The Order of Koaxia

by HellRyden

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Shining Armor, Gore, Princess Celestia, Crossover, Dark, Human, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Other
Length: 135606

Six incredibly powerful beings arrive in Equestria, heralding an age of doom yet to arrive.

The Elements of Harmony are known to many as the most powerful form of magic known to Equestria. Together, their combined might has cleansed deities as powerful as Nightmare Moon of the evil that plagued her, and has imprisoned forces as insidious as Discord, the embodiment of Chaos itself.

So when news of six mysterious strangers, evidently not of this world, arrives in a letter from the Princess, with rumors abound that they are searching for the Bearers of the Elements, Twilight Sparkle is rather concerned, and more than a little suspicious, of their intentions for the Elements of Harmony, fearing that they might be plotting to either destroy them, or somehow steal its power for some unknown, nefarious purpose...

Except that they're not plotting the theft, or destruction, of the Elements.

They're plotting a succession - a succession of power UNTO the Bearers of the Elements. Powers the likes of which ponykind has never witnessed - and power which may upset the balance of magic in Equestria forever...

Book One of Three of the Codex: Equestria, and the first part of an epic trilogy that will shake the very foundations of Equestria as we know it.

Published 2012-03-27 18:14:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-04-10 15:59:34 UTC

Prologue

Prologue

~

[ambient]

The moon shone like a beacon, illuminating the idyllic lands that sprawled out before him in all its gentle brilliance, and he watched the world below him, surveying the realm much like how a god would survey his world. Beneath him, they scurried - like ants before men, they continued on with wrapping up their daily activities, returning back to the shelter of their homes for the night, all the whilst unaware of the all-seeing eyes that gazed down upon them.

As he stood atop the ephemeral surface of the cloud, his eyes closed and his senses cast out, winged figures darted around him every now and then, passing by the cloud but never coming within spotting distance of the figure. They would always come within mere feet of catching sight of him amongst the masses of white fluff, before inexplicably remembering some vague errand they had to run somewhere else, and then veer right off, ignoring the innocuous cloud.

All this was but background noise to him - as the hooded figure who stood atop the cloud immersed himself deep in a meditative trance, his consciousness spread outwards for miles around him, feeding him information on anything and everything that existed within his sensory range.

Nothing escaped his sight - not the infant rabbits poking their heads out of their burrows miles below him, not the dozens of flying pegasi that dominated the airspace around him, not the significant pool of magical energy he had been keeping an eye on for the past several hours, the source of which was a small, purple unicorn filly that would probably have barely reached his chest - and he was also certainly not taken aback by the new presence that suddenly popped up from behind him, landing lightly on its two feet right next to him as it settled down on his right.

“So...” The new arrival began, addressing the figure who had been standing atop the cloud for what had probably been hours. “What do you make of her?”

“What, this one?” The figure made a cursory gesture in the general direction of the unicorn he had been observing, and grinned from underneath his hood. “She is young, but extremely powerful for her age. She would make a fine vessel. But I have been observing the culture of this world - they might be in for a bit of a shock when we... introduce ourselves. Apparently, they are complete strangers to concepts such as violence and bloodshed - undoubtedly, they will scarcely be able to comprehend the horrors we have witnessed.”

“Not to mention perpetrated.” The new arrival muttered darkly, turning away slightly. “I’ve been keeping an eye on the others, too - they’re way too innocent. If we’re going to get anything done around here, somebody’s gotta break those losers in.”

“Patience, brother.” The figure reprimanded his cohort sharply, but did not raise his voice any louder than before. “It would not do for us to rush blindly into things after having planned for this for so long.”

“The others are getting impatient too, you know.” The newcomer replied testily. “We’ve already delayed long enough as it is - every second longer that we sit around here twiddling our thumbs, the Legion draws closer, and we’re not going to know how close they really are until it’s too late.”

“I will not let our Order which has stood for a thousand years meet its downfall now.” The figure now did raise his voice, if only slightly, but it was enough to cow his cohort. “Tell the others to continue their vigil - come this time, three days from now, we shall make our move. Only then will the opportunities be ripe... and the timing, just right.”

“If you say so...” The new arrival turned on his heel, stepping towards the edge of the cloud, but stopped just shy of leaping off of it, turning back to face the figure. “By the way, I still ain’t sure which one I should pick - you’re the one with the omniscience, what do you say?”

Again, from under his hood, the figure grinned as he let out a chuckle, and he turned to face his cohort.

“Definitely the rainbow one.”

The second figure let out a small “pffft” as he snorted. “Heh, figures you’d peg me for that sort. All right, I’ll see you tomorrow morning at the glades.”

Without another word, the new arrival nonchalantly stepped off the cloud, plummeting towards the ground that awaited miles below him... until his fall was abruptly broken as he disappeared in a flash of yellow lightning, simply vanishing from sight as the yellow flash streaked North.

Yet despite his comrade’s departure, the figure’s grin still persisted, and he returned to his meditative trance, contemplating the presence of the lavender unicorn filly that now resided within the massive trunk of a hollowed-out tree.

Tucking a sleepy infant dragonling into bed as she prepared herself for her nightly studies, she hummed a quiet tune to herself as she nodded in acknowledgement to the owl that had just flown in from one of the open windows, settling itself down quietly on the perch that had been placed next to the unicorn’s desk.

Twilight Sparkle... The figure mused to himself as he continued his observations, watching the unicorn closely. Yes... perhaps you and the other Bearers of the Elements of Harmony may make worthy vessels of power after all.

[ambient]

The Elements of Harmony are known to many as the most powerful form of magic known to Equestria. Together, their combined might has cleansed deities as powerful as Nightmare Moon of the evil that plagued her, and has imprisoned forces as insidious as Discord, the embodiment of Chaos itself.

So when news of six mysterious strangers, evidently not of this world, arrives in a letter from the Princess, with rumors abound that they are searching for the Bearers of the Elements, Twilight Sparkle is rather concerned, and more than a little suspicious, of their intentions for the Elements of Harmony, fearing that they might be plotting to either destroy them, or somehow steal its power for some unknown, nefarious purpose...

Except that they're not plotting the theft, or destruction, of the Elements.

They're plotting a succession - a succession of power UNTO the Bearers of the Elements. Powers the likes of which ponykind has never witnessed - and power which may upset the balance of magic in Equestria forever...

Ryden presents:

A Singapore Brony Society Production

“The Order of Koaxia”

Arrival

“The Order of Koaxia”

Chapter 1

Arrival

~

[ambient]

Twilight Sparkle was not in high spirits when she woke up that morning.

The young scholar was not a morning pony by most standards, yet today seemed to be very much worse than usual. Her daily dose of coffee did little to rouse her spirits after she had dragged her sore and aching body down from her bedroom to the kitchen, and Spike was giving the lavender mare that usual cautious berth every time she was in one of her “morning moods”.

“More coffee, Spike.” Celestia’s prized student droned in a dead tone that brooked no argument, staring listlessly ahead through half-lidded, bloodshot eyes.

“Gotcha, Twilight.” The young scholar’s assistant nodded and dutifully zipped off to whip up a second cup of their strongest black coffee for the disgruntled mare. Within moments, the mug had been filled and placed before Twilight. Not wasting a second, she immediately cast a chilling spell on it to bring its temperature down a bit so that it wouldn’t scald her tongue, and then started chugging it down as though it were water.

“Whoa, easy there, Twi’!” Spike started slightly at how vigorously the mare was ingesting her morning dose of caffeine. “Sheesh, don’t you think you might have overdid it a little last night with the research?”

“Ungh.” Twilight gave a non-commital grunt in reply as she thumped the mug back onto the table, groaning slightly as she massaged her temple with a hoof. “Can’t do, Spike. You know how urgent the Princess sounded in her letter... But stars above, my head feels like an Ursa Major’s been pounding at it from inside out...”

“Twilight,” The underlying warning in Spike’s tone was very familiar - something that crept into his voice every time he felt that she was pushing herself too hard or being too harsh on herself. “The Princess just told you to be careful, she didn’t tell you to start burning yourself up in midnight research on mere rumors! I don’t see why you’re reacting so strongly to what was in that letter!”

“You saw for yourself what the Princess wrote, Spike!” Twilight’s voice suddenly rose to a near shout, right before she winced and clutched at her temple again. Her horn sparked aglow; the letter that had been lying on the table in front of her was engulfed in her signature reddish aura and abruptly levitated itself into Spike’s face, stopping inches from his nose.

My dearest, most faithful student,

I write to you at this moment bearing news that might prove to be rather disconcerting. I do not wish to unnecessarily alarm you or your friends, but it seems that given the nature of this information, it just might. Regardless, I ask that you remain calm in the face of these new discoveries.

A week ago, I had been conducting my regular scrying rituals over Equestria to ensure that nothing was amiss within the Weave, when I detected six strange presences I had never perceived the likes of before. Their true nature was somewhat... shadowed, and I was unable to determine if these new ‘presences’ are malignant or benign.

You must believe that no force is beyond me, my faithful student, but I assure you, even as the Princess of the Sun, my magic still has its limits. If these new presences are indeed attempting to stay hidden, and they possess the means to conceal themselves from my sight, even partially, this is definitely cause for caution.

I have spent the entire past week monitoring and observing their movements, and it seems their activity has all been clustered around Ponyville - specifically, the areas where you and your friends, the other bearers of the Elements of Harmony, reside. I made a cursory check of the vault containing the Elements to be sure, and just as I suspected, I detected six foreign traces of magical energy within the chamber. No break-in attempt was made, but I suspect this is simply a foreshadowing of events to come.

Normally I would have a royally-assigned team of magicians and scientists overlooking this matter, but the circumstances regarding this situation are rather... new. I am not asking you to embark on an investigation regarding this matter, as I am already looking into it personally, but I do have a request to make.

Please, Twilight, be careful. I fear that these unknown forces may be after the Elements of Harmony, and by extension, you and your friends, for their own agenda. Without you, the Elements are useless, and I do not wish to see you or any of your friends be hurt.

For your foreknowledge and safety, I have enclosed within this letter the crystallized residues of the magical traces I discovered outside the vault’s chambers, so that you will know what to keep a lookout for - I trust that your ability to sense and recognize magical auras has not diminished any over the years. Be on your guard for anything strange that might be happening in Ponyville, and above all, stay safe.

I’ll be in touch soon.

Your mentor,
Princess Celestia

The letter jerked abruptly away from Spike as Twilight levitated it back towards her, setting it down next to the six small, crystallized jewels, each a different color, that lay on the table. Not pausing, the young scholar grabbed hold of the daffodil sandwich that was lying on the plate Spike had placed beside her coffee, and chomped off half of it in a massive bite, wolfing it down with a fervor that betrayed just how hungry and exhausted she was.

“The Princess sent me these jewels where she stored the foreign traces of energy, and in an entire night of research not even a trace of one of them has shown up in a single one of our references! It’s like they don’t even exist!”

“Why are you even trying to find out more about them anyway?” Spike protested, clearly not understanding. “The Princess already said she didn’t want you starting an investigation because she was already looking into the matter!”

“Forewarned is forearmed, Spike.” Twilight muttered as the telekinetic aura of her horn sparked again, wrapping around the six crystals on the table as they levitated themselves before her scrutinizing gaze. “I’ve been analyzing the magical residues in these crystals, and while each individual trace was unique, as it should be between the traces left behind between different unicorns, there was something in common about them all.”

Another piece of paper flew off the table and floated before Spike, who grabbed it out of the air with a huff, eyeing the crude emblem that Twilight had etched onto the parchment.

“Each individual trace had this same imprint upon them, like a distinctive calling card that marks it as a specific brand of magic, which all six had originated from as the same source. Such a thing is unheard of in Equestria, Spike - do you realize what this means? It’s like six different unicorns who all have the same cutie mark!”

A hoof jabbed out in Spike’s direction, pointing at the parchment he was holding. “And not only that, I am staying in a library containing my personal selection of academic volumes straight from the Canterlot Castle Royal Library. I have gone through my entire selection, thrice, and none of my reference materials contain any mention, neither hair nor hide, of that symbol over there!”

The young scholar’s aggravated voice reached fever pitch as she grabbed at her head, nearly tearing her frazzled mane out in frustration as she let out a strangled groan. “It just doesn’t make any sense! It’s driving me nuts!”

“Geez, chill out, Twilight!” Spike quickly held out a placating hand as he quickly moved forward to pat his surrogate sister on the back reassuringly. “You gotta stop driving yourself so hard - remember exactly what happened the last time you let yourself go crazy over something?”

Almost reflexively, Twilight opened her mouth to protest, but her mind decided to do her a little favor by going down memory lane first... and upon visiting that particular memory involving a certain ragged stuffed doll and the entire town of Ponyville, the lavender unicorn shuddered, getting her assistant’s point.

“You’re right, Spike, but it’s just that... I’ve never seen anything like this before! My books have always had the answers to anything that I don’t know about, and for the first time, to actually not have something on record... It just drives me up the wall! I’ve never drawn a dead end on research before!”

“Well, maybe it’s because you’ve always been researching on subjects that have been already examined by somepony before?” Spike tried with a nonchalant shrug, his brain already hurting from trying to keep up with the unicorn’s intellectual pursuits. “Honestly Twilight, you’re thinking too much about this! Why not just take some time off today?”

Taking a long, weary look at the six differently colored crystals that were floating before her, Twilight let out a tired sigh, and nodded. “Yeah, I guess you’re right Spike. Suppose I ought to go visit the girls today, see how they’re doing.”

“Oh, are you dropping by Rarity’s!? Maybe I can-”

“Hold it right there, Casanova.” Twilight held out a hoof to stop her hopeful, overeager assistant with a small chuckle. “I seem to remember that you still have quite a few chores left to handle before the day is over.”

“Awww... “

[ambient]

A proper breakfast was always the best start to a new day, and Twilight was feeling much more refreshed and in much better spirits when she left the library later that morning. The sun hadn’t risen much from its orientation in the east, and Twilight’s clock read a quarter past ten when she had departed, the six jewels tucked away safely in her saddlebag.

Plenty of time for her to carry out what she had in mind.

Celestia had sent her that letter as a heads-up, so that she would know what she might be up against instead of being left completely in the dark. It was only fair that her friends knew about this too - as bearers of the Elements of Harmony, they were just as involved in this as she was.

They had the right to know too.

First stop: Rarity’s. Carousel Boutique was the closest in Ponyville, next to Sugarcube Corner, but Twilight would rather avoid having to deal with Pinkie Pie first thing in the morning, and it would take a while to get to Sweet Apple Acres, or the outskirts of the town where Fluttershy’s cottage and Rainbow Dash’s cloud manor were situated.

The trip to the Rarity’s home was an uneventful one. Twilight passed by Lyra and Bon-bon on the way there; the mint green mare was sitting down with her fillyfriend on a bench again in that strange, outlandish manner she always did - Twilight gave them both a friendly wave as she trotted on by, her greeting returned with equal enthusiasm and open smiles.

A fifteen-minute trot later and the young scholar found herself at the doorway leading into Carousel Boutique. Raising her hoof, Twilight knocked on the door to announce her arrival, and was greeted by a very distinctive sing-song voice.

“Co~miiiing!~” Rarity’s mellifluous tone floated out from behind the door, moments before it swung open, revealing the fashionista in all her prim and proper glory.

“Welcome to Carousel Boutique!” The greeting was almost automatic as Rarity stepped out to welcome her latest guest. “Where everything is chic, unique, and magni- oh, it’s you, Twilight!”

“Good to see you too, Rarity.” Twilight chuckled as she gave her friend a brief hug, the alabaster white unicorn stepping aside to allow her in. “How’s everything going?”

“Oh, simply marvelous, darling!” Rarity tittered as she closed the door behind Twilight. “I just received a letter from Fancy Pants in Canterlot expressing his interest in expanding his clothing line to include my latest designs! Can you believe it!? Me, working with Fancy Pants!”

Beside herself with joy, Rarity skipped gracefully to the table where a half-written letter and a quill rested, no doubt Rarity’s reply to the Canterlot elite. As Twilight neared, she spied several lines that had been hastily crossed out, some of them written in immaculate, perfect cursive, while others in a messy, indecipherable scrawl.

It seemed as though the fashionista was having trouble drafting a coherent reply - Twilight only had time to glimpse something about “moustache socks” before Rarity swept away the letter and the quill with a burst of her magic, setting them in a nearby drawer. “Well, as great as my career is going right now, I don’t suppose you’re here simply on a social visit, Twilight - you go on those rarely enough as it is! Is there something you need my help with?”

“Well yes, actually I have.” Twilight stated. She opened her saddlebag, levitating out the six jewels she had stashed inside. Rarity’s eyes almost immediately lit up at the sight of their sheer brilliance, but to her credit she stayed silent, awaiting Twilight’s explanation. “I need you to listen carefully to what I have to say, Rarity, and not jump to any wild conclusions, or take any drastic actions after this. Can you promise me that?”

Rarity nodded but affixed Twilight with a strange look. “I promise, Twilight, but I don’t see how-”

“It’s from the Princess.” Twilight’s grave tone was all the answer Rarity needed, and the unicorn mare immediately fell silent. Twilight began to pace about restlessly.

“The Princess just sent me a letter with a word of caution, along with these six gemstones. They’re actually imbued with the residue of six different magic signatures, and the Princess has told me that they are the residues of six presences which she... has never sensed before. Apparently, they’ve been snooping around Equestria for the past several weeks, and their activities have all been centred around Ponyville.”

The lavender unicorn stopped her pacing just long enough to look out the window, and for just a split second, she could have sworn she saw a shadow standing behind a nearby tree, the silhouette of a creature she had never seen before - one that resembled an upright monkey - right before it disappeared from sight.

The unicorn blinked, nonplussed for all of two seconds, before shaking her head slightly and continued her explanation, ignoring the hackles that had suddenly raised on the back of her neck - Rarity had probably not seen it at all, and it would have been better not to ask if she had.

“Anyway, my point is that the Princess is worried about us. She discovered those same six traces in the vault room that contained the Elements of Harmony, and now here they are, camped out around Ponyville, where all six of us, the Bearers of the Elements, live. She thinks they might be after us for something, and frankly, I think so too.”

Rarity’s expression was positively aghast by now. “Why, of all the- But who could possibly want anything out of us? I mean, we’re just six ordinary mares living ordinary lives here!”

“We are the Bearers of the Elements, Rarity. Like it or not, as long as anypony is after the Elements, it makes us a target.” Twilight replied grimly. “Still, there isn’t much reason for us to panic - the Princess is looking into this personally. She just sent me these jewels so I would know what to look out for, but she wants us to stay safe in the meantime. So, I’m passing around these jewels between the six of us so we’ll each have a heads up on what’s coming.”

The six jewels set themselves on the table and Rarity stepped closer to have a better look, as curious as she was filled with trepidation.

They were all each a different color, and each even had their own unique shape. There was a topaz that had been cut into an extremely jagged shape not unlike a lightning bolt, and a sapphire that formed what looked like an ice crystal. Next to them lay a perfectly oblong piece of obsidian, jet black with a mirror-like finish, and a teardrop-shaped leafy green emerald. A fiery-red ruby that reminded her of the precious gemstone dear little Spike had given her was the second last piece of the ensemble, but even that paled in comparison to the brilliant sunburst diamond that lay in the centre.

“My, my...” The fashionista whispered in near reverence, not daring to touch the crystals out of fear of dirtying them with her hooves. “Well, as odd as the whole matter is, I can understand where you’re coming from, Twilight. I’ll just take a look at the magical signatures inside, and- WAHAHAAA!!!”

Her horn had lit up and had immediately wrapped the jewels in her signature aura as she was speaking, delving inside to examine the magical residues stored within... and almost instantly, the sapphire had reacted.

Twilight could almost see the magical feedback loop itself back through Rarity’s connection as something shot from the sapphire and surged right down Rarity’s horn. The white unicorn pony shuddered as though she had been dipped in a tub of ice, and she broke the connection before backing away several steps, gasping and shivering madly.

“D-d-did... T-Twilight, did that j-just... Oh... Oh my stars...”

The unicorn’s pupils had shrunk to pinpricks as she stared at the sapphire as though it had burned her. But Twilight on the other hoof was gazing at the jewel, befuddled and astonished.

“Huh. That happened to me too with the diamond! Except I got blinded for a few minutes by a burst of light, instead of getting frozen from the inside,” the young scholar muttered to herself as she eyed the sapphire critically, wondering why it had reacted differently for her.

When she had first delved into the jewels to examine the magical residues stored inside them, the energies inside the diamond had reacted to her presence almost violently.

… black had become white and white had become negative and the glory of all creation in a single radiant ray...

A brilliant burst of light had exploded out of the sunburst diamond as she inspected it, leaving the lavender unicorn writhing on the floor for several minutes, clutching at her eyes and screaming in pain. She had recovered soon after and steadfastly resumed her study on the rest of the jewels with heightened wariness, although thankfully they had not reacted as violently as the diamond had.

“Whatever that means, Twilight,” Rarity’s voice chattered from where she had collapsed onto a nearby sofa, still shivering from.. whatever it was that had shaken her so badly. “I... I’ve never experienced anything like that before. It felt like... like it was reacting to something in me!”

Any other day and Twilight would have chalked Rarity’s statement up to her usual flair for the dramatic, but having experienced the same thing herself a few days ago, she knew her friend was being dead serious.

If that was the case... things might have gotten a mite bit more interesting.

“Rarity,” Twilight began, with the hints of a revelation dawning upon her expression. “Call the rest of the girls to my place. I think we’re going to need a meeting.”

[ambient]

Rainbow Dash wasn’t a pony who appreciated having her afternoon naps interrupted, but when Pinkie Pie literally burst through the cloud she had been napping on right next to her head, the rainbow-maned pegasus had little else to do but jolt awake, yelping.

Twilight had called for a sudden meeting at the library, citing a “royal emergency”. Pinkie, naturally, was the first to find her, the pink partygoer’s patented Pinkie Sense making it nigh impossible for anypony to hide from her.

As it was, the earth pony had pulled the cyan speedster out from her cloud bed before she even knew what was going on, bringing her back to ground level and dragging her by the hoof to Twilight’s library treehouse against her protests.

“C’mon Pinkie, let go! I can walk by myself, geez!” Rainbow Dash grunted in annoyance as she snatched her hoof out of Pinkie’s grip, rubbing her sore wrist. Her head was still pounding from the rude awakening she had been given, and the pegasus was in quite a sour mood. “So Twilight just called this meeting out of nowhere?”

“She didn’t say anything about what it was about!” Pinkie Pie replied in her usual carefree, I-don’t-give-a-hay voice, prancing about Rainbow Dash in circles as the pegasus dragged her hooves on the ground. “She did say it was super duper important though, so it must be important enough that she’d have to call a meeting for all of us, since if it wasn’t super duper important, she could always just come see us one by one, but that would take too much time if it really was super important! And-”

“Uh huh, uh huh,” Rainbow Dash groaned, tuning out the rest of her fellow prankster’s inane ramblings as she continued trudging along to Twilight’s library. Seriously, this was way too early in the afternoon to be woken up like this...

Ten minutes later and the two mares had arrived at the library’s doorstep, Rainbow Dash’s sour mood not having let up at all. Pinkie Pie, in typical Pinkie Pie fashion, started rapping on the door with her skull, not displaying even the slightest bit of discomfort.

*bonk-bonk-bonk* “Twilight!”

*bonk-bonk-bonk* “Twilight!”

*bonk-bonk-bonk* “Twilight!”

Before Pinkie could give herself a concussion from all the knocks her head was making, the door quickly opened, and Twilight’s head stuck out from behind it, her eyebrows furrowed.

“All right, Pinkie, no need to break your face against my door. Come on in, it’s about time you two arrived. Everypony else is already here.”

“Not my fault everypony else decided to be awake at the crack of noon... This better be good, Twilight.” Rainbow Dash muttered crabbily as she stepped inside with Pinkie Pie, letting out a massive yawn as she looked around.

The other four ponies were already gathered around Twilight’s coffee table, Applejack taking swigs from a bottle of Sweet Apple Acres apple cider while Rarity and Fluttershy were drinking tea.

Twilight on the other hand, had no drink on hoof - instead, a small leather pouch lay on the table at the spot she had occupied, and Dash found herself absently wondering just what it contained.

“Oh trust me, it is.” The young scholar replied with a slight edge to her voice, something Rainbow couldn’t quite place... Almost as if it implied ‘I know something awesome that you don’t’.

Shaking her head, the cyan pegasus stepped inside to join the rest at the coffee table, and waited impatiently for Twilight’s explanation. “Well then, what’re ya waiting for? Spill the beans!”

“Yeah, Twi’. So what is it that ya gathered all’o us here for, anyway?” Applejack piped up as well, the orange mare’s expression showing equal curiosity. “Sounded mighty important, if ya had ta drag us all from our daily chores ta show it to us on such short notice.”

“Well,” Twilight started, a slightly hesitant expression on her face, as though she wasn’t exactly sure how to begin - she paused for a moment. “You see, it started out when I received this letter from the Princess...”

She laid out everything for them. Rarity had already heard it before but she repeated it all the same for the benefit of the rest of her friends, emptying the pouch of its contents and scattering the six jewels onto the table.

As Twilight’s recount went on, several expressions washed over the table, changing as she went along. Mostly expressions of shock and surprise, and Fluttershy shrank even further back into her mane with a nervous squeak when Twilight mentioned that they might be in danger from whoever was seeking out the Elements. Rainbow Dash’s expression slowly went from skepticism, to disbelief, and then to outright incredulity when Twilight finally began to explain what the jewels were, before she finally burst out sniggering, barely able to keep herself from reaching outright peals of laughter.

“Oh, man, that’s rich, Twilight!” The cyan pegasus managed through her laughter. “Yeah, like a bunch of spooky stalkers who don’t even dare show themselves are gonna be any threat to us! We’re the Elements of freakin Harmony! Nopony’s gonna dare attack us! Ain’t that right, Pinks?”

Looking to her fellow prankster for support, Rainbow Dash’s face fell, and her sniggering almost immediately died out when she realized that Pinkie Pie wasn’t laughing along with her.

To her surprise, the normally-jovial partygoer’s expression was shockingly serious, and there wasn’t even a hint of a smile on her face. In fact, her mane seemed to have deflated slightly, losing a bit of its normal poofiness.

“Twilight’s right, Rainbow Dash,” Pinkie Pie murmured softly, her eyes locked on the jewels laying on the table, her hind legs twitching almost imperceptibly. “This is something serious - I can feel my Pinkie Sense trying to tell me something. I’ve... never felt this before. This... this is way bigger than Equestria.”

“Your Pinkie- oh, for crying out loud!” Rainbow Dash groaned before throwing her hooves up in exasperation. “Am I the only one around here who isn’t unnecessarily worried?”

“Ah think ya might be the only one ‘round here who ain’t necessarily worried.” Applejack suddenly cut in, fixing Rainbow Dash with a stern glare before turning to Twilight. “Twi’, ah got a feeling there’s more ya ain’t told us yet ‘bout these here jewels yet, am ah right?”

“Right, Applejack,” Twilight answered as she telekinetically lifted up each of the jewels one by one. “The Princess sent me these jewels so I could study the signatures and recognize them if I ever encountered whatever left them behind, but something unexpected happened.”

The young scholar’s signature aura wrapped itself around the diamond and the sapphire, bringing the diamond towards her while floating the sapphire over to Rarity, who simply took it wordlessly and laid it down on the table in front of her.

“Rarity and I each had a specific one of these jewels react to each of us. The energies inside seemed to... synergize with our own individual signatures, so to speak. However, the jewel that reacted to her was different from the jewel that reacted to me, and even the manner in which it happened was also different. I got blinded by this burst of light from this diamond right here,” Twilight lifted up the aforementioned diamond to illustrate, “While Rarity got a very different reaction from the sapphire.”

“It was... cold.” Rarity spoke up, her voice uncharacteristically soft. “I don’t know how to describe it. It was like... Like I was standing in the middle of an blizzard. Frigid winds, buffeting me from all directions, ice creeping through my veins, freezing me to my very bones...”

The upper-class unicorn shuddered at the mere memory of it, and she drew in even closer to herself. “It was horrible.”

“That burst of light that I got hit with from the diamond wasn’t exactly a breeze either.” Twilight explained to the rest as she patted Rarity comfortingly on the shoulder. “It felt like somepony had just set the very sun off right before my eyes. I couldn’t see for a few minutes after that; my eyes just hurt so badly. I managed to recover after a short while, but seeing Rarity react differently to the sapphire, combined with the nature of her reaction in relation to the sapphire’s shape... It got me thinking.”

Reaching forward, she pushed the remaining four jewels towards the rest of her gathered friends. “The sunburst diamond hit me with a burst of light. The sapphire, shaped like an ice crystal, had Rarity experience intense chills. If my hypothesis is correct, I think each of these jewels react in a certain manner that corresponds to their shape and color, and only to a certain individual. It’s only a theory right now, but it’s all I have to go on right now... and I’d like each of you to try touching these jewels to see what kind of reaction we get. It’s not going to be permanent, and whatever effects they have should be gone after a few minutes, so it should be quite safe.”

“What, that’s all?” Rainbow Dash snorted. “Man, Twilight, you really got a hay of an imagination up there. If I didn’t know you any better, I’d say this was some sorta epic prank you were about to play on us!”

At that point Rarity shot the cyan speedster an offended glare, but to her credit, she stayed silent as Rainbow Dash sauntered up to the table and eyed the gems lazily. “Well, I guess I can play along here. Hmmm, wonder which of these I should pick first...”

Her hoof hovered over the ruby for a moment, travelling over it with a ghost of a touch, and Twilight watched with bated breath as Rainbow Dash picked it up...

… and absolutely nothing happened.

“Well, that was a scam all right.” The pegasus muttered sourly as she let the ruby fall to the table with a small clatter, her eyes already travelling between the remaining three gems before she reached out for the topaz. “I wouldn’t be surprised if this one didn’t- KYAAAAAGGHHHH!!”

The moment her hoof closed around it, Rainbow Dash’s foreleg erupted in violent twitches and spasms as electricity danced about her hoof.

Lightning coursing through her body, muscles spasming in molten agony as lethal currents overloaded synapses....

Crying out in pain, the cyan pegasus reflexively let go as the thunderbolt-shaped topaz clattered to the table, and she collapsed backwards onto her rump, rapidly scooting away several steps.

“Wha-what the hay was that!?” Fear laced Rainbow Dash’s voice as she stared at the topaz on the table the very same way one might have stared fearfully at a predatory snake about to attack, still shaking her smarting hoof. “V-very funny, Twilight! Nice trick, putting some kinda prank shock spell on that jewel over there, t-that was a real nasty one!”

“That was no trick, Rainbow Dash.” Twilight reprimanded as she picked up the topaz, with a very noticeable lack of suffering from an electric shock. “Seems you found out which one of the crystals reacts to you.”

Her eyes now mere pinpricks, Dash quickly turned to Pinkie as though hoping that this was somehow at least some cruel prank that she was in on too, but the pink earth pony seemed just as shocked as the rest had been.

“Oh, horseapples.” The pegasus whispered hoarsely.

“Well then, now that you know that the threat is for real, Rainbow Dash, rather than some inane flight of fantasy that Twilight is having,” Rarity said in a clipped tone. “Let us see who else the gems react to.”

“I don’t get it, though,” Pinkie spoke up, pouting quizzically at the six precious stones. “You want each of us to touch these gems and get hurt? Where’s the good in that?”

Twilight inhaled deeply. “It’s a natural occurrence dating back to before the founding of Equestria. Unicorn ponies would use gemstones to enhance their inner magical powers. Back then most unicorns had a very small capacity to do magic, but they found that when the right gemstones were used, each individual pony could amplify his or her own magical output to carry out more strenuous tasks. With continued use, the gemstones would actually store a small amount of magical energy each time, until they became imbued with an aura of their own.”

“That explains Rarity,” Applejack interjected, half-jokingly, earning her an accusatory stare from the snow white unicorn.

“In Rarity’s defence,” Twilight cut in again, slightly annoyed at being interrupted. “Unicorns don’t use gemstones to amplify their magic any more, since our capacity for performing magic has broadened over the ages. It’s usually used nowadays as a method of recording magical signatures by storing small samples, but nopony has ever needed to store a large amount of energy to be used all at once in centuries.”

“Anyway, moving on, every unicorn has their own unique aura, as you can see from the various colours our horns glow when we cast our magic. It’s been that way ever since way back then. During that time, however, it was discovered that when certain unicorns came into contact with certain magic-imbued gemstones used by ponies before them, if the harmonic wavelengths between their magical signatures resonated in just the right manner to synchronize together, there would be a strong reaction in the unicorn, and a resonance of magical power would occur, releasing massive amounts of energy. And then...”

Twilight’s voice faded unnaturally as a morbid thought suddenly crept into her mind. She tensed up all of a sudden, staring listlessly at the opposite wall.

“And then what?!” Pinkie Pie demanded, excited that the story seemed to be reaching a climax. Twilight bit her lower lip and shifted her gaze to stare downwards.

“Well, let’s just say there were a few bad ponies who got a little too greedy,” Rarity said crisply, and everypony turned to look at her (except Fluttershy, who was apparently busy hiding under the table).

“I’ve been in the gem-dealing business long enough to know of such a history,” The alabaster white unicorn explained, averting their gazes and eyeing the gemstones guardedly. “Which is why I only use natural gems dug out from the ground. But that’s exactly what Twilight is trying to explain to all of you. She thinks that these gems here have that same magical resonance as each of us. And I’m sure she would be able to get to the bottom of this mystery once she’s seen how they react to each of us.”

“That’s a dandy story an’ all, but that don’ explain why Rainbow Dash of all ponies got that nasty shocker from touching this ‘ere gemstone,” Applejack pointed out. “Ah mean, she’s a pegasus, not a unicorn!”

“Magical energy is everywhere, Applejack,” Twilight spoke, regaining her composure. “It permeates every living thing in Equestria, from trees to animals to ponies. There have indeed been cases of magical resonance occurring in non-unicorns in the past, though admittedly those were quite rare. Also, try to recall, the six Elements of Harmony. Five necklaces and one big crown-”

“-Tiara,” Rarity interjected matter-of-factly.

“-Tiara, right. Think carefully, what was a common feature among all of them?”

It made sense to Applejack all of a sudden. “Gemstones,” she answered. “Gemstones shaped like our cutie marks.”

“Exactly.” The young scholar cast a hoof over the jewels to illustrate her point. “Take a good look at these. There are six of them, and there are six of us, and already three of them have reacted strongly to Rainbow Dash, Rarity and me. It honestly isn’t much of a stretch to hypothesize that the remaining three would also react to the rest of you in a similar fashion.”

Twilight placed both her forelegs on the table and leaned forwards on them, an expectant look on her face.

“Is everypony clear now? Then let’s continue. Fluttershy, you’re next,” Twilight addressed the cowering figure underneath the table.

Fluttershy jerked in surprise upon mention of her name, banging lightly against the table. Rubbing where she bumped her head, she peeked out from below and glanced wide-eyed at Twilight before nervously looking at everypony else, who stared back intently. Her eyes fell to Rainbow Dash, still backed up against the far wall, inspecting the hoof she touched the topaz with in shaky uncertainty. The yellow pegasus gasped at such a frightful sight and began to shrink back from the table.

“I-It’s okay, I d-d-don’t think I’d like to know anyway. I’ve heard enough already,” she stuttered, pushing herself away from the menacing pieces of stone. Twilight quickly got to her hooves and positioned herself behind Fluttershy, attempting to push her back.

“C’mon Fluttershy!” Twilight huffed as she put all her weight into opposing the timid pony’s motion, who was redoubling her efforts by frantically beating her wings. “This is no time to be scared! Equestria may be in danger, and if it is, everypony’s counting on us to stay strong and see this through!”

“I can’t!” Fluttershy wailed. “I can’t! Look what happened to Rainbow Dash! I don’t wanna get struck by lightning!... Or frozen to the bone... Or blinded by the sun... Or eaten by a giant sea monster... Or get hit by a falling piano... Or-”

“Alright, that’s enough!” Twilight cast a Blink spell that instantly brought the both of them back to the wooden table, the pegasus sandwiched between the furniture and the unicorn pressing behind her.

“It’s okay, Twilight,” Applejack spoke up. “We don’t need ta be fightin’ between ourselves ovah this.” The farmer mare reared up on her hind legs and eyed the jewels warily. “Ah’ll just show Fluttershy here that there ain’t nuthin’ ta be afraid about. It’s just a strong reaction that wouldn’t last more than a second, ain’t it?”

Not taking her eyes off the precious stones, Applejack took several deep breaths and exercised her shoulders, elbows and wrists for a bit. In the deepest part of her gut she, too, was dreading what horrifying fate touching that specific gem might put her through, but she had to do this for Fluttershy’s sake. Meanwhile, Rarity, Pinkie, Twilight and Fluttershy were all staring at her with bated breath, worried.

Applejack closed her eyes, took one last breath to steel herself, then opened them again. Her face a study in concentration and readiness, she examined each gem in detail and made mental deductions to divine which gem would be the one for her. Twilight Sparkle had a reaction to the sunburst diamond, Rarity to the ice crystal-like sapphire, and Rainbow Dash the thunderbolt-shaped topaz.

Her eyes fell to the large ruby sitting to one side. The more she looked at it, the more it seemed to take the shape of an apple. A sparkling, blocky malformed apple, but an apple nonetheless. This had to be the one for her.

Here goes nothin’, she thought to herself. Not allowing herself to hesitate any further, she thrust her left forehoof forward to make contact with it...

… And felt her hoof enter an open furnace.

Fire, fire everywhere, burning, red hot blazes surrounding her in an endless burning field of flames...

White-hot fire rushed up the insides of her foreleg as an unbearable heat washed over her, and she instantly broke out in perspiration, sweating buckets as though she’d been put inside a microwave.

Broken, burning husks, smoldering in the distance, shimmering mirages from the heat...

Yelping out in shock, she jerked her hoof back, shaking it vigorously as the incredible heat pressing in against her fleetly dissipated, allowing the relative coolness of the library’s air to provide her with much-needed relief.

“Whoa... Whoa-nelly, that was somethin’ else all right!” The orange mare gasped shakily as she inspected her hoof - the spot where she had touched the fiery red ruby had been slightly singed, and the skin was lobster red and blistering slightly.

“What is it, Applejack? What did you feel?” Twilight asked eagerly.

“Ah... Ah can’t really describe it.” Applejack shook her head, wiping off the sweat from her brow as she spoke. “It felt like... like ah was on fire. This heat, pressin’ in from everywhere, fire goin’ up mah foreleg like ah’d stuck it in a fireplace...”

The orange mare’s mind flickered back to the vision of the all-encompassing blaze she had just glimpsed, and she gulped, shaking her head. “Boy, whatever fire’s big enough ta make that kinda heat, ah hope ah never have tah see it.”

Applejack instantly regretted everything she had just said. If anything, it had just served to cement Fluttershy’s fear in place. The pegasus let out a terrified squeak, holding her hooves over her head as she cowered in place, huddled up on the floor.

Pinkie Pie’s prankster mind, idly observing the situation from where she had hung back with a relaxed air, hit up with an idea just then. If Fluttershy wasn’t going to touch the gem, then she was gonna make the gem touch her! Something dreadful might happen, but it shouldn’t last for long, right? Anyway, it’s what Twilight wants, and if there’s anypony you can trust regarding things ponies don’t know here in Ponyville, it’d be Twilight (with the exception of Pinkie herself).

The party pony glared mischievously at the remaining two gemstones. One was a teardrop-shaped emerald and the other, an oval cut of obsidian. It made sense to Pinkie that the green gem came closer to describing Fluttershy’s personality instead of the black one since it represented the colour of nature, so she gingerly scooped up the emerald, testing its weight on her hooves...

Burning poison coursing through her veins, spikes of pain in every movement...

… and right then, a wave of nausea washed over her. A pang of sickness several degrees more severe than the time she ate Applejack’s ‘baked bads’ struck her gut like a red-hot poker, causing her to double over, hitting the floor with a thump.

Full of venom, her insides contorting, muscles spasming, sheer agony, organs failing...

Everypony instantly focused their attention on her as she began to turn an unhealthy shade of green, her eyes droopy and bloodshot. Pinkie Pie didn’t even have time to respond as she started to purse her lips and puff her cheeks, a sign of imminent vomiting. Her throat welled up in seething bile-

Alarmed, Twilight Sparkle rushed over and swatted the emerald out of Pinkie’s hooves. Instantly, the nausea disappeared. Pinkie Pie gasped feebly for air, splayed out on the ground. All color had drained from her face, leaving her ghastly pale.

“That...” She croaked. “... That was one heck of a doozy...”

“Sweet Celestia...” Twilight murmured, quickly placing the emerald back with the rest of the jewels before helping Pinkie Pie back on her feet, the latter’s knees still shaking slightly. “Are you alright? It almost looked like you were getting poisoned there, Pinkie.”

“It’s... it’s all good, Twilight,” Pinkie wheezed, smiling despite her apparent exhaustion. “It’ll... it’ll all be gone in a minute, right?”

“Still, you should’ve at least warned us before you picked it up! Something really bad could’ve happened to you if I didn’t act fast enough!” Twilight exclaimed worriedly.

“Sorry about that. I thought the emerald was for Fluttershy, so I picked it up thinking it’d be okay.” Pinkie Pie grinned weakly - even as Twilight sat her on a chair, some of her energy already seemed to be returning, and color was quickly returning to her face. Looking over, she called out, “Fluttershy, c’mon! I’ve taken my turn, now it’s yours! You’re the only pony left.”

“Wha-!? No!” Fluttershy squeaked in protest. “Please, please no!”

“Now hold yer horses just a minute, Twi’,” Applejack cut in suddenly, coming to Fluttershy’s defence. “Ah think we’ve seen enuff, which is ter say nuthin’ at all. Already five of us have touched these gems and got hurt somethin’ fierce, yet I don’t see no magical ‘splosions happ’nin’, like ya said. It’s like we’re killin’ ourselves here fer no good reason.”

Exasperated, Twilight retorted, “That’s because it doesn’t always happen that way, AJ. All that magic gets sucked in wordlessly by the pony manipulating the gem. You would need an immensely powerful unicorn wielding a gem practically soaked in magical energy to expect a magical explosion coming out from just a single pony. More often, a violent reverberation occurs when multiple unicorns wielding their own gemstones harmonize together. Just like the Elements of Harmony.”

“Which is why...” Twilight turned back to look at Fluttershy. “It is really important that you do this, Fluttershy. I want to see what would happen once all six of us have reacted to each of these gems.”

The timid pony quavered her lips, about to put together another feeble objection, when she felt a comforting foreleg wrap around her shoulders. It belonged to Pinkie Pie, who was grinning at her with confidence.

“Listen, Fluttershy,” The pink earth pony spoke. “I know it’s hard for you! You’ve always been scared of the littlest things, running away when anypony else would’ve stood their ground, but other times you would do just the opposite, standing firm when everypony else is running away! Well, now is one of those times! Stand firm with us! And if you ever think that you can’t do it, then remember this!”

A pink hoof thumped over Pinkie’s heart, which then thrust into Fluttershy’s chest. “Believe! Believe in the me who believes in you, and believes in all of us! We’re all friends, and if we stick together, there’s nothing we can’t do! We’re all here for you if anything happens - now go on, and touch that jewel!”

Twilight raised an eyebrow, but smiled nonetheless. “Wow, Pinkie, I never knew you had it in you for such motivational speeches!”

The party pony responded with a nonchalant shrug. “It just struck me at the moment, it was more spontaneous than anything. But little ‘Shy over here sounded like she could use some encouragement!”

At the mention of ‘little’, Fluttershy twitched an eyebrow, before breaking free from Pinkie and striding towards the table resolutely.

“I’m a year older than you, Pinkie,” she muttered with a frown as she came up to the table, setting her eyes on the final gemstone.

The obsidian. Perfectly oblong in shape, with a mirror-like finish that made it appear like it had been polished completely smooth, Fluttershy could see her reflection near crystal-clearly on the gem’s surface. But there was something... strange about it. Her reflection was gazing back at her with an odd intensity, and she could have sworn that the corners of its mouth were turned slightly upwards. Vibes of cruelty and sadism radiated from the wide-eyed stare her reflection was giving her, and her orbs were equally wide as she stared back into the blackness of the gemstone.

Swallowing nervously, Fluttershy desperately tried to ignore the knot of tension in her stomach. Something inside her was screaming out to her about the obsidian and its wrongness, begging her to stay as far away from it as possible. Yet every single one of her friends had already braved their respective gemstones and whatever otherworldly sensations they had brought - she had to do so as well, if only for their sake!

Taking in a huge breath as though she was about to go underwater, Fluttershy braced herself for whatever onslaught the gem might unleash, and pushed her hoof forward to meet with the obsidian, her eyes scrunched shut.

Darkness pressed in from all around her. There was no sight, no smell, no taste, no sound, no touch, no nothing, no...

-KEEEEEEeeeeEEEEEEEeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEE

wHitEm0nSteriNtHEBLACKNESS-

us-l-sswe-kling...

THOSEYESTHOSEYESTHOSEYESBURNINGYELLOWLEYESIKECOALINTHE-

h-krzrk-h...what-l0ser...

BoRiNgthEDePThsoFmys0ulHELPMEGETITAWAYGETITAWAYGETAWA

heret0st4y-b0dy-s-m1ne!!!

NONONONONONONONONONONONO-

“Fluttershy! FLUTTERSHY!!!”

Grasping on to the sound of the voice like a drowning mare clutching to a lifeline, the darkness fell away as light returned to Fluttershy’s world, and she awoke with a gasp, finding herself in cold sweat, shaking madly from head to tail and her hooves clenched to whiteness.

The first face she locked onto was Rainbow Dash’s, who stood over her with both hooves grabbing her shoulders and shaking her frantically. Rose-colored eyes full of concern met her own terror-struck ones, and Fluttershy did the only thing she felt capable of doing at the moment.

She fell forward and threw her forelegs around Rainbow Dash’s neck, collapsing against her fillyhood friend and crying broken sobs into her shoulder.

“Oh... Oh Celestia...” Fluttershy choked out. “Rainbow, I... it...”

The pegasus said no further as she broke down into a fit of terrified weeping. Rainbow Dash shot Twilight as dirty look as she pulled her crying fillyhood friend into a comforting embrace.

“I hope you’re happy now, Twilight,” The cyan speedster mocked sourly as Fluttershy bawled into her shoulder. “I don’t know what was in that jewel she just touched, but it certainly wasn’t worth this kind of trauma!”

“Well, I... That just...” For the first time since the meeting began, Twilight was at a loss for words. She knew that the sensations brought about by the jewels would have been drastic, but she didn’t think that poor Fluttershy would take it that hard...

“So, uh...” Applejack suddenly piped up, breaking the heavy silence that had settled over the library, disturbed only by the soft sound of Fluttershy’s sobs. “We’ve all touched the gems already, Twi’; now what? Ah still don’t see any magical ‘splosions.”

“Umm...” Again put on the spot, Twilight found herself floundering.

“It’s not entirely your fault, darling,” Rarity’s voice cut in on Twilight’s chaotic thoughts. “Honestly, your theory did make a lot of sense, and nopony else here knows about magic as much as you do. We had every reason to trust and listen to what you had to say, and even you couldn’t have known that nothing would happen. Fluttershy just needs some... support right now.”

Twilight glanced over with a tormented look to Fluttershy, still heaving against Rainbow Dash’s shoulder, and felt a pang of guilt. The poor pegasus had been hit so hard by whatever had been in that obsidian, she couldn’t help but feel partly responsible for her current state.

“I...” Twilight quickly moved over to Fluttershy and placed a hoof on her shoulder. The pegasus turned to her, her face still streaked with tears. “I’m so sorry for putting you through that, Fluttershy.”

To her surprise, Fluttershy got up and, despite her tears, turned to face her, wiping her face and composing herself.

“It’s... it’s all right,” The timid little pegasus said, her voice wavering despite her best efforts to stay calm, and she gave Twilight a shaky smile. “L-like Rarity said, you c-couldn’t have known what was going t-to happen. P-please, don’t feel bad on m-my behalf. I... This was m-my experience, and I’ll...”

She paused to take a deep breath. “I’ll j-just have to deal with it somehow.”

“Well, that’s settled, but I still feel like this just one big fat waste of time!” A high-pitched voice trilled from the side, and everypony turned to see Pinkie Pie with a very disappointed look on her face. “We’ve all touched the jewels, but nothing’s happened! What is going on here, Twilight?”

“I... I honestly don’t know!” Twilight replied, truly stumped. “This was not what I had expected!”

What she had expected was some kind of harmonic reaction to occur once all of them had synergized with the energies inside the jewels, some sort of observable phenomenon at least... But even after Fluttershy had broken free of whatever hold the obsidian had over her, there was still nothing! It couldn’t have entirely been a waste!

Unless...!

“Wait just a moment... Applejack!” Twilight rushed forward, suddenly standing right next to the orange apple farmer. “Hold still, this’ll just take a sec!”

“Wha-” Applejack was cut off as Twilight’s aura engulfed her without warning, and the apple farmer immediately went wide-eyed and slack jawed as her eyes glazed over.

Twilight delved her magical senses as deep into Applejack as she could. At first everything seemed just fine, and there was nothing out of the ordinary with the apple farmer’s body, but upon closer inspection, she realized that there was something unnatural in there, something tiny...

There! Right within the deepest recesses of Applejack’s ley line system, where her gut would have physically been, a tiny, orange flame burned. It flickered occasionally, but it more or less burned steadily; a constant fire in Applejack’s belly. The signature was tiny enough that it could barely be registered, but it was there nonetheless.

That was all the young scholar needed to see. Twilight retracted her magical probe, and Applejack gasped as her senses returned.

“What in tarnation-” The orange mare brought her hooves to Twilight’s shoulders, staring at her firmly. “Was that fire inside me just now?”

“I think you just absorbed most of the gem’s energy into your body, Applejack,” Twilight explained, backing away a step. “In fact, I think all of us just did - it’s a tiny amount that shouldn’t be able to do anything on its own, but let me just make sure of this!”

Before anypony could protest, they felt a scanning spell pass over each and every one of them, probing into the deepest levels. Rainbow Dash squirmed uncomfortably as the spell passed over her, and Pinkie outright giggled as it did the same for her.

“Tee-heehee! It tickles!”

“Hold still, Pinkie,” Twilight muttered with a hint of irritation. “Otherwise the readings won’t be as accurate... There!”

A smile began to form on the lavender unicorn’s face as the results of the scanning spell began to play in her head... Before dropping slack-jawed in shock as she finally understood.

“No way...”

There were signatures now embedded in all of them. Just like how Applejack had that tiny flame burning in her gut, the tiny flame that had once resided inside the ruby she had touched, each and every one of them had some form of the signatures that had once resided inside the jewels now embedded inside the deepest reaches of their beings.

A tiny spark of electricity pulsed in tune Rainbow Dash’s beating heart, lodged in the very insides of where her organ might have been on her ley line system. In Pinkie’s, a tiny, writhing worm of green fluid squirmed about where her stomach would have been.

Amongst Rarity’s ley lines, a ghostly breath of winter fog, composed of tiny ice crystals, coursed through her body, seemingly travelling in random with no specific destination in mind. Fluttershy’s own signature was a tiny speck of blackness, seeded deep within her brain, but something about the activity of her ley line system suggested that she was actively blocking it, attempting to squash it out.

And within her own ley line system... a single, radiant ray of light burned brilliantly within her breast, tiny but bright. It was small enough that she sincerely doubted it would have had much effect on her day-to-day usage of her ley lines to conduct her magic, but its presence stood out nonetheless, something that she could not un-see or ignore now that she had noticed it.

“Everypony... I think we should just call it a day. I have a lot of research to do on this.”

Yells erupted from the inside of the library as the orange and cyan mares marched up to the lavender one, demanding answers instead of being turned away, and the unicorn was frantically trying to calm them down, being fiercely defended by the white-coated one.

Their argument was so intense that none of them thought to look outside the window, to the branches of a tree that overlooked the library - for if they did, they would have seen two shadowed silhouettes watching the altercation, one of them wearing an amused expression.

“My, my...” The one balanced immaculately on top of one of the branches shook his head. “Even in such an idyllic world, conflict still exists. I suppose it would have been too much to hope for a utopia where everything was literally peaceful, no?”

“Mmm.” The one seated on another branch slightly below him nodded, but said nothing more.

“Well, now that we’re here... I must say, they really do behave like some of us sometimes, don’t they? Quite the intriguing prospect... you don’t suppose our dear leader might have chosen them because of this very reason?”

“Only the worthy may be successors to our legacy. You should know this as well as I do.” The seated one replied curtly.

There was a light laugh in reply. “I suppose... Though I have to say, that yellow one, she seemed to take your presence pretty hard. Didn’t I ever tell you to lighten up sometimes? Always so dark and broody...”

This was met with a noncommittal grunt. A hand of five digits grabbed onto the branch before its owner swung himself up. “Come. We’ve been here too long. It’s time to go.”

The balancing figure shrugged, sighing. “As you say...”

-blink-

And they were gone.

The argument inside the library continued on, absolutely none the wiser of the two mysterious spectators they had just entertained.

Dive to the Heart

This is the continuation of the story of six mares who have yet to realize their own destinies.

The young scholar Twilight Sparkle, who lived in the small town of Ponyville with her friends, was sent six mysterious gems from her mentor Princess Celestia, containing unknown magical energies previously undiscovered in the world of Equestria.

After witnessing the energies inside two of the gems react strongly to her and her friend Rarity, she gathered the rest of her friends together to see if the other gems would react the same way.

As she suspected, the energies inside the gems reacted to the rest of her friends like she expected, but there was one thing that she did not predict.

The energies inside the gems had been absorbed by her friends, and now within each of them, the energies of one of the gems each resides deep within their bodies... but awaiting what, exactly?

None of them would ever expect what awaited them later that night...

“The Order of Koaxia”

Chapter 2

Dive to the Heart

~

The day had been long, and the meeting had been harrowing. After explaining everything as best she could to her friends, Twilight Sparkle retired that night with a heavy heart and a weary mind.

The others returned to their own homes in similar states as well. The events of the day weighed heavily on their minds, and it was a troubled Fluttershy that stepped through the doors of her home that evening. Greeting Angel Bunny with a half-hearted smile, the yellow pegasus then went straight up to her room and collapsed into her bed in a shivering mess, totally missing the confused look on her pet rabbit’s face.

Applejack returned home that day with a distracted expression, walking past Big Macintosh in a daze even as he nodded in greeting, and failing to hear Applebloom’s calls as she stumbled into her bedroom, pulling over the covers and immediately falling into a fitful slumber.

Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie all did the same, returning home either dazed, pensive, or brooding, neither hearing nor heeding the calls from the outside world as they each retired to their beds, too unnerved by the events of the day to even relax properly.

Just what were those signatures they had discovered?

Just what was it in Equestria were they up against?

Six pairs of eyes closed that night, their thoughts heavy with doubt.

Six minds drifted within their dreams.

And from the outside, another six presences began their work to shape them.

She fell in an endless ocean, an eternal blue expanse no depths, no sky-

I’ve been having these weird thoughts, lately...

The endless void pressed in around her, wispy tendrils of mist floating around her-

Like... Is any of this for real... or not?

-beat-

The shooting stars fell from the sky, streaks of light against a velvet blue canvas, and she stood together with her friends, watching them fall-

-beat-

Twilight’s heart pulsed steadily within her breast, her vision fading in and out with every beat-

-beat-

Together as one, they united, stepping together to combine their strengths...

-beat-

And together as one, they stood resolute, facing the threat ahead...

-beat-

And united as they were underneath the stars, united they also were against the threat that came towards them.

-beat-

Applejack stood in the courtyard, her blade drawn and ready as Rainbow Dash struggled to get to her feet, using her own sword as an improvised crutch, and they both charged forward, their blades locking in a shower of sparks and a collision of wills-

-beat-

- and as Fluttershy turned around, the gigantic double doors behind her groaned open, admitting forth a being of darkness, shrouded in shadows so that no features could be discerned save for the two, burning points of yellow where its eyes should have been.

The shadow extended forward a limb, a hoof waiting for acceptance. Fluttershy felt herself suddenly being pulled forward into the darkness, and as she entered, the tiny star of light that was in her hoof fell, dropping into the endless abyss that waited below it, and-

-beat-

- dropped into Rarity’s waiting hoof. The pendant that symbolized her Element of Generosity, a finely cut gemstone, lay in her hoof, just as it did for each of her friends standing in the circle she was a part of. Together, as one, the six gemstones shot up, combining together in a harmonious fusion of incredible arcane power, forming-

-beat-

- six foreign countenances that floated past her, and yet despite Pinkie’s knack for remembering new faces, she just couldn’t remember these! For the life of her, no matter how hard she tried to remember, there was something shadowed about these faces, something that concealed their true nature, something that-

-beat-

- was a spear, radiant and shining in the light, and yet was coated from tip to shaft in crimson fluid, the divine blood of the God it had slain. The hackles on Twilight’s neck rose as she felt the waves of simple, sheer, raw power just radiating from it.

-beat-

She looked up, and through the depths of her shock, she felt Rainbow Dash and Applejack stride past her, their gazes not even flickering in her direction as they emotionlessly walked past her. Scarcely believing it, a hoof unconsciously came up to her chest, and through the ragged wound that had opened inside, her eyes began to fill with tears-

-beat-

- tears that threatened to spill out from a single, sky-blue eye that belonged to Pinkie Pie stared at her in terror, pleading and begging. No, she didn’t want to die here, not now, not like this-

-beat-

- not like this! Gritting her teeth even as her legs protested and her lungs burned, Applejack continued to gallop down the corridor, trying to outrun the roaring blaze that raced after her, its fiery maw closing in around her...

No, she couldn’t give up here! She-

-beat-

- couldn’t! No, she couldn’t do it! Gasping as her knees threatened to buckle from under her, Fluttershy still ran, stumbling and crying as she tried to escape the tendrils of blackness that reached out from behind her.

There was no end to their pursuit, no mercy, no relenting, and as she collapsed into a broken, sobbing heap, the darkness closed in around her, pressing in on the deepest reaches of her being-

-beat-

- and she watched, heartbroken, as everything fell apart around her. Her friends, broken, defeated, some of them fallen to darkness, the very skies themselves being ripped open as her opponent laughed cruelly down at her battered, bleeding form... Twilight despaired. There was no hope to be had, no victory to be salvaged.

Just an endless descent, a fall-

-beat-

- into darkness. Rarity didn’t know what awaited below her, but her fall continued serenely, the alabaster white unicorn drifting on through the endless ocean. After drifting for what seemed like an eternity, her feet touched what she thought was the bottom, and Applejack took a hesitant step.

Where was she?

What was this place?

Rainbow Dash had no idea what to make of the darkness that was all around her, lost with no idea where to go. Fluttershy took another step, barely moving an inch as she shook, paralyzed with fear at the darkness, when the very ground beneath her exploded into light.

Blinded by the sudden burst of light, Pinkie Pie threw her forelegs over her eyes as she tried to block it out, and when Twilight Sparkle’s eyes opened, she found herself atop a station of light, a perfect circle of stained glass, as a flock of doves took off into the distant blackness, away from the sole beacon of light in the abyss she stood in.

And as she looked down onto the glass, she realized something that made her heart drop out of the bottom of her chest...

The image on the glass was of herself.

[ambient]

Twilight was positively stumped by now. Taking an awkward glance behind her, she realized that there was still an endless abyss behind her, beyond where the circle of stained glass ended.

So much to do...

So little time...

“What!? Who’s there!” The young scholar yelped out in surprise at the voice that had spoken... or for lack of a better word, had not just spoken. Rather than a voice, it had been a total lack thereof, despite her comprehending the words inside her head as clear as day.

There is no time... The not-voice continued to not-speak, almost as though not hearing her words at all. But do not fear...

The door is still shut.

Now, step forward...

… Can you do it?

“I... umm... I guess I can...” Fluttershy murmured softly as she reached forward with a trembling hoof, almost afraid to even take a single step forward.

Gulping, she took one step in front of the other, and kept on slowly walking forward. Eventually, she reached the centre of the circle of stained glass. A beam of light shone down from the heavens, and she stepped towards it, her eyes captivated by its beauty...

And that was when the single beam of light suddenly split into three rays, and Fluttershy squeaked in surprise as the rays passed over her, forming a triangle around her... and as she looked on, three intricately carved stone pedestals began to arise from the stained glass floor.

Power sleeps within you... The unsound not-voice echoed through her very being, sending shivers down her spine as the first of the pedestals began to glow. In a spark of light, a shield appeared atop the plinth, floating as though suspended in mid-air.

You need only give it form, and when you do... The second pedestal glowed, and a staff appeared, surrounded by an otherworldly aura...

… It will give you strength. The final pedestal completed its ascension from the stained glass floor, and it too glowed, before a sword finally appeared, a blade evidently of the finest craftsmanship.

“Of course, what else would you expect from Equestria’s greatest flier?” Rainbow Dash boasted out cockily as she soaked in the implied praise the not-voice had just given her. “I’ve still got plenty of power left to gain! … But uhh, still, what exactly am I doing here?”

Choose well...

“But you gave me three choices! How am I supposed to make a good choice if I- UGH!” Pinkie Pie groaned as she found herself caught in a dilemma. The sword looked pretty shiny, and the pink partygoer had always liked shiny things, but the staff seemed pretty interesting as well, something about its otherworldly aura was utterly captivating, and then the shield was pretty sleek too, it seemed pretty sturdy enough to get a good smashing in on something...

Groaning again loudly to herself, Pinkie Pie plopped down on her rump and scratched at her head, determined to sort out this dilemma of her own.

But honestly, it didn’t take very much thought on her end. Applejack had simply taken a glance at the three artifacts, and her gut had immediately given her the answer.

“Power, ya say, huh? Ah guess ah already know which form ah’m gonna take.”

The apple farmer faced forward, and strode straight towards the sword in the middle.

The power of the warrior...
Invincible courage...
A sword of terrible destruction...

Is this the power you seek?

“My, my, goodness no,” Rarity said with a nervous laugh as she stepped away from the sword, despite having stepped forward to admire its craftsmanship. “Terrible destruction, well that’s just dreadful! And so brutish, relying on nothing but brute strength... I desire something with more finesse!”

Out of the corner of her eye, she spied the staff that was lying to her left, still sparkling in its arcane field. Intrigued, she began to step towards it, soon arriving at the pedestal it floated above...

The power of the mystic...
Inner strength...
A staff of wonder and ruin...

Is this the power you seek?

“Well, now this is more like it!” Twilight exclaimed triumphantly as she eyed the staff curiously. However, something inside her analytical, scholarly mind told her that she wasn’t done just yet. She had already examined the sword and the staff, but there was still the shield that floated behind her...

“You just wait right here,” Twilight practically cooed to the staff as she slowly backed away from it, “I’ll be right back!”

The power of the guardian...
Kindness to aid friends...
A shield to repel all...

Is this the power you seek?

“Oh, that sounds wonderful!” Fluttershy exclaimed as she immediately jumped onto the pedestal and made an almost frantic grab for the shield. It was only at the very last moment that she stopped and daintily picked it up, giggling to herself. “Yes, I’ll say this does suit me rather well...”

But just as she was in the middle of admiring it, the shield disappeared from Pinkie’s grip in a sudden flash of light. She turned to the black sky above her irately, “Hey! What’s the big idea!? I just picked that thing!”

You have chosen the power of the guardian... Now, what will you give up in exchange? The un-voice reverberated in her head, as though her protest had gone on completely unheard. Pinkie looked disappointedly at the two remaining items - the sword and the staff.

“Awwww...” Pinkie moaned. “I have to give one of those up? Can’t I just keep ‘em all?”

“Eh, that’s easy!” Rainbow Dash snorted as she hopped off the pedestal that had once held the sword. “I never understood magic much, but darned if I’m giving up on something that’ll help me kick some good old fashioned flank! Shields are boring, they don’t do anything but defend anyway...”

She then strode over to pedestal where the shield rested, extremely sure of her decision...

Rainbow Dash...
You have chosen the power of the warrior.
You have given up the power of the guardian.

Rarity Belle...
You have chosen the power of the mystic.
You have given up the power of the warrior.

Fluttershy Loveheart...
You have chosen the power of the guardian.
You have given up the power of the warrior.

Pinkamena Diane Pie...
You have chosen the power of the guardian.
You have given up the power of the mystic.

Apple Samantha Jack...
You have chosen the power of the warrior.
You have given up the power of the mystic.

Twilight Sparkle...
You have chosen the power of the mystic.
You have given up the power of the guardian.

Is this the form you choose?

“Yes.” Six voices answered in unknowing unison.

And at once, six circles of stained glass shattered, plunging the ones who stood upon them into the endless abyss that waited below.

Twilight had no idea how long she had fallen.

It could have been a few minutes, a few hours, or even a few years. But after an indeterminate amount of time, a speck of light became visible in the blackness around her... a speck of light that slowly grew into a another circle of stained glass, slowly approaching her.

Her fall brought her closer to the glass circle, and for the briefest of moments she began to fear that she would collide and crash through it. But as she neared the circle, her descent began to slow down considerably, and she alighted onto the floor beneath her with a feather-light touch.

There will be times you have to fight... The un-voice’s not-words began to slither again through her mind...

… Keep your will burning strong.

“F-f-f-f-f-fight!?” Fluttershy let out a tiny, terrified squeak at what she had just comprehended. “B-b-b-but I’m no fighter! I’ll just get beaten and humiliated!”

But it seemed that whatever she had just said meant nothing to the voice. From the stained glass floor in front of her, three black things emerged, and Fluttershy screamed in panic as she quickly backed away... only to be stopped by the edge of the stained glass circle, where the endless abyss waited behind her.

There were no words that could describe their shape or their form. They slithered from place to place like oil over black, living embodiments of the very darkness that surrounded her. They couldn’t have been any smaller than up to her knee, yet they radiated a malevolence and killing intent that made her want to stay as far away from them as she possibly could.

Something suddenly appeared in her grip, and as she looked down-

she was greeted by the sight of a large, yet sleek, single-edged blade, one that ran almost the length of her entire body. The base of the hilt of the sword that had suddenly appeared in her grip was intricately carved with a crimson motif, and its tip curved into a wickedly sharp point. But all that paled in comparison to the most mind-blowing feature of all - the motorcycle throttle on the blade’s handle.

“Aww yeah, sweet!” Rainbow Dash whooped as she gave the motorcycle handle a hearty rev, and the base of the blade let out a giant roar, almost as if baying for the blood of its wielder’s enemies. “Well, like I’d need a weapon to kick some flank, but at least I won’t have to take these losers on unarmed.”

She lunged forward towards the three miniature lightning-beings in front of her, and the crimson blade in her grip sang through the air as electricity surged around its steel body.

“Come and get some!”

The gigantic zweihänder that she wielded cleaved effortlessly through the body of the first flame-sprite that had sought to challenge her. Despite its massive size, Applejack almost effortlessly brought the massive blade around in another overhand swing, smashing through the head of another flame-sprite and ending its existence in a burst of ashes.

“What, that all ya’ll have? C’mon, ah was expectin’ somethin’ a little harder here!” The apple farmer chortled as she hefted the immense blade over her shoulder, its gigantic width easily as wide as her own back.

She beckoned to the other three flame-sprites that had sprouted forth from the orange stained glass beneath her, and an anticipatory grin set itself on her face - the grin that always came when she set forth to test her own limits.

“Show me what’cha got!” Orange flames blazed over the body of her sword, and Applejack charged forward, surrounded by a blazing corona of fire.

“Ora-Ora-ORA-ORAORAORAORAORAORA!” Pinkie yelled as she dove into the crowd of strange, puke-green goop things that had appeared from the emerald stained glass that she stood upon, punching and kicking in every direction that she could. “Take this! And that!”

Pouncing upon the nearest pile of animated goo, she immediately went to town on it like a hot-blooded brawler gone berserk, throwing blow after blow in a hurricane of punches, sending droplets of green ichor flying with every strike.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAATATATATATATATATATATATATATA AH-TAAAH!!!!”

The final blow hammered down on what little remained of the glop creature as its existence finally ended, but for Pinkie the fight wasn’t over yet - the other three glops still behind her leapt forward, intent on burying her beneath their numbers. As if that’d work; she had no intention of going down just yet.

“Don’t screw around with me!” Pinkie roared out as she whirled around, thrusting out her arm. In the blink of an eye a spiral-shaped, metallic shield large enough to cover her entire body manifested out of thin air. The globs slammed against the large barrier ineffectually as they began to slide to the floor, but Pinkie wasn’t done yet.

Abruptly, the shield began to narrow about its centre, condensing and growing longer and more narrow, until it wasn’t so much a spiral-shaped shield as it was a spiral-shaped drill. With an almighty roar, Pinkie Pie surged forward, the drill beginning to spin at such ungodly speeds that the blobs stuck onto it were sent flying in every conceivable direction.

“Just who the hay do you think I am!?”

The last of the little ice dolls that had attacked her dissipated into wispy tendrils of fog as Rarity lowered the metallic silver longbow that she held in her grip, and she casually flicked a stray lock of hair out of her eyes.

“My, my, there’s no need to be so cold to a new guest. After all, one must be a proper host!” She tittered mirthfully as the longbow dissipated into formless light, retracting into the pentacle that hung from her wrist. Taking a glance around, she realized that at the edge of the stained glass circle in front of her, a series of steps made out of the same stained glass were slowly materializing, forming a stairway that led upwards into the darkness around her.

A glance around her surroundings showed her that there were no other paths open to her - wherever she was intended to go, the floating stairway was apparently the way there.

Hmmm... I wonder where this leads...

Taking the stairway one slow step at a time, Twilight cautiously made her way up to wherever it was meant to lead. The abyss yawned out below her beyond the edges of the narrow stairway, and all it would have taken was the slightest misstep to literally fall forever.

More than once she had nearly slipped and tumbled off, but slowly, she made her way up, until she arrived at the very top - the destination the stairway had been meant to lead her.

Another circle of stained glass.

“You’re kidding me.” Twilight deadpanned. “I just came from here!”

But closer inspection revealed that it wasn’t the circle she had just came from. While the design decorating the previous circle had been that of her cutie mark, this circle bore an image of Celestia and Luna, both alicorns locked in eternal revolution around each other, watching over their respective celestial bodies of the sun and the moon.

The unicorn began to step inside the circle, realizing that the higher she had gone, the stronger the light from above had become. Stepping closer, the light was almost blinding, but Twilight continued onwards nonetheless, entranced by its radiance...

Beware... The closer you grow to the light...

There was no describing it.

It was a giant black thing of nothing.

When she had turned around, facing away from the light, her shadow had literally peeled itself away from the floor, taking on a life of its own that was just not natural. Her sanity had stretched like badly worn string of yarn as the eldritch abomination placed what passed as its foot upon the stained glass, turning the very surface upon which it stood as black as the abyss that formed its monstrous body.

Two burning pools of yellow stared down at her from where its eyes would have been, and Fluttershy’s voice actually caught in her throat. Even the tiniest eeps of fright found themselves unable to escape as every muscle in her body locked up from the sheer terror of facing the incomprehensible being of darkness that towered over her.

… the greater the shadow becomes.

No. There was no way this thing could even exist.

“N-n-n.....I...I-I-I...” Fluttershy could barely speak through the fear that paralyzed her every muscle, and as the giant shadow-being swung its gargantuan fist forward. There was one, and only one, phrase that she managed to force past her trembling lips as the titanic mass hurtled towards her.

“I reject!”

Three points of blackness appeared before her, connecting themselves into a triangular barrier, and the living mass of darkness collided with it with all the force of a freight train.

The rushing column of flame slammed right into the metal body of Applejack’s greatsword, but the blade held fast, protecting her from the worst of the blaze. Puzzled by the unexpected resistance, the living colossus of fire and magma retracted its arm, giving the farmer the opening she had been looking for.

“Well, that one stung a little, but you’ll hafta do better than that!” Applejack smirked as she brought the blade around in a grand flourish, before levelling it straight at the fire golem and charging straight forward with a stirring battle cry.

“Hyaaaaaaa-”

“-aaaaaaah!!!” Rainbow Dash yelled out as she charged the lightning elemental with everything she had once again, bringing her blade around in a massive horizontal slash that would’ve blown away any conventional opponent - only her opponent was anything but conventional.

The giant made out of lightning swatted her away as one might swat away an annoying fly, and she crashed right into stained glass floor, flipping around several times before skidding to a halt.

“Ugh... Well that went well.” The speedster muttered sourly to herself as she flipped back upright smoothly, just in time to see the arm of the lightning golem bearing down towards her again.

Yelping out in surprise as her eyes widened, she threw herself barely out of the way in time as its thundering fist smashed down on the spot she had occupied but a moment ago. Grunting, Rainbow Dash rolled upright once more, bringing her blade to the ready as she scowled darkly.

“Well then, if that’s how you want it...”

Cocking the lance that she had obtained over her shoulder, Twilight focused all of her power into the strongest telekinetic bullet spell she could muster.

“Lancea...”

Immediately, the crimson double-helical bident began to glow a blinding white as it soaked in Twilight’s magic. Growing exponentially in strength, the brilliantly gleaming spear seemed to radiate naught but sheer power as the loosely intertwined double helix of the tip of its shaft began to tighten, the two tines of the bident combining into a single piercing tip as the mage’s spell neared completion...

“... LONGINI!!!”

It was like watching the wrath of Celestia herself shoot forth. Like a twisting, burning comet, the lance speared forward with the fury of heaven itself, intent on skewering the winged giant of light that she faced...

… and missed completely as it simply leaned to the side, letting the spear pass by harmlessly inches from its neck as the thrown lance disappeared into the endless black void behind it.

“... Crapbaskets,” Twilight muttered.

Rarity’s mouth was practically hanging agape as the ice titan in front of her dodged her strongest attack without even breaking a sweat, and her longbow remained motionless in her trembling grip.

“Well, well... I think I might have gotten a tad overconfident on that one...” She chuckled nervously, right before the icicles hit.

They burst forth around her from the ice-blue stained glass like stalagmites out of a cave floor. Their ghostly chill enveloped her as they grew to cover her entire body, draining her of vital heat and strength even as she struggled to break free...

But it was no use. The vines and creepers were too strong. Snarling in defiance, Pinkie ripped and tore at the living plants that sought to ensnare and trap her to the floor, but for all her hot-blooded will she still could not summon enough strength to break through.

“I’m not afraid of you,” she spat out at the living mass of vines and creepers that crawled with an endless amount of bugs, even as her animated bonds began to tighten, binding her to the floor with an ever growing strength.

That’s right... don’t be afraid...

Gasping in exhaustion, Applejack struggled to lift the blade in her grip once more, but the weight of the sword had grown from light as a feather to a dull leaden burden that dragged her down with it.

Fatigue slowed down her movements as the smoke from the blaze around her sent her head spinning from oxygen deprivation, and her limbs felt like lead weights that she could barely summon the strength to move.

Collapsing against the smouldering embers below her, Applejack contemplated simply just laying there to rest, the exhaustion weighing down so heavily on her body... and then the fire in the apple farmer’s belly stirred once more, urging her to push onwards regardless.

“No... ah’m not done yet!”

“Not... just... yet...!” Rainbow Dash screamed through gritted teeth as her muscles spasmed in agony from the sheer amount of electricity coursing through them... and yet, she still pushed on, struggling to remain upright as the electric field surrounding her battered her with repeated shocks to her body, again and again.

You hold the mightiest weapon of all...

… and never forget...

“No! No! Nononono!!!”

Streaks of fine, black lines cut again and again at the damning tentacles that snatched and grabbed at her as she rejected the events again and again, her mind refusing to accept and acknowledge such abject horror and trauma. Yet for all that she resisted, the darkness continued to press in against her, an unyielding abyss that wanted her only for itself.

“Please! Someone, help me!” Fluttershy cried out in desperation as the tendrils of blackness wrapped around her, and they dragged her into the endless abyss that waited below.

“I... I can’t... It’s... too strong...!” Twilight’s voice finally cracked under the unrelenting onslaught of blinding energy that the giant had thrown at her, and she buckled to the floor, the stained glass beneath her cracking and warping. Her mouth set itself in a grim line, and Twilight Sparkle finally caved in, unable to sustain her strength any longer.

“Sorry, Princess Celestia... I guess I wasn’t good enough after all...”

The light burned away everything it touched, and all turned white.

… You are the ones who will keep the door shut.

Falling, falling forever...

When will this nightmare finally end?

Six pairs of hollow eyes opened that morning.

Six heads turned to the nearest window to see the sun rising.

And six minds reeled in exhaustion from what they had just experienced.

“I take it yours went well?”

“Yeah. Gotta admit, that rainbow one sure put up a hell of a fight. I didn’t even think she had it in her!”

“Heh. Neither did I. The orange one sure has got some fire in her.”

“... The yellow one has surprising inner strength. She held the darkness at bay through sheer force of will for far longer than I had expected... I almost thought she would cave at once.”

“And that white one! Oh, her performance was simply spectacular! I can almost certainly see a kindred spirit in her... oh, it was almost as though she was a part of the ice, so unaffected, so unflappable!”

“Can it, you flamin’ queen. Mine’s easily the best. She ripped and tore through all of my best creations like they weren’t even there!”

“That’s enough.”

Five heads simultaneously turned to the white-robed figure who had suddenly strode inside the room, and the crimson double-helical bident lance that he carried thumped against the floor.

“True. They have all exceeded our expectations. But that doesn’t mean that we have any reason to let up either.” His eyes passed critically over the individuals who had gathered there, and then lifted his gaze to the dawn that was rising over the horizon.

“Now, it is time we began.” The white-robed man nodded to one of the individuals in particular.

“And about damned time.” The addressed man threw his hood back, revealing a head full of shocking golden hair and an anticipatory grin, and he disappeared in a surge of yellow lightning.

North Blitz

This is the continuation of the story of six mares who have yet to realize their own destinies.

After absorbing the energies from six mysterious gems that Princess Celestia sent to them, the six Bearers of the Elements of Harmony retired to bed early that evening, their minds and hearts heavy with the day’s events. What occurred that night would have been understood or comprehended by none of them.

In a dream unknowingly shared by all, each were guided by an unseen voice, and faced with a strange choice of powers in an even stranger environment of stained glass circles floating over an endless abyss. Each then went on to battle miniature elementals of the energy inside each of the respectives gems they had synergized with. Armed with strange new weapons and abilities, they triumphed over the trials thrown their way, but were soon faced with a colossus of that very same element.

Failing to defeat the colossus, they were all dragged into the depths of the abyss that awaited below them before they awoke, but there was nothing they could understand from the dream.

And now, a sinister shadow falls over Rainbow Dash’s home as she wakes, a series of yellow flashes stalking her every step as the new day begins...

“The Order of Koaxia”

Chapter 3

North Blitz

~

Rainbow Dash felt like a worn-out sack of potatoes when she woke up that morning.

“Ugh...” the rainbow-maned pegasus groaned as she turned over to her other side on her cloud-bed, facing the sunlight that streamed through the window. Absently, she raised one of her hooves in front of her, eyeing it critically, and then clenched and unclenched it, watching the single fold of skin crease and smoothen as she examined it.

“Just... what the hay was that dream supposed to be?” She muttered to herself. Something about that dream had just been plain odd - something about her body had felt totally wrong. Forelegs that were shorter than her hind ones, five manipulating digits, being able to balance so well on just her hind legs alone...

“So bizarre... What was that place?” Rainbow Dash groaned as she lifted herself off her bed, tilting her neck this way and that and eliciting several sharp cracks! Taking a moment to stretch her sore and aching muscles to get the blood flowing, she trotted in place for a few moments, warming herself up.

“Well, no use wondering about it... it’s just some stupid dream. Not like it’s gonna come true or anything...” she muttered under her breath as she continued on with her morning calisthenics, ignoring the strange niggling feeling that slowly pooled at the back of her skull.

Quickly finishing her warmups and stretches, the cyan pegasus then galloped straight out the door, flinging it open before throwing herself off the edge of her cloud manor.

Folding in her wings as she plummeted downwards, Rainbow Dash dropped like a bullet... and just as she was mere metres away from crashing headlong into the ground, her wings unfurled, and she veered off from her collision course with the ground with only inches to spare, a spectacular turn that would have sent Scootaloo into a tizzy.

“Yep, still got it,” she chortled to herself despite the death-defying stunt she had just pulled off. With a mighty flap of her wings, the winged mare swiftly ascended several dozen metres, rising above the treeline of the forest and bringing Ponyville into view.

“All right! Let’s see...” in her mind, Rainbow Dash slowly ticked off one-by-one the things she always did for her morning routine. “Morning warmups, check. Dive out of cloud manor, check. Death defying stunt? Che-bucking-eck.”

