The Elements Of Harmony: The Equestrian Crisisby JC BorchChaptersChapter 1: Escape From The CastleChapter 2: Delivering The GoodsChapter 3: Entering the Gates of FlamesChapter 4: Rescue The MayorChapter 5: The Princess’s DaughterChapter 6: The Burning PrioryChapter 1: Escape From The Castle“I was born more than a thousand years ago and I have ruled since that day as Equestria’s princess with my beloved sister, but for all these years I have never been the ruler of my own dreams. I have seen the gates of Oblivion, beyond which no waking eye may see. These are the closing days of the rule of the pegasus unicorns and the final hours of my life.” THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY: THE EQUESTRIAN CRISIS CHAPTER 1 - ESCAPE FROM THE CASTLE - “Ya all right, sugar cube?” Applejack asked with concern. Twilight pried her eyes away from the window. “Hmm? Oh, yeah, I’m fine, just lost in my own thoughts,” Twilight answered and put on a smile. “I just can’t help but wonder what the Princess wants with us after all these years.” “She probably just wants to throw us a reunion party,” Spike said and relaxed in his chair. “It’s been three years, Twalight. Three years since we were all together last,” Applejack pointed out. Twilight nodded. “True, but why now of all times? I... I’m worrying too much,” she said and chuckled. “It’s good to see you all again!” She looked around at all her friends gathered together in this small compartment. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy sat next to her while Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Applejack were in front of her. Spike sat on a fold-down chair below the window. “I’m excited to hear, what have you all been up to these past years?” Twilight asked with enthusiasm. “Well, I –” Fluttershy started, but was quickly cut short. “I got into the Wonderbolts!” Rainbow Dash burst out proudly. “Next time you see one of those air shows, be sure to look for me... what?” Twilight gave her a disapproving look before directing her attention towards Fluttershy. “What have you been up to?” “Oh, it really isn’t much,” Fluttershy said and began to blush. “Don’t say that. Ya got yerself a whole lil' sanctuary, dontcha?” Applejack said. “How wonderful!” Rarity said. “What does that mean?” “Well... I have expanded my cottage a little to accommodate more animals and I’ve got some volunteers as well. It’s not a veterinary clinic, not at all, it’s just... a place for all the poor sick little animals to stay and get better.” It was like Fluttershy was back home in Ponyville with all her animals. A serene look spread over face as she joyfully told her friends about everything. She suddenly stopped and blushed. “Goodness, I didn’t mean to take all the time. I hear you’ve made a name for yourself in Canterlot?” “Indeed! I’ve got my own boutique where I specialise in customised dresses,” Rarity said triumphantly. She quickly hung her head and continued more humbly. “I’m sorry for breaking us apart, girls, but fate only knocks once. I had to take the opportunity.” She tried to sound sincere in her excuse, but it might’ve come off a bit defensive. “Aw, don’t worry about it!” Pinkie said and threw an arm around Rarity. “I didn’t even know how many sad and frowning ponies were out there until I decided to tour Equestria. They really love my routines with Sweetie Belle in Fillydelphia.” “Thank you,” Rarity said and smiled back weakly. “And you’ve been taking good care of her as well?” “Sure! Comedy isn’t really her strength, but she has the best singing voice in Equestria. What about you Applejack, you never left Ponyville, right?” “Nah,” Applejack said, “too much work on the farm and all. Things were tough when Granny passed away, but then Apple Bloom got her cutie mark, so things are up and down as usual.” “I’m sorry to hear that,” Twilight said and patted her hoof. “Let me guess though. Her special talent has something to do with carpentry?” “You betcha,” Applejack said and chuckled. “She’s also taken over pie baking and jam making from granny. But what have ya been up ta all these years? We haven’t heard from ya at all! Ah bet ya’ve been doing all kinds of exciting experiments?” “As if,” Spike snorted and looked disinterested out of the window. “All we’ve been doing for the last couple of years has been gathering plants.” “Don’t listen to him. We’ve been doing very important work for Celestia, documenting plants and wildlife and mapping unknown locations.” “I’m sure that was all very interesting,” Rarity said, “but you haven’t forgot the most important thing, have you darling?” “Most important?” Twilight asked puzzled. “I’m talking of course about a coltfriend. Don’t tell me you’ve been spending all those years alone.” “Well, I’ve had Spike,” Twilight answered and blushed, trying to look away. Spike made a gagging motion. “I haven’t forgotten about my Spikey-Wikey either,” Rarity said and rubbed his head. “You haven’t found a cute little dragoness for yourself?” “No, I have not. If you want to talk about this girly nonsense, I think I’ll check out the dinner car.” Spike jumped down from his seat and left. Rarity looked at him leave, her brows furrowing in concern. “He’s still mad at me, isn’t he?” Rarity asked concerned. “Aw shucks, he’ll be all right,” Applejack said. “He was no worse than any of us and we forgave you quickly.” “Yeah, I’ve always said you should pursue your dreams!” Pinkie said and giggled. “Well, anyone have any luck with love then?” Rarity asked. The Canterlot station was announced all too soon. The girls eventually had to cease their talking and grabbed their saddle pouches. Spike joined them as they exited the train. His growth spurt became visible as he walked next to them. He was about the height of Twilight who had also grown an inch or two. The conversation steered towards the purpose for the Princess’s summoning as they crossed the train station. It was placed outside the tall white walls of Canterlot as a large chasm divided the two. An impressive stone arc bridged the gap but had no capacity for trains. The girls chatted happily until they reached the gates. A white pegasus guard in royal gilded armour accosted them. “You are the wielders of the Elements of Harmony?” he asked. The girls were surprised, but responded positively to his question. “Come with me.” He turned about; his commanding tone encouraging the girls to comply. They seemed at first to be walking towards the castle through the temples and gardens, but they passed. Eventually they came to the market district and finally towards a closed-off section of the city where none of them ever had had a reason to go to before. “Wait just a minute here,” Rainbow Dash said, flying above her friends. “Where are you taking us?” “The dungeons,” he replied uninvitingly. “The dungeons? Whatever for?” Rarity asked horrified. “I’m not going into a damp, cold, dark prison without a good reason.” Similar murmurs broke out among the others “Oh... please, Mr Officer, we haven’t done anything wrong,” Fluttershy said. “Her Majesty requested an audience with you down there. It is not up to me to question a personal order from one of the Princesses.” The ponies again fell silent and obediently followed. They came to a tower in the middle of the circular courtyard set away from the rest of the city. Instead of going up, however, they went down through a winding spiral staircase until they reached the prison. It was in a state of neglect with rusty bars and cobwebs in the corners. The girls got increasingly intimidated with each step they took, nervously observing such an ancient pony custom. Down and down and down they advanced until they reached a cell at the very bottom. “Wait here,” the guard and left them. The ponies milled around outside the small, roughly-hewn room in surprise and agitation. “Twilight, what are we doing here?” Rainbow Dash asked angrily. “I-I-I don’t know!” she stammered. “The Princess only told us to meet her in Canterlot.” Their growing dread was then interrupted by the Princess’s familiar voice as it echoed through the halls. “What about my faithful student and her friends, are they already here?” She rounded the corner and came into view, as regal-looking as always. She looked at Twilight with a mix of mourning and commanding. “Twilight Sparkle, my most faithful student, and her friends, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, yes, even you, Spike. I’m sorry to have asked to come, but I’m glad that you did,” she said. “Princess, what’s going on?” Twilight asked desperately. “Yeah, why are we meeting you in this musty old dungeon?” Rainbow Dash added. “Assassins have killed Luna and I am next. My Blades are leading me out of the city along a secret escape route, which just so happens to start in this cell,” she explained calmly, though her voice wavered. “Please, Princess, we have no word from your sister. She might yet be alive,” one of the guards said. She was the only mare of the guards with a dark purple coat and a bright yellow mane mostly hidden by her helmet. Whoever these “Blades” were, they did not look like any of the other guards. There were three of them with Celestia; a zebra and two earth ponies. Their armour was of a grey metal and included hoof shoes, plate armour and helmet, all plain with no specific design in mind. A katana was sheathed by their side. “Don’t patronise me, Autumn Petal, I know my sister well enough to feel when she’s in danger,” she replied heatedly. The six ponies were talking loudly over each other, crying and talking in shocked voices. It was Spike who had enough sense to ask. “So, what are we doing now?” “We’re getting out of here,” the Princess simply said. “Princess, what’s going on? Is Luna really...” Twilight asked, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I apologise for bringing you into this. We will talk once the situation calms down. I still have things to consider.” “But —” Twilight said, but was interrupted when a soothing light erupted from the Princess’s horn. She felt her fears and doubt lessen. She wiped her eyes and nodded. “If you would step aside,” Autumn Petal said. “The tunnels under the city should be safe, but to be sure, stay behind us at all times.” Rarity looked about to protest at the prospect of more tunnels, but words failed her. She complied and along with the others allowed the guard to enter cell. They did as commanded and the female pony stepped inside. She traced the wall with her hoof while the other two Blades remained quiet. “I’ve never seen a zebra in an official position before,” Twilight whispered to Spike. “Well, we’ve been seeing more of them the last couple of years,” Spike said relaxed and put his arms behind his head. Autumn Petal finally found what she was looking for: a loose brick. With a single push, the wall slid aside and revealed a tunnel dug into the rock under the castle. She took the front while the earth pony and the zebra flanked Celestia, with the girls and Spike coming up from behind. The corridors were similar to the architecture of the city and torches burned brightly. Despite the negligence, the whole place seemed like it was still sprawling with life. The narrow corridor led out into a small room with a door on the right. Autumn Petal banged on the door, but it wouldn’t budge. She took a step back to assess the situation, and an unnatural silence fell. Their heartbeats echoed like drums, and even small pebbles falling to the ground could be heard. The Blades looked around the room nervously when they heard the unmistakable sound of hooves on stone. Up on raised platforms behind them and in front of them, four other ponies appeared. They were dressed in twisted, black armour and masks with red robes and hoods just visible underneath. They jumped the guards, ignoring completely the little dragon and the six defenceless ponies and gunned for the Princess herself. They held in their hoofs and mouths battle-axes of the same twisted, black design with which they hacked away. The Blades drew out their katanas and started a counterattack. Although they were three against four, the guards were better trained in swords while the attackers seemed like nothing but a motley crew of bandits. The battle was short and lasted only a few minutes, but both sides had drawn casualties. They had disposed of the strange ponies, whose armour and weapons evaporated and left them dressed in red robes and armed with small iron daggers. “Dammit, these tunnels were supposed to be safe,” the zebra Blade said and poked one of the assassins. Celestia went to the guard captain who lay immobile with a wound to her side. “Captain Autumn Petal,” she said sternly, but the zebra shook his head. “She’s dead. I’m sorry, Your Majesty.” Celestia took a moment of silence, sighed and then hardened her face again. “We still have a long way to go, Baurus. Can we get past the door?” she asked. The words barely escaped her mouth before they heard shuffling feet. It came from somewhere nearby, so the Blades prepared for another assault and bit down on their swords. It came nearer and was accompanied by a pounding on the wall; large thuds like somepony banging their hooves against the bricks. Finally, a section of the wall gave in and an ugly, grouchy creature emerged from the rubble. “Goblins,” Baurus murmured through clenched teeth. The goblin was no bigger than Spike; a light green, bipedal creature, intelligent enough to grunt and dress in leathery leg bracers, loin cloth and cap. It jumped up and down agitated and charged towards the group with a crude iron dagger in its gnarled hand. Rainbow Dash was quick to react and kicked the goblin back into the tunnel where it had come from. It did not get up again. “Nasty little creatures,” Baurus said and sheathed his sword again. “The sewers underneath the city are infested with them, but to find one here.” “Let’s carry on,” Celestia said and proceeded forward. Baurus and the other Blade divided themselves around her, the zebra in front and the earth pony behind. The new tunnel was too narrow to allow them passage side by side, so the six element wielders and Spike slowly filed in from behind. Making sure that the others didn’t notice her, Rarity stayed behind for just a moment longer. She quickly grabbed the katana off of the dead Autumn Petal and crammed it into her saddle. She did not hear the ripping sound her bag made as she caught up with the group. The tunnel emerged into a small cave carved out of the wall, lacking any of the refined architecture of the palace. The ceiling was low and Celestia had to bow her head to fit inside. The goblin had made a home out of it with crude furniture, living off of the many small rats scurrying around their hoofs. A door at the other end was nothing more than a couple of loose planks stitched together and fitted into the hole. The rest of the goblin-made caves were likewise crudely carved and impromptu decorated. Fluttershy coughed ever so slightly. “The air is so thick,” she complained. “And what is that stench?” “I don’t like this,” Baurus said and halted. “What the... ?” They had encountered several rats before, but now they were positively swarming. Almost if they were fleeing from something. “Princess, what...” Twilight asked, but Celestia shushed her in a friendly matter. She had closed her eyes and they could see her horn faintly glowing in the dark. The same warm feeling as last time spread out through them all and calmed them. They carried on through the roughly-hewn tunnels, swerving between walls and pillars. The rats scampered as quickly as they could in the opposite direction. The narrow caves once again emerged into a room and the source of their fright became obvious. There was another pony here and it seemed almost friendly in the darkness. But as it crossed the light of a torch, its intentions became clear and even the members of the Blades had to take a step back. It was a corpse animated by sinister magic, limping towards them. It was quite badly damaged and its skin had assumed a sickly green colour. Celestia generated a ball of fire on the tip of her horn. She released it, and the zombie gave a pitiful moan before collapsing. “We need to keep moving,” she said simply. “No telling what other things await us down here.” They did not encounter anymore corpses however and aside from a few rats, no more problems either. They eventually came to another crude door and the roughly carved caves gave way to natural caves with stalagmites and stalactites on floor and ceiling. Large torches were pounded into the ground and wound with oily rags and provided the only source of light. Goblins patrolled the halls and caves. They had set up several traps, but weren’t smart enough to avoid them. One of the goblins tripped over a wire and was promptly crushed by heavy logs tumbling down a small slope. As the small band ventured further inside, they came to the biggest room they had been in yet. A large indentation had been dug into the cave floor where the goblins sat around campfires. They caught sight of them and grabbed small iron swords and maces, but the Blades disposed of them quickly. A goblin dressed in robes approached with a long wooden cane in his hands. It sent several bolt of lightning at them, but Celestia effortlessly deflected them. The natural caverns ended in another door. The ponies sighed at the prospect of more caves but they emerged on a tall balcony. They were back under the palace. Fine white blocks of stone made up walls, floor and ceiling. They jumped down, where Celestia paused abruptly and sat down on the floor. “Your Majesty, we need to keep moving,” the earth pony Blade said, a big and strong colt with lavender coat, light olive green mane completely eaten by his helmet and royal purple eyes. Celestia simply shook her head, and the guard begrudgingly fell silent. “It’s all right, Silver Boulder, I just need to rest for a moment. Besides, I think we owe our guests some answers.” “About time,” Rainbow Dash said. “I apologise once again for bringing you into this, but you need to know what’s going on. I fear that I have only bad news.” The six ponies sat down in front of her with Spike leaning up against Twilight. She was also the first to ask what they were all thinking: “What could be worse?” “The elements of harmony have been stolen.” She was collected, unafraid of the things she spoke of. She was regal in her speech and no emotion save from a little concern eluded her. “What? How in tarnation could anyone do that?!” Applejack asked in consternation. “I do not know,” Celestia said and looked up at the ceiling. “Supernatural powers are at play and they already have too much of a head start.” “This... wouldn’t be the work of Discord, would it?” Applejack asked again. “No. As bad as Discord is, he is but a trickster who would rather see the world twisted to his demented scheme and fall into chaos. An ancient evil that I had hoped to seal away forever is rising. You must break this curse on your own.” “What do you mean, Princess? You talk like you won’t accompany us,” Pinkie stated worriedly and raised an eyebrow. “I’m afraid not,” Celestia replied and smiled. “Few ponies have the gift, or curse, to foresee their own deaths. I do. This is not my quest to undertake, but yours.” “Don’t say that,” Twilight said, tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Twilight, I’m so sorry,” she replied and nuzzled Twilight’s head. “I have had my share of adventures and sorrow and love. I have lived for far longer than any pony should. I do not fear death any longer, but welcome it as an old friend. Are you ready to walk again, or were you any more curious?” The ponies exchanged nervous glances. Twilight simply looked up at her mentor, trying to hold back her tears. Celestia was serene as she got up again, but a shadow of grief passed flashed on her face for a moment. The group moved again through the escape tunnels. Eight more of the assassins appeared on ledges and jumped them, but they didn’t stand a chance against the Blades. They came to a smaller room with no seeming ways out. The zebra led them inside and paused by a large gate on the right. They could see the way ahead through the bars, but the gate would not budge. Baurus banged against it in frustration. “Damnation, this gate is not supposed to be here.” No sooner had he said it than another gate slammed down and covered the door they had come from. Four more assassins emerged from all sides and immediately charged. The two remaining Blades cut in front of Celestia and her entourage. “Your Majesty, it isn’t safe here. Go into the small chamber and wait for us there,” Baurus yelled. More assassins came to replace those lost. There seemed to be no end to end to them. A small side chamber that they had previously overlooked had not been barred off. The group hastily retreated inside and closed the door behind them. They were agitated, nervous and jumpy but Celestia simply sat down quietly. Her face became grave for just a moment as she spoke, to illustrate the importance of her words. “Twilight, I can go no further. You seven must stand against the Prince of Destruction and his mortal servants. He must not have the Amulet of Alicorns.” Her horn glowed and her necklace flew from her body, landing in Twilight’s saddle pouch. “Take it and give it to Brave Charger. He alone knows where to find my daughter. Find her and close shut the jaws of Oblivion.” “How can you be so calm?” Twilight asked, no longer able to restrain her tears any longer. “There’s nothing that I can do to change my fate. One way or the other my end is near, but it pleases my heart to know that I leave the future to you all.” “I don’t understand, Princess. You have a daughter? And what is so special about this amulet?” Twilight asked bewildered and wiped her face. “Brave Charger will be able to explain it all.” “Princess,” Twilight started, but the tears almost choked her. The others stood around her, tears trickling down their cheeks as well but they remained quiet. Spike stood taciturn by her side, doing his best not to cry as well. “Princess, I won’t ever forget you,” she said. “I hope you don’t, and remember my words. This burden is now yours. You all hold our future in your hooves,” she replied and hugged her favourite student. They didn’t see a panel slide open in the wall behind them. Another assassin clutching a dagger in its mouth crept out towards them. They did not notice it before Celestia slumped to the floor with blood pooling under her. The seven reeled in shock. The assassin took the dagger from the neck and reared on its hind legs with the blade in hoof. It trod slowly towards them, looking from one to the other. Then it saw the amulet in Twilight’s pouch and went for her throat, but fell just short and landed next to the Princess. Pinkie withdrew a sword from the failed assassin, her chest heaving with the effort and out of fright. “You don’t hurt my friends!” Pinkie said in a shrill tone. “Pinkie, where did you get that?” Dash asked and recoiled. “It stuck out of Rarity’s saddle pouch,” she replied flatly and dropped the blood-stained sword on the ground. The other ponies curiously looked at Rarity and did not see Pinkie looking at her bloody hoofs in horror. “It would be a shame to leave something that beautiful in a place like this,” Rarity replied defensively and stashed the sword again with a sniff. Rainbow Dash clasped her face. “How could you think of something so trivial in a situation like this?” “Girls, no arguing,” Applejack said. “At least let us show the Princess our last respect.” The two glared at each other but agreed with heads nodding. The girls bowed their heads in silent reverence and Spike saluted her. After a moment Baurus entered the room. He looked flustered and was covered in blood, but looked fine aside from a few scratches and nicks in his armour. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty, Silver Boulder fell as well. It’ll just be —” but he didn’t manage to finish the sentence. He saw Celestia lying on the floor, still with a smile on her lips. “No. We’ve failed. All hope is lost,” he said and fell to his knees. “Not all hope,” Twilight said quietly. “The Princess gave us her amulet and told us to seek out Brave Charger; to find her daughter” “Her daughter?” Baurus said surprised. “This is the first I hear of this, yet... Her Majesty trusted you and so should I. Brave Charger is the grandmaster of the Blades and resides as a quiet monk in a monastery outside Trottingham. I’m sorry that I won’t be able to accompany you, but I need to stay behind and guard Her Majesty. I suppose you can go the way the assassin came, but you’ll need this.” Baurus reached inside his armour and fished out a small key. Twilight took it with her magic. “The Princess once saved my life. It pains me that I could not repay her the favour, but you will succeed where we failed. Find the Elements of Harmony and stop whoever’s behind this.” The girls nodded and were about to leave when he stopped them again. “And I’ll be taking this,” the zebra said and took the katana from Rarity. “Autumn Petal might be with Celestia again, but this will always remind us of her bravery.” Rarity looked ready to argue, but simply nodded her head. The panel sent them to a small corridor that circumvented the gate previously preventing them from proceeding. The key opened a door at the end to the sewers. They came out on a ledge high above the ground, but that was not a problem for the gang. The pegasuses flew, the earth ponies jumped and the unicorns teleported. Spike was fortunate enough to get a lift on Twilight’s back. They came into the sewers beneath Canterlot where the stone was crudely hewn and murky water ran. Their only problem now was rats and goblins. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Applejack did their best with hoof-to-hoof combat, while Rarity and Twilight pummelled them with spells. They wandered on small platforms next to the water and crossed small bridges for a long time. They passed small rooms where goblins had made their homes and they encountered closed gates that could only be opened by heavy valves. At last the sewer ended. They stood at the edge of a large pipe poking out of a mountain side. A small stream of water trickled out. They could see Canterlot somewhere far above them and a small system of platforms and ladders next to them. They all agreed it was good to be outside again, free of monsters and the smells. The group took a much needed pause and settled down. Twilight could no longer hold herself back and buried her head in her lap. Spike wrapped his arm around her and rested his head on her shoulder. The others either remained quiet or sobbed along with her. When the sun started to bleed the sky into a red crimson colour, Twilight once again looked up. She wiped her eyes and spoke. “Girls, what happened today... I think it best if we keep the finer details to ourselves.” The group nodded. “Furthermore, I think it would be best if we split up from here. Whoever was after the Princess’s life will be coming after us as well, to get the amulet or to kill us. We cannot allow them to take us all out at once.” “Ah agree,” Applejack said. “But Ah don’t think we should go alone. Two and two would be better.” “Most certainly,” Rarity said. “If you don’t mind, Rainbow Dash, can I come with you?” “You’ll be coming with me,” Twilight said resolutely and got up on her hooves. “I need your position in Canterlot to help me.” “But I...” Rarity began, but nodded apprehensively. “I also think one of you should take the amulet and deliver it to this Brave Charger,” Twilight said. “I will be the most logical choice to have it, so the assassins will be coming after me first. Please, don’t make me choose one of you.” The girls all looked at each other nervously, but it was Applejack who answered the call. “Ah’ll do it. Ah’ll take the amulet to Trottingham along with Pinkie.” “Okey dokey lokey!” Pinkie replied. “You don’t want to go with me?” Rainbow Dash asked hurt. “That’s not it, sugar cube, but you and Fluttershy need to go back to Ponyville. Make sure everything there is alright.” “We’ve got our plan then,” Twilight said. “I need to go to the academy and see if they won’t help me find the elements. Rarity will be taking the temperature on Canterlot, see if anyone knows anything.” “And I’ll go back to the Wonderbolts. I bet they know something as well!” Rainbow Dash said. “Then let us waste no more time,” Twilight said and closed her eyes for a moment. “Girls... it would sadden me greatly if I could no longer be with you. Be careful out there. Do what you have to, even if would seem pointless. Celestia guide is in our hour of need.” “Don’t worry, Twilight!” Pinkie said. “We’ll all meet back up in Canterlot once we’ve found the Elements.” Twilight covered them all in a levitation spell and guided them up the mountain side. She released her magical hold once they reached the station. The girls and even Spike hugged each other intently before heading off to their destinations. Twilight, Rarity and Spike crossed the bridge towards Canterlot and left their friends on the other side. The four others quickly turned their attention away from the city and on towards the trains. It was absurd to see everypony else carry on as usual. They were chatting and joking and singing. One could only wonder how they would react once they found out that Celestia was gone. “Well... we’ll see you later,” Rainbow Dash said and embraced Applejack. “For sure,” Applejack replied and gave a tired smile. Pinkie and Fluttershy remained quiet, but also hugged deeply. Fluttershy sniffed, trying hard not to cry. “Don’t worry, we’ll all be together again and we’ll never part, ever,” Pinkie said, which helped a little. Fluttershy wiped her face and nodded. “Take care of yaselves. Once ya get ta Ponyville, could ya tell mah brother and sister Ah’ll be a little late?” Applejack asked and hurried towards her train with Pinkie right behind her. “No problem,” Fluttershy said and smiled weakly. Dash and Fluttershy likewise went onboard their train. They found an empty compartment and collapsed on the seats. Dash opened an eye. Fluttershy was shivering slightly as she looked out into the darkening sky with a glazed expression. Dash scratched her neck and tried to look away, but she could feel what was on her friend’s mind. She got up from her seat and sat down next to her yellow friend. “You know, Fluttershy, it’s okay. You don’t have to keep it in.” “Oh, I’m fine, but thank you for your concern,” she replied and smiled weakly. “There’s no shame in tears. You won’t be able to sleep if you don’t.” Fluttershy really looked like she was on the verge of crying. She sniffed and small tears trickled down her chin. She hugged Rainbow Dash and cried with all of her heart into her friend’s shoulder, trying to drown the sorrows and sadness of what had happened today with the tears of cleansing. It was not because Rainbow Dash was any stronger in this, but she had to keep her cool for the both of them. She too couldn’t stifle the tears that pressed their way through, aided by the ones of her companion. She looked out into the darkening day, but all she could see were the troubles and despair in the distance. *** “Now then, I need to go to the school and talk to someone. Why don’t you see if Canterlot knows anything?” Twilight asked, but Rarity smiled nervously. “Oh but darling, don’t you think we’d better stick together for now?” she replied. “Don’t worry, Rarity, as long as you keep to the main streets and try not to stray too far from the guards, I’m sure you’ll be fine. Come on Spike.” Rarity raised a hoof in objection, but lowered it quickly again. She bit her lip and watched them leave. “You notice something odd about her?” Spike asked as they ventured past high-end stores. “Well, I guess she wasn’t wearing any clothes, but... we never do,” Twilight answered. “I’m not talking about how she looked, more like how she’s been acting.” “Oh Spike, she’s just guilt-ridden still. I don’t think I would turn down an offer to realise my dreams either.” “Perhaps you’re right,” Spike said, though not totally convinced. “Are you sure that you know the way?” “Of course I do, it’s only been... seven years? It’s just around here somewhere,” Twilight replied and peered around. “Aha. Because I’m pretty sure that those towers behind us belong to the school.” Twilight stopped and looked to where Spike was looking. Indeed, the school was not in the direction she had been going. She smiled sheepishly and blushed. “I guess it has been a while, huh?” Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns was a big place dedicated to the magical education of unicorns that displayed extraordinary magical capabilities, ones such as Twilight Sparkle. The grounds were crowded with unicorns as always like the rest of Canterlot, but there were also many earth ponies and pegasuses. She noticed this curiosity, but shook her head and crossed the front park towards the tower before her. She entered with apprehension. The feeling of magic from hundreds of unicorns living and a thousand others dead imprinted into the walls always made her coat prickle. She looked around for a fellow unicorn, but found only an earth pony on one a bench. He had a coat in a lighter shade of purple than Twilight’s, with hair the colour of ripe corn flowing down his neck and grey eyes like periwinkle. “Miss Sparkle!” he hollered and waved at her. “Who are you?” she asked in a bewildered tone. “You’ve been gone from the school for a long time, Miss Sparkle; things around here have changed. The name is Brawny Spirit.” He wore a simple blue robe along with a most sincere, serious expression on his face. “Listen, we don’t have time for this! The Princess is... she was...” “We know.” Brawny nodded mournfully. “You’re not the only one that she confided in.” “Then you must also know about the Elements?” Twilight asked and managed to calm down a little. “Yes. The school is doing everything in its powers to retrieve them, but I fear that we have woefully few clues pertaining to their location.” “Well... I better get back to my studies then,” Twilight said. “I’m sure the library here might provide a few clues on the attackers.” “Actually, I hoped that we might have a talk. Come, sit.” The light purple earth pony clopped at the bench he was sitting on. Twilight hesitated for a moment before taking him up on his offer. Spike took a seat next to her. “You mind telling me who are you then? And what you’re doing here?” Twilight asked. “It’s very simple, Miss Sparkle. All ponies are born with magic, even earth ponies and pegasuses. The school has long neglected this study, an error that the princess hoped to correct in her later years. She founded The Royal Equestrian Academy for the Study of Magic, or the Academy of Magic for short, of which the School for Gifted Unicorns is now a part of.” “That sounds like her,” Twilight said and gave a feeble smile. “I know it must be hard for you to accept, Miss Sparkle. You had a closer relationship with her than most, but you will always have a place here. If you have any problems, you can always come talk with me.” “T-thank you,” she replied and raised an eyebrow. “You have been a student here for a long time, Miss Sparkle, but have you ever thought of working for us?” “What? You mean like teaching?” she said, incredulous at the sudden proposal. “Hah! I have no doubt in my mind that you would make a great teacher, but I fear that your talents would be sorely wasted.” “Then...?” “The Academy has opened several smaller institutions all over Equestria,” he began and looked at a group of chatting unicorns passing through the lobby. “However, I hear nothing but complaints from them. It would seem there are more problems to this off-branching that we could anticipate, and I’m stuck here with my duties. How would you like to visit all the major cities of this fine country and take care of a few tasks for me?” He turned his head towards Twilight, and she could hardly turn a request like this. “I don’t know, sir. I would much rather help with finding the Elements.” “There is nothing to do at the moment, but perhaps when you return.” “But...” “Just do it,” Spike said. “Ought to be more exciting than spending two years drawing plants.” “Very well. I accept,” Twilight said. “But I insist on bringing some research materiel with me.” “Very well. You should take this,” Brawny said and muzzled around his robe from which he withdrew a scroll sealed with red wax. “This is a list of where to find the institutions and who to talk to. I have great hope in you, Miss Sparkle. I have graver things to worry about than a few growing pains and when you return, I might even have you help me with more serious matters” Twilight took the scroll with her magic, almost as if to spite him, and placed it in her saddle pouch. She jumped down from the bench and Spike went beside her, out into the sunlight and into new adventures with new problems. This day had really taken one strange turn after the other. *** Two earth ponies sat in a train compartment headed for Trottingham, brooding, looking out of the windows. One of them was Applejack who was looking down and Pinkie Pie who looked fuming. “Ya alright?” Applejack asked. “No, I’m just so.... so mad! I can’t believe someone would do something like this,” Pinkie said and pounded the seat. “I know how ya feel, sugar cube, but we still got a long way ahead of us. We should relax if we can.” “I just hope the assassins won’t come after us. Not that I hope they would target Twilight or anypony else, but we need to deliver that amulet and get a hoof on the situation.” She looked up fearfully at Applejack. “If they do go after Twilight, will she be able to handle herself?” “Ah’m certain she’ll be fine,” Applejack said and tried to sound reassuring. Another pause followed that the two ponies spent in silence, nervous perhaps that their voices would attract unwanted attention. Applejack tapped the floor and looked around the cabin. “So... ya still got your alligator? Gummy?” she asked. Pinkie nodded her head fervently “I had him put down!” Pinkie said excitedly. “You did what now?” Applejack asked shocked. “To Fluttershy’s, of course! Gummy wouldn’t enjoy a big city like Canterlot much, so I thought it best to leave him back in Ponyville.” “Oh... hehe, good thinking,” Applejack said and smiled. She found it easy to talk with Pinkie again after all these years apart and evening slowly became night. They were able to forget all their troubles at least for a few hours before sleep overtook them. Their dreams were not that of carefree play anymore, but worry about the future. The future of all Equestria. Chapter 2: Delivering The Goods“Following the mane cast's brief reunion after having been apart for three years, the young mares find themselves divided once again. Though the death of Celestia has stricken them all hard, a new quest beckons them from the tragedy, one that must be completed if Equestria is to survive the mysterious peril that has befallen it. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash arrive back in Ponyville, but is everything as tranquil as it seems? Meanwhile, Twilight and Rarity each have their own events in Canterlot which will define their unique role in their personal fight for Equestria's fate. What kind of struggle awaits the pair? But first, Applejack and Pinkie Pie head out alone for the city of Trottingham. There, they must question an old Royal Guard Captain about Celestia's mysterious daughter, but what will they uncover?” THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY: THE EQUESTRIAN CRISIS CHAPTER 2 - DELIVERING THE GOODS - Pinkie Pie tossed and turned in the bunk bed she shared with Applejack. Her eyelids flickered wildly as she sought reprieve from her haunting nightmares, but found none. A long gasp escaped her lips like breaching the water of a cold lake. She looked up at the ceiling and a bright ray of moonlight fell on her face. The moon outside was big and round, its light extra radiant. Pinkie stuck her head outside to get some fresh air but fell backwards when the train made a bump. “Miss Pie?” a voice echoed. Confused, Pinkie looked at Applejack who was still snoring. “Y-yes?” she replied nervously. “Oh most glorious of glories! We thought we’d never get into contact with you.” Pinkie paused for a moment at what sounded like a pony she knew. “Luna?” she finally exclaimed and looked wildly around her. “’Tis we, your beloved Princess Luna!” “But I thought you were... gone?” The compartment went quiet for a long while and Pinkie almost thought she had imagined the whole thing. But the voice picked up again, though more mournfully. “It is true that we are no longer with you, but we still want to help you. We have sent one of our guards, our nephew Prince Lace. Please do not be frightened when you see him and be open to his words.” “What do you mean, Princess? Who’s Lace?” But the voice was gone for good. The streak of Selene light receded as well and the compartment was cast in darkness. She turned around and saw the compartment door stood open. Somepony was breathing faintly somewhere close, and it wasn’t Applejack. It seemed positively like there were no one else along with her. Then she heard the shuffle of a hood and a pair of lavender eyes gazed at her. Pinkie retreated back against to the wall, her heart hammering in her chest. The figure stepped as far forward as he could for the seats, and then a strip of moonlight fell on his face. He was an earth pony with a lavender coat as dark as his eyes, hiding underneath a black coat. Bright yellow hair from his mane cascaded down his folded hood. “You don’t sleep well for a murderer. Could it be that you have a guilty conscience? Never mind, I’m sure you’ll appreciate what I’m about to propose regardless.” His voice was deep and in no hurry to escape his mouth. “Are you...?” Pinkie asked, slowly calming down. He nodded. “I am Prince Lace, a Speaker for the Dark Brotherhood. And you, you are a killer. A taker of life; a harvester of souls. Your work – your deathcraft – pleases Luna. And so I come to you with an offering. An opportunity... to join our rather unique family.” Pinkie gulped and the once so talkative party pony was struck dumb. She simply readjusted herself to sit more comfortably, not knowing what to say. “So, I have your rapt attention, eh? Splendid,” he said and gave a cold little smile. “Now listen closely. In the compartment opposite yours, you will find a stallion named Rough Spirits. Kill him and your initiation into the Dark Brotherhood will be complete. Do this and the next time you sleep in a location I deem secure, I will reveal myself once more bearing the love of your new family.” “But I’m not a murderer!” Pinkie exclaimed with a slight laugh to her words. “No? Luna seems to think otherwise. Allow me to grant you a gift, in case you reconsider.” Prince Lace took a dagger from his robe and dropped it down on the bed in front of Pinkie. She could only stare at it, too scared to move. “It is a virgin blade and thirsts for blood. May it serve you well as does your silence. Now I bid you farewell. I do hope we’ll meet again soon” “Wait,” Pinkie said as Prince Lace turned to leave. “What is the Dark Brotherhood? And how can you speak for Luna?” “Luna did not tell you of us? Of the vengeful guild of former guards out for justice?” he asked, not so much out of curiosity as out of pride. He turned around again, eager to share his story. “Long ago, we and our fathers and mothers and their fathers and mothers before them served as guards to her Royal Highness Princess Luna. Our guard posts were disbanded during her imprisonment in the Moon. Some of us became guards for Celestia and some of us formed the Dark Brotherhood. We assumed high positions over the years, waiting for the day when our nocturnal matron would return to us. Some of us could still hear her words, even as Nightmare Moon claimed her soul. She has bidden us for centuries to kill those who spread injustice in Equestria.” “But you don’t look like a royal guard?” Pinkie remarked. “Of course not, my child. The magic of our armour transforms our appearance and I only come to you in a simple robe.” “And why does this Rough Spirits have to die?” she asked and took the blade into her hooves. The dagger was made from black volcanic glass not found anywhere in Equestria. It was a most curious little weapon, extremely hard and cold to the touch. Thin ornate gold snaked around the blade and formed intricate, minuscule patterns that must have taken a long time to paint. “He is a spy for the people who wishes you to fail. They do not yet realise which of you possesses the amulet, but I fear that he will soon find out if he is allowed to live. Know that Rough Spirits is old and weak, and sleeps his days away. You could kill him before he even has a chance to wake. If you so choose.” Pinkie nodded in understanding and Prince Lace continued. “Your path is clear. Send Rough Spirits to his death and the Dark Brotherhood will embrace you as family.” Prince Lace turned around again and Pinkie saw his cutie mark, a golden leaf, for just a moment as his robes fluttered. Despite being an earth pony, Lace vanished before her very eyes and Pinkie could only faintly see his silhouette flicker in the light of the moon. She continued to look at the dagger, clutching it close to her heart for comfort. The blade was cold against her fur, a comforting feeling that sent shivers all over her. “Is this really what I must do? Is there no other way?” she asked. The moon above shimmered for just a moment. She sighed and slipped out into the hall. Applejack turned, but remained fast asleep It was a dark night and the train was unlit at this hour. She groped for the door handle on the cabin opposite hers. It slid open to reveal an interior that looked much like the one she had just left. An old stallion was sleeping on the seats in this one. She chewed nervously on the dagger between her teeth and looked around the room for some kind of reassurance. He was travelling lightly and had only brought a small suitcase with him. Something about it caught her attention so she kicked it open. Red fabric spilled out of the stuffed luggage; a robe matching those of the assassins. “It’s true what Prince Lace said,” she muttered. Anger flushed her cheeks as she as she grabbed the dagger hard. She gritted her teeth and approached the old stallion with quickened breath. But once poised above him, she froze. For a long while she lingered with the dagger above her. Finally she lowered the knife and hung her head, snivelling. The old stallion jerked away, surprising Pinkie to fall flatly on her back. The old stallion had a flustered look on his face as he stepped down from his bunk. “You!” the old stallion cried out and reached under his mattress. He groped around in the darkness, but Pinkie saw the iron dagger reflected in the moonlight. Reacting instinctively and fast, Pinkie jumped up into the air and plunged her dagger into the old stallion’s neck. He opened his mouth to scream but gurgled only blood. He fell limply on his side, dead. A glimmer of light flashed outside the windows and briefly illuminated the old pony. Her heart skipped a beat as for a moment, she thought it was Twilight lying there. But the coat of the old pony was a lighter shade of purple. He also had an entirely different cutie mark, and his receding hair was all blond. Pinkie heaved with the realisation of what she had done, that she had taken another pony’s life and that this could happen to all of them. She wiped the dagger clean in the old pony’s coat and stashed the dagger away in her mane. Making sure no one had seen her deeds, Pinkie quickly returned to her bed where Applejack was stirred. She looked up and saw Pinkie standing in the doorway, quivering and feigning a smile. “Huh? Whassa matter?” Applejack asked drowsily. “I just needed to use the bathroom.” “Yer shakin’, sugar cube.” “I am?” Pinkie replied, trying to pass it off as nothing but her knees were buckling “It’s mighty cold tanight,” Applejack said. “Come back under the covers before you catch something.” Pinkie crawled back into bed and felt Applejack throw an arm around her, drawing them closer together. She blushed in the darkness, smelling earth and apples in Applejack’s coat and mane. Applejack soon drifted back into her dreams and her steady, slow heartbeat was all the comfort Pinkie needed. All her worries and fears vanished and she was soon fast asleep. *** “It’s all right, Rarity, you’ll just slip back to Fillydelphia before anypony notices,” Rarity said to herself as she walked down the streets of Canterlot. She eyed everypony she passed suspiciously. She trusted only her friends, and friends she had none of in this city. She hurried across the stone bridge and out of the city. The place outside of the walls was a district in its own right with the characteristics of a shady waterfront. Large zeppelins and trains came here for passengers and cargo. Rarity walked up to a ticket booth on the station and gave the stallion behind the glass a tired smile. “One ticket to Fillydelphia,” she said and dug into her saddle pouches. Curiously, she didn’t find her money bag in the left one where she remembered putting it. “That’ll be four bits, ma’am,” the stallion said in a bored voice. Rarity rummaged through her right pouch, first casually, then frantically. She went through both of the pouches twice before noticing a hole. “Oh no,” she uttered. “My money, my brush... my scarf!” She looked up and smiled nervously, turning on all of her charm. “Eh hehe... I seem to have misplaced my bits, but a gallant stallion such as yourself would trust a lady like me. I’ll pay the fare once I get to my destination.” “Do I have idiot stamped on my forehead?” the stallion asked gruffly. “No bits, no ticket. If you can’t pay, please step out of the line.” Rarity was about to protest, but a small line had formed behind her with all the time she had wasted. She was pushed aside by a male pegasus who wanted to go to Ponyville. She had no choice but to step off the platform. Unsure where to go and what to do now, she started heading back towards the city. “It’s all right, Rarity. You’re just trapped in Canterlot without a bit on you and you don’t know anypony here... you’ll figure something out.” Just to reassure herself, she began to chuckle nervously and then hung her head low. She walked the streets of Canterlot with a sinking feeling and dramatically began to recite for herself. “I was a fool to trust that handsome stallion all those years ago. My friends tried to warn me, but I was blind to the warning signs. When I came here, the workshop was an empty lot. I had sold my boutique in Ponyville and had nowhere to go.” “Tough luck,” a bum said and scratched his armpits. “Yes, I couldn’t even look at fabrics anymore! ... huh?” Rarity looked surprised at the haggard pony that had answered her. “Spare a bit?” the bum asked. “No!” she replied revolted and went across the road. “Everypony is always talking to themselves, never to Old Silas,” the bum said and lay down on the sidewalk. Rarity sighed and looked up. Her eyes fell on the castle and her face lit up. “Of course!” She ran with renewed vigour and approached the doors into the castle. Two white guards in gilded armour blocked her way with their spears. <-- “Excuse me, gentlecolts, but you wouldn’t be so kind as to let me inside?” she asked and batted her eyelids. They exchanged a short stern look before replying. “All entry into the castle has been forbidden on orders of the ministers,” the left one said. “Trust me, they would want me in there. I was a personal friend of Celestia,” Rarity said and turned on the charm in her voice. “Anypony can make that claim. No entry without an arrangement,” the right one said. “But I’m Rarity... the Element of Generosity! Surely you colts have heard of me.” “Pfft,” the left one said, barely able to keep a straight face. “Of course you are! Why, I’m the Prince of Griffons myself!” “But.... I have the cutie mark to prove it,” Rarity said desperately and waved her shapely flank. “A generic cutie mark like that is a dime a dozen, Miss. Unless there was something else, we’re going to have to ask you to vacate the premises,” the right one said. Rarity made a pout and quivered her lips, but the guards started rustling their spears. She retreated out on the streets again. The sun was setting faster and faster and it would be dark before long. She wandered all around Canterlot without any goals until she saw the school. “Twilight!” she exclaimed and hurried for the gates, but paused before she could enter. “But what do I tell her? I can’t say I don’t actually know anypony here. No Rarity, it’s your dishonesty that got you here. I must tell her the truth. I must!” She went through the wrought iron gates into the half-circle courtyard and strolled up the stairs. She couldn’t see her friend outside and approached the large oaken doors. She was about to open them when a guard approached her. He looked like other guards and was dressed like them too, but he had a blue hood covering his head instead of the usual gold helmet. “I’m sorry, Miss, only entrance for students and their relatives.” “But... I need to speak with Twilight Sparkle!” Rarity said desperately. “Miss Sparkle is away on official academy business,” the guard said gruffly. “We’re closing the grounds for the night, so unless you have any other business, I will have to ask you to leave.” The guard was curt and insistent, not giving her any other choice but to go back the way she had come. “What business could Twilight have? Well, it’s probably just a small errand. She’ll be back soon.” Rarity sat down in front of the walls and acted important. She kept her head high and observed the few ponies that came and went, but night was slowly encroaching and the day had been a long one. Though she tried her best, her eyelids began to droop. She caught herself dozing off several times but she could not keep the tide of sleep at bay forever. Her conscience disappeared before the sun. She awoke again to someone poking her. Opening her eyes blearily, she saw a guard standing above her. “Wha –” she asked drowsily and rubbed her eyes. “No sleeping out on the street, Miss. If you can’t afford to rent a room for the night, I’m afraid I will have to ask you to leave or be escorted.” “Now you listen here,” she said and got up on her hooves. “I’ve lost my wallet, I’m all alone, I can’t go home, I can’t sleep anywhere, I can’t even afford something to eat! So what, pray tell, do you want me to do?” “You could try and find a bedroll outside the city. A lot of the poor live out there.” Rarity snorted and stuck her nose high as she walked off. Only when she was sure no one could see her, a single tear trailed down her chin. The rest followed quickly and she found it difficult to turn them off again. She was too tired to argue against herself and decided to try and find a place to sleep for the night outside the city. The poor had already turned in for the night and campfires had been extinguished. Those who could afford shacks had turned off their light as well and the whole place was cast in darkness. She carefully trod among sleeping ponies and hovels and warehouses. She was unsuccessful in finding a free bedroll or one not saturated by grime and sweat. Instead she found a nice, quiet backyard between the wall of the city and a small planked shack. It was covered on all sides by a small stone fence and had a large bush that she could hide behind. She collapsed and closed her eyes. “This day can’t possibly get any worse,” she said before falling asleep. *** Pinkie Pie jumped outside, ecstatic to be out in the open air once again. She had vowed to herself not to speak about last night’s incidents or allow it to bother her. Applejack came up next to her to inspect a city she had never been in before. It was late morning in Trottingham and the sun wasn’t quite up its highest on the sky yet. Busy ponies entered the day with a carefree attitude, going about their business contented. Applejack stretched and followed Pinkie the best she could, considering she was bouncing around. “What a nice, quiet place,” Applejack said as she inspected the town. It was bigger than Ponyville and the architecture was similar, though using woods to a much larger degree. The inhabitants were predominantly earth ponies with a large amount of small private plots in connection with the houses. Trottingham was surrounded to all sides by trees and there wasn’t much space for fields outside it. Instead, the ponies here got what they needed from the forest or otherwise from what they could grow or import. “Such nice, fresh air too! Mmm,” Pinkie said. “Ah wonder though where we can find the monastery,” Applejack replied, scouting the streets for any signs of religious orders. “Know where we can find the monastery?” Pinkie asked, but not to Applejack. She had climbed up on top of a brown stallion and stood on his head. “Just take the road out of town. You can’t miss it,” he said and looked up into Pinkie’s eyes. “Thanks, mister!” Pinkie said and jumped down again. The stallion looked puzzled at her before continuing with his business. She waved at him as she joined Applejack out of town. “Ya know, Pinkie, ya should be more careful of who ya approach. Any one of them could be an enemy,” Applejack said and looked nervously from side to side. “But Applejack, if we think that every pony we meet is an enemy, then the enemy has won!” Pinkie beamed with a wide smile. Applejack sighed and smiled back. “Ah know, Ah know. Just... be more careful is what Ah’m trying to say, alright?” Pinkie nodded exuberantly and bounced out of Trottingham. Applejack kept a steadier walking pace, always looking behind them and her ears flipping and turning. A wind rustled the green trees above them and it didn’t take long before the bustle of the city was replaced with the song of birds. Even the train could not be heard. The monastery stood on their left, away from the town and almost like a part of the woods. There was a small stone chapel for worship and a larger two-storey wooden house. Applejack rapped on the door and an elderly monk opened, dressed in a simple gown of a coarse material in a green earthen colour. “Welcome to Weynon Priory, a monastic retreat dedicated to Celestia and the divines. I’m Brother Nonpareil, head of our community and responsible for all our religious and secular affairs,” he said. “How may I help you?” “Nonpar what?” Pinkie raised a confused eyebrow, but Applejack interrupted her. “We’re here to see Brave Charger.” “You can find our grandmaster just up the stairs to your right,” Brother Nonpareil said and saw them off with a smile. Inside, a male unicorn sat by a table and ate a dinner consisting of apples and carrots. He didn’t look to be a monk, so he was probably a caretaker of some sort. The monastery