Confusion. Evil. Chaos. These were just a few of the thoughts that came to mind as Rebecca stood in slack jawed bewilderment at the sight that her mind was trying to process. The sky had changed from its usual clear blue to a sickly shade of mauve, and was cluttered with pink clouds. The buildings around her, who's architecture she already found hard to believe, were starting to bend and twist in directions that made even less sense. Looking at her feet, she saw that instead of pavement she was standing on thick, green and gold checkered shag carpeting.

Even worse were the ponies. Half of them seemed to have completely lost their minds; dancing in place or breaking out into tuneless songs. Others seemed to be going about their business completely oblivious to what was happening. They all, however, had a slight gray tinge to their otherwise vibrant colors.

Spotting something out of the corner of her eye, Rebecca stepped back just in time to avoid being plowed into by a large white unicorn stallion with a royal blue mane, finely trimmed mustache, and three crowns for a cutie mark.

"Woohoo! I'm nekkid!" he cried, as he continued down the street.

Rebecca was about to call after him when her face suddenly reddened and she averted her eyes. Okay, I guess a pony's fur isn't the only part of them that can be a bright primary color. Looking up, she spotted a unicorn mare in a fancy dress being walked by a poodle. Across the street, an earth pony stallion was playing a flute and leading a string of floating pastries down the road. And, looking up, she thought she could see a group of royal guards doing the macarena on a rooftop.

As pandemonium raged all around her, Rebecca could feel fear start to fade as frustration steadily welled up inside her. "WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!?"

"Well, since you asked so nicely."

Rebecca nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of the voice behind her. Turning to see who had spoken, she was once again at a loss at the sight before her. The thing, for there was no better word to describe it, looked like something out of a children's story; a long serpentine body with a jumble of mismatched limbs and wings tacked on, and a head that looked half-way between a donkey and a goat complete with two different horns. But, the part that caught Rebecca's attention the most was the eyes. Beyond their strange color, there was something about its eyes that made her skin crawl.

"I was just on my way out of town, and thought I might spruce the place up a bit before I left," said the creature, gesturing to the town around them. "When what do I spy, but another one of you adorable little alien hominids." As he spoke, the thing slowly slithered through the air towards her, and Rebecca couldn't help but take a step back. While the creature looked more comical than carnivorous, it was still a good ten feet in length. "And you're even one of the lucky hundreds, too."

"One of the what?"

"Oh, one of every hundred or so citizens who aren’t affected by my little spell. After all, what's the point of a masterpiece if there's no one left who can really appreciate it?"

Backing up again, Rebecca raised her hands defensively. "Alright, buddy, I don't know who you are or what your deal is but-".

"Oh, of course, where are my manners?" It said, looping over in the air to stand on its tiny legs. "The name's Discord, Spirit of Chaos," he said, with an exaggerated bow as a tuxedo jacket and top hat appeared on him with a flash. "But, enough about me, who might you be, I wonder."

"Rebecca," she said, not liking the look he was giving her.

"Really? Well I wonder if you got here the same way as that other fellow. What was his name, Leroy, Lobo? Oh well, doesn’t matter now. Anyway, let's have a look at what we've got here." Pulling a magnifying glass out of nowhere, Discord proceeded to look her up and down before throwing it away. To Rebecca's disgust his eye remained bulbous, despite the glass no longer being in front of it. "My, my, my, you're an even better piece of work than he was. Why, I haven't seen something like you in quite some time."

"He... was?" Said Rebecca, noticing his choice of word. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing much. He just mentioned how desperately he's been trying to fit in here in Equestria, so I decided to help him blend in a little bit," said Discord, with a cruel grin. "Say, maybe I could help you too?"

"I'll pass, thanks," said Rebecca, backing up again as Discord began moving in closer.

"Oh, but it'll be loads of fun," he said, slithering through the air around her, cutting off Rebecca's retreat. "Why, I could introduce you to the famous Canterlot cuisine." Several bouquets of flowers rained down on Rebecca. "Bring you up to date on current events." A nearby trash can suddenly transformed into a television showing Discord in front of a weather map. "Good day, Equestria, today's forecast includes chaos, chaos, chaos, and, oh yes, some chaos. Back to you Discord." Rebecca looked at the original Discord in disbelief. "Oh, but how silly of me. Of course, the most important thing to any mare in Canterlot can only be fashion!" With a snap of Discord's fingers, a brilliant white light flared up all around Rebecca, and she found herself momentarily blinded. When the spots cleared Discord was still standing there, apparently unchanged. "I do hope I got the size right, I've never worked with these proportions before," he said, with a coy smile.

Looking down, Rebecca found that she was wearing a beautiful, gem studded, red satin trimmed saddle the likes of which most mares would give their left hind leg to own. She barely noticed it, however, when she realized that it was the only thing she was wearing. A scream of shock and embarrassment rang down the street as Rebecca's hands went to cover herself, before fixing Discord with a baleful glare.

"There, now we're really dressed for success, aren’t we?" Discord threw his head back as his mocking laughter filled the air, fanning the flames of anger and humiliation burning inside Rebecca. "You, you should see the look on your face! Ha Ha Ha, oof!" Discord's laughter was cut off as his body went ramrod straight and a large lump ran up it to connect with his head, causing it to ring like a bell, before running back down. Doubling over, eyes wide, Discord's hands quickly moved between his legs to the spot Rebecca's foot had just made contact with, before muttering in a chipmunk-like voice, "That's it, no more Mr. Nice Guy."

After giving her assailant a piece of her mind, Rebecca ran back to Donut Joe's shop and pulled one of the large curtains out of the display window. As she wrapped it around herself, she called back angrily, "Look, goatsnake, I don't know what your problem is, but this is getting real old real fast!"

"Very well then, how's this for a change of pace?" he asked. Rebecca turned to find herself face to face with Discord, his eyes mere inches from her own. Eyes that she was suddenly having a hard time looking away from as they seemed to swirl around, drawing her into them. "You know, when you get right down to it, I'm a free spirit, and I can tell there's something you've been holding back for a while now. Why not let it all out? Revel in it for a while. I think you'll find it to be quite... liberating." As discord spoke, Rebecca found the anger she had felt moments before draining away to be replaced with something else. Something she had been doing her best to deny. "Now, with that out of the way, I'm afraid I'm needed elsewhere. Try not to have too much fun now. Tata." With his final words, Discord burst into a cloud of foul smelling green smoke that enveloped Rebecca before rising into the air and flitting off in the direction of Ponyville.

As the cloud dissipated around her, Rebecca was left trying to cough up the last of the vapors that had worked their way up her nose. She didn't even notice that her skin had taken on a slight gray tinge. She also didn't notice the sound of hoofsteps approaching from behind her until a stallion's voice called out, "Madam, are you alright?"

At the sound of the words, something took hold of Rebecca. A powerful urge that she could not deny as she slowly turned to face the one who had spoken to her. When she saw him her eyes widened, her breath quickened, and she found she could not hold herself back any longer. "Aww, look at da cute widdle pony!" Before the stallion could react, Rebecca's arms were around his neck and pulling his face into her chest as she squeezed him into her tightest hug. "Aren’t you just the cutest widdle thing? I just want to hug you, and squeeze you, and pet you, and... and..."

Lost as she was in her newfound feeling adoration, Rebecca didn't notice it at first, but as she stood there with the pony locked in her arms another feeling began to creep up from inside her. A feeling, born of forcefully repressed memories and half remembered night terrors, that crawled under her skin, and into the forefront of her mind. "Don't touch me!" As she pushed the stallion away, a wave of vertigo washed over her, and Rebecca found herself reeling as the world seemed to suddenly come back into focus.

Rubbing her head to try and ward off the sudden ache pounding in it, she was startled by the sound of an exasperated, yet strangely familiar voice. "Madam, are you quite finished!?"

"What happened? I blacked out for a minute there." As the dizziness finally began to fade, Rebecca turned to regard the pony she had just accosted only to find that she recognized him. Even with his coat tinged gray, his immaculately styled mane and tail, tuxedo collar, and compass rose cutie mark were unmistakable. "Hey, aren't you, uh... Price Bluebell?"

"It's Blueblood, but never mind that now. Are you intact madam?"

"Yeah, I think so," replied Rebecca, still rubbing her head. "What just happened?"

"You just had a close encounter with one of the most dangerous beings in Equestria," said Blueblood, eyeing her up and down. "And yet, you seem to have come away from it, more or less, unfazed."

"Wait, you mean the guy with the mismatched parts? Who, and what, was he supposed to be?"

"I'll explain later. For now-." Blueblood's horn lit up with a brilliant golden light who's radiance grew with each passing second until Rebecca had to turn away to avoid being blinded. Raising his horn skyward, Blueblood released his hold on the bundle of magic and let it rocket into the air, above the buildings surrounding them, to explode in a dazzling pyrotechnic display that formed the unmistakable shape of Celestia's own cutie mark.

"Jeez, how about a little warning next time?" exclaimed Rebecca, looking up at the display. "What's with the fireworks?"

"It's a call to arms," said Blueblood, flatly.

"A what?"

"From what I heard of your conversation, it sounded like Discord has left some of the citizens unaffected by his spell. Celestia willing, some of the city guards will see that signal and be in a sound enough state of mind to respond."

"Wait, you were watching us?"

"From the teahouse across the street, yes."

"And you couldn't have maybe jumped in a little sooner, say before he took my clothes?" Rebecca asked, indignantly.

"Madam, what would you have had me do? In case it was not obvious, that creature possesses magical might several orders of magnitude above my own."