The pegasus smirked to herself, and then immediately grimaced as the rumblings of her stomach finally caught up with her.

“Ugh... breakfast... unchecked.”

Veering in the direction of Ponyville before flapping her wings several more times to pick up more speed, Rainbow Dash was so distracted by her hunger that she totally missed the slight prickling in her right hoof as her coat stood slightly on end. Too busy revelling in the feeling of the wind in her face, she failed to notice the single cumulus cloud that was trailing behind her conspicuously quickly.

[ambient]

Strange dream in the morning aside, the day couldn’t have possibly been more normal.

Breakfast had gone smoothly as she wolfed down some donuts at Sugarcube Corner, and even sprung several surprise pranks on Pinkie, as was their “morning tradition”. Even now she chased the pink earth pony all around the shop with a spray-can of whipped cream, laughing madly as she tried to coat her friend in the stuff.

As the chase went on, Dash began to notice that something was different. Pinkie was still the same laughing, mad, and lovably friendly Pinkie, but something in her grin as Dash chased her around seemed slightly... what, challenging?

If anything, it reminded Dash of herself, whenever she was in one of those moods where she felt like charging into a friendly challenge and seeing who could come out on top - and she was fiercely competitive whenever she got in those moods.

Yeah. Something about Pinkie seemed unprecedentedly fierce today.

And Rainbow Dash finally felt it first-hoof as the pink pony twisted around her latest spray of whipped cream, deftly avoiding it before practically pouncing on the pegasus, pinning her to the floor and knocking the spray can out of her grip.

“Yield, Dashie?” Pinkie asked with a playful smirk, and Dash couldn’t help but let out a good-natured laugh.

“Yeah, I yield, Pinks. Now get off’a me!”

Giggling as the glinty edge in her eyes suddenly disappeared, Pinkie Pie beamed as she leapt off Rainbow Dash, allowing the pegasus to get to her hooves. The cyan speedster began to move, and before she even knew what she was doing, surged upright in an uncanny display of dexterity, twirling herself back up onto her front legs before flipping back onto all fours.

Pinkie Pie let out an appreciative whistle, visibly impressed. “Wow, coming up with new tricks, Dash?”

Rainbow Dash would’ve given just as cocky a reply if she hadn’t been so surprised at what she had just done. No, she wasn’t coming up with new tricks, she hadn’t even known what she’d pulled off! It had just seemed so... natural. Like she’d been pulling off the same move over and over again her entire life...

Come to think of it... none of this had ever happened before she got that nasty shock from that crystal at Twilight’s yesterday.

“No, not really, Pinkie...” Rainbow Dash muttered to herself, her mind distant in thought. “Hay, I haven’t even come up with that one, let alone practiced it...”

Something wasn’t right here. Something was different; very different.

“Hold the phone, Pinks. I gotta pay a visit to Twilight.”

Ignoring the confused look the pink party pony was giving her, Rainbow Dash galloped out the door and immediately took to the air, turning in the direction of Ponyville’s library as she beat her wings furiously in agitation.

Again, she found herself so caught up in her hurry that she failed to spot the shadowy figure who silently leaped from rooftop to rooftop unnoticed, trailing her every move.

Twilight Sparkle was not a morning pony.

Nope, not a morning pony at all. If yesterday’s meeting had been harrowing, the dream she had experienced was positively nightmarish in comparison.

She had woken screaming, with her mane completely frazzled and her eyes wide and bloodshot, staring at the ceiling. Thankfully, Spike had managed to stay completely asleep through her mini-freakout, and she had been spared having to awkwardly explain away her nightmare.

But unfortunately, that didn’t make the experience any less unnerving. The dream had just been so... so vivid.

The unicorn looked down at her hoof as she absently sipped at her coffee, clenching and unclenching it as she watched the single fold of skin crease and smoothen itself out again and again.

Just what was it about having five digits on her forehoof seem so weird?

Twilight would have continued down that train of thought for the rest of her breakfast, staring into her coffee, had a sudden crash from the library’s upper floor window not rudely jolted her from her reverie. Not a second later there came the sounds of multiple shelves collapsing and books clattering to the floor, and Twilight bit back a long-suffering groan.

Yep, it looked like Rainbow Dash still hadn’t learnt to use the door.

The sounds of tumbling books and creaking shelves continued for a few more seconds, before the aforementioned pegasus streaked down the stairs in a cyan blur, coming to an abrupt stop right before her.

“Hey Twilight!” Rainbow Dash said flippantly, as though she hadn’t just wrecked the entire upper floor of the library. “You got a minute?”

The lavender unicorn did groan this time, and she let her face drop to the table in tired resignation. Her exasperation properly expressed, the librarian tilted her head upwards to face Rainbow Dash, her chin still resting on the wooden surface.

It must have been Thursday. She could never get the hang of Thursdays.“What is it, Rainbow...?”

“You uhh... you had any progress with those gem things? You know, looking into ‘em and all?”

Twilight arched an eyebrow at that, taken slightly by surprise. “I didn’t think you’d be even interested at all, Rainbow Dash. Sadly, no. I haven’t made any progress at all.” The unicorn turned her gaze pensively to go back to staring at her coffee, too troubled by the contents of last night’s... dream? Vision? Whatever it was, what she saw inside there had her too distracted to even concentrate on analyzing the crystals further.

“I had the... the weirdest dream last night,” the young scholar finally admitted after a few seconds, still staring into her mug and scratching at her head absently as her thoughts churned furiously with dozens of different theories and ideas. “I’ve been trying to figure out what it means, but it was just so bizarre...”

“Huge black abyss with glass circles and fighting this huge thing with weird weapons and powers?” Rainbow Dash’s voice suddenly cut in on her thoughts, and Twilight’s eyes widened in shock.

“You experienced it too!?” She thumped a hoof on the table as her gaze shot upright to lock with Rainbow Dash’s own, her expression now completely serious.

The cyan pegasus quickly retreated back a step, looking slightly nervous. “Whoa, relax there, Twilight! I don’t remember much - just a lot of lightning blasts here and there, and this awesome sword I was carrying! Get this - it had a motorcycle handle!”

Rainbow Dash was practically gushing by now at the sheer coolness of what she could recall, but Twilight was so deep in thought that she barely heard the pegasus’ ramblings. Her mind was rapidly drawing the parallels between Rainbow Dash’s dream and hers, and acknowledging the undeniable evidence that there was at least some connection between the crystals’ energies and the strange dream she had experienced.

“- and then I went up against this huge giant made out of nothing but lightning, but I managed to give him a good kick in the teeth but onc- hey Twilight, you okay?” A cyan hoof nudged Twilight on the shoulder, and the young scholar jolted out of her little thinking stupor, glancing towards a nonplussed Rainbow Dash with a confused look.

“Huh? Oh, I’m fine, Rainbow Dash... Just... drawing some parallels between your dream and mine...” Twilight began looking away again with that far-off, deep-in-thought look, and Rainbow Dash groaned when she realized that the lavender unicorn was actually staring into her coffee mug. Again.

Apparently, asking Twilight was going to be a dead end. The lavender unicorn was practically half-asleep before her morning coffee, and Rainbow Dash didn’t feel like waiting around for the librarian to finish her breakfast.

Leaving her egghead friend to continue on her ponderings, Rainbow Dash turned where she stood and started trotting off to the library’s front door, when an odd shape outside the window flashed through her peripheral vision.

Wait a sec... the hay is that?

Immediately snapping her focus to the library’s window, she caught the slightest, most fleeting glimpse of something... Something black, slender, and standing on two hind legs.

Or at least, that was what she thought she saw. Having just a split-second to see something, especially something that could possibly be a mere figment of your imagination, didn’t exactly give a lot of details as to out what it was. Because when she took a closer look, the mysterious silhouette was gone, and all she could see was Twilight’s fence.

Gah, horsefeathers, all this thinking was already giving Rainbow Dash’s uncommonly-used mental faculties a general headache. It was still way too early in the morning to deal with something like this.

Quickly trotting out of the library and taking off with a beat of her wings, she turned in the direction of Fluttershy’s cottage. Though she rapidly picked up speed, the winged mare found herself distracted; despite her best efforts, she was unable to totally ignore the raised hackles on the back of her neck, and the sensation that something was following her.

Rainbow Dash wouldn’t have been the first one to admit it, but Fluttershy’s reaction to whatever was in the obsidian yesterday had the daredevil very concerned for her fillyhood friend.

After the fruitless meeting at Twilight’s library yesterday, where she and Applejack had completely failed to get further answers from the lavender unicorn, she had personally accompanied Fluttershy back to her home on the outskirts of Ponyville to make sure that she had made it home safely.

The poor yellow pegasus had been in tears the entire walk there, despite her best efforts to remain composed, and Rainbow Dash had walked silently but faithfully by her friend’s side. Even as she had bid goodbye to her closest friend, Fluttershy had given her a forced smile through the streaks her tears had left on her face before entering her cottage.

Rainbow Dash had to make sure her fillyhood friend was still doing okay with whatever it was that had hit her. The cyan pegasus came to a soft landing at Fluttershy’s door, and she began knocking loudly to announce her arrival.

“Hey Fluttershy! You home?”

A few moments later the door creaked open a tiny sliver, but no yellow-furred head meekly stuck out of the crack to greet her - Rainbow Dash glanced downwards, and was instead greeted by the sight of Angel Bunny looking up at her expectantly.

“Hey little guy!” She gave the tiny rabbit an affectionate ruffle on the head with a hoof, ignoring his irate expression at the uncalled-for noogie. “Is Fluttershy here?”

A paw jabbing over his shoulder indicated that indeed she was, and the door soon opened to let Rainbow in. The cyan pegasus quickly trotted in, but noticed that the living room was empty. That just left one other place - Fluttershy must have still been in her bedroom.

“Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash called out as she cantered up the steps leading upstairs. “I’m here! You feeling all right?”

When no answer came to her, worry began to claw at the edges of her mind. Had something happened? The slightest beginnings of panic began to ingrain themselves in her mind, and Rainbow Dash doubled her speed.

Perhaps a little more forcefully than she had intended, she set her hoof on the door to Fluttershy’s bedroom and quickly jerked it open, stepping inside and glancing hurriedly around the room. When she spotted the shivering, huddled mass still lying atop the bed, Rainbow Dash let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

For just a moment, when Fluttershy hadn’t answered her calls, she’d feared that the worst might have happened, that she might have disappeared, or that she might have-

No. No. Fluttershy would never do that! Shaking her head to quickly clear it of errant thoughts, the rainbow-maned pegasus quickly trotted forward and went over to where Fluttershy still lay shivering on her bed.

“Hey, Flutters!” Rainbow Dash whispered as she pulled the covers back, revealing a still-shaking, still-crying Fluttershy, her eyes still tightly shut and brimming with tears. “You all right?”

At the sound of her fillyhood nickname, the yellow pegasus lifted up her head from her tear-stained pillow. It was all she could do to gaze imploringly at Rainbow Dash for a single moment, before her eyes closed shut again her head fell back down, shaking uselessly.

“I... I had the worst nightmare last night, Rainbow! Darkness, pressing in everywhere around me... I tried to block it out but I couldn’t, I just couldn’t...!”

Whatever else Fluttershy had to say dissolved away into a series of broken sobs as she sagged towards Rainbow Dash, and the cyan pegasus quickly scooped her friend up into the most comforting hug she could muster, patting Fluttershy reassuringly on the back.

Any other pony and she wouldn’t have been caught dead being such a “softie”, but Fluttershy was one of those rare ponies whom Rainbow Dash didn’t mind going to the ends of Equestria for, even in public. And for a pony whose reputation was almost everything to her, this was saying a lot.

“So, you had one too, huh?” The cyan pegasus murmured after a few seconds, and Fluttershy looked up at her, confused.

“Wait... you had it too?”

“Yeah... it was freakin weird. Lightning giants and stuff, and I had this sword with a motorcycle handle. And on this glass circle in the middle of all this blackness... You dreamt of anything like that?”

Fluttershy giggled slightly at her friend’s nonchalant description, but felt slightly disconcerted all the same. “Yes... I had something like that. I... don’t want to think about it right now.”

Parting away from Rainbow, Fluttershy quickly got off her bed and onto her hooves, wiping the remnants of her tears away and giving her a genial smile. “Why don’t you go downstairs and make yourself at home, Dash? I just need a minute to wash up.”

“Oh, that’s all right, ‘Shy!” Rainbow Dash declined, already starting to feel like she’d outstayed her welcome - outside, the sky was calling to her, and her wings were already itching to get working. “I was just dropping by to make sure you were all right, but I’ve got a lot on my plate today. Lots of practice and training to get on with - you know the usual story.”

“Oh! Well, it’s all right then. Enjoy your training today Dash!” Fluttershy suddenly came forward and gave Rainbow an unexpected hug, and she backed up slightly in surprise before grinning, returning it.

“You too, Flutters. Take care yourself, y’hear?”

She had left Fluttershy to her own devices soon after making sure that everything with the shy little pegasus really was all right and she wasn’t going to spontaneously break down or something. Taking off from the cottage’s doorstep, Rainbow Dash had then streaked into the wide, open air-space above the fields on the outskirts of Ponyville, intent on getting on with her daily training regimen.

Several hours later, she had been halfway through practicing her signature Buccaneer Blaze when she felt it.

A strange prickling in her right hoof so strong that she couldn’t ignore it - the very same hoof she used to touch the topaz yesterday.

Her fur was beginning to stand on end very uncomfortably, as though she’d spent too much time shuffling through the clouds picking up static electricity, and this time Rainbow Dash couldn’t deny what she had been feeling the entire morning.

She was getting the willies something bad, and she didn’t even know what was causing it!

“Geez, for Celestia’s sake, what is wrong with you, Rainbow?” The rainbow-maned mare admonished herself loudly as she alighted on a nearby cloud, trying to shake off the strange feeling that had infiltrated even her very bones. By the stars, she just couldn’t shake off the feeling that she was being watched...

A tiny spot of heat began to burn incredibly hot at the back of her neck, and her breath hitched in her throat. Her eyes shrunk into mere pinpricks as something in her subconscious suddenly clicked, and Rainbow Dash reacted.

The cyan pegasus made a mad dive to her left as she threw herself off the cloud and into the air below her as a bolt of yellow lightning blasted through the spot she had occupied but a split second before. The cloud’s obliteration was instantaneous, as the electricity reduced it to naught but a few shreds of vapor.

Her heart hammering from the close call, Rainbow Dash whirled around to where the lightning bolt had come from, the feeling of dread and unexplainable fear that was mounting in her chest beginning to build even further. She couldn’t explain it, but whatever had just hurled that bolt at her, she did not want to meet it face-to-face.

No... No, it wasn’t because she was being a wuss. Let it be known that Rainbow Dash was never afraid of facing any conventional threat head on, but something about that lightning bolt had thrown her for a loop.

Because for one thing, while that bolt had come within scant inches of connecting with her, for the briefest of moments she had been able to sense the energies that had been fuelling that bolt... and to her horror, she had realized that she recognized that energy.

Lightning coursing through her body, muscles spasming in molten agony as lethal currents overloaded synapses....

It was here.

Whatever had left behind the energies contained within the topaz she had touched was here.

It was here, and it had come for her.

The rainbow-maned pegasus lifted her head up slowly, breaking out in a cold sweat and almost fearful of what she would see, to be greeted by something the likes of which she had never seen before.

A two-legged, bipedal creature clad in a black coat of some sort was standing atop a cloud above her, one of its legs raised higher than the other. A shock of spiky golden hair dominated the top of its otherwise furless head, and its eyes sparked from within with a shocking electric yellow.

Its face was oddly expressive, with a nub of a nose situated in its centre, and a mouth that did not protrude at all. Its features were hard and angular, hinting at its masculine gender.

In its right hand, eerily akin to Spike’s manipulative claws, it held a massive sword almost as long as its own body, and a chill ran down Rainbow Dash’s spine as she realized just how similar the sword’s was to the one’s she had wielded in her dream. A dragon’s head formed its hilt, a pair of draconic wings radiating out the sides to serve as its crossguard, and electricity was dancing about the blade.

But as intimidating as the weapon it held in its grip was, the most unnerving thing of all was the smile it was giving her - because Rainbow Dash recognized that kind of smile.

It was the smile that predators gave their prey when they had finally cornered them.

“Why,” The creature spoke in a deep and decidedly masculine voice; a voice that promised horrifying agony, and a painful death. “Hello there, missy.”

He stood up upon his nimbus, summoning his blade into his hand, and stared down towards the hovering pegasus that was but a few feet below him.

Her eyes - yes, her eyes, for the tiny creature’s facial features were decidedly feminine and rounded - were as wide as dinner plates as she regarded him the same way a deer might regard a lion that was just moments away from pouncing on it. Her pupils had shrunk to mere pinpricks, an obvious indicator of fear, and the grin on his face widened just the slightest bit more.

Oh, this was going to be a good one, he could tell.

“W-what in the hay are you supposed to be!?” The pegasus mare before him spoke in a high-pitched voice cracked with fear, and he nearly laughed out loud. Geez, even their language had an automatic vocabulary censor!

“Melchior. North Blitz of the Order of Koaxia.” He gave her his name and title along with a short, mock bow, still leering at her with that predatory grin. “Though I suppose you’d never have heard of us, or the human race, given the fact that we arrived here only a few weeks ago.”

Something seemed to click inside the pegasus’ head, given her expression, and her frame tensed up even further, as though she was preparing to either bolt or rush him. “You... so it was you guys that Princess Celestia felt snooping around here! You and your... Order of whatever!”

Melchior let out a bark of laughter at that, and he plunged his sword into the cloud he stood upon - in response, the entire fluffy white mass turned a dark gray, and lightning began to spark around its edges. “Frankly I’m surprised it took you this long to figure it out. This place has already gone to the dogs - your Princess is too soft! Letting us wander around for weeks without even taking any direct action!”

“Hey!” The pegasus spat out in sudden vehemence, and her stance took on a decidedly aggressive tone. “Don’t you dare talk about the Princess like that!”

“Oooh!” Melchior raised his hands mockingly. “Sounds like I struck a nerve there. Did that smart?”

“SHUT UP!!!”

A cyan blur suddenly zoomed straight at him, and Melchior immediately leaned slightly to the left, letting a blue-furred hoof pass just inches from landing a wild haymaker. A malicious grin then spread over his face, and his left leg blurred forward.

“Too slow!”

Rainbow Dash had just about had it with this cocky buzzard! At first, her fear had locked her in place, a fear of the unknown and just what this thing in front of her was. However, the more this blabbermouth continued his mouthing off against the Princess, hurling slight after slight against her beloved monarch, she had found her fear melting away, replaced by a seething pot of anger that began to bubble within her chest.

And that mocking tone of his, directed straight at herself - ugh, that was the last straw!!!

Snarling in rage, Rainbow Dash ignored the instinct that was screaming at the back of her head for her to run, and instead launched herself towards the ‘human’ that called itself Melchior, fully intending to give him a good bucking in the face until all his teeth had been kicked in!

“SHUT UP!!!”

Mustering all her strength, she threw her left hoof forward in a wild haymaker, intending on making this stranger pay for his disrespect to the Princess... and was utterly bewildered when her hoof met nothing but empty air.

Wait, what in the-

“Too slow!”

And then a freight train suddenly slammed right into her midsection. The wind was utterly blown out of Rainbow Dash’s lungs as she choked on her own spit, and before she knew it her entire world was spinning end over end as she felt herself hurtling through the air in some unknown direction.

Desperate to regain her balance, Rainbow Dash flapped her wings madly in an attempt to stop her tumble, but it was no use. The force of whatever had just hit her was so great that she couldn’t overcome it, and before she could even begin to slow down she felt herself crash into something; the impact jolted her body sharply as a stab of agony hit her in the chest, but still she didn’t stop tumbling.

Several moments later her world finally stopped spinning, and Rainbow Dash gasped for air despite the protests of her winded chest. By the stars, she could barely breathe...

Getting onto hooves that protested against taking her weight, the cyan pegasus forced herself upright, opening her eyes just a bit to see where she had landed. A quick glance around told her that somehow that single blow had managed to hurl her all the way across to the ground far below her, and her mind briefly reeled in awed horror at the kind of force that must have taken to accomplish...

And then her musings were cut short when Melchior suddenly appeared in front of her, one of his fists cocked backwards.

“Oi! Quit daydreaming!”

The same freight train that had hit her in the gut but a few seconds ago slammed right into her jaw, and she could only let out a strangled hurk! in surprise as she felt herself being hurled through the air once again.

And then everything went mercifully black.

Get up...

“Unngghh...” She moaned under her breath, wincing as the throbbing in her jaw intensified, but that pain felt nothing compared to the red-hot stabbing poker that still assailed her in her chest. Stars, it felt like she’d cracked a rib...

Get up...

Perhaps if she just took a moment to rest here... maybe the pain would go away...

Yeah... Sleep sounded good...

Get up!

BZZT!

A violent shock jolted her right in the chest, and burning energy sizzled through her entire body as it spasmed violently.

“AUGH!”

Get up!!!

BZZZZT!!!

“AAAGGGHH!!!”

Her screams came through muscles that had locked up in sheer agony. Her throat had seized up, and it hurt to even breathe, yet the shocks from her chest pulsed again and again, sending burning energy coursing through her veins with every beat.

And the burning energy... it gave her strength.

GET UP!!!

“Haaaaahhh!!!” With a rasping gasp, Rainbow Dash’s eyes finally opened, and she found herself lying down on her side, caked with dirt with a livid bruise right across her chest. Judging from the intense throbbing from her left cheek, that likely wasn’t her only injury; her jaw was probably either bruised or fractured as well, she couldn’t tell.

“Celestia, what the hay just hit me...?” The pegasus shook her head as she struggled to get back onto her hooves, glancing around to see where she had landed this time. A cursory check confirmed that she had indeed crashed into the ground, leaving behind a sizeable furrow and dirt trail where she had landed...

Her fur stood up on end again.

In a wild burst of pure instinct, Rainbow Dash threw herself forward again, barely avoiding the bolt of lightning that blasted away at the miniature furrow she had just made, passing by so close that her fur and skin were singed by its passage.

Cursing, she took the air again in the first direction that came to mind, flapping her wings madly as she rapidly picked up speed, desperate to get somewhere, anywhere, that wasn’t here. Up, down, left, right, it didn’t matter so long as she managed to put some distance between her and that lunatic ‘human’...!

“What’s the matter? Runnin’ scared?” That voice suddenly came from behind her, and Rainbow Dash started before whirling her head around to look behind her - and indeed, Melchior was hot on her trail, somehow riding atop a nimbus cloud and pursuing her with a speed that rivalled her own.

The cyan pegasus’ mind was so busy whirling with the implications of humans being able to stand atop clouds as well when only pegasi were supposed to be able to do that, that she barely even saw the punch coming in time for her to dodge it by a hairsbreadth.

“Ha! Good, you’re getting faster!” Melchior crowed as though he was enjoying the sport of this, and then his left leg blurred forward again. Rainbow barely saw it coming, and she lifted up her forelegs just in time to block the brunt of the blow.

“Nnnggghhh!” The pegasus let out a pained grunt as she was sent tumbling helplessly through the air again, but this time she managed to regain control of herself. As her wings flared outwards to slow her fall, the panicking mare found herself struggling to comprehend this nightmarish situation, her thoughts racing along at a breakneck pace.

Starless hells above, who the hay is this guy!? Showing up out of nowhere and then just attacking me? What the hay is going on here!?

Any further thoughts were immediately forced out of Rainbow Dash’s mind as Melchior renewed his assault, and a barrage of punches and kicks streaked her way.

The unknown human was moving so fast that it was all Rainbow Dash could even do to keep up. Every single blow he threw her way was either dodged, or blocked, or parried aside by nothing more than an hairsbreadth. But, even if she was able to avoid the worst of the attacks, Rainbow Dash was already stretching her reflexes and speed to their limits. Even if she managed to keep up her defense, launching a counter-attack was clearly out of the question.

Get away...! I have to get away!

Letting out a desperate cry, the mare lifted her hind legs in an unexpected burst of speed, and bucked straight off of Melchior’s chest with every bit of force she could muster. Taking the brief window of opportunity as her opponent stumbled back, Rainbow Dash immediately turned tail and zoomed off, desperate to open up at least some distance between them.

“Hey, get back here!”

Rainbow Dash barely even heard Melchior’s enraged shout as she tore through the sky. Suddenly, a blast of white fire slammed square into her back, sending her wings into wild spasms and eliciting a scream of pain from the pegasus as she was thrown wildly off course.

The smell of burnt meat and singed fur leaking into her nostrils, Rainbow Dash belatedly realized that Melchior must have hit her with a lightning bolt while she had been retreating.

Ah, horsefeathers...!

Frantically flapping her spasming wings in an attempt to get them working, she finally managed to flare them outwards several seconds later, bringing her uncontrolled tumble to a halt and sparing her a punishing impact against the ground beneath her.

Gasping out in relief, she quickly threw herself into an upward climb, trying to regain lost altitude in case Melchior tried to make her crash again. Honestly, she wasn’t going to be called Rainbow Crash again by the end of this fight... if she even survived it!

Fluttershy had been in the midst of feeding Angel Bunny his lunch when the first lightning bolt struck.

The accompanying thunderclap rolled right over Fluttershy’s cottage, and at the sudden CRACK-OOM!!! the butter yellow pegasus had immediately dived under her couch, shaking madly in fright.

It had taken several whacks over the head with a carrot from Angel Bunny to finally coax her out from beneath her furniture and take a look outside. To Fluttershy’s surprise, the sky was actually clear - there wasn’t a trace of a single grey stormcloud in the sky. In fact, besides the warm, friendly sunshine, the endless blue expanse was entirely empty.

So why exactly had there been the sound of a thunderbolt just now? There hadn’t been a thunderstorm scheduled for today by the pegasi weather team...

And then another thunderclap struck. And then another. And another. And before Fluttershy knew it, she was cowering underneath her table, Angel Bunny staring at her with a very annoyed look on his face.

A thumb jabbed over the tiny rabbit’s shoulder, and his irritated expression seemed to scream “Don’t you think you ought to get out there and see what’s going on!?”

“Oh, but what if there’s an unscheduled storm outside? I don’t want to get accidentally struck by-”

A paw suddenly slapped lightly across her face, and Fluttershy immediately snapped out of her needless worrying, giving Angel Bunny a grateful look. “Yes, you’re right, Angel bunny. I’m probably worrying too much. There’s nothing to be scared o-”

CRACK-OOM!!!

“Eeep!”

Angel’s expression said it all: This was going to be a long day.

Several minutes later Fluttershy had finally mustered the courage to step outside her cottage despite the frequent thunderclaps. Walking down the path away from her home, she saw that the sky was indeed clear; not a single stormcloud was in sight.

So what then was causing all those dreadful thunderclaps?

Another CRACK-OOM!!! not more than a second later sent her jumping several feet straight into the air, and gave her an answer - in the sky above her, a single gray cloud floated serenely in the air... and several lightning bolts were issuing from it every few seconds, seemingly chasing after...

Fluttershy’s heart dropped to the pit of her stomach when she saw just what the lightning bolts were coming dangerously close to hitting, and she immediately bolted forward in a dead gallop, a cold sweat breaking out on her forehead.

There was no mistaking the rainbow-colored trail that was circling around that cloud - she had to get to Rainbow Dash before something terrible happened!

Another bolt of lightning suddenly flashed past her, leaving the air around her crackling and tangy with the stench of ozone. Cursing, Rainbow Dash pushed her body as far as she could, her heart pounding wildly in her chest and adrenaline coursing through her veins, reducing the throbbing in her chest and her cheek to nigh imperceptible levels.

More bolts flashed past her in attempts to catch her off-guard again, but this time she was ready for them. The seconds slowly ticked by as she began to outpace the attacks bit by bit, her speed increasing slowly and steadily.

A brief sideways glance, and she had Melchior’s location - up above and circling around to her left, still perched upon his nimbus, and firing off more lightning bolts with each thrust of his palms.

Smirking, Rainbow Dash decided right then that it was time to put a stop to that.

Abruptly veering towards her pursuer, Rainbow Dash narrowly avoided yet another lightning bolt that Melchior had been leading on her, one that certainly would have been hit her had she not suddenly changed course.

Streaking forward like a missile, the cyan pegasus tackled Melchior right in the gut before he even had time to react, throwing him off his nimbus. A quick kick from her hind legs reduced the nimbus to vapor, and she grabbed Melchior by the collar of his coat.

“Let’s see you fly without your cloud!”

Spinning around several times, building up momentum, Rainbow Dash felt the burning energy coursing through her body reach a boiling crescendo, and with all her strength, she hurled Melchior towards the ground, not unlike how he had thrown her downwards mere moments ago.

“Hyaaaaah!!!”

A satisfied grin spread over her face as she watched Melchior fall - let’s see how he liked it when he was on the receiving end!

The human dropped like a meteor, slamming right into ground far below, the impact kicking up a sizeable dust cloud. As the cyan pegasus looked down, she realized that she had just hurled Melchior right through the canopy of the Everfree Forest.

Both the forest canopy and the dust cloud obscured Rainbow Dash’s view of the miniature crater he had no doubt left behind, however, and she couldn’t see whether or not her opponent was still standing, or if he was even conscious. Then again, she did just hurl him with enough force to gouge a crater in the ground, and it was the Everfree Forest she had just thrown him into. Surely no pony could’ve survived that!

“... Huh. Really, that’s it?” a panting Rainbow Dash, despite her exhaustion, managed to smirk to herself as she dusted herself off, letting out a sigh of relief. “Well, guess he really was all bark and no... bi... te...”

The rainbow-maned pegasus’ voice trailed off as her ears perked up, picking out the faintest mutterings of something. The dust below began to clear, and as she strained her eyes and ears to look through the Everfree’s canopy, she could barely make out a dark shape... still... standing...

“Disappear with the thunder...”

Oh, horseapples, that couldn’t be good...

“KIRIN.”

Abruptly, the rest of the dust cloud was blown away, reduced to so much vapor as an utterly massive blast of blue-white energy, crackling with electricity, came streaking her way. Rainbow Dash let out a yell of surprise as she barely managed to dodge to the side in time, avoiding the certainly-lethal blast, but leaving herself completely open to what came next.

In the aftershock of the blast, Melchior suddenly appeared before her in a flash of yellow lightning, his blade reared backwards behind him and ready to deal a killing blow. He was still flying forward, airborne somehow, and... was that a lightning bolt he was surfing on!?

“You’re finished!” Rainbow Dash heard his voice proclaim through the haze of her shock, and a sudden streak of white-hot, burning agony slashed across her chest as his sword sliced a ragged, bloody line, sending droplets of blood flying.

Guh... wha...!? Rainbow Dash’s mind was so mind boggled by the sheer speed at which Melchior had been moving, and simultaneously addled by the pain of her wounds, that she could barely even think. Her body simply reacted, and she threw herself backwards, desperate to open up some distance between the two of them.

“Ride the lightning, bitch!” Melchior crowed triumphantly as he zipped around for another pass. Before Rainbow Dash knew it he had disappeared from sight, and then his boot suddenly planted itself in the small of her back. More electricity coursed through her body, sending her muscles into agonized spasms as Melchior’s electrified kick sent her flying through the air yet again.

“Gaaah!” Rainbow Dash let out another scream of pain as her entire body convulsed. It only through sheer force of will that she was somehow able to shut out the pain and force her shaking, exhausted body to obey her commands.

Quickly regaining herself and halting her tumble, she raggedly beat her wings in an attempt to beat another hasty retreat, barely even aware of what direction she was flying in - as long as it was away from Melchior!

Celestia, could nothing even stop this guy!?

Fluttershy had been galloping forward with her gaze craned towards the sky for several minutes now.

The spectacular show of aerial acrobatics had been brought to an abrupt end when Rainbow Dash had suddenly streaked towards the cloud that had been shooting lightning bolts at her, and Fluttershy watched in horrified fascination as the cyan pegasus threw herself forward in a flying tackle at the cloud.

At first, Fluttershy had no idea why Rainbow Dash would have done that. However, as the grey mass of the cloud disappeared with a quick kick from the speedster’s hind legs, she realized that Rainbow Dash had tackled off somepony from the cloud...

… or rather, something, as Fluttershy realized with a shock when she took a closer look.

Suddenly, Dash began to spin around rapidly in mid-air, still holding onto whatever it was she had tackled, as though building up momentum, and Fluttershy swore she could have seen the slightest crackles of blue-white electricity dancing around her friend’s forehooves...

And then all of a sudden her spinning stopped, and she hurled whatever it was she was holding in her hooves groundwards. The unknown object plummeted down like a missile, and Fluttershy found herself gasping in horror at what she had just seen Rainbow Dash do.

Had her best friend, of all ponies, really just hurled a creature down to its death on the ground far below, and murdered in cold blood?

No! No! Rainbow Dash would never! She wouldn’t! Fluttershy thought desperately to herself as fear lent her legs even greater swiftness. Yet, despite the increase in her speed, it felt like every step she took was a mere inch compared to the miles that stretched out between her and Rainbow Dash.

As she watched helplessly, the unknown object slammed right into the ground ahead of her. It was only then, with her gaze finally torn away from the sky overhead, that Fluttershy took note of the treeline steadily approaching her - she was running straight towards the Everfree Forest.

“Eeeep!” the terrified squeak squeezed itself out of Fluttershy’s throat, which had suddenly locked up from sheer fright, and her hooves immediately dug into the ground in front of her in a frantic attempt to stop her forward gallop.

Oh my, oh no, oh dear, it fell inside there, but I can’t go inside there! It’s so dark, and scary, but oh goodness what if it needs help? What if Rainbow Dash needs help? What if... what if... Ohhh... Ohhhhh...

Before her panicked train of thought could get any further, another sudden blast of lightning elicited another startled squeak from her. But even as Fluttershy reflexively scrambled backwards, she couldn’t help but notice that there was something different about this one.

Firstly, it had originated from the ground.

Secondly, it had come within a hairsbreadth of striking Rainbow Dash.

By the stars - somepony was trying to kill her!

As she stood there trembling, frozen by indecision and fear of the unknowns that lay before her, Fluttershy’s mind frantically tried to kickstart her body into action. A series of unusually strong thoughts raced through the mare’s mind, screaming at her that Rainbow Dash was up there, that somepony was trying to kill her best friend, and that she had to help her!

GET IT TOGETHER, FLUTTERSHY! Rainbow Dash needs you!!!

Gulping, the pegasus narrowed her eyes in determination. Resolutely, she started her forward gallop again, paying no heed to the darkness that enveloped her as she charged into the Everfree Forest’s shadowy paths.

Slamming into the hard packed earth beneath her once again, Rainbow Dash let out an agonized gasp, blood dripping from her mouth and splattering onto the ground next to her.

Stars above, there just was no stopping him. No matter what she threw at him, or how she tried to flee, Melchior always remained one step ahead of her. Bruises and slash wounds covered almost every conceivable inch of her body, and her wings had been mangled and broken beyond recognition. Yet somehow, she still managed to push on, and not collapse into a bloodied, battered heap.

Cursing, she placed her hooves beneath her, forcing her body upright again as she turned to face Melchior, still standing atop his lightning bolt above her. Her entire body continued to burn from the inside out with that sizzling energy that pulsed through her veins, each new pulse renewed by every beat of her heart, every beat giving her strength.

Strength that was just barely enough to push through the haze of pain and exhaustion that hung over her entire body. She had been pushed to her very limits constantly these past few minutes, and yet something inside her just kept her going, something that refused to let her fall.

Her wings, despite being sliced up and having their bones broken in more places than she even knew she had, continued to flap, and she clumsily took to the air again, lunging straight at Melchior with a speed that belied her battered state.

But it was still not fast enough. Between the several times the two had tussled in mid-air and gone hoof to fist, Melchior had always come away the victor. Even now, after all their aerial bouts, he had only a few bruises and light cuts, whereas Rainbow Dash had been wounded beyond anything she had even experienced in her life.

Heck, even as Melchior sent her flying backwards yet again, Rainbow Dash’s mind absently contemplated the fact that, given the wounds she had sustained, she should have already died three times over.

Crashing unceremoniously into the dirt of the Everfree Forest’s floor for what felt like the thousandth time, the cyan pegasus struggled to get back up onto her hooves again, when the sudden sound of boots scuffing against dirt came to her ears.

Abruptly, a pair of booted feet came into her field of vision, and then a strong, firm hand closed itself around her throat in a vice-like grip. Gasping for breath, Rainbow Dash felt herself lifting helplessly into the air, her hind legs dangling several feet off the ground. Melchior’s face soon came into view, and the yellow-haired human’s expression was... snide, to say the least.

“Well, can’t say I’m impressed by your skill, but damn if you ain’t one tenacious bitch.” The smirk on his face made Rainbow want to just wipe it off with a clean hook from her forehoof, but she just couldn’t summon the strength anymore - all she could do was paw uselessly at the hand gripping her throat with her forehooves. “I’ve never seen anything like you that could take all that punishment I just dished out and still keep coming back for more.”

Rainbow Dash’s pride, despite her exhaustion, stirred angrily in response. Indignant fury managed to override her ruined body, giving her just enough strength to carry out one last act of defiance.

“G-go to hell,” the cyan pegasus spat in her captor’s face, but, if anything, her resistance only seemed to make the grin on Melchior’s face grow even wider.

“Finally. Some freakin’ backbone when I’m looking for it. Now, what do you say we just put an end to this?”

“J... Just get it over with...”

Melchior’s smirk only grew. “Very well then... if you insist!”

Before Rainbow Dash knew it, she was suddenly flung into the air, high above the ground... and high above the Everfree canopy. She blinked, and as the clouds began zipping past her she belatedly realized that she had been thrown up beyond the cloud layers.

A brief downward glance rewarded her with the sight of a tiny dot, all that she could see of Melchior at this point... and yet, despite the distance between them, she heard his next words clear as day, every syllable reverberating through her very body and soul.

“Thunder; Famfrit, the Darkening Cloud!!!”

And then she saw it.

From behind Melchior, it appeared. That very same colossus of lightning that she faced in her dream last night, it slowly began to manifest and coalesce into a solid shape behind Melchior... and as she watched, a suit of aqua-blue armor gilded with golden crests began to solidify around its electric body - a suit of armor that was utterly dwarfed by the massive flail connected to its shoulder by a thick iron chain.

As the giant blue-clad knight bent itself at the knees, Rainbow Dash’s half-closed eyes instinctively locked on the speck that was Melchior far below her, barely noting that her aggressor was mirroring the construct’s movements - or rather, perhaps it was mirroring his movements?

And then the duo suddenly took to the air in a truly massive leap, and Rainbow Dash belatedly realized that while she was still ascending at a blistering rate, Melchior and his colossus were swiftly catching up on her.

At that point, the pegasus’ brain was working on rapid fire. Several facts registered with her in quick succession - firstly, her rate of ascent. She had experienced this kind of velocity before, and that happened only during one kind of occasion - when she was approaching Sonic Rainboom levels of speed.

Even now, she could already feel the resistance of the sound barrier tugging at her, fighting to push her back and halt her ascent. Luckily, it didn’t take much more than a few flaps of her wings took care of that - Melchior had already given her one heck of a head start in speed.

Second, Melchior’s own rate of ascent meant that he would probably catch up with her soon... in fact, probably within a few seconds, he would be mere inches behind her, within point blank range of a Sonic Rainboom if she managed to pull one off.

The third fact that registered with her was the putting of the first two facts together - and with it, came a sliver of hope for victory.

If she could pull this off, she just might make it out of this alive!

Hope lent her wings strength, and with it, the dynamo within her heart began to pulse with energy again. Once more, that strange, sizzling power spread throughout her entire body, causing the haze of pain and fatigue that had fallen over her to disappear completely.

Having never felt stronger in her life, Rainbow Dash aimed herself skyward, and blasted forward with all her might. The resistance of the sound barrier strained against her, holding her back with everything it had... but just... a little... further...

It never stood a chance. If the sound barrier had been a thick, elastic rubber wall that she had struggled against to break through previously, it now shattered before her like a sheet of fragile glass.

The cyan speedster’s velocity tore right through the barrier as though it had been made of paper mache, and there was a gigantic KA-BOOM!!! that she felt explode behind her, its psychedelic aftershock already spreading far, far outwards around her.

But there was only one aftereffect that she was concerned with. Still travelling at supersonic velocities, the rainbow-maned pegasus veered around until she was streaking straight towards the ground beneath her. Just as she had hoped, her opponent was falling, completely stunned and blasted towards the ground by the aftershock of the Sonic Rainboom she had just performed.

Melchior tumbled through the air gracelessly, the azure giant that was Famfrit mirroring his descent not more than a few feet from him. The yellow-haired human was completely helpless in his tumble, and Rainbow Dash took exactly that opportunity to blast forward and tackle him right in the gut.

As she rocketed groundwards like a meteor, Famfrit was suddenly yanked along with them, as though connected to Melchior by some invisible tether. Melchior battered at her body with his fists, but Rainbow Dash felt none of it - her vision was completely focused on that one single point that lay beyond her.

The one single point on the ground that, upon impact, would transfer every single joule of her accumulated kinetic energy into the ground, and release every iota of it in an explosive detonation of thermal and light energy.

An explosive transfer of energy known to many Ponyvilleians as the “Sonic Rainnuke”.

KRAAAAACKKKK-OOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!!

The resulting mushroom cloud could have been seen for miles around. And, just a mile or two away, a certain yellow-furred pegasus caught sight of the cloud, before immediately doubling her speed, galloping heedlessly through the Everfree forest.

Rainbow Dash gasped out as she rose to a sitting position, ignoring the blood that steadily dripped from the corner of her mouth. The sizzling current of power that had been coursing through her body less than a minute ago had ebbed to a low, numbing buzz, and her body felt so heavy that it was all that she could do to even move it.

But all that didn’t matter. Because she’d done it!

She’d survived her encounter with this mad human and lived to tell the tale!

Melchior’s body lay unmoving beneath hers, his coat smoking from the heat of the impact, and his fingers limply curled around the handle of his greatsword. From what Rainbow Dash could see, it certainly didn’t look like he was getting up anytime soon. Famfrit lay half-buried in a nearby mini-crater, half of its massive armored body blocked by the earth it was buried in.

Leaning back, Rainbow Dash let out a laugh, and simply relished the feeling of being alive.

She was still alive!

The pegasus had still been the middle of getting the chuckles out of her system, slowly forcing herself back onto numb, trembling legs that could barely take her weight, when the unthinkable happened. Without warning, Melchior’s yellow eyes snapped open, and his gloved hand shot up from beneath the mare, latching onto her larynx with an incredible strength.

“Hurk! W-whuh-!?” Rainbow Dash could only splutter in shock and horror as her supposedly-defeated opponent began to slowly rise from the ground, his coat still smoking from the impact, his electric yellow hair slightly singed.

“Well, well... I was intending to do things the tedious way for me while making the transfer nicer and easier for ya...” Melchior let out a low, menacing growl that made Dash’s blood freeze right in her veins. “If you’d just kept on flying unconscious up there like you were supposed to and not pulled that rainbow shit off, you might’ve just gotten through the whole thing painlessly. But now that you’ve done gone and pissed me off...”

Slowly, the azure giant plucked itself from the soil behind the black-clad human, and Rainbow Dash could only watch in mounting dread as it got to its feet and slowly walked towards them, each step of the colossus visibly quaking the ground.

“I’m going to do this the easy way, which is only gonna make it all the more unpleasant for you,” Melchior finished. “But, I suppose a little spitfire like you can handle a little pain, eh?”

Whatever feisty reply the pegasus had in mind came out only as a strangled croak - Melchior didn’t even give her the chance to finish, and he nodded to Famfrit.

The azure giant then did something that Rainbow Dash did not expect at all. Instead of raising its flail, it brought its right arm up behind Melchior, and stiffening its fingers into a rigid palm, drove its entire arm square into Melchior’s back right up till its armored elbow.

The human visibly flinched at the impact, a wince passing across his face, but the most surprising thing was that Famfrit’s arm didn’t erupt out from the other side of his chest. No, instead the azure giant’s arm began to crackle with electricity, and as it did, so too did the entirety of Melchior’s body.

“You’d better brace yourself,” Melchior sneered as lightning arced about his entire being, his yellow eyes glowing from within with a mad, yellow spark, “cos this is gonna sting a lot!”

And before Rainbow Dash could even begin to brace herself, Melchior reared his free arm back, a ball of electricity gathering within his palm, and then thrust his entire arm right into her chest.

Only Melchior’s grip on her throat kept the scream of agony from erupting from her. Searing, blinding pain raced across her entire body, burning her from the inside out with its sheer intensity. Light assaulted her eyes in blinding displays, stabbing at her retinas with millions of tiny knives.

The agony was so intense that she was barely aware of what was going on around her, entirely unaware of the fact she was in the epicentre of a massive thunderbolt that was currently arcing skywards. Of Melchior, she could perceive no trace through the blinding curtain of pain that blanketed all of her senses, and left her blind and deaf to the world around her.

After what seemed like an eternity later, the searing surges of agony finally receded, and as numbness began to creep across her entire being, Rainbow Dash gratefully welcomed the darkness that soon came mercifully after... But not before hearing one last message as she slipped into oblivion.

Damn thing was killing me from the inside out the moment I inherited it improperly anyway...

You’d damn well better make good use of this, y’hear!?

When the light finally faded and the lightning disappeared, there was a massive clearing where the two combatants had once stood, at the centre of which was a large crater.

And within the crater lay a single, twitching female body... a female body with two arms, two legs, pale skin, and a long, wild shock of rainbow-colored hair descending from her head.

[ambient]

After galloping for what felt like dozens of miles, Fluttershy finally came to a stop at a massive clearing - a clearing that had lain in the direction of the massive thunderbolt she had seen arcing skyward not more than a few minutes ago.

From what little she could see through the Everfree’s canopy, Rainbow Dash had somehow managed to perform another Sonic Rainboom, and followed it up with another freefall dive that led right into a Sonic Rainnuke. Fluttershy knew that these maneuvers weren’t just any old tricks Rainbow Dash would just pull out willy nilly, not unless she was seriously “getting the lead out”, as her rainbow-maned friend was so fond of putting it.

If there was something that had forced Rainbow Dash to play both of her trump cards back to back, Fluttershy knew just how grave the situation was, and just how badly her fillyhood friend needed help.

That was why she barely even hesitated as she galloped towards the crater, her hooves hardly touching the ground as she practically flew to the crater’s edge. Nearing the depression, she found herself praying to Celestia that she wouldn’t find Rainbow Dash either dead or dying.

What she saw inside sent her brain scrambling for several seconds, frantically searching for a decent explanation as to just what lay before her.

Inside the crater was not a cyan-furred pegasus.

Inside the crater was a creature that looked more akin to a hairless ape than anything. It had two legs and two arms, the latter of which both ended in a hand that possessed five dextrous-looking digits, and its pale skin was almost completely devoid of fur or hair.

It lay facedown, and she could not get a clear look at its visage. However, as she took a closer look... she realized with a gasp that there was no mistaking that pair of cyan-feathered wings that extended from its back, or the wild mane of rainbow-colored hair that extended from its head... no, her head.

There was no mistaking it. This unknown, this creature... was her friend Rainbow Dash.

Carefully honed caring instincts from years of looking after injured and sick animals immediately kicked in, and Fluttershy swiftly moved forward, quickly inspecting her friend’s strange body for injuries, external or otherwise.

As far as Fluttershy could tell, Rainbow Dash was unhurt, even in this new... body, thank Celestia. However, it didn’t take the meek mare long to realize that she wouldn’t be any closer to getting help if she just stayed there. Quickly, she tried to nudge her friend over, trying to get Rainbow Dash onto her back so she could carry her back to Ponyville hospital.

At her nudgings, a soft, agonized moan came forth from the creature’s throat, and Fluttershy’s breath hitched in her chest as she recognized its voice.

There was no doubt about it - new body or not, this was Rainbow Dash.

Half a minute of struggling later, and Fluttershy realized that there was no way she could get something so huge over her back! Rainbow Dash’s new body was at least half again her size, and weighed so much more. There was just no way she could do it on her own...

Suddenly, a pale light began to surround Rainbow Dash’s body. Squeaking in fright, Fluttershy immediately backed away several steps, watching in trepidation as the glow began to envelop her friend... until it faded away a few seconds later, leaving behind not her friend’s mysterious new body, but the familiar, welcome sight of the cyan-furred, rainbow-maned pegasus that she had known for her entire life.

Rainbow Dash was still unconscious at that point, but, as Fluttershy gratefully picked up the now-much-lighter load and hoisted her friend onto her back, the butter-yellow pegasus couldn’t help but let out a tiny, relieved smile, the tension in her chest easing just the slightest bit.

“Don’t you worry, Rainbow Dash. I’m going to get you home safe.”

Revelations

This is the continuation of the story of six mares who have yet to realize their own destinies.

After a sleepless night with a strange dream, Rainbow Dash soon finds herself confronted by a strange creature never before encountered in Equestria.

Calling himself a ‘human’ by the name of ‘Melchior, North Blitz of the Order of Koaxia’, he then proceeded to attack Rainbow Dash, forcing her to defend herself. However, the way he attacked suggested that he was testing Rainbow Dash for something, and after several minutes of forcing her to her very limits, he finally brought it to an end for an unknown “transfer”.

Rainbow Dash refused to let herself be subjected to anything, and managed to briefly knock Melchior unconscious with a point-blank Sonic Rainboom, followed by a Sonic Rainnuke. However, despite her best efforts, she was still unable to defeat him. Subjected to the mysterious “transfer”, she was then turned into a human after a monstrous explosion of energy left no trace of Melchior or his presence.

Fluttershy discovered her friend in her new, unknown body but a few minutes after the fight, and watched as Rainbow Dash slowly regressed back to her equine form, allowing her to carry her back to Ponyville for medical attention.

But even as the Elements gather in concern for their fallen friend, another presence begins its work, the ghostly breaths of winter chills breathing down the back of Rarity’s neck...

“The Order of Koaxia”

Chapter 4

Revelations

~

[ambient]

The thunderous lightning was felt all across the lands of Equestria.

From as close as Ponyville, to as far as Canterlot and Manehatten, heads everywhere simultaneously turned to witness a single, gargantuan shaft of lightning arc heavenwards. For those who lived in that quaint little village on the edge of the Everfree Forest, it was apparent that the blast did indeed originate from the mysterious wilderness that they so rightly feared.

As the blast streaked towards the heavens, more than one mind of significance turned its attention towards it. Princess Celestia had been in her personal study, in the midst of perusing her student’s latest letters, when the booming thunder tore her from her reverie.

Her head had immediately snapped to her window, eyes widening as the largest lightning bolt she had ever seen in her life bridged a stairway between heaven and earth. Its scope was so massive in scale that she actually forgot what she had been doing at the moment, and the quill she had been levitating just a second ago dropped soundlessly to the floor.

Princess Luna had been slumbering in her chambers when the bolt struck. As the massive thunderclap rolled over the castle and violently rattled her window panes, the Princess of the Night had shot upright, her chest heaving in surprise and panic as she turned to witness a gargantuan lightning strike bridge the heavens to earth. In a flash, she had bolted out of her bed, cantering urgently towards her sister’s chambers.

Twilight had been in the midst of a highly delicate experiment when the thunderclap hit. The sudden KRACKOOOOOM!!! effectively shattered her concentration and with it her grip, the contents of the test tube she had been delicately manipulating dumping into a nearby beaker. The resulting, luckily small, explosion, left her mane a poofy mess and blackened her face with no small amount of soot. Quickly wiping the offending layer of ash away, the unicorn trotted over to the window, her jaw falling open as she beheld the largest thunderbolt she had ever seen in her life.

Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo had been on one of the orange, pegasus filly’s patented scooter rides when they saw it. Streaking down a path towards Ponyville that allowed them a clear, unobstructed view of the brilliant bolt, the three fillies had gawked unashamedly. At least, they had until Scootaloo, her attention fully yanked away from the road, drove straight into a previously unseen fence, the impact sending the trio on a one way trip into the dirt.

Rarity had just been exiting her boutique, ready to do some grocery shopping, when she caught sight of the titanic lightning strike. The sight of the majestic thunderbolt, in all of its terrible beauty, rooted her to the spot, and she found herself unable to move as she stared at it in shocked awe. A brief shiver of cold, slowly creeping down the back of her neck, shook her out of her daze, and she absently rubbed at her nape, wondering what had caused the sudden chill.

And miles away, in a sanctuary hidden away in the depths of the Everfree, four minds colluded in the wake of the blast.

“Should have known Melchior would just charge in head first. Always taking the least subtle path, the simpleton,” the first voice quietly spoke, its words heavily laden with disapproval.

“That idiot probably just gave our presence away to the entire world with that little stunt!” an angry second voice loudly protested. “If he were still around, I’d throttle his scrawny neck myself-”

“Easy there, Smith,” a third, older, and rougher voice interjected as he rose a hand to cut the second speaker off. “At least Melchior had the sense to bring the battle to a place where none of the locals would dare to go visit. We won’t have to worry about anybody discovering our presence prematurely. Everything will still proceed according to plan.”

“No offence, boss, but your plan stinks. Why am I the fourth one to go anyway? I’m getting tired of sitting around here all day doin’ nothing!” a fourth voice complained impatiently.

“You will get your chance eventually, Cas’. Balthazar has already left to complete his part of the plan,” the third voice said in a measured tone. “It won’t be long now... And none too soon. I sense that we’re already running out of time... The Legion’s influence has already taken root in this world.”

“Nice faceplant there, Scootaloo,” Apple Bloom groaned as she picked herself up from the ground. Sweetie Belle moaned her agreement, wincing in pain as she clutched at her bruised forehead, and the orange pegasus filly was nursing a skinned knee as she got to her hooves, already preparing a retort.

“Hey! But you gotta admit, that thunderbolt there was awesome. Did you see how big it was!?” Scootaloo gushed as she pointed excitedly to where the massive thunderbolt had been just a few seconds ago. “Wow, I’d bet it’s probably some wicked new stunt that Rainbow Dash just came up with! SO HARDCORE!”

“Ah dunno about that, Scoots,” Apple Bloom replied pensively. “That lightning looked like it came from the Everfree forest. Since when did Rainbow Dash practice her moves over there?”

“Oh come on!” defended Scootaloo. “Since when did some pesky forest ever get in the way of Rainbow Dash being awesome?”

“You have a point there, Scootaloo,” Sweetie Belle shrugged. “But even Rainbow Dash wouldn’t be caught flying over the Everfree if she could help it. That place just isn’t right. I got a feeling, there’s something about that bolt that we don’t know about...”

Apple Bloom and Scootaloo both looked at their pensive, spacey fellow crusader, and simultaneously facehoofed with an expression that just screamed “you don’t say?”

Of course they didn’t know anything about the lightning bolt, save that it was huge as all buck and that it had come from the Everfree Forest. That second point right there was usually more than enough to close any discussion down flat, case closed, end of story. Nopony ever liked discussing the Everfree Forest as a topic for extended periods, and that meant nopony.

Still, Sweetie Belle had a point. Whatever had caused that lightning bolt, it certainly couldn’t have been Rainbow Dash! As boisterous and cocksure as the aspiring Wonderbolt was, there were some things even the bravest of ponies would think twice about doing. Venturing into the Everfree forest for something as frivolous as practicing aerial stunts was definitely one of them.

Having come to the conclusion that the lightning bolt probably had nothing to do with Rainbow Dash, the three crusaders had packed back up onto Scootaloo’s scooter within a matter of moments. Soon, they were back to zipping around Ponyville in their typical, high-octane, lowbrow rides that always seemed to bring them uncomfortably close to disaster...

At least, they were until the three of them skidded around the bend of the road passing by Ponyville General Hospital. Until they beheld the sight of a panting Fluttershy hauling an unconscious Rainbow Dash over her back through the hospital doors. Until complete and utter shock hit them with all the subtlety of a brick to the face.

Scootaloo’s jaw immediately dropped in horror, as her mind desperately attempted to process the gut-wrenching scene. Without bothering to wait for her friends’ consent, the little pegasus pushed her wings into overdrive, and zoomed right for the doors, determined to intercept Fluttershy and find out just what the hay was going on.

Nurse Redheart hadn’t been expecting much activity at Ponyville General Hospital that day - she had already finished up most of her nursing duties for the patients currently warded in the hospital, and had been looking forward to a relaxing lunch break, when the doors to the hospital reception lobby suddenly burst open.

Of all the sudden disturbances she could’ve possibly been mentally prepared for, a panting, gasping Fluttershy with an unconscious Rainbow Dash draped across her back was not one of them.

The normally meek and reserved pegasus had staggered up to the reception desk, her exhaustion evident in her trembling legs and ragged breaths. Coming back to her senses, Redheart had galloped out to meet her halfway, concern lending her speed, and the nurse quickly relieved Fluttershy of Rainbow Dash’s limp weight.

“Everfree Forest... crashed... don’t know what happened... Please, help her...” Fluttershy had gasped out in a barely audible voice. Nodding, Redheart gently loaded the unconscious cyan pegasus onto a nearby gurney, her voice firm yet assuring.

“Don’t worry, Fluttershy. Your friend’s going to be all right,” she had told the worried pegasus, her soothing words full of comfort. Leaving Fluttershy standing in an exhausted daze, the nurse quickly began wheeling Rainbow Dash away into Triage, her attention fully focused on her patient.

The butter yellow pegasus slowly began to stagger over to the nearest bench, her exhausted limbs shaking with fatigue from having hauled Rainbow Dash all the way here. She had barely even begun to sit down, however, when the doors to the hospital burst open again, allowing three energetic young fillies to barrel towards her.

"Fluttershy!" Scootaloo called out to the startled mare, the orange pegasus filly foremost amongst the three frantic bundles of energy. "What happened? Was that Rainbow Dash just now? Why was she unconscious?"

Quickly holding a hoof up to halt the endless stream of questions, Fluttershy took in a shaky breath, still trying to regain her wind after the non-stop gallop from the Everfree all the way to the hospital.

"I don't know what happened, girls," The soft-spoken pegasus told them quietly. "After that giant bolt of lightning came from the Everfree Forest, I found her inside a crater there. She wasn't injured, but no matter what I tried on the way here, I just couldn't wake her up! She was still breathing, but, ohhh, I just don't know what's wrong with her..."

"But... But she's gonna be alright, no?" Sweetie Belle tried hopefully, catching sight of the fear-stricken expression spreading over Scootaloo's face. If anything untoward were to happen to Ponyville's premiere weather pegasus, Scootaloo would definitely be amongst those feeling it the most keenly. "I mean, it's Rainbow Dash we're talking about here! If anypony can survive anything, it's her!"

"I... I don't know, girls. I'm sorry." Fluttershy hung her head defeatedly, obviously having doubts of her own. "Could... Could you three be dears and help me call Twilight and the others here? They have to know what happened, but I have to stay here to see if there's any word from the doctors about Rainbow's condition..."

At that, Scootaloo's mouth set itself in a grim, hard line, and she immediately nodded.

"You got it, Fluttershy!" The pegasus filly turned to her friends, her mouth already opening to bark out orders, when a pink tornado suddenly exploded through the lobby doors, revealing a sweating and panting Pinkie Pie.

"Where is she!?" the pink earth pony practically screeched, zooming over to Fluttershy and grabbing the yellow pegasus by the shoulders, her eyes wide with panic and fear. "Is Rainbow Dash alright!?"

"P-Pinkie!" Fluttershy squeaked as she tried to squirm out of the pink pony's frantic grip. "I-I just brought her here, I don't know what's wrong with her yet! She's just unconscious right now."

Upon hearing that, the pink partygoer visibly relaxed, but none of the fear and concern left her eyes. "Oh, thank Celestia! I can't imagine if anything worse might have happened!"

"Wait a sec Pinkie, how'dja know so fast that Rainbow Dash was here in the hospital?" Apple Bloom asked, her expression twisted in confusion.

"Pinkie sense!" Pinkie Pie explained hurriedly, turning to face the crusaders. "Twitchy tail always means something was gonna fall, but a double twitchy tail, pinchy knee and full body shake meant that a rainbow was gonna fall, and it was gonna be REALLY scary! But rainbows don't fall, so I put two and two together, and GAAAAAASP, I realized the only rainbow that could fall was Rainbow Dash! And if... if the fall was something scary..." the pink earth pony's voice cracked ever so slightly. "Oh, Celestia, I was so worried something bad had happened to her!"

“She’s going to be all right, Pinkie.” Fluttershy laid a reassuring hoof on her friend’s shoulder, and looked at the three gathered fillies imploringly. “Please, girls, could you help us go get the others and bring them here? If... if it’s all right with you, that is...”

“Not a problem, Fluttershy!” Scootaloo affirmed determinedly. "Come on, Cutie Mark Crusaders! Let's go get Twilight and the others!"

With a cry of unison, the three fillies charged out of the hospital lobby, Scootaloo already having a plan in mind. “Sweetie Belle, go get your sister! Apple Bloom, you go get Applejack too! I’ll go and get Twilight!”

“You got it, Scoots!” The yellow filly gave her fellow crusader a mock salute, and galloped off in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres, while Sweetie Belle did the same and barrelled off towards Carousel Boutique.

Galloping down the path towards Ponyville’s library, Scootaloo’s expression hardened in determination. She might not know what exactly was wrong with Rainbow Dash right now, but if there was anything she could do to help her stricken idol, then, with Celestia as her witness, she was going to do it!

Sudden interruption from the thunderbolt aside, Twilight had managed to clean up that little mess without too much hassle, and proceed on with her experiment proper. Having documented her findings on a notepad, one now safely stored away, she had been clearing up her lab’s equipment when she heard the door to the library suddenly burst open.

“Twilight! You’ve gotta come quick! Rainbow Dash just got sent to Ponyville Hospital!” a frantic, familiar voice called out from upstairs, and, at the sound of Rainbow Dash’s name, the lavender unicorn felt a pang of panicked concern lance through her chest. Immediately dropping everything, she dashed up the stairs that led out of her basement.

“Twilight! Are you there!?” Recognized Scootaloo’s frantic voice, Twilight only hastened her speed as she threw the door open, galloping out into the living room to meet the panicking filly.

“I’m here, Scootaloo!” Twilight rushed out breathlessly. “What happened to Rainbow?”

“We don’t know! Fluttershy brought her to the hospital just now, but Rainbow Dash was unconscious and nothing she tried could wake her up!”

The pegasus filly was keeping up a strong, coherent front as she relayed the information. However, Twilight could see in Scootaloo’s eyes that it was all she could do to not break down right then and there. Fear and concern for her idol filled the orange filly’s eyes, her ears flattened against her head, and, despite her stoic exterior, it was apparent to the young scholar just how fragile the little pegasus really was.

“Then there’s no time to lose - we have to get to the hospital! Spikeee!” Twilight called out, and, a few seconds later, the young dragon was rushing down the stairs from the library’s upper floor.

“I heard!” Spike said hurriedly, nodding furiously as he hopped onto Twilight’s back. “Hope Rainbow Dash is all right - c’mon, let’s go!”

Acknowledging her assistant with a nod, Twilight, with Spike perched on her back, followed Scootaloo out of the library, the young filly galloping for all she was worth.

The run to Ponyville hospital didn’t take long - Scootaloo had taken her scooter to the library, and at a full gallop Twilight was only just able to keep pace with the filly’s set of wheels. Within minutes, they had reached the doors to the hospital, and Twilight burst through to find that Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Fluttershy were already gathered there.

“Ah was already in the Ponyville market when Apple Bloom came runnin’ for me,” Applejack explained hastily as Twilight cantered up to them. “Galloped here fast as ah could - what in tarnation happened to Rainbow!?”

“I-I think it had something to do with that huge lightning bolt that came from the Everfree,” Fluttershy murmured softly. "I found her in a crater inside the forest, and she wasn't hurt, but I couldn't wake her up no matter what I tried..."

"Whoa, whoa, slow down a sec there, sugarcube." Applejack suddenly held up a hoof, her expression both skeptical and incredulous. "A crater? In the Everfree? Why would you be even near the Everfree forest in tha firs' place? There something you ain't tellin' us!?"

"Um, well, that is, uh, I-uhm..." Fluttershy floundered helplessly before Applejack's scrutinizing gaze.

"You put a stop to that tone this instant, Applejack!" Rarity suddenly cried out in defense of her friend. "Whatever Fluttershy hasn't told us, I'm sure she either has a good reason, or will tell us everything in due time! There's no good coming out of rushing the poor dear!"

Turning to the now-shaking pegasus, Rarity lay a comforting hoof on her shoulder, speaking as gently as she could. "Now, Fluttershy? Please, do tell us what happened out there."

"I... I don't really know!" Fluttershy wailed helplessly. "All I saw was this cloud shooting lightning everywhere trying to hit Rainbow Dash while she was flying around it and then she tackled something off of it but it didn't look like a pony, a-and then- then..."

The poor pegasus was beginning to hyperventilate, and her panicked rambling ground to a halt as her breathing started getting shallower; she barely managed to take in the tiniest, hiccuping breaths. Recognizing just how pressured her friend was feeling, Rarity quickly took her Fluttershy's face in two hooves, gently guiding the panicking pegasus until she could look directly into her eyes.

"Fluttershy, please, calm down. I'm here, all right? Everything's going to be okay. Breathe, Fluttershy, breathe," Rarity whispered to her quietly. At the sound of the unicorn's voice, Fluttershy calmed visibly, gulping but nodding as her breathing slowed.

"T-Thank you, Rarity." Fluttershy breathed out, and the unicorn released her hold on her, stepping back. “Rainbow Dash, she... Whatever it was she was with up there, she was fighting for her life with it. I saw that she was flying over the Everfree and thought she might have been in danger - I just couldn’t leave her! So I ran inside to find her, and I don’t know how, but she did a sonic rainboom and a sonic rainnuke one after the other, and that’s when the thunderbolt hit. I’m sorry, I don’t know anything more than that!”

“A sonic rainboom and a sonic rainnuke, back to back?” Twilight’s mouth fell open in gaping disbelief. “I didn’t know she had it in her!”

Before the discussion could get any further, however, there was the sound of somepony clearing their throat from behind Applejack. Collectively, the gathered mares turned to see Doctor Stable standing behind them, levitating a clipboard as he glanced at them.

“Miss Rainbow Dash’s friends, right?” he asked with a questioning expression, and when Twilight nodded, he gave a satisfied nod. “Right, well, I have good news and bad news. Which one would you like to hear first?”

Applejack’s stoic expression was strained to the point that she looked ready to fall apart if her hat so much as even dropped, so Twilight quickly stepped in. “The good news please, doctor. I think we all need to know if Rainbow Dash is going to be all right.”

“Very well then.” Doctor Stable looked at his clipboard, and began reading off the details and notes he had taken during his diagnosis. “Your friend seems fine, there’s no sign of external or internal injury. Her vitals are all normal and everything was green across the board - except for her brain.”

“Whaddya mean, ‘except for her brain’!?” Applejack exclaimed hotly, unable to contain herself any longer. “Did somethin’ happen to her?”

“Calm down, Miss Applejack,” the doctor simply replied smoothly. “Your friend’s brain is also fine, just emitting a few unusual neural patterns that we’re keeping an eye on. Usually such patterns are associated with intense dreaming, but there’s something slightly different about this. We’re still working on identifying exactly what it means.”

“I... I see,” Twilight murmured, her mind whirling with the possible implications of the doctor’s information. Perhaps if she could just get close enough to Rainbow Dash to examine this herself... “Wait, doctor, you said that her neural patterns were closely related to those of intense dreaming - do you mean that she’s like, asleep?”

Doctor Stable sighed, and he fixed them with a sympathetic look. “Well ladies, that’s the bad news. I’m afraid Miss Dash is in a coma.”

Huh...? Where... where am I...?

Shhh... Hush now, you must rest. You have just been through a difficult battle...

W-wha-? Who... who are you?

I am that which watches over you, who lends you strength and keeps you alive.

Kuh... Keeps me alive? Are... are you some sort of protector or something?

Hm... hahaha! Yes... Yes, I believe you could call me a ‘protector’.

But... but why can’t I see you? Who are you? What’s your name?

The blackness around you is your mindscape, still sleeping. Power still lies dormant inside you, and when it awakens, it will light the path to show you the way.

But... who are you? Why haven’t I heard from you until now?

Hahaha! Little one, I have but been newly born into your soul. It is no wonder that you have not heard from me until now. My name is --------- --- ---------.

W-what? I’m sorry, I couldn’t quite hear that.

I see... Yes, it is still too soon. Our connection is still too weak for you to comprehend my identity. No matter - rest now, child. You will need your strength in the coming days ahead.

W-wait...! But, I still have so... many... questions...

And they will be answered in time to come. For now, youngling, be content to rest. Your body must recover...

The five mares and three young fillies slowly trooped through the door that led into Rainbow Dash’s ward. Applejack hadn’t taken well to the news of Rainbow Dash being in a coma and had nearly lost her composure right there and then. It had taken the combined efforts of both Twilight and Rarity to cool her down to even a semblance of calmness before the doctor had taken them to where the cyan pegasus was warded.

The moment Fluttershy had laid eyes upon her friend, laid out straight on her bed with her wings splayed out limply, a few sensors leading from her temples to a monitor displaying the unconscious pegasus’ brain waves, the timid animal lover had let out a choked whimper and immediately rushed up to her side, tears in her eyes.

Applejack was more reserved in her reaction but felt no less emotional, her expression torn between maintaining a stoic exterior and letting loose with all the tension and anxiety that roiled beneath. Her best friend was lying right there on that bed in a coma, and she didn't even know what had happened to her! Rarity was simply standing to the side, comforting hooves holding the other two saddened Cutie Mark Crusaders as a distraught Scootaloo walked up to the unconscious Rainbow Dash’s side, nuzzling her idol’s foreleg softly.

But Twilight felt none of those things. As worried as she had been for Rainbow Dash, the very moment she had stepped inside that room the furs on the back of her neck had shot up ramrod straight as the strangest feeling washed over her.

Something was wrong here.

The air around her was saturated with magical energy. Rarity might not have been adept as her at sensing and perceiving ambient magical auras, but Twilight could always feel them, and the room that Rainbow Dash was lying in was swimming in mystical energies.

As she delved further into the ethereal sensation, the unicorn realized that there was a slightly electric undercurrent to it, a small touch of lightning to the sheer amount of loose energy that permeated the room. Curiosity and worry driving her, Twilight carefully traced the energy back to its origin, a mix of confusion and shock slowly creeping across her face as she reached the source. There was no doubt about it; the fount from which the energies had spewed from was none other than the unconscious pegasus lying on the bed before them.

The scholar could hardly believe what her arcane senses were telling her, because if she was seeing this right - if she had been looking at the world through eyes that saw arcane energy for what it truly was, then there would have been a veritable thunderstorm roiling and boiling right where Rainbow Dash was.

The cyan pegasus was an incredible fount of lightning magic right now, and she wasn’t even aware of it.

“Do... do you think she’s gonna be okay?” She heard Scootaloo sniffle from the side of the bed where she was watching Rainbow Dash with reddened eyes.

“Dashie’s gonna be just fine, Scoots,” Pinkie Pie piped up as perkily as she could, despite how much her voice was wavering and how close she was to breaking down into tears herself, her smile strained to the point of almost breaking. “There’s nothing to be worried about... Right, Twilight?”

“Huh?” The lavender mare suddenly snapped her head around to face Pinkie as she jolted out of her reverie. “Uhh, yeah! Definitely... Dash is gonna be just... fine...”

“Are you all right, darling?” Rarity gave Celestia’s prized student a concerned look. “You look a bit... distracted, there.”

“It’s...” Twilight paused for a second, gazing pensively at Rainbow Dash’s unconscious form again, and this time she could feel their penetrating gazes as everypony gathered in the room turned to look curiously at her.

“It feels slightly strange - I’m getting a weird feeling from Rainbow Dash’s body,” she continued, doing her best to explain. “I don’t know if you can sense this, Rarity, but I can feel a huge amount of loose magical energy floating around inside this room, and it’s all coming from her.” A purple hoof jabbed at the unconscious pegasus lying on the bed.

Rarity’s eyes widened as she took a moment to give the air around her a cursory magical probe with her horn, and realized that the young scholar was indeed speaking the truth. “Oh goodness, you’re absolutely right, Twilight! I thought it had felt a little stuffy inside here, but I’d assumed it had to do with the windows being closed!”

Twilight shot the fashionista a deadpan look. “Seriously, Rarity? The windows?”

“Well, excuse me for not being as adept at magic as you, Twilight Sparkle!” the alabaster white unicorn defended herself hotly. “Honestly!”

Twilight winced as she realized just what a faux pas she had just committed. “Sorry, Rarity - it’s just that I’ve never felt anything like this before!” The lavender unicorn turned around to face Doctor Stable, who was standing at the doorway watching them with a bemused expression. “Doctor, do you mind if I take a closer look at Rainbow Dash? I’d like to investigate this myself.”

The caramel-coated doctor simply shrugged. “By all means, Miss Sparkle, go ahead. You’re this town’s resident expert on anything to do with magic, and I’m out of my depth here. We’ve already done everything that we can to care for Miss Dash - if there’s anything you can do to help wake her up sooner, you’re most welcome to try it.”

“Thank you.” Twilight gave Doctor Stable a grateful look as she walked up to where the unconscious pegasus lay, and Fluttershy quickly scooted out of the way to let Twilight examine Rainbow Dash more closely. As the lavender unicorn stepped up next to Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo looked up to gaze at her through tear ridden eyes, her lips trembling.

“S-She’s gonna be okay, r-right Twilight?”

“I’ll do my best to make sure that she will be, Scootaloo.” Twilight placed a reassuring hoof on the filly’s shoulder, giving her the best comforting smile she could muster, and then closed her eyes as her horn sparked to life.

The first thing she did was to open up her senses to the raging thunderstorm that was Rainbow Dash, and she delved into it like she was opening up a fresh, new book to read. Details swarmed over her as data and information fed itself directly into her mind, and it was only the years of careful study, discipline, and tutelage under the Princess of the Sun herself that allowed Twilight to make any sense out of the chaotic stream at all. She took a peek inside, and what she discovered chilled her to her very core.

The energy that now permeated every fibre of Rainbow Dash’s being was the very same as the one that had previously been contained within the thunderbolt-shaped topaz - whatever had left those energies within the gem had now infused Rainbow Dash with all of its energies, its very essences.

Twilight’s mind whirled at the implications of such a thing - such a process was usually a lethal one, as the very life energies of the caster were the ones fuelling the transfer in order to preserve as much of the magical energy as possible throughout the entire transmission.

But Twilight had no idea what she was dealing with here. While such a process would have been lethal for a unicorn, there were creatures out there capable of magic that were far tougher than simple ponies. The reigning Princesses of Equestria were but two of them, and Twilight knew that her knowledge of such creatures, as extensive as it may have been, covered but a tiny fraction of all the knowledge that lay in Equestria, and possibly beyond.

For all she knew, whatever had infused Rainbow Dash with its powers may have possibly transferred over its memories and personality as well, like a parasite attempting to take over a host body. When the cyan pegasus woke up, there would be no guarantee that she would even be the same pony she once was.

The young scholar bit her lip as the fact registered with her, and she decided right there and then that she would never tell the others of her suspicions. Scootaloo, Applejack and Fluttershy were distraught enough as it was, and she didn’t want to add to that by tacking on the possibility that the Rainbow Dash that they all knew and loved was already dead in the brain.

No, this little secret was going to be staying with her.

Her decision made, Twilight continued examining the energies now contained within the cyan pegasus’ body, slowly flipping through the metaphorical pages of history of the ambient magic that had always permeated Rainbow Dash’s body. The librarian had never doubted that the speedster possessed strength beyond that of the average pony, but this sensation... The energies that now resided within the pegasus were old, even ancient, and Twilight felt an incomprehensible sense of scale and age as she probed the magical energies within her friend.

Still, their entry into the pegasus’ body seemed to have been relatively new - it couldn’t have happened more than a couple of hours ago, and it was a simple matter for the unicorn to trace back to it. As she flipped back further through the magic’s history, examining it like an expert coroner, Twilight took a peek into just what Rainbow Dash’s body had gone through within the past few hours.

The scholar’s countenance immediately paled as she suddenly comprehended, and, beneath eyelids that shot open, her pupils shrunk into pinpricks in absolute shock.

“No... No, that can’t be right.”

Shaking her head furiously, Twilight’s horn sparked aglow once more as she fixed the unconscious Rainbow Dash with a hard stare, and Applejack watched in consternation as she saw something unidentifiable flicker in the lavender mare’s eyes.

“What is it, Twi’? You found somethin’ in Rainbow Dash’s head?” the farmpony quickly asked, and though Twilight didn’t turn to answer her, she knew that the young scholar had heard her.

“This... this just doesn’t make sense!” Twilight cried out as the glow around her horn intensified, and her expression began to grow manic. “According to my backdating spell, Rainbow Dash had both of her wings broken in more than eight places at once, all of them compound fractures, as well as numerous other stress fractures that I can’t even begin to count, yet somehow the tears that I’ve seen in her muscle fibres indicate that she’d been pushing herself past her physical limits for at least an hour or two! Some of that time with her wings broken!!! It should have been impossible for her to fly with broken wings, but... Wait... Wait, I’m getting something here...”

It seemed almost impossible for Twilight’s eyes to grow even wider, yet grow even wider they did as they obtained an even more far-off look, and Rarity realized that Twilight must have sunken her senses fully into her spell’s probe already - she was probably blind to the material world around her right now.

“Yes... Yes, I can see how she did it now. Somehow, the tiny amount of energy she took in from the topaz at the meeting we had yesterday managed to amplify itself by drawing on the latent energy inside her body, though where this energy came from... Oh Celestia, I am so stupid! We’re the Elements of Harmony, of course we have larger than average energy pools compared to a normal pony!”

Applejack had a helpless expression on her face - she had absolutely no idea what the young scholar was talking about. Desperately, she turned to give Rarity a pleading look that beseeched her to explain just what Twilight was talking about, but the alabaster white unicorn simply returned the forlorn gaze with one of her, her eyes seeming to say “sorry, I don’t know what she’s talking about either!”

Meanwhile, Twilight was continuing to rant to herself, oblivious to what was going on in the ward as the raging arcane thunderstorm roiled around her metaphysical, abstract self. “Yes, it must have drawn from her latent reserves of magical energy, turning it into active discharges that she used to enhance her physical performance! Crude, but effective enough to be useful. But... how did she manage to make use of it? Pure instinct?”

A purple hoof absently brushed over a splayed out cyan-feathered wing. “Apparently she somehow managed to construct an incredibly strong but flexible magical cast from brute force alone that held her bones in place and filled in the gaps, right down to the last atom. The pain from the breaks would still be there, but she’d still be able to use her wings as long as her bones weren’t being jostled around and were being kept in the exact shape that they needed to be in to allow flight. Magical reinforcement of existing body parts... I’ve heard of this concept before, but I thought it was extremely difficult to effectively implement!”

“Sorry to interrupt sugarcube, but you mind explainin’ all that to us in plain old Equestrian?” a familiar voice with a country twang suddenly cut in on Twilight’s thoughts, and she immediately pulled her senses back into her own body as she ceased the probing spell. A blink and a shake of her head later, and she found herself back in the ward, standing over Rainbow Dash’s bed and being subjected to completely lost stares from the ponies gathered there.

“Apparently,” the lavender mare began to explain, “Rainbow Dash has just defied all expectations of what is considered even ponily possible - she was flying with broken wings not more than a couple of hours ago, and... hay, even I don’t know why she’s none the worse for the wear right now! It’s possible that the huge amount of energy she took in somehow helped to heal her body as well, but...”

The young scholar immediately bit her lip to stop herself before she could start on the possibilities of the outcome on the cyan pegasus’ mind. Thankfully, Applejack didn’t press her further for answers - the orange mare’s mind was already whirling from hearing that her best friend had been flying with broken wings of all things. Celestia, was Rainbow Dash trying to get herself killed!?

“Actually, dear... I’m a little more concerned now with what Fluttershy said earlier,” Rarity began to speak, and the timid little pegasus immediately darted behind her mane at the sound of her name. “Rainbow Dash is obviously alright physically, at least for the moment, and Twilight can take as much time as she needs to rouse her, but I have to bring this up while I still remember it.”

The violet-maned fashionista turned to the pegasus who was hiding behind her light pink mane. “Fluttershy, you said earlier that you saw Rainbow Dash fighting with something, but you couldn’t see what it was, right?”

Fluttershy murmured something incomprehensible in a tiny voice, but the small nod that she gave Rarity was all the answer she needed.

“And, you said that it didn’t look anything like a pony, correct?”