wasn’t otherwise much to look and consisted of only a single room. A set of wooden stairs led up to the second floor. Pinkie Pie and Applejack went upstairs and to the right, into an office. It was longer than it was wide and had a desk at the end. The pony they presumed to be Brave Charger sat behind it. He was old with a dark purple coat, his grey mane almost non-existing and his eyes still full of fire. He was reading a small book and looked up at them, not smiling, not frowning, but with curiosity. “Yer Brave Charger?” Applejack asked and went up to the desk. “Yes, I’m Father Charger. What do you want?” he asked and put down his book. Pinkie dug into Applejack’s saddle and retrieved the amulet. She dumped it on the desk before him. His eyes nearly popped out of his head at the sight. “By Celestia! This is the Amulet of Alicorns! Who are you? How did you get this? What do you know of the Princess’ death?” “We were there when she died,” Pinkie said, her exuberance toned down. “You’d better explain yourself. Now,” Charger demanded. Applejack and Pinkie quickly went through yesterday’s events, taking apt detail to Celestia’s words. Charger seemed very tired and old at their words. “As unlikely as your story sounds, I believe you. Only the strange destiny of Celestia could have brought you to me carrying the Amulet of Alicorns.” “Just who is the Prince of Destruction? And what is Oblivion?” Pinkie asked. He looked at her with a pained expression and grunted before replying. “The Prince of Destruction she referred to is the avatar of annihilation, a nameless deity from a time before ponies. As to Oblivion, well... the least said the better. Put simply however, it is a featureless plain of nothingness. The Princess’ words, ‘Close shut the jaws of Oblivion,’ would suggest she perceived a threat from there. This can only mean that The Prince of Destruction seeks to obliterate not just our world, but the very memories of our existence. But all the scholars agree that the mortal world is protected from the demons of Oblivion by magical barriers.” “Then how in tarnation can this Oblivion be of any threat ta us then?” Applejack asked with voice heated from emotions. “I’m not sure,” Brave Charge said and shook his head. He got up from his seat and stared out of the window behind his desk. “Only the Princesses truly understood the meaning behind the rituals of coronation. The Amulet of Alicorns is ancient; it is a holy relic of great power. When an Alicorn is crowned, he or she uses the Amulet to light the Dragonfires at the Temple of the One in Canterlot. With the Princess dead and no new heir crowned, the Dragonfires in the Temple will be dark for the first time in millennia. It may be that the Dragonfires protected us from a threat that only the Princess was aware of.” “And get this!” Pinkie said. “She asked us to find her daughter! I mean, how crazy does that sound?” The old monk turned around again to face them, taking a deep breath. “I am one of the few who know of her existence. Many years ago, I served as captain of the Blades. One night Celestia called me in to her private chambers. A baby filly lay sleeping in a basket and she told me to deliver her somewhere safe. She never told me anything else about the baby, but I knew it was her daughter. From time to time she would ask about the child’s progress. Now it seems that this illegitimate daughter is the heir to the Alicorn Throne. If she yet lives.” “Where can we find this daughter?” Applejack asked impatiently. “Her name is Starfire and she lives an unassuming, adopted life in Ponyville. Without the magic of the Amulet to pull out her powers however, the child will have none of the powers of either earth ponies, pegasuses or unicorns. She has wings, but cannot fly. She is Celestia’s daughter, but knows no magic.” “That’s strange. I know just about everypony in Ponyville, and I’ve never heard of a pegasus by the name of Starfire,” Pinkie said. “Oh no,” Applejack said, all colour draining from her face. “If she’s still in Ponyville, then... the whole town could be in danger!” “Huh?” Pinkie asked, her train of thought suddenly interrupted. “We don’t have time for this, sugar cube! We have to return to Ponyville immediately.” “Gotcha!” Pinkie said and saluted. The two were just about to leave when Brave Charger stopped them. “You could face many dangers on the road ahead. I keep a few things here in my chest to resupply travelling Blades,” he said and unlocked a chest by the wall. “Help yourself to whatever you need.” The chest was large and contained a cuirass of interwoven metal plates, a simple longsword entirely of armour with leather strips wound around the handle and a small food bag. Pinkie grabbed the supplies and put it into her satchel. Applejack equipped the armour and strapped the sword around her waist. Though forged for a stallion, her musculature ensured the armour wasn’t uncomfortable to wear. *** Rainbow Dash woke that morning to muffled screams. Fluttershy was sleeping peacefully by her side and she hesitated in waking her. Dash instead rubbed her eyes and quietly snuck out of bed to see what all the commotion was. She blinked a few times, not sure what was going on. She blinked her eyes blearily and realised that there was smoke coming from Ponyville. The town had caught on fire and the screaming was confusion and bewilderment. Dash shook life back into Fluttershy who gave a cute little yawn, betraying the seriousness of the situation. “Is it morning already?” she asked. “They’re here!” Rainbow Dash answered and pointed with her hoof to the fires visible from the window. Fluttershy gave a meep and drew the blankets up to her nose. “Listen, Fluttershy, I have to go and investigate this. I want you to stay here at all costs. Do not let anyone inside, do you hear?” She nodded in understanding, but still found herself replying. “Do you have to?” “I can’t stay here,” Dash replied and embraced her friend. “Look, I’ll be back as soon as I can, all right?” “T-thank you for staying with me for the night,” Fluttershy said, but Dash was already gone. She stood by the window and waved for a long time, looking at Rainbow disappear into the roaring inferno. She closed her windows tight and rushed downstairs where she made sure that her doors and windows were closed and locked. She pulled all the blinds and lit candles around the room. Gummy, Angel and several woodland creatures surrounded her as she sat down on her couch. She took her pet bunny in a tight hug, which he did not enjoy but complied with in any case. Every little sound she heard made her jump and she tried to sit as still as she could, shaking slightly. Angel rolled with his eyes, but the comfort of having him so near was enough to calm her down. She rocked back and forth and soon found herself singing. For a time, fear had been driven away from the cottage. Three loud knocks on the door saw to disrupting that. The animals scattered and fled in all direction, and again there was a knock on the door. Fluttershy approached a window next to it warily and peered outside to see if a demon was waiting to eat her. There was not. “Sugarberry!” Fluttershy exclaimed happily and opened the door. A white unicorn with several shades of pink smiled back at her. “I’m so sorry to intrude like this,” Sugarberry said and went inside. The animals came out of their hiding places. “I was just on my way here to work when a large flaming gate opened just outside of town.” “A large gate?” Fluttershy asked fearfully and quickly closed the door. “Yeah, monsters just keep pouring out and there were fire everywhere. I was so scared I simply ran for my life.” “Oh... oh my. P-please have a seat, I’ll go fix us some tea.” Sugarberry made herself comfortable while Fluttershy went into the kitchen. “You can stay here for as long as you want. I’m just glad not to be alone anymore.” “Truth be told, I wasn’t expecting you to be home. I didn’t know how long you would be away in Canterlot.” “Oh, well, the reunion got sort of... cut short,” Fluttershy said. “I’m sorry to hear that. It was also strangely sudden, wasn’t it? You didn’t have more than a few hour’s notice.” “Oh, it really wasn’t any bother,” Fluttershy said and poured the steaming tea into two cups. Her animal friends were preparing a tray with biscuits and plates. “Not when I have such nice assistants to –” The living room suddenly filled with an explosion of animal noises. Fluttershy took the tray and hurried into the room, where she promptly dropped it on the floor and let out a scream. Sugarberry was nowhere to be seen, only one of those assassins with a red robe underneath and black twisted armour on top. It drew an axe from seemingly mid-air of the same, twisted design as the armour. Fluttershy backed away into the kitchen again. The assassin followed her, hoof wrapped around the axe. It swung and missed her by a few inches. It hit instead a table which splintered into a heap. Fluttershy could only cry for help as she ran for the backdoor. The animals tried to stall the assassin by jumping on it, but they were too small to make a difference. Fluttershy galloped out into the cold wet morning. The clouds wept for the disaster yesterday, but helped little to assuage the roaring flames in the background. The assassin came up behind her with the axe in mouth. Fluttershy panted and splashed through the muddy puddles along the road towards the Everfree Forest. A large gate had opened just outside the forest, but it didn’t look anything like Sugarberry had described. Instead it resembled a face twisted into a maddened grimace. A blue, comforting light shone from the mouth and the forest could not be seen on the other side. Fluttershy felt drawn towards the gate, but the light was solid and unyielding. She pressed up against it and watched the assassin come nearer. Fluttershy desperately tried to claw her way into the light, but the force resisted. The assassin ran for her with axe held high. It swung the weapon towards Fluttershy, but the light repelled it. The assassin flew backwards and landed into the drenching mud with a large splash. The armour disappeared as did the axe, leaving only a muddied white unicorn in red robes. “Already out? How boring,” a familiar voice said. “Discord?” Fluttershy said aghast and backed away quickly from the gate. “A nice effort, though. A shame she’s dead. These things happen.” “It can’t be... can it?” she stammered and waded backwards into the mud. “Ah, if it isn’t Fluttershy. Why don’t you come inside? It’s lovely in my realm this time of year. Perfect time for a visit.” She didn’t reply and trod away from the gate. She looked at dead assassins, its red robes stained by mud. However, Fluttershy couldn’t help but feel drawn towards the gate. She felt no danger coming from it and moved towards it carefully. The light was no longer unyielding and her hoof passed right through it. “How could I trust you?” Fluttershy said. As a reply, a little blue butterfly escaped the light and flew up into the air. She turned her head and noticed monsters coming out of Ponyville and towards her. She bit her lip nervously, and finally held her breath as she disappeared into the light. The gate vanished with her and was nowhere to be seen. *** Not knowing what peril her friends were in, Twilight jumped down on the station. Had Rarity known better, she could have caught Twilight by the station out of Canterlot as her first stop was Fillydelphia. Unlike her friends, Twilight was already working hard and it was still evening of the first day to her. Applejack’s and Pinkie’s encounter with Brave Charger wasn’t until the morning, same with the attack on Ponyville. She had no idea what dangers they would face tomorrow, least of all of the dangers she would find herself in. It wasn’t long to Fillydelphia from Canterlot and Twilight had arrived before dark. Evening was fast approaching, but the dying rays of light still illuminated the sky. Although the city was built close to the mountains and forests, its biggest influence was the river that ran to the west of it. Many sentient races came via boat from the north and stranded here, so the culture was markedly influenced by the flux of donkeys, zebras and mules that made this city their home. The architecture on the other hand was influenced predominantly by a class of unicorns with not a whole lot of money, but plenty of ideas of how they wanted their city. Twilight exited the train station with Spike and wandered the paved roads, gazing briefly at the city before her. Her horn glowed and a scroll escaped her saddle pouch. She scrutinised the words to guide her towards the magic school, carrying out her task with dignified calm. They didn’t encounter many out on the street at that hour. Most were busy getting home as quickly as possible and paid little notice to anyone else around them. Spike had to grab Twilight’s tail to ensure she wasn’t run down with her nose into the paper. She and Spike wandered past many shops specialising in the needs and customs of other races. Mixed between furniture stores and bakeries were apothecaries with herbs from lands far away. The school was set away from the rest of town in the north end. The building looked new and stood on a grassy patch that might have been a small park once. She had never been to one of her academy’s smaller schools before and entered with a curious mind set. The floors were bare and of simple wood, while the walls were of rough stone. It looked a little cheap contrasted with the splendour of the main building back in Canterlot. The headmaster of this school was a pegasus with light purple coat not unlike Twilight’s, but with a short, light grey mane, eyes matching her coat and three lightning bolts as her cutie mark. She sat on a bench outside the dining hall, reading. She looked up when she noticed Twilight and closed her book. “Ah, you’re from the Academy? Figures they would send someone green. Name’s Blueberry Delight,” the pegasus said. “Twilight Sparkle. You wrote the academy about a problem?” the eponymous pony said as interested as she could feign. She went towards the headmaster while Spike took a detour towards the dining room on the right. “Yes, a student by the name of Starlight Darling. I can’t directly get involved for fear of embarrassing the poor mare. I’ll need you to have a little chat with Charming Bard, another student here.” “O...kay,” Twilight said and raised an eyebrow. “What exactly is the problem?” “I don’t understand it. Some ridiculous male thing, I suppose” Blueberry threw her hoofs heavenward. “He’s been bothering Starlight every day for a while now. He even stole her mages’ ring! Perhaps he thinks it’s amusing; I don’t know. But it needs to stop. It’s making her miserable.” Blueberry’s voice was getting dangerously loud. Her eyes fell concerned on a unicorn reading to the left and then continued in a much lower tone, not much more than a whisper. “I’m not a unicorn and I don’t know much about magic, but I am headmaster of this school and I will do anything for one of my students. Use whatever means you deem necessary, just get me that mage’s ring back.” Twilight couldn’t help but smile at the proposition. She nodded in an agreement. “Where can I find this Charming Bard?” she asked. “I’d try Silverhome on the Water at this hour,” Blueberry said and picked up her reading again. “It’s a local watering hole just down the street. You must have passed it coming here. You can’t miss Charming Bard either. I’ve seldom seen a stallion with a coat as brilliantly red as his.” Twilight turned around to leave and noticed that she no longer had Spike by her side. He was sitting by the dinner table opposite an earth pony. She looked strange as she was completely light grey; eyes, coat and mane. “You coming, Spike?” Twilight asked. “Nah, you go do this. I haven’t had anything to eat in hours,” Spike replied and reached for a fruit bowl. “Great to hear,” the earth pony said and took Spike’s hand. “I’ve wanted to examine a baby dragon ever since you walked in here.” Spike stared wide-eyed at the mare for a moment, then slowly put down a cluster of grapes. “On second thought, berries aren’t really my thing.” He quickly wrestled himself free and ran to Twilight’s side. Silverhome on the Water was a small wooden building squeezed in between a row of other similar looking buildings. It seemed to have seen a boost in business since the construction of the school and sported itself as a “Moderately priced and above all a clean establishment,” according to a small sign in front. The interior did not in any way betray the thoughts one would have about it from the outside. Everything was wood from walls to floor and ceiling; the counter and the tables and chairs. Even the patrons and the unicorn barkeeper acted a tad woody. Three people sat around the counter with a mug in front of them. One of them matched the description given by Blueberry. Not only did Charming Bard have a coat the colour of juicy raspberries; his long free-flowing mane and eyes were brown as dark chocolate. Twilight was stumped for a moment at his appearance before approaching him. She cleared her throat. “Excuse me. You’re Charming Bard, are you not?” Twilight asked friendly. The pony turned in his seat to face Twilight. He looked her up and gave her a heart-warming smile in repayment. “None other! How may I help such a dazzling mare as yourself?” “I’m here on behalf on the academy. I hear that you’ve stolen a mage’s ring?” she replied. His eyes met hers and her voice broke halfway through. Charming Bard’s smile waned and he turned around to his mug again. “You’re here about Starlight. Look, all I want is for her to care about me, to feel the same way as I do about her. But she doesn’t. I try and I try, and it just doesn’t matter. It makes me furious sometimes!” he said, clenching around his mug and his eyes shut. Fearing that his words might have come off wrong, he turned again to Twilight. “Not that I’ve ever laid a hoof on her. Either in anger or... I’ve never hurt her, okay?” “I understand, sir, but I’m just here about the ring. If you would give it back to me?” Twilight asked sympathetically and smiled. “All right, I admit it. I took it from her,” he replied, a faint trace of tears welling up in his eyes. “I... I don’t know what I was thinking, honestly. I was trying to tell her how I feel, again, and she wouldn’t even stop to talk to me. I just got so angry! I was a little ashamed afterwards, but didn’t know how to apologise or give it back. I wish I could, but I’m afraid I don’t have it anymore. You see, I... I sold it. To a friend of mine, Soris.” Twilight stared at him, taken aback by the revelation. “What?! What were you thinking?” Twilight asked angrily. Her frown dwindled as Bard could no longer hold back his tears. “Tell Starlight that I won’t bother her anymore. And... tell her I’m sorry.” He took a swig from his mug before continuing. “My friend lives some way away from here.” Charming Bard gave Twilight a more detailed description and then emptied his drink. Twilight left him sobbing and as she exited, she heard him order another one. “I don’t get it. What’s all this about mage’s rings?” Spike asked. They turned from the shabby looking houses up towards finer stonework homes. “It’s more symbolic than practical, but each carries great significance to its owner,” Twilight said, but stopped again. She wet her lips uncertainly and looked up at the sky. Stars twinkled down at her. It would be night soon. A chill wind swept from the mountains and played with her mane. Without looking at Spike, she continued. “Unicorns can only perform a few spells, often related to their special talents. To help them perform other spells, some unicorns equip rings on their horns. These are often passed down for generations.” “So, what... they’re like magically enhancing heirlooms?” Spike asked and scratched his head. “You can think of them like that,” Twilight said and chuckled. “Some enables you to cast certain spells, some makes it easier for you to cast spells you already know. Each ring is unique.” Fillydelphia was truly an interesting city, comprised of so many contrasts. The rich rubbing elbows with the poor, wood built around stone, emigration taking its place among tradition. This city would have a thousand tales to tell and Twilight had been so lucky as to get caught up in one of them. As sad as this love story was, it was still interesting. “I wish we were back in Canterlot,” she said after a long moment of silence. “I’d rather be investigating what happened today, but if I am to do anything else, then this isn’t too bad.” She looked up at the glowing Moon, a single tear trailing down her cheek. “I think that’s it,” Spike said and pointed to a wall. Twilight nodded and knocked politely three times on the door. It creaked open slightly and a mint green head poked out in the crack. “Good day, stranger. Soris is my name. How may I help you?” the head asked curiously. “My name is Twilight Sparkle and I’m from the Academy of Magic. I’m here because of a mage’s ring.” “Yeah, so? The transaction was legitimate and I paid good money for it.” Soris’ expression turned from one of interest to one of annoyance. “Sir, that ring was stolen property. If you hand it over peacefully, there’ll be a finder’s fee involved,” Twilight said encouragingly. “So I’m guessing you’d do anything to get that ring back, eh? How does two hundred bit sound like?” he asked with a leer. Twilight folded back her ears in surprise. “Two hundred bits is a lot of money, sir. The Academy only offers rewards of ten bits, depending on the situation.” “Ten bits?” he exploded. “Do you know how much I paid for it to begin with? Two hundred bits or nothing.” “Fine then,” Twilight said, her horn glowing. “I could have paid you a small fee, but no. You will give me back the ring for free.” The unicorn stallion looked at her perplexedly for a moment, a strange swirly pattern appearing in his eyes. He went back inside his house and returned shortly with a ring hovering before him. He handed over the ring to Twilight with a smile. She took it and gave it to Spike who was quite unprepared for it. He nearly dropped it as he fumbled around with it. “Anything else I can do for such a lovely mare?” he asked sincerely. “It’s getting late, perhaps you’d want to stay until the morning?” “No thank you. I have to get back to the school,” Twilight said disinterested and turned around to leave. Puzzled, Spike followed her. “Oh, at least allow me to follow you there! You never know who you’ll meet at this hour,” he called after her. “Go back to your life and forget you saw me,” Twilight shouted back to him. “Twilight, what –” Spike began. “Don’t ever tell anyone you saw me do that,” Twilight said coldly and looked away from him. Her face was blushing in shame. “I would be in serious trouble if anyone found that I... that I had magically charmed someone and practically robbed them.” Spike looked up at Twilight and saw her lips quivering. Blueberry Delight was elated to have the ring back. She was close to ask what Twilight could possibly have done to get it back, but decided against it. Instead, she offered a bed for both her and Spike for the night, but Twilight had to decline. They still had six more cities to visit and six more problems to solve. *** Rainbow Dash’s face turned to one of worry. A good portion of the town below her was on fire. She had a hard time seeing through the flames, but she could just barely see creatures down there. Creatures that looked nothing like ponies. She tried not to inhale too much of the smoke or get her feathers scorched as she flew as close as she dared. There weren’t many ponies left in Ponyville. Most of the folk she saw below her were guards fighting an uphill battle against monsters. Outside town stood a massive, oval gate. It was made of unearthly black stone with pulsating, deep red veins. A yellow and red light danced between the walls like electrical fire, snarling and slithering. It caught Dash’s attention and she made it her goal. Three Wonderbolts were gathered near it, safely behind makeshift barricade some hundred metres from the gate. Dash swooped down towards them and saw that she only recognised one of them. Though Dash wasn’t dressed in her Wonderbolts costume, her superior from Cloudsdale waved at her. “Rainbow Dash? I thought you were taking time off in Canterlot,” he said. He was a little older than Dash and with grey coat and white hair with grey streaks. His eyes were covered by the goggles. “I had to come back to Ponyville... long story,” Dash said. “What’s going on, Silver?” “The city has been lost, that’s what’s going on!” Silver said agitated. “It was too much, too fast. The guards were overwhelmed. Couldn’t even get everyone out. There are still ponies trapped in there. The Mayor and her folk are still holed up in the city hall. And now we can’t even get back into the city to help them, with that damned gate blocking the way.” “Can’t we close it?” Dash suggested and looked up nervously at it. “I don’t know how, but it must be possible, because the enemy closed the ones they opened during the initial attack. You can see the marks on the ground where they were, with the Great Gate right in the middle,” Silver said and pointed to the ground in front of their once beautiful town. Where there had once been grass was now only scorched earth. The Great Gate was taller than any of the houses in Ponyville and about as wide, the ground around it covered with large twisted spikes like an absurd fruit growing on an oversized thorn bush. “There were more of these things?” Rainbow Dash asked, terrified at imagining smaller versions of that one large gate. Silver nodded. “I’ve already sent ponies into the gate, to see if they could find a way to shut it. They haven’t come back. If we can get in there however, we could find out what happened to them. If they’re alive, we will help them finish the job. If not, we’ll see what we can do on our own. It’ll likely mean our deaths though. I can’t force you to join me, but would you be willing?” Dash gave a determined smile and flexed her wings and neck. “My home; my Ponyville, in flames. I’ll make them pay for this.” The two other Wonderbolts remained taciturn, but joined Rainbow Dash and Silver Lining as the two approached the gate. Dash touched a hoof to the rippling light of the gate and found it only lukewarm to. She held her breath and entered the veil. All logic would dictate that she would emerge again on the other side, but she was gone along with the rest of the Wonderbolts. They were swallowed by the light and taken to a land quite different to Equestria. Chapter 3: Entering the Gates of FlamesA fiery gate has appeared on the outskirts of Ponyville. A horde of grotesque monsters has overrun the town and the only hope is Applejack and Pinkie Pie. Will they succeed where the guards before them failed? Twilight is away on errands for Celestia’s magical school but even she will experience the changes. Rarity remains trapped in Canterlot while Fluttershy finds herself in the realm of Discord. And whatever happened to Rainbow Dash? THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY: THE EQUESTRIAN CRISIS CHAPTER 3 - ENTERING THE GATE OF FLAMES- Applejack jumped out of the train car before it had come to a full stop. The other passengers were curious as to why they had stopped outside of Ponyville, but none of them were filled with fear and horror like Applejack. She of all ponies knew to be expecting the worst and she had seen the smoke in the distance. She had donned the iron-plated armour she had received from Brawny Spirit and strapped the sword on her back. Pinkie Pie came up next to her, skipping along and keeping with Applejack’s tempo. The first thing they saw were the tents, hundreds of them erected in the grassland in front of Ponyville. There was a cacophony of clanging and chatting and the smells of food and fear. Whole families were huddled together in the hopes that their sons or sisters were still safe somewhere. Neither Applejack nor Pinkie Pie could fathom what had caused the destruction or the fires, but they were both elated to see that so many of their friends and families had gotten out safely. They slowed to a walk as they entered the hastily erected camp and endured the fearsome glances of the frightened ponies. They could see the city in the distance with its fires and bellowing smoke, but most importantly, they could see the gate. A big, appalling structure erected right in front of Ponyville pulsating with an unholy light. “Applejack, Pinkie Pie!” Familiar voices echoed from the camp as Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo came running towards them, accompanied by Big Mac. The groups met each other just outside the camp and Apple Bloom broke free. She flung herself around Applejack’s neck and the embrace was closely repaid. “Ah thought you’d be gone fer longer?” Apple Bloom said and took a step back. “And why are ya wearin’ that armour?” “It’s a long story, AB, and Ah might tell ya someday. We have more important things to worry about now. Are ya’ll okay?” Applejack asked, directed not just at her sister but also to her elder brother and her sister’s friends. “We’re okay,” Sweetie Belle said calmly. “There was a lot of panic at first, but most of us managed to get out quickly. Then the guards came and organised everything.” “And the farm?” Applejack asked concernedly and looked up at Big Mac. “The fire didn’t reach it,” he replied. “Thanks Celestia,” Applejack said and sighed. “Oooh,” Pinkie said and assumed a big-eyed expression. “Scootaloo, you still haven’t gotten your cutie mark yet?” “No. I’ll never get my cutie mark,” Scootaloo said defeated and looked away in shame. Where Apple Bloom had a 2 x 4 and Sweetie Belle a note-embossed heart, Scootaloo remained blank. “Shucks, Ah told ya, ya still got time fer that,” Applejack said in a comforting tone. Her face quickly turned to a frown. “Have any of ya heard about a pegasus called Starfire?” The three young ponies looked at each other for a moment before shaking their heads. “Ah bet the Mayor would know,” Apple Bloom said enthusiastically. “But the Mayor never made it out, did she?” Sweetie Belle asked and looked at Apple Bloom with a hoof to her chin. “No, she was too busy helping everypony out. By the time the big gate rose, she was still inside,” Scootaloo added. “Oh horse apples,” Applejack said and stomped her hoof. She looked up at the blazing city, the fire dancing in her eyes. A wind blew to play with her mane, carrying away from the camp. She looked at her little sister, and a smile appeared. “Yer growing to be a big girl with a cutie mark of yer own. Yer all three now about the age that Ah was when Ah fought Nightmare Moon. Pinkie will stay with ya’ll and bring ya up ta speed.” “Silly, you can’t close that gate all on your own!” Pinkie said, but Applejack pressed a hoof up against her nose. “Pinkie, this is not up fer discussion. If Ah should fail, finding one new bearer of the elements oughtta be easier than two. And if that gate, Celestia help me, claims mah life then it will be up ta you ta carry on.” She lowered her head and embraced Pinkie deeply. “Please come back alive,” Pinkie whispered. Applejack turned away again and left the quiet Pinkie behind. “Everyone, Ah’ll be back soon,” Applejack said and ran past them all. Before any of them could protest, she had already gone up between the many tents. They watched her until she disappeared behind a small hill. A barricade had been erected at the end of the camp as a buffer between the gate and the survivors. The area was swarming with Celestia’s royal guards in their gilded uniforms, holding spears and swords in hoofs and wings. The captain was a sturdy-looking zebra. He wore a bandage across his brow that was thick with sweat and blood, his black hair short and his coat grey with black stripes. “Stand back, civilian! This is no place for you. Get back to the encampment at once!” he hollered as Applejack got closer. “Ah need ta talk with the mayor at once. The fate of Equestria is at stake!” Applejack yelled and stopped up before him. The rain poured down from heavy black clouds. “The mayor? Last I saw of her, she was leading a group towards city hall. If she’s lucky, she’s trapped in there with the rest of them, at least safe for the moment. If she’s not...” The zebra commander trailed off and shook his head. His pained expression hardened to a more typical guard face. “Look, what is this about?” “Ah cain only say that Ah need to find somepony, and only the mayor would know where to look. Perhaps Ah can help?” Applejack offered. “You want to help? You’re kidding, right?” he said and almost laughed, his face illuminated for an instant by a fork of lightning. But Applejack wasn’t kidding. She looked into his magenta eyes and he could see the anguish and determination in hers. “Hmm. If you’re serious, maybe I can put you to use. It’ll likely mean your death though. Are you sure?” She nodded briefly, her face steeled for what her future would hold. “While that infernal gate still stands, I don’t dare leave the camp undefended. Are you willing to try and close it?” he asked. “Ah never thought you’d ask!” “Good luck then; two teams of Wonderbolts have already gone inside and never came back out. It’s a brave thing you’re doing,” he said and turned towards his men. With a whistle, the guards got into rank and opened a path through them towards the gate. Applejack walked nervously ahead and saw the terror and wounds that these hardy fighters displayed. They were older than her, better equipped than her and far more experienced, yet none of them had the guts to enter the ominous, flaming gate. Its pillars were twisted walls of blackness arcing high into the sky. The fire was strapped between the spikes like a membrane and quivered like a curtain in a breeze. She gulped before walking through the lukewarm light. The light blinded her or perhaps there was nothing to see but whiteness. All sense of time and direction disappeared instantly and she flowed into the nothingness. It was an odd feeling, like walking through rippling water. She could feel the flames on her coat, but they felt more like an ocean made of sunlight. She reappeared on a rocky island surrounded by boiling lava on all sides. The heat was overwhelming and she found her armour warming up uncomfortably. The world beyond was a scorched wasteland of black rock. Strange red vines slithered down rock walls and snapped at her while yellow flowers emitted a gas that made her cough and her eyes water. “Ah don’t think Ah’m in Ponyville no more,” she said and looked up at the blood-red sky. Though appearing to be devoid of life, it didn’t take her long to find a crude bridge. The grey stone spanned across a large trench of molten rock but was cut off in the middle by two enormous steel doors. She was about to approach them when she heard noises. Turning her attention downward, she noticed a Wonderbolt. He was dressed in a toasty Wonderbolts uniform and had silvery white hair and goggles covering his eyes. Three creatures slowly approached him, their revolting appearance making Applejack pause for the briefest of moments. “What the hay?” They had the shape of a pony, but were more savage and deformed to look at. Their body from the abdomen was covered in thick brown fur while the upper part was naked and coloured like flesh. Their faces were distorted with sharp ears and protruding teeth. They didn’t look like much of a threat, but they were ganging up on the Wonderbolt wailing incessantly. “Waa-aaa, waa-aaa-aaa,” that was all they could say and that was the noise that had alerted Applejack. She took her sword into her mouth and rushed down the hill towards them. The first creature was slashed through its emaciated abdomen. It gave a pitiful cry and disappeared into a cloud of smoke, not even leaving a drop of blood. She wrapped her hoof around the sword and split the second creature from scalp to navel. The last of them jumped at her. She forced the blade up into its chest. It clawed at her frantically, making deep scratches in her armour. With a twist of the sword, this creature also dissipated. “What in the world were those things?” Applejack panted and rested the sword on the ground. “Thank Celestia! I never thought I’d see another friendly face,” the Wonderbolt said. “I fear that the Wonderbolts have grown lax over the years with nothing to do but shows. I’m Silver Lining.” “Applejack. Are you the only survivor?” Applejack asked to which Silver shook his head. “There was another one, a new recruit, but they took her towards the tower.” Applejack was about to ask what tower when Silver nodded in the direction. Past the bridge and the gates blocking it stood the tower. A yellow pillar of light spewed out into the blood red sky above. “Alright, how do we get up there?” Applejack asked. Silver simply stared at her. “I was part of a second group to enter this wasteland and we both failed. What can just the two of us possibly do?” Silver asked incredulously. “Perhaps nothing, perhaps everything,” Applejack said and looked into his eyes. “We won’t find out ‘til we try, right?” “You’re one crazy mare,” Silver said and smiled. “I swear, if you had wings, I’d offer you my uniform right here and now. But it takes more than insanity to survive here. We should get out, regroup and then come back with a larger force.” “We don’t have the time!” Applejack said angrily and paced nervously. “Every minute we waste, one more of them things escape. The guards outside are getting exhausted. We have ta do this now.” Silver chuckled and looked away to clear his throat. “Yeah, you’re probably right. All right then, lead the way. I’ll be right behind you.” “Me? Yer the authority here.” Applejack poked Silver’s chest, but the stallion merely gave a snorted laughter. “I am, and I just abandoned my mission. In here, you outrank me.” Applejack lowered her hoof nervously and looked up at the tower again. It was standing on top of a tall hill. “Maybe we can crawl up?” she suggested, referring to a narrow trail snaking up the side of the hill. “It’s worth a shot,” Silver said and shrugged. *** Rarity woke that morning by strange noises. It was still dark outside, but a torch had been lit. It was the chatter that had stirred her though. She crept out from under the bush that she had been seeking refuge in to see what was going on. On her right sat a nervous looking pegasus with fuzzy hair, a baby blue coat and two crossed lightning bolts as cutie mark. Next to him stood an elegant female unicorn with a lavender coat, a lime green mane neatly tied behind her and an emerald cutie mark. “Each of you is seeking membership into the Thieves Guild. The Thieves Guild is not a myth. We are followers of the Gray Fox, and I am his doyen. Merely by finding me, you have passed the first test.” Before them stood a zebra with short slicked-back hair and orange eyes. He wore on his back a brown saddle with two pouches. A flickering torch placed in a special holder illuminated a small area around them. “It’s unusual for us to have three potential recruits at the same time. Rather than the normal test of skill, I’m going to make this a contest. Emerald, you know the rules,” the zebra said and the unicorn nodded as a reply. “Excuse me,” Rarity said and got up on her hooves. “I’m not looking to become a member of any guild. I was just taking a nap, so... I’ll just be on my way now.” Rarity was about to leave when the zebra stopped with a cough. “If you’re not here for the Thieves Guild, then I will have to kill you for your silence.” Rarity and the zebra looked at each other for a long moment. It could have been seconds but to her it felt like an eternity. Though calm on the outside, she was so nervous on the inside that she dared not even blink. It was starting to hurt her eyes yet she kept his gaze. A wide smile formed on his lips followed by a short chortle. “All right, enough horsing around. Let’s get this meeting running,” he said and looked out at them. “That was a close one. And I thought this day couldn’t get any worse,” she thought to herself and placed herself back in line. “Now then, for the pegasus and the newcomer, let me state the rules clearly. Whoever brings me the diary of Mandarin Napoleon, without killing him, will be invited into the guild. It’s somewhere in Canterlot. The beggars can help you locate it – for a price. I can sell you lock picks if you need them. One more thing. You cannot kill each other during this trial. We may be thieves, but we’re not murderers,” the zebra said with a sense of urgency to his voice. The two others nodded and were off like shot out of canon. Rarity on the other hoof slinked out of the walled backyard. Her stomach rumbled and her coat shivered from the cold. She looked over shoulder as soon as she had escaped the zebra’s light. “I best be getting back to Fillydelphia now,” she muttered but suddenly fell flat on her face. “Oh, now what?” she asked and got up. “You looking to enter the Thieves Guild?” the obstacle asked. A shaggy hornless face appeared in the moonlight. “None of your business,” Rarity said grumpily and dusted herself off. “Well if you are, I might be able to help ya out... for a little gold of course.” The beggar’s leer was visible even the darkness. “Why would I seek to enter the Thieves Guild if I had any bits?” Rarity countered and turned to walk away but the beggar cut in front of her. “No worries, mum. I only ask that you won’t forget old Puny Romance when you score the contract.” Rarity tapped her chin. “Hmm. I do suppose a small, simple theft couldn’t hurt anypony. It’s just a diary after all. And I bet the Thieves Guild will pay well for it! Very well, tell me what you know quickly. I’m not the only one trying after that book.” The beggar nodded encouragingly. Upon Rarity’s explanation of her mission, Puny Romance vividly detailed the way. Rarity thanked him briefly and hurried into the city. She arrived at Mandarin’s residence scarce minutes later. It was one of several two-storey houses squeezed together in a crescent shape around a small plaza. She made sure that no one was watching her as she approached the door. As a unicorn, unlocking it was as simple as using her horn and manipulating the mechanism. It was a delicate procedure and she had to listen for clicks as well as footsteps, but the door creaked open after only a minute. Again she looked around her before quietly entering. The ground floor was covered with carpets and some simple wooden furniture. She tiphoofed around, immediately freezing whenever the floorboards creaked. Unsure where to start and where to end, Rarity approached the desk first. The owner was a prolific writer with a lot of paper scattered about, but the diary was not on top. She rummaged through the drawers one by one until she found it in the bottom one. She took the book with her magic and placed it in her saddle, being careful to put it in the side that didn’t have a hole in it. She opened the door again and peered out to make sure no one was noticing her. A guard walked by but didn’t take note of Rarity. She made it out to the streets inconspicuously, the few ponies out ignoring her as just another Canterlot resident. “That was so exciting,” she thought to herself, barely able to contain her glee. “The thrill of getting caught, the exhilaration of stealth... I have not been this entertained in years!” She giggled all the way out of the city gates until a unicorn stopped her. “So, I see you have the book,” a voice said. Emerald, another contestant in this game, appeared in the light from a torch. “Why don’t you just give it to me? I’ll pay you a little bit, of course.” “Why? Why is it so important to you?” Rarity asked. “Because I’ve already had my fair share of chances,” Emerald whispered as a guard passed them. “Look, you’re not a thief, anypony can see that. I don’t know why a princess like you would associate with us rabble, but this is your chance to get out. Take this and go back to your family. I’m sure they miss you.” Emerald rattled a coin bag in front of Rarity. She got stars in her eyes as she followed it swaying back and forth in front of her. “Well?” Emerald asked and shook the pouch. From the clinking sound, it had to be pretty full. “No,” Rarity simply said and turned away from her. “What? Hey wait, I’m talking to you! Why not?” “The last thing I want to do is go back to my parents again,” Rarity said and continued walking. “I’ve already spent three years in their basement because of a bogus deal. A few missions for these thieves and I will have enough gold to get my boutique back. No, I’ll get a better one right here in Canterlot. I’ll invite all my friends and everything will be back to normal. It can’t be my problem that you’re not good enough to get accepted.” Emerald stood nonplussed and could only watch Rarity’s tail give her a derisive flick. “Be careful, princess. The thieves are not your enemies nor are they your friends,” Emerald warned through gritted teeth and slipped back into the shadows. Rarity looked behind her with only short-lived interest and hurried along the wall and behind the wooden shanties and through the bedrolls and campfires towards the small walled garden. The doyen was still waiting for her, leaning up against the wooden back wall of a small hut. She took the diary from her white saddle pouch and spat it out in front of the zebra. “Congratulations!” he said enthusiastically. “You have returned with the diary, and you have earned the right to join the Thieves Guild. You now owe your loyalty to our guild master, the Gray Fox. He has three rules you must follow.” “Rules? But you’re thieves!” Rarity exclaimed with a laugh. “Outlaws!” “True, but we’re also a guild, and like any guild, there are certain measures we take to ensure unity. First, never steal from another member of the guild. Second, never kill anyone on the job. Third, don’t steal from the poor. The peasants and beggars are under the personal protection of the Gray Fox, particularly here outside the city. You got that?” “Yes, yes, I’ll be sure to remember that. Now, where’s my reward?” Rarity asked. “You’ve already gotten it. You’re now the latest member of the Thieves Guild.” Rarity looked up at him to see if he was jesting. “Oh you’ve got to be kidding me.” “Don’t worry, Pickpocket,” he said and winked. “Return to me later and I might have something for you. Get yourself acquainted with the beggars in the meantime, if you don’t have any bits.” Rarity gave a defeated sigh and looked over at the encampments. The vagrants were slowly rising from their slumber and lighting up small fires. More beggars came from all around, some carrying little chunks of bread, others a few slices of meat. They shared stories and laughed and seemed like any other community. “Maybe I should just return to Fillydelphia?” she asked and looked up at the sun. The fragrant smell of cooking enticed her to seek the company of the beggars, sitting down with them and accepting a bowl of porridge. *** Far removed from Rarity’s morality issues, even further removed from the catastrophe in Ponyville, Spike was shaking life back into Twilight. She looked up blearily and yawned. “Did I fall asleep?” she asked. “The moment you sat down,” Spike said and handed her the saddle. She put it on and followed Spike outside. They stopped at a cafe first and got some coffee in a paper cup. With the caffeine setting into her body and the chill morning air biting at her coat, Twilight slowly began to wake up. The road was cobbled with grey rocks and the sidewalk were slabs of periwinkle stone. Most of the houses were two-storey half stone, half wood and plaster. The city had a rich feel to it and the ponies walking around town were all dressed in some form of clothing. The local magic school was no exception to the splendour and was double the size of any other buildings in the vicinity. She binned her empty paper cup and entered. The entrance was set into the building and up three steps of grey stone. The inside was made from simple wood with fine rugs covering the floors along with heavy wooden furniture. Fine wine and silver mugs stood on all the tables along with students reading books. “This is really nice,” Twilight said relaxed and looked around. “Do you see the headmaster anywhere? I think his name was...” Twilight hastily procured her scroll and frantically read through it. “Dark Scar,” Spike interrupted. “I think that’s him over there.” Twilight looked up. There was nothing but unicorns in the school, except for a lone zebra, but Dark Scar was older than any of them. He sat before a fireplace in a far corner, observing his students from an armchair. His coat was scarlet red like blood, like his short and slicked back mane. He looked up grumpily when Twilight approached him. “I’m sorry, Miss, but we aren’t accepting any more students at the moment,” he said dismissively. “And before you ask, no, a baby dragon won’t change the fact.” “Well he’s in a good mood,” Spike mumbled. “My name is Twilight Sparkle and I’m from the Academy.” She represented herself with a big, confident smile. “The Academy?” Dark Scar asked nervously. “What is this about?” “Huh? You did report a problem, right?” He looked up at her cluelessly, but quickly regained his composure. “Oh yes! Right. I uh... I recently lost a precious ring of mine in the well behind the school. I’ve been far too busy with my duties and experiments here to retrieve it.” “You wrote... all the way... to Canterlot... FOR A MISSING RING?” Twilight bellowed. “Why didn’t you get your students to do it?” “Hmph. They are far too preoccupied with their studies,” he said indignantly. “Besides, the ring is enchanted and could potentially be dangerous. Never mind, you seem a little... slow.” “Slow?” Twilight said angrily, her cheeks flushing. She felt a clawed hand stroking her shoulders and instantly felt the tension relieve. “All right already, I’ll do it.” “Good. Find the ring, which is somewhere down in the well behind the school. Bring it to me. Do you understand, or do I need to use even smaller words?” Spike’s hand intensified its strokes, and Twilight gritted her teeth. “I understand.” Dark Scar immediately went back to his observations and dismissed her. Spike pushed behind Twilight to expedite her leaving. When they finally got outside again, she couldn’t keep it in any more and she gave an exasperated yell. “What a brusque, insensitive, undiplomatic –” “I just wonder what his problem is,” Spike interrupted. “I don’t know, and I don’t care,” Twilight said fuming as they went around the school. “The future of Equestria is at stake and he has me fetching rings out of wells. Let’s just get this over with.” The well was a stone cylinder dug deep into the ground with a large wooden roof on top. Twilight placed her hoofs on the edge and peered down and saw nothing but darkness. “Doesn’t look easy to lose something in,” Spike remarked and came up next to her. “I think this is going to be more difficult than I thought. Spike, you stay here. I’ll be right back.” Spike accepted Twilight’s saddle with all its equipment as the unicorn encased herself in a purple bubble. She levitated it off the ground and wedged herself into the well and down the hole. The spell also had a byproduct of light that illuminated the dark shaft as she hovered further and further down. Further and further down she descended while the light above diminished. The shaft was just wide enough for her, but small enough to give her minor claustrophobia. It took her ages to reaches the water at the bottom since she was careful about going down. She released the spell and plopped down into the ice cold liquid and dived. With the bubble gone, Twilight relied on her horn for warmth and light. The water was murky and icy cold, and there was little to space to manoeuvre around. The well was otherwise relatively shallow and it didn’t take her long to cover the entire area. She noticed a dark shape near the bottom and swam nearer. It was the body of an earth pony, still grasping a ring with his mouth. Twilight panicked and breached the surface again for air. She was paddling unreasonably back and forth when a voice called down to her. “Twilight, don’t grab the ring,” Spike said. She looked up and saw Spike peeking down at her. Next to him stood another pony and for a moment, she thought she was looking up at Dark Scar. It was a mare however with a similarly coloured coat and mane. “Why not?” Twilight asked, gasping for air. “I shall explain everything,” the mare said. “Can you get up on your own?” “I think so,” Twilight said. