deep breath and poured magic into her horn, then squeezed her eyes shut. All of the light from her horn swirled down through her horn and into her eyes. A small cry escaped her lips, but she grimaced and bore the rest of the stinging energy as it flooded her vision.

Her eyes glowed pure white as she opened them, and she blinked once before gazing across the wall now fully revealed. Three doors stood in front of her, one on her left, white with a black crescent, one on her right, black with a white crescent, and one wholly gray in between them. Luna peered past the veils of stone. The left corridor fell down into shimmering light, the center door led to a dead end almost immediately, and the right fell down with the left…but into darkness instead.

All time waited as the Princess stood alone, hesitating for an hour or a fraction of a second as her mind whirred with new thoughts. A cold breeze wafted through the corridor, gently brushing her shoulder.

Breaking the dead silence, Luna charged forward and kicked open the door on the right, jumping down the stairs and soaring through the freezing air as she fell through the levels of the Nocturnian Citadel, past the Heart and into the darkness that festered underneath.

Fool.

“Here is the plan. I will take you to Lord Silent’s lair, but then I must leave to free a friend of mine from the prison block who will help our cause. Distract Lord Silent as long as you can to prevent him from discovering my plan, and I will arrive shortly with my friend to assist. If we cannot defeat him together…” Beam’s voice faltered as he looked down into both pairs of shining eyes.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got a couple tricks up my sleeve,” said Spike, his voice a mask of confidence.

Beam nodded warily. “Alright. But I must warn you that Lord Silent has powers beyond comprehension. He will use illusions and deceptive magic to trick you, and if worse comes to worst, he may try to break into your mind. Are you sure that you two are up for this?”

After a moment, they both nodded.

“Lord Duskfall, may I make the first case For condemnation?”

Duskfall whirled to face the speaker, and he gave a sigh of resignation as he noticed the black-coated mare rising from her seat. “Of course.”

Lord Mystique smiled, closing her eyes and waiting for a moment before proceeding. Frame your argument around the concept that any information escaping the Citadel would initiate the end of our society. If you can establish that their survival would become such a catalyst, it forms a perfect case For execution on the basis of Hope.

“Look at me, Sunlovers,” she said, her voice a dark whisper. “If you are not dealt with immediately, and we allow you to escape, you will return to your nation telling tales of a city within the heart of the earth. The Equestrians will follow those tales directly to the Nocturnian Citadel…and once your Princess of Fire discovers us, she will attempt to finish the job that she started one thousand years ago. Your presence has ensured the destruction of our way of life and sealed our fate. Have you any response?”

“I reckon I do! That’s a bunch of—”

“Um, Applejack, I think I’ll handle this one,” said Twilight, cutting off her friend with a warning glance. She took a deep breath, and then turned towards the mare whose silhouette blended as a shadow against the wall. “Okay, first of all, Princess Celestia wouldn’t hold a grudge from a millennium ago. Not only is she a very kind pony, but she is also a ruler who has learned to let go of the past and make amends whenever possible.”

This pony has a close personal connection to the Princess of Fire. Make her admit it. “May I ask how you know this?” the mare asked.

“I’m her student.” As soon as the words passed her lips, Twilight winced. Her mistake reverberated across the walls of the room and through the ears of every single occupant.

Applejack quickly cut the silence: “So y’all better not let anything bad happen to me or my friend, because Princess Celestia wouldn’t be happy if she found out that y’all are responsible for anything bad happening to us.”

That fits perfectly within the framework of this case. Run with it. “Really? All the more reason, then, that we cannot let her discover this underground haven. We have hidden from her sun-blinded eye for one thousand years, so what is the likelihood that she could discover us now if we do not allow you to escape?”

“Well, I know for sure that she won’t rest until my friend and I are safe. She’ll come lookin’ for us.”

Now you are open to strike with a two-pronged offensive. First, expose her lack of knowledge about the Citadel’s protections, thus exposing her naïveté. Second, explain the full extent of my magical protections to intimidate her. “Tell me, Sunlover, how do you think we have hidden for one thousand years?”

