Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapters

Dangerous Roads
Unicorn Magi
Two Royal Sisters
Divided Feelings
The Truth of the Matter
Teachers and Students
Fangs and Scales
Effigy
The Road to Reunification
The Royal Guard
Heroic Strangers
Triumvirate
Unwanted Legacies
The Crystal Grave
The Nature of Ponies
A Rose's Weapons
Alicorn Matters
Canterlot
The Greatest of Us All
Deep Waters
Justifications
A Great Enough Need
Lion Rampant
Unshakable Loyalty
Families and Friends
Beloved
What Must Be Done
A Thorn's Purpose
The Last Blade
The Rift
A Hero of Equestria
A Place for Joy and Kindness
The Throne and its Bearer
Morbid Fascinations
The Herd First
A Blade and a Cinder
A Pair of Foals
Why I Serve
An Easy Feat
Hidden Depths
Mirror to the Sky
To Fight Alicorns
The Lastborn
The Sons of Dominus
Aftermath
The Old Kingdom
Legion-forged
Ascending the Depths
The Six Companions
Destiny
Finishing Blows
The Gambler
The Sending
Sunlit Glory
Dragons and Ponies
A Fated Encounter
One More Fight
For the Legion
The Younger Sibling
Kings, Heroes, and Breakers
Onward

Dangerous Roads

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 3: Dangerous Roads

The march towards Fangbreaker Fortress was the exact opposite of the shameful retreat that the Legion had gone through. Even though the weather was worse, every pony made good time. They dragged their supply wagons, and siege engines with fervor. The thought of bringing the fight to the wolven who had dared to invade their lands warmed them through the frigid journey.

With Fangbreaker just a day away, the latest wave of reinforcements picked up their pace as snow continue to fall all around them. The pilling snow drifts made each step a struggle, but nopony paid too much attention to that, especially the pegasi. Among them, Rainbow not only flew all the way up front, but she flitted about in her impatience. Her back still hurt, and her head still had some bandages, but she was ready for another battle, and another chance to redeem herself. For this march, she purposely distanced herself from her new squad mates. Applejack’s forgiveness felt…reassuring, as if she had reached out and removed an enormous load that had been dragging Rainbow down. It was for that reason that Rainbow needed to keep some distance. It was her fault that Applejack was hurt, and she had to do something to redeem herself. It was so tempting to just accept that forgiveness, and try to get back to some semblance of how they were in the Heartland, but she couldn't let it go that way. She couldn't let Applejack, or any of her friends, do everything. She had to do something truly heroic, something that would show them how awesome it was to be her friend. She couldn't just wait around until one of them was in danger, she had to keep doing things.

She looked past the gently falling snow, and saw the faint silhouette of Fangbreaker Fortress’s walls. Its retaking would be her opportunity. She listened often to her flight mates talking about the place. Every member of Flight Dreadwing spoke of the fortress with a reverence she once thought was only reserved for royalty. The fortress was more than just a bunch of buildings to the Legion. Even Flight Captain Tailwind had some wistfulness in her tone when the conversation shifted to the place. Taking it back was going to be the stuff of legends in the years to come. Playing an important part in the process…well, it would help. A lot.

Before she could go on, something hit her from the side, then carried her away like a great blast of wind. Except that this blast felt solid, and metallic. The landscape turned into a blur of grays and whites. She was soon hovering high above the line of troops, even above the other pegasi. “What in the--” she spluttered.

A hoof covered Rainbow’s mouth before she could say anything else. She focused on what had brought her so swiftly here only to find a familiar pony holding her up. Her forelegs were pinned to her sides by a red-furred leg. ‘Scarlet,’ she thought. The name shifted her thoughts into an entirely different matter, one that she had been talking with Applejack, and Vanguard for the past few days. Scarlet held her with one foreleg without so much as straining while he shoved the other one into her mouth.

“Shhh!” Scarlet searched below him, then focused on Rainbow with a grin. “Not too loud!” he whispered. “The Captain’s going to kill me if he finds out about this!”

Rainbow nodded, and Scarlet took his hoof from her mouth. He didn't let her go, however. Instead, his other foreleg encircled her as well. Rainbow tried to free herself, only to realize that she couldn't break Scarlet’s grip. “What do you want, Scarlet?” she asked. Inside, she was starting to panic. Scarlet had easily separated her from anypony before she could so much as blink. He held her in an iron grip she couldn't escape. While he was grinning casually, the look in his eyes was a little too intense.

“You know, I should be a little mad at you,” Scarlet said. “You got pissed because I raced you with my barding, and weights on, but it turns out you've been holding back on me too. Why haven’t you mentioned your sonic sparkly dash to me before?”

Under the intense, disturbing stare, Rainbow could barely get the words out. “I…uh…well, it just sorta happens.” She swallowed when the grin lessened on Scarlet’s face. “I can’t do it whenever I want to,” she said. “It just happens when it’s really important so I wasn't holding back on you at all.”

Scarlet’s silent, uncomprehending gaze filled the few moments of silence that came after Rainbow’s response. After that, his grin returned. “So you still want to race against me seriously?” he asked. “No barding and weights, just Scarlet Rabbit at his very best, and Rainbow Dash with her sparkly flashy exploding move!”

Rainbow didn't answer right away. A serious race against an unhindered Scarlet…ever since that last race they had, she had been thinking of how such a thing would play out. Scarlet was right, she still had the Sonic Rainboom. If she had managed that during their first race, she could have left Scarlet behind easily. Accepting his invitation, even if she wasn't sure she could pull it off, should be an easy yes.

Except...

“I think it’s wonderful that you’re staying here again, Rainbow,” Rarity said with an approving nod.

Rainbow didn't have much to say to that. After how she had been treating them, she wondered why any of her friends would be glad to share these quarters with her. But Applejack had insisted, and staying here was more convenient than constantly avoiding her. Flight Captain Tailwind telling her to stay with the other Elements of Harmony also helped. “What’s the matter, Rarity?” she asked with a half-forced smirk. “Couldn't stand not having my awesome self around?”

To Rainbow’s surprise, Rarity smiled. “I admit I even missed that ego, but it’s also because I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Huh?” Rainbow eyed Rarity skeptically. She’d been doing plenty of talking with Applejack already. She certainly didn't want to have a repeat with Rarity.

“Rainbow, has Scarlet Rabbit challenged you to a race?”

Rainbow frowned. “No. Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”

“Well, I just heard this rather disturbing tale from Hammer Chain…”

Rainbow listened despite the urge to just dismiss Rarity’s concerns. She had heard this before: Scarlet’s a good legionnaire, but his sort of influence wasn't, the things Scarlet does work for him, but won’t necessarily work for other ponies, Scarlet’s a veteran, and knows what he’s doing in combat. Rainbow wasn't interested in hearing more. It wasn't Scarlet’s drinking ability, or even his skill at fighting that she admired, but she wasn't ready to talk to anypony about that.

As Rarity recounted Hammer Chain's tale, Rainbow did end up listening intently. Rarity was convinced that Scarlet had done something horrible to this Overcast, Rainbow wasn't so sure, and she wasn't going to simply speculate like the Queen of Overreacting. It was better to get the answers straight from the source.

Vanguard eventually entered their shared quarters, and Rainbow immediately spoke to him about what Rarity had told her.

“All of that is true,” Vanguard replied. He looked around to see if anypony else was listening. “I can’t fault Hammer Chain for giving the point of view of an observer, and I’m willing to fill in the details if it convinces you not to seriously race against Scarlet.”

“So Scarlet really did kill Overcast?” Rainbow asked.

“No." Before Rainbow could breathe a sigh of relief, Vanguard went on. “That's because we managed to stop him in time, which we were able to do because he was slowly beating Overcast to death as opposed to just snapping his neck.”

Rainbow tried to reply: to voice some kind of skepticism. She wanted to reason out that Vanguard was exaggerating to keep her from racing against Scarlet, but Vanguard had never been the sort to exaggerate. Every time he opened his mouth, nothing came out but growling, somber truth, even when he was trying to be light-hearted. He spoke so seriously that she did believe. “But why?” she asked. “Why did he do it?”

“You’ll need to understand more about Scarlet. He’s not a Bastion City pony like most of us in the fortress. He was sent here from the Southern Barrier Land before recruitment.” Vanguard paused, hesitating one last time about telling his old friend’s story to a newer friend. “Scarlet wasn't born like you and me. He was…built.”

“Built?” Rainbow asked. “Like a machine? How’s that possible?”

“His parents came from a line of ophidite slaves. Their owners had been selectively breeding them for pegasus racing, and Scarlet was their best result.”

Rainbow’s eyes narrowed. Ophidites. She had heard about them often whenever the transfers from the south told stories. They were enormous snakes who lived far to the south. She heard a lot of terms about them: Constrictus tribe, Cobrahn tribe, Vipren tribe, Coatl tribe, Sesyth, spitters, poison arrows. Now, Scarlet was part of that group.”How do you know all of this?” she asked.

“I garnered a lot of information from Scarlet himself. I've also spoken with some of his fellow liberated slaves.” Vanguard paused. “Scarlet’s masters applied every bit of knowledge they had on producing an unbeatable racing pegasus: experiments, medicines, conditioning…they succeeded to a great degree. To Scarlet’s luck I suppose. In Ophidus, pegasus racers were a couple of losses from being dinner. When the Southern Legion attacked the holdings of his ophidite master, Scarlet was a champion several times over.”

Rainbow swallowed again. “What does all of that have to do with challenging him to a race? I mean just because he’s got special training--”

“Don’t you understand?" Vanguard growled. "The ophidites took away Scarlet’s parents, his chance for some semblance of a normal foalhood, even some of his ability to interact with his fellow ponies and feel some emotions. They took all that away, and replaced it with speed. That’s what I mean when I say he was built. There is no beating him when he races unfettered, and I say this after seeing your Sonic Rainboom.”

“You can’t know that until I try!” Rainbow said.

Vanguard held Rainbow by the shoulders, and looked her in the eye sternly. “Don’t race him. He’ll ask you now that he’s seen what you can do, but he won’t persist if you put your hoof down. If you lose a serious race, he’ll go berserk. The ophidites conditioned him that way.” Vanguard’s voice lowered, and he let his worry tinge his words. “There won’t be a second cover up. If he tries it again, he’s dead. The only variable is if he kills you first, or not. Do you understand now? Don’t race him.”

“Rainbow.”

For a moment, Rainbow didn't even recognize her own name in the swirl of indecision.

“Rainbow!” Scarlet followed the name up with a vigorous shaking. When he finally noticed her eyes focus on him, he frowned. “What are you doing spacing out? You want that race, or not?”

Vanguard’s warning played itself in Rainbow’s mind. That, and the concern all her friends had for her. She should say no. That was all it took to put a stop to this. A single word would stop Scarlet’s pestering, and keep her safe from that dangerous, ophidite-made…thing that lurked beneath his cheery smile, and boisterous laugh. There was still a war to fight, Nightmare Moon, Black Rose, getting Celestia’s power back, and a hundred more reasons. All she had to do was say--

“Yes.”

A smile spread across Scarlet’s face. Rainbow recognized this smile. It was the sort of smile Pinkie had…when she spotted another cake to devour. “Great!” he said. His smile widened, until his teeth showed. “You tell me when you’re ready, then we’ll plan a nice private spot. Don’t worry about witnesses. I’ll be the first, and the loudest at proclaiming your awesomeness when you beat me!”

Before Rainbow could speak again, she was hovering alone in the chilly sky. All she caught was a faint streak of red from the corner of her eye. ‘Just one word, huh?’ she thought.

Not everypony was excited with the walls of Fangbreaker coming ever closer. Trailing behind her friends, Pinkie quailed at the prospect of having to fight again. It wasn't fear for her life that put a damper on her spirit. During the last fight with Nightmare Moon, she had done nothing to help her friends out. Indeed, Worse than nothing, in fact. She was a burden, having to be protected by Twilight’s shield, and watching helplessly while Nightmare Moon almost killed her friends. Despite that disastrous show of support, she was grouped with the rest of the Elements of Harmony, and sent to fight once again. She couldn't understand it. What was expected of her? She wasn't super magical like Twilight, strong and tough like Applejack, or fast like Rainbow. At least Fluttershy could help with the wounded, and Rarity had those magic blades of hers. She just…didn't fit in the front line.

“What’s the matter, Pinkie?”

Pinkie easily recognized the soft growling tone. Sharpfangs sounded a lot like his son, only a little gruffer. While she got along well with everypony in Kitchen Division, she spent just a little more time chatting with him. “I was just thinking of what I could do when the fighting starts again,” she replied. Sharpfangs raised an eyebrow. “I mean, I’m just a cook. Sure I’m also a bearer of an Element of Harmony, and Prince Terrato thinks that we can do a lot more if I’m out there helping, but what am I supposed to be doing? Hey, you’re a cook too, Sharpfangs, do you have any idea what to do when you need to fight?”

Sharpfangs cleared his throat. “I don’t know how these “Elements of Harmony” are supposed to work, Pinkie,” he said. “I can’t help you there. Maybe you should get some weapons training if you’re going to be spending time in fights.”

“I suppose,” Pinkie said with a downcast look. “More time in fights” was exactly what she was afraid of. Her tail started to shake violently. On instinct, she dropped to her belly with her forelegs covering her head. “Twitchy tail, watch out!” she yelled. “Something’s going to fall from above!” As she said that, a crashing sound came from behind them.

At Pinkie's yell, Sharpfangs looked up, and spotted a small jar about to land on him. He stepped to the side, and it fell to the ground. The jar had been saved from shattering by a large pile of snow. He stared at it for a moment, then picked it up. With the danger gone, Pinkie stood up and look at the thing as well. It turned out to be a jar of salt. Behind them, one of the supply wagons had been upended, and the pony pulling it had fallen face-first into the snow. The jar had likely flown from the wagon, narrowly missing Sharpfangs's head thanks to Pinkie’s warning. Sharpfangs looked towards Pinkie with a mixture of disbelief and gratitude. “Good call,” he said. “Thanks.”

Pinkie replied with a wide grin, then hopped next to Sharpfangs as he went to see to the wagon.

“So what happened here, Whitesnout?” Sharpfangs asked the wagon’s puller.

“Prince-damned snow was hiding a shallow pit,” Whitesnout grumbled. Several wagons passed by him as he struggled to get his back on track. “I guess I should count myself lucky I didn't break a leg.”

Sharpfangs and Pinkie lent a hoof and got the wagon moving again. They were about to get back to the march when a couple of ponies headed towards them. Sharpfang’s eyes narrowed, and he pulled Pinkie behind him. Surprised and curious, Pinkie looked over Sharpfang’s shoulder to see what was going on.

The two earth ponies coming towards them looked…odd. Pinkie had not really known a lot of Barrier Lands ponies, but she did know the sort of appearance that the ponies of Bastion City favored: thick gray furs, barding on the legionnaires, rugged faces, and the like. These ponies were clad from muzzle to tail in thickly layered browns and greens. They wore wide-brimmed, conical hats to protect themselves from the snow. The lead pony still had his face exposed, revealing a young stallion with a dark brown coat, and a white mane. The one behind him wore a wooden mask made to resemble a featureless pony. The colors made it look like it was chiseled from stone. “Who are these ponies, Sharpfangs?” she asked. “Do you know them?”

“Never met one before,” Sharpfangs growled, “but I recognize the outfits. They call themselves ‘True Earth Ponies’. They probably came with the other reinforcements from the Western Barrier Land.”

The masked pony held out a square, flat piece of slate, no bigger than a dish. There were all sorts of strange writings on it as well as four embedded gems set in a cross pattern: a ruby, a sapphire, an emerald, and a diamond. The diamond, the gem that was pointing towards their direction, was glowing softly. Upon seeing this, the masked pony turned to his companion, and whispered something. The other stallion listened intently, then nodded before turning towards Sharpfangs. “Which one of you was channeling ley energy just now?” he asked.

“What?” Sharpfangs asked. “What are you talking about?”

The masked pony whispered something again, then pointed a hoof at Pinkie. The lead pony responded by taking a step towards Pinkie. Sharpfangs blocked his path. “This doesn’t concern you, half-dog,” the stallion said angrily. “Our concern is with the novice channeler.”

“Take your ‘concern’ and shove it under your tail!” Sharpfangs snarled. He bared his teeth, revealing just how wicked and curved his namesakes were. “I’m not letting you fill this filly’s head with your worthless grudges and philosophies.”

The stallion reared up angrily. Before anything else could transpire, a shadow fell upon him accompanied by the sound of beating wings.

“What’s going on here?” Tailwind asked. She hovered close to Sharpfangs, and glared at the two ponies. “You've got a problem with my husband, colt?”

“So the half-dog is married to a bird,” the lead stallion said, his upper lip curling. Tailwind’s hoof went the crossbow strapped to her harness, but Sharpfangs stopped her.

The masked pony also held out a hoof to hold back the lead stallion. When the lead stallion backed down, the masked pony stepped forward, and spoke directly to Pinkie in an aged, cracked voice. She didn't recognize a word.

More ponies arrived to see what was going on. Many of them were more unfamiliar ponies that looked like they came from other parts of the Barrier Lands. Upon seeing the commotion, the masked pony whispered to his companion, and both of them walked away. “What was that about?” Pinkie asked. “Did any of you understand a word that masked pony said?”

“True Earth Pony gibberish,” Tailwind muttered. “Stay away from those nutcases,” she told Pinkie. “They can’t be anything good.” She patted her husband's shoulder, and flew off.

Before Pinkie and Sharpfangs could move on, one of the observing ponies, a white earth pony stallion with a buzz-cut brown mane, trotted over to them. “Sorry about that,” he said. “They came with my group. I didn't expect them to start acting out. They were pretty behaved with us, even when they were with unicorns and pegasi.”

“They probably would have stayed that way too,” Sharpfangs replied. “I think something provoked them.” He looked over to Pinkie.

“So why are they called “True Earth Ponies”?” Pinkie asked. “I mean, does that mean I’m a fake earth pony? How do they tell?”

They resumed walking. “The name’s Cold Forged,” the pony from the Western Barrier Land said. “Don’t let their name fool you. There’s nothing particularly true about them. Just a bunch of isolationist earth ponies if you ask me. I guess that doesn't sound as good as ‘True Earth Ponies’.”

“So why do they call themselves that?” Pinkie asked.

“Well, according to them, they are very ancient group,” Cold Forged replied. “They say that, even before the reign of our prince, the pegasi controlled the weather while the unicorns controlled both the sun and moon. The earth ponies were required to pay tribute to both. Their group’s ancestors supposedly started a revolt against this, then fled underground where neither sun nor moon could be seen, and the weather meant nothing.”

Sharpfangs shook his head while Cold Forged gave a wry smile. “Sounds like hogwash made up to hate unicorns and pegasi to me,” Cold Forged said. “I mean pegasi controlling weather?” He laughed derisively.

“Just stay away from them, Pinkie.” Sharpfangs said. “They’re a dangerous lot caught up in their bigoted beliefs.

“I've heard that there’s also a very rare sort of them practicing bizarre rituals to create some kind of magic,” Cold Forged said. “Earth ponies practicing magic, it’s just not right, I tell you.”

Pinkie was about to say something when Twilight and the rest of her friends galloped towards her.

“There you are!” Twilight said. “You should have said something before falling to the back of the line like this!”

“Oh hey, Twilight!” Pinkie said. Her confusion about what the masked pony had said faded to the back of her mind for now. “I just met--“

“Later,” Twilight said. She looked behind her. The walls of Fangbreaker Fortress loomed over them. The rest of the reinforcements were already spreading out to assist the besieging forces. Pinkie followed Twilight's gaze towards a great pillar of black flame burning on top of the fortress’s highest building. “This will be round two,” Twilight said grimly.

Unicorn Magi

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 5: Unicorn Magi

“What has happened to Master Oceanus?”

Bereft of any vision, Twilight focused on what she was hearing. The oily, menacing voice as Nightmare Moon’s. She tried to open her eyes, only to realize that they were already open. Her attempts to move revealed that none of her limbs were responding.

“He has already gone dormant as have most of our comrades.”

A second voice replied to Nightmare Moon’s question, this one of a slightly higher pitch. There was that name again. Oceanus, the prince who had been born before Princess Celestia. But, why was she hearing these voices now? Where was she? She listened intently when Nightmare Moon spoke again.

“I will leave my body here in dormancy while I venture out to strike against any agents the Eternal Herd sends. Thus, I shall pave the way for his majesty's rise without risk of being permanently destroyed. You must stay awake here, and turn these mortal ponies into a proper welcome for him.”

“How can you affect anything in this world without your mortal body? Have you forgotten how it works already?”

“I will work through hosts. There will be others out there who will become compatible with me.”

“As you say. When his majesty awakens, I expect the rest of this world to be ready to fall.”

“And, when I reunite with my mortal body, I expect a proper army out of these spawn.”

“For the rightful king, Lunalux Umbra!”

“For the rightful king, Solis Coruscaria.”

Twilight wanted to listen some more. However, just as things were slowly beginning to make sense, something struck her mind like an indignant slap to the face. The words faded. All of a sudden, she started to feel again: she was cold, freezing even. Her whole body shivered uncontrollably. Smell and hearing followed suit: snow crunching against hooves…or were they paws? Guttural, unfamiliar language, and the foul odor of wolven. Sight, and a sense of direction, were the last to come back. When her vision cleared, she realized that she had fallen on her side, and was half-buried in the snow.

The wolven presence brought back her alertness quickly. She tried to get to her hooves, succeeding only on getting to a kneeling position. She looked around for enemies, and cringed inwardly. She was somewhere in the middle of a vast field of snow with a pack of wolven closing in on all sides. She felt around her head. The Element of Magic was not on it.

Fireball. That was the first spell that came to Twilight’s mind. The wolven were particularly not fond of fire. She was a little woozy and drained. A fireball would be simple enough to cause some damage, and buy her time. She stood up, her horn crackling with magic.

Before Twilight could complete the spell, however, her vision blurred, and her balance failed. Panicked, she staggered a few steps forward. The wolven were quick to jump at this show of weakness. She was still desperately trying to complete the spell when the first wolven’s claws were inches from her face. At the last moment, however, fire did blaze up, and consume her attacker. At first, it seemed that she had completed her spell, and was lucky that she didn't blow herself up by using a fireball on a wolven so close. Another second passed, and she realized that she was still “holding” her fireball. The wolven searched for the source of the new threat, allowing her to lob her fireball towards a trio of them that had mistakenly decided to clump together.

The white-hot sphere connected with one the three, and erupted into a searing blast. There were no screams this time. The knowledge that she had killed them was still there, but the pitched cries that tore at her insides were not. Instinctively, she covered her nose with a hoof. The awful smell that wafted from those that burned to death still unnerved her.

“What’s the matter, Twilight Sparkle? The smell of battle too strong for your delicate little nose?”

The familiar mocking tone caught Twilight by surprise. There was no mistaking the stinging remark, and the angry voice that carried it. She joined the wolven in looking for the pony who had cast the earlier fire spell, and spotted Pyre Valor standing across her, horn already ablaze with another fire spell. A glimpse of Pyre’s eyes showed nothing but angry contempt as usual. “Pyre Valor…” she whispered. Now, she was unsure which to focus her next offensive spell on: the pack of bloodthirsty wolven or the traitorous unicorn mage. She assessed the situation briefly. The wolven surrounding them were of the smallest sort, likely a foraging party for the fleeing main army. She didn't even see any bolters.

A pair of wolven jumped at Pyre, but she lit one ablaze halfway through its jump without even taking her eyes off Twilight. With a yelp, it collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony. She sidestepped the other one, already focusing on another spell. The wolven snarled, and recovered, rearing up on its hind legs to scratch at her. Pyre completed the spell, conjuring a curved blade of concentrated flame from her horn. She ducked under the wolven’s claws, then slashed up, cleaving it in two. The wolven’s halves crashed next to her. There wasn't even a spatter of blood from its completely cauterized wounds.

Finding themselves caught between two spell-wielding ponies, the remaining wolven focused on one target. Twilight tensed once it was clear that the wolven picked her. She didn't know if she should be flattered that the wolven considered her a bigger threat, or angry that they thought she was the easier target. Her heart was racing either way. The wolven were too close, and she didn't have a line of earth pony infantry to engage them, or even a few friends to rely on. She reared up, and pointed her forelegs towards one wolven that was edging in too close for comfort. Twin jets of flame burst from her front hooves. The blast caught the wolven at its edges, lighting its fur on fire, and sending it rolling on the ground in a panic.

“Shield up!” Pyre shouted.

The ease by which Pyre’s voice could cut through anything occupying her mind at the moment surprised Twilight. She dropped the next spell, and focused on raising the same shield she had used against Nightmare Moon. Only a second after she completed the spell, a quartet of meteors came flying at her. She looked away as fiery chunks of rock collided with her shield.

Twilight winced as bright light penetrated her eyelids. She cried out as loudly as she could, but the ear-shattering boom drowned out all sound. She almost fell to her knees, and she was afraid that her ears would start bleeding. Her dome-shaped shield dispersed the shockwave, and the flames all around it, but a prickling sensation ran across her body at being so close to so much destructive power.

The blast dispersed, and the clouds of dust, smoke, and ashes, began to slowly settle. Twilight doubted that any wolven had survived that spell. They had surrounded her, hoping to bring her down. That was a big mistake easily capitalized by a unicorn mage whose love of magic was synonymous to her love of fiery explosions. She kept her shield up, and waited. With the wolven gone, she expected a second barrage of meteors to come at her any moment.

No explosions followed. Not even a singular blast of flame or an angry curse. As she waited, Twilight fought down one particular feeling welling up inside her. It wasn't the disgust at the horrid smell, nor was it the fear of facing down a unicorn mage that had previously beaten her in a fight. No, it was a more insidious feeling that she refused to acknowledge. It was…admiration. She now knew a lot of fire spells thanks to all the time she spent studying. She also knew that she could match Pyre as far as raw power was concerned. But the sequence by which Pyre took out her attackers was something to watch and learn from. Pyre made it look easy; transitioning from attacking at long range to short range bursts to attacking with a melee spell without any sign of hesitation or panic. No amount of reading, or even sparring, could provide that sort of ease, only battle after battle of experience. The dust and ashes settled, revealing Pyre just a foot away from her shield.

“How long are you going to waste your strength on that shield?” Pyre asked. “The wolven are all dead, coward. We’d better move, or more will come looking for their foragers.”

The mere surprise of having Pyre talk to her instead of attacking was almost enough for Twilight to bring her shield down. She caught herself, and kept a guarded stance. “What are you talking about?” she asked. “Aren't you going to attack me?”

“No, and your inane questions are making that decision difficult.” Pyre looked around. Twilight guessed that it was to ascertain their position. She tried to do the same, and failed. She didn't know the landmarks of this land, but she had to be sure that they were heading for Fangbreaker Fortress, not slowly crossing Wolvengard's borders. With the sun already setting, it was easy to determine where south was at least. Whether it was going to be equally easy avoiding the rest of the fleeing wolven army had yet to be seen.

Twilight eyed Pyre warily, then slowly dispersed her shield. When Pyre began to walk on, she followed slowly behind. “Wait,” she said. “Are you…just you? What happened to Nightmare Moon?”

Pyre stopped for a moment. “She’s gone,” she replied. “I don’t know where she went, but your last attack banished her somewhere. She teleported at the last moment, and we were caught up in its wake somehow. Now, keep walking.”

Still perplexed, Twilight obeyed for now. Perhaps, once they came to a safer location, Pyre would start explaining. It was a difficult walk, however. Each time Pyre made or looked like she was about to make a sudden move, Twilight would go for a shield .

“Hey,” Pyre finally said.

Twilight nearly completed the shield spell. “What is it?” she asked.

“When you were out…did you experience some kind of vision? Something about Nightmare Moon talking with somepony?”

“Solis Coruscaria,” Twilight said. “I did. Did it happen to you to?”

Pyre was silent for a time. “I thought it was just some worthless dream. I think I’m beginning to understand a little.”

“What do you mean?" Twilight leaned forward. "What happened during that explosion?”

The annoyed look that Pyre shot her told Twilight that the prodding was not appreciated. But this was Pyre Valor. Twilight guessed that her being still alive was not appreciated from Pyre’s end. It wasn't just annoyance that she saw. It seemed that Pyre herself wasn't sure why she wasn't hurling angry fire spells.

“While we were linked, Nightmare Moon was able to peer into my memories, but the reverse wasn't true,” Pyre said. “When she was about to be banished from my body, she let her guard down.”

"I was able to see as well," Twilight said. "How was that possible?”

Pyre snorted. “Maybe it was because you’re such a nosy nag.”

Twilight swallowed an angry retort. She had a lot to find out, and she didn't know how long Pyre was going to stay amiable. “That’s not a feasible explanation,” she said.

“I’m surprised you noticed,” Pyre replied flatly. “I don’t know how you listened in. Maybe it had something to do with the clash of magic. You had Nightmare Moon’s collapsing defenses, that touchy-feely beam of rainbows and sunshine, and…whatever it was that Nightmare Moon called out at the last moment. Did you add anything to that mix?”

Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “I threw up a shield to protect the others,” she said. “I was also standing at the center of that blast from the Elements of Harmony.”

Pyre didn't say anything after that. Instead, she quickened her pace, forcing Twilight to do the same.

“The wind’s picking up,” Twilight said as a breeze blew her mane about. To make matters worse, it was also starting to get dark. If they didn't make it to Fangbreaker Fortress soon, they were going to be caught in a blizzard at night. Her mage-coat should protect her to a degree, though. This was a familiar sight; trudging across the plain behind an uncaring Pyre Valor. When she still received no response, she trotted over, and put a hoof on Pyre’s shoulder.

The next moment, Twilight found herself sprawling on the ground with her face aching. “Don’t touch me,” Pyre hissed. Twilight rolled to her hooves quickly, ready to defend herself. Instead, she found Pyre already walking on.

“Hold on!” Twilight called out. “What’s going on, Pyre Valor? What’s with this sudden truce? What are you going to do now?” When Pyre Valor kept walking, Twilight cast her spell. A thin bolt of lightning, barely enough to give any pony a mild jolting sensation, flew from her horn and past Pyre’s face. “Stop running away from me!” she shouted.

The bolt had come close enough for Pyre to feel a little heat on her cheek. She stopped in her tracks, fighting back her natural instincts; instincts which seemed to be "break Twilight Sparkle’s legs and leave her for the wolven". “I’m trying to keep you alive here, Twilight Sparkle,” she said, her voice even.

“This is coming from a mare who told me she was going to kill me for showing her that the chosen can be strong too,” Twilight retorted.

Pyre looked to the distance. “The situation has changed since then,” she said softly.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “How?”

“Can’t you just take things in stride?” Pyre snapped. “Terrato’s blood-smeared hooves! Every time you open your putrid mouth, you make this decision twice as hard!”

Twilight let out a long, frustrated sigh. She would have continued to stand there, but the sun had all but completely set. Pyre was right. They had to keep moving. Besides, she was completely lost here. Pyre seemed to have a good bearing on where they were. Without Pyre as a guide, she would have probably wandered around until she froze to death, or got overtaken by wolven.

They spent hours, or perhaps it just felt like hours for Twilight, walking in darkness. She focused on the steady crunching of their hooves in the snow, and making sure that she was just a few feet behind Pyre. Though it was difficult to see in the dark, she followed the heat radiating from her guide. Bereft of a mage-coat, Pyre was using another fire spell to stay warm.

‘She’s steadily using up her magic. At this rate, I can--‘ Twilight nearly hit herself. That was a horrible thought! Was her drive to beat Pyre that bad? Sure, constant insults, and the several attempts on her life merited some hostility, but-- She shook her head. If she was going to fight Pyre, it was going to be a fair fight. Her mind went to other things. It galled her that she actually needed Pyre to get back to Fangbreaker just as it galled her that something had happened during that last clash of magic that she didn't understand . The silence didn't make them move any faster, it just left her to stew on her own. “So how has the situation changed?” she asked. This time, she kept her tone low. If she could get past Pyre’s hair-trigger temper, she might get a discussion going.

Even more silence met the question.

More time passed. Twilight had consigned herself to walking for hours in total silence, and darkness, when Pyre finally decided to speak. “How’s Vanguard?” she asked.

“He’s fine,” Twilight replied. It wasn't the topic she wanted, but they were talking now. “Those burn marks you left him are still there, but he’s doing well.”

Pyre sighed. “Good.”

Twilight strained to hear that last word. It was a rare moment of Pyre Valor expressing something besides anger, and she didn't want to miss it. She looked away in a hurry when Pyre looked back in time to catch her leaning in. “Do I get to ask you a question this time?” she asked. Again, there was silence. Twilight picked up her pace so that she was walking beside Pyre. “You’re not being fair,” she said.

“This world is full of injustice,” Pyre replied.

It was Twilight's turn to snort. “And you’re just adding to it. Why--“

“Are you so desperate to know why I haven’t tried to kill you?” Pyre snapped.

“Yes." Twilight paused. "I mean, not so desperate that I’d do anything but--“

Pyre let out a slow exhale. “I still want to kill you, if you have to know,” she said. “I’d be very happy to rip your guts out with my teeth right now.”

Twilight tensed again. This was now sounding like the Pyre she knew. “Why aren't you?” she asked.

“If I had spent my life doing the things I wanted to, instead of things I had to, I’d have some ridiculous sparkling things on my flank too.”

“That’s not how cutie marks work…” Twilight muttered.

“Shut your horse mouth, and listen," Pyre growled, "or we can end this talk right now.”

“Fine, I’ll keep quiet.”

“When I woke up, I planned on going north. I was going to throw myself at Wolvengard until I was dead. Unfortunately, I spotted you about to be eaten. I had to change my plans.”

“That doesn’t make any--” Twilight caught herself and fell silent again.

Pyre’s voice lowered as she went on. “I’m going to die soon, Twilight Sparkle. I had hoped that it was while fighting wolven, not dangling on a rope for the nag princess’ amusement.”

Twilight stomped a hoof. “She’s not a nag and your hanging won’t amuse her!”

Pyre didn't even seem to notice the outburst. “Before I go, I still want the Legion to be as strong as ever. Especially after the price I asked it to pay. You’re part of some weapon that can hurt even something like Nightmare Moon. The Legion should keep that weapon, even if I want you dead. Also…”

Pyre’s voice trailed off, much to Twilight’s curiosity. She wanted to prod Pyre Valor, but she knew that it would only succeed in shutting her up completely. Fortunately, Pyre did continue without the need for prompting.

“I want Vanguard to have a strong unicorn mage by his side. Somepony who won’t throw a fireball at him at some point. The choice was either you, or Nightcanter. You’re just a slightly better choice than that ravening ditch pig.”

“I’m flattered,” Twilight muttered. She didn't miss the part about Pyre about to die however. That had her thinking again. How would that possibly feel? Knowing that your death was imminent one way or another…how could Pyre Valor continue to act as she did with that kind of weight upon her?

“Quiet!” Pyre Valor hissed. She had stopped as well, prompting Twilight to do the same. With her vision almost useless in the darkness, Twilight concentrated on listening intently. “Wings,” Pyre whispered.

Both of them looked up. Outlined by the light of the moon were the silhouettes of several pegasi. They carried lanterns constructed so that the light focused into a cone-shaped beam. They flew low, and seemed to be searching for something.

“Just as I expected,” Pyre said. “You have become important enough.” She fired a spell straight into the air: a small, brilliant, sparkling sphere that could be seen from a long way away. The pegasi were quick to converge on them.

“Over here!” one of the pegasi said. They surrounded the two in an instant. The sight of Twilight seemed to relieve the pegasi, but they tensed up right away when they focused on Pyre. One pegasus took out a piece of paper, glanced at it, then nodded at his fellows. They pointed their crossbows at her, anger and fear mixing on their faces. “Pyre Valor,” the lead pegasus said, “you’re under arrest for--”

“I know what I did, mule-feathers!” Pyre Valor snapped. She held out her hooves. “Clap me in irons already!”

Taken aback by the ferocity of their “prisoner”, the pegasi approached her warily, then produced a length of rope to tie her up. Through it all, Pyre didn't so much as flinch. Twilight watched her, more unwelcome admiration welling up inside. Another pegasus hovered by her side to offer her a lift.

“Your friends are causing a stir in the fort,” the pegasus said. “We’re lucky to have found you quickly.”

“Yes,” Twilight said. She didn't take her eyes off Pyre: the unicorn mage whose actions she might not fully understand. Pyre’s fate seemed perfectly clear. It was a fate that she, and Vanguard, had consigned herself to. Yet…Twilight didn't like that notion. For all the anger Pyre Valor stirred in her, for all the nights she spent learning every possible means to win their next fight, she didn't want Pyre Valor to die. Not like this.

With a flutter of wings, the two unicorn magi were taken aloft, and straight to Fangbreaker Fortress.

Two Royal Sisters

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 6: Two Royal Sisters

“Your papers are in order, Sun Drop. I'm glad to see more volunteers coming to help out here. Report to Task Sergeant Moldbreak over there so you can start.”

The sentry handed Celestia’s “papers” back, and nodded her along. A mere half hour since she left the Grand Meeting Hall, some guards challenged her for "lollygagging". She wasn't surprised. Every pony in Bastion City moved with purpose while she wandered. At first, she wanted to visit Twilight and her friends, but one of the Special Operations ponies mentioned that the Elements of Harmony had been deployed earlier that morning.

Fortunately, Special Operations had provided her the appropriate papers: she was Sun Drop, one of the many volunteers now streaming into Bastion City to help prepare for the offensive.

However, staying true to her disguise also meant that she had to take part in the work the volunteers were tasked with. She walked over to Task Sergeant Moldbreak, a burly, square-jawed earth pony with a tan coat, and a cropped dark brown mane. He was directing several groups of earth ponies when he noticed Celestia. With a frown, and flick of a foreleg, he gestured for her to come over. “You come to this city alone, lass?” he asked. “Where're you from?”

“Hearthstone City, sir,” Celestia said.

“Hearthstone!” Moldbreak exclaimed. “Haven’t been down there in ten years! Is old Blackdamp still running the mines?”

Celestia's heartbeat quickened. This was certainly an unexpected situation to come to so early. A quick and innocent admission would be better than a steadily rising mountain of lies. “I’m afraid I don’t know who that pony is,” she replied.

“Pah, filly!” Moldbreak said. “Let’s put you to work, Sun Drop.” He looked at his list. “Let’s see…they need a few more hooves for corpse duty. Head on over to the execution grounds to start off.”

Celestia swallowed a lump in her throat. “May I ask what ‘corpse duty’ entails?” she asked.

Moldbreak looked at her as if she had asked what the hair growing on her head was called. “We’re still cleaning up after all the recent battles,” he said. “We need ponies to haul our dead in for identification and burial. You and a bunch of others are going to spend your time dragging corpses around, and digging graves. Now, get over to the execution grounds. You’re starting with that latest batch of Black Rose rebels they caught.” He motioned to a couple of earth ponies, a stallion and a mare, who were already on the move. “Follow them if you don’t know where the execution grounds are.”

Celestia nodded, and did as she was told. She felt a little awkward, taking orders from a mortal pony. Far from it being unpleasant, there was a certain comfort in being told what to do, instead of deciding for others.

“So what’s your name, miss?” the stallion asked Celestia. They rounded one corner, then took a side road, avoiding the incoming heavy traffic brought by a long line of supply wagons.

“It’s Sun Drop,” Celestia replied. The friendly smile on the stallion’s face let her relax a bit. For all her fears of Terrato's ponies being savage monsters, they had behaved politely, and calmly.

“I’m Knifepoint and this is my sister, Hilt Twist,” the stallion said. He had a coppery coat and a long, unkempt mane of green. His sister was a more subdued golden-brown, and had a short, curly mane of the same green as his.

Hilt Twist frowned, and poked her brother with a hoof. “You promised to keep your flirting in line,” she said. She also smiled when she shifted her attention to Celestia. “Did you come to Bastion City all by yourself?”

“I came with my siblings,” Celestia replied. She looked towards the Grand Meeting Hall. Terrato was occupied by his invasion plans, and how to best utilize the Heartland. Luna was back in Canterlot, dealing with the mess that she should be dealing with. While they worked on those agendas, she was out here merely observing. “They’re busy with their own tasks at the moment,” she added.

“Who isn't?” Knifepoint said. “It’s been crazy these past few days. First, there are all the horror stories about the north about to be overrun by wolven. Now, we’re actually launching our own invasion!”

“About time we took the fight to Wolvengard, I say,” Hilt Twist added.

Celestia watched the two carefully. They weren't bloodthirsty killers. Far from it, they looked like simple farmers who came out here to help. “Do you really think that invading Wolvengard is a good idea?” she asked.

“Of course it is!” Knifepoint said. “Can you imagine what would it be like if we wiped the wolven out, or got them to stop attacking for good? No more worrying about their raiders sneaking into your farm, or attacking a vital caravan! We'd have a peaceful Northern Barrier Land. We can send support to the west and south so it’ll only be a matter of time until they start pushing forward.”

“I’m only calling it a good idea once we win,” Hilt Twist said. “Who knows what’ll happen in Wolvengard? Even if we win all our battles, it’s going to be a long, and brutal march to the north. How many of our own will die before we win?”

“Dying to bring an end to Wolvengard’s invasions?" Knifepoint said. "I think that’s a good end.”

“How come you haven’t joined the Legion, then?” Hilt Twist asked.

An embarrassed look crossed Knifepoint’s face. “You know I want to,” he said. “But who’s going to manage the farm if I sign up? Dad’s not getting any younger, and you can’t do it alone. With Wintercoat and Grizzleback already signed up, the farm can’t afford having me gone.”

“If your farm needs you, why have you come all the way here?” Celestia asked.

“Harvest’s done for this year," Knifepoint replied. "With all the big things happening to the Legion, everypony should be coming here to help with invasion preparations. Even if it’s just a few months worth of volunteer work, I’d--”

Hilt Twist prodded her brother again. “We’re here already." They stepped out of the street, and into their destination.

The execution grounds were wide, flat spaces of concrete just behind Bastion City Prison. Here, punishment was meted out for criminals of all sorts. The prison itself was small. Luna had mentioned earlier that there were few crimes in the Barrier Lands punishable by imprisonment. Preferred non-lethal punishments included whipping, branding, docking, and heavy fines. Ponies stuck in prison were those unable to pay their fines, and they usually spent most of the day in hard labor.

They entered from behind the gallows. Another earth pony mare, this one wearing the chain barding of a legionnaire, was waiting for them.

“About time I got some volunteers over here!” the earth pony shouted. “The first batch just got finished! Get over here, and haul these rebels off before the next batch piles in!”

Celestia barely heard the barked orders. For a moment, she stared at the huge, wooden gallows that dominated the execution grounds. Eight ponies, their heads covered in black cloth, hung by their necks. A crowd watched from the opposite side of where she was. The bodies were already limp, and a steady breeze made them swing slightly, and slowly spin in place. A pony was already cutting one of them down while Knifepoint and Hilt Twist stood at the ready.

“Over here, Sun Drop!” Knifepoint called out. When the first body dropped on his legs, he and Hilt Twist wrestled with the sudden load.

Celestia went over to them hesitantly. Her face remained calm, all the while she fighting down the horror. Ponies killing each other. Not just that, they were doing so with an eager audience, and a process that reduced the act to just one more task. She doubted that she’ll ever get used to this sight. Knifepoint placed the first dead pony on his back, and carried it over the wagon while the legionnaire on top of the gallows cut down a second body.

“Who are these ponies?” Celestia asked. “Why did they have to die like this?”

“Save your pity,” the legionnaire on top of the gallows said. She dropped the second body on Hilt Twist’s waiting hooves. “These are Black Rose rebels. Ponies who turn on their fellows don’t deserve any mercy.”

With a grunt, Hilt Twist lifted the corpse onto her back. “Black Rose rebels?” she asked. “What are those?”

“Prince-damned traitors are what they are,” the legionnaire replied. She cut down a third corpse, and motioned for Celestia to get into position. “They helped the wolven so our prince would be forced to break the barrier, and turn to the Heartland for help.”

Though Celestia had braced herself for the weight, the impact nearly buckled her legs. She shook as she recovered, remembering that it had been a long time since she had lifted anything physically, and that she may have overestimated how much she had recovered from having her power stolen.

“You alright there, Sun Drop?” Knifepoint asked. He walked over, but both Hilt Twist’s hoof on his shoulder, and a shake of Celestia’s head, stopped him.

“Nopony likes being a burden, Knifepoint,” Hilt Twist said. The two of them walked past Celestia as she made her way slowly towards the cart. She placed the body there, then wiped some sweat from her brow. She paused midway to check her now damp foreleg. Exertion…yet another thing she had yet to get used to. She had tired herself out before, but it was from using up her magical strength. Sweating, breathing hard, and feeling the burn in her muscles were not everyday sensations.

“What’s the matter there, volunteer?” the legionnaire on top of the gallows shouted. “Never seen your own sweat before? Hurry, they’re lining up the second batch of rebels!”

They repeated the motions, eventually placing all the bodies onto the cart. When the ninth body was loaded, Celestia was panting heavily. She looked up in time to find that the gallows were occupied again. Six more ponies were being led to prepared nooses. Four of them already had black cloth draped over their faces. The fifth was struggling against the pair of legionnaires holding him.

“Nags!” the pony shouted. “You nags! Killing me won’t bring back the lives that were lost!” One legionnaire struggled to get the black cloth over his head. “You hang us as traitors, but we were the ones who did what had to be done! Look to the south, the barrier’s gone! Who do you think you should thank? The Legion?”

The crowd booed and jeered at the outburst. Celestia wanted to stop the gristly affair, but she knew she would accomplish nothing other than causing more trouble. She also thought about speaking to Terrato about his methods, but how long had he been executing ponies like this? How many rebels had he killed to protect her barrier? A weight greater than any corpse slung over her back came down on her shoulders. She pictured hundreds of ponies hanging by Terrato’s orders, all for the sake of protecting the Heartland.

“An ocean of blood has soaked him, and the corpses of millions weigh down on his shoulders. You would know of what he has become!”

‘An ocean of blood has soaked me as well…and I didn't even notice.’ Celestia lowered her head, unable to watch the execution.

Finally, one of the legionnaires smashed a hoof against the struggling pony’s face while the other one slipped the cloth over his head. They dragged him to position and placed the noose around his neck.

“Is there no way they can be pardoned?” Celestia asked Knifepoint. The muffled shouting the condemned clawed at her insides. Her two companions continued to watch while a second wagon wheeled into place behind them.

“Why should we even try?” Knifepoint asked. He smiled grimly as the proceedings continued. “I hated that barrier too, but they turned on their brothers and sisters in the Legion. Nothing’s worth that. They should hang.”

The trapdoors beneath the condemned swung open. They fell, and jerked once before going limp. The legionnaires inspected each body, then they cut them down. Celestia and the others moved into place. When all the bodies were hauled onto the second wagon, they were handed shovels. “That is a lot of graves to dig,” Celestia said quietly as she stared at the two wagon-loads of corpses. A couple of volunteers were already pulling them away.

“Graves?” the legionnaire that had cut down the bodies said as she walked past Celestia. “We’re not burying these ones. Traitors don’t get to be absorbed into our prince’s element. We’re going to have an open pit fire for this lot.”

A second legionnaire walked over, and watched the wagons pull away. Celestia and her companions were about to move on when he spoke. “With the barrier down, maybe the stink will waft all the way to the south, so Princess Celestia can choke on it,” he said.

The two legionnaires laughed among themselves. Celestia glanced at them before moving on. Her shoulders were aching, and she already felt sick. ‘She already is,’ she thought.

“Greetings, citizens of Ponyville,” Luna said before a gathered group of ponies. She kept her voice soft this time, having learned her lesson from a previous visit. While she was not greeted by screams of terror, the town’s reception did not exactly exude warmth. She had come without any guards for this part of her tour. Their presence would have made it more difficult to talk to the increasingly worried citizens. Though, now that she thought about it, the Heartland was going to have to get used to the presence of grim, armed, and armored, pony soldiers from now on. Even now, she could practically smell the fear from the crowd. The only reason that they didn't cower like the ponies in Manehattan did was because she had spent just a bit more time to get to know these ponies better.

It grated on Luna to admit it, but she was relieved that Black Rose continued to perform Celestia’s duties. If the sun had stopped rising, Celestia’s sudden absence, and the strangeness of her decree would have sparked a realm-wide panic that Nightmare Moon had returned. All of these ponies would be fleeing in terror.

“Your highness…” The mayor stepped forward hesitantly, her head bowed so low that it almost touched the ground. She held up a copy of Celestia’s decree with a shaking hoof. “We received this a few days ago, but we’re not sure what it means.”

“I am here to explain just that,” Luna replied. The other ponies stepped closer. Her first attempts at Canterlot had not gone very well, partly because the ponies of the Heartland found it difficult to even grasp the idea that she was presenting to them, and partly because she was unsure of the best way to clarify the situation. The nobility took some time to let the truth sink in. When it did the reactions were…unclear. There was no panic or rioting, not even outrage over the idea that Celestia had hidden something so important from them. Instead, there was a slow, simmering fear; a fear that she doubted that they understood or were even aware of when they returned to their homes. An unseen terror was permeating the Heartland, and none of its inhabitants had any clue how to deal with it. They instinctively knew that running or hiding in one’s house did no good. They couldn't even pinpoint the source of this fear. All they knew was that Equestria now had enemies. There were so many things to consider and worry about that they were simply overwhelmed into inactivity.

Even with Luna there to speak about it, the ponies of the Heartland simply could not grasp the gravity of the situation. It was frightening, and saddening to think that they would probably only see what was now being asked of them when they were finally faced with Equestria’s enemies. ‘When legionnaires start knocking on their doors, they might have a clearer idea,’ she thought.

“Your highness, what is this Equestrian Legion?” one pony asked.

“Are we going to meet this Prince Terrato? Why haven’t we heard of him before?”

“Is Princess Celestia alright? What happened to her?”

“Can I join this Legion for a week, then go back here? I can’t leave my garden for too long.”

“Can’t the Royal Guard deal with whatever’s attacking us?”

It was the same heart-breaking questions in every settlement. It almost felt that Terrato was asking for too much. That she as was asking for too much.

“What about my sister and her friends?”

There was no mistaking that high-pitched voice. It cut through the confused murmurings of the crowd with such ease that everypony turned to see who it was. Luna looked at the yellow earth pony filly with a bright red mane. She had seen this one before, back in Canterlot when she was angrily leaving her sister’s room. The filly was flanked by her friends, a white unicorn with a curly, pink and purple mane, and an orange pegasus. Behind her was the red stallion, and the old light green mare she had also seen in Canterlot before.

“The letter said Applejack ain’t a criminal, so where is she? Is she still banished?” the filly asked.

“No, she is not,” Luna replied. For the first time since she came back to the Heartland, she found something to smile about. She approached the filly, and gave her a reassuring pat on the head before turning to speak to the crowd. “Applejack and the rest of the so-called ‘criminals’ are, in fact, heroes, and should be welcomed as such when they make their return here!”

The wide, beaming smile on the filly’s face alone made this trip worth it. Much more so the wave of joy from her family. Ever since Luna promised the Apples her help, she had hoped to accomplish something like this. The murmurings among the crowd began to take a tone of relief. Ponyville had not dismissed Twilight and her friends as criminals after all.

“Then, they’re coming home soon, right?” the yellow filly asked. She and her friends were already doing a little dance among themselves.

“No…” Luna replied sadly. Their smiles turned into confused dejection. “They’re part of the Legion now, and they have much to do to continue protecting Equestria.” It warmed her heart to see some hope return to the three.

“Then, can we join the Legion so we can help them out?” the pegasus filly asked.

The curly-maned unicorn brightened at the idea. “That’s a great idea! Maybe we can earn our cutie marks there!”

The response took Luna aback. That was something she hadn't thought about. Cutie Marks. For the first time in the Heartland’s history, cutie marks involving the Legion's work would start appearing. That would certainly be quite a conversation between her siblings. Those enchantments were still in place, a strange choice by Black Rose. Would Terrato start marking the Barrier Lands ponies, or would he insist on removing the ones on the Heartland ponies? A yank on her tail put a stop to all her speculation.

“So can we join the Legion, your highness?” the three fillies asked.

“I’m afraid that the three of you are too young,” Luna replied. She was about to add “perhaps when you’re older”, but she stopped herself. That just didn't sound right. She wished that the need to draft ponies would no longer be there by the time these three had grown up.

“What about us, your highness?” a pony from the crowd asked. “Are all of us going to join the Legion now?”

“One pony per family,” Luna replied. More questions followed, and she began to answer each one in earnest.

It was almost evening when Luna prepared to leave Ponyville. After making the situation as clear as possible for the villagers, she had spent some extra time visiting the families of Twilight’s friends, just like she visited Twilight's parents back in Canterlot. Seeing their relief and pride as she told of what had actually happened was likely going to be the one bright spot in this long tour. She wanted it done as quickly as possible. Legionnaires was already entering the Heartland, but she had instructed them to camp out in the wilderness until she gave the go ahead. There were other things entering the Heartland as well. The Royal Guard had already reported hearing a great amount of rumbling from the dragon territories. The Draco’dim had already begun enforcing their “code”. That was another problem that had to be dealt with sooner or later.

For now, she had to raise the moon, then fly off to the next settlement.

Divided Feelings

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 7: Divided Feelings

To walk the halls of Fangbreaker Fortress again was a triumph in itself for Vanguard. It didn't matter that many of the walls were covered in wolven graffiti. This was his home. More so than the house he was born in back at Bastion City. He hoped that his quarters had not been heavily vandalized. One infantry captain had the misfortune of discovering that his quarters had been converted into a latrine.

Vanguard’s destination wasn't his room for now. He descended the stairs to the dungeons, one of the first few sections of the fortress that the Legion had operational after reclaiming the fort. Fangbreaker reclamation concluded quickly after Nightmare Moon’s disappearance. The sight of their “Moon-Shadow” being blasted by light so soon after their army had been decimated by a similar spell all but crushed the wolven defenders’ morale. What followed was more of a slaughter than a proper battle. The Legion smashed the wolven resistance into isolated pockets, then systematically crushed those pockets. Vanguard kept his new squad out of most of the fighting. When Twilight disappeared, and their jewelry shattered, most of the fight had been knocked out of them anyway. He had them busy searching for their missing friend; a fruitless search in the end.

A pair of guards stood in front of the main entrance; the first of several pairs assigned to guard the two prisoners taken during Fangbreaker’s reclamation. Both saluted when Vanguard approached. “I want to talk with the prisoner,” he said.

“Of course, Captain Vanguard Clash,” one of them replied. He opened the door, and stepped aside.

Echoing the same principle behind Bastion City’s prison, Fangbreaker’s dungeons were small for its population. Vanguard walked through the torch-lit corridor, and passed by two more pairs of guards. He eventually came upon an occupied cell. Two more guards stood nearby. He looked at these ones closely, taking note of the damage on their plated barding. One guard’s champron was severely dented inward. Blood oozed from beneath the plating. The other guard’s chest plate was badly dented as well. “How’s the prisoner?” he asked.

“Still alive, sir,” the guard with the dented champron mumbled through a missing tooth, and a swollen cheek.

“I want to speak to her alone,” Vanguard said.

The two guards looked at each other. “I-I don’t know, sir, she was a member of your--”

“You've already taken some liberties with the pony who almost burned my face off,” Vanguard said. “I’m sure you can grant me that opportunity as well.”

Both guards blanched at his hardened stare. “Just a few minutes." Both of them left the hall, and closed the door behind them. Once they were gone, Vanguard peered between the tempered steel bars.

After she surrendered to the same scouts that had found Twilight, Pyre had been thrown into the dungeons. There was no doubting the sort of penalty she was going to get. Indeed, the only reason why she was still alive was because she was to be executed before the prince.

“Come to gloat?” Pyre asked in a weak and ragged voice. The flickering light made out just enough of Pyre to show the heavy shackles that bound her legs. She dragged herself closer to the cell’s door. Her left eye had swollen shut, her right was only a little better. She was bleeding from her nose, from a split lower lip, and from a long gash across her forehead. She wore the steel of a horn-lock, the disruptor crystal embedded in the band glimmering pink.

Though it hardly mattered, Vanguard felt a little glad that they had a horn-lock in supply. He doubted that Pyre would have attempted to blast her way out of prison if they didn't. Without it, however, the Legion would have been forced to saw off her horn. “Why should I gloat?” he asked. “You got everything you wanted, Pyre. The barrier is down, and the chosen are being drafted. Oh, and hundreds of ponies are dead. Just as you planned. I'm surprised you're not dancing in your cell.”

Pyre dragged herself to her hooves. The chains around her legs jangled heavily. “Those deaths were a necessary sacrifice, Vanguard,” she replied. “I didn't want them, and I certainly didn't plan them.”

“But they’re there, aren't they?” Vanguard snapped. He removed his champron, and banged his head against the bars. “What do you do with that, now that your ‘cause’ is over?”

“I’m going to die, Vanguard!” Pyre Valor snarled. She pressed her face against the bars. It was as close as she could get to bring her head against his. “I’m going to hang in front of the Legion, and die! What else do you want from me?”

“How about regret?" Vanguar spat. "Or fear? Anything besides your high and mighty, inconsolable, self-righteous anger!”

They fell silent. With their faces so close together, Vanguard did not doubt that Pyre could see the burn that marred one side of his face. Some fur was beginning to grow on the spot again, but the area was still discolored. In return, he could pick out each bruise on her face. He could smell blood whenever she exhaled.

A minute passed before Pyre broke the silence. “I don’t feel any regret over betraying Fangbreaker,” she said. “Maybe responsibility, but not regret. I’d do it all over again if I have to.”

“Then you’re already dead, Pyre,” Vanguard growled. “Your execution’s just a formality. Your cause killed, and ate you long before the guards even dragged you here.” He was about to turn away, but the sudden softening in Pyre’s gaze held him fast. She raised a hoof to touch his face, and he let her.

“That’s almost true,” Pyre said softly, “but, I do regret something.” She ran her hoof across Vanguard’s burn. “I should have never struck you, Vanguard. I’m sorry.”

Vanguard closed his eyes. For a moment, he was a colt again, sitting in an alley, and tending to his bruises while the local gang of bullies dragged themselves out of sight. There was Pyre in front of him, grinning ear to ear, and pressing a damp handkerchief to his face. Two against six, and they still came out winners. Then, he opened his eyes, and he was a legionnaire once more, standing inside Fangbreaker’s dungeons, and talking to a condemned criminal. It was just the two of them here, and they had both come out losers. He held Pyre’s hoof briefly, then set it aside. “The burn will heal, Pyre. Soon, I’ll look in a mirror, and find it gone, but you’ll still be dead.”

Pyre smiled wryly, stepped away from the bars, and lay on the floor. “True,” she said, “but you’ll have others with you by then, Vanguard. You already do, right?”

Vanguard watched Pyre settle down for a moment longer, then turned around. ‘Goodbye, Pyre,” he said.

“Goodbye, Vanguard,” Pyre replied.

Vanguard headed for the exit. As the two guards walked in, he grabbed the both of them by their chest plates. “If I see any new injuries on her by morning, I will murder the both of you in your sleep,” he growled. He shoved them aside, and left. The dark, dreary atmosphere was starting to bear heavily down on him. He needed something to stave off the awful mood. He had considered going over to visit Blademane, but he changed his mind. The stallion had nothing to say to him, and he had nothing to say to that stallion either.

It was close to midnight. Rather than sleep, the forces that reclaimed Fangbreaker were still celebrating. Vanguard decided to join in. A quick stop by his old quarters, and he was free of his barding, ready to relax. Several bonfires burned brightly while groups of ponies danced away around them. He scanned the courtyard until he found Scarlet, who was shouting over the crowd, and waving a bottle in one hoof. Scarlet noticed him, and flew over.

“Hey, Captain, ready to join the party now?” Scarlet asked. “They found a bunch of barrels of booze the wolven hadn't touched! Can you believe it?” He guzzled the bottle he was holding, and let out and excited yell towards the celebrations.

Applejack heard Scarlet's yell, and glanced towards his direction. To her delight, she also spotted Vanguard, who, surprisingly, was out of his barding. She walked over to talk to him. Scarlet flew off, leaving Vanguard to focus his attention on her. “Still up, Applejack?” he asked.

“I didn't want to be a party-pooper, and go off to sleep while everypony’s so happy,” Applejack replied. She looked over to the celebrating crowd. “I mean really happy. A lot of ponies were crying and everything when we started to occupy this place.”

“Not surprising,” Vanguard said. “This fortress means a lot to the ponies who defend it, and not just because of strategic value. How are Twilight and the others?”

"Twilight's gone to sleep in our new quarters. Poor filly looked exhausted when the guards brought her back." Applejack glanced at the party behind her. She didn't mention to Vanguard that all of them were still weighed down by the Elements of Harmony shattering. It was a bleak several hours for them when Twilight was gone. When she came back, it became an unspoken agreement to set aside the loss. For now, they should celebrate with the Legion for having defeated Nightmare Moon again, and seeing that Twilight was safe. "Rainbow's having fun with her flight, Pinkie's helping out with the food, Fluttershy's asleep in the medical ward, and Rarity let Scarlet convince her to try out some of that stuff he's guzzling. She's passed out over there." She pointed towards a quiet section of the courtyard where several legionnaires were sleeping off a combination of exertion, elation, and too many drinks.

Vanguard smile a bit. “You really did keep tabs on all of them, didn't you?”

“I figured you’d want to know,” Applejack replied with a grin. “We’re all fine, Vanguard. You should go have some fun too.” A look of concern dampened her cheery mood. “You’re looking under the weather.”

Vanguard’s fell silent, and his expression darkened. He seemed to notice this, however, and forced the smile to stay. Applejack wasn't buying it for a second. “You need to talk about something?” she asked.

“Over a drink perhaps,” Vanguard said after another moment of silence.

Applejack smiled and nodded. “Sure!" She glanced briefly at Scarlet, who was still guzzling that bottle he had. "Just not whatever he’s drinking.”

They headed over to the stack of barrels that the legionnaires had brought out. One pony was in charge of refilling mugs as they came while a pair was tasked with keeping the more inebriated ponies from making off with entire barrels. “You’re in luck,” the pony in charge said. He handed both of them a full mug. “This is the last of the ‘Good Stuff’. The next pony gets a mug of 'Stormbrew’s Passable If You’re Wasted Enough Swill’!”

With their drinks in hoof, they settled down by one side of the courtyard. “So what’s bothering you?” Applejack asked.

Vanguard took a sip from his mug. “I just came from visiting Pyre,” he said.

Applejack recognized the name. That was mostly because Twilight had mentioned it several times. All she really knew about Pyre Valor was that she was the pony that Nightmare Moon had possessed, she was once a member of Vanguard’s squad, and that Twilight really, really, didn't like her. As a good friend, Applejack was inclined to share in Twilight’s animosity. If that wasn't enough of a reason to dislike Pyre Valor, there was also her betrayal of the Legion, beating up Twilight, and burning Vanguard’s face. Ever since Zecora, Applejack had never disliked anyone before meeting them. Pyre Valor was proving more and more to be the exemption. The lack of any anger or hate in Vanguard’s tone, however, was a little troubling. “So what happened?” she asked.

“Nothing,” Vanguard replied. “I don’t know what I was even expecting. She wasn't the least bit remorseful for what she had done and, even if she was, I wouldn't have been able to forgive her anyway.”

“Sounds like the two of you were friends,” Applejack said. Her boldness surprised her. She glanced worriedly at Vanguard.

“We were. I think we still are, and I don’t know if that’s good or bad.” Vanguard took another sip from his drink. “As ridiculous as it seems, she now has me considering things I shouldn't be.”

“Ain’t a crime to be just thinking of things,” Applejack said. “What were you thinking about?”

“Before you came here, Pyre asked me to help her with her plans against the Legion. I refused, and she burned me. Now, I can’t help but think that I failed her as a friend by not supporting her, even if I knew she was wrong.”

“If you helped her…” Applejack’s voice trailed off, and her throat went dry. Flustered, she took a large gulp from her mug, and winced at the electric shock. She imagined that first hour into this land without Vanguard. “If you’d done that, then I’d be dead. We’d all be dead.”

Vanguard lowered his mug, and looked at Applejack. “Would things really be that dire?”

“Ya darn tootin’ they’d be! That wolven would have torn Twilight’s face off, and we’d all have followed! None of us would have made it far out here without your help.”

“Except that none of you would even be here if it wasn't for me.”

Applejack softened her tone. “I’m no good with these messy friendship troubles. I don’t study it day in and day out like Twilight used to do, and I wouldn't know what to do if I had to fight any one of my friends like you did yours. I sure as hay can’t tell you if you did right by not helping your friend, but I…” She hesitated, afraid that she sounded pretentious.

There was no backing out for her, however. Vanguard now looked at her curiously. “You what?” he asked.

“I’m...I'm just really happy you didn't. We wouldn't have met you if you did. Meeting you…well…” Applejack’s voice shrank until it was barely audible. “...it’s almost worth getting banished for…” She felt herself shrink to match her mouse-like squeaking. Vanguard looked at her as if he didn't even hear a thing. And why would he? The partying was still pretty loud even if it was beginning to wind down.

Vanguard chuckled. “The both of us are getting sentimental. At this rate, we’ll be maudlin once we get to the bottom of these mugs.”

Embarrassed, and eager to move to a new topic, Applejack nodded. She took another gulp, gritting her teeth, and shaking her head at the inevitable shock, before setting her mug on the ground. “We should do something fun!” she said. “Land’s sakes, we’re at a party and we’re acting like sticks in the mud!”

As if to answer Applejack, the music began to shift. She followed the sound to a group of legionnaires with flutes and a guitar. Vanguard stood next to her, his mug also on the ground, and listened. The ponies that hadn't passed out yet laughed, nudged each other, then started forming pairs.

“Is that a dance they’re starting?” Applejack asked.

Vanguard bobbed his head slightly at the music. “I know this one: Snakedodge. Looks like somepony has a taste for Southern Barrier Land dancing.” He smiled at Applejack. “Come on,” he said.

Before Applejack could say anything, Vanguard grabbed her by one foreleg, and pulled her towards the gathered ponies. “Hey, wait!” she said. “I don’t know that dance!”

“Do you really think I’m letting you use that excuse now?”

Now among the other legionnaires, Applejack could only bob to the music. “Snakedodge” was a fast paced jig of a dance. Some of the more tipsy dancers only got in a few seconds before falling over laughing. Applejack concentrated on following Vanguard’s movements. Seeing such quick steps from him was a little surprising.

The music sped up just as Applejack was starting to get used to the movements. “Snakedodge” was appropriate. The music did have a lively, frantic feel to it. So frantic that she tripped over her own foreleg, and stumbled forward.

“Steady there.” Vanguard caught her before she could fall face first to the ground. The music began to wind down afterwards, allowing the ponies still dancing to catch their breath.

“Sorry,” Applejack mumbled, glad that the early morning darkness made it difficult to see her face. Vanguard didn't seem to hear her, however. Applejack turned around to see what had caught his attention. She quickly noticed a familiar white unicorn with a bedraggled purple mane. She had to stifle a laugh at the sight. “Rarity!” she said. “You up already?”

Rarity answered with a bleary squint from her bloodshot eyes. She stumbled forward, forcing Applejack to step in, and hold her. “Steady now, partner,” Applejack said.

Rarity didn't say a word. Instead, she leaned against Applejack with her head low, and opened her mouth. A stream of nearly clear fluid gushed out, splattering onto the ground.

“Oh for-- Gross! You got it all over my hooves! That’s it, no more boozing for you, ever!”

Chuckling, Vanguard stepped aside, and let the two of them walk to the sides of the courtyard. “You better take her to your shared quarters, Applejack. In fact, I think it’s time we all turned in.”

“Sure,” Applejack replied. “Goodnight, Vanguard.”

“Goodnight.”

As Applejack walked away, Flight Captain Tailwind walked past her, and towards Vanguard. “You watch yourself, Captain Vanguard Clash,” Tailwind said over all the partying. “There are some nasty situations even my flight can’t provide extraction from.”

The halls of Fangbreaker were eerily quiet compared to the celebrations going on out in the courtyard. Applejack half-dragged, and half-carried Rarity through one stone hall after another, looking around to make sure that she hadn't gotten herself lost.

“I saw that,” Rarity muttered.

"Saw what?” Applejack asked.

“You foaling around with Vanguard Clash.”

“We were just dancing." Applejack snorted. "Nothing foalish about that.”

Rarity planted her hooves on the ground, forcing Applejack to stop. “You know that Twilight likes him, don’t you?” she asked. Though she still slurred, her tone brooked no nonsense.

Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Of course she does. He’s a likeable pony. You like him too don’t you? I’m sure, Rainbow, Pinkie, and Fluttershy--”

“Oh my stars, how dense can you be? You know what I mean!” Rarity snapped. “You have a crush on him! You’re in love with him! You want to push him to the ground, and mash your lips together! And so does she!”

Applejack's jaw dropped. “What? No I don’t! And Twilight--”

“For the Element of Honesty, you have a remarkable talent for deluding yourself, Miss I-can-do-all-the-farmwork-by-myself!”

Applejack's eyes narrowed. “Are you picking a fight? I’m letting this slide ‘cause you’re drunk and all, but--”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about me picking a fight. If there’s a brewing fight here, it’s between you and Twilight. I’m here trying to nip it in the bud while you're pretending that nothing’s wrong.”

Applejack couldn't respond beyond a confused look. Rarity stepped away from her, and gave her a hard stare. “I’m prying," she said. "I know. I’m sorry. This shouldn't be any of my business, but you’re making me worry, Applejack. We’re supposed to be in harmony, and it would be simply dreadful if Equestria’s fate is ruined because of a botched love triangle formed by our captain, and two of the densest ponies I know.”

Applejack's eyes hardened as well. “That ain't gonna happen!”

“I hope so," Rarity said with a sigh. "You’re both my friends, Applejack. Far be it from me to decide who makes a better match for Vanguard, but you should know that it’s impossible for this to have any pleasant end. As soon as you stop deluding yourself, you have to realize that one of you has to give way.”

“So why are you only telling me?" Applejack asked. "Have you told Twilight?”

“I would. Except that…well…” Rarity's lips twisted.

“Well what?”

“She’s been quite scary lately,” Rarity said. “Now she has to deal with her teacher losing power, Spike going away, whatever happened to her this afternoon…making her deal with this might cause something bad. I know this is unfair, but you’re the more sensible between the two of you as of the moment, Applejack. You have to step aside while this is still nothing but a passing crush.”

The hard stare turned into a scowl. “Unfair is right!” Applejack said. “I’m not even sure if what you’re saying is true. What do you want me to do, start giving Vanguard the cold shoulder?”

“Just put some distance between the two of you. No more dancing in the moonlight for starters.”

“I...” Applejack's face softened. "I can't."

It was Rarity who was frowning now. “You mean you won’t,” she said. “This is only going to get much worse, Applejack. Now, while it’s not yet too late--”

Applejack turned around. She didn't want to hear any more of Rarity's explanations. She placed a hoof over her chest. “Besides,” she mumbled, “it probably is already." Flustered, and more than a little angry, she left Rarity behind. “Since you can walk on your own now, I’ll see you in our quarters," she called out. "Get some sleep, Rarity."

“Sleep?” Rarity said from a distance. “Between the two of you, I think I need another drink.”

The Truth of the Matter

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 8: The Truth of the Matter

A chorus of pained groans greeted the day after Fangbreaker's reclamation. The courtyard was littered with empty barrels, mugs, and unconscious ponies, while the air reeked of vomit, piss, and warm booze.

Work still had to go on despite the mess. Laborers assembled scaffolding while waiting for the construction materials to be moved into the fort. Dreadstep wanted Fangbreaker Fortress completely repaired before the spring offensive. Working through the winter was a tall order, but a lot of the ponies stationed at Fangbreaker were enthused. The harsh conditions would serve as an additional penance for even allowing the fort to reach such a state of disrepair.

Though she had stayed up past midnight, Applejack was up with the dawn. It wasn't because she was needed for pressing matters, though. Until she received some kind of order from Vanguard, or his higher-ups, she had to stay in this squad with her friends instead of going to Infantry. For now, they didn't seem to have any other duties other than dealing with Nightmare Moon, leaving her with free time that she had to fill up somehow.

The rest of her friends were already preoccupied: Twilight had volunteered to sort out what was left of the fort’s library, and re-shelf the books that the Legion had saved during its retreat. After Rarity’s talk last night, Applejack considered talking to Twilight. However, when she tried to approach Twilight, something inside her shrank back. The information was…too fresh. She was still so unsure about how much of Rarity’s words were true. She needed some time to figure this out.

“You have a crush on him! You’re in love with him! You want to push him to the ground, and mash your lips together!”

Applejack shook her head. ‘Rarity’s overreacting like she always does,' she thought. 'She's fussing over tiny details, and making them out be more serious than they really are. So what if I like being around Vanguard? Nothing wrong with enjoying a friend’s company. And what’s not to enjoy? He’s brave, reliable, honest, kinda good looking…’ She shook her head again. ‘Darn that Rarity! Now, I’m starting to doubt myself!’ She looked around for any recognizable faces. Fluttershy had slept in the medical ward last night, and got right back to work in the morning. There were plenty of injured ponies to keep her and the rest of Medical busy. Rarity was sleeping off a headache. Rainbow had mentioned getting some target practice once she could aim straight.

With nothing else to do, Applejack had gone over to the training grounds for earth ponies. The walls and floor were still covered in wolven graffiti. Most of the debris had been cleared, however, and somepony had been considerate enough to set up a few target dummies. She looked down her chest, painfully remembering that the Element of Honesty had shattered just like the rest of the Elements of Harmony. She didn't know what caused the necklace to shatter, but she instinctively assumed that it was her fault. With the elation of reclaiming Fangbreaker, and the celebrations now behind her, all the foreboding feelings began to crash down. Nightmare Moon was just one problem, and she wasn't even sure if they had dealt with her completely. More problems loomed ahead. She felt restless just sitting around, waiting for somepony to tell her what to do.

That was why she had come to the training grounds. She had brought the supposed chain of Apple Slice, though she had no idea what to do with it. She figured that something that was passed along generations of ponies just to be given to her had to be useful. Despite being metal, the chain was as light as rope, and its length made it easy to carry. However, its length also made it useless for anything but tying up something small.

“Hey there!”

Applejack had heard the soft-speaking tone somewhere before, but she couldn't place it. She turned around and saw a dark blue unicorn whose purple mane came down in elaborate ringlets. A few more seconds passed before she found the name that went with this pony’s features. “Captain Nightcanter,” she said with a salute.

“So formal!” Nightcanter remarked, her crooked smile widening slightly. “No need to stand on ceremony. By the way, you’re that mare that Vanguard was dancing with last night, aren't you? He mentioned your name before...what was it? Applejack?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I've never seen Vanguard dance before, and I've done my share of trying to get him to.” Nightcanter leaned forward, and nudged Applejack slyly. “So what happened after that? Did you start rolling your oats once you got somewhere private?”

“Rolling my oats?” Applejack asked. “No, ma’am. I’m an apple farmer. Don’t know much about working with oats. I do have an uncle who tried his hoof in the oat business once.” She turned grim for a moment. “The Oat Family didn't take too kindly to that.”

The smile on Nightcanter’s face lessened. “I meant if you did some horizontal dancing,” she said.

“Uh…no, we just stuck to ‘Snakedodge’. That was pretty hard too. Not as hard as ‘Horizontal Dancing’, I reckon." Applejack tapped her chin with a hoof, and tried to picture such a dance. "How do you even do that?”

Nightcanter stared at Applejack incredulously, then shook her head. “Nevermind,” she muttered. “I’ll just assume you didn't do what I thought you might have done.” More ponies began to enter the training grounds. Some of them worked on cleaning up the place, while the others started exercising. Nightcanter focused on the chain coiled around Applejack’s neck. “So what do you have there?” she asked. “Not planning to strangle ourselves, are we?”

“No,” Applejack replied. “This here chain’s supposed to have belonged to Apple Slice, but I don’t know what to do with it.”

Nightcanter’s eyes widened. “Apple Slice?” she asked. “As in ‘the Last Great Apple’?“

“There’s that title again." Applejack frowned. "There's lots of great Apples out there. Not just whoever this pony is! Why, there’s--”

Nightcanter put a hoof up. “You can list off a hundred of your chosen Apples, Applejack. They might be great, but not in the same way Apple Slice was." She focused on the chain. "May I have a look?”

Reluctantly, Applejack handed the chain to Nightcanter, who inspected it with a spell. “Obviously magical,” she said. “How’d you get this?”

Applejack narrated her encounter with Crow Quill. She stumbled on some parts, mostly because Nightcanter's intense stare.

“You should be honored,” Nightcanter said. "An enchanted weapon requires powerful magic.”

“Magic, huh?” Applejack eyed the chain warily. In the past, she had only one response to magic: leave it to Twilight. “Twilight mentioned that. I’m sure the unicorns here have a lot of these stashed away.”

“Not really," Nightcanter replied. "Some transmuters, and conjurers can make temporary ones, but an enchantment to last through centuries…a unicorn died to make this, Applejack. Probably several.” A frown creased her face, but she quickly replaced it with a smile. “There are a lot of stories about Apple Slice bringing down ursans by lassoing them,” she said. “Have you given that a try?”

“Lassoing?” Applejack asked. “Just look at how short it is! Sure, I could lasso things with it, if they were a spitting distance away.”

“That’s your earth pony-ness talking," Nightcanter said with a snort.

Applejack frowned. “My what?”

“Your earth pony-ness." Nightcanter tapped Applejack's chest with a hoof. "That stubborn, no-nonsense tendency of yours not to trust anything that you can’t get a feel of with your senses. This is a magical object, an artifact even. You have to trust in its magic, not in what it looks, or feels like.”

“I've never used magic before,” Applejack said. “I’m no unicorn. Guess I’m better off giving this to Twilight or Rarity.”

Nightcanter’s horn was still glowing as she stretched out the chain. “Then you’d be handing them junk,” she said. “These enchantments are pretty specific. There aren't any stories about ponies in the Barrier Lands wielding a magic chain after Apple Slice. You’d think somepony would have taken up some magical equipment, but no. One explanation I’d consider is that it doesn't work for just anypony. If you really are related to him in some way, you’re the best candidate.”

Applejack looked at the chain with even more distrust. For a moment, she didn't want to have anything to do with the chain knowing that some unicorns died to make it. She thought about it, then decided that it would be more disrespectful to throw it away. After all, they had sacrificed a lot to create this, and made sure that only her family could use it.

“Just give it a try,” Nightcanter said.

“Okay.” Applejack tied the chain into a lasso. Despite being made of metal links, the chain proved easy to work into knots. She gave the thing whirl, still surprised by how easy it was to wield it. Nightcanter pointed her to a distant, practice dummy. With a shrug, she tossed the lasso, expecting the chain to jerk once it reached its very short maximum distance.

The links stretched out…and kept flying.

Applejack nearly dropped the chain as the looped end reached the target, landing on point. On instinct, she tugged once when the chain landed to tighten the loop. The target dummy snapped near its base, and clattered on the ground.

Nightcanter examined the extended chain. “Force,” she said with awe. Other ponies had noticed now, and were moving in to see the strange weapon.

Applejack chuckled nervously at the increasing attention. “Sorry about the target,” she said. “I didn't mean to. I swear I just gave it a good tug.”

“Did you really?” Nightcanter asked. “It boosts its wielder’s strength too. Probably important seeing as trying to lasso a rampaging ursan would be impossible without such an enchantment.”

The murmurs among the crowd were enough to make Applejack break into a nervous sweat, despite the cold morning breeze. She pulled back the chain, and tried to put it away when links suddenly clicked together, even going so far as undoing the loop. In an instant, she was holding a short chain again.

“You lucky pony,” Nightcanter said. “To wield the weapon of the legendary Apple Slice…I’d cut off a leg for that honor.”

A loud, mocking snort came from the gathered ponies around them. Nightcanter frowned, then looked over to them. “Who did that?” she asked.

“I did!”

An orange pegasus stallion with a cropped, bright green mane stepped forward. His barding was similar to the one Tailwind wore, including the stylized wing. “You were gushing about the 'Legendary’ Apple Slice. Hah! That stallion was a glorified murderer, who dragged his ponies with him to a massacre!”

“Hey!” Applejack snapped. “Don’t you badmouth my family like that!”

“You've only stayed in this place for a short time,” the pegasus said. “Of course you have no grasp of our history.” He looked back to Nightcanter with a sneer. “I’m surprised that a Special Operations captain is feeding a legionnaire the same sugar-coated tripe that they tell earth pony foals before bedtime.”

“And I’m surprised that a flight captain thinks I won’t strangle him with his own tail just for that snort,” Nightcanter hissed. “You better stay out of dark alleys, Sunray.”

“You should hear the truth if you really are related in some way to Apple Slice,” Sunray told Applejack. “He's no hero. During the division, Princess Celestia chose the Apple Family to settle in the Heartland. That same family cast Apple Slice out because he was a budding violent psychopath. He worked his way up the Legion’s ranks by being a ruthless murderer until he snapped, led his ponies against a horde of ophidites, and got massacred. It was such an embarrassment that the Legion whitewashed the event as a ‘heroic last stand’.” He looked at the chain with disgust. “I can only imagine how many…creatures he strangled to death with that thing.”

“Celestia drill my backside,” Nightcanter snarled. “You’re one of those conspiracy nags. Don’t listen to this idiot, Applejack, he’s a damn chosen apologist who thinks Apple Slice must be garbage because his high and mighty clan tossed him out!”

The two ponies sized each other up. Now, most of the crowd were more interested in what would happen between the two quarreling captains than the mysterious chain.

“That’s enough quibbling!” another pony from the crowd said. It was a unicorn stallion this time: a bright blue one with a long, curly white mane. “You’re both wrong anyway,” he said. “Apple Slice couldn't have possibly been a hero, or a psychopath. He’d have to exist to be either.”

Nightcanter rolled her eyes. “Here we go,” she said, “another ‘earth ponies are useless’ lecture from Mage Captain Drizzlecloud!”

“I hate to disappoint you, but Apple Slice is not real,” Drizzlecloud said to Applejack. “He’s a myth created by the Legion to inspire earth ponies during that time. Prior to the legend of Apple Slice, earth ponies had no heroes to look up to. Pegasi had Wind Runner and Ash Frost, while unicorns had Afterthought and Moonrage. To keep Infantry recruitment going strong, the Legion invented Apple Slice, the noble farmer who gallantly refused to join his family in the Heartland to continue protecting Equestria. A few centuries later, when the earth ponies finally had actual heroes, some pegasi started spreading stories about how Apple Slice was actually a monster. Likely because they felt that the earth ponies were getting too proud.”

“Of course the unicorns had a clear conscience in the entire affair,” Sunray muttered. “They always do in Drizzlecloud’s ‘historical facts’.”

Drizzlecloud turned his nose up. “Don’t blame me, blame the truth.”

“Hold on for one pony-picking minute here!” Applejack said. Despite being faced by captains, she wasn't going to sit there while they threw one story after another about somepony who might be family. “The Queen told me that Apple Slice fell valiantly in battle during his last stand!”

The three stopped, and looked at Applejack.

“The Queen?” Drizzlecloud asked. “Our prince’s mother, and one of the Eternal Herd’s great rulers?”

“Yes, that Queen,” Applejack said.

“I believe her,” Nightcanter added. “I heard it from Vanguard Clash. The Queen spoke to our prince through this one.”

“Then I will not doubt that the Queen did speak with you,” Drizzlecloud replied. “As to what she actually told you…that I can throw some doubt on.”

“What do you mean?” Applejack asked.

Drizzlecloud raised an eyebrow. “Rather convenient to say that the Queen told you that now that Apple Slice’s story is the topic of the conversation.”

“Are you calling me a liar?” Applejack stepped towards Drizzlecloud. “I oughta--”

“You can roast me over a slow fire if you want,” Drizzlecloud said. “It doesn't make you more truthful in anypony’s eyes. You’re better off showing proof.”

Applejack fell silent. There was no proof. To be doubted like this was painful, irritating, and humiliating. She wanted to lash out, but Drizzlecloud was right, hurting anypony would prove nothing.

“And I suppose you have proof, Drizzlecloud?” Nightcanter asked.

“I can show you documents if you want,” Drizzlecloud replied. “I happen to have done some research into this personally.”

“And I've got a few books about the subject back in Bastion City,” Sunray said.

“No doubt written by pegasi,” Drizzlecloud retorted.

Before anypony else could say something, a sudden blast from a horn sent them scrambling. The training grounds cleared in less than a minute.

“What’s going on?” Applejack asked. “What was that horn blowing for?”

“The prince is arriving,” Nightcanter said. “It’s to be expected though. Don’t know why everypony’s in a panic.”

“Uh…Captain Nightcanter?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you kindly for helping me out with this thing.”

Nightcanter smiled in return. “No problem, Applejack. If you and Vanguard finally start doing it, and need some company, give me an invite. I really want to see him cut loose.” The smile widened. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”

Applejack didn't know if she should smile back, or be afraid.

“You better get back with your squad. I’m willing to bet that our prince is going to want to see all of you!” Nightcanter walked off. Applejack coiled the chain around her neck, and made her way back to the shared quarters.

Terrato had arrived within the audience hall by teleportation, to the shock of the workers still there. He had not come alone either. With him were Dreadstep, and Celestia. Whispers quickly went rampant throughout the fortress, especially when ponies noticed the sun symbol on his sister's flank. The word was out: Celestia was in Fangbreaker Fortress. Rumors were already abounding in Bastion City and they only grew in number here.

Most of the morning was spent on inspection. Terrato surveyed his newly-reacquired fortress with a sense of pride for his legionnaires. and grim speculation. If he was going to use this place as a launching point for his invasion, expansions would have to take place. By noon, he was receiving reports in the audience hall with Celestia, and Dreadstep. Celestia had been silent ever since she spent a day in Bastion City as an earth pony. When asked her what happened, she had not answered. He had called for the Elements of Harmony. Perhaps the sight of her beloved student would put some cheer in her. Afterwards, he had an execution to attend. It was best to do that without her at his side.

When the Elements of Harmony did walk in, however, it looked like they were going to do the opposite of what he wanted of them. Celestia noticed as well. Her eyes widened, and she leaned forward out of concern. Before she could say anything, Terrato spoke first. “You’re looking significantly less gaudy than when we last had a meeting,” he said. “Are my aesthetics starting to rub off on you, or is there something you’d like to tell me?”

Twilight stepped forward, her head low as she spoke. “Your highness, the Elements of Harmony….well…they shattered.”

“Twilight…” Celestia went among them. They gathered around her, seeking comfort. Terrato let them stay that way for some time while Dreadstep looked to him nervously. The old stallion knew the signs of his prince’s growing impatience.

“That’s enough feeling sorry for yourselves!” Terrato said. He looked to his sister. “Stop coddling them, Celestia! Harmonia Intus!”

Applejack’s eyes widened. “Hey, I recognize that! The Queen said it to me before.”

Celestia shot a disapproving look at Terrato before addressing Applejack. “Harmony comes from within,” she said. “Don’t be so sad, girls. It’s true that the loss of the physical elements is a terrible thing, but all is not lost.”

“What do you mean, your highness?” Twilight asked.

“True Harmony does not rely on metal and stone,” Celestia said with a smile. “The jewelry you held served as focuses to channel the power of harmony. Without them, it will be difficult to call forth the power of the Elements, but not impossible.”

Twilight's face brightened. “How do we do that?” she asked.

“Tell me first as to how they came to shatter,” Celestia replied.

Twilight narrated their last encounter with Nightmare Moon. Her friends added their experience after she had disappeared. Celestia fell silent when Twilight mentioned the voices she heard when she was transported into the middle of nowhere. Terrato also fell into a frowning contemplation.

“From what you've told me, I can only guess that you were not in harmony when you tried to use the elements,” Celestia said. “The devices sensed your great need, and activated anyway, but the strain of doing so was too much.”

“So we broke the elements…” Twilight said.

Celestia shook her head. “No, Twilight, you broke the devices. Whatever has come between all of you must be dealt with, and then…” She hesitated. “It is difficult to explain. You must simply remember that Harmony has personal as well as social aspects. You must grow in both.”

The depressed, self-pitying look on Twilight disappeared. “We will, princess!" She looked to her friends, who nodded in return. Both Rarity and Applejack were doing so with less enthusiasm.

“I have full faith in you, Twilight. One more thing...” Celestia leaned forward to whisper to her student. Curious, Terrato listened in. “Later, I would like to talk to you about this Pyre Valor.”

Twilight nodded with less enthusiasm, and Celestia walked back to stand next to Terrato. “Good that you have that settled,” he said. “With Nightmare Moon gone, there won’t be much of a need for you to remain a squad. I want you to return to your previous positions, and concentrate on your training.”

“Terrato, perhaps you should let them see their families first,” Celestia said. “They were forced to leave their homes so abruptly.”

Terrato paused, then returned his gaze to the bearers. “Would you like that?” he asked. “Would you like to see your families?”

“That would be lovely!” Rarity said. The others nodded vigorously.

“Go then. I’ll give you a couple of weeks. While you’re there, I want you to help facilitate the drafts. Having fellow chosen tell them the importance of what needs to be done should move your neighbors along." Terrato waved a hoof. "You are dismissed.”

Twilight bowed along with her friends before leaving the audience hall. Once they were gone, Celestia turned towards Terrato. “Lunalux Umbra, and Solis Coruscaria,” she whispered. “The last of Oceanus' handmaidens. Is he on the verge of returning?”

“He’s a rebellion short,” Terrato replied. “I had thought that all the betrayers had fallen into dormancy. I don’t know how those two stayed up, but we’ll deal with them when the time comes. Hopefully, with you back in full power.”

A knock on the doors of the audience hall drew both their attentions. A legionnaire entered, and bowed low. “Your highness, we have a pony here who teleported into the fortress asking for an audience with you.”

“You sound pretty shaken, legionnaire,” Terrato said. “Something else I should know?”

“Yes, your highness. He said that his name was Blue Moon, leader of the Thorns, and that it was imperative that he see you at once.”

Terrato's frown deepened. “Bring him in,” he said.

“Terrato, who is this pony?” Celestia asked.

“Blue Moon is Black Rose’s younger brother,” Terrato said. “The Thorns served as her special tasks group. They should also be dead, but this shouldn't come as a surprise when dealing with her.”

Celestia tensed. Black Rose: the pony who had brazenly stolen her power during that fateful day. It had been some time since Terrato last heard of Black Rose. He looked towards the doors, and watched as a unicorn stallion, flanked by a pair of guards, walked through them. Blue Moon was so slender, and delicately featured, that it was easy to mistake him for a mare. He had a flowing, silvery blue mane, and his coat was a very pale blue. He wore an elaborate soft-clothed coat, partly armored around the neck and shoulders with gracefully curving plates of metal. On his collar was the emblem of a black, five-petaled rose with six thorns protruding symmetrically around it.

“Blue Moon,” Terrato said. “Your sister has been quite a headache lately.” He unleashed his magic as he spoke, looking to break down any magical defenses around Blue Moon before trapping him. To his surprise, he found none. He delayed the caging spell for now. “I assume the rest of the Thorns are up and about as well?” he asked.

Blue Moon knelt with his head held low. “Lion Court, Longstride, and Sablesteel have all been given their assignments, your highness,” he replied. “Rhapsody failed to revive, but Black Rose still has Warsinger, and only needs somepony it is willing to attune to. Frenzy Heart also failed to revive, and will have to be replaced completely.”

“That’s…unusually informative,” Terrato said. His eyes narrowed. “What are you up to, Blue Moon?”

“Your highness, I am here to warn you of my sister’s plans.”

Teachers and Students

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 9: Teachers and Students

“Is there something wrong, little brother? I've given you your assignment, but you haven’t moved.”

Blue Moon stood at perfect attention while Black Rose reclined on a sofa. He was still getting used to her new appearance. Though still slender and delicate, Black Rose had more than doubled in size, and that growth was accompanied by an awe-inspiring aura of power that she unconsciously exuded. Even staring at her directly gave him a mild trembling. Whenever she stretched out her black-feathered wings, they cast a truly ominous shadow against the fire light. Nevertheless, she spoke to him with the same fondness that she did back when he was a colt, desperately trying to follow in her hoof-steps. He knew better than to feel comfortable, however. He had never seen Black Rose angry or upset, but he had seen her mercilessly bring about the deaths of hundreds of enemies.

“With your permission, I would like to understand something first,” Blue Moon replied.

“Of course, what would you like to know?”

“Celestia’s barrier is down, and Equestria is on the path of reunification. The wolven have fled, and there doesn't seem to be any imminent threats from our other neighbors. You've accomplished everything you set out to do.”

“How kind of you to say so.” Black Rose smiled, and dipped her head slightly as if Blue Moon had just complimented her mane. “However, I have not accomplished everything. Indeed, I've only won minor victories.”

“Do you really need Princess Celestia’s power for your remaining goals?”

Black Rose shook her head. For a moment, Blue Moon felt like a colt, once more failing to grasp Black Rose's plan so she had to repeat herself. “In truth, little brother, I will need more than the power of sunlight" she said. "The salvation of Equestria will require more, and I plan on drawing on every available resource to achieve it. Princess Celestia lacks the proper disposition to wield this power, at least for now. My ascendance is not a matter of ambition, but part of a very important process. You will see soon.”

It took willpower for Blue Moon to avoid biting his lip. “It’s just that I would be more at ease if the methods you used were more indicative of your goal of helping Equestria, High Commander,” he said.

Black Rose's lower lip stuck out a bit. “Come now, Blue Moon. Didn't I tell you that you may call me ‘big sister’ when we’re alone?”

Blue Moon didn't respond to that. A look of disappointment crossed his sister’s face. “I frighten you as well, do I?” she asked. “Would it put you more at ease if I told you of what I planned to do next?”

“Yes.”

“Then listen closely…”

Blue Moon remained kneeling. Terrato's magic had come upon him the moment he entered the audience chamber. It was only when the prince relented by not slaying him did he relax a little. His lack of defenses had paid off, and he could say what he had come to say without being smashed into a bloodstain.

“Before I even bother listening, you’d better explain yourself,” Terrato said. “As silly as it may sound, I’m not going to just believe that the captain of Black Rose's Thorns betrayed her on a whim.”

Blue Moon raised his head. “It was Black Rose who betrayed me, your highness!” he said. “I supported her because I believed she had the good of Equestria as her goal.” He shifted his gaze to Celestia. “I believed that the barrier was wrong, and that Equestria needed to be reunited. I even agreed with her plan to take away Princess Celestia’s power to bring about those changes. However, I cannot support her now that I've found out what she’s planning.”

“And what exactly is she planning?” Terrato asked.

Blue Moon paused. He had spent so long serving his sister, and convincing himself that he was independent of her, but it was only now that he was finally going to be able to separate the two. “Your highness, Black Rose plans to utilize the Blasphemous Rift.”

Terrato's face darkened; the only outward sign of his reaction. Next to him, Celestia clenched her jaw tightly. Blue Moon guessed that it was all she could do not to start trembling.

“How does she plan on getting in there?” Terrato asked. “Not even Celestia’s full power can open the seals placed on the Blasphemous Rift.”

“She devised a method after going through the library of Lexarius. As to what it is, I cannot say.” Blue Moon looked aside briefly. “She would not trust even her brother with that.”

When Terrato finally decided to speak, his voice betrayed nothing of the tension around him. “Dreadstep, have Blue Moon horn-locked, and imprisoned,” he said. “I want him guarded by your strongest unicorn magi at all times.”

“At once, your highness,” Dreadstep replied. He didn't even have a questioning look in his face despite all the information he had just heard.

Terrato turned towards Blue Moon. “I’m sure that won’t be a problem for you. I need to verify your information, and keep you available.”

Blue Moon bowed his head once more. “I fully expected this, your highness.”

The mortals left the audience chamber along with the guards, leaving Terrato alone with his sister. For some time, they didn't even so much as look at one another. The information was still sinking in: the audacity, the ambition, and the sheer magnitude of what Black Rose was planning…even for alicorns, it was just too much to take in at once.

“Your student has gone too far, Terrato,” Celestia said.

“I had her at pitting us against each other and stealing your power,” Terrato replied.

“Even we don’t know what Oceanus left in the Blasphemous Rift before the Eternal Herd sealed it," Celestia said. "She is basing her plans on a dangerous unknown!”

“We know that Oceanus severely harmed father with it,” Terrato said. “Now, we know that even taking your power is just one more step for her. Black Rose's ambition knows no bounds. I doubt even Oceanus or the Eternal Herd is safe.”

“You sound a little proud,” Celestia said. The worry in her tone was unmistakable.

“Maybe,” Terrato replied. He didn't meet her gaze. “I used to praise her for her grand planning, and her occasional bold gamble. She’s come a long way from clearing out ursan outposts.” He shook his head. “Regardless, I’m going to have to move more of the Legion to the Heartland so we can monitor the entrance to the Blasphemous Rift.”

Celestia frowned at this, but she stayed silent.

Including the rift where Oceanus first fell in the Heartland’s creation was an unfortunate, but necessary, evil. It lay almost at the very center of Equestria; a gigantic crevice that harbored the lingering traces of the most evil creature in existence. It was also within the rift that the first mortal ponies came forth. When Lexarius had first arrived in this world, he, and several of the highest-ranked stewards in the Eternal Herd, were tasked with obliterating any traces of Oceanus and his followers. They had succeeded in every area except for the rift. There was something within the darkest bowels of that place, something that Oceanus left behind when he and his followers desperately dragged themselves into hiding. Not even the combined efforts of the strongest stewards in the Eternal Herd could so much as move the thing. With the King and Queen unable to enter this world without annihilating half of it, the stewards channeled as much of their rulers’ divine power as possible, and sealed the thing away. Lexarius then altered the very landscape of the place to hide it from prying eyes.

Terrato looked to his sister. When Celestia took over where the insane Lexarius had failed, she placed her own safeguards over the Blasphemous Rift, hiding even the structures that Lexarius built around it away from her little ponies. The Heartland had no need of any reminder of a conflict none of them should be involved in. Let Oceanus be hidden away until the time of his final defeat arrived.

There was still one more puzzle to Black Rose’s plan. How was she going to get inside the rift? Black Rose was a cunning, manipulative mare with the power of an alicorn princess, but the seals that barred her way were beyond even the power of sunlight. “Celestia,” he said.

It took a few seconds more before Celestia realized that he calling her attention. “Yes?” she asked.

“Perhaps it’s time to bring the Eternal Herd into this. Luna and I can open a gate and--”

“No!” Celestia's tone brooked no argument. “If we call for aid, that zealot, Gravitas, will have the ammunition he needs to subjugate Equestria. How much will be destroyed because of his methods? No. I will not call out to the Eternal Herd unless this world is truly on the verge of destruction.”

“You've opened a gate before,” Terrato said.

“And it was a foalish, reckless, and paranoid thing to do, even if I only called out a small number of enforcers. Gravitas will bring so much worse without any concern of what it would do to this world, or how the other heavenly realms will react.”

“I doubt that the King and Queen will not allow their general to act so rashly,” Terrato said.

Celestia’s brows furrowed. “If I could say without a single doubt that Father and Mother’s foremost concern was protecting the ponies that sprang from Oceanus, I would not have insisted on staying after we defeated Lexarius.”

Terrato shook his head. “Stubborn…” he muttered. “Fine, we’ll do everything we can to make sure that the Herd isn't involved any further. Moving on, I’m going to the Heartland soon. You should come with me. There’s only so much reassurance that Luna can provide in your absence.”

Celestia nodded. “May I ask you something, Terrato?” she asked.

“What is it?”

“Why are you separating the bearers?”

“I don’t need them together right now," Terrato said with a shrug. "They’ll serve the Legion better in their respective fields, instead of hanging out as a group doing nothing.”

Celestia frowned. “The elemental foci shattered clearly due to a lack of harmony on their part,” she said. “How can you expect them to mend their bonds if you keep them apart?”

“Because I want them to depend on each other, not be dependent on each other!” Terrato snapped. He let out a sharp exhale. “They've been together for a long time. They even got banished together. That’s all well and good, but I want them to think for themselves this time. I want them to think carefully of where they stand with all the changes in their world. If, as a group, their whole is greater than the sum of their parts, then strengthening them individually should produce greater results.”

Celestia's frown only deepened. “And what if they drift apart further?”

“They are the Elements of Harmony. Coddling them will accomplish nothing. Their bonds should be tempered with some isolation and conflict in the same way steel is tempered with fire and hammer blows.”

Celestia stomped a front hoof. “These are living ponies you are dealing with, Terrato, not lifeless weapons! Their bonds should be nurtured and sustained, not strained until they break!”

Terrato matched Celestia’s indignant glare with a hardened one of his own. “Those ponies have been under your care for a long time,” he said. “The results haven’t been good enough against what they've had to face. It’s time I took care of things my way.”

Celestia reeled. Once more, Terrato realized that he was going too far. The barrier was one thing, but for him to suggest that she had failed in properly guiding the Elements of Harmony--

"If they break from your rough treatment, there will be no turning back,” Celestia said. “Ponies aren't tools that you can just repair when broken.”

“I've ruled over ponies too, Celestia!" Terrato growled. "You've taken a look around. You weren't surrounded by broken tools, you were surrounded by an army that has stood strong throughout the centuries. I believe in my methods.”

“The greatest result of your methods knifed me with her magic and--” Celestia stopped. “Terrato, I’m sorry. I’ve been with your ponies and they’re--”

Terrato put a hoof up. He looked far away, and he spoke with a slight tremble in his voice. “My student played you like a fiddle, then took what she wanted from you," he said. "Hers is an intelligence and drive that Twilight Sparkle can only wish she had.” He walked to the doors. Before opening them, he looked back one more time at his sister. “The assignments stay. All six of them signed a contract when they joined up. If they break it by going against my orders, I will punish them.”

The doors slammed behind Terrato as he left.

“Are you alright, Princess?” Twilight asked.

“I’ll be fine, Twilight,” Celestia replied. She walked into Fangbreaker's library with six armed guards in tow, each one likely hoof-picked by the prince himself. Knowing the princess, she would have preferred a less imposing escort. Knowing the prince, he would have had none of it. When Celestia sat down, the guards positioned themselves at a distance around her. The ponies working in the library gave her and Twilight a wide berth.

Twilight took note of the choice of words. Her mentor was not fine now. She looked tired and visibly shaken. It wasn't physical exertion that weighed down on her. Twilight could only frown as she suspected its source. For all his talk about his “dearest sister”, Terrato showed about as much affection for Celestia as he would an unwanted house guest.

For the rest of the afternoon, Twilight had returned to helping out in the library while preparations were made for their departure. The prospect of returning to the Heartland, to Ponyville, left her both elated, and apprehensive. She looked forward to talking with her neighbors, and seeing all the familiar sights. The warmth of someplace that wasn't so far to the north would be most welcome. But there were also the things that she dreaded to see: how everypony would react to the returning exiles from a land of war, and seeing the Legion’s presence in their old homes. No matter how much she wished it were so, going back to Ponyville was no return to how things used to be. Soon, she would see how war would affect all of the Heartland. To make matters worse, she and her friends had a hoof in making it happen.

Being surrounded by books, however, helped set Twilight at ease. Proving their penchant for hideous atrocity yet again, the wolven had been using library books as bonfire fuel. The ones that had survived proved to be a fascinating source of information. A particularly interesting find involved Starswirl the Bearded. It was surprising to find that the two realms shared some lore. Learning about the Barrier Lands’ account of the great unicorn would be eye-opening.

That would have to be set aside for later, however. Right now, Twilight expected a talk with Celestia involving a subject she was less enthusiastic about. She moved to Celestia's side, ready to offer her support when Celestia took a seat by one of the long tables. Afterwards, Twilight took the opposing seat.

“Tell me more about this Pyre Valor,” Celestia said. “There was something peculiar in your tone when you were talking about her.”

“Pyre Valor was the first pony I ran into when I first came here,” Twilight said. As much as this topic didn't sit in well with her, she wasn't going to disobey Celestia over something like this. “Landed on, to be exact. We…we didn't get along.”

Celestia settled into her seat, and leaned closer to listen. She had to shift her weight a bit because of her size, but she was fine otherwise. “Yet, she saved your life,” she said.

“Only because I was useful to her!” Twilight replied. “We've fought a couple of times. She hates my guts, and I hate her too! But--”

The intensity in Twilight’s voice took Celestia aback. Seeing her looking even more apprehensive, Twilight stared at her forelegs, and pressed her lips together. Ever since she returned to Fangbreaker, her thoughts about Pyre had been a confused and dark cloud. She tried to think back to their fight on that rooftop, then their fight with Nightmare Moon. Her feelings were much clearer during those times: clearer and purer. She had matched Pyre’s anger with her own, and used that to fuel her spell casting. The world shrank when she fought Pyre. Everything was sharper, move vivid. She could only imagine it once the fight was over. Now, she was reminded of previous conversations with Vanguard. He had been adamant about treating Pyre as an enemy. It was only now that she really understood why. It was just so much easier. She knew what to do with a Pyre who wanted her dead. She had no idea what to make of a Pyre who saved her life.

“They’re going to execute Pyre Valor soon,” Twilight said. Throughout her reverie, Celestia had waited patiently. “They’re just waiting for the rest of Fangbreaker’s troops to arrive so every defender of the fort can see it. She’s tried so hard to kill me, and I've fought back just as hard but…I don’t want her to die. Certainly not like this!” She looked desperately towards Celestia, hoping that her mentor would know an answer to put her at ease. “I don’t understand, Princess. She’s my enemy, and she brought this on herself, but I just feel that, if she dies, I’ll lose something important!”

Celestia reached out with a hoof. Twilight trembled and closed her eyes at the touch. “It’s alright, Twilight,” Celestia said. The calm in that voice smoothed over her frazzled nerves, and quieted the confused thoughts in her mind. A tear sprang to her eyes.

Twilight opened her eyes a little. “Princess?” she asked.

“You've done nothing wrong,” Celestia said. “Showing respect, mercy, and even admiration for an enemy, is not a betrayal of what you believe in. You have seen some good among all the qualities that you dislike, think about that.”

“But she’s going to die soon…”

“Yet, not everything she is needs to die with her. Have you tried to talk to her since her imprisonment?”

Twilight’s lips pressed into a pout. “She never has anything to say to me. If I try, she’ll just call me a bothersome nag again.”

Celestia smiled. “She’s attacked you with worse, hasn't she? A few rude words should count for nothing, especially with her time so uncertain.”

Twilight’s pout disappeared. A talk would settle things somewhat. She was going to try, and she wasn't leaving that dungeon until she got something. “You’re right, Princess,” she said. “I should go right now!”

Celestia nodded, and waved as Twilight left.

With new details to consider, Terrato went through his troop placements once more. He didn't trust every word that Blue Moon said, but he had to take them into account. Regardless of what was inside the Blasphemous Rift, it was still a source of power.

He also had to consider what Celestia said. Sending even more legionnaires into the Heartland would make it look even more like an invasion. He already passed the word that Black Rose’s Thorns were active again. As he watched the night settle from a window, he remembered to warn Luna about Black Rose’s agents as well. With the Blasphemous Rift as a potential target, Luna may be closer to the fighting than originally anticipated. The door opened slowly. He didn't even need to look to know who it was. “Do you need something, dearest sister?” he asked.

“I need to make amends, Terrato,” Celestia replied. “And not just for what happened today.”

“I've already told you that I don’t want to hear it while you’re like that,” Terrato growled.

Celestia stepped farther into the room. “I am Celestia, with or without my power. Do my words still mean anything to you?”

Terrato's lips remained straight, and grim. “You’re wasting your time,” he said.

“I will stay for as long as it takes. We’ll do this your way if that is what’s necessary." Celestia closed her eyes, and lowered her head. "I will accept any punishment.”

Terrato refused to meet Celestia’s gaze. “Did you come here expecting a flogging, or a branding of some sort?” he asked. “As if I could do those things!”

Celestia’s voice softened. “We have to start somewhere, dearest brother.”

“That doesn't have much of an impact when you have only one.” Terrato snorted.

“That doesn't make it any less true.”

Terrato faced his sister at last. “Do you really have such a problem with how I’m dealing with the Elements of Harmony?”

“I’m willing to try your way,” Celestia said with a smile. “But let me have a hoof in it as well.”

Terrato matched the smile this time. “Fine, let’s see how we can work that in.”

The two of them settled down for a talk. Terrato glanced out a window as he did so, just to catch a glimpse of an especially bright moon out tonight.

Fangs and Scales

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 10: Fangs and Scales

To a citizen of Ophidus, Ervain Reis could not be further from an ideal home. As the northernmost of the empire's settlements, it was more an outpost, and an invasion stage, than a proper home. The streets were a chaotic mass of soldiers slithering about, vendors selling their wares, and slavers herding their ponies to the nearest bidding stall. It was only to be expected given that it was so close to the pandemonium that was Equestria.

Hassyth surveyed it all from his manor’s balcony with an impatient sneer. Despite the time he had already spent here, he was never going to get used to the rabble, or the smell of so many unwashed ponies milling about in the open. Ervain Reis would always be a prison to a noble coatl.

Of course, whenever Hassyth’s thoughts strayed towards that subject, he only needed to glance back to the sad state of his manor to remember that he was barely a coatl noble. He was down to this one manor at the borders of the empire, a dozen servants, a couple dozen pony slaves, and two concubines. It was a far cry from his time in the capital, where he was among the very elite of the emperor’s tribe. That was not so long ago, but even a mere decade of misery in this city made the best of times seem a mere dream.

A sudden draft, and the whistle of something flying past mere inches from his face, shattered Hassyth's reverie. With an angry hiss, he unfurled his wings, and unleashed his magic, covering himself with a crackling barrier of protective force. He looked behind him, and found a quivering arrow stuck to the wooden floor. ‘Sniper,’ he thought. He cast another spell, and the arrow glowed. A thin trail of light extended from its fletched end, tracing its path through the air. Hassyth followed the trail only to find it go on and on to the late noon sky. He squinted at the distance, and noticed something. It looked like a pegasus, but it was so far away that it was barely more than a dot. A second later, and it was gone.

‘So Equestria has decided to send assassins after me?’ Hassyth thought. That didn't make sense. He had lost his place of importance a long time ago. Equestria had little to gain with his death. He looked back to the arrow, and noticed the twist of paper tied to the shaft. A pair of cards were attached next to it. Telekinetically, he separated the paper from the shaft, and took a look.

Hassyth of the Coatl tribe,

Greetings. I apologize for the rather rude method of message delivery. I would meet you myself, but I am pressed with important matters. I hope you understand.

I have done a bit of research lately, and came upon your name. You have a past as colorful as your wings, and I understand that you have gone down in the world these past years. Attached to this message are a couple of photographs that you are certain to find very interesting. If you wish to pursue this matter, signal my agent in your area through a flare spell. Longstride will coordinate with your plans.

Sincerely,

Black Rose

Hassyth crumpled the note, and tossed it aside. He knew nothing of the name, only that it was Equestrian. The offer was a bit intriguing, though. He took the photographs and looked. “Scarlet Rabbit!” he hissed. The red coat and the darker red mane were unmistakable, as were the facial features, and the wings. It was his prize racer, still alive and healthy. He trembled with excitement. Scarlet Rabbit's loss was the highlight of that disastrous pony raid on his holdings. He had lost a great deal of resources, and the greatest source of his income. To think that the Equestrian Legion now benefited from his most valuable racer! They had likely messed with its conditioning. Already, he imagined reacquiring it, and resetting the proper training. It would corner the races once more, and his fortune would return.

“The brave hunter Nasihihyth ignored the warnings of his fellows, and chased after the strange scarlet rabbit. Through brushes, woods, and rivers, he pursued the creature. For days he could not stop in his chase until he finally ran it down. With a loud hiss of joy, he raised the animal. It was then that Nasihihyth looked around, and discovered that the creature had led him far away from any known trails. He was tired, hungry, without supplies, and lost. The hunter cursed at his folly, and was never seen again.”

Hassyth laughed inwardly as he remembered the old bedtime story of his grandmother. He was no foolish hunter, the rivals of his unbeatable racer were. He was a determined noble who was merely reacquiring his possessions. He put the first photograph aside, and looked at the other one. Acquiring Scarlet Rabbit was more than enough for him to consider working with this “Longstride”. What else could be there?

The next one was of another pegasus: a light blue mare. He could tell from its sleek build, and well-developed wings that this one would be a good flyer as well. It was still young, and easily trainable if he could get her to a proper racing stable. Its mane quickly grabbed his attention. This one had the most fascinating mane he had seen among pegasi. “Coatl coloration!” he exclaimed. He looked to his own rainbow-colored wings, then back to the photograph. This was a valuable find indeed. Never mind its potential as a racer, if he could present a fine pegasus specimen with the colors of the Coatl tribe before Emperor Sesyth, he would surely be rewarded with a fortune that not even Scarlet Rabbit could acquire after a lifetime of winning races. He imagined bringing it to the palace on that day, and having it bow obediently before the emperor. Better yet, if he could train it to dance to “Pride of the Ophidites”, his fortune was assured.

“Hashymissa!” Hassyth called out. His majordomo slithered into his chambers. Hashymissa was Scarlet Rabbit’s trainer, and was responsible for all his pony slaves. Typical of vipren, she was adept in slavery, inflitration, and, above all else, cruelty.

“You called, master?” Hashymissa hissed.

“I have an important mission for you, something that may take you to Equestria itself.”

“That is a truly perilous mission indeed, master.”

Hassyth nodded. Equestria was a dangerous place filled with vigilant pony legionnaires eager to kill any ophidite who dared to trespass. “I have heard the scouts,” he said. “Equestria is dealing with matters by its other borders. If there was ever a time to infiltrate, it would be now.” He looked down his balcony again. Ervain Reis was marshaling its own troops for a raid on Equestria itself. If it wasn't for the growing crisis of the Crocodilian Rebellions closer to the capital, Ophidus would be launching an all-out assault on its northern neighbor. “Bring eight of our best slaves with you. You are to capture these ponies alive.” He tossed the photographs at Hashymissa, who grabbed it with her hands.

With that, Hasyth looked up to the steadily darkening sky, and fired a flare spell.

Effigy

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 11: Effigy

In its centuries of history, Fangbreaker Fortress had seen more than its fair share of executions. The Legion valued unflinching duty, and discipline. Ponies who failed to embody those virtues were looked upon poorly, and swiftly punished. Deserters, spies, rebels, and those whose incompetence brought about the deaths of many...all met their fate at the end of a noose. Hanging was a traitor’s death, and a punishment that didn't end with merely the criminal’s corpse. The shame of the crime often continued to haunt the families of the condemned. The ponies of the Barrier Lands were not above casting some of the blame on a criminal’s parentage, or even ancestry.

As she walked the passageway that led from her cell to the fortress’s main courtyard, it was that last sentiment that gave Pyre a vague twinge in her chest. Her parents were still back in Bastion City. They had survived the siege for sure. She had confidence in the Legion’s protection. She knew that even without being told.

That didn't stop an annoying pony from telling her anyway.

“Your parents are still alive and well, you know,” Twilight said.

Huddled against a corner of her cell, Pyre rested her head against a wall. Being beaten up by guard was better than putting up with this. “And why should I care about them, nag?” she asked. “I just ruined whatever shambles of a name they had. And I would have let the wolven kill them if the siege had succeeded.”

Twilight tilted her head, her eyebrows furrowed in disapproval. “Do you really care nothing about them at all?”

“What’s going on here, Twilight Sparkle?" Pyre snapped. "What are you pestering me for? Entertainment? How did you get the guards to let you in anyway? Did you convince them that you’ll torture me with your inanities?”

Twilight took a step closer. “I just…I just want to understand you better!”

Pyre leaned forward from her corner. Her face was so swollen and bruised that even scowling hurt. “We haven’t become friends, Twilight Sparkle!” she hissed. “Don’t think that I’m going to ‘open up’ to you because of what happened earlier!”

“Oh, I know we’re not friends,” Twilight replied.

Pyre stomped a hoof, stifling a wince in the process. “Then stop wasting my time and yours!”

“There has to be more to this, Pyre Valor!” Twilight said. She took another step forward, coming tantalizingly close to Pyre's cell. “You’ll be executed tomorrow! I can’t accept that as the end!”

“You've only known me for about a month! What could you possibly know about how it all ends?" Pyre's eyes narrowed, and her tone dropped. "Tomorrow will be a conclusion that has taken all my life to reach.”

It was Twilight's turn to stomp a hoof. “So that’s it? You’re just going to walk out there and hang?”

Pyre leaned back on her wall. It was late, and she was tired. This was only her second night of being able to sleep without being angry over the division, or being possessed by Nightmare Moon. It was probably also her last, and she didn't want to waste minutes of it talking to Twilight. “Yes,” she said quietly. ”What else do you want, Twilight Sparkle? The pony who kept kicking your flank is going to die.” She smiled wryly. “You should be dancing jigs, not making it sound like you’re going to miss me.”

Twilight reared up, and struck the bars with her front hooves. “Don’t be flippant!” she said. “I haven’t even beaten you yet!”

The smile disappeared momentarily as Pyre processed the information. Beaten her? The idea hadn't even occurred to her. She had come to respect this annoying filly's magical power and focus. That Twilight could stand up to Nightmare Moon, even for a short while, made her worthy of the Legion’s uniform. The idea of some form of rivalry…“Is that what this is about?” she asked. “You don’t want me executed so you can have the pleasure of killing me yourself?”

“No!” Twilight answered. She looked aside, unable to meet Pyre’s questioning look. “It’s not about killing you." Her voice lowered. “But I…I've never wanted to beat anypony before. Not in my entire life.” She looked at Pyre. “You asked me before if I've ever looked at another unicorn, and asked myself ‘How can I beat her?’. The answer was never. Not until you came along. Ever since that day, I've thrown myself into study and training so I can beat you. I've never studied that way before. That kind of drive and focus...pushing myself, and imagining that scene when I win…” A minute passed in silence. “I liked it…” Twilight stared at the floor, looking embarrassed, and unsure of herself.

Pyre Valor laughed.

At first, a look of confusion spread across Twilight’s face, but Pyre’s laugh quickly changed that. “What’s so funny?” she asked, her face red.

“That was pathetic!” Pyre said. She walked up to the bars of her cell. She was serious before she spoke again. “Nightmare Moon called me an insect when she first possessed me,” she said, “but she was scared when she faced you. I was an insect, and you were a threat! Yet, here you are talking about your lofty goal of beating me in single combat!” Her hooves shot through the bars so quickly that Twilight had no time to react. In an instant, Twilight's face had slammed against the bars with Pyre holding on to her mane. “Protect Equestria. No matter the cost, and no matter who pays it!” Pyre snarled. “I almost lost sight of that goal because of you. You don’t get to make that mistake. Not when you get to live! Put it above yourself, and whatever small, pathetic, personal goals you might have!” She let Twilight go, and walked back to the corner of her cell. “I’m just one unicorn mage. Tomorrow, I’ll just be a corpse. You’ll have more enemies ahead. Stop feeling sorry that your little spat with me ended before you could get the upper hoof.”

Twilight had no answer. She was still rubbing her forehead painfully when Pyre shouted for the guards.

Pyre reached the section of the passage that connected her branch of the dungeon with Blademane's. He had been led out as well, and now walked behind her. Their guards surrounded them like a wall of silent, moving metal. A quick look showed that Blademane had been severely beaten up too.

“Are you alright?” Blademane asked. The genuine concern in his tone hurt.

“Does it matter?” Pyre asked in return. “We’ll both be dead soon.”

Blademane snorted. “True.”

After a few silent minutes, they could see the light from the courtyard at the end of the passageway. “Tell me something, Blademane,” Pyre said.

“Yes?”

“I am never going to be able to return the sort of loyalty you've shown me," Pyre said. "You knew this from the start. No more silent treatment. Now that we’re so close to the end, tell me why you've come this far.”

Blademane answered his usual silence first. Pyre was about to prod him when he spoke. “I never expected you to reciprocate. At the start, maybe I did. But it wasn't even about that in the end. Has it really not occurred to you that I might actually believe in your cause?”

“It could have if you actually talked,” Pyre replied.

“My fault then. To be fair, I didn't believe in it right away. I thought that you’d eventually calm down, marry Vanguard Clash, and be a quiet, productive legionnaire.”

Pyre frowned. “You were wrong.”

“In more than one way. I agreed with you. I never said I did. I didn't have the courage to be as outspoken as you were. I got my chance to change that when you two fought.”

Pyre looked behind, her and found Blademane smiling for the first time she had known him. She looked away when she felt a smile beginning to curve her lips. “What a pair we make,” she said. “The mare who talked too much, and the stallion who talked too little.”

“Thank you, Pyre Valor.”

Pyre nearly stopped in her tracks. “What could you possibly have to thank me for?” she asked.

“Giving me a chance to say something I would never have if I spent the rest of my life serving in the Legion. You said all the words, and made all the decisions. All I needed to do was stay by your side. Thank you for that.”

Pyre snorted. “Now, you’re talking too much, Blademane.”

Both of them fell silent when they finally made it out to the courtyard. The open space was full of legionnaires today, all present to see the execution of the two villains of the wolven invasion. Any other work around the fortress, save for guard duty, had been delayed. As Pyre walked past the rows of legionnaires, she looked towards the gallows. Though she didn't look, she could tell that Vanguard was watching, as was Twilight. Perhaps they were even watching together. On the gallows was the imposing figure of Prince Terrato.

It wasn't until she was climbing up the wooden stairs of the gallows that Pyre noticed something strange; there was no hangpony around. The nooses were prepared, but the only pony on the structure was Prince Terrato. Was he going to hang her himself?

Terrato gestured for the guards to remove her horn-lock. “You have some nerve pushing me as you have, Pyre Valor,” he said. His voice carried over to every pony present. “Hundreds of your fellows are dead by your betrayal, and you aided Nightmare Moon, an enemy not just of Equestria, but of the Eternal Herd itself. Every Black Rose rebel has paid for this betrayal by hanging, but I think something different should await the pony who has done more.”

Pyre held her prince’s gaze without flinching. She wasn't going to lower her head in contrition when she was contrite over nothing. When Prince Terrato remained silent, she decided to speak for one last time.

“Terrato, wait!”

Before Pyre could utter a word, another alicorn fly towards them. She didn't recognize the white coat, and the pink mane, but she could tell who this was. She braced herself for the rage, the same rage that had smoldered within her nearly all her life. To her surprise, all she felt was a mild annoyance. It was more because Princess Celestia had interrupted the procedures than any anger towards the worst of Equestria’s royalty. For a frightful moment, Pyre considered that she might have unconsciously forgiven the nag princess. However, it wasn't forgiveness that sapped her rage. She was simply spent. She had thrown what she had at the nag princess, and her foul edict, and she got the results she wanted. The anger had been slowly dissipating even when Nightmare Moon had still possessed her. Now, she just wanted to get things over.

“Celestia, I thought you had your fill of hangings from your time in Bastion City,” Terrato said.

“You told me yourself that my division was wrong, Terrato,” Celestia said. “This pony has done terrible things, as had those rebels in Bastion City, but what end do their deaths accomplish?”

Terrato lowered his voice before replying. “Why don’t we ask her?” he suggested. He turned his attention back to Pyre. “Do you wish to be spared?” he asked.

“No,” was the quick and sure reply.

Celestia shifted her attention to Pyre, and took a step back when she met a fierce stare. “Pyre Valor, do you honestly wish to be executed like this?” she asked.

A spark of her old rage lit up in Pyre. “Like this”. Celestia certainly had some nerve looking down on her. Terrato took only one look at her, and he quickly understood. He stepped between the two of them.

“My sister hasn't quite grasped the way things are in the Legion,” Terrato said. He glanced at Celestia briefly. “I think you understand why there’s no hangpony around, and why I had your horn-lock removed.”

“I understand perfectly, your highness,” Pyre replied.

Terrato raised his voice again. “Pyre Valor, you've spent your life taking matters into your own hooves. It’s only fitting that your death be of the same manner.”

Pyre dropped to her knees in response. “This is an honor I don’t deserve, your highness,” she said.

“I’ve heard your reasons from Vanguard Clash and Dreadstep’s reports,” Terrato said. “Not only that, you could have run off when you had the chance. A lot of Black Rose rebels certainly tried. Instead, you performed one last favor for the Legion. Crazy as it may sound, I can actually respect that.”

After that, Pyre stood up, and jumped down the gallows. The ponies closest to her gasped, and backed away. Her horn glowed a deep red as she intoned a spell.

From the crowd, Twilight moved forward, her horn glowing with a spell of her own. She knew it! Pyre wasn't just going to fade into nothing like this. She wasn't--

A deep red blaze engulfed Pyre, quickly consuming her mane, tail, and coat, and sending clouds of smoke spiraling upward. She dropped to her knees, her face twisting in terrific agony, but she didn't so much as let out a cry of pain.

Twilight stopped dead in her tracks, her spell fizzling out before it could be completed. She watched in horror even as the heat and smoke obscured her view. “No!” she cried out. She tried to run towards Pyre, but somepony suddenly grabbed her from behind, and held her still. With a cry of rage and frustration, she looked at who it was and found Vanguard. He looked at her sadly before looking back to the burning spectacle. Mollified somewhat, she followed his gaze.

“And that’s why you make them white-hot.”

A white-hot blaze would have consumed Pyre quickly, and without suffering. “You foal…” Twilight said with a sob. “This doesn't make up for anything!”

Atop the gallows, Celestia moved forward, but Terrato blocked her path. With nopony to stop him, Blademane jumped down, and hugged Pyre. The flames blazed even fiercer, and engulfed him as well.

Though the crowd had been surprised at first, they soon realized what had just happened, and went on to calmly watch the scene. Through it all, neither Pyre nor Blademane made a sound. It was hard to even tell if they had already died. The only sound that could be heard throughout the courtyard was the crackling of flames.

The blaze eventually died down, leaving behind vaguely pony-shaped masses of ash that crumbled into an indistinct pile. Terrato stared at the pile grimly, then motioned for some guards. “Gather their remains,” he told them. “Mark their graves with what exactly they did.”

As the guards hurried to do his bidding, Terrato passed by his sister, who was still looking at the smoking pile in confusion. “I don’t understand,” she said softly. “Why did she want to die so badly?”

“Want has nothing to do it,” Terrato replied. “Get some rest, dearest sister, we’ll be at the Heartland before the day’s end.”

Terrato flew off. Celestia glanced sadly at the smoking pile one more time, then flew after him.

While the crowd began to disperse, Twilight and Vanguard continued to look on. A few more tears ran down Twilight’s cheeks when she finally turned away. She wiped them away angrily, silently reminding herself that she despised Pyre. It didn't work. Her friends were already coming over, concern and confusion mixing on their faces. A foreleg went around her shoulders.

“Save your grief,” Vanguard said. Even his normally stoic voice cracked. “We all knew that this was going to be the end of it, her most of all. If you have even a shred of respect for her, you should be glad that his highness granted her the honor of ending her own life.”

“Is that what honor’s supposed to be?” Twilight whispered harshly. “Do you want something like that, Vanguard?”

“Dying for something I believe in?” Vanguard asked. “When the time comes, perhaps. Put this scene behind you, Twilight. You wouldn't want to go home with a burning mare in your thoughts.” Once the others had come close enough, he let go of Twilight, and left.

A few hours later, Vanguard made his way towards Storm Brew’s newly rebuilt bar and brewery. The ashes were supposed to be buried in marked graves, but a discussion arose among the higher-ranked officers as to what that meant. A lot agreed that blank tombstones should suffice. Somepony said that a plaque of sorts should mark the site as a warning for others. Another said that placing such a mark would only plant the seeds of Pyre being called a hero. Yet another argued that such a scenario may not be so bad.

Through it all, Vanguard was only interested in finally laying his friend to rest. The squabbling only reminded him that, ultimately, Pyre had gotten off easy. She did not have to deal with the events that she had helped set into motion. As he approached Storm Brew’s, he found Twilight already sitting by the bar. She wobbled slightly, then looked up at him with a half-smile before waving a hoof. “Vanguard!” she called out. “About time you showed up! Does it take that long to bury a pot?”

Storm Brew walked over to Vanguard before he could reach the bar. “How much has she drunk?” he asked.

Storm Brew rubbed her messy mane with a hoof. “I gave her a mug that’s a quarter ‘Good Stuff’, and three quarters water,” she said. “She’s made it to half the mug. Rounding up that is. You're going to have your hooves full with this one at some point, Vanguard.”

“Thank you,” Vanguard said. He took a seat next to Twilight, but didn't order a drink of his own.”This better not become a new habit of yours, Twilight.”

“Then unicorns should stop lighting themselves on fire!” Twilight snapped. She stared morosely at her drink, looked like she was about to take another pull, but stopped halfway.

“I must admit, I didn't think her death would affect you this much,” Vanguard said.

“She was such a nag…” Twilight mumbled. “To the end she was mocking me. How did you ever put up with that?”

“There was more to Pyre than just her anger over the division. If you had only met her a couple of years earlier…she would have been happier knowing you.”

“I doubt it,” Twilight replied. “We would have never gotten along.”

“Not as friends,” Vanguard said. “You would have been great rivals. Sparring duels in the day…boasting, and comparing victories in the night. I would have never heard the end of it from her when it came to you.”

“She would have liked that kind of relationship?” Twilight asked.

“Of course. She would have prized it more than some friendships.”

“I’ll never understand her.” Twilight looked at her mug, and tried to take another pull again. This time, the mug made it all the way to her lips before her she set it down. Some time passed before she ventured to talk again. “Say, Vanguard?” she asked.

“Hmm?”

“Does your squad still need a unicorn mage?”

Vanguard raised an eyebrow. “Why are you asking?”

“I want the job.”

“Why the sudden interest in Special Operations?”

Twilight paused, fighting the alcohol fog in her mind for the answer. “I’ll be able to do a lot more in a small special squad like yours," she said. "Especially against somepony like Black Rose who won't act through giant, predictable armies.”

“That’s a good reason." Vanguard said. "I hope it’s the real one, and not because of something Pyre said, or did.

Twilight looked away sheepishly. “Well…there might be that too.”

“Ask me again when you’re sober.”

Twilight pushed the mug away, and stared at Vanguard. There was an intensity in her eyes that even the haze of alcohol couldn't blur. “Is that all I need to do?” she asked.

Vanguard rubbed his temples, and let out a slow exhale. He had expected this somehow. He didn't know why, but he did ever since his mother brought it up. Twilight could do the job. She needed a bit more experience, but she was certainly going to get that soon. She was already working with specialized groups anyway, as were the rest of her friends. Since she finally asked, he couldn't ignore this anymore. “What you need to do is to go home, Twilight,” he said.

Twilight opened her mouth to protest, but Vanguard raised a hoof.

“As soon as you make it back home, talk to all the friends you left behind. Reunite with your family. Reconnect with your old life. Once you've done all of that, ask yourself if you still want Pyre’s old job. If the answer’s still yes, ask me again. I’ll give it some serious thought then.”

A smile crossed Twilight’s face. “I’ll do that then!”

“Have you made all the preparations?”

The smile disappeared. “Uh…let me check on that!” She ran off, leaving behind the still half-full mug of watered down “Good Stuff”.

Vanguard shook his head, and turned his gaze skyward. “Even dead you’re causing me problems, Pyre,” he whispered. He walked off to finish his preparations too. Earlier, he had received his latest orders. Third Squad, as well as a few more Special Operations squads, had business in the Heartland.

The Road to Reunification

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 12: The Road to Reunification

When she heard that her siblings were teleporting to the Royal Palace, Luna immediately returned to Canterlot to greet them. After days of going from one settlement to the next, she was both glad and frightened that this day had finally arrived. It was already sunset by the time she made it, and she was just in time to see the gathering gray light that heralded Terrato’s teleportation spell.

The transition from Barrier Lands and Heartland to a single united Equestria now hinged on how well the next few days went. Terrato’s first appearance before the Heartland’s ponies needed to be carefully managed so this teleportation was kept secret. Celestia’s de-powered state merited the same thing.

Luna's heart dropped when her two older siblings stepped out of the teleportation spell. They were not even looking at each other, and the space between them said more than any explanation on their part would have.

Though she had recovered well physically, even traveling on somepony else’s teleportation spell sapped Celestia’s fragile magical strength. Luna gestured towards the only royal guards so far who knew of their princess’s current condition: Pegasus Guard Captain Bright Shield, who was still struggling with the nervous tremor in his right foreleg since his encounter with the Equi Ignei, and Unicorn Guard Captain Shining Armor, who was still recovering from the disturbing things he had been hearing about his younger sister. That had to be as traumatizing as hearing the alien tongue of the Eternal Herd’s enforcers. It was not yet even a week since Luna was able to assure Shining Armor that his sister was neither a criminal, nor dead. The two escorted Celestia to her quarters.

With Celestia in no condition to talk, Luna approached Terrato. The guilty and annoyed look on his face only proved further that they had to talk before tomorrow.

“You weren't the least bit fair, big brother,” Luna said. After about what had happened. It was all she could do to stem her resentment. She had never met this Pyre Valor save for her encounter with Nightmare Moon’s new host. Yet, even second-hoof knowledge was enough to make her feel something over the execution. They had both been possessed by Nightmare Moon, and they had both attacked Celestia in a rage. While Luna was spared, Pyre Valor was condemned to a slow and painful death. Terrato settled into his quarters. It was easy to tell that he had a lot in his mind. The seeming betrayal of this Blue Moon must be difficult to deal with, and the information about the Blasphemous Rift…steps had to be taken. He was in no mood for what she had to say, but it was because of so many decisions that the three of them had to make that she had to confront him over this brewing issue.

When they heard that they were to set up a room for royalty, the castle’s staff tried to outdo themselves in decorations, and luxury items. Terrato sat gingerly, and looked around in disapproval. He looked as if he had been forced to wear the frilliest dress ever sewn together. “Oh so I’m to blame in this?” he asked. “Isn't it enough that I take what she says into account when it comes to the Elements of Harmony?” The chair was the biggest one available in the palace, but he was still too big for it. His uncomfortable expression made him look even more out of place in the Royal Palace.

“I asked you to talk to big sister before I left for the Heartland. I was hoping that things would be better between you two when you get here. Instead, they've gotten worse! She protested against that execution, and you just shoved her aside!” Luna let out a sigh. “It’s good that you let Twilight and the others return to their homes here but ‘taking what she says into account’ isn't enough. We may get to suggest things, but you still maintain absolute control of the Legion, and the Barrier Lands.

“All I did was enforce my laws!” Terrato said. “There’s nothing--”

“Your laws don’t cut it anymore, big brother!” Luna said. “We’re done with ‘your realm’, and ‘big sister’s realm’ remember?” Her frown deepened. “Your legionnaires look at you through rose-colored glasses because you've fought alongside them for centuries. They don’t consider that you’re just as guilty as big sister when it comes to the existence of that barrier. If big sister was the judge who sentenced them to their fate, you were the warden that enforced that sentence.”

“Are we going to throw blame around now, Luna?” Terrato asked, his voice dropping dangerously.

For a terrifying moment, Luna thought that he might actually attack. The moment passed, and she remembered that, her brother instinctively fell into a fighting stance even during arguments. “I’m not interested in blame,” she said. “What I want is for us to fix where we keep going wrong. Big sister was wrong for banishing Twilight, you were wrong for punishing Vanguard Clash, and you were wrong for letting Pyre Valor burn, and the Black Rose rebels hang. We can’t move forward with a united Equestria if we keep falling back to the old ways we created. Now, I’m starting to think it was wrong to let you maneuver your legionnaires within the Heartland for a draft.”

“What are you talking about?” Terrato asked. “The Legion needs resources. I thought you understood that. Didn't you agree when Celestia protested against it?”

“I did because I believed it was necessary to protect Equestria. Our Equestria, not just yours!”

“You have some nerve of accusing me of being a tyrant!” Terrato snarled. He banged the table with a hoof, causing cracks to spread out. “I never wanted to rule over these ponies!”

“But when big sister’s power was stolen, you had no problem assuming some of her authority!” Luna shot back. “Yet, you haven’t reciprocated by sharing control over the Barrier Lands.”

“The Equestrian Legion serves not just me, but all of Equestria. I thought I made that clear already.”

“Then prove it tomorrow,” Luna said. Her brother gave her a questioning look. “Give me and big sister authority over the Legion that’s equal to yours so that no major decisions on their part can be accomplished without an agreement between all three of us.”

“That’s insane!” Terrato said. “You think I can just wave a hoof, and get the Legion to accept the two of you as its leaders?”

“Certainly not, but it’s a start. Just as Celestia and I approving of you is only a start to get the Heartland ponies to accept you as a leader.”

“No!”

“I may have spoken on your behalf, big brother, but I will organize a resistance with big sister if I have to. ‘Your’ legionnaires will have to drag their new recruits kicking and screaming to their posts, and they’ll have to pillage their resources instead of having them delivered.”

“I thought you wanted to help, Luna,” Terrato growled.

“I want to help reunite Equestria under the three of us, not under just you. That’s Black Rose’s goal, if I recall, and I will fight her every step of the way to prevent that.” Luna put a hoof on the table right next to her brother’s for emphasis. “You have no idea how to deal with the ponies here, big brother. Big sister has no idea how to deal with the ponies of your realm, and I certainly can’t deal with both. We need the two of you working together, not going back to your old ways. We either share in ruling this united realm, or we fall apart.”

Terrato crossed his forelegs, and fell silent. Luna waited patiently. Terrato could be stubborn, and hard-headed, but she still had faith in him. Celestia had been wrong about him becoming a monster, but she wasn't entirely wrong about the change. In the Barrier Lands, Terrato expected unquestioning loyalty from his ponies. For a thousand years, they of the Barrier Lands considered it a virtue to never question him. Those who did were severely punished. It was no wonder that he found it difficult to rule with anypony as an equal. It was becoming more apparent that, for all his declarations of devotion to Celestia, he would prefer to just place his sister on a pedestal, and shower her with adoration while he commanded Equestria through the Legion. At least Celestia wanted to share some of her power. The last time Terrato had tried, it was with Black Rose. ‘Yet another problem I can partly lay at your hooves,' she thought at the new “alicorn”.

It felt like an hour before Terrato finally deigned to speak. “Alright,” he said. “I will gather the Legion’s High Command as soon as possible, and they will swear fealty to you and Celestia. I will commit to your idea of reunification, Luna. Your thousand year time-out has saved you from developing the biases that Celestia and I have. It may well be a blessing for these circumstances. ” He smiled wryly. “You haven’t steered us wrong yet.”

“I’m not blameless in this,” Luna replied. “I wasted so much time because I was blind and jealous. Even when I finally returned, I didn't even have the nerve to act until Twilight set off the events that brought us to this.” She looked at Terrato, and matched his smile. “What I've realized is that, left alone, the three of us keep making stupid decisions. But working together…”

Terrato stood up. “I will admit that I've had more than a hoof in how this all turned out, just as I admitted to Celestia that we were both wrong when it came to the division. I’ll also admit that I've preferred to do things my way lately. I figured that letting Celestia make all the decisions was what caused all this trouble.” He looked out a nearby window, and to the night sky that Luna had just prepared. “My way hasn't been good enough. This reunification will change that.” He made his way to the bed. “It’s time for us to turn in. We have a lot of work tomorrow.”

“Goodnight then, big brother, and good luck to all of us.”

When she and her friends had gathered together for a teleportation spell from Prince Terrato, Twilight had braced herself for both the return to her old home, and the sight of the changes.

Actually appearing in the middle of Ponyville, however, quickly proved to her that she hadn't braced herself enough. It wasn't just the village. It was the very land itself that felt different. The colors were so vibrant that they hurt her eyes. The fragrance of flowers was so strong that she was dazed in a minute. And the warmth…she trembled, she never imagined that mere warmth could feel so good. She shook her head, and waited for her senses to settle.

“Look everypony! They’re back!” somepony called out.

In an instant, they were surrounded by nearly every pony in Ponyville. Except for Fluttershy, that is. Before anypony could come close, she was already surrounded by a horde of woodland creatures, shielding her from the others in a living wall of fur and feathers.

“Rarity!”

Sweetie Belle broke through the crowd, and jumped towards her sister. Rarity answered with a cry of joy and a tight hug. As she did so, Sweetie Belle bumped against the saddlebags she was carrying. The clink of metal was unmistakable. “I missed you so much!” she said between sobs.

Rarity couldn't say anything to that. She was crying too. Just being near the loved ones she once thought she’d never see again left her speechless. She heard a meow, and felt something furry rub against her legs. Before she could look down, however, she heard her name called out by another familiar voice. Her parents made it through the gathered ponies, and joined their daughters in embrace.

After some time, Sweetie Belle finally noticed Rarity's saddlebags. She nudged them, and heard the metallic jingling again. “What’s this?” she asked. “Did you bring back some presents from the ‘Barrier Lands’ Princess Luna was talking about?”

“No, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity replied, “that’s actually--”

Sweetie Belle opened the bag, and pulled out one of the mage blades with her mouth. “What’s this?” she asked, her words muffled from having to speak while her teeth clamped on the leather casing. “Some kind of knife?” The casing came loose slightly, and her eyes fastened on the brilliant mana crystal embedded into the slender blade. “It’s so pretty…” she said. “Do they give one to anypony who joins the Legion?”

“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity admonished, thankful that she had taken the time to sew up some leather sheathes for her mage blades. She lifted the weapon with her telekinesis, pulling it out of Sweetie Belle’s mouth, and replacing it in her bag. She didn't miss the mention of the Legion.

“Can you put in a good word for me so I can join?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Rarity gasped. “Certainly not! You’re too young! Besides, joining the Legion is a life-long commitment. You can’t just join to see if you’ll get your cutie mark there, and then leave…”

Rarity’s voice trailed off when she caught sight of her boutique from a distance. To see it still standing tall and proud, brought fresh tears to her eyes. Some kind pony had apparently maintained it while she was away. It was a nice sentiment, a little unnecessary, but she certainly appreciated the gesture. She looked to her sister and her parents. They were probably the ones responsible. The beautifully constructed house, her personal design, beckoned tantalizingly for her to go back to business. But she remembered what she was saying just now.

“Rarity?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Are you alright?”

Sweetie Belle's voice jolted Rarity out of her melancholic thoughts. “I’m fine, dear,” she replied. “Let’s not talk about the Legion for a while, okay? How have you been?”

Applebloom had not been far behind Sweetie Belle when the crowd parted. She raced towards Applejack with the other Apples not far behind. In Big Macintosh’s excitement, he bowled over a few ponies too slow in getting out of his way.

Applebloom reached Applejack first, jumping up, and then wrapping her forelegs around her neck. Big Macintosh came up, and swept both of them up in his forelegs in a crushing embrace. “AJ!” he cried out joyously, his eyes already watery.

“Hey, big brother,” Applejack gasped, as soon as she had managed to loosen his grip. She closed her eyes, and returned her siblings’ embraces with one of her own, enjoying the familiar warmth and the scent of home.

“You missed the harvest, young’un!” Granny Smith said in a mock stern tone.

Applejack’s lips split into a wide, sheepish grin. “Sorry, granny,” she replied. “I’ll make it up to you somehow.”

“You darn tootin’ you will!” Granny Smith walked over, and then gave Applejack a hug once Big Macintosh set both his sisters on the ground. Her forelegs were trembling, and it was not just due to exertion. “Double the work for you once Winter Wrap Up, and the spring planting starts!”

The grin all but disappeared on Applejack’s face. “I’m sorry, granny…” she said. “I’ll be headin’ out before spring gets here.” Watching the joy on her siblings’ faces wane at her words was heartbreaking.

“But why?” Applebloom asked. “Ain’t what you did for this Legion enough?”

“I’ll take your place, AJ,” Big Macintosh said. “I can’t let my little sister go out there, and fight monsters for a living!”

“I can’t just quit,” Applejack replied. “I signed up for this, and I ain’t going back on my word.” Her siblings looked even more downcast after that. She didn't bother mentioning that she couldn't even if she wanted to. Leaving the Legion was considered treason and she had plenty of opportunities to see what the Legion did to its traitors.

Granny Smith seemed unfazed. “Well then, let’s make good use of your time here. First of all, let’s get you fed. Land’s sakes, girl! What are they feeding you over that Legion you joined? I can see your ribs! And what’s that chain you got wrapped around your neck? Some kind of fancy-pants, big city jewelry?”

“No, granny. It’s some sort of magic lasso. Now that you mentioned it, I’d really like to talk to you about it.”

Pinkie was jumping up and down the moment she noticed everypony in Ponyville gathering around her. In her excitement she ran over to the crowd trying to hug as many ponies as possible. Several were happy to return the hug, even if it meant being squeezed in with other ponies in her giant embrace. A few patted her back reluctantly.

“Pinkie!”

Pinkie whirled at that call. The Cakes stood at the edge of the crowd, unable to push their way in as Cup Cake was carrying their two foals. She jumped over several ponies and rolled under a few more to reach them. “I missed you guys so much!” She drew both of them in a hug before focusing on Pumpkin and Pound Cake. “Especially you two,” she said, playing with their forelegs as she did so. “You've grown since the last time!”

Both foals cooed with delight, and grasped at Pinkie’s front hooves. Pumpkin noticed Pinkie’s saddle bags and gave it a curious look. Her horn glowed, and the bag’s front flap opened. By the time Pinkie noticed what she was up to, the bag’s content was already floating out. “Oh no!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Pumpkin don’t--”

Pumpkin had telekinetically lifted a strange stone tablet from Pinkie’s bag. It was covered in strange markings and gems. All of a sudden, the gems glowed briefly and sparked. The magical glow around the tablet disappeared, causing it to fall inside the bag again. Pumpkin Pie cried out in pain and grasped her horn. Her eyes watered and she started wail.

“Oh no…” Pinkie said. “I’m so sorry, Pumpkin, I should have stopped you faster.”

Cup Cake inspected her daughter worriedly. When she could see anything wrong, she concentrated on comforting the crying foal. “There, there, Pumpkin, it’s alright.”

“What is that thing, you got there?” Carrot asked.

Pinkie lifted the piece of slate to show them, then returned it to her saddlebag. “It’s some weird device those weird ‘True Earth Ponies’ gave to me before I came back here,” she said. “They said it would help me with something…”

“Legionnaire Pinkie Pie.”

Pinkie turned around and spotted the two ponies she had met earlier during the march to Fangbreaker Fortress. “Oh, it’s you ‘True Earth Ponies’ again!’ she said. She backed up a step. Sharpfangs and Tailwind didn't like these ponies and, the truth be told, they were a little scary. Still, suddenly running off when it looked like they only wanted to talk would be rude.

The pony in the funny-looking stone pony mask turned toward his younger companion and said something. The younger stallion listened intently, then shifted his attention to Pinkie. “We did not get a chance to properly converse the other day, Legionnaire Pinkie Pie,” he said. “We would like to correct that.”

“Huh?”

The younger stallion looked taken aback. “We would like to speak with you,” he said.

“But you’re speaking with me right now!”

The masked stallion leaned over to whisper again, then handed something to the younger stallion. Pinkie recognized the object. It was the same piece of slate she had seen with the two during their last meeting. “Please take this,” the younger stallion said. He handed the bejeweled slate to Pinkie. She took it as if it might turn into a snake, and bite her if she wasn't careful.

“Uh…thanks? What do I do with this though?” Pinkie tried to make sense of all the markings. When that didn't work, she tried pressing on the gems. As a last resort, she bit into the stone. Except for hurting her jaw, she accomplished nothing.

At the sight of Pinkie trying to eat the slate, the younger stallion panicked, and stepped forward. The masked stallion held him back, and whispered something else. “When you begin to channel ley energy instinctively, the device will react,” the younger stallion said. “Once it does, you will learn much from just observing it. We are confident that, once you notice this, you will seek us out to learn more.”

“Okey dokey lokey,” Pinkie replied. She had thought that these strange ponies would ask her to do something that her friends wouldn't approve of, but carrying a piece of stone around sounded reasonable. Besides, these two mentioned “channeling ley energy” again. She had no idea what that meant, but from what Cold Forged had mentioned earlier, it might be some form of useful magic. The prospect of having something useful during an emergency was too good to pass up.

“And another thing,” the younger stallion added.

“What is it?”

“We are aware that you are good friends with a pair of goats,”

Pinkie tilted her head to one side. “Goats? I don’t recall meeting any goats in these lands.”

The younger stallion let out a sigh. “We mean the purple one, and the white one who marched with you after we last spoke.”

“Purple one and white one marching with me…you mean Twilight and Rarity? Oh, you silly! They’re not goats!”

The younger stallion frowned at this while the masked one shifted slightly. “Regardless, make sure that they do not try to use their magic on the device. It will react badly.”

“Okey dokey lokey!”

“I’m sorry,” Pinkie said. “I should have put my bags away first.”

“That thing looks dangerous,” Carrot said. “Maybe you should get rid of it.”

Pinkie looked at her saddlebag, and considered it. Maybe she should just get rid of this stone. It hurt ponies, and it might continue to do so. She suddenly remembered the fight in Bastion City again: cringing behind Twilight, and wishing that all her friends would be fine… “Sorry,” she said. “I think I still need it.”

While her friends got swarmed by ponies, Rainbow took to the air, barely dodging a large flock of birds and other flying creatures heading for Fluttershy. She had missed Ponyville, and she had missed everypony in it, but she couldn't bring herself to go among them, and try to reconnect with her home. She should be glad to have this break. Instead, she felt agitated and restless. Home was important, but it just wasn't the right time to deal with it. It was as if she was in the middle of a sporting competition, and then asked to sit it out so she could relax. The sense of urgency refused to go away no matter how much she tried to convince herself to calm down.

“Rainbow Dash!”

Rainbow looked down and spotted a small, orange-coated pegasus filly standing there. Scootaloo looked up at her happily, and expectantly. Despite herself, Rainbow flew down, and landed. “Hey, pipsqueak,” she said. “How have you been?”

“Things got really boring here without you around!" Scootaloo hopped in place. "I’m so glad you’re back!”

Rainbow snorted. “Well, don’t get used to it, I’ll be flying off in a couple of weeks!”

Scootaloo's ears flattened at this, but she quickly perked up again. “Princess Luna said that you joined the Legion. Is it great being in the Legion, huh?”

Rainbow nodded. “It sure is! You get to fight for Equestria’s sake, fly into battle, and shoot at the bad guys! It’s pretty awesome!”

“Wow! Is it more awesome than joining the Wonderbolts?”

Rainbow stopped dead in her tracks. Joining the Wonderbolts…that was her life-long dream here. All the training and practicing was so she could join that team of elite flyers. Yet, all that training and practicing now felt like a long dream, and reality had just caught up with her. Even if she wanted to join the Wonderbolts now, it was impossible. She knew a lot about the Legion’s draft, probably more than any of her friends after asking around about it in her flight. The Wonderbolts were Equestria’s best flyers. They were likely going to be absorbed into the Legion like the Royal Guard once drafting began. Logistics would divide them among the various flights.

“Y-yeah…” Rainbow answered with barely a fraction of the enthusiasm she had a few moments ago. “It is. The Wonderbolts are awesome and all, but they focus more on air shows, and racing. The Legion gets up to a lot of hardcore stuff.”

“Awesome!" Scootaloo sang out. "I should really join the Legion then!”

“Hey, wait! You can’t!” Rainbow raised a hoof, as if she were trying to stop a runaway carriage.

Scotaloo's hopping stopped. “Why not? You just said it was awesome, and Princess Luna said that they were looking for members.”

“It’s also really dangerous. A lot of bad things can happen to you!” Memories flashed through Rainbow’s mind: a giant wolf’s paw slamming into her, a bloody Applejack lying motionless on the snow-covered ground…“A lot of bad stuff,” she mumbled.

Scootaloo tilted her head. “You just said the Legion was awesome. Now, it’s bad?”

“It is awesome…and bad stuff happens and…” Rainbow shook her head, and began to hover. “Sorry, Scootaloo, I...uh…I need to think alone.” She flew off, and took shelter in a cloud. It was a mistake to come back to this place. In Fangbreaker, everything was clear and straightforward. She just needed get better at being a legionnaire, beat Scarlet, then rise to the top of her flight. Coming back to the Heartland just muddled things up.

While all her friends met up with loved ones, Twilight dealt with the citizens of Ponyville in general. Somepony had mentioned that Spike wasn't around, reminding her that her assistant was still somewhere in the Western Barrier Land being tutored by a kirin. She wanted to head on to Canterlot to see her family, but she didn't want to go ahead of her friends.

“Twilight Sparkle, is it true that you are a member of this ‘Equestrian Legion’?” Mayor Mare asked.

“Yes, it’s true,” Twilight replied.

“Then you would know what they’re really like!” somepony from the crowd said. “Can they be trusted? What do they really want?”

“The Legion seeks to protect Equestria,” Twilight said. Princess Luna should have come here to allay their fears. That they were still asking these questions meant that they had yet to completely trust Luna despite the time she had spent here before. “They can be trusted.”

“What about this Prince Terrato?”

“He’s Princess Celestia’s brother. He may be scary…and rude…and violent…and always in a bad mood…”

The crowd started to look even more worried as Twilight continued. "But he means well,” she finished with a sheepish grin. The crowd looked a little mollified, but not enough for her to feel sure about them. She looked up in time to see Rainbow fly off.

It hit Twilight yet again. This homecoming would have nothing to do with relaxation, or reconnecting. She and her friends may have just come here to see the last vestiges of their old lives be consumed by the Legion. Night had completely settled by this time. The familiar lights of Ponyville did little to take the edge from her worry.

The Royal Guard

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 13: The Royal Guard

News of Terrato's, and Celestia’s, arrival quickly spread throughout Canterlot. By morning, the city was abuzz with rumors. Nopony, save for Princess Luna and the highest-ranked among the Royal Guard, had actually seen the two, but the prospect of finally having Princess Celestia address her subjects was both reassuring, and disconcerting. Likewise, the chance to meet this Prince Terrato.

With such important events centering on the capital, the Royal Guard was swamped with complications. A few hours after Celestia and Terrato arrived, a small group of ponies teleported into the palace as well. The prince explained that they were some of his legionnaires on an important mission. The Royal Guard was more than a little suspicious. The last time the palace witnessed the arrival of strange, armed ponies, nearly a dozen stallions were killed. Now, with barely a clear explanation as to what happened that time, they were expected to work with these ponies.

Representatives of the two martial organizations met inside the planning room of the Royal Guard’s barracks. The legionnaires had come unarmed as a show of good faith. The Royal Guard, however, had no shortage of spears. The legionnaires explained that their fellows that had previously attacked the palace were mind-controlled agents of the new alicorn, Black Rose, and that they were not of the same sort.

For Shining Armor, it didn't help that the legionnaire he was talking to was covered in black armor from head to tail, that the eyes that stared out of the armored slits were a feral red, or that the pony spoke in a growling, wolfish voice when he introduced himself as “Captain Vanguard Clash of the Northern Equestrian Legion, Special Operations, Third Squad”. Shining Armor accepted the offer of a hoofshake, though. If there was going to be a breach in relations between Terrato’s guards and Celestia’s, it wasn't going to start with him, or Bright Shield. “Captain Shining Armor of the Royal Guard, Unicorn Division,” he replied. “This is Captain Bright Shield of the Pegasus Division. It’s an honor to work with the ponies who defend our borders.”

“The feeling is mutual towards the ponies who maintain order within the heart of Equestria,” Vanguard said. He glanced at the other ponies lined up behind him. While they all wore some barding, none were as heavily armored as this one. They remained completely expressionless except for one dark blue unicorn who looked at him a little too intensely. When she noticed him paying attention to her, a playful smile curved her lips. “The prince has ordered a few squads from Special Operations to work with the Royal Guard,” Vanguard continued. “We are to update you on Equestria’s enemies, especially Black Rose, and her Thorns, assist with the merging between our two organizations, and ensure that the prince’s address tomorrow will go smoothly. We’d appreciate it if you tell us about potential problem spots in this city for tomorrow’s address.”

“We’re still unclear about how this merge is supposed to happen,” Bright Shield said. “From what Princess Luna has been saying, it seems that the Equestrian Legion will be absorbing the Royal Guard completely.”

“That is correct,” Vanguard replied.