Rebecca was about to continue but, looking around herself, realized that he was right. If this Discord guy was able to turn an entire city into a madhouse, she could only guess at what else he was capable of. As they stood there, waiting to see if anyone responded to Blueblood's signal, something occurred to Rebecca. "Say, how are you feeling, by the way?"

"Pardon?" asked Blueblood, glancing back at her.

"Well, aren't you being affected by Discord's spell too?"

"Whatever are you talking about, madam. I am Blueblood, prince and protector of the land of Equestria. The safety and wellbeing of this land and its ponies has always been at the forefront of my mind, and I will not stand idly by and watch them be made the playthings of an ancient lunatic." Blueblood spoke with such certainty and conviction that Rebecca could hardly believe that she was listening to the same snobbish fop she had met the day before.

Before Rebecca could inquire further thought, a bright flash of light caused her to nearly jump out of her skin. Across the street two unicorns in matching suits of armor had appeared. They were soon joined by a pegasus in similar armor descending from the sky. "Thank goodness," muttered Blueblood, as he made his way over to them. "Ten-Hut!"

The guard's fell into formation immediately as their training kicked in. Their stoic expressions quickly turned to ones of confusion, however, when they realized who had just ordered them to attention. "Oh, Prince Blueblood, there you are," said one of the unicorns. "Are you alright-"

"Soldier, did I give you permission to speak!?" Barked Blueblood.

"N-no, sir?" The guard replied, as all their eyes went wide.

"Then zip it, and listen up! We are currently in the middle of the greatest crisis we have ever faced, and we need to act now if we are going to keep it from tearing this city apart."

"But, sir, there are only three of us," said the pegasus.

"Then we have our work cut out for us don't we!?" yelled Blueblood.

"Yes, sir!"

"Now that we have that cleared up, pay attention! Right now, our priorities are reinforcements, and damage control. Begin scanning the streets, and recruit any right-minded ponies you come across. Keep your eyes peeled for any ponies that are about to hurt themselves, or any signs of fire breaking out. We can't stop everything that's happening, but hopefully we can keep the city from tearing itself apart long enough to find a way to stop all this."

"But, sir, what about you?" asked one of the guards.

"Madam Lancaster, and I, will make our way to the castle," replied Blueblood.

"Me?" asked Rebecca. "What can I do? I can't fly, or use magic."

"No, but you were able to shake off Discord's influence. We need to get you to the castle, and figure out how you did it," replied Blueblood, before turning back to the guards. "Stallions, you have your orders!"

With that, the three guards were off to carry out their prince's commands, and Rebecca found herself alone with Blueblood once more. "Do you really think we'll be able to figure out how to undo all of this?" Rebecca asked, looking at the state of the city around them.

"You, and I? I doubt it, but hopefully Aunt Celestia will be another story. Now, come on, it's a long walk to the castle," said Blueblood, as they set off into the crazed city.

Some time later.

While not the most imposing of defensive structures in Equestria, the Canterlot gatehouse still possessed an air of authority that few who passed through it could dismiss. Its location on the far side of a fast-flowing mountain river, on the relatively narrow path that led around the side of the mountain to the castle grounds, ensured that any force seeking to assault the castle by land had its work cut out for it. Fortunately for the two figures making their way across the drawbridge, Celestia rarely ordered the gates closed.

"Alright, we're here. Let us never speak of that ordeal again," said Blueblood, pulling off the wedding dress he was wearing, as he went.

"Honestly, I still can't believe they had one of these in my size," replied Rebecca, gesturing to her new tuxedo.

"Yes, this has been quite the day for surprises hasn't it? Speaking of which, where is everypony?"

As the two neared the end of the drawbridge, Blueblood stopped. Following his gaze, Rebecca realized that he was right; the gatehouse appeared deserted. "Maybe they all wandered off. I mean, most folks don't seem too worried about their jobs right now," she offered.

"Still, I find it hard to believe that they would all just vanish," said Blueblood, scanning the building for any sign of life.

"Well, the door's open, maybe we should go in and see what's up?" said Rebecca, motioning to the main gate, which sat ajar.

"Be careful," said Blueblood, as they leaned into the door. "We don't know what's waiting on the other side."

"Okay," replied Rebecca. "One, two, three, push!"

As the two grunted and pushed, the massive door groaned, and creaked, but steadily opened until there was enough space for them to peek around. Rebecca let out a sigh of relief at the site that greeted them; several dozen royal unicorn guards milling about in the field beyond, including one she recognized from the day before.

"Well, I never thought I'd be happy to see Captain Tightwad again," she muttered.

"Shh!" Blueblood hissed.

Before Rebecca could ask what was wrong, something caught her eye. She hadn't noticed it on the other guards, with their matching coats, but on Shining Armor it was plain as day. His mane and coat were tinged gray... and he was looking right at her.

"Blast, he's seen us," said Blueblood. As blueblood spoke, Shining Armor's head lowered as his ears flattened, and a low growl issued from his throat that was followed by a chorus snarls as the other guards did the same. "Close the door, quick!" Blueblood cried.

Rebecca grabbed the edge of the door as Blueblood's horn lit up. Pulling with all their might, Rebecca could hear what sounded like a pack of bloodhounds on the other side of the gate. With fear spurring them on, the pair pulled even harder as the door slid closed. Rebecca fell back as the first of many bodies slammed into the gate, and the barking reached its height.

"Okay, now what?" Rebecca gasped.

"Plan B," replied Blueblood, heading back out onto the drawbridge.

"What's plan B?" asked Rebecca, when they were about half-way across.

"Do you see that window above the gateway?"

Following his gaze, Rebecca could see that there was, indeed, a large decorative window above the main archway. "Yeah."

"That's plan B, now you might want to step back." As he spoke Blueblood's horn began to glow with a faint golden light which slowly spread over his entire body. As Rebecca watched, the glow seemed to grow brighter around Blueblood's hooves until it looked like he was standing in a pool of sunlight.

Well, this doesn't look like something I want to be at ground zero for. Rebecca turned on her heels and made her way across the rest of the bridge. Just as she reached the far-side, a brilliant flash of light erupted behind her, followed by a powerful blast of wind that almost knocked her off her feet. Turning to see what had happened, she was shocked to see Blueblood rocketing through the air toward the window over a hundred feet above, only to land half-way through it. Rebecca's breath caught in her throat as she watched his legs scrambling for purchase. Oh no, come on, come on, please don't fall. A moment later, Blueblood managed to pull himself the rest of the way through, and Rebecca let out the breath she had been holding. Running back across the drawbridge, she called up after him, "Hey, are you alright up there?"

"Yes, just... give me a moment," called Blueblood, with a wheeze. A few minutes later, he appeared at the window. "Wait there, this is the main sentry station. If memory serves, there should be a supply room near here- Ah, there it is." Blueblood disappeared back into the building for a few moments before reappearing with a length of rope looped around his neck. "Heads up," he called before throwing it out the window.

The line uncoiled in the air, and came to a halt just a couple of feet from the ground. At the end, the rope was tied into a simple harness that was just big enough for Rebecca to slip her legs through. "What am I supposed to do with this?" Rebecca asked, hesitantly.

"Just pull it tight around your legs and waist, and I'll haul you up."

Rebecca looked at the thin cord hanging in front of her. It looked strong enough, and the harness, though simple, was tied well. "And you're sure you can get me up there without dropping me?"

"Don't worry, it's attached to a winch. I'm sure it will manage. Now please hurry, I have a plan to get rid of the guards and I'm going to need your help."

"What kind of plan?" Rebecca asked, as she pulled the harness on. The loud groaning of hinges suddenly caught her attention; the castle gate was opening. "Uh, Blueblood?" As the giant door opened, a crowd of royal guards all looked up and began to growl. "Blueblood?!" The mass of angry guards surged forward, howling as they came. "BLUEBLOOD!" Just as the first guard leaped to attack, Rebecca lurched upward mere inches ahead of the stallion. His teeth closed on air and he fell to the ground along with several of his comrades. The rest of the hoard gathered under her, a sea of snapping teeth and bared horns, as Rebecca clung to the rope that was quickly pulling her upwards.

A moment later, Rebecca was over the arch and through the window. She landed on the stone floor just in time to feel the gatehouse tremble as a deafening crash of metal on stone rang through the air. "There, that should keep them out," Blueblood declared.

Looking up, Rebecca could see Blueblood examining something through a window on the opposite side of the room they were in. She also saw that the other end of the rope she was tied to was wound around a winch that was bigger that she was. A familiar fire was stoked as she put two and two together. "You ass!"

"I beg your par-" Blueblood turned just in time to catch a rope harness with his face.

"That was your plan: use me as bait for the guards, then get me up by dropping the gate?" Rebecca spat.

"Madam, it was the only way I could think of to get the guards out of the main castle grounds." Blueblood shook the harness off his horn. "Or, would you have preferred to try and outrun them all the way to the palace?"

"And, what if you had guessed wrong on the rope, huh? A little shorter and I could have been eaten alive by that thing," Rebecca snapped, pointing at the gear now holding her rope.

"Ms. Lancaster, I assure you I measured the rope before selecting it. Really, what kind of fool do you take me for?" Blueblood snapped back.

Rebecca let out a frustrated grunt, before turning her back on Blueblood, and leaned on the window she had just come through. Her grip on the stone was tight, and her breathing short. Despite her best efforts she was starting to shiver as her anger started to give way to the realization that this would likely not be the last time she was in danger today.

