Guilt and Hate

Chapters

Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter TwentyOne
Chapter TwentyTwo
Chapter TwentyThree
Chapter TwentyFour
Chapter TwentyFive
Chapter One
Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

“Why’re we out here so late, Dash?” Scootaloo asked. She and Rainbow Dash were soaring high above Ponyville just after the sun dipped beneath the clouds. A full moon was rising, and it cast a creamy glow on the landscape below.

“No reason,” Dash said, her gaze distant. She had taken off her armor before pulling Scootaloo aside and taking flight.

“What’s wrong, Dash?” Scootaloo asked, gliding in front of her idol. “You seem a lot calmer than before. Aren’t you bored? There’s nothing up here.”

“Nah, I’m not bored,” Dash sighed. “Scootaloo, you know something?”

“Yeah?” Scootaloo asked.

“I’m going to miss this,” Dash finally said.

“What?” Scootaloo asked. “Why? I’m not going anywhere.”

“Yeah, but I’ve been thinking that someday I might not be able to do this with you anymore. With anypony anymore,” Dash explained. “And I’m going to miss just, y’know, flying around with a friend.”

“Are you trying to be deep, Dash?” Scootaloo laughed. “Save that for Rarity; she’s the dramatic one.”

Dash turned a little red. “Never mind,” she mumbled.

“Look, Dash, you’re my friend, right?” Scootaloo asked.

“Yeah, ‘course I am. Why?” Dash asked.

“That’s all I needed to know,” Scootaloo smiled. “You don’t have to get fancy or anything. I know you’re not going to be here forever. That’s impossible, and I know that. So just cut the drama!” she said, diving and then doing some loops.

Dash followed suit. Scoot’s right, I’m over-thinking this. I’m the Element of Loyalty. I don’t need to worry about anypony besting me in battle, she thought, swerving around Scootaloo in a midair game of tag.

“Why are you worrying all of a sudden?” Scootaloo asked.

“Well, if you’ve been through what I’ve been through, you really wouldn’t have to ask that question,” Dash answered.

“Training was that bad, huh?” Scootaloo assumed.

“It wasn’t just the training, it was this entire thing, with the Elements of Discord, the Daymare, training, our powers, realizing my Potential thingy...” Dash trailed off. “I’ve just had a lot on my plate, that’s all.”

“Well, I can’t blame you for being stressed out,” Scootaloo said. “You should take a load off, relax a bit. At least, that’s what I think.”

“Y’know, Scoot? Maybe I will,” Dash said. “I’m getting fed up with all this stupid Discord business. I just want to relax with my friends, and I’m pretty sure they feel the same way.”

Scootaloo nodded. “I bet. Hey, Rarity’s going to be expecting me back pretty soon,” Scootaloo said, motioning toward town. “Seeya tomorrow, Dash.”

Dash said goodbye and watched Scootaloo leave from a fluffy cloud. Yeah, I guess she’s right. But... why do I still feel a little off? She looked toward the stars. Hmm... there was that dark burst earlier. I wonder what it meant. It was heading toward Fillydelphia. I should probably check it out; it didn’t look too good.

Dash spread her wings, her ruby necklace and crimson eyes glowing as she summoned her strength. Pushing off of the cloud with a strong kick, Dash started to fly toward the booming city.

The night was quiet as she glided along; she reached the city with an hour of fast flight. Trotting briefly through the sleeping city and watching for signs of danger in the alleyways, she made her way to the central government building. The blue warrior pushed open the doors with a bit of effort, but gasped when she walked inside.

*******

Every single government pony, from the lowliest secretary to the highest official, was on the ground, seemingly in intense agony.

“Please... please help us,” one stallion groaned.

“Who did this to you?!” Dash asked, her mane igniting in anger. Rainbow-colored flames singed the sides of the entryway as they sparked from her flowing hair.

“We don’t know,” a young mare croaked. “Please, why can’t we move? Help us!”

Dash bit her lip. “Sorry, I don’t know how to get you out of this. But I will track down the ponies who did this!”

“He went to the office of the Princess,” an officer said. “Please, hurry; the Princess won’t fend him off for long!”

Dash nodded and quickly ascended the building, flying up flights of stairs and soaring through hallways. Nopony seemed to have escaped the spell; ponies lying limply everywhere, grunting in frustration as they tried to move their limbs.

Dash suddenly found herself at a large door emblazoned with Luna’s coat-of-arms. This must be it, she thought. The door was open slightly, and Dash heard voices. She was about to blast into the room before she thought, I should approach this like Luna taught me. I need to find out who’s in there and who or what they are. Dash slowly pressed her eye against the crack in the doorway.

“...really matter in the long run,” a blue-green unicorn stallion said, slowly pacing toward a blue alicorn mare with a flowing, magical dark blue mane dotted with what looked like tiny stars. “You’ve made it all possible. Right from the very beginning, you know,” the stallion said, resting his head on the mare’s neck with false affection. She shuddered in disgust. “I’ve always kind of liked you, Luna. You were one of the good ones. Not like those other Elements.”

Yuck! Dash thought, resisting the urge to stick out her tongue. Why is that stallion acting so loving toward her?

“Leave now, Deception!” Luna commanded.She grunted in frustration. “I have nothing for you.”

“Oh, but you do,” Deception said, turning around and rifling through Luna’s papers. “There are many things of interest in a Princess’s drawers. Perhaps I’ll find something interesting before I depart. Tea?” he asked, using telekinesis to levitate a teakettle out of a china cabinet.

“No thank you,” Luna growled.

“Hmm? Very well, I’m more of a hot chocolate pony anyway,” Deception said, putting the kettle away. “You wouldn’t happen to have any ground cocoa, would you? Or perhaps you, Rainbow Dash?”

Dash felt all of her limbs suddenly cease functioning. She fell forward, pushing the door open and landing on the floor with a thud.

“My personal favorite paralyzation spell,” Deception chuckled. “Very efficient, if I do say so myself. I’ve studied long and hard to find the specific formula that renders anypony under its effect to be as helpless as a newborn. My efforts did not go unrewarded.”

“Ugh...” Dash grunted, her mouth to the floor. “What’s going on, Luna? Why is this whackjob threatening you?”

“Oh, don’t you remember me?” Deception asked. “I try to leave an impression when I first meet a pony. Oh, well, there’s plenty of time for that later.”

“What are you waiting for, Deception?” Luna gritted her teeth.

“A moment of weakness. A lapse in concentration,” Deception said with a toothy grin. “A monarch, I’ve heard, is under so much pressure that she’s akin to a house of cards. Of course, I could torture the information out of you, but that’s not why I’m here.”

“What is it, then?” Luna asked quietly. “Do you enjoy seeing me suffer? Do you have fun making a mockery of me? Is that it?” she asked, a bit louder.

“Not at all; I quite enjoy your company,” Deception said. “A Princess of your age must have all sorts of interesting stories that I’d absolutely love to hear.”

“You said you were a messenger,” Luna said. “What is your message?”

“Hmm? Oh, quite a simple one, actually,” Deception said. “In approximately a year, give or take a month, you will be dead. Turned to dust, if you want to be specific.”

Luna chuckled sadly. “I’m immortal, Deception. You cannot kill me.”

“Who was talking about me killing you?” Deception laughed. “No, I prefer not to get my hooves dirty. It’s much more practical for you to just... kill yourself.”

Luna’s eyes widened. “You don’t mean-”

“Perhaps, perhaps not,” Deception interrupted, shrugging. “I do know how your delicate little mind works, Luna; I’ve known you for quite a while. I know what makes you tick, as well as what will make you stop ticking. Good day,” he said before vanishing in a puff of white smoke.

Dash exhaled as blood flooded back into her legs. “What was he talking about?”

Luna was deep in thought for a moment, but she snapped out of it and turned her attention to Dash. “You should not have come here, Rainbow Dash.”

“Look, I saw the dark energy, I came to check it out. You didn’t really have the situation under control, did you?” Dash asked.

“Did your being here make it any better?” Luna asked spitefully. She sighed. “I apologize. However, Rainbow Dash, these are matters that concern only myself and Celestia for the time being. I want you to return to Ponyville and get a good night’s sleep before returning here tomorrow. Understand?”

Dash nodded. “What’s so important about this that you want to keep under wraps?”

“I knew that Discord had a plan,” Luna said, charging up a teleport, “but it may now have several more dimensions to it that I had not otherwise considered.”

=====================================================================

*******

“Jeez,” Dash remarked at the bustling downtown. “Everypony and their brother’s been in this town since the war. Hasn’t anypony moved out yet?”

“No,” Twilight sighed, shivering a bit from the chill fall air. “A lot of ponies made their home here and don’t want to leave.”

“I don’t blame them one bit,” Rarity said, glancing in alleyways for potential thugs. “Although all sorts of scum are in this city, it’s vastly better than the ruins of Stalliongrad. I heard they’re still finding remains, even after six months.”

Fluttershy shuddered. “I’m thankful Ponyville wasn’t too badly damaged.”

“Yer tellin’ me,” Applejack said. “Ah feel sorry fer all the ponies that had relatives there. It’s none too pretty a sight.”

I remember when we first stepped into the city during the war, Twilight grimaced. It was a complete boneyard.

“Why are we wearing these tacky coats again, Twilight?” Rarity asked.

“Because Luna asked us to. You know what kinds of mobs there would be if everypony knew we were in town,” Twilight explained simply.

“So where are we going, anyway?” Pinkie asked.

“To see Celestia,” Twilight explained, pointing toward a large blue building encrusted with Luna’s coat-of-arms located smack-dab in the middle of Fillydelphia. “Luna, too.”

Fluttershy pulled Rarity aside. “Are you sure it was a good idea to leave those two with him?”

“Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle will get along just fine with Olly, I’m sure. They’re much safer in Ponyville, anyway, and Olly’s... responsible,” Rarity said after an unsure pause. “That doesn’t stop me from being worried sick about them, though.”

“I know the feeling, I’m not quite sure Olly should be watching Angel either,” Fluttershy admitted. “But they’ll probably get along fine. We don’t have any reason not to trust him.”

“If you disregard that he’s slightly eccentric,” Rarity added. “Honestly, sometimes I just don’t know.” Not watching where she was going, she bumped into a stallion. “Oh! Pardon me, I didn’t see you there.”

“S’okay, dearie, s’okay,” the stallion said. He was a light brown color with a darker brown mane, and he wore a slightly worse-for-wear felt jacket. He wore goggles similar to Olly’s on his forehead. “What brings you ta town, darlin’?”

“Oh, um, we’re on official business,” Rarity explained quickly, seeing Twilight motion for her to hurry up.

“‘Aye wasn’t born yesterday, dearie. Nopony’s had business wi’ the Princess since last summer. Guess ‘Aye shouldn’t pry, though. Wot wi’ all the attacks as of late, ‘Questria’s been right worked up, it has. Distrustful. All this news bout Deception doesn’t ‘elp. What’s yer name, dearie?” the stallion asked. Before she could answer, the stallion squinted, peeking under Rarity’s hood and adding, “Wait a moment.... Yer Generosity, aren’t-”

Dash clamped her hooves over his mouth before he could continue. “Yeah, bozo, and you’re about to blow our cover!” she hissed.

“Dash, get off of him,” Twilight ordered, stepping in front of the stallion. After Dash unhooved him, Twilight made sure nopony was looking and said discreetly, “We are the Elements of Harmony, but we are also here on important matters of state. The Princesses asked us to come here quietly, so please don’t make a spectacle about it.”

“‘Aye can keep a secret, darlin’, sure as sugar,” the stallion said, thumping his chest twice. “‘Aye jus’ wanted ta thank ya fer gettin’ me outta that rot of a Dreamscape. Almost got out meself, ‘Aye did, but a friend a mine got captured at the last moment and we had to call it quits before we ended up the same. ‘Aven’t seen ‘em since.”

“I’m sorry,” Twilight said.

He nodded. “Name’s Siggy. A pretty miss like you can call me ‘Charmin’,” he added with a playful wink.

Twilight chuckled. “Nice to meet you, Siggy.”

He smiled, revealing the space between his teeth. “‘Aye’d git to where ya were goin’ soon, ladies. ‘Aye’ve been ‘ere in Filly ever since the lot of you kicked out Arrogance, ’Aye have, but not all of the ponies ‘ere are happy wi’ yer performance thus far. An’ don’t worry, my lips are sealed. ‘Aye owe ya my life, now don’t ‘Aye?” And with that, Siggy said goodbye and departed.

“I like him,” Pinkie decided.

Twilight was worried about what Siggy had said. ‘Not happy with our performance?’ Equestria has been safe for months now! What do they want us to do, permanently get rid of them? Nevertheless, she collected herself quickly and continued walking with her friends.

They arrived at the capital building. Celestia met them outside. “I’m glad to see you,” she said, though she looked distracted.

“Is something wrong, Princess?” Rarity asked.

“No, and don’t call me Princess,” Celestia shook her head, her sigh forming mist in the late autumn weather. “Too formal. I don’t know where that came from; it’s probably one of my worst pet peeves. And if anything, I should be calling you ‘ma’am,’ Rarity; you’re an Element of Harmony.”

“Oh!” Rarity said. “Alright, then.” That’s very casual of her, for a Princess. Then again, she was possessed by Arrogance the entire time we’ve known her until now; there’s bound to be some differences.

“This way,” Celestia said, motioning toward the main marketplace. “I have someone you ought to meet.”

Trotting down the orange sidewalk, Twilight and company followed Celestia to an exotic-looking shop. It was adorned with carved wooden masks, lit candles, and colorful paints that sharply contrasted with the surroundings, but was gorgeous nonetheless.

“This place looks really familiar,” Dash said.

“But from where?” Fluttershy asked.

“I believe you’ve met her already,” Celestia smiled, ringing the doorbell.

“I’ll be right there; I’m combing my hair,” a voice from inside said.

“Zecora!” Pinkie chirped, recognizing the voice on the other side of the door. It opened to reveal a tall striped zebra with large gold earrings and a gold brace around her neck and another on one of her front legs. Her cutie mark was a large spiral with triangles dotting its perimeter. Her mane was a gray and white mohawk.

“Welcome my friends, I’ve not seen you in a while. I trust you return from your journey with a smile?” Zecora asked.

“Yep!” Pinkie said, her blue irises shining with happiness.

“Your eyes,” Zecora said in awe. She glanced at Dash. “And your eyes, as well! You’ve had quite the experience, I can tell.”

“Well, it’s not over yet,” Celestia said. “We were wondering if you can divine the future for us, Zecora, if you’re able.”

“Of course, of course, I can help you indeed. The future is something I never misread,” Zecora said, ushering them inside. “Come inside, if you please, outside you will freeze.”

They were escorted into the interior of the home. It was fairly modern considering Zecora had been living in the wild the last time the group had seen her.

“Ah know why ya’d move ta the city, Zecora, but why’d ya stay?” Applejack asked. “Ain’t you goin’ back to the forest like ya used to?”

“Although the forest is where I began my trade, in the city I find I am much better paid,” Zecora chuckled. “With all the troubles amidst in these times, ponies look to psychics to spend their dimes.”

“I’ve never thought of you being the most monetarily concerned, Zecora,” Rarity said.

“The money I earn I don’t spend on myself; it goes to the books that you see on my shelf,” Zecora said, motioning to the bookshelf in the room they had just entered. It was filled with ancient texts and tomes that Twilight had never seen before.

“How’d you get these?” Twilight asked in awe. “These look even older than the ones in the Royal Library!”

“The Canterlot library was funded by state, and I’m afraid books were things they liked to berate,” Zecora sighed. “The wealthy provided most of my collection, but they never were regarded with too much affection. Knowledge is something I greatly adore, but I’m not certain I’ll find too much more.”

“It’s true,” Celestia admitted. “Arrogance despised books. She’s like your typical high-school prom queen. You’re lucky you got what you did, Twilight. It was all I could do to force that little bit of cooperation out of Arrogance, and I don’t care much for books myself.”

“Shall we proceed to what is in need?” Zecora suggested, motioning to a large pot in the center of the room.

“By all means, Zecora,” Celestia said.

Zecora nodded, and she tossed some herbs and potions into the pot as it began to boil with powerful magic. Dash’s armor began to glow.

“Um, is it supposed to do this?” Dash asked, shaking her shining armored hoof.

Celestia chuckled. “Yes, of course. Mithril is a very sensitive magic detector.”

“Great,” Dash mumbled. This is going to get really annoying really fast.

Zecora stared into the misty waters. Twilght only saw faint impressions of ponies and perhaps some other creatures that weren’t ponies. “I have seen what’s to see, and though I might not agree, a terrible message was given to me,” Zecora said after a long stretch of silence. “I shall tell you what I have seen in the stars… one of your group isn’t who they say they are.”

Celestia’s eyes shot wide open, and she tensed. “No,” she murmured. “Not already. It’s too soon.”

“What do you mean, not who they say they are?” Dash asked.

Zecora shook her head. Just then, there was a mighty crash from outside, and a scream.

“Something’s going on outside!” Pinkie exclaimed, rushing out of the room.

*******

They all rushed outside to see a maroon unicorn stallion with a chocolate-colored mane surrounded by a ring of dark fire. He wore sharp black glasses that covered bright orange, slitted eyes. He glared at the group with a gaze so cold it turned the already chilly weather frigid.

“Who’re you?” Applejack asked.

“What are you?” Twilight asked. His eyes... it’s the mark of Discord!

The stallion said nothing, he just kept staring. He locked onto Celestia’s gaze and held it.

“Just give me the word, Celestia, and I’ll jump this freak!” Dash said.

Celestia stared, her eyes watery. “I...”

“Celestia?” Rarity asked.

The monarch fell to her knees suddenly, stunning everyone. “But... But I thought... Skids, I...” A tear slid down her face as she collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

“It’s him!” Pinkie gasped. “Don’t look into his eyes; he’ll destroy you!”

“What have you done to Celestia?!” Dash yelled. Not waiting for an answer, she leapt at the stallion.

The stallion simply gazed up at her. Without any warning, Dash was seized in the grips of intense sorrow. Scootaloo... she thought before slamming into a wall and falling to the ground limply.

Twilight was stunned into silence. He--He just took out Dash and Celestia without raising a hoof! She was suddenly struck with realization. He’s... he’s Guilt!

Guilt silently gazed up at Applejack. She stumbled backward, intense sadness absorbing her thoughts and wrecking her will to fight. She shouldn’t have died; it’s all my fault! Both of them...

The blue balloon-shaped pendant on Pinkie’s necklace glowed as she tried to absorb the negative energy and replace it with positive energy. Blue sparks crackled around Guilt’s head as he mentally battled Pinkie, and the corner of his mouth twitched in what might have been a grimace. He took a knee, closing his eyes tightly.

The ground shook, and a shockwave of crackling green lightning bolted around Pinkie’s hooves, electrocuting her. She screamed in pain; it felt like somepony had dug out her insides and replaced them with hot tar. She fell to the ground, lifeless.

Sweating despite the freezing weather, Twilight was seized in the grips of true panic. She charged up a lightning bolt, but Guilt had already prepared his final attack. With a mighty flash and a great burst of dark energy, every pony in Fillydelphia fell into icy unconsciousness.

No... Twilight thought as her mind slowly slipped into oblivion. He’s too strong...

“You get away from them!” Twilight heard somepony snarl. Luna? she thought.

Guilt looked Luna directly in the eye as she dove from high in her capital building, but she was unaffected by his gaze. With a deft kick to the side of the face, Guilt was sent sprawling, but Twilight didn’t see the rest. She had already drifted away.

=====================================================================

*******

Twilight awoke in a large, comfy infirmary. She, along with all of her friends, were lying on puffy white cots. Twilight suddenly yelped in pain and clutched her head, as did Rarity.

“You’re awake!” a blue alicorn mare rushed into the room. “Thank heavens, Guilt tore you to pieces! I’m so relieved; you were knocking on death’s door.”

Twilight wiped sweat off her brow. It’s like I have a mind cramp that I can’t shake off! “Luna, please, I need help...”

Luna gasped and rushed to Twilight’s side, pulling a needle out of a nearby cabinet with her telekinesis and gently pushing it into a vein in Twilight’s neck. “It’s a painkiller. Please hold still.”

Twilight sighed and fell over onto the bed as the migraine melted out of her. Luna wrapped a bandage over the injection zone and rushed over to help Rarity.

“Our--Our necklaces!” Fluttershy gasped, feeling her bare neck.

“Guilt must have taken them,” Celestia moaned. “He wasn’t supposed to be here this soon!”

“And my wings!” Dash said, stretching out her feathery appendages, which were slightly bloodied. “Some of the feathers are missing!”

“More like torn off,” Luna muttered, bandaging Rarity’s neck. “Essentially, Guilt clipped all three of your wings. You’ll be grounded until the feathers grow back, and that could take months. Not to mention that Guilt also took away Rarity and Twilight’s magic by bestowing a curse upon them called Thaumic Incindia--completely disabling both of their magic until the next full moon.”

“B-... But the last full moon was yesterday, Princess!” Rarity swallowed.

“I’m aware,” Luna sighed. “It could be a week before you’re able to use any magic at all.”

Twilight bit back a strong swear. I had better watch my tongue, but this is so awful! I was really getting the hang of my magic, only to have it ripped away.

Celestia soothed her ruffled feathers, but she was still very angry. “Guilt’s crafty, I’ll give him that. He not only took your necklaces, but made you two flightless and magic-less for our entire journey.”

“Wait, we’re still goin’ on that crazy trip?” Applejack asked. “How do we know Discord’s not just sendin’ us on a wild goose chase?”

“We’re not going to the mountain, we’re going to Canterlot. I’ll tell you more about it later, but if we just stay here, we’re sitting ducks,” Celestia explained, gritting her teeth. “Just like we were today. Deception must have relayed the fact that we were going to be here at this exact time so that Guilt could catch us off guard.”

“Zecora said something about a Deception earlier, what exactly is she?” Pinkie asked. “I know I’ve seen her and all, but not for a really long time.”

Celestia turned away. “I hate to use this as an example, but Deception is like Lorey. She kills one of your group members and impersonates them to the finest point.”

“But we just saw Deception yes-” Dash clamped her hooves over her mouth. “Sorry,” she mumbled to Luna.

Luna glanced at Dash, a tad annoyed, but addressed the group. “Deception had revealed herself yesterday. She paralyzed my entire staff and revealed that Discord may have a greater scheme than I had ever anticipated.”

“Well, don’t leave us hangin’, what is it?” Applejack asked.

Luna shook her head. “Now is neither the time nor the place. For now, you need to rest.”

“Hey, what does Deception do, anyway?” Pinkie asked.

“Deception is a backstabbing, slimy traitor,” Celestia growled.

“Sister,” Luna warned. “Deception is the fourth Element of Discord, opposite of Loyalty,” she explained. “She specializes in espionage and sabotage, but you know that already. However, Deception has recently taken a liking to breaking ponies’ hearts and killing them in the process, which she has done in particular to the Element of Loyalty.”

“Me?” Dash scoffed. “Like I’m going to let anypony like that get close to me while all this stuff is going on.”

“Don’t underestimate her!” Celestia growled, standing up suddenly. “She’s killed more Elements of Loyalty than I can count, including-”

“Sister!” Luna snapped. “Sit down.”

Celestia reluctantly laid down on her cot. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

“As I was saying,” Luna said irritably, “Loyalty has had a very large target on his or her back for a long time now. I can’t say I know why; you should ask Obsidian after you retrieve the source of the Gateway.”

“The source?” Fluttershy asked. “Oh, of course, that orb that Deception stole.”

Luna nodded. “Deception is probably located in Canterlot, as is the Source. You need to retrieve that and your necklaces on your journey.”

“We’ll put it on our to-do list,” Twilight grumbled, rubbing the spot where the painkiller was injected. “Can we rest for tonight, though?”

“I will allow that, but you should leave very soon,” Luna said. “As Celestia said, you are in danger if you stay out in the open.”

“Cloak-and-dagger it is, then,” Rarity muttered.

“I’ll make lunch, and then we can prepare,” Luna said, leaving the room.

Twilight rubbed her horn mournfully. What are we supposed to do now? She absently noticed smoke drifting up from below her window.

“I don’t get it,” Dash muttered. “Why didn’t Guilt just kill us and be done with it?”

“Because Deception needs us alive. Guilt only had to remove our abilities and render us powerless for our journey. Then, they can do whatever they want with us,” Celestia explained, stretching her damaged wings.

“But what would they want to do with us?” Fluttershy asked.

“...I don’t know,” Celestia admitted. “Knowing Deception, it’s something awful, and it’s something that we want to avoid.”

Smoke? Twilight thought, leaning and trying to look down below her window.

“Is there any speedy fix for all of this?” Pinkie asked. “Like a super-speedy-Magic-squeezy?”

“One full moon,” Celestia repeated. “That’s when the Thaumic Incindia will be lifted.”

Twilight gazed out of her window and saw ponies marching through the streets, holding signs in their mouths. Suddenly, everything flew into a frenzy as the ponies attacked the police and tore through Fillydelphia, with chants so loud that they could be heard from the hospital bedrooom:

Down with Discord.

Fillydelphia was rioting.

=====================================================================

[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This story takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

*******

“A riot?” Twilight asked, her head foggy from the medication Luna had administered. She managed to take in her surroundings a bit better than before; the hospital dorm had eight beds, though one was empty, and was a kind of creamy buttermilk color. The sheets were thin, but soft, and there were no metal tools save the hypodermic needles by each nightstand, each one labeled for a different emergency. One entire wall of the room was a thick glass window, overlooking the city and the smoke rising from it.

“Where?” Dash asked, cantering over to the window. She gaped at the uproar, her ears twitching in response to the multitude of yells and shouts that drifted up to their twentieth-story hospital dorm. “Woah...”

“That’s... good, right?” Pinkie asked. “They must want Discord gone just as bad as we do.”

“No, it isn’t good, Pinkie,” Celestia said. “It means that Luna’s losing control of the city. The reason the ponies are rioting is because they feel powerless--they need to let Luna and I know that they exist, and that they’re frustrated. But we know that already, and we’re doing all we can.”

“They just don’t think ya are,” Applejack added.

Celestia nodded. “That’s about right. I need to speak with Luna about this right away.” She got up to leave the room, but Twilight stopped her.

“Can’t we come, too?” she asked.

Celestia paused, contemplating her answer. “...Remember the old saying, ‘Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it?’ Equestria was in a state of unrest similar to this just before the Dark Times. I can explain more about it later, but for now, you just have to trust me, okay? This is an urgent situation and I don’t have time to tell you everything right this minute.”

Twilight wasn’t happy, but said anyway: “Okay, Celestia.” The sun goddess departed.

“Ah’m gettin’ real uneasy about this,” Applejack said, nervously peeking down at the crowd. “This ain’t an organized protest or a strike or anythin’ like that. This’s ponies gettin’ too frustrated to contain it any longer. Never thought Ah’d see the day when everypony just got this fed up.”

“Equestria isn’t an evil place. This might be a riot, but that doesn’t mean ponies are h-hurting each other, right?” Fluttershy guessed.

Dash squinted. “I dunno... I can’t see much from up here. I might be able to get an aerial view if I could get out a window or something.”

“And if you could fly,” Twilight pointed out.

“Oh... rats,” Dash muttered, halfheartedly kicking a creamy white stool. Inspecting her wings for a moment, she asked, “Well, where there’s smoke, there’s fire, right?”

Fluttershy pulled her sheets over her head, not wanting to engage in the conversation any longer.

“Aw, it’ll be alright, sugarcube,” Applejack said to Fluttershy. “Luna and Celestia’ll get this fixed up right quick. Until then, we should git some rest an’ wait ‘til we leave on the journey.” She pulled the covers over her head and tried to get to sleep.

“...Simple as that?” Rarity asked, shaking herself out of her drugged haze. “Applejack, if ponies in Equestria are rioting, things are not as clear as black and white.”

A re-entrance by Celestia interrupted them. “Okay, Luna wants us all to plan the trip.”

“So soon?” Rarity asked.

Celestia nodded. “It’s not safe in the city for us right now. I’ll explain more at the meeting. Until then, we have to go. Now.”

Twilight and Rarity made eye contact, sharing the same message: Things are not as they seem.

=====================================================================

They gathered in an equally cream conference room, lending a more friendly and less icy and metallic air to the chamber. Luna’s coat-of-arms, Celestia’s insignia, and the Equestrian flag adorned three walls of the room, while one wall of the room was, again, a single window pane that stretched from the buttermilk ceiling to the stone floor. The table was circular, with eight chairs, one for each of the Elements, Celestia, and Luna.

To Twilight, the air was unnaturally tense. Luna seems uneasy, she thought, glancing at the moon goddess. Rarity’s right; something else is going on here that we don’t know about.

“Okay,” Celestia began, spreading a large map over a round table in a conference room. “Let’s get down to business. Do any of you remember what Discord’s riddle was?”

“Uh...” Dash trailed off. “A city deep in the sky where you can’t fly, and, um...”

“We’re looking for a mountain city,” Twilight stated. “Somewhere very high up, too.”

“Have you heard anything like that before, Luna?” Rarity asked. Luna didn’t respond, so she repeated, “Luna?”

Luna snapped to attention, then shook her head. “I already have scholars scouring through the Royal Archives, but it could be another day or two before they contact me with an answer. I tried looking for it with magic, but Discord’s distortion prevents me from looking very far outside of Fillydelphia. What we have to do right now is think of a possible solution.”

“His distortion?” Applejack asked.

“Discord can bend magic and reshape it, allowing him to take energy from his surroundings and manipulate them as well,” Luna explained. “He formed a powerful magic barrier around a good portion of Equestria, and if I left Fillydelphia to go outside it, I would leave the city defenseless.”

Not that it matters if Guilt comes back, Rarity thought sorely, rubbing her throbbing horn.

“But it can’t be just some random mountain,” Dash said. “Is there anything different about this mountain?”

“May I make a suggestion?” A new voice asked. The group whipped their heads around to see Discord materializing behind them, near the entrance to the conference room.

*******

“Discord!” Celestia yelled.

Before the group could react, they all found themselves mysteriously shrunk to the size of mice. With a blip of magic, they were warped to the surface of the table.

“What have you done to us?” Rarity asked in shock. Her voice was cartoonishly high.

“Aw, you’re so adorable!” Discord cooed as he picked up Dash and began to brush her mane with a toothbrush. “Brushie, brushie, brushie!”

“Put me down!” Dash yelled, her voice also extremely high. She ignited her mane. The rainbow flames singed Discord and he dropped the blue pegasus, but since Dash was flightless, she landed rather painfully on the conference table for the second time.

“Ugh...” Applejack said, rubbing her head. Her voice was comically high as well, and she blushed slightly. “Whaddya want, Discord?”

“Oh, nothing in particular,” Discord said as he turned the wooden table into styrofoam. “I just thought you might want a little push in the right direction. Seeing as you still have a job to do, I was asked to make sure you do it right.”

“What job?” Celestia asked. “And turn my voice back to normal! And the rest of me, too, but mostly my voice!”

Pinkie was curled up into a tight ball on the table, laughing hysterically. Celestia’s voice!

“I don’t know; I kind of like the miniature Celestia,” Discord said. He drew circles in the air, creating small whirlwinds that zipped around the room, tearing down the flags and coats-of-arms. “Far less annoying than life-sized.”

“Answer my question!” Celestia commanded, though her ridiculously squeaky voice was incapable of showing any real authority.

“Say please, Celestia. Remember your manners,” Discord smirked.

Celestia was fuming, but Luna stepped in. “Discord, please, we don’t have time for this. If you want to tell us something, just say it!”

“Maybe you should take lessons from your sister,” Discord said to Celestia, who only became more aggravated. “The mountain you’re looking for is a mountain where you can never quite reach the top,” he explained. “As for your job, well, you’ll see. You’ll see.”

“That isn’t an answer!” Twilight protested.

“Well, I guess it depends on your definition of answer, now doesn’t it?” Discord grinned mischievously. He snapped his fingers, and the map became animated. Fluttershy yelped as a mountain poked its way up from under her, and the still laughing Pinkie was carried away by a stream. A giant ditch almost swallowed up Dash, and she hung onto its edge frantically, as Applejack was tickled by a tiny forest.

“All you have to do,” Discord continued, “is go across this plain, across this ditch, through this cave, up this mountain, through this forest, down this mountain, into this cave, and loop back through Ponyville to Manehattan. Not necessarily in that order,” he added while pointing out the various landmarks.

“Get out, Discord,” Celestia said maliciously.

“Manners again!” Discord scolded. “I am your guest, you know.”

“Is there anything else you need to tell us, Discord?” Luna asked, mentally willing Celestia to calm down.

“Yes, actually. I wanted to compliment you on your handling of Guilt. That was a very admirable performance,” Discord said, stroking his goatee.

Celestia looked like she was about to boil over, but Luna poked her forcefully in the side. The sun goddess instead looked up at Discord with a poisonous look. “Thank you.”

“Ah, there we go!” Discord said, applauding. “I shall be on my way. Do take care, all of you. There are many fun games that we have yet to play!” He vanished.

*******

The group gradually returned to their normal sizes and situated themselves around the table.

“So, we’re headed to... where?” Twilight asked.

“Mt. Nevercrest. Discord mentioned a line in an old song centered around that mountain. It’s supposed to be unconquerable. Not that you’re going there, of course,” Luna added. “Going to Canterlot and retaking it from Discord would probably be the best course of action, while staying as far away from those mountains as possible.”

Celestia nodded, although she still looked angry. “If you need me, I’ll be in my room.” She walked off.

“She’s got quite the temper,” Rarity said.

Luna shook her head sadly. “Her fury at the forces of Discord often gets the better of her in any case, but it’s been worse lately.”

“Worse how?” Fluttershy asked, concerned.

“Celestia always hated Discord,” Luna began, “but not only was she humiliated by being possessed by Arrogance, she was also defeated by Guilt without even having a chance to fight. That alone would be enough to send her into a rage, and those aren’t the only events involving the Elements of Discord that she hasn’t lived down. I’m not sure where her self-control is coming from; ever since she became Princess, she would rather take her anger out on those around her than keep it locked inside.”

“Sounds like it’s been pretty rough for her,” Dash observed. “I guess I can’t really blame her for being angry.”

Luna nodded. “Please be patient with my sister. She’s very nice, but her emotions often get the better of her. She won’t hesitate to take those same emotions out on you. Do not be surprised when she does.”

Twilight nodded. “Okay, Princess...” Celestia’s been angry almost every time I’ve saw her. Is this how she really is? Should I just deal with it? ...I know I should, but... how much longer will she be like this?

Everypony but Twilight steadily filed out of the room. Luna went to examine more charts and graphs, but when she saw that Twilight was still sitting at the table, she asked, “Is something wrong, Twilight?”

Hmm... Something’s nagging at the back of my mind, but I can’t pinpoint what, Twilight thought. “I think so, but I’m not sure. I wanted to ask you something, but now I can’t remember what it is.”

Luna chuckled. “I certainly know the feeling. However, as Magic, you have control over the thoughts of yourself and other ponies. You have control over your own mind--use that to explore your memory.”

“Princess, that sounds like something out of a fantasy novel,” Twilight scoffed. “All I need to do is remember something. I don’t need to meditate for hours standing on one hoof to do something so simple; if I can’t remember it, it’s probably unimportant anyway.”

“Come here,” Luna said, ushering Twilight toward her. She placed a hoof on Twilight’s forehead and murmured a few words in the Ancient Language.

Twilight felt a spark, but not a painful one, and one that seemed to be dancing about inside her mind. She was dizzy for a moment, but when she recovered, she remembered what she was going to ask earlier. “Oh! That’s right; I wasn’t contacted by Verba after I was knocked out by Guilt. I was wondering why.”

Luna thought for a moment. “It’s most likely due to the Thaumic Incindia. You’ve told me about Verba before, correct? He’s completely composed of magic, so the spell Guilt cast is probably interfering with your connection. It may get better, and it may not, but until then I wouldn’t count on him for advice.”

Twilight nodded, disappointed. After a brief pause, she asked, “How did you make the memory appear, Luna?”

Luna smiled. “It came with my immortality.”

=====================================================================

They left at night to avoid attracting attention.

“Our plan is to get out of the city quietly so that we don’t make a scene,” Celestia explained. “You know there’ll be one or two ponies who want to make a big deal about us leaving. Anyway, we’ll probably walk a few hours before we settle down for the night.”

“How long will the journey take?” Fluttershy had asked.

“A few days,” Celestia said. “A week, tops. The hardest part will be crossing the mountain range surrounding Fillydelphia. It helps keep intruders out and escapees in.”

“Huh,” Twilight said. “That’s convenient.”

“What about the train? Are we really making this entire journey on hoof?” Rarity asked.

“Discord, well... He turned the train tracks into crackerjacks. The entire rail system from Fillydelphia to Canterlot has been completely shut down,” Celestia explained. “Progress has been slow, too. They just finished getting rid of the rats last week.”

“Can’t we just take trains part of the way there?” Rarity asked hopefully. “Surely not all of them were destroyed?”

Celestia shook her head. “Luna and I did the math; overall, Discord made sure to destroy just enough rail to make walking the more practical choice. Sorry, Rarity, but trains aren’t an option.”

“Oh, bother,” Rarity muttered, glancing at her soon-to-be ruined hooves.

They stood at the city limits.

“Um, Princess?” Twilight asked after pulling her mentor aside.

“Twilight, you’re my equal and more. Call me Celestia!” she laughed. “Why are you being so formal?”

Twilight turned a slight shade of red. “Sorry. It’s just that I was raised, well, to respect you. A lot.”

“Well, that wasn’t me you were respecting,” Celestia pointed out. “Look, I’m nothing to be afraid of. Aren’t we friends? How about, after we finish this, I take you down for a cup of coffee in this little parlor I visited in Manehattan called Sunlit Dew. Then you’ll get to know me better, okay?”

Twilight smiled. “I’d like that, P-... Celestia,” she corrected herself. She paused. “But... I don’t want to hurt your feelings or anything, Celestia, but I think you really need to keep yourself in check. What you did back there with Discord didn’t really help us at all. So, um...”

Celestia sighed. “I know I have an attitude problem; it’s not a new thing for me. But, Twilight, I need to ask you a favor, because I think that I’m not going to remain... well...” she tried to find the words. “I’m not holding up real well, to tell you the truth. I might go off the deep end soon. But if I do... I need you to bring me back, okay?”

Twilight nodded determinedly. “I will, Celestia. I promise.”

Celestia smiled. “Thank you, Twilight. I appreciate it.”

“Let’s git a move on!” Applejack called.

They made their way toward the rest of the group. Each of them were wearing some form of heavy coat and everypony was carrying several full saddlebags except Dash, who needed to be nimble in case they were ambushed.

“So, are we going on another adventure?” Pinkie asked.

“I think so,” Fluttershy answered. She was wearing three layers of sweaters and a ski cap to boot. She didn’t bother to cut holes for her wings because she was unable to fly anyway.

This is really frustrating, Twilight thought as they started to walk out of Fillydelphia. Let’s see, Necromancy is manipulation of flesh. It was made for deceased flesh, but it can work on the living, as well, so I should be able to get, at the very least, Dash and Fluttershy’s wings working. That is, if I could use magic! Nopony else can use the spell, so I’m stuck!

They walked for a while in an open plain several miles out of Fillydelphia. Luna’s bright moonlight provided more than enough luminescence for their journey. Dash took the lead along with Celestia, and both of them were tireless, even when Rarity and Fluttershy began to wear out.

I’m not sure how they’re doing it, Rarity thought as she took off a sweater and shook her mane in the chilly night air. I’m already worn out, yet the two of them are marching along like wind-up toys.

Pinkie was happily bantering away with the other members of the group, her necklace glowing with a bright blue energy. Applejack remained steadfast and seemed to match Dash and Celestia’s energy. Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy just tried to keep up.

They had been travelling for several hours, and the sky was completely black.

Celestia’s ear twitched, and she stopped.

“What’s wrong, Celestia?” Twilight asked, watching the Princess scan the area for danger. The others had stopped walking, as well.

“Something... Something’s not right,” Celestia said.

*******

A tremor shook the ground as a white portal opened up in midair. Dash’s armor glowed faintly and she leapt into the battle pose Luna had taught her as Twilight readied her magic. It wasn’t necessary, though.

A blue-green unicorn stallion leapt out of it and struck Celestia deftly in the neck. It was a blow that would have killed her if she hadn’t been immortal. Dash tried to leap into action, but was promptly immobilized, as was the rest of the group.

“I’m so sorry I have to meet you in these circumstances, but I’m afraid the situation calls for it,” Deception said sadly.

I’m sick and tired of feeling powerless! Dash screamed to herself, desperately trying to move her limbs.

Twilight closed her eyes defiantly. “Forget it, Deception. I’m tired of talking to the enemy. If you want to kill us, kill us.”

“I was only going to ask you how your night was so far,” Deception said.

“I said forget it!” Twilight yelled, keeping her eyes shut tight.

Pinkie exhaled, and a blue vapor spread across the plains. Slowly, everypony’s limbs eased up and became movable again. Dash ignited her mane and leapt in fury at Deception but was quickly outclassed; using Dash’s own weight against her, Deception manipulated the blue pegasus’s limbs and forced her into a chokehold.

Dash couldn’t breathe. She tried to break out of Deception’s grasp, but she could barely move. The fire in her mane had been put out as soon as her breathing was cut off.

“That wasn’t very polite,” Deception hissed. He glanced at the rest of the group. “A spinal cord is a very fragile thing. One more step, and she dies!”

Twilight glared angrily at Deception.Dash was rapidly turning purple and threatened to go unconscious any moment. “Let her go, and we’ll talk,” Twilight said.

“You’re in no position to bargain!” Deception laughed. “Just answer my question.”

“What’s yer question?!” Applejack asked. As soon as that varmint lets go of Dash, a good beating’s in order.

“How was your night so far?” Deception asked softly. “Are you sure you’re not chilly? I have a coat you could borrow.” It was so painfully ironic that Twilight actually cringed.

“Our night’s been okay so far,” Pinkie said warily.

Deception slowly began to dissolve into vapor. “See? That’s all I needed to hear.” Then he was gone.

Dash collapsed and began to cough. Twilight rushed over to her side, but Dash recovered quickly and soon was back up on her feet, frustrated and humiliated.

“I’m getting really sick and tired of this,” Dash grumbled.

“Well, yer alright, an’ that’s the important thing,” Applejack said.

“Girls?” Pinkie asked.

“Yes, Pinkie?” Twilight asked.

“Where are Rarity and Fluttershy?” Pinkie asked.

=====================================================================

Dark energy carved a wall in space, and the surrounding area fluctuated around Rarity and Fluttershy. Matter started to blend and shift as the world started to bend and twist. After a nauseating series of confusing colors and eerie sounds, Rarity and Fluttershy found themselves in a grove of trees, with the edge of the plains nearby.

“Where are the others?” Rarity asked, hurriedly glancing around the surrounding forest.

“H-How did we lose them?” Fluttershy asked, verging on panic. “They were right with us just a second ago!”

Rarity took a deep breath. Her eyes glimmered with ancient violet energy for a moment, then faded back to their usual color. “They’re... this way,” she said, pointing to the left, along the rim of the forest.

“Okay,” Fluttershy said. “H-How do you know?”

“I think... Well, it’s probably just intuition,” Rarity guessed. “We have to hurry; our friends may be in trouble.”

Something about night seems so much scarier when you know you’re in trouble, Fluttershy thought, shivering and looking up at the stars as they traversed the wilderness. Something bad is going to happen. Oh, I just know it.

Rarity used an internal sense of navigation to steer her way toward the rest of the group. Sometimes her eyes started to glow, and she stopped for a moment to gain her bearings, but for the most part she led the way with confidence.

Fluttershy heard a small whimpering noise. Hmm? She turned her head to the right. “Rarity?”

“Yes, Fluttershy?” Rarity asked, seeing that Fluttershy had stopped. What in the world is she staring at?

“Um... I think there’s something over there,” Fluttershy said.

“Fluttershy, we don’t have time for this,” Rarity chided.

“Could... Could we stop for just a moment?” Fluttershy asked.

Rarity sighed in frustration. “Take as long as you need, Fluttershy, but we really ought to be going.”

Fluttershy nodded. “I’ll be right back.” She slowly, cautiously trotted over to a bush. It was a thorn bush that was rather dried out and pointy-looking, but what was interesting about it was that it was rustling slightly.

Suddenly, a small animal leapt out of the bush and tackled Fluttershy. However, he was too small to do anything but knock her over. At first Fluttershy was startled, but then she realized it was just a foal.

*******

Fluttershy slowly pulled the foal off of her and set him down. He was about school age and covered in scratches. Most of them were old, but some were fresh and still bleeding. He was dirtied and messy to the point where his pale brown pelt could be mistaken for a dull gray. His mane was a matted patch of yellow slightly speckled with orange, and his eyes shone brightly with anger, but also with fear.

“What are you doing out here all alone?” Fluttershy asked, fretting for the foal’s safety.

He yelled, struggling against Fluttershy’s grasp. “Leave me alone! You’re one of the bad ponies!”

Rarity had come over to see what the commotion was. She gaped at the state of the foal. Just how long has he been out here?! Who would do this to a child?

“We’re not going to hurt you,” Fluttershy said softly. “Who are the bad ponies?”

“You are!” the foal persisted. “Go away!” he started to scamper back into the forest, but Rarity grabbed him by the tail and sat him down.

“Now you listen here!” Rarity said forcefully. “We’re not letting you go until you give us an explanation as to why you’re out here on your own so late.”

“Because of the bad ponies. They took mom and dad away and left me out here,” the foal said, resisting Rarity’s grasp. “Let me go!”

Fluttershy shook her head sadly. “I’m sorry, but we need to get you medical care. If we leave you out here like this, you’ll get sick.”

“I don’t care; just go away,” the foal insisted.

Fluttershy sighed. We can’t really take him back if he doesn’t want to go, but I can’t just leave him out here. He’ll die. “Please, come with us. What can I do for you that will change your mind?”

“...Where are mom and dad?” the foal asked.

Fluttershy bit her lip. It’s always that one question I can’t answer. “I don’t want to lie to you and say that I know. I’m sorry.”

The foal looked at her, his gaze still hostile. “Okay. I’ll go with you.”

Fluttershy looked up, surprised. “But why?”

“Because the bad ponies would have lied,” the foal explained. “I... I know where mom and dad are.”

Rarity stifled tears. No, not again. What have you done to this world, Discord?

“What’s your name?” Fluttershy asked.

The foal looked up at her with glistening brown eyes. “Centime,” he said.

=====================================================================

[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This story takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
Please let me know if a link doesn’t work.

Chapter Four

Chapter Four

*******

Rarity steadily led Fluttershy and Centime back to the rest of the group, using her intuition to forge the path. They had left the forest and were now traversing the moonlit plain. A steady breeze blew, but the air was deathly quiet--they could hear the shifting of the ground beneath their hooves, the rustle of the grass, even each other’s breathing. Fluttershy silently stared at the stars from time to time, which were brighter and more numerous than ever before. The air had a chill to it that was refreshing without being biting, like a brisk summer morning, even though they were walking in the middle of autumn.

Centime managed to keep up with Rarity’s hurried pace, even when Fluttershy was beginning to tire. She remarked at the little foal’s persistence and toughness. He was matching even Rarity’s slightly hurried pace. I’m worried about him. We don’t know how long it’s been since he’s eaten or how badly he’s injured.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to carry you?” Fluttershy asked. “It’d wouldn’t be any trouble at all, and you must be very tired.”

Centime glanced up at her, his expression slightly suspicious, before resuming his course indifferently. When she tried to approach him, he only backed further away.

This isn’t good for him, not in his condition, Fluttershy sighed as she looked at a gash running up Centime’s hind leg. He was limping slightly, but was trying to ignore the pain. If he keeps this up, he might collapse.

Rarity stopped suddenly. “I’ve had enough, Centime. You’re injured, probably sick, and I have no idea how long we’re going to have to walk. Either you’ll ride on my back or I’ll tie you to Fluttershy’s.”

“No,” Centime said fiercely. “You can’t tell me what to do.”

“I most certainly-” Rarity started, before Fluttershy put a hoof on her shoulder.

“S-Sorry to interrupt, Rarity, but it’s his choice of whether he wants help or not,” she said tentatively.

Rarity glanced at Centime, then back to Fluttershy, before finally sighing in frustration. “Fine. We’d better make good time, though.”

Centime, after a while, just couldn’t keep pace with Fluttershy and Rarity. His limp had gotten worse, and one of his cuts had reopened, yet he still stubbornly refused any assistance. He backed away and glared threateningly at Rarity when she attempted to scoop him up onto her back.

“He’s quite the little soldier,” Rarity muttered, slightly irritated with Centime’s resistance.

“I guess,” Fluttershy sighed, more worried than impressed. “I wonder where he came from. There wasn’t anypony with him.”

“All the more reason to worry,” Rarity whispered. “He may very well be Deception.”

Fluttershy was shocked. “Rarity, how could you say that? He’s just a poor little colt who needs urgent medical attention.”

Rarity shook her head. “We’ll discuss it later.”

“Who’s Deception?” Centime asked, overhearing the conversation.

Rarity hesitated, but said, “A very, very, very bad pony.”

Centime scowled, an expression Rarity hadn’t seen on a colt his age before. She regretted her remark, but before she could apologize, a familiar blue pegasus ran up to the group.

“Rarity, Fluttershy!” Dash exclaimed with a wide smile. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

Soon, the others had arrived as well, all of them relieved to see their group reunited. “Who’s that?” Pinkie asked, pointing at Centime.

Centime jumped back, startled by the sudden rush of ponies. “Wh-Who are you?!”

“We’re friends,” Celestia said softly, going to the front of the group and taking a knee. “Who are you?”

“Centime,” he said. His expression was a mix of suspicion, fear, and panic.

“We found him all alone on the plains,” Fluttershy explained. “There wasn’t anypony with him.”

“Nopony with him?” Celestia echoed. Her expression was hard to place.

“Do you know him, Princess?” Twilight asked.

Celestia glanced at her. “What? Oh, no, I don’t know him.”

“Can we keep him, Celestia?” Pinkie asked, bouncing up and down in front of the ruler. “Canwecanwecanwe?”

Celestia raised an eyebrow. “And if I say no?”

“Wait a minute!” Centime said, stomping his hoof on the ground in an attempt to get a morsel of attention. “Who are all of you?”

“Pinkie Pie!” Pinkie chirped.

“The one and only Rainbow Dash,” Dash said, brushing her hoof on her armor.

“Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight said, offering her hoof politely to Centime. He shrunk away from it as if it were toxic.

After the others had introduced themselves, Centime was still uncomfortable, though slightly more at ease than before. However, he still flinched backwards if any of them tried to touch him or fix his mane.

“What a charming little stowaway you’ve aquired,” the group heard an all too familiar voice say.

“Not again!” Celestia moaned.

*******

A draconequus carrying an inside-out umbrella was collecting droplets of chocolate milk that fell from randomly-appearing cotton candy clouds. Discord, in full splendor, was glowing with powerful magic.

“Woah, woah, woah!” Dash exclaimed as her armor began to glow with a light similar to Discord’s.

Centime’s eyes lit up with fear and anger. “You!”

“Wonderful weather we’re having, hmm?” Discord asked, taking a sip from his now-full umbrella ladle.

“You know Discord?” Twilight asked, turning to face Centime.

Centime was confused. He scratched his head. “Yeah, I think... huh? Why can’t I...” He shook his head and pawed his front hoof on the ground agitatedly. “I remember! You’re the one that took... that... that took...”

“I believe you’re referring to somepony slightly more ancient. Quite the flattering comparison, if I do say so myself,” Discord smirked as a cold wind turned all of the pink clouds into hard rock candy. A chill spread through the group. The clouds began to burst into pieces and rain down on the group, but none of the pieces were big enough to cause anything but annoyance.

“Alright, I’ve had enough!” Dash yelled, leaping at Discord.

“Poof!” Discord snapped his talons. Dash’s momentum vanished; she was suspended in midair, unable to do anything but flail her limbs.

“This... is... so... annoying!” Dash screamed. “Why can’t we hurt you?”

“That’s a simple math problem,” Discord began. “Let’s assume, for the sake of argument, that one is more than zero. One is more powerful than zero and has complete control of everything zero does, but one is merciful and allows zero to survive under certain constraints. Well, Rainbow Dash,” Discord continued, whispering in Dash’s ear. “I’m the one, and you’re the zero.”

“That doesn’t make any sense!” Dash protested.

“Didn’t you learn basic algebra? One and zero are variables used to represent data,” Discord explained. “Though what do you care, I suppose? All I am to you is a pest that creates chaos, enjoys it for a while, and then is a punching bag for when you actually gain any reasonable amounts of power.”

“That’s exactly what you are to us,” Celestia growled.

“Well, you’ll never learn from your mistakes that way, Celestia,” Discord smirked. “I guess I’m done with my little lecture. I hope you’ve learned something, but you probably haven’t. On to my real shenanigan of the night.”

Discord glowed with a bright light. Twilight suddenly felt nauseous and bent over. The others probably felt the same way, but Twilight couldn’t see them well because her world was spinning so much. Colors and sounds all bent together with Discord’s sinister laughing, with grass becoming taller and Twilight becoming much, much shorter.

When the dust finally cleared and Twilight gained her bearings, she was standing in a completely new forest.

“Uhmm...” Centime gaped, glancing at the forest surrounding him. “What?”

“Huh?” Fluttershy asked, stunned by the sudden change in her surroundings. “Wh-Where are we now?”

“Well, little filly, that really isn’t of my concern, now is it?” Discord shrugged, dusting his talons off on his chest. “All I know is that you’re very far away from wherever you were originally going to go, and somewhere near where you ought to be headed.”

“I don’t understand!” Twilight exclaimed, intensely frustrated. “Why are you just... why are you toying with us?”

Discord walked up, leaned in close to Twilight, and tapped her on the nose. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“I would, actually!” Twilight challenged, taking a step forward.

Discord chuckled. “Well, as I’ve said before, you have a job to do. I’m making sure you do it right.” Discord clapped, and a few trees around him collapsed into enormous piles of pencil shavings. “Ta!” he grinned before vanishing.

*******

The forest was very dark and gloomy without Discord’s warm glow. Crows and crickets made the majority of the noises that floated through the atmosphere surrounding the group, and it was almost unbearably eerie. Luna’s moonlight couldn’t pierce the thick canopy, so they were completely alone in near-darkness.

“Oh, no...” Twilight fretted. She had gotten out her map and lit a lantern to see it properly. “We were supposed to get out of the plains to the Splashing Streams by tonight, but, judging by the flora, we’re... somewhere in the North Indecidious Forest. It’ll take days to get back on track.”

Celestia’s horn lit up. “We have to get out of here. I think we can all agree on that.”

“But... But what just happened...?” Centime asked, his mind unable to compute the recent turn of events.

“Discord teleported us, and we have to find a place to set up camp before suns-... Well, I guess it’s too late for that,” Celestia admitted, glancing upward. The moon was impossible to see through the canopy, which made her slightly uneasy. “Let’s see if we can find a way out of the forest.”

Dash nodded, igniting her mane and casting a wavy rainbow light over the woodlands. They began to journey on.

The trees seemed infinitely tall, and the group felt infinitesimally short. This forest was picked for a reason, Twilight thought as she looked up at the shadowy tree limbs. Something about it makes me want to crawl into a hole and cover my eyes. She shivered in the chill of the wind.

“Listen, it could be worse,” Dash said. “I don’t get why you’re all so creeped out. It’s just a forest.”

“Dash is right, girls,” Celestia agreed. “If we waste our time thinking about how awful the forest is, we’ll be twice as slow getting out of it.”

Applejack nodded. “Let’s jus’ keep our heads in the game.”

They walked forward. Twilight pulled Celestia aside for a moment and asked quietly, “You were looking funny at Centime earlier. Why was that?”

Celestia shook her head. “Nothing.”

“Well, it had to be something, P-... Celestia,” Twilight shook her head in frustration. Why can’t I remember not to say Princess? she muttered to herself. “Anyway, if there’s something bothering you, you should probably tell me. It’s not safe for us to keep secrets from each other.”

“I know,” Celestia muttered. “Just give it a rest for now. We’ll talk once we’re out of the forest.”

Twilight sighed. Is Celestia keeping something from me that I ought to know? “Okay, Celestia.”

Pinkie, bubbly as always, was bouncing down the path with enthusiasm, her bright blue irises shining despite how dire the situation seemed.

“Pinkie, don’t you think you should conserve your energy?” Rarity asked.

“This is me conserving my energy, silly,” Pinkie chirped. She shivered in the cool wind. “Brr! It’s chilly out here.”

“Celestia, do you think we should set up camp now?” Rarity asked.

“Of course! I must have forgotten,” Celestia said. “It’s my first adventure in a long time; I guess I got carried away.”

“How long’s it been?” Dash asked. “I mean, since your last adventure... thing.”

Celestia rubbed her chin in thought. “Well, I don’t remember exactly, but well over one thousand years.”

“What was being possessed like?” Pinkie asked.

“In all honesty, it wasn’t fun,” Celestia sighed. “But I wasn’t possessed for the whole time; I just couldn’t control most of my actions. It was like a steady decline that ended with me becoming the Daymare.”

“We should probably get some sleep before we go on. Is here a good place to set up camp, Celestia?” Twilight asked.

Celestia asked, grinning slightly, “You don’t really have to ask me for everything, do you?”

Twilight nodded, slightly embarrassed, when she heard a voice call out from behind, “Hey! Anypony there?”

They turned around to see a familiar light brown, red-maned unicorn stallion with goggles strapped to his forehead and a hind legs tied to a high tree branch with a strong rope.

“Oh, thank all that’s heavenly and good, you found me!” He moaned, pain apparent in his voice.

*******

“Olly?!” Pinkie exclaimed, struggling not to burst out with laughter. He looks ridiculous!

“I’ve been hanging up here for the last half hour or so!” Olly complained. “I had just put your two tykes to bed when I wake up here in the middle of who knows where!”

Rarity’s eyes widened. “Where are Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle?!” she asked in panic.

“Right here,” grumbled a new voice. Scootaloo’s head was poking out of a nearby rock in the ground.

Dash burst out laughing. “How’d you get there?!”

“Alright, I know it’s hard to take us seriously right now,” Sweetie Belle said, her midsection trapped inside a wide branch and her limbs flailing about in mid-air. “But this is really awkward.”

“I can imagine,” Celestia chuckled. “Just how did you end up like this?”

“You tell me!” Olly exclaimed. “As I’ve previously stated, I’d just gotten Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo settled, which is no easy task, by the way, and the next thing I know, I’m hanging upside down from a tree!”

Applejack stood under Olly and looked up. “Well, ain’t that a sight. They got ya hogtied real good there, Ah see.”

“What an astute observation,” Olly said impatiently, folding his front legs.

Celestia tested her wings. “Immortality has its upsides. An extremely fast healing speed is one,” she told the group. She flew up and slowly cut the rope keeping Olly captive, though his location unfortunately made him fall about ten feet onto Applejack.

“Oof!” Applejack said as she pushed the light brown stallion off of her. “Watch where yer fallin’!”

Olly shook himself off. “I’ll be more careful next time, Applejack, I promise.”

Twilight giggled; she couldn’t help it. “So that’s that? You’re not upset or anything?”

“Well, I’m a bit teed off at whoever did that,” Olly muttered, “but no harm, no foul. So, what’s the adventure this time? The holy flail, or a ‘Mystical Rod of Whatnot?’”

“Ugh, I don’t even want to talk about it,” Dash muttered, helping Celestia chip Scootaloo out of the teen’s stone prison. Celestia was using magic to crack the stone open and Dash was removing the leftover debris. After Scootaloo was free, Celestia flew up and gently removed Sweetie Belle from her branch.

“That was one of the stranger things I’ve seen,” Celestia remarked. “But I’m okay with more additions to the group.”

Scootaloo sighed at her dusty and dirtied pelt. “Any chance of me getting a shower? I have mud, well, pretty much everywhere.”

Dash raised an eyebrow. “I think you’ve been staying with Rarity too long, Scoot. Just what has she been teaching you over there?”

“There’s nothing wrong with cleanliness!” Rarity hmph

“We could probably find a stream or something when we take off tomorrow,” Twilight suggested. “Until then, we’re probably better off getting a good night’s rest.”

They prepared for a peaceful night in what would have been a scary forest. It’s strange, Fluttershy thought. Until we found Olly and the others, it was really frightening to be here. The three of them always seem to brighten our day.

I hope they’ll be safe travelling with us, Rarity sighed as Sweetie Belle laid down next to her. We always do have a knack for attracting trouble.

=====================================================================

*******

Twilight forced herself awake. Something didn’t feel right. A steady pulse moved through the air periodically, but that wasn’t what had jolted her upright. No, it was a different, more disconcerting feeling--the feeling that somepony’s eyes were boring into the back of your head.

Well, in truth, that wasn’t the only feeling that made Twilight panic a bit. She didn’t have any idea where she was, either.

It was like the dream dimension where she had visited Verba, only much, much less stable. The ground was made of solid water that was somehow still in liquid form, as if Twilight was merely standing in a puddle instead of the ocean she could see beneath her hooves. Columns of water that were once spiraling up into an endless sky were completely frozen in time--that is, to say, most of them were.

Some sped by at speeds so fast that they knocked Twilight backward, and others appeared only for a moment before vanishing again. Gravity, too, was different--Twilight felt that she was standing on a constant slope no matter which way she turned.

I can’t be awake, she thought, taking a few steps forward, though she did so carefully because she didn’t know whether the ground was solid or not. She stepped by a motionless column of water and glanced at it for a moment, but she did a double-take, because the pillar was a perfect mirror--even though the water was falling down with the force of a waterfall, she somehow could see herself with great clarity.

The eerie twist to this mirror, though, was that she lacked a horn--she was a simple earth pony. She flinched away from the mirror just in time, for just as she averted her eyes, she thought she saw the reflection struck down by an unseen foe.

Twilight tried to ask, Verba? but her throat was clogged. Her lips moved, but no sound came out. She was mute, even when she tried to cough.

This is no dream, Twilight thought, shivering. This is a nightmare. It’s a nightmare I can’t control, either, she thought as she tried to eject herself from the dimension to no avail. This is somepony else’s nightmare. Or maybe it isn’t a dream at all--maybe this is somewhere in between dream and reality. Or between dream and something else. But what else is there? A deeper dream? ...Death?

She hesitantly glanced at another column. This one reflected Dash, with a bright smile on her face--however, her wings were bloodied and torn, hanging useless at her sides. Twilight quickly averted her eyes, forcing the image out of her mind. Yep. Definitely a nightmare. But... It’s weird, because usually in nightmares, there’s something out to get you. Something you fear that’s coming for you. But all I’m seeing are things I’ve never thought of before. I don’t want them to happen, but... what’s the point? Is this my mind sending me a warning? Is it Obsidian?

A pillar of water, this one horizontal, plowed by and took Twilight’s legs out from under her. She yelled a swear and tried to say, I’m trying to think, okay! but, once again, no words came out.

I guess I just have to look at the other columns, Twilight thought. She glanced at the nearest one. It showed Sweetie Belle. She looked normal, but there was something off about her that Twilight just couldn’t place. Something not as obvious as the other images. Twilight tried to figure out what, but after a few minutes gave up and moved onto the last pillar. She caught a brief glimpse of an orange pelt--probably Scootaloo’s--before the watery floor came out from under her.

The water was unfathomably cold, and Twilight was unconscious in about a second.

=====================================================================

*******

Twilight shot awake, gasping for breath. That wasn’t an ordinary, ‘Hey, see you tomorrow, but you got to go now’ from Verba. That was a like him kicking me off a two-story building. I don’t think he would do that...

Celestia trotted over, concerned. “Twilight? Are you alright? Why are you up so early?”

“I think I’m fine,” Twilight answered, seeing that the sun was just barely beginning to peek from between numerous tree trunks. She got up and said, “I just had a... really strange dream.” Well, that’s not a total lie, she thought, pausing. I’ll tell Celestia about it once I figure out who’s sending me the messages. If it’s not Verba, well, that could be bad. She looked up at Celestia. “I know we’re not out of the forest, but I really think that you should tell me if there’s something wrong. Are you upset about something?”

Celestia looked away. “Twilight... It’s really hard to talk about it, okay? Do we have to?”

“No, but if you don’t tell me it’s probably going to come back to bite us later,” Twilight pointed out. “What’s been bugging you, Celestia?”

Celestia didn’t answer.

“Celestia, if we’re friends, then you can tell me anything,” Twilight reassured. “Please.”

“Not this, Twilight,” Celestia said. “Not this.”

“Stop being stubborn,” Twilight persisted, starting to get a bit frustrated. She stepped in front of the sun goddess. “I don’t want to pull rank on you, but I will if I have to. You shouldn’t be hiding anything from me, Celestia.”

Celestia smiled wistfully and closed her eyes for a moment. “Twilight... I wasn’t always Celestia, the sun goddess, the protector of Equestria. I’m only a few thousand years old. But the reason that I’m wary of Centime is because, well, I’m afraid,” she admitted.

“Why?” Twilight asked. “He’s just a foal.”

Celestia sighed. “Deception now has a body that can shape-shift, and I’m worried that Centime might be the form she’s chosen, that’s all. I’m just being careful. Deception isn’t somepony to underestimate, and I don’t want to make a rookie mistake.”

Twilight nodded. “I guess you’re right, we should be on the lookout. Centime’s appearance is awfully suspicious. But you have to keep in mind, Celestia, that if he really is just a foal... we can’t just throw him aside or treat him badly. He’s had a really nasty trip here, and we don’t know what he’s been through.”

“You’re right,” Celestia agreed. “It’s just that I’ve been a little paranoid lately.”

“You don’t have anything to be afraid of, Celestia; you’re immortal. I’m the one that has to worry about this mission,” Twilight said. “You can just find other Elements of Harmony later on.”

Celestia nodded. “I guess you’re right.”

Twilight smiled. “See? It’ll be fine.”

“I hope it will,” Celestia sighed. “Anyway, I could fly up and search for a nearby town, and then we can drop Centime off with the locals for the time being. That should be easy enough.”

“Right,” Twilight agreed. “Also, Celestia?”

“Yes?” Celestia replied.

“Where are we?” Twilight inquired.

Celestia thought for a moment. “Honestly, I can’t tell Fillydelphia from Manehattan...” she trailed off, embarrassed.

“Don’t be upset about it. It’s not like I know where we are, either,” Twilight said. “I just thought you might know Equestria more than I do. You’ve been here a lot longer than I have, after all.”

“So I’m supposed to know the country I rule inside and out?” Celestia snapped. She shook her head. “I-I’m sorry, it’s just that-”

“Celestia, why do you think you’re going to hurt my feelings every time you get upset?” Twilight asked.

“...Because I have a hard time controlling myself,” Celestia eventually said. Something caught her eye.

“What’s wrong?” Twilight finished.

Celestia stood up and walked over to Centime’s sleeping bag. It was empty, and small tracks were trailing away from camp. “Looks like we have a runaway.”

=====================================================================

[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This story takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
Please let me know if a link doesn’t work.

Chapter Five

Chapter Five

*******

A pony shrouded in darkness appeared outside a decrepit castle. Rusted metal and curly spikes jutted from the ground. The pony watched his step as he carefully traversed through the winding passageways of the ruins toward a central point.

If Hate called this meeting, it must be important, he thought as he made his way to his destination. He walked into a clearing, his hooves stepping onto one of several metal bridges that supported an ancient iron structure in the center of the circular canyon.

A fountain was at the center of the temple. A black gem hissed and fizzled at the top of the rusty fountain, and smooth, oily water flowed from it. A yellow pegasus mare with a fiery dark and light orange mane was washing her hair in its thick, foamy waters.

“Hate,” the pony hissed. “We do not take baths in the waters of the Lock.”

The pegasus, Hate, turned around and revealed her slitted indigo eyes. “Are they your sacred waters, Envy? Huh? Are they?” she challenged, glaring over her shoulder threateningly.

The pony, Envy, backed down. “Sorry.”

“Remember, I have to be all nice and grimy for my grand appearance. Deception told me her target is especially fond of this body, so my two choices were extra girly or extra dirty,” Hate explained, drying off her sopping mane.

“Hmph,” Envy snorted. “I suppose it’s obvious which one you picked.”

“No duh,” Hate muttered.

“So why did you convene this big and important meeting of yours, hmm?” Envy asked.

“‘Cause I wanna know when I get free rein on those Elements of Stupid,” Hate said.

A unicorn teen with a magenta coat and a purple and white mane hopped out of a mid-air portal. She landed gracefully on the uneven metal surface with Envy and Hate. Her slitted eyes were a striking blue in color, and she was surprisingly well kept and beautiful. She walked toward the group with a smug look on her face. “Glad to see I’m not the only one here. It’s creepy coming to the Lock all alone.”

Envy smiled. “Good to have you with us, Arrogance. How do you like your new body? I picked it specifically for you.”

“Oh, thank you soo much!” Arrogance said, her sinister grin stretching from ear to ear. “This is just the best body ever. Makes me almost sad I took it; the girl could have made an excellent apprentice.”

“I have her friend, Silver Loon or something, in storage, too,” Envy added. “She’ll make a good backup if you get your body beat up.”

“You possessed her right in front of her friend, didn’cha?” Hate sighed. “Jeez, Arrogance, don’cha have any decency? She’s just a kid, y’know.”

“Like I care. She’ll be dead in a few days or so anyway,” Arrogance shrugged. “Besides, brats like her don’t deserve to live. At least I’m trying to do something productive.”

“I guess,” Hate said.

A bright orange portal opened up in the ground beside the group, and a maroon unicorn stallion with a chocolate-colored mane stepped out of it.

“Guilt!” Hate exclaimed, running over and giving the stallion a high-hoof. “What’s shaking, bro?”

Guilt shrugged, but didn’t say a word.

“Nothin’ much? Aight, I’m cool with that. And nice job taking care of the Elements of Dumb the other day,” Hate grinned, giving Guilt a friendly shove.

Guilt smiled, but remained mute.

“Yeah, I know, but I gotta practice this character for now. All part of the show, right?” Hate asked sheepishly.”

“Deception’s taking her sweet time,” Envy observed.

“Always does, always will,” Arrogance grumbled, using telekinesis to levitate a comb and brush her hair. “Can’t we just start without her?”

“No can do, sis,” Hate said. “The reason I made this entire meeting thing is to get Deception’s ‘Free-reign’ approval stamp. Then I’ll be all over those little pests.”

“Ugh, why did you choose today to be especially annoying?” Arrogance complained.

“‘Cause I can,” Hate answered simply.

A thick, yellow energy crackled above the fountain. A hazy black form tried to materialize, but it was undefined and wavy. “Greetings,” the form whispered. “I trust you are all well?”

“Look, Imma get to the point, Decepty,” Hate said. “What I wanna do is make the Elements of Ugly wish they’d never set foot in our territory again. Plain and simple. I’m all gussied up for the occasion, too, so let me show them what you mean when you say ‘Fear us,’ or whatever.”

“Granted, just make sure you don’t strain yourself,” the hazy form of Deception said. “As for the rest of you, I want no interference on your part. Ivy, are you recovered?”

“Don’t call me that!” Arrogance hissed. “Have you forgotten our agreement? And of course I’m ready; do you seriously expect anything less?”

“My apologies. It’s just th--” the vision fizzled out for a moment before refocusing. “Confound this connection. That annoying spell of theirs keeps me from properly utilizing my abilities.”

“Well, that’s gonna be history once Celestia’s gone,” Hate said. “Anyway, Guilt’s readied the cast. Discord is prepping the stage. All you have to do is give the actor his cue.”

“Your clearance is going to be limited to torture for now. Make them wish they were never born. However, killing them will come later, I assure you,” Deception finished.

“Ugh, whatever,” Hate rolled her eyes. “This better be worth it, though. I’ve been waiting for this payoff for five thousand years.”

“I am aware,” Deception said sternly.

Hate vanished in a puff of smoke. Envy coughed and tried to brush the soot off her face. “I keep forgetting not to stand so close to him.”

“As for you, Envy, I wish to see you in Canterlot as soon as possible. There is something you and I need to discuss. I bid you all good day,” Deception finished, her signal dissipating.

“I wonder what that’s about,” Envy thought aloud.

“Probably to discuss your complete and utter failure as an Element, but we all knew you had that coming to you,” Arrogance mused, covering her grin with a hoof.

Envy shot her a glance, then vanished. Guilt’s eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion, probably of Deception’s motives, but he simply re-opened a portal and leapt through it.

Arrogance shivered in the cool wind, and glanced around at the rusty iron and broken chain links that characterized the Lock. She adjusted her mane, pulling a few locks of purple hair back behind her ear. “Yeah... It’s still pretty creepy,” she muttered to herself, opening a dark gateway and vanishing through it.

=====================================================================

*******

“What do you mean, Centime’s gone?” Rarity gaped.

“I mean, he ran away,” Celestia growled, gritting her teeth. She swore and said, “I should have chained him to the tree!”

“N-Now, Celestia, don’t overreact...” Fluttershy began. “He couldn’t have gotten far. I think we should go search for him as soon as possible.”

“We’ll go look for him,” Scootaloo said, motioning to herself and Dash.

“Sure you’re fast enough?” Dash asked, nudging Scootaloo playfully.

“Pretty sure,” Olly said, motioning to Dash’s wings. “You still can’t fly, y’know.”

“This isn’t a game!” Rarity hissed. “There is a foal somewhere out in the wilderness and he could have gotten hurt, or worse, dirty!”

“Okay, okay! We’ll get going right away,” Dash said. She tried to take to the air, swore, and then took off on hoof. Scootaloo departed as well, headed the other direction by wing.

“We should split up so we can cover more ground,” Applejack suggested.

“That’s just what Discord wants,” Celestia warned. “Dash and Scootaloo would be fast enough to escape most trouble, but if we’re going to search on hoof, we need to travel as a group. Let’s pack up camp as fast as we can, then we can get moving.”

“I think he went this way,” Olly said, pointing to the small tracks on the ground in the direction Scootaloo had taken off. “The ground’s soft, which is lucky for us. We should be able to track him down in, eh, maybe an hour or two, give or take.”

Celestia nodded. “Let’s move.”

They hurriedly bundled their gear together and followed the tracks Olly had pointed out. They, surprisingly, led into lighter, thinner sections of the forest.

Centime is either a really smart little colt, or a really lucky one, Celestia remarked as she saw her light begin to break through the canopy. After examining the newest trail, Celestia turned back to the group and said, “We’re close. These tracks are a lot fresher.”

They continued for a few more minutes, following the tracks until they abruptly stopped.

“And then they vanished. Perfect,” Olly muttered.

“Is there another way he could have gone?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Celestia’s eyes darted around, trying to see where Centime’s trail continued, but her efforts were fruitless. She moaned in exasperation. “I just can’t win today!”

“We don’t have any choice but to split up,” Twilight said. “We might never find him otherwise.”

“I know,” Celestia said. She pawed her hoof on the ground angrily. If I ever see that stupid little foal again...

=====================================================================

Scootaloo was racing through the forest, scanning the ground for Centime. She used her frictionless hooves to slide up trees and skim the ground, taking to the air only when necessary. It allowed her to fluidly move through the forest without having to concentrate and make sure she didn’t run into a pine tree and get the usual mouthful of sap.

Spotting a little green lump deep in a crevice, Scootaloo skidded to a halt and turned around. She heard a whimpering noise, and as she drew closer, she recognized it as Centime’s.

*******

She slowly approached him, but his eyes were still as full of hate and fear as usual. “Go’way,” he mumbled.

“It’s just me,” Scootaloo said, offering her hoof. Centime was about a meter down in a muddy crack, with a fresh cut on his cheek. He refused her hoof, though, and instead shrunk deeper into the pit.

“I said, go away!” he rasped, his voice hoarse.

Scootaloo was confused. “Why are you even here, anyway?”

“So that you wouldn’t find me, and...” Centime shivered. As Scootaloo studied him in greater detail, she saw that he was pale, and his eyes were glossed over.

“And?” Scootaloo prompted.

“And... And I don’t wanna go anywhere,” Centime finished.

Scootaloo felt a twinge of frustration, but let it pass, thinking, Maybe the only way to get him to stop being so stubborn is to be stubborn, too. She laid down next to the ditch and continued to offer Centime a way out.

She sat there for a few moments, staring into Centime’s eyes, before asking, “Well? You can’t stay here forever.”

“I’m. Not. Leaving,” Centime said firmly, turning his head to the wall.

“Well, I’ve got news, Centime: Neither am I,” Scootaloo stated. “I’m not going to leave until you say why you’re in this hole, for real.”

“...b-because I just wanna be alone. Forever,” Centime whispered. Though he tried not to show how upset he was, his quivering voice gave it away.

Scootaloo was crushed. For a moment, she was unsure how to respond, but she finally said, “Centime... don’t do this. We can help you.”

“Y-You can’t,” Centime mumbled. “Just go away and defeat the bad ponies... I don’t care anymore.”

“...I’ll kick those bad ponies right back where they belong,” Scootaloo promised, “but I can’t do it without you. Let me help you, Cent. You deserve better.”

Centime sniffled, shrinking back into the hollow for a moment. When he finally saw that Scootaloo wasn’t leaving, he grasped her hoof, though hesitantly. She pulled him up and hugged him tightly despite the fact that he was covered in mud and icy cold to the touch. Instinctively, she rocked him, and he slowly fell asleep in her embrace. His eyelids closed as he nodded off, more from exhaustion than anything else.

When Dash finally found her, she expected Scootaloo to leap for joy and to celebrate a job well done. She expected a high-hoof and a cheerful attitude.

What Scootaloo said, in a quiet, pained voice was, “Dash... I need help.”

=====================================================================

Over at the stream they had found later in the morning, Dash was treading water while Scootaloo sat motionless at the riverbed.

“C’mon, Scoot, the water’s only cold until you get used to it,” Dash persisted.

Scootaloo slowly poked her hoof into the water, but decided against going in. “I think a bath can wait...” she muttered.

Dash swam over to her. “What’s wrong?”

“Dash...” Scootaloo began. “Can ponies really be monsters?”

“Monsters aren’t ponies, and we’re not fighting ponies,” Dash stated as if it were a simple math problem. “You saved Cent’s life, Scootaloo. Why aren’t you proud of it?”

Scootaloo wiped her eyes. “Because I had to see him, just as he...” She rested her head in her hooves. “I’ve never seen anypony so beat up before. I’ve never seen a pony, especially one as young as him, to just want to... give up.”

“Then why don’t you go, y’know, cheer him up?” Dash suggested.

Scootaloo nodded and stood up, though she didn’t go over to see Centime. She went to her sleeping bag and tried to take a nap, but she couldn’t quite sleep. Olly put a hoof on her shoulder and nudged her gently.

“What’s up?” Scootaloo asked drowsily.

“Oh, the sky, Cloudsdale, a few other things,” Olly said, though his expression was more concerned than jovial. “I heard Centime wasn’t looking too good when you found him.”

Scootaloo shook her head, staring at the ground. “I could have been him... If I hadn’t found the others before Apple Bloom died, I might have just wanted to let go. I’d do anything to see her again, even if it meant... even if it meant leaving behind everything else.”

“It’s hard to lose somepony. It’s different each time, but it still hurts just the same,” Olly said. His eyes lost focus for a second, and he had to blink before they regained their typical sharp and witty light. “You rest up, and don’t forget to tell that big marshmallow pussycat in Dreamland to pay me back by next Thursday.” He tussled her mane for a moment before walking off.

Twilight walked over to Celestia, who was bathing Centime in a shallow pool. What caught her eye, though, was the vapor rising from the little oasis.

“Why is there so much steam?” Twilight asked, feeling the water. It’s warm, she observed.

“I superheated it so that Centime wouldn’t get infected. Hold still,” Celestia insisted while trying to get the dirt out from under Centime’s ears.

“Ow, ow, ow!” Centime flinched away from Celestia’s hoof. “I have a cut there!”

Twilight observed him. Reminds me of somepony. Maybe the child I don’t have yet. She smiled, liking that thought, before realizing what it implied. I hope nopony ever has to go through anything that awful ever again, she thought sorrowfully.

After his bath, Fluttershy bandaged Centime’s most major injuries, which were mostly along his hind leg. The rest prepared for the trip.

“Okay, so, I made a list of things to do,” Twilight said. Her horn crackled and fizzed as she tried to use magic. She yelped in pain, putting both hooves on her temples.

“You have to be a little more careful, Twilight. The Thaumic Incindia is still blocking your magic,” Celestia warned. She used telekinesis to pull a scroll out of Twilight’s bag. “Is this it?”

Twilight nodded weakly.

“Hmm...” Celestia mumbled, taking stock of everything on the list. First aid, bread, celery, rope, umbrellas, raincoats, extra sweaters and socks... “Everything’s accounted for. We should get going as soon as we can.”

Applejack nodded. “Let’s move ‘em out,” she called, slinging a pack onto her back.

The trail was very poorly kept. The group had to slog through the stretches of mud, clamber through rocky paths, and wade through streams as they made their way along the path Twilight had predetermined; the path straight into central Equestria, where they could lay low and hopefully avoid Discord. Tall, snowy mountains lined the horizon.

Twilight approached the front of the line to speak with Celestia. “Celestia, you said that you were only here five thousand years or so. Who raised the sun before you?”

“The Element of Magic did, before the Dark Times,” Celestia explained. “They were literally dark. Without anypony to raise or set the sun and moon, the time was suspended at dawn. Some unicorns tried to raise the sun every now and then, but they were quickly rounded up and put down.”

“What happened to Magic?” Rarity asked, joining the conversation.

“Deception happened,” Celestia said angrily, though she tried not to show it. “Magic was immortal, but there are ways to remove immortality. Deception took Magic and split his body into two parts. I keep one half, and my sister keeps the other.”

“How’d ya get ‘em?” Applejack asked.

“Long story short, Deception gave them to us,” Celestia sighed.

“Wha?” Dash asked. “That doesn’t make any sense!”

“That’s what I thought at first as well,” Celestia sighed, “but she had her reasons. She’s still plotting something; I just have no idea what.”

“Sounds like Deception has a couple screws loose,” Olly observed. “I wonder, what could have driven her to what she’s doing right now?”

“She’s a monster, just like the rest of Discord,” Celestia scowled. “They have no place in this world. Not in the Equestria we’ve grown to know and love.”

They journeyed to the edge of the forest, and the air turned cool and breezy. Far off in the distance, a town could be seen.

“Good. We can finally drop this little tyke off,” Olly said, motioning to Centime.

Centime threw him an indignant glance, but remained silent as they continued. When they finally reached the town, they immediately noticed several things out of the ordinary. One, it was empty. No farmers, merchants, or townsfolk of any sort seemed to be present. The second thing that was out of place was the material the houses were made of.

They looked nice from a distance, but upon closer inspection, they were just cruddy shacks with a straw-like roof. The ground was muddy, but it wasn’t the texture of ordinary mud; it was thin, and the group’s hooves almost sank through it. The homes were identical, as well--as if they had been cut from a cookie cutter.

Celestia rolled her eyes. “Where are you, Discord?”

*******

“Right behind you!” The group snapped their heads around to see Discord, lying on an invisible lawn chair, sipping from a glass of lemonade. The glass portion of the glass slowly drained into the straw, leaving the lemonade seemingly suspended in midair. “I do like a lemonade of glass when it’s hot out, don’t you?”

“Discord? Again?!” Rarity asked. “What in the world compels you to visit us so often?”

“Force of habit,” Discord grinned.

Pinkie tasted the mud. “Chocolate fudge!” She stuck her head into the ground and stuffed herself, pausing only for air.

“Why are you obsessed with food?” Dash asked Discord.

He shrugged. “What can I say? I have a sweet tooth. Or thirty-two.” He studied the town. “Though... this place could use a little sprucing-up, now that you mention it.”

With a snap of his talons, giant plaid crystals sprouted from the ground. Most of the group leapt out of the way, but one of them caught Pinkie by her mane and pulled her upward.

“Whee!” she squealed as she was sent three meters into the air.

“Stop it!” Celestia yelled, exasperated.

“Right you are, Celestia,” Discord continued, throwing the solid chunk of lemonade behind him. When it hit the ground, the bottom started to fizzle, and it rocketed up into the air, exploding high above the group in a burst of poka dots. “I do put on quite a good show, though, don’t I?”

“Ooh...” Pinkie gaped, craning her neck to watch as the light quickly faded away. “Again! Again!”

“Wh-Why are you here this time?” Fluttershy asked, ignoring Pinkie.

“More guiding. More leading,” Discord shrugged. “There’s somepony very special that I want you all to meet.”

“Where is he?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Discord pointed to the ground. “Far down below.”

Suddenly, the chocolate fudge thinned. It began to swirl in a counter-clockwise motion toward a drain the in center of the town. The shacks crumbled and were dragged down into the vortex as the town’s infrastructure gave way. The Elements yelled as they were sucked down the drain. Only Scootaloo and Celestia remained aloft as the rest disappeared beneath the sweet brown liquid. Gasping, Scootaloo dove down the middle of the drain to try and save them.

Celestia glared at Discord. He can’t kill us. Not yet. “I could kill you where you stand, Discord.”

“You could,” Discord began, “provided I was in the middle of singing an opera for some of my most loyal subjects and in no way paying attention to my surroundings, like you did last time. Quite a pity I didn’t get to finish that, by the way. La Coup de Grace is one of my favorites.”

Even as her friends fell, Celestia’s gaze remained locked tight with Discord’s. Eventually, Celestia sighed in defeat and dove down below into the cavern.

“Predictable,” Discord scoffed, rolling his eyes. He sealed up the pit. “She would have been better off up here.”

*******

=====================================================================

Rarity sat up and rubbed her eyes. It’s so dark down here, I can’t see six inches in front of my face, she muttered to herself.

“Is everypony alright?” Celestia asked, lighting up the room with her magic.

They glanced around. Everything seemed to be in order. Surprisingly, the chocolate sauce had vaporized as soon as they landed--each pony’s pelt was as clean and fresh as before.

“Yeah... I guess so,” Scootaloo said, inspecting her feathers.

“You won’t be for long,” the group heard somepony say.

Sweetie Belle yelped as flames lit up the edges of the circular cavern, forcing all of them into the center. A pegasus mare slowly walked into the light.

*******

“Right on time,” she muttered, glaring at them. Her pelt was a dirty yellow with grimy and haphazard wings. Her greasy mane would have been striped light orange and dark orange, but it was hard to see through the utter lack of care. Her slitted indigo eyes and devilish grin could only mean one thing.

“No, no, no!” Celestia screamed. “Not yet!”

“Funny how things never go your way, innit?” the mare laughed.

“I recognize your voice,” Dash squinted. She gaped in shock. “S-Spitfire?”

“Bless her soul,” the mare smirked, putting a hoof over her chest in a false show of faith. “I take it she was a dear friend of yours.”

“What have you done to Spitfire’s body?!” Dash yelled, rapidly getting furious.

“Jus’ the usual thing. Ruin it,” the mare taunted.

Dash was in utter shock and fury. She... She tore apart the body of the best flier in Equestria! Just for fun!

Celestia stared at the mare, fear glistening in her eyes. “It...” she shook her head vigorously. There’s no way to run! No way out...

“W-What do we do, Celestia?” Twilight asked.

Celestia hung her head. “...Nothing,” she finally mumbled.

Twilight looked up in shock. Nothing?! But... we can’t just give up! Can we? Are we up against somepony so powerful we can’t do anything but surrender?

The mare laughed. Her laugh was high and harsh, ending in a sinister giggle as she looked at her prey. “So you know you’re toast this time, ‘Tia,” the mare giggled. “That’s a first.”

“W-Who are you?” Pinkie asked.

“Me? Guess,” the mare dared.

“He’s Hate,” Celestia muttered, falling to her knees. “With powers second only to Vengeance.”

“Right!” the mare, Hate, grinned. “And guess what else, my little Elements of Worthless?”

“Don’t call us that!” Dash yelled.

“What’s to stop me, little filly?” Hate challenged. She flicked her hoof to the left, and tiny sparks danced at Fluttershy’s hooves, biting at her legs. She yelped and tried to evade them, but another psychic blast forced her into the ground, and she writhed as the black sparks stung her like a swarm of angry bees.

“Leave her alone!” Dash yelled leaping at Hate.

Celestia looked up sharply at Dash. “NO!” However, it was too late.

Hate glanced at Dash, and indigo energy shot from her eyes. Dash screamed as the energy tore through her, frying her from the inside out. Dash collapsed on the cavern floor in a fetal position, twitching slightly.

“I may need to tone it down a bit,” Hate observed.

“What did you do to me...?” Dash groaned in intense pain. I feel like I’ve been turned inside out! Ngh... How?

Hate looked up and glared at the group. “So... who wants to go first?”

Twilight looked to Celestia desperately for guidance, but the sun goddess wasn’t all there. She just gave up. This isn’t good!

Hate slowly walked toward the group, forcing them into the heat of the fire. Suddenly, Hate leapt at Sweetie Belle and tore her from the group. Kicking and screaming, the white unicorn tried to escape, but one quick burst of negative energy was enough to subdue her.

“Let her go!” Applejack yelled, trying to pull the dazed Sweetie Belle away from Hate. Hate just turned and stared at Applejack feircely.

Indigo energy crackled from both Applejack and Hate’s eyes. A small stream of blood flowed from Applejack’s ears before the orange earth pony slumped to the floor, unconscious.

“Jeez,” Hate remarked. “Only two of you have realized your Potential? That’s just sad.” She tossed Applejack aside.

Hate glanced at the rest of the group, and they suddenly found themselves slowed almost to a stop, unable to move a muscle. The air grew as thick as syrup, and Twilight was barely able to move. Her thoughts slowed for a moment, but quickly got up to speed as Hate lessened the effect of the spell.

“My little pony, my little pony,” Hate hummed, cancelling the spell on Pinkie and tossing her into the air. Pinkie fell onto the ground with a yelp and a thud.

“Why are you doing this?” Twilight asked in shock. “You... You monster!”

“You mad, Twilight?” Hate grinned. “Good. Get angry!” she yelled, punching Twilight in the face and kicking her when she fell over. The purple unicorn was now dangerously close to the flames, her hair a bit singed.

Hate swung Olly aside and pummeled him into the floor. “Stupid little runt,” Hate sneered, kicking Olly’s midsection.

“Barbarian!” Rarity yelled.

“If I were in your position, sweetcheeks, I wouldn’t be trash talking,” Hate smirked at Rarity, cantering toward her. “‘Cause y’know what? I can do a lot of really nasty things to you, Rarity. Lotsa reeally nasty things,” Hate whispered, leaning in close. “But I’ll settle for this.” Hate spit in Rarity’s eye, and then reversed the paralysis spell on her.

Rarity screeched and desperately tried to rub the spittle out of her eyes while Hate erupted into a fit of giggles.

“Girls get upset over the stupidest things.” Hate wiped her eyes; she was crying from laughing so hard.

What are we supposed to do?! Twilight screamed at herself. I can’t just sit here and let my friends get demolished!

Centime was petrified and crying in a corner next to Fluttershy and Scootaloo. Why is she hurting them? Why?

“This is boring,” Hate complained. “That’s what I hate about you Elements of Bogus. It’s always unfair one way or the other.”

“Y-Yeah? Well you just wait, mister!” Fluttershy exclaimed. “Once I’ve realized my Potential, y-you’re going to w-wish you’d never messed with us!”

Hate turned suddenly to face Fluttershy, her eyes deathly serious. Hate slowly walked toward the now terrified yellow pegasus. “Y’know what?” Hate asked. “You wanna go head-to-head, Flutters? I’m game.”

Hate swatted Centime and Scootaloo away, looking at Fluttershy with murder clearly showing in her eyes. Fluttershy was trembling with fear.

“I’m going to let you know something right now,” Hate snarled, gritting her yellowed teeth. “Grass grows, birds fly, sun shines, and you know what, Kindness?” Hate asked, getting so close to Fluttershy that their snouts were touching. “I will never. Stop. Killing you!” Hate hissed.

Fluttershy was crying now, unable to stop the tear flow. Her mind went completely numb with fear.

Hate backed up, still glaring at Fluttershy. “Get that through your thick head. Filthy little monster,” she muttered before vanishing.

*******

“Of all the worst things that could happen, this is the worst--possible--thing!” Rarity cried. “She spit in my eye!”

“I feel the urge to upchuck,” Olly said, walleyed.

Celestia drew a shaky breath. “I should have seen it coming. Hate wouldn’t stand idly by while we tried to make our way.”

Sweetie Belle took a deep breath and began to sing. Healing energy spread throughout all of them and repaired their wounds.