“That’s absurd!” Bright Shield said. “The Royal Guard has been protecting Equestria as an organization for centuries! Now, you’re just going to dissolve it into your group?”

“I’m not here to debate history with anypony, Captain Bright Shield," Vanguard said. "I have my orders, and I’m sure you have yours.”

Bright Shield ground his teeth. Vanguard was right. He did have his orders. Both princesses had already told the Royal Guard about their plans to merge the two groups. He had another retort, but a raised hoof from Shining Armor held him back. “You’re fine with this?” he asked.

Shining Armor closed his eyes.

“I will be fine here,” Celestia said once she entered her room. “Thank you, both of you.”

Both captains saluted, and turned to leave.

“Shining Armor!”

Shining Armor stopped while Bright Shield kept on going.”Yes, your highness?” he asked.

Celestia trembled with fatigue. “I’m sorry,” she said. “What I did to your sister was wrong. Please, forgive me.”

Shining Armor’s lips twisted slightly, the only sign of the emotion that Celestia stirred up. “I can’t,” he said. “Not yet, your highness.”

“Shining Armor--“

“It was hard enough to accept that you banished Twiley because she had done something wrong," Shining Armor said. It took all he could to keep emotion from affecting his voice. "Now, it turns out that you threw her into danger even when she hadn't. Not only that, I have to find out that you've been lying to me since the day I was born.”

Celestia tried to take a step forward, and stumbled. Shining Armor was by her side in a heartbeat. “I’m surprised you still show this much concern,” she said.

“I swore an oath to serve when I took this position.” Shining Armor’s face softened a bit. “Just…give me some more time, your highness. I need to take this all in. I can’t forgive you just yet.”

“Thank you for that much.”

“No,” Shining Armor replied when he opened his eyes again. He stared at Vanguard as he spoke. “Not really, Bright Shield, but Captain Vanguard Clash is right. We have our orders. The Royal Guard will cooperate with the Equestrian Legion.”

“I must admit I was expecting a lot of resistance from the Royal Guard,” Vanguard said. “Your cooperation is appreciated, Captain Shining Armor.”

“But we’ll do so with our eyes open,” Shining Armor said. “I’d like to know how the Legion deals with ‘problem spots’ before I share any information. Forgive me, but I was part of the clean up when some of your rogue troops attacked this palace.”

“We will observe for the most part, leaving any domestic issues with the Royal Guard,” Vanguard replied. “We will act if we determine that Black Rose’s agents are involved. Things should remain in simple arrests unless Black Rose decides to escalate matters.”

“Good.” Shining Armor said. He hid a sigh of relief. The mere sight of these legionnaires enforcing the laws they knew would cause more unrest in Canterlot. “Now, about this Black Rose…”

Vanguard turned towards one of his companions, who gave him a sheaf of papers.

Tomorrow came about swiftly, far too swiftly for Luna. She doubted that a few hours of rest would be enough for Celestia, who walked the halls with her weakly. Part of her dearly wanted to postpone the event. Terrato made no secret of his dislike for the ponies of Canterlot. It was quite likely that the ponies of Canterlot won’t like him either. She envisioned a lot of things going wrong. If Canterlot’s inhabitants refused to listen, and started resisting, Terrato would certainly order the Legion to subdue them violently, if he didn't simply crush them all in anger.

Yet, it was better to get this out of the way. The longer it took for them to address the ponies of Equestria, the longer the unrest would brew. She looked ahead, and saw that Terrato was already waiting by the palace’s entrance along with a contingent of royal guards. She looked around suspiciously, noting that not a single legionnaire was in sight. What had her brother put them up to?

“About time you got here,” Terrato said. He looked towards Canterlot’s main plaza where he and his sisters were to make their address. Luna followed his gaze. Even from where they were, they could see ponies gathering.

They flew off together. Below, a few ponies still walking the streets gasped, and pointed at them.

The plaza was abuzz with the worried chatter of ponies when they reached it. On the ground, some royal guards blew their trumpets to signal their arrival. A hush fell upon the crowd as the they them landed on an elevated platform. Luna observed the reactions closely: shock, confusion, and a great deal of fear. The whispers among themselves were telling.

“Is that the Prince Terrato we keep hearing about?”

“He’s so big! And his mane is on fire!”

“He’s gray like a tombstone!”

“He looks angry, is he going to attack us?”

“Where is Princess Celestia?”

“Isn't she the one at the center?”

“That can’t be! The princess’s mane isn't pink!”

“But she looks every bit like the princess except for the mane. Didn't Princess Luna say that her powers were stolen by an enemy?”

“I don’t know, she looks…smaller. Do princesses shrink when they lose power?”

“Shush! She’s about to speak!”

Luna could understand why the ponies of Canterlot even doubted that their princess had come back. Celestia had not changed in size at all. She seemed smaller because she lacked presence, something caused by two things at the moment: her loss of power, and the prospect of finally facing her subjects for the first time after the division’s end.

“My dear subjects…” Celestia said. She spoke through a microphone. Normally, this would not be necessary. The Royal Canterlot Voice was all it took to address a large crowd, but that required a degree of magic that she did not have to spare. This was not lost to the crowd, particularly the royal guards stationed around, and among them. “Today will mark the beginning of a new period for Equestria. For more than a thousand years, I partitioned the realm into two parts in a misguided attempt to protect ponykind.”

Luna found herself breathless. Celestia had mentioned before that she had been too hasty in judgment, but this would be the first time ever that she would admit that the barrier was wrong. Terrato looked like he had noticed as well.

“That partition is over. My sister has already told you of the troubles that have been hidden from you for so long. I now stand here to confirm them.”

There were no overt reactions from the crowd, but Luna could feel a collective sigh come from them. When she had spoken to them of the situation, they had listened earnestly and tried to understand, but she knew that part of them still hoped that whatever bad thing that was happening would blow over and they would not be needed. Celestia’s words hammered in the reality that such a thing was not going to happen.

“Equestria needs your help, my little ponies,” Celestia went on. “The Equestrian Legion, led by my brother, Terrato, has come here today for your support.” She looked towards Terrato, who kept his eyes on the crowd.

“Don’t believe her!” a stallion shouted from afar. Everypony’s eyes went towards the one who spoke. By the edges of the plaza, a white unicorn stallion with a blond mane walked slowly towards the crowd. Luna recognized Blueblood, a rather annoying, but mostly harmless "Royal Nephew". From the way he was acting now, “harmless” might have to be reconsidered. “That’s not Princess Celestia!” Blueblood shouted. “It doesn't even look like her!”

A deep growl came from Terrato. She placed a hoof by his shoulder in response. “Big brother, please," she whispered. "No earthquakes, or ‘surprise volcanoes’. This city is dangling by a cliff, remember?”

Terrato let out a snort, and relaxed. “I know,” he said.

“The real Princess Celestia would never force us to join some army, and go off to a land we've never seen!” Blueblood shouted. “This one must be a fake being controlled by those two behind her!”

Luna stepped forward. “This is the real Princess Celestia!” she said. “I've already explained why she looks like this!”

Blueblood sneered. “A likely story! I never trusted your so-called conversion! This is a Nightmare Moon plot! She’s trying to recruit us into her army!”

“I believe her,” another pony said. This one didn't shout like Blueblood, but his voice carried clearly through the crowd. Everypony turned to look, and found Captain Shining Armor standing next to a squad of unicorn royal guards by the opposite side of where Blueblood was. “I’ve been with the princesses long, and often enough. I know the real Princess Celestia when I see her. In fact…” He turned his gaze towards Celestia. “She’s more real now than she’s ever been!”

“How can we trust you?” Blueblood asked. “Aren't you the same pony who was fooled by the changeling queen?”

“And thus the one who’s even more vigilant than before!” Shining Armor shot back. “What’s really going on here, Blueblood? Are you really doubtful of the princess’ identity, or are you that scared of the draft?”

“Who isn't afraid of the draft here?” Blueblood replied. He looked around him. “Who wants to be part of some army and work,” he shuddered, “for a prince they've never met?”

“I’d fight for Equestria!” a third pony shouted from the crowd. A light yellow stallion, still wearing the uniform of a café worker stepped up. “That’s what it’s all about right?” Several ponies next to him nodded.

“How can we be sure it’s for Equestria, and not the private army of Nightmare Moon?” Blueblood asked. Some of the nobles walked over to him as a show of agreement. “Why can’t they just get the Royal Guard, and leave us alone?”

“Nightmare Moon’s long gone!” another pony shouted. “I’m siding with Captain Shining Armor! That’s the real Princess Celestia, and she really needs our help!”

The crowd erupted into a confused argument while the guards struggled to maintain control.

“I have a family to care for, and a business to run! I can’t join this Legion forever!”

“Equestria’s in danger, and we've been called to help! I say anypony who refuses to be drafted is a coward!”

“The nobles don’t want to move their rears, and help out! What can you expect from those hoity-toity do-nothings?”

“Let the rabble join up! Surely their numbers will make up for all the ponies needed!”

“I still can’t believe we've been lied to for so long! How do we even trust this Legion?”

A powerful boom, like the distant crack of thunder, or a far away eruption, came from Terrato when he clapped his front hooves together. It rolled through the crowd, and silenced them in an instant.

Once he got the crowd’s attention, Terrato stepped forward. “I am Prince Terrato of Equestria,” he said. His words rumbled like a distant earthquake. Unlike Celestia, he had no problem projecting his voice. “It seems a lot of you have issues over not knowing who I am. There will be plenty of time to do that, given that I’m not going anywhere.” His gaze swept over the crowd. Seeing them cower was an annoyance, but he kept his voice even. “For a long, long time I have protected this land from its enemies. If you have doubts, come forth, and I will take you to see them for yourself.” He paused, waiting for somepony to accept his offer. Celestia and Luna gazed nervously at him during the silence. Nopony stepped forward, yet one more source of annoyance. He put on a smile when he continued. “I am glad to meet all the ponies I have been defending for the first time. My sisters have done well in caring for you during their reign, regardless of the mistakes we have made. A lot of you fear the Legion. I understand that. But what you should fear is what would happen if it falls. The Legion and I cannot protect Equestria by ourselves for much longer. Though it pains us to do so, we have to call upon all of you to do your part.”

Terrato paused again to let his words settle in. Many among the crowd were whispering among themselves. He heard the doubts, and the hesitation. Some changes had to happen on the spot. “I must also add that your service to the Legion need not be permanent. All ponies recruited during the draft will be allowed to leave, and go home once the worst has come to pass. I am confident that plenty will stay once they see the necessity, and nobility, of the Legion’s work.” Terrato glanced at his sisters, and relished the surprise on their faces. “I am asking for a lot of things from all of Equestria now. I ask for your cooperation for we will all fall without it. I ask for your forgiveness. Your rulers have made grave mistakes, and continue to pay for it. Most of all, I ask for your courage. The future ahead is dark, but we can go through this together.”

The crowd was silent after that. No more whispering among themselves this time. “Count me in!” somepony from the crowd shouted. Others quickly picked up on it, and yelled their agreement. The crowd came to life with determined cries.

Luna stepped closer towards her brother. “See?” she said. “Not so full of fops after all.”

“Maybe,” Terrato said. There were some ponies were not so eager to join. Many nobles bunched together around Blueblood, and watched the crowd in horror. While Luna saw the crowd’s willingness, he saw the pockets of resistance. Small groups of ponies were trying to get away from the crowd, and fall back to their homes or, perhaps, to get away from the city itself. That wasn't going to work, he had already scattered his eyes and ears throughout the city’s potential hiding places, and exits. It shouldn't be hard with the Royal Guard’s cooperation.

“You surprised me,” Luna said. “I read from your laws that joining the Legion was permanent.”

“The old rules don’t cut it anymore,” Terrato said. “These ponies need hope. They need to see their joining as a service they have to give for now, not a fate they are irrevocably condemned to.”

“Will the same be true for the Elements of Harmony?”

Terrato let out a snort. “They weren't drafted, they joined up on their own, even though we discouraged them. I’m off for now, little sister, I have to coordinate with the legionnaires waiting to enter the cities, and I need to have a strict hoof on these things.”

Luna nodded. “Of course, big brother.”

With a flap of his wings, Terrato took to the air.

After the address had finished, the princesses stayed to talk with the ponies on a more personal level. Luna had feared that the Heartland’s ponies would be resentful, and angry. That they would demand some sort of physical punishment for Celestia, or even demand that she step down from her throne. The very nature of the Heartland kept either from happening. Heartland ponies did not believe in swift and merciless vindication as the ponies of the Barrier Lands did. Punishments were rare, and they were certainly not turned into public events like Terrato’s executions. These ponies had also spent so long in Celestia’s benevolent rule that they could not imagine what their life would be outside it.

Whatever the reason, the ponies that approached Celestia were not of the vengeful or angry sort. Luna was glad for it. Having the ponies of the Heartland turn on her now would break Celestia’s heart. Instead, they showed concern over Celestia's loss of power, and promised their support. Terrato would have called them naïve, but their naiveté helped now more than any sense of worldliness.

Unfortunately, that wasn't going to be the case each and every time in the Heartland. It wasn't even so here in Canterlot. Luna looked to the far side of the plaza, where the Royal Guard was dealing with a group of nobles led by Blueblood. She wished that they were an isolated case, but they were likely only the first of several.

"No!" Blueblood said with a tilt of his chin. "I refuse to join! I am a prince of Equestria, and I will not be reduced to working with common soldiery!"

Several of the royal guards scowled, and stepped forward, but they were stopped by one of their captains. Shining Armor shared in his ponies' desire to show Blueblood that he was talking to "common soldiery" at the moment, and they didn't appreciate his tone, but he kept his feelings aside. "Nopony's asking for your permission, Blueblood," he said. "The draft is mandatory, and you're going to represent your family."

"Is there no way at all to avoid this 'draft'?" another noble asked. "Perhaps we can hire somepony to go in our place. Maybe a generous donation to the right pony?"

"I'm going to ignore that you just asked if you can bribe somepony," Bright Shield replied. He allowed a hint of anger to creep into his voice. "The answer to your other question is no. Everypony will do his or her part. You can't hire somepony to do your part for you. For now, we ask that all of you return to your homes, and wait for the actual draft. Don't try to skip out of this, the penalties are stiff."

Most of the nobles left, nearly all of them deflated by the response. Blueblood stayed, however. "I am still royalty," he said. "If money won't exempt from the draft, blood will."

Shining Armor grabbed Blueblood by the lapels, and forced him to look at Celestia. "This crisis has taken from Princess Celestia herself," he snapped. "What makes you think her nephew's going to get an exemption? Go home, Blueblood. We may be related, but I'll personally throw you into the dungeon if you cause any trouble!" He let go of Blueblood, who stumbled, and fell on his rear before running off.

"That's not the last we'll hear from him," Bright Shield said. While the rest of the guards went back to their assigned posts, the two captains walked back to the barracks. The legionnaires from earlier had asked for a few strange things: the location of the Coldhorn the Watcher wing, which was really just a small, obscure room deep within the library, the location of Skymirror Lake, which was in the middle of changeling territory, and the location of Everfree Castle. They refused to explain why save for mentioning that it involved Black Rose.

Shining Armor pulled out the sheaf of papers that the legionnaires provided him with as he walked on.

Blue Moon - unicorn mage and leader of the Thorns. Specializes in Abjuration magic. Known best for his part in the Battle for Sharpstone Bridge where he held off an ursan army by himself for two days. Currently under custody.

Lion Court - unicorn mage. Served as a diplomat and spy. Credited with two hundred kills from formal duels. Specializes in Enchanting, and uses the extremely rare skill of mage-blade wielding.

Longstride - pegasus sniper. Armed with a magical bow with line-of-sight range.

Sablesteel - pegasus infiltrator. Uses a variety of poisons, and extremely dangerous in close range.

Rhapsody - earth pony bard. Plays "Warsinger" a dangerous magical instrument that tears into the enemy's nerves. Believed to be still dead. Black Rose is looking for a replacement.

Frenzy Heart -earth pony berserker. Wields a giant stone blade, a True Earth Pony heirloom, with ease. Also believed to be still dead.

Equestria's enemies appeared daunting from just reading the information about them. He had to steel himself for facing them for real. He read the descriptions, but they weren't what made him worry.

"That was some standing up you did for Princess Celestia," Bright Shield said. "You're really all in for this Legion huh? What did they do to impress you?"

"Nothing," Shining Armor replied. "All I know is that Twiley believed in these ponies enough to be banished for them. That's good enough for me."

They turned one corner, and passed by a group of ponies arguing among themselves about the earlier address.

"Legion aside, you never told me how your honeymoon went," Bright Shield said.

Shining Armor grinned. "You're right, I never did."

After a moment of silence, Bright Shield grinned as well. "Oh, that's how it is, eh?"

Shining Armor snorted. "Maybe if you finally marry Sky Piercer, we can swap stories."

"As if that's going to happen." Bright Shield let out a sigh. "That mare's going to tease me forever!"

Shining Armor chuckled. They walked on silence for a while until Bright Shield spoke again.

"You know, at the risk of sounding bloodthirsty, part of me's actually glad about all these recent revelations."

Shining Armor's smile lessened. "Why's that?"

Bright Shield shrugged. "It's just a little comforting to know that there's more to this job than guarding tea parties, or dealing with the rare attack that will be resolved without our help anyway."

"Be careful what you wish for, Bright Shield," Shining Armor said, his tone darkening.

"I don't have to wish for it. It's happening anyway."

The two of them stopped in front of the barracks. "Well, Bright Shield," Shining Armor said. "The Guard's chance to really shine has just come."

Heroic Strangers

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 14: Heroic Strangers

After her first night back in Ponyville, Twilight was scanning the shelves of her beloved library. At first, it appeared that everything was neat, and in order. Fortunately, somepony had taken over the library’s maintenance.

Closer inspection, however, left Twilight wide-eyed in horror. The library may be neat, but the shelving was in complete chaos: Classics mixing with History, Fiction with Non-Fiction…it was a disaster hiding under a veneer of order. She grabbed hold of every book in sight with her telekinesis, and dropped them on the floor. “Spike!” she called out. “Get down here and help--”

Twilight stopped. There was no Spike sleeping upstairs to wake up. Though Twilight had agreed because Spike had felt so strongly about it, she still wasn't fine with his decision. He had tried something like that before, and he gained nothing from being around dragons. Why would a half-dragon be any different?

Spike’s absence only served to make the library seem even emptier. Twilight considered setting aside re-shelving, and visiting her friends. However, Applejack, and Rarity were spending time with their families. Cutting in on that time only made her an intruder. Pinkie, and Fluttershy were also spending time with their adopted families.

That left Rainbow, who looked uncomfortable all throughout yesterday. Perhaps, she could use some company. Twilight replaced the books without any attention to their order, then headed out. She paused when she opened the door. Traveling to Canterlot to see her family was also an option. It would ease the lonelinesst. Besides, today was Princess Celestia’s and Prince Terrato’s address. She could go there, and help out.

Which might be exactly what Black Rose wanted.

Twilight peered outside, suddenly aware of an enemy she had nearly pushed to the sidelines because of Nightmare Moon, and Pyre Valor. Black Rose was out there. It was Black Rose's sun that now covered the village with its early morning rays. She could already have agents running around the Heartland this very moment. She might even be in the village in disguise. It would be so easy for her to abduct somepony, then replace him or her. Twilight felt unprepared. She didn't even bring her mage-coat, and none of her friends had come in barding. They were unprepared, and surrounded by loved ones should an attack suddenly come.

Twilight shook her head and headed out. If she started thinking that, she would soon be suspecting everypony of being either Black Rose, or a pawn of Black Rose. And all of this because Black Rose had actually succeeded in making sunlight ominous.

Morning always started with a hearty breakfast in Sweet Apple Acres. With the harvest done, and the first snow already falling, breakfast was heartier, and livelier than ever. That was also due in no small part to the return of the Apple Family’s lost daughter. Applejack sat at the center of a veritable feast. After the big dinner last night, she had to show a little restraint to make sure her barding still fit by the time she returned to her duties.

“…then I tried again, and a bunch of them actually fell!” Applebloom said. “Ain’t that right, Big Mac?”

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh replied.

“I can’t believe I wasn't around to see my little sister buck her first apple tree,” Applejack said. “I’m mighty proud of you!” Applejack grinned, and ruffled Applebloom’s mane. She finished an apple cobbler in a few swift bites, and washed down the sweetness with a couple of gulps of cider. All the while, she was careful not to spill anything on the chain she still had wrapped around her neck. After weeks of D Grade Winter Moss and water, having so many apples in one sitting was utter paradise.

“Woah there, AJ, you’re done?” Big Macintosh asked.

Applejack looked at her clean plate. Had she taken too little? No, she recalled filling it with food before settling down. “I, uh…” She considered filling the plate up again so she could keep pace with her family, but she was already full. “I guess I am.”

The others were barely halfway through their dishes. Applejack realized that she had been eating as she did back with the Legion; with a strict time limit, and an officer watching if they were delaying. She was chowing down her plate quickly, and efficiently throughout Applebloom’s story, and was done by the end. She needed to start up a conversation as an excuse to remain at the table. “By the way, Granny, I was planning on looking through some of our family records for today,” she said.

Granny Smith looked vacantly ahead of her for a while. “Huh?” she asked. She perked up a second later. “Oh, records? You know where the family albums are.”

Applejack shook her head. “I was hoping we had ones that go back longer than those.”

Granny Smith tapped her chin with a hoof for a while. “Longer than those huh? Just how long are you goin’ back?”

Applejack thought carefully for a moment. Apple Slice was “the Last Great Apple” who stayed behind while the rest of the Apples moved into the Heartland. That would be around a thousand years or so. “About a thousand years back,” she said. Her heart sank when she actually said the words. There was no way that they’d have records going back that far.

“Silly filly, we don’t have albums that go back that far! They didn't have photos back then!”

Applejack lowered her gaze.

“I think we have a bunch of scrolls that might have something. You know us Apples stay close to our roots, and best way to do that’s to make sure everypony’s accounted for!”

Applejack brightened. “Great!” she said. “I really want to find out about somepony."

“Well, I’ll have you know that I know a lot about the Apples of old. Which one are you looking for?”

“A pony called Apple Slice.”

Granny Smith nearly choked on a bit of apple. “Apple Slice, you say?” she asked.

“Do you know him, Granny?” Applejack asked. She leaned on the table eagerly.

“Who’s this Apple Slice, and why’d you want to find out so much about him, AJ?” Applebloom asked. Though Big Macintosh said nothing, he looked on curiously.

“Not personally,” Granny Smith replied. “My great grandpa told me the story of Apple Slice, and his great grandpa was the one who told him. It’s an old, old story that one.” With the siblings finished, Granny Smith led all of them to their living room, where the old family albums were kept. She looked around aimlessly for a while. “Now, where was that again…ponyfeathers, I keep forgetting…oh!” She fiddled with the walls until one section slid to its side, revealing a small shelf-like space. She took out a few scrolls, and laid them out on the floor. “Now, Apple Slice…Apple Slice…here we go!”

Applejack followed her grandmother’s hoof as it traced a path from one Apple to another. The scrolls were impressive; there had to be hundreds of Apples listed in there, each one connected to the rest like a branch from a massive apple tree. Eventually, she spotted Apple Slice. Two things quickly stood out: the name was quite close to the very beginning of this family tree, and the name wasn't attached to anything.

“Here he is!" Granny Smith said. "‘The One Bad Apple’ Apple Slice!”

“Why is he just floating there?” Applebloom asked. “Ain’t he related to anypony? How can he be an Apple, and not be related to anypony?”

“And what do you mean by ‘the One Bad Apple’?” Applejack added.

“I was just getting to that until you young’uns interrupted me!" Granny Smith snapped. "Now, like I was sayin’, Apple Slice lived a long, long time ago, when the Apple Family was barely starting out. Even when he was colt, he already stood out in all the wrong ways: he couldn't grow weeds even if he tried his best, animals hated him, and he was just as bad at trying to trade, or sell their harvest. His one good talent was that he was really good at lassoing things, but that didn't help much on account of the rest of the family not wanting him anywhere near animals he could lasso. Worst of all, Apple Slice was afflicted with one of the worst conditions that could fall on our family.”

All three siblings leaned closer, and held their breath. Granny Smith gave them a foreboding look, and paused for dramatic effect.

“He was allergic to apples!”

Applebloom gasped, and Big Macintosh shuddered. Even Applejack winced at the thought of being unable to be anywhere near apples.

“It’s true!” Granny Smith said. “The poor stallion couldn't even touch a single peel without breaking out in hives. Now, being left out does strange things to a pony, and Apple Slice was no exemption. He started to blame and hate the Apple Family for the things he couldn't do until, one day, he just went plumb crazy. According to his brother, Apple Peel, Apple Slice lassoed every apple tree he could find, and ripped them from the ground, ruining that year’s harvest. He then lassoed his family’s house, and tore it in half.”

“He must be awful strong to do all that!” Applebloom remarked. Big Macintosh nodded.

“Or have a magic lasso…” Applejack mumbled.

“Did you say something, Applejack?” Granny Smith asked.

“No…nothing." Applejack shook her head. "What happened then?”

“Oh, he didn't stop there. Apple Slice turned on the family in a rampage. He even attacked his own pa, Apple Core.” Granny Smith shook her head sadly. “Apple turning on Apple, ain’t nuthin more tragic than that. After that, he disappeared, never to be seen again. The family cast him out. His name appears on this scroll so everypony can remember that he existed, but he ain’t connected to the tree ‘cause of what he did.”

Applejack tugged on the chain around her neck. “But…but that doesn't make any sense!” She brightened briefly. “Maybe there’s more than one pony called Apple Slice. I mean, there can’t be only one Apple Slice this long list of ponies right?”

“I don’t know,” Granny Smith replied. “After this Apple Slice, nopony in the family dared to name their foals with that name. It’s a bad omen naming your foal after ‘the One Bad Apple’.”

“Why are you getting so upset, AJ?” Applebloom asked.

“Because Apple Slice is supposed to be a hero!" Applejack put a front hoof down hard. "The Queen said that he died valiantly, and that Crow Quill feller said that Apple Slice did something really nice for his ancestor, so generations of his family made sure that Apple Slice’s magic lasso returned to the Apples! In the Barrier Lands, they call him ‘the Last Great Apple’ because of all the heroic things he did. Wait...since the princess didn't want stories about Barrier Lands spreading through the Heartland, the Apples must have done some changing to it, and--”

Applejack paused at the sight of her family watching her with wide eyes.

“Apple Slice...a hero?” Granny Smith asked.

“He had a magic lasso?” Applebloom added. She noticed the chain hanging by Applejack’s neck. “Is that it? Is that the magic lasso that Crow Quill feller returned? Can I try it out?”

Before Applejack could reply, Big Macintosh broke in. “Hold on now, I don’t know who this “Queen” is, but I think we Apples know our kin best. Even the bad ones.” He looked at Applejack in disbelief. “Are you honestly going to believe some strangers from a far away land over your kin?”

Applejack looked away. “Well, I--”

“And if that’s his lasso around you like what Applebloom was asking about, I don’t think you should be carrying it around,” Big Macintosh said. “I reckon it might be cursed!”

Applejack put her hooves on the chain. “It ain’t cursed!” she said. “Why, it’s mighty useful for what I’m doing in the Legion. Besides--”

“I still don’t like it,” Big Macintosh said. “Maybe you should keep it outside the house.”

“I’m keeping it right where it is!” Applejack snapped. “Unless I should stay out of the house too?”

“Hey, now…” Granny Smith said. “No need to get your manes ruffled up.”

“I’m really starting to worry about you, AJ,” Big Macintosh said. “I don’t like that them Legion types look up to somepony who abandoned his family as a hero. Maybe it ain’t right for you to be around them.”

“Now just wait a pony-picking minute here!” Applejack said. “That ain’t fair to the Legion, Big Macintosh!”

Big Macintosh scowled. “What ain’t fair is them thinking that ‘the One Bad Apple’ is ‘the Last Great Apple’, and making you fight for them for the rest of your life!”

“Nopony made me fight for them for the rest of my life,” Applejack said between grit teeth. “I didn't get drafted, I joined up. The Legion does good work, Big Macintosh, just 'cause it ain’t about apples doesn't mean that it’s bad. If a lot of ponies in the Legion think Apple Slice is a hero, there has to be a good reason!”

“There ain’t a reason good enough to--”

“Stop!”

Both of them fell silent at the loud cry from their youngest sibling. Applebloom was in tears by the time they noticed her. “Stop fighting please!” she said between sniffles. “Applejack only has two weeks to be with us, and I don’t want to spend that time with the two of you being angry at each other!”

“Your sister’s right, you two!” Granny Smith said. “There ain’t gonna be more Apples fighting each other in this house, you hear? Applejack, what are you crouching like that for?”

It was then that Applejack realized that she had fallen into a low stance. She had all her hooves on the floor, ready for a low charge to sweep the bigger enemy off his legs, just like she was taught during training. She righted herself quickly, and guiltily. “Hey…hey, there’s no need to cry, Applebloom,” she said. “Big Mac and I weren't really fighting. We were just…expressing our ideas really loudly. Ain’t that right, Big Mac?”

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh replied. He moved closer to comfort Applebloom, giving the chain around Applejack’s neck one more suspicious glance.

“I’m gonna take a walk,” Applejack said. “I need to cool off.”

The bolt flew from Rainbow's crossbow, and struck the makeshift bullseye just a couple of inches from the center. She clucked her tongue, loaded another one, and adjusted her aim.

During this time of the morning, Rainbow would normally still be fast asleep on a cloud around Ponyville. Normal times, however, had long since gone. Now, she was spending her morning practicing in at the very edge of the Everfree Forest. She had been up almost at dawn, a habit she had to learn in Flight Dreadwing, and wandered aimlessly through the skies of Ponyville. The back of her mind would not stop nagging her about how she should be glad to be back, and that every minute of the two weeks she was given should be one heartwarming moment after another. The rest of her, however, was stuck on waiting for the break to be over so she could get back to doing her part towards protecting Equestria. She had flown over to Sugar Cube Corner, Fluttershy’s Cottage, even Carousel Boutique, but she couldn't bring herself to disturb them when she saw them enjoying their time with their families.

The second bolt struck much closer to the bullseye. With a grin, Rainbow loaded a third bolt. It was a good thing that she decided to bring her crossbow along for the return home. Target practice wasn't much, but it helped ease her mind a bit. At least she was moving towards something useful. She looked towards Ponyville. She knew every pegasus in there, and was friends with all of them. It should be easy to strike up a conversation: talk about good old days, tell them about her adventures in the Northern Barrier Land, and all the ponies and creatures she encountered there…

Yet, she couldn't. Some kind of paralyzing apathy rooted her to the spot whenever she thought about doing that. Underneath the need to focus on the fights to come, she felt…tainted; unworthy of going back to a life that she had willfully abandoned for a life in the Legion. She was so smug when she told Applejack about candy-hoofed chosen. During her time in the Northern Barrier Land, she had missed nothing. She hadn't even paused for a moment to think about missing her home here between fighting, training, and drinking. How could she go back here, and act like it was the most wonderful thing that had happened to her recently?

“Hey, Rainbow Dash!”

Scootaloo ran towards Rainbow excitedly. How Scootaloo managed to find this spot was beyond her. “Hey, pipsqueak,” she said.

“I was looking all over town for you! What are you doing all the way out here?”

Rainbow finished reloading. “Just a little target practice,” she replied. “Got to keep myself sharp, you know.” Scootaloo held herself still while Rainbow took aim, and fired. The bolt struck much farther than the first shot. “Foal of a nag!” Rainbow said.

“What was that?” Scootaloo asked.

Rainbow clapped a hoof over her mouth. “Nothing!” she said. “Nothing at all! Say, pipsqueak, want to make yourself useful?”

“Sure, Rainbow Dash! What do you want me to do?”

Rainbow pointed towards the target. “Go pull those bolts out, will you?”

Scootaloo galloped over to the target, and did as she was asked while Rainbow watched quietly. Scootaloo… wasn't bad. The constant admiration was actually a comfort. Yesterday, there was a lot of hesitation on the faces of the other ponies from Ponyville when she and her friends arrived. There was gladness there, but there was also apprehension. The villagers did not just see returning friends, they also saw messengers of war.

It wasn't so for Scootaloo, however. She still only saw the amazing Rainbow Dash. In fact, she probably saw Rainbow as having become even more amazing for taking part in a war to protect Equestria.

Before Rainbow could continue to ponder that, however, Scootaloo had come back with the bolts grasped firmly with her teeth. Rainbow reloaded, and was about to take a shot when she looked at Scootaloo with a smile. “Want to try?” she asked.

“Would I?” Scootaloo sang out.

Rainbow offered the crossbow. As the weapon was still too big for Scootaloo, Rainbow stood behind her, and held the weapon steady. “Alright,” Rainbow said. “You just keep your shoulders relaxed, take aim and, when you’re ready, pull the firing lever.”

Scootaloo did as she was instructed, and fired. Before Rainbow could see how the shot went, a sudden, familiar voice called from behind them. Rainbow nearly dropped the weapon when she saw who it was.

“What are you two doing?” Twilight asked as she approached the two. She looked disapprovingly at Rainbow, who hastily took the crossbow away from Scootaloo.

“H-hey, Twilight, what are you doing all the way out here?” Rainbow asked.

Twilight’s expression softened a little as she turned her attention towards Rainbow's companion. “Sorry, Scootaloo, I need to talk to Rainbow about something. Mind playing somewhere else for a while? Preferably somewhere not so close to the Everfree Forest.”

“But I--” Scootaloo looked to Rainbow for some support.

“Sorry, pipsqueak,” Rainbow said with a sheepish grin. “I’ll catch up with you later!”

Scootaloo kicked up a bit of dirt with a foreleg. “Oh, foal of a nag!” she said before running off.

“What?” Twilight looked at Scootaloo’s distant figure first, then glared at Rainbow. “Rainbow Dash!”

“I didn't teach her that!” Rainbow said. She shook her head, and waved her front hooves in front of her. “I…uh…I accidentally said it, and she picked it up on her own!”

Twilight let out a snort. “We’re going to have a hard time getting her to unlearn that, if we can even do so. And if she spreads that to Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle…”

Rainbow cringed inwardly, already imagining the looks on Applejack, and Rarity. She made a mental note to talk to Scootaloo later. “Anyway,” she said. “What about you, Twilight? Don’t tell me that you were just taking a walk, and found yourself all the way out here!”

“I was looking for you,” Twilight replied flatly.

“And you found me. Now what?”

Twilight frowned. “You just looked really uncomfortable yesterday. Are you alright? How are you adjusting back here?”

“I’m not,” Rainbow replied.

The frown softened. “What do you mean?” Twilight asked. “Aren’t you glad to be back here?”

Rainbow shook her head. “Princess Celestia meant well when she asked her brother to send us here, Twilight, but I just don’t think this is what we should be doing right now.”

Twilight gasped, then stomped a front hoof. “This is our home, Rainbow!”

“I know that!” Rainbow snapped. “It’s not like I haven’t tried feeling great about coming back! It’s just that…this place doesn't feel like home anymore.” She paced about, trying to get her thoughts into the right words. “I mean, all our friends are still here, so are all the sights. I just don’t understand what’s missing. We spent about a month out in the Northern Barrier Land. How does a month change so much?”

“It may have been only a month,” Twilight replied, “but we had to take in a lot during our time there. What’s the matter, Rainbow? Didn't we join the Legion to protect our home?”

“Did we?” Rainbow asked. “Tell me, if you had known that Princess Celestia would put down the barrier in a month, and we wouldn't be banished anymore, would you have still joined the Legion?”

“Well, I…” Twilight opened her mouth, but all that came out was air.

“I was so sure that the Northern Barrier Land was going to be our new home,” Rainbow went on. “I was even making fun of Applejack for not thinking that way! I don’t know why, but it was so easy to make that change…”

“Do you regret it now?” Twilight asked.

Rainbow stopped pacing. “Regret what?”

“Joining me in getting banished." Twilight took a step towards Rainbow. "You were the first to burst through those doors, and tell the princess that you’re going to be banished alongside me, remember? Do you regret that?”

Rainbow’s eyes narrowed. “Not for a single minute,” she replied, her voice steely. She sighed, and relaxed. “But the others…Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, even Fluttershy...they just looked so happy when they met up with their loved ones. I…I don’t have that.”

“I didn't have anypony specific waiting for me here either,” Twilight replied.

“Then you’d understand how it feels, right? Or are you just waiting to get back to Canterlot before you get your heartwarming homecoming?”

It was Twilight’s turn to sigh. “Yes, and no,” she said. “Of course I want to see my family again, but I think I also understand what you feel.” She paused for a bit. “If you think about it, we haven’t come back anywhere. In a few days, the Legion will start drafting ponies here. Now that we've found out about the Barrier Lands, and the barrier is gone, that Ponyville we were hoping to go back to is long gone.” Twilight’s gaze turned towards the ground. “And I caused it,” she added.

“So do you regret getting banished?” Rainbow asked.

Twilight sighed again. “What for? It’s done, and I still think it was the right thing to do.”

The lack of conviction in Twilight's voice didn't go unnoticed. There was regret there. “So what do we do about it?” Rainbow asked.

For a time, the two of them shivered without another word as a cold breeze rustled through the Everfree.

“How about we pledge to protect this ‘new’ Ponyville?” Twilight suggested.

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “Huh?”

“It’s not so bad," Twilight gestured towards Ponyville. "So a lot of ponies will be leaving and a lot of changes will be arriving. It’s still worth fighting for.”

“That’s all we have to do?” Rainbow crossed her forelegs in front of her.

“I don’t think the princess just sent us back here to relax for a while,” Twilight said. “We needed to be reminded of what we were protecting even if that something has changed. Maybe it’s a way to get the Elements back, and working properly.”

“Maybe,” Rainbow replied. She looked towards Ponyville. Perhaps there was something true in what Twilight was saying. She could reconcile her urgent need to get back to the fighting with a desire to make sure this place was safe. “I’ll take that pledge,” she said with a grin.

“What’s this about a pledge?” somepony called out. They looked towards the speaker and found Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie, all walking towards them.

“What are you two going about here?” Applejack asked.

“I could ask the same of you, Applejack.” Twilight said.

“I got to walking for a while, and decided to see how the others were doing,” Applejack replied. “We saw Scootaloo and she told us about this place.”

“The truth be told, I was also worried about how you were doing, Rainbow,” Rarity said. Pinkie and Fluttershy, nodded. “You did look a bit upset.”

“I’m feeling a little better now,” Rainbow said. “Much better actually!” She laughed heartily. “I can’t believe I had to drag all of you out here for that!”

The others followed suit, and came together. Around them, the wind continued to blow, and fresh snow began to fall.

Triumvirate

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 16: Triumvirate

From her room, Luna watched as a group of legionnaires made their way through the streets of Canterlot. It had been six days since the public address, and reunification was finally on its way. What had been a dream a couple of months ago left her both satisfied, and apprehensive at once. She glanced at the piles of reports by her desk with a weary smile. Before, her only duty was managing the moon and occasionally mingling with her subjects. Now, she was up to her neck in reports.

Luna walked over to the most important pile: the one which contained the medical reports. Before she even left the Barrier Lands for the Heartland, Terrato had discussed the health of both his legionnaires and the chosen with her. Though the Legion had strict health practices, especially when dealing with the plague-loving ophidites, Terrato suspected that many legionnaires still carried some disease or another that didn't affect them anymore. Once they reach the populated areas in the Heartland, these diseases could run rampant among the ponies who never had to deal with them before.

Terrato allowed Luna to take as many unicorns as she needed for a new medical unit, and she took her brother's words to task. In a short period of time, she had to teach all these unicorns some the proper spells to treat and prevent diseases. It certainly didn't help that healing magic in Equestria had suffered because of her time in the moon. Every legionnaire had to be magically inoculated, and cleansed before stepping anywhere near a Heartland settlement. Even then, reports of legionnaires falling sick with Cutie Pox, which they called “Chosen Disease”, and chosen coming down with cases of Hiderot trickled in.

Luna read through every gristly detail, and mentally noted the necessary spells she was going to have to teach her new division. She glanced occasionally at the pile of reports she wanted to read. She knew about the Special Operations ponies that her brother had brought along with him. When she saw them reporting to him, she had made a request of them: send her some reports on how the interactions between the Barrier Lands and Heartland ponies went. It didn't have to be formal or extensive, she just wanted to hear the initial thoughts that the legionnaires had of their long lost brethren. She had found some time yesterday, and she still remembered a particularly interesting one.

Three days after the public address, the first legionnaire recruiters entered the city of Canterlot. The first thing they had noticed was the strange manner by which it had been built. Canterlot hugged the sheer cliffs of Mount Unicornia; a gigantic testament to unicorn aesthetics: tall and stately towers, pristine white walls, luxurious amenities, and a touch of fancy over practicality. The earth pony, and pegasi legionnaires were quick to agree that Canterlot must have been designed by a unicorn’s unicorn: a stallion or mare who weighed the danger of plummeting down a cliff against visual appeal, then decided that visual appeal mattered more.

Comparisons to Arcanotropolis, Canterlot’s equivalent in the Barrier Lands, were inevitably made. Even the unicorn magi had to agree that Canterlot was grander, and better maintained. They added, however, that Canterlot had no Grand Arena like Arcanotropolis, and did not have a tradition as wonderful as the annual Mage Battle tournaments, which would explain why Canterlot did not have to deal with frequent explosion damage. They also added that Canterlot served as Princess Celestia’s choice of dwelling, making it more important, better funded, and likely explained why no earthquakes had touched the city. Arcanotropolis, on the other hoof, was not the capital of the Barrier Lands. That honor belonged to the Great Delve, which was primarily an earth pony city. The mention of the Barrier Lands capital piqued Luna’s interest. She had found neither the time nor excuse to see what kind of capital Terrato managed.

While she had yet to lay eyes on the Great Delve, Luna did get to see some of her brother’s management. Barrier Lands ponies were now trickling into the Heartland as fast as her medical division could get to work on them. Not all of them were legionnaires: craftsponies, engineers, even scholars, were already on the move to integrate Barrier Lands and Heartland technology into a unified whole. Terrato also gave them the same stern warning he gave to the Legion: any abuse heaped on the chosen will be considered sabotaging the reunification effort, and will be treated as treason.

The movement wasn't one-sided either. Terrato had asked Celestia to pick out “ponies of integrity and influence” among the chosen to be brought to the various Barrier Lands so they could assess the situation there. It was his hope that these ponies would see the danger, and speak out among their fellows, allowing for a smoother reunification. That was Luna’s hope too. Aside from the chosen not suspecting that the frightening, and stern alicorn had sent these ponies to a far off land, killed them, then replaced them with clones. When Terrato later added that he wanted Prince Blueblood among those ponies, even she had to be suspicious.

“I like that one,” Terrato had said. “His mouth says he’s a coward, but the rest of him says otherwise. He should see the truth as I want him on my side.”

Terrato had also made good on his promise. Two days ago, he had the Legion's High Command meet through magical projections, then had them acknowledge the authority of his sisters. Some of the commanders were uncomfortable with this decision, as Luna had predicted. Still, she now had a grip on the Legion, and planned on making good use of it.

In that same meeting, Terrato also gave more specifics on his plan with the draft. All draftees were required to serve for a minimum of four years, and would be allowed to go home if that was what they wanted. They were to be held in reserve, and sent to the rear lines until they racked up some experience. He had done all of this while he managed the Legion still in the Barrier Lands. Fangbreaker Fortress still had to be converted to a proper launching point for an offensive. Great amounts of resources and a lot more ponies also had to be transported.

Celestia also had her own duties to attend to. She continued to speak with the chosen, reassuring them that times would get better. Terrato was content with just having Celestia rest, but Luna would have none of it. There were problems to be dealt with and the two of them weren't enough to take care of everything.

First, there was the money problem. Incidents had arisen when legionnaires would attempt to buy something with Barrier Lands bits only to have the chosen store-owner refuse to accept it. The legionnaires took it as mocking Terrato’s authority, and reacted violently. A new form of currency had to be adapted by a reunified Equestria. At the very least, values had to be assigned so money changers could get to work. Celestia had elected to deal with the matter.

Then, there was the growing booze problem.

Alcohol was not a complete unknown in the Heartland. It just happened to be a very scarce commodity for a very small fraction of the population. Sweet Apple Acres, for one, produced about a small crate or two of applejack each harvest time to be shipped to Canterlot, and sold at exorbitantly high prices. A lone bottle would last a noble a year as a sipping drink. That was about as much of a presence alcohol had in the Heartland, and Celestia preferred it that way. When the legionnaires heard about the scarcity of such a familiar comfort, they had no compunctions about bringing their own supply. When the first legionnaires arrived in the Heartland, barrel after barrel of cheaply-made, highly potent booze poured in with them. With the health concerns, it was natural for the Barrier Lands ponies to prefer their booze over the local water. This wasn't bad in itself. Legionnaires have had a lifetime to deal with booze. Faced with especially harsh penalties should they get rowdy in the Heartland, it was easy for them to moderate their drinking.

The trouble started when a group of legionnaires, in a commendable, but ultimately misguided, attempt to ingratiate themselves with the locals, shared some of their booze with nearby curious chosen. Ordinary chosen did not have the same sort of incentives the legionnaires had to moderate their drinking. They knew almost next to nothing about the stuff. They accepted the drinks, enjoyed them, then proceeded to besot themselves. In the following days, the Royal Guard scrambled to quell the drunken antics of chosen around the streets.

Terrato refused to have the legionnaires get rid of their booze as Celestia asked, stating that it was one of the few comforts they had in such a strange land. He did issue orders for the legionnaires to avoid sharing anymore, but it was doubtful that would be enough of a measure. It wouldn't be long until the chosen applied their resourcefulness to support their newly acquired habit. It was up to Celestia, and the Royal Guard to temper that habit lest even Canterlot turn into a drunken orgy.

Luna sighed as she set down the reports. With so many things to take care of, she hadn't even put a hoof on the problem of Black Rose. The usurper was out there somewhere, planning something involving the Blasphemous Rift.

Special Operations, however, had made good use of the hidden archives. Terrato was confident that Black Rose had not gained access to them yet, but he doubted the likelihood of things staying that way. With Terrato actively looking out for her with his magic, it would be difficult for Black Rose to move about personally without revealing herself. Hopefully, she would be forced to rely on minions. The movements that Terrato asked of his Special Operations ponies concerned her a bit though.

That led to another issue Celestia insisted on taking care of. Luna left her room, and strode through the halls until she stood outside the room she was looking for. She opened the double doors, catching Celestia’s patient and imploring tone.

“All we ask for is unhindered access to Sky Mirror Lake,” Celestia said. “We have no intention of attacking your hives, but it is imperative that we are able to go there.”

“The changelings owe you nothing, Celestia!” the magical image of Queen Chrysalis spat. “Tell me why we should bow, and part before you and your pathetic little ponies while you make your way through our territory?”

Luna stood outside the room, and looked on quietly. Terrato was also inside, using his magic to facilitate the meeting with Chrysalis’s projection. He had his eyes closed, and his forelegs crossed. Luna could understand why. Celestia had been reluctant to tell him about the Canterlot Wedding Incident, knowing the sort of action he would recommend. Even Luna didn't want to bring it up even though what had overcome the changelings was, perhaps, the greatest sign of the barrier’s inadequacy. When access to the Blasphemous Rift became necessary, he eventually had to know.

“No pony will set foot on our territory!” Chrysalis snarled. “Those who try will be sucked dry!”

Terrato’s eyebrow twitched. Luna and Celestia could only watch him nervously. Sooner or later, he was going to lose his patience, and recommend exterminating the changelings as both retaliation for their previous attack, and as a precaution against any more attacks. For that reason, Celestia insisted on taking charge of negotiations. Despite what the changelings had become and what they had tried to do, she didn't want them destroyed like pests.

Luna still remembered what the changelings were like before the change. They were strange hybrids of pony and butterfly, gifted with amazing powers of transformation. They delighted in mischief through impersonating others, but never meant any harm. Indeed, those who displayed good humor towards the changelings’ pranks were often rewarded. Celestia had no problem with their remaining inside the barrier. During Luna's banishment, the changelings had apparently become more and more withdrawn. Celestia admitted that, while she had found it a bit odd, she believed it was simply a slight shift in their lifestyle, and continued to have faith in the changelings’ immortal queen. Even when the changelings settled around Sky Mirror Lake, there was little cause for concern. The seals laid down by Lexarius ensured that the power of Oceanus did not infect Equestria.

What happened after that was difficult to pin down. By Celestia’s account, the changelings isolated themselves further for the next three hundred years. Though she had the Royal Guard keep a vigilant watch, she was loathe to use more militant methods in preparing. At that time, she still hadn't believed that Queen Chrysalis could have changed so much or gone so far. After her return, Luna had grown suspicious, and worked with one of the royal nieces. Princess Cadance confirmed what Luna had suspected; the changelings had turned into the dark, emotion-feeding creatures they were today, and Chrysalis had taken great measures to hide that fact from Celestia. It seemed that even the seals of the Eternal Herd’s stewards were not perfect or, as more rebellions took place, the power of Oceanus grew.

Unfortunately, Cadance had not been subtle enough. Chrysalis discovered not only her spying, but also her wedding, choosing that time to make a move. It was only during the Canterlot Wedding Incident did Queen Chrysalis reveal the full extent of what the changelings had gone through. The surprise attack allowed for a Canterlot invasion even with Shining Armor’s powerful barrier. The combination of Celestia’s hesitation to reveal any great degree of fighting prowess to her subjects, her underestimation of the threat, and the sheer surprise by the boldness of Chrysalis’s attack nearly resulted in complete disaster. Afterwards, Luna finally decided to go to the Barrier Lands to talk to her brother, ironic given that it was the incident she hesitated in mentioning.

“You are flirting with disaster here, Chrysalis!” Celestia snorted, and a stomped a hoof. The sudden angry gesture surprised both Luna, and Terrato. “You seem to be ignoring that I chose not to retaliate after your attack on Canterlot. Do not exhaust my options for settling this peacefully!”

Luna took some satisfaction when Queen Chrysalis visibly flinched. The changeling quickly recovered, however. “Your little tantrum does not impress me, Celestia,” Chrysalis replied. “But it’s easy to see that this means a lot to you. I’m willing to negotiate safe passage in return for some tribute.”

Celestia smiled, and Terrato relaxed. “Name your price,” she said.

“I will think it over first." Chrysalis turned away with a dramatic flourish, but Luna suspected that it was to hide her increasing fear. "This meeting is over. I will contact you once I've made up my mind.”

Chrysalis’s image dissipated, and Terrato opened his eyes. “I still think we should just destroy them,” he said.

“Equestria has more than enough enemies,” Celestia replied as Luna entered the room.

“Which includes them already,” Terrato said. “They attacked first, remember? You may have cowed them for now, but they’re still a disaster waiting to happen.”

“The changelings were turned into this. There is still hope in turning them back, but that will be impossible if you wipe them out.”

“Luna?” Terrato asked. He threw a glance her way.

Luna cleared her throat, suddenly aware of her place between her siblings. “The changelings will have to be dealt with soon,” she said, eliciting a frown from Celestia, “but I think we should bide our time until the reunification has settled some more.”

Terrato let out a snort. “So what did you come by here for, little sister?” he asked. “Just passing by to see how negotiations went?”

“I just wanted to know why you’re moving Special Operations around,” Luna replied. “You've sent a couple of squads to Ponyville of all places. Now, you've got more working with the Royal Guard to delve Mount Unicornia. What for?”

“If Black Rose plans to open the seals to the Blasphemous Rift, there should be two ways to do it,” Terrato replied. “She can break them externally, which would require more power than she has at the moment. She can also break them internally.”

“What do you mean by that?” Luna asked.

"The Foul Weapon possesses immense power,” Terrato said. “It’s certainly enough to break any seal Lexarius can come up with. If Black Rose can slip in just a small amount of magic through the seals, she can coax that power to go off. This was the same plan as Clover the Clever was developing before Lexarius struck her down.”

“So you had some squads sent to Everfree Castle,” Celestia said. “But why Mount Unicornia?”

“Haven't you been reading from the hidden archives?" Terrato asked.

Celestia sighed. "I hid it away, and put it out my mind, remember?"

"Mount Unicornia's mines contain the Crystal Grave, a strange device discovered by Princess Platinum when her ponies settled around this area. Even though she lost the mine's use, she spent a lot of resources tinkering with it. After she retreated to the Old Kingdom's capital, Lexarius found it, and sealed it away.”

“So Black Rose’s plan is to break through the seals using the various projects of the Six Companions?” Celestia asked.

“If we’re willing to believe Blue Moon entirely,” Terrato said. "It’s the best way to open those seals. Even if that’s not her goal, controlling these dangerous sources of power is important.”

Luna watched Terrato carefully. He had already mentioned in earlier meetings that Black Rose may have deliberately allowed Blue Moon to betray her with that much knowledge so the Legion would do most of the legwork. He spent a great deal of resources monitoring his own Special Operations to ensure that none of them were spies for her, but he mentioned that he was banking more on one thing that even she wouldn't be expecting. When Luna pressed him about what that was, he refused to say anything more.

Unable to gauge anything else from Terrato, Luna looked out a window. This one had, fittingly enough, a good view of Mount Unicornia's summit. Terrato had not mentioned which squads he had sent, but she had found out earlier. First, and Third squad, along with a group from the Royal Guard were currently spelunking in that abandoned gem mine. She could only hope for their success.

Though they were already quite deep into the mine, Vanguard, and the rest of the Special Operations ponies sent with him, found it easy to navigate the tunnels of Mount Unicornia. The walls were lined with luminous gems that served them better than any torch. Nevertheless, they moved slowly. One of the ponies with them was mapping everything down.

The presence of the gems begged the question. The mine clearly had plenty of resources. Why was it abandoned? Not even Canterlot’s residents knew. The mines were off-limits, and they weren't the sort to pry. Vanguard could understand that part. A sense of wrongness permeated the mine’s tunnels like thick fog. The walls, the scattered mining tools, the overturned carts…this mine wasn't abandoned because it was depleted.

“I spent my entire life reading about Princess Platinum being insufferable snob who eventually learned the importance of friendship,” Shining Armor said. “Now, I get to find out that she was up to some horrible things down here.”

“You’re welcome,” Vanguard replied. It was a bit unusual working with the Royal Guard, but Special Operations was low on ponies in the Heartland. He suspected that Princess Celestia requested it to foster better relations between the two groups. He empathized with Shining Armor in this case. The Heartland seemed a place clean of the grim incidents that happened often in the Barrier Lands, but it turned out that there are still niches of such things carefully tucked away beneath a veneer of peace.

They descended a particularly steep slope as they followed a large tunnel, carefully making sure that none of them started sliding down the chasms around them. There were stalagmites, and pointed crystal formations at the bottom of those chasms, ready to meet any pony unfortunate enough to fall.

“So what happened here anyway?” Scarlet asked. When Vanguard looked at him sternly, he grinned sheepishly. “Hey, I didn't get to read from the hidden archive!”

“After the Windigo Crisis, Platinum ran a gigantic mining operation here with a city’s population of earth pony slave labor,” Vanguard replied. “Eventually, these earth ponies developed a magic of their own, and started an uprising. Led by Rock Maven, they massacred a small army of unicorn overseers, and fled to the outskirts of Equestria.”

“Rock Maven…I've heard of that name before,” Scarlet said.

Vanguard snorted. “Rock Maven, the first leader of the True Earth Ponies.”

“Well, if I--”

Before Scarlet could say anything else, Vanguard raised a hoof. “Did you see that?” he asked. He focused his gaze towards the far end of the tunnel. The ponies with him readied spells and weapons.

At a distance, a dim, pony-sized figure was approaching the group. Vanguard’s ears perked, but he couldn't hear a single sound despite all the loose rocks and gems around.

“Who goes there?” Shining Armor called out.

“Get back to work…” was the faint reply. Shining Armor tensed.

The figure came close enough for a better view. One of the royal guards gasped. Standing before them was a pony-shaped blob of shadow. There appeared to be a horn and a mane on it, but the rest of its features were too indistinct.

“We’re not workers here,” Shining Armor said.

“Not yet…” the thing replied.

Before anypony else could react, the thing gave a loud wail, and charged. More shadows burst from the walls, the ceiling, and from the ground itself.

Unwanted Legacies

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 17: Unwanted Legacies

The Everfree occupied a unique place in the minds of Twilight, and her friends. It was a dangerous place, full of creatures like cockatrices, parasprites, and timber wolves, as well as unnatural things like self-moving clouds, and independent wildlife. Yet, it was also in this place that they went from random acquaintances to the closest of friends, where they freed Princess Luna from Nightmare Moon, and the place Zecora lived in.

Some of the trepidation that came from visiting Everfree had disappeared now that they were back here. Perhaps, it was because they had gotten used to uncontrolled weather in the Barrier Lands, as well as being around constant danger.

The trip to Everfree Castle proved uneventful, the lone highlight being a brief encounter with timber wolves. A pack investigated their presence at a distance, only to give them a wide berth; an understandable decision. Predators preferred easy pickings: lost young, or injured prey, not a group of armed ponies. Twilight subtly steered the Special Operations ponies away from Zecora’s hut. She didn't know the Barrier Lands attitude towards zebras, and now wasn't the time to find out.

It was a late afternoon sun’s rays that filtered through the canopy of leaves by the time they were looking up at the ruins of Everfree Castle. While the forest lost some of its mystique, the castle made up for it by gaining a dark aura. This was a place of betrayals: Princess Luna betraying her sister all those centuries ago, and Clover the Clever betraying the legends of her greatness that they had grown up with. Despite hundreds of years of abandonment, the forest had barely reclaimed the area around the castle. A few vines and stunted trees were the only attempts on the foliage’s part to blot out a site where Clover the Clever did who knew what.

“No lollygagging now,” Nightcanter said as she walked past Twilight. The ponies from Special Operations didn't seem affected by the dark atmosphere.

Twilight couldn't say the same for herself. She swallowed nervously, taking note that the sky seemed darker around this place even though it should still be afternoon. She looked to her friends; they looked just as nervous. Afterwards, she trotted after Captain Nightcanter.

“So where are we going?” she asked. “We didn't see any other passage the last time we went here.”

“We’re not looking for hidden passageways,” Nightcanter replied. “You don’t really think that Lexarius, and Princess Celestia would rely on hidden passageways to hide a place like Clover the Clever’s last refuge, do you?”

“I suppose not,” Twilight said. They were back in the Chamber of Elements, the same place where Nightmare Moon was driven from Princess Luna. Nothing had changed since their last visit here. The gray stone walls looked a little more worn, and there might be a few more cracks on the floor. Nightcanter pulled out a scroll from a saddlebag, and held it with magic. “What’s that?” she asked.

“Our way in,” Nightcanter replied. “We’ll use it to both enter, and leave. Everypony get close to me, we’ll be teleporting there once I read this.”

Everypony gathered around Nightcanter as she began reading. Twilight couldn't make heads or tails of the words, but the language sounded familiar. She turned towards Applejack. “Do you think it’s the same language that the Queen used?”

“Dunno,” Applejack replied. “I can’t even tell where one slippery word ends and another starts, to be honest.”

A circle of golden light surrounded them, followed by a faint humming sound, and a blinding flash. They shut their eyes tight to keep from being blinded. The familiar feeling of a teleportation spell tugged at them. This was no ordinary teleportation, however. Twilight felt like she passed through something: some kind of intangible wall. The next thing she knew, she was neck-deep in some kind of cold liquid.

Rarity suddenly shrieked, followed by some frantic splashing. For a bleak moment, Twilight thought that they were under attack. She shook her head, as if that could clear her vision faster. “Nopony told me we were going to start wading in water!” Rarity wailed. “This moisture is going to wreak havoc on my hooves!”

“What’s going on?” Fluttershy yelped. “Help! Something just slithered past my legs!”

“That was just my tail,” Rainbow said. “I think…”

“Shut up, and stop splashing about!” Nightcanter snapped. “We’re blinded, and the first thing you do is drown out any sound?”

The splashes and cries stopped at once. Without any distractions, Twilight could now focus on her other senses. She couldn't see well enough to tell what the liquid was. The ground beneath was slick, as if they were standing on a layer of mold. The air was musty, and damp, with a foul lingering odor she couldn't quite place. As the glare faded enough to reveal a new problem: it was pitch dark.

“We need a light,” Nightcanter said. Both Twilight, and Captain Foxfire cast the same spell. Two balls of soft-glowing light floated next to their casters, bathing the nearby surroundings in pale blue illumination. Twilight looked at what she was standing in.

The dead eyes of a pony’s corpse stared back at her.

Despite Nightcanter’s previous warning, Twilight screamed. She reared up in a panic that quickly infected the rest of her friends.

“Where in tarnation are we?” Applejack shouted.

Fluttershy looked down, shrieked, and flew out of the water. Rainbow also began hovering. Rarity, and Pinkie were floundering as if they were about to drown. Even the Special Operations ponies looked disturbed.

Thanks to the light, the group got a good look at what they were standing in. They were wading in a wide pool of what appeared to be water. Scattered around the bottom of the pool were the bodies of several ponies, their eyes still open. Despite what may well be thousands of years, they were remarkably well preserved. All the trashing also caused the water to displace them, panicking Twilight and her friends even more.

“Settle down!” Nightcanter snarled. “It’s just corpses!” She looked around, then pointed towards the elevated edges of the pool. They were inside a large chamber with this pool as its central feature. Their lights didn't extend far enough to see the edges of the room. “Let’s get out of this pool." Everypony else was all too happy to comply. A minute later, they were collecting themselves by the edges.

“W-w-where are we?” Fluttershy asked. She shivered violently. The others were concentrating on drying up. Twilight conjured a small ball of flames to help them. After that, she looked around. The floor was dark blue marble as were the walls. They appeared in good condition, perhaps as a side-effect of the sealing.

‘Got to give it to Clover the Clever,’ Nightcanter said. "This may be her last refuge, but she still built it with some style. Sparkle, can you get your light to the ceiling?”

Twilight nodded and pale blue light soon illuminated the rather high ceiling. There were no windows. It was likely that they were deep underground. She tried not to think of the tons of rock that were bearing down on them. Instead, she focused on making her light hover across the room to get a better look at the surroundings.

“Check that out…” Nightcanter said breathlessly when the light reached to the center of the chamber’s ceiling. Twilight could understand the sudden sense of awe when she saw it as well. She increased the intensity of her light to give them all a better view.

An enormous engraving dominated the central part of the ceiling. At the center was a pony’s head looking down on the pool of water beneath it. Twilight wasn't sure if the head was supposed to be a stallion’s or a mare’s. Its features closely resembled an alicorn’s, instead of a normal pony's. A great mass of tentacles emerged from the head, like a twisted version of the sun’s rays. They extended throughout the ceiling, reaching where the edges of the pool were beneath. Caught in the morass of tentacles were several ponies: unicorns, pegasi, earth ponies, even alicorns.

“Oceanus,” Nightcanter whispered.

“What was going on here?” Twilight asked in an equally soft tone. It was as if they were standing in the presence of Oceanus himself, and were trying futilely to avoid drawing attention to themselves.

“This must be the sacrificial chamber,” Nightcanter replied. “Sacrifices were done often in the Old Kingdom.” She looked at the pool of water, and wrinkled her nose. “The preferred method was drowning. They broke the legs of their sacrifices, and dumped them in the center of pools like this one.”

Twilight refused to look at the pool again. The bloated bodies were one thing. The idea behind them was far worse; ponies sacrificing each other for power. She stared at the central figure above them. What kind of prince demanded that his ponies drown others for his favor? The outrage in Prince Terrato’s answer when she had called Oceanus his sibling echoed in her mind. She understood that outrage now. Oceanus was supposed to be their progenitor, the father she shared with every pony in Equestria. To be related to this monster in any way, was disgusting. Even the very blood running through her suddenly felt tainted.

Nightcanter stood up. “That’s enough warming up," she said. "We’re not here to get cozy with each other, so let’s go.”

The others complied. Nightcanter's squad was doing fine. So was Fourth Squad. Twilight's friends, on the other hoof, had taken a hit from just arriving in this place. Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Rarity were looking a little sick. The darkness, and dampness were smothering their spirits. Applejack, and Rainbow were holding up better, but were still clearly affected by this place.

Nightcanter cast her own light spell to help brighten the conditions. It didn't take long for them to spot a hall, large enough to accomodate their group with ease, leading out of the chamber. The only sounds came from their steady hoof falls as they walked through the corridor. Nightcanter passed a hoof over the marble walls as she walked past. They were adorned with an undecipherable, spidery script that seemed to dance about if stared at for too long.

“Captain Nightcanter,” Twilight said.

“What is it?”

“Once I get to Canterlot, you think I can spend some time in the hidden archives? I’d like to learn more about this ‘Old Kingdom’.”

“Not really my call there, Sparkle,” Nightcanter replied. “Try talking to one of the royalty.”

“I will,” Twilight said. She tried once again to make some sense of the writings. The characters writhed before her eyes as she focused on them, mocking any attempt at trying to get them to make sense.

“Woah, what was that?” Rainbow hollered. Loaded crossbows were quickly pointed towards where she was looking at, only to end up being pointed at a wall. The Special Operations ponies looked at her askance. “The wall moved!” Rainbow tapped the wall with a hoof. “I swear, I saw it move!”

“Don’t look at those squiggly letters, sugarcube,” Applejack said. “They do some funny stuff to your eyes if you look too hard.”

They stopped at an intersection. From where they were facing, the hallways going left and right ended in double stone doors, while the hallway straight ahead continued to go on.

“We’d better split up,” Foxfire said. She surveyed the group, then looked at their choices. “Two groups of five and a group of four?”

Nightcanter nodded. “Make sure each group gets a light,” she said. She looked over to her vice captain. “Shale, take Riproar, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and that white unicorn with you. Quillfeather and I will go with the pink earth pony, the yellow pegasus, and the rainbow pegasus.”

“You could at least learn our names,” Rainbow muttered as she took her place by Nightcanter’s side.

“Fourth Squad will take the central hallway,” Foxfire said.

Nightcanter led her group towards the left hallway, and gestured for Shale Hide’s group to take the right one. “Call out at the first sign of our objective or trouble,” she told them.

It took three ponies to eventually pry open the double doors that blocked off Twilight’s group. Though Shale Hide was clearly the leader for this occasion, it was Twilight who walked ahead of them. She shone the light into another room. This one was smaller than the sacrificial chamber, but still quite sizable. The ball of light hovered over a fallen bookcase and a large pile of scattered books. With a gasp, Twilight moved the light about quickly, and saw even more books.

“Library,” Shale Hide muttered. He picked his way past the scattered books, then looked back to the rest of the group. “See if you can find anything useful among those things.”

Twilight eagerly grabbed the nearest book she could find. To her disappointment, she was faced with the same spidery script that marked the walls. She doubted that the others would make sense.

“I don’t think you should just go around diving into any book that Clover the Clever wrote, Twilight,” Applejack said with a disapproving frown. “This whole place doesn't feel right, and I don’t trust any book written by a pony who’d live here.”

“Clover the Clever is dead, Applejack,” Twilight replied. She continued to search through the books. Perhaps, Clover the Clever switched languages at some point. “Knowledge about her, and what she associated with, can’t be inherently evil.”

“I’m not so sure about that." Applejack's frown softened. "Anyway, are you really going to head for Canterlot after this?”

Twilight shrugged. “Probably. I want to find out more about the Old Kingdom as soon as I get there.”

“I think you should see your family first.”

“That goes without saying, Applejack,” Twilight said through gritted teeth. She was getting completely fed up with this annoying hick. Even Applejack's presence was setting her teeth on edge. It must be that sweaty farm pony stink that clung to her constantly. Combine that with her better-than-you “integrity”, her shameless flirting, her obsession with apples, those ugly freckles, and that annoying accent, it was no wonder that Rainbow tried to beat her face in back in Bastion City. Why couldn't she just fade into the background? Nopony liked her. She was just some backwards, inbred, caricature of a countryside bumpkin.

An idea came to mind. The right spell should put Applejack in her place. Something flashy to make her an example to others…a fire spell sounded just about right. She could just imagine it: flames charring that orange hide, the flesh underneath melting, her cutie mark turning into roasted apples...

‘What…what am I thinking?” Twilight pressed a hoof against her head. She dropped the book, and looked guiltily behind her.

Applejack continued to stare while Twilight flipped through that evil book. It was becoming more and more obvious that this witch had to be put down for everypony’s good.

Twilight was out of control. She stuck her nose into things she shouldn't, and tainted everything she touched with her filthy magic. How many times had Twilight's magic caused trouble in Ponyville? She wielded spells that controlled others without any hesitation. She bossed everypony around at every opportunity, and paraded her status as Princess Celestia's student as if that made her crap gold, and her fart perfume.

Applejack's eyes shifted to the chain she had around her neck. Twilight’s magic was dangerous, but a lasso around her neck would snap it with a single tug before the first spell could fly. It wouldn't be too hard either. The miserable bookworm probably had glass bones from being a layabout, hoity-toity, Canterlot snob. But a surprise attack would be too quick, and unsatisfying. No, it would be better to knock Twilight with a jaw-shattering kick, then choke her. Unicorn magic was useless if they couldn't concentrate, and Twilight was going to have a hard time concentrating with a broken jaw, and her lungs about to burst. Applejack was going to enjoy seeing the smug little nag struggle desperately. Twilight’s eyes would bulge in terror, realizing too late that all the knowledge she had learned, all the magic she had accumulated, and all the plans she had carefully prepared would amount to nothing. Then her tongue would loll, and her heart would stop…

Applejack shook her head. ‘What in tarnation? Why was I--” She saw Twilight eyes on her, and looked away, suddenly afraid that Twilight had caught a glimpse of what she had just been thinking.

Twilight opened her mouth to say something. “Applejack I--”

A stallion screamed from a distance. Their group turned around, and galloped towards the intersection.

Nightcanter, and her group had ended up in a bedroom. This must be the place Clover the Clever slept when she wasn't trying to break the seals on the rift. The trappings of luxury were still in place despite all the centuries. The bedside table had silverware on it, finely engraved, and looking as if it had just been polished hours ago. Sheets of fine dark blue silk, embroidered with gold thread covered the bed, and the many soft pillows. She placed a hoof on the bedding, and sniffed at the mild fragrance of spices. It was as if the room had removed itself from the passage of time.

The bed look so inviting that Nightcanter instinctively glanced towards the three chosen mares in the room. That would be an interesting situation...she shook her head. That was crazy, she was in the middle of work and she wasn't going that far no matter what. She looked to see how they were doing.

“Pinkie, are you alright?” Fluttershy asked. Pinkie was visibly shaking, despite the room being tolerably warm. Nightcanter looked around the room with her light, and found nothing to merit that sort of fear.

“What’s going on here?” Nightcanter asked after walking over to the two. She looked at Pinkie. “Is she coming down with a fever or something?”

Fluttershy felt Pinkie’s forehead with a hoof, and shook her head.

“W-w-we should get out of here,” Pinkie said. “M-m-my Pinkie sense is going crazy!”

“Not until we get what we’re looking for,” Nightcanter replied. “Spread out, and look for anything we can use.”

Fluttershy continued to stay with Pinkie, while Rainbow, and Quillfeather did as ordered. “Can’t you turn your Pinkie Sense off?” Fluttershy asked. “All that shaking can’t be good for you!”

“I w-w-wish I could!” Pinkie answered. “I t-t-think my teeth are going to fall off!” Her eyes widened, and she went for her saddlebags. She pulled out a small piece of slate covered in strange writing and gems.

As soon as Pinkie touched the piece of slate, she noticed what seemed to be a stream of faint colors running through the walls, ceiling, and floor. She squinted at the sight. It was as if the walls had become partly translucent and she could barely make out something at the other side. As she looked on, she noticed even more of the stream around her. There was something going on with the walls as well. They looked…squirmy.

“Are you alright, Pinkie?” Fluttershy asked again.

“Ooooh…”

Pinkie stared as several black tentacles sprouted from the walls. The bright colors around them darkened, and blurred around the spot where the tentacles were. One of them wrapped lightly around Rainbow's neck. 'Why hasn't anypony noticed this?' she thought. She looked towards the others, but a loud cry from Rainbow jerked her attention back to her friends. There was a loud thud of something heavy striking the ground. Something struck the wall behind Fluttershy with a metallic clink. Pinkie walked over to see what it was.

Fluttershy didn't look to see what just flew past her. There was a mild stinging sensation around the edges of her left ear, followed by the feeling of something thick trickling down from that spot. She ignored it, however, and ran over to Rainbow. “Rainbow, are you alright?” she asked. “What happened?”

Rainbow was lying on her side. She looked dazed after apparently hitting her head against the wall. Her unloaded crossbow lay right next to her. She shook her head to clear it, then looked worriedly at Fluttershy. “Fluttershy, are you hurt?” she asked. “Are you bleeding?”

“I’m fine,” Fluttershy replied.

Pinkie searched the floor briefly, and spotted the thing that flew past Fluttershy. It was a bolt. She looked back to Fluttershy, and saw the thin trail of red that ran down Fluttershy's ear only to soak into her long, pink mane.

Rainbow stared at the crossbow before putting it away. What had just happened? Why was she trying to shoot Fluttershy, thinking that useless, whining mares were better off being put out of their misery? The next thing she knew, she was already pulling the firing lever on her crossbow. She had managed to jump to the side to make sure she missed. A quick look at Fluttershy showed just how close she was to failing.

“What do you think you’re doing, Rainbow Dash?” Nightcanter asked as she came over.

“I…I don’t know," Rainbow pressed her hooves against her temples. "I’m with Pinkie, I think we should get out of here.”

The scream of a stallion came from outside the room. Fearing the worst, all of them swiftly ran out. They encountered Shale Hide’s group, then headed straight for the central corridor. It was Nightcanter who first crossed the doorway. “Foxfire!” she shouted. “What’s with all the screaming? Celestia drill my backside, what happened?”

The central hallway had also led to a pair of doors. Inside was a circular chamber as large as the one with the sacrificial pool. Instead of a pool, however, a large podium stood at the center. On top of it was a plain, leather-bound tome. In front of the podium appeared to be a coffin made of black glass

Three ponies lay on the ground while a panting Captain Foxfire stood just a few feet away. “Fogbound suddenly pulled a knife on us,” Foxfire said between pants. “He got Palemane, and Cloven before I took him out.”

Nightcanter scowled at the sight. “There goes Fourth Squad,” she muttered. She inspected the tome while Fluttershy trotted over to Foxfire to check for injuries.

“Wait!” Pinkie cried out before Fluttershy could even come close to Foxfire. The others stared at her in puzzlement. As she continued to hold on to the piece of slate, the colors slowly became more vivid. Now, it was as if the entire refuge was submerged in a giant river of colors. The walls were still black and translucent, but she saw something else as well. More slender black tendrils slithered out of the letters. They were all over the place, like some monstrous infection. Some were trying to touch her friends, but a bunch of them were already wrapped tightly around Foxfire. “She’s the bad guy,” she said.

“What?” Nightcanter asked. She took a step towards Foxfire, who was now staring intensely at Pinkie.

“She’s the bad guy!” Pinkie said again, louder this time. Foxfire snarled, then began to intone. Before she could finish, a pair of bolts, and a lone blade, struck her side. Rainbow, and Shale already reloading. The blade removed itself from Foxfire, and floated back to Rarity, who immediately set about wiping it clean with a piece of cloth.

“Why did she do that?” Rarity asked. “Was she…was she working for Black Rose?”

Pinkie barely heard Rarity, however. The colors were fading. It was as if all the energy in her body had just leaked out. The next thing she knew, the ground was coming up to meet her, and everything was going dark.

“What just happened?” Nightcanter asked. She looked Pinkie over to check for injuries. Other than being completely out, Pinkie was fine.

“It’s this place,” Twilight answered. She lifted her by magic, and settled her on Applejack's back. “It’s doing something to us. We need to leave.”

Nightcanter nodded, then went over to get the tome. It looked like it was the most important thing here. She looked over to the coffin, and considered bringing it along as well. “So Clover the Clever spent her last days sleeping in a room next to a tomb,” she said. “Whatever worked, I guess.”

The lid suddenly slid to the side at a touch from Nightcanter. All of them gathered behind her in alarm. The inside was still covered by a clear glass pane. Past that, suspended as if by magic, were the skeletal remains of a pony.

“Twilight…” Applejack said. “Why is that skeleton wearing your country music singer outfit?”

Twilight swallowed, then put a trembling hoof against the glass pane. It looked as if she was having trouble breathing. “It can’t be,” she whispered. "The bells...the hat...the cloak..."

“Brace yourselves,” Nightcanter said. “We’re taking it with us.”

The Crystal Grave

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 18: The Crystal Grave

“Unicorns, enchantments!”

Vanguard's first swing of his two-bladed sword went through one of the shadowy unicorns coming at him. He didn't know if anypony heard him through the din, especially as he had shouted while still biting into his weapon’s hilt. He took a few steps back, and ducked a swing from his frontal attacker. Behind him, the rest of the group were dodging desperately. Their enemies were numerous, and were coming from every angle, including directly beneath.

Captain Bad Arc looked to his unicorn mage, then fired his crossbow at a nearby shadow. The bolt struck a crystal formation a good distance behind his target instead. “Enchantments!” he shouted. “Move it, Moontail!”

A shade plunged its hoof into a royal guard’s armored chest. The blow passed through the metal plating as if it wasn't there. The royal guard dropped to the ground, shivering violently, his eyes constricting. His attacker disappeared into the ground to attack another target. A second guard dropped next to him, also shivering.

“Stand next to me!” Moontail shouted. His horn already glowed while the others desperately tried to get to him with all the shadows flitting about.

Shining Armor wasn't to be left out. Once he rallied the royal guards to him, his horn flashed purple, enveloping their weapons and armor. Several feet away, Moontail had done the same.

His two-bladed sword now sheathed in magical energy, Vanguard took another swing at one of the shadowy unicorns. This time, he felt some resistance, as if he was cutting through felt. His foe let out a furious wail, then retreated into the floor. He turned in time to jump out of the way as a two more of them emerged from the ground to grab him. “Fall back!” he called out. Even with the ability to strike at these things, they were still surrounded by enemies that could literally attack from anywhere.

Shining Armor sent a shadow hurtling back with a bolt of magic. His fellow guards fought back valiantly, but it was clear that they were looking to back away. A guard was about to be overwhelmed by a couple of shadows, but Shining Armor encapsulated him in a spherical barrier, forcing the assailants to seek other targets. The barrier disappeared after a second more, allowing the guard to stumble towards his fellows.

“Riot!” one of the shadows wailed. “The new slaves are rebelling! Call the forepony!”

With shadows still closing in, Vanguard spat his weapon onto his hooves, and turned towards Moontail. “We need a spell that can sweep groups of them,” he said.

“Not really my forte, Vanguard Clash,” Moontail said as he blasted another shadow flying towards him. “Although, I've got a fire spell that could work reasonably well.”

‘Fire,’ Vanguard thought. He didn't know how well it would even work. These things seemed to be made of nothing but darkness and cold. Perhaps a blast of heat and light could take them out. Or the flames could simply pass through them. “Do it,” he said. “Aim for that cluster that’s closing in on Shining Armor’s group." He grabbed his weapon with his mouth again.

A stream of flame poured from Moontail's horn, and towards the shadows Vanguard pointed out. It wasn't a particularly impressive spell, but the shadows shrieked at the sight, and dispersed towards different directions before it could even touch them. With a break between the attacks, the royal guards quickly regrouped. Without another word, Vanguard ran towards them.

Free of having to watch out for his fellows, Shining Armor created a shimmering cover over the ground. Vanguard silently agreed with the idea. Their biggest problem was being attacked from beneath. They needed a way to force their attackers to use more conventional directions. A shadow emerged from the ceiling, and descended on Shining Armor only to be cut down by an enormous two-bladed sword.

“I’ll watch your back, Guard Captain!” Vanguard said. He positioned himself next to the unicorn. “Concentrate on that barrier of yours, and get the nearby walls!” Two more shadows flew towards Shining Armor, but Vanguard kept them at bay. The shimmering barrier coated the nearby walls, forcing the shadows to attack only from the ceiling.

With their targets funneled into a single direction, they began to drive the shadows back. Moontail fired another stream of flame at the ceiling, this time striking a pair of shadows. They wailed, then dispersed. The others phased through the stone, and didn't appear again.

A tense minute passed while they waited for the attack to resume. Most of them were panting with exertion. The other royal guards checked on their fallen comrades, only to find that the poor stallions had stopped breathing. Their bodies were cold and rigid, as if they had been dead for days.

“Are they gone?” Scarlet asked. He kept his crossbow pointed at the ceiling.

“For now,” Vanguard replied. “Keep your guards up.”

“Did we kill some of them?” Bad Arc asked.

Moontail shook his head. “How do you kill something that’s dead to start with? No. At best, we disrupted their physical forms. They'll reform in a while.”

“We should get some backup,” Shining Armor said. He looked at the scorch marks on the ceiling. “Some more fire would help."

“Sounds good,” Vanguard said. He looked to some of the guards, and one of the ponies from First Squad. The shadows managed to graze them with their freezing incorporeal touch. They complained of pain, and itchiness. Long years in the Northern Barrier Land taught him to recognize frost nip when he saw it. These ponies were lucky that what they got was the equivalent of a minor scratch from their ghostly enemies.

“Bad time to lose Third Squad’s unicorn mage then,” Bad Arc said. He stretched out his wings. “Just as when we need a fire specialist, the best one in the Legion dies.”

The rest of the squad glanced at Vanguard nervously. “I’m sure Pyre Valor regrets that her being incinerated inconveniences you, Captain Bad Arc,” he said flatly.

After a couple more minutes, Bad Arc spoke again. “Wasn't Third Squad going to get Twilight Sparkle as its new unicorn mage? I've seen her fire spells. Even she would be a boon to this mission.”

Shining Armor's eyes widened. “Twilight Sparkle?” he asked. “What’s this about Twilight Sparkle?” He turned towards Vanguard, who gave him a stern look in return. Vanguard's message was clear, even without speaking: mission first.

As they headed back, Vanguard found Shining Armor walking beside him. Shining Armor's reaction to Twilight's name was intriguing. Perhaps, the two were related, but he had a mission to deal with first. Fortunately, Shining Armor matched his professionalism.

Before they could continue ascending the slope, a cold draft suddenly blew from deeper into the mine. Vanguard pulled out his two-bladed sword. “Fenrir's hide,” he growled. “Looks like they’re not done yet!”

Shining Armor raised his barrier again, this time covering all sides of the tunnel to make sure that their enemies came at the front. Vanguard considered asking for individual shields, but he doubted Shining Armor's ability to maintain so many, as well as the shielded pony's ability to move once inside those things. Even what they were doing now was a flawed defense. These things could go under the ground and then emerge from behind them where Shining Armor's barrier didn't cover. He hoped that the enemy wasn't particularly good with strategy, or adapting.

The cold intensified as the wind picked up. An eerie, high-pitched howl assaulted their ears. It was hard to tell if it was coming from the ghosts, or merely the distorted sound of the wind passing through the mine’s tunnels. The answer to that came soon enough.

First was the same swarm of shadowy ghosts earlier. This time, the shadows didn't attack. They swarmed about in front of the group like a black cloud of angry bees. Everypony raised their weapons, and the unicorns refreshed their enchantments. That there seemed to be even more of the things was not lost on them.

“This rebellion ends here!”

The voice boomed from the far end of the tunnel, shaking the walls, and the ceiling. Bits of dust, and pebbles, fell on Vanguard. He didn't have time to pay too much attention, however. Something was approaching. The lights from the crystals at the far end seemed to be extinguishing themselves at first, until he realized that it wasn't the crystals. A great darkness was heading for them.

“Forepony!” one of the shadows wailed.

The blackness seemed to coat the sides of the tunnel at first. Then, it extended like living ink, coalescing in the middle of the swarming ghosts. An enormous, shadowy unicorn filled the tunnel, then erupted into a blaze of black fire. Even from a distance, Vanguard could feel the cold radiating from the thing. Also, unlike the smaller versions, this one had a pair of “eyes”. Two orbs of blue flame shone from its head. “The forepony,” he muttered. “Maybe if we take it down, the others will scatter for good.”

“Or we could get ourselves killed while committing to that attack,” Shining Armor replied. Behind him, Moontail cast his fire spell at the enormous shadow. The stream of flame barely seemed to hurt its target, quashing any notion of defeating the thing head on. The giant shadow let out a ferocious wail that sent the walls shaking. More dust fell on them. “We have to get out of here,” he said. “It’s going to collapse this tunnel!”

“Come on!” Bad Arc shouted. The others made a run for it while he and Scarlet fired their enchanted bolts at the shadows. Shining Armor dismissed his barrier, and retreated as well. The enormous blazing shadow took in the bolts fired at it as if the pegasi had been firing at a pool of ink. It wailed again, shaking the tunnel some more.

“Look out!” Vanguard shouted. A large section of the ceiling broke loose above Shining Armor. Vanguard dove, pushing Shining Armor out of the way. The chunk of rubble broke through the floor, leaving behind a gaping crevice. A network of cracks quickly spread from the initial hole.

“Captain!” Scarlet shouted. He was about to fly forward when Bad Arc held him back. The giant shadow had grown tired of the two of them shooting at it, and was heading their way. They had no choice but to fly back to the rest of the group.

Both Vanguard, and Shining Armor got to their hooves. Fortunately, the other shadows were still swirling about, seemingly uncaring about anything other than watching the giant one attack. Vanguard was about to take step forward when he looked to the ground. There were cracks all over the place. Suddenly, he found himself in one of the rare moments in his life when he cursed at his armor’s weight. Though he stood still in desperation, the cracks started spreading rapidly.

The floor around gave way, sending him, and Shining Armor, plummeting into the chasm beneath.

“Damn it!” Scarlet shouted as they ran back up the tunnel. Behind them, the giant blazing shadow continued to give chase, leaving him no chances to even check on the two left behind.

They galloped in a panic while shadows dogged their heels. Bits of barding clattered to the ground as some of the guards tried to make themselves lighter. One guard cried out as a shadowy hoof brushed against his hind leg. He kept running nonetheless.

By the time they were near the entrance, their lungs and legs were burning from exertion. With one last wail, the shadows turned back at the sight of sunlight. Nearly every pony in the group collapsed at the all clear.

“Damn!” Scarlet shouted again. He slammed his front hooves against the ground, sending pebbles scattering. “Damn shadows! Damn falling roof! Just damn!”

“Calm down,” Bad Arc said. “We don’t know if they died. The ghosts ignored them remember?”

“Of course they’re not dead!” Scarlet said. “The Captain can’t die from random encounters.” He looked wistfully down the tunnel. “He and that Shining Armor fellow are probably having an adventure this very instant!”

Bad Arc raised an eyebrow. ‘Interesting subordinate, Clash,’ he muttered. “Right, let’s get reinforced, then get back there for them.”

With a groan, Vanguard opened his eyes. He felt around his body to make sure he was still in one piece. His right shoulder ached badly. He recalled banging it against a ledge while he was falling. The pain was nothing compared to the ache in his left side. He looked up, trying to find the hole he and Shining Armor had fallen through. He couldn't, and that was a bad thing indeed. 'Come on, Clash, time to get a move on,' he thought.

A groan a few feet away caught Vanguard's attention. He stood up shakily, glad to know that all four legs were still reliable after that banging he took. "Shining Armor?" he called out. He had caught a brief glimpse of Shining Armor falling with him when the floor gave way.

"Here," Shining Armor replied with another groan. Vanguard walked over to find him lying on his left side. A chunk of rubble pinned his upper half to the stone floor.

"Hold still," Vanguard said. He set to work on the chunk of rubble, shoving it aside with a grunt.

Shining Armor tried to rise, only to stumble when he put some weight on his left foreleg. His face crumpled in pain as he dropped to his knees. "I think it’s broken," he said almost apologetically.

Vanguard touched the injured leg gingerly. The bone still felt whole. "Probably just a fracture," he said. "Come on." He offered a shoulder, and helped Shining Armor stand.

"We're deep in the bowels of a long-abandoned mine, I'm injured, and there's a swarm of pony ghosts still lurking about," Shining Armor said wistfully. "Any ideas, Captain Vanguard Clash?"

"Let's go look for that Crystal Grave," Vanguard replied without missing a step. “We should try to secure it at least. With any luck, it might be the key to completely defeating those ghosts.”

“Maybe we should sit here, and wait for the others," Shining Armor said. "We might just get hopelessly lost or outmatched if we keep going.”

“We’re more likely to be cornered by ghosts if we stay in one spot. We should also consider that the others may believe we’re dead, and reinforcements won’t be sent anytime soon.”

Shining Armor smiled wryly, and limped on.

As before, crystals embedded into the rock walls provided them with a reliable light source.The floor was littered with bones, fragments of barding, ancient mining equipment, and rubble from the ceiling above. Vanguard inspected one of the broken picks. The handle had shattered, and the sharp point was discolored by dried blood. It was no difficult guess to say that this tool had not been used for mining in its last moments. Unfortunately for them, they had fallen into a chamber with multiple tunnels leading out of it.

“We should keep descending,” Vanguard said. “If Princess Platinum hid something valuable in this wretched mine of hers, she most likely hid it in the deepest parts.”

Shining Armor nodded. They agreed on a tunnel to take, and began to walk. Progress was painfully slow, as well as outright painful for Shining Armor. Though Vanguard did his best, each stepped jarred him ever so slightly, and that wasn't even counting what was likely the pain of suddenly being a burden.

After what seemed like an hour of following a steadily descending tunnel, Vanguard stopped. “Let’s take a rest,” he said.

“I can still go on,” Shining Armor said.

“It’s not a matter of being able to go on. It’s a matter of being ready if something is waiting for us at the end of this tunnel. You’re sweating from exertion and, to be honest, I’m tiring myself.”

Shining Armor snorted. “Fine. A quick break then.”

They sat with their backs against the cool, stone walls. Fortunately, both their water canteens survived the fall. As they took their mouthfuls, they also had to consider that they only had a limited amount of time to spend in this place before thirst became a serious issue.

Shining Armor swallowed a mouthful of water, and replaced his canteen’s cap. "So," he said. “How do you know Twilight Sparkle?”

“We've worked together,” Vanguard replied.

That answer alone seemed to gnaw at Shining Armor. Perhaps, he didn't like the idea of Twilight working with legionnaires. He had to have expected it since she had been banished, and was making the best out of a very bad situation. Still, how had Twilight and the others been received back in the Heartland? Was there a joyous reunion, or were they considered tainted ponies?

“Is she Special Operations like you?” Shining Armor asked.

“No. Well…” Vanguard recalled Twilight’s request back in Fangbreaker Fortress. He may have painted himself to a corner. If Twilight still insisted in joining, he would be hard pressed to say no, especially with the pressure on him to get his squad back to full strength.

Shining Armor's eyes narrowed. “Well…what?”

“It’s nothing," Vanguard said. "You seem particularly concerned about her. How do you know Twilight Sparkle?”

“She's my younger sister.”

It was Vanguard’s turn to frown. “Twilight never told me that she had a brother.”

Shining Armor snorted, then smiled. “Don’t take it badly," he said. "She didn't tell her best friends about me until I invited them to my wedding. Anyway, how did you meet her?”

“She fell out of the sky, and landed on my vice captain.”

Shining Armor chuckled a bit. “Thank you,” he said. “That means you were among the first ponies she met when she went to that place, and she’s managed to make it back safely.”

“Save your thanks for until you've heard the whole truth, Captain Shining Armor,” Vanguard replied. Shining Armor looked at him questioningly, but he refused to pursue that thread of conversation for now. “She’s a good pony, your sister.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

Vanguard avoided looking at Shining Armor. He did have some things to say that Shining Armor probably didn't know, but he didn't bother saying it. Shining Armor wouldn't believe him anyway. After several more minutes, he helped Shining Armor up. “Let’s keep going,” he said.

The tunnel began to descend sharply, forcing them to go even slower so they didn't lose their footing. It was getting colder as well. They tensed as they kept walking, expecting the giant shadowy unicorn to emerge any second. It seemed like an unwarranted fear, however. Nothing had shown up so far. They were instinctively following the cold now. When they took one side tunnel, and felt it become warmer, they double backed.

After what felt like another hour, the narrow passages started to widen. An eerie, grayish-blue light shone from the end of the passageway they were following. Vanguard’s weapon was firmly clamped in his jaws, and Shining Armor’s horn was aglow as the light came closer. When they reached the end, they stopped in awe.

The passageway opened up to a massive, brightly-lit chamber. The ceiling was so high, they could barely see it. Instead of a natural cavern floor, they were faced with a carefully cut, and polished gemstone floor. The walls were worked white stone, polished to the point that they felt like glass.

Then, there was the gigantic crystal that dominated the cavern.

The two could only stare at the thing: a blue-gray crystal that appeared as a sphere first until they got a better view of the thousands of facets on it. It was easily twenty feet in height. Some sort of magic suspended it in mid-air, and rotated it very slowly. It wasn't the size, beauty, or strangeness of the crystal that held them. There was something inside the crystal, some vaguely familiar shape…

Both Vanguard, and Shining Armor tore their eyes away from the crystal long enough to look around for danger. As they had feared, dark shapes began to swirl towards the crystal from the ceiling. They immediately backed down the tunnel to hide. One by one, the shadowy unicorns surrounded the thing silently. They had not been noticed it seemed.

“Is that the Crystal Grave?” Shining Armor whispered. “What do you think it has to do with those ghosts?”

“Maybe the name is more literal than we expected,” Vanguard whispered back. The hidden archives were vague on details, but he could tell that it was hardly a mana battery. And that thing inside...perhaps there was more to this thing than what had been mentioned.

The giant form of “the forepony” emerged from the ceiling, joining the smaller ones in circling the crystal.

“Any plan?” Shining Armor asked.

Vanguard smiled wryly. “Didn't quite expect to make it here without complications,” he said.

Shining Armor focused on the crystal, likely going through his spells for something useful.

“Shining Armor,” Vanguard said.

Shining Armor glanced Vanguard's way. “Huh?”

“How long can you hold that barrier of yours?”

Shining Armor snorted. “Days if I have to.”

“Think you can encapsulate that crystal?”

“I could if it doesn't react badly to magic and--”

Shining Armor quickly silenced himself as one of the shadows swirled nearby. The shape had no visible eyes like the giant one, but they could tell that it was looking around. It stopped mid-flight, then slowly hovered towards where they were.

Vanguard's heart raced. This was it. They would be discovered, and slain. “Do it,” he said. With that, he sprang from their hiding place, and made a run for the crystal. The ghosts sent up a wail, and began to congregate around him. The plan was a simple gamble. Something must be tying these ghosts here, especially since they were killed so long ago. Something called “Crystal Grave" was a good candidate. That they were constantly swirling around the crystal helped confirm that theory. Behind him, Shining Armor cursed, then hobbled as close as possible to the crystal.

With the ghosts chasing after Vanguard, Shining Armor concentrated on the crystal. The purplish light of his barrier began to surround the thing easily enough. Halfway through the spell, however, the barrier slowed down.

“Any time now, Shining Armor!” Vanguard shouted. He ran zigzags across the massive cavern with ghosts in hot pursuit. The giant shadow descended upon him as well.

Three quarters of the spell in, Vanguard took a quick glance at his ally. Shining Armor was sweating profusely despite the cold, and was forced to close one eye when a trickle went over it. He looked as if he was trying to push a boulder up an almost vertical slope.

“Shining Armor!” Vanguard yelled again. He waved his two-bladed sword desperately to keep his foes at bay.

After what felt like an eternity of struggling, Shining Armor finished his spell. The ghosts gave a long, dolorous wail, then dissipated like smoke.

Panting, Vanguard walked over to Shining Armor. “Cutting it a little close, Unicorn Guard Captain?” he asked.

“You’re not a frozen corpse are you?” Shining Armor replied. “That’s good enough.”

“How are you holding up?” Vanguard asked.

“It’s easier now that I actually completed it. Still, I hope our reinforcements have some willow bark with them.” Shining Armor stared at the crystal. "I have to say I'm glad that my wife, and my sister hadn't gone deep enough to encounter these things when they were stuck in the mines."

Vanguard didn't reply. That was a curious incident that Shining Armor casually mentioned. Perhaps he could hear more about it once they were safe. Twilight wouldn't have been able to proceed deeper anyway. Their group encountered Lexarius's protective seal while they were descending, and had to use an incantation to attune themselves to it, and pass through.

Without any threats so close, they could now focus on the crystal. Just as they had thought, there was something inside it; a large, pony-shaped figure. They could see a long horn…wings…

The Nature of Ponies

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 19: The Nature of Ponies

Aboard the Night Skimmer, the cool night breeze blew Rarity's mane about a little too strongly for her taste. She would have preferred to go to Canterlot on a luxury yacht, rather than a quick transport vessel, but time was of the essence here. They had emerged from Everfree late in the evening with the coffin and the tome in tow. Special Operations' new airship was just a short walk outside Ponyville. By the time they took to the air, it was almost midnight.

Standing on the deck of an airship brought back memories of Canterlot. It also helped that the Night Skimmer was donated by none other than Fleur de Lis, the widow of Fancy Pants. Rarity's mood darkened at the thought of Fancy Pants. Captain Nightcanter had earlier mentioned his death while explaining how Special Operations acquired the airship. It just wasn't right that the end of a good pony would be delivered so offhandedly by that mare.

Before that, Rarity had been thinking about how Fancy Pants would react to the Legion, and how his influence among the nobility would carry through. She even thought that he would probably be among the first of the nobles to step up, and take arms. Now, she would never know. That such a good pony with so much potential would be struck down somewhere, and be just an item in a Legion report left her aimlessly angry. It wasn't Nightcanter's fault. It wasn't even the fault of that legionnaire that pulled the firing lever. All Rarity had was the distant, unreachable figure of Black Rose to point at. For this reason, she chose to remain above deck while the others rested inside. No need to expose them to a bad mood.

Despite that incident, Fleur de Lis had donated the Night Skimmer as a gesture of goodwill when it became known that Legion was looking to modify a few airships. “It would have been what he wanted,” she had apparently said. Rarity agreed with that reason although she thought that it was doubly generous considering what had happened.

The Night Skimmer was already modified to suit the Legion’s needs: lightly armored, and outfitted with Barrier Lands metal working. One of the crew members had been talking about that combination earlier. Heartland engine design surpassed the war balloons used in the Western and Southern Legions, which allowed for bigger and faster vessels, but its overall metal working quality was inferior to that of the Barrier Lands. Legion engineers were horrified to find out that the chosen routinely replaced their metal parts after only a short time due to wear and tear. They were happy to work with chosen engineers in combining technology.

The silhouettes of Canterlot's towers drew ever closer. This wasn't how Rarity imagined her next trip to Canterlot would be. They were supposed to be still on a break, but they felt like they should be with the things they discovered when the royalty got involved. All Rarity could do was bid her family a hasty farewell, and promise them that she would return as quickly as possible before boarding.

“Hey there."

It was easy to recognize that voice coming from behind her. “Good evening, Captain Nightcanter,” Rarity replied. She kept her tone polite, even though she didn't relish having to deal with the mare at the moment. To her mild annoyance, Nightcanter stood next to her.

"So...Rarity was it?" Nightcanter said.

"Yes."

"Are you also throwing yourself tail-first at Vanguard?"

"What?" Rarity gasped. "Goodness, no! Captain Clash is a good stallion, but he's far too rough and grim for me."

"Oh...and here I was thinking that all six of you were in on the action," Nightcanter said. She looked up at the night sky, quietly speculating.

Rarity stared hard at Nightcanter. "Please stop thinking about what I think you're thinking," she said. "I'm starting to feel dirty."

Nightcanter chuckled. "Alright, I'll save it for later," she said. "How about we talk about you?"

"I'm just a simple dressmaker from a small town, Captain Nightcanter, nothing you should concern yourself about."

"No, you're Legionnaire Rarity of Logistics's Armory Division: apprentice to Master Smith Hammer Chain, Bearer of the Element of Generosity, and currently the only pony able to properly wield mage blades in centuries." Nightcanter smiled, and leaned on the railing. "Did I get all that right?" she asked.

Rarity raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't it just hours ago when you were calling me 'white unicorn'?"

"Oh, that's just me having a little fun." Nightcanter eyed Rarity just a little too shrewdly. "You stabbed Foxfire before she could get a spell out, withdrew your blade, then wiped it clean without missing a beat. I liked what I saw. You know, with Fourth Squad gone, we've got a lot of openings in Special Operations. I could put in a good word for you."

Rarity studied Nightcanter carefully. This was beyond liking a good tease. Offering a position within the Legion was hardly a joking matter. "I appreciate the offer," she said. "However, I'm not planning on making a career of this." She looked to one of her saddlebags, and lifted her mage blades, letting them hover just in front of her. "One day, I shall lock these up in a display case, and return to making dresses." She paused. "And maybe some weapons and armor on the side. Moving up the ranks, especially with a group that delves into secrets like Special Operations, would only make walking away more difficult."

Nightcanter's smile widened a bit more. "Not a lifer, hm? I'll just have to respect that."

Rarity was quiet for a while. 'Carousel Boutique and Smithy,' she thought. 'Fabulous outfits for balls and battles alike. How much it would cost to outfit a forge next to the boutique...' She set that aside for later. "Would you mind if I asked you something personal, Captain Nightcanter?"

Nightcanter was still all smiles. "Sure,"

Rarity's lips pressed into a grim line. "Four of your comrades just died, yet here you are smiling, and looking for their replacements. Doesn't it bother you?"

Nightcanter shrugged. "About as much as it bothered you when you stabbed Foxfire."

"That was different," Rarity retorted. "I was defending Pinkie!"

"Nuance as much as you like," Nightcanter said. "It's not 'killer instinct' if that's what's bothering you. More like a really good sense of coping. You should be glad to have it."

"This isn't about me," Rarity replied.

Nightcanter sidled a little closer, much to Rarity's discomfort. "Oh, but it is, isn't it?" she said. "You're not interested in me. You want to know why your first kill doesn't bother you."

"What?" Rarity moved away, and glared.

Nightcanter snorted, then shifted her gaze to the night sky. "I've got an analogy for that sort of thing. Want to hear it?"

"I will anyway, won't I?"

"Some ponies are like rag bags, everything inside them is all jumbled up, and connected. You throw something like a severed head in there, the blood will seep into the whole bag. By the time you open it, everything smells like severed head. When ponies like that kill, they have to let it affect everything. They wax philosophical about how the world works, and what they truly are as a pony. Ponies like you, me, and maybe Rainbow Dash, we're more like compartmentalized boxes. You put a severed head in there, and it gets its own little space. The blood doesn't seep anywhere, and the stink doesn't spread. No deep and dark realizations, no life-changing revelations. Just one more thing we have to do."

Rarity's frown deepened. She refused to look at Nightcanter, knowing she'd find nothing but an annoying, smug smile. Instead, she focused on the passing scenery. "I am nothing like that," she said.

"Sure you are," Nightcanter said. "Ponies like us, we're just particularly neat about this whole killing and dying business, and I think you're neatest out of your friends." She started to walk away. "I'm going to get myself a little snack before we dock. Want to come along?"

"I think I'll stay a while longer," Rarity replied. "I like the view."

Nightcanter chuckled. "So do I."

"Captain Nightcanter!" Rarity called out. She caught Nightcanter just as the door to the inner cabins had opened. "I've learned a thing or two in my lifetime as well. You may have a point, but nopony is as neat as your box analogy. No matter how much they wish for it."

Nightcanter waved a hoof, then walked off. "If you say so, Rarity."

Rarity tucked away a bit of mane that got in her face as the night breeze continued to blow.

Despite his earlier ordeal, Vanguard was up with the dawn. He walked through one hallway of the Royal Palace swiftly, having just heard that Sixth Squad had arrived. To his dismay, he had also heard that Twilight and her friends had come along. "Two weeks to be with your friends and family, and you barely use up half," Vanguard muttered. "What are you doing, Twilight?"

Farther down the hallway, Shining Armor stood straight on all four of his legs. Princess Luna herself had come over to see to Shining Armor, after they were relieved in the Crystal Grave. "Clash!" he called out.

"Armor," Vanguard said. They headed for the Chamber of Elements. "Good to see you up and about. Have you seen your sister yet?"

"No," Shining Armor replied. "I'm probably about to if this Starswirl the Bearded thing is real."

They entered the chamber, which now housed a coffin, and a tome. Guards and legionnaires were posted by the door as well as several points along the halls they had walked past. Inside, they found Twilight by herself.

"Twiley!" Shining Armor exclaimed. He trotted forward, to give his sister a hug. Twilight brightened, and met her brother halfway. A few seconds later, Shining Armor suddenly looked as if there was something wrong. His "sister", with her nose still pressed against his chest, took a long, not too sisterly inhale hammered the point in. Frowning, he pushed her back and held her at leg's length.

Vanguard took a few sniffs of the air. "That's enough foaling around, Captain Nightcanter," he said. "Let's go back to acting like professionals."

The image of Twilight shimmered, then dissolved from her head to her legs, revealing a dark blue coat, and a mane of purple ringlets. "I wasn't foaling around," Nightcanter said with a mock pout. "He said that he was more vigilant against impostors, and I wanted to test him myself."

"I'm sure," Vanguard said. The doors opened again. This time, the real Twilight, along with her friends, entered.

"Shining Armor!" Twilight said. Her smile quickly faded when she saw Nightcanter's proximity to her brother. In a heartbeat, she was standing between them, and glaring at Nightcanter, who backed off with a sheepish smile.

"It's great to see you alright, Twiley." Shining Armor said.

They hugged, and some cheer returned to Twilight. "How's mom and dad?" she asked.

Shining Armor's smile lessened briefly. "You should go see them, they'll feel a lot better once you do."

Twilight noted her brother's indirect answer. Perhaps, she should have gone straight to Canterlot after all. She looked towards Vanguard.

"So what happened down there?" Vanguard asked Applejack. He frowned at Nightcanter briefly while Applejack recounted the incident in Clover the Clever's last refuge.

The conversations stopped when all three of Equestria's royalty entered the chamber. Everyony knelt, and averted their gazes as the three took a look at the coffin.

"Starswirl the Bearded," Terrato said. "I never thought he'd be involved in this." He gestured offhandedly for everypony to rise before flipping through the pages of the tome. "Old Kingdom script. Just our luck."

"He should be given a proper burial," Celestia said, "not put on display like this."

"I'll build him a tomb myself after we find out what Clover the Clever was up to with his body," Terrato replied.

Luna's horn glowed as she inspected the coffin. "Big brother, there's more to this than just being a container. I think...I think there are still traces of him still clinging to it!"

"What?" Twilight gasped. She walked over to the coffin. "How's that possible?"

Luna concentrated. "Not him entirely," she replied. "His soul is gone. What we have are strong feelings, and memories bound strongly to the earth." She looked over to Terrato. "You're the necromancer, big brother, can you reveal what these traces are?"

Terrato cast some spells of his own, his normally gray magic tinged with wisps of black. "Lingering memories and a strong desire," he said. "I can project them if you want." When both of his sisters nodded, he cast another spell. The coffin glowed with grayish light before projecting a large image on the floor.

Twilight winced as she looked on. She wanted to see this. It was a memory from Starswirl the Bearded himself. Yet, the thought of finding out that he was as awful as Clover the Clever was horrifying.

The image showed a small wooden table up close. From the way the perspective shifted about, the image must be coming from the eyes of somepony, likely Starswirl the Bearded himself. The image shifted to the right, showing a light purple mare wearing a hooded burlap cloak. A clay mug floated in front of her, which she placed on the table. She opened her mouth to say something, but Twilight couldn't understand a word that came out.

"Luna," Terrato said. "Think you can apply a translation spell on the projection?"

Luna didn't reply, but her horn glowed brightly and swirls of her magic surrounded the coffin.

"-tea, Clover, but why did you bring me all the way out here?"

Twilight shuddered upon hearing the deep, aging voice that must surely belong to Starswirl.

"I wanted to talk to you without all the others around, master," Clover said.

"Then speak, pupil of mine."

"I want you to reconsider your stance towards our use of the Deep Father's power."

"No. I've already developed a spell to cut off his influence, and I'm closing in on the source. It was an evil thing you and your companions did by calling upon the Deep Father, Clover, I only agreed to it because it was the lesser evil compared to the Windigos utterly destroying us. Now, it must be cut away before it infects us all."

"It was the Deep Father's power that destroyed the Windigos!" Clover said. She gestured to the landscape behind her. A great plain of green grass stretched out to the horizon. A wide river of crystal clear water snaked its way across the plain and towards some distant mountains. "Thanks to him, we have been granted this land to settle!"

"His power destroyed the Windigos with ease because they too were spawned of it. Do you still not understand, Clover? You and your companions toy with the same force that would have annihilated all of ponykind."

"Ponykind itself spawned from the Deep Father's power," Clover said. "It is in our nature to attune to it. Our ancestors turned their backs to it, and fled so the Windigos eventually came to punish us. But, if we embrace that power..."

"...we will be destroyed. Why can't you understand this, Clover? Are you not called 'the Clever' for a reason?"

Clover the Clever didn't respond right away. Her expression darkened as she stared at Starswirl. Twilight's heart raced. Something was wrong with this scene. As if to confirm her suspicions, the image suddenly shook slightly, and blurred.

"What...what have you done, Clover?"

"Isn't it a strange sight?" Clover said, a smile slowly forming across her lips. "The unicorn who developed both the poison detection spell, and the detoxification spell is now dying of poisoning."

The image shook violently, and sparks of magical energy appeared around the edges.

It's too late to cast anything now, Clover said with a hint of glee. "The first thing that poison attacks is your magic. After that, it's a very, very slow death. Am I clever enough for you, master?"

"Heh..."

The glee disappeared from both Clover's face, and tone. "What's so funny, old pony? Are you having another one of your fits of whimsy? Are you going to make another silly spell, or add more bells to your outfit before you die?"

"How long have you been working on this poison, Clover?" The labored breathing in Starswirl's voice made Twilight's chest ache. She ground her teeth, and cursed silently at Clover the Clever.

"Years!" Clover spat. "I made the first test when I realized that you were only going to hold me back! You, and your pointless outfits, and your bowl-shaping spells! I knew I had to put you down at some point! The greatest spell caster of his age reduced to a doddering clown. It makes me sick to this day!" She smiled a little as she went on. "You should have guarded yourself better. It's only a matter of time before the student overcomes the master. It's the nature of all things."

"So Clover the Bashful finally speaks her mind."

"You don't seem to be getting what's going on, old pony. You're going to die, and I will continue to use the Deep Father's gifts."

"I'm an old stallion at the end of his rope to begin with. How much did your poison take away from me? A year? A few months? Tomorrow? You're the one with a lifetime to deal with the consequences of today. As for the Deep Father's 'gifts'..." Starswirl stopped to breathe heavily. "The Deep Father cares nothing for us. We are as mosquitoes to him, trying to nourish ourselves with his blood only to find it full of poison. He does not 'gift' pests."

Clover sneered. "You would know, wouldn't you?"

"Yes, I would. Turn away from this path, my not-so-faithful student, not even my death will make it too late."

Clover walked forward and her angry, hateful face filled the image. Twilight could see every line on Clover's face, and it made her nauseous. "You're suffering a lingering death and you're still lecturing me! You're still holding me back!" She knocked the table over, spilling the drink on the ground. "This is the end of that, Starswirl the Bearded, Starswirl of the Bells, Starswirl, Father of a Thousand Useless Spells!" She smiled fiercely as she went on. "My spells have already found one of the Deep Father's prime servants. Platinum is already working on digging him out!"

"Foal!" Starswirl gasped. "That is Regia Carnifex, bearer of the Foul Weapon itself! Tap into his power, and everything will be destroyed!"

"How do you know that?" Clover asked. Her smile faded as she shook Starswirl. "How do you know that name, old pony? What else have you been hiding from me?"

Starswirl didn't respond, and the image blurred to make everything unrecognizable. Twilight couldn't bear to watch even if the event had happened long ago.

"No! You don't get to just rest, Starswirl!" Clover snarled. Something flashed, and the image itself became tinged with light purple. "You may die, but your spirit will remain in that corpse." Her voice strained from the constant posturing. "It doesn't matter how you know this servant. We will free him, and use him. I will be raised to great power, and be known for building an everlasting kingdom worthy of the Deep Father's blessings, while your legend fades to nothing!"

"Foal to the end," Starswirl whispered. Terrato's spell ended a few seconds later. Silence filled the chamber. Everypony inside felt that the death of Starswirl, even if it had happened a long time ago, deserved a few moments of respectful quiet.

It was Terrato who eventually broke that silence. "Regia Carnifex. I don't recognize the name. What about you, Celestia?"

Celestia shook her head. "He must be one of those who were cast out with Oceanus," she replied. "Starswirl called him 'bearer of the Foul Weapon'. He must mean the one sealed within the Blasphemous Rift. He may have enough affinity with the weapon to blast the seals from the inside." Celestia paused. "How did he know so much?"

"I'll find out," Terrato said. "Leave that to me."

"But the Six Companions failed to release Regia Carnifex," Luna said. "The Old Kingdom was destroyed, right?"

Terrato shifted his attention towards the tome. "And that's where this tome, and the Crystal Grave comes in. Clover continued to work on freeing him even after Lexarius destroyed the Old Kingdom. This tome likely contains the methods how."

"I will work on reading the tome," Luna said. "I still remember my studies on the Old Kingdom's language."

Terrato frowned at the suggestion. "There's really no need to," he said. "We just need to keep it from Black Rose. Besides, there's a lot of power invested in it."

"There may be some information we can use," Luna said. "I'll be careful, big brother."

"Fine," Terrato replied. "In the meantime, I have to secure that Crystal Grave. If Black Rose succeeds in taking Regia Carnifex's power, she'll have an easy way to get past the Blasphemous Rift's seal."

"Wait," Twilight said. The others looked to her in surprise. "Clover the Clever said that she trapped Starswirl in his own body! Is he still trapped in there?"

"No," Terrato said. "Whatever spell she used to hold him faded when she died, or maybe Lexarius released him before sealing the refuge, but his soul is gone. Only these lingering memories remain."

"You alright, Twiley?" Shining Armor asked.

Twilight wiped a tear away, and nodded. "I'll be fine," she said. "I'm just glad that one of my heroes was actually heroic." She suddenly noticed Princess Luna looking at her.

"Just one, huh?" Luna said. Before Twilight could react, Terrato's voice drew all their attention.

"Everypony stay sharp," Terrato told them. "We still have a lot more to do."

Twilight nodded with the rest of the ponies in the room. She stared at the floor as if the image of Clover the Clever was still there. 'You're wrong about how things are with teachers and students, Clover,' she thought. 'Your 'everlasting kingdom' was destroyed. You were just a bad student, that's all.'

With that, she joined the others in leaving. There was a lot she wanted to do now that she was in Canterlot.

A Rose's Weapons

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 20: A Rose’s Weapons

As more ponies from the Barrier Lands made their way into Canterlot, curiosity, resignation, suspicion, even enthusiasm, replaced the initial shock and worry that greeted them. The nobles remained doubtful, even when Princess Celestia picked out some of them to be teleported to the Barrier Lands. The middle, and lower class ponies didn't raise as much of a fuss. They still trusted their princess even after the things she admitted. Equestria was under attack and, until it became more obvious that there was something else going on, they were willing to lend a hoof.

The legionnaires, for their part, were polite and well-behaved. Save for a few incidents, they conducted their draft calmly. Many showed some interest towards Canterlot’s technology, particularly the train that transported them to the city as well as the airships. They also put some effort into trying to befriend the citizens despite what they had to do.

For Octavia, even these efforts only betrayed a more unsettling aspect of these ponies. Sitting inside a local café, she watched a pair of legionnaires walk past. These legionnaires did everything as if they were in a play: they spoke as if they had a script, they acted as if they were choreographed, and every move they made was a reflection of restraint and deliberation. Even the two who just walked by did so with their gazes focused, and paces in a no-nonsense hurry. ‘Soon, even my friends will be behaving like them,” she thought.

The gentle rain that had been falling all morning only served to worsen Octavia’s melancholy. Nearby, her coat, and umbrella were still dripping from the rain. She had come to her favorite café to relax, to no avail. When she had arrived for the morning recital earlier, it turned out that a quarter of the orchestra had been drafted, and about as much volunteered. Even then, the performance would have trudged on, but three-quarters of the audience seats were empty. Canterlot simply wasn't in the mood for music right now.

Octavia's thoughts went to her friends, and fellow musicians. When the draft began, it was her brother who answered the call. Most of her friends, however, now had the misfortune of being only foals. The Equestrian Legion held no interest in Canterlot’s music, and their new recruits had to set aside musical instruments for barding and tramplers. She looked towards her cello, and sighed. Not that there was going to be much work for musicians like her for a while. Maybe even for good.

The front door's bells tinkled, drawing Octavia's attention. A golden brown unicorn stallion had entered. He had an impressive, dark blond mane, swept back, and arranged like a lion’s mane. He had a luxurious beard to match, one with a few streaks of black in it. He took off his coat, and hung it on a nearby rack, revealing a a tailor-made, dark red suit. His belt sported a trio of blades, warping his suave image into that of a dangerous legionnaire. Sure enough, he had no cutie mark. Still, his demeanor marked him differently from the legionnaires. He caught sight of her staring, smiled warmly, then bowed in greeting. Embarrassed, Octavia focused on her cup of tea.

“Pardon me,” somepony said. Octavia nearly choked on her tea. Whoever was talking to her had a voice meant for opera; a rich, stentorian tone that she certainly didn't expect. She looked to her side, and saw that the stallion from the entrance had approached her. He still had that smile he had greeted her with a few moments ago. “This place is a bit lonely at the moment, would you grant me the pleasure of your company while I enjoy this coffee?”

Octavia stared for a few more seconds before realizing that this pony was waiting for an answer. “Oh, um…” She caught herself, and remembered her manners. Perhaps this wasn't a legionnaire. He could be a noble from the Barrier Lands who had arrived with the Equestrian Legion to visit. “Very well,” she said.

The stallion dipped his head slightly. “Thank you. My name is Lion Court, and you are?”

“Octavia. You are from the Barrier Lands, aren't you? Are you a legionnaire?”

Lion Court sat across the table from Octavia, and took a sip of his coffee. “Yes, and no,” he said. “It’s true that I came with the Legion, but I am not affiliated with them. I came here to experience the Heartland’s culture before certain…elements bring about alterations.” He glanced at the window just as another pair of legionnaires walked by.

Octavia followed his gaze. “Is it going to get that bad?” she asked.

“Perhaps.” Lion Court took on a more reassuring tone. “The Legion serves an important purpose, Miss Octavia, but it is all but blind to the things beyond that purpose. Beauty, art, music…the Legion has little use for these things.” He suddenly glanced at the cello next to Octavia. “Pardon me for noticing, but I see that you have an instrument with you. Are you a musician of renown in this city?”

Octavia pulled her cello a little closer. “Well…I don’t mean to brag, but I have performed in some very important events here in Canterlot,” she replied in as modest a tone as she could. It wasn't easy to build a career in music here in Canterlot. Nobles were harsh and fickle judges. With so many aspiring musicians eager to take any opportunity coming her way, all it took was a poor performance to toss her out on the street.

“Such a wonderful turn of events,” Lion Court said. “I've been looking for musicians all over this fine city, and haven’t been met with success. Now, while I’m taking a break, I run into one.”

“Many of the musicians have been recruited into the Legion,” Octavia said glumly. Whatever pleasure she could have taken from this pony’s elation was washed away by that reminder of Canterlot’s state.

“A tragedy,” Lion Court said softly. “But let’s not dwell on things we cannot change.” He leaned on the table with both hooves, and stared at Octavia intently. “Not everypony from the Barrier Lands is a Legion agent. I represent a more private group interested in preserving the things the Legion would simply trample. If what you said is true, it would be my honor to present you to my mistress.”

Octavia held her cello tightly under Lion Court’s stare. He sounded reassuring, and his offer piqued her curiosity. Just a few moments ago, she was bemoaning her inability to find much work in the coming days. Now, here comes somepony from the same place as the Legion who was offering her some solace. It sounded too good to be true. It could very well be. “Perhaps, I should consult with others about this first,” she said.

“Of course,” Lion Court replied. He produced a card from one of his suit’s pockets, and placed it on the table. “My mistress and I are temporarily staying at this address. Come at any time.” He took another sip from his cup and set it on the table. “But listen to me, talking about business so quickly after making an acquaintance. Let us set that aside for something more pleasant, shall we?”

“Yes,” Octavia replied with a smile. She ended up listening more often than talking. Lion Court spoke of his first experiences with Canterlot, and what he thought of Equestria’s capital. Just hearing somepony from the Barrier Lands sincerely admiring Canterlot felt great, and there was something so…grand about the way Lion Court sounded. She didn't know how long they were talking, but a sip revealed that her tea was already cold, and a glance showed that his coffee was gone.

“I’m afraid it’s time for me to go,” Lion Court said. He stood up, and bowed slightly. “I hope we meet again soon, Miss Octavia.”

Octavia’s gaze followed Lion Court until he disappeared from view. She looked to the card he gave her, taking note of the address. It was a little odd that a Barrier Lands noble would suddenly decide to stay in Canterlot. Did they not have fine, wealthy cities in that land? She took her cello, and left the cup of cold tea on the table along with a small tip before heading out.

She got two steps out of the door when somepony crashed right into her. The cello flew from her hooves along with her umbrella, skidding across the damp pavement before stopping against a street light and, to her horror, on a puddle. Something else flew from the collision, it looked like a small stone tablet.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn't see you coming and-- Hey let me help you with--”

Octavia barely heard the high pitched voice from whoever had clumsily plowed over her. She rushed towards her cello, and inspected it. The case had been soaked. She didn't dare open it, and let the rain ruin the instrument completely. All she could do was get it somewhere dry, and hope for the best.

“Here let me help you with that!”

A pink hoof reached over Octavia’s shoulder to take the cello. She slapped it away and stood up. She turned towards the stupid, three-legged ox of a pony who blundered into her, a few choice words already about to leap from her lips. When she saw who it was, however, she stopped.

There was no mistaking that poofy pink mane, and that high-pitched whine of a voice. It was the pink pony. The same pink pony who had ruined Octavia’s first Grand Galloping Gala, then followed it up by crashing into Fancy Pants’s party at the Royal Gardens. Both events were among her most important.

“I’m so sorry!” the pink pony said. “I was busy looking at this tablet while walking that I didn't see you. Are you okay? I hope your instrument is okay!”

Octavia answered all the questions with a single frigid stare. She took her cello, strapped it to her back, then went her way.

All of Canterlot knew of Princess Celestia's banishment of Twilight Sparkle and her friends. It was only recently that Octavia was able to put the name and the pony together. Twilight Sparkle turned out to be the purple unicorn in the plain yellow dress flailing about, Octavia refused to call it dancing, in the garden. More importantly, “Twilight Sparkle and her friends” turned out to be the same group that the wretched pink pony belonged to. With Princess Celestia’s announcements, it was now plain enough that they were involved in the Legion coming to Equestria. If they weren't completely responsible for it.

‘Of course she’s involved,’ Octavia thought as she hurried away. ‘Whatever that pink pony touches ends up being ruined. Should I even be shocked that she succeeded in ruining all of Canterlot?’

“Wait!” the pink pony cried out. She laid a hoof on Octavia's shoulder, eliciting another withering stare.

“Don’t touch me!” Octavia snapped.

“I just want to--”

“You have done enough! Oh, believe me, pink pony, you have done more than enough!”

The pink pony fell back, allowing Octavia to get away. She rounded several corners, then hurried to a shade. She inspected the case,and found it badly torn. Water had already leaked inside. She opened it, desperately praying that the cello was alright.

It wasn't.

The water had soaked deeply into the wood. Octavia stared at it for a while. Her cello was ruined. Perhaps there was some restoration shop out there capable of undoing the damage. Maybe some unicorn somewhere had the right spell for the job. All she had to do was put some effort into it…

But what for? Tears formed in her eyes. Just considering that question made her chest draw tight. A hoof touched her shoulder again. She was about to slap it away when she heard the voice that came with it.

“So soon?” Lion Court asked. “Have you come to take up my offer?”

Octavia looked around her in surprise, suddenly realizing that she had come to the very address that Lion Court had provided her. “N-no…” she said. She tried compose herself before she faced this stallion. Cello or none, she still had to show some dignity. “Not that I could.” She forced a wry laugh. “Not when my cello is like this.”

Lion Court looked at the instrument. “Nonsense,” he said. “My mistress came to this land to help its culture. A little water damage is not going to stop her. Come, come, I’ll introduce you.” He took her by one hoof, and led the way.

Octavia let herself be pulled along. It looked like they were about to enter one of the bigger apartments in Canterlot. It was only fitting for a Barrier Lands noble. Perhaps, Lion Court's mistress wanted to be the first patron of Canterlot music from that strange, hostile place. Her eyes widened when he veered to one side, and into the alley next to the building. “Wait,” she said. “Where are we going?” Her heart sank when he opened the door to what appeared to be a service entrance. She went inside, expecting to stumble into the kitchens or something.

Instead, she was suddenly standing inside a magnificent hall. The floor, walls, and ceiling, were obsidian, polished so that they reflected perfectly. A pale luminescence filled the entire hallway, but Octavia couldn't find the source. Three doors lined either side of the hall while the end had a pair of enormous double doors. Octavia looked behind her, and found Lion Court standing there, smiling. He hadn't closed the door behind him as there wasn't one. “Where are we?” she asked, breathless.

“My mistress’s temporary home,” Lion Court replied. “Come, I want to introduce you to her as soon as possible.”

They walked through the hallway, passing through each pair of smaller rooms. The doors were of a silvery crystal, also polished to a mirror-like finish. “These are the rooms my fellow agents and I stay in,” Lion Court said. “Wonderful accommodations, especially given how quickly they were created.” They came upon the double doors. “And here are my mistress’s quarters.” Lion Court paused, and listened. “Ah, busy as usual,” he said. “Your timing will be impeccable.”

Octavia glanced at her damaged cello. What was Lion Court expecting of her? The doors opened, and she followed him inside.

Whatever lingering doubts Octavia had about Lion Court's mistress crumbled as soon as she laid her eyes on the circular room. A luxurious red carpet covered the floor. Every furnishing seemed to be gold-trimmed ebony: the glowing crystal lamps, the desk by one side of the room, the coat rack close to the door…

Then, there was the circular raised bed at the center. It was hard to make out any details because the pony reclining upon it quickly drew Octavia's eyes. All of a sudden, Octavia felt completely unprepared for this meeting. She was dingy, damp, and uncombed. There were probably water stains on her normally pristine white collar, and her mane was far too disheveled. Lion Court’s mistress was, perhaps, the most beautiful mare she had laid her eyes on: lustrous black coat, a flowing crimson mane that spilled all around her, eyes of the softest gray…the sight of both black-feathered wings, and a horn left Octavia in awe. Every pony she had seen like that had been royalty. She wasn't just faced with a Barrier Lands noble, she was faced with a Barrier Lands princess.

“How are Hassyth’s little ponies, Longstride?” the princess asked. That was when Octavia finally noticed the multiple magical images lined up before Lion Court's mistress . She tried to get a closer look, and recognized some of them as scenes from Canterlot, another one showed a building in Baltimare, yet another was of Trottingham. The images were moving as if they were following the eyes of somepony.

“Proceeding as planned,” was the flat reply. Since there was nopony else in the room, Octavia assumed that it was from one of the images. “They ran into trouble with a Legion patrol, but they will be in striking position soon.”

The princess nodded. “Excellent, I’m going to nudge Rainbow Dash your way soon. Stay alert.”

“Yes, mistress.”

The princess dismissed all the images, and looked up. “Back already, Lion Court?” she asked. “I had expected you to linger in Canterlot for the sights.”

“I will, mistress,” Lion Court replied. “But work has to come first.” He gestured towards Octavia. “This is Octavia. Octavia, this is my mistress, Black Rose.”

Black Rose turned her gaze on Octavia, and smiled. “Lovely,” she said. “Are you sure you followed Warsinger’s signals, and not your own tastes?”

“Of course.”

Black Rose gestured with a hoof. Something stirred from the back of the room. A globe of red light floated forward, hovering briefly near Black Rose, then slowly making its way towards Octavia. “Looks like Warsinger approves,” she said. “Sterling work as usual, Lion Court.” She turned her gaze towards Octavia again. “I've been quite stressed lately. There is so much at stake, so many plans in motion, and I have to do it all while my beloved hunts me like a criminal. Will you play me something, Octavia? Something soothing from the Heartland’s musical culture.”

Octavia gazed warily at the now circling light. Still, she heard what Black Rose said. She removed her instrument from its case. She had done her best to wipe down the cello, but she doubted it was going to sound remotely right. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to do that,” she said. “My cello…”

“You needn't worry,” Black Rose said. “Warsinger is all that it will take.” The globe of light landed gently on the cello, then flashed briefly. Octavia gasped, and clutched the instrument tightly. When the light faded, however, nothing seemed to have happened. She looked at the cello. The water stains had disappeared. “Please…” Black Rose said. “I would love to hear a short performance. I have a great many tasks ahead of me and your music will be vital to their accomplishment.”

Before Octavia even realized it, she had already set the cello in place, and she was already holding the bow. Something soothing…she picked a quick piece that would fit. She had no idea what was going on, but to hear this magnificent princess say that she was needed helped put her at ease. With Canterlot falling apart, discovering this new place was nothing short of a miracle. She could play here, away from that wretched pink pony, her friends, and the stone-faced, uncaring Legion. She would have an appreciative audience, in an elegant setting.

The first note revealed another miracle. Not only was Octavia's cello still playing wonderfully, it seemed to be playing better than ever. Her own performance made her smile. “Warsinger” sounded ominous, but if it could repair her precious cello, and make it even better, she welcomed it.

Black Rose’s smile grew wider at the end of the piece. “More than what I had hoped for,” she said. “I would love to welcome you to my little group, Octavia. Won’t you join me in protecting Equestria from those who would ruin it?”

“Yes.”

Lion Court had just closed the door after escorting Octavia to her new room. There was more to take care of than just welcoming their new member. Her records in Canterlot would have to be modified lest ponies start looking for her. Her new role had to be explained in better detail. For now, Octavia agreed to stay with them because she could play her music here, as well as because of Black Rose's sheer presence. Before she could be remotely considered a proper Thorn, she had to be loyal to their cause. Still, he was in agreement with Black Rose. Warsinger had picked its new player well. He was about to activate his dimensional key when he heard the voice of another Thorn.

“So how was Rhapsody’s replacement?”

“My dear Sable, Octavia is not replacing anypony. She’s a brand new member of our little family.” Lion Court turned around.

Sablesteel stood at the end of the hallway, nearly fading into the black walls thanks to her dark green coat, and stared at Lion Court with a frown. “If she can get Warsinger playing, she can be whatever she wants to be in this group,” she said. She tucked a stray lock of her wavy gray mane behind her ear.

“Black Rose has assigned me the task of getting her ready,” Lion Court replied. “I will do just that. Speaking of assignments, I’m surprised you’re spending time here.”

“Just stopped by for a quick break,” Sablesteel replied.

“Would you care to do me a small favor?” Lion Court asked.

Sablesteel was practically bristling. Understandable as this was far from the first favor Lion Court had asked of her. “What’s that?”

“I know that you've been assigned to put the Element of Joy through ‘a little adversity’. All I ask is that you refrain from actually taking the lives of her loved ones. A broken element will set our mistress’s plans back for years.”

Sablesteel didn't reply right away. She closed both her eyes, and folded her forelegs in front of her. Lion Court waited for one of those eyes to open. Blue would mean yes, green would be no. And possibly an immediate attack. To his relief, the blue eye appeared first. “No promises,” Sable said as she headed for her room. She paused before closing the door. “Lion Court, if you sleep with that new mare, I will beat you to death with her severed head.”

“You wound me, my dear Sable.”

“Oh, you’ll know if I've wounded you.”

Lion Court bowed his appreciation, then went on his way. As his mistress had mentioned, there was so much to do…

Alicorn Matters

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 21: Alicorn Matters

The dreary morning rain, and the lack of sleep, didn't stop Luna from going to the dining hall for a light breakfast at the start of each day. Reunification kept her and her siblings busy, but sharing at least a meal a day ought to help with their still mending bonds.

At least, that was what Luna hoped for when she suggested it to both her siblings. They had agreed in their own way: Celestia with a half-hearted smile, and a nod, Terrato with a grunt that sounded more yes than no. They had been true to their word, as far as coming to eat was concerned anyway. Since they reserved talking about governing issues for formal meetings, silence reigned over their meals in general. Terrato ate like a machine in what Luna could only view as a poorly disguised attempt to get things over quickly. He was always the first to leave; impressive considering that he ate three times as much as his sisters combined. Celestia was a bit more cordial, but only seemed to truly relax when their brother had left the table.

This morning was different. Terrato had not arrived at his customary time, leaving the two sisters by themselves. Luna took a sip of tea, and studied Celestia for a while. The changes within the Heartland were rapid and dramatic, perhaps too much. “How have you been holding up?” she asked.

“I’m doing well, thank you,” Celestia replied. She smiled wryly after a sip from her own cup. “Losing my powers has not rendered me completely fragile you know.”

“I don’t just mean physically, big sister,” Luna said. “The changes around here have been quite fast. Even the palace itself…”

Celestia nodded. Luna quietly stirred her tea for a while, and let her mind wander to the recent changes.

Terrato loved his conjurations, and transmutations. Just a few days after he started staying in the Royal Palace, he shaped an entire hall as well as his quarters from the mountain, and added it seamlessly to the existing structure. When Luna had mentioned that the throne room could use a little renovation to show that all three of them ruled now, he reshaped the entire room to include two more thrones.

The physical changes were the easiest to accept. Even Celestia voiced her admiration for Terrato's speed, and his attention to detail. It was the other things that came with him that were harder to deal with.

Terrato had legionnaires patrolling side by side with royal guards. That was all that it looked like at first glance, but both sisters knew that there were less conspicuous watchers stationed in specific places all around the palace. The same could be said for the rest of Canterlot, if not the entire Heartland. To combat Black Rose, Terrato insisted that he needed “eyes and ears” in every place that Black Rose might strike. Luna knew that it was only a matter of time before Celestia had to contend with their brother when his measures began to take their toll on everypony’s privacy.

There was also Terrato’s presence in general. He was no slave-driver, but neither was he interested in endearing himself to anypony. He strode the halls in a constant, purposeful hurry that sent any servants scurrying. When he turned his gaze on them, they visibly quailed. The sight of ponies unwilling to hold their ground only served to irritate Terrato further, which terrified them even more.

The doors to the dining hall opened, as if on cue. Both Celestia and Luna turned towards them, expecting their brother.

“Cadance!” Luna exclaimed.

Princess Cadance smiled warmly as she made her way towards them. The smile didn't last, a sign that she had returned for official business. “I’m glad to see you’re both alright,” she said.

Luna stood up and walked towards her “niece”. Cadance shared titles with Prince Blueblood, but that was probably all they had in common. Blueblood saw only privileges and rendered himself useless by enjoying them. Cadance understood the duty part. Even before reunification, she served Equestria as an emissary, and occasional trouble-shooter. “What have you found out?” she asked.

“The United Griffon Aeries are panicking,” Cadance replied. “The increasing presence of the Equestrian Legion has convinced them that we’re going to invade. I've done all I can to assure them, but only time will tell.”

“What about the dragons?” Celestia asked.

Cadance bit her lip. “It’s bad. As Princess Luna said, a group of dragons calling themselves ‘Draco’dim’ has moved into dragon territories. The fighting has been constant, and half a dozen Heartland dragons have been killed so far.”

“A group of dragons fighting can’t be good for the surrounding areas,” Luna said. “What of the ponies nearby?”

“The Draco’dim conduct their ‘purge killings’ carefully," Cadance replied. "They fight deep in the mountains, away from any pony settlements. I spoke with Afralhadar, one of their representatives.”

Luna's eyes narrowed as she took another sip of tea. "Afralhadar again..." she whispered. She looked to Cadance. "What did he say?"

“All he said was that the Equestrian Legion was permitted to take all the dragon bodies, and that we shouldn't interfere with dragon matters any further.”

“Why would Terrato purposely bring these dragons to the Heartland?” Celestia asked with a frown. “Does he really thrive on all these killings? Does he plan on taking those bodies as trophies?”

“Big sister…” Luna said softly. Dragon bone, dragon scale, and dragon gut were all excellent materials for weapons, and armor. It was more likely that her brother had cut a deal with the Draco’dim for informing them about the Heartland situation, or the Draco’dim simply offered the remains as returning the favor without his prompting. It was a grisly, but useful reward, something her brother would definitely not pass on even if Celestia disapproved. Before she could go on, the doors to the dining hall flew open.

“Luna,” Terrato said, “I need your help with a spell. Come--” He spotted Cadance.

Luna stepped in front of her niece protectively. Cadance appeared as an alicorn, and would likely be mistaken for one. Terrato wouldn't take too kindly to agents of the Eternal Herd showing up out of nowhere. “Wait, big brother!” she said. “She’s not an agent of the Herd no matter how much she looks like one!”

Terrato grinned. “Relax. I can tell. I've seen mortals like her before.”

“You have?” Luna asked.

“A long time ago in the Western Barrier Lands. He had convinced a bunch of ponies that he was another prince and was running a rebellious cult by the time I heard about him.” Terrato looked a little distant for a second. “Smeared him under his own giant statue…good times.” He walked towards Cadance, and sized her up. She flinched, but stood her ground. Terrato’s grin widened just a bit more. “But whatever theory I have for why some mortal ponies end up resembling us will have to wait,” he said. “Princess Cadance, isn't it? Nice to meet you.”

Cadance bowed low. “And it is an honor to meet you, Prince Terrato,” she said. She turned towards Celestia, and Luna. “I’ll be going for now,” she told them.

Celestia nodded. “Thank you for your hard work, Cadance. I take it that you haven’t seen your husband yet?”

Cadance shook her head. “I rushed back to Canterlot when I heard he was hurt.”

“Off you go then." Celestia smiled as she watched her "niece" leave.

Terrato waited patiently for the exchange to finish. He had already been updated on the royal nieces and nephews when he had asked about Blueblood.

When Cadance left, Terrato directed his words towards Luna. “I’m going to open a partial gate to the Eternal Herd, and I need your help.”

“What?” Luna replied. “Why do you need to contact the Eternal Herd now?” Celestia also looked on worriedly, and curiously. Summoning Conjurations were her specialty. While Terrato and Luna knew how to open gates, it required a greater deal of effort. A joint spell would lessen the load, which was what Terrato was proposing.

“We need to find out more about Regia Carnifex," Terrato said. "Magnus is bound to have a record of him.”

“Would he still be willing to associate with us?” Celestia asked.

Terrato shrugged. “Why not? We’re still the King and Queen’s children.”

“Their rebellious children.”

“He’ll understand,” Terrato insisted. “He’s our best shot at finding out more about this.”

“It is worth the effort,” Luna added. She trotted over to Terrato. “Let’s get started, big brother.”

They picked the Chamber of the Elements to open the partial gate. It was a naturally private sanctum, and used to containing powerful magic. Terrato and Luna stood by opposite sides of the chamber while Celestia maintained a good distance to observe.

Celestia watched wistfully as her siblings weaved their magic together. Luna had always been able to get along with Terrato much better than she did. She recalled that moment again; Terrato broken-horned and covered in blood, and Luna happily greeting him. She couldn't point out how she felt about that now: guilty for separating them with her barrier, fearful of Terrato’s influence on Luna, or hopeful of Luna’s influence on Terrato? Regardless, it just seemed that she wasn't going to have a say about how that would go.

After another minute of intense spell casting, the gate materialized. They stared at the circular hole, no more than five feet across, that connected this world with a world they had left so long ago. The brilliance of the Eternal Herd shone through the partial gate, illuminating the chamber brighter than any of its own lights.

Luna nervously looked into the partial gate. Celestia could only imagine the worry in her younger sister. It has been so long since Luna had had any contact with the Eternal Herd. Long ago, Terrato was supposed to destroy her body in this world, permanently returning her to the Eternal Herd. Did the rest of the Eternal Herd still insist that her father's orders be followed? Would Magnus demand that Luna be executed on the spot before he gave any aid?

Celestia was not enthusiastic about the whole idea either. She knew who she was to the rest of the Eternal Herd: Celestia the rebellious princess who defied her father twice, and incited her siblings to follow in her hoofsteps, Celestia who favored the mortal spawn of Oceanus over her own kind…

The image of Magnus Chartophylax finally appeared at the opposite side of the gate. The keeper of the Eternal Herd’s vast records was a beige alicorn of Terrato’s height, but not quite his girth. His white, smoky mane cascaded all the way to his back in thick, wispy curls, and he had a beard to match. Bright blue eyes, stern, but not angry, looked towards the three siblings, then focused on Terrato. “Your highness, it’s been a while. Do you need my help for your next rebellion?”

“Save the sarcasm, Magnus,” Terrato replied. “I know what I did. Right now, I need your help to undo it.”

Magnus snorted. “Not the sort of tone you should be taking then.”

“What do you know of an alicorn called Regia Carnifex?”

Magnus’ expression darkened at the name. He shifted his gaze towards the other royal siblings. “Princess Celestia, Princess Luna,” he said with a slight bow. “It is good to see the two of you again.”

Celestia answered with a bow of her own. She still remembered visiting Empyrea's Hall of Records, and her first encounter with its keeper. As a first cycle alicorn, Magnus was ancient, even by the Herd's standards, held in high regard by all of the Herd since he first took up his office. Despite his prestige, and the stern, quiet demeanor he presented, he was a patient alicorn who always had time to see to the needs of even a first-time visitor. Luna likewise returned the bow, glad that to get a far better reaction that what she was expecting.

“Magnus,” Terrato said.

“And for what purpose are you going to use this knowledge this time, your highness?" Magnus asked. "Are you really in such a hurry to bring about the return of Oceanus?”

“This won’t be going against our parents, Magnus,” Luna said. “We’re trying to stop a threat this time, not cause one.”

Magnus studied all of them before speaking to Terrato. “The first time you consulted me, I approved of you finally doing something without needing Celestia’s permission. Now, I see something better; the three of you acting on something together. I will help you just for that. I can only hope you don’t make me regret this.”

“You won’t,” Celestia said. “Thank you for your help, Magnus.”

Magnus nodded. “Regia Carnifex was a high-ranking pony in his majesty’s court back when Prince Oceanus was still with us,” Magnus said. “When Oceanus openly rebelled, it was Carnifex who first came to his side.” His expression darkened further. “I was there when he threw down many of our kind. He was Oceanus’s most loyal lieutenant, and was granted the blasphemous “honor” of bearing the Foul Weapon when Oceanus stepped forward to challenge his majesty.”

“That would mean that he has a great affinity towards the Foul Weapon,” Luna remarked.

Magnus focused on her. “You've picked up your brother’s rude tendency to interrupt, your highness.”

Luna froze. “What? No I haven’t…besides I--” She looked away, flustered.

Magnus’ stern countenance softened with a smile. “Yes, what you said is true. Carnifex does possess a great deal of affinity towards the Foul Weapon. It is likely that he can call it forth if he chooses to.”

All three siblings frowned. All it would take was Black Rose manipulating Regia Carnifex, and she would have the Foul Weapon at her disposal. And that would be if things went smoothly. If Black Rose made a mistake, they would have Oceanus’s lieutenant running loose.

“Is that all you needed to know?” Magnus asked. “I daresay that I am a little disappointed that the three of you would not know of an important figure in Eternal Herd history, especially since it concerns something that involved your father. If you had spent just a little more time in my library instead of--”

“Magnus, you’re lecturing again,” Terrato said. “We’ll get to know all of Oceanus’s minions when we start beating them back.”

“That’s the kind of attitude that--”

Another alicorn suddenly peeked from the side. This one was a mare, about as tall as Celestia, with a gray mane that looked as if hundreds of small blades were cascading down her neck. “Terrato!” she exclaimed.

Centuries of staying in a different world did nothing to dim Celestia's memory. She looked to her brother, who also recognized the sight with ease. “Gladio Saltare." He grinned. “Pretty convenient that we opened this gate while you’re in the library.”

“Convenient nothing!" Gladio grinned back. “Ever since I found out that you had contacted Magnus before, I’ve been spending a lot of time here in case you did so again.”

Terrato's eyes widened briefly. “Gladio, that was around seven hundred years ago.”

The number didn't even register across Gladio Saltare’s face. “You need to get back here, your highness,” she said.

Magnus frowned at the interruption. “Well, your highnesses if you don’t need me for anything else…”

Celestia looked apologetically at Magnus, and nodded before returning her focus towards one of her brother’s old friends.

“Why would I need to do that?” Terrato asked. Luna, and Celestia listened intently as well.

“News of Celestia’s power being stolen has already made it here,” Gladio said. Her smile turned into a grim look. “Gravitas has been using it to push for the extermination of Oceanus' spawn, and I think he’s making progress.”

“Mother would never allow such a thing!” Celestia said. “Gravitas can puff himself up before the Council of Elders, but the King and Queen still have the final say!”

“Your highness…” Gladio said. “The King and Queen have been silent since you refused to send Princess Luna to the Herd for punishment.”

The siblings were not surprised by that one. For all their power, the King and Queen had very few orders to give. They had never seen their father emerge from the Silver Sanctum, where he continued to recover from his fight with Oceanus. The few decrees he gave came from closed doors. Their mother, while more open, also preferred to let her subjects move about freely. Ever since the fifth rebellion, neither had issued any decrees. “That’s not entirely true,” Luna said. “What about--” Terrato cut off the protest with a glare. Luna frowned, but complied this time.

“And without any interference from our parents, the Council of Elders will make the decision,” Terrato said. “How bad is it, Gladio?”

“He’s picking up momentum,” Gladio replied. “The Council is still undecided, but an opposition hasn't materialized yet. We don’t have somepony like Lexarius, or Princess Celestia here to argue for Equestria.” She turned her gaze to Celestia. “If you can return here and explain the situation, we can still halt Gravitas in his tracks.”

Celestia bit her lower lip. There was no love lost between her and General Gravitas, and the thought of him being given free rein to promote his cause left a bad taste in her mouth.

“Celestia is in no condition to travel to the Eternal Herd,” Terrato said.

“I can make the trip,” Luna said.

“You could,” Terrato replied. “And Gravitas could try to detain you, and insist that you be properly punished for the fourth rebellion. We need you here.”

“Then are you going to make the trip?” Luna asked.

“I’m not exactly innocent now am I?” Terrato said. “It’s possible that Gravitas would want to have me punished for what I've done.” He turned towards Gladio Saltare. “We’ll have to think this through carefully.”

“Of course,” Gladio replied. “I don’t know what’s going on over there, your highness, but I wish you luck.”

“We’ll need it,” Terrato said. The gate shimmered, and slowly faded.

“Why didn't you want me to tell her about her majesty's message to Applejack?” Luna asked.

“Because if mother wanted everypony in the Herd to know that she hasn't been completely silent, they would know,” Terrato replied.

“We need to do something about Gravitas,” Celestia said. “Everything we've done will be for nothing if he succeeds.”

“I’m the best candidate to go there,” Terrato said. “I have some more things to take care of here, and I'll see what can be done about it. It’s also possible that we recover your power before the need becomes more desperate. Gravitas is making progress, but I doubt he’s anywhere near on the verge of convincing the Eternal Herd that Equestria must be destroyed.”

“He shouldn't even be allowed to come close.” Celestia’s eyes narrowed. She wanted to be the one to go. It wasn't that she didn't believe in her brother’s ability to speak for this world, but she was the one who had dealt with Gravitas before.

“But none of us can actually go,” Luna said. “Big sister, I know how much you dislike Gravitas--”

“No…no you don’t. Not until you've met him.”

“We’d better get back to our other duties for now,” Terrato said.

Celestia nodded reluctantly. “I want to talk to you about the Draco’dim, Terrato,” she said.

“I’ll explain myself to you later, dearest sister,” was Terrato’s reply. With that, Celestia left the chamber, leaving him and Luna alone.

“Big brother, you are needed here,” Luna said. “Mother is still on the move, we have to trust her to make sure that the Eternal Herd doesn't decide against Equestria.”

“I know,” Terrato replied. “Our best bet is to recover Celestia’s power quickly, and have her go.” His mind went back to his former student. Black Rose had placed all of ponykind at risk by stealing Celestia’s power. Had she known that the Eternal Herd would react like this? He had confided to her about the Eternal Herd before. It was likely that Black Rose did know and she had taken it into account as well.

Luna’s eyes narrowed. “You’re saying that, big brother, but we don’t seem to be taking enough steps to find and deal with her.”

“Is that what it looks like to you?”

“I've been speaking with Special Operations members. We already have several suspected agents of hers. There’s even been a sighting of the Thorns here in Canterlot, but you've ordered them not to make any arrests!”

Terrato smiled. Luna was starting to work well with the Legion. “I know about Black Rose’s agents moving around,” he replied. “Arresting them right away will mean playing our cards too soon. It will tell Black Rose how many of her agents we've spotted, and how many are actually undercover. It’s likely that she has more of than a dozen doomed spies out there, and it’s for certain that none of her agents will be able to lead us to her even if they wanted to. Not even the Thorns. I’d rather keep her guessing which agents of hers we have in sight and which ones aren't and try to control the information she’s gathering.”

Terrato shake his head at the struggling look on Luna’s face. He stepped closer and put a hoof on her shoulder. “Leave Black Rose’s games to me, little sister,” he said. “I’ll deal with all the cloak and dagger. I need you, and Celestia to complete the victory.”

Luna stepped back. “What do you mean?”

“Black Rose and I have been doing this for a long time,” Terrato said. “These are methods we specialize in, methods that you're still familiarizing yourself with.” He paused, gauging his sister’s reaction. “Have you ever thought about why she didn't steal your power back in Bastion City? She could have you know.”

“Then why didn't she?”

“Because Black Rose loves having a wild card around,” Terrato replied. Luna listened intently. She had likely noticed the nostalgia in his tone. “She hates plans that proceed perfectly and thrives on last minute improvisations. If there isn't one in the works, she’ll create one. It’s always worked for her before.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Luna asked. “She expects me to play into her hooves anyway?”

“Yes. And, perhaps one more thing.”

“What's that?”

The melancholy in Terrato's voice deepened. "I wasn't exactly a good teacher on peace-time ruling, or unification. Black Rose knows what she does best. On things she's not supremely confident in, she'll delegate. Maybe she understands just how far she can reach with her plots, and needed others with power around."

Luna didn't speak, nor did she shift her questioning gaze. Terrato looked towards the doors.

"Come on," he said. "We've got work to do."

Canterlot

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 22: Canterlot

For Vanguard, watching the sun rise over Canterlot should be something special. He was in the capital city of both Princess of the Sun, and Princess of the Moon. The architecture, the ponies, even the daily rituals that took place, should reflect that identity. This would be his first day in the city when he would get to observe instead of being off on official matters. He had hoped to see how the chosen behaved in their territory, and get a better understanding of his friends.

Instead, he found himself standing under the awning of the new Legion barracks, and staring at the steady morning rain. Today wasn't going to be the day to see a sunrise in Canterlot. And the truth was that he was never going to get a chance to see how the chosen were in their territory. With the Legion’s presence continuing to grow, however the chosen behaved among themselves was gone forever.

“Back to work, Vanguard? I think you've earned a break after your last mission. Why not take it, and see what Canterlot’s got?”

Vanguard found Nightcanter standing behind him. A frown creased his face when he replied. “I asked you not to involve the Elements of Harmony, Captain Nightcanter.”

The smile never left the Nightcanter's face. “I thought about that, and decided against it,” she replied. “That move saved my life. You should be complimenting me for being so prudent.”

Vanguard's frown deepened. “They could have gotten killed down there.”

“I could have gotten killed down there!” Nightcanter frowned as well. “Celestia drill my backside, you can be such a worrier! Danger’s part of the legionnaire package, remember? I did you a favor, Vanguard. The more you try to keep them out of trouble, the less prepared they’ll be when they run into it by themselves.”

“Was that running through your mind when you met them in Ponyville?” Vanguard asked. “Or did you just come up with it afterwards when you knew I was going to talk to you about it?”

Nightcanter’s lips twisted a little, all but answering Vanguard’s question. “It doesn't make me any less right either way,” she said. “It’s not like I disobeyed orders. We’re still both Special Operations captains even if you did land yourself a harem of mares. You’re not even captain of a full squad.”

The last remark left Vanguard silent. He had been left too long without a full squad, and it certainly reflected badly upon him for delaying for so long. The smile returning to Nightcanter’s lips told him that she had guessed what his silence meant. “You know, I spotted your vice-captain making her way to the training yard,” she said. “Why don’t you chat her up, and see if you can get a squad together before we get sent out on our next mission?”

“She’s not--” Vanguard caught himself. Applejack was only vice-captain because he was assigned to lead them as the Elements of Harmony. He wasn't even suited for that role, and Dreadstep likely only needed the group to be guided by a more seasoned legionnaire. However, as he thought about it…“I’ll see you later.”

Nightcanter waved, and went off to finish her report. Vanguard made his way towards the training yard. In truth, he had been given a break, a few hours’ worth of it, but a break nonetheless. Before he took it, he wanted to see how his friends were doing. As Nightcanter said, Applejack was in the training yard despite the rain. There were several broken top halves of practice dummies scattered near her. The bottom halves were well over thirty feet away. At the moment, she seemed to be practicing…dance steps.

“Shield up!” Applejack yelled. She rose on her hind legs, and thrust her front hooves into the air. Nothing happened. “Um…Golden Shield! Queen’s Magic!” Still nothing.

“Is this some kind of chosen morning ritual?” Vanguard asked.

Applejack nearly jumped at that. “Vanguard! How long have you been watching me? N-no, it’s not a chosen morning ritual and-- Are you here because we have to go on a mission?”

Vanguard smiled. “Relax, I just want to have a little talk. You sure you should be standing in the rain?”

“Ponyfeathers! It’s just a little drizzle. I’m not wasting a day’s training over it.” Applejack shook some droplets from her mane, then looked skyward with a squint. “Why is it even raining anyway? It’s winter!”

“Something about weather complications with the barrier down, I've been told,” Vanguard said. “Fenrir’s winter hasn't blown through the Heartland for centuries. The weather factories in Cloudsdale-” he frowned at that. He doubted he would ever get used to the idea of “manufactured” weather, or the very existence of Cloudsdale. “-still had a lot of rain clouds in surplus when Barrier Lands weather started to move in. I don’t know the details, and I honestly don’t want to know. I just hope the pegasi manage it.” He looked at Applejack in bemused interest. “And what exactly where you practicing just now? Cheering?”

Applejack’s face reddened. “No,” she said. “I was trying to get that magic shield thing I did back then.”

Vanguard raised an eyebrow. “Magic shield?” he asked.

“You know, from that fight with Nightmare Moon. I can’t get it to come out again.”

“How did you come upon this ability anyway?”

Applejack didn't look sure of her next words. “I think the Queen gave it to me. She said something about a gift before sending me back, so that’s probably it.”

Vanguard knew little of the higher powers that existed within ponykind, whether it was Prince Terrato, his sisters, or their parents. “Perhaps you should consult one of the Queen’s children," he said. "They might know how to utilize their mother’s gift.”

Applejack brightened. “You know what, that ain’t a bad idea,” she said. Her spirits dampened quickly. “But how am I supposed to talk to any of them? They all look really busy.”

“I’m sure they’ll make time for an Element of Harmony. Anyway, where are the others?”

“Twilight went off to see her parents,” Applejack replied. “Rarity’s gone off to check the city out, and she brought Fluttershy with her, Rainbow, and Scarlet flew off somewhere, and Pinkie…well, Pinkie sort of just wandered off with that stone tablet of hers.”

Vanguard’s thoughts went to Twilight. She had finally gone off to see her family. If she still insisted on signing up with his squad, he had no more reasons to refuse save for arbitrary insistence on his part. Now that he thought about it, it was likely that she was the one who got the rest of her friends to follow Nightcanter’s group out of some deep-seated curiosity about Clover the Clever. No matter how much he tried, she was going to keep getting into the thick of things. Perhaps…

“Hey, Vanguard,”

Vanguard shifted his attention back to Applejack. “Hmm?”