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before generating the bubble again. She flew up through the well and landed with a splash on the ground. “I’m afraid that you’ve been had,” the mare said. She was a pegasus with three seeds as her cutie mark, her bushy red hair standing out to all sides. “What do you mean?” Twilight asked and shook so water stood in streams from her coat. “I am the one who wrote the academy for help, not Dark Scar. I’m Chrysanthemum Celebration, but you may just call me Chrys. I’m so sorry that I wasn’t there to greet you, but I saw you entering the well from my room. I’m just glad I wasn’t too late.” “Look, what is this all about?” Twilight asked with only small drops of water running down her nuzzle. “Dark Scar is... my father,” Chrys said with a sigh and closed her eyes momentarily. “He worked as a teacher in Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, but the Princess’s decision to study the magic of earth ponies and pegasuses left him bitter. He transferred to Baltimare with me and oversaw the founding of this school, but he has only allowed unicorns to study here.” “Ah. So this is why you wrote the Academy then?” Twilight asked. “No. The Academy knows what my father has been doing, but he had them fooled into thinking it was just a coincidence. He kept me in the school and hired a zebra for appearance’s sake.” “Then... what?” Chrys bit her lip and almost looked like she would cry. “I fear my father’s resentment got the better of him. He realised that it was I who had written to the Academy. One thing led to the other and I threatened with reporting him. I thought he was going to kill me! He flew into a rage! I didn’t even understand some of his ranting, but he said that our days are numbered and then he stormed out!” “What do you think he meant by that?” Twilight asked intimidated as Chrys’ words tumbled out in rapid succession. “I can’t say for certain,” Chrys said and shook her head. “He’s been very secretive lately and he has taken long trips away from the school. I have had no choice but to oversee the school in his absence, so taking over from my father won’t be a problem. I do so worry that he has been doing illegal things though. You should go check his room in the basement. If you see the anything unusual, let me know. I’ll gladly send it to the Academy for you.” “I’ll do that.” Twilight was about to walk back around the school again when she stopped, making Spike bump into her. “There’s something you should know about the well,” she said and related her findings. “No,” Chrys said and clasped her hooves to her mouth. She paced around the well, stuttering and very near crying. She gave a long hard sniff and looked up at the sky before carrying on. “I wrote the Academy about a month ago when I first had my suspicions. All this time, I’ve thought they had dismissed me. Thank you for telling me.” Twilight nodded and went inside the school again. Without their headmaster, the students had abandoned their studies, talking in hushed voices. From their discussions, it became apparent that they too had noticed Dark Scar’s recent deteriorating behaviour. “I feel like I should say something,” Twilight whispered to Spike. “I’m sure Chrys will take care of it,” Spike replied and placed his hands behind his head. The basement was placed at the other end, behind a humble-looking door. The downstairs appeared inconspicuous and contained just a dummy for spell accuracy practise. There were bedrooms and dormitories for students and teachers alike. The headmaster’s room was opposite the stairs and contained nothing more than a bed, a dresser and a desk. Spike helped Twilight search the room, but neither one was sure what to expect. “Well, nothing suspicious under the bed either,” Spike said a few minutes later and released the mattress. “If Dark Scar has done anything wrong, he certainly didn’t leave any evidence behind.” “Spike, what are those?” Twilight asked and pointed to a couple of crystals Spike was holding in his hands. “Just some gems I found in his drawers. Can’t imagine why he would he have them tucked away under his shirts.” Just as Spike was about to consume one, Twilight took them with her magic and levitated them in front of her. “Hmm. They look like mere shards, but have a jet black colourisation. Interesting.” “Hey, I was just about to eat those,” Spike said. “I don’t think you should,” Twilight replied. “Whatever these things are, I can feel magic within them. And not a good kind. This isn’t something any law-abiding headmaster should own.” Spike looked up at her curiously, but Twilight was halfway out the door before he could say anything. Instead he shrugged and followed her up to the ground floor where Chrys awaited them. She had just been telling the students about the current situation and the change of management when Twilight re-emerged. “Did you find something?” Chrys asked. “I think so. Do you know what these are?” Twilight asked and waved the crystals in front of Chrys’ face. “What astounding specimens,” she said, her eyes following their bobbing movement. “I have no idea what they could be, but I’m sure the Academy would love to get their hoofs on them. I’ll send them their way immediately with a report. Don’t worry about anything; I’ll take care of it.” Twilight nodded and left the crystals in her care. Her coat prickled uncomfortably in apprehension as she went back to the station. *** Fluttershy looked around the room questioning. It was made of rough grey stone bricks and contained no doors and no windows, only a stone table with matching chairs on either side of it. “Ah, timid little Fluttershy. So glad you could join me,” a happy voice said. Discord slowly materialised, making Fluttershy recoil. “Why did you bring me here?” Fluttershy asked, her little voice quaking. “Well the portal is right behind you if you want to leave,” he said and leant forward. Fluttershy cast a fleeting glance over her shoulder and noticed the shimmering light. “But I don’t think you would want to.” “N-no?” “Why don’t you have a seat?” Discord gestured to the chair in front of her. She swallowed a lump in her throat and sat down. She took a deep breath and summoned all of the courage she could find within herself. “I will... I will listen to what you have to say for now. Start with why you brought me here?” Fluttershy said as determined as she could muster. “Oh, there are so many reasons that I brought you specifically,” Discord teased and rolled his hand. “I suppose the most important is the theft of the elements? You do want those back, don’t you?” “So you stole them!” “No,” he said and rested his elbows on the table. “Unlike you, I don’t need the elements to have fun. But somepony took them and one has found its way into my realm.” “Well if you didn’t take them,” Fluttershy enquired, “then who did?” “Now that is a question I can’t answer, but I can help you if you help me.” “Help you? I have never been so humiliated in all of my life because of you!” “I see we have some trust issues. Really, that was only to be expected. Nevertheless, our cooperation is necessary if you are to get your element back.” Discord got up from his seat and turned away from her, walking towards the opposite wall. “Wait! I never told you that I would trust you. Where am I? Who took the elements?” “Ah, ah, ah,” Discord admonished and wagged a finger at her. “Come to my palace in New Discord and we can discuss this matter further. IF you decide to trust me that is.” Before she could say another word, the room around her and Discord slowly dissolved into butterflies. He turned his head and gave a playful laugh that hung in the air even as he had vanished. The butterflies flew up towards the sun and disappeared, leaving Fluttershy alone on her chair. The only other things left were the table and the portal. She walked up to the pillar of light and traced a hoof down its side. It took every ounce of strength in her meek body to turn away from it. “I need to find the elements, I need to find the elements...” she chanted. She turned away and walked out of the room. “Whatever Discord throws at me, I will take it.” She smiled determinedly and looked down at the land before her hooves. She was standing on a large hill from where she could see far and wide. A narrow path snaked down across the ground and through the rock to a small village placed in and around a marsh. The houses were slimmer and taller than houses in Ponyville, made of stone with a thin layer of plaster outside, wooden frames and slanted red tile roofs. A few ruins and structures entirely comprised of stone were scattered around the surrounding area. It didn’t take her long to reach the bottom of the hill. The road had been cobbled in age long since forgotten and the stone was worn down and overgrown. It swung just past the town and disappeared behind rocks at the bend further ahead. Two ponies stood on the road talking just outside town. One was a zebra with a large black afro and clad in a vibrant purple smock, the other a unicorn with a hunter green coat and loose shoulder-length magenta mane. “I tried to warn them,” the zebra said. “Maybe they’re just confused?” the unicorn suggested. “Uhm... excuse me, but... you couldn’t tell me where I am?” Fluttershy asked in her politest tone. “This is Passwall,” the zebra said civilly. “The name’s Shelden and I’ve been here the longest, so naturally I’m the mayor. What’s your business here?” “Well, I’m headed for New Discord. Perhaps you can give me some direction?” Fluttershy asked and smiled. “New Discord? Hah!” the unicorn said. “We would all like to get to New Discord, but that’s just not happening. Not with the Gatekeeper anyway.” “T-the Gatekeeper?” Fluttershy asked timidly, cowed by the unicorn’s rude tone. “The Gatekeeper is a giant monster that guards the Gates of Chaos. They say the keys are sewn up in his body. Basically, that means you’re not getting in,” the unicorn replied. “See for yourself.” And with that, their conversation was over. The unicorn left with a “Ha!” and walked up the road. “Don’t mind Regal Masquerade. He’s a bad OC,” the zebra said. “I’m sorry, a bad what?” Fluttershy asked, wresting her attention away from the spinach-coloured Regal Masquerade. “An OC is a creature that Lord Discord created to add taste to his world,” the zebra replied. “He calls them Overly Colourful because they’re too brightly coloured to pass for real ponies, but we just call them OC’s. Listen, a group of adventurers just decided to try and break through the Gatekeeper. You should watch it, just so you don’t get any ideas of your own about going to New Discord.” Fluttershy nodded and walked up the path that Regal Masquerade had already disappeared from. Passwall was set in a small depression and the road continued up through the rocky ground and made a bend so that she couldn’t see what was lying at the end from a distance. Once past the curve, the path turned from its cobbled surface to stone stairs leading up to a rounded plaza. A tall wall crossed from a mountain side on the left to a cliff on the right, preventing any access into the land itself. In the middle of the plaza stood the Gatekeeper. It was a gigantic creature constructed from an unnerving collection of body parts. Its naked flesh was riddled with bright red surgery scars and its right arm had been replaced with a long steel blade. Its face was heavily distorted and bald and all holes had been sewn shut: mouth, eyes, nostrils and ears. The only form of clothing was heavy iron bands covering its belly and left arm. A pegasus led a group of adventurers in an attempt to fell the beast. They were clad in steel-plated armour and brandished long swords and heavy hammers, swarming the groaning behemoth. “Okay. Hoof over those keys or die!” the pegasus yelled, resulting in the Gatekeeper letting out a muffled yell and a swing of its blade arm. The pegasus easily dodged and smirked. “This should be easy!” He and the other four ponies, unicorns and earth ponies, charged the beast and hacked and slashed at it as best as they could. Fluttershy took her place at the edge of the plaza along with several other residents of Passwall. She was a little nervous being this close to the fighting and kept her distance. She looked around her and saw several examples of what the zebra had been talking about: ponies with strange colours ranging from the sickly to the blinding, strange haircuts, weird clothing, not to mention all kinds of odd cutie marks. “Fight like you mean it!” But there were also normal ponies here, in the crowd and up fighting the monsters. Two pegasuses swarmed the giant and hacked away with their swords while unicorns on the ground pelted it with spells and a lone earth pony swung his war hammer. It didn’t bother the Gatekeeper any and it simply swatted them away like insignificant flies with its blade. One by one, the brave adventurers fell before it until only the pegasus commander was left. He dropped to the ground, bleeding and panting and looking up at the giant. “No, it isn’t possible,” he said and retreated out of the ring. “Get outta my way,” he yelled and shoved the onlookers aside. No one laughed at his efforts or of all the death, though Fluttershy could tell that they were all entertained. For in their hearts, they were all up there with him stabbing at the Gatekeeper. Discord’s task seemed insurmountable, so Fluttershy simply looked to the floor disheartened and turned to leave. “You’ve got nice bones.” “E-excuse me?” Before Fluttershy could even descend the stairs, a strong-looking earth pony approached her from out of the crowd. He came up on her left side to admire her body. His coat was purple with a smooth mane the colour of blood, his cutie mark two crossed femurs. “They call me Master Vision. Do you ever wonder why things look better without their skin on? For instance, you can only really see the bones when you take them out. You can hear them better that way, too.” “So that’s the other kind of ponies,” she muttered and retreated slightly. “Uhm... can I help you?” “I want him dead. I need him dead!” he said and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her. “His bones are calling to me. You’re a pegasus. If you would like to fly for me, we can get into the Gardens of Flesh and Bone.” “F-fly for you?” Fluttershy stammered, barely a whisper. Master Vision looked intently at her for a moment before releasing her. “They say the Gatekeeper’s magical. I don’t believe in magic. But I do believe in bones. And the best way to kill something is with the bones of its own. I can see the bones of a dead Gatekeeper in the courtyard of the Gardens. The door’s locked, though. You’ll fly over the gate and unlock it from the other side. I’ll collect the bones and make some arrows. Then we’ll kill the Gatekeeper. Sounds good?” “Well, uhm...” Fluttershy deflected and looked away. “I don’t think your plan is very, uhm, well thought out?” Master Vision reared his head back and roared with laughter. “You have any better ideas?” Fluttershy dug in the ground with her front hoof and bit her lip, then very quietly replied. “No.” Master Vision waved his arm and took the lead up the path. The Gardens of Flesh and Bone wasn’t far away, reduced to a mere ruin at the foot of the hill that she had just descended. It was a tall square building made from large bricks of stone and looked more like a keep than a garden. The courtyard was inaccessible since the walls could not be scaled and the iron gate was immovable. To a pony with wings, the walls were not a problem. Fluttershy simply flew over the rampart and landed on the other side. “Hurry! Get the gate open. I can hear them in there!” Master Vision said. Fluttershy groped around the gates for an opening mechanism of some sort, but there was only a keyhole. “I’m sorry, I can’t open it,” Fluttershy finally said. “I can see them, behind you,” he replied and pressed his face against the bars. She turned her head. The yellowed skeleton of an enormous pony with a blade for an arm had been displayed prominently in the middle of the quad. “Get me a nice shinbone if you can!” Fluttershy gulped and went down the stairs. The courtyard was overgrown with grass and weeds and looked to have not been used in ages. The dead gatekeeper took up most of the space from wall to wall. Its bones were dry and yellowed from age, containing not a scrap of meat left on them. They could have been lying there for decades, if not centuries. She held her breath and grabbed the largest one she could carry, but she quickly dropped it again. She was not alone in here. All around her, normal-sized skeletons broke free from the ground. They hissed at her angrily with soil dropped from their empty sockets. In their bared teeth and bony hoof they clutched rusty swords and maces. They shuffled towards, but Fluttershy was rooted to the spot. She was hyperventilating, looking from one enemy to the next. An arrow whistled through the air and knocked off the skull of the one nearest to her. The skeleton crumbled into a pile of bones with a sigh. “Hurry! Grab one of the bones and let me worry about those.” She took a deep breath that she could feel all the way to the tips of her wing. She picked up the bone that she had previously tried to abscond with and flew back towards the walls. The skeletons swung their weapons at her furiously, but she was out of their reach before they could follow up on the threat. She vanished over the wall and the guardians of the Gatekeeper fell silent, once more disappearing into the ground. Fluttershy dropped the bone down next to Master Vision and collapsed on the ground, shivering and heaving. “Very nice,” he said and took the bone. “This will make plenty of arrows. It will take me a few hours to whittle this down. Why don’t you come back with me, make yourself at home?” Fluttershy accepted with a nod and smiled weakly up at him. Master Vision had a house down in the middle of Passwall. Like the other houses, it was built on stakes to raise it from the marsh with wooden steps leading up the door. The floors, ceiling and furniture were made from wood while the walls were layers of compressed rock. Fluttershy gave a slight “Meep” when she entered. Cupboards and shelves and just about any surface and storage space were filled with skulls, ribcages and pelvises. Fluttershy took a seat by the table along with Master Vision. He pushed a bowl towards her, containing the leg of some giant frog-like creature, and put his newfound bone down next to him at the table. He took out a knife and began his work. She looked at the bowl curiously, her stomach growling. She shook her head and pushed the bowl back. “If you don’t mind, I think I’d prefer to take a walk,” she said and jumped down. “Aye, but don’t be gone too long. As I said, a few hours.” *** “Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash!” Applejack cried and shook the cage violently, but the blue pegasus inside was unmoving. Applejack and Silver Lining had made it up the hillside with little trouble other than the occasional landslide nearly threatening to shove them down into the lava. The tower had not been any trouble either. The doors weren’t locked and stood open. The inside was hollow and just as scorched, black and twisted as the rest of the place, adorned generously with spikes and scattered traps. They could see all the way up to the top floor where a red membrane blocked out the red sky. Only a pillar of light shooting from a pool of lava at the bottom penetrated to reach the outside. Climbing the tower had not been any trouble either. Silver Lining stuck mostly to the background but helped out wherever he could: grabbing the various creatures and dropping them into the lava. It was left to Applejack to use her sword and cut them down. They all vanished in a cloud of acrid smoke as they were bested. Through side chambers and ascending corridors they had come a long way, walking from the hollow centre to various side tunnels, killing whatever was in their way. They were almost at the top when they came to a side small room that looked otherwise as the others. The walls were black and various torches in the corners illuminated the small area. Pillars stood in the middle room, forming an enclosed circle with benches between them. Hanging from the ceiling was an oversized bird cage, black by creation but stained red. That was where they had found Rainbow Dash. Applejack dropped her sword immediately and rushed to the cage. The bottom of it knocked out and Dash tumbled down on the floor. Silver Lining gave an encouraging smile, standing by a large switch at the side of the room. “Looks like she’s all right,” Silver said calmly and approached them. “Really?” Applejack asked relieved and wiped her face. Silver nodded. “They must have knocked her out. Why don’t I take care of her and you concentrate on getting us to the top?” “Thank Celestia,” Applejack said and wiped her eyes. She picked up her sword again with her tail and took the lead. Silver Lining took Rainbow Dash up on her back and carried her like a pelt with all the pony still inside. Another hall carried them upwards and out unto a small catwalk circling up the inner walls of the tower. A new enemy rushed them. Though having the shape of a pony, it was covered in green scales with a large bony crest on its neck. It screeched and galloped towards them with its beak clicking like an angry octopus. It jumped and threatened to sink its sharp talons into Applejack’s neck. She grabbed the sword between her hoofs and drove up through its abdomen. It too disappeared in a cloud of smoke before hitting the ground. “Wow kid, you’re a natural,” Silver said and adjusted Rainbow Dash on her back. “Let’s just continue,” Applejack replied quietly and sheathed her sword. The skywalk wound higher up and into another side chamber. The walls were grey like ash and another door took them out on top of the membrane. The ceiling was domed and closed off, save for a small hole that allowed the beam of light to escape. More enemies of both kinds, eschewed towards the reptiles, rushed them. They jeered and hissed and all disappeared before Applejack’s sword. They clawed and snapped and swiped at her, but her armour and her speed protected her. She made the way free and accessible in only minutes. They went up bloodied spikes that protruded the walls, forming stairs up to a platform. “Well lookie what we got here, brother of mine,” a familiar voice said. Perhaps the last two ponies Applejack had ever imagined meeting at the top of this spire stood before the pillar of light, the world-famous Flim Flam brothers. They were dressed as they always did except Flam, the older brother with a moustache, was wearing the Element of Honesty around his neck. “What in tarnation are you two doing here?” Applejack asked, to which Flim stepped forward. “It’s very simple, really. We’re going destroy the town of Ponyville,” he said simply, his mouth creasing into a smile. “Destroy... Ponyville? Why!” Applejack commanded with shock ringing in her voice. “Because the Prince of Destruction commands it!” Flim said, his eyes gleaming red for just the slightest of moments. “You two... ya better give me mah amulet back and leave the town well alone,” Applejack said and waved the sword menacingly in front of Flim. “No need to get violent, young lady,” Flam said and raised his hoofs. “This world will be a much better place once He is through with it.” “There won’t be nothing left of the world once He’s done with it! Ah suggest ya come to yer sense right this instant.” Applejack poked Flim closer and closer to his throat with the sword. Nervously, he looked behind him to his brother. “What do you say, Flam? Tactical retreat for now?” Behind him, Flam reached into the light and grabbed an orange stone. Dragging it out made the whole place shake uncontrollably and the world around them began to dissolve. Applejack forced her way forward but was blinded in an explosion of light. A white sheen covered her eyes and when it was gone, they were all lying on the ashen ground. There was nothing left but a nest of twisted thorns. “That was one crazy ride,” Silver Lining said with a hint of thrill to his voice. He gently dropped Rainbow Dash down on the ground and stretched his back. “Seems like anypony could be an enemy by now, even renowned cider makers and show performers.” “At least we know how ta close them gates,” Applejack said and looked at the ground where it had stood. Her eyebrows creased with worry. “Ah just hope the ground will recover.” She sighed wearily and shifted the armour she was wearing. Although it was heavy and cumbersome, the many scratches and dents showed it had played its part. “I think a little congratulation is in order,” Silver Lining said proudly and bowed. “You really saved my life in there, kiddo. Without you, this young recruit and I would have joined Celestia in the next world and we’d never have closed the gate.” Applejack peered down at Rainbow Dash and a wide smile formed on her lips. Her chest heaved slightly from breathing and Applejack couldn’t suppress a few tears of joy. “Ah’m glad yer alright,” Applejack said and nuzzled her mane. Even in her sleep, Dash’s cheeks blushed. “Ah just hope it’s true for everypony else.” Silver Lining came up next to her and took Dash back up on her shoulders. He lowered the goggles to cover his face and spread his wings. “I’m going back to Cloudsdale with this recruit, but I’ll be back soon with reinforcement,” he said. “Stay sharp.” He was gone before Applejack could say anything. Silver Lining was just a small speck when the zebra commander from before approached her. “You closed the Gate?” he asked incredulously and traced a hoof across the thorns in the nest. The rain kept pounding down and his black mane clung to his face. Excitedly, he turned back towards Applejack. “I knew you could do it! This is our chance to launch a counterattack! I need you to come with us. You’ve got far more combat experience than these ponies.” Applejack looked at the few guards remaining. Some were still clutching broken shafts of spears, others bit down on their iron swords. All were muddied, bloodied and had dents in their armour. The rain cascaded down harder and harder. Applejack’s mane was coming undone and her coat was dark. She was shivering slightly, but fires were still raging inside and thick smoke mingled with the dark sky. Her face was clouded with doubt and her eyes dropping from weariness, yet still she nodded. The zebra commander lit up. “For Equestria!” he bellowed. “For Equestria!” they yelled back. Chapter 4: Rescue The MayorOnce again, we return to Ponyville where a brave and tired Applejack is breaking through to the heart of the city. Twilight and Spike are beginning to see the split between allies as they move from city to city on duty from Celestia’s Academy of Magic. Rarity is having her reservations about her newfound penniless state among the impoverished of Canterlot. Fluttershy is trying to get past her fears and tread forward into the realm of Discord. Rainbow Dash has retired from the front and is nursing her wounds back in Cloudsdale. Pinkie is discovering a whole new side to herself, a darker side she didn’t know she had in her. THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY: THE EQUESTRIAN CRISIS CHAPTER 4 - RESCUE THE MAYOR - Ponyville was a sore sight. The rainclouds that pegasuses had positioned to mourn the death of Celestia could do nothing to kill the roaring fire that raged through the straw roofs and wooden walls. Smoking ruins and blackened beams were all that was left as Applejack, the zebra captain and a small handful of Celestia’s guards made their way through the soggy grass. Most of the inhabitants had made it out alive, but they encountered a lone body from time to time. Applejack made sure not to look too closely at them. She would lose all her courage if she found Fluttershy among them or somepony else that she knew. There were monsters present as well, ones that had encountered before, the imps with hairy bottoms and naked tops and the reptiles with scales and crest. Now that the gate had been closed, the monsters were stranded here and the only way to get rid of them would be to kill them. Applejack was weary to the bone, but she clutched her sword tightly between her teeth. When the monsters approached her, she took it in her hooves and sliced at them as hard as she could. They left neither blood nor corpse and simply disappeared in a rancid cloud of purple smoke. They made their way into the heart of town through the monsters. The guards did what they could with spears and axes, but the imps had sharps claws and the reptiles had pointy beaks. It nearly broke Applejack to see so much death and blood around her with all the peace she had known all of her life. She carried on with tears pressing behind her eyes and the goal cemented in her mind. She had to find Celestia’s heir and restore order to Equestria. It was a task that she could not fail for anything in the world. In silence they moved between the scorched remains of Ponyville, the zebra captain and his men in front with Applejack following behind them. Rain crept under her armour and though warm from the lands beyond the gate, it had quickly cooled down again. It was a dreadful feeling and she hated it, but that armour had protected her on more than one occasion. The scratches and dents were a testament to that. The closer they got to the centre of town, the less destruction they encountered. The fire had not reached here yet and hopefully never would. The market place still showed signs of panic though. Vendors and customers alike had scrambled over each other to evacuate when the smaller gates had first appeared. It could have been dramatically worse if they had known that they would be trapped in here once the larger one appeared. A flock of those strange quadrupeds stood around a tomato stand and sniffed at the red fruits with their big snouts. Their bat-like ears wriggled at the sound of movements and quickly noticed the procession of guards. The two groups clashed and the guards made short work of them. The imps gave pitiful cries as they disappeared and the guards carried on the same, like nothing had happened. Applejack stepped over a single dead guard whose throat had been ripped out, his blood mingling with the juice from the tomatoes. His still eyes stared pleadingly at nowhere in particular. Carts and stalls had been flipped, vegetables and fruit spilled and lives lost, the incessant rain only serving to further the gloom. The once so peaceful town lay in shambles, but very few residents lay here. At that moment when Applejack’s mood was reaching the lowest, still one thought persevered. Where there is a will, there is a way. The town would rise again. The city hall stood in a circular plaza with a little stream next to it. More creatures scampered around on their four legs, some of them turning to vandalism by tipping over a stone statue of a mare on her hind legs. The guards went to work and dispatched them, imps and reptiles alike. An eerie silence spread across the square, only intercepted by the drumming rain and the crackle of fire somewhere behind them, closer than they cared for. The zebra commander stepped up on the front porch and shook the doors, then proceeded to bang on it with his hooves and sword hilt. “Dammit, this is no good! The doors are locked,” he muttered in frustration and turned towards the windows. “HEY! Can anypony inside hear me? We’re guards from Canterlot! HEY!” He took a step back and looked at the situation, biting his lower lip in nervous rumination. Applejack didn’t mind the short break and sighed deeply, but she couldn’t stand idly around out here either. The zebra ushered a few of his subordinates towards the doors and commanded them to break them down, but they quickly learnt how sturdy they were. Made of wood, they were thick and reinforced with large bands of iron. Applejack observed their futile attempts and looked up. The mayor’s office was somewhere on top, in the spire of the conical red tile roof. That had to be where the last survivors were now huddling in fear. Between the roof and the ground floor was another floor, slightly smaller and separated by a large round plate that acted as a balcony. The windows up there were smashed, some at least, and looked to be freely enterable. This was in contrast to the ground floor where chairs and couches and other furniture had been piled up against the broken glass to prevent the beasts from entering. At least, any more than what might already be inside. The zebra commander waved and the guards ceased their attempts to enter. The town hall had been rebuilt to act as a shelter in times of crisis, a necessity that had become apparent from the infrequent monster attacks in later years. No one inside heard the rescue attempts, whether it was the rain muffling their cries, monsters having killed them all or that they were all at the top. “Commander, Ah think we need ta ask a pegasus from the camp for help,” Applejack said. She nodded towards the upper floor and the zebra went out into the rain again to have a look. “Well, perhaps it won’t be necessary, young earth pony,” the commander said. “Look!” Barely visible in their blue costumes against the grey sky, the Wonderbolts emerged from the distance, a small outfit led by a pony that Applejack recognised if nothing else from Rainbow Dash’s many recounts. Soarin’ landed in the soggy mud and folded his wings close to his body. His white coat was stained red and his blue hair clung to his neck from the rain. Ten more Wonderbolts passed over the city and landed, presumably, wherever they found stragglers. Only three of them accompanied Soarin’ down to the town hall. The otherwise merry pony had a grim look on his face. He was illuminated for a brief instance by a flash of lightning and he looked at Applejack sternly, almost frighteningly. “We were on our way back to Cloudsdale when we encountered Silver Lining. He explained briefly and we will help where we can,” Soarin’ said. “That’s mighty fine and all,” Applejack said, “but why are ya speaking ta me?” Soarin’ looked behind him and noticed at last the royal guards, all of which were still sheltering from the rain underneath the balcony. The zebra commander standing next to Applejack simply nodded. “You tell him, it was your plan anyway.” “Well, uh, Mr Soarin’ sir,” Applejack began nervously. She swallowed a lump in her throat and pointed up to the first floor windows. “There’re survivors in there, but we can’t get in with the door locked and all. We need a pegasus ta fly through those windows up there and open the doors from the inside.” “You heard the mare, get a move on,” Soarin’ yelled and threw his head in the direction of his team. They threw their hooves to their heads in a salute and entered the town hall from above. It didn’t take long before roars and scratching noises made the building rock in its foundation. As they had feared, there were monsters in there as well. The Wonderbolts quickly opened the doors and the guards stormed in. The zebra commander rushed in after them while Soarin’ and Applejack filed in behind. “Is everything all right?” Applejack asked and looked up at Soarin’. She remembered him as a goofier pony, not this sourpuss. “None of your business,” he snapped and picked up the pace. Affronted, Applejack was about to retort but the fighting inside the town hall quickly took her mind away from his bad manners. The Wonderbolts had been woefully unprepared. It was pure luck that no one had perished yet, but many had deep gashes ripping up their fabric uniforms. They had retreated to the windowsills and other platforms around the interior. It was with a sad smile that Applejack began to reminisce about the place. Nightmare Moon had once appeared up on that balcony where a blonde Wonderbolt tended to her wounds. It was at that time Applejack had understood how cruel this world could be and that life wouldn’t always be sunshine and happiness. She recalled how she had met all of her best friends on that day too, as if by fate. “This area’s clear. We’ve got to get further inside and find the Mayor before it’s too late. Move out!” the zebra commander bellowed. Applejack shook her head and followed behind them. There was no time to daydream when the mayor was still unaccounted for. The downstairs had been cleared and no survivors found. The barricades had held but also locked the monsters inside. A door led them to an outer ring, between the large common hall and the outside walls. It was eerily reminiscent of the tower she had climbed in the burning wasteland. She shuddered at the image and followed the procession upwards. The first floor was in a worse state of chaos than the floor below it, for the sole reason that there was more to wreak havoc on. Bookcases had been tipped and their contents spread across the floor, tables had been smashed and vases had been broken. There were no corpses here, though. No survivors had stopped here, either continuing ahead or gotten slaughtered downstairs. The monsters roamed here as well. It was just the guards and her now. She looked behind her, but Soarin’ and his Wonderbolts had stayed behind. The guards were getting tired, but they pressed on against the enemy and dealt with them effectively. They came to the end of the hallway and the zebra raised his hoof at the prospect of more stairs. Everypony fell quiet and he turned towards Applejack with a small smile on his lips. “All right, this is it! The Mayor is just upstairs, so we’ll stay behind and secure this floor. Don’t come back without her!” he encouraged. Applejack nodded and hurried up. There wasn’t much to be seen on the floors she traversed, mostly conference rooms and offices. She checked each of them, just in case and found only more monsters. The imps were trying to comprehend the finesses of studying by chewing on the books. They were like ugly children with sharp nails, the reptiles more like angry dogs with pointy teeth. Applejack had little time to study these curious beasts. They had a keen sense of smell and could detect her as she walked from room to room with hopes of finding the Mayor alive. She grabbed her sword and ran them through their hearts. No blood, only a slight whimper and poof, gone. Another flight of stairs ended directly in a door. She approached it warily and knocked melodically on the door. It creaked open and a pair of dark yellow eyes looked out at her. “Why, it’s... Applejack!” a voice said, and the door opened completely. Several elated ponies craned their necks to see this Applejack that had come to save them. They all beamed as she entered and the stallion that had opened for her shook her hoof. She smiled back at them nervously and looked around. All of the survivors showed various bruises and bumps but were all in good cheer. There were only one other official among. The mayor sat behind a heavy desk of finest, polished wood at the end of the spacious room. Several bookcases lined the walls and a snuggly rug covered the floor. A portrait of the sitting mayor stared down at them from between two windows. The fire outside shone through a window in the slanted roof and cast shadows on the walls. The Mayor herself sat in front of her desk among the others and almost looked like any other pony, had it not been for her yellow-rimmed glasses and her collar. “Applejack?” she asked surprised and got up to greet her. “We are all so glad to see you, but what are you doing here?” “Ah came ta find ya. There’s something Ah have ta ask ya... the balance of Equestria is on the line.” The Mayor was quiet for a long moment. “Is the way clear?” she finally asked, to which Applejack nodded. “All the monsters have been removed from the building. Guards are waiting below,” she replied. “Everypony!” The Mayor looked out at them with a bright smile. “I know the suspense has been terribly, but the wait is over. Please, go ahead.” Delighted chatter broke out among the survivors and they slowly milled out of the room one by one. The Mayor watched them with a concerned look and sighed deeply when they were all gone. Left were just her, Applejack and the grey stallion that had opened the door. His hair was light blue, almost greyish, and wore a collar with a half-eaten, slightly singed black tie. “Ah have ta find a pegasus,” Applejack said gravely. “Her name’s Starfire. Ya hearda her?” “Hmm,” the Mayor said and tapped her chin. “I’m sorry, Applejack, the name isn’t familiar to me.” “Starfire?” the older colt asked and looked at the Mayor. “I haven’t heard that name in nearly sixteen years. Wasn’t she the foal adopted by the Hooves family some sixteen years ago?” “The Hooves? ... Oh yes, now that you mention it, but I don’t think they kept the name Starfire though?” “Well?” Applejack looked nervously from one to the other. “Yes, I believe they did. If I recall correctly, they changed it to–” *** “Achoo.” “You’re not getting a cold, are you?” Pinkie asked and looked at Scootaloo with worry. “I hope not,” she replied, sniffing. “That would just be adding insult to injury.” “Ah told ya we shoulda stayed inside the tents,” Apple Bloom chided and looked at her. “Hey, I was the one who said that!” Sweetie Belle remarked. “You were the one who couldn’t wait to see your sister.” They were all gathered inside a large tent that Big Mac had been issued to keep an eye on the former Cutie Mark Crusaders. With Pinkie there, however, he was free to go outside and help wherever he was needed. She had been sitting them for a while now and it felt good to get the story off her chest. Pinkie had told most of what had transpired and they had patiently listened. It was a nice breather from all the stress she had endured and Pinkie was perking up again. Celestia’s and Luna’s death seemed like a far off event. “Look girls, the rain has stopped!” Pinkie exclaimed and pointed outside. “Probably realised it ain’t working on the fire,” Apple Bloom replied. “Do you mind if we went outside for a bit?” Scootaloo asked and rubbed her arms. “It’s getting stuffy in here.” Pinkie was about to answer but a yawn cut in front of her. “I was thinking we could check up on Fluttershy’s first?” “Don’t you think you should get some sleep first? You look, uhm... tired,” Sweetie Belle said. Another yawn interrupted Pinkie and her eyelids began to droop. “Just a teensy... weensy... snooze then. But don’t go too far, please? I promised the others I would keep an eye on you and my middle name is responsibility!” “We’re not little fillies anymore,” Scootaloo said crossly.. “Sure, Pinkie. Mah big brother might need some help,” Apple Bloom said and walked up to the tent flaps. “Your big brother’s always works himself too hard,” Sweetie Belle said and followed. “I’m sure he’s exhausted already.” Pinkie waited until they were gone and fell down on her back, the sleeping bag catching her. “They’ve grown so much,” she sighed and wiped a happy tear from her cheek. Staring vacantly up at the canvass ceiling, her thoughts turned towards her own family and how little she had communicated with them in the past years. The bedroll was warm and comforting, much more inviting than the train seats. Her eyelids snapped close in matter of seconds. Soon she was snoring and her hind leg kicking. A shadow fell on her face unnoticed as a pony suddenly appeared before her. “So, the deed is done,” the shape said in a drawl and Pinkie bolted upright. “How do I know this? You will find that the Dark Brotherhood knows a great many things. For you are now part of the family.” She stared with fear up into the lavender eyes of the pony she had met on the train. He brushed his hood off his face and revealed a satisfied smile. “I really did kill that old stallion then?” Pinkie asked, trembling with small tears trickling down her cheek. “Indeed,” he said simply, his voice like always taking its time. “The slaying of Rough Spirit was the signing of a covenant, the manner of execution your signature; his blood the ink. As a Speaker of the Black Hoof, I directly oversee a particular group of family members. You will join that group and fulfil any contracts given. You must now go to the city of Baltimare, to the abandoned house on the eastern part of town. Enter the basement and attempt to open the black door. You will be asked a question. Answer thus, “Sanguine, my Brother,” and you will gain entrance to the Sanctuary. Once inside, speak with Thunder Chaser. We must now take our leave of each other, you and I, for there is much work to be done. I’ll be following your, hmm... progress. Welcome to the family, Miss Pie.” Like last time, Prince Lace came unannounced and left just as mysteriously. Though an earth pony, he had the uncanny ability to render himself unseen save for a small blur around him. Pinkie had no reply and lay silent on her back, too afraid to go back to sleep or move. “Everything he told me is true then,” she muttered and lifted her hoofs up to her face. As if seeing the blood there, she pounded them into the ground. The tears wouldn’t stop forcing themselves out of her clenched eyes. “There is... no place... for me here,” she heaved and wiped her eyes. “The girls will be safe here and Applejack can take care of herself. It’s time that I... that I started helping out as well. The best way I can.” She sat back down at the table with a scrap of paper before her and a pencil in her mouth. For a few moments she contemplated what to write, the words eluding her. In the end, she just wrote what came to mind first. “I’m sorry, Applejack and everyone, but I have to leave. I think I may have found a way to get one of the Elements back. No matter what happens, we’ll always be friends. When this all ends, we’ll have a big party with cake and balloons. I’m doing this for you. I just want you to smile forever.” She smiled and fondly recalled the better times. The tears threatened to return, but Pinkie took a deep breath and put the pen and paper away. The world outside the tent had become dark and oppressing. It seemed that everypony knew of the things she had done. Their stares all felt accusing and she tried to avoid being seen. She stealthily crept from tent to tent, evading other ponies’ gazes as she moved towards the train station. *** Las Pegasus is the place to be, a brightly coloured city where any vice can be satisfied if you have the bits. Twilight was highly unaccustomed to such sights and noise, and she was quite taken aback. It was just her luck that the train station had dropped her off in the most tourist friendly part of town. The bright neon signs reflected in her big eyes as she stared out of the window at all the casinos and hotels. Even Spike was paying attention, his face pressed against the glass pane of the carriage. Even here in midday, the town was alive with a buzz and a hum. She could spend all day just wandering around to take it all in if she didn’t have business to do. They eventually put the glitz behind them and found the city to be more than simply a long road full of attractions. As they passed the splendour, the city took on a more normal appearance. It looked in many ways like the affluent neighbourhoods of Fillydelphia but had the atmosphere of Baltimare. The houses were solidly built from stone and more often than not had a few floors to them. Their carriage came to a stop in front of a long row of stone houses. It looked like one long house was it not for the many doors. The road was paved with smooth stones and the slightly elevated sidewalk was of a rougher, lighter grey stone. A large sign next to a round window announced that they had arrived at the “Royal Equestrian School for the Study of Magic.” Twilight gazed up at the facade with heightened interest. There was something gothic about the style, quite unlike anything she had otherwise been met with. The windows were narrow and tall, set with heavy, green glass. The roof was dark brown and constructed from many overlapping tiles, pointing upwards in a triangular shape. She paid the fare and jumped outside. A chill wind blew and grabbed at her coat. Spike rubbed his arms and hurried to open the thick wooden doors slung with iron bars. The interior was more comfortable if not a bit gloomy still with only small lanterns to illuminate the pale grey walls. Carpets in dark colours and of many intricate designs decorated the wooden floors while tapestries with old symbols adorned the walls. Wooden shelves along the walls contained a few books, some alchemical instruments and ingredients in bowls. The building was only sparsely populated, and a single pegasus sat by a table talking to an earth pony stallion in a fine shirt. “You think that’s the headmaster?” Spike asked. Twilight procured her to-do list and traced the note with her hoof. “No, the headmaster is supposed to be a mare. I guess that stallion is just a teacher then, though oddly fine dressed.” A set of stairs in front of the entrance led up to a large library. It followed the same rules for decoration as the floor below, but the shelves were packed with books. The tables were empty as well and had small benches in front of them. A female earth pony sat in front of a large round window. She had a coat like ripe raspberries with a light yellow mane braided behind her and eyes of darkest purple. Her cutiemark were three seeds growing and sprouting. “That must be Drizzle,” Twilight muttered and packed her list back into her saddle. She looked up as she heard Twilight’s hooves on the wooden stairs. “I trust you have good reason for interrupting me?” she said and put away her book. “Sheesh, are all headmasters like this?” Spike asked sarcastically. “Running a school is no small task. It’s understandable if they’re a little stressed,” Twilight whispered back to her dragon assistant. “She doesn’t look stressed to me.” “I have a small problem concerning Meteor Thorn. He’s one of the students here. Think you can do something about it?” Drizzle asked, not even waiting for Twilight to represent herself. “You ARE from the academy, are you not?” “Yes, I am! Twilight Sparkle at your service,” Twilight said proudly. “And what is so important about this Meteor Thorn that you had to write to the Academy?” “I just don’t have the time to search for him again, but I do need to consult him about some notes he borrowed. You might want to ask around, and see if anyone can be of some help. Let me know when he’s back,” Drizzle said and resumed her reading. “A missing student?” Twilight asked. “Sounds more like a case for the police,” Spike remarked and leant up against Twilight. “There’s no need to get the police involved. Besides, there might not be anything wrong at all,” Twilight said in a hushed voice and then directed her attention back towards Drizzle. “What can you tell me about Meteor Thorn?” “He’s... well, an interesting unicorn,” Drizzle said without looking up from her book. “I’m sure the others can tell you more about him if you’re interested.” Twilight looked around and noticed an elderly earth pony with olive green coat. He sat in a corner, sampling a batch of cookies and nibbled on the treats. She went across the floor and he looked up at her with his chocolate brown eyes. He swallowed the mouthful and greeted her warmly. “I’m Strong Hooves, a teacher of the school, and I’m so pleased to make your acquaintance,” he said and shook her hoof. “Hello Strong Hooves, my name is Twilight Sparkle and I’m from the Academy. I heard one of your students is missing?” she said and wiped crumbs off her hoof. “Yes, terrible, isn’t it?” He shook his head and picked up another cookie. “Drizzle sent him to study outside of the city, but he missed his weekly report. We’re understandably getting a little worried.” “You expelled him?” Spike asked and scratched his head. “Oh, no, nothing like that!” Strong Hooves slapped his leg and chuckled. “Meteor is a bright young stallion, but we feared his experiments would endanger the city. We agreed it would be best if he continued his studies in a cave nearby. Let me see... I think it was called Bleak Flats Cave.” “And where can I find that?” Twilight asked inquisitively. “It’s just behind the school. Take the back exit and walk across the grass until you see a rock mound with a door in it. He should be somewhere inside.” The weather was clearing up by the time Twilight got outside again. The ground was still wet and the mud slippery. She trod carefully across the ocean of grass to the outskirts of the city. There were no walls and the transition from city to country was fluid and practically seamless. One minute, she had a hard, cold surface under her, the next she had a soggy, wet one. Bleak Flats Cave was impossible to miss. It was an enormous heap of boulders jutting out of the landscape with a few planks of wood acting as a door. The insides sloped downwards and were lit by torches hanging on the rough walls and candles set in small niches. The ground was bumpy, stamped earth and the movement of Twilight’s hoof was dulled to quiet thuds. She had barely entered before a low moan reverberated through the walls. As she got further in, a sickly green pony caught sight of her. It hobbled down the tunnel, giving off a deep throaty sound. It had lost all hair on its body, its skin had rotted and fallen off in places, its left eye and front leg was missing and the ribs on the right side was bared. “Z-z-zombie pony!” Spike said frightened and pointed at it. “Spike, get behind me – NOW.” He didn’t need to be told twice and retreated to Twilight’s side. She thought back to her escape with the Princess. Back then, they had encountered something like this as well. With as much calm as she could summon, she tried to recall what Celestia had done at that time. She had used a spell, a very specific one to repel this type of creature. Twilight closed her eyes and concentrated on conjuring the magic needed and channelled it through her horn. Flames licked it, but separated from the bone by a magical buffer. The fire grew in size and heat until she stood with an orb only slightly smaller than her head. Although a complicated process, it took her seconds to manifest. The fireball blew from her horn and engulfed the zombie. It gave a slight moan before falling to its knees, and then finally to its side. The fire dissipated and the zombie had returned to its lifeless state. “Why is this thing here?” Twilight shot it a contemptuous look as she gave it a wide berth in her way past it. “I hope this isn’t what Meteor’s been doing. Necromancy had been forbidden for a long, long time.” “Well it wasn’t much of a challenge,” Spike said and wrinkled his nose at the acrid fumes escaping the lifeless corpse. The rest of the cave gave little variation with long narrow tunnels ending in wide chambers from which more tunnels carried off. All the while, the sound of the dead laments persisted as a monotonous background tune. Twilight tried to conserve her magic, but there were no other ways to deal with the zombies as they shuffled and limped slowly through the cave. When they at last came to the end, they found a mint green unicorn with a thick, shoulder-length mane in an olive colour, huddled in a corner of his private little study. He had a bedroll on the ground and a niche carved into the wall where he had placed his belongings. He looked up with his frightful brown eyes and backed as hard up against the wall as he could. “You must be Meteor Thorn,” Twilight said empathically. “I’m Twilight Sparkle, and I’m from the Academy. What happened here?” “Are those horrible creatures gone? I’m not going anywhere until they’re gone! Horrible things!” he exclaimed, shivering and shaking in fear. “Sir, calm down. The zombies have been taken care of.” Twilight stepped into his little room and the pony began to calm down. “They’re all gone? I can leave the cave? Oh, thank you! I’m ever so grateful!” he said, jumped up and embraced Twilight with tears of delight escaping his eyes. “I’ve been trapped for days! I didn’t even dare move a muscle.” He let her go again, warmth returning to his face, in eyes and smile especially. “I take it you weren’t behind them then?” Twilight asked, to which he shook his head. “No, by Celestia, no! I’m just a simple sorcerer... you did see my equipment on the way, didn’t you?” One of the last rooms she had traversed had contained a fire pit and some spread instruments, no doubt related to his smoke cutiemark. Twilight nodded and Meteor Thorn gave a sigh of relief. “You’re heading back to the city, aren’t you? Could I... maybe come with you? It’d be safer, I think.” “Sure,” Twilight said and gave an encouraging smile. “It wouldn’t feel right just leaving you here after all you’ve been through.” Meteor Thorn pulled a rope next to his bedroll and a section of the wall slid open to reveal a shortcut that put them almost back at the entrance. He bid her farewell again at the school entrance, leaving Twilight with almost half her duties done. She took out her list and a quill and crossed Las Pegasus out. Next would be Trottingham, then Manehattan, Ponyville and lastly Hoofington. She gave a sigh and looked at Spike as she put away her equipment again. “Have you started to notice a pattern?” Spike looked at her as if awakening from a daydream. He simply gave a shrug as Twilight hailed another carriage to take them to the train station. “First was those black gems filled with dark magic, and now zombie ponies. If I didn’t know better, I’d almost say someone is organising a revival of necromancy.” *** “Ah, there you are!” Master Vision said. Fluttershy looked up and saw the dark purple pony walk up the incline towards her. “The arrows are ready if you are. We might die, but there are worse things.” Having left Master Vision to his whittling, Fluttershy had contented herself with exploring Discord’s realm. At least the small area around Passwall that was available to her. She had located an inn where she had been able to acquire a fulfilling herbal meal, rather than the cooked amphibians they otherwise served here. She hadn’t wanted to go back to Master Vision’s house with all those bones strewn across his place, so instead she had went to the plaza where the Gatekeeper roamed. It didn’t react to Fluttershy as she kept her distance, sitting quietly on the stairs. She felt a stab of sadness at what she would have to do. She didn’t enjoy the prospect of having to kill this thing, even if it was the only way to get past but she needed to see Discord and get her element back. If only she could reason with this thing. Instead, she found herself nodding. “Good,” Master Vision said. “I can’t wait to see his bones without the flesh on them.” He took the bow slung around his shoulder and went inside the ring. The Gatekeeper roared at the intrusion, but Master Vision simply stood up on his hind legs to free his arms and nocked an arrow. It whizzed through the air and hit the monster in its shoulder, shedding blood and making it howl in pain. It charged at him, but Fluttershy intervened. As much as she didn’t want to hurt the Gatekeeper, she wanted Master Vision to be hurt even less. Unarmed and afraid, there really wasn’t much that she could do except to fly around him like an annoying fly and taking his attention away. Master Vision shot another arrow that hit its back. Immediately, the Gatekeeper turned to swing its bladed right arm at him, but Fluttershy circled its head. Every time that an arrow hit it and the Gatekeeper was about to change target, Fluttershy flew as close as she dared. The arm swung around dangerously but Fluttershy knew to keep her distance. Another three arrows, and the blood oozed down its arms and back. Unable to take another step, the Gatekeeper accepted defeat, reluctantly, and collapsed. “The Gatekeeper is slain. Congratulations.” Master Vision stood with a wide smile, panting from the exertion. His bow had already found its place by his side again. “The honour of taking the keys from his corpse is yours.” She hovered back down to the ground and landed on its stomach, looked nervously at the corpse. Heavy bands of iron were wrapped around its shaved, naked torso. Another set of bands acted as a loincloth to cover it. Fluttershy hesitated, unsure what to do, so she held her breath and extended a hoof down its iron bands. She found nothing by its chest and moved further and further down with an increasing look of discomfort on her face until she retrieved a large, blue key. “As soon as you get those doors unlocked, I’m going in!” Master Vision said eagerly, not catching how disgusted Fluttershy was as she held the key as far away from her as she could. Her face turned green and she looked ready to hurl at any moment. She was unable to say anything through the revulsion, but one thing crossed her mind again and again. “I just want to be back in Ponyville, among my animals and my friends. I don’t care that Rarity had broke up our group, I don’t care that the elements were stolen, I just want things to go back to how they once were.” The gateway wasn’t tall, just very, very large, with the volume of a house. The gates themselves were heavy iron doors set into the grey bricks and contained just a simple lock. But the same magic that prevented pegasuses from simply flying over also prevented any meddling. Only the key taken from the dead Gatekeeper could unlock the way through. The key slid into the lock and turned on its own without Fluttershy assisting it. A crack appeared in the doors and light streamed in, more and more until they were wide open. Master Vision appeared next to her and together they entered the realm of Discord. The strange plants she had observed growing outside the gates were nothing compared to the inside. Even the trees looked different, like massive walls of bark with gigantic crowns. Colourful flowers intermingled with the lush green grass and slimy tentacles crept down rock walls. Master Vision inhaled deeply and sighed explosively. Rather than going with Fluttershy, he sat down in the grass. She was once again alone; alone and a little afraid. But she was a grown mare now and had to do some things on her own. She couldn’t continue to hide behind her friends and animals. She creased her brow determinedly and continued ahead. The road was long still and New Discord was far away, nothing but a speck on the horizon. It took her the better part of the day to get there. Strangely, she met no signs of life on the way, only twisted animals resembling shuffling trees and some giant insects with razor sharp pincers. The roads were safe though and patrolled by guards wearing armour that resembled a mixture of Celestia’s and Luna’s with gilded, dark colours. The ponies wearing them had no colour unity however, but they reacted just as stoically and ignored her completely. Her reason for taking such a long time to make the journey was largely the long road and partly her desire to enjoy the good weather and curiously investigate every little new thing she happened upon. New Discord was bustling with life, its houses made of dark stones and badly illuminated in places. The city contained a fluent transition from rich to poor, from dirty to clean, with a large palace looming above. There were many more ponies here and they seemed to fall into two groups. There were normal looking ponies, all of them utterly mad, hiding their heads for fear of the sky falling down or mumbling to themselves, and then there ones with ludicrous colour schemes or strange cutiemarks. Some were rich and pranced around, others were poor and idly sat wherever they could find peace. More of the strangely armoured ponies guarded the only stairs up to the palace but didn’t object to Fluttershy slinking past them. She met no ordinary citizens from that point, only a host of guards with swords and maces strapped to their sides. The walls gleamed white and Fluttershy shrunk at the size of it all. She walked apprehensively, afraid of getting into contact with anyone and whimpered slightly. That the palace had a sizeable garden helped her mood to some extent and she became more determined the further she went inside the courtyard. Over and over again, she muttered to herself to be strong. “I’m doing this for my friends and for Equestria, not for Discord.” The interior of the palace was as twisted as the outside, with a gigantic tree carved into a throne at the very back, its crown spreading out under the ceiling. The floor was a wide walkway of stone set between trenches of water and Discord himself sat smugly on his seat, controlling the interior weather with the twist of a finger. As soon as Fluttershy entered and descended the stairs, large pink clouds formed above her and threatened to rain their chocolaty goodness on her. “My dear Fluttershy, you have arrived!” Discord said playfully and made the clouds form rude gestures. A pair of particularly ample buttocks stalked Fluttershy, who meeped and felt her confidence drain again. She took a deep breath and ponied herself up. “You give me back my element this instant, mister, or I’ll... I’ll... I’ll be very mad at you!” Fluttershy said and stood her ground. Discord responded by laughing at her and then got up to his full length. “I already told you, it isn’t me who stole the elements.” He disappeared, but his voice remained