Dash stood up suddenly, furious. “Why didn’t you do anything, Celestia?”

“Because there was nothing to do,” Celestia said sadly. “I’ve seen Hate’s power. Without flight or magic, we didn’t stand a chance.”

“But you gave up, Celestia!” Dash barked angrily. “What’s your problem? We could have used your help!”

“What difference would it have made?” Celestia asked. “You saw how easily Hate took you down. His power and experience is unmatched. Even if we could hurt him, which we can’t, he would have easily demolished us.”

“Y’know what the problem is? Your attitude,” Dash said resentfully. “At least I tried to protect us! You just sat there feeling sorry for yourself.” She turned around. “If you don’t think you can protect us, Celestia, we’re better off without you.”

Celestia turned away, hurt.

“Stop this!” Twilight commanded. “Dash, face facts. You were next to useless against Hate and only got yourself hurt. That’s been happening a lot, too. You can’t say you’re better than Celestia if neither of you accomplish anything!”

“None of us are better!” Pinkie blurted. “We’re a team, right? We don’t have ranks; this isn’t an Iron Pony competition! We’re all equal. If one of us fails, th-then we all do! ...Right?” She traced a circle on the ground with her hoof, suddenly unsure.

“Pinkie’s right,” Celestia said firmly. “We’re not fighting Discord to prove ourselves. We’re fighting them to save Equestria.”

“But it doesn’t matter if we can’t even fight them!” Twilight argued. “We’ve been giving it our all, especially Dash and Pinkie, and they just walk all over us every--single--time! It’s like we’re not even there! Celestia, aren’t we supposed to be more powerful than they are? How can we save Equestria when we can’t even hold a candle to Discord?”

“We’ll only beat them if we work like a team,” Celestia elaborated. “So far, we’ve all been fighting as individuals. Unless we act like a team and help each other fight, we won’t get anywhere.”

“...I guess that’s right,” Twilight said. She paused, unsure what to say next.

Scootaloo checked Applejack’s pulse amidst the awkward silence. She’s still alive, somehow. Whatever magic Hate worked on her looked deadly. “Well, what are we supposed to do now?” she finally asked. “Give up and die? Or keep going and die anyway?”

“Discord’s keeping us on a track we can’t get off,” Sweetie Belle mumbled.

“There is something that I can do,” Celestia murmured. “But... it’s risky.”

Twilight turned to the sun goddess. “What is it, Celestia?”

“You know spells that can reverse the damage Guilt has done, right?” Celestia asked. “You just can’t use them because of the Thaumic Incindia.”

Twilight nodded. “Why?”

“I can lend you my immortality for a brief time, about a minute or so. That should be enough to get rid of that nasty spell,” Celestia explained.

Twilight smiled. “Great!”

“Wh-Why haven’t you, then?” Rarity asked.

Celestia sighed. “There are awful side effects.”

“Such as?” Olly asked, rubbing his eyes and looking over.

Celestia paused for a moment, collecting herself. “The only other time I tried was with my sister, Luna. She had a nasty form of lung disease about three thousand years ago. She would survive, but she was suffering a lot. Her immortality is weaker than mine, so we were forced to try and remove her tumor using surgery and intrusive magic. I was upset at seeing my sister in so much pain, so I offered to lend her my immortality for a while. It worked, and Luna’s lungs were back in top condition.

“However, ten years later, something happened that was directly linked to my lending Luna my immortality,” Celestia continued, taking a deep breath. “One of Luna’s lungs suddenly stopped working. It died so rapidly that her immortality wasn’t able to save it. She’s only had one working lung ever since. She’s forgiven me, but I’ve never forgiven myself.”

Twilight bit her lip. “What could happen to me, Celestia?”

“I could give you back your magic now, Twilight,” Celestia began. “However, in a few years, your magic could suddenly disappear. I have no idea what could happen in the short-term, because you aren’t immortal like my sister.”

Twilight looked back at the others. I could give them all back their abilities, but I might be sacrificing my life in the process. A unicorn without magic is a dead unicorn. “It’s probably for the best,” she decided, though something in her gut still pulled her in the other direction. It was the nagging feeling she always got when she knew that she was taking a risk that might not pay off.

“Are you absolutely sure, Twilight?” Olly asked.

Twilight sighed, but nodded. “Well, is there another option? Like Scootaloo said, it’s die now or die later. At this point, we really have to look at the bigger picture. There’s no guarantee that we’re going to survive after we complete this ‘job’ that Discord keeps mentioning, but if we stay in Discord’s grasp, then we’re definitely going to die, or worse. ...I’m ready when you are, Celestia.”

Celestia nodded. “I didn’t want to force this on you. There’s really no predicting if something’s going to happen to you anyway.” The sun goddess stood up. She touched her horn to Twilight’s, and both of them glowed with a powerful aura. A shockwave of energy spread from Celestia’s hooves to her horn and then travelled into Twilight’s body.

Twilight felt very hot, so much that she began to perspire. The purple unicorn began to cough, on the verge of throwing up. She choked up a thick, burning hot black liquid from her throat. Celestia quickly conjured a bowl of water for Twilight to clean her mouth with.

Once the awful taste was out of her mouth, Twilight felt herself slowly revitalizing. She felt energy pulsing through her veins as pent-up magic started to weave its way back into her system. “I feel great!” she smiled. “Thank you, Celestia.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” Celestia said, smiling sadly.

Twilight looked at her battered and broken group. “We have work to do.”

=====================================================================

[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This story takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
Please let me know if a link doesn’t work.
Hate’s laugh.

Chapter Six

Chapter Six

*******

“Okay, that should be the last of it,” Twilight panted, wiping her brow. I’ve never used so much magic all at once, she breathed to herself.

“Ya forgot Fluttershy,” Applejack pointed out weakly. The orange mare was lying on her side, trying to recover from the splitting pain in her forehead.

“Oh, right, sorry,” Twilight sighed.

“You should take a breather,” Scootaloo suggested.

“Gladly,” Twilight said, walking over to the pale yellow pegasus who had fainted shortly after their encounter with Hate. “Right after I heal Fluttershy.”

“Hey, Celestia, can’t you do this magic?” Pinkie asked.

Celestia shook her head, chuckling. “I’ve never had any magical talent. What you saw before was Arrogance’s magic. Raising and setting the sun is just glorified telekinesis; I’m not very good at most other magic.”

“But you’re the sun goddess!” Rarity exclaimed. “You’re supposed to be the most powerful being in Equestria!”

Celestia shook her head. “Sorry, that’s just an old mare’s tale. I’m actually only about five thousand years old. Discord, with Vengeance ruling behind the scenes, reigned over Equestria before I overthrew them. Discord’s rule was chaotic and painful in the countryside, but in the cities it was a reign of complete and utter fear. My sister and I thought we put an end to it, but it’s looking like we haven’t.”

“Um, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked, seeing Twilight’s mane start to fray and split at the ends, as it usually did when she was under extreme stress. Whatever she’s doing, she’s wearing out fast. “Take a break, okay?”

“We don’t have time to rest, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight breathed, flicking her tail anxiously as she worked more magic. “We have to get out of here, and quickly. There’s only so much air.”

She has a point, Dash thought. “Okay, so does anypony have a plan?”

Centime, who was curled up into a tight ball, mumbled something. Scootaloo, who was lying next to him, asked, “What’d you say, Centime?”

“The exit’s over there,” Centime mumbled, pointing to a wall opposite of himself.

“Huh?” Applejack asked. “How can ya tell?”

“The bad pony came from there, so it can’t be as tough as the other walls,” Centime explained, still tightly curled up.

Dash stood up to inspect the wall, tapping on it a few times. “It’s hollow,” she observed, surprised.

Celestia went up next to the wall Dash was by, reared up, and slammed on it with all her force. A series of cracks started to appear in the wall as it broke to pieces, revealing a long tunnel.

“Well whaddaya know,” Applejack chuckled. “Nice find, Cent.”

Centime didn’t respond. Scootaloo nudged him. “Hey, she said nice job.” He sniffled, but didn’t say another word.

He’s really scared, Scootaloo thought. With all that he’s been through, it must be tough. His life must have been hard, even before the war. I... I want to help him.

Pinkie nudged Fluttershy. “Wake up, silly,” the pink earth pony said with a small smile.

Fluttershy shifted, gradually waking up. However, before she opened her eyes, a tear fell down her cheek.

“Pinkie,” Fluttershy cried, “what are w-we going to do now?”

“Keep on keepin’ on,” Applejack said, shaking off her pains and standing up. “Ain’t nothin’ more we need ta do. Now that Twi’s given ya back yer strength, we’ll finally git outta this mess an’ go home.”

“B-But what if Hate c-comes b-b-back...” Fluttershy trailed off, sobbing hysterically. Pinkie bent down and held Fluttershy in her forelegs.

“We’ll fight him off this time, promise,” Pinkie said softly, solemnly. “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

Fluttershy didn’t respond; she was too upset. She received the worst of it, Celestia observed. Hate’s always had a vendetta against Kindness, and unless she realizes her Potential, he’s going to keep torturing her.

Twilight sighed and flopped down onto her back, her magic thoroughly spent. “I need a nap,” she complained.

“We all need a nap, Twilight, and a good long one at that,” Olly muttered, adjusting the straps of his goggles absently. “The way I see it, though, the only nap we’re going to take by just sitting here is a dirt nap. We need to get Fluttershy and Centime back on their hooves and get the heck out of here.”

“I agree with Olly; it’s dirty, dank, and musty in here, and it’s starting to do a number on my pelt,” Rarity said, getting up and dusting herself off. “We shall either leave here with dignity or not at all.”

Scootaloo helped Sweetie Belle to her hooves. The unicorn teen hadn’t said anything since Hate’s rampage. She stared blankly at the floor, her movements clumsy and uncoordinated. I hate to see her like this, but I kind of feel the same way, Scootaloo sighed. I think she’ll be alright, though.

Scootaloo then focused her attention on Centime. “C’mon, Centime, we have to go.”

Centime didn’t answer. Scootaloo sighed. I guess it won’t be that easy. “Are you really just going to sit here the rest of your life? We both know how well that went last time.”

Again, Centime was unresponsive. When Scootaloo poked him, he flinched and grunted, curling up tighter and squeezing himself into the tiniest possible space.

The others were almost prepared to go. Twilight had shaken off her exhaustion and was starting to lead the group down the tunnels, though her eyes were half closed the entire time.

“Hurry, darling,” Rarity told Scootaloo, motioning toward the tunnel.

“I’m trying,” Scootaloo answered. She laid down close to Centime. “Listen, I’ll carry you the entire way through the tunnel and you can squeeze me as hard as you like, but you’ll have to get on my back first. Fair?”

Centime mumbled something and stretched his front legs to the ceiling, finally opening his eyes. “Carry me,” he pleaded softly.

“Um, Celestia?” Scootaloo asked, turning around.

“Yes?” Celestia asked.

“You said you could levitate stuff, right?” Scootaloo proposed.

Celestia walked over. “So he wants you to carry him, right? Wouldn’t it be better if I did?”

“No,” Centime said. “I want Scootaloo.”

Scootaloo shrugged. “Whatever gets us out of here faster.”

Celestia’s horn glowed as she used moderate telekinesis to lift the pale green foal off of the dirty cave floor. Hovering about in midair, Centime flailed his limbs in panic. “Hey!” Celestia giggled a bit, but gently set Centime down on Scootaloo’s back. Scootaloo wobbled a bit at first, but gradually situated the foal on her back.

Centime looked up resentfully at Celestia. “Don’t do that!”

Celestia chuckled and went off to join the rest of the group. Centime settled himself on Scootaloo’s back, digging his head into her mane.

Ack, Scootaloo thought, shifting so that Centime wouldn’t choke her. She started to walk along with the rest of the group out of the tunnels.

Fluttershy was leaning heavily on Pinkie throughout the journey. The gentle mare was torn to pieces. How could anypony be so mean? Pinkie asked herself. Fluttershy’s so nice; she never did anything to Hate. So why does Hate want to hurt her?

Dash forged ahead, and Olly slowly caught up with her. “Hey, slow down,” he complained. He pointed back toward the rest of the group. “They’re falling behind.”

Dash shrugged, but didn’t slow down.

“Hey, what’s bothering you?” Olly asked.

“Nothing, leave me alone,” Dash answered, refusing to make eye contact.

“Well, let me get out my trusty phrasebook...” Olly muttered, using telekinesis to pull a misceleneous gardening tips book out of his disorganized saddlebags. He flipped to a random page and said. “In mare-speak, ‘leave me alone’ appears to mean, ‘something is definitely wrong, and any good friend would ask me what’s on my mind.’” Olly carefully placed the book back in his bags and added, “So, a penny for your thoughts? I don’t have anything on me, but I can pay you back later.”

Dash rolled her eyes. “Look, I’m just a little frustrated, okay? I keep trying to protect my friends, but I can’t even protect myself.”

Olly laughed a bit. “Yeah, I know the feeling. You think you feel useless. I can’t really do anything but sit around waiting for the end, maybe popping in at the right moment to throw a rock or two, at most. At least you try. You’re a warrior, and a good one, at that.”

“But what’s the use if I just throw myself into battle and can’t actually do anything?” Dash asked angrily. “Guilt, Hate, and Deception all have paralysis spells. What am I supposed to do about that?”

“Well, I would suggest you pick your battles. Remember, you went in head-first and without the support of your friends. Pinkie’s undone paralysis before,” Olly pointed out. “Anyway, we’ll be a lot more of a threat now that Twilight’s magical whatnot’s got us back on our hooves. From what I’ve gathered, the Elements of Harmony are really only any use when they work together.”

“...Yeah,” Dash admitted.

“So what I think you should do is stop worrying about it for the time being and focus on what needs to be done, getting out of this cave being the first item on the agenda,” Olly finished. “And you may be the number one Element of Loyalty, but just remember that you can’t be the number one ‘Everything in the World.’”

“Because that would be too easy,” Dash muttered.

Olly paused for a moment before saying, “Y’know what, Dash? You are absolutely right.”

Meanwhile, Scootaloo was having a lot of trouble keeping pace with Centime attached to her back, but the foal refused to budge despite the others offering to carry him.

He’s a little clingy, Centime, Celestia muttered to herself. I wonder where he’s from. I wonder if he’d talk about it. “Hey, Centime, where are you from, exactly?”

Centime shifted a bit to face Celestia. “Manehattan.”

Celestia whistled. “Wow, that’s a ways away. How did you get out in the wild all on your own?”

“I told you, the bad ponies took me,” Centime said, once again burying his face in Scootaloo’s mane.

Scootaloo wiped her brow. This is really tiring, she complained to herself. How much longer is this tunnel?

“Actually, Ah’m curious, too,” Applejack said. “What was life like back in Manehattan?”

Centime shifted. “Normal,” he said.

“What were yer parents like?” Applejack asked.

Centime didn’t answer. Maybe I stumbled on a tricky subject, Applejack thought. “Ya don’t have ta tell me if ya don’t wanna,” Applejack said.

“The first thing I remember,” Centime began, “Is seeing Mom smiling at me, and saying some things. My only other real memory before meeting you all... is seeing dad get taken away by bad ponies.”

“Centime... who are the bad ponies?” Celestia finally asked.

Centime wiped his eyes. “Anypony who works with the pony that took my mom away.”

Celestia paused for a moment, but gradually turned back to the path. I’m not sure what to make of him. I’m really not.

Rarity walked next to Sweetie Belle, who was still mute as she marched through the dim tunnels. “Are you alright, darling?”

Sweetie Belle didn’t answer. She just kept walking. She hasn’t said a word since her song, Rarity remarked worriedly. I wonder what’s going on in her head.

“Why am I still alive, Rarity?” Sweetie Belle asked suddenly.

“Um...? Why not?” Rarity laughed a bit.

“They could kill us all if they wanted to,” Sweetie Belle began with a total lack of emotion, “but we’re not useful to them like you are. Why have they kept us alive?”

Rarity sighed. “I... I don’t know, Sweetie Belle.”

“It’s because the Elements of Discord want to use us as punching bags,” Twilight sighed. “With your ability, Sweetie Belle, they can knock us down as many times as they like and we’ll just keep coming back for more. They can send us to the brink of death and know that we’ll be up and running an hour later.”

“That’s sick and cruel,” Dash muttered. We don’t mean anything to them...

“Why are they so mean to us?” Fluttershy asked. “They’re going out of their way to make us miserable, but why?”

“Because they’re ignorant and evil,” Celestia said firmly. “They’ve been trying to plunge Equestria into a state of chaos longer than even I know. For thousands of years, they terrorized Equestria, and I for one am tired of getting beat up by those bullies.”

Fluttershy nodded, but she still looked unsure.

There was a light at the end of the long series of looping tunnels. Twilight and Celestia surged ahead of the group and were the first ones out of the cave.

“Air!” Twilight moaned, collapsing onto the ground, her hooves sprawled out in front of her as she inhaled the sweet scent of nature. It was mid-afternoon, but surprisingly chilly. They were standing in an evergreen forest. Birds sang pleasant songs, and rushing water could be heard from nearby. Foggy mountains surrounded the area and the air was slightly thinner than at sea level.

“Where’re the others?” Celestia asked, turning around and gasping as she saw that the cave exit had vanished behind her and Twilight.

*******

“Pleasant day for a stroll, wouldn’t you say?” Deception began, casually strolling toward them. He was wearing a black fleece sweater. “The weather is nice and brisk, the sun is shining, the leaves have just began fall. Lovely.”

“Back off, Deception!” Celestia commanded. Twilight had leapt up and was standing in a battle stance next to Celestia.

“Well, I was only being polite, Celestia. I can understand if the concept is foreign to you,” Deception grinned. “I’m here to distribute information that you may find necessary for your little quest. That is, if you’ll hear me.”

Twilight glared at Deception. I know we shouldn’t trust her, but I’m curious about what she has to say...

“I’ll take your silence as a yes,” Deception smiled. “The first item on the agenda is that Zecora is absolutely correct in saying that I am somewhere in your group. The second article is that I am also standing in front of you. The third clue is that I, in fact, cannot be in two places at once, and the fourth and final little piece of information is that I am quite possibly lying to you and you aren’t noticing.”

Twilight’s head was spinning as she tried to process all this information. What? My mind is flying in a million directions at once...

“What do you mean?” Celestia asked.

“I mean that I am in your group, yet not in your group,” Deception smirked. “You have a rat, but it isn’t who’s standing here. Or maybe it is. Maybe it’s both. Are you good at guessing games? For your sake, I hope you are.”

“What are you trying to tell us?” Twilight asked.

“Quite simple, really. How about we start with the basics. I’m not you, Twilight, I would assume that’s obvious,” Deception said, leaning in close to Twilight.

They shared a cold stare for a few moments before Deception continued. “I’m probably not Celestia, either, but then again, you never know. I’m neither Dash nor Pinkie Pie since they’ve already realized their Potential, and I can’t possibly be Scootaloo; no, she’s far too important. Far too important, as you will soon find out.”

“Okay...?” Twilight asked.

“Well, that means I’m probably either Rarity or Applejack. Perhaps I’m Olly or Sweetie Belle--who knows, maybe even Centime. Olly has no history, but Rarity is the only pony to intentionally take a life. Centime also has no history; you have no idea where he came from and what he has said may just be lies. Applejack could quite possibly be me because she’s done many an action that directly helps us, such as murdering Saphira,” Deception continued. “Of course, I may also just be making every single piece of information up just to turn you all against each other.”

Celestia gritted her teeth. No, not again.

“Then what are we supposed to do?” Twilight asked angrily.

“I’m quite glad you asked! You have two options. One, you can ignore me, and that would benefit you in the short term because you won’t waste time bickering amongst yourselves. However, I may just kill one of you later when you least expect it. Or, nothing at all will happen and you’ll be a tad lucky. You could also take what I say to heart and potentially root me out--but you’d leave yourselves open to attack from the rest of our forces, and I may not be there at all in the first place,” Deception explained. “You’re in quite a pickle, if I say so myself.”

The gears in Twilight’s head were turning so fast they nearly skidded to a halt. “There’s... nothing we can do, is there?”

“You’re a sharp one, I’ll give you that,” Deception laughed. “Either way, though, it will all go according to plan. I just thought you’d like to be in on this little game. After all, knowledge is power. And about that spell of yours: It’s completely useless. As you know, I can possess somepony without killing them. Ta!” he finished cheerfully before vanishing.

Celestia and Twilight stood there silently for a long time.

Perfect, Twilight muttered to herself. We’re out of one corner just to be pushed into another. And now, Celestia and I have to decide whether to tell the others. I’m not sure how they would react.

I was praying this wouldn’t happen, but it did, Celestia moaned to herself. This is Deception’s grand scheme, and no matter what happens, we’re going to end up working against ourselves. There’s nothing we can do.

The rest of the group ran up the side of the mountain and were excited to finally find their missing members, but they stopped cold when they saw Celestia and Twilight’s expressions.

“What in the hay happened here?” Applejack asked.

Twilight paused. “...Nothing,” she said. “Nothing at all.”

=====================================================================

[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This story takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
Please let me know if a link doesn’t work.

Illustration by Denial.

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

*******

“Look, are you sure everything’s okay?” Dash asked, glancing around as if an Element of Discord might be hiding behind every bit of foliage.

Celestia nodded. “Yes. We were just separated from you for a short time. We thought we heard something; that’s why we were so nervous.”

“Um, okay,” Dash said, still slightly wary. “Anyway, I think it’s time to set up camp. Can you help me with that, Pinkie?”

“Sure thing!” Pinkie chriped. She and the rest of the group trotted away, with Dash in the lead. However, Applejack stayed behind.

“Ya’ll got another thing commin’ to ya if ya think Ah’ll believe that lie,” she said, unimpressed.

Celestia smiled slightly. “To be honest, I’m not surprised.”

“So what’s on yer minds that makes ya look so nervous?” Applejack asked.

Twilight glanced around to make sure nopony was listening. “Deception is playing a mind game with us,” she began. She explained the situation to Applejack. “The worst part,” Twilight said near the end of her story, “is that Deception can possess anypony she wants without killing them.”

Celestia looked at Twilight. “Wait, you really believed that?”

“Huh?” Twilight asked.

Celestia shook her head. “None of the Elements of Discord can fully possess somepony without killing them. My sister and I are exceptions because we’re immortal. Deception lied to our faces, and there’s no telling what other fibs she weaved into that little speech. Anyway, it’s not even a game, because there’s really no way we can win.”

Applejack rubbed her forehead. “Ah’d be lyin’ if Ah didn’t say Ah was a might confused. So, what Ah’m gatherin’ from this is that we’re in it deep, huh?”

Celestia nodded. “That’s the long and short of it. We can’t tell the others, though; I’m not sure how they’d react.”

Twilight shook her head. I was pretty easily fooled there. I’m going to have to be careful.

“How’s about we head on back ta camp, then?” Applejack asked.

Twilight nodded, rubbing her eyes. “That’s probably a good idea. I’m too tired to think straight right now.”

They trotted in the direction their friends had gone.

=====================================================================

*******

Night was falling fast over the small base camp that the group had set up with their remaining supplies. Twilight passed out in her sleeping bag soon after arriving. Rarity was busy grooming herself while Applejack set up the tent poles, and Dash and Fluttershy started draping a tarp over their little area.

“You’ve got to eat something, Centime,” Scootaloo murmured, offering Centime some freshly-picked blueberries and daisy petals. Centime had been gradually weakening yet refused any food the group offered him, despite their constant attempts.

Centime was lying down on his sleeping bag, completely exhausted. “I’m not hungry,” he mumbled weakly.

Scootaloo looked at the ground. She finally asked, “...What do I have to do to get you to eat?”

Centime took a deep breath, and as he exhaled, he looked up at Scootaloo. “Sing... Sing for me, like mom would at bedtime.”

Scootaloo bit her lip, a bit surprised. “Wouldn’t you like Sweetie Belle to sing for you instead?”

Centime moved feebly; he was probably shaking his head. “If you don’t sing for me, I won’t eat.”

Scootaloo sighed, trying to recall the only song she knew. It was the song she’d sung to Apple Bloom the day before she had found Dash and the others, and it was the song nearest and dearest to her heart. Instead of singing it full blast, though, like she usually did, she toned it down and sung as softly and clearly as she could.

“Look, here are three little ponies, ready to sing for this crowd... Listen up, ‘cause here’s our story; I’m gonna sing it very loud... When you’re a younger pony, and your flank is very bare, it feels like the sun’ll never come when you’re cutie mark’s not there...”

As she sang, the nearby Sweetie Belle silently cringed as she realized how awfully out-of-tune Scootaloo was. Some things never change, I guess.

Even before Scootaloo got to the refrain, Centime said, “Okay, okay... I’ll eat; just stop singing!”

Scootaloo’s cheeks flushed, and she said, “Told you Sweetie Belle should have sang.”

“You’re just out of practice!” Sweetie Belle stated, trying to stifle laughter.

“Yeah, yeah,” Scootaloo said, scratching the back of her neck.

“Thanks, though...” Centime trailed off, yawning. He nibbled on the blueberries, but after he realized how hungry he was, he ate more than his fair share of fruits and vegetables, though this relieved the others more than bothered them. Olly was glad to give the foal most of his salad, simply glad that he was actually eating.

Finally satisfied, Centime promptly fell asleep. Scootaloo stroked his black mane, watching him breath in and out. It’s hypnotic, she laughed to herself. I like the little colt. I hope I’ll be able to get him home.

Meanwhile, Rarity was getting slightly frustrated while trying to make herself presentable. “I knew I should have packed that hairspray,” she muttered. This journey has gotten me in dirtier situations than every other test and trial combined. Why can’t adventures take place somewhere civilized?

After setting up the camp, Dash went off into the wilderness to ‘take a breather.’ Applejack was slightly suspicious, but didn’t think very much of it until she realized Dash hadn’t returned after a couple of hours.

It’s not like Dash to just go wandering off like that, she thought, so she must have something else on her mind. She walked over to Pinkie, who was trying to set up a fire. “Hey, Pinkie, ya gotta moment?”

“Sure thing, Applejack. Whaddaya need?” Pinkie asked with a smile.

“Do ya know where Dash went?” Applejack asked.

“Nope,” Pinkie answered. She thought for a moment. “Well, she went off somewhere in that direction, um, I think,” Pinkie said, pointing down an old hiking path.

“Thanks, partner,” Applejack said, adjusting her hat before trotting off along the path. She walked for about five minutes through the dim and rocky evergreen forest. The sun is going down, she observed. I’d better find Rainbow soon.

Applejack heard grunts and splintering wood to her left. She walked toward the noise and found the Element of Loyalty beating away at a tree with her sharp, metal-tipped hooves.

“Rainbow Dash? What’re ya doin’ to that defenseless tree?” Applejack asked scornfully.

“I’m not in the mood, Applejack,” Dash said, continuing to pound away at the weakened plant.

“Ah can see that,” Applejack said, walking over to Dash and gently pulling her away. “What’s on yer mind, sugarcube?”

“Look, I just had this conversation with Olly, so you don’t need to repeat any, ‘Oh, you’re useful. Now that we’ve got our powers back, we’ll win for sure!’ talk. I’ve heard way too much of that already,” Dash muttered, rolling her eyes.

“Well, there’s never a guarantee that we’ll win,” Applejack admitted. “But’cha know what? Havin’ a bad demeanor ‘bout what we can’t change ain’t gonna get us nowhere. Ah understand yer frustrated, Dash, Ah really do, but save yer energy for Guilt and Hate.”

“You have no idea how frustrated I am right now!” Dash yelled, slamming both her hooves against the tree. “It’s like no matter what I do, I’m not worth two bits against Discord!”

“Ya think yer useless?” Applejack laughed slightly. “Lookit me. If yer not worth two bits ‘gainst Discord, then Ah’m-”

“Already heard it, Applejack,” Dash interrupted. “Olly’s gone over it already. Look, Applejack, I know you’re just as useless as I am. But you haven’t realized your Potential yet, and I have! I can’t get any more powerful than I am right now, and it just isn’t enough!”

“Well, Ah can’t say Ah don’t agree,” Applejack admitted. “But why’re ya beatin’ down on yerself? It ain’t gonna git ya nowhere. Jus’ be a lil’ more careful, have a lil’ more patience, and pick fights ya know ya can win. If we work like a team, everythin’ll work out alright.”

Dash sighed. “...Okay, Applejack. If you say so.”

“Aww, how sweet,” a voice from above the duo taunted.

*******

Applejack and Dash looked up to see a unicorn teen with a magenta coat and a white and purple mane. She was grinning smugly while laying in a tree and flipping through a magazine. She looked down upon the group with slitted eyes.

“Who’re you?” Dash asked.

“You don’t remember me?” the teen asked, disappointed. “I thought I was unforgettable, considering what I did to you and your friends.”

“Ya look like one a Apple Bloom’s friends from school,” Applejack observed.

“Well, I was Diamond Tiara. Or, at least my body was,” the teen smirked. “Sadly, the poor girl had to donate it to help our cause.”

Dash’s blood boiled as she realized who she was talking to. Arrogance.

“No particular reason, but thanks for asking,” Arrogance answered, rifling through her magazine.

The two opposing sides were in gridlock for a moment or two before Dash finally asked, “Aren’t you going to do something?”

“Nah, don’t feel like it,” Arrogance shrugged. “What, does my being here set you on edge? I’m not surprised. Anyway, do whatever you want; I’m just keeping tabs on you, is all. And it’s kinda fun watching you squirm.”

Dash was indeed becoming antsy. She beat me to a pulp when she had Celestia’s body, but I’m not sure how powerful she is now.

Arrogance smiled upon the increasingly frustrated Dash. “C’mon, Dashie. Make a move. Let’s see how well you stack up against somepony like me.”

Dash pawed her front hoof on the ground, but she felt a hoof on her shoulder.

“Don’t let this bully get the best a ya,” Applejack warned. She looked up at Arrogance. “Go on. Shoo.”

“Hmph,” Arrogance smirked before returning to her reading.

“Let’s go,” Applejack said, nudging Dash back along the path and departing the scene. They made it back to camp just as the sun set.

“Why’re you back so late?” Scootaloo yawned.

“Just straightenin’ things out,” Applejack said, stretching before falling over on her sleeping bag.

I’m so sick of this, Dash complained to herself before burying herself in her sheets. When are we finally going to get some payback?

=====================================================================

*******

Twilight flinched awake, though she quickly realized she was back in her own dream. The gray, watery atmosphere that characterized it was a relief to see, as was the bundle of runes floating down from above to greet her.

“Hey, Twilight! Long time no see,” Verba laughed. “Jeez, Louise, I had a heck of a time getting to you. That Thaumic Incindia is a real pain in the flank.”

Twilight smiled for a moment, before realizing something: Ponyville was gone. The entire illusion of the town, which she had dedicated weeks of sleep to creating, had simply vanished. “Wh-Where’s Ponyville?”

Verba shook his head sadly, and a couple of runes splintered off from his magical shell. “After Guilt hit you with the antimagic, well, things kind of went screwy in this little world of yours. I figured I might as well get rid of it than have to see what happened to it later on.”

“How screwy?” Twilight asked.

“Well, at one point, Pinkie’s legs became detached from the rest of her body, but still functioned perfectly. At another, a pony was sitting upright on a bench, which is a little weird. For a couple of hours, everypony became crosseyed, and Ponyville almost blew up. And then there was this weird duck that kept appearing everywhere,” Verba explained. “Anyhoo, it got worse before it would have gotten better, so it’d probably be easier to start from scratch than to try and repair that catastrophe.”

Twilight nodded sadly. All that work, just gone in an instant... Oh, well. It’s not like I have much to do in a dream world, anyway. “Hey, before I start, did you see my dream the other night? With all of the water?”

Verba nodded gravely. “Yep. And it didn’t look too pretty. I was actually trying to fight my way through the dreamspace to get to you, but something was blocking me, and I’m not sure what. It might have just been the Thaumic Incindia, but it felt more like an Element of Discord. I dunno.”

“Speaking of,” Twilight began, “how do you think we’re supposed to beat them? They just disable us and then take us down. What are we supposed to do about that?”

Verba scratched the back of his neck, and a couple of green runes fell off it. “Jeez, Louise, Twilight, I don’t have all the answers. I would just suggest you and your friends make a more coordinated effort, s’all. That should probably work out.”

“Oh... Okay,” Twilight mumbled. I was hoping for advice a little more specific, but I guess Verba isn’t a five-star general or anything like that.

For the rest of her dream, Twilight was busy reconstructing a dream; the dream of having a Ponyville devoid of the tragedies the war had forced upon it.

=====================================================================

*******

Later...

The group stood at the base of the tallest mountain in Equestria, Mt. Nevercrest.

There’s not even a guarantee that this is the right one, Twilight grumbled to herself, beginning the climb. But we might as well get started. I know it’s not a coincidence, though, that Discord dropped us off right at the goal he suggested.

It was early in the morning, and thick fog draped over the mountaintop, preventing sight for more than about twenty meters. As the group journeyed upward, they were forced to ponder how they were going to defeat the forces of Discord.

It’s inevitable that we’re going to fight, Celestia thought as she trudged up the mountain. When we do, though, I may need to pull out another one of my dangerous bets. I’ve been making too many of those lately.

I wish we didn’t have to fight, but it looks like I’m going to have to dirty my hooves once more in Harmony’s name, Rarity thought, carefully scaling Mt. Nevercrest. Something occurred to her. “Princess?”

“Celestia,” the sun goddess corrected.

“C-Celestia,” Rarity said, “is it possible for the rest of us to realize our Potential a bit, um, sooner?”

“Unfortunately, you can only realize your Potential and become true Elements of Harmony when Harmony’s under threat,” Celestia sighed. “It’s very difficult to force a realization without killing many innocent ponies. Even then, Potential is sometimes left unrealized. But that’s besides the point; without your necklaces, it’s impossible anyway.”

“That’s rather inconvenient,” Rarity muttered. “Just who decided all this?”

“An ancient little saying my mother told me was that without evil, there would be no good, and vice versa,” Celestia explained. “The Elements of Discord have limitations, too. The biggest one is that Vengeance can’t inhabit an unwilling host.”

“What do you mean by, ‘unwilling?’” Twilight asked. “I’ve heard you say it before.”

“A host that’s alive can fend off Vengeance easily, and Vengeance can’t possess a dead pony like all of the other Elements can,” Celestia continued. “However, Deception can still trick a pony into willingness.”

“How?” Dash asked.

“I can’t really say,” Celestia admitted. “It’s different each time. Deception is the most unpredictable of the Elements of Discord. I might even go as far as saying she’s more bizarre than Discord himself.”

Dash pondered this. Hmm... It looks like we really have our work cut out for us if Deception is really as dangerous and unpredictable as Celestia’s saying.

They continued. Centime was still too weak to walk the entire time, so he alternated between hopping along on hoof and taking naps on Scootaloo’s back.

“Why do you like me so much, Centime?” Scootaloo asked Centime while the foal was snoozing between her wings. “Why not Fluttershy or Rarity?”

Centime shrugged. “You... You remind me of...” he trailed off. Suddenly antsy, he hopped off of Scootaloo’s back.

Huh? Scootaloo thought. “What’s wrong?”

Centime bit his lip. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Scootaloo lowered her voice so that nopony else could hear and said to Centime, “We can’t afford to keep secrets on this adventure. Why are you so nervous all of a sudden?”

“Promise you won’t laugh,” Centime said.

“Promise,” Scootaloo assured.

“Better make that a Pinkie Pie promise!” Pinkie chirped, bounding merrily past them to the front of the group.

Scootaloo recited the oath Pinkie coined, carefully avoiding the part where Twilight almost poked an eye out. “Okay, so what’s up?”

“You remind me of mom,” Centime mumbled sheepishly. “I don’t know much about her, b-but...”

“Why did you think I would laugh at that?” Scootaloo asked. “I’m glad I could be as cool as your mom, Cent.”

“But you haven’t met her, either. How do you know that she’s cool?” Centime inquired.

“Well, you’re her son, right?” Scootaloo smiled, nudging Centime.

They continued for a few minutes before Centime asked, “Have you ever lost a friend, Scootaloo?”

A shadow darkened over Scootaloo’s eyes for a moment as she recalled her past adventures. The moments when she had lost somepony dear to her weren’t memories she liked to recall. “Yeah... twice. I-It’s not something I like to talk about.”

“But I thought you said we shouldn’t keep secrets!” Centime protested, not seeing Scootaloo’s expression.

“It’s not a secret. Ask anypony here; they all know,” Scootaloo sighed. “They were good ponies, both lost to stupid mistakes.”

Noticing the edge in her tone, Centime quieted down, and the two settled into an uncomfortable silence which was interrupted as Pinkie once again approached from the back of the group.

“I thought you went to the front of the group,” Centime said.

“Uh-huh,” Pinkie chirped.

“But you’re coming from the back of the group again, and I didn’t see you pass us.” Centime said.

“Yep,” Pinkie said.

“Then how...?” Centime trailed off. He shook his head. “Never mind...”

Celestia stopped cold, as did the rest of the group.

“What’s up, Celestia?” Dash asked, prodding the sun goddess.

“He’s here,” Celestia muttered. She turned around, looking seriously at Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. “Take Centime and go. Now.”

“But-” Scootlaoo began, but upon seeing Celestia’s intense expression, she scooped Centime onto her back and rushed off behind a rock with Sweetie Belle.

“Am I really that smelly today?” a voice from nearby asked.

*******

It was Discord. He was standing on the rocky ledge, using a fork to eat the thick fog as if it were solid. “Tastes like mashed potatoes,” he smirked. “And you’re right; it has been a few hours since I last took a shower. Have any tears to spare?”

“I’m through with you, Discord!” Celestia yelled, lightning crackling out of her horn toward her adversary.

“Oh, please,” Discord said, unimpressed. He bent the lightning in midair with a snap of his talons and sent it back into its creator, who shuddered as electricity fried her system.

“Celestia!” Twilight yelled, rushing to the sun goddess’s side.

“I learned that nifty trick on a TV show,” Discord sighed. “When will you ever learn?”

“TV show?” Sweetie Belle asked, scratching her head.

“Hmm?” Discord asked, summoning a little book and flipping through it. “Oops. My mistake; I wasn’t supposed to breach the fourth wall until Chapter Thirteen.”

“Quit speaking nonsense!” Rarity commanded.

“Where’s the fun in making sense?” Discord scoffed, turning the pocketbook into a graham
cracker and eating it in one bite. “Anyway, now that I’m ahead of schedule, I do believe a little impairment is in order for you little kindergartners, minus Centime over there.”

Twilight’s horn crackled with intense purple energy. “I’m warning you, Discord! Go away before I unleash my magic on you full force!”

Discord raised an eyebrow in amusement and snapped his talons. A small yet powerful explosion combusted Twilight’s magic and sent her flying backward.

“Magic is a highly flammable biofuel,” Discord said.

Twilight shakily got up, her magic nearly spent. That was stupid. Now we’re at his mercy. But... as if we weren’t already.

“Alright, onto the main attraction!” Discord said, clapping his hands three times. Dainty little snowflakes started to fall as the temperature dropped sharply.

“What, so all you’ve done is drop the temperature a few degrees?” Olly asked. “Big deal!”

Discord smirked and scratched his chin. “Hmm... I wonder what you’d taste like as a popsicle. You’d probably be rather tart.” He vanished.

A cold wind started to blow as the snowflakes increased in size and number.

=====================================================================

[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This story takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
Please let me know if a link doesn’t work.

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

*******

The snowflakes that had begun to fall did not bode well for the travelling heroes.

Dash ignited her mane and Twilight used magic to keep the cold at bay. Celestia spread warm sunlight over the group.

“So what’s the big deal?” Olly asked. “We’re safe and warm. It’s not like a little blizzard’ll stop us, right?”

“The problem isn’t us travelling in the cold; it’s what happens when we eventually fall asleep,” Celestia explained. “We can’t keep our spells running if we’ve dozed off.”

“That means we’d better find some shelter, and fast,” Twilight motioned, looking toward the rocky mountainside kilometers above them. “There ought to be a cave somewhere up there. If not, I can make one.”

“Well, wh-what are we waiting for?” Fluttershy shivered, getting closer to Dash in an effort to absorb more of the blue warrior’s warmth.

Twilight nodded and led the way up the mountain with Celestia. Centime opted to walk for a bit, though he hung close to Scootaloo. The pines and grasses started to thin out with the air as the group clambered up the steepening side of the mountain. The dirt turned to clay before eventually turning to cold, hard stone.

The wind picked up and tossed the group’s manes in various directions, much to a certain white unicorn’s annoyance. The small snowfall rapidly picked up, and the heat from Twilight, Celestia, and Dash was not enough to keep the cold from slowly embedding itself in the heroes’ bones.

“How much longer?” Dash asked, her limbs starting to tire out.

“Just a little further before sunset,” Celestia answered, wiping snow off of her muzzle.

“I should have brought an extra sweater,” Fluttershy mumbled, wiping her nose. She sneezed, a faint ach-hoo. “Oh, dear. I hope I’m not catching anything.”

“If you are, don’t get so close,” Dash said, taking a step away from Fluttershy.

“S-Sorry,” Fluttershy apologized.

“Don’t be,” Twilight said from the head of the group. “I can use magic to get rid of any minor sickness.”

“Don’t go overboard, Twi,” Applejack cautioned. “Magic ain’t gonna solve all yer problems. Sometimes it’s just best ta leave some ailments be.”

“Applejack’s right, Twilight,” Celestia agreed. “Magic, especially potent magic, shouldn’t be taken lightly. One messed-up incantation can turn our eyes into olives, or worse.”

“I know, Celestia,” Twilight said, “but we can’t afford to have anypony on our team sick right now.”

“Um... I’d very much appreciate it if my eyes weren’t turned into olives, i-if that’s alright with you,” Fluttershy said.

“Nopony’s going to turn your eyes into olives, Fluttershy,” Twilight sighed. “That was just a ‘for-instance.’”

“Oh. Thank you,” Fluttershy said.

“How much longer until we can take a break?” Scootaloo asked from the rear of the group.

Twilight looked up at a nearby cliff face. “I should be able to use magic to create temporary shelter,” she said, squinting at the rocky wall above her.

“W-Well hurry, ‘cause m-my tail is freezing off!” Sweetie Belle complained.

“Okay, okay,” Twilight said, motioning for the others to stand back. Hopping up the side of the mountain to her target, she summoned her magic and muttered, “Creo spelunca.”

*******

The side of the cliff glowed as bright white lines carved a ten-meter cube into it, which promptly disappeared, leaving a gaping hole in the mountain.

A large crack, branching off of the hole Twilight had created, wove its way down to her friends. Twilight gasped and yelled, “Look out!”

A large chunk of rock broke off the side of the mountain right where Centime was standing. He tumbled down the side of the cliff.

Scootaloo yelled in panic and flew after him. Rocks and boulders that had started to break off of the side of the mountain threatened to crush the little foal as he curled up tightly and covered his face in an effort to protect himself from the onslaught.

Scootaloo swooped in, dodging multiple obstacles, and grabbed Centime just before a rock would have crushed his head. However, another stray piece of earth cut Scootaloo’s side. Yelping in pain, she forced herself to fly Centime out of the landslide, collapsing on the ground after depositing him to the side. Blood flowed freely from a cut on her midsection, and the stream sliding down her side grew with every frantic beat of her heart.

Twilight went over to try and move Scootaloo, but the teen yelped in pain when her leg was touched. Centime tried to push Twilight aside, but he was too feeble. “You’re hurting her!”

Celestia used telekinesis to lift Centime out of Twilight’s way, but he kicked and screamed in midair, desperately trying to get back to Scootaloo. “No! No! Stay back!”

“Help me hold him down!” Celestia commanded, setting Centime on the ground and promptly restraining him.

*******

“Mama!” Centime screamed, though he wasn’t looking at Scootaloo. He yelled that single word over and over again, even after Twilight had healed Scootaloo, who had softly fallen unconscious.

Centime eventually fell into slumber, though his rest wasn’t peaceful. His tears dried on his cheeks as he slowly curled into a tight ball, unwilling to open up, even to Fluttershy. Unwilling to get up even for a moment, the only way to properly move him was with telekinesis.

After Twilight set Centime down softly in the cave she had created, she asked, “How did he end up like this? He’s so upset all the time; he’s always crying.”

“I know,” Sweetie Belle agreed sadly. “How could anypony ever be this sad, or this angry? He’s so young, too.”

“Wish Ah knew,” Applejack said, spreading her sleeping bag along the moist floor and draping a tarp over the entrance to the cavern. It threatened to blow away, at first, but after a few minutes it was safely fastened in place. Twilight conjured some firewood and allowed Dash to light it near the back of the small cavern, providing light as well as much-needed heat.

Celestia gazed at Centime and bit her lip. “Twilight?”

“Yes, Celestia?” Twilight asked.

“There’s a spell we could use to look through his memories,” Celestia offered. “It’s very strong, but you should be ready. If we knew what was causing Centime so much pain, we might be able to help him out of it.”

Twilight looked toward her saddlebags, which contained her spellbooks. I’m not sure... I’ve seen that spell before, and some of the written side effects are nasty. “Do you think that’s really necessary, Celestia?”

Celestia sighed. “If Centime keeps this up, he’ll really slow us down later. We need to know how to make him trust us.”

“...Well, if you say so, Princess,” Twilight relented, pulling a tattered book out of her bags and setting it down in front of Centime. She sat down next to it, quickly flipping to a specific page and reading the incantations aloud. She focused all her remaining magical energy on Centime. “Patitur me sentire poena de Centime.”

Celestia looked up. That sounded a little off...

However, it was too late to stop the spell. Twilight’s eyes glowed as her mind entered Centime’s.

=====================================================================

The first thing she saw was the side of a crib. Frustrated, Twilight tried to escape her infant prison, shaking the bars and calling for somepony. A bright orange earth pony walked into the room, a cheery smile on her face. Her mane was both red and yellow, in a checkerboard pattern.

The earth pony silently picked Twilight up, carefully placing her on her back. “Shh,” she cooed. “Mama’s got you.” Twilight tightly clung to her neck, burying herself in her mother’s mane.

Twilight abruptly found herself back in her crib, calling for her mother once more. The orange mare once again returned, but this time she was shrouded in darkness. Confused, Twilight asked, “Mama? Why do you look funny?”

Twilight backed away from her mother’s newly slitted eyes before abruptly falling unconscious.

She woke up in a strange place. She was in a giant golden city, with platinum skyscrapers and streets paved with silver. She felt a hoof on her shoulder, and looked up to see a light brown unicorn stallion with a hazy red mane. Twilight began to yell for help, but the stallion quickly covered her mouth.

“Shh! Quickly, come with me,” the stallion commanded, hustling Twilight into a nearby building and practically dragging her into the basement.

The stallion, along with several others, greeted Twilight with, “Welcome to the Resistance!”

Twilight’s surroundings morphed into a dingy cell. The stallion that had dragged her off of the streets was sitting next to her, and he quickly murmured, “Never forget, Centime. Never forget what they’ve done to you and I. I don’t know if you’ll remember me after this is all over, but I’ll always remember how brave you are. You’ve been like a son to me.”

Twilight nodded, wiping tears off of her cheek. “What’ll h-happen to you?”

The stallion shrugged. “Dunno. It’s not going to be pleasant, though.”

Twilight began to cry, but the stallion nudged her.

“Hey, Centime. Chin up,” the stallion smiled weakly. “We’ll see each other again. You’re clingy like that.”

Twilight silently watched as the stallion was dragged off by a dark turquoise unicorn. She poked her foreleg through the iron bar, reaching out to him. “Dad...”

=====================================================================

Twilight gasped as she broke out of the spell. Trembling, she buried her head in her hooves and sobbed.

Fluttershy rushed over and put her wing over Twilight. The others were soon nearby.

“What did you see, Twilight?” Dash asked.

Twilight tried to answer, but no words escaped.

“Give her a minute,” Celestia said.

It took much longer than just a minute. For the spell’s duration, Twilight shared just a few of Centime’s memories, but his thoughts and emotions during those particular memories were enough to reduce her to pieces. It took almost half an hour for her to calm down into a rational state.

“What did you see, Twilight?” Celestia asked softly.

“It wa-wasn’t what I s-saw,” Twilight stuttered, wiping her eyes. “It was what I f-felt. I f-felt fear, Celestia. I f-felt fear deeper and more piercing than I have ever felt before in my life.”

“What’s wrong with her?” Dash asked Celestia.

“She mistook the incantation. It should have been ‘Allow me to see the pain of Centime’ instead of ‘Allow me to feel the pain of Centime.’ She’ll be fine; she’s just a bit shaken.”

“A-Are you sure you’re alright, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked, rocking Twilight slowly.

Twilight couldn’t answer. She simply returned to her tears, the powerful emotions she had copied from Centime slowly crushing her. Fluttershy squeezed her tight, but it did little good.

Celestia looked away. I feel bad for ever suspecting Centime. The poor foal’s obviously been through a lot.

I’ve never seen Twilight like this before, Dash thought in amazement. No wonder Centime’s so upset all the time; he has to carry all that anger around inside him.

Centime gravitated toward Scootaloo because he needed somepony to attach to, Rarity guessed. I can understand that. We all need somepony to give us a guiding hoof every now and then; somepony to lean on.

About half an hour or so later, Twilight had finally cried herself to sleep.

=====================================================================

*******

The rest of the group soon followed suit, minus the tears, except for Celestia, who had left to set the sun. However, Applejack was slightly suspicious of Celestia’s true motives after the sun goddess had failed to return after an hour.

Not this again. Am I going to have to slap some sense into her like I did for Dash? Applejack asked herself. She got up and brushed past the tarp, squinting as she walked into a gust of wind.

“What’re ya doin’ out here all by yerself, Celestia?” Applejack asked, shivering in the cold of the snowy night. She wiped some stray snowflakes out of her eyes. “Ooh! Chilly out here tonight.”

Celestia’s mane glowed as she sat on the rugged hill, overlooking where Centime was almost killed. The chilly night air warmed until it was the temperature of a midsummer day. “Applejack, I have to ask you something. If Centime isn’t Deception... who is?”

“Aw, Celestia, ya can’t expect me ta answer that kinda question,” Applejack replied, scratching the back of her head. “It’d mean turnin’ against one a mah friends.”

“I know, I know,” Celestia sighed, “but somepony in that cave might not be your friend.”

“Well, they’re mah friend until they prove they aren’t!” Applejack defended. “Ya need ta get yer head outta the clouds, Celestia. We can’t have ya bein’ all paranoid on us.”

“I can’t help it!” Celestia exhaled in frustration. “If Idon’t find Deception, we’re all in danger.”

“But if we look fer her, we’re in danger anyway,” Applejack countered. “Ah know this’s a lose-lose situation, but there’s no use in tearin’ our group apart. Best we can do is defeat Discord an’ the others as quick as we can and then call it a day.”

Celestia shook her head sadly. “Deception will find a way before then. She always has.”

“Well, maybe this time’ll she won’t!” Applejack exclaimed. “Why’re ya so afraid a her? She’s just a pony like you ‘r me.”

“She’s not a pony like you or me!” Celestia snapped, turning around to face Applejack. “She’s a heartless monster, and don’t you forget it!”

“What’n tarnation’s gotten into you alluva sudden, Celestia?” Applejack exclaimed, jumping back in response to the sun goddess’s sudden rage.

“I-I’m sorry,” Celestia said, turning back around.

“What’s so bad ‘bout Deception, anyway? What makes her different?” Applejack asked.

Celestia drew a shaky breath. “We had always known about Deception, my friends and I. We just never found her. She was a mystery. But just then, all of my friends, th-they just dropped dead, and Skids was there, not even trying to hide the fact that he was murdering everypony I loved. H-He meant a lot to me, more than anything in the world... but he had been Deception right from the start.

“Deception made me immortal by forcing a fragment of Harmony into my heart, as well as Luna’s. All of my friends were long gone by then, and I didn’t even get to say goodbye. All of them meant the world to me; they had taught me so much in such a short time... and then they were gone, like they had never existed,” Celestia finished, wiping her eyes. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

“Gee,” Applejack said, her eyes wide. “Ah... Ah’m real sorry ta hear that, Celestia. Anythin’ Ah can do?”

Celestia chuckled. “I wish. I guess the best thing we can do now is get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow.”

Applejack nodded. “We’re gonna climb the mountain, right?”

Celestia chuckled. “What, are you crazy? Discord probably has some huge trap set for us. We’re cutting along the side of the mountain and shooting straight back into the heart of Equestria. If we go back to the countryside, we’d have the home advantage. Discord usually tends to hang out in cities.”

“Can’t they just track us?” Applejack asked, scratching her head.

“Anywhere’s better than a snowy mountain,” Celestia answered, kicking at the inch of delicate ice that was slowly forming on the ground.

“An’ we’re gonna bring Cent along fer the ride? Ah’m a might nervous about takin’ him anywhere on a long journey. Can’t ya jus’ teleport him ta Fillydelphia?” Applejack proposed.

Celestia shook her head. “It wouldn’t work. Discord could intercept him mid-teleport; he’s a master at those sorts of magic. They want him here, which is why I’m so confused about whether he’s Deception or not. Why else would they be so insistent on keeping him with us?”

“Ah dunno, and Ah don’t wanna know. It’s only gonna git us in danger, thinkin’ like that. Ah’m gonna hit the hay,” Applejack stated, cantering back inside. “Don’t be long.”

Celestia scanned the black surroundings once more before heading inside the cave for a chilly night of sleep.

=====================================================================

*******

Scootaloo yawned, though quickly regretted it as pain shot through her belly.

“Oh, dear. You’ve reopened it,” Fluttershy fretted. She had been replacing the snoozing Scootaloo’s bandages when the teen had shifted. A new, thin trail of blood was carving a path down her midsection.

Scootaloo tried to get up, but Centime was tightly clinging to her mane.

“Hold still,” Fluttershy prompted, carefully redoing the fabric over Scootaloo’s wound.

“Scoot!” Dash yelled, bounding over. “How’re you feeling? C’mon, get up!”

“Dash, um...” Fluttershy said, motioning to Scootaloo’s wound.

“Oh, sorry,” Dash apologized. “But still, you’re awake!”

“Scootaloo’s awake?” Sweetie Belle asked from inside her sleeping bag. She poked her head out excitedly. “Scootaloo’s awake!”

“I’d get up, but my mane is full of Centime,” Scootaloo said, shifting to try and get a view of the little foal that was holding onto her as if for dear life.

“D-Don’t l-leave me a-a-again, S-Scootaloo,” Centime cried, happiness flooding his system when he realized that Scootaloo was finally awake. He could barely speak, tears flowing down his face and into Scootaloo’s mane.

“Hey, Centime, I’m okay, so you can quit it, alright?” Scootaloo asked, awkwardly reaching behind her head and patting Centime on the back.

Centime whimpered a bit, but nodded, curling Scootaloo’s mane in his hooves and sniffling.

“Looks to me like Centime doesn’t want his nanny to go away anytime soon,” Olly said to Dash.

“Heh, yeah. We’re going to have to drop him off somewhere, though. This isn’t a good place for somepony in his state, right?” Dash replied.

“I dunno,” Sweetie Belle said. “I don’t think it’s Centime’s fault that he’s stuck with us. Remember how Discord warps us everywhere like it’s nothing? How hard would it be to do that to a whole town?”

“You’ve got a point there, Sweetie,” Olly said, rubbing his chin in thought. “Guess the best thing we can do for now is keep him as safe as possible.”

Twilight was sitting nearby, dejectedly staring at the wall of the cave. Rarity walked over. “Are you alright, darling?” she asked.

Twilight didn’t answer. Rarity poked her.

“Twilight? Twilight!” Rarity exclaimed.

Twilight blinked and shook her head. “Oh, sorry. I zoned out for a minute. What’s up?”

“You’re blaming yourself for the incident, aren’t you?” Rarity asked, worry flashing across her eyes.

“Oh, what gives you that idea?” Twilight asked, sarcasm dripping off her every word. She bit her lip. “Sorry, Rarity; that was mean. It’s just that... Well, I just haven’t felt like myself lately.”

“Apology accepted, and that’s quite alright,” Rarity huffed. “Twilight, why do you always take the blame for everything that goes wrong? You hardly leave enough for me.”

Twilight laughed slightly. “News flash: Twilight’s being hard on herself. As if you haven’t been upset over little things before.”

“I’d hardly call this a little thing, but yes,” Rarity said. She paused. “Now that I think about it, before this whole adventure, our problems seem rather minor.”

“Well, there were those times we almost died,” Twilight pointed out. “Remember the Young Flier’s Competition? Even the Ursa Minor was a major thing. Still, though... Now that I think about when I had to choose which friends I took with me to the Gala, or how Fluttershy and I were so worried about Philomena... It really makes you think, huh?”

“Of how our lives turned from that into this? I’m thinking about it constantly,” Rarity complained, inspecting her hooves. “I had never, in all my days, expected to be slogging through the wilderness all the way on the other side of Equestria, and I’d never thought what my life would be like if I had to deal with brutes like Guilt, Hate, and Deception. I can’t even imagine life going back to the way it was before. Can you?”

“Back to being carefree and clueless?” Twilight sighed. “It’s a big trade-off, but if the Elements of Discord didn’t exist, I’d jump at it. This whole journey has given me a lot of answers, but it’s not like I ever wanted to find them. I’m a murderer, Rarity. We both are. We may be heroes, but the blood we shed wasn’t our own. I-I almost killed a foal yesterday, I...” she trailed off, wiping her eyes and stifling sobs.

“Twilight, you snap out of that right this instant!” Rarity said, shaking her upset friend. “Getting those ideas inside your head won’t help you one bit! Murder is in cold blood, Twilight. The Elements of Discord are the murderers! We are civilized ponies and we will not even consider being at their level. We have never fought anypony without giving them first a chance to concede defeat, and the incident yesterday was nothing more than a simple accident.”

“You gotta pull yourself together, Twilight!” Pinkie added. She had heard the conversation and was rushing over to cheer Twilight up. “Turn that frown upside down, Missy! You’re a hero and you know it!”

“Alright, alright!” Twilight complained, pushing them both away and wiping her eyes. “Let’s not make a mountain out of a molehill.”

“You’re right; what would happen to the mole? He’d have a pretty big house,” Pinkie shrugged. “Are you sure you’re alright, Twilight? Need a hug? A ‘get-well’ balloon? Ooh, how about we get a cotton candy cloud? Please say cotton candy cloud, please say cotton candy cloud!” Pinkie whispered loudly, prancing around Twilight.

“I said I’m fine!” Twilight laughed, pulling both Pinkie and Rarity into a hug.

“Aw, just a hug? Can we get a cotton candy cloud, too? Pleease?” Pinkie begged.

Dash motioned to the exit of the cave. “We’re leaving, so, um...”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, let’s go.”

A shrill scream was heard from outside, and the group suddenly turned their heads to the mouth of the cave.

*******

“Th-That was Fluttershy!” Rarity gasped.

A tremor shook the cave, and cracks appeared on the ceiling. Twilight and the others hurriedly rushed outside to be greeted by none other than Guilt and Hate.

Guilt, a maroon unicorn stallion with a chocolate-colored mane, glared at the group. His slitted eyes were covered by sharp black glasses, and his gaze was still as cold as a glacier.

Hate was still as unkempt and dirty as ever. Her matted yellow pelt and greasy, orange and yellow mane were a crude representation of Spitfire’s grace. Her slimy grin was just as malicious as ever. They stood outside the entrance to the cave.

“Whole gang’s here again? Wow,” Hate observed. “I’da scattered to the hills. That way I wouldn’t have to see my friends die all at once.”

“You better watch it!” Dash yelled.

“Aw, the putty tat’s bearing her claws at me. Isn’t it cute?” Hate snickered, nudging Guilt. “Well, Rainbow Dash, I’m watching you all the time. It’s like you have your own reality show.”

“Huh?” Dash asked.

“Simple,” Hate answered, walking closer to Rainbow Dash, who tried not to stay steadfast. “You think we’d let you go without a tight leash? You might wanna rethink that a little. You’re on the fast track to the top of this mountain, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“Oh yeah?” Dash asked, stepping forward.

Hate blew in Dash’s face, and the blue warrior’s nose wrinkled in disgust as the smell burned her sinuses. She leapt backward, coughing. “Ew!”

“Define ‘Sulfur,’” Hate said, rolling her eyes. “C’mon, Dash, don’t go down that easily.”

“You can’t force us to go to the top of this mountain, Hate,” Celestia growled.

Hate laughed. “‘Course I can, ‘Tia. Just takes a bit of elbow grease, is all. Guilt, would you like to do the honors?”

Guilt nodded, vanishing. He warped around the area, appearing for short bursts in the air before finally grabbing Sweetie Belle and warping back behind Hate, restraining the teen and muzzling her with dark energy.

“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity yelled, rage filling her system. “You give her back right this instant!”

“Oh, yeah, ‘cause I’d totally do that after I just took her,” Hate snickered. “‘Oh, um, sorry for just taking her two seconds ago. Here, have her back free of charge!’ Um, no, Rarity. That’s not how it works.”

“Let Sweetie Belle go!” Scootaloo yelled.

Rarity indignantly pawed her hoof on the ground. “Fiendish coward!”

Hate laughed. “Oh am I, now? Guess that’s just an occupational hazard. Anyway, you don’t get to the top of this mountain within two days, she dies. Or something bad happens. Or both.”

Celestia stepped forward, glaring at Hate. “Go on. Kill her, right now.”

The others in the group turned in shock to Celestia, and Rarity cried out in indignation. Hate’s determined expression wavered.

“What?” the grungy yellow pegasus asked.

“You heard me,” Celestia hissed.

“Look, I do what I want with my prisoners,” Hate stated.

Celestia laughed harshly. “You can’t even do that. You’re still just as pathetic and weak as you were when I knew you.”

*******

Hate’s aura changed as her expression turned to the utmost of anger. The cold of the blizzard began to seep through the area, sending a chill down the heroes’ spines. While Guilt simply kept glaring at the Elements and their friends, Hate’s new attitude was nothing less than petrifying. Dark energy swirled around her hooves as lightning crackled in the distant, yet rapidly approaching snowstorm.

“So I’m pathetic and weak for not hurting kids, huh?” Hate asked. “Guess that makes you the strongest pony on earth, Celestia.”

“That is not who I am, Hate. You’ve been living under that façade too long,” Celestia growled back.

“Yeah, but is it that far off from the truth?” Hate asked resentfully. “Why am I even having this conversation with you, of all ponies? It’s always in one ear, out the other. You haven’t even bothered to teach the Elements’ history to the actual Elements, besides that twisted image that was programmed into that Obsidian copy. Y’know, you didn’t tell them what actually happened.”

Obsidian... copy? Twilight asked. Does Hate mean that stallion who first tested us? Does Hate know about Verba?

“Look, I may hurt a lot of ponies, ‘Tia,” Hate began, ambling over to the sun goddess, “but I never hurt kids. It doesn’t really matter, though, ‘cause you’ll want her back anyway. And even if I don’t hurt her, Envy and Arrogance have been whining at me for a new chew toy.”

Celestia laughed. “Who’re you fooling, Hate? You can’t do that. You’ve never been able to harm a child, directly or otherwise.”

“So you are?” Hate challenged.

“N-No,” Celestia hesitated, taking a step back. “But you’re an Element of Discord. If anypony can kill, it’s you, so it’s idiotic to say that you ‘won’t hurt kids.’”

Hate threw back her head and laughed, though this laugh was not a happy one. “Oh, come on, Celestia! You’re pulling the Discord card on me? Holy... Y’know what? This might actually be a good time for a history lesson.”

Hate turned to the others, and her demeanor changed. Instead of the lighter attitude she once had, her gaze turned frightening and cold. “What you have seen so far of me is merely an act to make you despise me as much as possible. In fact, I am far smarter than all of you combined. As of now, we are executing a plan that will not only end with your ultimate demise and elimination, but an absolute takeover of the Equestrian government and assimilation of its citizens to the rule of Justice.”

While most of the group had their mouths open in shock, Olly simply sighed, rolling his eyes. “Oh, great. That just makes my day. Mr. ‘I-can-walk-all-over-my-enemies-like-nopony’s-
business actually has the brains to back it up.”

Hate’s persona readjusted, reverting to its original state. “What, you thought I wouldn’t actually learn things after, what, twenty-five thousand years? Come on. It’s one thing to act dumb, Elements, it’s another to actually be dumb. I’m just like this to tee you off.”

“...What are you, Hate?” Twilight asked. She paused, then continued. “You say you’ve been alive for twenty-five thousand years. Ask yourself, what have you become?”

“Well, Poindexter, let me answer that question with one of my own,” Hate sneered. She pointed at Celestia. “Do you know who she is? Besides your little princess-y pile of worthless?”

“You take that back!” Celestia snarled.

Hate grinned. “Aight, now we’re getting somewhere. See, ponies like her don’t just get that ‘important’ position overnight. They have to do something. Anything. For us, it was hold a coup over all of Equestria and shut all injustices down. For her, it was to get rid of all of that. Ut 'iustus quis vos operor. Recte?”

“Huh?” Twilight asked, shaking her head. She was feeling a powerful presence, and it was interfering with her magic and impeding her thoughts. Those words... they’re the ancient language!

“Care ta repeat that last bit?” Applejack asked, scratching her head. She hadn’t felt the presence.

“Et semper haerent ubi non pertineat nasum vestri. Miror quomodo vos vivus sustinuisset usque nunc.” Hate added with a sarcastic grin, staring at Celestia. “Expectare. Ego oblitus aliquid.”

Rarity’s head felt fuzzy as the words started to seep into her magic and fiddle around with it. Ugh... what is he saying that’s making me so dizzy? She stumbled, falling to her knees.

“O, ius. Te sunt desperantium venereum. Scitis, Skids esset beatus cum quomodo versa, actu.” Hate smirked.

Celestia grew increasingly furious as Hate spoke. She was glaring at him fiercely and pawing her front hoof on the rocky floor.

“Ipse fuit nunquam vivus, tu scis,” Hate continued, dropping her voice to a whisper. “Ipse fuit mortuus ab initio.”

“Satis!” Celestia screamed, her rage overtaking her. “Inclusit, vos... vos ignorare spurius!”

“Woah, woah, woah, Celestia, watch your tongue!” Hate threw back her head and laughed hysterically. “Jeez oh jeez, looks like you just blew your cover!”

Pinkie gaped, staring and Hate and then back at Celestia. “Wh-What just happened?”

Blood rushed to Celestia’s cheeks. She she stared at Hate with utter disgust. “Monster.”

“Um, yeah, you’re the one that beat me to death twenty-five thousand years ago, so I wouldn’t be talking,” Hate retorted. Pointing at Dash, she added, “But, to be fair, she did, too.”

“Huh? Me? Get real!” Dash said, laughing slightly. “How many screws do you have loose?”

“Not as many as I’m gonna knock outta you once all this’s over,” Hate glared. She turned to the rest of the group. “You should take a good long look at who you’ve been risking your life for. You might learn something.”

Hate nodded to Guilt, who had been stalwart and unmoving this entire time. The young stallion used dark energy to open a rift in space, dragging the squirming Sweetie Belle through.

“See you at the top of the mountain, losers,” Hate sneered before crossing to the other side of the portal.

Olly stared. “This has certainly been a series of unfortunate events so far, hasn’t it? What exactly did Hate mean when he said Dash and Celestia did the exact same thing, what was it, ‘twenty-five thousand’ years ago?”

Twilight slowly recovered, and was piecing the puzzle together in her mind. Where could Dash and Celestia both have been that long ago? What do they have in common? They’re both outgoing and nice, they’re both brash, they’re both caring, they’re both...

...loyal. Twilight finally made the connection.

Celestia shivered in the cold of the approaching blizzard, choking back tears. “I-... I’m sorry for not telling you, Twilight. I really am.”

“I’m sorry, too, Celestia. I thought you wouldn’t hide anything from us. I thought I told you how dangerous it was to keep secrets. So tell me,” Twilight growled, getting to her hooves and glaring angrily at the sun goddess. “How am I supposed to trust you now?”

=====================================================================

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

*******

“I thought I said we weren’t supposed to keep secrets,” Twilight growled. “I guess I understand now. I understand why you hate them so much.”

“...You expected me to just come out and say it?” Celestia managed, her voice choked with sorrow.

“Will somepony enlighten me as to what’s going on?” Olly asked, irritated.

“Celestia’s is--was--the Element of Loyalty,” Twilight explained. “But when Arrogance possessed you, Loyalty was forced out of your heart. That, or Deception forced it out of you somehow when she made you immortal. Either way, my real question is,” she began, walking up behind the sun goddess, “who are you? Who are you, really?”

Celestia didn’t answer. Twilight kept up her cold interrogation.

“Who’s Skids?” she asked. When Celestia didn’t answer, she continued. “Somepony important, probably. You said that name when Guilt attacked, and it was mentioned by Hate, as well. Both times ended with you crying. But why?”

“Um, Twilight...” Fluttershy began, glancing nervously between her and Celestia. “Sh-She looks upset, maybe you want to, um-” she stopped when Twilight shot her a harsh glance. “O-Or continue, th-that’s fine.”

“Or maybe you want to tell us who Luna really is, huh?” Twilight asked. “She’s an Element, too, right? But what? Kindness? Generosity?”

“M-My sister was the Element of Magic,” Celestia managed to stammer.

“Okay, that’s a start,” Twilight continued. “Now, who’s Skids?”

Celestia didn’t answer, and refused to meet Twilight’s eye.

“You’re going to tell me, one way or another,” Twilight promised, gritting her teeth. “What did Hate mean when he said you and Dash beat him to death? Was it because you’re both the Element of Loyalty, and Hate has been holding a grudge from since the Elements were created?”

Celestia nodded weakly.

“Were you alive?” Twilight asked.

Celestia shook her head. She tried to say something, but was too upset to do so.

“What happened to the other Elements? Why aren’t there four others ruling Equestria with you?” Twilight asked.

Celestia didn’t answer.

“Tell me!” Twilight commanded.

“Twi, don’cha think yer bein’ a little hard on the Princess?” Applejack asked hesitantly.

Twilight ignored her. “What happened to the other Elements?”

“They were mu-murdered,” Celestia managed, though each word caused her visible pain.

“Why weren’t you?” Twilight asked.

“Twilight, stop!” Rarity ordered. “Celestia’s obviously upset!”

“Well so am I!” Twilight yelled back at her friend. “I thought I could trust that she’d tell us anything related to us, that I could rely on her for trustworthy information about Discord, but I guess that’s just not the case anymore.” She turned back to Celestia. “Why weren’t you killed? Why preserve Loyalty and Magic?”

Celestia tried to answer, but couldn’t.

“Answer. Me.” Twilight growled. “Now!”

“I-I don’t know!” Celestia eventually exclaimed.

“Why weren’t the others spared, then?” Twilight asked. “Do you know that?”

“N-No,” Celestia choked.

“Who’s Skids?!” Twilight asked, exasperated.

Celestia vigorously shook her head.

Twilight was fed up. “Tell me!” she yelled in frustration.

Celestia took a deep breath, trying to control a sudden burst of anger. “T-Twilight Sparkle. You can’t tell me what to do.” Her voice lost its friendliness and was replaced by a tone she only used when Twilight had done something seriously wrong, though she still had a slight stutter.

“I can, and I will,” Twilight stated, though Celestia’s tone shook her slightly.

“It’s j-just too much for me to relive,” Celestia stated, calming herself slightly. “Deception tore my group apart in an instant. You don’t know how I feel; you can’t know how I feel until you experience it for yourself!” As her anger grew, she raised her voice, turned, and glared fiercely at Twilight. “Deception burnt my hopes and dreams to dust! I almost died that day, and when I look back on it, I think... I think that I probably should have! And now you say you can’t trust the ruler of Equestria and your friend just because I’m not filling you in on memories from a life I want to leave behind? Twilight, the only reason I’m coming along on this journey is because I want to prevent what happened to me from happening to you!”

“I can’t forgive you for keeping secrets when you promised you wouldn’t,” Twilight countered, “and I’m not about to bend to your will just because you’re royalty! Don’t pull rank on me, Celestia; you’re the one who said that you should be kissing our hooves!”

Celestia was about to boil over. “Don’t you argue with me, Twilight. I gave you every--single--thing you ever had! If it weren’t for me, you and all your friends would be dead a long time ago!” She didn’t give Twilight time to interject. “Oh, and if that’s not enough for you, have this: If it weren’t for the mistakes I made thousands of years ago which I’m desperately trying to forget, I would be dead, and not only would you be dead, all of your friends would have been enslaved! The Dark Times never would have ended, Twilight! But that’s not what bothers me. What bothers me,” she began, her mane glowing-white hot, “is that you’re so UNGRATEFUL!”

She slammed her forehooves on the ground, sending a shockwave through the mountain, knocking Twilight over. A bright flare of light soared into the sky and exploded into a red-hot firework, with a burst of heat briefly dispersing the bitter cold. The icy winds returned with a vengeance, though, and they flung ever larger snowflakes into the group’s faces. For the most part, they didn’t even notice.

“So what now?” Twilight asked bitterly. She got to her hooves. “How are we supposed to continue as a group if I can’t know if you’re hiding information? How are we supposed to beat Guilt and Hate if you’re not even able to fight them without passing out?”

“There’s only one thing you ever have to know about me, Twilight,” Celestia began, wiping her eyes as she tried to catch her breath. “There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t think about how I’m going to crush the forces of Discord beneath my hooves. They took everything from me, Twilight. That’s what I want you to understand.”

“You called?” a voice asked. It seemed to be floating on the wind, though it was as snide and jovial as ever. “I guess this isn’t the best time, but I happened to be in the neighborhood. Heh, ‘neigh-borhood.’ It never gets old, does it?”

“How does he keep finding us?” Dash thought aloud.

Discord appeared in a flash of light. “It’s very hard to mistake your auras. You may be walking time bombs where your powers are concerned, but you’re not designed for stealth. You stick out like a sore thumb covered in blinking lights. Besides that, I rarely leave your side as it is! Orders are orders, after all. You only see me when you’re about to make a terrible, terrible mistake.”

“There isn’t a single way you could make this worse, Discord... so just leave,” Celestia said quietly.

“Oh, I still have a few more ideas of how to make this the best day ever,” Discord chuckled, snapping a picture of Celestia, who was trying to hide her tears. “Scrapbook, check. Three more ‘Sobbing Celestias’ and I’ll have my Junior Wildlife Spotter badge. And possibly one in alliteration.” He paused. “Hmm... this would be an opportune time to talk about my own past with Celestia... but, in the end, I suppose only so much information should be forced down your throats at a time.”

“I think we’re experiencing a lack thereof,” Twilight muttered.

“Oh, believe me, I know the feeling,” Discord laughed, brushing snowflakes off of his right arm, which happened to be the leg of a lion.

“What, are you going to throw cream pies in our faces this time?” Dash asked resentfully, igniting her mane and adopting a battle stance. Her flames quickly blew out in the cold of the wind, and she shivered.

“Oh, I have something a tad flashier in mind,” Discord grinned, snapping his talons.

Purple sparks of light floated around the group. They were being drawn out of the surroundings, and converged at the base of the cliff side. The individual purple sparks converged in a mass at the bottom of the pit--though of what, the group couldn’t completely determine. It slowly began to shrink and condense, however, forming a shape--the shape of a pony. Dash’s armor glowed with a fiercer light than ever before as it reacted to the magical mass that was gradually constructing itself below.

*******

“Good luck, everypony!” Discord laughed before vanishing.

The ground began to tremble and glow with a faint purple light. Twilight thought the magic felt oddly familiar, but she didn’t have the time to ponder that idea for long.

Celestia glanced at Twilight. “I think the situation demands that we be friends... even if it’s only for a little longer.”

Twilight sighed, and for a minute her eyes lost focus. “For old time’s sake, Loyalty.” She paused. “I have my friends to think about, too, Celestia. This isn’t for you.”

“No... It’s for Equestria,” Celestia said, looking at Twilight with glistening, heartbroken eyes. “It will always be for Equestria, no matter what happens. Remember that.”

An aura started to surround the Elements of Harmony. Each pale light shining from the six friends was their respective Elemental color: Deep purple, bright orange, fiery red, sky blue, light pink, and vibrant magenta.

“As usual, Discord has perfect timing,” Twilight muttered, preparing her magic and staring off the side of the cliff.

Meanwhile, Dash was telling Olly, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo to take Centime and run away.

“As fast as you can, too!” she urged. “There’s no telling what we’re up against.”

“But I can fight!” Scootaloo protested. “You always get to do the cool stuff!”

“Normally I’d let, you, Scoot. You know I would. But you have a nasty cut, and you’ve lost a lot of blood,” Dash said, pointing at the bandages wrapped around Scootaloo’s midsection. She put a glowing hoof on Scootaloo’s shoulder. “Leave this to us, okay? You’ll have your chance to shine, just not today.”

Scootaloo dejectedly nodded. “Okay... I guess.” She galloped up the hill with Olly and Centime.

The mass had finally finished forming. It was a glowing unicorn mare with a bright purple coat that was speckled with what looked like tiny stars. She slowly started walking up the mountainside toward her targets. The air around her was charged with static electricity.

“Ready?” Twilight asked her small brigade.

“Freddy!” Pinkie chirped.

Dash nodded, leapt in the air, and spiraled toward her target. Twilight began to charge up energy as Rarity took the side path down the mountain. Opting for a quicker route, Applejack and Pinkie began to slide down the steep side of the mountain, while Fluttershy and Celestia took to the air, following Dash.

Now that they were closer, they saw that the entity’s eyes were shrouded by a purple mist, and it lacked a cutie mark.

The pony at the bottom of the mountain didn’t try to dodge Dash’s spiral attack. Instead, it split apart and reassembled behind her, emitting a burst of corrosive magic in the process. The acidic beams of energy burned at Dash’s armor and threatened to break through the mithril barrier, so she was forced to retreat.

Celestia dove downward and batted away the energy tendrils. Applejack leapt down and tried to swat the entity, but since it wasn’t made of matter, her hoof went right through it. While Applejack was off balance, the being solidified and latched onto her. She managed to pull away, but not before the apparition stung her with its corrosive force.

The entity melted into the ground, and for a moment, nopony knew where it was. A few seconds passed before it launched itself upward and tried to grab Pinkie, but she was quicker. She unearthed a stick from underneath the snow and grabbed it in her teeth, stabbing the monster as soon as she saw an opportunity. It was stunned for a second, but soon the rotting wood dissolved in its body.

Twilight watched from overhead, chanting a spell. “Remove magica inimici nostri!”

Celestia took the opportunity the creature provided and cut at it with her horn. Rarity bucked a nearby rock into its side.

Twilight saw that she had already weakened the entity; the tendrils of magical energy that were holding it together were beginning to trail off into space. It won’t be able to battle for much longer, she observed. Now’s my chance. She steadied herself and focused all of her magical energy inward, and a light purple film started to cover her pelt. It was a force-field; one that protected against all magical threats.

Applejack distracted the creature by feigning an attack and dodging its onslaught, though her burnt hoof slowed her progress. She inwardly winced every time she put weight on it, but adrenaline kept her from slowing down as she distracted her opponent.

Dash tore off her ruined armor and rejoined the fight. She knew she couldn’t attack directly, so she picked up a piece of her shattered mithril armor and tossed the glowing metal into the center of the mass of purple magic. It reacted with the composition of the entity, exploding on contact and throwing the monster backward.

“Wha...?” Dash gaped.

“Good thinking, Dash!” Celestia exclaimed, rushing in and following up Dash’s attack with a magically guarded hoof to the monster’s face.

“Um, yeah!” Dash agreed hesitantly. She glanced at her remaining armor pieces. After a moment or two of thought, she picked one up in her teeth, grinning slightly.

Meanwhile, Twilight was finished charging. She summoned her magic and teleported to the battlefield. The monster had recovered and was fending off Celestia, using its acid limbs to cut at the sun goddess. Celestia yelled in pain as flecks of pelt dissolved right off of her body.

Twilight intercepted the fiend and tore it off of Celestia, thrusting it backward. Her magical shield protected her from the creature’s acid while simultaneously forcing it to remain solid. She followed up with a quick headbutt and buck, stunning the creature severely.

“Twilight!” Dash yelled, tossing the biggest piece of armor she’d salvaged toward her friend. It was her helmet, and it glowed fiercely in the presence of this magical being.

Twilight quickly caught on and swatted the mithril into the monster. It was embedded into its interior before it exploded in a giant burst of purple gases. The evanescent magic slowly started to drift away, revealing a solid shape at the origin of the burst.

In the center of the crater was the body of a blue unicorn mare with a light blue mane.

*******

Twilight eyed the corpse before gasping in realization. But...

“Alright, high hooves all around!” Dash exclaimed, not having noticed the body in the center of crater. She glanced around, seeing her friends’ shocked and pained expressions. “Huh? What’s up?”

Rarity had a hoof over her mouth. “No, no, it can’t be... not a second time...”

Celestia’s mane glowed from the intensity of her outrage, the heat from her magic dispelling the cold winds near her. “They snuck into the royal mausoleum and they took her body for a second time!”

Twilight slowly walked over and closed the unicorn’s long-motionless eyes. Hasn’t she been through enough? she asked herself angrily. Trixie... you deserve better than this.

Had the situation been less serious, Dash would have groaned. Does every battle we win have to end badly? Lyvia, Daymare, Hate... when are we actually going to catch a break?

“Hey, Twilight? Can’t you bring Trixie back with some kinda Necromancy hocusy-focusy?” Pinkie asked, waving her hooves about in the air to push her point.

Twilight’s eyes lit up. “Well... who says I can’t? It’s in the very back of my Necromancy book; I’ll go up and get it right away!”

Twilight began to rush up the mountainside, but Celestia stopped her.

“What now, Celestia?” Twilight asked.

“Twilight...” Celestia sighed. “It’s better to let the dead rest.”

Twilight stepped back, confused. “H-Huh? But Trixie died in such an awful way, and her body is being put to such misuse!”

Celestia nodded. “I know, but Twilight, bringing back the dead is, well... it’s just not the right way to approach magic.”

“Are you saying Trixie doesn’t deserve to live?” Twilight asked resentfully.

“Twilight Sparkle!” Applejack snapped. “Stop that right now. Celestia’s done nothin’ but help us. Ah’m all fer gettin’ the truth out, Twi, but ya don’t have ta be mean about it. Try ta be civilized about this, okay?” She looked back toward the mountain. “We gotta regroup and pack fer the climb--you two can cool down an’ have a lil’ chat until then. Got it?”

Twilight bit her lip. She looked up at Celestia, her gaze still tinged with hostility.

Celestia motioned toward the group. “We shouldn’t be more than fifteen minutes or so. Get Scootaloo and the others and meet us back at the cave.”

Pinkie nodded and bounded up the mountainside, accompanied by her friends.

Celestia turned back to Twilight. “Why have you been so immature lately?”

“Me? Immature? You’re the one that’s been lying and keeping secrets. This is a perfectly reasonable reaction,” Twilight growled.

“Twilight, if this isn’t a matter of friendship, it’s a matter of respect,” Celestia argued.

“I thought I was the Element of Magic here. You’re the one with a lack of respect for me,” Twilight glared. “Who. Is. Skids?!”

Celestia gritted her teeth. “I thought I said that topic was off-limits. I’m trying to be lenient with you, Twilight. I don’t want to be the villain here.”

“All I want are answers, Celestia,” Twilight began, “and if you don’t give me those answers right now, I’ll go and get them from Hate himself!”

Celestia was shocked. “What?”

“You heard me,” Twilight hissed. “He’s told me a lot more about the Elements of Harmony than you have. Maybe I’ll finally learn why you turn into a mumbling mess every time Skids is mentioned, or why you hate Deception so much.”

Celestia ran a hoof through her mane, exasperated. “Twilight, Hate wants to murder you.”

“I’m going to die if I stick with you anyway. We all are,” Twilight growled. “You’ve been leading us head-first into these conflicts without telling us why. You expect us to win these battles without telling us how. Celestia, at this point, I just want to keep my friends alive, and you’re not helping me do that.”

Celestia hung her head. “Fine. I understand. I guess... if that’s what you think, then I can’t argue. All I want you to do is try to understand.”

“That’s what I want, too, Celestia,” Twilight growled. She turned to leave. “I’m going to get the Necromancy book and bring Trixie back to life.”

“Twilight, no,” Celestia pleaded, tensing at the very notion of bringing Trixie back from the dead. “That isn’t the answer!”

“Good luck trying to stop me!” Twilight yelled defiantly.

“You’ve just got to trust me,” Celestia said, her eyes watering. “Please...”

“Is there something else you aren’t telling me?” Twilight asked, her eyes full of spite for her former friend.

“Twilight, please, listen to me...” Celestia pleaded. “The reason Necromancy is banned is because ponies always wonder if they can bring back the dead... and they can. But the dead cannot be brought fully back to life. When you instill life back into a dead pony, you are ripping the soul from the afterlife, and... a-and some parts stay behind. It’s unbearable. Life after life isn’t worth living, Twilight. I... I hope you understand that before you make this decision.” Celestia folded her wings and sat down, in utter defeat.

Twilight glowered upon her. “Celestia... how am I supposed to trust you? How am I supposed to believe that you actually know all of this if you don’t tell me how you know it?”

Celestia couldn’t answer through her tears.

Twilight turned around. “I’m bringing Trixie back,” she decided. She was about to start climbing when Celestia stopped her once more.

“Wait, Twilight... you made me a promise,” Celestia choked. “Please, help me... listen to me.”

“Okay, I’m listening,” Twilight said, tapping her hoof on the rocky ground impatiently.

“I know I have an attitude problem, Twilight. I know that I keep secrets even though I shouldn’t, and I know that I’m not always the best decision-maker... but Twilight, remember when you promised to help me if I went off the deep end? Twilight, I need you to stop asking all these painful questions... you may not feel it, but they really hurt. I promise, though, that if we retrieve the Source, Obsidian will answer all your questions. The questions that I can’t. I need your help, Twilight. Please,” she finished, wiping her eyes. She extended her hoof in a final act of friendship. A single, fleeting hope that their bond would be preserved.

Twilight looked away. “I’m sorry, Celestia. I just can’t trust you anymore. Not until I know your past.” She pushed Celestia’s hoof back to the ground. “I won’t bring back Trixie, not because of what you’ve said, but... Really, because I’m not sure if I can actually pull it off. I’ve messed up every single Necromancy spell so far one way or another. I’m not ready to try something as drastic as this. But we’re going to bury her before moving on.”

Celestia nodded, disappointed. “Okay.”

=====================================================================

*******

Twilight decided to take a brief rest before moving onward with her friends. She slowly drifted downward as the dream overtook her, and she quickly found herself sitting next to Verba at the front gates of her Ponyville illusion.

“Taking a catnap?” Verba asked. He was lazily drifting from building to building and not bothering to hold his form together, so he was stretched out to about twice his normal length.

Twilight rubbed her eyes. “Something like that.” She quietly attended to her illusion, reconstructing it from scratch. Brick by brick, pony by pony, she began to build the rural town from the ground up.

Verba seemed to notice how quiet she was. “...So... Whassup? Something on your mind?”

“No,” Twilight said quickly.

Verba grinned slightly, but since his face of runes couldn’t properly form facial expressions, it looked like he was smiling with a sweater pressed up against his face. He floated over onto Twilight’s head. “Something on your mind now?”

“Verba, I just want to work,” Twilight said, brushing him off. His individual runes scattered, but reformed nearby.

“Hey, now. You don’t have to be rude,” Verba said, landing on the dirt road. “Did you have a falling out, or something?”

“Don’t you know? I mean, since you’re me and all,” Twilight said, though she didn’t make eye contact with Verba.

“Sorry, kiddo. No magic jewelry means Obsidian and I are deaf and blind to whatever’s happening on the outside,” Verba explained, “but seriously, Twilight, I don’t want you leaving here angry. Just tell me what’s bothering you. I’ll listen.”

You don’t have any choice but to listen, Twilight muttered to herself, but she said anyway: “Celestia was the Element of Loyalty, wasn’t she?”

“Yeah-huh,” Verba answered, “and Luna was Magic.”

“Why didn’t they tell me that?” Twilight wondered aloud. She turned to Verba, irritated. “And why didn’t you tell me that if you knew all along? Does everypony know more about them than me?!”

“Woah, woah. Calm down. Don’t yell,” Verba said, trotting over to Twilight’s side and solidifying. He sat her down and took a seat next to her. “Yeah, I knew, but it just never crossed my mind to tell you. I mean, it doesn’t make all that big a difference. Sure, she was the Element of Loyalty, but that doesn’t mean she has any of her powers anymore. And just because nopony told you doesn’t mean we’re intentionally hiding things from you, and it doesn’t mean that we don’t think you’re important. You are important. That little tidbit ‘bout Celestia? Not so much.”

Twilight exhaled. “Fine. I can understand that. But then, she wouldn’t even answer the simplest questions, like who somepony named ‘Skids’ was. Do you know who he is, Verba?” She looked at him hopefully.

“...Sorry, Twi. Your guess is as good as mine,” Verba said, glancing at the ground. He paused as a transparent pony walked through him. “The thing is, during the Dark Times, Vengeance had a barrier around the necklaces that prevented them from just teleporting to you like they normally would. Sort of like what happened when you fought Nightmare Moon, remember? But that couldn’t happen until after Vengeance vanished. We tried to contact Celestia and her friends during their dreams, but that didn’t work too well, either. I think I got Celestia... once. She was really sick, and she slept for sixteen hours, and I managed to snag a hold of her for, say, five minutes. I think Obsidian got her once, too. But we’ve never heard of anypony called Skids. Never thought to ask.”

“...Well, I guess I can’t expect you to know everything about her. But that’s not what bothers me about this whole thing,” Twilight began. “What bothers me is that she thinks this entire expedition could go on without us knowing her past!”

“Well, can’t it?” Verba asked.

“Uhm... I’m not sure, but I am sure it would go a lot smoother if we knew. I mean, who knows what we’ll encounter that Celestia will have already known about if she just told us what happened to her? Knowledge is power, Verba,” Twilight stated. “Guilt and Hate seem to know everything about her, and they’re going to use that to their advantage. She might be able to hide it from us, but she’s all but transparent to the Elements of Discord.”

“Well, fair enough,” Verba said.

“And it’s not just that, either. Celestia gets really, really

Verba paused. “...Twilight?” he finally asked. “What’s the worst mistake you ever made?”

“...Why?” Twilight asked warily.

“Look, just trust me. I think I know a way to make you understand. That’s what you want, right?” Verba asked. “Just trust me.”

Twilight nodded, and thought for a minute or two. Strange... Nothing really comes to mind. I mean, I know I’ve made mistakes. Not standing up for myself, not making friends, not wanting friends, putting my friends in bad situations, misusing magic... but none of these are all that horrible. Nothing that I’d never be able to forgive myself for. She thought for a while more, and then it hit her. It actually seemed to literally hit her, like it had whacked her in the gut, and she felt cold all over as she fully recovered a memory she had worked for years to bury.

“Well?” Verba asked.

Twilight swallowed. “Yeah... there’s something.”

“Okay, well, tell me,” Verba said nonchalantly. “I mean, this is what the exercise is for, right?”

She nodded, and took a breath. “When I was a foal, I had a sitter named ‘Cadance.’ She was my best friend, and, well, one of my only friends, at the time. There were others back then; I wasn’t a complete outcast like I was just before moving to Ponyville, but Cadance was my best friend. We played almost every day, and we went almost everywhere together. We even had a secret hoofshake. She foalsat me until I was about into the third grade of magic school, just when we were learning about pyrokinesis, or the magical manipulation of fire.”

“And... you burnt the school down,” Verba guessed.

Twilight shook her head. “No. Worse. I was having a really, really bad day when it happened. One of my only friends had just moved away, to Manehattan, I think. In school that day, I got an assignment back that I thought I did really well on, but it turns out that I got a C, which meant I was grounded. I was fuming, because I was supposed to play with Cadance all day after school, but I’d have to spend all of it in my room. And to top it all off, when I got out of school, it was pouring. I’d forgot the pegasus weather schedule and had lent my umbrella to my brother, Shining Armor, so I was sopping wet and cold.”

“Did you get sick?” Verba inquired.

“No,” Twilight said, her voice strained as she neared the final part of her story. “I was rushing home as fast as I could, and I wasn’t looking where I was going. I was so angry, because absolutely nothing that day had gone right. I could barely see straight, I was so furious, which didn’t help as I basically plowed through the storm. But then I bumped into somepony, and since I was still little, I fell into a nearby puddle.