Applejack tilted her head slightly, a look of concern on her face. “Are you okay? I heard that you, and Shining Armor went off to fight ghosts.”

Vanguard shrugged. “Just one more mission." Perhaps he had been too focused on just the possibility of Twilight joining his squad. He also happened to need an earth pony skirmisher. Applejack wasn't an enormous bruiser like Blademane, and she was certainly nowhere near him in experience, but he had spoken with Iron Jaw, and remarks were good. More importantly, between Twilight and Scarlet, he could definitely use her.

Nightcanter called Applejack his vice-captain, the concept sat surprisingly well with him. He had seen the botched paperwork that tagged Applejack as a Special Operations Vice-Captain, and had already taken steps to correct the issue, but he may have been too hasty.

Then, there were his old reasons for why he didn't want Twilight to join up in the first place.

“Uh…Vanguard?”

Vanguard shook his head. He wasn't even completely sure that Twilight would insist on joining Special Operations. Maybe she would return from her family visit with her mind already changed. “I’ll see you later, Applejack,” he said.

Applejack nodded with a smile, and Vanguard went on his way.

“Clash!”

Vanguard was just about to step out into the street when another familiar voice called out to him from behind. Captain Shining Armor was walking towards him. “Armor,” he said. “Up already?”

“I can’t afford to take a break,” Shining Armor replied. “Between the re-outfitting, and all the alcohol-related disturbances, the Royal Guard is swamped.”

“I’m sorry to hear about the boozing problems; an oversight on the Legion’s behalf,” Vanguard said. "You must have heard the announcement regarding the Royal Guard."

Shining Armor answered with a wry smile of his own. “I have,” he said. “It's good that the Guard will stay as a local policing garrison for Canterlot. The Prince is mildly reasonable after all."

"Barrier Lands cities also maintain local garrisons," Vanguard said. The Legion focuses on destroying invaders, not policing citizens. That doesn't mean we won't be taking some guards for the Legion. They do have some combat training and will serve better than raw recruits."

"Could be worse," Shining Armor said. "There’s some good news for me. My wife just returned to Canterlot.” He looked around suspiciously before leaning closer. “You think Captain Nightcanter will stop giving me those looks if I introduced them?” he whispered.

“Quite the opposite,” Vanguard replied. “She’ll just start going for the both of you instead. That said, don’t let me keep you from your happy reunion.”

With a snort, Shining Armor patted Vanguard on the shoulder, and moved on. “Clash,” he said.

“Armor,” Vanguard replied. This was another possible complication. Shining Armor was unlikely to take it well if he found out that his sister had joined up with Special Operations.

Vanguard moved on to the streets. Canterlot was nothing like what he had ever seen before, even without considering the fantastic airships and the train. The overcast sky, and the drizzle did nothing to dull the vivid colors, or hide the elegant structures. Here was the picture of Princess Celestia’s aesthetics: beauty and elegance in all things. Some of his fellow legionnaires complained that a well-placed catapult shot would probably bring down whole sections of Canterlot, if the entire city didn't just fall off the cliffs. Vanguard didn't mind those details. Canterlot, even with its weaknesses and oddities, was a welcome change to Bastion City and Fangbreaker Fortress.

There were other details. Nearby chosen stared at him warily, much more so than they did other legionnaires. The black barding, and the red eyes were obvious reasons. He let the time pass just walking around and observing. The rain eventually let up after a couple of hours, and he was soon staring down one street and towards a very familiar unicorn.

“Vanguard!” Twilight called out. She had a very determined look on her face as she approached him.

Vanguard braced himself. The faint hope of Twilight having changed her mind was already fading fast.

Though she would rather go back to Ponyville, Rarity wasn't the sort to waste an opportunity when she saw one. Barrier or no barrier, Canterlot was still the center of Equestrian fashion. She had thought of replacing their wolven fur coats with something that was not only much more fashionable, and just as functional, but also didn't require skinning a dead wolf-like creature. Accompanied by Fluttershy, she walked around the shopping district. She went for the fabrics, the synthetic leather, threads, and even some feathers. This could be the opportunity to add some fashion into the Legion’s outfits. She remembered to ask for permission first. The Legion responded to unsolicited changes to its outfits with whippings.

“Do you really think we should be out here shopping, Rarity?” Fluttershy asked. “I mean, what if they needed us?”

“Nonsense,” Rarity replied. “We’re on a break, remember? We've gone out of our way to get that coffin, and that book here, but that shouldn't mean that it’s back to work. We should try to enjoy what’s left of our two weeks.”

Fluttershy lowered her gaze. “I suppose…”

Rarity trotted over to the window of another store. Among the displayed items was a small frilly shirt, likely meant for a very young colt. “Ooh! Take a look at this one, Fluttershy! Don’t you think it would make for a darling little outfit for Spike when he comes back in the spring?”

“Um…don’t you think he’d have grown by that time?” Fluttershy asked.

Rarity frowned. “Grown? What makes you think that?”

“Well, he was saying something like that when he was explaining why he had to go, remember? Something about Prince Terrato calling him ‘stunted’, and Seethe Scale fixing that…”

“Well, even if he grows, I’m sure I can make the necessary adjustments.” Rarity stifled a sigh. Perhaps, it was a bit of a misfortune to encounter such a fine outfit. She missed his remarks, his presence, and his enthusiasm for carrying the bags that she was now loathe to have Fluttershy carry. The sound of another familiar voice jolted her from her reminiscing.

“Woah there, apprentice!” Hammer Chain yelled. “I think you've got plenty of fabric already! How about you grab some ore, and maybe a new pair of tongs?”

“Hammer Chain!” Rarity exclaimed. “B-but how did you get here? What about Fangbreaker, and the rest of the Northern Legion and--”

“Yes, yes it’s great to see you too.” Hammer Chain came over. “A bunch of us over at the fort got sent here. I’m supposed to work with the chosen, and get them started on forging arms and armor.” He looked over to Fluttershy. “They got Redbrand, and Tailwind over here as well. It’s apparently to ‘facilitate the exchange of non-magical medical techniques’ and streamlining some group called ‘Wonderbolts’. It’s all too much of a coincidence if you ask me.”

“Redbrand is here?” Fluttershy looked around. “I hope he’s alright. It’s a long trip to Canterlot.”

“Bah!” Hammer Chain snorted. “He’s a crusty old bastard, not some delicate flower! He’s over at the Canterlot Hospital working with some chosen doctors if you want to see him.”

Fluttershy glanced briefly at Rarity, silently asking permission to go. With a nod from Rarity, she flew off.

With Fluttershy gone, Rarity let her thoughts stray to what Hammer Chain had just said. Redbrand, Tailwind, and Hammer Chain…Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and her. This was hardly the coincidence. “Were you specifically ordered by Prince Terrato?” she asked.

“The prince gave the order for various professionals to be sent to the Heartland,” Hammer Chain said. “I’m quite certain he never mentioned me by name. This is probably Dreadstep, or some other pony assigned for the job.” He clapped Rarity on the back. “I've got a foundry already set up by the city’s outskirts. I hope you've been practicing, Rarity, I don’t want to have to start from scratch with you.”

“I still know them,” Rarity said confidently.

“Good. Oh, and check this out…” Hammer Chain pulled out a very old looking book from his saddlebag. “This is for you.”

“A book?” Rarity hesitated. If she was Twilight, she’d probably be jumping for joy right now. Beat up old books weren't exactly her sort of thing…unless it was a book on fashion. She drew it close with her magic. “What is it about?” she asked.

“You’re looking at a copy of ‘Mage-blade Combat’,” Hammer Chain said proudly. “The original was written by the legendary Lion Court himself. I knew I had a copy somewhere, and I looked for it when you first found those mage-blades. I only managed to find it when I was already packing my things.”

“Yet another fortunate ‘coincidence’,” Rarity said. She flipped some pages over, noticing the illustrations of unicorns with mage-blades floating above them. This was exactly the sort of thing she needed. The lack of other mage-blade users in the Legion made it difficult for her to improve her skills. A manual was no substitute for an experienced teacher, but it was much better than nothing at all. “Regardless, thank for this, Hammer Chain, I’m sure to find this useful.” Before she could say anything else, a shadow suddenly passed over her. She looked up, but all she saw was a fleeting blur of rainbow colors. “Rainbow…” she muttered. Rainbow had been talking to Scarlet before she left with Fluttershy.

“So where are we going?” Rainbow asked as she flew next to Scarlet. His speed wasn't lost on her. Time and again, the ease he reached these speeds with had her worried. When she had first joined up with Dreadwing, Tailwind had admonished her for not observing Scarlet before challenging him. Now that she was doing just that, Rainbow’s confidence was starting to falter. Scarlet flew too easily with all his barding on. She couldn't even tell how much effort he was putting into flying, making it all but impossible to gauge just how fast he could get.

“I wanna show you something!” Scarlet replied. The scenery zipped past while he weaved through the groups of pegasi sharing Canterlot’s sky with them. Even the air wasn't safe from the bustle of all the activity in the Heartland’s capital. Important supplies that had to be moved in and out of the city quickly were carried by pegasi.

Finally, Scarlet landed in the middle of a large gathering of crates. He dove into one group, then held up a small keg triumphantly.

“What is that?” Rainbow asked.

“It’s a keg of rainbow!” Scarlet crowed. “Can you believe it? When I took a trip to Cloudsdale, I had to get one!”

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “A keg of rainbow?” she asked. “What do you need that stuff for? You’re not a weather pegasus.”

“Have you tasted this stuff?” Scarlet asked. He turned the spigot, and took a quick gulp. Rainbow winced. Even watching made her tongue sting. He exhaled through his mouth loudly. “Hoo! I’m having this stuff shipped off to Fangbreaker. I just know Storm Brew can make it into some kind of drink. We’ll call it ‘Scarlet and Storm Brew’s Rainbow Booze’. Wait, wait,” He waved his arms, imagining the sign. “‘Scarlet and Storm Brew’s Rainbooze’!”

Rainbow stared at Scarlet’s antics. It was like watching a hyperactive colt instead of a legionnaire. He almost seemed harmless.

“So,” Scarlet said. His smiling face turned into an intensely inquisitive gaze. “How about that race? You’ll even get a hometown advantage!”

“Scarlet, I don’t live in Canterlot,” Rainbow said flatly.

Rainbow gestured to the horizon. “Then we’ll race wherever you want here in the Heartland.”

“About that…”

A slight frown creased Scarlet’s face. Rainbowed swallow nervously. She could hear her heart starting to race. “What is it?” he asked.

Rainbow tensed, and looked around to make sure there were nearby ponies. “Is...is it true that you beat up Overcast because he lost to you?”

The frown deepened. “Overcast?” Scarlet asked. “How’d you find out about him?”

Rainbow recounted everything Rarity, and Vanguard told her. “So is all that true?” she asked.

Scarlet shrugged. “Well, I remember wanting to kick Overcast’s flank, but it wasn't that serious,” he said. “I mean, he was alive when they transferred him to the Western Barrier Land, right?”

“So if I lose…”

“You shouldn't even compare yourself to that idiot," Scarlet said. "He talked a good game, got me excited, then didn't even make it a good race. He was a loser, a slow braggart of a loser who deserved a thumping.” He leaned closer towards Rainbow. “He’s nowhere near a pegasus like you, right? You’re fast, you've got your Sonic Rainboom, most importantly, you mean what you say!”

Rainbow took a step back. She agreed with everything that Scarlet said about her. Though she had never met Overcast, she just knew that she could do so much better than him. Refusing now was to admit her loss no matter how she looked at it, and Scarlet would see it in the same way. She had goaded him too much, and he’d lose all respect for her if she suddenly backed off now. Yet, the price of failure continued to eat away at her. What was she supposed to do now?

“So, how about it?” Scarlet asked again.

“I…” Rainbow closed her eyes. Every option seemed to lead to something bad, every option except…winning. Beating Scarlet was the only option she could take. She gathered her confidence once more. She had to win. Worrying would only slow her down. She had to have faith in her speed, and her Sonic Rainboom. “Alright, let’s do this,” she said.

“Great!” Scarlet crowed. “Pick a place, and set the rules!”

They flew off, with Rainbow leading the way. If she was to go through with this race, it had to be where others wouldn't spot them. She didn't want to outright leave Canterlot though. The outermost areas would do well enough. “Twice around all of Canterlot!” she called out behind her. She glanced back, and saw Scarlet nod eagerly.

“So how was your visit with your family?” Vanguard took a sip of his coffee, and winced. Whoever this "Donut Joe" was, he was treating his coffee like his donuts. He frowned at the bowl of sugar next to him, and pushed it away.

“It was great,” Twilight replied as she stirred her mug. She smiled wistfully, remembering the tearful reunion. “I should have visited sooner."

“Then why didn't you stay longer?” Vanguard asked. “You could have stayed for a couple of days without any problems.”

“I thought of that too,” Twilight replied. She added a couple of teaspoons of sugar into her coffee. Her mind went back to the coffin, and the book, still stored in the palace. “But, I’d just be overcome with restlessness. There’s just so much to do!” She took a sip, and found the coffee still too bitter.

“I hope you don’t regret this, Twilight," Vanguard finished off his coffee. "Equestria will always have enemies, but you won’t always have these moments with your loved ones.”

“I’ll see them again when Black Rose has been defeated!” Twilight said. She set her mug down a little too forcefully. She glanced apologetically towards Bagel Jane when some of the liquid spilled on the table. The white earth pony mare walked over to clean it up. Bagel Jane had taken over the cafe when her older brother responded to the draft. “I just can’t feel at ease knowing that she’s the one raising the sun everyday.” she added.

Vanguard didn't answer.

“Now that I've seen my family, will you let me join your squad?” Twilight asked.

Vanguard sighed, and stared at Twilight. She matched his gaze. “You’re really determined to do this, aren't you?” he asked.

“Black Rose is the real enemy here,” Twilight said. “I’m not going to encounter her across the battlefield in Wolvengard, or any place past the Barrier Lands. If I want to confront her, it will be through Special Operations missions.” Her gaze hardened. The more she thought about it, the surer she was. The wolven were dangerous invaders. Although she had never seen them, the ursans, and the ophidites, were likely just as bad. But Black Rose had hurt Princess Celestia, she was going down first. “If you won’t take me, I’ll apply for a different squad.”

“You don’t need to issue ultimatums,” Vanguard said. “I’ll take you.” He paused for another sip. “And Applejack.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “Applejack?” she asked. “Did she ask to join too?”

“No,” Vanguard replied. “But I’ll ask her to join. I think she’ll say yes.”

Twilight looked away in a futile attempt to hide her surprise.

“You alright?” Vanguard asked. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing really,” Twilight replied after composing herself. “So, why Applejack?”

“Why not? She’s strong, dependable, and you know her already.”

They were quiet for a while. Twilight had finished her coffee by the time she spoke again. “That’s all?” she asked.

Vanguard leaned forward. “What else does she need to be?”

Twilight hesitated. It was as if her mouth had gone out of control, and she had to rein it in. Why did she have to ask that anyway? What was she expecting Vanguard to say? “N-nothing,” she said. “Nevermind. I’m glad you let me join. Won’t you need to do some paperwork for it?”

“I’ll take care of it. Just to make sure, if you’re in my squad, I expect you to follow orders.”

“I know,” Twilight said. Something was wrong. She should be relieved that Vanguard had finally accepted, but she suddenly had this strange feeling that something bad was happening at the moment.

Longstride watched the skies patiently as the clouds began to clear up. Though he had only recently made his report to Black Rose, he had been waiting by this spot for well over two days now. Under his perch, Hassyth’s indoctrinated ponies, and their ophidite handler waited for his signal.

He expected to give that signal very soon. Black Rose had promised to “nudge” his target. That could mean a lot of things when it came to how she would do it, but he had only one response. His bow lay next to him, the magical inscriptions glowing softly.

His enhanced vision made out what a mere a dot by the horizon with a trail of bright colors following behind it. That was enough. He strung his bow, and aimed. “This is Longstride,” he said. The device attached to his collar carried his voice to both Black Rose, and the ophidite.

“Target sighted.”

The Greatest of Us All

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 23: The Greatest of Us All

“I don’t understand, mistress. If you want me to kill Pinkie Pie, I have a toxin ready to melt whatever passes for her brain. Has she offended you so much that she must suffer first?”

Sable stood firm while Black Rose mulled over her question. Though she took fierce pride in her loyalty to the greatest pony Equestria has ever produced, she had never shied away from asking questions.

“I don’t want Pinkie Pie dead,” Black Rose replied. “I want her tested as the Element of Joy. If she breaks, then you may end her suffering. Her element will be better off with a stronger bearer. However, I do have faith in her ability to grow. The Elements would not choose so frivolously.”

Sable continued to stare. Black Rose watched the myriad images that surrounded her as if things were simply business as usual. By now, she should be enjoying herself immensely. Things were going her way, and there were enough little surprises to keep her alert. Seven hundred years ago, she would be smiling widely, and humming some nameless tune to herself. “Are you alright, mistress?” Sable asked.”You look…sad.”

A small smile curved Black Rose’s lips. “I didn't think you would be concerned over my happiness, Sable."

“You might be distracted. The stakes are too high, and we have too many enemies.”

The smile widened. “My moods will not be a problem.”

“I’ll be going then,” Sable said. She saluted out of habit, once more having to remind herself that she was no longer a legionnaire.

“There’s the Sable I know,” Black Rose replied. “Be off then.”

With a snort, Sable shoved aside the recollection. A group of True Earth Ponies, including one of those that Pinkie Pie had encountered in Fangbreaker Fortress, was making its way towards Canterlot. Pinkie Pie's channeler tablet was guiding them unerringly towards her. Out in these woods, still a few miles from Canterlot, she could deal with them.

“These True Earth Ponies have done their part by setting Pinkie Pie on the right path to power. I don’t need them burdening her with their useless dogma. Sable, I’m letting you take care of all matters related to Pinkie, including these unneeded ponies.”

This was the part Sable liked about her current assignment. No vague “tests of adversity” here, just a straightforward ambush for the Blackmoon Blades' skills to shine. The late afternoon sun filtered through the canopy, providing her with just enough light to spot her prey. She adjusted her breather mask, and readied herself.

Fighting alongside Frenzy Heart along with seven hundred years of dormancy had done nothing to change Sable's opinion on the True Earth Ponies. They were bizarre, hostile, and single-mindedly stupid. As far as she was concerned, they were just one more cult that hindered Equestria by driving a wedge among its various ponies. There were twelve of them this time. Two channelers, easily recognizable by their masks, led the group. The rest were warriors: five armed with large, mouth-held blades, and the remaining five armed with crossbows. She studied them carefully. They carried crossbows preferred by the Western Legion: heavy, slow, and capable of bringing down an ursan. No pegasus could wield these monsters, and stay aloft.

Once more, Sable found her thoughts straying.

“The mistress is merely adjusting to a campaign wherein she does not have her beloved’s approval,” Lion Court said as he walked with Sable through the obsidian hallway.

“I don’t like it,” Sable replied. “She looks weak by sulking like that. We are contending with the Eternal Herd. We can’t have Black Rose be weak, even for a second.”

Lion Court shook his head, his impressive locks gently swaying. “If our mistress showed not even a hint of regret, I would have abandoned her cause in a heartbeat.”

“And I would have made sure it was last heartbeat you ever had,” Sable growled. “Black Rose is the greatest of us all because she can, and will, sacrifice everything necessary for the good of Equestria. All this…regret stains that fact.”

Lion Court smiled. “On the contrary, her regret proves all the more that what she has given up is truly important. Don’t you understand? She could have stayed the loyal High Commander, and our prince would have willfully ignored the deaths needed to make her immortal. She gave up that ‘happy’ career to push on with her plans. Isn't that the mark of her ruthlessness that you adore so much, my dear Sable?”

Sable shook her head. “I still don’t like it.”

“And we’re back where we started. Did I just converse with a water wheel?”

Sable snorted. She had to focus. After that frustrating talk with Lion, these foals were a boon as targets. As she had hoped, the channelers were so busy tracking Pinkie Pie that they didn't notice the tripwire ahead of them. The first channeler’s front legs snagged the trap. Before he could even shout a warning, a volley darts flew from the vegetation. Three of them found homes in his neck, pumping his bloodstream with a vicious nerve toxin so quickly that he was no longer breathing by the time his partner checked up on him.

The others aimed their weapons towards where the darts had fired. That was Sable’s cue. She pressed a button on her right foreleg device, causing a three-inch long needle to extend just past her hoof, then swooped in from behind the group. She grabbed a crossbow-carrying pony just a little apart from the rest of his fellows, and lifted him past the canopy. A couple of bolts whizzed dangerously close. the rest were widely off-mark. Her victim wasted no time screaming his lungs out, his crossbow dropping while he flailed.

“Stop struggling, fodder!” Sable muttered. She plunged the needle into the pony’s gut, dove back into the canopy, then dropped him in the middle of his fellows.

The impact snapped one of his hind legs, but the pain of a bone breaking went ignored with his guts were already churning violently. “Help me!” he cried out weakly. With an agonized moan, he dragged himself towards his fellows. His abdomen was already swelling with building gas when the others looked him over. Cries of alarm followed, but it was too late. His midsection burst in horrid explosion of blood and gore, releasing a cloud of toxic yellow haze in the middle of the group. The rest of the earth ponies stumbled out of the cloud, their eyes and noses burning from the poison. Sable swooped into them, her foreleg devices now sporting a pair of envenomed short blades.

The true earth ponies struggled to focus their attacks on the blur that flew past them to no avail. Sable’s first pass sliced open three of them, including the surviving channeler. Before she regained some altitude, she dropped a canister, releasing another toxic cloud. She circled around them, and flew back in, slashing and stabbing with precision. They tried to surround her on her second pass. Instead of flying by, however, she landed in their midst, and lashed out. She kicked out with her hind legs, the curved, poisoned blades near her back hooves cutting open the chests of those who approached her from behind. The edges of her wings had slender, curving, feather-shaped blades attached to them. Though useless in flight, she brought them to bear whenever she landed. Her tail whipped about and another device, a barbed stinger, buried itself in another pony’s neck.

Their lungs and eyes on fire, and their bodies full of poison, Sable’s targets fell, twitching, and bleeding out. She landed a few feet from the killing zone, and surveyed her work. Despite seven hundred years of dormancy, her ambush was a success. She had to admire Black Rose’s ability to essentially rebuild her body.

“W-what’s going on here?”

Sable froze. This was not part of her plan. She recognized the high-pitched squeal of a voice, having studied its source as part of her assignment. Despite the impossibility of it, Pinkie Pie was here. Her last sighting was all the way back in Canterlot, wandering its streets, and consulting her channeler tablet. She didn't have the instant transport which the Thorns possessed. She wasn't even a pegasus. How could she be here right now?

Pinkie Pie is a natural channeler, but that is an oversimplification of what she can do. I am assigning her to you, Sable, but I want you to stay sharp. Don't let her silliness lull you into a false sense of safety.

Black Rose was right yet again. Of course Black Rose was right. The greatest pony in the world was always right.

Despite her surprise, Sable turned around confidently. It didn't matter now. She was going to make contact with Pinkie Pie anyway, so this sudden meeting only made things more convenient. Being surrounded by a slowly fading haze of poisonous gas, and the still twitching bodies of her victims was an added bonus. With a press of a button, she retracted the blades on her front hooves, and slowly approached Pinkie Pie.

“Y-y-you killed them!” Pinkie Pie gasped. It was a reaction Sable was used to on the very rare instances she was sighted. Her breather mask was designed not just to protect her from her toxic fumes, but also to intimidate her foes with an alien visage. The rest of her gear was blackened metal, all designed to heighten that appearance in addition to their function as weapons.

“I did,” Sable replied. The breather mask partly distorted her voice, making it sound hollow, and un-ponylike. Pinkie Pie took a few steps back. “My name is Sablesteel, one of the Thorns.” As she moved away from the poison clouds, she removed the breather mask, and inhaled sharply, closing her eyes for a moment as she did so. A lone green eye glared at Pinkie Pie. Sable leaned just a little closer. “Look at these, and think of those precious to you, Pinkie Pie. I’m going to do worse things to them.” She flew through the canopy before she could see any reaction.

For some time, Pinkie continued to stare at the canopy. The stone was leading her somewhere, but it suddenly veered towards a different course, as if it had picked up a different signal. She wasn't sure how she knew that, but she followed anyway. The next thing she knew, she was staring at this scene of carnage.

Bodies were scattered everywhere while ominous clouds of colored smoke lingered in the air. Nearby trees were smeared with blood, and bits of gore. A few of the corpses were still twitching. At the center of it all was…something. It looked like it had the body of a pony, but its outstretched wings were trimmed with black spine-like things. Its legs were also tipped with black material, and its tail had some kind of stinger which hung low beneath its hind legs. It looked like a pony crossed with a giant wasp. It walked over, and took off its face…helmet as it turned out. The strange creature was a pony. The next thing Pinkie knew, it was gone.

“Wait a moment! What did she just say?”

Pinkie’s eyes widened. She looked around in a futile attempt to find the pony-wasp thing, but it was gone. She looked towards Canterlot, then towards Ponyville. What was she going to do? Where was that thing headed towards? Which ponies precious to her did she mean?

“I think you’re crazy bringing the ophidites into this, Stride,” Sablesteel said. “This is a pony matter that should be resolved internally.”

“Rainbow Dash is my assignment,” Longstride answered.”Do you have a paralytic for the job or not?”

“Of course I have a paralytic! I perfected my paralytics when I was still in diapers!" Sablesteel stretched a front hoof out. "Just give me the arrows, and I’ll have them ready.”

Longstride offered his quiver, which Sablesteel snatched.

“So what are her chances on surviving your test by your estimate?” Sablesteel asked.

Longstride snorted. “Zero. She’s going to die. Possibly on the first day.”

Sablesteel's eyes narrowed. “That’s harsh, even for you. The Element of Loyalty must have chosen her for a reason.”

“The Element of Loyalty chose randomly. She dropped out of her flight school due to discipline issues. Discipline is but loyalty to one’s self. She doesn't even have that.”

“Our mistress asked you to test her," Sablesteel said. "Not kill her."

“I am testing her.”

“With something guaranteed to kill her. That’s not testing, Stride, that’s murder.”

“The mistress asked for a test fit for the Element of Loyalty. I gave one. Whether she can pass it is not my concern. I repeat, Sablesteel, Rainbow Dash is my assignment.”

“Fine! Whatever! Just come by me later to get these arrows!” Sablesteel slammed her door afterwards.

Longstride held the paralytic-treated arrows, and nocked one of them. His targets were barely more than spots over the horizon, one trailed by rainbow colors, and the other by red. “Begin interception,” he told the indoctrinated pegasi still lounging beneath his perch. As his target neared, he saw legs, frantically beating wings, and a sky blue coat. He made out the cutie mark; a bolt of rainbow-colored lightning emerging from a cloud. It may as well be a bulls-eye. He aimed for that spot, and fired.

The bow's runes glowed brightly as its magic activated, granting his shot a range that no ordinary weapon could. The arrow was gone in a blink. and it wasn't long until he got his result. “This is Longstride,” he said to his communicating device. Rainbow Dash plummeted. “Long range shot successful.” He watched as Hassyth’s pegasi flew out.

Scarlet Rabbit quickly reacted to the sudden attack, and dove. Longstride nocked his second arrow, and adjusted his aim.

Scarlet grinned from ear to ear as he followed Rainbow to very edges of Canterlot. She was heading for a good spot. He was already itching to get his weights off, and race seriously. Her rainbow-colored tail fluttered about just a few feet away. He hoped that it was the same sight he would see during their actual race.

Rainbow veered sharply to one side, as if something had slammed into her. “Rainbow!” he called out as he dove after her. She didn't respond. For a moment, he was afraid that Rainbow was dead already. He caught her with his forelegs, and breathed a quick sigh of relief when he felt her inhale. Her open eyes darted wildly, her mouth seemed frozen in the middle of crying out. Her wings were still outstretched, and resisted stiffly when he gave them a little push. “Rainbow!” There was still no response. Though she was breathing, the rest of her was rigid. He looked at her flank, and spotted an arrow buried where the lightning bolt met the cloud.

‘Sniper.’

The thought barely registered in Scarlet’s mind when something struck his flank as well. Shock and pain coursed through his body. Rainbow fell from his grasp as both of them started to plummet. This was impossible, they were a long way from the ground, and he didn't see any spot where a sniper could hide in. Where had to the shot come from?

Armed with a magical bow with line-of-sight range.

‘Longstride,’ Scarlet thought. He berated himself furiously for not keeping a better eye out. If he considered something as ridiculous as line-of-sight range, there were plenty of places for that shot to come from. But why was Longstride going after him and Rainbow? He tried desperately to flap his wings to no avail. ‘Shot in the flank again…’ A group of pegasi flew towards him from the edges of his periphery. ‘The Captain’s going to kill me…’

“Second long range shot successful,” Longstride said to his communicating device. In truth, Scarlet Rabbit was already expendable, The only reason he was still alive was because pretenses of working with Hassyth had to be kept. By the end of this mission, an arrow might still find a home in his skull.

It wasn't long until Rainbow Dash and Scarlet Rabbit were under ophidite custody. ‘Too easy,’ Longstride thought. It was disgrace that the Element of Loyalty would pick so poor a candidate as its bearer. He could have aimed for Rainbow Dash’s heart, and the elements would be a bearer short. The pegasi patrols were nowhere near the incident. Longstride wasn't surprised. That was likely the nudge that Black Rose promised. The patrols could be distracted by some other incident. They could very well be her agents already.

Longstride flew out of his perch. Hashymissa, and her ponies were down there already securing their two captives. He had no inclination to help them get back to Ophidus.

“I like your plan, Longstride, it’s bold and interesting,” Black Rose said.

“Thank you, mistress,” Longstride replied.

“But it’s also dangerous. I don’t want to lose Rainbow Dash to the ophidites. If they break her, put her out of her misery.”

“Understood.”

“And, Longstride…”

“Yes, mistress?”

“Try to have a little faith in Rainbow Dash.”

Faith in Rainbow Dash…Longstride it. It seemed as if he was the only thorn who did. He didn't have faith in any of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, least of all Rainbow Dash. Better to kill them all now, and hope for better replacements. Preferably ponies who weren't stupid enough to end up where Rainbow Dash was at the moment.

But Black Rose believed in the strength of these fillies. She did possess vision that far surpassed even his eyes. While he could spot a target dancing on the edges of the horizon, she saw events before they even happened. There had to be something about Rainbow Dash then. But Black Rose had always been something of a gambler. This belief may be the gamble where the odds finally catch up. The best Longstride could do to aid her was to expose this weakness early. He glanced at his paralyzed mark.

'If Black Rose really does see something in you, Rainbow Dash, then you ought to survive this minor test of mine."

Longstride flew off. Outwardly, it appeared as if his job of helping the Hassyth’s group was over, and he was returning to his post. In truth, he was going to go to another hiding spot. He didn't trust Hashymissa, or her pony-shaped snakes, not to eat the two on the return trip. If Rainbow Dash was going to die, it would be because she failed miserably, not because some ophidite suddenly thought she was better off being dinner.

“Oh, Longstride, why did you have to shoot her there? It’s going to ruin her cutie mark.”

Black Rose sighed, and set aside the magical image. Of all her thorns, it was Longstride she was most worried about. Lion was always the gentlecolt, and Sable knew how to work with delicate substances. Stride believed in his aim, and little else. His rough handling was certainly going to be a challenge for Rainbow.

There was also work to be done. Information about Rainbow's capture had to be filtered carefully to gain the required reactions. Including the ophidites meant that this could get out of hoof very quickly.

As for Fluttershy…well, that was a problem she was still mulling over. Poking a wrath dragon was less dangerous than trying to tap into “the Stare”, and testing Fluttershy.

With a wave of her hoof, Black Rose dismissed all the magical images, and lay her head down. She mumbled the words for a short sleep spell. It had come to the point that she basically had to knock herself unconscious. Even with these breaks, urgency tugged at her mind. Her agents might discover something that needed her attention. A situation might change or an opportunity might arrive. She couldn't afford to spend hours just lying on her bed with her eyes open.

Magically induced sleep, however, was a poor substitute for the sort of rest she craved. It had been a day since she last slept, but she could barely recall the last time she was at ease. When she first emerged from her dormancy, she had been confident that she could weather this problem without any trouble. Now, as her plans slowly reached their crucial moments, it was only getting worse.

To complicate matters, her thorns were starting to notice. She wasn't worried about betrayal. Even Blue Moon’s was accounted for before it even happened. Morale, would certainly suffer if her troops saw her faltering. Unless…

Black Rose’s thoughts slipped towards a familiar, gray alicorn. The sleep spell was starting to take hold, and she wanted her next wakeful thoughts to be pleasant. If it was only possible to smother her worries with memories of those nights…an idea suddenly came to mind. Before she drifted off, she was already smiling with approval. It was dangerous, and certainly a mite reckless, but it just might work.

Deep Waters

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 24: Deep Waters

‘Oh, Clover the Clever, just how deep did you delve?’

More of the spidery scrip seemed to float before Luna as she turned the page.

Doing all this deciphering in the presence of Starswirl the Bearded’s coffin was a little uncomfortable, but Terrato had insisted on delaying its burial until he was absolutely sure it was not needed elsewhere. Luna had agreed reluctantly. Propriety demanded that they treat the corpse with respect, but worse things than being improper would happen if it turned out that they actually needed it.

As for the actual work, progress has been slow. Not only did she have to be constantly disturbed by her other responsibilities, the actual reading was difficult. It was clear now why Clover the Clever wasn't called Clover the Elegant Writer. The book was also written in reverse, much to Luna’s irritation. There didn't even seem to be any purpose except to hinder anypony trying to make heads or tails of what was written.

The earlier sections dealt with an incomplete, and crude version of an ascension ritual. Luna didn't bother too much with this part. Terrato had created a complete, and more efficient one. It did impress on her that Clover the Clever was aware of Oceanus’s spark within each mortal pony. This part only served to ensure that this book’s contents must not spread.

The next section included notes on the poison Clover used on Starswirl. Again, more known information. Interestingly, this section resembled a cross between laboratory notes, and a diary.

“That mud-brained donkey just added bells to his hat. Bells! He looks like jester going around the villages to amuse foals with bowl-shaping spells, and pyrotechnics! At this rate, they’ll forget that he was a great spellcaster. All I’ll be known as is the disciple of Starswirl the Clown!”

Luna shook her head. Just how angry and obsessed did one pony have to be to jot these tiny ramblings down alongside serious work? The notes themselves were meticulous, almost too detailed. Clover savored developing this section. Several pages were dedicated solely to gloating over the deed. Luna suspected that the coffin was not much of a further use. It was a remnant of Clover the Clever’s obsession with surpassing her mentor, and should be buried at last.

Finally, Luna reached a section involving something new. And disturbing. First was the mention of Princess Platinum’s discovery of Regia Carnifex. The notes became more difficult to read. Clover’s writing worsened with her excited pace. Various spells, all attempts to free Regia Carnifex were listed down, each one written off as a failure.

“A handmaiden of the Deep Father contacted me today. She called herself Lunalux Umbra, and told me who the pony in the crystal was.”

“Nightmare Moon,” Luna muttered. “Of course she was involved somehow.”

“Lunalux Umbra offered to merge with me, but I refused. I will rise in the Deep Father’s service on my own.”

Luna’s frown deepened as she skimmed over more pages of ranting. These were becoming more prevalent now. As time went along, Clover became more prone to these delusions of grandeur. She couldn't stop talking about her “Everlasting Kingdom”. Hours passed before something useful showed up.

“The key lies in Regia Carnifex. Through him, I can create a mental link to the Deep Father himself, and I can do so as far as being a mile away. I cannot do this now with the Deep Father still slumbering, but the chances of success will rise as the time of his return draws nearer.”

Luna turned the pages more carefully now. After wading through Clover's crazy, this was a relief. The words filled her with foreboding. More than a thousand years had passed since this was written and Oceanus’s time was all but looming over them. The next several pages were filled with rants against Lexarius. She had to smile, as she read on.

“I must get to the Crystal Grave. The spell is ready. With the amplifier Pudding Head and Smart Cookie created, I can break through the seals that Lexarius created and loose the Deep Father’s weapon upon him.”

Luna stopped on “amplifier” for a while. The ponies in charge of sifting through the hidden archives mentioned nothing about such a thing.

“The amplifier is gone. Curse you, Rock Maven! There is no time to lose, I must make it to the Refuge Burrows, and take it from him.”

The archive ponies mentioned Rock Maven before. So whatever “amplifier” that Pudding Head and Smart Cookie came up with was taken by the founder of the True Earth Ponies. Was it still with them? Was it lost when the True Earth Ponies migrated to the Barrier Lands?

“I am in danger of being caught. Lexarius has been persistent. I have no choice but to write the spell down. If I fail, a true son or daughter of the Deep Father will take up our rightful destiny one day. For now, our Everlasting Kingdom must sleep along with the Deep Father until the time is right.”

That was the last entry as far as Clover’s movements were concerned. Luna turned one more page out of curiosity. What was this spell that this deluded mare had accomplished? At the turn of the page, however, Luna suddenly realized that she had made a mistake. The spidery letters, much bigger than how the rest of the book was written, danced before her eyes. She tried to look away, but found herself frozen on the spot. Each letter burned itself into her mind. It was a slow slide to completely reading.

The floor beneath Luna disappeared. After a vague splashing sound, she was suddenly, and completely, submerged in water. The Chamber of Harmony had turned into darkness so deep that she couldn't even see her own hoof in front of her. She tried to cast a spell, but her power fizzled before she could even begin. Fighting her rising panic, she tried to get her bearing. The transition was so fast, and the darkness so total that she didn't even know if she was upside down or not. The freezing water pricked at her skin like hundreds of tiny needles.

“What…is…this? It…is…not yet…time…”

The languid voice was barely a whisper. The sound gripped Luna’s heart tightly. Oceanus. She had never seen him, or heard him speak before. All she knew of the firstborn was from what she heard, and read within the Eternal Herd. Still, she recognized this voice, and she refused to answer, physically, or mentally. Unfortunately, that meant that she had to stop thinking and, deprived of every one of her senses, that was impossible.

Something touched one of her hooves.

It was some kind of snake, or a tentacle, no thicker than typical rope. It was so cold, it stood out of the freeing water. It wrapped around her left hind leg, gently tugging her towards its direction. She tried to pull away, but the tentacle held her fast. A second one wrapped itself around her other hind leg.

There was no fighting back the panic anymore. Her lungs starting to burn, Luna struggled to free herself, but all she accomplished was entangle herself even more. A third tentacle wrapped around her torso, pinning both her wings in place. Its tip rested where her cutie mark was.

“Luna…”

Disgust mingled with panic. More of the vile limbs tangled themselves around Luna. All her legs were now stretched out in different directions. Another one coiled itself around her neck, and made its way to her face.

“I…am your king…swear…fealty.”

Unable to open her mouth, Luna could only shake her head. Something was welling up inside her, something that wanted desperately to say yes. With her lungs starting to give way, she gave up physically struggling, and focused everything on holding back this part of her. Even that was a losing battle.

Oceanus’s voice was gathering strength. Though still weak, its confidence was unmistakable. “You let Umbra inside…you have no defense against me. Upon my return…I will call you to my side… and you will answer joyously…”

Luna felt herself slipping away. The tentacles effortlessly pulled her under, dragging her deeper and deeper into the abyss. The freezing pain had gone away, replaced by a numbing ache.

“Luna!”

Terrato’s shout broke through the oppressive nothingness. Luna’s eyes fluttered open as a pair of powerful forelegs wrapped around her torso. The next thing she knew, she had fallen on a hard, stone floor. She took a great lungful of air, and coughed violently.

“Terrato, she’s freezing and soaking wet!”

That sounded like Celestia. Luna tried to look around, but she could barely make out anything. She tried to rise, only to flop against the floor. All she could make out was that she was somewhere that had light, and she was shivering uncontrollably. Two pairs of forelegs wrapped around her in a tight hug.

“Hold still!” Terrato said. He exhaled loudly. Warmth, blessed and much needed warmth, enveloped her, taking away the chill that gnawed at her bones. This wasn't the warmth of sunlight, but of the great heat within the earth itself. Luna pressed against her siblings, and savored the feeling. Then, she caught a whiff of something that accompanied that wonderful warmth.

Celestia was already gagging when Luna noticed it. Her nose wrinkled, and she poked her brother with a hoof weakly. “Big brother!” she said.

“What?” Terrato asked.

“Your breath reeks of booze!" Luna said. "I swear, if I had a match, I could light it on fire right now!”

“Don’t be a prissy milksop!” Terrato said, the chagrin unmistakable in his voice. “I was sharing a barrel with some of the officers when you decided to take your little swim. You shouldn't complain when you smell of salt spray, and dead fish, little sister!”

“I asked you to get rid of those extra barrels stashed in the palace, Terrato,” Celestia said.

“What did you think we were doing?”

Celestia was about to say something else, but she shifted her attention to Luna instead. “Are you feeling better now?” she asked. “What happened?”

Luna nodded. Her coat was dry, and she had already cast her own spells to quickly recover. “That Clover…” she said. “She’s created a spell that could link to Oceanus’s realm by drawing from Regia Carnifex’s proximity.”

Terrato's eyes narrowed. Luna guessed that he arrived at the same conclusion she did. The power of Oceanus would be enough to break through the seals. There wasn't even any need to release Regia Carnifex. His dormant form simply needed to be close.

“Is that what happened to you? You linked to Oceanus’s realm?” Celestia asked.

“I think,” Luna replied. She looked at her siblings. This was the first time she had seen the two of them so close in a long, long time. “Clover needed an amplifier developed by Pudding Head, and Smart Cookie, but it may not be needed with the ninth rebellion so close.” She paused. “How did you two get here anyway?”

“I was taking care of some reports when I just felt that something terrible was happening here,” Celestia said. “I rushed over to see, and I met Terrato along the way.”

“I felt the same thing,” Terrato said. “When we got here, you were floating, and your eyes were glowing. We had to snap you out of it. When we did, you were suddenly soaking wet, and freezing. Just what did you see while you were in that spell?”

“It was too dark to see anything,” Luna replied. “He was there, though. I heard him speak.” Her voice trembled. “He toyed with me as if I was some helpless foal, and he was barely even awake!”

“It’s alright,” Celestia said. “It’s over now, and there’s no need to feel ashamed. Oceanus had the might to challenge our father, remember?”

Luna nodded. She kept silent about the horrible feeling of joy she felt when Oceanus was speaking. There were too many worries already. On the day of the ninth rebellion, she was going to have to find the strength to resist the firstborn's influence. She nestled between her two siblings, seeking more of their warmth. ‘You’re wrong, Oceanus,’ she thought. ‘I still have some defense against you.’

She opened her eyes for the first time in what felt like years. Her entire body still felt numb and heavy. A fly buzzed around her head, then landed on her ear. When that ear flicked instinctively, she suddenly became aware that she had control over her body again. She stood up, only to find herself chained to the spot. Her wings were bound tightly to her sides. She was also wearing a set of reins, and a bridle. Pain suddenly shot through her body, forcing her to kneel down. She looked towards her flank, and found it wrapped in bloody bandages.

‘Where am I?’

Even thinking that lone thought felt like trying to squeeze water out of a rock. Her head felt so heavy, and she looked at the world through a haze of garbled, unfinished thoughts. All she could tell was that she was inside some kind of tent. What had happened? She tried to remember the last few events before she fell unconscious. Her eyes squinted from the effort, but all that came to mind was a dim moment of flying, and then falling.

She shrank on instinct when the tent's flap suddenly rose. A monstrous snake slithered inside. It was around six feet from its nose to its tail, and was covered in dull brown scales. It had a muscular torso, more like an ape's than a snake's, and a pair of arms sprouted from its side. Golden, unblinking, reptilian eyes appraised her coldly while a pair hands rubbed against each other in anticipation.

“The coatl-pony is finally awake,” the snake creature hissed. “Good, good, now you can stop being dead-weight.” It fiddled with a ring of keys, and unlocked the chains that kept her bound. With one hand, it grabbed hold of the reins, and tugged at them, forcing her to take a step forward. “Move, coatl-pony!”

She tried to pull back, but the snake creature was relentless. Her hooves dragged on the ground as it continued to pull. Coatl-pony? That wasn't her name. Her name was…it was…she shook her head. It was…something. It was just so hard to think. With a powerful tug, the snake creature pulled her out of the tent. She looked upward, and saw a starry night sky.

“Stand here,” the snake creature hissed. It pulled her to a spot in front of the tent, where several ponies came surrounded them; all of them pegasi. She tried to pull away again. She didn't like all the eyes on her, but the chains were heavy, and snake creature held her in place. The nearby ponies eyed her with indifference. “This one’s spirited,” the snake creature crowed. “The Befuddling Grass extract is fogging her brain up, but she still insists on putting up a fight!” It produced some kind of pointed prod, shaped to resemble a snake fang. With one swift flick of the wrist, it pricked her back.

She cried out and fell to her knees. The tiny wound burned as if a red-hot poker had been jabbed into her back. Her body seized up, and the pain spread to her legs.

“Nasty isn't it?” the snake creature hissed. “This is called ‘Emperor’s Tears’. It does little lasting damage, but even a drop is pure pain.” It held its face close to hers. “Do you want me to prick you again?”

Tears welling up in her eyes, she shook her head. The pain was already subsiding, and she didn't want to feel it anymore.

“Get up,” the snake creature said. It produced something else in its other hand. This time it looked like a small piece of white bread. “Eat this.” She took a sniff when the snake creature held it up close to her snout. “Now!”

Still frightful of the awful sting, she bit the piece, and ate it. The piece was chewy, and a little tough. She hadn't even swallowed when she started to feel a sense of elation, like a soothing balm, briefly washing over her. For a few seconds, she simply stood there dumbfounded, and expecting more. By the time she swallowed, however, the feeling was gone.

“And that is called ‘Fool’s Cap’ or, as you ponies call it, ‘the ‘shrooms’. Obey me, and you may yet find out what a full dose feels like.” She closed her eyes, trying to hold on to the lingering traces of euphoria. The snake creature shook her out of it, and forced her to stand again. “Hold still.”

The snake creature grabbed hold of her head, and began to feel around her face. “Skull is in good condition,” it said. “No deformities.” Nearby, one pegasus was writing on a piece of paper. The snake creature’s fingers pried into her lips, eventually forcing her to open her mouth. “Teeth are complete, and healthy.”

The snake creature’s hands moved down her neck, then torso. “Small build. Wings are well developed. Hips are narrow, possible problems with breeding. Coat is in good condition.” Its scaly hands moved down her legs. She shuddered when it took hold of a hoof, and lifted it. “Legs are strong. Hooves show no signs of cracking.” It grabbed her tail, and held it up with both hands. “Mane and tail are in excellent condition. And the coloration…” The snake creature sounded breathless. “Remarkable.”

She shrank on the spot. The constant staring and attention was too much. She was about to breathe a sigh of relief when the inspection was done, when its grip on her tail tighten. Before she could tell what was going on, it lifted her tail for several seconds, and stared intently. Satisfied, it released its grip. “Clean, and healthy,” it hissed. “Hassyth’s sources were not exaggerating. This one is an excellent find. We must get her to Ophidus as quickly as possible.”

“Mistress Hashymissa,” one of the pegasi said. “The other one is still struggling. Should we use the Befuddling Grass extract on him too?”

“No,” Hashymissa replied. “Scarlet is too angry, and too familiar with us. It won’t have any effect on him. A pity too. It is likely that we are bringing him back only for Hassyth to personally cut his losses. Make sure his bonds are secure, and load him into the cart. As for this one…” Hashymissa rubbed her hands together. “Such a find. This mare will ensure that we live in luxury for the rest of our lives.”

Hashymissa grabbed hold of the reins. Exhausted, humiliated, and still unable to think straight, she could only let herself be led away.

Sugarcube Corner, once one of Ponyville’s busiest places, now found itself in a particular bind. Many of its valued customers had been drafted, and had already gone off to the training camp near Cloudsdale. A few ponies still occupied the tables, and enjoyed their famous pastries, but the mood was not what it used to be. Both Cakes knew that it likely will never be what it used to. They turned their heads at the sound of one of their foals was crying.

“I’ll get it,” Carrot Cake said with a smile. He trotted off. Cup Cake could only sigh, and be glad that he was still around. Ponies with very young foals were not expected to join up. Some of the legionnaires conducting the draft were not happy with this, but they followed their rules without complaint.

The last customer of the day had just finished paying when the door to the bakery burst open. Cup Cake looked worriedly to see what had happened. To her shock, it was Pinkie. She was drenched with sweat, and gasping for air. She took a few steps into the bakery, then collapsed.

“Pinkie!” Cup Cake exclaimed. She ran over to the fallen pony, hesitant as to whether she should help Pinkie to her hooves, or get her something to drink.

“Mrs. Cake!” Pinkie gasped. “Where’s Mr. Cake? And the twins? Are they safe? They’re not hurt are they?”

“They’re fine, dearie,” Cup Cake said. “Certainly in much better condition than you. Come on, let’s get you to a sofa. Goodness, what happened to you?”

“They’re fine?” Pinkie’s face brightened. “That’s wonderful!” The happy expression quickly crumbled into fresh worry. “Quick, you have to get to Canterlot! I can make sure you’re safe better there! And I have to get to Canterlot! She could be after my friends!” Pinkie started to head for the door, but Cup Cake pulled her back.

“Hold on a minute here!” Cup Cake said. “What are you talking about? Why should we go to Canterlot? And why do you need to get there?”

“The pony wasp! I mean Stable Seal! I mean Sablesteel! She’s out to get ponies who are important to me, but I don’t know who!" She struggled against Cup Cake’s hold, but she couldn't break free.

“What’s going on out here?” Carrot Cake asked. He walked back into the bakery with the twins sitting on his back. Both Pumpkin, and Pound Cake looked delighted to see Pinkie again. “Pinkie? Shouldn't you be in Canterlot? How did you even get here? Wait a minute…did you actually run here?”

“She says that somepony is out to get us, honey,” Cup Cake said. “Some kind of seal…or was it a wasp?”

“Sablesteel!” Pinkie exclaimed. “She could still be out to get you! I need you somewhere nearby!”

“Pinkie, I’m glad that you care so much, but you can’t just expect us to suddenly move to Canterlot this very minute,” Cup Cake said. “We’d have to relocate our whole business and--”

“But you’ll die!” Pinkie Pie covered her mouth with her hooves after that outburst. Both Cakes looked at her in shock. Pumpkin started to cry, and her brother soon followed.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, but I…I just don’t know what to do! She could be out there right now! She...she--” She struggled to break free from Cup Cake, but she was just so exhausted.

“Pinkie, it’s alright.” Cup Cake rubbed Pinkie's fluffy mane. “We’re going to be alright.”

Pinkie tried to say something else, but her lips quivered, then she simply burst into tears. She buried her face against Cup Cake, and sobbed. “I-I just don’t--”

“Shush now, Pinkie,” Cup Cake said. “We’ll get through this.”

“You just stay here for the night,” Carrot Cake added. “Not even you can run from Canterlot, to Ponyville, and back again. You get some sleep. Tomorrow, things will be clearer.”

Pinkie let herself be mollified, and brought towards her old room. As she started to climb the stairs, however, she seemed to catch a glimpse of something by the window. She blinked several times, and looked harder. The Cakes also looked, but saw nothing. Pinkie bit her lip and trembled. It was all that both Cakes could do to keep her from bolting.

Justifications

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 25: Justifications

It was already evening when Lion Court returned his headquarters. The remainder of the day had not been as interesting as he had hoped it would be. Instead of enjoying a leisurely afternoon getting to know the Element of Generosity a little better, the details of somepony else’s mission kept him busy. He smiled, and walked closer when he saw a gray, earth pony mare fiddling with the door to her room. “Octavia, how was your day?” he asked.

Octavia was startled at first. When she noticed who it was, she dipped her head slightly. “Mister Lion Court, welcome back,” she said.

“Mister?” Lion Court asked. “Now where did this formality come from?”

A look of confusion crossed Octavia’s face. “W-well, you are a senior member of our group aren't you?”

“Seniority does not rate very high among our group’s concerns, Octavia,” Lion Court said. “You may have noticed that we don’t carry ranks. The Thorns stand as equals with only Black Rose as our leader. So, please, my friends call me Lion for short.”

“A-alright then, Mis-- I mean Lion.”

“Now, may I ask where you’re going?”

Octavia looked away briefly. “I’m going to tell some of my family about my new job. And possibly some of my old band mates, if I could find them.”

Lion Court nodded. “Of course,” he said. “But the hour has grown quite late, and the ponies you’ll be speaking to are likely asleep.”

Octavia looked around. “Is it that late already?” she asked. “It’s hard to tell with these halls.”

“There are devices in your quarters that indicate the time of day,” Lion Court said. “I’ll help you with them if you like. For now, you should get some sleep. I imagine this is a lot to take in.”

“You’re right.” Octavia yawned, then opened the door to her quarters. Before she went in, however, she turned to face Lion again. “Lion,” she said hesitantly.

“Yes?”

“So..." Octavia pawed the floor briefly. "What instrument do you play?”

Lion Court raised an eyebrow. “I dabble a bit in piano, and violin,” he replied. “But my music is for mere recreation. It’s certainly not worthy of being mentioned alongside yours in any discussion.”

Octavia closed her eyes, and inhaled deeply. “Then…why recruit me?” she asked. “I had thought at first that this was a band of sorts, but those weapons around your belt, and the way Miss Sablesteel was dressed just a few hours ago…is this some kind of private fighting group? I can’t…” Her voice trailed off.

“Your concern is understandable,” Lion Court replied. “Know that we recruited you for your musical talents. The Thorns are not mere fighters. We are an elite group that takes care of most of Black Rose's affairs so the talent pool is certainly...diverse.”

Octavia let out a relieved sigh. Lion's smile widened a bit. She was certainly no fighter. He knew that the moment he had spotted her in that café. Still, Warsinger picked her so the inherent talents to wield it must be there. All she needed was a gentle nudge. “But what is Black Rose’s goal?” she asked.

“To protect Equestria from all things,” Lion replied. "Including itself at times."

Octavia stared at Lion for a while. Eventually, she returned his smile. “I’ll just rest for tonight then,” she said.

"You mentioned Sable," Lion said. "Is she here at the moment?”

“Yes.”

Lion bowed one more time, and let Octavia go back to her room. Despite his weariness, it wasn't his room that he went to. He knocked on the door. When nopony answered, he pulled out his own key, and entered anyway.

Sable’s quarters were easily the biggest in the hall. They were also second only to Stride’s when it came to lack of luxury. A laboratory took up three quarters of the room. Here, Sable plied the craft of the Blackmoon Blades. Vials, beakers, and other sorts of paraphernalia, adorned several tables, each one meticulously labeled. One area held containers for various live snakes, spiders, and other poisonous creatures. A stand which held her gear stood by one corner.

As far as comfort was concerned, there was a bed by the side, and a nightstand. Lion shook his head at the simplicity. At least, it was a step up from the rug that Stride used. At the center of the laboratory was Sable herself, making adjustments to her foreleg devices, and replacing its used up poison cartridges.

“I’m busy,” Sables said. Without even looking, she waved a hoof dismissively.

“I imagine you would be,” Lion replied. He walked in, and stood just a little behind her. “So busy that I didn't expect you here so quickly.”

Sable snorted. “Neither did I. Pinkie Pie is a volatile one. I expected to scare her, but not that much. Now, I don’t even have to follow up. She’s probably seeing me everywhere without my help.”

“The chosen are more sensitive than you think,” Lion said. “Of course, this means that there really is no need for you to actually kill her loved ones, right?”

“I might, just to spite you for constantly bothering me about it,” Sable replied. She pressed a button on the foreleg device, causing a blade to spring out for inspection. “I said I wasn't making any promises. I might decide to perform a little corrective surgery on some baker’s under-bite, or try a new formula on some ‘random’ rock farm.”

“I’m noticing a distinct lack of smiling on your part, my dear Sable.”

Sable put down the foreleg device, and stared at the table. “You know I've done a lot of horrible things to a lot of ponies, Lion,” she said.

“More so than any of us,” Lion replied. “That's not even including non-ponies.”

Sable thumped the table. “But each one of those targets shared one thing in common. They brought it on themselves one way or another: they were a danger to Equestria, they got on Black Rose’s bad side, they were idiots…”

“True,” Lion said. “And Pinkie Pie?”

“Pinkie Pie doesn't deserve this.” Sable replaced the foreleg device on its stand. “She’s not a criminal, or a spy, or even an inconvenient pony to have around. She’s just some farmer’s daughter who happens to be the Element of Joy. The Blackmoon Blades reacted to threats. They never--” Sablesteel caught herself, and snorted.

“The Blackmoon Blades died along with your grandfather, Sable,” Lion said softly. “We are the Thorns, and we do as Black Rose commands.”

“I know,” Sable replied. “It’s just…assassinating some traitor is a lot different from scaring some mare witless in order to suck all the joy out of her life.”

“And yet our tasks are graver now than they have ever been,” Lion said sternly.

“Don’t mistake my musings as traitor talk, Lion,” Sable hissed. “I’m not spineless like Blue Moon. Just because I’ll make some noise about it doesn't mean I won’t skin every foal in the Heartland at her command.”

“Nopony doubts that,” Lion said, his tone lightening again.

“Nopony better,” Sable muttered. She walked towards Lion.

“I should be going then,” Lion said. “We both need our rest.”

“You’re not going anywhere.”

“Oh?” Lion looked at Sable askance. She shoved him onto her bed, and on his back.

“You think you can just walk into my room, and lecture me?” she asked. “You've pissed me off, Lion. You and that wretched pink pony. I’m taking it out on you, or my work will suffer tomorrow.”

“Well, we can’t have that,” Lion said. His horn glowed briefly, making sure that the door to the room was locked. “I suppose I’ll take one for the team.”

Sable placed her forelegs on either side of Lion's head. She fixed her eyes on him intently, letting some of her mane droop past her, and brush against his face.

Lion inhaled deeply, and licked his lips. The pungent odor of poison gas, harmless at this point, still clung to Sable’s mane, and coat. Though she had likely wiped herself down, she was still grimy, and covered with dust. She also stank of blood, and dried sweat.

“One,” Sable hissed. She pressed her lips against Lion’s sword belt, and unbuckled it. “If you tire out at one, I'll gut you.”

The magical light that illuminated the room dimmed in response to Sable’s will. Black Rose’s light enchantments were tailor-made for each thorn’s room. Black Rose’s magic was far from Lion’s mind for now, however. He matched her stare, admiring how her green and blue eyes still stood out in the dark. “Until you’re satisfied then,” he said.

It was already evening when Applejack walked to the audience hall. She had hoped that the palace would be winding down at this point. Instead, it looked even more alive. The staff were whispering worriedly among themselves while a group of legionnaires walked down the hall urgently.

“Applejack!”

Applejack turned around, and spotted Twilight walking towards her. “Hey, Twilight, you need something?”

Twilight saluted. “I just wanted to talk, vice-captain,” she said.

Applejack cringed, then looked around her. She drew Twilight aside afterwards. “Uh…look, Twilight, I know we’re in the same squad and all, but there’s no need to get all uptight with the rank,” she said. “We’re still friends first, alright?”

Twilight smiled. “I was just teasing, Applejack. Congratulations are in order, I suppose.”

Applejack scratched her head in embarrassment. “Y-yeah,” she mumbled.

“So what’s this about, Vanguard?”

“I’m not going to mince words over this, Applejack. I have an earth pony skirmisher spot in my squad, and I want you to be the one to fill it.”

“I…uh…well…this is so sudden. I mean…I’m flattered and all, but aren't there legionnaires who can fight even better?”

“Don’t sell yourself short. Special Operations has eyes all over the Legion to check on candidates, and you’re not anywhere in the bottom of our list. And there are other circumstances…”

“It’s because Twilight joined up isn't it?”

“Interesting…how’d you know?”

“Just a guess. It sounds like something Twilight would do.”

“She did. That’s one more reason. You’re still listed as my vice-captain. I don’t think there’s any need to correct that.”

“Well…sure. You look like you really need the help, Vanguard.”

Vanguard raised an eyebrow. “That was fast,” he remarked. “You could say you need to think about this some more.”

“I thought so too,” Applejack replied. “I guess I just can’t say no when you ask me all serious like that. Besides, you’ll need help reining Twilight, and Scarlet in.”

Vanguard smiled, and patted Applejack on the shoulder. “True,” he said. “I can always count on you, can't I?”

Applejack shook her head. Twilight was already staring at her suspiciously. “S-so, what did you want to talk about, Twi?” she asked.

“Well…” Twilight hesitated. For a few tense moments, Applejack didn't know if she wanted Twilight to continue or just give up. “Applejack, tell me honestly, do you…do you like Vanguard?”

“Of course I like him, Twi, he’s a nice stallion and--”

The withering stare from Twilight halted Applejack in her tracks. “You know what I mean.” she asked in a low tone. Applejack looked away, fidgeted, then simply let out a long exhale. Of course it would come down to this. Rarity had warned her already, but it still caught her unaware.

“Well?” Twilight asked again.

It was Applejack’s turn to fall silent. There was no sidling out of this conversation without angering Twilight, but what was she supposed to say now? She had never prided herself in being able to figure out her friends. It was Rarity who was able to tell things about somepony from just a few signs. She had always been reliant on the assumption that if somepony had a problem, they’d say so honestly. These days however…

“No,” Applejack mumbled. As soon as the answer left her mouth, she was already questioning why she had said that. Was her answer really no? Rarity didn't believe so. Part of her wanted to take it back.

Twilight only scrutinized Applejack further. “Really?” she asked. “You’re making that face again, Applejack.”

It was then that Applejack realized that she was scrunching her lips together, and glancing about. She pressed both front hooves against her face, and rubbed. When she was sure that her face was blank, she faced Twilight again. “No,” she said flatly. More protest welled up inside her.

“And so is she!”

Dense as Applejack knew herself was, even she could now tell that Twilight felt strongly about Vanguard. Twilight's intensity made it all too clear as to how invested she was on the answer. Rarity was right, their harmony was in danger and she had to do something. Twilight hesitated when she repeated her answer. Instead of subsiding, however, the doubt and protest continued to build until she could feel a physical ache in her chest.

“Well…okay,” Twilight said. She didn't look completely convinced, but she backed off.

“Is there something else, Twi?” Applejack asked. She tried to sound emotionless, but her voice came out strained from all her internal effort. “I sort of have somewhere to go.”

It was Twilight’s turn to look surprised. “No,” she said. “I...I’ll see you later, Applejack.” She walked off in a daze.

With Twilight gone, Applejack pushed everything that had just happened away before a wave of difficult emotions hit her. She was going to meet with one of the royalty. She didn't want to do so looking as if she was about to break down any minute. Half an hour of waiting passed before a royal guard approached her. “Your audience has been granted, Legionnaire Applejack,” he said. “Prince Terrato is waiting inside.”

Applejack let out a sigh. Of the three royal ponies who could have met her, it had to be him. Prince Terrato enjoyed making ponies squirm.

The doors to the audience hall opened, revealing the magnificent sight of the three thrones. Applejack’s jaw dropped. This wasn't the audience hall she remembered. A throne of white marble, trimmed with gold, dominated the central portion of the halls far end, behind the white throne hung a great banner that bore the symbol of the sun. To its left was an obsidian throne, trimmed with silver. The banner behind the black throne bore a crescent moon. Opposite the black throne was a plain throne of polished granite with a gray circle on its banner. Stairs led from the three, and joined together at the center of the hall.

A familiar, booming voice resounded within the audience hall. “Somepony’s admiring my hoof-work I see.”

Prince Terrato descended the stairs from his throne, and walked towards Applejack. She quickly went down on her knees, and bowed her head. “Thank you kindly for taking time to see me, your highness,” she said.

“I always have time to see my favorite almost-dead messenger,” Terrato replied. As he approached, Applejack wrinkled her nose a bit. A slightly fishy smell emanated from the prince. “Do you have another one, Applejack? Does mother want me to kick Luna in the face this time?”

“Um…no your highness,” Applejack replied. “I haven’t almost died again. It does have something to do with the Queen.”

Terrato raised an eyebrow, prompting Applejack to start. At the end of her story, he walked even closer, and examined her. “So you want to know more about this special gift that my mother gave you, hmm? Well, her majesty is more of the sort who unlocks the gifts you already have instead of adding things. The most likely scenario is that she provided you a means to tap into your Element of Harmony’s more individualized power. If I looked hard enough, I think I can sense it within you, and see how you can bring that out. Is that what you want, Applejack?”

Applejack nodded. His magic enveloped her in an instant. A few minutes passed until Terrato “let go”. She waited anxiously, while he simply frowned, and stared at her.

“You sure you actually created this shield you said you did?” Terrato asked. “I've thoroughly checked, and I don’t see any particularly strong power coming from the Element of Honesty. In fact, I’m barely sensing the Element of Honesty at all.”

Applejack could only stare blankly. Terrato may as well have uprooted a tree, and smashed her face with it. She lowered her head. “I-I’m sorry for wasting your time, your highness,” she said.

“You didn't,” Terrato replied. “Don’t think you’re failing yet, Applejack. I have a particular fondness for Honesty, and Loyalty. Among the Elements, their brightness becomes truly glorious when put to the test.” He eyed her carefully. “Confront whatever’s bothering you, and we’ll see what my mother expected.”

Applejack remained kneeling for some time. She had no reply to that.

Vanguard strode swiftly through Canterlot Jail. Around him, royal guards and visitors alike moved out of his way after one look at his grim expression, and his bulky armor. Whatever pleasant mood he was in upon Applejack’s quick agreement to join had evaporated when he received word of what Scarlet had been up to. All the new experiences of the Heartland excited Scarlet, who had nearly talked his ear off about solid, low altitude clouds, and liquid rainbows. All of that was fine. Getting jailed with Rainbow for causing the largest drunken brawl in Canterlot was not.

“I’m here for Scarlet Rabbit and Rainbow Dash,” Vanguard told one of the stationed guards. They nodded, and escorted him through the cells. Canterlot Jail used to be a small, barely-used building before the Legion arrived. Now, a lot of its cells held ponies who couldn't handle their new boozing habit, legionnaires who couldn't maintain discipline, and, most disturbingly, ponies who disrupted the draft. He came to the end of one hallway, and looked into one cell. Due to so many new cases, Canterlot Jail was overcrowded, and constructions were already underway for additional space. Along with several other ponies was a red pegasus stallion, and a rainbow-maned pegasus mare. Both of them were lying on the floor, trying to sleep off a hangover.

“Scarlet," Vanguard called.

Scarlet got up and looked at Vanguard, who gestured for him to come over. He obliged and put his face near the bars. “Captain!” he said. “I thought you’d never come!”

Vanguard sniffed once before his forelegs shot out, grabbing his "subordinate" by the head, and slamming it against the bars. “Who are you, and why are you pretending to be Scarlet Rabbit?” he growled.

“W-what are you talking about?” the impostor mumbled between the bars. “It’s me!”

Vanguard slammed the impostor's head a few more times until his nose started bleeding. “Where are they?” he asked. The impostor merely smiled, and started chuckling. Vanguard tossed him aside, then turned towards one of the royal guards. “Send word to both Unicorn Guard Captain Shining Armor, and Pegasus Guard Captain Bright Shield. Legionnaires Scarlet Rabbit, and Rainbow Dash are currently missing, and must be found at once.” They saluted, and ran off. He glanced back at the impostors. Their deception discovered, they didn't bother maintaining their disguising enchantments. He considered questioning them, but it was unlikely that they knew anything at all.

Half an hour passed after Vanguard’s visit to Canterlot Jail. It was late in the night, but both Twilight and Applejack were awake, and alert, when they heard that some of their friends were missing. He glanced over at his new vice-captain. Applejack was clearly distracted. He was going to have to talk to her about it later.

“Vanguard what’s going on?” Twilight asked. “What happened to Rainbow and Pinkie?”

“I've got preliminary reports already,” Vanguard replied. “Pinkie has been spotted in Ponyville, and is staying in Sugarcube Corner. I asked Sixth Squad to head over there to pick her up. As for Rainbow…” Vanguard paused. He could only assume that Rainbow, and Scarlet had been abducted. Almost as soon as he sent word out, conflicting reports reached him. Apparently, in addition to causing a massive bar room brawl, the two were also seen talking about flying off to Cloudsdale, making their way back to the Barrier Lands, flying off to Ponyville, robbing a local bank, and all sorts of incidents. “Rainbow Dash and Scarlet Rabbit are currently missing,” he said.

Both mares gasped.

“Do we have any leads?” Twilight asked.

“That’s the problem,” Vanguard replied. “We have too many leads. Whoever has taken them has scattered about a hundred decoys to cover their trail.”

Applejack stomped a hoof. “In the meantime, who knows what they’re doing to Rainbow!” she said.

“This is Black Rose’s work,” Twilight added.

“There’s no doubting that,” Vanguard said. “Both of you get ready; this will be our first mission together.”

A Great Enough Need

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 26: A Great Enough Need

“I’m telling you, that cellar you have over there is disrupting this farm’s ley network,” Copper Mane said. “Especially the ones involving fortune. So long as it’s there, your farm will always suffer from a shortage of money, even if you have a monopoly over high demand products.”

“And I’m telling you that we here at Sweet Apple Acres are doing just fine without your ley watchamahooey!” the yellow earth pony filly replied. She looked to her companion, a large, red, earth pony stallion who stared at Copper Mane with a mild hostility. “Ain’t I right, Big Mac?”

“Eeyup.”

Copper Mane shook his head, and turned away. He had come to Ponyville with high expectations when he heard that it was an earth pony settlement. Upon arriving, the dismay nearly made him leave. It was true that there were plenty of earth ponies in the village, and he was heartened to know that its leader was one. However, there was also a sizable population of goats, and birds.

His elders had warned him that the earth ponies of the Heartland would likely still be slaves without Rock Maven's teachings. As Copper Mane explored Ponyville, they were becoming increasingly right. These earth ponies were not wearing chains, but all the trappings of slavery were there. Earth ponies pulled the wagons and carriages, worked the farms, and did all the manual labor, while the goats and birds made themselves comfortable. This was a massive problem that he was attempting to attack, and he had no idea where to begin.

The elders insisted on an isolationist stance, despite the great changes occurring throughout Equestria, but Copper Mane scoffed at the idea. The barrier was no more, opening a clear path to the Heartland, and its inhabitants. This was the time to make pilgrimages to the Heartland. The True Earth Ponies should go out of their way to bring the chosen earth ponies into the fold. For his troubles, he received only scornful reproaches. He went on his own pilgrimage, regardless. If he returned to the Great Delve with a group of earth pony converts, he’d prove that he was right, and more pilgrimages would follow in his wake.

As a start, Copper Mane chose a small earth pony settlement. Ponyville was a strange sight. It sat on acres of arable land. It certainly had farms, but it didn't seem like a farming community at all. When he passed by the center of town, there were a lot of idle earth ponies, birds, and goats. This place must have started as a farming community, then later lost its identity when the birds, and goats settled. He had gone to one of the farms in hopes of using his channeling to help improve its lot. So far, he met no success. He made his way back towards the center of the village to see what else he could do.

“Let go! I still have to see my family’s rock farm!”

“I told you that we’ll take care of it! You've caused enough problems as it is, Pinkie Pie!”

Copper Mane turned towards the sound of the high-pitched shouting, and found a pink earth pony mare being lifted by magic. Several other ponies stood around and watched. That was the Legion’s barding on some of them. The others, mostly earth ponies, looked like ordinary villagers. “Let go of that earth pony, goat!” he shouted. When he saw that nopony else helped, he pulled out his channeling tablet, and focused.

The telekinetic hold around the pink pony broke at his sudden attack. Before anypony could react, he placed himself between the pink pony, and the legionnaires. One of them, a dark blue goat who had been maintaining the telekinesis, shook her head. A few of her mane’s ringlets fell across her face. She studied him for a while, eyes widening at his clothes. “This is Legion business, true earth pony,” she said. “Back away, and keep your weird magic to yourself!”

The pink pony didn't run as Copper Mane had expected. “That stone!” she said. “I got one just like it!” He looked behind him incredulously. A stone just like his tablet? Why would a Heartland earth pony possess a channeling tablet?

Before Copper Mane could even say anything, something struck his face hard. His channeling tablet skittered on the ground while he sprawled across the dirt.

“Oops,” the dark blue goat said. “I meant for that to be a warning tap. You really shouldn't ignore me after attacking my spell.” Her voice lowered to a menacing hiss as she walked closer. “I get really aggressive when I'm ignored.”

Copper Mane staggered to his legs. “You don’t scare me, goat,” he said. “I'll die before I let you oppress earth ponies!”

The goat raised an eyebrow. “Oppress?” she asked. “I wasn't oppressing anypony! Celestia drill my backside, you true earth ponies are so twitchy, you'd cry oppression if somepony hugged you!” She moved past Copper Mane, and went over to the pink pony. “Get to the Night Skimmer, Pinkie Pie.”

Pinkie Pie took another step back. She looked pleadingly at the goat, who was having none of it. “But my family--” she said.

“And what do you plan on doing once you make it there?” the goat asked. “Take on Sablesteel in single combat? You think they’re in danger? You’re putting the Elements of Harmony in danger by separating yourself!”

“I…I...” Pinkie Pie tried desperately to remain defiant, but her lips quivered. “I can’t just do nothing, Nightcanter!”

By the time Copper Mane recovered, he was already surrounded by legionnaires. One of them had his tablet. He tried to take another step towards Nightcanter, but several hooves held him in place.

“You won’t be ‘doing nothing’,” Nightcanter said, her voice took on more comforting pitch. “Leave it to us. We’ll get your family, the Cakes, and whoever else you think is in danger of being assassinated. We'll send them to Canterlot, or wherever you think is the safest.”

Pinkie Pie still looked deflated, but she followed meekly. Nightcanter glanced at Copper Mane before motioning for the other legionnaires. “Oh, and arrest that idiot, will you? Interfering with Legion business and all that.”

The legionnaires shoved Copper Mane roughly.

“Wait! I want to talk to that pony!” Pinkie Pie said.

Nightcanter let out a sigh. “Fine, toss him inside the Night Skimmer. Confiscate his tablet, though.”

The other legionnaires saluted, and led both Copper Mane, and Pinkie Pie away.

Despite Captain Nightcanter’s reassurances, Pinkie found it impossible to sit still inside the Night Skimmer. She barely slept a wink since last night. Every time she closed her eyes for too long, the image of Sablesteel’s wasp-like form standing over those twitching, half-melted corpses jolted her awake. She paced around the hold where Nightcanter’s Squad had tossed the true earth pony. His forelegs were bound with rope. Nightcanter agreed reluctantly to let her talk to him before going to her family’s rock farm.

The hold’s stifling heat, and cramped space suited Pinkie's mood at the moment. Her worries stifled her, and the Legion's methods boxed her in. Sablesteel could be anywhere, doing all sorts of evil things while she was stuck here. Other ponies set out to protect her loved ones, not her. It was the same thing happening since she followed Twilight into the Barrier Lands. While her friends did their part to protect what was important, she spent more time being scolded.

“Do you have any idea as to the sort of trouble you've stirred up, Pinkie Pie? Special Operations has enough on its plate without having to track you down every time you get it into your empty pink head to run off somewhere!” Nightcanter said.

Pinkie's ears flattened. “But Sablesteel said that she was going to kill the ponies who were precious to me!”

“I’m hurt that you’re not worried about me then,” Nightcanter said flatly. “Time to get back to Canterlot.”

“No!”

“I wasn't asking!” Nightcanter’s horn glowed, and Pinkie quickly found her forelegs pressed against her sides in a tight, telekinetic grip. She rose several feet in the air, and remained suspended there. Nightcanter walked closer. “Maybe you haven’t noticed, Pinkie, so let me clear things up for you. You’re not Pinkie Pie, the rock farmer’s daughter, or Pinkie Pie the baker’s assistant anymore. You’re Legionnaire Pinkie Pie, Bearer of the Element of Joy. You are expected to be there when called upon, ready to be at Equestria’s disposal when the time comes. You mess around like this, and you’ll be lucky if the only casualties are a couple of families.” Nightcanter and her squad left the bakery with Pinkie floating helplessly after them.

“Wait,” Carrot Cake said. “There’s no need to be so rough! Pinkie came back here because she was worried about us!”

“Good that you’re so concerned about her because you’re coming with us,” Nightcanter replied. “Pack your essentials, and let’s go, all of you.”

Both Cakes’s jaws dropped. “What?” Cup Cake exclaimed. “We can’t just close on the spot! And how long are we supposed to stay in Canterlot?”

“Until we can make sure you’re not being targeted.” Nightcanter looked back to Pinkie. “So who else should we uproot, and send to Canterlot?”

Pinkie’s lower lip stuck out as she glared at Nightcanter. Tears threatened to burst out of her eyes. “You’re a meanie,” she said. “I thought you were nice when we went to the Everfree together!”

“Why all the anger, Pinkie? Isn't this what you came here to do? You brought this on them, take some responsibility!”

Pinkie pressed her lips together. Responsibility. There was that word again. She thought that responsibility meant being able to take care of the twins, and running the bakery while the Cakes had to be off somewhere. Responsibility never included ponies getting hurt.

Nightcanter was right. By sending her loved ones to Canterlot, she was going to uproot them. She didn't want to uproot anypony. She just wanted them safe. She wished with all her heart that neither the Cakes, nor her own family had to be involved in all of these things. She wished she could be cast a magic spell like Twilight Sparkle, and keep them all safe without making their lives harder. Or she could cast a spell to make Sablesteel not want to hurt anypony. But she wasn't a unicorn. She wasn't even a strong earth pony like Applejack. All she had was…

“Um…do you need something?” the true earth pony asked.

In a blink, Pinkie was in front the true earth pony, grasping his head, and shaking him. “You’re one of those true earth ponies, right?” she asked. She showed him the tablet that had confounded her for several days already. “Can you tell me how to work this thing? I saw you use one! Can I do magic stuff with it? Something like those shields that Twilight makes? Please, please, please, show me!”

“Hold…on...ow!” He yelped when his teeth clamped down on his tongue.

Pinkie let go and backed away. “Sorry, true earth pony,” she said. “Will you show me how to work that tablet now?”

The true earth pony steadied himself, then examined his tongue. “My name is Copper Mane, not ‘true earth pony’. How did you get a channeler’s tablet? Are you a true earth pony? Which clan are you part of?”

“I’m not a true earth pony,” Pinkie replied. “Wait, I am an actual earth pony, but not a true earth pony like you. I mean, I am an earth pony like you, except not like you with the masks, and the weird magic, and the thinking unicorns are goats thing.”

“How did you get this tablet?”

Pinkie quickly narrated her earlier encounter with the true earth ponies. Copper Mane’s eyes widened at the mention of the masked pony. “An elder,” he said. “You said Fangbreaker Fortress. That is all the way up north. You must have met Elder Treefield. He answered the call for reinforcements to that place.”

Pinkie nodded. “Yeah, he was kinda creepy with that mask, and he was always whispering to his friend instead of talking to me. Do your elders--” Pinkie stopped, and shook her head. “What am I doing? No time for random questions!” Copper Mane shrank back when she stepped closer. “Tell me how to put up a shield, or be able to tell if somepony’s going to get attacked. True earth ponies have that weird magic right? Elder Treefield said that I was some kind of channeler, or something. Teach me!”

“I will if you promise not to shake all my teeth loose!” Copper Mane said. He threw his forelegs up, and kept them there until Pinkie backed away. “I’m going to teach you because I respect Elder Treefield a lot for venturing forth unlike the other elders. He must have seen a great deal of talent in you, but apparently couldn't follow through with teachings. I warn you, I’m still a student of ley channeling myself. All I can offer are the basics.”

“Okey do-- Yes,” Pinkie said as seriously as she could. She sat down, and held the tablet Treefield gave her. “Let’s start with a basic shield then!”

Copper Mane looked at her disapprovingly. “Let’s clear some things for you first, Pinkie,” he said. “First, we’re not goats.”

“Duh! Of course we’re not goats! We’re ponies! Wait…you mean unicorns, don’t you? Why do you keep calling unicorns goats?”

Copper Mane frowned, and tried to loosen his restraints. “Because unicorns are a type of goat.”

Pinkie frowned. “No they’re not. They’re ponies!”

“They resemble earth ponies only in the same way lizards resemble dragons. Regardless, keep in mind that we are not like them. Magic is what these goats do. They possess a personal store of power, which they use to bend nature to their wills.”

Pinkie's brow furrowed further. “You think lizards are dragons?”

Copper Mane ground his teeth so hard that Pinkie could hear them. “Fine!” he said. “For the sake of moving past this point, I’m going to call them unicorns. Will that make you happy?”

Pinkie nodded just to please this grouchy pony. Why he was so hung up with names to begin with? Still, she needed a way to protect her loved ones. Nightcanter was right; what was the point of getting to her loved ones if she had no way to stop Sablesteel?

Copper Mane cleared his throat. “As I was saying. Unlike go-- unicorns, earth ponies do not have this personal store of power. What we have is a natural connection to the vast power within the earth that flows through ley lines. Through this connection, we can direct the flow of energy to help us. This is why we do not ‘use magic’, we 'channel ley energy'. Magic is selfish, and unnatural, channeling is harmonious, and part of nature. Do you understand that?”

Pinkie nodded again. She didn't really understand, but she was anxious to get to the part where she could defend her friends. She was beginning to think that these true earth ponies may not like unicorns as much as earth ponies, so it was important for Copper Mane to say that what he was doing wasn't magic.

“Alright,” Copper Mane continued. “Why don’t we try some basic channeling? Hold the stone that Elder Treefield gave you.”

Pinkie sat up straight, and did as she was told. “Okay, what’s next?” she asked.

“Concentrate on your connection to the earth.”

“My what?”

“Your connection!” Copper Mane snapped. “You must have felt it at least once when you accidentally channeled! How else would Elder Treefield have known that you had the gift?”

Pinkie shrugged. “Dunno. He just came out of nowhere after I saved Sharpfangs from a jar of salt falling on his head.”

“And how did you save this Sharpfangs from getting hit by a jar of salt?” Copper Mane asked.

“Oh, that’s easy.” Pinkie grinned. “My Pinkie Sense warned me!”

“What in the hay is a Pi--" Copper Mane shook his head. "Never mind what you call it. Concentrate on it, try to will it to happen.”

“But I can’t just make it happen! It just does when--”

“Hush! Forget about what you think triggers it!” Copper Mane stared intensely at Pinkie, his eyes suddenly knowing. “You've had this ‘Pinkie Sense’ all your life, correct? For all that time you thought that it was just some random, amusing thing that happened to you, and it happened to be useful. You've never needed to find out more, or develop it. It was some quirk, and you were fine with it being that way. Now, you need it to be more than a quirky, helpful thing. You need it to be effective against your problems. Most of all, you need it to be there when you want it, not when it wants to.”

Pinkie pouted, and avoided looking at Copper Mane. She didn't like how close he got to truth. It didn't help that it was only a few minutes ago that Nightcanter was telling her something similar. “Twilight tried to find out more about it,” she muttered.

“Hmph! Let me guess, this Twilight isn't even an earth pony is she?”

“She’s a unicorn.”

Copper Mane snorted. “How sure are you that she didn't find out anything then? She may have found out a lot, and refused to tell you lest you surpass her power!”

“That’s not how Twilight is at all!” Pinkie said. “You haven’t even met her!”

Copper Mane turned his nose up. “I don’t need to meet her. Goats are all alike. ”

“You’re doing it again! Unicorns aren’t goats!”

“We’ll get nowhere with that. Go back to willing your power to come forth. Concentrate!”

Pinkie held the tablet, and stared at it hard. She stared until the muscles in her face ached, and drops of sweat dripped down her chin. “Nothing’s happening,” she said at last.

“That’s because you weren't concentrating,” Copper Mane said. “You were just staring at the tablet, and trying to frown your eyebrows off. Try to recall the last time you used your power: the sensations, the state of your mind…try to will them forth.”

Pinkie was about to go back to the salt jar incident when she suddenly remembered that something more recent had happened. There was that time inside Clover the Clever’s home. What had she been feeling back then? There was a deep curiosity for what was going on, and this heightened awareness of all those beautiful colors. There was…

“There!” Copper Mane said.

Pinkie looked down, and saw that the gems embedded onto the stone tablet were indeed glowing. As soon as she looked down, however, the light faded, and the gems became inert once more.

“Don’t stop!” Copper Mane said. “Keep doing what you were doing a while ago!”

Pinkie tried again, harder this time. The floor beneath them suddenly lurched. “Did I do that?” she asked.

Copper Mane looked around him. “Perhaps,” he said. “Or this vessel is moving.” He hopped over a nearby porthole to check. He swallowed a lump in his throat, beads of sweat already forming by his forehead. “We’re flying,” he said. “Nopony said anything about flying!”

“Duh!” Pinkie said. “We’re in an airship. Relax! Tell me what to do next!”

“This is unnatural!” Copper Mane said. He huddled by one corner. “Birds fly, not earth ponies!”

It was Pinkie’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “Are you scared of flying?” she asked.

“S-scared? No! I’m indignant! This is no way to transport a true earth pony!”

Pinkie shrugged, and went back to concentrating on the tablet.

“It’s useless now,” Copper Mane said. Pinkie glanced at him, and saw that his eyes watered a bit. He looked a little green around the edges as well. “If we’re flying, we’re far away from the ground. You can’t channel here.”

The words of discouragement threatened to smother the sliver of hope that Pinkie had been nurturing. With a defiant shake of her head, she concentrated even harder. She was starting to get what Copper Mane was talking about. It was like…it was like moving a limb she never knew existed, like a fifth leg or an extra head. She was getting somewhere, and she didn't want Copper Mane’s pessimism to ruin things.

Then, as if answering her stubborn optimism, the entire hold began to glow softly. Faint rainbow colors, just like the ones she saw back inside Clover the Clever’s refuge, lingered around the wooden walls. Unlike the previous time she saw them, the colors didn't flow like water, and seemed barely there. “I did it…” she whispered. She looked at Copper Mane, unable to keep her face straight as excitement flooded her. “I did it!” The gems on her tablet shone brightly.

Copper Mane stared at her, his mouth hanging open. “That’s impossible,” he said. “Miles from the earth, what could you possibly be channeling?” He dragged himself forward and looked down when his forelegs struck the wooden floor. “Of course,” he said. “Ley energy flows into trees, and small quantities are retained in the wood…” He looked around. “Probably in the metal too. I’ve never heard of being able to channel with such minute quantities.” He looked at Pinkie, his eyes narrowing. “Try to do something with the ley energy."

“Do something?” Pinkie asked. She was put at a loss so suddenly that the gems on her tablet began to wane. With a gasp, she concentrated for an entire minute before daring to say anything else. “What am I supposed to do?”

“Look down,” Copper Mane said.

Pinkie did so. The wooden floor swirled with faint colors, as if she was standing on a very shallow pool. Suddenly, the colors below her face rippled, gently at first, then more violently as it went on. Her tail twitched. On impulse, she moved her head slightly to the side before staring at it. It seemed that some of the ripples somehow climbed up her leg, and was flowing through her tail.

Copper Mane’s drinking glass struck the floor where the rippling was, and shattered.

Pinkie’s eyes widened. “What was that for?” she asked.

“Well, you can now replicate what you did before,” Copper Mane said.

“I can do that without the fancy swirling colors!”

Copper Mane's eyes narrowed. “You've barely scratched the surface of what you can do,”

Pinkie grabbed Copper Mane’s head with both hooves again. “Then, help me scratch the surface!”

“No shaking!” Copper Mane said. He put his forelegs up before she could even begin. “I’ll help you. It’s my responsibility to make sure that a channeler with so much potential grows in the true earth pony way.”

“Wait,” Pinkie said with a tilt of her head. “Does that mean we’re friends now?”

Copper Mane looked at her suspiciously, his lips seemingly halfway to “yes” when he stopped himself to think. “You are friends with creatures that I do not wish to be friends with, Pinkie Pie,” he said. “But I think I can be your friend.”

Pinkie answered with a smile. “Well, it’s a start!” she said. The cheer quickly melted away. “Oh no…that means Sablesteel will try to kill you now as well…”

Copper Mane stared at her in alarm. Before he could say anything, however, a pony called out from above decks. “Canterlot in sight!”

Pinkie dashed towards a nearby porthole, and poked her head out. The white spires of Canterlot were indeed by the horizon. She let the breeze blow her mane about, reveling in the wave of coolness that blew away the stagnant heat of the hold.

Lion Rampant

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 28: Lion Rampant

Morning in Canterlot found Rarity roaming the Royal Palace’s hallways. She had woken up expecting to meet the rest of her friends for breakfast.

She did so with only one of them. Fluttershy looked so heartbroken at the sight of the empty dining hall that Rarity felt like apologizing, despite not having done anything wrong. She did, however, harbor a suspicion that her other friends were not exactly absent because they wanted to be. When Fluttershy had flown off to assist Redbrand again, she went to investigate.

Though she preferred to work her craft in peace, Rarity was tired of this. She was tired of being left in the background while Twilight, Rainbow, and Applejack took to the front lines. She glanced at belt she wore around her midriff. Attached to it were her mage-blades, sheathed in leather of her own design. She could fight. She had thought about that encounter with Nightmare Moon back in Bastion City. She didn't have Twilight’s magical “muscle”, but she knew she could do her part if she put her mind into it. It bothered her greatly that she had given so little in helping her friends and all of Equestria for that matter.

“She joined what?”

Rarity recognized Shining Armor’s voice. He was farther down the hall, talking to a couple of legionnaires. “Is something wrong, Captain Shining Armor?” she asked.

Shining Armor turned towards Rarity while the legionnaires went their way. The scowl on his face took Rarity aback. Seeing her discomfiture, he quickly calmed himself. “Miss Rarity,” he said. “Did you know anything about this?”

“Know anything about what?”

“Twiley joining up with the Legion’s Special Operations! Applejack too!”

“Well…” Rarity looked away in embarrassment. It didn't take much for her to assume that they had joined Vanguard’s squad. “I might have suspected something.” Inside, she cursed at Vanguard. Twilight and Applejack? He obviously didn't understand the situation. Or he was the biggest foal in all of Equestria.

“Special Operations!” Shining Armor said. “It’s not enough that she joined the Legion, she had to join the group that gets into the most dangerous situations. She couldn't even be bothered to tell me first!”

“Imagine that,” Rarity said flatly. “Wait…do you know where Twilight is right now?”

Shining Armor snorted. “Third Squad went off in search of Rainbow, and Scarlet Rabbit.”

“Search for Rainbow?" Rarity's eyes widened as she remembered Rainbow zipping past her yesterday. "Why? What happened to her?”

As Shining Armor explained the situation, the frustration continued to build in Rarity. First, Rainbow had disappeared with Scarlet. She had warned that foal about how dangerous Scarlet was, but Rainbow didn't listen. ‘Of course she didn't listen,’ she thought. ‘My warning probably made her want to do it even more!’

That she had been left here without knowing was galling. Rainbow was her friend too. She did not appreciate sitting around because nopony could be bothered to tell her. That only left her with a more irritating question: even if she had been told earlier, what could she have done?

Shining Armor suddenly looked past Rarity. She followed his gaze towards a group of ponies walking towards them.

At the center of the group was a horn-locked, white unicorn mare with a silvery blue mane. Around her were four heavily-armored legionnaires. “Who’s that?” she asked.

“That’s the prisoner they brought in from Fangbreaker Fortress,” Shining Armor replied. His eyes narrowed. “Why are they walking around like that?”

The prisoner came closer, revealing that her coat wasn't actually white, but very pale blue. Even though she was clearly under careful watch, the unicorn walked with dignity, as if the horn-lock was a medal rather than a restraint. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of Rarity. “Element of Generosity,” she said.

For a moment, Rarity could only stare. The unicorn mare spoke in such a deep, and masculine voice that she thought one of the legionnaires had spoken instead. The group stopped. Eventually, Rarity found her voice. “Y-you know who I am?” she asked.

“I know what you are, and what your name is, Rarity, bearer of the Element of Generosity,” the unicorn replied. “I won’t presume to know who you are though.”

“And may I know your name?” Rarity asked.

“I am Blue Moon, former captain of the Thorns and brother to Black Rose." Blue Moon said the name, and everything that accompanied it, proudly. "Brother” made it clear that he was a stallion.

“Black Rose’s brother!” Shining Armor said. He turned towards the legionnaires. “Why is he being paraded out here, then?”

“Prince’s orders,” one of the legionnaires replied.

“I proved cooperative, and true to my stated intention of turning against Black Rose,” Blue Moon added with a slight smile. “His highness has seen it fit to let me stretch my legs, and see the sun my sister is in charge of now.”

Shining Armor's eyes narrowed. “Your sister’s sun will set soon, and never rise again,” he said in a low tone.

“I certainly hope so,” Blue Moon replied. “My sister has dealt many a horrid fate towards her enemies, but she reserves a special hatred for those who turn against her. I would hate to have her win in the end. “

“Wait,” Rarity said. “You said you were once the leader of the Thorns.”

Blue Moon nodded. “I did.”

“Then you must know a lot of Black Rose’s plans! Where is Rainbow Dash?”

“I've already told the Legion every scrap of information I have,” Blue Moon replied. “Including what I know of Black Rose’s plans with you bearers. I’m sorry. All I know is that she assigned Longstride to her.”

“Assign? What do you mean?” Rarity listened intently. Beside her, Shining Armor did the same.

“Black Rose assigned a bearer to each member of the Thorns," Blue Moon said. "Our mission was, in her own words, ‘put them through adversity’. She believes that it is only by passing through danger and hardship that the Elements will rise to their truest potential.”

“The nerve!” Rarity said. “You mean to say she’s putting us to the test? Does she think she knows better than the Elements of Harmony? Who does she think she is?”

“You don’t understand,” Blue Moon said quietly.

“Then help me understand!”

Blue Moon’s face hardened, as did his voice. “We are sick and tired of waiting: waiting for our rulers to change, waiting for the Elements to act, waiting for some form of justice to rain down from the Eternal Herd. No more! We will take everything into our own hooves. If Celestia won’t change her mind about her barrier, we will force her to change her mind. If the Elements of Harmony are not up to the task, we will force them to be up to the task. If the bearers fail, let them die so somepony more worthy can be chosen.”

“If you believe that, then why did you betray your group?” Shining Armor asked.

“Black Rose betrayed me!” Blue Moon snapped. “She’s reached too far. She plays with powers that will doom everything. But I've already explained myself to the prince.” He turned his attention back to Rarity.

“Your friend is the bearer of the Element of Loyalty. I left the group before Longstride could explain his plan, but it will be her loyalty that will be tested.” His hardened expression gave way. “The only thing I can offer beyond that is that he is not tasked to assassinate her. If your friend endures, then he will personally ensure that she is returned.”

“What if she fails?”

The hardness returned. “Then his arrows will find her heart.”

“How arrogant!” Rarity stomped her hoof. “Playing judge and jury over a pony like that! Rainbow may be brash, and a little foalish, but she doesn't deserve this ‘adversity’.”

“Nopony does,” Blue Moon said. His eyes narrowed. “I understand your worry for your friend, Miss Rarity. However, I’d be more concerned about you.”

“Me?” Rarity asked. “Why me? I’m still here in Canterlot, not wandering off on dangerous missions.”

“You are Lion Court’s assignment. He went so far as to personally request for you. That your blood doesn't freeze goes to show how little information about him remains intact.”

Rarity swallowed. A bead of sweat slowly trickled down the side of her face. It wasn't even particularly warm in the palace. “Why?” she asked. She remembered the “coincidental” appearance of a book that would help her. A book penned down by “the legendary Lion Court”.

“Don’t let the refined manners fool you should you meet him,” Blue Moon went on. “If you fail, you will wish for Longstride’s arrows, or Sable’s poisons, even for Frenzy Heart’s stone blade if he was still around. You’ll wish for all of those, and hundred other deaths, than what you’ll get at the hooves of Lion Court. If I were you, Element of Generosity, I’d focus my concern for myself.”

With that, Blue Moon walked past the two.

“Where are you going?” Shining Armor asked.

“Outside." Blue Moon didn't look back. “I need some sun. Celestia’s or Black Rose’s, it doesn't matter after spending days in a dungeon.”

With Blue Moon gone, Shining Armor looked at Rarity. “Are you alright?” he asked.

“Yes, I’ll be fine,” Rarity replied. With a nod, Shining Armor also walked off.

Rarity still remembered the information on the Thorns she read. Lion Court was known for wielding mage-blades. She had considered the possibility of having to fight him at that point. They wielded the same weapons after all. He must have felt something similar when his group was reviewing each bearer of the Elements of Harmony. She glanced towards her mage-blades again. What should she expect from Lion Court? He was supposed to specialize in duels, but a duel would not be a test of generosity. She shook her head. ‘I’ll deal with that when it comes,’ she thought. ‘Right now, it’s Rainbow who needs help!’

An idea came to mind as Rarity left the Royal Palace. She was Lion Court’s assignment, one that he expressed a great deal of interest in. Why else would he go out of his way to pick her, then place a book of his own writing for her benefit? He had to be tracking her, if he wasn't observing her right now. She could find out a lot if she could talk to him, but how could she bait him into coming out?

Canterlot was a big city with enough nooks and crannies to hide an army of spies, and it was probably doing just that with both the Legion’s, and Black Rose’s, agents running about. It was unlikely that she’d spot Lion Court by simply searching for him. However, Blue Moon’s warning contained the clue she needed. “Don’t let the refined manners fool you,” he had said. The thorn assigned to her was a pony of refinement, even if it was just for show. Perhaps she could appeal to that.

Rarity made her way through Delicacy Street, where many of Canterlot’s finest restaurants had their establishments. There, she picked one of her favorites: a small, but elegant, place just by the corner of the street. “Cold Snap's and Heat Wave’s” belonged to a pair of pegasi brothers specializing in Manehatten cuisine. “A table for two please,” she told the waiter. She had eaten a light breakfast, and should still have room for a little brunch. The waiter showed her to her table, and offered her the menu.

“Thank you,” Lion Court said. “I’ll have a Manehatten omelet with extra tomatoes.”

“I’ll just have the lettuce salad,” Rarity said. The waiter bowed slightly, and walked off.

“This is certainly a nice place you've picked,” Lion Court said. “It’s a pity that there appears to be very few customers.”

“We’ll it’s not really rush hour isn't it?” Rarity replied.

“True.”

Rarity stopped, then looked at the stallion sitting across the table from her. She nearly stood up. Lion Court! When did he…how did he…instinctively, she enveloped her mage-blades with magic. Lion Court had entered the place, sat next to her, and made some small talk before she could realize what was going on!

“I like the way you think, Miss Rarity,” Lion Court said. “You are probably the only bearer who would actually consider sitting down, and talking to us. Please relax. I’m not here to assassinate you. You invited me to a meal, and I accepted.”

Rarity continued to stare. Lion Court’s dark blond mane certainly lived up to his namesake. He wore a deep red suit, and the sword belt around his torso displayed three long blades. He sat with in casual manner, as if he was at home entertaining a guest, instead of being in a city full of enemies. “How did you do that?” she asked. “One would think you’d be quickly noticed with that bold color you have on.” She let go of her mage-blades.

“Pardon?” Lion Court asked.

“You know what I’m talking about.”

“Ah, you mean my little introductions bypass. ‘Lion Court - unicorn mage. Served as a diplomat and spy. Credited with two hundred kills from formal duels. Specializes in mind-affecting magic, and uses the extremely rare skill of mage-blade wielding’. That’s what it says on my description, correct? You let your guard down. It’s easy to fiddle with the mind’s recognition ability.” He looked at his suit. “Do you think dark red is a little too much for this occasion? I have a fondness for the color.” He tilted his head at her. “I think you’d look lovely in it.”

“That was rather rude of you to do so,” Rarity said. “A gentlecolt would introduce himself.”

“Rude, but necessary, I’m afraid,” Lion Court replied. His smile widened. Rarity could have sworn she saw a hint of a fang in his mouth. “I’m not just here as a gentlecolt, but as something of a tutor as well. ‘Sharp blade, sharp mind’; I wrote that in the first chapter. We won’t have much of a dance together if I can easily convince you that left is right, and right is left.”

“Then you really should give me more than a couple of days to read up on your work.” Rarity kept her face placid when she replied. She refused to let Lion Court keep her off balance.

Lion Court rested his head on a foreleg. “Look at me, selfishly going on about my reasons,” he said. “What could the Element of Generosity want with me?”

“To the point then,” Rarity said. “One of my friends has gone missing. I would like to know where she is.”

“That would be Rainbow Dash,” Lion Court said. “Seeing as Sable would have to be insane to abduct Pinkie Pie, and the mistress isn't the sort to be so direct.”

‘Pinkie has been assigned to Sablesteel,’ Rarity noted. ‘If Blue Moon’s information is correct, Black Rose has probably assigned two of us to herself. Maybe even three since he defected.’ She smiled politely at Lion Court, just to match the one he had. “So, where is she now?”

Lion Court leaned a little closer. “I just might answer that. First, what are you going to offer me? Negotiations go both ways, you know.”

Rarity steeled herself for the worst. “A hundred other deaths,” Blue Moon had said. “Well, what would you like in return?” she asked.

The waiter returned with their orders. For a few minutes, both of them simply enjoyed their food. At least, Rarity tried to. It was difficult to enjoy anything when the enemy was sitting across the table. “How about we play a little game?” Lion Court asked once he finished off the last of his omelet.

Rarity raised an eyebrow. “You'd barter your organization’s plans over a game?”

Lion Court looked around him. The few customers in the place had started to leave. His horn was glowing as he watched the last pony in the room. “Actually, I’m bartering the advancement of Longstride’s plans for the advancement of mine. The truth be told, just making him work hard enough to change that stony expression of his would be worth it, even if I stood to gain little else.”

Rarity watched the last of the customers leave. “You controlled their minds,” she said.

“I don’t have the magical strength to do something so drastic,” Lion Court replied. “I just gave them that annoying feeling that they should be off doing something else that they haven’t quite remembered yet. They’re hoping that it will come to them on the way. We should get some privacy for a quarter of an hour or so.”

“Assuming nopony else decides to enter,” Rarity said.

“The sign outside now says closed. A little favor from one of our agents.” Lion Court’s horn flashed again, and the curtains by the windows closed.

“And the staff?” Rarity asked.

A shout from the kitchen served as an answer. “Also indisposed,” Lion Court said. “Don’t worry, no harm will be done.”

The dark atmosphere within one of her favorite spots in Canterlot perturbed Rarity. “So what is this game you’re proposing then?” she asked, her tone still confident.

“I propose a duel,” Lion Court said. “Mage-blades of course, no mind tricks of any sort from me.”

“And how will that facilitate any information exchange?”

Lion Court stood up, and stretched his neck. “The rules are simple,” he said. “For each cut we inflict on the other, I will answer one question honestly.” The blades on his belt unsheathed themselves, and floated above him in a ring with points out. Each blade was about three times as long as hers: one had a delicately curving edge, the other was a narrow thrusting weapon, and the third was slightly shorter than the other two, but had a wide blade.

Rarity pulled out her own mage-blades, and spun three in front of her in a triangular pattern.”I hope you brought plenty of bandages,” she said. “I mean to ask plenty of questions.”

“That’s the spirit,” Lion Court said. Rarity’s fourth blade suddenly flew from its hiding place beneath one of the tables. He moved his wide-bladed sword slightly, blocking the attack before it reached his shoulder. “Clever…and dirty. You’re a mare after my own heart, Miss Rarity.”

“Your heart?” Rarity said. “Don’t be silly, darling, a blade to the heart would silence you, and the game would be over.”

Lion Court pushed the table between them aside, and the duel was in earnest. Rarity seized the initiative, attacking from four different directions at once to take advantage of Lion Court’s fewer mage-blades. She had no delusions of being able to defeat him. He had spent a lifetime perfecting his dueling, while she had read through half the instructional book that he wrote, devoting a couple of hours each day for practice. Still, she had a good feeling that killing her would be a failure for him. She just needed to hold her own, and she would come out of this having helped her friends.

Mage-blades flickered quickly through the air, glinting as they caught the few beams of sunlight that the curtains allowed. Lion Court knocked away two of Rarity’s mage-blades with a single sweep of his wide-bladed sword, then stabbed at her through the hole in her defense. She hopped to the side, dodging the lightning-quick thrust from his pointed sword.

“Too much movement!” Lion Court clucked his tongue. His curved blade was already positioned where Rarity ended up. The weapon spun swiftly, and a sharp pain to her side nearly made Rarity drop her weapons. A trickle of blood ran down her torso, just past her shoulders. Lion Court smiled. “First cut is mine.”

“Where is Rainbow Dash?” Rarity asked.

“Equestria.”

“That’s not fair!” Rarity said. Two of her blades to smashed aside his parrying sword, then stabbed at him from his left and right.

Lion Court shrugged. “I've broken none of the established rules." He caught the stabs with his remaining swords, then used his parrying blade to smash Rarity’s blades towards her. They were inches from her face before she regained control. All three of his weapons whirled above him as he advanced, forcing Rarity to take a few steps back. The curved sword spun and danced through the air, advancing towards Rarity only to float back when she moved her blades to block. His parrying blade suddenly lunged, smashing into three of her weapons in a violent push. She struggled to keep it back, using three of her blades just to do so. As she had feared, his thrusting sword buried a quarter-inch of its blade into her right foreleg. “Second cut.”

Rarity stepped back. “Where in Equestria?” she asked between pants.

“That would be difficult to pinpoint,” Lion Court replied. “They’re moving after all. Consider that they captured your friend at the edges of Canterlot, and that they’re moving south. They’re probably almost past the Everfree Forest at this point. They’ll certainly be avoiding places like Appleloosa.”

‘South,” Rarity thought. ‘They’re taking her south…but why did he say “they”? Doesn't he mean Longstride?’ She took another step back, and winced when she leaned on her foreleg. “Who are ‘they’?” she asked.

“One question too many!” Lion Court replied. His blades swept past her in a confusing array of slashing and spinning. She tried to keep them back desperately, but a second cut appeared on her torso. Lion Court tilted his head. “There, remedied. As for your question, the ophidite that Longstride is working with of course. Along with her motley band of pony slaves.”

Rarity stepped up her attack. It was clear now that she didn't have the strength to defend against him blade for blade. He swung and recovered with speed and ease. She was panting and bleeding, and it looked like he was only warming up. His parrying blade smashed into her defense again while his curved blade spun behind her. She answered by jumping directly in front of Lion Court with all four blades at the ready. His parrying blade flew past her, leaving a small gash near her tail. She grit her teeth, and swung all four blades at him.

Lion Court answered with a hoof to her snout, sending her tumbling backwards, and knocking down several tables. “That’s two questions,” Lion Court said as he looked at the gash near her tail, and her cut lip.

“Three,” Rarity said with a smile. Blood ran down Lion Court’s cheek, and soaked into his beard. She had cut open a wound from just beneath his eye to his jaw.

“Excellent!” Lion Court said. “Ask away!”

“What is Black Rose’s final goal?”

“I don’t know.”

Rarity’s eyes narrowed.

“I speak truly,” Lion Court said. “Nopony knows Black Rose’s final goal. Not her Thorns, not even her beloved.”

“Then what are her short-term goals?”

“To strengthen the Elements of Harmony, or replace them as seen fit, and to make sure the Eternal Herd doesn't destroy all of ponykind.”

“What does she need the Elements of Harmony for?”

“To protect Equestria.”

“Again with the vague answers!”

“I know! Such an amusing game!” Lion Court suddenly rushed Rarity, leaving her little time to so much as raise her weapons. His front hooves flashed forward, forcing her to weave from side to side. His blades slashed and thrust in concert with his hoof strikes, all but transforming him into a whirling storm of hooves and steel. Two more cuts, deep ones this time, appeared across Rarity’s right side. Horrendous pain surged through her legs. The increase in his pace, and the severity of her wounds, were telling. Lion Court had answered enough questions, and wanted the game to end. She stepped back to catch her breath. “Two more!” she gasped.

“Ask quickly,” Lion Court said. “You look ready to faint. It would be a pity to suffer wounds meaninglessly.”

“Why play this game in the first place?”

“A simple exercise in giving, my dear Element of Generosity. Your blood for information. How many cuts, and how much pain will you take to help your cause? Sacrifice separates the true givers from the false ones. It takes faith as well. Consider that I might be a worthless liar in the end so that all your cuts have been in vain! Finally, I just had to duel with a mage-blade wielder. I had feared that the art died with me. You cannot fathom how your very existence gladdens my heart.”

“What about...” Rarity stumbled as her vision blurred. ‘Not yet,’ she thought. “What about that sealed alicorn, and this Foul Weapon business?”

“Equestria will need the Foul Weapon soon,” Lion Court answered. “Mortals have few weapons against alicorns and must use what's available. That’s three. Let’s step up the pace shall we?” His horn flashed, and he disappeared from sight.

Two possibilities quickly crossed Rarity’s mind when her opponent vanished. He had either turned invisible, or teleported. On instinct, she whirled to face her back, but the pain, and the blood loss, left her body unable to follow. She stumbled again just as Lion Court grasped her by the mane.

Lion Court pulled her close, inspecting her critically. “Just as I thought,” he said. “You look lovely in red.” He pushed her aside just in time to avoid a couple of swipes from her blades. Two of her mage-blades clattered to the floor. Concentrating on all four had proven too difficult. “I’d say this is the end of our duel. Thank you for the wonderful time, Miss Rarity." He suddenly turned his head to reveal a second cut that ran down the side of his neck. "And I owe you an answer. ‘till our next duel!”

“Wait…” Rarity said weakly. She took one more step, before falling to her knees.

“Stay still, Miss Rarity,” Lion Court said without looking back. “If you bleed out, your information will die with you.” He opened the door to the restaurant, and started shouting. “Help! Help! There’s been an attack in here!”

Rarity tried to stand, but her vision continued to worsen, and the floor only seemed to come closer. She couldn't faint now. Others had to be told of where Rainbow was heading. “Of all the worst things that could happen…” She collapsed completely.

Unshakable Loyalty

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 29: Unshakable Loyalty

A couple of days had passed since Hashymissa's group successfully captured Scarlet Rabbit, and the coatl pony. They made their way south as stealthily as possible, holing up during the day, and traveling cautiously at night. Though the slaves she picked were all pegasi, Hashymissa had them stay on the ground to avoid the aerial patrols.

It didn't take long for them to notice an increase in those patrols, slowing progress. It helped that their “ally”, Longstride, was on a lookout.

By noon, the group had hunkered down in what their map called Ghastly Gorge. They stayed in a cave by the river, disguising the entrance as best they could.

Scarlet Rabbit continued to struggle, forcing them to keep him bound tightly, and suspended from a pole for two slaves to carry. The coatl pony proved more manageable. Hashymissa rode her when they traveled by coiling her tail around her torso, and she had yet to act up.

Indeed, even after all her years of managing Hassyth’s slaves, it was a rare thing for Hashymissa to encounter such a docile, easily-controlled pony. Whenever she had seen it, it was either an Ophidus-grown pony, or a desperate criminal fleeing from Equestria, eager to forget a former life. After the initial dose of Emperor's Tears, the coatl pony knelt, walked, stopped, and turned on command, as if she was a properly bred slave trained since birth. If only all ponies were like this, Equestria would be a productive, well-ordered province in the span of a century.

Despite the initial success, Hashymissa remained on edge. In her lifetime of service to Hassyth, this would be the first time she suspected that she was in over her head. The Equestrian Legion was searching for them with a fervor that could only mean that they had taken some important ponies.

If she had been allowed to decide, she would have refused to do this based on their method of infiltrating Equestria alone. Too much depended on their mysterious benefactor. If this Black Rose decided to abandon them now, her group would be stranded in the middle of a nest of very angry ponies. She didn't put her master above being blinded by the prospect of recapturing Scarlet Rabbit. For all their power and influence, the coatls were a superstitious lot. Hassyth’s fortunes began their decline when he lost his prize racer to a Legion raid. Gaining him back had to be the signal for their return.

As the one to do all the work, Hashymissa wasn't as excited by the prospect. She also didn't like that Black Rose's gains in this arrangement remained vague. And those were just the distant concerns. At the moment, one of the slaves, Wild-eyed, had been glancing at the coatl pony whenever he thought Hashymissa wasn't looking.

“Wild-eyed,” Hashymissa hissed. “You fancy the coatl pony.”

“Not at all, mistress,” Wild-eyed replied. His tone told Hashymissa his real answer. He was a strong pony, with muscles showing under his mint-green coat. His dark green mane was cropped short; the standard cut for all slaves. He was a hard worker, and smart enough not to trip over his own hooves when asked to do something. He was starting to show some wear, however.

“I wasn't asking a question,” Hashymissa said. She fingered the whip attached to her harness. “Are you calling me a liar?”

“Certainly not, mistress,” Wild-eyed replied. “It’s exactly as you say.”

‘This one is good,’ Hashymissa thought. “If that’s the case, then why hold back? You might go crazy during the wait.”

As expected, Wild-eyed’s face lit up, though he kept his voice cautious and respectful. “But…but what about…well…possible consequences?” he asked.

Hashymissa smiled reassuringly. “We can always purge her once we get to Ophidus. Go on, relieve yourself. I’m responsible for this mission’s morale after all.”

“A-are you sure, mistress?”

In the blink of an eye, the tip of Hashymissa's whip lashed at Wild-eyed’s shoulder, drawing a trickle of blood. He grunted, and fell to his knees while the other pegasi tensed. The whip was already coiled, and back in its place before anyone could follow it. “Don’t second-guess me, pony!” she hissed.

“A thousand pardons, mistress,” Wild-eyed said. He didn't even dare to nurse his injury under her scrutiny.

“Take her outside,” Hashymissa said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “There’s a niche of rocks nearby that’s hidden by bushes. The sight of you ponies at it is enough to ruin my meals.”

Despite his wound, Wild-eyed eagerly grabbed hold of the chain attached to the coatl pony’s collar, and gave it a tug. Still dazed by a recent dose of Fool’s Cap, she stupidly stared at Hashymissa, who nodded her towards Wild-eyed.

“Does anyone else want a turn?” Hashymissa asked the remaining seven in the cave. Two of them stood up. She took note of their faces of those who stood.

A minute had passed when then the coatl pony suddenly dashed back into the cave. She was breathing hard, and her eyes were wide with panic. Blood had spattered on her back, and wings. The other ponies quickly grew alarmed, but Hashymissa merely turned towards the two who had stood up earlier. “Drag Wild-eyed in here,” she told them. It was past lunch time, and she had a hunger for some fresh meat.

They were soon dragging in the lifeless body of Wild-eyed. A lone arrow had buried itself into the back of his head with its point poking out between his eyes.

“They've found us!” one of the pegasi exclaimed.

“That’s not a Legion bolt,” Hashymissa replied. “It’s from the same weapon that brought down our prizes to begin with.” She looked towards the two from earlier. “Do you want your turns now?” Both ponies shrank back, and went to their own parts of the cave. She looked to the coatl pony. “Back to your corner."

The coatl pony lay her head down by a corner of the cave. None of the ponies around her gave her so much as a glance this time. Hashymissa would have chuckled if she wasn't all too aware of what her demonstration entailed. Hassyth didn't care for who Black Rose was beyond a useful ally who pointed him towards his lost property, but his vipren steward was more diligent. This Longstride was a highly dangerous pony, and he was but a servant. How dangerous was this Black Rose?

When the mint-green pegasus started dragging her outside the cave, the coatl pony was barely aware of what was happening. The world was a fogged up place of dulled sounds, muted colors, and pleasant feelings. She had looked to the mistress, thinking that the snake wanted her to do something. If it meant more of this sensation, she would do anything.

Once outside, things took a horrible turn. The mint green pegasus shoved her against the stone face of the gorge, just by some bushes. When he grabbed her tail, a rising panic beat back the euphoria. She was just about to struggle when the arrow struck.

Hot liquid spattered across the coatl pony’s back and wings as the stallion fell over. At the sight of the arrow, her mind exploded with sudden, familiar sensations and memories: the feeling of cold snow under her hooves, somepony’s blood spattering on her body, the snarl of a monstrous creature, ponies being struck by bolts and, most of all, a crushing sense of failure that gripped her heart tightly. The images cut through the haze of euphoria as easily as sunlight cut through morning fog.

The cave’s darkness offered no comfort when she rushed back in. The mistress merely ushered her over to a corner, then ordered the other pegasi about. The coatl pony huddled by herself, desperate for some more Fool’s Cap, but all the mistress tossed her way was a rag to clean herself up. The coatl pony did her best to reach all the difficult spots, straining her neck at some points. The blood was seeping into her coat, and tainting her insides. She had to get it all off.

The surge of unwelcome thoughts worsened at the sight of the crimson rag. Hot blood splattering across her face, cold snow pelting her back…what did it mean? She looked around the cave, trying to find something to focus her thoughts on. Her eyes locked on to the red pegasus they kept tied up by a far corner of the cave. He squirmed in place, his green eyes wild, and frenzied. They had gagged him so his jaws worked relentlessly against the ropes, and cloth they had stuffed between them. How long had he been like that? Days? He seethed with so much rage that it seemed to rise from him like steam. He caught her staring, and she looked away on impulse.

‘Why?’ she thought. ‘Why am I thinking all these things?’ She clutched at her head, pressing her hooves against her skull to try and squeeze out all the garbled thoughts, the unwanted images and, most of all, the constant feeling of failure. What had she failed at? She had done everything the mistress asked! She was even rewarded for behaving!

“You still want that race?”

"He's nowhere near a pegasus like you, right? You're fast, you've got your Sonic Rainboom and, most importantly, you mean what you say."

She pictured that same red pony saying those words. They made no sense no matter how confident and reassuring they tried to be. In fact, the red pony’s face was accompanied by fear and pressure. He was smiling, but there was nothing to smile about within those eyes. That smile weighed down on her more than when the mistress rode on her, or when the other pegasi pulled on her collar. Sonic Rainboom? What was that? She didn't have anything. She was just a lowly slave.

“Rainbow, has Scarlet…challenged you to a race?”

The red pony’s image faded and the sight of a white unicorn’s concerned face replaced it. There was that word again; “Rainbow”. Wait…was that her? Unlike the previous face, this one resonated much stronger. The images flowed swiftly, a white unicorn with a neatly styled purple mane…whirling blades, a rainbow-colored dress, butterfly wings, and excessive make-up…

‘Rainbow…’ The coatl pony “tasted” the word. Was that her name? It sounded like a name coming from the white unicorn.

"I think it's wonderful that you're staying here again, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow Dash…yes. That hit the nail on the head. That was her name, not “coatl pony”. She held on to that name as if it were a piece of driftwood in the sea of her muddled thoughts. Who was this white unicorn? Rainbow felt something different with her image; comfort instead of uncertainty.

“Rainbow! You’re hurt! What happened?”

“Let’s have a sending off party! It’ll be fun! We can mix it with our victory celebration!”

Two different ponies entered the picture. A pink-maned yellow pegasus, and a pink earth pony. They contrasted starkly with each other, one a picture of worry and the other joyous and carefree. Both gladdened her for some reason. She felt as if she’d been ignoring these two. What had she been doing before the mistress captured her? Where were these ponies, and why was she not with them?

“How about we pledge to protect this ‘new’ Ponyville?”

The purple unicorn hit another chord. To protect…that was what she was doing. Or…at least that was what she was trying to do. Was that why this crushing sense of failure won’t go away? Had she failed to protect something or somepony? The sight of blood filled her mind again. Blood and snow…why was it blood and snow?

“What are you waiting for? Fly!”

There was another pony, an orange earth pony mare in plate and chain barding, standing alone in a field of snow, and holding back the jaws of gigantic wolf-like creature. A massive swipe and Rainbow’s vision filled with blood. This was it. This was where the sense of failure came from. Rainbow pressed her face against the cold stony ground. Maybe that was why she was here. Maybe this was punishment all along. She shouldn't have tried so hard to remember if this was the truth. She looked at the mistress in a different light; punishment.

“Rainbow!”

It was the same earth pony as before; standing on the street while Rainbow looked on from above. No condemnation showed on the earth pony’s face, just a genuine sense of acceptance.

“Stay with us tonight!”

The words struck Rainbow hard, harder than all the others. The confusion shattered at the blow. No, this wasn't punishment. Nopony inflicted this on her for any reason. Not Applejack, not Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy or Pinkie. She saw things clearly now. She had stupidly taken on Scarlet’s offer to race, then flew over to the edge of Canterlot, where both of them got easily taken down, and captured. She stared at the snake-monster that had captured her. This thing was no executioner. It was just some cowardly reptile taking advantage of a bad decision. She tensed, ready to charge into the snake, and fight her way out.

‘No!’ The haze of confusion had made it so hard to think that being able to was like being able to breathe after almost drowning. She was weak from carrying this snake all night. If she charged, she would easily be repulsed, and subdued. Even if she did make it out, there was still the sniper that had captured her in the first place, and killed the pegasus stallion earlier.

“What are you looking at, coatl pony?” the snake monster asked. “Do you need something?”

Rainbow looked meekly away. She had broken through their hold, but they shouldn't know that. If they saw that their poison wasn't working, they’d double the dose. Better to pretend that she was just some meek little slave, and look for a way to escape. She had to brace herself when they used more of that stuff that caused her to forget what had happened in the first place. She was not going to be led around anymore.

Night eventually settled, and everyone was on the move again. To Rainbow’s fury, the snake monster coiled its tail around her torso, and rode on her again. Its scales chafed against her wings, and its oppressive weight bore down her back. Her still-bandaged flank ached with each step.

“Put some spring into those hooves, coatl pony, I intend to get us to the edges of this Heartland before sunrise,” the snake monster hissed.

Rainbow grit her teeth, and nodded. The moonlight was bright enough to let her see her surroundings. At once, she saw an opportunity. It seemed that she had been acting so meek and obedient when they had her muddled up that they didn't pay a great deal of attention to her now. Her rider was more concerned with the where they were going while the other pegasi were distracted with either trying to keep up, or searching the distance. They must be trying to catch a glimpse of the sniper. Out here in the open, they were all sitting ducks.

‘So you like my mane and tail so much, huh?’ Rainbow thought. She remembered the humiliating “inspection”. When no one was looking, she pulled out several strands from her tail. ‘Let’s see how pretty you think they are when they lead my friends right to you!’ She scattered the hairs around some bushes she was passing through. All throughout the night she was going to do this, even if she had to pluck her tail bald.

From his spot, Longstride watched Rainbow Dash with renewed interest. He had been wrong about this mare. She hadn't died in the first few hours. Things were also not going as badly as he expected them to be. During the last few days, Rainbow Dash had been behaving exactly as he expected: as a shameless pony slave without a thought in her head. Ophidite drugs were potent substances, even for hardened legionnaires from the south, let alone for an unexposed chosen mare. Still, Longstride wrinkled his nose at how easy it was for Hashymissa to control who was supposed to be the bearer of the Element of Loyalty. On the third day, he was on the verge of just shooting her when something strange happened.

One of the slaves led her out of their hiding place for some worthless reason or another. It should have been inconsequential. He should have just let it happen, and observed how she handled it. If she was strong, she would survive, if she was weak, she should die. That was why he devised this method to begin with.

But Longstride hadn't just observed. The next thing he realized, the arrow was already leaving his bow. The stallion slave was dead in an instant, and he was berating himself severely. He had provided his assignment with undeserved help, all but compromising the result of this test. It couldn't be helped now. He hoped that his mistress wouldn't be too displeased with his botching that part.

However, the result had given him pause. He saw the gleam of recognition in Rainbow Dash’s eyes when she saw his arrow strike. He had triggered something, and that was when he knew that his failure was serious.

“Longstride,”

Longstride stiffened when Black Rose's voice came from his collar. “Yes, mistress,” he replied, his tone neutral.

“I felt a flash from the Element of Loyalty. Has something happened to Rainbow Dash?”

Longstride’s lips twisted. “Yes,” he answered. “It is difficult to tell exactly what, mistress, but something has been triggered.”

Black Rose’s voice took on a pleased note. “Isn’t it wonderful?” she asked. “The pony you had so little faith in is the first to show some mettle! Don’t you just love it when expectations are shattered?”

Longstride frowned, but said nothing. It was true that his expectations were shattered, but that was easy when he expected nothing. Half a minute of silence passed before Black Rose spoke again.

“What’s wrong, Longstride? You should be happy. You can boast to the other thorns that your test proved most effective.”

“Loyalty is the virtue even dogs excel in,” Longstride replied. “But you’re right, mistress. I am glad to know that one of the key figures in saving Equestria is, at least, on the same level as a dog.”

“Our favorite rainbow pony is finally growing on you,” Black Rose said. “Once she returns to her friends, you ought to apologize to her for shooting her cutie mark.”

“As you wish, mistress.”

“I assure you that, when that time comes, it won’t be my wish that will motivate you. Keep up the good work, Longstride.”

Longstride’s collar device fell silent. He let out a long, controlled exhale as Rainbow Dash's captors made their way out of Ghastly Gorge. He didn't see the reason for apologizing, whether it was for shooting Rainbow Dash’s cutie mark, or forcing her to endure a small taste of what Ophidite captivity was like.

This was to be expected. For all his enhanced vision, he failed to see many things that his mistress did. He doubted that the rest of his fellow thorns did either. Sablesteel certainly wasn't shy about expressing her doubts. Lion Court may prance and posture, but he was just in the dark as any of them. As for the new recruit…she was no proper thorn until she completed her first mission.

Longstride silently glided to the next perch as Rainbow Dash moved farther away. It was a difficult balance of distancing that he had to accomplish as he was also keeping track of another group of ponies. A couple of Special Operations squads had gone in the right direction, and were moving dangerously close to Rainbow Dash’s captors. He had considered eliminating them, but decided against it. They were the means by which Rainbow Dash might actually survive this test.

‘Interesting, it almost seems as if I want to see her succeed.’

Longstride shook his head. No, that was asking for too much. A single “flash” from the Element of Loyalty did not mean much. It was a hopeful sign that Black Rose eagerly gambled with. That his mistress had always succeeded with her gambles should not be considered. There was a first time for everything, especially when one tempted fate.

Families and Friends

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 30: Families and Friends

When Rarity first didn't appear for work a couple of days ago, Hammer Chain had assumed that she decided she’d rather be out shopping with her friends instead of practicing her new-found craft. Disappointing, but understandable. It was only much later did news reach him that his apprentice had been hospitalized for fighting in a restaurant. He hadn't pegged her as the sort to get into a barroom brawl, or whatever they called fights in a restaurant. She had too much of an elegant air about her. He had her figured for the sort who’d lay down a challenge ahead of time, and turn the whole thing into a formal spectacle. He wasn't too worried though, especially after his last visit.

Hammer Chain closed the door behind him. “You look awful, Rarity. I hope the other pony looks worse. Please tell me you sliced off a limb at least.”

Rarity pouted. “Normally, I’d be offended by somepony telling me I look awful, but I suppose I deserve it this time." A look of embarrassment followed that pout. “Unfortunately, my opponent escaped with all his limbs intact. I didn't leave him completely unmarked though.”

“There’ll be other chances.” Hammer Chain took a seat next to his apprentice. “So who was this pony you fought with?”

“His name is Lion Court.”

Hammer Chain snorted as he walked past Canterlot General Hospital’s front doors. “Didn't leave him unmarked” his apprentice said. She wasn't lacking for confidence that one.

When he arrived at Rarity’s room, his apprentice was nowhere in sight. All he found was Fluttershy tidying up the place.

“Oh hello, Mister Hammer Chain,” Fluttershy said. “Are you looking for Rarity? She went to the exercise yard to practice with those blades of hers.”

“You sure she’s fit enough for that?” Hammer Chain asked. “Last thing I need is my apprentice splitting her wounds open, and gushing blood all over your exercise yard.”

Fluttershy balked for a moment before shaking her head. “N-no, she’s fine,” she said.

“Fluttershy!” somepony shouted from behind Hammer Chain. “Leave the tidying to maintenance, and take your break! Terrato grind me, filly! Do I have to order you to rest?”

“I will! I…um…I need to check on somepony!”

Hammer Chain smiled, and followed his old friend. The chosen hospital staff tripped all over themselves to get out of Redbrand's way. “So how many ponies have you mangled in this chosen hospital, Redbrand?” he asked.

“There’d be a lot less if I didn't have to work with these butter knives you keep passing off to me as scalpels, Hammer Chain,” Redbrand groused. “Come on, or are you just here to see your prissy apprentice? From the looks of her, you haven’t even bothered to teach her which end of the knife goes where!”

They settled down on Redbrand’s new office. Canterlot’s medical ponies had tried to give Redbrand, and the other Barrier Lands ponies a warm welcome. The plush office must have belonged to a high-ranking pony, or was built specifically to make sure that the hospital didn't offend. The floor and walls were fine hardwood, the desk and chairs were well-crafted, and the shelves were lined with various medical books. There was even a small, white fridge by one corner of the room. Most of the amenities looked untouched. Hammer Chain wondered if Redbrand had even bothered to spend time in this room, which was easily twenty times better than his office in Fangbreaker.

Redbrand took out a bottle from the fridge, as well as a couple of glasses. Hammer Chain glanced at the liquid as Redbrand poured it, and frowned. “That’s not brandy I see," he said.

“Good eye,” Redbrand muttered. “At least you haven’t roasted your eyeballs in that oven you work in.”

Hammer Chain snorted when he took a sip of the golden liquid. Light Beer. If this stuff was any weaker, he may as well put a teat on the bottle. He had a fairly good idea why Redbrand was using this stuff for anything besides gargling in the morning. “That yellow filly has you whipped, Redbrand,” he said. “I haven’t seen this since you and Floral could stand being in the same city.”

“I don’t want to hear my nag wife’s name.” Redbrand drained his first glass with a single long pull. “Damn it, now you've reminded me!”

Hammer Chain’s eyes narrowed with concern. “Reminded you of what?” he asked. “Has something happened?”

“Got another letter a few days ago,” Redbrand replied morosely. “She says the riots at Glacierfall are getting worse. She wants to move to Canterlot.”

“Why Canterlot?” Hammer Chain asked. “Does she want to pretend she's a noble, and bleed you drier?”

“Shut your horse mouth.”

“Fine, fine.” Hammer Chain hoped that Redbrand’s colt would make the trip too. Summer Squall’s presence would definitely help. “How are you doing in this new post then?”

“Horrible,” Redbrand said. “Everything's too sweet. I swear even the tap water has sugar in it. The chosen act like lunatics if they get so much as a glass of booze down. And why is it so prince-damned warm here? It’s winter! I’ll melt if summer catches me in this flowerpot of a city!”

Hammer Chain chuckled. “It’s not so bad. You can grumble all you want, truth be told you’re looking better than you've ever been for years. I wonder why that is?” Hammer Chain didn't need to stretch the truth. There was a brightness and clarity in Redbrand’s eyes that he had not seen since Shimmer Wing died all those years ago. There was also a little more vigor in his steps.

“You’re looking too hard, Hammer Chain,” Redbrand replied. “Maybe your eyes are better off being roasted in a forge fire.”

Hammer Chain drained his glass, frowning when he didn't get even a mild buzz. “You may as well have served me water,” he muttered.

“I just might,” Redbrand replied. “These damn drunks are going to force drastic measures.”

“Don’t even joke about it.” Hammer Chain headed for the door. “Well, I'd better not disturb Rarity while she practices with her mage-blades. I’ll see you around!”

Redbrand merely nodded, and poured himself another glass as Hammer Chain left.

Redbrand had downed his third glass when a knock on his door forced him to put away the bottle. “Come in!” he called out. The door opened a crack so a single green eye, and a long lock of pink hair could peer through.

“Excuse me, Doctor Redbrand…”

“I told you to take that break, Fluttershy,”

“Well, I was…I mean I was going to after making sure Rarity wasn't gushing…I mean, they just brought in an injured legionnaire who refuses to let the other staff take care of him. He keeps saying he wants a Barrier Lands pony to treat him and…well…the other Barrier Lands ponies are taking their breaks so I--”

“He’s going to get a hoof upside his foal head,” Redbrand growled. “How’s that for Barrier Lands treatment?”

“Please be gentle,” Fluttershy squeaked. “He broke a foreleg stopping a brawl.”

Redbrand flung the door open, nearly causing Fluttershy to fall face first to the ground. He was about to leave when he paused, and looked back at her. The crippled legionnaire who thought he was too good for chosen doctors could wait. “What’s with the gloomy face?” he asked. “Something else wrong?”

“Well…um…no, not really…it’s just…”

Redbrand waited, his eyebrows slowly inching closer to each other with each passing second. Finally, Fluttershy managed to drag herself out of the muck of um’s and well’s she often fell into.

“I've been trying to get in touch with my other friends: Rarity's busy training, Pinkie's busy learning from this strange earth pony.” Fluttershy cast her gaze downwards. “Applejack and Twilight are off somewhere with Vanguard, and they wouldn't tell me when I asked.”

“They’re Special Operations now, filly,” Redbrand said. “That means they’ll be doing a lot of things they don’t need, or want you to know. Get used to it.”

“But we’re friends!”

“Especially because you’re friends.” Redbrand pretended to scratch his head, but that was only to keep his hooves busy, and away from patting Fluttershy in comfort. “Don’t take it personally. They’re not doing it to spite you.”

“I wish I could do something for them,” Fluttershy said. “I don’t want to just wait here until they come back hurt. First Applejack, now Rarity…and I know Rainbow’s in some kind of trouble, even if they won’t say anything.”

Redbrand snorted. “And you think you’re going to be lucky, and stay by the sidelines?” he asked. “I don’t know what the whole business with these ‘Elements of Harmony’ is, Fluttershy, but you’re kidding yourself if you think you’ll be spared whatever’s happening to your friends. Like you said, even your insane, pink friend’s up to something. You’ll get your turn. I don’t know what that turn’s going to be, but you’ll get it. You should be glad you can take small breaks for now, so go take them.”

Fluttershy nodded, then looked out a nearby window. Redbrand followed her gaze for a moment. Somewhere south of here, Vanguard’s new squad was up to something. He didn't know what, but he wished them luck, if only so Fluttershy wouldn't be so distraught on their return.

Vanguard's squad finally caught sight of their quarry at Macintosh Hills. The search for Rainbow and Scarlet had been a confused tangle of conflicting reports until, of all ponies, Rarity pointed them in the right direction. The pattern wasn't lost on Vanguard. This was the second time that Rarity, who was barely able to keep up during the march from Fangbreaker, had proven vital in fighting Equestria’s enemies. South of Canterlot was still a broad stretch of territory to cover, but knowing that they were secretly being brought to Ophidus narrowed things down.

It was easy to assume that the group would choose to cross Macintosh Hills rather than reveal themselves in Appleloosa, or brave the Palomino Desert. Few trees dotted the hard, snow-covered ground, but the rolling terrain and the outcroppings of rock provided places to hide from patrols. They had more than just a general direction as well. A day ago, First Squad discovered strands of Rainbow’s hair along a trail in Ghastly Gorge. More trailblazers quickly followed. They covered a lot of ground faster than a group of slaves and two prisoners. Now, they were about to end this chase.

Their targets, several indoctrinated pegasi, had found an outcropping of rocks under the shadow of a large hill. They were hunkered down and wary, but fatigue left them distracted. Vanguard couldn't see the ophidite leader, or the captives from his vantage point. Behind him, Twilight, and Applejack looked ready to explode. First Squad had circled around to make sure no one escaped.

“We’ll take out that sentry first," Vanguard said. He pointed towards one pegasus who was farther away from his fellows. Twilight’s horn glowed, but he waved his hoof to stop her. “No flash for now.” He looked to his vice captain. “Applejack, yank him over here. Break his neck before he can call his friends.”

Applejack nodded, and swung her lasso. The looped end flew, and the links stretched with magical force. The beige pegasus noticed his new silver necklace. Before he could say anything, Applejack gave her chain a hard tug. The body flew towards them so fast that Vanguard fell to the ground to avoid being smacked in the face. The corpse crashed behind them, but none of the pegasi seemed to have heard anything.

Minutes passed before the pegasus’s absence was noticed. More pegasi gathered around the spot where the -now dead- guard should be, allowing Vanguard to properly gauge the enemy’s strength. Six pegasi were in sight. Two hung back, while others ventured cautiously to check on where their comrade. A lone vipren, sheltered in the deepest part of the hill’s shadow, started hissing orders. Rainbow was there as well, but there was still no sign of Scarlet. This was likely the whole group. They wouldn't have attempted to infiltrate Equestria with anything larger. When four of the pegasi stood closely enough together, he glanced over to Twilight. “Take them out, unicorn mage.”

A great surge of blue-white lightning burst from Twilight's horn. The bolt crashed into the nearest pegasus, consuming him greedily like a living, starving creature, leaving only charred remains in its passing. It jumped towards the next pegasus before he could scream, and devoured him as well. The other two started to run, but only got a half step before the bolt finished them off. By the time Twilight’s spell fizzled, four corpses lay twitching on the ground.

Vanguard had not even waited for the spell to strike when he charged with his two-bladed sword in his mouth. When the spell was done, he was already upon the remaining two pegasi. His first swing cut open the first one's neck, spraying blood on the snow. The second one reared up, and Vanguard brought the other end low, stabbing deep into the pegasus’s belly.

The vipren hissed loudly at the sudden carnage. It was about to flee when Rainbow suddenly gave a loud cry, and knocked it down, pinning it in place. First Squad raced in. By the time they made it to the place, the fight was over. Twilight pulled Rainbow away, and steadied her while Applejack had her chain wrapped around the vipren.

Bad Arc looked at the charred corpses, and let out a snort. “Nice work, Purple Pyre,” he told Twilight.

Twilight glared. “My name is Twilight Sparkle, not Purple Pyre!”

Bad Arc didn't seem to hear her as he went over to the ophidite. “Make it easy for us, vipren,” he said. “What’s the empire’s business this deep in Equestria?”

The vipren merely hissed again. Vanguard had expected that. He was more concerned about his other squad mate. They found Scarlet gagged, and tied to a pole. Applejack and Twilight tried to free him, but he struggled violently against his bounds.

“Calm down, Scarlet!” Twilight said. She ran out of patience, and cut through the ropes with magic. In an instant, Scarlet had already pinned the vipren to the ground. Both Applejack and Twilight could only stare at the empty space where he was half a second ago.

“Where is he?” Scarlet shouted at the vipren as soon as he could tear away his gag . “Where’s Hassyth?”

Vanguard tried to pull Scarlet away. To his surprise, Scarlet wouldn't budge. Scarlet’s eyes bulged from his head, and he breathed in deep, ragged gasps.

“Where else, Scarlet Rabbit?” the vipren said. “He’s to the south, waiting for his prize racer back in Ophidus!”

Things quickly made sense to Vanguard. “Scarlet, Hassyth is not a priority right now, settle down!” he said.

“They said he was dead!” Scarlet shouted. “I’ll kill him!”

“Stop him!” Vanguard shouted to the others. He jumped after Scarlet, as did Applejack, and Twilight. Even Bad Arc made the jump. They almost crashed into each other, and Scarlet was already gone. Vanguard turned around just in time to see a red dot quickly receding into the horizon. “Damn!”

“I’ll get him!” Rainbow said.

“Rainbow, no!” Applejack said. “Just let him go! Did you see the look on his face? He’s gone plumb crazy!”

“I can’t just leave him behind now!” Rainbow flew off before anypony could stop her.

“Bad Arc!” Vanguard called.

“Don’t look at me, Clash,” Bad Arc replied. ”Didn't you see how fast they just went? There’s no catching up to them.”

Vanguard gestured for Applejack and Twilight to follow, and made his way southwards. He was going to catch up eventually, even if it was only to pick up those two idiots wherever they inevitably crashed.

Rainbow beat her wings as hard as she could. She didn't even want to think about being tired. She had to catch Scarlet. If she didn't, he’d probably fly all the way to where the rest of these snake monsters were, and end up dead. She was about to shout his name, but changed her mind. She was going to need every scrap of breath she could get into her lungs. No sense in wasting some in a futile attempt to get his attention.

‘Please, Celestia, Luna, Terrato, whoever in the Eternal Herd is in charge of flying, let me catch up to him! Please!’

Rainbow flapped harder, the strain slowly burning through her wings. She couldn't even see Scarlet. It was all she could do to keep from giving up. He could be miles away, and impossible to catch up to. Just how fast was he flying? A few seconds ago, he was moving as if he was teleporting, and he had spent days struggling against his bonds. How much strength could he still have in him?

‘The truth is, you've been a pretty awful friend, Scarlet,” Rainbow thought. ‘I've been through one mess after another because of you.’ Still, she also understood something else. As badly as she ended up following Scarlet, he had willingly extended a hoof in friendship when she was in a strange and violent land. She had taken it gladly, and did share some good times with him. ‘I’m not leaving you behind anyway!’

She was approaching the speed that would trigger a Sonic Rainboom. Sure enough, there was a powerful explosion of colors, and the world turned into a blur. Still, there was no sign of Scarlet. Not even the trail of red he left behind when he flew. The dismay nearly crushed her heart. Was he just too fast for her? What would have happened in that race? Would she have been eating his dust at the get go?

‘No! Forget the race! This is more important than any race! More important than being the fastest! I can’t lose!’

Another couple of dismal minutes passed. Rainbow searched desperately for any sign: a speck of red, a loose feather still drifting in mid-air. Anything. She was going to slow down at some point, but the burn was still nothing but a dull ache at the back of her mind. Instead of slowing down, however, she seemed to be going faster. Something strange was going on. Days of being ridden and being ordered about should have sapped her strength, but she was flying at dizzying speeds with no problems. In fact, she felt invigorated, ready to keep this up for hours if she had to. She looked down on her hooves. Was that a faint, light blue shimmer surrounding her? What was that about? Maybe she was just imagining things.

Finally, she spotted a red speck against a blue sky. Rainbow felt another burst of renewed energy. She didn't know if she was flying so fast that she caught up to him despite the head start, or if he had simply started to tire, but she didn't care. Her heart was racing, and he was coming closer with each beat.

Then, she was on him. Rainbow dove in from above, and grabbed hold of Scarlet, dragging him from the sky. He let out a roar of rage and frustration, and looked to see who would dare grab him. Upon seeing her, a flash of recognition lit his face. “Let go!” he snarled.

Rainbow shook her head. “You have to stop this, Scarlet!”

“Hassyth’s over there! I have to kill him! I have to!”

“No, you don’t!” It didn't take much for Rainbow to piece together the clues. “He’s not your master now! Why should he decide what you have to do? Don’t be a slave! You know what’s more important!”

Scarlet’s breathing grew even more ragged. He struggled to peel Rainbow off him, but she held on for dear life. A minute passed, and he screamed at the top of his lungs. With that, Rainbow dragged him down. They tumbled against the ground before crashing against a large tree.

They lay there for a long time, gulping in air as if they had almost drowned. Eventually, Rainbow let go of Scarlet, and got up. She cast aside any feeling of joy over being able to catch up. Now, there was the problem of getting back. The ground was moist and covered in bushes. They were surrounded by vines and trees. The sounds of insects and birds filled the air. “Where are we?” she asked.

Scarlet sat up. He was still panting when he looked around. “Dunno,” he said. His voice was husky, almost gone from all the screaming. “Maybe just between the Heartland, and the Southern Barrier Land. Maybe all the way to the Southern Barrier Land.”

Rainbow scraped the mud off her hooves and coat. The strong smell of damp earth tickled her nostrils. They had to get back. She hoped that they had been flying in a perfectly straight line. Then, it dawned on her. The sniper. The sniper was still out there. It was a miracle that neither of them got shot on the way here. Was the sniper still watching them? They had flown so fast and so far, it seemed impossible. But what if he was there? What if, the moment she flew past the trees to have a good look, she’d have another arrow stuck into her flank? What if they really were in the Southern Barrier Land where more ophidites awaited? She balled all her fears in a lump, and swallowed. There was no sense in just waiting and worrying.

“Well, let’s go,” she said.

Beloved

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 31: Beloved

Heavenly Basin. This was supposed to be a forgotten corner of Equestia for Terrato. A grave for some lifetime he wanted to leave behind. Yet, here he was coming back to it like a lovesick foal. The still air and the permanent twilight were suffocating. Memories of times when he happily came to this place, often unannounced, dug at old wounds. That must be why Black Rose insisted on meeting him here. She knew this place unbalanced him. She was banking on him being disturbed enough to be vulnerable.

The ruins hadn't changed. He doubted even a speck of dust had been moved since he last came here. The water around them was mirror-smooth and the night sky above was bereft of clouds and stars alike.

And there she was, standing at the center of where her tower used to be. Silhouetted by moonlight, her coat gleaming in the silvery illumination, Black Rose looked every inch an alicorn princess. She wore a black, long-tailed coat with a gold trim, and the Legion’s emblem proudly emblazoned across the left-side of her chest: the formal uniform Legion High Commander, a rank he had created just for her. Her crimson mane spilled across her neck and past her shoulders, the locks curling at the tips. As she walked closer, he caught the faint scent of mountain wildflowers.

‘I come here for answers, she comes dressed for a party.' Terrato had never been one to appreciate dressing up. When a celebration came up, he looked forward to the food, the booze, the music, and the lively conversation. He didn't give a crap about the dresses the mares were wearing. He especially didn't appreciate dressing up when there wasn't an occasion.

'She looks so lovely.'

Terrato frowned at the unbidden thought.

“I am so glad you decided to come, beloved,” Black Rose said.

“You offered some interesting things to get me here, Black Rose,” Terrato replied. “If you deliver even half of those, I’ll be glad I came as well.”

Black Rose's steps were tentative, but deliberate. As the distance between them shortened, Terrato focused as he would with an enemy’s approach. He raised himself high without lifting his legs, hooves ready to strike, and spells at the fore. Black Rose stopped just several feet away, a hint of disappointment crossing her face. “Where do you want me to start?” she asked.

Terrato would have insisted on learning Rainbow Dash’s fate, but that was two days ago, and information had been retrieved about her situation. That left one pony looming across his horizon. “Gravitas,” he said. “What do you know about his movements?”

“You overestimate me. My network does not extend to the Eternal Herd.”

“Neither does mine,” Terrato said. It was true. He knew a lot of alicorns in the Eternal Herd, but few would readily socialize with a rebellious prince. Gladio was willing enough, and Magnus had always been ready to share information with those who asked, but that was the extent of it. “But you mentioned him. What is he up to?”

“He will be coming here soon,” Black Rose replied.

Terrato’s eyes widened. General Gravitas, hero of the battle for Elys, hero of the First Strike, the alicorn who vanquished four of Oceanus’s six handmaidens, and easily one of the Eternal Herd’s greatest warriors. Gravitas was coming here. A long, long time ago, that alicorn was his hero. Celestia gushed over Lexarius’s oratorical prowess, especially when the issue of Oceanus's spawn came up, but he read, and re-read, each account of Gravitas’ exploits. He shook his head. The time of hero-worship had long since gone. This was also Gravitas, the alicorn who wanted nothing short of the complete destruction of Equestria, the alicorn Celestia detested, and spoke against over and over when Lexarius was no longer around. “How can you be so sure?” he asked. “He hasn't been appointed to do anything in this world.”

“A thousand years ago, that may have held him back,” Black Rose replied. Her characteristic serene smile slipped. “He is growing impatient. My plans have left him a great opportunity to seize control of Equestria’s fate, but his window is quickly closing. I cannot imagine him waiting until Celestia recovers her strength, and Equestria stabilizes.”

“How did you come across this information?” Terrato asked.

“Simple. From Gravitas himself. I must start with the beginning or this explanation will be a very slow move from one dramatic revelation to the next. Please indulge me, beloved, I know how you hate theatrics.”

Terrato snorted. “I’ll listen."

“Thank you,” Black Rose said. “Did you ever wonder how I was able to perform the Ascendancy Ritual you created for me despite its destruction?”

“No,” Terrato replied. “You had done the impossible yet again. At that point, the only thing that I wondered about was my incessant underestimation of you.”

“I’m flattered, but I didn't accomplish the task on my own. Gravitas has been doing more than speaking out us. He found out about your research in the Eternal Herd’s library, and he contacted me while I was piecing together the Ascendancy Ritual.”

Black Rose brushed a stray lock of her mane from her face. Terrato recognized the slight hint of embarrassment. His “faithful student” prided herself for being subtle. Being caught by Gravitas would have been a humbling experience.

“I had expected him to disrupt my work, and alert you so I can be punished,” Black Rose went on. “Imagine my surprise when he offered to fill in the missing pieces for a price.”

Terrato didn't have to. The surprise that struck him at the moment more than gave him an accurate estimation of what Black Rose must have felt. It didn't make sense. Finding out that one of Oceanus' children was trying to become an alicorn would have offended Gravitas greatly. Why would he choose to help Black Rose? Unless…

“Gravitas offered a completed Ascendancy Ritual.” Black Rose smirked as she went on. “At least, his very convenient version of it; slay an alicorn, and absorb her power. Yes, he said “her”, and he certainly offered no ideas on how to reach the moon.”

“Obviously to further his own agenda,” Terrato said. He fought to quell his anger at the mere thought of Gravitas wanting to harm his sister. “If Celestia was censured by an Equestrian, it would only prove his point that all of Oceanus’s children are too dangerous to spare.”

“And I told him just that,” Black Rose replied. “To his credit, Gravitas did not take me for a foal by trying to pretend otherwise. He told me that this was a necessity especially with the Ninth Rebellion closing. He even promised to cover up my part in the deed, and personally welcome me to the Eternal Herd as an alicorn.” Black Rose's smile widened. “He was very solemn about it too. Almost believable.”

Terrato could only agree. Gravitas would never accept that an Equestrian could ever become an alicorn. Once the deed was done, he would have denounced Black Rose to the Eternal Herd, and finished her off to hide his involvement. “Yet, you went along with his plans,” he said.

“Do you honestly believe that I would work with an alicorn who wants to destroy what I've tried to protect for so long?” Black Rose asked. ”Isn’t it enough proof that I haven’t killed Celestia?”

The tremble in her voice brought on old aches in Terrato’s chest. He shoved them aside. “Where do all your recent actions fit in?”

“Gravitas will come here under the pretense of dealing with the theft of Celestia’s power. I have no doubt that he will use the opportunity to execute Princess Luna’s previous sentence. With Celestia almost powerless, he will send you back to the Eternal Herd for causing the Sixth rebellion, and taking part in the Seventh. That leaves him in full control of Equestria’s fate.”

All of what Black Rose said was true, but that wasn't what concerned him the most at the moment. Terrato was beginning to understand what his former student was planning. Black Rose had fallen silent again. Terrato waited patiently this time. This wasn't theatrics, he could tell that she was reluctant to say so much. “Beloved…let me have the Foul Weapon.”

“No.”

Black Rose’s smile returned. “That was quick,” she said. “Not even a pause for your faithful student?”

“What were you expecting?” Terrato asked. “Did you think I would even consider allowing anypony to use the weapon that hurt my father?”

“Despite its name, the Foul Weapon is ultimately a mere tool,” Black Rose said. “With it, I can destroy Gravitas without retaliation. He would be censured from this world, sparing Equestria from the destruction that a battle with him would cause.”

“Your brother says otherwise.”

A genuine look of regret crossed Black Rose’s eyes when she spoke again. “Blue Moon’s intentions are misguided,” she said softly.

“There’s nothing misguided about wanting to protect you.”

For the first time since her return, Black Rose’s eyes widened with surprise. She let out a short gasp as he crossed the remaining distance between them. “Do you think I’m blind?” Terrato asked. “You think I swallowed that nonsense he was spouting about you taking over the Eternal Herd? He thinks he can spur me to urgency by making your plans seem that dire. I see right through him.” His horn glowed, and the first few buttons on her coat became undone. “And I see right through you.”

Terrato’s magic worked not merely as telekinesis. He “brushed” against the layer of illusions surrounding her tentatively, waiting for her to react. Black Rose visibly tensed, but she offered no resistance as he began to dispel the magic. His lips pressed into a grim line when the image of a lustrous black coat wavered around her chest, and revealed the truth.

A web of hairline cracks, centered where her heart would be, had begun to spread across Black Rose’s chest. They seeped golden light, as if she was a being of radiance barely contained by an outer layer of flesh. She looked away at his scrutiny.

“You must have known this would happen,” Terrato said. “You are not meant to wield the power of sunlight. No matter how great the need, and no matter how high your mastery over magic is, it will burn through you from the inside out. Return it to my sister, and leave Gravitas to us.”

“I will not.”

“Don’t be stubborn!” Terrato said. Black Rose didn't so much as flinch. He bit back the rage, and lowered his voice. “You've been talking for quite a while. Why don’t I finish for you?”

“Oh? This will be interesting. How much of my intentions have you read already?”

“You have two immediate goals: forcibly have Celestia’s barrier down to begin reunification by stealing her power, and doing it for her and to fully realize the strength of the Elements of Harmony by throwing them into danger using your Thorns.”

“Those are easy enough to guess,” Black Rose replied.

“Yet here comes Blue Moon, your most loyal Thorn, talking about you wanting to acquire the Foul Weapon, then taking over the Eternal Herd. That didn't make sense until Gravitas became involved. You went with his scheme so that he would come here. If you can remove him from the picture, Equestria will be safe from the Eternal Herd.” Terrato paused for a moment. “Am I right so far?”

“Very close,” Black Rose said. “You do understand me well after all.”

“Equestria would be united and, with Gravitas gone, the Eternal Herd will be united in protecting Equestria as well.”

Black Rose nodded, her smile widening.

“There are two snags however,” Terrato went on.”Slaying Gravitas in this world will merely censure him. He’ll remain a problem in the Eternal Herd. So you need for the Foul Weapon. You will also be the prime example of Equestria should be destroyed: a false alicorn who dared to steal the princess’s power, and use Oceanus’s weapon. However, the fully realized Elements will rise to defeat you. They will be ultimate proof of the true potential of mortals, and should serve as enough of a reason to spare Equestria.”

“I could not have explained it any better,” Black Rose said. “You do understand, beloved. All you need to do is to have your agents stand down. Make things easier for me, and keep the Elements of Harmony in the dark.”

“No.”

Black Rose's smile quickly faded. “Why not?”

“Blue Moon rejected your plan, didn't he? That’s why he came to me with wild tales of you wanting to take over the Eternal Herd. He feared that I might agree with your plan so he thought to manipulate me into stopping you.”

“As I said, his intentions are misguided.”

“What if the Elements fail? What if all your tests break them?”

“They will die.” Black Rose’s voice took on a harsh note. “They will die slowly, and painfully, for their incompetence. I will have to wait, and be the tyrant if I have to until necessity causes the true Elements of Harmony emerge.”

“I will not let you do this, Black Rose.”

Black Rose's eyebrows furrowed; an extremely rare sign of frustration. “This is for Equestria’s sake, beloved. The Ninth Rebellion is coming, and everything must be ready.”

Terrato shook his head. “Then Equestria will have to be ready through some other means.”

“Don’t be selfish! Why would you hesitate now? You see how Equestria can be saved, and how little the cost compared to it!”

“I am done fighting for an Equestria that can only be saved by grand lies, and letting others die.”

Black Rose raised an eyebrow. “You say that even though you threw a baby dragon into the violent heart of his kind’s politics?”

It was Terrato’s turn to crack a smile. “Clever Black Rose makes a mistake at last,” he said. “I suppose a teacher can only be so proud for so long.” His face hardened. His answer puzzled Black Rose, but she let the matter go. “Why did you even bother coming here?” Did you think you could bring me to your side by telling me parts of your plan? I am not backing away, and neither are you.”

The next words left Black Rose like a sigh. “I still had to try,” she said. “I knew the chances were next to nothing. I still wouldn't forgive myself if I didn't make the attempt. However, that is not the main reason why I asked you to come here.”

“What is?”

Black Rose’s eyes softened. Terrato steeled himself. It was centuries ago when he would fairly melt if she turned that sort of gaze on him. For some damnable reason, it felt as if it was only last night. She raised a hoof, and touched the base of his neck, which was really as high as she could reach without rearing up.