Seeing the state that his companion was in, Blueblood cleared his throat, before continuing in a softer tone. "Ms. Lancaster... Rebecca, I realize that this is a difficult situation, but you must realize that we are in the middle of a crisis that could threaten the entire world. And, if we are going to stop it, we are going to have to be able to take certain risks. Now, if you don't feel that you are up to that, then I can barricade the door behind me and continue on my own, but I would greatly appreciate having another sane mind with me when-"

"Where's Shining Armor?"

"Pardon?"

Rebecca turned to Blueblood, concern rising in her voice. "He's not down there," she cried, pointing out the window.

What do you mean he's not down there?" Asked Blueblood, racing over to the window. "Where else could he be?"

A sudden crash from the lone doorway caused the two of them to whip around. Standing over the broken door was Shining Armor. His armor was scratched and dented, and he had lost his helmet, but he still cut an imposing figure. His lips curled in a snarl as he eyed the two of them from under his disheveled mane.

"Okay, don't make any sudden movements," whispered Blueblood.

"What do we do now?" asked Rebecca, as Shining took another threatening step into the room.

"Maybe I can get through to him," suggested Blueblood, taking a step forward. "Easy now, Captain. It's me, Blueblood, you remember me, don't you-"

A blue and white blur slammed into Blueblood. Shining had crossed the gap between them so fast that Rebecca hadn't even had time to cry a warning before the two stallions were rolling on the floor in a tangle of flailing hooves and gnashing teeth. Fear and panic surged inside her, and for a moment all she could do was watch as the ponies fought. Then her eyes settled on the doorway.

Blueblood barely had time to wrap a protective shield around himself before Shining Armor made contact. And, while it may have shattered on impact, it did manage to turn Shining's head enough to keep Blueblood from being skewered on his horn. Shining still plowed into him at a full gallop, and Blueblood felt his hooves leave the floor, momentarily, before the two of them hit the floor. The air left Blueblood's lungs as he came down flat on his back. Shining landed better, and was the first to recover, leaping onto Blueblood and pinning him to the ground.

"Captain, please, you have to fight it- Aagh!"

Shining Armor's teeth clamped down hard on Blueblood's foreleg. Blueblood brought his other hoof up to connect squarely with Shining's jaw, causing him to yelp and release his grip. Seizing the moment, Blueblood managed to get both hooves under Shining's chest and lift his mouth away from his face as his rear legs fought with Armor's in a desperate attempt to deny the other stallion a decent footing to leverage himself on. All the while Shining continued to bark and snap at Blueblood.

"Blast it, Armor, think of Celestia." Blueblood could feel his forelegs beginning to tire under the weight of the armored stallion. "Think of your sister." Shining pressed further down. "Think of Cad-"

A sudden crack filled Blueblood's ears. Shining Armor's eyes bulged in their sockets for a moment before closing as he went limp in Blueblood's hooves. Looking up past his opponent, Blueblood saw Rebecca holding one of the stout wooden planks that used to make up the door Shining Armor had come through. "Think about the girl you pissed off yesterday," she spat.

Crawling out from under the unconscious Shining Armor, Blueblood eyed Rebecca warilly. "Madam, are you alright?"

"I'm alright," replied Rebecca, taking a few deep breaths. "What about you?"

"I'll live," said Blueblood, still keeping an eye on the plank in Rebecca's hands.

Looking down at Shining again, Rebecca dropped her makeshift weapon as the adrenaline began to subside and realization crept in. "Oh, man, is he alright? Please don't tell me I just killed Twilight's brother."

"Relax, he's not quite the delicate flower he appears to be," said Blueblood, with a smirk. After taking a moment to check Shining Armor's vitals, and ensuring that he was properly hogtied, Blueblood turned back to Rebecca, who had taken a seat on the floor. "Now then, Ms. Lancaster, are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, I think I'm okay now. That was just... just weird," she said, looking up at Blueblood.

"Do you think you could handle a little more weird?" asked Blueblood, with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, sure, why not? I mean, what other options do I have; sit here and wait for Rin Tin Tin to wake up?" she asked, getting to her feet.

Blueblood smiled, "You'll have to explain that reference, I'm afraid, but for now, come on, we've still got some ground to cover."

As they left, Rebecca paused to pick up another plank from the door. Just in case.

****

The grounds of Canterlot Castle were well known as some of the most exquisitely cared for in all of Equestria. From the immaculately trimmed grass and hedges, to the marble walkways and fountains that were cleaned and polished daily, it was clear to anyone that the ponies responsible for their care were willing to settle for nothing short of perfection.

So, Rebecca couldn't help but balk at the state that the place was in. Many of the buildings they passed sported broken windows and doors, various bits and pieces of debris lay scattered all around them, and they passed by more than one flower bed that looked like it had been eaten. But, what bothered her most was the utter silence of the place. She and Blueblood hadn't seen or heard a single pony since they had entered.

"You know, I never thought I'd see the day that I'd actually miss all the stares, but here it is."

"Well, hopefully, we can do something about it before too much longer. We're here," said Blueblood, as they arrived at the grand doorway of the royal palace. "Mind giving me a hoof getting these open?"

As they pushed, Rebecca was relieved to find that the doors were not only unlocked, but also opened with surprising ease. The feeling quickly faded, however, as they stepped into the main foyer. The castle seemed just as deserted as the grounds outside and, without the friendly faces of its inhabitants, the ancient stone hallways took on a much more sinister air.

"Okay, outside was kinda' eerie, but this is just plain spooky." As Rebecca spoke, the doors swung closed behind them. The sound of the large doors slamming shut echoed down the halls in all directions. Rebecca nearly jumped out of her skin. "Could have done without that!"

"Come on, we should keep moving," said Blueblood, taking off into the castle.

"Where to?" asked Rebecca, hurrying to catch up to him.

"The throne room. If Celestia is still here that's where she'll likely be."

Once they were out of the entryway, it quickly became apparent that the lack of ponies was not the only thing wrong with the castle. Many pieces of furniture that they passed by had been knocked over or smashed, several curtains had been pulled down, and more than one door had been knocked off its hinges.

"What did all this?" Rebecca whispered.

"Shh, I don't know, but I'd rather not attract it, if it's still around," replied Blueblood.

The rest of the trip passed in silence, until they reached the throne room. The doors sat ajar, and opened with the slightest push. Both their hearts sank when they saw that the room was empty.

"Plan B?" asked Rebecca, trying not to let worry show in her voice.

"We keep searching," Blueblood replied, curtly.

As they searched, their pace steadily quickened as they made their way from one empty room to another. Before long they found themselves moving into the higher portions of the palace, and Rebecca found herself wondering if it was limited technology or plain spite that had kept the architects from installing elevators.

Making their way toward one of the royal dining halls, the silence was finally broken. "That's it, don't worry. I'm sure help will be here soon."

The soft voice had come from the open door ahead of them. Looking at each other, Blueblood quickly motioned for Rebecca to be quiet, as they slowly crept toward the door; Blueblood's horn lighting up as Rebecca gripped her makeshift club. Once they were next to the entryway, Blueblood pushed out with his magic, throwing the doors open.

"Who goes there!?" he yelled.

Both Blueblood and Rebecca's eyes lit up at the sight before them. Standing at the long dining table, mane and tail flowing in some unfelt breeze, was Princess Celestia. Standing next to her was a beige unicorn with a dark brown mane done up in a bun, and a pair of thick-rimmed glasses. She was staring, mouth agape, directly at Rebecca.

"Ink Well?"

The mare let out a shriek. "Run, Princess, I'll try to hold it off!" Seizing a nearby chair in the pink glow of her magic, the mare charged.

"Woah!" Was all Rebecca could say before she found herself fending off a floating chair with a two by four.

"I don't know what pit of Tartarus he pulled you out of, but you won't take our Princess," the mare cried defiantly, as she jabbed the chair at Rebecca as if she was a lion.

"I'm not trying to take your Princess, I'm trying to- Hey!" Rebecca brought her club up just in time to block a wide swing aimed at her head. Batting the chair away, she spared a glance at Blueblood; he had a hoof over his mouth, and seemed to be doing his best not to laugh. "Feel free to jump in anytime!" she cried.

"Alright, alright, Ms. Raven, that's quite enough," said Blueblood, stepping forward. "Our friend here is just trying to- Gah!" Blueblood managed to duck just as the chair came around for another wild swing. "Ms. Raven, that's enough!" he commanded, seizing the chair in his own magic.

Raven continued to pull on the chair for a moment, before opening her eyes to finally look at the prince. "Oh, Prince Blueblood, is that you?" she asked, sheepishly.

"Yes. Now, if you're quite finished, can we put the furniture down?"

"But, Your Highness, what about that creature?" she asked, pointing a hoof at Rebecca.

"That 'creature' is Madam Lancaster, the new human that arrived recently."

"Oh! Oh my, I'm so sorry, I was expecting something... well, that is... "

"Something smaller," Rebecca finished. "Yeah, I get that a lot."

Blushing, Raven's gaze fell to the floor, before turning back to Blueblood. "Well, thank goodness you're both alright, but how did you get here?"

"Oh, it was nothing," answered Rebecca. "Just had to defy death a couple of times, and maybe give the captain of the guard a concussion."

"I'm sorry did you say-"

"We'll explain later, Raven, right now we need to speak to Celest-" The word died on his tongue as Blueblood finally turned to regard the princess, only to see that she hadn't moved an inch since they had entered the room. "Celestia?"