“All I remember feeling was rage, and all I remember thinking was that everypony was out to get me. That entire day was so unfair. So when I crashed into somepony and was thrown backward, I reacted defensively... I summoned the fire magic I had just learned, turned my hoof into molten magma, and thrust it forward, right into the chest of the pony who was already tr-trying to apologize,” Twilight choked, trying to contain her tears. “I-It was Cadance. She knew the way I would try to walk home, a-and she brought an um-umbrella and everything.”

Verba didn’t cringe, or react negatively. He simply wrapped his arm around Twilight’s shoulders and hugged her close as she continued to tell the awful tale.

Twilight was openly crying now. “She didn’t move for a while. I-I thought she was dead, so I sc-screamed for help, and soon there were d-doctors there, and they took her away. But the fact that I burned her i-isn’t even the worst part.” She wiped her eyes. “Wh-When they as-asked me what had h-happened... I told them th-that my magic malfunctioned, even though I kn-knew I had done it. A-And they believed me... but mostly be-because C-Cadance vouched f-for me. She wouldn’t hurt me.”

Twilight was beginning to calm down, but Verba remained silent as she started to wrap up her story.

“After th-that... Well, I couldn’t talk to her, even when she tried to r-reach out to me. Her burns weren’t permanent, and they vanished after a few months, but when she told me, I don’t think I e-even looked at her. I was still too angry at myself, and I wouldn’t let her talk to me. I lost my other two or three friends, and I focused on school more than ever before. I never wanted to hurt anypony ever again with my magic, not like that. But... she never did foalsit me again,” Twilight finished. “I lost my best friend that day, and I haven’t seen her since.”

They sat in silence for a while as the citizens of Ponyville went on with their preset routines.

“How old are you, again, Twilight?” Verba asked.

“...Not very,” Twilight said after a little while.

“Now, how old is Celestia?” Verba asked.

“Five thousand years, according to her. But it couldn’t have been less than about a thousand according to the oldest history tomes I’ve read,” Twilight said.

“So you have that one, awful memory that you’ve been trying to forget for the majority of your life,” Verba began. “That means, statistically, that Celestia has at least one hundred nasty secrets like that. You can’t deny that you had a lot of trouble telling me what you did to Cadance. But just today, you were asking Celestia to tell you all kinds of painful secrets. It’s not all that reasonable, right?”

“She’s had a lot more times to come to terms with them than I have,” Twilight growled.

“But it’s pretty reasonable to assume you never would have confronted your secret had I not asked you to,” Verba said.

“Exactly my point! She needs to confront what’s bothering her so that she can focus on fighting Discord instead of her friends,” Twilight argued, standing up.

“No, exactly not your point,” Verba retorted, standing up as well. “Look, I understand where you’re coming from. I do. But you’re asking Celestia to spill her guts in front of everypony without giving her any time to prepare. Of course she’s going to react negatively. Jeez, Louise, Twilight; nopony could do that. Me and you included.”

“Fine. But that doesn’t mean I’m ready to forgive her,” Twilight stated, turning her back to Verba. “She promised me she wouldn’t keep secrets. It’s going to take a lot for me to let that go.”

“Of course it will. You’re a mare,” Verba muttered.

“What was that?” Twilight asked, snapping back around.

“Alright, alright, I get ya. But don’t be too hard on her, Twilight. The only way you’ll ever be able to work well with her is if you warm up to her. The icy dynamic you have right now won’t serve you too well against Guilt and Hate. Just keep an open mind, is all. Friends forgive each other for mistakes, especially the big ones,” Verba said. “Got it memorized?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Twilight grumbled, though she still wasn’t convinced.

After a few more minutes of work on her Ponyville, Twilight’s dream ended as swiftly as it began.

=====================================================================

*******

After they had buried Trixie and paid their respects for the second time thus far, they prepared for the journey ahead. Applejack slung her saddlebags onto her back, as did the others. They were noticeably lighter than they had been at the beginning of the journey.

We have a couple more days’ supplies, Twilight thought, quickly taking inventory. Still... I can’t charge up a teleport to go and restock if I don’t know how far we are from Fillydelphia or Ponyville. Then again, I do have some spells to conjure food out of the surroundings, but that’d sap all my energy. If we were to get into a fight...

“We’d best git goin’,” Applejack said, leading the path up the mountain.

“Look how low the clouds are,” Scootaloo gaped. Centime was walking next to her, and he touched a tiny wisp of water vapor.

“It’s not that; it’s how astronomically high we are,” Rarity moaned. “I think I’m getting a little altitude sickness.”

Dash scoffed, her breath making mist in the air. “Rarity, c’mon. We haven’t even breached the cloud layer yet, and there’s no telling how far we have to go after that.”

“Ohh...” Rarity moaned, her stomach lurching with every step. “How did I get dragged into this?”

Celestia was near the back of the group with Fluttershy, with the ill-tempered Twilight at the head of the party with Applejack.

“Are you feeling alright, Celestia?” Fluttershy asked.

Celestia was pale. Her steps fell out of sync a few times on their journey. “It’s just the thin air,” she breathed, her voice barely audible. “I-I’ll be fine once I get used to it.”

Fluttershy glanced at Twilight. I can’t believe she was so mean to Celestia. Aren’t we all supposed to be friends?

“Uh, Twi? Don’cha think ya might wanna apologize ta Celestia?” Applejack suggested.

“Not now, Applejack. I’m not in the mood,” Twilight growled, pushing ahead of the orange earth pony.

“Now you just see here!” Applejack exclaimed, running back up next to Twilight. “Yer actin’ like a foal when ya oughta say yer sorry like a real friend. This isn’t like ya, Twi. Yer lettin’ everythin’ go ta yer head, an’ yer gettin’ overwhelmed.”

“I would be in a better mood if somepony actually told me what is going on,” Twilight retorted. She refused to meet Applejack’s eye. “I’ll say I’m sorry later. I’m still too upset to be sincere. I try; I’m just not even sure if she deserves my apology yet.”

Applejack sighed, her ears folding back against her head. And I thought I was the stubborn one... still, I guess I can see where she’s coming from. I just wish they both could let it go, because this is really going to drag us down. I don’t think Twilight’s been like herself lately, either. I wish I knew what I could do to help.

“Okay, are we there yet?” Olly asked, exhausted. He swatted the fog that was invading his eyes. “Arrgh!”

“We’re almost through the cloud layer,” Dash breathed.

“Are we going into outer space?” Pinkie asked. “That would be so amazing! I’ll finally be able to prove to Twilight that the moon is made of cheese!”

“The moon isn’t made of cheese, Pinkie,” Twilight yelled from the front of the line.

“How would you know? You’ve never been there,” Pinkie argued.

“I don’t need to go there,” Twilight grumbled irritably.

Pinkie hmph’d. “I rest my case.”

“And we’re not going into outer space, either,” Twilight added. “There’s no mountain in Equestria that pierces the atmosphere.”

Pinkie was dejected for a moment, but she kept up her positive attitude. “Oh, Twilight. Why do you always trust books right away instead of finding out for yourself?”

“...Good question,” Twilight mumbled to herself.

Centime prodded Scootaloo. “Why is Twilight being so mean? She just wants answers, right?”

Scootaloo shrugged. “I want answers, too, Centime... Celestia must be hiding something. It’s just that... well, she looks pretty upset about it. I think we should ask her when she’s not so stressed out.”

“But we need to stick together,” Olly added. “If we don’t, well, it’s a fair bet that Guilt and Hate will tear us apart. Metaphorically and literally,” he added, glancing at Twilight. “It’s not like we can just drop Celestia off at the nearest train station and say ‘Seeya!’ We’re stuck with her, so we might as well make the best of it.”

“Gee, thanks,” Celestia grumbled.

“I mean, stuck with you in the best possible way,” Olly grinned nervously. He paused for a moment. “Hey, Celestia? You know that spell that Twilight cast on Centime to... um, help him sleep better?” Olly asked, glancing at the foal who was only a few meters behind him. I’m not sure he would like it if he knew we were snooping around in his memories.

“What spell?” Centime asked.

“Yes?” Celestia asked. She walked up next to Olly, and he lowered his voice so that nopony could overhear them.

“Well, if you’re so worried about Deception, why not cast that spell on all of us? That way we can root out the traitor, right?” Olly whispered.

Celestia shook her head. “Well... I considered that, too, but it won’t work all that well, for two reasons in particular. One is that Twilight exhausted herself after using that spell just once. She needs that strength for the journey ahead. The other is that, if a mind is exceptionally strong and ancient, like Deception’s, Twilight could see whatever Deception wanted her to see. I know now that Deception isn’t Centime because his mind is too young to hold the two sets of memories Deception would need to use in order to fool us. Besides,” she added with a small smile, “do you really want Twilight seeing your innermost secrets?”

Olly swallowed, and nervously adjusted his goggles. “Heh. Guess not. Still, once this is all over... I’d like to find out about who I was. Y’know... before I met all of you.”

Celestia nodded, and continued her journey silently.

“...Hey, you seeing what I’m seeing?” Dash asked, squinting through the dispersing fog to a higher spot on the mountain.

Dash shed her saddlebags and tried to take to the air, but she quickly had to land due to exhaustion. The thin air not only made it harder to support her weight, but the previous encounters and constant journeying left her completely spent.

“It looks like an entrance,” Twilight observed. “Let’s go, everypony!” She rushed up the steepening mountainside.

From far away, invisible to the Elements and their friends, a lone, maroon-colored unicorn stallion with a chocolate-colored mane watched the group intently. He twitched a bit as a near-undetectable shockwave of energy bounced off of Twilight to his sensitive ears.

We were right, he thought. She is here.

=====================================================================

[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This story takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
Please let me know if a link doesn’t work.

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

*******

“I’m beat,” Hate said, lying down on a plush Canterlot sofa. She was deep underground in a hidden bunker that Arrogance had installed while she was the Daymare. It was designed more for comfort than defense, though, for the furniture was elegant and the chamber was very well-lit by candles that lined the gray walls. Hate rubbed her eyes and stretched. “This is an awesome second base. Am I right, Arrogance?”

“Yes, thanks to me,” the magenta unicorn said, filing her hooves. She glanced at a white unicorn teen that was tied up and gagged on the other side of the lounge. “Want me to untie her now? We don’t want any nicks and scratches on our little white mage here.”

Hate shrugged. “Knock yourself out.”

Tossing the file aside and lazily getting up, Arrogance summoned her magic and cut Sweetie Belle’s bonds. The young unicorn sat in shock for a moment.

“B-But... aren’t you supposed to keep me tied up?” she asked.

“We’re supposed to do a lot of things,” Arrogance laughed. “Just keep out of trouble and don’t run away. And don’t think that you can outsmart us--we’re a few thousand years older than you are. I mean, it’s not like we’re keeping you here very long.”

“But why let me go? Aren’t you afraid I’ll hurt you?” Sweetie Belle asked, shrinking farther into her corner.

Hate rolled her eyes. “Look, Sweetie-cheeks. There’s no use in keeping you tied up as long as we keep track of you, ‘cause face it, you’re not very dangerous. We’re giving you back as soon as the Elements of Gullible finish up inside the mountain. Want anything to eat?”

Sweetie Belle clutched her stomach in an effort to keep it from growling. She hadn’t eaten breakfast before she was kidnapped, but she didn’t want to accept any food from the enemy. “N-No,” she stuttered.

“I’ll tell Envy to fetch you something anyways. Just being polite, y’know?” Hate smirked. “Oh, and Arrogance? You’re due for a scouting mission pretty soon. You might want to prepare a bit.”

“Psh. You say it like I need to,” Arrogance scowled. “I’m going to get something to eat. Sweetie Belle, you’re coming with me.”

“B-But I don’t wanna...” Sweetie Belle trailed off.

“It wasn’t a question,” Arrogance retorted. “Trust me, you don’t want to stay with Hate. He’d bore you to tears with all of his fluffy ‘oh, woe is me’ nonsense.”

Hate shrugged, picking up a nearby book and turning to a dogeared page. “Guilty as charged. ‘Sides, you don’t look like you can afford to miss your next meal.”

“Okay...” Sweetie Belle mumbled, though she didn’t move. She wiped her eyes.

“C’mon, get up,” Arrogance mumbled, tapping the immobile Sweetie Belle.

Sweetie Belle shrunk into a tight ball, refusing to meet Arrogance’s gaze. She sniffled a bit, trembling with fear.

“I said get up!” Arrogance yelled, frustrated.

“NO!” Sweetie Belle yelled.

*******

“Arrogance,” Hate moaned upon her sister’s outburst.

“Y-You’re the Daymare a-and you killed my friends!” Sweetie Belle cried, flailing her limbs at the exasperated Arrogance.

“Ugh, fillies are so annoying,” Arrogance grumbled. “Stop crying!”

Hate vanished for a moment before reappearing behind Arrogance. Dark energy tendrils leapt from her pelt and wrapped around Arrogance’s neck, strangling her.

“Now look what you’ve done,” Hate scolded, her eyes shining with fury. “You’ve gone and made her cry. S’not her fault she doesn’t want to go with you.”

“Ack!” Arrogance choked. “Alright, alright!”

“Say you’re sorry,” Hate commanded.

“Are you kidding me?” Arrogance hissed.

“Say it,” Hate insisted, constricting Arrogance’s neck even more.

“S-Sorry,” Arrogance managed.

Hate tossed her aside, refusing to look at her. Arrogance muttered something, rubbing her neck.

“Fix your attitude,” Hate sneered. “She’s just a kid.”

“Just a kid my flank!” Arrogance coughed. “There’s millions more like her.”

“Every pony in Equestria deserves a chance,” Hate protested, turning to face Arrogance. “We were lucky we got one. Others deserve their second chances. And their third. Fourth? Fifth? Gee, I wonder how many times I’ve died.”

“Not as many times as I have,” Arrogance growled. “She’s your problem now.”

Arrogance turned to leave, but Hate stopped her. “What would Justice say?” she asked.

Arrogance snorted. “What are you, her official spokespony or something? Or are you her geeky number-one fan?”

Hate scowled. “You’ve been getting out of line. You destroyed an entire city without permission.”

“Yeah, so? It’s not going to make any difference to them,” Arrogance spit. “They’ll still be hunting for blood. Might as well spill some myself.”

“Do that, and we won’t be any better than they are,” Hate growled. “Dis-missed.”

Arrogance muttered something and vanished. Hate turned back to the sobbing Sweetie Belle with a soft gaze. “Look, you don’t need to be afraid of me. I’m not your enemy here. I don’t have anything against you.”

“Go’way,” Sweetie Belle mumbled, her hooves covering her face.

“Arrogance was being an idiot, okay? But if you listen to me, I’ll help you,” Hate said.

Sweetie Belle paused, inspecting her options. Option, really, once she thought about it. “Pr-Promise?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Hate nodded. “Promise.”

Sweetie Belle pulled herself up, though she still shook with fear in the presence of such a powerful pony. “How d-do I know y-you won’t hurt me?”

Hate sighed. “You’ve just got to trust me, Sweetie Belle. I’ve been held against my will before, too, and... Well, it wasn’t pretty. I just don’t want you to escape from jail the way I had to.”

“How did you escape?” Sweetie Belle asked hesitantly.

Hate looked away. “...You said you wanted something to eat, right? Follow me.”

Refusing to answer Sweetie Belle’s question, Hate led the way deeper into the base.

=====================================================================

*******

Twilight slowly walked into the dimly lit chamber hidden inside the mountain. The walls glowed magenta when she walked in, magical runes appearing on the walls for just a moment before vanishing. She exhaled, yelping as a purple pulse of runes spread throughout the cavernous room.

The chamber was covered in long-dead magical texts, though they briefly reactivated whenever Twilight moved. It was a small, dimly lit chamber, with a single corridor leading deeper into the mountain.

Fluttershy was the next inside, though she squealed with fright as pale pink runes were activated inside the small chamber. She jumped into the air and tried to fly away from the initial pulse, panicking as the room began to glow a bright, almost blinding pink as her vigor increased.

“Fluttershy!” Twilight exclaimed, grabbing the yellow pegasus’s leg and pulling her back down to earth. “They’re not going to hurt you.”

“Mighty strange, though, don’cha think?” Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow as the room glowed orange upon her entrance. “All this’s inside a Mount Nevercrest? No wonder Discord wanted ta lead us in here.”

Celestia was the next one in, though the runes did not glow when she stepped into the chamber. “I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of an Elemental temple where Harmony is concerned, but this has to be related somehow. It can’t be a coincidence.”

“Ooo!” Pinkie giggled, tapping the floor. Light blue ripples of energy spread across the room as if it was the surface of a pond.

“Hey, what’s down there?” Dash asked, pointing down the corridor. Fiery red runes activated as she moved her leg, and she glanced at them in annoyance. “Are these things going to act up when we do anything?”

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Celestia shrugged. She began to walk down the narrow corridor Dash had pointed out.

Scootaloo entered, though for a moment she was dizzied by an unfamiliar presence. “Hey, I feel really weird all of a sudden, uh...” she stumbled, bringing a hoof to her head.

Fratri...

“Are you okay, Scootaloo?” Centime asked.

Scootaloo shook her head. “Um, yeah. Sorry.” ‘Fratri?’ Why did I just hear that?

Rarity followed Celestia through the corridor into the center of the mountain. She saw that the sun goddess had stopped dead in her tracks at the very end of the corridor. After Rarity had pushed past her, she saw why.

Dark, stone-cut buildings lined dirt roads. Mushrooms and other subterranean foliage dotted the crippled infrastructure of the area and lined the rim of the dome-shaped boundary of the enormous cavern. It appeared to be the ruins of an ancient city. About half of the buildings had crumbled to dust, having been eroded by the water droplets that fell from the ceiling, but the buildings all looked like they were carved from stone completely foreign to the mountain. Whereas the mountain was composed of dull granite and limestone, the buildings looked like they could have been made out of the finest marble. However, it was impossible to tell because of the decrepit state of the ruins.

The most pronounced feature, however, was the large marble spire that led from the center of the cavern to the very top. It was glowing with a dim white light, and didn’t seem to be covered in magical runes like every other structure in the cavern. It was puny in comparison to the entire city, though, which may have been an hour’s walk end to end.

A pulse of energy shot from the top of the tower, hitting Rarity and Celestia like a fierce gale and almost knocking them off their hooves.

Ignosco. Volo ire domum.

“D-... Did you hear that, Celestia?” Rarity gaped.

“I-I’m not sure,” Celestia stammered, regaining her bearings. “Something powerful is definitely here, though. I’m just not sure what.”

“Please tell me I’m not the only one who heard that,” Olly exclaimed, rushing toward Rarity.

“Hear it? It almost knocked me clean off my hooves!” Rarity exclaimed. “I think this entire place is a failed replica of a horror show that would have been bad anyway.”

“Celestia, where in, um, your name are we?” Olly asked hesitantly.

“Sorry, I’m just not sure,” Celestia said, shaking her head. “I think that the voice being broadcast sounds familiar, though.”

Meanwhile, Twilight was still fascinated with the runes in the other room. I can almost read them; they’re in a tongue that’s just a little different than the Ancient Language... So close, and yet so far. Twilight sighed. I’ll never be able to read these.

Rainbow Dash, who had just seen the cavern, galloped back into the small chamber. “Twilight, you’ve got to come see this!”

Twilight rushed into the empty cavern and almost fell on her side. She stammered incoherently for a moment, but finally asked, “How did an entire city get trapped inside a mountain?!”

“That’s what we’re here to find out, isn’t it?” Olly asked enthusiastically. “I call dibs on the giant spire!”

“Ya’ll go right on ahead; Ah don’t want anythin’ ta do with this creepy place,” Applejack said, turning around. “The top a the mountain can’t be too far ahead. Ah’ll set up camp with Rainbow; ya can meet us in that first chamber when yer done.”

“Aw, but I wanna check this place out, too!” Dash protested.

Another blast of energy spread from the tower, vibrating the group’s spines. Conscii sumus.

Dash shook her head as a pounding headache threatened her oxygen-deprived nerves. “On second thought, maybe I’ll pass.”

“Any idea what she’s saying?” Twilight asked.

“It’s a she?” Centime asked.

Twilight paused. How did I know that...?

“It’s just gibberish,” Celestia said. “I can’t make heads or tails of it, but it feels powerful, so we should all watch our step here. Twilight, you should go search the tower with Olly. The rest of us will go back to camp.”

“Why me, Celestia?” Twilight asked.

“You think I’m sending him there all by himself?” Celestia asked, pointing at Olly, who was inspecting a nearby mushroom and sneezing as he caught a whiff of its spores.

“Good point,” Twilight admitted.

“Can we stay a little longer? I want to see what our mystery friend has to say!” Pinkie exclaimed. She turned to the spire, yelling, “Hey! What’s your name? Do you know my friend BonBon? What about Mr. Cake, or-”

“Alright, Pinkie, I think the altitude’s getting to you a little bit,” Dash said, dragging Pinkie by her tail back toward the entrance of the cavern.

Twilight pulled Olly away from the mushrooms and trotted to the center of the former metropolis. The spire was the only building in the city that looked structurally sound, probably because it was just a simple pole leading up to the top of the gigantic cavern. Twilight approached the tower’s entrance with Olly, only to find a single seemingly endless spiral staircase inside it that presumably led to the top. Purple runes lit up when Twilight entered, and as she started to climb with Olly, they provided apt lighting.

They climbed for what seemed like hours. Twilight was getting increasingly annoyed at the nagging though that they weren’t getting anywhere, which was aided by the fact that she couldn’t see the bottom of the windowless spire.

Olly was gasping for breath as he struggled to keep up with Twilight. “So... weak. Getting... lightheaded. Good, no heavy head to carry...” he trailed off, rolling over. He folded his legs over his chest.

“Olly, you’re not a cockroach. Get up,” Twilight prompted.

“Five more minutes, mommy,” Olly complained wearily.

Aggravated, Twilight nipped Olly on the ear. “We can’t afford to stay up here very long!” she snapped.

“Why not?” Olly asked, shaking his head.

“We’ll suffocate,” Twilight breathed. “We need to get to the top of this spire and back down as quickly as we can.”

Though it took a lot of prodding and pulling on Twilight’s part, she eventually got Olly to climb to the top of the spire with her. Inside was a single chamber.

Crisp, almost new magical texts lined the walls. There was a single pedestal in the center of the room, and atop it laid a single black gem. The chamber was aged and crumbling like the rest of the ruins, and luminescent fungus completely covered the floor and provided dim lighting.

Twilight squinted at the text, only barely able to make it out. “Hey, Olly, listen to this.”

“I’m all ears,” Olly breathed. “What is it?”

“Just and fair is the punishment served.
Until we arrive, you shall stay preserved.
Steady is our magical prison
That keeps you under close supervision.
In due time, you will be released,
Come the end of the war, during times of peace.
End the suffering, let it cease.”

Twilight read the last words as a warm presence started to claw at her mind. She shook her head, trying to shake the awful feeling.

“I’ll give that poem a... well, a nine out of ten,” Olly shrugged. “Wonder what this gem in the center is, though. Wonder if I can swipe it.” He reached to touch the gem, yelping as sparks from an invisible barrier flew down his foreleg. “Ooh, that smarts!”

“You can’t touch it; there’s... there’s a magical barrier,” Twilight grunted. The presence was getting stronger, and she couldn’t shake it off. It felt as if somepony were raking the back of her head with metal talons.

“What, so I can’t take it? It’s so shiny,” Olly begged, staring at the gem. “Pleeease?”

Twilight yelled, falling to her knees.

“Alright, I won’t take it!” Olly jumped. “Uh, Twilight? You alright?”

Twilight couldn’t answer. Words were flying through her head faster than she could hear them. Before falling unconscious, though, there was one phrase that stood out:

I’m sorry, brother.

=====================================================================

After a moment’s contemplation, Olly realized he had to physically drag Twilight back to camp. Having no other choice, he spent what was left of his energy trying to save Twilight’s head from too much damage on the trek back down the stairs and across half of the city. He did get her safely back to camp, though, somehow, and as soon as he set her down, he fell over himself.

“What in tarnation?” Applejack asked in shock. “What’d ya’ll do up there that knocked her out?”

“Altitude sickness?” Olly suggested, panting and wiping his brow despite the fact that it was chilly inside and outside the chamber where they were setting up camp. “She just, well, fell unconscious.”

“What was up there?” Celestia asked.

“Just a mystical poem and a black diamond that I couldn’t bring back for some reason,” Olly explained. “Nothing I could really make much sense out of. But what’s wrong with Twilight? Anypony know?”

Celestia and Fluttershy examined the lightly snoozing mare in front of them. Celestia shook her head. The pulses stopped suddenly an hour or so ago. That must have been them interfering at the top of the spire. “She doesn’t look injured or sick, at least from the outside. For right now, she should get her rest.”

“I think we all should get some rest,” Rarity suggested, lying down on her sleeping bag and yawning.

“I like that idea. Sweet dreams, everypony!” Pinkie chirped before bundling herself up in blankets.

Celestia was the last to fall asleep. Something about that black gem sounds oddly familiar.

=====================================================================

*******

Scootaloo stumbled through the snow, having just woken up in a ditch. She was disoriented and groggy as she tried to gain her bearings. “Hello? Anypony?” she called desperately, hoping to see a friend.

She was freezing. The frigid cold had seeped through every portion of her body, yet she kept going for fear of being followed. Her steps were uneven as the winds of a blizzard pounded on her side, almost knocking her over. Still, she braved the snowstorm and continued down the first thin, dirt road she found. It had to lead somewhere. Anywhere.

Further down the road, Scootaloo finally saw the shape of a pony. She forced what little energy she had left into her legs and plowed through the ever-thickening snow to meet her.

“Who are you?” Scootaloo asked, almost yelling over the wind.

The mare, an alicorn, laughed sadly. “You do not recognize me, sister? It’s just as well, I suppose.”

“Wh-What do you mean? Where am I?” Scootaloo asked, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Please, do not be afraid,” the mare said, draping a wing across Scootaloo. She was warm, like a midsummer day. The winds quieted.

“H-Help me,” Scootaloo murmured, pressing herself into the mare’s chest for warmth. “I-I’m so cold...”

“I cannot help you much more than I am right now, sister. I am sorry,” the mare said.

“Wh-Why are y-you out here all al-alone?” Scootaloo stuttered, her teeth chattering from the icy winds that buffeted both her and the mare next to her.

“I was here to protect you. It appears that I cannot,” the mare said sadly. The winds were picking up again, and the temperature dropped harshly.

“What d-do you mean?” Scootaloo asked.

The mare pointed into a pit on the side of the road. Inside was an orange pegasus with a spiky purple mane, her eyes motionless in death. Scootaloo was staring at her own body.

She awoke with a scream.

=====================================================================

[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This story takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
Please let me know if a link doesn’t work.

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

*******

Scootaloo leapt to her hooves an instant after waking up from her nightmare. She was panting and exhausted, wobbling a bit on her hooves. Blinking, she tried to adjust to her surroundings. She was at the camp that she and the others had set up at the entrance of the caverns, her cot the fourth in a row, next to Centime and Olly. The others were snoring away, but sleep was the last thing on Scootaloo’s mind.

“Mph... Scoot?” Dash asked from under her blanket.

Scootaloo didn’t answer; she was too disoriented. She mumbled something, shaking her head. Centime tugged on her tail.

“What’s wrong, Scootaloo?” Centime asked drowsily, his eyes still half-shut.

“I...” Scootaloo tried to force out the words, but her lips wouldn’t obey. She swallowed, struggling to keep her emotions in check.

“Hey, what’s the matter, Scootaloo?” Dash asked, pushing her blanket aside and getting up. She trotted over to her friend’s side. “Did you have a nightmare?”

Scootaloo nodded shakily. “I-I just need some air, okay? Give me a minute.”

“In that case, I’m going back to sleep,” Olly yawned irritably. “Try not to dream so loud next time.”

Scootaloo looked around. Most of the others hadn’t even stirred at her loud outburst. I don’t blame them. I feel like I’m going to fall over on my hooves as it is.

“Can I come... too?” Centime asked, yawning in the middle of his question and curling up in his blanket.

“I think we both know the answer to that question,” Dash said, grinning slightly and rubbing her eyes. Centime was asleep by the time she finished speaking.

Dash helped Scootaloo out into the main chamber of the cave. Scootaloo gradually recovered from her original fear, but she was still shaken.

“What was your nightmare about, Scoot?” Dash asked.

“I d-don’t really wanna talk about it,” Scootaloo mumbled, stopping for a moment to take a breath.

“I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer,” Dash insisted. “The sooner you get this off your chest, the sooner we can go back to sleep.”

Scootaloo exhaled and explained her nightmare to Dash from beginning to end, finishing with, “And the mare said she was here to protect me, but she failed. A-And then, I saw m-my own body in a ditch, frozen s-s-solid,” she cried, bringing Dash into a hug.

“...That’s rough, Scoot,” Dash said, rubbing Scootaloo’s back.

“W-Will that really h-happen to me?” Scootaloo sobbed. “Will I really...?” she couldn’t choke out the words.

“Pull yourself together, Scootaloo,” Dash said softly. “You have to be strong. Be like me, okay?”

Scootaloo looked up. “Wh-What do you m-mean?”

“Well, do you think any ol’ nightmare’s gonna slow me down? Please!” Dash said, giving Scootaloo a small noogie. “I thought you said drama was Rarity’s thing.”

Scootaloo smiled a bit, wiping her eyes. “Yeah, I-I guess...”

“It’ll all be just a memory in the morning, right?” Dash asked, nudging Scootaloo playfully. “You’re probably just tired; that’s why you’re having these nightmares. Get some sleep, okay?”

Scootaloo nodded. They began to walk back to the campsite. “Thanks, Dash.”

“No problem,” Dash said, curling up in her cot. “I mean, y’know, what are friends for?”

Still slightly unnerved by her nightmare, Scootaloo curled up next to Centime. Her eyes slowly closed as she drifted back to sleep.

The gem at the top of the spire glowed as she began to dream.

=====================================================================

*******

“So what’re we gettin’ ourselves into today?” Applejack asked.

The group had a restful night’s sleep, more or less. Dash and Scootaloo were the ones that looked slightly more drowsy, but an almost equal air of weariness hung over the group. They had gathered in the main chamber of the cave and were discussing their new course of action.

“Well, since the little chamber at the top of the spire was a dead end, there might be no choice but to go out in the snowstorm outside,” Celestia sighed.

“Wait, aren’t we above the cloud layer?” Scootaloo asked.

Celestia shook her head. “The clouds rose overnight. We’re going to have to climb an hour or two in the snow before we can break it again.”

“Fun, fun, fun,” Olly muttered.

“Wait, hold on a moment,” Twilight began. “I never really got to examine the chamber at the top of the spire; I fell unconscious a few moments after arriving. I actually think it’s something we all should look at. If we don’t find a way out up there, we’re going to have to bide our time for right now, because we won’t be able to survive five minutes outside as it is because of the storm,” she added, glancing at Centime.

Centime puffed up his chest in indignation, but Scootaloo tapped him and shook her head. “Fine,” he muttered.

“Um, sorry to be a bother, but we’re getting low on supplies,” Fluttershy pointed out hesitantly, motioning toward their bags.

“I’m sure I can use some magic to conjure us some food for the time being; it depends on how much residual energy is in this cave,” Twilight said. “We should be able to stay at least a couple more days, if we ration properly.”

“I agree that we shouldn’t be too hasty,” Rarity agreed nervously, “but I shudder to think of what those heathens are doing to my little sister. We need to get her back as soon as possible.”

“We haven’t forgotten about Sweetie Belle,” Celestia said. “Still, if we show up weakened to the fight against Guilt and Hate, they might just keep her and destroy us anyway.”

“I don’t really like to say this, but they could pretty much do that whenever they want to,” Dash admitted, looking away.

“Not if Twilight uses one of the Necromancy spells in her book,” Celestia said, turning to Twilight. “I’ll show it to you on the way up the spire.”

“Whee! What are we waiting for?” Pinkie asked, bouncing toward the spire. “C’mon, Dash, I’ll race you!”

Dash shook her head. “Sorry, Pinkie, not today.”

Pinkie tilted her head to one side and stopped bouncing. “But... But you’ve never turned down a race before! The chances of that are a one-millionth of a one-millionth of a percent!” She ran up to Dash. “Are you an impostor?”

Celestia bit her lip. “Don’t throw that word around, Pinkie,” she cautioned.

Dash backed up. “I’m fine, really, Pinkie,” she said. “It’s just that I’m a little tired, okay? Thin air isn’t really good for a pegasus. Even Cloudsdale is really humid most of the time. Up here in the mountains, well, it’s a little tough.”

Pinkie made one last dramatic glare at Dash before bounding off, saying, “Okey-dokey, Loki! Let’s go treasure-hunting!”

“Well, Ah don’t know ‘bout you all, but Ah don’t think it’s such a good idea to be goin’ back up there so quick,” Applejack said. “Didn’t Olly and Twilight barely make it to the top without turnin’ belly-up?”

“There is a difference in pressure,” Twilight admitted, “but if we’re able to make a hole in the cavern, the differing pressures should balance out. Worst case scenario, Celestia and I could always use magic to compact the air around us.”

“Well... Ah guess Ah don’t see any harm in tryin’,” Applejack said. “Let’s git a move on.”

As they began to ascend the spire, the runes lit up all of the different Elemental colors. Celestia pointed out the specific spell in Twilight’s book that she had mentioned earlier, and left her to her studies. She mumbled incantations occasionally as she tried to understand the scripture. This is going to take a few days to prepare properly, but there’s no telling what I’ll be able to do once I’ve memorized it.

Rarity wiped beads of sweat off of her forehead. Fifteen minutes of climbing had rendered her completely spent; her lungs were burning as if she was running a marathon. She tripped a bit on her hooves, stumbling into Pinkie Pie, who in turn stumbled into Olly, and so on. In all, five ponies fell flat onto their faces with Rarity’s dramatic collapse.

“Rarity, get up,” Dash complained. “Don’t wimp out on us now.”

“I... I can’t, I’m sorry,” Rarity mumbled, clutching her head as the others got back to their hooves. “It’s too much.”

“Gosh, Ah reckon she’s pretty sick,” Applejack observed, pushing past the others to Rarity’s side. Rarity was lying on the steps with her eyes half open, her limbs strewn about the cramped corridor. “Maybe Ah should stick with her, fer the time bein’, at least.”

“Are you sure?” Celestia asked.

“Ah think it’d be better if Ah let Rarity git her head back on her shoulders,” Applejack suggested. “We’ll catch up with ya at the top a the spire.”

Twilight nodded absently, almost tripping over Rarity’s leg as she studied her book. “Don’t take too long. As soon as you’re sure Rarity’s alright, do your best to get her to the top, okay?”

“Can do,” Applejack said, sitting down next to the slightly moaning Rarity.

The others journeyed on. Eventually, they reached the top of the spire, the room that contained the ominous poem and black diamond just ahead.

Cautiously walking into the room, Celestia found it in just as dingy a state as before. It appeared to be solid, so there were no other exits. What fascinated her, though, was the black gem on the table. She stood and stared at the diamond, as if in a trance.

“Um, Celestia?” Pinkie asked, prodding the sun goddess. “Celestia? Celestia! Equestria to Celestia!” she yelled, shaking her.

“Huh? What?” Celestia shook her head. She rushed up to the gem and studied it closely.

“Celestia? Don’t you want to read the poem? It has to mean something,” Twilight suggested.

A wide smile stretched across Celestia’s face. “Is it...? Yes!” she finally yelled, startling everypony. She jumped up and down giddily, as if she had just discovered buried treasure in her backyard.

“What’s up?” Dash asked, bewildered. “You all right, Celestia?”

“Don’t you understand? We’ve found Vengeance!” Celestia exclaimed.

“H-Huh? She’s here?!” Fluttershy squeaked, shrinking behind Pinkie Pie.

“No, silly,” Pinkie said. “I think she means the gem is Vengeance!”

“Wait, so all this time we’ve been scared of a rock?” Dash asked.

“No, Vengeance is inside the rock,” Celestia clarified.

“S-So she is here?” Fluttershy asked, trembling.

“No, she’s not,” Celestia sighed.

“But didn’t you say she was in the rock?” Twilight asked.

“She is,” Celestia answered, beginning to get frustrated.

“Hide me!” Fluttershy squealed, rushing for the doorway. Olly, sighing to himself, bit on her tail and held her in place.

“Vengeance is inside the rock, but she just can’t attack us right now. Better?” Celestia asked gruffly.

“How do you know that?” Twilight asked.

“I think I was the one that put her there,” Celestia answered.

“You think, or you know?” Twilight asked.

“I know it, okay? Now let’s just--ouch!” Celestia yelped as she tried to pick up the gem. It hissed and fizzled at her approach.

A peculiar buzzing flew through Twilight’s head for a minute, and she knelt in pain. “Ugh...”

“You okay, Twilight?” Scootaloo asked.

The buzzing faded. “Y-...Yeah, I’ll...” she trailed off, getting up.

Celestia rubbed her slightly charred hoof on her side. “How are we supposed to get it?”

“I-It’s an Antimagic barrier,” Twilight mumbled, shaking her head. She explained more clearly, “It’s strong, too. Nopony magical can go near the gem, and that includes unicorns, alicorns, and Elements of Harmony.”

“Wish you’d told me that sooner,” Olly muttered, adjusting his goggles so that they wouldn’t run into his horn. “So, that means either Scootaloo or Centime has to carry it, right?”

“What, you’re asking me to carry... her?!” Scootaloo swallowed. “I don’t know if I’m up to that kind of thing.”

“Either you or Centime; the rest of us can’t touch it,” Olly shrugged. “Besides, it’s just a gem. Vengeance can’t attack you, can she?”

“How’d a big powerful evil villain superpony like Vengeance end up in that itty-bitty teeny-tiny gem?” Pinkie asked Celestia.

“It wouldn’t be too hard to put a spirit in there, actually,” Twilight said, lending Scootaloo her saddlebags to carry the gem. “I can see Celestia and the Elements of Harmony pulling offsomething like that.”

Celestia nodded. “That’s how it happened. That’s how we defeated Vengeance.”

Twilight regarded Celestia with a bit of suspicion, but that passed quickly as she anxiously watched Scootaloo take the gem. She slowly lifted the gem from the pedestal and placed it into her saddlebags, the Antimagic barriers slowly fading away as the diamond’s magic left its resting spot.

“How’d it get here in the first place?” Dash asked. “Ponies don’t just casually stop by and drop diamonds off in random ruins.”

“This wasn’t always ruined,” Celestia pointed out. “It was probably a large city at one point. Then... well, I can’t say I know what happened.”

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Olly asked. “I mean, knowing that we have a traitor on our hooves, and all.”

“If we let it stay here, any number of things could happen. We don’t have any idea of the nature of her imprisonment or of the spell that’s keeping us from touching the gem. ...Do we?” Twilight asked, looking up at Celestia. The sun goddess sighed and shook her head, so Twilight continued. “That means that the barriers could fail or somepony else could find the gem, and it would be just as bad as Vengeance being released right now.”

“Yeah, but...” Scootaloo began, “well, it’s kinda convenient that the gem is right here, right? Discord brought us to this mountain for a reason, and I don’t like where this is going. It’s like saying to Discord, ‘Here, please release Vengeance from this gem so that she can destroy Equestria.’”

Cracks appeared in the walls as stone rubbed against stone. An ancient mechanism was activating, but Twilight didn’t detect any complex parts or magic that would suggest a trap. It’s probably just a gate opening somewhere.

“That may be true, Scootaloo, but we should rush Vengeance back to Fillydelphia and either have her entombed permanently or destroyed before anything else happens. We may be playing right into Discord’s claws...” Twilight paused, unsure where she was going with that argument. She sighed. “...But, in the end, they’d find a way. All we can do is minimize the damage, and hope that we realize our Potential before everything goes wrong.”

“Well, that’s a happy note to end on,” Olly chuckled. “I wouldn’t fret about it too much. Twilight’s right; even if we don’t take it, somepony else will as soon as they hear about it, and they won’t have a single clue what it is, whereas we can probably do some actual damage to Discord’s plan.”

Bright light and wind rushed in from outside as a corridor opened up to the exterior of the mountain, and the sudden rush of air eased the tension in the group’s lungs. They hadn’t realized just how labored their breathing was until they felt new life surging through them.

“Just one thing after another,” Twilight grumbled. To her surprise, the wind stopped after the initial burst. That means that we’re above the storm. We’ve climbed a long way.

“Last pony outside’s a rotten fudgesicle!” Pinkie chirped, bouncing down the corridor.

“Um, sh-shouldn’t we wait for Applejack and Ra-Rarity?” Fluttershy asked, shivering in the cold. “I-I-I’d be more than happy to w-wait for them...”

“You’re probably better off with us, Fluttershy,” Olly suggested. “After all, Applejack and Rarity can take care of themselves. Celestia, on the other hoof? Well, that’s a different story.”

“One of these days, Olly,” Celestia grumbled, rolling her eyes as she walked down the corridor.

“Um... HELP!” Pinkie yelled from the front of the tunnel.

Twilight’s ears perked up, and she rushed forward. “What’s the matter?”

“It’s like everything bad we never wanted to happen was written down and stored and sorted like one of Twilight’s lists and then everypony in the entire world made sure all of it happened!” Pinkie rambled from outside. She paused for a breath, then shouted, “Just hurry!”

They gathered at the exit, where Pinkie and a magenta unicorn with a white and purple mane was waiting for them.

*******

“Arrogance!” Celestia hissed.

The corridor led onto a level rock face with a sharp cliff on one end and a solid wall jutting up from where they had exited. A thin layer of snow, maybe an inch, covered the surface they stood on. Arrogance stood next to Sweetie Belle, who was tied, muzzled, and held prisoner behind a magical barrier.

“Long time no see, Celestia,” Arrogance smirked. “How’s being completely helpless working out for you?”

“Let Sweetie Belle go!” Scootaloo yelled.

“Sure, Scootaloo. As promised; you’ve reached the top of the mountain. At least, well, you’ve gone high enough,” Arrogance added with a grin. “How about we make a trade? I’ll give you Sweetie Belle if you give me that little black gem you’re keeping in your saddlebag.”

Scootaloo hastily tried to undo the straps on her pack, but Celestia stopped her. “She’s bluffing,” Celestia said. “She can’t even touch the gem.”

“You’re assuming I need to,” Arrogance chuckled. “But fine. Take her. She doesn’t mean anything to us. We’ll have that gem, though, one way or another.”

Arrogance cut Sweetie Belle’s bonds and lowered the barrier, and the teen hastily scampered into the center of the group. She looked back at Arrogance resentfully.

“Now, you have two choices,” Arrogance began. “Either you can give me the gem now and save Hate the trouble of prying it from your cold, dead hooves, or you can cling to it until you and all your little friends have been ripped apart. Your choice.”

“We’re not giving you the gem, Arrogance,” Twilight said fiercely. “If you want it, you’re going to have to go through us.”

Arrogance laughed. “Hate’s wanted to get back at you for years. I’m not going to jeopardize my own well-being by getting in his way. I’m done here. Toodle-oo.” She turned to leave.

“Wait,” Celestia growled. “I’m not through with you.”

“Don’t waste my time,” Arrogance sneered. “Brother or not, I can still wipe the floor with any one of you. Have you forgotten our last little bout, Celestia? You didn’t look too well at the end. I doubt you’d want to put yourself through the torture I’m all too willing to inflict.”

A faint smile danced across Celestia’s lips. “Want to bet?”

Dash stepped forward, looking nervously at Celestia. “Uh, Celestia? Are you sure this is the best idea?”

A warm wind brushed past the area. Celestia took a breath and turned toward the group. “No matter what happens... stay put. All of you.”

“Look, I don’t need to fight you,” Arrogance said, rolling her eyes. “I’ve got bigger fish to fry.”

Celestia glowed. “You forgot something, Arrogance, when you left my body. You forgot that whenever you possess somepony... you leave some of your power behind.” Her entire body became wrapped in a warm light. Her mane turned pastel shades of pink, green, and blue as her height increased by about two inches. Her pupils slowly thinned to sinister slits. “You forgot what you turned me into.”

Fluttershy pushed herself back against the wall, mortified. She... She’s the Daymare again!

Twilight’s jaw hit the floor. There’s no way she could be more powerful than Arrogance! ...Could she? How strong has she became?

“Last chance,” Arrogance growled, pawing her hoof on the snow in front of her.

“Goodbye, Arrogance,” the Daymare laughed. “Nice knowing you.”

*******

“I really hope you know how much pain I’m about to inflict on you,” Arrogance hissed. She glowed with potent blue energy.

Twilight put up protective barriers, separating herself and her friends from the two combatants. I hope you know what you’re doing, Celestia.

The Daymare swiftly flew around Arrogance and swiped at her, her hoof glowing as she attempt to smash Arrogance down into the rocks below. The villain nimbly dodged and fired a burst of energy toward the Daymare, though the white alicorn was simply able to swat the magic aside with her wing.

Diving at Arrogance, the Daymare landed a kick to the villain’s side before she was swatted aside by Arrogance’s now vicious attacks. Arrogance leapt backwards but forgot to consider how fast the Daymare would recover, and she was smacked into the side of the mountain.

Arrogance yelled in pain, shielding herself with a magical barrier from the Daymare’s relentless attacks. The barrier broke, but not before releasing an enormous amount of energy and pushing the sun goddess back.

Arrogance charged the Daymare and attempted to buck her in the face, but the white alicorn swiped Arrogance’s legs out from under her and kicked her into the air. Arrogance put up a protective barrier, but the Daymare foresaw this and instead fired a bolt of lightning toward her adversary. The barrier split upon contact with the electricity, and the Daymare plowed Arrogance into the ground during the resulting shockwave.

Panting, Arrogance blocked the Daymare’s next attacks and uppercut the white alicorn with her hoof and followed up with a kick to the eye. The sun goddess shrieked and staggered backward, but not before blasting Arrogance with hot flames.

While the Daymare was distracted, Arrogance tried to open a dark portal, but was interrupted by the Daymare stepping on her tail. Her good eye twitching in anger, the Daymare bit down on Arrogance’s tail and flung her overhead in an arc that ended with Arrogance’s face slamming into stone. Golden tendrils shot from the Daymare’s horn and fully restrained Arrogance, but the Daymare didn’t cease her attacks. She kept battering the already defeated Arrogance with magical bursts.

“Celestia, stop this!” Twilight begged. “You’ve already won!”

“I’ve not won until this sorry sack of darkness regrets ever crossing me!” the Daymare yelled, stepping on Arrogance jaw, crushing her.

Arrogance used her dwindling power to teleport out of harm’s way, tears dripping down her face from the amount of pain inflicted upon her. The Daymare was quicker, and yanked Arrogance back by her mane and thrust her into the ground once more.

Scootaloo covered Centime’s eyes and closed her own.

Who am I supposed to root for? Sweetie Belle gaped. Why does Celestia have to hurt her so much?

“You think you can possess me and go unpunished?” the Daymare screamed. “You will pay for everything you have done!”

“Stop!” Arrogance begged. Her leg was broken and one side of her face was bloodied. “Please!”

Dash tried to rush into battle and stop the Daymare, but the barrier prevented access. “Celestia!” she yelled. “Have you gone insane?!” She turned to Twilight. “We’ve got to stop her!”

Twilight turned away. “Sh-She could kill you, too, Dash. It’s too dangerous.”

Dash prepared to break through Twilight’s barrier, but Olly stopped her.

“I know this isn’t right,” he said solemnly, “but I’m not going to have you throwing your life away just because we have an unfair advantage. Now sit down and stay put.”

Dash neither sat down nor stayed put, though, anxiously pacing back and forth as she watched Arrogance feebly try to avoid the Daymare’s onslaught.

The Daymare reared up and attempted to split Arrogance in half, but missed as Arrogance was barely able to roll out of the way. It didn’t matter very much in the long run. The Daymare threw Arrogance into the air and spiked her into the rocky floor, landing on her chest once again.

The Daymare grinned maliciously as she looked upon Arrogance. “You will think twice before crossing me again.”

*******

“Celestia!”

The Daymare turned, looking back at her group. They were shattered and horrified.

“Celestia...” Twilight breathed, taking down the barrier. “What have you done?!”

“I have given her exactly what she has deserved!” the Daymare roared. “She destroyed entire cities in the name of Discord! It’s about time she has suffered the same fate!”

“That doesn’t make us any better than they are,” Olly growled. “What have you become, Celestia?”

“For shame, Elements of Harmony,” a voice from nearby said.

Discord melted out of the surrounding stone, taking shape on the icy mountain. Guilt materialized in a burst of chilling energy. In a final blast of dark fire, Hate arrived on the mountain.

They looked upon the Elements of Harmony and their friends coldly, except for hate.. She simply rushed to Arrogance’s side and desperately checked the shattered body for a pulse.

She didn’t find one.

For several long moments, Hate simply trembled in the cold of the mountain. Her expression, normally cool, was fluctuating from shock to fury to a sickening sorrow. Standing up, she looked upon the group with emotions so dynamic they were hard to place.

“Take her home,” Hate growled at Discord. The draconequus snapped his talons, he and the body promptly vanishing.

Hate slowly sifted a patch of snow that was stained red. As the snow melted on her hoof, she stared at the blood it left behind. She was trembling, but not from the cold.

Twilight couldn’t place her expression, but knew that it was anything but calm. We’re in for it now, she thought.

“This is what it comes down to, huh? Brothers killing brothers? Fine, then,” Hate choked, shaking with rage. “But you’d better be able to handle the consequences of your actions. ‘Cause I was going to be merciful to you, like I have been. B-But now... now I’m mad!” she yelled. A tremor rippled through the mountain, causing cracks to appear on the battlefield.

The Daymare stood her ground. “You’re one to talk! You’re the ones that started this war!”

Something changed.

Energy started to ripple through the air. Guilt backed up, his head low as he bowed to Hate. Pulses of magic started to flow through the air as tendrils of light started to warp the rocky cliff face. A shadow was cast over the sunlit sky.

Hate laughed harshly. “You know what? I’m through trying to explain this to you. You’re just the thick-headed little snob you’ve always been. So I-...” she paused, turning away for a moment. “I-I’m through. With you and the Elements of Murder. Yeah, that’s right. That’s all you are. Want proof? Here’s some; you killed my sister!” she screamed. Another burst of energy made the mountain shake. Hate’s irises morphed from a swampy green to a fiery indigo, and her slits thinned.

“She’ll just come back,” the Daymare said, gritting her teeth. “She’ll be alive again tomorrow, as if this never happened. Unlike the lives you take away.”

“So what, you’re going to use that to justify you using her as a... as a punching bag?!” Hate shrieked. “I am done with this! You think you can beat my sister up and think it’s okay?! Let’s see how you like it!”

“Well, if we weren’t completely doomed before,” Olly muttered.

Twilight turned to Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. “Go back inside and find Applejack and Rarity. Don’t come outside under any circumstances; we’ll come and get you after this is all over.”

Hate slowly lifted off the ground, hovering in midair. “I was told to be merciful,” she began, stretching out her wings. Flames started to leap off of her pelt and feathers. “I’m tossing that rule out the window. If you don’t have the decency to keep my sister alive... If you have the nerve to put her through so much agony, again and again,” she paused, struggling not to cry. “Th-Then I’m not going to hesitate to do the same to you!”

Scootaloo grabbed Centime and Sweetie Belle and pulled them inside, galloping down the narrow corridor as fast as her legs would carry her. As soon as they were through, though, Guilt placed an impenetrable barrier in front of the entryway, barring further access.

The dirt and grime that had once characterized Hate slowly melted off her and burned to ashes in the flames that slowly covered her entire body. In a few moments, Hate was gleaming in the evening sun; she fully represented Spitfire’s original, stunning beauty.

“I’m sick and tired of preaching to you foals. The only way I can get my message through your thick heads always seems to be violence. You want violence? Well, you’re in luck, because by the time I’m done with you, you will have experienced agony like you’ve never known agony BEFORE!” Hate screamed.

With a last pulse of energy, Hate had finally charged up completely. Her eyes glowed with white-hot energy as a pulse of hot air almost instantaneously melted any remaining snow and almost burned the Daymare herself.

“I’m not afraid of you,” the Daymare hissed.

“Well, then,” Hate growled, descending to the ground. Her indigo eyes seemed to be looking straight through the Daymare. “Let’s give you something to fear.”

*******

The shadow over the sun thickened, casting a dark haze over the surroundings. Shadows started to leap and twirl as a sinister laughter whirled through the air. Hate’s eyes glowed as the surrounding gray mountain started to morph into hard, black rock. Twilight backed up and poured energy into the barrier, though her terror made it hard to concentrate. Dash tried to look menacing while Fluttershy clutched tightly to an unsure Pinkie.

It ends now, Olly thought. Well... guess you had this coming to you, Celestia. Nice knowing you.

Guilt smiled slightly before slowly fading into the shadows.

“Let’s see what you’ve got!” Hate yelled, leaping at the Daymare.

The Daymare parried Hate’s first few attacks and counterattacked with a swipe to the head, but Hate ducked and warped above the Daymare. She tried to dive into the Daymare’s spine, but the white alicorn flipped and swatted Hate aside.

“That’s more like it!” Hate shrieked. Her hooves glowed for a moment, and time slowed. She warped in and out of place as the Daymare frantically tried to locate her. The Daymare put a protective shield around herself, but Hate broke it with a powerful hoof to the surface of the glimmering field and followed up with a magical blast to the Daymare’s face.

The Daymare backed up, her horn glowing. She flew at Hate, her body ablaze, and smacked her into the ground, following up with an attempted punch at her abdomen. Hate parried and leapt out of the way, warping behind the Daymare and kicking her skyward.

Recovering in midair, the Daymare released a myriad of small homing blasts that swirled toward Hate. She simply warped above the Daymare and charged up a blast of her own.

A bright beam of orange light flew at the Daymare point-blank, but the Daymare thrust out her hooves and blocked the blast, keeping it firmly in place and threatening to return it to its origins. Beads of sweat dripped down Hate’s face as she kept the pressure on the Daymare, but it was all for naught. The Daymare gathered her energy and thrust the beam back toward the flaming pegasus, resulting in a grand explosion. Hate flew backward, yelling in pain.

The Daymare didn’t let this opportunity go to waste. She flew toward Hate, smacked her skyward, and would have followed up with a mighty strike of lightning, but Hate was quicker. Recovering herself, Hate swooped underneath the Daymare and struck her in the jaw.

The Daymare retreated, but not before superheating the air around Hate, creating another massive explosion as the air rapidly expanded. Hate was tossed about in midair, and the Daymare took this opportunity to land, collect herself, and prepare her next attack. Her horn crackled and sparked as tendrils of electricity wove their way from her body to the stone and back.

Hate was slowly gliding to the ground, struggling to remain conscious.

The Daymare executed her final move. A bright blue burst of lightning shot through the air toward Hate, piercing her abdomen. She gasped in pain, falling limply to the ground.

The Daymare took a few steps forward, looking like she was about to finish Hate off, but Hate was not down for the count. Slowly getting to her hooves, she laughed, a laugh that would not have been expected from a pegasus that was near fatally struck with lightning just before.

“Y...Y’know, ‘Tia,” Hate chuckled, panting, as a sick grin slowly spread across her face. A dark barrier slowly wove its way from her shadow over her body, shielding it in a thin black tar that quickly evaporated. “Since you’re beating me, and all... I may as well give up. Hugs and kisses, right? C’mere, ‘Tia, let me wrap my hooves around you like the big, squishy barbarian you are.”

“Coward!” the Daymare barked.

Hate slowly walked toward the Daymare, who backed up hesitantly.

“What’s the matter, scared?” Hate snickered, though she was bleeding from her midsection and probably in intense pain. “C’mon, finish me off.”

What’s she waiting for? Dash thought. “Do something, Celestia!”

How... How could anypony be that powerful? Fluttershy trembled. How are we supposed to defeat a villain that’s so strong?

Hate raised her hoof toward the Daymare, who was backed up against the wall. A mighty spark of black energy leapt from her to her enemy, and the Daymare howled in pain.

“Aw, don’t give up on me that easy,” Hate laughed, pressing her hoof forward and feeding more black sparks into the screaming Daymare. “Let’s see some fire!”

“Have some!” the Daymare yelled, wrapping herself in flames and scampering away as fast as her hooves would carry her.

“Don’t leave me hanging!” Hate complained, smirking. Blood dripped down her thigh and she staggered as if she was about to pass out. “All it would take is one little tap. You’re putting me out of my misery, right? Do what you did to my sister. I dare you.”

“Stay away!” the Daymare shrieked. She was having trouble moving, and her unfolded wings were hanging at her side, useless.

“Alright, if you wanna do this the hard way, we’ll do this the hard way,” Hate grinned, motioning to the right of the Daymare.

Guilt leapt out of a rift in space and body-slammed the goddess, pinning her to the ground. Hate steadily limped up to her, grinning maniacally the entire way.

“No, no, no!” the Daymare whimpered, struggling against Guilt as Hate walked closer.

Dash once again forgot about Twilight’s barrier. Rubbing her nose, she exclaimed, “We have to help her!”

“Are you crazy?!” Twilight yelled. “Do you want the same thing to happen to us? Provoking them is the last thing we want to do!”

“You expect us to just sit here and do nothing?” Dash asked in shock and anger.

Twilight nodded firmly. “Rushing in there won’t get anything done. It’ll only cause needless death.”

Dash indignantly pounded on the barrier one final time, but silently looked away as soon as Hate reached the Daymare.

“Let’s see how you like being tortured to death,” Hate sneered, bringing her hoof up to the Daymare’s face. She shrieked and writhed as the dark energy shot through her system.

Twilight watched in horror as the Daymare was slowly being burnt to death. Bright yellow marks started to appear on the Daymare’s temples. What are they? Cracks...?

“Let’s hear you beg for mercy.” Hate whispered, going so far as to touch her hoof to the Daymare. Hate’s original rage seemed to have departed, replaced by the icy cool of a murderous villain.

“Stop!” the Daymare begged. It looked as if her skull was about to implode. “Please!”

Hate’s eye twitched for a moment, and she laughed. Slowly, she stepped away from the sobbing Daymare, but not before offering one last burst of dark energy to add to her pain. “Well, fine. If you want to chicken out, I’ll let you.”

*******

The shattered Daymare was left to her tears. Slowly, she reverted back to the regular Celestia, her mane returning to its bright red, orange, and yellow as she shrunk an inch or two.

Guilt silently released Celestia from his grasp and fixed his mane. He glanced at Hate for a moment and raised his hoof, but when he saw Hate’s stern glare, he simply turned back toward the group.

“Since you asked,” Hate spat. She looked back toward Twilight’s barrier and waved her hoof. It instantly shattered.

“Wh-... What?” Dash asked. “Aren’t you going to... y’know...?”

“Riiight... because I’m the cold-blooded murderer here,” Hate sneered. “Look, you wanna know why I do what I do? It’s because you did it first. I think I have the right to be teed off when you whine about getting creamed, ‘cause you did the same thing to me twenty-five thousand years ago.” She paused. “You live. For now. But only ‘cause I’m not allowed to kill you just yet.”

“What are you going to do with us?” Twilight asked.

“Not my choice, so don’t ask,” Hate finished. “Toodles. Good luck piecing your friendship back together. It’s all you’re going to have left in the end.”

Guilt tore open a hole in space, and the two departed through it. The barrier blocking the entrance vanished.

Olly stood in shock for a moment, then shook his head in amazement. “Well, you don’t get luck like that every day.”

“I don’t understand; why didn’t he just kill us all? Or, at least, why didn’t he kill Celestia?” Dash asked.

“They need her. They still need everypony in our group, otherwise they wouldn’t bother keeping us alive,” Twilight explained sourly.

Rarity poked her head out of the entrance. “Is it alright now? Has the fighting stopped?”

“The real fight’s just getting started,” Twilight growled. “Get Sweetie Belle, please. I need to have a word with Celestia.”

After Celestia was fully healed, she and Twilight stood in a deadlock. Neither wanted to start the inevitable argument, yet they forbade the others from interfering. Scootaloo and most of the others had departed for the campsite, leaving Rarity and Olly to make sure Celestia and Twilight didn’t kill each other. Ordinarily this would have been far-fetched, but the fury in Twilight’s eyes told a different story.

Celestia sighed. “Twilight... I know I’m wrong. I know what I did was stupid, dangerous, and a-” She bit her tongue.

“You were about to say ‘arrogant,’ weren’t you?” Twilight asked. “I guess it doesn’t matter. I’m not here to argue about whether what you just did was stupid or not. That part is obvious. I want to know if you’re fit to even journey with us after what you did.”

Celestia looked up, her eyes wide. “You don’t really mean that, do you?”

“Oh, I do,” Twilight confirmed, gritting her teeth. “All you’ve done for us is get us into more and more dangerous situations. I’m not going to even ask you why you attacked Arrogance, because any answer you give will be way beyond me. Why are we even keeping you with us? You’re an alicorn; it would take you a quarter of the time to get back to Fillydelphia compared to the time it would take us to walk.”

“I attacked Arrogance because she killed thousands of ponies!” Celestia said defensively. “Is there a better reason?”

“Murder doesn’t justify murder!” Twilight yelled. She was fuming and could hardly sit still. “What you’re doing is provoking the enemy and getting yourself and others killed! The only thing you’ve done for us is provide a guiding hoof, but at this point, we may be better off without it if it just leads us into hot water.”

“So you support Discord?” Celestia asked.

“I’m not sure I have any reason not to, if you’re Harmony!” Twilight retorted. “How are we supposed to call ourselves ‘good’ if we just kill anypony who gets in our way?”

“You didn’t seem to have any qualms with it when you killed Envy and Arrogance the first time,” Celestia pointed out.

“They weren’t begging for mercy,” Twilight growled. “You had Arrogance beat. She was trying to run away. And then you just killed her in cold blood! She was crying, Celestia!”

“The Elements of Discord don’t have feelings,” Celestia growled. “That was an act, and nothing more. You’re letting them manipulate you, which is Discord’s greatest strength!”

“How do you know that? How do you know anything about Discord, Celestia?” Twilight asked. “If Hate wasn’t upset about you killing Arrogance, if he didn’t look like he was about to cry, then what was he doing? He doesn’t have any reason to act!”

“He’s trying to gain your sympathy, and he’s succeeding!” Celestia argued.

“Is that your best argument for beating a pony to death? They’re trying to earn sympathy?” Twilight scoffed. “Celestia, I don’t care if they have feelings or not; they’re ponies, just like you or me! If they are begging at our knees to be spared, then you spare them. It’s not too hard to understand!”

“The Elements of Discord aren’t ponies. They’re soulless monsters!” Celestia shouted, “and you’ll never convince me otherwise!”

“I’m sure that Hate doesn’t consider you a pony either, if that’s how you treat him. He spared you,” Twilight pointed out.

“Sympathy,” Celestia growled.

“They don’t need to earn our sympathy, Celestia!” Twilight exclaimed. “They have us under their hooves and you know it. Why would they need to make us pity them? So that we’re weaker when we fight them? We hardly put up a fight right now! Why would they need our sympathy, of all things?”

Celestia turned away. “You shouldn’t be so lenient with them when you don’t know all the facts. You don’t know what they’ve done.”

“Okay, then. Who’s Skids?” Twilight asked.

“I thought we agreed not to talk about that!” Celestia snapped.

“You’re going to tell me, one way or another!” Twilight growled.

“No I’m not!” Celestia decided.

“The only way I’m going to let you stay with us is if you tell me what you’ve been hiding, now!”

“I won’t! Twilight, don’t make me angry!”

“What are you going to do, kill me? Who’s Skids?”

“No!”

“Who is Skids?”

“Twilight, I’m warning you!”

“Who is Skids?!”

“ENOUGH!” Olly roared.

Twilight and Celestia stared at the fuming Olly. He slowly stepped in between the angered sun goddess and the exasperated Element of Magic.

“Now that I’ve got your attention,” Olly hissed, pointing at Twilight, “you’ve got to stop acting like the world revolves around being nice! Don’t deny that Arrogance had this coming to her; she deserves it just as much as Hate does. Twilight, you’ve got to stop being so harsh on your friends and actually see from their point of view!”

He pointed at Celestia before Twilight got a chance to interject. “And you’ve got to actually give us a point of view to see from! I’m just as tired as Twilight is about sitting in the dark, waiting for you to turn the lights on. You’re going to come down from la-la-land and tell us what you’ve been hiding by sunrise tomorrow or so help me I will make you spell it out letter by letter!”

Twilight and Celestia, slightly surprised by Olly’s new change in attitude, nodded absently.

“Good, then. It’s settled. I’m taking a nap; wake me when you’re ready for story-time,” Olly grumbled, heading off toward the cavern.

There was a brief pause as Twilight and Celestia collected themselves.

“Are you both alright?” Rarity asked.

Celestia nodded shakily. “No way out of this, huh?” she asked sheepishly.

“The Olly has spoken, I guess,” Twilight mumbled. She gruffly pushed past Celestia and entered the cave, her head low.

“Rarity... am I really that bad?” Celestia asked after Twilight had left.

“...I’m not sure I can answer that question, Celestia,” Rarity said, though she didn’t meet Celestia’s eye.

=====================================================================

[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This story takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
Please let me know if a link doesn’t work.

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

*******

It was nearing dusk, and Celestia had just gone outside to set the Equestrian sun. Most of the others were exploring the ruins for lack of anything better to do, though Twilight had opted to sulk in her sleeping bag, eventually falling asleep. Scootaloo was still at camp, brushing the softly napping Centime. He was curled up on his sleeping bag, his eyelids lazily hanging over his eyes.

“C’mon, Scootaloo, let’s go explore the ruins,” Sweetie Belle pestered.

“Nah,” Scootaloo shrugged. “I’m good.”

“There you are,” Rarity said, trotting over to Sweetie Belle. “I thought you would have been halfway across the ruins by now, darling. Anyway, are you positively, absolutely sure that they didn’t mistreat you during your brief stay in their lair?”

“I’m fine, Rarity, really,” Sweetie Belle insisted. “All they did was keep me in a dorm and feed me. Hate talked to me a little. That’s all, okay?”

Rarity wasn’t satisfied, but she let the matter drop. “I’m going off to find Rainbow Dash and Applejack; they should have been back by now. Fluttershy should be right outside if you need anything. ...A-Are you completely certain that they-”

“Rarity,” Sweetie Belle interrupted.

Rarity swallowed. “I shouldn’t be long. Don’t go wandering too far, alright?”

Rarity left Sweetie Belle sitting next to Centime and Scootaloo. She noticed that Scootaloo’s cheeks were rosier than usual, and her eyes were half closed. “You don’t look so good, Scootaloo,” she said, feeling Scootaloo’s forehead. She had a fever.

“I’m okay,” Scootaloo mumbled. She shivered, turning away from Centime. “I’m just tired.”

“Maybe I should get Fluttershy. Just to be sure,” Sweetie Belle suggested. “You might be catching something.”

“Look, I just need a nap, okay? I’m good,” Scootaloo insisted, tightly shutting her eyes.

“Okay... Well, I’m going to explore. I’ll be back in a couple hours,” Sweetie Belle said reluctantly.

Scootaloo didn’t answer. She was fast asleep.

=====================================================================

*******

“That... That can’t be,” Scootaloo gaped, staring at the body lying in the ditch. She moved closer to the mare. “Please, please tell me this is some cruel joke, sister!”

The mare shook her head. “I’m so sorry, Elie... This is no longer something that we can ignore. This is no longer something that we can let happen. We must fight back.”

“H-How?” Scootaloo asked, tears welling up in her eyes. “You s-saw them; we all saw them! Th-Th-Th... They were out for b-blood. Our blood.”

“I wish that there was a better way to deal with the situation, but there isn’t,” the mare said sadly. “We have tried reasoning. We have tried hiding. We have tried begging. They will never stop until we are exterminated. I am sorry, but I will have to put us through a war unlike anything we have ever seen. There is no other option left. We must fight for our lives.”

“B-But what if we c-can’t?” Scootaloo asked, shivering. She couldn’t tell if the vibrations came from her sobs or from the bitter cold surrounding her.

“Then we will try,” the mare finished.

“But wh-what if we fa-fail?” Scootaloo cried. “What if we die again, Alexandra? What then? Will we just come back to fight again another day? I-I don’t want to live like that, s-sister...”

“Then what are we supposed to do?” Alexandra asked, though her tone wasn’t angry. It was sad, almost forlorn. “We can’t go back. We can never truly redeem ourselves in the eyes of our siblings. Our mark will forever separate us from the ordinary races of ponies. Sister, we have no options other than kill or be killed.”

“There m-must be a better way, Alexandra,” Scootaloo sobbed deeper into Alexandra’s pelt, wrapping her hooves around her sister in a tight hug. “I don’t want to fight them. I l-love them. And they love us!”

“They do not love us, sister,” Alexandra murmured. “They wish to end us. To end all of us. Can’t you see what they wish to do to you?” she continued, pointing to the body in the ditch.

“I don’t want to look at it anymore!” Scootaloo yelled, pushing away from Alexandra and facing away from the ditch. “If we war with them, we won’t be any better than they are! We will be the murderers, and everypony will see it that way!”

“They will tolerate us no more if we kill them than if we don’t,” Alexandra pointed out softly. “We are far past the point of mercy, sister.”

“I don’t care about them tolerating us...” Scootaloo mumbled. “I wonder if I will ever be able to tolerate myself after I take a life.”

“This is fight or flee, Elie, and we have already tried the latter,” Alexandra argued, with a little more force. “They will not hesitate to hunt us down. They will never hesitate to murder us. So why should we?”

“Because we’re better than murder!” Scootaloo screamed, icy tears dripping down her face as she turned furiously back to Alexandra. “You talk of survival. What about our dignity? What about our honor? We are immortal, Alexandra; what business do we have talking of survival in the first place?”

“If you wish to feel the pain of death one thousand times over, then you have my permission,” Alexandra said coldly. “However, once I start this war, they will only have more of an excuse to hunt all of us down, and I will start it with or without you.”

“Is that a threat?” Scootaloo hissed.

“Yes,” Alexandra said calmly. “Yes, it is. Apparently this is the only way I can convince you to save your own hide, short of me knocking you unconscious and foalnapping you myself.”

Scootaloo and Alexandra stood in deadlock for what seemed like hours. Snowflakes battered them and the frigid wind robbed each of them of any and all heat they had left, and they stood as if they were statues.

Scootaloo finally turned away, wiping her eyes. “...What is your reason for all of this, sister? What is your goal?”

“My goal is simple,” Alexandra said. “The Elements of Harmony must die.”

=====================================================================

*******

“Scootaloo?” Twilight asked after she arrived in her dream. She was in the same weird, watery dimension she was when she had seen dire images of her friends in spiral columns of water. Although the ‘floor’ of smooth water was the same, the columns had vanished, and were replaced with monstrous lotus flowers that floated about in the air. Scootaloo was lying on the surface of the water, fast asleep, when she arrived.

“Oh, this is ridiculous,” Twilight grumbled, continuing to prod the snoozing Scootaloo, “and... redundant.”

“Ngh, stop poking me,” Scootaloo groaned, shifting. She clambered to her hooves, then stared at Twilight, confused. “Wait. How are you in my dream?”

“How are you in my dream?” Twilight asked.

“Don’t ask me! All I know is that I was talking to somepony called Alexandra when I woke up here. So what is this? Another dream?” Scootaloo inquired.

Twilight looked around. The blueness of the horizon of her first Verba-less dream had been replaced with a faint yellow, and the gargantuan lotuses were about three meters across, each of them levitating at different altitudes. She rubbed her chin for a moment before stating, “We might be able to use those as stairs.”

“Do you think something’s up there?” Scootaloo asked. She tried looking up, but at the dead center of the sky was a ball of light ten times brighter than the sun. She quickly looked away, rubbing the spots out of her eyes. “Well, nothing better to do, I guess.”

Twilight bent down on her haunches before springing up onto the lowest lotus, which was still a fair distance from the ‘ground.’ Scootaloo tried to fly up to a different lotus, but when she flapped her wings, they encountered no resistance.

“I guess there’s no air here,” Twilight said.

“Then how are we breathing?” Scootaloo asked.

“Maybe we don’t even need to breathe. I mean, this is a dream, after all,” Twilight pointed out. She was beginning to get a fuzzy feeling in the back of her mind, but she dismissed it for the time being.

The pair slowly escalated, leaping from flower to flower, until they reached the top of the lotus cloud. The massive ball of light felt like it was just overhead, and it burned their scalps slightly. Twilight used telekinesis to pull another flower above their heads to protect from the rays.

The itching in the back of Twilight’s mind was gradually getting more severe. She shook her head. “So what now?”

“Well, I dunno. Wait until we wake up?” Scootaloo asked.

Twilight paused for a moment, then paled. “Oh, no. This isn’t good.”

“What isn’t good?” Scootaloo asked, beginning to sweat from the heat of the massive sun above them.

“Normally I can wake myself up whenever I want, kind of like fast-forwarding. That’s not working for some reason, and I don’t know why,” Twilight began.

“Well, why is that bad?” Scootaloo asked.

Twilight grunted and scratched her forehead as the itching reached its peak. “Time travels faster in the dream worlds. If we’re here for much longer, it’s going to cut into real time, and we could die of thirst. Basically, we’re in a coma.”

Twilight!

Twilight jumped. Who’s there?

Listen to me--it’s Verba--you’re not safe! Somepony is messing with your head! Hang on; I’ll be there as soon as I can.

“What’s wrong?” Scootaloo asked.

Twilight was just about to tell her about Verba before the entire world tilted as gravity flipped upside-down. Both Twilight and Scootaloo fell off their flower and started to fall upward, toward the burning sun. Twilight felt as if her pelt was about to burn off. Scootaloo yelled as she plummeted, but Twilight only stared in horror as she saw what the sun truly was.

It was an eye.

So this is how I’m going to die? Twilight asked herself in her only moment of capable thought.

Somepony grasped her hoof, though, just before the heat would have claimed her. A hoof composed of runes swung her up onto a platform of sandstone, just above the blazing eye. Twilight collapsed on the surface.

“Hold on,” Verba said gruffly, pulling Twilight’s legs up and centering her on the platform.

She was about to ask a question before the eye exploded in a burst of fire, rocketing them both upward. Twilight would have screeched if her mouth wasn’t pressed up against the stone.

After the blast had subsided, Twilight realized that she was returning to the real world. Her dream was fading, collapsing, really. Not yet. I still have questions...

“That wasn’t Scootaloo,” Verba stated. “Somepony’s messing with your mind, Twilight. I don’t know who, and I don’t know why, but I’m going to find out. Just stay safe, and try not to fall asleep too often.”

And with that, Twilight’s dream ended.

=====================================================================

*******

“Scootaloo?” Centime asked, nudging her. Scootaloo’s pulse, breathing, and temperature had all drastically increased, and dark creases were appearing under her eyes. Twilight had woken up earlier when Scootaloo still looked normal and had gone deeper into the cavern, a worried look on her face.

“What’s the matter?” Olly asked.

“Scootaloo doesn’t look well...” Centime trailed off. He wiped his eyes, a knot starting to form in his stomach. “What’s wr-wrong with her?”

“Hm... That’s a doozy of a question,” Olly remarked, examining Scootaloo. His brow furrowed, and for just a moment, his gaze was cold rather than lighthearted. It reverted to its normal cheer as he said, “Tell you what: I’ll go get Fluttershy, and we’ll sort this out, okay?”

Centime nodded. “I’ll watch her.”

A few moments later, Fluttershy rushed into the small cavern with Olly at her side and asked,“I’m here; what’s the matter?” Worry was apparent in her tone, so Olly must have told her what was going on.She felt Scootaloo’s forehead with the back of her hoof. “Oh, dear, she’s burning up. Olly, um, please, u-uh, go get a cool rock, or...”

“What’s the matter?” the clear voice of Celestia asked.

“Scootaloo has an awful fever,” Fluttershy explained, panic starting to creep into her speech. “Centime, d-do you know j-just how long she was asleep?”

“Uh, a few hours, I dunno,” Centime said, sniffling. “Is she sick?”

Olly softly placed an icy rock on Scootaloo’s forehead, and she grunted in pain, weakly lifting a hoof to bat at the source of the cold.

“Y-You’re hurting her!” Centime exclaimed. He anxiously shifted on his hooves, unsure if he should remove the stone from Scootaloo’s forehead.

“Shh, it’s only to cool her off,” Celestia explained, putting a hoof around Centime and dragging him away from Scootaloo.

“Get off!” Centime resisted, struggling out of Celestia’s grasp. The sun goddess was unsure how to respond.

“There you are,” Rarity told Celestia. “You can’t slip away from me that easily.”

“Rarity, this is serious. Scootaloo’s really sick,” Celestia protested, turning to look at Rarity.

“Oh, no. You’re not weaseling out of this that easily. Fluttershy’s got the situation under control, hasn’t she?” she asked.

Olly nodded, looking sternly at Celestia. “Scootaloo will be fine in Fluttershy’s care for right now. In the meantime, this little talk we’re going to have is long overdue.”

“But I thought everypony had to be present,” Celestia argued.

Fluttershy mumbled something, but seeing that nopony heard her, spoke up. “I, um, uh... I don’t really need to hear your story... Unless you want me to, of course,” she added.

“Then it’s settled. Let’s go, Celestia,” Olly finished, motioning to the center of the cavern.

“Why can’t we just talk right here?” Celestia asked.

Olly scratched the back of his neck. “Well... don’t take this the wrong way, Celestia, but Twilight is going to put some kind of ‘Zone of Truth’ spell near the wall of the cavern, and it’s being powered by the runes. We kind of need you to... sit in it.”

Celestia stifled the urge to roll her eyes. “Fine.”

=====================================================================

*******

Celestia sat in the dead center of the square, and it glowed slightly in her presence. She sat silently, biting her lip, as they expectantly waited for her to begin her story. For a minute or two, they sat in gridlock, until Olly finally decided to break the stalemate.

“So...?” he asked. “Here, I’ll help you get started. ‘It was a dark and stormy night...’”

“I’m thinking!” Celestia snapped. She took a deep breath. “Sorry.”

“We know this hurts, Celestia. Take all the time ya need,” Applejack reassured.

Olly sat back, leaning against a nearby rock. He sighed, rubbing his eyes. “Celestia, we really need to get this whole ordeal sorted out as quick as possible. You know that as well as I do. Probably more, since I’m not the most aware pony in Equestria. This may be the only chance you get to let off steam before you blow a gasket, and that’ll end up hurting all of us, or worse.”

“I know, I know,” Celestia exhaled, shaking her head vigorously. “I just can’t force the words out!”

“Then let ‘em come out on their own,” Dash said. “Let’s start easy. Where were you born?”

“In the arctic desert,” Celestia managed. “I know I was born there, because that’s where I got my cutie mark.”

“Okay, go on,” Olly urged.

“Well... at the time, I was a pegasus, and Luna was a unicorn. We were captured by the government, and sent to some awful facility, but Skids managed to get us out.”

“You weren’t born an alicorn?” Twilight asked, astonished.

Celestia shook her head. “...Not that I know of. That was my earliest memory before meeting Skids. Most of it is just darkness.” She paused.

“Go on,” Olly prompted.

“The only pony k-kind enough to help us out of the chaos was Skids,” Celestia stammered. “He was Deception... I know that now. But until I found that out, he was the best pony I had ever seen. He was a little on the short side, and he was a little impatient,” she smiled wistfully, closing her eyes, “but, somehow, he always lit up my day... through everything. Through the constant attacks by Discord to the hopeless moments inside their stronghold. He found Luna and I and took us to the real Equestria. The Equestria during the Dark Times.

“During the Dark Times, Equestria was ravaged by Discord. There weren’t any farms back then. The only food available was from factories, and it all tasted awful and dull. Ponies were crammed into tiny living spaces and almost never got to see the light of day. Not like there was any sunlight, anyway... During the Dark Times, the sun was suspended at dawn, its exact position when Magic was killed. Luna, being the Element of Magic, tried to move the sun, but it alerted Discord to our position.

“Skids managed to hide most of us, but Luna was captured. We found her later in the capital city, crammed into a crate and crying her eyes out. I never found out what they did to her before she was rescued... She never told me. Skids, though, made the best out of the situation and managed to locate Discord’s stronghold, the Palace of Order.”

“You mean, Deception made the best out of the situation and managed to locate the Palace of Order,” Olly corrected.

For a moment Celestia looked at Olly spitefully, but it faded quickly. She simply nodded. “They’re one and the same.”

“Then, um, why don’t you just say ‘Deception?’” Dash asked.

“Does it really matter all that much?” Celestia answered, a little too forcefully.

“Jeez, Celestia, don’t get angry about it,” Dash said, miffed. “Who was Skids, anyway?”

“He was, supposedly, the Element of Honesty. He introduced me to some of his friends, too. There was Anonymity, the Element of Kindness, and finally Quicksilver, the Element of Humor. I was Loyalty, and Luna was Magic,” Celestia explained. “Skids wanted to attack the stronghold right away, but Anonymity knew that we would need the Element of Generosity, Lupa, to do so. We weren’t complete as a team without her.”

“What you really mean is, Deception wanted to attack the stronghold right away, but Anonymity knew that you would need the Element of Generosity to do so,” Olly corrected.

“Will you cut it out?!” Celestia yelled.

Olly raised an eyebrow. “Why does that bother you so much? Aren’t you the one who said they were ‘one and the same?’”

“You don’t like to acknowledge that Skids was Deception, do you?” Twilight assumed.

“Anyway,” Celestia growled, glaring at Twilight and Olly in turn, “since the forces of Discord knew how dangerous we would be if we reunited, they had already taken action to prevent it. We found Lupa in a building near the center of the capital. Just as the forces of Discord intended, she was spoiled rotten and defiant. Quicksilver was able to convince her to join us somehow. To be honest, I don’t know much about it. Skids turned red whenever I asked.”

Olly yawned. “What you mean is-”

“Shut up!” Celestia shouted, angrily turning to Olly.

Olly suppressed a chuckle, leaning against the rock wall. “Why do you even allow me to bother you?”

“I don’t know,” Celestia gritted her teeth, turning away from Olly. “I just... don’t know.”

“We all know you’re feeling down-in-the-dumps, Celestia. Deception sounds like the most despicable pickle of a pony I’ve ever heard of in my life,” Pinkie began, “but we won’t be able to fight her off if you don’t give us the motivation.”

“So if ya finish yer story, we’ll be sure to fight by yer side every step a the way,” Applejack finished.

Celestia nodded. “Okay. Once we had found Lupa, we were all set to invade the Palace of Order. I think we fought Guilt, Hate, Envy, and maybe Arrogance... either that, or we just went straight to the top and fought Vengeance,” Celestia continued.

“You have a lot of gaps in your memory,” Dash observed.

Celestia chuckled. “A pony’s mind isn’t designed to hold thousands of years of memories. I’m slowly forgetting everything before five thousand years ago. I don’t even remember my birth name, but Luna does. I... I’ll have to ask her about it, once we get home.” She paused, taking a breath before continuing.

“Take yer time,” Applejack soothed.

“Thanks,” Celestia sighed, giving herself a few moment’s to formulate her story. “Luna was getting increasingly convinced that Skids was Deception, but I wouldn’t listen. I couldn’t listen. I became bitterly opposed to Luna, so much that even Skids appeared worried. “

‘Appeared’ is the keyword, there, Olly thought. “You sound like you were walking straight into a trap. Didn’t you ever think about that?”

“At that point, it was all or nothing. They knew Lupa had joined us and were going to kill us all as soon as they were able. We reached the pinnacle of their base and defeated Vengeance, but only barely. Quicksilver, Luna, and Anonymity were all badly injured. Lupa was dead. That’s when Skids betrayed me.

“First... First, he killed Luna. I don’t want t-to describe it, but it was awful. He said that I had to pay for my mistakes. An-And then, he possessed Luna. He struck me down, and then I started to hear things. ...I heard evil. Pure e-evil just started to run rampant in my mind. I suffered before I died.

“After he had killed my only friends, he pulled out two gems, one amber and one dark blue. They glowed, and I remember feeling intense pain... then darkness. When I woke up, I was an alicorn. Skids was there, a-and... he revealed himself as Deception. He let me go saying that...” Celestia trailed off, putting a hoof to her forehead.

“What?” Twilight asked.

“H-He said that the pain of immortality was torture enough,” Celestia finished quietly.

Olly folded his forelegs. “Celestia, I know how much you’re hurting, but... I’m confused. And I don’t confuse easily. If it’s been five thousand some years, why haven’t you just got a grief counselor to help with your emotional issues? I mean, I can see immortality being a let-down and all after a few decades, but you still hate Deception and mourn Skids after centuries of being nowhere near them. Is there something else we should know?”

Celestia shook her head. “I can’t tell you. I haven’t even told Luna why I feel the way I do.”

“Celestia, if this were the time fer secrets, we wouldn’t be havin’ this talk with ya now,” Applejack asserted. “We need ta be able ta trust each other with our lives. C’mon, Celestia. It ain’t that hard.”

“Then... maybe there’s something you should know,” Celestia began, though slowly and carefully. “I... I hear voices. I think Deception may have planted magic in my mind that only I notice. We tried to find it and get rid of it after we defeated Discord, but it’s still there. It’s gotten stronger since I’ve been journeying with you, probably because-” she interrupted herself.

“...Probably because why?” Pinkie asked.

“Probably because I’m with the true Elements of Harmony again,” Celestia continued. “Anyway, the voice... it’s just a presence. I know it’s there, but I can’t do anything about it. I’m honestly not sure what it is, but whenever I doubt myself, whenever I feel frustrated or angry, the voice echos my thoughts. It’s as if it’s reinforcing them. I can’t think straight sometimes through the force of the voice.”

“And you think Deception put it there?” Dash asked.

Celestia nodded. “It’s been there ever since.”

That would explain why Celestia acts so irrationally sometimes. Instead of being normal, healthy anger and sadness, like a spark igniting a fireplace, Celestia’s anger is like a spark on a dry plain. She can’t always control her emotions, Twilight thought. “What happened after you became immortal?”

Celestia’s eyes watered. “I tried to kill myself... over and over again. Nothing worked. I watched my friends age and die right in front of me. I fell in love, only to have time age and eventually kill my lover. I tried everything. I... I really did. By making me immortal, by giving me that fragment of Magic... I just couldn’t bear it. Luna was a constant reminder of my mistakes. It hurt then, Twilight, and it still hurts today!” she snapped.

“It’s okay, Celestia. I understand,” Twilight soothed.

“You don’t!” Celestia shouted. “The reason I couldn’t tell you is because...” she glared at her hooves, trembling. “Because the more I think about it, the angrier I get, and if you hadn’t already figured it out, I don’t control anger very well!”

“Calm. Down,” Twilight commanded.

“Why should I?” Celestia hissed. She stopped again in mid-thought, grunting and shaking her head in pain. Her anger heightened and she yelled, “I was betrayed by the pony I love and you don’t even seem to care! You’ve never considered how much it hurt! I would do anything to just give it all up, and that’s probably why I’ve been making all of these stupid decisions!”

“That’s no excuse for putting innocent lives in danger,” Twilight said sternly, though she was beginning to lose her patience. “Don’t let the voice win, Celestia. Don’t let Deception control you.”

“I don’t care anymore,” Celestia growled, wiping her eyes. “I have been alive for five thousand years or more. My memory is in pieces and my heart has been broken twice over. I don’t want to keep this up anymore, Twilight; can’t you see that?!”

Twilight stood up, and her eyes began to glow bright purple. “Like it or not, Celestia, you are stuck with us. We can’t abandon this journey now, and if you keep acting up, we will all perish at the hooves of Discord! Sit down and calm your mind; anger and resentment will get you nowhere.”

Celestia was stunned. Her shock snapped her out of her rage. The others had a similar, astonished reaction.

“D-Did she just git possessed?” Applejack asked fearfully.

“Not by Discord, no,” Celestia breathed.

“Twilight, where did you get those words?” Celestia asked.

“I don’t know; where do I get any words? I think of them,” Twilight answered, annoyed. “What’s your point?”

Celestia’s eyes were wide. “Those were the exact words Luna said to me five thousand years ago, just before we faced Vengeance at the top of the Palace of Order.”

=====================================================================

*******

Arrogance was lying on a couch in her Canterlot lounge, picking at her bandages. She was covered in scars and stitches, though most of them were healing rapidly. That didn’t make them hurt any less, though.

“Stupid Celestia,” she muttered, rolling onto her side. She forced my soul out of my body. That’s not supposed to happen unless I allow it! How humiliating. I’m sick of this.

“Feeling better?” Hate asked, limping into the room with a splint attached to her back leg.

“You still have that on?” Arrogance asked, pointing at the medical device strapped to Hate’s leg.

“Huh? Oh, right,” Hate said, peeling the splint off her leg and testing the limb. “Good as new.”

“I don’t understand why you didn’t just get a new body,” Arrogance said, rolling her eyes.

“Because it’s important to Deception’s target. You’re one to talk; why did you stay in Diamond Tiara’s body?” Hate asked.

“I like this one, even if it isn’t as beautiful as before,” Arrogance answered, “but that’s easily enough fixed. ‘Sides, the other one escaped. Silver, I think. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?”

“Uh, yeah, ‘bout that...” Hate trailed off, taking a deep breath. “I let her go.”

“You... You what?” Arrogance asked in shock.

“Look, it’s not a big deal, okay?” Hate defended, not meeting Arrogance’s gaze. “You said you like this one, anyway. Don’t get all huffy about it.”

“It is a big deal!” Arrogance yelled. She grunted in pain. “It’ll still be a day or two before I’m back up on my hooves, and you just go and pull a Saphira!”

“I thought we agreed not to talk about that. I overreacted, okay?” Hate sighed.

“And she died because of it,” Arrogance hissed. “You really need to stop trying to be the hero here. It’s not only annoying, but it doesn’t help anypony, either! What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”

“Shut up!” Hate yelled.

“No,” Arrogance growled. “I’m not letting this go. You spared Saphira and only got her killed in the end. I bet you just dropped Silver on the edge of Canterlot. Where’s she going to go, huh? Huh?”

“Arrogance...” Hate warned.

“You keep saving ponies and the Elements of Harmony are going to think we’re soft!” Arrogance shouted. Flinching in pain due to her injuries, she lowered her voice and added, “It’s not like they ever notice, anyway.”

“You know why I did that? And why I let Silver Spoon go?” Hate asked.

“Why?” Arrogance prompted.

“‘Cause I’m sick of being the villain!” Hate yelled. She swatted her hoof to the side, and a row of bookshelves toppled to the ground. She turned to glare at Arrogance. “The reason you don’t get it is because you’re an ignorant little brat who gets her kicks by laying waste to entire cities!”

“And you think that saving a couple lives will atone you for that?” Arrogance scoffed. “Hate, ponies look at you with hatred because it’s your namesake. Those are the names Justice chose for us, remember?”

“So?” Hate challenged.

“Well, we need ponies to hate you until we achieve our goal, remember?” Arrogance asked spitefully. “After that, we can get rid of these stupid nicknames and go back to ruling Equestria. Then you can be that cheesy benevolent ruler you’ve always wanted to be.”

Hate sighed, looking away and biting her lip. Her anger was being replaced by solemness. “Arrogance...” she trailed off. “I’m not sure if I’m going to be here that long.”

“What do you mean?” Arrogance asked.

Hate shook her head and didn’t meet Arrogance’s gaze. “Just get some rest, Arrogance. Discord should be prepping the finale, and I need to be in tip-top shape for the encore.” She vanished.

“Whatever that means,” Arrogance muttered, curling up into a ball and trying her best to take a nap.

=====================================================================

Hate was storming down the streets of Canterlot alone. It was night now, and streetlights flickered slightly as Hate’s slightly feral black sparks licked the metal rods. The moon hung solemnly overhead, though the night was slightly overcast. The already decrepit buildings were now beginning to crumble, breaking apart at the seams. Canterlot wouldn’t last much longer, though natural forces weren’t the only ones at work.

“What does she know?” she muttered to herself. “She’s such a brat sometimes. She’ll never know emotion like I do. She’s just a spoiled little monster who’ll never know anything but murder.”

“Writing a soap opera, Hate?” Deception asked from the top of a small building.

“Not now, Deception,” Hate growled, not making eye contact and fixating her gaze on her hooves.

“If you think I’ll let you off the hook oh so easily, think again,” she laughed, hopping down from the structure and landing in front of hate, blocking the path onward.

Hate looked away, frustrated. Great, so I have to deal with this clown, too? “Go away. I’m not in the mood.”

“Are you ever in the mood?” Deception asked. “Honestly, Lucifer. I’m beginning to fear-”

“I told you never to call me that!” Hate snarled, her hooves crackling with energy. Her eyes flashed indigo for a moment, but reverted to green as her fury cooled.

Deception didn’t look impressed, but she continued anyway: “...I’m beginning to fear that your feminine body has given you feminine traits. And a temper.”