“With all that is happening, this will likely be the last chance I can meet you alone like this. “

Terrato answered by leaning until his snout was but an inch from Black Rose's. The smell of her breath, mixed with the faint hint of wildflowers, was intoxicating. She closed her eyes, and crossed the remaining distance, pressing her soft lips against his. He kissed her back, resisting the urge to press forward, and gently place her on her back.

He unleashed his magic. In the split second it took to complete the spell, Black Rose opened her eyes, and jumped back. Her horn flashed as she intoned her own spell. Terrato had expected the swift reaction, he also knew what the next spell would be. Black Rose was going to teleport away, and he would never see her again like this. A dimensional anchor was too risky. As soon as he missed, it would be over. He used the area-centered dimensional lock instead. A dome of gray light exploded from his horn, and quickly engulfed the entire island. Black Rose flapped her wings, and made a dash towards the edges of the spell.

Terrato worked on a second spell even as he expanded the dimensional lock as far as he could. An enormous chunk of earth, shaped like an eagle’s claw, burst from the ground, and made a grab at Black Rose. She dodged it easily enough, but three more attacked her from different directions.

In an instant, the entire island, and the surrounding lake, had turned into a forest of claw-shaped stone pillars. Black Rose weaved through them, all the while trying to get past the limits of Terrato’s dimensional lock. At one point, she unleashed the power of sunlight, shattering several pillars with a blaze of golden magic. Terrato easily replaced them.

Terrato blocked every means to leave the Heavenly Basin save for a straight ascent, then raised his stone claws to snatch Black Rose if she attempted to fly up. He held his ground as a great shaft of concentrated sunlight flew at him. The spear struck the ground nearby in a dazzling explosion.

‘Her sunlight spears are unstable,’ Terrato thought. He strained to keep both his dimensional lock, and his stone claws, going. The entire world was a blur of blinding whiteness, and the shadows of his stone claws moving. He extended his tremor sense through the claws, and several feet beyond them. He couldn't see Black Rose, but the vibrations from her wings gave him a good approximation.

Another sunlight spear struck the ground. This one was near enough to be uncomfortably hot. Either Black Rose was getting serious about attacking him, or she was finding it more difficult to use her newly-acquired power. ‘Yet, she’s relying on it exclusively,’ he thought. Black Rose’s pride was talking. Don’t underestimate me, I can control this power.

The stone claws had cornered Black Rose when she cast one more spell. A massive explosion of sunlight centered on herself forced Terrato to shield up. His stone claws shattered all around him. He reformed them a second later, but it was already too late. He had felt the great draft she caused as she blasted upward and out of his dimensional lock. By the time his vision cleared, she had escaped.

Terrato merely shook his head. He had expected to feel a little angrier, but it was hard to make out the jumble of emotions going through him at the moment. It had always been difficult to treat Black Rose as an enemy even when he had believed that she wanted to take on Celestia’s power for its own sake. Now that he understood her intentions, it only got worse.

What hurt the most was confirming what he had been thinking about. Black Rose called him “beloved”, but it was obvious that she did not trust him with Equestria’s future. Indeed, she trusted nopony but herself with protecting the realm. It was her grand scheme from beginning to the end. Was that the supreme expression of the confidence that he had always admired? Or was it because she was too afraid of being disappointed by anypony anymore? His thoughts briefly turned towards a particularly annoying subject. Twilight Sparkle had seen her teacher vulnerable and fallible, yet she never wavered. He felt…envious. It was such an odd sensation. He had never envied Celestia for any reason: not her power, not her grace, not her authority. Of all the things to envy, it was Twilight Sparkle’s faith.

Terrato touched his lips briefly with a hoof. Eager to forget that envy, he tried to remember the sensation of that last kiss. He would never be able to reconstruct that moment, even with all his magic. Black Rose promised that this was their last face-to-face meeting. He let out a sigh, and looked around him. His attack had devastated the landscape. They broke the island into several fragments, and blasted the ruins of the tower to the bottom of the lake. ‘So much lost so carelessly…’ he told himself. He had told his eldest sister about her half-assed plans driving the ones she loved away. Truth be told, he was worse.

There was the future to tend to. Black Rose wasn't going to stop. Her Thorns remained on the move, and out to get the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. She was still poised to seize the Foul Weapon, and she wasn't going to return Celestia’s power until it was too late. The threat of Gravitas hung over him darkly. He needed to talk to his sisters about this. Even the prospect of sifting through what he learned today, and sharing what needed to be shared would be problematic. He doubted his ability to defeat Gravitas in open combat, even with Luna at his side. He needed allies, or a really effective plan.

Or perhaps just a powerful enough weapon.

The sun would be rising soon. Perhaps he would see flaws in this one. Black Rose had expended a great deal of power. That final blast of sunlight alone drained her severely. As he prepared a teleport spell, he glanced back at the Heavenly Basin one more time.

“This isn't farewell, Black Rose. I promise.”

What Must Be Done

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 32: What Must Be Done

The sun was setting by the time Vanguard called for a halt. Twilight felt torn between following orders, and protesting. Her body desperately wanted to follow orders; she was exhausted, and aching all over. Her mind wanted to press on until they found Rainbow. ‘That foal…’ Her worry and anger mixed into an unpleasant cloud above her. The mission should have been over. Instead, they were trekking across Equestria, saddled with the impossible job of trying to keep up with the fastest flyers they had ever known. Those two might make it all the way to the Southern Barrier Land at the speed they were going. They escaped one ophidite, but they might end up surrounded by an army of the things. ‘Stupid, stupid, Rainbow…we have so many things to take care of besides this!’

Applejack walked beside Twilight and looked at her worriedly. “You okay, Twi?”

Twilight nodded. Applejack also looked tired, but not as much as she was. That was mortifying considering that Applejack was walking around in barding. ‘It’s the conditioning,’ she reminded herself. ‘She’s used to hard work, and to that barding.’

Ahead, Vanguard nodded towards a stand of trees. “We’ll set up camp for tonight."

As they continued south, the rolling terrain of Macintosh Hills had given way to a flatter, more forested region. Twilight had never been this far south of Canterlot. They had the San Palomino Desert to the west, and the Bad Lands to the east. She was thankful that they didn't have to trek through all that dryness, but that was a small comfort. The ground was rugged, and uneven, with bushes scattered all around. Snow hadn't touched this part of Equestria.

They had a fire going pretty quickly. By the time it was dark, they were all sitting next to a steady blaze, and munching on concentrated feed. As her frustrated worries about Rainbow receded into the darkness with their surroundings, Twilight was finally forced to confront something that she had been avoiding throughout their trip.

She had just killed ponies.

Not just a pony. She killed several in a single stroke of lightning. She hadn't dared to so much as glance at what she had wrought. The sickening smell of burned flesh nearly made her faint. Even without seeing them, her mind formed unwanted images: badly charred fur, partly melted skin, mouths open in frozen screams…she shuddered, and fought back the urge to vomit.

She should have been prepared for this. She had been caught off guard when she killed her first wolven. This should have been different. She had been ready. She believed that she was ready when she asked to join Special Operations.

What was all that preparation for? When she first saw Rainbow's kidnappers, she had readily thrown aside any other thought besides saving her friend. Captain Bad Arc had called them "pony-shaped ophidites". She had held out those words as if they were a shield as she had cast her spell. They didn't get to scream. She barely caught any of their features before the blast charred them beyond recognition. Perhaps, that was a blessing. They were kidnappers working for the enemy, that was all she needed. She didn't want to know their names or how they ended up where they were. If she did, she would hesitate and Rainbow would be lost.

All of that was in the moment of spell casting. When they followed Rainbow’s reckless charge, the thoughts she had so eagerly shoved aside slowly crept back. She looked for ways to delay the inevitable: she focused on the scenery, thought about how much of an idiot Rainbow was, and tried to keep up with the others without looking like she was exerting herself. Sitting by the fire, she felt alone with her thoughts even with Applejack and Vanguard only a few feet away.

The justifications came to mind first. They were the ones that easily found words. The guilt was a heavy presence that accused her without having the say anything. She had to do it. Orders were orders. What was she supposed to have done? Argue with Vanguard, and give Rainbow’s captors time to react? She would have given that jerk, Bad Arc, another reason to cast doubts on her.

“I say Third Squad should lead the attack on this one,” Bad Arc said. The rest of his squad had already taken their seats in the briefing room.

“Any particular reason why, Bad Arc?” Vanguard asked.

“It’s a perfect opportunity to cut your new squad’s teeth. It’s also their friend, and one of your squad mates on the line here.” Bad Arc’s stare was hard, and challenging. “I’d really like to see what Third Squad can do with its chosen members. After all, the youngest captain in Special Operations must have picked them because they made the cut; not because they’re pretty, or they asked nicely, or because they have a lot of clout in the Heartland.”

Twilight bristled, and was about to say something, but Applejack held her down with a hoof to her shoulder.

Twilight’s hesitation would have only given Bad Arc more reasons to cast his doubts. Vanguard had taken a big risk in letting her join his squad. She couldn't afford making him look like a foal for agreeing to her request. Even if…even if…

Like a pair of hooves pressing tightly against her throat, the guilt silenced her reasons. None could stand before the fact that she had killed those ponies. She squirmed in place, then looked to the two who shared the fire with her. This was far from the first time Vanguard had killed a pony. Indeed, the first time she had encountered him, he was on a mission to do just that. As for Applejack…Applejack didn't seem bothered. She sat next to Vanguard like a perfect soldier while Twilight squirmed, and wrestled with her conscience. It wasn't fair. Rainbow had done her share of killing too. As did Rarity. In fact, both of them killed a pony inside Clover’s refuge. They didn't struggle like this. Was she really so weak? A miserable little chosen who balked each time she had to--

“Protect Equestria!”

Pyre’s image loomed across her thoughts. Her scorching presence sent even the oppressive guilt quailing. Twilight remembered that fierce gaze, and the bruising grip of those hooves. Most of all, Twilight remembered the angry, mocking tone Pyre used to hurl her final words. Protect Equestria…she was doing that. She had always been doing that. Yet, Pyre challenged her as if she had only come upon the idea recently. She matched Pyre's angry glare with one of her own. ‘I will protect Equestria, you…you nag! I don’t need you to tell me!’ she thought. The image of the dead ponies threatened to emerge again, but she used her growing anger to shove the thought aside. She refused to be smothered by this guilt. She will protect Equestria.

“No matter the cost and no matter who pays it!”

Twilight balked at those words. Surely there had to be a limit? Pyre had gone too far. Too many lives had been sacrificed to break the barrier. It shouldn't have cost that much. But there was sense in Pyre’s words. Not only that, they were the ones that offered respite from the guilt.

“Put it above yourself, and whatever small, pathetic, personal goals you might have!”

Twilight stared at Applejack again. Small, pathetic, personal goals…trying to keep up, worrying about Applejack’s affections towards Vanguard; was that what it meant to have small, pathetic, personal goals? Were they hindering her as Pyre accused them of being?

Applejack suddenly flinched, then stared right back.

For Applejack, a certain sense of monotony helped dull the ache of what she had just done. As they walked across Equestria to catch up to Rainbow, she simply let all her thoughts glaze over, and put one hoof in front of the other. The rhythm settled in, just as it would back in Sweet Apple Acres: buck the tree, collect the apples, haul the baskets away…simple, demanding work that left her muscles aching by the end of the day. As the sun set, she would look forward to getting a nice long bath, and lying on her bed with that satisfied feeling of another good day’s work completed.

When Vanguard called for a halt, she was panting, and sweating. This was the first time she had had to travel so far in her barding. There was comfort in her fatigue, though. One way to look at it, she had done a good day’s work. Rainbow was still out there with Scarlet, but it was better than being taken away by an evil snake to a life of slavery. She helped gather the wood, then stood back as Twilight blasted a blaze into being.

The sight of the fire bursting from Twilight’s horn brought Applejack back to those moments. The enchanted chain was still coiled around her neck, and it felt especially cold against her coat. Lassoing had always been a sport to her: fancy tricks to impress the other ponies, win ribbons at the rodeo, and to catch some critter. That all changed in those moments.

She had felt the pony’s neck snap through the chain. It was as if the sound traveled through the links, and made its way to her mouth. She had nearly dropped it in her surprise.

The chain was Apple Slice’s weapon. “The One Bad Apple” was no farmer, and he wasn't a regular in rodeos either. This thing had never seen any other use other than hurting and killing. How many enemies of Equestria did Apple Slice kill with this thing? How many was she going to add to its count? ‘Am I going to be “the Other Bad Apple” or something?’ she thought.

Applejack looked up again, and found Twilight staring at her so intensely that she flinched. ‘What’s that look for?’ she asked silently. Was it scorn? How much of her thoughts did her face show? Twilight probably saw right through her. Twilight killed several ponies with a single spell, and insisted on joining Special Operations. Compared to that determination, Applejack's doubts must come off as weakness.

“The two of you, listen,” Vanguard said.

Applejack shook her head, and paid attention. Twilight did the same.

“I’ll take the first watch. Get some sleep. The both of you will take the second watch afterwards.”

“Um…shouldn't we divide the watches into three?” Twilight asked.

“My apologies. Did I sound like I was making polite suggestions?” Vanguard settled into a comfortable position while the two turned in for the night.

It was likely well past midnight when Vanguard woke Twilight and Applejack up for the next watch. Twilight wondered how he was able to walk so far in such heavy armor, then go on to take the first watch without any problem. He didn't even look like he was straining to stay up. His division of the watches also baffled her. He could have gotten more sleep if he chose to let her, and Applejack take separate watches.

“Hey, Twilight,” Applejack said. She yawned, and sat just a foot away.

“Hey,” Twilight replied.

Silence reigned after that brief exchange. Twilight felt ashamed. That was how random strangers greeted each other, not good friends. Surely, she had something more to say to Applejack than that? “This is some mission, huh?” she asked. She cringed at the second attempt.

“Yeah…” Applejack replied. “Some mission.”

Again, they were silent. Dawn was creeping up on them, and all they had to fill the time was the gentle crackling of the fire. Twilight looked to Vanguard. He had his back turned to them. How he could sleep in that suit of his without chafing, or waking up stiff was beyond her.

“Twilight.”

Twilight turned her attention back to Applejack. “Yes?”

Applejack leaned forward. “How do you do it?”

“Do what?” Twilight looked at Applejack in confusion.

“You know…" Applejack dragged a front hoof against the ground. "Burning through those ponies just like that, then marching on like it was nothing. I don’t know if I could be strong like that.”

“What?” Twilight stared at Applejack, a hint of indignation creeping up on her for a moment. When it was clear that Applejack wasn't making fun of her, she lowered her voice. “It’s not like that at all. I thought you were the one who snapped that pony’s neck, and marched on without any worries!”

Applejack’s eyes widened. “Without any-- You mean, I-- but you--”

Silence again. This time, it wasn't the empty silence of being unable to voice anything out. Understanding filled the void, one that didn't require words.

“I thought I’d be stronger by now,” Twilight said softly. She breathed a bit easier now. She tossed a twig into the fire. “Strong enough to do what has to be done without flinching so much.”

“I don’t think it has anything to do with being strong,” Applejack replied. “If it does, I don’t think I want to be that kind of strong.”

“No matter the cost!”

Twilight let the orange-red glare fill her vision. The blaze reminded her of the burning carnage Pyre Valor left of the wolven camp during their first encounter, of her first fireball, and their fight on that rooftop. Pyre Valor was “that kind of strong”. It was a strength that she needed; especially now against Black Rose. She had listened to Rarity’s story about Lion Court, and it confirmed what she had feared even back in Bastion City. Ponies served Black Rose. To fight that false alicorn, she would have to fight these ponies. “It’s not a matter of us wanting to or not,” she said.

Applejack stretched out her forelegs, and rested her head on them. “It just ain't right,” she said. “How’s killing other ponies supposed to be for the good of Equestria?”

Twilight’s expression hardened. Her relief dissipated like droplets of water before this fire. She would have felt the same some time ago, but they were fighting for so much here. They needed this sort of strength. Applejack had achieved so much already: hearing the Queen's voice, receiving that strange shield, that magical chain, and a promotion. Hearing her talk like this was...infuriating, and the fury lessened the ache from her guilt. “Then why did you join up with Special Operations?” she asked. “What did you think we were going to be doing?”

Applejack looked like Twilight had lunged at her with a weapon. “W-well, it was…it was because…”

Twilight's eyes narrowed. “It’s not just because Vanguard asked you, is it?”

Applejack looked away. That was a guilty enough expression. “That’s just one reason,” Applejack murmured. She stared at some far away point, and repeatedly glanced back to Twilight.

The words came so swiftly that Twilight almost didn't even notice that her lips were already moving.

“That’s pathetic.”

The hurt look on Applejack’s face was swiftly followed by an angry, defensive glare. “Oh yeah?” she asked, her voice rising. “What’s your reason?”

“To protect Equestria.”

“Well, I want to protect Equestria too! That doesn't mean I--”

“That should be the only reason.”

The first rays of dawn began to emerge, but the two of them greeted it wordlessly. It was a sullen Applejack who went over to wake Vanguard. Twilight's chest tightened. She had gone too far, and she didn't even know why. Where were these sudden bursts of anger towards Applejack coming from? She had to put that aside for now. With the new day’s arrival, the hunt for Rainbow was back on.

Rainbow opened her eyes to the sight of a dying campfire. She stared at the blurry image for a while, unsure of whether she was dreaming or not. Then, she rolled over, and tried to get in just a bit more sleep. When it entered her mind that she didn't remember setting any camp or going to sleep, she sat upright.

“Good morning!” Scarlet said. He sat opposite of her with a wide grin on his face. “Just in time for breakfast!” He tossed her a bundle of greens. “I hope you like randomly picked grass. I'm not really familiar with the greens this far south. If you’re feeling adventurous, I also found a few mushrooms over there.”

“Scarlet?” Rainbow asked. “What happened? Why was I asleep?” She looked around her. They were still in the woods they had crashed into.

Scarlet chuckled. “Don’t remember, huh? It was pretty hilarious! You were standing there all heroically, saying that we should go. Then, you took your first step, and plopped right on your snout!” Before Rainbow could make an annoyed reply, he fell into a somber mood. “Well, now that you’re up, I’m off.”

Rainbow blinked at the sudden change in Scarlet's tone. “Wait. What? What do you mean you’re off? Where are you going?”

“Off to kill Hassyth, where else?” Scarlet replied. He took one more step before Rainbow was already standing in front of him.

“No,” Rainbow said. “I've talked to you about this the last time, didn't I? You don’t have to do this!”

Scarlet didn't look fazed. “Maybe I don’t have to, but I sure would like to before I die.”

“Die?” The word left Rainbow perplexed. She took a step back. When Scarlet was about to take flight, she stood right in front of him again. “Why would you die?” she asked.

“The Captain’s going to kill me,” Scarlet said. “By now, I’m sure he knows about me trying to race you against his orders. Even if he doesn't, he’s going to find out.” He looked far away for a moment, seeing something that Rainbow couldn't see. “I hope he just cuts off my head, or something. I’m not too keen on hanging. It takes so long, and you have all these ponies staring…”

“The Captain?” Rainbow asked. “Vanguard? There’s no way Vanguard would kill you. You’re his squad mate!”

“Oh, he will. He said so. When the Captain says he’ll do something, he’s going to do it. He’s awesome that way.” The admiration in Scarlet's tone faded. “But I don’t like that I’m going to die while Hassyth's alive,” he growled. “I’m going to kill that snake bastard first, then go back to let the Captain do his job!”

“That’s stupid!” Rainbow insisted. “I won’t let you!”

Scarlet frowned, and tried to side-step Rainbow. “Look, I stuck around because you were unconscious, and in the middle of nowhere. You’re fine now. Go…be the Element of Loyalty somewhere, or something!”

Scarlet flew past Rainbow. Before he could disappear into a streak of red, she had already grabbed him by the tail with her mouth. Scarlet's hind leg lashed out, smashing into Rainbow's chin, and sending her tumbling several feet backwards. He paused to check on her briefly before flying off. He managed a few feet more before she was already hovering in front of him.

“You’re starting to piss me off, Rainbow!” Scarlet said. “What do you want?”

“I’m not letting you throw your life away,” Rainbow replied. “We’re going back!”

“Don’t you get it?" Scarlet shouted. "I’m already dead! I just want to take Hassyth out with me!”

“No, you’re not!” Rainbow shouted back. “I won’t let Vanguard kill you. Or Prince Terrato. Or anypony else in the Legion. This race is my fault too. If they kill you, they’ll have to kill me too!”

“Get out of my way, Rainbow.” Scarlet’s voice dropped low.

“No.” Rainbow's voice was just as steely.

“So you think, because you caught up to me, that you’re hot stuff, huh?” Scarlet raised his forelegs in a fighting stance.

Rainbow tensed. She did catch up to him. She didn't feel like a winner, though. She didn't know how she won. Did she accomplish it by being faster than him, or did being the bearer of the Element of Loyalty give her an advantage? Those moments were muddled with too much urgency, and high emotion. Maybe she did win. Maybe she had already proven that she was faster than him. That didn't matter this moment.

“I’m going to hit you with a right hoof straight to the face,” Scarlet said. “No tricks. Just an onward rush, and a straight right hoof to the face.”

Rainbow raised her forelegs. A straight right hoof to the face should be easy enough to block. She had only seen Scarlet fight with a crossbow, and he could be a crafty hoof-to-hoof fighter, but there was sincerity in his words.

“Are you ready?” Scarlet asked. A second passed, and he started to move.

Rainbow didn't know what happened between that second, and the part when she was flying from a straight right hoof to the face. It appeared as if she had blinked, and he had struck her. But did she blink, or was that brief darkness already his hoof closing in on her face? She struck the muddy ground, rolling past grass and loose stones, before slamming back-first into a tree.

“Sorry about that!” Scarlet called out. “You were being really stubborn!”

Rainbow was on her hooves at once. Her vision was blurry, and spinning, but she flapped her wings. She instinctively flew towards Scarlet’s voice. Again, she was hovering in front of Scarlet before he could fly anywhere. The look of utter surprise in his face nearly made it worth getting smashed by his hooves. Rainbow let herself smile a little. Some blood leaked from a nostril, and left a metallic taste on her lips.

“Just let me go already!” Scarlet cried out.

“No.”

Scarlet raised a hoof as if to strike again. “I’ll knock your brains out!” he snarled. “I’ll break your wings so you can’t follow me!”

“No.”

His forelegs shook, and his teeth ground so hard that Rainbow could have sworn she heard them from where she was. Finally, he relaxed. “Why not?”

Rainbow’s smile widened slightly. “I don’t like losing,” she said. “That includes friends.”

A Thorn's Purpose

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 33: A Thorn’s Purpose

“The Element of Loyalty is flaring up, Longstride," Lion Court said. "The mistress expects a report on the current situation.”

“Why isn't she the one contacting me?”

“She’s a little...indisposed at the moment. Nothing that should concern you.”

“The target has moved out of range. I am unable to verify her current situation.”

That short exchange between him and Lion Court continued to replay itself in Longstride’s mind as he scanned the forest for his targets. His wings ached with each flap; the consequence of trying keep up with the two as they made their mad dash. It was impossible. Strain as he might, all he saw were two very small dots on the horizon descending before completely escaping his vision. All he had was a very vague approximation of where they might have landed.

That was yesterday. It was already late morning of the following day. He was still caught in yesterday until he found his target again. That it was Lion Court who communicated with him was vaguely bothersome. It was his reply, however, that provided the greatest distraction of the moment.

Longstride had served as a Legion sniper for more than half his life. He had taken down brachyurii, coatl overlords, and ursan titans, with a properly timed and placed shot. Never, in all those years of service, had he ever said the words “the target has moved out of range”.

Being a member of Black Rose’s Thorns left little room for hubris. Talented as they were, each member was but a tool to be used by a far greater pony for a purpose larger than any of them. Rainbow's speed was never in doubt. There had always been that chance that she would be able to fly out of sight. He wasn't humiliated that she did so. But...

Longstride had been sure that Rainbow was the worst of the Elements of Harmony: impetuous, arrogant, undisciplined, and not very bright. Yet, she had gained some attunement to the element she bore, and her mind had survived when he was sure that it would have crumbled instantly. He had misjudged his target greatly, and this didn't sit in well with him. He flitted through the trees, careful to reveal as little of his presence as possible.

“Have some faith in Rainbow Dash.”

Black Rose’s request remained with Longstride. Faith in Rainbow Dash. It had occurred to him that he just might be in the cusp of having that. It was a dangerous thing to happen. At the start of this mission, Rainbow’s demise was nothing more than a setback. He would shoulder some of the blame for getting her killed, but that was it. Seeing what she had done, and was still doing, left him wondering if she might be worthy of her heavy responsibility. This should be a good thing; a stronger Rainbow meant more success for Black Rose’s plans. Yet, here he was, caught between wanting Rainbow to succeed, and maintaining the distance he deemed necessary.

Looking for two pegasi in a wood was no small task. A squad of legionnaires could comb this area without turning up anything. He didn't have a squad of legionnaires. Not only that, he had to make sure that he wasn't seen. The noon sun was upon him when he finally sighted something among the trees; a flash of colors followed by rustling leaves. Rainbow led the way while Scarlet followed reluctantly. They had taken to flying beneath the trees to avoid being shot. Longstride conceded that Rainbow was, at least, smart enough to learn from earlier mishaps. There had to be some way for her to survive up to adulthood after all.

Longstride took cover, and nocked an arrow. They were passing too close for comfort. If they were wolven, or ursans, and were downwind of him, they’d be lunging towards his hiding spot already. The range provided him with some advantages as well. He could observe them a little better, and notice more details.

Rainbow was sweating too profusely for her speed. She may be lacking in prudence, but she was no slouch when it came to athletics. Half a day’s flying should not leave her panting, and sweating like this. The after effects of those drugs must be taking hold.

Scarlet Rabbit had noticed as well. Not surprising with his own history of ophidite drug usage. Longstride aimed the arrow at his neck. Scarlet’s purpose was over. From now on, his continued survival would only prove harmful to Rainbow. A single shot should take care of the matter.

“Longstride…”

Black Rose’s soft, low-pitched voice flooded Longstride’s ears. He lowered his bow. “How are you feeling, mistress?” he asked, his voice low, and far from the earshot of his targets.

“Much better. I see that you've finally caught up with Rainbow Dash.”

“Yes. I am about to make adjustments as we speak.”

“Take a little more time to consider, Longstride.”

Longstride flitted to the next available hiding spot as the two moved on. “Scarlet Rabbit’s elimination should prove more beneficial in the long run," he said. "She has more important friends to draw out her loyalty.”

“I’m not just talking about the effects of Scarlet Rabbit’s death.”

“I do not understand, mistress.”

“How do you feel about the whole matter?”

Longstride’s answer was pure reflex. “My feelings about this matter are irrelevant.”

“If I required you to simply assassinate somepony, that would have sufficed. Your task is a bit more complicated this time.”

Longstride still didn't understand. He had his reasons for having to do this. Scarlet was a liability, likely to drag Rainbow into more trouble than was needed. Wouldn't it make sense to eliminate him? He looked at his target again.

Rainbow had landed under one tree in exhaustion while Scarlet hovered near her. Whatever effect that the Element of Loyalty had on Rainbow appeared to have its own drawbacks, which were combining with the aftereffects of both the Befuddling Grass, and the Fool’s Cap. There was also the beating she took from Scarlet, and the still-healing wound on her flank. She was a far cry from the arrogant, undisciplined filly he first encountered when he took on this mission: one of her eyes had swollen badly, there was fresh blood on the bandages around her cutie mark, and it also looked like she was having trouble keeping her balance. Through it all, she acted as if she would drag herself, and Scarlet, back to Canterlot if she had to.

Longstride lowered his bow. Rainbow had risked much to keep Scarlet from getting himself killed. A single shot would render all her efforts, efforts that included drawing strength from the Element of Loyalty, meaningless.

“Look, I’ll carry you on my back if you want me to,” Scarlet said. Rainbow shook her head. Longstride almost felt glad about that answer. There was the stubborn, foalish pride he knew. The two were forced to lengthen their short break into a long rest. Rainbow lay on her belly while Scarlet gathered some nearby grass for lunch.

Longstride's eyes widened when he saw some of the grasses that Scarlet pulled out. Rainbow was about to be treated to some of Sablesteel’s favorite ingredients! “Foal,” he muttered. Long years in the north must have frozen any knowledge of southern herbs in Scarlet's mind. Longstride raised his bow again. His first instinct was to shoot the grass out of Scarlet’s mouth. However, an arrow from nowhere would send them flying in random directions. Starting a fight or a chase would be detrimental to the mission. Still, he had to--

‘Observe.’

Longstride shook his head. Yes, that was the action he was supposed to take. What had he been thinking just a while ago? If Rainbow died of poisoning. They simply had to replace her. If he had not intervened back in Ghastly Gorge, Rainbow would not have made it up to this point. That act cast doubt on her new-found attunement to the Element of Loyalty. This may be the opportunity to correct his mistake.

“Here.” Scarlet offered the bundle of grass to Rainbow. “You need to eat.”

Something within Longstride to snapped. He quickly undid the straps that bound his survival kit, flew into the clearing with his bow drawn, then aimed at Rainbow. At the sight of him they both flapped their wings for a fight. At least, Scarlet was able to hover. Rainbow flapped her wings a few times, then landed. “Stop right there,” Longstride said. He glanced at Scarlet, before refocusing on Rainbow. “Stand down, stallion. Try anything, and she gets an arrow to the head.”

For a moment, Longstride actually thought that Scarlet was going to try something anyway. He looked ready to charge, but he eventually backed down.

“You’re that sniper,” Rainbow said weakly.

“About a hundred feet from this spot, there’s a small stream,” Longstride told Scarlet. “Get several cups of water from it. You will also spot a type of flower along its banks. They have thin, pointed blue petals in a star pattern. Bring several of them back here. Follow that stream a short distance and you’ll find a stand of slender trees with large, fan-like yellow leaves. Bring several of those as well.”

“What am I supposed to carry the water with?” Scarlet asked.

“About thirty feet behind me, you’ll find my survival kit. Bring it with you.”

Longstride adjusted his position as Scarlet flew tentatively towards where his kit was. Their eyes met for a moment. It was clear to him that, if he lost control of this situation, Scarlet would swiftly beat him to a pulp. With Scarlet off to follow his instructions, he turned his gaze back to Rainbow.

“What are you planning?” Rainbow asked. She glared at him as defiantly as she could.

Longstride didn't reply. It wasn't just because he had no intention of striking any conversation with Rainbow. He was still wrestling with what exactly he was doing. After a while, Scarlet came back with the things he requested. “Build a fire, and start boiling those flowers,” he told Scarlet. “While they’re boiling, find some flat rocks, and grind those leaves into a paste.”

Again, Scarlet did as he was told. Minutes passed while he built a fire, and prepared all the plants. Throughout the whole thing, Longstride kept his bow drawn and aimed. “Apply that paste around her swollen eye, and her scrapes,” he said once Scarlet was done. He then turned towards Rainbow. “Drink that water. Down to the last drop.”

“No way,” Rainbow said. “It’s probably poison!”

Longstride nearly dropped his bow. “I have an arrow aimed at your skull, foal. Why would I bother with poisons?”

It took some time before Rainbow’s indignation lessened enough for the logic to sink in. Longstride waited as she tried a few times to hold the bowl without burning herself. When she got her first mouthful in, she grimaced, and looked about to spit it out, but Longstride glared at her. “Foal of a nag!” Rainbow exclaimed. “This is bitter stuff!”

“Keep drinking. Down it all.”

Rainbow glared back at Longstride, then did as she was told. She let out a long exhale through her mouth once she was finished. “If you’re not trying to poison me, what is in this stuff?” she asked.

“For the fever,” Longstride replied. The confused looks on both Rainbow and Scarlet only served to mirror his own uncertainty. ‘What am I doing?’ he asked himself. He had cornered himself with this foalish decision. What was he supposed to do next? Warn them about following him, and fly off? Guard them from their own foalishness until they made it back to Canterlot? Why had he chosen to step in again?

The answer was obvious, however. He could already picture his mistress reclining on her bed with yet another cunning smile. “A little faith,” she would say. “That’s why.”

Longstride crushed the notion. As best as he could anyway. Maybe, in the recesses of his mind, he was impressed. She had certainly exceeded his expectations. Maybe, a small seed of faith had been planted. Maybe, the Element of Loyalty had chosen well. It was too early. Let the seed be just a seed. “Third Squad is moving south to find you,” he said. “Fly above the trees, and follow that direction.” He pointed a hoof northward. “You will not be shot down if you do this. Try to follow me, and you will both die.” He backed away slowly. “Stay safe from now on, Rainbow,” he said before flying off.

Sable closed her eyes and listened as music flowed from Black Rose’s bedroom. She didn't like Octavia, but she had to admit that this music would have given Rhapsody a run for her bits. It certainly aided them greatly now.

Last night, Black Rose returned from her meeting with Prince Terrato in a foul mood. Unlike her beloved, she didn't thunder, or rumble. Instead, her displeasure wafted from her like a black, toxic fog. Sable felt as if she was about to suffocate when their mistress first came in. Octavia played some sad, haunting tune. After a while, the air in their headquarters lightened. Sable continued to stand just outside of Black Rose’s room with her eyes closed as the last few notes faded away. She heard the doors open, and the sound of a sharp inhale.

“Miss Sable?” Octavia said. “I wasn't expecting you there.”

Sable opened her blue eye, and stared at Octavia. Among the surviving Thorns, she expected herself to be the last to adjust to their newest member. Serving as Black Rose’s agents was just one thing she and Rhapsody had done together. They had grown up in the same village, joined the Legion at the same time, and fought the same enemies. No matter how pragmatically she tried to look at it, she still felt the pangs of resentment that came with seeing somepony take Rhapsody’s place. “I was just going,” she said. Indeed, she was already wearing her gear save for her breather mask, which she had tucked under a foreleg. “I just stopped by to enjoy a little music. You’re certainly talented there.”

A ghost of a smile crossed Octavia’s face. “Thank you,” she said.

“Lion Court said that you wanted to see your family. Have you done so?”

Octavia looked away. “I changed my mind. I think it would be too dangerous for me to show up in Canterlot for now. Especially since I came here.”

Both eyes open now, Sablesteel merely snorted, and moved on. Octavia was aware of their situation, and still stayed. That should be a good sign. Sable had other matters to worry about for now, though. It had been days since she last dealt with Pinkie. From what she had observed, her target had found herself a true earth pony that Black Rose had inexplicably told her to spare. Just how much Pinkie had learned during the first few days of her studies was about to be tested.

“Excuse me, Miss Sablesteel,”

Sable stopped, and looked back. Nopony had ever called her “Miss Sablesteel”. It sounded like something Lion Court would use on the many, many mares he associated with. “What do you want?” she asked. She purposely let a hint of irritation creep into her tone, just to remind Octavia that she didn't enjoy trifles.

“Lion Court told me that your task is to make things…difficult for the pink pony.”

“Lion Court talks too much,” Sable snapped. This was just typical of him, messing around with everypony else’s mission while he did his. “But he’s right. What about it?”

“If you need any help, I’d like to do more than just be the mistress’s personal cellist.”

Sable turned around completely, and studied Octavia, who returned her gaze with a serious mien that left her impressed. “By now, you should know exactly what I do, Octavia,” she said.

“Yes.”

Sable noticed the faint, glowing…thing hovering next to Octavia’s cello. Ever since she found her way here, Octavia had been repeatedly asked to play her cello. The requests were innocuous enough. Black Rose did enjoy music while she worked. More importantly, each performance allowed Warsinger to harmonize with its new player.

“It’s not about forcing,” Rhapsody said once. “Warsinger doesn't seize control to make you do things. It’s more like…it lets you do things you couldn't before. Like having a supportive audience, or having somepony hold your hoof.”

Rhapsody had said that while she was drenched in ophidite blood, her serene voice punctuated by dying hisses. Through harmony with Warsinger, the filly who cried her eyes out when she saw Sable cut herself maintaining gear became the mare that the ophidites called “blood-soaked nightingale”. However, Rhapsody had plenty of time to work with Warsinger, not just a few days. “Did you also make the same offer to Lion Court, and Longstride?” she asked.

Octavia hesitated. “Well…no. I suppose not.”

“Then why make it to me?”

“Well, the pink pony--“

“So it’s a grudge.” Sable walked closer, and stared long and hard into Octavia’s eyes. “We don’t do things out of grudges here, Octavia,” she hissed. “We are the Thorns, and we serve a higher purpose.”

“We are the cleansing dark that floods the land, the judging eyes of the moon princess. We are the Blackmoon Blades, and we raise our weapons only for who we are, not what we feel.”

Sable let her grandfather's words flood her. The Blackmoon Blades were dead, and the moon princess was her enemy, but she still firmly believed that she embodied their ideals. She backed up a bit when she saw that Octavia was holding her ground. “I’ll take up your offer,” she said. “I think it’s time for you to move up in tasks. I’m warning you, this is my mission. You do as I say, and when I say it. If you mess this up, I don’t care if Warsinger picked you. I’m going to stick a needle under your tail, and melt your innards. Are we clear?”

Sable saw a glimmer of fear within Octavia’s eyes. The chosen was still there after all. Perhaps, that was a good thing. Having some form of back up gave her an idea as well. “Do you remember that special chamber in your quarters?” she asked. Octavia nodded. “Go there, and wait. I’ll contact you when I need to. Warm up your cello or whatever you musicians do before performing.” Sable watched until Octavia was out of sight before heading for one of the temporary portals. The ones linked to Canterlot were the most dangerous ones to use as they could be discovered by the Legion. Black Rose already had to destroy a few when legionnaires started to close in on them, including the one Lion Court had used to recruit Octavia.

The dimensional door opened. It was a late afternoon sun that greeted Sable when she stepped out of a hidden cellar in one of Canterlot’s alleys. Her use of this portal would likely bring the need to destroy it, but it would be for a good cause. She had worked with Frenzy Heart enough times to know what a true earth pony channeler could accomplish. All she needed to do now was wait.

As it turned out, she didn't even have to wait for very long. Half an hour later, she could hear the rush of hooves heading towards her spot. Her target appeared by the entrance to the alley.

“I found you!” Pinkie said. She was panting, and she was holding a channeler’s tablet.

“Congratulations,” Sable muttered. Blades sprang from her foreleg devices with a push of a button. Her stinger clinked against the pavement.

“I’m not letting you hurt anypony I care about!” Pinkie said. “You should just…you should just back off, and leave them alone!”

“Or you’ll what?” Sable asked. “You’re going to squeal at me some more? I think I’ll kill one of them just for that.”

“You’re not going anywhere!” Pinkie’s high pitched voice dropped to a growl. She planted her forelegs on the ground, daring Sable to try and get past her.

“I’d compliment you for being brave, Pinkie Pie,” Sable said. “Except bravery includes knowing what you’re in for.” Her tone dropped as well. “You barely have an idea of what I can, and will do.”

Once more, Sable saw that glimmer of fear. Pinkie composed herself, however. “I’m not fighting you alone,” she said. “Captain Nightcanter and her friends were following me when I started chasing after you.”

“Good,” Sable replied. “I could use a workout.” She turned her focus on her communication device. “Are you ready, Octavia?” she whispered.

“Ready."

Sable adjusted her communication device to synchronize with the special chamber in Octavia’s quarters. Then, she took to the air, hovering just high enough to look down on her target. Pinkie's hooves were trembling while she clutched her tablet tightly, but she looked determined to go through with this. This Captain Nightcanter must a Special Operations squad leader. Sable would have a few minutes at best to see what Pinkie could do before the rest of the Legion came down upon her.

“Let’s go.”

Sablesteel began to swoop.

The Last Blade

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 34: The Last Blade

For the very long second it took Sablesteel descend on her, Pinkie's mind raced through an explosion of panicked thoughts. ‘Oh no! Oh no! This is so bad! She’s starting that swooping thing! What do I do? What do I do?’

At the tail end of that second, Pinkie jumped to one side. Sablesteel’s blade-tipped hoof whistled an inch from her ear as she slammed against a wall. Several small things landed a few feet away with loud, metallic pings. She had more pressing concerns, however. Her tablet had slipped from her forelegs, and skittered away.

What was the plan again? She had been so sure when she was running towards this alley. The plan should be simple: find Sablesteel, get Sablesteel to stop trying to hurt anypony, tell everypony that it was safe to return to their normal lives again, then finish with a celebratory song, preferably with Sablesteel.

Step one proved surprisingly easy. Despite all his oddities, Copper Mane did show her how to work the channeling slab. She was able to see ley energy whenever she wanted to now. After that, it was simply a matter of looking for disturbances throughout the lines, just as she had done back in that really scary, and dark place under Everfree Castle. She had taken a huge gamble in running after this particular disturbance, but it had paid off.

Step two was proving to be a rather huge snarl in her plan. Sablesteel was more monstrous than she remembered. Even though she knew there was a pony under that mask, she still couldn't stop trembling. The first swing from those blades also made it clear that this problem wasn't going to be solved by talking.

“Hold still!” Sablesteel’s growl was hollow, and metallic. She made a swift turn after her first swoop, and positioned herself for another.

“Why do you have to do this?” Pinkie asked. She zigzagged through the alley, trying to get to her channeling slab, and make herself a difficult target at the same time.

Sablesteel answered by landing on the slab just as Pinkie was about to grab it. Pinkie yelped, and jumped back at the last moment. She eyed Sablesteel warily, and began to circle around.

“What’s the matter, Pinkie Pie?” Sablesteel asked. “Did all your bravado come from this chunk of shale?”

Pinkie’s eyes narrowed. No, that wasn't true. She had always had her Pinkie Sense. The channeling slab just sort of let her see how it worked. She lowered her stance, then charged. Her sudden move startled Sablesteel for a second, giving her enough time to snatch the slab. That moment quickly passed. A sharp sensation in her mind made her move her head to the right. Another bladed strike whistled close to her face. With another yelp, she made a run for it to recollect herself. Something hard slashed through the hair of her tail, sending strands flying. Pinkie didn't look back until she felt that she was far enough. When she did, Sablesteel had not moved from the spot.

“We don’t have to fight!” Pinkie cried out. “Just promise to leave my friends and family alone!”

“I won’t,” Sablesteel replied.

“Why not? What did they ever do to you?”

Sablesteel swooped again, sending Pinkie scurrying for some sort of cover. “Is that all you came here to do, Pinkie Pie?” she asked. She whirled in mid-air, cutting at Pinkie like a bladed corkscrew.

Pinkie flattened herself against the ground. This time, the very tip of Sablesteel’s blades lightly grazed her back. It was difficult to tell if she had been actually cut or if the blades had merely parted her fur. The stinging sensation that followed confirmed her fears. She held the channeling slab tightly, and scrambled to her hooves.

‘Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow…’ Tears welled up in Pinkie’s eyes. Sablesteel hovered just a few feet away, hoof-blades extended, and the stinger around her tail waving lazily. Step two seemed all but impossible. She was panting, sweating, and trembling. Her back felt as if a swarm of angry bees was stinging her. This was looking more and more like a bad idea with each passing second. She had to try something.

“Does it sting, Pinkie?” Sablesteel asked. “That’s just a scratch. I’m not stopping at scratches, and I’m not stopping at you. Unless…”

Pinkie’s eyes widened. “Unless what? What do you want? Tell me!”

“Quit being an Element of Harmony.”

“What?” Pinkie stared at Sablesteel. Seconds passed before she could make sense of the sentence. “Quit…quit being an Element of Harmony? How is that…what does…why would you…?” Pinkie wrestled with the idea. She didn't know if she should be angry that somepony suggested that to her or be curious if such a thing was even possible. How would a pony quit being an Element of Harmony? Did she have to talk to somepony? Princess Celestia maybe? But her necklace had already shattered anyway. Wasn't that some kind of quitting? Maybe her element had quit on her.

Sablesteel waved a hoof irritably. “Put the how’s and why’s away for now! Give me a yes or no.”

Pinkie opened her mouth only to realize that she had no idea what to say. After a few more moments of struggling, she found some words. “Wait, if I say yes, will you leave my friends and family alone?”

“I will,” Sablesteel replied. “I swear that neither I nor any of my fellow thorns will harm them.”

Pinkie stared long and hard at Sablesteel. The insect-like mask hid her face, and distorted her voice, making it impossible to tell if she was lying or not. “B-but, my friends need me to be part of the elements…”

“The Element of Joy will pick somepony else,” Sablesteel replied. “They’ll still be your friends.”

“Why do you want me to do that?”

“Yes or no?”

Pinkie clamped down on her tongue, fearing that she might say yes without thinking. Horrifying as the thought was, Sablesteel’s offer sounded tempting. Everypony expected so much from the Elements of Harmony: the royal siblings, the Legion, even their enemies. It was all so heavy. If somepony could do it better, why shouldn't they? But…

“Well?” Sablesteel asked.

“No,” Pinkie said. She nearly clapped her hooves over her mouth. “My friends need me. I can’t just quit!”

“Need you for what?” Sablesteel asked. “For balloons? Isn't that your purpose in life? That’s what’s written on your flank!” She dove after Pinkie.

Again, any thought of fighting back flew out of Pinkie’s mind once she was faced with those poisoned blades. The burning sting on her back remained a dire warning of what would happen if she let herself get cut any deeper. She hopped backwards, and skipped to her sides, barely staying a step away from another poisoned wound.

“Don’t you see how out of your element you are?” Sablesteel asked. “You’re worse than a fish out of water. At least, the fish just flops, and dies. You will drag others into your fall, Pinkie!”

“I…I just wanted to help!” Pinkie wailed. She ducked one swing and, unable to contain her frustration, lunged. Her head slammed into Sablesteel's midriff. Sablesteel broke off, and hovered above her. Pinkie wasn't sure if she had actually hurt Sablesteel, or it was merely the surprise of the moment. She rubbed her head to help with the pain of impact only to notice that it wasn't just hurting because of her attack.

“Then help,” Sablesteel said. “Let somepony else bear the Element of Joy.”

“Why are you so insistent? What do you get out of it?”

“I get to not have to kill you!”

Like a thick, damp blanket, silence settled on them. All Pinkie could hear were her harsh breathing, and the gentle flapping of Sablesteel’s wings. “Why?” she asked. When she decided to speak, she found her voice far too loud.

Sablesteel’s stinger clinked with a twitch of her tail. Pinkie swallowed when a single drop of…something, fell from the pointed tip to the ground. “Because, Pinkie Pie, I don’t want to deal with you. You’re an itch; a minor bother that does more harm if you actually scratch it. Hurting the Element of Joy is a necessity, but hurting you stains me. Go away on your own. Stand at the sidelines, cheer for your friends, make them cakes, and throw them parties. Leave the important work to somepony else.”

The last sentence struck Pinkie, leaving her unable to recall what Sablesteel had said earlier. She had heard this somewhere before.

“What’s your passion, Pinkie? Birthday cakes? Party hats?”

Balloons, birthday cakes, and party hats…was that it? Were New Fluttershy, and Sablesteel right? Was that all her cutie mark meant? Wasn't that good enough to be the Element of Joy? “No,” she said, her voice trembling. Sablesteel didn't respond, probably because she didn't hear her. “No!” Pinkie said louder. Now that she was holding the shale tablet, she saw all the ley energy around them. There was a strange rippling around those weird metal things Sablesteel had thrown earlier, but she couldn't tell what was happening with them, nor did she really care. “NO!” she shouted. She planted her hooves on the ground, and let the colors meld into her body.

When Pinkie shouted at her, Sable already knew that she had triggered something. When Pinkie disappeared, she realized that “something” might be a threat. She turned instinctively with a hoof raised when she felt a draft to her right.

Pinkie Pie had somehow materialized by her side.

Pinkie was screaming at the top of her lungs by the time she reappeared in Sable’s sights. Her right foreleg ground against Sable’s, barely slipping past the block, then smashing a hoof against one side her breather mask. Pinkie’s eyes lit up, surprised that her attack actually managed to hit.

Furious, Sable answered by knocking Pinkie to the ground with a hoof to the face. She barely managed to twist the blow at the last moment to avoid stabbing Pinkie's eye out. She shook her head. She had to recover before those insane abilities triggered again. Her mask had absorbed most of the blow, but the clear covering on the left eye had cracked on impact. ‘This is not what I’m looking for,’ she thought. A bearer of the Elements of Harmony becoming a stronger fighter was a mere secondary objective to Black Rose. This was also not completely new. She had seen Frenzy Heart move in such a manner before.

Sable pulled a few more canisters from her harness, and scattered them across the alley. Fortunately, the small cracks had not affected her breather mask’s functions. Otherwise, she would have had to pull back or risk flying into the city. She landed several feet away from Pinkie, who was still recovering from her blow.

“That’s not where my cutie mark ends!” Pinkie shouted. Her tablet glowed brightly. “I've got more than birthday cakes and party hats! That’s not all what my cutie mark means!” She disappeared from sight again. No flash of magic as there would have been with a unicorn spell. One second she was there, then she was gone.

Sable was ready this time. She had fought teleporting unicorns before. The air to her right shifted. As she had thought, Pinkie avoided appearing directly behind her, where her bladed back hooves, and her stinger could attack. Pinkie would appear to her sides, close to her hind legs, but out of their way. Sable still had weapons there. She extended her wings. Up in the air, her sides were vulnerable because she had to use her wings for flying. Not so on the ground.

Pinkie did appear from the right, both front hooves ready for a strike. Sable swiped at her with a bladed wing, but she noticed it, and stepped back at the last moment. The wing blade barely touched the tip of her nose. Sable began to turn on the spot, stabbing at Pinkie with the stinger, then attacking with the left wing blade. Upon facing Pinkie, Sable hovered a foot off the ground, and lashed out with all four legs.

Faced with a steadily advancing wall of envenomed blades, Pinkie yelped, and ran back. “No fair!” she cried out. “You've got too many weapons!”

“And you've got too few!” Sable retorted. “That’s the problem isn't it? You've got nothing to put on the table besides gags and giggles!” She flew up, and swooped. Again, Pinkie weaved through her blades, always dodging by a hair’s width. ‘Discipline,’ she thought. Frustration hung around the edges of her thoughts. This barely trained earth pony slipped through a barrage of attacks that should have been enough to cut down several ursans. A lesser soldier would be grinding her teeth away in a rage by now. Sable concentrated on conserving her energy instead, relying on a more reliable, albeit slower, method of taking out Pinkie.

“I've got more!” Pinkie shouted back. Her voice dropped, and she looked down. Sable saw an opportunity to lunge, and cut her, but decided to stay put. “I can do more. I can be the Element of Joy.”

“You keep telling yourself that,” Sable said. “Let’s see how much of a comfort it is when the ponies around you start to suffer!”

“Leave them alone!”

A hoof struck Sable’s side before the last word even finished. She winced. The blows were getting stronger. She slashed with her wings again, but Pinkie was no longer there. Unfazed, she struck out with her other wing without looking. This one cut something, the mild resistance echoed by a pained cry. When they broke off, Pinkie was bleeding from a shallow cut to the shoulder. ‘Your fault, foal,’ Sable thought. ‘I’m giving you a way out, but you won’t take it.’

Tears streamed from Pinkie’s eyes. She pressed a hoof against the cut, and started blowing on it. Sable wasn't too worried. Her wing blades weren't poisoned this time. From the bleeding, she doubted that she cut anything too important. The reaction was all the more telling of why she didn't want to deal with Pinkie. Impressive as her channeling was, Pinkie acted like a filly with a scraped knee. “Understand now?” she asked. “Take my offer.”

Pinkie tried to say something, but she wobbled slightly, and squinted, wincing at what undoubtedly was a severe headache. The poison gas was doing its work. That should stop any of her channeling now. If there was anything else she could use, it should be the Element of Joy. If she couldn't…Sable looked to her foreleg devices. Her blades were coated with a very minor toxin, less potent than bee venom. Her needles carried a lethal mix.

“Stop right there, Sablesteel!”

Sable glanced towards the end of the alley. As Pinkie had said, a group of legionnaires had been following her: a four-pony Special Operations squad, some reinforcing legionnaires, and a few members of the Royal Guard. Leading them was a unicorn mare whose purple mane came down in ringlets.

Sable spoke to her communicating device. “Octavia, you’re on. Will Warsinger’s harmonics to torment. I’m not in the mood for wiping brains off my gear.”

“Alright,” Octavia replied. Even through the communicating device, Sable noticed the relief in her voice. Warsinger had not yet influenced her enough for its deadliest harmonics. Another second passed before the music started.

For a fleeting second, Sable expected Rhapsody's melodious voice, an ethereal tone known to melt stallions on the spot even without Warsinger, to flow out from her communication device. Instead, the deep and powerful notes from a cello flowed forth. It was far from the soothing pieces Octavia played for Black Rose. It began with deep, ominous quivers; Octavia’s grudge against Pinkie in musical form. The first part served as a warning, a herald for bad things to come. Sable hoped that Octavia did not overdo things. The special chamber in her room allowed her to send her music through the other thorns, but in a less potent form. That should be enough to ensure some control.

Despite the diluted power, the effect of Warsinger quickly proved telling. The legionnaires, and guards that charged halted in their tracks. The music left them disoriented, and fearful of something they could neither see nor put a name to. Sable pulled out a different kind of canister from her pouches, and chucked it beneath them. A yellow haze seeped out, slowly filling the alley with poison. The unicorn mare, and her squad mates shouted for the others to leave, while they dragged Pinkie out. The ponies caught in Warsinger’s tune didn't seem to hear the warning. Their eyes watered, and their noses ran at first. As they stayed in the cloud, the tears and snot turned mixed with blood. In less than a minute, all of them had fallen to the ground, coughing, wheezing, and bleeding.

Sable had little time to survey her hoof-work. It was time to remind Pinkie of what happened when a pony involved herself in things beyond her. The music continued to flow from her communication device, leaving everypony within earshot unable to defend themselves properly.

Pinkie tried desperately to stay on her hooves, but the dull ache from earlier had turned into a searing headache. She was feeling sick for some reason. ‘This is no time to come down with a cold!’ she told herself. ‘I've got to stop her!’ She tried to concentrate on the swirling colors again, but the pain made it impossible. Nightcanter was dragging her out of the alley with telekinesis. “Wait!” she cried out. “I can’t run away now! She’ll go after my friends, and family!”

“Celestia drill my backside,” Nightcanter grunted. “If you keep struggling, I’ll kill them myself! Stay still, Pinkie, we’ll take care of this!”

Pinkie watched in horror as the first legionnaires dropped to the ground. The yellow haze was seeping out of the alley. The ominous music hinted of things even more horrible than Sablesteel about to burst into the alley at any moment. Thoughts of that awful smoke seeping into the rock farm, Sugarcube Corner, even the rest of Ponyville, filled her head.

‘Oh no! She’s started already!’ Pinkie remembered one more trick that Copper Mane taught her, and fought through the headache. With a flash of colors, Nightcanter’s telekinesis broke.

Pinkie took three steps before falling face first to the ground. The headache sent the world spinning. It was impossible to even take two steps in the same direction. The swirl of ley energy was just ahead of her, all she needed to do was reach out. The colors faded when her hoof touched them. A second later, everything was dark.

Despite the poison gas obscuring her vision, Sable could still spot her target. When Pinkie passed out, it was time to end the mission for the time being. Once she woke up, Pinkie would have that quiet moment of introspection that would determine if she had what it took to bring more out of the Element of Joy, or not. Sable had to give it to her partner as well. Octavia had not overdone things despite the temptation. There were only a few minor problems to deal with. The lead unicorn had cast a spell that was causing Sable’s poison gas to dissipate. It wouldn't be long until that pegasus in her squad would have a clear line of sight. With a flap of her wings, Sable dove into the thicker portions of the cloud, swooped past the fallen legionnaires, and aimed a needle thrust at where the unicorn’s neck would be.

To Sable’s surprise, she stabbed something else before she could even come close. The needle was covered in blood when she pulled her hoof back. Who had she just stabbed? The yellow haze suddenly vanished into a sudden darkness. As did most of her surroundings.

“Sable…why have you done this?”

Sable could only stare as her grandfather shuffled towards her. He stood out in the dark as if lit by an unseen spotlight. His neck spurted blood on her coat. It was easy to recognized the badly burned skin, the bad eye, the lack of a mane and tail, and the patches of coarse blue hair all over his body. Ice Carver, the last of the Blackmoon Blades, ultimately paid for his stubborn dedication. His laboratory exploded while he was perfecting a chemical mixture, leaving him a disfigured wreck for the rest of his days, and earning him an insulting nickname that remained long after memory of his real name had faded. “You’re dead,” she whispered.

“Wretched filly, how many times must you spit on our memory?” His voice sounded nothing like how Sable remembered. That she couldn't tell if it was because this was a fake, or that it was her own memory that was flawed, left an ache within her. “I taught you the lore so you may remember, not so you could disgrace us!”

To the sound of cracking earth, the ground burst in several places. More ponies rose all around Sable. Their faces were but skulls with a few strips of dessicated flesh clinging on. Some of their limbs hung only by a tendon or two, but she recognized a few of them. They were her grandfather’s comrades, the last remnants of a fallen order. One by one, they died until he remained. They clung to her, the cloying smell of rot penetrating even her breather mask. She struggled to break free. ‘This is an illusion,’ she thought. ‘Some unicorn mage thinks she can play tricks on me!’

The sheer power of such an illusion left Sable nervous. This spell reached into her memories, and created visions out of her worst fears; a phantasm, as Lion Court told her once. Only a very powerful illusionist could do this. Perhaps she had underestimated the unicorn mare earlier. Still, there were ways to break out of such a spell. Before the corpses of the Blackmoon Blades could pry her hooves apart, she switched one foreleg device into a blade, then stabbed her flank, sending a burst of pain coursing through her body. Even the pain of a poisoned wound felt good compared to the agony of watching her memories twisted like this.

The vision did not fade.

Sable fought back a sense of rising panic. The idea that this may not be an illusion, but her actual punishment, crossed her mind. The corpses held her tightly, leaving her unable to move an inch.

“Don’t bother hurting yourself anymore, I have you well and fully trapped.”

Sable didn't recognize the voice, but the regal tone made it easy to tell. Out of the darkness, Princess Luna walked out, her face a grim mask of determination. “You are very brave, thorn, for conducting your business here in Canterlot. I have you, though. You will lead us to your mistress.” Princess Luna removed the breather mask with her telekinesis.

“Alright, I’ll tell you if you take away these visions,” Sable said.

“Tell me then.”

Sable muttered some words, and garbled them on purpose.

“What?” Princess Luna asked. She leaned a little closer, her ears perking.

Sable spat. The glob of phlegm and saliva landed squarely on Princess Luna’s snout, who looked at it in disgust. She cast a spell to clean herself after a moment.

“I wouldn't tell you where I piss, moon princess,” Sable hissed. “Why don’t you just kill me? You've already slain all the Blackmoon Blades. Finish the job!”

The outburst caught Princess Luna off guard, and it only added to Sable’s rising fury. The mighty Princess of the Night probably never even heard of the Blackmoon Blades. Sable was more than happy to show her.

A great flash of golden light suddenly erupted from behind Sable. The visions vanished, allowing her to move freely. Before she could, a powerful telekinetic spell caught her in its grip. After a second, it pulled her back into the portal she had used. The door slammed, then simply disappeared as Black Rose destroyed yet another secret entrance to Canterlot. The breather mask fell just a foot away as Sable regained her bearings. She was back at the hideout, inside Black Rose’s quarters.

“Cutting it a little too close are we, Sable?” Black Rose asked. She reclined on her bed, once more going through the dozens of magical images she used to keep track of her agents.

“I was done for at that point,” Sable said. “I’m ready for whatever punishment you have.”

“No need,” Black Rose said. “The Element of Joy did spark. Not much, but it certainly reacted to all that put down you kept giving poor Pinkie Pie. Good work, Sable.”

Sable nodded. She was about to leave when Black Rose spoke again.

“Sable, you do realize that the bearers can’t actually quit?”

“It was a test,” Sable replied.

“Oh really? Black Rose smiled. "How much of it, I wonder?”

“Just enough.”

Sable closed the door, and returned to her quarters. She passed by Octavia, who bowed politely. Once she was alone, she looked at the breather mask, the same breather mask that her grandfather crafted for her. The cracks on one of the eyes had lengthened vertically. The piece was in need of some serious repair.

"You are a thorn not a blade." Sable muttered. With a snort, she hurled the mask to one corner of the room.

Luna walked through the halls of the Royal Palace in a bad mood. She had a thorn. A thorn! She had one land on her hoof, and she let it slip away. Some of the guards flinched, and looked away when she walked past them. Several hours had passed since that incident. She had to personally heal Pinkie, who was suffering from prolonged exposure to poisonous gas. Even though Pinkie was not in any grave danger, to see her lying depressed on a hospital bed was difficult to take. Of course, whatever discomfort Luna felt was nothing compared to Fluttershy's, who never left Pinkie's side.

After that, Luna spent the rest of the day helping Special Operations track down any remaining portals that connected Black Rose's base to Canterlot. Each time they found one, Black Rose destroyed it. It was a frustrating task, but their enemy couldn't go back and forth into the capital from now on.

Terrato had just flown in from some business in the Great Delve. He had been gone for days now, and wasn't around when Rarity fought against Lion Court, or when Rainbow disappeared. Luna didn't buy the story of problems in the Delve entirely. Celestia had secretly dispatched Wax Wing, another one of the royal nephews, to the Great Delve in order to observe the Barrier Lands capital. Wax Wing had reported earlier that day that Terrato had indeed stopped by the Delve, but only for a short while. That left a great deal of missing time.

That wasn't what Luna was going to pry into for now. Sablesteel had said something that left her curious. She flung the doors to Terrato’s quarters open with her magic, and found her brother by his desk.

“This better be important, Luna.” Terrato didn't glance back, but he did put aside the papers he was working on.

“Big brother, what can you tell me about the Blackmoon Blades?”

“They’re dead.”

Luna held back a snort. It looked like she wasn't the only one whose endeavors left her in a foul mood. “Not all of them it seems,” she said.

Terrato turned around. “Reports have already rolled in,” he said. “You ran into Sablesteel of the Thorns.” His horn glowed briefly, and the doors shut behind Luna. “Like I said, they’re dead. Contrary to what you may be thinking right now, Sablesteel is not a Blackmoon Blade.”

“She accused me of destroying them,” Luna insisted. “I've never heard of this group in my life.”

Terrato snorted, then smiled a bit. Luna frowned at what the seeming mockery. “What’s so funny?” she asked.

“It’s a strange feeling,” Terrato replied. “I can understand why you have no idea who these ponies were, but I still feel that you should have known about them.” When Luna stayed silent, Terrato went on. “You created the Blackmoon Blades, little sister. Except that, during the time you did, they were called something else. Starlight Sentinels, I think.”

Luna’s eyes narrowed. Starlight Sentinels. There was a name she recognized. A long, long time ago she found herself the center of unwanted reverence. Ponies treated her as a patron of thieves, burglars, and other miscreants who used the night to hide their less than noble deeds. In response, she formed the Starlight Sentinels, a group dedicated to watching the night for such things.

“When you left for the Heartland, they and a bunch of other groups were left to fend for themselves,” Terrato went on. “A few simply disbanded. Some just went on as if nothing had happened. The Starlight Sentinels went through a lot of changes. I don’t know the details. It’s probably written in some history book over at the Delve. Decades later, they were the Blackmoon Blades, a group less interested in catching criminals, and more interested in assassinating anything that might be the reason why their moon princess didn't want to stick around anymore. At the peak of their power, the Blackmoon Blades cultivated legends with their exploits. Apparently, swearing by the moon and not keeping your word was enough for their agents to hunt you down, make you disappear, and nail your tongue on the front door of your relatives. They scared even the ophidites with their proficiency in poisons.”

“And what happened after that peak?” Luna asked.

“Nightmare Moon happened,” Terrato replied. Luna cast her eyes to the ground. Of course, why didn't she think of it to begin with? “When news of what you tried to do spread to the Barrier Lands, it spelled the end of any group still related to you: the Night Parade, the Moonlight Rondo…nearly all of them simply walked away. A pity too. I kind of liked the Rondo."

“The Blackmoon Blades?” Luna asked.

“What did you expect?” Terrato asked. “Recruitment dried up. They were under suspicion of being an insane cult dedicated to Nightmare Moon. It didn't help that some of them did become that. It was over. Some small fragment tried to stay together led by somepony called 'Charred the Insane Apothecary'. They died out in the end.”

“Where does Sablesteel come in?”

Terrato’s eyes narrowed. “Sablesteel is Charred’s granddaughter, and heiress to all of what remained of the Blackmoon Blades. Black Rose found her slogging through a camp of melted ophidites on a suicide mission, then recruited her. Does that satisfy your curiosity, Luna?”

Luna nodded, and left her brother to his work. She remembered the face she found when she removed that insect-like mask. Now, she had a face to put on those ponies she left behind in her foalishness. ‘One day I will make amends,” she thought. “To all you who tried to hold on. First, I will show you a Princess of the Night that you all should have gotten at the start.”

The Rift

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 35: The Rift

“Are you sure you should be going this hard, Rainbow?” Scarlet asked. “You still look pretty wobbly to me.”

“Yes, I’m sure,” Rainbow said in exasperation. First, there was that weird incident with the sniper pegasus who shot her flank, now Scarlet was fussing over her as if she might drop dead any moment!

To be fair, she did come down with a fever, just like that sniper said. They had to stop early so she could conserve her strength. She attributed her quick recovery mostly to sheer willpower, and overall awesomeness, but she was willing to concede that the disgusting boiled leaf juice the sniper made her drink might have helped. She was still a bit weak, but she wasn't going to lie around and let Scarlet “nurse” her even if she was reduced to a slow hover. That Scarlet had not taken advantage of this to fly after Hassyth was a relief. Rainbow hated the thought of being some kind of damsel in distress he was watching over, and consoled herself with the notion that she was doing more in keeping him alive than the other way around.

“I’m going to fly up, and check things out,” Scarlet said. Rainbow didn't get a word in before he was already past the trees.

With Scarlet out of sight, Rainbow’s thoughts went to the other pony looking out for her. She had read the Legion's notes: Longstride, pegasus sniper, agent of Black Rose. She had to admit that she was expecting an elite officer of Black Rose to look more ominous: huge muscles, scary black armor with lots of spikes, a skull-shaped helm, a giant barbed sword. Longstride wore a simple set of mottled, gray leather barding. He had a woodland brown coat, and a long, disheveled mane of dark green that looked like he had a canopy of messy leaves for hair. He was tall and lean, haggard even. Up to that part, he just looked like somepony who spent too much time in the woods.

Then, there were the strange parts. His eyes looked as if somepony had stuck a pair of gold coins where his irises should be. She could have sworn there was even writing on them. And his bow…that thing was as tall as he was while standing on his hind legs. Its graceful curve was reminiscent of a stag’s antlers. It looked like fine polished wood, she could see the whorls on it. Like his eyes, it was also covered with weird symbols.

Rainbow didn't know what to make of Longstride. He shot her, and let her get captured. The dull ache in her cutie mark was a constant reminder that he was the enemy. Yet, he also saved her from that brutish pony slave, and made her medicine. What did he want? What did Black Rose want? He might be keeping a close watch on her. Did he have an arrow aimed at her this very second? Did he watch her sleep last night? She shook her head. She shouldn't focus on that thought, or she’d never be able to sleep again.

Rainbow gave a cry of surprise when Scarlet suddenly burst through the canopy, and landed just a foot away. “What was that for?” she asked. “Are you trying to startle me to death?”

“I spotted them!” Scarlet said. “The Captain, and the rest of Third Squad! They’re a bit far, but I saw them!”

Rainbow let some of Scarlet’s enthusiasm infect her. “Great! Did you call out to them?”

The broad grin on Scarlet’s face disappeared. “Uh…no,” he said.

The joy of the moment dissipated. “Why not?” Rainbow asked.

Scarlet’s lips twisted in silence for a while. “Dunno…” he muttered. “We’ll run into them if we keep going in this direction. Let’s just wait until then, alright?”

Rainbow didn't argue. She wanted to fly up to see for herself, but that would take even more of her flagging strength. She concentrated on just moving forward. Vanguard, Twilight, and Applejack, had come after her. They must have been chasing her the moment she flew after Scarlet. It was just a short trip now, then she could collapse and rest. Curiously, her friends' presence renewed her strength, but sapped Scarlet’s.

“Listen,” Rainbow said. She tried to sound annoyed that he was fretting over nothing. “Vanguard’s not going to kill you.”

Scarlet didn't reply. Earlier, he had a great deal of trouble staying near her, flying ahead and up from time to time just to get the restlessness out of his wings. Now, her speed suited him just fine.

“You’re his friend!” Rainbow insisted. “And you’re the last of his old squad!”

“The Captain’s a stickler for rules,” Scarlet said. “He had no problem getting himself hanged. Why would he have a problem with me?”

“If he was such a stickler, we’d have never met,” Rainbow snapped. “Vanguard’s going to do the right thing, and the right thing is not killing your friends!”

A small smile eventually forced itself on Scarlet. “I hope you’re right,” he said. “I kind of like being alive.”

Rainbow let out a sigh. It wasn't much, but at least it was something. To her dismay, silence continued to fill the rest of their trip. She studied their surroundings to ease the monotony. She’d flown a long way south before, whenever Winter Wrap-Up came around, but she’d never actually taken time to look around at ground level. The green all around them was still undisturbed by winter, and unbroken by any large landmark. Everywhere she looked there was something growing, something crawling, or flying, or climbing. She and Scarlet may not be saying anything, but everything else was making a sound. Fluttershy would have been able to pick out every call or buzz coming from their surroundings, but it was all one continuous drone to Rainbow.

Then, there was a sound that Rainbow did pick out.

“This way! The resonance is getting stronger!”

That triumphant cry was unmistakably Twilight’s. For a moment, Rainbow forgot that she was tired and weak. She burst through the thick foliage, dodging trees, and swatting away vines. Scarlet was right behind her. “Twilight!” she shouted. “Applejack! Vanguard!”

“Good work, Twilight,” Vanguard said.

“Rainbow!” Applejack called out. She choked before yelling again. “You crazy filly! You’re in for a lot of trouble! I oughta--”

There was no time to say anything else. Rainbow crashed into Applejack. The two of them fell into a tangled ball of laughter, and relief. “How’d you know I was close?” Rainbow asked.

Twilight lifted several strands of brightly colored hair with her magic. “Tracking spell,” she said. “I’m still trying to improve its range, but it did the job for now.”

Rainbow hadn't noticed how much time had passed while she was basking in relief, but reality eventually had to seep back, and it did so using the growling tone of Vanguard.

“Scarlet,” Vanguard said.

“Yeah, Captain?”

Rainbow broke free of her friends to see what was going on. The way Vanguard stood in front of Scarlet didn't say anything about friends reuniting.

“What were the two of you doing out in some isolated spot where you could get captured without anypony noticing?” Vanguard asked.

“We uh…” Scarlet’s gaze shifted for a bit. “We were looking for a spot to race,” he said.

“You tried to race her against my orders.” Vanguard thrust one end of his weapon into the damp forest floor. “I made it perfectly clear, didn't I? If you race Rainbow, and she gets hurt…”

“I know, Captain,” Scarlet said.

Vanguard removed the sheaths from his two-bladed sword. “You are about to be executed,” he said. “If you have anything to say, do so now.”

“Yeah…sorry for the trouble, Captain.”

Vanguard bit into the grip, and raised his weapon.

“Wait!” In a heartbeat, Rainbow was standing between Vanguard and Scarlet, her forelegs raised to block the killing strike. “What are you doing?” she asked.

“What I said I would do.” Vanguard set the weapon down. “Out of the way, Rainbow. This is between me and Scarlet.”

“Hold on now, Vanguard,” Applejack said. “I don’t see why you have to kill Scarlet. I know he’s trouble but--”

“What happened with Overcast was his last chance,” Vanguard said. “I was the first one to speak up for him. I took the chance because I thought that he was still a good pony despite his issues. This was the last straw.”

“That blade better be sharp,” Rainbow said. She swallowed nervously, but her eyes were hard. “It’s going through me first.”

Vanguard pawed the ground with one hoof. The sound of heavy tramplers against earth was unmistakable. “Or I could knock you out, then get things over."

Rainbow pressed her lips together. He was right. She was tired and weak, unable to fly out of the way from an attack. She looked to her friends. Twilight had always been the one who could talk to Vanguard. “Twilight, say something here!” she said.

“He did put you in danger,” Twilight said. Not a trace of sympathy showed in her tone. “Vanguard told me everything along the way. You’re the bearer of the Element of Loyalty. Equestria needs the Elements of Harmony complete. If that ophidite had succeeded--”

“But she didn't!” Rainbow protested.

“And if he does something like this again?” Twilight asked. “He’s already shown that he’ll even go against Vanguard.” Her voice lowered. "Protect Equestria. No matter the cost."

“No, he won’t,” Rainbow said. She glanced at Applejack, and quailed at the sight. Applejack was glaring at Twilight. She ignored them, and focused on the situation. Her voice softened. “I’m done racing him. I don’t need to know if I can really beat him or not. I swear this won’t happen again.”

Applejack took her eyes off Twilight. “Vanguard, don’t do this,” she said. She walked closer, and placed a hoof over Vanguard's shoulder. “You’ll hurt yourself a heck of a lot more than this’ll help anypony.”

Vanguard took another step. Rainbow shut her eyes, and waited for the cold, hard feel of a trampler to the face. “Let’s head back,” he said. Rainbow's eyes fluttered open. She heard the words, but it was only when Vanguard started to walk away did she really believe that he said them. She looked to her other friends. Applejack shared in Rainbow's relief. Twilight merely looked resigned. “Vanguard--” Rainbow said.

“The two of you will be disciplined for this,” Vanguard said. “But I’ll trust you, Rainbow. Maybe you can keep him out of trouble better than I can.”

“I will,” Rainbow said. She grinned at Scarlet. He was still staring slack-jawed at Vanguard.

“I said let’s go,” Vanguard called after them.

Rainbow was about to follow suit when her gaze fixed on Twilight and Applejack.

All her life, Rainbow had never considered herself empathetic. She spoke her mind when she wanted to, and however she wanted to. It was harsh sometimes, but she expected everypony to do the same. Still, she saw the way her two friends walked next to each other, and understood something without anypony saying anything. Something was standing between these two; something big and imposing. She didn't feel the least bit scared when she rammed that wall of blackness that Nightmare Moon conjured up, but this thing frightened her.

Luna hurried to the Chamber of Elements. The morning after that incident with Pinkie, Terrato had called for a meeting. She had hoped for several things with that gesture of his. First, that he would explain where had been for the past several days. Second, this would signal a greater willingness to share information. Of course, those hopes came with worries. This was likely troubling news. Even before the division, Terrato wasn't the sort to call his sisters over because he found an unusual flower, or because he wanted to share a cake he just baked.

“Terrato, what has happened to Rainbow?” Celestia was asking when Luna had stepped in.

“Special Operations First Squad has already turned in a report,” Terrato replied. “Rainbow was kidnapped by an ophidite slaver, but she has been rescued. Unfortunately, she decided to fly off somewhere, and Third Squad pursued. So, she’s not in as much danger as before, but she’s probably still in danger until she gets back here.”

“What about the ophidite, big brother?” Luna asked.

“The vipren is in the dungeons. We can talk about her later. There are more pressing matters.”

“We’re listening then,” Celestia said. Luna nodded as well.

“We have to prepare for Gravitas’s imminent arrival.” Terrato said.

“Imminent?” Celestia asked indignantly. “Even without Lexarius or me to oppose him, he doesn't have that kind of influence over the Council of Elders!”

“Certainly not enough to convince the majority to destroy Equestria,” Terrato replied. “But enough to convince them to let him secure things like restoring your power, and making sure that the Foul Weapon is untouched? I think he does.”

“Big brother, how would he know that the Foul Weapon is involved?” Luna asked.

“Magnus,” Terrato said. “Oh, don’t bother being shocked,” he added when both sisters’ eyes widened. “He’s not obligated to hide any information he picks up. Gravitas could have just trotted over to the Great Library, and asked if anything interesting had happened. Magnus would have said everything.”

“Perhaps, but how can you be so sure of Gravitas’s movements?” Celestia asked. The lines around her jaw showed. Luna had never met Gravitas before. She didn't know what kind of pony could elicit this sort of reaction from her sister. More than ever, she didn't want to change that.

“That leads me to some other things you two must know,” Terrato replied.

Luna tensed. There were a lot of things that she wanted to know that her brother wasn't exactly forthcoming with. The royal nephews and nieces, save for Blueblood, were busy trying to keep her and Celestia abreast of all the changes happening in Equestria. Despite his word, Luna was hard-pressed to rely on her brother’s legionnaires, especially his Special Operations ponies.

“Gravitas has been more involved with Equestria than we had believed,” Terrato said. He stopped at that point, and Celestia’s eyes narrowed at his silence.

Luna looked to Terrato worriedly. If he closed himself off now, they were in deep danger. It would be no exaggeration to say that Equestria might fall if he shut down now. As the seconds passed, sweat ran down her brow despite the cool air in the chamber. She only relaxed when it seemed that Terrato was merely bracing himself.

“I have to talk about Black Rose’s plans.”

Terrato’s words cast a deep shroud of solemnity around the Chamber of Elements. Luna listened intently, as did Celestia as Terrato explained what he had been doing for the past few days.

Celestia stomped a hoof after Terrato finished, her face contorted by anger. “Fiend!” She snorted. “He would assassinate me, and use it to justify destroying everything I've tried to protect? How can he go so far?”

It didn't surprise Luna that Celestia couldn't stop focusing on Gravitas. The extent of Black Rose’s plans, and how much of it was willingly revealed to Terrato left her confused. Black Rose made it seem as if she only wanted to help Equestria, but how much of what she said could they trust? And her methods...Luna couldn't accept them. She refused to accept them and she was glad that Terrato was on the same page. “Can’t we just let the rest of the Eternal Herd know about what Gravitas has been doing?” she asked.

“We could certainly try,” Terrato said. “Except that it’s well known that we oppose Gravitas to begin with so a story that discredits him would be a little suspicious. Besides, we have nothing to offer as proof save the words of a mortal who stole Celestia’s power.”

“Mother would believe us,” Celestia said.

“Any idea on how to contact her?” Terrato asked. “Applejack met some success, maybe we can ask her to deliver a message.”

Celestia glared at Terrato. “I don’t know. Even if we had a way, if mother had any intentions of halting Gravitas, she should have acted by now. It falls to us to protect Equestria from him.”

“Gravitas won't have a lot of free rein even if he gets the authority to come here,” Terrato said. “We can anticipate two points. The first is the Blasphemous Rift.” He looked to Celestia. “If Chrysalis and her changelings make so much as a peep of a protest, he’ll be happy to wipe them out.”

“I've made a great deal of progress with them,” Celestia said. “I will make sure that they survive this.”

“The other point will be Regia Carnifex, am I correct?” Luna asked.

Terrato nodded. “He’ll demand custody over such a high-ranking member of Oceanus’s rebellion. He’ll probably want to destroy Regia Carnifex as well.”

“I don’t see why we can’t give him over,” Luna said. “If Black Rose needs him to open the seals to the Rift, she’ll find it difficult to get to him with Gravitas in the way. If he is destroyed, she’ll have to find another way to get to the Foul Weapon.”

“I do not like the idea of letting Gravitas have anything,” Celestia said. “Even some small compliance on our part may be enough to grant him a foothold in Equestria. As for just slaying Regia Carnifex, that would be too risky. If he is slain, his power might radiate from him. The Foul Weapon could resonate, breaking its seals anyway. There is also one more thing that I've been considering about Regia Carnifex. For that reason, I don't want him to be simply destroyed.”

“Big sister, we can’t just oppose Gravitas for the sake of opposing him,” Luna said. “If he does come here, it will be with some authority from the Council of Elders. Antagonizing them may not be so wise.”

“True,” Terrato said. “We can’t afford having them not help us even more.” He raised a hoof. “No, little sister, I see your point. That being said, I don’t plan on just handing Regia Carnifex over.” He looked to Celestia. “You must have noticed it as well.”

“What do you the two of you mean?” Luna asked. “What are we going to do with him?”

“Think about why Regia Carnifex didn't end up where Oceanus and the rest of his rebels went,” Terrato said. “Or why Nightmare Moon never tried to free him.”

“It is also true that we've never encountered Starswirl the Bearded even though Clover the Clever’s hold on him should have expired while we were still in the Eternal Herd,” Celestia added. “A pony of such power would have been known easily. That he would recognize the alicorn that his apprentice found is something to consider as well.”

Luna's eyes widened. “Starswirl the Bearded was against the spread of Oceanus’s power. Now you’re saying that he’s actually--”

“We can’t be sure yet,” Celestia said. “But we have to wake him to find out.” She looked to Terrato. “That was what you were going to propose, wasn't it?”

“I know that there is some risk involved,” Terrato said. “But--“

“I will agree to this,” Celestia said.

“Big sister!” Luna exclaimed. “Perhaps, you’re being a bit rash!”

Celestia shook her head. “A great deal of preparations must be made,” she said. “The two of you will have much to do. We must only weaken his bonds to make sure he does not break loose in case we’re wrong. If we wake him before his proper time, he will not be at his full strength, and he can be resealed with the proper spells.”

“Having the Elements of Harmony on standby would be helpful,” Terrato said. “I also don't think Gravitas will like finding out that we've been tinkering with Carnifex's seal." His smiled widened a bit.

"A pity," Celestia said dryly.

"And what do we stand to gain from all this?” Luna asked.

“We get to find out just what the Foul Weapon is,” Terrato said. “If necessary, how we can retrieve it for ourselves, and how to counter it should it fall into the wrong hooves. We might even get ourselves an ally.”

“Using it is out of the question,” Celestia said. "But we stand to gain a lot otherwise. There is still the matter of Black Rose."

“Black Rose’s time is limited,” Terrato said. “If we stay vigilant, and keep her from acquiring the Foul Weapon, the power of sunlight will consume her, and make its way back.” His tone darkened. "Of course, she's going to make her move before then. We just have to be ready."

“Well, it looks like we have a plan,” Luna said. She wasn't sure about the strategy for Black Rose. She had the feeling there were still a few details that Terrato didn't share. Nevertheless, she watched her two siblings with some admiration. This looked like progress. She dearly wanted to believe that this was progress.

Celestia tapped the floor with a front hoof. “Let’s go then. There is much to do.”

A Hero of Equestria

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 36: A Hero of Equestria

“SLICE!"

"SLICE!"

"SLICE!”

The triumphant shouts of hundreds of ponies left Applejack exhilarated and bewildered all at once. What was happening here? The ground under her hooves was the dry, rocky ground of a hill, or a mountain, not the damp soil she should be sleeping on. She paused at the sight of the deep russet fur on her far too big forelegs.

‘What in tarnation--’

Applejack found herself walking up the steep slope of a hill despite not wanting to. Apple Slice's magic chain jingled around her neck while the crowd of ponies downhill chanted. When she reared, and raised a hoof to their delighted uproar, it was becoming more and more clear to her that she was wearing something more than just Apple Slice’s chain. She could only look on as “she” stirred up the crowd of ponies with a fierce neigh, and a few twirls from her chain lasso.

“SLICE!"

"SLICE!"

"SLICE!”

Most of this crowd of legionnaires were earth ponies in heavy barding, stomping, and rearing joyously at the display. Bloody bandages covered many of them. Several had their forelegs in slings, and a couple were missing an eye. None of these things could dampen the cheer.

Eventually, Applejack walked downhill along with several ponies. She didn't recognize a single one of them, but they looked at her as if they had known her all their lives. The closest to her was a gaunt earth pony stallion with a light yellow coat, and a curly, light green mane. He kept in pace with her while the others walked ahead. Applejack noticed the limp in her left hind leg. Nopony else seemed to be aware of it, save for this pony.

“Are you going to be alright, Apple Slice?” the yellow earth pony asked. Out all the ponies, he was the only one not smiling.

Applejack's lips moved, but it was a deep, stallion's voice that came out. “Just a bad landing after that ursan tossed me around a bit."

"Maybe we should have a medic get a better look at it. It might be something bad."

"Are you that worried about my health, Grapevine, or are you looking out for one the Legion's tools?"

"One doesn't cancel out the other," was the impassive reply.

Grapevine's use of “Apple Slice” confirmed Applejack's suspicions.

“So what’s next for you then?” Grapevine asked.

“Home, Grapevine, home,” Apple Slice replied. “I've got a lot to do when I get there. Peel’s expecting his first foal, and I haven’t even met his wife yet!”

The smile on Grapevine’s face disappeared. “Should we expect you to return?” he asked in a low voice.

Apple Slice didn't reply right away. When he did, it was in a voice as low as Grapevine’s. “Family first. You understand, don’t you?”

“What I understand is that the Legion needs you, Slice,” Grapevine replied. “The Apple Family will still have the safety of the Heartland. Morale will drop if mighty Apple Slice chose to leave the Legion for the Heartland. Among the earth ponies especially. You’re a hero and an inspiration to all of us, the first we can proudly say to match the likes of Ash Frost, and Storm Rage. You can’t just disappear into the Heartland!”

Apple Slice’s jaw clenched before he replied. “Hero!” He snorted. “You, and the others keep using that word! If I've ever been a hero, it was because I knew what I was fighting for! Every battle I charged into, I thought of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters. How am I supposed to be this hero everypony sees knowing that I will never see them ever again?”

“And would you be happier in the Heartland instead?” Grapevine asked. The outburst from Apple Slice did little to aggravate, or cow him. “Would you rather be Apple Slice, the farmer who can’t farm, or Apple Slice, the shepherd who scares his own flock? Can you sit down. and enjoy your harvest while your brothers and sisters in the Legion fight on without you? Maybe you can find some other trade, but can you settle down knowing that the war goes on without you?”

“I can’t,” Apple Slice growled. “What am I supposed to do, Grapevine? Forget my family, and fight on ‘for Equestria’? Equestria’s too big, and it has no face. What am I supposed to think of before I lay my life out on the line? A flag? A map?”

‘He’s not an insane killer,” Applejack thought. 'That varmint, Sun Ray, was wrong! At least...he's wrong for now. He might not be if this poor stallion keeps making decisions like this.'

“What this division is making you do is tragic, but I know you’ll make the right choice,” Grapevine said. “It’s the burden you have to carry as a hero of Equestria.”

“I don’t want to be a hero of Equestria!” Apple Slice snarled. “I just want to be Apple Slice, the earth pony who did his part, and got himself a little happiness along the way!”

The two didn't speak again until they made it to a large camp, where legionnaires were busy packing, and loading things into wagons. Apple Slice suddenly looked up at a pegasus flying towards them.

“Captain Apple Slice!” the pegasus called out. He pulled out an envelope from his saddlebags. “Letter for you!”

“Give it to me quickly!” Apple Slice said.

“How odd, you already received a letter from your family last week,” Grapevine said. “Why would they need to follow with another one when you’re so close to your leave?”

Though she couldn't hear Apple Slice’s thoughts, Applejack only needed to read along to tell what he was going through. The letter itself was strange. It was written too…impersonally, almost like a Legion report. It was signed “Apple Peel”.

“It’s about my father,” Apple Slice said. “He’s gravely ill, and needs me to come home right away.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Grapevine said softly. “I hope he pulls through.”

Apple Slice put the letter away. “He doesn't think so. Neither does Peel. They want me there as soon as possible, so I can see him one last time, and to be there when his will is read.” Apple Slice snorted again. “At least, father would want to.”

“I see.” Grapevine put a hoof over Apple Slice’s shoulder. “Not quite the homecoming you expected?”

Apple Slice nodded. He was about to say something, but the world suddenly grew dim. Only a few muffled sounds came from what should have been Apple Slice’s reply. “No!” Applejack cried out. “I want to see more! Why did the rest of the Apples start calling him bad? What did he really do that day they had to part? Wait!” Applejack’s shouting dampened with uncertainty. “Did you really just end up a ‘hero of Equestria'?”

Applejack opened her eyes, and found herself back in the camp with her friends. They had come across this clearing, and settled in early so Rainbow and Scarlet could rest. The ground was still damp, and covered with fallen leaves. Around them, moss-covered trees formed an intimidating enclosure. Past the canopy, a full moon shone, while a cold breeze blew from the north.

Applejack rubbed her eyes. What had she been dreaming? She looked down where Apple Slice’s chain still hung. The links were bathed in a slowly fading light. She shook her head, and looked again. The links looked normal. Perhaps she was just imagining things. That dream could just have been some dream, but she doubted it. Dreams didn't feel that vivid. She put that aside, and looked around.

The fire crackled, and flickered, casting shadows on every sleeping pony around it. A chorus of snores brought Applejack's attention beyond it, and towards Rainbow and Scarlet, who were asleep directly opposite her. Applejack smiled, remembering that the mission was a success. Rainbow had taken to protectively staying near Scarlet, as if Vanguard would sneak behind her back to murder him at the first opportunity.

Something had changed about Rainbow. There was a strength in her that Applejack admired when she stood against Vanguard. Perhaps…perhaps there was something good to be gained from this entire ordeal. She looked at Scarlet. As confusing as it may be, perhaps his badness for Rainbow ended up doing something good.

Twilight slept to Rainbow's right. The smile left Applejack’s face. Twilight’s words from the previous night still stung. What she was said earlier only worsened things. It seemed only a few days ago that Applejack was willingly joining Twilight in banishment. Now, she was sharing a camp with a hostile stranger. With the vision still fresh in her mind, Applejack finally had a term for it: “heroine of Equestria”. Twilight was turning into the very pony that Apple Slice tried not to be: a “hero” who didn't care about the ponies in front of her, only for a map and a flag. She couldn't let that happen, but what else could she do? She tried talking, only to be rebuffed harshly. What else could she say that might put things right between the two of them again?

Applejack looked away. Even just seeing Twilight left her uncomfortable. Her gaze lingered on a figure a good distance past Rainbow and Scarlet. Once again, Vanguard had taken the first watch. He was sitting on a log with his back turned on the camp. Instead of receding, the feeling of discomfort only increased. She had this sinking feeling that she did know what she had to tell Twilight, and she was just desperately trying to pretend that she didn't. Looking at Vanguard only confirmed that. Reluctantly, she walked towards him.

Vanguard didn't even turn his head. “It’s too early to be your watch." His deep, growling tone almost broke when he tried to soften it.

Applejack settled next to him. “I know,” she replied, “but I woke up and I don’t think I can get back to sleep again.”

Vanguard glanced at the snoring pegasi behind them. “Understandable,” he said. “Together, those two can impersonate an earthquake.” There was a strange tremble Vanguard's voice. It wasn't just that as well. His eyes were brighter, and redder than usual.

“You alright, Vanguard?” Applejack asked.

Vanguard turned his gaze skyward. “Full moon tonight. I don’t like full moons.” He looked at Applejack so quickly that she turned away, afraid that he might catch her staring. “I want to thank you," he said. "You were right. I don’t know how I’d be faring by now if I executed Scarlet.”

“Shoot!” Applejack said. “Just looking out for my captain.”

“You have no idea,” Vanguard said softly. “I made the right choice with you.” He suddenly extended a foreleg as if to hold her by the shoulders, and pull her closer. He noticed what he was doing, however, and pulled it back hurriedly. “Sorry,” he muttered. “Full moon.”

Applejack pressed a hoof against her chest. It felt as if there was a sigh in there that she didn't dare let out. She quelled an urge to snuggle against him anyway. “What do you mean by that?” she asked. She dearly hoped she was masking the disappointment in her tone. “Does the full moon make you do things? I mean, I heard about the wolven acting especially crazy when it’s out back in Bastion City but…” She shut her mouth, afraid that he’d be offended.

“I don’t feel anything near wolven moonrage,” Vanguard replied. “It does become more difficult to control my impulses. I can’t afford to feel any strong emotions during this time.”

Applejack's heart beat faster at the mention of “strong emotions”. All of a sudden, Vanguard was exuding a great deal of warmth despite his barding. And his scent; a coalescence of sweat, damp leather straps, and the musky odor of...something. Not quite pony, but most definitely male. There was an intensity about him tonight, as if he might jump on her at the first provocation. That part of her felt...intrigued -even excited- was scary.

“How are things with you and Twilight?” Vanguard asked.

The sudden question struck Applejack like a surge of lightning, jolting her out of the strange, fuzzy warmth she was sinking into. Twilight's name banished the pleasant, warm feelings. She shivered from the nightly cold. “I…I honestly dunno,” she said. “After hearing what she said today, I have no idea.”

“She didn't say those things to be cruel, or hateful,” Vanguard said. “I understand where she’s coming from.”

“I understand too,” Applejack said. “But…I didn't think I’d hear it from Twilight. It’s just not like her.”

“You two have gone through some difficult things in this mission,” Vanguard said. “And you have different ways to cope."

“Well…yeah, that’s true,” Applejack said. “Aren't you worried about the things she said earlier?”

“Not as much as you do, I take it,” Vanguard replied.

Applejack frowned. “You sound like you’re not bothered at all."

“I worry a great deal about Twilight’s safety,” Vanguard said. “She likes to push herself too hard, and her state of mind is also concerning, but the things she said earlier aren't as ominous as they seem.”

“Sounds like you really admire Twilight,” Applejack said.

“I do," Vanguard replied. "I admire her courage to do what she believes is right, and her strength to endure whatever is thrown at her. I wish I had met her sooner.” He smiled slightly. “This mission won’t break her. She may have used Pyre’s words, but she didn't say them with Pyre’s spirit.”

“I dunno,” Applejack said. “There’s also--” She stopped.

Vanguard raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Applejack pressed her lips together tightly. “N-nothing,” she mumbled. Her eyes darted everywhere at Vanguard’s sudden intense stare.

“I won’t pry,” Vanguard said. “But you’re going to have to tell somepony about it at some point.” He stood, and walked towards Twilight. “My watch’s done.”

“I will tell somepony about it…” Applejack whispered. She finally let out that sigh building within when she was sure Vanguard was out of earshot. He prodded Twilight awake before turning in. Applejack braced herself when Twilight walked over, and sat nearby. For the first hour or so, they were silent. Twilight looked as if she was in the same dour mood as the previous night.

An hour had passed when Twilight finally decided to break the silence. “So, what were you two talking about?”

Applejack's blood froze. This was exactly what Rarity had warned her about. “J-just small stuff…” she mumbled. Her insides protested. Things were happening exactly as they did before. Twilight's stare was boring a hole through her. She looked at Vanguard’s sleeping form. No. This awkwardness had to end here. Vanguard was right. She had to say something at some point and she was as backed to a wall as it was going to get. “At some point…” she whispered.

“What was that?” Twilight asked.

“Twilight, I got something to tell you.” Some of the hesitation melt away. Now that Applejack had decided to make the effort, the words came to her. ‘I’ll start with the truth,’ she thought. ‘Can’t go wrong with starting with the truth.’ She matched Twilight's stare. “You asked me before if I liked Vanguard.”

“And you said no,” Twilight replied. “You were pretty adamant about it too.”

“I lied.” Applejack would have said more, but the sudden relief left her speechless for a few seconds. A huge load lifted from her shoulders. “I do like him. A lot. I did join up partly because I wanted to be with him.”

“You…” A flicker of emotion marred Twilight’s face, cracking that emotionless mask she had been wearing since the other night. Her lips quivered slightly, but she recovered, and her eyebrows furrowed from the strain of effort. “So what?” she asked.

Applejack could only stare in confusion.

“A usurper is raising, and lowering the sun, and Equestria is still at war.” Twilight spoke through gritted teeth. “On the bright side, Applejack is in love. I guess that’s worth something. Maybe Black Rose will swoon at the story, then we can kill her while she's out.”

Applejack's front hooves twitched. She pictured herself sprawling in the dirt with Twilight, taking a fireball or a lightning bolt, smearing Twilight's blood all over her tramplers...she swallowed hard, and let the furious thoughts go. Vanguard saw something in Twilight that let him stay calm. She was beginning to see that too. “I should be hitting you by now, but I ain’t buying that this time,” she said.

It was Twilight who couldn't say anything this time.

“You got something to say too. Let me hear Twilight Sparkle talk this time, ‘cause the 'heroine of Equestria' has been talking too much.”

That scornful stare that Twilight had taken to using twisted into anger. “How dare you…” she said. “You think I just flip switches to change who I am?”

“No, which is why I ain’t buying that ‘heroine of Equestria’ act of yours anymore.” Applejack’s tone softened. “I spilled my beans. It’s your turn.”

Again, there was silence. Twilight turned away, and stared out to the still shadowy woods. Applejack looked skyward. It was going to be sunrise soon. She had tried again, tried as hard as she could, but she was going to end up with nothing once more. She had turned her back to sit closer to the fire when she heard something.

“What else can I be?” Twilight said. Her voice was barely a whisper.

Applejack turned around in surprise. “Twilight…” she said just as quietly.

“We’ve been failing so much, Applejack," Twilight said. "We couldn't beat Nightmare Moon without breaking the Elements, we couldn't protect Princess Celestia from Black Rose…we keep struggling and struggling, only to end up with nothing. Pyre Valor…she was an awful unicorn, but she got what she wanted. ‘Protect Equestria no matter the cost’. Those were her words. After all the things we've been doing, they’re the only things that have been comforting. They're the only things that make killing other ponies hurt less.”

“Twilight, Pyre Valor burned her friends, burned herself, then left us to clean up the mess,” Applejack said. “Equestria doesn't need more ‘heroes’ like her."

“And how do you cope, Applejack?” Twilight asked. “I’m not the only pony with bloodstained hooves here. What do you say in the face of what we did in this mission?”

“I dunno the answer to that,” Applejack said. “But I know it ain’t by hiding behind ‘Equestria’ every time we do something awful." She let out a sigh. ‘We just gotta face the truth, Twi. Equestria didn't snap that pony’s neck, or burn those ponies.”

Twilight’s hardened look softened. “Face the truth huh?” she asked. “It’s going to hurt.”

Applejack smiled in return. "’Course it will, sugarcube,” she said. “But, you and me, we’re strong. The right kind of strong.”

“I guess we are,” Twilight said. “I’m sorry for mocking you, Applejack.”

Applejack nodded, and sat by the fire. The warmth that suffused her body didn't just come from the flames.

“And, Applejack?”

“Yeah, sugarcube?”

“I like Vanguard too. A lot.”

The ache was back, but Applejack didn't cringe from it this time. She knew that already, of course. Rarity’s solution was that she back off because Twilight was “too scary”. She could see the reason now. In fact, she had been seeing it for a long time, but she had hoped that it would go away. It wouldn't. Now that she faced it, and knew that Twilight faced it, the whole thing wasn't as scary as it seemed. “We’re just gonna see what happens then,” she said.

A Place for Joy and Kindness

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 37: A Place for Joy and Kindness

Several days had passed since Applejack and Twilight went after Rainbow. During that time, Fluttershy busied herself in the hospital: tending to every patient assigned to her, and trying to keep Redbrand calm while he consulted with various doctors. As no news on Vanguard’s group arrived, Fluttershy settled into a strange, unfeeling routine. She greeted each pony with a smile, and a kind word, moving from one task to another as if everything was going smoothly.

Things couldn't be further from the truth. Ever since she saw the grim and worried expressions on Twilight, and Applejack, then heard the silence of the secrets that Special Operations made them keep, Fluttershy sensed something terrible bubbling beneath the surface. She was no longer in the harsh, frigid north. She was a long way away from a besieged city with soldiers within, and vicious invaders without. Things should be better now with the reunification, and the wolven being driven back. But they weren’t. Things were even worse. At least, the wolven were visible, and clear in their intent. Now, her friends were being hurt by foes that appeared and disappeared as they pleased, and for reasons she couldn't understand.

It was for that reason that Fluttershy was now about to check up on another one of her friends. She trembled slightly when she opened the door to Pinkie’s room, remembering that moment when Princess Luna flew her wheezing, barely conscious friend into the hospital.

Fluttershy was shocked and terrified when they wheeled in a blood-soaked Rarity. Rarity was no front line fighter. Even if she was, they were in Canterlot, not Bastion City. When it was Pinkie, the pony who had nothing to do with any of the fighting, the panic was no longer there, just dread realization. There was no stopping this tide of violence that washed over all of her friends: not walls, not other legionnaires, nothing. Even now, Rarity was either working on crafting weapons and armor, or practicing with those mage-blades. Whatever traces of concern she had for dressmaking had been cut away by that awful Lion Court. Now, it was Pinkie’s turn. By the time Pinkie had settled into her room, Fluttershy was already waiting for the next terrible incident.

“You’ll get your turn. I don’t know what that turn’s going to be but you’ll get it.”

Redbrand’s words never left Fluttershy. Though she threw herself into taking care of her friends, she was quietly waiting for that turn. She didn't know what would be worse: staying by the sidelines while they each fought and got hurt in turn, or being attacked herself.

The mood within Pinkie’s room reflected that depressing thought. Pinkie only had a few cuts and bruises. With Princess Luna’s magic, she had been purged of the poisons that coursed through her system. A couple of legionnaires had also been brought in. They were suffering from severe bleeding caused by some sort of poison gas. Though worse off than Pinkie, they had also survived. Only Nightcanter's squad got out of that incident without being poisoned.

Fluttershy remained worried. After a few days rest, Pinkie should be fine by now. But there seemed to be one more poison still afflicting her. She remained in her room, her mane limp and straight, often just staring vacantly ahead. Visits from Rarity, and Copper Mane, had done little to improve Pinkie’s mood.

“Hello, Pinkie, are you feeling any better today?” Fluttershy asked.

Pinkie looked up, and tried to muster a smile. Her lips twitched a little from the futile effort. “Hi, Fluttershy,” she said softly. “A little.”

That Pinkie had even responded was enough for Fluttershy to believe that. She hummed a little tune to herself, and began tidying up.

“Fluttershy?”

“What is it, Pinkie?”

“Am I…?” Pinkie’s voice faded to barely a peep. “Am I just birthday cakes and party hats?”

“B-birthday cakes…what?" Flutershy stopped tidying, and focused on Pinkie. "Pinkie, what are you talking about?”

“You know. You told me that before: frivolous things. Maybe I should have listened.”

Fluttershy gasped. “Oh no, Pinkie! That was new Fluttershy! I didn't mean all those things!”

“The princesses…” Pinkie said. “Oh, and the prince...they're always going on about how important the Elements of Harmony are. Everypony is always about fighting these days.” She looked down to her chest, where the Element of Joy would have been hanging. “I thought that being the bearer of the Element of Joy would be wonderful, but all I’m doing is holding ponies down, and putting them in danger! Where does joy come in when nopony wants to be happy and smiling? When all they want to do is fight? I think…I think I should quit.”

“Pinkie…” Fluttershy found herself unable to answer. The question found itself a mirror image within her. Where did kindness fit into all of this fighting?

“The only way to quit is to die,” was the deep-voiced reply. Fluttershy gasped again, and turned towards the voice. A pretty, blue-maned unicorn mare leaned against the door frame. She walked past the mare, and looked outside. There was nopony there save for a couple of heavily-barded legionnaires a few feet away. They looked at her expectantly until she looked away.

“Excuse me, miss,” Fluttershy said to the mare. “Did you see a stallion walk in here for a moment to say something?”

“No,” the mare replied in a deep, masculine voice. “But I did walk in here, and say something.”

“Oh…my…well…um…” Fluttershy felt like she should apologize, but she usually felt that way about almost anything she did that involved other ponies.

Pinkie was less hesitant. “Who are you?” she asked.

“My name is Blue Moon, former captain of the Thorns,” the unicorn replied. He, Fluttershy decided to assume that this pony was a “he”, said both the name, and title confidently.

“You--” Pinkie's voice needed no coaxing this time. “You’re a Thorn! Just like Sablesteel!” She looked around for something. It must be that strange slab of rock that she was clutching earlier. Fluttershy froze halfway between preparing for an attack from Blue Moon, and trying to get Pinkie to calm down.

“Was,” Blue Moon said. “There’s no need to panic. I’m not your enemy anymore. Even if I was, you can see that I am horn-locked, and my escorts are just outside.”

Pinkie’s eyes narrowed, but she stopped searching. Fluttershy remembered the two legionnaires standing nearby, and tried to relax. Just as Blue Moon had mentioned, his horn had a band of metal wrapped around it with a small glowing gem embedded on the device. He didn't have any kind of weapon on him, and he wore a simple, white, collared shirt. Still, what he just said…

The mere mention of the name melted through the awkwardness. Fluttershy had encountered plenty of mean, opportunistic, and greedy creatures in her life. She had seen the viciousness of the wolven. But these Thorns…they were a different sort of vile. Lion Court was one of them. Another one named Longstride was after Rainbow. Now, there was Sablesteel, who was bent on hurting Pinkie and her loved ones. They deliberately stayed on hurting. All of Lion Court’s cuts had been made to cause as much pain, and as little damage as possible. Sablesteel’s poison also turned out to be very slow-acting, and painful. Only monsters reveled in causing pain for pain’s sake. “Is it true?” she asked. “You were one of the Thorns?”

“I just said that,” Blue Moon replied.

“Then, maybe you can stop them!” Pinkie said. “Please, stop them from hurting my friends! Especially Sablesteel!”

“There is no stopping them,” Blue Moon said, his gaze apologetic. “The Thorns are committed to Black Rose’s orders. Only she can tell them to stop.”

“They’re monsters then,” Pinkie said, her voice dropping. “My friends and family never did anything to Sablesteel. She’s going to kill them because somepony told her?”

“Is that what she told you?” Blue Moon asked. Not even a trace of emotion crossed his face at the sight of Pinkie’s rising anger. Even Fluttershy found his uncaring expression arrogant. “You should consider them safe then.”

Both mares stopped short. “What?” Pinkie asked.

Fluttershy shook away her daze. “What do you mean?” she asked.

“Sablesteel takes assassination very seriously,” Blue Moon said. “She's the sole remaining heiress to a very old tradition. She treats her failures as shaming herself before the hundreds of ponies who belonged to that tradition. She would never do something so stupidly theatrical as to announce her targets. Unless assassination isn't part of her plan to begin with.”

“Then--” Pinkie's angry scowl cracked. “Then they’re safe?” she asked. “Sablesteel won’t hurt them?”

“No,” Blue Moon replied. “But it's best that you don't celebrate. If you provoke her, she’ll do something to prove a point.”

Blue Moon’s warning reined in some of Pinkie’s enthusiasm. More than that, she must still be pondering her question. Blue Moon’s words gave her hope, but that still left her in the dark about the Element of Joy. “But if she’s not going to hurt them, why would she say she would?” Pinkie asked.

“Sable has been tasked to draw out the power of the Element of Joy,” Blue Moon replied. “She may believe that the best way to do that is to make you as miserable as possible.” He snorted. “I suspect that she’s been spending too much time with Lion Court to come up with a plan like that.”

Finally, a trace of emotion marked Blue Moon’s words. He spoke of Sablesteel with concerned disapproval, the kind of tone Fluttershy had heard her friends use before. His bright blue eyes went from icy and confident to liquid with emotion. For him to introduce himself as “former captain of the Thorns” must mean more than just identifying himself as once an enemy. These Thorns were his friends. Something bad must have happened to make him abandon them.

“Well…” Pinkie mumbled. She pressed her front hooves together absentmindedly. “She’s still pretty mean. Those poisons really hurt. If they want to make the Elements of Harmony become stronger, why don’t they just help us out instead of attacking us like this?” She pressed her lips tightly for a second. “I’d like to know how to make my element grow stronger. I really do.”

Blue Moon gazed downwards. “Various reasons,” he said. He opened his mouth to say more, but he stopped himself with a shake of his head. Another moment of silence passed. “None of them matter. The Thorns will continue to antagonize you as per their orders anyway.” He turned around. “I should let you get some more rest.”

Pinkie was about to say more when her eyes lit up. She fell into such a thoughtful silence that Fluttershy didn't dare disturb her.

“Wait!” Fluttershy called out after Blue Moon. She managed to catch up to him by the hallway. Around them, doctors, nurses, and patients moved through with barely a glance at them. Blue Moon paused before he could rejoin his two escorts. “Why did you come here?” she asked.

“I wanted to see how Pinkie Pie was,” Blue Moon said. “Don’t get me wrong. It’s not out of any overwhelming concern for your friend. I wanted to see how badly Sable was willing to hurt her.” He smiled a little. “The full recovery is a relief.”

“You’re really worried about Sablesteel, aren't you?” Fluttershy asked.

Blue Moon moved to the side of the hallway, and gestured for Fluttershy to do the same. “I worry for all the surviving Thorns, save for Lion Court,” he said. “Sable tends to make bad personal choices, while Stride can’t be bothered to make any to begin with. If there’s anything I regret over going against Black Rose, it would be leaving them to themselves.”

Fluttershy wasn't sure she wanted to hear more of this. Just a few minutes ago, her friends’ tormentors were all cruel monsters. Hearing somepony talk about them as…well, as ponies, was difficult. Blue Moon called these “monsters” by nicknames, and spoke with an affection that made her miss her friends in return. “If…if it would be alright, may I ask you something more personal?” she asked.

Blue Moon shrugged. “I've been cooperating with the Legion since I came to the prince. Cooperating with the Element of Kindness’s bearer won’t be much of a strain.”

“Why did you leave your friends if you care about them so much?”

“Because I care for other things more." The emotion in Blue Moon's voice was gone. “They chose to follow Black Rose after she has overstepped her boundaries. I chose to remember my place in the grand scheme of things.”

“I…I see,” Fluttershy looked away, and scolded herself for letting him lead her on with his sympathy. What had she been expecting anyway? A tearful confession from this hardened soldier? Perhaps, it was because Blue Moon looked so delicate and graceful that it was hard to see him as the former leader of such a dangerous group. She should just walk back to her duties, but there was something more she wanted to hear.

“Is there something else?” Blue Moon asked.

“N-no, not really,” Fluttershy said. “I mean--” She closed her eyes for a moment. There was something else. She just needed to say it. Even if she had to force it out like a bad meal. “Is that really all?” She let out a sigh when she managed to ask it. A second later, she was already holding her breath nervously.

Blue Moon stared quietly at Fluttershy for a while, lips in an even, unfeeling line. Then, he snorted, and gave a wry smile. “No, that’s not all of it,” he said. “But why the interest, Fluttershy? A while ago, you looked like you were going to string me up in the middle of Canterlot for saying I used to be with the Thorns.”

“That’s not true!” Fluttershy said. She glanced to her sides. “Well…not mostly…I mean, I didn't think about using string…or even the middle of Canterlot!”

“It’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” Blue Moon said. “Animosity towards the enemy is natural. Again, I must ask why you're so persistent about this topic.”

“I’m just…I’m just trying to see you Thorns as something other than the enemy,” Fluttershy said. She winced. That sounded weak. It also sounded ridiculous. Vanguard would scold her for thinking such things, just like when he scolded her for not wanting to wear those wolven-fur cloaks. Rainbow would probably laugh, and agree with him while her other friends would just stay silent, “necessity” taking away whatever protests they felt. Blue Moon must be laughing inside already.

Blue Moon’s eyes narrowed. “It’s a dangerous thing you’re doing, Fluttershy."

“W-what do you mean?”

“Trying to sympathize. Leave the worrying about my former comrades to me. The Thorns are your enemies. That’s all you should really treat them as.”

Fluttershy remembered her earlier ire. It was so easy to slip into that kind of thinking; the same sort of thinking that Blue Moon was now suggesting. She had almost forgotten to see them as ponies, or even as living creatures. Almost. “No,” she said.

“No, what?” Blue Moon asked.

“I’m not just going to treat them as enemies,” Fluttershy replied. “That’s the easy way out!” Her defiant look softened. “How can you suggest that when you care about them?”

After a moment of confusion, Blue Moon’s smile widened. “Element of Kindness.” he remarked. “Maybe you do have a point, Fluttershy. My sister’s strategies seldom considered that.”

The shyness was back with a vengeance. Fluttershy looked away when blood rushed to her face.

“You’re going to need more than just your intentions,” Blue Moon said. “Or your skill in helping the wounded.”

Blue Moon’s words reminded Fluttershy of a constant frustration. The same frustration that plagued Pinkie. “I know that," she said. "But what else can I do?”

Blue Moon studied her carefully. “I was tasked with somehow drawing out the power of the Element of Kindness.” He raised his head with pride. “Leave it to Black Rose to assign me the most difficult task for her Thorns.” He paused again. “Not that Joy is any less difficult.”

Fluttershy lowered her gaze. “Sorry,” she said.

“That wasn't meant as a rebuke,” Blue Moon said. “But it does mean that you posed a different sort of task. Truth be told, I am still unsure of what can be done to that end. Information about you has given me some other details that can be improved on: your Stare ability.”

The Stare. Fluttershy had no idea where it had come from, how she had come to have it, and what its actual purpose was. All she knew was that it had been useful on some occasions, she didn't have much of a control over it, and that it was scary. Really scary. Her experience with Scarlet showed her just how scary it could really be, for both the user, and the one being stared at. But, if it could be used to help her friends, to frighten their enemies away without all the violence…she’d try anything.

“What can I do about it?” Fluttershy asked.

Blue Moon looked at his guards before leaning closer. “Go to the hidden archives in the Canterlot Grand Library," he said softly. "You are a bearer of an Element of Harmony, a trusted pony in the eyes of our royalty. I’m sure you can find a means to access that place. Read more on the works of Hurricane and Pansy. You’ll find some answers for yourself.”

“H-how do you know about all of this?” Fluttershy asked.

“My sister has the uncanny ability to piece together conclusions from bits and pieces of information," Blue Moon said. "Your ability is one that fascinates her, and puts her ill at ease. It should be no surprise that she’s tracked down all possible leads. This is her best one.”

This time, there was more than just a mere crack on Blue Moon’s emotionless mask. He spoke of his sister with unabashed affection. Black Rose didn't seem the caring sort. She had a smile that only appeared warm, but actually sent chills down Fluttershy’s spine. What did Blue Moon see? What fed that warmth in his voice?

When Blue Moon noticed Fluttershy’s staring, the mask was back up. “You should go right away,” he said.

“But, I’m still needed here!” Fluttershy said. There were patients to take care of, including Pinkie. Redbrand still needed her help.

“There will always be more injured,” Blue Moon said. “They will be there when you leave, and they will still be there when you return. Opportunities like these are fleeting. Something grave is on the horizon. You may not get the chance again if you let this pass.”

“I…” Fluttershy turned around, and trotted off to find Redbrand and ask for some time off. She didn't trust everything Blue Moon said, but she felt a growing sense of urgency about what he spoke of.

With Fluttershy out of sight, Blue Moon finally had a chance to evaluate what had just happened. He had been too open in their conversation to the point of ridiculousness. What had started out as just a quick visit to Sable’s target had turned into a landslide of self-revelation on his part. Fluttershy was proof, once again, that researching a pony as much as possible was no substitute for actually meeting her.

Sable would be furious once she discovered what he had told Pinkie Pie. He didn't mind. Sable was approaching this the wrong way. Of course, Sable would call him arrogant for thinking he knew best.

He snorted at his own earlier boast about that matter. Rose didn't assign Fluttershy to him because of the difficulty. It was a process of elimination. Stride and Rhapsody would have deemed Fluttershy too weak, and would have asked permission to just kill her on sight. Sable and Frenzy Heart would have asked for somepony else. Lion Court would have found her boring, and boring ponies didn't last long with him. No, it was either Rose personally took care of the matter or he did.

As Blue Moon left the hospital, he glanced towards the direction of Canterlot’s Grand Library. Rose was still unsure of whether to actually let Fluttershy tap into the Stare’s potential, or just let the whole thing slide. He had concurred at the time, but he relented at Fluttershy's determination. Rose had been afraid that Fluttershy’s timid disposition made her incapable of dealing with the Stare’s origins and nature, things that even she could only guess at. But today’s meeting let him see otherwise.

‘This will mean trouble,’ he silently told Fluttershy, who was likely on her way to the Grand Library. 'It’s your head if you fail, and mine as well. I hope you pull through.”

The Throne and its Bearer

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 38: The Throne and its Bearer

When he received Third Squad's report, Terrato immediately sent out orders that the Elements of Harmony be gathered together. He wasn't that confident of their effectiveness as of now, especially with what he had seen of Applejack earlier, but he and his sisters had to push through with their plans.

Preparations had already been done. A necromantic ritual was enough to cleanse the place of all the ghosts that had anchored themselves to the Crystal Grave. He had to give some credit to Captain Shining Armor for holding that spell for a long time.

Then, he and Luna inscribed all the necessary magical sigils around the Crystal Grave while their elder sister supervised. Abjuration was one of Celestia's specialties. It was only when she was completely satisfied with their array did they continue.

Celestia's examinations also revealed a few more things. The seal around the Crystal Grave were obviously Lexarius’. He had discovered this during his reign, and had promptly hidden it away. The Crystal Grave itself did not belong to their predecessor, nor did it appear as the work of anypony in the Eternal Herd. No, this crystal was a construct of Oceanus himself. It was built not just to keep outside forces from getting to Regia Carnifex, it was also built to keep him inside it. Terrato didn't know why Oceanus would outright imprison his lieutenant, but he was more determined now to find out. His next step was looking better.

And that next step was right now. Terrato walked through one more tunnel before he stood within Crystal Grave's chamber. His sisters were already waiting for him. Luna tapped impatiently against the gleaming gemstone floor while Celestia stared into the crystal. Their inscriptions were already glowing, and humming with magic. All they needed now was the actual spell. For what could very well be the hundredth time, the consequences of the situation ran through his mind. He imagined having to fight an enraged, newly-freed alicorn across the skies above Canterlot. How much destruction would ensue? Before it would even get to that, they would have to deal with Regia Carnifex here. He glanced towards Celestia. Would he be able to protect her should any fighting take place?

‘You mean like how you defended her from Black Rose?’

Terrato's own inner challenge was full of scorn. He shut his eyes tightly for a second, as if doing so could silence the doubts.

‘Like how you’ll defend her from Gravitas, from Oceanus, and from any other danger that’s bound to come?’

“Are you ready, big brother?”

At the sound of Luna's voice, Terrato ignored the stinging questions. He took his spot directly opposite her, with the massive crystal between them. He had no answer to himself. None that didn't sound like hollow boasting. All he could do was to keep moving forward until those troubles arrived, then show what he could do. “No, I’m just standing around here wasting your time.“ He snorted. "Of course I’m ready. Let’s begin.” He cursed inwardly when his little sister answered with an even more concerned look.

“Alright,” Luna replied. She intoned the beginning of the abjuration ritual while the inscribed spells around her glowed even brighter.

Terrato followed her lead. The room shimmered with alicorn magic. A faint humming emanated from the crystal. To their side, Celestia walked closer to get a better view. The light intensified, and the humming grew into an oppressive buzz. A drop of sweat trickled down the side of his face.

Finally, they reached the end of the ritual. The humming stopped, and the light faded. The crystal was still there, its hundreds of facets held not so much as a single scratch. Terrato tried to get a feel of how the magic held itself together. He looked to his sisters to see if they found something he didn't.

“We've done it,” Celestia said. There was a faint note of relief in her voice. Hopefully, they had just proved that their magic could dent Oceanus’ if they had to. If Celestia were to recover, all three of them might just match him.

The relief didn't last long. A groan; the sort of groan one would make upon waking up, came from the Crystal Grave. Terrato fell into a fighting stance. Celestia was confident that they had succeeded, but they were faced with Oceanus’ second. Past the crystal, Luna was also ready for a fight.

There was neither great explosion nor a fearsome neigh came despite their fears. Just another groan, this one shorter, and more annoyed.

“Regia Carnifex,” Celestia said. “Can you hear us?”

Another minute passed before an answer emerged from the Crystal Grave. “Etiam…ut’ ius…” a voice rumbled from the crystal. It sounded like ancient tree straining against a strong wind. Luna frowned, and cast a translation spell over all of them. “…that’s my name too…”

Celestia raised an eyebrow. “Your name too?” she asked. Terrato and Luna walked to her side.

“Pardon,” the voice said. “I had gotten so used to being called ‘Starswirl’. It took a while to remember that I am Regia Carnifex after all.”

Terrato let himself smile a little. “Looks like I got it right,” he said.

“But who am I speaking to?” Carnifex asked. “I can barely see through this blasted prison, and I do not recognize your voices.”

“My name is Celestia,” Celestia replied. “With me are my siblings: Terrato and Luna.”

“Celestia…” Carnifex said. “Princess Celestia…oh, yes. I remember now. You’re that little pink-maned filly who kept making off with Oceanus’ special pastries.”

“That was--” Celestia stopped, resuming only when she had restored some dignity in her tone. “That was a long, long time ago, Regia Carnifex,” she said. “We've woken you up for present matters.”

“Of course you have,” Carnifex replied. “I’m not going anywhere, am I? So ask your questions.”

None of them replied right away. Now that they had Carnifex’s attention, the swarm of possible questions made it difficult to pick the first.

“Tell us about the Foul Weapon,” Celestia said. “What is it? What does it do? How is it activated?”

“It’s not for you,” Carnifex replied. “That’s what it is, Princess Celestia. If this is some foalish attempt to follow in the hoof-steps of the pony you all but worshiped before, then give up.”

Luna stomped a hoof. “As if big sister would even consider such a thing!” she said. “All we want is enough information to make sure that nopony gets to use the Foul Weapon, including Oceanus himself!”

“Such a noble goal,” Carnifex replied. “Oceanus said noble things too. He may have even meant them at some point. The Foul Weapon doesn't care. Let no pony ever use it again.”

“You’re sounding more and more as if you oppose Oceanus, Regia Carnifex,” Terrato said. “What’s going on here?”

“You should know, given that you've been prodding my cage,” Carnifex said. “After the fall, and the rise of Oceanus' children, I started to disagree with Oceanus over how he treated his newfound progeny.” Carnifex chuckled. “I knew that he wouldn't take my defiance well, so I had a failsafe ready before confronting him; a created mortal body to retreat into.”

“And that was why you became Starswirl the Bearded” Celestia said.

“Yes,” Carnifex replied. “I had a wonderful time. I would prefer to be Starswirl even if I did had to abandon most of my magical power. These mortals…they are such an interesting lot, aren't they?”

“They were the ones that brought your downfall, weren't they?” Terrato asked. “Your student discovered your actual body, but she poisoned you before you could do anything.”

For minutes, silence reigned over the Crystal Grave’s chamber. Just as when it seemed Carnifex had fallen asleep, his voice emerge from the crystal again. “Clover…ah, it’s coming back now…all that disappointment. Tell me, your highnesses, what happened to Clover the Clever? She left me stuck in my mortal body when she went to salvage something from her Not-So-Everlasting Kingdom.”

“Lexarius destroyed her,” Celestia said.

“Stupid filly…right to the end, she was desperately scrabbling for her precious ‘Deep Father’.”

The tone Carnifex used was all too familiar: regret, disappointment, even a measure of self-loathing. Old aches welled up inside Terrato. He wanted to cut through all the rambling get to what they needed.

“Carnifex, there are others on Clover's path,” Celestia said. “There is another pony trying to acquire the Foul Weapon. This is why we need your help.”

“I suppose I should be shocked,” Carnifex said. “Yet, it’s to be expected isn't it? When his children hear Oceanus’ call, they all madly dash towards his abyss. I've tried to stop them to no avail. The taint they carry leads them to their fall in the end.”

Luna's face twisted, and she looked down on her chest. Terrato opened his mouth to say something, but Celestia beat him to it.

“No!”

Celestia’s voice resounded within the chamber. She spoke so vehemently that Terrato didn't dare add anything. Carnifex didn't respond either.

“I don’t believe it!” Celestia continued. “Not for even for a second!” Her voice softened. “Oceanus did grow wicked, but it was by his choice, not out of any inevitability. His children have that same choice.” Celestia suddenly looked towards Terrato, and smiled. “Even when thrown into the worst of situations, they can still choose harmony over their ‘Deep Father’. I am not giving up on these mortals.”

“You've come a long way from stealing cakes, Princess Celestia,” Carnifex said. “Perhaps the succession is in safe hooves with you.”

Celestia pressed her lips together, and looked down on her hooves. “I am not worthy of the Throne,” she said softly. “Father will have to look to somepony else.”

“You must be,” Regia Carnifex said. “For you plan to oppose the firstborn in this world, and he has found a Throne for himself.

“What?” Luna and Terrato exclaimed at the same time.

“You've convinced me, at least a bit,” Carnifex said. “If nothing else, let me tell you what it is. The Foul Weapon is a Throne.”

“That makes no sense.” Celestia shook her head. “The Eternal Herd only has one Throne, and our father and mother are sharing it! There is no other Throne!”

“I’m sure that Oceanus thought the same thing when he first found out,” Carnifex said. “But there is another Throne, highness, and the firstborn draws from it. Did you think he would dare challenge your father with anything less?”

“You said 'when he first found out',” Terrato's eyebrows furrowed. “That means Oceanus didn't create this thing. Where did it come from?”

“That is a mystery even to me,” Carnifex replied. “Oceanus might know. Although, I’m sure he won’t share. I can tell you that it is an old, old thing. Older than Sanctus Dominus’ cycle. Likely older than the cycles before that.” He paused again. “Through all that time, nopony has ever been able to draw from it. Only Oceanus.”

“Then Black Rose will fail,” Terrato said, mostly to himself. “The Throne will allow only one pony to draw from it, and that pony is Oceanus.”

“The throne can accommodate two more,” Luna said. “A mate picked by the one it has chosen, and an heir from the two. That’s how it has always been in the Eternal Herd.”

“And how is that pertinent to the situation?” Terrato asked. A snap and a glare followed the tail end of that question despite his efforts to control himself. “The only way Black Rose would be able to draw from Oceanus’s throne is if she married him, or turned out to be his--” Terrato stopped. “Wayward children of Oceanus…” he whispered harshly.

“It’s only in the broadest sense,” Celestia said. She put a hoof on Terrato's shoulder. “But we shouldn't ignore the possibility, no matter how tenuous the link.”

“He would still have to choose her,” Terrato said. “She doesn't even know it’s a Throne.”

"I must agree with Princess Celestia,” Carnifex went on. “The likelihood of this 'Black Rose' even catching Oceanus’s attention is miniscule, but would you risk even a miniscule chance when dealing with the firstborn's Throne?”

‘That gambler…’ was all Terrato could think. He tried to turn his thoughts away to calm himself down. After all that had happened, even with the theft of Celestia’s power, Black Rose was his beloved. He didn't want the miserable firstborn to take that away. He tried to console himself with how unlikely the odds were. It didn't help. Not when he was dealing with a mare who seemed able to bend luck itself to her favor. She might just catch Oceanus’s attention. King knows, she’s caught his. The thought made him sick.

“Big brother…” Luna said. She was about to reach a hoof towards him when Celestia spoke.

“Let us assume that she can find a way to draw from the throne,” Celestia said. “Black Rose still needs to get to it. Lexarius and the other stewards have sealed the thing up so that even my stolen power can’t break into it. Assuming that you’re not going to help her, how else could Black Rose get to the Foul Weapon?”

It almost sounded as if Regia Carnifex snorted. “I would certainly refuse if she was actually polite enough to ask first, unlike my faithful student and her friends. I am trapped in this crystal, your highnesses. Black Rose only needs to steal me away, and she can use me as she pleased.”

“She can’t if you’re dead,” Terrato said.

“Terrato, this is no time for your morbid jokes!” Celestia said.

“It’s no joke,” Carnifex said. “He’s right. If I’m slain in my alicorn body, nopony will be able to use me.”

“I will not murder anypony as a precaution,” Celestia said. "Not anymore..."

“Nobler and nobler,” Carnifex said. “But I've been in this world for too long, Princess Celestia, I've seen plenty of it as Starswirl to be satisfied. Killing me would be a boon. I would be able to return to the Eternal Herd, and face judgment for my part in all of this. Who knows? I might even be allowed to rejoin it.”

At that, Celestia actually looked like she might relent.

“You’re lying,” Luna said. “You've been tainted by the power of Oceanus. If you are slain here, you go to where he resides, to be tormented forever at his whim for your part in helping us.” She put a hoof against her chest, and stared at it grimly. “Like me…”

“I would thank you for sparing my life, highnesses,” Carnifex said. “But your problem remains the same. Let me make another suggestion.”

“And what’s that?” Celestia asked.

“Release me,” Regia Carnifex said. “Clover and Platinum have siphoned nearly all of my magic for their rituals. I may be about as useful as an obsolete book on all things about the age I lived in, but I want to do something against Oceanus.”

All three siblings looked to each other quietly. Terrato frowned, and shook his head. There was a lack of power coming from Carnifex, who sounded sincere enough, but he wasn't just going to release a prisoner so soon. Though Luna seemed a bit hesitant, he could tell that she did agree with him.

“Let us think about it first. We will speak some more later, Regia Carnifex.” Celestia motioned to her siblings, and walked away from the Crystal Grave. Terrato and Luna followed suit. It was only when the three of them had reached the Chamber of Elements did Celestia speak. “Where does all this find us now?” she asked.

“If Black Rose is relying on Regia Carnifex, she would have to come to us,” Terrato said. “She must have an alternative.”

“What other magic can match such a powerful seal from the Eternal Herd?" Celestia asked.

“The Elements of Harmony,” Luna replied. She held her gaze steady when both her siblings looked at her. “Think about it, she’s been dead set on trying to break or strengthen them with her agents. I think the Elements could do it.”

“Black Rose would have to get them to use it according to her purposes,” Terrato said. “And lead them to the Blasphemous Rift before that. What could she possibly do to--”

All three of them halted when the resonance of an ominous and familiar presence made itself known. Celestia’s face twisted from shock to sheer outrage. Luna and Terrato could only look to her grimly. “Gravitas!” she said. “How dare he!”

“Where is he?” Luna asked. “And who’s with him?”

Terrato tried to pinpoint the presence. Gravitas had chosen to enter this world, but not to meet Celestia. Otherwise, he would have come to Canterlot. He had also tried to enter it as secretly as possible. The magic they sensed wasn't a gate opening, but Gravitas’s power already being unleashed. His eyes widened as he followed that power's trail. “Sky Mirror Lake,” he said.

“There are two others with him,” Celestia said. “He must mean to secure the Blasphemous Rift.”

“Too fast,” Terrato muttered. “He didn't even bother scouting out this world before coming personally. What could have provoked him to rush his arrival here?”

A series of urgent knocks cut Terrato’s musings short. “Enter!” he said.

A pair of Special Operations ponies entered, and knelt. “Highness,” one of them said. “We've received reports from the ponies observing Sky Mirror Lake.”

“What is it?” Terrato asked. He already feared the worst.

“Several explosions were just seen coming from there. We believe that the changelings are under attack.”

“We have to stop him!” Celestia said. “He’s attacking the changelings without so much as a provocation!”

“It’s General Gravitas, and likely two of his best soldiers,” Luna said. “Big sister, without your power, it would be two against three.”

Terrato snorted. “Unless we bring the Elements of Harmony to bear,” he said. “Which would be bringing Twilight Sparkle and her friends to Sky Mirror Lake as Black Rose would want them to be.”

Celestia shook her head. “The Elements are not ready. Whether it’s going to the Blasphemous Rift, or against Gravitas.”

“Then keep them here until they are,” Terrato said. “I will go to Sky Mirror Lake to negotiate with Gravitas. “I’ll bide for time, maybe even convince him to back off.”

“He’s a brute,” Celestia said. “He could just overpower you, and lock you away before making his way here.”

“I’ll go with you, big brother!” Luna said.

“No,” Terrato said. “This is Black Rose’s ploy. If we both go, she’ll come here, and take Regia Carnifex away. She’s probably the one who convinced Gravitas to come to the Blasphemous Rift.”

“Devious,” Luna said. “But this is likely her last ploy. If we defend against this, big sister can recover her power.”

“Then let’s defend well,” Terrato replied. “I’m leaving this front to you, Luna.”

"Take care of yourself, Terrato," Celestia said. "If you fall, Equestria will follow."

"Nopony's going to fall," Terrato replied. "Especially not me." He left the Chamber of Elements, and had spread his wings when a hoof touched his side. “You need something else, little sister?” he asked.

“Promise me that you’ll run, big brother,” Luna said softly. “When it becomes clear that you’re in danger, run. Don’t try to put up a last stand. Leave the changelings behind if you must, but run.”

Terrato felt an urge to shake off the worry, make some small joke, then fly off. Instead, he turned around, and put a hoof on his sister’s shoulder. “I’ll run,” he said. “And Luna…”

“Yes?”

“I…” Terrato hesitated. This sounded like the sort of thing a soldier would say to his loved ones before putting his life on the line again. He didn't want to invoke that ominous atmosphere, but he wanted to say this anyway. “You know…I gave up on you back then. I didn't think you stood a chance against Nightmare Moon. If Celestia had agreed with what I had set out to do, you’d be with Oceanus right now.”

“I know that,” Luna said. “You don’t need to apologize.”

“It’s not an apology I want to make,” Terrato said. “I just want you to know that I plan on giving Oceanus nothing. Not “his” children, not Regia Carnifex, and especially not you.”

“Thank you, big brother,” Luna said. “I’ll hold you to that.”

“Count on it.”

Morbid Fascinations

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 39: Morbid Fascinations

There were plenty of tears to be shed when Rainbow and Third Squad made it back to Canterlot. After days of fending for herself, Rainbow was misty-eyed at the sight of so many ponies. When Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Rarity, came out to meet the group, they were also in tears. Even Applejack and Twilight shed a couple at the unfolding scene.

Scarlet nearly burst into tears when he caught sight of a newly-established, Barrier Lands-only brewery. There was no drinking for him, though. He and Rainbow were off to stay in the hospital until they were cleared of any lingering ophidite drugs.

When Twilight was allowed access to the hidden archives the following day, that was when she really had to hold back a sob. The Coldhorn the Watcher Wing, the lone reading room in the library that she had avoided as a filly, had turned into a long hallway of ancient books. She could barely contain herself as she surveyed the shelves. Special Operations had several researchers combing through the material. She was going relish going in there with them, looking through the notes they already compiled, and adding to them when she had a chance. When orders came from Prince Terrato for the Elements of Harmony to stay put in Canterlot, she was the only pony who took them in stride. The only sour note so far was when she had to pass by Captain Bad Arc on her way to the hidden archives.

“Try not to wet yourself in there, Purple Pyre. Don’t want to ruin any of those books.”

Twilight put that unpleasant pegasus behind her. All this knowledge was too important to be soured by one pony. Apparently, she wasn't the only who thought so as well. Fluttershy, of all ponies, was as determined as she was to go through the books. Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie, had also come along, more because of the prince’s orders that they be near each than out of any enthusiasm.

“So what’s got you so interested in the hidden archives, Fluttershy?” Twilight asked.

Fluttershy pawed the floor nervously. “Well…um…I wanted to find out more about the Stare…”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “What makes you think that there would be information about the stare here? These books are mostly about pre-Equestrian history.”

“Well…” Fluttershy glanced away. “He told me that there’d be something to find out here.”

Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “Who’s this ‘he’?” she asked. She stopped when Fluttershy backed away from her looming form.

“It-it was, Blue Moon,” Fluttershy said. “I’m sorry, I wasn't trying to keep it a secret!”

“It’s alright,” Twilight said. “Sorry for being pushy. Did he say anything else?”

“No…”

After making a mental note to talk to Blue Moon, as well as to call for Fluttershy if she did stumble on anything about the Stare, Twilight went on her way. She had already thought about what she wanted to learn first so she could narrow her reading focus.

First and foremost, Twilight wanted to learn more about the Old Kingdom. Ever since she visited Clover the Clever’s last refuge, the darkness around that time before Equestria beckoned her scrutiny. It wasn't just because the Foul Weapon and the Blasphemous Rift were important to their current situation. She wanted to learn more about how ponies dealt with their connection to their “Deep Father”; a connection that, as much as she hated to admit it, she and all of Equestria had. What had happened in Clover’s refuge was but a small taste of the influence of Oceanus. What was the result if that small taste was magnified to great proportions? What did the power of Oceanus do to a pony?

Down one aisle, Applejack had picked up a book. She took a single look at the pages before frowning, and placing it back. “Land’s sakes, Twilight, I can’t stay cooped up in here with all these fancy books,” she said. “I’ll go crazy. I’m off to do some training!”

“Don’t stray too far from the library,” Twilight said. “We’re supposed to stay together.”

“I’ll just be nearby,” Applejack said solemnly.

“Hold on, Applejack,” Rarity called out. “I’m coming with you!”

Twilight and Applejack looked towards Rarity.

“Really?” Applejack asked. “I mean, you want to go…with me…while I go off to train?”

Rarity frowned. “Yes, thank you for clarifying. If you’re going, then let’s go!”

“Well, I…uh…okay,” Applejack said.

Applejack and Rarity trotted to the Great Library’s exit. That left Pinkie still in the library somewhere. Twilight scratched her head as she searched. It shouldn't be that hard to look for Pinkie. All she had to do was follow the sound of books being thrown around, high pitched squeals of delight, and the annoyed cursing of legionnaires trying to rein somepony in. Yet, there weren't any of those at the moment. Had they “misplaced” Pinkie before they even made it to the library?

Twilight was about to call for some help when she finally caught sight of Pinkie, who had been passing through the shelves in a subdued manner. “Pinkie?” Twilight asked. “Are you looking for something specific too?”

“Huh?” Pinkie replied. She shook her head. “Oh, uh…yeah. Hey, Twilight, you think there’s some kind of a book here about Rock Maven?”

“Rock who?”

“Rock Maven. Copper Mane’s been teaching me a lot of stuff about him, but...well, he makes me want to find out more. Don’t tell him though. He’s been teaching me lots of stuff that I like doing. But, when he starts talking about being a True Earth Pony and stuff, I just feel like wanting to find out for myself.”

“Well, good luck looking for Rock Maven then,” Twilight said. “I’ll call you if I read about him somewhere.”

“Thanks, Twilight!” Pinkie went off again.

Twilight didn't even know how Pinkie was able to tell what a book was about without picking them up. However, if there was indeed a book here about this “Rock Maven”, Pinkie would find it.

Realizing that she had wasted too much time with what her friends were up to, Twilight picked up a promising title, and began reading. Fortunately, this one was already in Equestrian, as were most of the books. The ones that weren't were with the translators. Now, she just needed to find the ones about the Old Kingdom…

“So why did you want to come with me, Rarity?” Applejack asked as they trotted to the nearest training ground. They made sure to keep the building in sight, and let the Special Operations ponies know where they were.

“A couple of reasons,” Rarity replied. “First, how was your first mission with Vanguard and Twilight?”

“You know, Scarlet and Rainbow were involved in it too. And First Squad.”

“And you know what I’m talking about, Applejack.”

“You’re prodding again, Rarity!” Applejack said. She stayed silent for a while, but she eventually sighed, and replied. “It wasn't--” She remembered that night when she did talk to Vanguard, then Twilight: the thrill that spread all throughout her body when Vanguard reached out to her, her relief when she was able to reach Twilight without losing her temper. “It wasn't as bad as I was afraid it was going to be,” she said.

“Really?” Rarity asked. “No fighting? No tears, or screaming? That is quite the pleasant surprise, Applejack. Well, I’m glad to know that you've got this messy triangle out of the way. Now we can--”

“We haven’t gotten it out of the way,” Applejack said. “Sorry, Rarity, but I'm not stepping aside. Twilight isn't either.”

The widening smile on Rarity’s face nearly collapsed on itself. “Oh my stars…” she said. She massaged her temples with her hooves, then let out a long exhale. “Well, at least you two addressed it. Not too bad, Element of Honesty.”

Applejack walked over to a nearby practice dummy. On the way back to Canterlot, she used all the time she could squeeze out of the mission to practice with Apple Slice’s chain, especially in controlling its pulling strength. She didn't want to pull off somepony’s head whenever she wanted to lasso them. “You’re just making fun of me now, Rarity,” she said.

“No, I mean it,” Rarity said. “Things can still go bad very quickly, but I rather like being pleasantly surprised. There’s still a number of things that might ruin all of Equestria, but I think I’ll sleep a little better from now on.”

Applejack snorted. “Don’t tell me that you followed me all the way out here just for that!”

“Well...” Rarity said. “There is one more reason.”

Applejack turned around in time to see Rarity's blades float above her. “Rarity…what are you doing?” she asked. "Those blades--"

“Carefully wrapped in leather to prevent serious injury,” Rarity said. “They’ll still hurt if they hit you. And I will hit you if you don’t take me seriously.”

Applejack grinned, and pawed the ground. “Is that right?” she asked. She was about to get Apple Slice’s chain ready when she hesitated. “If I get this thing around your neck, the fight’s over, alright? I don’t want to snap your neck.”

“Agreed,” Rarity replied.

Applejack's grin returned wider than ever. “Hope you’re better than a training dummy, then!” She whirled the looped end by her side.

The mage blades around Rarity began spinning in a wheel-shaped pattern. “We’ll see,” she said.

The sheer number of books within the hidden archives was nearly enough for Fluttershy to turn around, and give up. This was pointless. She could spend days and days within this place without coming upon anything she was looking for. The Special Operations ponies moving through the place looked so busy that she must be disturbing them by simply being there. She was better off just walking away. She could just tell Blue Moon that she didn't find anything.

Except that she wasn't doing this for Blue Moon.

Fluttershy stopped herself halfway through her turn. ‘That’s right,’ she thought. She remembered the helplessness just a few days ago, and used that to push herself forward. She had an opportunity here she couldn't afford to waste. She approached one of the Special Operations ponies. “Um…excuse me, w-would you mind helping me find a book?”

The legionnaire, a blue green unicorn mare whose blue mane resembled the usual Royal Guard mane style, turned around. Fluttershy expected a stinging rebuke about getting in the way, and that this wasn't a public library. To her surprise, she actually got a salute, and a respectful tone. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Oh…um…well, you don’t have to stand at attention," Fluttershy said. "I just wanted to find some books about Commander Hurricane and Private Pansy.”

“There are several books on Hurricane and his Graywing Elite by that stack with Squall Chaser.” The legionnaire pointed to a very light gray earth pony with a curly, cream-colored mane. “Squall!” she called to him. “Show Legionnaire Fluttershy here those Graywing Elite books.”

“Wow…” Fluttershy said. “You know my name?”

“Legionnaire Fluttershy, Bearer of the Element of Kindness,” the legionnaire said. “We've been updated on who you are, and your position within the Legion.”

Squall Chaser walked over, and saluted. “Right this way, ma’am,” he said. He showed her a stack of books, many of which lacked any title on their covers save for the picture of a gray-feathered wing and a spear forming an “x”.

Fluttershy picked one book up. “Graywing Elite?” she asked. “What’s that?”

“The Graywing Elite was the ruling body of the pegasi nation prior to the rise of the Old Kingdom,” Squall Chaser said. “Hurricane was its leader during the Windigo Crisis, and Pansy was his second. After the Old Kingdom was established, it was merged with the Unicorn Monarchy, and the United Earth Pony Clan Lords.”

“So all these books are about Hurricane and Pansy?” Fluttershy asked. The number and thickness of the books made her dizzy. All she needed was to know more about the Stare. These books looked like they chronicled every day in the lives of Hurricane and Pansy.

“Oh no,” Squall Chaser said. “Only a few of these are about the two of them. The rest are about Pansy’s Experiments.”

“O-oh, I see…” Fluttershy said. “Have you read most of them? Maybe you can tell me where to read about the Stare?”

At Squall Chaser's blank look, Fluttershy consigned the rest of her day to going over the stack. “I’ve made it through halfway the material,” he said. “I haven’t encountered anything involving a stare. Hurricane and Pansy aren't quite in the Legion’s sights at the moment, so it’s just me working on this stack. Everypony here is more focused on Clover, Platinum, and Smart Cookie. They’re the ones who were really into delving into the power of Oceanus.

“I better get started then,” Fluttershy said. She picked up a book, and began scanning pages.

Finding books about the Old Kingdom turned out to be quite easy, as Twilight quickly discovered. Lexarius’s commitment to historical documentation was admirable. Many of the records were written on his orders, and he was quite adamant on writing down every detail of the enemy he had defeated. It was nothing short of a tragedy that a pony so organized and meticulous was now an insane entity trapped in stone. Twilight would have loved to meet him when he was still himself.

Hours had likely passed. Twilight didn't really care. Several finished books were already stacked to one side of her, while books she wanted to read were stacked by the other. There was so much to find out about the Old Kingdom, from its sordid beginnings to its ultimate fate.

The Six Companions and those who followed them called their nation “the Everlasting Kingdom”. Clover the Clever envisioned a grand destiny for ponykind, one that was tangled in the tendrils of her “Deep Father”. She had stayed true to what she told her mentor when she murdered him. Twilight took some grim comfort over knowing that it was now referred to as “the Old Kingdom”.

While it was Clover who picked the name, it took all six companions, and the factions they led, to create their Everlasting Kingdom.

Princess Platinum all but ruled the Unicorn Kingdom in her father’s name while Clover the Clever officially served as “court mage”. Twilight didn't need to find any writing about it to suspect that Platinum’s hold over her kingdom did not come from legitimate means, nor did “court mage” come anywhere near Clover’s true position.

Hurricane and Pansy commanded the Graywing Elite, the military, therefore ruling, arm of the pegasi.

As for Puddinghead and Smart Cookie, they were the leaders of the two most powerful earth pony clans. Their alliance, and their progress with attuning themselves to Oceanus, allowed them to beat most of the clans into submission, then sell the particularly defiant ones to slavery.

It was at this point that Twilight encountered the name that had Pinkie so curious. There was a brief list of the earth pony clans that had been sold to the unicorns, and one of the clans had been led by Rock Maven. It was merely a passing mention, not worth taking herself away from her reading to look for Pinkie.

This turned out to be the right choice. She sped through line after line, page after page, just taking in all the information. “A lot of bad things were committed during those times, several books worth,” Nightcanter had said. Several books worth was right. Lexarius made sure that every monstrous ritual was described as vividly as possible without making them repeatable. Twilight winced at each event: the pony sacrifices, the slavery, the purges…but she couldn't stop reading. She soon found more interesting and pertinent details.

From Special Operations, Twilight already knew that the Old Kingdom’s capital was located in Sky Mirror Lake. She also knew that something was going to happen there very soon so every bit of information about the place was going to be important.

What she hadn't known was that it was the Six Companions who called upon the waters that still remain to this very day. They had done it to “preserve the sanctity of the Everlasting Kingdom”. If Twilight despised Clover the Clever before for murdering Starswirl the Bearded, it was nothing compared to the loathing she felt for the errant student now. Clover destroyed the nation she built, then escaped its fate at the very last moment, abandoning even the other companions. The ritual was called “Deep Father’s Embrace”, and the name did fit. Oceanus’ loving hug killed the city’s thousands of inhabitants in a deluge of magically tainted water. Lexarius had a lot of detailed notes on the devices he had to construct just to get around this obstacle, and seal the Blasphemous Rift.

“Twilight Sparkle.”

Twilight's first instinct was to be irritated. She had a lot more reading to do. But she recognized Vanguard’s voice. “Vanguard,” she said. “Wait, what time is it? How long have I been reading here?”

The serious mien around Vanguard was enough for Twilight to close the book she was reading. “Well over eight hours,” he said. “The princesses have summoned the Elements of Harmony. They’re already waiting in the Chamber of Harmony.”

“I’ll go get Pinkie and Fluttershy."

The alicorn stallion laughed a loud, bellowing “HOO! HOO! HOO!” as he brought his massive weapon down on a group of changelings. The hammer's head, a polished, rounded chunk of metal the size of a small cottage, crushed half a dozen of the screaming insectoid creatures, splattering their blood across the soft, sandy ground. The other changelings continued to fly away. Despite his enormous size, and his heavy barding, the alicorn was right behind them, hammer ready for another overhead smash.

“Isn’t this a strangely amusing chore, Fulmen?” Ridentem Malleorum asked. A much smaller alicorn in golden armor darted about behind him, impaling the changelings scattered by Ridentem’s initial charge with a long, broad-tipped spear.

Fulmen Lancea stopped briefly before pointing his weapon towards a few more fleeing changelings. A stroke of golden lightning burst from the tip, incinerating his targets before they could fly another foot. “No,” he said. “It feels too much like pointless posturing, Ridentem. It will always be until we fight Oceanus’s troops.”

“But this thing they’re doing,” Ridentem said. “It’s so bizarre and amusing! It’s an excellent diversion!”

“What do you mean ‘this thing’?” Fulmen asked.

“This thing! This thing!” Ridentem said, nearly unable to hold back his mirth. “This maneuver that looks like a retreat, but with that racket!”

“It’s called ‘fleeing in terror’,” Fulmen said. “This world’s inhabitants are prone to such behavior.”

Ridentem paused. “You mean…they’re afraid of us?” he asked. Before Fulmen could reply, he laughed again, and crushed another group of changelings. He spotted a large group of changelings trying to escape, but appeared to be hampered by something. “Over there,” he said. “That one looks just a bit more organized!”

Fulmen didn't reply, but he followed his partner. As they approached, half the group formed a defensive barrier while the other half continued to fly away with their burden.

“Now here’s something more familiar,” Ridentem said. "A bit of organized resistance for once. What’s that thing they’re trying to escape with? It looks like one of them, only bigger!”

“I recognize this one,” Fulmen said. “It’s their queen, the one the general tried to talk to.”

“Should we finish the task?” Ridentem asked. He advanced even more. The changelings rushed him, but their teeth, and hooves merely bounced off his barding.

The changeling leader began to stir. She opened her eyes weakly, and tried to rise without help. The other changelings gathered around her in support.

“Let’s try to talk to it,” Fulmen said. “As I recall, it can actually communicate.”

“Better speak slowly,” Ridentem suggested. He didn't bring down his hammer, but he swatted a few changelings away with a foreleg. They crashed to the ground, and did not rise again.

“Do you understand me?” Fulmen asked.

“I understand perfectly, monster,” the changeling queen spat. “Celestia talked so innocently about just passing through, then she sends you to destroy us all!”

“We are not affiliated with the secondborn,” Fulmen said. “We are letting you go. Come back with reinforcements, or flee to a far away land. It doesn't matter.”

“Regroup, and get your allies,” Ridentem said. “Please, make it more amusing when you return!”

“We will get our revenge one day!” The changeling queen glared at them, then flew towards Canterlot.

“We don’t really need that many escorts for her do we?” Ridentem asked. Without waiting for a reply, he brought down his hammer on some of the changelings lagging behind. Fulmen shook his head, and turned away.

There was no crash or splatter, however. Ridentem’s attack had collided with a great chunk of stone before the hammer’s head could even travel past his horn.

“The changelings deserved some punishment,” sompony said. Prince Terrato landed in front of them. “I even suggested to Celestia that they be wiped out. But seeing it done like this…well, that makes me see her point a bit more clearly.”

Fulmen placed his right hoof against the left part of his breastplate, then dipped his head: the normal greeting that soldiers of the Eternal Herd made for royalty. “Highness,” he said. “The general was hoping that you would be the one to come and negotiate.”

“Good,” Terrato said. “We start off positive. Take me to General Gravitas.”

They flew along the shores of Sky Mirror Lake, past hundreds of the dead changelings scattered across the ground like flies. Most were barely discernible pools of mashed gore and bones. They landed at the northernmost point of the lake, in front of a large tent.

Terrato didn't waste any time in stepping forward. He had flown from Canterlot at night, but it was morning when he arrived in Sky Mirror Lake. “Gravitas,” he called out. “We need to talk.” The tent flap lifted, and Gravitas stepped out.

General Gravitas was taller than Terrato by a few inches, and just as muscular. His barding was polished to a silvery sheen, and intricately engraved. It covered him from head to hooves in gleaming, overlapping plates. Underneath the armor, he had a coat of a very light gray, almost white. His mane was a dark blue mist that seeped through the openings of his criniere, and he looked at the world through a disapproving set of ice blue eyes. “Yes, we do,” he said in a rich, baritone voice. “It's good that it was you who came, highness. I have had quite enough of dealing with your sister.”

“Is that the only reason?” Terrato asked.

“You are the most likely to understand,” Gravitas added. “We’re soldiers of the Herd, you and I. We both understand the necessary steps that your sisters are often so quick to condemn, and overlook.

“And what is this that I am most likely to understand?” Terrato asked.

“That these mortals must be destroyed for their own good,” Gravitas replied. “The Council sent me here to secure the Foul Weapon, restore Celestia’s power, and ensure Equestria is not under the influence of Oceanus. These half-hearted measures will spell the end of the Herd if we do not do something.”

“I think you've overestimated my open-mindedness.”

“Hear me out,” Gravitas said. “This matter stretches back even before Lexarius volunteered to come to this world.” He lifted the flap to his tent. “Come in, and we will talk.”

Despite the centuries, Terrato recognized the two soldiers.

Ridentem Malleorus was as tall as Terrato, but with twice the girth. He looked fat, but he moved around earlier with plenty of agility. He had no mane, and his coat was the color of aged cream. The hammer slung across the his back, and the way the burnished metal plates of his barding curved outward added more to his sheer presence.

Fulmen was nearly Luna’s size, but he carried himself as if he was as big as his partner. His mane was a wild, bright red blaze that sprouted from his closed champron’s top like a second tail. His golden barding covered his rust red coat, and he had a long spear slung across his back.

“The two of you haven’t changed,” Terrato said.

“I wish I could say the same of you, highness,” Fulmen replied.

Terrato followed Gravitas into the tent. There were times that he felt as Fulmen did.

The Herd First

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 40: The Herd First

The visit to Clover the Clever’s darkened refuge was enough to impress upon Fluttershy that the Six Companions were nothing like how they had been portrayed during Hearth’s Warming Eve. She was ready to read about how mean, cruel, and spiteful Pansy was.

Lexarius’ methods, however, didn't quite match her preparation. He did not write every book in this enormous collection, but every pony who did wrote in the manner he asked of them. There were no long discussions on how Hurricane and Pansy were bad, and that everypony should make sure not to follow them. There were only reports; cut-and-dried reports that would not have been out of place in an encyclopedia.

Fluttershy skimmed through the general information on the Graywing Elite, and Commander Hurricane. She wasn't here to learn everything like Twilight was. Only the books that detailed Pansy's actions held her attention.

Hurricane’s activities were listed in a single book; a book that wasn't even entirely about him, but the Graywing Elite as a whole. Pansy, on the other hoof, had several volumes, all dedicated to her experiments.

Though she supported Hurricane’s dominance over the Graywing Elite, Pansy's methods differed greatly from his. Hurricane focused on ideology, morale, and tactics. Pansy was more interested in direct improvement of pegasi troops. “The Weak Sow, the Strong Take” were the guiding words of the Graywing Elite. Pansy followed them to the letter.

The first few books dedicated to Pansy’s work were labeled “Chimera Projects”. Fluttershy was thankful for Lexarius’ organization. These turned out to be Pansy’s first attempts, stretching back to the time before she knew of the power of Oceanus. Pansy tried to give pegasi soldiers the ability to cast spells by taking the horns of kidnapped unicorns, and transplanting them onto volunteers. That was all it took for Fluttershy to skip ahead. First of all, she was too disturbed by the images in these reports. Second, she doubted that the Stare would be something taken from the crude, early attempts of a mad pony.

Fluttershy went through the other books, all the while feeling that she was flying down a dark hole. Every turn of the page was another fight to keep going, to skim just long enough to see if there was anything to find before she moving on.

…resulting in what would eventually be referred to as “Eye of Fear”.

Fluttershy doubled back to the beginning of the page. “Eye of Fear” sounded close. Finally, the end of her awful search was in sight.

The earth ponies' construction of the Coldsteel Construct and the unicorns' discovery of the Crystal Grave left the pegasi in a precarious position within the Six Companions. Pressed by Hurricane to develop a tributary accomplishment in the Deep Father’s name, Pansy abandoned her chimera projects and most of her unsuccessful bloodline experiments in favor of utilizing the Graywing Elite’s captured windigo remains, resulting in what would eventually be referred to as “Eye of Fear”.

Fluttershy tried to turn the page, but her foreleg trembled so much that the paper kept slipping away. The Stare couldn't be good. She suspected that a long time ago, no matter how much she tried to use it for good. Not only that, Blue Moon sent her to this storehouse of information about an evil time in pony history to find out more about it. After a few more fumbles, she finally turned the page, only to come upon another problem. She couldn't get her eyes to focus. They strayed from word to word, refusing to linger long enough for her read anything.