"Oh, my, Your Highness, please she's not-"

Blueblood wasn't listening. All he could focus on was the mare in front of him; and the slight tinge of gray that now colored her flowing mane. "Princess are you well?" As he moved around to face her, his breath caught in his throat. Gone was the picture of serenity and grace, instead Celestia's face was slack and her eyes unfocused as she loudly munched on a plate of carrots in front of her. "Aunt Celestia, say something," said Blueblood, taking hold of her cheeks and turning her head to face him.

"Moo."

Blueblood almost fell over as he stumbled backward. "What happened here?" he asked, not taking his eyes off Celestia.

"I don't know," said Raven, apologetically. "Everything was fine this morning, until just after breakfast, then all of a sudden it was like everypony just lost their minds. I was worried that they were going to tear the palace apart, but then the guards started running around barking like dogs and chased everypony out."

"How'd they miss you?" asked Rebecca.

"I... I hid in a pantry," said Raven, her ears folding back as she looked once more to floor. "When the commotion died down, I came out to see if there was anypony sane left in the castle. But, the only one I've been able to find is the Princess, and she's... well..." Another drawn out mooing filled the room as Celestia continued to munch on the food in front of her. "I've tried to make her as comfortable as I can."

Rebecca moved to a nearby chair and took a seat. Letting out a sigh, she began to rubbing her temples as the situation began to sink in. "Well, so much for our plan."

"Wait a moment, what are you two doing here?" Raven asked.

"We came here to find her" -Rebecca jabbed a thumb at Celestia- "thought she might be able to do something about all this."

"You brought Prince Blueblood all the way here through a crazed city?" Raven couldn't believe her ears.

"Yeah, I brought him, that's a good one, hun. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't have made it passed the front gate."

The look on Raven's face was priceless as she turned to Blueblood. "My Prince, is this true? Shouldn't you be in a shelter or one of your private safe houses?"

"Do not speak to me like some foal in need of coddling." Blueblood finally turned from Celestia, and the fire in his eyes forced Raven back a step. "I am a prince of this land, and I will not sit idly by and watch as some all powerful lunatic tears it apart!"

"P-prince, are you.. feeling alright?" Raven couldn't bring herself to say anything else. And Rebecca thought she saw a slight reddening in the mare's cheeks.

"Well, that's very inspiring and all," said Rebecca, as she got up. "But, what exactly can we do about it now?"

"With Princess Celestia incapacitated, our only real option left is the Elements of Harmony. We need to find out what their status is," replied Blueblood.

"Okay, how do we do that?" asked Rebecca.

"I have something in my personal quarters that might help. Ms. Raven, you stay here and see to it that the Princess doesn’t wander too far." With that, Blueblood turned to leave.

"I'll do my best, your Highness," replied Raven.

"Let me guess, were going up more stairs?" asked Rebecca.

"To the highest reaches of the castle," answered Blueblood.

Gathering up her trusty two by four, Rebecca groaned, "Of course we are."

****

As they made their way higher into the castle, the décor only grew more lavish. The halls grew larger and sported stained glass windows or immense tapestries hanging from the high ceiling, the floors were thickly carpeted rather than stone, and the rooms grew further apart but much more opulent.

"I'm guessing we've reached the royal quarters?" asked Rebecca.

"Indeed, it's not much further," replied Blueblood.

"I gotta' say, this place looks like it's handled the disaster better than the rest of the castle." Looking around, Rebecca couldn't see any of the broken furniture or smashed windows that had littered the lower halls of the castle.

"This area generally doesn’t see many visitors, and the servants try to keep their presence to a minimum," said Blueblood.

"Why's that?" Rebecca asked.

"Believe it or not, the royalty doesn't get a whole lot of free time, and we appreciate it if we can get through it without being bothered. So, these floors see significantly less hoof traffic than the rest of the castle. I doubt there were even any ponies up her when this whole thing started."

"Well, that's comforting. At least we don’t have to worry about running into anymore crazy-" A low hissing noise cut her off. Looking up, Rebecca could see something big clinging to a large tapestry that depicted a moonlit sky. A moment later it spread it's wings and dropped from it's perch; strait toward her.

"Move!"

A hard shove sent Rebecca sprawling on the floor. She looked up just in time to see the thing slam into Bluebood. By the time she got to her feet, Blueblood was on the floor with the thing on top of him. It looked like a smaller version of Princess Celestia with a dark coat and a mane that looked like a piece of the night sky. Despite it's delicate build, it barely seemed to notice Blueblood's struggling as it bit into his shoulder.

"No!"

Fear gripped her heart as she ran at the thing. Lifting her two by four, she brought the makeshift club down squarely on the madmare's back. It barely grunted as it's wing snapped out to connect with her stomach. Rebecca staggered backward before falling to her knees as the air left her lungs. Through tear-filled eyes she could see Blueblood still struggling under the mare, but despite his best efforts he could not break her hold.

"Let him go!"

Rebecca charged the mare again. Again it's wing snapped out, but Rebecca had her club up before it made contact, and though the shock of the impact almost numbed her arm, she managed to grab the wing before it could be drawn back for another strike. "I said"- Rebecca raised her club as high as she could- "let"- and brought it down on the back of the mare's neck- "him"- again- "Go!"- and again.

After the third blow, the mare finally released her hold on Blueblood. Rebecca was bowled over as it took to the air, shrieking as it went. As Rebecca got to her feet, the mare circled around and swooped back toward them, still shrieking. Rebecca knew who the mare's target was going to be this time, and braced herself as best she could. Just as the mare was preparing to dive, the hall was filled blinding light and a deafening boom.

For a moment the world was nothing but ringing whiteness. Rubbing her eyes, Rebecca thought she could hear someone calling her name; though it sounded like they were shouting through a wall. As her vision came back into focus, she could see the mare lying in a heap against a wall. She was about to raise her club again when she felt herself being pulled in the opposite direction. Turning, she saw Blueblood standing in one of the nearby doorways. His horn was glowing, and looking down, so was her arm. Taking the hint, she ran for the door, just as the mare was getting to her feet. Once she was though, Rebecca slammed the door behind her, before slumping against it to catch her breath. A moment later the tip of a dark blue horn pierced the door an inch from her head.

"Jesus!" she cried, jumping from the door. Rebecca quickly wedged her two by four under the doorknob as several more heavy blows rattled the door on its hinges before finally ceasing. "What the hell was that?" Rebeca gasped.

"That, would by aunt Luna. I was wondering what had become of her," answered Blueblood. "Although, now she seems to think she's a giant bat."

"Seriously? What is it with this Discord guy and turning people into animal- Oh my god, you're bleeding!" A crimson spot was slowly spreading on Blueblood's shoulder.

"Oh, so I am," replied Blueblood, nonchalantly. "We should probably take care of this."

"Will you get something on that!" commanded Rebecca, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket and tossing it to him. "We need to find a bathroom or something, now where are we?"

Taking stock of their surroundings, the pair found themselves in the single most ostentatious bedrooms that Rebecca had ever seen. From the gleaming chandelier all the way down to the thick carpet, everything in the room seemed to be made of, trimmed with, or dyed the color of glittering gold.

"Ah, I do believe this is cousin Pyrite's room," said Blueblood.

"Sheesh, how much money do you people have?"

"Enough," replied Blueblood. "Although, Pyrite always did have trouble telling the difference between decorative and gaudy. Come on, the washroom is this way."

Once inside the, equally shiny, bathroom, Rebecca quickly prepared a washcloth before turning to Blueblood. "Alright, let me see."

"Madam, I assure you, I can-"

"Move the handkerchief, and let me see," said Rebecca, firmly.

Blueblood rolled his eyes before removing the reddening cloth from his shoulder. Once it was out of the way Rebecca went to work cleaning the area. "Thanks for hitting her with that fireworks spell, by the way."

"Well, thank you for getting her off me, I don't know if I could have gotten out of that by myself," Blueblood replied. The two were quiet for a long moment before he continued, "So, how does it look?"

"Not as bad as I thought it would be, she broke the skin but didn't dig in too deep; good thing you ponies have flat teeth. There'll probably be a major bruise though."

When Blueblood didn't respond, Rebecca spared a glance up at him only to find him staring, slack-jawed into the mirror. "Uh, you alright there?"

"O-oh, yes I just noticed how disheveled I've let my mane get," he replied, grasping a nearby brush with his magic and pulling it through his mane a few times. "There, that's better. Looking good if I do say so myself," he said, smiling at the mirror.

"Uh, sure, I suppose-"

"Celestia, Luna, and Cadence, I am a handsome stallion." Before she could ask, Rebecca was startled by a shimmering light around Blueblood's hooves. Slowly, it crept up his legs and over his body. Where it passed, the gray tinge that had marred his coat was swept away until the light reached the very tip of his horn, where it finally faded.

"Oh, no."

"I'm sorry, did you say something- AH! Where did you come from?" cried Blueblood.

"Oh, please no."

Blueblood's scanned the room, frantically, as he took in his surroundings. "When did I get back to the castle, why am I in cousin Pyrite's bathroom, and-" his eyes came to rest on the bloodied handkerchief sitting by the sink before slowly making their way to his shoulder "-is... is that blood?" Blueblood's legs wobbled, as his eyes rolled back in his head, and he collapsed to the bathroom floor.

"Why me?"

Rebecca quickly finished cleaning Blueblood's shoulder before finding a nearby glass and filling it with water. "Okay, sleeping beauty, rise and shine," she said, splashing the water in his face.

"Acpthdonthurtme," Blueblood sputtered. "What? Where am I? What's going- OW!" he cried, clutching his bandaged shoulder.

"Easy, I just got that cleaned up," said Rebecca.

"How in the world did this happen?" cried Blueblood, poking at the bandage, only to wince.