There was another tiny nod in response, and Applejack stepped forward, her nostrils flaring. “Consarnit, Fluttershy, this ain’t no time to be holdin’ back! Tell us what ya saw!”

The timid little pegasus let out a frightened ‘eep!’ as she shrank backwards from the approaching orange mare, and Rarity immediately stepped between the two of them, staring down Applejack determinedly.

“What did I say about keeping yourself under control, Applejack!” the fashionista hissed in defense of her friend. “Be quiet, and let me handle this.”

The orange mare flinched as if physically struck, and she looked as though she was ready to open her mouth to deliver another hot-headed retort when Rarity simply turned on her heel, ignoring whatever Applejack was about to say.

Quickly turning around to the frightened pegasus who was still hiding behind her mane, Rarity stepped towards Fluttershy and placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder, speaking softly. “Fluttershy, please, at this point we need to know everything that happened - it doesn’t matter whether you think we’ll believe it or not. We have to know what happened to Rainbow Dash.”

“I...” The cream-colored pegasus swallowed the lump that had inexplicably appeared in her throat, and she struggled to get her vocal chords working through a mouth that had suddenly turned dry. “Well, I... I couldn’t get a very clear look at it, but it looked it was... i-it had two legs and two arms, that’s all I could see.”

“What, you mean like some sort of monkey?” Twilight cocked her head with a quizzical expression, and Fluttershy nodded.

“That’s a load’a freakin’ manure!” Applejack shouted. “You mean ta tell me that Rainbow over here got hospitalized thanks to some freakin’ mutant monkey!?”

“APPLEJACK!!!” a shrill voice screeched, and suddenly the orange mare found herself backed up into a corner with a pair of icy blue eyes boring straight into her soul, Rarity having shoved her hard up against the wall.

“I can understand that you are feeling distraught because your best friend is lying in that bed right there,” Rarity seethed icily not more than an inch away from her face. “But that gives you absolutely no right to behave in such a manner to Fluttershy, and if you let out one more outburst like that I am going to tie you down and braid your mane in such a complex manner that the only way you’re going to get rid of it is to shave yourself bald. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME!!??”

If anypony had expected Applejack to be cowed by Rarity’s unexpected display of force, they were utterly disappointed.

Instead, the orange mare’s emerald eyes narrowed, and she whispered in a deathly quiet voice. “Get the hay off of me, Rarity. Now.”

“Not until you’ve apologized to Fluttershy,” the incensed unicorn hissed through gritted teeth. As the confrontation escalated, Twilight’s expression grew increasingly panicked. Helplessly, she glanced to the side at Pinkie Pie and Doctor Stable, but the other two ponies seemed to be just as unsettled by the growing altercation as she was; they were frozen where they stood, unable to step forward and put a stop to it before it spiralled out of control.

“Ah said GET OFF ME!!!” Applejack’s voice suddenly grew into a roar, and she shoved forward with both her forehooves, sending Rarity stumbling back several steps. “YA THINK AH DON’T BUCKING CARE ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENED HERE!? RAINBOW DASH IS IN A COMA AND WE DON’T EVEN KNOW THE FIRS’ THING ABOUT WHAT PUT HER IN IT!!!”

The apple farmer seemed just about ready to leap forward and buck Rarity in the face, and Twilight knew she had to do something fast, before the argument actually came to blows.

“Enough!!! Girls, please, stop fighting!” the lavender mare cried out desperately as she quickly teleported between the two of them before either of them did something they would certainly regret later. “We’re not getting anywhere with this!!!”

“Darn right we aren’t!” Applejack snorted contemptuously. “This ain’t no time to be coddlin’ Fluttershy - whatever thing it was that did that to Rainbow, there might be more of ‘em out there, so ah want answers, and ah want them NOW!”

“STOP IT!!!” a high-pitched voice suddenly shrieked, and everypony in the room reflexively covered their ears, lest they be deafened by the cry’s sheer volume. Every pair of eyes in the room turned to the source of the exclamation, and they watched a thoroughly embarrassed Fluttershy hide even further behind her mane.

“Please... Everypony, please don’t argue like this because of me...” the timid pegasus whispered softly, her voice barely even audible. “Applejack, I swear to Celestia that everything I just told Rarity is all that I know. I’m not hiding anything else, I promise you.”

“And I do sincerely hope that truly is the case, my little pony,” a familiar, regal voice suddenly rang out from the window. As one, everypony in the room whirled around to behold the sight of a majestic white alicorn clad in golden regalia standing where nopony had been but a second ago.

“P-Princess Celestia!” Twilight scrambled over her hooves to give the monarch of the sun a bow in greeting along with everypony else, and only when she glanced upward a second later did she realize that she had missed out on noticing a second arrival. “And Princess Luna!”

“And greetings to you too, Twilight Sparkle.” The midnight-blue alicorn strode forward, thankfully keeping her voice audibly level and nowhere close to the glass-shattering volumes the Royal Canterlot Voice was known for. “We felt the surge of arcane energy the same time that our sister saw its effects upon the Everfree forest. Fearing the worst, we rushed here as soon as we could to ascertain that thou and thine friends were unharmed.”

“Though it seems that we might have been too late,” Celestia admitted with a slightly sorrowful undertone as she strode towards the bed where Rainbow Dash lay, tenderly brushing aside a stray lock of hair that had fallen over her beloved subject’s face. “I should have felt the disturbances as soon as they had begun - I should have been able to step in before Rainbow Dash was hurt in such a manner. It seems now that her body has taken in far more than she should have been able to...”

“Thou had already done the best thou could, sister. Thine observation wards covered the entirety of Equestria down to the closest detail - if these intruders verily possessed the ability to conceal themselves even from thine and thy sights combined, there is little thou could have done to prevent this,” Luna said firmly as she stepped up beside Celestia, giving Twilight an acknowledging nod. “Twilight Sparkle, hath thou discovered anything regarding the identity of Rainbow Dash’s attacker?”

“Well, that is, I, uh...” The lavender mare gave a small gulp of nervousness at being put on the spot so suddenly, and she desperately wracked her brains for the ability to form coherent sentences that had decided to suddenly disappear over the past few seconds. “I didn’t have much time to look into much, Princess - just a few minutes of examination. Only that Rainbow Dash was horrifically wounded some time in the past couple of hours, but somehow by taking in a massive influx of foreign energy, her wounds were all healed in a matter of seconds. I didn’t have time to find anything else out, but-”

A midnight-blue hoof suddenly held itself out to stop her in mid-sentence. “Yes, we can sense the energies thou refers to. Sister... dost thou feel it as well?”

“Yes, Luna...” Celestia murmured softly to her younger sister, fixing the unconscious Rainbow Dash with a critical stare. “This energy is... Not only is it the same as one I had sensed skulking about Equestria along with its other five compatriots, it’s ancient. If I’m reading this right, this even predates the Discordian Era...”

“The Era of Discord!?” the Princess of the Night exclaimed in shock. “Surely thou jests! Were such a fount of energy present on Equestria during that period, we surely would have felt its presence!”

“I know, Luna... But these energies have not even been present in the Weave at least until a few weeks ago. At this point I think we have to assume that they must have arrived from another world altogether, which isn’t completely inconceivable...”

Celestia and Luna were the only ones who didn’t react to that phrase, because the moment the sun monarch uttered the words “another world”, Applejack and Rarity’s jaws fell open, and Twilight’s eyes actually bugged out.

“Beg pardon, Princess, but didja’ really just say another world?” Applejack said incredulously, giving voice to the raging thoughts of Twilight Sparkle, who was so thoroughly mindboggled by what Celestia’s words that she couldn’t even get her mouth working.

Luna turned around to give the ponies gathered around them an appraising glance, and then she shot her sister a meaningful look. The white-coated alicorn’s expression grew heavy as her eyes met Luna’s, and she nodded, her eyes closing.

“Twilight, if my sister and I may speak with you and the other Elements of Harmony in private.” She opened her eyes again to meet Twilight’s gaze. “Please?”

When her student nodded, her eyes wide with the understanding that she was on the cusp of learning something monumental, Celestia breathed an internal sigh of relief and turned to face Rarity and Applejack.

The two mares met Celestia’s eyes and understood her unspoken need for secrecy. Quickly and quietly, Rarity began gathering up the three crusaders, shooing them gently out of the room in spite of their protests. “You three fillies go on and wait outside now, the Princesses and us need to have a little chat. Doctor Stable, if you’d be so kind as to keep an eye on them?”

A brief flutter of her eyelashes was all she needed, and though the doctor didn’t show much in the way of outward signs of being affected, Rarity did notice him stiffening slightly, the beginnings of a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“It’d be my pleasure, Miss Rarity.” The brown-maned stallion quickly took the three fillies out of the room, shutting the door behind him. As the door clicked shut, Rarity turned to face the two reigning Princesses of Equestria, her heart pounding with excitement. That excitement soon died down, however, being replaced with curiosity and some nervousness as she realized that Celestia’s expression had grown heavy - whatever the Princess of the Sun had to tell them, it was obviously weighing very heavily on her mind.

“Twilight Sparkle,” Princess Luna began to speak, opting to take the lead as her elder sister seemed reluctant to explain herself. “Wouldst thou believeth us if we were to sayeth that other worlds existed beyond our own?”

“I...” The lavender unicorn actually paused at that, her expression scrunching up in thought so hard that Applejack could practically see the gears turning in the scholar’s head. “I’ve always thought of it as a possibility, that there were other planets around the stars in the night sky just like how we have our own Sun, but there’s never actually been any evidence of such a thing - our study of astronomy just isn’t advanced enough to confirm such a... thing...”

Twilight’s mind began connecting the dot - Luna speaking as though she was leading her train of thought in a particular direction, Celestia speaking with her sister as though they knew something nopony else did - and as she began to reach a conclusion, her jaw dropped open in dawning comprehension. “No... No way. Princess Celestia, you knew about this!?”

“It was as much to protect this world as it was to shelter the minds and souls of our subjects, Twilight. As much as it was to protect you, as well,” the celestial monarch said sorrowfully, reluctantly bringing her eyes to meet Twilight’s own. “The creatures that roam the planes outside of this world, that stalk the ethereal world known as the Twisting Nether... Such things should never become known to ponykind.”

“But why, Princess?” Twilight asked insistedly, her expression hurt. “How could not trust me, your own personal student, with this kind of information?”

“I did it to protect you, Twilight!” Celestia suddenly raised her voice to a near shout, and the lavender mare actually shrank back a step in fright, before she realized that her mentor’s eyes were brimming with tears. “I... I’m sorry to say this, my student, but sometimes you are far too curious for your own good. If you had ever stumbled upon this kind of information, I know that you would have pursued that vein of research to the ends of Equestria in a quest for knowledge on that subject.”

Twilight’s expression turned slightly bitter at that, resenting her teacher’s sentiment and lack of faith in her restraint a little. It was only a second later, however, that it turned sombre as she realized just how right her mentor was. Whenever she embarked on a quest for knowledge, little more than the threat of the very gates of Tartarus themselves opening would have stopped her.

“And to travel down this particular road of knowledge... It is a very dangerous, and tempting one,” Luna added with a bitter undertone to her voice, her expression sour. “We would know that best ourselves... After all, the demon known as Nightmare Moon was borne by our consorting with such vile powers.”

“Wait, but... Princess Luna, I don’t understand!” Rarity quickly spoke up from the side. “How is it that you know so much about this? And Princess Celestia...” The alabaster white unicorn hesitated to speak out of turn, not because of protocol or decorum, but out of respect for her Princess’ feelings. Some part of her had recognized the expression on Celestia’s face when she had had her sudden outburst, knew what the subtle undertones in the alicorn’s voice meant when she had said she had hidden such knowledge from her student in order to protect her.

Those tears hadn’t been tears of sorrow - they had been tears of fear.

Whatever knowledge Celestia had hidden from Twilight, it was obviously so dangerous, so forbidden, that she had truly believed that Twilight, one of the most powerful unicorns to have ever lived in this age, was in true danger if she ever came to learn about it.

“Perhaps...” Luna’s sonorous voice suddenly cut in on her thoughts. “We should start from the beginning... Should we not, my sister?”

“Yes... Yes we should, Luna,” Celestia sighed heavily; her horn briefly sparked, and Twilight felt a subtle wave of magic pass briefly over her and begin to envelop the entire room. “There, we should be free of any eavesdroppers now.”

“So what’s going on, Princesses?” Pinkie Pie piped up from where she was standing, her expression very confused. “You mean to say Dashie was taken down by aliens of some sort? But what would that mean if there are aliens out there, could there be more? And what if-”

Before the pink mare could ramble on any further however, Celestia held up a hoof, and, thankfully, the partygoer’s mouth immediately shut itself. Though it was obvious Pinkie Pie was bursting with questions, it was also clear that her reverence for her monarch and respect for what she was about to say outweighed her curiosity.

“What my sister says is true - there are other worlds out there besides our own. We have never been to these worlds, or seen what dwells upon them, but we are as aware of their existence as we are of the existence of our very own sun and moon. Twilight, you have always been one to stay out late at night, stargazing - tell me, what do you see in the great expanse between the stars?”

Twilight arched an eyebrow in confusion at that, not understanding what her mentor was getting at. “Why... nothing, Princess. There’s absolutely nothing between the stars in the night sky but blackness...”

“Exactly right, my student. That empty void that stretches between the stars and the worlds that dwell around them... It is known as the Great Dark Beyond.” Celestia’s horn flared, and abruptly an image sprang forth, enveloping the room around them until they all stood in a void of utter blackness. Applejack yelped out slightly in shock as she stumbled about on her hooves for a bit before realizing that the floor was still solid beneath her, and she was in no danger of falling.

“Our world, Equestria, is just one of many planets that exists within the Beyond,” the celestial monarch explained as her horn flared again. Another image, this time of the blue-green globe of Equestria, bloomed into existence, orbiting alongside another image of the sun, a blazing orange-white sphere of fire. In the distant, farthest corners of the void around them, countless other tiny spheres materialize, miniature replicas of the sun before them. Even smaller specks of light appeared next to these, minute planets dwarfed by the size of the stars they revolved around.

“The Great Dark stretches for as far as the mind can fathom - neither black nor white, hot nor cold, living nor dead. The Beyond is all that is unthinkable and unknowable of the cosmos. Between this great void, planets much like our own reside alongside their own stars, each giving life to the beings that would walk upon their surfaces. My sister and I have never seen what lies upon the surfaces of these worlds, but we know of their existence only through the common connection that all the worlds share: through this.”

At the end of her sentence, Celestia nodded at Luna, and the Princess of the Night took her cue, her horn glowing its distinct midnight blue. At her behest, the image before the gathered ponies’ eyes altered itself, a twisting, snaking line of ethereal green beginning to connect the dots scattered amongst the inky blackness. Soon, an undulating network of glimmering emerald conduits bridged the gaps between the numerous worlds lying within the Great Beyond.

“The realm that connects these worlds goes by many names - the Warp, the Immaterium, but the name many ancient pony scholars hath agreed upon before all knowledge of the subject was purged from the Canterlot archives was ‘The Twisting Nether’,” Luna explained as she stepped closer to the globe that represented Equestria, the green conduit that stretched forth from it now extending to envelop the rest of the planet. “Twilight Sparkle, art thou familiar with the Weave?”

“The blanket of energy that encompasses our entire world and allows us to even use magic in the first place?” Twilight’s eyebrow was now arching even higher as her confusion grew. “Why, yes, Princess, I am, but I don’t see how-”

“This blanket of energy that we call the Weave is but the part of the Twisting Nether that penetrates and surrounds our world, connecting it to the other realms of the Beyond,” the midnight blue alicorn elaborated as she raised a hoof to point at the globe of Equestria, now completely blanketed in the emerald green glow that represented the Nether. “The Nether is a formless place of magic and illusion, and magic currents run strong in it, for it is a plane of pure arcane energy. It is indistinct and chaotic, with no size or shape. It is everything the worlds are not - a stream of pure chaos that surrounds them and binds them together. However, despite this, the Nether cannot not co-exist with the worlds in any physical sense; it is a completely different state of being, one that is fundamentally incompatible with the universe as many ponies know it."

"But none of this mattered to the ancient unicorns," Luna said bitterly. "To them, in their ignorance, the Nether was nothing more than a vast well of untapped power. For when they first discovered the secrets of magic, they plumbed into them in order to attain more power, drawing recklessly from the Nether without caution, and becoming capable of performing great feats previously thought impossible. By travelling physically through the Nether, we became able to cross the world in the blink of an eye, instantaneously travelling distances that could not have been accomplished with even the most advanced teleportation spells of that time. By tapping directly into the Nether’s energies, we became capable of raising cities over the course of a night, creating food and raw materials with but a flicker of our horns. But such power... it did not come without a price.”

Abruptly, the image of the globe of Equestria suddenly began to zoom groundward. When the blur of motion finally stopped, the gathered ponies found themselves standing in mid-air, amidst a sea of skyscrapers that would have rivalled the buildings in Manehatten... except that their architecture was far different, infinitely more sleek yet seemingly more archaic in design.

Graceful spires reminiscent of the towers of Canterlot graced the skyline, and entire lanes of flying chariots being pulled by pegasi floated serenely in neat little lines that travelled between the skyscrapers. All in all, it looked like the heart of a city of a civilisation that was far more advanced than ponykind had ever been... Yet it was ponies that Twilight saw living in those spires, unicorns, earth ponies and pegasi alike - this must have been after the unification of the three warring pony tribes, after the founding of Hearth’s Warming Eve.

And knowing exactly which part of pony history came after this period, the lavender unicorn had a sinking feeling in her chest that she did not want to see what came next.

It began as an incandescent, flickering green glow at the edge of the horizon, something barely even visible past the glint of the sun... and then abruptly, a flaming meteor wreathed in a sickly green flame shot forth into sight. Twilight watched, transfixed and unable to tear her eyes away from the terrible spectacle as the meteor smashed right into the spire directly in front of them, sending brick and mortar flying in all directions and hurling screaming, hapless ponies to their deaths far below them.

The top half of the spire swayed dangerously as more than half of its support suddenly disappeared... and that was when Twilight’s mouth dropped open in horror at what happened next.

"And so the day came that the sky rained fire," Princess Luna murmured softly, her voice thick with grief. "And a new enemy came upon us."

From the impact site of the meteor, a giant bipedal golem cloaked in green, molten fire rose with an unearthly roar that shook her to her very bones. A single swing from its enormous, rocky arm reduced whatever was left of the spire’s supports to rubble, and the tower toppled to the side, crashing into the spire adjacent to it and destroying the subsequent ones that lay beyond it in a macabre domino effect.

Even as the first spire toppled, more of the flaming green meteorites crashed down upon the city, utterly destroying it and pounding whatever was still left standing into dust as more of the fiery golems rose from the flaming craters they had carved into the ground.

Applejack was watching the massacre unfold before her with undisguised horror as what appeared to be the city’s guards came pouring out of the buildings that were still standing, hurling spells and firing crossbows at the towering infernal golems. Some of them even charged right towards the golems unabatedly, clad in resplendent golden armor that shone brightly in the light, iridescently glowing swords and shields clutched in their muzzles and attached to their forelegs.

But even those attempts at resistance were doomed to fail; the golem raised a rocky fist, and instantly squashed flat the first stallion that had sought to challenge it. His two compatriots, howling with rage at the death of their comrade, lunged forward, bringing their blades down, only to be sent stumbling back as the sickly green flames that surrounded the golem’s body licked hungrily at them, singing their armor and blackening their coats.

Abruptly, fiery circles began to rip themselves open in the air around them, Twilight recognizing them to be portals of some kind. Rimmed with the exact same green fire that the titanic golems blazed with, what could be described as nothing less than monsters poured forth from them.

There was nothing uniform about them, save for the uniformity of their monstrosity. They were of varying shapes and sizes, some of them quadrupeds like herself, while others were bipeds like the golems that were wrecking the city. The armor and arms that they carried always varied in some shape or size or some other manner, but no matter how different they all looked, there was no doubt as to the single, unifying purpose that they all held in common: the complete and utter destruction of whatever lay before them.

The first of the quadrupeds, appearing vaguely similar to a dog, if said dog had its form and features twisted and bloated with corruption by the mind of nothing less than a madpony, leapt forward from a portal that had opened up from behind the unicorn lines, slavering madly. Distracted by slinging their strongest spells at the raging golem before them, the unicorn mages never saw their killers coming as the first of the maddened hound-beasts pounced upon the closest spellcaster, attaching two sinewy tentacles that extended forth from its back to the unicorn’s chest.

The hapless guard didn’t even have the chance to scream - before his horrified audience, he began to shrivel up into a dry, dessicated husk as the demonic hound obscenely shuddered in what appeared to be a feeding ecstasy. Terrified, Rarity pressed a hoof to her mouth as bile threatened to surge up her throat, a wave of sickened nausea washing over her at the sight.

And then the rest of the horde poured over the rear lines. Massive bipeds twice as large as the stallions that fought against them brought flaming maces and axes to bear, crushing and hacking apart all that stood against them. One by one, the guards, and the civilians they had been sworn to protect, met their grisly deaths, torn viscerally apart by the demonic entities that had poured in from nowhere. When no pony was left to oppose their rampage, the monsters turned on what remained on the city, burning and destroying whatever was within sight.

“Oh my... Princess, what... what is this travesty?” Rarity asked in a horrified whisper, scarcely able to believe the carnage she had just witnessed with her own eyes.

“That, Miss Rarity,” Luna replied slowly, “was the beginning of the first downfall of our race. The memories of such a time have been completely erased from the collective psyche of ponykind, for what followed was an era many would not wish to recall.”

Her horn glowed, and their panoramic view of the city zoomed outward as their point of view soared high into the sky... and Twilight realized with mounting horror that the part of the city they had just seen devastated so thoroughly had been but a tiny fraction of the sprawling metropolis that stood where she knew modern-day Manehatten was now located on the Equestrian map.

Everywhere she looked, green fire blazed, burning down the magnificent civilisation that had risen upon this world, setting the order and beauty that had been brought to Equestria to the flame.

“Our extended use of the Nether’s energies weakened the barriers between our world and the Nether itself, and what we did not realize at the time was that the Twisting Nether was home to a malevolent host of monsters all on its own... Monsters that could only have been known as demons,” the Princess of the Moon said sorrowfully as the city burned around them. “Their invasion hit us hard, and without warning, but if we had one advantage, it was that their attacks were feral - unorganized. It was as though a wild forest of animals, or perhaps an extremely large band of bandits or pirates sought to overtake us - and once we had regained our bearings and knew exactly what it was we were up against, we fought back.”

Time seemed to fast forward as the sky blurred through the passage of numerous days and nights, the sun and the moon flickering across the sky in mere blinks of the eye. Far beneath them, the city was reduced to complete rubble in the span of a few seconds, pockets of green flames still burning persistently for a few moments before winking out of existence. Then, slowly, they saw that the encroaching and expanding line of demons was being pushed back and broken up as the gold-armored armies of ponies began to retaliate in force.

Before long, all physical trace of the demonic invaders had been completely wiped from the face of Equestria, the only mark of their presence being the sheer amount of destruction they had left in their wake.

“The losses we sustained were catastrophic, but nothing that we could not rebuild from. What stopped us from doing just that was not the invasion of the demons - for the aftermath of the invasion was far more insidious.”

Again, their view of Equestria changed, flickering back to an orbital view of Equestria revolving around its sun, and this time there was the addition of the moon orbiting around their world as well.

“Fair Applejack,” Luna turned to address the apple farmer. “Wouldst thou care to tell us what thou already knows about us and our sister?”

Applejack, if anything, seemed puzzled with being asked such a simple question. “Why... yer the Princesses of Equestria, o’ course! Our two sole rulers, where you’re in charge’a the moon, and Princess Celestia’s in charge’a the sun!”

“Indeed, young Applejack,” Celestia confirmed with a nod of her head. “But have you ever considered exactly what it meant for us to embody such celestial bodies? How we two alicorns are the only immortals ones known to ever exist? Have you ever wondered why there were not many others, more like us, aside from Princess Cadence?”

“Well, now that’cha mention it...” Applejack’s expression grew thoughtful, but Twilight’s own expression was resolute.

“Yes, I have wondered about it, Princess!” the lavender mare spoke up firmly from where she stood next to Rainbow Dash’s bed. “And I’ve been meaning to ask you about it! I’ve been searching the Canterlot archives for information on this subject for months now, and there isn’t even a scrap of information on it!”

“And I would have told you not to worry about it Twilight, had the circumstances not changed to what they are today. That information was purged from the archives along with much of the knowledge from before the Discordian Era, for it was deemed too dangerous to be public knowledge,” Celestia sighed heavily. “Luna and I have been here ever since the birth of this world, tied to the sun and the moon, and all the different aspects of existence that came with them, but we were not the only ones here at the beginning.”

“There exists a race as far above alicorns as alicorns are above normal ponies. Their memory exists as nothing but hazy images flickering at the corners of our minds,” Luna continued on from her sister. “But according to the legend of creation, theirs was a creator race known to us only as the Titans. It was they who shaped this world, fashioning it into order from primordial chaos, and giving birth to the Equestria that you recognize today. Amongst the first signs of life to be born onto the world were the two of us, but we were not the only ones to be chosen by the Titans as the Guardian Aspects of Equestria.”

Celestia’s horn flared, and the images of three other alicorns appeared before them. One of them had a dark coat of the blackest obsidian, his long, flowing mane gleaming with the sheen of polished silver. His irises burned with a fine crimson from within, and his Cutie Mark was that of a mountain with a river flowing down from its peak.

The second alicorn was a female like Celestia and Luna, her coat that of a rippling azure that was simply bursting with life and energy, and she had a multi-hued mane that Twilight noticed bore a disturbing resemblance to that of her old foalsitter’s, Cadence. Her own Cutie Mark was that of a rippling well of what appeared to be water, but as Twilight peered closer she realized that the fluid within the well was far too rich in its azure to ever be water.

The third one was another male, and in contrast to the black-coated alicorn, his was a coat of a resplendent, glittering bronze, and his mane had the dull sheen of polished copper. His own Cutie Mark was that of a stylized hourglass filled with glittering sand, yet the sands seemed to be actively flowing on his cutie mark, forever changing and shifting as they flowed simultaneously up and down.

“Concordance, the Aspect of Balance.” Celestia gestured at the black-coated alicorn stallion. “In the olden days, also known to us as the Earth-Warder, he ensured that the lands beneath our hooves would always be stable, flowing together in harmony. Empowered in opposition to him was myself, the Aspect of Life, or as I was known before during that age, the Life-Binder, as the guardian of all life that lived upon the world’s surface.”

“Aurora, the Aspect of Magic.” Luna’s hoof pointed to the azure-coated mare, whose sapphire-blue eyes were glittering from within with an almost manic intelligence. “Also known as the Spell-Weaver. It was she who was the Guardian of the Weave, guarding all of Equestria from malevolent intrusions from the Nether. But given the weakening of the barriers between our world and the Nether in so many places simultaneously, even she could not have been everywhere at once.”

“She was given her position in diametrical opposition to Luna, who became the Aspect of Dreams,” Celestia informed them, and Luna nodded in acknowledgement.

“Our sister is right, for it was we who were charged with the defense of the realm of dreams, to watch over the growing wilds of Equestria, and to protect the minds of lesser creatures from the nightmares of the Warp. Before, we were once known as the Dreamer, as we watched over the world from our realm of the Midnight Dream.”

“And lastly, the one who would bind us all together, but also our equal in power - Chronos, the Aspect of Time, also known as the Timeless One.” Celestia pointed to the final, bronze-coated alicorn. “He was chosen by the Titans to be the one to guard time itself, to police the ever-spinning pathways of fate and destiny.”

“But... I don’t get any of this, Princesses!” Pinkie Pie protested in confusion as she struggled to wrap her head around this latest revelation. “If there were five alicorns before, how come there are only the two of you left right now? Shouldn’t they all still be here?”

At that, Luna’s lips twisted into a bitter sneer, and Celestia’s expression soured - obviously, whatever they were about to say was not a topic that they enjoyed recollecting.

“We can tell thou what happened, fair Pinkamena,” Luna said bitterly. “The era of Chaos descended upon us.”

Her horn flared, and suddenly the obsidian figure of Concordance began twisting in place, writhing from within as wisps of green fire began to smoke from his irises. As his limbs bent and began morphing in shape, his lips peeled back to let out an inaudible snarl, and abruptly, he turned on the other two alicorn images, pouncing upon them and ripping and tearing into them in a maddened frenzy.

The two remaining alicorns sought to defend themselves one by one, but after an extended struggle Aurora and Chronos were each overwhelmed and devoured separately. As they fell, their forms dissolved into inky black smoke that seeped into Concordance’s body, twisting and bloating it further, sending it writhing in fits of transformation.

As the gathered ponies watched in transfixed horror, Concordance’s majestic, regal body twisted and perverted itself into a grotesque mockery of the equine form, black fur turning brown as his scleras turned a feral yellow. Grotesquely, his body stretched and spasmed, becoming longer and more serpentine in shape as his cutie mark disappeared in a chaotic swirl of colors.

His angelic right wing twisted itself into bat-like parody of its former self, his horn grotesquely splitting itself in two as it shifted backwards on his head to form a deer antler on the right and a goat horn on the left. His limbs all jerked and morphed into their own individual shapes, shimmering like reflections in a rippling pond, until they had each adopted their unique appearances. Finally, as the end of the transformation came about, they were faced with a very familiar draconequus that they could not have mistaken for anything else.

“Discord,” Rarity spoke for all of them, her voice dripping with venom as she spat out the name like a curse.

“Indeed, fairest Rarity,” Luna nodded. “For we had shut the door to Equestria for the demons’ physical forms, but the barriers to the Nether were still weakened enough that their whispers could still reach through to us. Celestia and I were strong enough to resist, but they drove Concordance to paranoia and insanity. As he descended into madness, he perverted his role as the Earth-Warder and guardian of Equestria into one that favored the spreading of death and chaos. In doing so, he cast aside his old name, and took up a new one - the one that we all know and recognize today.”

“He killed and consumed Aurora and Chronos to gain their own powers for himself,” Celestia continued to explain for Luna. “But he forgot to consider one thing - in abandoning his post as the Aspect of Balance, and by extension, harmony, he also abandoned part of his power. Power that floated loose as he rampaged across Equestria, turning it into a wasteland of chaos and death. Luna found that power and brought it to me even as he sought to hunt us down and consume us as well, and we used it to create the sole weapon that was capable of defeating him.”

Twilight’s eyes widened in sudden understanding then. “The Elements of Harmony.”

“Indeed, my dear student.” The white alicorn couldn’t help but give her pupil a proud and approving smile of her deduction. “That is why Discord was particularly vulnerable to the power of the Elements when nothing else could touch him - it is because the power of the Elements were once a part of him. They were his sole weakness, as they were borne of his own body.”

“Unfortunately, Discord was not the only one to succumb to the machinations of Chaos,” Luna said bitterly. “We... I had eventually succumbed as well. In the decades following Discord's banishment, the whispers from the Nether continued to reach through to me even through the veil dividing the Nether from our world, and through the isolation that I endured during my nights, without my ponies to keep me company...”

The midnight blue alicorn drew in a shuddering breath, but pushed on nonetheless. “Celestia had the company of her subjects to remind her of what she was fighting for every waking moment of her day. I had no such boon during the night. It is no excuse for me to have succumbed as I did, but in that moment of weakness, I fell. I consorted with the voices whispering forth from the Nether, and they created a parasitic entity that bound itself to me, creating the personality known as Nightmare Moon. You already know what happens after that.”

“I... I understand now, Princess...” Twilight cast her gaze down to the floor, ashamed of the resentment she had felt towards her mentor but a few minutes ago. “Reaching into the Nether’s power resulted in pony civilisation being utterly destroyed once, corrupted what was once an aspect of harmony into an avatar of chaos, and forced your sister to turn to evil. I... can see what you mean now, Princess Celestia - you were right to hide this from me.”

“I hope you can forgive me for this Twilight,” Celestia murmured sorrowfully as she stepped towards Twilight, pulling a wing around her student in a hug. “It may have been with good intentions, but the fact remains that I hid this from you and lied to you about it, and I am so sorry about this.”

“Princess...” Twilight looked up at her mentor with pleading eyes. “Don’t beat yourself up like this, you were right. If I had found out about it from a book or anypony else other than you, I would have probably crossed several lines I shouldn’t have and ended up inadvertently summoning demons into Equestria or something... No Princess, you were right to hide this from me. If anything... I should be sorry for being so inquisitive about everything that you had to resort to such secrecy.”

“Umm, Twi’?” Applejack’s voice suddenly piped up from behind Celestia. “Yer sentiments are fine an’ dandy an’ all, but don’tcha think we’re kinda missin’ the point here?”

“Yeah, what’s any of that gotta do with what happened to Dashie???” Pinkie protested from the side, obviously not satisfied with the long-winded tale that they had just been regaled with.

Luna affixed the bouncing pink pony with a critical gaze. “We had regaled thou with that tale to provide thee with some context, fair Pinkamena. Otherwise, thou may have probably not understood us as to why we believed our subjects to be at significant risk if these unknown intruders did indeed hail from another world, or perhaps even from the Twisting Nether itself.”

Twilight froze as she heard the last part of the Lunar Princess’ sentence, her mind locking up in fear for Rainbow Dash as the dots connected. If whatever had potentially taken over the cyan pegasus’ mind and body had not been the denizen of another world, but instead some unknown warp-spawned abomination...

The young scholar immediately shook her head in denial, her thoughts screaming. No, Rainbow Dash wouldn’t fall to that!!!

Her frightened eyes met Luna’s, and the silent comprehension was not missed by the Princess of the Night. Luna knew it too - both she and Celestia knew that Rainbow Dash’s body was now serving as the vessel for one of the strange energy ‘presences’ that had been skulking about Ponyville for the past week.

“To be fair,” Celestia spoke in a level voice as she released her student from her hug, stepping backwards, “none of us have seen either hair nor hide of these individuals, save for the traces of magic that they left behind, and Rainbow Dash’s own experiences - except she is unable to share her thoughts with us right now due to obvious reasons. We truly do know nothing about them.”

There was a nervous chuckle from Pinkie Pie at the little joke Celestia had wryly cracked, and the Solar Princess turned to Twilight. “My dear student, my sister’s presence and my own are still required at Canterlot castle to be able to protect the capital from any potential threats, but I will continue to maintain vigil over Equestria to make certain that no more incidents such as this takes place. Should I fail in that regard as I already have today...”

The white alicorn took Twilight’s hooves in her own, and the lavender mare’s heart pounded in her chest as she realized the gravity of what her teacher was admitting. Celestia, ruler of Equestria and Monarch of the Sun, trusted Twilight more to take care of herself than she trusted her own capabilities to take care of her.

“I trust that you and your friends will be able to take care of yourselves?” the Princess’ words were enough to confirm Twilight’s suspicions of her mentor’s sentiments, and the young scholar gulped, realizing that her all-powerful teacher was probably not going to be much of a help over the next few days.

“I... I’ll do my best, Princess.” She bowed to her mentor, and Princess Celestia gave a small, sad smile.

“I pray that it will be enough, Twilight - I really do.”

With those words, she nodded to Luna, and the two alicorns disappeared in a flash of pure white and midnight blue light.

It was well into the night, and the moon had risen hours ago when the ponies and fillies finally left the hospital to finally return home, each promising the unconscious Rainbow Dash that they would return as soon as they could to visit.

Rarity bid goodbye to the rest of her friends as they each went their separate ways to return to their own humble abodes. As she and an exhausted Sweetie Bell turned to trot down the road that led home, she failed to notice the shadowed figure that stood crouched atop the roof of the hospital, watching her every move.

The cloaked figure, its face concealed by a hood, let out a small breath of air at the distant, retreating figure of the older unicorn. Far away, the seamstress briefly shivered, her head darting left and right as she felt a sudden chill of cold air briefly kiss the back of her neck.

When she saw absolutely nothing in sight, she quickly doubled her pace as her trot broke out into a quick canter, scooping her sister onto her back despite the filly’s protests. At the sight of the frantic, instinctual retreat, the figure grinned to itself, chuckling slightly.

“And so, the opening act begins.”

South Gale

This is the continuation of the story of six mares who have yet to realize their own destinies.

After admitting Rainbow Dash to the hospital, Twilight Sparkle discovered that her friend’s body was now host to an arcane thunderstorm of energy that had previously belonged to one of the presences that had been stalking the Bearers of the Elements. Before she could investigate further, however, she received a visit from Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, the monarchs coming to inform her and the other Bearers of the threat that they potentially faced.

Secrets were uncovered, and forbidden knowledge was made known as the Princesses taught them the truth behind the bloodiest period of Equestrian history; of what really happened in the ages before and during Discord’s reign.

Now, with the burden of this new knowledge, Twilight delves further into the mystery of what happened to Rainbow Dash, uncovering a web of intrigue which depths she cannot possibly begin to fathom...

“The Order of Koaxia”

Chapter 5

South Gale

~

Glaring down critically at the notes that she had been scrawling for the better part of the night, Twilight’s brow furrowed in confusion as she continued to jot down what she had learnt from her brief forays into Rainbow Dash’s head.

The facts she had managed to glean were hazy at best, and downright incomprehensible at worst. However, sifting through the cyan pegasus’ experiences had yielded a select few, very interesting facts. Chief among these was the identity of the mysterious assailant, a strange-looking, hairless ape of some sort, clad in bizarre clothing and calling himself a ‘human’ by the name of ‘Melchior’.

The fight itself between the two had been mind-blowing - Rainbow Dash and her opponent had been moving at speeds almost imperceptible to the pony eye, with flashes of lightning sparking between the two every time they clashed; Twilight had barely been able to follow their movements at all.

Though the details were nothing but an indistinct blur, Melchior had obviously dominated the fight. Yet, in spite of the impossible odds, Rainbow Dash’s tenacity was nothing if not incredible, the cyan pegasus refusing to ever drop or give up no matter what her human opponent threw at her.

As far as the scholar could tell, this strange being looked nothing like the demons that Celestia had shown to them through her illusory visions of the bloodiest part Equestria’s obscured history. However, Twilight knew that appearances could be deceiving.

After all, there had been no disguised viciousness with which Melchior had attacked Rainbow Dash, carving up her body with that nasty sword of his and breaking her bones in so many places... Yet the more she replayed the visions of the fight in her head, the more the lavender unicorn got the feeling that Melchior had actually been testing Rainbow Dash for something.

For all the blows that he had landed, none of them had been fatal. True, all of the injuries he inflicted tended towards being either debilitating or disabling, but the creature had never attacked with the intention to truly kill with a single strike. In fact, the golden-haired ‘human’ seemed to be hardly even trying in the fight - Twilight suspected that if he had truly desired to kill Rainbow Dash, he could have easily done so within the first few seconds of encountering her.

Again, the fears that the transfer of energy had somehow transplanted his memories and personality into the cyan pegasus’ body as well, overwriting Rainbow Dash’s own mind, flickered through the scholar’s mind. Gritting her teeth, Twilight abruptly shook her head, desperately dispelling those thoughts as swiftly as they had arrived and forcing herself to focus on the facts in front of her.

There was still one thing that had stood out, though - something that she just couldn’t figure out.

As her quill floated idly over the parchment where she had inscribed her notes, she eyed her findings on that one part of Rainbow Dash’s memories that she still had not been able to understand, despite all the piecing together she had done - the one phrase that Melchior had uttered whose presence made absolutely no sense at all.

“Kirin...” The lavender mare pursed her lips in thought, her mind attempting to draw a logical conclusion and coming up absolutely empty. “But... isn’t that a Neighponese mythical creature? I can understand having one language being in common across worlds, that being common Equestrian for the sake of communication, but how can they possibly know Neighponese as well?”

It just didn’t make sense... Yet somehow, there the facts were lying in front of her, plain as day. Apparently, the new arrivals from the foreign world somehow had knowledge of the Neighpon province’s native dialect, and not only that, apparently some of their... ‘spells’ seemed to require an incantation of some sort to be spoken in that particular dialect as well in order to be cast.

Her mind briefly considered the possibility that Melchior’s own world had some sort of Neighponese equivalent, and by some form of impossibly cosmic coincidence, it just happened to be exactly the same as the native dialect of one of Equestria’s eastern provinces.

The cynic in her immediately dismissed that notion, before her inner logicist smacked the cynic upside the head and forcibly redirected her attention to something more pressing than the reasons for why these strangers from another world knew Neighponese - namely, exactly what that strange incantation Melchior had chanted before hurling his huge thunder spell at Rainbow Dash meant.

If she could puzzle it out, perhaps she could reverse-engineer the spell and figure out just what she was being faced with here!

A few minutes of picking at her brains however availed her practically nothing - honestly, "disappear with the thunder" didn't sound so much like an incantation as it did sound like a pre-mortem one liner being delivered by a teenage colt who was trying too hard to be cool. The lavender unicorn glared critically at her findings, connected the dots to form a conclusion, and promptly slammed her forehead down onto her desk.

“Great,” she pressed her hoof to the bridge of her snout, muttering exasperatedly to herself. “Not only are we being attacked by a sneaky little group of aliens from another world, they’re their race’s equivalent of preening, posturing stallions, to boot! Honestly, screaming out attack names; aren’t colts supposed to have outgrown that ‘By The Power of Grayskull’ phase by the time they’re twelve?”

Her head was pounding from just how long she had spent sitting at her desk peering at her papers, and the sheer ridiculousness of what she had just discovered wasn’t helping her headache either - she needed some coffee, and badly.

Ugh. Men.

… Wait.

The lavender mare, in the middle of walking towards her kitchen, suddenly froze in place mid-step, her pupils shrunken in shock.

… Stars above, where had that word come from?

Shaking her head vigorously, Twilight tried to get her suddenly scrambled thoughts in order, trying to get back on track the train of thought that had been so thoroughly derailed by the sudden appearance of that unexpected word.

She tried to push it out of her mind, dismissing it as nothing as she set about making a cup of coffee for herself. Tried, and failed. Like some kind of persistent ghost flittering around the edges of her vision, it lingered at the edges of her mind, maddeningly teasing her with the enigma of its existence and compelling her more and more to go and find out more about it.

Unable to dismiss it any longer, Twilight’s mental reflexes immediately took over, and, moving on autopilot, she did the first thing she always did any time she encountered something that she didn’t know about - drop whatever she was doing at the moment and go straight to her books.

The lavender unicorn set the half-made mug of coffee down on her kitchen table and immediately cantered right for her bookshelves... Only that as she arrived in front of her first bookshelf, she realized that there was no relevant bookshelf for her to peruse.

She had intended to simply remark to herself with great exasperation on how stallions obsessed themselves with that crazy, macho manure. Instead, that strange word, ‘men’, had come to her straight out of left field and completely blindsided her, leaving her with absolutely no idea on where it had come from.

Standing there uselessly in front of her shelves for several moments,Twilight found herself so completely confounded that she had no idea where to even start looking. Just as she had racked her brains to the point that she was almost ready to start smacking her head on the wall, a flash of insight occurred to her that was so darned obvious in hindsight that she almost slapped herself for it.

The first things she did was retreat to her room, pull out a cushion from the nearby sofa, and plop down on it, her eyes closed. It wouldn’t have done for Spike to see her ‘spacing out’ in front of the book shelves, though he wouldn’t have really known what Twilight was doing simply because his senses for the arcane hadn’t started developing yet.

If she was right in her deductions, that new fount of subconscious knowledge could have come from just one place only... a place in her that had not even existed until but a day ago.

Shuttering her mind to the outside world, the lavender mare turned her gaze inward, and her vision turned into a kaleidoscopic burst of colors as she beheld her body’s ley line system for what it truly was.

The first thing that she noticed was that it was a lot brighter in here than it had been yesterday.

The tiny ray of light that had burned brilliantly within her breast but two days ago when she had first interacted with the diamond had grown - now, it was a bursting, shining beam that all but blinded her whenever she tried to look directly at it. The light already enveloped more than half of the ley lines on her chest, and she could feel it growing, feeding off her body’s latent magical energy...

Yet despite this, she felt no disgust, or horror. Because it didn’t feel anything like a parasite - if anything, the light felt like it was a part of her, a part of her that was growing... maturing. The light warmed and comforted all it touched, bringing with it feelings of hope, of life, and all the joys and wonders that came with it. For this... there was no way she could possibly regard such a thing as a parasite.

Her mind briefly registered a small pulse of concern that she ought to have been afraid of some strange energy taking over her body, but she ignored it - she was far too busy revelling in the warm radiance of the light, bathing in its glorious, comforting embrace, and completely forgetting what she was even doing there in the first place.

When Spike would next enter Twilight’s bedroom the next day, he would have found the lavender unicorn laid out on the floor atop a cushion fast asleep, a contented smile spread across her face.

Beneath the covers of her bed in her boutique, an alabaster white unicorn shivered madly.

Rarity had no idea why, but the night had been absolutely chilly.

The fashionista had rolled herself up to the tenth degree in all her thickest, warmest fabrics, yet nothing seemed to be able to stave off the frigid cold that bit through her skin and all the way down to her very bones.

Sometimes the chills were barely even noticeable, hardly keeping her from carrying out her daily activities - other times, they got so bad that she could barely even move legs that had virtually turned blue and stiff from just how cold she felt.

The fashionista had barely been able to complete even half of her planned itinerary for the previous night, and she had ended up suffering a huge backlog in several of her projects. It had become so bad, she was barely even able to move her own hooves and spark her own horn, let alone use them to dexterously manipulate the fabrics and sewing needles that she was so well-known for working with as though they were an extension of her.

As she reached a shivering hoof out from her covers and peeked her head out just to take a brief look outside her windows, a flash of irritation shot through her as she spied the birds perched on the branch of the tree outside, twittering cheerily in the warmth of the rising sun of the spring day... while she was stuck inside here, wrapped up in all manner of fabrics as though the frigid temperatures of winter had decided to make her body their permanent residence.

Celestia, what was causing these chills?

Rarity shook her head blearily as she tried to focus her thoughts on something other than just how cold it was. She would have tried to go to Twilight’s library in an effort to find out just what was happening to her, but the latest bout of shivers that rippled through her body had sapped her energy to the point that the only thing she could do was simply huddle up in her bed, wrapping her covers around her trembling form.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the shivers subsided, and Rarity regained enough semblance of mind to climb out from below her covers, her muscles stiff and sore from having moved so little from their cramped positions for close to half an hour.

‘All right, that’s enough!’ the unicorn thought to herself vehemently as she quickly grabbed a scarf nearby and threw it around her neck, determined to push past this mysterious bout of shivers and get around to completing the work schedule she had set for herself today.

‘I am not going to let some mysterious illness get the best of me out of nowhere! I’m going to go to Twilight’s, get a quick remedy, and get on with replenishing my gemstone stocks! Perhaps little Spikey-wikey would like to come along... He always did like accompanying me on gemstone hunts, and he always makes himself so useful!’

Nodding satisfiedly to herself, the white unicorn quickly trotted out of her boutique and broke out into a canter as she stepped outside into Ponyville’s streets proper, determined to reach her friend’s library before yet another bout of shivers hit her.

Nothing more than a slightly drafty feeling washed over her as she cantered across the streets of Ponyville, and by the time she reached the hollowed-out tree that was Twilight’s library she was finally starting to feel almost normal again - that is, until she raised a hoof to knock on her friend’s door.

The temperature of the air around her suddenly felt like it had dropped ten degrees, and Rarity almost froze up on the spot. A discomfited hiss escaped through her suddenly clenched teeth, and her entire body shuddered like mad as she instinctively huddled in closer to herself.

Almost entirely on instinct, the seamstress shot a glance over her shoulder, and, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a swish of sapphire-blue cloth disappear behind a nearby building. Beyond that brief flash of movement, the streets were deserted as they normally were at this time of day, most ponies already busy with carrying out their day-to-day jobs and routines.

A brief shiver totally different from the ones that had been bothering her all day suddenly travelled down her spine, and the unicorn mare quickly shook her head to dispel any paranoid thoughts before they could take root.

No, she couldn’t possibly have been followed around today.

Nevertheless, nervousness lent her foreleg speed as she rapped on Twilight’s door a little faster than she needed to, and the moment the door open she quickly slipped inside, ducking past a confused, small purple dragonling.

“Hey, what the- Oh! R-Rarity!” Spike stammered in shock at her sudden appearance as the purple-maned unicorn quickly shoved the door shut before he could even move to close it.

“Oh! Why, hello there, Spike!” The white unicorn gave the little dragon an absent-minded pat on the head as her gaze flickered about nervously. “Say, would you happen to know if Twilight is in?”

“Eh? Twilight?” Spike seemed to have trouble getting his thoughts in order with his sudden close proximity with the mare of his dreams, and he paused for a full three seconds before he actually began to speak again. “Oh, right! She’s uhh, I think I last saw her sleeping in her room - why, what’s up?”

“Oh, it’s nothing to worry about, Spikey-wikey, just a little-” The unicorn was suddenly cut off as a brief spell of cold slithered over her again, and she shivered in place for a second. “A little thing that I have a couple of questions about for her.”

Spike gave her an inquisitive look, obviously not buying the full story. “Umm... all right then? Rarity, you’re looking a little cold there - are you sure you’re all right?”

“I’m-” Another chill passed over her, and this time she concealed it behind a nervous smile as she took in an inaudible hiss of breath to brace herself against the cold. “I’m fine, Spike, don’t worry about me. I’ll just be along now - oh, but do stay around for a little while! I need your help with another gem hunt, but I’ll have to speak with Twilight first...”

The little dragon’s expression lit up with joy at the prospect of spending an entire day on another gem hunt with his beloved, and Spike’s eyes practically went all googly as he uttered a half-coherent reply of assent - Rarity totally missed it as she trotted right past him and up the stairs to Twilight’s room, knocking on the lavender mare’s door to announce her arrival.

“Twilight!” Rarity called out as she pulled the door open and peeked her head inside her friend’s room, looking around curiously. “Are you in here?”

A quick glance around Twilight’s bedroom availed her a most peculiar sight that she had not expected to see: the young scholar’s bed was neatly made and untouched, yet said scholar was fast asleep on the floor at the foot of her bed atop a cushion, the strangest of contented smiles spread across her expression, looking positively radiant.

The sound of Rarity’s voice jolted her out of her slumber, and Twilight immediately jerked slightly in place, blinking sleepily as she groggily raised her head.

“Huh? Wha- Rarity?” Twilight let out a small yawn as she rubbed the remnants of sleep out of her eyes, and she slowly rose to her hooves. “Oh, nice to see you and all, but, what are you doing here? Wow, I just had the strangest... most pleasant dream, I just... can’t recall what it was about though...”

“I’m sure it was wonderful, Twilight, darling,” Rarity reassured her friend almost reflexively as she stepped up next to her, placing a hoof on her shoulder and subtly guiding her out of her room and towards the many bookshelves of the library. “But I really do need your knowledge and expertise rather urgently on something right now - something strange that’s been affecting me since last night.”

“Strange?” Twilight’s expression immediately became analytical and critical, and she gazed at Rarity inquisitively as she stepped out of her bedroom and into the library proper with the fashionista. “Hang on, what exactly do you mean by that?”

“Well, it’s sort of like-” A brief shudder against another sudden spell of cold overcame her, and Rarity gave the unicorn mare standing before her an expression that spoke volumes. “... Well, yes. That.”

“Shivers?” Twilight arched a skeptical eyebrow as she raised a hoof to press it against her friend’s forehead. “You’re sure you’re not just catching a- Oh, yeah, you definitely are not just catching a fever.”

From what she could feel, Rarity’s body temperature couldn’t have possibly been more normal. She looked positively hale and healthy, with only one exception: every few seconds, the fashionista was overcome by shivers, trembling as though she were standing in the midst of a blizzard in nothing but her fur.

Twilight found this to be highly odd, to say the least - her brain was already working at express speed to arrive at a deduction on just what it meant.

“You...” the alabaster white unicorn began hesitantly, her voice low and soft. “You don’t think this has anything to do with that sapphire I touched the other day... do you?”

Celestia’s protege opened her mouth to speak, but found herself pausing. She realized she had to choose her next few words carefully. After all, she still had very little concrete information on this - most of it was still based on educated guesses and conjecture, but Rarity’s expression had grown heavy with worry. She looked like she could use all the reassurance she could get.

“Well...” Twilight began slowly. “It’s highly possible, but I need more information to be sure... If it’s all right with you...”

The alabaster white unicorn bit her lip nervously, giving Twilight a pensive stare, and after a few moments, she finally gave a hesitant nod. “Do it.”

“All right then - just relax, this is going to tingle a bit...”

The purple unicorn’s horn flared, and both the mares’ eyes glazed over as their senses mutually dove into the spell. Hopefully, if all went as planned, this would reveal just what was wrong with the insides of Rarity’s ley line system.

Twilight had been expecting, as was the norm, mental feedback that would present itself to her in the form of visual data. What she did not expect was the sensation of a blinding sleet of snow slamming into her like a physical wall.

Freezing, biting cold snap-froze her entire body until she could barely even move her limbs. It took her a tremendous force of effort to simply keep her metaphysical eyes open, just so that she could comprehend the information that her spell was feeding her.

As she observed the activity going on within Rarity’s ley lines, she realized that she wasn’t the only one who had experienced unexpected changes.

The tiny breath of wintery fog that had once flittered aimlessly around Rarity’s ley lines had bloomed into a full-blown gale of icy wind, hurtling around like a miniature blizzard. Tiny bits of frozen ice crystals glittered in the corners of her conduits of magical energy like miniature encrusted gems, lending it a sense of unearthly, otherworldly beauty.

Another wave of biting cold washed over Twilight, ravaging her senses and nearly blinding her metaphysically, the chills so intense that they blocked out almost damn near everything else. Taking in a sharp hiss of breath, the librarian immediately ended the spell, breaking contact with Rarity and pulling her own senses back into her own body.

Blinking to clear her eyes and restore her normal vision, the lavender mare opened her eyes to see Rarity giving her a troubled look, one that spoke volumes about how unsettled she was.

“It’s spreading, isn’t it?” the unicorn asked softly, and Twilight swallowed as she slowly nodded her head. A strange lump that felt oddly like trepidation built up in her throat, and the young scholar experienced a most peculiar sensation - of just how small and insignificant she was next to what was happening around her - she was way out of her depth right now.

“It’s happening to me too,” the lavender mare admitted, her eyebrows knitted together in a frustrated frown. “I don’t know what’s going on, Rarity - this is all just so new to me, I’ve never seen anything like this before! I just can’t figure it out...”

A white hoof suddenly laid itself on her shoulder, cutting her frustrated rant off, and she looked up to see her fashionista friend giving her a comforting smile.

“It’ll be all right, Twilight,” Rarity spoke sincerely. “Whatever it is that’s going on here, I’m very sure that you’ll be able to find out more about it. I have faith in you, that you’ll be able to get to the bottom of this.”

“That’s just it, Rarity.” Celestia’s prized student gave Rarity a weary, resigned look. “I have a feeling that I’m not going to find out until it’s too late.”

Few things could possibly unsettle Rarity - the top two items on her admittedly short list were cockroaches and crying babies... well, a crying cockroach baby would probably have been truly terrible to behold, but that was besides the point.

However, what she had found out about what was happening to her ley lines from Twilight was not helping to calm her down at all - in fact, the knowledge that some sort of cold energy was freezing her entire body from the inside out did very little for her nerves.

The point was, right now, after her little visit to Twilight’s, she was now out on a routine gem hunt out in the Diamond Dog badlands with Spike. Luckily, after that little fiasco involving that little pack of mongrels who had made the mistake of abducting her, Diamond Dogs of all sorts made it a point to avoid her like the plague. And yet somehow, despite the assurances that she would be left alone, she could still feel an off-color sensation flitter across the back of her neck every now and then. Though she did her best to ignore it, the feeling remained persistent, a paranoid flutter of irrational fear that nagged at the back of her head as she roamed the desolation with Spike.

It almost felt as though something was stalking them from behind just out of sight, making her highly reluctant to glance over her shoulder out of fear that she might see something she didn’t want to.

All in all, a series of very unsettling emotions.

Already Rarity had caught sight of several ghostly flickers, always a swish of sapphire blue cloth that would disappear out of the edges of her vision before she could catch a proper glimpse of it. She had not breathed a word about it to Spike, not wanting to spook or upset her young companion, but the repeated sightings had made the fashionista increasingly jittery and nervous. Whatever it was out there, and she could feel its approach, sense its intent.

Still, at least she had managed to hide her distress from her companion. Even now, the baby dragon eagerly leapt forward into the dirt, his claws a blur as he dug furiously into the spot that Rarity’s gem-seeking spell had highlighted with a bright sky-blue glow. Meanwhile, the unicorn mare cast her gaze about anxiously, unable to shake off the oppressive feeling that had settled over her like a heavy cloak.

Something was closing in, and fast.

As Spike returned to her with his latest handful of jewels, dumping them into the cart that he had been tugging along, he gave the beautiful mare next to him a concerned look.

“Hey, Rarity, are you all right? You’re looking a little nervous there.”

The young dragon certainly didn’t expect Rarity to suddenly jump a full foot into the air, clutching a hoof to her heaving breast as eyes that were wide fear darted about jumpily.

“Oh!” the fashionista exclaimed breathlessly. “Well, I’m just feeling a little jumpy out here - this is where I got ambushed by those Diamond Dogs from before, after all. Just a couple of dreadful memories resurfacing is all!”

Spike gave Rarity a raised eyebrow, totally unconvinced. “But... I thought they never bothered you again after that time you totally broke them when they tried to kidnap you! Those dogs should know better by now than to try and nab you again! Besides...” The young dragon puffed his chest out proudly. “I’m right here with you, and those knuckleheads will think twice before tangling with a dragon!”

As nervous as she felt, Rarity couldn’t help but feel slightly reassured by the dragonling’s little display of bravado. Of course, when push came to shove, Spike would probably be even less capable than she was at fending off potential attackers. All the same, it was the intent behind the action that mattered, and the unicorn found herself feeling greatly heartwarmed by the sincerity of Spike’s dedication to protecting her.

“I’m very sure they already do, my little Spikey-wikey.” Rarity patted the little dragon on the head, giggling slightly to herself and ignoring the dour tone his expression took on at her mention of the pet nickname she had for him. “Who else would be so suited to be my little knight in shini-”

The unicorn suddenly froze in mid-syllable, painfully and acutely aware of somepony standing behind several feet behind her where nopony had been standing a second ago.

Frigid winds, buffeting her from all directions, ice creeping through her veins, freezing her to my very bones...

Mind-numbing, freezing terror froze her to her very bones as she stood rooted to the spot, her eyes wide as dinner plates as she shook madly from horn to hoof.

Oh, sweet dear Celestia, it was here.

“Knight in shining armor?” A smooth, lilting voice sounded from behind her, a subtle grin present in its tone. “Darling, I have your shining armor right here.”

He had very little doubt in his head that Aldrick Melchior had experienced something similar when he had faced off with his own counterpart.

The man cast a steady, appraising gaze at the porcelain white unicorn mare a slight smile curling his lips. Even considering the wide-eyed, terrified stare she was shooting his way, it was clear that he had found himself a kindred spirit.

The feminine pony, with her elegantly coiffed mane of the richest purple, one whose beauty he could appreciate immensely, was trembling madly, either from fear or extreme cold - people around him had the tendency to do that even when he tried to rein in his considerable power, and he could never tell the difference between the two.

Several seconds passed, and the mare still continued to stare at him wordlessly, frozen on the spot like a deer that had been suddenly caught in the headlights of an oncoming carriage.

“Oh, come now.” He let out a little chuckle as he straightened from the rock he was leaning on. “Don’t tell me you’re going to get all mute and dumbstruck on me as well. It’s enough that I get that kind of treatment from the women on my own world because of my charming good looks, but this one too?”

That little phrase seemed to coax something out of the unicorn, and the slightest tinge of red faded across her cheeks as her mouth dropped open slightly in mute shock.

She shifted backwards slightly by half a step, and to anybody else it would have simply seemed as though she was nervously shuffling on the spot - but he wasn’t just anybody else. He could see her lower her head slightly in the direction of the tiny dragonling who was standing slightly behind her, and whisper quietly to him.

“Spike - get out of here. Go back to Ponyville, and warn Twilight.”

They probably didn’t even have the slightest idea that he had heard their whispering, despite the fact that he was standing more than twenty paces away. Years of combating the infernal forces of Hell had honed his senses and reflexes into a razor-sharp edge, just as the same went for all of his compatriots - his hearing was just that sharp.

The man had expected the little one to immediately turn tail and run. No one could have blamed him, after all. However, in a surprising show of bravery, the dragonling, who couldn’t have possibly been anything more than a child, actually stood his ground, refusing to budge despite the fear that was plainly showing in his eyes. “What? No! I’m not leaving you alone here with this... this thing!”

“Well now, I resent that!” he made a faux wince with a mock hurt tone, placing a hand on his chest. “I live, breathe, and think just like you do, thank you very much!”

“Excuse me, but I don’t believe we were talking to you!” the unicorn mare suddenly snapped at him, and then her eyes widened in surprise as she realized just what she had done, slightly stunned at her sudden reaction.

The man raised an eyebrow at that, his mouth curling into a slightly impressed smirk. Even in the face of fear, she still overcame it to stand in defence of herself and her companions - a worthy trait, but it was one he had to test to ensure it would persevere even in the most extreme of circumstances.

As he mused to himself, the mare once again shuffled slightly backwards, and gave the little dragon a hard nudge with her hind leg.

“Spike, you have to get out of here!” he heard her hiss sharply under her breath despite still being dozens of paces away. “Twilight needs to know what’s going on here so that she can send help! I’ll hold him here for as long as I can - maybe lead him on a little wild goose chase, I still remember where some of the tunnel entrances are, but you have to go now!”

“B-but Rarity, I-”

“Spike, please.” If the desperation in her eyes hadn’t been indication enough, the pleading urgency in her tone was more than enough to convince the dragonling to leave - his mouth setting itself in a grim line, little ‘Spike’ nodded and turned on his heel, sprinting off into the distance as quickly as his stubby little legs could take him.

He gave the fleeing dragon a bemused glance, and let out a small chuckle as the white unicorn mare, ‘Rarity’, immediately took a step to place herself square between him and the retreating Spike, almost as though she thought herself capable of blocking his path.

“Really, you think I wouldn’t be able to just rush past you and instantly stop him before he got any further than even twenty paces?” he deadpanned, letting just the tiniest bit of power trickle out of himself... and immediately, the temperature of the air around them dropped by ten degrees.

Rarity flinched as the cold washed over her, and her shivering almost redoubled itself in strength as she struggled to keep herself calm and composed. The sense of might and power that permeated the air was overwhelming, far outstripping her own capabilities - could she really stand up against him? Images of Rainbow Dash lying limp in her bed in the hospital flickered across her mind, and the unicorn mare shook her head violently.

No! She wasn’t going to end up like that as well!

Swallowing a nervous lump in her throat, the fashionista stood her ground, determined to go down fighting despite how obviously outclassed she was - it was the only way Spike would be able to reach Ponyville in time to get her word of warning out to Twilight...

Which was why she blinked in surprise as the stranger sighed, a peculiar expression crossing his face, and suddenly gestured with one of its strange ‘hands’. Abruptly, a tea table and a set of chairs carved completely out of ice suddenly materialized by his side, a pair of glasses of what looked like iced tea perched atop the table.

“Well, there’s actually no need for us to get off on the wrong foot, surely?” The stranger, clad in the most resplendent cloak of royal turquoise she had ever seen in her life, with his wavy, shoulder-length mane of icy blue hair curling smoothly over his eyes, gestured at one of the chairs next to him. “Care to join me for a spot of tea?”

For all her expansive vocabulary and knowledge of decorum, Rarity was so flummoxed by the sudden show of hospitality that she could only answer in a confused splutter.

"Uh... Wha-?"

Spike sprinted back to Ponyville, moving as fast as his stubby little legs could carry him. A nagging sensation of deja vu flitted in the back of his mind as he ran, reminding him of the other time he made this desperate journey for a frighteningly similar reason.

Within minutes, the dirt path that led to his current hometown came into sight. Though his lungs were positively burning and his legs were about to turn to jelly, Spike continued to run, unwilling and unable to stop until he had the rest of the Elements of Harmony behind him, ready to run to Rarity’s rescue.

The dragonling’s heart hammered as he reached the town square, sprinting across it in a panic borne of his fear for Rarity’s fate. He was moving so quickly that he didn’t see the orange mare in his path until he charged straight into her front legs, nearly knocking them both flat to the ground.

“Whoa there, sugarcube, relax!” Spike heard a familiar country twang grace his ears. Looking up with a mixture of relief and desperation, he confirmed that he had indeed run straight into Applejack, who was staring at him with a concerned expression. “What’s the rush? What’s got you all so riled up?”

“Applejack! Thank... Celestia... here!” Spike visibly sagged in relief, so out of breath that he could barely string two words together through his panting and gasping. "Gotta hurry - Rarity... Diamond Dog lands... Big trouble!"

"What's that!?" Applejack's eyebrows shot up at that, her features furrowing in concern. "Rarity got kidnapped by them no-good two-bit varmint diamond dogs again?"

The apple farmer may not have gotten along with the fashionista in the best of ways, but at the end of the day Rarity was still her friend. There was no way she would leave her in the lurch just like that. "Spike, tell me right now, slowly - what's happening? Where is she?"

"I said... Diamond dog lands!" Spike wheezed out, his expression pained and already beginning to show hints of irritation at having to repeat himself. "Same as before! But... But not the dogs this time..."

Applejack's confusion only deepened at that, unable to understand what Spike was getting at. "Whoa, hang on a sec - whaddya mean 'not diamond dogs'?"

Spike gave her a terrified glance, and his next words opened up a yawning pit of terror in her stomach for Rarity's safety.

"Not... Not diamond dogs, Applejack... I think... It's the same guys that attacked Rainbow Dash!"

"You..." Rarity gave the stranger a suspicious glare, reluctant to budge even a single step from where she stood. "You and your... ilk - you are the ones who attacked my friend Rainbow Dash, are you not?"

"Rainbow Dash?" The stranger's expression turned quizzical. "Ah, Melchior's counterpart. So that was her name - I trust she is still alive and well?"

"She is currently lying in a hospital in a coma thanks to your friend, thank you very much!" the unicorn hissed icily, a cold rage overtaking her at just how flippantly this... this 'man' was regarding Rainbow Dash's fate! "And why would a ruffian such as yourself be concerned about my friend's condition?"

The stranger's face took on a hurt expression. "Why, Miss Rarity, you wound me with your words. I admit Melchior was always a bit... overzealous, but there's no need to associate my personality with the likes of his. We are more of two nobles who are alike, you and I."

Rarity again suddenly found herself thrown off-balance by his words, totally stunned by what she was being faced with here. She had been expecting a savage, heavy-handed brute hell-bent on either subduing or killing her, yet that clearly was not the case! Here she was, having an intellectual conversation with a strikingly handsome individual who, judging by his words and mannerisms, was eerily similar to her.

"I- wait, how do you know my name?" the fashionista found herself asking, unable to contain her curiosity.

The stranger chuckled, and flashed her a disarming smile that made her go sickeningly weak at the knees. "Oh, where are my manners? My name is Lucius Balthazar, South Gale of the Order of Koaxia. A pleasure to meet you, Miss Rarity."

“Did ya manage ta get his name at least?” Applejack asked, and Spike shook his head helplessly.

“I didn’t even think he’d have a name - Rarity sent me away the minute he appeared, she said she’d buy me time to get back to Ponyville with a warning! Please, Applejack, we’ve got to hurry and get Twilight!”

The poor young dragon was practically in a panic right now, and despite his exhaustion he was already back up on his feet, fidgeting uneasily and itching to get moving. Applejack might not have shown it, but she was just as worried for Rarity’s safety as Spike. The facts flashed through her head in a split-second, and she instantly made a decision.

Rarity’s safety was paramount, and every second that they spent here would increase the odds of her getting grievously hurt, or worse - there was simply no time for them to go get Twilight from the library, which was still at the other side of town.

“No time, Spike,” Applejack said resolutely. “You and ah are headin’ out there to find her right now, and we’re gonna bring her back safe.”

Rarity had the distinct impression that, even as fast as Spike could run, it would still take the dragonling quite some time to find Twilight and rally the others. In the meantime, she would have to stall for as long as she could. If that meant playing along with this 'Balthazar''s certainly false charade of hospitality, then she would just have to go along with it.

Taking in a breath and steeling herself, the unicorn mare stepped forward to the table and chairs where Balthazar awaited.

As she neared, the azure-cloaked man stepped forward, pulling out a chair from her side of the table and gesturing her to take a seat, that same damnably disarming smile still set upon his features. As suspicious as Rarity was of his intentions, she could not help but be thoroughly impressed by how politely the stranger was treating her. It was especially astounding when she considered that he was probably out for her blood, just like Melchior had been for Rainbow Dash's.

A very worrying notion, because she was finding it increasingly difficult to remain on her guard around the strikingly good-looking Lucius.

“You know, you still haven’t told me just how you know my name,” Rarity said as she took a seat upon the exquisitely designed chair, which looked as though it had been carved from solid ice itself. Yet she did not even feel the slightest bit of cold as she sat her haunches upon it, her bare skin coming into direct contact with the ice.

"There are many things that you and your friends do not know, Miss Rarity. No offense,” Balthazar quickly added as Rarity’s eyes narrowed at the first part of his sentence. “It is just that the universe is a huge place, and your kind has barely even begun to look past your own world.”

“And I suppose you must have?” Rarity saw Balthazar reach for his cup of iced tea, and as her host took a little sip the fashionista decided that perhaps drinking from her own cup might be safe as well.

Her horn lit itself aglow, and her glass lifted itself off the table, encased in a baby-blue aura. Slowly, the mare brought the cup to her lips, and she took a little sip to sample the tea... only to find herself receiving a simultaneous taste of Heaven and Hell.

The flavor of the tea was exquisite, with many rich layers of flavor simultaneously flowing over her tongue like warm honey or spiced wine... yet, as flowing as the flavors were, there was absolutely nothing warm about them. The temperature of the tea was as frigid as the arctic wastes themselves. Rarity felt as though she had just swallowed an ice cube, her throat raw with the biting burn that came from extreme cold.

“Is the tea too strong?” She heard a concerned voice ask, and she looked up from her glass to see Balthazar looking at her with a bemused expression, his eyebrows raised - she must have made a face of some sort at the tea’s... ‘unique’ taste.

“No,” the unicorn answered stiffly, unwilling to show her discomfort. “So, as I was saying, I suppose then that you must have been around the universe, seeing things that we have never even glimpsed in our lives?”

Balthazar’s face turned troubled at that, and his smile faltered, his expression pensive.

“Yes, unfortunately,” the tall, lean man answered after a brief pause. “I suppose that you want to know the full story behind what’s going on here? Melchior would have not told your friend Rainbow Dash of his purpose here - as is to be expected of him. That brute always did prefer to just rush headlong into things.”

“Even if he did, I doubt we would have been able to learn anything from her, seeing that she’s in a coma right now, thanks to him,” Rarity replied testily, her voice dripping with barely concealed venom. “Is there anything in particular you’d like to tell me here?”

“Yes - that your world is in grave danger.”

Balthazar had spoken with such seriousness and conviction that Rarity could only blink in response, uncomprehending.

“E-Excuse me?”

“I do not speak in jest, Lady Rarity,” the male human before her said with an utterly serious expression upon his countenance. “My compatriots and I are here on this world on our final mission - a mission that could possibly be the only hope for salvation for the entire universe.”

“I-Well...” Rarity’s jaw simply just dropped open, its owner barely able to muster a coherent reply in the face of the mindboggling notions presented to her. “You’ll excuse me if I do not take your words at face value, but such a tale sounds positively far-fetched.”

“And I wouldn’t blame you for that,” Balthazar said dryly, a wry smile gracing his features. “The things that we have seen... It would make most mortal souls doubt their own sanity. When we inherited these powers from our mentors, it changed us, made us more than what we once were... more than just human.”

As he spoke, Balthazar’s expression grew somewhat wistful, looking as if he was recalling a pleasant past memory, and Rarity eyed the human curiously, studying him closely.

“But enough about that!” he exclaimed suddenly, and Rarity cursed inwardly as Balthazar’s face snapped back to a neutral, bemused expression before she could glean anything else. Chuckling, he looked at her as though he was dining with an old, close friend. “Where we come from is not important - what is important is what we came here to do.”

“And... what would that be?” Rarity had a feeling that she wouldn’t like the answer, but she asked the question anyway - she was burning with an intense curiosity to find out just what was going here. No doubt such information would be invaluable to Twilight, if she managed to get out of here alive and in one piece.

“A succession,” the azure-cloaked man answered simply. “We are the last of our kind, and our time is running short - there are nightmares waiting out there amongst the stars that would not spare a second thought before setting your world to the flame. My compatriots and I are the universe’s last line of defense against them, but our days are numbered. We came here to find a new sanctuary against the horrors of the immaterium; to create a new place where our sacred Order could once again make a stand against our ancient enemies.”

“The demons,” Rarity breathed out in sudden comprehension as her eyes widened in understanding, and Balthazar gave her a surprised look.

“Oh, so you already do know of them?”

“Our world has had history with them, but it was more than thousands of years ago.” Rarity found the story tumbling forth from her lips, surprised at how willing she was to part with the information. In hindsight, she realized she probably should have been a lot more clammed up, but something about Balthazar made it seem as though he could be trusted to not use that information to malicious ends.

Either that, or it was the strange premonition she had, that by the end of today it wouldn’t even matter whether or not he knew about it. Regardless of the reason, Rarity continued to explain her world’s history to the human stranger she had just met.

“It was a bloody period of history that none but our monarchs recall - every scrap of information related to that period has been purged from our Royal Archives,” the fashionista elaborated. “Our kind has encountered them before, but we beat them back... once.”

“Once...” Balthazar repeated to himself softly, an amused smile growing on his face. “And you say that your kind’s first encounter with them was thousands of years ago?”

Rarity nodded, and Balthazar shook his head, sighing softly. “Well then, Lady Rarity, I hate to tell you this, but you have barely even seen what they are capable of now.”

The seriousness and conviction that he spoke with made Rarity not doubt his words for even a second - there was not even a shred of doubt in her mind that Balthazar was speaking the absolute truth.

The unicorn had never felt any smaller or more insignificant in her life. Everything she had ever known, done, and aspired to in her life, it all seemed so... so petty, so trivial next to the fate of entire worlds, of the universe itself. Despair threatened to drown her as she contemplated just what was out there; demonic monsters unlike anything on Equestria waiting to prey upon the world itself. Desperately, she floundered around in her mind trying to latch on to a concept that she could still comprehend.

“So... then... Wait, you said that your Order was here to find new sanctuary - a new place to guard against the... demons?” Balthazar nodded in answer to her question, and Rarity indignantly slammed her hooves down onto the table, rearing up out of her chair and standing on her hind legs. “Well... then, why are you attacking us!? We pose no threat to you! How can you claim to be enemies of the demons when you attack innocents such as ourselves as well? You’re no better than the demons yourselves!”

Balthazar looked slightly hurt as the accusation struck home like a well-aimed arrow, and Rarity briefly found herself surprised at his reaction and somewhat confused - this wasn’t what she had been expecting.

“You misunderstand our intent, milady,” the man said slowly and patiently. “I understand that it would have seemed that way, given Melchior’s approach, but I assure you that we have not come here with the intent to simply kill you.”

Rarity blinked, unable to wrap her head around what she was hearing. “Well... then... what are you here for?”

“You and your friends have been chosen, Lady Rarity,” Balthazar explained. “We are here to test your worthiness to be our successors.”

“Applejack, are you sure we should be heading in without the others?” Spike asked concernedly from his perch atop the galloping orange mare’s back. “I mean... we don’t even know what we’re up against here!”

“Ain’t no time, Spike!” the apple farmer responded hastily, barely even winded despite the pace at which she was running. “Every second counts now, and ah ain’t waitin’ around ta gather the others when Rarity could be turned into a frozen popsicle any second now!”

“But that’s just it!” Spike protested as he held on to the orange mare’s neck for dear life. “If we don’t have the others to help us if we get into trouble, we’ll get turned into frozen popsicles ourselves!”

Applejack gritted her teeth at the dragonling’s words - Spike had a point. With just the two of them running to Rarity’s rescue, without the others even knowing where they were headed, nopony else would know what had happened to the three of them if tragedy struck - she would have needlessly wasted her life and Spike’s in a foolhardy charge to the rescue.

But if there was one thing that Spike had failed to consider, it was that that was his logic talking, logic based on the facts that all thought they had known. And those once immutable truths had undergone a most recent, unexpected change.

Applejack remembered which gem Rarity had touched, and which one she had touched herself - Rarity’s gem had been like an ice crystal, while hers had been the fire ruby. Touching the fire ruby had implanted something deep within her - the apple farmer was no fool. She could feel a strange, hot feeling stir in her belly every time she felt particularly strongly about something - and that strange heat was the strongest any time she felt angry or agitated.

Even a foal knew that fire was the diametric opposite of water, and by extension, ice - if anypony amongst her friends stood the best chance of rescuing Rarity from whatever creature had her in its grasp, it was Applejack.

The orange mare redoubled her pace, and that strange heat flared to life in her gut again, spurring her onward as she poured on the speed, until she was sprinting at a pace that would have given Rainbow Dash a run for her money.

Ah’m on mah way now, Rarity - don’t ya dare die on me!

“Worthiness... to be your... successors?” Rarity said slowly, unsure if she had heard that right.

“Indeed.” Balthazar nodded. “You and the other Elements of Harmony are incredibly powerful individuals for your species - you are the prime specimens of your kind, the paragons of the pony race. You each embody virtues that stand in complete opposition to the destruction and the chaos that the demons strive for. You are the perfect candidates to be the champions of the light, to carry on the torch that we have to pass on.”

“Well... I... This is just...” Rarity’s head was spinning with the implications. While it was true that she and her friends were already the chosen ones of Equestria, Balthazar expected her to believe that they were the destined defenders of the entire universe! Countless worlds and innumerable living creatures, all depending on her to stave off demons and other monstrosities? How could anypony be expected to believe such a fantastical declaration!

But even as she struggled to refute the impossible claim, the unicorn’s mind whisked her away on a flight of fancy. For the tiniest and briefest of moments, she entertained a wondrous, awe-inspiring vision of the future. Herself, alongside her friends, standing atop a vast, opulent stage, being hailed not only as the saviors of Equestria, but of all existence, a crowd of trillions spread out before them.

A second later, however, the mare quickly shook her head, dispelling the mental image and bringing herself back down to the ground.

By Celestia, this human knew just how to push her buttons!

Clearing her throat as she tried to get her thoughts in order, Rarity turned to face Balthazar, trying to keep a straight face. “Well, then... how exactly are you going to test our worthiness? A test of some sort?”

Balthazar gave her a sad smile. “Well, you would be right in that regard. Melchior decided to test Rainbow Dash in his own manner, and now, I am going to have to test you in my own manner as well. And for that, I must apologize.”

Rarity cocked her head puzzledly at him. “Apologize for what?”

“For this.”

The temperature of the air around her abruptly dropped to freezing as the smile on Balthazar’s face vanished, replaced by a cold, frigid expression that could have been carved from ice itself. Abruptly, all around her, the ground itself froze over as it was covered by a thin sheet of ice. Far off in the distance, she saw the walls of a gigantic ring of ice rise forth from the ground, entrapping her within a spacious arena with no visible way out.

Freezing terror rose up in her again, and Rarity reacted just in time to avoid the next blow as Balthazar suddenly rose from his seat, placing his fingers under the table and flipping it over towards her in a sudden display of force, sending the two glasses of iced tea flying.

The fashionista unicorn dove to the side in a last-second graceless belly flop, desperate to just get out of the way. She landed in a slide, skidding painfully on her belly on the ice that coated the floor and turned it slick. Her hooves scrabbled for a grip on the slippery ground as she scrambled to turn over, trying to get Balthazar back into her field of vision.

Through the haze of panicked fear that clouded her mind, Rarity remembered just one thing from the self-defense lessons she had taken in her youth - never let your attacker out of your sight. If you could see him and what he was doing, you could at least react accordingly to his movements and defend yourself from there - you could hardly defend yourself against a threat you could not see coming.

Scrambling to get back onto her hooves, she glanced frantically around for any sign of Balthazar. To her dismay, the azure-cloaked human was nowhere to be seen - it was as though he had suddenly disappeared into the air itself. Before she could even take a step, the very ground beneath her hooves began to shake violently.