‘Read,’ Fluttershy told herself. ‘You think this is scary? Think of who they’re going to carry into the hospital next. This is just a book. A book about things that happened a long, long time ago!’

The letters came into focus, and the words started making sense. Fluttershy dragged her eyes to the very beginning.

“Surviving records from the Graywing Elite state that Pansy was successful in creating a bloodline from the fallen windigo. Based on the ability to induce terror by eye contact, Lexarius has determined that the captured remains belonged to Lok’horus, one of the enforcer captains bound to Oceanus. Of two hundred volunteers for the ritual, reports from the Graywing Elite state that only three survived. Two were slain during the battle for the Old Kingdom, the third was captured for containment but--”

“Fluttershy, we have to go!”

Fluttershy flinched, and the book dropped heavily on one side, falling shut as it hit the floor. She gasped, and tried to find the page she had been reading, but Twilight was already pulling on her tail.

“I know you want to stay here in read, Fluttershy, but the princesses are calling for us!”

“But-but it’s there!” Fluttershy said. “I just need to-- Oh…”

“We can come back here later!” Twilight said. “It must be serious if the princesses want us!”

Fluttershy agreed, but that didn't make leaving the book behind any easier. Of all the inopportune times to be interrupted! With one more tug, Twilight had her walking down the hallway. Pinkie hopped behind them, while Vanguard led the way.

For a moment, Fluttershy forgot about what she had just read. She had expected Pinkie to come out of the archives as disappointed as she was, but Pinkie trotted out of the doors with an eager smile. What had she found out on the Old Kingdom that would put a smile on her face?

Fluttershy’s thoughts went back to her own findings. Windigos…all she knew about windigos came from Hearth’s Warming Eve. They were evil enough creatures in a play that portrayed the six companions as good. How much more evil were they in reality? And the Stare came from them? How was that possible?

Fluttershy felt more afraid than ever to look anypony in the eye.

Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow were already in the Chamber of Elements. Rainbow still had some bandages covering the many scrapes she suffered during her ordeal. Rarity and Applejack, however, were sporting fresh bruises. Twilight gave them a disapproving look, which they answered with sheepish grins.

“Sparring…er…got a little out of hoof,” Applejack said.

“The two of you were sparring?” Rainbow asked. “Why didn't anypony tell me? Watching that that would have been way more exciting than just staying in that boring hospital!”

Rarity pushed a stray lock of her mane from her face, and turned her nose up. “We weren't doing it to entertain anypony!”

“Everypony!” Luna’s stern tone silenced the entire chamber. When both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna approached them, they all knelt. “No time for formalities!” Luna said, gesturing for them to rise.

“What’s going on, princess?” Twilight asked.

“Black Rose is approaching Canterlot,” Celestia replied. She touched her chest briefly with a hoof. “I can sense the power of sunlight approaching the city.”

“A direct attack from Black Rose?” Twilight asked. “That is nothing like her!”

Rainbow slammed her front hooves together. “Let her come! We’ll take her down this time!”

“That mare’s more slippery than a greased up piglet!” Applejack said. “Twilight’s right, there’s bound to be some trap again!”

“Perhaps we should consider that she’s not coming here to attack?” Rarity asked. Her friends stared at her. “Black Rose and her Thorns have proven occasionally willing to negotiate.” She looked to her sides. The injuries she had sustained from her duel with Lion Court had all but disappeared. Doctor Redbrand had commented before that it took some very sharp blades wielded by a very precise pony to leave wounds that healed so thoroughly. “Well, negotiate on their strange terms, anyway.”

Rainbow glanced towards her flank. “Yeah, Longstride sure did an awesome job of ‘negotiating’ a meeting between his arrow and my cutie mark!’ She frowned, then dragged a front hoof against the floor. “I guess we could try something…” she mumbled.

“I've got something to say to Sablesteel!” Pinkie piped up. “I hope Black Rose brings her along if she does come!”

“The announced arrival is certainly strange,” Luna said. “But it doesn't change that she chose to come during big brother’s absence.”

“She’s in front of the city,” Celestia said.

Twilight’s horn was already glowing while the others braced themselves for an incoming fight. Any moment now, the chamber would fill with magic, and Black Rose would come out with spells firing everywhere.

Minutes passed with nothing happening. A bead of sweat trickled down Fluttershy’s brow. Her heart raced while she played the same situation over and over in her mind. If Black Rose did attack now, she would have nothing to offer. If only she'd found that section just a few minutes earlier! Things might be different right now. Just a few minutes…

“Big sister?” Luna asked.

“She’s still there.” Celestia closed her eyes. “She hasn’t moved at-!”

A burst of magic did erupt from the center of the chamber. When the light from the spell dimmed, the translucent image of Black Rose stood in its place.

“Excellent, everypony is here.” Black Rose smiled and pulled back a long strand of crimson hair from her face. “Please, forgive the ominous presence. I wanted everypony here before we commenced.”

“What are you up to, Black Rose?” Twilight asked.

“A great deal of things, I assure you. But it’s not what I’m doing that’s the reason for this. Gravitas’s arrival is much earlier than I had hoped. It appears I've overestimated the Eternal Herd’s compassion towards Equestria.” Black Rose’s smile widened a little. “Or is it the Herd’s fear of Oceanus that I've underestimated?”

“Your actions have unleashed the Eternal Herd’s most vicious general upon Equestria, Black Rose!” Celestia said. “The smile on your face says everything about your concern for this realm!”

The sharp rebuke did nothing to faze Black Rose. “I would frown until my eyebrows met my chin, your highness, if it would help Equestria even in the slightest. Sadly, I must take other measures for that. We have a mutual problem fortifying himself by Sky Mirror Lake. By now, my beloved must have told you the extent of his meddling. I would like to suggest some cooperation on our part to ensure that there is an Equestria to fight for by the end of all this.”

“Gravitas is sitting between you and the Foul Weapon,” Luna said. “All we have to do is delay him and tolerate his presence for a while and the power you stole will force its way back to my sister. Why would we help you move him?”

Black Rose pouted. “I had hoped my winning personality would suffice.” She was smiling as she continued. “But I also have my endurance to fall back on. It’s true that I cannot hold on to the power of sunlight forever. Even with modest assumptions, however, I can keep it for a long time.”

The smile disappeared as Black Rose gestured, causing another image to materialize. This time, it was a view of Canterlot’s outer gates. Everypony eventually focused on a gathering of royal guards and legionnaires. The train going into the city had stopped before something on the tracks. That something was a dark green, pony-like creature with insect wings.

“It took him a day to slaughter a quarter of the changeling population,” Black Rose said. “What will he do in a week? How long will it take him to twist whatever directives the Council of Elders gave him to suit his wishes? Will you really ‘tolerate’ him until I am forced to surrender this power?”

Fluttershy didn't know who this Gravitas was. She didn't have to know. She wasn't fond of the changelings. That didn’t matter either. From the faces of each pony with her, she knew that Black Rose had made her point.

“What kind of ‘cooperation’ are you proposing?” Luna asked.

“One that benefits all of us, of course,” Black Rose said. She pressed a hoof against her chest and closed her eyes. Golden light, like liquid rays from the sun, seeped from her and bathed her hoof with radiance. The light coalesced into a marble-sized sphere at the tip of her hoof. With a gentle flick, Black Rose sent it flying.

A beam of golden light passed through the walls and struck Celestia. Light bloomed from her, as if a small sun had been born. Everypony shielded their eyes from the harsh glare.

When the light subsided, Celestia looked to her still-glowing front hooves. “Why have you done this?” she asked.

“A gesture of good faith,” Black Rose said. “It also relieves some of the pressure, meaning I can hold on to the rest of the power of sunlight even longer. That should completely remove your option of waiting Gravitas out. You’ll need it soon enough. You’re about to come under attack.” The image disappeared and the chamber went silent.

Celestia's sharp breath drew everypony’s attention. “Gate!” she said. “There’s a gate opening within the Royal Palace itself!”

“Make yourself comfortable,” Gravitas said as he sat behind a makeshift wooden desk. The tent was large enough to fit the two of them with ease.

“If I did that, your two soldiers outside would be censured already,” Terrato replied. “Can we go straight to the questions and answers, Gravitas? Neither of us is interested in niceties.”

“Blunt and to the point, I wish we had you in those Council meetings, Terrato,” Gravitas said. “Very well, you may be the first to ask a question.”

“Is it true that you asked Black Rose to assassinate Celestia?” Terrato asked.

“Censure,” Gravitas said. “You must remember, your highness, that your sister cannot be assassinated here. She would have lost a great deal of power, but she would have simply returned to the Herd and stayed there.” He paused. “As she should have in the first place.”

“Did you ask Black Rose to censure my sister?” Terrato asked.

“Yes.”

Terrato considered standing on top of Gravitas, pummeling him until his dried up brains were smeared all over the ground. Black Rose had told the truth for once. It helped a little, but changed nothing. “Why?” he asked.

Gravitas lifted a small rock with his telekinesis and ground it into dust. “To make a point,” he said. “To show the Herd that these mortals have no compunctions towards turning on us as soon as they stand to gain from it. To show the Herd that it is time to stop doting on others and to start looking to our own defense.”

“And the Herd knows of your involvement?”

“You can tell them if you like,” Gravitas said. “My point still stands. I will ask the question this time, your highness.”

Terrato set his lips to a hard grim line. “Go ahead."

“You are not like your sister or Lexarius. You understand that these measures are necessary. Will you not join my side?”

Terrato snorted. “You should have asked me a thousand years ago. I might have considered. I would have still refused, mind you, but I would have given it some thought.”

“Give it some thought now. Your father stirs within the Silver Sanctum. Oceanus does the same in what twisted reflection of that place he recovers in.”

“Where does ‘killing all mortals’ fit into that situation?” Terrato asked.

“Killing all mortals has always been the solution.” Gravitas placed his front hooves on the desk. “Do not bother vomiting up the same swill that Lexarius and Celestia feed anypony willing to listen. Be your own stallion for once, your highness.”

Terrato snorted again and sat on the ground. “If you’re done trying to shame me into joining up with you, I’d like an answer,” he said.

“The mortals are bound to Oceanus,” Gravitas said. “Lexarius put on a good show about how we can ‘show them a different path’. What happened? He didn't raise them up, they dragged him down." Gravitas thumped the desk with a front hoof. "Celestia tried as well. Look at what the mortals have done to her in gratitude! We have given them enough chances. It’s time to put our kind first. Oceanus will try again. It goes against all sense to leave him all these soldiers to bolster his army.”

“The mortals have more than just the spark of Oceanus within them,” Terrato said. “It also took the power of the Eternal Herd’s throne to bring them into being.”

Gravitas snorted. “So Lexarius said.”

“Lexarius was weak!” Terrato snapped. “Don’t compare his resolve with mine or my sisters'. Yes, he meant well and he did well. But he was confronted by the weakness of mortals and he broke under the knowledge of it in the end!” He smiled as he continued. “I have dealt with the weakness of mortals: they’re fragile, their courage can falter, they grovel, they beg, they lie…” He paused, the image of a kneeling purple unicorn flashing in his mind. It wasn't even a year since he was explaining away Celestia’s barrier policy as “therapy”.

“This…this is wrong! This can’t continue!”

Terrato’s smile widened. “But they can choose to do what is right.”

In the silence that fell after that, Terrato entertained thoughts that he had provoked something from Gravitas that didn't involve contempt for mortals. As expected, all he got was the same monotone. “I had hoped that you remained in this world purely out of loyalty towards your elder sister: a respectable, albeit delusional, motive.” Gravitas shook his head and Terrato knew that the disappointment that the older alicorn projected into the whole world was now directed at him. A lifetime ago, this would have been enough to crush him. Now, Gravitas’s approval was worth less than the dirt beneath his hooves. “It seems that you yourself have committed to this course. That is a pity, your highness. Even before the three of you were sent here, I had thought you had more sense than either of your sisters.”

“Save your pity, disapproval, and whatever else you've convinced yourself that I might care about. My turn for a question now.”

“Ask your last one,” Gravitas said, his voice already distant. “I've made my demands and you've clarified your position. Going further would be pointless.”

“What is it about Oceanus that terrifies you so much?”

Gravitas didn't answer right away. His eyes widened and his lips pressed together just a bit more tightly. “What did you just ask me?”

“I asked one of the Eternal Herd’s greatest generals why he’s so scared of Oceanus that he’ll do anything to make sure that the traitors don’t get the smallest advantage.”

“And you are so brave, aren't you, Prince Terrato?” Gravitas spat out. “You and your sisters: so compassionate towards the mortals, so forgiving, and so sure of their worth!” He struck the makeshift desk, easily splitting it apart. “None of you were there during that battle! Lexarius and his troops were floundering in Bytos.” Derision mixed with Gravitas’s anger. “Celestia was hiding in the Silver Sanctum, crying over why her brother was behaving so badly while you chewed on her tail! None of you saw the destruction that had been wrought when the dust of the first rebellion settled! None of you had to see Sanctus Dominus himself, injured and faltering! You have not felt fear until you have seen that moment, Prince Terrato! Do not talk to me about being afraid!” He drew himself to full height. “You speak of trusting the mortals! You did not have to see your very comrades cast aside their loyalties for the traitor prince!” He pointed a hoof at Terrato. “Is it too much to expect royalty to put the Herd first?”

“You’re right,” Terrato said. “I haven’t seen what you have. Not even half. But I’ve seen things too.” He pushed aside the broken remains of the desk and brought his face against Gravitas's. It had been a long time since he had to look up to a pony who stood at the same level as he did. “You say that, as royalty, I should put the Herd first?” He grinned and took satisfaction in watching Gravitas grow angrier at his disrespect. “I say let the Herd fall! If the Eternal Herd can only go on if we destroy these innocents and all they've tried to build for themselves here, I say let Oceanus sweep away the old order! Maybe something better can emerge when it’s all over!”

“You watch your tongue, insolent prince-!”

“Or we can do it in the way my sisters and I are still discovering! We can save both the Eternal Herd and Equestria without sacrificing everything that makes them worth saving!”

“You would not say that if you truly knew what you were up against, colt,” Gravitas snarled.

Terrato snorted again. “How long are you going to let your fear of the firstborn decide things for you?” he asked. “Be your own stallion for once!”

Gravitas was about to make another angry reply, but he paused and exhaled slowly. Stepping back, he spoke in a flinty, but more even, tone. “There is nothing left to discuss. Fulmen! Ridentem! Escort the prince out of the Herd’s new base of operations.” Terrato turned and left without waiting for the two. Gravitas spoke once more as he turned his back. “When you get back to Canterlot, Terrato, you will find that it is already prepared for my take over.”

Terrato stopped, but he didn’t look back. “Did you think anypony would be shocked to find out that you brought more than two alicorns to back you up?” He pushed past his two “escorts”, shoving Ridentem aside with a shoulder when he didn't move away fast enough. “I trust my sisters and I trust the Elements of Harmony. Before this is all over, I hope you can do the same. We can still use you when the ninth rebellion turns up.”

A Blade and a Cinder

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 41: A Blade and a Cinder

“There’s a gate opening within the Royal Palace itself!”

Celestia’s warning left everypony in the Chamber of Elements alert and hesitant. They heard Black Rose clear enough and knew that they should be on the defense. But who was attacking them? And how did one defend against gates that opened within the place to be defended?

“A gate from where?” Luna asked. “Can you tell what’s coming out of it? And where is it exactly?”

Celestia closed her eyes. “From the Eternal Herd,” she said. “It’s in the throne room. As for what’s coming out…I do not recognize them. They’re neither alicorns nor enforcers.”

“Of course.” Luna tapped a hoof against the floor and frowned. “Enforcers cannot harm mortals, so Gravitas is relying on something else. Why hasn't he sent some of his officers?”

“These are advance troops,” Celestia replied. “Their leaders will come afterwards. I expect an alicorn or two at best. Gravitas’s arrival alone will mire the Council of Elders in a great deal of discussion with the other heavenly realms. I doubt he’d have been allowed to bring many alicorns with him.”

“Regardless, the rest of the Legion must be warned!” Vanguard growled. Applejack was about to take his side when he shook his head. “The Elements of Harmony will move as the princesses direct them.”

“Be careful, Vanguard Clash,” Luna said. When the doors behind him closed, she turned towards the others. “If this is a move from Gravitas, he will go after three things: he will seek to detain both me and big sister, acquire the Crystal Grave, and gain control of the Elements of Harmony.” The blank looks that answered her quickly brought another problem to her attention.

“Your Highnesses,” Twilight said. “Who is this Gravitas? And why is he attacking us?”

“It will take too long for me to tell you in detail, Twilight,” Celestia said. “For now, it is enough to know that he is a threat from the Eternal Herd’s side.”

“That’s all I need to know!” Applejack said. “Question is, what do we do to stop him?”

Celestia’s expression hardened. “There is only one thing that can get through to Gravitas and his followers." She tapped the floor forcefully with a hoof. “We fight back. When they see that their ‘destroy the mortals’ solution is not as easy as they thought it would be, they would be more willing to try other things.”

Celestia now had enough power to get a feel of the Elements of Harmony and she saw the renewed radiance within them. It wasn't enough to take on the likes of Gravitas or Black Rose on their own, but their improvement did strengthen her hope. Perhaps there was some merit in her brother’s methods after all. Particularly worrying, however, was seeing that it was Twilight Sparkle who was now having the most difficulty.

“Big sister,” Luna said, “What about Black Rose?”

The power of sunlight remained where Celestia had detected it earlier. It was now flaring up strongly. Black Rose was using it on something...or against somepony.

Still, Black Rose was behaving like a friendly stranger; waiting by the doorstep until somepony invited her inside. How long was she going to going to keep up this act? Celestia shook her head. No. “Act” was a simple way to look at it. Black Rose showed something different with each encounter. Which was an act and which was her true self? Underneath the gambling and the ruthless manipulation, however, there was indeed the intention to aid Equestria.

“It is likely that Black Rose and her allies will come here to fight Gravitas,” Celestia said. “We will neither aid nor fight them.” She paused, her ears perking. An alicorn just stepped out of the gate. The others looked to her in concern. “We will focus on driving back Gravitas’s forces. Now, let’s head for the throne room. The Legion cannot contain this threat by itself.” She flung open the double doors and flew ahead.

“Captaiiin!”

In a blink of an eye, Scarlet Rabbit was flying alongside Vanguard Clash as he galloped towards the throne room. Word had already spread to all legionnaires stationed in the Royal Palace. Runners were sent out to warn the rest of Canterlot and evacuate the residents. “You in fighting condition, Scarlet?” Vanguard asked. “We’re up against otherworldly enemies this time.”

“Otherworldly, underworldly, bring it!” Scarlet shouted. “I’ve been cooped up in that hospital for so long, I’d charge Fenrir’s gullet if I have to!”

“What about the rest of Special Operations?”

“I just flew past Sixth and First squad! They were already heading towards the throne room!”

Vanguard pulled out his two-bladed sword. He could count on most of the unicorn magi to be alert from sensing that burst of magic. By the time they get to the throne room, they should have a sizeable force to-

“Hey, Captain, check that out!” Scarlet hollered, waving a foreleg wildly.

Something was shambling towards Vanguard and Scarlet. It looked like a typical-sized earth pony except that it had no coat, only a pale, translucent skin with a pinkish hue from the muscles beneath. Its eyes were bright golden lights, easily spotted even from a distance.

“Stop right there!” Vanguard called out. He doubted that these things would even understand him, let alone prove cooperative. Still, if a fight was going to break out, he would not be the aggressor. True enough, the thing’s only answer was to quicken its pace. It moved with loping gait, bizarre given its pony-like shape. Over a dozen more rounded the far corner of the hallway and followed the first one.

Scarlet pulled out his crossbow and aimed. “So, what do we do?” he asked.

The eyes of the things flared and their loping gait sped into a near-sprint. “Kill them,” Vanguard said.

With a shrug, Scarlet fired his weapon, plunging a bolt deep into the skull of the lead creature. A glowing, silver liquid spurted out of the wound, spraying all over the floor as the impact sent it flying into its allies. The other creatures didn't even slow down. Vanguard stepped back as one of them lunged clumsily at him. He swung his weapon, cutting the thing’s throat wide open. Silvery liquid poured out of the wound, rapidly pooling beneath it.

“Woah!” Scarlet cried out. “Check that out, Captain!”

To Vanguard’s horror, the creature Scarlet had shot was back on its hooves. Its bolt wound continued to leak silvery fluid, but it continued to advance. Likewise, the one that he had cut down had also stood up, its head shifting unsteadily on its nearly severed neck. “Stay cautious, Scarlet,” he said. “Focus on hampering their movement if they can’t be killed.” He slashed at another shambling thing, cutting open both its front knees. Silvery fluid spurted, and the thing collapsed.

“You’re not even surprised?” Scarlet asked. He hovered just out of reach of the shambling creatures while he reloaded

“I expected troops working with an alicorn general to have some kind of edge,” Vanguard replied. He hamstrung a second shambling creature, then slammed his shoulder against another. “I suppose ‘unkillable’ is their choice.”

Even with their legs badly damaged, the things dragged themselves across the floor to get at the two. Both of them fell back to keep from being surrounded and overwhelmed.

“Fire!”

A barrage of bolts whistled past Vanguard and Scarlet, bowling the first of the enemy into the ones behind them. Half a dozen pegasus legionnaires started reloading while six earth ponies rushed into the fray.

“These things don’t die!” Scarlet yelled at their reinforcements. “Put more bolts into them until they can’t stand up!”

“By the prince!” one of the pegasus legionnaires shouted. “What’s happening to that one?”

One of the fallen things had extended a foreleg, which was wracked with violent spasms. The skin tore off as chunks of bone grew at an alarming rate, shaping the limb into something else. A crossbow’s prow began to take shape. A long, thick line of sinew served as a grotesque bowstring. Three more creatures followed suit. Several of them loaded splinters of bone and drew their strings back. “Crossbow fire!" Vanguard shouted. "Take cover!”

The pegasi swiftly dispersed. One unlucky legionnaire took a large bone splinter to the hind leg. The earth ponies slammed into the pale-skinned creatures before they could reload, knocking them down and brutally stomping on them. The stone floor ran silver. The pale-skinned creatures twitched and convulsed, but did not utter a single sound.

Vanguard shuddered at the crunch and snap of bones moving around and the squelch of muscles rearranging themselves. He bit into his weapon’s grip tightly when one pale-skinned creature, the one he had cut down, approached him. The still-gaping wound on its neck looked smaller. Its cheek bones bulged and stretched into long, curving, blade-like protrusions that pierced its flesh and skin. “It takes more than imitation to get this weapon style down,” he growled. He lunged at the thing, ducking its first swipe and swinging his neck from side to side. His blades slashed through its snout, severing muscles that attached its lower jaw to the rest of its head. One of its bone-blades clattered to the floor before it could even swing. When it did, Vanguard met its blow with an armored shoulder, sending it reeling back.

“Terrato’s broken horn!” one of the earth ponies snarled. “I'd have killed a dozen wolven with what I've thrown at these things!”

Their enemies were moving more and more fluidly. Thick bony plates covered them where a legionnaire’s barding would go. Their hooves had grown to twice the size of a pony’s, also reinforced with bone. Another bolt whizzed past Vanguard, striking one of the creatures on the forehead. He followed it up by cutting down its front legs.

“Hey, Captain!” Scarlet yelled. “That one’s not moving so much anymore!”

True enough, one of the creatures was simply twitching in place. A dozen bolts covered its head and shoulders. Its bone armor had been shattered and its crossbow had been pulled off. All four of its limbs had also been broken in several places. “Well, that’s one,” Vanguard muttered. He brought down his front tramplers on his opponent, snapping its remaining bone-blade and crushing half its face. Two more of the creatures rushed him. These ones swung their bone-blades wildly, flinging red blood at him. A legionnaire limped past him, carrying a badly wounded comrade out of the fray.

“We’ve got more of them coming in!” Scarlet yelled.

A look of horror crossed some of the legionnaires' faces. They panted hard and had to drag themselves into fighting stances. A few were down and bleeding. The sight of enemy reinforcements left Vanguard wondering where his were.

A bolt of purple magic streaked past Vanguard from behind, blasting several of their enemies off their hooves. He turned towards its source. The color of that magic was familiar.

Shining Armor stood at the head of a squad of unicorn royal guards. His horn crackled with magic as he waved a hoof to order his troops to fire. “Clash,” he said with a smile.

Vanguard answered with a smile of his own. “Armor,” he said.

“W-what’s going on here?”

Twilight Sparkle stared at the battle raging before her and her friends. Legionnaires and royal guards clashed with bizarre, pony-shaped…things. Spells and bolts flew through the air echoed by clangs and crunches.

“Captain Nightcanter!” Pinkie Pie shouted. The high-pitched yell shook Twilight out of her daze.

Nightcanter glanced towards them and grinned. “I’m a little too busy to be foalsitting you today, Pinkie Pie!” she shouted. “Try not to get mangled by these things!” One the creatures brought down its hooves on her head. Nightcanter smiled and gently shimmered. The real Nightcanter emerged from behind the creature, slashing its throat out with a knife so savagely that its head lolled to the side. Silvery fluid pumped out of the open wound and all over the floor. Pinkie Pie looked away and covered her mouth, her face looking a little green around the edges. Twilight's own stomach protested at the gruesome kill.

“We've got to help them!” Applejack said. She uncoiled her chain and whirled it.

“No,” Celestia said. “If we insist on starting with the rank-and-file, Caro will bury us in a mountain of flesh. If we strike her down, they will all fall dormant.”

Applejack looked at the princess. Her lips twisted, but she put away her chain.

Twilight wasn't quite sure how to feel at the moment. It was strange to hear Princess Celestia advocating striking down anything. Since the mention of this Gravitas, the change upon the princess was obvious and unnerving. “Princess, what are these things?” she asked.

“Flesh constructs,” Celestia replied. “I know the pony who would use such things: Caro Artifex, the worst of Gravitas’s lackeys.”

“I've never met that pony before, big sister,” Luna said.

Celestia smiled wryly. Golden light gathered at the tip of her horn. “I envy you so much in that regard, little sister.” A brilliant ray of light burst from her horn, neatly slicing through several of the flesh constructs and leaving a clear passage through the crowded hall. There was no sign of blood or any fluid save for a brief sizzling. The constructs, even the ones cut perfectly in half, crawled around, still trying to fight. “Legionnaires, keep that path clear!” Celestia took to the air, slicing her way through the battle.

Twilight expected these legionnaires who had served Terrato all their lives to hesitate at Celestia’s bold orders. Instead, they gave a rousing cheer and plunged into the path, driving the flesh constructs back. There was little time to marvel at the sight, Celestia had flown ahead.

They pushed through the battle and went through a few more hallways. As they came closer to the throne room, the fights grew thicker and more gruesome. Bodies littered the place, with some even piled up. The floor was slick with blood and silver fluid. In one instance, Twilight’s hooves failed to find any traction and she nearly slid into a pile of still-convulsing flesh constructs. It was only a timely pull on her tail by Celestia that kept her standing.

They eventually reached the area where the invaders had taken control. There was no fighting here, only a long, steady stream of flesh constructs making their way towards the contested sections of the Royal Palace.

“We have to go through!” The tip of Celestia’s horn began to glow again. Before she could finish the spell, however, an arrow flew past her, piercing the knee of the closest flesh construct. Several more arrows followed suit, each one finding a home in a limb or an eye.

Rainbow Dash looked wide-eyed at the arrows. “Longstride!” she exclaimed. She looked behind them, towards the confused mass of fighting. There was no pony with a bow behind them, however. Instead, a pegasus rounded a corner that they just passed. At least, it looked like a pegasus. The blades attached to its wings, the stinger-like contraption on its tail, and the insectoid mask, blurred the distinction.

“Sablesteel…” Pinkie murmured. She stepped towards the pegasus, jaw set and resolute. “Sablesteel, I-!”

Sablesteel said nothing as she flew towards the enemy in a whirlwind of toxic blades. She lashed out at different directions, vile green liquid splashed where she cut, melting flesh and bone.

Rarity whipped around, blades ready. Twilight flinched when one of them flew towards her, whizzing just past her cheek. “Stop right there, Lion Court!” Rarity demanded.

Twilight looked behind her. Why was Rarity acting out? It was just Lion Court. He’s always been there to help- she stopped. No, that wasn't true. Why did she even think of it that way? Rarity was right. This was another Thorn!

“I’m impressed,” Lion Court said. He also had his blades out, a particularly wide-bladed one had blocked Rarity’s weapon. “You spotted me when I didn't want you to.”

“I have an eye for detail, Lion Court,” Rarity said. “You used the same spell on me twice, so I noticed the small things that made a suggestion not mine.”

“I’ll keep that in mind when we duel again.” Lion Court knelt briefly towards the princesses. “For now, we are here to fulfill our joint defense against Gravitas. My mistress sends her regards, your Highnesses.”

Rarity looked as if she was about to follow Lion Court, but a stern look from Celestia stopped her. “We will deal with the Thorns later," Celestia said. "The longer we take to deal with Caro Artifex, the more ponies will be hurt and killed by these things.”

All of them moved on, slipping past the openings left for them by Black Rose’s thorns.

Finally, they reached the throne room. Six hulking monstrosities guarded the doors, each one the size of a minotaur and covered with layers of thick bone plates. Their spike-covered hooves looked big enough to crush a stallion with a single stomp. They did not attack when the group approached. Instead, they parted while two of them opened the double doors.

“The adaptive body modification is taking longer than expected to begin,” somepony said from the other side of the doors. “Repeated bone armor formation also takes its toll on the already limited regeneration. The harder they become to hurt, they easier they become to kill.”

Twilight frowned. It sounded like somepony speaking her notes out loud. The giant flesh constructs pushed the doors open, revealing somepony sitting on Princess Celestia’s throne. The nerve! Twilight ran in, ready to attack. The sight of several piles of dead guards and legionnaires brought her to a stop. Some of the smaller flesh constructs were tending to them, removing barding, setting aside weapons, even cleaning the spilled blood.

The arrogant alicorn mare sitting on Celestia’s throne had a nut brown coat and a mane that looked like a constant stream of bluish-white sparks blowing from the back of her neck and head. She rose, standing a couple of inches shorter than Celestia, and smiled. “Good, you’ve arrived,” she said. “Undamaged too.”

“Caro Artifex,” Celestia said. She stepped past Twilight and held out a front leg. “Why have you done this?”

Caro descended the steps. “Orders,” she said. She spoke as if the slaughter was a chore and nothing more. Twilight grit her teeth, spells already going through her mind. Rarity had already pulled her blades out, Applejack, her chain.

“Did the Council of Elders authorize this?” Celestia asked. The princess’s calm tone was disconcerting. Twilight had expected her mentor to be furious at the sight of these dead ponies.

“The Council ordered us to secure Regia Carnifex and the Blasphemous Rift. As for the royalty, we are supposed to work with them. Unless they resist. In that case, we were told to execute Princess Luna’s old sentence and detain both Princess Celestia and Prince Terrato.”

“You’ve made no effort to work with us at all!” Luna said. “The first thing you did upon gating here was loose these things upon us!”

“The mortals struck first,” Caro replied. “They attacked as soon as I arrived.”

“You’re lying," Luna said.

“It’s what my official report will say. I am so glad to be able to field-test my constructs like this. The mortals are putting up a good fight. By the time I exterminate the ones here for attacking me, I should be able to make enough adjustments to prepare them against Oceanus’s troops.” Caro’s horn glowed blue and she pulled a small glass bottle seemingly out of thin air. “Now, Princess Luna, I happen to have some specially prepared liquid enchantment here. A single dose and you’ll be censured quickly and painlessly, without damaging your mortal remains.” Her eyebrows furrowed as she touched a hoof to her chin. “The data should be interesting.”

Luna’s horn flashed dark purple.

Celestia placed a hoof on her younger sister, drawing a confused look from Luna.

“Big sister, this alicorn just asked me to kill myself so she could experiment on my body!”

Celestia walked over to one of the piles of dead legionnaires. “Gravitas only sent you, Caro? He’s being complacent.”

“He trusts in my ability to defeat Princess Luna,” Caro replied. "The Elements of Harmony are not yet ready. We knew that it would be Prince Terrato who would meet with the general. I do hope he proves to be civil. I need to consult with him regarding a lot of necromantic theory. As for the mortal who stole your power, she will not be coming here. The general has sent somepony else to deal with her.”

“I see.” Celestia bent over the piles of weapons neatly stacked next to the dead bodies, then picked out a sword with her magic. The point had been shattered, but the rest of the weapon was still intact. “You have no respect for the mortals, Caro. As such, you do not belong here. I’m going to censure you now.” She grasped the sword with her mouth.

Caro chuckled. “Really? I’d be worried if you still had your power, your Highness. You used to be the princess of sunlight. Right now, you’re just the princess of ci-!”

Celestia took exactly two steps, then leaped. By the next instant, she was already standing in front of Caro Artifex, her head low and turned to her left. Faint golden light bathed her broken sword, forming a blade-like shape past the metal.

Some time passed before Twilight remembered that she should breathe. The motion should be simple enough to understand. Princess Celestia leaped towards Caro Artifex and slashed with her sunlight-enhanced sword. The simplicity belied the impressiveness in that move. Her mentor jumped such a great distance with no support from her wings. Not even with a running start. It happened so fast that nopony so much as winced at the killing blow.

Caro Artifex had not moved from her spot. She stared at Celestia, her mouth wide open and her eyes bulging. She looked down towards her chest.

A clang resounded throughout the throne room as the lower half of Caro’s breastplate struck the floor. Across her chest was an enormous cut, a blackened horizontal line that stretched from one shoulder to the other. Thin wisps of smoke escaped from the bloodless cut. Behind Caro, an enormous, crescent-shaped cut had sundered the stairs leading to Celestia’s throne.

The light faded from the sword when Celestia spat it out. “Tell the Council of Elders that I will do the same to any alicorn who comes here with the same disregard for mortals as you do,” she said.

Bright light burst from Caro Artifex’s wound, her open mouth, and her eyes. She pitched forward, her knees buckling under her. By the time she struck the ground, she resembled nothing more than a burnt-out shell.

None of the flesh constructs in the room moved. After a while, Twilight tipped one over with her magic. The flesh construct collapsed into a moldering heap, turning into clumps of dust in a minute. The others followed suit.

“Well, that takes care of things,” Applejack said. She looked warily at the princesses. The rest of her friends did the same.

“Big sister,” Luna said.

The stern look on Celestia's face made all of them stand up straight. “We have to go,” she said. “Terrato has gone to negotiate with Gravitas, but it is plain to see that there is no negotiating with that fanatic. He must be censured before he destroys everything.”

“Big sister, if we go to Sky Mirror Lake to attack Gravitas, what of the Elements of Harmony?” Luna looked towards Twilight and the others. “If we leave them here in Canterlot, Black Rose will take advantage of our absence.”

“We are taking them with us.”

Luna raised an eyebrow. “And take them that much closer to the Blasphemous Rift? I agree that Gravitas is the worse threat, but we shouldn’t just ignore Black Rose!”

Celestia looked over to the burnt out remains of Caro Artifex. “It seems that ever since I lost the power of sunlight, everypony has been underestimating me,” she said. She smiled slightly. “Black Rose thinks that she is the only gambler in all of this. I can place bets too. We’ve been on the defensive for too long. This is why she has had so much space to move around.” The smile disappeared and her eyes narrowed. “We will censure Gravitas and call her bluff. Let her try to open the seals. She will lose this game she loves so much.”

“Princess…” Despite the gravity of the situation, Twilight smiled.

“Black Rose gave me but a cinder of the power of sunlight,” Celestia said. “This cinder will spark the flame that will burn her plans away.”

A Pair of Foals

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 43: A Pair of Foals

Rainbow Dash pressed herself against a wall and inched along the length of it. Every open window meant danger. A single inch of her body exposed would swiftly invite an arrow to make its new home there. Longstride was standing on a perch somewhere out there, his bow drawn and his weird golden eyes searching for his target. While it didn't make sense why he would want to shoot her now, she wasn't taking any chances. Her flank still ached from that last poisoned arrow and memories of her time with that ophidite slaver still lingered at the very edges of her thoughts.

“Hey, Rainbow! What are you doing there?”

Rainbow nearly jumped. "Shush!” she hissed at Scarlet. “Get down!”

Scarlet crouched next to her. “Why are we hiding?” he asked.

“It’s Longstride,” Rainbow whispered. “He’s out there and I want to get to him without getting shot at.”

Scarlet laughed. “Longstride’s not going to shoot at you!” Rainbow raised an eyebrow. “They've got some kind of ceasefire going on until we deal with whatever attacked the Royal Palace. Besides, the Thorns ran off as soon as all the fighting was over.”

‘That can’t be right,” Rainbow said. She chewed on her lower lip. Scarlet’s response should have let her relax, but all it did was irritate her some more. “You mean they just came here to help fight Gravitas’s soldiers, then went away?”

“Well, they might be hanging around somewhere in Canterlot,” Scarlet said. “You know Black Rose’s agents.”

“No,” Rainbow muttered. “I don’t know the first thing about Black Rose’s agents. That’s the problem.”

“So what are you going to do if you find him anyway?” Scarlet asked. “Kill him? We’re sort of bound not to, you know. Heard it was Princess Celestia’s orders.”

“He shot me in the flank!” Rainbow grit her teeth, the pain and humiliation of that moment flashed within her mind again. She now understood why she hated being stuck in bed. Staying still made her think things through and she hated doing that. Confined to that bed, she had thought about plenty of things: from how she felt about racing Scarlet, to her time as an ophidite captive, to that time when she felt something she was so sure was related to the Element of Loyalty. Also among them was how Longstride managed to hit her from so far away even though she was going very fast. “He deserves a bolt where his cutie mark should be!” She eyed the crossbow she had strapped to her side. “I’d beat him up at least!”

“Sounds like fun,” Scarlet said. “He also shot me in the flank, so I’d love to go too...”

“But?”

“Yeah...” Scarlet smiled sheepishly. “The Captain’s got me saddled with a bunch of things to do before the Legion moves out for Sky Mirror Lake. Hope you catch him, Rainbow Dash. Bloody his snout for me, will you?”

Scarlet disappeared in a blink. His speed no longer surprised Rainbow, nor did his nonchalant violence. After what had happened to them with the ophidites, she agreed with Vanguard Clash. Too much had been taken away from Scarlet to give him his speed and power. Some of her admiration had turned into pity. How would have Scarlet turned out if those snake-monsters hadn't messed him up? Would he have been so much happier? She shook her head. She had other things to take care of. Things like hunting down a pegasus sniper and beating some answers out of him.

Rainbow rubbed her jaw with a hoof. Now, where would somepony armed with a bow that could shoot at anything in sight be? The most obvious location would be the highest tower in all of Canterlot, the spot where Princess Celestia and Princess Luna would go to watch out for their subjects during times of trouble. Some legionnaires called it “the peeping nest”. She supposed that it could be used for that as well. Longstride could certainly use it to get his sights on anything he wanted in Canterlot. However, that spot was highly exposed. Anypony would be able to tell that there was a sniper there as soon as Longstride took his first shot. No, it had to be a well-hidden spot that had a good vantage point.

‘Not going to shoot at me, huh?’ Rainbow thought. Scarlet’s words did make some sense. During the earlier fight, Longstride was actually helping them. If he had wanted to assassinate her, he had plenty of chances. Still, her heart beat faster when she dared to peek out a window. She stuck as little of her head out as possible. For the first time in her life, she cursed at her very visible, rainbow-colored mane.

No arrow struck her head, however, allowing her a good look at the cityscape. Canterlot loved its long, thin spires. A single sweep revealed dozens of potential hiding places. She sat back down. Here was another time to think things through.

Rainbow considered asking for help. Special Operations had a lot of ponies out there to keep an eye and an ear on things. They probably already knew where Longstride had holed up. At least, they should have a really good idea. However...she didn't want to involve the Legion in this. They’d want to do things their way. They might try to arrest him or chase him away. That wasn't how she wanted things to happen. It would be better if she could fight Longstride without a squad of legionnaires insisting on doing things by the book.

Rainbow's friends might be the better choice. Fluttershy was out of the question. She was strong in her own way and good at a lot of things. Hunting down a pegasus sniper was not one of them. She was also a goody-four-shoes, more likely to protect Longstride if they did get the jump on him.

Applejack would just scold Rainbow for focusing on this instead of resting up like the princesses told them to do. Rarity would do the same. Rainbow didn't want to try. Applejack might use that magic chain to lasso her and tie her to a bed while Rarity would keep her fenced in with those blades.

There was no doubt that Twilight Sparkle would have a spell or two to help track down and detain Longstride. Or blow him up, electrocute him, freeze him in a block of ice, and melt him into a puddle. But Twilight was also guaranteed to be working on something more important than chasing after a Thorn. She could be researching spells to use against Gravitas. She'd snap at anypony who dared to disturb her.

That left Pinkie Pie.

“Yup, it’s all up to me,” Rainbow thought. She marked each spire in her mind and created a route to check each of them out without double-backing and alerting Longstride. She stretched her wings. They twitched with restless, pent up energy and she hadn't even started warming up. Every encounter she had with Longstride, she hadn't been aware that he was already watching. This time would be different. She was going to match her speed against his sight. This time, she was going to win.

The window frame and the palace hall was gone in a heartbeat. The overcast sky suggested more of Fenrir’s snow for the quickly approaching night. There wasn't much time to work with. The cityscape turned into a white blur as she flew into her first target. She stopped by one tower just long enough to peer into the window. When she saw nothing, she moved on. She resisted the urge to follow a descending order. That would be too predictable. Her chosen route moved up and down as erratically as she could make it. It seemed to be working too. She still didn't have an arrow in her flank.

More windows, none of which held what she wanted to see, streaked past her vision. She heard a couple of screams, some surprised gasps, an angry curse, and a desperate shout of “this isn't what it looks like”. Still no Longstride. She had zipped through nearly all of Canterlot’s higher spires when doubt began to trickle in. Maybe Longstride wasn't even in the city. Maybe he did run back to his mistress’s lair as soon as he was done helping against Caro Artifex...

One window brought her to a sudden stop. She recognized the unicorn stallion lounging on a sofa and cleaning a curved blade. He spotted her too and his horn flashed briefly when did so. Rainbow squinted at the light and then recognized who he was.

“What a pleasant surprise, Rainbow Dash, I would have thought you’d be resting by now.” Lion Court sheathed his blade and walked over to the window.

“Hi, Lion Court,” Rainbow replied. “I’m looking for Longstride, do you know where he is?”

Lion Court stroked his impressive beard with a hoof. “Longstride? Now why would you be looking for him?”

Rainbow Dash slammed her front hooves together. “To beat him up for shooting me! Oh, and to...uh...ask him stuff.”

Lion Court chuckled and grinned. There was something so predatory about the way he did so that Rainbow shuddered. “I suppose he does have it coming. You won’t find Longstride in the city. He’s holed up in a niche near the summit of Mount Unicornia.”

Rainbow frowned. “Holed up in a niche?” she asked. “What’s he doing up there?”

“His idea of ‘being on stand-by’. Don’t worry about getting shot at if you approach him. The mistress told him to give you a break after what he put you through.”

Rainbow’s frown only deepened. She didn't need a break. Black Rose and Longstride had some nerve treating her like a filly. “I’m off then,” she said.

“Wait!” Lion Court called out. A small box floated towards Rainbow. “Give Longstride this when you get to him, will you? He’s probably putting up with dried fruit when should experience what Canterlot Cuisine has to offer!”

“Uh...sure,” Rainbow replied. With the box secured to her barding, she gave Lion Court a short wave. “I’m going now.”

Lion Court’s smile widened. “Take care now, Rainbow Dash. Don’t strain yourself. A lot is expected from you in the coming days.” Before Rainbow could take off, the door to his room opened and three mares with cutie marks entered. They giggled at Lion Court as he approached. “Ladies,” he said.

Rainbow flew off before she had to see anything else. She made her way to the top of the mountain. Up there, with Canterlot’s warmth and lights at a distance, the cold winds buffeted her hard enough to give her pause. Lion Court was right; she shouldn't be straining herself with something so important coming up. She should fly back to the city and get some rest. Longstride could wait.

Except that he was holed up out here, probably reacting to this cold about as much as a tombstone would. He might even be observing her right now. If she fled, he’d shake his head in disgust. Just imagining it was enough to push her forward. She circled the mountain peak, looking for some niche that could shelter a pony. Eventually, she spotted a rocky overhang that looked suspicious. When she flew over to inspect it, she spotted the small opening into the mountainside. A closer look revealed the dim glow of a fire. ‘Gotcha!’ she thought. She lingered by the entrance long enough to check for snares or whatnot before swiftly flying in.

The cave was nothing more than a short corridor of natural rock. The entrance was barely large enough to fit Rainbow, and she considered herself particularly sleek. A small fire flickered on the floor, serving more to fill the cave with shadows than light.

And there was Longstride, his back to the wall at the back of the cave. He looked up just as her silhouette filled the entrance. Rainbow could barely contain herself. She got him! The chances were slim, but she got him! For an instant, the two of them stared at each other blankly.

Rainbow's mouth opened, but no words came out. Her hooves twitched, but they didn't go for anything. She was going to lose her chance, but what was she going to do? He was going to recover. If she didn't act now, the first arrow was going to fly. She flapped her wings. The next thing she knew, she had struck Longstride’s midriff head-first, slamming him into the cave wall so hard that dust fell from the low ceiling. His hurt grunt and the whoosh of his breath being forced out of his body jolted her into pure instinctive motion. Her hoof smashed into his face. His head bounced off the rock wall with a crunch, then hit the floor. He rolled from the impact a few times before stopping on his back. She was on top of him in an instant.

Rainbow’s hoof had struck Longstride’s face a second time when her thoughts finally caught up. Something wasn't right. Longstride had raised his forelegs to defend himself, but the surprise should be long gone now. He still wasn't fighting back. She stopped, still defensive, but also curious. The haze of violence lifted and details of her surroundings began to register. Longstride’s bow had flown from him after her initial strike and now lay just a few feet from the entrance. Their scuffle had scattered some of the piled pieces of wood he was burning, reducing the fire to a sputtering, barely-glowing mess of ash and cinder.

Longstride lowered his forelegs. Despite the blood trickling from his nose and lips, he kept his gaze locked onto Rainbow. His strange golden irises seemed to glow slightly, making it easy to notice them despite the darkness all around. They did have strange letters around them after all. What did they mean? And just how much were they capable of?

“Are you done?” Longstride asked. He wheezed, then spat out a glob of bloody phlegm. Rainbow raised a hoof and brought it down on his face. Hesitation felt like chains dragging her foreleg back. She stopped with her hoof just an inch away. Despite how close the blow was, Longstride didn't even flinch.

“No!” Rainbow grit her teeth and raised her front hoof again, but the feel of Longstride’s body crumpling against her strikes, elating and satisfying as it was just moments ago, left her nauseous. It wasn't fair! He shot her in the flank and left her to an ophidite slaver! He deserved so much more than this little beating! “Why aren't you fighting back?” she asked.

“To what end?” Longstride replied. “Kill me if you have the nerve. Equestria is doomed. You are so stupid that the Elements of Harmony are bound to fail. What difference does it make if I die now or a few days from now?”

This time, Rainbow completed the blow. Her hoof struck Longstride’s snout and banged it against the rock floor. Instead of being satisfied, she winced. “I know what you’re doing,” she said. “You’re trying to psych me out. This must be some kind mind trick snipers use when their targets get too close!”

“Psyching you out requires that you actually use your brain, you stupid mare,” Longstride said.

“Then why won’t you fight back?” Rainbow grabbed Longstride by the shoulders and tried to slam him against the ground again. Her forelegs trembled from the effort and she contented herself with just shaking him vigorously. “You shot me in the flank! What’s stopping you now?”

Longstride kept his gaze locked onto Rainbow Dash even though she shook him hard enough to rattle his teeth. “Go back to Canterlot already,” he said once the shaking stopped. “You’re not here to kill me; you would have used that crossbow already if you were.”

“I want you to answer some questions first!” Rainbow retorted. She pinned Longstride’s shoulders to the floor. “Why’d you shoot me?”

“Orders.”

“I know that part! Why were you ordered to?”

“Get off me. It’s hard to talk with your hindquarters on my belly.”

“Yeah right, and let you grab your bow to shoot me?”

Longstride sighed, wincing as he did so. “I’m not going to shoot you, stupid mare, my orders were to leave you alone while you rested up before going to Sky Mirror Lake. Has it not occurred to you to question why I’m alone in a cave instead of keeping an eye on you?”

Rainbow slowly let Longstride back to his hooves. She loaded and aimed her crossbow at him while he gathered the scattered logs to restart the fire.

Longstride's wild, green mane looked even more disheveled after the beating he had taken. Rainbow wondered if he used his leafy hair and his woodland brown coat to his advantage by resembling a bush for camouflage. His leather barding looked a bit scuffed, but was otherwise fine. As for his face, his cheeks and forehead were already swelling. He bled from several scrapes on his head, a small tear by his ears, his busted lip, and broken nose. He moved his jaw around, then spat at the corner. Something small and hard skittered across the stone. She considered returning the favor and shooting his flank. But what if the shot left him unable to talk? She still had something to ask. She shuddered at the thought of having to nurse him until he was well enough to answer. “Well,” she muttered. “Scarlet said something about a ceasefire...then Lion Court...but-but I had to be sure!”

Longstride frowned when she mentioned Lion Court. “Is that how you found me here?” he asked. “Lion Court told you?”

“Yeah! He even asked me to give you-!” Rainbow stopped when a sharp pain seized her head. Lion Court asked her to do what? Something wasn't right here. Weren't Longstride and Lion Court friends? Why was she doing Lion Court favors? “Ow! Hey, wait! He’s a Thorn! Just like you! How did he-?” She looked to the small box strapped to her barding. “And he even got me to deliver your dinner!”

Longstride searched the floor for a while, then picked up what looked like pieces of metal and stone. He struck them together, sending sparks onto the gathered bits of wood. “It appears you have a brain after all,” he said flatly. “Lion Court had to manipulate something.” His voice lowered to an angry mutter. “He’s going to pay for this.”

“So why were you ordered to shoot me in the flank?”

Longstride settled into a corner once the fire was going again. “The ophidites are masters of turning ponies against their kin. If anything can draw out the Element of Loyalty, it’s them. I shot you so you’d be captured. So the ophidites could test you.”

“I could have been killed!”

Longstride’s eyes narrowed. “Better that you had died then. Better to have you fail at that point instead of during a more crucial time.”

Rainbow’s grip on her crossbow tightened until it started to tremble. She flew into him, shoving him against the cave's wall and forcing him to rear up. “I should shoot you right now,” she growled. “You’re all alone in this hole: you've got nopony coming to bail you out, your bow’s out of reach, and I've got a bolt to your face. Who’d be the stupid mare then, huh?”

Longstride still remained unflinching even when the bolt pressed hard enough to draw blood. “You,” he said. “Seeing as you’re the only mare here."

Rainbow jammed her crossbow's stock just below Longstride's ribs before backing up. He doubled over, coughing and wheezing, but he still didn't look away from her. "And you're so great and smart, right?" she asked. "You and your super-eyes, and super-bow, and your super secret group!"

Longstride righted himself and sat down. He was breathing hard when he answered. "You don't understand, stupid mare. Not surprising with your short-sighted bumbling." He looked over to the bow still lying by the cave's entrance. "A great sacrifice was made to create that bow." He touched his eye with a hoof. "Another was made to create the eyes that could use it to its potential. A third to create the back that won't break while a lifetime was spent to master it." He settled down and caught his breath. "It's not about me being smart and great. It's about making sure that everything I do is worthy of what I've been given."

Rainbow pressed her lips together. She hated the idea of it, but she did feel as if she was shrinking when his gaze went from contemptuous to angry.

"Yet, here you are, blessed with natural talent abundant enough for a dozen ponies, graced with a destiny worthy of so much sacrifice. You threaten to waste it all on what? Proving that you are the fastest? Revenge? You were given an important time to rest and prepare for a difficult time ahead. Instead, you wasted your energy chasing after me. I thought you had gained some measure of caution during your ordeal, stupid mare. I was wrong. What a foal I was for having faith.”

Rainbow stepped back and lowered the crossbow. “I know I should be resting, but I knew you were around,” she said softly. “I wasn't sure if I could find any other time to ask.”

“Ask what? What’s so important for you to know that you’d risk the fate of Equestria to find out?”

Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Oh, stop being so dramatic! Is everything always about ‘the fate of Equestria’ to you Thorns?” Longstride continued to stare quietly, leaving Rainbow flustered. “Back in Ghastly Gorge...with that...that stallion,” she said quietly. “Why’d you save me?”

The contempt in Longstride’s gaze disappeared. For the first time since Rainbow burst into the cave, he looked away. “I...don’t know.”

Rainbow’s frown returned. “What do you mean, you don’t know?”

“I shouldn't have,” Longstride said. “But I did. I don’t know why.”

Rainbow nearly dropped the crossbow. She grit her teeth as her chest drew tight. Her breathing grew shallow and rapid. “You don’t know, huh?” she asked, forcing as much mocking in her tone as possible. “Guess you’re a stupid stallion, doing things without thinking!”

“Yes. That’s true.”

“Don’t admit it!” Rainbow snapped. “You’re taking away the satisfaction!”

“Are you done?” Longstride asked. “Take what revenge you want and try to salvage some rest out of this fiasco.”

Rainbow lowered her crossbow. “You risked my life, then you saved me. I’m not going to kill you just this once. You better have an answer when we meet again!” She faced the exit and flapped her wings. When she approached outside, however, the bitter, howling wind of a full-blown blizzard sent her running back in. “Foal of a nag!" she said, her teeth chattering. "That’s cold!”

“Stupid mare,” Longstride muttered. “So much for your dramatic farewell.”

Rainbow sat opposite of the stallion. “Great, now everypony will think I've gone missing again!” She fell on her tail and rested her chin on her forelegs.

Longstride fiddled with his collar. “This is Longstride,” he said. “Sablesteel, are you there?”

“I’m busy, Longstride!” came a very angry reply from a mare.

“The Element of Loyalty is here with me atop Mount Unicornia, please relay this information to the rest of the Elements of Harmony. She will return once this blizzard passes.”

“How in the moon princess’s star-spangled-! Nevermind! I’ll get the information to them! Don’t mess things up further, Longstride! And don’t try anything stupid while the two of you are up there!”

Longstride turned from his collar and looked at the fire. “It’s Rainbow Dash,” Rainbow told him. He looked at her questioningly. Rainbow pushed a bit of wood closer to the fire and hugged herself for warmth. There was no blanket around, but she'd sooner freeze than snuggle. “My name’s Rainbow Dash, not ‘Element of Loyalty’ or ‘stupid mare’!”

“You’re a mare and you've been acting stupidly,” Longstride replied. “You also bear the Element of Loyalty. Show me something that befits ‘Rainbow Dash’ and I’ll use the name.”

Rainbow opened the box that Lion Court had given her. It was packed with mountain-grown rice, fresh fruit slices, and bamboo shoots. She grabbed a hoof-ful and stuffed her mouth. She had eaten about two-thirds of the meal when she slid the box over to Longstride. Lion Court had intended it for him after all. “Do you mean that?” she asked.

For a moment, Longstride stared at Rainbow as if she was still mocking him. Then, he went back to staring at the fire. “Yes,” he said softly.

Why I Serve

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 44: Why I Serve

It came as no surprise to Rarity that her friends all headed off in different directions after being instructed to rest. It had been a pattern since they came to the Barrier Lands. Even Pinkie Pie had an agenda of her own. Just a moment ago, Pinkie just galloped past her with that glowing stone tablet.

‘Perhaps I’m looking at this in an overly negative way,” Rarity thought. They had been asked to relax, but she decided to do so through a calming walk through Canterlot rather than bed rest as Applejack had done. The late afternoon scene throughout the streets of Canterlot had a mixed atmosphere about it. Businesses were closing up for the day. Their owners walked home in a slow, tired pace, while no-nonsense Legion and Royal Guard patrols trotted past them. There were a few nervous ponies gathered together whispering about a disturbance in the Royal Palace and how a lot of legionnaires had been heading there the past few hours.

A streak of rainbow colors caught Rarity's eye as it flitted about the spires of the city. ‘What’s she up to?’ she thought. She waited for a streak of red to accompany that burst of colors. To her pleasant surprise, she didn't find one.

“What happened to you? You disappeared for a long time and we were all so worried!”

The excited question didn't exactly stand out among the various worried talks scattered across the streets. The residents of Canterlot worried a great deal for their newly drafted family and friends and fussed over them whenever they were reunited. When Rarity caught a glimpse of the one who spoke, however, she stopped momentarily. She recognized this group of earth ponies: a purple stallion with a harp cutie mark, a brown one with a pair of musical notes for a cutie mark, and a light blue mare. The three had surrounded another mare, a gray one with purple eyes and a G-Clef cutie mark carrying a cello case on her back. Where had she seen these ponies before? Something about parties…

“Oh, you shouldn't have,” the gray mare said. “I've just been busy with performances. You’re the ones that should be worried about. How has your stay in the Legion been?”

“Performances” proved enough to jog Rarity’s memory. She had heard this quartet play several times before. Nostalgia suddenly flooded her. How long had it been since she had the time to listen to some classical Equestrian music? Pinkie Pie’s singing, her occasional humming to herself, and the rhythm of hammer blows against an anvil, were all well and good, but to be seated in front of an opera…to hear a live orchestral performance from the Canterlot Symphony…those were sounds from another lifetime. She shook her head. No, that wasn't necessarily true. The time will come when she would get to hear that sort of music again. She walked past the group. As she did so, the cello player glanced her way.

Their eyes met only for a moment, but Rarity was rooted to the spot. The cello player recognized her. Not just that, the short glance was enough to leave her cold and uneasy. Something was wrong here.

“I’m just so amazed that you managed to get gigs with everything that’s been happening,” the light blue mare said. “I guess that goes to show what an amazing musician you are, Octavia!”

“Oh, nonsense, Beauty Brass, if you weren't strapped for Legion work, you’d be playing right next to me.” Octavia looked to the two stallions. “All of you would be.”

The warmth in Octavia’s smile took Rarity aback. Was this the same mare who had glanced at her earlier? Perhaps she had just imagined the whole thing.

“Well, I’ll see all of you again sometime,” Octavia said. “You all look tired and you have more training tomorrow.”

“Stay safe, Octavia,” Beauty Brass said. She wiped a tear from her eye. “You’ll see, we’ll be a quartet again soon.”

The four embraced tenderly for a few moments, then Beauty Brass and the two stallions went on their way. Octavia waved at them until they rounded a street corner. With her friends gone, she turned to face Rarity. “Hello, Miss Rarity,” she said. Every trace of warmth she had shown dissipated like so much morning fog.

Rarity cleared her throat. Her unease only continued to grow, but she wasn't going to be the first to lose her poise. “You recognize me,” she said. “That’s quite a surprise.”

“You did become the talk of all of Canterlot once,” Octavia said. “Lion Court also speaks very highly of you. I believe he once mentioned that you are the best among your peers.”

“That’s very flattering,” Rarity replied, “but most untrue and likely said to praise himself.” She lifted her chin a bit nevertheless. Praise from Lion Court may be under-hoofed, aimed to create rifts, and self-serving, but it was still praise.

“Modest too,” Octavia said. She walked on and Rarity kept in step with her. “Lion Court may exaggerate, but there is some truth in what he says. You are easily the most elegant in your group.” Her voice, already calm and cool, turned frigid. “It’s a pity that you’re a legionnaire.”

Rarity’s eyes narrowed. “And what is that supposed to mean?” she asked.

“The Legion takes everything of grace and refinement and turns it into a hardened and crude tool. As a legionnaire, it won’t be long until your fate is the same.”

“Such a poor opinion of elegance you have, then. True beauty and refinement adapts and grows stronger with changing times. It is not ‘turned crude’ by anything. Speaking of turning, I see that you've turned into a Thorn. I would have never expected one of Canterlot’s own to join Black Rose’s elite.”

“And why not?” Octavia asked. “Did you expect every chosen in Equestria to bow their heads and meekly follow where the Legion leads them? Or that no chosen could possibly have the skills that Black Rose could use?”

“Well that depends now, doesn't it, Miss Octavia? What skills did Black Rose find a use for in your case?”

Octavia turned her nose up. “My music, of course. The Legion may find no use for the musical arts, but Black Rose sees value in using and protecting them. And what of you, Miss Rarity? Has the Legion benefited greatly from your fabulous dress designs?”

“My time in the Legion has allowed me to learn a different set of skills,” Rarity replied. “In return, I've committed to helping them fight Equestria’s enemies, a cause I happen to have quite a stake in. I may have had some bad experiences with the Legion, Miss Octavia, but being under-appreciated is not one of them.” Rarity tilted her head slightly. “Of course, I’m sure that Black Rose has found many wonderful uses for your talents. When Pinkie Pie and some legionnaires were severely injured a while ago, they said they heard some music that left them weak and vulnerable to a Thorn’s poison gas attack. They described it as coming from ‘a bigger deeper violin’.”

“It’s called a cello. I must admit that the Legion has vastly exceeded my expectations by even knowing what a violin is.”

“Then I suggest that you open your eyes a little wider,” Rarity said sharply. “The Legion is vast, the Barrier Lands even vaster. Reducing them into a horde of barbarians out to destroy all that is beautiful does not speak well of your own refinement.” Her voice lowered. “Neither does aiding the poisoner who sent my friend to the hospital.”

Octavia’s cold glance did not change. “Sablesteel’s attacks were measured, as were her poisons, my music, Lion Court’s cuts, and Longstride’s shots. You and your friends may not like being on the receiving end, but our precise movements guided by Black Rose’s intellect serves Equestria well.”

Rarity quickened her pace. Some sense of competitiveness was starting to take over this strange conversation. It suddenly wasn't enough to keep in pace with Octavia. “That would be true,” she said, “if Black Rose and Equestria were one and the same. You are being deceived, Miss Octavia, you’ll find out too late that her goals have nothing to do with preserving the Heartland’s culture and society as you apparently believe.”

“Spoken like a true legionnaire. You’re deceiving yourself, Miss Rarity. It’s true that the Legion is here to stay and that they do have some use, but only when guided by a firm and refined hoof. The more I stay with Black Rose, the more I believe that it should be hers. She will see to it that the beauty of ‘the Heartland’, as you legionnaires keep calling it, remains intact, regardless of her other goals.” Octavia stopped when they approached a street corner. “I believe this is where we part ways. I came by just to pay a short visit to my family. Afterwards, you and I have duties to attend to.”

“Goodbye for now,” Rarity replied. “We’ll meet again, I’m sure. When we do, you’ll see for yourself that elegance and strength are often one and the same.”

Octavia didn't reply and slowly disappeared among the other ponies walking the street.

Pinkie Pie galloped through Canterlot, barely aware of the swiftly changing scenery around her. One minute, she was running through the Royal Palace’s halls, then she was by its entrance, then she was zigzagging through ponies on the streets. The only constant sight was the channeling tablet clenched tightly between her teeth. She wasn't sure where it was leading her, but she knew it had to be towards one of the two ponies she had to find.

After reading through some stuff about Rock Maven, Pinkie wanted to talk to Copper Mane. He enjoyed launching into anecdotes about the first leader of the True Earth Ponies, as well as other great channelers. She didn't particularly enjoy them, especially when he lingered on how many unicorn and pegasi “oppressors” they killed. Pinkie had been worried that, since all the stories she heard about the Old Kingdom and the Six Companions were bad, Rock Maven was also going to turn out to be a monster.

“Perhaps one day, I can show you around the Deepstone Quarter of the Great Delve, Pinkie Pie. You can see for yourself the armaments of Rock Maven himself, still waiting for the day when a true earth pony would be strong enough to carry them to battle,”

The truth was…well, it wasn't that it was the opposite. Rock Maven did lead his clan and the other enslaved earth pony clans to freedom. He did wear enormous stone plates that could block even magic for armor. He also did crush hundreds of unicorns and pegasi with a big stone club made from fossilized dragon bone.

The True Earth Ponies revered Rock Maven for real reasons, but the archives had stories that they couldn't have read if they were all out in the Barrier Lands. There was more to Rock Maven than the pony who had to be mean to help his friends and family. If she could tell him about it, the two of them might be able to come up with a better way to learn this channeling thing.

The other was Sablesteel. That wasp of a pony had a sting that hurt so badly that even the memory of them left Pinkie wincing. She was a horrible pony and Pinkie didn't need to read any book to know that. But there was-

“Pinkie! Pinkie!”

The blurry scenery slowed down at the sound of those voices from the other side of the street. Pinkie didn't spend a lot of time with her two sisters, certainly not as much as she hoped to, but they were hard workers who wanted to take part in the rock-farming business while her destiny took her to Ponyville.

Sure enough, there was dark gray-maned, gray-coated Inkie, smiling and waving gently. Blinkie, easily recognizable with her short white mane and her grayish purple coat, stood on her hind legs and waved more enthusiastically. In an instant, Pinkie was standing between the two of them.

“Are you alright?” Pinkie asked. She looked her sisters over, even lifting them above her head to see if they were suffering from any horrible poisoned wounds. “Nothing bad has happened, has it? Where are mom and dad?”

“We’re both fine, Pinkie,” Inkie Pie said. She pushed some of her long, straight, mane from her eyes. “Mom and Dad are fine too. We were worried about you. We heard that something weird has happened to the Royal Palace.”

“Yeah, there were these evil bony monsters, but the princess took care of that.” Pinkie tilted her head. “So what are you two doing out here? Were you headed for the Royal Palace to check on me?”

“Well, not really,” Inkie replied. “I was just returning from a meeting with some ponies from the Legion.”

“The Legion?” Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened. “The Legion? Why? Are they trying to get you to join the Legion? Because they’re not allowed to, you know! I’m already in it!”

Inkie giggled. “No, silly, I’m not getting drafted! The Legion has a lot of construction projects lined up, which means there’s a huge demand for building stone. Dad and I have been working on a couple of big contracts.” Her smile widened. “I really think you did the farm a huge favor!” Her voice lowered to barely above a whisper and her smile faded. “I mean, that’s okay, right?”

“Okay?” Pinkie asked. “Why wouldn't it be?”

“We’re not bad for benefiting from the Legion’s presence, are we? We don’t like war or fighting, but business has been terrible for the past couple of years. Now, we're going to recover and start raking in the bits! I was just thinking that maybe it’s not proper to have a reason to be happy when there are so many glum ponies around.”

“Don’t be silly!” Pinkie said. “Being sad’s never helped the situation get better! You should be glad to be glad!” She looked towards her other sister. “What about Blinkie? Is she also working contracts?”

“No!” Blinkie Pie said. She raised her chin proudly. “Dad and Inkie can deal with boring business talk, I've been learning from some of the Legion engineers and masons.” Her eyes widened and her voice gained a sense of wonder. “They've got some amazing stone-working techniques that’ll really blow your mind! I’m trying to get an apprenticeship. Dad says it’s fine as long as I don’t end up in the Barrier Lands.”

Pinkie looked around. "You said you and dad were working on contracts," she said to Inkie. "So where's dad?"

"Oh, his front knees are bothering him again," Inkie said softly. "You know how they act up during winter."

Blinkie suddenly grabbed hold of Pinkie's shoulders and spun her around. “Never mind that! You never told us that the new prince was the prince of rocks!”

“New prince?” Pinkie raised an eyebrow. “Oh, you mean Prince Terrato? He’s not really new, he’s as old as Princess Celestia! Well, she’s his big sister, so probably not as old, but I’m sure it’s close-!”

“We saw him fly by the other day!” Inkie said. She pressed her front hooves against her slightly red cheeks and closed her eyes. “His coat is such a magnificent shade of gray! Like finely polished granite!”

“And that chiseled jaw!” Blinkie added breathlessly. “A hundred master stone-crafters working together wouldn't even come close to duplicating it!”

“Those rock-hard muscles!”

“Those craggy eyebrows!”

“That stony glare!”

While her sisters swooned over the meanest of the royal siblings, Pinkie's thoughts went to other things. It had only been days since Sablesteel threatened to kill her loved ones and melt their bodies with horrible poisons. Yet, here they were, completely untouched. Blue Moon may be right after all. Maybe Sablesteel had no intention of hurting any of them.

“Hurting you…stains me.”

What did Sablesteel mean by that? Pinkie hadn't paid those words much attention until she got to talk with Blue Moon. When she was first laid out on that hospital bed, all she could imagine of Sablesteel was a monstrous insect-pony. After Blue Moon, she began to remember that alley fight a little more differently. All that anger suddenly wasn't aimed at her. All those strikes seemed slowed by hesitation. Sablesteel was trying to be mean, but she was trying too hard. That was what Blue Moon had been worried about. If they could only meet again…

“Pinkie, are you alright?” Inkie asked. “You’re staring off.”

“Oh! Uh…I’m okay!” Pinkie pulled out the slab again. The gems and the markings were still glowing. “You two stay safe alright?” she said. “I’ve got to go! Good luck with your work! And the prince!” The two waved as she galloped off.

Seeing her sisters safe and happy only proved to Pinkie more that she needed to see Sablesteel. She ran past one fancy house after another until she began to notice a pattern. She was heading for the older sections of Canterlot. The bright colors looked more faded here, the paint was even peeling in some areas. The walls were cracked and the gates dilapidated. Finally, the slab brought her in front of the most ruined building in Equestria’s capital.

Pinkie slowed to a cautious walk as she moved past the rusted metal bars the front gate. A cold wind picked up and fresh snow swirled around her. She shivered and trotted inside the mansion. She would have knocked, but the doors had long since collapsed on their sides and nopony clearly lived here.

The boards of the wooden floor creaked ominously as Pinkie walked over them. She stepped as lightly as she could, afraid that she might fall through. It was a little warmer inside the mansion, although the sights weren't any better. The rooms were mostly empty save for a few pieces of broken furniture here and there. The window frames were rotted and the panes had long since shattered. With night and plenty of snowfall closing in, the interior was shrouded in darkness. Only the lights coming from the slab's gems and markings showed glimpses of anything.

“This is quite the dismal place you've found, Pinkie Pie.”

Pinkie yelped and jumped, nearly hitting the low ceiling with her head. The disembodied voice had come from behind her and she was so sure that it was going to be followed by a poisoned blade digging into her flesh. It was only when she was picking herself off the floor and looking at the silver-shoed hooves of the pony who spoke did she recognize the voice. “Princess Luna!” she exclaimed. “What are you doing here? And how did you sneak up on me like that?”

Princess Luna smiled. “I had guessed that you may be looking for Sablesteel. I followed discreetly. As for sneaking, Illusion is one of my specialties. Becoming invisible is a simple enough task.” Her voice lowered and her eyebrows met. “Masking my presence from your strange channeling proved a more difficult task though.”

“Why are you looking for Sablesteel?” Pinkie asked. “Are you going to kill her?” She fell on her belly and grabbed hold of Luna’s hooves. “Please don’t kill her!”

“You are surprisingly protective of the enemy agent who poisoned you and threatened to kill your family,” Luna replied. “But you needn't worry. I have not come here to hurt or kill anypony.”

“Oh, good,” Pinkie said with a sigh of relief.

Luna pointed to a narrow flight of wooden stairs that led downwards. “Shall we see where those stairs lead?” The steps were cracked, but they looked sturdy enough. Pinkie consulted her slab and nodded. The stairs ended with a single door, surprisingly still intact. Luna blocked Pinkie with a hoof just as she was about to turn the knob. “Be careful, Pinkie Pie, the door is old, but its placement here is recent.”

It was only when Luna had raised a shield around them did they push the door together. Past it was a great basement library, easily big enough to occupy the mansion’s entire lowest floor. This time, the glow from Pinkie’s tablet was not the only illumination. There were lamps hung all over the room, giving the entire place a dim, flickering orange glow. Most of the shelves had fallen over, broken into pieces, or rotted away. There were pages scattered across the ground, the writing impossible to read because of fading, stains, or the paper simply too badly damaged.

“I’m busy, Longstride!”

There was no mistaking the sound of that voice. It sounded a little different, but that was because there was no mask to distort it. Pinkie had found the pony she was searching for.

“How in the moon princess’s star-spangled-? Nevermind! I’ll get the information to them! Just don’t mess things up any further, Longstride! And don’t try anything stupid while you’re up there!”

Luna's eyebrow twitched, but pressed on without saying anything.

At the center of it all, a lone mare sat on top of a pile of ruined books, quietly staring at a small fire. Sablesteel had most of her gear on, save for the mask. Her wavy gray mane, the tips curling just a bit, fell loosely across her shoulders and face. She didn't look up when they approached. “I didn't think you were so stupid as to seek me out twice, Pinkie Pie, especially after how our last meeting ended,” she said. “I see you brought back up. Are you here to attack me again, moon princess? All the extra-dimensional portals in Canterot have been shut down.”

“We agreed to cease hostilities until Gravitas has been dealt with,” Luna replied. “I will not be the first to start breaking agreements. Lion Court just rented a room in one of Canterlot’s best hotels, Sablesteel. Yet, here you are camping out in a ruin.”

“I like the old forgotten places,” Sablesteel said. “Reminds me of home.” She looked towards Pinkie. “Just so you know, Rainbow Dash got herself trapped by a blizzard near Mount Unicornia’s summit with Longstride. She’ll rejoin you once the weather clears.”

“Uh…okay,” Pinkie said.

Sablesteel tossed a book into the flames. “The both of you can go now,” she said. “We’re done here.”

“Wait.” Pinkie Pie tried stepping closer, but even that was difficult. There was some kind of invisible barrier around Sablesteel. It wasn't magic or some kind of device. If she crossed that boundary, she would be quickly met by poisoned blades. She didn't want another stay in the hospital, but she also didn't want to just walk away because Sablesteel was so prickly.

“What is it?” Sablesteel asked. “You should be resting.”

“I want to ask you some things,” Pinkie replied. “If you answer without making threats, or insulting somepony, or swearing, or throwing poison gas bombs, or slicing and stabbing things, then…then I’ll leave, and rest up, and never try to look for you again!”

Sablesteel stared at Pinkie Pie silently, her forelegs tapping together and her tail flicking behind her. The stinger clinked against the floor as the seconds passed. “That’s a decent offer, Pinkie Pie. I was expecting something dumber like offering a platter of cupcakes to get answers.”

Pinkie swallowed. “Well, that was kind of my back- never mind, you agree right? It’s a promise?”

“You never said I can’t answer with silence,” Sablesteel said. “Ask your questions. Regardless of my reply, go away.”

“What do you really want, Sablesteel?”

“I've explained myself clearly the last time.”

“No, you told me what Black Rose wanted, and what was good for Equestria. What about you?" Pinkie nearly gasped when an emotion besides annoyance showed on Sablesteel’s face. For a few seconds, those blue and green eyes showed what she had believed, had hoped, she'd see: some sign that there was something more to Black Rose’s ruthless agent.

“What I want…” Sablesteel stopped, savoring the words and the concept behind them. “Pinkie Pie…why would you ask that? Are you going to give me what I want? Is the Element of Joy here to make me happy?”

“No fair,” Pinkie Pie said. “I asked first.”

Sablesteel didn't say anything again. Pinkie’s ears drooped.

“It involves the Blackmoon Blades, doesn't it?” Luna asked.

The irritation was back in both Sablesteel’s eyes and voice. “You shut your horse-!” She looked at Pinkie Pie, then settled down with a long exhale. “Is that why you’re here, moon princess?” she asked.

“You wouldn't say anything so I made a guess,” Luna said. “I took some time to find out more since our last encounter, Sablesteel. My brother may say otherwise, but you are the last Blackmoon Blade, the sole heiress to a very long tradition of subterfuge, poisoncraft and assassination. It doesn't take much to guess that these mean a lot to you.”

“You’re half right, at least,” Sablesteel said flatly. “First, the prince is right; I am not the last Blackmoon Blade. That title belongs to my grandfather. It is true that I inherited all their important traditions.”

“Then why make such a distinction?” Luna asked. “Your grandfather must have brought you into the group if he taught you everything. Why would he stop at actually making you a blade?”

“You don’t understand,” Sablesteel said. She spoke softly, even reverently. “He wasn't blind to their faults. The Blackmoon Blades were deluded fanatics. They believed that they did your will. That every slaying they ever performed was done in the name of Princess Luna, their ‘Great Watcher in the Night’, ‘Blessed Lady of Dreams’, and ‘Silver Beacon’.” She let out a brief, cheerless laugh. “They had no idea what your will was. How could they? All they had were things that the first few grand masters of the Starlight Sentinels had written down. So they invented their own Princess Luna and made up things about her that seemed fitting.” She let herself smile a little. “They argued over some of the stupidest things like if it would please Princess Luna more if they sliced off the tongues of ponies who took her name in vain or if they should stick to the more general warning of ear-less corpses. Grandfather didn't want any part of that to be inherited.” The smile disappeared as Sablesteel tossed a sheaf of papers into the fire. “I was to be pure. I was to have in me everything that was good in the Blackmoon Blades: their dedicated discipline, their brutal and effective training, their accumulated knowledge on the arts of killing. He didn't want a single drop of their worthless, deluded, self-serving dogma to taint me. That is why it is so important that I am not the last Blackmoon Blade.”

Sablesteel turned towards Pinkie Pie. “What do I want, you ask me? I want the purpose and conviction that the Blackmoon Blades thought they had. I want to be part of a truly worthy cause that I believe with all my heart, led by a pony with true vision and dedication.” Sablesteel’s face soured and her tone grew harsher. “The moon princess failed. She ran to the Heartland and failed us all. The sun princess was an even bigger failure and the earth prince would not budge. After grandfather died, I tried to put my skills to work in the Legion. I grew so restless and frustrated that I wanted to get myself killed.” All the anger drained from her. “Then, I met Black Rose…Black Rose, the greatest daughter Equestria has ever had and will ever have. She had the purpose and dedication. She had the vision, the will, the ruthlessness: everything that the Blackmoon Blades so dearly wished to have been part of. I was at peace. The Thorns were my Blackmoon Blades and Black Rose was my princess.”

“Then…” Pinkie Pie spoke so softly that it sounded more as if there was a mouse in the library. “Then…you’re happy now, right?”

“NO!”

Sablesteel’s shout shook some dust from the beams above them. Sheets of paper flew from her as she stood up. Pinkie fell on her belly on instinct and covered her face with her front hooves.

“Why not?” Luna asked. "Has Black Rose failed you as well?"

“Black Rose does not fail! Has she not drilled that into your skulls yet? Her plans are reaching their completion. Her life will end with them and the last thing I get to do in her service is to bully a pink party pony into becoming strong enough to be useful to her. After that, everything good and worthy that grandfather has sought to preserve will disappear with me.” Sablesteel settled down once more. “It’s not…enough.” She turned her back on the two of them. “We’re done here. Leave.”

“Sablesteel," Pinkie said as she stood up. "I…uh, I know you’re not glad to have me as your ‘assignment’. But, I promise, I will be a strong enough Element of Joy.”

The sound of metal sliding against metal, followed by a glint that could only come from blades extending, came from Sablesteel. “I don’t need your pity, Pinkie Pie,” she growled.

“It’s not pity!” Pinkie Pie said. She didn't squeak this time. “You’ll see! You don’t need to bully or frighten me into becoming stronger. I will be a good enough Element of Harmony! I will protect Equestria! And I’m sure that your grandpa will be proud of you for helping so much!”

Sablesteel didn't turn around. “You talk a good game, Pinkie Pie,” she said. Her voice was much softer. “I’ll be watching. With blades drawn, mind you.”

“Come along, Pinkie Pie,” Luna said. “I’ll teleport us back to the palace so you can rest up.”

Pinkie Pie nodded and waited for the teleportation spell to take her away.

An Easy Feat

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 45: An Easy Feat

Fluttershy was among the first to head out when Princess Celestia told her and her friends that they were to rest. Now that the attack was over, she could go back to the hidden archives and finish that book. She had to. There had to be some kind of upside to “the Eye of Fear”. Maybe the terror it induced was just one function. Maybe she didn't have the Eye of Fear. It could be something else. So experiments were done long ago that produced something that resembled the stare. That didn't mean that there weren't other potential sources. She just needed to check the end of that book.

It only took a couple of steps outside of the audience hall to notice them: ponies carrying away loaded stretchers, bloody bandages everywhere, legs in slings, and the steady drone of moans mixing with orders being barked. Redbrand was shouting from a distance, making assignments and scolding subordinates.

“There will always be more injured. They will be there when you leave and they will still be there when you return.”

Fluttershy’s urgent trot slowed to a hesitant walk. As much as she hated to admit it, Blue Moon was right. The stream of injuries was never going to stop. Even if she used miles and miles of bandages and a sea of antiseptic, there’s always going to be another pony with a broken limb, a nasty gash, or a gaping wound. If she failed to find a way to help her friends more, she’d never forgive herself.

She cringed as another pair of stretcher-carrying pegasi flew past her. With each step she took within these halls, it was getting harder and harder not to drop everything and start helping out. ‘Why should I even have to choose?’ she thought. ‘It’s not fair! Why should helping others ever be the wrong thing to do?’ More and more sights of the injured and the dead tugged at her heart until she couldn't take it anymore. “Here, let me help!” She trotted over to one of the medics treating a badly cut legionnaire. ‘Just for a while. I’m sure there’s nothing wrong with a little first aid for a while.’

Four injured ponies later, that dread voice came from behind.

“Fluttershy! What are you doing back here?” Redbrand pushed past a couple of medics until he was standing over her. Both Fluttershy and the patient she was taking care of blanched at his glare. “Blue Moon’s told me some things, you stubborn filly. You've got other things to take care of, so put those bandages down and get out of my staff’s way!”

“But-! But-!” Try as she might, Fluttershy couldn’t finish the sentence. She had her arguments rehearsed in her head when she started helping out, but her tongue refused to follow with Redbrand glowering over her.

“Drop the bandages,” Redbrand growled.

Defeated, Fluttershy let the roll drop. She was about walk away when she felt a twinge of resentment. She glared at Redbrand. “How can I just walk away from this?”

“One hoof after the other,” Redbrand replied. He picked up the fallen roll and placed it in one of his saddlebags.

“Easy for you to say!”

“No, you arrogant filly,” Redbrand said. “It’s not.” He held her gaze sternly. Fluttershy remembered the Eye of Fear and tried to look away, but doing so would be a terrible insult to him. “There isn't a medic here who doesn't wish he can make all the hurt go away. Don’t think you’re something special for wanting that. But we know our parts in this; we know what we can do. You don’t, Element of Kindness, you’re meant for more. So stop wasting your time.”

“Stop!” Fluttershy started to sob. “Don’t call me ‘Element of Kindness’!”

“And what’s this blubbering about this time?” Redbrand asked. His voice softened. He didn't turn away when Fluttershy leaned on him, tears trickling down her cheeks. He looked over to some of the medics and glared them back to work.

“It’s the Eye of Fear!” Fluttershy said between sobs. She told the whole story: Private Pansy’s true nature, the Graywing Elite, the experiments...she garbled it all horribly with sobs, sniffs, and hiccups. By the time she reached the end of it, however, the doctor was pushing her away with his forelegs.

“Well, isn’t that tragic,” Redbrand said.

Fluttershy looked up in shock. There was no grudging empathy under the old stallion’s gruff tone. Not this time.

“Your stare induces terror within its victims, Fluttershy! Where did you expect it to have come from? Some land of chocolates and honey?”

The tears stopped flowing, not out of any relief, but because surprise overwhelmed everything else.

“I don’t feel sad for you at all, wallflower. So you found out you've got bad parts in you too, that even bearing the Element of Kindness doesn't make you the King’s gift to all living things. Too bad. You have to do what you can with what you have just like the rest of us lowly mortals!”

Fluttershy’s ears flattened. How dare he? Here she was trying to seek some comfort and he goes off as if he had any idea what-!

“Stand up straight,” Redbrand said. “And stop crying! So what if your evil eyeballing actually was evil? They’re still your weepy eyes, not that idiot volunteer’s!” He gave her a shake before letting go. “Stop fussing about where it came from and start figuring out where you can take it!”

Fluttershy swallowed hard, as if a physical action could get the last bits of resentment to back down completely. “You’re right,” she said. She straightened herself out, wiped away the last tears and took a step forward. She smiled at Redbrand. “Thank you. Again.”

“Bah!” Redbrand turned away and walked towards a pair of medics.

Fluttershy watched him for a while before galloping off. She ran past more injured, but they tugged at her heart less. There were plenty of ponies helping out. The Legion’s medics were handling the attack well. Canterlot’s doctors and nurses were also among them. They had this under control. She stopped only at the sight of Blue Moon by the main doors.

Blue Moon remained a disconcerting sight. It wasn't just his very feminine appearance. She had seen the other Thorns: Sablesteel, darting into the fray with blades and a stinger like a large, metal wasp, Lion Court, all grace and smiles even as he cut down his foes. Not even the widest grin and pearliest teeth could hide the predatory nature of Lion Court’s smile and it was plain enough to see that even approaching Sablesteel was dangerous. Blue Moon looked like a normal, approachable mare.

There was something different about Blue Moon this time though. The band of metal around his horn was gone. His two escorts didn't seem to mind either. “Your horn-lock…” Fluttershy said.

“My escorts and I were walking around the palace when the attack happened,” Blue Moon said. “We were cornered so I told them I could keep us alive if I could use my magic.”

One of the escorts scratched his head. “Did more than keep us alive,” he muttered. “They say he killed a hundred ursans at Sharpstone Bridge. I think they were understating. A lot.”

Fluttershy smiled. “You've earned the Legion’s trust. That’s nice to hear.”

“Trust would indeed be nice,” Blue Moon replied. He lowered his voice. “Or they could just be too afraid to put the horn-lock back on without one of the royalty around. What about you, Fluttershy? What have you learned?”

“Not much,” Fluttershy replied. She repeated her story again. This time, without the wracking sobs.

Blue Moon’s eyes narrowed. “Lok’horus...that, my sister has read before. Lok’horus, one of the leaders of the windigos. This is more serious than we anticipated.” He circled Fluttershy slowly. “Why would the Element of Kindness choose a bearer with so much potential for torment?”

“I-I don’t know…” Fluttershy's throat tightened. Even hearing that she had that potential hurt. She forced her smile to stay. “But, I’m sure I’ll find out more once I get back to the hidden archives!”

“No,” Blue Moon said. “You've found the link between your stare and the windigos. You need a way to harness it, not more history. I doubt Lexarius and his ponies took the time to discover that.”

“What can I do then?” Fluttershy asked. Reading about the horrible origins of her stare was bad enough, yet Blue Moon looked like he was about to suggest even worse things.

Blue Moon’s horn took on a pale glow. At once, his two escorts looked ready to jump him. “Stand down,” Blue Moon said. “I could have killed all of you the moment you took off my horn-lock. I could have disappeared and wreaked havoc in Canterlot if that was what I was here for. If you stop jumping at my every spell, I’ll be able to help the Elements of Harmony.”

Blue Moon’s escorts looked at each other briefly before one of them spoke to him. “We’re supposed to be guarding you, Blue Moon. We haven’t insisted on putting your horn-lock on, but throw us a bone here. Explain before casting any spells.”

“I know that Unicorn Guard Captain Shining Armor and Captain Vanguard Clash discovered the location of a trapped alicorn in Mount Unicornia,” Blue Moon said. “I also know that this trapped alicorn once served Oceanus and the royalty managed to converse with it. Fluttershy and I are about to do the same.”

“How did you-? Even we didn't know all that!”

“A horn-lock and escorts would not have stopped my sister from discovering everything possible in Canterlot,” Blue Moon replied. “As Legionnaire Almost, I am able to do this much.” Several thin beams of blue light burst from his horn. They stopped in mid-air, leaving points of light where they stopped. It looked like Blue Moon was projecting the image of some kind of constellation. After a moment, the points began to expand into a network of lines, forming an outline that quickly resembled something familiar.

“Canterlot,” Fluttershy whispered. She glanced at Blue Moon. “Amazing.”

The other legionnaires stared wide-eyed. In a few seconds, Blue Moon’s horn was projecting a very detailed, small-scale picture of the entire city of Canterlot and Mount Unicornia, right down to individual doors and windows. Blue Moon pointed towards a large sphere of light within the mountain. “That would be where we are going,” he said.

One of the escort’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the image closely. “Those points of light,” he said. “Those were places you asked to visit!”

“Referential points,” Blue Moon said. “I’ll explain in detail for you later, if you want. However, we have a limited amount of time to help the Element of Kindness before she heads for the Old Kingdom. Now, will you allow me to teleport her to that place?”

The other escorts looked to the one who spoke earlier.

“We’d be cut up corpses by now if it weren't for you, Blue Moon. I don’t trust you completely, but I’ll stick my neck out for you just to return the favor, especially if it means helping out the Elements of Harmony.”

The other escorts nodded.

“Thank you,” Blue Moon said. His horn glowed again and the magical projection disappeared. “Initiating teleportation circle.” A circle of magical light formed on beneath their hooves. Fluttershy nearly flew away at the sight of it, but Blue Moon placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Steady. I’m just moving us as close as possible. There’s a dimensional lock around the place itself so we’ll have to walk the rest of the way.”

Fluttershy was about to say something in return, but the bright flash of light left her stunned and silent. When her vision cleared, she was inside a cave. Glowing crystals lined the walls, the ground beneath her hooves felt uneven and coarse. She turned towards Blue Moon to ask him something, but a sharp pain in her chest brought her up short.

“Fluttershy!” Blue Moon said. He walked over to her, his stoic expression finally showing some worry.

“I’m okay,” Fluttershy said. Her legs shook, but she forced herself to remain standing. “I-!” She stumbled as the pain increased. It was as if her heart was violently forcing her to move towards a certain direction.

“What’s going on?” one of the escorts asked. “Is she alright?”

“I-I’ll be fine!” Fluttershy said through grit teeth. The pain lessened when she started moving towards the direction she was being tugged towards. “We need to go this way!”

Blue Moon nodded towards his escorts and trotted next to her. Fluttershy wanted to lean against him, even let him carry her so she could concentrate on dealing with the sharp pain. She refused. Redbrand’s scolding still rang inside her head. She didn't want to keep leaning on ponies helplessly while they did their parts. They moved through one tunnel after another with her at the lead.

“Halt!”

Stopping proved exceptionally torturous. Fluttershy's front legs buckled and she breathed quickly and heavily. Ahead of her were several squads of legionnaires. The unicorns were on the verge of casting spells, the pegasi aimed their crossbows, and the earth ponies looked ready to charge.

“This place is off limits!” one the guards said. “What are you all doing here?”

“Princess’s orders,” one of Blue Moon’s escorts said. Fluttershy could barely hold back her surprise. Even Blue Moon’s eyes widened a bit at this.

“Which princess? And why weren't we informed in advance?” the lead guard asked.

“Princess Celestia. This is a last-minute matter to help the Element of Kindness! You do recognize the bearers, don’t you?”

The lead guard scrutinized Fluttershy carefully. “Yes, we were given descriptions.” He shifted his gaze towards Blue Moon. “We were also given descriptions of him. Why should we allow a captured Thorn in here?”

“Princess’s orders,” the escort repeated.

“Wait here while we send a flyer to confirm then,” the guard insisted.

“There is no time! The Element of Kindness is supposed to be resting for their upcoming mission! Look at her! She looks ready to fall apart! We need to get through this now!”

The guards hesitated. Their leader went over to Fluttershy. “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked.

“Yes,” Fluttershy replied. They parted to let her through. They continued to eye Blue Moon suspiciously until they disappeared from sight.

“I’m surprised,” Blue Moon said to his escorts with the coast clear. “You went through a great deal of trouble for us and you will go through a lot more if it gets out that you lied.”

“I know,” the escort said. “We’re square after this, Thorn, and we didn't do it just for you. It really does look like the Element of Kindness needs this trip.”

"You have my thanks, regardless," Blue Moon said.

"Don't start getting friendly, you freakishly beautiful stallion."

They crossed one more tunnel before coming upon a giant chamber, the only place in the mountain that had stonework instead of natural cavern walls. Now that they were here, the painful tugging disappear. Fluttershy gasped at the enormous spherical crystal.

“That must be the alicorn prison,” Blue Moon said.

“How do you know that?” one of the escorts said.

“Can’t you see the outline inside that crystal? This must be one of Oceanus’s own. Princess Celestia struck down the one working for General Gravitas and I doubt the royalty would imprison allies.”

“You could ask me instead, mortal,” a voice said. It came from the crystal and resonated across the chamber with enough power to send Fluttershy quaking. “I wouldn’t mind answering. Of course, I have questions too. I may not be able to see beyond this cage, but I still remember the unique stink of Oceanus’s servants. Tell me, Lok’horus, how have you survived for so long and what do you want from me?”

Fluttershy winced at the mention of that name.

“It would seem only natural that one servant of Oceanus would recognize another,” Blue Moon said.

“You’re half right. I once served the firstborn so I can tell when his enforcers are around. The Equos de Abysso have never been known for their subtlety, especially their old captain.”

“I am Blue Moon. Despite what you may smell, this is not Lok’horus I am standing with. This is Fluttershy, bearer of the Element of Kindness. May we know who you are?”

The voice took on an amused tone. “Ah…names. A long, long time ago, I was Stella Volu. During the first rebellion, I was Regia Carnifex. When I left the firstborn’s service, I became Star Swirl. Pick the name that means something to you, Blue Moon. But you are certainly the brazen one. It’s not enough that you try to convince me that you are not standing next to an ancient spirit made manifest by Oceanus’s power of the abyss. No, this one is actually a bearer of an Element of Harmony, a mortal vessel for one of the Throne’s greatest blessings.”

“I had no intention of being brazen,” Blue Moon said. “Only of being honest.”

“We shall see. Speak, ‘Fluttershy’, is it true that you bear the Element of Kindness?”

“Um…um…yes, sir, Star Swirl, sir. May I call you Star Swirl? I mean, Stella Volu and Regia Carnifex all sound nice, but I don’t know what they mean…and, well…” Fluttershy’s voice trailed away.

“If you’re Lok’horus, you've certainly put a lot of effort into your ‘shy little filly’ act. You didn't hide your stink though. Prove that you bear an Element of Harmony. Speak the words and bring judgment upon yourself.”

“T-the words?”

There was silence again. Disbelief crept into Star Swirl’s voice. “Has nopony taught you the words?”

Fluttershy lowered her head. She didn't know what Star Swirl was talking about, but she still felt ashamed for not knowing what he thought she should know. “No,” she said.

“Then speak them with me.”

“Hold on!” Blue Moon said. “How can we make sure that this isn't a trick? Who knows what will happen if the Element of Kindness were to recite an incantation taught to her by a former servant of Oceanus!”

“Then speak them yourself first, Blue Moon. Be ‘her’ poison tester. Porta cordis mei, aperi. Lumen ab throno, emica. Sto parata facie tua. Sit gaudii aut irae igniis.”

Blue Moon frowned and looked towards Fluttershy. He hesitated for a moment longer before repeating the words. He paused several times, during which Star Swirl repeated the next words. Fluttershy braced herself for a spectacular show of magic: bright arcs of light, gathering clouds of darkness, something similar to their fight with Nightmare Moon.

Nothing happened.

“The words do not reach where they should go coming from you, Blue Moon. While all mortals ultimately make their way to the Eternal Herd, they do not possess a strong enough connection to make contact while they still reside in this realm. Now, if you were an alicorn, or one of the Elements of Harmony, they would cause something.”

“What do those words mean?” Blue Moon asked.

“Gate of my heart, open. Light from the throne, shine forth. I stand ready for your presence. Be it the fire of wrath or joy. You've noticed that I've spoken the words with nothing happening. Are you ready to give it a try, Element of Kindness?”

“W-what’s going to happen if I say those words?” Fluttershy asked.

“If you are not the Element of Kindness, then nothing. If you are Lok’horus, still nothing. If you are the Element of Kindness, you will invoke a presence. What that presence is will be determined by how attuned you are to your element.”

“I…I don’t know,” Fluttershy said. “It just seems…so scary.”

“Then we have nothing else to discuss.”

Star Swirl did sound like he could help. From the way he spoke, it was as if he knew this Lok’horus personally. Fluttershy didn't want to lose such an important opportunity. ‘My part to play,’ she thought. She began to recite the words. She stumbled over some of them, sometimes badly enough for Star Swirl to prompt her, but she remembered enough to get it right.

“Porta cordis mei, aperi. Lumen ab throno, emica. Sto parata facie tua. Sit gaudii aut irae igniis.”

An incredibly wonderful warmth effused Fluttershy from within. She let out a little gasp, then looked at Blue Moon and his escorts in embarrassment. A soft glow emanated from where her heart would be.

“Interesting, Element of Kindness indeed.”

The wonderful feeling began to fade. The warmth increased, much to Fluttershy’s panic. A few more seconds passed and it became a very uncomfortable heat. “What’s…what’s going-!” Fluttershy cried out. In an instant, it felt as if a thousand red-hot pokers were stabbing her in the chest. Her guts felt as if she had been forced to drink lava. She fell to the ground, clutching at her chest and writhing in agony.

“What’s happening?” Blue Moon asked. His escorts called out to Star Swirl in alarm.

“This is a bad sign.”

Fluttershy let out a long, agonized wail. Her insides were boiling. A burning, stinging liquid was rising from her stomach to her throat.

“And so our true colors emerge, Element of Kindness.”

A great gob of slime burst from Fluttershy’s mouth, splattering all over the floor in front of her. When the heat started to subside, she opened her eyes weakly to see what had happened.

“By the prince, what is that horrible stench?” one of the escorts asked.

"What you have before you is a physical manifestation of some truly dark things one puts away inside. The words have provided their diagnosis for the Element of Kindness's state."

In front of Fluttershy was a puddle of black, still-steaming, ooze. The smell was a ferocious assault that left her eyes even more watery and her stomach on the verge of another protest. It smelled of buckets upon buckets of dead fish, rotting for days, mixed with salt spray, garbage, and piles of manure. She wanted to say something, ask a question, anything, but her vision began to darken and fade.

Blue Moon caught Fluttershy with his magic when she collapsed. He continued to stare at the disgusting black puddle she had vomited up even as he gently lifted her away from the mess. “What happened?” he whispered. He looked to the massive crystal desperately. “Tell me what happened.”

“The worst has happened, Blue Moon. But that could mean that things are finally going to get better. Your rulers are about to fight Gravitas. I do not know what the outcome of that battle will be, but I fear that Oceanus may have already won regardless. For now, let her rest. She should recover physically in a few hours.”

Blue Moon nodded towards his escorts and the group began to make their way back.

Author's Note

All the Latin parts are Google Translate Latin. If there is a reader out there who can speak fluent Latin, I would greatly appreciate the help.

Hidden Depths

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 46: Hidden Depths

Fluttershy crossed past the trees that lined the grassy path to her house. It was great to be back home. Her sod-roofed cottage waited for her at the end of the small bridge just as it always did. “Angel!” she called out. “Angel, I’m home!” The lack of response didn't surprise her. Angel didn't make a lot of noise over anything. The complete silence, however, was greatly disturbing. Though she didn't like the hustle and bustle of a busy city, she enjoyed the coalescing sounds of the small community of woodland animals that shared her home. Right now, not even a twitter or a squeak greeted her.

A cool spring breeze picked up, rustling through the leaves of nearby trees and gently making their branches sway. Fluttershy had just raised her head slightly to enjoy it when the smell of stagnant saltwater and rotting fish nearly knocked her to the ground. Mixing with that foul odor was the smell of smoke and ashes. She retched and spat a few times. The smell was so powerful and offensive that some had clung to her tongue. She forced herself to stand when she realized that it was coming from her house.

‘Oh no! No!’

She galloped past the small bridge, fighting against the stench as if it was a physical wall pushing her back. She fumbled with the doorknob for a moment before kicking the door down impatiently. The smell of decay and the sheer silence painted a very grim picture. She took a step forward and slipped, falling side-first into the slick, moist floor Her stomach heaved violently. Only after she blinked away the tears did she notice what she had fallen on.

Thick, black slime, the source of the horrid smell, covered the cottage floor. Fluttershy lifted a front hoof closer to her face and shuddered as thick gobs of slime dribbled down. The slime clung her mane as well, making the long pink strands clumped together. All the furniture and bird cages had disappeared. The walls were blackened with scorch marks and the floor…

Nearly the entire floor was gone, leaving only a few feet of wood around the edges of a gigantic hole. She looked down to see where it ended, but only darkness greeted her. The same black slime covered the hole's sides. Wisps of smoke rose and some traces of heat rose from it. She wanted to fly out of the house, to go outside and search for her friends. Yet…the hole beckoned her. There was something important down there. Something she needed to see. Perhaps all the animals in the house had fallen in. She flapped her wings and descended. Oddly enough, as soon as she made that decision, the smell was less oppressive.

The light from the entrance had long since disappeared, but Fluttershy was still descending. If her animal friends had indeed fallen down this hole they would have died. After a few more minutes, she was no longer sure if she was still going down, just hovering in mid-air, or had somehow turned around and started ascending. Finally, her hooves touch the ground with a soft crunch of pebbles. “H-hello?” she called out.

“Hello…hello…hello…”

Fluttershy sighed at the sound of her echo. It was a relief to know that none of her animal friends were stuck down this deep, dark hole, but it was also a disappointment.

“Hello.”

Fluttershy froze. That was her voice, but the delay was too long and the tone too different to be an echo. It also sounded quite close. Her front hoof caught on something hard and cold when she stepped forward. The distinct ping of metal echoed in the dark as she righted herself. “W-w-ho’s down here?” she called out. She suddenly forgot why she decided to fly down this deep, very dark hole.

“Who’s down here?”

“I-I know you’re not an echo!” Fluttershy called out. “Who are you?”

Whoever or whatever it was that shared this hole with Fluttershy didn't answer with words this time. Something that sounded like a very large match being struck echoed from afar. A torch-sized flame appeared nearby. Several more followed, quickly forming an enormous circle around her. The size of it was easily four or five times the size of her cottage. She had no idea there was such an enormous space underneath the floor.

A central flame burst into being directly above her.

The light hurt at first. Fluttershy looked down just to avoid looking at the lights directly. She was right, she had trod on something metallic. It was a length of chain big enough to anchor an airship. There were several more joined to it from different directions. They were all converging on…

…on her.

Fluttershy gasped. A yellow pegasus with a long, flowing pink mane sat several feet away. Even the cutie mark was spot on. The chains were attached to a great, metal collar that weighed this pegasus’s neck down, forcing her to look up at Fluttershy. Her fore and hind legs were shackled together. Another band of metal wrapped her torso. This one also had enormous chains attached to it. “H-how…” Fluttershy mumbled.

“That filthy Star Swirl bastard lied,” the other pegasus snarled. “He said the words would help. All they did was call out that light!” She strained violently against collar just to lift her head an inch. “That wretched light burned right through the ceiling! It took so long to put that ceiling up!”

“Um…h-hello?” Fluttershy said. Despite her trembling hooves, she took a step towards her cursing reflection.

“Sorry.” The other pegasus, the other Fluttershy, as Fluttershy decided to see her, sighed and lowered her head. “Didn’t mean to be seen like this. The words were supposed to help! Thought they'd burn this place out completely, not…expose it.”

“Why are you chained up like this?” Fluttershy asked.

“Protection.”

“And all the animals in the house?”

The other Fluttershy scowled. “The ungrateful little shits ran when they caught a whiff of this place. Just like those wretches in the Royal Garden.” The scowl lessened and the snarling tone softened. “Don’t worry,” she said. “They’ll come crawling back when they remember that they can’t feed themselves!”

“That’s a mean thing to say about them!” Fluttershy said.

The other Fluttershy snorted and grinned. “Mean, but true,” she said. “We made sure of that! Broke their legs so they can keep using our crutches!”

“That’s not true!”

The other Fluttershy winced. She lowered her gaze and let the weight of all her bonds drag her to the ground. “Why did you come down here?” she asked.

“I-I don’t know,” Fluttershy replied. “I didn't even know what was down here! What happened here? Who are you? Why do you look like me?”

“Light happened. Burned right through the ceiling. Nearly broke these bonds too.”

Fluttershy stared at what could easily be her reflection. Even the voice was the same. This other Fluttershy was talking about her bonds breaking as if it was a bad thing. “Are you…are you Lok’horus?” she asked.

“Yes. I am Lok’horus, Leader of the Windigos. I've been in here all your life.”

The other Fluttershy’s gaze was steadfast and determined. Fluttershy wanted to believe those words, but the gaze was too steadfast…too determined. “You’re lying,” she said. “You’re not a windigo.” There was no answer. The steadfast gaze faltered and Fluttershy knew she was right. “Then, who are you?”

Again, there was only silence.

Fluttershy walked over to the band of metal around the other Fluttershy’s torso. “You’re not some evil windigo, I’m letting you out of those nasty chains.”

The other Fluttershy tried to move away, but the chains held her fast. She strained again. The links scraped loudly against each other, but she barely moved an inch. “Bad idea,” she grunted.

“Why is that?” Fluttershy asked. She didn't understand why anypony would want to stay chained up.

“That light messed up the arrangement. It didn't just melt through the ceiling, it weakened these bonds. If they break, I’ll be out for good. I can’t stuff you in here when I’m out. So we’ll both just be…out.”

The other Fluttershy look about to say more, but it was Twilight Sparkle’s loud, booming voice that filled the place. The voice sounded like it was coming from everywhere at once. “Fluttershy! Come on! It’s time to go!” Fluttershy's vision blurred and the ground beneath her shake. The chains ground loudly again and a hoof touch her shoulder.

“Listen!” the other Fluttershy said. “You can’t break these chains! Not anymore! If you do…”

Fluttershy didn't hear the rest. Something was shaking her back and forth.

“Fluttershy!”

Fluttershy awoke to Twilight Sparkle giving her a vigorous shake. She was back in their shared quarters. She didn't remember going here. Then again, she didn't remember anything after the horrible burning in her chest. “W-what happened?” she asked.

Twilight frowned and looked over her shoulder. Blue Moon just several feet away. The rest of their friends were there as well. “Apparently a lot of things involving a Thorn, an imprisoned alicorn, and the power of Oceanus,” Twilight said in a low tone.

Blue Moon moved closer. “Are you feeling better now, Fluttershy?” he asked.

“Drop the concerned act!” Applejack said. She planted herself squarely between Blue Moon and Fluttershy. “You've got a lot of nerve trying to hurt Fluttershy just because she trusted you!”

“I did what I could to help her,” Blue Moon said in a steely tone. “The results are dubious, but I stand by my decision. It was better than doing nothing.”

Applejack looked ready to lunge. Fluttershy rose to say something, but somepony else stepped in first.

“Applejack, wait!” Rainbow Dash said. When everypony looked to her, she turned her gaze downwards and scratched her head. “I kinda…sorta…believe him.”

“Really?” Applejack asked.

“Yeah.” Rainbow looked at Applejack with more determination. “Think about it. The other Thorns are staying out of our way so we can take care of this Gravitas problem. Why would their old captain try to hurt us now?”

Behind Rainbow, Pinkie nodded vigorously. “Well, that’s sort of true,” Applejack said. Her eyes narrowed. “This isn't because you got cozy with one of his friends now, is it?”

The determined look on Rainbow’s face turned into embarrassment and outrage. “I did not get cozy with Longstride!” she said. “We barely even slept!” A sharp, scandalized gasp from Rarity brought her up short. “Wait! I didn’t mean-!”

“Focus, girls!” Twilight said. She turned her attention back to Fluttershy. “How are you feeling? Are you hurt? Can you come with us to Sky Mirror Lake?”

Twilight Sparkle was asking questions, but Fluttershy doubted if any answer besides yes would be acceptable. She was glad that she did feel strong enough to go. She wasn't going to stand in the sidelines again while her friends headed straight into danger. “I can,” she said.

Twilight smiled. “Good. Come on! The princesses are waiting for us!”

Fluttershy put on her own winter outfit and followed her friends out. As she passed Blue Moon, she smiled and dipped her head. “Thank you for your help."

“I've done nothing,” Blue Moon said. He looked straight ahead even as she passed him. “The real effort will come from you, Fluttershy.”

All of them trotted towards the Chamber of Elements, where the two princesses were waiting. The trip was quick and silent. Fluttershy was afraid that animosity was what kept them quiet, but she didn't feel anything like when Applejack and Rainbow were fighting. It wasn't animosity that silenced them, it was simply fear. She could understand that.

There was something else. Applejack was looking around apprehensively. Twilight had noticed too. She glanced towards Applejack and finally broke the silence. “Looking for Vanguard Clash?”

“I know he ain’t coming along,” Applejack said softly. “I just wanted to see him before we head off.”

“Oh, look who’s getting cozy now!” Rainbow Dash said.

“This is different!” Applejack snapped. “He didn't shoot my cutie mark or smack my face!”

Rainbow looked ready to retort, but she stopped when the doors to the Chamber of Harmony opened.

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were not wearing their crowns nor their torcs today. Instead, elegant, golden plates covered Celestia from her neck down. Each one, from the large ones that protected her chest and torso, to the smaller, over-lapping ones around her neck and legs, was shaped like a fine ivy leaf. Her golden shoes were thicker, heavier-looking and blade-shaped. Luna was adorned in a similar manner, only hers were silver.

“Those are…” Rarity’s voice trailed off. She swallowed as if trying to get enough breath to finish a sentence. “Those are…beautiful.”

“I had hoped to never find the need to wear these again,” Celestia said. “But there’s more fighting to be done. I see now that there will always be more fighting to be done.” Her gaze swept over all of them. “Is everypony ready?”

All six nodded.

“The barding helps,” Luna said. “I wish we had our regalia with us though.”

Celestia’s face hardened into a frown. “It was father’s decree that took them away,” she said. “Only father’s decree can restore them to us.” She tapped the ground with a hoof, then raised her head slightly. Her horn glowed with soft, golden light. Beneath them, a circle of inscribed, magical symbols began to glow in resonance.

Twilight sidled slightly over to Luna. “Is it alright for her to keep casting spells like this?” she whispered. “I know she got some of her magic back, but…”

Luna’s horn was glowing as well when she replied in an equally hushed tone. “Don’t worry,” she said. "The array is my sister’s, but I’ll be supplying the bulk of the magical energy. Even a teleportation circle won’t cost us too much if this much time is placed into casting it.”

Twilight nodded and sidled back towards the rest of her friends. There was a flash of light, then the sight of the Chamber of Elements disappeared.

It didn’t take long for Fluttershy to recover from the blinding flash and the disorientation of coming out of a teleportation spell. After going through several, she was starting to get used to it. The white walls of the Chamber of Elements had been replaced by the wide open space of the outdoors. Cold morning air filled her lungs and a chilly winter breeze blew through her mane. The fresh-fallen snow crunched underneath her hooves.

The untamed wilderness was disturbing. She expected some kind of hive, the sort that the changelings tried to turn Canterlot into. All around them were bare trees and bushes, snow-covered boulders scattered around the landscape. There wasn't a single trace of anything to show that this was changeling territory. By the lake was a set of buildings. That must be Gravitas. This alicorn came here in a few days and now made it appear as if he had always been the one who occupied this place. Nothing deserved this kind of extermination. Not ponies, not changelings.

“About time you got here!”

It was easy to recognize Prince Terrato’s deep and powerful voice in the same way it was easy to recognize a nearby earthquake. It wasn't hard to miss the sight of him approaching them either. The blazing, deep red fire that was his mane looked inviting given the cold and his dark gray barding made him look like a great smudge of soot against the nearly pure white background. He showed an approving smile when he laid his eyes on the two princesses. “It’s been a long time since I've seen the two of you in those,” he said. “I always did think you’re at your most beautiful right before battle.”

“Honestly, big brother,” Luna said. The slight fluster in her tone was unmistakable. “We’re going to a fight, not a ball!”

“Well, this is my type of ball,” Terrato said, his grin widening.

“Terrato, where is Gravitas and what is he up to?” The cold sharpness in Celestia’s tone cut through the air like a knife. Her expressionless gaze focused on Terrato.

Whatever banter there was in Terrato’s voice disappeared. “He’s turned that tent he set up earlier into a small fortress." He pointed towards a walled structure that nearly encircled the entire lake. “Say what you will about his genocidal paranoia, he’s pretty quick when it comes to digging in.”

Celestia’s eyes narrowed at the sight of the building. “Gravitas is a prideful stallion. If I challenge him to a fight, he will abandon his walls and his allies for the chance.”

“He’s also a powerful stallion who has defeated several handmaidens of Oceanus. At your full strength, he’s a problem. As you are now, he’ll crush you like an insect.”

Everypony froze at the soft, low-pitched voice. Black Rose herself walked towards them, smiling as if she was receiving applause for her entrance. “It feels so invigorating to be fighting with my beloved, even if it’s just for this battle!” she said.

Twilight dropped into a low stance, her horn already glowing. “Give the princess’s power back!” she growled.

“We've been over this, Twilight Sparkle,” Black Rose said. “I suggest you get on the same page as the rest of us or you will cost us this battle.” She looked to Princess Celestia. “Forgive my interruption. I doubt that you actually plan on just fighting one of the Eternal Herd’s great generals in single combat. It is true that the animosity between the two of you can be to our advantage.”

“Gravitas sent somepony after you,” Terrato said. “What happened with that one?”

Black Rose gave a light, dismissive snort. “His arrival was expected, the fight was planned out, and his defeat was inevitable. The smell was an unpleasant surprise. Gravitas has either too much confidence in his troops or he has too much scorn for the ability of mortals. In either case, it’s one more flaw to our advantage.”

“There are four of us along with the Elements of Harmony,” Luna said. “Shouldn't the numbers be on our side if we faced them head on?” Luna asked.

“They will,” Black Rose said. “And I would recommend a full on assault. That is, if nopony minds casualties. We may overpower Gravitas head on, but he is an experienced and powerful alicorn. He’s not going down without taking somepony with him.” There was silence after that. Of course they would mind casualties. “Clearly that is not the path we will take then. If I may, I do have a plan.”

“Of course you do,” Celestia said.

Black Rose’s smile widened and she dipped her head slightly. “Gravitas specializes in defensive warfare. He will prove difficult to engage now that he’s dug in like this. When he realizes that the soldiers he sent out have all failed, he will prove even more cautious. A challenge from Princess Celestia will be an obvious trap. To draw him out, we must use what he fears the most.”

“The power of Oceanus in mortal hooves,” Terrato said. “That would piss him off. He’s that scared of the firstborn.”

“And what would it take to show that?” Luna asked Black Rose. “Let me guess: giving you the Foul Weapon or the Crystal Grave?”

“Certainly that would be beneficial for me and for the current plan,” Black Rose said. The princesses were already shaking their heads.

“Wait,” Fluttershy said. “What about the power of Lok’horus the windigo? He wouldn't like that would he?”

An intrigued looked crossed Black Rose’s face. “Not at all,” she said. “The windigos are powerful agents of Oceanus’s will. Seeing their power will certainly alarm him.”

“If you break these chains again…!”

Fluttershy shook her head. This was a good chance to help her friends. If fighting broke out, she may not be able to do anything against Gravitas. If she could help here, she might make the difference. “If I can somehow…use the Stare, then Gravitas will come out.”

Twilight put a hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder. “Fluttershy, that would put you directly in the path of an angry alicorn."

“I know you want to help out, dear,” Rarity added. “But there has to be some other way!”

“I can do this,” Fluttershy said, determination came more easily now that she had an idea of what she could do. Still, what she heard just earlier from that other Fluttershy left her full of doubts. She wasn’t even sure if she could get her ability to “come on” when she needed it. All she knew that she had to try. “I’ll be fine. I know that all of you can get him when he comes after me.”

“It does sound better than giving Black Rose more power,” Terrato said. “I’ll protect her from Gravitas.”

Celestia looked at Fluttershy worriedly, then nodded. “It’s risky,” she said. “I will count on you, my brother.”

“Alright then,” Black Rose said. “Let’s do this.”

Mirror to the Sky

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 47: Mirror to the Sky

Sky Mirror Lake.

For Twilight, the name seemed to simple for what had happened and will happen here. The air was heavy with tension and the silence blanketed them like thick fog. It was as if everything was holding its breath, waiting for the confrontation about to occur.

As befitting its name, the waters of Sky Mirror Lake displayed a sheen that was clearly magical in nature. Remarkably, the water had not frozen solid. Even from a long distance, the gentle rippling across its surface was visible. The sky above them was still covered with dark gray clouds, with the early morning light struggling to shine through. The water showed that scene with equal clarity, as if there were two skies in that spot. Even with the rippling, the image was perfect. Individual clouds moved across the surface as they did the sky.

A few weeks ago, this would have been a breath-taking, smile-inducing sight. Knowledge of the Old Kingdom put a dark twist in Sky Mirror Lake’s beauty. For the water to have such mirror-like sheen, it had to reflect light very well, which meant that very little reached beneath its surface. Just how dark were the depths of Sky Mirror Lake? Twilight tried to imagine the place: a lightless, watery grave for the Old Kingdom. She doubted that even fish would reside in the crumbling ruins; if there were even fish in Sky Mirror Lake to begin with. Whatever lived in the water had to adapt to near total darkness, that and the power of Oceanus being so close. She certainly didn't want to meet those things.

Behind Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash had gathered around Fluttershy, still trying to convince her that they could find another way to draw out Gravitas and his allies. The royalty and Black Rose stood just a short distance away, eyeing the structure around the lake.

A few minutes ago, Fluttershy had explained her “Eye of Fear”. It was difficult to hear in more ways than one. First, that kind-hearted, sensitive Fluttershy held the power of a windigo was nearly impossible to believe. Second, when she saw that her audience included her worried friends and a trio of very serious-looking royalty, Fluttershy’s brave suggestion crumbled into a stammering explanation. Half embarrassed for having such an audience and half ashamed of having to tell them about the nature of her “Stare”, she squeaked and mumbled until it looked like Prince Terrato was about to explode.

It wasn't Prince Terrato’s scowling impatience that made Twilight wary, however. It was the knowing smile of his former student. Black Rose listened to the whole explanation as if she had suspected it along. She was supportive of the slowly forming plan, which made her even more suspicious. What was it going to take to put this mare out of balance? To make something happen that she didn't have as part of her plan?

Black Rose was just a few feet away from Princess Celestia. This was a veritable shipwreck within sight of land. There was an upside; Black Rose did seem a bit tired. She spoke confidently and moved with the same grace as she always did, but the smaller details were more obvious. Her speech was slower and her eyes heavier. There was also something wrong with the aura of magic around her. It was much more powerful, as was expected, but it was also clearly less stable.

Twilight wanted to attack. There was weakness here, a vulnerability she had not noticed before. Black Rose’s defenses were not perfect and her Thorns were back in Canterlot. She glanced at the royalty. They must have noticed too. There was no way they couldn't. Perhaps, Princess Celestia was so focused on General Gravitas that she couldn't be bothered to gauge the enemy before her. Perhaps, Prince Terrato was too involved with his former student to take advantage of the situation. As for Princess Luna...there was something odd going on with her too. While her siblings looked towards the structure that Gravitas had built around Sky Mirror Lake, Princess Luna was staring intently at its waters, as if seeing something that nopony else could. Twilight shook her head and focused on Black Rose again. Did she dare? What if this was a chance? If she tried, would her friends quickly guess the situation and jump in? Would the royalty help her? She let a front hoof drag against the ground in anticipation and worry. At the sound of the snow scrunching at the motion, she swiftly regretted that move.

Black Rose suddenly looked towards Twilight, as if she had felt the stare on her. To Twilight’s dismay, that annoying, confident smile widened just a little bit more. The message was perfectly clear; Come and try. The chance, that ghost of a chance, quietly slip away. Twilight would have to wait until Gravitas was dealt with.

“Is everypony ready?” Terrato asked. He addressed the question to all of them, but his eyes were on Fluttershy.

“Yes,” Fluttershy replied.

The rest looked like they weren't ready, but they nodded anyway. Twilight had her own misgivings about the plan, but she didn't quite share in the fears of the rest of her friends. She had seen Fluttershy digging into that book back in the hidden archives. She was the one who had to pull Fluttershy away from a book about the terrible things done in the Old Kingdom. It only seemed wrong to have to expose somepony as gentle and kind as Fluttershy to danger, but the greater wrong would be to try and hide her away while everypony else fought.

Twilight looked to her side and towards Pinkie Pie, the other pony who was enthusiastic about the archives. “You’re not going to talk Fluttershy out of this plan?” she asked.

Pinkie shook her head vigorously. “No,” she said. “It’s tough not being able to help as much as you want to.” She looked wistfully at Fluttershy. “I’m not taking this away from her. I just hope I get a turn later.”

Oddly enough, Twilight felt like smiling despite Pinkie Pie wishing that she’d be thrust into danger too.

“Well, it looks like there ain’t any way we can talk you out of this,” Applejack said. She clasped Fluttershy’s front hooves with hers. “Just promise me you’ll stay safe, Fluttershy.”

“Applejack, I can’t,” Fluttershy said. “Not without lying.”

The others moved back and let Fluttershy stand between the royalty.

“Don’t sound like you’re making farewells,” Terrato told the Fluttershy. “You’re off to accomplish a mission, not off to the gallows.”

“Y-yes, your highness!” Fluttershy said. She trotted over to stand between him and Celestia. “I’m ready to start!”

The stern look turned to approval as Terrato spread his wings. “Alright. There is no way Gravitas is not yet aware that we’re nearby. He’s likely pissed that none of the alicorns he sent took out their respective targets. Fluttershy, do you need to actually stare at somepony to use this Eye of Fear of yours?”

“I...I ‘m not sure.” Fluttershy looked away when the frown returned to Terrato’s face. “I don’t think so. I think I can just use it from afar and he’ll notice.”

“You think?” Terrato asked.

“W-well, I’ve never tried it before.”

Terrato’s frown deepened. “Are you sure you can even use it on command?” he asked.

The glower from the prince slowly eroded Fluttershy’s carefully built up courage. “No...but I really think I can...even if I hadn't before and...”

“Big brother, let’s just give her a chance,” Luna said. “Nopony knows much about Lok’horus’s abilities. She’s doing all of these things by instinct.”

“It sounds like a wonderful little gamble,” Black Rose said.

“Damn it, Rose...” Terrato growled. “Alright, we’ll fly a little closer, then see what Fluttershy can do. Luna, stay with the other Elements of Harmony and make sure they can join in as needed.”

All of them nodded again. Terrato, Celestia, and Black Rose, flew off with Fluttershy.

The cold clung to Fluttershy's feathers as she took to the air. Her wings felt stiff and each flap felt like the wind was trying to push her away. None of the alicorns were experiencing the same trouble. She knew why too. There was no powerful wind blowing her back or oppressive cold weighing her down. Fear of General Gravitas blew her back and doubt in what she could actually accomplish weighed her down. She would have been happier flying through an actual blizzard than dealing with these feelings, but she flew gamely on.

“This should be far enough,” Prince Terrato said.

The four of them hovered in front of the fortress. They were still around half a mile away. It was only now did Fluttershy realize that she was going to rely on Prince Terrato the most for protection. She didn't trust Black Rose while Princess Celestia was still not at full strength. The prince was intimidating, unfriendly, and outright rude, but having him in front of her was reassuring.

“When you’re ready, Fluttershy,” Princess Celestia said.

As for Black Rose, Fluttershy didn't even want to look at her. The mare had a smile full of traps. If she caught a glance of that now, she would never be able to do anything. Instead, she closed her eyes. Whether she called it “the Stare” or “Eye of Fear”, she needed it now. ‘Please,’ she pleaded. She remembered the other Fluttershy, chained away in some dark hole underneath her cottage. It could just be a dream, but she was willing to grasp at anything at this point. ‘I need you now.’

“You can’t break these chains! Not anymore!”

What did that other Fluttershy mean? The more Fluttershy thought about those words, the less that time seemed a dream. She focused on that image of herself, locked away, chained more tightly than an anchored airship. ‘Break these chains...’ she thought. She was drawn to the idea. The image of her looked up and she wasn't sure if she was still imagining things and willing the image to look up or if she was actually staring at that place again. The look in her other self’s eyes told everything. There was no going back on this. She willed those chains to break. Prince Terrato asked her if she could use it “on command”. She knew she could if she just accomplished something within her. This was it. Instinct was all she had to guide her, but she knew that doing this would accomplish something. The links began to shake.

“Not anymore!”

The warning resounded in her head again. “Anymore” meant that she had done so before. Whenever she had needed it, she had used this ability. When the need passed she locked it away. Had she done no better than what Princess Celestia had been doing? Desperately ignoring a necessary part of her life? That had to end here, just as the barrier had to end. That other Fluttershy, whether it was Lok’horus, some side of her, or something else, should not be chained and locked away. She tried to imagine herself tugging at them as hard she could. Her hooves didn't actually touch them, but she could see them strain.

A loud clinking noise, like a metal link snapping, brought Fluttershy out of that image. She opened her eyes so quickly that the alicorns around her, all of whom were staring at her now, looked surprised.

“Fluttershy?” Princess Celestia asked. “Are you alright?”

“I-I’m fine,” Fluttershy said weakly. She didn't feel anything different. Her eyes weren't tingly or anything, not that they ever were whenever the Stare came on by itself. She couldn't even look at Prince Terrato now, let alone even suggest to him that she was having no luck with trying to bring out the Eye of Fear. Why did they even have to lure Gravitas out? He came to this world to kill all ponies, only to hole up by a lake as if he was the victim. She pressed her lips tightly together. The only thing worse than a murderer was a cowardly murderer. She imagined a big, heavily-muscled alicorn, easily four or five times her size, cowering in a corner or hiding under a desk because the minions he sent all failed and he was the one now being attacked. This is supposed to be an Eternal Herd general? A cornered rat would have more dignity!

“Fluttershy!” Princess Celestia’s voice brought Fluttershy up short. An apology already at her lips even though she had no idea what she had done wrong. What had happened? And how long had she been just hovering there just staring? The princess didn't look upset. "You've done well, Fluttershy,” Princess Celestia said. “Well and enough. Are you alright?”

“That was...enlightening,” Black Rose said. “This little gamble has certainly paid off.”

“We’re going to discuss this some other time,” Terrato said. He turned his gaze back to the structure by the lake.

Fluttershy could only blink. Well and enough? But she hadn't even done anything! What happened and-!

A distant boom, like a massive and powerful thunder strike jerked Fluttershy’s attention back to the walled structure. That was followed by the heavy crunch of armor plates crashing to each other. Instead of the distant fortress, she stared at what appeared to be an ornate pillar, as wide as a tree trunk and nearly ten feet long. Strange markings were all over the white stone. The weapon strained violently, as if it was still trying to get to her. The bladed point of a spear doing the exact same thing to her right, the weapon barely touching the tip of her ear.

Something warm trickled down the back of Fluttershy’s ear, slowly making its way to her neck then down her shoulder. Her heart jumped from steady to frantic in an instant at the scene unfolding inches away from her. To her front, Prince Terrato had slammed into an enormous alicorn, one even bigger than he was. His hooves pushed back an enormous shaft of white stone so dangerously close to pounding her skull into paste. To her right, both Princess Celestia and Black Rose had blocked the thrusting spear of a gold-armored alicorn, this one hardly any bigger than Princess Luna.

A second boom erupted from behind them. Fluttershy gasped. Her friends were towards that direction. She didn't dare look away from the deadlock in front of her.

With an angry grunt, Prince Terrato shoved the bigger alicorn back. The smaller one retreated and hovered next to its companion. “Not even a word of greeting, General Gravitas,” Terrato told the big one. “Royalty doesn't get you anywhere these days, it seems.”

General Gravitas wasn't looking at Prince Terrato when he replied. First, he turned towards the smaller alicorn. “Fulmen, join Ridentem and censure Princess Luna. Kill the mortals with her. I will deal with these ones.” Fulmen nodded, then winged his way towards where Princess Luna and the others were. Once he was alone, Gravitas turned his gaze towards Princess Celestia. “It was a sad time for the Herd when the fall of Lexarius was discovered. Sadder will it be when it becomes known that Princess Celestia has fallen further still.” His deep voice went from a solemn monotone to an angry snarl. “How dare you show yourself to me while consorting with a vessel of the firstborn’s power? You wretched little filly, forever shall his majesty be shamed for fathering two wicked children!”

“Open your eyes for once, brute!” Celestia retorted. She gestured to Fluttershy with a foreleg. “This ‘vessel’ is called Fluttershy and she also happens to be the bearer of the Element of Kindness. She is proof of what the mortals truly are: potential for both good and evil bound together by a will free to choose! Destroying them would be a mistake even a foal should be ashamed of making!”

Gravitas did stare at Fluttershy intently. His ice-blue eyes narrowed. “It is true, the Element of Kindness does reside in this one,” he said. He sounded calmer now, but his voice remained stony. “My duty is clear. The Elements of Harmony must be freed of their prisons and returned to the Herd.”

Celestia’s eyes widened for a second before narrowing into slits. “By my father upon the Throne, Gravitas! If you thought any less, you would drain the minds of those around you!”

Gravitas answered with a frontal charge, his weapons sweeping at them in a wide arc. Prince Terrato flew ahead to intercept the blow while Princess Celestia held Fluttershy in a telekinetic grip and flew out of the way. Black Rose had already circled behind Gravitas, her horn surrounded by both golden and black magical energy.

“Celestia!” Prince Terrato called out as he struggled against the enormous weapon. “Get her back to the rest of the Elements and help Luna with those two! Rose and I will take this one down!”

Princess Celestia didn't reply, but she was already swooping towards where Princess Luna and the others were. Her telekinetic grip disappeared as soon as Fluttershy began to flap her own wings. Below them, clouds of dust partly obscured the violence still playing out. A loud bang of metal hitting stone was followed by an odd “HOOO HOOO HOO”, as if somepony had stuck his head inside a metal barrel and was laughing and echoing inside it. Celestia landed just in time as Fulmen arrived and Ridentem moved to stand next to him.

Princess Luna was panting and sweating, her eyes focused entirely on her enemy even as Celestia went to stand next to her. Twilight Sparkle’s horn was glowing while Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash, had their weapons drawn. Even Pinkie Pie was holding on to that piece of slate she was constantly carrying. All of them were covered with dust and snow and sported a few small cuts on their faces and legs.

“Not even one enemy casualty,” Fulmen remarked. Fluttershy shuddered at the calm tone. He spoke as if he was a parent coming home to find the chores not yet done. “I had expected you to perform better than Caro and Culmen, Ridentem.”

“Apologies,” Ridentem said with a chuckle. “They actually know how to assist each other and the tiny princess is surprisingly capable.”

“No excuses.” The broad-bladed spear whirled around Fulmen, golden arcs of electricity running up and down its length.

“I had expected Gravitas to find no more use for his head than a spot to hang a champron,” Celestia said. “But I refuse to believe that all his troops are the same. Tell me honestly, Fulmen Lancea, will you kill these ponies solely because somepony told you to?”

Fluttershy glanced towards Celestia. She could understand at least trying to reason with these two, but it didn't take much to understand that they were not going to back away. Ridentem, bounced on his hooves, displaying a great deal of agility for somepony so huge and bedecked in armor. Thick, brass-colored plates covered most of him and he wore something that looked both like a champron and a mask. The eye holes were upturned and the mouthpiece was curved so he looked as if he had a permanent, disturbingly jolly smile on his face.

Like his companion, Fulmen was so covered in his bronze-colored barding that it was impossible to see his face. Unlike Ridentem, his champron didn't seem to have any eye holes or a mouth piece. It looked as if his head was encased in a single piece of bronze plating, shaped to resembled a scowling pony head. His bright red mane, like a lighter-colored version of Terrato’s deep red flames, blazed from the top of the helmet and down the back of his neck. Fulmen was small enough to stand completely under Ridentem’s shadow, but he was the pony in front and, despite Ridentem’s barely-contained excitement. There was an unyielding stance to the way Fulmen stood that made it clear that these two would have to be destroyed to stop them.

Ridentem raised his massive hammer, slowly whirling it above his head. Fulmen raised a hoof to block him when he took a step forward. “You wish to hear my thoughts on this matter?” Fulmen asked. “I’m surprised. I had heard that Princess Celestia listened only to what she wanted to hear.”

Princess Celestia’s horn glowed and a blade of golden light began to materialize in front of her. “That was true,” she said.

“Then let me make my stand in this clear.” Fulmen pointed the tip of his spear at Fluttershy. She braced herself, fearing that those bolts of electricity might shoot out towards her. No lightning bolt came. “The mortals are and have always been only one thing: a problem. One that has been indulged rather than dealt with as any problem should be. This is not even unique in that regard. Before his cycle, your father called for the closing of the void rifts when they first appeared, but some of the elders insisted on studying them. The problem grew as a result, but his gallantry ultimately saved us all. You are young, princess, which is why you speak and make stands as if these events are new and unique when, in reality, the same old truth is playing itself out yet again.”

“And what truth is that?” Celestia asked. The sunlight blade she had been holding low now levitated in front of her face.

“The politicians make the mess, the soldiers clean.” Fulmen lowered his hoof and stepped forward. “Ridentem!” he barked.

“Are we done talking?” Ridentem asked. His hammer whirled even faster to match the growing excitement in his voice.

“Yes. Let’s solve this problem.”

The hammer stopped whirling and the spear lowered to aim for a heart as both alicorns charged.

To Fight Alicorns

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 48: To Fight Alicorns

“You don’t like that I’m going, do you?”

Luna asked the question knowing full well what her older sister’s answer was.

“No,” Celestia said. She looked at Luna. “It’s not that I don’t want you around. It’s because Lexarius will be a dangerous foe, and that is not counting what else we may encounter in that world.”

“Mother said that I had to go,” Luna said with a tilt of her chin.

“I know what Mother said,” Celestia replied. Her words escaped her lips with a sigh. “I just...don’t understand bringing my youngest sibling to a dangerous battle.”

Terrato's muscular, barded foreleg, draped across Luna's shoulders and pulled her closer to him. “She’s had plenty of training,” he said. Her chest swelled at his confident tone. “And we’ll protect her when she gets into trouble.” The pride quickly started draining. “Besides, we need her for these ‘Elements of Harmony’ we’re supposed to bring along.” It was Terrato’s turn to show some reluctance. “Personally, I don’t see what’s wrong with just stabbing him with our regalia and bringing him back here.”

Celestia let out another sigh. “Her majesty has spoken,” she said. “I’m opening the gate.”

Luna clenched her jaw as both soldiers of the Eternal Herd charged. Direct physical combat was not exactly her forte. She had hundreds of sparring sessions with Animus Arcem and her siblings back in the Eternal Herd. She also had a plethora of spells to fall back on when threatened. The number of actual fights she had been in, however, was shamefully low. In those battles, she had her siblings at their full strength, her regalia, and the Elements of Harmony. Now, she found herself as the most capable in a group fighting against two experienced soldiers from the Herd.

“Watch out for Fulmen,” Celestia said before darting to the side.

Luna’s eyes strayed briefly towards her sister. Celestia wasn't scared. She didn't even sound worried. Her older sister, who had but a fraction of her power, who had spent centuries avoiding fighting, looked perfectly at home in the battlefield. A loud bang to the front grabbed her attention. That enormous hammer had struck the ground and tore it up as its wielder charged, sending clumps of earth and shards of stone flying as it went along. ‘Wait,’ she thought, ‘that’s Ridentem. Fulmen is-!”

“Luna!” Celestia’s warning cry jolted Luna into action. Instinctively, she jumped to one side. She heard something whistle past her body, the draft from its passage ruffling some feathers on her left wing. Fulmen had just charged from behind her, his spear crackling with lightning. He raised his weapon and the tip exploded with electricity. Luna looked away from the brilliant flash. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him jump back. The ground, however, told of a more immediate concern. She was standing on a quickly expanding shadow. She flapped her wings and jumped to the side once more. Something heavy crashed on where she was standing a second ago. The force of the impact sent her flying for a good distance, but she managed to right herself in mid-air. Celestia was already by her side when some of dust from the crash started to settle. “I said watch out for Fulmen!”

The cloud cleared, revealing Ridentem sitting in the middle of a small crater. Luna’s eyes widened. “Did he just try to sit on me?” she asked.

“Focus!” Celestia was hovering above Ridentem in an instant, her blade of light slashing at the larger alicorn while he was still in a vulnerable position. Ridentem’s hammer whirled in front of him. Its sheer bulk made it seem like a thick wall of metal was blocking Celestia.

Suddenly embarrassed and angry, Luna shook her head. Her sister and her friends needed her at fighting form and all these little niggling doubts only weighed her down. She concentrated on a spell. When she brought down Discord with her siblings, she wielded her regalia alongside theirs. Though it was taken away when they defied their father a long time ago, she still remembered the feel and sight of it. She concentrated on those sensations now, slowly willing her magic to form its shape.

A crescent-shaped blade made of shadowy strands and silvery flames materialized by Luna’s side. She inspected the thing briefly. She got the shape and size right and it would be functional. Comparing it to her actual regalia would be like comparing a pointy stick to a master-forged sword, but it would function.

Luna turned her attention towards Fulmen and worked her magic. As she expected of Herd soldiers sent to execute her, his mind was shielded. Her phantasms and most of her enchantments were out of the picture until they could dispel his protections. She smiled despite herself. Her brother was not here to “protect” her, her sister needed her help, and Nightmare Moon was not around to share in her actions. For this occasion, she was free to fight as herself and as hard as she liked. The rush was...exhilarating. Her horn crackled with magical energy as she started her attack.

Celestia cursed silently and flew back just in time to avoid a hammer swing so wide and powerful that her mane and tail blew back from the draft. For all his bulk and weight, Ridentem Malleorum moved and reacted with great speed. Even while sitting, he had whirled his hammer with expertise, catching each of her slashes with its head. He took to the air, keeping his weapon close and in front of him.

Celestia remembered her own advice and tried to locate Fulmen without removing Ridentem from her field of vision. The smaller alicorn was several feet away, already crouching for another dashing thrust. She tensed. Dodging two attacks from different directions in mid-air would be a strain.

“Hold on there, speedy!”

Applejack’s chain lasso encircled Fulmen’s neck with links of metal and force. She gave a hard tug just as he started to charge. Though his face couldn't be seen, Celestia relished the thought of his surprise when a pony smaller than him tugged so hard that he had to veer off course. His surprise didn't last long, though. A great bolt of golden electricity flew towards Applejack.

Applejack hadn't expected such a quick and deadly reaction. She stood there, her chain still in her mouth. Celestia flew towards her, knowing it was likely too late.

The lightning struck a translucent globe of purple magic, much to Celestia’s relief and pride. Twilight Sparkle stood next to Applejack, her eyes narrow as she focused on deflecting the powerful magic. The shield wavered, but it held until the bolt fizzled. Celestia turned her attention back to Ridentem, only to find him gone.

“HOO! HOO! HOO!”

Ridentem’s hammer shattered Twilight's shield like glass. An explosion of rock shards and dust followed, cutting Twilight's cry short. “Twilight!” Celestia shouted. She charged Ridentem, determined to leave her sunlight blade buried in him this time. The dust cleared, but there was no horrible splatter of blood and gore under Ridentem’s hammer. A short distance away, Twilight Sparkle and Applejack were flat on their backs. Rainbow Dash lay on her belly between them, her front hooves on their chests. The trail on the snow behind her showed just how far she had pushed them to safety. Rainbow quickly rolled on her back, her crossbow having miraculously stayed loaded. A bolt flew towards Ridentem, but he easily swatted it aside.

Celestia turned towards Fulmen. Following their pattern, he was going to attack again, with Ridentem following up. He was caught in a predicament of his own, however. Fulmen Lancea was busy dodging the slashing blades of a shadowy figure that vaguely resembled her younger sister. A second shadow appeared behind him, its crescent blade gliding gracefully through the air and spinning around it. Fulmen's spear whirled around him, catching strikes and making thrusts at every spare opportunity. A third shadow suddenly dropped down on him, its blade cutting into his bronze barding. The plates around his neck had a deep gash, but no blood flowed through the damaged metal.

Still, Celestia dove in. The longer this fight went, the more it would swing towards Ridentem and Fulmen. She did not believe for a moment that she could keep up this frantic pace without her full strength. Twilight Sparkle and her friends were strong and determined, but they lacked they sheer physical endurance and experience these two possessed. The more attacks these two used, the more they would tire just keeping each other alive. She took a few seconds to observe the patterns of attack. Fulmen was surrounded by a veritable storm of silvery lights and dancing shadows. From a distance, Luna hovered and concentrated on maintaining the spell. Celestia spotted her opening and joined the fray. The thrust of her blade cut through the myriad of feints and slashes. Fulmen’s spear came up at the last moment, its haft deflecting what should have been a lethal strike to the neck. Instead, Celestia pulled about a couple of inches of her weapon from Fulmen’s shoulder. Some blood sizzled briefly on the tip of the blade. With Fulmen’s barding, at least, an inch thick, she doubted that she did more than make him angrier.

Fulmen had turned his gaze towards Luna. “I expected such cowardice from you, lastborn,” he said. He spun his spear, still avoiding the attacks coming at him from nearly all directions. A surge of electricity burst from him, forcing Celestia and the shadows back for a few seconds. That brief window of time was all he needed to point his spear at Luna and fire another bolt of lightning, this one even bigger than the last.

Luna’s horn stopped glowing. She flapped her wings hard to move, but the bolt struck true. Lightning slammed into her so hard that it flung her high into the air before dissipating. Feathers and cinders flew forlornly from her smoldering body as she fell. When she struck the ground, her body crumbled to ash.

“Luna!” Celestia cried out.

“Objective accomplished,” Fulmen muttered. He turned towards Celestia, his spear floating by his side.

“Coward?” Luna suddenly asked. Celestia smiled. None of the shadows had dissipated. One of them shimmered, revealing her younger sister. “I’ve been slashing at you from the start!” Luna lunged, but Fulmen reacted swiftly. His spear found a home deep into her chest. Luna’s only answer was a smile followed by an explosion of shadowy energy. Another shadow struck from behind. This time, the blade bit deeply. Blood spattered across Luna’s side as she flew by. Her remaining shadow construct covered her back while she circled for another attack.

His wounds did not seem to concern Fulmen. Larger arcs of electricity surged from his horn. Celestia could hear the humming buzz of gathering magic. “Hiding recklessness with excessive caution, hiding a feint with another feint; impressive,” he said. “This is good. The changelings had been too boring.”

“HOO! HOO! HOO!”

Ridentem Malleorum’s constant, belly-shaking laughter proved a disturbing counterpoint to the sound of his hammer tearing up the ground, the cries of warning from the ponies around him. He telekinetically swung his weapon with careless ease. If that wasn’t infuriating enough for Twilight Sparkle, he displayed the same ease in swatting away bolts, chain strikes, mage blades, and spells. Ridentem couldn't even be bothered to fly. He trotted around like a filly chasing butterflies. Maybe he simply scorned the idea of mortal ponies harming him or he actually approached every battle like this. She didn't have the luxury to ponder it either. She spread her efforts between aiming bolts of lightning and fire at Ridentem and raising force shields around her friends. His powerful swings shattered her protections with only two blows, but the time those swings took was enough for his target to scramble out of the way.

Twilight was already breathing hard. More from frustration than exertion. Nothing was fazing their enemy. All six of them milled around, circling him and keeping out of reach. The laughing served as a dark reminder, that none of them had been reduced to a bloodstain because Ridentem was having too much fun. Twilight grit her teeth, desperately going through her repertoire of spells one more time, hoping that she had overlooked something that could put a dent in Ridentem’s defenses. This was just one alicorn soldier! Equestria would soon face the coming of a fallen prince and his followers! What could they do against that when this one alicorn soldier stopped them cold?

“Twilight!” Applejack called out. Twilight looked up to find Ridentem trotting towards her. His hammer was high above him for an overhead smash. A quick teleportation spell came to mind. In a blink, she was several feet behind Ridentem while his hammer pounded another crater into the soil. Another blink passed, however, and he also vanished.

“You unicorns are certainly much more amusing to solve than changelings,” Ridentem said from behind Twilight. Panicked, Twilight began to cast another teleportation spell, but a ray of magic struck her first. A brief glow of green around her hooves told her everything: Dimensional Anchor. A shadow appeared beneath her, signaling what was coming next. She galloped forward, already fearing that it was too late.

The hammer didn't crash on Twilight, however. At the sound of chain links clinking together, she looked to Ridentem. A silver chain had looped around both the hammer and the alicorn himself, tying them together. Applejack was several feet behind Ridentem, pulling as hard as she could.

“You think you can bind me, silly mortal?” Ridentem asked with a chuckle. “Looks like you’re missing more than a horn and wings!” He took a step forward. The links stretched taut. Beads of sweat trickled down Applejack’s face as she strained to hold him back. Instinct told Twilight to run while her friend could maintain the hold. A different opportunity showed itself, however. She concentrated, forming as powerful a telekinetic grip on Ridentem as she could. A nimbus of purple magical energy surrounded the alicorn and held him in place. “Oho, what’s this? A little contest of strength? Sounds fun!”

Now it was Twilight’s turn to sweat despite the winter air. Ridentem was strong. So strong that he was still pushing forward despite her and Applejack’s combined bindings. The links strained even more and the telekinesis began to crackle.

Suddenly, the ground directly under Ridentem’s hooves began to glow. When he lifted his hooves, multicolored arcs of energy crackled as if pulling them back down. Twilight recognized magic, but she didn't know what sort, or who was casting the spell.

“Earthen bindings! Earthen bindings! Earthen bindings!”

That was Pinkie Pie. From afar, Pinkie Pie was holding her stone tablet towards Ridentem. The gems on the thing were glowing brightly. She shook while chanting as loudly as she could. “Earthen bindings! Earthen bindings! Earthen bindings!” Whatever bizarre magic Pinkie Pie was somehow accomplishing, Twilight doubted that shouting its name out was an actual part of casting it. Young unicorns would sometimes resort to it when first learning spells more complicated than telekinesis. The shouting didn't help the magic itself, but it did help them focus. What was important right now, however, was that Pinkie’s “earthen bindings” added to Twilight and Applejack’s efforts with telling effect.

Ridentem was barely moving now. The shaking in his armored form revealed true exertion. More importantly, he had stopped that increasingly annoying laugh. He flapped his wings, but the magic around his hooves pulled him down. When Twilight saw his horn begin to glow, she quickly shifted to another spell. A green ray struck his chest. “I know Dimensional Anchor too,” she said with a grin. She quickly returned to holding him down with raw telekinesis. Underneath the smile, she was still racing to find some form of effective attack. They couldn't hold this alicorn down much longer. Her magical strength wasn't endless, neither was Applejack’s stamina. Who knew how reliable Pinkie’s newly displayed magic was? She could see four mage blades circling Ridentem, diving in and out like mosquitoes from time to time as Rarity looked for gaps in his armor. As for Fluttershy...

The powerful push against Twilight's telekinesis subsided. The surprise nearly made her cancel the spell. Ridentem was motionless and it seemed as if he was looking past her. Was there somepony behind her? She could still hear the clash of blades coming from the princesses and the distant explosions from Prince Terrato and Black Rose. That left only two possible ponies.

“Fluttershy!” Rainbow shouted. She flew in from behind Applejack. “What are you doing? Get out of there!”

Ridentem was shaking a great deal now, but not against Twilight's magic. Something else was keeping him rooted to the spot.

“S-stop, staring at me...”

Twilight's jaw dropped at he sound of fear, of blood-curdling, crippling fear, in Ridentem’s voice. Here was a chance. She knew what Fluttershy was doing and she wasn't wasting this moment. An idea came to mind as well. “Rainbow!” she shouted. “Ram into him! As hard as you can!”

“Are you crazy?” Rainbow shouted back. “That barding looks strong enough to crack my skull open!”

“Trust me!” Twilight let the telekinesis go. As expected, Ridentem still didn't move. The chain around him slackened. Applejack had noticed the same and was conserving her strength. Rainbow Dash flew high and looped once for momentum.

Rainbow screamed as she picked up speed. It wasn't exertion or pain. She was terrified of running headlong into a heavily-armored alicorn, but she still did it because her friend had asked it of her.

Twilight concentrated a force field around Rainbow Dash. This one would have two purposes. The first was to protect her friend from being smashed to bits by her own velocity and Ridentem’s barding. The second was to create an attack with more force than her magic alone could generate. The force field around Rainbow Dash wasn't the usual sphere of purple abjuration magic she used. She formed a sharp wedge around Rainbow, like an enormous spear head, and waited grimly from the riotous explosion of colors that was the Sonic Rainboom.

The bright lights that followed Rainbow Dash’s signature move forced Twilight to squint. Her spell shook violently when Rainbow struck Ridentem from the side. She concentrated harder, desperately making sure that the force field was hard enough. If it shattered now, Rainbow would die.

Ridentem flew for a great distance towards Sky Mirror Lake, repeatedly bouncing and rolling on the frozen ground. Shards of his armor flew up and clattered noisily all over the place. His hammer crashed dozens of feet away from him. To Twilight's relief, Rainbow flew up after the impact. She dismissed her spell, then galloped with her friends to see how much damage they had wrought.

The walls that Gravitas had raised around Sky Mirror Lake loomed before them by the time they got to where Ridentem was. To their dismay, he was already up. Twilight focused on the rent portion of barding around Ridentem’s left side. This was good. Even if they hadn't beaten him completely, the sight of him like this proved that they could penetrate his defenses if they tried hard enough.

“Ohoho...well, I think I played around a little too much,” Ridentem said. He pawed the ground and shook his head. His hammer floated to his side. “That was quite the strike. The General’s right, you are dangerous.” He looked to his side and brushed against the exposed flesh with a foreleg. Blood, a stark red stain against the white background, trickled down his hoof. “Wait, is this...blood? My blood?”

Ridentem stomped both front hooves so hard that the ground beneath them cracked and trembled. The change was so palpable that Twilight felt a twinge of regret about her attack. Had she made things a lot worse? “You filthy, flesh-bag mortals!” Ridentem screamed. His voice rose to an ear-grinding screech. “I’m going grind your bones into feed!” He took to the air and flung himself towards Fluttershy.

From the side, Applejack hurled her lasso again. The looped end landed on point, catching Ridentem around the neck. He snatched the chain in his mouth and hurled Applejack through the air. When she crashed violently to the ground, he dragged her through rocks and hard earth for a good distance before she wisely decided to let go. The chain, bereft of a wielder, unknotted itself and shrank into its short length.

Rarity’s mage blades flew towards the opening in Ridentem’s barding. A vicious swat from his hammer sent them flying back. Rarity cried out and clutched a foreleg in agony. Three of her mage blades had struck the ground around her while the fourth had buried itself deep into her flesh.

“Fluttershy, get out of there!” Rainbow Dash charged, going so far as trying to meet Ridentem head on. Fluttershy was rooted to the spot. Ridentem’s horn flashed and Twilight’s shield began to crackle violently. She struggled to maintain it, but tendrils of powerful dispelling magic cut through her abjuration and ripped it apart at the seams. The force field dissipated with Rainbow just an inch from Ridentem. A loud clang accompanied the impact of flesh and bone meeting cold, hard metal. Rainbow fell limp to the side and tumbled on the ground.

“EARTHEN BINDINGS! EARTHEN BINDINGS! EARTHEN BINDINGS!” Pinkie Pie yelled. Nothing stopped Ridentem, or even slowed him down. She put the tablet away and galloped, but there was no way she was going to make it.

Twilight had few options left. Her telekinesis wasn't slowing the alicorn down. She focused on a short teleportation spell aimed at Fluttershy, but a green ray from Ridentem struck Fluttershy first. '‘No!' she thought. 'He’s a brute! How is he keeping one step ahead of me?” Fluttershy remained motionless. In the face of danger, she often forgot what the fluttering feathery things attached to her back were called, or what they were for.

Ridentem was only a few feet away from Fluttershy when Twilight also galloped. As her mind raced for some way to save her friend, a brief grim thought occurred to her. Ridentem didn't need to keep one step ahead of her. He was an alicorn soldier. Of course he was trained to fight other alicorns who would try to teleport away if somepony charged at them with a giant hammer. Her tactics were simply falling in line with standard procedure.

‘And there’s an army of them. An army of alicorns led by their fallen prince just waiting beneath the waves.’

“Fluttershy, please!” Twilight cried out. “Move!”

At the last few seconds of that charge, Fluttershy finally flapped her wings. The hammer swung down so violently that the impact lifted Twilight, who was still several feet away, off her hooves and flung her back. There was loud cry of pain: Fluttershy’s. Twilight was glad for that. It proved that her friend was not underneath that hammer’s head. Rock shards flew at all directions. She grit her teeth when several sliced past her legs and torso. One even cut a shallow but dangerously close wound on her neck.

The dust settled and a great sense of relief flooded Twilight when Fluttershy emerged several feet away from the resulting crater. That relief turned to panicked concern at the sight of Fluttershy pressing a hoof over her right eye. Several trails of bright red blood trickled down her hoof and dripped on the ground. “I’m okay...” she whimpered between pants. “I’m okay...”

Twilight galloped forward again. She had a healing spell in mind. A rudimentary one she had been working on in her spare time. It would have to do. After only a few steps forward, she froze.

A flash of white magic burst from behind Fluttershy, revealing Ridentem Malleourum. His hammer was rose for a sweeping strike. “Is that so?” he asked.

Twilight Sparkle didn't see any impact: just a blur of colors and Fluttershy disappearing. But there was a sound: a horrible unforgettable sound. It was as if an enormous anvil had been lifted overhead by somepony, then hurled into a puddle of mud. Something flew past her. She turned and looked up just in time to catch some distant shape, already too far to identify, sailing past the walls that blocked off Sky Mirror Lake.

The gentle hum of magic drew Twilight Sparkle’s attention towards her front. Ridentem Malleorum stood at the ready. The red stain on the surface of his weapon served as a gristly reminder of his terrible crime. “One down,” he growled.

Rarity winced as her telekinesis slowly pulled her weapon from her foreleg. The metal had dug all the way to the bone. She was hesitant at first to remove the thing, fearing the fountain of blood that would follow and her strength failing her before she bled to death. She went on with it anyway. As soon as the blade was out, she quickly tore off a portion of her mage coat to serve as a crude bandage. She now had a very strict time limit when it came to defeating this alicorn. As if she didn't have enough problems with him to start with. She turned her gaze back to the fight. She was lucky that Ridentem hadn't come after her. She heard the powerful bang of hammer striking rock and soil once again. Ridentem must have missed something. Fluttershy’s cry snapped her alert. Something bad was going on here. If only she could...

That sound reached her ears.

It was horrible, disgusting sound. An unfeeling, hard thing colliding with something soft and warm. A shadow briefly flew overhead. That didn't matter at the moment. She couldn't find Fluttershy, who should be just in front of Ridentem. She saw Twilight Sparkle, saw the horrified expression on the other unicorn’s face, then the red stain on the hammer.

“No...” Rarity set all four hooves on the ground. Pain lanced up her injured foreleg. “You didn’t! You...you...”

There were no words: Beast, monster, abomination, wretch...nothing fit. Nothing could describe this alicorn and the thing it just did. Rarity’s blades flew in front of her and she found herself despising them just as she was starting to despise herself. They were so small, so puny and inadequate. What was the point of having them, of having the ability to use them, when she could only stand by and watch a friend die?

“Lost something precious again, have we?”

Rarity’s eyes widened. ‘Lion Court?’ she thought.

“Oh, my dear Rarity. You didn't think fresh cuts were the only things I left on you when you were unconscious, did you? I’m an enchanter, my dear, we work best when the lady can’t say no. You looked so pretty lying there bleeding that I couldn't help myself so I left this little nugget to bounce around quietly in your mind.”

‘I don’t need this right now!” Rarity thought. She blinked tears away and galloped towards Ridentem.

“This one should be triggered by a great sense of loss. I know your type. The question is always who, not what. So who did you lose, my dear Rarity? My guess is that it’s one of the weaker ones: Pinkie Pie or Fluttershy. I hope it’s Pinkie Pie. Sable performs at her best when she can’t control the rage.”

Rarity grit her teeth. ‘SHUT UP!’

“It’s such a shame isn't it? Generosity is a virtue that pre-requires greatness. How sad to discover time and time again that you’re not great enough.”