"Are you telling me that you really don't remember anything that happened?" asked Rebecca, not wanting to believe what was happening.

"The last thing I remember was having breakfast with a few personal admirers, and then I woke up in a bathroom with you and-" Blueblood gasped "-Oh my goodness, I've been abducted haven't I? You're planning to hold me for ransom aren’t you?" Blueblood pointed an accusing hoof at Rebecca.

"What?" Rebecca balked.

"Well, your nefarious scheme shall not come to fruition." With that Blueblood turned and bolted from the bathroom.

"Hey wait!?" cried Rebecca.

Blueblood sprinted for the door, kicking aside the beam holding it shut, before throwing it open. "Ah, aunty Luna, thank goodness you've come to rescue me."

From across the hall, Luna turned a hungry glare at Blueblood before issuing a low hiss.

"Er, aunty?"

Luna charged, teeth bared, her eyes manic. Blueblood froze as fear gripped his heart. A sudden impact from the side sent him sprawling to the floor as Rebecca slammed the door shut. Another chorus of banging, accompanied by the high pitched shrieks of the princess, assaulted the door as Rebecca wedged the two by four back into place. She then turned to Blueblood.

"What's going on? Was that aunty Luna? Has she gone crazy again? Where's aunty Celestia? Aunty! Hurk." Blueblood's frantic questions were cut off as Rebecca's hands took hold of the suit collar around his neck. With a hard yank, she pulled the stallion up until he was standing on the tips of his hind hooves, and looking her in the eyes.

"Hey, you need to get a hold of yourself, right now." Rebecca's voice was soft, but the threat it contained made Blueblood quiver. It was the same voice that his mother had used when he had misbehaved as a foal.

"Okay," Blueblood squeaked.

Slowly, Rebecca lowered him to the ground. Blueblood adjusted his collar, trying to regain some of his composure, but never took his eyes off her. "Now then, do you know somebody named Discord?"

Confusion spread across Blueblood's face. "The fairytale monster that mothers use to scare their foals, what about him?"

"Well, he's real," said Rebecca, as she walked over to a window and threw the curtains open. "And, he's been busy."

Gazing out over the city, Blueblood's face twisted from confusion to shock as his hind legs fell out from under him. "What? Wha- what?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much where I've been all day," said Rebecca. "As you can see, we need to do something."

"I should say. We need to get down to the vault," replied Blueblood.

"Yes, we need to- wait what?"

"Well, it's standard procedure. In case of an emergency, all members of the royal families are to proceed to the safety vaults beneath the castle until the situation is dealt with. What in the world are we doing all the way up here?" asked Blueblood.

"We are trying to find out if there is anyone dealing with this," replied Rebecca, trying to keep her temper.

"Well, who's bright idea was that?" asked Blueblood, indignation creeping into his voice.

"That would be you," replied Rebecca, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"That doesn’t sound like me at all," said Blueblood, scratching his head.

"No kidding," Rebecca muttered. "Look, we came up here because you said that there was something in your room that would let us check on the elements of harmony."

"What? W-why, I'm not sure what you're talking about," said Blueblood, glancing around the room nervously.

Rebecca's eyes narrowed. "Well, you had better figure it out, because if you've led me on a wild goose chase then I swear to God, Celestia, or what have you, that your 'aunty Luna' is about to become the least of your worries." By the time she finished, Rebecca had leaned so far forward that their noses were nearly touching.

Blueblood gulped. "Eh heh, well, I suppose there might be something we can use, but how are we going to get to it? My room is on the next floor up, and aunty luna is still outside."

"Are you telling me that there's no other way to get up there? Come on, aren't castles supposed to have secret passages or something?" asked Rebecca, looking around the room.

Blueblood scratched his chin. "Well, maybe you could use the dumbwaiter," he offered.

"Dumbwaiter?"

"Well, yes, most of the upper bedrooms have one." As he spoke, Blueblood walked over to a large portrait of a golden maned mare and grasped it in his magic. With almost no effort, the picture slid to the side revealing a small cubby hole behind it. "Ah, there we are."

Rebecca gave the small elevator a critical look. "Uh, you sure this thing can hold me?"

"Oh, don't worry, finest crafters money can buy," said Blueblood, with a smile.

"Well, in that case, stallions first," said Rebecca.

"Me? Why do I have to go?" asked Blueblood, putting on a shocked expression.

"Because, you're the one who knows what we're looking for, you know your way around the castle, and you can at least try to catch us with your magic if this thing gives out, " Rebecca answered, letting a little edge back into her voice.

Blueblood looked at the dumbwaiter, nervously, before squeezing into the tight compartment. "Oof, why me?" he asked, as his horn lit up along with one of the two ropes hanging in the center of the contraption and he slowly rose out of sight.

A few long minutes passed before the elevator came back down. Well, I guess he made it. Okay, my turn. Good thing I'm not claustrophobic. The dumbwaiter was even tighter than she had expected, and Rebecca had to take a deep breath to get all the way in. "Alright, mind giving me a pull!?" she called up, once she was inside. To her relief, the dumbwaiter began slowly moving up.

By the time she made it to the next floor, Rebecca was already sweating. The tiny compartment had heated up very quickly, and between that and the way it shook the entire way up she practically leaped out of it when it finally reached the next floor. Alright, never doing that again. Looking around, she was amazed to find that the room they were in was, if anything, even more grand than the one they had just left. Exquisitely crafted furniture lined the walls, sparkling crystal glassware decorated a small bar in the corner, the thick soft carpeting seemed to fluff itself up prior to being stepped on, and the massive four poster bed was big enough to fit ten people into.

"Wow, quite the setup you've got here," Rebecca commented.

"Oh, how ever did you know it was mine?" asked Blueblood.

Rebecca glanced at the ceiling, and the profile portrait of a grinning Blueblood that covered it entirely. "Just a hunch."

"Well, that's quite the keen intuition you've got there," said Blueblood, as he surveyed the grand bedroom. "Yes, it's not much, but it's mine."

"Right... Anyway, about the thing we're looking for, mind showing me where it is?" Rebecca asked.

Blueblood's ears fell flat as the smile on his face became much less sincere. "Er, right, and you're sure that this is necessary? I mean, suppose aunty Celestia is already working on the problem."

"You're aunt Celestia thinks she's a cow, and not the intelligent kind," Rebecca said, flatly.

"I... see," said Blueblood, defeatedly. "Alright then, if I must, I must, but first I want your word that you'll keep this between us," he said, with sudden forcefulness.

"Why's that?" Rebecca asked, surprised by the sudden demand.

"Just promise, alright?"

For a moment, Rebecca thought she heard a bit of pleading in Blueblood's voice. "Alright, fine, I promise. Now can we do this, please?"

Once he was satisfied, Blueblood trotted over to the bar in the corner and began looking at the wine rack. After a moment's hesitation he pulled one of the bottles halfway out, gave it a quarter turn to the left, and pushed it back into its slot. With a slight rumble, the section of wall the rack was attached to slowly slid to the side revealing a very solid looking iron door. Once the wall stopped moving, Blueblood slowly began unfolding the blue bowtie around his neck. As the last folds of silk fell away, he held up a small gold key.

"Well, aren't you just full of surprises?" said Rebecca, looking from the key to the door and back to Blueblood.

"What, do the wealthy not like to protect their valuables where you come from?" Blueblood asked, as he stepped forward and inserted the key.

"Touche," replied Rebecca, as the heavy door swung open with a low creek, and the two walked in.

The smell of mothballs and parchment filled Rebecca's nose as they entered the secret room. The place was much smaller than she had expected; little more than a walk in closet, complete with racks of clothing lining one of the walls. The other two were covered with cubby holes of various sizes, containing a wide range of items from framed pictures of ponies, to model ships, and all manner of knick knacks and ornaments one would typically find scattered around a home. The only other things in the room were three large chests stacked in the corner, and a short pedestal that squatted in the middle of the room.

"Huh, and here I was expecting the family jewels," said Rebecca, eyeing the bits and bobs.

"Oh, goodness no, those are kept someplace much more secure. These are just a few of my personal effects," replied Blueblood, as he walked over to one of the chests and threw it open. "Now, let's see, where is it? Ah ha!"

Blueblood trotted over to the pedestal and set his prize upon it. Whatever it was it was wrapped in a deep purple silk covering. Stepping forward to get a better look, Rebecca was surprised to find that underneath the silk was what looked like a ball of transparent green glass about the size of a bowling ball.

"And, that would be?" asked Rebecca, unsure what to make of the thing.

"They go by many names; seeing stones, dragon eyes, palantir, but the commoners would call it a crystal ball," replied Blueblood.

"Please, don't tell me your plan is to tell the future." Rebecca looked between Blueblood and the stone nervously.

"Don't be ridiculous! This isn't some street performers trinket; this is the jenuine article," said Blueblood, looking deep into the stone.

"Okay, then how does it work?" asked Rebecca.

"It’s quite simple, really, all you do is touch the crystal, think of a place you want to see, and the ball will show it to you," Blueblood explained.

"Just like that?" asked Rebecca, eyeing the stone.

"Observe," replied Blueblood, as he placed his hoof on the stone.

The crystal seemed to fill with swirling clouds that quickly coalesced into rough shapes, before forming into a sharp image. Rebecca watched in amazement as an image of Princess Celestia came into view. She still stood in the royal dining hall, her expression blank as she slowly munched on whatever Raven placed in front of her while the smaller mare sat beside her slowly petting her mane, and occasionally wiping her mouth for her.

Blueblood took his hoof away and the image promptly vanished. "I see you weren't joking about aunty," he said, a slight quiver in his voice.