“Um…”Applejack swallowed once. “Well, this place is really hard to find, unless you’re looking for it...”

“No, Sunlover. Over a thousand years, somepony would have found this Citadel if only by simple chance. However, a sorcerer within our ranks has cast protective spells over the entire Citadel area, protecting our utopia from any prying eyes. He is a master of illusions and could easily prevent the Princess of Fire from finding us as he has done for the last millennium.”

“Y’all can’t hide forever,” she replied.

Perfect setup for the argument of Hope against Fatalism. She has handed you the case on a silver platter. “So, Sunlover, you have based your defense on a fatalistic viewpoint? I expected as much. Naturally, then, it should be clear that Hope, as the irrefutable enemy of Fatalism, will support the case of the Nocturna Lorem. You have lost the first of three cases.” With a satisfied smile, the mare trotted back to her seat and melted into the black shadows of the cave.

Applejack’s face paled.

Deep within the dark halls of stone, a wisp of green fire vanished into the air, consuming a tiny roll of parchment pinched between two claws. Spike smiled and brushed his claws against each other while Apple Bloom looked on nervously.

“Are ya sure this’ll work?”

“Don’t worry. We’ll be fine.”

In a castle atop a faraway mountain, the Princess of Fire frowned and picked up a tattered scroll with a flick of her horn.

Twilight shifted nervously on the cold stone, watching as the gray stallion rose from his seat.

“I will make the second case For condemnation of these Sunlovers,” rang out a flat monotone.

“Go ahead” said Lord Duskfall through clenched teeth.

Lord Paradox rose from his seat, walking stiffly to the edge of the Council podium. He cleared his throat once, and then looked down at the Sunlovers, waiting for a signal that did not come. The moment passed in silence.

Twilight frowned. She leaned over to Applejack and whispered, as quietly as possible, “What is he waiting for?”

Applejack shrugged.

Suddenly the monotone resumed. “I know for a fact that neither of you Sunlovers believes that the Nocturnian Dream will prevail. You both see no logical reason to put any stock in it whatsoever. You are unwilling to give it a chance.”

Twilight took a deep breath, making sure to take her time before responding. He is trying to set us up as violators of one of the three Ideals…what were they? Hope, Purity, and…what was the last one? Faith. He’s trying to portray us as faithless.

She gave herself another valuable second of silence to fit the pieces together and swallow a lump of nervousness before refuting his argument. “That makes no sense,” she began, relieved to hear the confidence in her own voice. “You’re saying that we didn’t give it a chance. But the thing is…we couldn’t! As soon as we arrived, we were captured. And,” she glared up at her motionless opponent, “once I was able to, I did give your dream a chance! Starlight and I went to the Heart, and I happily stayed there until your soldiers took me away.”

Lord Paradox fidgeted on his seat, still waiting for something that had not yet happened. A bead of sweat rolled down his expressionless face.

Suddenly Twilight’s eyes widened. “He’s waiting for Silent to help him…” she murmured, barely loud enough for Applejack to hear.

“But…your actions have shown that you had no faith in the Nocturnian System to deliver justice. You broke out of prison, against our orders.”

Twilight stood up and trotted forward, her mind whirling with intermixed anxiety and audacity. “Actually, that took a great deal of faith. Faith in myself. Faith in Starlight, who I now trust as a friend. Faith that if I did the right thing, I would be rewarded.” She sucked in a quick breath of air before continuing. “I think that you are the faithless one here. You have no faith that either of us are more than just ‘Sunlovers’. You are unwilling to trust us. We would have gladly contributed to your Dream if you just had a little bit of faith in us from the start. I don’t know what kind of twisted logic led you to the conclusion that we pose a danger to your society, but it’s clear that your paradoxical thinking has led you to the point that you would kill us without even giving us a chance.” She exhaled, suddenly nervous as she watched the stallion’s reaction.