Rarity’s steps slowed. Not great enough. She thought of Applejack being sliced open while she was nowhere to be found, Princess Celestia being drained with her help, Rainbow Dash being captured and tormented while her methods barely helped. Now Fluttershy...

Greatness. It had always eluded her since the beginning. Eluded and tantalized her. From being born in the rural outskirts of Equestria’s fashion capital to this very moment. She had felt the frustration before, but she had never, ever wanted it as she did this moment. She struck the ground again. The pain that shot through her leg felt deserved. Necessary even. Another tear dropped, mingling with the blood-soaked bandage. Ahead, Twilight Sparkle was galloping towards her. Behind Twilight, their alicorn foe was closing in, hammer raised for another sweeping strike. “No...” she whispered. “Not again!” She willed her weapons to move desperately, wishing that, just once, she could do something.

One of the blades flew. The next moment, Ridentem crashed to the ground. Rarity gasped at the unexpected impact. Was she the one who did that? She looked towards Twilight Sparkle. A powerful enough move to bring the alicorn down would make more sense coming from the unicorn with the strongest magic. Yet, Twilight Sparkle was staring at their fallen foe agape.

A closer look at their enemy revealed what had happened. An enormous, scintillating shard of blue-white crystal had pierced one of Ridentem's forelegs. The shard curved gracefully, like the fang of a great beast. Its facets looked like they were cut by a master gemcrafter. The beauty of the thing left Rarity breathless, even more so when she saw that, at the center of the translucent shard was her mage-blade. The crystalline form wavered slightly, revealing its nature as a magical construct. Instinctively, Rarity knew that her blade was not going to stay like that for very long.

Ridentem struggled to lift his foreleg from the ground, but the barbed portions of the crystal shard held him fast. Three more blades flew in rapid succession. He cried out in rage and pain as they pinned the rest of his legs to the ground. “Filthy mortal!” he shouted. His hammer flew towards Rarity, the air rippling around it as it spun towards her. Surprised, Rarity closed her eyes.

A deafening clang snapped Rarity’s eyes open. That she was not reduced to a bloody pulp was both a relief and a shock. The hammer’s head flew back and crashed a good distance away. The broken haft landed on the ground. Applejack stood in front of her with a great, golden disc of light in front of both of them. Tears were also running down her face. “I am not losing another one!” she shouted at the alicorn.

Their enemy was pinned in place. They just needed one more powerful move. Rainbow was still face-first on the ground. Twilight Sparkle was exhausted. Pinkie Pie was fiddling with that stone tablet again. She looked as unsure of what she could do as Rarity was. What could they hit Ridentem with? Rarity’s frantic searching halted when a chilling wave of fear slammed into her from behind. She looked behind her, her heart in her throat.

Something had flown above the walls that blocked Sky Mirror Lake. It looked like a great, tangled mess of smoky, black wisps at first, but a bright green point of light drew Rarity’s eyes to its center. There was a familiar shape there. It looked like…

It looked like a pegasus.

All her life, Rarity had always had an eye for detail. Even with the distracting wisps and the blast of cold, she could make out the pony. The malevolent, bright green thing that shone from the shadowy wisps was an eye. The light seeping from it nearly made the other eye indistinguishable, given that it looked more like a dimly glowing crack. Once she figured that out, she could trace the outlines of a snout, a long flowing mane, the legs and the tail. She knew those features, but she couldn't even say the name in her mind, as if that would be enough to confirm something she wasn't sure she wanted to.

The thing from the lake flew towards them, moving with such grace it seemed to be swimming through the air instead of flying. Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie, also stared with their mouths hanging open. The lone glowing eye held them fixed. The thing began to hover in front of Ridentem. It lowered its head slightly, gazing directly into his face.

There was a moment of silence, as if all the sound had been sucked away along with their breaths. The thing reared back, then thrust its face forward. Green light exploded from its eye, catching Ridentem in a cone of brilliance. Rarity grit her teeth as a horrible, agonizing screech followed the burst. It didn't come from the thing. No, it was a terrified scream from their enemy. The light vanished in an instant. In its place was a triangular field of black ice on the ground. The shadowy wisps from the flying thing withdrew, like a startled spider drawing up its legs. The flying pony at the center fell to the ground and lay still, the blackness fading from it like smoke. Now, Rarity could see the flowing pink mane and the yellow coat. She galloped over to see if Fluttershy was alright.

As for Ridentem, he stood perfectly still, black icicles hanging from his enormous bulk while dark vapor rose from him.

“Land’s sakes…” Applejack breathed as she trotted beside Rarity. “Did we do it? Is that varmint dead?”

The sound of ice cracking answered Applejack’s question more loudly than anything Rarity had to say. All of them looked towards Ridentem and saw some movement from his neck. “There’s no way!” Rarity hissed. “We've thrown so much at him!”

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight Sparkle called out. Rainbow was already on her hooves, but she was still shaking a daze off. Her eyes widened in confusion when she saw what had happened to their foe. Twilight’s horn glowed as she shouted again. “Once more!” Rainbow Dash flew gamely upward.

Rarity recognized the tactic. Their enemy was still helpless, but she doubted that this would last forever. It would be unbelievable for even an alicorn to fully recover, but he was so strong and they were so exhausted that even the smallest possibility that he could still fight filled her with dread. Rainbow flew high for momentum and began a near vertical descent. The different approach was understandable. Rainbow was exhausted and needed all the help she could get, including gravity’s. She picked up speed midway and her form was subsumed by the streak of colors she was producing.

It was a prismatic comet that struck Ridentem. The blast of scintillating light the great cloud of debris forced Rarity to turn away. The shockwave pushed her against the ground, forcing her to leave a short trail on the snow. Bits of glassy material -the black ice- struck her back. Metal banged and dragged across ground. Hopefully, they were shreds of the alicorn’s armor.

The searing light eventually faded and the noise came to a halt. Rarity finally managed to get herself to look towards their enemy.

A large, shallow crater had replaced the field of black ice. At its center, Rainbow Dash lay still. A quick look was enough to reveal the rise and fall of her chest. As for the Ridentem: Rainbow must have struck him from the side, the same side where his armor was already torn. The top half had flown clear off to the distance while the bottom half must have been pushed to the ground by the blast. There was no blood anywhere.

“Rainbow!” Applejack shouted. She choked a bit on the clouds of dust. “Fluttershy! Pinkie! Twilight! Rarity!”

“I’m right here!” Rarity said. She sneezed when some dust entered her nose.

“Good,” Applejack replied. “What about the others? Can you see them?”

Rarity looked around. Fluttershy must have been rolled over for a short distance by the shockwave. She decided to head there first. By rights, Fluttershy should be dead. But something had happened. The pain in Rarity’s foreleg was starting to catch up now. Blood soaked through the makeshift bandage and ran down her leg. She limped towards Fluttershy, unable to force herself to go any faster. Applejack galloped towards Rainbow Dash, with Twilight Sparkle coming over to join her. Pinkie Pie also headed for Fluttershy.

“Ridentem!”

The anguished cry nearly made Rarity’s heart stop. She recognized the voice and remembered that the fight was not yet over. The smaller alicorn flew to where the top half had landed with the two princesses in hot pursuit. It was hard to make out the details from the distance, but it looked like both of them were fine.

The smaller alicorn landed next to his -now dead- comrade. Arcs of white magic emerged from the corpse and into the still living enemy. Rarity had no idea what was going on, but she braced herself. The battle was still on.

The Lastborn

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 49: The Lastborn

“Defeated by a slovenly gang of mortals…have you no shame at all, Ridentem? How are we supposed to make our stand in this world now?”

It was difficult for Luna to grasp the emotion behind Fulmen Lancea’s words. There was genuine scorn in there. None of Gravitas’s troops had bothered hiding their disdain for mortals. For alicorns who prided themselves as soldiers of the Herd and the best among Gravitas’s loyal followers, being defeated by those they considered their lessers had to be shameful.

It was the second question that added something else to Fulmen’s reaction. There was more to this than scorn. There was also frustration, perhaps even a sense of loss. Ridentem was recovering in the Eternal Herd by now. He would never be able to cross into this world again. The two would never be able to band together against Oceanus’s tide in this world.

Luna quashed any sense of sadness she might have felt. Ridentem brought his defeat upon himself by attacking mortals without any provocation and for not taking them seriously. The wisps of magical energy emerging from Ridentem’s torn half mixed with the glow of Fulmen’s horn. Luna didn't need her brother’s expertise to identify basic necromancy. She thought of flying in to interrupt, but Fulmen wasn't distracted. All she would accomplish would be to charge into a readied spear. The spell was over in a few more seconds. She braced herself, a few spells of her own ready for whatever Fulmen did.

Arcs of golden electricity coursed through Fulmen Lancea, surging violently into the ground and lashing at the air menacingly. Luna blinked. Were her eyes playing tricks or was he…growing?

Celestia hovered next to Luna, her blade of light by her side. She looked over to Twilight and the others as they regrouped at a distance. It was easy to see the pride in her eyes. “They've done their part. It falls to us to finish this.”

“That’s easy to say, big sister,” Luna replied. “It seems to me that the enemy we were hard-pressed to begin with just became stronger.”

“Stronger perhaps,” Celestia said. “But also angrier. We can use that to our advantage.”

Celestia was right on both counts. Twilight Sparkle and her friends had done well in bringing down Ridentem Malleorum, but to expect more from them for this time would be unreasonable. They gathered around Fluttershy, who was lying still on the ground. Their injured friend required healing, at least attention for the moment. The rest of them had not escaped the fight unscathed. That left just her and her sister. With Celestia--

A stroke of lightning flew from the tip of Fulmen’s spear. With a gasp, Luna raised a shield at the last moment. The bolt tore violently through the barrier, narrowly missing her back as she dove. Every hair on her body stood and the skin on her back singed with the bolt’s passing. The bolt may have broken through her hastily constructed spell, but it had been diffused enough. A powerful shockwave of sound followed it, hurling her to the ground with a deafening boom. She struck the frozen earth hooves first, skidding briefly before she righted herself. She looked up and jumped backward just as a massive spear struck the ground she had been standing on.

“Luna!” Celestia dove in when it became clear that Fulmen was focused on her sister. She aimed for the -now enlarged- gaps between the bronze plates of her target’s armor. Fulmen Lancea, despite having grown to three times the size of his partner, had not lost the slightest amount of his reflexes. He whipped his spear around, tearing a great gash into the earth itself and nearly slammed the metal haft into Celestia. The blade of light flew towards the gap between Fulmen’s neck plates and his champron, but he was already several steps back and aiming his spear before it could get there. With a snort, Celestia flew back.

Luna flew in while her sister recovered. Fulmen had the advantage in range, not just with his extended reach and long weapon, but also with his lightning bolts. The ground rumbled when he landed and took steps. All it would take from him was one good hit. Even a glancing blow would severely injure her. Her horn glowed anew. His eyes may have grown, but they worked the same way they did when he was smaller. The danger had merely increased. The strategy only needed some adjustments. Several shadows emerged from her again. Their blades weren't going to hurt Fulmen as they had earlier, but it should buy her and her sister some time…

Luna brought out a dozen shadow clones. Fulmen’s answer was a bolt of lightning with just as many forks. They struck with perfect accuracy, destroying the illusions before they could barely even separate. The explosive shockwaves forced Luna to raise her shield again. Shards of rock struck the protective magic as she flew back. She looked around worriedly, hoping that Celestia didn't get hurt by that barrage.

“Have you exhausted your little bag of tricks, lastborn?” Fulmen Lancea said. His voice, deep and powerful enough at his regular size, boomed from his champron. “I hope not. I have a storm at my spear’s tip still waiting to be unleashed and I’d like a moving target.”

“Oh, a storm, is it?” Luna replied. “I hope it has more wind than your fat friend’s hooting.” It was difficult to tell if her taunts had any effect. Though Fulmen should be angrier now, his movements were still precise and controlled.

Luna finally caught sight of her sister. Celestia had fallen a good distance behind her. Other than a few banged up portions on her barding and the pants of exertion, her sister looked fine. She considered her next move. She had underestimated just how well Fulmen Lancea wielded his lightning bolts. Simple illusionary tricks weren't going to be effective, not when he was done underestimating her. If only she could tear through that shield he had around his mind…she glanced towards Celestia again, wishing she had her sister’s talent for dispelling. At full strength, Celestia would have dismantled that mind shield with practiced ease. She waited until Fulmen pointed his spear at her again before casting her spell.

Like a massive glob of ink, darkness descended on Fulmen Lancea. Several arcs of lightning erupted from the resulting globe, but Luna easily dodged the blind strikes. The sound of Fulmen flapping his wings emerged from the darkness, but the globe clung to him like a sticky cloud. No additional bolts flew. The initial shock had already worn off and Fulmen was either working to dispel her magic or pinpoint her location. She already worked on the next spell, expertly weaving thicker strands of shadowy material in the air with her horn. If her darkness globe resembled smoke in its texture, these strands were more like tar. She sent them gliding towards her foe. Though she couldn't see Fulmen in her darkness, she didn't have to.

The globe of darkness dissipated, revealing Fulmen Lancea trapped by the shadowy strands and anchored to the ground beneath like a moth in a spider’s web. The wind from his furious flapping stirred up clouds of snow and dust, but the strands held on. A burst of lightning erupted from his horn, but they simply crackled through the shadows harmlessly. With her enemy trapped, Luna focused on a third spell.

In the next second, Fulmen’s spear was only a foot away from Luna. With a gasp, she raised a shield and flew to the side. Fulmen’s massive weapon shattered her abjuration like so much glass and tore through her barding. Shards of bloody silver fell as Herd-forged metal gashed her just beneath her right wing. Luna winced and spun in mid-air, desperately trying to right herself before the next attack came. All that remained of her shadow strands were bits of goo.

“Divination to negate the illusory aspect of the spell and a touch of abjuration to disperse the shadowy material,” Fulmen said. He hovered just above Luna. That he didn't follow up with another attack filled her with outrage. "The correct combination would have taken time to figure out if it was my first encounter with that tactic. It’s not. During the First Rebellion, one of the firstborn’s handmaidens used it on me. You may recognize the name: Lunalux Umbra.”

Luna grit her teeth at the hinting.

“Surprised?” Fulmen asked. “Of course you are. You sixteenth-cycle alicorns act as if the world only began when you first opened your eyes. Your inexperience shows yet again, lastborn.”

Luna’s magic closed the wound to her side. Here was a dangerous cycle she had to avoid. Healing spells depleted her magical strength and depleted magical strength meant that she had less power to prevent more wounds. For now, she could afford to ease the pain and save her blood, but more wounds from the giant, lightning-infused spear were definitely out of the question.

Fulmen Lancea landed on the ground and crouched. With his powerful legs and his wings to boost him, he could charge at blinding speeds. “I’m sensing a lot of hostility with that last remark, Fulmen,” Luna said. “Is that what this is all about? You don’t like the decisions that the ‘young ones’ are making?”

Fulmen turned around and swung his spear at Celestia, who had been gliding silently towards his left side for an attack. She turned at the last moment, but the haft struck her a glancing blow. Celestia's wing snapped as she crashed. “Big sister!” Luna cried out. She had taken only a step forward when Fulmen already had his spear pointing at her. Lightning surged violently, gouging a smoking trail across the ground and towards Luna. When she flew to the side, a smaller arc branched out from the main bolt and struck her chest plate. Despite the intense pain, Luna couldn't cry out. Her throat seized up and her legs buckled as the energy coursed through her. The smell her own fur smoking wafted to her face as she crashed to the ground.

“Distraction followed by a blindsiding attack,” Fulmen said. He had not even moved from the spot, but his hooves had formed a circular pattern from spinning around. “Nothing new, nothing special. I’m starting to feel insulted, lastborn. The vestiges of Ridentem’s power should not be used to finish off something so pitiful.”

Luna dragged herself to her hooves. Her legs were shook as she fought through the nausea induced by the smell of her own burned flesh. She focused on healing the worst of the damage first. Even as she did that, she searched for her fallen sister all the while keeping Fulmen Lancea in her sight.

“But I forget my manners before a princess,” Fulmen said. His monotone did little to hide the mockery in his words. “To answer your question, that would be a part of it. I am a twelfth-cycle alicorn, your highness. Soon, I will be diminished. Before that happens, I want to make sure that there is something resembling my beloved Eternal Herd when I am restored.”

“The mortals don’t want to ruin the Herd!” Celestia said as struggled to rise. Her wing hung from her side at an unnatural angle. “What is it that has you and Gravitas so convinced that they will?”

“Idealistic filly,” Fulmen replied. He hadn't crouched for another charge. Once more, his refusal to follow up his attacks galled Luna. His attacks, however, were becoming more and more precise. The first one barely grazed her, the second struck her with a secondary bolt. The third one was going to be a direct hit. “You wouldn't know. Our fallen are what convinces us. We watched as the firstborn tore down the best among us and remade them in his image.” The monotone wavered. “The very best the Herd has the offer…if they can fall, what hope do these fragile creatures have?” Fulmen turned his gaze on Luna. “You understand it better, don’t you, lastborn? You know the unbreakable bond that ties those who have given themselves over to Oceanus. You know that there is no hope for the mortals here in this world. Thus the need to censure you and seal you away until Oceanus is defeated once and for all.”

Silence followed after that: a deathly silence that drowned out even the distant sounds of battle that should be coming from Gravitas, Terrato and Black Rose. Luna could feel her sister’s worried gaze on her; half afraid of whether it would affect her and half afraid that it might be true. This soldier…he had a lot of nerve to speak of it. He had a lot of nerve to even speak at all. “What do you know of me, tool?” she asked, her voice turning into a fierce hiss. “What does a glorified puppet who takes pride in being told what to do by others know of what I've done?”

Another bolt of lightning flew. The aim and timing was perfect. Its main body struck Luna and flung her across the ground. As electricity violently surged through her body, her healing magic surged back with equal ferocity. Flesh mended as quickly as it burned up. When the lightning bolt had expended itself, Luna was standing upright and unharmed in the middle of a charred patch of ground. Sections of her barding had melted from the attack, but she didn't mind them, even if some of the silvery metal had fused to her coat.

“Bold and reckless,” Fulmen said. “Did I hit a nerve, lastborn? You think you can out-heal every attack I make and expect not to tire first?”

"I hated my sister," Luna said. "I hated 'prima regia puella', 'Filia Solis', 'secondborn', 'eldest daughter', 'dearest sister'! Neither Oceanus nor Umbra forced me to feel that way. Don't talk to me about not being able to resist! I had every chance to refuse and I turned them all away!"

“Luna!” Celestia called out. “Don’t let him bait you into head on combat! Play to your strengths!”

“And what do you know of my strengths?” Tendrils of dark blue magic crept up and down her horn. Scorn radiated from Fulmen's casual stance. He recognized a phantasm spell and he was confident in his mind shielding.

Luna pointed her horn, not towards Fulmen, but towards her sister. Celestia’s eyes widened. “Luna, what-?”

‘I’m sorry, sister,’ Luna thought. ‘I cannot challenge his mind’s shielding as it is, but I also don’t need to look to know what he fears the most. I just need a memory to base the illusion on. It doesn't have to be his.’

The message was not telepathic, Luna couldn't afford to work on that spell in the midst of her illusion weaving. It was emphatic and the confirmation in Celestia’s eyes showed that she understood.

Illusion and Enchantment were traditionally compatible domains of magic. No proof of that was greater than the existence of phantasms; spells that cut into their subject’s subconscious, exposed their darkest fears, and custom-crafted illusions out of them. But phantasms were limited by their specificity. A traditional phantasm crafted from Celestia’s mind could only be seen by Celestia. Everypony else would just see vague, hazy images. That was the line that Luna had to manipulate. She had a good idea of the fear her sister shared with this arrogant soldier. A phantasm would pull the image out, but she had to construct it through figments and glamers. Mixing and matching illusions at this critical moment was dangerous and, if she blew the spell up in front of Fulmen, she wouldn't survive the humiliation even if she did live through the fight.

Fortunately and infuriatingly, Fulmen Lancea was still not attacking. Perhaps he was so confident in his defense that he waited for the chance to counter and further humiliate his opponent. Perhaps it was simply astonishing to see his opponents, supposed close sisters at that, suddenly turn on each other. He may even believe that Luna was doing this to curry favor from Gravitas and reduce her sentence. The exact reason didn't matter, only that he was going to regret it.

Luna held her breath she sifted carefully through her sister’s mind. At her full strength, the shielding around Celestia’s mind would have been nigh impenetrable. Her sister would violently eject her with an extra dose of smiting to discourage repeated attempts. That Celestia was willing to go through with this with barely a flinch, even without that security, showed a trust that Luna was determined to prove well-founded. Even with the care she moved with, it didn't take long for her to find what she was looking for.

Though she had heard the tales, seen some of the damage he had wrought when he tore a trail across Empyrea and towards the Eternal Herd’s Throne, Luna had never seen Oceanus face-to-face. This wasn't true for her sister. Celestia had seen Oceanus, known him for a time. Likely known him better than anypony else.

Luna unleashed the next part of her spell. A globe of darkness descended once more. Not upon Fulmen, but upon her. Hidden temporarily, she began to garb herself. Her sister’s memories of the firstborn were strong. That easily proved useful. She needed more than an image to form a powerful enough illusion. She needed scents, sounds, tactile sensations, and specific actions. The abundance of these sensations quickly proved…frightening. The temptation to go through each incident tugged at her, but she vehemently rejected them. She had what she came for and it was only right to withdraw as soon as possible.

“That’s enough paltry tricks,” Fulmen said. The darkness around her scattered like smoke blown away by a gale. In a blink, Fulmen was already upon her, the tip of his spear a mere foot from her neck.

His reaction as soon as he noticed her form was one to relish for a while.

Fulmen Lancea halted in his tracks. The powerful surges of lightning crackling all around him disappeared. It wasn't just him. Celestia stared wide-eyed and gaping. A burst of shadowy strands flew from Luna’s horn, smothering Fulmen’s spear like tar and pushing it, along with him, backwards. He crashed to the ground, entangled with the same shadowy strands as earlier. His remedy was not at the tip of his horn, however.

“Insolent hoof-soldier, you will suffer for standing before me.”

The voice was pitch perfect, harsh like a frigid wind, and controlled with an obsessive, exacting hold. Luna’s own experiences made sure of that. She spoke with the firstborn’s voice and stared coldly with the firstborn’s eyes. Oceanus never raised his voice, never hurried his step, and never showed a face that he didn't want you to see. Perfect, Celestia had seen him in the past. Unfeeling, Luna saw him. She would have never gotten along with the firstborn if she had met him during his time in the Herd.

As for appearances, it was his silvery wings that she flapped and it was his shimmering mane of water that flowed all around her. There was no need to account for whatever form Oceanus now had while he resided in his realm of watery darkness. It was this form that ravaged the Eternal Herd during the First Rebellion. Every witness made it clear enough. ‘This is the awful truth that the firstborn showed you, wasn't it?’ she thought. ‘The firstborn showed you that we’re not as high and mighty that you and Gravitas so desperately wish we are! That’s why you keep taking it out on the mortals. That’s why you’re so terrified of any advantage the firstborn might gain.’

Luna “unsheathed” a translucent, ice-blue blade, enjoying the sight of Fulmen quailing as she did so.

A cry from her sister brought her up short. Celestia was staring at the blade in frozen panic, clutching at her right eye as if she had been struck. This form was born of a shared fear between Celestia and all of those who had met the firsborn personally. Luna focused on Fulmen’s mind shield. His will wavered. Without a strong will to support it, even the mightiest shield collapsed easily. She abandoned her illusory form and began to dispel. She didn't need her sister’s finesse at this point. She ripped the shielding apart like a filly with a Hearth’s Warming Eve present, finally exposing the soft, vulnerable psyche hiding behind it.

The cry of panic from Fulmen signaled victory. Luna breathed in the rush of triumph, savored it above everything else at the moment, then plunged in with her most vicious, true phantasms. She had no compunction about looking this time. The sight of this brave soldier, so willing to exterminate others without hesitation, so arrogant in executing her, weeping in fear should be vindicating. She flooded his senses with illusion magic and plunged him deep into a darkness crafted only for him.

“These visions are false!” Fulmen shouted as defiantly as he could. The fear that gripped his voice choked the defiance out quickly. Luna paid no attention to his disbelief. Recognition alone did not always stop illusions, especially when the fear they evoked was carved so deeply into the mind and body. Out of the darkness, hundreds of mortal hooves clung to Fulmen. Tiny glowing eyes surrounded him like a sea of stars. He tried to beat them back, but the morass of limbs and eyes clung to him tightly, ignoring his flailing spear and hooves. He fired a lightning bolt, but all that came out was a feeble spark that fizzled against the abyss all around him. “Stop these lies!” he shouted. “Lastborn, I know you’re out there!”

“There is nothing false about what you’re seeing.”

An alicorn stallion emerged from the darkness. This one would have been around Celestia’s height. He was muscular, but sleek. It was difficult to make out the color of his coat as he appeared to be spattered with black ink. His silver barding was rent in many places, some of the metal was barely hanging on to him. His mane came out as thick wisps of crimson vapor. One of his wings was a crumpled, mangled mess that hung limply by his side.

“Gladio Lupus,” Fulmen said. It sounded almost like a whimper. “The best among us,” he had said earlier. Perhaps it was this pony he meant.

“I thought I told you that I’m using a different name now. Abysso Spatiator. Use it or call me not at all.”

“Why are you here?” Fulmen asked.

“You cannot stop this tide, Fulmen. Nothing can. It’s just as he promised at that time. Those who will not kneel will be dragged down to the depths.”

The myriad of hooves and teeth clutching at Fulmen pulled harder, dragging him deeper into a screeching, wailing mass of…things. The only things visible were the sharp teeth and the countless shining eyes. His screams were elating. This fight was over. At this point, Luna was merely exacting revenge. “That’s the problem with you earlier-cycle alicorns,” she whispered. “You live through one ascension and you act like you've seen everything.”

The blackness swallowed Fulmen completely, but his long, drawn-out scream still filled Luna’s ears. “That’s right!” she shouted back. “Fall into the abyss you’re so scared of! Scream! Fall and-!”

“LUNA!”

The powerful voice, Celestia’s version of the so-called “Royal Canterlot Voice”, dispersed the darkness. The next thing Luna knew, she was back in Sky Mirror Lake. With a gasp, she pulled out of the last vestiges of the phantasm. In front of her was Fulmen Lancea, no longer a giant and curled into a shaking, screaming ball. Celestia stood across her, eyes narrow and angry. “Big sister-!” she started.

“Gratia in Victoria,” Celestia looked at Fulmen and then sternly back at Luna.

What had to be done was clear enough. Luna raised her false regalia and slashed as hard as she could, all but severing Fulmen’s head. A flash of light erupted from the fallen alicorn’s eyes and mouth briefly. “Paenitet…” she whispered. She stepped back and looked away from the body. The elation of beating Fulmen was gone. Only shame was left. She couldn't even look her sister in the eye.

“It is not me you have harmed,” Celestia said. “This is your victory you would have spoiled.” Her voice softened. “You picked a clever way to defeat his mind shielding, little sister. Thank you, for being careful.”

A small smile creased Luna’s lips. Before she could say anything else, however, she remembered that there was one more foe to take care of. She searched the skies around them. They had flown quite a distance from where they started fighting, but she should still catch a glimpse of her brother and his treacherous student.

The sky was perfectly clear and silent.

The Sons of Dominus

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 50: The Sons of Dominus

The fight between Gravitas, Terrato, and Black Rose, proceeded wordlessly. For Terrato, it was mostly because he didn't have anything else to say to Gravitas. It was also partly because he was far too busy fighting for his life.

There was nothing flashy about Gravitas’s fighting style: nothing graceful, clever, or even thematic. He wielded Atrox, a round pillar of white stone, ten feet in length and half a foot in diameter, with both brutal power and ruthless efficiency. The famed Atrox possessed a simple enchantment: it shattered protective barriers it struck, rendering nearly all magical protections useless. Like Celestia, Gravitas was a master abjurer and diviner, who favored using his spells purely for defensive purposes. He was covered in magical shields for both mind and body. He was also in a constant state of true sight, allowing him to pierce most illusions.

Gravitas also moved like an alicorn half his size, twisting in the air and lashing out with hooves when the fight got in close, and maneuvering the massive Atrox with ease. Terrato admired that simplicity. Gravitas specialized in fighting one way and forcing his enemies to fight his way.

Against this formidable array, Black Rose had very little to work with for an attack. She flew at a distance, knowing that all it would take was a single strike from Atrox to shatter most of her bones.

Terrato himself abandoned any magical shield he had. When Atrox swung at him in an overhead smash, he rammed his shoulder into it. Instead of the crunch that came when flesh met stone, Atrox flew back with the thud of hitting diamond-hard hide. As expected, Gravitas took this sudden resistance in stride. It was doubtful that this was the first time he was going to wield Atrox against a skilled transmuter.

Gravitas’s answer to this defense proved simple enough: he swung harder. Atrox spun and dipped before smashing into Terrato’s side. Herd-forged armor plates crumpled against the blow. While Terrato’s reinforcement held true, the force hurled him through the air, nearly slamming him to the ground before he could recover and gain some lift.

“This isn’t what we agreed upon, Black Rose,” Gravitas said. His voice was even, more stern disappointment than indignant fury. Even as he was talking, he closed the distance between the two of them. A faint green sheen emanated from Gravitas. It was a dimensional lock big enough to encompass Black Rose so long as Gravitas chased after her.

Despite being chased down, Black Rose’s tone remained confident. “Certainly not, General. After all, I never agreed to anything. I said I was going to do something and that was it.” She dipped a shoulder in time to narrowly avoid having her wings torn off by a swing from Atrox.

Gravitas was about to swing again when Terrato gathered a small cloud of dirt from the surrounding air and sent it to swirl around him. His true sight useless against physical obscurement, Gravitas fell back. Black Rose quickly regained her distance. His “ally” safe, Terrato gathered the dirt into three dagger-shaped clumps, hardened them into diamond and stabbed. All three struck Gravitas’s shield and bounced off.

‘Sixth’s bones, how strong are those shields?’ Terrato surveyed his options. Even Celestia would have a difficult time breaking down Gravitas’s abjuration work, he had no chance. Even with Celestia’s stolen power, Black Rose would need a lot of time to figure out Gravitas’s defenses, time that the alicorn general wasn't giving her. Overpowering them would be his best bet. Black Rose seemed to have come upon a similar conclusion. She had charged up a sunlight spear and was waiting on him. A combined attack would stand a better chance of collapsing those shields.

Terrato had pondered it for a while now, but he still wasn't sure if he was impressed or insulted by Black Rose’s use of his eldest sister’s signature attack spell. Unlike the steady radiance of Celestia’s version, Black Rose’s sunlight spear crackled like a mixture of sunlight and lightning. Arcs of energy fluctuated wildly, an outward sign of the dangerous dance Black Rose did along the edges of gathering as much power as possible and a fatal explosion. Her sunlight spear was imperfect, but he had to admit that its imperfection had its own beauty to it. He concentrated on his own spell. Now was no time to be distracted by his former student’s accomplishments.

Gravitas was well over fifty feet away. The dimensional lock emanating from him prevented any teleportation, including his, making it impossible to just appear next to him for an attack.

Terrato did so anyway.

He didn't need teleportation. All he needed was a page from Gravitas’s strategy. A couple of flaps from his magically strengthened wings brought him within inches of Gravitas. Atrox was too large and too far away to swing at him from this distance. His magically hardened hooves were not. He slammed one against Gravitas’s face. The shield jarred him from hoof to shoulder, but the impact sent Gravitas flying towards Black Rose.

The sunlight spear connected with a brilliant flash...too brilliant, even for a sunlight spear. It took a while before the dazzle disappeared faded. When it did, Gravitas was already charging Terrato. When Atrox struck what should have been flesh, however, all it encountered was a cloud of sand.

Terrato swirled around Gravitas, then reformed above. His front hooves lashed out again, smashing Gravitas’s –still protected- back. It was difficult to tell if he was making any progress with breaking them. Was he feeling less resistance, or was it all in his mind? Atrox struck again, only to pass through the same cloud of sand.

Terrato hardened the particles, turning them from mere sand into a storm of tiny diamonds. His whirlwind engulfed Gravitas, slashing away from all directions.

“You've developed a lot of fancy tricks with the toys you have, Prince Terrato,” Gravitas said. A burst of powerful dispelling magic erupted from the alicorn general, shunting Terrato into his original form. All he had was a second to look up to find Atrox flying end-first towards his face. Dispelling, however, only forced him to revert to his original form. It did nothing to prevent him from him from shifting again. Though not enough for a full transformation, that moment was enough for him to reinforce the bones and muscles. Atrox struck him full on, flinging him back. “You have the reflexes of a proper Herd warrior as well. I wonder how much stronger you could have been if you had spent your time wisely instead of catering to the whims of a deluded, doll-playing diplomat and a filth-covered filly who lifts her tail for the firstborn’s tendrils?”

Terrato's head was still ringing when he recovered altitude and position. “I had thought you were above taunts, Gravitas,” he said. “I suppose I shouldn't expect much from a pony who sends mortal assassins after his princess.”

Before Gravitas could say anything, two sunlight spears struck him in succession. These ones were bigger than Black Rose's previous ones. Terrato looked away from the flash. Despite being a good distance away and his reinforced hide, the intense wave of heat that rolled from the explosions proved very uncomfortable.

“Do remember that you have two opponents, General!” Black Rose called out. She pouted when the blast cleared and revealed Gravitas still unharmed. “I admit, even I’m becoming impressed now.”

“We’ve wasted enough time,” Gravitas said. His horn began to glow. It wasn't the flash that heralded a burst of magic, but the steadily increasing radiance of a building spell. The very air around them rippled with abjuration magic. For a single moment, a hint of worry crossed Black Rose's face. It was gone so quickly that it seemed more a figment of Terrato's imagination.

A crushing weight fell on Terrato. He flapped his wings hard, but some invisible force dragged him inexorably from the sky. Out of the corner of his eye, Black Rose plummeted as well. He slammed into the snow-covered ground with enough force to send stones and earth flying everywhere. The impact knocked the breath out of him and banged his head so hard that stars burst in his vision. His teeth slammed into each other and his head rang as if it had a dozen giant bells lodged inside.

It wasn't just the impact that hurt. Even though he was already on the ground, Terrato was still being forced downward. It felt as if he had a mountain range sitting on his back while another one was tied under him. It was a battle just to draw breath, let alone stand up. He tried melding into the soil, only to find that whatever was pushing down on him was also preventing him from casting anything. Above, Gravitas's steady wing beats grew louder.

“Where will your stubborn pride lead you, Prince Terrato?” Gravitas asked. “You do not have what it takes to break my spell. Will you ask me to finish you off? Or will you stay silent and wait until you and your rebel student are crushed?”

‘How about I beat this spell and crush you?’ Terrato couldn't actually say the words with all the strain on him. He couldn't move an inch and some cracks were starting to spread underneath.

“Stubborn silence, I see,” Gravitas said. “When you get back to the Eternal Herd, your highness, set aside some time to meet with me. Of the three of you, you are the one that can still be salvaged.”

The weight was increasing. Terrato couldn't breathe. He willed his magic forth, but Gravitas’s suppression proved too strong. He was going to have one embarrassing story to tell his sisters should they return to the Herd at some point if this continued.

A flash of familiar magic halted Terrato’s thoughts: Necromancy. It was the one school of magic that he didn't encourage in Equestria beyond the simple process of using mana batteries. Even he didn't dare use more than the simplest spells most of the time. Necromancy was…a filthy sort of magic. Celestia never could abide by even the sight it. It was dangerous, it encouraged a reckless approach to acquiring magical power, and its failures were particularly virulent for both its caster and the environment. He had no intention of allowing Necromancy to take deep roots in Equestria.

Of course, Black Rose was the exception.

It was Black Rose’s necromancy rippling through the air at the moment. She had proven herself adept in wielding negative energy with that void knife. Her use and creation of mana batteries and stasis clones, as well as her successful revival of her soul-trapped officers were all testaments to her mastery of life force manipulation. The Ascendancy Ritual itself was a highly-complicated necromantic feat, with many components gleaned from the Sixth Ascendant’s notes.

The ripple grew stronger and stronger. Gravitas’s hold wavered, enough for Terrato to stand up through colossal effort. The break in Gravitas’s abjuration begged the question: how was Black Rose doing this? He looked towards his former student and found his answer.

Several enormous mana batteries floated around Black Rose, enough to blow up all of Canterlot and everything in a two mile radius around it. No naturally occurring mana crystal could be as big as these.

“My prince…”

Black Rose’s mental voice was strained and difficult to make out. That she could even get a spell out despite Gravitas’s suppression proved just how powerful a boost she was getting. ‘Black Rose,’ Terrato thought. ‘Just how many ponies did you harvest to create those?’

‘Five hundred spread evenly into four batteries, gathered since I first conceived this plan. A necessary step as the general is proving at the moment.’

Five hundred sacrifices. Terrato reeled trying to imagine his former student harvesting five hundred ponies over the years. He thought he understood the sort of monster his indulgence created. How naïve.

“Beloved, listen. I can dispel his hold for a short time at the cost of all this power. It falls to you to finish him off. Will you really let the deaths of five hundred ponies go to waste?”

‘You’re the one about to waste them. The two of us working together couldn't put a dent in his defenses, Black Rose, what sort of finishing blow are you talking about?’

“Gravitas may pick his battles poorly, but he’s right about one thing. You do have a stubborn pride. Are you going to keep this charade up until you are destroyed and Equestria is left at the mercy of Gravitas or Oceanus? Sky Mirror Lake is a gigantic pool of grudge, a pretty veneer to cover the rage of thousands of drowned ponies condemned by the mare they thought was their great leader. Gravitas doesn't even realize it, but he is in necromancer territory. This fight was over the moment he decided to choose this place as his battleground. All you need to do is to stop pretending.”

Great arcs of energy flowed from the four mana batteries towards Black Rose. Ever the gambler, she was making her move without consulting him. Gravitas had sensed the building energy. His suppression magic increased, but Black Rose still held on. Any hesitation on Terrato’s part now would doom both of them to defeat. ‘No!’ part of him shouted. ‘I will not use that grudge! I will not survive this fight by relying on the remnants of Oceanus’s miserable cult!’

A second line of thought, calmer and more pragmatic, answered. ‘Gravitas is too strong. I cannot beat him in single combat. Black Rose is using her emergency plan. If this passes me by, another one won't appear.’

A powerful burst of dispelling exploded from Black Rose. All four mana batteries turned gray and shattered into fine dust. The suppression magic lifted and Terrato's magic came on command. Above, Gravitas reeled momentarily. There were only seconds between this dispelling and Gravitas renewing his attack. Terrato grit his teeth and began.

Gravitas was about to recast his suppression when a shadow covered him completely. Terrato raised his gigantic foreleg and smashed several hundred pounds of reinforced muscle and bone into his foe. Gravitas’s shields held true, but the impact sent him soaring into the walls he had erected around Sky Mirror Lake, smashing him through them as if they were made of twigs and leaves. He emerged from the other side and continued to hurtle through the air until he reached the lake.

Terrato didn't need to fly over. He shifted to normal size and waited. Black Rose’s teleportation spell carried both of them instantly to where Gravitas had righted himself. Black Rose didn't say a word to him in that instant between moving from one place to another, but her message clear enough.

“Are you ready?”

When he emerged above the very center of Sky Mirror Lake, his answer was still no.

It was just as he and his sisters had feared. As the centuries passed, Lexarius's seals allowed magic from the Old Kingdom’s capital to slowly leak out. Apparently, Chrysalis and her changelings had done their best to conceal this. It couldn't have been too difficult. He and his sisters had been blindly confident in Lexarius’s work. There was no hiding it from him now. The grudge from all who drowned in the Old Kingdom had pooled within Sky Mirror Lake. A necromancer of sufficient skill and power could use it to flood nearly all of the Heartland in death and decay. One who wasn't would be consumed. Even Black Rose didn't dare. This pool of raging grudge would swallow her whole and spit her out as a necrotic abomination for her trouble. Skilled as she was, this was her limit.

Not so for Terrato.

A long, long time ago, when he was still an idiotic colt eager to make a name for himself beyond “thirdborn” or “Celestia’s little brother”, he had delved into the art of Necromancy as deeply as he could.

“His majesty named you well, your highness. As the soil in the mortal world absorbs the dead and nourishes the living, so do you easily wield the forces of life and death. I cannot help you. Already, you are a better necromancer than I ever hope to be.”

Learning that Animus Arcem, as did most alicorns, had little to teach him only made Terrato more enthusiastic. The gift for this school was a rare thing, even within the Eternal Herd.

Terrato’s time in this world, showed a different side to this talent. It wasn't merely Celestia’s disapproval that curbed his enthusiasm or the progress that ponies from the Old Kingdom had done with it. He had taught the art to his student, then turned to it when so desperately wanted to “keep” her. The results haunted him to this very instant. If that wasn't enough, and it was more than that, there was only one other pony within the Herd who had this potential since the Sixth Ascendant.

The rush of power nearly drove Terrato off-balance when he weaved the grudge into his magic. It was so easy to lose control. The grudge had a near-sentience of its own, a will to inflict its agonized existence on everything. He could use this on Wolvengard. Forget the pact. Fenrir would be expecting the Legion. He wouldn't be expecting a wave of foulness to decimate his land. By the time he would realize something was wrong, his own subjects would be gnawing on him. When Wolvengard was a barren, frozen wasteland, Ursinium would be attacked by a horde of undead wolven. After that, Ophidus would drown in a tide of undead wolven and ursans. Equestria would be free of enemies.

And surrounded by foulness: a barren wasteland to the north, dark foreboding mountains to the west, and a fetid jungle to the south. All infested by undeath, corruption, and grudge. Necromancy wouldn't make things better. It would just make them worse. No, this grudge had to stay here.

The look on Gravitas's face already showed that he understood what was about to happen. “You wouldn’t,” he said. “You are brash, stubborn, and arrogant, but this black, wretched deed is beyond even you!”

“You have no idea how right you are,” Terrato growled. His horn started to glow. Gravitas lashed out with both dispelling and suppression magic. Terrato shoved them aside. “You’re going to suffer for pushing me, Gravitas.”

Black, smoky wisps, the long-hidden grudge within the lake made manifest by Terrato’s necromancy, rose. Gravitas found himself surrounded. For the first time since the fight started, his absolute confidence in his shields wavered.

With all this power to unleash, options emerged. What did a stubborn, genocidal wretch like Gravitas deserve? A horrible, crippling curse? A vile, rotting disease? Should the arrogant alicorn be chopped apart and sewn together with other body parts, then made to serve? Terrato shook his head and concentrated. This shouldn't be something he should even be bothering with! The grudge was imposing itself, picking out some cruel way to be used when all he needed was to neutralize Gravitas. He had to pick something simple. A death spell would do. Snuff out Gravitas’s life here and be done with it. Black Rose would prefer a more permanent end, but this had to suffice.

The wisps gathered into a solid ring of blackness around Gravitas, closing in on him like a great choking claw. Terrato's spell ground to a halt just as he was about to finish it. The circle of darkness trembled against Gravitas’s powerful shields. “Insolent colt!" Gravitas snarled. "It is no secret to that both sons of Sanctus Dominus possess necromantic gifts not seen since the Sixth Ascendant! Did you think I would not have defenses?”

Terrato sweated despite the cold. For what felt like such a long time, he smiled fiercely. It had been a while since he had this kind of struggle. No pact, no having to rely on mortals, no little ponies to scare. “And what kind of defenses are they, Gravitas?” he roared. “A death ward? A magic circle? I’m going to rip your shields apart like paper and see if your soul’s just as fragile!”

More darkness gathered. The ring turned into a jagged, roiling circle of foulness. Agonized whispers and the putrid odor of stagnant water and rotting corpses wafted around and through them. There was no mistaking it this time. Gravitas’s -once unbending- will wavered. The cracks around his shields were spreading. This struggle wasn't going to last much longer.

Black Rose had raised her own wards against the howling mass of grudge building around them. All the grudge within the lake had stirred up a veritable whirlwind of blackness above it. Something flew from past the wall, where his siblings should be fighting, and fell into the water. Terrato had a good idea what it was and he dreaded having to fish it out later.

Gravitas’s resistance pushed back against the ring. Terrato pushed out the distractions and concentrated on crushing the enemy. If this attack failed, Gravitas would not be caught in such a situation again. He had to be defeated here and now.

“In the end, it is just as I had feared, isn’t it?” Gravitas grunted. He was barely audible amidst the angry whispers. “Dominus’s daughters are weaklings and his sons are monsters.”

“It’s amazing how you can insult me, my sisters, and my father with a single sentence,” Terrato said. The ring drew closer on Gravitas's fragile life. "When I send you back to the Herd, you can tell his majesty all about how low you think of his children.”

“So is it a matter of my low thinking?” Gravitas asked. “Look at what you’re doing, Prince Terrato! Look at the powers you wield and the company that you keep! Look beneath us and tell me to my face that your aims are noble!”

“No,” Terrato said. The circle of blackness drew closer. This was like a hanging with the noose taking far too long in drawing tight. Something flew out of the water, some dark thing covered in grudge. It flew towards the wall and towards his sisters. Yet one more thing to take care of. He had to deal with this first. “I am so tired of explaining myself, Gravitas. Everypony disapproves, has a better idea, or a different vision of what Equestria is or isn’t. And I get all of that from the ponies I've aligned myself with. I don’t need more from you.”

The circle closed in. Gravitas’s shields shattered like an egg crushed beneath Terrato's hoof. He didn't need Celestia’s dispelling skill to destroy what remained of Gravitas’s abjurations. He got something close anyway. As soon as he shattered the shields, Black Rose dove in, systematically removing every bit of protection. With Celestia’s magical power, it would have been foalsplay.

Terrato moved in swiftly as well. Black Rose considered Gravitas a problem. That was as much of a goal they shared. Anything else, he had to oppose her. “Stand aside, Rose!” he said.

“My apologies, beloved, but I will not be satisfied with simply sending Gravitas back to the Eternal Herd.” Black Rose unleashed her magic. A crackling aura of both black and golden magical energy surrounded her.

“And the mortals show their true colors yet again!” Gravitas said.

“Be silent!” Black Rose hissed.

For all the time he had known her, Terrato could recall very few times Black Rose had ever shown any anger and those were the times when she was much younger. To see that serene, confident expression on her face replaced by a flash of anger made something inside him jump. The instant was gone as quickly as it had arrived. Black Rose looked almost embarrassed for allowing herself to lose control in front of him.

“I wish we could continue striving for the same goal, but we part ways here yet again.” Black Rose looked to Gravitas, whom she had trapped in a powerful force barrier. “You don’t deserve the mercy of simply being censured and I certainly don’t relish the thought of spending any time in the Herd with the likes of you.” Arcs of magic crackled around the barrier: teleportation magic.

The whispers that swirled around them were getting louder and more persistent. Wielding so much grudge after spending so long in avoiding this magnitude of necromancy was starting to take its toll. Terrato had to let go soon. He just needed to accomplish a few more things; starting with his treacherous former student.

The first lance of blackness shot out of the whirling grudge behind and below Black Rose. It moved faster than a crossbow bolt, puncturing her shields as a spear would cardboard. She spun in mid-air in a quick flutter of wings, but the strike still grazed her. There was no physical wound. Wisps of golden light seeped out of the gash across one of Black Rose’s wings. Small bits of Celestia’s power were already making their way back to their rightful owner. Without a direct transfer, it would take some time, but the power of sunlight would be restored at last.

A second void strike flew from above and in front of Black Rose. This one hit the mark, piercing her shields and her chest. A torrent of sunlight, a golden beacon amidst the swirling blackness, poured from Black Rose’s chest. She placed a hoof over the wound in some futile attempt to stem the flow of power.

“You must have known I’d get you as well if you maneuvered me to such a place of power,” Terrato said. “Why did you go to these lengths, Black Rose? What have you planned?”

Despite her wound, Black Rose smiled. “Why don’t you start by listening beneath you, beloved? Can you hear it? It’s the Old Kingdom coming to life in anticipation of its master.”

“Oceanus isn’t here!” Terrato growled. He readied another spell, but he was loathe to attack now and prevent her from explaining anything more.

Black Rose breathed heavily as she spoke. “He doesn't have to be. You've underestimated the loyalty that the firstborn has inspired among those who follow him. Even though it was flooded and sealed, even with the failure of the Six Companions, the Old Kingdom still awaits Oceanus faithfully. All I needed was to give it a sign. It was either one of Oceanus’s prime servants or a facsimile: a ruse good enough to convince it that its master has arrived. If Oceanus is not here, then the other son of Sanctus Dominus, wreathed in dark power and commanding ages-old grudge would suffice.”

Still wielding Sky Mirror Lake’s grudge, Terrato realized that it wasn't a matter of being led into a trap, but being forced into one. Black Rose had played him and Gravitas against each other. Something else was stirring within Sky Mirror Lake, something more than this whirlwind of grudge. The whispers turned into a deeper, more audible chant. He didn't understand the exact words, but he knew what they were saying.

“Deep Father…Deep Father…Deep Father…”

‘Wretched things!’ Terrato thought. ‘Can’t you even tell the difference between your Deep Father and some other alicorn?’ The answer, of course, was already clear to him. The wretched remnants of the Old Kingdom’s fanatics had never even met Oceanus. They were guided by instinct, like blind, starving animals. He had a passing semblance and, after centuries of waiting, that was enough for them.

Sky Mirror Lake itself rose up, covering them in a dome of reflective water. As the last of the power of sunlight leaked from her, Black Rose’s smile only widened. “Let Celestia keep her power,” she said. “I've observed her enough these days and I believe she may yet have what it takes to keep Equestria safe. Let her keep the Elements of Harmony and Oceanus’s servant.”

Terrato's eyes widened. Regia Carnifex, the Elements of Harmony, her direct request, Clover the Clever's methods. All ruses. To confirm his thoughts, her gaze focused on him. “I placed my bet on the last pony the Defender of Equestria expected to defend: himself!”

Terrato let go of the grudge. He had to. He focused on a teleportation spell, but whatever magic flowed in within the waters also cut him off from the rest of the world. The waters rose and swirled as the last vestiges of Lexarius's weakened seals crumbled.

“Don’t worry, beloved. We’ll wait for them at the heart of the Old Kingdom. There, we will secure the future of Equestria together.”

The wall of water crashed against Terrato. He beat his wings and flailed his hooves, but the unrelenting, liquid darkness dragged him deeper and deeper into the depths.

Aftermath

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 51: Aftermath

At the sight of the empty sky, Luna’s thoughts dashed off into different directions all at once. Where was Terrato? What had happened? Who was responsible? Why didn’t she notice anything suspicious? Where was Terrato? Something had to be done, but all four of her legs were going their separate ways while her wings had plans of their own. She looked around again. Perhaps her sister or one of the bearers had an idea. Maybe she just missed where Terrato was.

Underneath all that panic was the inexorable tug of exhaustion, patiently reminding her despite all her confused reflexes that rest was first and foremost. Luna struggled for control, trying desperately to piece together some coherent plan for their next step. The bearers of the Elements of Harmony were limping towards her and her sister. They must have noticed Terrato’s absence by now and would want to know what to do next.

“Luna…” Celestia put a hoof on Luna’s shoulder. The warmth in her hoof and the calm in her voice helped settle some of the anxiety.

“Big sister-!” The sight of the faint golden aura around Celestia left Luna staring in wonder. “What’s happening?” she asked.

“The power of sunlight is slowly making its way back to me,” Celestia said.

Luna let herself feel some small measure of relief. Well, that was to be expected. Terrato promised to find a way to restore their sister’s power and he did just that. More importantly, that opened a new avenue of action for them. “Big sister, can you locate big brother?” she asked.

Celestia shook her head. “Not yet,” she said. “Without a direct transfer, it will take a while for me to regain all my power.” She looked towards Sky Mirror Lake. “I do not think we need to search far, though.”

Luna nodded. It did seem the most likely. Black Rose must have fled to the Old Kingdom after losing the power of sunlight. She may have gone there on her own volition to push through with her plan. Once Celestia recovered enough, they’d be surer of what happened and what needs to happen next. The bearers finally got close enough to them with Twilight Sparkle galloping at the head.

“Princess Celestia!” Twilight exclaimed. “Your wing! Are you alright?”

“A small injury,” Celestia said. She winced after failing to either fully stretch her wing or fold it, but she was smiling when she spoke again. “I’m glad to see that all of you survived.” Her smile disappeared when she laid her eyes on Fluttershy, whom Applejack was carrying on her back.

Luna looked all of them over, already going through the sort of healing she’d have to use. Her sister’s wing had to be fixed and she had not come out of the fighting unscathed. All the bearers were covered in small cuts and scrapes from flying stone shards. Rarity limped on a bad foreleg covered in blood-soaked bandages. Some blood oozed down Rainbow Dash’s face. Applejack’s barding had saved her from the worst of things, but she was still quite scraped up. Their wounds, all in all, were not as bad as they should be after fighting a soldier of the Herd. There were some trace amounts of healing magic around them. She glanced at her sister’s student. Twilight Sparkle had taken some time to learn some basic healing. Obviously, those spells took a backseat to direct magical attacks and shields, but they were better than nothing.

Fluttershy was a different story. The rest of her body didn't bear so much as a scratch, but her right eye was a bloody ruin. Luna glanced at Twilight, who shook her head. “I’m sorry,” Twilight said. “I tried as much healing as I could, but…it’s like the wound is resisting my magic! Can you do something about it, your highness?”

Luna was all too familiar with foul, blackened magic that infested the wound. Her healing magic seeped into the damage flesh only to be repelled. She was about to try again, but her flagging strength made her hesitate. “I cannot heal the wound,” she said. The rest of the bearers gasped.

“B-but healing is one of your specialties!” Twilight said. “If you can’t heal her-!”

“This is the firstborn’s power of abyss here!” Luna said. “Even if I was at full strength, I can’t just wave a hoof and defeat him at every turn!” Her eyes narrowed. “Perhaps I can with more preparations: a powerful healing array, a group of participants, a ritual of an hour or more. If we can take her back to Canterlot and focus on her…”

Celestia shook her head. “None of us have the strength for another teleportation like that. Nor do we have a lot of time to spare. We cannot simply abandon this place after all that’s happened.”

“We can’t just leave her like this!” Twilight said. “You just said that this is Oceanus’s power!”

“Yes…yes, you can…”

Everypony turned towards the weak, desperately mustered voice. Fluttershy had raised her head and looked towards them.

“Fluttershy!” Twilight raced towards her badly injured friend. The others followed suit.

“We can’t turn back now,” Fluttershy said. She tried to get off Applejack, but the others stopped her. “Something terrible is happening inside the Old Kingdom. We need to go there…we need to-!”

“But your eye, dear,” Rarity said. “Surely, you can’t expect us to just ignore that bloody mess and trudge onward!”

Fluttershy’s voice dropped to a hiss so suddenly that Luna feared the worst: some kind of horrible possession by one of Oceanus’s handmaidens, the corruption of whatever spark of Oceanus within Fluttershy, or Oceanus himself. “Stop fussing!” Fluttershy said. “I still have one that works! I just need some rest so I can walk. Don’t turn me into the reason why we failed!”

It looked as if the air had just been knocked out of all of Fluttershy’s friends at this. They stared at her, eyes wide and confused. Rarity’s lips quivered a bit, hurt at the sudden lashing from the pony she would have least expected it from. Twilight had cast a simple divination spell, likely trying to check what else was wrong.

“Okey dokey lokey!”

Pinkie Pie’s voice cut through the tension with ease. Luna looked at her, afraid to find some uncomprehending grin that would only prove that Pinkie didn't belong here. There was a grin there, but it wasn't one grounded in ignorance. Pinkie Pie’s smile was deliberate; more will than emotion. She did understand what was going on; she just decided to approach it this way.

Fluttershy responded with a smile of her own. Her shoulders relaxed and she stopped trying to get off Applejack. “Thank you,” she said. Her voice was soft and gentle once more.

“I don’t think I have an eye-patch cache here,” Pinkie Pie said. “We’ll just have to think of some other way!”

“Gather around, everypony,” Luna said. She raised her horn, slowly weaving a healing spell together from what strength she still had left. Now, she was regretting pushing so much healing against Fulmen Lancea’s lightning bolt. Her magic set to work: broken bones began to slowly mend, scrapes and cuts closed up, and bruises faded. Once she was done, she let out a long exhale and fell on her knees.

“You’ve done well, little sister,” Celestia said. She knelt next to Luna and draped a wing over her. The warmth of sunlight felt good, especially with the cold ground and air. “Rest now.’

“But big brother is…he-!”

“Terrato is strong; stronger than I have ever given him credit for. He can hold on for some time. We must be at our best to help him.”

Luna's heart was still beating furiously and she had to quash a strong desire to dive into the lake, but Celestia was right. The others had realized the same and huddled together. They had a fire going in a short while and rations were quickly consumed. There was a palpable sense of urgency around them. Luna doubted that they had ever needed to put so much effort in resting.

Around an hour of silent effort passed before somepony decided to speak up again. “So what exactly are we going to do next?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Our destination lies within the Old Kingdom,” Celestia said. Her horn was glowing now. As time wore on, the more obvious the return of her power was becoming. It hadn't taken long before she started working on a locating spell. “I can sense a great amount of active necromantic energy within the lake. Terrato must have disturbed it in an effort to defeat Gravitas. As for the Old Kingdom, it is humming with activity. I am not yet sure how, but such an event cannot be good. Nor do I believe that it will contain itself here.”

“And the seals?” Luna asked. “What of Lexarius’s seals?”

Celestia’s spell grew stronger until the tip of her horn far outshone their meager fire.

“Princess Celestia, be careful!” Twilight said.

“The seals have been broken,” Celestia said.

“What?” Luna jumped to her hooves. “How? The Elements of Harmony are with us, as is Regia Carnifex!”

Celestia closed her eyes for a while. The light from her horn fluctuated as she expanded her divinations. Her eyes suddenly fluttered open. “Something has shattered the weakened seals from the inside. Whatever dormant power that was lying within the Old Kingdom was somehow awakened. I-I…I fear-!”

Celestia faltered and it was Luna’s turn to put a hoof on her shoulder. “Big sister?”

“Black Rose has made a scarecrow of our brother. There is a great amount of disturbed grudge within the lake. She must have tricked him into wielding all that necromantic power within the lake in order to dress him up like Oceanus. The Old Kingdom, having never met Oceanus, responded as if the firstborn really has arrived. All that movement from within was enough to destroy the seals.”

“Where is big brother now?” Luna asked. “Can you locate him?”

The light from Celestia’s horn fluctuated even more. A bead of sweat dripped from her brow before she relaxed. “The inside of the Old Kingdom is murky with Oceanus’s power of abyss. My locating spells can barely function within. I know he’s deep in there, that’s it.”

Luna let out a sigh. “Then we’ll just have to search for him on hoof.” She paused at the very distant sound of an engine.

“Over there!” Pinkie yelled. She pointed at the distance, towards a small speck against the gray clouds coming towards them.

Applejack squinted at the sight. “What is it?” she asked.

“Airship,” Luna said. “A small, fast one.”

Celestia smiled and looked at the approaching airship as well. “The Legion,” she said. “They do work fast. We can expect more soon enough.”

As the first airship came even closer, Applejack’s expression brightened just a little more. “That’s the Night Skimmer,” she said. Even Twilight managed to sneak in some elation amidst her worried staring at Celestia.

“Hold your horses, girls,” Rarity said. “The Night Skimmer isn’t Captain Clash’s personal ride. I suspect it will carry a large number of Special Operations ponies…among other things.”

“Captain Nightcanter’s going to be there!” Pinkie said.

Twilight’s brief elation turned into disgust. “Probably Captain Bad Arc too…” she muttered.

Fluttershy looked apprehensive as well. She didn’t say a word, but she looked at the approaching airship with her one good eye intensely.

After several minutes, it was indeed the Night Skimmer that landed next to them. The above decks burst into activity as soon as the airship touched the ground. The pegasi among them flew out and knelt before the princesses. The frown on Twilight’s face deepened when she saw Captain Bad Arc among those who had come.

“Your highness,” Captain Bad Arc said. He directed his attention towards Celestia. “The Legion stands ready to serve.”

Captain Dawn Blaze, an orange mare in nightsteel chain, opened a small bag. Luna looked inside and found small glinting objects, like crystallized berries. “Mana batteries,” she said.

“Yes, your highness,” Dawn Blaze replied. “To help you recover quickly.”

Celestia hesitated at the sight. She looked towards the lake again, her expression hardening. A couple floated in front of her and turned into dull grey things. “Take the rest, Luna,” she said. “Of all of us, you expended the most.”

Luna emptied the bag and let the stored mana flow into her. She didn’t like relying on objects formed by the accumulated deaths of magical creatures, but each problem she had to deal with in Sky Mirror Lake added more and more to the unlikable things she was willing to do.

The legionnaires knelt reverently. There were the ones from the Northern Legion, the ones that the bearers of the Elements of Harmony recognized: Bad Arc’s First Squad, Nightcanter’s Sixth Squad, and Vanguard Clash’s Third Squad. Half of Third Squad anyway. The Western Legion had Dawn Blaze’s First Squad and Oakheart’s Eighth Squad. As for the Southern Legion, Scalecrush’s Ninth Squad and Vine Mane’s Second Squad were ready to serve.

“Legion!” Luna said. Every legionnaire around her snapped to attention. “We’re going to enter the Old Kingdom. Special Operations has had plenty of time to study Lexarius’s notes on how to remove the flooding. I expect all of you to know what to do.”

“Yes, your highness!” was the unanimous reply. They divided into separate squads and moved into position.

Lexarius had created a way to drain the lake if it was necessary, though he made it clear that only the water would go. The taint would still linger, like a foul air and presence, but the Old Kingdom’s ruins could be accessed if the seals were removed. Lexarius also made it clear that he didn’t see why such a scenario would ever occur. Activating these devices required coordination. Each component was found in a different location around the lake. It would take some time for the Legion to activate them.

“I’ll help!” Applejack said. “I feel fine already!” Twilight also looked ready to go.

Luna opened her mouth to say no, but Vanguard Clash was already ahead of her. “Stand down, you two,” he said. “There will be plenty for you to do later.”

As Special Operations departed, Luna focused on another pony who had just emerged from the Night Skimmer. Unlike his sister, who exuded smiling confidence in all things, Blue Moon was all quiet dignity. The suspicious stares he received bounced off him as he made his way towards the group.

“Blue Moon,” Celestia said. “Why have you come to this place?”

“I’m here to warn you, your highness,” Blue Moon said. “The rest of the Thorns have disappeared from Canterlot. I’m sure that my sister has summoned them to her side once she got through the seals. Should you enter the Old Kingdom, expect some meddling on their part.

The excitement on Pinkie’s face faded. So did Rainbow Dash’s enthusiasm. On the other hoof, Rarity’s face lit up as she eyed her mage blades. Luna looked them over sternly. “I see that some of you have started developing some history with Black Rose’s Thorns,” she said. “Let me remind you that they won’t be the only dangers we will find within the Old Kingdom. Most likely, they won’t even be the worst.”

Twilight kept her gaze fixed on Blue Moon. “Are you coming along?” she asked.

“I would, Twilight Sparkle, if any of you would trust me enough to be among you on the way to a confrontation with my sister.”

Though she still looked at Blue Moon suspiciously, Twilight fell silent. In return, Blue Moon largely ignored her and walked over to Fluttershy. The sight of her still bloody eye did not even give him pause. “How are you feeling?” he asked softly.

“Good,” Fluttershy said with a smile. “Better actually! An alicorn tried to hurt my friends…” Her tone softened and the smile turned somber. “I think he was sorry at the end.”

“There’s more to this change than just your ability to fight, Fluttershy,” Blue Moon said. “Has anything come out of your visit with Regia Carnifex?”

Fluttershy pressed a hoof softly against her wounded eye and winced. “That…that other me…she escaped. I think.”

“Other you?” Blue Moon knelt next to Fluttershy. “What do you mean?”

Fluttershy was silent for a while. “I don’t really know,” she said. “She said she was Lok’horus, but I don’t believe her. She warned me that something bad was going to happen if I let her go. I did, but nothing’s happened. Well, besides the Stare, I mean.”

“I think something else has happened,” Blue Moon said. “As you have noticed, it is difficult to put a hoof on. There is more to you that has become different, Fluttershy, more than just a ruined eye and a stronger ability.”

“I have to say I agree, dear,” Rarity said. “Not just because of your outburst earlier, either.

Luna expected Fluttershy to cringe or fall into depression. Neither happened. Fluttershy was contemplative for a moment, taking in what Blue Moon just said and mulling it over. Blue Moon, for his part, pulled out a handkerchief and offered it to her. When she nodded, he carefully tied it over the wounded eye, covering nearly half her face with white cloth.

After that, it was only a matter of waiting for Special Operations to work the mechanisms. Rainbow Dash had taken to circling them lazily. Rarity cleaned her blades and experimented not just with practice moves but with how she gripped them telekinetically. Twilight Sparkle and Applejack stared across the landscape and watched where the legionnaires had gone. Pinkie Pie fiddled with her stone tablet while Fluttershy lay down quietly. After about an hour, they spotted more silhouettes approaching Sky Mirror Lake from the skies. These airships were bigger and slower, likely containing the bulk of the Legion assigned to the Heartland. Soon, they would be at the center of a large scale operation.

Another hour passed as the rest of the Legion began setting up around them. “Blue Moon, I have been meaning to ask you something,” Celestia suddenly said.

Blue Moon was quick to bow towards Celestia. “Yes, your highness?” he asked.

“Tell me more about your sister.”

“There are many books and reports that deal with Black Rose’s exploits and history, your highness,” Blue Moon replied. “Various libraries in the Great Delve have wings dedicated to her time in the Legion.”

“Yet none are about her time outside it, I would guess,” Celestia said. “I have seen Black Rose the rebellious student and I’ve heard plenty about Black Rose the legionnaire. Tell me about her time before she met my brother.”

“Those were…” Blue Moon paused. That quiet, dignified look he constantly had on finally cracked. A wistful smile warred with the rest of his face just to stay on. “Those were difficult times, your highness, difficult and so very long ago.”

Celestia didn't say anything, but she kept her gaze on him attentively. Upon hearing the conversation, Twilight Sparkle also listened intently.

“My sister and I were born Great Delve nobles,” Blue Moon said. “At least, my sister has always maintained that. My earliest memories involve digging through garbage. Whatever happened to take away our fortune also left us orphaned at a very young age.” His voice lowered to soft rumble. “The Delve does not take kindly to those like us who fall through the cracks.”

“You don’t seem particularly bothered talking about desperate times,” Twilight remarked.

“I would eat out of a garbage pile right now if I could go back to those times, Twilight Sparkle,” Blue Moon said sharply. “There is a sense contentment to be had in enjoying a leather sole deep fried in week-old vegetable oil with a couple of garlic cloves and some mushroom caps, all seasoned with a stolen packet of soy sauce. That is contentment that I cannot recreate with all the magic and skills and I have learned since then.” Blue Moon was silent for a while. Luna could understand in some ways. She had spent more than a few nights thinking back to simpler times. “The scavenging and petty theft didn't last that long,” Blue Moon continued. “While running from a mark, my sister stumbled inside a gambling den.” Blue Moon snorted, his smile widening. “Money became easy soon after.”

“What happened since then?” Celestia asked.

“The Legion called, as it always did every year. My sister answered as soon as she was of age. I tried to dissuade her. We had money and influence. We held no sway over any of the Underbelly gangs, but we could get anything we needed to stay comfortable.” Blue Moon let out a sigh. “Ultimately, it was the both of us lining up in a recruitment post. I should have known better to have even bothered back then. Black Rose enjoyed matching her wits against the ravages of poverty, but she had higher goals in mind. Like anypony without a strong backing, we started small: peeling potatoes, polishing armor, and the like. That didn't last long either. My sister was nothing if not opportunistic. She picked our times to shine and we did. Only a few years in and we were trusted with front line missions.” The smile disappeared. “Then, the call from the Prince came…”

“What’s the matter?” Luna asked. “That was the true beginning of her rise, wasn't it? You sound like it was a tragedy.”

“It was both,” Blue Moon said. All traces of a smile had gone from him now. “Do not misunderstand me. I was, and still very much am, proud of my sister’s accomplishments. She emerged triumphant after tests that whittled two thousand elite applicants into one faithful student. When the prince himself put a hoof on her shoulder, it was as if the entire world finally aligned into its rightful place.” Blue Moon stood up and faced the lake’s placid waters. “Vision is both my sister’s gift and curse. Her schemes broaden her horizons, broader horizons allow for greater schemes. She will never be satisfied until the Throne is beneath her.”

“Is that right?” Celestia asked.

A slight tremble came upon Blue Moon’s voice. “Highness?” he asked.

“The Throne will not satisfy,” A look of sadness crossed Celestia’s face. “Just as the power of sunlight couldn't. Just as the Foul Weapon won’t. But Black Rose is no foal. I think she understands that already.”

Before anypony could speak up, all of them heard a rumbling beneath the ground that steadily increased in volume. Luna knew the signs; Special Operations just finished activating the devices. Already, the water was receding.

“Finally!” Rainbow Dash brought her front hooves together. The rumbling increased and a loud rushing sound of water escaping accompanied it. All of them moved closer to the edges of the lake and looked down.

Even with the water gone, it was still difficult to get a good view of the Old Kingdom. Something permeated the air like black fog. Unlike Luna’s darkness spells, it still allowed them to see the broken towers and gates.

The Old Kingdom was a massive, circular ruin, all gray stone and black metal. Great rounded spires rose all around and within, tapering to points. The stone work was bizarre in its imperfection. The towers were not straight, but had small bends in their structure making them resemble gargantuan tentacles. The walls had the same effect. The sight, combined with the dark haze, was…painful. It physically hurt to stare at the things for too long. While the structures were broken in many places, decay had not touched the place. There wasn't a patch of mold or a wayward plant in sight. The clean appearance sharply contrasted with the horrible smell wafting where the lake was. Just the thought of having to go down there made Luna’s skin crawl.

The rumbling continued. “That’s not coming from Lexarius’s draining devices,” Luna said. “What’s making that racket?”

Celestia’s horn glowed once more. “Prepare yourselves,” she said. “Remember that Black Rose has tricked this place into awakening. Even as the Six Companions fell, they would have tried to create some kind of welcome worthy of their ‘Deep Father’.”

The rumbling grew even louder, now making it perfectly clear that it was coming from within the Old Kingdom. There was a great mass of metal moving, grinding against stone walls with a horrid whine and striking stone floors with thunderous clangs. Clouds of dust flew up from the Old Kingdom as several walls shattered. The already broken gates clattered across the lake’s floor.

Rainbow Dash loaded her crossbow. “What is that?” she asked. “Another alicorn?”

Twilight squinted at the enormous silhouette already visible past the cloud. “No,” she said grimly. “I think I know.” Legion troops ringed the shores of the lake, weapons out and horns glowing. Another clang and the thing emerging from the Old Kingdom came into full view. The pale sunlight streaming past the overcast sky gleamed on polished metal plates. A pony walked out of the Old Kingdom, a titanic metal pony that surveyed them all with its eyeless gaze. “Coldsteel Construct,” Twilight Sparkle whispered.

Luna's horn also glowed. A construct would be problematic. It had no mind to trick or torment. With Celestia’s strength restored, however, it could be simply a matter of smiting it head on until it was a pile of half-melted body parts. Before she could do anything else, Blue Moon stepped in front of her.

“I apologize for the rudeness, but you did not use valuable time regaining your strength just to expend it on the vile creations of the Six Companions.” Magic crackled around Blue Moon’s horn. “The Legion will take care of that thing, along with whatever monstrosity that my sister has inadvertently woken up to get what she wants. I suggest you sneak inside when the fighting breaks out and try to catch up with her.”

Applejack looked at the thing nervously. “Are ya’ll sure you can take that thing? It’s huge!” Her eyes narrowed. “And kinda sparkly. What’s with all those little lights on it?”

“Disruptor crystals,” Twilight said. “Smart Cookie designed that thing and she had no love for unicorns.”

“Kinda like her brother, Rock Maven,” Pinkie Pie muttered. "Sort of..."

The gathered legionnaires were obviously daunted by their enormous foe, but they all shared hardened looks and tightened their grips on their weapons. Officers shouted for spellfire lines, flying formations, and artillery. “We’ll leave this to the Legion,” she said. The spells she cast focused on stealth: invisibility, silence, cloaking against magical detection…

“Ready yourselves,” Celestia said. The bearers shared her grim, determined look. “The Old Kingdom awaits.”

The Old Kingdom

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 52: The Old Kingdom

When the Old Kingdom Council started creating “tributary projects” in preparation for the coming of Oceanus, the earth pony faction focused their efforts on what would be their mightiest creation: the Coldsteel Construct. The companion, Smart Cookie, led the project having been already known for her many similar creations.

Each step that the thing took sent ominous shudders across the earth. Its enormous metal plates gleamed against the sunlight while the hundreds of crystalline fragments embedded into them glittered. Underneath the armor, great, ropy striations, like giant exposed muscles, could be seen. The Coldsteel Construct was big enough to be at eye-level with a siege tower. If the thing had eyes. Where its face should be, there was only a glittering metal plate.

The design and specifics were Smart Cookie’s, but labor and materials were provided for by Puddinghead. According to translated documents, several mines had to be shut down and all their supplies of raw disruptor crystals were confiscated. An earth pony clan was left completely destitute by this resource drain. Puddinghead’s clan was quick to sell them to Platinum for additional coin necessary to forge the massive coldsteel parts needed for the construct.

The first and second wave of Legion bolts swarmed the Coldsteel Construct like a cloud of hornets, and had the same effect as hornets attacking an anvil. Great bolts of magic, from lightning, to fire, to raw concussive telekinesis followed. The thing did not even slow its ponderous gait, taking the magical pounding with neither dent nor scratch. Several ballistae fired, but their bolts shattered and fell away.

Unlike the pegasus tributary project, the Coldsteel Construct was never used in actual combat. It was hidden away within the capital and was lost when Oceanus’s Embrace was activated. The decision not to use it against our forces gives credence to the notion that the Six Companions already understood that the battle was lost and were preparing to seal themselves away until Oceanus awakened. With the seals around the Old Kingdom already in place, it is impossible to verify its state or the state of the other constructs that Smart Cookie designed.

Luna dearly wanted to join in. She knew that she could prevent a great many deaths if she lent her strength to the Legion for this encounter. The sight of the “tributary project” also ignited a trembling sense of rage. The firstborn didn't deserve so much as a spit in his direction, let alone a towering behemoth of metal and gems powered by something more despicable than what it hinted at. She wanted to wrench every plate from this thing, turn it into a pile of junk so twisted that even its makers wouldn't be able to make sense of what it was supposed to be. She wanted to tear down the rest of the Old Kingdom brick by brick. Let no reminder of a time when Oceanus was welcome anywhere remain.

“I will call you to my side...”

Not one thing.

The Old Kingdom’s broken gates beckoned, however. Smaller constructs emerged from the depths of the ruin. Their plating looked more fragile and used more sparingly, exposing coils of wires and sets of gears like mechanical guts. Some were pony-shaped, others more bizarre in their design, as if torn straight out of whatever feverish nightmares that plagued Smart Cookie. One had the top half of a pony mounted on a set of five spidery legs. Another resembled a squid that dragged itself along drill-tipped tentacles. None of them noticed the small group of silent, invisible ponies sidling past them and into the ruins.

Luna grit her teeth as the sounds of battle grew louder behind her. Blue Moon’s reasoning was sound. They needed to push farther in. The Legion would have to deal with this. Though her spell kept the group invisible to other observers, it didn't keep them invisible to each other. Anxiety also gripped her sister and her friends. They also felt the urge to stay and fight: Applejack looked ready to bolt, Rainbow Dash also restlessly glanced back to the fray from time to time, Pinkie Pie kept her head low and her gaze forward, Rarity simply walked ahead grimly. It was Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy who seemed intent on going deeper into the ruins.

There were other concerns as well. As Luna moved closer and closer to such a great concentration of the firstborn’s power, a revolting sense of elation welled from within. There was a hurry in her steps she struggled to get rid of. She shook her hooves, as if the anxiety was some kind of muck clinging to her. It didn't help. All it did was elicit a worried glance from her sister.

Luna couldn’t answer that glance. This wasn't the time to bring out her situation. What would happen if she did? Would they offer their support? Would they even trust her when they were plunging deep into the Old Kingdom? Her brother promised that he would not allow Oceanus to have anything, but Terrato was missing, seemingly swallowed whole by the power he promised he would stop. If Terrato couldn't hold back the power of abyss, what could she-?

“Luna...” Celestia’s soft tone, barely even a whisper, snapped Luna out of her downward spiraling reverie. Celestia walked by her side, the worried glance had turned into a concerned stare. “Are you still tired, little sister? I could lend you some strength.”

Luna shook her head. “No,” she said just as softly. “I've recovered enough. I’ll be fine so long as nopony starts losing limbs.” The last part had been meant only as some form of measurement. As soon as she said it, however, she winced when the others glanced at the bloody handkerchief wrapped around Fluttershy’s face.

Fluttershy didn’t seem to notice. If she did, she showed no signs of cringing at the attention. She looked more intent on studying their surroundings. Luna could sympathize with that. They were surrounded by a monument to firstborn, they had to focus on orienting themselves and getting used to its appearance.

A strange atmosphere surrounded the entirety of the Old Kingdom. Descending the crater was like slipping through a thin veil of water. Above, the cloudy winter sky looked to be clearing up. More sunlight filtered through the clouds. It barely mattered here. Whatever presence they had entered muted the light that hit the ruins. It was no fog of darkness, but the shadows thrown by the many ruined structures seemed to ripple slightly. Luna had to squint just to get some details around the place. It was as if everything was just ever so slightly out of focus. Then the smell...the smell was horrid and it belied the sterile look of the place. There wasn't a patch of mold or a piece of rotting flesh in sight, but the cloying, lingering traces of decay hung heavily on the air. Luna didn't dare take a deep breath, fearing that taking so much of this foul air at once would corrode her lungs beyond any healing.

The group quickly moved away from the main road that led through the gates of the Old Kingdom. A steady stream of clanking, whining, and grinding metal flooded the main road as more and more monstrosities fed the growing battle between the Legion and the Old Kingdom’s mechanical reserves. They sidled through a passageway between two broken buildings and hunkered down.

“What now?” Rainbow asked. The strain in her voice, a product of having to move so carefully and hold back her enthusiasm, was evident. “Where should we go?”

“Down is the most obvious answer,” Celestia said. “Remember that the Old Kingdom was built over the Blasphemous Rift, and the heart of the rift contains the Foul Weapon. We must keep going down.” She looked over to Twilight, whose eyebrows had furrowed in deep thought. “Twilight?”

“Something that I read about this place...” Twilight said. “If I recall correctly, we need to find a tower. Translations from some Old Kingdom texts said that the Six Companions discovered an existing structure before construction of this place even began. They supposedly used it to ‘ascend the depths to the abyss’.” Her eyes narrowed further. “It was also written that none of them managed to complete the journey so they guarded it jealously.”

“Ascend the depths?” Rarity asked. “Talk about bad grammar. Was Lexarius turning into Discord by the time this translation was made?”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “Sure, let’s chalk that up to the list of bad things he did: went insane, spread chaos, and had bad grammar.” She tugged at her chain. “Anyway, let’s go find this tower. I don’t want to spend any moment longer than we have to here. This place gives me the creeps, what’s with all those weird root designs all over the buildings? They look so nasty.”

“Those aren't roots,” Twilight said. She put a hoof against one side of a building and traced the building design that Applejack was talking about. All the walls and great portions of the streets of the Old Kingdom had long, coiling tentacles built into the stonework. Some were not thicker than a foreleg, others around the same size as an oak’s trunk. It looked as if the city played host to the roots of a gigantic tree or was infested with thousands of enormous worms. “They’re the tentacles of Oceanus. They’re built all over the Old Kingdom, from the plazas and courtyards to the houses. Even the smallest bathroom or bedroom has, at least, one. They were supposed to represent that, from the most public to the most private affairs, the will of the Deep Father held sway.”

“Disgusting,” Rarity said with a shudder. “Garish too. Why would anypony want to live in a house that looked like it was about to be dragged away by a squid?”

“I don’t know,” Pinkie said. She pressed her front hooves against her eyes and let out a moan. “But it’s kind of hurting my eyes. And my brain.”

“You’re being oppressed,” Celestia said. Everypony turned towards her. “There is more to the Old Kingdom's design than mere aesthetics. Focus, my little ponies, we are not going on a little tour. The moment we entered those gates, we had already started fighting against this place.”

They huddled closer after that. Rainbow Dash flew up, trying to ascend to a high enough point without drawing any attention. A moment later, she flew back down to them. “I don’t see any tower,” she said. “If there’s one, it’s probably destroyed.”

“Big sister, what about your location spells?” Luna asked.

The golden brilliance radiating from Celestia's horn held the stifling atmosphere at bay for a bit. “Not much better,” she said. "The power of abyss is so thick here, using my magic is like trying to keep a torch lit in a blizzard. To make matters worse, this place is under a powerful dimensional lock. I do not know if it’s a function of the power of abyss or a remnant of Lexarius’s seal.” She stared at Luna. “Did it trouble you as much to maintain those stealth spells?”

Luna shook her head. “No. I would guess that the power of abyss has a particular distaste for the power of sunlight.”

Celestia turned towards Twilight. “You've seen the maps of this place, haven’t you?” she asked.

Twilight nodded. “Not just seen, your highness, memorized.” The pride was unmistakable in her tone. “I know where the tower to the abyss should be!”

“Good.” Celestia mirrored that pride with a smile. “We will need that. No doubt, these side-streets would have been confusing enough during the Old Kingdom’s height. The decay and the stagnation of the power of abyss here would have made things worse.”

“Worse?” Luna asked. “What do you mean, big sister? Do you mean the damages caused by flooding and the poor lighting?”

“Not just that,” Celestia said. “You were not there during the immediate aftermath of the first rebellion. Great sections of Empyrea were warped by the passage of the power of abyss. If the Six Companions were toying with even the lingering presence of it, we should expect...oddities.” She looked to Twilight and her friends. “Do not let your attention linger too long on the architecture. Remember that the power of abyss can and will hurt you in ways you may not expect.”

“We’ll be ready,” Twilight said. As they resumed moving through the side-street, Celestia’s horn continued to glow. Her persistent location, combined with the knowledge Twilight had gleaned, should have a sure path to their goal despite the warping of this place.

Now that they were away from the main road, it also became clear that whatever was muting the light had a similar effect on sound. While they had no problem hearing each other, the whining and grinding sounds of metal against stone quickly faded into faint scratching, even though they haven’t walked that far.

Far from being serene, the silence of the Old Kingdom only served to emphasize the unnerving sounds that reached them. Faint whispers drifted through the stale air. The words, when they could be made out, made no sense in either Equestrian or Old Kingdom. It wasn't just whispers either. An out of place hoof-step, the creak of a door swinging, a light clink of some small metal thing landing somewhere...once in a while, the could be heard, always brief and at a distance, always dancing between being imagined and actually heard.

They were on a very slight downward slope. The Old Kingdom was built like a massive crater. The entrance was along the very edges of it and the central plaza was close to the very center. The side-streets were warped as Celestia had predicted, some in the most bizzare ways. They didn't always travel on a flat surface. Sometimes, the street curved or distorted like a crumpled ribbon. Shadowy doorways to ruined buildings beckoned entry, only to disappear when looked at again. A distant light sometimes appeared in some of the windows. They flickered and vanished around their peripheries. A few times, the warping was so confusing that Twilight paused for minutes trying to piece together enough clues to where to go next.

They approached the central plaza. Around it should be the three faction buildings of the Old Kingdom: the palace of Princess Platinum, which also served as Clover the Clever’s library, the laboratory and headquarters of Commander Hurricane and Pansy, and the Earthworks of Smart Cookie and Puddinghead. From a distance, it looked like none of them had survived.

Cracks and small potholes pockmarked the gray-green stone pavement they walked on. The surface had the sheen of dampness everywhere. Small puddles of water collected in the indentures, although these did not have the mirror-like finish of the lake. The stone was cold, unnaturally so. Despite her silver, Herd-forged shoes, Luna shivered. The walls were just as bad.

“It’s kinda weird that this place is so clean,” Rainbow Dash said. She was the only pony flying around and the draft from her wings blew more of the foul, cold air towards Luna’s face. She didn't chastise the pegasus, however. Rainbow Dash looked restless and uneasy. If flying helped with that, then Luna didn’t mind. “I thought there’d be more dead bodies around.”

“Rainbow Dash!” Rarity snapped. “That’s distasteful!”

“Hey, it’s not like I want more dead bodies around! Remember Clover the Clever’s refuge? It had a bunch of dead bodies floating around even after hundreds of years!” Her voice lowered. “I’m just wondering what happened to all the ponies who lived here if their city just got swallowed by a lake, that’s all.”

“Don’t jinx it, sugarcube,” Applejack said. She glanced towards the darkened entrances to the many ruined buildings around them. “We just might find out.”

“M-m-maybe...” Pinkie Pie whimpered. The others looked to where she was pointing. “Maybe they all got washed down there.”

The side-street they were following split in two, one which led to the main plaza, while the other continued to wind into a veritable maze of ruins. The plaza was not infested with Smart Cookie’s monstrosities, much to their relief. It seemed that the horrible constructs that were attacking the Legion were coming from some place else.

Indeed, the plaza was bereft of anything save for a wide flat space and a hole around a couple dozen feet across. The tentacles of Oceanus swirled around the hole and down it. From their spot, it was difficult to tell if a great many of the things were wriggling in or wriggling out. Six pedestals surrounded the hole symmetrically. All were nearly completely destroyed. One still had a large fragment of the statue sitting on it intact. It looked like the hind legs of a pony rearing up and over the hole.

While the sight proved disturbing enough, the sounds near the place was worse. There were ponies crying: the distant whimpers of a hurt foal and the stifled sobs of older ponies. It was impossible to focus on them. The sounds had a life of their own, drifting to the periphery whenever somepony tried to listen better.

“What is that?” Rainbow asked. “Some kind of well?”

Celestia’s eyes narrowed. She already knew what it was, as did Luna. Neither of them wanted to explain. When the other bearers looked to Twilight Sparkle, they knew one was coming anyway.

“Not a well,” Twilight said. “A pit. If that’s the main plaza then that would be the Pit of Rejects.”

“R-rejected what?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“The Six Companions wanted their ‘Everlasting Kingdom’ to be perfect,” Twilight said. She kicked aside a piece of rubble and stared at the pit in disgust. “That included the residents. Every foal born had to pass stringent qualifications. Those that failed...well...they were rejected.”

Rarity swallowed. “Rejected as in...they were thrown down there?”

Twilight looked towards the side-streets. “The parents were expected to spend the next three days begging for forgiveness and promising to do better. Let’s go, girls, the tower should just be a little way off now that we've reached this point. If you don’t mind, I don’t want to pass that way.”

Nopony said anything, but they did take the other street. The gentle sobbing faded as they put the forsaken pit behind them.

“Wait, are heading for that weird dome?” Rainbow Dash asked. She no longer needed to put in so much effort in keeping her voice subdued. Even her wing beats slowed just to keep from making too much noise. “I thought we were looking for a tower?”

“The maps I read all point to that spot as the place for the tower to the abyss,” Twilight said. “I know it doesn't look like a tower, but I don’t think we should be relying on looking when it comes things like the abyss."

They skirted around the main plaza, past the wreckage of the three main buildings of the Old Kingdom. Nearly nothing had been left of the three buildings. Perhaps it was better that way.

The dome-shaped structure, however, was mostly intact. Its walls had a glossy white finish, smooth as worked marble and easily distinguished from the gray-green stone that comprised the rest of the city. Not only that, there were no signs of cracking anywhere around it. The entrance was a doorway that would have allowed a fully grown dragon through.

Hoof-steps echoed throughout the empty building when they entered. The floor inside was spotless and as white as the outer walls. The space was uncluttered as well. If this was some other city in Equestria, Luna would have assumed that this was a parading ground or a place of gathering. She looked to the ceiling. There might be something that could clue them in on what this so-called tower to the abyss really was. They certainly were not doing any climbing or descending in this emptiness. She looked up...and gasped.

The ceiling was also white and partially luminescent. Despite the dark atmosphere of the Old Kingdom, they could see much better here, enough to clearly make out the incredible detail on the murals above them.

The face of Oceanus stared at them from the very center of the ceiling. At least, it was a depiction of Oceanus’s face. Luna was already sure that the firstborn was not black, nor did he have a wriggling mass of tentacles for a mane. The sides depicted scenes from what she could guess was a history of the Old Kingdom. Three separate nations were shown at one part: a city above the clouds, a grand castle high in the mountains and villages across a wide plain. A little to the right showed the same nations surrounded by six great pony shapes of swirling whites and blues.

“The windigos,” Twilight Sparkle said softly as she stared at the same part of the mural. “This must be the starting point. The windigos were the ones that forced the early ponies to seek the power of Oceanus.”

“Ag’thelos,” Fluttershy said. She was also staring at that part of the mural. “Mina’ros, Cos’tys, Mene’tys, Er'bos, and Lok’horus.”

Everypony stared at Fluttershy. Twilight’s jaw dropped while the others looked with concern.

“Fluttershy, how do you know those names?” Twilight asked. For a moment, Fluttershy didn't even seem to hear them. She continued to look at that particular section of the mural as if she was looking at an old family photograph.

“Fluttershy?” Celestia asked.

“Huh?" Fluttershy turned around and winced when she saw them all staring at her.

“How do you know all those names?” Celestia asked.

“Well...um...” Fluttershy pawed the floor nervously. “I...I don’t really know...I must have read them off one of those books in Canterlot...I think...”

“What else do you know about them?” No suspicion marred Celestia’s voice. Indeed, she sounded genuinely interested, as if Fluttershy brought up a fun little topic at a tea party. Luna wondered if her sister suddenly decided to pick this time to show off how well she could lie or if she meant every word.

The effect was immediate; Fluttershy relaxed and went back to looking at the mural. “Well,” she said, “They were...friends...I think. They were a small group within the Equos de Abysso. When Regia Carnifex left, they started thinking that they didn't want to serve as well. So they...they severed the tie.”

Luna looked to her sister. “Enforcers cutting off their tie?” she asked incredulously. “Is this even possible?”

“The bond between an alicorn summoner and his or her enforcers is tightly knit, sometimes to the point where even they find it difficult to determine where they begin and end,” Celestia replied. “I've never seen it happen, or even heard of such a thing. Still, I imagine that it is possible. Ultimately, enforcers can make their own decisions if cornered in such a way, and I’m sure Oceanus’s actions were extreme enough to give even some of his enforcers pause.”

“But I've never heard of enforcers going around without an alicorn,” Luna said. “What would have happened to them?”

“Let’s ask, shall we?” Celestia looked back to Fluttershy. “What happened then?”

“The pain was...it was unbearable,” Fluttershy pressed a hoof against her ruined eye. “They went blind with it...turned their rage on everything around them." Her gaze went from the scene where the windigos surrounded the three nations to where they were chasing a large group of ponies. Blue-white swirls had tangled a few of the fleeing ponies. The next scene showed six ponies wreathed in blackness, the Six Companions, standing against the windigos. “They lost in the end.”

“Fluttershy, I’m definitely sure there is no way you could have read that somewhere,” Twilight said.

Fluttershy looked blankly at Twilight, and then to the rest of her concerned friends. “Isn't there?” she asked. “I mean...where else would I have found out?”

Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “You sounded like you were there. Like you knew each of those windigos. Like you felt their pain.”

Fluttershy shrank from Twilight and looked away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about! I don’t know how I know!”

“Sugarcube, are you okay?” Applejack asked. “You've been acting mighty strange since...well...since you got-!”

“Hammered to a pulp!” Rainbow said. She ignored the glares shot her way. “What gives, Fluttershy? You’re creeping us out with the scary eye-blasting and this history lesson from nowhere!”

Fluttershy dropped to a low crouch, pressing a hoof against her ruined eye even harder. “I...don’t know! I don’t-!”

A white-feathered wing draped over Fluttershy. “Hush, Fluttershy,” Celestia said. “I believe you.”

“Big sister, do you know what’s going on?” Luna asked. She hoped that the answer was a definite “yes”. Being attended to by enforcers was no common gift among alicorns and knowledge about them, despite the Eternal Herd’s long history, was scarce. Even the enforcers themselves had little self-knowledge and they had never been inclined to discover.

“Not quite,” Celestia said. The glow around her horn brightened briefly. “I do know that this is no case of possession, replacement, or any sort of malicious action by one of the Equos de Abysso. I would have noticed something so obvious and that is not how enforcers act.”

“Then what’s wrong with her?” Twilight asked. She cringed when Celestia answered with a stern look.

“It would be too quick on our part to assume that something wrong has happened,” Celestia said. “Something obviously has and the involvement of the Equos de Abysso is troubling. Let’s not forget, however, that Fluttershy is alive right now because of this change.”

Silence washed over them like another stifling wave of the ruined city’s foulness. Rainbow Dash actually landed and stared at her hooves. Twilight put a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Sorry,” she said. “For not trusting you.”

“It’s alright, Twilight,” Fluttershy said. “I don’t really trust me right now.”

“We must focus on more pressing matters,” Celestia said. “The magical energies around this place have been recently disturbed. Black Rose has clearly gone this way.”

“But we've gone as low as we can go!” Applejack said. She tapped the floor with her hooves. “Sounds pretty solid to me.”

Applejack yelped when golden light flared next to her hooves. The other huddled closer to the princesses as the light began to trace a circular pattern that spanned nearly the entire floor of the dome. Luna studied the markings and shook her head. “Necromantic array,” she said. “This is bad.”

“Indeed,” Celestia said. “The array is very old, likely inscribed by the Six Companions themselves when they frequented this place.”

“Why is that a problem?” Twilight asked.

Luna’s eyes narrowed. “The problem, Twilight Sparkle, is that I am not even half the necromancer my brother is,” she glanced towards Celestia. “And I’m better than big sister at it.”

Celestia frowned and looked away. “It is a rare gift,” she said. “One I would not have used if I did have it. Regardless, Luna, you can decipher these things better than I can. What can you tell from them?”

Luna studied the array for several minutes, following the wide circle across the huge space. Unlike her sister, she did wish she had the talent for Necromancy. The school was often maligned -sometimes even by its own practitioners- for its manipulation of things like grudge, necrotic energies, and life force, but it had its uses as this difficult array was proving. After what may have been half an hour, she looked towards the others. “Oddly enough, this is a form of transport spell,” she said.

“But transportation spells belong to Summoning Conjurations,” Twilight said. “Shouldn't Princess Celestia be able to use it easily then?”

“If it was to travel to a more conventional place it would be,” Luna replied. “This spell will take its targets to the base of the tower. It is a place at the very edge of the abyss created by the Foul Weapon and will swallow anypony foalish enough to traverse it without preparations.” She traced one section of the glowing circle with her hoof. “Right here is an incantation for a pact with the power of abyss. With some modification, my sister and I can use it to protect all of you from being swallowed.” She didn't mention another detail she noticed, something which she was sure her sister had noticed as well: the circle strongly resembled an Eternal Herd array. Either the Six Companions had some outside help making it or this thing was here before even the Old Kingdom was built. Oceanus would not have needed this, neither would his strongest servants. What was it for?

“Don’t you mean ‘we’?” Rarity asked. She laughed nervously and glanced at both Luna and Celestia. “The both of you are coming, right?”

Luna didn't bother hiding the resignation in her tone. “We can’t.” The six of them withered at this. “With our limited affinity for Necromancy, my sister and I will need to work together with this array just to maintain it on the rest of you. If the ritual is interrupted while you are inside the tower, you will be swallowed by the abyss.”

“But-!” Twilight hesitated and looked towards Celestia. “Black Rose and her Thorns must have taken this path...and the Six Companions too! How did they-?”

“The Six Companions only needed a more rudimentary form of this spell,” Luna said. “They had no problem embracing the abyss. That is not a path you would want to take. As for Black Rose, she is a very skilled necromancer in her own right, much more than even most alicorns I know. Combine that with how this place is reacting to big brother, it would have been easy for her to pass through here with her Thorns.”

“Twilight.” Celestia approached her student with a smile and a hoof on the shoulder. “Past this portal, you must confront Black Rose and her Thorns in the Foul Weapon’s presence. My brother is also within. Find a way to aid him and he will aid you. I’m sorry I cannot go with you, but...” The smile widened. “I know all of you can do this if you stand together.”

A tear rolled down Twilight’s cheek. She shuddered and her legs looked shaky, but she answered the smile with one of her own. “We will, your highness.”

The six bearers of the Elements of Harmony stood at the center of the circle while Celestia and Luna occupied opposing points. “Are you ready?” Luna asked.

Twilight nodded grimly. Her friends held hooves behind her.

The circle of light intensified as both sisters focused their magic. There was a flash, the same sort that would have accompanied a teleportation circle, and they were gone.

Twilight shook her head while her eyes adjusted. For a moment, she almost didn't want them to. The Old Kingdom was an awful enough sight; a ruined testament to the very worst of ponykind, a tomb drowned by both water and wickedness. What nightmare awaited her at the edge of the abyss?

When Twilight’s vision finally cleared, the next question was ‘Did we make a mistake?’ It looked as if they were still in the Old Kingdom. The walls were seamless gray stone, as if the entire tower had been crafted from a single block. The lighting didn't come close to illuminating the ceiling, or even the entirety of the where they were. A spiral stair wound its way up the walls and into the darkness above them, each step wide enough to allow two ponies to walk side-by-side and rising only a few inches at a time. The floor was...there was no floor. They were standing in complete blackness and- She paused. Wait...where were they getting their light anyway? She lifted a front hoof to her face and stared at it. She was emanating a faint white light. Her friends were scattered across the floor, also glowing .

“I am never going to get used to all these teleportation spells,” Applejack said with a groan. The others rose unsteadily behind her. “Where are we now? And can’t somepony turn on a light? I am so sick of all this darkness!”

Twilight focused on a light spell. They were in for the fight of their lives and she didn't want to do it in a place where she barely see a few feet ahead of her. The magic flowed and the spell finished...but no light appeared. Twilight frowned. That was weird. She could ‘feel’ her globe of light. She moved it around and felt its presence, but the darkness was as pervasive as ever. “Sorry,” she said. “We’ll have to make do with this...um...self-illumination?”

Rarity felt around her forelegs and chest. “Oh my stars! I’m completely luminescent! I knew I was going to shine one day, but not like this!”

“This is the edge of the abyss, huh?” Once Rainbow Dash got her bearings, she was immediately airborne. “It’s not so bad! Just more darkness and stone! So what’s next for us?”

Twilight pointed to the stairs. “What else is there? We start climbing. Don’t fly ahead, Rainbow, it’s too dangerous.”

“Hold on a second here,” Applejack said. “Why are we going up? Ain’t we supposed to be going down to this Blasphemous Rift?”

“True,” Twilight replied. “But there is no downward path. We climb because there’s nowhere else to go.”

Applejack scratched her head. “Well, that doesn’t-!”

“Girls!” Pinkie Pie cried out. She pressed her face against the blackness they were stepping on. “Check this out!”

Twilight looked at the ground. “What is it?” she asked.

“Over there!” Pinkie Pie tapped at the floor and pointed. “They’re a long, long way away, but you can see the princesses over there!”

Twilight squinted, and then gasped. There were two ponies at the distance. They were also glowing, making them a bit easier to spot in the darkness. Those were her mentor's mane and tail, now back to their usual flowing colors. The golden circle of light was also easy to see. She thrust a hoof towards them, but the “floor” blocked her foreleg.

“Are they-?” Rarity was also squinting at the two figures. “Are they upside-down?”

Pinkie Pie giggled. “Yeah! They are! I can see the bottoms of their fancy shoes!”

Twilight swallowed as she realized something. “They’re not upside down,” she said. The others looked to her.

“Twilight, I can see them too,” Applejack said. “They’re upside-down.”

“No!” Twilight tapped a hoof against the “floor”. “Don’t you get it? This tower is inverted! That portal we used was the very base of this building. Now, we’re inside.”

Pinkie tapped a hoof against her face. “So that means we’re upside down?”

Twilight nodded. “To put it simply, yes. This lowest floor is the highest point of the tower. The more we ascend...”

“...the further into the depths we go,” Rarity said. “Not such bad grammar after all, Lexarius.”

“Okay then!” Rainbow said. “Let’s start climbing!”

“Wait!” Twilight put a hoof up. “Do you hear that?” Her ears perked at the very faint, distant sound coming from above them. Whatever it was, it was a long way up.

“It’s just more ghostly sounds, sugarcube,” Applejack said. “Just ignore it.”

“No, this one’s different. It sounds like somepony’s playing some kind of violin.”

Rarity’s eyes narrowed as she listened. “No, dear. That’s not a violin you’re hearing.” Her mage-blades started floating by her side.

“It’s a cello.”

Legion-forged

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 53: Legion-forged

Since the first time he faced down a pack of wolven, Vanguard had come to expect certain sensations to accompany the rush of enemies: fierce snarls and growls, the angry grind of claws against metal, the crunch of bodies colliding, pained yelps of the injured and the weak howls of the dying. For all their blood-lust and persistence, the wolven were familiar and familiarity always brought some comfort. He knew that the ponies from the Western and Southern Legions must expect similar things.

His previous fight, however, had been against silent, pony-shaped monstrosities of flesh and bone: the monstrous creations of an alicorn identified as Caro Artifex. Once more, Vanguard found himself charging against monstrous and mostly silent creations, this time from Smart Cookie. The smaller, dark-green metal constructs whirred and clicked into the fray. No two looked the same, but they were all bizarre, gaudy, jagged things with far too many cutting implements. Despite their awkward appearances, they moved with surprising agility. They scuttled, slithered, and even rolled through the rough sloping terrain with ease. It was hard to tell if these things had eyes or any other senses even if some of them had something vaguely resembling a head.

The constructs emerged from the Old Kingdom like a disturbed colony of ants, swarming out to destroy anything that dared to be nearby. Their sheer numbers were intimidating enough and the wicked ways by which they were equipped for battle gave even some of the legionnaires pause. Enormous beetle-like pincers clicked menacingly, powerful crab-like claws waved about and spinning saw-blades attached to spidery legs promised a gruesome end for the careless. They came not just in various shapes but sizes as well. The smallest ones were roughly the same size as ponies. There were larger ones, some merely two or three times the size of a pony to enormous behemoths the size of siege towers.

To combat this sudden threat from the filthy darkness that Equestria eventually emerged from, representatives from all three legions had gathered around the Old Kingdom. Earth ponies steeled themselves for the inevitable crash, pegasi took flight and unicorns intoned their first spells. It was unclear as to who had the advantage in numbers. The enemy horde looked manageable for the time being, but more were still pouring out of the Old Kingdom. Terrain, however, favored the Legion. The Old Kingdom lay at the bottom of a lake and its freakish creations had to move up a slope to engage.

A hail of bolts and arrows crashed into the first wave of constructs. The Northern Legion’s pegasi were armed with light crossbows, which let them retain their mobility and reload quickly for suppressing fire while maintaining sufficient power to hurt the mobile and lightly armored wolven. From their aerial vantage point, they picked out and concentrated their bolts on the faster constructs. Steel-headed shafts pierced thin armor plating and jammed into the moving parts inside, hampering and even stopping the enemy. The pegasi flew in small formations, dodging and weaving when the constructs fired back with high-speed darts and spinning blades.

The Western Legion’s bolts came from the ground. To pierce ursan heavy armor and musculature, earth ponies wielded enormous heavy crossbows, much too big to use effectively in flight. Their bolts shattered the smaller constructs and pushed back even the bigger, thicker-armored ones. If that wasn't enough stopping power, the Western Legion had also brought along some of its notorious “bear-skewers”: essentially small, metal-prowed ballistae mounted on the backs of earth ponies. A second pony accompanied the weapon-carrier, holding the ammunition, aiming, and keeping the weapon steady. The size and power of a bear-skewer was almost grotesque in its exaggeration, but it was necessary when encountering the rare ursan titans. When a smaller construct was struck, the javelin-sized bolt tore through it as if it were made of paper, raining debris down on the ones behind it. Even the larger, armored ones did not fare much better. One crab-like construct collapsed when a bear-skewer bolt sheared off four of its legs. It collapsed on its side and slid slowly down the slope while others skittered over it.

The Southern Legion had fewer missiles to contribute. Concentrated missile fire was not a favored tactic in the thick jungle-fighting skirmishes that made up many of the encounters between Equestria and Ophidus. Armed with long bows for more versatility, pegasus archers picked their targets individually, trying to home in on the more dangerous looking ones and sniping them from various angles. They flew low, just out of reach of the larger constructs. In the jungle, they would still be under the canopy thus avoiding being clear targets for vipren snipers.

Physical missiles were not the only things punishing the horde of constructs for coming at the Legion from a lower ground. The northern unicorn magi had assembled their spell-fire lines, unleashing a steady stream of fire, lightning, and force, against the enemy front lines. They fired in turns, with one row casting while the other recovered and intoned to ensure a constant barrage of spells.

At the very rear of the Legion, the western unicorn magi had formed their evocation arrays long before the fight started. Against the magic-resistant ursans, unicorn magi in the west rarely worked alone. The smallest array, comprising three participants and a director, was called a ritual. The participants channeled their magical energy into a single blast of raw force which the director aimed and fired for great distances. A ceremony was an array of two rituals led by a coordinator. Four rituals, three in a participatory role and a lead one at the center, made up the largest evocation array known as an assembly. It took more than just putting together every available unicorn mage to create these arrays. Teams had to practice together for long periods before risking actual combat. There were also stories of attempts to form even bigger arrays. None of them ended well. For this fight, the Western Legion had mustered only a single assembly, a dozen or so ceremonies, and even more rituals. Great blasts of telekinetic force arced across the sky and pounded the rear lines of the construct horde, sending shards of metal raining back into the Old Kingdom. Great care was put into aiming the arrays lest any strike the Old Kingdom itself and risk harming the princesses.

The southern unicorn magi spent more time moving among the ranks than firing spells at the enemy. Balls of fire or bolts of lightning were seldom good ideas in cramped fighting conditions surrounded by combustible materials. While it was still reasonable to overcome cobrahn magic, the Southern Legion had to deal with coatl overlords, the most magical of Equestria’s enemies, easily capable of crushing entire platoons of unicorns. Southern magic was more subtle: enhancements to speed and power, temporary shields to help with the first impact, protections against potential toxins and most importantly, harmful blasts of energy.

Vanguard watched the unified ranged assault with a sense of satisfaction and concern. Their attacks proved effective enough. The smaller constructs crumbled under the wave of bolts, arrows, and spells. More enemies continued to emerge from the Old Kingdom and the horde was single-minded in its assault. Even the most bloodthirsty and stubborn wolven commander would have hesitated at the amount of casualties its troops were taking before they even got to the melee. Not so these things. They did not flinch or slow when their fellow constructs fell all around them.

Then, there was the big one. Special Operations already knew of the existence of the Coldsteel Construct, but there was too little information at hoof to formulate a plan of attack should they encounter it. It was shaped like a giant earth pony. Vanguard watched with great concern as it took a blast from the Western Legion’s assembly. White surges of magical energy flowed across its armor plates briefly, but it continued its ponderous advance without taking so much as a scratch.

After a slow but persistent surge, the constructs finally approached the Legion’s front lines.

The reaction was instantaneous. Once the constructs reached a certain distance, the front line legionnaires charged. Earth ponies from the north occupied the front lines, Vanguard Clash among them. They were the most heavily-armored, well suited for slamming into wolven lines and breaking them apart. At a downward gallop, they crashed into the enemy, trampling those that got underhoof into flattened fragments and pushing back even the larger ones. Vanguard himself slammed into a six-foot tall bipedal thing with enormous grasping arms. Its knees snapped from the impact, leaving the rest of it to be trampled to pieces by his hooves.

The constructs fought viciously. One legionnaire lost both his forelegs to the spinning blades of a scorpion-like monstrosity. As the legionnaire fell, the thing lifted all five of its drill-tipped tails and plunged them into him. Yet, this unfeeling relentlessness their foes exhibited also proved to be an advantage. Gaps quickly emerged within the enemy’s front lines. The Old Kingdom’s constructs showed no concern for each other and preferred to charge in deep to kill as many ponies as possible over maintaining any sort of formation.

The legionnaires from the west were quick to seize this flaw. The heaviest barding did little to protect a pony from the claw swipes of a massive ursan so the Western Legion outfitted its infantry with lighter ones for mobility. For weapons, they preferred long barbed spears or great jagged blades. In either case, they were trained to outmaneuver their bigger, slower foes, and to leave behind horrific wounds until they bled to death. For this fight, they pushed past the front lines and towards the lightly armored constructs that fired darts and blades at the pegasi. They cleaved through their foes with ease and then leaped out of the fray when the heavier constructs gave chase.

In addition to its earth ponies, the Western Legion also had a few lancer flights brought into the Heartland. They were the oddities among the Legion's pegasi, the most heavily barded and the least maneuverable among all of them. Lancers were picked according to their strength and endurance, rather than flying ability and long-range accuracy. They were armed with their signature broad-tipped spears. Each one was nearly ten feet in length, a quarter of which was metal. They dive-bombed large armored targets with finely-honed precision, using special harnesses to release their weapons if they broke or got too embedded. They were also armed with heavy, curved blades for swooping strikes.

The southern legionnaires proved the most out of place in such a massive battle. Just as its long-range units did not favor large formations and mass concentration of fire, the Southern Legion’s melee units were not prone to holding lines or breaking them. Heavy metal barding rusted quickly in the humid air of the south and was a great liability in the marshier areas, but protection was a must against the poisoned arrows and darts. A southern legionnaire was clad in medium barding, made from very thick leather reinforced with chitin plates from the jungle wildlife. A recent influx of dead dragons also provided many of the higher-ranking legionnaires with dragon scale barding: light, tough, and waterproof. Weaponry was a matter of balance: short bows for elusive viprens and cobrahns, wide-bladed swords for close encounters with constrictors or very stubborn undergrowth. For this fight, they provided stop-gap reinforcements, helping the northern legionnaires hold the line and providing support for the western legionnaires pushing ahead or falling back.

“Eeyahoo!” Scarlet Rabbit yelled.

As brutal as the melee was on the ground, the pegasi were not any better in the air. Blood rained on the ground units with feathers slowly following after. A pegasus was seldom struck just once when hit and a single still moment, either from hesitation or pain, was all it took to be peppered by a dozen or so flying blades and darts. When bodies fell from the air, they were never in one piece.

Though the Old Kingdom’s constructs fought silently, the Legion made up for it with fierce neighs and fiercer oaths. The bang and grind of metal was constant and everywhere. When the constructs brought down a pony, the screams that followed was enough to set Vanguard’s teeth on edge. He had seen the wolven tear a pony apart and drag away chunks for food, but these things drilled, sliced and tore with ferocity that he could only call fanaticism.

“Vanguard!” Nightcanter being so close left Vanguard confused. He was by the very front lines, slashing and stomping on every construct that tried to force its way to their more vulnerable units. The precautions taken in moving Legion troops into the Heartland meant that their numbers for this fight could have been more. Every legionnaire was needed to push back the enemy, including every Special Operations agent available.

“Nightcanter!” Vanguard had to yell to be heard even though Nightcanter was a mere foot away. She stood by his left side, unleashing a barrage of force missiles at their foes. If Nightcanter’s presence wasn't enough of a surprise, the directness of her methods certainly were. “I thought you’d be by a spellfire line!”

“I figured that somepony better keep a close watch on you!” Nightcanter yelled back. She ducked as a dart whistled past her. “Our dear Elements of Harmony won’t take it well if they come out of that hole, and find your corpse, unless two of them have some really bizarre tastes!”

Vanguard grunted, and swung his two-bladed sword so hard that it cut through the wolf-like jaws of a construct, tearing through its beetle torso and splitting its snake-tail in two. A moment later and that sudden burst of fury was followed by pangs of embarrassment. It wasn't like him to lose control like that. “I’m not going to fall back and hide like some self-important noble, Nightcanter!” he snarled.

“Of course you’re not!” Nightcanter smiled and blasted another construct with raw telekinesis. For some strange reason, the bigger constructs advancing on them just a few minutes ago had disappeared. This part of the line was actually doing so well that it continued to push forward. “I’m not asking you to get out of here, Vanguard Clash! I’m just taking it upon myself to help your chances in making it out alive!” Vanguard snorted and was about to push forward with the rest of the legionnaires when Nightcanter held him by the shoulder. The others pushed on and the din of battle lessened a bit. “I like our new chosen friends and I want them to have a little happy ending after their trip to the Old Kingdom!" She gestured towards another part of the battlefield close to them. “He probably thinks so too.”

Vanguard only needed to follow Nightcanter’s hoof briefly. About a few dozen feet away from them, a bright blue beam cut through the constructs, severing limbs as if the metal was butter. The beam had come from a shining orb, no bigger than a melon, hovering near the right shoulder of Blue Moon. A second orb hovered by his other shoulder and was firing a beam at a different location. Around him, constructs lay in pieces. No wonder those bigger constructs were gone. Their cut up remains still glowed with heat.

Blue Moon himself walked through the wreckage while shielding passing legionnaires. The two orbs occasionally adjusted as they fired, sometimes focusing on a particularly large target or individually going for smaller ones. Whether the orbs were able to determine their own targets and attack without prompting or Blue Moon could somehow focus on two different targets while aiding his allies was unclear. In either case, he would be impressive. Vanguard was in no mood to be impressed, however, even as Blue Moon walked closer and enveloped him in a layer of protective spells. “Be careful, Vanguard Clash,” Blue Moon said. “You are needed for more than just your sword skills.”

Vanguard didn’t answer. The front lines were pushing the constructs farther back and he still had his part to do. The advantage was clearly for the Legion for now, but the Coldsteel Construct was still making its way into the fray and reinforcements were still coming out of the Old Kingdom. It wasn't long until he was at the thick of things again. Shards of metal flew around him with each swing and crunched under his tramplers with each step forward. ‘More than just my sword skills, huh?’ he thought. It was no secret that Blue Moon involved himself in the well-being of the Elements of Harmony.

Every pony in this battle had loved ones to go back to: family, friends, lovers. Why should he be any different? The pragmatic answer was infuriating. Elements of Harmony. That made him different. As always, the crude arithmetic of war demanded that values be put when they shouldn't be. The mental state of the Elements of Harmony was more important than some family in the Barrier Lands. Vanguard slashed again, this time so hard that the grip rattled in his mouth. The blade cut through metal plating and the wires underneath with such force that he flung them dozens of feet away. Even Nightcanter stared wide-eyed at him for a moment. He stepped past the corpses of several legionnaires and into a breach within the line. With another sweep of his blades, he broke through several constructs at once. The two-bladed sword vibrated from the impact and his jaw and neck muscles started to burn.

As the battle went on, the piles of junk and dead bodies began to slow the Legion advance. The already damp slope turned into a slippery mess. More than a few of the heavier legionnaires took a wrong step and started a dangerous slide into the waiting blades of their foes. Vanguard crashed blade-first into another construct, nearly gouging one of its snake-heads off from the base of the neck. The other two snapped at him, but his tramplers took out their front knees. A tangled mess of plates and wires clattered to the ground. A mass of wriggling, spiked tentacle-chains advanced on him. He swung again, cleaving through most of them and striking the squid-shaped construct underneath.

The right blade of Vanguard’s weapon snapped.

Vanguard struggled to right himself. He reversed his grip on what was left of his weapon, aimed for the center of the writhing, broken mass of chains, and stabbed deep. The construct ground and whined, shuddering violently before falling still. Vanguard dragged his blade out only to have the tip break off.

“Vanguard, fall back!” Nightcanter shouted. She struggled to keep up. The constructs didn't respond too much to illusionary trickery. Their vital spots were also few, difficult to find, and still required a great deal of force to break. The rest of her squad only fared slightly better. Vanguard was inclined to do as she asked. His two-bladed sword was ruined, his neck and shoulders hurt, and he doubted that even Blue Moon’s enchantments would last the entirety of this fight.

Still, something else kept pushing Vanguard into the fray. His legs moved on instinct: breaking past metal limbs, smashing armor plates, trampling the fallen. An explosion rocked the battlefield ahead of him. For a moment, he was back in the north again, caught in a wolven ambush during an escort and desperately fighting his way out with his old squad. Yes, this was more his place. He didn't belong anywhere near the Elements of Harmony. Circumstances merely brought them together for a short while. They didn't need him, they shouldn't need him. The thought that he had secured some place of safety, some form of protection, because of the bonds he had formed left a vile pit in his stomach. He had let himself get too carried away by sentimentality and Twilight’s insistence. Being out here with the rank-and-file offered a renewed perspective. Nightcanter shouted again, but the din had risen to the point that he could hardly make her voice out, let alone what she was yelling. Blue Moon’s enchantments sparked as another blow veered away from him.

‘Stop.’

The cold, pragmatic thought slipped past Vanguard’s teeth-grinding fury. He had to stop. Whether it was to take a breather, to find another weapon, or to simply regroup, he had to stop. He strained to get his legs to follow and to let somepony else go into the breach. He recognized the sensation now, it had slipped through while he was distracted by Nightcanter and Blue Moon’s words. Wolven bloodlust. He cursed at himself. How could he have let things get this bad? He had never let the bloodlust taken over this far. Not since he was a colt.

“It’s all feelings, Vanguard, the moonrage, the bloodlust...even the regular lust. Feelings come and go. They’re not you until you own them. Will and duty, that’s what you should always follow. They tend to stay around.”

Sharpfangs’s words had held true all Vanguard’s life. It was advice born of dealing with a far harsher form of the wolven blood and a far more unforgiving scrutiny by the Legion. Sharpfangs had eked out a place for himself in the Legion through unfeeling consideration, giving up his dream of fighting in the front lines to make sure that the thrill of battle did not inflame the blood.

Once more it was that advice that Vanguard relied on. Perhaps it shouldn't be just him. If he was the chink in the Elements of Harmony’s armor, it was time for that chink to disappear. ‘All feelings,’ Vanguard thought. ‘Calm down.’ Sixth squad eventually reached him. With the mindless rage settling, more immediate things came to the fore. The ground was shaking. He didn't even need to look to know what that meant.

The Coldsteel Construct’s shadow was already upon the Legion. The ground rumbled with each step. The ominous grind of the behemoth’s body parts moving were punctuated with strange and powerful hisses of gas escaping, as if the thing was breathing. The inescapable smell of blood and decay was tinged with a hint of ozone.

“Good thing you got whatever that was out of your system,” Nightcanter said in-between pants. “Let’s fall back before that thing steps on us.”

“Captaaaaain!”

Scarlet half-landed and half-crashed just a few feet away from Vanguard. He was up before they could even try to assist him, gulping down air as if he had just escaped being strangled. The right side of Scarlet’s chain barding had been nearly torn off. His champron was gone as well. Cuts, both deep and shallow, covered most of his torso. “What’s wrong, Scarlet?” Vanguard asked.

“Something’s going on with that giant metal pony,” Scarlet said. Despite his wounds and the bad landing, he was still hopping in place. “A bunch of us flew in to see if we can find some spot to shoot at when we all dropped like flies. I nearly snapped my neck too!”

“What did it hit you with?” Nightcanter asked.

“That’s the weird part!” Scarlet said. “It’s doing something to the air around it! No matter how hard I flapped my wings, the stuff just flows through! I couldn't get any lift going!”

Several squads of pegasi circled the Coldsteel Construct from a distance. When a few tried to move in even just a bit, they plunged and could only regain altitude if they fell farther away from the giant. “That’s probably why it’s constantly expelling that gas,” Vanguard said. “A defense against flying enemies.”

“Smart Cookie had pegasi and unicorns covered,” Nightcanter said. “The evocation arrays have been pounding that thing once it got in range and nothing’s denting its magic resistance!”

The Coldsteel Construct had no visible weapons nor did it need them. Nopony was crazy enough to be anywhere near it at ground level. Its hooves were big enough to flatten an entire platoon without pausing and it was tall enough to have peeked through the walls of Fangbreaker Fortress without rearing up. All it needed to do was keep moving forward. Already, the line of troops in its direct path was forced to fall back. The rest of the line also had to do the same or risk being separated and surrounded. They were fortunate that the smaller constructs were too concentrated on mindless slaughter to take advantage of the Coldsteel Construct’s advance, but that didn't mean the fight would not be lost anyway.

Vanguard shook his head. They couldn't lose. If they retreated now, these things would swarm the Heartland. Next to him, Nightcanter ordered the rest of her squad to retreat. The rumbling grew louder and the shaking was enough to rattle the broken remains around them. They had to go. But where would they fall back eventually? If the front lines receded too far, the rear units would have to abandon their evocation arrays, costing them a great deal of magical firepower. There had to be a way to hurt the Coldsteel Construct. Despite the resources put into making it, no matter what kind of genius was behind its design, it was still made by a flawed pony. There had to be some weakness.

Vanguard wasn't the only one whose immediate concern was to fall back, however. Two more glowing spheres materialized before Blue Moon. They formed a diamond pattern in front and above him and began to spin, gathering arcs of magical energy into them as they did so.

The more surprising thing didn't come from Blue Moon. From afar, five ponies galloped as group towards the Coldsteel Construct even as the rest of the legionnaires were falling back. They had the barding of the Western Legion along with a certain detail that marked them as part of another group.

“Celestia drill my backside!” Nightcanter said. “What are those true earth ponies doing? Are they trying to die?”

Vanguard doubted that. At least, he doubted that getting themselves killed was the only thing those true earth ponies were trying. They all wore masks that marked them as capable users of that bizarre magic that their faction practiced. The true earth ponies were not above a good deal of fanaticism as well. Perhaps the sight of the Old Kingdom’s relics, the very ponies that actually oppressed their ancestors, stirred them into a frenzy of their own.

The Coldsteel Construct had come close enough to be at the farthest range of a bear skewer. Its individual metal plates were visible as was he sparkle of hundreds of disruptor crystals. The hiss of gas escaping was deafening.

The smaller constructs had surrounded Blue Moon, who had stayed despite the other legionnaires telling him to go with them. The magic he was channeling was drawing their attention. Despite also being past the front lines, Vanguard, Scarlet, and Nightcanter, were not being targeted. The arcs of blue-white magical energy gathering around those orbs had grown as huge as lightning flashes. Several constructs jumped Blue Moon and promptly burst into flaming fragments when they touched the invisible barrier around him.

The Coldsteel Construct took one more step before Blue Moon finally unleashed his magic. The blue-white orbs stopped spinning and flashed. A great beam of energy erupted from between them and struck the Coldsteel Construct's chest plates. Unlike the bolts hurled by the assembly, this beam did not simply fizzle. Vanguard watched it intently, looking for the first signs of damage, hoping that this would be the turning point against the Coldsteel Construct.

“Oh, to have lived during that time...” Nightcanter said softly. Almost reverently.

“It’s more powerful than an assembly blast,” Vanguard said. “But I don’t think the solution to this is ‘more power’.”

“That’s no simple beam of evocation magic, Vanguard,” Nightcanter said. “That’s a blast of disjunctive abjuration, the strongest sort of dispelling magic there is. It should be our best bet against the level of anti-magic that thing has.”

“That’s sounds all well and good on paper, Nightcanter, but is it working?”

Nightcanter squinted at the chest plate. “I can’t tell,” she said. “Too much of a light show going on there. It had better because we’re running out of options.”

It did seem to be working. The beam of light halted the Coldsteel Construct in its tracks. The rest of the Legion had noticed. They stopped withdrawing for a while and fought back. It wasn't just the Legion that noticed as well. The smaller constructs attacked Blue Moon in a frenzy, throwing themselves into his barrier with abandon until their smoldering fragments piled up. “We have to help Blue Moon!” Vanguard said. “He can’t keep that attack up if his barrier’s eating up his magic!”

Nightcanter nodded. Despite his injuries, Scarlet was also game. They galloped hard to reach Blue Moon, smashing and blasting through a throng of constructs that were all but ignoring them. By the time they made it, Blue Moon was perspiring heavily and panting. The beam was still as strong as ever, but his barrier was now simply deflecting attacks. Vanguard slammed his tramplers --his only remaining weapons-- against the closest constructs and planted himself between Blue Moon and a wall of bladed limbs. Nightcanter took the opposite side while Scarlet hovered above them. That the constructs were so blindly focused was more of a boon now. Vanguard’s limbs felt like chunks of lead wrapped in nightsteel. Each time he lifted a foreleg, his shoulders strained as if they were about to rip. A large group of pegasi was flying from the front lines toward them. Even at the distance, it was impossible to miss the enormous spears. “We’ve got a lancer flight incoming!” he yelled over the din. Between the hiss of the Coldsteel’s “breathing”, the clang and clatter of their enemies and the steady hum of Blue Moon’s spell, even yelling didn't seem enough.

There were pegasi from the Northern Legion as well. Blue Moon’s highly conspicuous spell would have caught a lot of attention in the Legion and some had come to provide backup and extraction. Vanguard crushed another construct under his hooves and glanced at Blue Moon. Despite the great strain, the unicorn remained calm. He was shaking however. To Vanguard’s dismay, the beam was starting to shrink.

“Come on!” Scarlet shouted. Vanguard could understand the rage in the pegasus’s voice. The Coldsteel Construct was starting to move again. Its chest plates crackled with the blue-white energies of Blue Moon’s spell, but there didn't seem to be any lasting damage.

“How tough can you build something?” Nightcanter asked loudly. She paused and looked to the ground before looking at Vanguard. “Anti-flying gas and impervious magic resistance...I’m starting to think Smart Cookie hated unicorns and pegasi as much as the true earth ponies!”

Vanguard paused as well. True earth ponies...he searched the battlefield frantically. “True earth ponies, of course!”

The beam finally faded into nothing. Blue Moon fell to his knees. “I’m sorry,” he mouthed between pants.

“We’re not done yet!” Vanguard shouted. With the great beam of abjuration magic gone, the smaller constructs started to refocus. Fortunately, the pegasi back up had come close enough. A hail of bolts struck the nearby smaller constructs. As the bigger ones advanced, the lancers crashed in. Most of their enormous, steel-tipped spears snapped from the sheer impact, but that was only after burying themselves nearly halfway into their targets. The lancers released the catches on their harnesses and landed nearby, pulling out blades and coming over to help.

“Vanguard!”

Vanguard recognized that harsh call. Of all the ponies to come after him, it had to be Flight Captain Tailwind. He didn't know if he should be embarrassed or thankful. Tailwind landed next to him, crushing a construct under her hooves as she did so. “Come on!” she said. “We’re pulling you lot out of here!”

“Hold on!” Vanguard said.

“We can’t hold on! If that thing comes any closer then nopony’s flying anywhere!” Tailwind fired her crossbow at a construct behind Vanguard. Nearby, the lancers formed a defensive ring around Blue Moon.

Before Vanguard could reply, a burst of colorful light, like a pillar of rainbows, erupted ahead of them and struck the same chest plate that Blue Moon had been attacking. The swirl of colors coalesced with the remaining crackles of Blue Moon’s disjunctive beam, exploding into a blast of energy. A loud cheer erupted from the Legion’s lines as an enormous section of the Coldsteel Construct’s chest plating fell from the blast. Vanguard and the ponies near him braced themselves for the loud impact.

The shockwave sent even some of the smaller constructs flying. Despite the weight of his armor, Vanguard had to hunker down. The others held on to each other to anchor themselves. The roar from the Legion’s lines grew louder and legionnaires hurled themselves anew into the fight.

True enough, a large section of the Coldsteel Construct’s chestplate had fallen off, revealing a mass of cables, like the striations of muscle, exposed. Many of the cables had been torn apart, exposing the inner workings of the monstrous creation. More importantly, there was something glowing past the cables, its light just peeking past all the metal and pulsing like a giant heart.

“Hey, Captain!” Scarlet yelled. “I think we should hit that thing! As in really hard!”

The Legion had thought the same. Several arcing blasts of magic flew from the evocation arrays, clearly aimed for the gaping hole. Several shots from the rituals and ceremonies were wide, striking the Coldsteel Construct’s still protected shoulders and face. The assembly’s shot struck true. Vanguard held his breath. This had to be the shot to end it.

The magical bolt fizzled and rained sparks on the constructs below.

“Foal of a nag!” Tailwind shouted. "What's it going to take?”

“More true earth pony magic!” Vanguard said. The others looked to him briefly. He pushed back more constructs and edged closer to the protective ring. “It makes sense! Smart Cookie built that thing before Rock Maven’s rebellion! She couldn't have built a defense for their brand of magic!”

“Great!” Scarlet said. “We just need to get more true earth ponies then!”

Nightcanter looked towards the spot where the piece of chest plating had fallen. That spot was very close to where the true earth ponies had fired the attack. It was a miracle that they even made it to that spot, but expecting them to survive after that impact and being swarmed by constructs was unreasonable. “Easier said than done, Scarlet!” Nightcanter said. “The Legion wasn't exactly thrilled with letting a lot of true earth ponies into the Heartland and most of them were reportedly wiped out in some ambush!”

Confusion spread across Scarlet’s face. “So...we don’t have anything to throw at it?”

“I may have something for that.” Blue Moon raised his head and cast another spell. An enormous straight sword, well over three inches wide and as long as a pony was tall, unsheathed itself from thin air. It struck the ground point-first and buried itself on the spot. Strange symbols glowed red, like molten cracks, along the dark gray blade. Amazingly, the thing was crafted, hilt to tip, from a single piece of stone. “This sword belonged to my friend and comrade. A true earth pony can unleash great power from it, but any earth pony can make use of its basic properties. Vanguard Clash, I have just enough strength to teleport you close to that heart-like object. Use this sword to destroy it.”

Vanguard nodded and approached the sword, but Tailwind stepped in front of him. “That thing’s liable to fall apart if destroyed from the inside!” she said. “Pegasi can’t approach it so who’s going to provide extraction?”

Blue Moon looked to the ground and shook his head. “Remote teleportation at that distance is impossible for me, even at full strength,” he said. “There is no extraction.”

“Then I’ll do it!” Tailwind snapped. She reached out to bite into the hilt. Her face was still half a foot away when a surge of colors arced out of the weapon and struck her. With a cry, she fell back and rubbed her face in agony.

“Did you think that the true earth ponies would craft their artifacts to allow pegasi and unicorns to wield them?” Blue Moon asked. “Frenzy Heart used a great deal of personal power just to allow us Thorns to carry it. It must be an earth pony.”

“And I’m the only earth pony around,” Vanguard said. He glanced at the defensive ring. Their back up was already hard-pressed. “No time to argue, Flight Captain, I’ll take care of this. Fly Blue Moon and the others to safety once I’m in.”

“No!” Tailwind shouted. “There has to be something else! This is a suicide mission!”

“Flight Captain...”

“Don’t do this to me again, Vanguard! I am not outliving you!”

“Mother...” Vanguard held Tailwind by the shoulders and stared at her until she focused on him. “I am a soldier of Equestria,” he said. “So are you. We both know what will happen next.”

Tailwind grabbed a hold of Vanguard’s neck and pulled him to a tight embrace. Her chest heaved and she let out a loud, stifled sob. A moment passed and she let go. She wiped furiously at her face, and then looked to the others. “We’re flying out of here!” she barked. “Everypony get ready!”

Vanguard grasped the hilt with his mouth and pulled it out of the ground. The blade’s weight nearly dragged him down.

“The sword weighs less to a true earth pony channeler,” Blue Moon said. He fiddled with his coat’s pockets and pulled out a small glowing sphere, no bigger than a pea. “You’ll have to make do, Vanguard Clash.”

“I can’t carry this and wear my barding at the same time,” Vanguard said. He let the sword go and undid the straps of his champron. As he unbuckled the other pieces of nightsteel plate, Scarlet Rabbit flew over and helped undo the others.

“I’ll keep them for you until you get back!” Scarlet said cheerily.

“Thank you,” Vanguard said. He didn't bother telling the pegasus otherwise.

“Vanguard!” Nightcanter said. “I’ll always regret not getting you.”

Vanguard nodded and grasped the sword’s hilt again. The tiny sphere in Blue Moon’s hooves turned from turquoise to dull gray. A flash of blue-white magic seared away his vision...

By the time he drew his next breath, Vanguard was standing on something uneven and metallic. The ground quickly heaved, forcing him to make a grab for anything. His forelegs touched a thick metal cable. That was enough of a clue to tell him where he was. When his vision finally cleared, he saw that he was standing on a tangled mess of cables, holding on for dear life as it turned out. Behind him was the gaping hole that Blue Moon and the true earth ponies’ combined attack had left. He righted himself and quickly ran in before the evocation arrays tried another barrage.

The dry heat inside the construct was intense, almost suffocating. Sweat soaked Vanguard's mane and ran down the sides of his neck. The cables proved treacherous to navigate, especially given the darkness. He was never on an even footing and the only light to guide him pulsed from a distance. To make things worse, the Coldsteel Construct lurched with each step, causing the floor to come alive. The hiss of gas escaping completed the torment. If it was loud before, it was excruciating now.

‘Focus,’ Vanguard thought. The mission was clear and simple enough. He pressed on, shoving aside cables that got in his way. Even those were lined with disruptor crystals. The thoroughness of Smart Cookie’s precautions and the magnitude of this project was enough to draw grudging respect, even from him. It also showed that whatever powered this thing did not behave as normal magic would. He raised Frenzy Heart’s sword and brought its blade down on the cables still blocking his path. The ease was surprising. The stone blade was heavy and unwieldy, but it cut through metal as if it were thin undergrowth.

The heart was several feet away from the opening, a short walk. Just making it to that spot, however, felt like hours of hard labor. Vanguard was panting by the time he was close enough to the thing. His vision blurred and his legs wobbled. If this thing survived his first swing, the mission was likely a failure. He lifted the stone blade and steadied himself as best he could. His legs tensed for a leaping strike...what could be the last leaping strike he would ever make.

All of a sudden, the sword felt too heavy. The angle was wrong, the lighting was too dim around him and too bright around the target. The constant movement made it impossible to put any strength into the strike. This was a poorly conceived plan. If he turned back now, he could make his way down the cables. With some luck he could climb down the Coldsteel Construct and escape.

The floor heaved again. The Coldsteel Construct was moving forward. Vanguard grit his teeth so hard, his jaw strained against the stone hilt. ‘Soldier of Equestria...’ he thought. ‘You know your place. You know what happens next.” Against every instinct telling him to abandon the plan, he took a step forward. The sword wasn't too heavy. It wasn't too dark around and too bright by the target. They were all just feelings. He knew he could make one more strike. He waited for the rumble of the Coldsteel Construct’s next step and leapt.

The stone blade struck true, piercing whatever material that the painful glow hid until its blade sank halfway through. Vanguard let go after the strike and collapsed on his side, his legs finally giving way. The light abruptly disappeared, like a candle blown out. The movement and the hissing stop. For a moment, Vanguard was in perfectly still darkness.

A great victorious roar came from the opening: the fierce cry of hundreds of ponies noticing that the biggest threat in the battlefield had been stopped. Following that elating sound was the ominous whine of metal scraping. The floor was moving again. The cables shifted and collapsed as the Coldsteel Construct started to fall...

“Vanguaaaaard!”

The distant cry was enough for Vanguard to realize that he had woken up. That meant a few things. First, he was alive. Second, a lot of time had probably passed and all the fighting was over. He opened his eyes, but all he could still see was darkness. He tried to move around and quickly regretted the attempt. His hind legs refused to budge. They seemed to be pinned by something, but the pain from the effort meant that they were broken. Indeed, his entire lower half was unmovable. He tried his left foreleg and found it also in the same pain and predicament. That left his right foreleg. He raised it and found that a large section of metal had fallen above him. He was lucky that it hadn't fallen through and smashed him flat. Or unlucky. He could be stuck here until he died of his injuries or starvation.

“Vanguaaaaard!”

Vanguard tried to shout back, to alert whoever was calling out to him as to where he was. His throat felt so dry. His jaw ached when he opened his mouth and all that came out was a weak groan. He tried striking the metal to make sounds, but he was so weak that nopony could possibly hear his feeble tapping. He let out a snort. He had hoped for a quick clean death if it had come down to it. Being entombed alive was the final ordeal as it turned out. ‘Not so bad,’ he thought. ‘I've done what I could with what I had.

With only silence and darkness around him, Vanguard tried to think of other things to take his mind off the pain in his limbs. He remembered the question he asked when his father first gave him that bit of advice.

“Father, why did you marry mother?”

“Now, what’s brought this about?”

“You said that feelings weren't as important as will and duty. It must have caused a lot of trouble for a lot of ponies for the two of you to be married.”

“A lot of trouble is right. For me, your mother, her family, even the Legion. You could say that it was a decision with a lot of bad effects.”

“Then why did you do it? Shouldn't you have just ignored your feelings?”

“Well, boy, sometimes a pony has to think about his own happiness. Even if it’s just once. I knew that mine involved your mother so I risked it. It doesn't always feel like I made the right choice, but I've always chosen not to regret it.”

“That’s really confusing, father.”

“Just keep it in your thoughts, boy, maybe it’ll make sense someday.”

‘My own happiness, huh?’ Vanguard thought. Fresher memories came to mind: Twilight Sparkle leaning against him along the halls of the Royal Palace, sitting next to Applejack in that forest clearing with the moon above them bright and the campfire warm. He hadn't chosen, thought that he shouldn't for everypony’s sake. He might have been wrong. Maybe that was going to be one more regret before he died in this hole.

An hour passed. Or was it a quarter of an hour? The metal plate above him shifted.

“I've found him! He’s under here!”

That was Blue Moon’s voice. It was easy to assume that a location spell had something to do with his accurate searching. The metal plate groaned and shifted some more before slowly floating away...

The stream of light hurt Vanguard’s eyes even as the first whiff of cool, fresh air invigorated him. He put his one working limb up to shield his eyes. Despite the discomfort, he smiled wryly. “Haven’t I done enough?” he whispered. He wasn’t sure who he was talking to. It didn’t really matter. Perhaps he hadn’t. Once more, he was going to be given a chance to do something about it.

“Vanguard!”

Tailwind was the first to get to him, cradling his head gently and try to clear the nearby rubble. He felt something wet drop on his face followed by another stifled sob. “You rotten boy...” Tailwind said between sniffs. “You’re going to kill me with your stunts.” She shifted slightly. “What are you waiting for? Get some medics here and help me get him out!”

A quick shuffle of movement followed those orders. Vanguard’s vision finally cleared enough for him to see. It was a sunset’s last few rays that had hurt his eyes. Around him, Tailwind, Blue Moon, and Scarlet, were all smiling. Tailwind wiped more tears from her eyes. “Rest easy, son,” she said. “You’ve done your part.”

“Not all of it, mother,” Vanguard said, his voice barely a whisper. “Not yet.”

Ascending the Depths

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 54: Ascend the Depths

"It's a cello."

Twilight tensed for an all out attack from Black Rose’s Thorns. If they had wanted to, the Thorns would have waited for an ambush at the base of this tower, attacking once the transport was complete. They would have known that the princesses couldn't come along. The brief disorientation from the teleportation spell would have left their targets defenseless. Longstride would be high above them, picking them off with shots from nigh-impossible distances. With them glowing in what would should be total darkness, he would have had an easy time of it. Octavia would be near Longstride, wearing them down with her ominous music while Sablesteel and Lion Court charged in. It would have been a desperate fight.

“Do you recognize that music, Rarity?” Twilight asked. “It might clue us in on what it might do to us.”

Rarity placed a hoof against her lips. “Hold on...I've heard this before during a trip to Canterlot’s Opera Hall.” Her eyes lit up. “I remember! It’s the opening to ‘Skysong and Nightpiercer’!”

“It sounds pretty gloomy,” Pinkie Pie said. “Why would anything open with something so sad?”

“Well, darling, ‘Skysong and Nightpiercer’ is a tragedy: the story of star-crossed-!”

“No time for a lecture on fancy singing and dancing,” Applejack said. She looked to Pinkie. “Is it hurting you like it did the last time?”

Pinkie Pie shook her head. “No. It’s making me a little sad, but it’s nowhere near like the last time she played. This one just sounds like music.”

Applejack snorted. “Let’s keep going then,” she said. “There’s stairs to climb and Thorns to fight!”

Rarity turned up her nose. “Honestly! There’s nothing lost in spending a few moments to learn some culture!”

Twilight had to agree with Applejack in this case. It was impossible to tell how far they had to climb with everything being so dark. She couldn't even see the stairs that should be across her in this circular tower. With so little visibility and no rails, this was going to be dangerous even without any fighting involved.

No attack had come. The Thorns had purposely ignored a golden opportunity, instead choosing the herald their presence and allow Twilight and her friends to prepare. Relief, indignation, and a measure of curiosity warred within Twilight as they made their way up the spiraling staircase. They had defeated an alicorn soldier! Only one and it had been a desperate battle, but they had won. The Thorns better not be underestimating them. If that wasn't the case, then what was? Why exactly were the Thorns waiting for them above if not to fight?

Given the narrowness of the stairs, they ascended by twos. Twilight took the lead with Applejack. Rainbow and Fluttershy followed while Rarity and Pinkie Pie brought up the rear. There may have been no ambush, but this was still a bad place to get caught in a fight. They had no room to maneuver. A lone fireball would incinerate them all. Who knew what spells Lion Court had at his disposal? And that wasn't even counting the poison gas bombs Sablesteel was known for.

Twilight put her left foreleg down only to find no resistance. It took less than a second to realize that she had gone too far to the left. She gasped as she tipped over, her own weight about to send her plunging into the darkness. Instead, a hoof grabbed a hold of her shoulder, righting her and holding her steady until she found the floor again.

“Easy now, sugarcube,” Applejack said. “Less thinking about stuff and more watching where you’re stepping. She looked warily to the side. "Not that it's getting any easier to look."

“Just how high are these stairs going to go?” Rainbow Dash asked. She had taken to walking close to the rest of them. Twilight guessed that it was for comfort and warmth. The cold musty air, if it was even air around them, gave her the occasional shiver. “Or is it how low? Are we going to-?”

“Rainbow,” Applejack said. “Don’t overthink it. We've got enough stuff going on here to drive us crazy.”

Twilight had to agree. Whatever semblance of a base “floor” they had started out with had disappeared. The walls were nearly indistinguishable from the darkness, as were the stairs they were climbing. She had no idea how high or low they had come or how much farther they had to go. The darkness just seemed to go on forever, tugging at her like ocean waves, threatening to just carry her away...

Twilight shook her head. She had nearly veered off the stairs again. ‘Focus on your hooves,’ she thought. She looked down and concentrated on putting one leg in front of the other. The lack of any other visible thing was making her head hurt.

And the silence...even their hoof-steps sounded muffled. They sounded as if they were constantly whispering to each other even when their faces told otherwise. The silence was torture. Her wandering thoughts were too loud in comparison, distracting to near lethal levels as she had just found out. She may have lost track of how far they've gone, but it was more than enough for falling down to be fatal. Or was it falling up? ‘Focus,’ she told herself. She searched for something to grab a hold of mentally, something to focus on in this slow ascent to an endless void.

The music helped in a way. The same music she had considered a prelude to an ambush now helped guide her upwards. It was faint and distant, but it kept reminding her of where she and her friends should be going. She looked to the others. The strain on their faces showed the burgeoning effect of the slow, monotonous climb. Their ears were pricked and alert, catching every note of that solemn melody. Octavia wasn't trying to scare them off; she was subtly bringing them to a place of meeting. The music must be woven with powerful magic just to pierce the oppressive silence around them.

Oddly enough, it felt as if they weren't coming any closer to that sound. Like Rainbow, Twilight was starting to wonder just how far they had to go to get anywhere.

“Pinkie,” Rainbow said. It wasn't lost on Twilight that it was Rainbow Dash who was talking the most. “What can you see with your weird stone-table thingy? Are we getting anywhere?”

“I don’t wanna check,” Pinkie mumbled. She kept her head low and focused on her front hooves. “This place is making me sick already. If I look at the ley lines, I might go crazy.”

“That bad, huh?” Rainbow muttered. She flexed her wings and flapped them a few times. “Well, not like I trust this air either. Why did the those Six Companions or whoever insist on building this weird upside down place anyway?”

“Come now, darling,” Rarity said. “You should pay more attention. We’re already going beyond the machinations of the Six Companions here.” She tapped the wall next to her. “Haven’t you noticed? It’s not just getting darker, nor are our lights dimming. These walls are slowly stopping from being walls.”

At that, Twilight stopped and looked at the walls. Rarity was right, it was nearly impossible to distinguish the dark gray stone from the darkness of the surroundings. She had left it to merely the effect of shadows, but...

“By the time we near our destination, I suspect that the last traces of anything pony-made would be gone,” Rarity added.

“Gone?” Applejack asked. “Then what in tarnation would we be climbing on?”

“This is the abyss we’re talking about, Applejack,” Rarity said. “I have a feeling that won’t even matter the farther we go along.”

They continued their climb, filling the silence with vague guesses about what they’d find in the abyss. Twilight felt the urge to shush them. This climb just felt too somber...too final to fill with idle talk. She didn't, however. The talking helped her friends push away the crushing sense of emptiness as the music did. Nevertheless, she found herself looking to the other pony who wasn't inclined to join in the conversation.

While Pinkie Pie eventually managed to rouse herself enough to join in half-heartedly, Fluttershy remained focused just ahead of her. Normally, Fluttershy would prefer to hang behind the group whenever they traveled together. For this occasion, she was closer up front, next to Rainbow and behind Applejack. Twilight had thought that it was an innocuous choice of position, but she was starting to think that there was another reason why Fluttershy placed herself ahead of Rarity. Her ruined eye was giving off a faint green glow underneath its handkerchief. Twilight had only noticed it now since she had focused on Fluttershy. She was sure that it had something to do with the power of abyss. “Fluttershy,” she said. The pegasus looked at her blankly. “What do you see in this place?”

“A horrible death,” Fluttershy said. The others looked to her in shock. “This light coming from us isn't just letting us see. If it goes out, we’ll all be slaves to Oceanus in an instant.”

Rarity looked to her chest and swallowed. “That’s not very reassuring, Fluttershy,” she said.

“Sorry,” Fluttershy said. She glanced at Twilight. “But you asked what I was seeing.”

“You mean with that glowing ruined eye?” Rarity asked. Her voice lowered. “I’m sorry, darling, I noticed, I just didn't want to bring it up.”

“How do you even see something that might happen?” Rainbow asked. “Do you have fortune-telling powers now?”

“Not really,” Fluttershy said. “I just...know. This darkness is very familiar. Once you agree to serve Oceanus, it’s very, very hard to change your mind.” She focused on Rainbow. “You asked where all the ponies of the Old Kingdom went. They’re here. They’re all waiting for his arrival.” She pressed her ruined eye softly. "Also...I think I'm starting to understand..."

Twilight and the others stopped. "Understand what?" she asked.

"This...other me, this pony I freed to be able to use the Stare so openly...I can't find her. She said she was going to be out and she'd always be 'out', but I can't find her."

"Fluttershy..." Twilight reached for the pegasus with a hoof.

Fluttershy shrank back. "I think...she is me. Or I'm her. That's why I'm remembering these things. I think...I think I am Lok'horus. Or...or some kind of thing that was left of him. I just stuffed her...or me, in that place. I think...I think-!"

"Hush now, dear," Rarity said. The snap in her tone nearly made Twilight jump. "You're barely making sense! You...other you...Lok'horus or some such thing. We can't take it all in!" She smiled. "Nor should we even need to. She draped a hoof over Fluttershy and held her close. "It wouldn't matter one bit if you're the 'remains' or whatever of this Lok'horus. You are our friend and you've chosen to deal with this stranger aspect of you for all our sake. That is well and good enough."

The others nodded and a few tears trickled down Fluttershy's remaining good eye. "Thank you," she said. "I'll deal with her...or me as best I can."

"One more thing," Twilight said. Her friends looked to her. "Can we expect the Six Companions here?" Fluttershy nodded. That was the only answer Twilight needed to push on harder. Underneath the sense of oppressive dread and the rising inevitability of finally confronting Black Rose, Twilight also nursed the hope of encountering the Six Companions, to see with her own eyes the fate they brought upon themselves.

More time passed. With nothing to consult, Twilight wasn't sure just how much. It must be hours now. Even trying to maintain conversation was as difficult as holding one's breath. They had to stop at some point as they ran out of things to talk about or the strength to distribute between talking, thinking of things to talk about, watching their step, and keeping an eye out for surprises. Twilight shivered again, more violently this time. Was it getting colder? She let out a long exhale. Her breath didn't form any visible vapor, but that could simply mean that it was too dark to see. Would her breath be luminous as the rest of her body was at the moment or-

A dull crash from behind brought Twilight’s thoughts and her breath up short. She looked behind her, expecting the worst. Were they already under attack? She found Pinkie collapsed on her belly and breathing heavily.

“You okay?” Rainbow asked. She nudged Pinkie’s side with her snout.

“I can’t do this anymore!” Pinkie wailed. “It’s so dark! And quiet! I hate it here! I wanna go back!”

“Pinkie Pie...” Rarity tried to say something, but Pinkie’s sobs stifled her. Twilight was silent as well. In truth, Pinkie Pie was just saying what they must be all feeling. This place was so wretched and oppressive that each step was a trial. She missed Golden Oaks, Ponyville, Canterlot...she missed just being out in the light. Perhaps...perhaps she could turn them around just yet. She could feel the powerful ritual that kept them in this place and knew without a doubt that she could cast something that would signal the princesses to pull them out of this miserable hole. She looked to the others. They didn't have to say a thing. The trembling in their limbs, their inability to protest against Pinkie’s crying...they already agreed.

“Come on, Pinkie, get up.”

That was Rainbow. It wasn't reckless cockiness that showed on her face. Not even a desperate desire to mask her fear by pushing others. A strange calm kept her features firm in sharp contrast to the downcast looks around her. Pinkie whimpered and refused to budge. “Just go on ahead,” she said.

“Come on, Pinkie,” Rainbow said, her tone even firmer. "Nopony’s staying behind. I’ll push and drag you the rest of the way if I have to.” She smiled slightly. “It won’t be the first time you made me.”

Twilight finally found the strength to walk over as well. “We can do this, Pinkie,” she said. “One step at a time and we’ll put this behind us for good!”

Applejack nodded vigorously and offered her back. “Hop on if you’re tired,” she said. “Cause we sure ain’t budging until you do!”

It turned out that Pinkie didn't need the ride. She stood up, still burdened by the atmosphere, but with a renewed look of determination. “Let’s go,” she said quietly.

The smile stayed on Rainbow’s face as she took her place back in their formation. The one on Twilight’s stayed as well. As they continued their climb, she took one more glance at Rainbow. Something odd was emanating from her friend, more than just that infectious persistence. There was a different glint around where the Element of Loyalty would be hanging. The light from it felt warm, strong, sustaining. While the music gave direction, this light flowed through their limbs and gave them the will to press on.

The scholar in Twilight wanted to ask questions, to take notes and perform studies. She ignored that part for now. Better to hold on to this light and press on.

The thoughts flew out of her mind when Twilight’s next hoof-step touched nothing. All she could manage was a startled gasp, barely even that before she started to fall. Instead of a saving grasp from Applejack, she heard the earth pony gasp as well. What had happened? Did the stairs fall apart under them?

“Help!” Pinkie Pie yelled.

A cry from Fluttershy, a shriek from Rarity, and a swift curse from Rainbow Dash confirmed that all of them had started falling.

Or were they?

Twilight didn't notice any stair disappearing or wall going from her sight. She looked to her friends and saw all of them flailing their legs. Rainbow flapped her wings desperately to no avail. Pinkie looked like she was trying to climb back up despite being upside down. Their drawn out screams faded when their lungs finally emptied. Still, no sudden, horrible stop. Twilight clutched her head and looked around again. Wait...was Pinkie Pie upside down? Or was she? Just what direction were they “falling” to? How fast were they even going? Twilight’s grip on her head tightened. She needed something to hold on to, something to compare to. The nothingness gripped at her senses and stretched them mercilessly towards every direction. Her brain was starting to feel as if it was caught in a clamp.

Once more, the sound of cello music flowed towards and through them. For a moment, Twilight even forgot that she was in motion. That sound. It was still above them. More importantly, the cello’s music was getting louder. Pinkie Pie opened her mouth, but Rarity made a swift gesture with a foreleg. “Shush!” Rarity said. “Has anypony noticed that? We’re falling closer to the sound!”

“But the music was coming above us and we’re falling!” Rainbow said. “How are we falling up?” She grasped her head tightly. “Or...wait, we’re actually falling now? But how is that-?”

“We’re at the edges of the abyss,” Fluttershy said. Her soft-spoken words cut through the harsh protests with ease. Even Rainbow, who obviously didn't like such a high-hoofed answer was silent. Being so close to the abyss was all the answer there needed to be. They had been caught in an impossible situation at the very beginning after all.

“But we’re still falling somewhere,” Rainbow said. “I can’t even get any lift!”

“Maybe we’re not,” Twilight said. Everypony looked to her. “Remember what Rarity said? Sooner or later we’d be running out of tower, but we’d still be going on.”

“Falling, flying, I don’t care anymore!” Rainbow yelled. “I just want to stop!” She raised her forelegs. “Stop!”

And Rainbow did stop.

Twilight’s eyes widened. For a second, she expected Rainbow to immediately crumple into a broken heap of crushed bones and muscle as expected of somepony crashing from so far a fall. No such thing happened. Rainbow merely stopped moving, as if the entire world decided that she wasn't falling after all.

A newer problem showed itself. Rainbow was quickly turning into a distant glowing figure in the vast darkness. That she was lagging beneath them confirmed that they were indeed going up. They needed to stop or she might be lost to them for good.

“Girls, stop!” Rainbow shouted after them. “Just make yourself stop!”

Stop. Twilight shut her eyes tightly and willed her body to stop. She squelched the urge to hold herself with telekinesis. That wasn't going to be the answer here. Rainbow was no unicorn, but she stopped herself. The answer was simpler, one easily used by anypony. She just needed to will it.

When Twilight opened her eyes again, she was staring at all her friends caught in various positions. She didn't know who was upside down or not, not that it mattered. She looked beneath her, fearing the worst. To her relief, Rainbow Dash was still there. ‘We stopped,’ she thought. ‘But how? Did we catch against something? Some kind of invisible net...’ Twilight set her hooves down hesitantly. To her surprise, her hooves met some kind of solidity. It felt slightly yielding and firm, like flesh. She held out her forelegs to feel for some kind of wall. Again, she met a similar form of resistance. Around her, her friends were trying out the same thing.

“Guess we all hit something,” Applejack said. She tapped a hoof against the darkness beneath her.

“That makes no sense, Applejack,” Rarity said. She tapped the space above her. “I stopped directly beneath you. If we actually hit something, you should have been stopped by whatever’s keeping me in place.” She looked at Pinkie Pie, who was looking more and more as the one who was upside-down. “And that shouldn't be making any sense.”

“Let’s not count on sense anymore, girls,” Twilight said. She gave the darkness in front of her one more tap. To her front hooves, it felt as if there was a solid vertical wall blocking her. She swallowed, placed her forelegs flat against the “wall”, and started walking vertically upward. The others gasped at this. To round out her theory, Twilight walked a complete circle and back to where she was standing a while ago. “This is the abyss,” she said. “Up, down, forward and backwards all depend on where we want them to be.”

For the first time since she arrived in this dark place, Pinkie Pie’s eyes brightened. “You mean I can do even this?” she asked. She hopped from her upside-down spot to a vertical one, and then hopped to the opposite side. “This is kinda neat!” she said. “Finally, something neat in this horrible, depressing place!”

Upon seeing what they were doing, it only took Rainbow Dash a couple of seconds to gallop over to them. The rest followed until they were all on a relatively level plane with each other and facing the same direction.

“Glad to see that’s been straightened out,” Rarity said. She flicked the front curl of her mane with a hoof. “All that confusion was giving me a headache.”

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” Twilight said. “We’re just back to following that music.”

Rarity looked up, her ears perking. “We’re at the final act. Skysong’s swallowed poison at this point and Nightpiercer’s off to challenge his seven brothers. I must say, Octavia’s playing has done us more good than harm so far,” she said. Her eyes narrowed. “I must also admit that it is very good. Perfect even.”