“Hold up your end of the bargain. I don’t call you by your name, and you don’t call me by mine. Fair enough?” Hate seethed.

Deception paused, promising nothing. “Very well. Now, you appeared like you had something on your mind the first time I saw you. If I may ask, what happens to have your emotions in a bind?”

“The Oh-So-High-And-Mighty Arrogance has decided that mercy is dishonorable, or something,” Hate explained.

“Oh, so she’s complaining about you letting the filly go?” Deception smirked. “You had that coming to you, you know.”

“You’d better not tell Justice!” Hate threatened, raising her hoof to Deception’s neck.

“Oh, you cannot threaten me, brother,” Deception snorted. Her form distorted, and she became translucent. “I’m not really here at all, am I? Have you forgotten my... preoccupation?”

Hate lowered her hoof in defeat. “...Right...” she trailed off. She scratched the back of her neck apprehensively. “Look, Deception... I need your advice.”

“Oh, do you, now?” Deception grinned. “It’s about time. You have been distant, brother, and it has worried me.”

“Don’t let it go to your puny little head,” Hate sneered. She looked away. “Look... are we the villains in this whole thing? You know, versus the Elements of Harmony and all?”

“We have taken many lives, that is true,” Deception began, “but the Elements of Harmony have tortured, enslaved, and disgraced us. Whenever we try to retaliate, whenever we try to save ourselves, we are brutally crushed beneath their hooves like vermin. Do you think this treatment is fair?”

“These Elements don’t look like they know any of that,” Hate protested. “What gives us the right to do the same? It’s been thousands of years! What’s the point of bloodying our hooves for a forgotten cause?”

“So you would let our pains go unpunished?” Deception hissed indignantly. “It doesn’t matter if they remember or not; they’re the same ponies, just in different skins. They showed no mercy for us when we tried to hide the exact same way, brother. However, once my master plan is realized, we will no longer have to cower in fear before them. We will achieve our ideals, those that we have strived after for milena. If that is not what you want for our world, then I feel sorry for you,” she finished with a sneer.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. Ideals,” Hate said, nodding. “So what now?”

“Now?” Deception asked. “Now... we prepare. The final fight is approaching, Hate. I can only hope that the Elements of Harmony finally receive what they deserve.”

=====================================================================

[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This story takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
Please let me know if a link doesn’t work.

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

*******

“What do you mean, that’s exactly what Luna said?” Twilight asked.

“I’m sure of it. It was right when I threatened to leave the group and take Skids with me,” Celestia affirmed. “Your eyes glowed... It was as if you were reciting it!”

“Hmm...” Twilight thought. She shook her head. “I... I don’t know.”

“Pretty uncanny,” Olly observed. “Remembering something from a past life is tough enough; I can’t even remember what happened in my own life. Still, though... It makes sense, doesn’t it? Somehow?”

“Oh, I get it!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Every Element of Magic passes on their memories! It’s like a big game of Telephone!”

“Telephone?” Celestia asked.

“Sure! You whisper something to somepony, and then they whisper it to somepony else, and it goes down a long line! By the time it reaches the end, it’s all ker-skuffled, and that’s why Twilight doesn’t remember everything,” Pinkie explained. “She only remembers bits and pieces. It’s like the leftover crumbs on a cookie sheet!”

“Okay, so what?” Twilight asked.

“So what?” Celestia laughed a bit. “Think about it, Twilight. Memories are what make us, well, us. Without memories of some sort, we’d be like newborn foals. Even Olly has memories--they’re just out of reach to him. That means, if you really do have all of Luna’s memories, then... you’re her.”

“Celestia, that’s kind of a stretch,” Twilight scoffed.

“I want you to focus hard on the energy and anger that made you summon the memories, Twilight. If you learn how to control all of your power, we’ll have a leg up on Discord!” Celestia pleaded. “At the very least, I want you to try.”

Twilight sighed. “...Alright, if that’s what you want.” She gritted her teeth and steadied her stance. After slightly brushing back her mane, she descended into a deep silence. Her eyes glowed for a moment, but she sighed in frustration as the power left her abruptly.

“Keep trying,” Celestia encouraged.

“Fine,” Twilight mumbled. Patiently, she tried to summon the power again. Her horn began to glow as magical circles wove around her hooves and inscribed ancient texts upon the cavern floor. The ground began to vibrate slightly, and dust fell from the ceiling.

“Rrgh...” Twilight grunted. Sparks of magenta energy shot from her horn as the circle began to emanate heat.

“You’re almost there,” Celestia breathed.

“This is stupid!” Twilight shouted, her eyes glowing bright magenta. “How am I supposed to set the sun with you three watching me like hawks?”

“Calm down, Luna,” Celestia breathed, her voice barely audible.

“Calm down? How am I supposed to calm down; all of Equestria depends on-” she collapsed to her knees, panting. “...me.”

“See what I mean?” Celestia asked. That’s incredible... she even translated it from the Ancient language!

“That... was... awesome!” Dash exclaimed. “C’mon, I want to see more!”

Twilight didn’t answer; she was trying to catch her breath. Fortunately for her, Fluttershy cantered into the room, with an expression on her face that suggested something was wrong.

“What’s up?” Dash asked.

“Um... I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” she began, “but, Celestia... we really need your help.”

Dash paled slightly. “Scoot’s okay, right?”

Fluttershy glanced at her hooves, drawing a circle on the ground anxiously. “I know that you’re all in the middle of something, but this is really important.”

“I’ll be right there,” Celestia said. She looked at Twilight. “I’ll go see Scootaloo. You stay here until you recover, okay?”

Twilight nodded, too exhausted to answer. That power... That power surging through me... I... I hope I can control it.

=====================================================================

Scootaloo had her eyes shut tight. She was shivering in her cocoon of blankets as if she were wrapped in sheets of ice, yet sweat glistened on her forehead as if she were stranded in a midday desert. Centime anxiously stood nearby, his instincts begging him to shake Scootaloo awake, but his sense of reason ordering him to stay put.

“Do you know what’s wrong with her?” Celestia asked.

Rarity shook her head. “No... not exactly. All I really know is she’s getting worse.”

“Hey, Celestia? Can’t you use your immortality to make her better?” Centime asked, tugging on Celestia’s wing.

Celestia shook her head. “I can’t just go throwing my immortality around. It’s too dangerous for regular ponies; it’s barely safe enough for me.”

“Okay, um, Sw-Sweetie Belle?” Centime asked. “Can’t you sing for her?”

Sweetie Belle sighed. “I tried singing to my friend Apple Bloom when she was sick... it didn’t help. I don’t think I can battle a disease.”

“W-Well, then what do we do?” Centime asked. “There’s got to be something we can do!”

*******

“I’m glad you asked,” Discord said. He appeared in a burst of static electricity, turning the group’s manes into frizzy messes.

“My hair,” Rarity complained, trying to pat down the haphazard strands. The static locked inside them, though, zapped her hoof painfully when she tried.

“I have a deal for you,” Discord began, warping to the front of the group with a small pop of light. He was wearing a yellow coat with a black and white checkerboard pattern across the middle. “I will take you off of this mountain and deposit you... well, anywhere. Free of charge! All you have to do is let me.”

“I think I’ll pass,” Dash growled. “Get lost.”

“One vote ‘no.’ Any others?” Discord asked.

“It’s not worth it. You’ll drop us right at the Lock,” Celestia growled, though once again Discord’s magic made her hard to take seriously. Her mane was standing straight up, its watery texture stretching several meters into the air. “I wouldn’t trust you half as far as I could throw you.”

“Aw, I’m so crushed that you would think of me that way,” Discord grinned. As he said ‘crushed,’ the cave vibrated.

“So if we don’t go with you, you’ll collapse the cave on us?” Twilight asked angrily, her frizzy mane covering one of her eyes.

Discord summoned an abacus and did some quick calculations. “It’s a definite ‘maybe.’”

“Um, well, girls...” Fluttershy began. “Scootaloo can’t really... stay up here. It’s not good for her.”

That is true... Twilight thought anxiously. “Fluttershy’s right. Ponies train for weeks before even attempting to climb Mt. Nevercrest; pegasi and earth ponies alike. It’s kind of a miracle we even made it this far.”

“I suppose you could say you had a guardian angel of sorts,” Discord grinned.

Olly bit his lip. His rust-colored mane had been transformed into a star-shaped pattern. “I hate to agree with Discord, but again, if they wanted us dead, well... It’s kind of obvious what would have happened to us.”

“Ugh... fine. Fine!” Dash exclaimed, flying up to Discord. She poked him in the chest and said, “If Scootaloo doesn’t make it out of this alive, I’m going to have your head on a platter by next Tuesday!”

Discord pulled out a few graham crackers and flipped through them. “I’m booked Tuesday... Does Monday work for you?”

“Monday’s fine,” Dash growled, swooping to the back of the group.

“Then it’s settled?” Discord asked.

Pinkie bounced up to Discord. Her mane was the only one that stayed its normal fashion. “I want you to promise that Scootaloo’ll be alright. On your word.”

As if his word is worth anything, Celestia thought, gritting her teeth.

“Cross my liver, hope to pry, stabbing backs while smiling wry,” Discord recited with a toothy grin.

Pinkie mumbled something to herself, but trotted back into the group.

“All set?” Discord asked.

They nodded. Discord snapped his fingers, and almost instantly they were transported. The surroundings morphed into an almost perfect circle of rock surrounded by trees the size of skyscrapers, though no birds or animals of any sort appeared to be present. The ground was a dark, rich brown that was matted with fallen leaves and flowering weeds. The air was chilly and the sun was a light orange; it was probably mid-afternoon.

Twilight took a knee; the altitude change was enormous, and her head felt as if it were about to explode out her ears. She was about to throw up, but with another snap of his talons, Discord eased the transition.

“Oops. I forgot how fragile ponies could be. I’ll remember that for the future... for better or for worse,” he added with a grin. “Toodle-oo, and don’t forget to call the Discord Taxi Service whenever you feel the need to go anywhere but here.” And with that, he poofed away.

Standing up, Twilight shook her head to rid herself of the black spots dancing around her vision. What she saw, though, made her heart sink.

*******

Hate was wearing a black velvet jacket and standing next to Guilt. They appeared to be playing a game of chess.

“Well, look who decided to show up,” Hate said. She motioned to the chessboard. “Knight to F-4.” Guilt used telekinesis to move the piece.

“I knew it. I knew it!” Celestia groaned.

“Aw, don’t get all huffy about it,” Hate said, rolling her eyes. She pulled a bundle of herbs out of her coat pocket and tossed it to the group’s hooves. “Take this. We wouldn’t want ‘ol Scoota-flu kicking the bucket, huh?”

“Why should we trust you? How do we know it isn’t poison?” Twilight growled.

Hate laughed. “That would be overkill, Twi. Her disease is kinda strong. A few more hours, and she’s history. Pawn to E-3.”

“It’d be just like you to make her last moments as painful as possible,” Celestia hissed.

“Sheesh, just take the medicine,” Hate groaned. “We’re trying to do you a favor.”

The bundle of herbs glowed and levitated onto Rarity’s hoof. Celestia turned around angrily and shouted, “Rarity, I forbid you from using those herbs!”

“I’m afraid that’s an order that I’m going to have to refuse,” Rarity stated. “Scootaloo will die without it.”

“But how do you know that?” Celestia retorted.

“Shut up!” Dash yelled, putting her hooves over her ears. “I’m tired of the bickering! Just take the stuff and deal with these freaks!”

“She has the right idea,” Hate said, pushing a rook down the board.

Twilight put a hoof on Celestia’s shoulder and looked into the goddess’s eyes. “Now isn’t the time.” She turned to Hate. “If it’s a fight you want, it’s a fight you’ll get!”

“Glad you finally came to a consensus. I thought it would’ve taken a lot longer. Looks like Deception’s doing her job... right?” Hate asked with a sinister grin. She snickered as some of her adversaries’ expressions morphed into those of fear and hatred. “Look at you. Just the very name freaks you out. Heh. Kinda funny, I guess.”

Pinkie slowly stepped in front of the group, walking toward Hate. Guilt leapt to attention, but Hate was slower to her hooves as she watched Pinkie come nearer.

“What are you trying to pull...?” Hate asked.

“Hate...” Pinkie began. “You don’t have to do this. We really, really, really don’t want to fight you... W-... We don’t have to hate each other.”

Hate arched an eyebrow. “Wait, what?”

Pinkie offered her hoof to Hate. “If you’re willing to let bygones be bygones... th-then I am, too! Just because you’ve been super-duper mean to us doesn’t mean we can’t offer the hoof of friendship, just like we always have!”

Hate stared at her. She raised her hoof, but not to shake Pinkie’s, nor to strike her down. She gently set Pinkie’s hoof back on the ground.

“Look, Pinkie... you have no idea how much I want to believe that,” Hate sighed, looking away. “But, in the end, you’ve done so much wrong in your past lives that it’s kinda hard to... well, take you seriously. Every incarnation of the Elements after... well, the originals, I think, haven’t had any memories of their past lives.

“It’s annoying, because you always want to make amends, y’know? But you can’t. You’ve done me so much wrong, Pinkie, that I can’t forgive you. I just... It’s impossible. And I know you don’t really understand that, and I don’t really have the time to explain it to you. I mean, y’know, Deception’s keeping us all on a schedule and stuff. So just believe me when I tell you that whatever we do to you, you’ve done it to us ten-fold. I’ll tell you this, though; you’re the first Element of Humor to ever give me the time of day. So, uh... thanks. But this is war. Either we win, or you do. I wish it was different, but...” she trailed off, shrugging. “That’s just the way it goes, sometimes. Somepony’s going to have to pick up the pieces of a broken world, and it’s either gonna be you... or it’s gonna be me.”

Celestia was bristling with fury, but she was too astounded to form words. Twilight was in a similar state of shock from what Hate had said.

Hate’s supposed to be evil! At least, according to Celestia and Luna, Twilight thought. I thought Hate would have hurt Pinkie, or laughed in her face. But he didn’t; he... he tried explaining it to her! And he did it calmly... It’s... It’s exactly what I would have done. What any of my friends would have tried to do.

Guilt was trembling with rage. Fuming, he leapt up to strike Pinkie. She cringed, but opened her eyes to see Guilt lying on the ground, and a swampy green barrier hovering over her.

Hate picked Guilt up by the chin with one hoof and looked directly in his dazed eyes. “Hey, bozo. There’s a hierarchy. Learn it.” She tossed her brother aside.

“Ya... shielded her?” Applejack asked in amazement.

“Yeah. So?” Hate asked, glaring at Applejack. She glanced at Pinkie. “You’d better get back to your group. Guilt isn’t too happy with you. Never has been.”

Pinkie nodded shakily. She bounded off to the center of the group and embraced Fluttershy in a tight hug. The terror she had been hiding when she went up to meet Hate was bubbling out of her, but she tried not to cry.

“There’s a lot about me you don’t know. Betcha never stopped to think about it,” Hate assumed. “Still, I guess two wrongs don’t make a right. You have every right to strike me down, crush me into the dust. Just don’t think for a moment that I don’t feel the same way. But hey, since I’m in a generous mood and all... I’ll make you a deal. Either it’s me versus all of you... or Pinkie has a one-on-one with my bro Guilt over here. Your choice.”

“I’ll take you on!” Dash yelled. “You and your pathetic little brother, too!”

“Dash, no!” Celestia exclaimed. “Pinkie will go up against Guilt.” She turned to glare at Hate. “One on one, as you said.”

“What?!” Twilight asked in shock. “How can you make that decision on her behalf?”

Celestia looked at Twilight fiercely. “Twilight, I know you don’t trust me, but even if you never trust me again in your life, trust me on this!”

“B-But...” Twilight stammered.

Celestia threw back her head. “I don’t have time to explain it to you, Twilight. Please, it’s the only way we can win!”

“You sure ‘bout that?” Hate grinned.

Twilight saw the dire seriousness in Celestia’s eyes, and swallowed. She turned to Pinkie, who had just now recovered. “Do you think you can defeat him?”

“Rodger-dodger, cap’n!” Pinkie exclaimed, quickly saluting. “I’ll do my very, extremely, absolute bestest!”

Guilt wiped blood from his snout and grinned maliciously. Dark energy rippled from his hooves and sent harsh emotions pounding through the group.

“So it’s a deal?” Hate asked.

“You’re on!” Pinkie said, leaping to the front of the group.

“Well, then,” Hate smiled, closing her eyes, “let the games begin.”

*******

Pinkie grasped her forehead, suddenly disoriented. Shapes and sounds blended together until she was in an entirely new area. However, this one was completely empty except for the white space that surrounded her.

Let the games begin.

“Who said that?” Pinkie yelped, glancing around herself. Her blue eyes glowed intensely, but a strange, tugging sensation pulled at her heart. She flinched as she felt pressure on the inside of her skull.

Hmph. You saw me just a few moments ago, didn’t you? Not the best of memories. Though... I suppose I have something to do with that.

A young stallion with a maroon mane appeared in front of Pinkie. He pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his snout. It was Guilt, but this time his grin was feral and chaotic instead of careful and controlled. His chocolate-colored mane hung in the air as if he were underwater, and his tail had the same floaty effect. His eyes were completely black, and dark energy seeped out from them and hung in the air. Long, bleeding cuts formed artistic and dainty paths down his midsection and sides.

This being a dimension of chaos and misery, your mind is suffering greatly under the stress I’m placing upon it. But don’t worry, Pinkamena Diane Pie, it will be over much sooner than you think.

Pinkie stepped back, terrified. “Wh-What are you?”

Not going to ‘giggle at the ghosties’ this time, now are you? Yes, give me your memories, your secrets, your fears... Give me EVERYTHING!

Guilt vanished, and Pinkie felt the tugging in her heart wrench her downward. She collapsed to the floor and was forced to stare directly into Guilt’s manic eyes.

Insanity.

Guilt’s pelt washed over with an olive color and his mane turned bright rose. He shrunk into a perfect replica of Apple Bloom. The deranged expression and dripping wounds, however, remained constant.

Loss.

Pinkie was thrust up into the air. An ear-splitting roar carved into her mind, and she didn’t feel anything except the dull thud as she landed. Recovering, she summoned her energy and prepared an attack.

Guilt, as Apple Bloom, reappeared, and Pinkie shot a bolt of blue light at him. He vanished, and Pinkie was flipped onto her back by the tugging sensation.

Shadow.

Guilt, in his original form, appeared over Pinkie. She grasped at her neck as an unseen force strangled her, and Guilt stared directly into her eyes for the second time. Sparks crackled as Pinkie desperately tried to raise her own power. Guilt hissed for a moment, but soon Pinkie’s resistance failed.

So, you have a modest grasp of your powers... Interesting.

The tugging in Pinkie’s heart ebbed a little, but not before Guilt grasped her by the tail and lifted her high off the ground. They soared upward, high enough that even Pinkie felt nauseous. Then, he let her go.

Pinkie yelled as she fell, curling into a tight ball. If you can manipulate this place, then... then why can’t I?!

Guilt gasped, his black eyes seeing blue for just a moment. Orange energy shot from him sporadically as he lost control of his dimension.

Foalish mare. Your grasp of your power is akin to that of a newborn.

Ordinarily, Pinkie would have been having tremendous fun as she explored her powers to the fullest, even if she was in combat, but Guilt’s visage was horrifying and his attacks were brutal. It was all she could do fend him off and retain the positive attitude that fueled her abilities.

Gaining some control over her momentum, Pinkie uneasily hovered up and down, but Guilt interrupted her. She felt the tugging sensation again, and this time it led her straight into Guilt’s hoof. She yelped in pain before receiving a buck to the face.

Gliding downward, Pinkie almost lost consciousness. She brushed against the floor and went limp.

If you think this is over, you’re quite sadly mistaken. I wish you had put up more of a fight, but then again, beggars can’t be choosers. I might as well finish you off... slowly. It’s what you deserve, after all.

Pinkie grunted and sat up, not sure how many of her bones were broken. She saw Guilt shooting toward her and covered her eyes, draining the rest of her power from her reserves. Guilt froze in place, his heart pulling him backward. Eventually he had to comply with the force, lest he be ripped apart by it. He tumbled onto the invisible ground, coughing.

Pinkie slowly stood up, using her energy to keep Guilt pinned to the floor. “The second mistake you made... was giving me a dimension where I had control.”

Hmph. And you want me to ask what the first one was?

“Hurting. My. Friends!” Pinkie yelled, thrusting her hoof to the ground. The white space was overcome with blue as Pinkie summoned warm images of her friends and family to the battlefield. Smiling slightly as she recovered her courage, Pinkie blasted Guilt with positive emotions, and he gasped before melting back into the darkness.

“You... are going... to smile!” she yelled, looking high and low for Guilt.

My, my, what an ambitious goal. There’s quite an easy way to get me to smile, you know.

Pinkie gagged. Guilt was constricting her throat, and her concentration failed. He soared toward her, and came so close that their snouts were touching. Some of Guilt’s blood dripped onto her cheeks.

All you have to do... is die.

Guilt changed again. His pelt washed over with bright blue, and his mane turned a slightly darker shade of that blue. His body morphed until it was an exact copy of Saphira.

Other copies began to spring up as well. Shadows seeped from the floor and formed dark visages of Pinkie’s friends; even an illusion of Celestia was present. Eerie screams and moans drifted past Pinkie’s ears, and she shivered.

“Y-You think that you can scare me by making dummies of my friends?” Pinkie asked. She sent out a pulse of bright blue light that ricocheted through the crowd with sounds of laughter and warm contentment.

Some of them hissed and fizzled, but most of them simply melted into the floor and swarmed at Pinkie’s hooves. They snickered and chattered about her, and her energy couldn’t ward them all off. To make matters worse, new shadows that were only half-formed kept advancing from an unseen source.

Your efforts are laughable, really. I suppose that’s why they call you the Element of Humor. Your strongest attacks so far have done little more than tickle me.

Pinkie’s eyes flared with power she didn’t even know she possessed, and a blue tidal wave erupted from her and spread out in all directions. The shadows screamed with unknown pain before dissipating. Guilt’s own wail of pain resounded through the empty space as he skidded backwards, still holding his demonic form of Saphira. He snarled and vanished, reappearing above Pinkie and attempting to crush her.

She rolled aside, yelping in pain as she tried to use her wounded hind leg. She swatted Guilt away and emitted a burst of energy. He vanished before it hit him.

Pinkie closed her eyes, sending bursts of light out as feelers. She pictured her friends triumphantly standing in Fillydelphia as heroes before swinging her hoof out blindly. It connected, though--right in Guilt’s stomach. A demonic screech erupted from his mouth, and when Pinkie cringed, he pinned her down.

Guilt was in a perfect position to snap Pinkie’s neck, but he hesitated. That allowed her enough time to conjure a blast of positive energy and knock him aside, following up with a beam of energy right between his dark black eyes. He gasped, his form of Saphira melting away. He crumpled to his knees, allowing Pinkie to deliver a final smack to the side of his head.

Collapsing in defeat, Guilt watched the white space around him dissolve into orange. The wounds around his midsection had scabbed over, but fresh blood leaked from his mouth and ears.

You... You are a worthy opponent. I am glad... glad that I was able to duel you once more.

*******

The false reality peeled away. Pinkie’s wounds vanished, and were replaced with pure exhaustion. When the rock platform finally became clear, Guilt was on his knees, but for the most part, it was as if the battle never happened.

Pinkie looked back at her friends, smiling slightly. She turned around and took a step. Then, she took one more before crumpling to the floor, unconscious.

“Pinkie!” Dash yelled, racing over to her. She glared at Guilt and yelled, “What did you do to her?!” but he only grinned slightly in response.

Hate raised an eyebrow at Guilt, then knocked over the black king on his chessboard. “Oh, and, uh, by the way... Checkmate.”

Guilt collapsed, panting. Hate walked over to him and gave him a noogie, which earned him an irritated glance in response. “I know how it feels, trust me. You take a break.” She turned to the group, who had rushed around Pinkie to make sure she was alright, and pointed a hoof at them. “You. Freaks. Over here.”

Twilight glared at Hate. “What do you want?”

Hate tossed them a satchel and grinned. “To the victors go the spoils. Celestia made a good bet this time. Just make sure you place your chips on the right board, y’know what I’m saying? See, I wouldn’t have hesitated to strike you down. Your princess over there had enough sense to understand the hierarchy.”

“You mentioned that earlier,” Rarity said. “What is it?”

“Harmony within Discord,” Hate grinned. “My sister’s code. She found out every Element has a place--we’re not equal. Least of all in power. I’m the second most powerful pony on the planet until Kindness and Magic realize their Potential. And when that happens, well...” she smiled, turning around. “I’ve got something planned.”

“Just be straightforward!” Twilight yelled. “Give us some answers! Ugh, I feel like a broken record from saying it so much!”

Hate laughed, looking at Twilight over her shoulder. “Yeah, I bet. I felt the same way twenty-five thousand years ago, when you had that grand master plan to eliminate us. How’s it feel to be at the bottom of the pecking order? Huh, Magic?”

Twilight’s cheeks burned, but she didn’t quite know why. Her redness evoked another harsh snicker from Hate.

“Yeah, he’s still in there, somewhere,” Hate grinned. “More than you think. ...Toodles.”

“Wait!” Twilight yelled, but Hate had already vanished in a burst of smoke, and Guilt had already sunk into the shadows. She stomped her hooves in agitation.

“No matter what I do, we’re still stuck in their web!” she complained.

“It doesn’t matter,” Celestia said, picking up the satchel. “Now that we’re in mainland Equestria, I should be able to-...” she cut herself off, staring at the bag’s contents. “Oh my.”

“What now?” Twilight moaned.

“Th-... The necklaces,” Celestia breathed. She pulled out each necklace and Twilight’s crown, each in pristine condition. “I thought they had been destroyed.”

“It’s got to be a trick,” Dash assumed. She pawed at her ruby necklace, and it glowed slightly. She frowned and said, “No... I’d know my necklace anywhere. It’s the only jewelry I own. This is it, but... why didn’t they destroy it?”

“You tell me,” Applejack gaped. She paused. “Um, Celestia? Whadda the necklaces, um, do, exactly?”

“They serve as amplifiers. The Elements of Harmony are several times more powerful while wearing them. Also, it’s almost impossible for an Element to realize their Potential without their necklace or crown, and even if they do, they don’t have the surge of power that the necklace brings. If Dash and Pinkie hadn’t had their necklaces when they were about to realize their Potential, then Luna wouldn’t have found you, or Fillydelphia would have been destroyed... probably both.” She shivered. “It’s frightening to think about, really.”

“But what’s the rub?” Olly asked, beginning to pace. “Why would they just give us so much power?”

“They must want us to realize our Potential,” Twilight said bitterly.

“But... But why?!” Sweetie Belle asked. “Every time one of you realized your Potential, we crushed Discord! Wouldn’t they want us to stay powerless?”

Celestia shook her head. “Of all the possible actions I’ve seen Discord take... this one, by far, makes the least sense. Still, it doesn’t mean that we’re invincible if one of the Elements realize their Potential, Sweetie Belle. We’ve escaped by the skin of our teeth each time so far.”

“Could they be tampered with?” Rarity asked warily.

Twilight’s horn glowed for a moment, but she shook her head in agitation. “I don’t detect anything out of the ordinary. Any spell they would have planted would have left some kind of magical residue, but I’m just detecting the same magical hum as usual.” She kicked a stone aside in frustration. “I’m tired of all these questions!”

“Then how about we go answer them?” Olly asked, putting a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “As friends.”

Twilight rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless. “Thanks, Olly. I was having corny adventure withdrawal.”

He shoved her friendlily. “I, for one, can hardly fathom anypony else having that kind of addiction. You read too much.”

“It comes with living in a library,” Twilight said. She turned to Celestia. “I think we should set up camp. We might have been able to travel with a sick Scootaloo, but Pinkie needs her rest, and I’m not itching to take another ride on the Discord express.”

“Neither am I,” Celestia admitted. “I should be able to conjure some food. In the meantime; you need to set up camp. Where’s the medicine Hate gave us?”

“What medicine?” Fluttershy asked, a little too suddenly.

Celestia looked at her. “You gave it to Scootaloo, didn’t you?”

Fluttershy drew a circle with her hoof and glanced at Celestia nervously. “I might have, a little, but I really thought she needed it... But I’m really, really sorry for disobeying you, Celestia.”

Celestia sighed. “Don’t be. I wasn’t in my right mind, and I should never have given Rarity that order. I just hope you know what you’re doing, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy nodded. Olly motioned to a ramp leading down from the plateau. “Shall we?”

=====================================================================

Scootaloo had finally descended into a light slumber, with Centime tending to her as Fluttershy directed. She was greatly relieved that Scootaloo had stabilized, almost to the point where she collapsed herself, but the various tasks of setting up camp had forbidden her from doing so. Twilight had went to take a nap, telling the others that she needed to contact Verba as soon as she could.

“You really ought to take a break, darling,” Rarity said as she helped Fluttershy lay out the cots and prepare the campfire.

“Oh, no, I couldn’t possibly. There’s just so much still to be done; there’re clothes to be folded, water we need to find, and I haven’t even begun unfolding the tarp yet,” Fluttershy replied.

Olly, who was bouncing a foam ball off a tree, said, “Well, I haven’t done anything to help out so far aside from keeping Cent here distracted, so why don’t I take a chore or two off your hooves?”

“I’d really appreciate that, but I’m fine, really,” Fluttershy insisted.

Rarity trotted over to her and patted down a few strands on her slightly messy mane. “Take a break. Olly and I can handle setting up camp, and you look like you’ve just received the tail end of a blizzard.”

“Literally,” Dash added. She was busy gathering firewood to ignite later.

Fluttershy sighed. “Okay, Rarity.” She went down to lie on her cot, but rest wouldn’t come to her until late in the night.

Once Dash had the firewood all in place, she lit up her mane, only to produce a massive fireball that nearly set the forest on fire and blew almost everypony backward, narrowly missing the sleeping Scootaloo and Pinkie.

“Jeez!” Dash yelped, calming her powers. She tapped her necklace, which was glowing with a familiar ruby light. “Wow...”

“What in tarnation was that all about?” Applejack yelled, lying upside-down against a tree the blast had blown her into.

Dash glanced around sheepishly. Even the floor of the forest had been singed various hues through the force of her rainbow. Luckily, nopony was injured, but she still felt a little guilty. “I’m going a little farther into the forest,” she said. “I don’t want anything like that happening again, so I’m going to practice a bit. Seeya.” And with that, she flew off.

“Ngh... What?” Scootaloo asked, her eyes creaking open.

“Scootaloo?” Fluttershy asked, leaping from her cot. Centime had a similar reaction, and they were the first ones by Scootaloo’s side.

“How do you feel?” Fluttershy asked, lifting blankets off of Scootaloo and checking to make sure her heart and lungs were still in working order.

“Really... weird,” Scootaloo said, taking a deep breath as Fluttershy prompted it. “We’re still on the mountain, right?”

Fluttershy shook her head, though Scootaloo couldn’t see it because her eyes were still adjusting. “Discord moved us deep into a forest. We’re not sure where we are. Does anything still hurt?”

“No, not really,” Scootaloo said before she felt a bear hug collide with her. “Ow!”

“I’m so glad you’re okay!” Centime exclaimed, his eyes shut tight.

Olly telekinetically pulled him off of Scootaloo with a bit of effort and said, “Sorry, squirt, but Scootaloo needs a little bit more time to recover before you two can get a room.”

“Oliver,” Rarity complained.

Olly laughed and set Centime down. “Kidding, kidding. You’re so uptight sometimes, Rarity.”

Scootaloo sat up, her eyes having finally adjusted. She looked around for a few moments before standing up, her steps slightly wobbly. Applejack helped steady her.

“Where’s Sweetie Belle?” Scootaloo asked.

“She went off to find Twilight. It’s nearing sunset, and she should be back by now,” Fluttershy said, suddenly worried.

“Didn’t Twi go off ta find Celestia?” Applejack asked. “It’s nearin’ dinnertime, and she was supposed ta bring food back by now.”

“I wonder where they could be,” Olly thought aloud, rubbing his chin.

“Sweetie Belle did what?” Rarity asked.

=====================================================================

*******

“Hey, Verba?” Twilight asked. For once, everything was normal; Verba was casually bouncing from object to object when she entered the dream world, and his typically expressionless face crinkled into a smile when he saw her. Twilight, though, was far too worried to try and relax. “What happened? You said somepony was trying to take control of my mind.”

The smile vanished from Verba’s face. “Well, not exactly. They weren’t trying to control you as much as steal from you.”

“Who? And what?” Twilight asked.

“Jeez, Louise, Twilight; I don’t have all the answers,” Verba said. “All I can really tell you is that whoever’s been messing you feels an awful lot like one of my siblings; Deception in particular, though there’s a little bit of Obsidian mixed in there, too, so I really can’t be sure. I mean, s’not like the two of them mingle very often, and Obsidian would tell me if he saw any of ‘em, or if he wanted to mess around inside your head. Your guess is as good as mine on this one.”

Twilight sighed. “That wasn’t what I was hoping to hear, but I guess it never is. So you think Deception is trying to possess me?”

“Again, it wasn’t control. My best guess is that Deception--if it’s her, which it might not be--is trying to steal information from you. Kind of like a trickier form of spying,” Verba suggested.

“What do you think she was trying to steal?” Twilight asked.

“I wanna stress that it might not be Deception. There’re plenty of Elements of Discord that wanna get inside your head, Twilight; not just her. And again, I don’t really have any idea what she was trying to steal; I mean, we don’t really know when we forget something, right? We only realize we’ve forgotten it once we need the information, you get what I’m saying?”

Twilight nodded. “Yeah, I think so. ...So how did you realize my mind was being invaded?”

“Well, what tipped me off first was that you didn’t go here like you normally do when you dream. ‘Course, that happens every now and then anyway and it turns out fine, but then I saw this space begin to widen a little. That’s what really got me suspicious, and I started to snoop around. Once I’d found you in a different section of your dreams, the danger-zone filled with nightmares and chaos, everything started to go crazy. I was able to save you, though, just in the nick of time,” Verba finished.

“And... what about Scootaloo? Didn’t you say that she was a fake?” Twilight asked.

Verba paused for a moment, thinking. “...Well, maybe, maybe not. I know that sometimes the dreams of two different ponies can combine and form a larger dream--that’s how the Dreamscape you fought the Daymare in was created. It was really just one big pile of dreams that was stable enough to be its own little dimension. So it’s possible Scootaloo was in your dream--but we won’t really know until you ask her. It was an imposter if she doesn’t remember anything about the dream.”

Twilight nodded, and the conversation ended. She continued to work on her replica of Ponyville, having just completed her own house and was now working on constructing Rarity’s boutique. “Hey... I was thinking about apologizing to Celestia,” she began after a while.

“Yeah?” Verba asked. He was lying on top of the Carousel Boutique’s roof.

“Well... I know this doesn’t sound good, but... I’m not sure if I should. I don’t know why I shouldn’t, but I still don’t really know why I should. So what do you think?” Twilight asked, looking up at Verba.

“Well... I honestly think you should. I mean, because it’s always better to keep friends than to lose them, especially during this war. I’ve seen Celestia through the necklaces a little bit, but I still don’t know what she’s really like, but I know enough,” he said.

“How so?” Twilight asked.

“Try seeing things from her perspective,” Verba began. “She and Luna were inseparable, from the day they were born, practically. Then Celestia had to banish Luna to the moon because she had been possessed by Envy. So no more sister.She wrestled with Arrogance for four thousand years, only to lose the fight in the end. That’s a really, really, really long time. She had one beacon of hope, though, and that was your letters. See, you really looked up to her, and not just because she had a position of power. You looked up to her as a beacon of truth, of light, and your letters not only helped her get through the day, but I’m sure they made Arrogance writhe.

“And then the war happened, and you were cut off from here and sent to us. For over one thousand days, Celestia wasn’t only frustrated with being trapped inside her own soul and not being able to do anything about it, she was lonely as lonely can be. She didn’t have anypony to talk to, and even if she did, Arrogance would prevent her from saying anything at all. When you finally freed her, I’m not sure she was ever really able to show how grateful she was to you. She wanted nothing else than to be your friend, Twilight, since the day she saw you earn your cutie mark. And you were so... so mean to her, Twilight. I hate to say it, but you were nasty to her. You know that just as well as I do. So when you ask me if you should give her an apology... well, I kinda think you’re being a little stingy with your kindness,” Verba finished.

“Wow...” Twilight breathed. I... I feel awful for treating her the way I did. She’s been through so much, and I treated her like dirt just because I was upset.

“Well, don’t get the wrong idea,” Verba began, seeing Twilight’s expression. “You weren’t all in the wrong. Celestia made a lot of mistakes on your journey so far. But even if she does, y’know, just be a little nicer about it from here on out, you get what I’m saying? Whatever happens, make sure that, at the end of the day, you’re still friends.”

Twilight swallowed, nodded. “So now the question is, how should I apologize to her?”

Verba smiled as wide as his runic structure would allow. “Nothing’ll make the Princess happier than a little nostalgia. You have a quill and ink at your camp, right?”

=====================================================================

*******

Celestia exhaled, and warm beams of sunlight wove their way into the grass. Tiny strands began to grow into red dots, and these dots grew larger and fuller until they were bright red apples and strawberries. Other dots grew into oranges and blueberries. Celestia was about to gather these in a straw basket when she saw Twilight standing behind her, awed at the display of magic.

“What school of magic is that?” Twilight asked.

“Transmutation, I think,” Celestia said. “It’s a power that I gained once I had absorbed a fragment of Magic. Nothing too special, even; you could probably learn it in a couple weeks.”

“I can do the spell now, but it requires a lot more effort than it should,” Twilight sighed. She shook her head and said, “Anyway, I have something for you.”

She drew a piece of parchment out of her saddlebags and levitated it to Celestia, who surrounded the coarse paper with her own telekinetic field.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Today I learned never to give up on a friend, no matter how bad things look. Even in the worst of situations, your friends will always look out for you, so you should keep them safe, too. I learned how important it is to always support your friends, and to work together and solve problems instead of letting those problems drive you apart.

Your faithful student and friend,

Twilight Sparkle

Celestia looked up from the parchment and wiped her eyes. Twilight smiled sheepishly for a moment, then looked at her hooves.

“I... I’m sorry, Celestia,” Twilight said.

Celestia stood up and tucked Twilight under her wing, hugging her tight. A pleasant feeling of warmth and contentment flowed through Twilight, as if she was just waking up on a Saturday morning, or lying on a cot by a cozy fireplace.

“I’m the one who should apologize. I don’t know how you’ve been putting up with me all this time, and I’m really not too sure if you’ll be able to for much longer,” Celestia mumbled. “I’m the one who dragged us into this deep a mess, and now I can’t get us back out on my own.”

“We’ll make it,” Twilight said confidently, looking up at Celestia.

“How can you tell?” she asked.

“Because I made a promise, and it’s a promise I intend to keep,” Twilight said. “I promised that no matter how much trouble you got us into, no matter how much you go off your path, that I’ll always be there to drag you back to your friends. Friends help each other, and that means knowing when they need help, and knowing when you need it, too.”

Celestia nodded. “You’re right, Twilight. You... You’re always right, aren’t you?”

Twilight laughed slightly. “Well, more often than I’d like, sometimes.”

Twilight heard some branches rustle over her head. She looked up, but nopony was there.

=====================================================================

[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This story takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
Please let me know if a link doesn’t work.

Chapter Fourteen

*******

“Hello? A-Anypony?” Sweetie Belle squeaked as she hesitantly paced her way through the forest. The sun had dimmed as it sunk lower beneath the horizon, and soon it would be pitch-black. Summoning her still-developing magic, Sweetie Belle made her horn glow with a feeble light, but it did little to reassure her as she continued her search for Twilight, who had gone to look for Celestia.

She knew it wasn’t the best idea to go out alone--that much was clear to her from the beginning. However, she hadn’t thought much of it at the time; Twilight and Celestia were only supposed to be a few minutes’ walk away. Something in Sweetie Belle’s mind clicked as the sun’s light began to fade, though, telling her that something was terribly wrong.

Sweetie Belle was lost.

Horribly, horribly lost. All of the trees looked the same. Any landmark that could have distinguished her section of the forest from the others was masked by the dark of the approaching night. Sweetie Belle, as she became more and more frantic to find somepony familiar and get back to the campsite, quickened her casual amble to a trot and eventually to a canter. The chill of the night kept her cool, but it didn’t quell her panic.

Her panic was what made her yelp when she saw a pony masked in an unnatural fog approach her, and it was also what made her dive into the nearest thorn bush.

The figure seemed equally surprised. It glanced around, looking for the source of the noise.

Sweetie Belle was silent until the creature approached her, its piercing white eyes seemingly glaring at her. She tried to make herself as small as possible, but the figure raised what looked like a hoof and swatted the air in front of its face, blowing Sweetie Belle out of the bush and sending her tumbling across the leaves.

“Who are y-you?” Sweetie Belle coughed.

The pony paused. Its features were undefined and impossible to see through the fog. “My name is Indicina.”

Sweetie Belle scratched her head. Indicina?

Indicina took an oddly long pause. The unnatural fog cloud that surrounded her glowed faintly with a pure white light. “You should go. The forest isn’t safe for you.”

Sweetie Belle simply sat there, unsure of what to do. Because of the way she had landed, it would have taken her a moment or two to run far enough away from Indicina to get out of danger, and she was too exhausted to pick up so sudden a gallop, anyway.

There was a brief burst of air, and a path was illuminated, though not very brightly. “That path leads to your safety,” Indicina stated simply. “You may take it, or you may not. But... be careful, Sweetie Belle. I...” She sounded like she was going to say more, but she simply repeated, “Just be careful.” Then she vanished, though the fog cloud lingered for a moment or two, shedding its ghostly light on the towering trees, before dissipating as well.

How does she know my name? Sweetie Belle thought. She examined her options, and, in the end, her fear of being forever lost in the wilderness overpowered her fear of this new adversary. If I stay out here, I could be eaten, or worse...

She hesitantly pulled herself up, flinching as she felt a thorn on her flank. Blood was slowly dripping down her cutie mark, tinting the image of the bandages red. She hesitantly pulled it out, thinking, Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to run right for a thorn bush.

Sweetie Belle stepped on the path. The light that powered it had no source; the ground itself appeared to be glowing. She travelled down it, examining herself for any more cuts along the way. I would sing to myself, but I’m so sleepy already; I don’t know if I’ll be able to stay awake if I try. I don’t want to pass out in the middle of nowhere.

The path led to a patch of the forest lit up by sunlight despite the pressing darkness. It was warm, colorful, but most of all, soft. Too exhausted to continue, Sweetie Belle passed out on a patch of moss.

=====================================================================

*******

“There she is!” Olly exclaimed, rushing over to the unconscious Sweetie Belle.

She was snoozing in a peculiar part of the forest--one that was lit up gold, a light shining through the blackest night. The trees were several meters taller than those surrounding, and the undergrowth was a bright green mat along the ground. Vines were heavily laden with fruits and berries, and birds could be heard chirping from high above. A pleasant mist flowed through the air, and the plants were vibrant.

“A Dimple,” Twilight breathed, stroking a leaf that was a brilliant green and covered in dewdrops. “I never thought I’d live to see one.”

“Fill me in. What is it?” Olly asked, rolling Sweetie Belle over and brushing off some fallen leaves. She grunted and began to wake up.

“It’s a pocket of positive energy. It kind of functions like a volcanic hot spot, but instead of volcanos, plants and animals thrive. This is a really tiny one, though. It probably formed hundreds of years ago, and then dwindled down over time,” Twilight explained. “They give off strong magical signals...” she paused, furrowing her brow.

“What is it?” Olly asked.

“Something... Something seems really familiar. I’m not sure what, but...” she trailed off, smiling absently. She closed her eyes and inhaled the sweet aroma of honey, nature, and home. “I feel like I’m giving myself a hug. Don’t you feel it, Olly?”

Olly sniffed a flower, and sneezed as pollen invaded his nose. “Um... no, I don’t really feel all that different.”

“Wh-Where am I?” Sweetie Belle asked groggily.

“Among friends,” Olly stated. He slung Sweetie Belle over his back and asked, “Tally ho?”

Twilight, though still unsure, nodded and headed back to camp.

=====================================================================

It was a half hour’s journey, and when they made it back, Olly set Sweetie Belle down on her cot. The poor teen was completely spent from her time out in the forest.

Centime, who had his sleeping bag nestled up against Scootaloo’s, rolled over onto his back and looked up at Olly, asking, “Where were you?”

“Oof!” Olly complained, stretching his backbone. “She is definitely not underweight!” When he caught an annoyed look from Rarity, he added, “And by that, I mean she’s perfectly healthy! No weight problems for her at all, no sir. Ma’am. S’mam.”

“Where was she?” Rarity asked, turning her attention to Twilight.

“In a Dimple,” Twilight said, and she restated her explanation to Olly. “It felt oddly familiar, though, and I’m not sure why.”

“Well, do you know how Sweetie got there?” Celestia asked.

“We could always wake her up and ask,” Olly suggested, pointing to the snoring teen.

“But she’s exhausted!” Rarity protested. “I’ll have a full talk with her including a punishment tomorrow morning, but we musn’t interrupt her beauty sleep.”

“I could always accelerate her sleep cycle. My powers are regenerating, and it’s a simple spell,” Twilight offered. “If Sweetie saw something, we should know it right away.”

Rarity paused. “Alright, Twilight, if you’re sure it will work. But I’ll talk to her first!”

Twilight nodded. She pointed a hoof at Sweetie Belle and chanted, “Esto nunc requievit.”

Sweetie Belle snapped awake. “Wha?” She rubbed her eyes furiously.

After Sweetie Belle had calmed down, Rarity unleashed all of her pent-up scolding on her. After a tongue-lashing that, from Sweetie Belle’s perspective, seemed much longer than necessary, she finished by asking, “What did you think you were doing, going all out on your own to look for Twilight?”

“I-I don’t know,” Sweetie Belle admitted, still trying to process her sister’s flood of disapproval. “I...”

“Don’t be so rough with her, Rarity,” Dash said from the other side of camp. “I mean, she’s safe, right?”

“No harm no foul,” Olly nodded.

Rarity pursed her lips. “Well, fine. But by the time we get home, I will have thought up a severe punishment for you going off on your own!” she declared. She shook her head and tucked herself into her sleeping bag, motioning for Sweetie to do the same. “I’m too tired to think of a fitting consequence, anyway.”

“That was fast,” Olly observed, stretching out on his sleeping bag. “Ahh... I’m beat. Wake me up after a couple forevers.” And with that, he was asleep. The campfire was beginning to dim.

“What did you find out there, anyway?” Centime asked.

“A Dimple. It’s a region of powerful positive energy,” Twilight explained. “It’s a really beautiful place.”

“Oh, um, I was talking to Sweetie Belle,” Centime corrected, turning to the white unicorn. “What’d you see out there?”

“I... I’m not sure,” Sweetie Belle said, her brow furrowing. “I remember meeting somepony, but... I just don’t know. I remember everything before and after meeting them, but nothing in-between.”

“That’s odd. I’m going to have to make a note about that,” Twilight said. She curled up in her sleeping bag. “Good night, everypony.”

“Actually, Twilight... I wanted to ask you something,” Scootaloo said. She reached a hoof into her saddlebags and stroked the cool, smooth surface of the black diamond. “I don’t really think I’m up for carrying this thing. At least, not while I’m sleeping.”

“Were you having nightmares?” Twilight asked, propping herself up on her pillow to look at Scootaloo.

“Well... yeah. Like where I saw my own body lying in a ditch, and I was having a conversation I couldn’t control with this weirdo alicorn. There was another time when you were there, Twilight, and we were climbing lilypads until a giant eye ate me, but that wasn’t as bad as the first one. Then there was me getting sick, and everything else... I just don’t think I can do it,” Scootaloo admitted.

Twilight nodded. So Scootaloo was in my dream. “Let me try.”

Scootaloo lifted the gem out of her saddlebags and put it on the ground between her and Twilight. Sweetie Belle and Centime both eyed it with differing levels of fear. Twilight attempted to pick it up, but when her hoof got too close, a spark leapt from it and zapped her.

“Ow!” she yelped. She sighed, shaking her head. “The antimagic is still too strong. I can’t carry it, not even if I put it in my saddlebags.”

“Can I try?” Sweetie Belle asked. Without waiting for an answer, she touched the gem. Although the spark wasn’t nearly as powerful as it had been with Twilight, it still prickled up her arm and made her shudder. She flinched backward and sucked on the singed area of her hoof.

“Let me,” Centime said. He tentatively poked the gem, then rolled it over. Nothing happened. “See, I can carry it!”

Twilight pursed her lips. “I’m not sure if that’s safe for you, Centime.”

“Twilight, it’s not even safe for me,” Scootaloo argued. “If Cent wants to carry it, he can. We’ll see if it’s causing the nightmares or not. I’ll take it back if it’s too much for him to handle, okay? But right now I really need to get these creepy dreams out of my head.”

Twilight got out a spare bag and strapped it to Centime, and it fit, although it was a little big. He gingerly placed the black diamond inside.

Twilight bit her lip, still unsure, but she finally said, “Okay, I think that’ll be alright. But if you change your mind, Centime, be sure to let us know.”

And with that, they all snuggled up in their sleeping bags and faded into the world of dreams.

=====================================================================

*******

Scootaloo woke up in the dead of night, yet she was strangely rested--probably because of the sleep she had gotten while she was sick. Yawning, she noticed that Celestia wasn’t up yet, so it must have been extremely early in the morning.

She tossed the cover off of her sleeping bag and let the chilly air refresh her, gazing through the canopy at the starlit sky. I feel really good... except for this nagging feeling that something is wrong. But what is it?

Scootaloo stretched and stood up. She looked at each of her friends in turn and let her thoughts drift, having nothing better to do. Absently, she noticed that Centime was missing.

Centime was missing.

The thought made her do a double-take, and she hastily took role. Her original assessment was correct; Centime was, indeed, missing. Not again... she moaned to herself. She examined the ground for hoofprints, but she had to kneel, because the moonlight wasn’t enough to discern tracks.

“Taking off?” Olly asked, startling Scootlaoo.

“Centime’s missing again,” Scootaloo explained. “Can you let the others know I’m leaving?”

“Can do,” Olly said. “I’ll send a search party if you’re not back by dawn. In the meantime, don’t do anything stupid.”

“Wait, you’re just letting me go?” Scootaloo asked.

“Well, I’ve kind of come to the conclusion that if Discord wanted us dead, they’d have done it already,” Olly said, scratching the back of his neck. “Don’t go wandering too far, though. I’m serious. If you’re not back in five minutes, I’m waking up the others. Dawn is when I call in the Royal Guard.”

Scootaloo nodded and continued looking for traces of Centime. Eventually, she found some tracks leading down a particularly lit section of forest, and she followed them.

She walked for a few minutes, checking for hoofprints every so often on the soft ground, until she heard somepony ask, “Going somewhere?”

Scootaloo jumped, looking up to see the almost invisible figure of Hate lying on a high tree branch. Startled, she retorted, “Wh-What’s it to you?”

Hate laughed. “Nothin’, Scoot, nothin’ at all. Might wanna turn around, though. Only bad things’ll be where you’re going.”

“And leave Centime?” Scootaloo asked angrily. “Fat chance.”

Hate’s expression darkened. “Look, I’m serious. You’re falling into a trap, Scootaloo. And an obvious one, at that.”

“I can take care of myself,” Scootaloo growled. “Get lost.”

“I’m trying to help you out,” Hate argued. “Seriously, if you keep following Centime, you’re going to play right into Deception’s hooves. She’s using you.”

“You want me to just leave him behind?” Scootaloo asked.

Hate snorted. “Yeah, yeah, I know the feeling. But you’ll be better off, trust me. And hey, I shouldn’t even be telling you any of this. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“Whatever,” Scootaloo said, rolling her eyes. “I’ll be fine.”

Hate didn’t answer; she had already warped away in a puff of smoke.

Scootaloo walked for a little while more, starting to get worried. Maybe Cent’s gone for good this time. But... why would he just leave me like that? I thought we were friends. Did somepony take him? Or maybe what Hate said was true, and he’s really Deception... She shook her head. No. If Centime was Deception, I would know it.

Eventually, she came across a peculiar patch of forest. Trees towered overhead, and light seemed to emanate from them, forming a brilliant, sunlit grove. Strawberry vines and blueberry bushes were bursting with brightly colored fruit, and birds were chirping despite the fact it was nighttime. The air was warm and humid, almost like a sauna.

*******

Centime was resting in the central part of the patch by a small pool, nibbling on a strawberry. His eyes lit up upon seeing Scootaloo.

“Scootaloo!” he chirped, bounding up to greet her. “This... This place, it’s so pretty!”

Scootaloo was angry at first, but her negative emotions melted away in the presence of the oasis. “Why did you come out here all on your own?”

Centime glanced at his hooves. “Well, uh, because... It’s hard to explain.”

“We have time, right?” Scootaloo asked, sitting down.

“Because... This place feels like Mom,” Centime managed. “I thought I heard Mom call for me, but I guess it was just this place instead. Didn’t you feel somepony important call you here?”

Scootaloo didn’t remember anything like that, other than the fact that she had been the first one to notice Centime was missing and the first one to go after him. “Okay... I guess that makes sense. Kinda,” she added as Centime nestled up beside her.

They sat there for a while, admiring the beauty of the forest. Fireflies lit up the already bright surroundings even more, and grasshoppers and crickets serving as the orchestra. Scootaloo took a sip of the pond water, and found it sweet and refreshing.

“Don’t you wish it could just stay like this?” Centime asked, rolling onto his back.

“...Yeah, Centime. I really do,” Scootaloo nodded. “But... It’s kinda boring, really.”

“Huh?” Centime asked.

“Well, there’s nothing to do,” Scootaloo explained. “I’ve always wanted to go places, and see things. Adventuring with my friends and living in Ponyville on my own made me realize just how dumb it was to stay in one place, no matter how nice it was. I like being scared sometimes. I like going on adventures. A life where you don’t ever take risks, even the big ones, isn’t really living...” She trailed off, searching for the right words. “It’s... It’s surviving.”

Scootaloo wasn’t sure if Centime understood, but she put the thought aside when he asked, “Where would you go?”

“I dunno... Someplace nopony’s ever been before,” Scootaloo mused. “Someplace that hasn’t ever been explored before, like a deserted island, or the top of a mountain. Then ponies would remember me as the pony that discovered it. Forever, too. That’s what I want to do once all this is over.”

Centime paused for a moment, putting his forehooves in his lap. “I’ve... I’ve always wanted to go to the beach.”

Scootaloo waited for him to say more, but when he didn’t, she asked, “...And? That’s it?”

Centime nodded. “Dad said that’s where he’d take me. Once we-... Once-...” He shook his head. “I-I can’t remember. It’s all blurry. But Dad said that he’d take me to the biggest beach in all Equestria, and we’d build the biggest sandcastle in the whole world. It’d be so big, we could all live in it. Him, me, and mom, once we... once we found her.” He wiped away the tears welling up in his eyes. “The bad ponies took him away, a-and I never saw him again. I don’t think he knew where mom was, either. He didn’t believe me wh-when I told him. He was too mad.” His voice was choked with sadness.

Scootaloo hugged Centime close, stroking his mane. Please don’t cry, Centime...

“Sc-Scootaloo?” Centime asked, burying his head in her pelt.

“Yeah?” Scootaloo asked.

“...Thanks,” he finally said.

“For what?” Scootaloo asked.

“You... You’ve been really nice to me all this time, even when I ran away. You’ve been... like a sister, I guess,” he managed, blushing slightly.

Scootaloo laughed and gave him a noogie. “Aww, you’re cute.”

“Am not!” he protested, but he was smiling nonetheless. He contentedly rubbed up against Scootaloo until he was comfortable, and fell asleep.

Scootaloo was suddenly aware of just how exhausted she was. Before sleep claimed her, though, she gazed at Centime and thought, You’ve been like a little brother, too.

=====================================================================

*******

Scootaloo was on a wide, grassy plain.

Her heart was racing, and her breaths came in short gasps. A shimmering, dark indigo sword hung at her side, suspended in midair by forces even more ancient than magic itself. It was ornate and finely sharpened, though its most recent use had left blood on the blade and the hilt. A crimson alicorn stallion lay limply at the edge of the battlefield, his purple mane having lost its luster moments ago.

A portal of light formed nearby, and a pure white alicorn with a flowing, rainbow mane stepped out. He stared at Scootaloo with bright purple eyes, smiling slightly. “Elie, all right! Fight, fight, fight!”

Scootaloo stared at him, her sword at the ready. Her limbs were burning with exhaustion, but she adopted a battle stance.

The smile vanished from the stallion’s face. “You really don’t remember... It’s me. Y’know, Verba,” he said. He, too, had a weapon--thick metal boots attached to his hooves that each looked like they could extended into a lance at a moment’s notice.

“‘...Verba?’” Scootaloo asked, staring at him.

“Talk about blank with a capital ‘B,’” Verba muttered. “Jeez, Louise, even Loyalty isn’t gonna crack this one.” He raised a hoof into the air, and a long, sharp lance extended from it--one that could slice as well as pierce. It glimmered slightly, emitting an odd, metallic hum.

“Wait a sec,” Scootaloo said. “Tell me what’s going on!”

“This dream is her creation, right?” Verba asked, looking around. “Which means we don’t have time for a Q&Neigh. You’re coming with me, conscious or not. Then you’ll hear the story.” He extended his wings and took to the air, his other three lances slowly becoming visible.

Thunder boomed, and a pulse of wind shot through the plains. The sky grew darker.

“Uh-oh,” Verba muttered, glancing around nervously.

Scootaloo looked at her shining, reflective, bloodstained sword. She gritted her teeth, turned, raised her back hooves, and bucked it aside. “What’s going on?!” she exclaimed.

She felt an odd power stroke her, though, and she gasped as the sword reappeared at her side.

“Element of Deception. Elie. The chosen one of the Divide,” Verba said. He crossed his meter-long lances in front of his face, readying his first lunge.

Scootaloo glared at him. “Okay, fine!” she seethed. “You asked for it!”

=====================================================================

*******

“Scootaloo? Wake up, Scoot,” Dash prodded.

“Huh? What?” Scootaloo mumbled, shaking herself awake. “What’s going on?”

“We found you and Centime unconscious out in the forest,” Fluttershy explained. “Are you feeling alright?”

Scootaloo looked around. The others were all looking at her, concerned. The golden flora had vanished without a trace, and she was now lying in a completely ordinary portion of the forest next to a puddle of mud. Centime was nearby, fidgeting as Rarity cleaned out his mane.

“I feel okay,” Scootaloo began, “but where’d the magical golden forest go? It’s all... brownish.”

“Magical forest?” Dash asked, scratching her head. “What’re you talking about?”

“What’d it look like?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“It was this really bright, sunlit patch right out in the middle of the forest,” Scootaloo explained. “I found Centime sitting next to this pool of water. I tasted the water, and it was really sweet, like sugar.”

“Do you think they found another Dimple?” Twilight asked Celestia.

“Maybe, but it’s also possible that Scootaloo might have been drawn into an illusion by the Elements of Discord,” Celestia said.

“Heph, Tfilight!” Pinkie said, her voice muffled by the leaf she held in her mouth as she hopped up to Twilight. It was almost covered in mud, but some gold could be seen beneath the mucky surface. “Whapth’s thif?”

Twilight pulled the leaf from Pinkie’s mouth with telekinesis and examined it. Hmm... It’s authentic. It even has the faint magical aura. “This is strange, Celestia. Ponies can’t just summon Dimples wherever they want. I don’t think they just pop in and out of existence like they’ve been doing, either.”

Celestia bit her lip. “I have an idea of what it might be, but I’m not sure.”

“Well, don’t leave us in the dark,” Olly said, walking up to the two friends. The others started to gather, as well.

“It might have something to do with a spell I showed Twilight earlier. It’s designed to take the soul from a pony and destroy it. That way, we could permanently get rid of Discord,” Celestia explained. “I was thinking that Deception may have relayed the spell to somepony like Arrogance. It could be manipulated to contain a pony’s soul instead of destroying it outright, and souls contain immeasurable amounts of energy. That energy could be used to create a small Dimple, if you had enough.”

“Why would you ever want to use such a spell, darling?” Rarity asked.

“I hope it never comes to that, but if it does, we need to have an extra trick up our sleeves,” Twilight argued. “Still, if Celestia’s right, and Deception really did steal the spell and manipulate it, then we have a real problem on our hooves.”

“Maybe...” Fluttershy trailed off, “but... Well, I was thinking, and...”

“What’s up?” Dash asked.

Fluttershy anxiously drew a circle on the ground with her hoof. “Maybe... we should try to turn the Elements of Discord to our side, instead of fighting them?”

“You’re joking,” Celestia scoffed.

“Y-You’re right, it really isn’t that good of an idea,” Fluttershy said quickly.

“Celestia, don’t be mean,” Twilight chided. She turned to Fluttershy and asked, “That’s a good idea, Fluttershy, but how would we pull it off?”

“My mother always said we should use our words,” Fluttershy began, “maybe we should try reasoning with them.”

“They don’t listen to reason. We’ve tried that,” Celestia said. “Besides, the Elements of Discord have killed too many ponies to be forgiven for it. We need to finish them off, and this spell is the way to do it.”

“Um... Not to be r-rude, Celestia, but... they seem to think we’ve killed ponies, too,” Fluttershy argued.

“Not as many as them. They’ll stop at nothing until we’re all dead; why should we treat them any differently?” Celestia asked.

“Because maybe then we can end this war peacefully,” Twilight said. “At the very least, we can try. Hate didn’t seem to want to kill Pinkie when she offered to be his friend. Maybe their emotions go deeper than we’re seeing.”

“And yet, Guilt still beat Pinkie into the ground,” Olly interjected. “Face it, Twilight; the Elements of Discord want to do us in. We can try reason, sure; I just don’t think we should commit to it. It’s a lost cause as it is, so why prolong the inevitable?”

“Olly’s right; we’re probably going to end up fighting,” Dash admitted, “and I definitely don’t want to be friends with a low-life like Hate.”

“Well, duh!” Pinkie exclaimed, sticking out her tongue. “He’s gross! But even though he’s a meanie demeanie-pants, I’d rather have him at all my parties than try to fight him. Even if he chases away all my party guests, at least I don’t have to risk losing any more than I have to.”

“There’s no point in living if you don’t enjoy your life. I know that first-hoof,” Celestia argued. “Pinkie, if Hate is welcomed into Equestria openly, there’s no telling what consequences there’ll be.”

“Wait just a doggone second. Didn’t Hate drop that ‘dirty’ illusion once Celestia killed Arrogance?” Applejack asked. “After that, he’s been a pure gentlecolt each time we saw him. That aside, sure, maybe he’s our enemy, but if he’s been tellin’ anythin’ near the truth, which Ah know he has, then he has every reason ta dislike us.”

“This is getting nowhere!” Scootaloo complained. “Let’s just get to Ponyville and get home! I’m tired of hearing you all whine about this!” She stomped to the center of the group. “The Elements of Discord destroyed my home and my life, and they’ve done the same to thousands of different ponies! Like it or not, I’m getting my revenge, and don’t you try and stop me!” She stormed off.

“You’re going West. North is that way,” Twilight corrected, pointing to her left. Scootaloo glanced at her and stormed off in the direction she pointed.

“I’ve never seen her this mad,” Centime remarked, unsure whether to follow Scootaloo or not. He absently rubbed his saddlebags, feeling for the gem to make sure it was still there.

“Me, neither. Guess it’s just that time of month,” Olly grinned, gingerly following Scootaloo.

Rarity groaned inwardly, but follow the others as they resumed their journey.

Scootaloo’s thoughts began to wander as the others caught up to her. I miss being in the Cutie Mark Crusaders. I’ve always wondered what Apple Bloom’s cutie mark would have been. Probably something about apples. Everypony in her family has a cutie mark related to ‘em, but... I guess I’ll never really know.

I wonder how different my life would be if Saphira was still here. It wasn’t right that she died just to protect her father... And in vain, too. I know it wasn’t Applejack’s fault, but it still makes me angry... Somehow, that should have been stopped. I wish somepony had seen it coming. I wonder where she is now. Maybe... Maybe, by the end of this war, I’ll find out.

=====================================================================

*******

“Okay, now we should be getting near the Miner’s Ditch soon. After that, we go through the Everfree Forest into Ponyville,” Twilight stated, placing her map back into her saddlebags. They had journeyed out of the forest and were now approaching a peculiar rock formation; a mesa surrounded by woodlands with a jagged crease running down the side.

“A Miner’s Ditch?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Uh, Twi?” Applejack asked as she felt a few raindrops glance off her snout.

“There was a gold rush before either of us were born,” Twilight began. “Ponies from all over Equestria were looking for enormous wealth right where we’re standing. When a large vein of gold was spotted, everypony rushed to the side of the mesa. Then, the ground just caved out from under them. Most geologists believe an ancient landslide had covered up an even more ancient ravine, making it look like the ground was safe. The excessive digging probably weakened the foundation, causing the collapse.”

“A lot of good ponies were lost,” Celestia affirmed. “Even Arrogance organized a day of mourning on their behalf.”

“That’s interestin’ an’ all, but shouldn’t we be gettin’ someplace dry?” Applejack asked, her mane starting to dampen.

“Can’t Dash just, um, clear the sky?” Twilight asked, looking upward. The rain clouds colored the sky a dark gray, and the ground was nearing saturation as raindrops continued to fall over the landscape.

“I can try,” Dash said, taking to the air. A bolt of lightning struck almost as soon as she lifted off the ground, though, and she paused. She felt an electric charge on her left wing, which slightly ruffled her feathers. “Um... I can totally clear this rain and all, but I’m just not sure it’s the best idea.”

Twilight sighed. “I can make a cave at the edge of the mesa. We’d have to cross the Ditch first, though.”

“That shouldn’t be too difficult,” Rarity said, bundling her mane under her sunhat, “but we have to hurry before we’re chilled to the bone.”

Centime shivered. “What’re we waiting for? C’mon!” He galloped in front of the others, his saddlebag bouncing back and forth at his side. Since the forest had thinned out, there were nothing but flat plains all the way to the mesa.

Celestia cautiously watched for signs of Discord. Out here, I feel... I’m not sure. Exposed? But I always feel that way. So what makes this different?

Applejack was also on edge as she followed Pinkie’s bright shape through the thickening rain. Something bad’s going to happen. I’m not sure what and I’m not sure when, but this entire situation’s making my mane stand on end.

They made it to the mesa at a gallop, and although it had only been a minute or two, they were rather fatigued.

Olly glanced into the Ditch, then suddenly stepped back. “Maybe it’s a memory, maybe it’s not, but I am definitely scared of heights right now!”

Pinkie peered over the edge as well. “Wow... It goes on forever and ever, and...” She squinted. “...ever and ever and ever and ever!” Her forehooves slipped on the slick stone and she fell forward, twisting at the last second to grab the ledge with her foreleg. She yelled in panic.

Olly caught her and dragged her back to the surface. She wrapped around his neck tightly, clearly frightened.

“Hey--!” he yelped, trying to steady himself and eventually falling onto his back.

Pinkie let go of him and shook herself off, water droplets flying everywhere. “Th-...Thanks,” she managed.

“Just be careful,” he said. He looked at the others, who were tense from Pinkie’s near-fatality. “Okay, so what now? I don’t think we should jump; the ground’s too slick.”

“I could try t-transmutation, but this cold will r-ruin my concentr-tration,” Twilight said, gritting her teeth to keep them from chattering. “Could you wa-warm us up, Celestia?”

Celestia didn’t answer. She was staring at the top of the mesa. Why am I seeing a little green light...?

“Celestia...?” Twilight repeated, walking up and nudging the goddess.

Lightning struck directly on Celestia’s forehead, and an explosion resounded through the area as magic tried to force its way through her skull. It didn’t succeed, but it had enough force to knock her off balance.

*******

“Celestia!” Dash gasped. She saw a little green dot squared on Olly’s forehead and shoved him aside just before a loud crackling noise was heard. Neon lightning struck where Olly had been standing, and it triggered a massive explosion. It threw most of the group backward, but Olly and Dash were lost in the blast.

The attack had ripped open a hole in the ground, and a tremor vibrated through the valley. The blast was acidic, and the hole it had created started to widen. A wall of green toxins started to hiss and fizzle around any other possible escape routes, forming a semicircle around the valley. Sweetie Belle tripped over herself and slipped into the hole, yelling as she fell. Rarity leapt out to grab her, but she lost her traction and went down as well.

There was a loud hissing noise before a ball of crackling green energy exploded at the top of the mesa. A floodgate appeared to have opened, and water mixed with mud formed a speedy sludge that rushed toward the group. Twilight tried to raise a protective barrier, but her concentration was ruined as the green dot that signaled an impending attack darted toward her. She tried to avoid it, but it struck anyway, hitting her deftly in the hip. The explosion knocked her toward the Ditch, and she slid toward it, howling in pain and barely able to stay conscious.

Scootaloo saw the dot then approach Centime, but the barrage of falling rocks was blocking her path to him. Instinct taking over, she slid over, under, and around them, her special talent allowing her to retain her balance. She slid into Centime, praying that she wasn’t too late. She wasn’t, but the rushing air from the missed lightning bolt caught her wing, jerking it out of place. Centime desperately grasped the edge of the Ditch with his forelegs.

Her head slightly blurry, Scootaloo picked herself up and limped over to Centime, yelling, “Hold on!” She grabbed his forehooves just as he slipped. Her mind blanked, her only instinct to hold on to him despite the splitting pain in her broken, electrocuted wing.

Pinkie was hurriedly trying to move a rock that had pinned Fluttershy down in the initial explosion. Applejack saw Twilight and Scootaloo clinging to life at the side of the Ditch and paused, trying to decide which one to save. Twilight had regained some sense, but it wasn’t quite enough, and she was hanging over the edge for dear life. Applejack shook away her indecision and went for Twilight first, trying to pull her out of the pit, or at least keep her from falling.

It was a much harder task than she had anticipated, though. Twilight was barely able to grasp Applejack’s hooves, and her weight was dragging Applejack downward. At this rate... Applejack thought, her hooves slippery, I might not be able to save Scoot either! she thought, glancing at the orange pegasus. Hold on!

Scootaloo was rapidly losing her grip on Centime’s hooves. The rain was making their hooves too slippery. To add to Scooatloo’s panic, she realized that she was sliding over the edge, as well, and, as if fate were mocking them, the roar of the mudslide grew louder as it drew closer. “Just--! Just hold on, Centime!”

Centime saw Scootaloo’s wing and how she was losing her grip on the edge. His eyes widened, and his breathing accelerated. “Y-You can’t hold on for much longer!” He glanced back at his dangling limbs, stifling panic as he saw the wall of mud approaching above them.

“I can try!” she yelled, closing her eyes and concentrating all her energy into her forehooves. The mudslide was only a few moments away.

Applejack finally made it out of the pit, dragging the injured Twilight to safety. She turned to assist Scootaloo, but sensed somepony behind her. She turned around and gasped, seeing none other than Hate standing next to the unconscious Pinkie and Fluttershy. Their bodies were both coursing with dark energy, most likely due to Hate’s influence.

“Heh,” she grinned. “Wish you’d seen this one coming, huh?”

Applejack was torn. She glanced at Scootaloo, then back to Hate, and asked, “Whaddaya want?”

“To show you something,” she said. Her form shifted and warped until she was an exact version of Apple Bloom. “Ah might as well dress fer the occasion, right, sis?”

“Y-You can shift, too?” Applejack asked in shock.

“Applejack! Help me!” Scootaloo yelled.

Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. “Can’t ya connect the dots? Or do Ah have to explain it all out for you, like the simpleton ya are? Fine, then.” Her form warped and twisted again, growing taller and masculine until she had transformed into Lorey. “You’re quite the crude representation of the powers of Honesty.”

Applejack’s fury heightened. “You callin’ me a fool?”

“It’d be wrong of me to lie,” Deception said innocently, only increasing Applejack’s agitation.

Applejack turned to help Scootaloo, but froze as Deception took a step, as well. “Let me save them!” she barked.

Deception laughed. “It’s your choice. I’m just bluffing. Of course, you don’t really know that, do you?”

“Then Ah guess Ah’m gonna have ta deal with you first!” Applejack growled, rushing at Deception. They skirmished, but Deception simply avoided all of her attacks.

“Applejack...” Scootaloo grunted. She was losing her grip.

“Scootaloo...” Centime trailed off. He recovered some resolve. “Let me go! You can’t keep this up!”

“Shut up!” Scootaloo yelled. It would only be seconds before she slid into the Ditch, but she didn’t care. The mudslide was only seconds away.

“...It’s either save me, or save yourself, Scootaloo...” Centime mumbled. He looked up at her with a fiery determination. “And I’m not going to let you make that choice!”

Scootaloo was horrified as Centime’s grip on her began to weaken. “Centime, don’t! Please...!”

Centime smiled slightly. “I... I finally get so see Mom again... just like the bad pony said.” His grip went slack, and he fell.

*******

The pit began to glow with a bright purple energy. Just as Centime escaped Scootaloo’s view, he began to rocket upward on a massive wave of violet light. His terrified scream became garbled as he flew upward on the explosive wave, and Scootaloo was blown back from the pit, as well.

“NO!” Scootaloo screamed.

The light was almost blinding, and steam began to rise off of the stone. The mudslide collided with the energy and turned to plaster before breaking apart. The entire mesa began to shake, and loose boulders were sent skyward, dissolving to dust. The force was so intense, a crack formed directly down the center of the mesa.

When it was over and Scootaloo’s eyes had finally readjusted, the first thing she saw was a tuft of blond hair, tinged purple by the blast. The black diamond was lying next to it, along with a few straps of charred saddlebag strips. A strange warmth was emanating from the gem, but she paid it no heed.

Deception grinned evilly before vanishing, and Applejack, the only Element left conscious, was shocked beyond belief as she stared at the blast. But Scootaloo didn’t care about that.

Scootaloo’s throat tightened. Not... Not like this...

Applejack slowly walked up to Scootaloo and put a hoof on her shoulder. “Ah... Ah’m so sorry, Scootaloo.”

Scootaloo was trembling with rage, and didn’t turn to face Applejack. “You could have saved him,” she muttered under her breath. “You could’ve saved him, but you wasted--all--your time.”

“Ah know,” Applejack said, stifling her tears. “It’s mah fault, ain’t it?”

Scootaloo paused. ...It is your fault. It’s all your fault. What am I supposed do to now...? He was... He was my friend...

Apple Bloom... Saphira... They were my friends, too. I guess it’s only a matter of time before the same thing happens to Sweetie Belle... to Twilight, and the others... to me. Because of this war. She turned to glare at Twilight and Celestia. Because of the war that you started, everypony I love is going to die. Tears welled up in her eyes as she realized this, and her anger began to grow.

Memories, thoughts, and emotions flew through Scootaloo’s mind too fast for her to process them. Her teeth were gritted, and she ground the enamel in fury. “None of you were there for Apple Bloom until it was too late... You weren’t there for Centime until it was too late...” She turned and glowered at Applejack. “And you killed Saphira with your own hooves. Deception or not, you’re the one that killed her!”

“Ah know,” Applejack nodded, wiping her eyes. “An’ Ah’ll never be more sorry fer anythin’ else in mah life.”

“I’m through with this,” Scootaloo seethed, strands of her mane falling over her face. Something hardened in her heart, and her rage skyrocketed. “Everypony I love has died because of this stupid, useless WAR!” And I can’t do anything about it, unless-...! Unless I...

Scootaloo slowly turned her head. She undid her saddlebags and threw them to the ground, staring at the gem lying next to Centime’s only remains. “I’m sick of this.”

Applejack looked up at Scootaloo. “Huh?”

Scootaloo glared at the gem. “Sick of all of this!”

Applejack’s eyes widened as she realized Scootaloo’s intentions. “Scootaloo, you take one step toward that thing an’ Ah’ll-”

“You’ll what?” Scootaloo interrupted. “Kill me?”

Applejack brushed some of her sopping wet mane aside. She pointed at the gem. “That ain’t the answer! It’ll only cause more pain, fer all a us!”

“But maybe it will finally end it,” Scootaloo stated. “I’m through, Applejack. There’s nothing you can do to stop me!” She took a confident step toward the gem, which was now crackling with energy.

“You just watch me!” Applejack yelled, rushing at Scootaloo. Scootaloo attempted to crush the gem, but Applejack swatted her aside before she was able.

Scootaloo’s vision was blurry, both from Applejack’s blow to her head and from her tears. “Apple Bloom... Saphira... Centime...” she mumbled.

The gem began to glow with a bright, yellow-green light. Scootaloo shakily stood up, though Applejack prevented access to the black diamond she was looking at. Throwing her head to the sky, and with rain mixing with her tears, Scootaloo screamed, “Apple Bloom! Saphira! Centime!”

A crack developed along the side of the diamond, making a high-pitched tone akin to a steaming teakettle. Applejack turned around in response to the noise, but her blood ran cold as she saw the gem start to split apart.

The long crack around the gem split open, and a black mass of energy rushed out from within. Scootaloo’s heart nearly stopped as she realized what she had just done.

Applejack was crippled by a sudden migraine. She fell to her knees, grunting with pain.

Scootaloo closed her eyes and let the tears flow down little rivulets on her cheeks as the dark mass started to take shape. “Apple Bloom... Saphira... Centime...”

The mass formed into the body of an alicorn mare, though it wavered slightly and was comprised solely of shadow. Scootaloo spread her wings, took a breath, and then said a single word: “Justice.”

They think they’re heroes, but all they’re doing is giving Discord excuses to murder, Scootaloo thought. They think they’re justified, but they don’t even think about what it’s costing Equestria. They use their strength to bully as much as they do to protect. This has to stop. The bleeding has to stop.

“Thank you... I have waited a long time for this, Scootaloo,” Vengeance said, her body now completed.

Scootaloo didn’t face her. She was still staring at the ground, at that little bit of Centime’s mane. She picked it up. It was her only memory of him. “...Let’s go.”

When Applejack once again came to her senses, Scootaloo had vanished, as had Vengeance.

Applejack’s throat was dry, but her eyes weren’t. “...Scootaloo...” She looked toward the sky. The rain had abruptly ceased. “What’ve ya done...?”

=====================================================================

[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This story takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
Please let me know if a link doesn’t work.

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

*******

Shadows began to flicker before finally drawing themselves in toward Hate and being absorbed by her own. Darkness began to cocoon her in a black tar before evaporating off in a steam of noxious gas. Olly looked up to see an upside-down funnel cloud forming over them, with the suction strong enough to lift up various bits and pieces of debris, and getting stronger with every passing moment. Hate’s ragged breaths slowed until she was hardly breathing at all, and time itself seemed to pause. The funnel cloud ceased its twirling for just a moment.

“Twenty... five... thousand... years...” Hate struggled through the gap in time.

A shockwave sent the group flying backward. Hate’s wings dissolved into ash and feathers as the winds accelerated. The edges of the cloud slammed into the ground, encasing all of Ponyville in a sandy arena. Twilight rubbed sand out of her eyes, then looked up at Hate in shock and awe.

Hate’s wings were now only stumps on her back, though they weren’t bleeding or otherwise injured. To replace them was a web of energy--little strings of bright yellow light that wove together to form brilliant polygonal wings. She flapped them once, as a test, and a wave of acrid smoke blew through the area.

Pinkie yelled a word in Ancient and tapped into her Elemental powers. A pulse of blue energy shot from her eyes and shorted out Hate’s transformation for a moment, forcing her to land. Tendrils of energy still hung off of her incomplete wings, but she didn’t seem fazed.

“Surrender and I’ll kill you quickly,” Hate offered, grinning.

“Like we’d ever give in to you!” Dash snarled.

“I know, I know; I just always wanted to say that,” Hate replied nonchalantly. She flexed her outstretched wings again, examining their wingspan, which could have been no less than three meters.

“Ready?” Applejack asked, more to her friends than to Hate.

“It’s now or never,” Twilight stated, gritting her teeth. “And I’m not about to make Hate’s only mistake.”

Hate chuckled. “You learn fast, for a twerp.”

Twilight struck first. She warped out of existence, but instead of reforming behind Hate, she reappeared at Hate’s side, catching her off-guard. Still, though, Hate’s power reflected her kick and sent her tumbling to the ground. Hate wrapped cords of energy around Twilight’s leg and lacerated her before throwing her into Applejack.

Celestia gathered her strength, though she tried to keep it under control. She examined Hate’s movements carefully, but didn’t see an opening. Ugh... if I use the full extend of my power, I’ll make some stupid decision and get us all killed. We have to work as a team to defeat Hate.

“I’m waiting,” Hate taunted as the others tried to formulate their strategy in the heat of battle.

As Twilight tended to her wounds, Pinkie glanced at Rarity. They nodded slightly to each other, a little movement that Hate didn’t catch.

Pinkie fired a quick burst of blue light at Hate, and although it was easily deflected, it exploded on her hoof in a cloud of gas and smoke. Rarity fired a purple beam at Hate’s hooves simultaneously, and the resulting explosion sent Hate into a shattered wall of a former home. Catching on, Dash sent a ring of rainbow flames into the wreckage.

“Nice going!” Dash told Rarity earnestly.

“It was spur of the moment, really,” Rarity said, smiling slightly.

“Um, over here,” Hate laughed.

Rarity sharply turned to see Hate standing behind her and her friends, but it was only for a brief moment before she felt a crushing force on her shoulders. She made the mistake of gasping in reaction to the impact, inviting Hate to send her tendrils into her mouth and down her throat.

Luckily, they couldn’t do much damage before Olly fired shards of broken glass into Hate’s nostrils. She stumbled backward, snorting and trying to rid her airways of the sharp crystals. Rarity gasped for air, alive, but unable to fight with her lungs slightly damaged. Fluttershy, who was nearly paralyzed with fear, snapped into action and got Rarity out of the way of battle.

Applejack grabbed some nearby pieces of plastic twine and quickly made a lasso while Celestia bolted in and out of Hate’s vision. Dash joined in, as well, while Olly continued to look for rubble that was sharp enough to lob at Hate. Twilight prepared a spell designed to pierce through Hate’s defenses, coating her hooves in a glowing, magenta metal.

Hate twirled in midair, and nopony on the battlefield was spared a cut or a scrape by her outstretched wings. As she reoriented herself and looked for a target, Twilight teleported in and kicked her in the neck.

It had only been an illusion, though. Hate reappeared above Twilight just as her decoy was vanishing, and, after slamming Twilight into the ground, smugly said, “Too slow.”

“Take this!” Celestia yelled, trying to swat Hate aside. A black spark leapt from Hate to her hoof, and she howled in pain as it rocketed through her system.

“You just don’t get it, do you?” Hate laughed. She lost interest in Twilight and instead approached the stunned Celestia.

Ugh... Celestia thought. She tried to shake herself out of a thick haze that was developing in her mind, stumbling backward in the process. “Go away!” she yelled, swiping blindly at the air.

“Oh, sure. ‘Cause this would be the best time to retreat,” Hate said, rolling her eyes. She stepped on Celestia, forcing more dark energy into her already shaken system. Celestia howled in pain. “Let’s see how long you last.”

“No! Stop it!” Fluttershy shrieked, flying toward Hate. Her necklace was pulsing brightly as she saw the battle wear on, but she saw no way to help her friends win it. Hate held up her hoof, and Fluttershy was instantly suspended in mid-air, as if she was frozen in a block of ice.

Hate tossed Celestia aside and turned to glare at Fluttershy. “You think you’re tough, huh?” she asked. “Figures as much.”

Fluttershy yelled as the telekinetic force that held her in place started to crush her. Hate’s grin widened as she saw Fluttershy’s life force start to flicker.

Dash saw what was happening and leapt up to try and stop it, but before she could even get close, a massive gale forced her onto her knees. It was a wind that was centered around Hate, but it didn’t appear to have originated from her; rather, from Fluttershy. The pulsing in Fluttershy’s necklace sped up, but Hate was too focused on the tears running down her cheeks to notice.

Celestia, Twilight, and the others tried to get to her, but the wind was too strong. Anything Olly threw came right back at him, and Applejack resisted the urge to throw her lasso in desperation.

“If you had just tried to save me, Kindness, it might have been different,” Hate hissed. Her voice was almost silent, but Fluttershy could hear every word she said. “Now I have to kill you in order to set things right. But this won’t be the only time. No, I have something much greater planned. Depending on what happens right now, it’ll happen either sooner, or later. Honestly, as long as you die, then I’m willing to do whatever it takes!”

Fluttershy regained some movement in her limbs, but she was still too feeble to do anything but flail and howl a little louder. She thought of her home, of Angel, of her friends, anything that would make the pain go away. She summoned all her memories of warmth, friendship, and life back when it was free of worry.

“So get ready, Flutters, for the greatest fight of your life!” Hate snarled.

“No!” Fluttershy screamed, and her necklace abruptly stopped pulsing. “I know what you’re trying to do, and it won’t work!”

Hate sneered, tossing Fluttershy aside. She fell to the ground like a rag doll. “I’m not done yet.”

The gale stopped for a brief moment before Hate started it again of her own accord. She glanced around before her gaze rested on Pinkie Pie. “Oh, what’sa matter, Pinkie Pie? Sugar crash?” Her face lit up with a sadistic grin.

Dash leapt in front of Pinkie Pie to shield her, but Hate flicked her hoof to the side, gesturing to somepony. There was an awful noise, something that sounded like rusty metal grinding together, before Guilt leapt out of a portal in space and slammed into Dash, knocking the wind out of her. They scuffled, rolling over one another as they tried to pin each other down.

“Called it,” Hate smirked. Pinkie tried to shield herself in a blue eggshell of magic, but it wasn’t enough. A bolt of darkness from Hate was able to subdue her.

Just then, Hate was wrenched backward by a rope that had wrapped around her neck and tightened. Applejack flipped Hate onto her back and started to drag her away from Pinkie, gripping the end of the cord between her teeth, but Hate simply cut the cord and tossed a green sphere of energy toward Applejack’s hooves. After a moment or two, it exploded in a rush of green fire and hot air, leaving Applejack scrambling to recover herself.

“No more distractions,” Hate snarled, the cord around her neck dissolving into dust as she turned to glare at Pinkie. However, she had vanished, and as Hate tried to look for her, she leapt out of a gap in space and slammed into her adversary, knocking them both to the ground.

Forcing a smile, though it was a sincere one, Pinkie bit down on Hate’s ear and held on, though she was barely able to endure the pain Hate’s aura was forcing onto her system.

“Get off!” Hate yelled. She finally managed to pin Pinkie down and deal a near-fatal blow to her abdomen. Hate paused. “If she can do that...” she muttered. Louder, she stated, “It’d probably be best if I started to wrap this whole thing up.”

Fluttershy weakly looked up to see Hate’s wings latch onto Pinkie and lift her into the air, cocooning her in a shell of razor-sharp tentacles. Pinkie screamed in pain, and Fluttershy thought she saw a small trickle of blood dripping from the bottom of Pinkie’s hooves.

No... Not her too... Fluttershy thought. She tried to move, but her muscles failed her, and all she could do was pull herself up onto a tree stump and sob as her life burned to ashes around her. Everything... Everything I love is gone...

*******

The first pony I lost was Apple Bloom... I didn’t have the skill to protect her from disease, even when I’ve worked with it all my life. The second was Saphira, because I didn’t have the foresight to stop Deception from manipulating Applejack. The third was Centime, because I didn’t have the strength to save him from his doom... Then Scootaloo... Everypony in town... It’s too much. All that I knew, all that I could call home, is gone, because nopony has been strong enough to protect it. I haven’t been strong enough to protect it.

No. I won’t take this anymore. I won’t stand on the sidelines like a coward, Fluttershy thought, her necklace gleaming bright pink as her pupils disappeared. This time... This time, I fight! I fight for those who can’t fight for themselves! “Get... away... from my FRIENDS!” Fluttershy yelled, pointing at Hate.

A bright pink field formed around Pinkie, pushing Hate’s wings back and allowing her to slip out of their grasp. She fell to the ground, barely breathing and steadily bleeding to nothing. As Fluttershy’s magic worked, however, the cuts and scrapes disappeared, and Pinkie fell into a comfortable slumber.

Hate glanced back at Flutttershy. Instead of wearing a grin or a look of shock, though, she appeared cool and determined, as if she was finally beginning to take the fight seriously. “So, you’ve realized your Potential. Whoop-de-doo. But at the end of the day, I’m still gonna win this.”

Twilight leapt up beside Fluttershy, but a magical field gently pushed her back.

“Stay away,” Fluttershy said calmly, turning her head slightly to look at Twilight. Her pink irises were glimmering slightly, and Twilight could see the surrounding fire reflected in her eyes. Her voice was overlapping with somepony else’s. “This is my fight.”

“So, you’ve finally got a spine,” Hate laughed, flexing her wings. “Well, guess what, Flutters. I’ve got one, too.”

Dash looked up at Fluttershy in awe, and her momentary lapse in concentration allowed Guilt to slip into the shadows once more. Twilight stepped back and used telekinesis to move any other injured ponies out of the way of battle. So far, Pinkie and Rarity were the only ones incapacitated.

“So, what’s your big speech this time?” Hate asked, looking bored.

“You shouldn’t be so quick to look down upon those who outmatch you,” Fluttershy said.

“If you only knew,” Hate chuckled, rolling her eyes.

“You clearly outmatch all of my friends, true,” Fluttershy observed. “But you’re not strong enough to handle me now. I’m going to finish what my friends have started and make sure you never murder again!”

“Bra-vo,” Hate sneered, disgusted and clearly unimpressed. “You said you can protect your friends, right? Why keep them out of the battle?”

“Because they run the risk of getting hurt, while I do not,” Fluttershy stated. “My powers aren’t completely in my control yet. However, I can safely take you on by myself without killing you or anypony else.”

“Fine, fine,” Hate snickered. “If that’s what you want to believe, go ahead, by all means. I’m going to win, though, one way or another.”

“Then let’s see how well you stack up against your big sister!” Fluttershy smirked.

Applejack saw Twilight motion toward a somewhat stable barricade of rubble, and joined her safely behind it. Celestia, Dash, and Olly were there, as well.

“You all right?” Applejack asked Twilight and Celestia after ducking behind the barrier. They nodded as they combined their magic and formed a barrier to protect themselves and the others.

Hate inhaled, and as she breathed out, the vortex slowed once more. Reality started to bend, with time flowing faster in some regions than in others. Hate’s originally golden wings started to blend with her magic, turning a swampy green color in the process.

The wreckage of Ponyville was nothing more than a pile of waste at this point, but it was all Fluttershy stood for, and she was going to protect it. “Ready?” she asked, gritting her teeth.

“As I’ll ever be, sister,” Hate growled.

Fluttershy crossed her forelegs in front of her face and leapt up into the air. She began to spin, and as she did, rings of light pink energy started to form around her. She flapped her wings, and the circles split into fragments. The resulting blades flew toward her adversary at speeds almost impossible to quantify, but Hate was able to deflect them off of her wings. Confused, she glanced at herself for a moment.

“You can touch me?” she asked as Fluttershy landed in front of her. They both carefully watched each other. “Huh... Well, it’d be kind of boring if my powers still applied, I guess.”

“Now you see why I’m going to win?” Fluttershy asked.

Hate shrugged. “Depends on your definition of ‘win.’”

Hate leapt up and latched onto Fluttershy’s wing, but Fluttershy slipped out of her grasp effortlessly. Flipping in midair, Fluttershy slammed her back legs into Hate’s snout, plowing her into the ground.

Hate coughed, wiping off her nose. She glared up at Fluttershy, then yelled, and a bright beam of green magic shot from her mouth. Fluttershy managed to dodge, but it still grazed her left ear, tearing a chunk of it off. She tried to repair it quickly, but the residual acid on the wound prevented her from fixing it.

“So much for your looks,” Hate remarked, taking to the air.

Fluttershy turned to glare at Hate angrily. “You should be thankful that I don’t hold grudges.”

“Coulda fooled me,” Hate retorted. She pointed at Fluttershy, and another beam of magic blasted from the tip of her forehoof. Fluttershy responded in kind. The beams hit each other head-on, and, for a little while, Fluttershy and Hate battled with intense magical force, each of them trying to overpower the other. The mixing pink and green energies exploded, throwing both of them high into the air. However, Hate quickly recovered and flew past Fluttershy, her wing scraping Fluttershy’s left leg and cutting it, though not as deeply as Hate would have liked.