Looking at Blueblood, Rebecca could see that he was starting to shiver. "Hey, you okay there?"

"I-I'll be fine," said Blueblood, taking a deep breath. "It's just a bit jarring to see her reduced to... that."

"Believe me, this day's been weird for everybody. That's why we need to figure out if there's anything we can do about it." Rebecca tried her best to sound confident.

"Right, right... why don't you try this time? You know the Ponyville better than I do," offered Blueblood.

Rebecca looked at the crystal for moment, its surface seemed to glow slightly as she watched. Slowly she reached out and placed her hand on the smooth stone. Okay, let's see here. Ponyville, Ponyville, Ponyville. Her jaw dropped as the image that formed in the crystal came into focus. The town that she had come to call home had literally been torn apart. Buildings and large chunks of land floated haphazardly through the air, blue and purple checkered hills had sprung up in the center of town, and all throughout the place chaos ran rampant.

"Oh my, and I thought Canterlot was bad," said Blueblood. "I'm afraid I don't see the Element Bearers, try looking someplace more specific."

"Alright, let's try the library," said Rebecca. A moment later, the Golden Oaks library came into focus. To her surprise it seemed mostly untouched by the madness raging all around it. "Is that a horse tied up out back?" In response to her question the image zoomed in and, sure enough, a full grown mustang with a reddish-blonde mane and coat stood tied to a post in the back of the building. Before she could investigate further, Rebecca was surprised to hear voices. They were slightly warbly through the stone but still familiar, and were coming from inside the library.

"Now, let's go defeat Discord so we don't ever have to talk to each other again!"

Amidst a chorus of cheers, Twilight and most of her friends, as well as a large boulder, came charging out of the library.

Rebecca's heart sank when she saw that every pony, except Twilight, had turned a dull gray, and it only got worse when a familiar mocking voice suddenly chimed in.

"Well, well, well, I see you've found the Elements of Harmony. How terrifying." Discord's voice dripped with fake concern.

"Discord! I've figured out your lame riddle. You're in for it now!" cried Twilight.

"I certainly am, you've clearly out dueled me, and now it's time to meet my fate. I'm prepared to be defeated now, ladies, fire when ready." Discord made no move to defend himself; even going so far as to put a large bullseye on his stomach.

"Formation, now!" barked Twilight. Her friends slowly lined up beside her with bored groans. "Rainbow Dash, get over here!" To Rebecca's growing bewilderment, spike hurried up beside Twilight. "Alright, let's get this over with."

Rebecca had to shield her eyes as a sudden blinding light filled the crystal. It didn't last long, however, and when she looked back the ponies were all lying on the ground, while Discord simply stood there smiling.

"What's going on?" Twilight asked, getting to her hooves.

"Mine's working. There must be something wrong with yours," Applejack answered.

"I hate the Elements of Harmony!" declared Pinkie Pie.

"Garbage," Fluttershy stated flatly, throwing her element away.

"Mine!" cried Rarity, as she snached up the discarded trinket.

"Sorry, Twilight, guess I better get back upstairs and clean up the library. Good luck with all- Woah!" Spike was tripped by Fluttershy, as he tried to make a run for the tree.

"Oops, sorry, Rainbow Crash," Fluttershy mocked.

"Bravo, ponies, bravo," cheered Discord, as he made his way toward the group. "Harmony in Equestria is officially dead. Discord rules, Celestia drools," he finished, booping Twilight's nose, before skating off on a river of soap suds, laughing as he went.

"It's your fault it didn't work," Pinkie accused.

"Who are you talking to?" Twilight asked.

Any of you, all of you! I'm outta here!" she cried, as she bounced off.

"I'd better go too. I've got new better friends waiting for me back at the farm," declared Applejack.

"Yeah, I'm sick of you losers," agreed Fluttershy.

As her friends scattered, Twilight began shouting after them. "Fine! Leave! See if I care. I don't need you guys either. With friends like you who needs... enemies?" With her final word, the color began draining from Twilight's body until she was as gray as her friends. With her head hanging, she slowly wandered off into Ponyville with tears in her eyes.

The image faded as Rebecca took her hand away from the crystal. "Well, that's just... perfect."

"So, that's it then," said Blueblood. "They were our last hope. Oh, this is terrible, what am I supposed to do now?" he cried, as panic took hold of him.

"Okay, Becky, think. Think, think, think. There has to be something else we can do." As Rebecca did her best to fight back the wave of fear that was building inside her she reached out and put her hand back on the crystal. Images of Twilight and her friends flashed within it. "There's got to be a way to fix this."

"Are you blind?" Blueblood asked, with a scoff. "You saw what happened to them, they're under his spell, just like everypony else."

"Alright, then we need to figure out how to break that spell. I mean, if you and I could do it then it can't be that hard," Rebecca reasoned.

"Oh, well, I'm all ears then. By all means, do tell me how we proceed," said Blueblood, not even trying to hide the pretension in his voice.

"Well, I don't know, Your Worship. You were the last one to do it, you tell me." Blueblood's tone was starting to get on her nerves.

"I don't know. It was like waking up from a dream; I don't remember any of what happened. One moment I was eating breakfast, the next I'm looking in mirror in my cousin's bathroom."

"Wait, so, the first thing you remember after you woke up was looking into the mirror?" asked Rebecca.

"Yes, and I still managed to look good despite my dishevelement, if I do say so myself."

Blueblood puffed out his chest a little bit at his self praise, and some of the tension seemed to leave him. Rebecca didn't notice, however. She was busy sorting through her head, trying to remember. Okay, we were in the street, he took my clothes, I gave him the old nut shot... probably not the smartest move, now that I think about it. Then everything went black and... Somebody touched me.

"Somebody touched me."

"I beg your pardon?" Blueblood asked, looking around the room.

"No, that was when I woke up. Somebody touched me, or I touched somebody, look it doesn't matter, the point is I remembered that I didn't like being touched. And, you woke up when you looked in a mirror and remembered how vain you are."

"Excuse me! Forgive me for taking a little pride in my appearance," Blueblood snorted.

"Don't you get it?" asked Rebecca, excitement rising in her voice. "We remembered something about ourselves. Could that be it, could it be that simple?"

Blueblood paused to scratch his chin. "Well, I suppose it's possible. But, even if that is the case, how are we supposed to remind the Element Bearers about themselves?"

Rebecca visibly deflated. "I don't suppose you know if Twilight keeps a diary, do you?"

"Well, no, but she has sent aunty plenty of letters," Blueblood offered.

"Letters?"

"Yes, the 'friendship reports' that she sends aunty Celestia whenever she and her friends so much as step out of the house. I swear, aunty gets them at all hours of the day."

"Wait, so, you know where they are?" asked Rebecca.

"Well, they're likely in aunty's study," replied Blueblood.

"And you know a way we could get them to Twilight?"

"Well, it's been a while since I had to use a sending spell, but I think I remember how they go."

"Well, alright, I think we have a plan. Which way to Celestia's room?" Rebecca said, smiling.

"Follow me," replied Blueblood.

As they left, Rebecca scooped up the crystal in its covering, tied the silken cloth into a makeshift satchel, and slung it over her shoulder.

"Pardon me, but what do you think you're doing?" Blueblood asked, stepping between her and the door.

"What? I'm bringing the crystal ball, so we can check on Twilight again," explained Rebecca.

"Absolutely not!" Blueblood barked. "That device is to remain here."

"Why, is it radioactive or something?"

"No, it just needs to stay where it is," said Blueblood.

Glancing at the ball, then to Blueblood, Rebecca's curiosity was piqued. "Okay, blue, you've been acting sketchy about this thing for a while now. What's the deal?"

The two stared at each other for a long minute before Blueblood let out a long sigh. "Alright, if you must know, I don't want any other ponies to know that I have that thing."

"Because?" prompted Rebecca.

"Because, privately owning one is not technically legal."

As the words sunk in, Rebecca's mind suddenly filled with thoughts of how the wrong kind of people might use something like a crystal ball. Pushing the thoughts aside, she did her best to give Blueblood the benefit of the doubt.

"Look, Blueblood, this is kind of an emergency. Do you really want to come all the way back here just to see if this plan works, especially with Luna wandering the halls?" Blueblood opened his mouth, but paused at the mention of his aunt. Seeing that her scare tactic had worked, Rebecca continued. "Come on, if anyone catches us with it I'll say that it's mine, okay?"

"Fine," Blueblood said, through gritted teeth, as he stepped aside to let her into the main bedroom.

"Alright, now, let's get to those letters before-" Rebecca had the door to the hallway halfway open before she saw the dark blue shape on the other side.

Slowly making her way down the hall, pausing every now and then to sniff the air, was Luna. The princess had just passed their door, and too Rebecca's amazement had not seen her. Heart racing, Rebecca slowly closed the door.

"Are you alright- umph!" Rebecca's hand shot out to close around Blueblood's mouth.

"Shh, we've got company," whispered Rebecca.

Blueblood pried her hand off his snout. "Please, don't tell me she's out there." His voice was barely audible.

"Where did you say Celestia's room was?" asked Rebecca, as she tried to steady her breathing.

"To the right. Last door at the end of the hall."

"Of course it's the way she went," Rebecca hissed. "How far?"

"A hundred paces, maybe, why?"

"That's not bad," Rebecca muttered to herself. "Okay, listen, let's make a run for it."

"Pardon me!- umph" Blueblood's mouth was covered again.

"Shh!"

"I am not going out there with her around," Blueblood hissed. "Let's just wait for her to go away."