Rarity nearly shrieked in terror as glittering, icy walls suddenly rose up in front and behind her, forming a long corridor that extended down both her sides. More walls began to rise up through the ground around her, until she saw that she had been entrapped within a labyrinth of some kind - a maze, where undoubtedly, Balthazar stalked her from the shadows, an unseen predator hunting down his prey.

There was no doubt about it - this was the test that Balthazar had set for her, and he certainly wouldn’t have set it upon her if he hadn’t thought her capable of passing it in some manner... the only question was in exactly what manner he expected it!

As she pondered her situation, there was a sudden thunk! next to her as something whizzed past her face and embedded itself in the ice mere inches from her left hoof. Looking down, she saw a frozen arrow sticking out from the ground - a grim reminder of her current and very immediate predicament.

“You’ll want to get a move on, my little moth!” Balthazar’s lilting voice echoed out hauntingly throughout the cavernous walls of the icy labyrinth, mocking her with its ringing echo. “You may yet escape from here, but first you will have to be a part of my swan song - my final masterpiece! Go to the centre of the labyrinth - and hurry now! My muse is a fickle bitch, with a very short attention span!”

His voice suddenly turned high and irritated at the end of his sentence, and Rarity found herself actually recognizing his tone - it was the inflection her own voice took on any time she was dealing with the concept of a particularly elusive idea that just wouldn’t take form in her head. Evidently, Balthazar was formulating some sort of plan; but a swan song? His ‘final masterpiece’?

Just what was going on here?

The unicorn shook her head and immediately took off at a gallop before any more frozen arrows could make another attempt at skewering her. Whatever answers there were to the questions that raged about in her head, she wouldn’t find them by simply standing around.

Rounding about the corner as she skidded on her hooves, barely managing to keep her footing, Rarity was about to continue down the corridor when she beheld a sight that made her stop in her tracks in pure shock.

The corridor before her was littered with ice sculptures that did not look quite right. As she took a closer look, she saw that the sculptures were contorted in strange postures that spoke of terror and agony... and that they looked strangely like diamond dogs.

A closer peer at the ice sculptures afforded her a truer glimpse of just what she was faced with here... and as the ball dropped, Rarity gasped out loud in horror as she realized that the ice sculptures weren’t even sculptures at all - they were diamond dogs that had been frozen alive.

As she looked upon the travesty of death, the oddest sensation began to wash over Rarity - cold, purposeful rage began to flow through every fibre of her being. Her entire self settled into a numb haze as her mind suddenly became as clear and focused as a crystal ball, and she knew exactly what she had to do.

There was absolutely no love lost at all between the fashionista unicorn and the subterranean canines, but this was nothing but a brutal act of murder, twisted into some perverse form that was a mockery of life, art, and everything else that Equestria stood for.

It didn’t matter what Balthazar had up his sleeve, or how much more powerful he was than she - that man was going to answer for this.

It. Was. On.

The unicorn took a single step forward, and Balthazar’s voice suddenly rang out from the walls around her, his voice loud and authoritative.

“Beautiful, isn’t it? The arctic wastes care not for the lives it takes, only the harsh beauty of its sheer purity, freezing and burying away all it touches, until they become a part of the arctic itself. Behold, the beauty and splendour of my work!”

All around her, Rarity could feel sudden surges of power, chilling spikes of freezing cold passing from underneath her hooves and through the air around her, and she sensed it pouring forward... into the frozen diamond dogs before her. Once more, Balthazar’s voice reverberated throughout the labyrinth in a grand, theatrical announcement.

“Tannhäuser!”

The sensation of cold surrounding her approached a sharp, freezing crescendo, and, suddenly, one of the frozen diamond dogs twitched in her direction.

Rarity let out a surprised scream, her composure shaken briefly, as the supposedly dead canine suddenly opened its jaws, the frozen flesh and sinew splitting itself open with a nauseating crack! Letting out a guttural snarl that should have been by all means physically impossible, the frozen diamond dog lunged at her in a feral pounce, seeking to pin her beneath its icy bulk.

The unicorn twisted herself away from the lunge, barely dodging the canine’s frozen claws by inches. Her hooves slipped out dangerously from beneath her, and Rarity managed to get back her footing just in time to dodge another swipe from below as the diamond dog recovered from its missed lunge and attacked her again.

Turning on her heels, Rarity ran for all she was worth down the corridor, fleeing as the diamond dog behind her gave chase. As she sprinted down the labyrinth, the frozen statues around her came to life one by one as she passed them by, each of them swiping out at her. Some even managed to leave long, bloody scratches on her coat despite her best attempts to dodge around them.

The fashionista, however, shockingly felt nothing but a slight, dull surprise even as the icy claws raked against her coat, drawing long red lines that she barely even registered. As she ran on, the coldness of the labyrinth pressing in against her, her entire body descended into a numb haze that dulled all sensation. Her mind slowly cleared, focused to a razor’s edge as she fell into the zone, and she began flawlessly taking in every detail around her, filtering out the distractions of pain and fatigue as she coldly and instantly made the decisions that could mean the difference between her life and death.

There wasn’t any conscious effort on her part - the zen-like trance that she was submerged in had her body moving of its own accord. Automatically, Rarity ducked underneath another swipe and spun around to face behind her as she slid backwards, telekinetically grabbing several icicles from the labyrinth’s ceiling and arraying them in the air before her. Another spin, and she flung the icicles outwards with all the strength and precision she could muster, throwing them through pinpoint trajectories that carried them through spots that would have been vital points in living diamond dogs.

Years of handling her sewing needles with perfect precision paid off - those vital points were now the focal points through which Balthazar channeled his magic into the ice mannequins, allowing him to control their movements. The needle-thin icicles, charged with Rarity’s own magic, punched right through the focal points with surgical precision, disrupting the flow of arcane energies that controlled their movements and cutting right through the sculptures’ proverbial strings.

Four of the frozen diamond dogs pursuing her suddenly dropped, skidding limply on the slick, icy ground like puppets that had suddenly had their strings cut.

Rarity didn’t even stop to admire her handiwork - smoothly completing her spin before her icicle needles had even hit, she turned to face forward again and continued her gallop down the ice labyrinth’s corridor. The fashionista unicorn soon came to a T-junction, and, without missing a beat, her mind instantly deducted which direction she had to take to reach the labyrinth’s centre. She leapt upwards skillfully, leaning slightly to the right, and galloped across the wall for a few steps before stepping back to the ground, having not bled off even a single iota of momentum or speed in her incredibly smooth right turn.

“Splendid performance, little moth - simply splendid!” She heard Balthazar’s voice echo throughout the labyrinth’s walls once more. “You can keep up with the main act - now let’s see how well you perform the finale!”

Rarity barely even registered his words - moving in a trance, she continued galloping down the labyrinth’s numerous passages, dodging swipes from frozen diamond dogs that had managed to catch up with her. Every now and then, she spun around with a hoof full of icicles to send flying their way, dropping more and more of her pursuers with each precisely-delivered volley.

Turning around the next corner, she suddenly found herself running out into an open chamber that was just about as large as the biggest theatre she had ever seen in her life. In the centre of the chamber was a grand stage, raised from the ground in a majestic sculpture of ice, and atop it stood Balthazar, his royal turquoise cloak flowing out grandly behind him.

Flanking him on both sides were massive statues of ice shaped unlike anything she had ever seen before, though another look availed her that they were shaped more or less like Balthazar himself, standing upright on two legs. Their sculpted forms appeared as though they were clad in ornate armor, each with its own unique appearance, and they held various wicked, menacing weapons within their massive grips.

“Bravo, little moth, absolutely bravo!” She heard Balthazar call out to her across the chamber from where he stood upon the stage, as though he were an opera conductor. “You have done well to make it this far, but now, I shall truly test your mettle - let us see if you can remain cool under pressure! Now, as we begin...”

Rarity cringed at just how bad the pun was, but before she could respond any further Balthazar suddenly raised his arms, a glittering rod of ice held in his right hand. Sweeping it over the frozen statues that flanked him, he bellowed out in a loud, clear voice that rang sonorously throughout the entire chamber.

“Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg!!!”

There was an abrupt rumbling as the statues surrounding him suddenly shuddered to life. The first of them, an utter behemoth of a golem, stepped forward, hefting a massive axe that was half again the unicorn’s size over its shoulder as it menacingly cracked its neck from side to side, fixating its soulless gaze upon her.

There was not even a flicker in her trance - Rarity simply looked the golem up and down, analyzing it critically. Only the slightest ghost of a smirk haunted her face before she darted forward again, snatching up more icicles from around her as the golem charged forward to meet her, its axe raised in a high killing arc.

“Well... doesn’t look like there’s any way through this.” Spike gaped up at the towering wall of glittering ice before him. “You know, I really think that we should’ve come here with the others by now, Applejack.”

“Lahk ah said, no time, Spike!” Applejack said urgently as she paced about in agitation, completely stumped on how she was going to deal with the frozen wall of ice barring her way. So far she had tried bucking it as hard as she could and bucking hard and heavy objects at it as hard as hard as she could, yet the barrier before her was as thick and unyielding as a glacial wall. “Every second that Rarity’s in there... Consarnit all! Why can’t ah get through this!?”

Fury rose up in her chest as she let out a frustrated yell, and in a fit of rage she spun herself around and lashed out at the wall again with everything she had, screaming as she did so. Once again, roaring heat bloomed inside of her as her inner fire suddenly flared to life, and the moment her hooves came into contact with the ice, the wall absolutely shattered.

Spike’s jaw dropped even further to the ground at the sight. The section of wall that Applejack had kicked in didn’t just topple over, but actually continued to fly on inwards, punching through several more walls ahead of it and leaving behind a series of holes straight through.

“Whoa.” The dragonling’s mouth was hanging open as he stared in awe at the damage the apple farmer had managed to achieve. “Since when were you that strong, Applejack?”

The orange mare was staring slack-jawed at the hole as well, her mind awhirl as she contemplated the amount of strength she must have used to cause that kind of damage. Even Big Mac on his best days could only slightly uproot an apple tree over with a full-strength buck - kicking the apples off the trees required far less than that, and her much stronger elder brother usually had little reason to exert his full strength.

But the kind of strength she must have used to kick that wall in far exceeded mere applebucking - if she had hit one of the trees in her orchard with that kind of strength, she would have shattered the trunk on impact and sent its upper half flying off into the distance!

Gazing down at her hooves, Applejack started slightly as she noticed the slightest wisps of flame dancing about her forehooves before they winked out of sight. Consternation rose up in her as she contemplated just what this meant - was she truly gaining some strange powers of her own?

It didn’t matter right now - Rarity was somewhere inside this ice ‘maze’ of some sort, and in very immediate, very real danger. If she didn’t get to her fast enough... Applejack didn’t think she could live with knowing she had failed to save Rarity because she had been too slow.

Stepping through the hole she had blown open with her forceful kick, Applejack and Spike ran into the labyrinth proper, yelping in surprise as they skidded slightly on the slick, frozen floor.

“Whoa! It’s already hard enough moving around in here with the cold and all, but a slippery floor too?” Spike griped out loud as he clambered onto Applejack’s back. “I sure hope Rarity’s all right...”

“She will be, Spike.” Applejack smiled at the young dragon as reassuringly as she could, trying to fight down the fear that she was too late which was rising up in her. “We’ll make sure of it.”

As the orange mare took off at a awkward, clumsy gallop through the corridors of the maze, slipping and sliding across the floor, they passed by several fallen bodies - Spike took a closer look at them even as Applejack ran on heedless of them, and his sharpened dragon eyesight afforded him glimpses of what the apple farmer had overlooked in her haste.

“This is Rarity’s work,” Spike suddenly breathed out in surprise, and Applejack nearly tripped over her own hooves as his words registered with her.

“What’dja just say, pardner?” The orange mare looked at him with an incredulous expression, unable to believe that the fallen bodies, frozen as they were, had been the work of the fashionista unicorn, of all ponies.

The bodies looked oddly like diamond dogs, but she just couldn’t comprehend the fact that her friend had been the one to put them down - there were needle-thin icicles sticking out from several of the bodies’ vital points; neck, chest, arteries, everything. Whoever had thrown those icicles had done so with the precision of a master - precision that certainly was not beyond Rarity’s skill.

The implications weren’t pleasant, but Applejack knew that jumping to conclusions would avail her nothing - only confronting Rarity about the truth when she found her would get her anything useful out of it.

“C’mon, Spike.” Applejack nudged her head in the direction of the corridor that lay ahead of them. “We ain’t gettin’ no answers by hangin’ around here.”

“Yeah... yeah, you’re right,” Spike said pensively as he nervously eyed the fallen diamond dog corpses. “Let’s go.”

Even as Applejack resumed her gallop through the labyrinthine corridors, Spike found his gaze drawn to the fallen bodies of the diamond dogs, unable to tear his eyes away from them as he considered the possibility that his beloved had been responsible for this carnage. Could she really be...?

Before he could get any further down that train of thought, an unfamiliar, foreign voice suddenly rang through the corridors of the maze, its booming volume almost sending Applejack tumbling right to the floor as it rolled right over her ears.

“Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg!!!”

“What the- was that Germane we just heard!?” Spike’s eyebrows shot up incredulously, but Applejack had her mind on far more practical things.

“It came from over there!” Abruptly, the orange mare veered down a corner that left Spike hanging on for dear life. The sprint brought her down to a doorway several moments later. As she ran right on through, the sounds of several crashes reached her ears and light reflected from over a dozen sources suddenly blinded her; Applejack yelped out in surprise as she immediately dug her hooves into the frozen ground beneath her, sliding to a stop several seconds later.

Blinking to clear the spots in her vision, Applejack squinted to try to make sense of what was around her - apparently she was standing atop a parapet of some sort, overlooking a large chamber that seemed strangely reminiscent of a theatre, as there was a giant stage of some sort raised in the centre of the chamber... and atop the stage stood a spectacle she had never thought she would witness in her entire life.

Rarity stood upon the stage, moving in short, sharp bursts and smooth, flowing dodges as she danced a narrow sequence of evasions among the wicked weapons of what looked like ice golems. There were at least four of them atop the stage, and though each of them carried a different sort of weapon, every single one of them was assaulting the unicorn pony with unabated ferocity.

Atop a pedestal overlooking it all was the strangest creature the farmer had ever seen. Its shape was similar to that of the golems attacking Rarity, but it was clad in a cloak colored in the most royal shade of turquoise she had ever seen, and it looked more akin to a clothed, hairless ape than anything else - Applejack noted with consternation that Fluttershy probably had been telling the truth, and the orange mare experienced a pang of guilt at having doubted her friend so aggressively.

Slung over the strange monkey-creature’s back was a large, glittering body of ice that resembled a composite bow, and in its grip it held a long, crystalline wand. It waved the glimmering baton about like a conductor’s rod, directing the golems that were attacking Rarity so ferociously in a viciously one-sided fight of four-against-one.

Not to say that Rarity wasn’t putting up a fight of her own - in her telekinetic grip she held her own razor-sharp length of ice that she was whirling around like a shortsword, wielding the makeshift weapon with a surprising amount of grace and skill. As she smoothly dipped underneath the first swing of one of the golem’s greatsword, her own blade simultaneously flashed out, carving out a deep furrow in the statue’s thigh that would have hamstrung a living being.

Unfortunately, it seemed as though the golem was made out of solid ice, the towering creature appearing to regard the furrow as nothing more than a tiny scratch. Unhindered, it lumbered forward again with its compatriots, following up its first attack with another overhand chop that would have cleaved Rarity in half. At least, it would had she not parried it aside with a flickering movement, extended her dip into a forward roll, and slipped underneath the golem and between its legs to end up behind it.

Another one of the statues took a swipe at her with its polearm, and Spike’s heart leapt to his throat as the blade passed inches from taking Rarity’s head off at the neck. The fashionista only narrowly avoided the blow by ending her roll and taking off into a forward leap. The polearm’s blade passed harmlessly below her, and suddenly her own blade shot forward and embedded itself in the forehead of the attacking golem as her horn flared.

The golem almost immediately went limp as it visibly sagged, and Rarity landed behind it in an immaculately graceful landing, yanking her impromptu shortsword from the golem’s head in a telekinetic burst. Without pause, the remaining three continued to descend upon her, swinging their weapons wildly.

All of a sudden the strange figure standing atop his conductor’s stand called out in a clarion voice, his voice echoing out across the chamber, his words clear even to Applejack’s ears...

“Das Rheingold!”

Abruptly, the first golem to have fallen, a tall regal figure whose head was encircled by a frozen wreath and who had wielded the polearm, vanished in a flash of glowing energy. In its place stood a shapeless hunk of ice... a hunk of ice that suddenly blocked off an entire quarter of the stage, limiting Rarity’s movement.

The fashionista seemed to hardly notice - whirling her improvised blade again, she gracefully spun around the thrust of another statue’s weapon, this one a feminine figure clad in ornate armor. A tiny pair of wings extending from behind the ears of the helm she wore and in her hands she wielded a longsword paired with a shield.

Rarity’s impromptu shortsword flashed out again as she shot it forward with another telekinetic burst, and it buried itself in the statue’s neck, the construct letting out a strange ringing, choking noise before going limp, sagging at the knees.

Again, the strange conductor cried out again in a clarion call, his voice ringing in Applejack’s ears.

“Die Walküre!”

Just like before, the fallen golem vanished in a flash of light, replaced by another hunk of shapeless, lifeless frost that cordoned off another quarter of the stage - at least two of Rarity’s sides were blocked off now, and she had even less space to work with than before as she faced off against the remaining two constructs.

As Applejack watched the fight proceed, the ball dropped as she realized that Rarity was slowly being boxed in - with her back to the two ice walls that blocked off any form of escape or retreat, she was completely at the mercy of the two remaining statues as they thrust their weapons at her, intent on finishing what their two comrades had failed to do so.

Before she could shout a warning to her friend, the unicorn’s blade lashed out once more, cutting through the third statue’s neck and leaving it hanging off by a sliver of ice, sending the sculpture toppling to the floor - the stranger’s voice rang out once more, announcing the greatsword-wielding golem’s fall as it turned into another hunk of lifeless ice, cordoning off a third quarter of the stage and leaving only one of Rarity’s sides unblocked.

“Siegfried!”

Applejack didn’t even have time to register what was happening - Rarity seemed to be moving as though she was in a trance, shifting and stepping about so quickly that it was as though she was performing a routine from muscle memory. Before she even knew it, Rarity had shot her blade forward again like an oversized arrow, blasting it right through the forehead of the final greataxe-wielding statue and leaving behind a hoof sized hole.

“Götterdämmerung!”

The conductor called out what sounded like the final golem’s name, and Applejack’s heart dropped to the pit of her stomach as the construct sagged where it stood, already beginning to glow from within.

“No, Rarity! IT’S A TRAP!!!”

The unicorn’s eyes suddenly widened in surprise at the sound of Applejack’s voice, but the warning had come too late - only when the final golem suddenly transformed into the final block of ice that cordoned off her last open corner, boxing her in from all sides, did she realize that she had been outmaneuvered.

“Der Ring des Nibelungen!!!”

The ring of ice that surrounded Rarity began to shine with unearthly power, and it all suddenly rushed in all at once, caving in upon her in a crashing torrent of frozen water. Applejack instinctively ducked down and covered her head as shards of broken ice went flying past her, and when the mist kicked up by the impact finally cleared, she lowered her forelegs to behold a horrifying sight.

Rarity lay upright, half of her body entombed within a solid casket of glittering ice, though her head and upper chest lay exposed to the cold air of the chamber. Standing before her, the strange, cloaked conductor faced her evenly with a satisfied expression, the bow that was previously slung over his back now clutched in his right hand.

A glittering arrow of ice materialized in his left hand as he strung it into his bow, steadily drawing it backwards. The oppressive cold that hung in the air around Applejack suddenly magnified in its weight, freezing her down to her very bones until she could barely even budge an inch, the air before her turning into a ghostly fog with every breath she exhaled.

“Yes... I am satisfied now, little moth...” The apple farmer heard a lilting voice reach her ears. “You have certainly impressed with your performance - you truly are a worthy successor. Now, it is time for me to pass on the torch. Do not fear, this should not hurt... much.”

The strange, upright creature lifted up its bow, aiming the arrow right at Rarity’s heart, and Applejack struggled to scream out through teeth that couldn’t stop chattering, to force air out from lungs that were ravaged by the frigid air around her.

“Sing; Shemhazai the Whisperer.”

Behind him, a ghostly afterimage began to materialize - a grotesque mockery of the equine form that had been twisted into a bipedal shape, the spectre’s visage hidden by an armored helmet as its form was wreathed in a rose-red cloak.

Slowly, the spectral image wrapped its arms around the strange conductor’s neck in a loving embrace, their contrasting cloaks of turquoise and rose flowing together in unison as they wrapped themselves together. Without warning, the chamber suddenly darkened, as though every single bit of light had been drained into the two beings standing intertwined in the midst of the theatre as they began to glow with an incandescent light. So intense was their gleam, that it made Applejack’s eyes hurt when she tried to look directly at them, as though they shone as bright as the sun itself.

“Farewell, Miss Rarity.” Applejack heard the lilting voice whisper again, a hint of tenderness and melancholy tinting the undercurrents of its tone. “It was a pleasure creating this performance with you.”

And then he released his grip on the bowstring - the arrow streaked forth, and buried itself in Rarity’s chest. The orange mare heard a scream, and then suddenly the entire world around her exploded, turning everything into a sheet of blank white.

Miles away, in the Ponyville General Hospital, a cyan-furred pegasus suddenly awoke with a gasp, bolting upright in her bed as something inside of her surged in response.

Awakenings

This is the continuation of the story of six mares who have yet to realize their own destinies.

It was during a routine gem hunt with Spike that Rarity met her own counterpart. Calling himself 'Lucius Balthazar, South Gale of Koaxia', it seemed as though he had come for a fight, and Rarity sent Spike away to Ponyville in a call for help while she delayed Balthazar.

However, Balthazar opened the encounter with surprising hospitality, explaining to Rarity his purpose there, and what he and his Order had come to do. Rarity learned they were there to perform a succession, and she and her friends had been chosen as the ones they would pass the torch on to.

Applejack had rushed to Rarity’s aid upon hearing from Spike of her encounter with the second of the strange members of the ‘Order of Koaxia’. Upon finding the unicorn mare, they discovered her trapped within a winding ice labyrinth, one conjured by Balthazar as part of his test of Rarity’s worthiness to inherit his powers.

Fighting gracefully and valiantly, Rarity eventually still fell before her opponent, entrapped within a tomb of ice that left her helpless before Balthazar. As Applejack watched on, Balthazar summoned a spectral being that seemed to merge with him, and shot an arrow straight through Rarity’s chest - there was a scream, and her entire world vanished in an explosion of white.

Miles away in Ponyville, Rainbow Dash regains consciousness as something inside her surges and awakens in response... but she is not the only one reacting to these events, for Princess Celestia had sensed it too, and having had enough of watching for signs from the sidelines, she decides to take a more direct hoof in matters...

“The Order of Koaxia”

Chapter 6

Awakenings

The blackness around her suddenly parted painfully as a searing spike of agony surged in her chest, a red-hot lightning rod that drove itself right through the very centre of her being.

Light bloomed all around her as the darkness gave way to a blinding flash, and Rainbow Dash awoke with a pained gasp as she felt something inside of her surge in response to something.

The cyan pegasus bolted upright in her bed, her eyes wide and her mouth open in a silent scream. Something surged and writhed inside her chest, the strangest feeling of restless, twitchy energy flowing through her entire body, and she knew, just knew, right down to her very bones, that someone out there connected to her had just died.

There was the emptiest, most horrific sense of loss - she felt a gaping, ragged hole tear itself open in her chest as something inside her was abruptly snuffed out... A cool, calming presence that had simply vanished, its absence noticeable only due to the suddenness of its disappearance. Yet in its place, she felt something else bloom into existence - a tiny, newborn presence that seemed to be an infant version of the sensation that had preceded it, observable, but coming nowhere close to filling up the gaping hole its predecessor had left behind.

All of this, the pegasus registered within her first few seconds of consciousness - shaking her head to dispel the odd sensation and trying to quell the stifling pain in her chest, Rainbow Dash looked around her to see where she was now.

With a cursory glance around herself, she recognized the familiar drab walls of a Ponyville Hospital ward, and the feeling of the downy sheets against her fur was a familiar, calming sensation. Beside her bed, a strange machine beeped at irregular intervals, wires trailing from multiple outlets and ending up connected to some strange plugs that were attached to her head and temples.

Wincing as her chest twinged again suddenly, Rainbow Dash looked down, only to get the shock of her life as she realized that there wasn't a hole in her sternum.

Her head spun as she tried to dredge up her most recent memories from the sleep-addled haze of her mind. The last thing she could remember was fighting with Melchior in the Everfree forest, him driving his arm all the way up to his elbow into her chest... And then blinding pain assaulting her from all directions before she had blacked out.

By all rights, she should have been dead - the cyan-feathered pegasus realized that. No pony could have possibly survived getting an entire arm rammed right through their midsection; yet here she was, in Ponyville Hospital, hale and healthy, albeit with a still-smarting sternum.

A soft stirring at the foot of her bed brought the mare back to reality. Looking down, she realized that a small, tiny head of light pink hair was lifting itself up from its position near her hind leg, where (Judging by the shallow, already fading indentation) it had been resting for quite some time. A familiar visage peeked out from behind the pink bangs, and Fluttershy blinked her eyes sleepily.

The yellow pegasus glanced blearily around for a couple of seconds before finally locking onto the awake Rainbow Dash, and almost immediately her expression lit up in joy.

"Oh, Rainbow Dash, you're awake!" Fluttershy cried out in relief as she darted forward and enveloped her fillyhood friend in an embrace that wouldn’t have crushed a butterfly. "I was so worried - I never thought you'd wake up so quickly!"

“Whoa, hey, easy there, Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash patted her friend awkwardly on the back despite her smarting chest, but she couldn’t help but smile nonetheless. After suddenly waking up from a fight that she was certain had killed her, it really helped that the first face she saw was a familiar, friendly one. It certainly went a long way in comforting her. “I’m still in one piece - I’m just fine!”

“Are you sure?” Fluttershy asked concernedly as she pulled away from Rainbow Dash and began looking her over. “You look like something’s hurting - you’re wincing.”

“Don’t worry about it - it’s just my chest smarting a little. It’s nothing.” The cyan pegasus waved it off with a nonchalant grin, quite frankly not caring about the pain that was already receding into the back of her mind - what took precedence was the fact that she was still alive.

“I just... Wow.” She let out a shaky breath as she shook her head, still trying to wrap her head around what had just happened. “For a second I thought I was gonna die there... But, how’d I get back here, ‘Shy? Last thing I remember, I was fighting that human thingy that started attacking me, and then... He must’ve knocked me for a loop, cos all I remember next is waking up here.”

Fluttershy’s cheeks darkened slightly, and the pegasus looked away shyly, murmuring something under her breath. Rainbow Dash had to lean closer and ask her to repeat herself before she could register what she was saying.

“Uhm... well... I kind of went into the Everfree forest after you, and I brought you back here when I found you unconscious...”

“You went into the Everfree!?” The cyan pegasus’ jaw dropped open. “For me?”

Fluttershy gave an abashed nod, and Rainbow Dash no longer cared at that point - she immediately went straight forward and brought Fluttershy into a crushing bear hug filled with gratitude.

The butter-yellow pegasus squeaked out softly in surprise, but quickly recovered. Gently returning the hug, Fluttershy could feel all the tension and anxiety in Rainbow Dash's shoulders and stance slowly bleed out as her fillyhood friend relaxed in the embrace.

"Thanks, Fluttershy," Rainbow Dash murmured out a few moments later, her voice a low, soft exhale of relief. "I don't know if I'd have made it out on my own... But thanks for getting me out of there."

"Oh, it was nothing, really," Fluttershy replied. "I couldn't possibly have left you down there alone now, could I?"

"Eh, I could've taken care of myself." Rainbow Dash gave a noncommittal shrug as she pulled away from the hug. "Still, thanks for getting me out of there."

"It was no problem. Are you sure you're all right?"

"As good as I'm gonna be." The cyan pegasus leaned her neck to the right, stretching out a stiff kink in her muscles that had grown from just how long she'd been lying there without moving. "Just a little- Ow!”

Her chest twinged painfully again, and Rainbow Dash’s hoof shot up to her breast, wincing slightly. Immediately, Fluttershy’s eyes widened in concern, and she darted slightly closer.

“Oh, my! You really don’t seem all right, Rainbow Dash...”

“It’s nothing,” the cyan speedster hissed through gritted teeth as she tried to wave it off nonchalantly. “It’s just a little... twinge...”

But as she blinked her eyes, took in a breath, and flexed muscles that felt as sore and stiff as though they had lain unused for over a week, Rainbow Dash began to realize that this was anything but a simple twinge in her chest.

Something felt very wrong here.

Her entire body tingled. It felt as though some strange dynamo or generator thrummed deep within her heart, sending tiny pulses racing across her nerves, and her entire body shuddered inwardly with power that strained for release.

Oh... Celestia, what is happening here!? Rainbow Dash thought to herself in a panic as she broke out into a sweat, her breathing growing heavy as she blinked and shook her head in an attempt to clear it.

The lights around her were just so painfully bright. The acrid scent of ozone filled her nostrils, and every breath she took reverberated throughout her skull, seemingly heavy and laden with static. The very air around her felt... charged. There was just no other describing the otherworldly sensation that permeated every fibre of her being. Her hearing felt muted as her heart thundered in her chest, so much so that she barely even heard somepony murmuring something softly off to her side.

Glancing up, her breathing shallow, the bed-bound mare saw Fluttershy looking at her strangely. Her butter-yellow hoof seemed to be moving in slow motion, creeping towards Rainbow Dash’s sweat-drenched forehead at a snail’s pace.

“Ra... ow... … ash! Can... hear me? A... u a... right?” Fluttershy’s voice sounded distant and muffled, and Rainbow Dash shook her head violently as she tried to fight off the building pressure that was escalating between her ears.

“I... I can’t...” the cyan pegasus gasped out, reaching a hoof towards her fillyhood friend... and quite literally received a shock. Almost immediately, sparks flew through the air as a tiny jolt of electricity arced between her outstretched hoof and Fluttershy’s chest.

Fluttershy cried out in shock as she jolted in place, a hoof flying up to her breast as she started backwards, but her reaction was nothing compared to Rainbow Dash’s.

A searing spike of pain drove itself down through the speedster’s hoof as white-hot fire lanced from her wrist all the way down to her chest, and something inside her snapped. Screaming out in agony, Rainbow Dash curled in on herself, her eyes scrunched shut and her expression contorted in pain.

And all of a sudden, lightning surged up from all around her.

Electricity danced about her hooves and her entire body as her mane flew upwards wildly in an invisible burst of wind. Abruptly, the monitoring machine standing next to her bed simply exploded in a shower of sparks, going completely up in smoke as its innards were completely overloaded.

Fluttershy let out a scream as some of the arcs of lightning came dangerously close to touching her. Frightened, the pegasus quickly scooted away, backing up against the wall as far from the convulsing Rainbow Dash as she could.

“W-What’s going on!?” Rainbow Dash cried out, her panic and agitation rising as the electrical storm around her seemed to grow, its magnitude swelling uncontrollably. Blood thundered in her ears as the pressure building in her head continued to mount until. Within seconds, it felt as though a vice had been clamped around her skull, and the pegasus screamed out in agony again, the ringing in her ears building up to a shrill, piercing note that drowned out everything else.

The pain was unbearable - red hot spikes of agony drove themselves through her body with every beat of her heart, and with each passing second, the maelstrom around her grew, threatening to swallow up the room and everything that stood in it... including Fluttershy.

That single thought pierced through the haze of agony that Rainbow Dash was trapped in, and, just for an instant, her thoughts cleared.

Out. She had to get out.

Fluttershy didn’t even see her move. One moment, she had been convulsing on the bed - the next, there was a sudden burst of lightning, and a miniature thunderclap slammed over her ears.

The timid little pegasus let out a squeak of fright as she clapped her hooves over her ears, scrunching her eyes shut... and when she opened them a second later, there was nothing but a blackened scorch mark where the bed used to be, and the broken remnants of the ward’s window hanging limply from its pane.

Swallowing nervously as she picked herself up, Fluttershy crept nervously over to the shattered remains of the window, the glass shards having been blown outwards into the exterior of the hospital. Looking outside, her mouth dropped in awe as she beheld the trail of grey clouds that was spreading across the sky... and the miniature electrical storm that they trailed behind as it steadily grew smaller and smaller.

She had been immersed deep within the Weave when she felt it.

A massive spike of cold suddenly came from the south-eastern part of Equestria, and Celestia’s eyes immediately snapped open as she let out a sudden hiss of pain.

A disturbance in the Weave - whatever that had been just now, it had definitely been a huge surge of magic.

Immediately closing her eyes again, the solar princess homed her senses in on the signature of chilling magic that had suddenly assaulted her, pursuing its trail like a bloodhound. As her mental mindscape changed to reflect the progress of her scrying spell, the verdant, grassy fields of the Equestrian countryside soon gave way to the rocky, dirt-packed lands that were known to be the territory of diamond dogs.

Celestia's brow furrowed in concern as the fact registered with her mind - the diamond dog badlands were far from safe when wandered alone. Even with a travelling companion, one had to take special precaution not to draw attention from the resident mongrels, lest they end up being targeted as prey. Twilight's friend Rarity could certainly attest to that. If the surge of magic had indeed come from the badlands... It could mean only one thing.

The monarch's eyes narrowed, and the landscape around her mind's eye blurred even further as she redoubled her pace.

Soon after, she came upon the source of the disturbance - a huge snowdrift lying smack dab in the middle of the badlands, looking extremely out of place. Celestia's eyebrow raised skeptically as she eyed the oddity, then delved her mind's eye closer to take a better look.

Her scrying spell afforded her the utilities of her mundane senses while immersed in it, but a far more important aspect of her spell allowed her to take a deeper look at things that were not always what they seemed. The Princess took one look at the innocuous-looking snowdrift, blinked once, and activated her spectral sight.

Almost instantly, the plain-looking bank of snow bloomed into a wild, shitfting myriad of ethereal silvery layers of mist. The layers wafted in and out of the depths of the snow bank as she beheld the magic with which it was composed of... and realized to her consternation that she recognized the magic.

It was another one of those strange signatures she had sensed lurking about Equestria, always flickering just at the edges of her senses, but never long enough to perceive them on anything more than a cursory level. The mere fact that these presences were beyond her ability to detect and identify was maddeningly frustrating - her student was out there with her friends, under threat from these unknown attackers, and there was virtually nothing she could do to stop it from happening.

The facts chafed at her viciously like a set of manacles, yet the Princess simply gritted her teeth and pressed on. If she could not do anything to stop these attacks before they took place, at least she could take steps to mitigate their aftermath.

As she peered at the astralized image of the snowbank's inherent magic, she felt a massive aura of cold emanating from it - yet it did not feel any more alive than the ambient magic of the Weave around it.

Well, this was a little confusing. Celestia's frown only grew as she contemplated what this meant. Spells that had been cast could usually be traced back to their casters given enough time - there was always a trail that could be followed from the spell back to the one that had propagated it, even if steps could be taken to disguise this trail.

Such a trail however could be followed only if the caster was still alive - a dead spellcaster's link to the residual energies of the spells he cast would be severed along with his life force upon his death. The fact that she sensed a dead end on the trail of the magic that permeated the snowbank told her one thing - whoever had created it had already shed his or her mortal coil. The energies felt ambient, settled - not alive and shifting, as it would have felt for a spell whose caster was still alive.

This snowbank was a grave marker; a place to mark where one had made his grand exit from the world.

As the solar princess examines the pseudo-headstone closer, she noticed three tiny spots of warmth within the coldness of the snow bank: one that was only marginally less cold than the snow around it, and another tiny one that flickered and shook madly at its edges, but still maintained a steady heat at its core.

However, what caught her attention was the final, third one - one that burned brilliantly with all the intensity of a furnace, easily turning aside the cold that assailed it from all directions. Celestia deactivated her spectral sight as she saw the spots of warmth begin to stir, and as her vision returned to normal she saw the snowbank begin to shift.

Seconds later, a small, orange head suddenly broke free of the blank sheet of white covering the ground, gasping for air. Applejack shook her mane wildly as she clambered out of the snowdrift, dragging something along with her - the limp body of an unconscious, but still breathing and very much alive, Rarity.

Spike soon came up after her, helping to push the unicorn’s limp body along as Applejack dragged her out. The trio didn’t get any further than a few steps before they collapsed into a tangled heap, rolling haphazardly down the banks of the snowdrift until they tumbled to a halt on the rocky ground beneath them.

Celestia's mind working on rapid fire at this point as she watched the three survivors pick themselves apart, still very much alive despite having just been attacked again - what could this possibly mean?

Both times one of the Bearers of Harmony had been attacked, there had been a huge burst of wild, released magical energy at the conclusion of the encounter. Following that, not only was the Bearer still alive, one of the strange presences lurking about Equestria would leave a large, very noticeable mark... right before dropping off the radar completely, leaving only a tiny residue of its power inside the Bearer that it had supposedly attacked.

Before she could think on it any further however, another spike of pain drove itself through her senses. However, this one was different - though it was certainly another wild surge of uncontrolled magic, this one felt as though somepony had just prodded her with a tiny jolt of electricity. The princess twitched in place, her focus immediately snapping in the direction from which she had felt the surge.

An out-of-control storm of lightning was streaking across the sky, flying in the direction of the Everfree. It didn’t take long for Celestia to recognize the inherent magic within the storm; they were identical to be the energies that had been transferred into Rainbow Dash's body.

The sheer amount of power she felt rolling off the storm in waves was palpable - though its strength was fluctuating wildly, with its lowest point barely even comparable to the average unicorn's, its highest was nearly at a level on par with hers and Luna's. The fact that such a level of power had been achieved by somepony who was neither her sister nor herself truly shook Celestia, but she forced herself to set aside the implications of such a revelation, at least for now. There were more immediate concerns to focus on.

Though she didn’t like it, the alicorn was forced to acknowledge that she couldn’t help the pegasus, at least not yet. If it was truly Rainbow Dash at the epicenter of that storm, it would certainly be a hazardous, if not downright impossible undertaking to try to calm her down while she was in such a volatile state. Besides, the Bearer of Loyalty would certainly be able to take care of herself, and there was no way she could cause any undue collateral damage while in the Everfree. No, right now the ones who needed her attention were Applejack and Rarity.

Though she had much to ponder, the princess immediately ended the scrying spell as she turned back to watch Applejack hoist the unconscious Rarity over onto her back. When she next blinked, she found herself in her chambers once again, the lines of the scrying circle she had drawn around her now darkened and lifeless.

Immediately rising to her hooves, Celestia didn't waste a second as she quickly strode over to her chamber's doors. Wrenching them open telekinetically, she stepped outside to address the guards who stood watch outside.

"Corporal Claymore, go fetch Captain Shining Armor, and inform him to report to my chambers immediately. I have an assignment for him."

“So... Balthazar has completed his part then, yes?”

“Aye... It was a regrettable loss. He shall be missed.”

“Not like any of us are gonna be around to miss him for much longer, for that matter. It was the same for Melchior, and it’ll also be the same for the rest of us. Who’s up next?”

“You should already know - look around you, and see who’s missing.”

“Ah... right. Him. Boy, I’d really hate to be that mare right about now...”

“C’mon, Cas’. He’s not all that bad.”

“Bad?” A snort. “He’s got a more interesting set of morals than me, and I’m the one you guys call crazy!”

“That’s because you charge a horde of fifty-foot tall monsters by yourself without even a plan of attack. That’s not courage Cas’, that’s suicide.”

“Still!” A grunt and a sigh. “Well... I just hope he’ll go easy on the poor girl. Little thing looks like she could break in half with just a stiff wind.”

“He will do what he has to. After all, he’s the one who comes up with the best plans after all. Remember whose intellect and insight it was that led us here in the first place?”

“It wasn’t yours, dear leader - that’s for sure.”

A harsh bark of laughter. “Careful, Cas’. One more like that and I’ll make you the next one to go out.”

“... Gaius, I already am the next one to go out.”

“Exactly my point.”

“... You’re an asshole, you know that?”

[ambient]

His breathing was hard but steady as his eyes narrowed in focus, darting left and right as he eyed his opponents on both his sides. When there was a sudden blur in the edges of his vision, he reacted almost instantaneously.

The circular steel shield clutched in his telekinetic grip swerved to his left in a blur as he twisted around, dodging to his right simultaneously.

The katana blade that would have bitten into his breastplate instead skidded harmlessly off the surface of his shield. Without hesitation, he spun around on his front foreleg, lashing out in a powerful buck that connected solidly with his opponent's sternum. Blades attached to the soles of his boots punched outwards to add to the force of his blow, and his attacker staggered backwards, grunting in pain.

At the same time, his horn flared again, and the broadsword that he held in his mental grip as well whirled around to protect his front, smoothly parrying aside the tip of the dagger that would've pierced his heart.

Another dagger tip whizzed straight for the eyeslit of his helmet, almost too fast to spot. Almost. His head suddenly blurred as he jerked to the side, slipping past the thrust with barely a centimeter to spare.

Turning his shield aside and launching himself into the air, he slammed a powerful overhand chop right into the chestplate of his second assailant, eliciting a pained 'Oof!' from her as she was knocked flat onto the floor from the onslaught.

Simultaneously, his shield sailed around again smoothly as though it were an extension of his body, effortlessly parrying aside another slashing blow from his first opponent’s sword and leaving the attacker wide open.

Snapping right back into a ready stance and tucking his shield close in to his body, he hurled himself bodily forward, throwing his armored frame into his first attacker while using his shield as a buffer. His entire body slammed right into his opponent, and a strangled hurk! was forced out of him as he was literally bull rushed into the floor.

There was a strangled cry from behind him, but he didn’t even flinch as he immediately whirled around, his shield swinging in a wide arc... yet it didn’t stop there.

His armament spun bodily in midair as it was hurled flying, and the metal disc slammed right into the midsection of the airborne second assailant who was in the midst of a midair pounce. The blow knocked the wind right out of her, and she was sent crashing back onto the floor as the shield ricocheted off her armor, being caught telekinetically but a moment later as it returned to its bearer.

Both of his opponents finally knocked prone, the armored knight relaxed his stance and let out a small exhalation, pulling off his helmet with an exhausted sigh. A two-toned sky-blue mane, soaked with sweat, was pulled free as the white unicorn shook his head, wiping off the beading perspiration on his forehead. A moment later, Captain Shining Armor looked down at the two armored soldiers who were lying prone on the training mats below him with a good-natured grin on his face.

“That’s two-on-one, Reversal.” The captain of the royal guard smirked despite his heavy breathing. “I believe you and Bee owe me twenty bits each.”

“Aw, nuts, Shining,” the winded unicorn stallion with the katana wheezed as he gingerly picked himself up. His armor clattered slightly as he stood, revealing the words Royal Reversal that had been stencilled onto its chestplate. The metal plates only covered his neck and barrel, leaving his legs, flank, and mirror cutie mark unprotected. “If I’d known you were even half as good with that sword and shield of yours, I’d have never made that bet...”

"Let's just pay up, Reversal-san.” The armored Neighponese pegasus lying down next to him rolled over onto her stomach, slowly getting up on her hooves as well with a grin on her face. The words Killer Bee were embossed onto her breastplate, and her cutie mark was that of a barbed stinger. “A bet’s a bet, and hay, I haven’t had anypony slip past my hits like that in months.”

“But it was two-on-one!” Royal Reversal complained loudly. “C’mon Bee, don’t you think we should’ve at least gotten Armor to push himself a little?”

“You actually did, Captain Reversal,” Shining Armor chipped in with a bemused smile as he came up to them, his helmet tucked underneath his shoulder. “I actually found myself hard-pressed to keep up a couple of times; you and Bee did give me quite a challenge, and you didn’t even have to use your First Releases.”

“You’re just saying that, Armor,” Reversal replied sourly, his expression unconvinced as he slid his wooden practice broadsword back into its sheath on his side. “You didn’t even use yours either, and you totally wiped the floor with us just now.”

Shining Armor smirked, but chose to say little else. “Heh, believe what you will, Royal. You give too little credit to Captain Bee and yourself.”

“Speak for yourself, Armor-san,” Killer Bee piped up as she jerked her forehooves inwards one by one, retracting the two wooden practice punching daggers that extended from the vambraces on the pegasus’ wrists. “You act as if you aren’t one of the best darned swordsponies in the entirety of the Gotei Juusantai, bar none. There is such a thing called being too modest, you know.”

“I don’t like it getting to my head,” the blue-maned captain remarked wryly as he walked with Royal Reversal and Killer Bee back to the side benches at the edge of the dojo. “It makes me complacent, and I’ve gotta keep my skills sharp... after that last fiasco with the Changeling Queen...”

Shining Armor’s expression grew dark, and Reversal gave Bee a worried glance, to which she replied with an understanding nod before stepping up in front of her fellow captain.

“Armor-taichou,” the yellow-coated pegasus mare began firmly. “Chrysalis fooled all of us, myself included. Hay, if even Rising Sun-soutaichou couldn’t see through her illusions, what makes you think you could’ve done any better? You have nothing to feel guilty about - you already did the best you could, given the circumstances.”

“But it was my wife she had been impersonating!” Shining Armor rebutted hotly. “I should’ve been able to see the signs, should’ve recognized that something was off-”

“But you couldn’t, and you know why? Because you were subjected to a direct mind-control spell from her, it wasn’t even something passive like the shape-changing illusion that she displayed to all of us. Armor, this isn’t your failure. How many times do I and the other captains have to impress that fact on you?”

The white unicorn stallion stared impassively at his fellow captain, who returned the look with an equally firm expression. After several seconds, Shining Armor finally looked away, glaring down at the floor beneath him as he muttered darkly under his breath. “I was standing as commanding captain of the First Division on the day of her attack, Bee. That was my command test that she decided to attack on.”

The blue-maned captain’s voice grew more wounded as he continued to speak, betraying just how pained and tortured he felt about what had happened. “That was the period that would’ve decided whether or not I would stay a Captain of the Thirteen Royal Court Guard Squads - you’re a captain as well, you should understand! Captain-Commander Rising Sun trusted me to keep things under control, with his division no less, and look at what I let happen!”

“And you still managed to keep your post and get granted command of your own division even after Chrysalis’ attack,” Killer Bee emphasized, her expression beginning to grow weary. “Stars above, Armor-san! You’re a great soldier and a capable commander, but sometimes you can be so dense! Use your head for a bit! You think the Captain-Commander would’ve let you take permanent command of the Thirteenth Division if he didn’t think you handled the crisis well enough?”

“Bee’s right, Armor,” Reversal spoke as he stepped up next to his colleague. “Chrysalis might have managed to worm her way through our defenses, but at the end of the day it was your power, along with your wife's, that managed to expel her and her changelings out of Canterlot. You saved the city, Armor - not us, and definitely not the Captain-Commander.”

Shining Armor glared darkly at the floor for several more seconds, not meeting Killer Bee’s steady gaze, and soon enough he strode over to the benches, dropping his steel practice shield onto the bench. Pulling off his armor, he then slipped on his newly-awarded official captain’s haori, the white silk jacket settling down on his shoulders and proudly displaying the romane numerals ‘XIII’ within the diamond emblazoned on its back.

Turning around to face the door that led out of the dojo, Shining Armor paused just long enough to give one last reply, meeting neither of his colleague's eyes.

"I still don't think it was good enough. I should've been stronger... Strong enough to protect Canterlot... and my wife and sister."

The blue-maned captain's voice grew pensive as it trailed off at the end of his sentence, and he stepped out of the dojo in silence, leaving his two fellow captains alone in the room staring after him.

[ambient]

The corridors of the royal castle were immaculate, ashine with all the resplendent perfection befitting the seat of power of the entire pony race. Shining Armor strode through those corridors with purpose filling every step, headed straight for his office.

His mind still dwelt darkly on the events that had transpired during his wedding and had almost ruined it completely. Only his sister’s insight and tenacity had allowed the true Cadance - his Cadance - to return to him to his senses in time to stop Chrysalis’ hostile takeover of Canterlot.

It was those events that now drove him day and night to hone his skills and better himself, so that he would not be caught off guard by such a crisis again - he was now a Captain of the Royal Guard, and he would not disappoint the expectations that had been placed upon him when he had taken up this post.

Shining Armor had been intending to spend the rest of the day in his office completing the unending mountain of paperwork that threatened to overflow his desk every day. However, to his surprise, when he reached the door to his office, he found somepony waiting for him.

“Captain Armor!” The armored corporal standing outside the door to his office saluted him as he approached. “Princess Celestia requests your presence in her chambers immediately! She says that she has an assignment for you.”

“An assignment?” Shining Armor’s eyebrow arched as he returned the salute. “Did she say anything about what it was?”

“No, sir!” the corporal answered crisply, his foreleg dropping down only after Shining Armor had lowered his own. “She only asked for you to report to her immediately - judging from her tone, I would say it was pretty urgent.”

“All right then, guess there’s no helping it.” The captain gave his office door a longing glance, and then sighed, shrugging his shoulders and peering at the soldier’s name tag. “Thanks for the message, Corporal...”

“Claymore, sir!” The slightest hints of a grin tugged at the corners of the guard’s mouth, and Shining Armor had a sinking feeling he knew what was coming next... “And sir, if I may, I’d just like to say what an honor it is to finally meet the Captain who defeated the queen of the changelings and sent her packing from Canterlot!”

The white-coated stallion bit back an exasperated sigh, and he resisted the urge to run a hoof tiredly through his mane. “I just did what I had to do, Corporal - I was simply in the right place at the right time. If Captain-Commander Rising Sun had been there, he’d have simply torched Chrysalis right there and then and put an end to it much more quickly than I did.”

“No disrespect intended to the Captain-Commander, sir,” Claymore replied, his suppressed grin still threatening to break out across his face. “But I think that even he wouldn’t have been able to beat Chrysalis when she was able to throw down against the Princess herself. The fact that you managed to throw her and all her changelings out of Canterlot at the same time...”

The corporal leaned in slightly closer, his voice dropping to a low murmur. “The guards are talking, sir. You’re a hero to us.”

Shining Armor was desperately trying not to scowl at this point - all the undue attention upon his heroics was seriously rankling his nerves. He was simply out to carry out his duty and his special talent: protecting others, particularly his loved ones. He had never entertained any delusions of grandeur or fantasies of heroism - all he had ever wanted was simply to be able to protect what was important to him.

“Well, all well and good, Corporal,” the blue-maned captain spoke in as carefully measured and controlled a tone he could manage, trying not to let his irritation seep through. “But I think the Princess would be waiting for me right now, so I’d better get a move on.”

“Absolutely, sir! I shan’t keep you any longer then!” This time, a shit-eating grin did break out across Claymore’s face as he saluted Shining Armor again, stepping aside to let the captain pass.

The unicorn stallion resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he quickly trotted past the young and enthusiastic guard. Honestly, his reputation after tangling with Chrysalis had ballooned to such an exaggerated proportion that he was starting to get extremely annoyed with it - he didn’t need this sort of attention dogging him everywhere he went, especially when he was the newest captain on the block amongst the other twelve captains of the Thirteen Royal Court Guard Squads.

As if I didn’t need any more of this. The troops might see you as a hero, but you know what some of the other captains think, don’t you? The young captain thought sourly to himself.

Realizing that the clock was ticking and that Celestia was probably waiting on him, Shining Armor quickly left his brooding thoughts behind as his trot soon broke out into a quick canter, and the corridors of the castle blurred past him. Soldiers and guards that he passed by stopped in their tracks to salute him as he went by, many of their eyes wide in wonder and awe.

Shining Armor quickly returned their salutes if only to stop their stares and quickly get the hay out of the spotlight. Yet, even as their forelegs dropped back to the ground, the stares did not stop, and the whispers certainly did not either.

“That’s Captain Shining Armor, isn’t that?”

“It is! It’s the hero of Canterlot!”

“I heard he threw down against the changeling queen herself after she imprisoned the Princess, and still managed to win hooves down! It took four Lieutenants and a dozen other seated officers to put down even just one of the bigger Changelings, I can’t imagine how strong the captain must’ve been to fight their queen herself! I would’ve loved to see that battle!”

“No, you wouldn’t have.”

“Well, not up close, at least.”

Gritting his teeth, Shining Armor kept his expression stoic, and doubled the pace of his canter, quickly leaving behind the guards who were staring after him in awe.

Several minutes later, his canter brought him to the doors of Celestia’s chambers - doors that he had stood before, but had never stepped through. Today would mark the first time he had actually been instructed to report directly to the Princess’ chambers to receive orders from the monarch herself, rather than through his General, Captain-Commander Rising Sun. The guards that normally stood watch outside her doors were noticeably absent - certainly an odd occurrence, but who was to question the Princess’ orders?

Taking in a deep breath, Shining Armor steadied himself, and knocked on the doors twice, clearing his throat loudly.

“Princess Celestia! Captain Shining Armor, reporting as ordered!”

“Please, Captain, do come in.” He heard his beloved monarch’s voice issue from behind the door, slightly muffled - her tone was level and unreadable, an undisturbed lagoon of calm. Deciding that he’d find out just what he’d been summoned for only after entering, Shining Armor strode on through, his horn sparking to push the doors open.

As he stepped into Celestia’s chambers, the first thing that he saw was that a scrying circle had been drawn into the floor - however, its lines were darkened and inert, bereft of any magic flowing through it. Celestia stood outside the circle, at the edge of her chambers and facing the windows, gazing pensively outside. Stepping forward but taking care not to step inside the scrying circle or disrupt any of its lines, Shining Armor bowed his head down in deference to his Princess.

“You summoned me, your Majesty?”

“Rise, Shining Armor.” his monarch spoke, and the captain rose to his hooves, standing upright and rigidly at attention, his posture eliciting a bemused smile from Celestia as she turned her head to face him. “Please, Captain, there is no need to stand on such formality with me. After all, you are married to my niece now - that makes you my nephew-in-law, which does technically make you family.”

“Nevertheless, you are still the reigning Princess of Equestria, and my direct superior, milady. It’s only fair that I give the respect that is due to your station.” Shining Armor replied without even missing a beat, and he could’ve sworn that Celestia’s expression grew even more bemused, with only the tiniest hint of weariness.

“And this is why you don’t mix working relationships with family,” he barely heard her mutter underneath her breath before she bodily turned around to face him, her genial smile unreadable. “Well, let us cut to the chase, then. Captain Armor, I called you here today because I have an assignment for you and you alone, regarding a matter that is to be considered top secret. None of the other captains or anypony else from the other divisions except your own are to know about this - am I clear on this?”

Shining Armor’s ears twitched as the statement registered with his brain - top secret? That level of classification was only reserved for the kind of state secrets that could potentially upset the balance of power within the kingdom - something that Captain-Commander Rising Sun was far more likely to encounter than himself.

This kind of information was just way above his pay grade!

“I... understand, Your Majesty,” the young captain began cautiously. “But pardon me for asking this; what warrants me to have this kind of clearance for such a matter? I’m just a captain, and a newly-promoted one at that! What makes me so special that you’d entrust this assignment to me and nopony else?”

He certainly wasn’t expecting the answer he got.

“It directly concerns my student, and your sister, Twilight Sparkle, Captain. I believe you would have a vested interest in this particular assignment.”

Shining Armor couldn’t help his own reaction - upon hearing his sister’s name, his eyes widened in surprise and his breath hitched in his throat from shock for just a second.

“Twily?” he blurted out by pure reflex, flushing a second later when he realized what an embarrassing slip of the tongue he’d made. Coughing embarrassedly, he tried to muster his composure again. “Princess, is my sister in trouble?”

Celestia’s smile grew amused at Shining Armor’s reflexive use of his little sister’s pet name, and shook her head slightly. “She is not in any immediate danger if that is what you fear, but she is caught in rather... unusual circumstances. Therefore, I am assigning you the task of protecting her and the other Bearers of Harmony for the duration of this... ‘situation’, until the matter has been resolved.”

The captain’s eyes narrowed slightly, his mind working to deduce just what Celestia had meant. “And... what exactly might this situation be, Your Majesty?”

The monarch’s eyes closed as her expression grew tired, and Shining Armor felt a slightly sinking feeling develop in his chest - something told him that he wasn’t going to like what he was about to hear.

“It all began but a week ago, when I discovered six new, strange presences lurking about the Weave...”

And she laid the entire story out for him, from the very beginning right up until the latest happenings, briefing him fully on the extent of the events that had transpired. As the recount went on, Shining Armor’s expression grew from stoic and neutral to slightly skeptical, before turning into a very troubled look as Celestia informed him of the attacks that had taken place so far.

“Thus far, none of them have been grievously injured enough for it to be permanent,” the solar monarch told him. “Though, only Rainbow Dash and Rarity have encountered these beings so far. I am still investigating as to what their true nature is, but while I do so, I am dispatching you and your division to the province-state of Ponyville, to help watch over Twilight and her friends, and to render aid wherever possible.”

Shining Armor could only stare blankly at Princess Celestia, his brain still trying to comprehend what he had just heard, and when the gears finally clicked in place, his eyes widened.

“Wait - you’re assigning me and my entire division to protect my sister and her friends, Your Majesty?”

“I believe I did not misspeak, Captain Armor.” Celestia confirmed with a bemused smile, and Shining had to literally fight to contain his joy and excitement - his first task as the Thirteenth Division’s commander, and he already had the chance to go see his sister again after having been apart from her for so long! True, it was under rather dire circumstances, but circumstances be damned; he was going to get to see his sister again!

His joyous mood however soon took a turn for the grim as he mulled over the details of the situation his sister had been caught in the midst of. At first he had thought that Celestia assigning his entire division to the defense of the province-state of Ponyville had been severe overkill, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized that her decision made sense.

She had dedicated his division to watch over the entire province, not just the town itself - that was a lot of additional ground to cover, when you counted the wilderness of the Everfree and the vast, rolling plains of wild grassland surrounding the countryside town. Whatever it was that was lurking around that area, Celestia obviously wanted him to have eyes and ears within every inch of the province-state, so that he would never miss anything that might happen.

Plus, if there truly were some mysterious assailants skulking about Ponyville with the intent to hurt his sister and his friends, nothing in Equestria would stop him from giving everything he had into protecting Twilight and the others... including stepping in directly with the might of his entire division behind him.

The young captain immediately saluted, his hoof banging solidly on his armored chest with an anticipatory smile on his face, and he nodded his affirmation to the Princess. “I understand completely, Your Majesty. I shall immediately mobilize my division, and we will be on station within the Ponyville province within the next day.”

When Celestia nodded at him and turned back to face the window, Shining Armor took his cue and bowed again, taking his leave as he backed out through the doors to her chambers and sparked his horn to close them.

“Before you go, Captain Armor, one last thing.”

The stallion paused mid-stride, releasing his telekinetic grip on the doors. Carefully, he turned about to face his sovereign again, unable to keep a curious undertone from staining his voice. “Yes, Princess?”

“I take it you know that some of the older captains were opposed to your appointment, yes?” The alicorn’s cavalier tone belied the seriousness of her words. It was the type of intonation that one might use to talk about the weather, not the intricacies of military politics.

“I...” Shining Armor gave a puzzled frown, unable to comprehend why the Princess was suddenly posing such a question out of the blue. Whatever her reason was, he only thanked his lucky stars that she was still facing towards the window; she wouldn’t be able to see his uneasy expression as he took a moment to find the right words.

The short answer was yes. He was well aware that his meteoric rise through the ranks had rubbed many of the seated captains the wrong way. Thankfully, most were content to grumble their complaints silently to each other, but there were a few who had been... more than just vocal in their disapproval. But how to properly phrase that?

The Princess’ light chuckle shook Shining from his brief reverie. “Should I take your silence as a yes, Captain?”

“Er, no, Your Majesty,” the stallion sheepishly replied. “I was just-”

“There’s no need to sound so worried, Shining.” There was a mischievous twinkle to the Princess’ voice, as though she knew the mental calculations he was desperately trying to make. “A simple yes or no will suffice.”

“...Yes.”

“Good.”

The sudden dearth of merriment in Celestia’s voice startled the stallion far more than her words possibly could have. “Do you know why they were so against your appointment, by any chance?”

“I... No, I don’t.”

“Interestingly enough, it was for the same reason that I have chosen to entrust you with this particular assignment. Your sister.”

Shining Armor stood stock still as the Princess turned her gaze towards him, her emotions shrouded beneath the weight of countless years. He was not given a chance to respond; Celestia apparently still had more to say. “Twilight was, as they put it, an anomaly. She was already one of the most powerful unicorns in history before she even had her cutie mark, and she only grew stronger and stronger. Your comrades didn’t know what to make of her; some were downright terrified of her. If I hadn’t taken her as my personal student...”

The alicorn didn’t finish the thought, nor did she have to. It was only his iron discipline that kept Shining from growling in fury; he knew all too well what somepony like Stainless Scalpel, the current captain of the twelfth division, would have done if he had gotten his hooves on Twilight...

“But, in the end, Twilight made sense, didn’t she?” the Princess continued, giving Shining Armor a good excuse to leave his dark thoughts behind. “The Bearer of the Element of Magic, one of the most, if not the most, powerful forces in all of Equestria. When she and the other Bearers worked together to free my sister, the captains finally laid their worries aside. Even if it wasn’t something that any of them expected, they got their explanation in the end. And that was enough to satisfy them.

“And then you appeared.”

The captain felt his stomach clench. Despite the neutral tone that Celestia addressed him with, it suddenly felt like he was being put on trial, for a crime he didn’t even know he had committed.

“A new cadet for captaincy, overflowing with enough raw power to defend all of Canterlot on your own and bearing the sheer gall to do so without caring about the consequences. Suddenly, soldiers who had built up their careers over decades found their positions threatened, and you can bet that they weren’t happy about it.”

A brief pause followed the statement, the kind that Shining knew he wasn’t supposed to fill. So he stood there, waiting for Celestia to continue, his mind desperately trying to understand why she was telling him all of this.

“...When it came time for your examination, some of your comrades sought to dissuade me. They said that somepony as young as yourself, with power so great and so untested, was unsuited for such a role. But it wasn’t your power itself that frightened them, now was it? It was where it came from.”

Where it came from? The captain’s mind whirled as he took in and attempted to make sense of his monarch’s words.

The implications of Celestia’s words were staggering. Shining Armor had always known that he was widely considered amongst the Royal Guard captains to be prodigiously, ridiculously powerful for his age. And this fact was even more impressive when one considered that he had no tie to an outside force, such as the Element of Magic, to explain his astonishing growth. He had never put too much thought into it; the burst in strength that had come when he had become a cadet for captaincy may have been unexpected, but it was certainly welcome. But, if he was reading into the Princess’ words correctly, then... was she implying that it wasn’t just his natural strength?

Did Celestia know something that she wasn’t telling him?

“Your Majesty, is... there something that I should be aware of?” the guard captain probed cautiously, testing the waters. Every instinct he had was telling me to be careful here; a single misstep could potentially spell disaster.

“Only that you should exercise the utmost caution while out in the field, my nephew.” Celestia’s expression and tone were unreadable; no matter how hard Shining Armor scrutinized it, he was unable to find any hints as to the true meaning behind her cryptic words. “There are forces at work here that even I cannot fully understand, much less predict. The issue of where your power comes from is a highly controversial topic, especially amongst your fellow captains. They see you as a wildcard, Shining Armor... and I fear that these unknown forces might seek to subvert your own power against us.”

“They would have to kill me first, Your Majesty.” Shining Armor replied without an ounce of hesitation, fierce pride and loyalty welling up inside him before he had even considered his response. “I would die before I ever betrayed the Crown.”

“I have no doubt that you would make that choice without hesitation if it ever came to it, Captain, as much as I hope that it never does.” The immortal alicorn gave him a small smile. “But the forces that you face may have other designs. Be wary, Shining Armor... my niece would be most displeased with me if I were to allow you to come to any harm in the course of your duties."

"I think 'displeased' would be a bit of an understatement, Your Majesty." Shining Armor suppressed a wry grin before continuing. "Cadence would go as far as to drag my soul out of Tartarus just so that she could kill me again for daring to die on her."

The stallion didn't mention the part where he also believed Cadence would then also resurrect him a second time so that she could express her love in a... different, more consummately fashion, but that was hardly something somepony said outright to their aunt-in-law. Especially when their aunt-in-law was an immortal goddess, the ruler of his country, and the one who signed his paychecks. His beloved wife, bless her soul, possessed a heart that blazed with passion and strength beneath her sweet, gentle appearance; she could become a real spitfire whenever something dear to her was threatened, Shining Armor himself included.

Celestia let out a soft, unexpected laugh, and gave him a knowing smile, as though she knew exactly what he was thinking. "Yes, that is quite true, Captain."

When the alicorn neglected to speak any further, Shining Armor realized that the conversation was finished. Resisting the urge to ask any more questions, he bowed one last time to his Princess, backing out the doors to her chamber. "Then, by your leave, Princess."

"Dismissed, Shining Armor." Celestia turned her gaze back to the window. Sparking his horn to take hold of the doors, Shining Armor began closing them to depart.

“Oh, and you might want to move yourself down to Ponyville today ahead of time though, Captain.” The captain heard Celestia suddenly add just before the doors were tugged shut, closing her off from his view. “I already sense a stirring in the Weave, and your early presence there might make all the difference in the days to come...”

Shining Armor raised an eyebrow, staring at the shut doors to the Princess’ chambers as he struggled to make sense of what his ruler had just plopped down onto his metaphorical lap.

A sudden assignment out of nowhere to Ponyville, involving guarding his sister and the other Bearers of Harmony, a cryptic warning about the source of his power and to be on his guard, and here he was being advised to arrive there ahead of his entire division, when the standard procedure for such a deployment was for a captain to be present with his soldiers in order to organize and facilitate the entire mobilization effort.

Her advice - hay, her entire briefing - had been odd, to say the least, but the Princess had the experience and wisdom of millenia behind her. If she saw fit to dispense cryptic advice that made little sense at the moment and then to recommend something to be carried out in lieu of the standard procedures, who was he to question it? Besides, it wasn’t as if his Lieutenant wasn’t capable of handling the mobilization on her own without his presence...

Well, there was hardly any point in ruminating over something he knew hardly anything about. His beloved monarch had the mind of a labyrinth, and trying to puzzle out the meaning of her cryptic words would avail him nothing but a migraine. Shrugging, Shining Armor began the long trot to his office, already focusing on his immediate assignment as he telekinetically tugged a runestone carved with a long-range whispering rune out of his uniform’s pocket, beginning to speak into it.

“Vice-Captain Snow Dancer, report to my office ASAP. We’ve got a new assignment on our hooves...”

The door to the library was still shut, and the sign read ‘Closed’, but Fluttershy still galloped up to it anyway. Rearing up, the panicked pegasus pulled a hoof back and began banging furiously on the door.

“Twilight! Twilight, you’ve got to come quick! It’s Rainbow Dash - something terrible has happened to her!”

When nopony came to answer the door after several seconds, the distraught mare’s heartbeat sped up even further, and her knocks against the library’s door became even more frantic.

“Twilight! Twilight, are you there!?”

Fluttershy’s desperate cries, despite their urgency, continued to go unheeded. If Twilight was indeed inside, then it seemed that the meek pegasus would have to do something else to grab her attention.

Moaning in desperation, the worried little pegasus looked around frantically for something that she could use to get the librarian’s attention. She had to get word to Twilight - she had to, for Rainbow’s sake!

Spotting a nearby rock, her eyes immediately flickered to the library’s windows, and her stomach churned in disgust and trepidation at the idea that popped into her head.

Rainbow Dash’s earsplitting shriek of pain, that unholy noise that lanced through her ears like a thousand nails scraping across a blackboard...

Gritting her teeth, Fluttershy allowed her eyes to fall shut for a split-second. When they reopened, the usually gentle green orbs blazed with an unfamiliar strength. There was no time to hesitate, not now. Hooves that had been quaking mere moments earlier grasped the stone with an unyielding might; Twilight could always get a new window, and Dash needed help now.

Though she may have never been much of an athlete, even Ponyville’s resident pushover knew how to chuck a rock. Taking a few steps back, Fluttershy locked her gaze on the glass aperture to the right of the library’s entrance. As she lifted the stone, time seemed to slow down for the pegasus, her heartbeat echoing in her ears, her breath sticking in her throat. There was nothing for it, however. Aiming at the target that even she couldn’t miss, the mare cocked her leg back, locked on, and-

“HEEEEY, Fluttershy! What’re you doing!?”

The high-pitched, hyperactive voice that she knew oh so well suddenly shrilled out of nowhere. With a frightened gasp, the startled pegasus allowed her makeshift missile to drop to the ground, frenziedly pumping wings sending her into the air as she reflexively distanced herself from the pink pile of pep and perkiness.

“Ooooh, you jumped up pretty high there, ‘Shy! I don’t think I’ve ever seen you jump up so high all in one go! Oh, do it again! Do it again!”

As her heart rate slowly descended, Fluttershy lowered herself to the ground, surprised shock giving way to relief. “Pinkie! Oh, thank goodness you’re here, I need your help! You see, I was at the hospital, and…”

“Hey, what’s that rock for? Are you playing catch?! Ooh, ooh, can I play?! I love playing catch; it’s all like, ‘hey, here’s this thing, let’s toss it back and forth!’ It’s soooo much fun, and it’s so easy to play too! You know, catch may be one of the easiest games to play. I mean, all you need is a ball, right? Or, a rock, I guess. Hey, why are you playing catch with a rock? Isn’t that dangerous? I mean…”

As Pinkie entered into a full on rant about the merits and difficulties of playing catch with anything but a regulation-sized ball, Fluttershy’s mutable emotions shifted yet again. Relief rapidly descended towards despair as the meek mare found herself unable to interject into the party pony’s cheerful verboseness. While at any other time Fluttershy would have loved to hear about the time Pinkie’s sister had to get four stitches after an unfortunate game of catch back on the rock farm, there was something else that she had to focus on now.

“P-Pinkie…”

“And that was when I decided to stash balls all across Equestria! You know, to make sure that I’d always be able to play catch without having to go the hospital! Because hospitals are actually kind of scary; there was this one time when…”

“B-But, you see…”

“…And then I accidentally ate some rotten berries! I know it sounds bad, but once you get past the first few chews they’re actually not too hard to get down! I think it has something to do with…”

Rainbow Dash’s face as it contorted in agony, her mouth split into a continuous howl of gut-wrenching suffering.

“PINKIE PIE!”

Almost immediately, the pink pony stopped right in her tracks, glancing at Fluttershy with a shit-eating grin.

“Yes, Fluttershy?”

A muscle twitched in the pegasus’ forehead, but Fluttershy immediately clamped down on it, forcing herself to remain in a lagoon of relative coherence. Her mind whirled about in place for a second or two as she tried to remember what she had come here to do, and she blinked a couple of times before she actually managed to regain her train of thought.

“Pinkie, you have to help me get Twilight’s attention! Something terrible’s happened to Rainbow Dash; she’s broken out of the hospital! We have to go help her!”

Pinkie Pie’s mane almost immediately deflated, and the pink pony stopped bouncing right in her tracks, her eyes wide.

“R-Rainbow Dash broke out?” Her voice was incredibly small, and when Fluttershy nodded, the pink partygoer let out a sigh. “Drat. I was hoping that storm cloud I’d seen flying to the Everfree was something else.”

“All the more reason we have to go help her now!” Fluttershy pleaded urgently, grabbing Pinkie by the shoulders and shaking her lightly. “Pinkie, I need Twilight to come out here with us, and I need her no-”

“Is there something that I can help you girls with?” a familiar voice suddenly spoke up from behind Fluttershy, and the timid pegasus let out a tiny eep! as she jumped slightly into the air again.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Pinkie thought to herself wryly as she spied Twilight standing in the now-open doorway to the library, her head cocked quizzically at them as she eyed them with a curious expression. Convenient timing to be sure, but she wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

“Hey Twilight!” the pink partygoer piped up as cheerfully as she could given the situation, but her smile still remained slightly strained as she tried to keep up appearances. Still, there was no missing the slight edge in her voice, nor the steely glint of seriousness in her eyes. “Fluttershy here says that she’s got something she needs your help urgently with! Seems like something happened to Rainbow Dash, but all I’ve got was seeing this giant storm cloud flying across the sky to the Everfree.”

“She... Wait, Rainbow Dash? Giant flying storm cloud?” Twilight’s expression only grew even more confused, trying to piece together the information that was being unceremoniously shoved on her. “What’s going on here?”

“Rainbow Dash woke up and broke out of the hospital, Twilight!” Fluttershy interjected hurriedly, her voice urgent. “I think... I don’t know what’s happening to her, but it looked like something was going out of control inside her! She broke out before she could hurt anypony else. I think it was that power you mentioned, but... Twilight, it looked like it was killing her from the inside! She was in so much pain - we have to go help her!”

“Wait, what?” Twilight seemed positively gobsmacked by now at the sudden news she was receiving. Joy at Rainbow Dash waking up warred with worry and concern that the magic inside the pegasus might now be fatally raging out of control... along with annoyance that the cyan speedster had disappeared on them!

Unable to process so many things at once, she settled for the simplest, most obvious observation she could manage to hold on to. “Rainbow Dash is awake!? It’s barely been a day since she’s been hospitalized!”

“Well, something must’ve woken her up!” Pinkie Pie remarked pointedly. “I mean, was I the only one who felt that weird chill in my chest just a few minutes ago?”

Twilight opened her mouth reflexively to tell Pinkie that she had felt no such thing, when she abruptly realized that she had.

Not more than a few minutes ago she had suddenly felt a large spike of cold magic come from the general direction of the Everfree. The surge of energy was not lost on her arcane senses, and she had immediately dropped the books she had been sorting at the moment, immediately diving into a divination spell to determine where it had come from. She had only gotten along as far as determining its source had been the diamond dog badlands when the combined voices of Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie had finally reached her ears from outside the library, breaking her concentration.

“Well... I did, actually,” the lavender mare began hesitantly. “That was... Could it have been what the magic in Rainbow Dash was reacting to? But I felt it coming from the diamond dog badlands, and last I know, Spike and Rarity were...”

Twilight’s eyes widened in horrified realization as the ball suddenly dropped.

“Oh, Celestia. Pinkie, where did you say that electrical storm was heading?”

“The Everfree! Why?”

“Because the borders of the Everfree come dangerously close to the diamond dog badlands, and if the magic inside Rainbow Dash is reacting to the surge of energy I felt coming from there... there’s only one place she can be heading.”

“The diamond dog badlands... Oh. Oh, no.” Fluttershy breathed out in horror. “That’s where Rarity said she was headed to with Spike earlier today!”

It didn’t take a genius to figure out where this would lead. If a raging, out-of-control Rainbow Dash was headed right for the badlands where Spike and Rarity were, Twilight didn’t even want to begin to imagine what would happen to them.

“We have to get there, girls. Now.” The urgency in Twilight’s tone was not lost on her two friends, and Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie nodded resolutely, following Twilight as she dashed past them, her hooves barely even touching the ground. The three mares galloped off at once, intent on stopping disaster from striking.

So caught up in the rush of their anxiety, all of them failed to notice Fluttershy’s shadow. Sharply defined in the afternoon sun, it was out of sync with her movements, having begun to follow her only a second after the yellow pegasus had begun to gallop.

Applejack gasped out tiredly for breath as she took another hoofstep, the heavy burden over her back weighing her down significantly. Rarity’s body was cold and lifeless over her back, feeling for all the world like a chilly sack of cement. Yet when Spike had examined her, he had found the unicorn to be breathing steadily, and her pulse couldn’t have been stronger.

There was just no explaining the strange coldness that permeated the unicorn’s body, especially considering the time that had passed since Applejack had dragged her out of the snowbank. Spike had been shivering madly at first when he had clambered out with them, but walking out in the sun had certainly warmed him up. And on the opposite end of the spectrum, the apple farmer had barely even felt the cold at all - she had the strange heat that kept burning in her gut and warming her entire body to thank for that.

At least an hour had to have passed by now, but Rarity’s body still grew no warmer, even though her breathing and her pulse still remained strong and steady.

It must have somethin’ ta do with that ice guy she was just fightin’, Applejack thought pensively to herself as she dragged herself forward another step. She was fightin’ with an ice sword of her own, so it’s possible it’s got somethin’ ta do with her own powers... Powers that ah mahself might be developin’ soon...

But if hers had tah do wit’ ice, and ah keep feelin’ this heat in mah gut, then that means...

Meanwhile, Spike was giving Applejack a concerned look from behind her as the orange mare continued to push herself onwards. Since they had dragged Rarity out of the snowbank, the apple farmer had not said a single word, silently shouldering Rarity over her back and carrying the limp mare back in the direction of Ponyville.

The young dragon had helped her get the unconscious fashionista up onto her back, but aside from a terse word of thanks, he had gotten nothing else out of Applejack - the headstrong mare seemed to be lost deep in thought about something.

Glancing worriedly to their side, Spike noted the dark, foreboding woods that stretched out to the left of the barren path that they walked. This was unquestionably the most hazardous part of the journey to the diamond dog badlands - the section of the path where it passed by dangerously close to the Everfree.

Applejack was weighed down by Rarity, limiting her ability to run, and, truth be told, Spike didn’t feel all that hot about his own capabilities to protect the two mares with him. Hay, Applejack’s strength had managed to kick in an ice labyrinth wall that he probably wouldn’t have even begun to melt under the hottest flame he could muster.

All he could do right now was pray that nothing decided to attack them while they passed by this area, and that the trip back to Ponyville would be peaceful and uninterrupted.

Naturally, fate was not feeling particularly generous that day.

It first manifested as a chill running down the back of his neck as his hackles rose, and Spike felt his instincts screaming at him - something was watching them.

Nervously, the dragonling took a brief glance over his shoulder at the forest to his left. For the first few seconds he did not notice anything amiss, but as he peered closer, he could’ve sworn that he saw a pair of yellow cat-like pupils blinking at them, watching from the darkness of the forest’s shrubbery...

… Wait.

Something clicked inside the young dragon’s mind as he recognized those eyes, and his body immediately dashed forward of its own accord. Hurling himself forward, Spike careened straight into Applejack as he slammed himself bodily into the apple farmer, knocking her aside.

“Manticore!!!”

His cry was drowned out by a deafening, overwhelming roar as something suddenly charged out of the forest in a huge orange, crimson blur. Applejack let out a startled oof! as Spike’s tiny mass suddenly cannonballed right into her stomach, and she was knocked off her feet, Rarity’s limp body toppling unceremoniously to the ground next to them.

It was all that saved them - the orange and crimson blur that had shot forth from the forest sailed right over them, and a heavy impact from somewhere to his right told Spike all he needed to know.

Glancing up, the dragonling’s worst fears were confirmed. The yellow, cat-like pupils of the manticore in front of him glared at him and Applejack critically, assessing the prey that it had chosen to hunt.

Spike nearly froze in place from sheer terror - diamond dogs he didn’t have much compunction against fighting, but to throw down against a manticore!? One of the deadliest predators to ever roam the Everfree? The dragonling gulped nervously, one of his fists already bunching up in frustration at the sheer unfairness of the situation. Darn it, and we were so close to home too! I can’t take this thing on! If only Fluttershy were here...

There was a rustle of movement to his left, and he heard a muted gasp. Applejack had gotten up from where she had fallen and had just sighted the manticore, her pupils having shrunken in fear the moment she caught sight of the massive predator.

“Spike...” he heard Applejack whisper, her voice thready with fear but still steady and uncracked. “Ya think ya can take Rarity’s weight all on yer own?”

Spike gave the apple farmer an incredulous look, unable to believe what he was hearing. “Seriously, Applejack? You’re asking me, the baby dragon, if he can carry a pony who’s at least three times his size?”

“Well, it was worth a shot.” A wry grin cracked the orange mare’s face. “Because ah sure as hay ain’t gonna ask you to hold this manticore down while ah carry Rarity outta here.”

Spike didn’t like the unspoken conclusion in that sentence - Applejack was the only one capable of carrying Rarity, but she certainly couldn’t get the unicorn out of here with a manticore on her tail. And if she was also the only one capable of even slowing the manticore down... “So, translation: we’re pretty much boned, aren’t we?”

“Not if ah have anythin’ ta say about it!” He heard Applejack’s voice suddenly grow heated, and... wait, were those embers stirring up at the base of her hooves?

There was a resolute look of determined anger on her face, and Applejack pawed at the ground in front of her, facing the manticore head on. Snorting in response, the massive predator let out a hungering bellow, one that nearly sent the Stetson flying off the cowfilly’s head. Applejack winced, but her resolve didn’t waver as she faced off against the manticore, refusing to turn tail and run. There was no guarantee that she’d be able to beat it in a straight-up fight, but given the recent and sudden changes she seemed to be going through...