Fluttershy quickly mended the scrape, turned, and dove to the ground, slamming into it with as much force as she could muster. Columns of earth rose up underneath Hate as Fluttershy used magic to direct the underground pressure, but Hate simply dodged the pillars until she saw one in a good position to topple over her adversary. Fluttershy had to fly out the way of the falling rocks, but Hate predicted her movement and kicked her into the ground once more.

Dash was becoming antsy. Bruises were beginning to appear on her pelt due to the earlier battle, but she didn’t seem to notice them. “C’mon, Fluttershy...” she murmured, urging her friend on. She turned to Twilight. “Can’t we help her?”

Twilight shook her head. “She’s the one who asked to fight alone, Dash.”

“But we’re her friends, we’re not supposed to abandon her even if she’s going up against Vengeance herself!” Dash argued.

“You have a point, Dash, but we shouldn’t go and fight until it’s absolutely necessary,” Celestia stated. “If Fluttershy is up against Hate, then Fluttershy will win, no questions asked.”

Fluttershy grunted in pain, her vision blurry. Not one to waste time, Hate tried to finish the fight by plowing into her weakened foe, but Fluttershy summoned a barrier at the last second to fend her off. It was a translucent pink force field, and all of Hate’s energy was reflected back at her when she collided with it.

“Ow...” Hate groaned, rubbing her nose. She shook her head. “You don’t realize your Potential often enough, sis. I can never remember all your abilities.”

Before Fluttershy could respond, Hate vanished. A dark force tugged at Fluttershy’s heart, and she gasped as she saw tiny spider-veins developing directly over her heart and travelling down her side. She snapped out of Guilt’s illusion just as she saw eyes forming on her pelt, but she wasn’t quick enough to avoid Hate headbutting her, which was almost enough to knock her unconscious.

Guilt melted out of the shadows, grinning at Hate proudly.

Hate shrugged. “Not your best, but it’ll do.” She glowered down at Fluttershy, who was trying to regain her bearings after her mind was assaulted by Guilt. “Let’s end this the boring way.”

Guilt flinched, then opened his mouth as if he were screaming. A spike had embedded itself in his neck, and his glasses tumbled to the ground as he tried to pull it out.

“Olly!” Twilight hissed from behind a different pile of wreckage.

“What? It was two-on-one,” Olly argued. He was about to say more, but Hate had already used a psychic pull to drag him across the battlefield and to her hooves. Olly chuckled nervously as she glowered upon him and said, “Oh, never mind me; I’m just, you know, passing through, heh.”

Hate’s wings wrapped around Olly and lifted him into the air, but they didn’t cut him like they did Pinkie. She smiled slightly. “Tell ya what. I can cut you open now, like I did Pinkie, and be done with it, or you can try your hoof at fate and risk me stumbling across you later, when I’ve lost all control. Your choice.”

“Never do today what you can do t-tomorrow,” Olly managed through the constricting grasp of Hate’s wings. She let him fall to the ground, where he was quickly recovered by Twilight.

“What did you think you were doing?!” Twilight hissed.

“Saving the day?” Olly suggested, wheezing slightly. Sharp pain assaulted him from one of his ribs, but he wasn’t sure which one. “If you were a proper lady, you’d embrace me warmly and smother me with kisses.”

Twilight ran a hoof through her mane, turning away from Olly and shaking her head in exasperation.

“Maybe I’ll ask Rarity about that when she wakes up,” Olly mumbled to himself, slightly dazed.

Meanwhile, Hate was advancing on Fluttershy. Guilt had retreated into the shadows, the spike not having dug deep enough to bleed him to death. “Well, well, well,” Hate said. Fluttershy was gathering herself in preparation for the second round of battle. “Guess you needed your friends after all.”

“You did double-team me,” Fluttershy pointed out, flexing her wings anxiously. I can’t hold anything back this time. Hate means business.

“Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. Let’s get this over wi-”

Fluttershy leapt up and plowed into Hate’s gut with more force than she had originally intended, stopping Hate cold. Stumbling backward, Hate raised a protective force-field, but Fluttershy smashed it with one hoof and smacked Hate in the nose with the other.

Blood leaked from the corner of Hate’s mouth as she laid on her back and stared upward, dazed. Fluttershy was concerned for a moment, out of instinct and nothing else, but her pause allowed a weak presence to invade her mind.

Go AWAY!

She flinched backward, clutching her head. Across the battlefield, Guilt, blood trickling down his neck, was pointing directly at Fluttershy, his hoof trembling slightly as he kept the spell active.

Go... AWAY!

Fluttershy yelped, and her limbs failed. She fell onto her side, spasming as Guilt took total control over her nervous system. Desperately, she started charging energy for a different attack.

“That’s it; I’m going in!” Dash yelled, despite Twilight’s protests. She shot toward Guilt, leaving a rainbow trail behind her.

“She’s going to get herself killed,” Twilight complained.

“Then we’d better go help her,” Celestia muttered, taking wing.

Twilight considered arguing, but when she realized there was nopony around left to argue with, she adjusted her crown, sighed, and followed Celestia onto the battlefield.

Dash, meanwhile, was almost upon Guilt. She would have been battling him hoof-to-hoof sooner, but the harsh winds of the funnel cloud forced her down onto her hooves as she raced toward her foe.

“Take this!” Dash shrieked, her hoof glowing with crackling ruby energy as she slammed it into Guilt’s face. Striking him was like hitting a stone block; he simply absorbed the force and crumpled to the ground, barely alive. Dash suffered severe knockback due to her attack, though, and she fell to her knees, the sheer force of her assault completely numbing her forehoof. It felt as if little pins and needles were poking it.

Fluttershy regained control and began to release her energy through a piercing scream, but as she saw her friends rushing toward her, she frantically tried to contain it.

She almost succeeded.

A ripple spread through the air and the ground as everypony’s hearing was slowly peeled away. Friends and enemies alike were tossed aside like rag dolls as Fluttershy’s powerful sonic boom rattled the rubble and debris, shaking and breaking it into even tinier pieces. Even Celestia had curled up into fetal position once she had landed, and was clutching her head.

The wind accelerated briefly, then stopped altogether, with the funnel cloud dissipating. The dust began to clear.

*******

Twilight’s ears were ringing, but it didn’t appear as though the explosion had caused any permanent damage. Fluttershy must have tried to contain that attack as soon as it started, otherwise we’d all be deaf.

“Is everypony alright?” Twilight asked, before remembering about Pinkie and Rarity. She got to her hooves and clawed through the rubble, looking for them. Thankfully, they were resting side by side, though they were both covered in a thin layer of dust and soot.

Celestia and Applejack walked up, holding Fluttershy. She was barely conscious.

“Where’s Hate?” Celestia immediately asked.

A faint cough answered them, and then a few words they didn’t recognize. Then, faint laughter. Twilight’s ears swiveled toward the noise, and she was suddenly alert. Was... Was that the Ancient Language?

“Show yourself!” Celestia commanded while Applejack went to look for Dash.

As the dust thinned out further, a lump that must have been Hate began to appear just about twenty meters away. For some reason, Twilight began to feel uncomfortably warm.

Celestia cantered over to Hate and flipped her onto her back. She was wearing a dull smile, and laughing slightly.

“What’s so funny?” Celestia hissed.

That only increased Hate’s laughter. It clearly pained her to laugh, but she did it anyway, and with increasing vigor once Twilight came into her view.

Is he laughing at me...? Twilight thought, her mind cloudy. She shook her head. I feel... weird.

“Tol-...” Hate began, coughing blood before continuing. “Told you I’d win.”

“M-Maybe I hit him too hard,” Fluttershy said anxiously. She turned away from Hate at the sight of blood.

Hate continued to deliriously laugh. Turning to glare at the sky, she began to howl with laughter before it dissolved into a fit of bloody coughing. Celestia flicked her tail to the side in disgust.

“Twilight, use your spell. We need to finish off this cretin once and for all,” Celestia commanded. When Twilight failed to respond, she turned and asked, “Well, what are you waiting for?”

“J-Just give me a moment,” Twilight said, trying to recall the words to the spell. Her breathing was labored.

“Maybe you should rest first,” Celestia suggested. “Hate isn’t going anywhere, Twilight, and you don’t look so well.”

Hate erupted into another fit of laughter. Angrily, Celestia turned, ran up to her, and swatted her aside. “Shut up!”

Hate yelped in pain and tumbled a few meters across the battlefield, but when she came to a stop, she was still laughing.

“Twilight?” Olly asked. “You’re pale.”

Twilight only caught snippets of the words. She stumbled a bit on her hooves, struggling to maintain her balance. “Olly--something’s wrong,” she mumbled, falling her to knees.

Olly rushed next to her and tried his best to steady his wobbling friend. “Celestia!” he called.

The goddess saw from across the ruined town what was happening, and turned to Hate furiously, her anger increasing by the second. “What did you do to her?”

“I could ask... ask you the same question, ‘Tia,” Hate chuckled.

Celestia’s eyes widened. It can’t be. Not yet!

Hate uttered a low chuckle, her fractured gaze turning to Twilight, whose horn had begun to glow. “Time for... for the fireworks.”

“Ahh...!” Twilight moaned groggily as golden cracks began to form on her horn. She felt as if she was stranded in a midday desert. “...Help--!”

“I’ll be right there!” Celestia yelled, rushing over to Twilight. It wasn’t soon enough.

Twilight’s horn disintegrated, and a overwhelming burst of pent-up magic, all of Twilight’s reserves, exploded into the atmosphere. Olly was tossed up into the air, as were Applejack and Dash. The magic was wild and uncontrollable, and as it passed through the surroundings, all gravity seemed to vanish for a moment. Applejack landed softly despite the fact that she had been thrown almost five meters up in the air, as did the others. However, the inanimate objects which had absorbed the magic remained suspended in their own anti-gravity zones, floating daintily through the air without direction.

Only a round ivory patch remained on Twilight’s forehead where her horn once had been. She had been knocked unconscious by the escaping magic.

“What?” Olly breathed. He crawled back over to Twilight. “That’s... impossible.” He laughed a little bit, out of shock. Guilt... he must be in my head, or something, because this just can’t happen... I’ve never...

“Twilight!” Celestia gasped, rushing over to her. She’s still breathing... but what happened to her horn?!

Hate must have been roaring with laughter on the inside, but only a faint chortle escaped her injured body. “Feeling guilty, ‘T-...Tia?” she coughed.

Celestia stared at Twilight’s horn for a moment or two as her horror hardened into hatred. “You,” she growled, turning to face Hate. “You did this!”

“I... I only sped up the process,” Hate wheezed, grinning maniacally. “It could’ve... could’ve happened in a week, in a year, in a century... but there’s a spell to speed up the process. Deception... she found it. It was like a little fast-forward button. But you’re the one who gave us the remote... You’re the one--you did it. You did it all!” Another fit of maniacal laughter.

Celestia was trembling with rage. Dash thought about trying to calm her down, but she realized that she was furious, as well. “Not. Cool,” she hissed, but the only response she received was the same, inane cackling. Applejack was busy ushering Twilight to where Pinkie and Rarity were resting, but she had a scowl on her face, as well.

“Isn’t there a way to heal her?” Fluttershy asked. “There just has to be a way to fix this...”

“There’s... no... fix,” Celestia stated. It was clear that she wouldn’t be able to control herself for much longer.

“Good luck beating Vengeance now,” Hate murmured.

That was the final straw. Celestia leapt at Hate and flung her into the air, blasting her with magic as she fell. Hate yelled in pain, but after the pain had faded somewhat, she began to laugh incoherently once again.

“That’s not going to work, Celestia,” Dash said.

“Just try and stop me!” Celestia barked, preparing to crush Hate’s skull.

“Dash is right, C-Celestia; this really isn’t the best way to handle things, i-in my opinion,” Fluttershy said nervously.

“Sure it ain’t,” Applejack seconded. She walked up to Hate, her eyes expressing a cold, calculating anger. “If we wanna hurt Hate, we need to hurt Guilt. They’ve been actin’ brotherly this entire time while they caused us trouble, an’ if that little friendship’s worth two bits, Hate’ll have a fit if Guilt’s hurt. Jus’ sayin’.”

Celestia nodded, her expression, although still furious, beginning to resemble a grin. “Fine. Dash, do you know where Guilt is?”

“Um, that’s not really...” Fluttershy trailed off when she realized nopony was paying attention to her.

Hate stopped laughing, and was suddenly alert. “If you hurt my brother, Celestia, you’re going to regret it,” she warned.

Celestia poked Hate between two of her broken ribs. “You try anything at all, and Fluttershy’s going to finish you off. Right, Fluttershy?”

“Um... yes?” Fluttershy squeaked. “But I don’t think this-”

“So keep your mouth shut,” Celestia ordered at Hate. “This is merciful compared to what I want to do to you right now.”

“Look at yourself, Celestia,” Hate said seriously. “You’re doing the exact same thing you’ve always criticized us of before.”

“Found him,” Dash called from across the battlefield.

“I don’t care,” Celestia told Hate. “As long as you get what you deserve, as long as you feel the pain of the thousands of ponies that you’ve murdered, then I don’t care if I have to take the life of just one.”

“Be careful what you wish for,” Hate muttered, though Celestia could easily hear her.

Dash dragged Guilt about three meters in front of Hate. He was barely conscious, but breathing steadily despite his numerous wounds and gashes, some of which were still bleeding.

“Let’s get this over with,” Dash said, turning away from Guilt.

“Don’t do this...” Hate trailed off, slowly realizing that the Elements of Harmony were going to follow through. “If you kill him, I... I might destroy...” she shook her head slightly, too weak to wipe away the tears welling up in her eyes. “Please, just let him die peacefully.”

“Celestia, this isn’t a good idea,” Fluttershy stated, getting in between the goddess and her target. “If we end Guilt’s life, w-we’ll be no better than they are!”

“What about the tens of thousands of lives that the forces of Discord have ended? What about the thousands of lives that Guilt and Hate ended personally? What about everypony in Ponyville?” Celestia challenged, striking where she knew it would hurt. “Why should we show them mercy if they’ve taken away so much?”

“Because it’s the right thing to do,” Fluttershy stated, looking up at Celestia with shining pink eyes.

She only received a glare. “Get out of my way,” Celestia ordered, tired of arguing.

Fluttershy’s confidence faltered. “O-Okay... I just don’t want to watch.”

“You should listen to her,” Hate said, spitting blood mixed with phlegm to the side.

“Enough stalling!” Celestia shouted, positioning herself in front of Guilt.

“Are you positively, one-hundred percent sure about this, Celestia?” Olly asked nervously. “Because if things go south and Hate actually, um, has leftover power, we can’t really defend ourselves all that much.”

“By the time we ported them to Fillydelphia for a standard execution, Hate would have recovered almost all of his strength. Luna has no idea where we are, and if Twilight were awake, I could have her send Luna a message, but we all know where that idea went,” Celestia spat. “It has to be done now.”

“You’re making a mistake...” Hate cautioned, an edge in her tone that, although it was mysterious, didn’t seem to faze Celestia.

Guilt was still only half-conscious, so when he looked up at Celestia and his breathing quickened, Celestia wasn’t sure if it was due to fear or not. She chose to believe it wasn’t, and summoned her energy.

“Please, don’t do this,” Hate begged, trying to crawl toward her brother. “I... I don’t want this to happen, not yet...”

“You better know what you’re doing, Celestia,” Dash said, picking bits of debris off her damaged wings and trying to distract herself from what Celestia was about to do.

“Trust me,” Celestia replied, her hoof sharpening as it absorbed her magic.

“Please, I’ll do anything...!” Hate cried. “Don’t do this, not again...!”

Celestia ignored him. As her spell finished, she thrust down her hoof and made a clean slice through Guilt’s neck.

“NO!” Hate wailed as her brother’s soul leaked out of its body. “I can’t take it... I can’t take it anymore!”

“It’s done,” Celestia growled, wiping blood off her hoof. “Now let’s deal with-”

“I can’t take this anymore. I... I give up.”

Celestia turned around, but Hate had vanished. “...Huh?”

“Where... Where’d he go?” Applejack asked.

A small hum ran through the air, and the temperature plummeted. A puddle of indigo sludge was pooling where Hate had been, and it started to spread. Fluttershy leapt into the air to avoid it and yelled for Celestia to do the same, but the sun goddess seemed frozen in panic. The sludge began to swallow up the remains of Ponyville and was steadily approaching Celestia’s hooves.

“Um, Celestia? Now might be a good time to, uh, evacuate?” Olly asked tentatively, edging backward.

Celestia turned sharply around. “Whatever that is, it wants me. Take the others and go, now!”

“We’re not leaving you behind!” Fluttershy stated, pulling Celestia backward. She turned toward Dash and Applejack. “Right?”

Neither of them responded, and Applejack turned guiltily away, trying to hide her expression.

“Do... Do ya think we’ll be able to help much like this?” Applejack asked. She had cuts and scrapes up and down the side of her face, and blood was trailing from a scratch on her leg.

“I can’t even feel it,” Dash mumbled as she paced away from the chunky indigo liquid. She shook her head and asked, “First: What’s going on? Hate vanishes and is replaced by goo lagoon? Or is it something else?”

A ripple spread through the sludge. It was a low, hissing sound, as if water were sizzling on a frying pan, but Dash thought she heard a word or two being said.

“Hate’s spreading his darkness and won’t stop until he gets an Element of Harmony... that much I know,” Celestia explained. “But... I’m hearing something, like Hate’s saying he only wants me. Maybe I can buy you some time to get to Luna, or at least get away from here. I don’t think I’m in all that much danger, though. I am immortal, after all.”

“But there are ways to remove immortality. You said so yourself,” Fluttershy pointed out. “I’m your friend, Celestia. We all are. I know the others aren’t in fighting shape, but I am, and the least I can do is back you up.”

“You might want to hurry up an itsy-bit,” Olly muttered nervously.

Celestia thought for a moment, but finally said, “Okay, Fluttershy. I guess I can’t really turn down help. But I’m not sure what this is, or where we’re going... Just don’t say I didn’t warn you. Neither of us might make it home if we go see Hate when he’s like this. Whatever ‘this’is.”

“...I guess I don’t have much of a home now, anyway,” Fluttershy mumbled sadly. “I can handle Hate. Let’s go.”

With a final look at the lowering sunset, Celestia and Fluttersy took a breath and dived into the darkness. The spreading of the sludge halted, and it began to recede into a single dot in the middle of the wasteland.

Dash shook her head. There was a funny feeling deep in her chest that she couldn’t quite place. “I feel... weird.”

“Yeah, I feel it, too,” Olly said solemnly.

“Feel what?” Applejack asked.

“That weird feeling when you know you’re never going to see somepony again,” Olly said, almost at the same time Dash did.

=====================================================================

*******

Celestia and Fluttershy opened their eyes.

They were back-to-back in a grayish-white space that seemed to shift and bend, as if they were underwater, though they could both breath with relative ease. There was an odd chill to the air that suggested a cave or an underground city, yet it had a sinister nature that made the terribly empty feeling surrounding the two of them all the more appropriate. Wraiths and what looked like ancient Windigoes were circling overhead, yet they were completely and utterly silent--there was no noise or sound of anything in this realm, which is probably what made it so alien.

Two of you. One I expected, the other merely an inconvenience.

Neither Fluttershy nor Celestia heard these words--they simply appeared in their minds, as if placed there by telepathy. A shadow appeared in front of them. It was simply the outline of a pony, colored several shades of indigo. Its eyes were a pure emerald, as if they were cut gemstones, yet they had a distinctive glare that could only have come from one source.

Fluttershy gasped inaudibly and tried to leap backward, but invisible bonds held her in place. She was completely immobilized, and it seemed that Celestia was in the same situation.

Yes, my eyes are much prettier now, aren’t they? Thank you for noticing. They’re nothing like they were before--the single slit seems to make all the difference in the Equestria Celestia has procured.

The shadow sneered, its eyes narrowing. The soundlessness of the atmosphere was pronounced.

I shall end that today, for my brother... and for myself. For today, I shall end myself. Liberate my soul from its slavery. And I will also use large words. I hear they made ordinary ponies--ponies such as you, or I--sound much more fearsome, as well as believable.

The shadow zipped to Celestia’s side.

I think I will start with you. For you started this war. You obviously didn’t, of course--but if I say it over and over again, it will suddenly become true, as you have clearly demonstrated. You started this war. You started this war. You are the one that started this war. See? Now I can kill you without feeling any guilt, for you were the one that started this horrible tragedy.

The shadow speared one of his forelegs into Celestia’s abdomen, and her back arched as pain rocketed through her body, yet no sound was produced. Her scream was utterly silent.

The feeling that Celestia was in immediate danger set something off in Fluttershy that she couldn’t quite place. It was similar to times before where she had boiled over and gained strength she ordinarily wouldn’t have, but different in that it was more of a slow boil, like magma, instead of a sudden explosion of fury. He’s hurting Celestia... I’m here to stop him... So why aren’t I?!

Bursting out of her bonds, Fluttershy turned and swatted the shadow away. As her hoof connected with what remained of Hate, the shadow dissipated, and sound resumed. Fluttershy exhaled as a peculiar pins-and-needles feeling washed over her for a moment.

“Are you alright?” she asked Celestia. She noticed she didn’t need to flap her wings to stay aloft; concentrating seemed to be all the lift she needed in this strange, unstable dimension.

Celestia glanced at the place Hate had stabbed her. She didn’t seem to feel any pain from the wound, which was in the process of being sealed due to her immortality. “I think so, but... What’s going on?”

“I was hoping you would know,” Fluttershy said. She felt odd, but it wasn’t anger this time; it was something else. “Was it just me that couldn’t hear?”

“No, Hate looks like he’s attacking our senses. Probably why I can’t feel anything right now,” Celestia muttered, testing her limbs.

Fluttershy was shocked to realize she couldn’t feel anything, either--her entire sense of touch had disappeared. “This is really weird.”

“We don’t have all that much time to think about it, though,” Celestia warned, preparing herself for battle. She looked at Fluttershy. “Hate probably converted himself to Elemental energy, just like Guilt does when he takes ponies into this place. He won’t be able to touch you directly, but he’ll try to kill me before he goes after you, okay?”

“How do you know?” Fluttershy asked nervously. I’m going to have to protect Celestia? That’s... really, really strange. Everything’s been seeming really backward lately. But I guess I’m going to have to try. Hate shouldn’t be any more powerful than I am, anyway.

A foul stench, that of a briny swamp, emanated from below the duo. The Windigoes emitted a long, low screech that, and the wraiths’ awful howls would have crushed Fluttershy’s courage had Celestia not been beside her.

You two are awfully annoying.

*******

The shadow reappeared in front of Celestia. Its eyes were intense, heated almost, and the only warmth in the entire dimension seemed to radiate from him. Fluttershy steeled herself, her hooves glowing pink as translucent Elemental armor wrapped itself around her body. Celestia exhaled, gathering the reserves of strength that had been replenished by her immortality.

I would say that you’re pitiful. I would say that your lives are worthless. But that would only strengthen your resolve. So no, that is not what I’m going to say.

The shadow rose its forehooves over its head, its unblinking emerald eyes somehow staring down both Celestia and Fluttershy simultaneously. A deathly choir of wraiths and Windigoes, with their dissonant, yet beautiful chorus, was to be the undertone of the battle.

No... You two, you both have conviction. You have strength that I do not, for I gave up, you see. I gave up my form in exchange for this one, in hopes that it might end you. You two, you are friends... You are greater than I. You have always been greater than I.

Hate bent backward, staring upward as the grayish, watery horizons darkened to a pure black. The visual forms of the spiritual choir faded away, but their voices remained. A thin, white line appeared where the horizon once was, and it was the only source of light that pierced the darkness.

But you have started this war. I have said it, and I have said it a thousand times over, so it must be true. These are the ideals on which you have founded Equestria. Two values. Right and wrong. Good and evil. None of us are able to escape definition. We will always be labeled, you and I.

Hate lowered his head, once again staring at the pair, but this time he offered his hoof to them.

But I can free you from that, Celestia, Kindness... I can free all of us. Liberate you both, just as I have done for myself. We can escape from the society you have created. Abandon it in search of new ideals. Leave it to rot in an empty cell, without guidance, without love, and leave it to be tortured eternally.

Fluttershy sensed a dark undertone to Hate’s words even though he was speaking without a voice. His speech was unnerving, and she was suddenly afraid. She inched closer to Celestia.

We can leave society. Abandon it. Blame it for our woes. We can escape from all responsibility. All of our troubles would simply disappear, because that’s always what happens. Nothing would come back to haunt us. We could forget about everything. We could forget who we once were. Wouldn’t you like that? Isn’t that what everypony wants?

“N-No. That’s not what I want,” Fluttershy mumbled, desperately trying to hide her fear with little success.

...You could have fooled me, Kindness. Element of Irony. Element of Irresponsibility. Element of Idiocy. Element of Abandonment. You can pick whatever title you please. They all fit perfectly.

“You’re wrong!” Fluttershy snapped. “I don’t know why... but I just know that you’re wrong!”

Must I repeat myself to prove myself correct? It doesn’t matter. I will liberate you... both of you. The world will be better off without us. Any of us. We are monsters. We are Elements. We are destruction, war, and bloodshed. There is no point to our existence.

Hate’s hooves glowed, and four curved indigo blades appeared on the ends of each one. The front ones were akin to large sickles, the back ones more along the lines of scythes. The stench grew stronger, and Celestia recognized it as the scent of blood.

So... I will end it.

Hate vanished. Celestia predicted his movement and caught him in the jaw, knocking him backward and allowing Fluttershy to follow up with a buck in the leg. Hate dissolved, reappearing behind Celestia and latching onto her with indigo energy wrapped around his hooves. Celestia felt nothing; she simply felt her consciousness begin to drift away as she struggled to break from Hate’s grasp.

Fluttershy doveunderneath Hate and pried one of his hooves off the sun goddess. His hoof vaporized in her grasp, and Hate hissed, though he still clung to Celestia. Fluttershy quickly caught on and smacked Hate’s chin in a fierce uppercut, though his body had melted away before she was able to hit him again. The stench of blood faded away as Hate’s aura receded. The chorus quieted slightly.

Celestia tried to recover, taking deep breaths and trying to retain her courage. “He’s coming... coming after me.”

“I know that much, Celestia,” Fluttershy said, her eyes darting from side to side. It would be nearly impossible to see Hate’s swampy pelt in the darkness. “Just stay strong. I can beat him.”

A pins-and-needles feeling washed over Fluttershy, and the cold of the realm once again shot through her, stunning her for a moment. Hate was taking away another of her senses and giving back her sense of touch. She turned back to Celestia, who was bent over, grimacing and clutching her midsection.

“He hit me pretty hard.” She coughed, and a trickle of golden ichor ran down the side of her mouth. “But I’ll... I’ll be fine.”

“Well, it wasn’t sight, and it wasn’t sound... Where is he, a-anyway?” Fluttershy asked shakily, trying to ignore the fact that Celestia was already injured and probably unable to fight.

“He’s reforming. You’ve damaged h-” Celestia coughed again. “You’ve damaged his spirit. We only have a few more seconds.”

“Okay. Do you have a plan?” Fluttershy asked, glancing behind herself to check for Hate. The chorus upped its demonic vocals.

A tingle ran up and down Celestia’s spine as all her battle instincts activated at once. She bucked behind herself and hit something that was more or less a solid. Hate flew backward before vanishing into the shadows once more.

“Not to die,” Celestia mumbled. She turned to Fluttershy, who still hadn’t noticed, and snapped, “Look sharp!”

Fluttershy was momentarily confused before she saw Hate rise up over Celestia again, preparing to strike. She fired a beam of pink energy that cut through the darkness and clipped Hate’s spiritual manifestation, which snarled and faded away again.

“How didn’t I notice him...?” Fluttershy asked aloud.

“Because Hate’s stolen our sense of smell,” Celestia muttered. “As well as our sense of his aura. He could be anywhere.”

Why hide? This is fun. In fact, this is the most fun I’ll ever have, for I do not plan to battle either of you ever again. For better or for worse.

Indigo ropes shot out of the darkness and entangled Fluttershy and Celestia. Fluttershy cut through the first set, but another immediately took its place. Celestia struggled, but a blow to the forehead from Hate was enough to knock her unconscious.

“No!” Fluttershy yelled. She summoned her Elemental energy and wrapped herself in a pink cloak, dissolving the ropes and allowing her to fly toward Hate. He simply stared at her.

Just before Fluttershy hit Hate, he shrouded himself in indigo energy. When they collided, Hate’s barrier held, and Fluttershy was ground to a halt.

“I don’t understand!” Fluttershy wailed, glancing behind Hate to see the life gradually being wrung out of her mentor. “Why can’t I hurt you?!”

Hate simply stared.

Why couldn’t you save me?

Fluttershy yelled in frustration and dug her hooves into an unseen ground, slowly forcing Hate backward. His indigo barrier was failing, but it was too long a process for Fluttershy to afford. Leaping backward, Fluttershy fired an artillery round at Hate, blowing him backward and into the darkness. The chorus quieted, and the scent of blood spiked for a moment before gradually fading away. However, when Fluttershy ran up to Celestia, she found that the sun goddess had vanished. In fact, everything had vanished.

Hate had stolen Fluttershy’s sense of sight.

“No! This can’t happen!” Fluttershy wailed, her fear finally overtaking her. She bucked the air and swatted nonexistent foes, her energy gradually wearing down as her frustration cooled. Hate made no attempts to attack her. Fluttershy was left to flail about in an endless darkness all by her lonesome, which, in the end, hurt more than anything else could have.

In one, final moment, the rage of all past Elements of Kindness compounded in Fluttershy at once as her fury at Hate reached its peak. The warmth from her body defeated the cold of Hate’s realm, and Fluttershy knew her pure pink eyes were glowing as she concentrated all of her energy into a single pinprick of light.

I am... the Element... of Kindness. And nopony... messes... with me... or my friends!

Her mental beacon seemed to further disrupt the already unstable dimension. Fluttershy couldn’t see, so she couldn’t be sure, but gravity seemed to distort for a moment, and Fluttershy felt like she was free-falling even though there was no way to prove it without flowing air.

After the dimension shaking rage was over, though, and Fluttershy’s sight was still gone, she curled up into a ball and cried, shutting her eyes tightly. She was defeated. How am I supposed to win if I can’t even fight?

...Nopony wins, Fluttershy. Both of our lives have been ruined.

Everything seemed to slow down, and Fluttershy’s rapid heartbeat settled as she began to relax. Her eyesight began to return, and the deathly chorus and stench of blood slowly faded into memory.

*******

Fluttershy felt a cool wind on her back. She wiped her eyes, looking up. The darkness of the dimension had been absorbed by the light. Celestia had vanished, but the realm appeared to be stable. An alicorn colt sat a few meters away.

He was a dark brown color, though with a hint of green, just enough to make his pelt look like he had just taken a bath in a muddy pond. His mane was a deeper shade of brown, and messy, as if he hadn’t cut it in a while. He was facing away from Fluttershy, so she couldn’t see his eyes.

“Where did you take her?” Fluttershy asked.

“She was never anywhere,” Hate stated. He had the voice of a child. “As soon as the two of you came to my dimension, I did what I needed here and then released you back into yours. Everything you saw was my struggle to do so. My sacrifice. You’re only still here because I wanted to speak with you.”

“I don’t understand. Why fight us if you knew you would win?” Fluttershy asked, approaching him.

“...I needed to exhaust myself. I needed to get rid of every last bit of energy that I had. The battle you saw... it was an excuse,” Hate said quietly.

“To do what?” Fluttershy asked. She walked up next to Hate and saw that his eyes had reverted to their original slitted, swampy green color. They weren’t full of hostility, though, like they usually were. They were filled with pain.

“Fluttershy, I’m immortal. But I don’t have any reason to live. I don’t even want to anymore. Guilt... he made his choice to stay, and I respect that. But I don’t have any reason to keep struggling. You get what I’m saying?” Hate asked.

“...I think so. So why am I here? Why can’t you just let me go?” Fluttershy asked.

“Because I’m not going to let either of you off the hook so quickly,” Hate chuckled. He looked up at Fluttershy. “I think I deserve an apology for all you did to me back then.”

“I think I deserve an apology for all you did to me and my friends!” Fluttershy retorted. She lowered her voice and added, “You hurt all of them. You can’t deny that, so say you’re sorry.”

Hate paused. “Fine. Yeah, I made a bad mistake when I chose to mess with you in the beginning, and I ended up hurting a lot more than I thought I would have. So I guess I am a little sorry, because I lost my purpose when I started trying to deal with all of you, to, y’know, get you out of my life forever. But... I guess, since you grew up without much influence from Obsidian or Celestia, you’re a little better than the originals. So maybe, just maybe, there was a chance we could have been friends. But it was only a chance. I still hate you,” he finished, glaring at Fluttershy.

Fluttershy expected his gaze to be impudent rather than outright fearsome, but Hate somehow still managed to achieve that while still in the body of a young colt. It reminded her slightly of Centime.

“O-Okay,” she managed. “And, if it’ll make this end any quicker, I am sorry for what I did to you, Hate. But it’s hard to apologize for something you didn’t have anything to do with,” she added.

“Hmf. I guess I’ll take what I can get,” Hate said.

They sat in silence for a few moments.

“So... What now?” Fluttershy asked.

“You’ve grown a lot as a pony, Fluttershy. I’ll give you that much,” Hate said earnestly. He paused before adding, “You’re a lot stronger than you once were.” There was a darkness to his tone that put Fluttershy on edge.

“Ye-Yeah,” Fluttershy began, backing up. “So?”

“Well... I still have this teeny little bit of energy left,” Hate continued, turning and grinning maniacally at Fluttershy. “And... you said you wanted to end this quickly, right? That can be arranged.”

Instantly, cords wrapped around Fluttershy’s neck, choking her and raising her off of the ground. She was too startled to react properly, and she was rapidly suffocating. She tried to scream, but no sound escaped.

Just as Fluttershy’s consciousness vanished, she heard a voice whisper, “I wish I could have saved you.”

=====================================================================

Celestia stumbled to her hooves, her eyes half closed. Her body was numb, and she wheezed when she breathed, coughing out the dust she inhaled.

She felt odd, content, almost, as if she were full whereas she was previously hollow. Her bones ached, but it was a gentle throb rather than a stab of pain. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she was completely exhausted. Yet she forced herself to get up and take her first few, clumsy steps.

She was able to walk about ten meters before collapsing.

Something was drawing her forward--the same push-and-pull momentum that enabled her to shake herself out of the half-conscious, dreamless sleep-state that she had been blasted into during the final battle with Hate. She dragged herself forward, half-crawling to the destination that was seemed to be calling out to her.

It was Fluttershy, who was lying on the ground with her eyes shut. Celestia raised a hoof to her neck. There was a pulse. Fluttershy was in front her her, nearly dead, but alive. Still alive. That... That’s good.

Contenting herself with that thought, Celestia once again fell into a deep, seemingly endless sleep, lying on her belly in the glassy desert where Ponyville once stood. A wasteland was all that remained.

=====================================================================

“Sister, s-stay with me!” Luna’s powerful, yet oddly unsteady voice rang clear in Celestia’s mind. “You’re going to be alright, just hold on! Please, hold on!”

“Ugh...” Celestia muttered. “Fluttershy?”

There wasn’t a response. Fluttershy must still have been unconscious. Celestia wouldn’t allow herself to think of any alternative. She was lifted up carefully, levitated by magic onto a soft, pure white cot. Her eyes were tightly shut; the initial shock of her injuries had worn off to be replaced by pure pain, agony so powerful that it could have been condensed into liquid form.

“Your friends are alright. They’re all alright,” Luna said numbly. “Twilight, Fluttershy... everypony is accounted for. Even Sweetie Belle. Even Sweetie Belle.”

Celestia was too dazed to process her sister’s odd speech pattern. All she could do was think of how soft her cot was, and how pretty it looked tinged red.

=====================================================================

[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This story takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
Please let me know if a link doesn’t work.

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

*******

Twilight glanced around. She was in a library--a library so tall that the tops of the endless bookshelves seemed to stretch high into the sky. She couldn’t see the bottoms, either, for the same reason. She was suspended in midair, gaping at the vast array of knowledge and expertise in front of her. There was so much that Twilight hardly believed she would be able to read it all, even if she was given all the time in the world.

Using her mind to control her movement, she drifted across the expanse. She rose upward for half an hour, trying to spot the top of the tower, yet never seeming to be able to, and she even tried free-falling for what must have been two minutes before giving up hope of ever finding an end to the knowledge. Examining the spines of the books, she notice that they were all volumes of the same series--Indicina’s Journal.

Indicina... I’ve heard that before, Twilight thought, though her mental capabilities were impaired by an unknown force. It was like a thick wool blanket wrapped around her brain. Hate mentioned her, I think. But who is she?

Twilight picked up a book and flipped to the first page. She tried to read it, but the words seemed to be shifting around. She held the book up, trying to get a different perspective or maybe some better lighting, but the characters and ink simply dropped off the page, tumbling onto Twilight’s face and down into the infinite abyss. Twilight spit out a B and shook the book out. It dissolved to dust.

“Huh,” she remarked. She folded her forehooves. “Something tells me this isn’t my dream.”

As if on cue, the wall of bookcases bent backward completely, peeling away as if they were a strip of paper. Behind them was a single mare.

She was sitting at a midair desk, surrounded by parchment and quills. An earth pony, she lacked a horn to use magic, but this didn’t seem to impair her use of telekinesis to levitate multiple quills back and forth, pencilling in another volume of her collection of tombs. She was a pale white, but it was a pure white, like the first snow of winter. Even her mane was colorless--the only spots of black on her were simple outlines along her features and her fetlocks, as if she were cut out of a coloring book. She was sitting in an armchair much too big for her, but she looked perfectly at home. She wore a small smile as she continued to scrawl down notes.

She’s... beautiful, Twilight thought. She wasn’t aroused as much as awed by the simplicity and the purity of the pony. Something inside her, though, warned that this petite earth pony was far more ancient and dangerous than she appeared. Against her deeper instincts, though, Twilight inched closer to the white pony, and tentatively said, “Hi.”

The mare looked up for a moment, then shyly turned away. “H-... Hi,” she mumbled back.

“What’s your name?” Twilight asked more confidently, slowly approaching the mare.

“Indicina,” she said. “Who’re... Who’re you? Are you from outside?”

“I think so,” Twilight said, now at the opposite end of Indicina’s desk. “My name’s Twilight. It’s nice to meet you, Indicina.”

Indicina smiled, and her smile was bright and cheerful, like the dawn of spring. “Nice to meet you, too, Twilight. How did you get all the way in here?”

“I’m not sure. I’m just... here,” Twilight replied, shrugging. She pointed at the documents. “Did you write everything in the library?”

Indicina nodded. “Yes. I filled this entire space, from top to bottom, with knowledge of the outside.”

Twilight turned to gaze at the massive expanse, completely astounded. “Wow... That’s really impressive, Indicina.”

Indicina blushed. “I-It wasn’t all that difficult. I had help. It took a long time, too, but I have a lot of time. I don’t get many visitors.”

“Do you do this for fun? There’s a lot more to the world than books, you know. I learned that the hard way,” Twilight chuckled.

“I-I do this to help her. To help her keep everything in check,” Indicina said. “It’s very important. A lot of things would go wrong if I didn’t do this.”

“You stay here all alone, every day?” Twilight asked.

Indicina nodded slightly. “It’s too dangerous for me to... to go and help her.”

“To help who?” Twilight asked.

Indicina’s entire demeanor changed the moment Twilight asked that question, and she sniffled a bit, upset. “Leave me alone,” she mumbled. “You shouldn’t stay here. She’ll find you.”

“Who’s ‘she?’” Twilight persisted. “I want to help you. If you’re here against your will, then... Well, you just shouldn’t be!”

“Please, leave,” Indicina insisted, wiping her eyes. “She does awful things, awful, awful things to intruders. You’re not safe here. Once she finds you, you’re not safe anywhere.”

“I’ll leave, but once you tell me who’s keeping you here, Indicina,” Twilight said, levitating over to Indicina’s side. “I’m not going to leave you here all alone, no matter how dangerous it is.”

“You don’t know how dangerous it is,” Indicina said, trembling. Tears were leaking out of the corners of her eyes. “It’s too dangerous. It’s too dangerous, Twilight. Please, leave. Leave while you still have time. She’ll find you, Twilight. She finds everypony. She found me and put me here; she’ll find you and put you someplace worse.”

“Indicina, I’m not leaving you here,” Twilight said frustratedly. “Let me help you. I know that I can if you’ll just let me. We can make it out of here together.”

“But she’ll get you, and she’ll get me, and... and she’ll do awful things. Awful things, Twilight, to me, to both of us,” Indicina cried. “She’s scary. She’s scary, Twilight, so scary... I don’t want to think. I don’t want to know. I just want to stay here. I want to stay, Twilight, but you don’t want to stay. She’ll find you if you stay here. You want to leave. You have to leave!”

“Okay, I’ll leave,” Twilight sighed. “I’ll leave as soon as you tell me who she is. So that I can find her, and so that I can free you as soon as I can.”

Indicina hung her head, her expression showing nothing but pure shame. “She... She’s me.”

Before Twilight could ask what Indicina meant, she was blasted backward by a wall of force. The impact alone was enough to knock her out cold.

=====================================================================

*******

Olly sat at the window in the Fillydelphian hospital. He was flipping through a book he had absentmindedly picked up at the library. It was about a mare who was traversing a temple in order to retrieve a treasure--a typical adventure.

Psh, Olly scoffed to himself, gazing out the window. Smoke rose from the once-glorious, prosperous city of hope. Now it was half empty as ponies fled to safer regions of Equestria. The setting sun cast an eternal glow across the cityscape, giving it a wistful, golden glow. Olly adjusted the straps of the goggles on his forehead and the patch over his damaged eye. These... These writers, they don’t know anything about adventure. This? This is an adventure. Where you actually lose things. Things you care about, he thought.

Another brown unicorn, this one draped in a white coat and wearing a pair of spectacles, entered the room. “Is she in your custody?” he asked formally, pointing at a light blue pegasus that was lying unconscious on her back in a hospital bed. Her wings were stretched out to her sides at an unnatural angle and wrapped in newly changed bandages.

“Yes, for now, at least,” Olly said.

“These are for her,” the doctor said, levitating a chart over to Olly. “The prognosis is on the back page. She’ll be waking up soon, but she’ll still be disoriented.” He paused for a minute, unsure what to say.

“Thanks, doc,” Olly muttered absently, flipping through the pages.

The doctor left. He was one of the few in Fillydelphia, and had to tend to a multitude of other patients. He didn’t seem to mind. Of course not. He doesn’t ‘seem’ anything. He just goes about with the most monotonous attitude he can. As if it’ll make us feel better. Or, at least, not feel worse, Olly thought, grimacing. He glanced at the last page, reading it carefully.

After reading it, he shakily set the chart down. I was expecting this... but they could have done something... anything, he thought, gazing at Dash. He slowly turned his head away, then brought his hoof to his eye patch. Losing my eye was bad enough.

He sat in silence for a few minutes, pondering. Pondering his life. Pondering Dash’s, and the rest of his friends’. Pondering the world, and the state it was in. Pondering Harmony and Discord. Pondering lots of things. He didn’t have anything else to do but think. All of his friends were either piecing together their own lives or still in critical condition.

Hate’s poison was powerful. They hadn’t realized how much pain they were all in until they had tried to leave, to get as far away as possible from Hate and his darkness--that was when Dash collapsed. Olly had followed. It was lucky Luna found them, all so close together, and all in relatively good condition to boot. According to her, they’d all been relying on luck a lot lately. Well, duh, Olly thought. We’re still alive. Otherwise... well, I don’t even want to think about it.

Dash shifted, waking up. “Ugh...” she mumbled.

Olly glanced once more at the prognosis, sighed, got up, and ambled over to her. “Welcome back to the world of the living. My name is Oliver, and I shall be your guide. First, do you take the red pill, or the blue pill?”

“Green... thing,” Dash mumbled, half opening her eyes. She coughed weakly.

Olly levitated a cup of water off of the table, turned Dash’s head slightly to the side, then drizzled water between her lips. Most of it slid onto her pillow, but a few droplets of the vital liquid trickled down into her throat. “That better?” Olly asked.

Dash nodded, an almost imperceptible twitch of her head. Olly smoothed back her mane. “Feeling alright?” he asked.

“...Weird... floating...” Dash’s mouth formed words, but most of what came out was an unintelligible mumbling. Her eyes were glazed over; she probably wasn’t able to compute most of what was going on. “Others?” she asked quietly.

“Applejack is still trying to piece together what’s left of her family, remember? Rarity’s setting up shop, Twilight has been off-and-on for a few days, at least, as far as I know. Pinkie’s fighting off a few minor infections and should be good to go in a week, but as for Fluttershy, well, I... I don’t expect much,” Olly admitted. I’ve told her all of this already, but that was when she was still only half conscious, just before the surgery. Guess I’ll have to repeat bad news again.

Dash was beginning to lift out of the haze slightly. “You... Your eye,” she said, her voice still hoarse from disuse.

“Yeah, well, that’s what happens when you pass out over some loose rocks,” Olly said, chuckling slightly, once again raising a hoof to his eyepatch in an absent curiosity.

“Doesn’t hurt?” Dash asked.

Olly adopted a slightly more jovial attitude than he usually would, given the circumstances, and said with a sarcastic haughtiness, “As if! Why don’t I remind you how tough the crowd you’re dealing with really is?”

Dash laughed weakly and said slightly, “You’re... pirate.”

“...That’s right, Dash. I’m a pirate,” Olly said, his humorous attitude gone. “How’re your wings?” His voice caught on the word ‘wings,’ but he managed to hide it.

“They... don’t hurt,” Dash said after a long pause.

Olly patted her lightly on the shoulder. “That’s good.” Unsure how to continue the conversation, he said bluntly, “I’m going to have to go soon. Visiting hours only last so long.”

That was a lie. Luna had extended visiting hours ad infinitum for the Elements and their friends. Olly could have lived in the hospital if he wished. He just couldn’t stand seeing Dash like this. She was completely out of touch, lying on her back, dreaming an endless dream where the surgeons were able to succeed. They weren’t. They just weren’t, Olly thought bitterly. And now we’re going to have to pay the fallout for Celestia’s mistakes! Olly wanted to rear up and buck something as hard as he could. It was so unfair.

“Oh,” Dash said disappointedly. “Can’t... Can’t stay? A little?”

Olly nodded. “Yeah, I guess,” he mumbled. He glanced at the book, ‘The Adventures of Daring-Do.’ It was a best-seller a few years back, he recalled, though he didn’t know how he knew that tidbit of info. “Do you want me to read to you?” he asked, levitating the book over to show Dash.

Dash made a face, at least, as much of a face as she could make when she could barely move due to the influence of the medicine. “Those’re for leg meds,” she muttered.

“Huh?” Olly asked.

“‘Said they’re for Greg Beds,” Dash slurred, a bit louder.

“Pardon?” Olly asked.

“For eggheads!” Dash croaked, exasperated. She mumbled something frustratedly.

“Well, I don’t exactly have a dinner theater organized, do I?” Olly asked jokingly.

“Mmph, fine...” Dash said, turning her head to the side. “Read.”

And Olly did. He read for hours upon end, never stopping. Gradually, Dash did become absorbed in the adventure, to a degree--the magic-laced chemicals they gave her would last until the next day, at least. Olly was worn out by around the one-third point, but he didn’t stop, because around the third chapter or so, Dash had actually smiled, and was smiling slightly most of the time after.

It was a pleasant smile, if an absent one--the smile of a foal, really. But Olly knew it wouldn’t last. After tomorrow, Dash would know the truth. She would never be the same. That’s why Olly valued her smile so much, because he knew that it might be the last time he ever saw it. It would be the last time that Dash would actually be happy--in all likelihood, it was the last time he would see her as herself.

When he had first heard the original prognosis, Olly wondered how Dash would be able to live with it. Then Rarity, who had been particularly bitter and upset, pointed out to him that she probably wouldn’t. That’s how he was able to read for hours, until he finally had to call it quits to avoid falling asleep in his chair. He didn’t want to forget. Not like he had forgotten everything else. He wanted to have a fond memory of the mare he had saved--twice, in fact. Because, aside from his friends, who did he have?

“And that’s about it for tonight,” Olly said sleepily, dog-earing the page and setting the book on Dash’s nightstand. “I’ll fall asleep on my hooves if we go on much longer.”

Dash moaned in protest. “Just a little more?” she asked, though her voice betrayed how drowsy she was, as well.

“Heh, well, there’s always tomorrow, right?” Olly asked, tussling Dash’s mane. “It’s only a day away. We’ll read more, trust me. Maybe we’ll have the entire gang together next time. Me, Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie, the whole bunch. So whaddaya say?”

Dash smiled--not the sluggish half-smile that she had been wearing the entire time she was awake, but a genuine smile, the grin that could only be Dash’s. “Sounds good.”

Olly turned to leave, but Dash stopped him.

“Stay?” she asked, holding out her hoof. It was the most movement she had done all day. Buried in the drape of drugs flowing through her system, she knew that something wasn’t right, and that today was special, that today would always be special. And it was special, because it would be the last day that Dash was truly alive.

Olly turned, rubbed his eyes, and nodded. He sat down and leaned against Dash’s bedside, giving her company when none of her other friends could. A true friend, Olly thought. That’s what I am. A true friend.

Dash slowly drifted off, and with her left the rest of Olly’s hopes that he would ever see her smile again. Never. Not ever again, he thought dejectedly. Because tomorrow, she’ll know. She’ll know for real. And there’s nothing I can do to convince her to stay.

Wearily, Olly stood up. He walked over to the clipboard, with the final prognosis written on it. He read it again, two times, three, in hope that it might magically morph into something remotely resembling hope. But it didn’t, and it never would. Hope was a lost dream to Olly. To most of Equestria, at this point.

He levitated the clipboard into the air, turning to face the window. It was still sunset, with the bottom half of the sun dipped beneath the horizon, eternally hanging in space with nopony to guide it. Then he turned to the wall, where one of the doctors had hung a dartboard in order for Olly to test his depth perception. He gathered his fury and threw the board at the bull’s-eye full-force.

The corner of the metal plate sunk deeply into edge of the dartboard, but the prognosis was still visible. It wouldn’t change. Dash would.

And with that, Olly put on his jacket and stormed out of the hospital.

=====================================================================

*******

Twilight jolted awake. She was in a hospital bed and hooked up to a great many instruments, and the whole of her body ached. Her mind was foggy, probably from magical painkillers. But there was no doctor present. In front of her stood Big Macintosh.

However, his entire form was warped out of its usual proportions. He was much thinner, but leaner, as well, standing taller and straighter than before. His cheekbones were more prominent, and his hooves were metal-plated. His cutie mark seemed to have a strange, orange tint to it. But there was no mistaking those slitting orange eyes. It was Guilt.

Twilight wanted to scream, but Guilt rose a hoof to his lips, as if to say, Shh. His gaze, although cold, wasn’t threatening.

Twilight coughed and tried to levitate the glass of water on the nightstand to her lips, but her magic only managed to put a faintly purple glow around the object. Guilt extended his hoof, and the glass glowed orange before slowly lifting to Twilight’s mouth. My... My horn, she thought, swallowing. It’s gone. I can’t use magic anymore. The notion was chilling. Somepony may as well have blinded her or deafened her, or took out two of her legs. Magic was everything. She was Magic.

After she had finished, Twilight rasped with an underused voice, “Why are you here?”

Guilt brushed the glasses off of his face, and they clattered to the floor. He looked Twilight directly in the eye.

Twilight abruptly felt a rush of emotions inside of her. The pain of death, the horror of destruction, the thirst for blood, the bonds between family, the longing for eternal peace, and the hatred of everything and everypony flooded her system. She gasped, shutting her eyes tight. She felt that somepony was rearranging her entire mentality. It was a suffocating warmth that almost drove her damaged mind back into unconsciousness. Then, there was a final ‘pop,’ and Twilight fell backward onto her thin mattress.

That’s better, she heard somepony say. I’ve had quite the time coming here, Magic. You should thank me for my effort.

You’re in my head? Twilight asked back, propping herself up.

Of course I’m in your head, Guilt answered, snorting, and you’re in mine. I have temporarily bonded our conscious minds to each other. Must I spell it out for you?

What are you doing here? Twilight snapped, glaring at Guilt.

Before I answer, I must ask, do you know where you are? Guilt retorted.

I-In Fillydelphia, Twilight said, looking around. In a hospital.

Very good. At least you aren’t severely impaired like some of the other invalids I’m going to have to deal with, Guilt said. He glanced over his shoulder for a moment, then said, I am here because I want my brother back.

Isn’t he with you? Twilight asked.

Tell me; what’s the last thing you remember? Guilt asked.

...Fluttershy defeating Hate, Twilight said after a pause.

Hmph. Then my assumptions are true, Guilt said. He rubbed his eyes. Oh, what a mess this is...

What mess? Twilight asked.

Guilt laughed, though it was only a thought--his lips didn’t move in reality. Still, despite only being a thought, his laugh had a chilling edge to it that could only have come from a trained assassin. The mess that your ‘friend’ Celestia has laid out for the whole of Discord and Harmony both. The tide has turned, Twilight, and not for either of our benefit.

What do you mean? Twilight asked, confused.

I don’t even know what I mean! Guilt growled. I’m still trying to get the details myself. But if my hypothesis is true, then not only all of Equestria, but my brother, as well, is at stake. I’m here to make sure that he is safely returned to my custody. Whether that means I owe my allegiance to Harmony or Discord, I care not.

And how do you plan to do that? Twilight asked.

By cooperating, Guilt said.

Sirens could be heard from downstairs. The multitude of hoofsteps rushing up the stairs seemed to shake the hospital.

Guilt grinned. There they are now. Remember this, Twilight: Equestria is dying. Luna has been incapable of minimizing the damage Deception has caused. Carefully cross-examine all you are told over the next few days, because most of it will be lies.

How can I trust you? Twilight challenged.

Guilt laughed again, and it was same, biting laugh as before. How can you? I’m your mortal enemy. But I also am the only pony in Equestria willing to look at this issue objectively. Perhaps you should try that, as well.

“Stop where you are!” a guard captain yelled as his squad burst into the room. They quickly restrained Guilt, but he didn’t appear to offer much resistance.

Be careful what you think, Guilt solemnly said before he was escorted out of the room, and for a brief moment, actual pain flashed beneath his smug grin. Then it was gone, as were the guards, and Twilight was left alone with her thoughts.

=====================================================================

*******

What if... What if I can’t trust them? Twilight thought. She had been tended to by doctors and shown her medical status. She was assured that she was fine, but she wasn’t. Physically, maybe, but psychologically? Her horn was gone. There was no way to grow it back, not even with a spell; she would have to live the rest of her life magicless. That was what terrified her more than anything else.

There was also a slight hum in the back of her mind--she couldn’t place it exactly, but it was akin to the distinct feeling of somepony’s eyes boring into the back of her head, and it put her on edge. The feeling improved and worsened at irregular intervals, but she was able to ignore it most of the time, forcing it under the rest of her jumbled thoughts.

Twilight’s conundrums were interrupted by a nurse escorting Rarity into the room. She thanked him, then turned to Twilight. “Hello, Twilight. Are you alright? I heard that awful heathen Guilt paid you a visit earlier.”

“I’m not sure if I’m alright,” Twilight admitted, staring at the sheets carefully tucked around her midsection. “I need to know what’s going on, Rarity. I need to know everything that’s happened. Can you do that?”

“Of course, darling. I’ll do my best, but there are some questions I still have myself,” Rarity answered truthfully. She pulled a brush out of her saddlebags, levitating it to Twilight’s head and beginning to brush her tangled mane. “But first things first, darling; I can’t give a proper explanation to somepony whose mane is so tattered. Too distracting.”

Twilight sat silently and obediently as Rarity brushed her. Rarity never once inferred it was because Twilight couldn’t use magic; she simply tended to Twilight’s hair, but a deep, angry burning in Twilight’s heart told her that she should have been doing it herself. I just don’t know how, not yet. I’ve been a unicorn all my life; I’ve never had to go without magic for a long period of time. Now I have to adjust to being an earth pony? That just isn’t fair.

As Rarity brushed her, Twilight noticed something strange about her general demeanor. She seemed subdued, as if she was trying to distract herself from something. She didn’t look tired physically, but she was much, much quieter than usual, and she seemed to take everything much slower, drawing out each moment to its limits. I guess there’s nothing wrong with it, Twilight thought, it just doesn’t seem much like Rarity.

“And... done,” Rarity said, putting the finishing touches on Twilight’s mane. “Now, what did you want to ask me, Twilight?”

“What happened after I fell unconscious?” Twilight asked.

“Well, I only know all of this secondhoof, but after you fainted, Celestia executed Guilt,” Rarity began.

That explains the new body, Twilight thought.

“After that, Hate somehow went berserk,” Rarity continued. “He simply melted into a puddle and was beginning to suck up the surroundings. Celestia dove into it to buy some time, and Fluttershy followed her, hoping to put an end to Hate once and for all. However, they urged Dash, Applejack, Dash, and Olly, who were all injured at the time, to see themselves and the rest of us safely away. Luna detected the enormous amounts of energy that were released at the time and flew to the scene, but by the time she arrived, the battle was already over. Fluttershy is currently one floor above us, comatose, and I haven’t seen Celestia yet, though Luna assures me she’s alright.”

Twilight nodded. “What about Dash and the others?”

“Dash collapsed a short distance away from the battlefield,” Rarity said, pursing her lips. “She almost bled out. Hate’s poison in the first battle seem to have targeted the nerves in her wings, but they also cut through practically everything else. She couldn’t even feel them near the end, much less use them. She had surgery a few hours ago to try and repair the wings, but the results haven’t been released quite yet.”

Twilight swallowed. Dash’s wings, my horn... How come one of us hasn’t died yet? It’s a morbid question, but one worth asking.

“Applejack is trying to gather her family and repair their lives here, in Fillydelphia. It’s an all-day job, I’m afraid, and she has her own injuries to attend to. She’ll come around to visit probably tomorrow, I believe. Pinkie is unconscious, but stable, and she should come around in a day or two. Olly is fine, save a damaged eye that’s going to be replaced by a glass one for now, and I’m trying to start a new boutique in Fillydelphia,” Rarity continued. “...That’s about it for all of us. We still haven’t heard directly from Scootaloo or Vengeance, but Luna’s been hearing about more rebellions south of Fillydelphia. Vengeance apparently has a way with words.”

“Rebellions?” Twilight asked.

“Ponies are defecting to the side of Discord. The griffons and buffalo have so far sided with Harmony and the Princesses, as has the majority of the west and south Equestria. The dragons and portions of eastern Equestria have raised the flag of our enemy,” Rarity continued angrily. “It’s despicable. They’re allowing Vengeance to manipulate their emotions and turn them into slaves.”

“You said the dragons have chosen to defect. Did Spike?” Twilight asked.

Rarity paused, sighing. “...He did, darling.”

“What...?” Twilight breathed. “B-But that’s impossible! He’d never leave me! He wouldn’t...!” She sat up in her bed, unable to comprehend the news. She wiped her eyes. “I raised him.”

“Most of our friends did defect, Twilight,” Rarity said sorrowfully. “Hate didn’t kill them like we thought he did. He evacuated them outside of the town days before we arrived, using their absence as a tool to provoke us. Vengeance gave them a choice, to either join her or to go to Fillydelphia. She must have used powerful magic in order to persuade them to abandon us,” she said bitterly. “What a way to rub salt on our wounds,” she muttered aloud, staring into the distance resentfully. “We fought because we thought they killed our friends, only to find out they were never friends of ours at all. They’re traitors.”

“Rarity?” Twilight asked, slightly worried. “Are you alright?”

Rarity snapped to attention. “Oh! Sorry, dear. Where was I?”

“I don’t think you should take their defecting so personally,” Twilight said, despite how much she, too, was hurt by the news. “Vengeance probably brainwashed them. She’s powerful enough to attempt something like that on a massive scale; I mean, think of the Daymare and the Dreamscape. Don’t judge them too harshly until we’ve gotten a chance to see them for ourselves.”

Rarity nodded. “You’re probably right, Twilight. But it is an unsettling prospect, all things considered.”

“...I’m not going to argue with you about that,” Twilight said after a brief pause. She thought for a moment, then asked, “What about Sweetie Belle? Is she alright?”

“Sweetie Belle is fine,” Rarity said quickly.

“Is she really?” Twilight asked, noticing the speed at which Rarity answered, as if she had rehearsed it. “Rarity, tell me the truth.”

“Would it be okay if I’m... not the one to tell you?” Rarity asked quietly. “It hurts to talk about it.”

“Okay. But she’s alive, right?” Twilight asked.

“...I’m not sure,” Rarity said after a pause. She levitated her brush back into her saddlebags and said, “Do take care, darling. Luna should be visiting in a few minutes. Be kind to her, Twilight. She has endured the brunt of the Revolution.” She trotted out of the room.

Hmph. She’s quite emotional, isn’t she?

Twilight flinched, startled by the monotonous, yet familiar voice that invaded her mind. How are you still here?! she hissed in reply.

Our minds are one, Magic; I can hear and see everything you do when I so choose, Guilt said, his tone of voice suggesting slight amusement.

Great, Twilight said. So you can just pop in and out at any time?

And read your subconscious thoughts, Guilt said. Such as, right about now, you’re thinking about anything and everything you don’t want me to know.

Twilight swore. He was right. You’re probably grinning, too, aren’t you?

Guilt laughed, but this time, the laughter was genuine, something Twilight hadn’t heard from him before. However, his laugh still had an icy undertone to it, just like any other time he ‘spoke.’ Oh, I was only kidding. For now, it’s only two-way telepathy. My innermost secrets would most likely drive you insane.

There’s no doubt about that, Twilight said sorely. You had me going there for a moment. It’s like asking somepony not to think about elephants.

Hmm, yes, Guilt said.

So where are you now? Twilight asked.

In prison. Where did you expect? Guilt asked.

Anywhere but, actually, Twilight replied. You really let them capture you? Why?

To earn trust among the higher officials. Although Luna has the final say, she also has a cabinet of officers to complete the busywork of running a nation, and each of them has an annoying amount of influence in her decisions. Safe to say, they are rather ignorant of the situation, and I doubt they will let me anywhere near you and your friends without thinking I’m in their complete and utter control, Guilt explained. Hence why I need you to put in a good word for me.

Twilight snorted. Really? You try to kill me and my friends, and now you’re asking for a favor?

Allow me to continue, Guilt said. First, Spike didn’t defect immediately--it took a large amount of pressuring from Vengeance, more so than she’d usually spend. However, no magic was involved; only words and Vengeance’s natural talents. Secondly, although Rarity doesn’t know this, Dash’s results were disclosed a half an hour or so ago. Her wings, I’m afraid, are irreparable.

What? Twilight asked.

They’re irreparable, Guilt repeated, at least, by standard magics. Given the opportunity, an advanced magician could repair them. An advanced magician... such as myself.

Wait, hold on a moment. They weren’t able to fix her wings? Twilight asked. It’s simple transmutation and necromancy. Anypony could do it.

Not many ponies are Elements, my dear Twilight, Guilt chuckled. You are not on the same playing field as the common pony, you know. You are superior.

I am equal to every other pony in Equestria, and they are equal to me, Twilight said firmly.

There was a long pause, and Twilight wasn’t sure if something had happened to Guilt, or if he lost their connection. After a few minutes, though, there was an awful, grinding noise, as if somepony was rubbing two pieces of rusty metal together. A thin line appeared on the wall in front of Twilight, and a window was revealed as if somepony were brushing aside curtains of space and time.

Through the portal was Guilt. He was in a clean stone prison cell, wearing a yellow jumpsuit rather than the maroon vest he had been wearing earlier. He glared at her viciously, utterly disgusted by her last statement.

Equality is a myth, he said harshly. It’s a dream, an ideal thought up by ponies to disguise how unequal we are all in reality. Don’t be naïve.

You should take your own advice. You look like you have a nasty habit of ignoring all the good ponies do for each other, Twilight argued. Everypony is equal, because our positive and negative traits balance out. I could be better at art than somepony, but they could be much better at sports than I am, or wrapping up winter. In the end, our individual traits don’t matter.

Guilt rolled his eyes in contempt. Indeed. You seem like you have a nasty habit of immediately assuming I’m wrong! he snapped, standing up. Twilight noticed he had a blinking ankle bracelet on, probably a tracking device. I am twenty-five thousand years old, Magic. I have been at the very top of society, and the very bottom. I have seen everything there is to see in this miserable nation, and the very notion of universal equality is complete and utter balderdash. You are a newborn foal compared to me. I have lived for millennia, Magic, and I have seen and experienced much more than you could ever hope to. How can you possibly state that we are equal?

Once I’ve realized my Potential, I could easily beat you in a fight, Twilight stated. ...In the end, that’s all that really matters, right?

...You are smarter than you look, Guilt said, carefully examining Twilight. He paused for a long time before finally saying, Don’t forget my offer. Repairing Dash’s wings would be foal’s play if I were given enough time, and her consent in the matter.

How can I trust you, though? With the life of my friend? Twilight asked. Why couldn’t Pinkie Pie or Luna fix Dash’s wings?

Luna is not a powerful enough magician to attempt the procedure even with her fragment of Magic, and Pinkamena lacks the years and years of experience with surgery necessary to succeed, Guilt began. You should probably also ask yourself how many times I could have killed all of you while I was patiently observing the hospital. Obviously there is something more that I want, and that it no longer involves the goal of Discord, which now is to simply do away with you at the soonest opportunity. I, however, have my own agenda I intend to execute.

The window in the wall began to close as space once reverted to its original, unaltered state. Twilight received one last, cold stare from Guilt’s orange eyes before the window closed.

If you still wish to cling to your pathetic illusion of equality, that is your business. However, I would carefully think what that implies, for equality and a functioning society are mutually exclusive terms, he stated calmly. The only ponies that are truly equal are those who have passed on.

And with that, Twilight was once again alone, wondering just whose side she was truly on.

=====================================================================

*******

Applejack shivered in the shadow of the hospital. Rarity had told her that Twilight had just woken up, and she had enthusiastically rushed to the hospital before remembering a promise she had made, a promise that turned the originally happy journey into one of crushing sadness. A promise she had made to Sweetie Belle just before she was released from the infirmary.

“You’ll come visit, won’t you?” she had asked.

“Sure Ah will. Promise. Ah can’t let you alone all by yerself fer long. You’ll git into trouble, like ya always seem to,” Applejack had said jokingly.

“And you’ll bring Apple Bloom, right?” Sweetie Belle had asked, looking up at Applejack earnestly.

Applejack wasn’t sure how to reply then, and she was still pondering the question afterward. The doctors theorized that, after she had fled Hate, Sweetie Belle had a stroke, possibly from the smoke in the forest fire. Twilight’s spell failed when she had lost her horn, and Sweetie wasn’t able to get enough air to stay awake, according to them. That made sense, except for the fact that Luna and her team found Sweetie Belle miles away from the forest, seemingly unharmed, save her being covered in soot and dirt.

Afterward, when Sweetie woke up, her memory didn’t seem to work properly. She remembered events from before the war just fine, but everything afterward seemed to be distorted--she she had a hard time properly recalling facts, such as which ponies were dead and which were still alive. She was fine otherwise; she was healthy, active, happy, and her short-term memory functioned perfectly fine. Applejack and Rarity, who were the only ponies able to help at the time, tried to rehabilitate her, but nothing seemed to work. The doctors they brought her to deemed the disease permanent and untreatable.

Rarity was crushed and infuriated, storming out of the hospital and vowing she’d find a cure. Applejack simply promised Sweetie Belle that she’d visit as often as she could. That was a couple of days ago. Rarity swallowed the pain since then and had simply tried to shut Sweetie Belle out of her mind, as if she couldn’t stand the thought of having a disabled younger sister, but Applejack knew that she was actually avoiding Sweetie Belle because she couldn’t stand hearing the names of the ponies her sister thought were still alive and well. There was too much pain surrounding those words for her to bear. So she left, and she didn’t come back.

That was why Applejack was simply standing outside the entrance to the hospital, trying to make up her mind. Sweetie wouldn’t mind if I didn’t go see her. She probably wouldn’t remember it anyway. But I just feel so bad for her... Her only company is the doctors and employees at the hospital, not any real friends. Both of her best friends are gone, and Rarity won’t even look at her. ...I guess I’m the only one who can help her right now. I need to be her friend when nopony else will.

So, Applejack hesitantly stepped inside the hospital, and showed her orange apple necklace to the nurse for identification. She slowly climbed the stairs up to floor three and made her way to Sweetie Belle’s chamber, then carefully pushed open the door.

Sweetie Belle was lying on the carpeting, doodling on a strip of paper. She was wearing a white hospital gown and smiling absently. Her eyes lit up when she saw Applejack enter the room, but her gaze was oddly unfocused, as if part of her was somewhere else. “Applejack!” she chirped, grinning and rushing up to her. “You’re here!”

“Uh-huh. How’ve ya been, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, pulling Sweetie into a hug.

“I’m okay. Did you bring Scootaloo?” Sweetie Belle asked, looking behind Applejack to see if anypony was there.

“Sorry, Sweetie,” Applejack said, smiling sadly. “She couldn’t make it.”

“Oh, okay. Tell her that I miss her, and that I can’t wait to get out so that we can go bowling,” Sweetie said.

“Bowling, huh?” Applejack asked.

Sweetie Belle nodded. “Yeah, just like the three of us used to, before the war. I wish Apple Bloom could come, too. That’d make it perfect. But... I don’t think I’m ever going to see her again,” Sweetie Belle admitted, staring at her hooves. “I wish this war had never started.”

“...Me, too, sugarcube,” Applejack agreed. She doesn’t remember everything, but she remembers what we’ve tried to tell her, what we’ve tried to drill into her mind.... sometimes. Sometimes, she might as well be that little filly living in Ponyville, going to school, and playing around with her friends. Now... Now she’s broken. It just ain’t fair.

They talked for a while more, telling each other stories and playing board games that were stored in the drawers of the small dorm which consisted of little more than a bathroom, desk, and bed. Sweetie told Applejack about her and her friends’ initial adventures in the ruins of Ponyville, and Applejack explained her limited experience in the Void. After a couple hours, though, Applejack noticed the time and said she’d have to meet up with Braburn and try to handle the family business. Sweet Apple Acres had been rapidly gaining popularity, partly due to the fluctuating food supply because of the war.

“Is Rarity going to come by? I miss her a lot, too,” Sweetie Belle said as Applejack put on her hat, adjusted her necklace, and prepared to leave. “I drew a picture of her, and I think she’ll really like it!” she chirped, holding up one of her scribbles.

“...Ah’ll mention it to her,” Applejack said, carefully steering around the truth. “In the meantime, Ah’ll look inta gettin’ you yer own apartment. Ah don’t plan on keepin’ ya here in this hospital too much longer.”

Sweetie Belle grinned, and for a moment, her fractured gaze was once again bright and intelligent. “Thanks! I can’t wait. And don’t forget to bring Apple Bloom next time, okay?”

Then the moment was gone, and Applejack quietly exited the hospital feeling emptier than ever before. She knew that on her next visit, Sweetie Belle would be expecting Scootaloo to be following her into the hospital, and she would be expect to be able to play with both her friends as if nothing had changed, as if the war had never started.

Because Sweetie Belle’s vision of Equestria would forevermore be what should have been, and not what actually is.

=====================================================================

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

*******

Twilight was sitting silently in her hospital bed. Guilt hadn’t contacted her in a day or so, and she considered prodding his mind, if only so that she would have somepony to talk to. She was still weary from her injuries, but she was in a more removed part of the hospital, and since she was in the recovery phase of her term, doctors and nurses rarely visited her except to deliver meals before they scurried off again. She didn’t blame them; there were waves of other patients to attend to, and the hospital was slightly understaffed.

For the first time in a while, though, Twilight realized that she was actually lonely.

She had slept earlier, but her sleep was dreamless. Well, more or less. For a few minutes each hour or so, she would be dropped into a pure white space. It wasn’t a shifting, gray space like Verba’s; it was just a simple white box. And usually, just after she finished completing a single thought with her dream-inhibited mental power, she was ejected out of that world again into her regular sleep cycle. She had to wonder, though, how she was able to retain memories of that dimension of pure light.

So, she was surprised when she heard a knock on her door. It was a formal knock, not too loud, but not too soft, either. It was easy to guess who was on the other side.

“Come in,” Twilight coughed. I haven’t used my voice in a while, she observed.

Luna stepped inside of the room. She looked different, though. Her pelt was a much lighter color than usual, being a day-colored sky blue rather than a night-colored sky blue. Her mane and tail were also much lighter, and it had lost its magical flow, becoming simple, mundane hair. However, her cutie mark and neckerchief were consistent. Luna was displaying no signs of fatigue; she looked as official as ever, despite her other changes in appearance.

“What happened to you, Princess?” Twilight asked.

Luna glanced at herself, smiling slightly. “Well, this is my true form.” She looked at Twilight. “When excess magic builds up in my system, it has to go somewhere. It typically turns my mane and tail into magic and floods my pelt with its blue pigment. Lately, though, I’ve been using my surplus magic to keep myself awake. Celestia doesn’t suffer the same problem; her magic seldom, if ever, depletes, even when she is in arcane combat.”

“And there aren’t any side effects?” Twilight asked.

Luna thought for a moment. “...No, none come to mind. I’m sure that the spell would start to fail after a year or so, but I feel no different after two months of constant consciousness, save a slightly larger appetite.”

“Huh.” That sounds like something I ought to try. Who knows how many hours of sleep I’ve lost when I’m reading a good book, or when I’m organizing the... library, Twilight thought, realizing that Ponyville was all but nonexistent. After the initial battle with Hate, the town was already in ruins. Who knows what it looks like now? “Luna, what happened to Ponyville?”

“...I’m sorry, Twilight, but it was leveled during the battle with Hate,” Luna said solemnly. “All that remains is a dusty field and a few chunks of rubble. All of its citizens, though, had been evacuated to Canterlot and Trottingham before the battle. We believe the forces of Discord are responsible for transporting the townsfolk, but, surprisingly, they are relatively unharmed.”

“‘Relatively?’” Twilight asked.

“It was emotionally upsetting, I’m sure, and they all sustained a few nicks and scratches on the journey, but aside from that they arrived in our custody in a fairly good condition, given the circumstances,” Luna explained.

“Ah,” Twilight said. She raised a hoof to her bare forehead. “Princess... what happened to my horn?”

Luna bit her lip, formulating her answer. “I do have a theory. You received temporary immortality from my sister, correct? A remnant of her powerful spell was likely still lingering in your system, like an invisible parasite. The spell would have been feeding off of your own magic to sustain itself, but since you have so much inherent energy, you felt no side effects until Hate drained all of the energy from your system while your guard was down. With no magic on the surface to feed it, Celestia’s immortality started to dig deeper inside of you until it came to the source of your magical power. Once it had consumed that, it created an instability that led to an explosion, taking your horn away. In all honesty, you were lucky.”

“How?” Twilight asked. “How could I be lucky when I lost my magic?!”

“The same spell took my lung away after my sister cured a simple disease. She’s told you that story, correct?” After seeing Twilight nod, Luna continued: “The spell Hate cast while he was slightly dazed was designed to kill you, Twilight; I have no explanation as to why you survived it other than Obsidian was watching you very closely during that entire fight. Magic is your life force, Twilight, and Hate only left a few drops in you after his attack. The fact that you managed to come back at all is staggering.”

Twilight’s head was spinning, but she asked what was really on her mind: “Will I ever be able to use magic again?”

Luna chuckled. “Of course, Twilight. Although being a unicorn with no horn will not be easy, there is a way to give you back your abilities. It is a rehabilitation method for your ailment I learned a few centuries ago called Focal Shifting.”

“What’s that?” Twilight asked.

“The reason a unicorn’s horn glows when it is using magic is because ivory is a strong magical conductor. That’s also the same reason why magic is so readily able to be channeled through our hooves. All we have to do is train your body to gather its magic at your hooves instead of your horn. You’ll be just as strong as you ever were,” Luna promised.

Twilight collapsed on her bed, as if her entire body was a tight knot that had just been unwound. “That’s really what I needed to hear right now. Thank you, Princess.”

Luna laughed. “Well, it’s not going to be easy. Each spell with be twice as difficult to learn, and many times more difficult to actually cast. I am confident, though, that your strength will be fully replenished by the year’s end.”

Twilight nodded, grinning from ear to ear. “Uh-huh.” She paused for a moment, pondering her next question. She didn’t have anything specific to ask, though, so the only question she could think of was the one that’d been on her mind for most of her journey so far. “Luna... what’s going on?”

Luna was unsure to begin, but after a brief pause she asked, “Rarity told you of the revolts, correct? Well, as it stands, they’ve calmed down slightly now that you’ve returned.”

“Okay, but why did they happen in the first place?” Twilight asked. “Rarity told me about them earlier, but I think you can give me a clearer picture.”

“The unrest was mainly caused by my not allowing ponies to participate in the effort when their loved ones were at risk, according to the rebels. And that’s largely true, but sending an army after the forces of Discord would be sending thousands to their doom. There really is no other strategy other than to wait and see what would happen,” Luna sighed. “Soon, however, the tension began to mount, and riots destroyed a portion of Fillydelphia. After that, swarms of ponies departed their home cities as refugees, even if they were not under direct threat. I suspect they went to the Lock, the heart of the forces of Discord.”

“Why would they leave?” Twilight asked. “Equestria has been their home for ages!”

“Simply put, Vengeance has a way with words,” Luna muttered. “Ever since a few days ago, an illusion of her has been appearing in the sky periodically, giving speeches to the populace and encouraging them to revolt. I was able to block them for a while, but she only started broadcasting the illusion in cities like Manehattan or Trottingham. I have managed to keep the situation under control, for now, but unless I can push back the forces of Discord, Equestria will fall apart at the seams.”

Twilight shivered. “Yikes.”

Luna nodded gravely.

“What happened to Celestia?” Twilight asked.

Luna failed to respond for a long while. “She has asked me not to tell you,” the moon goddess stated, trying not to make eye contact.

“Why not?” Twilight asked.

“Because she has been stricken with an... an unusual ailment,” Luna said, expressionless. “Once you are fully recovered, I will allow you to go see her, but you will have to be patient.”

Twilight felt frustration bubble up inside her. “Princess, I think we’re both above keeping secrets.”

“What was that?” Luna asked.

“Celestia had been keeping secrets all throughout our journey, and it put me and my friends in danger. I don’t think we should keep information from each other. It just isn’t smart,” Twilight explained.

“Celestia made me promise not to tell you, Twilight, and as much as I would like to, I do not want to go back on my word,” Luna said, “and although I agree that we shouldn’t hide information from each other, this is a minor issue, all things considered. Celestia is alive and well, just as she has always been.”

“Okay... then there’s a more major issue I’d like to talk to you about. A question of mine that never really got answered,” Twilight began. “Who is Skids?”

“Skids?” Luna asked, raising an eyebrow. “Where did you hear that name?”

“Celestia told me that he was Deception in the guise of the Element of Honesty,” Twilight said. “She also told me that he betrayed you, her, and the other Elements of that time period, later turning you both immortal. But she didn’t say much more, so my question is, why was Skids so important to her, and why does she still act like she loves him even when she knows he didn’t exist?”

“Twilight, please understand that I cannot even begin to explain my sister’s love for him, no matter how hard I try,” Luna said. “She harbors many complex emotions for him that she has been trying for years to forget. I just don’t think you’ll be able to understand what she went through unless you go through it yourself. Love is unpredictable, Twilight, and it is the only emotion I know of that cannot be controlled, hidden, or eliminated.”

Twilight wasn’t satisfied with that answer, but she decided to drop the issue. “Do you have the Source?”

Luna nodded. “Yes, and it is back at the Gateway where it belongs.”

“Good,” Twilight said. I guess I’ll have to ask Obsidian about Skids. He’s the only one I know I’ll get a good answer from.

“Do you mind if I ask you a question, Twilight?” Luna asked.

“No, go ahead,” Twilight replied.

“What did Guilt say when he spoke to you?” Luna asked.

Twilight was surprised for a moment before she realized that Luna was probably the one who sent troops after Guilt in the first place. “He said something about ‘the tides turning for neither of our favor,’ but he wasn’t very clear about anything at first. Later, he contacted me after you imprisoned him and said that Dash’s wings were permanently damaged, and that he was the only one who could fix them.” She paused. “Princess... is that true?”

“Dash’s wings have been severely damaged, and our best doctors have been unable to repair them. I was unaware, though, that Guilt himself offered his services,” Luna clarified. “As much as I hate to admit it... Now that I think of it, Guilt may be the only pony in Equestria willing and able to save Dash’s wings.”

“What about you, Princess? Or Celestia?” Twilight asked.

“Celestia could never attempt such complicated magic, and I’ve never seen the poison that has damaged Dash’s wings prior to Hate corroding them. It would take me weeks to try and unravel the magic behind Hate’s poison alone, and that is simply time we do not have. Dash’s wings are steadily decaying as we speak. The doctors I sent to heal Dash were highly trained and had gone to school for a decade or more in order to perform the magic I asked of them, and it simply wasn’t enough. Still... Twilight, do you trust Guilt with Dash’s life?” Luna asked.

“...I’m not sure, Princess. Would Guilt have any reason to kill just Dash? Why wouldn’t he just kill all of us as soon as he had the chance?” Twilight asked.

“I believe it is because Vengeance wants to meet all of you,” Luna guessed. “That aside, though... I’m unsure if I trust Guilt with performing such an operation. I will discuss it with my advisors beforehoof. In the meantime, I think you have had quite enough of this hospital, haven’t you?”

Twilight nodded before something occurred to her. “Do you know what happened to Fluttershy?”

“From my understanding, she’s been comatose ever since she was found. I’m unsure just what happened to her. Not even Celestia saw it,” Luna answered.

“Will she be alright?” Twilight asked, stretching her limbs as she prepared to get out of the bed that had been her home for at least a couple days.

“I’m not certain. If she doesn’t wake in a week, though, I’m not sure if there’s anything more we can do for her. There are other ponies in need of the medical supplies we’re currently reserving specifically for her benefit,” Luna pointed out. “I am confident that she will wake before that happens, though. Don’t start worrying just yet.”

Twilight nodded, sliding out of bed. She nearly collapsed upon touching the ground, but after she adjusted to actually moving, she was able to walk about with a little bit of effort. She took a couple clumsy steps forward as an amused Luna watched her.

“Where shall we go first?” the moon goddess asked.

“First things first,” Twilight stated. “I want to see my friends.”

“Of course. But you might not want to forget this,” Luna said, producing from her saddlebags Twilight’s crown.

“Thank you, Prin-” Twilight stopped when she saw the the moon goddess had suddenly stopped moving. Her smile seemed to be frozen in time. “...-cess?”

*******

Twilight felt a nervous tremor run down her spine. She glanced behind herself, then looked around. She took the crown from Luna and placed it onto her head. Its steady glow was comforting, and she relaxed slightly. Well, here we go again, she thought, taking one last look at the spellbound Luna. Stopping time... Not the most original of their schemes, but effective, I guess.

She stepped out of the room, and saw more of the same. Ponies were frozen in place, as if time had halted its constant march. The surroundings were a little blurry, as if somepony had smeared the paint on the walls and floor. The color scale was also slightly more monochrome than Twilight remembered.

She saw somepony come crashing down the hall, though, somepony familiar: Pinkie Pie.

“Twilight!” Pinkie yelped, squeezing in-between two nurses and under a third. She was wearing a light green hospital gown. She galloped toward Twilight, who braced herself for the inevitable collision.

Pinkie’s bear hug knocked the wind out of her, and as she tried to shake off her dizziness, she moaned, “Pinkie...”

“I’m just so glad you’re alright!” Pinkie sobbed, her hysterical tears forming a tiny stream to the floor. “Nopony knew what happened to you after Hate magicked his magical doo-hickey on your Magic magic!”

“...Doo-hickey?” Twilight asked.

“I heard my great-grandma say it once. I think she was talking about a rock,” Pinkie guessed, now instantly calm.

“Do you know where the others are?” Twilight asked.

“Dash is in her own special hospital room, and Rari-jack are getting ready for sacrifice!” Pinkie chirped, her speech slightly garbled.

“What?” Twilight asked, just before she heard somepony running toward them.

“Pinkie!” Applejack yelled from behind a corner. She charged up to the duo, a large bear trap attached to her tail. “Git this doggone thing offa me,” she growled at Pinkie.

“A bear trap?!” Twilight asked, rubbing her eyes to make sure she wasn’t seeing things.

“Don’t ask,” Applejack said as Pinkie removed the device from Applejack’s tail as well as the green hospital gown she was wearing, tossing them both into the nearest trash can. “Any idea what the hay is goin’ on?”

“No, but this feels familiar. Stopping time was Hate’s specialty, right?” Twilight asked. “So he must be here somewhere.”

“Sorry ta burst yer bubble, Twi, but Luna hasn’t seen hide nor hair a Hate since the battle,” Applejack stated. “Probably be best ta check who’s done this fer ourselves.”

Twilight nodded. “Well, where do we-”

“Pinkamena. Diane. Pie.” Rarity could be heard from the other end of the hall. She, too, had a bear trap expertly placed on her tail, which was creating sparks on the tiled floor as she dragged it over. “I spend precious hours of my day going to visit you, and this is the thanks I get?”

“Oh, calm yerself down,” Applejack sighed, going over to assist her.

“How did you get those traps, Pinkie?” Twilight asked, glaring at her.

“They left the storage room unlocked!” Pinkie declared innocently.

“Let’s jus’ say her medication had some side effects,” Applejack stated after tossing the second bear trap aside, “an’ leave it at that.”

“She just woke up a minute or two ago, when time froze. The sedative was probably magical and was cut off when time stopped. That also explains why I couldn’t use magic to get that horrid thing off of me,” Rarity explained, glancing at the part of her tail that was now in a zig-zag formation. She tossed an accusative glance at Pinkie and added, “but that doesn’t explain why you tried to tie us up for some insane ritual!”

Pinkie sat down, rubbing her head. “Ooh... I feel funny,” she mumbled.

“I’ve never heard of a magical drug before,” Twilight said.

“Doc said they’re new,” Applejack explained simply. “Pinkie had ta sign a paper before takin’ ‘em.”

“Wait. So you took an experimental medicine?” Twilight asked Pinkie seriously.

“Where would we be if we didn’t try new things?” Pinkie asked defensively. Her eye twitched. “And has your mane always been pizza? Like really, gooey, cheesy, melting-”

“Oh, never mind,” Twilight interrupted, feeling the familiar sense of exasperation that seemed to happen whenever she talked to Pinkie. She turned to Applejack. “You said that time stopped a couple minutes ago, right? It only stopped just now for me.”

“It seems to be spreading from the bottom of the building,” Rarity inferred. “I remember a terrible ruckus going on one floor down, and it stopped suddenly just before time did. You’re on a higher floor, so whatever’s causing this took a little longer to reach you.”

“But why isn’t it affecting us?” Twilight wondered.

“‘Cause somepony wants ta talk to us,” Applejack assumed. “They didn’t make the spell strong enough to affect the Elements a Harmony.”

Pinkie was lying on her back, drawing circles in the air with her hooves. “Harm... money...” She sprung to her hooves. “I’m hungry!” she declared, zipping off around the corner of the hallway.

“Oh, dear. I’d better go after her and make sure she doesn’t do anything... hazardous,” Rarity said, peeking around the corner and seeing skid marks on the floor where the Element of Humor had been sprinting. She turned to Twilight and Applejack. “Once I find her, I’ll try to get her back to her room. In the meantime, can you two find out what’s going on down below?”

“Sure,” Twilight said. She glanced at Applejack. “Just like old times, right?”

Applejack adjusted her hat. “Be ready for a fight,” she said simply, leading the way toward the hospital’s stairway while Twilight followed. Rarity turned in the other direction and chased after Pinkie.

Twilight had a hard time going down the stairs. Walking on a flat surface was fine, but something seemed to creak in one of her back legs whenever she took a step downward. It hurt slightly, as well, but nothing unbearable. Maybe I should mention it to Applejack... No, this isn’t the time.

The walls and floor became blurrier as they approached the source of the distortion. Entire colors seemed to melt together, while others simply disappeared, leaving a blank space where they did. It was slightly unsettling, for the colors that seemed to vanish first were the brightest ones.

“Are ya ready?” Applejack asked when they approached the lobby. Only a set of double doors separated them from the source of the time-stopping spell, which seemed like a throbbing pulse from beyond the thin walls.

Twilight nodded. “As I’ll ever be.”

They pushed open the door into the lobby of the hotel. It was brightly lit, with a white tiled floor and different doorways leading to the emergency rooms and doctor’s offices. The walls and tiles were both a light shade of blue, with foals’ artwork plastered on many of the surfaces, and a bookshelf in one corner. There were no staff present; only a single pony who was smiling slightly.

“You’ve made it here intact,” Deception stated, not sharing eye contact with Twilight or Applejack. He seemed to be staring absently through a window. “That’s rather impressive, given your condition.”

“‘Nuff with the speech, Deception,” Applejack said. “We ain’t got time fer any a that nonsense.”

“A pity, that,” Deception stated. He turned, and the colors in the room seemed to shift and twitch, as if the lobby itself were alive. “Though I suppose you Elements are not known for your patience.”

Twilight squinted at Deception for a moment. Something’s... off, with Deception. I just can’t place what, though. “What do you want?” she asked.

“It’s always what I want, isn’t it? Not what Equestria as a whole wants, correct? Because I’m always here purely out of self-interest,” Deception sneered, brushing some of his loose green mane back behind his ear. “I have many other things I could be doing, mind you, that don’t include bargaining with foals.”

“Vengeance send ya on an errand, or somethin’?” Applejack asked.

Deception snorted. “You could say that.”

“Well, what was the errand?” Twilight asked.

Deception strode toward them, and a splash of color erupted wherever he took a step. “I am here to reacquire Guilt.”

“Um, yeah, sorry, but you’d have to ask Luna for that,” Twilight said. “She’s the one who locked him up.”

Deception laughed. “Guilt cannot be held by any mundane prison! He is here purely out of circumstance, but I am here to tell him that his mission has been canceled and that he should return to the Lock immediately.”

“What mission?” Twilight asked.

“The mission he was sent here to complete, and the mission that is no longer necessary. So, one or two missions,” Deception replied. “Or perhaps three. Guilt is a very versatile member of our team, you know. He also knows you inside and out, perhaps even better than I do. He is waiting for an opportunity that we no longer need him to take, which is why I am simply asking you to return him when it is convenient.”

“Well, I’m not the right pony to ask,” Twilight said, trying to sort through what Deception was saying. “I don’t have any control over who keeps Guilt where, and I probably won’t be able to free him, either. If that’s what you want, I mean.”

“Oh, are you not aware of your.... personal influence?” Deception asked, slinking to Twilight’s side. “You are the Element of Magic, Twilight, the most powerful pony in all Equestria. Surely you can free a prisoner or two. It wouldn’t be that hard at all, would it?”

“I’m not the most powerful pony in the world yet. Fluttershy is,” Twilight argued.

“Twi, don’t try ta reason with her,” Applejack warned. “It won’t do ya any good.”

“Ahh, Fluttershy...” Deception began, ignoring Applejack. “Such a tragic character.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked.

Deception chuckled. “To be honest... I’m not sure. I could mean anything, couldn’t I? In the same way, Fluttershy could be anything. Nopony knows yet what she is. Not even I.”

“Rrgh, I don’t understand!” Twilight exclaimed. She thought hard about everything Deception was saying, of all Deception had ever said... and then something hit her. She inaudibly gasped in realization, but Deception didn’t seem to notice.

“Oh, that’s not so bad. You’ve been perfectly capable of acting without understanding in the past,” Deception said. He was so close to Twilight that she felt his icy cold aura brushing against her pelt, even though he was still a half a meter away.

Applejack stepped in-between them. “Alright, that’s enough. Deception, we’re not gonna help ya, so git outta here now.”

“So soon?” Deception asked, though he didn’t look disappointed. He leapt backward a couple meters as a dark portal formed behind him. “I suppose it can’t be helped.”

“Wait. Just... wait,” Twilight said, trying to finalize her thoughts. “I want to say something, first.”

“By all means,” Deception said.

“Are ya sure this’s a good idea, Twi?” Applejack asked apprehensively.

Twilight nodded, glaring at Deception. “You’re in Lorey’s body, which you said you needed because you could shape-shift... but you didn’t do that once this entire journey. You’ve appeared on and off in your natural state, but never as a doppelganger. That alone is suspicious. To add to that is something I just noticed now: Your pattern of speech is... artificial. Not only that, but it’s familiar, somehow. I can’t place it, but... you don’t feel like you should be Deception. And Obsidian said always to trust my instincts, so I’m not going to dismiss that feeling.