and a shadow moved around Fluttershy. “It worries me that someone actually managed to do it, however. His power has to be equal of my own.” “W-w-what do you mean?” Fluttershy asked nervously and gave the room shifting glances. “Oh, don’t you get it yet?” Discord mocked, his head appearing up in the candyfloss clouds. “Then let me put it simple. The one who stole the element is an ancient manifestation of destruction, just like I am the manifestation of chaos.” Discord reappeared on his throne with arms resting on the supports. “Do you understand now? We’re talking about an incarnation of the most primal desire in little pony hearts, the one that makes kids kick sandcastles and adults wage war.” “How... how do you know all of this?” Fluttershy asked in disbelief and looked up at the draconequus in fear. “As delighted as I am to have you here, my fine feathered friend, I fear that your killing of the Gatekeeper has brought about some... unforeseen consequences.” A glass appeared in Discord’s left hand. A cloud descended to fill it with chocolate milk. “You didn’t answer my question,” Fluttershy said irritated. Discord gave a derisive laugh. “You must run a little errand for me. Just a small one, and I promise you that we can get to look for your precious element.” Discord swallowed the chocolate milk, then tossed the glass behind him where it exploded. “You will be going to Xedilian, one of my favourite places in my entire realm. With the Gatekeeper dead, ponies will try and enter this realm, some I’m sure that you know well.” The clouds twirled around beneath the ceiling until Fluttershy saw her own reflection. The blank surface rippled and then showed three anonymous ponies in red robes appearing on the hill where Fluttershy too had entered. The vision faded and she once again looked at the smirking Discord. “Running a world between worlds can be so tiresome sometimes. Until we can arrange for a new Gatekeeper, we will have to get Xedilian up and running again,” Discord said playfully. “What is Xedilian?” Fluttershy asked, afraid of the answer yet too curious not to know. “One of my earliest inventions. Quite a marvellous one at that!” Discord laughed, no doubt remembering something that only a twisted mind like his would find funny. “Suffice to say that it was an early attempt of mine to sift through those wishing to enter my realm.” “And how will I get there?” Fluttershy asked and hoped to prove a flaw in his plans so that she wouldn’t have to do this. “Oh, but Fluttershy, you’re already there!” “What?” She turned around to see what he could mean and found a large iron door behind her that had not been there previously. She looked ahead again and saw a long stretching hallway, Discord’s throne gone. In fact, she was no longer in New Discord at all, instead finding herself in a completely different building. Most likely Xedilian. She gave an angry little sigh and blew a lock of purple hair away from her eyes. *** Rarity put on her best smile as a dirty unicorn in grimy clothes handed her a bowl of porridge. For a pony that had always had food on the table and money in her pockets, Rarity now found herself in a very unfamiliar situation. Never had she thought that she would be sitting here among the beggars of Canterlot and enjoy a meal of unknown origin. But she was hungry and couldn’t deny the meagre meal, however revolting she found it. She nipped at it, the thick brown liquid passing her lips. At first just slurping, she ravenously downed the entire content of the bowl. She quickly licked the bowl clean and placed it beside her on the ground with a satisfied smile on her lips. “Everything tastes better when you’re hungry.” The pony that had poured for her smiled. “It is... quite something,” she replied unsure. Despite being poor, none of them seemed distraught. They were chatting merrily and had everything one could ask for. The wall around Canterlot provided them with shelter and food could always be found by those searching hard enough. Add to that the spirit of unity, and it felt more like a club than a dishevelled gang of tramps. It was midday and most of them were off inside the city to beg while the rest sat around the campfire exchanging stories. “There are just other places I’d rather be.” She looked up at the sky and allowed the sun to warm her face. “If only we could find the elements and get this whole thing over with. I’m tired of sleeping on dirty, cold, hard ground... and I miss poor Opalescence.” A zebra sat down next to her. The grey background of his skin stood in contrast with his pronounced black stripes. He had a long mane of black hair combed back, probably with the help of some sort of cream. Though not a pony in the strictest meaning of the word, he still had a cutiemark of sorts, but not one that made much sense to Rarity. It just looked like a bunch of squiggly lines forming a strange pattern. “I don’t think I got your name,” he said. “It’s Rarity,” she replied tiredly. “And you are?” “Armand. Would you mind telling me what you’re doing here? You look a little too clean to be doing this for the money.” His voice was inquisitive, like a small child’s “You’re not the only one to say that.” Rarity passed her bowl to the unicorn again and was served another helping from the pot stirring over the fire. “It isn’t something I wish to discuss, so suffice to say I made a bad decision and betrayed all my friends with nothing to show for it.” “I think I’ve seen you somewhere before... You said your name was Rarity?” Armand asked. Rarity didn’t reply and began to eat her second serving with more manners than her first portion. “I know! You’re the element of generosity, aren’t you?” With her mouth full of food, she opened her eyes wide and looked into his. She nearly choked and swallowed her mouthful as fast as she could and coughed. “I was... once. Now that the Elements have been stolen, I hardly think it matters anymore.” “The Elements have been stolen?” Armand leaned back and whistled. “Hoo-wee, what I wouldn’t give to shake the hoof of whoever pulled that one off!” “So you’re saying that the Thieves Guild had nothing to do with it?” Rarity accused. “Of course not. We’re only interested in money, and we would never be able to sell the Elements. Besides, those things were supposed to be too heavily guarded. Even I thought it impossible.” “Hm. Was there anything you wanted?” Rarity asked flatly and took another sip from her bowl. “You’re the newest recruit. If you want to stay in the guild, you will have to do jobs for us, and I have one just for you,” Armand said deviously. “Really?” Rarity said disinterested and quietly slurped her porridge. “Just a few hours ago, you told to me to wait till nightfall.” “That was before I remembered that I have a uh... situation that you might be able to help with. So what’d you say, huh?” he asked enticingly. Rarity sighed, putting the empty bowl down and wiped her mouth with her arm. “If I must, but just as long as it isn’t something too difficult. I’m a lady, after all, not a thief.” “That’s the spirit!” he laughed and clapped Rarity on the back. “The Grey Fox has asked me to take care of a problem, and I’m putting you on it. Shining Armour actually collected taxes from everypony living here outside the walls! Your job is to recover those taxes.” “S-Shining Armour?” Rarity had a sudden burst of interest and turned her head towards Armand. “You know him?” he asked curiously. “Well, just that he’s Celestia’s captain of the guard!” Rarity smiled widely and avoided eye contact. “How... noble of you thieves to care about the poor.” Armand gave an approving grunt and nodded. “The ponies outside the walls are very poor. Traditionally the city has not collected taxes from them, even though by law they could. The money the city would collect would barely cover the cost of collecting. The Grey Fox has always guaranteed protection to the poor outside the walls. He doesn’t want to let this injustice stand. It’s a matter of principle.” “And why exactly would this Grey Fox, as you call your leader, even care about the poor to begin with?” Rarity asked more confidently in an attempt to shift the subject. “The Grey Fox has led our guild for over three hundred years now. He has always guaranteed protection to the poor outside the walls. He’s a righteous stallion, not like that Shining Armour,” Armand explained admiringly and looked up into the sky, then hardening his voice. “That pony is a fool, a real law and order type with a grudge against the Thieves Guild and the Grey Fox in particular. Shining Armour has made it his personal mission to capture him, but the Grey Fox will outwit him.” “I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for this,” Rarity suggested, but Armand shook his head and got up on his hooves again. “Find out where he’s keeping the taxes and bring them to me. I’ll also need the tax records of what each citizen paid so we can return it.” Armand left her again, and she watched him walk away with distant eyes. “How could I have been so foolish?” she thought. “Of course Twilight’s brother lives here, I could have asked him for help instead of these thieves. They probably won’t even notice I’m gone.” With a plan forming in her mind, Rarity got up as well and left for the gates. First in a natural trod until she was inside the city, and then in a fast pace. “I wonder where he can be found though? What am I saying, he’s bound to be in the barracks!” The barracks of Celestia’s guards was placed on the palace grounds, tugged away in a corner where no pony usually came. A sign stood out front with the silhouette of guard holding a spear. The outside was a square white building with ivy creeping up the walls and a heavy wooden door. The floor and walls inside were of a red stone. Oval rugs in red and blue fabrics covered the floor, while small plants were fenced in to add to the inviting atmosphere. Benches had been placed along some of the walls where civilian ponies and guards alike sat. Here, Rarity slowed down. She had never been here before and she walked slowly through the room until she encountered a low-hanging sign on her right. It contained no text like most signs in Equestria, but simply displayed of a helmet. She recognised the shape as belonging to the captain of the guard, and she once again picked up her pace and rushed up the stairs where she emerged in a long hallway. Far on her right were the sleeping quarters of the guards and on her left was another sign with the helmet. The room beyond was large and the walls lined with impassive guards, all of them simply staring right ahead. In the middle of the floor stood a mildly raised platform with more plants like a small park and a bench on top. Shining Armour was not around, however, so Rarity proceeded through this room and finally came to a large office at the other end. There sat Twilight’s brother, looking tired and haggard, hunched over towering piles of papers that he was editing or signing with a quill. He wore his usual purple armour but without the helmet. He looked up and it took him a moment to comprehend who stood before him. “Rarity, right? Twilight’s friend?” he asked and suppressed a yawn. Taken aback, Rarity entered and looked around. His helmet had been placed on a shelf along with some other interesting artefacts and books, while a giant map of Equestria was displayed behind him. The most prominent feature was the heavy wooden desk that was cluttered really badly with papers. “Yes,” Rarity simply said with difficulty in finding her words. “How may I help you?” Despite obviously being buried in work already, he still asked the question. “Well, it’s silly, really. I accidently cut a hole in my pouch and then all my bits dropped out and now I don’t have the money to get a train home,” Rarity explained and shook it off with a laugh. “I don’t suppose you could help a lady out?” “I’m really sorry, Rarity, but I can’t spare a cent right.” Shining took the quill with his magic again and started scribbling. “But I’m only asking for the few bits it’ll take me to get to Fillydelphia!” Rarity smiled nervously and Shining responded with a frustrated sigh. “Look,” he said and ran a hoof through his hair, his voice shaking. “You don’t know what it’s been like here in Canterlot since Celestia’s death. The ministers have all assigned me so many new duties... I haven’t even been home with my wife and son in three days. And on top of that, they asked me to tax the poor outside the walls! Can you believe it?” “Well, it’s funny you should mention it,” Rarity said and smiled sheepishly. “Since I didn’t have any money, I may have accidently gotten involved with the Thieves Guild that may or may not have asked me to retrieve the tax money and the records of it.” Shining Armour opened a drawer in his desk and withdrew from it a leather pouch and a scroll of paper. He placed it on the desk before him, stood up and flexed his tired muscles. “I need a break,” he said and left. Rarity watched perplexed as Shining Armour left his office through a side door, and then looked at the things he had left behind. “Oh. Oh! Wait, I didn’t mean...” Rarity trailed off as the door closed behind Shining Armour. She hesitated for a moment before taking both paper and pouch into her saddlebags and left as well. None of the guard ponies outside stopped her, nor did they react to her clinking saddle. She roused no suspicion on her way back and when she arrived at the homeless hideout again, she found Armand to be waiting for her, standing by the campfire. She shrugged off her satchel and the leather pouch spilled out along with the scroll of paper. “Ah, the Gray Fox will be very pleased.” Armand nudged the pouch with his hoof and all the bits spilled out. His lips moved as sifted through the coins, but only a faint whisper escaped him. Finally he reared his head back in laughter. “Fifty-three bits! Can you believe that fool even bothered to collect this paltry sum? You know what, keep it. I merely wanted the guards to know they went too far, and... I think it’s time to promote you to Footpad. Congratulations on your new guild rank.” “Fifty-three bits?” Armand nodded and took the scroll in his mouth. He shook his head, still giggling, and went off on his own again. “Why that would be enough to get me home, even pay for a proper meal on the train!” The pouch was engulfed in a blue aura and flew back into her saddle. Rarity made a beeline for the train station, her gait giddy. She went out of the small area between the wall and the shanties and out into the road, but stopped up. Conflict screwed up her face and she looked up at the sky. “But is that the right thing to do? This isn’t my money. Do I really want to go back to my parents’ basement?” She paced the ground, talking to herself and throwing her head around. “It’s your own fault that you ended up like this. You could have stayed with Twilight or, better yet, believed your friends over a shady businesspony.” Once again she paused, looking from the train station in front and the homeless camp. “No, I must endure filth, dirt, even hobos!” Rarity said dramatically and took out the pouch. “I must find the Elements of Harmony, even if it means living with these... ahem, charming ponies.” Author's Note I've tried updating this chapter more to my current standards, but so many things were done differently. Make the best of what I have, eh? Well I'm done updating these chapters. Chapter 5: The Princess’s DaughterThe ponies are preparing for the adventure of their lives. Some take it as comes while others find it hard to cope and adjust. However, they are all getting a step closer to finding their elements. Some have started a long time ago and some have only just realised the path they must take. But the battle for Equestria’s safety has only begun. With the mystery of Celestia’s daughter unravelled, do they stand a chance against the forces that threaten not just their lives, but their very history as well? THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY: THE EQUESTRIAN CRISIS CHAPTER 5 - THE PRINCESS’S DAUGHTER - Rainbow Dash woke with a jolt and nearly banged her head on the bed on top. She recognised the place as the Wonderbolt’s dormitory where all the new recruits slept. “Celestia’s assassination... it was just a dream,” Rainbow said and relaxed back on her pillow. “Heh, more like a nightmare really.” “You’re finally awake,” a voice said and a silver-haired Wonderbolt in full getup appeared next to her. No, something was wrong. It was evening now, which could only mean one thing. Alarm washed over Dash as she realised the troubling events that had knocked her out in the first place. “Is Ponyville all right?” Rainbow asked frantically and struggled to get out of bed. “That’s the first thing you’re asking me, recruit? Not how I am?” Silver Lining asked sternly. Dash ceased fidgeting with her sheets and looked up at him with surprised. A large smile cracked his face. “Ponyville is okay, all thanks to that earth pony. Applejack, I think she called herself.” “Applejack?” Rainbow asked hopefully and fidgeted harder than ever, knocking herself down to the ground. “She was very concerned about you. I barely even mentioned you before she just charged into that tower.” Rainbow Dash finally freed and threw the sheet on the floor. “Listen, there’s something you have to know! The Elements have been stolen! I didn’t get a chance to tell you, but...” “I already know,” Silver said with concern and bowed his head. “We are guards of Celestia after all. I’d wager we knew even before you.” “I have to talk to Spitfire!” Dash said urgently and went through her dresser. “We have to find the Elements immediately. Who knows what they can be used for in the wrong hoofs?” “I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” Silver Lining said mournfully. Dash caught the tone and peeked up from the drawer. “She and Soarin’ were closing another one of those gates outside Las Pegasus. Spitfire... she didn’t make it back outside.” “No.” Rainbow clenched her eyes shut, shivering slightly. “I will make them all pay,” she said and continued with finding her Wonderbolt uniform. “You will do no such thing,” Silver said sternly, but Dash ignored him and put on her uniform. “Soarin’ is doing his best as we speak to find the Elements. There’s nothing you can do now but to perform your duties. The Wonderbolts are busier than we have been in years.” “I can’t just pretend that all of this didn’t happen!” Rainbow shouted, her eyes watering slightly. She shook it off and brushed past Silver Lining. “You have no idea where to go or what to do, Rainbow Dash. Meanwhile, ponies out there are suffering and need our help. Will you ignore them?” Silver asked, making Dash stop in her tracks and looking up at the ceiling. “I have to get back to Ponyville,” she said, trying to control her voice. “And I won’t stop you,” Silver said softly and came up next to Dash. “But you also have a job to do. The police chief of Manehattan himself personally asked for our help. You handled yourself well in that wasteland, so I want you to take this opportunity. I won’t have to stress how important this job could be to us?” “No, sir,” Dash said solemnly and looked straight ahead. “I’ll go there as quickly as I can.” *** It was about evening when Pinkie arrived in Baltimare. It was still light outside and the city was alive with early evening activities. The air was filled with concerned chatter discussing the latest events. The news about the royal deaths weighed heavily on their minds and that only Cadence was left as an alicorn. The blame and guilt Pinkie felt from all of her killings made her nervous about contact and she walked furtively through the streets. No one paid any attention to her though. No one could know the murders that Pinkie had committed, but she was getting paranoid. It was a relief when she finally came to the abandoned house that she had been directed towards. The grass was unkempt with weeds growing uncontrollably, and all windows and the door were boarded up. As the planks had not been connected to the frame, the door easily swung inwards. The inside was in a similar state of disarray with overturned furniture and dust everywhere. The door to the basement only hung on half its hinges, and a wall down been broken down. A tunnel carved into the dirt and stone was bathed in a red light. At the end, Pinkie found a heavy iron door with strange images: a hoof adorning a skull on top with Luna raising the blessed Moon beneath and ponies revelling in its light. “What is the colour of Luna’s night?” the door asked in a deep voice. “Sanguine, my brother,” Pinkie replied quietly. The door swung open with no external help and revealed what looked like an old bunker with low ceiling and stone surfaces. A pegasus stepped forward, she with a lavender coat and chocolate brown mane smoothed behind and down her back. “Greetings! Greetings! I am Thunder Chaser, mistress of this sanctuary.” Her voice had strength to it, but was also welcoming. “Lace has told me all about you. Let me welcome you to the Dark Brotherhood!” Pinkie followed her inside as Chaser gave a tour of the facilities. “The training hall is on your left and the sleeping quarters on your right. I and the other high-ranking members are sleeping in our own rooms just down the corridor. If you have any questions, be sure to ask me or one of your new brothers or sisters.” “I’m sure I’ll be... happy here,” Pinkie said with her head bowed to the ground and lip quivering. Her many curls flattened and her slick hair fell down her shoulders. “Make yourself comfortable, Miss Pie. You look tired,” Thunder Chaser said and made to leave, but Pinkie stopped her. “Do you have any jobs for me now?” she asked hopefully. “I’m afraid not, my child. I handle contracts only for more experienced family members. Speak with Brave Soldier when you want to carry out the will of Luna.” “Will I ever be able to speak with her?” Thunder Chaser chuckled. “Only the listener can hear the whisperings of our Nocturnal Matron. Maybe she will have something to tell you if you carry out her will expediently enough.” “Can I ask just one more thing? The Elements of Harmony, do you know where they are?” “Yes, they were stolen,” Thunder replied mournfully. “Our Nocturnal Matron has charged us with finding them, but they are like swallowed up by the earth. Get some rest, Miss Pie; you look like you need it.” Thunder Chaser left her to her thoughts. A skeleton pony dressed in a black burlap sack shuffled past her and offered no comfort. She ventured past the wooden doors to the dormitory. The beds were all neatly made, but only one of them contained a bundle. It was a leather suit like the one everypony else here wore. Pinkie stuffed it into her accompanying dresser and then buried her head in the pillow. *** Rarity lay on the bedroll like she was back on her ottoman. The beggars brought her food and waved a palm leaf to keep her cool in the waning sun. Armand approached with a distraught look and messy hair, but smiled broadly upon seeing Rarity. He mockingly bowed to her. “If Your Highness isn’t too busy, then I have a matter of urgent concern.” “I only gave them my last payment,” Rarity said and got up. “It’s not my fault that they took it this well. What brings you here?” “The Guild has received a... request to obtain a unique statuette, a bust of Princess Celestia. You will be paid a modest sum. Do you want this job?” he asked hastily. “If I must,” Rarity said bored. “I AM expected to uphold the duty of my guild after all.” “Excellent. The beggars should know where to find it. Bring it to me once you have it.” Rarity was surprised to see him leave so soon again. She could feel something might be wrong and was about to call out to him when an old earth pony came up to her. Rarity recoiled as the old toothless mare got a little too close for comforts. “Yer looking for the bust of Celestia, are ye?” she asked, to which Rarity could only nod. “Then ye are in luck. It’s currently being stored in her crypt underneath the castle, madam.” Rarity’s face paled if possible even further than her already white coat. “C-crypt?” “Aye, madam. The bust is made ta commemorate the Princess and will be unveiled once the preparations have been made.” “Oh no, no, no, no, no, no. I couldn’t possibly steal from the Princess’s crypt. I mean, this is the Princess we’re talking about.” Rarity bit into her hoof and then looked up at the castle. The Sun was slowly setting behind the mountains and cast the white walls in a beautiful sheen of yellow. “But I must... I must! The Princess would understand that this is my chance to show the thieves what I can do,” Rarity argued and paced the ground her nervously. “They help me find the Elements and I steal a few things for them, simple as that. But it’s a bust of the Princess. I couldn’t... I must! But... no. I will do it, for her, for my friends and for the elements.” Rarity hurried into the city and up towards the castle, her dread growing the closer she got. However, she was reminded why she couldn’t get into the castle the first time around. Burly guards with spears blocked the only entrance and were less than happy to let anyone in. “The palace is off-limits to the public until further notice,” the left one said. “But surely you’d let a friend of the family inside?” Rarity said and turned on her charm. “I knew Celestia personally. Shining Armour can vouch for me.” “As we told you last time, anyone can make that claim,” the right one said. “Now be off before we throw you away.” Grumbling, Rarity descended the stairs again and crossed the plaza. She could go to the guardhouse at the other end, but Shining Armour was already drowning in work. She wouldn’t bother him now. About to leave, Rarity bumped into the earth pony beggar again. “Having trouble getting inside, have ye?” she asked with a cross-eyed leer. “Have you been following me?” Rarity asked and took a step back. “Course not, madam. Ah’m just checking up on yus is all.” “Well, I DO have a bit of trouble getting inside, yes,” Rarity said and laughed nervously. “Ye dun need ta go inside the castle fer the crypt, madam. Look!” The old mare pointed to the side of the castle where a pair of large doors stood like a storm cellar. Rarity approached and hesitantly opened them. A flight of stone steps led down into a dark, vaulted room. She looked behind her, where the old mare stood encouragingly smiling. Taking a deep breath, Rarity descended into the darkness. In niches stood stone coffins dedicated to various members of the court. Her steps echoed hollowly as she warily made her way across the room, looking about her nervously. Her coat prickled uncomfortably from the darkness, the cold and the gloom. At the very end stood a glass casket with a gilded frame. Inside she could see the restored body of Celestia, ready for public display. On top of it stood the bust that she had come here for, but Rarity could not proceed. She fell to her knees in front of the deceased Princess, bawling. “Why is all this happening? I just wanted to be reunited with my friends! To go back to how things were, to never have accepted that stupid deal. Why did you have to die?” “I know things are difficult,” the Princess replied, making Rarity jump on her feet in stark surprise. A brilliant hue surrounded the still body of Celestia. “I also know that I am asking a lot of you, but I urge you to be strong. Only if you all do your parts, no matter how meaningless they may seem, can Equestria be free again.” “But –” Rarity began. “Hush. I know why you have come, Rarity. Take the bust with my blessing, and may we not see each other again for a long time. When you meet the others, tell them how proud I am of you all.” The crypt went dark again, and the silence hung ever more oppressive. Rarity clenched her eyes tight and tears streamed down her cheek. She allowed herself to sit there mourning and lamenting for a while, but she also knew that she had a job to do. She wiped her eyes and grabbed the bust, exercising utmost caution in placing it in her saddle bag. It was heavy, but also relatively small. She hurried back outside the city and returned to the hobo camp. Armand wasn’t waiting for her as she expected, but someone else she knew did. “Emerald?” Rarity asked amazed and dropped her heavy satchel on the ground. “What are you doing here?” The lavender mare with her fine, lime green hair was slurping on the dredges of her soup. She put away her bowl and glared at Rarity. “The Thieves Guild gave me another chance, no thanks to you,” Emerald said with a snort. “I do apologise,” Rarity said sincerely and approached her. “You must understand I have nothing against you, but there is more at stake than just the two of us.” “It’s fine,” Emerald said, but her tone was as cold as ever. Rarity didn’t want to press the issue any further with one as stubborn as her, so she changed the subject. “Where’s Armand? I have the bust he sent me to retrieve,” she said matter-of-factly. “He’s in hiding,” Emerald snapped and looked away. “What? How come?” “Are you really that blind or just plain stupid? He’s just using you!” Emerald approached her threateningly. The beggars all suddenly had other things to do and quietly disappeared. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean,” Rarity said coldly, keeping her facade calm. “I see how Armand acts around you, but it’s me that he loves, you got that?” “You think I’m interested in him? Maybe you haven’t noticed, but our relationship is purely platonic.” Emerald looked like an angry bull ready to charge, but the two mares stood silently staring the other down. Finally, Emerald tensed down. “There never was a client that commissioned the guild to steal Celestia’s bust. Armand doesn’t care about you, he just used you to flush out an informant that infiltrated the guild.” “And you suspected moi?” Rarity asked hurt. “You were the new to the guild and you’ve been friendly towards Shining Armour, of course we had our suspicions. But not any longer. The beggars are out gathering information. We’ll know the true identity of the rat soon enough.” Emerald walked away from the camp with her nose in the sky. “I mean it,” Rarity said. “There is nothing between Armand and me.” “Good,” Emerald replied, then lowered her head. “I’ll hide the bust for now. Why don’t you get some sleep? No telling when you will have the chance again.” *** Trottingham, a peaceful city surrounded by forest and not much bigger than Ponyville. The architecture was also much the same, but with a stronger focus on stone as the basis. The streets were all cobbled, and the first floors of the houses were made of tightly packed stones. The school looked to have been built only recently. It contained few traces of growth on its walls and roof. The interior was largely wood from furniture to floor, apart for the walls of stone. A pegasus sat by a table and enjoyed some wine in the fading sunlight. He put his goblet away when he saw Twilight enter. “You are from the academy?” he asked hopefully and approached her before she could even close the door. He looked to be a fairly seasoned stallion with a light purple coat and lime green hair parted to one side. He wore a simple blue robe. “Yes, yes I am,” Twilight said proudly and put a hoof on her chest, then pointed at him. “And I take it you’re Thunder Flicker. Now what’s this problem you wrote about?” “Heart Treasure,” he said bitterly and turned away. “She’s my unicorn sister, and she does not care for academy regulations. Since I’m a pegasus, she errantly believes I cheated to get my appointment. And now I see that she is in town.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “Sir, you cannot call the academy for family matters. I came here because of a perceived emergency, not a sour family reunion.” “This IS an emergency, don’t you see?” He turned abruptly towards Twilight and seized her by the shoulder. “Though she has not approached me, I know she wants something. I would like you to find out what it is. Determine what she’s after, and how we may be rid of her. I do not want her here, spreading her lies.” “If I do this one small task for you, then will you agree not to bother the academy again unless it’s really, really important?” He nodded and Twilight ventured outside again. She had barely crossed the plaza in front however, before a unicorn came up to her. She was coloured like her brother though in darker colour, so it wasn’t difficult for Twilight to recognise her. “Finally, someone from the academy has come to resolve this little mistake,” she said. “Obviously it should be a unicorn like me that should lead a school for magic.” “Celestia’s Academy of Magic seeks to understand the magic inherent in all ponies,” Twilight explained passionately. “Pegasuses and even earth ponies all have magic in them.” “Oh, so you’re spouting that nonsense too,” she scoffed. “Look, I’m not here to discuss the academy’s insipid new regulations. I came to town to find a book, “The Hoof of the Mountain.” Maybe you’ve heard about it?” “I... can’t say that I have.” “No, of course you haven’t,” Heart Treasure said with a chuckle. “Such a tome would be far beyond your limited understanding. Say, maybe you would like to find it for me?” Twilight creased her brow in indignity. Spike could tell that she was about to blow a fuse and cut in between them. “What’s in it for us?” he asked. “So it can talk? Hmph, isn’t the honour enough? Well, if I can get it translated from whatever ancient pony language it’s written in, it should contain a bit of magic. But I seriously doubt one such as you would be able to wield it.” “We have a deal then,” Twilight said through gritted teeth, restraining herself the best she could. “Good. Here’s the location. Once you’ve got the book, find me at the inn near the city limits.” Heart Treasure hoofed her a small note from her blouse, then turned away from the plaza. Twilight waited until she was completely gone to return to the school. “We’re not actually going after the book, are we?” Spike asked and hopped back up on Twilight. “Of course not. We’ve done what we came here for; the rest is up to Thunder Flicker.” The headmaster was eagerly waiting for them and barely allowed them to step inside. Twilight explained to him shortly how everything had panned out, to which Flicker recoiled in horror. “What? Not only does it exist, but she knows where it is? Well, this is unacceptable,” he said and slammed a hoof into the floor. “That book needs to be in the safe-keeping of the Academy. I trust as a member of the Academy you would do the right thing and acquire this text before Heart Treasure does.” “With all due respect, sir, I have other schools I need to visit and I would like to get back to Canterlot soon,” Twilight explained, but Thunder went up in her face. “You have no idea what that book is capable of. It is ancient, dangerous magic. I shudder to think what she would want to do with it. Are we clear? Go to this place she has described, and return to me with the book. This is far more important than any petty sibling rivalry.” Gripped by the severity in his tone, Twilight could only nod at his behest. “Fine. But this better be your last request,” she said and poked his chest. “Maybe you could tell us where this place is then?” Spike asked and handed Thunder the note. It was almost dark by the time they reached Cloud Top, a crumbling ruin on a mountain shelf. An overgrown path led them to a pedestal surrounded by pillars. Nearby, they found the charred remains of a unicorn, the book by its side mysteriously intact. “Looks like this is it.” Spike bent down and picked up the book, but Twilight took it from him with her magic. Angrily, she opened the book and tore through the pages. “What are you doing?” Spike asked with concern at Twilight’s furrowed brow. “I am tired of all these so-called emergencies. Missing students and jewellery are not emergencies, and least of all a family feud. I’m going to have a long serious talk with Brawny Spirit,” she said and frantically skimmed the book. “But first I need to know whether I should impeach Thunder Flicker for taking advantage of his position.” “But that book is supposed to be highly dangerous!” Spike said frightened, taking a few steps away from it. “It’s just a book, Spike; it’s only as dangerous as the information written in it, and there’s nothing dangerous in here. It’s just an instruction of some kind... hmm, do you still have one of those gems we confiscated from Dark Scar?” “Uhm...” Spike said and nervously pawed the ground with his foot. “Well?” Her annoyed tone made him jump. He complied and reached into his pockets where he took one of the black gems. Twilight levitated the crystal on to the pedestal. She held the book up before her, then slammed it shut. “I can see why Thunder Flicker would be so eager to get this book away from the public.” She placed the book down on the ground and then took a step outside of the pillars. “If we’re not careful, this could have a horrendous backlash.” “Twilight, maybe we should just get back to Trottingham with that book,” Spike suggested nervously and pointed to the forest below them, but Twilight’s horn glowed again. “If done correctly and with the right type of crystal, however, we might actually see some result.” “I don’t think this is a good idea!” Spike shouted hysterically, but Twilight released her magic right unto the pedestal. The crystal spun alarmingly before rocketing up into the sky where it exploded. A jet of light escaped it and hit Twilight directly in the horn. Her eyes glowed white and her face cracked into a devious smile. Spike hopped behind a half-broken wall and watched fearfully as magic engulfed Twilight, lifting her up from the ground. As quick it had come, as quick did it go again. The magic released Twilight and the light show was over. “I was right!” she said with an exhausted laughter. “What was that?” Spike asked in disbelief, making his way back towards her. “You know better than anypony not to toy with unknown magic!” “I’m sorry that I got you worried,” Twilight said and nuzzled him. “Those gems are conductors of some kind, but not for any ordinary magic. I shudder to think what powerful, arcane magic they are used for.” “You scared me for a moment there,” Spike said, calming down. “I know, but I wasn’t sure what would happen. I mean, I had a pretty good assumption. but if I spent too much time thinking about it I wouldn’t have been able to see it through.” “Let’s just get this back to the school,” Spike said and clutched the book. “It seriously gives me the creeps.” *** The hallways were ill lit and Fluttershy crept along the walls. She met no resistance apart from her own fear. The dancing of shadows and rustling of banners made her stop and nervously look around her. Down long corridors, turning corners and up stairs she went. “What am I even doing here?” she asked herself. “Discord told me to activate this facility, but how am I supposed to do that? Oh Fluttershy, why can’t you be more assertive? “No Discord, I don’t want to help you.” I could have said that, but instead he sent me here. Oh...” She came to a large room that was brightly lit. Unseemly little creatures sat about burning logs, grunting to each other. They grabbed for clubs and spears when they saw Fluttershy walk down the stairs towards them, but made no movements. They were like slimy versions of Canterlot’s goblins, dressed in fishnets, hooks and barnacles. Their weapons were crude and made from stone wound around wood with reeds. They were ugly and communicated through guttural sounds, but allowed Fluttershy to approach them. “Uhm, I’m not here to cause any trouble,” she said meekly. The creatures looked at each other and grunted, then lowered their weapons. “I’m looking for a way to activate this place, so m-maybe you could help me?” Croaking wildly, the creatures started jumping up and down. An older one in robes stepped forward and handed a large crystal to a younger one. This one placed it before Fluttershy’s hoofs. “You want me to have this?” she asked surprised, to which it nodded. Fluttershy picked it up and smiled. “Thank you very much.” The creature hurried across the room, waving at her to follow it. It ran down the corridor with Fluttershy flying behind him. They got to another room where more of the creatures had also congregated. The one that had led her explained to the others, and an elder brought forth another crystal. Again he took off down the hall with Fluttershy right behind him. The process repeated one more time for a total of three strange gems. Her hoofs were full and she was using her mouth as well to carry it all. The last room was small with a large crystal from floor to ceiling. Her guide leapt back and forth, croaking and pointing at the crystal. Fluttershy approached and saw three slots. It didn’t take her many moments to guess what was required. Once placed the smaller crystals disappeared and the large crystal vibrated ominously, making dust fall from the ceiling. Fluttershy hid behind the creature, which placed a hand on her head. Blue light escaped the crystal in small waves, possibly a sign of working. Fluttershy thanked the creature with a hoof shake before going up the last flight of stairs. The goblin-like thing cocked its head in slight bewilderment, then turned about. She came to another small room. A raised tile on the floor contained an etched face sticking out its tongue. The silhouette pulsated with the same energy as the crystal. Fluttershy stepped up on it in curiosity and vanished in the light. She reappeared in a similar room, but here stood a unicorn shrouded in a red cowl. “Finally, Discord has sent someone to assist me!” he exclaimed and beamed at Fluttershy, then coughed. “But where are my manners? Ahem... must get into my professional tone... ahem... Welcome to Xedilian! I am the dungeon caretaker, Brilliant Paradise.” “P-pleasure to meet you,” she said weakly and backed away. Brilliant Paradise had a greyish-blue coat and a mane of the same colour. He was smiling exuberantly. “I hope the grummites didn’t give you much trouble? Ghastly things! They mistook the focus crystals for some sort of religious symbols, and removed them from their rightful place. Oh, forgive me, I tend to ramble.” “It’s okay,” Fluttershy said quietly. Paradise took it as a cue to continue. “Xedilian would normally have sent you back to the entrance when you stepped on the pad in the resonator chamber. Since you’re up here, I can only surmise that ponies are already entering the dungeon as we speak. The only thing we can do is let the adventurers complete a cycle through here. Come.” She reluctantly followed him out of the room. “Don’t be such a pushover,” Fluttershy muttered to herself. “I have to be strong, all my friends are counting on me. I can’t let them down. I won’t let them down.” Having not heard her hushed reprimand, Paradise resumed his explanation as he led her through. “The resonator works by drawing ponies to itself with a sort of magical siren’s call. Discord uses the resonator to find the cream of the crop as he calls them; the best of the worst to populate the Isles. Quite clever, eh? As the ponies make their way through Xedilian’s chambers, they will encounter choices that I make in these control platforms.” They came to a large room with open windows to the sides and in front. On the left she could see three ponies in red robes enter. They walked down the stairs and stopped at a large grate in the floor. They were equally mixed among the races with the earth pony holding a bow and the pegasus a large sword. They grumbled in dissatisfaction and looked around the room. “This is normally my job, but I think you should have the honour,” Paradise said and smiled. “Simply press one of the buttons and decide what will happen to them.” A happy face was painted on the right button and a sad face on the left. Fluttershy hesitated. She knew Discord best as a trickster and was reluctant to press any buttons here. But the ponies below her were dressed in the red robes of the assassins. They were of the cult that had assassinated Celestia. She took a deep breath and then pressed the happy face. The grate below opened and a small tree-like monster appeared. The assassins laughed derisively at the threat and attacked it. It ignored the arrows and spells and quickly grew to an immense size. While the others kept their distance, the earth pony fell to the floor screaming. The giant tree swallowed him up and dissolved. He was still there. “Excellent choice! That illusion was meant to make ponies lose their grip on reality. Looks like the other two are still fine though. Moving on!” “Oh my,” Fluttershy said mortified and put a hoof to her mouth. She went to the front window where she could see the last two assassins gather around a caged treasure hoard. She wavered longer between the two buttons this time. Even knowing what those ponies were, Fluttershy was too kind to inflict them any pain. The happy button had caused so much hurt; maybe the sad button would be better in some kind of reversed psychology? The pegasus went up to the locked gate in the cage, shaking it. So when Fluttershy pushed the button, he was unhurt by the two beams of fire that erupted from the floor. The unicorn was not that lucky. There was nothing left of him but a charred body. “Oh no,” Fluttershy said tearfully amidst Paradise’s cheers and claps. “What’s going to happen to the last one?” Paradise asked excitedly and directed her towards the last window. “Death or insanity?” She could see the pegasus enter cautiously. He was shaking, but calmed down when he noticed the room was empty. “Oh... oh.” Fluttershy fretted, looking from one button to the next. She clenched her eyes tight, but all she could hear was Discord jeering at her, laughing as she languished. Whether real or imagined, Fluttershy was still moved by having to decide this pony’s life. She could not, and so she pushed both buttons at the same time. Below her, the assassin was screaming. He moved around erratically, panting and shrieking at unseen things. “Haven’t seen a discording for some time,” Paradise said and shook his head seriously. “He’ll be a whole new pony now.” Fluttershy peeked over the balustrade. The assassin was quieting down again, now sitting on his rump and smiling and singing. “You can use the teleport pad to get back now,” Paradise said with a smile and gestured towards the raised tile. “Will they be all right?” Fluttershy asked tearfully and entered the room she had come from. “Of course they will! Well, except for that unicorn. He’s most definitively dead. The others will enjoy a long life of Discord’s mania.” “I’m so sorry,” Fluttershy whispered over her back and stepped up on the pad. It engulfed her in light, but nothing happened. Instead of taking her away, the pad had carried something with it. Three ponies stood before them, clad completely in crystalline armour. They gave metallic clinks as they moved forward, pressing Fluttershy back. “You have some nerve coming here!” Paradise said angrily and drew a small dagger from his robes. The intruders didn’t reply, but drew longswords of the same material as their armours. Paradise proved to be a powerful magician. Lightning flared from his horn and struck his enemies. They advanced upon him, but he kept them at bay with Fluttershy by his side. It took him only a short while to dispatch the lot of them. They were only three, and Paradise was a deadly adversary. “Tell Discord... tell him that Order has come.” *** Applejack sat in the train heading for Trottingham, admiring her new armour. Unlike the plate armour she previously wore, this was a fine ring mail with a white tunic over it. It was a gift from the guard captain. She had been rushing to get out of Ponyville to the survivor camp, but he had stopped her on the lower floor. “So the Mayor is safe? Thank you; I shall make sure she is protected while we rebuilt Ponyville. Here, take this. I have no use for it; I’m tired of fighting. It may serve you well in days to come. And don’t worry; it won’t change your appearance like a normal guard’s amour.” Three young mares slept in a pile opposite her. The former Cutiemark Crusaders were still young and a lot had happened on this day. Still, Applejack found it surprising how quickly those three had dozed off. Must be the comforting shaking of the train and the warmth of the sun. She had led Scootaloo behind the tents. In retrospect, there were so many things she wished to have done differently. Some things to have left out, some things to have been added. She had pondered all the way from Ponyville to the survivor’s camp how best to do it, but the first thing that had escaped her lips had been: “Yer Celestia’s daughter.” Scootaloo had reacted as would be expected. Disbelief was first. “Princess Celestia? You think the Princess is my mother? No, you must have the wrong pony. I’m just a pegasus. My father was a farmer.” “The Princess asked me ta find ya, Scootaloo. Why would Ah be lyin’ about sumthing like that?” Applejack had been firm, she needed to be. The news she was bearing was not to be taken lightly and could easily be mistaken for a joke otherwise. Scootaloo had been rattled, but she took it rationally. Perhaps there had been something in the back of her mind all this time, a nagging doubt perhaps. “I don’t know. It’s strange... I think you might actually be telling the truth. What does this mean? What do you want me to do?” “We need ta get ya back ta the priory in Trottingham. The Amulet of Alicorns will draw out yer power and then we can counterattack the Prince of Destruction.” Scootaloo had looked away, thinking hard. “I guess this explains why I was never able to fly then? Why I never felt like I belonged anywhere? I was never a pegasus. I was an alicorn all along.” She had looked up with eyes full of adventure and glory. “You destroyed that gate, didn’t you? You helped them drive back the demons. Yes. I’ll come with you to the priory.” It was at that point Applejack noted the other two spying on their conversation. In their eagerness to eavesdrop, Apple Bloom had jumped up on Sweetie Belle’s back. This decision had resulted in Sweetie Belle tripping, making both of them tumble into the clearing. “Wherever Scootaloo goes, we go with her. Crusaders for life,” Sweetie Belle had said and embraced her friend. “Ya can’t stop us, sis. We’re coming along, no matter what ya say!” Apple Bloom had added angrily and embraced Scootaloo as well. “Yer right, Ah can’t stop ya.” “Huh?” Applejack had sighed and even now she regretted not being able to stop them. “Yer all old enough ta make yer own decisions. Ah can only warn ya’ll that this is gonna be extremely dangerous. If ya’ll understand the risks yer taking, then Ah can’t... then Ah won’t stop ya.” It had been doubly hard to say farewell to Big Mac and Winona then. Fears about the farm had clutched her tightly with only her big brother and her dog left. Everyone would be too busy repairing the city to help him. But she couldn’t abandon her quest either lest Equestria should fall into oblivion. She had done her best to explain the situation to the young mares. They had been full of questions and the only end to their curiosity was sleep’s warm embrace. Now things were too quiet. Pinkie had just up and vanished, leaving behind only a curious note. Applejack had held on to it, and she found herself drawing it from the tunic again. She felt alone, but knowing that Pinkie was on her own way towards an element comforted her. It would be some time before they reached Trottingham. Applejack tipped her hat and turned in for the day as well. *** Although middle of the night, Dash could not sleep. She had spent most of the day knocked out and she was filled with humiliation, determination and worry. Originally on her way towards Manehattan, she had instead stopped in Ponyville for a spell. The fires were all out, and most importantly, so was the gate. The soil around it was blackened and burnt, and weird claws protruded as an epitaph. But the Ponyvillians had fast begun the mending of their fair town. It was dark outside when Dash flew over familiar ground and most were sleeping in their tents outside of town. Some were lucky enough to have houses to return to, but the ghost town feeling made most stay in the camp. Rainbow didn’t stop until she came to Fluttershy’s hut. She landed with a splash in the mud. The ground was still wet and soggy from all the rain, but a few stains on her uniform was the least of her troubles right now. She found Fluttershy’s door hanging open and a sensation of dread almost paralysed her. She gulped and then rushed inside. “Fluttershy! Fluttershy, are you in here? FLUTTERSHY!” Dash tore through the many rooms on the ground floor, opening cabinets and lifting furniture. She disregarded the many frightened animals and made her way upstairs. Quietly whispering Fluttershy’s name, Dash went through the last room. The chamber was empty as well, the bed a mess like the rest of the hut. She sat down on the floor, tears creeping through her clenched eyes. A stamping sound. Dash looked up and saw a little bunny before her, tapping his foot impatiently. “Angel!” Rainbow exclaimed and embraced the bunny tightly. She twirled up into the air and held him out at an arm’s length. “Tell me, little guy, have you seen Fluttershy?” Angel gestured wildly, so Dash put him back down on the ground. “Are you saying Fluttershy went to a garden party? No, no, she was... swallowed by a whale? Abducted by aliens?” Angel slapped his face, then jumped down the stairs to the living room. Dash flew right behind and saw him draw on paper with a nugget of charcoal. The imagery was crude and Dash raised an eyebrow in bewilderment. “A... are you saying Fluttershy went into a gate?” Dash asked and turned the piece of paper around. “Was it black and fiery and really, really big?” Angel shook his head and tried to mimic something. “Faces? You’re saying the gate looked like a face?” Angel nodded fervently, and then put his paws on his side. Rainbow Dash galloped outside and down the road towards the forest. Angel came up next to her and fervently pointed to a spot in the grass. Although investigating it, Dash found nothing. She looked up into the dark sky with a rueful expression. “Fluttershy... where are you?” she asked quietly. A small alligator latched on to her tail and then continued biting her toothlessly until it came to a rest on her mane. “I take it you guys are hungry, huh?” Dash asked and wiped her face. Dash went back to the hut and rummaged through the kitchen. She found a large sack of dry food, slashed it open and tipped it over. The animals gathered around it almost before Rainbow could get out of the way. Only Angel stood behind with arms crossed and frowned. “I’m sorry little bud, I don’t have time to get you anything else,” Rainbow Dash said and went for the door. “I need to be in Manehattan by daylight for a very important job. I know Fluttershy has plenty of helpers, they’ll probably be around before long.” Chapter 6: The Burning PrioryHaving found Princess Celestia’s daughter, Applejack must now escort her safely to the priory so the heir can assume her role and save Equestria from turmoil. But she is far from the only one doing her plight. Pinkie must use her newfound skills of murder to remove a high-ranking assassin pirate. Fluttershy has to endure the whims of the chaos lord. Twilight gets an assignment that will truly test her skills. Rarity turns on her charm to save the Thieves Guild. And Rainbow Dash is finally allowed in on the action with a task that proves more complicated than first presumed. THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY: THE EQUESTRIAN CRISIS CHAPTER 6 - THE BURNING PRIORY - It was still dark when Applejack arrived back in Trottingham. Three yawning mares followed her off the train and down to the platform. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo blinked their eyes lazily while the cool morning air nipped at them. The few ponies they passed were discussing worriedly in quiet tones. “My husband told me he saw smoke coming from the priory,” a pink unicorn said, standing under an awning. “No! Haven’t we had enough bad luck with the Princess’s passing and all?” a yellow pegasus replied horrified. Applejack overheard this and looked up at the forest surrounding the rustic village. “Ah have a bad feeling about this. If the assassins have found where we put the amulet, then the priory is in danger.” “Applejack, it’s too early,” Scootaloo said and rubbed her eyes. “Can’t we find a place to stay, just for a few more hours?” Sweetie Belle added. Apple Bloom remained silent. Her eyes were closed and her head was resting on her sister’s shoulder. “Ya wanted to come with me, so now ya have ta stick to mah orders. Giddy up ya’ll,” Applejack said and reared. “I’m awake!”Apple Bloom said and snapped upright again. She looked around confused and saw her two friends following Applejack through town. The place was virtually deserted in the wee hours between dark and light. The chilly air bit into their coats but their fast pace warmed them up. The forest swayed in the wind and a trail of smoke bellowed above it. The smell of burning wood carried with it and led them down the path. Applejack picked up the speed even further, making it difficult for the three Crusaders to follow behind. A unicorn came up the dirt path towards them with frenzy in his eyes. A pony in a red robe was riding hard behind him with a mace in its mouth. Applejack bit into the sword on her back and pushed herself to jump between the unicorn and the assassin. It took a surprised step backwards, but grabbed its mace with its hoof. Applejack took her sword in hoof as well and parried a quick strike. The assassin rained down the attacks on her but she stuck her hind legs into the dirt. This gave her the edge to jump the assassin and overpower it. It fell to the ground with only a slight moan escaping its veil, blood seeping from a wound on its side. “Help! You must help! They’re killing everypony at the priory!” the unicorn said and cast himself before Applejack’s hooves. “Consarn it,” Applejack said and slammed her hoof angrily into the ground. Three breathless little ponies caught up with her just as she again rushed ahead towards the priory. One monk lay on the ground while another was surrounded by three assassins. Applejack sprinted into action and took out one of them by surprise. A second one turned his head to see the attacker so the monk stabbed it in the chest with his katana. The last assassin gave a bigger fight and nicked Applejack’s cheek before it too fell. “Thank you,” the monk said and bowed. His coat was pale pink and he wore the simple brown tunic of his order. “Where is Brave Charger?” Applejack asked quickly. “Brother Charger was in the chapel praying to the departed Celestia when the assassins attacked. I haven’t seen him since,” the monk replied and shook his head crimson red mane. “Take care of these three while Ah check things out,” Applejack said. The three crusaders collapsed in a pile in front of him and offered him no other choice. The chapel was a small stone building standing off to the right of the complex. She flung open the heavy wooden doors and saw the old earth pony pressed up against the altar. Several assassins already lay dead on the ground but there were still two left. Charger was panting heavily. Several superficial slashes had cut up his robe and darkened his already deeply purple coat. Applejack’s hoofs echoed loudly on the stone floor. The assassins turned away from the old stallion and pointed their weapons at her. They didn’t see Charger force his old body forward as well. “You’re making a mistake, turning your back on an old pony,” he said and drove his katana upwards. It pierced both armour and robe of the assassin so its steamy guts spilled out on the floor. The last assassin looked from Applejack to Charger, weighing its option in its head. It hopped across the benches and out to the wall on the left. Applejack followed but the assassin blocked with the mace in its hooves and then dashed at her. She rolled and the mace lodged itself into a wooden bench. Allowing no quarter, Applejack quickly hacked away at the assassin. The blade pierced an artery and a jet of arterial spray gushed from its wound. “You’re a natural!” Charger said and approached her. Applejack looked away gagging. “Don’t... don’t say anything,” she stammered before throwing up on the chapel floor. Her tears rhythmically followed the convulsions of her body. Heaving, she forced her head up and looked at the stained glass windows. They depicted the birth of Nightmare Moon, her later defeat and the conquest of Discord. Smaller replicas of those in Canterlot. “Why are things like this? Ah remember a time where conflicts were resolved by wits and talk. Ah have never thought in mah life that Ah would ever hold a sword.” “Our destinies are chosen for us but they are wide enough to make us think we’re in control,” Charger said and put a hoof on her back. “I fear the Amulet of Alicorns was the target of this attack. No cause for concern though, I keep it in a secret room inside the priory.” “We should check ta make sure anyway.” Applejack wiped her eyes and her face. “Don’t tell mah sister what Ah’ve done. It would only worry her.” It was quiet outside and the smoke was slowly dissipating. A small shed behind the priory had been reduced to smouldering ash. The monk had led the young mares past the stone fences where they couldn’t see the corpses of the assassins. “What happened to ya?” Apple Bloom asked and embraced her sister. “Yer all covered in blood!” “It’s all right, AB, it’s over now,” Applejack cooed and kissed Apple Bloom’s head. “Stop treating me like a little filly,” she replied and waved her sister off, her cheeks blushing. “Ya’ll always be mah little sister,” Applejack said and adjusted Apple Bloom’s bow. “You wait out here with the nice monk while Ah check inside. There might still be assassins around.” The front door had been smashed open and hung on its hinges. The ground floor was covered in blood and a few more assassins lay dead. Furniture had been toppled and food was spread around. “They must have used the fire to lure us out and separate us,” Charger said and looked with revulsion at the corpses. “They can’t have been that smart; attacking elite members of Celestia’s guard,” Applejack remarked and tried not to look at them. The head monk went up the stairs but it took only a cursory glance for him to assess the situation. “No... NO!” he shouted and rushed up to the first floor. A cabinet had been tipped; vases and bowls from its shelves in shards on the ground. The wall behind it had been broken down and revealed a secret room. A heavily locked chest inside had been splintered open with great force. “They’ve taken it! The Amulet of Alicorns is gone! The enemy has defeated us at every turn!” he exclaimed and kicked the busted chest over in frustration. “We still have Starfire,” Applejack said grimly from behind him. Charger looked up, renewed hope crossing his face. “That was one of ponies with you? Thank Celestia for that! We gained the heir and lost the amulet... She cannot stay here,” he said determined and rushed past her. “We have driven the assassins off, but they will be back once they learn of Starfire’s survival. Which they will.” “Her name’s Scootaloo,” Applejack pointed out and followed him downstairs. “And where could she possible be safe?” “Nowhere is truly safe against the power arrayed against us. But we must play for time at least. We’re going to the old castle in the Everfree Forest very near Ponyville. We should get moving.” *** Pinkie was dressed in tight black leather, her hair hanging lazily down her shoulders. She stepped down the stone corridor and pushed open the first pair of heavy wooden doors she met. Inside sat an earth pony with a gaunt face and eyes as red as blood. His coat was green like olives and his greyish blue hair was dragged into a ponytail. He was savouring a crimson soup and looked up at surprise when he saw Pinkie’s surly eyes. “You must be the newest member... Miss Pie?” he asked and smiled up warmly at her. “I trust Thunder Chaser has already mentioned me. I am Brave Soldier.” “Do you have any contracts for me?” Pinkie asked coldly. “My, my, so eager. It’s getting late and you should get some rest,” he said and dipped into the soup with his spoon. “I’m not tired,” Pinkie grumbled. “You look tired though,” he said and put down his spoon. “Very well, I indeed have something if you feel up to it?” “Just gimme,” she replied impatiently. Brave Soldier nodded and dabbed his lips with a white handkerchief, staining it red like blood. He looked at her with his kind eyes. “Here is what you must do then. Go to the area outside of Canterlot. There you will find a zeppelin named after Starswirl the Bearded. Board the ship and find its captain, Carnation Custard. He’ll be in his cabin. Eliminate Custard in any manner you see fit. The assassins have been moving a lot of cargo onboard lately. You may be able to smuggle yourself on board in one of the packing crates.” Without another word, Pinkie turned around and exited the room. Brave Soldier followed her with his eyes and shook his head. “What a strange one,” he remarked. It was morning when Pinkie got off the train again. The first rays of light stung her eyes so she lurked in the shadows towards the blimp. The Starswirl was anchored close to the station and was surrounded by wooden crates. Inconspicuous dock workers put them up on their backs and went inside, others returning empty-hoofed to start over. Pinkie sneaked off to the far left where empty crates stood with lids cracked open. She looked from side to side before entering and closed after her. A black dagger slipped out of her tail and into her mouth. For long moments she sat in the darkness. “You shouldn’t kill anymore,” a voice told her. “What does it matter? We’ve already done it twice now,” Pinkie replied and crossed her arms. “But those were just in self-defence!” “No, they weren’t and you know that. It was murder.” “But can you really trust the Dark Brotherhood?” “I don’t care,” Pinkie replied and snorted. “Hey, anyone remember this crate?” a deep voice bellowed. “Just bring it along. You know how the captain gets if we forget something.” She felt the crate lift from the ground and the voice groan with effort. For a while, the box rocked up and down rhythmically. Pinkie squeezed arms and legs against the sides until she came to a stop again. The pants grew distant along with the hoofsteps. Carefully she opened the lid again and peeked out. The cargo hold was stacked high with crates like a veritable maze. Fortunately, she had been placed by the entrance. Pinkie slinked into the narrow hall, the floor creaking slightly with every step. Sudden voices just around the corner made her freeze. Carefully she peered around and saw two sailors arguing. One was an old earth pony, the other a zebra. “What does he want with all these things?” the earth pony asked and breathed deeply. “I’m breaking my back carrying all these heavy crates.” “You’d better watch your tongue. Captain Custard hears you talkin’ like that, he’ll cut it out,” the zebra replied without a hint of humour. “I’d just like to know what the purpose is.” “How should I know? Now come on. We been gabbin’ long enough.” The two sailors parted ways, the zebra walking towards her. Pinkie pressed herself flatly against the wall with bated breath. The assassin began singing a shanty, too absorbed in own thoughts to notice her. She gave a sigh of relief and again crept down the hall. The lack of crew inside made it easy for her to stay unseen, past small rooms and up sturdy ladders until she came to the captain’s quarters. She pushed the hatch open and climbed into a small room at the stern that was finely decorated, in stark contrast to the measly dormitories of the crew. Captain Custard sat behind his desk with hooves up on the table, a strong earth pony with a coat like blood and hair like free-flowing fire. He snored like a bear when Pinkie entered his room but opened an eye at the creak of floor planks. Seeing Pinkie in her black leather outfit, he roared with laughter and sprang down to the floor. Pinkie hardened her cold stare and took a step back. “Well, well, if it ain’t the Element of Laughter! You uh... you don’t look as happy as I had imagined,” he remarked and scratched his beard. Pinkie glared him and strode towards him. She spat the black dagger into her hoof. “Tell me why you are doing this,” she demanded. “Oh, it’s very simple. You will either become part of the destruction or part of the recreation,” Custard replied and swiped a cutlass from the barrel next to the desk. “The Prince of Destruction will spare no one,” Pinkie said with murderous calm. “You hurt my friends and killed the Princess for nothing.” The Captain shrugged and put his hoof in the sword hole. “I don’t really care one way or the other, Miss Pie. The most important thing is to have fun doing what you love, am I right?” “You... you’re a monster!” Pinkie growled and took the dagger back into her mouth. “I’ve sailed the seven skies as a marauding pirate. I am the Mandarin’s most trusted lieutenant. What hope does a young trollop like you have of defeating me?” he asked and pointed the curved sword at her. “You may have experience and a sword, but I have the blessing of Luna on my side.” “Bahaha! Care to test that, little one?” The two stared each other down, none of them moving a muscle. The ship swayed ever so slightly in the wind, the wood moaning with each movement. She jumped forward suddenly but Custard was faster and sidestepped. She landed behind him and jumped again with the same result. Custard swung at her. Pinkie leapt back. Custard kept up his barrage and pressed her back. She came to the wall and used it as leverage, but the captain swiped her down with a single stroke. She tumbled along the floor and banged into the wall next to the desk. “The Mandarin will be very satisfied with me when he finds out I’ve killed one of the wielders!” Carnation laughed deeply and lifted the cutlass high into the air. Pinkie’s tail twitched erratically and she rolled out of his way. The cutlass missed her by inches and lodged into the wall. Custard jerked it hard from side to side while Pinkie scooted away from him. With a mighty pull, the sword came free. For a moment, the Captain’s face was one of triumphant glee. Right until a crest broke from its nail up near the ceiling. The heavy shield fell and landed on the Captain’s head with a sickening thud. He fell to the floor with blood pooling beneath him, the crest sliding off him. Pinkie sat on her rump and heaved violently, her head dropping back and coming to a rest on the wall. “This is enough, Pinkie,” a voice said in her mind. “I’m not Pinkie anymore. That mare is gone,” she replied and wiped her mouth for the saliva that was building up. “Then who are you?” Pinkie put up her hooves before her. They were shaking. “I don’t know.” “Captain! Captain Custard! Are you all right sir? We... We heard a clamour. Captain? We’re coming in!” “Shoot!” She grabbed her dagger that had fallen away from her during the battle, jumped up to the window behind the desk and climbed down the robes tethering the airship to the wharf. *** Fluttershy re-materialised again. She was confused for a moment, but she quickly recognised the tree throne at the end of the hall. She was back in Discord’s throne room. The draconequus himself was relaxing on his seat, his slender body spread out across the armrests. “I’ve activated Xedilian,” Fluttershy said timidly as she approached him. “I can tell!” he replied with a short laugh. “And...” Fluttershy hesitated and gulped. “There’s something I was told to tell you.” He looked at her only half-interested with a single eye opened. “Order has returned.” “Order? Never mind that.” “But it sounded like it was really important?” Fluttershy said concerned. Discord vanished from his throne and appeared behind her, a paw on her head nudging her. “Don’t worry about it! Why don’t you ever have a little fun?” Discord flicked his clawed hands and Screwball zoomed past them. He fell on his tail laughing, but Fluttershy gave him a serious glance. “I just want to find the Elements,” she insisted but Discord flicked his claw again. This time, Derpy appeared. She made a few loops around the room before disappearing in a cloud of bubbles. “Discooooord!” Fluttershy screamed quietly. He jumped back up on his feet and paced around her with a little smirk. “You know what your problem is? You are too meek for your own good. When I find the Element hidden within my realm, how will you retrieve it? You can’t just ask the bad guys nicely, you know?” She shrunk at his word but Discord tapped his chin with a smug smile. “But I think I know a way to make you more assertive.” “I don’t have good experiences with assertiveness,” Fluttershy said and slowly scooted away from him. Discord followed and rubbed his hands together. He placed a single finger on her nose and once more she vanished. The grass was tall and the sky was dark. An enormous tree towered up before her as the only thing for miles. Between its thick gnarled roots stood an opening covered with a thin membrane. Fluttershy looked from side to side, but could find no other place to go. She approached the hole but found the covering too thick for her to penetrate. “Not this again,” she muttered. Discord had once more left her on a task without telling her what to do, and once more the solution presented itself. The tree itself oozed a green slime out of its bark. The scent was irresistible and Fluttershy felt herself drawn towards it almost lustfully. She did her best to restrain herself, but with the first lick she found herself sucking it lovingly. It was thick like honey but much bitterer. Instantly, the world around her exploded in an orgasm of colours. Her pupils shrank till they were no bigger than small dots, all the white replaced with swimming rainbows. The membrane gave off a sucking sound as it went inside the tree. She hovered in through the opening as if on command. The inside of the tree contained was a wide hall with glowing plants and moist walls, where bugs and beetles crawled everywhere. She couldn’t help but giggle at them and fluttered further inside. Not even a minute afterwards, Fluttershy crashed into the floor. She was cold sweating and shivering, her teeth gnashing and eyes bloodshot. The tree became much more menacing and the insects sounded like hammering as they crawled all around her. She looked frantically around until she saw more green goo sliding down the wall further ahead. She crawled as quickly as her quivering limbs could carry her. She slobbered up as much as she could and everything was fine again. The tunnels continued downwards in this way with Fluttershy stopping every few minutes to refuel. She dragged herself along the ground only to rocket through the air. The way stopped at a pond at the bottom. It had already been too long since she had last tasted the sap and she splashed helplessly into the water. The pool would surely have taken her as strength failed her but at the bottom she found that the goo was excreted and mingled with the water to make it green. She gulped as much as she could and found the energy to do anything. She swam through an underwater tunnel and surfaced again just as the effect was wearing off. For another undetermined while she walked. The darkness around her became oppressive and her wet coat was not helping either. The glowing plants became little puddles of safety as the goo always escaped the walls near them. The tunnel no longer slanted but continued straight ahead. She was deep in the ground but she had no mind to think about where she was. Out of the sylvan material came solid stone. Three steps led up to a pair of solid wooden doors. The effect of the sap was wearing off again. She was agitated and slammed the doors opened, rubbing her temple and moaning in pain as light exploded from beyond. She had come to a small room of large bricks adorned with elegant carpets and intricate wooden furniture. Other ponies of all races and colours shuffled around inside with empty looks in their eyes. Some stared off into the distance with drool coming down their cheeks, some lay in a pool of their own sweat muttering. “You have come a long way,” an earth pony said and approached her. He had a brown coat with a bright yellow mane. “You have a choice now.” Fluttershy tried to speak but her throat was too dry. She collapsed on the floor and the earth pony vanished from her sight. It seemed like an eternity before he returned. He carried a tray in his mouth that he put down in front her. A modest bowl contained more of the green sap and a ruby-encrusted gold chalice next to it contained plain water. “You must now make a choice. Eat from the bowl and have all your dreams come true. You will no longer have to worry about anything and you will be happy for the rest of your life. Drink from the chalice however and I must ask you to leave. In addition, you will never again feel the blessed effects of felldew.” Fluttershy struggled to get up on her hooves, but all her mind could think of was the sap. Her breath came in puffy clouds as she reached for the wooden bowl. Her hoofs had a hard time holding it in place, so she reached her face down to the jelly-like substance. She stopped when she Rainbow Dash in the pudding. “Fluttershy... where are you?” Rainbow Dash asked quietly and left. Fluttershy had to shake her head a few times before realising what she was doing. She dropped the bowl with Felldew back down on the tray and grabbed for the chalice. In it, a vision of Twilight appeared. “I am tired of all these so-called emergencies. Missing students and jewellery are not emergencies.” Fluttershy laughed a little and Twilight disappeared. She downed the entire content of the cup in one gulp. It tasted like plain water but her mind became instantly clear. The earth pony looked at her mournfully. “So this is how it must be. Then go. This is no place for you,” he said and took the tray in his mouth. A pair of wooden doors at the end of the room opened. Fluttershy went into the light streaming out and appeared back in Discord’s throne room. “I... really, really, really don’t like you,” Fluttershy huffed as Discord smirked down at her from his throne. “What would you have done if I had actually taken the bowl?” “Ha! Have you forgotten completely why I brought you here? You are impervious to the madness of my chaos. You have real strength within you, you just have to realise it. Now then, are you ready for another little errand?” Fluttershy snorted and looked away. “I’m through with your errands, Discord, and I’m done risking my hide playing your games.” “Well you’re free to leave any time.” Discord flicked his claws and a pillar of light erupted right before Fluttershy. When she could see again, Discord had vanished but his voice rang between the walls. “But your friends are working so hard to find the elements. Would you really turn your back on them?” The water in the trenches lining the room rippled and images appeared. Applejack was defending herself against assassins and Pinkie was duelling a pirate of some sort. Another image materialised of Rarity, but Fluttershy stamped a hoof through it. “You’ve made your point,” she grumbled. The gate of light disappeared and left the room seemingly darker. Discord was back on his throne, tapping his fingers together. *** Manehattan, the technological forerunner in Equestria with heaving and roiling machines. Primitive cars rumbled down the cobbled roads and past tightly packed houses built up into the sky. It wasn’t even light yet and an endless stream of ponies already wandered the streets each with their own business in mind. Spike looked up from the crowd, mesmerised by all the noise and smells. Twilight walked next to him with the scroll pressed up against her nose. “Why is this city so confusing!” she complained in frustration and reared her head. “It’s not that bad, Twilight. The roads are pretty linear and much better marked than in Ponyville. Why don’t you let me handle this?” Spike said superiorly and snatched the map from Twilight’s magic. He hopped on to her back where he had a better view and guided her easily. The magic school of Manehattan looked more like a university and occupied a much larger area than any of the other schools. It was built entirely out of grey stone with blue metal doors and red tile roof. “Still not as impressive as Canterlot,” Twilight said and stuffed the map back into her saddle. The interior was similarly grand with smooth tile floors, intricately woven carpets and heavy wooden furniture. “The headmaster’s a unicorn, right?” Spike asked. “Right, Crystal Charmer. Why don’t you get something to eat while I –” Twilight began but saw that Spike had already seated himself. Long tables had been set on either side of the room with finely decorated food bowls and bottles of nectar, but no pony were about at this hour. Twilight found Crystal Charmer behind a desk in the next room. She was older than most other headmasters, with a coat as red as raspberries and a mane like dark chocolate. She was reading a book, turning the leaves with a smile on her face. She adjusted her glasses and looked up at Twilight fleetingly. “Not accepting any more admissions, sorry.” “I’m Twilight Sparkle from the Academy,” Twilight explained. “Oh, well look at that. Back in my time, we would not have sent someone as green as you.” She put the book away and devoted her full attention to Twilight. “Unlike some frivolous tasks you may have been given at other schools, this is a serious matter with real consequences.” “You cannot imagine how glad I am to hear that,” Twilight said with a sigh. “But what you do mean by consequences?” “The city has entrusted me with resolving a situation along the road out of town. Several travelling merchants have been robbed there recently and you are going to help me put an end to this.” “I’m not sure what I could do, but I’ll give it my all!” Twilight said encouraging. “I like your spirit, Mrs Sparkle. You’re new to the staff so this may give you an advantage, as we believe the assaults are the actions of a rogue mage. You are to travel north to the Brina Cross Inn, the only common link between victims, and speak with Dapple Heart. She will give you further instructions.” Twilight nodded solemnly and called upon Spike again. She saved herself a lot of humiliation by hoofing the map to him from the start. Crystal Charmer quickly went back to her book again and let Twilight get to it. It was still dark when she arrived. Brina Cross Inn was a cosy half-timber house with thatched roof, standing just off the road some way away from the city. The furniture was largely wood and filled with cheering guests chatting over mugs of foamy cider. Twilight had trouble stifling a smile from the good mood as she sat down at a table with Spike on her right. A mare with a dark purple coat and corn blonde mane trotted among the guests, singing an upbeat song about revelry. The patrons all hooted at her, and she in turn winked at them. When the song was done, she sat down next to Twilight and brushed her curly mane away from her eyes. “Hello, stranger. What can I do for you?” she asked cheerfully. Twilight opened her mouth to reply, but the earth pony leant across the table and continued in a much more serious whisper. “Crystal Charmer sent you, didn’t she? Go and speak with the publican. Rent a room for the night. Once you have your room, get some sleep. I will meet you there later. If anypony asks, you are a travelling merchant, nothing more. Do not say otherwise to anypony.” Dapple Heart pulled her head back and laughed. “No, friend, I’m afraid I don’t know the way to Baltimare, but good luck in your travels. Please excuse me.” She left Twilight alone again with a wink and went to the other side of the room. An earth pony stallion clapped her on the behind. She wagged a hoof at him with a “Tsk, tsk.” “Well that was interesting,” Spike said and followed her with his eyes. Twilight yawned and stretched. “But not a bad strategy. The Academy’s paying and it can’t be all that expensive,” Twilight argued and smacked her lips dully. She jumped down again and went to the counter. The barkeep was a burly earth pony with a lavender coat. His lime green hair had receded to form a small ring around his crown. He looked up at Twilight with a weary smile. “Let me guess, travelling on business? You don’t look like you’re out for no stroll,” he said and rested a hoof on his chin. “Yes, just a travelling merchant out on merchant business... with my baby dragon... who’s also a merchant,” Twilight said with big smile. “Smooth,” Spike added, but the publican took no notice. “Ah thought so. We get many of yous merchants through here, well, we used to. Haven’t seen as many lately, what with the… well, you know. The robberies. Ah don’t like to talk about it much. Bad for business ya know. At any rate, would yous care for a bed for the night?” Twilight confirmed and was directed up the stairs to the last one on the right. She left ten bits on the counter and went to her room. While she collapsed on the bed, Spike sat down on the floor in front. He kept a vigilant eye for an hour or so before dozing off as well. The hours went by. Early morning light streamed through frayed curtains when the door creaked open again. Light hooves sneaked into the small room. The intruder looked over her shoulder and did not see Spike’s tail. He jolted awake from the pain and sprang to his feet, his arms punching around in the air until he caught sight of Dapple Heart. “Oh. It’s just you,” Spike said and yawned. “Wha... ?” Twilight asked and pushed the sheets away. Dapple Heart looked up at her enthusiastically and placed her hoofs on the bed. “Are you well-rested? Good. You need to continue along the road out of town, heading east towards Las Pegasus. I shall be following out of sight, along with a police officer. Make no attempts to speak to us; trust that we will protect you. Should you be confronted by this cowardly mage, do not hesitate to protect yourself by whatever means possible. Once the mage has revealed himself, we will step in and settle the matter quickly. Good luck!” Dapple Heart was gone again before Twilight could properly wake up. She looked about confused but Spike related the plan to her. When they got downstairs again, Dapple Heart was chatting up a tubby earth pony with an olive green coat. He was boisterously going through his many daring adventures with his mouth full of donuts while she laughed and poured him more coffee. She winked at Twilight as she crossed the room with Spike. “Subtle,” Spike commented and avoided eye contacts. “Hmm, how do merchants normally behave?” Twilight muttered to herself and clopped her muzzle. Spike shrugged. “Just try to look less suspicious.” Twilight assumed a wide grin and nervously watched her surroundings. “Less!” Spike reiterated and slapped his face. “Look, don’t try anything and just be yourself.” “But how do I usually behave?” she asked panicky as they trod outside. She was fidgeting with her hair when a loud bang froze her so that Spike walked into her and fell on his back. She looked up at the sky and saw the residues of a rainbow slowly dissipating. She closed her eyes for a moment and smiled naturally. “Come on, Spike. We got a rogue mage to catch.” Spike rubbed his temple and looked up to see what had caught Twilight’s attention, but the sky was only red from the rising Sun. He shook his head and followed beside her again. The dirt path was like a trench in the ground snaking it ways through grassy fields. They could see orchards in the distance and large bushes on either side of the road. There weren’t anypony out travelling though they could see the occasional worker in the distance. Twilight began to hum a little melody and enjoyed the warm embrace of the morning sun. Spike was more demure and kicked a pebble along with him. They turned a bend and a unicorn became jumped out from behind a bush, a red coated mare with a moody look on her face and a shoulder-length chocolate brown mane. “I’m afraid your journey ends here, traveller. I’ll be taking whatever you’re carrying. I do hope it’s more than the last few had. They were most disappointing.” The unicorn fired a purple spell right after ending her monologue. It hit an invisible shield that Twilight just had time to erect. She countered with a spell of her own that hit the unicorn right in the chest. It forced her on her knees, her face an image of pain. Twilight ventured nearer while Spike remained standing. The unicorn forced herself up again and cast another spell. Surprised that her spell was so quickly broken, Twilight had no time to defend herself. She was forced back while the unicorn kept pelting her with the spells. Spike jumped in from the side and grabbed the rogue mage around the neck. Unable to push him off, the unicorn instead reared and bucked. Spike’s grasp loosened and he was flung into a bush. “ENOUGH!” the unicorn exclaimed and approached the panting Twilight. “You’re not a merchant at all, are you?” “No,” Twilight said with a defiant smile. She wiped the blood from her cheek and fired a spell of her. The unicorn formed a shield to deflect it. “Twilight Sparkle,” the unicorn said surly and spat at the ground. “I knew you would come sooner or later if I just kept doing this. The Mandarin will be most satisfied with me when I kill you here.” “Just try it!” Dapple Heart shouted, running up the road towards them with the chubby cop a little distance behind her. “So you’ve got reinforcements? No matter, you will see why Diamond Charmer is a name feared even among my own.” She fired a spell at the newcomer who simply jumped to evade the spell. Diamond aimed her horn again at Twilight but Spike came up from behind and yanked her tail. The spell went flying up into the air and dissipated under the Sun’s light. Twilight used her first spell again at point-blank range. Diamond winced in pain and the tubby cop jumped up on top of her. He pulled a ring from his coat and placed it on the dazed unicorn. Though she tried, no magic came from her horn anymore. Dapple Heart gave a sigh of relief and turned towards Twilight. “You have done well and this road should be a little safer now. You should return to Manehattan and let Crystal Charmer know the work is complete. We’ll remain here and clean things up.” “Come along and don’t try anything funny,” the cop said brusquely and jabbed Diamond in the side. “Wait. Tell me about the Mandarin,” Twilight said and placed a hoof on the cop’s chest. Diamond simply smirked at Twilight. “I’m not telling you anything, Twilight Sparkle, but the Mandarin has many more mages under his command. You’ll meet them soon enough, don’t worry.” “Don’t worry, ma’am. A minute with me and she’ll sing like a bird.” The cop tipped his hat and moved Diamond along. “I’ll notify the Academy once I’ve squeezed her.” Spike removed twigs and leaves caught on his spikes as Twilight watched her being taken away. “What do you think she meant with that?” he asked. “I don’t know, but I just came to be grateful of these little errands,” Twilight replied. “We still have two more cities to go. Next stop... Ponyville.” Twilight swallowed a lump in her throat as icy dread travelled down her spine and made her coat prickle. *** “Wakey, wakey! It’s time for action.” Rarity blearily opened her eyes. “What? What’s going on?” she asked and tried to focus on the lavender blob in front of her. “I’ve planted the bust in the snitch’s house. Now you just need to go tell Shining Armour that Vanilla Marshmallow is the thief.” A mischievous smile formed on the blur and Rarity yawned. “You do it,” Rarity said and turned to lie on the other side. “Why should he believe me?” Emerald replied and went to face her. “You seem to know him and you’re loyal to the guild. I’m still not sure what to make of it, but better use this connection while we can.” Rarity smacked her lips and stretched. Guards wandered around the area outside the wall, carrying their long spears and swords by their side. There was nothing focused about their walk nor did they seem to be patrolling. They were simply walking between shanties and campfires while keeping a vigilant eye. Shining Armour stood out on the road in the middle of it all, looking first up to the city walls and then down towards the train tracks and blimp docks. Rarity got up on her hooves, the chill air kindling her to life again, and went straight for him. Hs purple armour and blue mane was unmistakable in the light of a nearby torch. She rubbed her eyes to get the last sleep out of her system. “You’re still here,” he said with concern, noticing her before she could approach him completely. “I couldn’t very well keep the money!” Rarity said aghast then stuck her head close to his head, whispering: “I know where you can find the bust.” “You know where the bust is hidden?” Shining asked in disbelief. “It was Vanilla Marsh –” Rarity began but a yawn interrupted her. The eyes of Shining Armour popped open in surprise. “Vanilla Marshmallow? Are you sure? That can’t be right. She’s my... I mean she doesn’t seem to be the type.” “Well, if you don’t believe me, you could always check out her house,” Rarity said and began to walk away. “I will. And you’d better be coming with me. This is a serious accusation.” Rarity froze as Shining waved two guards to flank him. Smiling sheepishly, she followed behind him and coughed to regain her posture. Shining stepped up on the front porch of one of the sturdier-looking houses off to a side. He knocked thrice until the door opened slightly and a yellow-orange unicorn head peered out through the crack. “This citizen is accusing you of stealing the bust of Celestia from the castle crypt. Will you allow me to search your house?” he asked, but it felt more like an order. The unicorn stammered with a reply until she had caught sight of Rarity, her eyes widening. Her tongue loosened as she realised what was going on. “That ‘citizen’ is actually the guild member that was hired to do the theft!” “Do not trust her,” Rarity said and went up next to him, turning on her charm. “She’s only trying to lead the suspicion away from herself.” “Lies and slander!” Vanilla spat. “Then you won’t me if we searched your hut?” Shining pressed. “Go ahead! You won’t find any busts here, least of all of princesses.” Vanilla jerked the door completely open and stepped aside. The guards entered the single-room squalid house and went through the little furniture. Shining stood on the porch outside and observed. The guards lifted the mattress of a dirty bed, opened drawers and cupboards and checked the floor for loose boards. Vanilla watched with them with a smug smile, already assured of her victory. Rarity on the other hoof was more concerned, contemplating the possibility of Emerald betraying her. Her fear was quickly swept aside. Opening a large closet standing up against the right wall started an avalanche of clutter that completely buried the hapless guard. Shining went to the pile where a pair of white legs protruded, twitching. He sifted through broken brooms, holed shirts and a few callipers before a marbled head peered up at him. He turned at once towards Vanilla, all of the colour in her face draining. “How do you explain this?” Shining angrily took the bust with his magic and levitated it right in front of her face. “O-o-obviously it was planted!” Vanilla stammered and laughed nervously. Shining glared at her so instead she pointed towards Rarity. “It was her! I saw her steal it with my own eyes!” “I am not going to believe a thief over a personal friend.” Shining cast his head towards the door and the other guard dragged the kicking and screaming Vanilla away. He then followed them but stopped to look at Rarity. “I cannot know which one of you is right, but let me give you an advice. Disassociate yourself with the Thieves Guild. You’re only going to bring trouble on yourself. Take this bounty for finding the bust and clear yourself of any debt you may have here.” Shining took a pouch from his purple armour and dropped it down on the floor. The last guard brushed the clutter off of him and retreated as well. Rarity waited until they were all gone before she checked the contents. She had to go through it twice to comprehend just how much she had been left with. “Ten coins a ten bits... One hundred bits in all! Wa-ha-ha!” she exclaimed surprised. She couldn’t suppress a giggle, prancing around the pouch with a skip and a jump. “You’re a welcome sight!” a deep voice said behind her. Rarity stopped in midair, her cheeks flushing scarlet as she quickly turned around. Armand entered the modest shack and gave her a warm smile. “I know I used you in this matter without consulting with you first, but I couldn’t be certain that you weren’t working with Vanilla.” “You knew it was her all along?” Rarity said startled and picked up the gold. “Of course. Hers was the only name missing in that ledger you stole from Shining Armour. I’m also promoting you to the guild rank of Bandit. Good work!” “T-thank you,” Rarity said quietly. She hesitated for a moment before putting the pouch into her satchel. “I don’t know what to think of you, little miss Rarity. Of your connection with Shining Armour or of your sincerity,” Armand said. Grinning, he wrapped a hoof around her neck. “But you diligently carried out your assignments AND made it easier for us to operate in Canterlot. I did not spend my time idly in hiding. Though I couldn’t find any info on the missing Elements, I know somepony who may be of more help.” “Really?” Rarity asked hopefully, her eyes swimming. Armand nodded and let her go. “You should go see Storm Chaser in Fillydelphia, an old friend of mine. You’re still a thief and she WILL put you to work as she snoops around. Just comply with her demands and you’ll get along famously.” “F-Fillydelphia?” Rarity stammered nervously. “Don’t worry; you can come back to Canterlot anytime you want. In fact, I’ll keep this hut empty for you and who knows; maybe I’ll even find a few misplaced items to spruce it up with.” Armand went outside again with one last nod and was greeted by Emerald. She waved her fluffy green tail teasingly up against his face as she passed him by. He followed her into the late night darkness and left Rarity biting her lip. “If I go back to Fillydelphia, I’d have to confront my parents.” Hesitating, Rarity too walked outside and closed the door behind her. A clinking noise made her pause to investigate the source only to find that it was her saddle. She magicked the leather pouch out with refreshed memory and smiled impishly. “But I don’t have to confront my parents if I can afford to live somewhere else!” She flailed her front hooves giddily before hurrying towards the train station across the bridge. “Oh, but I would have to send for Opal. I can’t imagine how badly the poor dear must be missing me by now. Well, everything at its time, Rarity. First I have to get to Fillydelphia.” *** Rainbow Dash flew as fast as she could but the early morning light was breaking across the horizon. “I can’t be late for my first official appointment as a Wonderbolt!” she said panicky and looked around her. There were no ponies outside and the grasslands, fields and forests were virtually devoid of any life. She flapped her wings faster and her speed increased, but this was not all that she could do. Manehattan was just a small speck on the horizon and the sun was slowly making its way up into the sky. Dash went faster and faster and higher and higher up. When she had gone past even the clouds, she descended again at a slanted angle. She was aiming with her hooves towards the distant skyline. Wind blew past her like the roar of a mighty beast. Her gums and eyelids flapped but she pushed herself harder. Her body was freezing cold from the high altitude and the late season, but the friction warmed her up. With an explosion of sounds and colours, all barriers disappeared. She was wrapped in a blanket of rainbows and all she could see were colours rushing past her. She zipped out of the rainbow vortex, Manehattan just in front of her. Dash looked around to make sure no one had been hurt from the blast. There was an inn far below her but the early morning meant no one was outside. Just a purple unicorn that seemed startled. Dash had no time to worry about that. She zoomed into the expansive city, jaw dropping from the sheer size of it all. Dash was surrounded on all sides by skyscrapers. Primitive cars rumbled across the asphalt below her. Earth ponies of all colours and sizes wandered around on the streets. They were too absorbed in walking and talking to notice the trail of colours she left in her wake. She paid no mind to them either. She was headed for an ornate white building further down the streets. It was part of a larger neighbourhood of similar manors surrounded by sparsely vegetated grounds. A large tree loomed in the background and cast a large shadow on to the cobbled road. Dash landed in front of the few stairs to the blue double doors, looking up at the building with apprehension. She had to swallow a lump, the weight of her duty suddenly hitting her with great force. A large sign dangling in front of the metal doors proclaimed “Manehattan Police Force.” She was at the right place. The inside was a chaos of blue-garbed police officers running around among shouting civilians. There were waiting benches padded with black cushions but few used them other than to deposit baggage. Dash walked inside, trying to get the ears of one of the officers but was constantly cut short. There was always somepony else demanding attention and Dash was shoved back. Her temper slowly neared a boil. She was about to blow a fuse when she felt a tap on her shoulder. A large zebra in a white uniform and a yellow badge on his chest stood behind her with a small smile. His black hair was shaved almost bald and the swirls on his flank looked almost three stars and a moon. “You must be the Wonderbolt I’ve been expecting. Come, this way.” The zebra pushed through the masses easily with his size towards a staircase on the other end of the room. Dash took the easier route and flew above their heads. He led her up through a desk area with its own canteen and further up to a large office. The room was airy and contained a small waiting area with a round table, a chair and a bookcase with some reading material. “The name’s Azzan,” he explained as he went to his desk at the other end. “Things are little hectic these days, as you can see.” “It’s a great honour for the Wonderbolts that you would commission us –” Dash started, but Azzan waved a hoof. “Spare me the dribble, kid. You probably won’t think it’s such a great honour when you hear the details.” Azzan lifted his hind legs up on the desk and leant back in his seat. “Things have been strange here in Manehattan, in all of Equestria, the last couple of years. If I didn’t know better, I’d say the harmony has been sucked right out of them. Neighbour squabbles, petty theft, lawsuits... the list goes on.” “So where do I fit in?” Dash asked and shifted her weight. “Straight to the point! I like that.” Azzan lowered his hooves again and bowed over the desk. “All right, I think I got something for a rookie like you. A unicorn over on the west side has a problem with her rats.” “A rat problem?” Dash asked and raised an eyebrow in suspicion. “Yes, rats. I’m sure she can explain it to you better than I. Her name’s Czarina and she’s kind of a big deal around here, so don’t muck this up!” Azzan passed her a note with directions and further information. When Dash headed for the stairs, he stopped her once again. “You’re a pegasus, are you not? Just use the window and you won’t have to go through the chaos downstairs.” The window in question sat in the hollow between waiting table and working desk. It reached from floor to loft and offered a magnificent view of the city bathed in the rays of early morning light. She spread her wings and jumped out into the nippy morning air. “I can’t believe I’m stuck doing this when I could be out looking for the Elements,” she mumbled, but gave a sigh. “No, Soarin’ is counting on me. And besides, Silver Lining would have my hide if I screw this up.” Her instructions guided her towards a part of Manehattan that was covered with small two-storey houses scattered across a meadow. Large slabs of stone made trails between houses and the bigger road to the east. The sea was visible further west and beyond that the mountains. Czarina sat on a bench outside a blue house with dark red tiles. She was an elderly unicorn with a dark purple coat, fading mint green hair slicked up and wearing a burgundy dress. She was dabbing her eyes on a handkerchief, but perked up when she saw the Wonderbolts uniform on Dash. Dash barely had time to land before Czarina ran up to her. “Ah, you must be from the Wonderbolts! Good. Something has been killing my rats in the basement. It’s horrible!” Dash took a surprised step backwards. “You have rats in your basement?” “Oh, my poor babies,” Czarina said and sank to her knees. “You must do something! I don’t know what I’d do without them. Their little pink noses, their scaly little tails. Please, get to the basement and find out what’s happening.” “So the problem is that something’s KILLING rats?” Dash slowly reiterated, uncertain she had comprehended everything. “Yes, that’s just what I said! Aren’t you going to take care of this?” Czarina looked up at her with fresh tears welling up in her eyes. Dash assumed a confident expression as she put a hoof to her chest. “Don’t worry, ma’am. As a Wonderbolt, it is my duty to take care of any situation regardless of its nature!” “Then don’t just stand there! Get to it.” “Ugh, this is SO not what I signed up for,” she mumbled and entered the house. The hallway was short with a staircase at the end, a kitchen on the left and a living room on the right. Growls could be heard from behind a wooden door next to the stairs. Dash opened it and trod into the semidarkness. Sweat poured from her brow as the sound of tiny scurrying feet accompanied her downwards. A pair of hungry, yellow eyes flared up. A snarling mouth followed along with paws stepping across stone. “You want to do this? Let’s do this!” Dash taunted and raised herself up on her hind legs. The animal approached her warily, hissing back at her. It ventured closer, but Dash jabbed it on the nose. Her eyes got used to the dark and a form appeared. She wasted no time and punched at the animal again. It retreated from the beatings, slowly at first before turning away. It disappeared through a hole at the other end. Sunlight streamed through and illuminated the animal for a brief moment. It was a big feline with tan skin clinging to its bones, like a rag thrown over it. “A starved mountain lion?” Dash asked and looked up into the daylight beyond. Bricks had been carefully removed and earth dug away. She shook her head and checked the extent of the damage. Cages stood on top of crates and large rats moved around inside, cowering under hay and food bowls. “It’s all right, little guys, the lion is gone.” One of the cages lay on the floor with the hatch broken off. There was no rat inside. All Dash could do was put it back on the box where it had stood and then go back outside again. Czarina was waiting for her and grabbed her shoulders. “Well, what have you found? Did you take care of my babies? What was going on down there?” she asked frantically and shook Dash back and forth. “Most of your rats are fine, ma’am, but I think a mountain lion may have gotten to some of them.” “A mountain lion? In my basement? Oh... no.” Czarina slumped all heartbroken to the ground. Dash looked away annoyed and made to leave. Her tail was caught in a spell before she could even spread her wings and she was heaved back. “Where there’s one, there will be more. Trusty Hooves lives just down the road. He’s a hunter and knows this area inside and out. He’ll know what to do.” “Yes ma’am,” Dash said through gritted teeth. She kicked up a small cloud of dust as she hovered up into the air, looking from one house to another. They were all quite similar to Czarina’s home, tall and slim with a small garden surrounding and a stone fence separating them. No pony was out in the early morning and very little activity could be spotted through the windows. At the end of the row of houses, however, stood an earth pony on his hind legs and with bow drawn. His arrows each hit a bale of hay a hundred meters away, every time in the designated red spot. He didn’t flinch as Dash landed next to him but continued to hit his mark. His short sleek mane hung lazily down his cherubic cheeks, as olive green as his coat. A bow with a drawn arrow was this earth pony’s cutie mark. “Trusty Hooves, hunter, woodspony and markspony at your service. What can I do for you, neighbour?” He nocked another arrow, holding the bow with his left hoof and drawing the string with the right. The projectile whooshed away and hit the bale of hay. “I hear you’re an expert hunter,” Dash stated, hovering vertically in the air behind Trusty. “Hehe, that’s right!” “And maybe this expert hunter would like to help me find a den of mountain lions?” Trusty had drawn another arrow but lowered the bow. He put it back and slung it around his shoulders, falling down on all fours again. “Mountain lions? Here? Odd. But if they’re around, I guarantee you I can find them!” He turned around to face Dash with a wide grin and waved with his hoof to follow him. “Come with me. Now what made you believe there were mountain lions in Manehattan?” “I saw one in Czarina’s basement,” Dash said neutrally and flew next to him down the road. “You must excuse me, neighbour, if I want to verify that for myself.” Czarina was no longer found outside but stared at them with concern through a ground floor window. They went around to the backyard where Trusty quickly noticed the hole in the wall. Though it had been covered loosely with planks, they had been shoved aside. Almost on purpose. Trusty stuck his head inside the hole and sniffed. “Definitely mountain lion, but I smell something else. Bait? Curious.” With nose at ground level, Trusty followed an invisible trail. He picked up speed as they got further and further away, up the road and completely out of Manehattan. The sea became visible far in the distance with a few scattered sights of civilization visible. Trusty looked up from the grass, his nose pointing to a large landfill. “In there?” Dash asked with disgust and stuck out her tongue. “Poor critters. Astray from the mountains and starved, probably lured by the smell of garbage.” Trusty wiped a single tear from his cheek. “I can’t imagine there would be more than four of the critters. Let’s take care of this quickly.” Trusty sped through the mesh gate while Dash simply flew over the wooden fence. Piles of refuse had been stacked high, dirty socks and banana peels sticking out along with food wrappers and even an old chair. Dash’s airborne advantage made her spot the lions quickly. She hailed Trusty and pointed down. A small heap had been excavated and four felines crept out from safety. “I’ve got this!” Trusty bellowed. Dash contented herself to watch, perched on a broken toilet at the top of the largest pile. The lions approached him warily, but Trusty was undaunted by their bared fangs and claws. “Easy now. I don’t want to hurt you.” The closest lion snarled, but Trusty’s eyes were steel, his bulky form blowing up to increase his size. The lion took a step back and its fellows joined it. Trusty went closer and closer until he could touch one of them. His hoofs ran down its cheek. The lion was a powder keg waiting to go off. For several long moments, the two stared each other down until it finally gave in and licked his face. Trusty embraced it and, having gained one lion’s trust, the others lay down around him. “That’s amazing!” Dash said impressed and landed down next to him. The lion in his embrace growled at her and she retreated a few paces. “Well, don’t try it at home. I’m what you call an expert,” he said and chortled. “Well, I’d better get back to Czarina and tell her things have been handled.” Dash smiled nervously at the lions and it snorted back. She was off so fast that she didn’t see Trusty raise his hoof. Dash landed again by Czarina’s home and found the lady in question pace nervously on the dirt road. “What’s the matter?” Dash asked surprised. “The mountain lions have all been taken care of.” “ALL of them?” she shrieked in a dangerous tone and pressed her face up against Dash. “ALL OF THEM? Then why do I still hear noises from basement?” “Relax!” Dash raised her hoofs in defence and retreated. “How about I take one last look before heading back, then?” “See to it that you do! If anything happened to my poor babies...” She sobbed into a handkerchief and blew her nose, leaving Dash with no other choice. She entered the house again, across the hallway and down the sleek stone steps. There was a definite snarl of a beast but it was too dark for Dash to see. She waited on the stairs for her eyes to get used to the darkness, but the glowing eyes were unmistakable. The rats squeaked in panic and ran around in their little cages, but were ice cold and unmoving. The lion knew it had been spotted and watched its opponent carefully. Dash made sure not to make any sudden movements. She inhaled air to make herself seem bigger, her eyes hardened despite the severity of the situation. The lion moved closer. Dash blew herself up a little more. The lion was hesitant, waiting. For a moment that could have lasted forever, the two locked their eyes. Whatever the result may have been, none of it came to pass. A rotund pony leapt out of nowhere and tackled the lion. “Nearly missed one!” Trusty said. The lion snapped at him, but he stroked it gently down the neck. “Lively bugger, ain’tcha! Shh, shh. It’s okay.” Dash let out all of the air again in a deep sigh and wiped her brow. “What are you doing here, Trusty? I mean, I appreciate it and all, but how did you know?” she asked relieved. “The others told me of course,” he replied and patted the lion on its back. The rats were backed as far into their cages as they could. “I tried to warn you, but you were in a right hurry to get back.” “Yeah. Sorry about that.” Dash looked away and felt her cheeks blush. “Thank you.” “No problem! To tell you the truth, I was more worried about the lion than you.” He gave a short, loud laugh and pushed behind the lion. Together, they disappeared up along the hole with it. Something fell as he wriggled his sizable posterior through the opening. Dash was quick to retrieve it and held it up against the sunlight. “Pellets of...” she said and gave the small orbs a whiff, “animal fodder?” She dropped them back on the floor and zoomed out of the house the proper way. An exalted Czarina caught her with her magic as Dash flew through the door. “I cannot thank you enough!” Czarina said and shook Dash’s hoof. “I know I can be a bit irrational when it comes to my babies, but you understand. Thank you, thank you, thank you.” “You’re very welcome, ma’am. Just doing my job,” Dash replied and wrestled herself free. She flew high above the houses where she had a good view of the whole neighbourhood. Her eyes wandered around as Czarina went back inside. Dash was looking for something and it didn’t take her long to find it... in the neighbour’s backyard. A dark purple pegasus dragged a sack around her house. It was bigger than her and took a lot effort to move. She brushed her short bright yellow mane away from her eyes and pushed it with her head. Suddenly the sack wouldn’t move at all. She looked up to see if she had run into something and stared directly into Rainbow Dash, perched on top of the sack. “W-what do you want?” she asked nervously and stood back. “What have you got in here?” Dash asked and tapped the linen. “Nothing!” the mare replied quickly. A few salmon coloured pellets fell out of a hole in the top left corner. “That’s a heavy sack of nothing,” Dash said calmly, picking up the little pebbles that had fallen out. “You know, I found this exact type of fodder in a hole in your neighbour’s wall. What a coincidence, huh?” “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about. I would never go skulking about...” the pegasus insisted but Dash hardened her stare. “Fine. You’ve got me, okay? I just figured if I left some fodder outside, the nasty little things would come out and the police would condemn the place.” “Didn’t you know the rats were locked in cages? And that your little stunt attracted mountain lions?” Dash reproached and reared to cross her arms. “Mountain lions! In her basement? I just wanted to lure her vermin outside! I didn’t mean to hurt anyone, except the rats. Please, don’t tell her!” The pegasus fell to the ground with hooves clutching her head. “Where did you get this sack of bait?” Dash asked and stroked the coarse linen. “It was a gryphon, ma’am Wonderbolt ma’am,” the pegasus said and looked up. “He came up and told me had the solution to my problems.” “And you didn’t think to question how he knew about your situation? Or why he would even care?” “Well yeah, to begin with, but I was sold on the idea immediately.” Dash gave a long sigh and turned horizontal in the air. “If you get rid of all this fodder and never try anything as stupid as this again, then I won’t make a case of it.” “Oh thank you so much, kind ma’am!” Tears of joy rolled down her the pegasus’ eyes. She was about to add something but Dash was already on her way. The promises of a reward were uninteresting to Dash. She flew straight back to Azzan’s office through the opened window and found the zebra still sitting behind his desk. “I was just told Czarina plans to make a generous donation to the police station. Looks like we can get some decent coffee for a change.” He grinned loudly but Dash remained impassive. “A job well done, kid. Hey, don’t go anywhere yet. I have another one for you while you’re at it.”