It was certainly a gamble... but it wasn’t as though they had any other options, did they?

This manticore wanted her and her friends? Well then, it’d have to get through her first.

The simmering, resentful anger that she felt against the manticore for having picked her and her friends as its prey erupted into a blazing inferno. Rage filling her throat, Applejack let out an answering shout as she and the manticore charged forward simultaneously, the fury that blazed through her entire being demanding blood.

The manticore’s first swipe was slow, and clumsy - Applejack easily avoided it as she ducked under the giant paw. Spinning about on her front hooves, she immediately lashed out in a powerful buck with all the strength she had.

The kick slammed right into the manticore’s ribcage, and there was a heavy thud! as the blow struck home. The manticore let out a sudden breath as the wind was knocked right out of it, and it was actually sent flying back, even if it was only for about ten feet. Landing roughly on its side, the manticore struggled briefly before finding its legs again, getting onto its feet and snarling roughly at Applejack.

“Oh, so ya wanna play rough, huh, big boy?” Applejack snorted as she ducked herself low, coiling her body and readying it to spring into action as the furnace inside her began to blaze even hotter. “Well then, come on!”

Roaring in fury, the manticore lunged forward again in an almost imperceptible blur, and this time Applejack barely reacted in time. Apparently having decided to step up its game, seeing that its prey was anything but the typical pony, the enraged manticore had thrown all of its speed and strength behind the next slash of its claws. The blow nearly disemboweled Applejack, as its claws raked dangerously close to her abdomen despite her narrow dodge backwards, leaving a trio of long, bloody scratches in its wake.

Cursing, Applejack darted forward again as she prepared to deliver another buck right into the creature’s sternum... Right up until a second paw suddenly came at her, batting her away as though she were nothing more than a leaf in the wind.

The blow slammed into her like an oncoming carriage, and the apple farmer found herself being hurled bodily into the air, dazed and winded. Seconds later she felt herself land painfully against the ground, tumbling roughly several times, and she heard a panicked, concerned voice calling out her name.

“Applejack!” Tiny, scaled claws were soon shaking her as she heard Spike’s voice more clearly by her side. “Are you all right?”

“Ugh...” The orange mare groaned as she tried to get to her feet, but somehow, her thoughts were muddled, and her limbs only sluggishly obeyed her commands. Her entire body throbbed with pain, and everything around her seemed to go by as though she was watching through a haze. “Okay, ah... ah think ah might’ve bitten off more than ah could chew there...”

“Darn it, Applejack, you’ve gotta get up!” she heard Spike’s voice shake in terror as he continued to try to rouse her. “The manticore... oh, crap, the manticore!”

A deep, bass growl reverberated through her inner ear, and, groaning in pain, Applejack forced herself to turn over. Looking up, the orange mare fixed a defiant glare upon the manticore that was stalking towards them, its teeth bared in a furious snarl.

The predator bore a wicked bruise on its chest that was visible even through its orange coat of fur and its breathing was shallow and strained, but there was no mistaking the fury upon its countenance. She had not only wounded the beast’s body, but its pride as well, and now she was going to pay for it.

Gritting her teeth, Applejack tried to summon more of the defiant rage that had allowed her to even think of facing off the manticore in the first place, but whatever had been fueling the flame that burned within her had apparently exhausted itself. She had nothing left with which to push herself.

Well, it looks like this is it, then... The mare of Sweet Apple Acres closed her eyes, and waited for the finishing blow to land. If there’s somethin’ that Granny was always been goin’ on about, it was ta face death with dignity.

Just like how Mom and Dad did...

She felt a shadow pass over her and heard a terrified squeak from behind as Spike raised his arms above his head in a futile effort to shield himself from the manticore...

And just what was that unearthly racket in the distance?

It seemed to be getting closer with every passing second, and, unable to ignore her curiosity, the orange mare cracked open her eyes... just in time to hear a strangled cry of agony and to witness a bolt of lightning slam right into the manticore that had been about to disembowel her.

Whatever it had been, it had been travelling fast - there was a sizable furrow dug into the ground where it had landed, and its edges were blackened and charred, crackling with arcs of electricity. Following the trail of the furrow, Applejack saw the manticore lying on its side, thrashing wildly despite the massive, blackened and cauterized wound that marred its side.

And behind it... behind it...

By Celestia, what is that thing!? Applejack’s eyes widened in horrified confusion, unable to comprehend what she was faced with.

It appeared just as Fluttershy had described it - it looked as though it was a very strangely proportioned hairless ape, with two arms, two legs, and a total lack of a tail. A pair of wings extended from its back and its head was the only place on its body that was visibly covered in hair, but she could see no more through the massive storm of electricity that was raging around the unknown being.

The strange bipedal creature was thrashing about on the ground just like the manticore, obviously in as much pain as the massive predator was. However, something about the sounds coming from it unnerved Applejack... something that threw her for a loop as she realized just what they were.

They were screams of pain - feminine screams of agony.

And she recognized that voice.

No... No way.

The screams of pain took on an enraged undertone to them, and the strange biped suddenly stopped rolling around. Springing to its feet in a blur, the newcomer turned and faced the manticore, which had also gotten up and was staring at its new opponent, letting out an enraged roar at the sudden interruption.

The interloper’s screams grew in intensity, and the lightning storm that raged around the being magnified in response. Applejack felt the fur on her body suddenly stand on end as the air around her suddenly felt charged. Before she could even blink, the strange biped had suddenly shot forward, a fist cocked back and balled with an immense amount of electricity crackling within its grip.

Bellowing in fury, the manticore leapt forward as well, meeting the strange creature’s charge. As Applejack watched, awestruck, the distinctive sound of a thousand birds all chirping at once reached her ears, and the electrified blur blasted forward as though it had been shot forth from a cannon.

BANG!!!

The two clashing forces suddenly met in a crash, and she barely even saw the figure thrust the ball of electricity clutched in its fist forward, directly into the manticore’s chest. A massive shockwave blew outwards as the orange mare literally saw the lines of force ripple behind the manticore’s broad back, and the sudden gust of wind nearly blew her Stetson off.

When the dust finally cleared and Applejack dared to lower her foreleg from where it had been holding down her hat, she beheld a sight she thought she’d never see in her life.

Lightning no longer surrounded the strange new arrival in an obscuring aura; now only the occasional fork of electricity danced over its bizarre frame. The manticore stood motionless over the strange being, frozen in place with only the arm that was still buried in its chest keeping it upright.

As the unknown creature ripped its arm out of the manticore’s chest in a shower of crimson, the hulking predator’s body fell limp to the ground below, landing with dull, heavy thud... and through whatever few lightning bolts were still arcing around it, she got her first clear look at the strange being.

A pair of cyan feathered wings extended from its back, and its body was mostly covered by the red-and-blue trenchcoat that it wore. Navy-blue fatigues and a pair of combat boots covered its legs, but, as Applejack’s gaze went upwards, her brain suddenly stopped for a moment, absolutely refusing to process and accept just what she was seeing.

There was no mistaking the long mane of rainbow-colored hair that descended from its head.

No... No, that couldn’t be...

Eyes that had gone completely white with power suddenly locked onto the farmer’s, and Applejack froze, unable to even move - stars above, there was just so much pain and fury in that gaze!

The strange being that looked so much like her abruptly began stalking towards them, its backed hunched and its expression contorted in maddened rage, when abruptly it stopped. Cringing in trepidation, Applejack watched it carefully, wary for whatever might come next.

A groan suddenly issued from the strange being, and it clutched at its head with both its hands. The creature fell to its knees, and, abruptly, lightning surged up all around it again as it once more began to scream again in that damnably familiar voice, a voice that Applejack refused to recognize.

Before she even knew what was happening, the strange being let out a bloodcurdling yell that sent Applejack’s skin crawling, and there was a tremendous BOOM! A blinding burst of lightning flashed before her eyes, and the orange mare cried out as stars danced about her vision in the wake of the flash.

Blinking away the stars in her eyes, the apple farmer glanced at where the creature had stood but a moment before... and saw nothing but a blackened crater, still crackling with residual electricity. Looking up, she saw a miniature electrical storm hurtle away into the sky, towards the depths of the Everfree.

The sound of galloping hooves behind her caught her attention, and Applejack turned around to see the three ponies she had desperately been hoping to see ever since Spike had dragged her all the way out here.

“Applejack!” Twilight called out in concern as she came to a stop in front of her friend, checking her over for injuries. “Are you and Rarity all right? What just happened? Did you get hurt?”

“Ah... Ah’m all right, Twi’.” Applejack replied shakily as she extended a shaking hoof and let Twilight help her to an upright position. “But... what in tarnation was that thing just now? Was... was it...?”

“I... honestly don’t know, Applejack.” Twilight gave the apple farmer a worried look as Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie began hoisting the unconscious Rarity over the pink earth pony’s back behind them. Spike hopped onto Twilight’s back as the lavender unicorn briefly nuzzled her young assistant, glad that her young assistant was safe. Turning back to Applejack, her expression betrayed an answer that the orange mare had been dearly hoping not to hear.

“I’m not entirely sure at this point, but... I think... that might’ve been Rainbow Dash.”

[ambient]

The trip home to Ponyville had been relatively uneventful from there. Rarity had been sent to Ponyville hospital very much how Rainbow Dash had been not more than just a day ago, and the mood was sombre as the four gathered mares stepped out of the building, their expressions downcast and pensive.

Twilight was busy pondering the magic she had felt emanating from the unconscious Rarity’s body while on the trip here. While Rainbow Dash’s had had a slightly electric undercurrent to it, feeling as though it was constantly charged and ready to go, Rarity’s had been... cold, to put it simply.

At times the sensation was cool, pleasant - as though a calm, gentle breeze of winter air brushed against her cheeks. Other times, it felt as though she was standing in the midst of a blizzard itself, numbing cold pressing in on her from all directions.

Not only that, but the energies were constantly shifting and always in flux, as though they couldn’t quite make up their mind where they went. Yet despite its chaotic nature, there was something... peaceful... nay, serene, about it. As though a sense of zen permeated the energies that now inhabited Rarity’s body...

Applejack’s thoughts however, were far more perturbed.

She had seen that strange creature, seen its shape and its body, and witnessed the terrifying power that it had wielded against the manticore. It had thundered down from the sky itself like an avenging angel, and had dispatched the manticore ruthlessly with nothing more than a single, merciless strike.

Most of all, she remembered the fury in that being’s gaze. Eyes that had been ablaze with power, maddened rage driving its every action... and yet it had been screaming in agony the entire time, as though something had been torturing it from the inside out.

Could... could it really have been Rainbow Dash?

Was that the form she had taken on after encountering that strange thing out there that had attacked her? Was it permanent? Was Rainbow Dash going to be stuck like that for good?

Was... was the same thing going to happen to her when her own powers awakened?

Applejack looked down at her own forehooves - the same forehooves that had been burning with embers and tiny flames not more than just a few hours ago. For the first time in her life, she found herself afraid of herself, with no idea of what she should do.

Stars above, what was she becoming?

Fluttershy was extremely worried - after seeing Rainbow Dash suddenly burst out of the hospital like that, she had endlessly fretted over the pegasus’ well-being, unable to imagine what she’d do if her fillyhood friend had ended up becoming seriously injured in her throes of... of whatever it was she was experiencing right now. Stars, it rankled at her just simply being unable to understand what her friend was going through right now!

Pinkie Pie was just exhausted. After lugging Rarity’s unconscious body all the way from the badlands to the Ponyville hospital, all she wanted to do was simply go back to Sugarcube corner, collapse in her bed, and snooze all the way until the next morning.

The four mares departed from the hospital that evening, bidding each other weary goodbyes as they trotted off tiredly to their respective homes, their thoughts troubled and their steps heavy.

Again, none of them noticed that as Fluttershy walked, her shadow lagged behind slightly, moving as though attempting to replicate movements that were not its own.

Author's Note

A major addition has been made to this chapter - in light of recent realizations that insufficient buildup has been given for the content of a future chapter, an entire new conversation was added during Celestia's briefing of Shining Armor. There have been a few minor edits and cleanups here and there, but honestly, the only different I expect you guys to really notice is the addition we made to Celestia's briefing ^^

East Abyss

This is the continuation of the story of six mares who have yet to realize their own destinies.

Rarity has fallen. Rainbow Dash is now missing beyond the borders of the Everfree, lost in a haze of pain and fury as her power rages beyond her control.

The others, caught in the face of these events, find themselves lost and confused as they are faced with complete unknowns. They know that they have to find her, but none of them know how to even begin dealing with forces beyond their comprehension.

Meanwhile, Shining Armor, the captain of the Thirteenth Royal Guard Division, has departed from Canterlot early, having left the mobilization of his division to his Vice-Captain, Snow Dancer. Even now, the newly promoted captain is on his way to Ponyville, intent on protecting his sister, and her friends, from the mysterious forces that threaten them.

But even so, he might be too late to stop the latest attack, for the shadows begin to gather outside Fluttershy's home, preparing for the Bearer of Kindness' return...

“The Order of Koaxia”

Chapter 7

East Abyss

The air around him was fresh, clean, and crisp - a far cry from the stuffy, thready air that surrounded the capital. The wind in his face, a gentle breeze that caressed his cheeks softly, was a novel sensation - something he had hardly experienced during his time in Canterlot.

From afar, the sounds of birds chirping reached his ears, and Shining Armor cracked a small smile - such idyllic, peaceful lands were the trademark of Equestria, even if one could only find such a thing while out in the countryside, and not stuck in the comfort of one’s own home, as many Canterlot nobles in the capital failed to realize.

As he surveyed the lands before him though, he used more than just his eyes and ears - even as he cast his gaze about the scenery, his ears tuned for the slightest sound of disturbance, he spread his magical senses out as well, probing the Weave around him in an effort to locate any foreign or suspicious energies.

What he sensed was an utter disappointment.

The Weave surrounding the countryside around him couldn’t possibly have been more normal. The ambient energies were settled and peaceful, having seen little to no disturbance in the past several months - aside from the previous incursions from Nightmare Moon and Discord, but those events had been at least a year ago. Plenty of time for the ambient energies to settle down into their natural state.

Shining Armor frowned as he delved his senses deeper still through the Weave - this was not how the ambient energies should have felt when six powerhouses strong enough to throw up surges of magic huge enough to be felt all the way from Canterlot had been snooping around here for at least a few weeks.

There should have been at least a few traces of some kind. Shining Armor spread his awareness as far as he could, keeping his metaphysical eyes open for any trace of anything that could possibly have been amiss, and yet he sensed nothing.

Any foe that could conceal itself from even the Princess’ sight was not to be trifled with - this much the young captain knew. As he continued his sweep of the general area and still ended up with absolutely nada, his consternation at the situation grew.

His sister was up against forces that could give the Princesses a run for their money, and he couldn’t even sense when or where they might strike next. If he didn’t step in to take a more preemptive hoof in matters soon, things were going to get real ugly, real fast.

This was bad. Real bad.

Shining Armor closed his eyes and sighed, weighing the options within his mind. He could either attempt to discreetly gather more information before making his move, and risk not being in a position to act and defend his sister and her friends should anything untoward happen to them before he could react...

… Or he could immediately make his presence known in Ponyville to Twilight and the others. And thus loudly announcing to their mysterious assailants that a new, dangerous player had entered the game, instantly putting them on guard against him.

There was not much pondering to be done, though - between the two options, there was no contest on which one he would pick. Within seconds, the young stallion came to a decision.

His eyes opened again, orbs of azure having turned hard as steel. In a flurry of movement, the captain disappeared from his perch atop a bluff overlooking Ponyville, his sudden departure accompanied only by a distinctive whisper of wind.

“So, Captain Armor, what’s this we’ve got on our hooves now?”

Vice-Captain Snow Dancer was a petite little thing. Short and thin, with a coat as white as the winter’s snow, her slight build did little to accentuate whatever intimidation factor she had as a Vice-Captain of a Royal Guard division. Still, there was no hiding the determined glint of steel in her violet-hued gaze; anypony who got a good look into her eyes would have known that this was a mare not to be trifled with.

Not that Shining Armor was even affected by it in the slightest in any way. The young captain outstripped his lieutenant by at least five or six times when it came to sheer presence and raw power. Still, Snow Dancer had a talent for weaving together combative spells in the heat of battle with incredible finesse. Combine that with her razor sharp intellect and her uncanny ability to think up tactics and strategies while on the fly, and Shining Armor had learnt to value his lieutenant's capabilities.

Still, it didn’t stop the irritated scowl from spreading over his face as he picked up on the unnecessary inflection she had placed upon his rank.

"Oh, cut it with the 'captain' crap, Snow," Shining Armor grunted as he strode into his office, shutting the door behind him. “You and I have known each other for too long for that. Anyway, we’ve got a new assignment from the Princess."

“You don’t say?” Snow Dancer arched an eyebrow at him, genuinely surprised. “The division hasn’t received any orders from the Captain-Commander since Captain Flowing River retired and you took over. It’s about time we got something to do.”

Shining Armor raised a hoof to stop his lieutenant. “Hold up there, Snow. Hear me out first, because this one is going to sound pretty boring, but if we do run into anything, things are gonna get mighty interesting mighty fast.”

That piqued Snow Dancer’s attention, and she leaned in closer, listening intently. “I’m all ears.”

The newly-inaugurated captain laid out the situation for her, and soon enough Snow Dancer’s eyebrows had disappeared into her dark black mane. In the brief moment of silence following Shining Armor’s explanation, she brushed out the single stray bang of hair that stubbornly hung between her eyes. Then she began to speak, her tone incredulous.

“So what you’re saying is that Princess Celestia knows we’ve got six unknown presences sneaking around the countryside surrounding the Ponyville province, possibly looking for the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, and she wants us to simply go down there and stand guard?”

“Pretty much, yeah.” Shining Armor nodded as he pulled a map of the Ponyville province out from his desk drawer, surveying the mass of green of the countryside as he began memorizing the lay of the land. “They’re the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, Snow - as things are right now, they are very prominent and valuable political and strategic targets. The Elements of Harmony are extremely powerful magical artifacts, as you know, and the Bearers are the only ones who can use them now. If any agents from a foreign power try to nab them for their own purposes, Equestria is going to be severely weakened.”

“That, I can understand.” Snow Dancer’s eyebrows furrowed. “But to mobilize the entire division to defend six mares alone? Surely just a handful of seated officers would be enough for this.”

“Not enough, apparently.” The captain gave his lieutenant a wry grin. “Remember that huge lightning bolt a couple of days back?”

“The one that came straight out of the Everfree?” Snow Dancer gave a slow, suspicious nod. “I felt that one all the way from inside the barracks. Why? You know what caused it?”

“No, but what I do know is that whatever caused it is one of the things that are snooping around the Ponyville countryside right now. Princess Celestia wants our entire division down there because she wants us to have eyes and ears on every bit of land in the countryside in case anything fishy happens, and that’s a lot of land to cover. A handful of seated officers won’t cut it,” Shining Armor said grimly as he turned away from the map and strode towards a rack that stood at the side of his office, the one that held his personal broadsword and kite shield.

Picking up his broadsword, he slid it partially out of its sheathe and inspected the blade for any blemishes or other imperfections, not even taking his eyes off the blade for a second as his voice lowered to a grave mutter. “Not to mention that my sister’s out there.”

Snow Dancer held back a gasp - the unspoken message was there, clear as day. Her captain’s younger sister was in grave danger, and if there was one thing she knew about Shining Armor, it was that he never took things lightly when the safety of his loved ones were at stake. “I’m sorry, Armor. I hope she’s safe.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Shining Armor said off-handedly as he slid the sheathed broadsword into his harness, and clipped the kite shield onto his back. “It’s why I’m heading out there myself right now, ahead of the rest of the division. I’ll leave its mobilization to you.”

“You’re headed- what!?” Snow Dancer’s eyes widened in surprise, before she sighed and shook her head resignedly. “Well, I guess I should’ve seen this coming. You never were much of a stickler for rules anyway. I guess that’s why my brother doesn’t like you that much.”

“Don’t remind me.” Shining Armor’s scowl returned as he thought of his lieutenant’s adoptive elder brother - the aloof, snobbish stallion of a noble who had never bothered to acknowledge his advancement through the ranks and his initiation as a Captain. The two of them had always butted heads, but at least there was still a grudging acknowledgement of comradeship between them, in homage to the horrors and hardships they had faced side by side during their time in the Royal Guard.

Still, there was that time they had almost killed each other while duelling to prove Shining Armor’s worthiness to be a captain... but that incident was something that Shining Armor preferred to remain in the past.

“Well, I guess I can hold the fort down here and get the rest of the division to the Ponyville province myself.” Snow Dancer shrugged as she picked up the arming sword that lay next to her. Slipping it into her harness, she prepared to leave the office and address the rest of the division in the barracks. “You go make sure that your sister is safe - you’ll move much faster without the rest of the division slowing you down.”

Shining Armor’s scowl lightened at that, as the slightest hints of a grateful smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “Thanks, Snow. I really appreciate that.”

“What would you ever do without me, Shining?” His lieutenant gave him a knowing smirk as she walked out through the office doors. “Say hi to Twilight for me.”

The door shut itself, closing off Snow Dancer from view, and Shining Armor looked down, shaking his head and smiling.

Time to get moving.

Turning around to face his office window, Shining Armor sparked his horn, opening them and letting in a cool mountain breeze. The young stallion placed one hoof upon the window sill, almost as if preparing to leap outwards... and then he suddenly disappeared from sight, accompanied by only a slight whisper of wind.

The man sat cross-legged, enshrouded in darkness. Tendrils of shadow snaked out from all around him, spreading outwards like the many strands of a spider's web, and here he sat at the epicenter of it all.

Every tendril that extended forth reached out to the world around him, feeding him information on everything that happened in his midst. So far everything had been calm - aside from the disturbance Balthazar had created with his... 'exit', there was nothing else that he sensed disturbing the lagoon of tranquility that was Ponyville.

The town was still peaceful, its atmosphere undisturbed. Aside from the few spots of anxiety that echoed from the Chosen, which were to be expected, he felt nothing else.

Plenty of time to put together a comprehensive plan.

He had sat there for several hours on end, his mind deeply immersed in thought, when one of the tendrils around him suddenly shuddered violently. Abruptly, the man's eyes shot open; had anyone been around to see them, they would have immediately shrunk back in terror from what they beheld.

'So, a new player has entered the game.' The man calmly considered the new, overwhelming presence that had just entered his sensory range. Its magnitude was staggering - for all intents and purposes, it was practically a fountain; a massive font of power that leaked excess energy everywhere it went, a giant neon sign that simply screamed notice me!

But it wasn't just the size of the font that surprised him - it was just how tough and weathered it was. Whoever this mana signature belonged to was no newbie - he was probably a seasoned veteran of countless battles, and was certainly a force to be reckoned with.

The man considered this, and realized that this unexpected arrival had thrown a monkey wrench into his plans.

'Well, I suppose I might have to accelerate them somewhat then.'

The man simply closed his eyes again, lost in focus. Seconds later, a handful of the dark tendrils connected to him suddenly detached themselves, snaking outwards and disappearing into the shadows that surrounding him.

"Are you sure about this, Fluttershy?"

"Absolutely, Twilight. If it's a way to help Rainbow Dash, I'm more than willing to go through with it."

“All right then - I have to warn you, this will tingle quite a bit...”

Fluttershy shuddered slightly as the scanning spell roved over and through her body once more, but she held herself firm. Though she was slowly getting used to Twilight’s magic, the sensation of her innermost energies being poked and prodded was still undeniably disquieting.

It was the latest try in a long string of attempts to locate the lost Rainbow Dash, still missing beyond the borders of the Everfree Forest. The lavender unicorn had reasoned that since the energies in the gems they had first come into contact with had been part of a set, they must have been connected in some way. Thinking that she could use that connection to find out Rainbow Dash’ current location, she had attempted to use her own signature of light, only to find its soothing, soporific effect too tempting to resist once she had delved into it.

Left with little other choice, she had resorted to asking the others if they were willing to contribute their own implanted signatures to her tracking efforts. Thankfully, the first one she had asked was Fluttershy, who was certainly more than willing to put forth her own contribution. Right now the two of them were seated within Twilight’s living room, attempting to use her signature of darkness to locate Rainbow Dash.

“Okay... that’s your natural leyline. Just need to move past it...” Twilight's voice lowered to a concentrated murmur as she trailed off, lost in focus.

The butter-yellow pegasus was unable to hold back a gasp as the arcane probe slid up her frame, like some kind of ethereal claw lightly dragging along her spine. In a matter of seconds, the probe reached her brain, where tiny little points of pressure began to press lightly against her skull, and Fluttershy winced slightly in discomfort.

“Hmm... It’s still there... and it still hasn’t grown any! Strange, everypony else’s signatures have gotten bigger, but something about your leyline system seems to be actively blocking this one out. I can’t get a good look at it - maybe if I just...”

“Umm, Twilight?” Fluttershy stammered nervously, “I-I think that might not be such a good ide- eeep!”

The timid pegasus let out a sudden squeak as she felt something inside of her snap open. It was as though a pair of mental floodgates had suddenly crumbled, unleashing a veritable flood of impressions that cascaded through Fluttershy’s mind. The unease that she had felt prior to Twilight’s examination soon gave way to unbridled fear, as unfamiliar thoughts and emotions poured into her.

The chill of a moonlight graveyard, her, or was it his, breath misting in the frozen air...

Cold, dry pressure pressing in from all around her, snaking over her skin and clawing at her heart, desperately seeking entry as she fought to repress her instincts, refusing to succumb to the killing intent that the shadow bore, refusing to let it into himself...

An emptiness that filled her, an absolute void, replacing her heart, his mind, their emotions...

“Tw-Twilight...”

As suddenly as it had begun, the surge began to subside, slowing to a mere trickle before finally coming to a halt. Though the... presence that had filled her mind was gone, its influence still lingered, and Fluttershy found her body drenched in an icy sweat. As the moments passed, she dimly realized that she had fallen to the floor, one of her wings painfully trapped under her side, and that now it was her physical form that was being poked and prodded.

“...utter....fluttershy...”

The cries seemed distant, as though they were echoing towards her from the far side of a long tunnel.

“...shy...fluttershy...FLUTTERSHY!”

Her eyelids flying open, the pegasus found herself staring up into Twilight’s worried face, just as the unicorn was preparing to shout out her name once more.

“Oh, thank Celestia, Fluttershy!” Twilight quickly scooped up the fallen pegasus into a hug, bringing her back up onto her hooves. “I’m so sorry, did I hurt you?”

“I... I'm all right, Twilight," Fluttershy exhaled shakily as she got back up. "I just..."

The butter-yellow pegasus looked up into her friend's eyes, and realized that Twilight looked absolutely terrified.

“T-Twillight?” Fluttershy asked hesitantly, inching slowly towards the lavender mare. “I-I’m so sorry if I worried you, but I’m fine now, really!”

But to her surprise, Twilight shook her head, almost as though she was trying to dispel the image of something she had seen that had been burned into her brain. “No, it wasn’t you, Fluttershy. Yeah, you really worried me when you collapsed, but...”

The lavender mare shuddered suddenly, shutting her eyes tightly. “Oh, Celestia, those eyes...”

“Eyes?” Fluttershy gave her friend a strange look. “Twilight, what are you talking about?”

“Those eyes, they...” Twilight was visibly shaking by now - the poor mare was obviously scared out of her wits. “You didn’t see them? They appeared when I opened the blocks that your brain had placed on your signature. I think it must have opened a link to something else out there, because... Oh Celestia, they were looking right into me...”

Normally, Fluttershy was the one being reassured or comforted, at least when it came to times of crisis. Now, however, she slipped into the reverse role as she quickly set a steady hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, unwilling to let her friend suffer through her fear alone. “Twilight, it’s all right. It’s gone now, whatever it was. Please, tell me, what did you see?”

“I...” The fuchsia unicorn shook her head, trying to calm herself down. “I couldn’t get a clear look at it, the contact was only for a few seconds, but oh stars above, I thought I was going to die...”

Fluttershy gulped nervously - whatever was frightening enough to unsettle a mare as logical and rational as Twilight must have been truly terrifying. The timid pegasus found herself wishing dearly that she would never even come close to seeing what Twilight had just witnessed.

“It’s all right now, Twilight,” she whispered as comfortingly to her friend, bringing Twilight into a reassuring hug, trying to assure the unicorn that whatever it was that she had seen, she was safe now. “It’s gone now... We don’t have to do this anymore, if you don’t want to.”

“Yeah...” Fluttershy felt Twilight swallow, and the lavender mare stepped back, slowly composing herself. “I... I think we’re done for today, Fluttershy. Maybe I can use somepony else’s signature to home in on it, but... I think I just need to lie down for a minute...”

“Anything you need, Twilight,” Fluttershy intoned almost automatically, moving to support her friend as she began guiding her back to her bedroom upstairs in the library. They had only just reached the bottom of the stairway leading upstairs, however, when Twilight suddenly flinched, abruptly taking in a ragged breath.

She had just been about to start up the stairwell when she had suddenly felt a gigantic force press down in her shoulders. Power was a physical weight that dragged her down; she felt her entire body shudder from the sheer pressure she felt pressing in on her from all sides.

Twilight's brain was working on overdrive as she tried to make sense of what she was feeling. The unsettling part was how the sensation felt like how it usually did whenever she was sensing for other ponies' magical signatures - only that this time, it felt as though it had been multiplied by a million times in intensity.

Stars above, since when had she become so sensitive to sensing magical auras?

The lavender mare struggled to suck in a breath to regain her composure, but no sooner had she straightened when there suddenly came a resounding knock in her door, booming through her entire living room. Fluttershy nearly jumped at the sound, but she quickly settled down and gave the door a relieved look, thankful it had not been anything else.

"Stay here and rest, Twilight," she said softly, guiding her friend over to a nearby sofa and setting her down on it. "I'll go answer the door."

The gentle pegasus started off towards the door, and a winded Twilight weakly stretched a hoof out to her, trying to stop her. "No, Fluttershy, wait! That's-"

It was only when Fluttershy had begun to trot towards the door that Twilight realized where the source of the overwhelming pressure was located - it was right outside her home.

Unable to even do anything but watch, Twilight just sat there, pressed against her sofa in silent dread as Fluttershy set her hoof on her doorknob, slowly swinging it open...

And in stepped the last pony she expected to see.

“Brother?” Twilight’s jaw dropped open in shock as her older brother stepped into her living room in all of his military glory, the white silk haori that denoted his rank draped regally over his frame. Yet despite his bearing, his expression was not even the least bit formal as he regarded his younger sister with a large, wide grin.

“Twily!” The royal guard captain stepped forward, scooping his baby sister up in a crushing bear hug. A hug that she barely even felt, what with the sheer weight of pressure that was her brother’s magical aura pressing in from all around her. “How’s my little sister doing?”

“S-Shining!” Twilight croaked out weakly, “Let up a little - I can’t breathe!”

“What, my little sister can’t even handle her brother’s bear hugs anymore?” Shining Armor chuckled as he let Twilight go, ruffling her mane affectionately... before pausing as he realized that his sister was still wheezing in and out weakly. “Uhh... Twilight, you all right?”

“Not the hug, you nitwit - your power! It’s choking me!” the fuchsia unicorn coughed out irritatedly, and Shining Armor’s eyes widened in startled realization.

“My power?” The royal guard captain raised an eyebrow. “But I’m already suppressing my- … Oh, all right. Fine.”

Taking in a large, deep breath, Shining Armor closed his eyes as though deep in concentration. Slowly, Twilight felt the overwhelming pressure closing in around her slowly begin to dissipate, until she could finally breathe easily again and all she felt was a minor weight seated upon her shoulders.

“All right.” The uniformed stallion in front of her let out a slightly annoyed sigh. “I’ve purposely reined in almost all of my power now, and I’m currently only at one percent. Sheesh, Twilight, even babies can handle more than that! Since when did you get so sensitive to magical auras?”

Twilight opened her mouth to answer, but something inside her stopped her in her tracks - there was just something off about the way Shining Armor had said it. Almost as if... his question had been rhetorical, and that he knew something about what had been happening in Ponyville these past few days. The young scholar didn’t know why she had suddenly become so adept at picking up on these sort of subtle cues, but new, subconscious knowledge flowed through her as she began to recognize and pick up on certain things that she knew she did not have knowledge of before.

It must have been the signature of light within her - it had to be. There was no other explanation.

Quickly bringing her train of thought to a halt before she could get any more lost in it, she focused on her brother in front of her, trying to decide whether or not to come clean with what had been happening here, or to keep the information from him so as not to worry him.

Common sense immediately favored the former choice - there was no way Shining Armor would be here on a social visit while wearing his captain’s haori, and the odds were that he had heard at least some form of information of what was going on in Ponyville. Trying to keep her elder brother in the dark would have been an exercise in futility.

"Ever since we encountered those weird magical signatures and started seeing and feeling strange stuff everywhere," Twilight muttered tiredly as she gave her brother the answer that confirmed what he had heard from Celestia’s briefing report. "That's what you're here for, aren't you? To investigate what's been happening here recently?"

Shining Armor gave his sister a shocked look - either Twilight had suddenly become very good at reading subtle verbal cues, or he really needed to work on his poker face. Well, either way... the captain thought to himself with a sigh as he ran a hoof through his mane. The jig is up. Might as well tell her what's been happening on the Princess' side.

"Yeah, that's what I'm here for." The white-coated stallion nodded in confirmation. "Under orders from Princess Celestia, I'm here to investigate the strange presences that have been lurking around the area... and to defend you and your friends if necessary."

“You’re here under orders from the Princess to help protect us?” Twilight’s shoulders sagged visibly in relief. “Thank the stars, I thought she’d never send help! But... she sent only you?”

“Not just me.” The confident grin on Shining Armor’s face told Twilight that there was more to it than she could tell, but she certainly did not expect to hear what her brother said next. “My entire division will be here within the next couple of days to secure the province.”

“Oh, well then, that’s good to- Wait, what? Your entire division!?” Twilight’s sigh of relief turned into a panicked splutter as her eyes bugged out and her jaw dropped. “Shiny, are you crazy!? You can’t bring an entire division of royal guardsponies into Ponyville all at once, you’re going to start a panic! Princess Celestia is trying to keep this matter quiet!”

“Twily, don’t worry about it!” Her elder brother let out an unexpected laugh. “Our patrols are going to be mostly dispersed throughout the grasslands and the surrounding countryside, and even our barracks are going to be set up beyond the borders of the town. Only our seated officers are going to be in Ponyville itself, watching over the place discreetly - you wouldn’t even know we were here.”

Shining Armor had expected to put his sister at ease, having let her know that day-to-day life in her quaint little country town was going to be undisrupted by the sudden arrival of hundreds of fully armed and armored guardsponies from the Thirteenth Division. Furthermore, seated officers within the royal guard were far from pushovers; any one of them could have easily given some of the most accomplished unicorns from the Mage’s Association of Canterlot a run for their money when it came to spellcasting talent, or the best martial artists of Prussia’s Fighter’s Guild regarding fighting ability. Having a handful of them stationed in Ponyville would more or less guarantee their ability to safeguard the town while keeping their presence covert.

What he didn’t expect was for his younger sister to give him a doubtful look, arching an eyebrow at him as though she was not even reassured in even the slightest. “You’re sure? Because I was able to sense your presence the moment you reached my doorstep, and I was already nearly suffocating in it. What makes you think I’m not going to notice a dozen or so new magical auras suddenly appearing here? And good luck getting them past Pinkie - she knows everypony in Ponyville. The moment somepony new appears here, she will know.”

As Twilight’s little tirade came to an end, Shining Armor gave his sister a strange look and sighed, closing his eyes and running a hoof through his mane again. “Oh, geez... I seriously didn’t think it’d be this hard to convince you.”

The white-coated stallion standing before the two mares opened his eyes again, locking gazes with Twilight. The lavender unicorn couldn’t help but flinch as she saw just how steely his sapphire orbs were. It almost seemed as though they had become resolve itself, what with how determined and serious his expression was.

“Look, Twilight,” Shining Armor began in an absolutely serious tone. “I’ve already purposely reined in my magical aura until less than one percent of it is leaking out. I didn’t raise a single peep on my way here, and I can tell you for sure that nopony noticed me arriving here since I didn’t use a teleport spell. Not only that, I’m also under my division’s seal while I’m out here - you know that means that my current maximum is only a fifth of my full strength. Trust me, there is no way anypony else even knows I’m here. You might have sensed me, but the rest of the town hasn’t - and if the unicorns of this town couldn’t sense me of all ponies, then the rest of my seated officers are going to be like ghosts to them.”

“Well... I...” Twilight found herself floundering beneath her brother’s weighty, hardened gaze, and the sheer concreteness of his argument. Shining Armor had a point in his counter against her little tirade - there was just no denying the fact that he, a captain of the Royal Guard, knew what he was doing. And if he, the one captain with the most tremendously vast level of magical energy in the entirety of the royal guard, could manage to slip through Ponyville without even raising a single peep, his seated officers were certainly going to be much more stealthy.

Still, there was just one more thing... “Wait, but how did you manage to reach my doorstep so suddenly? If your presence was as overwhelming as I felt it was, I should have felt a more gradual buildup from a distance, since you didn’t use a teleport spell to move so quickly to avoid notice!”

The conspiratorial grin that spread across Shining Armor’s face was almost maddening. “Twily, just because I said I didn’t use a teleport spell doesn’t mean I walked all the way here. Royal Guard officers have different ways of moving about quickly.”

“But... you... I... urrggghh!!!” Twilight let out a frustrated groan as she pressed a hoof to her temple, already feeling the general sensation of a monstrous headache coming on. “Darn you and your military secrets! You know I can’t resist a good mystery! Shiny, I swear to Celestia, sometimes you can just drive me crazy!”

“Ha!” Her elder brother let out a hearty laugh, clapping his sister on the back. “Why else would I be your BBBFF?”

As the two siblings continued their back and forth bantering, Fluttershy stood quietly to the side, politely letting them have their little family reunion together in peace. The gentle pegasus knew just how rarely Twilight got to see her elder brother, and seeing the two siblings reunited after having been apart for almost a year greatly warmed her heart, bringing a smile to her face.

That smile however soon froze, however, as Fluttershy’s mind began to wander slightly from the scene before her, and then realized that something gravely was amiss.

The link that Twilight had opened up from the dark signature inside her... it was still open.

The moment she realized this, all of the shadows around her began to thicken and grow, becoming more oppressive with every passing second. The air around her grew cold and heavy, and the yellow mare suddenly found it very hard to breathe. Irrational terror began to claw at her heart as the edges of her vision began to darken, and Fluttershy swayed dangerously on the spot, her throat letting out a strangled whimper.

Almost immediately, Twilight took notice, bringing her conversation with Shining Armor to an abrupt halt as her gaze snapped in Fluttershy’s direction, her eyes widening in concern. “Fluttershy! Are you all right?”

She barely even heard Twilight calling out to her - fear gripped at every single one of her senses, a shrill, piercing note drilling itself through her brain as her breath froze in her chest. She was suddenly, painfully, agonizingly aware of something inside of her head with her.

“I... I...”

… I see you.

The darkness pressed in around her, and before she blacked out and everything went dark, the last thing she saw was Twilight and Shining Armor galloping towards her...

... and the single vision of a pair of blood-red, crimson eyes staring right into her soul, their pupils surrounded by three strange, revolving marks.

Miles away, in the interior of a humble little cottage that lay at the fringes of the Ponyville border, a snow-white rabbit suddenly jerked his head up from his afternoon snack, abruptly stopping his munching on the carrot that he held in his paws.

Sniffing the air suspiciously, the tiny bunny dropped the half-eaten vegetable and immediately scampered over to a nearby cage, tapping on its outside lightly. Almost instantly, the mouse that resided inside abandoned its running wheel, running up to where Angel Bunny stood over it with a worried expression on his face.

There were a few wild gesticulations with the rabbit’s paws, followed by a mock faint, and his meaning was understood - the mouse nodded, and ran up to the latch on its cage door before unlocking it from the inside. The cage door fell open, and the tiny rodent scampered out, running up the sofa and taking tiny successive leaps up to a nearby hummingbird’s roost.

As the mouse shook the tiny avian awake from its afternoon nap and spread the message, Angel Bunny looked around the cottage, the animals that lived in it alongside him stirring awake as the word slowly spread. The tiny rabbit gave his fellow animal companions a concerned look, and gazed worriedly out of the window, his heart disquieted by the inexplicable sense that something had gone horribly wrong.

He did not know what was making him feel this way... but somewhere out there, his mistress was in trouble.

It was cold.

That much, Spike could say - there was nothing much else that he could notice, focused as he was on the limp form of the alabaster white unicorn that lay on the cot before him, unmoving.

Next to him, Sweetie Belle sat in a hospital chair, her tiny frame shaking with silent sobs. The little filly had laid her hooves on her sister’s own, crying softly, and Spike had placed a hand on Sweetie Belle’s shoulder, trying to console her as best he could.

“D-Do you think she’s gonna be all right, Spike?”

“She’s gonna be fine, Sweetie Belle...” The dragonling swallowed the hard lump that had developed in his throat. “After all... Rainbow Dash pulled through hers, right? Rarity should get through this just fine!”

“Y-Yeah, b-but...” The crying young filly next to him sniffled softly. “What happened to her after she woke up? Twilight wouldn’t t-tell us anything more than that she d-disappeared, a-and I... I... Oh, stars, I just don’t know anymore!”

Breaking down completely, Sweetie Belle collapsed completely against her sister’s cot, shaking Rarity’s hoof uselessly. “Big sis! Please, please wake up! You’re scaring me!”

It broke Spike’s heart to watch such a display, and the young dragon had to hold back a few tears as well as he found himself wondering the same thing that plagued Sweetie Belle’s thoughts: even if Rarity did wake up, would she even be the same pony ever again, if the same thing that happened to Rainbow Dash happened to her as well?

Both of the room’s conscious occupants were so focused upon the unconscious unicorn that neither of them noticed the frost that was slowly but surely building up on the ward’s windows... or that Sweetie Belle’s shadow was leaning slightly towards Rarity, extending a tiny, fine tendril of darkness underneath her bed.

Subtly weaving its way forward, the tendril had laid itself upon Rarity through the shadows beneath her covers... and had slowly begun the process of tapping into her magic circuits and accelerating her assimilation of the South Gale’s power.

After all, it wouldn’t do at all for her to wake up prematurely before the assimilation was complete, like how that bungler Balthazar had awakened the new North Blitz far too early with his inheritance ritual.

Miles away, a man with crimson eyes swathed in writhing layers of shadow allowed himself a small smile.

Just as planned...

Barely an hour had ticked by, and already the cottage was completely abuzz with activity. Angel Bunny had been directing the activities of his animal compatriots as they scampered and flitted to and fro, preparing various things for any potential emergency. Dozens of dreadful scenarios flickered through the tiny rabbit’s head, accompanied by images of his mistress suddenly bursting in through the door, covered in bleeding cuts, nursing a broken leg, or worse. Forcefully, the pint-sized mammal shook his head, dispelling the images as he refused to acknowledge them.

No, his mistress was going to make it home safely!

In an effort to keep his mind clear of the frightful thoughts, Angel concentrated his efforts on directing a pair of hummingbirds as they flitted about overhead. Having guided them to a wall-mounted cupboard, the rabbit watched as the avians extracted a first aid kit from the shelves when the cottage’s front door suddenly shook from several rapid knocks.

The sheer suddenness of it was too much for the two hummingbirds’ uneasy grips, and Angel Bunny almost had a heart attack when the heavy bag came within inches of landing right on top of him. After shaking his paw irately at the two avians for a moment to convey his displeasure, the bite-sized rabbit bounded over to the door to open it, hoping against hope that whoever was at the door wouldn’t be the bearer of bad news...

Only to have his hopes come crashing right down as he saw the limp form of his unconscious mistress draped over an unknown uniformed stallion’s back.

It was only the presence of a purple mare, one that Angel recalled seeing in his mistress’ company quite often, that kept the pint-sized bunny from outright charging the white-coated stallion and demanding to know what had happened. After all, if one of his mistress’ companions was accompanying this stallion, then perhaps he was all right as well. Still, the mild reassurance was not enough to keep Angel Bunny from narrowing his eyes suspiciously at the new arrival.

“Oh, Angel Bunny!” The purple one let out a little exclamation of shock when she looked down and realized that the tiny rabbit was standing right in front of her. Looking past her irate greeter, the unicorn curiously eyed the flotilla of tiny animals that were flitting all over the house’s interior. “Umm... are you expecting somepony?”

The rabbit facepawed hard enough to leave an imprint on his forehead, his expression the epitome of ‘I am surrounded by idiots’, before furiously pointing at the unconscious Fluttershy and gesturing at the newcomers to quickly get inside the cottage.

The two ponies trotted inside, and, before Angel could even slam the door shut, let alone start demanding answers from either of them, started conversing amongst themselves, totally disregarding the rabbit’s presence.

“Thanks for accompanying me all the way here, Shiny.” The lavender mare he remembered as Twilight gave the stallion a grateful nuzzle. “I think I can take Fluttershy from here.”

“Well, if you say so.” There was a brief shuffling as Fluttershy’s body made the switch from laying on ‘Shiny’’s back to being draped over Twilight’s. Angel watched the whole exchange with no small amount of trepidation - just what was it that had happened out there that had left his mistress in such a condition?

The stallion’s next few words pretty much gave voice to what Angel had been wondering the entire time. “What do you think happened to her anyway?”

“If I had to guess?” The purple one’s expression scrunched up in thought. “I think it might have had something to do with my accidental unlocking of the mana signature implanted inside her. The sudden outpouring of energy probably came as quite a bit of a shock to her system, but I did some checks on her - she’s still safe and stable for the time being. Nonetheless, I think I’m going to stay with her for a while to keep an eye on things.”

“If you say so.” ‘Shiny’ seemed a mite unsure about something, and a moment later he spoke up again. “Listen, Twilight, about these... ‘mana signatures’...”

“Hmm?”

“Are you sure that they’re harmless? Because, the way you’re putting it, it seems like they’re something that we ought to be wary of, since they’re the same magic imprints that our mysterious intruders are leaving behind. Yet you’re looking into them and using them like they’re not even dangerous at all! Are you sure what you’re doing is really safe?”

Twilight’s expression grew pensive, and a brief moment later she let out a tired sigh. “No, Shining Armor. It isn’t safe at all. I know that. But what other choice do we have?”

A purple hoof jabbed out at the window of Fluttershy’s cottage, and the young scholar continued on. “Rainbow Dash is currently missing out past the borders of the Everfree, and these signatures are the only lead we have in tracking her down! I don’t like it any more than you do, Shining - these guys are the same ones that have put both Rainbow Dash and Rarity into comas. But right now, we’ve got nothing else to go on but these signatures to help us find out where Rainbow Dash is or a way to wake Rarity up from her coma without sending the energies inside her out of control. They’re our only hope.”

The grimace on the stallion’s face was so distasteful that Angel could almost feel it from where he stood. Still, Shining Armor’s expression soon steeled itself, and he nodded resolutely. “All right then. If that’s the only recourse you feel you have available, then I’ll leave you to it. I might be better at battle magic than many other ponies, but I know that nopony around here knows more about magical theory than my little Twily here.”

Shining Armor gave Twilight an affectionate ruffle of her mane, a tiny grin cracking his otherwise steely demeanour. “Just promise me you’ll be careful, all right? I’d hate to have to step in myself to pull your flank out of the fire.”

“Yeah, yeah - where would I ever be without you, BBBFF?” Twilight gave a wry smile before pulling her brother into one last hug. “You might want to get a move on, though - Ponyville isn’t gonna defend itself.”

“Yeah... You’ve certainly got that right,” the guard captain quipped as he stepped back. “Still, if you ever run into any trouble... You still remember our secret code spell, right?”

“How could I ever forget?” The lavender mare grinned. “Don’t worry about me, Shiny - if I’m ever in trouble, you’ll be sure to hear from me.”

“I’ll hold you to that.” Shining Armor nuzzled his sister briefly. “Stay safe, Twilight.”

The young captain soon departed from the cottage, intent on continuing his reconnaissance of the area to gather more information and put together a plan of defense... and leaving Twilight with an unconscious Fluttershy an an expectant Angel bunny.

"So..." the lavender unicorn began awkwardly, giving the rabbit a hopeful smile. "Where's the guest bedroom again, Angel?"

The rabbit's facepaw said it all. From being ignored the moment they had stepped into the house, to being suddenly turned to like some kind of butler... he was certainly not being given enough treats to have to put up with all this.

The night was a silent, peaceful one. Twilight had uneventfully tucked away the unconscious Fluttershy into her bed hours ago, and had only just retired to her own guest bed. Her final inspection of the pegasus’ ley lines had found nothing amiss, and it wasn’t long before the tired mare allowed her eyes to slide shut.

Outside the cottage, crickets chirped gently, their constant song providing a soft, soothing background to the blanket of the night’s shadows, and in the living room, Fluttershy’s animal companions slumbered peacefully.

So peacefully, that none of them even stirred as a single tendril of darkness snaked its way through the living room, artfully weaving its way around each animal’s roost. Effortlessly slinking through the crowded room, the tendril soon reached the stairs, slithering upwards step by step in complete silence.

Like an intangible wraith, the tendril reached the second floor without raising a peep. Unnoticed, it slowly snaked towards Fluttershy’s bedroom, stopping only for a moment when it neared Twilight’s temporary cot.

Halting its advance, it briefly considering the radiant rays of metaphysical light that issued from the sleeping unicorn’s form. Each beam reached outwards and rotated about as though it were seeking out something... so after a moment, the tendril slithered forward again, its movement cautious as it gingerly slipped its way around each and every one of the seeking rays of light, taking care not to touch even a single one.

Once it had passed Twilight’s bed, the tendril of darkness surged forward with uncanny speed, almost as though it could sense its objective nearing. Snaking its way beneath a doorway and towards Fluttershy’s bed, it latched onto the dangling sheets, slowing climbing its way up until it reached the top in complete silence. The tendril crept forward, sliding soundlessly over Fluttershy’s covers, before stopping mere inches from her. Slowly, it reared itself upwards as though it were a snake, poising to strike...

Almost as if on cue, Fluttershy’s eyes snapped open an instant before the tendril moved, and she awoke just in time to see a single sliver of darkness suddenly lunge forward, latching onto her face and turning her entire world black as it smothered her scream.

There was a brief struggle as the pegasus scrabbled at her face futilely, trying to pry it off... and slowly, gently, her struggles ceased. The room was quiet again after a few seconds, and Twilight continued on sleeping, none the wiser as to what had just transpired right under her nose.

Black.

It was black all around her.

Fluttershy looked around uncomprehendingly, her mind unable to make any sense of the darkness surrounding her despite being able to perceive the rest of her body as clear as day.

There was no light, yet she could see her hoof in front of her as though it were lit in the afternoon sun. She was a lone speck of yellow in the middle of an all-encompassing abyss, the only thing, living or otherwise, in this vast, unrevealing, and empty void.

“W...Where am I?”

As she spoke, her words tinged with fear and worry, she desperately wished to be someplace safe and familiar. Abruptly, the emptiness around her suddenly began to warp and shift, bursts of light and solid forms springing forth from nowhere. The pegasus squeaked in surprise as the world around her spun and melded together, but as shapes began to take form and colors began to brighten, she realized that she was... home? She found herself standing in the middle of her cottage, with her most precious animal friends surrounding her on all sides.

And it seemed that it was more than just her homestead. Through the house’s windows, she could see bits of Ponyville and Cloudsdale manifest out of the oblivion, earthen streets and clouds blending together to create a scenery that was both reassuring and confusing.

Just where was she?

Welcome to your mindscape, little pony.

“AHHH!! W-Who’s there!?” The voice that suddenly echoed through her thoughts was flat. Dead. Unemotional. As it rang out from nowhere and everywhere, fear rose up in the pegasus’ mind, sheer terror staining her thoughts. Instinctively wishing to be someplace safer, Fluttershy was startled even further when all of her animal friends immediately began to gather around her, forming a protective wall as they calmed and reassured her with their presence. Their warmth, so vivid it almost felt real, comforted her, and the pegasus allowed herself to relax in just the tiniest bit.

Please. This world is but a farce.

Abruptly, a wave of cold, sheer malevolence washed over her and her animal friends. As the icy sensation swept over Fluttershy like a thick, freezing blanket, her companions scattered like leaves on the wind, fleeing the assault and leaving the mare all on her own. Suddenly exposed to the elements, the timid pegasus squeaked in fear, quickly drawing her legs closer as she shrank into a crouch, trying to protect herself from the cold.

As she looked forward, a tiny spot of darkness suddenly sprouted to life on her cottage door, a dot of obsidian that stood horribly apart from the brightly colored wood. Though it started small, it wasn’t long before the speck expanded into a full-blown, swirling mass of pure black that seemed to eat away at everything around it. Even as she watched, the... ‘Darkness’... began to consume and putrefy everything it came into contact with.

Wood faded away to grey and started to rot, entropy eating away at its substance as it disintegrated into ashes that drifted away into the distance. Curtains aged and faded as they broke apart into individual strings before disappearing entirely into the void, falling victim to the all consuming blackness.

Whimpering and cringing, Fluttershy backed away as far from the darkness as she could; all she knew was that she wanted to stay as far away from it as possible, and not come anywhere close to it.

She didn’t know what that thing was, but she was not going to let it touch even a single hair on her body.

Useless. You think such an idyllic world is without darkness, without sin? You think that by not exposing yourself to such things, you can protect yourself from them?

The darkness, its putrefying expansion halting for the briefest moment, seemed to coalesce. As the shadows consolidated and began to form a solid shape, Fluttershy realized with mounting horror that she recognized the silhouette that was beginning to take form before her.

It had the same silhouette as the creature that had attacked Rainbow Dash.

So, you recognize my form... Melchior did poorly to hide his presence from you lot.

“W-Who are you?” Fluttershy let out a terrified squeak as she backed away slowly from the being, which had already solidified into a featureless, black, and bipedal form nearly twice her height. Her hooves slowly took her backwards until one suddenly met empty air - yelping out in fear, the frightened pegasus looked backwards only to realize that the back half of her entire cottage was gone.

In its place was an endless black voidthat seemed to swallow up everything that even so much as looked into it. Light itself seemed to get sucked into its featureless maw, and Fluttershy let out a scream as she scrambled away from the void.

Who am I? What concern is my identity, when you refuse your own?

Her heart racing in her chest, the terror-struck pegasus turned back to face the faceless apparition, flinching as its harsh, cold voice rang throughout her entire being.

“W-What?” Fluttershy blinked uncomprehendingly, not understanding what the shadow was alluding to. “What are y-you t-talking about?”

You still do not understand why you are here, do you...? The shadow’s words reverberated through her. Why I am here. Think for a moment, child. You can surely feel my power as clearly as the void that presses in around you. You know that I could crush you with nary a thought... And yet I have not. Were I here to kill you, I could have done so easily hours ago, and you would not have felt a thing.

“S-So, then... you’re not here t-to hurt me?” Fluttershy’s voice slowly grew more steady as she began to finally find her own hooves, standing upright.

I am not here to harm you, child. Merely to teach you.

"Teach me?”

Of the folly with which you live by. The lie that you live day by day.

“A... A lie?” Fluttershy shook her head frantically, uncomprehending. “I don’t understand what’s happening here! What did you mean, I refuse my own identity?”

You surround yourself with lies and illusions, accepting only those truths that you want to believe, refusing any that fracture or damage your fantasy. A pointless attempt at self-delusion, dreamed up only by the selfish and the weak. As the shadow spoke, more of the blackness that it exuded extended outwards, consuming more and more of the cottage that had formed around Fluttershy, eating away at the sole piece of familiar scenery that anchored the pegasus to the ‘ground’ and kept her from going insane with fear.

“N-No! Please, stop what you’re doing!” the pegasus screamed as the cottage around her was reduced to nothing but a tiny island of wood that she cowered upon. “This is who I am! I haven’t lied to anypony!”

Naive fool. Ignore it all you want, but the blackness that haunts this world remains. It is beyond the power of your meager wishes, child, to rid an entire realm of its hate and pain.

“I... What?” Fluttershy’s eyes widened in comprehension, and as her understanding solidified, so did her resolve. The tiny island of wood slowly began to expand, fortifying itself against the darkness that sought to consume it. “Are you talking about what I’ve been doing my entire life? My acts of kindness? But...”

Abruptly, two crimson orbs materialized where the shade’s eyes would have been, and Fluttershy flinched as she realized that those orbs were the same ones that she had glimpsed right before she had fallen unconscious in Twilight’s home. Before the frightened pegasus could even react, she felt herself being pulled into those eyes... and everything suddenly came out all at once.

The mocking laughter of bullies. The sighs of her disappointed parents as they looked upon their daughter who had never taken flight. The frustrated yells of her flight school teachers as they desperately tried to get her to take to the air. All of the darkest memories of her childhood she had tried her hardest to lock away and bury in the deepest corners of her mind suddenly came resurging to the forefront with a vengeance, and Fluttershy buckled underneath the mental strain.

As the memories assaulted her once again with all the trauma that they bore, the pegasus collapsed into a whimpering mess.

Did I not tell you that it was useless? That it is beyond your power? You can’t even bear your own pain, what makes you think that you can bear the pain of others for them?

“I... I just...”

Thought that you could make a difference? What good can a spineless, gutless weakling possibly do when she lacks the strength to even stand up for herself?

“I... No, please, I...” She had collapsed onto her knees by now, her face buried behind her hooves as she let out a choking sob. The combined shock of revisiting all of her worst memories all at once left her a broken wreck, and the darkness closed in from all around her, eager to-

“HEY! LEAVE HER ALONE!” The voice cut through the blackness like a blade of light, and in a burst of chromatic color Fluttershy realized she was suddenly not on her own anymore.

Rainbow Dash stood in front of her, imposing herself between the featureless shadow and the helpless pegasus. The cyan speedster stood tall and proud, her expression unruffled, and she was facing down the shadow without a hint of fear - just as Fluttershy would’ve expected from her fillyhood friend.

“R-Rainbow Dash?” But what is she doing here!? The pegasus’ mind whirled as she tried to make sense of it. Rainbow Dash was supposed to be lost beyond the borders of the Everfree, how was she-!?

“Come on, Fluttershy! This isn’t the time to hold back!” Another familiar voice came out of the darkness. More bursts of color materialized all around her, and she found herself surrounded by her friends, each and every one of them interposing themselves between her shaking form and the looming shadow.

Twilight and Rarity stood before her, their horns glowing and readied with a spell, while Applejack and Pinkie Pie were pawing furiously at the non-existent ground, their breath coming out in snorts as they prepared to charge the interloper.

“C’mon, ya’ll! Let’s git these varmints outta here!”

Ah... The shadow seemed to be completely unsurprised by their sudden appearance. If there was any trace of uncertainty in its featureless frame, Fluttershy could not see it. So you think the memories of your friends gives you strength then?

“Yes... That’s right.”Fluttershy let out a breath as she remembered. Her friends weren’t actually here with her... But what mattered was that her memories of them would always be with her in spirit! “They’re the ones who stood by me throughout everything, who never abandoned me no matter what weaknesses I had! I may not be very strong on my own, but my friends are my power, and they give me strength!”

The butter-yellow pegasus mare slowly rose to her hooves. Strength, drawn from her friends, surged through her body like a tempest, and she joined their stand against the darkness, placing herself at the very forefront.

“There comes a time... when a mare will not run from a fight. That time is when her friends... when her friends and their dreams are laughed at!”

A surge of raw will shot through her, and Fluttershy hurled it forward with everything she had. This shadow dared to invade her mind, and to mock and destroy everything that she and the bond that she shared with her friends stood for?

She would die before she let such a thing happen!

Her pupils dilated as sheer power surged into them, and with all of the willpower she could muster, she hit the shadow with the full, untempered force of the Stare.

“I may be weak, and little, and helpless, but if there is one thing I will not let you do, YOU. WILL. NOT. HURT. MY. FRIENDS.”

That one single look packed the power of a full-on mental blast. An invisible lance of power surged through the void between them, and hit the shadow square in the centre of its featureless chest. Against all of her expectations the shadow actually reeled, and suddenly things sprang forth from oblivion.

Strains of light and color began to bleed through the limitless oblivion that surrounded them, the vast void giving way to the sudden intrusion. Like Fluttershy’s home and memories had before, titanic buildings and expansive streets sprang forth from the nullity, replacing the nothingness with blessed solidity. But, even as she kept her eyes remained locked on the writhing, featureless form before her, the mare realized that she didn’t recognize this scenery.

The massive towers, comprised of countless blocks of the smoothest stone, were a far cry from any form of Equestrian architecture. Unlike the curving spires and twisting turrets that defined the skylines of Canterlot or Manehatten, these monoliths were hard, rigid structures. They spoke of strength, not beauty, of steadfastness, not peace.

Likewise, the countless cobblestones that now formed the ground, though slightly reminiscent of Baltimare’s grand avenues, sliced across the earth in a single, uniform line. Whereas Ponyville’s streets curved and dipped with the landscape, these roads stood straight and true, an expansive grid that stretched for what looked like miles.

Wherever they were, it clearly wasn’t Equestria.

What... “What did you...” do?

Fluttershy’s attention, diverted by the developing surroundings, suddenly snapped back to the mass of shadows before her. Its once immaculate, stark silhouette roiled like a pond in a thunderstorm, wisps of thin, dark smog pouring from its frame. Limbs formed of swirling blackness lifted up and grasped at a head made of the purest dark, their tiny, dexterous digits clutching at something that didn’t quite exist.

“What...” did you... “do?”

The silhouette’s voice seemed to alternate, drifting towards Fluttershy’s ears one moment, boring into her mind the next. But, regardless of the medium through which she heard its words, there was no way to miss the desperation and panic that had replaced its once emotionless tone. Those brilliant, crimson orbs peered at her through gaps in the figure’s fingers, widening as a mixture of wrath and fear spread through them.

“What did you do?

“WHAT DID YOU DO?”

The silhouette’s shriek echoed around the city, painful and agonized. It was inhuman, bestial, and, somehow, familiar to the butter-yellow pegasus. It was the kind of cry that echoed across the Everfree when a lone timber wolf was cornered by a manticore, the type of screech that rang out when a cockatrice stumbled across its next meal. It was the scream of a cornered, desperate, and terrified animal, one who knew that its life was about to end.

Fluttershy blinked, and for a single instant, she could have sworn that she had seen something else. For the briefest of moments, a long, spindly winged figure seemed to float behind the shadow, its entire body the sickly white of a bleached bone.

And then, as suddenly as it had begun, the wail ended. The shadowy mass, its wild, frantic movements halted, stood stock still, eyes clenched shut.

As the seconds began to tick by unabated, Fluttershy finally lowered her Stare, gazing at her friends with confusion. All of them, even Twilight, stared back at her with the same disconcerted eyes, unsure of what to say or do.

Uneasily, the mare turned her eyes back to dark figure, wondering what she was supposed to do next. She had... won, right? It certainly seemed that way; her attacker was just standing there, seemingly immobilized by the Stare. If that didn’t count as a victory, then what would?

Searching for a hint or clue, the pegasus took a few nervous steps backwards, keeping her gaze trained on the motionless mass of darkness. When it failed to react to her movement, she took another few paces, the memories of her friends carefully following after her. It was fairly clear that she wouldn’t accomplish anything just by standing around, and anywhere that took her away from that disturbing silhouette had to be better than here.

Convinced that the collection of shadows wouldn’t pounce on her the second she turned her back, Fluttershy began to trot down one of the city’s enormous streets, her small entourage trailing just behind. With no idea where to go or what to do, the mare simply advanced, her eyes flickering over the scenery as she passed by.

Stone surrounded her on all sides, forming buildings both short and tall. Though the structures seemed to lack any functional doorway or other entrance (the few doors she tried to open refused to budge, as unyielding as Angel Bunny when he wanted his snack), they each seemed to have their own personality, little details that kept them from blending into one continuous mass. A few flower pots sat in front of what appeared to be a residence, stalls full of fruits and vegetables marked a merchant's dwelling, a banner that seemed to indicate a guardhouse or barracks of some sort. It felt like she was part of some gigantic dollhouse, so many pretty exteriors with nothing beneath.

“...and then you just need to fill the space with enough mana, while making sure to keep it chilled...”

Without warning, the still silence was fractured by a single voice, echoing around the vast, empty city. A startled ‘eep!’ escaped from Fluttershy’s lips as she reflexively backpedaled, frantically looking for somewhere to hide before the speaker found her. Sadly, it seemed the mare’s luck had run dry; the street she was currently exploring was a plain, barren one, and the last fruit stand had to be almost half a mile back. And judging by the sound of the voice, not to mention the footsteps that accompanied it, the source was only just around the next bend...

Sensing her distress, the projections of Applejack and Pinkie Pie leapt in front of their friend, ready to take on any and all attackers. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash took to the sky, bracing herself to charge the second a foe came into sight, and Twilight and Rarity set their horns alight with pulsing energy. Whatever was coming around that corner, they had better be ready for one hell of a fight.

“Then, once you’ve got enough of a charge built up, you can use it to freeze the moisture in the air, liiiiiiiiike... that!”

“A most interesting display. Now, if you don’t mind, there is someplace else that I need to be... Somewhere quieter.”

...Or they could just continue to talk among themselves and march straight past the quintet of battle-ready ponies. Apparently that was also an option.

Fluttershy’s fear soon gave way to more confusion as the mare quizzically stared at the two figures walking through her friends’ formation.Tall, bipedal, and clothed in bizarre garments, the beings continued to traipse down the street without paying heed to their opposition, actually phasing through an unsure Applejack as though the earth pony wasn’t even there.

“Um... Excuse me,” the timid pegasus began, only to be cut off by one of the strange individuals.

“Oh, come on René! You haven’t even seen the best part yet!” the first of the newcomers interjected, keeping his ice-blue eyes locked on the swirling, glimmering space between his hands. “Besides, I’m almost done. It just needs a bit longer to build, and then I can...”

Fluttershy knew that she had never seen this creature before in her life. Even ignoring the fact that she hadn’t even known this species existed until a couple of days ago, there was no way that she had ever laid eyes on this particular specimen.

With his sapphire-colored clothes, a brilliant, shining smile, youthful features that were sharp and defined, and a pair of eyes that gleamed with pride and intellect, the pegasus would have remembered seeing someone like him before. But, for some reason, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she recognized this strange being. It flitted at the back of her mind like a half-forgotten dream, telling her that, somehow, she knew who this was.

“Annnnnnd... There it is!”

With a triumphant cry, the figure thrust his hands and the churning mass of sparkles skyward. A shimmering arrow, seemingly carved from transparent, flawless ice, sprang forth from the glittering specks, rocketing upwards at a stupendous speed much to its creator’s delight. As his bolt arched through the sky, an ecstatic grin stretched across his visage. “I’ve been working on that spell all week, and I finally got it! Magnificent, no?”

The way he said that...

“...where every garment is chic, unique and magnifique!”

And then, like a thunderbolt from on high, the realization struck Fluttershy.

Those clothes, clearly crafted by someone with an eye for detail and practiced skill. That hair, styled to perfection. Skin and features that spoke of immaculate care and maintenance. This... person, whoever he was, could have passed as Rarity’s doppelganger. Ignoring, of course, the difference in species and gender.

“Indeed... and perhaps you have also considered where that arrow might land when it eventually reaches the ground?”

The second interloper, however, Fluttershy couldn’t place. Bored, disinterested eyes the color of coal traced the arc of his companion’s arrow as it lanced through the air and out of sight. A head of long, scruffy hair, the approximate color and consistency of raven feathers. Features as youthful as that as his companion’s, yet harsher and more angular. A cloak as plain and dark as a starless night. A hunched, indifferent posture that seemed to completely disregard the world. It looked like even Pinkie Pie would have a challenge trying to get him to smile.

Whoever this René was, Fluttershy was glad she didn’t know him.

“Hmm... Well, that is a good point, now isn’t it?” the stylish one replied, his excitement slowly being replaced by concern. For a few seconds, the blue-haired being stood in silent contemplation, rubbing his chin as he mused. René, meanwhile, continued his walk, trudging past Fluttershy and clearly not noticing the winged mare as she nervously shied away from him.

“Eh, I’m sure things’ll work out.”

With a carefree shrug, René’s companion quickly caught up, his worried grimace swapped out for another smile. Falling into place next to his reluctant ‘friend’, the handsome one continued their conversation as though he hadn’t just launched a potentially life-ending attack at some poor, unsuspecting soul. “So, that’s what Master Sigfried and I have been working on. Wonderful, isn’t it?”

The black-clothed being gave a noncommittal grunt in response, likely hoping that his companion would take the hint.

He didn’t.

“I don’t suppose that Master Nietzsche’s been giving you any special training?”

“I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

“Aww, come on, René, don’t be like that! I’m pretty sure he would’ve been, what with our monthly evaluation tests coming up!”

“Lucius, so help me, I will-”

“Is it that creepy shadow-walk? I swear, it always gives me the shivers when he just rises up out of somebody else’s shadow like some kind of wraith. And the way he always speaks in that dreadful monotone, like somebody stole away his soul - honestly, there’s no way I could stand having him as a Master! I don’t know how you’re able to handle it!”

The conversation began to fade away, as its participants drew further and further away from Fluttershy. Unsure, the mare took a few half-hearted steps after their retreating backs, only to stumble to a halt. While it was true that these two creatures were the only “living” things she had seen thus far, she wasn’t sure she really wanted to follow them. The Lucius one seemed pleasant enough, but the other...

Turning about, the mare faced her friends. “Um... I don’t suppose any of you girls know what to do?” she implored, hoping that the projections might be able to provide some kind of hint. Who knew, maybe whatever magic had given them form would have also lent them some knowledge.

But even Twilight’s expression was just as stumped as hers, and Fluttershy couldn’t help but sigh. It looked like she would have to figure her own way out of this.

To continue wandering in this potentially limitless cityscape, praying to find some way out, or to follow after the two mysterious strangers? Neither one of the options were particularly appealing to the pegasus, but if she absolutely had to make a choice...

Steeling herself, Fluttershy cautiously cantered down the street, slowly closing the distance between herself and her new guides. Just because she was going to follow them didn’t mean she had to stick close to them, however, and the winged mare made sure to remain a good ways away from René and Lucius. Even if they hadn’t seen her yet, it didn’t mean that they wouldn’t suddenly turn around and attack.

Surprisingly, especially considering their sizable separation, bits and pieces of the conversation drifted back to the mare’s ears. Normally, she deplored eavesdropping, but Fluttershy found herself straining to catch every word, desperately hoping for a clue.

“-unlike some people, I don’t need to feed off of other’s attention. Because, unlike some people, I actually make sure that my incantations are correct, instead of ensuring that the stances don’t mess up my hair. Because, unlike some people-”

“You’re dreadfully boring, don’t have an ounce of style, and scare small children?”

Unfortunately, it didn’t seem that the two conversationalists would be dropping any hints. The black-clad one rounded on Lucius, and his voice was laced with tightly controlled fury, his hands clenched until his knuckles had gone white.

“Why,” René hissed, “do you insist on tormenting me day after day? There is nothing that we have in common. Go bother Aldrick or somebody else - maybe Gaius will be willing to entertain your witless fancies today, but it will certainly not be me. Now, if you'll excuse me...”

Before the blue-clad Lucius could respond, René had turned away with a swish of his cloak, and began stalking down the cobblestone path in a different direction... a direction that Fluttershy belatedly recognized. It was the same street she had started on, the one where the paralyzed shadow stood.

Except it was no longer there.

For a second, the mare simply stood there, dumbly staring at the empty patch of street her tormentor had once occupied. Then the realization kicked in.

Fear made her gut clench in terror as she realized that not only was the shadow gone, it was nowhere in sight. Normally she would have considered that thing’s absence a good sign, but the fact that she was in its mental territory just made the fact that she was literally exposed on all sides exceptionally pronounced. It could attack from any direction it wanted at any time it wanted, and she wouldn’t even know it until it was too late.

As Lucius raced after his compatriot, shouting something intelligible, the timid mare found herself backing away, slowly but surely. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as her heart began to pound in her ears, and each breath she took struggled down a suddenly bone-dry throat. Light teal eyes frantically flickered back and forth, scanning the deserted streets, the lifeless buildings, even the quintet of projections that still trailed behind their owner.

The sun was high in the sky, its brilliant rays providing both light and warmth to the empty world below. A world full of countless, innumerable shadows.

Acutely conscious of the shady patches the her friends and herself were casting upon the cobblestoned roads, the frightened pegasus flinched and immediately took to the air. Though she wasn’t particularly knowledgeable when it came to magic, some part of Fluttershy knew that the attack would spring from one of those pools of umbra. As her wings steadily beat through the air to keep her aloft, the mare’s gaze flitted about wildly, attempting to track down her shadowy adversary.

But she didn’t even know where to start looking! All she knew was that he... it... whatever that thing was wasn’t where it had been! Maybe it was in one of those enormous penumbras cast by the towering buildings that surrounded her on all sides. Maybe in one of those dark puddles created by the dozens of stalls that lined the streets. Maybe in that dim, undefined splotch far beneath her, that zig-zagged across the ground as she nervously fluttered back and forth.

There was just too many to keep track of, too many to possibly watch, too many to... to...

Fluttershy’s throat suddenly swelled shut as her pupils shrank to tiny specks. Her wings slammed to her sides like slabs of iron, and it was only thanks to some quick flying on Rainbow Dash’s part that she didn’t tumble to the cobblestones like a wet bag of cement. But the winged mare had no attention to spare for the sky-blue hooves gently lowering her to the ground, nor could she muster the will to shriek the shrill scream that was steadily building in her chest.

Fluttershy had never, ever doubted that Pinkie Pie was an unique, atypical, bizarre, strange, and probably downright crazy pony. And it only made sense that some of the real Pinkie’s eccentricities would have been reflected in the projection that stood before her.

But, even taking Ponyville’s premier party planner’s personal peculiarities into consideration, the terrified pegasus could only think of one way to explain the pair of shadows that stretched out from the pink mare’s hooves.

“Well, well... I was wondering when you’d finally spot me.”

The voice that came out from all around her was completely different. While the first voice had been flat and unemotional, this one was high and thready, wavering with fluctuations that had absolutely nothing to do with fear and sounded more like they had everything to do with instability.

All Fluttershy could manage to do was stand there, speechless, immobile, paralyzed by fear and terror. As she struggled to find the will to move, to run away, the voice once more assaulted her ears and mind, unleashing a spine-tingling cackle of sheer, unadulterated delight. “Ooooooh, what’s this? Waiting for me to make the first move, are we?”

Pinkie Pie’s spare shadow began to ripple, churning like a lake in a thunderstorm.

“Don’t mind if I do!”

Blackness exploded outwards, consuming everything in its path. The cobblestoned streets beneath Pinkie’s hooves vanished as the void abruptly replaced it, and the projection of the pink mare could only let out a brief scream that was cut painfully short as she vanished from sight.

As their fellow fell into oblivion, the rest of the projections immediately distanced themselves from the ever expanding shadow. Instinctively, they formed a barrier between the darkness and Fluttershy, who was watching the display of power in transfixed horror.

This was like nothing it had done or said before... Just what had happened to her mysterious assailant?

“Ha!”She heard the voice shriek contemptuously again, piercing painfully through her ears as though needles had been rammed right through her eardrums. “You really do suck, Descartes! You let this pathetic little horse get the better of you? Unbelievable! Even a baby would’ve been able to do better than that!

“Here,” it continued, its raspy tones shivering with furor, “I’ll show you how it’s really done!”

With a noise not unlike metal shearing against leather, a series of dark, twisting tendrils burst forth from the void. Fluttershy could only watch in transfixed fascination and horror as the lengths zig-zagged through the air like pitch-black hummingbirds. Each and every one of them ended in a jagged, needle-sharp point and moved with a mind all its own, seemingly unaware of their brethren as they drew closer and closer to the paralyzed mare.

Death whistling towards her at a tremendous speed, Fluttershy tried to flap her wings, only to find that the limbs stuck to her sides as though they were glued there. Her hooves, likewise, seemed to have been cemented to the street. A whimper of fear escaped the mare’s throat as her eyes scrunched shut, and she could only stand helpless as her end rushed towards her-

KSSSSSSSH!!!

As the sound of blades smashing against shields rang through the air, Fluttershy allowed a single eye to inch open... Only to gasp in amazement as she beheld the violet, translucent sphere that had suddenly been erected around her and her friends. The tentacles, unable to pierce the gleaming bubble, had bounced off of its rounded surface, ricocheting into the street, nearby buildings, anything and everything except the ponies they had been aiming for.

“Hehehehe, not bad, not bad at all. So I guess those memories aren’t just to keep you company, now are they?”

Turning her head, Fluttershy noticed that the voice was right. A glowing, vermillion aura encased Twilight’s horn, and the unicorn smiled in satisfaction as she maintained the shield.

The tendrils, meanwhile, slowly retreated, leaving deep and ferocious furrows in the street and buildings. Hazy and indistinct, they languidly slipped back to their place of origin as their creator continued to speak.

“Wellllllllllllllllll then. I guess that just means I can’t be going easy on you, now can I?!”

Even as the inky lengths sank back into the shadow, another appendage burst forth. Thicker than the first ones, this limb only extended three feet before it halted, its nebulous form unhurriedly shifting into solidity. As opposed to the incredibly sharp points that had tipped its brethren, the new one apexed in a... a... what was that strange word... in a hand large enough to wrap around a pony’s throat, its fingers clenching as it reached towards the sky above.

The report of cracking stone split the air as the arm, bending at an almost impossible angle, slammed into the ground, its dexterous digits digging furrows into the cobblestones. Despite the rippling, ever-changing nature of the limb, Fluttershy could make out the faintest hints of flexing muscles, straining as though they were trying to lift some unimaginable weight.

Slowly but painfully surely, something else began to emerge from the pool of umbra. A shoulder, another arm, the beginnings of head, all shimmering and shifting, all horribly, horribly wrong. The very air seemed to be charged with some bizarre energy, and, even with Twilight’s barrier spell protecting her, Fluttershy was unable to stop her frame from trembling.

Finally, as the arms continued to strain and pull, a single blood-red orb rose from the murky depths to stare at her... No, not at her.

Into her.

“I seeeeeeee you,”came the voice, its sing-song tone mocking and terrifying all at once.

“N-no...” The whispered plea barely managed to work its way between Fluttershy’s lips. Unable to move, unable to think, and unable to look away, the mare stared back at the isolated orb. “St-stay back...”

Whatever darkness had lain in the first shadow’s gaze, it was nothing compared to the contents of that swirling, hellish sphere. It held no wrath, no gluttony, no sloth, no lust, no pride, no envy, no greed. There was only madness, pure, unsullied, and frenzied insanity in that bloody circle.

“Come on, my little pony. Let’s play.”

“I... I...” the mare stammered as she managed a single step backwards, her survival instincts finally overpowering her fear. Simultaneously, Twilight’s shield began to flicker, though the projection’s horn remained as bright as ever.

A second sphere, just as disturbing as its companion, rose from the murk. “Go on then! I’ll even give you a free shot! Come on! Go, go, go, gogogogogogogogogo!”

“STAY BACK!” Fluttershy shrieked, hooves scrabbling against the ground as she frantically backpedaled. As she moved, the protective sphere finally faded into nonexistence, leaving her retreat unimpeded. At the same time, a brilliant, pulsing beam of light began to pour from the Twilight projection’s horn, lancing through the air like a divine spear. An instant later, it was joined by another beam, this one an icy blue and thrown by Rarity’s horn.

Twisting and melding into a single radiant and destructive stream, the two magical blasts cleared the distance between the projections and the shadow in a flash. With a thunderous peal, akin to the fury of heaven itself, the combined assault tore through the darkness like it was nothing, reducing the shadowy ring to nothingness instantaneously.

The seconds began to tick by as the smoke and dust kicked up by the incredible blast slowly cleared away. No longer staring into those pools of madness, Fluttershy found herself beginning to calm down, her trembling body and shaky breaths finally becoming stable and steady. Though she didn’t dare to approach the smoking crater, the yellow pegasus managed to focus her gaze, peering into the smog and praying that the apparition had finally been vanquished.

And as far as she could tell, vanquished it was. With the exception of a sizeable, still smouldering hole, the spot where the shadow had lurked only moments before was utterly empty. There wasn’t a single hint of movement, no raspy voice, no blood-curdling orbs. Nothing.

Maybe... just maybe that had worked.

“Well. That was fun, now wasn’t it?”

Jerking her head upwards, Fluttershy paled as she beheld the silhouette that stood in the sky, leering down at her from its midair perch. Words caught in her throat and her thoughts ground to a halt as the fear came rushing back, her heartbeat resuming its breakneck tempo. When had it climbed up that high? How could it have gotten up there? It had still been stuck in the ground when the attack had hit it; just how fast was this thing?