"We don't know how long that's going to take. Besides, just how much time do you think Ponyville has to spare; you saw what it looked like," Rebecca pleaded.

"And, how exactly are we supposed to get past her?" asked Blueblood.

"We need something to distract her." Rebecca looked around the room before her eyes settled on the bar. Walking over, she picked up a small bottle of brandy. "Le Voyage de Delamane. Is this expensive?"

"Considerably," Blueblood said, with a scowl.

"Well, good, only the best for a princess, right?" Rebecca smiled. "Now on the count of three."

"Wait!" exclaimed Blueblood, grabbing the bottle in his magic, and taking a couple of long draws from it. "If you think I'm doing this sober, you're crazy."

Rebecca shrugged before taking a swig herself. "Mmm, good stuff," she said with a grimace. "Okay, on three. One... two... three."

Opening the door just wide enough to get her hand through, Rebecca hurled the small bottle as far down the opposite hall from Luna as she could. A moment later, the sound of breaking glass filled the hall, followed quickly by the sound of galloping hooves passing the door.

"Now!"

Bursting through the door, the two made for the end of the hall. Sure enough, a large wooden door bearing Celestia's cutie mark sat at the end. It was little comfort though as an animalistic shriek erupted behind them. Running as fast as they could, the pair reached the door just as the sound of beating wings closed in on them. Slamming the door behind them, and pressing their backs against it, the impact from the other side nearly knocked them off their feet. To their relief, no further assaults came.

"I think I've had enough close calls for one day," said Rebecca, as she tried to catch her breath. "Now, where are those letters?"

The room, while spacious, was surprisingly sparse compared to the other royal living quarters that Rebecca had seen. A large purple and gold cushion lay next to an ornate fireplace, with only a few small tables and bookshelves rounding out the room. Heading through a nearby door, they found themselves in the bedroom proper. Again, the room was fairly modest by royal standards; a large round bed covered in soft golden sheets decorated with a sun motif dominated the center of the room, while a sizable vanity dresser and a large writing desk were the only other notable pieces of furniture. The easternmost wall was entirely glass, complete with a door leading out to a large balcony. Another door on the opposite wall lead to what Rebecca assumed was the bathroom.

"Cozy," said Rebecca.

"That's one word for it," replied Blueblood. "I keep offering to help her spruce the place up, but she just won't have it. Now then, let's see what we have here." Walking over to the desk, Blueblood opened one of the larger side cabinets. Inside were dozens of neatly stacked scrolls. "Ah, here they are."

"Good, and you can send these back to Twilight?" Rebecca asked.

"Well, not exactly, that would take even more magical finesse than I posses. Bot, a simple return to sender spell should get them back to that young servant of hers. What's his name... Spork?"

"That would be Spike," said Rebecca, letting a little edge into her voice.

"Eh, right, Spike," Blueblood repeated, with a nervous grin. "So, which letter shall we send?"

"Why don't you go ahead and send them all. Better safe than sorry," replied Rebecca, after skimming through a few letters.

Gathering the letters into a pile on the desk, Blueblood pointed his horn at them and closed his eyes. The air was filled with a familiar tinkling sound as Blueblood's horn lit up. One of the scrolls suddenly burst into green flames turning it into nothing but a faint wisp of smoke which quickly snaked its way out a nearby window.

"One down," said Blueblood, as another scroll lit up to follow the first.

As Blueblood worked, Rebecca pulled out the crystal ball, and held it in front of her. "Okay, inside the library."

Once more the interior of the crystal filled with clouds that soon took familiar shapes. This time the main entry way of the Golden Oaks Library could be seen, as well as a small purple dragon who was trying his best to clean up the mess that had been left by the, recently disbanded, element bearers.

"How long will it take those things to get there?" Rebecca asked.

"The first one should be hitting him any second," replied Blueblood.

Looking into the crystal, Rebecca saw that Spike had just finished shelving a stack of books when his cheeks bulged out, and he belched forth a green flame that quickly transformed into a neatly rolled scroll.

"Oh, thank goodness, a letter from the princess!" cried Spike, as he unrolled the note. "Maybe she knows a way to fix all this- huh? Hey, wait a minute, this is the letter we sent her the day we met Zecora. Why would she send this- BURP." Another flash of green, followed by another letter, and another, and another. "What's happening- BURP! I gotta find someplace to put all these- BURP! Oh, I don't feel so good-BURP!"

As Rebecca watched, Spike gathered up growing pile of scrolls and made his way upstairs. "Sorry about this, little guy," she muttered. Stowing the ball once more, she turned to Blueblood. "Well, the letters are getting there, now we just have to hope one of them works."

"And, what exactly do we do if they don't?" Blueblood asked.

"I hear the griffon kingdom is nice this time of year," replied Rebecca, as she leaned against the bed.

"That's not funny."

"Do you see anyone laughing?"

The two sat in silence for a while, until Blueblood was nearly finished with the letters. Just as he was preparing to send the last few, they both let out cries of alarm as the room suddenly went dark.

"What's going on? cried Rebecca.

"I don't know," Blueblood answered. "Hold on a moment." The tip of his horn lit up with a soft golden glow, just bright enough for the two to see. "Ah, that's better. Now, what in the world happened?"

Before anyone could answer, another soft light began to fill the room with a silver radiance. Looking out the window, the two were stunned to see the full moon high in the sky. In a mere instant day had turned into night.

"Well, that's just perfect, now the cretin is messing with day and night," said Blueblood, walking up to the window.

"He... he can do that?" Rebecca stood motionless, staring at the moon, unable to believe her eyes. The fact that heavenly bodies could be consciously controlled had been hard enough for her to believe when she had seen Celestia do it. Now, the thought of a madman with that same power was enough to make her knees buckle, and she slumped against the bed.

"Ms, Lancaster, are you quite alright?" asked Blueblood, trotting over to her.

"Yeah... sure... I-I just need a minute," Rebecca replied, in a shaking voice.

"Right... listen, I'm going to send the rest of these letters. Why don’t you check on Ponyville again, and see how things are going?" As he spoke Blueblood took a cautious step back; the last thing he wanted was to be within reach if the crazy alien decided to snap.

"Right, Ponyville," Rebecca repeated, fumbling for the crystal ball.

Once more, the town of Ponyville appeared in the crystal, at least as much as could be viewed in the dead of night. Fortunately, lights could still be seen in many of the houses, including the library. Focusing on the great tree, Rebecca spotted a familiar looking unicorn walking through the large hole where the front door used to be. Twilight. To her surprise, the image in the crystal started to follow the unicorn as she focused on her; even as Twilight made her way upstairs the image stayed with her.

"Hitch up Lero, and pack your things, Spike, we're leaving," Twilight ordered. "Don't ask where we're going cause... I don't know yet. Just not here." As she spoke, Twilight began packing her suitcase. Meanwhile, Spike lay curled up on the floor, groaning.

"Uhg, can't... move. The princess has been sending these since I came back upstairs." As if on que, Spike belched up another scroll onto the pile on the floor. "Make it stop!"

Twilight grasped one of the letters with her magic, and quickly skimmed through it. "These are all the letters I've written to the princess since I've lived in Ponyville. But, why would she send them back?" Twilight quickly read the letter and dropped it to the floor, before picking up another.

As Twilight continued to read, Rebecca felt a distinct sinking feeling inside her. Twilight didn't seem to be changing. Well, maybe I can at least figure out where she'll be going and try to meet her there. She was about to stow the crystal when strange noise came out of it. It sounded almost like static.

Looking back, Rebecca saw that the image in the ball looked slightly cloudy, but she could still hear Twilight reading. "Real friends don't care what your cover is. Friendship is a wondrous and powerful thing." With a loud buzz, the image suddenly scrambled as if it was on an old television, only to pop back up a moment later. "And, like a path cut through the orchard, there will always be a way through-" Bzzt "-The best thing to do is stay true to yourself-" Bzzt "-Everypony, everywhere, has a special magical connection with her friends; maybe even before she's met them-" Bzzzzzt "- Spike! Spike, it's all so clear!"

As Rebecca watched the image flicker in and out of sight, the image of Twilight's smiling purple face filled the crystal for a brief moment before being blocked out by a shining white light that nearly blinded her before the crystal suddenly went dark. "What the!?" exclaimed Rebecca.

"What happened?" Blueblood demanded, snatching the ball from her with his magic.

"I don't know," replied Rebecca, getting to her feet. She hadn't even noticed that she had slumped to the floor.

"Oh, no, I think you shorted it out," cried Blueblood, rolling the crystal over in his magic.

"How did I short it out?" Rebecca walked over to try and get a better look at the crystal, only for Blueblood to pull it away from her.

"Probably some sort of backlash from viewing such powerful magic. Blast, do you have any idea how hard it's going to be to replace this thing?" Blueblood griped.

"Look, you can pine over your spy cam later, didn't you see what just happened? It worked, Twilight's back!" cried Rebecca.

"Yes, now we just have to hope that it makes a difference," Blueblood replied, dismissively as he continued to examine his crystal.

"You know, you could try being a little more optimistic." As Rebecca spoke, a golden light came pouring through the balcony window as the sun quickly rose back into the sky. "There, see, sun's up. That's a good sign at least, right?"

Blueblood didn't respond. The only noise that came from him was a sharp hissing through clenched teeth, as his breath came in rapid-fire bursts, and his entire body shook. His eyes were fixed on the window.