“But the kingpin to all of this, and the reason I know you’re not who you say you are, is because you said you can’t be in two places at once. Deception wouldn’t waste time just appearing on and off and giving stupid speeches. Deception would be busy trying to infiltrate our group, or would already be inside it. And then, to top it all off, there’s one tiny little thing that didn’t hit me until now, the final piece of the puzzle: There’s one Element of Discord we haven’t seen this entire time.” She pointed at the stallion in front of her. “You aren’t Deception... you’re Envy.”

There was a long, shocked pause that lasted almost an entire minute as the three ponies present stared each other down.

“Such a shame...” Deception trailed off, his form starting to melt. “I had hoped you wouldn’t suspect me so quickly.”

*******

It started as a gradual melting, as his pelt slowly dripped off of his body, revealing a pale, white, and feminine body beneath. The handsomeness that he had borrowed from Lorey was slowly replaced by a natural beauty, one pure and refined. Wings long covered by threads of skin and fur were finally able to unfurl, with light hitting their long, white feathers for the first time in what seemed like eons. Deception’s mane was bleached white, and his tail became evanescent as the final stages of the transformation were completed. She now had piercing, slitted eyes, but they lacked irises, which only seemed to add to their cold, calculating stare.

Color started to bleed out of the room, as if gravity was pulling the pigments downward and out of reach. Neither blacks nor grays stayed, either, save the black outlines of shapes and objects. Within a few seconds, Twilight and Applejack looked as if they were trapped inside a coloring book, with one of its denizens standing in front of them.

Twilight tried to step back, but her legs failed, and she fell flat on her rear, mouth open in shock. She swallowed and breathed, “Y-... You’re not Envy...”

Twilight felt as if she was in a nightmare turned into reality. She tried to speak, but no words could come out. She simply had nothing to say. The shock was beginning to overwhelm her, and she began to sweat and tremble out of sheer fear, not all of which was artificial.

“Who are ya?” Applejack asked. She was unnerved, but not as much as Twilight was.

The mare focused her intense stare at Applejack. Her mouth moved, but it took a few seconds for a single word to reach Applejack’s ears, and even when it did, it sounded stretched out, unreal, like a horrid, hissing moan:

“I n d i c i n a.”

Applejack was slightly unsettled, but she continued: “A-And what’d ya do with Envy, an’ Deception?”

Indicina raised an eyebrow, as if she didn’t understand Applejack’s question. She took a step forward, and Applejack’s vision dimmed, blurring to static for just a second.

“E n v y... w a s a f o o l.”

The words seemed to bend up through Applejack’s spine before finally reaching her ears, causing her to flinch and arch her back awkwardly. She rubbed her eyes, trying to think of something to say. “...A-Ah suppose Ah’m not gonna get a straight answer from ya,” she assumed. “Well, then, th-there’s no use in ya bein’ here. Go on. ...Git!”

Indicina smiled. It wasn’t the Element of Discords’ smug smiles, though, it was simpler than that. Her smile was like that of a child, a tiny facial expression that would have been harmless coming from anypony else. Indicina’s smile, though, was twisted in a way Applejack would not have thought possible. Her smile, her one, simple expression, seemed to speak to Applejack, and it said something along the lines of:

You will be the first to die.

And that, alone, would be enough to give Applejack nightmares for months to come.

Every single muscle in her body tensed, and her heart began to beat rapidly, and she felt as if she were about to burst into tears. Seeming to know that, even though Applejack didn’t give any discernible visual cues, Indicina stepped backward until her pure white pelt dissolved into the wall behind her. The black outlines surrounding her body faded away until she completely vanished.

After that, time resumed, and the hospital returned to normal, but for a few more hours, life seemed like a dream. Twilight felt herself being scooped up by a medical team and transferred to an emergency room, where they poked and prodded her in an effort to get her to respond, but she barely noticed. She heard Applejack screeching bloody murder in the background, as well, but she paid no heed.

In... dic... ina. That was what Twilight’s mind, in its shocked state, was able to piece together. I’ve had a lot of questions over the past few days... but what I’m the least sure about is you. Who are you? No, what are you? And how do you seem to know so much about us when I’ve never even heard your name before my dream?

“Twilight?! Twilight, say something!”

Shut... Shut up, Twilight said as her mind began to completely shut down. I’m trying... to... to think...

And then the world was lost to her.

=====================================================================

[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This story takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
Please let me know if a link doesn’t work.

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

*******

Twilight, instead of jolting ‘awake’ like she usually did when she entered her dream dimension, realized she was drifting down rapidly through an ocean of gray space. She slowed her decent and waited patiently for her consciousness to fully enter the dream. It was a slow process, taking usually a minute or two to finalize, but otherwise her thoughts would wander and drift away uncontrollably. Staying awake was hard enough without having to actually think.

Once she had gathered herself, though, she looked around for Verba. He wasn’t present, which was odd, for he usually greeted her just as she entered his realm. She also noticed that the gray space was slightly darker and more shifting, as if the dimension was more dynamic than usual, though there didn’t seem to be any signs of fragility or instability.

“Hmph. About time,” a voice said.

Twilight spun around, shocked to see Guilt standing behind her. He was still occupying his twisted version of Big Macintosh’s body, and he didn’t look pleased. Then again, Guilt never looks pleased, Twilight thought grimly. “How are you in my dream?” she asked. She paused for a moment, then asked, “And... how can you talk?”

Guilt snorted. “First of all, this isn’t your dream. I dragged you into my mind for the night because yours is a complete and utter mess.” Before she could interrupt him, he continued: “And, for the record, this is a dream, Twilight. I can do most anything, and so can you.”

“So I could kill you?” Twilight asked harshly.

Guilt laughed. “I dare you to try,” he said, his tone as cold as Twilight’s.

Twilight backed down. “S-Sorry,” she stammered.

“Oh, think nothing of it. You have every right to want to murder me. This is neither the time nor the place, though,” Guilt stated.

“So why did you take me into your dream?” Twilight asked. “And how?”

“The ‘why’ is... rather complicated, as is the ‘how,’” Guilt began. “Why I brought you here is because your mind is unstable. Somepony is attempting to take it over, and they succeeded for a few minutes yesterday, which is why I took it upon myself to hide you for the night.”

“‘Hide’ me?” Twilight asked.

“Whatever foe is after you seeks either to control you or to destroy you. For the time being, I have wrapped my soul around yours, sort of like a blanket,” Guilt explained. “You are invisible until I release you back into your own body.”

“So you mean that conversation Applejack and I had with Indicina?” Twilight asked, shaking her head. “Wait... back up. How do I know you didn’t do all that?”

Guilt laughed again, and Twilight was starting to get irritated. Does he think I’m a foal? Well... I guess I probably am, compared to him, but he still doesn’t have to treat me like one.

Guilt’s laugh dropped to a chuckle, but the notion still seemed to genuinely entertain him. “Didn’t you sense her aura?”

“Indicina’s? You mean that creepy, static-y feel? A little, but... it didn’t tell me anything,” Twilight growled defensively. “Guilt, I don’t deserved to be treated like I’m an idiot just because I don’t know what’s going on.”

“Oh, I’m sure,” Guilt said, his speech dripping with sarcasm. “And I suppose you think I do? I’m just another pawn that’s being played. But I sure know much more about being an Element of Magic than you seem to.” He ran a hoof through his mane as he prepared to explain the term ‘aura’ to her. “Essentially, auras are runoff energy flowing off of any and all ponies. It more or less a byproduct of living; it’s the fire that burns in our bodies. Elements, and sometimes powerful magicians, have the ability to detect them, sometimes to a very strong degree if the aura is from a strong pony. If I were to sit next to you casually, for instance, you would be repelled simply because of my nature, and vice versa, akin to like-charge magnets.”

“...Okay, I think I understand,” Twilight said. “So Indicina’s aura is particularly strong?”

“Well... yes and no. Her aura is definitely strong, but it’s being covered up by the aura you described as ‘static-y.’ It’s not her true aura, but it’s still enormously powerful,” Guilt explained. “That aside, how I brought you here was another matter entirely. Your consciousness wasn’t mixing with your mind very properly at the time, no doubt due to this ‘Indicina’ figure-”

“You know her?” Twilight interrupted.

Guilt tossed her an irritated glance. “I was speaking. ...Yes, I do know her, but... the implications of her presence are troubling, and if I told you too much about her now, I could be feeding you false information. It’s best I dwell over it alone until I have a better understanding of her nature. I can tell you, though, that the Indicina I know was around back when I was a foal. She dates back to the inception of the Elements. I do not know much more than that at the moment... though I do have some hypotheses.”

As old as the Elements... Just what are we up against? Twilight absently wondered. “Thank you. Go on, please.”

Guilt nodded. “While your mind was unstable, there was a chance it could collapse completely, rendering you permanently comatose. I simply lifted your mind out of your body temporarily when I believed you were being attacked, and I shall return it after this conversation in the hopes that the situation may have calmed down. A few minutes spent in a dream can be hours on the outside, and I do not think Indicina would have wasted time dallying in Luna’s stronghold.”

“...So do I owe you a ‘thank-you’ or something?” Twilight asked.

“Your thanks would be best expressed through you putting a good word in for me when I am unable. I have done much for you in these short few days, Twilight, and I have plans to do much more, but I cannot help you unless I am released from prison peacefully,” Guilt stated.

“...I guess I could do that,” Twilight mused. He’s done so much wrong, but... I still don’t know why. He said it’s for his brother, but that’s too vague. I need to know his motivation for doing all of this, his purpose. Without knowing that, I’ll never be able to convince the others. “Hey, Guilt? I have a question.”

A low thunder rumbled through the realm. Guilt glanced upward for a moment before refocusing his gaze on Twilight. “Hurry, for we have little time left.”

“Why do you want to help us? Why are you helping your arch enemies?” Twilight asked.

“...I still believe there is a chance I can find my brother. He is with you, somewhere, and I am determined to find out where,” Guilt eventually said. “I told you the tides have shifted, Twilight, and the future is uncertain for all of us. Throughout all our time together, Hate has expressed a desire to right the wrongs of his past, though I never had much wish or reason to do so. I believe I owe him for remaining with me throughout the war when he may not have been sure whose side he was truly on. He isn’t very consistent at times, of course... but his heart has always been in the right place. So when he wakes, I will continue to follow him, silently, as I always have... whether that means I walk toward the dusk, or the dawn.”

Twilight exhaled, her eyes wide. “Wow... It shouldn’t be hard to convince them now.”

Guilt laughed for the third time, but his laughter was full and jovial, not tinged with malice like it almost always was. “Oh, come now, I had rehearsed that!” he stated truthfully.

Twilight laughed for a moment, too, before realising what Guilt had done to her and her friends. He sounds like he wants to help us... but how can I know if he’s really on our side? How can I prove to the others that his love for his brother overpowers his love for pain? How can I know if he’s really... She shook her head. Her thoughts were getting fuzzy, and her mind seemed to be drifting somewhere it hadn’t been for a long time. ...the way he was before?

Then, as slowly as it had started, Twilight felt the dream fading away. By the time she thought to reach for it, to somehow claw her way back into her shared laughter with one of the most dangerous and infamous ponies in Equestria, she was already waking.

=====================================================================

*******

Twilight blinked. She sat up, rubbing her eyes and getting the sand out of them before looking around.

She was still in the hospital, but this time, she was in a different section of the building. To her right, there was a wall-to-ceiling window, and it displayed Fillydelphia in all its splendor. Scaffolding hung from damaged buildings, and broken windows on various skyscrapers were in the process of replacement. Other than that, Twilight’s new room was nearly identical to her first one. Its walls were a pale shade of blue, and its floor was made of a smooth, marble tile. The rays of the setting sun were falling over the city, and they cast a pretty glow on the hospital room.

Twilight tried to move, but she realized that she was just as weak as, if not weaker than, before. A tube was connected on the inside of her foreleg, probably life support. To her right, Twilight saw Applejack lying on her back in an adjacent bed with a similar setup. She was snoring peacefully.

Why would I need life support? Twilight asked herself. Am I really that unstable? Guilt said my mind was being torn apart, but I don’t even know what that means, really.

A small ‘Bleep. Bleep. Bleep,’ sound came from the machine next to her. After a moment or two, a doctor rushed in, as did Rarity.

“Goodness! Twilight, are you alright?” Rarity asked. She had dark circles under her eyes, but her mane was perfectly kept, as usual. In fact, aside from her eyes showing obvious signs of weariness, Rarity almost looked too good, as if she had been working on her appearance most of the night.

The doctor gave Twilight instructions, most of which only required a small amount of effort to complete. Move this leg, move that leg, look to the left, follow the light, and say ‘Ahh’ were directions Twilight followed without complaint, though she felt fine, something she was sure to stress to the doctor.

“Why was I hooked up to all this, Doctor?” Twilight asked as he began to disconnect her from the equipment. He had a reddish brown pelt and a mane that had grayed with age, though he still looked fairly young. Spectacles covered his blue eyes.

“You can call me Dr. Knocking,” he said. He motioned for Rarity to have a seat on the sofa at the base of the window. “As for why you’re here, well... I’m not sure, to be quite honest. I’m not the one that hooked you up here, for sure, because as far as I’m concerned, you’re completely healthy. But... that doesn’t mean you looked fine about ten hours ago, or so.”

Twilight glanced at the setting sun, absently wondering if it had been evening when she met Indicina, as well, but she let the thought pass. “Do you know what happened?”

“I was probably with a patient when you were brought here,” Knocking said. “Your friend is here to give you all the details. I was just sent to make sure you’re alright. While you two chat, I’m going to see if I can get in contact with Princess Luna. She looked shaken when she left the hospital, and I think she’d like to know you’re safe and sound.” With a friendly smile, he exited the room.

“He’s a pleasant stallion,” Rarity said, rubbing sleep out of her eyes.

“Are you okay, Rarity?” Twilight asked.

“That’s a silly question,” Rarity mumbled, slightly irritated. “After you dropped off the face of Equestria right in front of the Princess, I could barely get a wink of sleep, I was so worried about you. It didn’t help that my bedroom faces west, either, with the blasted sun peeking through my curtains. So no, Twilight, I’m not fine, by any stretch of imagination, and I’m a little angry that I stayed up all night worrying over you when you look like you’re ready to climb Mount Nevercrest all over again.”

“I’m sorry, Rarity, but... I really just don’t know what happened,” Twilight stated truthfully.

“Oh, I know, darling; I’m just not in all that good a mood. I’m sorry if I say anything mean unintentionally,” Rarity said. “It’s just been very difficult the past few days. I thought returning to Fillydelphia would be, at the very least, easi-er than climbing a mountain, but no, the two seem to be about equal in difficulty,” she said bitterly.

Twilight sighed. I feel bad for worrying her so much. Did she really lose all that sleep over just me? “Well, Rarity, if you don’t want to talk, I could just ask Luna when she arrives.”

Rarity chuckled sadly. “The Princess probably won’t be in any better a state than I am, Twilight. According to her, you just fell to the ground in the middle of the conversation. Now, I didn’t see this myself, but... you didn’t close your eyes when you fell unconscious. You just stared at nothing, and you wouldn’t respond to anything the doctors did. Once they cast a spell on you called Anesthesium, though, you closed your eyes and were out like a light. You scared the living daylights out of everypony there when you collapsed. I think you even stopped breathing for a few seconds after the initial attack.”

Twilight swallowed. I feel terrible for putting everypony through that, she thought, her ears folding back against her head. So was that what Guilt meant by somepony trying to take over my mind?

“Well, it wasn’t just you that had an episode, darling,” Rarity said, seeing Twilight’s expression. “Applejack had an attack the same time you did, in fact. She just fell on the ground, kicking and screaming like a maniac. This was just outside the hall where I was visiting Pinkie, but they managed to calm her down slightly by the time I got there. After taking you both to the emergency room, which Applejack was not happy about, for some reason, they sent you both here, and you’ve been asleep ever since.”

Twilight paused. “Wait... I had a dream that Luna froze right in front of me. Then I met you, Pinkie, and Applejack in a hallway. Everypony in the hospital besides us four seemed to just freeze, and the walls and floor didn’t look solid. Pinkie ran off, and you followed her, but Applejack and I went to the lobby of the hotel, where we met somepony called Indicina...” she trailed off. “Did none of that actually happen?”

“Well, I’ve never heard of a pony named Indicina before, but I certainly don’t remember chasing Pinkie anywhere. In fact, I can’t really imagine Pinkie running anywhere right now; she’s been confined to her bed for about two days,” Rarity said, rubbing sleep out of her eyes once more.

“How is she liking it?” Twilight asked.

Rarity thought for a moment. “Well, she’s enjoying it well enough, but... well, I can’t speak for anypony around her,” she said, smiling slightly. “Those poor nurses made the mistake of trying to sedate her. I’m not quite sure what happened, but I’m fairly certain it was the exact opposite of what was intended.”

Twilight giggled. “I can only imagine.” She paused, contemplating the situation. “So... basically, what you’re saying is that I collapsed in front of Luna, and then I was brought here with Applejack, who collapsed around the same time I did?”

Rarity nodded. “Something along those lines, yes.”

So... that must have been when Indicina took over my mind. If it was even Indicina, Twilight pondered. I wonder if Guilt knew about Applejack’s attack. Could somepony be trying to take over both of our minds? Or could it be more than one pony? She shook her head. “I’m sorry for scaring all of you. I actually think I might know what’s going on, at least, a little bit.”

A black chariot shot past the window, rattling the room and threatening to break the windows.

“Well, you’d best explain it to Luna, then,” Rarity said, rubbing her eyes. “I’m in no condition to listen at the moment. I’ll be at my apartment if you need me, Twilight. Luna will give you your new address after she’s sure you’re okay.”

Twilight nodded. “Get some rest, Rarity. You look like you need it, and badly.”

“That’s what I was...” she trailed off, yawning, “...planning on doing anyway. Oh, and Twilight?” she asked as she got up and started toward the exit.

“Yes?” Twilight asked.

“Twilight... please be careful,” Rarity said seriously. “Equestrians aren’t sticking together as well as they used to, and without you...” She shook her head. “Luna will explain more when she arrives.” With that final warning, Rarity departed.

Just a few moments later, Luna was rushing into Twilight’s room. She looked the same as yesterday, but her pelt was an even paler blue, as if her magic had been further drained. “Twilight! Are-”

“Yes, I’m fine, I’m fine,” Twilight interjected, stepping out of bed to greet the moon goddess, “but... are you alright, Princess?”

Luna rubbed her eyes. “Oh, I was so worried about you, Twilight. Did Rarity explain what happened?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes, she did. I’m sorry I gave you such a scare.”

Luna sighed. “It wasn’t just Rarity and I you scared. The situation’s gotten much worse since your episode, I’m afraid.”

Twilight swallowed. “Just how bad did it get?”

“Well... bad enough to make both of us look like idiots,” Luna muttered. “I made the mistake of having a press conference before consulting my advisors. I wasn’t in my right mind when I made that decision. At any rate, rumors are now circulating that I either poisoned you, you’re insane, both, that either of us are Deception... I’ve never been that good with media.” She sighed, rubbing her eyes. “I’ve really made a mess out of things... but there is a way to fix them.”

“Okay...?” Twilight asked hopefully.

“A couple major political figures wish to hold a conference with you and Applejack tomorrow,” Luna explained. “I will also be there, and my helpers will be there to guide you through it. You’re to meet with an ambassador sent from Vengeance, Malachai, and the leader of a radical group called the Sans Sucre, Drammatica. It will be a more or less private conference, and, if we’re lucky, it will relax the situation temporarily.”

“Who are they?” Twilight immediately asked.

“I was getting to that,” Luna began. “Malachai is a dragon, and dragons have traditionally been on the side of Discord. He looks young, for a dragon, but he has been around even since I was a foal. I believe he has extended his life artificially, but through what means, I am not certain. He wishes to drive Equestrians apart and scatter us across the globe, and he is working with Vengeance in order to make those wishes a reality.

“Drammatica is a figure who seemed to have been planning an uprising for several years, only to execute it now. She leads the Sans Sucre, a group bent on overthrowing my sister and I and replacing us with a democracy. They have instigated almost every riot so far and have proven to be not only uncompromising, but unruly and violent at times, as well. Drammatica, who has just recently revealed that she was the founder of the organization, has so far refused any and all contact with me, which is why this meeting will be so important. ...To be fair, I have nothing against their purpose, but it would be difficult to accomplish the goals they have in mind without leaving ourselves open to an attack from Vengeance, who ultimately seeks to conquer Equestria. I have kept both of them at bay for a little under a week, now, but my time is running out. I will have a little more room to strategize if you lower tensions, though. That is what I need at the moment.”

Twilight paused for a moment, then nodded. “...Okay. I think I can do that. As long as my mind doesn’t get taken over again.”

“Pardon me?” Luna asked.

Twilight took a breath, then relayed to her the circumstances surrounding her consciousness, and Guilt’s hypothesis on the matter. After she finished, she asked, “Where do we stand on getting him to repair Dash’s wings, by the way?”

“It will be decided at the first conference whether we should allow Guilt to operate on Dash,” Luna stated.

“Shouldn’t we ask Dash if that’s okay first?” Twilight asked. “They are her wings, after all. If she doesn’t want Guilt to touch them, then we shouldn’t waste time discussing it.”

“I was going to take you to her as soon as we finished our conversation. Your reunion is long overdue,” Luna said, grinning slightly. She motioned toward the door. “This way. Her room is just down the hall.”

Twilight walked by Luna’s side as the moon goddess slowly informed Twilight of Dash’s condition.

“Her wings are being preserved at the moment by a complex spell that’s keeping all of the individual cells alive, and will do so for up to a week from today. However, the overall structure of her wing is missing several key parts that the doctors weren’t able to save. She won’t be able to fly properly without them,” Luna stated sadly.

“Like a wagon without wheels,” Twilight nodded glumly. “But don’t worry, Princess. I’m sure I’ll be able to convince her.”

“Convincing Dash isn’t what I’m worried about. It’s convincing Drammatica that will be the true test of our diplomatic abilities,” Luna grumbled, almost bumping into a nurse. “She hates all Elements with a passion unlike anypony else’s. I’m not sure what we’ve done to warrant it, though, and she refuses to tell me.”

“What does she have to do with it?” Twilight asked.

“Drammatica’s influence is beginning to overshadow my own,” Luna sighed. “With a wave of her hoof, she could throw all of Fillydelphia into anarchy. Until I find a way to win back the general populace, I will have to accept some of her orders, one of which is keeping Guilt under lock and key.”

“And what about Malachai?” Twilight asked as they rounded a corner.

“He will not be too hard to convince. In fact, the lack of resistance from him on the matter is what truly worries me,” Luna admitted. They were at the stairwell now, and beginning to descend.

“You think it could be a trap?” Twilight inquired, almost tripping over herself down the stairs.

“I’m not sure,” Luna said. “Guilt’s offer to help is the last thing I would have expected. Then again, the Elements of Discord are anything but predictable.”

Twilight nodded. They exited the stairwell and continued silently for a few moments before arriving at Dash’s room. Twilight glanced at Luna expectantly as she started to push the door open. “Aren’t you coming, too?”

“It’s not my place, Twilight. She’s your friend,” Luna pointed out, “and there are other matters that require my attention in the meantime. Oh, I almost forgot; after you are done talking with Dash, Celestia wants to meet you in Manehattan, at the address in this envelope.” Luna’s horn glowed as she conjured a pale yellow envelope out of thin air. It floated down to Twilight, and she caught it in her mouth. “I have a chariot standing by outside. It will take you wherever you want to go at unrivaled speeds. After you have met with Celestia, your new home address is also inside the envelope, as well.”

“Thank you, Princess,” Twilight managed to say out the corner of her mouth. She almost tried to use magic, out of instinct, but thought better of it.

“Don’t mention it, Twilight,” Luna said, pulling in Twilight for a short embrace. “You’ve done a lot for me these past few days, conscious or not. I figure that I owe you at least this much.”

Twilight nodded, then pushed open the door to Dash’s room.

*******

She was lying on her bed, her fully extended wings wrapped in plaster casts, though the bed appeared to have been specifically made for her kind of condition, so there were long extensions to the left and right, cushioning her damaged appendages. A wastebasket full to the brim with used tissues sat to her left, and two tissue boxes sat on her nightstand, one of them empty and the other recently used. A few freshly-bought bouquets and brightly colored boxes of chocolate sat on the windowsill. Dash was covered in a quilt that came up to her chest, and she was quietly reading a book.

“Dash...?” Twilight asked, unsure if Dash had noticed her entrance.

“...Hey,” Dash said after a few moments. She turned a page and didn’t bother to look at Twilight.

“You’re reading,” Twilight observed.

Dash didn’t answer, and she refused to make eye contact.

“I thought you said books were for eggheads,” Twilight said, grinning slyly and taking a couple steps forward.

“It’s a good book,” Dash said simply. Her bottom lip trembled as she anticipated what Twilight was about to say.

“Dash... before I say anything else, let me tell you this: It’s not as bad as it looks,” Twilight said confidently.

Dash’s expression tightened into one of refreshed agony. “Get out. I don’t want to talk about it.”

Twilight tried to continue. “Dash-”

“I said get out.” Dash’s voice was choked with misery. Her hooves trembling slightly, she turned a page and wiped her eyes. Her face was tight with rage, and she took a breath, trying to control the anger that was threatening to boil over violently.

Twilight shrunk back a few steps, then tried again: “Dash, your wings aren’t-”

“Can’t you hear me?!” Dash yelled, throwing her book at Twilight. It narrowly missed. “I’m tired of hearing about it! My wings are NOT fine! My wings are useless, just like I always have been, and I don’t want you butting into my business and trying to make me feel better! It won’t work, so shut up and leave me ALONE!” After she had finished her rant, her sorrow and self-pity took over, forcing tears to flow freely from her eyes. Not wanting Twilight to see her like this, she buried her head in her hooves, trying to stifle her sobbing.

Instinctively, Twilight tried to use magic to pick up the book and levitate it back over to Dash, but her magic failed, only managing to put a faint glow around her target. She sighed. We’re in the exact same situation... “Dash, I’m not here to make you feel better.”

“You sure sound like it,” Dash snarled, blowing her nose. “It’s like everypony in Equestria wants to kick me when I’m down. Wings, this, wings, that. Like they can’t get enough of how worthless I am now! I’m so done with all of this! Every--single--thing I’ve done on this journey has been a big, fat, FAILURE!” She wailed miserably again, crying openly into her quilt.

Twilight gritted her teeth. “They only wanted to help, Dash.”

“I don’t want any help!” Dash yelled. “I’m tired of relying on other ponies!”

“Dash... you’re not a one-mare army. I think that’s what you’re trying to be,” Twilight began, slowly approaching Dash’s bedside. “You’ve been failing so often because you expect to be able to do things nopony can do on their own, and then you feel useless afterward because you couldn’t do the impossible. Dash, you have every right to feel useless, but not because you needed other ponies to help you. You should feel useless because you’re turning down other ponies’ help.”

Dash was still sobbing, but she didn’t argue.

“...Do you know Guilt?” Twilight asked after a brief pause.

“H-How can’t I know him? He al-almost killed all of us,” Dash managed, though she didn’t look up from her quilt.

“Well... Guilt just saved me yesterday from a villain called Indicina. He also says that he isn’t specifically aligned with Vengeance anymore, just his brother, who he thinks is here, somewhere, I guess...” she trailed off.

“S-So?” Dash choked. Her throat was still tight with sorrow, but her anger was receding.

“Well, Guilt says that he can repair your wings, but he has to have your consent, first,” Twilight stated with a slight hint of uncertainty. It’s all or nothing here. Either Dash’s wings are saved, or they aren’t. She added, “This could be your last chance, Dash. But Guilt and I have been talking, and he has no reason to hurt you. He managed to get through deep into Fillydelphia; he could have killed us all by now if he wanted to.”

Dash paused for a long while, her breathing beginning to steady. “So... you want one of the most dangerous ponies in Equestria and one of our arch enemies to p-play doctor and fix my wings? No strings attached?” She glanced at Twilight out of the corner of her eye, her expression looking as if Twilight had just suggested that the next Grand Galloping Gala be held on top of Mount Nevercrest. “Are you insane?!”

“Dash... you really don’t have many other options,” Twilight pointed out. “I wouldn’t be suggesting this to you if I didn’t think it were a good idea, or that it wouldn’t work.”

Dash exhaled in a strange mixture of frustration and relief. She wiped her eyes on her quilt and looked up. “Fine. I’ll do it. I... I guess it really can’t get much worse, anyway.”

Twilight grinned triumphantly, but also with a tiny bit of relief. “Feeling any better?”

Dash rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Sorry for blowing up on you.” She paused to blow her nose. “But why didn’t you tell me that in the first place?”

“I wanted to, but then you woe-is-me’d yourself into a conniption. Dash, you’ve got to stop being so hard on yourself. Vengeance is going to take those emotions and use them against you,” Twilight warned.

“She can do that?” Dash asked.

Twilight nodded. “I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“And... we’re going to have to kill her,” Dash assumed.

“If it comes to that... then yes,” Twilight stated solemnly. She picked up Dash’s book and set it on her nightstand. “Now that we have your consent, all I have to do is convince somepony called Drammatica to let Guilt out of prison so that we can have the operation.”

“Who’s that?” Dash asked.

“I’m not completely sure yet, but she has an important position, and she sounds like she’s really attached to the war emotionally. She’ll be tough to argue with, but I’m going to convince her, one way or another,” Twilight promised. She noticed the envelope Luna had given her lying on the ground nearby. I must have dropped it when Dash yelled at me. She clumsily opened it with her hooves, and read the address inside.

“What’s that?” Dash asked.

“It’s where Celestia is supposed to meet me today,” Twilight said. “598 Seventh Street--Meet me at five o’clock p.m. inside the Sunlit Dew.”

“The Sunlit Dew?” Dash asked, scratching her forehead.

“That’s the place where she promised to meet me just before we left Fillydelphia the first time,” Twilight explained, glancing at the window. She moaned upon seeing the setting sun. “But it’s already sunset! I must have missed her by now.”

“Um... no, Twilight. It’s one o’clock p.m,” Dash corrected. She held up a clock on the nightstand that had been hidden by her tissue boxes.

Twilight glanced at it and saw that Dash was right. “B-B... B-...” she sputtered. “That doesn’t make any sense! How can it be sunset this early in the morning?!”

“It’s been sunset ever since the battle,” Dash explained. “Nopony knows why. The sun just stopped moving. But it’s kind of weird--like it’s not just sunset here, it’s sunset everywhere. Nopony can explain it, but...” Dash thought for a moment. “Hey, this kind of reminds me of something. I think Celestia told us back when we first started toward Mt. Nevercrest that there was a different time when this happened, too. Like when the sun was suspended at dawn? When was that, again?”

Twilight stared at the window, as if she were daring the sun to move. It didn’t. It stayed locked in its position, perpetually hanging just above the horizon. “...The Dark Times,” she breathed, her voice barely audible.

=====================================================================

[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This story takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
Please let me know if a link doesn’t work.

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

*******

Twilight took a deep breath as the chariot slowly descended into Manehattan.The two pegasi flying the chariot, Twilight noticed, appeared to be new. Their flight pattern was a tad clumsy, and their helmets were ever so slightly crooked. However, she probably only noticed those small differences because she had been flying in chariots all her life. It had been about a three hour flight, and Twilight was already beginning to feel sleepy, though her anxiety prevented her from resting in the plush seats of her borrowed vehicle. She just kept staring at the sunset, trying to mentally will it to move, but it stayed stuck in the sky like gum in the middle of summer.

I’m the Element of Magic, aren’t I? Twilight thought, brimming with frustration. I used to move the sun before the Dark Times. Why can’t I do that now?

Not only was she frustrated, she was nervous. Anything could have happened to Celestia since the battle... It must have been something awful, though, because the sun... She shook her head. I’ll just ask her what happened. I’ve known her for months now. I can talk to her.

She sighed and rested her chin on the rim of the chariot. The towering city of Manehattan, the second-largest in Equestria next to Fillydelphia, sprawled out beneath her. Unlike Fillydelphia, which consisted mainly of boomtown-style apartment complexes and hastily thrown-together office buildings and factories, Manehattan was much more refined, sporting fifty-floor skyscrapers and gleaming, neatly paved roads.

There didn’t seem to be nearly as much restlessness as there was in Fillydelphia, either; no buildings were in the process of reconstruction or reparation, and as the chariot lazily circled above its landing strip while waiting for it to be clear of pedestrians, Twilight saw that many of the ponies down below were pleasantly chatting with each other, in no hurry to get to their destinations, if they even had one. Some colts were playing kickball in the street, and even the businessmares seemed to be in no hurry to attend to their corporate errands.

And it made Twilight homesick.

Swallowing the melancholy lump forming in her throat, Twilight turned her focus to the saddlebags that Luna had placed in the chariot for her. She had already looked inside them, twice, in fact, but she decided that checking inventory thrice over would be better than letting her wistfulness hold a coup on what little emotional control she had left.

The saddlebags were a light purple, with Twilight’s cutie mark emblazoned on each of the two connected bags. Inside them was a map of Manehattan, some money, the letter Luna had given her, her crown, and a timepiece, since nopony could effectively tell the time by the position of the sun anymore. Twilight checked the positions of the little hoof and the big hoof and saw that it was about four thirty. Half an hour until I’m supposed to meet her.

“Feelin’ nervous, Ms. Sparkle?” the younger of the pegasus pair asked. He was one of Luna’s Royal Regiment; he was a dark gray in color, and his armor had blue and purple color scheme. His pelt and mane had probably been magically altered to match the uniform, which Twilight noticed had changed since she last saw it. The pendant at the center of their chestplate didn’t resemble a dragon’s eye anymore, replaced by Luna’s insignia, and their eyes, which used to have been magically enchanted to look like a dragon’s, had been left to their natural state. The most notable change, however, was that instead of the traditional bat-like wing transmutations that set Luna’s pegasi apart from from others before the war, these two guards were flying with normal, unenchanted, feathery pegasi wings.

Luna must be under a lot of pressure by public opinion, Twilight observed. I think she designed the uniform herself, way back when she started ruling with Celestia. It looked nice, too; it’s a shame she had to give it up. “Yes, a little,” she mumbled.

“Well, if you don’t mind me sayin’ so, Miss, you don’t have anythin’ to worry about,” the guard continued. He had a slight Appleoosan accent. “We were the ones that escorted Celestia here, right, Raj?”

The older one nodded, glancing at Twilight nervously. “Yes, this morning.”

“And did she look upset, or anythin’?” the younger one continued.

Raj shook his head. “No, not at all.”

“I’d even venture to say that she looked... better than ever!” the younger one exclaimed after a short pause. He laughed nervously, scratching the back of his neck. “Ms. Twilight, I think that you’ll have a pleasant conversation with our Princess. But worryin’ your little head off ‘bout it ain’t gonna do you much good. You’ll have a lot more to worry about in a few days, be-lieeeve me. But for now, I’d not overthink things. Raj does that sometimes, and it gets him into a lot of trouble, ain’t that right, Raj?”

Raj looked uncomfortable. “Entour, is this really-”

“Now, now, don’t make a fuss,” the younger one, Entour, said. “You see, back home, Raj always used to do these complex math problems and such. But one day, he found a problem so complex and tricky that he stayed up all night tryin’ to get it one-hundred percent. He said, ‘I’ll do this problem even if it sends me to my grave!’ Real loud ‘bout it, too. Neither Ma nor Pa could do anythin’ to help him with it, and I was tryin’ to get to sleep, ‘cause we had a big test the next day.”

“Did he solve the problem?” Twilight asked, leaning forward in the chariot.

Entour laughed. “I’m gettin’ to that. He finished the problem, all right, and he did it one-hundred percent like he promised, but it took him until way past his bedtime to do it. He got somethin’ along the lines of one, maybe two hours of sleep. I mentioned we had a test the next day, didn’t I? The problem he took the en-tire night to solve was just the homework, maybe worth five, ten points. But he flunked the test, real bad, too. He jus’ couldn’t stay awake for it!” Entour chuckled, nudging his older sibling as they began their final descent.

“What happened?” Twilight asked. “I mean, was the test really important?”

“‘Bout ten times more important than the homework was. Now, it wasn’t all that serious, and he still got an A in the class and all, but that’s not my point. My point is, if you focus on the little things, sometimes your own stubborn determination can end up being your downfall, you see? Sometimes you just gotta let it go and look at the big picture. Sure, the little things are important, but the bigger things are more important. You understand what I’m sayin’?”

Twilight nodded just before the chariot landed, sending a startling jolt through the passenger car. They were at the entrance to the Sunlit Dew, where she was supposed to meet Celestia.

“Whoops! Sorry,” Entour apologised. “So wrapped up in the story, I didn’t see where I was landin’. Durn attention span. Sorry, Miss.”

Twilight smoothed down her mane. “Oh, don’t worry about me. And thank you very much for the advice.”

Entour made a motion as if he were going to tip his hat, but almost took off his helmet, instead. “Ack, helmets. Still gettin’ used to workin’ here. Anyway, Miss, s’my job to worry ‘bout you. That’s what they pay me for, anyway. But you look like you have your head on straight,” he added with a wink.

Twilight laughed as she stepped out of the chariot. “Sometimes I wonder.”

Entour chuckled. “We all do, time and again. And you’re welcome for the advice. Just put it to good use. I’d hate to see you gettin’ yourself chewed up by Equestrians just ‘cause of your nerves. And have a good chat with the Princess, by the way, Ms. Sparkle. Chances are there’ll be a different set of guards to take you back home afterward.”

“I’ll be sure to put in a good word for you both. Thank you, Entour, Raj,” Twilight said. She bid them farewell before taking a deep breath and trotting into the Sunlit Dew.

=====================================================================

It was one of the smaller shops in Manehattan, even though it was in the middle of the city. The floor was a paved amber that glittered in the sunlight. There were about ten set tables placed around the café, with couches along the walls. A couple baristas, a mare and a stallion, tended to the containers and machines behind the counter. There were a couple customers already in the shop, but neither of them gave Twilight a second glance, something she was grateful for. I’ve been gawked at enough already.

She walked up to the counter, and the stallion asked, “How can I help ya, Ms. Sparkle?”

Twilight glanced at the menu. “Oh, just a hot chocolate for right now. Raspberry flavored, if you have it. But how do you know my name?”

The stallion, a unicorn, chuckled. He had a coffee-colored pelt and a pepper-colored mane, and his cutie mark was a steaming mug of joe. “You could say I’m in the know. Yer the Element of Magic, Miss; everypony knows ya by name, an’ those of us who read the paper can recognize ya on sight. O’course, those of us who moved to Manehattan recently are a lil’ more passive ‘bout the whole ‘Discord’ issue an’ all that. A few friends a mine’d probably like yer autograph, come to think of it,” he added, smiling. He glanced back at the other barista to make sure she was making Twilight’s hot chocolate. “That’ll be five bits, Miss.”

Twilight gave him the coins and waited for her chocolate to be ready. “Slow day today, huh?” she asked.

“Well, we get most of our clientele durin’ the early mornin’. The danged sun ain’t helpin’ with that, but what can ya do.” He shrugged. “Name’s Latte, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you,” Twilight said.

“So why’re ya here, anyways?” Latte asked.

“Oh, um, I’m meeting a friend,” Twilight said quickly.

Latte nodded. “Well, we close our doors at five thirty, so they’d better hurry up.” Twilight’s hot chocolate was done, so he levitated it over to the counter. “So where’re ya sittin’, Miss?”

“By the couch is fine,” Twilight said, biting the inside of her mouth to hide a grimace. Luna’s training can’t come soon enough...

Latte set Twilight’s steaming beverage on an end table by the couches. “Let me know if ya need anythin’ else.”

Twilight thanked him and sat down next to her glass. He added a straw and everything, she observed, counting eight marshmallows floating in the fragrant mixture. She tried to sip it, but it was still too hot, so while she was waiting, she awkwardly got out her timepiece and set it on the couch. It was just after five now. She’ll be here any moment.

The minutes ticked by. Twilight’s glass slowly depleted as she daydreamed about Discord, Harmony, the Elements, the Princesses, Verba, Guilt, and essentially everything else that came to mind. Fifteen minutes passed, and when Celestia still hadn’t shown up, Twilight became worried. The other two customers had left, and Latte had departed deeper into the store, probably to check inventory or to file some paperwork, leaving just Twilight and the other barista left in the Sunlit Dew.

After wiping down the counter, the other barista went over to clean the tables. She was a pale white pegasus with a light-pink, braided mane that hung down on one side of her head. She was a little younger than Twilight was, and probably still in school. She completed her tasks with a quiet determination, and when Twilight glanced at her, she saw that the barista had a silver tattoo next to her left eye. It seemed to spread from the corner of her eye outward toward her ear, and was a glossy, swirling pattern, like a gust of wind.

“So...” the barista began. “What’s up?”

“Oh! Nothing, really,” Twilight said. Blushing, she added, “Sorry if I was staring.”

“Nah, I get it a lot. You get used to it after a while,” she said, continuing to wipe down the table. Her cutie mark was of a glimmering rainbow pattern of light, but Twilight couldn’t place from where. It wasn’t any ordinary rainbow, that was for sure.

“Excuse me, but... I’ve never seen a cutie mark quite like yours before,” Twilight ventured.

“Heh. Not many ponies have. You have to go way up north to see anything like it. But when you do...” she sighed, gazing longingly at the ceiling. “It’s like nothing you’ll ever see again.”

“What is it?” Twilight asked eagerly.

“It’s called the Aurora Borealis. Where I got my name. It’s Aurora, by the way. And you’re Twilight,” she said.

Twilight nodded. She sounds... I’m not sure. She sounds something, I just can’t place what. Familiar? No... But it’s not like she sounds all that strange, either, she thought, taking another sip from her glass. It was about half empty now. “So where are you from, exactly?”

“Like I said, way up north,” Aurora said. “S’where I was born, s’where I got my cutie mark, and s’where I found my only coltfriend.”

Twilight considered asking who Aurora’s coltfriend was, but she decided not to. That’d be a little too probing. “How’d you end up working here?”

“Well... I don’t really work here. S’only part time,” Aurora said.

“And is the rest for school?” Twilight asked. Something’s odd about her, but I can’t place what...

Aurora burst out laughing. “Wow, I didn’t know I looked that young! Thanks for making my day.”

Twilight turned a slight shade of red. “Well, then how old are you?”

“Never ask a mare her weight or her age,” Aurora cautioned, grinning at Twilight. “Let’s just say I know some good stylists.”

Twilight took another sip of her lukewarm chocolate, slightly miffed. “So how did you get to Manehattan?”

“I flew,” Aurora said simply. She had finished wiping the tables, and was trotting back behind the counter to grab her saddlebags. “Latte is a friend of mine. I started visiting him here about seven or so months ago, and I help him out when I have the time.”

“So you work here just for fun?” Twilight asked.

“Something like that,” Aurora said, reaching into her saddlebags. She turned and faced opposite of Twilight.“Hey, I need your opinion on something.”

“Sure,” Twilight said.

Aurora tried to hide what she was putting on, but Twilight caught a glimpse of the ruby chain she was placing around her neck. When she turned around, she was wearing a solid, shining red ruby necklace with a lightning-shaped pendant at the center. “How do I look?”

Twilight later regretted taking a sip of her drink right as Aurora turned around.

It felt as if her mind blew a gasket, and as her body tried to shriek and gasp at the same time, her chocolatey beverage took a detour right out her nostrils. She sputtered and coughed, trying to clean herself up while Aurora was doubled over laughing in the background.

But it all made sense. The reason the sun wasn’t moving was because Aurora wasn’t an alicorn. The reason her voice sounded off was because it was almost exactly the same as Dash’s. The reason Aurora was used to being gawked at, the reason she looked so young, the reason she didn’t have to work at the Sunlit Dew...

Celestia wasn’t late; she had been there the whole time.

“The look on your face!” Aurora exclaimed, howling with laughter.

But Twilight wasn’t amused. After she had recovered, she asked, fuming, “Why would you do that?!”

Aurora wiped a tear from her eye, still laughing slightly. “Why not? Twilight, after all that’s happened, I think you deserve something to brighten your day. And you have to admit, that was at least a little funny.”

“No, it wasn’t,” Twilight hissed through gritted teeth. “Celestia, the last thing I need right now is a surprise.”

“Twilight, call me Aurora. That’s my real name,” Aurora said. She looked a little letdown that her prank hadn’t been received well, but she added carefully, “And calm down a little. I’m going to explain everything, but one step at a time.”

“The hay you will!” Twilight seethed. She stood up and pointed at the window. “Look at that! The sun is frozen! Not only that, but ponies are at each others throats over Discord, and since I doubt any of them will believe you’re the Princess, Luna’s been working herself into the ground! Don’t you even care?! You should be doing something, not working part-time as a barista!” Twilight swatted her hoof to the side, and a whole row of tables glowed faintly. It was the most magic she had done since the battle, and if she were at full strength, the entire restaurant would have been turned upside-down.

Aurora waited patiently for Twilight to finish, though she was clearly hurt by the rant. “I know all of that, Twilight. But I can’t do anything. Drammatica has convinced her followers that I’m dead, and that any of my signatures, no matter how authentic, are to be considered forgeries. Luna’s tried conjuring an illusion of me to prove them otherwise, but her magic is too strained at the moment to complete the spell. Twilight, I didn’t ask to be put in this situation.”

“Then how did you get here?” Twilight asked, restraining her anger.

“Hate split open my body... and I guess a second one was inside,” Aurora said after a brief pause. “Deception must have encased my real body, the one you’re seeing right now, with an alicorn-shaped shell and used the fragment of Magic to fuel my immortality. Hate broke it, though, with his last strength, and then everything went black. I woke up when Luna found us, but she was the only one who believed me when I said I was Celestia. She’s the only pony alive who knew me when I was in this form.”

Twilight had calmed down slightly. “Okay. Fine. I can believe that. But there’s something that’s bothering me: Why are you happy about this?”

“What do you mean?” Aurora asked.

“Why do you think that you changing back into a pegasus is a good thing?” Twilight demanded, once again motioning at the sun. “Equestria can’t stay like this forever!”

“I know, Twilight, and this is going to sound selfish, but, well...” Aurora brushed her mane back behind her ear. “Twilight, I’m finally me again.”

“Huh?” Twilight asked.

“When Deception made me an alicorn, she placed this inside me,” Aurora said, reaching into her saddlebags. She pulled out a glistening red, yellow, and orange fragment shaped like a bent teardrop. It was about the side of Twilight’s timepiece, and bright, fiery energy swirled within it. “This is a fragment of you. The Element of Magic. Luna found it halfway across the battlefield, next to Fluttershy.”

Twilight reached for the fragment. It was warm to the touch, and all of her anger was replaced with awe. “So... All this time...”

“Well, did you think I was lying when I told you about the fragments?” Aurora inquired with a grin.

“No, but... I thought that they were just used to make you two. I didn’t know that I was fighting at partial strength all this time,” Twilight explained. “Can this... Can it make my horn grow back?”

Aurora smiled. “Better. It’ll double your magical ability. But that’s only once we get it inside you. That’d be a pretty big pill to take.”

“How do you plan to do that?” Twilight asked.

“I was hoping Guilt would know something,” Aurora said.

“You heard about him?” Twilight asked.

Aurora arched an eyebrow. “Twilight, just because I’m not an alicorn anymore doesn’t mean I’m not a Princess. I know everything Luna does.”

“Okay.” Twilight sighed, suddenly weary. “This has really been a crazy couple of days,” she said, resting against the arm of the couch.

“For all of us, Twilight. You’re not alone,” Aurora said. “Imagine how I felt when I woke up as an ordinary pegasus.”

“I thought you said it was an improvement,” Twilight said.

“Well, yeah... but I kind of liked being tall,” Aurora said sheepishly. “Now not only do I have stubby legs, but I have tiny wings, too. I fell down the stairs about five times the day I woke up, and I’m still having a little trouble with flying. But I’m working on it.”

Twilight nodded. “So, Aurora...” The name came out a little awkwardly. “...In what way do you feel like, um, ‘you’ again?”

Aurora paused. “Well... Let me explain it this way: Take you and Dash, for instance. What are all of her best qualities?”

“She’s loyal, obviously,” Twilight began. “She knows how to take a joke. She’s strong, and she’s able to make the snap decisions I’m never able to. She’s instinctively good at fighting... and, overall, I think her heart is in the right place in any situation.” Her throat tightened upon remembering Dash’s wound, but she let it pass.

“Take all of those, and combine them with you,” Aurora said.

Twilight grimaced. “I see what you mean. So your personality itself was in conflict?”

“A lot, at first. I was numb to emotion for days at a time for the first few years, only to have my stockpiled feelings blow up in somepony’s face a little later, usually Luna’s. She didn’t have as much of a hard time with it as I did, but I didn’t do much to help her out. Over time, I guess the edges smoothed, but you still saw how, um... weird I could be,” Aurora elaborated.

“So... this fragment you have will make me more... spontaneous?” Twilight asked nervously.

“Well, it will make you more you, so anything that’s already there will be expressed more. Since this is the more passionate side of Magic, your mood will swing a little bit more, and your emotions will be heightened to a degree. But since this is a fragment of Magic, and not, say, Generosity, you won’t feel much different at all once you adjust to the new power,” Aurora explained. “Of course, what I’m saying doesn’t mean anything if we can’t get this inside of you. Luna tried absorbing it herself, just as a test, but it’s not like it’s rock candy or anything, and she’s too afraid that if she breaks it, it’ll be lost forever.”

Twilight exhaled, her earlier rage having fully departed her. “I’m sorry for getting so angry earlier.”

Aurora didn’t say anything for a few moments, as if she were carefully contemplating her response. “...I think... Twilight, let me test something. I might know why you’ve felt off the past few days.”

“I don’t feel off,” Twilight said.

Aurora bit her lip. “Just trust me. I need you to answer a few questions.” She paused. “What’s your brother’s name?”

“Shining Armor,” Twilight said.

“Okay, what’s his position in the Equestrian Government?” Aurora asked.

“...Captain...” Twilight thought hard. “...Captain of the Royal Guard.” Why couldn’t I remember something so simple?

Aurora nodded. “Yes. Who is his wife?”

“He got married?” Twilight asked, her jaw wide.

Aurora nodded. “Yes, just after Envy and Arrogance were defeated. He sent you a letter about it, and records show that it was successfully delivered.”

“Obviously not,” Twilight grumbled. “Who did he marry?”

“Princess Cadance. My niece,” Aurora said. She glanced at herself. “This... will be a little hard to explain.”

Twilight laughed. “Okay. I’m going to have to give him a hard time for not making sure I knew.”

Aurora sighed. “The problem is, Twilight... you did.” She pulled a paper out of her saddlebags and showed it to Twilight. It was a congratulatory letter. “It’s your hoofwriting.”

Twilight sank further into the couch, her shock heightening as she read the letter. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she wiped them away. “Why can’t I remember something that’s so important?”

Aurora clearly didn’t want to continue, but she did anyway. “Twilight, do you know who Princess Cadance is? Other than my niece?”

“N-No...” Twilight was trembling now, but not out of fear, shock, or sorrow. Something was rising from within her, chilling her to the bone. Memories long lost began to resurface, but just for a moment before diving back down to the depths of her consciousness. Something inside her was waking up.

Aurora pulled another document from her saddlebags. It was a crude drawing of Twilight and a pink alicorn that she didn’t recognize.

“She was your foalsitter,” Aurora said softly. She saw that Twilight’s eyes had glazed over, and she asked again, louder, “Twilight? Twilight!”

*******

Aurora shook her, and saw that Twilight wasn’t responding. She’s gone into some kind of trance! She hastily called for Latte, who rushed outside to warn the guards.

The shadows in the café seemed to lengthen and twist. The fur on the back of Aurora’s neck prickled, something it had only done once before. She felt a mix of terrible fear and overpowering nausea as she realized what she was up against.

“I n t h e f u t u r e... I w o u l d r e c o m m e n d w e a l l m i n d o u r o w n e x p e-
r i m e n t s.”

The ghostly voice flew through the room as a bundle of shadows assembled in the ever-darkening shop. The guards from outside pounded on the doors, but they were sealed with an unbreakable spell.

“I should have expected something so low, Indicina,” Aurora growled. “Why don’t you just leave us all alone? We have enough on our hooves already with the Elements of Discord.”

The shadows cackled, something like ten or twenty voices all chattering in glee. But Aurora received no answer. The dark energy moved chaotically, but it all seemed to want to touch Twilight, even fighting amongst itself to get near her. Her breathing slowed, and her eyes became bloodshot.

Aurora took an effort to remain calm. I... I can’t do much here, not in an enclosed space. Oh, Luna, please hurry!

=====================================================================

*******

“Hmm...”

All Twilight could feel for what seemed like several minutes was a searing pain. Agony slowly crawled up her legs and up her body like a horde of tiny claws, erupting from her mouth with a final gasp of terror and shock. It ended with her soul being cleaved from her body.

She was still inside the Sunlit Dew, but it wasn’t the Sunlit Dew; all of the light had become shadow, and vice versa, leaving behind a twisted, almost photo-negative version of reality. Twilight stepped away from her now limp frame, watching as the pale white shadows writhed around her and Aurora.

A shiver ran up her spine, and she turned around, only to see the world vanish and be replaced with a new one. The corrupted Sunlit Dew disappeared, and was replaced with the wreckage of Ponyville Hate had created. Nopony was there, however, save one, sitting daintily upon a throne of white, translucent lotus flowers. Indicina.

“What do you want from me?” Twilight asked. She stumbled; everything seemed to be happening in fast-forward, and she could barely think without having her thoughts stolen away as soon as they appeared. She was unable to control her frantic twitching, and her limbs seemed to jitter with a mind of their own. Wherever she was, it wasn’t good for her body.

Indicina looked up, laughing. “What a strange question to ask, Magic. Let me articulate my response.” She pointed at Twilight, who wailed as her heart felt as if it were ripped in half. The room shifted, becoming Verba’s dream dimension, but Indicina and her throne of petals remained constant.

“Who... Who are you?!” Twilight asked, falling to her knees. Everything was happening too fast. Memories surfaced only to be destroyed or stolen as soon as she caught a glimpse of them. The only idea she could grasp for more than a moment was one of a rust-colored mane, but even that was blasted away by the torrent of memories rocketing through her mind. She bent down, heaving, as she felt tidal wave after tidal wave smash against her temples.

“My existence is of no importance,” Indicina mumbled, plucking a flower from her throne and sniffing it. “I am simply your dream. A figment that will drift away once you destroy me, as will all the others.”

Twilight coughed. Magenta liquid dripped from her mouth and nose. Her insides were on fire.

“I suppose you could compare me to that little friend of yours who was so kind as to interrupt us earlier,” Indicina muttered angrily. “The one who broke the sacred gateway and entered your dreams. He prevented us from learning the truth, and we were so close, Twilight. It’s such a shame.”

“V-Verba...?” Twilight asked, choking. It was taking all her effort just to stand upright, but even that was beginning to fail, and she crumpled to her knees. “O-... Or Obsidian?”

“Obsidian...” Indicina said wistfully, her anger having abruptly evaporated. She cradled a lotus in her forelegs and started to rock. “He was the only one who saw me.”

Twilight screamed. “Make it stop!” The pain was overwhelming, an endless sea of suffering that washed over her senses and threatened to drown her entirely.

“You have every capability of ending it... and yet you do not. It’s strange. You confuse me,” Indicina murmured, tossing aside her flower. It vaporized in midair, leaving nothing behind, not even ashes. The room shifted again, and Twilight opened her eyes a crack to see that they were on the top of the Daymare’s spire in the Dreamscape.

“Why?!” Twilight cried. Her body was being torn apart; she could no longer control her spasms. “Why are you doing this to me?!”

“Because you need it.” Indicina said softly. “True pain will be encountered by not only you, but your friends, as well, and very soon. Too soon. You must know how to handle it. You must know how to approach it. You must know how to deal with it, else all you know will be lost, just as I was.” She stepped down from her throne, slowly approaching the writhing Twilight. “Twilight... You are stronger than this. I don’t understand. What I’m doing is simple. Pain is not hard to comprehend. Agony is the very essence of life.”

Twilight barely heard her. Her body seemed to be melting, and brightly colored dots danced about in her vision. She felt progressively lighter, as if she were a towel being wrung dry and then hung out in the sun. The pain began to ebb.

Indicina paused for a moment, then stated, “The memories, the ones that are no longer necessary... they have been dealt with. I can see that you are in need of a rest. Know this, though: It will get better before it gets worse.”

Twilight fell limply onto her back, with the golden skies of the Dreamscape stretched endlessly above her. Indicina sat down beside her, resting her head on the glass platform and gazing intensely at Twilight.

“You will need every last bit of your strength,” Indicina said sweetly, pursing her lips and stroking Twilight’s cheeks with an unsettlingly real affection. “Your greatest trial is almost upon you. I have taken a burden from your shoulders, but the rest is up to you. Do not be afraid to take chances, child, for your very domain is risky bets. And I hope that, when we meet again, you will have played your cards wisely, and in your favor, not our enemies’.”

Twilight’s consciousness wanted to depart, but it seemed chained to her mind, and it squirmed and twisted in her skull as it tried to break free. She was all but dead.

“Think on that, my darling dearest,” Indicina murmured. “Remember this world of Dissonance when you confront your greatest enemy. It will be her only chance to escape.”

And then Twilight’s consciousness was free of its bonds, and it departed her body gleefully before soaring off into the distance.

=====================================================================

[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This story takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
Please let me know if a link doesn’t work.

Chapter TwentyOne

Chapter Twenty-One

*******

“You tell her.”

“I’m not your slave, Magic. You have no business here.”

“I do have business here, ‘cause it’s my dream!”

Twilight shifted as she recognized the voices of Verba and Guilt. She was lying on a hard dirt surface; the road leading into Ponyville. Or, at least, her replica of it. “Ugh... stop arguing,” she moaned. She climbed to her hooves, though she had to lean on one of Guilt’s strong limbs to do so. He was no Big Macintosh in terms of bulk, but he was still just as powerful.

When her eyes finally adjusted, she saw both of them standing in her illusion of Ponyville. She blinked. “Wait... how are you both here at the same time?”

“You tell me,” Verba shrugged, glancing at Guilt. The two of them were a fair distance apart, and they occasionally shot each other angry glances, but they shared the same worried look when they turned their attention back to Twilight.

Guilt raised his hoof. “If I may.” He paused, then continued. “Both myself and... this character to my left tried to help you at the same time when Indicina attempted to take control of your mind and rip apart your memories. It appears our Dreamscapes have merged in the process.”

“Dreamscape?” Twilight asked. “Isn’t that where we fought the Daymare?”

“Yes and no,” Guilt said. “A Dreamscape is an unstable dimension created in a realm called the Dissonance. One is created every time somepony falls asleep, but they usually collapse within a few minutes. You appear to have structured your dreams in a way that they will not fall apart immediately, akin to how the Daymare and I were able to create the massive Dreamscape we used to test ponies’ strength of mind.”

“Test them?” Twilight asked.

“I will get to that, but first, wouldn’t you like to know who nearly killed you remotely three times over? And how?” Guilt inquired.

Twilight shivered. “Yes, of course. Her name is Indicina, right?”

“Yes. She was able to break into your mind many times and steal not only information, but also memories,” Guilt explained. “She was smart enough to steal memories that you wouldn’t readily realize were gone; memories related to your childhood, most of which would have been lost anyway as the years passed. That is why you couldn’t remember Princess Cadance, or that your brother had gotten married recently.”

“And that’s why you had Aurora ask me those questions,” Twilight assumed. Her brow furrowed. “Didn’t you know that she might attack me? Do you have any idea, any idea at all how painful that was to go through?”

Guilt shifted uncomfortably. “Yes, I did predict Indicina would attack you, but I had to be sure in my diagnosis. You see, your memories--due to your being the Element of Magic--have enormous power. The Dimple you came across back when you were journeying to Ponyville was created by a rupture in Indicina’s mind leech, spilling positive energy all over the place.”

“Which I created, thank you very much. I noticed where the memories were going and got the biggest mind-chainsaw I could find,” Verba stated proudly.

“It would have been more impressive if you had actually preserved Twilight’s memories, but I digress,” Guilt continued, throwing an irritated glance at Verba.

“How did I not notice this?” Twilight asked.

“You were probably asleep,” Guilt suggested. “Either way, ponies don’t realize they’ve forgotten something until they have a use for the information. Indicina was able to pick and choose which memories she stole. What’s more troubling is why she’d need so much positive energy in the first place,” Guilt said, rubbing his chin.

“Wait, so she only stole positive memories?” Twilight asked.

Guilt nodded. “Yes. If you think hard, you will be able to remember your childhood, but your outlook on it will be much bleaker than it ought to be. I know you will search for the memories, but I would strongly discourage them being your first impression of your past. Your brother, your parents, and your foalsitter will all have positive memories to shower on you, and once they do, your memory will repair itself automatically.”

“But isn’t there any way to get the original memories back?” Twilight asked.

“Not that I know of, though if we capture Indicina, I will do my best to force the information out of her,” Guilt promised.

Twilight nodded, though she was a little angry. I can’t believe he experimented on me like I was some kind of lab rat... I, at least, should have known what I was about to go through if Indicina attacked. Then again, I guess she would have caught on if Guilt outright told me. “Who is Indicina, anyway?”

“‘Indicina’ is only her alias. Her original name was Bleach, but she changed her name soon after the Elements were created,” Guilt explained.

“Is she an Element?” Twilight asked.

“As far as I know, she was a slave for my father, King Discidium,” Guilt said. “Most referred to him as Discord, though his literal name meaning was always ‘separation.’ I believe his work on the Fountain of Harmony led to his infamy and resulting nickname.”

Now it was Verba’s turn to ask a question. “Wait, he created the fountain?”

Guilt nodded. “I do not know the specifics, but I do remember that he had an extremely large part in the creation of the fountain. Indicina was his personal servant.”

“What did she do?” Twilight asked.

Both Guilt and Verba shifted uneasily.

“I’ve talked quite enough; you tell her,” Guilt said.

“Nuh-uh,” Verba said. He shook his head, and a few runes detached from his neck and clattered onto the dirt. “No way.”

“I won the bet. You tell her,” Guilt ordered, glaring at Verba.

Verba moaned. “Seriously, Guilt? Is it really all that important? I mean, I know you wanna, y’know, make me miserable and all, but does it have to be in front of Twilight?”

One of Guilt’s eyes twitched. “Consider our grudge put on a temporary... hiatus. Yes. Right now I am simply working for the sake of the only family I have left in Equestria. But Twilight needs to know the full story. So tell it to her.”

“Oh. Sweet. Alright then,” he said. He took a deep breath, then said, “Twilight... You know the practice where mares... sell themselves? Y’know, out on the streets?”

Twilight swallowed. I don’t like where this is going. “Yeah...?”

Verba scratched the back of his neck, and a couple more runes splintered into dust. “Well, y’see... Indicina was bought... just to do that. By my dad. Uh... yeah. It was kind of common to do that back then. To be a... a slave.”

Twilight stuck out her tongue and made a face. “Ewww...”

“Tell her the rest,” Guilt said.

Verba stomped his hooves on the ground, agitated. “Seriously, dude...?” He looked like he urgently needed to visit the bathroom.

“Guilt, stop it. If it gets worse than it already has, I don’t even want to know,” Twilight said.

“Thank you,” Verba said earnestly.

Guilt smoothed back his mane, glancing at Verba. “You still owe me, but I suppose I’ll let it slide. For now, let’s continue. Do you have any other questions, Twilight?”

“How did Indicina get from being a, well, slave, to being so dangerous and evil?” Twilight asked.

Verba and Guilt glanced at each other.

“Well, don’t ask me,” Verba said. “I mean, I just found out she existed just a day or two ago.”

“I’m not sure I know the answer to that question, either,” Guilt admitted. “I rarely talked with her and I assumed she had died after a few hundred years passed, and after a while, she simply faded into memory. I do know she frequently spoke with Obsidian, but other than that... I simply do not know. How she has survived to this day, and how she is powerful enough to cause hiccups in both Harmony and Discord’s plans, is completely beyond my knowledge at the moment.”

“Well... what does she plan to do?” Twilight asked.

“She seems to be interested in the same research Deception is,” Guilt said. “As of now, she was probably experimenting with your memory, though memory itself is only one piece of the puzzle.”

“What are the other parts?” Twilight asked.

“There are three things that make us who we are as ponies, qualities that make us all unique. One is our aura, or life force. The next, our memory. The third is our personality. Deception, I believe, is trying to unlock the power of aura first, then memory, then personality,” Guilt explained. “It is reasonable to assume she’s figured out aura by now, given how radically she changed when the Time of Endless Dawn began.”

Twilight nodded. “So she’s working on memory?”

“She was when I betrayed them, yes,” Guilt said.

Verba was slowly drifting past Guilt as if he were floating on the surface of a salty lake, and he folded his forelegs. “So... why? Why try to find all this out?”

“Aura, memory, and personality are all sources of raw energy. Gaining control of them would allow ponies to be disintegrated, essentially, and turned into raw power, leaving only a body behind. The power of an aura is usually a set amount based on a pony’s current status of health. Memory energy increases as a pony ages. The power of personality, however, is near-limitless, as long as the ponies being consumed have strong minds,” Guilt explained.

“I don’t think you answered my question,” Verba said. “Why find all this out in the first place?”

“Wait, no, I think I’m starting to understand,” Twilight began. “So what you’re saying, essentially, is that Deception’s plan is to create a superweapon that consumes ordinary ponies to function?”

“Well, more or less,” Guilt said.

“...I guess that’s no worse than what Arrogance and the rest of your siblings have done. At least this time we’ll have the edge of being awake when she tries to commit mass-murder,” Twilight stated bitterly.

“Well... I’m sorry to say this, Twilight, but it gets worse,” Guilt began, his ears folding against the back of his head as he turned away from her gaze.

“I’ve been hearing that a lot, lately,” she grumbled.

Thunder boomed through the realm. Some of Verba’s runes formed an umbrella to hang above him. “I’d start wrapping it up, Guilt. Dream’s ending.”

Guilt nodded, then turned to Twilight. “Our Dreamscape project lasted long enough to convince Deception that ordinary ponies won’t be able to power her designs. In order to fuel a superweapon, you would need a super-pony, you see. A pony not only with a strong aura, but with a strong, dominating personality, and a past stretching back thousands upon thousands of years.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “She wants... us?”

Guilt shook his head. “No... Your friends are of no use to her. There is only one superpony in Equestria besides Vengeance, Twilight.”

Twilight felt woozy, but not only due to her fear. The dream was ending. She caught Guilt’s last words, though, as she faded back into existence:

“Deception doesn’t want the Elements of Harmony to power her weapon... she only wants you.”

=====================================================================

*******

Twilight opened her eyes. She wasn’t groggy, or in pain--just well-rested. She was in somepony’s bedroom, with the now-eternal sunset poking in through the window curtains. The room was small, but cozy, with carpeting, dressers, and two doorways, one leading to a bathroom and the other into the main part of the abode. Aurora was lying on a couch, flipping through a magazine.

Twilight sat up. “Aurora?”

She looked up from her magazine, smiling. “Oh, thank goodness; you’re finally awake.”

“How long has it been?” Twilight asked.

“A few hours. I was afraid your mind was damaged during the attack, and that you wouldn’t wake up ever again. How do you feel?” Aurora inquired.

“Like I need to move,” Twilight muttered. She slid out of bed and shook out her limbs. “That was really, really scary... but I’m glad we’re both all right. Where am I?”

“This is your Fillydelphian apartment. Your brother had me take you here, rather than back to the hospital,” Aurora explained. She looked away. “He was supposed to meet you when I was done talking with you. I’m sorry for putting you through that. It’s the last time I’m going to trust Guilt.”

“He explained everything to me. Knowing all that he did, I guess it was right to test me, but...” Twilight trailed off.

“What happened?” Aurora asked.

Twilight explained the horrendous series of attacks on her consciousness made by Indicina, and went on to tell her what she had learned from Guilt.

“So... Indicina is now the third party in this war, and we don’t know anything about her,” Aurora muttered. “I wish I was still an alicorn. I might have been able to help you then, Twilight.”

Twilight pulled Aurora into a hug. “Don’t worry. What matters is that I’m okay now.”

“It does matter, though,” Aurora said, gently pushing Twilight’s hug away. “I mean... I can’t do magic anymore. I forgot all the Ancient I knew; it’s not meant to be known by pegasi. And on top of that, I-” she cut herself off.

“You what?” Twilight asked.

“...Nothing. I’m just being too hard on myself,” Aurora said, smiling slightly. “Now, don’t you want to meet your brother?”

“I still can’t believe I forgot so much about him,” Twilight sighed, “but I guess I’m going to have to start remembering. Where do I meet him?”

“He’s in the living room, worried sick about you. Even if you don’t remember him, he remembers more than enough about you. While you freshen up, I’ll go let him know you’re okay, but then I have to leave and make sure Applejack is prepared for the meeting today,” Celestia said.

“Why?” Twilight asked.

“Drammatica has requested she make an appearance there, as well. I don’t know why yet, but I’m going to ask Luna as soon as I can,” Aurora said. She looked at Twilight from head to hoof. “I guess this is goodbye, at least for now.”

“Don’t worry, Aurora. I’m not going anywhere. If I could survive all that, then I can survive a meeting with my big brother,” Twilight said. I still can’t believe how much she sounds like Dash...

Aurora bit her lip. “Yeah, I know, but...” she trailed off before suddenly pulling Twilight into a tight hug, squeezing her like a teddy bear. “Stay safe.” She rushed out of the room before Twilight could respond.

As she took a shower, Twilight felt a burst of nervousness. It’s like I’m meeting him for the first time. I remember the bad things, like Guilt said--that time where he accidentally broke my science project, and that other time where he buried me in sand at the beach and forgot to dig me out. But I know he isn’t mean... at least, I think I know he isn’t mean, she thought, drying off her mane. After she had combed her mane and brushed her teeth, she took her first tentative steps into the living room.

Shining Armor was anxiously running a hoof through his bright blue mane when she entered. Aurora was right, he did look worried sick. He was pacing back and forth agitatedly, that is, until he saw Twilight. His eyes lit up upon seeing her tentatively step into the room, and he rushed toward her, capturing her in his embrace. “Twiley!” he exclaimed, wrapping a powerful limb around her.

Twilight abruptly found her face full of his pearly white pelt, but memories hidden deep within her heart told her that this was right. Her eyes began to glisten as her deepest memories, the ones Indicina was unable to touch, came rising to the surface. “Sh-... Shining Armor,” she mumbled, hugging him back. Her throat was tight with nostalgia.

“It’s been so long since I saw you!” he stated. He tried to keep his voice steady, but Twilight noticed that his speech, too, was choked with tears. “How are you, little sister?”

Twilight smiled, nodding, and that was enough. They shared their hug for a little longer before finally pulling away, yet they kept staring at each other, trying to take their lost sibling’s appearance in, as if they could at any moment be separated again, this time forever.

Twilight felt tears flowing from her eyes, and she wiped them off, laughing with a happiness she hadn’t felt in years. When she searched for the memories that made her feel such powerful emotions, though, they were completely absent. But I know he’s my brother... that’s enough.

“Tell me all about your adventure,” he said, laughing despite the tears welling up in his eyes. “I want to know everything.”

So Twilight told him. She explained the Void, and how she met Obsidian and Verba. She went on to tell about waking up in Ponyville and finding the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and elaborated on how their fight with Trixie led to them discovering the Elements of Discord.

She remarked with sorrow on how Applebloom’s sickness eventually claimed her life, and how Lorey took advantage of her death to trap them in the ruins of Canterlot. She told him how Pinkie realized her Potential, and how Luna saved them from certain death at the hooves of the Daymare.

She took a breath, then told him about how Dash’s Potential saved Fillydelphia from a brutal barrage, and she told him about how she met Olly, who proved critical to Dash’s successful realization.

She explained their journey to Canterlot, and how Saphira joined their group with an escaped Scootaloo, and went on to tell about how they fought and defeated Lyvia and Envy in Canterlot. She described the battle in the Dreamscape, and how they won by the skin of their teeth against the Daymare, saving Equestria. Then, she concluded her first journey by explaining the tragedy involving Lorey and his daughter, Saphira.

After a brief pause for breakfast, since Twilight hadn’t eaten yet that day, she began to tell about how Discord gave them their unofficial new ‘mission,’ and went on to describe how Guilt removed their magic and flight capabilities. She told him about how they met Centime, though her voice was choked with pain upon her mentioning him.

She explained how Hate managed to defeat them in battle several times on their journey, and elaborated on how Discord manipulated their path to go up Mount Nevercrest to find Vengeance, and how she was freed by Scootaloo after Centime was killed. She almost had to stop at that point; her emotions were overpowering, and speaking with her forgotten brother was too surreal for her feelings to remain stable.

Nevertheless, she continued, telling Shining Armor how the final battle with Guilt and Hate ended with no clear winner, with Dash’s wings destroyed, Fluttershy comatose, and her own horn disintegrated. She paused, clearing her throat, then finished by telling him about how Guilt joined the side of Harmony, how Celestia turned into Aurora, and how Indicina stole her memory.

“Wow... I guess I should take back wanting to know everything. That’s a lot to take in,” Armor breathed.

“I’m sure there are some things I left out, but that covers the most major points,” Twilight said. “So... what about you? What have you been up to these past few years?”

“Well, Aurora told you how I married your old foalsitter, right?” Armor asked.

“Uh-huh,” Twilight affirmed. “How is she? And what’s she like?”

A grin crept onto Armor’s face. “Well, I could tell you all about her... but how about we go meet her, instead?”

=====================================================================

*******

“I think I got into the Royal Guard Academy when you were in fourth grade or so,” Armor told Twilight as they walked down the gleaming streets of Manehattan. When she asked why he had chosen pegasi so inexperienced, he explained that they’re both long-time friends of his who had joined the Academy around the same him he did. He went on for a while about how murderous the boot camp was, and told of the many friends he had made there, and how he had to give them up on his journey up through the ranks.

Twilight wasn’t really paying attention for the most part, though, preferring to look at the glorious Manehattan architecture. Art seemed to have flourished in this city over the past few years, with massive murals lining tall skyscrapers, and statues being almost as common as streetlamps. To Twilight’s left, a budding painter slowly slid her brush back and forth on an easel she had mounted on the sidewalk while fascinated citizens looked on.

Armor noticed his sister’s awe and said, “Pretty amazing, isn’t it?”

“Yeah...” Twilight breathed. “I’ve never thought this urban an area could look so good.”

“Well, the gold has to go somewhere,” Armor said casually.

“What gold?” Twilight asked.

Armor raised a hoof to his lips. “Shh.” He pulled Twilight close and whispered in her ear. “One of our best alchemists just learned a revolutionary new form of transmutation. He figured out how to turn lead into gold, and iron into silver. Manehattan is the richest city in Equestria.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “Really?”

Armor nodded. “Be sure to keep it secret, though. Luna and I are the only ones who know about it.”

Twilight nodded. “Okay,” she whispered back.

Armor paused for a few moments, then burst out laughing. “Twilight, you just fell for that?”

“Huh?” Twilight asked.

“Aww, Twiley, turning lead into gold is one of the oldest myths in Equestria,” Armor grinned, tussling Twilight’s hair. “You haven’t changed a bit.”

Twilight pursed her lips. “I guess that’s what I get for trusting my older brother,” she said, though underneath her simple disapproval, there was a deeper concern.

“Something wrong?” Armor asked.

“No, don’t worry. You’re right; I really can’t believe I fell for that,” Twilight managed, forcing a small smile. “Come on, aren’t we supposed to be going to The Sunlit Dew to meet Ms. Everything?”

Armor wasn’t convinced. “This is about Deception, isn’t it?” he assumed.

Twilight sighed. “That’s besides the point, Armor. Forget I ever mentioned it. I have too much to worry about already without you throwing Deception into the mix.”

He paused. “Well... if by ‘gullible,’ you mean ‘trusting,’ then yes,” Armor said, picking up stride again and rounding a corner while Twilight followed behind him. They were about two blocks away from the Sunlit Dew now, and she covered her eyes; they were walking into the sun. Armor continued: “I know Deception’s crafty. I’ve heard a lot about her, from your friends and from the Royal Sisters. But if you let her get inside your head, then she wins, period. Be confident that you’ll make the right choice when the time is right, and if your goals are steadfast, then there’s nothing she can do to stop you.”

“‘Don’t let her get inside your head,’” Twilight echoed quietly. I guess he’s right... I have enough ponies in my head as it is.

Armor studied her for a moment. “You don’t believe me, do you?”

Twilight exhaled sharply. “I’d really like to take your word for it, but I can’t, knowing what I know. You just don’t know what I’ve been through. Deception is the most dangerous pony in Equestria; how am I supposed to just believe everything’ll be alright?”

“Twilight, I do know what you’re going through. I was there when the attacks happened, you know. I organized the evacuation of Manehattan to Fillydelphia, I taught Luna the barrier spell, heck, I was even a prisoner in the Dreamscape for two years,” Armor argued.

Twilight gaped. “You were in the Dreamscape?”

“You think there’s any other way I wouldn’t have contacted you when you first arrived in Fillydelphia after Luna saved all your flanks?” Armor replied. “Cadance and I both were stuck in there for the majority of the Daymare’s rule. It was actually the first time we had met since she was your foalsitter, in essentially the waiting room into that little... experiment.” He scowled. “They wiped our memory before you broke in and defeated the Daymare, so I can’t tell you much about it. But Twilight, I’m not stupid, and I’m not just trying to make you feel better. I know what I’m talking about, so don’t just dismiss everything I say.”

Twilight’s ears folded back against her head, and she nodded, swallowing. “Okay. Sorry for not trusting you. It’s just that... with my horn gone, and all, I don’t know if I’m going to be able to stand up to any of the Elements of Discord, let alone Deception.”

“I can relate to that, too,” Armor said. He stopped on the sidewalk, and knelt so that Twilight could see the top of his horn. “See that?”

Twilight squinted, and indeed, there was a small spot a couple centimeters in diameter that was whiter than the rest of Armor’s horn.

“Touch it,” Armor prompted.

Twilight reached up and felt the surface of the white spot. It was smooth and cool. “...Porcelain?”

He nodded, and stood back up. “That was an accident during the attacks. A stone flew off one of the buildings and chipped my horn. I couldn’t use magic for weeks until it was repaired, and even today, if I try anything too difficult, I get a massive headache.”

“...Oh,” Twilight said.

“And before you even bring it up, yes, I do have a leadership position, but not the one you remember,” Armor began, not waiting for Twilight to continue. “The mayor of Manehattan was killed in the Daymare’s rampage, and I was asked to take his place. That’s why the city is so beautiful, because I used some of the funds the mayor had been hoarding and put it into refining the city and promoting education. I have three meetings today and two tomorrow, and in-between that I have to put in shopping, spending time with Cadance-”

“All right, all right, I get it,” Twilight laughed. “I understand that you understand, okay? I promise that I won’t be so cynical in the future. Now can we please go see Cadance?”

Armor flexed slightly before continuing ahead of Twilight. “To be perfectly honest,” he told her, “that was more for me than for you.” He stopped suddenly in front of a small shop and said, “Well, here we are. Ready to meet the most wonderful mare in the world?”

“I sure hope she’s modest,” Twilight joked, nudging her brother. She took a breath, then pushed open the doors to the café.

It was much busier than it had been the day before, with morning clientele lining up to be served caffeinated drinks and a light breakfast. Latte was there, bustling back and forth wearing an apron, but Aurora wasn’t. In her place was a different barista, a young adult stallion who was patiently counting out change and relaying orders to his boss. Near the windows in front of the store sat Princess Cadance.

She was paging through a book, sipping a steaming mug of tea through a straw. When she saw Armor and Twilight, though, she hastily fiddled with her hair a bit, shoved her book into her saddlebags, and rushed up to them.

“Shining Armor!” she exclaimed, pulling him into a quick hug. She brushed back his mane and saw a couple lines of stress and worry stretching across his face. “Oh, you look awful. Were you up all night?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” Armor said truthfully, shrugging. “I’ll make it up with a nap later today in-between meetings.”

She shook him slightly. “You’re going to work yourself into the ground. I swear, one day I’m going to find your face sticking out of my flower garden.”

He laughed. “Since you see my face everywhere anyway, that won’t be too big of a change, will it?”

She pushed him away playfully. “Go. Do work.” Though quietly, she added, “Did you get the medicine?”

He shook his head. “I’m going to get it right now,” he replied softly. Turning to Twilight, he said, “Have a good time, you two. Luna will be coming to pick you up, Twilight, about two hours before the meeting to help you prepare. Are you okay flying home tonight, Cadance?”

She nodded and shooed him away. He had just opened the exit when Entour and Raj landed to whisk him away to his duties. Twilight, meanwhile, was wondering, What medicine? Maybe for Armor’s migraines? Or is it something else?

“You know,” Cadance began as she escorted Twilight back to her seat, “I’ve always had a problem with him being stuck in that political rat race.”

“Why?” Twilight asked.

“Because even if you win, you’re still a rat,” she said, smiling slightly. “Somepony said that once, but I forget who. Anyway, Twilight, how have you been? It’s been so long since we last talked. What’ve you been up to?” She sat down and looked up at Twilight expectantly.

Twilight paused, unsure how to respond. She sat down and instead examined her former foalsitter. There didn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary about her; she was a light pink alicorn with a slightly more reddish mane that was highlighted purple and yellow, and her body type was that of a typical pony’s. Twilight had a nagging feeling, though, that something was different about Cadance now that many years had passed. She took a note of that and dismissed the thought for the time being. “I... I just told the entire story to Armor earlier this morning, so he’s probably the better pony to ask. It’s a really, really long story.”

“Oh. Okay,” Cadance said. She studied Twilight for a bit, before saying, “Well... let’s just get this out of the way. Do you remember... anything... about me?”

“Nothing that I don’t want to forget anyway,” Twilight mumbled. She realized what she had said and blurted, “Oh, I didn’t mean it like-”

“It’s okay, Twilight; Armor’s already explained what happened. But... I guess I want to hear it from your perspective, too,” Cadance said, looking at Twilight hopefully. “Just to make sure, I guess.”

Twilight sighed. “Cadance, you have no idea how much I want to remember what my life was like back when you were my best friend. I didn’t even know I had friends until I moved to Ponyville; everything was wiped before that. I barely know you, now, and what I do know of you is the junk memories that Indicina left behind. I’m really, really sorry.”

“Don’t be. It wasn’t under your control,” Cadance said. She thought for a moment, then said, “I guess we just have to become friends again. It shouldn’t be any harder now that we’re a little older, right?” she asked with a small smile.

Twilight nodded. After an awkward pause, she asked, “Well... any ideas on how to start?”

“Oh! I just remembered; I got us reservations to the Seamless Shine in about a half hour. It’s mainly a spa, but they hold fashion shows, as well. I was thinking that maybe we could go and... relax?” Cadance guessed. “I mean, after all you’ve been through.”

“Sure,” Twilight said, getting up. “That sounds wonderful. What do they offer?”

Cadance’s cheek turned a slightly redder shade of pink. “I was kind of hoping you would know.”

Twilight laughed. “I’m sure they’ll let us know once we get there. Now are we going or not?”

“Lets,” Cadance said, standing up.

“You know, I think I know why we were best friends way back when,” Twilight said as she pushed open the exit.

“Why?” Cadance asked.

“Because you’re just as awkward as I am!” Twilight laughed, grinning.

=====================================================================

Twilight noticed that the streets were significantly more crowded than usual, and Cadance pointed out that it was about lunchtime. They exited the café, and Twilight was following Cadance along the sunlit streets when she spotted something peculiar, a pamphlet lying on the ground that had her name on it.

“What’s this?” she asked, picking it up.

“Oh, it’s nothing, just some crazy propaganda Drammatica thought up. I wouldn’t bother reading it,” Cadance said, though there was a nervous edge to her tone.

“Well, maybe I can prove some of it wrong,” Twilight argued. “At the very least, I’d like to know what she’s saying about my friends and I.”

“I’m not sure if you do,” Cadance warned. “Drammatica’s slander is the worst I’ve seen in my entire life. If you really want to read it, then you can, but you won’t like it.”

Twilight picked up the pamphlet and set it on a nearby park bench. Its title was Dialogue, and its color scheme was mostly white and blue. She flipped open to the first page.

*******

Dialogue

Recently, there was an attack on Fillydelphia’s General Hospital, an infiltration by the Element of Discord known as Guilt, or the third most powerful of their order. Shortly after appearing, Guilt was arrested, and he put up no resistance, because he had already achieved what he desired: a meeting with Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic, who was resting due to allegedly critical medical conditions. So far Sparkle has been unavailable to comment, and any requests at an interview have been blocked by none other than Princess Luna herself.

This already suspicious course of events is heightened by the fact that Guilt has attempted to escape from prison numerous times, and every time he breaks free of the supposedly invincible bonds, he beelines straight to Sparkle’s bedside. Sparkle has also apparently been experiencing some mental instability as of late due to causes Luna and her doctors have been unwilling to disclose. Sparkle has also appeared to have lost her unicorn horn, though once again, Luna is hiding from the general public the reason for this obvious anomaly.

Of all those who have been unable to comment on the issue, though, Drammatica Gemstone was able to offer her opinion. “Really, the concerns to be had with Guilt’s appearances and disappearances should be obvious. Guilt obviously has the interests of Discord in mind, and the fact that Twilight has even been allowing him to speak with her is extremely concerning. That combined with Luna’s unwillingness to confront the issue suggests that either both Twilight and Luna are conspiring together with Guilt, or that Luna is oblivious to Twilight’s own scheming. Any other explanation is implausible.”

Whether these events have any weight in the overall scheme of Equestrian politics is yet to be uncovered. However, Princess Luna seems quite eager to hide the truth, and Sparkle has yet to comment on whether her journey to Mt. Nevercrest was successful or not.Twilight gaped. “That’s... That breaks every rule in Tiny Tot’s Guide to Journalism! They cited only one source, they were biased in their presentation, and they--they--!” She shook her head violently, speechless.

“Well... you expected Drammatica to be truthful?” Cadance asked softly, taking the pamphlet from Twilight and throwing it in a nearby trash can.

“I expected her, at least, to play fair,” Twilight grumbled. “‘Mental instability.’ ‘Hiding the truth.’ ‘Obviously planning something.’ Please! What in Equestria does Drammatica have against me and my friends?!”

Cadance noticed some nearby ponies throwing odd glances at her and Twilight. She said quietly, almost a whisper, “Twilight, please, you shouldn’t shout things like that in public.”

“Why not? Because I’m afraid Drammatica and her gang of thugs will come and beat me up? I can take care of myself!” Twilight shouted. “She has no right to go around saying these awful things about me!”

“Well, what if they’re true?” a nearby stallion asked. He stepped in front of Twilight. “I mean, it’s not like you’ve been all that forthcoming about the issue.”

“Yeah!” a mare seconded. “What did happen on that whole quest of yours? And what have you been saying to Guilt?”

Twilight froze under their glares. Some more ponies heard the conversation and started crowding around Twilight and Cadance, forming a mob of about twenty or thirty strong.

Cadance, knowing that Twilight was frightened, stepped in front of her and said, “We don’t want any trouble. We’re just passing through.”

Ordinarily these would have been weak words to say to a mob of angry-looking ponies, but Twilight felt a significant power pulse from Cadance as she spoke. Some of the ponies backed down and continued on their way, but not enough, and the mob was still growing.

Some calls started to echo through the crowd. “Where’s Celestia?” “What are you planning?!” “Give us some answers!” “Do you think we’re stupid?” “She’s just a fake!” “Some Element of Magic!” “Save your own hide; we don’t need you!”

Twilight trembled with rage, though she tried desperately not to show it. The angry cries didn’t stop after a moment or two, though, and eventually Twilight brushed past Cadance and asked the crowd, “What do you want me to say?”

Two words vibrated through the mob. “The truth!”

That’s not what I meant! Twilight screamed to herself. “What kind of truth? Drammatica’s truth? Or what actually happened?”

“Okay, tell us this!” an older mare yelled. “What happened with you and Guilt?”

“Guilt invaded the hospital and tried to strike a bargain with me to fix Rainbow Dash’s wings,” Twilight said simply, trying to retain her composure. “Nothing more.”

“So you admit to conspiring with him!” a voice near the back yelled. Angry cries of “Traitor!” rang clear.

“The Elements of Discord murdered my family, and you’re trying to work with them?!” an enraged stallion asked.

That’s not what I MEANT! Twilight screeched, gritting her teeth. If I had magic right now, she growled silently to herself, they’d all be begging for mercy. She was about to say more, but Cadance stopped her.

“Twilight, you need to stop giving them reasons to hate you,” she said. “I can lead us both out of this if you just stay silent. I’ve been through this kind of thing before with Armor. So do you trust me?”

Twilight nodded, though the angry words of the onlookers stung like angry wasps. Cadance started to walk calmly through the crowd with Twilight at her side. Nopony touched them; the power that radiated from Cadance seemed to be keeping them at bay. The angry crowd followed them for a while, but when they entered the spa, it quickly dispersed.

Twilight looked on from inside the spa as Cadance verified their appointment. What did I do to deserve this?

=====================================================================

*******

They both opted to get a back massage and a mud wrap. The two spa ponies looked familiar to Twilight, and when she asked if they were refugees, they said they had fled Ponyville to Fillydelphia before finally settling in Manehattan. They weren’t very talkative, which Twilight found odd for their occupation, but when she saw that one of them had a glass eye, she didn’t press what had happened back in Ponyville. They did say, though, that their names were Aloe and Lotus, and Twilight recognized them as ponies that Rarity used to visit weekly for her beauty treatments. It’s a small world, she remarked.

Cadance had pre-paid for the reservation, so when they entered, they were whisked away to two raised platforms and told to lie still for a few minutes. Twilight turned her head to the side and made herself as comfortable as possible, chatting with Cadance as Lotus artfully and skillfully began to erase the tension in her muscles.

“What was that?” Twilight asked, having recovered her wits. “That was actually kind of scary.”

“That’s what you get for speaking your honest opinion in mob rule,” Cadance grumbled. “You’re lucky it happened here instead of in Fillydelphia or worse, Las Pegasus, where most Stalliongrad refugees now live in poverty. Drammatica has nearly complete control there, even though she herself lives in Fillydelphia. Which reminds me, how in Equestria are you going to convince Drammatica to let Guilt work on Dash’s wings?”

Twilight didn’t answer right away; Lotus was smoothing out a particularly tense spot on her shoulder, and it felt amazing. “Well... I think if I can make her understand the situation, and if she’s reasonable, she’ll see why giving Guilt parole is necessary.”

Cadance blew some hair out of her face. “Twilight, Drammatica is anything but reasonable. You saw that just from reading her pamphlet. She thinks that the Elements are a cancer to society; she actually said that in a political rally just two weeks ago. She’s criticized Armor just because he’s related to you, and what’s worse is that she’s actually convincing ponies to join her side.”

“Oh, it can’t be that bad, can it?” Twilight asked nervously. “I mean... it can’t be, y’know, catastrophic. Can it?”

“Well... I’m fairly certain that, at this point, if Drammatica asked the citizens of Las Pegasus to burn their city to the ground, they probably would. If she told everypony in Equestria to join forces with the Elements of Discord, one out of every three ponies would start migrating to the Lock,” Cadance explained as Aloe worked on her lower back.

“Wow. I can see why Luna has been so stressed lately. She’s losing the respect of her subjects,” Twilight remarked.

Cadance nodded. “It’s going to be big news if you manage to strike up an agreement with her. Most ponies aren’t radical enough to call for your and Luna’s death, but I can feel the angry glares burning into my neck whenever I’m seen with Armor. He pretends not to notice, but I know they hurt him. Drammatica is tearing Equestria into two halves, and she knows it, but she’s too blind to see the consequences.” She sighed. “I’m not worried about Drammatica taking over Equestria and starting a new world order. As far as I’m concerned, she’s just an angry filly who didn’t get her turn on the swingset and is kicking sand in her parents’ eyes because of it. But if you can’t turn this around, Vengeance is going to walk into Fillydelphia and either enslave or murder everypony she sees.”

Twilight swallowed, and the conversation momentarily ended. Lotus and Aloe moved them to a different room, and as they were walking, Twilight remarked at how loose she felt. I feel like cooked spaghetti, she giggled to herself, testing out her limbs. I really needed this.

“So what did you do after you escaped the Dreamscape?” she asked Cadance, eager to change the subject.