After six excruciating seconds of silence, Lord Paradox sighed. “I concede the point. You have won the second of three cases.”

Twilight’s mind whirled in happy circles. “T-thank you,” she stuttered, and then trotted back to take her seat.

Applejack grinned and patted Twilight on the back. “That was a mighty fine speech ya made there, Twi,” she whispered. “Now we just hafta beat the maddest and ugliest of the bunch: Lord Madder-Than-A-Flaming-Timberwolf Duskfall.”

Lord Silent whirled around, a grin stretched across his jet-black face as he stared at the door to the peak of his tower. Two pairs of wide eyes stared at him, immobilized by magic and fear in equal regard.

Good evening, Spike and Apple Bloom. Both of you have made a tremendous mistake.

A cloud of glimmering indigo shimmered hazily around Lord Silent’s unicorn horn. Light blazed out, washing the room in energy. Silence fell over the room, muffling a whimper.

Yes, young filly, I know who you are. I know all…what was that, Spike?

“I called you a liar.”

Silent waited for several excruciating seconds as he glared straight through Spike’s fiery emerald eyes, which refused to yield. He turned away, gazing into a wall of stone.

Tell me, children…have you ever known sorrow in your lives?

Apple Bloom flinched. “Wha-huh?”

Any painful memories? Any cruel realities, any deadly truths, any wistful dreams?

I had many.

I believed that my friends and I could live here, forever, eternally happy. He turned to look at Apple Bloom out of the corner of his eye. I thought I could give my community—my family—a perfect home, where they could always have a perfect utopia to come back to if any troubles somehow entered their lives, and where no one would die before their time. His gaze shifted to Spike. I thought I could make a world where jealousy, greed, hate, and fear would not fester.

“What the hay are you talking about?!”

The stallion sighed, dropping both children onto the ground. I do not suppose you would be interested in my melodramatic troubles…but then again, spoke the voice as its owner turned around once again to the blank stone wall, such troubles are the reason we stand here tonight. I shall cut to the chase, if you so desire.

Spike’s fist slowly uncurled, leaving his claws dangling in open air.

You now face a choice. I hold the fate of your friends in my hooves, since they are currently facing a trial for execution deep in the bowels of the Citadel. I can save them…if you promise one thing.

Both eyes widened, staring at the Voice with no audible reply.

Promise that you will leave my family in peace.

“No,” Apple Bloom quietly responded. Spike shot her an urgent glare.

Excuse me? Silent whirled around, his horn glowing with brilliant indigo fire. Shadows vanished from the walls, scorched by the light.

“You took my sister and her friend prisoner, and you woulda taken me an’ my friend prisoner as well. I’m sorry, but I won’t let you do that to anypony anymore.” Apple Bloom’s voice quivered as she let the last words pass her lips.

Silence hung over the room as the Lord of the Realm glared down at the two. Fine then. If you refuse to give my friends and I the peace we deserve, then you shall face our wrath.

A cloud of pure blackness expanded out of Silent’s horn, rolling over the room like an all-consuming fog. The two children coughed and gagged at the smoke, red lines crisscrossing their eyes as they stared into the face of the abyss.

Suddenly a spear of brilliant light pierced the black followed by a wave of noise, and Silent gave a strangled cry. The fog dissipated before the blinding sunlight, revealing the pure-white form of the Princess of Fire standing with one hoof on Silent’s throat, bathed in light from the crumbling ceiling, and next to her stood Starlight, with a grin on her face and dusty rubble on her hooves.

“Now that two cases have been heard, it is time to decide the final case for the fate of the Sunlovers: Purity. Lord Duskfall, you may rise and make your case.”

“Thank you, Lord Paradox.” With a malevolent grin the stallion rose to his hooves, stretching for a brief moment before trotting purposefully to the front podium.

Twilight gulped.