Twilight’s first response was to cast a spell. A shimmering, pale purple shield surrounded all of them. She wasn't taking any chances. They stood out like beacons in this darkness. Even if the Thorns were a long, long way away, she had to pre-emptively protect them or Longstride would start picking them off. She tested her footing one more time. No matter how many times she explained to herself, she couldn't shake off the uneasiness of being able to just walk anywhere in anyway. And this soft sensation...it was starting to become disgusting. She was starting to wish for cold hard stone. With the cold, the darkness, and this disturbing fleshiness, it was like she was walking the innards of a long dead creature.

They followed a straight route to where the sound was coming from. From their perspective it appeared straight, but it still tugged at Twilight that they were, in fact, walking up like spiders. Time itself seemed to stretch out like the void around them. The small talk had dried up. Twilight tried to say something just to keep her friends talking, to try to anchor their possibly straying minds. She opened her mouth, but the void sucked the words away before she could even form them. More than that, it was the music. As Rarity had said, the music was reaching its last strains, building into long, powerful sobs.

Despite her long stays in Canterlot, Twilight had never seen “Skysong and Nightpiercer”, or any opera for that matter, but this solo performance was enough to stir up some vague ache inside her. What would it be like to hear this as it was mean to? With the actors, singing, and a full orchestra...perhaps she had been missing out on a lot more than she had thought.

The time for pondering gave way to a new rising panic. The music was coming to an end. What were they going to do when everything fell completely silent? Do they just keep going straight? How would they even make sure of that? A wrong turn, a slight veering off and they would wander this wretched abyss forever! She thought of breaking into a gallop, but would that help or make things worse?

And the music did stop. For a second, Twilight felt as if her heart had done the same. A quick look to the others showed that they too harbored similar fears as she did. No piece followed that last song, leaving them stranded in the dark.

“Um...what now?” Applejack asked. “Do we just keep walking?”

“Hold on...” Rarity squinted at the far distance. “I see,” she said. “Don’t worry, girls, I can see some very faint lights. I think we've made it in time.”

Twilight squinted as well and sighed when she spotted the same things. She never imagined that she would be glad to find signs of the Thorns.

“What are we waiting for?” Rainbow asked. “Let’s go get them!”

Twilight was already thinking of the first few spells to use, but she wasn't as eager to attack. First things first, they needed to make sure as to which Thorn was where, a hard thing to accomplish when their opponents were barely dots at a distance.

They walked closer, weapons drawn and eyes squinting to catch the smallest movements. Octavia had not bothered to play anything else. That made it clear that either the Thorns already knew they were close, or had bothered to lead them near only to not mind when they got lost in the end. Twilight preferred to bank on the former.

The dots grew into brighter, more detailed figures. That there were were four meant that all of them were all there: Octavia stood at the center while Lion Court, Longstride and Sablesteel surrounded her like a small audience. To highlight that point, Lion Court started clapping once the last strains of Octavia’s performance came to a stop. In return, Octavia bowed before turning her attention towards Twilight. “Finally,” she said. “We can dispense with warm-ups and get on with the main performance.”

The sight of Octavia alone left them stunned for a few seconds. They were now close enough to see finer details and the sight of the blood running down in thin rivulets from Octavia’s face, neck and forelegs was a sight straight from a nightmare. Even more astonishing was that Octavia didn't seem to notice. When the blood dripped down on her cello, the crimson liquid disappeared in an instant, as if the wood was drinking it greedily.

“What’s going on?” Rarity asked. Like Twilight, she was also staring pointedly at the bleeding cello-player. “Have you Thorns been fighting each other?”

Octavia turned her nose up with a flick of her head. A few drops of blood flew from the motion and landed on Lion Court’s beard and lips. “I just played all three acts of ‘Skysong and Nightpiercer’ and not even a hint of applause.” She snorted. “Barbarians, the lot of you...”

Lion Court stopped clapping. “Well, I think it was nothing short of a virtuoso performance, my dear Octavia. I wouldn't mind an encore.” His tongue flicked out, taking in the blood that had spattered near his lips. “Not at all.” He offered her a handkerchief, which she started dabbing her face with. Lion Court focused his gaze on Twilight. “Lovely as that Heartland piece was, it’s time we get to more important matters. Now-!”

“Where’s Black Rose?” Twilight asked. Her horn glowed brightly, standing out among their illuminated forms with a menacing aura of hostile magic. She was tired from traversing this insanity and she was in no mood for long-winded, “formal” talks. “Take us to her.”

Lion Court’s unflinching smile was beyond irritating. Twilight considered the pleasantries the worst part of fighting Black Rose and her Thorns. Whatever happened to evil gloating and sadistic threats? “We will,” he said. When Twilight raised an eyebrow, the smile only grew wider. “What were you expecting, Twilight Sparkle? An encounter straight out of literature? The band of stalwart heroes must first face the sorceress’s evil minions before the final encounter!”

“More like a barbarian horde beating down the last gates of civilization,” Octavia said.

“You will meet with Black Rose,” Lion Court said. “You will have your final bit of business. That much is inevitable. We couldn't stop it even if that was why we’re here.” And then he did glance sideways, not at Octavia, who was still cleaning herself up as best she could, but at Sablesteel. “No matter how much some of us want to.”

“I think you’ll find that none of us are interested in running your little circles anymore, Lion Court,” Rarity said. Her blades spun above her head swiftly. “Especially after that little ‘surprise’ you left me!”

“Oh, but we’re done with little circles,” Lion Court said. “No more little games, no more arrows to the cutie mark, and no more ineffectual threats against kin.”

Twilight glanced at her friends. None of them had lowered their guards. Rainbow had her crossbow aimed at Longstride, who looked so unconcerned that she may as well have threatened to pelt him with twigs. While Pinkie had her tablet out, but she wasn't as aggressively focused when she looked at Sable, who was not even looking at her in return.

“Now,” Lion Court went on. “I think the mistress has been more than accommodating on her part.” His tone lowered and the smile disappeared. “Too accommodating as I see it. The barrier has been destroyed, the power of sunlight restored, and the scheming Gravitas brought to his knees. It would not be a stretch of your own good graces to hear her out one more time.”

Twilight didn't look to her friends again, but she felt their gazes on her. Part of her didn't want to hear Black Rose out for one more time. Black Rose loved to talk and negotiate. Things always worked out to her plan whenever she did so. What if they decided to refuse now? A sudden attack could throw the Thorns off balance. Longstride was in range and it looked like he was still recovering from some kind of beating. Octavia was clearly hurting from all the playing she had been doing. Only Lion Court and Sablesteel looked ready to respond.

“I must also add that it will fall to all of us to see the prince out of this alive,” Lion Court added.

Prince Terrato. That’s torn it.

Twilight didn't like the prince. No, that was mildly putting it. Nothing he did that ever sat completely fine with her. It was always compromise, always “this will have to do for now”, always a two-edged solution. He was a bully who loved to make himself scary and got angry when ponies got scared. He was completely uninterested in making others happy, comfortable, or anything that remotely resembled a pleasant mood.

Of course they would help him. It wasn't even a matter of gaining one more ally in this blackness, or because his sisters loved him dearly. He needed their help. Despite some part of her protesting, Twilight knew that they were going to listen. “What is this ‘final bit of business’?” she asked. “And where is the prince?”

“Our mistress has taken a lot of one way trips in this gamble of hers,” Lion Court said. “You may be surprised as to how we've even gotten here when traversing this wretched abyss necessitated the powers of Harmony. Powers which I see having been ignited further. As the mistress had hoped, fighting off the presence of the abyss has taken those meager sparks we've tried to start into an inner radiance.” He tilted his head slightly, now staring pointedly at Twilight. "Most of you anyway. No matter, we still have a few more tricks left to finish the job.

Twilight didn't set her spells aside, but she had to admit that she had to listen for now. There was a truth in those words. The light she felt off her friends was different from this plain glow that the Thorns had. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, even Fluttershy glowed with a warmth to stave off even the abyss. What about her? Did she glow the same? She shook her head. "How did you get here so easily?" she asked.

“We rode on the back of a wave you might say,” Lion Court said. “The wave of the miserable, fanatical souls of the Old Kingdom’s residents carrying the son of Dominus to his rightful place.” The smile was back. “It was a good thing that Black Rose got rid of the power of sunlight. They would have recognized it and gotten furious. As it was, she knew enough necromancy and illusion to convince them that we were all servants of Oceanus.”

“Congratulations,” Twilight said flatly. “Your mistress is the greatest liar in all of Equestria. What does it have to do with the prince?”

Lion Court shook his head. “You’re too kind,” he said. “But she’s only second greatest in this regard. You would know well who the first is.” Twilight clenched her jaw, but she bit back a retort. “As for what it has to do with us now, it’s time to set things right. The prince is not Oceanus and should not be condemned to being smothered by fanatics in this darkness until the real thing shows up. It broke the mistress’s heart to use this and she trusts us to set him free and take care of this sleeper threat to our beloved Equestria.”

“Lion Court,” Longstride suddenly said. He was looking above them, his strange golden eyes bright and focused. “Hurry it up, they’re stirring. It won’t be long until they get here.”

“Ah, it’s already starting then. Given Longstride’s remarkable acuity, we still have a few minutes to prepare for the attack your presence here has brought.”

“What?” Twilight looked around her. “Attack? What do you mean? What’s attacking us?”

“As I was saying,” Lion Court said. “The Old Kingdom’s ghosts have the prince in their grasp and we’re here because they think we’re one of them. The arrangement worked until a new presence arrived to trigger their rage.”

“The Elements of Harmony,” Twilight whispered.

“Exactly. In their twisted vision, a foreign power from the same place as Lexarius the invader has arrived and we Thorns, the advance troops, have engaged. I doubt they’ll be bothering with small fry. Far from it, we can expect their leaders to show up to kill you all.”

“The Six Companions!” Twilight said. She looked back to Lion Court in an instant. “If we defeat them, we’ll rescue the prince and put an end to their threat! Oceanus won’t have ready troops from the Old Kingdom when he shows up!”

“Excellent!” Lion Court said. His blades spun around him just a bit faster, the only reflection of the battle-ready mood his pleasantries wouldn't let the rest of him show. “We’re on the same page at last!”

“Lion Court!” Longstride said, more urgently this time. His unconcerned look gave way to a grim stare as he finally readied his bow. Sablesteel’s blades emerged as well. Twilight briefly pondered how this pegasus was planning on poisoning ghosts.

“And I just got cleaned!” Octavia said with a huff. She placed her bow in position and closed her eyes.

“What in tarnation are we waiting for exactly?” Applejack asked. She squinted as hard as she could above them. “I can’t see a thing!”

“I think I see it!” Pinkie Pie yelled. “It’s a pony! I think!”

Twilight joined her friends. It did look like a pony, the glowing, distant figure of a pony was galloping towards them. This was the “main force” of the Old Kingdom? It looked more like a low-ranking messenger...

Seconds passed, as they did so, a dread realization began to slowly creep up on Twilight. That “pony” was taking a while. More glowing dots, probably more of its fellows, had appeared. The central one was getting bigger but the speed that it took to change was starting to make something clear. This “pony” was big, likely bigger than even Ridentem Malleorum.

“Incoming!” Rainbow Dash shouted.

The pony figure loomed above them with a harsh white glare that highlighted every horrid detail on it. The pony, if this gargantuan thing could still be called that, wore the tattered remains of what would have been a luxurious, fur-trimmed cape. The fragments of spectral gems still hung loosely from both cape and gown. Despite the terrible condition, the clothes were more than just fancy, they bore the trappings of royalty. Its mane, a tangled mess of curls and ornaments tumbled from its head and neck like strewn ribbons. Its flesh was an alien sight, torn and rotted to reveal portions of the skull and other bones, yet seemingly glazed over by some kind of liquid substance, as if it was a mangled corpse dipped in preservative ooze. From the attire and the horn, Twilight could guess who this was. It didn't matter that its eyes were nothing more than dark purple orbs of light within its badly torn skull. This had to be Princess Platinum, one of the Six Companions. That meant those other lights were-!

“Watch out!”

Applejack’s cry spurred Twilight into her first spell. She boosted the shields around her friends. Now, she didn't just need enough to stop a lone arrow from Longstride, she had to prepare for whatever the Six Companions could throw at them. The precise movements of magic in her mind jumbled into a panicked mess when Princess Platinum flew past them with an ear-splitting wail and a burst of purple magic.

The others cried out. Whether in pain or fright, Twilight couldn't tell. She instinctively galloped away from Princess Platinum as she looked to her friends. The wave of purple energy struck her shield with a nigh-palpable rage. She could feel her enchantments waver and saw the purple sphere shake with the strain. Their shields had held up as well, but Twilight knew a second wave would break through her protection. They needed to deal with this first companion before-

A neigh of rage quickly followed suit as a pair of gigantic, spectral pegasi descended upon them. Behind, two more glowing figures were also starting to close in.

The Six Companions

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 55: The Six Companions

Twilight still remembered that Hearth’s Warming Eve when she and her friends portrayed the legendary founders of what would be Equestria. She had nearly fainted alongside Rarity. The Six Companions did more than just discover the land of Equestria; they discovered what it took to bring together three bickering kinds of ponies. They discovered friendship. That made them more than heroes. That made them…

That made them monsters.

The terrible truth assaulted Twilight from nearly every direction. It was in the wails and shrieks of these ghosts circling them like vultures. It was in the cries of warning from her friends and the sinister glow within the rotted skulls of these alien monstrosities.

Princess Platinum waded among them, a mockery of unicorn elegance and nobility, her decadent, fur-trimmed cloak billowing from her like a still-living creature. She was covered in jewelry, encrusted with it in fact. They dangled from her ears with golden hooks, hung from her neck and tail, and wrapped around her fetlocks. Sapphires, rubies, emeralds, diamonds...there was so much that they would have weighed a pony down more than a set of nightsteel. Yet, not even all the luxury could hide the rotting appearance of the pony who wore them. Here was the pony who made a city’s population of slaves dig inside a mountain for her own dark purposes until her oppression forged a seething hatred to last through the centuries.

Floating above and in front of them was Commander Hurricane, his heavy barding cracked and shattered in places. A spectral arrow had all but replaced one of his eyes, while broken blades and spear-heads stuck out of his back, shoulders, and flanks. Both his wings had been hacked off, leaving only tattered feathers clinging forlornly to exposed bone stumps. Despite the grievous injuries, not a single drop of blood trickled from his body. It looked as if Hurricane had died fighting, but the history books said that the Six Companions were all within the Old Kingdom during its last moments. Perhaps, these ghosts took on an appearance reflecting how they had lived instead of how they had died. If so, the violent marks suited the leader of the vicious Graywing Elite well. The pegasus who urged his ponies to prey upon ponies now looked as if he himself had been torn apart for meat.

Pansy floated behind them, directly opposite of Hurricane. If Hurricane’s injuries were brutal, Pansy’s were outright bizarre. Her forelegs looked too big for her. There were stitch marks around the shoulders they were attached. Both her hind legs were that of a lion’s and her wings were scaled like a dragon’s. Her teeth were all mismatched canines, some over-sized, others too small. A long, tattered lab coat, the thing that marked her as Pansy, fluttered behind her. Pansy the mad doctor who dismembered hapless victims and pieced together abominations was now an abomination herself.

At a distance, two more glowing figures were fast approaching. They had to be Smart Cookie and Puddinghead. That meant Clover the Clever was missing. Was she not going to take part in this fight, or was she holding back for a grandiose entrance?

That was a problem set aside for later, however. Platinum was already rampaging among her friends and the other two ghostly companions looked about to dive in. A constant wave of dark purple magic flew from Platinum’s bejeweled horn. Twilight’s shields alone could not have defended all of her friends, but they didn't have to.

The abyss’s bizarre nature allowed Twilight and her friends to evade the blasts. They galloped in every direction possible: up, backwards, down…it didn't matter what incline they took or how fast they ran, they were always met with firm footing. Pinkie, in particular, hopped from one angle to another, always a step ahead of the malevolent light.

The Thorns didn't seem bothered either. With the light coming at them, it was clear that the Six Companions had finally caught wind that they were not fellow servants of “Oceanus”. Lion Court had a confident smile on his face as he weaved through the blasts, combining deft movement with short teleportation hops. Longstride and Sablesteel were galloping along with the rest of them.

Octavia stood on the same spot, playing another melody on her cello. No detection spell was needed to feel the powerful magical energy radiating from the instrument. The blasts flew towards her, only to curve and strike her surroundings. The cello’s deep tones rose even over the pained shrieks and wails from Platinum. They washed over Twilight with such presence that she could feel the music on her coat, like a gentle wave of water. On instinct, she looked to Rarity, expecting her friend to recognize the piece again and explain what it might be doing. A second later, she remembered that Rarity was a dozen feet away from her, still dodging and weaving.

Hurricane pulled a large broken blade from his chest and gripped the piece in his mouth. More shards pushed themselves out his broken body. While Platinum floated towards where they were congregated to unleash her spells at as many targets as possible, Hurricane picked a target and gave chase. That target was Applejack, who was now galloping away from hostile spells and a mass of jagged blades. The implication wasn't lost on Twilight. The Graywing Elite preyed on earth ponies so Hurricane was simply going after his standard fare.

Another moment passed and Twilight realized that she didn't need to know what the piece was. The forms of the first three of the Companions distorted slightly, as if they were being viewed through a haze of heat. She didn't know if they were being hurt, but their frantic floating slowed down a bit, enough for her friends to get their bearings and plan some form of counterattack.

Rarity’s blades flashed across the darkness, making their way towards Platinum from four different angles. They buried themselves almost completely into spectral flesh. Platinum shrieked so loudly that Twilight feared that her ears would soon start bleeding. No blood flowed from the deep wounds, but Platinum herself winced from them and it clearly focused her hostile attention. The next barrage of purple light homed on Rarity in just as many angles.

“Rarity!” Applejack yelled. She tried to turn sharply and gallop towards her friend, but Hurricane cut her off at every turn. The ghostly pegasus swung his blade in a wide arc, catching the very edge of Applejack’s hat. He followed up with a barrage of broken blades erupting from his hide. With a yelp, Applejack tried a quick turn downwards, but blades came at her from that direction as well.

Twilight concentrated. She needed a shield on Rarity and Applejack. Having them at different directions was a strain enough by itself, but the constant shrieking assaulting her ears and the myriad details she had to be aware of just to keep track of herself, her friends, the Thorns and the Companions, made this frantic battle a nightmare.

The shield around Applejack held strong, saving her from a dozen cuts, if not a complete shredding. The one around Rarity, however, shattered. Twilight gasped. Had she underestimated Platinum’s power? Or had she flubbed her shield in her panic? Rarity was quick-witted enough to not rely entirely on the shield to begin with. She had jumped to one side and rolled, but some of the light brushed past the side of her torso. Platinum’s din could not drown out Rarity's pained cry. When she got on her hooves again, a small portion of her left side, no bigger than a filly’s hoofprint, was covered with glittering crystals. They cracked and shattered into fine dust, leaving a terrible abrasion.

“Help!”

That was Pinkie Pie this time. Pansy had taken to going after her. Sablesteel flew in from behind the other ghostly pegasus, her short blades dripping with glowing white liquid.

Twilight shook her head. So many concerns coming at her from every direction…so many-

Smart Cookie and Puddinghead finally descended on them, adding more into the already chaotic encounter. It didn't take much to tell who was who. Smart Cookie, the unfeeling engineer of the machines currently fighting the Legion was more machine than pony. Her metal parts looked like a horrid skin disease gone out of control, consuming her legs, nearly all her torso and half her face. Her mane and tail had turned into needles and wires, her forelegs were massive pointed things with whirring blades sticking out at various angles. While the eye from her “organic” side glowed with the same malevolent purple light, the eye from her metal side glowed red. Her hind legs were free of sharp things, but they were huge, covered in thick armor plating, and clearly designed to deliver devastating kicks. In contrast to Platinum’s piercing shrieks, Smart Cookie let out a jarring metallic cross between a grind and a buzz.

As for Puddinghead…the mere sight of Puddinghead was nauseating. Some kind of pony-shaped blob of flesh floated towards them. Even “pony-shaped” was stretching it. Puddinghead’s flesh sagged and drooped like a badly-molded pastry. It was hard to even find the stumps that were her legs sticking out from her nearly spherical body. Her cheeks were bulged like that of a squirrel’s. Juices and saliva dripped from her lips. When she opened her mouth, a noxious greenish gas wafted past her rotten, jagged molars.

Unlike the other companions, who all had pieces of bone exposed and showed signs of gauntness, Puddinghead was all flesh. She wore no attire save for a gaudy, battered hat stuck full of ruined feathers and various beadwork. What Puddinghead lacked in attire, however, she made up in odor. Everypony recoiled from the stentch. Even the stoic Longstride wrinkled his nose and shook his head. The musical notes faltered for about a second, but resumed with renewed intensity. The smell of rotten food wafted from Puddinghead: overripe fruit, moldy bread, liquefying greens, and putrid cheeses, all coalescing into a vile miasma.

Puddinghead did not give chase, even as Smart Cookie set her sights on Lion Court and Rarity. The corpulent ghost floated slowly into the fray, letting the foulness of both her sight and stench do its work. Twilight was about to consider Puddinghead as a more passive threat when the ghost's mouth opened wider and wider until her jaw reached her knees. No sound escaped the enormous maw, but disgusting burbling sounds resounded within her belly. Suddenly, both Rarity and Lion Court were struggling to move away from Puddinghead, appearing to be inexorably drawn towards the gaping mouth.

Twilight concentrated on a spell to distract and hurt the ghost. Part of her remained anxiously waiting. ‘There’s one more,’ she thought. A blast of bright purple light, a stark contrast to the malevolent waves Platinum used, struck Puddinghead from behind, making her turn around to see who had dared to attack. ‘One more…come on out, Clover the Clever, and let’s get this fight really going!’

Puddinghead was turning slowly, allowing Twilight to fire several bolts of fire at her. She had listened to the reports given by the Royal Guard about the ghosts of Mount Unicornia. Fire hurt and dispersed the ghosts of the Old Kingdom. She didn't know if the same principle would work on the Six Companions, but it was her best bet.

The bright, arcing trails of white-hot fire that Twilight brought forth were a long way away from the first fireballs she threw back in Bastion City. These were searing lances, crafted for precision and penetration rather than explosions, in case those layers of fat served as some sort of protection.

Puddinghead let out a dry, withering groan, like a too-stuffed pony feeling that last slice of pie coming back up, when the lances struck. The spell slowly burned through her wretched hide. Twilight nearly hopped at the results. Against the mighty Ridentem Malleorum, she may as well had been chucking fireworks. To see an attack produce something other than glee filled her with elation.

The elation didn't last. When Puddinghead was taking too long to even float towards her, she knew that any attack would not be coming from some kind of physical contact with the ghost. When Puddinghead gaped once more, she expected some kind of powerful sucking force. Instead, a billowing mass of noxious yellow smoke escaped from that rotting maw, along with a veritable river of sickly green and brown goo.

That was all Twilight could take. Her own stomach churned and heaved. The next thing she knew, she was vomiting out its scant contents. If that wasn't bad enough, her vomit floated in front of her as a glob of whitish, clear gunk without any direction to “fall”. Her stomach continued to churn, but there was nothing left to throw out, leaving her throat raw and her knees shaky while a cesspool’s worth of filth continued to head for her. Twilight held her breath and shook her head, trying to clear the tears in her eyes just enough to see where she should be dragging herself to.

“Twilight!”

At this point, Twilight couldn't even tell who that was. She could barely see, her insides hurt and she had to dodge. Whatever gas had escaped from Puddinghead, she must have gotten a whiff of it as her lungs were stinging as well. There was a thick splashing sound, like somepony pouring a tub of mud on a hard floor. For a moment, she feared that she had been struck, but she didn't feel anything touch her coat.

“Come on, Twi, I need your help here.”

Twilight finally recognized the voice: Applejack. She wiped the tears from her eyes and saw the brilliant, golden disc hovering in front of Applejack, stopping the flood of filth. The goo hissed and bubbled, but the shield held true.

“I can’t block everything, Twi,” Applejack said. “That crazy pegasus is right behind me!”

Sure enough, Hurricane had rounded a turn and was descending on both of them. ‘More fire,’ Twilight thought. The magical blaze stirred within her. Necessity wasn't the only thing pushing her for more fire spells. This wretched abyss was so cold and dark, pressing at her from all sides since she came to this place. It begged for a great defiant blaze, a powerful flame to send this foul dark and everything that lived in it scurrying away. She was more than happy to will that flame into being.

Even Hurricane’s single-minded ferocity and hunger waned at the swirling flames that Twilight surrounded herself with. The rush of heat pushed away the foul odors, filling her lungs with warm, fresh air. The glowing light within the ghost’s empty sockets dimmed into tiny points. Despite how dire the situation still was, Twilight couldn't stop a smile from coming. During their climb, she had resisted the temptation to cast spells, knowing that she needed all her energy during the encounters they were bound to have. How long had she been holding it in? It must have been hours, maybe even days. It had to be. She pointed her horn at Commander Hurricane, her smile widening just a bit more as the ghost neighed fiercely and flew backward to avoid the blaze. ‘Not so tough when the prey fights back, huh, hunter?’ She turned her gaze on Puddinghead and unleashed another torrent from the blaze swirling around her. With a groan, Puddinghead also floated away.

Twilight stepped back and surveyed the rest of the fight. She had to assume that, as far as raw magic was concerned, she was their group’s best bet. Both Rarity and Lion Court specialized in the use of mage-blades. Lion Court’s enchantments were likely useless against fanatical ghosts.

Even just trying to place everyone proved difficult. Applejack stood just a few feet away. Twilight was thankful for the protection: less magic to use on shields and more for attacks.

Rainbow Dash and Sablesteel had taken flight and circled Hurricane as soon as he had established some distance between him and Twilight. Sablesteel dove in and out with her short blades, the glowing liquid dripping from them so copiously, it looked like the pegasus’s front fetlocks were bleeding. Rainbow was not using her crossbow. She was, however, glowing brighter than before. That light was no longer just the luminescence bathing them. Something brighter shone from Rainbow’s chest and it was as if this light alone hurt the ghosts before them. Rainbow must have noticed, because she was swooping in with her hooves at every opportunity she got. Hurricane’s neighs of rage grew louder and more frequent as he wheeled about, unable to focus on one target or get back to hunt another earth pony.

Princess Platinum’s shrieks grew louder, angrier, and more pained. Glinting shards of metal flashed around her from seven different directions, weaving through the dark in elaborate, ever-changing patterns. Rarity’s blades danced alongside Lion Court’s so gracefully that it seemed as if she had been practicing alongside the Thorn for years. They slashed and thrust at the fallen, gem-encrusted princess, going right through the spectral flesh several times before flying back to their respective wielders.

Though none of the blades could physically touch her, Platinum recoiled from each strike as if they did. More surprisingly, the bigger blades were not Lion Court’s trinity of swords, but Rarity’s quartet of daggers. At least, they were supposed to be daggers. A translucent, shining image of a much larger straight blade appeared superimposed over the actual mage blade. The furious look on Rarity’s face and the sheer swiftness of those mage-blades showed just how the sight of the pony she portrayed in the past was beyond being a mere outrage.

Platinum’s fury had not gone without damage, however. Rarity’s forelegs were covered with gashes. A few fragments of brittle crystal still clung around the edges of the horrid wounds. A portion of her chest and the mage coat she wore had also crumbled away. Lion Court was still smiling, but his suit showed signs of damage as well and its deep red hue did not completely hide the blood.

“Help!”

That was Pinkie’s shrill cry once again. Smart Cookie was above her, bringing down a mass of ghostly metal plates and spinning blades on her head. Fluttershy flew towards her, but wasn't going to make it on time. Two of Longstride’s arrows struck true, somehow finding the right gaps where machinery and spectral flesh met. It wasn't surprising once Twilight gave it some thought. Black Rose expected this fight with the Six Companions. Obviously, she had outfitted her Thorns to be effective against ghosts.

Nevertheless, the arrows did little to slow Smart Cookie down any more than the several shafts already stuck to both her eyes. A roaring wall of fire materialized between Pinkie and Smart Cookie. She wasn't the only one who had moved either. A looped silver chain flew swiftly across the darkness, snagging Pinkie around the torso. With an expert yank, Applejack deposited their friend safely next to them and behind the golden shield.

“Thanks, you two!” Pinkie said cheerily. She went back to fiddling with her stone tablet, tapping it with a hoof and giving it a good shake. “Wherever we are, there’s not a lot of ley energy to toss around!”

“Ley whatchamahooey or not, Pinkie, try to not get squished by evil, ghostly machine-ponies!” Applejack said. She continued to scan the chaos, looking for more ponies that might need to be pulled to safety.

Smart Cookie floated around the wall of fire, recoiling when a few tongues of flame came too close. Being next to Pinkie lifted Twilight's spirits a bit, enough to ignore the sickly stink that was crushing her insides. She wiped the last drops of tears from her eyes and concentrated. ‘More fire,’ she thought. The wall was a dangerous obstacle, but the free range of movement that the abyss provided meant that the ghosts easily slipped past it after the initial shock. She needed a more direct and powerful blast. It was pointless just hurting these things. All it did was make them angrier. She needed to destroy them. She needed a powerful enough blast of heat and light to utterly destroy them, one by one if necessary.

Fluttershy hovered just out of Pansy’s reach, the green light of her ruined eye shining brightly and intermingling with the bright rays radiating from her chest. Pansy lifted a quivering hoof and pointed it towards Fluttershy. To Twilight's horror, the end of that hoof split open, revealing a circular mouth full of jagged teeth. The limb shot towards Fluttershy like a striking snake. The light from Fluttershy’s eye glowed even brighter and Pansy recoiled at the sight, but the limb continued its path.

There wasn't a moment to lose. Twilight sent out a great wave of fire to overwhelm Pansy before the limb could strike. The white-hot flames engulfed Pansy, eliciting an agonized scream from the ghost.

And also Fluttershy.

Twilight gasped when her friend cried out and flew back wincing in pain. None of the flames had touched Fluttershy, but the heat was more than enough to hurt her as well.

“Too much fire, Twi!” Applejack yelled. “You’ll light us all up the way you’re going!”

Twilight glanced at the blaze she still had swirling around her. The roaring flames, so warm and comforting when she first conjured them, now looked more like an unruly beast tugging at her measly control. The glare stretched out even to the distance, but the light didn't improve her surroundings. There was nothing for the light to reflect off, leaving them in just as much dark as they would have been if there was no fire.

Pansy emerged from the flames, her mismatched body parts crumbling away at the edges. Twilight bit her lower lip so hard that she could taste blood. This wasn't fair. What was already too much to the point of hurting her friends wasn't enough to destroy even one of their enemies. What could she throw at these monsters that could save all her friends?

A cry from Rainbow drew Twilight’s gaze back to where Hurricane was. A trickle of blood ran down Rainbow’s shoulder, the droplets forming free floating tiny orbs once they dripped away. One of Hurricane’s many blades also dripped the same blood. Sablesteel wasn't unscathed either.

Pinkie Pie had galloped over to Fluttershy, a weak stream of colors flowing from her tablet and encircling Pansy's writhing limbs. Combined with Octavia's disrupting music, the stream slowed Pansy's charge to a crawl, allowing Fluttershy to recover and hover next to Pinkie.

A furious cry from Rarity moved Twilight’s attention away. Before she could see where Platinum’s location was, however, she closed her eyes and put her hooves to her head. Where should she direct her next spell? And what should it be?

“Twilight!” Applejack called out.

Twilight heard the voice loud and clear, but even she didn't even the courage to answer. Applejack was expecting something she didn't have: some kind of plan, some kind of next move to beat back the Six Companions. She couldn't think of anything. A beam of concentrated light maybe? Something like what Princess Celestia used against Caro Artifex’s flesh constructs…no, these ghosts needed to be overwhelmed with heat and light, not cut into pieces. Her brother managed to encapsulate the Crystal Grave to cut off the ghosts its power helped manifest. The Six Companions had no obvious source, but if she could encapsulate them in a globe of magical force, she might be able to make them disappear.

A quick glance around once more easily showed how problematic that would be. Their enemies flitted about in a wild pattern, showing no attempt to work together to bring down their targets. "The Six Companions” seemed more a title of convenience than anything else.

“Twilight!” Applejack called out again. Her urgent cry was barely audible with all the sounds of chaos that accompanied it. The two of them found themselves at the center of the swirling battle. Twilight focused on Puddinghead, easily the slowest of the lot of them. Closing Puddinghead off may or may not cause her to disappear, but it should at least contain her stench and her caustic vomiting.

Twilight had created shields and barriers before. Shining Armor was famous for his powerful and huge barriers and Princess Celestia specialized in all forms of abjurations. She had learned from the best and it fell to her now to use those teachings. Purple magic enveloped Puddinghead’s bloated form, sealing in the noxious clouds and putrid vomit along with her. The disgusting filth filled the sphere quickly, turning into a mass of sickly yellows and greens swirling in a translucent purple sphere.

“Whew!” Applejack said. She let out a loud exhale and fell on her tail. The golden disc in front of her wavered as she wiped tears from her eyes. “Thanks, the smell was really starting to hurt.”

Twilight didn't respond. For such a languid ghost, Puddinghead struggled mightily against the barrier. The sweat that trickled down Twilight’s brow no longer just came from the flames still around her. She gritted her teeth and poured more magic into the spell. This could be Puddinghead’s last desperate struggles. If she could just hold on, the ghost would dematerialize and they would be one opponent less.

Even while one of their own was trapped, none of the other companions bothered. Not even Smart Cookie, Puddinghead’s partner-in-crime when it came to dominating the earth pony clans of old. It was all well and good at that. Twilight struggled just to keep Puddinghead contained. Instead of waning, as she had hoped, Puddinghead’s struggles increased. The building amount of vomit and foul gasses was pushing the barrier to its limit.

Twilight clenched her jaw that it started to shake. Her teeth ground against each other until it felt that they would start to crack. This was just one ghost amidst so many! Was she really this incapable of standing up to the worst of Equestria’s enemies? Princess Celestia brought them along because they were bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Yet, each time they were faced with a great foe, they struggled and squeaked out things that could barely be called victories. Now, this bloated, slovenly, ghost of a tyrant was proving too much for her? No! She focused even harder, tuning out the chaos of the battle around her. As Puddinghead continued to push out of her barrier, she answered by shrinking it, crushing the ghost with her filth. Her horn crackled with violent surges of purple magic. The barrier was indeed shrinking with Puddinghead still inside it. Just a little more and it was going to be one down in their favor. Just a little more…

“Twilight!”

Twilight cursed at Applejack’s persistent calling. She just needed a little more! Less than a minute and they’d be closer to victory!

“Twilight, look out!”

The warning reached Twilight clearly enough. The seconds stretched out in her hesitation. Should she look? If she did, she was bound to lose the focus needed to complete this attack. Puddinghead would break free and she would have expended all this magical energy for nothing. But…

Something horribly cold touched Twilight’s back and she knew at once she should have acted sooner. She looked up and saw Applejack galloping towards her. ‘Wait…’ she thought. The awful realization dawned on her. How could she have forgotten when she was just thinking about it a few minutes ago? There were only five companions attacking them. There was one more coming and that was…

The cold touch went from a single point on her shoulder to a freezing coil around her torso and a numbing blast of icy chill that dispelled the flames around her. Her spell on Puddinghead broke when something spun her around. “One more…” she breathed. She tried to scream, but the sudden freezing touch squeezed her voice out before she could use it. “Clover the Clever…”

“Twilight!” Applejack shouted again.

Twilight stared in disbelief. She was expecting a hideous ghost, a mangled mockery of a pony just like the other companions. She hadn't expected this visage.

A morass of black tentacles wriggled before Twilight. A particularly long one, as thick as an oak branch, had wrapped itself around her torso while another waved menacingly at Applejack. A dozen smaller ones twisted among themselves like worms. It was the thing the tentacles were attached to that left Twilight breathless. She had thought for a second that Clover the Clever had turned into some kind of squid. Instead, these tentacles were some kind of growth springing out of a huge chunk of glowing ice, the size of a house. How did this enormous thing sneak up on her? Were they all so focused on the five?

Within the massive chunk of ice was the figure of a pony, frozen in a twisted shape that would have been fatal to a living pony. That had to be Clover the Clever, the twice-betrayer who turned on her master and then her companions. Her broken soul was drawn to this abyss in the end.

The second large tentacle also wrapped itself around Twilight’s torso. With her secure, they started to pull her closer to the ice. “A-Applejack…” Twilight could only croak. The numbing cold sapped the strength and magic from her body. She tried a spell, but her horn only sparked feebly.

“Twilight!” Applejack tried to toss her a lasso, but a renewed burst of vomit and gas forced her to gallop to the side.

Applejack’s voice sounded like it was so far away. Twilight made a feeble effort to pry the tentacles around her and accomplished nothing. Another second passed and they were pressing her against the ice. The cold stung her face like a thousand needles. To her horror, the ice yielded like some kind of blob, letting her sink deeper into the chunk without breaking.

“Twilight!”

The cry was hardly more than a whisper. Twilight let out one more sigh, the best she could do as a shout before blackness overcame her vision.

Destiny

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 56: Destiny

“Twi-!”

Applejack’s furious cry caught in the back of her throat and burned there along with the leftover vomit and nausea. She choked back a sob and turned her attention on the monster that made her fail to save her friend. Puddinghead's foul mouth had opened to snake-like proportions. No foulness erupted from the maw this time, just a hideous gurgling sound. To Applejack, it sounded as if the ghost was laughing at what had happened.

The golden disc fluctuated just one more time before Applejack let the outrage spur her on. Twilight wasn't dead. There was no way that Twilight was dead. Whatever it was that swallowed her was going to suffer the worst case of indigestion it ever had in its ghostly life. Then, it was going to spit Twilight back out, covered in disgusting ghost-vomit, but as good as before.

Not everypony seemed to have noticed what had happened. The arrival of this sixth ghost had stirred the others into a frenzy. Rainbow Dash and Sablesteel had been keeping Hurricane busy with their alternating attacks, but they now had to dodge desperately as the ghostly pegasus hacked about in a berserk rage. Several sky blue feathers flew up and floated in different directions after a particularly close swipe.

Pansy...Applejack couldn't find where the other ghostly pegasus was. What she did find was an exploding mass of spectral flesh chasing after Fluttershy, who had stopped using her powers to slow the enemy down in favor of just trying to stay out of reach. A fleshy pod, possibly a leg, twisted in the dark and looped towards Fluttershy. The mouth at its end snarled, slavered, and snapped. Pinkie Pie was galloping towards Smart Cookie, but Applejack wasn't sure what she could accomplish.

“Twilight!”

Rarity’s cry was enough to show she had noticed. There was little she could do, however. Some of the many, many gems attached to Platinum had detached themselves and whirled into a storm of jagged, crystalline shards. The few openings that both Rarity and Lion Court used to attack with their blades had disappeared.

Applejack only had that short moment to take in all their problems before she had to concentrate on her own predicament. She had lost Twilight, and that meant the loss of a lot of magical support. Without any shields beyond the disc, every attack their enemies made now seemed twice as dangerous and twice as frightening. The mass of fire, for all its worrisome blaze, now seemed desperately needed. Whatever Twilight was up to now, it better be quick or they might all be dead. She glanced at the icy thing that had swallowed her friend, hoping for something, anything, that might be able to help pull Twilight out.

The new arrival had to be the ghost of Clover the Clever. She was the only companion that hadn't showed up. But the thing didn't even look like it was ever a pony at some point. It resembled nothing more than a huge chunk of glowing ice. A mass of tentacles sprouted from one part of it, like a stubborn plant that had take root on a boulder. The cold that wafted from the thing chilled Applejack to the bone.

The gurgling laugh from Puddinghead turned into the rumble of building gas. Applejack knew that there was no more opportunity to think things through. She had to do her part. For now, she and the rest of her friends had to survive. Once Twilight fought free, they would regroup and fight back.

Rainbow Dash could only watch in horror as the tentacles sprouting from the mass of ice grabbed Twilight Sparkle. Even that moment, however, was rushed. She had to look away and concentrate on her safety. Hurricane had picked up the pace and his wild swings, and the many awkwardly positioned blades coming out of his body were making it more and more difficult to dodge, let alone find some way to attack. One blade whistled past her wings, cutting loose a few feathers.

Seeing Hurricane fight even harder did little to dampen Rainbow’s spirit. She had plenty more to dish out. Despite flying desperately for a while now, she was as fresh as when she started this climb, or descent. She felt something solid every time she dove in there and kicked. Even her crossbow bolts, whenever she could find enough purchase to reload and aim, were sheathed in the weird light that had enveloped her. She could see Hurricane recoil with each strike. These chipping attacks would eventually wear her enemy out. She just needed time, time that apparently wasn't going to be given to her. The others looked like they were beginning to tire. Nearby, Sablesteel was diving in, covering for her while she hovered there, torn between continuing this pattern or rushing in to save Twilight. Even the thorn was breathing hard. “Sablesteel!” she called out.

“I have eyes, Rainbow Dash!” Sablesteel called back. “Go help your purple friend!”

Rainbow didn't need to be told twice. She didn't know this thorn that much, well she didn't really know any of them, but they were dependable when it came to fighting. Sablesteel’s blades were coated with some kind of glowing liquid that hurt even ghosts and she was really good at dodging. Rainbow wanted to see how another thorn was doing, but she clenched them tightly for a second and refocused. Sablesteel didn't need to destroy Hurricane, she just needed to keep him busy. ‘Hold on, Twilight!’ she thought.

The ice looked immense, even from a distance. It looked big and hard enough to take on a catapult shot head on. Rainbow didn't have a catapult, only her hooves and a crossbow. A sonic rainboom could probably shatter a large portion of it, if she was willing to turn into a red splatter floating in the abyss.

That didn't matter right now. It certainly didn't stop Applejack from flailing at the ice with that fancy silver chain. She flapped her wings harder. If she had to beat the ice apart with her hooves, so be it.

It was the harsh, glaring white light piercing even her eyelids that finally told Twilight that she was awake. She opened her eyes and expected the worst: an icy tomb, a ring of enemies surrounding her, the gates to the Eternal Herd. None of those things greeted her once she could see.

Twilight stood in an opulent, circular chamber, the sort meant to host a meeting or dinner for a good number of ponies. At the center was a round table of fine oak wood, trimmed with gold and surrounded by twelve chairs of the same material and construction. The surface was intricately engraved with pictures of bunches of grapes, apples, various grains. Twelve sets of gold dinnerware lay ready for use. A deep blue carpet, soft enough to leave Twilight’s hooves a little tingly, covered the stone floor. Various tapestries, each depicting some setting of every day pony life: from a harvest, to a city scene, to some kind of magic contest, hung over the walls.

The sudden transition from the fetid darkness and confusion of fighting to this opulent place left Twilight reeling and wary. This had to be a trap. She didn't see a door or windows. For all the luxury it showed, this chamber was still a prison. She cast her first spells. The place was heavily enchanted. Once she could get a feel of what spells were in effect, she could get to work.

“Cease your pointless pawing at my spells, pony, you’re not going to leave this place.”

Twilight froze and turned around. There was a pony in the room with her now. She hadn't felt any teleportation spell, or heard anything before those words. “Who are you?” Even as the words left her lips, she already knew the answer.

“Clover,” was the quick reply. “The Clever to many. The Prophet, the Great, the Wise, the Powerful, the Fair...they've accumulated over the course of my rule.”

Twilight did indeed recognize Clover the Clever through the light purple coat and the angry, entitled glare from Starswirl’s final moments. Clover was far from the hideous shade that the other companions were reduced to. She didn't look incorporeal and no sign of decay touched her. Her straight, dark purple mane was cut short and slicked back for efficiency, in sharp contrast to the elaborate curls of Platinum. Gone was the simple, burlap hood and cloak. Instead, she wore a majestic, woven cloak of blue, with intricate, swirling patterns of silver, like watery waves, threaded through the whole piece. Clover the Clever looked like she had taken a piece of the ocean itself and turned it into a cloak and hood. Twilight expected a set of equally marvelous shoes, but Clover’s legs were completely hidden by the long, sweeping cloak.

As for what she said, Clover’s words didn't sound like boasting. It sounded more like irritation over having to introduce herself. No outrage marred Clover’s face, not like that time with Starswirl. It was all imperiousness. She talked like she was the greatest pony of all talking to a worthless peasant. Twilight was happy to change the mood. In a way, she was glad that Clover was more lucid than the other companions. This was not an opportunity to be missed. “What about ‘the betrayer’?” she asked. “Did that also just accumulate?”

“I have never betrayed anypony,” Clover said. Some of that outrage was back now. Clover wasn't the only one feeling it either.

“You poisoned Starswirl the Bearded!” Twilight shouted. “You betrayed your master!”

“I punished him for his betrayal!” Clover snarled. “A teacher is supposed to elevate his student to greatness, not drag her down!”

“He was trying to save you,” Twilight said, her voice lowering. It wasn't fear that cowed her. It was pointless to turn this into a shouting match.

Clover waved a hoof dismissively. “He was trying to save himself. He was trying to save his legend, to keep me from surpassing him, even if it meant hiding the way to our heritage.” She gestured around her, to the many tapestries of what looked like life in the Old Kingdom and its riches, before turning her gaze back to Twilight. “We have always been meant to serve the Deep Father. Starswirl tried to prevent that and died for it. Now, it is your turn to serve, little pony.”

“What do you want from me?” Twilight asked. She crouched low, her horn glowing for a defensive spell.

“I want your body.” Clover took a stepped forward. “It’s strong and warm with life. We are powerful like this, but limited. We can do so much more alive” Her horn started to glow as well. Her magic was nearly the same shade as Twilight’s, but the crackling purple energy was tainted with wisps of black twisting around it like worms.

“I’m not giving you anything!” Twilight fired her first spell, a simple but powerful bolt of force. She wasn't sure yet as to what Clover the Clever was capable of, but the reaction to this attack should be telling.

The bolt fizzled against a black and purple shield that materialized at the very last second. Clover looked barely annoyed by this brazen and direct attack. “I wasn't asking,” she said. “Know your place, lesser servant. You should be honored that your sacrifice will accomplish so much for the Deep Father’s chosen.”

“I wouldn't sacrifice a bent paper clip to Oceanus,” Twilight said. She didn't like how easily Clover dealt with her probing attack, but she was far from beaten.

“For each blasphemy you speak, I will make the transference more painful,” Clover said. The magic around her horn flared up and Twilight braced for an attack. However, just as quickly as it had brightened, the tainted light faded into nothing. Twilight raised an eyebrow, but she already had a shield up. Clover’s lips twisted from tightly-pressed annoyance to a confident smile before she began to speak in a loud voice. “O, Deep Father, your faithful daughter implores you!”

“Shut up...” Twilight was tempted to drop the shield and attack. Clover wasn't using any magic, at least not the sort of she could feel. And those words...she hated them. They reminded her of a heritage she wanted no part of. How could Clover the Clever serve a monster like Oceanus with such fervor? A quick blast of lightning should shut this ghost up. Yet, the way Clover spoke also filled her with foreboding. This was not magic, but it was something.

“Here stands before me one of your wayward children! I beseech you for authority over her, so that she may know your greatness!”

A strange sensation touched Twilight’s horn, like a point of cold that washed down her body with an oppressive chill. That was it, detectable magic or not, she was under attack. She aimed and cast her spell, expecting a sudden lightning bolt to the face to surprise even Clover the Clever in the middle of such a melodramatic speech.

Except the spell didn't cast.

Twilight glanced at her horn. The magic was still there, still ready to be cast. What had happened? Did Clover-

“Kneel, Twilight,” Clover said.

Twilight knelt. She had already completed the motion before she even realized that her body was moving on its own. She tried to stand, to jump out of this humiliating pose even if she had to rip her knees out. Her legs refused. They did not even tremble out of effort. It was only after her third futile attempt did she notice something else. “What did you do to me?” she asked. “And how do you know my name?”

“The Deep Father knows all his children by name,” Clover said softly. “It was given to me so I may command you. As a parent gives authority to the most responsible child to manage the unruly ones, so I have been given power over you.”

“That’s ridiculous! You can’t-!”

“Speak in a respectful tone!”

“You can’t just have power over me.” Twilight ground her teeth when her voice came out calm and polite.

“Daughters obey their father,” Clover said. “Struggle all you want. You cannot fight the natural order of all things.”

“What do you-“ Twilight choked, the only sign that she was trying to gain some control over her voice. That she was able to speak at this point was likely because it amused Clover. “What do you want from me?”

“We've been over that,” Clover said. “I will trap your soul in here and make use of your body.” She telekinetically willed Twilight’s face close to hers. “Enjoy the last sensations of warmth, Twilight.”

Rarity’s mage blades spun erratically above her, barely able to maintain the slow moving circle she kept them in when they weren't flying around. She scraped off a crystallized portion of her torso with one hoof, wincing as the fresh wound stung. The increasing number of agonizing, raw, bloody patches made it clear that something terrible had happened. She didn't have to look around to guess what it was. Moments ago, she had relied on occasional shielding from Twilight to deflect the worst of Platinum’s crystallizing attacks whenever evasion failed her. That shielding support was gone and Platinum had gone berserk.

Waves of purple energy wafted from Platinum’s horn like malevolent clouds of sparkling lights. Rarity had been falling back more and more. Even with the enhancements she was still figuring out, it didn't look like she had done much damage. Each of her blades served as the core of a brilliant, translucent blade of energy. It annoyed her that she wasn't clear on the specifics of how to manage this new development in her mage blade wielding, but she was happy to use it on the fly for now. Also mildly annoying was that Lion Court had looked at her new weapons with nothing more than a pleased smile instead of shocked disbelief.

As for Lion Court, he wasn't faring a great deal better than her. His pristine red coat, which he had been so careful to keep spotless earlier, was tattered in places. Blotches of darker red showed against the fabric. Despite his injuries, his smile did not even waver. He galloped past an advancing cloud of magic and stood next to her. “It seems we’re at the end of our rope, my dear Rarity,” he said. “The Element of Magic’s bearer is dead and we’re not far behind.”

Rarity took a breath as deep and as long as she could. The cold of the abyss found a way to seep into her lungs and crush them when Lion Court said those. She wanted to stab him for being so flippant, but she swallowed the indignant rage. That couldn't be true. Even if Twilight’s support had suddenly stopped, that was impossible. Something must simply be distracting Twilight and this sadistic stallion was simply insisting on his mind games even during such a dangerous time. She suppressed the urge to look around for Twilight as well. She couldn't afford to look away from Platinum while keeping the other companions in her periphery. Another cloud of crystallization came at her, forcing her to gallop to the side. To her annoyance, Lion Court kept close. Must he do this now? “You’re not bothered about dying down here with us,” she said.

“My death is seven hundred years overdue, my dear Rarity,” Lion Court said. His blades flew out, somehow still finding gaps amidst all of the clouds to stab at Platinum. “I would have preferred more of a spectacle and several more pints of blood, but this will do.”

Rarity reconsidered following through with her blades. Even with her enhancements, she wasn't going to bring down this ghost with more direct strikes. She needed more, they all needed more. She could hear the desperation among her friends even without looking. “Cover for me,” she finally said. Lion Court merely nodded and charged Platinum despite the clouds coming his way.

Rarity finally tore her eyes away from Platinum to search for Twilight. The enormous chunk of ice came into view. Applejack was galloping a circle around it, dodging clouds of yellowish haze. Great gobs of vomit everywhere, splashing against the golden disc in front. Applejack answered by hurling her chain, not at Puddinghead, but at the chunk of ice. “Twilight!” Applejack yelled. “I know you’re still alive! Come on out, we need you!” The chain struck the ice hard like a whip, but did not even leave a crack.

‘So that’s where she is,’ Rarity thought. She sent all of her blades towards the ice, converging the thrusts into a single point. “Twilight!” she shouted. She glanced to her sides. Her cry and Applejack’s seemed to have caught the others’ attention as well.

The slurp and snap of a dozen fanged mouths coming at her left little to Fluttershy’s imagination as to what would happen if she slowed down. She didn't even have enough leeway to glance back at the hideous shape that Pansy had taken.

Even fleeing for her life was a confused and difficult balancing act. She flew as hard as she could to escape Pansy, but she knew better than to fly too far from where the others were. Terrifying as being caught by these ghosts was, the thought of becoming lost in this abyss, to wander this blackness forever, was more so. From a great distance, Rainbow Dash and Sablesteel circled the horribly maimed Hurricane while Longstride shot at Smart Cookie.

She had also circled in time to see Twilight being pulled into a giant chunk of ice by long, writhing tentacles.

Without a second thought, Fluttershy winged towards the ice. She felt a few drops of drool land on one of her legs as one mouth barely missed its bite. Clover the Clever. She knew that on instinct, felt it more within her than through any kind of deduction. That thing was Clover the Clever, the miserable instigator of all of this...this towering pile of shit.

Fluttershy flapped her wings harder, ignoring the strain on her shoulders and her wildly beating heart. The cold wafting from the ice was nothing to the sudden boiling in her blood. Clover the Clever had swallowed her friend. The nerve of this worthless, overweening, primping, little worm of a filly! She was this world’s version of Solis Coruscaria, a clingy nag prostrating herself before Oceanus, leading a cult of slimy, self-absorbed ponies pretending to serve when all they truly wanted was to gorge themselves on his power. They were all the same: Solis Coruscaria, Lunalux Umbra, Abysso Spatiator, the Six Companions...sycophants, slaves, parasites, the lot of them. She was going to take a lot of pleasure breaking Clover the Clever and showing her what it really meant to wield the power of Oceanus.

Fluttershy’s wings slowed and her eyes widened. The sudden stream of angry, even cruel, thoughts felt so natural that she barely even noticed that something strange was going on. Why were these names so familiar? Why did it matter how they served Oceanus?

A hiss followed by a spit from behind, signaled that Pansy was catching up again. Fluttershy flapped her wings harder, wincing as the burn in her muscles worsened. Slowing down had been a bad idea. It wasn't just Pansy catching up to her, fatigue was as well. She shut her eyes for a moment. ‘Please,’ she whispered mentally. ‘I need more. I need more than just slowing them down with the Stare. Lok’horus, other Fluttershy, who or whatever you are...please.’

Again, there was no response. Again, the prospect that she was that other Fluttershy came to mind. In that case, she didn't need to beg some other pony...or thing. She could do it herself. The outrage still simmered within. She need to put these pretenders in their place. She had stood ready to serve the very moment Prince Oceanus was born. She had never needed to be impressed by his prowess, or his position as firstborn and most likely heir. And, when the moment came, she cut the tie in hopes of saving some still redeemable fragment of him. When the power of abyss finally consumed him, Oceanus may be reborn somehow.

Fluttershy shook her head. The ice was coming ever closer. Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash, were attacking it, leaving the Thorns to deal with the other ghosts. ‘That’s not me!’ she wanted to protest. ‘I've never met Oceanus or these other ponies! I've never served him! I don’t...’

“Fluttershy!”

It was Octavia who had called out. She had stopped playing that disruptive, slow piece and turned towards Pansy’s direction. Her bow moved rapidly in short, sharp motions. Instead of a pleasant or ominous melody, a clash of dissonant notes rippled through the air. Something struck Pansy from Octavia’s direction, shoving the ghost back as if she had been struck by several boulders. The attack didn't do much harm, but it allowed Fluttershy to put some distance between her and Pansy again. A second wave of painful, clashing notes rippled through the air as Octavia pushed Pansy farther back.

The ice was barely more than a stone’s throw away now. Fluttershy looked at it and recognized the power of abyss, the sickened version of Oceanus’s power of water. The others were making little headway against destroying the stuff. They may as well be attacking an iceberg with salad forks. She had to do her part, but what could she do? The Eye of Fear was useless against unfeeling ice. ‘Slipshod, half-assed, patchwork assembly of Oceanus’s second-hoof leftovers...’ The outrage grew and she understood. There was more to what was left of Lok’horus than just the Eye of Fear. She had but to reach in. The ice loomed closer, but something else loomed from within. She had unleashed some dark thing in herself. The results of tampering with the power of Oceanus surrounded her. Was she going to risk doing even more than what she had already done? In the end, would she be joining these ghosts?

"It wouldn't matter one bit if you're the 'remains' or whatever of this Lok'horus. You are our friend and you've chosen to deal with this stranger aspect of you for all our sake. That is well and good enough."

Fluttershy closed her eyes and searched within. She had chosen to do this. For her friends, she would take in even this darker aspect of her. No longer did she try to hold back the memories or thoughts. Lok’horus’s power was still tainted with the power of abyss, but he endured pain, madness, and even being broken down further to do what many had given up on: to hold on to a tiny fragment of the power of water until it could be purified. Though this aspect of her was cruel and dangerous, this act of kindness, she admired. For her friends and for that goal, she would take in the last remnants of Lok’horus. A rising sense of power filled her. As she came close enough to touch the ice, she exhaled.

A stream of vapor exploded from Fluttershy’s mouth, striking the ice forcefully and causing several cracks to form. “Twilight!” she shouted as loud as she could.

It surprised even Pinkie Pie when she left the protection of Applejack’s shield to go after Smart Cookie. She didn't have much to throw at this pony-shaped machine. Or was it machine-shaped pony? She wasn't going to spend this fight hiding behind a magic shield, whether it was Twilight’s or Applejack’s. She had avoided looking at the ley lines earlier out of fear, but she now looked as hard as she could for ley energy to use. Ley energies were weak here, which was weird given that they were very deep underground. They should be surrounded by the stuff!

A loud, metallic grind signaled another attack from Smart Cookie. A pair of spectral circular saws flew at Pinkie from two different directions. She hopped over one, landed upside down on the abyss above her, and then ducked the second. She thought about just kicking Smart Cookie like what Dash was doing to Hurricane, but she’d probably just lose a limb or two without hurting this ghost. ‘What can I do?’ She was perpetually asking that question. Just as she had thought she found some means to fight back, she was back to square one.

The heavy helplessness she felt when Sablesteel hurt her wasn't there. Not this time. She remembered Rainbow Dash gently pushing her on when she had collapsed on their way here. Her friends believed that she had to be here. She believed so too. It was just a matter of finding out. She took a moment to look around. Something odd was going on. There was a giant chunk of ice that was likely the sixth of the Six Companions. Applejack was whipping the thing with her chain while keeping Puddinghead back with her shield. Rarity was stabbing at it, Rainbow was smacking it with her hooves, and it looked like Fluttershy was spitting on it.

The whiz of arrows flying and the soft thunks of their tips punching through ghostly metal, punctuated the noise of battle. With the others busy with the other Companions, Pinkie had only Longstride for help. His shots were unerringly accurate. Nearly ever joint and opening on Smart Cookie had, at least, one shaft sticking out. But they barely slowed Smart Cookie and Pinkie knew that Longstride did not have an unlimited supply of arrows. ‘Think, Pinkie! She’s a machine! Maybe there’s a button you can push to make her blow up!”

A trio of darts flew towards Pinkie, followed by two more saw blades. Without slowing down, she leaped, spun, and cart-wheeled past the deadly projectiles. Even without her twitchy tail or any other aspect of Pinkie Sense, it was getting easier and easier to pick out where these attacks were going. She ducked under the swings of Smart Cookie’s massive forelegs and glanced up as she ran. All she saw were more blades and darts coming after her. ‘Okay, maybe not a smart idea. Come to think of it, why would anypony bother making a button that would blow themselves up?’

“Pinkie Pie, if you have nothing to attack it with, move out of its range!” Longstride called out.

“Hold on!” Pinkie yelled back. She tilted her head, letting a dart fly through her mane. “I think I can find something here!”

For a moment, Longstride merely stared in surprise. The moment passed and he was readying another arrow and it was back to square one. Maybe it wasn't the machine bits Pinkie had to focus on. Underneath all that gadgetry, Smart Cookie was still the ghost of a ruthless, earth pony clan leader. Maybe there was...

The multi-colored energies coursing just underneath all the metal plating were suddenly visible. Pinkie hadn't noticed it before because she was worried about all the spikes and blades. Two more blades whizzed past her. Wait, did she dodge them or did Smart Cookie just outright miss? She didn't have time to fixate on that, however. She couldn't lose this train of thought.

Copper Mane had talked about the gift of channeling and how it was found in earth ponies. Though the lore of spotting it, bringing it out, and developing it was a secret among the true earth ponies, the actual gift for it could be found in any earth pony. There could be potential channelers among the chosen right now, dismissing their odd moments of channeling as silly little quirks. Pinkie shook her head. Anyway, Rock Maven was the strongest channeler ever so...

More blades flew at Pinkie. She was really getting bothered now. She swung a hoof and struck one blade, sending it spinning back to Smart Cookie. A spark of ley energy flew from where the blow had struck. ‘Huh?’ she thought. What did she just do? She stared in amazement as the blade she deflected struck Smart Cookie soundly, opening up a rip across the machine-pony’s flank. Wait, that was something too. Smart Cookie hurt Smart Cookie, so if they could...

A thunderous roar blew out the last of Pinkie’s train of thought.

“Get off me! Get your stinking, slimy souls off me!”

That didn't sound like a ghost. That sounded like Prince Terrato in his baddest mood yet. From where the shout had come from, a multitude of red points of light flew in different directions, with one heading for her. A rush of heat blew past her and towards where the ice was. ‘Oh no...’ It didn't have to take any Pinkie sense to know that something terrible was about to happen. Her friends were all in the path of that blast of heat. She galloped towards them at once. “Longstride, keep Smart Cookie busy for me!” she shouted without looking back. Every strand of hair on her body was rising. “Girls, watch out!” she yelled. Terrato's shout had also given them pause. “Scatter!”

The others did as they were warned. Pinkie Pie jumped to one side at the last moment. A great blast of heat flew past her. So intense was its passage that she cried out in pain. She looked at what had flown past and gaped.

An enormous, pointed shard of stone, the size of a pillar fit for the Royal Palace, and covered in glowing red cracks, struck the ice. The point penetrated deeply, sinking the shard almost halfway through. While the others stared, Pinkie was already standing next to them. She could see the thousands of cracks that pulsed with red light. The heat was almost unbearable. They had to back away to make sure that their faces weren't scorched. The frightening premonition was not gone.

“Watch out!” Pinkie Pie shouted again.

Applejack stood in front of the group protectively. The massive shard exploded with a fiery, blinding blast and a deafening boom. Pinkie ducked, covered her face, and screamed. The explosion was so loud that she didn't even hear herself. To her surprise, and relief, she didn't even feel any heat from the explosion.

“What in tarnation was that?” Applejack mouthed. With the blast still ringing, it was impossible to hear her.

The explosion had knocked the ghost dozens of feet away. More importantly, an enormous hole had been gouged into the ice. Pinkie didn't know why everypony was bent on breaking through this ice, but she quickly jumped in to attack it with her hooves. “Come on, everypony!” she yelled. “Just a little more!”

The others swiftly followed.

The numbing cold washing over her body made even consciousness a struggle for Twilight. Her body wouldn't do anything she wanted it to. There was no freezing draft or any magical signs. It was as if all the warmth within her was leaking away.

“So much vitality,” Clover said. “Wasted on a lowly, disobedient daughter.”

“Why...” Twilight's lips felt as if they were covered with a layer of frost. Still, that she could even speak meant that Clover enjoyed giving her this small freedom. Clover must be expecting her to beg for mercy at some point. “Why do you insist on serving Oceanus?”

“Because I am meant to. We are meant to. Has anypony ever planted an acorn and grown an elm, Twilight? The order of all things guides me. It is our destiny to take the Deep Father’s power upon ourselves. Who do you serve? Lexarius the invader and his ilk? Envious filth unable to bear that our father created such creatures of potential? Which one of us is on the wrong path, I wonder?”

“Look at where you are.” Twilight shouted as loud as she could, but her voice still came out polite. “You’re trapped in the edge of the abyss. You are not anywhere near Oceanus, certainly not by his right side. Your ‘destiny’ is a horrible fate your delusions of grandeur have brought down upon you.”

The confident smile finally slipped from Clover the Clever’s face. The same sort of slip that showed during the final moments of Starswirl the Bearded’s life. “You sound like my old master,” she said softly. Her voice rose when she spoke again. “Your prattle sounds exactly like that bell-wearing clown’s!”

“Don’t you insult him,” Twilight said.

“Then tell me, Twilight,” Clover said, her grin back although a little forced. “Tell me why he died a broken old stallion while I went on to achieve greatness! Tell me why you’re the one kneeling before me!”

Twilight wanted to put this mare in her place for her disrespect, her delusions, and, most of all, the monstrosity of what she brought down on her fellow ponies. If only she could move. If only she could stop herself from acting like some subservient little filly. Why couldn't she fight back? All this magical potential everypony else seemed to see in her, all the training and fights she had gone through...why couldn't they amount to anything against Clover’s strange power? Was this...was this truly the might of Oceanus? Was this unstoppable, unmatched force the fruit of giving yourself to ponykind’s so-called father? The thought of it choked out her anger.

“What’s the matter, Twilight?” Clover asked. “No answer? Am I going to drink the last of your warmth with you silent?”

It was more than just the cold that numbed Twilight’s body. More than just this mysterious power that kept her motionless. For one more time, she summoned every ounce of magic she could to break free of this inaction that Clover forced on her. She was supposed to be the bearer of the Element of Magic! The others had shown some incredible power harnessed from within them: Applejack’s shield, Rarity’s enormous blades, even Rainbow Dash’s strange resilience and nigh immunity to the burgeoning effects of the abyss. If she ever needed such a thing, now was the time. She strained internally, unable to clench her jaw or shut her eyes tight, she willed her magic to come forth, to break loose in a raw magical blast. Anything would do. Anything.

Nothing happened.

Drained and helpless, Twilight didn't bother saying anything else.

“I know that silence well,” Clover said. “Your loss was inevitable, Twilight, I stand in the full favor of our Deep Father, while you are all alone.”

Just as Twilight’s vision started to dim for what she knew was the final time, a powerful jolt sent both her and Clover sliding to one side. A wave of searing heat struck Twilight like a fireball blast. She could almost feel her fur ignite. She cried out, but even that cry was moderate and respectful. Tears sprang to her eyes, but the look of surprise on Clover’s face was one to savor. She wished she could see what had struck this room, but even turning her neck was impossible. The cold within her was still there, but this sudden heat fought it back just a little at the cost of severe burns.

“Wretches...” Clover whispered. “Even the simplest tasks and you-!” She turned her attention back to Twilight. “It is such a trial sometimes, leading this foals.” Her lips twisted into a smirk. “Six Companions they called us...ponies actually thought we were equal.”

“Twilight!”

Applejack’s voice, despite how faint it was, made something lurch within Twilight. Her friends. Her friends were nearby. She wanted to shout back, to tell them that she was fine...no, to tell them that she needed help. Clover was crushing her with the power of Oceanus and she couldn't fight back.

“Twilight!”

That was Rarity. It wasn't just their voices. There was a persistent clink coming from somewhere, the clink of metal striking something hard and brittle. Ice! The clinks grew louder with each strike. The look of annoyance on Clover’s face turned to concern. Though her lips remained unmoving, Twilight was already smiling within at the sight of this. Her friends were close and Clover was no longer so smugly assured of victory.

“Twilight!”

Other voices joined in on the chorus: Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy...all of them were going to break her out of this place. The worry on Clover’s face continued to grow. It was enough for Twilight to try again. “You’re wrong,” she said. She didn't mind anymore that she was speaking softly. “You’re not standing in Oceanus’s full favor...and I’m not alone!” The rise in her voice fed the tiniest cinder of hope left. Clover’s power wasn't unstoppable. The cold lessened with her efforts. She wasn't going to let this ghost suck out her life just yet!

“Blasphemous wretch!” Clover hissed. “How dare you challenge me?”

“I can,” Twilight said. There was more than just the small bit of her strength left within that helped her. A soothing warmth came from the same direction as that fierce heat, washing over her like a soothing balm, and making her forget the burns on her hide. A pale wisp of light, gold like the disc Applejack could summon, seeped into the room. Other colors followed through a small, leaking crack across the room: pink, white, green, light blue...the light touched her and she grew strong from it. “You paint a pretty picture of yourself, Clover the Clever, but I see what you really are. You’re not the greatest of Oceanus’s daughters, you’re a ghost stuck between this world and the next, waiting for Oceanus to maybe notice you when he comes by here to get his weapon!” Twilight’s voice rose even louder. There was a tremble of exertion in her legs now.

"The Deep Father cares nothing for us. We are as mosquitoes to him, trying to nourish ourselves with his blood only to find it full of poison. He does not 'gift' pests."

Twilight stood up. The warmth upon her coalesced with the warmth within her, banishing the Clover’s cold. “Your amazing ‘authority’ is nothing more than fumes that you sucked from whatever Oceanus left behind. Don’t you get it? Your house of cards ‘everlasting kingdom’ rose and fell while Oceanus slept through it all! What are your leftovers compared to this?” She raised her horn and the magic surged forth. Not just her magic, the magic she shared with her friends. Bright purple arcs exploded from her, surging across the room, running through the floors and all the fancy decorations. A cry of rage escaped from Clover, who had raised a shield to defend herself from the falling debris and the blasts of purple magic. Twilight’s voice lowered, not out of any influence of Clover, but of her own volition. “You’re the one who’s all alone. No wonder you’re trapped in a tomb of ice. That’s what happens when you cut yourself off from others. You can’t even get help from your ‘companions’!”

“I’ll show you the kind of help I can summon!” Clover snarled. The folds of her cloak ruffled and stirred beneath her. To Twilight’s disgust, it wasn't legs the appeared beneath that cloak, but more vile tentacles. She wasn't even surprised anymore. Nor was she scared.

“That’s nothing.” Twilight listened to her friends called out. The clinking grew louder and louder, the warmth grew stronger and more comforting. A massive crack of melted ice allowed a myriad colors to shine forth. She reached out to them, turning their support into strength before staring down Clover’s crouching form. The tentacles slithered toward her menacingly, but recoiled when they got too close. “I’m never alone,” she said. “Where you've cut off ties, I've created mine. This is the end of your delusions, Clover the Clever!” Twilight reared up and raised her horn even higher, sending bright rays of light everywhere. She could hear more ice cracking and Clover’s desperate shout.

In the next instant, all the fine furnishings, even the walls, floors, and ceiling, simply winked out. Twilight gasped at the sudden transition and looked down on where she was. She was surrounded by blackness of the abyss again. Around her were enormous chunks of shattered ice.

“Twilight, you’re safe!” Pinkie Pie cried out.

A smile wide across her face, Twilight looked towards the ones that had helped her. She had expected smiles as well. To her surprise, they were all staring in awe. She looked at her hoof and found herself still enveloped in the same colors.

“Wretch...”

Where there was once a regal and powerful unicorn ghost, there was now a hideous, slimy monstrosity, like a snail dragged out of its shell and mixed with a squid. Bits of frost still clung to its glistening dark purple skin. It took a moment to find its head, which was the only thing that resembled a pony. “So this is all you've attained,” Twilight said softly. “After all those sacrifices you made, all the research you've done. On your own, this is all you got.”

“I spent my life following our destiny” Clover said. “I threw away everything to follow this one goal. Be smug for now, Twilight. How long, I wonder, before this path you've chosen crumbles and sends you plunging into this same abyss?”

“Even if I fall,” Twilight said, “it’s not to the abyss. Not when I have so many ready to catch me.”

Clover, or what was left of Clover, looked as if it was trying to attack, but all it did was flop forward. Its tentacles writhed and squirmed, but did nothing more than try to look menacing. Twilight didn't know if she should even bother to attack. What kind of damage could she inflict that could be worse than what Clover had done to herself anyway? “It’s over,” she said. “Call off the other companions and let us through.”

“Through to where?” Clover asked. “There is nothing beyond this abyss, Twilight, nothing but the Deep Father’s silence. Nothing but the closed doors to his true power. Until the time of his return comes, all who come here have come for nothing.”

“Black Rose...” Twilight whispered. Had she known? Did Black Rose lead them all here knowing that it would be a dead end? Or was she so confident in her power and skill that she expected to succeed where every other pony had failed? A hissing, burbling sound from Clover cut the musing short. She looked up in time to see Clover’s slimy bulk flying at her. On instinct she cast a spell, any spell that would repel this lunge. The lights around her flashed. With a pitiful groan, Clover fell back with a dull splotch.

“Curse you...” Clover said, her voice becoming more faint by the word. “You've won nothing, heretic. Lexarius the invader turned you from your destiny and you will suffer when the time comes...”

Twilight didn't bother replying. At the end of that last bit of defiance, Clover the Clever’s wretched form broke apart and dispersed. It was doubtful that the ghost had died, given that it was dead to begin with. Clover had simply dispersed into a powerless, scattered mass, still awaiting her “Deep Father”, who was likely just going to step over her on his way to the Foul Weapon. “That’s one down,” Twilight said. She looked around again. The others had shifted their focus from her to the other ghosts still rampaging around. True to their lack of harmony, the remaining companions didn't even seem bothered that one of them had been defeated.

The Thorns looked even more banged up than before. Twilight had no idea what had happened, but, seeing that all of her friends had ganged up on Clover’s prison to help her, the rest of the companions had to be distracted.

It was Applejack who managed to gallop towards her while the others returned to fighting the companions with the Thorns. “Glad you’re back, partner,” Applejack said. “We were taking a beating without you. I hope you still got plenty to throw!”

“Oh, I've got plenty alright.” Twilight squinted and winced, suddenly aware of a sweltering wave of heat coming at her from one side. “What is that heat?”

“Dunno,” Applejack said. “I think it’s Prince Terrato. He was bellowing earlier and threw that giant, burning rock at the ice. The crack it made was how we got you out.”

So Prince Terrato was nearby. There was little time to ponder that. Puddinghead’s oppressive stink was getting worse. True enough, the corpulent ghost was floating their way, her mouth already open to suck the two of them in.

“Stubborn stink-hole!” Applejack muttered. She spun her lassoed chain for another throw. Her golden disc shone brightly in front of her. “Any ideas, Twi? Smacking her with my chain doesn't seem to do much.”

Twilight didn't answer. She had nothing in her repertoire of spells to deal with the ghosts of the Six Companions. At the end of the day, she had relied on her friends to vanquish Clover the Clever. Even now, she was surrounded by the powerful energies drawn from her friends. With Applejack standing nearby, the light was reacting differently now, arcing lightly towards the earth pony as if it were trying to leap.

Applejack grunted when another stream of vomit struck her shield. The hiss and bubble from the sludge made it clear as to what would happen if any of the stuff touched them. The sheer amount made it difficult for her to attack with her lasso as well. Puddinghead was floating even closer, using her own vomit for cover in order to bring more of her stench to bear. Twilight’s eyes began to water again, the odor made her miss the icy tomb.

“A little help here, partner,” Applejack said between coughs. “She’s going to fart us to death like this!”

With the stink fogging up her mind, Twilight instinctively held her hoof out towards Applejack. The light sparked briefly then, with a brilliant flash, made the jump.

The next few moments were difficult to discern. Something happened to the golden disc. When the light touched Applejack, it flashed and shunted forward, bashing Puddinghead and driving the ghost back.

Puddinghead let out a long, horrified cry, Applejack shouted in surprise. Twilight herself let out a yelp, thinking she had just burned both herself and her friend in a reckless experiment with the odd aura around her. They soon discovered that the stench was gone and Applejack’s shield was still up. As for Puddinghead, the ghost was trembling and frozen. Large chunks of her had been seared away, including her entire lower jaw.

“Twilight...what was that?” Applejack asked. She stared in awe, then grinned. “And can we do it again?”

Twilight looked to her -still shining- hoof. “We will,” she said. She looked towards her other friends. “Time to finish this.”

Finishing Blows

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 57: Finishing Blows

A burst of lights coursed through Rarity and surged out of her horn. Her mage blades erupted into great, jagged spires of crystalline magic; raw, scintillating shards that frightened even her. She touched them tentatively with her telekinesis, afraid that they might turn on her or their sheer size would once again expose how weak her magic was. They cut through the abyss as if she were wielding the same small blades she found in Hammer Chain’s smithy. She had to smile. They looked a little crude, resembling the broken shards of a gigantic mirror more than any properly forged blade, but they had their own primal beauty. She felt a small urge to look at Lion Court at the moment, to silently ask him if this was the sort of greatness he was looking for, but this wasn't about him and his approval. This was about the power she had forged with her friends’ help. This was about ending to this long, arduous fight.

Princess Platinum’s horrid screeching put an end to that moment of admiration. Rarity faced the whirling storm of broken jewelry and crystallizing clouds with renewed confidence. Twilight’s boost left her positively humming with strength. More than that, the destruction of Clover the Clever banished the panic brought on by all the chaos. They could do this. She could see Platinum clearly despite the entire flashy spectacle. Two of her blades swept forward, cutting through the foul magic with ease and grace.

Platinum screamed again, a piercing wail much louder than her previous ones. Rarity knew where the difference lay. This wasn't fury or annoyance. It was pain. The clouds dispersed and the jewels floated aside, revealing the wretched “princess”. Rarity’s blades had severed both of Platinum’s forelegs and cut deep into her chest. The spectral limbs dissipated just as Clover’s remains did. Fragments of jewelry fell from Platinum and floated away. Rarity wrinkled her nose at the dried up, decayed remains that could no longer hide behind the vanity.

The second pair of blades lashed out in a cross pattern. Rarity was tired of fighting this affront to all ponies. A finishing blow was needed, but she wasn't sure if chopping this ghost in half or removing its head would do the job. Doing both would be the safer choice.

Platinum had no defense against the blades. Indeed, now that the panic was gone, it was clear that Platinum just didn't have any defense. The ghostly princess had relied entirely on a constant barrage of attacks and distracting wails to hide her inability to protect herself. The first crystal blade cut neatly through her throat, severing it with ease. The second one shredded the jewelry still clinging to her body, tore through her decadent cloak and split her perfectly in the middle.

There was no final wail, no grand farewell from Princess Platinum, only a faint, frustrated moan that passed away into nothing. Rarity was a bit insulted. Even a false princess should have something remotely dignified for the final blow. She was about to check on the others when a very loud splintering sound brought her attention back to her weapons.

One of the crystals sported a huge crack. The single fissure opened up and sent a network of smaller lines spreading all over the beautiful, magical construct. More cracks followed along the rest of the weapons. Rarity winced and looked away. The sound of the final shatter, however, was drowned out by a sudden shooting pain in her heart. With a gasp she clutched at her chest and fell to her knees.

‘That’s…ugh…that’s a little unexpected.’ Rarity struggled to get up. It seemed that this wasn't going to be a trick she could show off at parties. Despite the crippling pain that felt as if she had broken a rib or two, she wanted to fight on. They took down one, but greatness demanded that she did more than take out the ghost she was matched against. She lifted her blades. They still weighed the same, but they had reverted back to their original forms. A closer inspection brought out a future problem to deal with. Hammer Chain’s blades themselves had cracked. It wasn't as severe as the ones that the magical extensions had shown, but she doubted that these weapons would survive another harrowing battle. She tried to take another step forward, but her forelegs failed her. Before she could fall, a red-garbed shoulder, Lion Court’s, moved beneath her in support.

“That was very impressive, my dear Rarity,” Lion Court said. “More than enough to fill us all with hope.” His smile, often so reserved and meant to be charming, broadened into a grin. There was no doubt about it now, he did have fangs. “Certainly more than enough to warrant this gamble among other things!”

“We have work to do!” Rarity hissed. She pushed him away and forced her legs to straighten. The effort worsened the pain in her chest. She gasped and breathed heavily. Her blades trembled when she sheathed them.

Lion Court looked even worse. His own blades were already sheathed. For all his calm and confident words, he looked a complete mess. His magnificent namesake mane and beard were disheveled and bloody. His coat was barely more than a rag stubbornly clinging to him. And the blood…the scrapes looked particularly exaggerated on Lion Court. From his earlier comments, it was almost as if he wanted them there. Thick rivulets ran down his chest and forelegs. His beard was matted with the disgusting liquid. “An admirable stance,” he said. “But you should trust your friends as Twilight Sparkle just trusted you. Take a look.”

Rarity took her eyes off her damaged blades and put those concerns aside. She looked towards the next flash of light, knowing that Twilight and the others must be working together to defeat the remaining ghosts. Confusion took hold when several flashes of light appeared from different directions. For once, it was the welcome sort of confusion.

‘Charge.’

That was the entire message Rainbow Dash got from Twilight when that that stream of colorful lights flowed towards her. Twilight never uttered a word, but that knowing, trusting look was enough. This wasn't the first time Rainbow encountered this situation. Here she was again, facing some monstrous thing: a mass of angry wolven, a lone giant wolven, a rampaging alicorn, a race against a damaged pony…now, the ghost of one of the most evil pegasi ever.

Time and again, Rainbow teetered on that decision, to fly headlong into danger or to fall back. Results had been mixed. She’d been shot in the flank for it and nearly gotten a friend killed. But, it had also been important in defeating one of their most powerful foes. Charge. It sounded so simple. A quick shift in her weight, a slight adjustment of her wings, and she would be off at blazing speeds.

There was nothing simple, however, about what she was going to charge into. Commander Hurricane may look like he had already been torn apart before the battle even began, but his swings were only becoming faster and more accurate. Rainbow was covered in jagged cuts, each one a stinging reminder of one close call after another. She couldn't remember how many times she had nearly lost her head to a broken sword, or a wing, or a leg. He stared at her now, seemingly aware of what her next move was going to be. Broken swords and spear heads moved about in his body. They looked like hideous parasites tunneling under his skin as they turned to face her. At this rate, by the time she charged, he would be a one-pony spear and sword wall.

Behind Commander Hurricane, Sablesteel was hovering valiantly, throwing darts and making quick swoops to distract the ghost. She had paid a big price for having to deal with Hurricane by herself. Half her mask had been torn off and blood was dripping down the half that was barely hanging on to her face. The rest of her body was covered in cuts as well.

More power swelled from within Rainbow, all but begging her to make the move. It wasn't just Twilight urging her on. This strange power was more than just Twilight’s magic. It felt as if she had all her friends cheering her on. The Element of Loyalty, she was sure that was what was keeping her in fighting form despite all the exertion, pumped through her veins and surged through her wings. She smiled and lowered her head.

One charge coming right up.

The world turned into a black blur as Rainbow picked up speed. She wasn’t screaming this time. She didn’t need to drown out her fear. She had this. She had the Element of Loyalty within, her friends all around her and one ugly ghost to take care of.

Commander Hurricane reared up and let out one more neigh. A dozen swords burst from his ravaged body and flew at his attacker. They didn’t even come close. Rainbow struck his chest and plowed through his spectral form as if it wasn’t there. The light coursing through her burned a hole through Hurricane that did not seal up like the others. It didn’t seem much, especially given the extent of all of Hurricane’s wounds. One more hole in his hide amounted next to nothing. Rainbow slowed down, hovered back, and watched her work with a grin.

A slow, howling sound flowed through the abyss, like the building rush of an oncoming storm. Sablesteel had wisely backed off from Hurricane. Then, as suddenly as a flash of lightning, a massive spiral of rainbow colors shot through the same trail Rainbow made. Hurricane didn’t cry out. There wasn’t any time. The light tore him in half and absorbed the pieces in its wake. It roared past Rainbow and disappeared into the vastness.

Sablesteel stared at the empty space where their enemy was a moment ago. Afterwards, she looked to Rainbow and gave a curt nod before winging her way towards the others.

Rainbow didn’t recover as easily. It took a while to even realize that her jaw was hanging open. She knew she was going to come up with something awesome, but that was…there were no words. She barely saw the attack. Something struck, and then it was gone with their enemy. Their enemy was…

Rainbow wanted to raise her hooves and let out a triumphant yell. She had just done it. Thanks to the boost her friends gave her, she had just destroyed the ghost of Commander Hurricane. Nopony had to lose an eye this time! But her forelegs felt like lead when she tried to move them. A second later, her wings were feeling the same. They didn’t burn from the strain, they just became so heavy that they refused to do as she wanted them. ‘Woah…what’s--!’ Rainbow fell on her tail. All of a sudden, she was tired. So tired. All the fatigue she had somehow avoided throughout this fight seemed to have doubled and caught up with her.

“Rainbow Dash,” Sablesteel called out. “Are you hurt?”

Rainbow opened her mouth to make a flippant denial, but even her voice felt too heavy to use. She forced her lips into a smile and nodded. Sablesteel didn't look like she bought it, but made no attempt to check up on her. ‘Guess that’s how Thorn teamwork goes,’ she thought.

Rainbow struggled to her hooves. It felt like she was moving underwater while wrapped in chains.

“Come on.”

Longstride put a shoulder under Rainbow and helped her up.

“What the--?” Rainbow’s eyes widened. “I…I don’t need your…”

“If that’s true then push me away,” Longstride said. He put her on his back and flew towards Twilight. “Good work, Rainbow Dash,” he muttered. “Equestria’s fate looks a little less doomed.”

With the tide of battle quickly turning, Twilight finally afforded herself some time to survey everything. This light she wielded felt as if it both welled up from within and washed upon her from her friends. When she willed it to go to them, it did so instantly. The results were beyond amazing. Where there was once confusion and panic in dealing with the Six Companions, there was now a rising sense of triumph. She watched joyously as Rarity’s gigantic blades cut down Platinum and Rainbow Dash’s diving strike tore through Hurricane. Nearby, another golden flash from Applejack's shield engulfed the pathetic remains of Puddinghead, searing away the foulness. Their enemies were down to three and they were only growing stronger.

The giant crystal blades shattered. When Rarity suddenly stumbled and winced, Twilight hesitated. Was that normal fatigue? Did Rarity’s injuries catch up with her? She was bleeding from a lot of cuts. But Rarity wasn't holding her wounds. She was clutching at her chest. This new-found power came at a price. Twilight snorted. Of course it did. Everything always did.

When Rainbow Dash had to be carried by Longstride, it was more than obvious that Twilight had to rely on all of her friends to finish of the remaining companions. That left…Twilight froze.

Fluttershy, the bearer of the Element of Kindness, did not look the part. Her ruined eye was open, but no green iris stared out of that socket. Instead, a midnight blue void, almost indistinguishable from the abyss all around them, poured rivulets of…something that was slowly covering her body. When Fluttershy exhaled, great clouds of vapor escaped her mouth. Her mane, while still pink and solid close to the roots, was on the verge of turning into midnight blue vapor.

This couldn't be right. Twilight guessed that this new-found power enhanced the Elements of Harmony within her friends. What would happen if she willed it into Fluttershy? Was that terrifying apparition her friend was turning into a manifestation of kindness? The obvious answer was no. That was some kind of windigo hybrid, the result of Fluttershy’s stare power gone out of control. What was that name Fluttershy used? Lok’horus? The Elements of Harmony and the power of one of Oceanus’s prime servants could not be further apart.

But the obvious answer did not seem the right one either. Twilight had felt Fluttershy’s call as well when she was trapped in that ice. She felt the Element of Kindness right now. There had to be another way to look at this. Underneath that horrific form, it was still Fluttershy. That form emerged precisely to help break the ice and fight back as best she could. The hesitation melted away. The gentle Fluttershy would not have dared to take on this monstrous power for any small reason. To have had the fortitude to face the power of abyss…

Twilight willed the light towards Fluttershy just as she willed it towards Pinkie Pie. Outward appearances be damned, her friends trusted her and she was going to do the same. She willed the power to flow.

Fluttershy wanted to shake her hooves, as if doing so could clean the filth of the abyss from the power she had at her command. This wasn't what she wanted, but it was what she expected. She was filthy, still covered in the power of abyss. This wasn't going to put these upstarts in their place. In fact, it would make them think that they were on the right path.

Something else radiated from her; that thing which kept her in control even with this outpouring of the disgusting, tainted version of the power of water. The Element of Kindness flowed through her. It burned like acid and her ruined eye felt as if somepony had shoveled burning coals into her skull. But the pain felt…good. Its presence was purifying and sustaining. It wasn't enough to return the power of water to what it once was, but it still made her far superior to these filth-slinging ghosts. With Twilight free, she was ready attack Pansy.

A flood of power suddenly struck Fluttershy and the burning sensation within her erupted into a full-blown inner inferno. She screamed and clutched her sides before furiously looking towards the source.

“I’m so sorry, Fluttershy!” Twilight Sparkle called out.

‘I am going to break her soul and eat it!’ Fluttershy grit her teeth and fought through the pain. No, she didn't really want to break Twilight's soul and eat it. That was Lok'horus's rage boiling over. But, what did Twilight do to her? It was bad enough that--! Wait, it had to be the Element of Kindness. The pain was worse because the purification had strengthened. She looked to her hooves. The power of abyss was not as bad as it was just a few moments ago. Now, if she could only concentrate through this horrendous agony, she might accomplish something. She exhaled slowly, once again calling up the vaporous presence of the power of water. The cloud looked purer now, more distinct from the blackness around them. She looked towards Pansy.

Two streams of crystal clear water flowed towards Pansy from different directions. When her many pseudo-pods touched them, she recoiled in agony, with that part of her body smoking. They created a globe of water around her, entrapping her completely. Fluttershy let herself smile. Yes…that was closer to the power of water. It still wasn’t perfect, still not worthy of Oceanus, but it was much better now. She brought her front hooves together and willed the globe to start crushing.

Pansy’s form boiled and shifted in a panic, turning into a ball of writhing tentacles, to a mass of ropy muscle, to a glob of tiny mouths in some futile attempt to break free. Fluttershy would have laughed if she wasn't hurting all over. This ghost was no match for her. The globe shrank and shrank until it was a mere drop in the abyss. Then, the drop dissipated along with her foe.

Fluttershy smiled and watched the water dance around her hooves. "Purify," she whispered. Yes, this was definitely much better. She just needed—

The blackness began to creep back in. Fluttershy frowned as the power of water was, once more, its disgusting version. “Just like mold,” she muttered. “You don’t burn it out right, it comes back as bad as before.” She looked to Twilight. The boost was impressive, but more was still needed from the Element of Kindness. If she could just bring out a little more, the power of water would be free.

Then, even the power of abyss began to recede from her. Frowning, she tried to force it to stay. She still needed the power of Lok'horus! It couldn't disappear now! The power didn't heed her and dissipated. The return of her normal form was followed by a wave of weakness that left her barely able to move.

Coruscaria was right, but not as she thought she was. One day, Oceanus was going take his rightful place.

“We’re winning!” Pinkie cried out as two blades whistled past her. “We’re finally winning!” She had no idea what had changed and she didn't care. Twilight was back with more than just shields and fire. Whatever Twilight brought back from her trip inside that chunk of ice, it sent Pinkie’s spirit soaring high above this blackness and despair. She galloped towards Smart Cookie, merrily skipping past a dozen blades and darts. Smart Cookie let out a deafening buzz, like a spinning saw trying to cut through steel. She didn't mind. So the ghost was getting angry. It was surprise that this machine could even feel anything at all.

“Pinkie Pie!”

Pinkie nearly paused when she heard her name come, not from Longstride, but from Sablesteel. She also nearly lost her head to another saw. ‘Huh?’ she thought. She didn't slow down or veer away from Smart Cookie.

“You better have something to throw at it, Pinkie Pie!” Sablesteel shouted.

“I would if you stop interrupting!” Pinkie yelled back. She stopped upside-down over Smart Cookie, the ghost’s back just above, or below, her head. She spotted the flow of ley energy again. This time, she just found a pool of it. “I knew it!” she cried out triumphantly.

For all her posturing about finding and exploiting new ways for earth ponies to grow in power, Smart Cookie ended up being eerily close to her brother’s discovery. The ghostly machinery had a really, really crude network of ley lines from the abyss-infused metal. Smart Cookie probably thought that it was a neat little thing she added to herself that would bring out Oceanus’s power. Rock Maven would have laughed. Or he would have gotten really mad.

Pinkie plunged her hoof into the pooling spot and worked all the stuff she learned and just instinctively knew into it. She really had something now. First, she had to open up all this armor so Longstride and Sablesteel could find more to hit than plates. She found the joints and attachments and pulled at them.

Large plates of ghostly metal fell from Smart Cookie. To Pinkie’s surprise, so did a lot of those nasty blade and dart spewing gadgets. The metal buzz grew louder and more frantic. “Oh yeah!” Pinkie said with a grin. “She didn’t like that!”

“Good work,” Sablesteel said. Pinkie beamed inside. It meant surprisingly much to hear that from a pony who hadn’t believed in her before. “Now, stand back while we chop this ghost up!”

“I’m not done yet!” Pinkie yelled.

Underneath the machinery, there was only a dried up corpse. Pinkie had expected that after seeing what Platinum was under the jewelry. She now had some ley energy to work with now that she freed the stuff up from the ghostly armor. And if that wasn’t enough, she spotted even more. Traces of bright colors floated in the wake of that enormous rock Prince Terrato hurled. She drew those in as well, turning all the scraps into a glowing ball of earthen energy.

“Check this out, Sable, I told you I can get stronger!”

Sablesteel actually smiled, a smile that could be seen with her mask in such disrepair. “Don’t get friendly with the names, Pinkie Pie,” she said. “It’s Sablesteel to you.”

Pinkie nearly threw her front hooves in the air to let out a loud whoop, but she remembered that she was holding a dangerous ball of ley energy at the last second. “Okay, celebrating comes later. Now, what am I supposed to do with this ball?’ she thought.

The answer seemed simple enough: throw it at Smart Cookie and watch it blow up. That was what Twilight would do. With her machinery falling apart, there really wasn't much left of Smart Cookie anyway. A quick look around also revealed a more elating sight. The other ghosts were nowhere to be seen. This was the last one and she got to put the finishing touches.

She had lifted the ball above her head for an overhead throw when she paused. Something wasn't right. This wasn't a fireball. Maybe throwing it would only give Smart Cookie some extra power to use, like passing a ball instead of hitting somepony on the head. And should she really be using channeling like this?

“Pinkie Pie!”

That was Sablesteel again. Pinkie was beginning to notice an impatient streak in that pegasus. Or was it just worry? Smart Cookie didn't have anything to throw at her, but the ghost was still advancing. It looked like Sable finally got tired of waiting. She swooped in and struck. Smart Cookie made no sound, not when half her face was already missing. Sable’s cuts ran down the ghost’s torso, leaving a glowing trail of venom that nearly split Smart Cookie in half.

Pinkie was tempted to let Sable finish Smart Cookie off. She had certainly done her part. It wasn't like Sable was going to yell at her or try to kill her when she managed to shred Smart Cookie’s armor like she was opening a can of sliced peaches. But the ley energy was still at her hooves.

Rock Maven could not have wanted it to come to this. Not after what she read about him in Canterlot. Gaining the means to fight back against the magic of Platinum’s slavers had only been the first part of it. Rock Maven wanted more from earth ponies, not just another way to toss fireballs like an angry unicorn. He wanted…

An idea came to mind. Pinkie Pie pressed on the ball from all sides, making it smaller and more compact. She had a better idea that just destruction. Sablesteel may not agree. All her friends may not agree after having to fight so desperately against these ghosts. But she thought it would be a better end. A better use of earth pony power.

Instead of a fearsome ball that streaked towards its target, Pinkie Pie let out a small, brightly glowing point of ley energy. It floated gently towards Smart Cookie like a stray cinder, alighting with all the fury of flower petal. The ghost didn't even notice it in the wake of Sablesteel’s fierce attacks and did not even react when the ley energy landed.

The effect, however, was nothing subdued. The bright and shifting colors settled on one hue: light green. The point attached itself to the remains of Smart Cookie’s dried up shoulder and sprouted numerous small tendrils. While Smart Cookie still hadn’t noticed, Sablesteel did. She flew backwards and observed, her blades going into her foreleg devices.

The tendrils spread rapidly. Small leaves emerged, followed by pink flowers. Wherever they touched, the repulsive ghostly remains turned into solid, warm flesh. By the time Smart Cookie turned her remaining eye towards the spot, half her body was covered the flora had moved over half her body.

The others had noticed as well and they stared hard in wonder. The foliage fell away from the restored body and moved on to the desiccated parts. For a while, they were looking at an actual pony. The ghostly form had even shrunk.

Smart Cookie’s eyes widened as she examined her body. She let out a gasp and then looked to Pinkie, who would have said something if she could get her jaw to stop hanging open. Was she going for this? She was going for something more constructive, but restoring Rock Maven’s sister was--

Smart Cookie brushed a foreleg against her chest and let out a scream: the scream of a living pony. “Flesh! Filthy, weak, impure flesh! What have you done to me? All my work and research!”

“But--! But--!” Pinkie trotted towards Smart Cookie.

“This foul magic!” Smart Cookie tore at her coat with her hooves, as if she could just rip her flesh away and go back to her ghostly form.

“Wait!” Pinkie cried out. “Don’t do that! Your brother, he--!”

And Smart Cookie did succeed in a way. The flesh around her chest crumbled away like dry earth. Upon seeing this, a maniacal grin split her lips and she gouged even harder. The blackness of the abyss seeped into the wounds “Yes! Yes! Deep Father, cleanse me of this filthy magic!”

“No, stop!” Pinkie tried to repeat the process, but she had taken all the available ley energy.

Smart Cookie opened her forelegs wide, as if she could hug the entire abyss. The blackness entered the torn parts of her body. “Deep Father, I--! Wait, what’s--?” The words turned into a long agonized scream. The abyss tore through Smart Cookie as if she were made of paper.

Pinkie slowed, then stopped. Ghost or pony, Smart Cookie was gone. She looked at her hooves and tried to get a feel of the abyss. This place was too strong and she was too inexperienced with channeling. But, for a moment, and with Twilight’s help, she was able to do something that Rock Maven had tried so hard to accomplish. She just needed more time and more help. If she could get other true earth ponies to work on this, she might come up with something better than all their angry channeling. She just needed to tell them about what she learned.

And then silence finally filled the abyss.

For nearly half a minute, all of them just stood there: panting, sweating, looking around. Twilight Sparkle watched as the last of the glimmer around her faded away. The quiet was so complete that it was frightening. Had they…had they actually done it? She couldn't stop looking around. She must have gone in a circle several times already. She was still expecting an ambush. She looked to the Thorns. They would know.

The Thorns looked wary and spent. For all their elite training and experience, they were in just as bad or even worse shape. Octavia had stopped playing. Indeed, she had stopped moving. She hugged her cello close and sat so completely still that she looked dead. It took a few more tense seconds of observing to notice the gentle movement from the sides of her torso. She was alive, barely. Lion Court limped towards her and offered a red-stained handkerchief for all the blood. There wasn't a single scratch on Octavia. None of the ghosts had come after her directly. But she looked as if she had lost more blood than any of them. Crimson drops trickled from her head and down her neck. Droplets floated all around her like a swarm of red flies. There was no way Lion Court’s handkerchief could even remotely clean her up, but he offered it with a confident smile.

Twilight had to drag herself towards them. She was completely drained, probably even more than her fight with Nightmare Moon. The others looked the same. They limped and crawled their way towards her, blood trailing behind some of them. Twilight let out a long exhale and tried to control her breathing. She needed to push out just a bit more magical strength for a few healing spells just to keep Rarity and Rainbow Dash from bleeding out. She should also tend to the Thorns, but first things had to be first. “This fight is over,” she said to Lion Court once she was close enough. “Take us to Black Rose.”

Lion Court’s smile widened. “No need to intimidate,” he said. “That has always been the plan.”

As they gathered into their respective groups, Twilight let out another exhale. It hardly helped. They should be celebrating a victory against the very worst of ponykind. She had unlocked some kind of power within. But they were completely spent and Black Rose still waited. The others looked like they were thinking the same thing.

“I understand the worry,” Lion Court said to them. “None of us are in any shape to provide a suitable final battle.”

“Just like Black Rose planned?” Twilight asked through grit teeth. She was already weaving together the last bits of strength to close her friends' wounds. A fight with Black Rose seemed both inevitable and hopeless. As she was now, Black Rose would crush her like a bug even without the power of sunlight.

“In all honesty, no,” Lion Court said. The smile was gone. For the first time since Twilight met this annoyingly confident stallion, he finally stopped smiling. That was little victory and an ominous warning all rolled into one. “We were supposed to rescue the prince. That was the other half of the reason why we faced the Six Companions. It appears that he has rescued himself with only a small distraction on our part.”

“That’s good for us, then!” Applejack said. “The prince’s gonna kick Black Rose’s behind!”

“Is it?” Lion Court asked. “Do you think volcanoes distinguish friends from foes, my dear Applejack? And the mistress has been fond of describing him as volcanic.”

“He’s a pony, not a volcano,” Twilight said. “He may be awful most of the time, but we can trust him. What exactly are you worried about, Lion Court?”

“I’m worried that the semblance between brothers is stronger than the mistress is willing to acknowledge,” Lion Court said. “His highness has always been the chink in Black Rose’s armor. In her eyes, he can do no wrong, even when he’s killing her.”

The group started walking once healing spells had been cast. Twilight didn't answer. Any chink in Black Rose’s armor should be a good thing. But, as the chill of the abyss had turned into a steadily worsening heat, she couldn't bring herself to gain confidence about it. There were two distant figures ahead of them. Those had to be Black Rose and Prince Terrato. It was so close now. A drop of sweat fell from her brow. The others were sweating as well.

“Lion Court,” Octavia said. The bloody, haughty mask had finally crumbled. She trembled with each step. Her legs looked watery and she seemed to be fighting to keep from fainting. Her eyes were liquid with concern when she spoke. “Are you sure the mistress would be fine?”

Both Longstride and Sablesteel threw sharp glares at Octavia, but Lion Court merely smiled and nodded. “No, my dear Octavia, and that’s part of what makes a gamble fun, isn't it?”

Octavia looked towards Longstride, the concern only growing. “What do you see?” she asked.

Longstride focused ahead for a moment, then shook his head.

“You’ll see.”

The Gambler

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 58: The Gambler

He knew he’d find her at the heart of this abyss. Black Rose couldn't be anywhere else but the heart of the matter. Terrato walked slowly, not out any pleasure for finally cornering her, but because it was so hard to move. Breaking free of the tangle of the Old Kingdom’s filthy souls would have sapped him greatly even if he hadn't expended a lot of energy fighting Gravitas. Drops of his blood broke free from him, floating off to the abyss as tiny, crimson spheres. Behind him, a trail of these droplets marked his passage through this darkness as surely as the searing heat he emanated. Life Tap, the conversion of vitality to magical energy, was one of the core principles of Necromancy. Ideally, necromancers harvested from corpses, the fresher the better. Unscrupulous ones happily harvested living victims to maximize gain. Desperate ones, as he was moments ago, had no problem turning on themselves, and he had tapped a lot of vitality to create that molten barrage.

If Black Rose had gained access to the smallest fragment of Oceanus’s Throne, there was no way he could bring her down. If she was even the fresher of the two of them, this would be a desperate, likely lost battle. Terrato was panting just to get to her. But, as her figure came ever closer, the tightness in his chest lessened.

Black Rose was not glowing with power, whether hers, the power of sunlight, or the power of Oceanus’s Throne. Floating above her was the faint outline of the same sphere that Gravitas had been trapped in. Except that Gravitas wasn't there. At least, most of him wasn't. Within the outline floated a few pieces of something. They looked like bloodied shreds of barding. He couldn't get a feel of Gravitas’s presence. What had happened? How did Black Rose do away with that wretch? Did she sacrifice him to the Throne?

He took another step forward. She was still staring at the blackness, her back turned to him. The Throne was before them. He could feel it even in its dormant, silent state. There was nothing to see, hear, smell, or actually feel on his skin. Knowledge was the only way to perceive the Throne. He just knew that it was there. Did that same knowledge hold her attention so thoroughly that she couldn't even tell that he had already arrived? Or had she become so arrogant that she couldn't even be bothered to face him?

Another step later and she finally did turn. Her slow movement told him enough. She knew that he was there. She probably knew when he was still far away. It was hesitation that kept her from turning. “I did not expect to meet you like this, beloved,” she said.

“So where’s the big smile?” Terrato asked. His voice was a soft rumble. No more roaring, no more shouting. He didn’t want to waste anymore strength on that. He couldn't. “Don’t you love it when unexpected things happen?”

“Not this,” Black Rose whispered. She sounded so tired. Her mane was disheveled. Her limbs lacked their usual spring. Her eyelids looked heavy. This was such a far cry from the triumphant Black Rose wielding the power of sunlight high above Bastion City. “I’m sorry for tricking you and trapping you here. If you had waited a little while longer, my Thorns and the Elements of Harmony could have freed you without all that harm.” Her gaze started at his hooves and moved up. She was taking in more than just the bloody mess on his coat and barding. There were lines spread around his body. As if there was magma peeking out just underneath, they pulsed a deep red glow. The power of earth was in no danger of exploding from him, but he had spent so much strength that his form in this world was straining. The tips of his fiery mane occasionally shifted to solid, red hair for a second or so.

“The time has passed for all your little shows of devotion, Rose,” Terrato said. “We’re down to this last encounter and I can see that you've failed in acquiring the Foul Weapon. Play your games if you must when your Thorns and the Elements of Harmony show up. While it’s just you and me, tell me why you've come this far.”

Black Rose pushed away a sweat-damp lock of her mane from her face. “So quick to point out my mistakes,” she said. “It felt like I was back in the Gray Sentinel for a moment there. Won’t you acknowledge my achievements as well, beloved?”

Terrato stopped moving forward. It wasn't just because he did want to hear Black Rose; he didn't want to come any closer to Oceanus’s Throne. Not when there were so many unknowns. Black Rose risked much just being so close. He could only gamble so much, especially after what the ponies of the Old Kingdom did to him. “What have you achieved that I should acknowledge, Rose?” he asked. “Why do you even need me to?”

“I’ve reunited you with your sisters,” Black Rose said. “The barrier was but a physical manifestation of that inner rift. My Thorns have pushed the Elements of Harmony, and this abyss has served well as the crucible to bring out their best. In the process, the potential threat from the dormant Old Kingdom was destroyed before Oceanus returned.”

“All true,” Terrato said. “I admit it, Black Rose. I owe you a great deal. More than I’m willing to admit to my sisters. Or to anypony for that matter.” Black Rose smiled. Not that confident smile she used to hide her plans and to keep her foes uncertain. Not this time. For what felt like a long, long time, Black Rose showed him that soft, happy smile she had when he first welcomed her to the Gray Sentinel. For some time, Terrato didn't want to continue. If only he could freeze this moment, store it away somewhere and relive it whenever he wanted to. “What have you done with Gravitas?”

The smile was gone. Terrato’s chest ached as the moment passed. “I had hoped that a sacrifice would draw a more favorable reaction from Oceanus’s weapon,” Black Rose said. “Gravitas is responsible for the destruction of several handmaidens of Oceanus after all. I offered him and he was devoured alive. I make no apologies for this, beloved, I enjoyed his last screaming, undignified moments.”

“He was an enemy of Oceanus. We could have still used him.”

“There isn't enough chance of that for a gamble. He was too scared and too set in his ways. You spoke with him. You know that we do have neither the time nor resources to make him see differently. Even if we succeeded, I doubt he would have had more use against Oceanus, especially when he was so easily led around.”

“You fed him to the Foul Weapon for that?” Terrato asked.

“Gravitas is not completely lost, beloved,” Black Rose said. “He has been diminished and trapped within Oceanus’s realm. He can be set free to rejoin the Herd. After our victory against Oceanus of course. A victory achieved with Equestria intact and our place in the Herd secure. But why don’t we drop the pretenses? A weapon is a tool, a device that can be manipulated by a pony skilled enough. This thing is more intimate to Oceanus than that. It reacts to no prodding; it hears no bargains, taunts, or pleas. It has nothing for me. Not even contempt. I do not exist to this thing, no matter how hard I've tried to make myself heard.”

“Oceanus’ Throne will hear nopony but him,” Terrato said. “Your plan was doomed from the start, Rose.”

“Was it?” Black Rose tilted her head, a hint of a smile showing again. “If that was true, then why did you chase after me?”

Terrato didn't answer. He didn't need to.

“Was it because you understood all along that bringing the Elements of Harmony to this place would bring out the best in them? That it was better to deal with the Old Kingdom while Oceanus was still dormant? Or...perhaps, you were worried about me?”

“Of course I was,” Terrato said. Black Rose paused and stared. She had likely expected the need to hint and be coy. Terrato was too tired to play. “You were going to become a bride of Oceanus. That was the only way you could gain some control over his Throne.”

“Then--”

“Damn it, Rose!” Terrato winced. Even snarling hurt. He lowered his voice, both out of necessity and because the next words warranted it. “I still love you. What did you expect would happen if I thought you were going to become that monster’s bride?”

“I’m hurt and flattered all at once,” Black Rose said. “But there are methods even I won’t pursue. Equestria will not survive me as Oceanus’s Queen, if such a thing was even remotely possible.”

“You fed Gravitas to Oceanus’s Throne, Black Rose,” Terrato said. “There will be reprisals. He may not be as popular as Lexarius, but he has allies within the Council of Elders and other sources. Are you confident that Equestria would survive their reprisals that while Oceanus’s arrival draws closer?”

“Would they even dare, I wonder?” Black Rose asked. “You said it yourself, Oceanus’s arrival draws ever closer. The Council of Elders may bicker and plot while the threat is dormant and the King is away, but who among them would harm Equestria with your father preparing for battle?”

“You’re a rebellion short.”

Black Rose’s glanced at the void behind her. “Then, let us complete the set: Prince Terrato wielding this horrifying weapon, even for a moment, to completely destroy the meddlesome Gravitas. I believe that would count.”

“There is no way I would do that!” Terrato snarled. He could feel blood at the back of his throat.

“No need to. You came to the abyss after fighting Gravitas. Now, he’s gone. Many will have doubts, but who would risk trying anything if even a possibility exists? We can create a fake eighth rebellion. You suffer a small blow to your reputation, but Equestria will be safe long enough to prepare for the real one. Think of it, beloved: a united Equestria free of threats from within this world and without. Think of what you and your sisters can accomplish!”

“I know what my sisters and I can accomplish,” Terrato said. “What I don’t know is where you will be after this.”

“That will be decided momentarily,” Black Rose said. “I am down to the last vestiges of my strength. The power of sunlight is gone, and I used a great deal of magic just to bring my Thorns to this place, keep them protected from the abyss, and keep my hold on Gravitas until he was sacrificed.” She chuckled briefly. “What a terrible final battle we will have when the others get here; a gathering of ponies barely able to stand!”

“Rose...”

Black Rose looked past Terrato. He didn't need to follow her gaze. The presence was enough of a giveaway for Twilight Sparkle and the rest. Besides, who else was there to expect in the abyss?

“Thank you for those words,” Black Rose said, much too softly for the new arrivals to hear. “And I still love you too.” Her smile, the smile she wore to battle, was back when she addressed Twilight and the others. “Finally, everypony is here. And what a fine sight you all make!”

“We are glad to see you are still well, mistress,” Lion Court said.

Black Rose nodded at Lion Court. “Well done as usual, my Thorns.”

“Can we cut the long introductions?” Rainbow Dash snapped. “We’re tired and we’re hurt, nopony has the time for your speeches!”

“It’s over, Black Rose!” Twilight said. She shut her eyes tightly for a second, straining to bring out a crackling glow out of her horn. “Step away from the Foul Weapon and give up!”

The smile still didn't leave when Black Rose did take a step forward. “I give up,” she said.

Even Terrato could barely disguise a snort at the flabbergasted expressions on Twilight and her friends.

“Do you honestly expect us to believe that?” Rainbow Dash asked. “It’s so obvious that you've got another trap waiting for us! It’s not going to work!”

“I was asked to surrender and I complied,” Black Rose said. She looked to Twilight. “Do you accept or did you just offer something you can’t give?”

“I...” Twilight Sparkle continued to stare in disbelief.

‘One more lesson for them, is it Black Rose?’ Terrato thought.

“How do I know you’re not bluffing?” Twilight asked.

“That is something you should have determined before you asked me to surrender,” Black Rose said. “It’s easy to offer mercy when you’re expecting a no, isn't it? You get to feel as if you've done your part before you move on to the more drastic solutions.”

“I did not just say that to feel like the better pony,” Twilight said. She concentrated even harder on bringing out her magic and failed. “You...you knew that there was no way we’d have the strength to bind you, didn't you?”

“The answer to that is irrelevant,” Black Rose said. “Would you grant me mercy, Twilight Sparkle?”

Twilight glanced to her friends.

“Don’t trust her!” Rainbow Dash said. “She’s obviously going to trick us!”

“I...” Rarity frowned for a while. “Even if we demanded proof, there’s really nothing she could offer, couldn't she? Harsh as it may be, should we even risk such a thing? We only need look around us to see where she’s willing to take her schemes.”

“That’s just mean!” Pinkie told Rarity. She looked to Twilight. “Of course we should forgive her! She said she was sorry!”

“She’s a liar,” Applejack said. “We all know that!” Her voice softened. “But the lies have to stop somewhere, right?”

“She’s had us in her mercy a lot of times,” Fluttershy said softly. “If we won’t spare her out of kindness, let’s spare her just to pay her back.”

Twilight Sparkle looked towards Terrato. He snorted openly this time. Was she seriously looking to him for an opinion? More importantly, was he going to defer to her decision? He glanced at Black Rose. She wasn't lying about her flagging strength. She may not be horribly wounded, but she didn't look capable of putting up much of a fight and her Thorns fared worse. Yet, here she was, still playing games; gambling with her very surrender and amusing herself as he and the Elements of Harmony worked out a hierarchy.

Without any answer coming from Terrato, Twilight looked to Black Rose. “What were you even doing here, Black Rose?” she asked. “You haven’t gotten any stronger by coming here at all!”

“Would my answer affect your choice?” Black Rose asked. “My plan has failed. I’m at a disadvantage and I offer my surrender.”

Twilight pressed her lips tightly together.

“Rose, that’s enough toying with her,” Terrato said. “You've made your point. You got them with one more surprise.”

“I had preferred a final test,” Black Rose said. “The Elements of Harmony against even a portion of the Foul Weapon. This is a poor substitute. We’re at an impasse. I can’t do much to harm all of you in any meaningful way that would bring out more of the Elements of Harmony, yet you won’t accept my surrender for fear of what I’m planning. The only solution seems to be my death.”

“Let’s knock her out, then capture her!” Rainbow Dash said. “She can’t try anything if she’s out!”

“Try it, Rainbow Dash,” Sablesteel hissed. “I still have enough venom to make your innards leak out of your rear!”

“Your enemy has surrendered with dignity and you respond with barbarism!” Octavia said. “Shameful!”

Applejack stepped in front of Rainbow Dash. “Maybe if Black Rose wasn't so sneaky, we’d have no problem accepting her surrender! She made this difficult for herself!”

“Enough!” Twilight said. “We’re going nowhere! We’re not going to kill you, Black Rose.” She glanced at Rainbow Dash. “Or knock you out like we’re abducting you.”

“All well and good,” Black Rose said. “What you will do remains to be seen.”

“Let’s go,” Twilight said. “I’m sick of this abyss, I want to go back to Equestria.”

“You’re trusting her?” Rainbow Dash asked. “You’re trusting Black Rose?”

“And I thought she was the only gambler here,” Terrato said.

“I don’t gamble,” Twilight said. “I picked the best option available.” She gave Terrato a knowing look that would have normally irritated him. “You wanted to spare her too, didn't you?”

“Don’t decide anything on my account, Twilight Sparkle,” Terrato said. “You don’t owe me anything.”

“Can we at least tie her up and get one of those horn-lock thingies on her?” Rainbow Dash asked. She looked to Sablesteel and Octavia. “Or is that too rough for her majesty too?”

“Longstride should have aimed for your tongue, foal,” Sablesteel muttered. “Or I should have given him a hemotoxin instead of a paralytic.”

To Rainbow Dash’s credit, she didn't bother retorting.

“We don’t have horn-locks with us,” Twilight said. “But, even without any detection spells, I can tell that you’re almost out, Black Rose.” She looked to Applejack. “At least we have some rope.”

“Yeah!” Rainbow Dash said. “Tie her up with the magic lasso! Maybe she’ll start telling the truth when we get it on her!”

“My lasso doesn't work that way, Rainbow,” Applejack said. “But I'd be more comfortable if we get this slippery mare tied up.”

Black Rose held her front hooves forward. “By all means,” she said.

Applejack stepped closer and looked at those extended hooves as if they were deadly snakes. Though she put on a brave face, she could not completely disguise the tremble in her forelegs. Another second of hesitation passed before she began binding.

“That’s a fine chain, Applejack,” Black Rose said. “Has it served you well?”

“What do you know about this chain, Black Rose?” Applejack asked. She pulled the links together, roughly pinning Black Rose’s fetlocks to each other.

“Come now,” Black Rose said. “Will every word I say make you ponies jump?”

“You brought this on yourself,” Applejack said. “If you weren't scheming all the time, we wouldn't think you were scheming all the time!”

“Well—“

Terrato waited for Black Rose to finish, but she never did. He blinked and shook his head. That was way too long even for the ridiculous theatrical pauses that she enjoyed. He looked to her and found her frozen between words. “What--?” He looked to the others. Applejack was also frozen in place, her jaw clenched tightly as if physical effort could keep Black Rose’s words from having any effect. Twilight Sparkle looked like she was about to say something too.

“Hello, little brother,”

Out of the great void which Terrato could only assume was Oceanus’s Throne, a distant, glowing figure winked into existence. Details were hazy, but Terrato didn’t need his sight to recognize who this was. Nor did he need the voice. The presence hit him in two ways; like an ice cold mist caressing his coat and like a grip of frost clutching at his heart. It tugged at very old memories. He had been too young to remember the firstborn like Celestia did, but some part of him held on to an imprint of that presence. “Firstborn,” he growled softly.

“I am speaking to you because you are the only thing here worth noticing.”

Black Rose had spent a great deal just to get here, even more just trying to elicit a reaction. It was strange to feel indignant for his former student when he should be glad that Oceanus can’t even be bothered to notice her. Terrato also noted that the firstborn did not sound languid as Luna had described. That his time was drawing closer was unmistakable.

“How are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be dormant for one more rebellion?”

“I am Oceanus. Prophecy bends to me. You stand before my Throne, little brother. I see you as if you were standing next to me.”

“And that’s why you left it here, didn’t you?” Terrato afforded himself a smile. “You act like these ponies are as insignificant as the dirt, but you made sure you had an eye on them.”

“I left my Throne here as a beacon, so others who wish to leave the Herd may follow.”

He didn’t seem interested in the adverse effects of this monstrous thing had on his children. How much of Oceanus’ blindness towards his children was true? Were they truly so insignificant to his scale of power or was it merely disdain that made him pretend?

“Little brother, it is no coincidence that you have found your way here.”

“You’re not going to convince me to join up with you, firstborn,” Terrato said. “Save the sales pitch for the power of abyss.” Terrato’s eyes strayed towards Black Rose. It was her scheming and bravado that led them all here, yet she was helpless at the moment. They all were. He had played into her schemes on several occasions, was constantly reacting and had allowed the situation with him and his sisters to deteriorate, but Oceanus only noticed him. He was the only one the firstborn would deign to speak to despite all of Black Rose’s poking and prodding. He snorted. “And here I thought it was Luna you were after.”

The glowing figure moved closer. The cold grew worse, but Terrato didn’t even shiver. His limbs were numbing and his body was getting heavier, but not even the slightest shiver at this unnatural cold. How different it was from Fenrir’s furious howling. The wolven king’s howl was a fierce winter storm; proud, defiant, strong. Oceanus’s presence was a hungry void, eagerly and quietly sucking away everything.

“Luna is already mine.”

Terrato grit his teeth. What a lie. What else could he expect from the firstborn? It was nothing but lies and blindness; both from his unfathomable pride.

“Sun and Moon above, Ocean and Earth beneath. Daughters of Gratia, Sons of Dominus.”

Why was the firstborn reciting bad poetry? Terrato raised an eyebrow. Did Oceanus have his own prophecies to spout? Wait...that might actually make sense. Celestia inherited the power of sunlight from their father and some of their mother’s powerful divination abilities, but she did not possess the sort of foresight to make accurate predictions. Luna inherited their mother’s power of moonlight, not so much the divination. Perhaps, it was the firstborn who got the whole package.

“I would not bring you to my side if you asked to join. Little brother, you will destroy everything you cherish and I refuse to include myself among them.”

‘Everything I...’ Terrato shook his head. Lies. Prideful lies from the firstborn. Oceanus did not have their mother’s foresight.

“If only I didn't exist, this would be your moment of crowning. But the Throne is already mine. All you will find here is loss.”

“I disagree.”

Terrato had to fight to keep his jaw from dropping. Though he could not see any detail from the firstborn, there was a slight fluctuation in the oppressive presence. That was Black Rose’s low-pitched, silken tone, defiant and tranquil at once. She shifted out of her frozen state as if she had just been pretending all along, but the powerful surges of magic around the edges of her form told Terrato otherwise. Black Rose did not have much magical energy when he found her in this place. Whatever was left was going into this confrontation with the firstborn. She may not even have enough to keep her Thorns alive in the abyss if things went poorly.

Black Rose’s expression betrayed none of these anxieties. She looked and sounded as if she had just pulled off another trick to an amazed audience. She squinted at the distant glowing figure and put a hoof over her eyes as if trying to see farther. “Can you see me now, Oceanus?” she asked. “Or am I still too insignificant for your almighty eyes?”

A rising sense of oppressive presence flooded them. It felt like being caught in a massive ocean swell. Terrato expected a powerful crash, like a rogue wave finally forming. No such thing came. Instead, the heavy presence blew past him gently, more an exhalation than devastation. It felt like...like a yawn.

Black Rose let out a little snort. “And that’s all the proof I need to know that I was right in refusing to even remotely work with your cause.”

“Little brother, you came here hoping to protect some feeble shard of light from our father’s Throne. You will find only loss instead. Your journey is at an end.”

“Are you going to fight me now, firstborn?” Terrato asked. “You can’t even be bothered to show up for real and it’s going to take more than your constant posturing to annoy me to death!”

Oceanus didn’t answer again. He didn’t need to. He didn’t even need to talk to Terrato to begin with. The end of his journey indeed. He wasn’t going to find the strength to pull himself out of this abyss. The Elements of Harmony didn’t look like they had much going for them either. Neither did—

“Was he always that prone to snobbery?”

“Would you have really preferred that he noticed you?” Terrato asked. He walked closer to Black Rose. He limped towards her. On her part, she didn't flinch. She even looked like she wanted to meet him halfway just to help him conserve his strength. It was amazing that she was still keeping her composure. Her gamble was an utter failure. “I’m glad, you know. I’m glad that he thinks that you’re not worth the attention. I’m glad that your theatrics bored him so much, he yawned and left.”

Terrato paused, his ears perking slightly. That wasn't quite true. Oceanus had put some kind of distance between himself and his clearly unwanted children, but he wasn't gone. In that yawning void, Terrato could still feel some observation, a half-lidded, amused stare directed at him, mildly curious about his last few steps.

“At least you found something to be glad about in this situation I've put you through,” Black Rose said. She didn't seem to notice. Oceanus likely didn't want her to. Terrato supposed that the mighty firstborn could easily will who got to feel his presence and who didn't if he put his mind to it. “There are a few more tasks left, beloved.” She looked around her and smiled. “I see that those of us not so skilled in necromancy are still frozen by Oceanus’s presence. That is useful indeed. I had hoped to control the Foul Weapon to stop its influence. Since it’s a Throne—“

“It needs to go,” Terrato said. “If it stays here, it will exert more and more influence as Oceanus gains strength. Eventually, he will rip Equestria apart from the inside by just calling it. We can’t destroy it, so it needs to be returned to him while it’s dormant.” He glanced at the void behind Black Rose. Oceanus heard that no doubt. But the firstborn wasn't here physically. He could observe, but for all his talk about bending prophecy, he wasn't going to act just yet. Good. He was going to get a front row seat to what his children were capable of.

“True,” Black Rose said. “Once more at the same page.”

Terrato lifted his horn, tasting the powerful magic weaved into the very essence of this wretched abyss. There was some sense to the firstborn’s words, sense he hated so much. He looked to his former student. Black Rose didn't quite understand the full implications of bringing him here. She gambled on his affinity and she gambled on his alignment with Equestria. “At the same page” she said. That was her weaponized confidence showing, that same weaponized confidence that was always keeping Twilight Sparkle and the others off-balance. Black Rose didn't always have a good handle on things, but her smile stopped opportunistic attacks as well as any magical shield. Confidence wasn't going to carry her much farther now. Not in the abyss. “You have a plan for this?” he asked.

“My track record when it comes to plans has been rather dismal, beloved,” Black Rose said. “Nothing concrete, but the objectives are clear. This Throne must be removed.”

“Your wretched gambling again.” Terrato snorted. “I often wish I beat that habit out of you all those years ago.”

“Beloved, you would have beaten me out of existence,” Black Rose replied. “But we no longer have the luxury of nostalgia and wishful thinking. Equestria’s premier necromancers have a task at hoof.”

“The array that sends ponies to this place will help, even at this distance,” Terrato said.

“You noticed it even though you were being carried away by a wailing wave of lost souls?” Black Rose asked. For once, the awe in her tone didn't sound planned.

“Since only the Elements of Harmony are here, we can assume that Celestia and Luna are manipulating it.” Terrato closed his eyes, “stirring” the abyss around them. He could manipulate the array, even from here. Especially with Black Rose’s help. He could draw just a bit more power from the surrounding darkness and use the abyssal transport to send this Throne away. It had to be done now, while the Throne was still lingering between dormancy and activity. The firstborn was up, but very groggy. If they ever stood a chance of moving this Throne without rupturing the very center of Equestria, it had to be done now. But he was weak and even with the aid of all this untapped power and an equally weakened Black Rose, he needed help. As he saw it, there were two options, both of which must be utilized.

The Elements of Harmony remained great sources of power and they were right there, just a few feet away. Like his sisters, he had lost any affinity for using the Elements ever since Nightmare Moon’s emergence. If he asked for their help, however, they were most likely to agree. Once they were free of this strange stasis that Oceanus caught them in. However, just how much more can the bearers bring out after spending so long in this oppressive environment and dealing with the Six Companions and their minions?
While the power of the Elements of Harmony could still shine through, their physical bodies may not be able to take on the strain. The elemental foci shattered when too much was asked of them. The flesh and blood of Twilight Sparkle and her friends could well follow suit.

If that still wasn’t enough, Celestia and Luna were already manipulating the array and were thus immersing their magic in it. Under these circumstances...

That annoying smile of Black Rose’s twitched just a bit. Wonderful, she was still on the same page as him. ‘You’d life tap your sisters?’ she had managed to ask without ever having to say a thing verbally or otherwise.

‘Of course I will,’ Terrato thought. ‘They’d understand. They’d give to the last drop if they had to.’

There would be complications. The power of moonlight would resonate well with any necromantic intrusion. Luna wouldn’t like the idea of a surprise draining, but he could always apologize later. The power of sunlight would react badly, especially with Celestia not knowing what he was planning to do. Roasting his eyeballs for trying to life tap his eldest sister would hardly be the worst thing to happen in this attempt.

A plan was in place, at least. As much of a plan as he could wing with everything that’s happened anyway. Oceanus’s presence was receding. It wouldn’t be long until the rest of the ponies with him unfroze.

“Beloved...”

The first movements of what should be a massive and impromptu ritual was already going through Terrato’s mind. “What is it?” he asked.

“I may not be able to say this before the end of this affair. I’m glad to be able to serve with you one more time.”

“You’re not going out in some blaze of glory, Rose,” Terrato muttered. “You’re coming with us back to Canterlot and we’ll decide what to do with you there.”

A flicker of eye movement came from Twilight Sparkle, followed soon after by Rarity and Lion Court. No surprise there. Here was another sudden decision that had to be made. Should they stop and explain everything to Twilight and the others first or just push through and let them figure things out?

“Huh?” Twilight asked. “Why’s everypony just standing around? Let’s—wait...”

Terrato snorted. She noticed it at least. The Elements of Harmony had gotten much stronger: certainly strong enough to defeat even the most horrific specters from the ponykind’s dark past, but Oceanus could have wiped them all out before they even noticed.

“A little change of plans, I’m afraid,” Black Rose said. “I finally received some feedback for my efforts with the Foul Weapon, and the next step is obvious. Surrendering now would be folly.”

Twilight Sparkle’s horn glowed brightly. “I knew it! Just another trick!”

“No tricks,” Black Rose said. “Only last minute contingencies.” The others were beginning to recover as she continued. “I have failed to secure any advantage with the Foul Weapon, but this trip has not been a wasted one. The face of our true enemy is now clear. He has no interest in his children. He finds our accomplishments insignificant and our struggles, boring. As such, we will expel his foul Throne from Equestria and prepare for battle. The stage has been set. I need only the last key players.”

Twilight looked to Terrato, likely for back up as she prepared an initial spell.

“Save your magic, Twilight Sparkle,” Terrato said. “We’ll need every drop for this to work.”

Twilight’s jaw dropped for a second before she snapped it shut in an outrage. “You’re siding with her?”

“Wayward children of Oceanus...”

Terrato stared at Twilight for a while, not with the usual stern or annoyed look he usually gave her, but a more somber, thoughtful one. He was young for an alicorn, born around the tail end of the sixteenth cycle, yet he was older than the oldest of the ponies of this world. The time which they had existed was but a tiny speck in the Eternal Herd’s history. Most of the Council of Elders found them too insignificant to exterminate, which was likely a bigger hindrance to Gravitas’s propositions than any of Lexarius’s motions. Oceanus snored through their struggles. It felt as if only Lexarius and his sisters had any real concern for these ponies. So few amidst the vastness of the Herd. A mere three...

No, four.

“I’m on your side,” Terrato said. She looked ready to argue, but a glance at his eyes gave her pause. Inwardly, he sighed with relief. He didn’t want to argue with Twilight Sparkle. “You understand, don’t you? You may not be able to see the damn thing, but you know it has to go.”

Twilight Sparkle grit her teeth and glanced at Black Rose. It galled her of course. It galled her to see Black Rose sidling away from proper punishment as bigger and bigger problems arose. He snorted. Was it so long ago that she was on the wrong end of this mentality? She took on the whip because “proper punishment” had to be meted while bigger problems arose. Would she follow the same course as he did? Something worse? What would that make her?

“She bet on this, didn’t she?” Twilight muttered. To Terrato’s relief, Black Rose either didn't hear or didn't want to make things worse.

“No,” Terrato said. He glanced at his former student. “Don’t let the smile fool you. We’re here to bail this gambler out.”

Finally, Twilight Sparkle swallowed the lump of frustration building between her grinding jaws. She let out a long exhale and stared in the direction of the Throne. Resolve took over her face as she spoke.

“What do we need to do?”

The Sending

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 59: The Sending

Since he and his siblings first received them from their mother, Terrato had always wondered why the Elements of Harmony were so…necessary. They were powerful, without a doubt. Any foal could have notice that. But, even knowing how powerful the deranged Lexarius was, he had been confident of the combined might of himself and his sisters being good enough. Even Celestia had thought so and nopony believed in Lexarius more than his eldest sister. He had been the first to protest when their mother insisted that they bring the Elements of Harmony. The slightest bit of extra power felt like doubt. Bringing these powerful essences was humiliating.

But there was no swaying their mother. Divina Gratia had plenty of weight to throw around, but she rarely ever had to. She caught glimpses of possible futures, a talent rare even among the most powerful diviners within the Herd. When she asked a pony, any pony, to do something, they were inclined to do it knowing that there had to be some grand reason. So the royal siblings took the Elements of Harmony, not wanting to rely on them, but already resigned that they probably were going to be forced to.

Terrato now looked at the bearers of the Elements of Harmony and wondered. Had his mother seen this far? Had she known that the Elements would one day be passed on to Oceanus’s children? That they would be the ray of hope in the midst of his abyss, perhaps the only way they could be saved from both his dark fate and the Herd’s paranoia? Had she seen this motley band of ponies: Celestia’s stubborn scholar of a student, a farmer, a weather manager, a baker, a dressmaker, and some recluse who lived with animals, as redemption for a wayward son’s unwanted children? What had truly led to this moment? Was it their mother’s wisdom or Black Rose’s interference? Both?

“Are we ready?” Terrato asked. As the strongest necromancer around, he would have to lead this sending. He was tired, in more ways than one, and he didn’t relish the idea of involving the Elements of Harmony in any necromantic ritual, but this had to be done.

“We’re ready,” Twilight Sparkle replied. A faint glow surrounded her and her friends. They were exhausted too. That they still radiated the power of the Elements of Harmony was heartening. “As we ready as we can be, I suppose.”

“This is crazy,” Rainbow Dash muttered. “Next thing we know, Black Rose’s sitting on a throne and I’ve got another arrow in my cutie mark.”

The Thorns had grouped up behind Black Rose, tending to their wounds as best they could. Their mistress, as confident as ever, stood just a few feet away from Terrato’s side, already acting like his second without him having to say so. It felt so easy to lapse into the old habits. For both of them apparently. Black Rose knew the part she had to play, but another important caster didn’t. Terrato stared at Twilight Sparkle until she flinched. He was about to teach this filly to participate in a necromantic ritual. She had the talent for it, he can sense that. Celestia probably sensed that as well. No doubt, this would eventually be a delightful breakfast topic with his eldest sister.

“Would you like me to instruct her for you?” Black Rose whispered.

“No,” Terrato said. “It’s my grave to dig. Tend to your Thorns, Rose, if you have some piddling amount of energy left, give them a few healing spells. The cellist, in particular, looks ready to drop.” He walked over to Twilight, who, for a moment, looked ready to defend herself. “Listen closely, Twilight Sparkle, you’re about to get your first lesson in Necromancy.”

Terrato wasn’t expecting a master necromancer to emerge; he wasn’t even going to cover all the basics. He just needed a useful enough participant out of the most magically talented out of all the Elements of Harmony. Twilight Sparkle stood at the center of their formation. She was going to lead their concentrated effort and needed enough knowledge to participate.

A sudden impromptu lesson on Necromancy in the bowels of the Abyss with both teacher and student at the ends of their tethers was hardly the recipe for smooth learning, but as soon as he made his intention clear, Twilight Sparkle took to instruction with surprising ease. He was going to get nightmares from that gleam in her eyes when they get out of this later and she starts pestering him for more.

The lesson of course, was in Life Tap. The bearers likely didn’t have enough strength to will their innate powers by their own might alone, but their very bodies and souls were infused with the power of Harmony. Tapping into their life force would draw it out. Of course, any necromancer, no matter the skill, stupid enough to try to tamper with the Elements of Harmony would be a cinder halfway through the process. The bearer of the Element of Magic would be the exemption though. It already had a pull with the other Elements. It could be done. It had to be done. Twilight Sparkle’s curt nods were…assuring. She learned an unfamiliar, dangerous school of magic quickly. That she looked eager to try was a bit disconcerting.

The formation was simple enough. Terrato, Black Rose, and Twilight Sparkle formed the points of a triangle within a pentagon formed by the rest of the Elements of Harmony. Before them was the yawning void that was the Throne of Oceanus. More than ever, Terrato felt the eye of the firstborn on them. Oceanus watched lazily, perhaps mildly amused at the notion that they were going to attempt something to thwart him.

Terrato raised his horn and started the ritual. Twilight Sparkle wasn’t the only one with special connections. He had but to search briefly and he was able to feel the presence of his sisters, still maintaining the enchantment that kept the bearers alive in the abyss. Did they feel his too? Was Celestia already wary of the necromantic energy seeping from the array? What about Luna? Did his younger sister know that Oceanus already watched them? Did both of them recognize his spell or were they already assuming that it was the firstborn finally attacking?

Life Tap.

It nearly jolted Terrato out of his concentration when he noticed that he and Twilight Sparkle cast the same spell. The other bearers had their eyes closed. When the Element of Magic’s radiance enveloped theirs, each of them winced. That was the easy part, if there was any part of this sending that was going to be easy. The bearers were informed of what was going to happen and they were willing. Twilight Sparkle’s biggest problem would be precision. Too little and the sending would fail. Too much and her friends would turn into undead abominations before her eyes. At least, she didn’t have to worry about defenses.

No such windfall for Terrato. His magic reached high above them, drawing power from the abyss itself to reach his two sisters. He searched for the necromantic array that allowed ponies to even get to this place. When he pinpointed its location, he now had to slowly approach. To him, they were soft, warm presences. They were two lights, one gold and one silver, seemingly at the corner of his eyes. To them, he was a black, nebulous mass of intrusive magic flowing out of the array and surrounding them. He must resemble Oceanus more than ever.

‘Concentrate, you spineless colt,’ Terrato thought. ‘You can feel as sorry as you want for yourself later when this is over.’

The approach was crucial. He willed his magic slowly, trying to make it seem that he was asking for permission. The power of the abyss would have overwhelmed them right away. He glanced to his fellow leads. Black Rose concentrated on weaving the building necromantic power, still confidently smiling. Twilight Sparkle glanced back at him nervously, her body becoming even more radiant. She had found the balance between getting as much power as possible and not sucking her friends dry, but time was also of the essence here. A lot of power was building up from various sources. Things would become too unstable if they took too long holding it. He reached out some more, bracing himself for a fierce, defensive lash.

The power of moonlight touched him first. Terrato would have breathed a sigh of relief at the first success, but there was an eagerness in that connection he found concerning. A portion of Luna’s life force flowed through him and into the formation; a cool, calming blanket, like a peaceful night. Luna was able to understand in a heartbeat. Or she was willing to give a portion of herself to the power of abyss.

‘Concentrate!’

That left the power of sunlight. Terrato hadn’t even started to reach out when the pain of Celestia’s doubts manifested like an unpleasant glare of light, piercing his eyelids while he was trying to get a few more minutes sleep. Luna had to be assuring her at this point. This was their brother, reaching out to them for help, as he should have centuries ago.

The minor glare only intensified. Apparently, Luna wasn’t good with assurances or Celestia knew it was him, but was still too afraid that he might suck her soul out. Memories of her recoiling when he came closer, that fateful fight above the ruins of the Temple of the Three, came unbidden. So they were back to this again, weren’t they? It almost felt as if they had accomplished nothing despite the reunification of Equestria.

An alarming surge of energy within the formation warned Terrato against further digression. He could just force the life tap. He could endure the flare of defensive magic knowing that Celestia could not break the link without removing herself from the necromantic array that kept Twilight Sparkle and the others alive. He had to force it. He was out of time. Yet, something still held him in that halfway point, hovering in the suspicious glare of the power of sunlight, not quite burning but far from comfortable.

‘I am not Oceanus!’

That was becoming a far too frequent assertion Terrato had to make. The clinging, slimy adulation of the Old Kingdom’s wretched souls disgusted and enraged him enough to tear into his own life force to break through, but that was nothing to this fear and suspicion. This was hardly new and stemmed from an old, frustrating sentiment from Celestia. He wasn’t Oceanus. They were sons of Dominus and both gifted in Necromancy, but he wasn’t the firstborn. Yet, each flinch Celestia made when he raised a hoof or approached her too suddenly seemed to point to that notion. He was getting tired of that connection.

‘I am not Oceanus!’

Terrato let the rage affect the life tap. His dark presence flared up. Even Luna’s power of moonlight wavered at this surge. The others in the formation also flinched. He didn’t care. He was only interested in one reaction at this moment. The power of sunlight’s defensive posture hesitated and fluctuated. ‘You understand, don’t you?’ Terrato thought. His sister didn’t hear him of course, but he wanted to speak his mind anyway. ‘This is my rage. The firstborn never got angry. The firstborn would have never waited for your permission. You know who I am, eldest sister.’

The power of sunlight finally relented. A surge of warmth, painful and pleasant all at once, flooded Terrato and the formation through him. The power of moonlight was calming and reassuring, the sublime dark of a peaceful night. The power of sunlight was dazzling and uplifting, a clear summer sky and a strong favorable breeze, perfect for an all out charge.

With his sisters on board at last, Terrato signaled his fellow conductors to move on to the next part of the sending. Swirling lights surrounded the formation: the multi-colored rays from the Elements of Harmony, the silvery glow of the power of moonlight and the golden radiance of the power of sunlight.

Terrato’s ears pricked as he glanced around. Something was shifting in the abyss. Oceanus’s throne remained dormant. The others didn’t seem to notice the shift, not even Black Rose, who was smiling at the sight of the power of sunlight and moonlight, nor Twilight Sparkle who was concentrating heavily on not killing her friends. “Power of sunlight…” he muttered. Oceanus didn’t like the sudden intrusion of Celestia’s power into his realm, the same power of the pony that hurled him out of the Herd to begin with. Perhaps he wasn’t going to be so complacent now.

The others flinched and perked their ears. They could feel the shift now as the very Throne they were trying to move started to react. Pinkie Pie opened her mouth as if to say something, but Sablesteel glared her into silence. Things were moving smoothly now. As Terrato had hoped, they had enough combined magical energy and enough skill with Necromancy to get this thing out of Equestria.

“Little brother…”

Terrato scowled. The others didn’t hear Oceanus’s voice, so it must be through thoughts that the firstborn was speaking to him.

“You may have this back.”

Terrato failed to stop a sharp intake of breath. That was enough to alert his fellow conductors. For once, Black Rose’s confident smile turned into a look of concern. Likewise, Twilight Sparkle snapped alert. The Thorns drew weapons, a futile gesture ultimately. The rest of the bearers also looked on with concern.

A loud splash, like a massive boulder being hurled into the sea, erupted around them. “Hold!” Terrato shouted, his throat only hurting further when he did so. He redoubled his efforts on the ritual. The bearers were about to break formation to face this potential threat. They couldn’t move now. At this point, they might blow themselves up along with everything in a mile radius.

“Terrato!”

Terrato’s eyes widened. He knew that deep, powerful voice, despite the horrible gurgling noise that distorted it: Gravitas.

“Impossible…” Black Rose whispered.

Out of the void of Oceanus’s Throne flew a hideous, broken…thing that vaguely resembled a pony. That was Gravitas light gray fur and his misty, dark blue mane, both splotched and encrusted with black, as if he was covered in partly frozen ink. For a moment, it wasn’t clear if he was charging them or if the Throne was spitting him out. Atrox, cracked in several places and covered in the same frozen corruption waved erratically in front of the maddened alicorn.

Terrato’s mind raced. Gravitas was going to reach the formation in a few more seconds. Somepony capable had to engage. The Thorns were no match for Gravitas, even if they were at full strength and even if he was this broken. The Elements of Harmony couldn’t be moved, not at this crucial moment. He was wielding tapped portions of the power of sunlight and moonlight. Only—

Black Rose had already left the circle. Without her precise control, the surging energies nearly erupted. Twilight Sparkle strained violently, blood bursting from her nose and leaking out of the corners of her eyes.

Terrato’s own wounds opened up and sizzled as the backlash coursed through him. He grit his teeth to avoid crying out even as blood poured between his teeth. Agonizing as this backlash was, it was the least amount of damage. Black Rose did not have specific sources of energy tied to her so her breaking formation wasn’t lethal.

“Complete the sending!” Black Rose said. There was no honey in her words this time. Her horn crackled feebly as she met Gravitas’s charge. “Beloved, you and Twilight Sparkle can complete this on your own! Don’t waste thoughts on me!”

‘Easier said than done!’ Terrato thought. He spat out a large glob of blood and refocused. Twilight Sparkle’s legs were shaking, both from exhaustion and from fighting the urge to join the fray. The other bearers, though spared the damage from the sudden shift in the formation’s power, also struggled to stay in place. The more exhausted ones, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash, looked ready to faint. But they had to stay. His heart was aching, not just from the backlash either, but he had to stay put.

“I overestimated you, Gravitas,” Black Rose said. “I thought that you had been a worthy enough foe against Oceanus so that he would relish swallowing you.”

The broken body of Gravitas slowed to a hover. His neck had been wrenched to an unnatural angle and his lower jaw was barely attached to the rest of his face, but he still managed to speak. “Mortal,” he gurgled. “You have toyed with powers beyond you. Sending the pieces of your soul across the void of Vestibulum would be too lenient a fate.”

Black Rose wrinkled her nose. Despite his need to concentrate, Terrato couldn’t blame her. Gravitas was dripping some kind of filthy water. He smelled like a week-old corpse fished out of a stagnant pond. The icy blackness clinging to him looked like they were melting, but they didn’t appear to be getting smaller. At this range, it was easy to see that they were sprouting from within, like malignant, crystallized tumors.

“Perhaps it is,” Black Rose said, her voice steely. “But I’m not ready to float around in a void yet. I made a mistake depending on you, Gravitas. I do not like being reminded of mistakes.” Her horn flashed and several bolts of white-hot fire flew at Gravitas.

“Weak…” Gravitas muttered. Terrato snorted. That was a poor showing; all too revealing of Black Rose’s weakened state.

Even as Gravitas lifted Atrox for another strike, the cracks on it continued to spread. More of the blackened crystallizations crept out of the cracks and wept the same tainted liquid. It was a simple overhead strike that came after Black Rose, almost like a careless swat towards a bothersome gnat.

A blast of energy flew past Atrox, missing the weapon by a mere inch and striking its wielder head on. The angry and confused grunt from Gravitas as he flew back would be satisfying if the view of the explosion wasn’t obscured by the cloud of blood that erupted from Black Rose.

A dozen cuts had materialized around Black Rose’s torso; the outward signs of excessive Life Tap. The strategy was so simplistic that it was almost laughable that Gravitas fell for it: bait the enemy into carelessness with a poor showing and follow up with a powerful strike. Perhaps he was so prideful as to continue to look down on a pony who had already done so much damage to him. Perhaps the corruption had already destroyed his mind, turning him into a caricature of his very worst traits. Certainly, his movements looked stiff and his focus appeared scattered. This was not the general who fought so valiantly during the void rift crisis or the first rebellion. This was a partly digested remnant, some decayed wrench that Oceanus threw at them out of amusement. Particularly galling was that how easily they could all die here because of the firstborn’s leftovers.

The explosion was no wave of evocation magic, however. When the light faded, a massive chain of gold and black energies had wound itself around Gravitas, its end connected to Black Rose’s horn. The shadowy chain wasn’t the only attack that came, however. A trio of swords flew in before the blast could dissipate, along with a barrage of darts and a couple of arrows. The Thorns stood next to their mistress in a heartbeat.

“Your highness!”

Twilight Sparkle’s pained cry of a reminder brought Terrato’s back to the formation. The void was…moving. It was hard to pinpoint how exactly he was sensing it, but he knew that there was a shift in the Throne’s position. Great arcs of brilliant white light flew towards the blackness, coursing across a massive sphere. Finally, they could make out some sort of form for the Throne. It appeared as a perfect sphere, the size of which made them look like insects trying to crawl up a boulder. Was this how a Throne was supposed to look like? Or was this just some outer shell?

“Your highness…” Twilight said through grit teeth. “You need to lead! I don’t know how to proceed with this ritual!”

Terrato desperately put Black Rose out his mind. The last words coming from her direction he heard was from Sablesteel.

“I’ve got nothing to use against that alicorn, mistress!” Sablesteel said. “So sacrifice my life first!”

“No!” Pinkie Pie cried out upon hearing this. For her distraction, an arc of the energy they were manipulating surged through her. She cried out, but even her pained screamed was partly drowned out as crimson gushed out of her mouth, forming large globs that evaporated amidst the building power.

It was a bad idea perhaps, or even an unforeseen event on Black Rose’s part to have her Thorns become too involved with the Elements of Harmony. Antagonize them, test them, yes. Making them care…no. The Thorns were recruited to be ultimately expendable, but if Black Rose started using them as batteries now, the ritual may fail. The other bearers were glancing at the fight now. Their bonds, which which gave them their great strength, now threatened to destroy them.

The surges of energy around the massive black sphere increased in both intensity and violence. A look of fear crossed Twilight Sparkle’s face as an arc of raw power flew past their formation, missing only by a few feet and causing all their fur to briefly stand on end. ‘Rose…’ That was the last time Terrato allowed the mare to cross his mind. Biting back concern and frustration, he shut his eyes tight and focused.

The wild magic flying about due to their barely put together ritual left Twilight Sparkle quaking. A few moments ago, everything was dark and quiet: Black Rose offering her surrender peacefully, this long, gloomy journey seemingly about to come to a close with just one more push. Then, in an instant, the whole world seemed to have gone insane. She was deliberately sucking the life from her friends and Black Rose was protecting them.

In front of her, Prince Terrato looked like he finally shut out all the chaos around them. The lines of tension around his face and the bulging muscles around his neck and jaw showed just how much effort letting his former student fight by herself took. The glowing red cracks on his hide, like the magma-filled openings of a dangerously active volcano, looked as if they were getting wider and about to spew fire.

Despite Terrato’s worrisome condition, some stability had returned to the formation. Twilight could concentrate less on keeping the magic from ripping her insides out and focus more on keeping everypony alive and actually performing the sending.

The ground shook…no, that wasn’t quite right. Twilight could feel her surroundings shake even though there was no “ground”. The surrounding abyss was quivering. It felt as if she was inside a massive cave in, without anything falling.

“Cease this necromancy!” Gravitas roared.

Twilight nearly broke the spell. That sounded far too close for comfort. She could almost feel Gravitas’s fetid breath on her face. Following that bellow was the loud clinking of a chain pulling taut. She had to look. Straining to maintain the balance, she glanced up.

As she had feared, Gravitas was only a few feet away from crashing into the formation. What was wrong with this mad alicorn? Disrupting the ritual now would kill all of them!

Wrapped tightly around Gravitas’s still powerfully-muscled chest was a black and gold length of chain, with links the size of a pony’s head. The other end of it emerged from Black Rose’s glowing horn. Next to her, Octavia played desperately on her cello, the blood pouring from the earth pony’s face and streaming down the strings. Lion Court’s horn was also glowing, but his blades found little purchase against the magical defenses still around Gravitas. Both he and Sablesteel had enormous fresh cuts across their sides, likely the result of Black Rose tapping into their bodies for magical power. Longstride was down to his last few arrows, but he wasn’t aiming. Whatever shot he was going to make, it had to be when there was a clear opening.

“Perhaps this works to my advantage after all, Gravitas,” Black Rose said. She tried to crack a smile, but there was no hiding the strain it took her to maintain the illusory chains that bound her target. If she faltered now, the ritual was over. “Oceanus digesting you would have left nothing. Now, there’s proof that you mighty Herd ponies are hardly any different from us against the corruption!”

“I am not corrupt!” was the bellowing reply.

The huge pillar that Gravitas used rose and slammed against the chain, only to snap like a brittle piece of old, decayed rubble. The blackened crystalline gunk all over the weapon exploded like so much fragile glass.

“Mighty Atrox, nothing more than garbage!” Black Rose cried out triumphantly. The blood that continued to form a cloud of crimson around her did not reinforce that sense of victory.

Gravitas let out another deafening cry of rage and turned on Black Rose, his broken front hooves raised for a killing stomp. Sablesteel exploded into action, diving beneath the alicorn and jabbing with both bladed front hooves. Her weapons met magical shields with a loud, reverberating clang. With a cry of frustration, she pulled back and stabbed even harder. A loud ping answered her redoubled efforts and, when she flew out of Gravitas’s reach, her foreleg blades had disappeared.

On his part, Gravitas did not slow in his attack, shrugging off the Thorns like gnats. His hooves found no purchase, however. Wounded and weakened as she was, Black Rose still showed nimble reflexes. No teleport spell brought her out of harm’s way, but she jumped aside just as the hooves were about to crush her. In an instant she was standing sideways, just a few feet from Gravitas’s right, her horn still glowing with the illusory chain spell.

“What’s the matter, brute?” Black Rose asked. “The silly mortals giving you a hard time?”

Blinded by rage, Gravitas moved away from the ritual and pursued Black Rose. With the formation temporarily safe, Twilight could again look to the sending. The immense powers of the Elements of Harmony swirled around her, bathing her in a soft light that banished the misery of the abyss far more completely than the raging flames she had summoned earlier. She should be used to this brilliance by now. She had seen it defeat Nightmare Moon twice and turn Discord back to stone. But it seemed different this time.

Surrounded by the blackness of the abyss, the light pouring forth from the Elements of Harmony appeared even more glorious than Twilight remembered. This sending was more powerful than what they needed to bring down their previous foes. Just a few weeks ago, even a few days ago, Twilight would have never believed that they could bring out or require this much. Yet, here they were. Her friends were exhausted and wounded. They occasionally glanced worriedly at the fight raging just a few feet away, but they mostly focused their assured gazes on Twilight. Nopony showed any signs of flagging, despite the vast amounts of power and vitality that Twilight had already pulled from them. Not even Fluttershy, who was injured before they even headed to this place, and Pinkie Pie, who looked so lost back in the Barrier Lands. ‘We’re stronger,’ she thought. ‘Whether it’s from Black Rose’s prodding or because we need to be more than ever, I know we’re stronger.’

The black sphere shifted again and the abyss quivered. A faint groaning sound, reminiscent of creaking, straining floorboards blew past them. As this thing moved, the darkness centered on it grew more unstable. Twilight surmised that, once it was expelled, this foulness close to Equestria’s heart will be one great step closer to being completely mended. She remembered the horrible sensations back in Clover the Clever’s last refuge. She would be glad to cleanse her home of all these dark remnants.

“Mistress!”

Sablesteel’s cry jerked Twilight’s attention back to the fight. The formation’s energies shifted slightly, but she still had it under control. Terrato’s total concentration held the magic steady enough to pick up any sudden slack. Twilight couldn’t help but wonder how he could remain so stone-faced now with his former student and lover fighting desperately so close. Was it indifference that held him in place or complete faith?

As for Black Rose, it was immediately clear why Sablesteel had cried out in concern. Her chain still held, but her right foreleg dangled uselessly, clearly broken in several places. A small shard of bone appeared to be sticking out of one of her wounds there.

“Your taunts fall silent, I see,” Gravitas gurgled. “You realize now…how you’ve bitten off more than your entire tainted race…could hope to chew.”

“You’re not celebrating because you hit me, are you, Gravitas?” Black Rose asked between pants. “I didn’t realize how small your goals have become.”

“I have only…ever had one goal…” Gravitas’s voice struggled past his labored wheezing. “To… protect my kind.”

“In this one thing, you deluded, paranoid foal, we have something in common,” Black Rose said. She raised her head weakly, pulling on the chain and dragging Gravitas back for a foot. She hurled the end of the chain attached to her horn towards the coruscating orb. After a few seconds, it appeared as if the end had simply stopped in mid-air. Without Black Rose’s constant magical feeding, however, the spell started to wane. “For what it’s worth, this victory will aid both the Herd and Equestria.”

“Liar!”

Even as Gravitas bellowed, the tremors grew even more violent. Even maintaining footing proved difficult. Twilight could sense a powerful gate opening, an anomaly for the school of necromancy as was their transport here. She could feel the tremendous pressure within her starting to grow as the ritual demanded more from its participants. It was as if every drop of her blood was trying to squeeze out of her body. The others were not faring any better. While her friends had started out strong and resolute, they were now breathing heavily and nursing fresh wounds around their bodies. Twilight could not keep life tapping them for much more.
Gravitas finally looked back to the ritual, some of his mindless rage clearing from the look of things. He tried to interrupt, but the chain still held true, its links stretching taut and straining. The Thorns still made no headway with their attacks. Octavia fell on her face amidst a cloud of her own blood, her cello clattering after her.

As more time passed, it became more obvious that the Throne was moving too slowly. ‘It has to work!’ she told herself inwardly. ‘We’ve put everything we have in this!’

“Twilight…” Twilight looked up in time to catch Pinkie Pie fall to her knees. “Keep going,” Pinkie Pie said. Her lips quivered in some futile attempt to give a reassuring smile. “We’re almost there, right?”

Fluttershy followed suit, her face twisting with that same terrifying glare from their fight earlier. The others were not far behind.

The Throne inched along, so to speak. Twilight could not see any actual difference they were making amidst the chaotic surges across that massive sphere. All she had was an instinctive sense of how the ritual was going.

Then, whatever sense of movement Twilight could feel from the Throne lurched to a stop. She gasped sharply and looked towards Terrato. He remained stone-faced and unmoving, but the beads of sweat forming around him told much. As if he sensed her gaze, he opened his eyes and spoke in a strained, grim voice. “We need more. One final push.”