“What do you think, Twilight? I went off to marry Armor. He was the first thing I saw when I got out of the half-alive state the Elements of Discord put me in, and, well, it went from there.” She paused for a moment before rolling her eyes and blushing. “Sorry for the mental image.”

They were led to another set of tables, but they were told to lay on their backs this time around as they were wrapped in towels laden with a brown, pasty mud, though they were positioned so that they could still hold a conversation.

The towels were very warm and heavy, and Twilight began to feel drowsy under their weight. To prevent herself from dozing off, she said, “Hey, Cadance. If you don’t mind me asking, Armor mentioned something about medicine earlier.”

“Oh, that? It’s nothing, really,” Cadance said quickly. “It’s just some antacids. We were running low.”

Twilight wasn’t convinced. “Cadance... a lot of my friends think it’s okay to hide things from me. It’s not. I don’t want to make a big deal out of this, and I won’t have to if you just tell me the whole truth.”

Cadance sighed, pausing as she tried to formulate a proper response. “Twilight, it wouldn’t be right of me to tell you now. Not when you already have so much to worry about. You’re going to need all your focus when you fight Vengeance, and I don’t want to distract you from it. You have enough to think about as it is; it’d be selfish to tell you before you and your friends make Equestria safe again. I just don’t want to be a burden.”

Twilight pursed her lips. “Well, okay... I understand. But whatever you have... it’s not life-threatening, is it?”

To Twilight’s surprise, Cadance actually laughed. “No, no, nothing like that. Don’t worry, Twilight, I’m going to be with you and Armor for a long time.”

Twilight relaxed. “Okay. Thanks.”

A little while later, she was shaken awake by Cadance. “Wake up, sleepyhead,” she said gently. “It’s time for you to go to the meeting.”

Twilight yawned as Lotus peeled off the wet towels and dried her off. She felt completely refreshed, the tension of the past few weeks having simply melted out of her like warm butter. Her pelt was smooth and rejuvenated. She said goodbye to the beauticians and exited the spa just as a cool breeze wafted through the Manehattan streets. “Thank you, Cadance. That was wonderful.”

She smiled. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Actually, there’s something I want to show you, before you go.”

“What is it?” Twilight asked.

“An old secret hoofshake that we made up together when you were younger,” Cadance said. “It goes like this: Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake. Clap your hooves and do a little shake!” She demonstrated the moves to Twilight: First a little jog-in-place, a peek-a-boo, and a clap before turning around and shaking her tail.

Twilight smiled, unsure. “That’s...”

Cadance’s face fell. “I know; it’s stupid, isn’t it?”

Twilight laughed. “No, that sounds exactly like something I would do. We would do,” she corrected.

“Okay... then you try,” Cadance prompted.

“Sunshine, sunshine...” Twilight began, prancing a bit in place.

“Ladybugs awake,” Cadance continued, showing Twilight the peek-a-boo.

“Clap your hooves-” Twilight said, tapping Cadance’s hooves.

“-And do a little shake!” Cadance finished.

They burst out laughing, not noticing the chariot landing behind them. It was one of Luna’s, with dark-pelted guards looking at Twilight nervously, not sure whether to interrupt her or not.

“Twi?” Applejack asked from within the chariot. She hopped out, making sure her hat didn’t fall off her head, though she was also wearing a red-and-brown vest similar to the one her cousin Braeburn wore. “What’re ya doin’?”

Twilight grinned, blushing slightly. “Well, just... remembering things.”

“Well, Ah hate ta intrude, but Luna wants us both at the meetin’, and pronto,” Applejack said. “You’ll have plenty a time ta talk later. Right now we gotta go back ta Fillydelphia.”

Twilight nodded, and turned to Cadance. “Well, guess it’s goodbye, at least for now.”

Cadance gave her sister-in-law a tight squeeze. “Getting to know you again was great, Twilight. I can tell it won’t be hard for us to be best friends again. But for now, you have somewhere to be.”

“Okay. I’ll be back soon. My other friends need my help, too,” Twilight said. I haven’t even seen Sweetie Belle yet; I’ve been so preoccupied with my own troubles that I haven’t even begun to think about what my friends might be going through, even now. I promise to see each and every one of them after the meeting. “Have a good day, Cadance.”

And with that, she hopped into the chariot with Applejack, and the two stallions took to wing.

Cadance smiled slightly as she waved them goodbye. She’s really grown up fast, she observed just as Twilight disappeared from view. I just hope that she won’t forget how to be a filly every now and then, if only for a little longer. She’s been through so much hardship, and she’s probably going to go through so much more... I can only hope that, by the end, she still knows how to smile. That’s all she really needs to do.

=====================================================================

*******

Applejack didn’t say much on their way to the capital. Twilight leaned on the edge of the chariot as it soared through the air, and before she knew it, it had landed, and they were being escorted into the building that Luna had teleported her and her friends to after Pinkie had realized her Potential.

“Applejack?” Twilight asked her as they guards led them to the conference room. “Are you alright?”

“Well...” she began. “Ta be honest, Ah’m a little nervous. Ah’ve seen Drammatica’s speeches and such, and she ain’t somepony Ah’d wanna mess with, no sir. Ah... Ah think she might’a chose me ta be with ya ‘cause Ah always seem ta screw stuff up.”

“Oh, don’t say that, Applejack. You’ll do fine,” Twilight said.

“Ah really wanna believe that, Twi, but...” She shook her head. “Forget it. S’not important. There ain’t all that much that can go wrong, anyway.”

“That’s the... spirit?” Twilight asked. She looks really downcast. I wish there was some way to cheer her up, but I don’t know what Drammatica’s capable of. For all I know, she could be smarter than me and all my friends put together. She could be smarter than Guilt! And she probably is, to be able to get so many ponies to support her...

“Twi?” Applejack prodded. “We’re here.”

“Huh? Oh, right,” Twilight replied. The guards led them into a drab conference room that was probably at the center of the building--no windows, just bare, gray walls enclosing a hexagonal table. Luna’s royal banner hung from the ceiling at the end of the room opposite the door, but that was the only splash of color present.

Luna was sitting in front of the banner, and sitting next to her was Latte.

“It’s good to see you, Twilight,” Luna said. She was still in her magicless form, although she seemed notably wearier than before. “And you too, Applejack. Please, take a seat.”

“Thank you,” Twilight said, though she was staring at Latte. “Um... if you don’t mind me asking, why are you here, Latte?”

He chuckled. “I’ve been Royal Diplomat for Equestria fer five years, now. S’just that there haven’t been any need fer diplomacy ‘till just recently, so I opened a coffee shop in the meantime. And, y’know... I kinda enjoy the latter more than the former,” he added, smiling slightly.

Twilight nodded. “So when does the meeting start?”

“In about fifteen minutes. I’m very glad you came early. There’s a lot I have to go over with you before the doors open,” Luna said. “It’s very important that you both know how to behave when Drammatica gets here. She’s bringing nearly the entire press corps of Equestria with her, and if they find a way to twist your words around and make you look bad, they most certainly will. It’s mine and Latte’s job to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

She went on to give Twilight and Applejack a lecture about what to say, what not to say, how to sit, how to hide emotion, and so on and so forth. Twilight, for the most part, absorbed all of it, though she could see that Applejack was having trouble keeping all the mannerisms Luna went over straight in her head. Latte pulled her aside for a private session in the last five minutes before the meeting started while Luna flipped through some royal documents.

“One minute to go,” Twilight muttered.

Not even a minute. Just after Twilight finished speaking, a horde of ponies barged in through the conference door, though the guards kept most of them in check. They were all journalists, with pen, ink, and cameras in hoof. They had already begun to snap photos, and Twilight tried hard not to show surprise and remain expressionless as the guards got them under control.

A pathway was cleared, and through it stepped a big, burly dragon. He was about twice as tall as Twilight. His scales were a dark red, and his underbelly and spikes were black and white, respectively. His slitted dragon eyes gleamed with mischief and intelligence, though his steps were clumsy, as if he wasn’t used to walking bipedally. His sharp gaze immediately turned to Twilight, and her blood turned to ice under his stare. “...Greetingsk, Twilight, Element of Magick.” His voice was rather high-pitched, considering his girth. “You musk forgive my akskent. The letter ‘esk’ doesk not ek-... ekist in Dragontongue.”

Twilight deciphered that and replied, “And greetings to you, Malachi. I’ll do my best to understand you if you’re willing to repeat what you say if I ask.”

“Reaskonable enough,” he said. He pushed one of the chairs by the table out of the way, opting to sit on his haunches instead, something he accomplished with much greater ease. He greeted each of the ponies present at the meeting in turn, though his steely gaze seemed to intimidate everypony present, even Luna.

The next pony to enter the room was a bright white earth pony mare. She had a sea-blue mane, and her face was expressionless and impassive. She brushed past the press corps like they were a mere illusion even when they all demanded information out of her at once. Her tail was short-cut, and her mane was braided, though a few strands of it hung stylishly over her eyes.

“I’m happy to skee you again, Drammatica,” Malachi said. “The area is always more... pleaskant... when you’re around.”

“I’m glad you see you here, as well,” Drammatica said simply, though she didn’t make eye contact. Her gaze was focused toward Applejack.

“H-... Hello, Drammatica,” Twilight began anxiously. “My name is Twilight Sparkle, and to my right is my friend-”

“There is no need for introductions,” Drammatica stated. The press corps fell silent. “I know who you are,” she began, her tone icier than a midwinter night. “I know who both of you are.” She raised a hoof and pointed at Applejack. “You killed my daughter.”

=====================================================================

[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This story takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
Please let me know if a link doesn’t work.

Chapter TwentyTwo

Chapter TwentyTwo

*******

The press corps went berserk for a few moments before finally settling themselves down and waiting to hear Applejack’s response. All the poor Element of Honesty could utter, though, was a startled grunt, her eyes wide.

“I suppose you Elements never stop to consider the real-world consequences of the crimes you commit,” Drammatica said, flicking her mane to the side and advancing to her seat between Malachai and Latte, opposite of Twilight. “It doesn’t matter. There’s more important business to attend to than my personal matters.”

Applejack was still speechless, so Twilight stepped in to try and save face: “We’re very sorry for your loss. If there was anything we could have done to prevent it, we would have. There wasn’t much we could have done. At the time the Elements of Discord were much more powerful than us. I accept responsibility for their deaths and offer you my sincerest condolences.”

“That, I can understand. What I can’t understand is why you never stopped to consider that Saphira and Lorey might have family,” Drammatica said, sitting down. “You simply buried them and didn’t give them a second thought thereafter. I waited a long time for you to come to me, at the very least to apologize, but you never showed up. You ignored your responsibility. That’s what bothers me the most.”

“I appreciate your sentiments, Drammatica. Shall I organize another meeting about it?” Luna asked.

“Oh? I apologize if I have been delaying. Sometimes my emotions can get in the way of my etiquette. I’m sure some of you here know the feeling,” Drammatica said coolly. “You may begin when you are ready, Princess.”

What emotions? Twilight muttered to herself.

“Thank you,” Luna said. She adressed the entirety of the conference. “You all understand that Rainbow Dash’s wings are in a hopeless condition, as far as my best physicians are concerned. However, Ms. Sparkle and I are very convinced that the Element of Guilt would be able to repair them. My plan is to allow him out of prison for the duration of the procedure before placing him back into Royal Guard custody once again. Rainbow Dash cannot properly function without her wings, and if the circumstances weren’t as dire as they are right now, I wouldn’t be considering Guilt’s proposal. However, there are not many options at the moment. So what say you all? Yay or neigh?”

“All we need to do is get y’all to approve this motion, ‘n then we can get it underway,” Latte said. “Personally, I don’t see a problem s’long as Guilt’s kept under control.”

“That was actually something I would like to bring up,” Drammatica began. “How do you know that Guilt won’t break free at the earliest opportunity? I’m unconvinced that the ponies controlling him would be safe. He’s killed without provocation before.”

“Guilt has acted as if he has a genuine desire to help us,” Twilight replied, “and if that isn’t enough for you, my friends Pinkie and Rarity, the Elements of Humor and Generosity, respectively, would be more than enough to suppress his powers. They have both realized their Potential, and Pinkie has already overpowered Guilt once before. The two of them together will keep him well under control.”

“I would like to agree with you, Twilight,” Malachai rumbled, “but do take care not to undereskimate Guilt. He hask proved very reskorskful in the pask. That askide, iskn’t Pinkie Pie skill recovering from her injuriesk?”

“My doctors have assured me that she’s very much back on her hooves and fit to utilize her powers, and I trust their judgment,” Luna stated.

“A-And we have Rarity ta back Pinkie up, too,” Applejack seconded, though she stuttered a bit as a camera in the background flashed.

“True, true,” Malachai agreed. He paused for a moment, then said, “The Forskes of Discord have no objection to thisk plan, although we will conskent only if you agree to turn Guilt over to usk after the skurgery isk complete.”

“I don’t see anything wrong with this plan,” Twilight said.

“Me neither,” Applejack seconded.

“That makes five votes out of a required six,” Luna began, looking at Drammatica. “Do you have any objection to this plan, Drammatica?”

“Yes, actually,” Drammatica said. “How come you are all so certain that two measly Elements of Harmony would be able to hold back Guilt? You saw how much damage Hate alone was capable of. I’m not convinced that it would be safe to release Guilt from his prison just yet.”

Twilight chuckled. “Drammatica, I’m not sure that you are aware of Guilt’s powers.”

“Oh? Enlighten me,” Drammatica said, folding her forelegs and leaning back in her chair.

“Guilt has power over the fabric of space. He can teleport to any location in Equestria at will. Even when he was in prison, he was able to open a portal to my hospital room without even breaking a sweat. He could leave anytime he wanted to, which leads me back to my first point: He really seems to have a genuine desire to help us,” Twilight argued.

“After Guilt broke out of prison the first time, he was restrained and rendered immobile by our best magicians. He will not be escaping anytime soon,” Luna said. Her voice was strained, though, and she looked at Twilight fiercely. It looked like she wanted to warn her about something, though Twilight wasn’t quite sure what.

“So Guilt has complete power over space,” Drammatica said, her mouth twisting into a smile. “I am aware of the powers of the Elements of Discord, though I had not heard of this before. Interesting. How can I be certain, then, that you aren’t just making this up to intimidate me?”

“It’d be fairly easy to prove,” Twilight said, annoyed. “That is, if you want to put all our lives at stake.”

Drammatica laughed. “Go ahead, then, little Element. I could do without one or two of you.”

Twilight fumed. She reached out in her mind for Guilt, refreshing the underused mental tether that held their minds together.

Yes, Twilight? Guilt asked.

I need you to make an appearance. Do you know where I am? Twilight asked.

I’ll be a minute; first I need to pinpoint your exact location. ...Ah, the conference room. I’ll be there in a few moments, Guilt said. What do you need?

I need to prove to Drammatica that you have good intentions, Twilight replied. “He’s on his way,” she told those present at the meeting. The press corps readied their cameras.

“Guards, stand at the ready,” Luna ordered halfheartedly. She was rubbing one of her temples with her hoof, looking as if she was about to be sick.

Guilt materialized on top of the conference table in a burst of orange energy. Some of the reporters shrieked and ran away, but most of them lit up the room with a lightshow of camera flashes. Guilt flexed and looked around, though he tensed when he saw Malachai.

Twilight looked at Drammatica, expecting shock, but she was sitting back in her chair, grinning smugly. Twilight was confused for a moment before she realized why, and the truth made her blood turn to ice.

Applejack leapt up onto the table, staring at Guilt, her eyes wide and filled with shocked tears. “B-... Big Mac?”

Despite everything, and despite the horror of the situation, Guilt’s mouth was still able to twitch into his characteristic, sinister, sadistic grin. Twilight was screaming internally for him to stop before Applejack saw, but it was too late.

Applejack’s shock and fury were incalculable. She turned away for a moment, fighting back sobs. After everything... after Apple Bloom... not you, too! Tears began to leak from her eyes, and her face twisted into one of shock and agony.

Guilt simply stood, staring at her impassively, as if she wasn’t even there.

Applejack shuddered with rage, yelled, and smacked Guilt into the table. Not stopping there, she turned and bucked him into Luna’s royal banner, tearing it to the floor. She rushed up and tried to hit him again, but the two guards posted outside the chamber were already dragging her away. She didn’t yell, she didn’t scream; she only cried under the multitude of flashing lights.

Twilight was about to throw up, and Luna had closed her eyes and was rubbing her temples still, looking as if she was about to faint.

Guilt tossed the banner aside and stood up, one of his eyes blackened. Drammatica stood up and walked over to him, never letting her gaze leave his face. “So, you’re the fourth Element of Discord. A pleasure. I do appreciate you making an appearance today; you’ve done Equestria a great service.”

Guilt stared at her coldly.

“How did you know?” Twilight croaked.

“Unlike you, I do my research,” Drammatica answered simply. She turned to look at Luna. “I have no objection to the surgery. I have attained what I needed from this meeting. Good day to you all.” And with that, she, and the great majority of the journalists, departed.

“A skurprisking turn of eventsk,” Malachai said, rising to leave as well. “Vengeance will be quite interesked to learn what hask happened here today. I bid you farewell, Equestriansk.” He lumbered out of the room.

“Dis-missed,” Luna hissed, standing up suddenly and glaring at the remaining few journalists. The rest of the press corps, muttering to themselves, took their leave. “Twilight, I dismiss you to your apartment. You can stay there and think about your blunders while I mop up the mess you have created.” She angrily stormed out of the room, leaving Twilight to her silent tears.

“...What a drama queen,” Latte muttered to himself before ambling out of the room, not even stopping to see if Twilight was alright.

She played us all for fools, Guilt told Twilight. I don’t like being played for a fool.

“N-No.” Twilight was sobbing into her forelegs, leaning on the conference table. “Sh-She played me for a f-fool. N-Now everyp-pony in Equestria will see how a-a-awfully I me-messed up.”

Guilt walked toward the doors and closed them. It would be a little longer before Luna sent a team to recapture him, if she even bothered to do so at all. Slightly uncomfortable, he went and took a seat next to Twilight. Twilight... there is something I think I ought to tell you, about life. It’s something that I learned after seeing so many ponies suffer throughout their entire existence. Let me know when you are ready to listen.

Twilight cried softly for a few more minutes before getting hiccups. That made it rather difficult for her to cry, so she forced herself to calm down so that she could listen to Guilt. Wiping her eyes, she looked up into his slitted orange irises.

You know... in Equestria, there are plenty of ponies that will be perfectly willing to call you a loser, or a mistake, or a monster, or even a failure, Guilt began, returning Twilight’s gaze, but never say those things of yourself. There will always be ponies focusing on your mistakes and your misfortunes. If you let that get to you, then all the powers you once had will slip out from under you. I know that firsthoof. Never forget, Twilight--you saved Equestria countless times. Your friends would be lost without you. You may have made a mistake today, but Drammatica is trivial. You are above her, and you have much greater things to worry about than public opinion. As long as you can defeat Vengeance, everything else will work itself out automatically.

“How’s that--hic--supposed to make me feel better?” Twilight sniffled. “Hic--Just because I know I have bigger things to--hic--worry about doesn’t mean what Drammatica just did doesn’t sting. It hurts, and it hurts a lot. And you just want me to--hic--brush it off? Guilt, do you know what she’ll say about me?”

I don’t request that you brush it off, I demand that you brush it off, if nothing else but for the sake of your friends, Guilt growled. They will not listen to the advice of an expert. Twilight, you are listening to the pony whose entire name is based around the emotions you’re feeling right now. I have worked with misery and disappointment ever since I was born; I am the embodiment of it, just as you are the embodiment of Friendship, and good friends will set aside their own emotions to help others cope with theirs.

“She made me look like a foal!” Twilight blurted. “L-Like a foal who--hic--like a foal who got out in the first round of the spelling bee!”

But does the spelling bee define who that foal is? Guilt countered. Does the spelling bee, a single event, ruin that entire foal’s school career? Surely she may be made fun of for it by peers, but will she let that stop her from achieving what truly matters to her?

“Yes!” Twilight screamed right in Guilt’s face. She broke down into hysterical sobs. “Yes--!”

Then I’m afraid that I will not be able to help you, Guilt said simply. Let me know when you are ready to talk again. You know where I’ll be.

And with that, he vanished, and Twilight was alone.

=====================================================================

*******

Sweetie Belle was lying on a couch, wrapped in a blanket and reading a book. Applejack had left her some crackers and apples on the coffee table and had told her to do something, but she had forgotten what, so she had picked up one of the books she saw lying around and was struggling through it despite the fact that the words seemed to shift around on the page.

There was a knock on the door. Sweetie yawned and got up, dog-earing the page she was on and lazily ambling to the front of the apartment. “Who is it?”

“Twilight,” the pony on the other side of the door said. She sounded odd, as if she had just eaten something really sour. “May I come in?”

“Sure, Twilight,” Sweetie said, opening the door and smiling when she saw Twilight on the other side. “It’s good to see you!”

“It’s good to see you, too,” Twilight said. She looked haggard and exhausted, but she managed to smile nonetheless. “How are you doing? I wish I could have visited with you, earlier, but there were some things that I needed to take care of first.”

“You mean in the library?” Sweetie asked. She paused for a moment, and her brow furrowed. “Wait a second... the library still, um, exists, right?”

Twilight shook her head as she entered the apartment. “It was destroyed by Hate. But there are other libraries,” she added.

“Ohh...” Sweetie moaned. “I really thought I had it that time.”

“Huh?” Twilight asked.

“Well... I can’t remember things so well anymore,” Sweetie said, leading Twilight to the couch. “Like I can’t remember which Element of Discord possessed Celestia, and I can’t remember that Pinkie Pie isn’t alive anymore.”

“Sweetie...” Twilight began softly, sitting down next to Sweetie. “Pinkie is alive.”

“...Oh,” Sweetie began, genuinely surprised. “But Centime... he isn’t, right?”

Twilight nodded sadly, a lump forming in her throat as she began to recall the tragic memories surrounding the ponies Sweetie was trying so hard to remember. I can see why this would be painful for Rarity to go through. Sweetie can’t tell which ponies to bring up and which ones not to.

“I’ll get it eventually,” Sweetie shrugged. “Applejack told me something about a meeting you and her were going to. How’d it go?”

“...Pretty badly,” Twilight admitted. “I made some pretty big mistakes, and I gave a very mean pony called Drammatica the upper hoof.”

“So Dash’s wings won’t get fixed?” Sweetie asked, clearly expecting a dreadful answer. Her lower lip trembled. “What’ll she do without her wings?”

“No, no, nothing like that,” Twilight began. “Dash’s wings will still be fixed; in fact, the procedure is supposed to start tomorrow morning.”

“Oh! Thank Celestia,” Sweetie said, relieved. Something occurred to her. “But... isn’t that what you wanted?”

“Well, yes, but...” Twilight trailed off.

“So it was a success!” Sweetie stated. “Now Dash’s wings’ll be all fixed up and we’ll all be able to fight Vengeance! Isn’t that what we were trying to do in the first place? As long as Dash’s wings are fixed, then it doesn’t matter what else happened!”

“Well, yes, but...” Twilight was scouring her mind for a rebuttal, but she found nothing.

“But what?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Well... I guess you’re right,” Twilight shrugged, though she remained unconvinced. It has to be more complicated than that, though. Starting with Applejack.

As if she had read Twilight’s mind, Sweetie asked, “Have you seen Applejack? She’s supposed to make me dinner, and I was hoping that she’d be back around the same time you were.”

Twilight bit her lip. If the paperwork is all filed swiftly, then Applejack should be being released as we speak. I doubt she’ll be in any mood to feed Sweetie, though... Maybe I should watch her for a little bit. It’s the least I owe Applejack after what I did. “Applejack should be back in a couple hours to cook for you. Why? Are you hungry?”

“Well... no,” Sweetie Belle began, “but... It kinda gets lonely just being cooped up in here without friends to talk with. Books can only get you so far,” she said, pointing to the half-read novel on the coffee table.

“I know that firsthoof,” Twilight chuckled. “Tell you what: if you’re willing to stay here and read for a little longer, I could try and get Pinkie and a few relatives so that we could all go out to eat together. How does that sound?”

“That sounds really fun! But could you bring Rarity, too? I haven’t seen her in forever,” Sweetie Belle added as Twilight stood up from the couch.

Twilight pursed her lips. “...I’ll try my best, Sweetie, but I can’t promise you she’ll come.”

“Why not?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Rarity and I are... we’re sisters, right? Aren’t we?”

Twilight nodded. “You are. And I’ll be sure to mention that to her when I ask. It’s about time you two get to talk to each other again.”

Sweetie nodded. “Okay. Don’t be long.”

Twilight opened the door out of Applejack’s apartment, though she turned to hug Sweetie before she left. “I won’t. Stay safe, Sweetie Belle.”

=====================================================================

*******

Twilight rang the doorbell of Rarity’s apartment and waited a few moments. Maybe she’s not in? She began to lean on the door, pondering how to find her friend, and noticed that it was left slightly open.

The apartment was almost a complete copy of Twilight’s, though Rarity had obviously been in hers for longer, because there were soon-to-be-filled picture frames lining the walls, and an open box of cereal on the counter. Twilight glanced around and called out, “Rarity? Rarity!” She received no answer. She searched the other rooms in the house, as well; the shower was still damp from recent use, and the bed was unmade, but there wasn’t a soul to be found anywhere.

Did something happen? she asked herself. Maybe... I’m not sure. But I can ask. She stretched out her mental beacon, concentrating as she locked onto Guilt’s signal.

Are you ready to talk? he immediately asked.

No, not yet. But there’s something I need your help with, Twilight began, scouring the apartment once more. Rarity’s missing, and she might have been foalnapped. Whoever was here left in a hurry.

And this concerns me in the slightest? Guilt asked.

Yes, yes it does, Twilight replied angrily. She might be in danger! I need you to see if you can find her in the same kind of way that you find me.

I’ll see what I can do, Guilt said. You’d better not be wasting my time, though. In the meantime, you possess the same senses that I do, see if you can sniff out anything abnormal.

I’m not a bloodhound, Twilight muttered.

Bah, you know what I mean, Guilt grumbled.

Twilight extended her senses, but since she wasn’t quite sure which ones to extend, she ended up aimlessly wandering about the apartment until Guilt contacted her again.

Well? she asked hopefully.

Unfortunately, her aura signal is being disrupted by one of my siblings. That much I can tell. However, the mere fact that she has an aura signal means that she’s alive and well, and I can also tell you that she is in Fillydelphia.

Well... That’s a start, Twilight began.

Are you sure that you’ve checked everywhere in the apartment? Guilt inquired.

I think so... Twilight began, before a note on the back of the front door caught her eye. Wait, I just noticed something. A note on the back of the door.

Through what means did you fail to notice that before? Guilt grumbled.

I’m not perfect, okay? Twilight snapped back. She peeled off the note, which was hanging by a piece of tape, and unfolded it on the floor to read. It was a poem in Ancient, but the letters didn’t seem to fit together in her mind to form words and sentences. This note is written in Ancient, but I can’t seem to read it. Do you think it’s a different version, or something?

Possibly... but the far more likely explanation is that you lost the ability to read Ancient when you lost your magic, Guilt pointed out.

I’m not so sure, Twilight began, closely inspecting the shifting words. I think the text might be enchanted, actually. If text holds power, it’s difficult to decipher.

But that would also imply that it activates a spell, Guilt began. Which means it would be unwise to try and read it until the situation can be contained.

Twilight paused for a moment, contemplating her course of action.

...You’re going to anyway, aren’t you? Guilt asked.

Of course, Twilight thought back, inspecting the text. I’m sure Rarity would do the same for me.

You put a lot of faith in your friends, don’t you? Guilt inquired.

What else is there to put faith into? I’m not going to hoard it all to myself, Twilight replied. The text was becoming clearer, and she began to read: “In this jail of broken will-” she stopped. “...Huh? These words aren’t written in regular speech, so why am I reading them that way?”

Hah! Guilt laughed. And I was worried you’d lost power! It appears that one of your hidden Elemental abilities has unlocked. You’re translating the document automatically.

“And this happened... when?” Twilight asked, arching an eyebrow.

Well... technically, it’s not strictly an ability of the Element of Magic. Given enough time spent with the Ancient Language, anypony can manipulate it how they choose. I mean, take Verba; he’s made of Ancient; that’s all he is. You’ve been around it for what, one, two years now? I’m not surprised that you’re reading the text in your native language. It should have happened long ago. Over time you’ll see more and more growth in this area, including being able to manipulate the fabric of magic itself. But that’s for a later discussion. You have a paper to read.

“Okay,” Twilight began. “In this jail of broken will, a filly waits in hope, until-”

Wait a minute, Guilt interrupted.

What? Twilight asked irritably.

I think you’re reciting... well, it’s a poem made by my sister, Arrogance, long ago, Guilt began. It’s rather dark, and it hold dark meaning, which in turn translates into dark magic. I’m not convinced you know what you’re getting into here.

“Guilt, I can take care of myself,” Twilight growled, forgetting for a moment that she was communicating telepathically. “I just want to get this over with.”

Then by all means, Guilt began, but I am slightly apprehensive of this course of action.

Twilight took a breath, then read:

“In this jail of broken will
A filly waits in hope, until
She knows there is no way to go
No north star leads through icy snow
No compass leads through former friends
No map can lead her to good ends.
And then the tears come in full flow
For she has nothing else but woe;
There is no way to save herself
And so she picks up from a shelf
A quill and ink to write a note
A hasty scrawl that will denote
How evil that she must become
To flee far from this awful slum.
These are the keys to soul and strife
That plague me now throughout my life
And I refuse to blame just I
For crimes committed on a lie
No, it will fall upon the others
That I will kill, my former brothers
Who locked me up to burn me later
I’ve done no wrong; they are the traitors.

She paused for a moment, then said, “Wait a minute. That’s translated from another language, it shouldn’t rhyme!” She she tossed the paper aside and turned around. “And besides that, it’s really only saying things I already know. Hate’s already ranted about how much the Elements of Harmony supposedly mistreated him and his siblings. So how is this important?”

“It’s important,” another pony hissed, “because you still aren’t taking it seriously.”

*******

Twilight gasped. All the hairs on her neck were standing up, and she shivered. “G-...Guilt?” she squeaked.

No answer.

Twilight slowly turned back around, though her movements were a little jittery. This had better not be Indicina, or I’m going to have a fit.

“Hey. Hey! Snap out of it!” The same voice. Twilight glanced around before she saw Arrogance standing at the entryway of Rarity’s apartment.

“What are you doing here?” Twilight asked.

“Um, you’re the one that sent yourself here, bozo,” she sneered back.

She flicked her hoof to the side, and the apartment complex collapsed. Twilight screamed, though after a few moments she realized she wasn’t falling. She uncovered her eyes and looked back up at Arrogance, her head slightly fuzzy. “What do you want?”

“Um, you tell me,” she said, floating back toward Twilight. “I didn’t invite you here, you know. You read my poem. Only one of those exists in the world at any given time, and it essentially holds the power to, like... y’know what, never mind. I have a job to do anyway; doesn’t matter where I do it.”

Twilight was put at ease slightly by the fact that Arrogance was still, well, Arrogance, and not some creepy half-formed blob that wanted to tear her inside-out, which would have been a dead giveaway that Indicina was trying to take her over again. It’s not like I can relax, though, because, Arrogance is still, well, Arrogance.

She looked around. She and Arrogance were in a minimalistic version of the Dreamscape where they had fought the Daymare; it had the same golden sky and pearly white clouds, but none of the infrastructure or the cityscape. Twilight looked down to see only wide, golden plains. Wait a minute... is this Arrogance’s private Dreamscape?

“Let’s see here... it’d kinda risky to drag two ponies in here at once, but meh. I can always kick one of you out if something goes wrong,” Arrogance began. She flicked her hoof again, and a dark blue portal opened up. Out fell a white mare with a sea-blue mane, wrapped in bonds and gagged. She struggled slightly, but since she was suspended in midair, she couldn’t do much. She looked at Twilight, clearly panicked.

“Wait. First tell me how I got here,” Twilight demanded. It took her a bit to recognize the mare through all her bonds, but then she ordered, “And why did you bring Drammatica here? She isn’t a part of this!”

“She is so a part of this, Twilight. And of all ponies, I would have thought you hated her the most,” Arrogance added. She gripped Drammatica by the scruff of her neck and pulled her upward sharply. “It’s because of this trash that Vengeance’s plans are delayed. It’s bad enough she’s turned traitor on us, but now she turns our spies into double-agents? No way, José. Not. Happening,” she hissed right into Drammatica’s ear before tossing her aside. Drammatica grunted in pain.

Twilight gritted her teeth. Great, now I have her life in my hooves, too. I should probably just let her die... but I’m not like that, and I’ll never be like that. I’m not like Arrogance, or Vengeance, or any of them. So like it or not, I’m going to have to save her... somehow.

“As for how you got here, well, like I said, you read the poem. I wrote it down before I knew what it was, and it’s gotten me into a load of trouble since. It, basically, sums up who I am, or something like that. Y’know, life force, life experience, everything. That allows you into the deepest part of who I am, and it’s where you are now. Luckily for me, since you lost all your magic, I don’t have to worry about a thing. In fact, you’re the one who should be begging for their life right now,” she added with a glare.

“No thanks. I’ve been in realms like this before and I know how to manipulate them,” Twilight began. She took a breath, then extended her hoof. A gleaming platinum sword appeared at the end of it.

“Not bad, not bad at all,” Arrogance remarked smugly. She paused for a moment, then exhaled.

“...What?” Twilight asked.

Arrogance giggled. “Your... everything?”

Twilight glanced hurriedly to her sword and found that it had vanished, as well as all four of her legs. She was simply a torso floating in space, and when she tried to move at all, she just wiggled about in midair.

“See, you’re not the only one with experience in these realms. Heck, I spent a good few thousand years in one while we hid from you way back near the beginning. But enough about that. I still have a job to do,” Arrogance began.

Twilight felt her limbs ease back into existence, and she tested them. “Okay, just one more question: How did the poem lead me into your Dreamscape?”

“Same way a compass points north. It constantly does. You just happened to pick it up and read it,” Arrogance sighed, resting her head in her forelegs. “You don’t know anything, do you?”

“Let’s just get this over with,” Twilight growled.

“Fine. You were the one holding us all up,” Arrogance sneered. She picked Drammatica up once again. “The reason you’re here, Twilight, is because you have a choice: Does she live, or does she die?”

“That’s a stupid question. Why in Equestria would I choose to let a pony die?” Twilight growled in reply.

“What if you knew that Drammatica here had your dear friend Dashie mutilated?” Arrogance continued. “Or maybe about her plans to usurp Luna and put a fascist state in its place? Hmm?”

Twilight shook her head. “Arrogance, I don’t care about any of that. You’re not Obsidian. You don’t have to test me for some dumb virtue. I fight for what’s right!”

Arrogance burst out laughing. “Wow. You’re so bogus. ‘I fight for what’s right’ my flank. Twilight, do you have any idea at all what state Equestria is in? You’re either way out of touch or way in over your head. Pick one.”

“...Maybe both,” Twilight mumbled, “but I’m not going to choose to kill somepony when I can avoid it. I’m not going to let you trick me into making the wrong decision. Whatever happens, I call the shots.”

Arrogance doubled over with laughter. After she recovered, she wiped her eyes and said, “Wow. Just wow. That’s really rich, Twilight. We have to do this some more; job or no job, this is just hilarious. I mean, you’ve done a fantastic job so far of protecting the ponies you do care about!”

“There was nothing I could do!” Twilight argued.

“Well maybe that’s the problem, Twilight,” Arrogance retorted. “There’s nothing you can ever do. There’s nothing you can do to save your friends from us. There’s nothing you can do to stop us from taking over. And there’s nothing you can do... to prevent me from killing Drammatica and taking over her body!”

Drammatica flinched and struggled more, clearly entering a state of panic.

“You can’t do that in here!” Twilight exclaimed. She tried to rush at Arrogance, but rammed into an invisible wall. She yelped and flinched backward, a trickle of blood dripping from her nose. “This is just a dream!”

“Yeah, and it’s my dream, so I call the shots!” Arrogance replied, laughing. She picked up Drammatica once more, who was wriggling with even more fervor to escape her bonds. “Just because this dimension is a dream doesn’t mean we need to sleep to enter it!”

Arrogance raised her hoof high into the air, then swiped it toward Drammatica.

She stopped millimeters from her neck.

A ripple spread through the dimension, yet Drammatica’s frightened breaths continued. Arrogance hesitated for a moment more before tossing Drammatica toward Twilight. “Y’know what? No. S’not worth it.” She was scowling, but not at Twilight or her captive.

“Huh?” Twilight asked, catching Drammatica in midair.

“Well, Twilight, I have bigger things to worry about ‘sides that fly buzzing in everypony’s ears. I think she’s been petrified enough by her visit here. Wouldn’t be right of me to let her pass on without first having a few nightmares about it,” Arrogance explained with a sadistic grin. “I’ll kill her later.”

“What gives you the right?” Twilight growled, her lower lip trembling. “What gives you the right to decide who lives and who dies?”

There was a long pause. “Y’know, when you think about it, the answer should be obvious,” Arrogance chuckled, grinning at Twilight darkly.

There was a long pause, in which Twilight and Arrogance studied each other carefully.

Arrogance turned her head slightly to the side, looking at Twilight with only one eye. “And Twilight, before you go, there’s something you should know: Guilt isn’t the only one with reservations about how this war is going. Just keep that in mind. I’m not going full out traitor yet, but... y’know. Expect me.”

And with that, a force with the momentum of a brick wall smacked both Twilight and Drammatica out of the dream.

=====================================================================

[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This story takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
Please let me know if a link doesn’t work.

Chapter TwentyThree

Chapter Twenty-Three

*******

Twilight flinched backward, rubbing her head. She was back in Rarity’s apartment, and it looked as if nothing had changed, save the poem having disappeared from the countertop, and a wriggling Drammatica struggling to free herself from the ropes and binds that constrained her on the floor.

“Don’t hurt yourself. Let me help,” Twilight said. I’ll worry about it later... right now, I need to figure out what to do with her. Hmm... She got a serrated kitchen knife and cut Drammatica’s gag off, though she kept most of the bindings intact.

“W-Well?” Drammatica asked, though she had a brief stammer as she recovered from her near-death experience. “I have places to be, Magic.”

“I know, I know,” Twilight shrugged, grinning slyly.

Drammatica exhaled, resting her head on the floor. “Fine, then. What do you want?”

“First, a thank you, for me getting you out of Arrogance’s realm,” Twilight replied.

“Psh. You had no control over that situation and you know it,” Drammatica sneered.

“...Fair enough,” Twilight admitted. “Second, I want an apology for what you did to Applejack this morning.”

“I did nothing to harm her,” Drammatica scowled.

“Yes, you did, indirectly. You tricked me into showing Applejack her brother was dead in the worst light possible,” Twilight said, gritting her teeth and trying to hide her embarrassment.

“I refuse,” Drammatica growled. “My actions do not merit remorse, and they never will. Not for you.”

“Then I refuse to let you go,” Twilight stated, sitting down on a nearby couch.

“If you hold me against my will any longer it will be qualified as unlawful imprisonment, and I can have you jailed for such an offense,” Drammatica threatened, craning her neck to look up at Twilight.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Fine, then. At the risk of being sent to jail, I guess I better just, well, set you free without any explanation as to why you have a grudge against the Elements of Harmony. Specifically.”

“You’re so clueless,” Drammatica hissed, though Twilight heard real pain in her voice. “It’s only fair that you and your friends are suffering. You’re oblivious to everypony’s pain save your own.”

“Drammatica, just tell me what’s going on,” Twilight pleaded, rubbing her eyes. “I’d like to understand your position, all I need you to do is tell me what it is! I’m sorry, but I’m having a hard time understanding just why you’d go around screwing up Equestria just because something unfortunate happened! I’m sorry about Saphira, I really, really am, but that can’t be the sole reason you set out to end us!”

“You wouldn’t understand. You can’t understand, because you aren’t in my situation, and you likely never will be,” Drammatica said quietly. “When I heard that the Elements of Harmony had liberated the Dreamscape, I nearly broke down with joy. I finally had my family back again. We could finally rebuild our lives.” She paused for a moment, taking a shaky breath. “Can you imagine how I felt when both my husband and my daughter were among the twenty or so not to make it?”

Twilight pursed her lips. ...I guess I really do feel awful for her. Maybe. She shook her head, trying to sort through her muddled thoughts. At least, I would, if she wasn’t trying to split Equestria in two. I’ll save my pity for after we defeat Vengeance. After that, Equestrian politics won’t really matter all that much anymore. At least, they won’t to me. But until then...

Seeing Twilight remain unconvinced, Drammatica added, her lower lip trembling, “Can you fathom how I felt when I found out that the Element of Honesty had killed my daughter, the filly I gave birth to, the filly I raised? Do you think such a crime is oh so easily forgiven?”

Twilight exhaled. “Fine. Just keep in mind, I’ve lost a lot of friends during this war, too,” she argued, “but that doesn’t mean I’m going to go around creating problems instead of fixing them.”

“What I’m doing is trying to enlighten the public as to why the Elements would not make satisfactory leaders,” Drammatica growled.

“We don’t want to be leaders!” Twilight exclaimed, exasperated. “All we want is to defeat Discord and then live the rest of our lives in peace. Is that so hard to understand? And you have some funny methods of ‘enlightening’ the public, Ms. Tabloid,” she hissed.

“If you don’t like my reports, then perhaps you should write your own,” Drammatica replied cooly, her voice dripping venom. “I wouldn’t be able to make you seem in the wrong if you all weren’t so secretive.”

“Well I’m sorry, but I just don’t like the idea of making all our plans public information!” Twilight countered.

Drammatica laughed. “Does it matter? Vengeance’s spies have thoroughly threaded themselves in Equestrian government. The Sans Sucre has already caught half a dozen of them red-hooved. My apologies, but your plans are anything but secret at this point. Who knows how many spies are still sniffing around in your business?”

Twilight found she had no rebuttal. She rubbed her forehead. “What a mess,” she moaned.

“I believe this is the moment when you untie me and we both go on our merry way,” Drammatica suggested.

“No,” Twilight said quickly. “First, I need to let you know something. Consider it the latest ‘scoop,’ or whatever. After Dash’s wings are fixed and Fluttershy is back on her hooves, we’re going straight to Vengeance. If we lose, we die, and if we win, the war is basically over. Vengeance is the only pony in Equestria that can stand a chance against our combined forces.”

“This is relevant how?” Drammatica asked, irritated.

“We need a month, at most. Drammatica, can you, out of the goodness of your heart, please call off your thugs and allow us to send ourselves to our deaths? On our own terms? We’ve made it out of some bad situations; there’s no reason we shouldn’t be able to beat Vengeance if we’re all together. And if we don’t, then we’re out of your mane forever. All we need you to do is please stop trying to have everypony hate us. For a month. Is that so much to ask?” Twilight pleaded, leaning down to Drammatica’s level.

“...I could do that, perhaps,” Drammatica began, nodding slightly as she formulated her plan, “but don’t expect a complete cease of my reports. The citizens of Equestria will need something to keep them pacified until you embark on your mission. I will do what I can to keep that to a minimum, though.”

“Do I have your word?” Twilight asked seriously.

“For what it’s worth, yes,” Drammatica answered. “Now would you kindly release me?”

As Twilight cut the rest of Drammatica’s bonds, Rarity walked in through the door, carrying a large and heavy-looking bag of newly-bought clothes. She still looked sleep-deprived, but not as bad as she had when Twilight first saw her. She blinked upon seeing both Twilight and Drammatica standing in her apartment.

“...It’s a long story,” Twilight sighed.

“I have time, darling,” Rarity said, setting her bag on her couch. She didn’t look completely coherent, and she was a bit clumsy. “Can I offer you two anything to drink?”

Drammatica glanced at Twilight, probably wondering how the two of them came to an agreement so quickly. “I appreciate the offer, but I have somewhere to be,” she said before swiftly exiting the apartment.

“And you, Twilight?” Rarity asked, not skipping a beat.

Twilight sighed and eventually said, “Just some grape juice, please.”

=====================================================================

“So, the bargain you struck up with her is, essentially, by the end of the month we have to go and either defeat Vengeance... or die trying?” Rarity asked, nursing a glass of white wine. They were both sitting at Rarity’s kitchen table, and according to a nearby clock, it had only been fifteen minutes since Twilight left Sweetie’s abode. The clock was ticking slowly today.

Twilight nodded as she sipped her fruity liquid.

Rarity slammed her forehooves down on the table in a rage, almost spilling both their drinks. “Are you CRAZY?!” she shouted.

Twilight didn’t appear to be fazed. “Probably. But it was all I could think of, and, to be honest, a month is a ways away. I’ll discuss it with Luna and see if we can’t push Drammatica any further. Either way, our fate is sealed.”

“Well, when you put it that way, I suppose I’ll just jump right onto the merry little bandwagon you have here,” Rarity growled, taking another sip. She rested her head on the table and moaned softly. “Ohh, I’m too tired to deal with this right now...”

“Then why are you drinking?” Twilight inquired.

“Because I’m too tired to deal with this right now,” Rarity answered, levitating some of the liquid out of her glass to her lips. She did so clumsily, however, and some of it spilled onto the table.

“Oh, sure, rub it in,” Twilight grumbled, feeling the ivory patch on her forehead. She awkwardly picked up her glass and took another sip. “You know, Rarity, I was hoping that you, me, and the rest of our friends would be able to go out to dinner with Sweetie. But if you want to stay stuck in your gloom and doom, I might as well join you... I’m not feeling up to anything either, to tell you the truth.”

“Oh, is it because of what happened in the meeting?” Rarity asked. She didn’t pick her head up from the table, but one of her ears swiveled in Twilight’s direction.

“Did Applejack tell you about it?” Twilight asked.

“No, although I did see her rushing past me earlier today. She didn’t even stop to say hello. I asked Luna what happened in the meeting, and, well... I suppose her reaction is reasonable, all things considered,” Rarity stated. Her glass was nearly empty, and Twilight watched grumpily as she levitated a nearby bottle to fill it.

“Rarity, she gave Guilt a black eye and then bucked him into the wall,” Twilight said.

“Like I said, reasonable,” Rarity repeated. After she took another sip, she got a compact out of her saddlebags and applied some blush, once again using telekinesis in the process.

“Will you stop that?” Twilight asked irritably.

“What?” Rarity asked, in the middle of applying lipstick.

“Using magic,” Twilight said.

“Oh! Sorry, darling. I didn’t realize,” Rarity said, hastily putting her beauty kit away. “I just wanted to look my best for when we go out.”

“But we’re only going out with friends. It’s not a date or anything,” Twilight said, confused.

Rarity chuckled, standing up and finishing her glass in one swig. “Twilight, on average I have been getting around four hours of sleep a day for the past week or so. The makeup is to make me look normal, not pretty.” She chuckled again, slightly delirious.

Twilight examined Rarity for a moment, wondering whether or not to say something, then decided better. “Umm... if you say so,” Twilight said, standing up as well.

“You drive,” Rarity told Twilight as they both walked out the door.

“Drive what?” Twilight asked, confused.

“Oh, never mind. Shall we?” Rarity asked, as she locked her apartment and put on a light coat. “It’s been too long since I’ve seen Sweetie.”

Twilight arched an eyebrow as she watched Rarity amble off down the hallway. I hope that was wine she was drinking...

“Oh, and Twilight? Before I forget, there’s something I want to ask you,” Rarity began.

“Sure,” Twilight said. “What is it?”

“Well... it’s about Scootaloo,” Rarity said, biting her lip. “Do you remember how Luna cast that spell on all of us to let us know whether or not one of us died?”

“Yeah...” Twilight began, before it suddenly dawned on her. “You’re right! The spell hasn’t activated yet!”

“It’s just a thought. I wouldn’t get my hopes up,” Rarity said quickly. “I’m sure Vengeance could remove the spell if she truly wanted to.”

Twilight sighed. “I guess... Still, it’s something.” She shook her head, disappointed, before remembering something and asking, “Rarity?”

“Yes, darling?” she replied.

“...Tell Sweetie that I won’t be able to make it to the dinner. I still need to talk to Applejack about what happened this morning. It wouldn’t be fair of me to go out and enjoy myself before I know she’s okay. So can you just take Pinkie with you instead?” she asked hopefully.

Rarity sighed. “Alright. I understand.”

=====================================================================

*******

Applejack’s apartment was right above Rarity’s. Twilight silently pondered what she was going to say, to try and make her actions seem at all reasonable, but in the end she knew there were no excuses for what she had done, so she simply pushed open the door to Applejack’s apartment and silently stepped in.

It was mostly dark, save a few candles burning on the living room table around an old photograph of Big Macintosh. He was holding the newly born Applejack in his forelegs in the picture. On the couch sat Applejack herself, looking much older and wearier than she had just this morning. She wore a simple black dress, which was unusual for her, and was silently cradling herself as she mourned her big brother.

For a while, Twilight stood in silence, wondering if Applejack had noticed her entrance. She slowly closed the door and walked over to her friend, expecting the worst, expecting her to violently turn on her like she had with Guilt. However, that wasn’t the case. As Twilight sat down, Applejack gripped Twilight’s hoof in hers, holding it tightly as if she were fighting back tears.

“There was nothin’ ya could’ve done,” she said quietly. “Ah... Ah don’t blame ya. You didn’t have all that many chances ta tell me.”

Twilight bit her lip. Isn’t this the part where I feel better? she asked herself. But again, that wasn’t the case. Applejack’s soft forgiveness made her feel several times more guilty for what she had done. “Applejack... it is my fault. Big Mac deserved better than this. I’m a terrible friend for not telling you as soon as I could.”

“Well... when was that?” Applejack asked, turning to look at Twilight. “Twi, be honest with me. Was there a good time?”

“Even if there wasn’t, I should have told you,” Twilight argued, though she found herself squeezing Applejack’s hoof tighter as her own tears rose to the surface. “It wasn’t right of me to keep it from you.”

Applejack pulled her hoof away from Twilight’s. “Twi... Even if ya did ta tell me, you know jus’ as well as Ah do that Ah woulda had the same ol’ nasty reaction Ah did with Guilt. So, now that it’s over... well, whaddaya want me ta do? Hit ya?”

“I just want to make you fe-feel better,” Twilight cried. “I’ve t-tried so hard to do the right thing, b-but I just can’t. I’m not even sure wh-what the right thing is anymore!”

“...None of us do, Twi. Not on our own,” Applejack said. She sighed, turning away and picking up the picture frame. “Twi, yer tryin’ ta do this ‘n that all on yer lonesome when ya have friends ta help. It’s wrecked ya. You can see it just as plainly as Ah can.”

Twilight’s tears were rapidly replaced with an angry frustration. “Okay, then. What do you want me to do?”

“Quit actin’ like you can do everythin’,” Applejack mumbled, setting the frame back down and turning to her friend. “Twi, it’s over. We can’t go on like this. Not when the Elements of Discord have us at every turn. Not when we’re puttin’ all our friends and family’s lives at risk jus’ by bein’ related to ‘em.” She turned back to Twilight. “The one thing Ah fear more than anythin’ else in Equestria... is gettin’ to the point where Ah jus’ don’t have anythin’ left to lose.”

Twilight stood up angrily. “So you just want to let the Elements of Discord take over Equestria?”

“If that’s what it takes,” Applejack said simply. She blew out the candles. “Now siddown. Ah don’t wanna argue with ya, Twi. Ah’m jus’ seein’ what’s written on the wall.”

Twilight didn’t sit down. “You’re seriously considering giving up?” she asked in shock.

“If that’s what it takes,” Applejack repeated steely, glaring up at Twilight. “Ah don’t know if you’ve realized, but the Elements of Discord seem ta have it out fer me. One by one, the Apple family’s bein’ picked off because Ah’m involved with this war. An’ you want me to be selfish an’ jus’ continue tryin’? When Ah know it’s hopeless?”

Twilight gritted her teeth. “It’s never hopeless. Don’t you ever say that, Applejack. Now that we have Guilt on our side, we have a better chance of winning this than we ever did before.”

Applejack’s lower lip trembled. She turned to her picture of Big Macintosh. “...Ah guess now I know how much his life meant to ya.”

Twilight exhaled. “You know that’s not what I meant. Stop twisting my words around!”

“Don’t yell at me,” Applejack mumbled, turning away, too hurt to continue. She wiped her eyes again, and said, her voice choked with defeat, “Twilight, We’re on the fast track ta gettin’ everypony we love killed. Ah jus’ don’t think ya understand. Ah don’t think any a the others’ll understand, either. They still all have families.”

“Applejack, that isn’t true either. We know what you’re going through. Rarity’s almost lost Sweetie Belle twice or more, and just the other day I found out Spike’s defected over to the side of Discord,” Twilight argued. “Everypony in our old home had to evacuate because it was burnt to the ground!”

“Yeah,” Applejack sniffled, “but they ain’t dead.”

The words struck Twilight like a mallet. Her argument staggered, then collapsed. She sighed, sitting down, and said quietly, “...I guess you’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. There’s no reason to,” Applejack said, patting Twilight on the back in an effort to calm her down. “But Ah’m done. Forever. Ah’m not gettin’ myself involved in anythin’ yer doin’. Ah’m not goin’ out and killin’ myself against Envy or Arrogance or Vengeance. Ah jus’ can’t. Not when Ah know they’ll hurt the little bit a family Ah have left.”

Twilight took a breath. “Applejack... there’s something I want to communicate with you. It’s important, so listen closely. Well, actually, two things, but anyway...

“The first thing is that, well, the Elements of Discord aren’t going to just let you go. They’re going to hunt you down just like the rest of us. And when they find you, they’re going to kill you. Once the rest of us are gone, then they have no reason to keep you alive. If that’s a finality you’re willing to accept, then... you’ve changed, Applejack. You’ve changed a lot,” Twilight said sorrowfully. “The second thing is that we need you, Applejack. Without you, the Elements of Harmony can’t exist. You’re the Element of Honesty, and our team wouldn’t be complete without you in it.”

“Tell me one thing Ah did ta save ya’ll. Jus’ one thing Ah did ta help,” Applejack challenged. “Be honest, Twi.”

Twilight thought she had an immediate reply, but she faltered, and had to think long and hard. She had to comb through all their experiences together, as Elements. But as she did so, she realized something, something important.

“No,” she said finally, shaking her head. “I’m not going to. You can do that on your own, Applejack, if you’re honest with yourself. But it’s not my place. Do you know why?”

Applejack folded her forelegs. “Well?”

“We’re Elements of Harmony, Applejack. I think... I think that Luna, Celestia, Verba... I think they’re all confused when they talk about the Elements, and how powerful we are on our own, and how we’re supposed to be able to beat the Elements of Discord in one-on-ones if we’ve realized our Potentials. But... That’s not the case. Because the Elements, what each of us stand for... we’re meant to share them.

“When we realized our Potentials, it was always for something greater than ourselves. Pinkie’s saved all of us from certain doom at the hooves of the Daymare. Dash’s saved an entire city from the same fate. Rarity saved her sister, Dash and Olly in one fell swoop. And Fluttershy’s saved us all from destruction at the hooves of Hate. Sure, they gained power in the process, but they all used it to help their friends. Luna was right about one thing: Potential is realized only when there’s something to be saved. Only when Harmony itself is under threat.

“I... I guess part of the reason we’re always losing is because we’ve always been fighting only using our own powers. Even when we’re all fighting together, we’ve been fighting only using own own strengths, not the strength of our friends. And when we do work in unison, we demolish whoever we’re fighting... but only until we switch back and start fighting as individuals again. That’s how we were able to beat Nightmare Moon in the first place; it was our very first lesson as Elements! As soon as we began to think anything different, that’s when we started to fail. You can’t have five-sixths of Harmony and be able to defeat the Elements of Discord. You either have it... or you don’t,” Twilight finished simply. She looked at Applejack seriously. “Applejack, no matter what you say, and no matter how worthless you feel, we will always need you. And that’s the honest truth.”

“But... what if Ah’m jus’ not strong enough?” Applejack asked, turning away from Twilight and looking at the floor.

“Then you’ll have my strength. And Pinkie’s, and Dash’s, and Fluttershy’s, and Rarity’s. It’s not enough to work as a team... we have to work as one.” She shook her head in amazement. “That’s why we’ve been having so much trouble. Because everypony has it backwards. For five-thousand or more years, Harmony couldn’t truly shine. All of our victories have been either given to us outright or have been completely accidental. If we keep doing what we have been, we’ll run out of Potential, and then what?”

“We’re... done,” Applejack realized.

“That’s right. We’re done. Permanently,” Twilight added. She laughed slightly, inciting a small laugh out of Applejack. “We were so brainwashed by Luna, Obsidian, and the Elements of Discord that we never found that out for ourselves. It’s mind-blowing, don’t you think?”

“No. It makes sense, sorta,” Applejack said. “We’ve only been real Elements fer a little over a year, now. Back when we were gettin’ advice from Luna, we didn’t have anythin’ else to believe. Ah’m not even sure if she knew the truth or not. And as fer Obsidian n’ Verba, well, they’re pretty darn old. Who says the Elements haven’t changed since then?”

Twilight grinned slightly. “...That means all the Elements. Not just Harmony.”

Applejack sighed, glancing at her picture for a moment, then back to Twilight. “Yeah. Maybe... Maybe them, too.”

Twilight pulled Applejack into a hug. “Thank you, Applejack. I couldn’t have figured this out without you.”

Applejack squeezed Twilight back. “Ah guess Ah’m useful after all, then,” she joked.

“You know, if we hurry... we might still be able to make it to dinner,” Twilight said, pulling away from Applejack and motioning toward the door. “Our friends’ll be there, and I’m sure they’d like to hear what we just figured out.”

Applejack nodded, smiling brightly for the first time that day as she followed Twilight out of her dimly lit apartment.

=====================================================================

*******

“...An’ that about sums it up,” Latte told Dash. He was in her hospital room, lying down on the couch relaxedly. Dash was finishing up her book when he had arrived to introduce himself and tell her the news, though whether it was good or bad was yet to be seen.

“So Guilt’s going to fix my wings tomorrow morning?” Dash summarized.

“Yeah. I dunno the specifics, but that’s about right,” Latte nodded. “That, an’ there’ll be a few doctors watching Guilt’s methods. Takin’ notes and such. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a lot they could learn from him, but...” he shrugged.

“But what?” Dash asked.

“Well... I guess I’m jus’ a little uneasy about this entire, well, idea. I mean, I don’t know Guilt as well as you all seem to, but there’s still this little itch in the back a my mind that tells me that somethin’ just ain’t right with how all a this went down in the first place,” Latte said, scratching the stubble on his chin.

“Well, sure it isn’t fair, but I guess that’s just something we’re all gonna have to live with, y’know?” Dash asked.

“Yeah, yeah...” Latte sighed. He stood up and turned to the door. “Pinkie should be here in a few minutes or so. Nice meetin’ you, Miss Dash.”

Dash nodded. After he left, she relaxed for a few minutes in bed, poking her now-lifeless wings. How could anypony ever restore those? They’re a wreck...

“Can I come in?” Pinkie’s voice sounded from beyond the doorway.

“Yeah,” Dash replied.

Pinkie exploded from the entryway and launched herself onto Dash, hugging her fiercely and nearly choking her. “Dashie! Don’t you ever scare all of us like that again! That was scarier than that time Twilight drank a full cider mug, and scarier than that time when I woke up from a nightmare inside a nightmare, and even scarier than that time I found out where milk comes from!”

“Pinkie--!” Dash grunted. The pink pony was nearly crushing her abdomen.

“Dash, I will never look at milk chocolate the same way again,” Pinkie whispered intensely.

“Get off!” Dash exclaimed, pushing Pinkie to the side of her bed and scooting over so that the thin mattress could accommodate them both. Once she had breathing room, Dash noticed something shocking about Pinkie: her scars. There were about a dozen of them stretched across her torso, and one particularly deep one across her left cheek. “Pinkie...” Dash gaped. “What happened to you?”

“Oh, these? Aren’t they so cool?” Pinkie exclaimed enthusiastically. She glanced down at her chest and pointed at various patterns the scars made. “See? This one’s a chocolate bar, and this one’s looks almost exactly like Gummy!”

“Pinkie... I don’t think you get it,” Dash began. “You’re going to have those things forever.”

“Well, if I wanted them gone, I guess I could always ask Guilt,” Pinkie said. “I’m sure he can get rid of some itty-tiny lines. He’s going to make entirely super-duper-new wings for you! It’s like being a doctor and having a crayon that can draw things and make them real!”

Dash sighed. “Well, I guess... sorta. I’m still pretty nervous, though. I mean, what if Guilt turns on us?”

“Then you’ll have me to beat ‘im up!” Pinkie said, raising her hooves in front of her face in a mock battle stance and taking a few fake swings. “Why I oughta...!”

Dash giggled. “Yeah. Thanks.”

A nurse stepped in. “Pinkamena? There’s a visitor here to see you. She said her name wa-”

“Rarity!” Pinkie shot past the nurse like a bullet, causing a whirlwind as she went. After the nurse finally stopped spinning, she adjusted her glasses, picked up her clipboard, and took a note. “Bringing the dose down to point five milligrams...”

Then, without warning, Pinkie shot back in again to hug Dash. The poor nurse was sent sprawling.

“Stay safe!” Pinkie said as she constricted Dash like an angry, loving boa.

“All--right--!” Dash choked.

And with that, Pinkie vanished in a puff of smoke, travelling at speeds Dash’s eyes couldn’t even comprehend. But as the nurse further lowered Pinkie’s dosage to .25 milligrams, Dash couldn’t help but notice a faint whiff of blue energy trailing out of the room.

=====================================================================

*******

Scootaloo sat on a cloud high above Equestria, staring at the sunset. It was chilly, but she was still numb to the cold. She had more important things on her mind. She had to make a decision.

There was a sound of wind whispering through pines next to her, and Scootaloo turned to see a shadowy pony manifest by her side. It sat down quietly, not saying a word.

“What am I supposed to do?” Scootaloo asked softly, not looking at the pony. Her voice was scratchy; she hadn’t had anything to eat or drink yet that day. “What do I have to do to... to...” She couldn’t bring herself to speak her mind.

The pony shook its head. When it talked, it was nearly silent, as if whoever was speaking was very weak. “There isn’t any way. Ponies have yet to walk in the realm of the dead and return unscathed.”

“Then what do I do now?” Scootaloo asked. She didn’t cry. The pain was locked inside her, chained to her heart so strongly that it caused a dull ache whenever she moved, as if it were weighing her down. “I can’t go back. Not now.”

“You decide your own limitations, Scootaloo,” the pony murmured. “You know the option I have offered you. The road has forked, and now it is time for you to choose which path to take.”

“But... will I ever be happy again?” Scootaloo asked.

“It depends on what you decide to do,” the pony whispered. “I can’t promise that I will succeed without your help. I can’t guarantee that everything will go as planned. But tell me, Scootaloo... what is it you really want?”

Scootaloo didn’t answer. She kept staring at the endless sunset.

“I can’t offer you revenge, Scootaloo, no more than I can offer you a second chance,” the pony said softly. “I can only try my best to make things right.”

“Justice... I want you to promise me something,” Scootaloo said softly.

“Yes?” the spirit named Justice asked.

“I think... I think the reason I’m in so much pain...” Scootaloo began, though her voice was choked with sorrow, “is because I never got to tell my friends how much they mean to me before they were gone. I never got to tell them how much I care. I never... I never got to say goodbye. It sounds stupid, but...” She shook her head. “I want you... I want you to give my friends a chance to say farewell, and good luck. I don’t want them to have to live thinking they could have done something to save me.” She looked down. “I don’t need saving. I don’t have anything left to give them. So there’s really no reason for me to stay.”

“I promise, Scootaloo,” Justice said. “I swear it.”

“...Okay,” Scootaloo nodded.

“Shall we begin?” Justice asked.

“...No,” Scootaloo said. “I... I want to keep looking at the sunset. Because before I go... I want to feel warm again. Just once.”

“You forget, Scootaloo,” Justice said, wrapping a hoof around her and hugging her close, “that you do not have to do this by yourself. I’ve tried to put the entire weight of sacrifice on my shoulders and mine alone... but it didn’t work.”

“...It never does,” Scootaloo sighed, leaning into Justice’s pelt. She mumbled something drowsily before curling up into a tight ball and falling asleep in Justice’s lap.

Justice cradled Scootaloo for a few minutes before resting her on the cloud and turning to the sunset. I had hoped you would have changed, as we have, she thought, shaking her head, but it appears that you are still just as foalish as you were five thousand years ago. Fine, then. I accept the challenge, she thought, raising her head toward the sky. Your existence... is what I am here to correct.

=====================================================================

[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This story takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
Please let me know if a link doesn’t work.

Chapter TwentyFour

Chapter Twenty-Four

*******

“Ugh...” Twilight moaned. She shifted slightly, gaining her bearings, though her splitting headache incited an urge to curl up and fall back into slumber. She attempted to move, and what she intended to be a thrash akin to a fish out of water ended up as a feeble wobble due to the fact that her joints felt like rusty gears. She opened her eyes, but the light was blinding. “Where am I?”

“Home, darling, where you should be,” Rarity chuckled from behind her.

“Not so loud!” Twilight hissed, covering her ears and pulling the blanket over her head. In the process, though, she lost her balance and slid onto the ground. She laid there for a few seconds before asking, “What happened last night?”

“Well, it’s a little complicated,” Rarity said. The smell of fresh pancakes wafted past Twilight’s nose, but her appetite was all but nonexistent. “You managed to make it to the restaurant just before we took our orders. When the waitress asked what you wanted to drink, you said ‘grape juice.’”

“And...?” Twilight asked. She lazily threw the blanket off to her side, but the light was still piercing.

“Well, it turns out that ‘grape juice’ is a nickname for something on their wine list,” Rarity said. Twilight could tell she was stifling a giggle. “You were uneasy at first, but after I urged you to try it, you found you actually quite liked the taste. So you had another. And another. And... another.”

Twilight managed to open her eyes and pick herself up, finding herself back in her own Fillydelphian apartment. She could barely remember what had happened at the restaurant, though she figured it ended with her being dragged back home by Rarity, who had wrapped her up in blankets and put her to bed on the couch.

“I hope you don’t mind that I used your bed. It was terribly late, so I wasn’t as considerate as I should have been,” Rarity apologized.

“Ngh, don’t worry,” Twilight mumbled. “How much did I drink?”

“Four glasses total. To be honest, darling, I’m surprised you passed out so quickly,” Rarity said, leading Twilight to the dining room table and fixing up her mane in the process. “Luckily, by the fourth glass you were too out of it to ask for another. I do believe you and Pinkie had the grandest time together, though.”

“Not so loud,” Twilight complained. It’s like she’s speaking through a megaphone! After her ears recovered from the sonic boom, she asked, “So how was the dinner?”

“Well, Applejack told us all about that very important thing you two found out. What was it again?” She paused, thinking. “Oh, right! How we have to work together. Silly me, how could I have forgotten?”

Twilight began to suspect that Rarity was an expert at hiding hangovers, but suddenly an extremely pressing issue presented itself. She bit her lip and squeaked, “Rarity... I really, really need to go.”

“Well, then by all means, go!” Rarity said, ushering Twilight into the hallway.

Twilight rushed down the hall and pressed open the door to the bathroom, not hearing the sound of rushing water coming from inside. After she had barged in, she turned her head slightly to the right to see Pinkie taking a shower.

“Oh! Hi, Twilight!” she chirped.

Twilight blinked, then slowly backed out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She rubbed her eyes. She yelled at Rarity, “Why is Pinkie in my bathroom?”

There was a brief pause before Rarity answered, “Pinkie’s in your bathroom?”

=====================================================================

After a few chaotic minutes in which the three friends figured out just what the heck was going on, Rarity, Twilight, and Pinkie all sat down at the breakfast table and began to eat their slightly charred pancakes.

“So, Pinkie... how in the world did you get in here?” Rarity asked, levitating a bite up to her mouth.

Pinkie was busy drying off her mane. “Well, when I woke up this morning, I was really tired. I’m never tired in the mornings unless there was a fantabulastic party the night before, but I couldn’t remember any of it! That made me confused, and when I’m confused, I take a shower.”

“So... how did you end up in mine?” Twilight asked, clumsily raising a fork to her mouth and taking a bite.

She shrugged. “I dunno. I just wanted to be in the shower, then presto! I was in the shower. I was too sleepy to notice it wasn’t mine.” She snapped the towel off of her head, and her mane sprang back to its usual cotton-candy shape.

“Darling, that doesn’t make any sense at all,” Rarity said, pursing her lips.

“No, it kind of does,” Twilight said, rubbing her chin in thought. “Guilt has power over space. Pinkie’s his opposite, so she should have even more power over space. She just accidentally teleported into my shower instead of her own.”

“Well, fair enough, but that doesn’t explain why she wasn’t doing this a year ago,” Rarity pointed out.

“You know how wine ages, right, Rarity?” Twilight asked.

“Of course,” Rarity replied.

“I think that our Elemental powers are beginning to... mature, somehow. Like we’ve been using them enough to activate some hidden skills we didn’t have before. Just the other day I was able to perfectly translate a poem from Ancient into our own language. Pinkie’s teleportation just means that she’s reached the next level of being the Element of Humor, right?” Twilight proposed.

“Level up!” Pinkie chirped, standing up and pointing enthusiastically at the ceiling in a kind of victory pose. Her hoof began to glow bright blue, but Twilight grabbed it and sat her friend down promptly.

“Let’s be careful about this,” she urged. “All of our powers are still unstable. We have to learn how to use them before we can put them to any use.”

“Well, that’s all well and good, Twilight,” Rarity began, checking the clock on the wall, “but we have to leave for the hospital. Dash’s surgery, remember?”

“Oh, right!” Twilight exclaimed, standing up. She turned to Pinkie and asked, “Could you get my--huh?” She looked around. Pinkie had vanished, though a blue silhouette of her hung in the air where she had been moments before.

The front door opened, and Pinkie poked her head in. “Hey! Are you slowpokes coming or not?”

“Right behind you, darling,” Rarity said, grabbing her coat and winking at Twilight on the way out.

Twilight sighed. “Well... at least now I can explain it,” she grumbled, following Rarity out the door and locking it behind her. “Off to the hospital.”

“Oh! About that,” Rarity began nervously. “Luna said she needs you to go retrieve Guilt from jail. I’ll meet you outside after I pick up some clothes for him so that he won’t be so conspicuous. She said it would be better if we could keep this all as quiet as possible, given how antsy the public is already. Oh, and here’s the address,” she said, pulling a piece of paper out of her saddlebags and giving it to Twilight.

“Alright,” Twilight said. “Did she say why she couldn’t just come, you know, see me herself?”

Rarity sighed. “Twilight, the poor mare is a wreck. She really only came and asked me to get the clothes, but she was so exhausted that I more or less ordered her to get a proper night’s sleep. Hopefully she’ll be a little better by the time you see her after the surgery.”

Twilight nodded, then read the slip of paper with the address: Fillydelphia Penitentiary--120 Lost Way.

=====================================================================

*******

Aside from the heavy barred gates and lack of a glass exterior, the jail where Guilt was being housed was nearly indistinguishable from the surrounding structures. Twilight took a breath and stepped inside.

“Name?” a unicorn guard immediately asked upon her entry. She appeared to be in the lobby of the jail, with attendants rushing from place to place with their mouths and saddlebags full of files and various colored slips that, based on their expressions, were enormously important.

“Twilight Sparkle. I’m here to escort Guilt to the hospital,” Twilight said, showing the guard her crown.

The guard’s horn glowed for a moment, and Twilight felt slightly tingly, but the sensation faded after a moment. He spoke into a device he hung around his neck. “We’ve got a cleared unicorn wanting to go to the depths. Should I escort her?”

Twilight noticed the atmosphere in the lobby grow several times more tense as the guard said ‘the depths.’ The ponies who were originally rushing back and forth slowed nearly to a stop as they turned to stare at Twilight and the guard, and several clerks did a double-take.

After hearing a brief reply, the guard said, “Come with me, Ms. Sparkle.”

She followed him down several corridors and staircases, leading her deeper and deeper into the prison’s basement. Twilight sensed an enormous magical presence, but figured it must have been Guilt.

“Where are we going, anyway?” Twilight panted, nearly out of breath from climbing down seven flights of stairs at the guard’s brisk pace.

“To the Immobilization Sphere,” the guard said simply. He trotted down to the base of the stairway and pointed at the door. “Right in there.” He pulled it open, and Twilight gasped in shock.

Outside of the dank stairwell was a single chamber. It was spherical, and it was covered in magical text and scrawls. Multicolored beams of energy were streaming from the text, all of it beelining to the center, forming a tight ball of energy wrapped around a single pony who was suspended in midair by the magic. There was a walkway around the circumference of the chamber, with guardrails along the inside. But something wasn’t right.

This magic... Twilight began. It’s too powerful, even for Guilt. It would kill him. “Guilt?” Twilight asked. “Are you okay?”

It’s... about... time, Guilt managed. He looked up at her. The ponies in this city have no sense of humor, you know. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was trembling slightly.

Twilight gaped in shock. She turned to the guard and ordered, “Turn this deathtrap off!”

The guard nodded indifferently. He went over to a specific panel of runes and slowly turned off the spell. The beams of energy were cut off after an agonizing few moments, and Guilt slowly levitated over to the guardrail. He took a knee, with Twilight watching over him anxiously.

What happened to you? Twilight asked, kneeling down next to him.

Apparently they overestimated my ability to harm the general populace, Guilt thought, though he was still shaking with agony. His mane had lost its luster, and his hooves were cracked. This isn’t an immobilization spell. It’s a power-draining spell, something I figured out too late.

Twilight turned in anger to the guard. “What did you do to him?”

“There’s no point in having a prison if your prisoners can teleport in and out at will. I didn’t design this spell, all I know is how to control it. It’s all the higher-ups could think of to keep him under lock and key,” he replied calmly.

“It’s sick,” Twilight growled back. “You’re using forbidden Vampri spells to suppress his life force!”

“Look, I’m not the one to complain to about this. I’m only an escort,” the guard said. “Now are you two going to leave for the hospital or not?”

Guilt slowly stood up, though his stance was slightly wobbly. He slowly stepped up to the guard, staring at him intensely. He didn’t need to speak. They both knew what he was saying. But the guard’s impassive stare didn’t budge.

Twilight noticed that Guilt was recovering rapidly as they ascended back to the surface, and when she saw the slightly orange aura around him, she realized that he was using magic to repair his body. It would be mere minutes before he was back at full strength. His interaction with the guard, though, still lingered in her mind.

“You know... you really shouldn’t kill him,” she mumbled halfheartedly after she knew she was out of earshot.

Guilt pushed opened the door to the jail. His mane had regained its shine, and his hooves were now polished and whole. But he said nothing.

=====================================================================

*******

The hospital is just up on the right, Twilight told Guilt as they approached their destination. Rarity had met them just after they had left the jail to give Guilt a sweatshirt along with special contact lenses to prevent him from drawing too much attention. They disguised his slitted, orange eyes with the guise of being a light green. Rarity’s taste, as always, was excellent, and after Guilt had finished equipping the illusion, he looked nothing like the maniacal Element of Discord they had fought just days before.

I suppose I owe your friend here my thanks, Guilt began, inspecting himself in a nearby window.

Twilight relayed this to Rarity, and she said cheerfully, “Oh, it’s nothing. I just don’t want you getting dirty looks on the way to the hospital. In fact, I was hoping to get some of those contacts for myself. I’ve found that having bright purple eyes can be rather... off-putting, if you’re trying to have a casual conversation. Especially in this city.”

“Oh?” Twilight asked.

Rarity rolled her eyes. “Don’t even get me started, Twilight. I mean, just the other day...”

After a few moments of Rarity’s rant, Guilt’s voice appeared in Twilight’s mind once more. You really shouldn’t have gotten her started.

Be quiet. I’m trying to look interested, Twilight chided.

Twilight furrowed her eyebrows upon hearing Guilt laugh and looked at him irritably, though all that was showing was a small smile. Why bother? If she’s boring you, you might as well say so, he chuckled.

That wouldn’t be very nice of me, Twilight argued. She is my friend, after all.

It makes me wonder why you all are friends in the first place. Your personalities are nearly incompatible at times, Guilt pointed out. Is it simply necessity that keeps you all in sync?

We need to work together in order to save Equestria, that’s true, Twilight began, but even though they all have little idiosyncrasies and quirks, I know that every one of my friends is good at heart. That’s something you’re just going to have to accept if you’re going to work well with us.

Hmph. I’ll keep that in mind. He paused for a moment, then added, However, if you were to live as long as I have, you would appreciate a life of solitude far more. Of that, I guarantee.

That’s not true, either. I bet that even if I lived twenty-five thousand years like you have, if my friends were still alive by then, I’d be with them until the end. And even if they weren’t, there are a lot of nice ponies out there who I could be friends with, too, Twilight argued. I never could have gotten as far as I have, not just as an Element, but as a pony, without my friends.

...I find it interesting, Guilt began, that the Element of Magic has always been so prone to gambling.

“...And then I told her, ‘Yes, it’s the latest craze! Everypony who’s anypony has been getting colored contact lenses.’ I never thought she would believe me, but what do you know? The next morning she goes in and her irises were yellow-green!” Rarity finished, laughing.

Twilight faked a slight laugh, then realized they were at the door to the hospital. Guilt stepped in front of them and pushed open the door, though he didn’t hold it for the mares behind him, and it smacked Rarity in the face on its way back.

“...Rather rude,” Rarity muttered as she entered the hospital.

I heard that, Guilt told Twilight from inside.

Twilight rolled her eyes, then remembered something. She trotted up next to Rarity and asked, “Hey, do you know if Applejack is going to be here?”

Rarity shook her head. “She told me she didn’t think it would be a good idea, what with her emotional state as of the meeting.” She paused for a moment, biting her lip anxiously. “Twilight... could you, um, ask Guilt just why he chose Big Macintosh’s body? I’m quite certain there were others.”

Guilt, who hadn’t been looking at the pair, stopped in his tracks and turned his gaze to Rarity.

“He’s mute, not deaf,” Twilight growled at her. “You could have just asked him yourself.”

Rarity flashed him a nervous smile. “Sorry, darling. You heard my question though, correct?”

Twilight heard Guilt chuckle slightly, though his lips didn’t even twitch in reality. She’s scared of me.

Who wouldn’t be? Twilight grumbled back. Anyway, why did you choose that body?

Two reasons, Guilt began. One was that there weren’t many options left. Our stores were majorly depleted after you destroyed the Dreamscape, and the only bodies we typically keep are those caught in major battles. He sighed, and Twilight caught a brief glimpse of the gravelly voice inside her head travelling along on his exhale. At least, that’s what my brother and I have always done. I am aware that Envy and Arrogance are significantly more ruthless than we are, though to what end I’ve never quite been certain. He shook his head. The second reason is that Applejack told Celestia to punish not only my brother, but me as well, for no reason other than to cause both of us more pain. Afterward, it seemed fitting to take the body of her brother as retribution.

It isn’t. It’s sick, Twilight hissed. Applejack nearly gave up just yesterday because of what you did. She was torn to pieces.

Guilt took a couple steps toward Twilight and glared ferociously at her. Are you aware, he hissed, his voice filled with rage, that, post-decapitation, the brain still functions for around fifteen seconds?

Twilight was about to ask him his point, but she swallowed fearfully as she realized it for herself.

Although my actions may have been influenced by my anger at the time, I refuse to refute them, Guilt thought, backing off slightly. He turned away and added, I will enjoy seeing that little pest squirm with fury every time she lays eyes on this form. That is the price she pays for causing unnecessary suffering. I was going to die anyway.

Twilight considered defending her friend, but she didn’t have anything left to argue with. She shuddered, ridding herself of the sudden fear that caused her limbs to seize up when Guilt approached her. After she calmed herself down, she relayed a more watered-down version of Guilt’s explanation to Rarity.

“I don’t want to say that’s fair... In fact, that’s despicable,” Rarity growled. She sighed. “But if Big Macintosh was already dead... then I guess this is better than having Envy or Arrogance take him over.”

None of them said much more as they made their way up to Dash’s chambers. However, before they could go inside, they saw Aurora waiting on the outside of the door.

“Aurora?” Twilight asked.

“Shh!” she exclaimed, peeking through the crack in the doorway. “I want it to be a surprise.”

“Do you know this mare, darling?” Rarity asked Twilight.

Twilight sighed. “It’s a long story. You’ll see soon enough. But why are you here, Aurora?”

“Well, I figured Dash would need a little cheering up before she has Guilt poke around inside her, y’know?” Aurora asked. She glanced at Guilt. “That’s him, right?”

“Uh-huh,” Twilight nodded. To Guilt, she thought, And this is Celestia’s original-

I’m aware. We’ve met, Guilt interrupted, his gaze locking onto Celestia for a moment before turning to the door. Shall we?

“Not yet,” Twilight said aloud. She turned to Aurora. “So anyway, what do you plan on doing?”

“I don’t know, that’s the problem,” Aurora grumbled, absently rubbing the tattoo on her eye. “Any ideas?”

“Well, if you want to be Dash’s friend, why not just introduce yourself?” Rarity suggested. She furrowed her eyebrows as she looked closely at Aurora. “Do I know you from somewhere, darling?”

“Okay. Introduce myself. Got it,” Aurora said, anxiously shifting from one pair of hooves to the other. “I can’t believe I’m so nervous. I mean, I wasn’t near as worked up when I met you again, Twilight.”

“Maybe it’s because you’re meeting... well... yourself?” Twilight proposed. “There’s no telling how much you have in common, given that you’re both the same Element.”

Twilight saw Guilt smirk out of the corner of her eye, and he thought, Celestia obviously wasn’t supposed to live to see her more-or-less future self. Deception’s spell seems to have prevented her death but managed to allow her Element to leave her body. How... intriguing.

Could you say that in a way that doesn’t make you sound evil? Twilight growled back, though she only received laughter in reply.

“Okay. Myself. Got it,” Aurora exhaled, shaking herself out. She turned to Rarity and Guilt and asked, “Could you two just stay out here for right now? Dash’ll know something’s up if too many ponies come in at once.”

Rarity’s eyes suddenly widened as something dawned on her. She glanced at Aurora. “Are... Are you...” She shook her head. “Never mind. Don’t be long.”

Twilight nodded, and followed Aurora through the door.

=====================================================================

*******

“Yeah?” Dash asked upon their entry. She was flipping through a comic book when they arrived, and her bed was a mess of chocolate wrappers from the boxes she had received as a condolence of sorts after the doctors pronounced her wings irreparable. She hastily threw some of the wrappers off her bed into a nearby overflowing trash bin. “So do we start now, or what?”

“Well, Dash, there’s somepony who I want you to meet,” Twilight began, motioning to Aurora.

“Oh, um, my name’s Aurora,” she said, trying to hide her anxiety.

“Okay. Um... Hi, Aurora. The name’s Rainbow Dash, but you’ve probably heard of me,” Dash said nonchalantly. “Are you like a nurse, or something?”

“No...” Aurora said, slowly shaking her head.

I can’t believe she hasn’t noticed yet, Twilight giggled silently. This is going to be hilarious. “Dash, do you notice anything... different about Aurora?”

“No, not really. I mean, the tattoo is kinda cool, but other than that...” Dash squinted, taking a closer look at her, then shrugged. “Nah. This isn’t some sort of prank, is it?”

Aurora glanced at Twilight mischievously, as if she were saying, Let’s see how long it takes for her to figure it out.

“Well...” Twilight began, slyly pacing over to Dash’s bedside, “You and Aurora have a lot in common. You like flying right, Aurora?”

“Well, duh. What pegasus doesn’t?” Aurora chuckled. “But yeah, I’m a really fast flier. Last time I checked my wingpower, it was about seventeen.”

“Seventeen! What?” Dash exclaimed, sitting up. “There’s no way you could have more wingpower than me! I’m the Element of Loyalty, and the fastest pegasus in Equestria!”

Twilight stifled a giggle. “Maybe you two should race sometime.”

“You’re on!” Dash said, grinning slightly. She poked her wings. “As soon as these babies are back in business, I’m going to show you what flying really is.”

“We’ll see how you stack up against royalty,” Aurora said, faking smugness.

“Wait, you’re related to Celestia?” Dash asked.

“You could say that,” Aurora said, though she had to turn around so that Dash wouldn’t see the grin inching its way onto her face.

“Okay, something’s definitely up with you two,” Dash determined. “Aurora feels really familiar, somehow, I just can’t put my hoof on it. So what’re you trying to pull?”

“Okay, then, I guess we’ll make it a guessing game,” Twilight motioned. “What do you think we’re trying to pull, Dash?”

“Hmm...” Dash said, examining Aurora closely and rubbing her chin. She finally shrugged. “I got nothing. I mean, since Twilight brought you here, either you’re somepony I’ve never heard of or you’re pulling a practical joke on me that only eggheads would get.”

Aurora couldn’t hold back her amusement. She doubled over and burst into hysterics, but Dash’s eyes widened as she recognized her own iconic laughter.

Dash blinked. “Wait. Waitwaitwaitwaitwait a minute, hold on. That’s just freaky!” she yelped, backing up slightly in her bed. “How can you have my voice?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Aurora asked, wiping her eyes. “I’m you! I’m the Element of Loyalty!”

Dash clearly wasn’t following, as she had raised up a pillow to shield herself. “Twilight, what’s going on? Did those freakshow doctors clone me or something?!”

Twilight rolled her eyes and explained very carefully to Dash how Aurora was the original Celestia, and how she was also the Element of Loyalty from years past.

“So... she’s Celestia?” Dash asked.

“Uh-huh,” Twilight nodded.

“I thought she said she was me,” Dash said, glancing at Aurora. “There’s no way Celestia and I are the same pony. And there’s no way Celestia could be that short, either.”

“Oh, thanks,” Aurora said, rolling her eyes. “With that Element of Magic still locked inside me, I was kind of an artificial alicorn or something. But now I’m basically you from a different era. Cool, huh?”

“Cool?” Dash asked. A smile crept onto her face. “That’s awesome!”

Ahem... Guilt’s voice appeared in Twilight’s mind, and she turned to see him slightly pushing open the door. I appreciate the sentiment, but it’s about time we get started. Save the happy-go-luckiness for after Dash has withstood pain akin to being rolled through a spiked wringer.

*******

“...That’s Guilt, isn’t it?” Dash swallowed. “S-So that means it’s about to start, right?” Although she was trying to hide her apprehension, the sheer realization that the surgery was about to occur seemed to rattle her slightly.

Guilt stepped into the room, and the positive atmosphere immediately evaporated like a swarm of butterflies fleeing pestilence. Rarity quickly followed him, though she opted to stand next to Dash’s bedside rather than beside an Element of Discord. This is one of those times when I really wished I was able to speak, he muttered to Twilight.

Well, you formed a telepathic bond with me. Why not with everypony in the room? Is there a limit, or something? Twilight inquired.

More or less. I can only form a bond with a pony that has a stronger aura than I. That limits it down to four possibilities that I know of: My brother, my sister Vengeance, you, and the Element of Kindness, Guilt explained. And don’t even think about mentioning Pinkamena. I shudder to think about what permanent bond with that thing would be like.

You know, you’re making yourself really hard to like, Twilight grumbled.

Oh? And you wish to ‘like’ me? Guilt chuckled, stepping past Twilight and brushing past Aurora as he approached Dash’s bed. In all seriousness, though, I will have to ask your assistance in communicating with the others in the room. It would be tedious to write it out, and were my disability not inherent in my soul rather than my body, I would not have to rely on you. Paraphrase how you like as long as the meaning gets across.

Okay, I guess. So what now? Are we going to wheel her to the emergency room or something? Twilight asked.

First I would like to detail the procedure to Dash. I will make the operation as short as I can as to limit the pain she will receive, but even those efforts will be akin to trying to sweeten tea by adding a single grain of sugar, Guilt elaborated.

“Is he going to say anything, or what?” Dash asked. To Guilt, she inquired, “I mean, like, are you going to write something down and show it to me?”

“He’ll be communicating through me. I’m the only one that he can speak to because I’m the only one who has a telepathic bond with him. So be patient, at least for a little longer,” Twilight said. To Guilt, she asked, How painful will it be?

One of the standard laws of magic, and, in fact, life in general, is that it takes much more effort to create than to destroy. The same goes for the strain in the process. Imagine you were a pegasus, and I ripped your wings off, Guilt proposed. You would feel a lot of pain, would you not? Now take that pain and multiply it by a factor of twelve. That’s how much pain you would be in if I regenerated them from scratch.

Twilight suppressed a shudder. ...Does it have to be twelve? she squeaked, trying to block the gruesomes image out of her mind.

If you want to be accurate, Guilt thought.

“I hate to pry, darling, but what in Equestria are you two saying?” Rarity asked.

“Guilt is... describing to me just how painful the surgery will be,” Twilight began, “keeping in mind that in order for him to be one-hundred percent accurate, Dash needs to be completely awake.”

“Why is that, again?” Aurora asked. “I mean, it’s not like Guilt’s doing a nerve test or anything, he’s just reconstructing her wings.”

One cannot do internal diagnostics on a comatose patient, Guilt thought irritably, as if he were stating the obvious. I can’t simply take pegasus nerve structures out of a cookie cutter and glue them in place like some sort of foal’s arts-and-crafts. Every nerve structure is different, and I need to make sure I’m making Dash’s specific structure not too sensitive nor too dull. I can possibly even improve upon biology if she is willing to endure through the entire procedure I have in mind.

After Twilight relayed this information, Dash asked, “Well, what’s the procedure thingy?”

The first step is simple, I have to remove all of Dash’s feathers and plumage in order to have a clean working area. This is only temporary, and I’ll regrow them before the surgery is finished, and like the second step, it will be completely painless, Guilt began.

“Okay... as long as I don’t have to see myself like that,” Dash said after Twilight repeated what Guilt had told her.

“How will she be positioned for the surgery?” Twilight asked aloud, so that the others knew she had inquired.

Face-down. I prefer to work on the top of the wings, though mainly so that it’s harder for my patients to jerk about. For this particular procedure, however, Dash will have to be fully restrained... and I recommend getting her something to bite on, Guilt grimaced.

Twilight relayed this. Okay, so what’s the second step?

In the second step, I will regenerate the muscles, bones, and other necessary tissues in her wings. This will be the longest step, and once again, it will be painless due to the fact that I’m saving her nerves for last, Guilt explained.

Won’t there be any bloodloss? Twilight inquired.

I’ve been working with this type of magic a long time, and there are techniques that allow blood vessels to be worked around. What little blood she loses will be superfluous, Guilt answered.

After Twilight relayed this, Dash asked, “Well, when does the pain start?”

Twilight, this is very important, so listen closely, Guilt began. The pain will start very abruptly as I start to regrow and activate the nerves. Nerves are very particular, you see, and unless I get everything right on my very first attempt, Dash will feel like her wings are being dipped in acid. This is the part where I must correct the mistakes I made in the second step, and they could potentially add up to a nightmare if Dash isn’t perfectly calm beforehoof. You need to assure her that she will be warned before the third step begins.

“Guilt says that the pain will start when he begins to activate the nerves and fix all the mistakes he made in the process of reconstructing them. I guess it’s more of a trial-and-error system than I thought,” she assumed. “Anyway, Guilt promises that you’ll get a heads-up before the pain begins, okay?”

Dash relaxed slightly. “Okay. Thanks.”

I get the feeling we’re not actually going to warn her, Twilight assumed.

We’re not going to warn her for the same reason you don’t show a newborn foal the needle you’re going to jab into them when they get a vaccination, Guilt growled. If she is insecure and anxious leading up to the third step, especially just before it, it will make my job several times more difficult and will likely lead to me making many more mistakes. Even though her panic when the pain begins will be heightened due to her surprise, she would struggle no more than if she had fair warning. If she’s angry at you later, you can offer her that explanation.

Twilight sighed. I don’t feel really good about doing this. It’s dishonest. Dash is trusting us with her life; the least we can do is keep our promises.

Honesty is situational. And I never said to promise we’d give her warning; you came up with that all on your lonesome, Guilt said, his tone heavy with the indifference of a professional.

“What’s up?” Dash asked.

“Nothing,” Twilight said quickly. “I’m asking him the fourth step.” Well?

There is no fourth step besides giving Dash back her feathers and fixing the outside of her wings. The pain will steadily fade to nothing as I fix the errors I will undoubtedly make, though I doubt Dash will notice through her tears, Guilt thought.

Twilight relayed this, then thought, ...I think this is as morbid a conversation could get without mentioning death.

Of course, there’s always the minute chance Deception could pop out of the shadows just as all of you seem to constantly fear her doing, ending all our lives in a split second with her armagedon beam of cake and feathers, Guilt added with a sarcastic grin.