Chapter 1: Escape From The Castle“I was born more than a thousand years ago and I have ruled since that day as Equestria’s princess with my beloved sister, but for all these years I have never been the ruler of my own dreams. I have seen the gates of Oblivion, beyond which no waking eye may see. These are the closing days of the rule of the pegasus unicorns and the final hours of my life.” THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY: THE EQUESTRIAN CRISIS CHAPTER 1 - ESCAPE FROM THE CASTLE - “Ya all right, sugar cube?” Applejack asked with concern. Twilight pried her eyes away from the window. “Hmm? Oh, yeah, I’m fine, just lost in my own thoughts,” Twilight answered and put on a smile. “I just can’t help but wonder what the Princess wants with us after all these years.” “She probably just wants to throw us a reunion party,” Spike said and relaxed in his chair. “It’s been three years, Twalight. Three years since we were all together last,” Applejack pointed out. Twilight nodded. “True, but why now of all times? I... I’m worrying too much,” she said and chuckled. “It’s good to see you all again!” She looked around at all her friends gathered together in this small compartment. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy sat next to her while Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Applejack were in front of her. Spike sat on a fold-down chair below the window. “I’m excited to hear, what have you all been up to these past years?” Twilight asked with enthusiasm. “Well, I –” Fluttershy started, but was quickly cut short. “I got into the Wonderbolts!” Rainbow Dash burst out proudly. “Next time you see one of those air shows, be sure to look for me... what?” Twilight gave her a disapproving look before directing her attention towards Fluttershy. “What have you been up to?” “Oh, it really isn’t much,” Fluttershy said and began to blush. “Don’t say that. Ya got yerself a whole lil' sanctuary, dontcha?” Applejack said. “How wonderful!” Rarity said. “What does that mean?” “Well... I have expanded my cottage a little to accommodate more animals and I’ve got some volunteers as well. It’s not a veterinary clinic, not at all, it’s just... a place for all the poor sick little animals to stay and get better.” It was like Fluttershy was back home in Ponyville with all her animals. A serene look spread over face as she joyfully told her friends about everything. She suddenly stopped and blushed. “Goodness, I didn’t mean to take all the time. I hear you’ve made a name for yourself in Canterlot?” “Indeed! I’ve got my own boutique where I specialise in customised dresses,” Rarity said triumphantly. She quickly hung her head and continued more humbly. “I’m sorry for breaking us apart, girls, but fate only knocks once. I had to take the opportunity.” She tried to sound sincere in her excuse, but it might’ve come off a bit defensive. “Aw, don’t worry about it!” Pinkie said and threw an arm around Rarity. “I didn’t even know how many sad and frowning ponies were out there until I decided to tour Equestria. They really love my routines with Sweetie Belle in Fillydelphia.” “Thank you,” Rarity said and smiled back weakly. “And you’ve been taking good care of her as well?” “Sure! Comedy isn’t really her strength, but she has the best singing voice in Equestria. What about you Applejack, you never left Ponyville, right?” “Nah,” Applejack said, “too much work on the farm and all. Things were tough when Granny passed away, but then Apple Bloom got her cutie mark, so things are up and down as usual.” “I’m sorry to hear that,” Twilight said and patted her hoof. “Let me guess though. Her special talent has something to do with carpentry?” “You betcha,” Applejack said and chuckled. “She’s also taken over pie baking and jam making from granny. But what have ya been up ta all these years? We haven’t heard from ya at all! Ah bet ya’ve been doing all kinds of exciting experiments?” “As if,” Spike snorted and looked disinterested out of the window. “All we’ve been doing for the last couple of years has been gathering plants.” “Don’t listen to him. We’ve been doing very important work for Celestia, documenting plants and wildlife and mapping unknown locations.” “I’m sure that was all very interesting,” Rarity said, “but you haven’t forgot the most important thing, have you darling?” “Most important?” Twilight asked puzzled. “I’m talking of course about a coltfriend. Don’t tell me you’ve been spending all those years alone.” “Well, I’ve had Spike,” Twilight answered and blushed, trying to look away. Spike made a gagging motion. “I haven’t forgotten about my Spikey-Wikey either,” Rarity said and rubbed his head. “You haven’t found a cute little dragoness for yourself?” “No, I have not. If you want to talk about this girly nonsense, I think I’ll check out the dinner car.” Spike jumped down from his seat and left. Rarity looked at him leave, her brows furrowing in concern. “He’s still mad at me, isn’t he?” Rarity asked concerned. “Aw shucks, he’ll be all right,” Applejack said. “He was no worse than any of us and we forgave you quickly.” “Yeah, I’ve always said you should pursue your dreams!” Pinkie said and giggled. “Well, anyone have any luck with love then?” Rarity asked. The Canterlot station was announced all too soon. The girls eventually had to cease their talking and grabbed their saddle pouches. Spike joined them as they exited the train. His growth spurt became visible as he walked next to them. He was about the height of Twilight who had also grown an inch or two. The conversation steered towards the purpose for the Princess’s summoning as they crossed the train station. It was placed outside the tall white walls of Canterlot as a large chasm divided the two. An impressive stone arc bridged the gap but had no capacity for trains. The girls chatted happily until they reached the gates. A white pegasus guard in royal gilded armour accosted them. “You are the wielders of the Elements of Harmony?” he asked. The girls were surprised, but responded positively to his question. “Come with me.” He turned about; his commanding tone encouraging the girls to comply. They seemed at first to be walking towards the castle through the temples and gardens, but they passed. Eventually they came to the market district and finally towards a closed-off section of the city where none of them ever had had a reason to go to before. “Wait just a minute here,” Rainbow Dash said, flying above her friends. “Where are you taking us?” “The dungeons,” he replied uninvitingly. “The dungeons? Whatever for?” Rarity asked horrified. “I’m not going into a damp, cold, dark prison without a good reason.” Similar murmurs broke out among the others “Oh... please, Mr Officer, we haven’t done anything wrong,” Fluttershy said. “Her Majesty requested an audience with you down there. It is not up to me to question a personal order from one of the Princesses.” The ponies again fell silent and obediently followed. They came to a tower in the middle of the circular courtyard set away from the rest of the city. Instead of going up, however, they went down through a winding spiral staircase until they reached the prison. It was in a state of neglect with rusty bars and cobwebs in the corners. The girls got increasingly intimidated with each step they took, nervously observing such an ancient pony custom. Down and down and down they advanced until they reached a cell at the very bottom. “Wait here,” the guard and left them. The ponies milled around outside the small, roughly-hewn room in surprise and agitation. “Twilight, what are we doing here?” Rainbow Dash asked angrily. “I-I-I don’t know!” she stammered. “The Princess only told us to meet her in Canterlot.” Their growing dread was then interrupted by the Princess’s familiar voice as it echoed through the halls. “What about my faithful student and her friends, are they already here?” She rounded the corner and came into view, as regal-looking as always. She looked at Twilight with a mix of mourning and commanding. “Twilight Sparkle, my most faithful student, and her friends, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, yes, even you, Spike. I’m sorry to have asked to come, but I’m glad that you did,” she said. “Princess, what’s going on?” Twilight asked desperately. “Yeah, why are we meeting you in this musty old dungeon?” Rainbow Dash added. “Assassins have killed Luna and I am next. My Blades are leading me out of the city along a secret escape route, which just so happens to start in this cell,” she explained calmly, though her voice wavered. “Please, Princess, we have no word from your sister. She might yet be alive,” one of the guards said. She was the only mare of the guards with a dark purple coat and a bright yellow mane mostly hidden by her helmet. Whoever these “Blades” were, they did not look like any of the other guards. There were three of them with Celestia; a zebra and two earth ponies. Their armour was of a grey metal and included hoof shoes, plate armour and helmet, all plain with no specific design in mind. A katana was sheathed by their side. “Don’t patronise me, Autumn Petal, I know my sister well enough to feel when she’s in danger,” she replied heatedly. The six ponies were talking loudly over each other, crying and talking in shocked voices. It was Spike who had enough sense to ask. “So, what are we doing now?” “We’re getting out of here,” the Princess simply said. “Princess, what’s going on? Is Luna really...” Twilight asked, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I apologise for bringing you into this. We will talk once the situation calms down. I still have things to consider.” “But —” Twilight said, but was interrupted when a soothing light erupted from the Princess’s horn. She felt her fears and doubt lessen. She wiped her eyes and nodded. “If you would step aside,” Autumn Petal said. “The tunnels under the city should be safe, but to be sure, stay behind us at all times.” Rarity looked about to protest at the prospect of more tunnels, but words failed her. She complied and along with the others allowed the guard to enter cell. They did as commanded and the female pony stepped inside. She traced the wall with her hoof while the other two Blades remained quiet. “I’ve never seen a zebra in an official position before,” Twilight whispered to Spike. “Well, we’ve been seeing more of them the last couple of years,” Spike said relaxed and put his arms behind his head. Autumn Petal finally found what she was looking for: a loose brick. With a single push, the wall slid aside and revealed a tunnel dug into the rock under the castle. She took the front while the earth pony and the zebra flanked Celestia, with the girls and Spike coming up from behind. The corridors were similar to the architecture of the city and torches burned brightly. Despite the negligence, the whole place seemed like it was still sprawling with life. The narrow corridor led out into a small room with a door on the right. Autumn Petal banged on the door, but it wouldn’t budge. She took a step back to assess the situation, and an unnatural silence fell. Their heartbeats echoed like drums, and even small pebbles falling to the ground could be heard. The Blades looked around the room nervously when they heard the unmistakable sound of hooves on stone. Up on raised platforms behind them and in front of them, four other ponies appeared. They were dressed in twisted, black armour and masks with red robes and hoods just visible underneath. They jumped the guards, ignoring completely the little dragon and the six defenceless ponies and gunned for the Princess herself. They held in their hoofs and mouths battle-axes of the same twisted, black design with which they hacked away. The Blades drew out their katanas and started a counterattack. Although they were three against four, the guards were better trained in swords while the attackers seemed like nothing but a motley crew of bandits. The battle was short and lasted only a few minutes, but both sides had drawn casualties. They had disposed of the strange ponies, whose armour and weapons evaporated and left them dressed in red robes and armed with small iron daggers. “Dammit, these tunnels were supposed to be safe,” the zebra Blade said and poked one of the assassins. Celestia went to the guard captain who lay immobile with a wound to her side. “Captain Autumn Petal,” she said sternly, but the zebra shook his head. “She’s dead. I’m sorry, Your Majesty.” Celestia took a moment of silence, sighed and then hardened her face again. “We still have a long way to go, Baurus. Can we get past the door?” she asked. The words barely escaped her mouth before they heard shuffling feet. It came from somewhere nearby, so the Blades prepared for another assault and bit down on their swords. It came nearer and was accompanied by a pounding on the wall; large thuds like somepony banging their hooves against the bricks. Finally, a section of the wall gave in and an ugly, grouchy creature emerged from the rubble. “Goblins,” Baurus murmured through clenched teeth. The goblin was no bigger than Spike; a light green, bipedal creature, intelligent enough to grunt and dress in leathery leg bracers, loin cloth and cap. It jumped up and down agitated and charged towards the group with a crude iron dagger in its gnarled hand. Rainbow Dash was quick to react and kicked the goblin back into the tunnel where it had come from. It did not get up again. “Nasty little creatures,” Baurus said and sheathed his sword again. “The sewers underneath the city are infested with them, but to find one here.” “Let’s carry on,” Celestia said and proceeded forward. Baurus and the other Blade divided themselves around her, the zebra in front and the earth pony behind. The new tunnel was too narrow to allow them passage side by side, so the six element wielders and Spike slowly filed in from behind. Making sure that the others didn’t notice her, Rarity stayed behind for just a moment longer. She quickly grabbed the katana off of the dead Autumn Petal and crammed it into her saddle. She did not hear the ripping sound her bag made as she caught up with the group. The tunnel emerged into a small cave carved out of the wall, lacking any of the refined architecture of the palace. The ceiling was low and Celestia had to bow her head to fit inside. The goblin had made a home out of it with crude furniture, living off of the many small rats scurrying around their hoofs. A door at the other end was nothing more than a couple of loose planks stitched together and fitted into the hole. The rest of the goblin-made caves were likewise crudely carved and impromptu decorated. Fluttershy coughed ever so slightly. “The air is so thick,” she complained. “And what is that stench?” “I don’t like this,” Baurus said and halted. “What the... ?” They had encountered several rats before, but now they were positively swarming. Almost if they were fleeing from something. “Princess, what...” Twilight asked, but Celestia shushed her in a friendly matter. She had closed her eyes and they could see her horn faintly glowing in the dark. The same warm feeling as last time spread out through them all and calmed them. They carried on through the roughly-hewn tunnels, swerving between walls and pillars. The rats scampered as quickly as they could in the opposite direction. The narrow caves once again emerged into a room and the source of their fright became obvious. There was another pony here and it seemed almost friendly in the darkness. But as it crossed the light of a torch, its intentions became clear and even the members of the Blades had to take a step back. It was a corpse animated by sinister magic, limping towards them. It was quite badly damaged and its skin had assumed a sickly green colour. Celestia generated a ball of fire on the tip of her horn. She released it, and the zombie gave a pitiful moan before collapsing. “We need to keep moving,” she said simply. “No telling what other things await us down here.” They did not encounter anymore corpses however and aside from a few rats, no more problems either. They eventually came to another crude door and the roughly carved caves gave way to natural caves with stalagmites and stalactites on floor and ceiling. Large torches were pounded into the ground and wound with oily rags and provided the only source of light. Goblins patrolled the halls and caves. They had set up several traps, but weren’t smart enough to avoid them. One of the goblins tripped over a wire and was promptly crushed by heavy logs tumbling down a small slope. As the small band ventured further inside, they came to the biggest room they had been in yet. A large indentation had been dug into the cave floor where the goblins sat around campfires. They caught sight of them and grabbed small iron swords and maces, but the Blades disposed of them quickly. A goblin dressed in robes approached with a long wooden cane in his hands. It sent several bolt of lightning at them, but Celestia effortlessly deflected them. The natural caverns ended in another door. The ponies sighed at the prospect of more caves but they emerged on a tall balcony. They were back under the palace. Fine white blocks of stone made up walls, floor and ceiling. They jumped down, where Celestia paused abruptly and sat down on the floor. “Your Majesty, we need to keep moving,” the earth pony Blade said, a big and strong colt with lavender coat, light olive green mane completely eaten by his helmet and royal purple eyes. Celestia simply shook her head, and the guard begrudgingly fell silent. “It’s all right, Silver Boulder, I just need to rest for a moment. Besides, I think we owe our guests some answers.” “About time,” Rainbow Dash said. “I apologise once again for bringing you into this, but you need to know what’s going on. I fear that I have only bad news.” The six ponies sat down in front of her with Spike leaning up against Twilight. She was also the first to ask what they were all thinking: “What could be worse?” “The elements of harmony have been stolen.” She was collected, unafraid of the things she spoke of. She was regal in her speech and no emotion save from a little concern eluded her. “What? How in tarnation could anyone do that?!” Applejack asked in consternation. “I do not know,” Celestia said and looked up at the ceiling. “Supernatural powers are at play and they already have too much of a head start.” “This... wouldn’t be the work of Discord, would it?” Applejack asked again. “No. As bad as Discord is, he is but a trickster who would rather see the world twisted to his demented scheme and fall into chaos. An ancient evil that I had hoped to seal away forever is rising. You must break this curse on your own.” “What do you mean, Princess? You talk like you won’t accompany us,” Pinkie stated worriedly and raised an eyebrow. “I’m afraid not,” Celestia replied and smiled. “Few ponies have the gift, or curse, to foresee their own deaths. I do. This is not my quest to undertake, but yours.” “Don’t say that,” Twilight said, tears welling up in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Twilight, I’m so sorry,” she replied and nuzzled Twilight’s head. “I have had my share of adventures and sorrow and love. I have lived for far longer than any pony should. I do not fear death any longer, but welcome it as an old friend. Are you ready to walk again, or were you any more curious?” The ponies exchanged nervous glances. Twilight simply looked up at her mentor, trying to hold back her tears. Celestia was serene as she got up again, but a shadow of grief passed flashed on her face for a moment. The group moved again through the escape tunnels. Eight more of the assassins appeared on ledges and jumped them, but they didn’t stand a chance against the Blades. They came to a smaller room with no seeming ways out. The zebra led them inside and paused by a large gate on the right. They could see the way ahead through the bars, but the gate would not budge. Baurus banged against it in frustration. “Damnation, this gate is not supposed to be here.” No sooner had he said it than another gate slammed down and covered the door they had come from. Four more assassins emerged from all sides and immediately charged. The two remaining Blades cut in front of Celestia and her entourage. “Your Majesty, it isn’t safe here. Go into the small chamber and wait for us there,” Baurus yelled. More assassins came to replace those lost. There seemed to be no end to end to them. A small side chamber that they had previously overlooked had not been barred off. The group hastily retreated inside and closed the door behind them. They were agitated, nervous and jumpy but Celestia simply sat down quietly. Her face became grave for just a moment as she spoke, to illustrate the importance of her words. “Twilight, I can go no further. You seven must stand against the Prince of Destruction and his mortal servants. He must not have the Amulet of Alicorns.” Her horn glowed and her necklace flew from her body, landing in Twilight’s saddle pouch. “Take it and give it to Brave Charger. He alone knows where to find my daughter. Find her and close shut the jaws of Oblivion.” “How can you be so calm?” Twilight asked, no longer able to restrain her tears any longer. “There’s nothing that I can do to change my fate. One way or the other my end is near, but it pleases my heart to know that I leave the future to you all.” “I don’t understand, Princess. You have a daughter? And what is so special about this amulet?” Twilight asked bewildered and wiped her face. “Brave Charger will be able to explain it all.” “Princess,” Twilight started, but the tears almost choked her. The others stood around her, tears trickling down their cheeks as well but they remained quiet. Spike stood taciturn by her side, doing his best not to cry as well. “Princess, I won’t ever forget you,” she said. “I hope you don’t, and remember my words. This burden is now yours. You all hold our future in your hooves,” she replied and hugged her favourite student. They didn’t see a panel slide open in the wall behind them. Another assassin clutching a dagger in its mouth crept out towards them. They did not notice it before Celestia slumped to the floor with blood pooling under her. The seven reeled in shock. The assassin took the dagger from the neck and reared on its hind legs with the blade in hoof. It trod slowly towards them, looking from one to the other. Then it saw the amulet in Twilight’s pouch and went for her throat, but fell just short and landed next to the Princess. Pinkie withdrew a sword from the failed assassin, her chest heaving with the effort and out of fright. “You don’t hurt my friends!” Pinkie said in a shrill tone. “Pinkie, where did you get that?” Dash asked and recoiled. “It stuck out of Rarity’s saddle pouch,” she replied flatly and dropped the blood-stained sword on the ground. The other ponies curiously looked at Rarity and did not see Pinkie looking at her bloody hoofs in horror. “It would be a shame to leave something that beautiful in a place like this,” Rarity replied defensively and stashed the sword again with a sniff. Rainbow Dash clasped her face. “How could you think of something so trivial in a situation like this?” “Girls, no arguing,” Applejack said. “At least let us show the Princess our last respect.” The two glared at each other but agreed with heads nodding. The girls bowed their heads in silent reverence and Spike saluted her. After a moment Baurus entered the room. He looked flustered and was covered in blood, but looked fine aside from a few scratches and nicks in his armour. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty, Silver Boulder fell as well. It’ll just be —” but he didn’t manage to finish the sentence. He saw Celestia lying on the floor, still with a smile on her lips. “No. We’ve failed. All hope is lost,” he said and fell to his knees. “Not all hope,” Twilight said quietly. “The Princess gave us her amulet and told us to seek out Brave Charger; to find her daughter” “Her daughter?” Baurus said surprised. “This is the first I hear of this, yet... Her Majesty trusted you and so should I. Brave Charger is the grandmaster of the Blades and resides as a quiet monk in a monastery outside Trottingham. I’m sorry that I won’t be able to accompany you, but I need to stay behind and guard Her Majesty. I suppose you can go the way the assassin came, but you’ll need this.” Baurus reached inside his armour and fished out a small key. Twilight took it with her magic. “The Princess once saved my life. It pains me that I could not repay her the favour, but you will succeed where we failed. Find the Elements of Harmony and stop whoever’s behind this.” The girls nodded and were about to leave when he stopped them again. “And I’ll be taking this,” the zebra said and took the katana from Rarity. “Autumn Petal might be with Celestia again, but this will always remind us of her bravery.” Rarity looked ready to argue, but simply nodded her head. The panel sent them to a small corridor that circumvented the gate previously preventing them from proceeding. The key opened a door at the end to the sewers. They came out on a ledge high above the ground, but that was not a problem for the gang. The pegasuses flew, the earth ponies jumped and the unicorns teleported. Spike was fortunate enough to get a lift on Twilight’s back. They came into the sewers beneath Canterlot where the stone was crudely hewn and murky water ran. Their only problem now was rats and goblins. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Applejack did their best with hoof-to-hoof combat, while Rarity and Twilight pummelled them with spells. They wandered on small platforms next to the water and crossed small bridges for a long time. They passed small rooms where goblins had made their homes and they encountered closed gates that could only be opened by heavy valves. At last the sewer ended. They stood at the edge of a large pipe poking out of a mountain side. A small stream of water trickled out. They could see Canterlot somewhere far above them and a small system of platforms and ladders next to them. They all agreed it was good to be outside again, free of monsters and the smells. The group took a much needed pause and settled down. Twilight could no longer hold herself back and buried her head in her lap. Spike wrapped his arm around her and rested his head on her shoulder. The others either remained quiet or sobbed along with her. When the sun started to bleed the sky into a red crimson colour, Twilight once again looked up. She wiped her eyes and spoke. “Girls, what happened today... I think it best if we keep the finer details to ourselves.” The group nodded. “Furthermore, I think it would be best if we split up from here. Whoever was after the Princess’s life will be coming after us as well, to get the amulet or to kill us. We cannot allow them to take us all out at once.” “Ah agree,” Applejack said. “But Ah don’t think we should go alone. Two and two would be better.” “Most certainly,” Rarity said. “If you don’t mind, Rainbow Dash, can I come with you?” “You’ll be coming with me,” Twilight said resolutely and got up on her hooves. “I need your position in Canterlot to help me.” “But I...” Rarity began, but nodded apprehensively. “I also think one of you should take the amulet and deliver it to this Brave Charger,” Twilight said. “I will be the most logical choice to have it, so the assassins will be coming after me first. Please, don’t make me choose one of you.” The girls all looked at each other nervously, but it was Applejack who answered the call. “Ah’ll do it. Ah’ll take the amulet to Trottingham along with Pinkie.” “Okey dokey lokey!” Pinkie replied. “You don’t want to go with me?” Rainbow Dash asked hurt. “That’s not it, sugar cube, but you and Fluttershy need to go back to Ponyville. Make sure everything there is alright.” “We’ve got our plan then,” Twilight said. “I need to go to the academy and see if they won’t help me find the elements. Rarity will be taking the temperature on Canterlot, see if anyone knows anything.” “And I’ll go back to the Wonderbolts. I bet they know something as well!” Rainbow Dash said. “Then let us waste no more time,” Twilight said and closed her eyes for a moment. “Girls... it would sadden me greatly if I could no longer be with you. Be careful out there. Do what you have to, even if would seem pointless. Celestia guide is in our hour of need.” “Don’t worry, Twilight!” Pinkie said. “We’ll all meet back up in Canterlot once we’ve found the Elements.” Twilight covered them all in a levitation spell and guided them up the mountain side. She released her magical hold once they reached the station. The girls and even Spike hugged each other intently before heading off to their destinations. Twilight, Rarity and Spike crossed the bridge towards Canterlot and left their friends on the other side. The four others quickly turned their attention away from the city and on towards the trains. It was absurd to see everypony else carry on as usual. They were chatting and joking and singing. One could only wonder how they would react once they found out that Celestia was gone. “Well... we’ll see you later,” Rainbow Dash said and embraced Applejack. “For sure,” Applejack replied and gave a tired smile. Pinkie and Fluttershy remained quiet, but also hugged deeply. Fluttershy sniffed, trying hard not to cry. “Don’t worry, we’ll all be together again and we’ll never part, ever,” Pinkie said, which helped a little. Fluttershy wiped her face and nodded. “Take care of yaselves. Once ya get ta Ponyville, could ya tell mah brother and sister Ah’ll be a little late?” Applejack asked and hurried towards her train with Pinkie right behind her. “No problem,” Fluttershy said and smiled weakly. Dash and Fluttershy likewise went onboard their train. They found an empty compartment and collapsed on the seats. Dash opened an eye. Fluttershy was shivering slightly as she looked out into the darkening sky with a glazed expression. Dash scratched her neck and tried to look away, but she could feel what was on her friend’s mind. She got up from her seat and sat down next to her yellow friend. “You know, Fluttershy, it’s okay. You don’t have to keep it in.” “Oh, I’m fine, but thank you for your concern,” she replied and smiled weakly. “There’s no shame in tears. You won’t be able to sleep if you don’t.” Fluttershy really looked like she was on the verge of crying. She sniffed and small tears trickled down her chin. She hugged Rainbow Dash and cried with all of her heart into her friend’s shoulder, trying to drown the sorrows and sadness of what had happened today with the tears of cleansing. It was not because Rainbow Dash was any stronger in this, but she had to keep her cool for the both of them. She too couldn’t stifle the tears that pressed their way through, aided by the ones of her companion. She looked out into the darkening day, but all she could see were the troubles and despair in the distance. *** “Now then, I need to go to the school and talk to someone. Why don’t you see if Canterlot knows anything?” Twilight asked, but Rarity smiled nervously. “Oh but darling, don’t you think we’d better stick together for now?” she replied. “Don’t worry, Rarity, as long as you keep to the main streets and try not to stray too far from the guards, I’m sure you’ll be fine. Come on Spike.” Rarity raised a hoof in objection, but lowered it quickly again. She bit her lip and watched them leave. “You notice something odd about her?” Spike asked as they ventured past high-end stores. “Well, I guess she wasn’t wearing any clothes, but... we never do,” Twilight answered. “I’m not talking about how she looked, more like how she’s been acting.” “Oh Spike, she’s just guilt-ridden still. I don’t think I would turn down an offer to realise my dreams either.” “Perhaps you’re right,” Spike said, though not totally convinced. “Are you sure that you know the way?” “Of course I do, it’s only been... seven years? It’s just around here somewhere,” Twilight replied and peered around. “Aha. Because I’m pretty sure that those towers behind us belong to the school.” Twilight stopped and looked to where Spike was looking. Indeed, the school was not in the direction she had been going. She smiled sheepishly and blushed. “I guess it has been a while, huh?” Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns was a big place dedicated to the magical education of unicorns that displayed extraordinary magical capabilities, ones such as Twilight Sparkle. The grounds were crowded with unicorns as always like the rest of Canterlot, but there were also many earth ponies and pegasuses. She noticed this curiosity, but shook her head and crossed the front park towards the tower before her. She entered with apprehension. The feeling of magic from hundreds of unicorns living and a thousand others dead imprinted into the walls always made her coat prickle. She looked around for a fellow unicorn, but found only an earth pony on one a bench. He had a coat in a lighter shade of purple than Twilight’s, with hair the colour of ripe corn flowing down his neck and grey eyes like periwinkle. “Miss Sparkle!” he hollered and waved at her. “Who are you?” she asked in a bewildered tone. “You’ve been gone from the school for a long time, Miss Sparkle; things around here have changed. The name is Brawny Spirit.” He wore a simple blue robe along with a most sincere, serious expression on his face. “Listen, we don’t have time for this! The Princess is... she was...” “We know.” Brawny nodded mournfully. “You’re not the only one that she confided in.” “Then you must also know about the Elements?” Twilight asked and managed to calm down a little. “Yes. The school is doing everything in its powers to retrieve them, but I fear that we have woefully few clues pertaining to their location.” “Well... I better get back to my studies then,” Twilight said. “I’m sure the library here might provide a few clues on the attackers.” “Actually, I hoped that we might have a talk. Come, sit.” The light purple earth pony clopped at the bench he was sitting on. Twilight hesitated for a moment before taking him up on his offer. Spike took a seat next to her. “You mind telling me who are you then? And what you’re doing here?” Twilight asked. “It’s very simple, Miss Sparkle. All ponies are born with magic, even earth ponies and pegasuses. The school has long neglected this study, an error that the princess hoped to correct in her later years. She founded The Royal Equestrian Academy for the Study of Magic, or the Academy of Magic for short, of which the School for Gifted Unicorns is now a part of.” “That sounds like her,” Twilight said and gave a feeble smile. “I know it must be hard for you to accept, Miss Sparkle. You had a closer relationship with her than most, but you will always have a place here. If you have any problems, you can always come talk with me.” “T-thank you,” she replied and raised an eyebrow. “You have been a student here for a long time, Miss Sparkle, but have you ever thought of working for us?” “What? You mean like teaching?” she said, incredulous at the sudden proposal. “Hah! I have no doubt in my mind that you would make a great teacher, but I fear that your talents would be sorely wasted.” “Then...?” “The Academy has opened several smaller institutions all over Equestria,” he began and looked at a group of chatting unicorns passing through the lobby. “However, I hear nothing but complaints from them. It would seem there are more problems to this off-branching that we could anticipate, and I’m stuck here with my duties. How would you like to visit all the major cities of this fine country and take care of a few tasks for me?” He turned his head towards Twilight, and she could hardly turn a request like this. “I don’t know, sir. I would much rather help with finding the Elements.” “There is nothing to do at the moment, but perhaps when you return.” “But...” “Just do it,” Spike said. “Ought to be more exciting than spending two years drawing plants.” “Very well. I accept,” Twilight said. “But I insist on bringing some research materiel with me.” “Very well. You should take this,” Brawny said and muzzled around his robe from which he withdrew a scroll sealed with red wax. “This is a list of where to find the institutions and who to talk to. I have great hope in you, Miss Sparkle. I have graver things to worry about than a few growing pains and when you return, I might even have you help me with more serious matters” Twilight took the scroll with her magic, almost as if to spite him, and placed it in her saddle pouch. She jumped down from the bench and Spike went beside her, out into the sunlight and into new adventures with new problems. This day had really taken one strange turn after the other. *** Two earth ponies sat in a train compartment headed for Trottingham, brooding, looking out of the windows. One of them was Applejack who was looking down and Pinkie Pie who looked fuming. “Ya alright?” Applejack asked. “No, I’m just so.... so mad! I can’t believe someone would do something like this,” Pinkie said and pounded the seat. “I know how ya feel, sugar cube, but we still got a long way ahead of us. We should relax if we can.” “I just hope the assassins won’t come after us. Not that I hope they would target Twilight or anypony else, but we need to deliver that amulet and get a hoof on the situation.” She looked up fearfully at Applejack. “If they do go after Twilight, will she be able to handle herself?” “Ah’m certain she’ll be fine,” Applejack said and tried to sound reassuring. Another pause followed that the two ponies spent in silence, nervous perhaps that their voices would attract unwanted attention. Applejack tapped the floor and looked around the cabin. “So... ya still got your alligator? Gummy?” she asked. Pinkie nodded her head fervently “I had him put down!” Pinkie said excitedly. “You did what now?” Applejack asked shocked. “To Fluttershy’s, of course! Gummy wouldn’t enjoy a big city like Canterlot much, so I thought it best to leave him back in Ponyville.” “Oh... hehe, good thinking,” Applejack said and smiled. She found it easy to talk with Pinkie again after all these years apart and evening slowly became night. They were able to forget all their troubles at least for a few hours before sleep overtook them. Their dreams were not that of carefree play anymore, but worry about the future. The future of all Equestria.
Chapter 2: Delivering The Goods“Following the mane cast's brief reunion after having been apart for three years, the young mares find themselves divided once again. Though the death of Celestia has stricken them all hard, a new quest beckons them from the tragedy, one that must be completed if Equestria is to survive the mysterious peril that has befallen it. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash arrive back in Ponyville, but is everything as tranquil as it seems? Meanwhile, Twilight and Rarity each have their own events in Canterlot which will define their unique role in their personal fight for Equestria's fate. What kind of struggle awaits the pair? But first, Applejack and Pinkie Pie head out alone for the city of Trottingham. There, they must question an old Royal Guard Captain about Celestia's mysterious daughter, but what will they uncover?” THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY: THE EQUESTRIAN CRISIS CHAPTER 2 - DELIVERING THE GOODS - Pinkie Pie tossed and turned in the bunk bed she shared with Applejack. Her eyelids flickered wildly as she sought reprieve from her haunting nightmares, but found none. A long gasp escaped her lips like breaching the water of a cold lake. She looked up at the ceiling and a bright ray of moonlight fell on her face. The moon outside was big and round, its light extra radiant. Pinkie stuck her head outside to get some fresh air but fell backwards when the train made a bump. “Miss Pie?” a voice echoed. Confused, Pinkie looked at Applejack who was still snoring. “Y-yes?” she replied nervously. “Oh most glorious of glories! We thought we’d never get into contact with you.” Pinkie paused for a moment at what sounded like a pony she knew. “Luna?” she finally exclaimed and looked wildly around her. “’Tis we, your beloved Princess Luna!” “But I thought you were... gone?” The compartment went quiet for a long while and Pinkie almost thought she had imagined the whole thing. But the voice picked up again, though more mournfully. “It is true that we are no longer with you, but we still want to help you. We have sent one of our guards, our nephew Prince Lace. Please do not be frightened when you see him and be open to his words.” “What do you mean, Princess? Who’s Lace?” But the voice was gone for good. The streak of Selene light receded as well and the compartment was cast in darkness. She turned around and saw the compartment door stood open. Somepony was breathing faintly somewhere close, and it wasn’t Applejack. It seemed positively like there were no one else along with her. Then she heard the shuffle of a hood and a pair of lavender eyes gazed at her. Pinkie retreated back against to the wall, her heart hammering in her chest. The figure stepped as far forward as he could for the seats, and then a strip of moonlight fell on his face. He was an earth pony with a lavender coat as dark as his eyes, hiding underneath a black coat. Bright yellow hair from his mane cascaded down his folded hood. “You don’t sleep well for a murderer. Could it be that you have a guilty conscience? Never mind, I’m sure you’ll appreciate what I’m about to propose regardless.” His voice was deep and in no hurry to escape his mouth. “Are you...?” Pinkie asked, slowly calming down. He nodded. “I am Prince Lace, a Speaker for the Dark Brotherhood. And you, you are a killer. A taker of life; a harvester of souls. Your work – your deathcraft – pleases Luna. And so I come to you with an offering. An opportunity... to join our rather unique family.” Pinkie gulped and the once so talkative party pony was struck dumb. She simply readjusted herself to sit more comfortably, not knowing what to say. “So, I have your rapt attention, eh? Splendid,” he said and gave a cold little smile. “Now listen closely. In the compartment opposite yours, you will find a stallion named Rough Spirits. Kill him and your initiation into the Dark Brotherhood will be complete. Do this and the next time you sleep in a location I deem secure, I will reveal myself once more bearing the love of your new family.” “But I’m not a murderer!” Pinkie exclaimed with a slight laugh to her words. “No? Luna seems to think otherwise. Allow me to grant you a gift, in case you reconsider.” Prince Lace took a dagger from his robe and dropped it down on the bed in front of Pinkie. She could only stare at it, too scared to move. “It is a virgin blade and thirsts for blood. May it serve you well as does your silence. Now I bid you farewell. I do hope we’ll meet again soon” “Wait,” Pinkie said as Prince Lace turned to leave. “What is the Dark Brotherhood? And how can you speak for Luna?” “Luna did not tell you of us? Of the vengeful guild of former guards out for justice?” he asked, not so much out of curiosity as out of pride. He turned around again, eager to share his story. “Long ago, we and our fathers and mothers and their fathers and mothers before them served as guards to her Royal Highness Princess Luna. Our guard posts were disbanded during her imprisonment in the Moon. Some of us became guards for Celestia and some of us formed the Dark Brotherhood. We assumed high positions over the years, waiting for the day when our nocturnal matron would return to us. Some of us could still hear her words, even as Nightmare Moon claimed her soul. She has bidden us for centuries to kill those who spread injustice in Equestria.” “But you don’t look like a royal guard?” Pinkie remarked. “Of course not, my child. The magic of our armour transforms our appearance and I only come to you in a simple robe.” “And why does this Rough Spirits have to die?” she asked and took the blade into her hooves. The dagger was made from black volcanic glass not found anywhere in Equestria. It was a most curious little weapon, extremely hard and cold to the touch. Thin ornate gold snaked around the blade and formed intricate, minuscule patterns that must have taken a long time to paint. “He is a spy for the people who wishes you to fail. They do not yet realise which of you possesses the amulet, but I fear that he will soon find out if he is allowed to live. Know that Rough Spirits is old and weak, and sleeps his days away. You could kill him before he even has a chance to wake. If you so choose.” Pinkie nodded in understanding and Prince Lace continued. “Your path is clear. Send Rough Spirits to his death and the Dark Brotherhood will embrace you as family.” Prince Lace turned around again and Pinkie saw his cutie mark, a golden leaf, for just a moment as his robes fluttered. Despite being an earth pony, Lace vanished before her very eyes and Pinkie could only faintly see his silhouette flicker in the light of the moon. She continued to look at the dagger, clutching it close to her heart for comfort. The blade was cold against her fur, a comforting feeling that sent shivers all over her. “Is this really what I must do? Is there no other way?” she asked. The moon above shimmered for just a moment. She sighed and slipped out into the hall. Applejack turned, but remained fast asleep It was a dark night and the train was unlit at this hour. She groped for the door handle on the cabin opposite hers. It slid open to reveal an interior that looked much like the one she had just left. An old stallion was sleeping on the seats in this one. She chewed nervously on the dagger between her teeth and looked around the room for some kind of reassurance. He was travelling lightly and had only brought a small suitcase with him. Something about it caught her attention so she kicked it open. Red fabric spilled out of the stuffed luggage; a robe matching those of the assassins. “It’s true what Prince Lace said,” she muttered. Anger flushed her cheeks as she as she grabbed the dagger hard. She gritted her teeth and approached the old stallion with quickened breath. But once poised above him, she froze. For a long while she lingered with the dagger above her. Finally she lowered the knife and hung her head, snivelling. The old stallion jerked away, surprising Pinkie to fall flatly on her back. The old stallion had a flustered look on his face as he stepped down from his bunk. “You!” the old stallion cried out and reached under his mattress. He groped around in the darkness, but Pinkie saw the iron dagger reflected in the moonlight. Reacting instinctively and fast, Pinkie jumped up into the air and plunged her dagger into the old stallion’s neck. He opened his mouth to scream but gurgled only blood. He fell limply on his side, dead. A glimmer of light flashed outside the windows and briefly illuminated the old pony. Her heart skipped a beat as for a moment, she thought it was Twilight lying there. But the coat of the old pony was a lighter shade of purple. He also had an entirely different cutie mark, and his receding hair was all blond. Pinkie heaved with the realisation of what she had done, that she had taken another pony’s life and that this could happen to all of them. She wiped the dagger clean in the old pony’s coat and stashed the dagger away in her mane. Making sure no one had seen her deeds, Pinkie quickly returned to her bed where Applejack was stirred. She looked up and saw Pinkie standing in the doorway, quivering and feigning a smile. “Huh? Whassa matter?” Applejack asked drowsily. “I just needed to use the bathroom.” “Yer shakin’, sugar cube.” “I am?” Pinkie replied, trying to pass it off as nothing but her knees were buckling “It’s mighty cold tanight,” Applejack said. “Come back under the covers before you catch something.” Pinkie crawled back into bed and felt Applejack throw an arm around her, drawing them closer together. She blushed in the darkness, smelling earth and apples in Applejack’s coat and mane. Applejack soon drifted back into her dreams and her steady, slow heartbeat was all the comfort Pinkie needed. All her worries and fears vanished and she was soon fast asleep. *** “It’s all right, Rarity, you’ll just slip back to Fillydelphia before anypony notices,” Rarity said to herself as she walked down the streets of Canterlot. She eyed everypony she passed suspiciously. She trusted only her friends, and friends she had none of in this city. She hurried across the stone bridge and out of the city. The place outside of the walls was a district in its own right with the characteristics of a shady waterfront. Large zeppelins and trains came here for passengers and cargo. Rarity walked up to a ticket booth on the station and gave the stallion behind the glass a tired smile. “One ticket to Fillydelphia,” she said and dug into her saddle pouches. Curiously, she didn’t find her money bag in the left one where she remembered putting it. “That’ll be four bits, ma’am,” the stallion said in a bored voice. Rarity rummaged through her right pouch, first casually, then frantically. She went through both of the pouches twice before noticing a hole. “Oh no,” she uttered. “My money, my brush... my scarf!” She looked up and smiled nervously, turning on all of her charm. “Eh hehe... I seem to have misplaced my bits, but a gallant stallion such as yourself would trust a lady like me. I’ll pay the fare once I get to my destination.” “Do I have idiot stamped on my forehead?” the stallion asked gruffly. “No bits, no ticket. If you can’t pay, please step out of the line.” Rarity was about to protest, but a small line had formed behind her with all the time she had wasted. She was pushed aside by a male pegasus who wanted to go to Ponyville. She had no choice but to step off the platform. Unsure where to go and what to do now, she started heading back towards the city. “It’s all right, Rarity. You’re just trapped in Canterlot without a bit on you and you don’t know anypony here... you’ll figure something out.” Just to reassure herself, she began to chuckle nervously and then hung her head low. She walked the streets of Canterlot with a sinking feeling and dramatically began to recite for herself. “I was a fool to trust that handsome stallion all those years ago. My friends tried to warn me, but I was blind to the warning signs. When I came here, the workshop was an empty lot. I had sold my boutique in Ponyville and had nowhere to go.” “Tough luck,” a bum said and scratched his armpits. “Yes, I couldn’t even look at fabrics anymore! ... huh?” Rarity looked surprised at the haggard pony that had answered her. “Spare a bit?” the bum asked. “No!” she replied revolted and went across the road. “Everypony is always talking to themselves, never to Old Silas,” the bum said and lay down on the sidewalk. Rarity sighed and looked up. Her eyes fell on the castle and her face lit up. “Of course!” She ran with renewed vigour and approached the doors into the castle. Two white guards in gilded armour blocked her way with their spears. <-- “Excuse me, gentlecolts, but you wouldn’t be so kind as to let me inside?” she asked and batted her eyelids. They exchanged a short stern look before replying. “All entry into the castle has been forbidden on orders of the ministers,” the left one said. “Trust me, they would want me in there. I was a personal friend of Celestia,” Rarity said and turned on the charm in her voice. “Anypony can make that claim. No entry without an arrangement,” the right one said. “But I’m Rarity... the Element of Generosity! Surely you colts have heard of me.” “Pfft,” the left one said, barely able to keep a straight face. “Of course you are! Why, I’m the Prince of Griffons myself!” “But.... I have the cutie mark to prove it,” Rarity said desperately and waved her shapely flank. “A generic cutie mark like that is a dime a dozen, Miss. Unless there was something else, we’re going to have to ask you to vacate the premises,” the right one said. Rarity made a pout and quivered her lips, but the guards started rustling their spears. She retreated out on the streets again. The sun was setting faster and faster and it would be dark before long. She wandered all around Canterlot without any goals until she saw the school. “Twilight!” she exclaimed and hurried for the gates, but paused before she could enter. “But what do I tell her? I can’t say I don’t actually know anypony here. No Rarity, it’s your dishonesty that got you here. I must tell her the truth. I must!” She went through the wrought iron gates into the half-circle courtyard and strolled up the stairs. She couldn’t see her friend outside and approached the large oaken doors. She was about to open them when a guard approached her. He looked like other guards and was dressed like them too, but he had a blue hood covering his head instead of the usual gold helmet. “I’m sorry, Miss, only entrance for students and their relatives.” “But... I need to speak with Twilight Sparkle!” Rarity said desperately. “Miss Sparkle is away on official academy business,” the guard said gruffly. “We’re closing the grounds for the night, so unless you have any other business, I will have to ask you to leave.” The guard was curt and insistent, not giving her any other choice but to go back the way she had come. “What business could Twilight have? Well, it’s probably just a small errand. She’ll be back soon.” Rarity sat down in front of the walls and acted important. She kept her head high and observed the few ponies that came and went, but night was slowly encroaching and the day had been a long one. Though she tried her best, her eyelids began to droop. She caught herself dozing off several times but she could not keep the tide of sleep at bay forever. Her conscience disappeared before the sun. She awoke again to someone poking her. Opening her eyes blearily, she saw a guard standing above her. “Wha –” she asked drowsily and rubbed her eyes. “No sleeping out on the street, Miss. If you can’t afford to rent a room for the night, I’m afraid I will have to ask you to leave or be escorted.” “Now you listen here,” she said and got up on her hooves. “I’ve lost my wallet, I’m all alone, I can’t go home, I can’t sleep anywhere, I can’t even afford something to eat! So what, pray tell, do you want me to do?” “You could try and find a bedroll outside the city. A lot of the poor live out there.” Rarity snorted and stuck her nose high as she walked off. Only when she was sure no one could see her, a single tear trailed down her chin. The rest followed quickly and she found it difficult to turn them off again. She was too tired to argue against herself and decided to try and find a place to sleep for the night outside the city. The poor had already turned in for the night and campfires had been extinguished. Those who could afford shacks had turned off their light as well and the whole place was cast in darkness. She carefully trod among sleeping ponies and hovels and warehouses. She was unsuccessful in finding a free bedroll or one not saturated by grime and sweat. Instead she found a nice, quiet backyard between the wall of the city and a small planked shack. It was covered on all sides by a small stone fence and had a large bush that she could hide behind. She collapsed and closed her eyes. “This day can’t possibly get any worse,” she said before falling asleep. *** Pinkie Pie jumped outside, ecstatic to be out in the open air once again. She had vowed to herself not to speak about last night’s incidents or allow it to bother her. Applejack came up next to her to inspect a city she had never been in before. It was late morning in Trottingham and the sun wasn’t quite up its highest on the sky yet. Busy ponies entered the day with a carefree attitude, going about their business contented. Applejack stretched and followed Pinkie the best she could, considering she was bouncing around. “What a nice, quiet place,” Applejack said as she inspected the town. It was bigger than Ponyville and the architecture was similar, though using woods to a much larger degree. The inhabitants were predominantly earth ponies with a large amount of small private plots in connection with the houses. Trottingham was surrounded to all sides by trees and there wasn’t much space for fields outside it. Instead, the ponies here got what they needed from the forest or otherwise from what they could grow or import. “Such nice, fresh air too! Mmm,” Pinkie said. “Ah wonder though where we can find the monastery,” Applejack replied, scouting the streets for any signs of religious orders. “Know where we can find the monastery?” Pinkie asked, but not to Applejack. She had climbed up on top of a brown stallion and stood on his head. “Just take the road out of town. You can’t miss it,” he said and looked up into Pinkie’s eyes. “Thanks, mister!” Pinkie said and jumped down again. The stallion looked puzzled at her before continuing with his business. She waved at him as she joined Applejack out of town. “Ya know, Pinkie, ya should be more careful of who ya approach. Any one of them could be an enemy,” Applejack said and looked nervously from side to side. “But Applejack, if we think that every pony we meet is an enemy, then the enemy has won!” Pinkie beamed with a wide smile. Applejack sighed and smiled back. “Ah know, Ah know. Just... be more careful is what Ah’m trying to say, alright?” Pinkie nodded exuberantly and bounced out of Trottingham. Applejack kept a steadier walking pace, always looking behind them and her ears flipping and turning. A wind rustled the green trees above them and it didn’t take long before the bustle of the city was replaced with the song of birds. Even the train could not be heard. The monastery stood on their left, away from the town and almost like a part of the woods. There was a small stone chapel for worship and a larger two-storey wooden house. Applejack rapped on the door and an elderly monk opened, dressed in a simple gown of a coarse material in a green earthen colour. “Welcome to Weynon Priory, a monastic retreat dedicated to Celestia and the divines. I’m Brother Nonpareil, head of our community and responsible for all our religious and secular affairs,” he said. “How may I help you?” “Nonpar what?” Pinkie raised a confused eyebrow, but Applejack interrupted her. “We’re here to see Brave Charger.” “You can find our grandmaster just up the stairs to your right,” Brother Nonpareil said and saw them