“Our society has lived always on the rules of Purity. We have always kept a wary eye for any signs of Impurity and Corruption, such as the monsters that seek to attack us from without—the manticores, and the timber-wolves and any others that dwell within the caves—but also the monsters that seek to attack us from within. Any betrayers among any of the ranks of government, including the recently expelled Starlight of the Nocturna Lorem Guard, are immediately expelled. In order to keep our society free of disharmony, we need a Pure society, otherwise we would be constantly rocked by rebellion and discontent from change.”

Fidgeting on the cold stone, Twilight stared up at the Lord of the Council, her brain furiously recording his argument and simultaneously constructing a rebuttal based around this alien justice system.

Duskfall shoved a hoof down to point accusingly at Twilight and Applejack, one of his eyes twitching and the other glaring with all of the force it could muster. “These two Sunloving beasts are worse than any of those things against which we have fought since the Nocturnian Revolution one thousand years ago, when we first rose against the Sunlovers! They are worse than the manticores, as they have penetrated our safe haven without our knowledge. They are worse than the corrupted ones within our very system—they are the ones who corrupted Starlight into pursuing their evil goals, trying to destroy our utopian society! It is for this reason that they must be condemned. Starlight is only the first of many, assuming we let these two live. They have corrupted the Purity of one of us…how long will it be before they corrupt the Purity of all of us?!” Heaving with passionate fury, Duskfall slowly sat back down at the podium of cold rock, his heavy gaze never leaving the eyes of the Sunlovers.

Noiseless panic clung to Twilight’s skin as she sat still, gaping up at Lord Duskfall while her brain furiously worked together a plan to refute Duskfall’s offensive. Precious seconds ticked away as her mind consistently drew up nothing.

“Well, Sunlovers? Do you have anything to say to defend your pathetic lives?!” snarled Duskfall, leaning over the podium and glaring at them with a tiny smile curling around the side of his face.

“I do.” The two words rang out across the empty space, and every head immediately swiveled to the back of the room to witness an incomprehensible sight. Dozens of jaws dropped and dozens more eyes widened at what lay before them.

A long shadow fell over the crowd, cast from the stalwart figure of Princess Luna as she marched into the room, her translucent mane stretching out behind her resolute face and her horn glowing fiery-blue, casting waves of light over the stone that ebbed and flowed like those of the great ocean. Her hoofsteps shattered the silence of her entrance as she trotted into the Council Room of the Nocturna Lorem.

With the noise of her hooves, the spell broke and everypony in the room snapped out of their momentary trance. Every knee bowed before the rightful Princess of the Night, even among the Lords of the Council. The Eye of the Nocturna Lorem stared down proudly as its true master returned, finally come to topple the throne of Lord Silent.

“P-Princess Luna!” Duskfall stuttered, his tongue tripping over itself as he stood to address the regent. “Have you returned to save us from the Sunlovers and fight back against the Princess of Fire, as in the times of old?”

“What are you doing with my subjects?” she demanded, casually ignoring his question.

“…what?”

She glared straight into Duskfall’s widening eyes. “I said, what are you doing with my subjects?”

“I…I apologize, Princess. I thought that they-”

“They are no threat, I assure you.” With that last statement, the Princess tore her gaze from the Lord of the Council and let it rest on her two little ponies, finally found here in the heart of the earth, safe despite everything they had been through. Her indignant expression faded into a warm smile. She ran to them, galloping across the stone and jumping to take them in a deep embrace, closing her eyes. Applejack and Twilight let out a deep sigh of relief and returned the Princess’s hug.

“I am so sorry that it took me this long to find you both. I thought you were dead!”

The three Lords shifted awkwardly on their seats.

“Don’t worry, my little ponies. It’s all over now. You’re safe.”

Author's Note

I'm very sorry that I took so long in posting this chapter. It might be a little while before I post the final chapter, as well, although hopefully I can finish it within the month.

With that said, how did you guys like this one? :3 I hope it didn't feel too rushed, especially towards the end.