Following his gaze, Rebecca turned to the wall of glass. And the dark shape hurtling toward it. "Oh, shi-"

The two of them leapt in opposite directions as Princess Luna came crashing through the glass wall. For a brief moment it was as if the room were filled with miniature suns as innumerable shards of glass caught the light, before falling to the floor. Luna landed in the center of the bed, kicking and shrieking, as she tried to recover from the unexpected impact of the glass. As she thrashed, her horn and hooves quickly caught on the silken sheets, leaving her thoroughly tangled.

As Rebecca got to her feet, she found herself on the opposite side of the bed from Blueblood. "Run for it!" he cried, before racing through the bathroom door and slamming it behind him.

Rebecca didn't have time to think, Luna was quickly tearing free of the bed sheets. Turning on her heels, Rebecca ran for the door just as Luna managed to get free. Sprinting through the sitting room, she threw the door shut behind her as she entered the main hallway. The door had not latched before Luna burst through, and leapt. Rebecca hadn't made it ten paces down the hall before the impact knocked her to the floor.

The two hit the floor rolling; a tangle of limbs and flapping wings. Rebecca ended up on her back, with luna bearing down on her. Rebecca managed to get her arm up just as Luna lunged for her neck. Pain shot through her left wrist as the princess's teeth clamped down. Her other hand beat and clawed at Luna's snout, but the princess only bit harder.

"Get off me!" Rebecca cried, as she took hold of Luna's horn. Curling her legs as tightly as she could, she managed to get both feet onto Luna's stomach before pushing as hard as she could. Despite her great strength, Luna was not the heaviest pony in Equestria, and she let out a shriek of alarm as she was lifted into the air. As Luna went up, Rebecca pulled down, shifting the princess's weight forward until she turned over in the air. Luna came down on her back just above Rebecca's head.

With Luna off of her, Rebecca scrambled to her feet, and ran for the nearest door she could see. The double doors opened easily, and she slammed them shut behind her, just as Luna was getting to her feet, and pushed against them. For several long moments she waited. Then, several more passed. After a solid minute crept by, Rebecca let out the breath she had been holding and placed an ear against the door. To her surprise, she heard no sign of the princess; no shrieks, no hisses, not even the pacing of hooves.

"Great, now where did she go?" Rebecca whispered to herself. "And why didn't she try to break in here-" Turning around, Rebecca's eyes widened. She was in a sitting room much like Celestia's, only with a much darker décor of blue and silver, rather than purple and gold. Sitting in front of the fireplace was a deep purple divan, surrounded by piles of books.

As she moved to investigate, a sharp pain raced through her arm. Grasping her wrist in pain, Rebecca realized that it felt sticky. Keeping pressure on her arm, she headed through a nearby doorway, and into a bedroom that left no question as to who the owner was. Sitting in the center of the room, was a large bed built to look like a crescent moon.

"Into the lair of the beast," she muttered to herself.

Looking around the room, Rebecca saw that it shared the same layout as Celestia's; including a glass wall opening out to a balcony. To her relief, the curtains were drawn. Hopefully, she won't come crashing through this one. Now then, if I were a bathroom where would I be? Spotting a door on the opposite side of the room, Rebecca headed through it. Bingo!

More than half the room she was standing in was taken up by a pool, the size of the Ponyville Spa's hot tub, built directly into the black marble floor. All along the walls were shelves of personal cleaning products, and the silver wash basin was big enough for four people to share. Heading over to it, Rebecca turned on the faucet and let the sink begin filling, while she worked on removing her jacket. The right sleeve was easy enough, but each tug at the left one brought a new hiss of pain. With the jacket off, her fears were confirmed; a large red splotch was spreading on her white dress shirt where Luna had bitten her.

Discarding the shirt as well, Rebecca turned off the faucet and slowly lowered her forearm into the warm water. Gritting her teeth at the stinging pain, she gently rinsed the area before pulling it out of the water to look at it. Sure enough, her wrist bore the distinct markings of teeth; some of which had broken the skin. Well, it doesn't look like it needs stitches, at least. It's going to leave one hell of a bruise though. Now, let's see just how prepared this princess is for the unexpected. Searching through a few cupboards, she found what she was looking for.

"Well, what do you know?" Rebecca said to herself, as she pulled out a small white box with a red cross emblazoned on it. Inside she found a roll of bandages, basic medical tools, and a small bottle labeled iodine. "Oh, this is going to suck," she groaned, as she picked up the bottle and wad of cotton swabs.

With her arm cleaned and bandaged, Rebecca spent the next half hour at the sink with a bar of soap and a washcloth; an entire day spent running through a crazy city would make anyone work up a sweat. As she finished redressing, minus the dress shirt, she headed back out into the main bedroom. As she entered, she was surprised by a slight breeze. Looking around, her eyes fell upon the curtain drawn across the balcony window, swaying slowly in the wind.

Panic gripped Rebecca's heart, as she rushed over to the curtains and pulled them open, only to find the balcony door wide open. Why didn't I check it-. A low hiss froze her in place. Turning her head as slowly as she could, Rebecca looked behind her. Luna was stepping off of her bed, as she stalked toward her. The princess flared her wings and shrieked, causing Rebecca to stumble backward onto the balcony. Rebecca crawled backwards as fast as she could, before scrambling to her feet as Luna emerged from the doorway, continuing her steady advance.

"Come on now, honey, you already had a taste, I can't have been that good," Rebecca pleaded, as she slowly backed away. Luna crouched low, her shoulders tensed, preparing to spring. "Fine then, come and get it!" Rebecca cried, as reason gave way to panic.

Luna sprang, wings spread and teeth bared, she slammed into Rebecca with enough force to send the two of them sliding across the balcony floor. Rebecca's vision went black for a moment when her head hit the floor. When it cleared, Luna was on top of her, her head pulled back ready to lunge. Just as Luna struck, Rebecca's hands shot forward, wrapping around the princess's throat, as she tried to lock her elbows. She may as well have tried to hold up a boulder as Luna continued to push forward, slowly forcing her arms down. Rebecca's feet kicked underneath Luna, trying to push her off, but the two bodies were too close to gain any leverage.

As the strength was giving out in her arms, Rebecca pulled one hand away from Luna's throat, as fast as she could, and raked her nails down the princess's face, across her eyes. Luna pulled back with a shriek, shaking her head. There you go, one last shot from me to you. As Rebecca watched, Luna lunged again. She could just feel the warmth of the princess's breath upon her neck, when her eyes were filled with a brilliant white light.

As the glare slowly faded, Rebecca found herself face to face with a very confused looking Luna. "Lady Lancaster?" It was all Luna said before her eyes widened in shock, and she disappeared in a flash of silver light.

Rebecca's head fell back as she let out a long breath of relief. She lay there for a few moments, letting what had just happened sink in, before getting to her feet and heading back to Celestia's room. Once there, she made for the bathroom door and gave it a knock. "Blueblood, are you still in there?"

For a moment, there was no answer. She was about to knock again when the doorknob slowly turned, and out stepped Blueblood. His fur was damp, and he had his mane wrapped up in a towel. "Ms. Lancaster, You made it?" he asked, in disbelief.

"Yeah, I think it's over now."

"Over? You mean they did it?" Blueblood rushed over to a window and pulled the threw the curtains open. Outside the sun was shining, and the sky had returned to a brilliant shade of blue. "They did, I mean, of course they did. Never doubted them for a moment," he said, with his usual confident smile.

"Uh-huh, what do you say we head down stairs? I'm sure Celestia will want to know you're alright," Rebecca offered.

****

The throne room was abuzz with activity as guards ran in and out. From her throne, Celestia commanded the storm of ponies with Raven at her side. "I want emergency services mobilized immediately, call in all reserve guardsmares to aid in relief efforts, and somepony get me a quill and some paper!" The two were halfway across the room before Celestia spotted them. "Blueblood, Rebecca!" The entire room froze as Celestia glided across the room, and wrapped her nephew in a hug. "Thank goodness you're safe." Her voice was barely a whisper as relief washed over her.

"Oh, aunty, it was dreadful, simply dreadful. I doubt I'll ever truly recover," Blueblood cried, as he and Celestia held each other.

After a long moment, Celestia broke the embrace. "We'll talk about it later. For now, get yourself to the infirmary and get yourself checked out," she said, in her most reassuring tone. As Blueblood made his way out of the room, with a couple of guards in tow, Celestia turned to Rebecca. "Thank goodness you're alright, as well, Ms. Lancaster."

"Yeah, it's been a hell of a day," Rebecca replied.

"I'm sure it has," said Celestia, with a smile. "Why don't you follow Blueblood, and let the doctors take a look at you. I'll be down as soon as I get things organized here-"

Celestia was cut off as a pegasus guard came galloping up. "My princess!" he cried.

"Yes, Stormwatch, what is it?" she asked.

"It's the bureau of magical research and development. It's on fire!"

"What?!"

Celestia ran to the nearest window, with Rebecca hot on her heels. Looking out over the castle grounds, a thick pillar of smoke rose from the bureau building, as pegasi frantically kicked at rain clouds above it. For a moment Rebecca thought that they had it under control. Then her ears popped, as half the building exploded.

Elsewhere

The wind howled as it made it's way through the winding canyons, and over the towering mesas. The barren earth baked in the oppressive heat of the dull red light that managed to push it's way through the thick roiling clouds that blanketed the sky. In the midst of the desolation, a wisp of sickly green vapor wormed it's way out of the clouds. Lingering in the air for a moment, it soon began snaking it's way toward one of the deepest canyons... and the remains of a landslide, that had barely finished settling.

Author's Note

Well, it took forever, but hopefully it was worth the wait. As always, thanks to Pickle Tickler for pre-reading, but if you see any errors that we missed please feel free to point them out.