In shape and form, it was strikingly similar to the first aggressor, even appearing to be the same height. But even in her current state of mental disarray, Fluttershy could tell that this entity was something different. The haughty way it carried itself, as though it was barely restraining its manic impulses. The blood-red spheres that adorned its visage, each dancing with frightening energies and cruel thoughts. The visible, clearly defined mouth, full of razor-sharp fangs and spread in a frenzied grin. And its voice...

“My turn,” it happily hissed between pearly white teeth as it raised its right arm, pointing its hand directly towards the sky. Except it wasn’t a hand anymore, but a swirling mass of pitch-black tendrils that wormed through the air, twisting and turning into all manner of impossible shapes and patterns. “Hope you’re ready to dance!”

With an unearthly howl, the silhouette swung its “arm” downward, an armada of shadowy lengths hurtling towards the ponies far below. As before, Twilight’s horn sprung to life, summoning a violet sphere around Fluttershy and her friends. And as before, the tentacles failed to pierce the barrier, bouncing off its perfectly rounded surface. However, instead of merely sticking in the walls and ground, this time the tendrils leapt back into action, wrapping themselves around the bubble like countless ropes.

And suddenly the figure itself was hurtling towards the shield and its occupants, cackling like a madman as it closed the distance in a matter of heartbeats. With an earthshaking crack, the shadowy being slammed into the barrier, sending a series of fractures spider-webbing across its once flawless surface. Inside the bubble, the Twilight projection let out a gasp, her knees buckling as though she had been struck by the blow.

Before the unicorn could reinforce her damaged spell, the tendrils reverted back into a lethal swarm of needle-sharp points. The cracks afforded them purchase where once there had been none, and it wasn’t long before the spikes were boring into the shield, sending even more fissures crawling across its surface.

Unable to maintain the spell any longer, Twilight released the shield in an explosion of purple energy, repulsing the tentacles and sending their creator hurtling backwards. However, the silhouette had barely touched the ground before it was charging back into the fray, once more bearing two arms and its mouth splitting with an ecstatic roar. “Yes, yes, yes! Come on, more, I WANT MORE!”

The thing’s speed was truly something to behold. It dashed down the street like a black streak, its already indistinct frame becoming even more blurred as it moved faster than the eye could follow. Suddenly it stood among the ponies, its fist slamming into Applejack’s head and a blade-like arm lashing out in Rainbow Dash’s direction. A startled yelp came from the cyan mare as she darted out of the attack’s range, swooping into the sky, but Applejack had no such luck.

The sheer force of the blow hammered into the orange mare’s head like a piledriver, and the proprietor of Sweet Apple Acres toppled like a sack of bricks, her cranium smashing into the cobblestoned streets below her with bone-crushing force. Seconds later, her entire form dispersed into a fine orange mist, scattering into the winds around them and leaving Fluttershy deprived of two of her guardians.

Screaming in delight, the shadow spun about, its insane gaze sweeping across its remaining opposition. “Two down, three to go,” it growled as it locked eyes with the shell-shocked pegasus, its hand reaching out towards Fluttershy’s throat...

Only to be stopped by a pair of alabaster hooves slamming into its gut like a miniature freight train. With a pained oof!, the silhouette was pushed backwards a few yards, barely managing to remain upright. With a flip of her mane, Rarity turned around, standing between her friend and the mass of darkness, her horn beginning to glow with an icy-blue aura.

“Seriously? You’ve got magic, and you just kick me in the-”

The frenzied shadow was suddenly stopped in its tracks as a gigantic and very familiar-looking boulder several times the size of a pony came crashing down from on high. A few inches to the left, and the silhouette would have been crushed to a boneless pulp beneath the rocky mass.

“Okay, not bad. That actually surprised me.”

Recovering from the blow, the figure once more raised its arm towards to the sky. Balling its fingers into a fist, it slammed its arm into the ground up to the elbow, punching through the stone as if it were paper-machie. “ But this is how you make things interesting!”

For a second, all was still. And then the ground beneath Rarity erupted, dozens of shadowy spikes exploding from the street and lancing through the projection’s body. Unable to even react, the unicorn’s snow white frame swiftly dispersed, scattering like a cloud of snowflakes.

“Three down. Two left.”

Grinning, the shadow wrenched its arm from the cobblestones effortlessly, affixing its blood-red orbs on Fluttershy once again. “Come on, my little pony. I’m wiping out your defenses and you haven’t even done anything yet! Fight back! Hit me! HIT ME!”

Whimpering, the butter-yellow mare could only back away in horror. Even as her enemy began marching towards her she was unable to muster the will to do, well, anything. Her wings remained trapped at her sides, her limbs refused to go anywhere but backwards, and her thoughts were full of nothing but fear. What could she possibly do against something like that?

“Oooooh. Hello there,” the silhouette cooed, halting in its tracks as Twilight staggered in front of it. “Hey, you’re not going to do that shield thing again, are you? Because that’s starting to get kind of boring.”

The projection didn’t bother to answer, gritting her teeth as her horn once more began to glow with power. “Seriously, if you try that trick again, I’m just going to kill you, okay? Because there’s nothing that annoys me more than-”

The shadow found itself interrupted as a burst of energy poured from Twilight’s horn, a violet bolt that screamed through the air and punched a hole in its target’s dark torso.

“Hey! That kind of hurt,” the figure complained, the hole in its chest already beginning to repair itself. Huffing irritably, it continued its advance. Only for another two blasts to arc through it, ripping holes in its left shoulder and abdomen. And then three more, blasting off an arm, obliterating part of its head, and ripping through one its knees.

“Will. You. STOP THAT,”the figure roared, its remaining arm dissolving into a swarm of tendrils that lanced towards Twilight. However, the mare stood her ground, screaming with effort as she launched a barrage of magical missiles at her opponent. The fusillade tore the approaching lengths to shreds and continued to charge forward, slamming through the silhouette’s form without pause or mercy.

Fluttershy watched in awe as Twilight’s assault sundered the entity into bits and pieces. And then crushed those bits and pieces into even smaller shreds. Maybe... just maybe...

No, not maybe! Definitely! If anypony could stop that thing, it’d be Twilight Sparkle, the most powerful unicorn in all of Equestria!

“Twilight!” Fluttershy called out, finally finding her voice. “Do it!”

Unable to reply verbally to her ward, the projection instead responded by pushing herself even further, bolts flying from her horn with an ever increasing frequency. In a matter of moments, the entirety of the shade’s body had been completely eradicated from existence.

It was finally gone for good.

A relieved smile spreading across her face, Fluttershy cantered over to the panting unicorn. “Twilight! That was amazing; I can’t believe you were able to do something like that.”

The exhausted projection offered her charge a slight grin as she shakily tried to rise to her hooves. “Oh no,” the pegasus intoned, gently guiding the unicorn back to the ground, “you need to rest now, okay? Don’t you worry, everything’s going to be just fine.”

“Really? What makes you say that?”

No...

Fluttershy froze in place, her breath caught in her throat, as something slowly walked up behind her. Something tall, bipedal, and whose very presence seemed to leech the strength from her body. The Twilight projection, her eyes spreading wide in fear, struggled to push herself up from the ground. She had only made it halfway, however, when a pitch-black foot swung out and slammed into her chest, sending the unicorn bouncing off the cobblestone streets.

“I gotta say,” the shadow spoke up, its voice once more teeming with amusement, “I’m actually pretty impressed. Nice bit of magic on your part; you almost managed to get me that time.”

Twilight could do nothing but lay there, totally incapacitated, as the silhouette extended one of its hands. “Almost, but not quite.” A single finger of its hand lazily pointed out at her, a small sphere of dark energy beginning to form at its tip.

“Cero... Oscuras.”

The midnight colored blast, tinged by an outline of green, was strong enough to tear a massive furrow down the length of the street, reducing nearly a quarter-mile of stone to dust. Twilight’s projection never stood chance; not even specks of it remained.

“Oh, but that probably would have worked. If I only existed in this world, there’s no way I could have survived that.”The figure chuckled as it slowly turned around, its ever-present grin spread so frighteningly wide it nearly split its face in half.

“Luckily for the both of us,” it continued as it leisurely approached the paralyzed pegasus, “I’m already innnnnn... here.”

The shade crouched down, and suddenly a needle sharp claw was roughly tapping against Fluttershy’s forehead. The pegasus was suddenly, painfully aware of a warm liquid starting to trail down her nose, and a slight tinge of red began to seep into her left eye.

“Oh, but you have no idea how sweet this freedom is!”The shadow stepped away from her momentarily as it spun around in place, cackling madly with its arms outspread. Yet even as it stepped away, Fluttershy found herself still frozen to the spot, unable to move out of sheer terror and transfixed horror.“He’s never let me run loose in forever, and now I finally can do whatever the fuck I want! Starting...”

The shade’s malevolent gaze snapped back to her, and suddenly Fluttershy felt indelibly, irreversibly stained, as though she had been marked for death, or worse, by whatever sadistic malice that passed for the creature’s mind. “...With you.”

“OH, LIKE HAY I’LL LET YOU!” A familiar voice yelled out, and suddenly a sky-blue blur smashed right into the shadow, slamming it chin-first into the stone streets beneath it. Rainbow Dash gave it a hard buck to the cranium for good measure, slamming both hooves into the back of its head for good measure, driving it further into the ground by a few good inches. “Nopony hurts Fluttershy and gets away with it!”

It was exactly how the real Rainbow Dash would have done it. The speedster had already been Fluttershy’s closest friend and staunchest defender ever since they had first met in foalhood. Even here, in Fluttershy’s memories, the cyan pegasus still carried out what she saw as her sacred duty with the utmost gusto.

But the shadow simply plucked its head from the ground as though it had received nothing more than a couple of love taps. Cracking its neck ominously, its gaze turned to Rainbow Dash with unnerving, frightening slowness. “... Bitch, you just signed your own death warrant.”

“Bring it, punk!” the famiscile of Rainbow Dash howled with characteristic defiance, and rushed forward in a cyan blur, her foreleg already swinging in a preparation to deliver a knockout punch.

It never even came close to hitting. In an almost imperceptible blur, the shadow’s arm shot forward. With a half-strangled cry, the cyan mare jerked to a stop, gaping at the pitch-black appendage that had been thrust through her chest and out the other side. Blood didn’t flow, but Fluttershy could see that Rainbow Dash was already losing coherence, her body slowly dissolving into a light blue haze that scattered to the wind.

“And that’s number five. Now, where was I?” The shade turned its bloodthirsty gaze upon the yellow mare, and as she felt its eyes roam hungrily over her body, Fluttershy came to the stark realization that she was alone right now. “Ah, yes. The freedom. Last time I ever got to come out like this, it was... Oh, I don’t know, decades ago? And right now, I’m dying to let loose the tension that’s been building up over those years...”

The shadow stalked over to where Fluttershy stood frozen, a predatory gleam in the slasher grin that spread across its featureless face. The terror-struck pegasus took a single step back, her entire body shaking with paralyzing fear. “No! S-stay back...!”

“Or what? You’ll actually do something to stop me? HA! Perish the thought, you spineless sack of meat.” The shadow continued its merciless advance. “You’re nothing without your friends!”

The shade took another step forward, and abruptly the scenery changed again - the moment its foot had touched the stone, everything simply vanished. The cobblestoned streets and magnificent stone walls of the keep disappeared from sight, replaced with a dark, murky environment that closed in all around her. Though it felt like the inside of a cave, it didn’t take Fluttershy long to realize that it was actually the interior of a chamber.

And what a chamber it was.

It had to have been at least the size of a small courtyard. The interior was barely lit by a dim, ambient purplish light, the color of a sickening bruise. Shadows danced wildly in the chamber’s corners, almost seeming sentient with the way they reached out to grab at anything that passed by.

Though a set of high walkways ran around its walls, the chamber’s centre abruptly dipped down, stretching lower and lower until it was nothing more than a yawning pit. If somepony were to jump or fall from the catwalks, there was only a single layer of metal grating, nothing more, to keep them from being swallowed up by the pit’s impenetrable darkness.

Extending above the pit, a narrow walkway, wide enough for maybe two ponies, ran from the chamber’s entrance to its far end. Thin metal railings decorated the sides of the walkway, but there was little else to protect anypony from the terrifying fall.

And atop that walkway stood a lone figure, clad in a flowing black cloak, its cowl raised and concealing his face. His footsteps rang out as he strode forward, his stance radiating determination and purpose.

“Oh...” the shadow beside her purred almost anticipatorily. “First time I ever got my freedom, eh? Now this is a scene I don’t mind reliving...”

Fluttershy barely heard it speak - she was too focused on the scene playing out before her, as the cloaked man made his way across the catwalk... and towards the grand altar that took up the entire back quarter of the massive chamber.

“Nietzsche!” the figure roared, and Fluttershy recognized the iron-hard, rasping voice of none other than René himself. “Nietzsche, show yourself! I have questions for you!”

“What is it now, René?” a cultured, regal voice answered in a bored tone, echoing throughout the entire chamber. As hard as Fluttershy listened, she could not for the life of her determine where it was coming from - it was as though the voice came from all of the shadows around them simultaneously, as though the very room itself was speaking back to René. “Did I not tell you I was not to be disturbed during my meditations?”

“Is it true what they’re saying? That you’re throwing your lot in with Master Zarathustra?”

The question had been put forth boldly, and without reservation - evidently, it had been unexpected, and the shadows of the room actually paused, as though considering an answer.

“Truth is subjective, boy,” the chamber’s ominous voice soon rumbled in reply. “You know how amorphous that little thing can be under the right viewpoints and circumstances...”

“Don’t try to play these mind games with me anymore, master!” the cloaked man shouted, his arm thrusting out in a gesture of indignation. “You were always teaching me how our intentions had to be hidden like the shadows themselves - silent and invisible. To never reveal ourselves to the enemy, both within and without! But this... this...!”

The man’s voice rose to an enraged crescendo, and abruptly he reached into his cloak, before hurling something onto the ground before him - it didn’t take long for Fluttershy to see that they were two strips of cloth. One of them was a deep azure, emblazoned with a stylized lightning bolt against a hammer, and the other was pure white, a stylized icy crystal embroidered onto its surface.

And they were both drenched with bloodstains.

“I found these in the quarters of the other masters. Their bodies were nowhere to be found... And I found traces of your magic in the bloodstains that covered their entire rooms!” René’s voice was thick with grief and emotion as he continued to shout at the darkened chamber, but not once did he flinch or start at the darkness that writhed all around him. “Master Nietzsche... what have you done?”

“Exactly what I had planned to do. Which included your very arrival into this chamber...” The chamber paused again, a brief gust of wind echoing throughout the entire room as though it was sighing. “I will make no secret of it. I have indeed allied myself with Zarathustra and his ilk. Theirs is a regime that would bring power and glory to our homeland - a new world order!”

“Blasphemy!” René breathed out in horror, his features hardening in angered realization. “You would destroy everything that our Order has sought to protect for a thousand years? Everything that your master and those who came before him fought for!?”

“Yes, and I would do it a million times over if it meant the furthered safety and well-being of our lands!” the chamber thundered in response. “You have no idea what it is like, René. To hold the power of life and death in your very hands... The power to create life… And the power to end it. With the aid of Zarathustra’s new patrons, our abilities now exceed anything that our old masters would have been capable of! We shall be the new lords and masters of this world, to lead it into a new Golden Age!”

“ENOUGH!!!” The cloaked René let out an anguished roar as he harshly pulled back the cowl that covered his head, and Fluttershy let out a shocked gasp as she saw what had happened to his face.

A wicked scar ran down the centre of his face, streaking in between his eyes and running diagonally across the bridge of his nose. His eyes, black as lumps of coal, blazed from within with an ebony fire borne of rage, and his features had turned tough and weathered as though he had spent several years enduring all manner of hardships.

It looked as though the youth she had glimpsed in the first memory had aged ten years, his innocence having withered away, long since replaced by cruel, bitter cynicism.

“I always believed that we used the power we were bestowed to protect the world...” René choked out, his hands clenched into fists that shook and trembled. “You were the one who taught me that... And now, you turn your back on your own teachings? Was everything that you told me my entire life a lie!?”

“As I have said before, my boy... the truth is amorphous.”

The young man made a choking sound of frustration, his expression twisted in a pained grimace. “And you honestly believe that Master Zarathustra and his patrons have benevolent intentions for this world? They would sooner have it burn than let it continue to exist! How long have we resisted them already?”

“Long enough for them to see a potential asset in us,” the room answered. “And if there lies a chance for us to negotiate our way towards a bloodless resolution, I say by all means, let us take it!”

“There is no bloodless resolution wherever the Legion is involved,” René spat bitterly. e cast a hardened, resigned gaze at the shadows around him, as though realizing that he had reached a point of no return. “You’ve made a serious mistake.”

“Not as serious as yours, I’m afraid...” The darkness in the chamber rippled in a sudden wave, and Fluttershy was suddenly made acutely aware of the fact that René was very alone in the chamber.

Alone, and facing the darkness that surrounded him on all sides by himself.

Abruptly, the rippling stopped. The pegasus’ nerves, already stretched far beyond what could safely be called ‘high-tension’, received a sudden jolt that frayed them even further as she noticed that there was suddenly another man standing behind René - a man who had not been standing there a moment ago.

He was clad in a black cloak much like René’s, covering everything but his head, but that was where the similarity between them ended. While René was lean, built of whipcord and sinew, this man stood taller than the younger male by half a head and had a much broader, more imposing figure, casting an intimidating silhouette against the dim illumination of the chamber.

But most unnerving of all was his face - his skin was deathly pale, the pallor of a dead corpse. His head was devoid of hair, a bald pate of a sickly white, and his eyes burned from within with a sadistic, crimson glow. The entirety of his mouth and nose was covered by a strange, metallic mask that extended all the way down to his neck, its steel grills covering his mouth in a manner strangely reminiscent of a fish’s gills.

Aware of the man now standing behind him, René turned around slowly, regarding the new arrival with a cold gaze, his coal-black eyes smouldering with anger.

“... Master Nietzsche...”

Something in the younger man’s voice touched Fluttershy’s heart, and a pang of empathetic pain hit her right in the chest as she came to a realization - this memory was something that Descartes had buried deep down inside him, something so dark and so private that literally nopony else, not even his friends, knew of the events that had transpired here.

Whatever he was about to do, this entire confrontation couldn’t have possibly been easy for the embittered young man.

He was about to come to blows with a man who had all but raised him since he was but a child... and a man who had also betrayed everything he had taught René to believe in from the very beginning of his days.

Stars only knew how much anguish he had to be in right now, the gentle pegasus realized as she saw that René’s hands were still clenched into fists, this time so tightly that his nails were digging into his palms hard enough to draw blood.

“Let’s not stand on ceremony here...” the masked man spoke as he discarded his cloak and tossed it aside, revealing a body that was monstrously muscled beneath the vest that covered his upper body. Slowly, he spread his arms wide, as though goading René on to make the first move. “... René Descartes.”

No further words were needed. Mirroring his master’s movement, Descartes threw his cloak aside as well, revealing the similarly dark and sleeveless tunic that he was clad in, the contours of his lean, tightly defined muscles standing in stark contrast to the smooth, flowing black of his clothing. Fingerless gloves of a similar material adorned his hands, and the young man smoothly dropped into a fighting stance.

There was a sudden, sharp intake of breath, and then...

Fluttershy couldn’t even see who moved first. The two men exploded into bursts of movement, crashing into one another in a flurry of blows, and it was all she could do to follow the battle.

René struck out - a long, sinewy tendril of shadow whipped outwards from his right hand as he turned aside intercepting blows from his mentor. As he darted forward, past Nietzsche’s guard, the sinewy tendril abruptly solidified into a blade of pure black. There was no hesitation in René’s movements, and he swung his weapon in a vicious slash.

The blow slammed right into Nietzsche’s gut, but amazingly, it didn’t penetrate at all. A wall of solid black blocked the blade’s path, a shield erected at lightning speed. René didn’t even pause.

Abruptly reversing the strike, he thrust the blade downward at his master’s leg, simultaneously swinging his other arm upwards in a savage backhand that slammed into Nietzsche’s chin, sending the masked head snapping backwards. Nietzsche’s body rolled with the blows, being rocked backwards a single step with each hit that landed... and René’s left hand suddenly came up, his fist clenched around a shaft of darkness honed into the blade of a razor-sharp dagger.

Nietzsche reacted before Fluttershy realized the larger man had even moved. His hand shot up in a blur of motion, catching René’s fist far before the dagger could have touched his throat. Unbelievably, he held the knife there with utter ease; no matter how much force René put behind the blow, his hand was simply stuck in place.

“The peace of our lands has cost you your strength, my apprentice - victory has defeated you!”

The pegasus didn’t even see it coming. Nietzsche’s form blurred again, and before she knew it René was staggering backwards, a series of heavy blows sending him stumbling. The elder master had slammed his head into René’s own cranium in a furious headbutt, dazing the youth and leaving him completely open to the strikes that followed.

Nietzsche returned the backhand he had been hit with not more than a few seconds ago, sending Descartes reeling. Pressing the assault relentlessly, the master placed his hands together, uttering several dark phrases with his fingers cupped. A sphere of dark energy, tinged with a sickly purple, flared to life between his palms.

“Messatsu Gou Hadou!!!”

Nietzsche thrust his palms forward, and a staggeringly huge beam of dark purple, sizzling energy blasted forward, threatening to engulf René. Desperately, the young man raised both of his arms, crossing them in front of his face, and a triangular curtain of blackness manifested itself in front of him, blocking the path of the beam.

It might as well have not been there. The beam smashed through the barrier as though it had been made of glass, effortlessly shattering it and slamming into Descartes, its power barely diminished. The attack sent the youth flying backwards, and he sprawled out on his back, a pained gasp escaping his lips.

He recovered almost instantly - desperately thrusting a hand out at his master, René uttered a harsh, grating word that scraped painfully across Fluttershy’s eardrums like nails dragging across a board, and a wild burst of dark magic surged out from him.

Shadows sprang to life all around Nietzsche, twisting and turning into the silhouettes of wild, bloodthirsty beasts. Yet the fallen master did not react to the phantasmal shades. Even as they snapped and hissed at him, he remained stock still... until he suddenly spun around, his hand flashing out like a thunderbolt. His iron grip latched onto the single barbed tendril that had been steadily inching towards him, mere seconds away from spearing through his spine.

“Ah, I’ve taught you well, my apprentice. Theatricality and deception.” Nietzsche let out an appreciative nod, evidently impressed despite how close he had come to being dealt a crippling blow. “Powerful agents to the uninitiated... But we are initiated, aren’t we, René? Members of the Order of Koaxia!”

The master swiftly strode forward, his footsteps clanging against the walkway as he fearlessly strode through the fading illusions. Reaching down, he wrapped his fist around Descartes’ neck, hauling the hapless young man up by his throat as he lifted him into the air. The difference in height between the two men became painfully clear - lifted up to his master’s eye level, René dangled helplessly half a foot above the floor, faintly struggling as Nietzsche stared right into his eyes, his gaze full of accusation and condemnation. “And now, you betray us!”

Nietzsche’s grip had to be crushing - René was visibly gasping for air as his face began to turn purple. Yet he still found the strength to muster a reply, barely able to speak through the chokehold his master had him trapped in.

“I betray... the fallen master that you serve!” the young man choked out, his voice nothing more than a hoarse rasp. Still the fire in his eyes did not go out; if anything, it blazed only brighter. “The master who betrayed our entire world! Everything that our ancestors fought for! Who’s the traitor now!?”

Something flashed across Nietzsche’s eyes, and they slowly clouded over in incomprehensible rage. Ruthlessly, the masked man slammed his fist into Descartes’ gut in a vicious uppercut again and again, nearly folding the young man in half with the force of his blows. The fallen master tossed aside his apprentice, and René sprawled helplessly against the railing, mere inches from falling into the abyss, groaning in pain as he clutched at his wounds.

“We are the Order of Koaxia, my apprentice, and I am here to help fulfill our Order’s glorious destiny!” Nietzsche’s grand tone of pronouncement, with his arms spread out, was at complete odds with the sheer viciousness of which he was assaulting the younger man, and René staggered to his feet, panting heavily with a pained expression.

There was absolutely no chance that the young apprentice could possibly stand against his master, that much Fluttershy could see... and yet, he never faltered, never stopped going forward.

This wasn’t a fight of student against mentor - this was a fight between everything he had been raised and taught to believe in and the dark, new direction that Nietzsche and the other fallen masters would take the Order in.

René was willing to die before he surrendered that fight to Nietzsche.

But there was only so much he could have done. As Fluttershy watched, René attempted to assault his mentor once again, rushing at him in a desperate tackle. The young man’s black eyes had taken on a dangerously reddish tint, and he charged his master to the ground, viciously raining blow after blow on his pinned opponent... but it was a futile gesture.

The very shadows around them sprang to life, wrapping immobilizing tendrils around René’s wrists. There was no mercy in Nietzsche’s movements as grabbed his apprentice by the collar and brought him down hard, slamming his head against Descartes’ in another ferocious headbutt. As the apprentice reeled backwards, the fallen master lashed out with another kick, and Descartes was thrown clear of Nietzsche by several feet, landing painfully on his back.

“Ah, I see that you are finally beginning to embrace the Satsui no Hadou - you are no longer holding anything back.” The Machiavellian approval and respect in Nietzsche’s voice was something Fluttershy was sure René was disgusted to hear.

The young apprentice was struggling to regain his feet, but apparently his injuries had taken their toll. He could manage nothing more than to prop himself up shakily on one knee, heavily leaning on to one side, while Nietzsche got up and dusted himself off, barely even fazed by the assault René had rained upon him not more than a few seconds ago. “Admirable, my apprentice... but mistaken. You are not yet ready to use it.”

The larger man took one step forward, and then Descartes made a sudden, subtle gesture with one of his hands. Abruptly, the chamber all around them was plunged into complete darkness, and Fluttershy let out a startled squeak as whatever little ambient light there was was instantly snuffed out. All around her, there was nothing that she could see, save for the telltale glint of Nietzsche’s metallic mask.

“Ohhh...” The elder master’s voice floated lazily through the darkness that blanketed the chamber, his tone contemplative. “You think darkness is your ally. True enough... but you forget one thing, my apprentice.”

The metallic glint of his mask began to move, the fallen master having began slowly stalking up and down the narrow walkway he stood upon. “You merely adopted the dark, Descartes. I was born in it. Moulded by it. I didn’t see the light until I was already a man, and by then it was nothing to me but BLINDING!”

Abruptly, Nietzsche whirled around, his body surging forward as something black shot out from the dark... and passed right through his entire being as though he was not even there at all.

There was a sudden pained gasp as Fluttershy heard the sound of something being grabbed onto. The darkness blanketing the chamber diminished, dim lights coming back to life, and the pegasus saw that Nietzsche had flawlessly grabbed onto Descartes’ throat, as though he had known exactly where the apprentice had been standing the entire time. The younger man’s eyes were wide with shock as Nietzsche drew him into another locking of stares, and the fallen master utterly crushed his pupil beneath the weight of his gaze.

“The shadows betray you because they belong to me!”

The darkness blanketing the chamber fell upon them again, until nothing could be seen, and Nietzsche’s voice rang out again with a horrible finality - a declaration of an end unlike any other.

“Isshun Sengeki - Shun Goku Satsu!!!”

From inside the darkness, movement erupted, but Fluttershy could not sense anything aside from the sound of several blows landing in rapid, terrifyingly swift succession, each accompanied by a single flash of purple light. There was a scream of pure agony from René, and the darkness abruptly dropped in a flash of power.

Everything stopped. Nietzsche stood over the fallen body of his apprentice, his back facing towards where Fluttershy watched from. Upon the back of his vest and in the air behind him, a blazing crimson symbol that she could not recognize burned with hellish intensity...

“This... is Messatsu.”

… and then the symbols both faded, and the world resumed moving. Nietzsche looked down at Descartes’ still-breathing body, and his eyes widened in mild surprise.

“Ah, so you managed a soul evacuation to survive the Instant Hell Murder?” The dark master let out a small chuckle, and he reached down with a hand to grab his apprentice by the throat again. “Impressive... but ultimately futile.”

Effortlessly, Nietzsche picked up and tossed his apprentice aside, where he landed with a painful thud at the steps leading up to the grand altar at the end of the chamber.

“It seems that merely beating you is not enough - very well then. I will show you where I have made my home, René, while preparing to bring justice to this world!” He declared, his voice resounding through the entire chamber as he strode towards the altar, casually stepping over Descartes’ fallen body before turning to face his apprentice. “And then... I will break you.”

The master of darkness thrust out an arm, his mouth moving to form syllables, and then an incomprehensible noise just hammered into her.

If the incantation Descartes had recited for his earlier spell had scraped painfully across Fluttershy’s eardrums, Nietzsche’s words were the equivalent of plunging full-on knives right into her ears. Agony exploded through her head as a horrible, twisting wave of dark power washed over her, and it was all she could do to even stay upright and not collapse on the spot.

Looking up and past the masked man, the pegasus saw that a huge oval of nothing had ripped itself open on the obsidian stones of the altar. The hole, nearly twice the size of a carriage, wasn’t so much a portal as it was an absence of reality itself.

As Fluttershy watched it tear itself wider open still, hideous creatures, not unlike the ones the Princesses had shown her, began to emerge from the portal, hauling themselves into the world with reckless abandon, baying for blood and destruction.

The demons spilled out from the portal like some hideous parody of ants pouring out of an anthill, yet they all gave Descartes and his master a wide berth, leaving the two of them undisturbed by the tide of destruction flowing out of the chamber from around them. Horrified, Fluttershy looked on as René struggled to haul himself back onto his feet to face his master again, barely managing a stand several seconds later.

Nietzsche turned around as Descartes straightened himself, and he let out a small sound as though he was being reminded of something he had just forgotten.

“Ah yes, I was wondering what would break first.” The delight in the fallen master’s voice was undeniable as he took in René’s tortured, pained expression, and the young man finally snapped as he let out an earsplitting howl of rage before hurling himself forward at Nietzsche another time, his fists swinging wildly.

It was a doomed effort from the very start. René’s movements were too sloppy, too desperate, and Nietzsche had barely even been fazed by his apprentice’s very best. The elder man contemptuously parried aside the younger’s blows, and dealt a cobra-quick strike to Descartes’ core before he could react, sending the younger man to his knees.

“Your spirit...”

Nietzsche picked up Descartes, lifting him up above his head, and Fluttershy let out a gasp as she realized with mounting horror what the fallen master was about to do.

“Or your body!”

Nietzsche brought his apprentice’s back down upon his upraised knee with enough force to elicit a sickening crack!, and Descartes’ scream of agony tore at Fluttershy’s heart like a psychic wound. The wounded youth’s body toppled to the floor, his entire lower half limp, his eyes closed, and his breathing short and sharp with pain.

“You should be proud, you know,” Nietzsche said, staring down at his fallen apprentice. “To have gotten this far fighting against me. You even survived the Shun Goku Satsu, emptying your soul against it to avoid the worst of the damage. That alone is extremely commendable. But you are merely a learner, while I am the master. There is a limit to what you can achieve, and you have reached that limit.”

The master of darkness, victor of the fight, stepped over Descartes’ fallen body, dismissing him as nothing more than a broken piece of trash, and the demons closed in on him. “Your battle ends here, René Descartes.”

A wave of desperation washed over Fluttershy. The pegasus scrambled her thoughts to find something that she could do - anything that could stop Nietzsche... and then she stopped in her tracks as she realized that Descartes’ gaze was flickering about frantically, his upper body struggling to move after his departing master, an arm reaching out uselessly after him.

It must have been René’s emotions she had just felt. Even now, a voice began to ring throughout her head, and she could hear the young man’s thoughts as clear as day.

I... can’t move my body! The young apprentice was thinking desperately, struggling to make his body move, to pursue, to do something, anything that would help him overcome the paralyzing numbness that permeated his entire lower half. Move, damnit!

Why am I here...!? Everything that my friends and I have fought for... It’s all for nothing if I lose now!

The demons closed in around him, Nietzsche strode further away, and Descartes’ eyes suddenly fell upon the portal... and came to a terrible realization.

If he was to stop his master, he would have to cross a line that he could never step back over.

But he had little other choice - if he could help save the world and his friends by doing it... so be it.

If his acceptance of the darkness would turn him into a monster... so be it.

If his turning into a monster would give him the strength he needed to make sure his friends had a fighting chance against the forces they were up against... then so be it.

Let the price he paid be worth the salvation he earned for them.

I... have to win...!

As the darkness closed in from all around him, the apprentice reached out towards the portal that was overflowing with dark, infernal ambient energy, and he drew all of it into himself, infusing every fiber of his being with its twisted, blazing power.

I... NEED TO WIN!!!

Cheh.

A black, sinewy, spiked chain, composed entirely out of shadows, suddenly wrapped itself around Nietzsche’s ankle. Startled, the fallen master stopped in his tracks, staring down at the appendage that had halted his departure.

His eyes traced the chain back to its source... and they widened in shock as they beheld the impossible sight of the apprentice crouched on the floor, with one knee down on the catwalk. The chain ended in Descartes’ right hand, and it was clutched in an impossibly firm and steady grip.

All around him, the demons had suddenly halted, now slowly backing away from René’s crouched form... and the baleful aura of palpable menace that radiated from him. The young apprentice’s head was bowed, his dark bangs hanging over his eyes and concealing them from view. Meanwhile, a strange white substance was beginning to manifest on the left of his forehead, slowly building itself up bit by tiny bit.

Descartes opened his mouth, and the voice that issued from his lips sounded nothing like his.

“I told you before...” The voice of the mad shade that currently stood behind Fluttershy, watching the scene playing out in front of them with unabated excitement, came from René’s mouth, distorted and echoing in a strange manner so unnerving it sent shivers running down the pegasus’ spine. “It’s a little hard for me to keep on living if you go and get yourself killed on me.”

“No... this is impossible!” Fluttershy could hear the shocked horror in Nietzsche’s voice as he turned fully to face his apprentice again, and the fallen master was visibly on his guard, his crimson eyes narrowed. “Who... what are you?”

“... You’re asking me who I am?” Descartes’ lips spread into a terribly wide, malicious smile, and Fluttershy felt a mounting sense of dread building in her chest as she wondered just what the young apprentice had done to himself. “HA! Buddy, I...”

And then Descartes lifted his eyes to meet his master’s, and Fluttershy flinched back as she saw the horrors that they had become. His scleras had gone completely black, his irises blazing a bloodthirsty scarlet, and René’s characteristic scowl had been replaced with an impossibly wide, deranged grin that promised horrible, horrible agony.“... AIN’T GOT A NAME!!!”

The thing that was not Descartes lashed out before Fluttershy realized he had even moved, and there was a flash of jet. Nietzsche suddenly let out a startled grunt of pain, stumbling backwards as a massive slash wound opened itself up diagonally across his chest, his blood spraying across the floor.

As the possessed apprentice threw his head back, letting out a hair-raising, high-pitched cackle, Fluttershy was abruptly reminded of her current predicament as the shade behind her let out the exact same laugh, setting every single hair on her body ramrod straight as she felt a series of claws rake their way slowly across her back.

The pegasus froze, her entire body trembling in fear. The very last of the memory that she glimpsed was the possessed Descartes laying into the demonic horde that surrounded him, and his master, with a maddened bloodlust, tendrils of darkness whipping everywhere and leaving anything that attempted to attack him in pieces.

The last of the massacre finally winked away as oblivion reasserted itself around the mare and her captor, and Fluttershy found herself briefly wondering just which she would have preferred - to have been forced to watch that horrendous display in its entirety, or to be right here, right now, alone in the darkness with the shade that would kill her without even a moment’s notice.

"Ohhh, you would not believe how satisfying it was to finally be out of his head!”the shade laughed madly. “That bloodbath was certainly one to remember. Why, I even managed to nearly tear out that useless master’s beating heart from his body before the weakling-”

Fluttershy had heard enough. Biting back a whimper of fear, the pegasus gulped and threw herself forward, diving out from under the thing’s claws before whirling herself around to face the insane shadow - she was not going to let it out of her sight again.

“What? Getting a little too morbid for you? I got news for you, girly - that’s barely even the start of what I’m capable of!”the shadow cackled, and advanced forward a step. Fluttershy mirrored its movements, sliding backwards in response - she wasn’t going to let it get even a single inch closer to her.

“You... you monster.” The gentle pegasus, lover of all things living, let out a horrified, disgusted whisper as she met the crazed being’s stare unflinchingly. “You’re taking over his mind, his body, and using it to commit atrocities that you think are fun? How... how dare you!”

“How dare I?” The shadow let out a contemptuous snort as it took another step closer. “Bitch, the moment he let me in, his body was mine. He lacked the instinct to control me, so I became the king instead of the horse! This vessel is rightfully MINE!”

“NO. IT. ISN’T!!!” Fluttershy found her voice raising itself into a forceful yell, and strength carried her words through, each word slamming into the shadow and stopping it in its tracks. “You’re nothing more than a barbaric killer - a murderer! I saw René for who he really is, and he is nothing like you, you... demon! His body will never be yours, and neither will his mind or his soul!”

Unexpectedly, the dark figure suddenly burst out laughing. “Oh, please, don’t try to feed me that drivel, princess! I’m no demon - I’m just as much a part of Descartes as he is a part of me, no matter how he tries to reject that fact!”

Raising a hand, it pointed a clawed finger at Fluttershy, its tone mocking. “But who cares? I don’t have to explain to you anything, because as soon as I’m finished with you, you’re going to-”

- disappear.

The shadow froze. The rictus grin decorating the shade’s face abruptly vanished as that familiar, monotone voice rang through the darkness again, its words laced with outrage. Without warning, the silhouette’s left hand suddenly shot up to its face, clutching at something as though attempting to rip it off.

“W-Wait! Damn you- let go of me!” Fluttershy could only watch with wide eyes as the shadow before her suddenly convulsed and stumbled backwards, almost as if... as if it was going through some sort of internal conflict?

I don’t need you here - stop interfering! Descartes’ voice reverberated throughout her entire being with absolute authority, confirming her suspicions about the shade’s struggles - the man was attempting to take back control of himself.

“You’re the one who’s interfering!” the shadow howled as it writhed and struggled, the arm that still tugged at its face the only part that it could not control. “Don’t you get it!? I was about to kill her! You could win this if you’d just LEAVE IT TO ME!!!”

I don’t need to explain anything that I do to a murderer like you - now GET OUT!!!

The shadow was beginning to flail its other arm around uselessly, thrashing about in visible agony as whatever consciousness inhabited its body was forcibly ripped out, and its voice began to grow even higher with desperation and rage. “Damnit! DAMNIT! CURSE YOU! YOU FOOL!!!”

There was the a sudden, sickening series of cracks as Fluttershy felt something fracture, and the shadow let out an ear-splitting shriek of pain as its back arched backwards.

“GAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!” Her blood curdled as the sheer weight of its scream pierced through her ears, and there was the sound of bone shattering. The shadow’s arm ripped itself off from its face as it shrieked hideously, and, just for an instant, Fluttershy could see tiny fragments of white falling away from the shadow’s countenance.

As the last of the hideous shriek finally faded into the distance, she noticed that the silhouette’s rictus grin had completely faded. Its crimson eyes were closed, its entire frame shook and heaved with several exhausted pants, and its back was hunched with fatigue. The pegasus stood there, stock still, for several seconds, giving René’s frame a concerned look as he continued to shake in place, and she decided to take a chance.

If she could perhaps understand him better... maybe they could work out towards some sort of peaceful resolution to this entire situation.

Taking in a deep breath, Fluttershy took a step forward, her head lowered in concern. “Umm... are... are you all right, René?”

The shadow suddenly flinched, and it quickly backed away from her, its stance suddenly defensive. No... don’t call me that.

Fluttershy cocked her head at him quizzically, not understanding. “What? Why not? I mean, it’s your name, isn’t it?”

René died a long time ago. The shadow answered, his voice tinged with sorrow and regret. My name is Descartes - nothing more.

Before Fluttershy could muster a reply, Descartes’ silhouette straightened, and he inclined his head slightly towards her in a small bow. Apologies for that interruption. I had not intended for the Darkness to get in the way. Now, why don’t we continue from where we left off?

Fluttershy’s mind whirled, trying to piece together what she was seeing here. From what she had seen so far, the young man from the memories might have been a bit callous, but he was still fair and just; a far cry from the bloodthirsty murderer she had first pictured him as.

He had fought to defend what he believed in - to protect the weak and the innocent, and hadn’t even really tried to hurt her since coming into her head. He had only tried to scare her into learning some things, bringing up old and painful memories and manipulating her emotional state. But even that could be forgiven, especially when she considered what the homicidal persona he had just forcibly repressed might have done to her.

In a way... he had saved her life. That alone was already more than enough to warrant a second chance in her mind... but that didn’t mean they had to begin from where they left off.

“Actually... no,” the gentle pegasus said with a surprising amount of iron in her voice, and she firmly planted a hoof upon the nonexistent ground. “I want you to tell me, René - what are you here for? Why are you in my head trying to scare me like this?”

Those unnerving crimson eyes opened again, staring right into her soul as they narrowed into reddened slits. … I’m sorry, did I hear you correctly? Do you not realize the gravity of your situation? I believe that I hold the advantage here, and you do not even have the power to-

The figure suddenly paused, and his gaze turned curious as he realized that there was a distinct lack of frightened cowering on Fluttershy’s part. …Why? Why do you behave so? Do you not fear me?

“I can’t.” She shook her head emphatically, returning René’s gaze without hesitation. “Not after what I’ve seen. You know which memories of yours leaked out, René. I’ve seen who you are. And you’re nothing like that horrible, dreadful monster that lurks inside you.”

Nonsense. One cannot touch the darkness without becoming a part of it. He who fights monsters should take care, lest he become a monster - for when you gaze into the abyss...

Descartes’ shadow cast an arm out to the side, and a flurrying display of whipping, dark tendrils erupted from behind him. The abyss gazes back into you. I did not take enough care with the darkness ... so I became a monster. And it is as a monster that I shall die.

The tendrils shot forward, darting towards the defenseless pegasus. Seeing her apparent death streaking towards her, the pegasus couldn’t help but flinch, but, taking in a deep breath, she decided to take a gamble.

If she was right, and what she had seen was indeed the truth... then absolutely no harm would come to her.

And if she was wrong... well, she wouldn’t be alive to regret her decision very long.

Fluttershy closed her eyes, and stood her ground, not even budging an inch.

There was a gust of wind against her face, and then... nothing. When she cracked her eyes open a second later, she saw the barbed tips of the tendrils had stopped mere inches from her heart and throat, quivering in obvious distress.

No... No, no, NO! the shadow howled, and with an anguished cry, he drew the tendrils back, returning them to the darkness. Why!? Why do you not resist!? How can you possibly be so... Do you not fear death!?

“No... I don’t think you would do such a thing, René.” Fluttershy said with unshaken certainty, her voice gentle but firm. “You’re not a killer. Please, whatever it is you’re trying to do here... it doesn’t have to be this way. We can talk this out.”

You... René’s silhouette paused dead in its tracks, and his head shook from side to side in a vague motion, letting out something that sounded like a sigh. This... was not in the plan.

Fluttershy had to stifle a tiny giggle at the wry joke he had just unintentionally cracked, but the pegasus still smiled nonetheless. “I don’t suppose it was, was it? But it doesn’t matter at this point, hmm?”

The gentle animal lover took several steps forward, and did something completely unexpected.

She placed a hoof on the shadow’s arm, and met Descartes’ crimson gaze unhesitatingly. “René, you can talk to me. I can tell from your memories that you... you’re hurt. So very badly. Please... let me ease your pain. I can help you.”

It was true - Fluttershy had spoken those words sincerely from the bottom of her heart. She hated nothing more than to see somepony in pain and suffering, and from what she had seen in Descartes’ memories, the young man had suffered pain as few others could have possibly suffered. He had been betrayed by a teacher he practically considered his father, and had his very mind and soul fractured into two sides that constantly vied for tenuous control of his body. His emotions were already, for all intents and purposes, dead, and it tore at her to see someone in such anguish.

It didn’t matter that he was of a completely different species foreign even to Equestria - deep down, he was still a pony (person?) just like her, and he didn’t deserve to suffer needlessly like this any more than anyone else did.

But the shadow suddenly flinched away from her touch, turning away and taking several steps back. You are making a grave mistake, pegasus. Opening your heart to the darkness like this - you will find only pain and torment awaiting you. What gives you the impression that you have the strength to bear such a burden?

The pegasus could see where this was going. Descartes was trying to steer the conversation back to its earlier tangent - the tangent where he was undermining her beliefs and reminding her of her shortcomings.

She wasn’t going to let it go back there.

“Because it’s what I do,” Fluttershy emphasized. “Sometimes, all we need is to be shown a little kindness, and it makes all the difference.”

And how sure are you that what you saw was really who I am? Uncertainty crept into his voice, and it was obvious that he was trying to tenuously hold on to leverage that was rapidly slipping away. What makes you think that you know me well enough to attempt such a course?

“You could say I have a knack for such a thing.” The animal lover smiled as she tilted her head in the direction of her cutie mark. “René, stop trying to turn this around. I know what you’re trying to do - and it’s not going to work, because you’re not like that. All those things you said earlier... you didn’t really mean them, did you?”

Descartes’ shadow looked utterly taken aback, and he blinked several times. … How did you see through it so easily?

“Like I said, I have a knack for telling how others are feeling - and what they’re really saying.” Fluttershy answered. “It’s how I’m always able to communicate so well with my animal friends. Though maybe, not so much when it comes to other ponies...”

She pawed at the ground as she bashfully admitted that particular shortcoming of hers, and she heard a tiny snort of wry laughter from the shadow. Apparently so... that fact, at least, is clear as day.

Fluttershy let out a small giggle, answering laughter with laughter, and she looked up upon Descartes’ silhouette without any fear. “René... You can drop the shadow now. There’s nothing you have to hide from me. I want to see who you really are - I mean, if that’s okay with you...”

… I do not think so. The shadow took another step back, its stance wary. The crimson slits, though not as horrifying as they had once seemed, gazed at her, distrust and doubt flickering across them. Whatever lighthearted words you use to disguise the situation, you cannot change what my presence here means. There are only two ways this night can end, and my plans have already gone plenty awry as it is.

“But René,” the pegasus pressed, “I just want to talk to you, face to face, to see who you really are under the shadows you insist on keeping around yourself. Is that really too much to ask?”

A pointless, if flattering, gesture. The shade closed its eyes, shaking its head slightly as it continued to speak. Have you forgotten where we are, little one? This is not reality; these are not our real bodies. Even if I were to disperse the dark, you would still be seeing nothing more than an incomplete representation of my mortal shell. And even if it was my body, what do you think you would learn? How tall I am? The color of my eyes? Useless, unimportant details.

A short laugh, harsh and derisive. It makes no difference what I look like, not here, not anywhere.

“You have... black eyes.” The red orbs sprang open, staring with a mixture of surprise and disbelief at the butter-yellow pegasus. “And I’d say that you were about...” Fluttershy trailed off for a bit, rubbing her chin with a forehoof as she pondered. “Five and a half, no, six feet tall?”

...A decent memory, I suppose, but like I said such trite details hardly-

“But I don’t want to know what you look like,” Fluttershy’s voice cut through the shadow’s before it could finish its thought. “I want to see how you carry yourself. I want to see the... scars, the places you’ve been hurt. I want to see the way your face changes when you talk, the way you move your hands and feet.”

There was more than a little bit of strength in the mare’s eyes as she met the silhouette’s bemused gaze. “Anypony can say anything they want when they’re hidden behind a curtain. It’s much harder to be untruthful when they’re talking face to face.”

For a moment, the shade only stood there, its crimson orbs staring into the pegasus’ insistent teal ones. Then, with a slight bow of its head, barely more than a couple centimeters, the shadow closed its eyes. Well said.

Fluttershy’s lips began to curve upwards. But not quite well enough. The blood-red eyes jolted open once again as the shadow’s voice rang out. Your observation is quite correct; it would be foolish for me to reveal myself. Even if you are not the Bearer of Honesty, I have no doubt that you would be able to see through any deception or trickery I might try to snare you in.

“B-but I already know that you wouldn’t-”

Simply by remaining in this ill-defined form, I maintain several advantages over you, the silhouette continued as though the mare had not tried to interject. Abandoning these advantages would be pointless, earning me nothing. Retaining them, on the other hand, allows me some unique choices in the next few minutes, choices that could very well decide my success or failure.

Fluttershy tried to interrupt once more, her tone starting to become frustrated. “But there’s no reason that you’d-”

As it stands, you have no way of forcing me to comply with you, nor do I have any reason to do so. So no, do not expect me to obey you simply because you ‘want to see who I really am.’ Doing so would be-

“YOU!”

The shout tore through the shade’s words like they were nothing. Forceful, determined, and unrelenting, Fluttershy’s cry seemed to fill the air around her, charging the immediate area with some bizarre energy. Simultaneously, her eyelids spread wide open, her pupils vibrating ever so slightly as she unleashed her most fearsome weapon.

“Didn’t your mother ever teach you that it’s polite to talk to somepony else face to face?! How would you like it if somepony refused to say anything to your face?! Do you think it would really very nice?! Well?! Do you?!”

Had his mind and mental fortitude not been under such an incredible pressure, Descartes would have marveled at the situation. After all, how many denizens of the Multiverse can claim to have been lectured by a pastel-colored pony for their poor manners?

As it was, however, he could feel his shadow was currently withering beneath the weight and power of her gaze, and he let out a wry smirk, finally deciding to relent.

… The measure of an individual can be difficult to discern from actions alone. Descartes spoke after a moment. Take you, for instance - I can see that you normally detest conflict, yet you display astounding strength of character when pushed to your limits or when you feel strongly about the matter. When you saw my memories, you saw something in me that made you think that I was worth trying to understand - made you willing to push for things you would never normally try for.

The shadow’s eyes met hers again, and Fluttershy saw just the subtlest twinkle of approval in them.

...I became curious to see how far you were willing to go to find me.

The darkness that covered his face and his form boiled away, tendrils of blackness unravelling themselves from his body. Soon, he stood before her, unconcealed and exposed for the first time since their meeting.

“Well... here I am.”

The kind-hearted, gentle mare’s gaze took in his appearance, and could not help but let out a quiet, horrified gasp.

Descartes’ past had not been kind to him. In the wake of whatever his world had brought him after his confrontation with his master, his countenance had grown even more worn and weathered. Pronounced lines marred the troughs beneath his eyes, and another vicious scar had been added to the one that already ran across his nose, this one running horizontally across his forehead like a savage mark.

A familiar black cloak concealed the rest of his body from view, and though he could not have been any older than a man in his prime, he looked as though he was twenty years older.

His hair, black as a raven’s feathers, had grown even longer. His bangs hung low enough to conceal his eyes, framing his visage with a curtain of ebony, while the rest of his hair had been tied into a low ponytail that reached his upper back. However, the it was his eyes that left the greatest impression upon Fluttershy.

His gaze... with those crimson orbs, it was just so intense.

“So... you manipulated me into pushing you that way?” she ventured hesitantly, the strength of her Stare fading away as her voice grew confused. “But... why would you do that? And how did you know I was going to push you so hard?”

The scarred man smirked. “I didn’t. At least, not until your gaze met with mine again, and I saw your true strength as our minds met. That was why I did it. You are... much more powerful than you realize.”

“Oh... Umm... Thank you, I suppose?” The pegasus let out a bashful smile, averting her eyes. “It’s... It’s the first time that somepony’s ever actually called me strong. I’ve always lived my life believing that I was weak and helpless.”

Descartes let out a harsh bark of mirthless laughter. “Believe me... You would not have been chosen to be an heir to our legacy along with your friends if you were, as you say, ‘weak and helpless’. That is the reason I am here - to determine your worthiness.”

“I was... chosen?” Fluttershy’s eyes widened in surprise, and she began to shake her head. “Ohh, no no no no! I couldn’t possibly- I mean, there has to be somepony else more suitable, I mean, I’m just little old me, I really couldn’t-”

A scarred, weathered hand suddenly came up, stopping her speech in her tracks. “That is exactly what I mean. Did I not say that you are stronger than you think you are? You give yourself far too little credit... Your strength might be all that will help hold the coming darkness at bay.”

Descartes’ words hit Fluttershy like a proverbial train, and her eyes widened as she realized what the black-clad human had been speaking of.

The meeting with Celestia, the revealing of Equestria’s true, bloodied history, what they had learned of the monsters that lurked beyond their world... Everything flashed through her mind in an instant, and she understood why Descartes was here.

“... You’re not referring to the darkness inside you,” the pegasus breathed out in realization. “You’re referring to the demons of the Nether.”

Unexpectedly, Descartes closed his eyes, turning away from her to face the blank wall of oblivion to the side. He let out a small, pained sigh before replying. “... So you’ve heard of them.

“To have knowledge of the demons would mean that your world has had experience with exploration into the Nether.” His voice was low, frustrated. “A dangerous notion. The Legion could have attempted to place its roots into your world... No world has ever survived an incursion from the legions of Chaos itself.”

“They told my friends and me it was impossible to stop Discord too.”

Descartes let out a wry smirk, giving the pegasus a knowing look. “A fair point. Nightmare Moon, Discord, the Changeling Queen... You and your friends have already made careers out of performing great and incredible feats.”

His eyes returned to contemplating the empty abyss before him, closing them for a moment before opening again. When Fluttershy walked around to take a clearer look at his face, she realize just how heavy his expression had grown.

“... This was to be my last battle.” Descartes’ gaze, which had been staring off into the distance, turned slightly in her direction.

“… I’m dying. All of my comrades are.”

“What!?” The pegasus let out a shocked gasp. “I didn’t know you were- Is there that anything we can do?”

“Giving me this opportunity is enough,” Descartes said with a curt nod, not meeting Fluttershy’s eyes.

“Low survival odds don’t concern me,” the man continued before Fluttershy could even get a word in edgewise. “The destruction of your world, and countless others, at the hands of the Legion does. The universe is a dark place...”

His eyes fell down to his hand as he raised it up, and his crimson gaze changed as his eyes slowly faded to a dull onyx. “I’m trying to make it brighter before I die.”

Descartes smirked, and he let out a bitter chuckle. “Ironic, isn’t it? That the very Avatar of Darkness itself would be fighting to make the universe a brighter place.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that.” Fluttershy’s voice came soothingly as she placed a comforting hoof on his arm. “I think you’re doing a very noble thing... And you’re not one of the bad guys. I know that now. Just because your powers are of the night doesn’t mean that you’re evil.”

“If I’m not, then explain my inner demon.” René laughed bitterly. “He came about because I gave him the power and strength needed for him to gain sentience, rather than just serve as a subconscious manifestation of my instincts. And because of that, any time I lose control, even for a second, he comes out and begins to threaten everything around me. He is a fundamental part of who I am... so if he is evil, then what am I?”

The man’s eyes closed, and the gentle-hearted pegasus could see just how pained his expression was. “The first time he took control of my body... It wasn’t only the demons and my master that he killed. He rampaged out of my master’s sanctum and tore through the town to where my comrades were fighting against the other fallen masters. In order to get there, he...”

Descartes let out a breath - a shaky breath, Fluttershy realized with a shock - and he continued. “Many innocents died that day, thanks to him. I wasn’t strong enough to keep his power under control. I have to atone for that.”

“But... how are you going to do that?” Fluttershy shook her head, uncomprehending. “You said that you were... dying...”

“Indeed...” René murmured. “My comrades and I are not long for this world. The ways we were forced to inherit our mantles from our masters... The inheritance rituals were botched. Improper. Some were passed to us with their final, dying breaths. Others had to be forcibly taken from their maddened, corrupted hands. We received the entirety of their powers at once, and our bodies could not handle the sheer amount of energy without something giving way. Our magic circuits now constantly burn with their power... and given enough time, our bodies will burn out from the inside, the legacy of the Order dying out with us.”

The man’s onyx gaze suddenly turned to her, boring into her eyes with unbearable intensity. “Which is why we needed to seek out heirs. Individuals worthy of passing the mantle on to with the proper procedures, so that they would be able to handle the power they inherited without their bodies burning out. We roamed the Nether for several years in a race against time, on the run from the Legion as our world burned, and we visited several worlds in search of worthy successors. None showed as much promise as yours did.”

“So... you want us to take up the fight against the demons in your place?” Fluttershy said uncertainly. René’s only answer was a firm nod.

That was when Fluttershy realized something was different inside her.

She felt no fear.

Descartes had come from a world that had been all but destroyed by the demons. He and his friends were on the run from a force that could lay waste to entire planes, and they were desperately searching for a way to continue their fight against the Legion. She and her friends had been chosen as the heirs to their legacy, to continue the fight against the Legion... and Fluttershy felt no fear.

She knew she had to do.

She could never fully understand how Descartes must have felt in his current situation. Cornered, on the run, out of choices and out of time... Fluttershy could only empathize with how desperate René must have been. To be in such a predicament... the pegasus wished that she could somehow alleviate his pain.

So she did the only thing she knew how to.

She stepped up to Descartes and laid her hoof upon his hand. “Then I accept. If it means easing your pain, and helping you and your friends fight back against the demons, then I would gladly accept your power in your place.”

The man’s eyes widened, and he stared at Fluttershy as though she had gone stark raving mad. “You... You really do mean that, don’t you?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Fluttershy cocked her head at him quizzically. “Why would I bother saying such a thing if I didn’t mean it?”

Descartes blinked, and then a tiny grin broke out across his face as he shook his head. “I do not know whether to think you are insanely brilliant, or incredibly ignorant. To let the darkness into yourself just like that... You are certainly unlike anyone else I have ever met.”

“Yeah, I get that sometimes.” The pegasus giggled. “I was already an oddity for a pony, much less a pegasus... I’m used to it.”

“Do you realize what you are about to do?” Descartes’ voice grew grave. “You are about to take in a source of power that could drive you insane if you don’t know how to control it. Your instincts will run wild, and your deepest, darkest aspects will be brought fully out into the light.”

“I can handle it.” Fluttershy found herself speaking with a surprising amount of conviction. “As long as it means easing another’s pain, I would gladly take on any burden. That’s what kindness is all about - giving selflessly to help others.”

Descartes stared at her, his eyes narrowing as though he was trying to understand something. A few seconds later, they widened in sudden comprehension, and a few half-hearted chuckles escaped their owner’s lips. “I see... So perhaps I had been mistaken all this time...”

The man held up one of his hands as blackness began to envelope it - pale skin shifted into an abyss of pure darkness as wisps of dark purple energy began to rise from the limb. Taking a deep breath, Descartes straightened his hand into a stiff-fingered shovel, sharpening its tip.

“I have struggled for years to control my demon, to wrest it under control through discipline and force of will,” Descartes remarked as he absently inspected the blade. “It is one thing to be able to stare down others, but when the enemy is yourself... Perhaps you will be able to succeed where I failed.

“Once you take up this power, you can never go back.” His gaze met hers with absolute seriousness as he held up his wickedly sharp limb. “You will eventually have to face horrors unlike anything you have seen in your world, and you will be one of the only few who will be able to stop them. Are you certain you wish to take up this power?”

“Without a doubt.” Fluttershy nodded resolutely. “If there was anything that I could do to help, I couldn’t not do it.”

“Very well then...” Power welled up from around Descartes as an invisible wind began to blow about the area, and Fluttershy found herself shivering from non-existent cold. “Fluttershy Loveheart, chosen inheritor of the mantle of the East Abyss... I, René Descartes of the Order of Koaxia, hereby pronounce you as my heir!”

He raised his hand into the air, and a wave of power exploded from him, its sheer pressure nearly forcing Fluttershy to her knees. A voice issued unbidden from the man’s lips, and the pegasus realized that she could not recognize it.

“Ensnare... Mateus, the Corrupt.”

And then she saw it again.

The long, spindly, white figure that she had glimpsed when she first hit Descartes with the Stare. It hung over René’s frame, floating behind him like a ghastly silhouette and raising the blackened, winding staff that it held in its right hand in a posture that mirrored Descartes’.

The sheer amount of power she felt pressing down on her could no longer be withstood - Fluttershy collapsed to her knees as Descartes took several steps closer. She began trembling out of pure instinct, trying to bite back whimpers that threatened to break free.

No, she had chosen to do this. She wasn’t going to back out now!

The pegasus mare looked up into Descartes’ onyx eyes as he stepped in front of her, his blade raised high, and she saw everything reflected in them - his ideals and beliefs, his crushed hopes and dreams, the bitter cynicism that he held onto as a defence, everything that made Descartes who he was. Everything was revealed in that single moment where the two souls met, and Fluttershy swore to herself that she would never forget this moment for as long as she lived.

This was where Descartes would entrust his memory, his legacy, his entire existence, to her... she was not going to let him down.

“I will have to apologize for what comes next, Fluttershy...” René murmured softly, and she could have sworn that she could hear anguish in his voice as he gently placed a hand under her chin, his eyes meeting hers with a gaze filled with sorrow and regret. “This... will probably hurt a lot.”

Then the blade came down, and Fluttershy felt a thin lance of biting, icy cold pierce through her very heart. Agony exploded through every fibre of her being as her very soul screamed out in pain...

And everything went black.

As the sun rose that morning, the veil of darkness that had fallen over the forest-side cottage finally lifted, dissipating into the air like smoke on the wind. The promising rays of dawn brought with them the light of a new day, and the animal residents of the cottage slowly woke, lazily brushing off the aftereffects of a good night’s rest and stretching sleeping, stiff muscles.

Sifting through the curtained blinds of Fluttershy’s windows, the dawn’s rays reached the pegasus as the sun rose, slowly bringing her into the light... and revealing her blank, staring eyes, a flicker of crimson flitting through their teal layers.

Miles away, in a clearing somewhere in the Everfree, a man with raven hair, wearing a cloak of the blackest night, lay on his back. The sun’s beams glared down harshly upon his scarred countenance... and yet his eyes continued staring blankly at the sky, his onyx irises empty and lifeless.

Yet, despite his apparent death, he lay in a gentle repose, a relieved, satisfied smile proudly displayed upon his face. His expression was one of peace, belonging to one who had, after an entire life of strife and conflict, had gone on to his final, well-earned rest.

The body lay there for several minutes, undisturbed by plants or wildlife. Soon, footsteps rustled through the grass as a pair figures approached the prone corpse. As they drew close to him, one of the figures knelt and passed a hand over his face, closing his eyes.

“Rest in peace, friend...” A red coat momentarily obscured Descartes’ face as the newcomer made a gesture. A flash of light sprang to life, and a burst of heat blossomed forth. “Creator knows you’ve done enough for us to last for several lifetimes...”

The figure turned and stepped back, his handiwork crackling behind him. Within seconds Descartes’ body had been consumed in a funeral pyre, a flaming sword floating over the corpse before being extinguished and dismissed. Turning to face his companion, the first man gave the second a hard look.

“You know what you have to do. You were always so impatient to get a move on - well, now’s your chance.”

“Yeah...” the second muttered half-heartedly. “... You know... it kinda sucked to see him go.”

“... We don’t have much choice in this matter, do we?” The first’s voice grew hard. “You know your mission - now get to it.”

“Yeah, yeah, I get ya,” the second muttered irritatedly. “Don’t get your undies in a bunch, geez. And don’t worry about those incursions either - I’ve got it covered.”

There was an abrupt swish of movement, and the figure disappeared in a swirl of brown and forest-green. The first man followed his departure with his eyes, and let out a tired sigh.

“It’s all coming together...” he muttered to himself. “So then, Gaius, why do I feel like this is but the calm before the storm?”

While his eyes were closed, his other senses were still sharpened and on the lookout. Pensively, he considered the several dozen dark, malevolent, and foreign presences that he felt lurking about the forest... presences that were absolutely nothing like Descartes’.

Fight The Power!

This is the continuation of the story of six mares who have yet to realize their own destinies.

Darkness has fallen over Ponyville. Fluttershy, after a night filled with terror, struggles, and revelations, has inherited the powers of the East Abyss, and she could not have met her counterpart in a stranger way. Rather than confronting her directly, Descartes entered her mindscape and attempted to break her resolve and her spirit.

He failed. Fluttershy resisted with shocking force, and countered with a Stare hard enough to break his veneer and cause a few of his memories to leak out. Seeing into Descartes’ past and who he really was, Fluttershy realized that he was not someone she had to fear. Attempting to connect with the dark Koaxian, she reached through to him, and discovered the beginnings of what had driven his Order to Equestria.

Meanwhile, Captain Shining Armor, having arrived in Ponyville ahead of his division to ensure the safety of Twilight and her friends, is now in the midst of preparing himself for the arrival of his vice-captain. But while surveying the area surrounding the countryside town, he senses a wild burst of energy... a cold void of absence... coming from the direction of Fluttershy’s cottage.

But even as he rushes to the aid of his sister and her friend, they are not the only ones in danger - for several new presences lurking within the Everfree now close in on Ponyville, and Pinkie Pie is the sole pony who even has an inkling of what’s going to happen...

“The Order of Koaxia”

Chapter 8

Fight the Power!

Shining Armor had been in the midst of his meditations when it hit him.

The unicorn stallion had been immersed in a meditative trance at the moment - the trance allowed him to better sense the energies of the Weave surrounding the countryside, and he had been attempting to get the lay of the land and to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Of course, he had also been in the midst of putting together a plan for the province’s defence, to be enacted by his division once they had arrived - but what he hadn’t expected during his little planning session was for a sudden surge of cold, lifeless energy to crash against his senses, nearly freezing him to the spot and forcing him to take in a sharp breath.

Immediately turning towards the direction the surge had come from, the stallion’s metaphysical eyes narrowed as he honed his senses in on the signature of magical energy. The young captain began tracking the power back to its source as fast as possible, his mouth curling up in a tiny smirk as he realized that he was finally getting a glimpse of one of the strange, mysterious presences that had been lurking about Ponyville...

Found you...

... only for the bottom to drop out of his stomach as he realized just where it had come from.

The western edge of Ponyville, right at the borders of the Everfree.

Fluttershy’s cottage.

By Celestia, Twilight was still in there.

The young stallion immediately exploded into movement. His eyes flew open as he threw himself out of the trance and back into consciousness, his horn flaring as the broadsword lying next to him was suddenly enveloped in his signature aura.

Yanking the blade up, Shining Armor shot to his hooves, his heart pounding in his chest. Abruptly, he disappeared from sight in a sudden rush of wind, reappearing several hundred feet away for barely an instant before winking out again.

As he flashed from point to point, the young captain attempted to calm the panicked hammering of his heart, his legs nothing but an indecipherable blur beneath him. The notion of Twilight getting hurt while under his watch, and right under his nose no less, made his gut clench in terror, and Shining Armor redoubled his speed.

Celestia, please let Twilight be okay!

The captain had originally sequestered himself away upon a remote, lofty bluff at the northern edge of Ponyville itself, a fair distance from Fluttershy’s cottage. Nevertheless, he reached his destination in little more than a few minutes... and the moment the cottage came into sight, Shining Armor immediately knew something was very wrong.

The dawn around him was barely in its infancy - having awoken early to commence his preparations for the arrival of his division, the young captain had already been up and about long before the sun had even begun to rise. Now, the eastern fringes of the horizon were beginning to turn blue as the first of the sun's rays peeked over them, but the world around him was still largely dark and unlit.

But it may as well have been shining bright as midday when compared to the utter wall of black that curtained the entire area around Fluttershy’s cottage. Even as Shining Armor looked on, the billowing shroud of cold, empty absence that he felt surrounding the forest-side homestead abruptly waned as the first of the sun's rays peeked over the horizon. As light fell upon the cottage, the curtain of energy fizzled out and faded from sight, finally revealing Fluttershy's home.

The young captain's heart leapt to his throat as he prepared for the worst - a burnt out husk, a mountain of wreckage, any conceivable scene of devastation... But the cottage was still standing, and appeared to have been completely untouched.

That didn’t mean that the house’s occupants were unharmed, though. Shining Armor’s jaw clenched, and he burst into movement, disappearing from sight again.

Skidding to a stop, he blurred back into sight at Fluttershy's doorstep and booted open the door without so much as a pause. Animals everywhere started and began raising a racket at the sudden intrusion, but the stallion didn't care - all that mattered to him was his baby sister's safety.

"Twily! Twilight, where are you!?" Shining Armor cried out as he galloped into the living room, his senses reaching out simultaneously as he frantically searched for his sister’s magical signature. To his relief, he could still sense it, strong and steady as it pulsed in tune with her heartbeat on the floor above him, but the guard captain wouldn’t be satisfied until he had seen with his own eyes that Twilight was alive and unharmed.

Galloping up the stairs, Shining Armor all but smashed down the door to the guest bedroom, behind which he could sense his sister's presence. He was stopped only at the last moment when it suddenly swung open and out, allowing his sister to step out, rubbing tiredly at her eyes with a hoof.

“Stars, brother, keep it down!” Twilight whispered harshly. “You’re gonna wake Fluttershy up if she hasn’t already! What’s the problem?”

“You...” The stallion stared at his sister, suddenly finding himself at a loss for words. Twilight hadn’t sensed the blanket of cold, dead energy? But she had been right in the thick of it! “You didn’t sense it at all?”

“Sense what?” Twilight squinted at her brother curiously, her expression scrunching up in thought as the gears in her head began to turn. “Shining, did something happen while I... was...”

The lavender unicorn's eyes suddenly widened as she seemed to realize something, and her mouth dropped open in horror as she sensed the residual energies of the dark presence that had only just begun to fade.

“Oh, stars... How did it happen right under my nose!?”

Panic lending her speed, Twilight bolted out of her room and past Shining Armor, galloping to Fluttershy’s bedroom door and banging frantically on it. “Fluttershy! Fluttershy, open up! Are you all right in there?”

When there was no answer, fear gripped the young mare’s heart in a vice; Twilight barely managed to keep herself from dissolving into hyperventilation as she continued pounding on the door, praying for an answer. “Fluttershy, can you hear me? Answer me, please!”

“Twilight, stand back!” Shining Armor shouted from behind her, and Twilight turned around just in time to see her brother rearing up on his hind hooves, his horn aglow with a bright spark of energy as he prepared to charge the door. The young scholar barely stepped out of the way in time - as she vacated her brother’s path, the guard captain was already galloping forward, spinning around at the last second before delivering a buck to the door worthy of the Apple clan itself.

The door instantly yielded under the force of his blow - the lock was broken clean off as the door slammed open, and Shining Armor darted inside, his broadsword already halfway out of its sheath as his eyes scanned the entire room for any potential threats.

There weren’t any - the room was completely devoid of enemies, and even as he probed the Weave with his arcane senses, he could not sense any more of that cold, dark power that had blanketed this entire area not more than a few minutes ago. After a few tense seconds, Shining Armor decided that whatever had been here was already long gone and slid the broadsword back into its sheath, gesturing for his sister to step inside.

Twilight did so immediately, rushing over to Fluttershy’s bed to check on the pegasus. At first the lavender mare had been terrified that she would reach Fluttershy’s bed only to find that she was missing, or worse, but the yellow pegasus was still underneath her covers, breathing and very much alive.

Twilight let out a massive sigh of relief as she felt Fluttershy’s life force still pulsing strongly and steadily through her arcane senses. However, her relief soon twisted into consternation as she realized that there was a very different feel to the gentle pegasus mare’s mana signature.

On the surface, it still felt as it usually did - a boundless fount of warmth and light, representative of Fluttershy’s love for all things living. But underneath it, another darker, far more malevolent presence stirred briefly. It was active for only an instant before settling down until there was no sign it had even been there... but Twilight felt stained simply for brushing her senses against it.

The lavender unicorn gulped nervously, and gently set a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder, praying to the stars above that her friend had been unchanged and unharmed... but when her hoof failed to elicit a response from the pegasus, Twilight’s worry only grew.

Quickly turning Fluttershy’s still form over, she was horrified to realize that Fluttershy’s eyes were wide open... but blank, and staring. There was absolutely no response from the pegasus, even as Twilight desperately began to jostle her shoulder.

“Oh... Oh stars, please, no...” Twilight whispered to herself in horror as she shook Fluttershy vigorously, attempting to get any response out of the comatose mare. The pegasus didn’t even stir. “No! This can’t be happening here too! Fluttershy, wake up!”

“It’s no good, Twilight.” Shining Armor’s voice came from behind her, and Twilight whirled her gaze around to meet her brother’s somber stare. "It looks like we're too late."

The young captain stepped forward, passing a hoof over the unconscious mare's eyes as he closed them, and spat out a short curse beneath his breath. "Damnit! If only I'd been faster... Twilight, you’re sure you didn't feel anything at all while you were sleeping? There was an entire blanket of dark energy hanging over this place!"

Some of his frustration must have unintentionally leaked out through his tone, because his sister began stammering out an apology to him. "I-I'm sorry! I really didn't feel anything, I-"

Before she could get any further, Shining Armor quickly held out a hoof, stopping her as he brought himself under control. "It's all right, Twilight. These guys managed to keep themselves hidden from even Princess Celestia's senses. Now that I think about it, I really shouldn't be surprised you couldn't sense anything, even if you were right in the thick of it. Still..."

The young captain gave Fluttershy's unconscious form a pensive look, deep in thought, and shook his head. "We gotta keep this under wraps, Twilight. Rainbow Dash and Rarity already have records of being admitted into the Ponyville hospital while in comas for inexplicable reasons. If Fluttershy gets admitted as well, it's going to raise some eyebrows somewhere, and if word gets out, it'll attract attention from more than just Equestria."

Twilight shot her brother a mind boggled look. "Attract attention from more than just Equestria? But... How? Why?"

"You and your friends are the Bearers of Harmony, Twilight," Shining Armor explained as patiently as he could without pinching the bridge of his nose with a hoof. "You’re the only six ponies who can even wield their power, and they are the most powerful form of magic known to Equestria. If there are any foreign powers that would wish to attack us, you and your friends would be prime political and strategic targets, because Equestria would be severely weakened without the power of the Elements as a deterrent and an asset. If rumors start floating around that the Bearers are starting to drop left and right... The other nations might take the chance to capitalize on that. We can’t afford to let word of this to start spreading around.”

Celestia’s prized student paled visibly as she realized the implications of her brother’s statement. She and her friends could easily have been targeted for kidnapping or assassination by any of the foreign nations surrounding Equestria, and at any time, if their leaders had ever gotten around to getting ideas. Gryphonia, Draconica, Minos; the names of nearly every nation beyond Equestria’s borders flickered through Twilight’s mind as she considered her brother’s words, and she realized just how dangerous and deadly a world she really lived in.

“So...” Twilight’s voice faltered for a moment, as she searched for the right words. “So what are we supposed to do then? We can’t just leave her here like this!”

“Maybe not for a long time,” Shining agreed, placing a consoling hoof on his sister’s shoulder. “But she can afford to stay here, at least for a little while.”

“But if we-”

“Twilight!” her brother cut her off, his tone shifting from comforting to authoritative in a heartbeat. “I’m not suggesting we leave her here to fend for herself! But we can’t act without thinking, not with things the way they are. We need to plan first, alright?”

“I...” The lavender mare trembled slightly, her mind frantically trying to process her situation. This was crazy; Fluttershy needed help, and she needed it now! She couldn’t just leave one of her friends on her own like this. There was no way this was the right thing to do.

“Twily...” The librarian flinched a bit as a pair of hooves wrapped around her body, enveloping her in a gentle embrace. “I know it’s scary. I know how powerless you must feel right now. But you have to trust me, please. I swear, I’m not going to leave Fluttershy, alright? I’m going to stay right here and protect her for as long as I need to.”

Squeezing her eyes shut, Twilight tried to hold back her tears as she leaned into her brother’s comforting hug. Her thoughts were warring against each other, half of them screaming that she had to get Fluttershy to the hospital, the other half pleading with her to trust Shining. Stars above, why did it have to be so hard?

“Shining,” she spoke after a moment of silence, her voice shaky. “If I... If I agree to do what you say, what would you need me to do?”

Twilight felt her brother’s hug grow even tighter, just for an instant, before he released her and stared into her eyes. “The Princesses need to know about this,” Shining replied. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Princess Celestia already knows about what happened, but in case she doesn’t somepony needs to tell her. Go back to the library and send her a letter; make sure to give as much detail as you possibly can.” He paused for a moment, searching for something in his sister’s gaze. “Do you think you can do that?”

After a second of hesitation, a nod came in response.

“We also need to make sure the other Bearers know about this,” the captain continued. “You know Ponyville better than I do; what’s the best way to get word to your friends?”

“Applejack should be out on the farm at this time of day,” Twilight muttered as she thought. "The only way to get a message to her would be to go talk to her face to face, but Sweet Apple Acres is way outside of town. Pinkie Pie’s easier, thankfully; I can just stop by Sugarcube Corner on my way back to the library.”

Shining Armor nodded, a plan already forming in his head. “All right, good. Go talk to Pinkie Pie first, then head to the library. Now Twilight, I know how you are with letters, but you don’t have time for fifteen drafts, okay? Just write the first thing that comes to mind; it’ll be enough to give Celestia what she needs to know.”

The mare let out a mix between a sob and a chuckle at her brother’s joke before nodding with as much resolve as she could muster. “I... Okay, I can do that.”

Once again, Twilight let her eyes sweep over the unconscious form of her friend. “And... And what about-”

“Hey, who do you think you’re talking to?” Shining Armor said with a hint of jest in his voice. “I’m the stallion who was able to shield all of Canterlot for months! I think defending a single cottage falls within the realms of my meager abilities.”

The siblings shared a brief laugh at that, but their mirth was short lived. “Shiny,” Twilight choked out, unable to meet her brother’s eyes. “I’m... I’m scared.”

Once again, the stallion leaned forward to wrap his sister in a hug strong enough to crush a lesser pony. “I know,” he replied, “but I also know you. And I know that no matter how scared you are, you’re going to do everything you can. You’re Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia’s personal student, the Bearer of the Element of Magic, one of the most powerful unicorns in history, and...”

Twilight stuttered in protest as Shining ruffled a hoof through her mane, the noogie only worsening her bedhead. “And you’re the best little sister in the world.

“Now go on. You’ve got my word as a captain of the guard, Fluttershy will be safe. I promise.”

“I... I know.” Twilight gave her brother one last imploring look, and reluctantly turned away, trotting towards the door. “Please... keep her safe.”

And then the lavender mare vanished in a flash of purple light as she teleported out. Shining Armor gazed at the spot where his sister had stood not more than a second ago, and shook his head with a smile as he considered the few foreign presences that were beginning to skirt around the edges of his senses, heading in the cottage’s direction - presences that paled in comparison to his own. “I don’t think that’s going to be much of a problem, Twily.”

His horn sparked as the broadsword across his back was bathed in his signature aura, the magical equivalent of laying a hoof on its hilt, and his face lit up in a fierce grin.

And so, the mice come out to play...

The jaunty tune pouring from the speakers would have been enough to drive most ponies to drink, but, to this one mare, it was only part of her morning playlist. It was barely six in the morning, and already Pinkie Pie stood in her room wide awake, her head bobbing and her hoof tapping against the floor absently to the beat.

She might have appeared lost in the music to any outside observer, but the truth was that that the pink mare's mind was running a mile a minute. Inane and eccentric lyrics continued bouncing around the walls of her room, but her thoughts were occupying a totally different tangent as she paced about, muttering to herself underneath her breath.

"So, situation review!" Pinkie muttered to herself. "Dashie's in a coma, Princess Celestia says we might have Aliens on our hooves. One day later, Rarity shows up in a coma as well, while Dashie suddenly busts out of the hospital at the same time. Connection between the two events? Highly probable."

The pink party filly trotted over to her room's dressing table, squinting at her reflection in the mirror. "Nature of Dashie's problem that made her break out of the hospital? Unknown. Only she changed into some weird new shape, but information limited right now. Thoughts on situation?"

"Need more information." She replied to her own statement almost immediately. "Too many unknowns. Don't know what we are being faced with here. But how to find out...?"

Plonking down on her rump, the pink filly sat there for several minutes, tapping her chin thoughtfully as she racked her brains for whatever straws she could grasp at. She was trying her darndest to remember what Twilight had taught her about investigating things during that 'mystery' they had run into while in the Friendship Express, but for the life of her she just couldn’t come up with anything useful.

"Come on, Pinkie!" She muttered to herself crabbily as she rapped herself on the skull with a hoof, as though trying to jostle out a thought by force. "Use that brain of yours! Why isn't my Pinkie Sense kicking in like it usually does? Now would be a really good time for it to start telling me something!"

She continued sitting there for several moments, the song's vocals around her beginning to reach a sopranos crescendo... And still absolutely nothing happened. No sudden rush of insight, and certainly no unexpected revelation.