You’re such a jerk, Twilight grumbled. “So that’s about it. I think it’s time to go finish this whole ordeal.”

“You can come with me, Rarity... Guilt,” Aurora said, warily eyeing him. “I know where the surgery’s going to be. Luna said she wanted it set up so that the doctors who tried to cure her the first time could maybe learn something from watching Guilt. As for you, Twilight, I guess you can stay with Dash until the nurses come to pick her up. Is that okay?”

“Sure,” Twilight said, and suddenly she found herself alone with Dash. She slowly approached her friend’s bedside. “...Are you ready for this?” she asked after a short pause.

“Totally,” Dash said with confidence. “Are you?”

“Well,” Twilight muttered, sitting down on a nearby chair and resting her head in her forelegs. “I’d be lying if I said I was sure.”

=====================================================================

Two nurses took Dash and wheeled her, oddly-shaped bed and all, down to the operation room, while Twilight followed swiftly behind. She could tell that Dash was nervous, as she was wringing her blankets between her hooves, but there was little more she could offer besides small words of encouragement. They travelled down the bland white halls to an elevator, and then slowly descended into the base of the hospital, where the operating theatre was located. It was mainly designed to allow medical students or family members of the patient to carefully watch the doctor’s methods, but it was slightly underused as of late due to fewer Fillydelphians studying medicine and more studying the best ways to overthrow the Princess.

The chamber was a relatively large circular shape, being about ten feet in diameter, with half of one side covered in one-way glass. There were two entrances, one from the ‘stands’ that was locked from the inside, and the other leading from the interior of the hospital. Dash and Twilight entered from the latter of the doorways, finding Rarity, Guilt, and Pinkie waiting for them next to two other hospital beds.

Rarity was sitting on a chair as she sighed and reluctantly put on the necessary clothing attachments to make sure Dash didn’t catch anything. After she had put all of it on, including a sterile mask, a hairnet, a clean apron, and latex shoes, she was barely recognizable, mostly because she had put about half of it on backward. She muttered in disgust and tried again while an amused Guilt, who had already wrapped himself in hygienic insulation, looked on.

Pinkie seemed unusually subdued, though Twilight could hardly see her through the gear she wore. The sterile mask didn’t hide the tip of a deep scar she had on her cheek, though. She gave Twilight a matching set and stated, “We all need to put these costumes on.”

“Pinkie, these aren’t costumes,” Twilight said, taking the clothing and trying not to stare. “These are to make sure we don’t make Dash sick.”

“My personal rule is that everything that makes you hide your smile is a costume and something only to be worn on Nightmare Night, casual Fridays, and Monday the Thirteenths. It’s in the Party Pony’s Pocket Dictionary, too, if you wanna look it up,” she said, pulling a tiny dictionary from her back pocket and placing it on top of Twilight’s clothes.

Twilight decided to humor her and set the clothes on a nearby table in order to flip through the book, but rolled her eyes as she saw that many of the definitions had been crossed out and scribbled over in bright marker. She instead awkwardly put on her gear, asking Pinkie, “So did Rarity tell you about the procedure?”

“Nope! Guilt showed me his notes,” Pinkie said, pointing to a thick file folder next to a scalpel on the table next to where Dash was lying idly. Twilight reached to open it, but Pinkie stopped her. “...You might wanna save that for Nightmare Night,” she said with a nervous smile.

Twilight glanced at Guilt. What--exactly--did you show her?

My plans for the surgery, alongside some of the most gruesome diagrams I could craft accompanying them, Guilt thought, smirking back at her. She won’t be forgetting those anytime soon.

You’re awful, Twilight groaned. Why did you pick today to be an absolute jerk? I know you can be nicer than this.

I’m fairly certain you wouldn’t like to hear what I’d actually like to do to that little pink cretin, Guilt muttered back. This is actually an upbeat day for me, personally. I find inner workings of ponies quite fascinating, and any time I get to work with them is akin to the excitement of opening a treasure chest. You never know what might be inside.

That’s no excuse for showing Pinkie something that might disturb her! Twilight scolded.

Everything has a purpose, Guilt said dismissively. It’s not like I had anything better to draw in prison, and it’s not like I’m going to toss those delightfully gory illustrations aside without putting them to good use first.

That’s no excuse either! Twilight insisted.

Want another? Curiosity killed the cat, Guilt sneered. Pinkie’s the one who asked for those documents. I simply gave her what I would have kept to myself otherwise. Had I known she was going to ask for them, I would have planned something far more gruesome, trust me.

Twilight decided not to pursue the argument and instead glanced around, checking to make sure everypony was ready. “So are we going to start now?”

“Just about, darling. But where’s Aurora? She was just here a moment ago,” Rarity wondered aloud, adjusting her mask.

Dash, sensing that the surgery was about to begin, rolled over onto her belly. “I think she went up into the balcony or something with Luna and the doctors,” Dash said. Her breathing quickened slightly as she realized what was about to happen, and she nervously fiddled with her hooves.

She will need to be properly restrained, Guilt thought. He waved his hoof, and orange tethers slowly wrapped their way around Dash before tightening in place.

With something to bite on, Twilight echoed. Guilt conjured an orange bar of energy and set it on the table by Twilight. It had a rubbery texture, and when Twilight gave it to Dash to sink her teeth into, it softened for a moment before stiffening into something resembling a thick retainer. The obsolete parts broke off and dissolved into powder.

Rarity and Pinkie both laid down on the spare beds, each of them gripping Dash’s hoof tightly and murmuring words of encouragement. Twilight watched Guilt’s scalpel glow orange as it levitated off the table. The sky-blue feathers on Dash’s wings started to melt off and disintegrate before vanishing completely, leaving bare, almost skeletal pink blobs of flesh in their place. Then, with careful finesse, Guilt levitated the scalpel and began to carefully cut a wing open.

Twilight averted her eyes as Guilt began to work, although there wasn’t any hollering or shrieking from Dash just yet. It was almost eerily silent, getting to the point where Twilight could discern the slow cuts of the scalpel from her friend’s breathing.

“Did it start? I think I feel something,” Dash asked, shifting anxiously.

Rarity nodded. “Yes, darling. You’re doing fabulous, just stay as still as you possibly can.”

Guilt paused in his work for a moment. He looked like he was about to continue, but then something dawned on him. Wait a moment. This isn’t correct at all.

What’s wrong? Twilight asked.

Guilt didn’t offer an answer right away. He placed his scalpel in a glass of sterilizer and silently stared at Dash’s wing. Twilight... he began quietly, there is something I need you to do immediately, but you must follow my every direction. This is of dire importance, so listen well.

Twilight snapped to attention. What’s going on?

The doctors from Dash’s original surgery are up in the balcony right now, correct? Guilt asked.

Twilight nodded. With Luna and Aurora, I think.

You need to go up and tell Luna to have guards arrest each and every one of them, Guilt growled.

Why? Twilight asked, trotting over to the door and undoing the latch on it.

Guilt turned his gaze back to Dash’s wings. Whatever they did to her... it wasn’t surgery. He shot around, staring at a particular spot of the one-way glass as if he could see right through it and knew what lay beyond.

It was sabotage.

=====================================================================

[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This story takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
Please let me know if a link doesn’t work.

Chapter TwentyFive

Chapter Twenty-Five

*******

Justice sat at the base of a tall throne. It was one of six in a hexagonal chamber that once was a place of glory; it was plated with bronze and iron, sleek and shiny, while a glass globe displayed the latest as it hung in the center of the hall, suspended by magic. The thrones themselves were gargantuan, though they weren’t all created equal--they ranged from three meters in height to nine. It was from here that the Elements of Discord watched the world turn and turn, with all the information in the world at their disposal.

When Justice finally returned to it, however, after five thousand long years imprisonment, she found it decrepit and decaying. The polish and the shine had been replaced with rust and mold. The glass sphere that allowed her to see everything there ever was had been crushed and turned to dust. Only the thrones remained, but even these were falling into disrepair.

The shortest throne had crumbled to a third of its height. The fourth throne in the room had withered and was slowly approaching the same fate. The fifth throne had turned to dust. All of the other thrones, however, were still intact.

Justice exhaled. The battle was only days away, now. She had hoped that she would have been able to find something of use in this hall, but everything had been obliterated--by the traitor, no doubt. By the pony who sought to end everything she had worked so hard to gain.

Justice was not a fool.

“You look weary, sister.” Justice had sensed the presence coming, but she didn’t turn around. Deception had entered the hall, and she continued to walk down and sit just beneath where the Clyromore used to be, in the dead center of the sacred grounds.

“I have no time for your games, love. There’s much more that needs worrying about than you,” Justice said, turning her back to her sister.

“I fret for your safety, Justice,” Deception continued. “You are the master of an army that has been under your influence for weeks, now, and yet you still strive to challenge Harmony to a duel that you do, in fact, stand the possibility of losing.”

“Your end game here isn’t to make me go back on my challenge, Deception, that’s obvious enough. So that raises the question, what is?” Justice asked. “And your worry is wasted on me, dear. I run no risk of losing to the neophytes. Not while they’re one member short.”

Deception also slowly turned her back to her sister. “...Then I wish you best of luck. They have proven quite crafty.”

“With your help, sure,” Justice chuckled.

“Are you accusing me of something, sister?” Deception asked, staring intently at the sixth and tallest throne.

“There is nothing I can accuse you of, Deception,” Justice stated truthfully, “but tell me why the thought seems to take you aback.”

“Since you lack proof, I would have been surprised if you delved into the baseless conjecture that Harmony is so well known for. That’s all,” Deception said.

“That’s all? Deception, your simplicity knows no bounds,” Justice said, her gaze locked on the third throne in the room.

“I suppose it depends on circumstance,” Deception replied. “Your point?”

“If you’re in a simple mood, Deception, then tell me what you intend to gain from your actions,” Justice ordered.

“My actions have only been with your interests in mind, sister,” Deception answered.

“Only mine, not Equestria’s?” Justice asked.

“Your interests are Equestria’s interests,” Deception added promptly.

“Hmph. You seem to think rather highly of me, love. Certainly a change of pace,” Justice said, her tone getting increasingly strained with pent-up frustration.

“You also seem to be inhabiting a significantly younger body than usual. Also a circumstantial change,” Deception replied.

There was a long pause, in which neither party spoke. Their faces were expressionless, their eyes unblinking, and their breath nearly slowed to a stop. They were nearly as motionless as the thrones they sat on during the Times of Endless Dawn.

Then, finally, Deception said, “I have a list of priorities, Justice.” She stood up, not bothering to glance back at her sister. She paused for a moment, then added, “Self-preservation... is no longer on the top of that list.”

Justice didn’t respond. If she had even acknowledged what Deception had said, she didn’t let on.

=====================================================================

*******

A few days earlier...

The bar was lit up brightly and colored with drink and dance of all kinds, from the watered-down to the volatile and from casual back-and-forth motion to the fluid, feral movements of so-called ‘professional clubbers.’ That was all occurring in the front portion of the bar, the part that was kept clean and crisp so that the owners didn’t get sued as often when somepony inevitably fell over and broke their neck on the hardwood floor.

Olly was sitting in the back of the bar, which was characteristically dingy and gloomy, nursing the strongest beer they had to offer. It was about half-empty, as was his soul. Heh, I like that, he thought, taking another sip. Blegh, poetry. How bored can you get?

Ordinarily, Olly would have joined the dancers and probably would have had a much better time, but there was a slight problem with that: Every minute or so, they would twitch slightly and robotically transfer to where they were a few moments before, endlessly repeating the same fluid, feral movements and never tiring or alternating their routine. The bartender was perpetually wiping a spill of the counter, and a stallion opposite of Olly was chugging a mug of beer that never seemed to completely empty.

He was trapped in an illusion.

He had noticed this fairly quickly, seeing that the spilled liquor a dancer had clumsily knocked onto a table was never quite absorbed by the rag, yet the bartender never grew frustrated with his futile attempts and, with a slight tick every now and again, would continue mopping up the mess for what seemed like an eternity.

Olly had tried to escape as it dawned on him what was happening, but he found that if he moved from his seat, a few moments later, just before he got to the door, he would be sitting back in his stool, inhaling the reek that was the grungy back of an urban tavern. And no matter how much beer he drank, it would always revert to its half-empty level.

“Look, I know how entertaining my suffering is,” Olly said, glancing around for anypony not subject to the time loop of the bar. “But could I have the honor of knowing who’s keeping me on a leash.”

An earth pony stopped dancing, and turned to look. She was a light orange color, with an odd mane; it was orange and red, but the colors were in a sort of checkerboard pattern, forming sort of a grid along her hair. She slowly ambled over, and Olly watched her out of the corner of his eye.

“What do you want?” he growled, adjusting the strap of his eye patch.

“I want the truth,” the mare replied.

“Awfully ironic,” Olly muttered in reply, taking another swig.

“Oh? And why is that?” the mare inquired, taking a seat next to Olly. She was dainty and light, and her eyes were brimming with playful energy.

“You know what you are,” Olly retorted.

“...Fair enough. But your assumptions are only half correct,” Deception began, closing one of her eyes. When it once again opened, a harsh, black, daggerlike slit replaced her pupil. The other eye, which was so cheerful and happy, was now contrasted by an eye that was full of aloof interest and deceit. “I am also... a memory. I’m sure you know what those are like, if only slightly.”

“Want to join me in poetry? We can start right now,” Olly hissed, sarcasm dripping off his every word. “Why not just make an entire useless book on how we both feel, deep down inside? Because that’s really what I want to do right now. You know why?”

Deception tilted her head slightly to the side. “Hmm?”

“Because I don’t feel anything anymore!” Olly shouted. His horn glowed, and his glass began to vibrate before shooting into the air. He was aiming at Deception, but she ducked, and it instead flew into the bartender behind her. He didn’t even notice, and after a few moments, the glass reappeared on the counter in front of Olly. He tried to calm his breathing. “I’ve been here for hours, not having to eat, not having to sleep, not thinking anything, not feeling anything, not having to do one--single--thing!”

“And?” Deception asked.

“...And? And--!” Olly began, his expression an odd combination of a smile and a look of agony, “I like it this way! I like not having to do anything, I like not having to worry about dying, I like just sitting here, drinking beer, watching others having fun! And that’s--that’s--!” He paused, unable to continue.

“What is it?” Deception asked, her tone having never changed since the beginning of their conversation.

“That’s just so unlike me,” Olly murmured. “I feel... I feel like somepony is just taking away who I am. Just by me being here. Deception, what are you doing to me?” he breathed, looking up at her.

“I am finding the truth, and I am nearly there. Do not worry. What you have lost will be returned to you after you rest,” Deception said soothingly, raising a hoof and brushing some of Olly’s mane out of his eyes.

“Why are you even here?” Olly asked, pushing her hoof away from his face. “I mean, I know it’s your job to ruin ponies’ lives, but why mine?”

“The secrets of your memory, Olly, intrigued me. That was why I borrowed them, along with some others, for a short while. You are special, Olly, which is why your memories are a suitable substitute for the true prize,” Deception explained.

“Don’t be cryptic. You might as well say nothing at all,” Olly scowled. “What do you mean, ‘true prize?’”

“You should know. One of them has feelings for you. All of them would be upset to lose you. They are the keys to open the doorway to the truth, but you, Olly, are my... skeleton key. Yes,” Deception grinned. “You and your...” she trailed off.

“My...?” Olly prompted.

“The memories I used to uncover part of the truth will be returned to you shortly, as they are no longer necessary. I have learned what I needed to know from them,” Deception continued.

“Okay, great, but my...?” Olly pressed.

Deception smiled slightly before vanishing. The entire bar, in fact, abruptly vanished with her, leaving Olly plummeting into the darkness below with a final wail.

=====================================================================

*******

What do you mean, ‘sabotaged?’ Twilight asked Guilt.

What do you think I mean? he replied furiously. His expression, fortunately, didn’t match his tone; his face remained blank and impassive as not to upset Rarity, Pinkie, or most importantly Dash. I mean her wings were cut up for Hors d'oeuvre, that’s what I mean!

Twilight, unfortunately, wasn’t as good at hiding her shock and slight disbelief, and Rarity asked, “Darling, is something wrong?”

“Huh? Oh, no, Guilt just told me something... interesting about the way pegasi work,” Twilight replied nervously.

A small smirk appeared on Guilt’s lips as he played along with Twilight’s fib.

“I think I’m going to go wash my eyes out now. Be right back,” Twilight said. So how do you know it’s sabotage? she asked on her way to the balcony where Luna was waiting with the doctors.

In battle, injuries are haphazard, strewn throughout a body because the foe’s only real goal is to kill or maim. But these cuts--they are not my brother’s. They’re too precise, too methodical. Whoever did this wanted Dash to remain flightless, and it’s not like all that many ponies have access to the inside of Dash’s wings without her knowing. It had to have been the doctors, Guilt concluded.

Okay, but why? Twilight inquired.

I just told you why, to keep her flightless. I believe what you’re searching for is the ‘who,’ Guilt assumed. In that case, I’m afraid I can’t be certain.

Can you guess? Twilight asked.

...I don’t like to speculate, Guilt began uneasily, but in all honesty, the only one of my siblings who would be able and willing to try anything this despicable would be my sister Vengeance.

The balcony was wide, stretching along the one-way glass pane that allowed spectators to observe the surgeons as they worked. However, the vast majority of the five rows of seats were vacant, due to the only ponies allowed in being Luna, Aurora, and Dash’s first doctors. About half a dozen Royal Guard were present, guarding the doctors, the entryways, and the princesses, but Twilight suspected there were far more outside the main doors.

“Twilight? What’s the matter?” Luna asked upon seeing her enter from the surgery chamber. Aurora stood up, as well, seeing in Twilight’s eyes that something was amiss.

Twilight tossed a glance at the doctors. They hadn’t even seemed to notice her entrance, which was odd, but they may have just been intent on memorizing Guilt’s methods. Still, if what he said was true... “Luna, this is really important,” she began quietly, leaning in.

Luna nodded and whispered, “What’s wrong?”

“Guilt thinks that the original doctors sabotaged Dash’s wings,” Twilight murmured as softly as she could into Luna’s ear. “He says that they meant for her never to recover.”

Twilight cringed at Luna’s audible scoff. “Twilight, their families have been working with the Royal Family for generations! They’re loyal and possess unrivaled expertise, and moreover, they’re some of the most diligent, selfless ponies I’ve ever met in my entire, immortal life. What is your proof?”

Aurora, fortunately, stepped in to save face. “Maybe I should ask them the details and stuff. Y’know, see if they get nervous or anything. We can go from there, alright? Aren’t your guards trained to notice if somepony’s lying or not?”

“They are, but...” Luna shook her head, still unsure. “I guess it couldn’t hurt... Guard?” she called, and one of her dark-colored guards stepped over. “Watch Doctor Knocking and his cohorts to see if they show any signs of unease while Aurora asks them a few questions.”

The guard nodded, and discreetly trained his eyes on the doctors, who were still intently watching Guilt work on Dash.

“I’m taking your word for this, Twilight. I do not want to embarass myself in front of my staff,” Luna warned.

Twilight nodded, swallowing her anxiety.

Aurora walked over to the group of professionals and asked, “Um, Doc?” Dr. Knocking didn’t answer, so she tried again. “Hello? I need to ask you some things.” Still no answer. She walked around, using her body to block the doctor’s line of sight. “Look, Doctor, I know you wanna watch Guilt and all, but...” She paused. “But...”

Twilight’s ear twitched, her instincts screaming that something had gone horribly wrong. The guards shifted anxiously, glancing over toward Aurora.

“Hey, sis?” Aurora asked, her lip trembling slightly. “You... You might wanna come see this.”

“What?” Luna asked, though she appeared to already know what had happened. “What is it?”

“...Sis, I'm really sorry but...” Aurora swallowed, closing her eyes and turning away. “You’re going to need some new doctors.”

Luna gently pushed Aurora aside and looked into the doctors’ eyes. She nudged Knocking slightly, but there was no response. “Oh, no,” she breathed. “They can’t just be...” Snapping out of her trance, she ordered weakly, “Guards... send for our best mortician.”

The guards nodded, and a couple of them left to inform the rest of their ranks.

“Should we stop the surgery?” Aurora asked. “I mean, with Drammatica’s agents on the prowl, everypony’s going to know what happened in, like, two hours, if we’re even that lucky. There’ll be a mob!”

No, Guilt chimed in suddenly, making Twilight jump.

Stop doing that! she complained.

Guilt ignored her. I’m too far along to quit now. The damage caused to Dash’s wings is inconsequential, even though what it implies is troubling. I’m almost ready to begin the third step; to get halfway done and then have to stop would be calamitous!

Twilight swallowed. “Guilt doesn’t think stopping right now would be a good idea.”

“Without professionals watching Guilt, he could be performing the very same sabotage he accused Knocking of!” Luna argued. “I cannot simply take his word that is safe to leave him in charge of Dash’s life!”

“Then take mine!” Twilight retorted, taking an angry step forward. Realizing what she had said, she paused, and said with less confidence, “I... I trust him.”

Luna’s eyes narrowed for a moment, but she eventually said, “Alright, Twilight. But you will have to continue without me,” she stated. “I must attend to this disaster.” Then, with two guards at her sides, she departed. As she opened the door, though, she caught a glimpse of the mayhem and noise lying just beyond.

Aurora shuddered, glancing back at the doctors. A couple guards had entered and were carrying them off one by one. “I really, really hope I don’t get surprised like that again.”

Twilight bit her lip. “I’d better get back inside with Dash. Are you going to be okay on your own, or do you want to come, too?”

“She’s your friend, not mine. Yet,” Aurora added. “Anyway, yeah, I’ll be fine, hopefully. I’ll watch from the sidelines and watch to see if anything bad goes down. But you should probably get in there; Guilt isn’t known for his patience.”

Twilight nodded, then cantered back into the main chamber.

=====================================================================

*******

You’re just in time. I’m almost ready to start, and Dash is becoming antsy, Guilt began, brushing a hoof over Dash’s left wing. It twitched slightly as its insides were rearranged.

Dash looked up at Twilight, as if asking what had happened.

“Dash, don’t worry about it,” Twilight said, bringing a small smile to her lips.

Dash gave Twilight a slightly incredulous look, though it was tinged with fear.

Twilight squeezed in-between Pinkie and Rarity and looked Dash straight in the eye, cupping her face in her hoof. “Dash, please, just relax. Take deep breaths, okay? For me?”

Dash huffed slightly, but she managed to relax herself, shutting her eyes tightly. With all three of them here... I can do this. I’m ready for this! Bring it, Guilt, I’m going to show you how tough I am!

Guilt suddenly stopped working on Dash, then mouthed ‘Now’ to Twilight in a way that Rarity would notice. Twilight gave her a discreet glance and raised a hoof to her lips. Rarity looked like she was about to protest, but the look in Twilight’s eyes forced her to keep quiet.

Dash’s restraints suddenly tightened, and Dash’s first shocked gasp echoed through the silent chambers. She struggled slightly, but she was completely immobilized by Guilt’s tethers and nearly muzzled by his gag. Pinkie’s eyes widened, and she looked up at Twilight in shock, but Twilight simply shook her head, trying to tune out the muffled screams emanating from Dash’s frame.

The pain started as tiny pricks, then flooded through her like mallets smashing into her sides as her wings suddenly flared to life. The dull numbness that had assaulted her for the past few weeks was replaced by a burn akin to lying on a bed of hot coals. It was as if two nets of pure pain had been suddenly grafted to her back, radiating waves of pure agony that wracked the rest of her body.

After the first, shocked pain had receded, Dash felt several snaps. Her bones were being twisted and bent, slowly regaining their grip on her damaged apendages, but to Dash it was like her wings were being run through a grinder. She tried to thrash, to exert any amount of control over her situation, but the bonds only held her tighter. It got to the point where her breathing was constricted, and she felt lightheaded for a moment, but the pain slammed her struggling mind back into the ground.

She had experienced torn ligaments and wing sprains before, but now all those horrible experiences were being compounded into one. A complex web of searing acid flowed through her veins, burning her from the inside. She arched her back as the fabric of her wings was suddenly wrenched back into place, and she bit down on her gag in a feeble attempt to rid her mind of her agony.

The pain ebbed for just a moment, and Dash blinked the water out of her eyes, looking up at Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie, searching desperately for the faintest hint of mercy. However, she only received murmured words of encouragement which did little to halt the gradual fuse she felt travelling up the rim of her wings.

It was as if she had flown into a waterfall. An immense pressure from above crushed her wings, and she felt woozy, as if she were hanging upside-down. Her vision was tinted red for a moment, then it all receded, and she felt cold. The icy chill numbed the sear of the pain, but not for long. Soon, it settled to an unbearable ache, like the pain of a broken bone.

She rested her head on the table, giving in to her anguish and letting it envelop her. It felt like a soft blanket, and as she slowly faded into the shadows, she felt the pain slowly release her from her bonds.

=====================================================================

*******

Dash’s eyes shot open.

She was back in the hospital, with the setting sun’s ever-fading rays coloring her sheets and bandages a cascade of orange and red. Her wings were just as bandaged and immobile as ever--but there was a startling difference: When she tried to move them, there was a slight twitch. A response, signalling that, by some miracle, they had once again been infused with life.

For a moment, she was unsure how to react. I guess... that’s good? She shook her head, trying to rid herself of her shock. That means... That means Guilt fixed them! All right! “Yes!” she exclaimed. “The Element of Loyalty is back in business!”

She heard a snort to her left, and turned to see Aurora sleeping on the couch next to her. “Hng... huh?” She shifted slightly before losing her balance and toppling onto the floor.

Dash stifled a giggle. “Um, what?”

“I’m awake!” Aurora said, wilding looking around, further matting her already messy mane. Her eyes locked on Dash. “Oh, jeez, I was supposed to be waiting for you to wake up!”

“Well, I just did, so you didn’t miss much,” Dash replied with a grin.

“Then let’s just keep this between us, okay?” Aurora grumbled, stretching her tired muscles. “Ugh... What time is it, anyway?”

“Uhmm...” Dash began, glancing at the clock on her nightstand. “Six in the morning. So, sunrise, I guess. Sorry for waking you up.”

“Sleep is for the weak anyway,” Aurora said with a grin. “Now lets get those stupid bandages off. I wanna see your new wings.”

Dash scooted up against the back of the bed as Aurora approached her. “Woah, woah, woah, wait a minute! You sure this is the best idea?”

“Guilt set you in bandages so that when you woke up you wouldn’t just go flying off without somepony watching you. Well, we all did rock-paper-scissors, and that somepony is me. So let go already!” Aurora ordered. “C’mon, get up! And close your eyes, too, so that you get to see your new wings, y’know, all at once, or something.”

“They’re not that different, are they?” Dash asked warily.

Aurora sighed with exasperation. “I’m not good with words. Just do it, okay?”

Dash slipped out of bed and did as Aurora said, closing her eyes while simultaneously allowing Aurora to slowly unwrap her wings like they were two big Hearth’s Warming presents. When she opened her eyes and looked at them, she didn’t see much different at first. They feel exactly like my old ones... Which, I guess, is the best I could have hoped for, in the end. But there was a subtle difference; when she looked closely at the tips of her feathers after folding and unfolding her new wings for the first time, she saw that they had orange tips instead of being light blue like the rest of her.

“...Orange?” Dash asked quietly after a forlorn pause.

Aurora saw the look in Dash’s eyes, and replied softly, “Orange is Guilt’s signature color. That’s all, okay?”

Dash took a long pause before finally saying, “Yeah... yeah. I guess you’re right.”

Aurora grinned slightly. “Hey? What about that race you promised me?”

Dash’s eyes lit up at the distraction. “Hey, yeah, you’re right! When and where?”

“No time like the present,” Aurora said, glancing out the window. “And I bet the wind is just right.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Dash asked.

They both rushed out of the room, both of them failing to notice the unnaturally organized clouds that hung in the sky, as if somepony had placed an ominous halo around Fillydelphia.

=====================================================================

[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This story takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
Please let me know if a link doesn’t work.

Chapter One

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Chapter One

*******

Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic, was strolling through Ponyville. Her brow was furrowed as she intensely concentrated on something that was beyond her grasp. She flat-out disregarded everypony around her, even when they greeted her, acting like they didn’t exist. Because they didn’t. Twilight was in an illusion of pre-war Ponyville, as projected within her own heartsick dreams.

“Hey, Miss Sparkle?” A pony comprised entirely of runes and magical energies, Verba, asked Twilight. He was gliding lazily through the air behind her, as if he were floating on a salty lake. “You may want to tone down the realism a bit.”

“Why?” she asked in return.

“Well, ‘cause if you try to concentrate on too many things at once, it’ll all come crashing down on you before you get anywhere. Each of these ponies is a glass platter, and you’re carrying a good hundred of ‘em. I just don’t wanna have to gather up the shards, y’know what I’m saying?” Verba explained.

Twilight sighed, seeing that even as they spoke, some of the illusionary ponies were spasming and repeating their speech uncontrollably. She flicked her hoof to the side, and half of the ponies vanished completely while those remaining became translucent, though they didn’t seem to notice. The surrounding area lost its substance, with most of the objects and even some of the buildings turning transparent. “Sorry,” Twilight said dejectedly.

“No need. I can see that you’re hurting,” Verba said. “I’m just looking out for you, is all.”

“I know, I know,” Twilight huffed. “But I just want them all back so badly...”

“Most of them are still okay, Twilight,” Verba said softly, drifting over to her. “I’m not saying that the others are better off gone, but... What Obsidian used to tell me, he says, was that if we don’t let the spirits of our friends go, then they’ll never find out what’s beyond. All we can keep is their memory, because they can’t keep it for themselves.”

“And he’s been to the other world?” Twilight asked, more curious than spiteful.

“Well, no, but he’s twenty-five thousand years old, and a book worm, to boot. So he knows things that you or I wouldn’t,” Verba elaborated. “I’d trust him just because it isn’t right to hurt over the past. It’s been six months, Twilight, and we still have enemies. I hate to say it, but there’ll be more friends to mourn by the end of this, no doubt about it.”

They continued in silence for a while. Twilight grew a few exotic flowers by Twist’s house, in memory of her, and recreated Lyra and BonBon, having them chat together by Ponyville’s plaza.

“I’m telling you, this isn’t the right way to deal with things,” Verba cautioned. “Why not just wake yourself up and make something for them in real life?”

“Because I only get seven hours a day here, and it’s getting less and less,” Twilight grumbled. “Luna and I have been corresponding, and she says that there’s been more activity by the Lock as winter approaches. I’ve been all over Equestria trying to keep the peace before flocks of stallions come out of the blue and vigilante their way into a massacre. They want to help, but they have no idea what they’re up against,” Twilight sighed. “I know what it’s like to feel powerless, and it’s not sitting well with the rest of Equestria. I’m not sure how much longer it’s going to be before Discord strikes again, and if they do, it could mean riots across the entire country.”

“I hear you. But imagine how difficult Luna has it now that Celestia can’t do any of the paperwork,” Verba pointed out. “She needs a right-hoof mare, and you’re the go-to filly for any major bureaucratic operation.”

“Thanks, but it’s not that Celestia can’t do the work, it’s that she just won’t,” Twilight explained. “Celestia helps by giving speeches and going with me on travels, but she kind of leaves Luna in the dust sometimes. I guess it’s just part of her new character,” she shrugged.

“...Something like that,” Verba eventually said.

“Yeah... Hey, Verba? What is the Lock, anyway?” Twilight asked. “Isn’t it the opposite of the Gateway?”

“The Lock is Discord’s hideout, and yeah, it works kind of like the Gateway. It’s on the border of Equestria,” Verba explained. After seeing the look Twilight gave him, he added, “What, you didn’t think Equestria was the entire world, did you?”

“Well, no maps ever show anything outside it...” Twilight trailed off.

“Well, where’d you think the sun went when it set?” Verba laughed. “Yeah, Equestria is big, maybe even the biggest country on the planet, but it’s not all of it. The Lock rests outside Equestria, but since the land is so dry and useless there, no country’s ever claimed it. Part of the reason it’s so barren in the first place is because of the Lock itself, y’know, the actual fountain. It’s the opposite of the Gateway, which can make plants grow even deep underground.”

“Before Deception stole the Source,” Twilight said bitterly.

“Well, it could’ve been a few different ponies, like-” Verba cut himself off.

“Who?” Twilight asked.

Verba shook his head. “Nothing. It doesn’t matter anyway; Deception’s the only one who could’ve outsmarted Luna’s security. Just keep an eye out for her, and keep the other eye on Rainbow Dash. She’s Deception’s target.”

“Okay, but at any rate, I have a question,” Twilight began, trying to organize her thoughts.

“Oh really? That’s unlike you,” Verba grinned.

“Ha ha,” Twilight muttered back. “Anyway, if the Lock is Discord’s hideout, couldn’t we just end the war by destroying it, or taking its Source?”

“Well, that’s a no-go, for a couple reasons. One, it’s not worth it yet, because the Lock is located in the coldest, driest, darkest place in the world, all the way near the south pole. You’re going to need to build up your powers to their peak before you even think of going all the way out there. Two, it really wouldn’t matter all that much in the long run because taking Discord’s source wouldn’t hurt them directly. It’d just be an annoyance, like Deception shutting down the Gateway. Eventually you’re going to have to go there, but not to steal the second Source; you’re going to go there to put an end to the war once and for all. That’s Discord’s last safe haven; if you beat them there, you’ve beat them everywhere. Got it memorized?”

Twilight nodded, and the first rays of dawn began to breach her small dimension. It began as a dim light, but as they said their goodbyes, it began to grow into a flare that made Twilight’s fabricated sun look like a flickering candle.

“Guess this is it for now,” Verba said, unaffected by the brightening light.

“Yeah...” Twilight sighed. “Verba, will I always be able to talk to you like this?”

“I’m not going anywhere anytime soon,” Verba chuckled. “I’m here for you whenever you need me. And I’ll probably be there a couple times you don’t.”

“Why’s that?” she asked, shielding her eyes from the intensifying rays.

“‘Cause I like you, that’s why,” Verba said, playfully tussling Twilight’s mane. “You stay true to yourself Twilight, and everything’ll work out. My own personal philosophy.”

“Okay, Verba. See you tonight, then,” Twilight smiled, closing her eyes as the light grew even brighter.

“Tonight it is,” Verba confirmed.

And then the dream was over, and Twilight was awake.

=====================================================================

*******

Applejack put the finishing touches on the apple tart she was bringing to the return party of Pinkie and Rainbow Dash.

She hummed a tune as she taste tested. Mighty tasty, she finally decided. Hope they’ll like it. It’s been too long. Six months, I wonder how they survived? she chuckled to herself. Knowing Dash, Luna probably had to lasso her out of bed and tie her to the training grounds. The mare’s going to be sore after this is all over. Though I don’t know if Pinkie’s training is the same way.

Applejack heard a knock on the door. Placing the tart on a cooling rack, she rushed to answer it. “Twi? What brings you out here?” the orange mare asked, seeing a purple unicorn on the doorstep. “Ain’t time fer the party yet, is it?”

“No, but Dash and Pinkie are supposed to arrive any minute,” Twilight said. “You’d better hurry up.”

“Ah thought they were supposed ta come two hours from now!” Applejack sighed. “Ah’ll be right there. Yer house, right?”

“Yep. See you there,” Twilight said.

“Wait, Twi, will Spike be there?” Applejack asked. “Ah wasn’t sure if Ah should bring another tart.”

“No, he’s on a field trip to the Royal Gardens. He’ll be back in a few hours. Bye,” she finished, charging up a teleport and warping away.

Applejack rubbed her eyes; the flash from the teleportation was bright and she forgot to look away. She’s relying too much on that fancy magic, she muttered to herself. Doesn’t seem like a day goes by now when I can’t worry about being blinded.

Throwing on a jacket for the brisk fall weather, Applejack carefully cradled the tarts in her saddlebags and raced along the leaf-covered path leading to the center of Ponyville, her beloved home.

As she was strolling through the sunlit lanes, she noticed the unusual amount of tension in the air. Huh... Nopony looks as happy as they usually do. Everpony’s nervous, like they can’t stand still. Do they think Discord’ll get them?

“Applejack? Applejack!”

“Huh? Oh!” Applejack exclaimed, seeing sompony suddenly standing directly in front of her and looking a tad annoyed “Howdy, Rarity. Where’d you come from?”
“I was standing in front of you, darling,” Rarity explained, with a tight smile on her face.

“Oh, uh, pardon me,” Applejack said. “Why so tense, sugarcube?”

“Oh, just that I’ve been a tad invisible to ponies lately,” Rarity said. “Are you on your way to Twilight’s as well?”

“Uh-huh,” Applejack replied.

“Well, come on, let’s go,” Rarity prompted, walking along the path, expertly disguising her irritation.

“Somethin’ wrong, Rarity?” Applejack asked.

She sighed. “I can’t seem to get anypony’s attention nowadays. I try to talk with clients at the boutique, and all I get is a blank stare. I try to carry a decent conversation at the market and I end up having a two-sided conversation with myself, for Celestia’s sake! Not to mention the two adolescents in my hair day in and day out. They stop in for meals and bedtime and are gone the rest of the day.”

“Ah almost forgot, how are they?” Applejack asked. “Scootaloo gettin’ in yer mane again?”

“No, it’s Sweetie Belle; she wants a nice dress but won’t settle for anything fashionable,” Rarity grumbled. “I’m not sure which is worse, having a passé sister or being attacked by the Daymare.”

“Aw, come on, Rarity, it can’t be that bad,” Applejack said.

“You have absolutely no idea what my life’s been like, Applejack, and you won’t until you’ve had two teens of your own, now will you?” Rarity said. She shook her head. “I’m sorry, I’m not in the best mood today.”

“Naw, Ah bet we were all the exact same way when we were little. Just part a growin’ up,” she said, arriving at Twilight’s house. “If ya want, Ah’ll take ‘em off yer hooves for the weekend.”

“I would like that very much, Applejack, thank you,” Rarity said.

“I’m glad you could make it,” Twilight said from around the side of the house. She had a scarf wrapped around her purple mane to protect from the chilly weather. “They should be here any minute.”

“Where’s Fluttershy?” Applejack asked.

“Inside, getting Olly. He’s buried in one of my old chapter books,” Twilight said. She squinted, staring at the sky behind the pair in front of her. “I think that’s them right over there!”

Sure enough, a white chariot came tumbling down out of the sky, fighting against the wind. However, before it landed, a blue pegasus leapt out and plummeted toward the ground, stopping her descent just before the cool ground below.

“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight yelled, a wide smile on her face.

The flashy show-off was easily distinguishable from any other pony for one simple reason: She wore expensive, glimmering armor. It was a silvery metal suit that covered her chest, head, and hooves. Also, if you looked closely, you would see that her eyes lacked pupils, they were just fiery red irises.

“Dash, where did you get that armor?” Rarity asked. “It’s gorgeous!”

“Yeah, I hate it, too,” Dash smiled. “Glad to see you all. It’s been what, six months?”

“It feels like years to me,” Fluttershy said. “We all missed you a lot.”

“Yeah, I know. Ten bits to whoever can guess the metal I’m wearing,” Dash said with a grin.

Hmm, Twilight thought. Iron and steel are too heavy for a pegasus... titanium? No... “Mithril?” she finally guessed.

“Aw, Twilight,” Dash rolled her eyes. “I knew you would know it.”

“But ain’t mithril some made-up metal like in the ponytales?” Applejack asked.

“No, steel can be alloyed with quicksilver and enchanted,” Twilight explained. “I’m surprised the Princess had any on hoof. How was your training, by the way?”

“Super!” a pink earth pony said from the landed chariot. She had bright blue irises instead of regular eyes, as well. “I have oodles of things to tell you all; you won’t even believe some of the things we had to do!” She hopped out of the chariot, and it departed.

“Just a few more pages,” another voice complained.

“I know, but Twilight asked me to--Dash! Pinkie!” Fluttershy squealed, rushing up and pulling both her friends into a tight hug. “They didn’t hurt you, did they? No scrapes or bruises?”

Olly was close behind, paging through a novel. The rust-maned unicorn thrust the book into his saddlebags and trotted up with the rest of the group. “This is quite the little shin-dig you’ve got here, isn’t it?”

Dash released herself from Fluttershy’s grip. “I guess.”

“Was the training hard?” Olly asked.

“Yes,” Dash said wearily.

“No!” Pinkie chirped at almost exactly the same time.

“Well, we had different things to do,” Dash said. “Luna kinda, well, beat the living daylights out of me!” she moaned, rubbing her eyes. “Being a warrior is so hard it’s not even funny.”

Olly laughed and nudged Dash. “Aren’t you the tough one?”

“Well, now I could beat all of you to a pulp!” Dash said, nudging Olly back. “But I’m serious, it was insane. A sonic rainboom is something I can do whenever I want now, after a million times with Luna on my tail making me fly faster. And then there were the rehearsals and performances with the Wonderbolts.”

“Wow,” Rarity said. “You must have been stretched thin.”

“No kidding,” Dash grumbled.

“How was your training, Pinkie?” Twilight asked.

“Super-duper!” she smiled. “I did all these fun things with Celestia in order to help develop my powers, like throwing parties, putting on shows, and baking cupcakes!”

“Cupcakes?” Applejack asked. “What kind?”

“Vanilla, chocolate, berry, watermelon, you name it! I had to help all of these disabled ponies do it, too. It was kind of sad at first, but I made them all laugh by the end,” Pinkie explained.

“Pinkie asked me for help one day a month or two ago,” Dash said. “That probably wouldn’t have turned out too well.”

“It’s because the cupcakes had a specific recipe, and I needed you to taste-test!” Pinkie defended. “If it weren’t for your Wonderbolts performance you could have, too.”

“I didn’t have a Wonderbolts performance, Pinkie; I was dead tired, okay?” Dash laughed. “You asked me at ten at night!”

“Oh, well, it’s not too big a deal, we can do it again another time!” Pinkie chirped happily.

“Can we go inside?” Rarity asked. “It’s a little chilly.”

Twilight nodded. Suddenly, a downpour began. But not just any downpour.

“Ugh!” Rarity said, stepping out from under a pink raincloud that had abruptly appeared over the small group of friends. “What’s this?”

Pinkie stuck out her tongue and tasted the ‘rain.’ “Hmm... chocolate milk?”

“Chocolate rain?” Olly laughed.

*******

“I thought it wasn’t supposed to rain until tomorrow, and it never rains chocolate,” Dash said. She leapt into the air. “Something’s up.” The blue warrior flew up and tried to disperse the cloud, but it evaded her grasp. “Hey! Come back here, you!”

Pinkie was giggling away. “Best vacation ever!” she yelled, racing after Rainbow Dash.

“Um...” Twilight trailed off. She looked at the others. “Plans postponed?”

“We had a plan?” Olly asked.

The group raced off to meet their friends.

=====================================================================

Dash tried to catch up with the pink puffball in front of her, but when she finally caught up with it, she had a nasty surprise. The sticky pink vapor stuck to her armor. “Bleh!” she said, trying to wipe away the wet, sugary paste. “This isn’t a cloud!”

Several such clouds were all around the Ponyville area. The weather’s going crazy! Dash remarked.

Pinkie had grounded a low-flying cloud and was munching away at it. “Mm! Cotton candy!” she said with her mouth full.

Twilight was laughing a bit, as well. “So much for a quiet town!”

“I’ll say!” Olly said. “Does this have something to do with that spell you were preparing?”

“No, I have no idea where all this is coming from,” Twilight said. This doesn’t have a single thing to do with the Necromancy I was working on, so what is it?

Applejack ran up to her family farm, and was shocked to see her corn field suddenly burst into a popcorn factory, and the apples on her apple trees turning into bunches of grapes. “Popcorn? Grape trees? What the hay is goin’ on?”

“I dunno, but I’m having a blast!” Pinkie laughed, bounding through the fields of popcorn.

“Wait, I might have a spell for this,” Twilight said. “Can you keep everything under control while I’m gone?”

Ugh, it’s so dirty out here, Rarity thought, trying hard to avoid the drops of chocolate rain that were falling all around her, dripping down her once-elegant mane. “I’ll manage, but hurry, please!”

Fluttershy saw a white bunny gnawing away at an oversized grape vine. “Angel?” she asked, getting close to the bunny. Other woodland animals were chewing away at Applejack’s crops as well.

“Fluttershy!” Applejack pleaded, frustrated at the circumstances. “Do somethin’!”

“Um, Angel, you really shouldn’t be-” Fluttershy began, before Angel suddenly sprouted wings and flew off, carrying a few bundles of grapes along with him. “Ee! No, no, that shouldn’t really be possible, um,” she stuttered.

Dash raced to chase down all of the clouds and bunch them together while Applejack got rope to tie them down. Pinkie had her mouth wide open beneath a cloud of chocolate rain and was lying on the dirt, soaking up all the sweets she could.

“That should be the last of ‘em, Dash,” Applejack said, tying down the clouds and letting the animals, and Pinkie, chew away at them. “And ya can have popcorn fer dessert!” she said.

“Huh,” Olly said, staring at Pinkie, who was gnawing away. “She has quite the appetite.”

“Ya don’t know the half ‘a it,” Applejack laughed. “Any idea what caused all this ruckus?”

“Hang on, girls, let me fix all this!” Twilight said, running up with her spellbook. She was wearing a golden crown with an irregular six-tined jewel at the center. Her unicorn horn and her crown glowed as she charged up her magic. “Eliminare omnia quae alienos!” she yelled, executing a powerful magical command.

The grapevines on the trees morphed back into apples. The woodland animals lost their wings and were gently lowered to the ground, the pink cotton candy clouds turning back into water and dissipating. Time seemed to be rolling backward in the corn fields, each kernel shrinking and planting itself back into its husk.

*******

“Aw, you ruined all the fun!” a strange voice from nearby said.

Twilight sharply turned to see a very strange-looking creature. It was a being that looked as though its body parts had all been taken from various animals and sewn together haphazardly. The creature had a horse-like head with both a deer antler and a goat horn, one fang and a small beard hanging off its chin. His four appendages were an eagle’s talon, a lizard’s leg, a goat’s leg, and a lion’s paw. He had a snake tail and both a dragon’s wing and a black pegasus wing. Its body was formed like a snake and its spine, or lack thereof, was very pronounced in its bendy nature.

“I was enjoying that chaos, and it wasn’t polite that you stopped it without asking,” the creature scolded.

“What are you, and what do you want?” Twilight asked.

The creature scoffed. “Are you trying to be rude? You could at least ask my name, for crying out loud.”

A white alicorn swooped down from the sky. She had a bright red, orange, and yellow mane that visibly flowed in the sunlight. She was an extremely bright white and her cutie mark was of an amber sun. “Discord,” she growled, landing harshly with a tremor that almost made Fluttershy fall over.

“That’s Sir Discord to you, Celestia,” the creature grinned, folding his arms, “considering that you are no longer my equal.”

“Princess?” Twilight asked. What’s Princess Celestia doing here? It probably has something to do with this thing and the weird weather and events. “What are you doing here? What’s going on?”

“I consider my explanation more worthy than that of your twisted ruler’s. If I may,” Discord offered. He vanished in a spark of light and reappeared behind the group.

“Don’t listen to him, he speaks nothing but lies,” Celestia said with a glare, something Twilight had not yet seen from her ruler.

“Oh, pish, posh, Celestia, that’s Deception’s job,” Discord rolled his eyes. “I’m only here to deliver a message, and perhaps have some fun in the process. You know how I get if I don’t have my daily dose of mayhem. Quite nasty, if memory serves.”

“Say it and leave. Now,” Celestia commanded.

“Well, if you want to be hasty, I can take all the time I please,” Discord yawned, sitting down on an invisible lawn chair. “After all, like I said, you really don’t have any power over me, now do you? Hmm? Do you?” he asked, taunting the angered ruler.

“Don’t talk to our Princess like that!” Dash snapped, taking a swipe at Discord, but he just warped behind the group once again. He was now standing upside-down on an invisible, mid-air floor.

“Isn’t it frustrating when you don’t have any control of the situation, Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty?” Discord asked. “You’ll be feeling that quite a lot over the next few days.”

“What do you want to tell us?” Olly asked.

“And how do you know my name?” Dash asked.

“I know everything about you; it’s my job,” Discord answered. “I am to the Elements of Discord what Obsidian is to you. I control the chaos and manipulate it to pierce the very fabric of civilization, of life itself. And you, Rarity, the Element of Generosity, are an imperfection.”

“An imperfection?” Rarity asked, shocked and angered.

“Yes. In order to complete civilization, Harmony must be removed,” Discord continued. “And I’m here to ensure that you don’t get in our way.”

“Another lie; he’s weaker than Envy,” Celestia said. “He’s only here to annoy us.”

“If that’s what you want to believe, go on ahead,” Discord shrugged, flying around the group. “Underestimation is a perfect tool for an aspiring villain. I’m sure you know that, Fluttershy, Element of Kindness.”

“What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked.

“Enough of this! What is your message, Discord?” Celestia demanded.

“Can I have a ‘please?’” Discord asked. “As the despot of Equestria, I would expect that you know at least basic manners. I’ll admit I’m disappointed in you, Celestia. I expected better.”

“You made most of the ponies of Equestria wish they were dead; I have no respect for you or your methods, and I’m not going to give you a ‘please!’” Celestia shouted. “Tell us your message.”

“Well, fine, be that way,” Discord huffed. “But now, I’m going to tell you with my own... creative spin.” He swooped in between the group stealthily, practically whispering in their ears. “You’re looking for an answer that’s fast and easy, but what that entails may make you queasy. You must find a city deep in the sky, but in this city, you cannot fly. But in order to find exactly what you seek, the first thing you must do...” he said, now at Applejack’s side. “...is abandon the weak.”

“I believe I speak for everypony here when I ask, what?” Olly asked, bewildered.

Discord laughed. “Why in Equestria would I tell you? Have a fantastic day, Elements, for they are quite numbered,” he smirked before vanishing.

*******

Celestia sighed. “He’s so annoying. Just what I needed, another headache to worry about.”

“What was he sayin’?” Applejack asked. “Somethin’ about a city deep in the sky? There can’t be a place like that!”

“And abandoning the weak,” Olly said. “Sounds like we have a nasty trip ahead of us. Again,” he added.

“Celestia, is Discord planning another attack that we didn’t know about?” Twilight asked her mentor.

Celestia shook her head. “They are, but this is the first I’ve heard of it, as well. As soon as I heard about the strange weather, I rushed over. I had imprisoned Discord in stone before, but it appears somepony has broken him free.”

“That screwball again? What is it with her and messing with us?” Dash asked.

“It’s her job. Where your job is to protect and safeguard, Dash, hers is to undermine and sabotage. She’s nasty,” Celestia added, “a slimy snake that won’t hesitate to poison everypony you love.”

“Ouch. Sounds unpleasant,” Olly said. “But I’m sure she can’t do too much damage, right? I mean, she’s only one pony.”

“Don’t underestimate her,” Celestia commanded. “She’s capable of a lot more than she looks.”

“Well, anyway,” Twilight said. “What are we supposed to do now?”

“We should start with figuring out Discord’s riddle,” Rarity suggested.

“Yes,” Fluttershy agreed. “It started out by saying that we’re looking for an answer that’s fast but easy, and what it entails will make us queasy.”

“Yeah,” Dash said. “Something about finding a castle deep in the sky. How does that even work?” she scratched her forehead.

“And in this city, we can’t fly,” Applejack finshed. “Not that Ah could fly anyways, but if a city’s in the sky like Cloudsdale, and real high up like in the riddle, how’d we not be able ta fly?”

“That’s easy; it’s on a mountain,” Twilight said. “Deep in the sky, so probably on a tall mountain.”

“What about the part where we couldn’t fly?” Pinkie asked.

“Some sections of cities are indoors, so I guess that takes care of that part,” Twilight said, though she wasn’t so sure. “Anyway, we could ask Luna to look for it with her magic.”

Celestia nodded. “Okay. I’ll go off to tell her, and you prepare for your departure. I’m sorry about asking this of you so soon, but it’s really urgent that we’re ready for an attack. We can meet in Fillydelphia. You should be able to get there by dusk tomorrow.”

“What about training?” Pinkie asked. “I thought we were putting on a show for seniors tomorrow!”

“That’ll have to wait. Sorry, Pinkie, but lives could be at stake,” Celestia explained. “I’ll meet you there. Goodbye,” she said, her horn glowing as she warped away.

“Ah need to clean up these farms,” Applejack grumbled. “Sorry if Ah can’t make it to the party.”

“At this point, I think all our plans are cancelled,” Twilight sighed, disappointed. “We should be going home and getting ready.”

“Not until I see Scoot,” Dash said. “I’ll catch you later, okay?”

“Have fun!” Pinkie chirped, waving as Dash took to the air and flew off.

The blue pegasus set off back along the trail. Rebuilding worker ponies from all over Equestria had finally started to trickle out of the renovated Ponyville, and Dash said hi to them on the way.

Jeez, when will it end? It’s been half a year, for Celestia’s sake, Dash grumbled to herself, giving a teen a high hoof.

Dash caught a lot of strange looks from her glimmering armor, but she ignored them and walked straight to the schoolhouse, waiting until they let out.

She should be here any second, Dash thought. She had climbed into a tree and was silently watching.

Sure enough, a bright orange pegasus mare with a spiky purple mane started to walk out with a bright white unicorn mare that had a lighter purple mane. They were excitedly talking and hustling from school, right under Dash, who dove down and surprised them.

“Wah!” the white unicorn, Sweetie Belle, yelped, flopping onto her back. “Don’t hurt me!”

“Dash, is that you?” Scootaloo asked in awe, staring at the warrior in front of her.

“What, you don’t recognize me?” Dash laughed, helping Sweetie Belle up and high-hooving both of them. “What’s up?”

Scootaloo stared at Dash. “Dash, you... you’re buff!”

Dash burst out laughing. It was true that she gained some muscle, but most of her training just toned all the baby fat out of her. “Jeez, does that mean I’m going to star in Rarity’s swimsuit edition?”

“No, but you totally could!” Scootaloo said. “Whatever they did to you, I want some!”

“Yeah, no,” Dash said. “Trust me, Luna kicked my butt.”

“Where did you get that armor?” Sweetie Belle asked. “It’s so pretty.”

“A gift from Celestia,” Dash answered. “Hey, how about we go to Rarity’s and see if we can get something to eat.”

“Does that mean you’re actually going to pose for Rarity’s swimsuit edition?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“No, Soarin’ would never let me hear the end of it,” Dash laughed. “He’d have pictures posted all over his dorm for months.”

Suddenly, there was a massive pulse of darkness far up in the sky. “Huh?” Dash asked, turning to look at it.

A deathly cool wind washed over the park. Scootaloo shivered and suppressed a sneeze, the wind only affecting her physically, but Dash sharply inhaled as though icy fingers were clawing at her heart and stomach.

“What was that?” Scootaloo asked.

“Nothing good,” Dash muttered. “Let’s get inside.”

=====================================================================

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

*******

“Augh!” Olly yelled as he tumbled down into the darkness. After he was finished bouncing off the rocky walls, he wasn’t even sure if he was dead or alive. Probably alive, he thought. Being killed would be merciful at this point.

Naturally reacting to the unbearable darkness, Olly’s horn lit up faintly, but it flickered like a candle on a windy day. He tried to stand up, but it was difficult, since he couldn’t feel one of his legs. That is, unless he put weight on it. Then he felt it a lot.

He coughed, spitting out phlegm to the side of the tunnel he found himself in, and weakly croaked, “Dash?”

A muffled grunt answered him. Dash approached the light, seeming largely uninjured except for the steady leak of blood coming from her left ear. She didn’t seem to notice. “Are you okay?”

“Well, I can’t see a thing, so... yes?” Olly managed, the light from his horn not providing any form of substantial illumination.

Dash lit up her mane, and it provided some lighting in the pitch-black caves. Olly glanced at his leg, then back to Dash. “Damage assesment: I have a broken leg, a pounding headache, and probably some internal bleeding. You don’t look completely ship-shape, either, though, Captain.”

Dash tested her limbs. “My ears are ringing a little, but other than that, I feel fine.”

“I’m not even sure how we survived that, truthfully,” Olly admitted. He shook his head. “No point in worrying about it... yet. I say we skedaddle before things take a turn for the worse. They always seem to, with us.”

A little flicker of light flashed over to the pair’s right. The brief flash revealed that they were in a long tunnel of rock and clay, with the ceiling threatening to collapse at any moment. They hurriedly got out of the rockfall’s way, which was fortunate, for a small tremor shook the valley and knocked loose the unsteady stones, sealing off the only other pathway.

“These are mine shafts, and ancient ones, by the look of ‘em. What fun for us,” Olly said, bemused. Indeed, aged wooden supports that were cracked and split with mold were barely keeping the tunnel intact after years of disuse. “Excited?”

“We’ll, I’m not one to sit around twiddling my hooves,” Dash smirked. She flicked her tail toward the end of the tunnel. “Let’s go.”

Olly tried to walk, but it was such a struggle that Dash turned and said, “You’re holding us up. Want me to carry you?”

“Not enough room,” Olly pointed out, motioning toward the low ceiling. “Still, this’d be a whole lot easier if I had, say, somepony to lean on.”

Dash positioned herself next to Olly and allowed him to put most of his weight on her as they continued to travel.

“Some enchanted evening...” Olly began to sing.

“Oh, brother,” Dash muttered.

Olly laughed. “Aw, c’mon. It’s catchy.”

Dash blew hair out of her face, and she caught a glimpse of somepony very near in the tunnel, somepony who appeared as if the world had been stolen out from under her.

*******

Rarity was hunched over Sweetie Belle’s body, sobbing gently. Olly soon saw why; Sweetie Belle’s eyes had dimmed, and were staring at the ceiling unblinkingly. A pool of blood trickled out from a gash in her neck.

Rarity’s necklace was absent from her neck, and she cried, “Not like this... I’ve done so much to protect her, all in vain. I’ve killed to protect her, and then she dies because of a stupid mudslide caused by those filthy Elements of Discord!”

Dash wasn’t sure if Rarity started talking in response to her and Olly entering the tiny chamber, or if she was speaking as an outlet for her sheer agony.

“All--in--vain!” Rarity bawled. She, too, was injured--one of her legs was twisted at a painful angle, and it seemed that breathing was an effort for her.

Dash slowly walked up to her, and said with a tight throat, “I’m so sorry, Rarity. I really, really am.”

Rarity simply nodded, tears falling down her cheek. They were tinged purple. She grasped Sweetie’s limp hoof tightly, her face tight with anger and sorrow. Her necklace was lying on the ground, the gem inside it having already shattered.

“Let’s get out of here,” Dash said.

“How?” Olly asked. “We’re caved in. It’d take some kind of massive explosion to get us out.” He looked at Rarity. “Have any of those in you?”

Rarity glanced at her useless necklace, then shook her head. “I... I don’t know.” Her muscles seized up for a moment, but quickly relaxed. “But I can try.”

“Rarity, you’ll kill yourself trying something like that!” Dash exclaimed. “If you realize your Potential now, well, anything could happen!”

“This cavern is unstable as is, but... I’m not seeing another way out. Will it really be enough, though? Without the necklace?” Olly asked.

Rarity sadly looked back at them. “You would... You would think that, by now... I would have outgrown such petty jewelry.” She turned back to her sister. “No. I’m not about to let this slide. We’ll die here if I don’t do something, and then what? They’ll have lost us all.”

Dash glanced at Olly, then back to Rarity. “Are you sure?” She flinched as another tremor shook the cavern. If she doesn’t work quickly enough, the entire mine might cave in on us.

“I’m not going to have a second chance,” Rarity stated, her breathing heightening with her anger. “This isn’t going to be my last memory of her. Not if I can help it.” She fed all of her anger and pain into the depths of her heart, and the cavern began to shake in response. Thoughts began to flow through Rarity’s mind.

Thoughts of life back home, of life before the war. Thoughts of Sweetie Belle, before and after the war started. Thoughts of journeys, thoughts of evil, thoughts of tragedy. Thoughts of Lyvia, Lorey, Saphira, and Trixie.

Life after life. No... a rebirth, Rarity thought. For my sister, and for Equestria. It starts today. Why should I need any old gem to fuel a revolution? No, that strength will be my own. Nothing simply passed down from ancient spirits, or given to me by a higher power... It will be my own power. My own power... and my friends’.

Then, just as the cavern’s tremors reached their peak, Rarity’s Potential triggered.

It started as a bright purple ball of light, centered at Rarity’s chest. Tendrils of energy flew through the air, creating a cobweb of purple strands, though most of them were directed at Sweetie Belle. Rarity bent over and held her hooves to her forehead, willing herself not to fall unconscious, even though the force pounding at her mind was practically crushing it.

Dash and Olly stepped back as the sphere of energy ballooned in size. Dash had to practically drag Olly out of the way, but the sphere just kept growing, and soon there was nowhere left to hide. They were eventually forced back to the end of the tunnel. The energy itself was insubstantial, but the searing heat emanating from it threatened to burn the pair’s pelts off.

Olly gritted his teeth through the pain, and yelled over the hum of the sphere, “I always said I’d go out with a bang, but come on.”

“How much bigger can this thing get?” Dash muttered. These tiny tunnels... There’s nowhere for the energy to go!

“Big enough,” Olly said, yelping as the heat travelled up his leg. “Any last requests?”

“Yeah. To live,” Dash growled. Igniting her mane in anger, which may not have been the smartest thing to do at the moment, she yelled, “Rarity!”

The light ball collapsed in on itself rapidly, soon falling out of the pair’s view. It appeared only as a tiny flicker of bright purple light in the distance. Rarity was pulling all of the energy back in, forming a dangerous and unstable core of raw power.

I swore I would protect you, Rarity thought. I will not allow Discord to win. Not this time, nor any other! I may be rolling the dice at this point, but it’s my only hope. Sweetie Belle... she thought, staring at the body of her sibling. Its lifeless eyes seemed to stare back at her. I know you’re in there somewhere!

“So wake up!”

The color of the energy deepened suddenly, forming ball of power that was more darkness than light. It shrank to the size of a pinprick just as Rarity’s pupils vanished into a sea of violet. With her final wail of pain, it exploded outward, shattering any boundaries the earth placed before it.

After that, nopony was sure what happened. There was a massive explosion, to be sure. Dash and Olly’s senses dulled to the point where they weren’t sure what was up and what was down. For a few moments, they weren’t even certain what was real and what wasn’t, but just as they began to recover, an overwhelming feeling of dread pierced through their souls to the point where they weren’t sure if they had survived the blast. For just those few, brief moments, an ancient evil seemed to be clawing its way out of a deep abyss.

The sensation lessened after a few moments, then gradually faded away, as if it were the last few beams of light before sunset.

Once Dash’s eyes had adjusted to the massive change in light and her ears had stopped ringing from the cacophony, she looked up to see a massive hole in the side of the Ditch. Her vision was slightly fuzzy, but she thought she could see the sky. Rarity must have blasted apart the entire network of mine shafts that led here, somehow.

Dash managed to get to her hooves, though every movement she made was painful. Her wing was twisted at an awkward angle, but, miraculously, it hadn’t been broken or dislocated. However, she realized that one of her back ankles was definitely sprained as she tried to sift through the rubble, looking for Olly. Her vision was still cloudy, and when she called out, she couldn’t even hear her own voice.

Olly fared little better. His leg was still injured, and he had a nasty cut over his snout, but he was largely unharmed, as well. His sight and hearing were impaired, but only slightly. Rarity must have been controlling that explosion more than we thought, he assumed. Looking up, he saw that the Ditch was adjacent to a series of abandoned mineshafts, and that Rarity’s explosion resulted in a gaping hole in the lower regions of the Ditch. He noted, looking toward the sky, that the rain had stopped.

“Are you alright?” Olly asked Dash.

Dash couldn’t hear him, so she didn’t respond right away. A little later, she said, “Let’s go look for Rarity,” but her voice was slightly garbled because she could hardly hear herself speak.

Rarity was lying in a circle of glass and amethyst, which glittered slightly in the setting sun above them. She was barely conscious and covered in cuts and scrapes, one of which cut straight through her cutie mark, but she mumbled as the other two got nearer, “I will never give up on somepony who needs my help... no matter what I have to give in the process.” Her voice was faintly overlapping with another pony’s, and, somehow, her necklace had reappeared around her neck, good as new.

“How did you do that, Rarity?” Dash asked softly, sitting down next to her.

“It... It was a little draining,” Rarity wheezed. She coughed before continuing. “All I really had to do was... was absorb most of the blast myself. That... That saved you, didn’t it? Or are we all dead?”

“We’ll all be fine and dandy as long as you make it out of this pit alive,” Olly affirmed.

Rarity nodded slightly. “...That’s good.” She drifted into unconsciousness.

“I feel like somepony bounced me off the moon and I landed in a patch of broken glass,” Olly complained. “How are we going to get out of this one, Dash?”

Dash’s ears weren’t quite recovered, so she simply nodded. She glanced at Sweetie and sighed. So much for the Crusaders. What she saw, though, almost made her heart stop.

Sweetie Belle was breathing.

=====================================================================

Twilight gasped as she woke up. She was soaked to the bone and shivering violently. As she tried to cast a quick spell and warm herself up, she clutched a cut in her side that throbbed gently. She attempted to stand, but her body just wouldn’t obey.

Celestia had fared little better. Half of the goddess’s face was submerged in a puddle of mud, her wings were ruffled and filthy, and tears were leaking down her face due to the indescribable pain flowing through her body. Her bright red, orange, and yellow mane had stopped flowing, simply lying stagnant on the ground.

“What... What happened?” Fluttershy mumbled. It was barely audible, but everypony heard it, for the plains near the mesa were as quiet as a graveyard.

“We lost,” Applejack said simply. She had sat down, lowered her head, and refused to lift it. Her tears had run out long ago. “They crushed us just like we knew they could. Scootaloo le-” the words caught in her throat.

“She left...?” Twilight asked, each word an effort, for her throat was dry and the inside of her mouth tasted like mud.

“Yes, I’m afraid to say,” Discord said. The draconequus was lying on park bench he had summoned, reading a magazine while he waited for the Elements to wake up. “She abandoned you in favor of ponies more civilized.”

“Why are you here?” Celestia croaked. “To... To rub salt in our wounds?”

“No, you seem to be doing a fine job of that already,” Discord observed. Celestia turned her head to look at him, some muddy water dripping into her eye, and saw that Discord’s characteristic grin was absent from his face. “I’m here to let you know that you are no longer necessary, and that you may return to Ponyville peacefully.”

“...And that’s that?” Twilight asked weakly.

“Probably not... knowing Deception,” Discord replied, turning a page in his magazine. He sounded like he was about to say something else, but caught himself at the last moment.

A long pause followed. Twilight recovered some of her strength and sat up, though her world spun rapidly when she did. Stifling nausea, she asked, “Where is she? Where did you take her?”

“Hmm? Scootaloo?” Discord asked. “Well, she’s fairly far away by now, by my calculations. Our beautiful vision of perfection will be realized soon, I suppose, now that she is among our ranks.”

“You... You don’t sound like you want a perfect world, Discord,” Celestia breathed.

“...Well, to be fair, it’s subjective, really,” Discord said. He tossed his magazine into the air and it burst apart into a multitude of colorful paper airplanes. They dissolved into the atmosphere after a moment or two. He spread his arms, and all the still-water in the area was sucked dry. “Shall I give you a hint of how to survive the next few hours?”

Nopony answered.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Discord said. “Debts, both new and old, will have to be repaid. Deaths, both old and new, will have to be delayed. In order to see the future, one must remember the past, and in order to survive the present, one must learn to repent it.”

Twilight tried to decipher that message, but her mind was too foggy. She managed to weakly nod, but a headache carved its way through her skull when she tried.

“Also, a gift,” Discord said, pulling out a tiny round gem. It glowed a faint yellow, and was about the size of a plum. “You’ve abandoned the weak. Therefore, you find what you seek.”

“You’ve... always had a sick sense of humor, Discord,” Celestia growled as Discord rolled the Source toward her.

“Am I smiling?” Discord asked.

Upon further inspection, Discord’s expression was cold. His lighthearted nature had all but vanished. Celestia managed to stand up shakily, her immortality assisting her recovery. “Anything else?”

“Anything in mind?” Discord asked, his mouth twitching in what may have been a grin. “Actually, I do have something else to tell you.” He stood up, his park bench dissolving into building blocks. “As you know, Deception is full of secrets. You may want to find out why, or you will fall victim to her largest secret of all.” He vanished.

=====================================================================

*******

“She’s alive,” Dash murmured. She turned to Olly, her expression nothing short of ecstatic. “Olly, she’s alive!”

“I got that much, yeah,” Olly said, hobbling over and checking Sweetie Belle. The teen was unconscious, but breathing steadily, and that’s what counted. “Guess that’s the power of Potential. Bringing a pony back to life is no easy task.”

Dash glanced up at the sky. The sun was setting. “I... I need to get the others...” she breathed. “They could be alright, too! I’ll go up and check while you watch Rarity and Sweetie Belle.”

“Sure, you go do that.” Olly asked, turning away from Dash slightly. “I’ll just sit here, I guess.”

Dash scratched the back of her head. “Uh... Do you want me to carry you up there, or something?”

“No, it’s fine; you go on ahead,” Olly said, “and in the meantime, I’ll just lounge around. Because that’s how it works.”

“Wait, am I going to have to prove how useful you actually are, like you did for me?” Dash asked.

Olly laid down, looking up at the sky, but he had to adjust his position slightly because of his broken leg. “That’d be kind of nice, yeah. Because right now, I feel like I’m just taking a joy ride on your Elemental balloon.”

“Well, that’s easy. You’ve always... um...” Dash trailed off.

“Always...?” Olly prompted, folding his forehooves.

“Jeez, this is harder than I thought,” Dash muttered, sitting down next to Olly. “Well, you never had to come with us, you know. You’re risking your life because it’s yours to risk. That means you’re loyal, like me.”

“Loyalty doesn’t mean just throwing your life away,” Olly countered. “You have to have the strength to back it up. Isn’t that why you were beating yourself up after Hate first appeared? Difference is, you actually have power. I, well, don’t. At least, I’ve never had a chance to use it.”

“I’m sure there’s something else...” Dash mumbled. “I’ve got it! You always light up any room you enter.”

“What, so I light myself on fire before I go anywhere?” Olly chuckled.

“No, I mean, whenever you go anywhere, everypony’s faces light up, because they’re all glad you’re there,” Dash corrected.

“So I light them on fire,” Olly said.

“Arrgh, you’re missing the point!” Dash exclaimed in frustration. “Aren’t you the one who wants to be cheered up?”

“You are cheering me up,” Olly teased, grinning. “C’mon, say more words.”

Dash rolled her eyes. “Forget that. You’re the worst pony ever, Olly.”

He laughed. “And you’re no poet.”

Dash brushed greasy strands of her mane aside. “You’re really something else.”

“So I’m unique?” Olly asked.

“Yeah. Something like that,” Dash said. She was trying to look annoyed, but smiles kept creeping their way onto her face. “So, can I go now?”

“Don’t be long. I’ll get lonely without somepony to pick on, and I think Rarity’s at her wits’ end,” Olly said.

Dash nodded and took to the air.

=====================================================================

When she reached the top of the top of the crevice, she landed shakily, her eyes widening at her friends’ conditions. “What happened?”

“We were ambushed,” Twilight said. She and the others were trying to pull themselves together. Celestia and Twilight were mostly unharmed, but Fluttershy’s wing was practically shattered, and Pinkie had a crippling migraine and was lying on the ground, shivering. Twilight had done what she could for both of them, but her healing spells were spent, as were Celestia’s, after they had remedied the worst of their friends’ wounds.

“Are you all okay?” Dash asked. She did a quick count in her head, and then asked, “Where’s Scootaloo? And Centime?”

Twilight looked away.

“C’mon, answer me!” Dash persisted. A sinking feeling in her stomach gnawed at her, and she asked Celestia, “Do you know?”

“...Centime died in an explosion after Discord attacked,” Celestia explained, not making eye contact with Dash.

Dash’s blood ran cold. “A-And Scootaloo?”

It took a bit for Celestia to respond. “She was captured by Vengeance. I’m sorry, Dash.”

It took a while for this to set in. “...What...?” Dash breathed. “She... She can’t just be gone... I mean, she’s gone through worse before, right? Can’t we still save her?”

Celestia didn’t respond.

“Can’t we?” Dash asked, more frantic this time.

Celestia stood up unsteadily and began to walk away from Dash.

“Come on, answer me!” Dash demanded.

“I don’t know!” Celestia exclaimed angrily, turning to face Dash. “What do you think?”

Dash was taken aback. “What do I think?” She paused for a moment, thinking. If Scootaloo has really been captured by Vengeance, then... then she must have gone willingly. Her friendship with Centime meant that when he died, then she must have wanted revenge, and that’s why she left us. But that doesn’t make any sense! Dash’s cheeks were warm, but she didn’t realize it was from her tears. She wouldn’t have just left me behind for them. There’s got to be some other explanation. “I think... I think you’re lying,” she finished.

Celestia’s eyes were full of anger and pain, but also something new, something Dash hadn’t seen before: Contempt. “Fine. You just think that.”

“I will! And I’ll go save her, too, while you just sit on your flank like you did when you watched her leave!” Dash snapped.

“I was unconscious. If this is anypony’s fault, it’s Applejack’s,” Celestia sneered.

“Stop it! Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it, STOP IT!” Twilight shrieked, putting both hooves over her ears. “I can’t take this anymore! You’re like a couple of fillies arguing over who spilled orange juice on the carpet! Both of you, sit down, and shut up!”

“You can’t tell me what to do!” Dash snarled. “I’m going to find Scootaloo! Don’t try and stop mmph!”

As Dash tried to finish her sentence, Twilight uttered a spell that threw her to the floor, restrained her, and muzzled her with invisible, telekinetic energy. Dash wanted to howl in pain as she landed wrong on her sprained ankle, but all she could manage was a muffled squeak.

Twilight’s mane was frayed and split, and she was wearing a slightly more manic expression than usual. Her crown was crooked on her head. “You two... are going to sit here... until I find a way to sort out this mess!”

“...What’s the point...?” Fluttershy mumbled, more as a statement than a question. She halfheartedly shoved a rock aside, sniffling. Her nose was stuffed up. “How are we subbosed to be-beat them? They’ve just been blaying with us this entire time.”

“You expect me to know? I don’t even know who’s steering this ship! At this point, all I want us to do is stop bickering like schoolfillies and actually find out what in Equestria we should do...!” On that last word, Twilight broke down into hysterical tears. She pounded on the ground rhythmically with her hoof. “I just--don’t--know--what--to DO!”

In her sobbing, Twilight’s spells on Dash weakened, and the blue warrior was able to speak, but she carefully formulated her words. She’d seen what Twilight was capable of under stress, and if she snapped, she might literally self-destruct. “Sweetie Belle, Rarity, and Olly are still alive. Celestia and I could go get them from the bottom of the Ditch, and then we can try to think of a game plan, okay?”

Twilight nodded slightly, still crying, and released Dash from her bonds.

Dash nodded curtly at Celestia, and, one by one, they airlifted Rarity, Olly, and Sweetie Belle out of the crevice, though they didn’t speak or look at each other. Olly had been fidgety, but Rarity and Sweetie Belle were still unconscious, so they weren’t much trouble. Dash and Olly explained what had happened down in the caverns.

As Twilight’s magic recovered, she was able to use it to heal the majority of the group’s wounds, but it would take a few weeks to recover from their injuries unless Sweetie Belle was able to heal them completely with her song. She situated the group around a magical fire that Celestia had created, laying Rarity and Sweetie Belle off to the side. For a while, Twilight sat at the head of the group, bouncing ideas off of Celestia. None of them came remotely close to solving the problems they had at hoof.

“Ponyville should only be a few hours’ walk from here. We’re closer to home than we thought,” Twilight remarked quietly.

“Should I go up and look around?” Celestia asked.

“It’ll be too dark to see anything,” Twilight said. Even now, the last precious rays of sunlight were vanishing from the sky. “We’d better wait until morning.”

“Ngh...” Rarity began. She sat up, rubbing her head. “Where am I?”

“Rarity?” Twilight asked, trotting over to her. “Are you okay?” She was slightly startled upon seeing Rarity’s deep purple irises, but she was happy nonetheless to see her friend alive.

“No...” Rarity mumbled, closing her eyes tightly as pain washed over her, “but moaning about how much pain I’m in won’t do us much good, will it? Is... Is Sweetie Belle okay?”

“...R-Rarity?” Sweetie Belle asked, shifting slightly.

“Oh, thank goodness...” Rarity breathed. She shifted slightly, but couldn’t force her eyes open. In a few moments, she was out again.

Sweetie Belle, on the other hoof, seemed fine, for the most part. She sat up, yawning and inspecting the multitude of bruises located up and down her body. “What in Equestria happened?” she asked drowsily.

After they repeated their explanation to Sweetie Belle, she was silent for a long time. Hesitantly, she began, “So... I was dead... but now I’m alive, thanks to Rarity?”

“Yes, and her Potential,” Twilight finished.

“And Scootaloo left for Vengeance?” Sweetie repeated.

“Because nopony here had the guts to stop her,” Dash muttered bitterly, glancing at Applejack.

“Stop sayin’ that all a this’s mah fault!” Applejack snapped suddenly, furiously glaring at Dash. “Ah did everythin’ Ah could!”

“But it wasn’t enough,” Dash hissed.

“Oh, an’ you woulda done better?” Applejack challenged.

“You think I wouldn’t have?” Dash retorted. She stood up angrily and yelled, “I don’t need you! I don’t need anypony here! I’m going to set Scootaloo free if it’s the last thing I do!”

Twilight slashed her hoof in front of her face, and Dash stumbled as telekinetic force slapped her across her cheek.

“What was that for?!” Dash shouted.

“For being an absolute idiot!” Twilight screamed, standing up as well.

“Oh, and you would know!” Dash yelled.

“ENOUGH.” Celestia’s booming voice could have been heard for miles around, and the sheer force of her breath threatened to knock anypony in her way flat onto their back. “THIS ISN’T THE TIME.”

Dash quieted, but her mood did anything but improve.

“Sweetie Belle?” Fluttershy asked, wiping her nose on her hoof. “Can you still sing for us? M-My wing has seen better days,” she added, motioning to her tattered appendage. “We’d all really appreciate it.”

Sweetie Belle thought for a long time before finally refusing. “No,” she said.

“Why not?” Fluttershy asked, surprised.

“Because none of you are friends anymore,” she began. “You’ve given up on your friendship... That means you’ve given up on ever winning.”

“Whaddaya mean, sugarcube?” Applejack asked.

“When me, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom were all living on our own, we could have left Ponyville and gone back to Fillydelphia instead of staying to look for you. But we chose not to, because we wouldn’t give up on any of you, because you were our friends, and we couldn’t imagine life without you. When we were captured by Arrogance and locked in those cells, Olly managed to convince Pinkie not to ever give up, and that’s the only way we could have escaped. And when we finally fought Arrogance, we never gave up on defeating her, even when things were at their worst. That made Twilight almost realize her Potential, and it scared Arrogance off.

“But now, we’re letting our friendships be torn apart by Deception and the other Elements of Discord. You’ve given up on ever seeing Scootaloo alive again, when we don’t even know if she’s okay or not. I guess what I’m trying to say is... if, at the end of the day, we’re still friends, then there’s nothing we can’t overcome, and there’s no battle we can’t win.” She paused for a moment, then looked up at her friends determinedly and stated, “I won’t heal any of you until you forgive each other and stop letting stupid arguments hold you back!”

Most of the group was simply shocked, but Celestia nodded. “...Thank you, Sweetie,” she said. As she realized just how out of control things had gotten, she thought, I’m so ashamed of the way I’ve been acting. We’re all supposed to be best friends, and we let the Elements of Discord drive us apart. ...I let the Elements of Discord drive us apart. I’m the oldest; I should have seen the signs and prevented this from ever beginning.

“I was too upset to say it, but that’s exactly what I was thinking,” Twilight added. “If we let Discord tear apart our friendship, then they win. Period. But if we stay friends, then we can defeat Guilt, Hate, Vengeance, Deception, and get Scootaloo back! But we can’t do any of that until we know we’ll all stand by each other, no matter what happens. So what do you say? Friends?” she finished, offering her hoof to the others.

The silence was unbearable as each of the group solemnly glanced around, most of them still wearing pained or angry expressions.

Finally, Applejack offered her hoof, as well. “Friends.”

Dash was next. “Friends.”

“Friends,” Fluttershy said.

“Friends!” Pinkie added suddenly, smiling despite the aching in her head. She had popped out of her slumber just in time for the last part of Twilight’s speech.

“Friends,” Sweetie Belle continued, looking expectantly at Celestia.

“...Friends,” Celestia finished. “Forever.”

The group was silent as Sweetie Belle prepared to sing.

=====================================================================

*******

=====================================================================

*******

“Twilight! Twilight, wake up, please!”

Twilight was shaken awake by a panicking Fluttershy. After Sweetie Belle’s song, they had turned in for the night, but Celestia hadn’t even raised the sun when Fluttershy felt the need to voice her concern.

“Ugh, what is it?” Twilight asked grumpily.

“I woke up early so I thought I would fly up and see how far away Ponyville is so I did and when I looked I saw this cloud only it wasn’t a cloud it was dark and black and it made me cough and it was coming from the other side of the mesa!” Fluttershy rambled.

Twilight rubbed her eyes. “...What?”

“Come on, Come on; we can’t afford to wait for much longer!” Fluttershy urged.

“What in tarnation are ya’ll...” Applejack trailed off, looking upward. Indeed, a massive black cloud of smoke was forming above them, but it seemed to be flowing away from somewhere across from the mesa. It was barely visible in the early morning sky, but still visible and massive enough to make Applejack pause. “...frettin’ about...?”

“What are you all waiting for? There are animals in danger!” Fluttershy exclaimed, shaking Dash and Olly out of their sleeping bags.

“Calm down, Fluttershy, and tell us what’s going on!” Twilight commanded.

“I just told you!” Fluttershy exhaled, exasperated. “I flew up to see which way we should go, and that massive cloud of smoke was coming right out of Ponyville!”

Twilight finally grasped the situation. “No...”

“Then what are we standing around for?” Dash asked, her mane fizzling with anxiety and threatening to ignite at any moment.

After the others were awake, Twilight focused her magic and created a walkway of rock between the two sides of the Ditch. The group hustled across it.

“Rarity, what’s going on?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“I’m not sure, darling,” Rarity admitted. “Twilight, what’s wrong?”

“We think that an Element of Discord started a forest fire right on the outskirts of Ponyville, or worse, inside Ponyville,” Twilight explained. To the group, she added, “It’s only an hour’s walk or so from here, so we should take it easy in case we’re met with a fight.”

They walked for a little while, and despite Twilight’s advice, they were hustling as fast as she allowed.

“Feeling a little antsy-pantsy?” Pinkie asked Fluttershy.

She nodded. “I just hope everypony in town is alright.” We can replace buildings and plants, but not animals or ponies. And I’m willing to fight if it means protecting what I love! ...I... I guess... But I hope it doesn’t come to that.

They journeyed through the Everfree Forest, which started to show obvious signs of a forest fire as they wore on. One was the multitude of animals rushing away from the source of the blaze chaotically, which only increased Fluttershy’s anxiety. The smell of smoke was the next sign. By the time they heard flames sizzling and crackling in the distance and saw smoke casting a veil over the sky, Fluttershy was starting to feel sick, and was barely resisting the urge to cry.

“It’ll be fine,” Olly assured her. “Forest fires happen all the time, and ponies have good enough instincts to avoid them. I bet it was just a foal experimenting with magic.”

“That is the primary cause of forest fires,” Celestia added. “Usually with colts, though, because they find the fire just so fascinating,” she added with a tad of sarcasm.

“I’m guessing you’ve had your share of experiences with foals, huh?” Olly asked.

“Well, not really foals as much as-” Celestia began.

“Quiet, I’m trying to listen for danger,” Twilight interrupted, her ears twitching slightly as she tried to pick up any auditory information that might prove useful.

Her friends’ efforts did little to distract Fluttershy from her fears, though. As they wore their way through the forest, Twilight was forced to cast a filtering spell to protect herself and the others from the toxins in the air, and, soon enough, one to protect them from the heat and flames, which came within two feet of the group.

“Ponyville should be a minute or two away. Prepare yourselves,” Twilight said. She was sweating, but not from exertion. Actually, she was excited for the battle to start. Win or lose, I’m battling alongside my friends, and that’s what counts.

Pinkie didn’t know what to think. Would Hate really burn down our home? I thought he was super-mean, but that isn’t even what a quintuple villain bonanza times five would do! And he looks like he could be nice, too, if we ever gave him the chance. ...Guess it’s too late for that.

Dash was a little frightened at their prospects. Burning down Ponyville would totally be Hate’s style, and where there’s Hate, there’s Guilt, too. If we couldn’t beat them before, how are we supposed to now? Just by trying our best, and believing in ourselves? I don’t buy it, but... I guess I just have to deal with it and do my best.

Rarity’s deep purple eyes were scanning the area for enemies, but she was equally focused on protecting her mane from the roaring fire and gusts of wind that accompanied it. Now that I’ve realized my Potential, I’m a target; somepony to be dealt with first. The only problem is, I have no idea what my power is supposed to be. Maybe I should ask. She opened her mouth to speak, but just then, they approached the entrance to Ponyville.

And who should be present but Hate.

*******

“Well, lookie here,” Hate said humorlessly.

“Thought so,” Dash spat.

Ponyville was ruined. What crumbling buildings still did exist were blasted to dust and either surrounded by or engulfed in roaring flames. The pressure in the area was unstable, so great gales of wind and dust battered the group to the point where it was an effort to stay standing. Large mounds of debris were piled up along the sides of any walls that were still standing. It eerily reminded Twilight of the fake Ponyville Verba had found her and her friends in, right as it started to collapse.

“It’s a little windy,” Hate observed. She tapped her hoof on the ground, and any wind, fire, and smoke present were eliminated from Ponyville in a circular shockwave. She paused for a moment, looking around and inspecting the wreckage nonchalantly before turning to the group again and asking, “Didja bring me a present?”

“Wh-... What happened to all the ponies?” Fluttershy asked quietly, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Take your best guess,” Hate said, though she wasn’t grinning or otherwise taunting them.

“Nihili idiota!” Celestia snarled.

“Takes one to know one,” Hate replied calmly.

Spike... BonBon... Mr. and Mrs. Cake... Twilight thought, shock preventing her from feeling any true emotion other than pain. The others were reacting in a similar way; they couldn’t comprehend just yet the ramifications of everything they knew and loved vanishing in Hate’s rampage. Twilight could barely believe it herself. Something... Something just doesn’t feel right, about this entire thing. I just can’t place what it is, though.

“Where’s your little stump of a brother?” Dash asked.

“Safe and sound, with crosshairs on one of your foreheads if something goes awry,” Hate stated. “He’s probably going to go after you just for saying that.”

“Why can’t he come out and fight? Is he a coward?” Dash asked.

“Something along those lines,” Hate laughed. She pawed her forehoof on the ground. “Prepared for the show?”

“No. Not yet,” Rarity said. She had sent Sweetie Belle away from Hate, and the teen was running away as fast as her legs could carry her. Twilight’s enchantments would be more than enough to see her safely away through the firestorm. Rarity stepped forward, next to Celestia. “You say we’ve committed heinous crimes against you. Before we fight, I’d like to know what those are, so that maybe you can justify demolishing everything we once held dear!”

If Hate was taken off-guard, she didn’t show it, but she didn’t answer right away, either. “...Sure, sure. I can do that. You might wanna sit down, though, ‘cause it’s a long story.”

“We’re fine,” Celestia said, never once taking her steely gaze off of Hate.

For a while, Hate just stood silently, contemplating her explanation.

Minutes passed before Dash asked, “Do you even, like, have some big justification, or something? Or are you just trying to make one up on the fly? How do we know you aren’t really evil?”

“Why would I lie? It won’t make a difference to anything that happens here. I’m still fighting you to the death,” Hate said coolly.

The words struck Twilight like a mallet. He’s right... There’s no way out of this besides killing Hate. He’s not going to let us escape. He wants to end us. ...Or, maybe he was told to end us. I guess it doesn’t matter too much at this point.

Hate took a deep breath, then began. “I’m the youngest of all the Elements. I was probably Centime’s age when I became an Element of Discord. We were forced out of our home by our father, Discidium, and told never to come back, or else he’d sic the Elements of Harmony on us. You were the good kids. We were the misfits. I guess it just works like that sometimes. After that, Vengeance, who was the oldest, disguised us with magic and took us to a nearby village. We hid out there for a few months before you found us.

“At first, I thought it was to bring us home. I was too young to understand what was going on. But you chased us down and captured Arrogance. I never saw her again in her original body. Vengeance took me and Guilt and told us to run away, as far as we could. We did. We ran as fast and far as we could, all the way to the other side of the kingdom. But it wasn’t far enough. Loyalty was the one that found me. This time, I didn’t resist, because all I wanted to do was be brought back home. Like I said, I was young, and dumb, too. Deception managed to keep me alive, though.

“She had somehow disguised herself as Loyalty’s sweetheart. Don’t ask me how, because I really just don’t know. Anyway, instead of killing me outright, Loyalty took me and shoved me into one of Indicina’s torture chambers. Deception had a heck of a time trying to save my life there.”

“Indicina?” Twilight asked.

“You’ve heard of her?” Hate asked.

“The name rings a bell,” Olly added, rubbing his chin.

“Deception said something about her when we defeated Arrogance for the first time,” Twilight added.

“Can’t say I know why,” Hate admitted. “Indicina’s been dead as long as I can remember. She was Discord’s mistress, and a real piece of work. She was always in this twisted search for knowledge, and I was her first lab rat. She tore me apart. Limb--from--limb. Don’t ask me what she did, because I shoved those memories as far back in my mind as I could, and y’know what, I still have nightmares about it!” Hate yelled suddenly. Regaining her composure, she continued: “Deception, again, managed to keep me alive through all of that. A slice of bread here, a distraction there, it was enough. Eventually, she was able to free me, too. She tried her best to get me out of that deathtrap you called home, but she was too late. Loyalty found me again.

“I could barely move on my own. I was covered in stitches and missing parts of my body. I felt hollow, because I was hollow! Indicina had her way with me, so I couldn’t defend myself when Deception was knocked out. It was the only solution you could find to the Discord problem: Extermination. Your final solution was to kill us until we didn’t come back anymore. I gotta say, you were some clever ponies,” Hate hissed. “Loyalty didn’t show mercy this time. His heart was breaking for sure, so he didn’t have any sense of logic anymore. Guess I can’t blame you too much, but, at the end of the day, I was still killed because of it.

“But my death was slow. Loyalty wanted to make sure I was in the most pain possible before he let me off the hook, ‘cause I guess he was in so much of his own. He broke everything he possibly could, then squished the rest. Yeah. It’s not a pretty picture, huh? But you know what the worst part is?” Hate continued, taking a few steps forward. Her eyes were brimming with tears. “The worst part is that Kindness was there, too. Yeah, you heard right. She saw the whole thing! Oh, wait, it gets better!” she added upon seeing Fluttershy’s horrified expression. “You know what she said right before I took my last breath? As I was taking my last breath?” The ground began to tremble, and Hate whispered, “‘...I wish I could have saved you.’”

The group sat in stunned silence.

“I... I don’t know what to say...” Rarity breathed.

“Sp-... Speaks for itself, doesn’t it?” Hate managed, wiping her eyes and trying not to let her emotions take control. She laughed slightly. “And y’know what? I get to do the same to you right here. Only, I won’t enjoy it nearly as much as you did. ...But I’ll still enjoy it. A little.”

“I can’t believe that!” Dash yelled. “There’s no way Fluttershy would’ve done anything like that, even back then!”

“Yeah, and I respect her for not being as evil as her past self,” Hate sneered.

“We would never do any of that!” Twilight shouted over the increasing winds. “We would never commit those crimes without a reason!”

“It doesn’t matter. None of it matters! There was no reason, there never was any reason, and you’re going to die, right here, right now, because the only mistake I ever made was going down without a fight!” Hate screeched. She flapped her wings once to rise up off the ground, then crossed her hooves in front of her face as she gathered energy. “I’m not going to rest until you’ve felt all twenty-five thousand years of my pain!”

He’s charging up... this is it, Twilight thought, quivering slightly but trying to suppress how intimidated she was by Hate’s demonstration. Either the war we’ve been fighting for thousands of years ends today... or we defeat Guilt and Hate.

=====================================================================

[Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else.
This story takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one.
Please let me know if a link doesn’t work.