“What was that mare thinking, bringing that creatures spawn here?”

Fuji looked to where Umbranox was sitting, watching as the mare kicked the starry ground before sighing and walking over to her.

“While I think it could have been handled better, Cadenza could prove a useful ally against the Fell Shadow.”

“And if she turns on us?” asked Umbranox, “we have worked too hard for it all to be taken away!”

“Unbranox what’s done is done,” said Twilight as she walked over to her as well, “look I know this is hard for you, especially as how she is your…”

“DONT!!!” roared Umbranox as she rounded on Twilight, looking every bit the spitting image of her father as she glared at her. “The Fell Shadow may have used my body to birth her, but she is not my daughter, I will not accept that!”

“And what about your mother?” asked Twilight.

“I don’t see what my dead mother has to do with any of this,” said Umbranox grimly.

“…What was her name, If I may ask.”

“…Autumn Gem, though again I don’t know how this is relevant.”

Twilight smiled at that, “It’s relevant because Autumn Gem is alive, as are all the crystal ponies who were alive when your father banished the Crystal Empire all those years ago.”

Umbranox looked floored by this, but was quickly able to shake of her shock. “I don’t see how that matters, all that means is that I have even more reason to escape from this prison.”

“Well I asked because I want to know if Autumn knew of Cadance’s existence, and if she did, did she see Cadance as her granddaughter?”

Umbranox looked hesitant, before finally sighing speaking, “She did know of Cadance, and she did see her as her granddaughter.”

“Then you have to come to accept that in a way, you are related to Cadance as well, not by the soul, but by blood. How that will effect you going forward, I cant say, but you will have to figure it out eventually, especially if this succeeds.”

Twilight then turned and left along with Fuji to begin working on their plans, leaving Umbranox alone with her thought, till finally the mare pulled up an image that she had held onto when looking through the eyes of the Fell Shadow, that of a time when she had been holding the little alicorn foal in her hooves, and as she looked upon it tears began falling from her eyes.

“…Daughter.”

*

“…Does Celestia know?”

Luna and Cadance had just returned to the waking realm, where silence had reigned for a long moment, before Cadance had finally broken it with her question.

“…She knows, and unfortunately she has come to accept what our love is doing to stay with us.”

“How?” asked Cadance, “how can Celestia, one of the most noble and loving mares I have ever known, condone her love becoming a soul thief, and for that matter why do you have a problem with it, for I know about your past Luna, I know the kind of dark magic you used to practice!”

“…Yes, I used to practice the dark arts,” said Luna as she kept herself tuned away from Cadance. “That practice gave me knowledge, knowledge that allows me to see the truth of my mates transgressions. It also helps that this truth was thrust upon me so suddenly, were as my sister has had a thousand years to come to terms with our mates transgressions, and maybe even justify them.”

She then turned to look at Cadance, the mare taking a step back due to the intensity held within Luna’s eyes. “So now I must ask you daughter, whom will you stand with once this plan comes to fruition. Will you stand with your mother and Celestia, condemning more and more souls to life without the ones they love. Or will you side with me and your mothers victims, and help us to free them from this hell of your mothers making?”

Cadance hesitated a moment, before speaking as she kept her eyes locked with Luna’s. “…What will happen to mom if I side with you?”

Luna sighed, “She will pass on, and her soul will return to the afterlife for the next three thousand years, as penance for the time she stole from the souls whose lives she took over.”

“That…how can that be fair?” asked Cadance.

“It may not be,” said Luna, “but your mother has defied sacred laws of this world, and in the process has harmed not only those whose lives she stole, but also those who loved them…including the mare who you foalsat for. You are the alicorn of love Cadance, and that means that your mother is your enemy, for she damages the very thing you personify, the great web of love.”

Cadance seemed even more hesitant, “I…I need some time to decide.”

“Take what time you need Cadance,” said Luna ans she nuzzled her, “but not too much time, for plans are already in motion, and once things come to a head, you may be forced into a side whether you want to or not.”

Cadance nodded, and then Luna teleported them back to the main castle, before hugging her and speaking, “Once more, take the time you need my dear, but I must ask, do not reveal any of what you learned this day to your mother or Celestia…for they would undo all we are tying to do.”

“I promise I won’t,” said Cadance, before nuzzling Luna and teleporting away, leaving the mare to sigh before she made ready for another teleport, for she still needed to meet with Ember to see what her plans were going forward.

*

Near the outskirts of the Everfree Forest, Chrysalis and Faust teleported into view, Chrysalis looking around for a trail to follow, while Faust looked at the forest itself, marveling at its growth. “Are you sure this is the place she settled down, this place seems way too chaotic given her domain.”

“I know for a fact she is here Faust,” said Chrysalis, “ever since she took a mortal form all those years ago, she has repeatedly been drawn near your ponies, for I think her soul mate is one of them.”

Faust gave her a curious look, causing Chrysalis to speak further. “Oh come on, is it so hard to believe that her soul mate is a pony?”

“Well no offence to her, but I remember her being quite the racist during her hay day,” said Faust.

“Well things have changed for her, at least so I’ve been told,” said Chrysalis, before motioning her with her head in a direction, and so they began to walk.

Luckily for them it did not take long for them to find what Chrysalis was looking for, which looked to be a small hut with markings and decorations denoting it to be of Zebra origin.

“A shamans hut,” said Faust in surprise, “now that is a change.”