Twilight’s chest tightened. They didn’t have more. Not without somepony dying. She cursed under her breath. If only they didn’t spend so much strength against the Six Companions! She looked around her desperately. Where else could they get more?

Black Rose landed at the center of the formation, right next to Twilight. “We’ve made it, haven’t we?” she asked. “One more little nudge to seal the deal and we all know what that’s going to be.”

“Rose!” Terrato growled. He winced from the effort, blood pouring from his nostrils. “If you die here, you will die within his influence! And one life won’t be enough! Not even yours!”

“Oh, but I have more than just my life to give, don’t I?” Black Rose said. She held out her left hoof, forming a knife of pure void, the same knife that she had used on Princess Celestia. “Have you forgotten the countless lives I absorbed to maintain my longevity? You must have, beloved, or you would have leeched it out of me with your void spears. Upon my destruction, the power stored by their sacrifices will be released with one final burst of magic.”

“Rose…no…”

“We’ll part ways for another short while, beloved. If I am taken…” Black Rose’s voice faltered. For a moment, she looked ready to change her mind. Her lips pressed tightly, her eyes looked distant, into a fate that seemed so terrible. Those soft gray eyes were suddenly liquid with fear for that moment. After that, they calmed into resignation. “Then you have only further incentive to free all those trapped by Oceanus in his true realm.”

“Rose!”

The void knife plunged into Black Rose’s chest and a fountain of light erupted from her, joining the still swirling energies that linked the formation and the sphere. “Twilight Sparkle!” she called out, her voice already faint and distant. When Twilight looked at her, she smiled weakly. "Thank you."

It was as if Black Rose had been made up of fragile charcoal, slowly crumbling away as the fountain of light from her intensified. The serene smile never left her face as the last vestiges of her disintegrated. Gravitas bellowed in the background, still stuck to the Throne as the sending completed. Twilight could only stare. She didn’t even need to focus on the ritual, the final push ensured its success.

“Little brother.”

Twilight froze. That voice. She shuddered at the deep, silky voice of such a powerful stallion. Where had wonderful sound come from? Was that--? She shook her head. What was she babbling about in her mind? Wonderful? This was the monster that the Old Kingdom was dedicated to!

“I shall let you keep whatever it is that you tried to protect with this sending, but this one…I shall be keeping this one.”

“Oceanus…” Terrato’s jaw clenched tightly and he struck the abyss with a cracked hoof. He shut his eyes as a trickle of tears started to escape them. His voice cracked when he spoke. “You have no right to have her! I swear…I swear--!”

There was no answer. A flash of light seared away everything, forcing Twilight to shut her eyes tightly. The sheer silence that followed left her giddy. There was no explosion, no final rumblings, or even cries from Gravitas being dragged away with the Throne or her friends being hurt.

The blackness of the abyss seemed thicker than ever. A few seconds passed and Twilight realized that it was their personal radiance that had dimmed. Not only that, the inner pressure from before was replaced by a crushing sensation all around her. It felt as if she was trapped in a slowly shrinking room of flesh. “What…” her voice was husky and raw. She could feel blood at the back of her throat. “What happened? Did we win?”

“That awful thing is gone…” Rarity whispered. Her own voice almost gone as well. “We succeeded.”

“Then, we’re going home, right?” Pinkie Pie asked. She winced when she tried to raise her voice above a whisper. “We can finally leave this place?”

“There is no leaving this place,” Terrato said. They all looked at him. He sat, staring at the center of the formation where Black Rose had been. “We had paid so much to complete the sending. My sisters do not have the strength to call any of us back through the necromantic array. Without the Throne, this portion of the abyss is collapsing on itself. We’re lucky none of us will die in his influence with his Throne gone.”

“What…what are you saying?” Applejack asked. “What’s going to happen to us?”

“I’m saying that you should make your peace with this world, Applejack,” Terrato said.

“It’s over.”

Sunlit Glory

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 60: Sunlit Glory

Celestia collapsed on her belly, gasping for air as if she had almost drowned, bleeding from a dozen cuts that had appeared across her body, and aching as if she had tumbled down a steep mountainside. In front of her, Luna fared just as badly. From the depths of the abyss, the black touch of Terrato’s necromantic power had reached out to them. When they had accepted, it was as if their brother had suddenly become bent on sucking out their very souls to feed to the hungry abyss. Something was happening down there; something terrible and desperate. Celestia gave and gave, even resigning herself to dying when no end to the life tapping appeared. She had sent Twilight Sparkle and the others into danger so often, even throwing them into the Barrier Lands to protect her lies. Now, they faced the danger yet again. She trusted Terrato’s judgment this time. Suffering wounds and allowing her very life force to be drained was a small price to pay.

When the life tapping stopped, Celestia’s apprehension only worsened. She and her sister had been severely weakened to the point that they could barely maintain the necromantic array. If they failed now, the Elements of Harmony would be swallowed by the abyss, but they didn’t have enough energy to pull anypony out of there. The only option seemed to be to hold on with their dwindling strength until everypony managed to climb out on their own.

“Big sister,” Luna said between pants. “Something strange is happening down there.”

“What do you mean?” Celestia asked.

“The firstborn’s presence. I can’t sense it anymore. Oceanus’s Throne is no longer beneath us.” Luna stared forlornly at the array. “I fear that the abyss will soon collapse on itself without the Throne. The others…”

“We have to get them out,” Celestia said. She struggled to her hooves, her horn glowing with all her remaining strength. “We have to pull them through the array.”

“I’ll give it everything, big sister,” Luna said as she also forced her legs to support her. Her voice carried not a hint of confidence in succeeding, but all the determination to die trying.

The necromantic array’s runes glowed as the power of sunlight and moonlight flooded it, but the light was dim, barely visible in the muted atmosphere of the Old Kingdom. Beads of sweat formed around Celestia’s forehead, mixing with the blood still there before dropping. No, she couldn’t do it. Even with Luna helping, she couldn’t pull anypony out of the abyss. She also felt it too. Something had changed past the array and even the dark presence within the Old Kingdom was waning.

“Big sister…”

Celestia couldn’t answer. She didn’t have an answer. Ponies that she cherished were slipping away while all she could do was stare blankly at a stone floor. Tears followed those drops of sweat and blood. If only…

Celestia raised her gaze. Her answer was not going to come from this necromantic array. No power from the Old Kingdom or Oceanus could help her now. She stared at the sky above. The sun still shone despite the clouds of winter, despite the foulness of the Old Kingdom. A few rays still made their way to this wretched spot.

“Your Majesty…” she whispered, slipping into the language she was born into. It had been a long time since she felt the need to speak in the Herd's tongue. Addressing the one she needed now, however, required nothing less.

Luna slammed a hoof against the dimly glowing necromantic array. The loud ping of metal against stone echoed mockingly within the enormous dome. The shock from the impact jarred her already wounded leg, and sent jolts of pain shooting into her shoulder. It wasn’t pain that brought fresh tears to her eyes, though. The frustration of it all: of having to stay out here while the ponies they were supposed to be protecting did all the hard work, being able to do nothing when those ponies now stood at the brink of annihilation. What else could they sacrifice to save everypony in the abyss? She looked to her own fragile life, already ebbing from the dozen cuts that her brother’s life tapping had caused. Even giving it would not do.

“Your Majesty…” Luna heard her sister say in the Herd's tongue. For a moment, she forgot about the pain and frustration. There were only two beings that her sister, indeed herself, would address as such.

‘Oh, Celestia,’ Luna thought, her heart aching at the sight. It was a pointless, desperate attempt. The ponies Celestia called out to were a world away, unreachable without magic that would have been enough to pull at least a few ponies from the abyss.

“Your Majesty, King Sanctus Dominus, Rightful Ruler of the Eternal Herd, Sixteenth Ascendant to the Throne,” Celestia went on. Her voice was so soft, it would have been difficult to hear just a few feet away, let alone across worlds. “Under the shadow of the firstborn’s false Throne, your subjects seek your aid. The power of the abyss threatens those under your protection, we ask—“

Celestia paused to wipe a tear away from her cheek. She inhaled deeply to compose herself. “We beg,” she said. “We humbly beg that our regalia be restored.”

Luna could only shake her head silently. That was a fanciful and impossible notion. Their regalia had been taken away as punishment and the King had decreed that they would never again wield it until they had returned from their rebellious stay in this world. Still, she didn't dare interrupt Celestia.

“Your Majesty, we—!” A sob she failed to stifle wracked Celestia. Fresh tears poured down her cheeks. For a while, she could only sob and sniffle, her shoulders quivering in her efforts to control herself. “Father,” she finally choked out. “Father, please…”

Celestia stared at the pitiless ground. “I was disobedient,” she said. “And I was so wrong so many times. You told me to do what I believed was right. I tried, and all I did was hurt others. You taught me to stay true, even if I fail. I will stay true to this course. The King’s word is inviolable, but I ask you, Father…please grant me the strength to make things right.” Celestia lifted her gaze towards the sky, to the sun still shining despite the wintry clouds and the muted atmosphere of the Old Kingdom. Her voice rose to a cry. “Grant me the strength to save those I cherish! The strength that put an end to the Void Rift Crisis! The strength that cast down the false throne! Father!”

And Celestia fell silent, her gaze falling again. Luna had expected the silence that followed. But knowing and wishing had never been so different. ‘He will not respond,’ Luna told herself. ‘Even if he could hear, ultimately, Sanctus Dominus is King first, and the King will not take back his decree. We must look to other means—‘

The thought went still in Luna’s mind as the fur at the back of her neck rose. There was magic tingling in the air, a faint humming for now, but with a sense of building power. She looked to Celestia. Was this some trick? Did her sister hold back some secret trump card after all? Perhaps a mana battery of immense power, hidden away for the most desperate occasions…

The building power intensified. Luna recognized the warm sensation enveloping her and her sister alike: Power of Sunlight. Some kind of gate was forming nearby. Hope welled from within Luna and warred with a sense of pragmatism. She couldn't look at the gate above them. She didn't want to start expecting. Was it the King responding? Were their regalia indeed being restored?

‘No,’ Luna thought. ‘That’s impossible. It can’t be. It shouldn't be.’ She shut her eyes tightly for a few moments, suddenly unsure now as to why she was so vehemently denying what might happen even as explanations formed themselves in her thoughts. Perhaps it was possible with Celestia. Her sister was, after all, a master of summoning conjurations. Perhaps her pleas were still carried through wisps of transportation magic, faint enough just for the King to intercept. Add to that their mutual affinity for the power of sunlight. Yes, that was it. The King was powerful enough to intercept even a faint message from a fellow pony blessed with the power of sunlight. With the final rebellions so close, he must be almost ready to leave the Silver Sanctum now, just as Oceanus was already showing signs of awakening.

‘Would His Majesty have answered if it was me who called?’

Luna shook her head. ‘No,’ she begged inwardly. ‘Don’t think that. This is a blessed, glorious event. I should be happy, hopeful…’ She pressed a hoof against her own wounds, relishing the sharp pain she caused as if it served to punish those wretched, envious feelings.

Even as Luna struggled inwardly, the warmth of sunlight flowing from above soothed her aches and slowly filled her with a supernatural sense of elation. This power…it was similar to Celestia’s power of sunlight, but not quite. How majesty could be transmitted through emanations of light, she didn't know, but the grandiose presence she would associate with the King poured out from the gate, banishing the foulness of the Old Kingdom with ease.

And then something flew out of the gate, slamming in front of Celestia like a golden lightning bolt. Luna looked away on instinct, but the terrific flash did not hurt her eyes, nor was it followed by a deafening boom. When she looked again, her sister was staring at brilliant aura of her regalia.

Aurea Gloriam.

When the left blade of Sanctus Dominus shattered during the destruction of the Agamanthion, Divina Gratia had asked the royal smith, Conlis Corde, to re-forge the recovered four pieces with new metal, asking that he allow instinct to guide him into their new shapes. From the tip of the blade, this spear emerged. No seams marked the weapon, from its leaf-shaped head to its smooth shaft. It shone gold, like a solidified beam of pure sunlight; a perfect gift for the eldest princess.

Though she was fiercely proud of her regalia, and treasured it as the King’s gift, Celestia never carried Gloriam in public. The sight of it next to her made her appear too war-like to her taste. Gloriam had no frills about it. Here was no weapon of ceremony. Here was a weapon to bring the Princess of Sunlight’s wrath down on her enemies.

Celestia stared at Gloriam for a while, the last of her tears simply evaporating from being so close to such power. Her horn glowed as she picked it up with her magic. In response, a fine engraving, delicately spiraling down from the head’s base, glowed white. “The power of my blow has no equal,” it proudly proclaimed.

“Father…” Celestia said softly. Her eyes hardened as she focused her gaze on the array. “Divina Impetum!” she cried out. Aurea Gloriam rose above her head, its tip erupting with golden arcs that flashed across the entirety of the Old Kingdom. It was as if a storm of sunlight crackled all around them. The soft warmth from earlier now turned into thundering sense of wrath. It wasn’t fear that sent Luna’s heart hammering, but a glorious sense of anticipation.

With a loud neigh, Celestia hurled Aurea Gloriam into the necromantic array. Both of them flapped their wings in time as the entire floor caved in from the impact. The roaring rush of a wave of sunlight funneling after the spear’s wake ruffled their feathers. Around them, large cracks spread out across the ground and the walls of the dome. The sound of rubble collapsing echoed not just within the dome, but all throughout the Old Kingdom’s ruins. For now, Luna didn’t mind them; the sight of that mighty throw left her breathless and giddy. For once, she felt as if they could take on Oceanus head on, that his power of the abyss would never truly match the true strength of the Herd.

And as the sunlight continued to pour into the resulting hole of Celestia’s strike, Luna couldn’t help but look down it eagerly.

Even as the pressure crushing her from all sides increased, Twilight Sparkle still searched desperately for some kind of solution. “Make peace with this world,” Prince Terrato had said. She refused. She wasn’t at peace and she would never be at peace so long as the foul shadow of Oceanus lay across Equestria. Around her, her friends looked lost, caught between accepting their eventual demise and clinging desperately to hope.

Pinkie Pie caught her staring and stared back, eyes pleading for some miraculous spell. Applejack stared at what passed for the ground. This would not be the first time Applejack was this close to death, perhaps experience left her more accepting and silent. Rainbow looked as if she was trying to push back at the collapsing space, as if an act of raw strength could do something to save them. Rarity was quietly staring morosely at her mage-blades, wincing briefly once in a while as the pressure worsened. Fluttershy was staring at a distance, her ruined eye glowing softly with that strange green energy again. Was she conversing with that other thing that came out earlier? Making peace with some inner creature that nopony else knew about? Twilight may never know and it might not matter.

As for the prince, he sat at a distance from them, still staring at the last spot Black Rose had been, never uttering a word since he spoke to Applejack. He didn’t even flinch from the crushing pressure. The cracks in his hide oozed blood and pulsed with red light, the only sign of life, coming from him.

The Thorns fared worse. Sablesteel had shut down completely, her weapons broken, her suit ruined, and her limbs limp by her sides. Some of her mane had already fallen out of the mask, and hid her face. She sat there as if she were dead already, with only the faint movement of her sides from breathing as the only signs otherwise. Octavia was unconscious and bloody, cradled in Lion Court’s forelegs to keep her from being crushed already. Her cello lay nearby, pulsing with red light. It was likely that whatever magic that allowed it to perform the supernatural effects of her music was struggling to keep it from being destroyed. As for Lion Court, out of everypony in this collapsing abyss, he appeared the most ready to meet his end. He even seemed eager. There was a faint smile on his face as he shifted his gaze from Octavia to the rest of his fellows. Longstride was about as unmoving as Sablesteel, although with less dejection. While Sablesteel had collapsed, it appeared as if somepony had simply turned off whatever was keeping Longstride going. He sat there, eyes open and emotionless, refusing to move without orders, even though the only pony likely able to give them was gone.

And then, in an instant, the sight of all these ponies around her vanished into whiteness. Twilight gasped. For a moment, she assumed that she had finally died. But the warmth that followed couldn’t possibly be from being crushed by the collapsing abyss. The light didn’t hurt, but she closed her eyes anyway. Old feelings welled up along with memories. She had felt this before. All of a sudden, she was a filly again, capering about the Royal Palace, excited to be learning from the Princess of Equestria herself.

And there was Princess Celestia by the balcony, bathed in the light of the early morning. Her smile gentle, her countenance inviting. Yes, she remembered this feeling. It was the same as being cradled in the princess’s wings; the same warmth, even the same fragrance. With some of the glare fading, she focused now on the figures nearby. Like her, her friends were cradled in the same light, their expressions caught between wonder and puzzlement. The Thorns, save for Sablesteel, who refused to budge, and the unconscious Octavia, also looked pleasantly surprised.

Even Prince Terrato’s stony depression temporarily cracked. He didn’t glance around his surroundings though. His gaze focused on something in front of him. Twilight followed that gaze and found a great, golden spear lodged into the abyss, the light still trailing from its passage. The power of sunlight was unmistakable.

“Aurea Gloriam,” Terrato muttered. The brief moment of surprise disappeared with a snort. “Now, you show up.”

The sunlight cradling Twilight and the others did more than just comfort. It tugged at them gently but surely, pulling them towards where the throw had come from. The spear flared and all of them set into motion, following the golden, radiant, trail back to its source.

Back to Equestria.

The cracks continued to spread around the dome, much to Luna’s discomfiture. They had to move soon or the Old Kingdom was going to collapse on them. She continued to wait next to her sister though, still confident in saving her brother and all the rest. Bits of dust fell on her mane and small portions of the ceiling crumbled into clouds of dust. Finally, with a joyous cry from Celestia, the hole flared and several figures emerged.

“Twilight!” Celestia cried out.

Twilight Sparkle was the first on her hooves and she was embracing Celestia in an instant. The others were not far behind, at least most of them. What remained of the Thorns did not dare join the embrace and Terrato was simply staring at the ceiling before he locked gazes with Luna.

“We have to go,” Terrato said. He flapped his wings and winced, fresh blood spattering on the ground.

“Big brother, I’ll carry you,” Luna said. She had already moved to his side, appalled by the number and extent of his wounds. She had thought the effect of life tapping was bad on her, but she could still fly. He didn’t look fit to walk. At her offer, she had expected him to make a sputtering refusal, but all he did was give a curt nod and a distant look. Luna looked around. Black Rose was not with them. That was all the explanation she needed.

Though exhausted and wounded themselves, only Celestia and Luna were capable of getting the group from the swiftly collapsing city. The abyss underneath the Old Kingdom had apparently collapsed upon itself and whatever magic that held the structure above it was now gone. The Old Kingdom, built on an impossible space to begin with, was rushing downwards in a whirlpool of tainted rubble.

Celestia’s power of sunlight still enveloped everypony, keeping them suffused in comforting warmth. Aurea Gloriam reappeared next to her in a silent flash, ready to serve its wielder. Retreat was the order of the day, however. Celestia raised the spear, and let her mastery of summoning conjurations take over. The entire group was gone in a flash, only to reappear in the midst of the still recovering Legion.

They had reappeared within a camp a little bit past the edges of Sky Mirror Lake. Most of the Legion had encircled the shores with encampments. The lake itself was filled with the broken wreckage of the Old Kingdom’s constructs. A few legionnaires flitted among them, searching for wounded, recovering still useable equipment, and separating the fallen from the debris. The sunset’s red-orange rays that illuminated the sight. ‘How strange,’ Luna thought. 'It appears we have only been gone a few hours, but it feels like years.’

After some initial gasps of surprise, nearby legionnaires sprang into action. Medics rushed in to tend the wounded. Fresh bandages and healing spells, even simple comforts like a drink of fresh water soon followed. Even as one medic wrapped her torso up, Luna couldn’t take her eyes off the Old Kingdom. Its twisted spires toppled over, raising large clouds of dust. The walls and the buildings followed. It was as if the earth itself was sucking the city down.

“Alert!” a legionnaire shouted at a distance. Horns blew and those in the vicinity of the lake started rushing out. A distant roar of onrushing water followed the horns. The devices Lexarius had set up must have failed, and the lake was coming in to complete the land’s reclamation.

‘Go to where you belong, Old Kingdom,’ Luna thought. ‘Our history and nowhere else.’

It was all over in moments. Where the horrors of a bygone age once lay, now lay a placid lake. Even the ominous mirror-like sheen on the water had disappeared. For a while, all of them simply stared at the newly reborn lake. Then, a low cheer came from somepony nearby. Others picked it up until it turn into a joyous uproar. Though the Legion did not know the details, Luna could understand the elation. Every pony instinctively knew that a powerful enemy had been vanquished within that wretched place and a danger to Equestria had been thwarted.

The ones who had been inside the Old Kingdom, however, were not part of the impromptu celebration. Twilight was recounting everything that had happened to them. The other bearers were nearby, listening and adding their own thoughts and recollections to the tale. Celestia listened intently, even as the glow of her regalia dimmed and subsided.

The Thorns had gathered together with Octavia already awake. Blue Moon had joined them and Lion Court was making a report. They already looked halfway to disappearing. Without Black Rose though, what else could they have planned?

Luna approached her brother, who had not stopped staring at the lake.

“That’s number eight,” Terrato said as soon as Luna took to his side. He had told off the medics that tried to help him, but he had taken to mending himself with bandages. “For the sake of his rebellious children, the King has broken his word. Even he is not exempt to rebelling against his rule after all.”

“Yes,” Luna said. She stared at the golden spear that Celestia had strapped to her back. In its dormant state, Aurea Gloriam looked like a simple pole of gold. Perhaps it won’t be long until Luna and Terrato’s regalia were restored as well. “This would be the eighth. The firstborn won’t be long behind.”

For the first time since he escaped the abyss, Terrato allowed himself a brief, tight, joyless smile. “Good,” he said. “She won’t have to wait long.”

Animus Arcem, loyal retainer of the Eternal Herd’s current royal family, walked the great hall to the Silver Sanctum cautiously. Everything appeared normal so far, save for a lingering warmth in the air and a strange charge that made his fur tingle. The white stone floor and walls remained undamaged. The arched ceiling showed no danger of collapse. He was among the first to notice the surge of power of sunlight erupt from this place and he was the one, among all the stewards and elders alike, brave enough to investigate.

The hall’s sides were lined with statues of all those who led the Herd. The right held the ascendant, the left his or her mate. What was once a brief walk had turned into quite a stroll as each cycle brought a new occupant to this place. The first, Primus Ignis, stood proud and strong on a pedestal by the entrance, the others followed in order. Two pairs of pedestals lay empty, however. The Sixth, and whoever her mate was, had vanished from all records, even this one. And, at the very end of the hall, a place was already set for the Seventeenth. Arcem passed them one by one, paying silent tribute each time. He paused briefly by the Fourth, recalling his personal encounter with Juste Canite, whose daughter now shared the Throne.

At the Sixteenth, Arcem stopped. Mighty Sanctus Dominus, his old friend, reared up from the pedestal, two swords flashing, wings outstretched and mouth open in a victorious cry. Dominus and Gratia had been too silent. The Herd was in chaos as a result. The Council of Elders had foolishly granted Gravitas permission to enter the other world “as a measure of security” Procul called it. Now, no word had come from Gravitas, and things appeared even more chaotic in the other world. The Council floundered with its precautions and the royal children continued to be rebelliously set. Arcem knew that another crisis was bound to emerge, perhaps one worse than the Void Rift Crisis or the First Rebellion.

Suddenly, the double doors that led to the Silver Sanctum’s antechamber opened. Arcem’s heart leapt to his throat. There was nopony else here that could have gone ahead of him. Nopony could have opened that door save for—!

The burst of sunlight from the smallest crack between the doors turned that apprehension to joy. Arcem fell to his knees at once, his grin wide and his heart wild. ‘Gird yourselves, Eternal Herd,’ he thought. ‘The Lord of Sunlight rises once more.’

“Arcem,” an all too familiar voice called out from beyond the doors. The small crack grew wider now, and the sunlight made it difficult for Arcem to look directly.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Arcem replied. He could scarcely contain himself.

“Convene the Council of Elders. Send for my children. This silence is over.”

Dragons and Ponies

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 1: Dragons and Ponies

My beloved subjects,

I, Princess Celestia of Equestria, am well aware of the apprehension I have put the realm through in these recent times. It is time I told everypony the truth behind the banishment of my faithful student and her loyal friends.

Equestria is under attack, my little ponies. It has been under attack throughout the centuries. At the borders of our realm, my brother, Terrato, continues to lead the Equestrian Legion in defense our home. In my desperation to protect all of you from the horrors of this conflict, I have kept this a secret. Twilight Sparkle wanted to share this secret with all of Equestria, for which I banished her. The only “unspeakable crime” committed was mine.

I humbly ask for forgiveness from each and every one of you for this secrecy. I was blinded by prejudice towards those who I have been counting on. I have failed as your princess to adhere to the same honesty that I have asked all of you to live your lives. All I can offer is that I face my own punishment for this and that, henceforth, there will be no secrets like this ever again.

Now that the truth has been revealed, it is time to act upon it. The war continues to rage. My brother and the Equestrian Legion have been pushed to their limits and they need our help. So dire is the situation across our borders that it has become necessary to call upon everypony in Equestria do its share. Soon, you will meet your defenders for the first time. They will ask that each family to have at least one member to join them. My heart goes out to those who must serve in this new duty. Know that if there was any other way to keep our home safe, I would not ask this of any of you.

I ask that you see the ponies of the Equestrian Legion as your long lost fellow ponies, not as foreign invaders. If Equestria is to survive in this difficult time, all of us must work together in harmony. I shall return to Canterlot soon. For now, my siblings must see to the royal duties that must be tended to. Please treat them with both respect and understanding.

Within his quarters, Terrato frowned at the end of the decree he was reading. Celestia’s royal seal marked the document as genuine. Copies were already circulating the Heartland. Behind him, Luna was also reading a copy.

“I know that this is necessary, but it does seem quite sad," Luna said with a sigh. "Don’t you think so, big brother?”

Terrato crumpled the decree and tossed it into the nearest garbage can. “What it seems is a little too sensitive,” he said. “It can stand to be more authoritative.”

“Big sister has never been one to impose authority on the Heartland’s ponies.” Luna folded the decree and set it aside.

“Is that why her capital is full of fops?”

Luna let out another sigh. “Of all the cities in the Heartland, you had to visit Canterlot. There are plenty of places that could have been more to your approval. You should have visited an earth pony settlement since you have such a fondness for them.”

“I assumed that a realm’s capital would be a good representation of its ponies in general,” Terrato replied. “I want you to go to the Heartland ahead of me, Luna. Settle their nerves a little before I show up.”

Luna tapped the floor with a front hoof. “And by 'settle their nerves', you really mean 'settle the barrage of questions this decree will set off by myself', don’t you?” she asked.

“That’s true too,” Terrato said with a shrug. His tone grew serious. “But that doesn't mean that my point doesn't stand. I have a few more details to take care of here. One of them should be responding soon.” As if on cue, his horn began to glow. “About time,” he muttered. He pointed his horn at the center of the room and an image began to materialize.

Luna gasped as the massive image of a dragon, a mere dragon’s head, nearly filled the room. Its individual scales were bigger than her hoof and as black as night itself. The four gigantic, sweeping horns were what commanded her attention. They curled around each other in an elaborate fashion until they resembled a crown. Despite the long time she spent away from this world, she had no problem identifying the sort of being with such an arrogant feature: Pride Dragon.

“The annoying frequency of your attempts at contact tells me that this is urgent, Prince Terrato,” the dragon said. Its rumbling voice echoed in the cave it was likely in. “What business do you have with me?”

“Celestia’s barrier has come down, Afralhadar, don’t tell me you haven’t noticed,” Terrato replied.

“The affairs of ponies are beneath my notice." Afralhadar sneered, revealing a row of enormous, dagger-like fangs. "What concern is it of mine that your sister has come out of hiding?”

“I’m not talking about ponies," Terrato said. "I’m talking about the dragons that have been living inside the barrier. The enchantments on them will have disappeared and it’s only a matter of time before they start feeling the effects. I can imagine that they've developed a different set of traditions than the ones you approve of. I can also imagine what they’ll do once they start acting on their revived wilder instincts.”

Afralhadar paused. An enormous claw appeared in the image to scratch the scales under his chin. “Dracodar behaving like animals," he growled. "You are right in bringing this matter to me after all. The Draco’dim will see to this affair.” The image shimmered, then slowly dissipated.

“I know that the Heartland’s dragons will start regaining their more violent sides, big brother," Luna said once she was sure that the last traces of the communication spell was gone, "but what did you just ask that pride dragon to do?”

“Afralhadar is a prominent member of the Draco’dim,” Terrato replied. “They’re a loose coalition of some of the oldest dragons around and the closest we’ll get to any form of organized dragon government. I just asked them to keep the Heartland dragons in line with Celestia’s enchantments fading.

“Can you trust them to just go into the Heartland without harming the ponies within?” Luna asked.

“They might eat a pony or two, but I doubt it. The Draco’dim consider ponies low-class fare. Unless one of them somehow starves while they’re there, the Heartland should be safe. A few eaten ponies will also a better alternative to a bunch of dragons rampaging about.”

Luna wrinkled her nose at the thought of some dragon casually tossing a pony into its massive jaws. “Just what exactly are they going to do there?” she asked.

“The high dragons are not interested in ruling, but they do follow a strict ideal of what it means to be a dragon; that is to carry one’s self with a degree of dignity and principle.”

“I can imagine that there are a lot of pride dragons in this coalition,” Luna said. “I've never heard of this group before.”

“Most of them are. They’re also relatively new. They started around eight hundred years ago. I don’t care much for their ideals, but it has been convenient in dealing with dragon attacks. They’ll make sure that the Heartland dragons don’t give them a bad reputation.” Terrato frowned. “The most likely scenario is that they will cull most of the Heartland dragons. The greed, lust, and gluttony ones that are too far gone will certainly be shown no mercy. The rest won’t fare better if they insist on resisting the Draco’dim ideal.”

Luna shook her head sadly. She was the one who told her brother that the dragons were slowly getting violent, but most of her concern was for the ponies of Equestria. That war and death would also take their toll on the dragons had not really crossed her mind before.

“One more thing,” Terrato said. Luna looked up. “Advise me, little sister. It’s about that young dragon with the Elements of Harmony.”

“His name is Spike,” Luna said.

Terrato raised an eyebrow. “Not exactly a dragon’s name.”

“He’s been raised by ponies and has spent his entire life assisting Twilight. Spike has the body of a dragon, but is essentially a pony in everything else.”

“At first, I was thinking of sending him to one of the Draco’dim.”

Luna gasped. “What? Why? Why let a bunch of pride dragons influence him?”

“Because he’s looking a little stunted. He’s not the first hatchling I've seen living with ponies. Spending a few months in the Western Barrier Land with the right dragon should give him a bit of growth and the proper skills to use his natural weapons. The Legion knows little in training his kind.”

“Are you doing this simply because you want a better soldier?” Luna asked.

“His friends are getting stronger and the front lines aren't exactly a place for him," Terrato said. "I need the Elements of Harmony nearby, but they don’t include him, do they?”

“He is still a very important friend to them,” Luna insisted.

Terrato snorted. “Then they should be glad that he’s being transferred to a safer place. It’s true that the Legion stands to benefit from a stronger Spike, but that doesn't mean I haven’t considered how this would help him.”

“I know that you mean well, big brother. From what you've told me, however, I don’t think the Draco’dim will be a good influence on him.”

“That’s why I said 'at first',” Terrato said with a sigh. “If the Draco’dim find out that he’s been working as Twilight’s 'assistant', they will kill him, then demand that we give them her head on a platter.”

It was Luna’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “Then, where are you planning on sending him?”

Terrato smiled and stared off wistfully for a moment. “I know of a safer more reliable companion for him for the next six months or so,” he said. “A servant of mine who won’t kill him for being 'undignified'.”

“You have a dragon legionnaire?” Luna asked.

The smile lessened. “Not quite. She’ll do though.”

“I think that you should talk to Spike about this, big brother," Luna said. "Given his need to make up for his part in Black Rose’s plans, he's likely to agree, but you shouldn't use that to manipulate him into going along with your plans.”

Terrato's horn flashed gray and the image of his chamberlain materialized. “Rough Cut, send for Spike the dragon. Have him meet me here in my quarters.” His eyes narrowed. “He is not to be accompanied by any of his friends, especially Twilight Sparkle.”

“Yes, your Highness.” The image of Rough Cut disappeared.

“Did you really have to put that emphasis on Twilight?” Luna asked.

“I want his decision, not his friends’," Terrato muttered. "Especially not the pony who’s been giving him orders all his life.”

“Sounds like somepony I know,” Luna said. Terrato merely frowned at the jibe and waited. It took less than half an hour to have a very nervous Spike standing before them. Luna put a hoof on her brother’s shoulder when she noticed his frown deepen. She knew the signs. Courage and the ability to remain calm before his intimidating presence impressed Terrato. Unless it was Twilight. On the other hoof, groveling and nervousness irked him.

“Am…am I here because you want to punish me for helping Black Rose?” Spike asked. “Am I going to be whipped?”

“Why would I send you to my quarters to have you whipped?” Terrato asked. “Are you accusing me of something, Spike?”

“Big brother…” Luna said.

Terrato let out a long exhale, then spoke of his plan. By the time he was finished, Spike was still staring in confusion. His irritation grew again when it seemed that Spike hadn't understood a word he had just said. “Well?” he asked.

Spike eventually found his voice and the courage to use it. “This…this legionnaire you mentioned, what’s she like? Is she a dragon?”

“Her name is Seethe Scale," Terrato replied. "She gets a little broody at times, but I think you can work with her. She’s a kirin, not a dragon. Don't worry, she’ll know enough to help you.”

“Kirin?” Spike’s eyes widened further. “What’s that?”

“The unfortunate result of a meeting between a unicorn and a lust dragon. Enough about that. You can take your time in getting to know Seethe Scale once you meet her. So what’s your decision, Spike?”

“I want to go.”

Both Terrato and Luna’s eyes widened at the quick response. “Are you sure you don’t want to think it through at least?” Terrato asked. “I’m not going to punish you for taking your time on this.”

“Don’t think you’re being ordered to do this, Spike,” Luna added. “You were called here because it’s a choice you can make.”

“I’ve made my decision,” Spike said. “I’m not making it rashly either. I've been thinking about my part in all of this fighting these past three days. I can’t just stand around worrying while my friends are fighting so hard. I promised myself that if there was anything I could do to be of better use, I’d take it.”

Luna smiled. “That is very noble of you, Spike."

“It’s decided then,” Terrato said. “Settle your affairs here. Afterwards, I’ll have you transported to the Western Barrier Land.”

Spike saluted. All the nervous shaking had gone from his body. “Yes, sir,” he said.

Spike left the room. For all his determination, Luna noted the lack of hurry in his steps. As sure as Spike may be, breaking the news to his friends wasn't something to look forward to. “You should be going too, Luna,” Terrato said. “Put in a good word for me, will you?”

“I will, big brother. I’ll see you in the Heartland. One more thing…”

“Yes?”

“Try to have a talk with big sister before going.”

Terrato snorted just before the teleportation spell took Luna away.

“Six months?” Twilight asked aghast. “Why? Why do you need to be sent away? You’re already plenty of help as it is!”

It was nighttime when Spike finally brought the topic up. Everypony was in already in their shared quarters. He had his reasons for delaying so much. For one thing, he was afraid of this sort of reaction from Twilight. For another, he knew that he’d be disturbing their duties if he brought it up during the day. It had been three days since the wolven were driven from Bastion City. Soon, they were going to be sent out to the front to help take back Fangbreaker Fortress. News had already trickled back to the city that some of the wolven were stubbornly holding on to it and they were proving difficult to root out.

“I’m not being sent away, Twilight,” Spike said. “His Highness gave me a chance and I took it. I know it sounds like a long time, but I’ll be back by spring.”

“We’re going to miss you, Spike,” Fluttershy said with a sad smile.

“Don’t say that!” Twilight glared at Fluttershy. She looked towards the rest of her friends. “Help me talk him out of it!”

“I dunno, sugarcube,” Applejack said. “He sounds like he’s made up his mind. You can’t argue with anypony who sounds like that. Or any dragon.”

In the background, Rainbow simply nodded.

“Let’s have a sending off party!” Pinkie said. “It will be fun! We can mix it in with our victory celebration!”

“I’ll bring the booze!” Scarlet said. He was gone before anypony could even react.

“Take care of yourself, Spike,” Vanguard said. “The next time we meet, we’ll be fighting side by side.”

Rarity embraced Spike. The feel of her forelegs around him nearly made him faint. “Working with Hammer Chain won’t be the same without you, Spikey-wikey. You’ll bring back a souvenir or two, won’t you?”

The sight of her friends going along with Spike’s departure all but deflated Twilight. Spike walked over to her with a sad smile of his own and a hug. “You’re really going to go through with this?” she asked.

“Cheer up, Twilight,” Spike said. “I’m more worried about you. I’ll be somewhere safer while all of you stay in the front lines. I’ll write to you too. It’ll be spring before you know it.

Twilight’s lips pressed together tightly. Spike wasn't bothered by her stubborn refusal. Twilight didn't always make the best decisions. She was easily flustered, prone to overreacting, and often got bogged down in details. But she always wanted what was best for those around her and she was more than smart enough to see the sense in this plan. “Just…stay safe, Spike,” she said. He beamed inside. As he expected of her. “Tell this Seethe Scale that if I see so much as a scratch on you when you return, she’ll have to deal with me!”

Spike chuckled, then nodded. “Take care of yourself, Twilight,” he said. He paused for a moment, then just stared at her. This was going to be the last time he would get a good look at Twilight for a while. For all his smiling reassurance, he was scared. Not just at the thought of spending several months away from his sister, but at the thought of meeting her again only to find a mare he didn't recognize. A lot of changes had happened in the short time they had spent here. How many more could he expect in six months? This could be the last time they were all together like this. The smile on his face threatened to crumble, but he fought to keep it, and turned around to look at Pinkie. “How about that party?”

Still grinning from ear to ear, Pinkie was already going for the door. “On it!” she sang out.

For the remainder of the night, Twilight and her friends celebrated. It didn't matter that it was late or that she was just one cook in the kitchens. Pinkie promised a party for them when the wolven siege was broken and she promised Spike a party before he left in the morning. True to her word, there was indeed a party ready in less than an hour.

“This much of a spread in such a short time, and in such an impromptu start…” Vanguard said. “I’m impressed.”

Pinkie had managed to scrounge up a turntable from somewhere. The others could only hope it wasn't stolen, even accidentally. The upbeat music encouraged dancing and most of the ponies in the party were already doing so. Vanguard and Twilight, however, stood by the sidelines.

“Don’t be impressed yet,” Twilight said as stood next to Vanguard. Two plates with slices of cake floated next to her, one of which she offered to him. “You should see her with her party cannon. This was at a snail’s pace compared to that.”

Vanguard took the plate with a nod of appreciation. Twilight noticed him look to one side. She followed his gaze, and spotted Scarlet guzzling a drink. At the other side of the room, she spotted Applejack chatting up Rainbow. As always, Vanguard seemed more concerned with how everypony else was doing instead of his own enjoyment. It was only when he suddenly looked at her did Twilight notice that she was staring. She quickly looked away before he noticed anything. “So...uh…that’s some interesting music that Pinkie found,” she said. “Is it the sort of music that’s popular in the Barrier Lands?”

“That's Runthrough's music,” Vanguard replied. “It looks like somepony in Bastion City still keeps up with music from the southerly cities. From what I heard around the fortress before, he’s a little too traditional for some of the younger legionnaires, but his music is still danceable.”

"Do you like that sort of music?" Twilight asked.

"Not really." Vanguard smiled. "Although, if you played some of my favorites here, passing ponies will think that there's a funeral going on."

“I see…” Twilight’s voice trailed off. She filled the silence by taking a large bite of the cake.

Vanguard chewed on a more modest bite of his slice. “Still sad?” he asked after swallowing.

“I can’t help it,” Twilight replied. “So many things can go wrong with this, and that’s not even considering that I will miss him.”

“There will be plenty of time to be sad and miss Spike in the next six months,” Vanguard said. He turned his gaze towards the middle of the room where Fluttershy, Spike, and Pinkie, were dancing. “But you won’t get to be happy for him until he comes back.”

Twilight was quiet for a moment. “That’s true,” she said. Before she could say anything else, Applejack trotted over to them.

“Don’t stand there like a stick in the mud, Vanguard, dance with us!” Applejack said with a grin. She grabbed hold of Vanguard’s unbarded forelegs, and pulled him to the center of the room.

“I don’t know any of your chosen dances,” Vanguard said.

“Oh horse apples! Stop thinking about chosen and barrier lands ponies for minute, and just move those legs!” Applejack turned her attention towards Twilight. “You too, Twi,” she said.

Twilight let out a long exhale. Vanguard was right of course. She set aside her own melancholy, even the strange twinge in her chest when Applejack started dancing next to Vanguard while giggling at his awkward steps. She was going to celebrate along with her friends no matter what lay past this night. The smile came less forced this time when she spotted Pinkie at the center of all the dancing. This was her element after all: Joy in the face of all the crushing uncertainties of the Barrier Lands, joy spurred by will not emotion. For tonight, Twilight was going to wield that joy against the fangs of Fenrir, and the machinations of Black Rose.

Tomorrow, the rest of the battle will go on.

A Fated Encounter

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 2: A Fated Encounter

“My cousin’s out making a name for himself with the rest of the offensive and what do I end up with? Guarding Princess Pansy!” Redtail tapped the stone floor lightly, and impatiently with her front trampler.

Her fellow guard, Lowlight, looked at her askance. “You sure you should be calling her names when she’s so close?” he asked.

“Didn’t you get a good look at her, and hear what’s going around the guard?” Redtail asked in return. “She’s just some normal pony now. No special hearing powers or whatnot. Those wings, and that horn are all probably just there for decoration.”

“Interesting that you mentioned special hearing powers,” Lowlight said. “You better hope her brother’s not using his at the moment.”

Silence filled the empty hall afterwards. This was the fourth day since Bastion City was saved from a horde of invading wolven, and the two of them were tasked with guarding their prince’s eldest sister. For the most part, guarding Princess Celestia was a monotonous wait. She had spent almost the entirety of her first four days in the Barrier Lands resting quietly inside her room. Meals were delivered at a regular basis. Several times, Lowlight had to sternly warn his partner about helping herself to them as they were brought. Princess Celestia didn't dine on moss and lichens like most of Bastion City. Instead, fresh dragonspine grass, and mountain wildflowers from the Western Barrier Land were wheeled into her quarters. Redtail’s mouth watered with each delivery, and she scowled when leftovers were taken out.

This morning was different, however. When breakfast was finished, the dishes were clean when they were taken away. They snapped to attention when Princess Celestia stepped out of the room.

“Good morning,” Celestia said in a pleasant tone. There was a hint of tentativeness in her greeting. She was looking much better since she had first stumbled into her quarters a few days back. Though she towered over them like their prince, she did not have the same intimidating aura as he did.

Redtail was dangerously vocal about how that was a sign of weakness, yet one more symptom of both Celestia’s loss of power, and the centuries she spent hiding from battle. Lowlight wasn't as reckless.

“Good morning, your highness,” Lowlight replied as he saluted. Redtail said nothing, but she saluted smartly enough. Lowlight was thankful that the heavy barding that all guards wore hid Redtail’s face. Unlike his partner, he sort of liked the much softer presence that his prince’s sisters had. For him, the differences among his rulers reminded him that there should be more to Equestria than the Legion. Ever since Princess Luna first arrived in Bastion City, he had been entertaining thoughts of a more peaceful Equestria.

“If you don’t mind, I wish to speak with my brother,” Princess Celestia said.

“As you wish, your highness," Lowlight said. "We will escort you to him at once.” He took the lead while Redtail brought up the rear. Their instructions were clear: they were to escort her anywhere within the Grand Meeting Hall, Prince Terrato was to be consulted for anywhere beyond that. Nopony save for assigned legionnaires was to be allowed near the princess, and any attempt to harm her was to be met with swift and lethal retaliation. It was a relief that the princess made her brother their first stop for the day.

“He should be arriving within the week,” Terrato said.

“I will do as you command, your highness,” Seethe Scale replied. Despite her name, she answered in a completely neutral tone. Terrato had come to expect that from her. Even when he had mentioned that he was entrusting a very young dragon under the care of the notoriously antisocial kirin who specialized in hunting rogue dragons, she didn't so much as bat a scaled eyelid. She bowed low, and Terrato dismissed the spell so he could focus on other pressing matters.

With initial reports from the siege of Fangbreaker coming in along with scouting reports from his spies in Wolvengard, Terrato braced himself for a busy morning. So far, Nightmare Moon had not made an appearance, and Fenrir was staying true to the pact. However--

Terrato paused at the “feel” of hoofsteps approaching his quarters. He could identify his visitors through tremor sense before they could even come close. He recognized the hoof-steps of two of his heavily barded guards. It was the third pony that piqued his attention. There was no mistaking his light-stepping older sister. Despite being taller than any of her subjects, Celestia walked softly enough to put a filly crawling on a thick carpet to shame. When the door finally opened, he had already set aside the papers he was supposed to deal with so he could focus his attention on her. The guards bowed upon entering his presence while Celestia hesitated for a moment before stepping inside his quarters. “How are you feeling?” he asked. He gestured for the guards to leave, and remain outside his quarters, then shut the door behind them with his magic.

“I’m much better now,” Celestia replied. “Thank you.” She took another step towards him.

Towards any other pony who showed him this sort of nervousness, Terrato would have already been annoyed. For Celestia, it was easy to make an exemption. “Do you need something?” he asked.

“I would like to walk around this city, Terrato," Celestia replied. "To see what Equestria is like beyond my barrier.”

Terrato snorted. “Are you under my command now, Celestia?” he asked. Though it was good that she did take the time to ask him, part of him still wished that she didn't come here so meekly. She was their eldest. Quite possibly the next Queen. A certain degree of imperiousness was to be expected.

A puzzled look crossed Celestia’s face for a moment, then a slight frown creased it. “Certainly not!” she said.

“Then, why are you asking for my permission to do things?”

The frown disappeared followed by a look that Terrato could have sworn was apologetic. “Even if I’m not asking for permission, I still want you to be happy with my decisions,” Celestia said.

An awkward moment of silence passed. The conversation threatened to shift towards their past, but Terrato refused to let it. “Not with this one,” he said. “I would rather you stayed put for now. There are a lot of ponies out there who weren't happy with your barrier, Celestia. You risk being attacked if you decide to wander around the city. I can’t accompany you, and take care of my other duties at the same time so that leaves moving a lot of legionnaires to keep you safe.”

“Is the danger truly that great, brother?” Celestia asked.

Terrato’s face twisted in embarrassment. How he wanted to say that he was exaggerating, and that the ponies of the Barrier Lands respected and adored her. The truth, however, was that even the harshest punishments could not hold back centuries of building resentment. He knew the grumblings that his subjects thought they were hiding from him so well. “It could be just one doddering, half-blind pony with a rusty shank and a grudge, and I would still have you guarded at all times,” he answered.

“Perhaps they don’t have to know that it’s me who’s wandering around,” Celestia suggested. “Just a touch of transformation magic would do.”

“True,” Terrato replied. “And with all the preparations for retaking Fangbreaker, you won’t be drawing too much attention.” He stepped forward with his horn glowing. Black Rose may have let Celestia keep her immortality, but he could barely sense any magical power from her. He doubted that she could manage basic telekinesis without breaking a sweat. As he moved closer, however, Celestia took a step back. The surprise on her face when she noticed this movement told him that it was instinctive. He stopped, and stared at her quietly.

Celestia lowered her head, and her voice trembled slightly. “I’m sorry,” she said.

Terrato snorted. “What’s there to be sorry about? Flinching? It hasn't been a week since we fought each other, Celestia.”

“It’s not just about that fight.” Celestia said. She managed to walk forward until she was a leg’s length from him. “This ‘flinching’ is just one symptom. The way I've been thinking of you and treating you, I--” She caught a glimpse of his face.

“I see where this is going,” Terrato growled. “Now that you need me more than ever, I’m suddenly your dear brother again, am I right?”

Celestia’s eyes widened. Indignation tinged her voice when she responded. “What? That is not true at all!”

“Then don’t do this to me, Celestia, not when the back of my mind keeps saying that!”

Celestia took another step back. This time, it came as no surprise to Terrato. When he raised his voice, he had instinctively raised himself up, and leaned forward in a combative stance. He cursed at his own reflexes, his volcanic temper, and the centuries that created the two. ‘I’m sorry, Luna,’ he thought, ‘but this is going to be much more difficult than I thought.’ He lowered his voice, and the threatening stance he was in. “I swear I will restore your powers,” he said. “Until that time, don’t do this. Don’t bait me with something that I’m terrified you’ll take away again once everything is ‘back to normal’.”

“Terrato…” Celestia extended a foreleg to touch him, but he raised his glowing horn, and cast a spell before she could do so. A burst of gray magic engulfed her. When the spell settled, he was no longer staring at a weakened alicorn, but a lavender earth pony mare no bigger than Twilight. Her mane was a much darker shade of purple, cut short, and swept to one side. Her tail was short, and straight.

“There we go.” Terrato said. He smiled at his hoof-work. “You’re Sun Drop, an earth pony volunteer from Hearthstone City." He walked back to his desk, where the reports he had been ignoring awaited him. “You’ll look suspicious with armed guards following you, so I’ll have Special Operations keep a careful eye out. Try not to get into any arguments as they will be instructed to shoot any pony who so much as spits in your direction.”

Celestia looked her disguise over, even running a hoof down her mane. “Is there any particular reason you chose this form?” she asked.

“I like earth ponies,” Terrato replied. “Also, you won’t be called upon to use magic, or fly. Redtail and Lowlight will escort you out of the Grand Meeting Hall, you're on your own after that.”

Celestia stared at her brother a little longer. Terrato had already buried his nose into a pile of papers. She wasn't sure what spurred that halting apology from her. Perhaps it was the hurt she saw flash on his face when she had instinctively stepped back. Perhaps it was because she felt obligated after attacking him without cause just a few days back.

“You stubborn foal…all you had to do was visit our brother once, and you could have seen for yourself what sort of ponies served with him to protect Equestria. You could have seen how he ran the Legion, and how faithful he has been to the laws you laid down. You had more than a thousand years to spare a day to see him, and you didn't!”

Celestia’s outrage over what she felt was a betrayal had blotted out the meaning in Luna's words. Now that things have calmed down, Celestia began to consider them. A single day of visiting…perhaps that could have worked in the past, but what could be done now? There was nothing physically standing between her and her brother save for a desk of wood, and several feet of air, but it felt as if he had already constructed a fortress around him. He had centuries of experience defending both Equestria, and himself. There was no getting through to something he wanted shut away. But, perhaps there was a way around those walls…she could only hope that she would find such a way by spending more time here in the realm he had been reigning over all this time. With one last glance at Terrato, she followed her guards to the Grand Meeting Hall’s exit.

Vanguard’s hoof smacked into Applejack’s shoulder, knocking her down to the ground hard. It wasn't that he had struck her hard, or that he was wearing tramplers, the force that sent her sprawling on the pavement came more from precision and timing. Her barding scraped loudly against the stone, setting everypony's teeth on edge. Nearby, merely watching made both Fluttershy, and Pinkie wince.

Fluttershy had her medical kit ready in case of any accident. She looked towards their shared quarters, remembering another friend who had just gotten hurt recently. Earlier this morning, Twilight tried to use Rarity’s mage-blades again. One of the blades spun erratically in her telekinesis before burying itself into her foreleg. Fluttershy couldn't understand why Twilight had to insist on trying to use the weapons in the first place.

“I’m starting to see some bad habits here, Applejack,” Vanguard said. “Just because you bear the Element of Honesty doesn't mean that you have to honestly tell me every move you make before making it.”

Then, there was Applejack, another pony that had been full of surprises for the past few days. Twilight had fussed over her, trying to find out more about the strange shield she had called out during their last fight. When pressed to do it again, Applejack had been unable to do so no matter how much Twilight prodded her. There was also her promotion to vice-captain. Everypony was fine with it. At least, Fluttershy thought they were. Twilight has been looking a little edgy ever since Vanguard revealed his decision.

“What in tarnation are you talking about?” Applejack asked. She shook off the impact, and readied herself for another attack. “I haven’t said a word since we started this! How can I be telling you what I’m going to do?”

The morning after their celebratory party, Spike had left with a few pegasi, and made his way to the Western Barrier Land. The departure was short and simple enough: no tears, no long farewell speeches, just a hug for each of them, and a wave from Spike. After that, Applejack had asked her new captain for a sparring session near their shared quarters. The results so far were more than a little eye-opening. Applejack may not have been in the Legion for a long time, but she had seen her fair share of fighting, and trained everyday with her platoon. Nevertheless, Vanguard tossed her around with barely any effort. He didn't even look like he was breathing hard.

“Maybe not with your lips,” Vanguard replied. “The rest of your body is a different story. Pay attention to where your eyes linger, and how your shoulders and legs tense. Keeping your lips shut doesn't mean anything if your expressions say everything.”

“Okay, no more getting knocked on my rear!” Applejack pawed the ground, charged.

Before they continue, however, Vanguard looked to the side. Fluttershy followed his gaze, and found a pegasus standing nearby. “Captain Vanguard Clash?” the pegasus asked.

“That’s me,” Vanguard replied. He didn't recognize this pony. Fluttershy guessed that this must be one of the reinforcements from the cities to the south of Bastion City that had only recently arrived.

“I heard that you are in command of a squad of chosen," the pegasus said, "is this true?”

The mention of “chosen” caught the attention of the rest Vanguard’s new squad. Fluttershy, Applejack, and Pinkie walked over to see what was going on.

“It’s true,” Vanguard said. “What of it?”

The legionnaire's knees shook as he let out a long, relieved exhale. “My name is One Trick," he said. "I’m here on behalf of a high scholar from the Order of Speech.”

Vanguard raised an eyebrow. Seeing his puzzlement, Applejack trotted over to stand next to him."What's this Order of Speech about?" she asked.

"The Order of Speech is an ancient organization focused on the maintenance of language in the Barrier Lands," Vanguard replied. He turned his attention back to One Trick. "What does a high scholar want with the chosen?" he asked.

“High Scholar Crow Quill journeyed here as soon as he first heard the rumors that there are chosen here. He wishes to meet with the chosen if it is possible.”

Vanguard considered it for a moment, then nodded. “Alright then,” he said.

“Excellent! High Scholar Crow Quill is staying here in…”

Half an hour later, Vanguard, and his new squad were visiting the Snow Mare, one of the many full inns in Bastion City thanks to the influx of ponies coming in. They waited in the dining area until an old unicorn stallion with a dull, black coat, and a gray mane approached them. This must be Crow Quill. He wore an indistinct brown robe as well as a pair of saddlebags, one of which was stuffed with scrolls while the contents of the other could only be guessed at. Out of all of them, it was Twilight who looked on with interest. Vanguard wasn't surprised. This was going to be her first encounter with a scholar from the Barrier Lands.

Crow Quill approached the group slowly at first, but when his gaze alighted on their cutie marks, he stepped with a lot more spring. “It’s true!” he said. “Chosen!” He focused his attention on Twilight. “You there, do you understand a word I’m saying?” he asked.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Of course, I do,” she replied. To her surprise, Crow Quill closed his eyes, and a couple of tears ran down his cheeks. “Are you alright?” she asked.

“I’ll be fine,” Crow Quill replied. “I simply wish to relish the validation of my life’s work, and of the life’s work of the ponies before me. Despite a millennium of separation, we understand each other clearly. By your words you have brought meaning to centuries of vigilant service.”

“Um…you’re welcome?” Twilight said. She scratched her head, and took a step back, clearly uncomfortable with this kind of attention and grandiose words.

A minute of silence passed before Crow Quill collected himself. “There is one more piece of business to deal with,” he said. “As unlikely as it may be, have you perchance heard of the Apple Family?”

It was Applejack’s turn to step forward. “Heard of ‘em?" She grinned, and tapped her chest with a hoof. "Why you’re looking at one of them! The name’s Applejack, what can I do you for?”

Crow Quill’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head. “You…you are a member of the Apple Family?” He shook his head in disbelief, and stared at Applejack. “By the Three, if I were to fall down dead this very moment, I would have no regrets!”

“Uh…please don’t.” Applejack said. “There ain’t a pony here who’d like to see that.”

“Why are you looking for the Apple Family?” Twilight asked. “How do you even know about the Apple Family?”

Crow Quill fell to his knees, and fiddled with one of his saddlebags. He pulled out a silvery chain easily several feet long. With a trembling voice, he spoke solemnly to Applejack. “Centuries ago, during the first few years of the division, the Last Great Apple not only saved my ancestor’s life, but restored his honor. Before his final stand, he asked that ancestor of mine to find a way to return this to his family. This task has been handed down through the generations. Now, I have the honor of finally repaying that debt.”

Applejack turned towards Vanguard in confusion. “Last Great Apple?" she asked. "What’s he talking about, Vanguard?”

Vanguard was silent for a while. “Apple Slice,” he said. He walked over to Crow Quill. “It’s unlikely that this is even the same Apple Family as the one Apple Slice was part of. It’s been centuries, Crow Quill, that bloodline is probably long gone, and a new bunch of ponies have taken up the name.”

"Aren't there any Apples in the Barrier Lands?" Twilight asked.

"From what I've read, Apple Slice was the last." Vanguard said. "He stayed in the Barrier Lands while the rest of his family migrated to the Heartland as chosen."

“This task has been passed down my family despite all the impossibilities of it being completed,” Crow Quill said. “No matter how distant the relation, this chain will return to the hooves of an Apple.” He coiled the chain loosely around one leg, and offered it to Applejack. “Please take the burden of this debt from my family, Applejack,” he said. “I have no foals to pass this duty on to. It must be fate that I chose to travel to this city.”

“I’ll take it if it means so much to you, old timer,” Applejack replied. As soon as she touched the chain, she stopped, and looked ahead distantly as if recalling something. “Don’t worry, you got the right Apple. You don’t owe Apple Slice anything anymore.”

“Thank you,” Crow Quill said. Before he could continue, a violent cough wracked him.

One Trick helped Crow Quill up to his hooves. “I beg your pardon,” he said. “All this excitement has taken its toll on Crow Quill. I’m going to escort him back to his room now. Thank you for helping him in this, Applejack.”

As the two made their way out of the dining area, Vanguard stared at the chain. What kind of metal could survive for so many centuries? Surely, there was more to it than just being a simple tool for a long dead pony. The rest of his friends walked over to have a good look at it.

“Superb craftsmanship,” Rarity said. “Look at the detail on each link! Why it still looks brand new! It’s hard to believe that this was made hundreds of years ago.”

“That’s because it’s magic,” Twilight said. Her horn was glowing as she approached. She winced slightly each time she stepped with her bandaged foreleg. “It’s a pretty powerful enchantment too. This Apple Slice must have been a powerful unicorn, or knew one to be able to do this.”

Applejack continued to stare at the chain for a while, then looked towards Vanguard. “Say Vanguard,” she said.

“Hmm?”

“What Black Rose did was wrong, right? Stealing Princess Celestia’s power…hurting, and killing ponies to get what she wants…”

Vanguard understood the meaning behind the question. This chain could have only found its way back to its rightful owners if the division was ended, and Black Rose had done what she did. “Yes,” he replied.

“Is it bad to think that something good came out of it?”

Vanguard fell into thinking himself. “No,” he eventually replied. “Not at all. Get ready, we’re moving out.”

One More Fight

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 4: One More Fight

It had been less than a month since the wolven captured Fangbreaker Fortress, and their great symbol of victory already represented something else: a giant grave marker for its new wolven defenders. With the army on the retreat, and enraged thunder-foots already surrounding them, Fangbreaker’s wolven occupants had dug down, and prepared to be slaughtered to the last warrior.

Most of the main army had already retreated to Wolvengard to prepare for an invasion. Not a single wolven believed that the Legion would be satisfied with simply taking back its fort. A large group stayed behind to delay the thunder-foot advance. It was no secret that to stay was a sure and violent death, which was why hundreds volunteered. So many wanted to that not every wolven was allowed. Otherwise, Fenrir would have lost his entire army holding the place.

The wolven didn't really understand their ultimate goal in conquering Equestria. They knew of their king’s desire for fair Luna, but very few of them really understood it. Settling the land was no great prospect. Indeed, the few wolven that managed to journey into the western and southern portions of Equestria found the place uncomfortably warm, and did not relish the idea of settling in such place. The final goal didn't matter, however. The fighting was what did. All of the warriors who had consigned themselves to the last stand had joined the army because it was simply the natural thing to do after growing up. The bloody death that accompanied that career at some point was accepted as a natural, even preferable, end to one’s life.

For Hasrok, that basic choice was not one without some pleasures. He picked his fangs of the last bits of sinew, and threw it to the nearby pile of gnawed wolven bones. As far as the physical meal was concerned, Hegiskra was an awful dinner: far too gristly, and bony. Hasrok enjoyed every bite regardless. The old crone was an arrogant witch, and it was almost worth seeing the siege of the thunder-foot city fail just to see her “visions” count for nothing. Not one wolven protested when he meted out her punishment.

“Enjoy your meal, pup, you think I was mistaken only because you can barely see past your snout!”

Hasrok snorted at his meal’s last words. He had never met a more delusional dog in his entire life. He was far too ashamed of her to call her a proper wolven. A true wolven would not rely on dreams and strange creatures. It was a shame indeed. He had known Hegiskra before old age had broken most of her fangs. A few years ago, he would have happily slaughtered thunder-foots by her side. Now, she was doing him a final favor by filling his belly, and granting him the strength to kill as many of the thunder-foots before falling in this wretched fortress.

There was one more complication. Moon-Shadow was still around. As was her thunder-foot slave. Like the rest of the wolven army, Moon-Shadow had been forced to retreat by the coming of both cursed Celestia, and the unrecognized thunder-foot leader that decimated their forces. Unlike the rest of the wolven army, she wasn't doing her part in slowing the thunder-foots down. All she had done so far was stand on top the fortress, and glower uselessly for the past few days.

‘Here I am just a battle away from getting into the Final Hunting Grounds, and it has to be marred by this unnatural thing,’ Hasrok thought. The walls continued to take a pounding while he waited. The thunder-foots didn't have a problem with destroying their precious fortress. The reinforced gate the wolven built over the ruined ones was also on the verge of falling apart. Even with the final surge of thunder-foots so close, Moon-Shadow was only there to watch them die.

“How long are you going to put up this infantile resistance?”

A few days ago, Pyre Valor would have answered Nightmare Moon’s angry taunt with a stinging remark of her own. Now, she just didn't have the strength. The humiliating retreat to Fangbreaker for Nightmare Moon had been a triumphant return for her. The Legion had pulled through, just as she knew it would. She wasn't interested in the why’s and the how’s. The Legion had done what needed to be done, just as she did. Now, she was on her final mission. As soon as Nightmare Moon had landed on the fort, she had summoned every ounce of her will to hold her body rigid, preventing her from aiding the wolven.

That was days ago. She had been locked in a battle of wills with Nightmare Moon for all that time, and was on her last legs. Already, Nightmare Moon was able to move her legs, and was slowly climbing down her perch. She was barely aware of their surroundings, having already given up the use of her senses to Nightmare Moon. She had focused on holding her limbs, and shutting down her magic, but control over those was also being slowly wrested away. Nightmare Moon’s mental strength was limitless, while she was only mortal.

The faint sound of howling among the wolven brought some ray of light to Pyre’s slowly darkening world. The Legion was taking back Fangbreaker, and their last push was almost here. Nightmare Moon lifted her legs with more ease. They were galloping from the rooftop now. Pyre abandoned trying to control her legs, and focused all her remaining strength on trying to keep Nightmare Moon’s magic down.

“They’re here.”

Nightmare Moon’s mental tone all but assured Pyre as to who “they” were. She had heard “Elements of Harmony” often enough, and it was always with a tinge of concern. Nightmare Moon feared the Elements of Harmony. The thought of it was amusing if nothing else. Pyre hadn't cared about the Elements of Harmony save for Twilight Sparkle being part of them. Recently, she had viewed them with a bit more concern. They were important tools, the only tools good enough to destroy her “passenger”. Through Nightmare Moon’s enhanced magical senses, she had felt the barrier go down. She had seen Celestia appear in the Barrier Lands. For all intents and purposes, her mission had been a success. Nightmare Moon’s presence was the final wrinkle in this whole affair, and her disposal will be Pyre’s final gift to the Legion.

Then, there was Blademane.

With her vision gone, and her hearing following, Pyre had no idea what had become of Blademane. He was in the fort somewhere, likely waiting for the right opportunity to die by her side. She had told him to leave even during the siege of Bastion City, begged him when he refused, berated him when begging did nothing, going so far as telling him that his devotion was useless, and she was never going to return his feelings. Nothing moved Blademane. She would have been touched, but all she felt was a wish that it was Vanguard instead.

A trickle of magic slipped past Pyre, and Nightmare Moon used it to float to the front gates. Cursing at her distraction, Pyre shoved aside all her other thoughts.

There was little time to get their bearings once Twilight and the rest of her friends arrived in front of Fangbreaker Fortress. The Legion was pounding the front gates with catapult shot and fireballs. The snow had let up momentarily, providing a small measure of respite. Vanguard led them to the front lines, then went over to speak with the siege commander.

“How’s the siege going?” Vanguard asked.

“We’re giving them a thorough beating," the siege commander replied. He was a heavy-set earth-pony. What few signs of his coat that showed past the cloak and barding were light blue. "Losses have been minimal and we’re expecting the final charge pretty soon,” the siege commander replied.

“What about Nightmare Moon?” Twilight asked.

The siege commander looked at Twilight, then glanced at Vanguard. When Vanguard nodded, he spoke with some reluctance. “If by “Nightmare Moon” you mean that black flaming thing that’s been perched on top of the fort throughout the siege, it hasn't moved an inch since we started attacking.”

The burning figure suddenly jumped from its perch, and floated downward.

“Well, will you look at that,” the siege commander muttered. “Almost like it was waiting for your group.”

“She was waiting,” Twilight replied. Vanguard gestured for her and the others to move forward.

“Twilight,” Vanguard said. He looked at the gates that the wolven had constructed after Pyre destroyed the previous ones. Their enemies had done well with the time and material that they had, but there was no way that their makeshift gates could hold out much longer. It was badly scorched, and splintered by the time he and his squad had arrived. “Finish the job."

Twilight stepped forward. There were still bolters on top of the gates, but the pegasi kept them pinned with crossbow fire. There were also several earth ponies in front of her carrying enormous shields should a bolter risk getting turned into a bloody pincushion to take a shot. Upon Vanguard’s order, she remembered the first time she came to the Barrier Lands with her friends, and the horrific sight of the ruined gates of Fangbreaker. Pyre Valor had destroyed those gates. This time, she was going to do something similar. She went through the spells she could use. A fireball won’t cut it in one shot. No, she was going to have to use something with a stronger impact. Chunks of earth rose in front of her, forming a large sphere of red-glowing rock. After a few more moments of concentration, the rock burst into flames.

The siege commander looked on in awe. The meteor hurtled towards the gates as if it was launched by one of their catapults. It struck hard, splintering the wood, and igniting it. In the next instant, it exploded into a massive blast of red-orange flames. The explosion flung smoldering splinters as far as the rear lines, and left a partially burning and open path towards the fortress.

There were no cheers at the sight of the gates collapsing. No battle cries followed by a rush of charging legionnaires. For the next few moments, there was only an awed silence, like a brief calm before a storm. Several ponies stared at Twilight dumbfounded until one pony decided to shout. That shout was soon followed by others until there was finally a wave of legionnaires pouring in for an attack.

The wolven, after an initial daze from such a powerful blast, quickly filled the resulting opening with their troops. Legionnaires crashed into them so violently that several wolven were flung back into their rear lines. The air filled with snarls and howls mixing with fierce neighs, the thuds of something hard and blunt striking flesh, and the awful whining of metal grinding against stone.

Twilight stepped forward to cast a spell, and help out the attackers, but Vanguard pulled her back. “Stay together,” he told her. “This squad was brought here to deal with Nightmare Moon. Don't let yourself be distracted by anything from that mission.” He turned towards the rest of his squad. “Vice-captain!” he called out.

From the back of the squad, Applejack trotted forward. In addition to her usual barding, she now had the chain she had received earlier wrapped around her neck. It was too short to be used for any kind of lassoing, but she insisted on keep it around just in case. When Pinkie had been briefly separated from them, Applejack was assigned to rear guard to make sure that the squad stayed together. “Need something, Captain?” she asked.

“Make sure the squad stays together. If the Elements need some kind of formation make sure you can get into it right away. Scarlet and I will see if we can lure her out to a more open place.” Vanguard pulled out his weapon, and clamped it between his teeth. He gestured at Scarlet, who was already taking to the air.

Applejack saluted. “Right away,” she replied.

Twilight watched the two in confusion. It was a simple exchange between a higher-ranked legionnaire and a lower-ranked one. That was all. At least, that was what her brain told her. Applejack had told them a few nights ago about her new position. Nopony seemed to have a problem with it. She was certain that she didn't. Yet, that increasingly annoying twinge in her chest was back. It made no sense. Was she envious of Applejack’s promotion? ‘No,’ she told herself. ‘Applejack has worked very hard in the Legion so far. She deserves it.’ A cold, resentful tone badgered her anyway. ‘I've been working hard too. And wasn't Pyre Valor the previous vice-captain in his squad? She was a unicorn mage--’

“Twilight, what are you doing?” Applejack’s sharp question shook Twilight out of her reverie. Applejack was already wearing her necklace. “Put your big fancy crown on, and let’s get everypony here!"

They turned towards the rest of their friends. None of them needed any prompting. The Elements of Harmony were out and ready. Twilight closed her eyes for a moment, trying to get a feel of how ready they were. The Elements of Harmony resonated silently with each other. There was still a lot of wavering between them: Rainbow in particular, but she sensed some in Applejack as well. To her dismay, she also felt a lot from herself.

Nevertheless, actually having the Elements of Harmony with them this time had a reassuring effect. The ones who weren't used to the front lines: Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie, looked a bit more confident. They could still use some more harmony, but Twilight was sure that they were coming into this fight in better condition than the last time. Besides, they didn't have Fenrir howling at a distance to paralyze them.

It wasn't long until the daunting sight of Nightmare Moon’s blackened aura approached them. Vanguard was slowly backing up while Scarlet was hovering nearby firing bolts. Twilight focused Nightmare Moon, and immediately noticed that something was wrong. This wasn't like their previous battle, and it wasn't just because of the different location, or their possession of the actual Elements of Harmony.

When Nightmare Moon moved past the wolven defenders, it wasn't through the blazing, explosive leap she had done the last time. Instead, it was a slow, laborious walk that made Twilight hesitate, not out of intimidation, but out of sheer confusion. Was this some kind of trap? Was Nightmare Moon baiting them into attacking? Sensing weakness, the other legionnaires were about to charge in, but Vanguard warned them to stay back.

“Twilight!” Applejack looked towards the center of their formation. Twilight answered the look with a determined nod. This wasn't the same Nightmare Moon who had so proudly attacked them, but that didn't mean they were going to be complacent.

The effect was telling. Faced with a weakened Nightmare Moon, their determination to finally defeat a dangerous foe resonated well. Everypony took a step forward. That lone step increased the flow of magic from one Element to the other. Twilight's crown hummed with energy; the same hum from when they drove Nightmare Moon out of Princess Luna, and when they returned Discord to stone. When they took another step forward, Nightmare Moon visibly flinched, and raise a hoof as if to step back.

“Why are you still doing this?” Nightmare Moon snarled. “Twilight Sparkle is standing right there! Don’t you want her dead?”

There was no response from the wretchedly obstinate Pyre Valor. The Elements of Harmony were steadily gathering their courage. Nightmare Moon took another step forward to show them that she was not out of the fight yet. She unleashed her magic, or tried to. Instead of unleashing, it felt more like desperately coaxing an animal out of its den. The blackened aura of her magic was no longer ablaze with Pyre Valor’s rage when it finally burst from her horn. This was even worse than trying to fight against the Elements with Luna’s constantly hesitant body. Her synergy with Pyre Valor had been superb because Pyre Valor never hesitated. When she wanted to do something, she dove right into it. When they both wanted the same thing, the resulting power was incredible. Now that Pyre Valor planned on hindering both of them, she did so with equal fervor.

Pyre Valor was already weak from the struggle, however. Nightmare Moon had control over all their physical form. It was their magic that the stubborn Pyre shackled, and that was failing as well. The blackness spread from their body like ink spilling, threatening to engulf anypony that tried to close in. It was no field of dark tentacles, but it gave even the Elements of Harmony some pause.

The pause didn't last long, Twilight had likely gauged the amount of magic she was putting forth, and realized how weakened she was. Twilight's horn blazed with magic while the crown on her head glowed brightly. A dispelling wave burst from Twilight, and smashed into the gathering darkness around Nightmare Moon. Her weakened array easily dispersed, like a guttering candle held up during a gale.

“Now!” Twilight cried out. More power swirled around the Elements of Harmony, centering on her crown. What started out as invisible wisps of power were now brightly colored streams of light. They swirled around until a prismatic tornado whipped into being. Nightmare Moon let out a cry of rage and frustration. It was happening again. For the second time, she was going to be beaten back by toy-wearing foals!

“Let go, damn you!” Nightmare Moon shouted at Pyre Valor. There was still no response. No words anyway. To her rage, Nightmare Moon felt a measure of amusement coming from Pyre Valor. The wretch was actually pleased by what was happening! She considered abandoning the body, itself a painful process, but it was unlikely that she would find another body even remotely compatible.

The prismatic cyclone enveloped Nightmare Moon, searing away any magic she tried to use. Desperate, she flailed her front hooves about to push away the inevitable banishing. “Not again!” she shouted. It couldn't end like this. Trapped in a falling fortress like a rat, then shoved aside by foals like a fly. She felt her grip on Pyre Valor slowly tear away. Desperation seared away any other concern, the only option remaining was…

“Oceanus, tuum ancillæ obsecrat!”

It was a final plea said more out of rage than any realistic belief that aid would come. The firstborn was still dormant, as was nearly all his followers. But, to complete her remaining tasks, she had to try. She wasn't going to face him with tasks still to be done. Especially with all the opportunities she had been provided with. Especially when Coruscaria would have a glorious offering ready.

Twilight had to admit that seeing the Elements of Harmony working in full concert was a little surprising, and immensely elating. She was worried that they wouldn't be able to get the Elements to work. The light surrounded Nightmare Moon just like it did the last time. All it would take now was that final flash and--

“Oceanus, tuum ancillæ obsecrat!”

The sudden outburst nearly caused Twilight to lose her focus. Oceanus. She had heard the name before. Hearing it from Nightmare Moon enclosed her heart in an icy grip. The bright glare of hope that the Elements gave forth wavered.

A small spark of blackness suddenly pierced the whirlwind of light. There was magic that accompanied that spark: a small yet chilling presence that sent the hairs on the back of Twilight's neck rising. Something was wrong. Something was going to go horribly wrong.

The light from the Elements flashed, but the brilliant white explosion was tainted by great arcs of blackness, and a drawn out and unearthly scream that set Twilight’s teeth on edge. One look towards her friends told her that none of them expected it. Around them, the Legion continued to fight against the remaining wolven defenders, but several had stopped to see what was going on.

That was when Twilight realized that something else was still coming after that blast: an immense explosion of harmful magic that could very well destroy all of them. “Everypony, stand back!” she cried out. She ran forward, and raised a magical barrier. It wasn't as good as Applejack’s golden shield, but it was more reliable for now.

Another explosion, this one as dark as midnight, erupted from the still fading light. Twilight gritted her teeth, and concentrated all her magic on the shield. The last thing she saw was a wave of darkness advancing towards her, then nothing at all.

The sudden explosion of darkness sent Applejack and the rest of her friends flying. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Vanguard try to reach Twilight only to be sent careening, his armor dragging loudly against the ground. She rolled on the ground for a good distance before finally coming to a stop. She squinted against the clouds of dust and snow raised by the blast. “What in the hay just happened?” she asked between coughs.

“Did we do it?” Rainbow asked as she dragged herself to her hooves. She was just a few feet away from Applejack. “Is Nightmare Moon gone?”

“I don’t know,” Applejack replied. “Things went a little too smoothly. Except for that second explosion. I can’t believe something could explode twice.”

“Is anypony hurt?” Fluttershy called out. Her hovering silhouette slowly approached them.

“I’m fine,” Rarity said from behind them. “Pinkie here hit her head on the ground, but she’s already recovering.”

"I'm over here!" Scarlet yelled. He flew through the dust and snow and landed next to Vanguard.

“Everypony regroup on me,” Vanguard called out from the cloud. They followed the sound of his voice, and soon found each other. “Did you do it?” he asked. “Has the threat been neutralized?”

“I dunno,” Applejack replied. “I think--” When a faint, metallic cracking sound came from around her neck. Worried, she looked down on her necklace. To her horror, a thin crack appeared near the apple-shaped jewel. The crack quickly spread into a spidery network of lines. “No!” she cried out. “How in the hay--”

The cracks continued to spread for another second, then the necklace shattered into fine, powdery pieces. With a gasp, Applejack tried to save the fragments as they fell, but a stiff breeze caught them, blowing them all across the snowy plain.

Cries of alarm came from Rainbow and the others. Applejack looked to them, and found Rainbow desperately crawling around, while Fluttershy held up an inch of crumbling gold chain, ready to burst into tears.

“How can this be?” Rarity asked. “The Elements are gone!”

Applejack looked around. The dust had settled. A lot of the legionnaires around them were also recovering. Where Nightmare Moon was standing was now an empty, still-smoking crater. “Wait a minute--”

Vanguard had looked around as well. “Where’s Twilight?” he asked.

With all of them now frantically searching, Vanguard walked over near the edges of the crater. As he did so, something crunched underneath his tramplers. He raised his hoof, and looked down.

On the ground was a crushed fragment of large crown.

For the Legion

Upheaval : Reckoning

Chapter 15: For the Legion

Six days had passed since Canterlot's public address. The past few days had been peaceful enough. Twilight had taken the time to keep up with news coming from Canterlot, and other nearby cities.The address had gone well enough, and the Legion was moving in.

The larger settlements were first: Manehattan, Cloudsdale, Baltimare, Canterlot…the big cities with plenty of recruits to gain. It was only now that the Legion had started to pay attention to the smaller settlements, including Ponyville.

Twilight watched the first few squads of lightly-barded earth ponies arrive. She had woken up early, and had been watching for them ever since news of them coming arrived yesterday. She wasn't alone. Applejack had thought of doing the exact same thing. “What’s with the disappointed face?” she asked.

The last of the legionnaires had entered the village when Applejack answered. “I was hoping Vanguard would be with them,” she said.

That familiar and annoying twinge was back. “That’s completely ridiculous,” Twilight said. The tinge of harshness in her voice surprised even her. “He’s Special Operations, not a recruiting officer, why would he come here?”

“To see us,” Applejack replied. She kept her gaze on the legionnaires, ready to interfere if something went out of hoof. Twilight bit back another harsh reply, berating herself for suddenly being so irritable.

There was something anticlimactic about the way the legionnaires arrive: no trumpets, no procession. A small group of armored ponies simply walked into town as if they were merely visitors. Indeed, it took some time before somepony realized that the draft had finally begun. The mayor hurriedly arrived to greet them while the rest of Ponyville gathered behind her.

“Greetings, ponies of the Equestrian Legion,” the mayor said. She had that prepared script with her that Twilight helped with. "Welcome to our fair village.”

Twilight watched nervously as the lead legionnaire stepped forward. They were probably from the Western or Southern Barrier Land. They were all earth ponies, clad in light chain armor, and carrying enormous blades or spears on their backs. Northern Legion infantry were more armored, and less armed. She and Applejack moved closer. Among the crowd, Rarity and the others also looked on.

“I am Recruiting Officer Mineshaft,” the lead legionnaire replied. “Behind me are legionnaires from the Fourth Infantry Platoon of the Western Legion. We greet you, citizens of Ponyville, and we look forward to working with you in the fight for our realm.”

Mineshaft must have replied to the prepared script with one of his own from that delivery. ‘I suppose I should be glad that he, at least, made a decent attempt at enthusiasm,’ she thought.

“We request access to your registry list to determine who, and how many we are expecting to draft,” Mineshaft said. “We are also going to set up here in your main plaza.”

“Of course, sir, right away,” Mayor Mare replied. She and her assistants trotted back to her office.

Mineshaft turned his attention to all the gathered ponies. “All ponies expecting to be drafted, and all volunteers should remain. The rest of you, please return to your daily business.” As he was saying that, the rest of the legionnaires were already spreading out. A few asked for chairs and tables, while others were already organizing lines and herding out the ponies who were not expected to be recruited: colts, fillies, and the elderly.

Twilight and her friends approached Mineshaft. “Excuse me, Officer Mineshaft,” she said.

“Yes, ma’am?” Mineshaft replied.

Twilight glanced at the lines. “Does this mean that all the ponies recruited here will be stationed at the Western Barrier Land?”

Mineshaft nodded. “That is correct.”

Twilight relaxed a little. She didn't know much of the other Barrier Lands, but she could expect the fighting there to be less intense to the west. At least, as long as the ursans didn't decide to launch their own major invasion. Mayor Mare returned with the registry list, which she promptly handed over. “Thank you, madam mayor,” Mineshaft said. “The Legion appreciates your cooperation.” He looked over the list, then eyed Twilight curiously. “We received a memo that there are chosen legionnaires currently staying here. Do you happen to know who they are?”

“That would be us,” Twilight replied. She gestured towards her friends. “We’re from the Northern Legion.”

“In the thick of the fighting, eh?” Mineshaft said. He looked glad to encounter fellow legionnaires. “I can respect that. I understand that you’re on some kind of leave, but we’d appreciate any assistance.”

Twilight nodded. She was actually hoping for that. If nothing else, she wanted to make this draft as easy as possible for Ponyville.

By the time noon rolled around, the draft was well under way. Though the smooth proceedings were a relief, the lack of volunteers proved disappointing. Twilight had believed that some of her fellow chosen would join in on their own volition. The looks on their faces, however, were more resigned acceptance than any sort of enthusiasm. Twilight was now glad that Vanguard had not come to see this, not after all her talk about how ponies from the Heartland would help if they knew. The legionnaires matched the resignation with emotionless, mechanical movements that were only a little better than outright hostility.

“They should really make this into a happy occasion,” Pinkie said. “Think of how much better recruitment would be if these legionnaires threw a ‘Welcome to the Legion’ party to celebrate all the new recruits!”

“I don’t think our friends and neighbors are in any mood for a party, Pinkie,” Rarity said.

“They won’t be if these legionnaires keep acting like grumps,” Pinkie replied. “Can't they take off those champrons, and smile?”

“I don’t think the legionnaires are in any mood for that either,” Fluttershy answered.

An hour passed when a legionnaire approached Twilight’s group. “Legionnaire Sparkle, we need your assistance,” he said.

“What happened?” Twilight asked.

“We've encountered some resistance with one of the chosen,” the legionnaire replied. He led them to a house where several legionnaires were standing by the entrance along with a mint-green unicorn. Twilight recognized Lyra Heartstrings, and knew who was inside.

“Open this door, Miss Bon Bon,” one the legionnaires said. “By unified Equestrian law, avoiding the draft is punishable by jail time!”

“Never!” Bon Bon shrieked. “I don’t want to go to some far off land and fight! Leave me alone!”

“Bon Bon, please come out,” Lyra implored. “You’ll only make things worse in there!”

There was no answer this time. The legionnaire that brought Twilight and her friends along turned towards them. “Maybe you can talk her into putting a stop to this tantrum,” he said. “Otherwise, we’re arresting her.”

Twilight knocked on the door briefly. “Bon Bon, it’s me, Twilight Sparkle."

“Go away, Twilight Sparkle!”

“Bon Bon, the Legion needs your help…”

“They’re not getting it! There are hundreds of ponies out there they could get, they don’t need me!”

“Don’t you care about protecting Equestria?” Twilight asked.

“I’m just one pony,” Bon Bon answered. Her voice quivered. “I’m not a fighter. I don’t have magic or great strength. What am I supposed to do against monsters? Please, just leave me alone!”

“Bon Bon--”

“This is all your fault, Twilight Sparkle!” Bon Bon sobbed between the words. “Why couldn't you have just left things alone? Why couldn't you have just stayed banished to wherever you were? Everypony was happy! Why did you have to ruin everything?”

Twilight’s gaze lowered. “I just…”

Eventually, one of the legionnaires planted his forelegs firmly on the ground, then bucked at the door. His tramplers smashed into the house’s wooden entrance, breaking it in half, and sending splinters scattering into the interior. Inside, Bon Bon gave a panicked yelp, and tried to run farther into the house. The legionnaires quickly surrounded, and restrained her.

“You’re under arrest,” one of the legionnaires said. With his fellows surrounding Bon Bon, he pushed her forward roughly. Tears streaming down her face, Bon Bon gave one last angry look at Twilight.

“You’re not going to hurt her, are you?” Lyra asked as the legionnaires walked past her.

“Our orders are to arrest anypony who tries to avoid the draft. Seeing as this village doesn't have a jail, we’ll probably have to transfer her to the nearest city. Get to the plaza, Miss Heartstrings, you’re on the list too.” The legionnaire softened his tone. “We won’t hurt her unless she makes us defend ourselves,” he added.

“Coward,” Rainbow muttered as Bon Bon was led away.

“Rainbow!” Applejack said. “It ain’t that simple!”

Rarity put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Are you alright, Twilight?” she asked. “Don’t let what she said get to you. You did the right thing by going against the division.”

“But is it really our fault?” Fluttershy asked. “Are we the ones who dragged Ponyville into war?”

“The war didn't need any help in bringing itself here,” Rarity said. “It was going to happen eventually thanks to Black Rose’s meddling. If there’s anypony to be blamed it’s her, and all the creatures trying to invade Equestria!”

“We still had a part in it,” Twilight said. “But you’re right, Rarity." She watched as Lyra ran off to the plaza. “There’s going to be more of these incidents, and not just here in Ponyville.”

The Ponyville was almost finished by late afternoon. Throughout the entire procedure, Twilight kept looking for at least one volunteer. She was disappointed to the end. She didn't consider the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who tried to sign up, only to be shooed away. “So what’s going to happen to all the new recruits now?” she asked Mineshaft.

“We've got a large training camp set up near Cloudsdale,” Mineshaft replied. “They’ll start their training there, then it's off to their new posts.”

As Mineshaft was speaking, a large, red stallion approaching the legionnaires. ‘Big Macintosh,” Twilight thought. It looked like she was going to find that one volunteer after all. Applejack was already moving to intercept her brother.

“Big Macintosh!” Applejack called out. “What are you doing here? You’re not being drafted!”

Big Macintosh ignored his sister, and walked over to Mineshaft. “Sir,” he said. “I’d like to replace Applejack in your Legion please.”

“I already told you that it doesn't work that way!” Applejack said.

“I still got to try,” Big Macintosh replied.

Mineshaft looked Big Macintosh over, then turned to one of the other legionnaires. “Scree Trail! Why aren't we drafting this big, strapping stallion?” he asked. “Just looking at him, I know he’ll do well!”

Scree Trail walked over, and inspected Big Macintosh. “Which family are you from, stallion?” he asked.

“The Apple Family,” Big Macintosh replied.

“Well, there you go,” Scree Trail said. “It says on this report that the Ponyville branch of the Apple Family is exempted from the draft. The Legion already has a member in the ranks.”

“Well, that explains it,” Mineshaft said. “We’re not drafting you, and the Legion doesn't do trades.”

“But--” Big Macintosh said.

“Not just any legionnaire too!” Scree Trail said. “It says here that she’s a Special Operations Vice Captain!”

Mineshaft gave a low whistle. “A chosen in Special Operations that fast?” he said. “From the Apple Family too. It’s the legend of Apple Slice all over again.”

“Wait just a golldarn minute!” Applejack said. She cringed when she saw the look of horror that Big Macintosh gave her. “I’m not Special Operations! That report’s a mistake!”

“It’s true,” Twilight added. “We formed a squad under a Special Operations captain, but we weren't part of that group.”

“Would you like to be anyway?” somepony said from a distance.

Everypony turned towards the newcomer. Applejack took one look at the dark blue unicorn mare with the curly mane, then shook her head. “Captain Nightcanter,” she said.

Behind Nightcanter walked towards the gathering of ponies, and looked around. Behind her, several ponies followed. “So what do we have here?” she asked. She focused on Big Macintosh, who was still staring at Applejack. “You looking to join the Legion, big boy?” she asked. “I can think of several uses for you. A few might actually involve fighting.”

Applejack planted herself between Nightcanter, and Big Macintosh. “Why don’t we just talk about why Special Operations is here?” she asked. Her tone was tense, but still respectful. Twilight agreed with the approach. Captain Nightcanter may often talk playfully, but she was still a high-ranking pony, one who had defeated her in a sparring match before.

“I…I’ll be back in the farm,” Big Macintosh said. When he turned around, he did so in a daze.

“Big Mac!” Applejack called out to him. “We’ll talk about this later!” She pressed her lips together tightly when he didn't respond as he trotted off.

“So what is Special Operations doing in Ponyville, Captain Nightcanter?” Twilight asked. “Does it have something to do with us?”

“No,” Nightcanter replied. She gestured for Mineshaft and his legionnaires to move on, an order that they promptly obeyed. She lowered her voice slightly. “We’re here to set up a base of operations, then we’re off to investigate the Everfree Forest. Maybe we can talk somewhere more private than the middle of a public plaza."

“The library is pretty empty,” Twilight said.

Several minutes later, Twilight found herself playing host to two squads of Special Operations legionnaires, and her friends. She peered outside, then closed the curtains. Nightcanter cast a spell, temporarily engulfing everything in the tree-house in dark blue light. “Just something to make sure nopony’s spying,” Nightcanter said.

Most of the Special Operations ponies remained in the other reading rooms while Nightcanter sat at the center of Twilight, and her friends. “So why do you need to go to Everfree Forest?” Twilight asked.

“Not the forest,” Nightcanter said. “Our destination is Everfree Castle. We've received information that it might hold what we need to finally get a grasp of Black Rose’s plans.”

“You mean the goal isn't even to defeat Black Rose?” Rainbow asked. “She’s already stolen Princess Celestia’s power, and we’re still just getting to know her?”

Nightcanter’s eyes narrowed. She set both her forelegs on the table before resting her chin behind them. “Things aren't as simple as your rainbow-stained brain might take them to be,” she said. “It’s easy with the wolven, or the ursans, or the ophidites. They want to attack Equestria, and the goal is to defend against them. We’re in the dark with Black Rose here. We originally thought that she wanted to kill Princess Celestia, but she’s not dead now is she? Our best lead is the one provided by her brother, of all ponies. Special Operations is spread thin, and clutching at straws so, yes, our current goal at the moment is to get to know her better.”

“And you think that there’s something in Everfree Castle that could help with that?” Rarity asked. “What could it be?”

“You only scratched the surface during your last visit,” Nightcanter replied. “We’re going deeper than that. Thanks to what we found inside Canterlot’s Great Library, we know that the castle is sitting on something even older.”

“What’s that?” Twilight asked. She leaned closer, her eyes wide.

“The Last Refuge of Clover the Clever.”

Twilight's heart nearly stopped. “You’re kidding,” she said. She had to force the words out.

“How much do you know about Clover the Clever?” Nightcanter asked.

“She was Starswirl the Bearded’s disciple, and a great spell caster in her own right,” Twilight answered eagerly. “She helped found Equestria during the Windigo Crisis along with several other ponies.”

Nightcanter failed to hold back a snort.

Twilight frowned. “What? That’s not how Barrier Lands lore remembers it?”

“No, but it’s not about Barrier Lands lore, it’s about what we found in the Great Library's hidden archives.”

“There are hidden archives in the Great Library?” Twilight asked. Her breathing quickened. Plans to schedule a trip to Canterlot started forming in her mind.

“Woah, nelly,” Applejack said. “Let’s focus here.”

“Right,” Nightcanter said. “According to the sealed histories, the ponies before Lexarius’s dominion migrated outward from the Blasphemous Rift. The Windigo Crisis prompted a move inward in a desperate attempt to survive.”

“And then they discovered that the power of friendship, and defeated the windigos,” Twilight said. She made a mental note to find out more about this "Blasphemous Rift" later.

The corners of Nightcanter’s lips twitched a bit, but she controlled herself. “Well, they found something. I don’t think it was friendship though.” She grew serious as she went on. “Clover the Clever, and her companions strayed very close to the Blasphemous Rift, and managed to attune themselves to the lingering power of Oceanus. They used this power to destroy the windigos, and claim Equestria.”

It was Twilight’s turn to settle down grimly. ‘So much for Hearth’s Warming Eve,’ she thought. “What happened then?"

“While the rest of the ponykind settled the land, the Six Companions delved deeper into utilizing the power of Oceanus. They built a great capital city around the rift dedicated to further attuning all of ponykind to their progenitor. A lot of bad things were committed during those times. Several books worth, in fact.”

Nightcanter paused to massage her throat. “Say, you don’t happen to have some booze in this library do you?” she asked.

“No booze,” Twilight replied. “I’ll get you some water.” Once she set down a glass of water for Nightcanter, she spoke in a grim tone. "Was Starswirl the Bearded attuned to Oceanus too?"

"Starswirl the Bearded died of sickness immediately after the discovery of Oceanus, and the Blasphemous Rift," Nightcanter replied. "At least, that's what the records say," she added with a sly smile. After several gulps of water, she went on. “Lexarius eventually interfered. He arrived in this world, and rallied every pony who was horrified with what the Six Companions were up to. To our race's credit, there were a lot of them. With his army, he met the Oceanites in the battlefield, and annihilated them, reducing their mighty city into a rubble-filled crater, and then teaming up with his fellow stewards to seal the Blasphemous Rift for good.”

“That wasn't the end,” Rarity said. “You wouldn't be here if that was the end.”

“Of course not," Nightcanter said. "Clover the Clever survived, and fled into where the Everfree is now. She went into hiding, and spent the rest of her life trying to find a way to undo the seals, and reach Oceanus’s power. The sealed histories say that she came up with a way but…”

“..but what?” Twilight asked. She tapped a front hoof on the table impatiently.

“She didn't get to use it. Lexarius intercepted her. That was the end of Clover the Too-Clever-For-Her-Own-Good. Lexarius sealed away her last refuge. Centuries later, Princess Celestia built Everfree Castle over it for extra protection.”

“Why didn't they just destroy it?” Rainbow asked.

Nightcanter shrugged. “Clover stored a lot of power in that refuge in order to hide and protect it. That power was distilled from remains of her former companions, and the last traces of the Blasphemous Rift she could gather. Destroying the refuge would have spread that power all over Equestria. Who knows what effect it could have?”

“So why go there now?” Twilight asked.

“Black Rose plans to get into the Blasphemous Rift. She’ll need a way how, and whatever’s in that refuge is a good lead.”

“She’s been on the move for a while now,” Twilight said. “She may have already gone there and taken anything useful.”

“Maybe, but she doesn't have free access to the information we just got like we have." Nightcanter took another gulp. "The prince is sure that what she learned from the Library of Lexarius only has vague clues about the sealed histories, which hadn't been disturbed when we got to them. She still needs a means to complete her goals. We just might get the jump on Black Rose this time. At the very least, we can actually be on her trail instead of floundering around.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Rainbow asked. She stood up, and flapped her wings. “Let’s go!”

“Hold on there, RD,” Applejack said. “This ain’t our mission. It’s Captain Nightcanter’s.”

“You’ll need help, right?” Twilight asked.

“We could use some assistance navigating the forest,” Nightcanter replied.

“We can help with that,” Twilight said. “We’d like to go into the castle with you as well.”

Nightcanter paused again. "You know...Vanguard asked me not to bother you mares on your vacation..." she said. She smiled the same sort of smile that made both Twilight, and Applejack shudder. "But why not? It sounds like fun."

The Younger Sibling

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 27: The Younger Sibling

With a quick turn, and just a bit more bounce in her gait, Celestia rounded the little circle of pink flowers. On her back, her little brother squealed with delight, and held on tightly to her neck.

“Take care now, your highness!” Animus Arcem called out from a distance.

The Planar City of Empyrea housed many gardens, each one a veritable forest on its own. It was the flowers that constantly drew Celestia to them. The riotous explosion of colors, and the storm of fragrances, both contrasted by the carefully ordered buildings, and streets of the city, always enchanted her. “Oh, relax, Arcem!” She giggled. “I’m not going to drop my little brother!” She turned to look at Terrato. “Isn't that right, Terry?” The little gray foal would have replied if he didn't have a hank of her pink mane in his mouth.

A cold breeze suddenly blew through the garden, halting Celestia in her tracks. For a moment, even the warmth of Empyrea itself receded, leaving her shivering, and puzzled. She wasn't the only pony who had noticed. Animus Arcem ran towards her, his face marred with concern.

The moment passed, and Celestia put the strange sensation out of her mind. “Your highness,” Animus Arcem said. “I think we should return to the palace now.”

Celestia barely heard her guardian. Past Arcem, a lone alicorn walked the street from the palace's direction. Oceanus! His mane was a wave of myriad shades of blue, constantly ebbing and flowing like the waters of the seven rivers. His coat was silver and gleamed brighter than the spires of Empyrea itself, and his eyes were of a blue so dark and deep that it seemed as if light itself failed to illuminate their depths. He walked with his usual formal gait: graceful, and controlled all at once.

“Big brother!” Celestia called out. Before Animus could stop her, she lifted Terrato with her magic and handed him over to her guardian before running towards Oceanus. Her elder sibling must have just come from the palace after meeting with their parents. His day of ascension must be close! She checked her appearance as she ran, making sure that there were no leaves or petals on her and that her mane was neatly arranged and clean of her little brother’s spit.

There was no warm smile from Oceanus, but Celestia already expected that. He was the most formal, most regal pony in the Eternal Herd, a match even for their father and mother. A cold glance didn't stop her from trotting happily in front of him as he walked. Past that serious mien, he must be beaming inside. His long strides made it difficult for her to catch up with her short legs, but she made up for it with enthusiasm. “Did you just finish speaking to father?” she asked. “You must be ascending soon! When’s the coronation?”

“Get out of my way, Celestia.”

“What?” Before Celestia could even think about her brother’s words, his magic enveloped her, lifting her off her hooves, and dangling her before his face. His magic felt like a sheaf of frost wrapped all around her. She whimpered, tears immediately springing from her eyes.

“I said out of my way,” Oceanus said. His voice was colder than ice, and harder than stone. He flung her to the side, sending her tumbling against the pavement. She cried out when her shoulder slammed against the stone.

Animus Arcem was next to Celestia in an instant. He helped her to her hooves, then glared at Oceanus. “You go too far, firstborn!” he said. “What has your sister done to be treated like this?” Terrato started climbing down Animus.

Oceanus didn't even look back. Celestia galloped towards him again. There was no mistaking it. She must have done something horrible to offend him. She was ready to kneel down, and beg for forgiveness once she caught up. “Your highness, no!” Animus called after her. She heard him cast a spell, and turned her head briefly to glance behind her.

When Celestia looked ahead again, Glacies Anima was already swinging towards her face. There was no time to try to duck. She closed her eyes as the translucent, dark blue blade bit into her face, just above her right eye.

Pain, pain that Celestia had never felt or even imagined before, surged into the cut, and burst into her mind like a violent flood. She flew backwards, tumbled against the unfeeling stone of Empyrea, and into Animus Arcem’s hooves. She pressed a trembling hoof against her right eye as something wet, and sticky, trickled down her face. Oceanus stopped to glare at her. His lips moved, but she could hardly hear the words because of the ringing in her ears. She saw the movement, and read the words.

“What makes you so much better?”

“Oceanus!” Animus Arcem charged at the prince, his horn crackling with magical energy. Another second passed, and he was careening towards the opposite direction. Oceanus walked on. Celestia wanted to chase after him, and ask what she had done wrong. Why did he have to hurt her? More alicorns arrived as Oceanus disappeared from sight. A soft tapping came from her side, where Terrato was crawling nearby.

A trickle of tears had escaped from Celestia’s right eye, and mingled with the blood. The mixture continued to trickle down, then dropped against the floor. Terrato had crawled over to inspect the drop with his hooves. He tapped against the mixture, and got it on a hoof. His eyes wide, he brought the hoof against his mouth, and gave it a lick.

Celestia opened her eyes with a start, and found herself back in her room in the Royal Palace. After sitting up, she put a hoof to her face, and found it still a little moist. She had been crying in her sleep apparently. Her hoof also traced the very thin scar that cut across her right eyebrow. It was difficult to notice, even if somepony was actually looking for it, and it wasn't covered by her mane all the time. With so many traces of Oceanus being uncovered recently, she had been more and more conscious of it.

“What makes you so much better?”

The questioned continued to linger. Oceanus had not ascended the throne that day. Their father refused to give Oceanus the throne even if it meant delaying the cycle. No decree was made, but many within the Eternal Herd assumed that it was Celestia who would ascend. The cycle must continue. Sanctus Dominus, and Divina Gratia, eventually had to step down. That was the way of the Eternal Herd. If it wasn't Oceanus, once so promising and majestic, it had to be somepony else.

“What makes you so much better?”

She had questioned her father’s decision so long ago, when she was a hurt little filly clutching at her wounded face. She questioned it now as a princess who had gone against his wishes. There had been so many bad choices, and their consequences.

A knock on her door brought Celestia out of her moody reverie. She made sure that her eyes were dry before the second knock.

“Celestia?” It was a concerned Terrato who spoke through the door. “Are you alright? I heard you cry out.”

“I’m fine,” Celestia replied. She didn't recall crying out. She had probably done so while she was asleep. It didn't surprise her that Terrato heard it. Just what part of Canterlot didn't her brother have eyes and ears in?

The door opened, and Terrato looked into the room. “You missed breakfast,” he said. “Luna asked me to see if you’re alright so…are you sure you’re alright? You slept in late.”

“Last night was rather taxing,” Celestia said. “I’m surprised Luna is already up.”

“So am I,” Terrato said. “She's been quite busy lately, and she says she can’t afford to take too much time recovering.” His eyes narrowed. “She’s been a little too busy if you ask me.”

The sudden shadow across Terrato's face told Celestia what he meant. Though he officially shared authority over the Legion with his sisters, it was hardly a secret he had agents out there who answered only to him. She stood up, and looked at him. Terrato was careful not to take so much as a single step into her room. Whatever concern he let his voice show, he now masked with his face. He had been noticeably distant these past few days. There were no grand announcements, and no masses of troops marching across Equestria. The draft and training went on quietly. Yet, Terrato was moving. Squads of Special Operations ponies were all over the Heartland, always watching, always reporting to him. For all his rumble and roar, Terrato was silent when wished to be.

It was one of his less understandable moves that now urged Celestia to speak up. “Terrato,” she said. “Tell me your plans with the Draco’dim. Why did you bring them to the Heartland?”

“Maybe you should get something to eat first," Terrato replied. "A meal, and a bath would help you through the day before we get to those matters.”

Celestia frowned briefly. “I’m not a foal that needs your constant nursing. Tell me now so I can enjoy my meal and bath.”

“Fine,” Terrato replied. He stood there so stiffly that looking at him felt uncomfortable. It dawned upon her that she didn't like seeing him so stone-faced and distant. Fierce and impatient Terrato, always looking for a fight, and boisterous with his affections towards his sisters may fill her with concern, but this quiet, defensive Terrato left her cold.

“You don’t need to stand on ceremony,” Celestia said. "Come inside, and sit down. I’m not taking you away from pressing matters am I?”

“No.” Terrato sat on the floor, still a good distance from Celestia. A few more seconds passed before he spoke again. “The Draco’dim are necessary to keep the Heartland’s dragons in line."

“In line by killing them in numbers?” Celestia asked.

“Their methods are brutal, their members are arrogant, and their long-term goals are highly suspect, but they enforce two rules: no eating ponies, and no invading their settlements. I would bring them in even if they had no intention of coming to the Heartland just to avoid diverting resources to control these newly un-enchanted dragons.”

“You've said it yourself, Terrato,” Celestia replied. “These are pride dragons. They won’t stop with ‘keeping dragons in line’.”

“I know,” Terrato said.

Celestia waited for her brother to say something else: an assurance that the Draco’dim would not prevail in their tyranny, an apologetic acknowledgement of the whole dragon issue. Instead, it was as if she was watching a fortress lock down. “And where does Spike fit in all this?” she asked.

Terrato snorted. “What are you talking about? I've already explained that he's off to get stronger."

“You remember that egg Drellhadar, and Reinfadora, entrusted to me, don't you? Spike hatched from that egg.”

“Really?" Terrato raised an eyebrow. "Small world. Who broke the temporal stasis?”

Celestia frowned at the very obvious lies, and misdirection. “Twilight Sparkle," she said.

The whole thing was one giant accident. Several of the directors who were examining Twilight despised her father, and didn't want her enrolled. They were able to pull enough strings to gain access to the egg, then proceeded to ‘test’ Twilight with a task even full-fledged graduates from the academy would have found impossible. Twilight managed to anyway. Just in time to impress Celestia on her way to reacquire the egg.

“Twilight Sparkle,” Terrato said flatly. “Of course.”

“I assume you found out about all of these things during your first visit to Canterlot,” Celestia went on. “What are you planning for the sole surviving son of the Dragon Scourge?”

Terrato shrugged. “I just want him to grow stronger, and help out his friends.”

“Terrato…”

Terrato let out a sigh. “Yes, Spike will have a role to play, just like all of his friends,” he said. “I won’t say more than that.” He looked at her, his stony expression cracking slightly. “I don’t like this. He’s hardly more than a hatchling. However, the defense of the realm must come first.” He stood up, and looked to the door. “Do you need anything else from me?”

“No,” Celestia said. She thought of looking into the matter more deeply. Luna had mentioned that she had eyes in the Barrier Lands, but Celestia doubted whether they would be able to gain any information that Terrato didn't decide to feed them anyway. This was his game, and he had hundreds of years worth of practice. Luna meant well, and she led well, but there was a great gulf between the two when it came to experience. Besides, there had to be a better way than the three of them trying to outmaneuver one another. Terrato would speak eventually. If he could just trust his sisters more, there wouldn't be any need for this.

Celestia walked towards her brother slowly, and reached out to place a hoof on his shoulder. Part of her face, just above her right eye, tingled and ached. She didn't let this make her back down this time. For a moment, Terrato looked ready to pull back as if she was trying to stab him with a weapon. He forced himself to settle down, and her hoof touched his shoulder. “Take care of yourself, Terrato,” she said. “Luna isn't the only one I’m worried about being overexerted.”

The gesture had caught him off guard. His lips twisted slightly, but he didn't say anything else. With a brief nod, he left.

When he was a good distance from Celestia’s room, Terrato let himself relax a little. He had pressing concerns coming in from Special Operations. The one that stood out the most was the disappearance of Rainbow Dash, and Black Rose’s involvement in it.

As he neared his destination, he actually welcomed the transition from the white and gold halls of the Royal Palace to the gray stone of its dungeon. Canterlot had a small jail for most of its very rare criminals. The dungeon was supposed to be for more dangerous political prisoners. Supposed to be anyway. When Barrier Lands ponies arrived to inspect it, the dungeons housed only rats and spiders.

After a few minutes of walking, Terrato was joined by a legionnaire: Captain Bladescrape of the Western Legion's Special Operations’ Ninth Squad.

“The prisoner transfer has been completed successfully, your highness,” Bladescrape said after a brief bow.

“Good,” Terrato replied. “Did he cause any trouble?”

Bladescrape shook his head. “He showed a great deal of cooperation. We were suspicious, of course, but we didn't encounter any actual difficulties.”

“So his sister hasn't bothered to fetch, or silence him,” Terrato said. “That narrows it down to him not being harmless, full of misinformation, or us actually doing a good job.” He looked towards Bladescrape. “Has he said anything else?”

“A lot, your highness. He’s provided us with information on how to identify Black Rose’s agents, but he’s cautioned us that she probably changed many of her usual methods after he turned on her.”

“And how has his information been so far?”

“Surprisingly effective nonetheless. We've confirmed several agents already.” A shadow fell across Bladescrape’s face. “Black Rose has a frighteningly large information network.”

“Of course she does.” Terrato didn't bother hiding his smile of admiration. They stopped in front of the cell in question.

Blue Moon was manacled, shackled, and horn-locked. Six guards stood by his cell at all times. Upon Terrato’s arrival, He did as best he could to kneel down. The other guards swiftly bowed their greeting.

Blue Moon’s rise within the Legion would have been a legend all on its own if he hadn't spent most of his career under his sister’s shadow. He was known as “Legionnaire Almost”: almost as powerful, almost as smart, and almost as pretty. Terrato had carefully watched him back then, concerned that Blue Moon would become resentful of Black Rose’s acclaim, and that he would try to sabotage her. He never did. On the contrary, he worked closely with his sister, supporting her every endeavor, and going so far as to lead her special squad.

“I've been hearing about how helpful you've been, Blue Moon,” Terrato said.

“I wish only to serve Equestria, your highness,” Blue Moon replied.

“And that’s what you’ll continue to do.”

Terrato continued to study the prisoner. Blue Moon’s sincerity seemed genuine. Perhaps he really did go against Black Rose because she had gone too far, and that his loyalty to Equestria had always been pure and unflinching.

Even considering that left Terrato feeling the bitter sting of shame inside. Unflinching loyalty. He had been so confident before that such a thing was one of his strengths. Recent events left him full of doubt. Things were so much easier when “do as Celestia asks” served as his guiding principle. Reunification left him examining his own ideas about Equestria, and doubting the things he had done, and planned on doing. Blue Moon had gone through something similar. He turned towards Bladescrape. “Let him out of there,” he said.

“Your highness?” Bladescrape blinked in confusion.

“Keep him horn-locked, and under guard, but I think Blue Moon deserves a little mobility, and a change of scenery,” Terrato added.

“I am honored by this show of trust,” Blue Moon said.

In response, Terrato’s horn flashed with magic. Most of the ponies in the room blinked, and looked around. Nothing seemed to have happened. Blue Moon kept his gaze on Terrato. The look on his face showed that he understood.

“As you should be,” Terrato said. He was about to say more when he felt an all too familiar wave of magic gently caress his mind. Black Rose was trying to contact him. The brazen move astonished him for a moment, then made him smile. Why was he even surprised? This was classic Black Rose. The other ponies looked at him with concern. “Keep on being useful, Blue Moon. I’m in constant need of agents these days, and I’ll be happy to take the ones Black Rose loses.” He cast another spell, and teleported out of the palace.

High above Canterlot, Terrato looked around for a secure place, then considered having this meeting with his sisters. He dismissed the thought. Black Rose would simply cease trying to contact him if things weren't private. He flew on, distancing himself from Canterlot until it was a mere speck by the horizon. Only then did he cast the spell that would bring Black Rose’s image before him.

“It is so nice to see you again, beloved,” Black Rose said. In the magical image, she was reclining on a bed, her mane and tail carelessly spread around her. His gaze lingered on her wings. The black feathers looked lovely. Black Rose wore power with ease.

As futile as it likely was, Terrato started tracing the spell back to its source. “Black Rose, what have you done to Rainbow Dash?” he asked.

Black Rose pouted. “So quick to the point. Indulge me a little, and I’ll tell you in all honesty.”

Terrato used to find the little games amusing. When they didn't involve the lives of the Elements of Harmony. “Alright."

Black Rose's gaze suddenly softened. “Tell me, beloved, if I returned the power of sunlight, and turned over my resources, can we go back to how we used to be back then?”

“Yes,” Terrato replied. He matched her tenderness with his own. “You can take your place with me once more. You can lead the Legion as you used to and I’ll defend you from anypony who insists on punishment.”

For a moment, Black Rose's eyes widened in wonder. After that, her lips slowly curved into a smile, culminating with a brief burst of laughter. Terrato let himself chuckle a little as well. “Point taken,” she said.

“I thought so,” Terrato replied. There was no need to say anything else to say about that pointless, indulgent idea. The trust was gone. He was never going to believe any surrender from her, and she was never going to believe any promise of reprieve. “Now, can we get to more serious things?”

“That was a serious thing,” Black Rose replied quietly. “But I will talk about Rainbow Dash. She’s in a rather uncomfortable situation at the moment.” She took a more reassuring tone. “There’s no need to worry. I don’t want the Elements of Harmony dead.”

“Where is she?”

“Now where’s the fun in just telling you right away? That would leave poor Longstride in a bad spot.”

‘Longstride,” Terrato thought. That silent pegasus who always kept to himself even when the rest of the Thorns were together. Black Rose was pitting her thorns against the Elements of Harmony. “What happened to ‘in all honesty’?” he asked.

“Isn't my reassurance enough?” Black Rose asked. She put on a mock hurt face. He snorted at the posturing. “Very well, since you’re so serious. I wish to negotiate a trade. I will set your Special Operations on the right path towards Rainbow Dash. Mind you, I won’t offer them gift-wrapped. I also have a good idea of what’s going on in the Eternal Herd. I have some tidbits that you are certain to find useful about the oh-so-charming Gravitas.”

“And what do you want in return?” Terrato asked.

“A meeting with you in person,” Black Rose replied. Any trace of mocking or amusement disappeared from her face. “Just the two of us in a specified place. No violence, or trickery. I will tell you all I have just promised.”

“What’s wrong with magical communication?”

Black Rose’s tone saddened. “If you don’t understand, my prince, ‘stone-cold’ is too warm a term for you. I think you do understand, though. It’s just a little difficult to accept because of the things I've had to do.’

Terrato did understand. He also understood that dealing with the Ninth Rebellion would be far easier than this. Oceanus was strong enough to rip him, and his sisters apart with glee, but he was a complete monster that Terrato could charge at without hesitation. “Name the place,” he said.

The smile returned to Black Rose’s face. “Won’t your sisters be suspicious?” she asked. “Shouldn't you consult with them first?”

“They already are,” Terrato replied. “And with good reason.” He could imagine some the responses already. Luna would vehemently refuse, and say that Black Rose may as well dangle a giant cage over a piece of carrot. She’d have a point too. This had all the signs of a trap. A void knife to the heart, and Black Rose would have the power of earth, if she didn't explode from taking in too much. Although, it could be argued that the obviousness was the guarantee that it wasn't. And what for? Some bits of information that he could acquire through other means? ‘No,’ he admitted to himself. He knew the truth. The information was important, and were what pushed him to risk this, but that he also wanted to see Black Rose in person.

As for Celestia…he pushed the thought away. If this had happened yesterday, he’d have a clear idea of what Celestia would say. This morning muddled those expectations up. “Well?” he asked. “Let’s hear it.”

“The Heavenly Basin,” Black Rose said.

Terrato snorted. The Heavenly Basin: the place where it all should have ended. Getting there alone would be quite a trip. Black Rose was giving Longstride a head start. He hoped that Rainbow was made of sterner stuff. “Let me make some arrangements,” he replied. There would be plenty of those. He was meeting the enemy in a place of her choosing. Preparations had to be made, including contingencies in case Equestria had to function without him.

For an instant, it seemed as if Black Rose’s face had lit up in anticipation. Then, she had that serene smile once more.

“I’ll see you there then.”

Kings, Heroes, and Breakers

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 42: Kings, Heroes, and Breakers

The smell of pine and the distinct knock of her hooves going over hardwood brought a smile to Applejack. She had been walking far too often on stone these days, whether it was the regal marble of the Royal Palace or the grim granite of FangBreaker Fortress. Stone was nice, but the sight of warm, natural browns, the sound of well-used floorboards creaking, and the feel of a smooth finish against her hooves made her more comfortable than any castle or fortress.

When her foreleg went up to open the door on its own, Applejack realized that something was wrong. She shouldn't be home. She should be in the Royal Palace, resting up before she went with her friends to face this Gravitas pony. What in tarnation was she--? This had happened before. As expected, she had a large stallion hoof attached to a leg covered in deep russet fur.

The door she just opened led into an enormous bedroom. A red brick fireplace dominated the right side of the room, the flames roaring within it lit the place up in a bright orange glow and made it uncomfortably hot.

It was the bed that held Apple Slice’s attention. The sheets were wool, dyed red and decorated with apple motifs. The wooden bed posts were lovingly polished and carved to resemble apple branches, complete with fruit and leaves. A very old, very worn stallion lay on the bed, all but buried up to his neck in blankets. Upon seeing Apple Slice, the stallion smiled wanly and tried to rise. Apple Slice’s hesitant hoof steps became swift, alarmed ones. He was by the old stallion’s side in an instant, front hooves gently pressed against the old stallion’s shoulders.

“It’s just me, pa,” Apple Slice said. “No need to trouble yourself on my account,”

This must be Apple Core. There was a tremble in Apple Slice’s voice, a slight tremble that told so much: affection for his father, a great deal of sorrow for seeing him like this…this couldn't be the Apple Slice who supposedly attacked his father.

“You took your time, son of mine,” Apple Core said. His voice was barely a whisper and even that strained him. “A day more and it’d be a funeral you’d come home to.”

“Pa, don’t joke about…”

Apple Core frowned. The lines made his face look like badly crumpled parchment. “I’m dying, Slice,” he said. “I can feel it: a chill that this mountain of blankets and that inferno over there can’t keep away. An Apple should face the truth head on.”

“Pa…”

Tears welled up. Applejack's or Apple Slice’s, it was impossible to tell. It didn't matter either.

“Hush, colt, listen. I’m tiring quickly and this is my last chance.”

Apple Slice swallowed. "I’m listening.”

“You must have heard by now. Princess Celestia wants the Apple Family to join her in her ‘Heartland’.” Apple Core smiled, his thin lips looked so stretched that they looked ready to crack and bleed. “Must be because we’re such shining examples of her ponyhood ideals. Or she had one of our reds and didn't want to go without.”

Apple Core’s shoulders quivered. He opened his mouth, but all that came out were dry, hacking noises. For a horrible moment, he sounded like he was being wracked by a coughing fit. It turned out that he was only laughing. “Pa,” Apple Slice said, “about that…”

The laughter died abruptly. “I said no.” Apple Core’s eyebrows furrowed deeply. “The Apple Family has always supported the Legion. We stay here.” The defiant expression softened. “Would have had Leaf put that down in a rambling, fancy-worded letter, except Peel wanted to delay it. He said that this answer was going to decide the family’s future so the next generation should decide.”

Apple Core coughed. Apple Slice moved to help him by rubbing his back, but he shrugged the effort away. “Would have whipped your brother for that, but he's right. I’ll be dead before that barrier goes up. I shouldn't make the final decision on something I won’t live to see. So our answer will be up to my successor.” His smile returned as he placed a hoof over Apple Slice’s. “That’s you, son.”

“Pa…” Apple Slice’s unsure tone already said what he felt without any words. “Pa, I…you know that I’m the worst farmer in all of Equestria. I can’t even touch our crops! Peel, he…he’s the one with the skills and the know-how. He--”

Apple Core held his son’s hoof tighter. “Peel does have the know-how,” he said. “Since I've taken to bed, he’s been managing the business: from the planting, to the harvest, to the selling. He works hard and thinks smart.”

“Then why don’t you--?”

“Because the Apple Family is more than just the business!” Apple Core started coughing again. This time, he didn't protest when Apple Slice put a hoof against his back. “I trust Peel to bring in the bits, to keep you all fed, and to keep a roof over your heads. But the family’s principles, the family’s direction, I can trust only you.” Apple Core’s gaze hardened. “You serve with the Legion. You’re not mired in the day-to-day like the others so you understand why the Apple Family must stay. That’s why I picked you.”

‘I think I got it! Apple Slice wanted the Apples to stay in the Barrier Lands, but the family ended up in the Heartland anyway so… ’ Applejack remembered the Apple Family version again. Granny Smith had mentioned Apple Peel. ‘It must have been Apple Peel. He must have done something underhoofed to get Apple Slice cast out so the rest of the family could move into the Heartland! He must have made all that stuff about Apple Slice going berserk to cover up what he did!’

Apple Slice matched his father’s grip. “I understand, pa,” he said. “You get some rest now, I’ll see you in the morning.” He headed for the door. Apple Core's parting words drifted after him like smoke.

“No, you won’t…”

Apple Slice closed the door behind him before letting out a long sigh. He caught himself short when he noticed that he wasn’t alone in the hallway. Just a few feet away, an earth pony stallion with a light green coat and a short, curly, white mane stood facing him.

“So what did pa have to say?” the other stallion asked.

“Peel, that’s--”

Apple Peel snorted. “Oh, relax. He insists on keeping it a big secret, but everypony already knew that he'd pick you.” Apple Peel extended a foreleg when Apple Slice walked towards him, then put it on his shoulder when he was close enough. “By the way, welcome home, big brother.”

Applejack hesitated at such affection being shown between the two brothers. She had expected Apple Peel to be such a villain. He didn't have an evil grin or a haughty smirk. He didn't even speak in a disrespectful tone. ‘He’s just good at hiding it. That’s all.’

It was Apple Slice’s turn to snort. “Home is it?” he asked. “You know, from all the forced smiles and cold stares I got when I came here, I could have sworn I wandered into the Pears’ farm by mistake."

Apple Peel chuckled, then walked over to a nearby window. He opened it and climbed outside. “Come on,” he said. They climbed up the side of the house, expertly navigating the window sills and beams until they made it to the roof. There, they lay back-first on the shingles and looked up to the night sky. For a while, they simply enjoyed the night breeze and admired the full moon out.

“I’m sorry if you didn't get the welcome you deserved,” Apple Peel said. “You’re a homecoming hero, Slice. You should have gotten a feast, but the worst welcome in Equestria won’t change that you're a hero.” He looked up again. “Everypony’s just worried about the princess’s invitation and pa’s condition. Throwing a party just fell to the wayside.”

“It’s not just that, is it?” Apple Slice asked.

Apple Peel sighed. “A lot of folks are worried that you being a legionnaire means the family’s going to refuse the invitation to the Heartland.”

“Sounds like everypony’s made the decision to go there already,” Apple Slice said. He tried to sound flippant and failed.

“A lot have,” Apple Peel said. “Including me.”

“Peel…”

“Hear me out, Slice. The Peaches have already accepted. The Cherries and the Oats too. That’s nearly all our business partners. All our important clients: Woodsdale, Mistleton, and the Apple Vale...they're going to be part of the Heartland. If we stay in the Barrier Lands, the Apple Family will suffer.”

“What of pa’s wish, Peel?” Apple Slice asked.

“Pa’s led the family through good and bad times,” Peel said. “I've always respected him and I always will. But pa...he…he’s always been so attached to the Legion and its work. You know he always wanted to be a legionnaire, but great grandpa groomed him for farm work.” Wistfulness gripped Peel’s voice. “These days, it doesn't matter if we tripled our earnings with the biggest harvest ever. The most important news was another big Legion victory thanks to the legendary Apple Slice. I won’t pretty it up. Pa’s been living his dream through you. That’s what's colored his decision.”

“You make it sound like pa only made that decision because he's deluding himself,” Apple Slice said. His muscles tensed and his voice hardened. “There’s a lot of worth in wanting to support the Legion.”

“T-that’s not what I meant at all!” Apple Peel said. “We’d all be dead without the Legion. Any foal can tell you that."

“Then what are you telling me that isn't something I’d hear from a foal?” Apple Slice asked. “Pa’s still alive and you’re already telling me to go against him!” His voice softened when Apple Peel flinched. “Sorry. I’m not going to hurt you, Peel.”

“I know. It’s just hard not to flinch when the pony known for strangling giant bear monsters raises his voice at you.” Apple Peel cleared his throat. “Look, if the family stays, we’ll have to start from scratch. Half the harvest will rot in our cellars while we scramble to find buyers. The next year, maybe it’ll be a little better…or worse.” He stood up and looked down on Apple Slice. “I’m not the successor, Slice, you are. All I can do is tell you the side of the truth that pa won’t.”

Apple Slice continued to stare up at the night sky. “Peel,” he said softly. “I have no place in the Heartland. My place is here with the Legion. If you all go…”

“Will you really hold us all here for your sake?” Apple Peel asked.

“No!” Apple Slice slammed a hoof against the roof. The wood cracked on impact. He looked to Apple Peel and sighed. “Let’s face it, Peel, I can’t lead this family. When the time comes, I’ll send you all off to the Heartland and give the position to you.”

“And you’ll stay here with the Legion?” Apple Peel asked. “By yourself?”

“Hey, I've made a few friends in the Legion. They’ll be more than enough.”

Applejack's chest ached. Apple Slice was no better at lying than she was.

Apple Peel offered a hoof towards Apple Slice, who took it and stood up.”Thank you for understanding, Slice,” he said.

Apple Slice was about to say something, but his vision faded and his hearing dimmed…

Applejack opened her eyes. She was on a bed in their shared quarters. As the vision receded, she looked towards the chain she kept by her bedside. As she expected, she caught the last gleam of light from it just as it dimmed. What had happened to the succession after that? She had expected Apple Peel to be the sort to make up stories to discredit his brother so he could take over. But the two of them were so amiable to one another that it just didn't make sense. What had happened? Who was to blame in that terrible misunderstanding?

There was no way of knowing until the next time she had a vision. For now, she focused on what had happened and will happen. Princess Celestia planned on attacking Gravitas in Sky Mirror Lake. They were all supposed to rest up and make their preparations for what was going to be a big fight. She sighed at the empty, unused beds. “Land’s sakes, was I the only pony who thought getting some sleep before doing something dangerous was a good idea?” she asked. She put on her hat and coiled the chain around her neck. She hoped that her friends were, at least, nearby.

“I want all of you to prepare yourselves before we go to Sky Mirror Lake,” Celestia said. “Rest your bodies and steel your minds. Not only will we face a powerful enemy, we will also behold the Old Kingdom.”

Twilight continued to wait. She didn't know what for. Perhaps it was for acknowledgment, but what kind? Was she waiting for Princess Celestia to have a few more words just for her? No, faithful student or not, that was arrogant. Perhaps she was waiting for her mentor to look guiltily at the crescent-shaped cut across the floor; the only sign that there had been an alicorn there who had been cut down so quickly and viciously that it left them all dumbfounded. No, that was also arrogant.

“I have never killed a mortal before.”

The other meaning in those words was clear now. Princess Celestia was no stranger to killing somepony in a welter of blood and ashes. She didn't want to hurt mortals, but she had shown no compunction towards attacking her own kind.

‘“Celestia: Just like us”, huh?’ Twilight thought. For years, Celestia’s kind demeanor and peaceful ways had masked this side of her. Seeing it so vividly made the great gulf between them even clearer.

Without another word, Celestia turned around and began assisting the legionnaires that had come in to take care of their fallen comrades.

“Twilight Sparkle!” Luna called out.

Twilight nearly jumped. “Yes, your highness?” she asked.

“Are you alright? You look a little dazed.” Luna nodded towards the throne room’s exit. “A little walk to clear your thoughts perhaps?”

They left the throne room together. Applejack was saying something earlier about “getting some shut-eye”. Twilight considered doing the same, but all these feelings right now would just keep her awake.

“Forgive my sister’s abruptness, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said after a while. “Every second Gravitas spends on this world only worsens her mood. I fear she might explode if he lasts a month.”

Twilight glanced towards the throne room. It could just be mood. After all, the princess has had very few reasons to feel considerate of others these days. It couldn't be just that. The change in Princess Celestia was not merely inflicted upon her. It was brought out. “About that,” she said, “what happened with this Gravitas that has her so upset anyway?”

Luna raised an eyebrow. “Besides him wanting to kill everypony in Equestria?”

“I-I mean, there’s more to it than that, right? Not that killing everypony isn’t a good enough reason or-!”

“You can stop floundering," Luna was smiling now that they were away from the throne room's heavy atmosphere. "I know what you mean and there is. I don’t know much of the details, but I do know that the animosity between my sister and Gravitas has existed as early as when Lexarius was still Lexarius.”

Twilight tried to imagine being angry with somepony for hundreds of years and failed. “What about you, your highness?” she asked. “You don’t seem to share that same animosity.”

“I will certainly do everything to protect Equestria from Gravitas,” Luna replied. “But, as big sister said, I've never had to face him during a council meeting. I think it’s a good thing too. Somepony has to hold her back at some point.”

The image of Celestia created by the conversation was too uncomfortable to keep thinking of. Twilight was silent as they walked past injured ponies being carried off and bloodstains being cleaned. Eventually, she decided to change the topic to something that she had been meaning to ask as early as when Prince Terrato first narrated the various rebellions. “Your highness, what is the King like?"

“His Majesty, King Sanctus Dominus, Sixteenth Ascendant to the Throne, is beloved by his subjects for his stern but even-hoofed rule," Luna said solemnly. "He ascended after a troubled time, when the Void Rift Crisis threatened to consume great portions of our heavenly realm. After overcoming this crisis, he chose to share the Throne with Her Majesty, Divina Gratia. Together, they have led the Eternal Herd to an era of stability and peace.”

Twilight frowned. “That sounds like something I’d have read off a book, your highness.”

“Which is exactly how I came upon it,” Luna said. “I was born after the First Rebellion, Twilight Sparkle, so I've never met his majesty.”

“I’ve noticed that you don’t call him ‘father’.” Twilight bit her lip. That was easily too far. Her heart skipped a beat when the smile faded from Luna’s face.

“That is a privilege I dare not take until I stand before him for the first time,” Luna said quietly. “With everything that’s transpired, I can’t say I’m looking forward to that encounter.”

“But you’ve done a lot for Equestria!” Twilight said. “I’m sure he’ll be proud to call you his daughter!” She was relieved to see that some of Luna’s smile had returned.

“We’ll see,” Luna said. She stopped walking, prompting Twilight to do the same. Pinkie Pie suddenly ran past them. She had her stone tablet out and it was glowing. “We must part ways here, Twilight Sparkle. There’s another pony I would like to speak to before we head out.” Luna flapped her wings and hovered. “Thank you for indulging me. Try to get some rest.” She flew off towards Pinkie’s direction.

Princess Luna had just turned a corner when another familiar voice came from the end of the hallway.

“Tell the nobles that the next pony who sends me this kind of proposition is getting clapped in irons! Also, pass this along to the rest of the Royal Guard: anypony who thinks it’s a good use of their time to pass these letters along is on latrine duty for a month!”

“Yes, Unicorn Guard Captain!”

That was Shining Armor and another royal guard, a rather furious Shining Armor and a cowed subordinate. Twilight trotted towards the sound, turning a corner as she did so. As she had expected, she found her scowling, still-armored brother and a sheepish-looking royal guard. What she didn’t expect, however, was to find Princess Cadance and Vanguard Clash.

Shining Armor’s right foreleg was heavily bandaged from shoulder to hoof. A great splotch of red stood out just above his knee. A few minor cuts also marred his face, making his scowling visage even more disturbing.

“Shining Armor, please,” Cadance said. “You’re going to reopen your wounds!”

“Sorry, dear,” Shining Armor sighed. “It’s just…the nerve of them! We barely drive away an attack and here they are sniffing after Twiley like-!”

“Armor.” Vanguard tapped Shining Armor on the shoulder and pointed towards Twilight.

“Oh!” Shining Armor’s scowl vanished in an instant. “Hey, Twiley! Glad to see you come out of this a lot better than me and Clash.”

Portions of Vanguard's armor had been removed to tend to his wounds. In particular, his right shoulder was bloody and bandaged. His champron was also off, revealing several small cuts to his forehead and cheeks. “I’m so glad the two of you are alright,” Twilight said. “What were you talking about a few seconds ago?”

A look of embarrassment crossed Shining Armor’s face followed by a frown. “An unimportant matter which, of course, some nobles have decided to bring up when we've got regenerating monsters popping up inside the palace.”

Another group of royal guards made their way towards Shining Armor. He looked at her sheepishly. “Looks like I’m needed elsewhere,” he said. He patted Twilight on the shoulder and kissed Cadance on the cheek before leaving.

Cadance watched forlornly as Shining Armor limped off before facing Twilight. “And I’ve got reports to make to Princess Celestia,” she said.

“Is it about Sky Mirror Lake?” Twilight asked.

“Yes. It’s great to see you well, Twilight. I hope we get a better chance to speak when everything has calmed down.”

Cadance flew off, leaving Twilight and Vanguard together. They made their way to the quarters Twilight shared with her friends.

“You should be resting, Twilight Sparkle,” Vanguard said. He stepped gingerly with his right foreleg. “I already know what Princess Celestia has asked of you and the others.”

“And I already heard that from Princess Luna earlier,” Twilight replied. “I am resting, even if I’m not dozing off. What about you? You’re injured, but you’re still walking around.”

“I’m not going with you,” Vanguard said. “Most of the Legion here has been ordered to regroup, secure everything, then provide reinforcements.”

“Wait…you’re not going with us? Why?”

“Shockingly enough, I’m not an Element of Harmony,” Vanguard said. “Not everypony gets to teleport around with royalty.”

Twilight hadn't expected this, even though Vanguard was right and she should have. ‘It’s fine,’ she thought. ‘I have the others with me. He’ll probably come with the reinforcements.’ Outwardly, she matched his smile as they walked the halls. “So, what do you think Shining Armor was talking about back there? He looked pretty upset.”

“A noble sent him a letter,” Vanguard replied. “He didn't read it out loud, but my guess is that it was an invitation to a dinner meeting. With you included, of course.”

“That’s not so bad,” Twilight said. “Why would that upset him?”

Vanguard raised an eyebrow. “Now, I’m really shocked. You’re from Canterlot aren't you? Shouldn't you be familiar with how these things work with nobility?”

“I was a student!” Twilight snapped. “I didn't have time to associate with nobles!” Her eyes narrowed. “And how are you so familiar with ‘how these things work with nobility’?”

Vanguard shrugged. “Mother used to be Great Delve nobility until they disowned her for marrying a dog. But that’s a different story. This long story short, some noble wants to marry you.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “What?”

“I'm surprised it took them this long to act.” Vanguard saluted as two legionnaires stopped at attention when he passed them. “Necessity forces action it seems.”

“And what could possibly necessitate marrying me?”

“Avoiding Legion work, currying favor with the royalty, gaining an advantage over other nobles, being the husband of a powerful unicorn mage who’s also the bearer of the Element of Magic and Princess Celestia’s favored student, connections with the Unicorn Guard Captain and a Royal Niece…there are others, I’m sure. As the events that led to the reunification become clearer to the nobility, so does the evidence that you are a very influential pony.”

“What about love?” Twilight asked. “Shouldn't that count?”

“Love can lead to marriage,” Vanguard replied. “Or years of building a home and family can lead to love. Speaking from a noble’s point of view, it would be more prudent to secure the other advantages whether love enters the picture or not. Regardless of how you feel about it, Twilight Sparkle, you are easily the most eligible mare in all of Equestria.”

Twilight's heart throbbed just a bit louder for a few beats when he said that. “What about you?” she asked softly.

“Hm?”

“Does ‘all of Equestria’ include you, Vanguard?”

Vanguard snorted. His silence wracked Twilight’s nerves worse than the fear of a surprise test from the princess. “I’m just a soldier,” he finally said. Her heart sank. “I wouldn't know what to do with power and influence in high society if it were offered to me.”

“I-I see…” Twilight’s voice trailed off. The silence wasn't just between the two of them this time. The hallway they now walked was free of commotion. “What about...” She tried to walk a little closer, even brush against him in the process. She nearly tripped over her own hooves.

“Steady,” Vanguard said. He reached out and pulled her close to keep her from falling over.

“What about love?”

Vanguard didn't answer. Twilight pressed her lips together, unwilling to move out of fear that doing so might affect his answer. “Twilight.” He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. With his hoof so close to her chest, she didn't doubt that he could feel her heart racing. “We've been through a lot, you and I. Even if I've only known you for such a short time, you've become very dear to me.” He gently pushed her back until she was at a foreleg’s length. “But love…” His lips twisted. Seeing them felt like being stabbed. She could already hear the no. “It’s too sudden for me. Sometimes, the burns still hurt. And you…I don’t dare…”

Twilight’s eyebrows furrowed. “Don’t dare what?”

“Nevermind. I need time, Twilight, and Equestria needs you.”

Twilight blinked a tear away. Some of the pain subsided, letting her force a smile. “Yeah…time…” she said. “I've got that.”

Vanguard smiled in return. “Now, get some rest.”

Onward

Upheaval: Reckoning

Chapter 61: Onward

“Hero of the Battle of Sky Mirror Lake,” they called him. “Up there with Apple Slice, Ash Frost, and Moonrage,” they said.

Vanguard Clash didn’t feel too much like a hero. A day had passed since the events of Sky Mirror Lake. While most of the Legion forces in the Heartland were still cleaning up, he and a select few had been allowed to take the Night Skimmer back to Canterlot along with the royalty and the bearers of the Elements of Harmony.

Despite the best medical care, including healing spells cast by Princess Luna herself, Vanguard still felt as if his bones were made of splinters bound together with string. Walking hurt his legs, breathing hurt his ribs, even a mere turn of his neck hurt.

Now in Canterlot, with a room in the Royal Palace just for him, all the talk of “hero” soured in Vanguard’s mouth. He didn’t like this room. The mattress was warm and soft, the sheets fresh and fragrant. He had fresh fruit slices on a silver platter nearby and pressed clothes, fit for any court attendee ready for him. A guest of Equestria would consider himself pampered at this.

Except he wasn't a guest of Equestria. He was a legionnaire at its service. Despite the pain, he was going to walk out of this place, find Scarlet so he could get his armor back, then report for duty.

The clothes remained folded by his bedside, which was properly made long before the palace staff could get to his room. The silver platter was empty, more because he didn’t want to waste fresh fruit than out of hunger. Upon opening the door, however, Vanguard instinctively took a step back.

A blond, orange-coated mare, one of the true heroes of Sky Mirror Lake, was standing outside Vanguard’s room. Applejack’s jaw dropped when the door opened while her front hoof was halfway towards knocking.

“V-Vanguard!” Applejack said. “What are you doing up? The princess said you should be resting for a few more days!”

Vanguard sized Applejack up, his eyes lingering on her own bandages. “I’d say the same for you,” he said. He looked around. “No guards to keep an eye on the injured Element of Honesty. Security’s getting lax.”

“It ain’t so bad for me,” Applejack said. “I got off the lightest out everypony who went down the abyss.” She stretched out her foreleg and grinned. “See? Almost as good as new!”

“Got off the lightest or recovered the fastest?” Vanguard asked. He tried to walk past her, but she pressed a hoof against his shoulder to keep him in place.

“Hold on there, partner,” Applejack said. “I heard all about your insane heroics against the Coldsteel Construct. There’s no way you’re fit enough to get back to work!”

“Why don’t you walk with me then, Applejack?” Vanguard asked. “If I keel over, you can haul me back to bed and lecture me. I won’t move an inch without your permission after that.”

Applejack paused for a second and eyed him closely. “You really mean that?” she asked. “You’ll do as I say?”

“Of course,” Vanguard said. “You know that I mean what I say.”

Applejack grinned and trotted right next to Vanguard. “Yeah, you do. So where are you going?”

“Scarlet has my gear,” Vanguard replied. He was already making his way for the Royal Palace’s main doors. It was unlikely that Scarlet would have been allowed to loiter around this place. The local drinking holes would be his first targets.

Outside, the wintry clouds had relented for this day, allowing the morning rays to warm the chilly city air. The streets were even busier now. Supplies and personnel were constantly on the move, tending to the still returning forces from Sky Mirror Lake. The influx of changeling refugees had also given the city an air of tension. The changelings and their queen were given a small portion of the city to stay in until they could make the proper move back to their old territory. The Royal Guard had been tasked in making sure that they were kept both safe and accounted for.

Despite the grimmer atmosphere that Canterlot had taken, Applejack’s grin widened as she stretched her back. “Land’s sakes!” she said. “Back in the farm, I didn’t think it was possible to miss the sun so badly! Not even during the winter!”

“The Old Kingdom was that bad, huh?” Vanguard said.

The grin lessened. “Terrible,” Applejack said softly. “The abyss was even worse.”

They moved away from the busier streets, keeping to the narrow alleyways that were unfit for wagons. Here, with fewer ponies about, Applejack’s mood seemed to grow even more somber. Vanguard paused and stared at her. “Something you need to say?” he asked. “You came to my room after all.”

“Actually, I…” Applejack stopped and pawed the ground. “I wanted to tell you something.”

Vanguard didn’t say anything, but he had no intention of moving. In this particular alleyway, there were no ponies around. Perhaps, with some distance from the gravity of the palace and away from the prying eyes of other ponies, Applejack found it easier to speak her mind.

Applejack scratched her head and took of her hat, pressing it against her chest. “When we thought we were stuck in that collapsing abyss, the prince told us to make peace with this world.”

The cheery grin on Applejack’s face had turned into a wan smile. “I…I couldn’t. I had just come back here! I still had a lot to say to my folks back home. And…well…” She glanced at Vanguard and looked away, only to glance back at him from the corner of her eye. “Well, I needed to say something to you.” She laughed nervously. “Funny, huh? That’s twice I almost died now. Makes me think about making sure I say what I have to say.”

“Applejack…” Vanguard hesitated, wondering if anything would be accomplished if he tried to divert the topic, if he even should or why he would want to.

“I love you.”

Though she could barely look at him when she was struggling to say it, once the words were out, Applejack stared at Vanguard intently. It was his turn to be unsure of himself. Who was he and what had he done for these mares to be attracted to him? It wasn’t right, as his instincts continued to remind him grimly. He would only be a liability to the Elements of Harmony, just one more pony to act as a weak point.

He needed time. Time to think things through. Time to…his front legs were moving on their own again. This time, the moon was nowhere in sight. No, this wasn’t about moon rage. It wasn’t about the wolven. He was a stallion and he was staring into the intense green eyes of a very beautiful earth pony mare. Applejack’s breath felt warmth against his face, a soft contrast to the cool, crisp morning air, still carrying the mild aroma of freshly baked apple pie for breakfast. She smelled of fragrant soap, with a slight musky tinge; a clean, honest scent, no sting from perfume that he often encountered among Canterlot’s citizens. ‘Just feelings,’ he reminded himself.

And those feelings were clearly making themselves known despite all of Vanguard’s careful control. Applejack must have noticed. She drew closer hesitantly, her mouth slightly open, seemingly aware that she was having an effect on him. “Applejack,” Vanguard said.

“Huh?” Applejack all but mumbled, her voice low and husky, her eyes half-lidded.

Vanguard put a hoof on her shoulder to both hold her steady and at a distance. “We’ll be parting ways soon,” was what he wanted to say.

It was true. As he lay there, recovering from his injuries and waiting for the royalty and the bearers of the Elements of Harmony to emerge from the Old Kingdom, he contended with a simple, crystal clear fact. The bearers of the Elements of Harmony would always be the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. That was the only group they belonged to, which meant that Applejack and Twilight Sparkle’s stay in Third Squad, short as it may be, was over. His stay with the Elements of Harmony was over. With the threat of Black Rose gone and reunification running smoothly, he expected to be sent back to the north. When he got back there, he would rejoin the ranks of the rest of the Legion. To expect that he would continue to work with the Elements of Harmony was unreasonable and selfish. To complete his mission and ensure the smooth operation of the Elements of Harmony in the long run…that would be for the better.

But that fact was easier to consider and accept when he was alone with his thoughts. His roles were clear and acceptable. Things got murky once feelings got involved.

“Think about your own happiness.”

He didn’t need to see Applejack or Twilight Sparkle or any of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony ever again…but he wanted to. He had asked for time, but it wasn’t time he needed, just this courage to reach out for his own happiness for once. His foreleg softened and Applejack pressed just a bit closer. Her coat was warm against his and the scent of her breath so close started to tickle his nose.

What about Twilight? She had brushed against him, asked him about love, looked at him with that longing that made his heart ache and his legs shaky. Twilight, whom he held dearly and admired greatly. Twilight, who was bound for greatness. He was always worried for his newfound friends; worried about how’d they’d fit into the Legion, worried about where their paths to power would carry them. He worried for Twilight most of all and all those other things he felt for her; admiration and concern alike, overpowered love.

But Applejack…Applejack was a calming, reassuring presence. Applejack, who he worked next to with ease, Applejack, who didn't feel out of place sitting next to him by a campfire, or a bar, or in a fight. She called him partner. She probably used that word for any friend. He wasn't as free with the word. For her though...

“I love you too.”

His face was but a few inches away from hers when he said that. No other words slipped out of either of them before their lips were too busy with other things besides words. Vanguard draped a foreleg around her and pulled her close and tight. For a while, Scarlet and reacquiring the nightsteel fullplate were forgotten.

Only one small thought nagged from the farthest corners of Vanguard’s mind, like a stubborn little itch that would return with a vengeance later. He had to tell Twilight.

When some of the Legion forces sent to Sky Mirror Lake returned to the capital, Canterlot Hospital finally experienced first-hoof the monstrous things that the Legion dealt with. The worst of the injured were flown in on airships. The Legion medics and the Heartland doctors they were working with soon found themselves flooded.

The constructs of the Old Kingdom were not simply designed to kill. They were designed to inspire terror and reverence in both their enemies and allies alike. Their tools were menacing and inflicted gruesome wounds and horrifying deaths. A construct did not just kill, it made examples of. It showed to all what happened to those who denied Oceanus.

To Sablesteel, locked away in her own special hospital room, all of it sounded a lot like the Blades. And, just like the Blades, the constructs would have likely done a lot worse to the Legion if they were streamlined for efficiency. She snorted. Old Kingdom or Blackmoon Blades, fanatics often followed the same roads and they all ended in the same ruin once their cause disappeared.

‘And I’m no different,’ Sablesteel thought. She sat up and glanced at her room for a second before refocusing on her forelegs. They had stripped her of her gear to “treat her wounds”. Of course. The legionnaires that carried them away handled them as if they were live, extremely pissed vipers. They should.

The only door was locked from the outside and the windows were barred. The room itself was bare, save for a small table that held a tray of untouched food and water. This was more dungeon cell than hospital room. That was to be expected to. They didn’t have to. Her blades were broken. The greatest pony in the world was gone.

The other Thorns were likely in rooms similar to this one. Except for Blue Moon, of course. He likely had a cushy office to himself. It wouldn’t be long for the others. Lion was an expert when it came to worming his way to favorable positions. He could talk his way through the suspicion. He hadn’t done anything too terrible, at least none that could be linked to him. He could sell his skills and find new opportunities without trouble. Longstride was a bow with a fleshy, pony-shaped attachment to fire it for the wielder. Putting him to work now would be as easy as a living legionnaire picking up the weapons of a dead legionnaire next to him. As for Octavia…well, Octavia was a heartlander obviously manipulated by Black Rose with unfulfilled promises. Maybe they’ll just send her home. Maybe they’ll put her to work using the same promises Black Rose made.

The Thorns were done. The Legion wouldn’t trust them as a group. They’ll be made into individual agents, or subsumed into other groups. And as for Sablesteel…

“I’m alone again.”

The darkened bareness of this room was the same as the old family storehouse, the same as the tomb she laid her grandfather in, the same as the abyss. This bare room that held nothing and nopony...

“I’m alone again,” Sablesteel whispered. Her shoulders quivered uncontrollably. She failed to stifle a sob. The blanket still covering her hind legs moistened with tears. Once more adrift, once more without a group and a cause she could call her own. She didn't want to face this again. She didn't want to go through that bleak, numb search all over again.

The door creaked. In an instant, Sable had wiped away the tears. If her breath wouldn't steady, she was going to hold it until it did. Her ears perked and her eyes narrowed.

“Hello,” Princess Luna said as she closed the door behind her. The legionnaires outside continued to stare into the room until the door shut on them.

“Moon princess…” Sablesteel hissed. “We’re d--!”

“My name is Luna and, no, we’re not done here.”

Sablesteel snorted. At least some of the despair seeped back into the darker recesses of her mind for now. “So the Legion has decided to torture me after all,” she said. “What do you want from me, Princess Luna?”

Seeing no chair anywhere, Luna took to sitting on the floor. “To the point,” she said. “You are a capable ally, Sablesteel: brave, strong, fast, and dedicated. I would like you to come into my service.”

“Do you need me to spit on you again, Princess Luna?” Sablesteel asked.

“I would much rather you didn't.”

Sablesteel flung the blanket away. “Why would I stoop to working for you?” she asked. “I have served the greatest pony in Equestria. A mare who had the nation’s interest from beginning to end.” She snorted again. “You tried to kill my ancestors because they didn't pat your back hard enough.”

“Black Rose is dead,” Luna said, her voice steely. “We must rescue her soul, but she is gone from this world. Nightmare Moon is also gone. So are the Starlight Sentinels, the Blackmoon Blades and a great many others.” Her tone softened as Sablesteel’s jaw clenched. “I am not the greatest pony in Equestria. You are not what I envisioned what the Starlight Sentinels would be…but you and I, we’re still here.”

Luna let out a sigh and glanced away briefly. Sablesteel relaxed a bit and sat back. Her heart was still pounding from the sudden rage and constant tension, but she was more curious now than sad or angry. She breathed in slowly and closed her eyes in an effort to get the puffiness down. She had sacrificed enough dignity to the moon princess as it is.

“Neither of us is what we had hoped we would have, but we are the present and we have only onward to move," Luna went on. “We can never get back what we have lost in this world, but we can gain other things. Through you, I shall accomplish what I failed with in the Starlight Sentinels. Through me, you shall take that next step that your grandfather and Black Rose had meant for you to. Will you join my service?”

It took a long moment of silence, but a single eye, as blue as a clear summer sky, looked at the princess.

It was late afternoon by the time Twilight Sparkle felt strong enough to get up and walk around the palace. The others were still resting. Most of them anyway.

Applejack was not in her room. The nearby guards said she had walked out of there in the morning and hadn't come back. Rainbow Dash had apparently tried to follow suit after Applejack left. When the guards found her nearly collapsed in one hallway, they put her back in her room with threats of tying her to the bed and locking her there. Fluttershy’s room was the busiest, with several doctors and unicorn magi, including Blue Moon, taking a better look at her ruined eye. She didn't seem to mind. That dark presence about her during their stay in the abyss seemed to have either retreated or was content to stay silent. Rarity was enjoying the pampering from the palace staff. Delicacies were delivered to her room along with a masseuse, fresh flowers, and various beverages. As for Pinkie Pie, she dozed through the day, her snores audible behind the closed doors of her room. A pony calling himself Copper Mane had arrived earlier, but left when he saw how exhausted Pinkie was.

Twilight made her way towards the audience hall. She had tried to rest up some more, knowing that she needed all her strength soon enough, but the need to know what was going to happen next only left her tossing and turning.

The audience hall was surprisingly empty. Twilight had expected a long line of nobles still presenting their complaints to the princess. Perhaps the sight of the injured making their way to Canterlot had pulled the city together into a united effort. Major issues had been settled earlier in the day and the minor ones were set aside. Perhaps nopony dared to ask for an audience when they saw the heavily wounded Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.

If there were no audiences, Twilight had a good idea of where the princess might spend the rest of the day. She made her way towards Princess Celestia’s favorite balcony. On the tallest tower of the Royal Palace, facing the east, Celestia could spend hours just looking at the horizon. There were guards stationed along the way. Anypony else would have been turned away sternly if they came through the halls and the long stairway. The guards simply gave Twilight a quick glance before letting her through.

And Twilight was right, Princess Celestia sat by that balcony, her wings stretched to take in some of the late afternoon sun. She had no armor on anymore, not even her usual jewelry. That radiant spear that saved them all at the last second was nowhere in sight. As soon as Twilight stepped into the balcony, Celestia turned towards her and smiled. “Feeling better?” she asked.

“Yes,” Twilight replied. She looked over the bandages around Celestia. “What about you?”

Celestia’s tone saddened. “These wounds are nothing. Small cuts for one privileged enough to sit by sidelines while others dove into the abyss. I haven’t thanked and congratulated you yet, Twilight. Thank you for saving my brother, and stopping the threat of both the Old Kingdom and the firstborn’s throne. You have come so far in such a short time.”

“I wasn't alone,” Twilight said with a shake of her head. “It took everypony’s power to save Equestria! We wouldn't have made it out if it wasn't for you!”

“Not me,” Celestia said. She stared off at a distance. “It was my father’s will that pulled you from the collapsing abyss." She glanced at her chest, at the spot where she had been stabbed by a void knife. " And there were other sacrifices too."

“Princess…” Twilight hesitated. Should she insist that Celestia had also done her part? Or would that be too patronizing? Besides, she was here for something else besides deciding where the credit for saving Equestria went. “Princess, where do we go from here?” she asked. “What do we do now?”

Celestia’s look hardened. “Our path is clear,” she said. “The eighth rebellion has come to pass. The firstborn stirs in the depths, and my father emerges from the Silver Sanctum. The two thrones will eventually clash, and I will do everything in my power to save Equestria.”

“Protect Equestria.”

Twilight nodded. That was a stupid question now that she looked back to it. “But what will be our next move?” she asked.

The hard look softened, and Celestia’s smile was back. “Fortunately, that part has been provided. The King has summoned me and my siblings. Once we make the proper preparations, we shall depart for the Eternal Herd for a short while." Celestia looked briefly above her, straight into the sky. "He summoned us a long time ago, and I disobeyed. Yet, when I asked for his aid, he gave it. I would never be able to bear the shame if I refused this summons now."

Twilight’s eyes widened. “Y-you’re leaving?” she asked. “But what if something happens here that needs your attention? What about Wolvengard, Ursinium, and Ophidus? What about the reunification?”

“Wolvengard is in no position to suddenly attack us,” Celestia said as she looked back to Twilight. “The Herd has also already entered talks with their heavenly realms. We will not leave this world until we are assured that we can return with Equestria still intact.” She surveyed the city below. “I have a great deal of confidence, much more than what I had in the past thanks to what you have shown me. I know Equestria will stand strong while we’re away.”

Twilight smiled back. It was an odd feeling, like being tickled from the inside. She had never thought that she could ever teach her teacher anything.

Celestia’s smile widened. “But my siblings and I aren't the only ones going. The King has also requested for your presence, Twilight Sparkle. You shall make the trip with us.”

The pleasantly odd feeling fell along with Twilight’s jaw. “Wait…what?” She stared at Celestia incredulously. “I’m going to meet the King? As in the King of the Eternal Herd?”

“His name is Sanctus Dominus, by the way,” Celestia said. “I’ll have to find time to instruct you with the proper greetings. He won’t mind a mild breach of conduct, but the court will certainly be scandalized.”

“B-but--! What will say to him? Do I have to wear something? Am I supposed to do something for him?” Twilight’s breathing quickened. “What if--! What if I end up convincing him to blow up Equestria anyway?”

“Twilight.” Celestia draped a wing over Twilight and held her close. “You will do just fine,” she said softly. “You have always done just fine.”

“Why am I the only one being summoned?” Twilight asked. “What about the rest of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony? Won’t he want to meet them to?”

Celestia put a hoof to her chin. “He asked for the Element of Magic specifically. I would still bring the others otherwise, but the wording has been specific. Only the Element of Magic. It only grows odder that Regia Carnifex is not even mentioned.” She frowned briefly. “I am sensing my mother’s hoof in this.”

“Is that bad?”

“Truly, I do not know.” Celestia's frown disappeared. “But I’m not too worried. We will see this through.”

Twilight exhaled, finding comfort under her mentor’s wings. She paused for a moment and looked up at the princess again. “What about the others? What will they do while we’re off to the Eternal Herd?”

“You can tell, can’t you?” Celestia said. “The Element of Magic lies at the center of the formation. You may not see specifics, but I think you already know that something is happening. I can sense it too. Each of them has an individual fate tugging at them. With the most present crises settled, and the most dangerous threat still at the horizon, now will be the time to see to them.”

“So we’ll be parting ways…” Twilight looked to the floor. “Just when I thought we could have a breather and be together for a while.”

“I’m sorry,” Celestia said. “The days have been strange lately. They will only grow stranger from here on end.”

Twilight shook her head. “No, I understand,” she said. “Fighting the Six Companions taught me that more than ever. I believe in each of my friends. When I return, I know they will be there, stronger than ever.”

Both teacher and student stared out at the horizon as Celestia willed the sun to set behind them. It was only beginning to get dark, but, on this spot, they already anticipated the new day.