"Well, that was a letdown." Pinkie sighed. "And the dramatic timing was just right too! Why does this Fourth Wall stuff keep coming to me on and off?"

The pink filly sat there almost expecting an answer, but when none came, she simply gave an idle shrug. Evidently, her inexplicable Pinkie sense wouldn't be telling her anything any time soon, and she wasn't accomplishing anything by sitting here and futilely racking her brains for answers she had no knowledge of.

Getting up to her hooves and turning to face her door, she had been just about to take a step when a sudden flash of indigo light stopped her in her tracks. Blinking out the stars in her eyes, Pinkie Pie realized that the sudden arrival in her room was none other than Twilight Sparkle, and the lavender mare was looking right at her with a frantic look in her eyes.

“Ooh, ooh, Twilight! Perfect timing!” Pinkie began, a grin spreading across her face. “You’re exactly the brainy-wainy pony I need to - oof!”

The party pony found herself cut off as Twilight rushed forward and wrapped her in a bone-crushing hug. Apparently sorting and shelving books for a living did wonders for leg strength; the unicorn’s grip would give Applejack a run for her money.

For a moment, Pinkie was content to simply return the (almost, but not quite painful) embrace. Hugs, especially hugs from her bestest friends, were always enjoyed! However, it didn’t take long for the earth pony to notice a slight wetness on her shoulder, or the trembles that ran through Twilight’s body. “Twilight? Are... are you okay?”

It took the librarian a few seconds to answer, and when she did her voice was on the verge of cracking. “...No. No, not really.”

“Oh...”

Pinkie was, for once, unsure of what to do. Her typical method for cheering up a friend, or for solving almost any problem, was to throw them a party. But it was a little hard to man her party-cannon when Twilight was holding onto her like this. And even if she could, something told her that it’d take more than some confetti and streamers to lighten the lavender mare’s mood.

At a loss, the baker strained to remember the methods of induction that Twilight had taught her during that MMMMess. Maybe she could figure out what was bothering the unicorn, and could help fix it!

Hmm...Twilight’s mane and, considering her breath, teeth were unbrushed, and she had teleported straight up here instead of waiting for Sugar Cube Corner to open for the day. Whatever it was, it was apparently too important to wait a couple of hours.

Moving on, the unicorn was holding her super-duper tightly, and she was obviously trying to keep from crying. It went without saying that something was making Twilight sad, but what? She had said something about trying to track down Rainbow Dash, but if she’d found Dashie wouldn’t she be happy instead of sad? Well... it was always possible that Dashie was-

NO! There was no way Dashie was hurt, or worse! Something like that would’ve registered on her Pinkie Sense for sure; she would know if something bad had happened to Rainbow!

But... But if it wasn’t Dashie, then what was bothering Twilight so much? Oh, she didn’t know what to think!

“Pinkie...”

Twilight saying her name was enough to snap the earth pony from her thoughts. “Yes Twilight?”

“It’s... it’s Fluttershy...”

Pinkie’s mind went blank for a moment, before a single thought made its way to the surface: No. No. They couldn’t have gotten to Fluttershy, could they? She hadn’t felt it with her Pinkie Sense, so there was no way they could have done anything to her! Well... unless they had managed to sneak past her Pinkie Sense. Wait, was that even possible?!

As her mind desperately raced for an explanation, Pinkie barely noticed her mane starting to deflate like a leaky balloon. If they... If they got Fluttershy too...

A sudden, loud sniff from Twilight brought her back to earth. And it awoke... something inside her.

No. Pinkie thought as she gritted her teeth. No way, she thought as she refused to let the sadness overwhelm her, her mane and tail slowly regaining their lost poofiness. There was no way in Tartarus that she was losing it, not when Twilight needed her. There would be time to be sad later, after they had stopped these mysterious meanies and saved their friends.

Apparently Twilight had reached a similar conclusion. After another loud sniffle, she finally broke off the hug, wiping at her eyes as she took a few deep breaths. “Okay,” she began, managing to keep her voice from cracking, “I know you must be wondering what the hay’s going on. But I need to ask you a few questions first, all right?”

Though she was burning up inside to find out what exactly had happened, Pinkie managed to restrict her response to a simple nod. If there was anypony who could figure out what was going on, it was Twilight; if there was anything Pinkie could do to help her, she’d do it in a heartbeat.

“All right then, first question,” Twilight continued, magicking a quill and sheet of parchment into existence. The simple, familiar act of notetaking would hopefully help her calm down. “Have you been approached by or sensed any new presences in Ponyville lately?”

Even though it still annoyed her a little, the librarian couldn’t dismiss the power of Pinkie’s mysterious sixth sense. If it was accurate and sensitive enough to detect falling objects, then maybe, just maybe, it could pick up on the assailants that had been-

“Yep! Managed to pick up a big one yesterday!”

Twilight paused for a moment, eyes going wide, before beginning to write furiously. This was going better than she could have hoped!

“Really?! What did it feel like? Could you tell who, or what, it belonged to? Could you tell where it was?”

“Umm... Kind of like a regular unicorn, except HUGENORMOUS, Shining Armor, and at the library.”

Oh. Right.

Sighing, Twilight crossed out a good portion of what she had just scrawled across the parchment. “All right, I probably should have seen that one coming. In any case, question two: have you sensed anything that isn’t my brother? Maybe late last night or early this morning?”

After a moment of thought, Pinkie replied with a mournful shake of her head. “Sorry Twilight, but I’ve got nothing. Mr. Cadenza was the only weird thing I felt yesterday.”

“Pinkie, that’s not how names...” Pausing for a second, Twilight considered the numerous ways indulging this tangent could go wrong. “...Okay, so that’s a no on Pinkie Sense picking them up.”

After a few more minutes of questioning, the unicorn stared dejectedly at her results: several scrolls worth of (mostly unhelpful) notes, the conclusion that these attackers, whatever they were, could avoid being detected by the Pinkie Sense, and a constantly growing headache. Pinkie’s surprising amount of patience and clarity was a pleasant surprise, but it would take more than one silver lining to alleviate Twilight’s disappointment.

Well, if they had done all they could here...

“All right Pinkie,” she began, her horn glowing as she rolled up the scrolls, “I guess that’s all for now.”

The party pony’s ever-present smile drooped a bit as she detected the disheartened tone in her friend’s voice. She didn’t have to ask to know that they were still stuck at square one.

Still, there was at least one good thing that came out of it. When Twilight had first arrived, she had been a wreck. And while she certainly wasn’t smiling now, her voice had finally grown steady and her eyes had dried. Hopefully she’d be able to keep it together a bit longer.

“Anyway,” Twilight continued, banishing the parchment back to wherever she had summoned it from, “it’s probably best if we stick together for now; I don’t want any of us getting caught alone. Come on, we need to go to the library.”

Pinkie nodded in answer as an indigo aura began to engulf her, responding to the unicorn’s once more shining horn...

Only that Twilight never finished the spell. A hoof suddenly jabbed against her horn unexpectedly, jolting her concentration, and the librarian cried out in surprise as her spell fizzled out. Pinkie’s hoof rested firmly against her horn in a halting gesture, and the party mare’s expression was unexpectedly serious, her gaze directed far away as she looked past Twilight and out the window behind her.

“Double pinchy knee, floppy left ear, twitchy tail... Twilight, did you feel anything while on your way here?”

The librarian cocked her head in confusion at her pink-maned friend, and trepidation began to build up inside her, almost feeling as though she didn't want it hear what it was Pinkie had to say. If it had to do with another one of their mysterious stalkers... “No, not really - why?”

“Eh, never mind then. I guess you wouldn’t know that Rarity’s awake already.”

"Rarity's wha-?" Consternation instantly turned to relief, nearly a palpable thing now perched across her shoulders, and it was all Twilight could do not to sag right on the spot. "Oh, thank Celestia! But... How do you- Never mind. I should know better than to question that right now."

The lavender mare shook her head. She had stopped trying to understand Pinkie's mysterious sixth sense long ago, and she wasn't about to start again now. More importantly, Rarity was awake right now, and with any luck, she wouldn't have broken out of the hospital leaving a gigantic blizzard in her wake - and that meant they'd finally be able to get some answers!

"Come on, Pinkie." Twilight's expression finally broke out into a relieved smile for the first time in days, and she grabbed a hold of her friend, immediately focusing her horn upon the energies to cast a teleport spell. "I think we ought to go pay Rarity a visit."

"Sure!" The pink party mare beamed in response. "I was entertaining some ideas for her 'Thank the Stars you're out of your coma' party, and I'll finally be able to put them to use! Say, do you think she'll appreciate a little cherry chan-"

Before she could get any further, the two of them were enveloped in a flash of fuchsia light, and the duo winked out of sight.

Spike had no idea how long he had been sitting here, by Rarity's side. He and Sweetie Belle hadn’t left the seamstress' bedside for hours now, hovering over her unconscious form for the past day and night, their heads bowed with worry.

Sweetie Belle had barely eaten anything in all that time. Being fair, Spike hardly had any appetite himself, but he knew how important it was to keep oneself nourished. He had taken the liberty to go grab some sandwiches from the hospital's cafeteria for the young filly and himself, although the bland, uncomfortably soft pony food made his draconic taste buds crawl. Still, it wasn’t like the cafeteria served gemstones, so he had to make do. Listlessly, the dragonling bit into the clump of bread and flowers clutched in his claw, stared at it for a moment, and then tossed it uncaringly onto the paper plate on his lap. Screw nutrition, there was no way he could stomach that thing, not in this mood.

Next to him, Sweetie Belle sat in her own chair, breathing softly. The filly was fast asleep, exhausted after staying up the entire night and watching Rarity’s body for any sign of consciousness, all to no avail. Now her head rested on Spike's shoulder, and the librarian's assistant had resigned himself to serving as Sweetie Belle's impromptu pillar of support.

The young dragon wrung his sweaty claws against each other, like he had countless times over the past few hours, as his gaze shifted from the sleeping filly to the motionless form on the bed before him. He may have been sitting here for close on twenty four hours now, but he still couldn’t shake the nervousness from his eyes as he scanned Rarity for any sign of life, any hint that she might still be there... but, several minutes later, there was still nothing.

Sighing, Spike slumped back into his seat. What the hay was he supposed to do now? He wasn’t tired enough to fall asleep, he didn’t have the energy or will to leave the room, and there was no way he was going to wake up Sweetie just to have somepony to talk to. But if he didn’t do something else soon, all of this waiting was going to drive him crazy.

A distasteful grimace spread across his face as he spotted the sandwich on his lap. The lifeless lump of bread was only slightly less boring than sitting here and doing nothing, but maybe a bit of chewing would help to keep his sanity inta- wait, what was that?

The young dragon's head immediately snapped up, his eyes spreading wide in the tiniest hint of hope. Had that really been-?

Yes! As his gaze locked on Rarity, he realized that the beautiful unicorn was softly stirring. Her eyes blinked open blearily as she glanced around, taking in her surroundings. After a few seconds of listless observation, her gaze fell upon Spike and her eyes widened in recognition.

The seamstress let out a small gasp, and Spike broke out into an uncontrollable, relieved grin. Turning to the sleeping filly by his side, he quickly began shaking her awake.

"Sweetie Belle, wake up! Rarity's awake!"

The slumbering filly by his side stirred fitfully and glanced up at him uncomprehendingly as she attempted to process whatever it was Spike was saying. It only took a second, however, for the words to sink in, and Sweetie’s eyes quickly widened in delighted relief.

"She is!?" The young filly's gaze darted to her sister's bed, where Rarity was still looking at them in a daze, and she shot forward, enveloping the older mare in a hug. “Big sis!!! You’re awake!”

Rarity coughed weakly through Sweetie’s tight embrace, but the young fashionista returned her sibling's hug nonetheless, her voice soft and hoarse in the filly's ear.

"S...Sweetie Belle, wha...?"

As Sweetie sheepishly loosened her grip, Rarity took the opportunity to look around the room, her gaze shrouded by confusion. "Where... am I?"

"Ponyville hospital! We brought you here right after we managed to fish you out of that huge snow bank we found you in!" Spike supplied helpfully as his head popped over Sweetie Belle's shoulder, giving Rarity a furtive look. "Are... you all right, Rarity? You don't look all there..."

It was worryingly true - the more he examined the unicorn mare's expression, the more it felt like something was gravely amiss. There was a curiously distant look in her eyes as she glanced at him blearily, as though she was still in the process of dislodging cobwebs from her mind.

"I'm... not really sure," Rarity answered, her eyebrows furrowing in thought as she looked down at her hooves strangely. "I remember sending you to get help, and then running for my life in some sort of maze made out of ice... and after that... Nothing."

Spike's expression fell - Rarity couldn't remember anything about her mysterious attacker? Twilight was definitely going to be disappointed - this had been one of her foremost leads to finding the missing Rainbow Dash, and she had specifically instructed him to inform her the moment Rarity woke up. Well, whatever had happened, Twilight would just have to deal with it some other way - he was just glad that Rarity was finally awake.

Giving her sister a distracted look, Rarity slowly extricated herself from Sweetie Belle's embrace. Reluctantly letting go, the little filly looked up at her elder sister questioningly, her expression confused. "Sis?"

"I... I think I need some time alone..." the seamstress replied uncharacteristically distantly, her expression perturbed. "I have to get back to my boutique. There’s something that I need to look into..."

"Sure, no problem!" Spike piped up, eager as always to help the love of his life get whatever she needed. "We'll just get you checked out of the hospital, and then-"

A porcelain-white hoof suddenly raised itself to stop him, and Rarity gave him a grateful, if slightly vacant, look that set his spines tingling with apprehension again.

"It's all right, Spike." The alabaster unicorn gave him a genial, unreadable smile as she got out of her bed, and walked slowly towards the door. "I... think I'll manage this one just fine on my own."

Before the dragonling could even muster a reply, there was an abrupt swirling of magic, and Rarity suddenly vanished in a swirl of misty vapor. Spike stared agape at the spot where she had stood not more than a few seconds ago, and then looked at Sweetie Belle, who was looking at the same spot with a similarly slack-jawed expression.

“What... just happened?”

The world reasserted itself into solidity around Pinkie Pie as the teleport spell finally ended, and the baker rapidly shook her head, trying to blink the stars out of her eyes. By the time her vision had begun to clear, she could already hear Twilight rushing off from her side, the clopping of the librarian’s hooves audible against the wood of the hospital floor.

"Spike!" Twilight's voice was high and urgent, and when Pinkie finally blinked the spots out of her vision, she saw the purple mare standing next to a very confused looking dragonling, who was staring perplexedly at a tiny pile of white dust on the floor. “Where’s Rarity? Pinkie Pie just said that her Pinkie Sense went off, saying that she’s awake! Was there any sign of...”

Noticing Spike’s shell-shocked condition, Celestia’s student took a moment to look up and registered the empty bed, the closed door, the pile of snowdust on the floor, and, most importantly, the sizeable residue of ice-tinged magical energy that permeated the air, feeling for all the world like a pony-sized scar in the Weave. It didn’t take Twilight long to identify the nature of the residual dregs of energy - the remnant scar that had been left behind practically screamed out teleport spell - but when her mind connected the dots she found herself floored by disbelief.

How in the blazing hells of Tartarus had Rarity suddenly become capable of teleport spells, and for that matter, managed to cast one that had a touch of an ice elemental affinity to it!?

“Spike...” Twilight began slowly, fixing the young dragon with a look that plainly said that she wanted to know everything, and she wanted answers now. “What happened here?”

“I-I don’t know!” The young dragon was practically in a panic, his claws digging into his skull as he clutched at his head in wide-eyed bewilderment. “Rarity suddenly woke up, but she was looking all weird and distant, and before we could even check her out of the hospital, she just got up and teleported herself out! I don’t know how she did it!”

"Rarity cast a teleport spell!?" Pinkie Pie blinked. "But... I thought only Twilight could do that!"

"Well apparently, not anymore," the aforementioned unicorn muttered with a tinge of trepidation in her voice as she glanced at the tiny pile of leftover ice dust, eyeing it pensively. "I always had my suspicions, but if this is what they're capable of..."

"They?" Spike gave Twilight a puzzled, suspicious look. "Twilight, does this have anything to do the guys who attacked her?"

The lavender unicorn didn't answer, instead staring uneasily at the small mound of ice dust, attempting to divine just where Rarity had gone. Several seconds later her gaze suddenly shot up and locked right on to Pinkie Pie, who was still reassuring a confused and scared Sweetie Belle over her sister's abrupt disappearance.

"Pinkie."

The baker’s head snapped up and her gaze met with Twilight’s, whose eyes had gone wide with apprehension. Rarity was just about to slip through their hooves, and if they didn't act fast, she might disappear on them just like Rainbow Dash did! Never mind getting some answers, they had to make sure she was all right!

“Come with me - if there’s one place she would have gone to, it’s going to be Carousel Boutique. You and I are going to go make sure she's okay."

Before Spike could even get in a word of protest edgewise to find out just what the hay was going on, the librarian's horn sparked again, and the two mares vanished with a sudden crack!

Twilight didn't waste even a moment when she came out of the teleport spell. The instant she felt solid ground reassert itself back into existence beneath her hooves and the familiar interior of Carousel Boutique formed before her eyes, she immediately reached out into the Weave, frantically searching for anything that felt like Rarity's magical signature.

She didn’t have to look far. The moment her senses spread out, she was immediately struck by how cold the boutique felt. A quick sideways glance at Pinkie, however, told her that she was the only one feeling the mysterious drop in temperature. A distinct chill that seemed more metaphysical than physical permeated the air around her. Though her physical body told her that the room around her was no warmer than a typical sunny spring day, her arcane senses painted a much different picture - through spectral eyes, the entire place was shrouded in a blanket of freezing frost.

There were no two ways about it - these were the very same energies she had felt flowing through the fashionista's body the night they brought her to the hospital. Rarity was here.

"Twilight?" Pinkie's voice jolted the unicorn out of her reverie, and she looked over to see the pink baker giving her a concerned look. "Are you all right? You're shivering!"

The young mare started, and took a look down at herself before she realized that her friend was right - she was shivering. The cold, non-physical as it was, had raised her hackles visibly, and her forelegs were actually trembling.

"I-It's fine, Pinkie," Twilight reassured her as best she could, as a sudden shiver rippled through her chest. Gritting her teeth against the cold, she forcibly stilled her legs and drew in an unsteady breath. Stars, if she couldn't get used to this new acuity in her ability to sense magical auras, it was going to start becoming a major pain in the flank... "Come on, she's in here somewhere - I can feel it."

The pink mare didn't question her, instead simply following Twilight further into the boutique, her usually raucous, bouncing hoofsteps producing only the slightest whisper of noise.

"Rarity?" Twilight called out as she strained her ears to listen for any sign that they were not the only ones in the boutique. "Are you in here?"

There was no answer, and the young librarian felt her apprehension grow. Rarity's presence here was as clear as day, there was no doubt about that, and there was no way the seamstress couldn’t have heard her calling out her name just now. The lack of a response could only mean a few things, and virtually all of them meant bad news one way or another.

Twilight bit her lip and continued walking further into the boutique with Pinkie Pie, both of them calling out Rarity's name every few seconds, hoping for a reply. If, by some bizarre twist of fate, it turned out that she was wrong, and the seamstress wasn't here... Twilight became so sick with trepidation that she didn’t even dare to consider that train of thought.

The further they ventured, the more the young student realized that it was getting colder. A sideways glance out the corner of her eye confirmed that even Pinkie was beginning to feel it; the normally exuberant mare's bouncing had stopped completely, and she was instead walking along at a subdued pace. She had begun to shiver as well, and her every exhalation produced a thin mist, something that Twilight realized she was doing as well.

"I-I-Is it j-j-just m-me, o-o-or has it just g-g-gotten a lot c-c-colder in h-here?" Pinkie muttered out from behind chattering teeth. Twilight found herself agreeing with her. Her own shivers had increased twofold, and as she looked around her, she realized that physical signs of the intangible chill that hung over the boutique had begun to show. The windows around her were beginning to frost over, and, if she looked closely enough, she almost thought she could see tiny ice crystals coating the furniture of the room.

And all the while, the chilling, frigid presence that she had begun to sense upstairs grew steadily stronger.

"Pinkie," Twilight breathed out urgently, quickly tilting her head in the direction of the stairway.

The pink mare gave an acknowledging nod, unable to muster the energy for anything more through the strength-sapping cold. Together, the two mares bounded forward and up the staircase, anxiety lending them speed in spite of the chill that gnawed away at their bones. Whatever it was that awaited them, they had to make sure Rarity was okay!

The stairway couldn't possibly have had more than a dozen steps, but to Twilight it felt like the longest climb of her life. Every step blurred away beneath her painfully slowly, until, after what seemed like an eternity, she finally reached the second floor.

It took her less than a second to find out which door the chilling presence was behind. It was kind of hard to miss, especially when her mind was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. Without waiting for Pinkie to catch up, Twilight galloped forward and threw open the first door on her right, bracing herself for almost any manner of sight...

"Rarity! Are you all-"

... Except for the one that she was faced with. Celestia’s prized student blinked as her words abruptly died in her throat, and she stared open-mouthed at the strange creature that was sitting in the middle of Rarity's bedroom, its legs crossed and its eyes closed.

The entire room was practically coated in ice. The floor had been completely frosted over; Twilight didn't dare take even a step inside for fear she might slip and fall. But the sight of the room’s state was nothing compared to the creature sitting in the center of it. Twilight recognized its shape and silhouette with a spasm of sudden apprehension - it was the same one that belonged to the 'human' she had glimpsed in Rainbow Dash's memories of the attack on her, yet she immediately noticed several key differences.

For one, its build was far more slender, more feminine than the muscled, angular body of the human, Melchior, that she had seen in Rainbow's memories. Its features were far gentler, more elegant and smoother than the hardened edges of Melchior’s weathered visage, and a flowing gown and cape, each the color of the purest snow, was draped around its body. However, its most striking feature was its...

Its...

… Its mane.

By Celestia, she recognized its mane. That distinctively curled, elegant coiffure of rich purple... There was only one pony she knew that had that manestyle, but Twilight’s brain refused to make the connection, unable to believe what she was seeing.

The human seated before her opened its eyes, pure white orbs that were aglow with power, and it regarded her with a mildly surprised expression.

"Oh, Twilight?" Rarity's voice came forth from the creature's lips, and the young student felt her face turn white. "What are you doing here?"

Shining Armor exhaled lightly, sheathing his broadsword with a sigh as he returned his shield to his back. The bodies of his attackers lay unmoving around him in a half circle, and he found himself frowning not at their presence, but at how suddenly they had appeared.

They had quite literally popped out of nowhere. He had sensed at least half a dozen minor presences approaching the cottage a few minutes ago, ghosting in and out of perception as he watched over the unconscious Fluttershy. But before he had even begun to draw his weapon and prepare to meet them as they had begun to close, they had vanished from his senses... and then abruptly resurfaced right on top of him as six... things literally suddenly burst through the woodwork, a cacophony of shattering glass and chilling, malevolent cackles announcing their arrival.

His broadsword had all but flown free of its scabbard before he could even register what they looked like. Moving only on instinct, the unyielding steel of his sword and shield had intercepted his opponents’ in a blur, and sent up showers of sparks as he deflected the blades that would have opened up his throat had he been an instant slower.

Moving with preternatural speed, the young guard captain had thrown himself between the unconscious pegasus and their sudden attackers, slaying all of his foes in a haze of flying steel and frantic movement before he had even known what he was fighting. His heart still pounding from adrenaline in the wake of the fight, Shining Armor gulped in an attempt to slow his breathing before looking down at the bodies of his assailants, getting his first clear look at them.

'Patchwork' was the first thing that came to mind as he looked over their tattered, frayed remains. There was no way they could have ever have been alive - though they had the basic shape and silhouette of a pony, that was where the resemblance ended.

Their bodies were horribly misshapen, as though their sculptor had lost interest halfway through and abandoned them. Every one of them had had at least one of their limbs replaced almost entirely by a humongous, wickedly sharp blade, all of which were rusted to the point that it almost felt toxic to even look at them.

The sight would have been far more grisly and horrifying, had the rusted blades been crudely attached to a living pony’s body. Fortunately, the bodies they had been brutally bolted onto had obviously been as sentient as a sack of meal. A closer look availed the realization that the attackers’ remains were composed of fraying, patchwork fabrics slung around a rudimentary wooden skeleton, not unlike a sort of... scarecrow, if he had to give it a name.

These were probably magical constructs then, crudely brought to life with enchantments most likely.

But... that can’t be right. Shining Armor’s lips tightened into a thin line as he pursued that line of thought. Magical constructs have little to no sentience whatsoever, and they’ve got about as much emotion as a rock to boot. Yet the high-pitched cackles these... ‘Scarecrows’ had assaulted his ears with during their brief attack hadn’t felt much, or at all really, like some sort of recording imposed upon a normal magical construct - it had felt more like they were really enjoying the fight, right before he had eviscerated them and spilt their inert fillings onto the floor.

There was only one path that road of logic went down, and the guard captain scarcely dared to even speculate what it meant. Emotions from an inanimate construct implied the presence of a living spirit controlling it - and that would mean that these scarecrows had been possessed.

The question was by what, exactly?

Shining Armor was starting to get the feeling that he didn't want to know the answer to that question.

No, there was no use worrying about that now. The young captain shook his head, and began moving over to check on the unconscious Fluttershy, both to distract himself and to make sure she hadn't been hurt through the fight.

With his attention divided between the heavy thoughts and examining his charge, it was little wonder that Shining never felt the oncoming presence until it was right on top of him. By the time he did, it hardly mattered; something that felt suspiciously like a freight train suddenly grabbed him by the head, and flung him out of the window, throwing him down to the garden outside.

Knightfall

This is the continuation of the story of six mares who have yet to realize their own destinies.

A shell of blackness on the edge of the Everfree Forest, the last remnant of Descartes, that fades with the coming dawn. A comatose Fluttershy, lost to the waking world. An awakened Rarity, charged with the powers of the South Gale. A confused Shining Armor, under assault by unknown enemies.

A storm is about to break over Equestria, and what it will bring is anypony’s guess.

“The Order of Koaxia”

Chapter 9

Knightfall

Shining Armor instantly reacted.

Nearly a decade's worth of training and experience kicked in, and he twisted his body around in mid-air, righting himself and placing his hooves beneath him just before he slammed into the ground. Only his timely reflexes kept him from suffering what would have been a disabling fall, and he was instead sent into a powerful skid as the ground crumbled beneath his hooves.

The young captain immediately snapped his head up to the window, readying himself for any manner of threat as his spiritual pressure flared in preparation for a fight...

"Well, well... I certainly didn't expect to discover a host of Jenova here."

... only to stop in his tracks as a rich, cultured voice reached his ears. His mouth slightly agape, the stallion stared in wide-eyed surprise at the bizarre creature that crouched upon the wooden beams of the cottage's balcony rail.

With the horns jutting out of its forehead and its heavily built musculature, it appeared eerily similar to a Minotaur in silhouette, but only in passing; an observant onlooker could easily spot a few differences. For one, its visage was devoid of the bovine snout that most minos possessed, instead featuring a flatter countenance with a smaller, sharper nose. Below its nose, two very long, uncomfortably noticeable canines jutted out of a pair of thin, blood-red lips.

Further reinforcing the vampiric image was the pair of large, bat-like wings that jutted out from its back, and the pallor of its skin, as pale and sickly white as a dead corpse's. But the color of its flesh paled in comparison - the guard captain’s mind cringed a little at the pun - to the twin points of emerald flame that blazed where its eyes should have been. An ornate, ebony cuirass with garish golden trimmings adorned its massive chest, and wicked talons the same color as its armor decorated its fingers, looking for all the world as long and deadly sharp as a dragon's claws.

Shining Armor's mind took in all of these details within a single split second, and then he instantly shifted onto his guard, raising his broadsword and shield in a defensive stance, his mind whirling.

Jenova host!? The young captain thought to himself frantically. What in Tartarus is he talking about?

He sincerely doubted that his opponent would be very much inclined to explain to him exactly what he had meant. Opting instead to stall for time so he could figure out what he was being faced with here, Shining Armor shifted his stance slightly, and fixed the strange being with a steady look.

"So, I suppose you're the one who sent those things here?" The guard captain's voice was hard and level, not unlike the blade he grasped in his magic. “Too cowardly to face me head on, so you rely on aberrations and sorcery to take me by surprise?”

The monstrosity let out a cold chuckle, its emerald pits burning with something that may have been derision. “My dear boy,” it began, its tone smooth as silk, “I fear that you are under the wrong impression. Only those too brash to hear sense would mistake caution for cowardice.”

Shining bristled at the insult, his eyes glaring daggers at the bizarre newcomer. “So you did send them?”

“Yes, yes, these... aberrations, as you call them, are indeed of my making.” As it spoke, the creature dismissively waved its claw at the now lifeless hunks of cloth and wood. “To be honest, I can’t say I’m particularly surprised. I was certainly hoping that their speed and ferocity would be enough to overcome whatever guard had been placed on the Bearer, but it was always a slim chance. The Order may be hopeless, but at least they’re not foolish enough to leave one of their initiates without a somewhat capable defender.”

At the mention of the Bearer, Shining Armor spared a glance towards the cottage’s interior, trying to ascertain Fluttershy’s situation, before snapping his eyes back to his foe.

“But,” the monster continued, eyeing the stallion with an air of... curiosity? “I must say that you’re quite the irregularity. To my knowledge, the Order’s never associated with Jenova hosts before, dormant as the cells in you are; in fact, I hardly think they would much less resort to such desperate measures, even after we forced them off their world. Tell me, are you the first of your kind they’ve recruited, or are there others?”

The young captain’s mind was positively whirling with questions - for just a split second, Celestia's words to him earlier yesterday flashed through his mind, and a cold chill ran down his spine.

But it wasn’t your power itself that frightened them, now was it? It was where it came from...

This couldn’t have been what the Princess had been hinting at, could it!? How could she possibly have had knowledge of this sort of thing? He couldn't possibly have some sort of connection to this... this thing that he faced!

Doubt gnawed away at Shining Armor like a physical ache, but he simply pushed it aside and mustered up his will and focused on the situation, spitting his defiant reply back through gritted teeth. “Jenova? Order? I’ve got no idea what in Tartarus you’re talking about, and I don’t care. But if you think you’re going to attack one of the Elements while she’s under my watch, then you’ve got another thing coming!”

Now it was the creature’s turn to be confused. “Element?” It cocked its head to one side, as though trying to look for some hidden meaning. “You misunderstand; I’m merely here to secure the East Abyss.”

“Then... Then you aren’t here to hurt Fluttershy?” Shining asked, a thin ray of hope filling his voice.

“Hmmm? Oh, you must mean that poor creature,” the monster replied, gesturing back towards the still unconscious mare. “Regrettable as it is, it appears that she is the East Abyss’ newest vessel, and is therefore my current target. I apologize, my dear boy, but I can’t leave here without her.” Its mouth curled into something that might’ve been a genial smile, if not for the pair of fangs that marred it.

“Then I think we’ve got a problem,” the stallion stated, bracing himself against the ground. “I am duty bound to protect her from any and all threats, and I do believe that you qualify as one.”

“Mmmm. And I suppose that there’s no way I could convince you to simply walk away?”

“No. Is there any chance I could convince you?”

Sighing, the creature “closed” its eyes, taking in a slow, steady breath. “None, I’m afraid.” Then, as it suddenly exhaled, its emerald flames sprang back to life, blazing with otherworldly malice.

“A pity,” it said, its once silky voice stained by the hint of a growl. “I always do try to avoid fighting hosts like yourself.”

Spreading its talons wide, the demon roared at the stallion, its lips twisted into a feral grin. “You always die so messily!”

The demonic vampire’s form suddenly blurred, and Shining Armor barely got his shield up in time. He reflexively called upon the still, solemn strength that dwelt within his weapon, and it answered him, standing strong against a vicious swipe that would have gouged his eyes out.

The blow kicked up a shower of sparks as it raked viciously against the hardened steel of the kite shield, and the stallion immediately and instinctively slipped his mind into the flow of combat. Letting out a massive roar of effort, Shining Armor threw himself into the fray with all his strength, barreling straight forward and slamming his entire bulk into his opponent in a powerful shield charge.

The monster gave a solid grunt of surprise as Shining smashed right into its armored chest. Not wasting an instant, the captain let loose a burst of power from his horn and wrenched his shield aside while it was still pressed up against his opponent, throwing the demon off balance. Another spark of telekinetic force brought his blade down in a vicious overhand chop aimed at the wide opening his shield bash had created, and it would have nearly hacked the fiend in half had its blackened cuirass not stopped the blow short.

Snorting in derision, Shining Armor’s opponent abruptly surged forward in a sudden counterattack. The demon's claws slashed at him again, moving in nearly indecipherable blurs. The guard captain managed to dodge backwards in time and parry aside the blow with his broadsword, barely keeping himself from being crudely vivisected. However, the subsequent assault left him on the ropes - with the demon’s incredible speed, all he could do was dodge.

When one of the vampire's swipes came dangerously close to rearranging his face, instead only slicing off an ultramarine lock from his mane, Shining Armor decided that he had had enough.

It was time to change the game.

It came just about when he expected it - one of his dodges forced the demon to overextend itself for just a moment. It may not have been much, but it was all the opening that Shining Armor needed, and he immediately began focusing power into his horn.

"Destruction Art Number One - Thrust!"

Shining Armor's horn abruptly flared with power, sending a lance of pure force right into the demon’s temporarily unguarded chest. Flying straight and true, the powerful bolt slammed right into its target’s gut, sending the cursed creature spiraling into the air. The young stallion heard a brief grunt of surprise from his opponent as it was sent flying away, and he permitted himself a small grin of satisfaction as it crashed into the wooden wall of Fluttershy's cottage, sending out a spiderweb of cracks. The grin only grew as he watched the demon fall back to the ground, its stance unsteady and its breathing labored.

"Had enough?" Shining Armor smirked despite his panting. Carefully, he shifted his stance into a low guard, his sword raised and prepared to meet any attack that might come his way. "I don't know about you, but I could do this all day."

Unexpectedly, the demon suddenly bared its fangs, letting out an enraged snarl as it shot him a glare of pure loathing.

"Impudent whelp!" The growled threat in its voice was unmistakable, and as confident as Shining Armor was of his chances of winning, he still felt a sudden chill make its way down his spine. "Were it not for the potential boon you might present to our cause, I would strike you down myself here and now! Sadly, my lord would be most displeased with me if I returned to him with the corpse of a Jenova host without having at least attempted to convert it."

The vampiric demon rose to its feet, hardly looking any worse for the wear. Although his only outward reaction was a surprised blink, Shining Armor’s mind was reeling.

That lance of force had packed enough of a punch to knock the wind out of a manticore and likely crack a rib or two from several yards away - how the hay had this thing just shrugged it off like it was nothing at point blank range? Not even its cuirass showed the slightest hint of being dented!

"It seems, boy," the monstrosity remarked off-handedly as it dusted itself off. "That you and I have a trip to make."

It fixed him with a look that held entirely too much meaning, and Shining Armor suddenly found himself growing sick with apprehension.

"And I'm afraid that you have no choice in the matter."

"Like hay I don't," the guard captain snarled as he brutally beat the fear rising within him into bloody submission. Like hay he was going to let this thing win without a fight. Before his demonic adversary had a chance to respond, Shining Armor reached deep inside of himself...

“Huuuuaaaaaaaahhhh!!!”

... and in a burst of effort, wrenched open the seal that had been placed upon him by his division.

Energy came pouring out. Power exploded outwards from within him as a shining blue-white aura flared to life around his body, and the guard captain let out a massive shout as his full strength came roaring to the forefront. The grass beneath his hooves was literally flattened from the sheer amount of might radiating from his body, and a full-blown gust emanated from where he stood,so strong were the waves of power rolling off of his body.

The demon’s only response to the display of strength was a single raised eyebrow. "Really? Is that all that you have? I expected more out of a Jenova host."

"We'll see who's talking after I've pounded your bloody flank into the dirt." Shining Armor smirked through the glow of his azure aura, and with a burst of power he snapped his broadsword in front of him, pointing the tip of the blade at the vampire's heart while he aligned his shield perpendicularly at his side. "Shout, Zan-!"

"Awaken, child of Jenova, and receive the Reunion!"

Reunion? What the- Shining Armor's thoughts came to an abrupt halt as the demon pointed at him with a single, clawed finger, one that glowed a sickly purple and was encircled by miniature motes of light.

It took the captain a few milliseconds to notice that his body had stopped responding to his thoughts. It took a few more before his brain registered the pain.

No. Not pain.

Agony.

It felt like his veins had been torn from his body, drained of blood, filled with some dark, caustic fluid, and set aflame by the hottest breed of dragonfire. It felt like they had been stuffed back inside his torn and ruined muscles, only to be nailed back into place by a hundred thousand needles dipped in the cruelest of poisons. It felt like his body had been dumped into a pit of water that oscillated between boiling and freezing with every passing instant. His very cells rebelled against him in sheer, blinding pain, and his entire world went white.

Return...

Some small part of Shining’s mind dimly realized that he had fallen to the ground, and that his blade and shield had slipped from his telekinetic grasp. The sheet of pain washed over him, forcing his vision to slowly fade to black, and his heart pounded painfully in his chest like a jackhammer. Only with a titanic effort did he manage to creak his eyelids open through the haze of agony, and even then only a hairsbreadth. He thought he heard somepony screaming somewhere far, far away... and then, a moment later, he realized it was him.

Return to us...

His throat raw and his body on fire, the young captain struggled to pull himself together, attempting to rise back onto his hooves... only to collapse back to his knees as a fresh wave of blinding agony forced him down again. The stallion doubled over, hellish nausea washing over him.

Return to Mother...

Bile rose in his throat - Shining Armor coughed violently as his body was wracked with spasms... and when the shakes finally subsided several agonizing seconds later, he found himself staring blankly at the splatter of blood that stained the grass in front of him.

What... what in Tartarus was this!?

"What..." Even speaking hurt. His voice was nothing more than a hoarse rasp, and no sooner had he uttered a single word when a second wave of nausea overcame him. The stallion doubled over coughing again, his vision fading in and out. Stars, his head was swimming so badly he couldn't even think. "What did you do to me!?"

"I merely awakened your genetic legacy." Shining Armor barely heard the demon speak through the pounding roar of blood in his ears. "With the cells already present in your body, it was child's play to simply activate them with a burst of warp energy. You should be losing consciousness any moment now..."

The young captain, already in the throes of agony, felt his heartbeat spike in sudden terror. No... I can't lose, not here! If I get beaten by this guy, then Fluttershy... and Twilight...!

In a desperate surge of movement, Shining Armor attempted to throw himself back onto his hooves, but it was no use. The pain was just too excruciating. Robbed of strength by the debilitating haze of agony, the young stallion's hooves slipped out from underneath him the moment he put his weight on them, sending him doubling over in another fit of wracking coughs that splattered more blood over the grass.

"You really should give up now," his demonic adversary remarked in an infuriatingly conversational tone. "There is no fighting the mutation once it's begun - you are merely prolonging your suffering."

More pain assaulted him. Shining Armor could barely hold on to consciousness now. The edges of his vision were going dark, and his breath constricted painfully in his chest. He tried to fight against it, but it was too much - another bout of spasms sent him twisting onto his side, and he could only watch in horror as the skin and flesh of his forelegs began to ripple and shudder before his very eyes.

What... is happening to me!?

"W-Who... What are you?" the captain croaked out weakly, hanging on to wakefulness only by a slowly fraying thread. He barely heard his opponent's chuckled reply.

"Perhaps it might be of use for you to know the name of your new masters. I am a Nathrezim, a Dreadlord of the Burning Legion, and my name... is Mal'Ganis."

There was the thud of plated feet against the ground approaching him. Barely even able to suck in a breath, Shining Armor could only curl up helplessly on the ground, caught in the grasp of unspeakable agony, and await his doom. Fear and despair threatened to overwhelm him - no matter where he looked, he saw no avenues of escape, but he couldn't let himself fail his sister now! There had to be something he could do!

Suddenly, the captain felt a clawed hand wrap itself around his throat, hoisting him up into the air as though he weighed nothing more than a rag doll, and he found himself faced with the vampiric visage of his demonic opponent, its pale and cracked lips twisted in a macabre sneer. "Now, boy, it is time for you to come with me. There is a certain lord of mine that I would wish for you to meet."

Shining Armor tensed, bracing himself and gritting his teeth in frustration. Damn it all, so was this how it was going to end?

Faintly, he felt another dim presence reaching out from behind him, its strength still a mere shadow of its full potential. However, by sheer virtue of presence, it gave the young captain a single ray of hope, and a half-formed, desperate idea began to take root in his mind.

The guard captain came to a decision instantly. He would rather die first before being used as a tool in this 'Legion' against Equestria... against his wife and sister!

Reaching out to the presence with what little energy he had left, he connected again with the spirit of his weapon, drawing strength from it to fuel what was to be his final effort.

Behind him, the blade of his broadsword began to glow with his signature aura, and Shining poured every iota of energy he could still muster into it, aligning the tip of its blade with his back... and by extension, the Nathrezim in front of him.

He might not have been able to defeat his opponent now... but moon take him if he didn't drag the buzzard into Tartarus along with him, kicking and screaming all the way.

The demon, in the midst of weaving the energies for what Shining Armor barely recognized as a teleportation spell, suddenly halted as the captain’s horn began to spark weakly. Its burning eyes widened in surprise, and it glared suspiciously at the captive stallion. "What do you think you're-"

There was the sudden sound of rushing wind, as though a bullet had suddenly zipped by, and Shining Armor watched in shock as the top half of the demon’s forearm exploded in a shower of gore. A distant part of his mind noted dimly that its blood was a curious shade of deep purple, but the rest of him recoiled violently in surprise as Mal’Ganis abruptly dropped him unceremoniously to the ground. The Dreadlord was roaring in pain and outrage as he stumbled backwards, clutching at his ruined limb.

“Hey Mally! Remember me!?”

Shining Armor did not recognize the pumped up, upbeat voice at all, but damn if he wasn't glad for the distraction. Rolling himself around weakly onto his back, he cast a glance in the direction from which the shot had come from, and his eyes widened in shock.

For a second he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It took a moment for him to take in its appearance, and then a moment more before his mind made the connection. Shock overwhelmed what little of his mind that remained conscious, and his jaw dropped open despite the overwhelming pain that accompanied the action.

In front of him, the pained Dreadlord shot the newcomer a look that spoke of the utmost hatred, and pure venom dripped from its voice as it let out a growl that chilled Shining Armor to his very soul.

“You!”

“Yeah, that’s right - me! You can run, but you can’t hide from this guy! I still remember that time you nearly did Balthazar in, and I haven’t paid you back for that!”

Shining found himself gaping at the bizarre being, this interloper that threw out taunts so casually. Its build and silhouette was quite reminiscent of the demon’s, so long as you left off the wings and lengthy talons; even their heights were similar.

However, it was quite clear to the captain that this new creature was as related to the Nathrezim as he was. A face with flatter features, lightly tanned skin that didn’t look like it belonged on a corpse, a mess of untamed, bristly brown hair that hung down to his shoulders, hazel eyes that glimmered with manic glee, and a set of (thankfully normal) teeth spread wide in a wild grin made it fairly apparent that the newcomer was of an entirely different species. Whatever species that might be, exactly, Shining didn’t know, but at least it wasn’t trying to kill him at the moment.

“Hey. You there, passed out on the ground.”

…At least, he hoped it wasn’t going to try and kill him at the moment.

“Why don’t you just lay back and take it easy for a while?” Somehow, the interloper’s grin seemed to stretch even further as he continued. “Let the professionals handle this one.”

Though the effort took all of his strength, Shining Armor managed to cough out a few words in reply. “Who... Who are...”

“Who am I, you ask?” Flashing a quick wink in the stallion’s direction, the newcomer cleared his throat, like a professor about to begin his lecture, putting on an accent that sounded horribly similar to a Marexican’s. “I am known as Valentinez Alkalinella Xifax Sicidabohertz Gombigobilla Blue Stradivari Talentrent Pierre Andri Charton-Haymoss Ivanovici Baldeus George Doitzel Kaiser III.”

He paused for a moment, giving Shining a quick bow, tossing in another wink for good measure. “Don’t hesitate to call.”

A sudden growl from the demon, still clutching at the bloody mess of its forearm, cut off ‘Valentinez’. “Damn you, Caspar! Do you still think this is some kind of joke!?”

“Hey!” Caspar complained, shooting the monster a dirty look, “You know I hate it when you call me by my full name!

“But no, seriously,” he continued, turning his gaze back to Shining. “Do stay still, will ya? If you move around too much, you’re gonna die. In horrible, horrible agony, if I remember right.”

Shining Armor shook his head, trying to bring clarity to his half-formed thoughts through the haze of anguish. This must have been one of the six strange humans that had come to Equestria - the ones that were after Twilight and her friends. His quarry, the one he had been searching and preparing for the past entire night, was finally here.

Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, he didn’t know yet.

"I don't know where you came from or how you managed to track us down, Caspar," Mal'Ganis snarled, releasing its bloodied forearm and revealing that the limb was already beginning to mend itself, likely through some manner of infernal sorcery. “But your interference ends here!”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard that one from you about a dozen times now,” Caspar replied flippantly with a devil-may-care grin, raising one of his arms to level at the Dreadlord. And, as he was finally offered a clear look at the newcomer’s extended limb, Shining Armor registered that Caspar’s arm... wasn’t.

It wasn’t an arm at all. Instead, something that looked suspiciously like the barrel of a cannon extended forth from the man’s elbow, its entire exterior composed of an unidentifiable material that was black as tar. Veins of crimson snaked around the bizarre appendage, and - Shining had to blink a couple times to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating - the thing's veins looked like they were pulsing. As though it were... alive.

“Don’t make threats your balls can’t cash, Mally,” Caspar spoke, an audible whine seeming to emanate from his ‘arm’. As the noise rose in pitch and volume, Shining Armor felt a sudden influx of power coming from the newcomer’s direction, one that sent a strange prickling sensation washing over his fur. “You were never able to beat me before, and you certainly aren’t going to now.”

The Nathrezim’s answer was only to let out an enraged roar, and it pointed at its new opponent with its uninjured arm. The demon snarled something incomprehensible that slammed against Shining Armor’s ears like a physical weight, and a thin lance of green energy speared forward from its extended finger, snaking its way towards the human.

It never even came close to hitting. Before the beam had cleared even half the distance between the monster and Caspar, the human took to the air in a sudden, impossibly high leap. A cocky grin splashed across his face, he sailed right over Mal’Ganis and landed behind the Dreadlord in a low crouch, the barrel of his cannon primed and aimed directly at his demonic opponent’s back.

The whining built up to a sudden crescendo, and a huge flare of power burst out from Caspar's direction. Before Shining Armor could even blink, a jet of green blasted out of the cannon-arm, flashing across the distance between Caspar and Mal'Ganis in an instant.

The Nathrezim raised an arm barely in time, snarling another painfully incomprehensible incantation. There was a brief shimmer in the air front of him, and the emerald blast splashed harmlessly against it. The apparently liquid ammunition splattered to the grass below, where it began sizzling ominously.

The defense had cost him, however - in the wake of the apparently acid blast, Caspar had suddenly darted forward, and Shining Armor found himself blinking in surprise as he spotted a sudden, stark difference in the warrior’s form. Hadn't his right arm been some sort of organic cannon mere seconds ago?

And for that matter, how in Tartarus had he suddenly changed both of his arms into massive, clawed monstrosities at the same time!?

The human closed the distance in the time Shining Armor took to blink, and before the stallion knew it his unexpected rescuer already had Mal'Ganis on the ropes. Swiping and slashing madly with ridiculously huge bone claws that looked sharp enough to eviscerate a manticore in a single swipe, Caspar had the Nathrezim on the defensive almost instantly.

"Enough of this!" Mal'Ganis roared as he parried aside another slash of Caspar’s claws, doing quite well considering that his own claws were barely half the length of those that adorned the human's transformed arms. The Dreadlord gave a massive beat of his bat-like wings, opening up the distance between them as he soared into the air, and he thrust a palm outward at the ground bound human. "I shall end this charade here and now!

A torrent of hot, twisted energy unlike anything Shining Armor had ever felt before washed over him, and the stricken captain found himself gasping desperately for air. The air around him thickened with the stench of brimstone and sulfur, and a large, thick ball of emerald-green flame began to build before Mal'Ganis' extended palm, before it blasted forward towards Caspar in a stream of flaring heat.

"Burn in the fires of the Abyss, accursed Koaxian, and experience true agony!"

“What, that again? Bleugh, I hate those - they always leaves a bitter aftertaste behind.”

Shining Armor balked; Caspar sounded bored? The Koaxian was facing down the oncoming fireball with a mild expression anyone else would have used to regard a nearby fly, as though it was no more than a passing annoyance! As the conflagration drew closer and closer to him, however, the man did deign to raise his left forearm in a half-hearted blocking gesture.

The stream of flame slammed against him and exploded in a massive detonation, and Shining Armor watched Caspar disappear behind a curtain of emerald fire. For a moment the captain despaired, his one hope of finding a way out of this mess extinguished... yet, when the flames died down a moment later, he spied a silhouette amongst the embers, still standing.

Caspar lowered his left arm, having transformed the limb into a massive shield of some kind, forged entirely of black chitin and covered in the same crimson veins that had adorned his earlier arm-cannon. Green flames licked at the new armament hungrily but seemed to have no effect upon it, despite those selfsame embers rapidly burning away the grass at his feet. The human flicked his shield-arm to the side, shaking the embers off, and suddenly it was back to normal.

"Drafty," he commented off-handedly, dusting himself off. "I'll give it to ya, Mally - you've gotten better! Last time you hit me with that, I only felt a little whiff of hot air."

And then Caspar suddenly whipped his left arm forth. With a sound like stretching rubber, the limb extended forward, moving an impossibly long distance before latching onto the Nathrezim’s cuirass. The barbed stinger that had suddenly replaced the human’s hand, Shining Armor realized with a start, had punched cleanly through the breastplate, the same one that had effortlessly deflected his own blade mere minutes ago, as though it were made of butter.

"But I don't get hot under the collar so easily!"

He yanked downwards, and Mal'Ganis was brutally jerked out of the air and brought down, flailing and screaming, to Caspar's level. The Koaxian reared his right arm backwards briefly, and when he thrust it forward to meet the falling demon, it was suddenly replaced by a ridiculously huge, double-ended blade nearly as long as Caspar's own body, its smaller secondary end protruding from where his elbow would have been.

Shining Armor watched in shocked awe as the blade impaled the Dreadlord cleanly through the sternum, unleashing a shower of indigo gore. Blood exploded out from Mal'Ganis' mouth as its expression contorted in surprise, as though it could not comprehend what had just happened.

"I-Impossible..."

"Told you." Caspar's voice had lowered itself to a deadly murmur, made all the more chilling with how grave his tone was. "You're not going to beat me, Mal'Ganis. Not in this life, and not ever."

“And... what exactly do you think you can do... that can possibly kill me?” Mal’Ganis let out a throaty, bubbling chuckle despite the massive blade thrust through his torso, purple blood oozing from his lips. “Dozens of... your predecessors have tried, and none of them succeeded. You can never... truly destroy a Nathrezim, Koaxian - you can only merely banish us back to the Warp. I will be back again someday, and I will find the means to defeat you.”

“Maybe.” Caspar conceded with a tilt of his head, and the tinny whining that Shining Armor had come to associate with the charging of the human’s strange arm cannon suddenly sounded again, rapidly building up to a fever high pitch. “But that day ain’t this one. And it sure as hell won’t be the next time you come back... ‘cause I won’t be around any longer by then.”

Mal’Ganis’ flaming eyes narrowed. “Wait... Just what do you-”

“I’ll see you in the Warp, Mally.” It was only then that Shining Armor noticed the tiny, secondary barrel that had grown on the inner side of Caspar’s blade, levelled right underneath the Dreadlord’s chin. “Say hello to Tichondrius for me.”

There was a sudden muffled thump!, and Mal’Ganis’ head vanished in a spray of steaming, bile-green acid. Caspar shook Mal’Ganis’ body from his blade in a shower of blood, and when Shining Armor blinked, the human’s arm was suddenly back to normal again, showing no trace of having been a massive blade nearly as long as his own body mere seconds ago.

As the captain watched, the Dreadlord’s corpse slowly dissolved away into a fine gray mist. Its arms, its legs, its bloody stump of a neck, and its ruined torso, in a matter of seconds they were all reduced to a thin spray of ash. Instead of coating the ground or Caspar, the ash took to the air, as though carried along by an ethereal gust of wind. Though bleary, half-closed eyes, Shining watched as the last remnants of his foe blew upwards and away; before long, all trace of the demon’s remains had been lost to the great blue expanse overhead.

“Well. That was fun!”

Leaving him, for better or for worse, alone with the human.

A quick glance in Caspar’s direction revealed that the man was currently lost in his own little world; he stared up the sky, in the approximate direction the ashes had been traveling, with a... wistful, if that was the word for it, smile sprawled across his face, seemingly unaware of his surroundings.

With his rescuer apparently lost in thought, Shining turned his head back to Fluttershy’s cottage with a titanic burst of effort. The simple motion shot lances of pain down his spine, but he didn’t care. He’d promised both his Princess and his sister that he would defend the Bearer of Kindness, and he intended to keep that promise until his dying breath.

However, it seemed that Mal’Ganis’ curse did not fade alongside its caster. The stallion’s thoughts were lost in an agonizing haze the instant he tried to rise to his hooves, and he collapsed back to the ground, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

This new position afford Shining Armor a new viewpoint. One of his forelegs was stretched out in front of his muzzle; even his blurry, faded vision could make out every detail from this short distance. And what he saw set his stomach churning in disgust and horror.

His flesh was crawling, both figuratively and literally. Malformed lumps seemed to slowly traveling from his hoof up to his knee, as though tiny moles were burrowing through the limb. They pulsated like they were stuffed with some kind of oozing, not quite liquid substance, and he could almost swear that they smelled like rot and decay. What’s more, it looked like his entire leg was slowly but surely turning a dark, horrid color of black. It didn’t look like it was just his fur that was shifting from snow white; his skin and muscles seemed to be changing color as well.

“Hey!”

The shout managed to bring Shining back to reality, or at least a bit closer to it. Slowly, the stallion managed to wrench his eyes away from his limb and over to Caspar. Apparently the human had emerged from his own reverie, as he was currently stalking over to the immobilized captain with a disappointed grimace.

“I thought I told you to stay still,” Caspar chided as he cleared the distance between them in a few long strides. “I wasn’t joking around, ya know. Moving around in your condition is only going to make the corruption spread faster.”

With an overly theatrical sigh, he crouched down next to Shining Armor. Hazel eyes, full of boredom lightly tempered by curiosity, lazily stared at the stallion, as though he were a museum exhibit stuffed behind a layer of glass.

Shining wasn’t sure how long he endured Caspar’s gaze; it’s difficult to keep track of time when you’re fading in and out of consciousness. He was fairly certain, however, that it was only after an uncomfortably long silence that the human stood back up.

“Jenova cells, mmm? And they’ve only just been called on?” Caspar muttered as he stretched, his arms and back bending slightly more than his joints should have rightfully allowed. “Hmm, and where exactly have you been to have contracted this kinda stuff? Well, it’s your own fault for going up against a Nathrezim when your body’s messing around with those bad boys. Sorry buddy, looks like it’s the end of the road for you.”

His prognosis announced, the human turned to leave, idly waving a farewell to the stallion as he began to walk away. “I’d advise just keeping still until you pass out. S’not like it’ll slow the spread down much, but at least it won’t agitate your body as much as it could. Happy thoughts!”

As he watched the newcomer casually stroll away, Shining felt a cold panic seize what was left of his mind. This couldn’t be... He didn’t want to... Dammit! Was this really how he went out?! Sprawled out on the ground like a sick foal, leaving his charge and his country undefended?! ...No. He wasn’t going to let it end like this. Even if he was going to die, at least he could try to make sure Fluttershy made it through.

Though it felt like his leg was going to shatter and fall off at any moment, the captain managed to stretch it towards Caspar’s retreating back. “Wait,” he managed to croak out. “Please... You need to... to help...”

“Sorry buddy,” came the disturbingly chipper reply. “But I’ve got places to go and things to do. Don’t really have time to take care of someone stupid enough to throw their life away like that.”

“Not me!”

That managed to slow the human down a bit. Slowly turning around, Caspar stared back at Shining with that same analytical gaze. “...Okay, okay, fine. What’s your last request? Got family you want to track down or something?”

If his face wasn’t contorted into a permanent agonized grimace, Shining would’ve cracked a small smile. It was certainly a shot in the dark, but this human had fought off that demon after all. Maybe, just maybe, he’d care enough to help Fluttershy.

Though the act nearly sent him spiraling into unconsciousness, the stallion managed to twist his leg again, this time pointing at the large hole he and Mal’Ganis had made as they had torn through the cottage’s wall. “... Her,” he croaked feebly, hoping against hope that his hunch was right. Because, if he was wrong... He didn’t want to think about it.

The vague gesture and request seemed to have sparked Caspar’s curiosity, if nothing else. With a noncommittal grunt, he turned towards the cottage and began to stalk towards it. It didn’t take him long to reach the homestead, and it took even less time for him to vault inside.

For a short while, silence filled the air, leaving Shining Armor to stew in his half-conscious thoughts and worries. Then, just barely, his ears managed to pick up a handful of words from within the house.

“Well, what do we have here?”

Though there was a perfectly serviceable hole in the wall, Caspar chose to exit through the cottage’s front door. Slowly, he marched back over to the immobilized stallion, a mischievous grin dancing across his features. “That was Descartes’ broad, wasn’t it?” Though he had phrased as a question, it was obvious to both of them that Caspar was stating a fact. It wasn’t as though Shining could have answered anyway, even if he knew who Descartes was.

“So, let me get this straight,” Caspar muttered as he crouched next to the captain again, his eyes glimmering with excitement. “We’ve got a Dreadlord, an Initiate, and your Jenova-infested self, and you decided to help us out?” If the human’s chuckling was anything to go by, the situation was apparently quite amusing, though the humor in it managed to escape Shining.

“Well, you know what they say!” the man spouted brightly, his arms beginning to shift into some other bizarre shape. “The enemy of my friend is my... Wait, no. Friend of my friend... Oh, who gives a damn. You helped us out; I suppose the least I can do is return the favor.”

Caspar reached out, sinking his grip into Shining Armor's transformed foreleg with a hand that looked as though its fingers had been replaced with hypodermic needles. And somehow, though it didn't seem physically possible, the pain got worse.

The captain would have screamed out, had he any breath to spare. A sheet of pure, white agony blanked out all of his senses, and through the overwhelming anguish he only barely noticed another presence slithering its way into his body’s ley lines. Its buzzing, chaotic energies merged and intertwined with his own... and began to battle against the malignant, sinister shadow that he was only just starting to sense hidden inside his very own body.

“Well, well, aren’t you a slippery bastard?” Shining Armor barely heard Caspar mutter. “Come on now... back you go!”

The new slithering presence inside him suddenly jabbed forward like snake lunging at its prey, striking at the shadow. A fresh wave of pain washed over the soldier, so intense he nearly blacked out. More energy was pouring into him from outside, scorchingly purifying as it pushed back the shadow, isolating it and blocking it off from the rest of his body.

“Easy does it..." The human's voice was now nothing more than a faint ringing in his ears. "I don’t know where you came from or how you got into this guy’s body, but you sure as hell ain’t going to take control of him here to use against us, you bloody Nightmare!”

His entire body aflame with agony, Shining Armor’s iron hard discipline finally buckled underneath the strain. His mind utterly collapsed, unable to endure the overwhelming anguish any longer... and just before the blackness finally claimed him, a final voice rang in his ears, its words echoing throughout his very being...

Power...

GIVE ME MORE POWER!!!

Power unlike anything Twilight had ever sensed before was rolling off of Rarity in waves.

It felt as though she stood in the midst of a freezing blizzard, and that Rarity was the very heart of the storm. Icy cold pressed in all around the scholar, the sensation of sleet biting painfully into her flesh like thousands of tiny needles. Twilight blinked, trying to clear her head as she struggled against the pressure building in her temples, and she stared uncomprehendingly at her transformed friend.

The unicorn-turned-human continued staring at Celestia’s prized student with curiosity, one of her eyebrows raised. “... Twilight? What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me as though you’ve seen a ghost?”

The fuchsia mare struggled to get her mouth working, her jaw moving up and down and her lips just barely managing to form words.

“R-R-Rarity, y-you’re...”

"I'm what, Twilight?" Rarity frowned, evidently confused.

"Hey Twilight!" Pinkie Pie's head suddenly popped from behind Twilight. "Didja find anythi- HOLY HORSEAPPLES RARITY, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU!?"

“Honestly, what is wrong with the two of you?” Rarity chided, rising to her feet, and Twilight realized with a start that the upright fashionista now towered over her - she had to be at least twice her original height now! As she walked slowly towards her guests, the white glow of Rarity’s eyes subsided, revealing the aquamarine irises that Twilight recognized all too well. “Pinkie, is this another one of your pranks? Twilight, did she actually convince you to join her on this?”

“What do you mean, is this one of my pranks!?” the party pony shouted back. “You’re one of those hu-mmpggh!”

Pinkie found it difficult to finish the rest of her statement, most likely due to the hoof Twilight had just shoved down her throat. “Er, what Pinkie’s trying to say,” the librarian began with a hesitant, nervous grin, “is that you, umm... Rarity, you’re... Rarity, have you taken a look at yourself lately?”

“Excuse me?” Rarity couldn’t possibly have sounded more offended than she did at that moment, her words full of shocked disbelief and a hand flying self-consciously to her chest. “Why, I never - Twilight, are you trying to insinuate something!?”

“Oh, for the love of-” The librarian nearly facehooved. Her fear and trepidation was slowly starting to melt away, being replaced with annoyed familiarity - as different as her friend looked, it was becoming more and more apparent that this was still the exact same Rarity that she had known throughout all her years of living in Ponyville. “For Celestia’s sake, Rarity, look at yourself!”

“And what, exactly, are you trying to-” The former unicorn huffed in annoyance, deigning to take a second to follow Twilight’s instructions. The rest of her unfinished sentence died in her throat, however, as she finally noticed her transformed body. Eyes wide as dinner plates, Rarity blinked as she raised a pale, slender hand up to her face, and stared at it uncomprehendingly for a few seconds.

“Oh,” the fashionista simply said, and then abruptly collapsed onto her behind. “Oh my.”

The power emanating from her abruptly vanished. One moment Twilight felt like she was standing in the middle of a snowstorm, and the next she was suddenly surrounded by blessed warmth as the boutique returned to normal temperatures. There was a brief flash of light, and the human Rarity suddenly vanished, replaced by a familiar alabaster white unicorn that Twilight relievedly recognized.

The room rapidly returned to normal, its icy coating dissolving away into so many motes of tiny light that soon winked out of existence. As the last of the glimmers faded away, Twilight galloped into the room and right up to Rarity, who was still staring, shell-shocked, at her hoof.

“Rarity?!” she began, urgently waving a hoof in front of the seamstress’ face. “Are you okay?! Can you hear me?!”

“I... Yes, Twilight,” came the dazed reply. “I’m just a little... Oh, my.”

Twilight let out a relieved sigh, before wrapping her friend up in a tight embrace. For several moments she had feared the worst for her friend, afraid that somehow, their mysterious interlopers had gotten their metaphorical claws into Rarity’s head and twisted her thoughts and personality into something completely unrecognizable. Now, she could see that her fears had been baseless, and at the very least, it didn’t look like their Rarity was going to be going anywhere anytime soon.

“Wowie! How’d ya do that, Rarity!?”

Apparently, Pinkie wasn’t quite satisfied with being left out of the hug. Bounding forward and scooping both her friends up in a bear-like embrace, she brought her face right up next to Rarity’s and affixed her with a curious, questioning stare, which the unicorn answered with an equally confused expression.

“I... I don’t know, Pinkie Pie,” Rarity confessed shakily, holding a hoof to her forehead as she tried to steady herself. “It was just... It felt completely natural to me, manipulating the power this way. Like I've been doing it my whole life. I felt something calling to me when I woke up, and when I answered it, I... found myself here.”

“Calling to you?” Twilight gave her friend an intrigued look, a familiar look of a hunger for knowledge beginning to twinkle in her eyes. “What do you mean by that?”

"I don't know how to describe it." Rarity shook her head breathlessly as her fuchsia friend helped her back onto her hooves. "Something... spoke to me while I was sleeping. Guided me. I couldn’t make out any of its words, but I understood its intent perfectly. It helped me find something inside of me, and when I tapped into it...”

The unicorn let out a shuddering breath, but not in any manner of fear or disgust, and she gave the young scholar a meaningful look. “Well, let’s just say that I now have an inkling of how you might feel having all that power at the tips of your hooves, Twilight.”

Twilight stared at Rarity in shock, her heart nearly stopping. She knew that her friend tended towards theatrics and exaggerations, but she could tell that Rarity had been absolutely serious just now... and the implications of that chilled her to the bone.

Oh, she would certainly know the feeling - being the Bearer of the Element of Magic afforded Twilight an almost limitless font of energy from which to draw from. She could repeatedly cast day-to-day spells without feeling so much as a whiff of exhaustion, and only multiple consecutive castings of high level spells were capable of even winding her. If the changes wrought to Rarity’s body had brought her anywhere close to matching Twilight’s own level of power... the young student scarcely dared to even imagine what awaited them further down the road.

If she was reading this right, they were being slowly worked up the totem pole - the first to fall had been Rainbow Dash, one of the supporting elements of Harmony, but by no means a central piece. The next to be targeted had been Rarity, and following that, Fluttershy, each one a peripheral, rather than central target. Twilight was starting to get a feeling in her gut that she would be the last one to be confronted by... whatever it was out there that was stalking them.

And if one of their mysterious interlopers had enough power to bring Rarity, a unicorn who relied far more on skill and fine control with her comparatively limited amount of magic instead of sheer strength, up to a level that could match her own raw power... the librarian’s head spun as she contemplated just how terrifyingly powerful the rest of their enigmatic visitors could be.

“Well,” Twilight exhaled shakily as she shook her dark thoughts off and tried to ground herself back in the situation, “we’ll have to look into that later, won’t we? We have more important matters on hoof right now - I was just getting Pinkie from Sugarcube Corner when her Pinkie Sense picked up on you finally coming around.”

“Sure hit me by surprise!” The magenta earth pony standing behind her piped up, nodding her head vigorously. “I was hoping for something on Dashie, but then I got a floppy knee and twitchy ears, and I just knew you were awake, so I decided ‘eh, I’ll take what I can get’, and so I told Twilight and then we teleported to the hospital but then you weren’t there so we decided to look for you here!”

Twilight stared at Pinkie, but was hardly surprised at this point that the pink mare had managed all of that in a single breath. “Well... yes, that’s pretty much how it happened.”

“I... see,” Rarity murmured distractedly, her eyes downcast and unsure. A moment later however, her gaze rapidly refocused, and she suddenly locked her eyes on Twilight. “Wait... what were you going to get Pinkie for at Sugarcube Corner for?”

The image of a butter yellow pegasus mare lying comatose in her bed flashed across Twilight’s mind, and she choked back a distressed sob. “Oh... Oh, darn it all... Rarity... They got to Fluttershy!"

"They what?" Rarity's voice was a horrified whisper. “Oh... Oh stars, no... Is she all right!?"

“She’s unconscious right now, still inside her home. My brother arrived in Ponyville yesterday and he’s watching over her now. I teleported to Pinkie’s so I could let her know as soon as possible, and then...” Twilight’s words were coming out in a tumbled rush as the distressed mare tried in vain to keep herself composed. "Well, you woke up. Rarity, we have to get to Fluttershy's right away! Every second counts here!"

The seamstress stared at her panicking friend in confusion, desperately trying to take stock of the sudden rush of new events. Here she was having just woken up from a coma, and she was already being rushed along from one thing to another without even having a single chance to catch her breath!

Almost on instinct the unicorn immediately took in a deep breath, rapidly instilling a sense of zen that came to her almost naturally. Her thoughts abruptly cleared, bringing crystal clarity to the myriad of confusing circumstances she was being faced with. Details were noted, connections were made, and she fixed Twilight with a look of dawning comprehension.

"Wait, Twilight," Rarity began slowly. "The presence that took her... did it feel dark, and empty by any chance?"

The lavender unicorn, who had already been in the midst of casting a teleport spell, suddenly halted, staring at Rarity with wide, surprised eyes. "Why... Yes! But how did you know? You were still asleep when it happened!"

“No, I think it was the very thing that woke me!” The fashionista unicorn shook her head, speaking with a quiet urgency. “When I regained consciousness, I realized that I could sense two very distinct magical signatures that were directly connected to me. It was like, I just knew where they were. The first one I sensed was tiny, infantile - almost as if it was newborn. It felt dark, and cold, but there was the other one, and it was just bursting with power and movement, like... like lightning.”

Rarity fixed the purple mare before her with a look of frantic realization, and she grabbed her friend urgently by the shoulder. “Twilight, I think I know where Rainbow Dash is.”

The young librarian stared silently back for a few seconds. Her mouth worked, trying to give voice to her astonishment, but sheer relief simply blocked everything else out. She just couldn't believe it - after being hit by turn after turn of horrid luck, with her friends dropping like flies or disappearing, having one of them finally wake up and know how to find the other missing one was nothing short of a miraculous turn of fortune.

"This is... I just... Wow," the unicorn finally managed after several moments, her lips half-twitching into a smile through the haze of her relieved astonishment. “Oh, thank Celestia. I was hoping you’d be able to help us find her, but I didn’t expect this! This is going to make things much easier. Rarity, please, you have to-"

"- get out there and bring her back, I presume?" The seamstress shot Twilight a wry, reluctant smile. "Well, given the fact that she's in the Everfree forest, I would normally be very averse to this decision! But seeing that I’m the only one who knows where she is, I don’t suppose we have much of a choice. No sense in going unprepared, though..."

A flash of light blinded Twilight and Pinkie Pie for an instant. When they blinked the stars out of their eyes, Rarity stood before them in her human form again, rising to her feet as a long, curved body of crystallized ice began to form in her hand. A thin dress, sewn out of some gossamer, pure white cloth and seemingly infused with motes of light, hung wonderfully from her frame, sweeping down to just above her ankles. Glistening stiletto heels seemingly made of clear crystal materialized around her delicate feet, completing the ensemble.

“Ah, wonderful!” the former mare exclaimed, taking a moment to examine her new body in a nearby mirror. “You know, once you get over the initial shock, this new form really has some potential, don’t you think?” Unable to resist, the seamstress gave a quick twirl, giggling in excitement as her gown glided along with her.

“Rarity,” Twilight began, moving the mirror back with a burst of magic, “while I think it’s great that you’re able to control that body, we can’t just let you run off by yourself again! That’s exactly what happened to Rainbow Dash, and I’m not going to let it happen again.”

With an authoritative snort, the scholar slammed her hoof dramatically against the ground. “We’re going to go find Rainbow together, okay? That way you’ll be able to test out your new body, and Pinkie and I can... AAAAAAAAAAGH! ”

The unicorn’s words were suddenly cut off as a spike of red-hot pain drove itself through her temples, and Twilight’s eyes widened as she realized she recognized the sensation. Incredible, immense pressure bearing down upon her shoulders, her head clamped in a vice, the world itself pressing down around her... It was just like the time when Shining Armor had suddenly appeared at her doorstep, but this time Twilight was very sure that her brother hadn’t just arrived at Carousel Boutique.

For one thing, she could sense that the staggering wave of energy had originated from a point that was very far off - a good mile away, at least. But the moment she took in its sheer magnitude and realized just how far away it still was, a chill ran down her spine, and Twilight’s breath hitched in her throat.

It was the kind of distance they would have had to cover to get to Fluttershy’s cottage, right at the very borders of the town. Yet, despite that distance, the overwhelming sensation of power she was feeling now completely eclipsed the overpowering pressure she had experienced from Shining Armor when he had been at a mere twenty percent of his full strength, and had been right by her side to boot.

And even more terrifyingly, she realized that she recognized this energy.

Somewhere out there, her brother was cutting loose with an unimaginable amount of power, and he was in trouble.

“No...” Twilight let out a horrified whisper, shaking her head in denial. “No, no! It’s too soon!”

“What? What is it, Twilight?” Pinkie gave her a concerned look, to which Twilight responded with wide, terrified eyes.

“Something’s happened!” The librarian’s voice was soft, but high and thready with fear. “My brother, he... he’s in trouble, I can feel it! We have to get back to Fluttershy’s cottage right away!”

“But what about Rainbow Dash?!” Rarity interrupted, the worry in her words quite apparent. “She’s alone in the Everfree, Twilight; we can’t just leave her by herself!”

“I know, I know!”

Letting out a horrified moan, Twilight desperately tried to make sense of the situation. There was no way Shining Armor ever would have unleashed his full power like this, not unless the situation absolutely demanded it. He must have run into another one of those humans. They were the only things around Ponyville that could have pushed him to such extremes, after all; not even a hydra would have required his full strength. And if he’d really been pushed that far... Would even his unbridled strength be enough?

But Rarity was right, Rainbow Dash needed help too. That was what all of this had been for, trying to track down the pegasus and make sure she was alright. And they were so close too! Still, there was no way she could possibly send off Rarity on her own, not with so many unknowns still around!

“Come on, think, think!” she groaned, pleading with her scrambled thoughts to scrape together some semblance of a plan. Shining, Rainbow, Rarity, Fluttershy... How was she supposed to help them all at once?!

And this starforsaken headache was not helping things!

Letting out an angry shriek, Twilight barely noticed as Rarity and Pinkie jumped back a couple paces. “I just... I don’t know what to do!”

“Ah, come on, sure you do!”

A pink-furred leg suddenly draped itself across the librarian’s shoulders. “Don’t worry Twilight, you can come up with something!”

Pinkie Pie’s ever present cheer only served to grate Twilight’s nerves even further. “Pinkie,” she sighed despondently as she tried to shake off her friend’s attempted embrace, “please just give me a minute to think, okay? I... I need to make a plan.”

Out of the corner of her eye, the unicorn noticed Pinkie tilting her head in confusion. “Why? What help is a plan going to be?”

Twilight barely managed to bite back an irritated snap. “Why?! Because if we don’t have a plan, then everything is just going to get worse! We need to plan so that we can keep everypony safe!”

“But Twilight, how is sitting around and doing nothing keeping anypony safe except for us?”

“I don’t... What?”

“Well, right now we’re just wasting time, right? You’re trying to think of a plan and not coming up with anything, and meanwhile Shiny and Dashie are all off by themselves. You said it yourself, they need help now; we can’t just wait!”

“But... But without a plan we... Fine, so what would you do then?!”

“Oh, that’s an easy one! You and me go help your brother out, while Rarity goes to bring Rainbow Dash back home!”

“But that’s exactly what I’ve been-” Twilight could practically feel the fuse blowing in her mind. An eyebrow violently twitched - Pinkie’s suggestion was exactly the kind of course of action she had been trying to avoid this whole time! What conversation had she been listening to for the past few minutes!?

“Come on Twilight, think about it! If Dashie’s powered up like Rarity, then they’re probably pretty good matches for each other! Plus, I can probably help you with whatever you might run into! It’s a win win, right?”

The lavender unicorn forced herself to bite back a frustrated scream. Much as she hated to admit it, her flighty, scatter-brained friend was actually right. The blow to her pride as the one unicorn who always had all the plans and answers stung viciously, but right now there were more important things to worry about than her ego. Letting out an aggrieved groan, Twilight finally relented. “All right, fine. We’ll do it your way. I can’t think of anything else right now, and I guess doing something is better than the alternative..."

Turning back to the unicorn-turned human next to her, Twilight fixed Rarity with a sombre stare. "I guess I can’t really ask you to run away at the first sign of danger, since you're intending to bring Rainbow Dash back and we know how she is now, but please... Just be careful. Please come back to us in one piece, Rarity."

The violet-haired woman simply gave her a reassuring smile, bending down to set a slim, comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Twilight - everything's going to be all right. I'll be back with Rainbow Dash before you know it. Oh, and do send your brother my regards, will you?"

Before Twilight could respond, there was a sudden, subtle weaving of power from Rarity, and the former unicorn vanished in a swirl of white vapor. The lavender unicorn gave the spot where Rarity had just stood a worried look, then bit her lip nervously and turned away, her eyes averted.

“What’s wrong, Twilight?” Pinkie glanced at her friend with a concerned look. "You look like you just sent Rarity off to her own funeral!"

"Pinkie!" Twilight let out a horrified gasp. "Don't say things like that!"

The young librarian gave another furtive look at the spot where Rarity had teleported away, and let out a frustrated moan. The vice around her temples had still not abated, and her brother's power continued to shine painfully through her metaphysical eyes like a supernova in the Weave. Neither of these werehelping to alleviate her worries.

"It's just driving me insane!" she finally moaned, grabbing her head with her hooves. "Not having all the answers, not knowing what to do - there's no telling what she'll run into out there in the Everfree, and what if she's unable to handle Rainbow Dash on her own? What are we going to do then!?"

Twilight was so sunken in her frustrations that she barely registered the magenta foreleg wrapping itself around her shoulders. When she finally opened her eyes, Pinkie's face filled her vision, a wide and encouraging smile on her face.

"Come on, Twilight! Have a little faith in Rarity!" Pinkie's grin was way too confident for Twilight's comfort, but at least the sight of it managed to lift her spirits somewhat. "Remember that time when she got kidnapped by those Diamond Dogs? We thought we needed to save her - in the end, the dogs were the ones who needed saving from her! She can handle herself no problemo!"

The young scholar wanted desperately to explain to the scatterbrained baker exactly what the difference was between a lowly pack of mangy diamond dogs and a group of extraterrestrial interlopers that were capable of challenging the full power of a Royal Guard captain. Everything that Twilight knew screamed at her that Rarity was going in over her head, that she was going to get herself horribly hurt in the Everfree, that she wasn't going to be able to bring Rainbow Dash back...

But everything she knew was from before Rarity had received a power boost. A boost that brought the fashionista damn close to a level of raw power that was almost on par with her own. All of her old knowledge and expectations were useless - there was no telling just what Rarity was capable of now. For all Twilight knew, it might have been the exact same case as before - that Rarity was more than capable of handling herself, and Twilight was simply fretting over nothing.

Maybe Pinkie was right. Maybe she didn't need to worry so much about the seamstress. Right now, there was a much more immediate and concrete situation that needed their attention - her brother needed help!

"Yeah... You're right, Pinkie. Rarity can take care of herself." Twilight breathed out, nodding in an attempt to convince herself of it. "We have to get to my brother, as soon as we can!"

There wasn’t a single moment to waste - the lavender unicorn immediately began charging up a new teleport spell... or she would have, if not for another sudden interruption. Out of nowhere, another sudden wave of energy slammed against her senses, this time so garbled and twisted that she could barely even make any sense out of it, and a wave of vertigo turned her world upside down just as Pinkie suddenly yelped out, jumping a full foot into the air.

“Oh no, hold on, Twilight! Wait a sec!”

Twilight nearly swore an oath as she recovered herself. Stars, what was it going to take for her to just get through the day without any more unpleasant surprises!?

“What is it, Pinkie!?”

“I’m just getting something new... and ohhh boy, is this one a doozy! It’s... Oh horseapples, it’s headed right for us! Looks like we’re about to have some company!”

Twilight’s eyes bugged out. “Wait, what!?” Hold on, more arrivals!? Oh no, please not now not now- !

Fear gripped her chest. It might be more of them! She had to remain on guard; she couldn’t afford to be blindsided like this!

The young mare’s brain quickly tried to put a stop to her panicked train of thought, attempting to remind her of a few crucial facts to stave off the impending freak out. Okay, Shiny mentioned earlier that some of his guard officers would be arriving in Ponyville to keep an eye on the place - maybe they’re the new arrivals that Pinkie’s referring to!

The pink pony suddenly gave an abrupt, full-body shudder for just an instant. Immediately afterwards, her body ground to a stop, her eyes going as wide as dinner plates as a simple phrase escaped her lips.

“Uh oh, spaghettio.”

“What, Pinkie? What is it?”Twilight’s nerves were frazzled beyond the point of being frazzled already. If anything else was headed their way... things couldn’t possibly get any worse! Oh, Celestia, please let it be the guard officers, please let it be help that’s on the way!

“Seems like things just got worse.” A lock of hair twanged out of place in Twilight’s mane, and she could literally feel a nerve snap in her mind when Pinkie continued. “Our new arrivals aren’t exactly friendly.”