Nodding, Chrysalis headed for the door, knocking on it as Faust came up beside her, and both of them waited till the door opened, revealing a Zebra who looked at Chrysalis skeptically, however the moment she saw Faust her eyes widened in shock before she spoke. “Faust…”

“Hello Zecora,” said Faust, “may we come in?”

Zecora nodded, and then let both of them in, going over to her fireplace to get a pot of tea going, before sitting at the table with Faust and Chrysalis and then speaking. “I honestly never thought I’d see you again Faust, in fact I was pretty sure you were dead.”

“And I thought I would not see you either old friend,” said Faust, “especially seeing as how you took on mortal form.”

“Which begs the question,” said Chrysalis, “how do you still remember who you are?”

“You remember when I saved the life of the Mistress of Tartarus?”

Both Chrysalis and Faust nodded, “Well that granted me a favor from her, one which I cashed in after my…after my soul mate disappeared around a thousand years ago, some time after she became a student of Celestia.”

Both Chrysalis and Faust looked at each other in concern, before looking to Zecora and speaking. “Do you remember their name?”

“Her name was Sunset Shimmer,” said Zecora, “a mare of golden coat and red and gold mane, and after she disappeared, I looked everywhere for her, but I could find nothing. So I went to the mistress to call in my favor, and got it so that when I was reborn in my new mortal form, I would regain the memories from my past lives on my twenty fifth birthday. And so I have been hoping through time, and each time I am reborn, my soul draws me here, where my soulmate seems to reside, but I cannot find her no matter how hard I try.”

As Faust began mulling this over, Chrysalis spoke, “We may know why that is, but first, do you remember what a soul-thief is?”

Zecora nodded, “I remember hunting several with you ages ago, but how does that relate to my problem?”

“Because one has been found here, and from your description, it seems one of her victims was your mate, Princess Ember described to Thorax from memory a mare who had been tied to the soul we are currently hunting, and it sounds like your soul mate.”

Zecora looked horrified by this, and then spoke further, “So if what you say is true, where is this soul thief now?”

“In Canterlot Castle,” said Chrysalis, “residing in the body of one Twilight Sparkle, who is her most recent victim.”

Zecora looked even more horrified, “that is grave news indeed, for if that is the case, then we are without the full might of the elements, for if I recall the elements tie themselves to the souls of those who wield them.”

“They do,” said Faust, “but there is hope, for along with Chrysalis and the dragons, one of my daughters is forming a plan with those trapped by the soul-thief to undo her spell.”

“One of your daughters,” asked Zecora, “surely both would be against such a monster.”

“Unfortunately not,” said Faust, “for the soul-thief is soul mates with both Celestia and Luna, and to compound on the issue Celestia has known what this soul-thief has been doing since the fall of King Sombra, and has come to accept it. Luna however is against her mates actions, and has helped those trapped by the Soul-Thief to set into motion a plan to break them all free from their prison, and restore things to how they once were.”

They quickly filled Zecora in on the details of the plan, and after absorbing it all, Zecora nodded her head, and then got up as she spoke. “I can help with these plans of yours, but first, I think its time to level the playing field.”

Heading over to one of the masks on the wall, she moved it aside and then tapped the wall, revealing a false wall which opened up to reveal what looked to be a small glass bottle, which she took out as Chrysalis whistled in surprise. “So that’s how you became mortal, you sealed your powers within a Phylactery.”

Zecora nodded, and then she muttered a word before dropping the phylactery upon the ground, causing it to shatter and cause a swirling vortex of power to surround her. As the power infused her, she grew a bit taller, and her mane and tail lengthened and began flowing like an alicorns, and her body itself became fuller, before finally the vortex ended as Zecora’s power was fully restored.

And the moment said power washed over both Chrysalis and Faust, they both began blushing as they fell under its effects, causing Chrysalis to curse. “Gods dammit Zecora could you have waited till we left before you did that, now I’m too horny to think properly!”

“Oops,” said Zecora as she chuckled, before concentrating and removing the lingering effects of her magic, causing Chrysalis to sigh in relief, while Faust pouted.

“Oh foo, and here I wanted a chance at another child.”

Chrysalis began fuming at that comment, but before she could begin berating her mate, Zecora laughed and then spoke. “Maybe that is something we can revisit another day, for now though, I will go and speak with Luna so that I can lend my own powers to these lost souls. As for you Faust, I would recommend staying out of sight for now, for if you suddenly make appearance, it would cause quite the stir, and would put our quarry in a state of alert that we cannot afford right now.”

“On that we agree,” said Faust, before becoming engulfed in light, which when it ended, left behind a small looking earth pony, whose coat was ivory, and her mane and tail were vivid auburn, and her cutie mark was a simple quill colored like her mane. “There, now no one will know it is me, for not even my daughters have seen this disguise.”

“Hm,” said Chrysalis, before engulfing herself in her own magic, and creating a form that looked similar to Faust’s, though with her signature colors intact, and then she turned to Zecora and spoke. “Well we best be off then, for me and my love still have a few more allies to meet, so for now…good luck old friend.”

“Good luck to you both,” said Zecora, before vanishing in a brilliant flash of rose gold light, leaving the two mares to leave the residence and head off to Ponyville, for they had a train to catch.

Author's Note

Turns out Gathering Foes is going to be longer then I thought, still though, got a lot of pieces to move into place

Till next chapter though, feel free to post any questions or comments, for while I don't always respond, I love hearing from you guys.