Author's Note

Well, I was hoping to be able to be done with Pinkie's scene by the end of this chapter, but the way things were going, the word count was just going to be TOO DAMN HIGH. So, decided to split the chapter up - again - and hopefully, by the next chapter, we'll have enough space remaining within the word count to finish up what's to come next!

Hint: It involves drills, giant monsters, and boatloads of hot-bloodedness ;)

West Venom

This is the continuation of the story of six mares who have yet to realize their own destinies.

Shining Armor lies stricken, rendered helpless by a mysterious infection of unknown ‘Jenova cells’, but saved from the brink of death by Caspar, one of the members of the enigmatic Order of Koaxia. Now left unconscious, the guard captain's fate is left a mystery, privy only to his unexpected rescuer.

Meanwhile, Rarity, having woken from her coma and discovered strange, new powers, uses them to track down the missing Rainbow Dash, while Twilight and Pinkie Pie rush to Shining Armor's aid.

However, before they can reach her brother, another wave of chaotic energy washes over Ponyville, sending Twilight into a daze as Pinkie senses several new arrivals into the town's borders...

“The Order of Koaxia”

Chapter 10

West Venom

The two mares burst out of Carousel Boutique, all but leaping out into the street. Twilight's gaze flitted about the town’s streets and alleyways, frantically searching for any sign of the trouble that Pinkie’s sixth sense had foretold.

There wasn’t any. Ponyville’s streets were still calm and quiet, as they should have been at six in the morning, and there was not a single audible disturbance within earshot. However, despite the lack of noticeable danger, Pinkie’s perturbed expression did not fade, and the town librarian bit her lip worriedly.

“It’s coming from over there!” the pink mare suddenly exclaimed, pointing a hoof down the street to their left. Immediately taking off at a gallop, Pinkie moved so fast that Twilight could barely keep up. As the two mares sprinted down the streets, the young scholar realized with a sinking feeling of dread that Pinkie’s directions were slowly taking them in the direction of the Town Hall.

If that was where the disturbances were coming from, then there was hardly even a snowball’s chance in Tartarus that she could keep things under wraps.

The moment they reached the town square itself, Twilight’s heart dropped out of the bottom of her stomach.

Whatever hope they had of keeping this matter quiet had just been blown completely out the window - the entire place was in ruins.

The place had been completely trashed. Benches, fountains, and flower beds had been wrecked beyond all hope of saving, strewn across the ground in various states of disrepair. Vandalism ran rampant throughout the entire square, various scars of destruction marring the once-beautiful attraction.

The unicorn's jaw fell open as she surveyed the scene, unable to comprehend what could have possibly inflicted such damage. Nothing short of a natural disaster could have caused this! Her mind struggled to come to terms with what she was seeing, and the mare collapsed limply onto her rump, staring blankly ahead.

Pinkie, however, had no such compunctions. The hyperactive filly's ears perked up as she heard hints of a ruckus coming from down a particular street - lots of objects breaking, and screeching noises that didn't sound like anything a pony's vocal chords should be able to produce. "It's coming from over there!"

She took off once again in a pink blur, and Twilight barely shook herself out of her stupor in time to follow behind. As they galloped down the street, with the sounds of destruction, screams, and inequine roars growing closer and closer, the librarian realized with a jab of fear that they were rapidly approaching the residential district. As if all that wasn’t enough, the closer they drew to the source of the racket, something... else, something inside her seemed to be responding to the noise. The sensation of brushing against a hot, twisting whirlpool of malevolent energy grew inside her mind, and, although she couldn’t see them, she knew that there were a dozen distinct presences, all seething and writhing with corruption, somewhere just ahead of her.

If any of the townsponies got hurt because she had been too slow... Twilight didn't think she could live with the guilt. Desperation lent her speed, and the fuchsia unicorn easily caught up to Pinkie as the duo shot down the street.

"They're right here!" Twilight heard Pinkie shout. "My Pinkie sense is telling me it's right... over..."

The pink mare's voice trailed off completely as they rounded the corner, her jaw hanging loose as she stared at the cacophonous devastation before her.

"The horror! Oh, the horror!!!"

Roseluck was screaming - the scarlet-maned mare was running for her life as she galloped away from her home, the rose patches that she tended to lovingly every day... and the diminutive, crimson-skinned creatures that were laying waste to it.

They couldn't have been any more than three feet tall, and their bodies were ridiculously skinny, with long, sharp claws adorning fingers that extended from vestigial arms. Tiny horns jutted forth from their foreheads like some grotesque parody of a devil pony, and their beady eyes glittered with a manic lust for destruction.

Fallen Imps - the name came unbidden into Twilight's mind with no prompting whatsoever. Knowledge that had been lurking somewhere within the depths of her subconscious suddenly surged to the forefront of her thoughts, and Twilight knew.

She knew that the crimson-skinned Fallen were nothing but grunts, little more than expendable cannon fodder designed to distract soldiers and pester civilians. She knew the location of every single one of their vital points, the most efficient manner in which to dispatch large numbers of them, everything that had to do with fighting, and disposing of them.

A stab of agony lanced through her temple, and Twilight briefly felt the touch of a foreign memory brush against her consciousness, an unwelcome image flashing through her head.

-the imp's flesh parted beneath the steel of her blade as though it was made of wet tissue, and it fell before her, screaming out in-

"AUGH!"

The lavender mare nearly fell to her knees, unable to stop herself from crying out in pain. How... What had she just been hit with!?

Twilight gasped desperately for air - the pounding pressure in her head increased as her chest constricted, and the flood of knowledge pouring into her mind showed no signs of stopping. Fallen tactics, counters to their movements as a group, ways to corral them into one spot before eliminating them all in one fell swoop...

The scholar stumbled, overwhelmed by the outpouring of information, and collapsed to the ground. Pinkie Pie, however, had no such handicaps slowing her down. Unable to see Twilight struggling behind her, the party pony galloped ahead, pointing a hoof accusingly at the monsters demolishing Roseluck’s home.

“Hey!” the pink mare bellowed, her expression livid. “What the hay do you think you’re doing!? Nopony wrecks Ponyville property but ME!”

Almost immediately, a dozen pairs of glittering eyes snapped in her direction. High, chittering cries filled the air as the various imps barked at one another, pointing at the sudden, pink intrusion with their tiny, clawed hands. After a few seconds of apparent deliberation, they seemed to come to a decision almost as one and scampered towards Pinkie without hesitation, gibbering madly.

Twilight could only watch in mute horror as Pinkie charged the group of miniature monsters by herself... and then her horror turned into shocked amazement as she realized that Pinkie was holding her own.

One of the imps, armed with a wickedly sharp knife nearly as long as its comically tiny arm, took a swipe at Pinkie, screeching in a mad chitter. But the hyperactive filly ducked under the blow with preternatural speed, her mane seeming to leave a pink streak behind as it blurred through the air. One of her hooves sent the imp stumbling backwards, clutching at its broken nose, and was swiftly followed by a sudden BANG!, and the diminutive demon was sent flying through the air, leaving a shower of confetti and streamers in its wake.

The pink mare leaped over the smoking barrel of her party cannon, resuming her bullrush the instant her hooves touched the ground. “You meanies picked the wrong town to mess with!”

Pinkie had no idea how to describe it. The moment she had first laid eyes on the tiny red-skinned monsters, indignant rage had instantly overcome her - these Demon McWrecky-pants thingies dared lay their hands on her beloved home and friends!? Unforgivable!

Her rage steeled itself into iron-hard determination, and, well aware that she was doing the complete opposite of what she normally did - that is, to run away panicking and screaming “EVERYPONY FOR HERSELF!” - the baker charged forward without hesitation, knowing exactly what she had to do.

Protect her friends.

“What, you want some of this?” Pinkie rose to her hind-legs in a reasonable impression of Rainbow Dash as she hopped around from place to place, jabbing her hooves in and out randomly as she prepared to dish out even more hurt. “Come on, bring it! I’ll bite your kneecaps off!”

The moment the Fallen responded, however, it immediately became apparent she had bitten off slightly more than she could chew. Already the rest of them were moving to surround her, their weapons or claws raised and pointed at her menacingly as they chittered angrily. The imp Pinkie had sent sprawling was already staggering back onto its feet, glaring darkly at the pink filly and brandishing its knife violently.

The imps screamed, and then everything burst into movement all at once. Three of them lunged at Pinkie as the rest began circling around her. The hyperactive mare, meanwhile, transformed into an indecipherable blur. Blades and maces swiped at her, but she darted and weaved around them, dodging by the skin of her teeth. A few of them managed to land glancing hits against her, scoring tiny nicks and leaving small scratches, but Pinkie made sure to repay them in full.

Hooves and haymakers slammed into guts and faces as the enraged mare began beating the snot out of the devilish intruders with all four of her limbs. Within seconds, two of the imps lay on the ground, groaning and twitching.

Screaming in outrage, the remaining diminutive devils descended upon the mare, their weapons thrusting wildly. Several of them slammed into her with full-body tackles, knocking her to the ground. While most raced to pin her down, the largest of them leapt upon her chest, gibbering madly as it raised its spear high and prepared to drive it through Pinkie’s heart.

Seeing her friend an instant away from getting skewered was exactly the catalyst Twilight needed. Unable to stand back and watch any longer, the mare forced her way through her pained stupor, rising back to her hooves with a ferocious growl.

“Get away from her!”

As she rose back to her hooves, Twilight barely noticed the pulse of magic that surged out of her body; she was so focused on the imp getting ready to impale Pinkie. What she did notice, however, was a flash of gold on the edge of her peripheral vision. A pure white blur, radiating an astonishing amount of mana and power, shot past her, and buried itself in the chest of the imp.

The monster sailed through the air, the sheer force of the blow carrying its limp form aloft for several feet before it finally stopped, pinned to the wall behind it like some sort of macabre pinata. There was no way it could have still been alive - its limp fingers slowly loosened, its grip on the spear slipping further and further, and blood dripped from the ragged hole in its chest... and the mass of burning, vaguely sword-shaped, pure white energy that had created said hole.

Then the intangible blade of light dissipated, and the imp’s body toppled to the ground with a wet thud!, its weapon clattering away noisily. Breathing heavily, Twilight stared at the corpse with a horrified expression, unable to process what she had just done. She wasn’t alone; the other demons simply stared at the body of their dead kin... and then, almost as one, their eyes swivelled around to lock onto the mare who had done the deed.

The purple unicorn, suddenly aware of nearly ten pairs of eyes gazing intently at her, gasped as she swiftly backed up. Her horn instinctively sparked to life as the imps suddenly jumped off Pinkie and began charging right at her. “No! Stop! Stay back!”

Twilight fell into a panic - her horn glowed with power as she poured as much energy as she could muster into it, backpedaling all the while... and then she suddenly stumbled as a wave of nausea washed over her, vertigo turning her world upside down. The lavender unicorn’s horn sputtered pathetically as the spell she had been preparing fizzled out. As her throat slowly filled with bile, Twilight collapsed to her knees once again, her thoughts barely coherent. Why was this happening now; mana exhaustion had never bothered her before!

The few coherent bits of her mind that still remained raced to put together an explanation. That new spell she had used to stop the imp about to skewer Pinkie - whatever it was, it had drained her of almost all the energy she could muster on short notice, and she was tapped out now, completely helpless.

The imps descended upon her, their shrill cries piercing against her ears, and Twilight screamed, huddling down into a tiny little ball as she prayed desperately for somepony - anypony - to save her.

ZING!

There was a flash of steel. Everything suddenly stopped, and Twilight dared to open her eyes just a peek... just in time to watch the remains of the Fallen in front of her collapse to the ground in two neatly severed halves, diagonally bisected at the waist. Their eyes widening at the fate of their comrade, the remaining devils backed away swiftly, their voices high and chittering with fear. The lavender mare recoiled in horror at the grisly sight, barely choking back another scream, when she suddenly became aware of another magical signature behind her.

However, unlike the writhing, dark and corrupted presences of the miniature demons she was faced with, this new arrival's energy felt as crisp and clean as a spring day, and carried with it a feeling of rock-like steadiness and dependability. It was nowhere near as strong as her brother's, but it was more than enough to suddenly settle a slight weight on her shoulders, forcing her breathing to tighten just the tiniest bit.

That, and... the energy felt familiar.

Twilight whirled around, and was greeted by the sight of a burly, white-coated stallion clad in the signature golden armor of the Royal Guard. Though it was tricky to see at this angle, she could just barely make out the Romane numeral XIII emblazoned upon his left shoulder pauldron. The stallion stood on his hind legs, his back to Twilight and his forehooves holding onto a gladius that was still dripping with the imp's crimson ichor. His helmet had been removed, and though his poise was stoic and disciplined, it clashed horribly with the unruly brown afro that protruded from his head like a vast tumor.

The young scholar's eyes widened in recognition, and she shot forward, galloping towards the stallion.

"Rumbledown!" the lavender mare cried out. The guardpony looked up and flashed her a fierce grin as he straightened, flicking the blood off his blade with a quick swipe.

“Just can’t keep out of trouble, can ya Sparky?” Rumbledown remarked amicably as Twilight’s eyebrow twitched just the slightest bit. Ten years later, and he still remembered that nickname? “Even after so long, I’m the one still pulling your flank out of the fire when your big bro isn’t around!”

Twilight fought down the brief irritation at the soldier’s good-natured ribbing, and kept herself focused on the situation at hand. “Well, it’s great to see you and all, Rumbledown, but what are you doing here?”

“Saving your little town, duh!” The burly earth pony gave a brief mock bow, and flourished his gladius grandly as he laughed mirthfully. “Shining left us all behind to hog all the glory, as usual, so it’s up to his vice-captain and his stalwart officers like myself to pick up the slack. Royal Guard Officer Rumbledown, fifth seat of the Thirteenth Division, at your service.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “You’re an officer now? Wait, so if you’re here as one of the guard officers that’s supposed to arrive today, then that means... Oh, no... He’s here as well, isn’t he?”

“What’s happening, ‘Twily’? Last I saw you, you were just an itty bitty wittle filly barely even tall enough to reach her brother’s knees!”

The high, nasal, and extremely irritating voice slithered through her ears like a slimy eel. If Twilight had been mildly annoyed by Rumbledown’s teasing, then the irritation that surged through her head was nothing short of homicidal. Great... Slipstream is here too.

The familiar-looking white-coated pegasus she remembered from her foalhood suddenly appeared next to her in a burst of speed, his body leaving behind an indistinct blur, and brandished his katana with a condescending flourish. “Still can’t handle yourself, eh? Well, just stand back and let us Royal Guards show you how a real soldier does things!”

Before Twilight could even let out an outraged protest, the two officers blurred again. Suddenly they were behind her, their weapons bared and facing off against the remaining imps.

“I do say, good old chap,” Rumbledown began as he cracked his joints menacingly, “these little critters seem to have wrecked up the town quite a bit.”

“Well, well, we know what we do to critters who do that, don’t we, old friend?” Slipstream whipped his katana around, twirling it idly about on a hoof, and flashed his fellow officer a knowing grin.

“Indeed we do, chap.” Rumbledown answered with his own grin. “What say we... teach them a lesson?”

“I can hardly disagree.”

The duo of Royal Guards readied their weapons, and in a sudden burst of speed that nearly knocked Twilight back a few paces, charged forward.

The remaining ten imps leapt towards their new foes, screeching madly and swinging their weapons wildly. In any conventional fight, Twilight would have automatically placed her bets on any side that had the advantage of sheer numbers.

But this was a fight that featured a pair of Royal Guard Officers.

They moved unlike anything she had ever seen. Slipstream ducked underneath the first half-dozen blades sent flying in his direction in a weaving dodge that left his frame nothing but an indistinct blur, zig-zagging his way through them until he was right in the middle of the devil pack. Then, with an eager grin crossing his face, he spun around, setting his hoof on the tip of his katana’s blade.

“Spread your wings, Tsunzakigarasu!”

As he cried out, he pegasus pushed his hoof towards his blade’s hilt. Amazingly, instead of piercing through the appendage, the sword shrunk beneath the hoof’s pressure. With every inch of steel that disappeared into its hilt, the sword shot out a tiny, curved blade that spun like a miniature buzzsaw from its pommel. Soon, Slipstream was surrounded by a veritable swarm of the miniature weapons.

The guard officer weaved his hooves around in an intricate pattern, and before Twilight could even blink, the swarm of spinning blades dissolved into an indistinct blur, whirring about in a deadly maelstrom that viscerally tore the attacking monsters to bloody shreds. Screaming in shock at the sudden bloodbath, the fuchsia mare quickly averted her gaze. Her eyes, searching desperately for something else to watch, spotted Rumbledown, who was in the midst of making his own charge.

The last four Fallen had rushed him all at once, leaping into the air with their weapons raised. The earth pony guard simply stared up at them for a second, then gave a contemptuous snort and grinned. Raising his gladius upright, he placed both of his forehooves upon the handle as he called out.

“Good Morning, Tsuchinamazu!”

There was a flash of crimson light, and the soldier’s sword was replaced by something that resembled a bladed wheel. Grasping a handle on its lower half in his forehoof, Rumbledown raised the bizarre apparatus over his head in a single motion, and then slammed it into the ground with a mighty shout.

The earth itself shudderedbeneath the blow. Before Twilight knew it, the entire section of grass in front of Rumbledown abruptly broke into several razor-sharp outcroppings of rock, spiking upwards and impaling the monsters with extreme prejudice. The imps stood no chance - each one run through their very centres with several inches of razor-sharp rock, they died instantly.

The violence was too much. Some small, distant part of Twilight's rational mind acknowledged that the guard officers were doing what they had to, that the imps were too much of a threat to let run loose, but the rest of her was too busy screaming and recoiling in horror at the blood being shed.

The purple mare squeezed her eyes shut, refusing to watch this travesty for any longer. It reminded her far too much of the horrific vision of Equestria’s bloody past that Celestia had shown them in Rainbow Dash’s ward, and she had absolutely no desire to relive that scene any time soon.

The noises soon died down several seconds later, and there was a brief rustle of metal as blades were sheathed. A hoof shook her shoulder, and Pinkie’s voice came comfortingly from next to her. “Twilight? It’s okay, you can look now.”

Twilight nearly rebelled against the request solely on reflex. She didn't want to have to look at the scene of carnage for even a second longer, but the analytical, rational part of her mind roughly kicked her upside the head and demanded that she pull herself together. She was Celestia's personal student, for crying out loud! A certain degree of dignity and level-headedness was expected of her!

Letting out a shaky breath, the young scholar opened her eyes, bracing herself for the sight of blood and eviscerated bodies once more. The mere recollection of the sight nearly sent another pang of nausea through her gut, but she steeled herself and forced her eyes open.

To her surprise, the bodies were gone. The blood, body parts, and viscera had all disappeared, having been replaced by some form of thin, grey ash that was swiftly lost to the wind. The debris kicked up by Rumbledown's minor earthquake was still there though, standing as the only sign that the horrific bloodshed she had witnessed had not been some fever-induced vision.

"Hey, Sparky! You all right?"

Rumbledown's voice shook her out of her shocked stupor, and she looked around to see the guard officer giving her a concerned look. His gladius had been sheathed, and the sensation of intangible pressure pressing down against her shoulders was beginning to abate as well.

"I... I'll be all right, Rumbledown," the purple mare answered shakily, drawing in a shuddering breath. "I just need a moment to-"

"Oi, you! And just what the hay did you think you were doing, rushing those critters by yourself like that!? You got a death wish or something!?”

The infuriated shout tore through Twilight’s ears like a thunderclap, almost sending the unicorn into a hyperventilating fit. Spinning around, the lavender librarian winced as Slipstream’s voice, irate and far too loud, lashed out again.

"Guard officers like myself are the ones charged with the defense of Equestria; you should be leaving the fighting of monsters to stallions like myself! Don't put yourself in danger and try to get yourself killed trying to do things our way!"

The officer had apparently taken it upon himself to knock some sense into Pinkie Pie’s head. Though his katana, back in its ordinary shape, was safely sheathed across his back, Slipstream still struck quite the intimidating figure. Even without his golden armor, the pegasus would have stood almost a full half foot taller than the baker, and his outstretched wings made him seem even larger. Add in the fact that he had all but pressed his face up against Pinkie’s, and it looked like Slipstream was ready to deliver a no holds barred verbal beatdown.

Of course, beatdowns typically require the victim to be incapable of fighting back.

"What did you say!?”

Pinkie somehow managed to match Slipstream’s anger in full. Raising herself up onto the tips of her hooves, the party pony glared daggers at the soldier, her normally cheery voice filled with an astonishing amount of venom.

“Are you saying that I should just stand by and watch while my friends and home get attacked and just do nothing!?"

"What in the-"

"Is that what you're implying, huh!? If you're supposed to be the ones protecting us, then where were you five minutes ago!?"

All the ruckus had started attracting the attention of nearby, early rising ponies who were just beginning to realize that the danger had passed. Slowly, a small crowd was beginning to form around the four of them, watching the altercation with growing apprehension. Repressing an agonized groan, Twilight bit her lip. Great, now there wasn't any hope of keeping this entire incident quiet.

"You'd better watch who you're talking to, missy." Slipstream's voice had lowered itself to a low, deadly growl. "I'm an officer of the royal guard, and you will address me with the respect due to that station!"

"What was that, Mr. Tough Guy? You trying to pull rank on me now!?"

An eyebrow twitched viciously on Slipstream's forehead, and the stallion bared his teeth. "Damn you-!"

Even with her thoughts thrown into disarray, Twilight still had to resist a derisive snort. Ten years later, and Slipstream still had yet to get over his temper.

“Don’t you underestimate me, little Miss Smart-Ass! I’m the sixth seated officer of the Thirteenth Division; that means that I’m constantly out there, putting my life on the line for ungrateful foals like you! Looking after bratty half-pints like you isn’t an act of charity, I do it because it’s my responsibility as a guard officer!”

“Oh yeah? And how many times have you saved Equestria from eternal night, chaos, and changeling invasions, Mr. Sixth Seat?”

If the crimson sneaking across Slipstream’s face was anything to go by, the pegasus was coming dangerously close to blowing a gasket. “Why I... You...”

With an enraged roar, the officer took a couple steps back. Twilight allowed herself a small sigh of relief; maybe the soldier would be smart enough to just walk away and-

Her heart skipped a beat as Slipstream reached back and wrapped a hoof around his blade’s scabbard. Was he actually thinking of using that on Pinkie!? In front of all these ponies, no less!?

“Slipstream!” Rumbledown had apparently deduced his comrade’s intent at the same time Twilight had. Growling, the stallion charged forward, moving to impede his friend’s attack.

“I’ve had just about enough of your-” Slipstream had already raised his sheathed sword over his head, looking ready to slam Pinkie over the head with it, but he never got the chance to. Not because of the surrounding crowd, not because of Rumbledown, but because of-

THWUMP

Well, because of that.

A sudden wave of power, massive enough to shake the earth itself, thundered across Ponyville, flipping Twilight's world upside down with its sheer might. The screams of the surrounding ponies jabbed into her ears like dozens of needles, and when her vision finally righted itself she was horrified to see the entire crowd descend into a mob, mares and stallions alike running this way and that like chickens with their heads cut off.

For a moment the scholar’s eyes widened incredulously, unable to divine exactly what had driven them to such hysteria. What had she missed? Was there something that she had failed... to...

Twilight looked up, and her mind simply ground to a halt. Her jaw fell open as she blinked several times, trying to make sure her eyes weren’t deceiving her. They weren’t.

There really was a huge, spiderwebbing crack in the fabric of reality itself, right above Ponyville’s town square.

The cracks glowed with a sickeningly green hue, reminiscent of the flames she had seen in Celestia’s flashback. For a moment Twilight felt a thin lance of cold fear spear itself in her gut - there was no way this could be happening; history couldn't possibly be repeating itself, not here, not now!

The titanic THWUMP repeated itself, widening the cracks and sending more otherworldly, emerald light spilling through them. Every single thought present in Twilight's head was immediately driven out, replaced by sheer fright as she gaped up at the horrifying display. The world was literally falling apart right in front of her - how was she supposed to react to that!?

There was a final, shuddering impact, and the cracks gave way. A hole, easily as wide as the town square, was torn into the sky, revealing an impenetrable, roiling maelstrom of dark energy on its far side. The sound of a hundred thousand lightning bolts filled the air, nearly deafening the unicorn and completely drowning out the panicked cries of the frightened crowd. Time seemed to creep to a halt as they stared, without blinking, into the gaping maw of oblivion.

And then something came through.

An incredible bulk, large enough to dwarf even the town hall, fell through the hole and sky and landed in the middle of the square. An unnatural, light green glow spilled through the rift it had left in the sky, illuminating its massive, blocky outline far better than the still growing dawn.

The foursome wasted no time. A brief gallop brought them all back to the town square, where ponies were beginning to gather around the impact site in awed, but frightened curiosity, wondering what exactly had tumbled down from the heavens.

They might have thought it an intriguing mystery, but Twilight knew better. As she stared up at the still, monolithic figure, her arcane senses brushed against it, and she once again encountered that strange, writhing aura that seethed with corruption, indelibly tainted right down to the deepest, darkest roots of its essence.

Whatever this thing was, Twilight realized with mounting anxiety as she slowly began to back away from it, her eyes widening with fear... it probably was not going to be friendly.

Right next to her, Pinkie simply looked up, gave it a simple, evaluating look, and grinned.

“Say, Twilight. That thing you were talking about earlier...” The magenta baker reached out to one of the many emergency sunglasses stashes she had made all over Equestria for just such an occasion, and grabbed the first pair off the top of the pile.

Against the otherworldly green glow that glared from the gap, Pinkie raised the triangular orange tinted glasses up to her eyes, and faced up against the gigantic figure before her, her grim smile never faltering. “The thing that you said that got to Fluttershy... Is this it?”

[Catch]

[Catch]

“Up there!” Pinkie cried out as she turned to face Twilight, standing on her hind legs with a forehoof pointed skyward. “That’s the Nether! The Nether’s really up there, isn’t it? This huge fella just came from the Nether, dropping in from above! Isn’t that right, Twilight!?”

Twilight could only gape back, unable to muster a comprehensible response. Pinkie had never been the most rational of ponies, but why would she react to this situation with excitement of all things?! Struggling to find the words, the unicorn prepared herself to admonish her friend, only to interrupted by a titanic roar, one on par with an Ursa Minor’s, and the massive silhouette behind Pinkie shuddered to life, bursting out of its crater with an earth-shaking tremor and rising up to its full, terrifying height.

Debris fell everywhere. Chunks of rock descended upon them like rain, ranging from tiny pebbles to boulders several times the size of a pony. Twilight found herself screaming and ducking for cover behind Rumbledown as the guard officer threw himself in front of her, shielding the purple mare from the hail of rocks.

All around the square, the shadows cast by the giant’s silhouette swept over the crowd, now outlined as some sort of giant... bull-horned... head... thing. A pair of stubby arms, one clutching an enormous, crude club, stuck out from its sides, and two equally squat legs protruded from where its neck should have been.

“M-m-monster!” Twilight recognized Daisy’s voice, tinged with terror as usual. “It’s a monster!!!”

It only takes a single spark to set off a powder keg. Ponies began scattering all throughout the square, shouting their own horrified screams as the giant’s club came crashing down to carve out another vast crater.

A second shower of debris was sent flying into the air, and a chunk of pavement the size of a forehoof clocked Rumbledown squarely across the back of his head. The officer went limp in a heartbeat, his eyes rolling backwards as his unconscious body slumped to the ground. Another projectile, this one the approximate size of a pony’s leg, slammed into Slipstream’s gut with a wicked crunch. The wind torn from his lungs, it was only a matter of seconds before the stallion collapsed, his forgotten katana clattering off to the side as he stared up at the rising monolith in gaping, slack-jawed terror.

Amazingly, throughout the entire ordeal, Pinkie never flinched once. She remained standing, her forehoof stretched towards the heavens above, her ecstatic grin never faltering, and her energized gaze studiously ignoring the deadly debris shower. She had eyes for one thing, and one thing only: the hulking figure that towered over ponies and buildings alike.

Oh, and a certain cowering pegasus.

“Hey, what’s up, Mr. Sixth Seat?” The mare bent down over the trembling guard, her forehooves on her hips and a sardonic grin plastered across her face. “Aren’t you supposed to be the one who’s protecting us right now? Why’re you cowering on the ground like that?”

Unfortunately, Slipstream barely seemed to register the question - his attention was still completely focused on the monolithic beast behind the mare. Snorting, Pinkie raised herself upright again; she didn’t have time to deal with the likes of him. “Oh well. Here, let me show you how a real mare does things!”

She raised a hind leg and stomped, slamming her hoof against the handle of Slipstream’s fallen katana. The sword was sent spinning up into the air, and whirled hypnotically about Pinkie’s neck a few times before landing neatly in her outstretched forehoof. The earth pony’s smirk seemed to grow even wider as she rested the sheathed blade over her shoulder, her blazing eyes locked on the rampaging giant before her.

“Pinkie, hurry up, we have to get out of here! This way!" Twilight desperately tried to call out to the grinning mare, frantically pointing away from the behemoth. Unfortunately, the baker seemed to be unable to hear her, and the unicorn’s eyes bugged out in panic as she realized that Pinkie was walking towards the massive monolith. “PINKIE!!!”

The party pony never stopped.

“HEY, HEY, HEY HEY HEYHEY!!!” Pinkie bellowed out in a steadily rising voice, her blood roaring hotly through her veins as she confidently strode up a nearby pile of rubble, almost as though she wasn’t facing off against a gargantuan monster that was more than a hundred times her size with nothing but the katana over her shoulder and the grin on her face. "Ya know, it’s not polite to come crashing into somepony’s home and start smashing up the place without so much as an invitation - you’ve certainly got some nerve, don’t you!?”

Behind her, Twilight was swiftly dissolving into a nervous wreck, stammering a few syllables as she stared disbelievingly at her friend's incredulous courage. “W-W-Wai-! R-r-ru-!”

“But!" Pinkie's verbal tirade continued, one of her hooves pointing squarely towards the monster's head. "You'd better know that I’m not gonna let you go around making all of my friends all frowny-wowny by breaking all their stuff!!!"

Then, the unthinkable happened.

The monster looked down at Pinkie, its beady, reptilian eyes focusing on her. Its massive jaws opened, revealing rows upon rows of razor sharp teeth, and words spilled out, accompanied by a voice as deep and distorted as the crashing ocean.

“HUH? WHO THE HELL ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO BE?”

For a moment, Twilight's fear vanished, completely overridden by astonishment. “Holy stars, it- It talks!”

Pinkie seemed less surprised by the creature's ability to speak, and more impressed by the fact that there was something for her to reply to. “Oh ho! Well, I'm going to tell you something important now, so you'd better dig the wax out of those huge ears of yours and listen!

The magenta pony’s forehoof pointed skyward, the early morning sun staining the limb with shades of pink and crimson, and her voice rang out with clarion clarity. “The reputation of Ponyville’s Team Harmony echoes far and wide! When they talk about its undying heart, the pony of indomitable spirit and laughter, a mare with a soul as strong as her back, they’re talking about me! The tenaaaacious soul of Ponyville!”

In a single, smooth motion, Pinkie drew the katana from its scabbard, tossed the sheathe backwards carelessly with a flick of the blade, and pointed its tip at an opponent that was more than a hundred times her size. “That’s me, the unbreakable Pinkie Pie!”

Silenced reigned.

Several dozen metres away, hidden in the wreckage of a house and watching the bizarre tableau, three ponies stared in disbelief.

“... Idiot.” Daisy facehooved after a second.

“What an idiot.” Lily agreed.

“Big-time idiot.” Roseluck concurred, shaking her head.

“Any troublemakers in this town,” Pinkie continued, having not heard the trio’s words, “are going to have to answer to me!!!”

The giant simply snorted, raising its enormous club over its head as it prepared to crush the tiny little filly. "HA! AND WHAT CAN A PUNY LITTLE CREATURE LIKE YOU DO TO STOP ME?"

As the behemoth readied its weapon, Twilight froze up in terror, images of Pinkie being crushed into paste flocking through her mind. Unable to move, it was all she could do to yell out a warning. “Pinkie, ru-!”

A sudden, hollow thump! sliced through the air, cutting off Twilight, and a flash of green exploded against the side of the giant’s club, sending it careening off to the side and into the ground directly to Pinkie’s right.

“Eh?” The party pony raised an eyebrow as she stared, nonplussed, at the giant’s diverted club. How the hay had that happened? Her eyes traced where the blast had come from, trying to spot its origin. “Huh?”

Thump! Thump! Thump!Thump!Thump!

More of the strange, hollow booming sounds rang out in rapid-fire succession as several more flashes of green tore through the air, and Pinkie realized that they were coming from the direction of the town hall. Her gaze immediately focused itself on the building, seeking out the source of the shots... and... didn’t quite manage to process what she was seeing.

Some weird monkey thing was swinging down from the hall’s topmost spire, holding on to a cord of some sort that extended from its wrist. The green flashes were coming from the end of its other arm, and the young mare’s eyes widened in surprise as she realized that the end of the limb ended in a barrel of some sort, like a miniature cannon.

The filly watched as the figure swung in a wide, parabolic arc that brought it in her direction. As it swung, it kept firing more of those strange, bright blasts every other moment, with each flare of acid-green sending the behemoth stumbling backwards, off-balance, as they exploded against its metallic hide.

The figure let go of the cord as it approached them, landing in front of Pinkie in a sudden dive. A flash of forest green filled her vision as she got a faceful of cloak, and it was only after batting away the obstructing fabric that she caught a glimpse of the wide, piercing grin being directed her way.

“Stand back, girlies!” A bright, chirpy voice that bubbled with enthusiasm and energy reached her ears, and she stared wide-eyed at the newcomer’s eyes, orbs of hazel that glittered with a manic intelligence. “Let the professionals show you how it’s done!”

Pinkie continued staring. "... Huh. Where do you think he came from?"

"Two arms, two legs, no tail..." Twilight murmured, her brain on rapid-fire as she stared in shocked recognition of his silhouette. "Don't tell me, he's-!"

Before the lavender unicorn could finish her sentence, a massive burst of power nearly bowled her over and sent her mane flapping wildly. Her eyes widening, the librarian gaped at the strange figure. From this close a distance, she was able to get a feel of the amount of energy he had been packing into those each of those shots... and it was enough to completely outstrip even the strongest blasts of arcane energy she could possibly conjure.

And he had just fired off more than a dozen of those blasts in less than ten seconds.

Before Twilight could grasp the implications of that simple fact, her train of thought was derailed by another series of familiar thump!s. More of the neon green blasts shot out of the stranger's arm-cannon, slamming into the giant’s gut and sending it toppling to the ground, having taken one too many blasts to maintain its balance.

As the titanic beast fell, the newcomer wrenched his arm back at the elbow in a cocking motion. There was a strange clicking noise, and Twilight saw a smoking, emerald colored something eject from the stranger’s elbow joint, which dropped to the grass and began to sizzle ominously.

Abruptly, the human took off at a dead sprint to the side, circling around the fallen giant. “All right,” he shouted, “I’ve knocked the big sucker down - gotta take him out quick, before he gets up again!”

“Yo, monkey boy!”

A bright, high-pitched voice from somewhere behind him snagged the stranger’s attention. Turning around, he blinked in surprise as he spotted Pinkie trailing behind him, her strange bounce-gallop easily keeping pace with his speed as she slung her borrowed katana casually over her shoulder. “Are you fighting that big ol’ McMeanypants up there? I’ll lend a hoof!”

A hazel eyebrow arched in response, and he stared blankly at the pink filly. “... Monkey boy?"

Not bothering to wait for the baker’s answer, the human took an enormous leap. Soaring nearly two stories high, he landed lightly atop the wreckage of a recently destroyed house, pausing for a moment to scan the struggling behemoths for any weaknesses. His investigations were interrupted, however, by a sudden light tap on his shoulder, and he turned to see Pinkie still standing next to him, balancing on the rubble just as flawlessly as he was. “Name’s Pinkie Pie! Say, did you come from that huge crack in the sky like that big guy over there did? If you did, I gotta say; you look a lot different than he does!”

A vein throbbed noticeably in the stranger’s forehead as the mare’s incessant chattering struck some nerve or another, and he directed a sharp but distracted look at the young baker, still keeping an eye on the giant before him. “Listen here, missy - didn’t I tell you to run!? You got some sorta-”

His eyes finally focused on her properly, and he suddenly stopped talking mid sentence, recognition shining in his eyes. "Hey, wait a minute... You're that broad I was supposed to-"

Before he could get any further, the sky above them abruptly darkened, and Pinkie looked up just in time to see a massive hulk of rugged steel descending towards them. The sheer bulk of the end of the giant's club was enough to blot out the sky, and the party pony only had time to let out a surprised gasp before the bludgeon came crashing down, reducing both her and the stranger to little more than a thin, somewhat pinkish paste.

Or at least, it would have, if it hadn’t been for the familiar, vermillion-hued auras that had suddenly enveloped the mare and human. With hardly an instant to spare, the two of them were suddenly pulled from reality, only to reappear in a tangle of limbs and cloak in the middle of the Ponyville Library.

Shaking her head to clear the teleportation-induced vertigo, Pinkie shot the lavender unicorn above her a grateful grin, hardly noticing the grim glare she was getting in return. "Thanks, Twilight! You really saved my flank there!"

"No time, Pinkie," Twilight responded seriously, casting a worried glance out the window as the building shuddered. "We have to figure out a way to stop that thing, and fast!"

“Jeez...”

Two sets of equine eyes immediately wheeled around to the human as he slowly clambered to his feet. “Didn’t expect Mally to call in this kind of muscle in case of his death. Damned Dreadlords, they just keep being a pain in the ass even when they’re dead...”

Rubbing the back of his neck, the human strode over to the window, bending down to peer at the chaotic scene outside. “And I had him downed and everything,” he muttered to himself. “Gonna need to figure something else out...”

“Are you-” Twilight cut herself off before she could finish, taking a second to think about what she was doing. This was one of the strange beings who’d been attacking her friends; what the hay was she doing treating him like some sort of ally!?

SHUDDER

Ah, right. Twilight thought to herself as the building shook again, a stark reminder of the giant that was currently laying waste to Ponyville outside the library. That might be one of the reasons.

Shaking her head, the young scholar quickly pulled herself together - there would be time to freak out later, but right now she had to keep herself calm and collected. The town was counting on her! Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself down and turned to face the stranger. “Are you one of those humans that have been running around, hunting down and hurting my friends!?”

The unicorn almost slapped a hoof to her face the moment the words left her mouth. What? Twilight, what are you doing! Is antagonizing him really the first thing you want to do?

Twilight cringed, readying herself for any manner of reprisal... But what the stranger did was to simply ignore her, focusing his attention on the rampaging titan outside.

“Could bring it out...” He muttered to himself, tapping his chin thoughtfully with a finger. “But with the kind of collateral damage it could cause... Sounds like something Melchior or Smith would do. Maybe if I isolate it first...”

“Hey!” An irritated voice barked, and the stranger jolted, turning as though he had just realized she was there to see Twilight giving him an annoyed look. “Are you listening to me!?”

“... No?” he replied after a moment, seemingly unsure of his answer. “Er... Kind of busy trying to figure out how to take down that fat bastard. Now’s not the best time for conversation.”

“Well, too bad!” the lavender unicorn snarled, making no attempt to hide the fury in her words. Bracing herself against the floor, Twilight glared at her bizarre houseguest with all the force she could muster, her horn aglow with powerful energies. “I have had it up to here with my friends and my home being attacked by you monsters! Now, you aregoing to give me some answers, or else. Got it?”

The man stared at the librarian for a moment, and then responded in a cool, almost disinterested tone. “Two things you probably ought to know. One: Gaius would kinda kill me if I spoiled anything for you, so don’t expect to get shit out of me. B: If you’re going to try to force me to spill my guts, then you can just forget it. Come on, you might be strong but you have to realize just how much more power you’re going to need to-”

Something about the giant's movement outside suddenly caught his attention, and the man immediately turned his gaze to the window, staring out of it as though he had never been talking to Twilight to begin with. "Well, hello there... Didn't think I'd get a shot like this so early into the game..."

A vein twitched violently in Twilight's temple. "Hey! I'm talking to you!"

“Yeah, yeah,” her guest muttered, not bothering to glance away from the window, “you go ahead and keep doing that. Meanwhile, I’m gonna make sure that this guy doesn’t wreck up your town, village, whatever. Sound good?”

“What? No, I don-”

“Fantastic. Now be a good little girl and go sit in the corner; the grown-ups are trying to fix things, mmmkay?”

For a moment, it was all Twilight to could do to simply gape at the stranger as he turned back to the window, her mouth opening and closing soundlessly. She might have expected to be threatened, or brainwashed, or outright attacked by the strange being, but being dismissed so brusquely, as though she was just some annoying filly? She certainly hadn’t seen that coming.

So, she stood there, glowering at the man she knew nothing about. Her mind was racing, struggling to find some line of questioning that wouldn’t be instantly shut down. If she could just find the right words, then maybe she could-

“Hey!”

Pinkie Pie’s voice was full of its typical sugary cheerfulness as she bounded towards the stranger, much to Twilight’s horror. “Pinkie, don’t!” she whispered worriedly, but the party pony either couldn’t hear or chose to ignore her warning.

“Mmmm,” the human grumbled in response, and though his gaze remained focused outside, he was obviously unable to ignore the pink mare’s incessant hopping. “And what do you want?”

“You’re not a bad guy, are you?”

The sheer audacity of Pinkie’s statement was enough to divert the stranger’s attention from the rampaging behemoth outside; after shooting another look out the window, he turned to glance at her out of the corner of his eye, one of his eyebrows arching upwards. “Oh? And what makes you say that?”

“Welllllllll...” the earth pony began, tapping her chin with a hoof, “let’s see here...

“You’re not trying to kill us or steal the Elements of Harmony, at least so far as I can tell, you’re trying to fight the monster who’s wrecking our home, you don’t smell evil, you saved me from the monster, itchy knee, twitchy nose, tingley back...”

The impressive list of reasons managed to elicit a bemused smirk from the stranger, as well as a disbelieving grimace from the unicorn in the corner.

The stranger’s lips twitched in the approximation of a smile, but his eyes remained focused on the rampaging giant outside. “That depends a lot on where you're standing, when looking at me. I'm no saint, but if you're asking about whether or not I want to stop big, fat, and ugly out there, I'll have to respond with a resounding yes."

From behind the man, Pinkie Pie grinned. “So... it’s you, isn’t it? You’re the one who sent me that weird emerald, right?”

The man turned to look over his shoulder at Pinkie properly, and then cracked a smile that reminded Twilight of a tiger baring its fangs.

"Now, this is getting interesting,” the human replied brightly, his eyes flashing in sudden recognition. “I was looking for you for a while, missy, right up until I got sidetracked by that big lug outside. Fat bastard can't be allowed to run around doing any more damage than he already has, no matter what I was supposed to be doing here in the first place."

The man turned to face the young pastry maker, looking her up and down as though examining her, and finally extended a hand. "Gaius would have my hide for what I'm about to pull, but I'll take all the help I can get. And from what I'm sensing, your body has already assimilated those energies from me pretty damn well, which means that you could be something other than totally useless. What do you say we work together to take this bugger down?"

The filly looked down at the hand being offered, glanced up at the grinning face in front of her, and slapped her hoof firmly into it, flashing a wide smile in answer. "You've got it, pal.”

“Awesome.” The stranger returned her smile with a grin of his own. “Name’s Adam Caspar, West Venom of the Order of Koaxia. And you and I, missy? I think we’re gonna make a great team.”

“Pinkamena Diane Pie! So...” Pinkie was smiling so hard, Twilight was surprised her face hadn’t somehow broken in two. “How’re we gonna do this?”

“I’m thinking...” Adam tapped a finger on his chin for a moment in thought. “Bolshevik Muppet.”

“Bolshevik Muppet?”

“Yup,” he replied with a maddeningly intriguing grin. “Thus kablooie, thus no more baddie.”

His expression gave absolutely no clue to his intentions, but, to Twilight’s dismay, it seemed that Pinkie somehow understood whatever it was he was talking about. “Ooooohhh... I’m liking this plan,” the magenta filly chuckled, her grin growing even wider.

“So, you in?”

“What, you kidding me? ‘Course I’m in!” Pinkie whooped out in an enthusiastic yell that would have suited Rainbow Dash far better. “Just who the hay do you think I am!?”

Twilight's stare flickered between the two, trying to follow along with the apparently invisible conversation that they were sharing. Never mind the fact that she felt like there was some hidden subtext she was missing out on, there was a far more horrifying implication hidden in the way the duo was interacting.

Dear Celestia, she thought to herself. There’s two of her now.

“Excuse me,” the lavender unicorn spluttered. “But would somepony mind telling me just what is going on here?”

“Oh, don’t worry about it, silly-filly!” Pinkie simply beamed cheerfully, and gave Twilight a pat on the head. “Your auntie Pinkie Pie’s gonna fix this all up!”

The lavender unicorn could only stare at her friend in slack-jawed incredulity.

Stars and stones, what had she gotten herself into?

Either ignoring or totally oblivious to her friend’s plight, Pinkie immediately wheeled around to face their mysterious stranger, bouncing enthusiastically. “So, buddy, what’s the plan? How’re we gonna stop that big old Meany McMeanypants from smashing up the town?”

Caspar’s lips curled upwards in a predatory grin, and he crouched down on the floor next to the baker, spreading his hands outwards.

“All right, here’s what we’re gonna do...”

Pain.

Hurt.

White.

Sheet of white. Pain. No senses. Couldn’t see. Couldn’t hear. Couldn’t breathe.

Stars above, he hurt everywhere.

A sea of agony flooded his consciousness. Floundering blindly as he struggled against the pain, he dragged himself back to the waking world inch by ragged inch. Slowly, his memory and mind struggled back to the life, and the first dregs of coherence began to draw his disjointed, barely defined thoughts together.

Shining Armor let out a startled, breathless gasp as he was abruptly yanked back into reality, and his eyes snapped open to stare at the early morning sky overhead.

The first thing that he noticed was that he lying upon a soft bed of grass. The second was the bizarre, almost unbelieveable fact that he was still alive. Third and finally, that stars above the pain was abominable.

The captain wouldn’t have been particularly surprised if his teeth decided to fuse together, given how hard he clenched down on his screams. But he’d just now managed to pull himself out of unconsciousness; there was no way he was going to lose his head so quickly.

After several agonized moments, the stallion finally managed to emerge from the white haze of searing pain that had engulfed his body, his mental discipline reducing it to a more tolerable red mist of pounding aches. Gritting his teeth even harder, Shining simply pushed past the remaining discomfort, forcing it to the edge of his awareness where his aches and pains became inconsequential.

By the time his head had cleared enough for him to take in the rest of his surroundings, his breathing had slowed down to deep, even breaths, and his eyes had narrowed into razor-sharp slits. Exhaling slowly, Shining Armor eased his eyes open, and simply lay there, revelling in the fact that he was still alive.

Then the events that had led to this sorry state came crashing back down on him.

Oh, horseapples - Lady Fluttershy!

The captain sprang to his hooves - or at least, he tried to. Pain he might have been able to shut out, but there was no way for his body to ignore the effects of sheer and utter exhaustion, and his spring became more like the hot, lazy, motionless end of summer.

The young stallion let out a groan. Bone-deep weariness weighed him down to the point that it was a monumental effort to even twitch his muscles, but he somehow managed to roll himself over, bring his legs beneath him, and attempt to get up.

He’d spent enough time wallowing on the ground - he still had a duty to fulfill.

Shining tried to push himself upwards, and only found himself flopping about uselessly for a second or two as his legs failed to respond.

"Son of a buzzard, you've got to be kidding me," he muttered, too exhausted to even feel annoyed. He tried to reach for his magic, drawing up his will to infuse himself with a temporary burst of strength, and met similarly futile results - the mere act sent his world spinning in vertigo-induced circles, and his horn only sputtered out a few pathetic sparks.

To the moon with this; not only was his body completely exhausted, his magical reserves had been utterly drained as well. For all practical purposes he was as helpless as a newborn foal right now... but Shining Armor didn’t care about that either.

It still wasn’t an excuse to ignore his charge.

The guard captain reached out with his left forehoof, planted it into the ground, and began dragging himself in the general direction of Fluttershy’s cottage.

Lift. Plant. Drag.

Lift. Plant. Drag.

As he dragged himself forward, he realized something gravely amiss - while the rest of his body still hurt horribly, the entire lower half of his right foreleg had gone completely numb. Whatever it was that Caspar had done to him, it had completely robbed his limb of any sensation. Granted, the piercing agony that had pervaded the forelimb had also receded, but that small consolation was mitigated by the fact that any time he tried to move it, it just twitched lamely in response.

As exhausted as Shining Armor was, it came as no surprise that he couldn’t muster the strength to even tilt his head in the direction he needed to look at his foreleg... then again, he wasn’t sure if he even wanted to look at it to begin with.

The memory of the flesh of his leg rippling and boiling flickered through his mind, and the guard captain shuddered, immediately forcing the thought away. He didn’t want to think about that.

Single-minded focus tunnelled his vision, and within seconds all he had eyes for was the door to Fluttershy’s cottage. Inch by painful inch, he dragged himself towards his destination, his left foreleg his only means of movement.

Lift. Plant. Drag.

After what seemed like an eternity, he finally managed to make his way up the stairs, nearly knocking over a few tables and chairs in the process. As he dragged himself into Fluttershy’s room, he noticed that the Bearer of Kindness was still lying comatose and limp in her bed, her sheets not disturbed even the slightest bit by the brief altercation that had disabled him.

If dragging his way up the stairs had been a near exercise in futility, reaching from the floor to the pegasus’ bed proved to be all but impossible. After nearly a dozen tries, not to mention quite a few painful bumps to the head, Shining Armor finally managed to use his one good leg to haul himself up onto the side of the Fluttershy’s mattress and, panting heavily, propped the upper half of his body up on the feathery surface.

He was still in the midst of getting his wind back when he saw it: A tiny, squarish piece of yellow parchment lying on the pegasus’ bedside table, one that had certainly not been there earlier this morning.

It took about a mountainload of times more effort to actually drag himself over to the parchment to read it than it took for him to decide that it was worth checking out. When he finally reached the bedside table several bruising falls later, a look at it revealed that it was a note of some kind, but he didn’t recognize the erratic, curved hoofwriting that had been penned onto the scripture.

What he did recognize, however, were the words.

Hey foo, The apparent note began.

I fixed up your body as best I could. Jenova cells are a real doozy to deal with, but I managed to isolate the infection from the rest of your body. You won’t have to worry about crossing over to the other side any time soon, but all the same, try not to use that foreleg of yours too often. You’ll go horribly insane and die one hell of a messy death if you do.

It’s still your leg though, so don’t go thinking you have to cut it off or anything. But if you experience any symptoms like new powers, unnatural strength or unexplained voices in your head, please consult your nearest doctor or psychiatrist, and for God’s sake don’t reach into the power that it provides you with. I’d hate for your friends to have to put you down like some sort of rabid dog.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have someone to find.

A. C.

Shining Armor stared at the note, unable to process just what he was seeing here.

He was tired. Just too damned tired. He couldn’t deal with any of this right now. Whatever implications that the note had, he simply filed... well, more like tossed them away for future reference somewhere inside the jumbled, cluttered pile of information that was currently his head. He’d sort it out later once he didn’t feel like he was ready to just collapse unconscious on the spot. Perhaps if he could just find a nice place to prop himself up on, he would be able to keep watch over Fluttershy without passing out from the effort...

A sudden, resounding THUMP shook him through his very bones, and Shining Armor nearly toppled to the floor again. The young captain bit back the urge to swear a vicious string of oaths, and he turned his head to the window, trying to get a look at what was going on outside...

… and stared, slack-jawed, at the behemoth that had fallen through the crack in the sky and had crashed right into the midst of Ponyville.

… Celestia, Luna, and Faust, you can not be serious about this.

There was a brief stirring next to him, and the young stallion looked over to see Fluttershy making the smallest of movements. The unconscious pegasus’ eyes were still glassy and staring, but her gaze was unmistakably directed at the rampaging behemoth outside.

Her lips made the faintest of movements, moving so faintly that Shining Armor could barely make it out. After a moment the young mare’s lips moved again, repeating the same word, and he realized that she was murmuring a name.

Fluttershy’s lips repeated it again, and Shining Armor recognized the faint sound that he heard.

Pinkie...

This time, the stallion did curse, and he desperately tried to push himself upright back onto his hooves, but his legs did little more than flop uselessly about. Shining Armor spat an frustrated oath at his uselessness that would have blistered the paint off the walls, and he hauled himself bodily onto the bed, panting heavily as he pointed his horn at the window.

He knew that as much as he wanted to protect them, there was practically nothing he could do right now to help the town that his sister and her friends were undoubtedly trapped inside right now, even if the feeling of helplessness lashed against him as painfully as a set of chains. All he could do now was maintain his watch over Fluttershy, and stars willing, nothing dangerous would come their way, and he could still see them safely through this.

The guard captain shut his eyes tightly, desperately trying to ignore the unnerving numbness in his right foreleg that he still didn’t dare to look at, and he lowered his head, doing something he had not done in years.

He prayed.

Stars above, please, let the rest of the division arrive swiftly... Snow Dancer, Rumbledown, don’t fail me now...

“So...” Twilight peered upwards critically. “This is the thing that’s gonna drive that giant out of our town?”

“Nope,” Caspar beamed with all the pride that a parent would for his beloved child. “This is the thing that’s gonna freakin’ obliterate it. He’s a little dormant now, though - I haven’t called him out in quite a while. He’ll need quite a jolt to wake him up!”

“Oooooohhhh...” Pinkie stared open-mouthed in wonder. “Sounds awesome! But... How’s it gonna obliterate it? I mean, that big meany outside is just so darned big!”

“Not to mention,” Twilight’s expression furrowed in concern. “It looks a little like that giant outside... That face...”

“That doesn’t matter, Twilight! It’s on our side, isn’t it?” Pinkie clapped her friend reassuringly on the back. “It might be smaller than the big guy outside, but it’s certainly a better solution than anything we could come up with!”

Caspar simply snorted, and flung himself upwards. “If you think that’s cool, then check this out.”

Twilight’s jaw practically hit the floor, and Pinkie’s eyes brightened. “You can ride it? That... can’t be possible!” The young scholar sputtered doubtfully. However, her pâtissière friend simply bounded up to Caspar, her expression enthusatistic as she placed her hooves down in contact with it as well.

“Ooohh, I get it!” the pink baker whooped. “Come on Twilight, think about it! With this thing, and your power - then that big thing-!”

Twilight’s expression slowly shifted from doubt to realization, and she nodded contemplatively, already considering the idea. “We could do it...”

Pinkie nodded so hard that her head nearly bounced right off her neck, and Twilight looked down again, her eyes narrowing.

“With this thing, eh...”

“Uh huh! Twilight, if we help him out with i- Huh?” Pinkie suddenly stopped mid-sentence as something thudded strangely inside of her, and she looked down to see a soft, glowing nimbus of emerald light emanating from her chest... resonating in time with the same glow that was pulsating just a few feet beneath her.

Caspar stared weirdly. “... Huh. It’s never done that before.”

Pinkie gave the pulsing light one look, and grinned. “Heh, looks like this is really gonna work!”

Despite Pinkie’s confidence however, Twilight looked far from reassured, and she continued peering doubtfully. “I don’t know, Pinkie...”

“Come on, Twilight, you gotta work with us here!” The lavender unicorn looked up to see Pinkie giving her an expectant look. “Caspar can’t beat that big guy all by himself - he knows how to beat it the best, but he can’t pull it off in one shot like he plans to if we don’t pitch our power in! He needs our help!

Some part of Twilight knew that Pinkie was right, but all the same, she still hesitated as she debated with herself the validity of the half-baked scheme they had come up with in the last few minutes. “B-But-! But we’re not even sure if this is going to work!”

The pink pâtissière rolled her eyes, and held a clenched hoof up in emphasis. “Don’t be silly, Twilight! Remember the times we beat all those long odds against Nightmare Moon, Discord and the changelings? 'Go beyond the impossible and kick reason to the curb!' - isn’t that how Team Harmony rolls!?”

The librarian simply stared at her, trying to make sense out of what Pinkie was saying. “But...”

Abruptly, Pinkie stretched down, grabbed Twilight by the shoulders, and plopped her down next to her. “Come on, Twilight! It’ll be fine! I know you can do this with us!”

Another shudder rocked through the building as the giant outside asserted its presence once again, and a tiny, frightened whimper slipped out of Twilight as she contemplated the notion of going out to face it again. “B-b-but-!!!”

A foreleg suddenly landed across her shoulders, and she looked over to see Pinkie giving her an encouraging, enthusiastic grin.

"Listen, Twilight! Don’t believe in yourself!" The pink prankster's hoof thumped against her chest. "I believe in you! So just believe in me, who believes in you!”

Caspar gave her an odd look. "… What the hell was that supposed to mean? I mean, my mind goes on odd tangents most of the time, but even I didn’t get that."

Twilight was about to protest, but whatever arguments she might have had died in her throat when the floor beneath them shook again, and the building shuddered as the sound of a massive roar crashed into her ears.

"COME OUT AND FACE ME, KOAXIAN!" The giant outside bellowed. "I KNOW YOU'RE HERE - I CAN STILL SMELL YOUR STENCH! STOP HIDING LIKE A LITTLE COWARD... OR AM I GOING TO HAVE TO TEAR THIS ENTIRE TOWN APART TO FIND YOU?"

That was all Twilight needed. The notion of Ponyville being torn apart by this thing, and while under her watch no less... She wouldn't stand for it! This was her home, darn it, and she would sooner cut her own horn off than run from something that threatened it!

The young mare's mouth settled into a grim, determined line, and she nodded next to Pinkie, steel in her eyes. “All right then - let’s give it a shot!”

"Yes!" Caspar pumped an arm. "All right then, let's get this show on the road! Sparks, get some juice flowin'; we're gonna need a lot of power for this!"

Twilight shot the man an annoyed glare, but she resisted the urge to correct him about her name anyway. The young scholar reached within herself for her magic, and found it more than ready to respond to her calls. Power surged through her body as her horn lit up, and just as it did, she saw a tiny receptacle open in front of her - a tiny hole, just small enough for a key to be placed inside.

Or perhaps... just small enough for her horn.

The young scholar's chest tightened, her breathing growing more strained. As her senses probed deeper, she could sense the overwhelming potential that thrummed beneath her: power capable of potentially creating entire planes... or destroying them. The sheer vastness of its magnitude yawned out before her, spinning, spiralling... as though the power of the very galaxy itself lay beneath her.

Twilight gulped. Whatever it was she was about to do here... There would be no turning back. The moment she channelled her power in there, everything would change, and nothing would be the same again.

But then again, that had already been the case ever since Rainbow Dash had disappeared, hadn't it?

The town needed her - what more did she have to lose?

Twilight jabbed her horn into the hole, and let loose with the torrent of power she had summoned up as the connection was made.

Click. Twist.

Nothing could have prepared her for what came next. Emerald light flashed, and a veritable tsunami of energy burst outwards, streaming out in torrents strong enough to actually lift them off the ground. Arms and legs suddenly burst out and solidified from what had previously been lumpy, formless stumps, and beefy, spiked fists large enough to envelop a pony’s entire head clenched tightly enough to elicit several menacing cracks as crimson armor gilded with gold formed along its arms and legs.

“All right, he’s awake, and we have power!” Caspar cried out, and the man slapped his hand downwards. “Hang on girls, this is gonna be one hell of a bumpy ride!!!”

Before Twilight could even prepare herself, there was a massive jolt, and she immediately began clinging on for dear life as her surroundings turned into one giant blur that melded with Pinkie's excited whoops.

The interior of the library abruptly gave way to the straw and green of Ponyville’s streets, now tinged with a disturbing amount of grey - demolished mortar and bricks, no doubt. The rampaging giant had already done a number on the homes surrounding the town square... but now, they were going to put a stop to that.

Already, she could see the behemoth’s massive girth rushing up to them... and then suddenly they had passed under it, darting in between its legs in a massive burst of speed.

“Accelerate, Pinkie!” Twilight heard Caspar’s voice yell out. “Let’s let ‘im have it!”

“You got it, Cas’!”

“Right on!!!”

Twilight wasn’t sure how many rounds they had darted around the beast, but by the time they suddenly snapped to a halt, she was dizzy and light-headed enough from all the zipping around that she barely even heard Caspar let out a triumphant cackle.

“HAHA!” The Koaxian crowed, crouched down on the shoulder of the boulder-sized entity he had called up as a part of this plan, and he looked up confidently at the giant that loomed over them, his poise unfettered and spoiling for a fight. “All right, you demon punk, I’m here, and now I’m gonna fight you to the death! Heaven itself might forgive your sins, but my Esper, Cúchulainn the Impure, will not!!!”

At the sound of the strange name again, his ‘Esper’, Twilight found herself darting another curious, suspicious look at Caspar. The fact that he referred to Cúchulainn as ‘his’ Esper implied dominion or ownership of some sort... but she had sensed the magnitude of Cúchulainn’s power, and there was no way that such an overwhelmingly powerful entity could simply be summoned at the beck and call of a mortal like herself, or Caspar.

There were only a few forms of explanation that made sense, one of them being that Caspar himself was more powerful than his Esper, and that thought alone chilled Twilight more than anything else. There was also the possibility that Caspar’s Esper was actually a part of him, and that it was what gave him his powers, but honestly, the mere thought of it was just absurd - how could two souls share one body?

A shadow suddenly loomed over her, interrupting her thoughts, and she looked up to see the giant breadth of the behemoth’s club suddenly coming down on them like a metal fist descending from heaven itself. The mare let out an uncharacteristic shriek of terror, and she reflexively cringed away from the oncoming club.

Of course, what she forgot was that the connection with Cúchulainn that provided him with extra power was still linked to her. Her impulse to retreat immediately manifested in the form of springy legs that suddenly sent them flying dozens of feet straight up into the air, dodging the giant demon's blow... And doing only that as they continued to spring out of the way again and again each time the giant swung at them, but never counterattacking.

"Twilight, what the hay are you doing!?" Pinkie yelled out. "Why are you running away!?"

"Because we're gonna die if we get hit by that thing! We have to avoid it!" Twilight screamed back, her eyes scrunched up in desperate terror.

"Don't be stupid!" Pinkie roared. "A true mare never dies, even if she's killed!"

The statement was so bizarre that Twilight got distracted for a moment just trying to figure out what the hay it was that her friend had just said - unfortunately, it was also the moment where her next springing dodge went slightly off-course, and she ended up careening into the path of the next thrust of the giant's club.

Before Twilight even knew what was happening, it crashed right into them. Slamming into the body of Caspar's esper like an oncoming freight train, the giant’s club thrust them into the wall of the nearest house, and punched them right through where it stayed stuck there.

In the sudden chaos and shock, Pinkie and Caspar found themselves tumbling down the length of the club, until they landed in a dazed heap. Blinking the stars out of her eyes, the pink filly quickly sat up, and abruptly realized something that could quite possibly have been rather detrimental to her short-term survival odds.

“We-We’re on its head!!!”

Next to her, Caspar snapped up to his feet, and they scrambled away just in time to dodge out of the way of a massive, metallic claw as the giant reached up as though it was trying to scratch off a couple of annoying fleas. "Oi, what the-!? Sparks, where are you!?"

The claw came at them again, and Caspar cursed, rearing an arm backwards. “Damnit, I hate it when shit like this happens!”

Abruptly, the Koaxian’s fist swelled to dozens of times its original size, and he swung it heavily like a hammer on a collision course with the claw headed in their direction. The ‘hammerfist’, as Pinkie immediately took to calling it in her head, collided with the giant’s hand with a massive CLANG!, and sent it careening away... but only barely. Within the next moment, it was already reaching for them again, and Caspar had barely recovered enough balance from the over weighted swing to lash out again with his left arm, sending the claw back again with his other hammerfist.

“I can’t keep this up forever,” Caspar snarled as he righted himself just in time to deflect another swipe of the giant’s claw, sweat beading on his forehead. “Damn it, Sparks! Where the hell are you!?”

The unicorn in question was still currently hanging half-conscious from Cúchulainn 'cockpit', the open seat that opened up from its sizeable cranium and upper back, and the esper was still pinned to the wall by the tip of the giant's club. Upon hearing Pinkie's cries of panic and Caspar’s enraged shouts however, Twilight abruptly snapped out of her fugue, and she shot upright, freeing Cúchulainn in a tiny shower of debris. "Pinkie!!!"

The young librarian nearly made to dart forward instantly, but the moment she saw the two of them darting about the giant's massive head like a couple of tiny ants, and the sheer size of the claw that was trying to swat them, she abruptly froze dead in her tracks from sheer fear and hesitation.

Cúchulainn, still maintaining its arcane connection with her will despite her having withdrawn her horn from the key slot, unexpectedly responded to her will. The esper suddenly froze as well, instead of rushing to the rescue of its master, and they both stood immobile and trembling, standing at the tip of the club.

Twilight just stood there, frozen, for several agonized, terrified moments. Stars above, what the hay was all of this!? This entire fiasco was making the incident with the Ursa Minor look like a cakewalk in comparison, and how was she supposed to beat something this big!?

Celestia damn it all, where was Shining Armor when you needed him!?

Twilight gulped - as far as things went, it looked like this was going to be up to her.

"K-Kick reason to the curb, and d-do the impossible!" The lavender mare repeated to herself desperately, clinging to the phrase Pinkie had uttered earlier as though it had a power all on its own. Her hooves clutched desperately onto the two handles that controlled Cúchulainn’s movements, and she dragged its feet forward inch by inch despite her mind's terrified insistence that she back the buck away. "T-That's the way... Team Harmony-!!"

The rest of her sentence trailed off as Cúchulainn inched forward another step, and then she abruptly lost her balance and rolled head over hooves in an uncontrolled tumble down the shaft of the giant’s club. But as she steadily gained speed and momentum, the high, thready terror in her voice slowly gave way, growing into a steady, determined timbre - like there was even a snowball’s chance in Tartarus she was going to let this beast hurt her friend!

Rapidly reasserting control over Cúchulainn, Twilight burst out of the tumble in a controlled roll, charged across the giant’s shoulder with a crazed cry, and she raced to her friend’s rescue, screaming her name all the way.

“AaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH-PIIIINKIEEEEEE!!!!”

The claw had been mere inches away from closing in upon them, Caspar firing madly at it with his arm-cannon in an attempt to deter it, when Cúchulainn abruptly slammed into it, solidly clocking the giant hand with a body slam that had its full weight behind it and abruptly slapping it aside. The esper’s body landed heavily in front of Pinkie and Caspar, Twilight hyperventilating in a panic and wide-eyed in the ‘cockpit’s’ seat, and the duo quickly clambered aboard, Pinkie slapping Twilight encouragingly on the back. “Nice one there, Twilight! Not a bad move!”

A shadow shifted over them, and Caspar looked up to see the giant’s club already rearing upwards for another blow. An idea occurred to him, and immediately, he slapped a hand down on Twilight’s shoulder, shaking her and urging her to action. “All right, come on, make another one of those jumps, Sparks! Come on, let’s go!”

Twilight barely responded. The librarian had completely frozen, clutching onto the handles like they were lifelines, and her eyes were tightly shut, her forelegs trembling madly. Up above them, the giant’s club raised itself even higher, and Caspar’s eyes widened as he shook Twilight even harder. “Oi, Sparks, what the hell are you doing!? Get your ass in gear, move it!!!”

The fear and pressure were too much; the lavender mare suddenly snapped, letting out a scream, and Cúchulainn’s cockpit abruptly sealed itself, cranium-colored seals wrapping themselves around the trio and squeezing them into the tiny confines that had been meant to contain only one individual at a time. The giant’s club descended... and slammed ineffectually against the deceptively fragile surface.

Nothing more than a giant CLONG! reverberated off from the reinforced cockpit - Cúchulainn was sent tumbling and spinning off into the air as it slipped out from underneath the club, and the rest of the blow’s considerable weight slammed right onto the crown of the giant’s head.

The results were as one would have expected from anypony who knocked themselves over the head with a baseball bat. The giant’s eyes rolled back into its head, and it wobbled unsteadily for a few seconds before tilting over to the side and toppling into the wall of a nearby, thankfully unoccupied house. The impact reduced the entire building to rubble, and the rest of its body crashed into the ground with a titanic impact, sending a shower of debris everywhere that bounced ineffectually off of Cúchulainn’s sealed cockpit.

Inside the tiny space, two mares and one man sat squeezed together, bodies contorted into nearly impossible positions just to fit inside. Twilight still sat completely frozen, her eyes wide as dinner plates as she clutched at the handles, and to her right, Pinkie’s face was jammed up right next to hers with her leg across Twilight’s shoulders, giving her a surprised grin as she let out a discomforted groan. “N-Nice shutters, Twilight.”

“Yeah, just a little... cramped, though...” Caspar muttered to her left.

Cúchulainn stepped up to the fallen giant's body at Caspar's direction as he took over the controls from Twilight, and gave one of its sizable fangs a few experimental taps. When there was no response, the Koaxian grinned. “Looks like we did it!”

“He took quite a blow to the head..." Twilight nodded in agreement as they turned Cúchulainn away. "Looks like he won’t be getting up anytime soon.”

They had taken only a few steps away from the giant's body when there was a sudden scream, and Twilight looked up to see horrified Roseluck staring from amongst a spectating crowd that was cowering from behind what was left of the buildings around them. The crimson-maned mare was staring wide-eyed, and her hoof was pointed at something behind... them...

That cannot possibly be good. Twilight had just enough time to think to herself, right before a shadow rose up behind them. Before any of them could react, steel jaws tipped with teeth several times as long as Cúchulainn was tall closed in upon them, and an overwhelming pressure began to crush them inwards. Outside, they could already hear the giant's crashing, distorted laughter as it crunched its teeth upon Cúchulainn’s body, attempting to crush the trio inside.

“I. GOT. YOU. NOW!!!!”

Twilight struggled against the pressure, trying to break free, but it was too much - it was like trying to squeeze free of a steadily shrinking tube, and she let out a strangled whimper. “Unh, it’s useless! It’s too tight!”

Next to her, one of Caspar's eyebrows twitched, and he shot her an annoyed look. “Damnit Sparks, quit makin' those weird little sounds in here!!! Come on, just gimme a few seconds to think of something...”

Below them, Pinkie's face was jammed right next to the panel where Twilight had connected her power with Cúchulainn’s, and her hoof was stuck mere inches away from the power receptacle. The pressure continued to press in on them, and Pinkie knew that she had to be the one to break them free. Twilight had been twisted away from the panel by the impact of the giant's jaws, and she was the only one who could reach it now.

All she had to do was reach her hoof over to the glowing slot just mere inches away from her... and she could barely even move her own body thanks to the cramped confines of the cockpit. “Damnit! More power! We need more power!”

With all her strength, the pink filly strained against the pressure closing in on her, going forward to reach the pulsing light, desperately reaching for salvation. Just an inch further... Half an inch... There!!!

She felt her hoof make contact with the warm, pulsing light, and she immediately pressed down upon it, willing forward everything that she had in her desire to break free.

Green light exploded outward. The panel lit up in an expanding spiral pattern as a high-pitched whine steadily built up around them, and something suddenly burst out in front of them, digging into the giant's teeth. Within moments, they had suddenly broken free in a shower of metal fragments, and finally got a clear look at what had just saved their collective skins.

“Eh? What’s a drill doing there?” Caspar raised a surprised eyebrow at the spinning metallic bit that had suddenly protruded from the crest of Cúchulainn’s forehead.

Pinkie simply gave him a nonplussed shrug. “I don’t know, it just came out when I channelled my power through!”

“Nice weapon - I think it suits you!” The gleaming tip of the spanking new drill glinted dangerously in the light of the portal that loomed in the sky over them, and Cúchulainn landed solidly on its feet, its new drill-horn pointed squarely at the giant.

“Cas’, looks like we can really get it with this!” Pinkie prodded the Koaxian with her elbow, and Caspar nodded in agreement.

“All right! Let’s send that thing packing back to where it came from - with the power of your Team Harmony’s drill!”

The pink baker nodded her affirmation with a sound of assent. Her grip upon the handles replaced Twilight’s, grabbing on to them and letting her will suffuse itself into Cúchulainn. The spiral panel before her began to glow with emerald light as she clutched onto the handles tighter, and the esper threw its chest out with a mighty bellow. In a burst of power, drills similar to the one adorning Cúchulainn’s forehead burst out of its forearms, and the same emerald light exploded outwards from its entire body in a blazing corona in time with its battle cry.

“Now, Pinkie! With your drill, pierce through to heaven!”

Twilight could only watch in wonder as Pinkie matched Caspar’s shout with her own, and then proceeded to surpass it as power unlike anything she had sensed before surge out of her friend. Before she could even brace herself, Cúchulainn blasted forward in a storm of spinning power that completely shredded the steel body of the titanic club that the giant thrust at them in an attempt to meet their charge.

And as though that hadn’t been enough, the Esper’s comparatively tiny body continued drilling upwards, shredding the rest of the club’s shaft, and then continued on to consume the rest of the giant’s arm after that. Its path didn’t end there - Cúchulainn slammed into the hollow of the giant’s shoulder with such an impact that it was actually carried airborne, and it drove the invading titan all the way back to the crack in the sky from where it had come.

At first it seemed as though the giant’s sheer mass would stop them cold right there, but Twilight was swiftly proven wrong. As though meeting the obstacle had galvanised them even more, Caspar and Pinkie’s shouts grew in volume, and the power that poured out of them and into Cúchulainn intensified even further.

A tornado exploded to life beneath them. In an explosive burst of raging energy, the emerald comet of power they had become blazed with meteoric fury, and pushed. There was the sound of glass first cracking, then shattering as something behind the giant gave way, and abruptly they were through, leaving behind a trail of swirling smoke in their wake.

Far below them, Slipstream stared at the skyborne fissure where the giant had disappeared into, staring in awe. His forgotten katana suddenly clattered to the ground in front of him, fallen from the sky, but he paid it barely any mind.

Whatever it was, he wasn’t going to be forgetting this sight any time soon.

Above the cacophonous sounds of the drill’s unrelenting advance, Twilight could barely even hear the giant’s screams of shock and pain. Sparks flew from where the drill’s tip dug into the demon’s metallic hide, a blinding display of light that interplayed with the emerald-green glow that suffused the entirety of Cúchulainn’s cockpit. The din was so deafening that she barely even heard the words that Caspar shouted next.

“Adios, you demon punk! I’m gonna send you packing back to the Nether where you came from - the Nether that you bastards brought me to when I was a kid!!!”

Pinkie neither heard nor would have paid heed to any of his words. Caught up in the rush of power that had suddenly poured out from her innermost being, she fed that energy into Cúchulainn without a shred of hesitation, and watched in delighted satisfaction as the torrent of power utterly obliterated the giant’s arm and proceeded to boot it straight out of Ponyville. With so much strength rushing through her veins, the high that coursed through her was five times just as intense as any sugar rush she had ever experienced.

Behind her, she could feel Twilight’s presence steadily thrumming with life and energy, and that energy in turn fed Pinkie with invigoration unlike anything she had felt before. Her body creaked and groaned from the strain of the power, but right at that very moment, she couldn’t have cared any less.

With this kind of strength, with Twilight at her back and the power of her friends backing her up... she could do anything.

The triumphant grin on her face turned itself upwards even more, and the Element of Laughter opened her mouth and screamed her joy to the world around her, power pouring forth from the very depths of her soul and propelling her onwards to the depths beyond.

The demon’s hide simply gave way under the trio’s furious onslaught. Fissure by fissure, the remnants of the giant’s shoulder splintered and cracked. Metal was rent and shredded, the entire frame coming apart beneath the ferocity of Cúchulainn’s unrelenting assault. The dying roars of the behemoth drowned out even Pinkie and Caspar in volume, before finally ending as it was blown into oblivion. It’s body was utterly disintegrated, and the thousands upon thousands of fragments left behind were whipped away on an ethereal wind, leaving no trace of what had occurred, save for a ruined Ponyville that was now nothing more than a tiny speck through the ethereal crack below them.

As quickly as it had come, Pinkie’s rush died away, but her hooves stayed firmly on the handles. Twilight had managed to calm herself down enough to take even breaths. Caspar, on the other hand, had a grin plastered on his face that stretched from ear to ear.

“Ha! See, girls? That wasn’t too hard, was it?” But both Pinkie and Twilight were too lost in the sight before them to heed Caspar’s comment. As Cúchulainn continued to revolve, it was made apparent that a sand-swept, rocky desert stretched for miles in all directions, no doubt reaching even beyond the horizon. Above it, a single, orange star bathed one half in golden light, the other basked in a navy blue darkness, lit only by a silvery moon.

“Stars... so this is inside of the Nether?” Twilight’s voice was little more than a whisper.

“It’s... beautiful!” Pinkie leaned over the edge of the cockpit-like cavity, marvelling at the view.

“So...” Caspar clapped his hands together, and the two mares turned to see the Koaxian giving them an expectant look, his fingers steepled as he gazed at them thoughtfully. “Now that we’ve got that guy out of the way... there’s something I need to settle up with you, Pinkie.”

A finger beckoned, and he leaned forward.

“Let’s talk.”

A minute went by. It wasn’t one devoid of any explanation, but given the participants, it shouldn’t have been any surprise at all to Twilight that she didn’t understand any of it.

“So... that’s pretty much the story, huh?” Pinkie appeared unusually relaxed, her cheery demeanour seemingly having deserted her. Nor was there anger. Just cool, if perhaps slightly melancholy, calmness.

“Yeah. I haven’t got a lot of time left.” Caspar admitted, grasping the tiny drill in his palm he had removed from his trouser pocket during his explanation. A rather spartan one in decoration: it was little more than a tiny bronze head the size of a pebble with a stone grip, and a thin chain dangling from the hilt. “None of us do.”

Twilight simply looked between the two, and stared in bewilderment. Over the past minute, the two of them had exchanged nothing more than vague sentences with wild gesticulations to punctuate and emphasise them, yet somehow they had managed to understand each other perfectly, despite Twilight’s best efforts to try and decipher just what they had been trying to get at.

And as Caspar’s explanation via Charades had gone on, Pinkie’s expression had slowly gone from cheery and optimistic, to sombre and pensive. Her mane had deflated visibly, and while it was hardly as flat as it had been during the disastrous ‘Pinkamena Incident’ on one of Pinkie’s birthday, Twilight could tell that there was obviously something bothering the pink filly.

“Darn...” Pinkie’s face was a now a mask, devoid of emotion. Twilight didn’t know what it was that her friend had understood from what Caspar had told her, but whatever it was, it had obviously affected her deeply. “It’s a shame, really: we might have even become friends if the circumstances had been different,”

Caspar let out a weary sigh, “Maybe... Don’t mean I can’t leave something good behind, though.” Pinkie gave him a curious look.

“Hmm? What are you talking about?” she inquired.

“You’re certainly something else, girl.” He chuckled. “Not too many people can even keep up with my kind of crazy, but you just went right ahead and skyrocketed right past it. You’re definitely it, girl... Definitely it.”

The man simply gave her a level glance, and smiled enigmatically. “You’re the one meant to carry on, Pinkie - for both of us. And my time is almost up. It’s up to you and your friends now.” his eyes were focused on something distant. Pinkie turned to see what he was staring at, but only the vast expanse of desert and sky greeted her.

“Hang on - wait, what are you talking about?” Twilight, having recovered from her shock, finally spoke up. She had had just about enough of all the vagueness from the mysterious human, and it was just about time that she finally started getting some answers! She wasn’t going to let an opportunity like pass her by!

Unfortunately for her, Caspar simply laughed, and said nothing more. “Don’t sweat the details - you’ll get what I mean once the memories start coming in,” he switched his pensive gaze to Twilight, “It’ll be your turn soon. Make sure you’re ready,”

Pinkie did a double take, “Wait, I don’t underst-”

Without warning, Caspar gripped the miniature drill and rammed it up to the hilt in Pinkie’s chest. She gasped, tears forming at the corners of her eyes, partly because of the pain, but partly from disbelief. After all that, after all they’d gone through, Caspar just wanted to kill her? She looked down at where the Koaxian’s hand was still clasped around the totem. There was no blood. There was no sign of an injury. Only pain, and the sound of her own, shallow breaths.

“... Why?” she asked, looking up. She saw only regret reflected in his eyes.

“Sorry about this, kid... Believe me, I wish I could stick around to show you how to deal with what’s to come. We all do.”

With a final, somber glance, Caspar twisted the drill.

The entire world went green, and everything around her disappeared.