off with a smile. Inside, a male unicorn sat by a table and ate a dinner consisting of apples and carrots. He didn’t look to be a monk, so he was probably a caretaker of some sort. The monastery wasn’t otherwise much to look and consisted of only a single room. A set of wooden stairs led up to the second floor. Pinkie Pie and Applejack went upstairs and to the right, into an office. It was longer than it was wide and had a desk at the end. The pony they presumed to be Brave Charger sat behind it. He was old with a dark purple coat, his grey mane almost non-existing and his eyes still full of fire. He was reading a small book and looked up at them, not smiling, not frowning, but with curiosity. “Yer Brave Charger?” Applejack asked and went up to the desk. “Yes, I’m Father Charger. What do you want?” he asked and put down his book. Pinkie dug into Applejack’s saddle and retrieved the amulet. She dumped it on the desk before him. His eyes nearly popped out of his head at the sight. “By Celestia! This is the Amulet of Alicorns! Who are you? How did you get this? What do you know of the Princess’ death?” “We were there when she died,” Pinkie said, her exuberance toned down. “You’d better explain yourself. Now,” Charger demanded. Applejack and Pinkie quickly went through yesterday’s events, taking apt detail to Celestia’s words. Charger seemed very tired and old at their words. “As unlikely as your story sounds, I believe you. Only the strange destiny of Celestia could have brought you to me carrying the Amulet of Alicorns.” “Just who is the Prince of Destruction? And what is Oblivion?” Pinkie asked. He looked at her with a pained expression and grunted before replying. “The Prince of Destruction she referred to is the avatar of annihilation, a nameless deity from a time before ponies. As to Oblivion, well... the least said the better. Put simply however, it is a featureless plain of nothingness. The Princess’ words, ‘Close shut the jaws of Oblivion,’ would suggest she perceived a threat from there. This can only mean that The Prince of Destruction seeks to obliterate not just our world, but the very memories of our existence. But all the scholars agree that the mortal world is protected from the demons of Oblivion by magical barriers.” “Then how in tarnation can this Oblivion be of any threat ta us then?” Applejack asked with voice heated from emotions. “I’m not sure,” Brave Charge said and shook his head. He got up from his seat and stared out of the window behind his desk. “Only the Princesses truly understood the meaning behind the rituals of coronation. The Amulet of Alicorns is ancient; it is a holy relic of great power. When an Alicorn is crowned, he or she uses the Amulet to light the Dragonfires at the Temple of the One in Canterlot. With the Princess dead and no new heir crowned, the Dragonfires in the Temple will be dark for the first time in millennia. It may be that the Dragonfires protected us from a threat that only the Princess was aware of.” “And get this!” Pinkie said. “She asked us to find her daughter! I mean, how crazy does that sound?” The old monk turned around again to face them, taking a deep breath. “I am one of the few who know of her existence. Many years ago, I served as captain of the Blades. One night Celestia called me in to her private chambers. A baby filly lay sleeping in a basket and she told me to deliver her somewhere safe. She never told me anything else about the baby, but I knew it was her daughter. From time to time she would ask about the child’s progress. Now it seems that this illegitimate daughter is the heir to the Alicorn Throne. If she yet lives.” “Where can we find this daughter?” Applejack asked impatiently. “Her name is Starfire and she lives an unassuming, adopted life in Ponyville. Without the magic of the Amulet to pull out her powers however, the child will have none of the powers of either earth ponies, pegasuses or unicorns. She has wings, but cannot fly. She is Celestia’s daughter, but knows no magic.” “That’s strange. I know just about everypony in Ponyville, and I’ve never heard of a pegasus by the name of Starfire,” Pinkie said. “Oh no,” Applejack said, all colour draining from her face. “If she’s still in Ponyville, then... the whole town could be in danger!” “Huh?” Pinkie asked, her train of thought suddenly interrupted. “We don’t have time for this, sugar cube! We have to return to Ponyville immediately.” “Gotcha!” Pinkie said and saluted. The two were just about to leave when Brave Charger stopped them. “You could face many dangers on the road ahead. I keep a few things here in my chest to resupply travelling Blades,” he said and unlocked a chest by the wall. “Help yourself to whatever you need.” The chest was large and contained a cuirass of interwoven metal plates, a simple longsword entirely of armour with leather strips wound around the handle and a small food bag. Pinkie grabbed the supplies and put it into her satchel. Applejack equipped the armour and strapped the sword around her waist. Though forged for a stallion, her musculature ensured the armour wasn’t uncomfortable to wear. *** Rainbow Dash woke that morning to muffled screams. Fluttershy was sleeping peacefully by her side and she hesitated in waking her. Dash instead rubbed her eyes and quietly snuck out of bed to see what all the commotion was. She blinked a few times, not sure what was going on. She blinked her eyes blearily and realised that there was smoke coming from Ponyville. The town had caught on fire and the screaming was confusion and bewilderment. Dash shook life back into Fluttershy who gave a cute little yawn, betraying the seriousness of the situation. “Is it morning already?” she asked. “They’re here!” Rainbow Dash answered and pointed with her hoof to the fires visible from the window. Fluttershy gave a meep and drew the blankets up to her nose. “Listen, Fluttershy, I have to go and investigate this. I want you to stay here at all costs. Do not let anyone inside, do you hear?” She nodded in understanding, but still found herself replying. “Do you have to?” “I can’t stay here,” Dash replied and embraced her friend. “Look, I’ll be back as soon as I can, all right?” “T-thank you for staying with me for the night,” Fluttershy said, but Dash was already gone. She stood by the window and waved for a long time, looking at Rainbow disappear into the roaring inferno. She closed her windows tight and rushed downstairs where she made sure that her doors and windows were closed and locked. She pulled all the blinds and lit candles around the room. Gummy, Angel and several woodland creatures surrounded her as she sat down on her couch. She took her pet bunny in a tight hug, which he did not enjoy but complied with in any case. Every little sound she heard made her jump and she tried to sit as still as she could, shaking slightly. Angel rolled with his eyes, but the comfort of having him so near was enough to calm her down. She rocked back and forth and soon found herself singing. For a time, fear had been driven away from the cottage. Three loud knocks on the door saw to disrupting that. The animals scattered and fled in all direction, and again there was a knock on the door. Fluttershy approached a window next to it warily and peered outside to see if a demon was waiting to eat her. There was not. “Sugarberry!” Fluttershy exclaimed happily and opened the door. A white unicorn with several shades of pink smiled back at her. “I’m so sorry to intrude like this,” Sugarberry said and went inside. The animals came out of their hiding places. “I was just on my way here to work when a large flaming gate opened just outside of town.” “A large gate?” Fluttershy asked fearfully and quickly closed the door. “Yeah, monsters just keep pouring out and there were fire everywhere. I was so scared I simply ran for my life.” “Oh... oh my. P-please have a seat, I’ll go fix us some tea.” Sugarberry made herself comfortable while Fluttershy went into the kitchen. “You can stay here for as long as you want. I’m just glad not to be alone anymore.” “Truth be told, I wasn’t expecting you to be home. I didn’t know how long you would be away in Canterlot.” “Oh, well, the reunion got sort of... cut short,” Fluttershy said. “I’m sorry to hear that. It was also strangely sudden, wasn’t it? You didn’t have more than a few hour’s notice.” “Oh, it really wasn’t any bother,” Fluttershy said and poured the steaming tea into two cups. Her animal friends were preparing a tray with biscuits and plates. “Not when I have such nice assistants to –” The living room suddenly filled with an explosion of animal noises. Fluttershy took the tray and hurried into the room, where she promptly dropped it on the floor and let out a scream. Sugarberry was nowhere to be seen, only one of those assassins with a red robe underneath and black twisted armour on top. It drew an axe from seemingly mid-air of the same, twisted design as the armour. Fluttershy backed away into the kitchen again. The assassin followed her, hoof wrapped around the axe. It swung and missed her by a few inches. It hit instead a table which splintered into a heap. Fluttershy could only cry for help as she ran for the backdoor. The animals tried to stall the assassin by jumping on it, but they were too small to make a difference. Fluttershy galloped out into the cold wet morning. The clouds wept for the disaster yesterday, but helped little to assuage the roaring flames in the background. The assassin came up behind her with the axe in mouth. Fluttershy panted and splashed through the muddy puddles along the road towards the Everfree Forest. A large gate had opened just outside the forest, but it didn’t look anything like Sugarberry had described. Instead it resembled a face twisted into a maddened grimace. A blue, comforting light shone from the mouth and the forest could not be seen on the other side. Fluttershy felt drawn towards the gate, but the light was solid and unyielding. She pressed up against it and watched the assassin come nearer. Fluttershy desperately tried to claw her way into the light, but the force resisted. The assassin ran for her with axe held high. It swung the weapon towards Fluttershy, but the light repelled it. The assassin flew backwards and landed into the drenching mud with a large splash. The armour disappeared as did the axe, leaving only a muddied white unicorn in red robes. “Already out? How boring,” a familiar voice said. “Discord?” Fluttershy said aghast and backed away quickly from the gate. “A nice effort, though. A shame she’s dead. These things happen.” “It can’t be... can it?” she stammered and waded backwards into the mud. “Ah, if it isn’t Fluttershy. Why don’t you come inside? It’s lovely in my realm this time of year. Perfect time for a visit.” She didn’t reply and trod away from the gate. She looked at dead assassins, its red robes stained by mud. However, Fluttershy couldn’t help but feel drawn towards the gate. She felt no danger coming from it and moved towards it carefully. The light was no longer unyielding and her hoof passed right through it. “How could I trust you?” Fluttershy said. As a reply, a little blue butterfly escaped the light and flew up into the air. She turned her head and noticed monsters coming out of Ponyville and towards her. She bit her lip nervously, and finally held her breath as she disappeared into the light. The gate vanished with her and was nowhere to be seen. *** Not knowing what peril her friends were in, Twilight jumped down on the station. Had Rarity known better, she could have caught Twilight by the station out of Canterlot as her first stop was Fillydelphia. Unlike her friends, Twilight was already working hard and it was still evening of the first day to her. Applejack’s and Pinkie’s encounter with Brave Charger wasn’t until the morning, same with the attack on Ponyville. She had no idea what dangers they would face tomorrow, least of all of the dangers she would find herself in. It wasn’t long to Fillydelphia from Canterlot and Twilight had arrived before dark. Evening was fast approaching, but the dying rays of light still illuminated the sky. Although the city was built close to the mountains and forests, its biggest influence was the river that ran to the west of it. Many sentient races came via boat from the north and stranded here, so the culture was markedly influenced by the flux of donkeys, zebras and mules that made this city their home. The architecture on the other hand was influenced predominantly by a class of unicorns with not a whole lot of money, but plenty of ideas of how they wanted their city. Twilight exited the train station with Spike and wandered the paved roads, gazing briefly at the city before her. Her horn glowed and a scroll escaped her saddle pouch. She scrutinised the words to guide her towards the magic school, carrying out her task with dignified calm. They didn’t encounter many out on the street at that hour. Most were busy getting home as quickly as possible and paid little notice to anyone else around them. Spike had to grab Twilight’s tail to ensure she wasn’t run down with her nose into the paper. She and Spike wandered past many shops specialising in the needs and customs of other races. Mixed between furniture stores and bakeries were apothecaries with herbs from lands far away. The school was set away from the rest of town in the north end. The building looked new and stood on a grassy patch that might have been a small park once. She had never been to one of her academy’s smaller schools before and entered with a curious mind set. The floors were bare and of simple wood, while the walls were of rough stone. It looked a little cheap contrasted with the splendour of the main building back in Canterlot. The headmaster of this school was a pegasus with light purple coat not unlike Twilight’s, but with a short, light grey mane, eyes matching her coat and three lightning bolts as her cutie mark. She sat on a bench outside the dining hall, reading. She looked up when she noticed Twilight and closed her book. “Ah, you’re from the Academy? Figures they would send someone green. Name’s Blueberry Delight,” the pegasus said. “Twilight Sparkle. You wrote the academy about a problem?” the eponymous pony said as interested as she could feign. She went towards the headmaster while Spike took a detour towards the dining room on the right. “Yes, a student by the name of Starlight Darling. I can’t directly get involved for fear of embarrassing the poor mare. I’ll need you to have a little chat with Charming Bard, another student here.” “O...kay,” Twilight said and raised an eyebrow. “What exactly is the problem?” “I don’t understand it. Some ridiculous male thing, I suppose” Blueberry threw her hoofs heavenward. “He’s been bothering Starlight every day for a while now. He even stole her mages’ ring! Perhaps he thinks it’s amusing; I don’t know. But it needs to stop. It’s making her miserable.” Blueberry’s voice was getting dangerously loud. Her eyes fell concerned on a unicorn reading to the left and then continued in a much lower tone, not much more than a whisper. “I’m not a unicorn and I don’t know much about magic, but I am headmaster of this school and I will do anything for one of my students. Use whatever means you deem necessary, just get me that mage’s ring back.” Twilight couldn’t help but smile at the proposition. She nodded in an agreement. “Where can I find this Charming Bard?” she asked. “I’d try Silverhome on the Water at this hour,” Blueberry said and picked up her reading again. “It’s a local watering hole just down the street. You must have passed it coming here. You can’t miss Charming Bard either. I’ve seldom seen a stallion with a coat as brilliantly red as his.” Twilight turned around to leave and noticed that she no longer had Spike by her side. He was sitting by the dinner table opposite an earth pony. She looked strange as she was completely light grey; eyes, coat and mane. “You coming, Spike?” Twilight asked. “Nah, you go do this. I haven’t had anything to eat in hours,” Spike replied and reached for a fruit bowl. “Great to hear,” the earth pony said and took Spike’s hand. “I’ve wanted to examine a baby dragon ever since you walked in here.” Spike stared wide-eyed at the mare for a moment, then slowly put down a cluster of grapes. “On second thought, berries aren’t really my thing.” He quickly wrestled himself free and ran to Twilight’s side. Silverhome on the Water was a small wooden building squeezed in between a row of other similar looking buildings. It seemed to have seen a boost in business since the construction of the school and sported itself as a “Moderately priced and above all a clean establishment,” according to a small sign in front. The interior did not in any way betray the thoughts one would have about it from the outside. Everything was wood from walls to floor and ceiling; the counter and the tables and chairs. Even the patrons and the unicorn barkeeper acted a tad woody. Three people sat around the counter with a mug in front of them. One of them matched the description given by Blueberry. Not only did Charming Bard have a coat the colour of juicy raspberries; his long free-flowing mane and eyes were brown as dark chocolate. Twilight was stumped for a moment at his appearance before approaching him. She cleared her throat. “Excuse me. You’re Charming Bard, are you not?” Twilight asked friendly. The pony turned in his seat to face Twilight. He looked her up and gave her a heart-warming smile in repayment. “None other! How may I help such a dazzling mare as yourself?” “I’m here on behalf on the academy. I hear that you’ve stolen a mage’s ring?” she replied. His eyes met hers and her voice broke halfway through. Charming Bard’s smile waned and he turned around to his mug again. “You’re here about Starlight. Look, all I want is for her to care about me, to feel the same way as I do about her. But she doesn’t. I try and I try, and it just doesn’t matter. It makes me furious sometimes!” he said, clenching around his mug and his eyes shut. Fearing that his words might have come off wrong, he turned again to Twilight. “Not that I’ve ever laid a hoof on her. Either in anger or... I’ve never hurt her, okay?” “I understand, sir, but I’m just here about the ring. If you would give it back to me?” Twilight asked sympathetically and smiled. “All right, I admit it. I took it from her,” he replied, a faint trace of tears welling up in his eyes. “I... I don’t know what I was thinking, honestly. I was trying to tell her how I feel, again, and she wouldn’t even stop to talk to me. I just got so angry! I was a little ashamed afterwards, but didn’t know how to apologise or give it back. I wish I could, but I’m afraid I don’t have it anymore. You see, I... I sold it. To a friend of mine, Soris.” Twilight stared at him, taken aback by the revelation. “What?! What were you thinking?” Twilight asked angrily. Her frown dwindled as Bard could no longer hold back his tears. “Tell Starlight that I won’t bother her anymore. And... tell her I’m sorry.” He took a swig from his mug before continuing. “My friend lives some way away from here.” Charming Bard gave Twilight a more detailed description and then emptied his drink. Twilight left him sobbing and as she exited, she heard him order another one. “I don’t get it. What’s all this about mage’s rings?” Spike asked. They turned from the shabby looking houses up towards finer stonework homes. “It’s more symbolic than practical, but each carries great significance to its owner,” Twilight said, but stopped again. She wet her lips uncertainly and looked up at the sky. Stars twinkled down at her. It would be night soon. A chill wind swept from the mountains and played with her mane. Without looking at Spike, she continued. “Unicorns can only perform a few spells, often related to their special talents. To help them perform other spells, some unicorns equip rings on their horns. These are often passed down for generations.” “So, what... they’re like magically enhancing heirlooms?” Spike asked and scratched his head. “You can think of them like that,” Twilight said and chuckled. “Some enables you to cast certain spells, some makes it easier for you to cast spells you already know. Each ring is unique.” Fillydelphia was truly an interesting city, comprised of so many contrasts. The rich rubbing elbows with the poor, wood built around stone, emigration taking its place among tradition. This city would have a thousand tales to tell and Twilight had been so lucky as to get caught up in one of them. As sad as this love story was, it was still interesting. “I wish we were back in Canterlot,” she said after a long moment of silence. “I’d rather be investigating what happened today, but if I am to do anything else, then this isn’t too bad.” She looked up at the glowing Moon, a single tear trailing down her cheek. “I think that’s it,” Spike said and pointed to a wall. Twilight nodded and knocked politely three times on the door. It creaked open slightly and a mint green head poked out in the crack. “Good day, stranger. Soris is my name. How may I help you?” the head asked curiously. “My name is Twilight Sparkle and I’m from the Academy of Magic. I’m here because of a mage’s ring.” “Yeah, so? The transaction was legitimate and I paid good money for it.” Soris’ expression turned from one of interest to one of annoyance. “Sir, that ring was stolen property. If you hand it over peacefully, there’ll be a finder’s fee involved,” Twilight said encouragingly. “So I’m guessing you’d do anything to get that ring back, eh? How does two hundred bit sound like?” he asked with a leer. Twilight folded back her ears in surprise. “Two hundred bits is a lot of money, sir. The Academy only offers rewards of ten bits, depending on the situation.” “Ten bits?” he exploded. “Do you know how much I paid for it to begin with? Two hundred bits or nothing.” “Fine then,” Twilight said, her horn glowing. “I could have paid you a small fee, but no. You will give me back the ring for free.” The unicorn stallion looked at her perplexedly for a moment, a strange swirly pattern appearing in his eyes. He went back inside his house and returned shortly with a ring hovering before him. He handed over the ring to Twilight with a smile. She took it and gave it to Spike who was quite unprepared for it. He nearly dropped it as he fumbled around with it. “Anything else I can do for such a lovely mare?” he asked sincerely. “It’s getting late, perhaps you’d want to stay until the morning?” “No thank you. I have to get back to the school,” Twilight said disinterested and turned around to leave. Puzzled, Spike followed her. “Oh, at least allow me to follow you there! You never know who you’ll meet at this hour,” he called after her. “Go back to your life and forget you saw me,” Twilight shouted back to him. “Twilight, what –” Spike began. “Don’t ever tell anyone you saw me do that,” Twilight said coldly and looked away from him. Her face was blushing in shame. “I would be in serious trouble if anyone found that I... that I had magically charmed someone and practically robbed them.” Spike looked up at Twilight and saw her lips quivering. Blueberry Delight was elated to have the ring back. She was close to ask what Twilight could possibly have done to get it back, but decided against it. Instead, she offered a bed for both her and Spike for the night, but Twilight had to decline. They still had six more cities to visit and six more problems to solve. *** Rainbow Dash’s face turned to one of worry. A good portion of the town below her was on fire. She had a hard time seeing through the flames, but she could just barely see creatures down there. Creatures that looked nothing like ponies. She tried not to inhale too much of the smoke or get her feathers scorched as she flew as close as she dared. There weren’t many ponies left in Ponyville. Most of the folk she saw below her were guards fighting an uphill battle against monsters. Outside town stood a massive, oval gate. It was made of unearthly black stone with pulsating, deep red veins. A yellow and red light danced between the walls like electrical fire, snarling and slithering. It caught Dash’s attention and she made it her goal. Three Wonderbolts were gathered near it, safely behind makeshift barricade some hundred metres from the gate. Dash swooped down towards them and saw that she only recognised one of them. Though Dash wasn’t dressed in her Wonderbolts costume, her superior from Cloudsdale waved at her. “Rainbow Dash? I thought you were taking time off in Canterlot,” he said. He was a little older than Dash and with grey coat and white hair with grey streaks. His eyes were covered by the goggles. “I had to come back to Ponyville... long story,” Dash said. “What’s going on, Silver?” “The city has been lost, that’s what’s going on!” Silver said agitated. “It was too much, too fast. The guards were overwhelmed. Couldn’t even get everyone out. There are still ponies trapped in there. The Mayor and her folk are still holed up in the city hall. And now we can’t even get back into the city to help them, with that damned gate blocking the way.” “Can’t we close it?” Dash suggested and looked up nervously at it. “I don’t know how, but it must be possible, because the enemy closed the ones they opened during the initial attack. You can see the marks on the ground where they were, with the Great Gate right in the middle,” Silver said and pointed to the ground in front of their once beautiful town. Where there had once been grass was now only scorched earth. The Great Gate was taller than any of the houses in Ponyville and about as wide, the ground around it covered with large twisted spikes like an absurd fruit growing on an oversized thorn bush. “There were more of these things?” Rainbow Dash asked, terrified at imagining smaller versions of that one large gate. Silver nodded. “I’ve already sent ponies into the gate, to see if they could find a way to shut it. They haven’t come back. If we can get in there however, we could find out what happened to them. If they’re alive, we will help them finish the job. If not, we’ll see what we can do on our own. It’ll likely mean our deaths though. I can’t force you to join me, but would you be willing?” Dash gave a determined smile and flexed her wings and neck. “My home; my Ponyville, in flames. I’ll make them pay for this.” The two other Wonderbolts remained taciturn, but joined Rainbow Dash and Silver Lining as the two approached the gate. Dash touched a hoof to the rippling light of the gate and found it only lukewarm to. She held her breath and entered the veil. All logic would dictate that she would emerge again on the other side, but she was gone along with the rest of the Wonderbolts. They were swallowed by the light and taken to a land quite different to Equestria.
Chapter 3: Entering the Gates of FlamesA fiery gate has appeared on the outskirts of Ponyville. A horde of grotesque monsters has overrun the town and the only hope is Applejack and Pinkie Pie. Will they succeed where the guards before them failed? Twilight is away on errands for Celestia’s magical school but even she will experience the changes. Rarity remains trapped in Canterlot while Fluttershy finds herself in the realm of Discord. And whatever happened to Rainbow Dash? THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY: THE EQUESTRIAN CRISIS CHAPTER 3 - ENTERING THE GATE OF FLAMES- Applejack jumped out of the train car before it had come to a full stop. The other passengers were curious as to why they had stopped outside of Ponyville, but none of them were filled with fear and horror like Applejack. She of all ponies knew to be expecting the worst and she had seen the smoke in the distance. She had donned the iron-plated armour she had received from Brawny Spirit and strapped the sword on her back. Pinkie Pie came up next to her, skipping along and keeping with Applejack’s tempo. The first thing they saw were the tents, hundreds of them erected in the grassland in front of Ponyville. There was a cacophony of clanging and chatting and the smells of food and fear. Whole families were huddled together in the hopes that their sons or sisters were still safe somewhere. Neither Applejack nor Pinkie Pie could fathom what had caused the destruction or the fires, but they were both elated to see that so many of their friends and families had gotten out safely. They slowed to a walk as they entered the hastily erected camp and endured the fearsome glances of the frightened ponies. They could see the city in the distance with its fires and bellowing smoke, but most importantly, they could see the gate. A big, appalling structure erected right in front of Ponyville pulsating with an unholy light. “Applejack, Pinkie Pie!” Familiar voices echoed from the camp as Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo came running towards them, accompanied by Big Mac. The groups met each other just outside the camp and Apple Bloom broke free. She flung herself around Applejack’s neck and the embrace was closely repaid. “Ah thought you’d be gone fer longer?” Apple Bloom said and took a step back. “And why are ya wearin’ that armour?” “It’s a long story, AB, and Ah might tell ya someday. We have more important things to worry about now. Are ya’ll okay?” Applejack asked, directed not just at her sister but also to her elder brother and her sister’s friends. “We’re okay,” Sweetie Belle said calmly. “There was a lot of panic at first, but most of us managed to get out quickly. Then the guards came and organised everything.” “And the farm?” Applejack asked concernedly and looked up at Big Mac. “The fire didn’t reach it,” he replied. “Thanks Celestia,” Applejack said and sighed. “Oooh,” Pinkie said and assumed a big-eyed expression. “Scootaloo, you still haven’t gotten your cutie mark yet?” “No. I’ll never get my cutie mark,” Scootaloo said defeated and looked away in shame. Where Apple Bloom had a 2 x 4 and Sweetie Belle a note-embossed heart, Scootaloo remained blank. “Shucks, Ah told ya, ya still got time fer that,” Applejack said in a comforting tone. Her face quickly turned to a frown. “Have any of ya heard about a pegasus called Starfire?” The three young ponies looked at each other for a moment before shaking their heads. “Ah bet the Mayor would know,” Apple Bloom said enthusiastically. “But the Mayor never made it out, did she?” Sweetie Belle asked and looked at Apple Bloom with a hoof to her chin. “No, she was too busy helping everypony out. By the time the big gate rose, she was still inside,” Scootaloo added. “Oh horse apples,” Applejack said and stomped her hoof. She looked up at the blazing city, the fire dancing in her eyes. A wind blew to play with her mane, carrying away from the camp. She looked at her little sister, and a smile appeared. “Yer growing to be a big girl with a cutie mark of yer own. Yer all three now about the age that Ah was when Ah fought Nightmare Moon. Pinkie will stay with ya’ll and bring ya up ta speed.” “Silly, you can’t close that gate all on your own!” Pinkie said, but Applejack pressed a hoof up against her nose. “Pinkie, this is not up fer discussion. If Ah should fail, finding one new bearer of the elements oughtta be easier than two. And if that gate, Celestia help me, claims mah life then it will be up ta you ta carry on.” She lowered her head and embraced Pinkie deeply. “Please come back alive,” Pinkie whispered. Applejack turned away again and left the quiet Pinkie behind. “Everyone, Ah’ll be back soon,” Applejack said and ran past them all. Before any of them could protest, she had already gone up between the many tents. They watched her until she disappeared behind a small hill. A barricade had been erected at the end of the camp as a buffer between the gate and the survivors. The area was swarming with Celestia’s royal guards in their gilded uniforms, holding spears and swords in hoofs and wings. The captain was a sturdy-looking zebra. He wore a bandage across his brow that was thick with sweat and blood, his black hair short and his coat grey with black stripes. “Stand back, civilian! This is no place for you. Get back to the encampment at once!” he hollered as Applejack got closer. “Ah need ta talk with the mayor at once. The fate of Equestria is at stake!” Applejack yelled and stopped up before him. The rain poured down from heavy black clouds. “The mayor? Last I saw of her, she was leading a group towards city hall. If she’s lucky, she’s trapped in there with the rest of them, at least safe for the moment. If she’s not...” The zebra commander trailed off and shook his head. His pained expression hardened to a more typical guard face. “Look, what is this about?” “Ah cain only say that Ah need to find somepony, and only the mayor would know where to look. Perhaps Ah can help?” Applejack offered. “You want to help? You’re kidding, right?” he said and almost laughed, his face illuminated for an instant by a fork of lightning. But Applejack wasn’t kidding. She looked into his magenta eyes and he could see the anguish and determination in hers. “Hmm. If you’re serious, maybe I can put you to use. It’ll likely mean your death though. Are you sure?” She nodded briefly, her face steeled for what her future would hold. “While that infernal gate still stands, I don’t dare leave the camp undefended. Are you willing to try and close it?” he asked. “Ah never thought you’d ask!” “Good luck then; two teams of Wonderbolts have already gone inside and never came back out. It’s a brave thing you’re doing,” he said and turned towards his men. With a whistle, the guards got into rank and opened a path through them towards the gate. Applejack walked nervously ahead and saw the terror and wounds that these hardy fighters displayed. They were older than her, better equipped than her and far more experienced, yet none of them had the guts to enter the ominous, flaming gate. Its pillars were twisted walls of blackness arcing high into the sky. The fire was strapped between the spikes like a membrane and quivered like a curtain in a breeze. She gulped before walking through the lukewarm light. The light blinded her or perhaps there was nothing to see but whiteness. All sense of time and direction disappeared instantly and she flowed into the nothingness. It was an odd feeling, like walking through rippling water. She could feel the flames on her coat, but they felt more like an ocean made of sunlight. She reappeared on a rocky island surrounded by boiling lava on all sides. The heat was overwhelming and she found her armour warming up uncomfortably. The world beyond was a scorched wasteland of black rock. Strange red vines slithered down rock walls and snapped at her while yellow flowers emitted a gas that made her cough and her eyes water. “Ah don’t think Ah’m in Ponyville no more,” she said and looked up at the blood-red sky. Though appearing to be devoid of life, it didn’t take her long to find a crude bridge. The grey stone spanned across a large trench of molten rock but was cut off in the middle by two enormous steel doors. She was about to approach them when she heard noises. Turning her attention downward, she noticed a Wonderbolt. He was dressed in a toasty Wonderbolts uniform and had silvery white hair and goggles covering his eyes. Three creatures slowly approached him, their revolting appearance making Applejack pause for the briefest of moments. “What the hay?” They had the shape of a pony, but were more savage and deformed to look at. Their body from the abdomen was covered in thick brown fur while the upper part was naked and coloured like flesh. Their faces were distorted with sharp ears and protruding teeth. They didn’t look like much of a threat, but they were ganging up on the Wonderbolt wailing incessantly. “Waa-aaa, waa-aaa-aaa,” that was all they could say and that was the noise that had alerted Applejack. She took her sword into her mouth and rushed down the hill towards them. The first creature was slashed through its emaciated abdomen. It gave a pitiful cry and disappeared into a cloud of smoke, not even leaving a drop of blood. She wrapped her hoof around the sword and split the second creature from scalp to navel. The last of them jumped at her. She forced the blade up into its chest. It clawed at her frantically, making deep scratches in her armour. With a twist of the sword, this creature also dissipated. “What in the world were those things?” Applejack panted and rested the sword on the ground. “Thank Celestia! I never thought I’d see another friendly face,” the Wonderbolt said. “I fear that the Wonderbolts have grown lax over the years with nothing to do but shows. I’m Silver Lining.” “Applejack. Are you the only survivor?” Applejack asked to which Silver shook his head. “There was another one, a new recruit, but they took her towards the tower.” Applejack was about to ask what tower when Silver nodded in the direction. Past the bridge and the gates blocking it stood the tower. A yellow pillar of light spewed out into the blood red sky above. “Alright, how do we get up there?” Applejack asked. Silver simply stared at her. “I was part of a second group to enter this wasteland and we both failed. What can just the two of us possibly do?” Silver asked incredulously. “Perhaps nothing, perhaps everything,” Applejack said and looked into his eyes. “We won’t find out ‘til we try, right?” “You’re one crazy mare,” Silver said and smiled. “I swear, if you had wings, I’d offer you my uniform right here and now. But it takes more than insanity to survive here. We should get out, regroup and then come back with a larger force.” “We don’t have the time!” Applejack said angrily and paced nervously. “Every minute we waste, one more of them things escape. The guards outside are getting exhausted. We have ta do this now.” Silver chuckled and looked away to clear his throat. “Yeah, you’re probably right. All right then, lead the way. I’ll be right behind you.” “Me? Yer the authority here.” Applejack poked Silver’s chest, but the stallion merely gave a snorted laughter. “I am, and I just abandoned my mission. In here, you outrank me.” Applejack lowered her hoof nervously and looked up at the tower again. It was standing on top of a tall hill. “Maybe we can crawl up?” she suggested, referring to a narrow trail snaking up the side of the hill. “It’s worth a shot,” Silver said and shrugged. *** Rarity woke that morning by strange noises. It was still dark outside, but a torch had been lit. It was the chatter that had stirred her though. She crept out from under the bush that she had been seeking refuge in to see what was going on. On her right sat a nervous looking pegasus with fuzzy hair, a baby blue coat and two crossed lightning bolts as cutie mark. Next to him stood an elegant female unicorn with a lavender coat, a lime green mane neatly tied behind her and an emerald cutie mark. “Each of you is seeking membership into the Thieves Guild. The Thieves Guild is not a myth. We are followers of the Gray Fox, and I am his doyen. Merely by finding me, you have passed the first test.” Before them stood a zebra with short slicked-back hair and orange eyes. He wore on his back a brown saddle with two pouches. A flickering torch placed in a special holder illuminated a small area around them. “It’s unusual for us to have three potential recruits at the same time. Rather than the normal test of skill, I’m going to make this a contest. Emerald, you know the rules,” the zebra said and the unicorn nodded as a reply. “Excuse me,” Rarity said and got up on her hooves. “I’m not looking to become a member of any guild. I was just taking a nap, so... I’ll just be on my way now.” Rarity was about to leave when the zebra stopped with a cough. “If you’re not here for the Thieves Guild, then I will have to kill you for your silence.” Rarity and the zebra looked at each other for a long moment. It could have been seconds but to her it felt like an eternity. Though calm on the outside, she was so nervous on the inside that she dared not even blink. It was starting to hurt her eyes yet she kept his gaze. A wide smile formed on his lips followed by a short chortle. “All right, enough horsing around. Let’s get this meeting running,” he said and looked out at them. “That was a close one. And I thought this day couldn’t get any worse,” she thought to herself and placed herself back in line. “Now then, for the pegasus and the newcomer, let me state the rules clearly. Whoever brings me the diary of Mandarin Napoleon, without killing him, will be invited into the guild. It’s somewhere in Canterlot. The beggars can help you locate it – for a price. I can sell you lock picks if you need them. One more thing. You cannot kill each other during this trial. We may be thieves, but we’re not murderers,” the zebra said with a sense of urgency to his voice. The two others nodded and were off like shot out of canon. Rarity on the other hoof slinked out of the walled backyard. Her stomach rumbled and her coat shivered from the cold. She looked over shoulder as soon as she had escaped the zebra’s light. “I best be getting back to Fillydelphia now,” she muttered but suddenly fell flat on her face. “Oh, now what?” she asked and got up. “You looking to enter the Thieves Guild?” the obstacle asked. A shaggy hornless face appeared in the moonlight. “None of your business,” Rarity said grumpily and dusted herself off. “Well if you are, I might be able to help ya out... for a little gold of course.” The beggar’s leer was visible even the darkness. “Why would I seek to enter the Thieves Guild if I had any bits?” Rarity countered and turned to walk away but the beggar cut in front of her. “No worries, mum. I only ask that you won’t forget old Puny Romance when you score the contract.” Rarity tapped her chin. “Hmm. I do suppose a small, simple theft couldn’t hurt anypony. It’s just a diary after all. And I bet the Thieves Guild will pay well for it! Very well, tell me what you know quickly. I’m not the only one trying after that book.” The beggar nodded encouragingly. Upon Rarity’s explanation of her mission, Puny Romance vividly detailed the way. Rarity thanked him briefly and hurried into the city. She arrived at Mandarin’s residence scarce minutes later. It was one of several two-storey houses squeezed together in a crescent shape around a small plaza. She made sure that no one was watching her as she approached the door. As a unicorn, unlocking it was as simple as using her horn and manipulating the mechanism. It was a delicate procedure and she had to listen for clicks as well as footsteps, but the door creaked open after only a minute. Again she looked around her before quietly entering. The ground floor was covered with carpets and some simple wooden furniture. She tiphoofed around, immediately freezing whenever the floorboards creaked. Unsure where to start and where to end, Rarity approached the desk first. The owner was a prolific writer with a lot of paper scattered about, but the diary was not on top. She rummaged through the drawers one by one until she found it in the bottom one. She took the book with her magic and placed it in her saddle, being careful to put it in the side that didn’t have a hole in it. She opened the door again and peered out to make sure no one was noticing her. A guard walked by but didn’t take note of Rarity. She made it out to the streets inconspicuously, the few ponies out ignoring her as just another Canterlot resident. “That was so exciting,” she thought to herself, barely able to contain her glee. “The thrill of getting caught, the exhilaration of stealth... I have not been this entertained in years!” She giggled all the way out of the city gates until a unicorn stopped her. “So, I see you have the book,” a voice said. Emerald, another contestant in this game, appeared in the light from a torch. “Why don’t you just give it to me? I’ll pay you a little bit, of course.” “Why? Why is it so important to you?” Rarity asked. “Because I’ve already had my fair share of chances,” Emerald whispered as a guard passed them. “Look, you’re not a thief, anypony can see that. I don’t know why a princess like you would associate with us rabble, but this is your chance to get out. Take this and go back to your family. I’m sure they miss you.” Emerald rattled a coin bag in front of Rarity. She got stars in her eyes as she followed it swaying back and forth in front of her. “Well?” Emerald asked and shook the pouch. From the clinking sound, it had to be pretty full. “No,” Rarity simply said and turned away from her. “What? Hey wait, I’m talking to you! Why not?” “The last thing I want to do is go back to my parents again,” Rarity said and continued walking. “I’ve already spent three years in their basement because of a bogus deal. A few missions for these thieves and I will have enough gold to get my boutique back. No, I’ll get a better one right here in Canterlot. I’ll invite all my friends and everything will be back to normal. It can’t be my problem that you’re not good enough to get accepted.” Emerald stood nonplussed and could only watch Rarity’s tail give her a derisive flick. “Be careful, princess. The thieves are not your enemies nor are they your friends,” Emerald warned through gritted teeth and slipped back into the shadows. Rarity looked behind her with only short-lived interest and hurried along the wall and behind the wooden shanties and through the bedrolls and campfires towards the small walled garden. The doyen was still waiting for her, leaning up against the wooden back wall of a small hut. She took the diary from her white saddle pouch and spat it out in front of the zebra. “Congratulations!” he said enthusiastically. “You have returned with the diary, and you have earned the right to join the Thieves Guild. You now owe your loyalty to our guild master, the Gray Fox. He has three rules you must follow.” “Rules? But you’re thieves!” Rarity exclaimed with a laugh. “Outlaws!” “True, but we’re also a guild, and like any guild, there are certain measures we take to ensure unity. First, never steal from another member of the guild. Second, never kill anyone on the job. Third, don’t steal from the poor. The peasants and beggars are under the personal protection of the Gray Fox, particularly here outside the city. You got that?” “Yes, yes, I’ll be sure to remember that. Now, where’s my reward?” Rarity asked. “You’ve already gotten it. You’re now the latest member of the Thieves Guild.” Rarity looked up at him to see if he was jesting. “Oh you’ve got to be kidding me.” “Don’t worry, Pickpocket,” he said and winked. “Return to me later and I might have something for you. Get yourself acquainted with the beggars in the meantime, if you don’t have any bits.” Rarity gave a defeated sigh and looked over at the encampments. The vagrants were slowly rising from their slumber and lighting up small fires. More beggars came from all around, some carrying little chunks of bread, others a few slices of meat. They shared stories and laughed and seemed like any other community. “Maybe I should just return to Fillydelphia?” she asked and looked up at the sun. The fragrant smell of cooking enticed her to seek the company of the beggars, sitting down with them and accepting a bowl of porridge. *** Far removed from Rarity’s morality issues, even further removed from the catastrophe in Ponyville, Spike was shaking life back into Twilight. She looked up blearily and yawned. “Did I fall asleep?” she asked. “The moment you sat down,” Spike said and handed her the saddle. She put it on and followed Spike outside. They stopped at a cafe first and got some coffee in a paper cup. With the caffeine setting into her body and the chill morning air biting at her coat, Twilight slowly began to wake up. The road was cobbled with grey rocks and the sidewalk were slabs of periwinkle stone. Most of the houses were two-storey half stone, half wood and plaster. The city had a rich feel to it and the ponies walking around town were all dressed in some form of clothing. The local magic school was no exception to the splendour and was double the size of any other buildings in the vicinity. She binned her empty paper cup and entered. The entrance was set into the building and up three steps of grey stone. The inside was made from simple wood with fine rugs covering the floors along with heavy wooden furniture. Fine wine and silver mugs stood on all the tables along with students reading books. “This is really nice,” Twilight said relaxed and looked around. “Do you see the headmaster anywhere? I think his name was...” Twilight hastily procured her scroll and frantically read through it. “Dark Scar,” Spike interrupted. “I think that’s him over there.” Twilight looked up. There was nothing but unicorns in the school, except for a lone zebra, but Dark Scar was older than any of them. He sat before a fireplace in a far corner, observing his students from an armchair. His coat was scarlet red like blood, like his short and slicked back mane. He looked up grumpily when Twilight approached him. “I’m sorry, Miss, but we aren’t accepting any more students at the moment,” he said dismissively. “And before you ask, no, a baby dragon won’t change the fact.” “Well he’s in a good mood,” Spike mumbled. “My name is Twilight Sparkle and I’m from the Academy.” She represented herself with a big, confident smile. “The Academy?” Dark Scar asked nervously. “What is this about?” “Huh? You did report a problem, right?” He looked up at her cluelessly, but quickly regained his composure. “Oh yes! Right. I uh... I recently lost a precious ring of mine in the well behind the school. I’ve been far too busy with my duties and experiments here to retrieve it.” “You wrote... all the way... to Canterlot... FOR A MISSING RING?” Twilight bellowed. “Why didn’t you get your students to do it?” “Hmph. They are far too preoccupied with their studies,” he said indignantly. “Besides, the ring is enchanted and could potentially be dangerous. Never mind, you seem a little... slow.” “Slow?” Twilight said angrily, her cheeks flushing. She felt a clawed hand stroking her shoulders and instantly felt the tension relieve. “All right already, I’ll do it.” “Good. Find the ring, which is somewhere down in the well behind the school. Bring it to me. Do you understand, or do I need to use even smaller words?” Spike’s hand intensified its strokes, and Twilight gritted her teeth. “I understand.” Dark Scar immediately went back to his observations and dismissed her. Spike pushed behind Twilight to expedite her leaving. When they finally got outside again, she couldn’t keep it in any more and she gave an exasperated yell. “What a brusque, insensitive, undiplomatic –” “I just wonder what his problem is,” Spike interrupted. “I don’t know, and I don’t care,” Twilight said fuming as they went around the school. “The future of Equestria is at stake and he has me fetching rings out of wells. Let’s just get this over with.” The well was a stone cylinder dug deep into the ground with a large wooden roof on top. Twilight placed her hoofs on the edge and peered down and saw nothing but darkness. “Doesn’t look easy to lose something in,” Spike remarked and came up next to her. “I think this is going to be more difficult than I thought. Spike, you stay here. I’ll be right back.” Spike accepted Twilight’s saddle with all its equipment as the unicorn encased herself in a purple bubble. She levitated it off the ground and wedged herself into the well and down the hole. The spell also had a byproduct of light that illuminated the dark shaft as she hovered further and further down. Further and further down she descended while the light above diminished. The shaft was just wide enough for her, but small enough to give her minor claustrophobia. It took her ages to reaches the water at the bottom since she was careful about going down. She released the spell and plopped down into the ice cold liquid and dived. With the bubble gone, Twilight relied on her horn for warmth and light. The water was murky and icy cold, and there was little to space to manoeuvre around. The well was otherwise relatively shallow and it didn’t take her long to cover the entire area. She noticed a dark shape near the bottom and swam nearer. It was the body of an earth pony, still grasping a ring with his mouth. Twilight panicked and breached the surface again for air. She was paddling unreasonably back and forth when a voice called down to her. “Twilight, don’t grab the ring,” Spike said. She looked up and saw Spike peeking down at her. Next to him stood another pony and for a moment, she thought she was looking up at Dark Scar. It was a mare however with a similarly coloured coat and mane. “Why not?” Twilight asked, gasping for air. “I shall explain everything,” the mare said. “Can you get up on your own?” “I think so,” Twilight said. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before generating the bubble again. She flew up through the well and landed with a splash on the ground. “I’m afraid that you’ve been had,” the mare said. She was a pegasus with three seeds as her cutie mark, her bushy red hair standing out to all sides. “What do you mean?” Twilight asked and shook so water stood in streams from her coat. “I am the one who wrote the academy for help, not Dark Scar. I’m Chrysanthemum Celebration, but you may just call me Chrys. I’m so sorry that I wasn’t there to greet you, but I saw you entering the well from my room. I’m just glad I wasn’t too late.” “Look, what is this all about?” Twilight asked with only small drops of water running down her nuzzle. “Dark Scar is... my father,” Chrys said with a sigh and closed her eyes momentarily. “He worked as a teacher in Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, but the Princess’s decision to study the magic of earth ponies and pegasuses left him bitter. He transferred to Baltimare with me and oversaw the founding of this school, but he has only allowed unicorns to study here.” “Ah. So this is why you wrote the Academy then?” Twilight asked. “No. The Academy knows what my father has been doing, but he had them fooled into thinking it was just a coincidence. He kept me in the school and hired a zebra for appearance’s sake.” “Then... what?” Chrys bit her lip and almost looked like she would cry. “I fear my father’s resentment got the better of him. He realised that it was I who had written to the Academy. One thing led to the other and I threatened with reporting him. I thought he was going to kill me! He flew into a rage! I didn’t even understand some of his ranting, but he said that our days are numbered and then he stormed out!” “What do you think he meant by that?” Twilight asked intimidated as Chrys’ words tumbled out in rapid succession. “I can’t say for certain,” Chrys said and shook her head. “He’s been very secretive lately and he has taken long trips away from the school. I have had no choice but to oversee the school in his absence, so taking over from my father won’t be a problem. I do so worry that he has been doing illegal things though. You should go check his room in the basement. If you see the anything unusual, let me know. I’ll gladly send it to the Academy for you.” “I’ll do that.” Twilight was about to walk back around the school again when she stopped, making Spike bump into her. “There’s something you should know about the well,” she said and related her findings. “No,” Chrys said and clasped her hooves to her mouth. She paced around the well, stuttering and very near crying. She gave a long hard sniff and looked up at the sky before carrying on. “I wrote the Academy about a month ago when I first had my suspicions. All this time, I’ve thought they had dismissed me. Thank you for telling me.” Twilight nodded and went inside the school again. Without their headmaster, the students had abandoned their studies, talking in hushed voices. From their discussions, it became apparent that they too had noticed Dark Scar’s recent deteriorating behaviour. “I feel like I should say something,” Twilight whispered to Spike. “I’m sure Chrys will take care of it,” Spike replied and placed his hands behind his head. The basement was placed at the other end, behind a humble-looking door. The downstairs appeared inconspicuous and contained just a dummy for spell accuracy practise. There were bedrooms and dormitories for students and teachers alike. The headmaster’s room was opposite the stairs and contained nothing more than a bed, a dresser and a desk. Spike helped Twilight search the room, but neither one was sure what to expect. “Well, nothing suspicious under the bed either,” Spike said a few minutes later and released the mattress. “If Dark Scar has done anything wrong, he certainly didn’t leave any evidence behind.” “Spike, what are those?” Twilight asked and pointed to a couple of crystals Spike was holding in his hands. “Just some gems I found in his drawers. Can’t imagine why he would he have them tucked away under his shirts.” Just as Spike was about to consume one, Twilight took them with her magic and levitated them in front of her. “Hmm. They look like mere shards, but have a jet black colourisation. Interesting.” “Hey, I was just about to eat those,” Spike said. “I don’t think you should,” Twilight replied. “Whatever these things are, I can feel magic within them. And not a good kind. This isn’t something any law-abiding headmaster should own.” Spike looked up at her curiously, but Twilight was halfway out the door before he could say anything. Instead he shrugged and followed her up to the ground floor where Chrys awaited them. She had just been telling the students about the current situation and the change of management when Twilight re-emerged. “Did you find something?” Chrys asked. “I think so. Do you know what these are?” Twilight asked and waved the crystals in front of Chrys’ face. “What astounding specimens,” she said, her eyes following their bobbing movement. “I have no idea what they could be, but I’m sure the Academy would love to get their hoofs on them. I’ll send them their way immediately with a report. Don’t worry about anything; I’ll take care of it.” Twilight nodded and left the crystals in her care. Her coat prickled uncomfortably in apprehension as she went back to the station. *** Fluttershy looked around the room questioning. It was made of rough grey stone bricks and contained no doors and no windows, only a stone table with matching chairs on either side of it. “Ah, timid little Fluttershy. So glad you could join me,” a happy voice said. Discord slowly materialised, making Fluttershy recoil. “Why did you bring me here?” Fluttershy asked, her little voice quaking. “Well the portal is right behind you if you want to leave,” he said and leant forward. Fluttershy cast a fleeting glance over her shoulder and noticed the shimmering light. “But I don’t think you would want to.” “N-no?” “Why don’t you have a seat?” Discord gestured to the chair in front of her. She swallowed a lump in her throat and sat down. She took a deep breath and summoned all of the courage she could find within herself. “I will... I will listen to what you have to say for now. Start with why you brought me here?” Fluttershy said as determined as she could muster. “Oh, there are so many reasons that I brought you specifically,” Discord teased and rolled his hand. “I suppose the most important is the theft of the elements? You do want those back, don’t you?” “So you stole them!” “No,” he said and rested his elbows on the table. “Unlike you, I don’t need the elements to have fun. But somepony took them and one has found its way into my realm.” “Well if you didn’t take them,” Fluttershy enquired, “then who did?” “Now that is a question I can’t answer, but I can help you if you help me.” “Help you? I have never been so humiliated in all of my life because of you!” “I see we have some trust issues. Really, that was only to be expected. Nevertheless, our cooperation is necessary if you are to get your element back.” Discord got up from his seat and turned away from her, walking towards the opposite wall. “Wait! I never told you that I would trust you. Where am I? Who took the elements?” “Ah, ah, ah,” Discord admonished and wagged a finger at her. “Come to my palace in New Discord and we can discuss this matter further. IF you decide to trust me that is.” Before she could say another word, the room around her and Discord slowly dissolved into butterflies. He turned his head and gave a playful laugh that hung in the air even as he had vanished. The butterflies flew up towards the sun and disappeared, leaving Fluttershy alone on her chair. The only other things left were the table and the portal. She walked up to the pillar of light and traced a hoof down its side. It took every ounce of strength in her meek body to turn away from it. “I need to find the elements, I need to find the elements...” she chanted. She turned away and walked out of the room. “Whatever Discord throws at me, I will take it.” She smiled determinedly and looked down at the land before her hooves. She was standing on a large hill from where she could see far and wide. A narrow path snaked down across the ground and through the rock to a small village placed in and around a marsh. The houses were slimmer and taller than houses in Ponyville, made of stone with a thin layer of plaster outside, wooden frames and slanted red tile roofs. A few ruins and structures entirely comprised of stone were scattered around the surrounding area. It didn’t take her long to reach the bottom of the hill. The road had been cobbled in age long since forgotten and the stone was worn down and overgrown. It swung just past the town and disappeared behind rocks at the bend further ahead. Two ponies stood on the road talking just outside town. One was a zebra with a large black afro and clad in a vibrant purple smock, the other a unicorn with a hunter green coat and loose shoulder-length magenta mane. “I tried to warn them,” the zebra said. “Maybe they’re just confused?” the unicorn suggested. “Uhm... excuse me, but... you couldn’t tell me where I am?” Fluttershy asked in her politest tone. “This is Passwall,” the zebra said civilly. “The name’s Shelden and I’ve been here the longest, so naturally I’m the mayor. What’s your business here?” “Well, I’m headed for New Discord. Perhaps you can give me some direction?” Fluttershy asked and smiled. “New Discord? Hah!” the unicorn said. “We would all like to get to New Discord, but that’s just not happening. Not with the Gatekeeper anyway.” “T-the Gatekeeper?” Fluttershy asked timidly, cowed by the unicorn’s rude tone. “The Gatekeeper is a giant monster that guards the Gates of Chaos. They say the keys are sewn up in his body. Basically, that means you’re not getting in,” the unicorn replied. “See for yourself.” And with that, their conversation was over. The unicorn left with a “Ha!” and walked up the road. “Don’t mind Regal Masquerade. He’s a bad OC,” the zebra said. “I’m sorry, a bad what?” Fluttershy asked, wresting her attention away from the spinach-coloured Regal Masquerade. “An OC is a creature that Lord Discord created to add taste to his world,” the zebra replied. “He calls them Overly Colourful because they’re too brightly coloured to pass for real ponies, but we just call them OC’s. Listen, a group of adventurers just decided to try and break through the Gatekeeper. You should watch it, just so you don’t get any ideas of your own about going to New Discord.” Fluttershy nodded and walked up the path that Regal Masquerade had already disappeared from. Passwall was set in a small depression and the road continued up through the rocky ground and made a bend so that she couldn’t see what was lying at the end from a distance. Once past the curve, the path turned from its cobbled surface to stone stairs leading up to a rounded plaza. A tall wall crossed from a mountain side on the left to a cliff on the right, preventing any access into the land itself. In the middle of the plaza stood the Gatekeeper. It was a gigantic creature constructed from an unnerving collection of body parts. Its naked flesh was riddled with bright red surgery scars and its right arm had been replaced with a long steel blade. Its face was heavily distorted and bald and all holes had been sewn shut: mouth, eyes, nostrils and ears. The only form of clothing was heavy iron bands covering its belly and left arm. A pegasus led a group of adventurers in an attempt to fell the beast. They were clad in steel-plated armour and brandished long swords and heavy hammers, swarming the groaning behemoth. “Okay. Hoof over those keys or die!” the pegasus yelled, resulting in the Gatekeeper letting out a muffled yell and a swing of its blade arm. The pegasus easily dodged and smirked. “This should be easy!” He and the other four ponies, unicorns and earth ponies, charged the beast and hacked and slashed at it as best as they could. Fluttershy took her place at the edge of the plaza along with several other residents of Passwall. She was a little nervous being this close to the fighting and kept her distance. She looked around her and saw several examples of what the zebra had been talking about: ponies with strange colours ranging from the sickly to the blinding, strange haircuts, weird clothing, not to mention all kinds of odd cutie marks. “Fight like you mean it!” But there were also normal ponies here, in the crowd and up fighting the monsters. Two pegasuses swarmed the giant and hacked away with their swords while unicorns on the ground pelted it with spells and a lone earth pony swung his war hammer. It didn’t bother the Gatekeeper any and it simply swatted them away like insignificant flies with its blade. One by one, the brave adventurers fell before it until only the pegasus commander was left. He dropped to the ground, bleeding and panting and looking up at the giant. “No, it isn’t possible,” he said and retreated out of the ring. “Get outta my way,” he yelled and shoved the onlookers aside. No one laughed at his efforts or of all the death, though Fluttershy could tell that they were all entertained. For in their hearts, they were all up there with him stabbing at the Gatekeeper. Discord’s task seemed insurmountable, so Fluttershy simply looked to the floor disheartened and turned to leave. “You’ve got nice bones.” “E-excuse me?” Before Fluttershy could even descend the stairs, a strong-looking earth pony approached her from out of the crowd. He came up on her left side to admire her body. His coat was purple with a smooth mane the colour of blood, his cutie mark two crossed femurs. “They call me Master Vision. Do you ever wonder why things look better without their skin on? For instance, you can only really see the bones when you take them out. You can hear them better that way, too.” “So that’s the other kind of ponies,” she muttered and retreated slightly. “Uhm... can I help you?” “I want him dead. I need him dead!” he said and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her. “His bones are calling to me. You’re a pegasus. If you would like to fly for me, we can get into the Gardens of Flesh and Bone.” “F-fly for you?” Fluttershy stammered, barely a whisper. Master Vision looked intently at her for a moment before releasing her. “They say the Gatekeeper’s magical. I don’t believe in magic. But I do believe in bones. And the best way to kill something is with the bones of its own. I can see the bones of a dead Gatekeeper in the courtyard of the Gardens. The door’s locked, though. You’ll fly over the gate and unlock it from the other side. I’ll collect the bones and make some arrows. Then we’ll kill the Gatekeeper. Sounds good?” “Well, uhm...” Fluttershy deflected and looked away. “I don’t think your plan is very, uhm, well thought out?” Master Vision reared his head back and roared with laughter. “You have any better ideas?” Fluttershy dug in the ground with her front hoof and bit her lip, then very quietly replied. “No.” Master Vision waved his arm and took the lead up the path. The Gardens of Flesh and Bone wasn’t far away, reduced to a mere ruin at the foot of the hill that she had just descended. It was a tall square building made from large bricks of stone and looked more like a keep than a garden. The courtyard was inaccessible since the walls could not be scaled and the iron gate was immovable. To a pony with wings, the walls were not a problem. Fluttershy simply flew over the rampart and landed on the other side. “Hurry! Get the gate open. I can hear them in there!” Master Vision said. Fluttershy groped around the gates for an opening mechanism of some sort, but there was only a keyhole. “I’m sorry, I can’t open it,” Fluttershy finally said. “I can see them, behind you,” he replied and pressed his face against the bars. She turned her head. The yellowed skeleton of an enormous pony with a blade for an arm had been displayed prominently in the middle of the quad. “Get me a nice shinbone if you can!” Fluttershy gulped and went down the stairs. The courtyard was overgrown with grass and weeds and looked to have not been used in ages. The dead gatekeeper took up most of the space from wall to wall. Its bones were dry and yellowed from age, containing not a scrap of meat left on them. They could have been lying there for decades, if not centuries. She held her breath and grabbed the largest one she could carry, but she quickly dropped it again. She was not alone in here. All around her, normal-sized skeletons broke free from the ground. They hissed at her angrily with soil dropped from their empty sockets. In their bared teeth and bony hoof they clutched rusty swords and maces. They shuffled towards, but Fluttershy was rooted to the spot. She was hyperventilating, looking from one enemy to the next. An arrow whistled through the air and knocked off the skull of the one nearest to her. The skeleton crumbled into a pile of bones with a sigh. “Hurry! Grab one of the bones and let me worry about those.” She took a deep breath that she could feel all the way to the tips of her wing. She picked up the bone that she had previously tried to abscond with and flew back towards the walls. The skeletons swung their weapons at her furiously, but she was out of their reach before they could follow up on the threat. She vanished over the wall and the guardians of the Gatekeeper fell silent, once more disappearing into the ground. Fluttershy dropped the bone down next to Master Vision and collapsed on the ground, shivering and heaving. “Very nice,” he said and took the bone. “This will make plenty of arrows. It will take me a few hours to whittle this down. Why don’t you come back with me, make yourself at home?” Fluttershy accepted with a nod and smiled weakly up at him. Master Vision had a house down in the middle of Passwall. Like the other houses, it was built on stakes to raise it from the marsh with wooden steps leading up the door. The floors, ceiling and furniture were made from wood while the walls were layers of compressed rock. Fluttershy gave a slight “Meep” when she entered. Cupboards and shelves and just about any surface and storage space were filled with skulls, ribcages and pelvises. Fluttershy took a seat by the table along with Master Vision. He pushed a bowl towards her, containing the leg of some giant frog-like creature, and put his newfound bone down next to him at the table. He took out a knife and began his work. She looked at the bowl curiously, her stomach growling. She shook her head and pushed the bowl back. “If you don’t mind, I think I’d prefer to take a walk,” she said and jumped down. “Aye, but don’t be gone too long. As I said, a few hours.” *** “Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash!” Applejack cried and shook the cage violently, but the blue pegasus inside was unmoving. Applejack and Silver Lining had made it up the hillside with little trouble other than the occasional landslide nearly threatening to shove them down into the lava. The tower had not been any trouble either. The doors weren’t locked and stood open. The inside was hollow and just as scorched, black and twisted as the rest of the place, adorned generously with spikes and scattered traps. They could see all the way up to the top floor where a red membrane blocked out the red sky. Only a pillar of light shooting from a pool of lava at the bottom penetrated to reach the outside. Climbing the tower had not been any trouble either. Silver Lining stuck mostly to the background but helped out wherever he could: grabbing the various creatures and dropping them into the lava. It was left to Applejack to use her sword and cut them down. They all vanished in a cloud of acrid smoke as they were bested. Through side chambers and ascending corridors they had come a long way, walking from the hollow centre to various side tunnels, killing whatever was in their way. They were almost at the top when they came to a side small room that looked otherwise as the others. The walls were black and various torches in the corners illuminated the small area. Pillars stood in the middle room, forming an enclosed circle with benches between them. Hanging from the ceiling was an oversized bird cage, black by creation but stained red. That was where they had found Rainbow Dash. Applejack dropped her sword immediately and rushed to the cage. The bottom of it knocked out and Dash tumbled down on the floor. Silver Lining gave an encouraging smile, standing by a large switch at the side of the room. “Looks like she’s all right,” Silver said calmly and approached them. “Really?” Applejack asked relieved and wiped her face. Silver nodded. “They must have knocked her out. Why don’t I take care of her and you concentrate on getting us to the top?” “Thank Celestia,” Applejack said and wiped her eyes. She picked up her sword again with her tail and took the lead. Silver Lining took Rainbow Dash up on her back and carried her like a pelt with all the pony still inside. Another hall carried them upwards and out unto a small catwalk circling up the inner walls of the tower. A new enemy rushed them. Though having the shape of a pony, it was covered in green scales with a large bony crest on its neck. It screeched and galloped towards them with its beak clicking like an angry octopus. It jumped and threatened to sink its sharp talons into Applejack’s neck. She grabbed the sword between her hoofs and drove up through its abdomen. It too disappeared in a cloud of smoke before hitting the ground. “Wow kid, you’re a natural,” Silver said and adjusted Rainbow Dash on her back. “Let’s just continue,” Applejack replied quietly and sheathed her sword. The skywalk wound higher up and into another side chamber. The walls were grey like ash and another door took them out on top of the membrane. The ceiling was domed and closed off, save for a small hole that allowed the beam of light to escape. More enemies of both kinds, eschewed towards the reptiles, rushed them. They jeered and hissed and all disappeared before Applejack’s sword. They clawed and snapped and swiped at her, but her armour and her speed protected her. She made the way free and accessible in only minutes. They went up bloodied spikes that protruded the walls, forming stairs up to a platform. “Well lookie what we got here, brother of mine,” a familiar voice said. Perhaps the last two ponies Applejack had ever imagined meeting at the top of this spire stood before the pillar of light, the world-famous Flim Flam brothers. They were dressed as they always did except Flam, the older brother with a moustache, was wearing the Element of Honesty around his neck. “What in tarnation are you two doing here?” Applejack asked, to which Flim stepped forward. “It’s very simple, really. We’re going destroy the town of Ponyville,” he said simply, his mouth creasing into a smile. “Destroy... Ponyville? Why!” Applejack commanded with shock ringing in her voice. “Because the Prince of Destruction commands it!” Flim said, his eyes gleaming red for just the slightest of moments. “You two... ya better give me mah amulet back and leave the town well alone,” Applejack said and waved the sword menacingly in front of Flim. “No need to get violent, young lady,” Flam said and raised his hoofs. “This world will be a much better place once He is through with it.” “There won’t be nothing left of the world once He’s done with it! Ah suggest ya come to yer sense right this instant.” Applejack poked Flim closer and closer to his throat with the sword. Nervously, he looked behind him to his brother. “What do you say, Flam? Tactical retreat for now?” Behind him, Flam reached into the light and grabbed an orange stone. Dragging it out made the whole place shake uncontrollably and the world around them began to dissolve. Applejack forced her way forward but was blinded in an explosion of light. A white sheen covered her eyes and when it was gone, they were all lying on the ashen ground. There was nothing left but a nest of twisted thorns. “That was one crazy ride,” Silver Lining said with a hint of thrill to his voice. He gently dropped Rainbow Dash down on the ground and stretched his back. “Seems like anypony could be an enemy by now, even renowned cider makers and show performers.” “At least we know how ta close them gates,” Applejack said and looked at the ground where it had stood. Her eyebrows creased with worry. “Ah just hope the ground will recover.” She sighed wearily and shifted the armour she was wearing. Although it was heavy and cumbersome, the many scratches and dents showed it had played its part. “I think a little congratulation is in order,” Silver Lining said proudly and bowed. “You really saved my life in there, kiddo. Without you, this young recruit and I would have joined Celestia in the next world and we’d never have closed the gate.” Applejack peered down at Rainbow Dash and a wide smile formed on her lips. Her chest heaved slightly from breathing and Applejack couldn’t suppress a few tears of joy. “Ah’m glad yer alright,” Applejack said and nuzzled her mane. Even in her sleep, Dash’s cheeks blushed. “Ah just hope it’s true for everypony else.” Silver Lining came up next to her and took Dash back up on her shoulders. He lowered the goggles to cover his face and spread his wings. “I’m going back to Cloudsdale with this recruit, but I’ll be back soon with reinforcement,” he said. “Stay sharp.” He was gone before Applejack could say anything. Silver Lining was just a small speck when the zebra commander from before approached her. “You closed the Gate?” he asked incredulously and traced a hoof across the thorns in the nest. The rain kept pounding down and his black mane clung to his face. Excitedly, he turned back towards Applejack. “I knew you could do it! This is our chance to launch a counterattack! I need you to come with us. You’ve got far more combat experience than these ponies.” Applejack looked at the few guards remaining. Some were still clutching broken shafts of spears, others bit down on their iron swords. All were muddied, bloodied and had dents in their armour. The rain cascaded down harder and harder. Applejack’s mane was coming undone and her coat was dark. She was shivering slightly, but fires were still raging inside and thick smoke mingled with the dark sky. Her face was clouded with doubt and her eyes dropping from weariness, yet still she nodded. The zebra commander lit up. “For Equestria!” he bellowed. “For Equestria!” they yelled back.
Chapter 4: Rescue The MayorOnce again, we return to Ponyville where a brave and tired Applejack is breaking through to the heart of the city. Twilight and Spike are beginning to see the split between allies as they move from city to city on duty from Celestia’s Academy of Magic. Rarity is having her reservations about her newfound penniless state among the impoverished of Canterlot. Fluttershy is trying to get past her fears and tread forward into the realm of Discord. Rainbow Dash has retired from the front and is nursing her wounds back in Cloudsdale. Pinkie is discovering a whole new side to herself, a darker side she didn’t know she had in her. THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY: THE EQUESTRIAN CRISIS CHAPTER 4 - RESCUE THE MAYOR - Ponyville was a sore sight. The rainclouds that pegasuses had positioned to mourn the death of Celestia could do nothing to kill the roaring fire that raged through the straw roofs and wooden walls. Smoking ruins and blackened beams were all that was left as Applejack, the zebra captain and a small handful of Celestia’s guards made their way through the soggy grass. Most of the inhabitants had made it out alive, but they encountered a lone body from time to time. Applejack made sure not to look too closely at them. She would lose all her courage if she found Fluttershy among them or somepony else that she knew. There were monsters present as well, ones that had encountered before, the imps with hairy bottoms and naked tops and the reptiles with scales and crest. Now that the gate had been closed, the monsters were stranded here and the only way to get rid of them would be to kill them. Applejack was weary to the bone, but she clutched her sword tightly between her teeth. When the monsters approached her, she took it in her hooves and sliced at them as hard as she could. They left neither blood nor corpse and simply disappeared in a rancid cloud of purple smoke. They made their way into the heart of town through the monsters. The guards did what they could with spears and axes, but the imps had sharps claws and the reptiles had pointy beaks. It nearly broke Applejack to see so much death and blood around her with all the peace she had known all of her life. She carried on with tears pressing behind her eyes and the goal cemented in her mind. She had to find Celestia’s heir and restore order to Equestria. It was a task that she could not fail for anything in the world. In silence they moved between the scorched remains of Ponyville, the zebra captain and his men in front with Applejack following behind them. Rain crept under her armour and though warm from the lands beyond the gate, it had quickly cooled down again. It was a dreadful feeling and she hated it, but that armour had protected her on more than one occasion. The scratches and dents were a testament to that. The closer they got to the centre of town, the less destruction they encountered. The fire had not reached here yet and hopefully never would. The market place still showed signs of panic though. Vendors and customers alike had scrambled over each other to evacuate when the smaller gates had first appeared. It could have been dramatically worse if they had known that they would be trapped in here once the larger one appeared. A flock of those strange quadrupeds stood around a tomato stand and sniffed at the red fruits with their big snouts. Their bat-like ears wriggled at the sound of movements and quickly noticed the procession of guards. The two groups clashed and the guards made short work of them. The imps gave pitiful cries as they disappeared and the guards carried on the same, like nothing had happened. Applejack stepped over a single dead guard whose throat had been ripped out, his blood mingling with the juice from the tomatoes. His still eyes stared pleadingly at nowhere in particular. Carts and stalls had been flipped, vegetables and fruit spilled and lives lost, the incessant rain only serving to further the gloom. The once so peaceful town lay in shambles, but very few residents lay here. At that moment when Applejack’s mood was reaching the lowest, still one thought persevered. Where there is a will, there is a way. The town would rise again. The city hall stood in a circular plaza with a little stream next to it. More creatures scampered around on their four legs, some of them turning to vandalism by tipping over a stone statue of a mare on her hind legs. The guards went to work and dispatched them, imps and reptiles alike. An eerie silence spread across the square, only intercepted by the drumming rain and the crackle of fire somewhere behind them, closer than they cared for. The zebra commander stepped up on the front porch and shook the doors, then proceeded to bang on it with his hooves and sword hilt. “Dammit, this is no good! The doors are locked,” he muttered in frustration and turned towards the windows. “HEY! Can anypony inside hear me? We’re guards from Canterlot! HEY!” He took a step back and looked at the situation, biting his lower lip in nervous rumination. Applejack didn’t mind the short break and sighed deeply, but she couldn’t stand idly around out here either. The zebra ushered a few of his subordinates towards the doors and commanded them to break them down, but they quickly learnt how sturdy they were. Made of wood, they were thick and reinforced with large bands of iron. Applejack observed their futile attempts and looked up. The mayor’s office was somewhere on top, in the spire of the conical red tile roof. That had to be where the last survivors were now huddling in fear. Between the roof and the ground floor was another floor, slightly smaller and separated by a large round plate that acted as a balcony. The windows up there were smashed, some at least, and looked to be freely enterable. This was in contrast to the ground floor where chairs and couches and other furniture had been piled up against the broken glass to prevent the beasts from entering. At least, any more than what might already be inside. The zebra commander waved and the guards ceased their attempts to enter. The town hall had been rebuilt to act as a shelter in times of crisis, a necessity that had become apparent from the infrequent monster attacks in later years. No one inside heard the rescue attempts, whether it was the rain muffling their cries, monsters having killed them all or that they were all at the top. “Commander, Ah think we need ta ask a pegasus from the camp for help,” Applejack said. She nodded towards the upper floor and the zebra went out into the rain again to have a look. “Well, perhaps it won’t be necessary, young earth pony,” the commander said. “Look!” Barely visible in their blue costumes against the grey sky, the Wonderbolts emerged from the distance, a small outfit led by a pony that Applejack recognised if nothing else from Rainbow Dash’s many recounts. Soarin’ landed in the soggy mud and folded his wings close to his body. His white coat was stained red and his blue hair clung to his neck from the rain. Ten more Wonderbolts passed over the city and landed, presumably, wherever they found stragglers. Only three of them accompanied Soarin’ down to the town hall. The otherwise merry pony had a grim look on his face. He was illuminated for a brief instance by a flash of lightning and he looked at Applejack sternly, almost frighteningly. “We were on our way back to Cloudsdale when we encountered Silver Lining. He explained briefly and we will help where we can,” Soarin’ said. “That’s mighty fine and all,” Applejack said, “but why are ya speaking ta me?” Soarin’ looked behind him and noticed at last the royal guards, all of which were still sheltering from the rain underneath the balcony. The zebra commander standing next to Applejack simply nodded. “You tell him, it was your plan anyway.” “Well, uh, Mr Soarin’ sir,” Applejack began nervously. She swallowed a lump in her throat and pointed up to the first floor windows. “There’re survivors in there, but we can’t get in with the door locked and all. We need a pegasus ta fly through those windows up there and open the doors from the inside.” “You heard the mare, get a move on,” Soarin’ yelled and threw his head in the direction of his team. They threw their hooves to their heads in a salute and entered the town hall from above. It didn’t take long before roars and scratching noises made the building rock in its foundation. As they had feared, there were monsters in there as well. The Wonderbolts quickly opened the doors and the guards stormed in. The zebra commander rushed in after them while Soarin’ and Applejack filed in behind. “Is everything all right?” Applejack asked and looked up at Soarin’. She remembered him as a goofier pony, not this sourpuss. “None of your business,” he snapped and picked up the pace. Affronted, Applejack was about to retort but the fighting inside the town hall quickly took her mind away from his bad manners. The Wonderbolts had been woefully unprepared. It was pure luck that no one had perished yet, but many had deep gashes ripping up their fabric uniforms. They had retreated to the windowsills and other platforms around the interior. It was with a sad smile that Applejack began to reminisce about the place. Nightmare Moon had once appeared up on that balcony where a blonde Wonderbolt tended to her wounds. It was at that time Applejack had understood how cruel this world could be and that life wouldn’t always be sunshine and happiness. She recalled how she had met all of her best friends on that day too, as if by fate. “This area’s clear. We’ve got to get further inside and find the Mayor before it’s too late. Move out!” the zebra commander bellowed. Applejack shook her head and followed behind them. There was no time to daydream when the mayor was still unaccounted for. The downstairs had been cleared and no survivors found. The barricades had held but also locked the monsters inside. A door led them to an outer ring, between the large common hall and the outside walls. It was eerily reminiscent of the tower she had climbed in the burning wasteland. She shuddered at the image and followed the procession upwards. The first floor was in a worse state of chaos than the floor below it, for the sole reason that there was more to wreak havoc on. Bookcases had been tipped and their contents spread across the floor, tables had been smashed and vases had been broken. There were no corpses here, though. No survivors had stopped here, either continuing ahead or gotten slaughtered downstairs. The monsters roamed here as well. It was just the guards and her now. She looked behind her, but Soarin’ and his Wonderbolts had stayed behind. The guards were getting tired, but they pressed on against the enemy and dealt with them effectively. They came to the end of the hallway and the zebra raised his hoof at the prospect of more stairs. Everypony fell quiet and he turned towards Applejack with a small smile on his lips. “All right, this is it! The Mayor is just upstairs, so we’ll stay behind and secure this floor. Don’t come back without her!” he encouraged. Applejack nodded and hurried up. There wasn’t much to be seen on the floors she traversed, mostly conference rooms and offices. She checked each of them, just in case and found only more monsters. The imps were trying to comprehend the finesses of studying by chewing on the books. They were like ugly children with sharp nails, the reptiles more like angry dogs with pointy teeth. Applejack had little time to study these curious beasts. They had a keen sense of smell and could detect her as she walked from room to room with hopes of finding the Mayor alive. She grabbed her sword and ran them through their hearts. No blood, only a slight whimper and poof, gone. Another flight of stairs ended directly in a door. She approached it warily and knocked melodically on the door. It creaked open and a pair of dark yellow eyes looked out at her. “Why, it’s... Applejack!” a voice said, and the door opened completely. Several elated ponies craned their necks to see this Applejack that had come to save them. They all beamed as she entered and the stallion that had opened for her shook her hoof. She smiled back at them nervously and looked around. All of the survivors showed various bruises and bumps but were all in good cheer. There were only one other official among. The mayor sat behind a heavy desk of finest, polished wood at the end of the spacious room. Several bookcases lined the walls and a snuggly rug covered the floor. A portrait of the sitting mayor stared down at them from between two windows. The fire outside shone through a window in the slanted roof and cast shadows on the walls. The Mayor herself sat in front of her desk among the others and almost looked like any other pony, had it not been for her yellow-rimmed glasses and her collar. “Applejack?” she asked surprised and got up to greet her. “We are all so glad to see you, but what are you doing here?” “Ah came ta find ya. There’s something Ah have ta ask ya... the balance of Equestria is on the line.” The Mayor was quiet for a long moment. “Is the way clear?” she finally asked, to which Applejack nodded. “All the monsters have been removed from the building. Guards are waiting below,” she replied. “Everypony!” The Mayor looked out at them with a bright smile. “I know the suspense has been terribly, but the wait is over. Please, go ahead.” Delighted chatter broke out among the survivors and they slowly milled out of the room one by one. The Mayor watched them with a concerned look and sighed deeply when they were all gone. Left were just her, Applejack and the grey stallion that had opened the door. His hair was light blue, almost greyish, and wore a collar with a half-eaten, slightly singed black tie. “Ah have ta find a pegasus,” Applejack said gravely. “Her name’s Starfire. Ya hearda her?” “Hmm,” the Mayor said and tapped her chin. “I’m sorry, Applejack, the name isn’t familiar to me.” “Starfire?” the older colt asked and looked at the Mayor. “I haven’t heard that name in nearly sixteen years. Wasn’t she the foal adopted by the Hooves family some sixteen years ago?” “The Hooves? ... Oh yes, now that you mention it, but I don’t think they kept the name Starfire though?” “Well?” Applejack looked nervously from one to the other. “Yes, I believe they did. If I recall correctly, they changed it to–” *** “Achoo.” “You’re not getting a cold, are you?” Pinkie asked and looked at Scootaloo with worry. “I hope not,” she replied, sniffing. “That would just be adding insult to injury.” “Ah told ya we shoulda stayed inside the tents,” Apple Bloom chided and looked at her. “Hey, I was the one who said that!” Sweetie Belle remarked. “You were the one who couldn’t wait to see your sister.” They were all gathered inside a large tent that Big Mac had been issued to keep an eye on the former Cutie Mark Crusaders. With Pinkie there, however, he was free to go outside and help wherever he was needed. She had been sitting them for a while now and it felt good to get the story off her chest. Pinkie had told most of what had transpired and they had patiently listened. It was a nice breather from all the stress she had endured and Pinkie was perking up again. Celestia’s and Luna’s death seemed like a far off event. “Look girls, the rain has stopped!” Pinkie exclaimed and pointed outside. “Probably realised it ain’t working on the fire,” Apple Bloom replied. “Do you mind if we went outside for a bit?” Scootaloo asked and rubbed her arms. “It’s getting stuffy in here.” Pinkie was about to answer but a yawn cut in front of her. “I was thinking we could check up on Fluttershy’s first?” “Don’t you think you should get some sleep first? You look, uhm... tired,” Sweetie Belle said. Another yawn interrupted Pinkie and her eyelids began to droop. “Just a teensy... weensy... snooze then. But don’t go too far, please? I promised the others I would keep an eye on you and my middle name is responsibility!” “We’re not little fillies anymore,” Scootaloo said crossly.. “Sure, Pinkie. Mah big brother might need some help,” Apple Bloom said and walked up to the tent flaps. “Your big brother’s always works himself too hard,” Sweetie Belle said and followed. “I’m sure he’s exhausted already.” Pinkie waited until they were gone and fell down on her back, the sleeping bag catching her. “They’ve grown so much,” she sighed and wiped a happy tear from her cheek. Staring vacantly up at the canvass ceiling, her thoughts turned towards her own family and how little she had communicated with them in the past years. The bedroll was warm and comforting, much more inviting than the train seats. Her eyelids snapped close in matter of seconds. Soon she was snoring and her hind leg kicking. A shadow fell on her face unnoticed as a pony suddenly appeared before her. “So, the deed is done,” the shape said in a drawl and Pinkie bolted upright. “How do I know this? You will find that the Dark Brotherhood knows a great many things. For you are now part of the family.” She stared with fear up into the lavender eyes of the pony she had met on the train. He brushed his hood off his face and revealed a satisfied smile. “I really did kill that old stallion then?” Pinkie asked, trembling with small tears trickling down her cheek. “Indeed,” he said simply, his voice like always taking its time. “The slaying of Rough Spirit was the signing of a covenant, the manner of execution your signature; his blood the ink. As a Speaker of the Black Hoof, I directly oversee a particular group of family members. You will join that group and fulfil any contracts given. You must now go to the city of Baltimare, to the abandoned house on the eastern part of town. Enter the basement and attempt to open the black door. You will be asked a question. Answer thus, “Sanguine, my Brother,” and you will gain entrance to the Sanctuary. Once inside, speak with Thunder Chaser. We must now take our leave of each other, you and I, for there is much work to be done. I’ll be following your, hmm... progress. Welcome to the family, Miss Pie.” Like last time, Prince Lace came unannounced and left just as mysteriously. Though an earth pony, he had the uncanny ability to render himself unseen save for a small blur around him. Pinkie had no reply and lay silent on her back, too afraid to go back to sleep or move. “Everything he told me is true then,” she muttered and lifted her hoofs up to her face. As if seeing the blood there, she pounded them into the ground. The tears wouldn’t stop forcing themselves out of her clenched eyes. “There is... no place... for me here,” she heaved and wiped her eyes. “The girls will be safe here and Applejack can take care of herself. It’s time that I... that I started helping out as well. The best way I can.” She sat back down at the table with a scrap of paper before her and a pencil in her mouth. For a few moments she contemplated what to write, the words eluding her. In the end, she just wrote what came to mind first. “I’m sorry, Applejack and everyone, but I have to leave. I think I may have found a way to get one of the Elements back. No matter what happens, we’ll always be friends. When this all ends, we’ll have a big party with cake and balloons. I’m doing this for you. I just want you to smile forever.” She smiled and fondly recalled the better times. The tears threatened to return, but Pinkie took a deep breath and put the pen and paper away. The world outside the tent had become dark and oppressing. It seemed that everypony knew of the things she had done. Their stares all felt accusing and she tried to avoid being seen. She stealthily crept from tent to tent, evading other ponies’ gazes as she moved towards the train station. *** Las Pegasus is the place to be, a brightly coloured city where any vice can be satisfied if you have the bits. Twilight was highly unaccustomed to such sights and noise, and she was quite taken aback. It was just her luck that the train station had dropped her off in the most tourist friendly part of town. The bright neon signs reflected in her big eyes as she stared out of the window at all the casinos and hotels. Even Spike was paying attention, his face pressed against the glass pane of the carriage. Even here in midday, the town was alive with a buzz and a hum. She could spend all day just wandering around to take it all in if she didn’t have business to do. They eventually put the glitz behind them and found the city to be more than simply a long road full of attractions. As they passed the splendour, the city took on a more normal appearance. It looked in many ways like the affluent neighbourhoods of Fillydelphia but had the atmosphere of Baltimare. The houses were solidly built from stone and more often than not had a few floors to them. Their carriage came to a stop in front of a long row of stone houses. It looked like one long house was it not for the many doors. The road was paved with smooth stones and the slightly elevated sidewalk was of a rougher, lighter grey stone. A large sign next to a round window announced that they had arrived at the “Royal Equestrian School for the Study of Magic.” Twilight gazed up at the facade with heightened interest. There was something gothic about the style, quite unlike anything she had otherwise been met with. The windows were narrow and tall, set with heavy, green glass. The roof was dark brown and constructed from many overlapping tiles, pointing upwards in a triangular shape. She paid the fare and jumped outside. A chill wind blew and grabbed at her coat. Spike rubbed his arms and hurried to open the thick wooden doors slung with iron bars. The interior was more comfortable if not a bit gloomy still with only small lanterns to illuminate the pale grey walls. Carpets in dark colours and of many intricate designs decorated the wooden floors while tapestries with old symbols adorned the walls. Wooden shelves along the walls contained a few books, some alchemical instruments and ingredients in bowls. The building was only sparsely populated, and a single pegasus sat by a table talking to an earth pony stallion in a fine shirt. “You think that’s the headmaster?” Spike asked. Twilight procured her to-do list and traced the note with her hoof. “No, the headmaster is supposed to be a mare. I guess that stallion is just a teacher then, though oddly fine dressed.” A set of stairs in front of the entrance led up to a large library. It followed the same rules for decoration as the floor below, but the shelves were packed with books. The tables were empty as well and had small benches in front of them. A female earth pony sat in front of a large round window. She had a coat like ripe raspberries with a light yellow mane braided behind her and eyes of darkest purple. Her cutiemark were three seeds growing and sprouting. “That must be Drizzle,” Twilight muttered and packed her list back into her saddle. She looked up as she heard Twilight’s hooves on the wooden stairs. “I trust you have good reason for interrupting me?” she said and put away her book. “Sheesh, are all headmasters like this?” Spike asked sarcastically. “Running a school is no small task. It’s understandable if they’re a little stressed,” Twilight whispered back to her dragon assistant. “She doesn’t look stressed to me.” “I have a small problem concerning Meteor Thorn. He’s one of the students here. Think you can do something about it?” Drizzle asked, not even waiting for Twilight to represent herself. “You ARE from the academy, are you not?” “Yes, I am! Twilight Sparkle at your service,” Twilight said proudly. “And what is so important about this Meteor Thorn that you had to write to the Academy?” “I just don’t have the time to search for him again, but I do need to consult him about some notes he borrowed. You might want to ask around, and see if anyone can be of some help. Let me know when he’s back,” Drizzle said and resumed her reading. “A missing student?” Twilight asked. “Sounds more like a case for the police,” Spike remarked and leant up against Twilight. “There’s no need to get the police involved. Besides, there might not be anything wrong at all,” Twilight said in a hushed voice and then directed her attention back towards Drizzle. “What can you tell me about Meteor Thorn?” “He’s... well, an interesting unicorn,” Drizzle said without looking up from her book. “I’m sure the others can tell you more about him if you’re interested.” Twilight looked around and noticed an elderly earth pony with olive green coat. He sat in a corner, sampling a batch of cookies and nibbled on the treats. She went across the floor and he looked up at her with his chocolate brown eyes. He swallowed the mouthful and greeted her warmly. “I’m Strong Hooves, a teacher of the school, and I’m so pleased to make your acquaintance,” he said and shook her hoof. “Hello Strong Hooves, my name is Twilight Sparkle and I’m from the Academy. I heard one of your students is missing?” she said and wiped crumbs off her hoof. “Yes, terrible, isn’t it?” He shook his head and picked up another cookie. “Drizzle sent him to study outside of the city, but he missed his weekly report. We’re understandably getting a little worried.” “You expelled him?” Spike asked and scratched his head. “Oh, no, nothing like that!” Strong Hooves slapped his leg and chuckled. “Meteor is a bright young stallion, but we feared his experiments would endanger the city. We agreed it would be best if he continued his studies in a cave nearby. Let me see... I think it was called Bleak Flats Cave.” “And where can I find that?” Twilight asked inquisitively. “It’s just behind the school. Take the back exit and walk across the grass until you see a rock mound with a door in it. He should be somewhere inside.” The weather was clearing up by the time Twilight got outside again. The ground was still wet and the mud slippery. She trod carefully across the ocean of grass to the outskirts of the city. There were no walls and the transition from city to country was fluid and practically seamless. One minute, she had a hard, cold surface under her, the next she had a soggy, wet one. Bleak Flats Cave was impossible to miss. It was an enormous heap of boulders jutting out of the landscape with a few planks of wood acting as a door. The insides sloped downwards and were lit by torches hanging on the rough walls and candles set in small niches. The ground was bumpy, stamped earth and the movement of Twilight’s hoof was dulled to quiet thuds. She had barely entered before a low moan reverberated through the walls. As she got further in, a sickly green pony caught sight of her. It hobbled down the tunnel, giving off a deep throaty sound. It had lost all hair on its body, its skin had rotted and fallen off in places, its left eye and front leg was missing and the ribs on the right side was bared. “Z-z-zombie pony!” Spike said frightened and pointed at it. “Spike, get behind me – NOW.” He didn’t need to be told twice and retreated to Twilight’s side. She thought back to her escape with the Princess. Back then, they had encountered something like this as well. With as much calm as she could summon, she tried to recall what Celestia had done at that time. She had used a spell, a very specific one to repel this type of creature. Twilight closed her eyes and concentrated on conjuring the magic needed and channelled it through her horn. Flames licked it, but separated from the bone by a magical buffer. The fire grew in size and heat until she stood with an orb only slightly smaller than her head. Although a complicated process, it took her seconds to manifest. The fireball blew from her horn and engulfed the zombie. It gave a slight moan before falling to its knees, and then finally to its side. The fire dissipated and the zombie had returned to its lifeless state. “Why is this thing here?” Twilight shot it a contemptuous look as she gave it a wide berth in her way past it. “I hope this isn’t what Meteor’s been doing. Necromancy had been forbidden for a long, long time.” “Well it wasn’t much of a challenge,” Spike said and wrinkled his nose at the acrid fumes escaping the lifeless corpse. The rest of the cave gave little variation with long narrow tunnels ending in wide chambers from which more tunnels carried off. All the while, the sound of the dead laments persisted as a monotonous background tune. Twilight tried to conserve her magic, but there were no other ways to deal with the zombies as they shuffled and limped slowly through the cave. When they at last came to the end, they found a mint green unicorn with a thick, shoulder-length mane in an olive colour, huddled in a corner of his private little study. He had a bedroll on the ground and a niche carved into the wall where he had placed his belongings. He looked up with his frightful brown eyes and backed as hard up against the wall as he could. “You must be Meteor Thorn,” Twilight said empathically. “I’m Twilight Sparkle, and I’m from the Academy. What happened here?” “Are those horrible creatures gone? I’m not going anywhere until they’re gone! Horrible things!” he exclaimed, shivering and shaking in fear. “Sir, calm down. The zombies have been taken care of.” Twilight stepped into his little room and the pony began to calm down. “They’re all gone? I can leave the cave? Oh, thank you! I’m ever so grateful!” he said, jumped up and embraced Twilight with tears of delight escaping his eyes. “I’ve been trapped for days! I didn’t even dare move a muscle.” He let her go again, warmth returning to his face, in eyes and smile especially. “I take it you weren’t behind them then?” Twilight asked, to which he shook his head. “No, by Celestia, no! I’m just a simple sorcerer... you did see my equipment on the way, didn’t you?” One of the last rooms she had traversed had contained a fire pit and some spread instruments, no doubt related to his smoke cutiemark. Twilight nodded and Meteor Thorn gave a sigh of relief. “You’re heading back to the city, aren’t you? Could I... maybe come with you? It’d be safer, I think.” “Sure,” Twilight said and gave an encouraging smile. “It wouldn’t feel right just leaving you here after all you’ve been through.” Meteor Thorn pulled a rope next to his bedroll and a section of the wall slid open to reveal a shortcut that put them almost back at the entrance. He bid her farewell again at the school entrance, leaving Twilight with almost half her duties done. She took out her list and a quill and crossed Las Pegasus out. Next would be Trottingham, then Manehattan, Ponyville and lastly Hoofington. She gave a sigh and looked at Spike as she put away her equipment again. “Have you started to notice a pattern?” Spike looked at her as if awakening from a daydream. He simply gave a shrug as Twilight hailed another carriage to take them to the train station. “First was those black gems filled with dark magic, and now zombie ponies. If I didn’t know better, I’d almost say someone is organising a revival of necromancy.” *** “Ah, there you are!” Master Vision said. Fluttershy looked up and saw the dark purple pony walk up the incline towards her. “The arrows are ready if you are. We might die, but there are worse things.” Having left Master Vision to his whittling, Fluttershy had contented herself with exploring Discord’s realm. At least the small area around Passwall that was available to her. She had located an inn where she had been able to acquire a fulfilling herbal meal, rather than the cooked amphibians they otherwise served here. She hadn’t wanted to go back to Master Vision’s house with all those bones strewn across his place, so instead she had went to the plaza where the Gatekeeper roamed. It didn’t react to Fluttershy as she kept her distance, sitting quietly on the stairs. She felt a stab of sadness at what she would have to do. She didn’t enjoy the prospect of having to kill this thing, even if it was the only way to get past but she needed to see Discord and get her element back. If only she could reason with this thing. Instead, she found herself nodding. “Good,” Master Vision said. “I can’t wait to see his bones without the flesh on them.” He took the bow slung around his shoulder and went inside the ring. The Gatekeeper roared at the intrusion, but Master Vision simply stood up on his hind legs to free his arms and nocked an arrow. It whizzed through the air and hit the monster in its shoulder, shedding blood and making it howl in pain. It charged at him, but Fluttershy intervened. As much as she didn’t want to hurt the Gatekeeper, she wanted Master Vision to be hurt even less. Unarmed and afraid, there really wasn’t much that she could do except to fly around him like an annoying fly and taking his attention away. Master Vision shot another arrow that hit its back. Immediately, the Gatekeeper turned to swing its bladed right arm at him, but Fluttershy circled its head. Every time that an arrow hit it and the Gatekeeper was about to change target, Fluttershy flew as close as she dared. The arm swung around dangerously but Fluttershy knew to keep her distance. Another three arrows, and the blood oozed down its arms and back. Unable to take another step, the Gatekeeper accepted defeat, reluctantly, and collapsed. “The Gatekeeper is slain. Congratulations.” Master Vision stood with a wide smile, panting from the exertion. His bow had already found its place by his side again. “The honour of taking the keys from his corpse is yours.” She hovered back down to the ground and landed on its stomach, looked nervously at the corpse. Heavy bands of iron were wrapped around its shaved, naked torso. Another set of bands acted as a loincloth to cover it. Fluttershy hesitated, unsure what to do, so she held her breath and extended a hoof down its iron bands. She found nothing by its chest and moved further and further down with an increasing look of discomfort on her face until she retrieved a large, blue key. “As soon as you get those doors unlocked, I’m going in!” Master Vision said eagerly, not catching how disgusted Fluttershy was as she held the key as far away from her as she could. Her face turned green and she looked ready to hurl at any moment. She was unable to say anything through the revulsion, but one thing crossed her mind again and again. “I just want to be back in Ponyville, among my animals and my friends. I don’t care that Rarity had broke up our group, I don’t care that the elements were stolen, I just want things to go back to how they once were.” The gateway wasn’t tall, just very, very large, with the volume of a house. The gates themselves were heavy iron doors set into the grey bricks and contained just a simple lock. But the same magic that prevented pegasuses from simply flying over also prevented any meddling. Only the key taken from the dead Gatekeeper could unlock the way through. The key slid into the lock and turned on its own without Fluttershy assisting it. A crack appeared in the doors and light streamed in, more and more until they were wide open. Master Vision appeared next to her and together they entered the realm of Discord. The strange plants she had observed growing outside the gates were nothing compared to the inside. Even the trees looked different, like massive walls of bark with gigantic crowns. Colourful flowers intermingled with the lush green grass and slimy tentacles crept down rock walls. Master Vision inhaled deeply and sighed explosively. Rather than going with Fluttershy, he sat down in the grass. She was once again alone; alone and a little afraid. But she was a grown mare now and had to do some things on her own. She couldn’t continue to hide behind her friends and animals. She creased her brow determinedly and continued ahead. The road was long still and New Discord was far away, nothing but a speck on the horizon. It took her the better part of the day to get there. Strangely, she met no signs of life on the way, only twisted animals resembling shuffling trees and some giant insects with razor sharp pincers. The roads were safe though and patrolled by guards wearing armour that resembled a mixture of Celestia’s and Luna’s with gilded, dark colours. The ponies wearing them had no colour unity however, but they reacted just as stoically and ignored her completely. Her reason for taking such a long time to make the journey was largely the long road and partly her desire to enjoy the good weather and curiously investigate every little new thing she happened upon. New Discord was bustling with life, its houses made of dark stones and badly illuminated in places. The city contained a fluent transition from rich to poor, from dirty to clean, with a large palace looming above. There were many more ponies here and they seemed to fall into two groups. There were normal looking ponies, all of them utterly mad, hiding their heads for fear of the sky falling down or mumbling to themselves, and then there ones with ludicrous colour schemes or strange cutiemarks. Some were rich and pranced around, others were poor and idly sat wherever they could find peace. More of the strangely armoured ponies guarded the only stairs up to the palace but didn’t object to Fluttershy slinking past them. She met no ordinary citizens from that point, only a host of guards with swords and maces strapped to their sides. The walls gleamed white and Fluttershy shrunk at the size of it all. She walked apprehensively, afraid of getting into contact with anyone and whimpered slightly. That the palace had a sizeable garden helped her mood to some extent and she became more determined the further she went inside the courtyard. Over and over again, she muttered to herself to be strong. “I’m doing this for my friends and for Equestria, not for Discord.” The interior of the palace was as twisted as the outside, with a gigantic tree carved into a throne at the very back, its crown spreading out under the ceiling. The floor was a wide walkway of stone set between trenches of water and Discord himself sat smugly on his seat, controlling the interior weather with the twist of a finger. As soon as Fluttershy entered and descended the stairs, large pink clouds formed above her and threatened to rain their chocolaty goodness on her. “My dear Fluttershy, you have arrived!” Discord said playfully and made the clouds form rude gestures. A pair of particularly ample buttocks stalked Fluttershy, who meeped and felt her confidence drain again. She took a deep breath and ponied herself up. “You give me back my element this instant, mister, or I’ll... I’ll... I’ll be very mad at you!” Fluttershy said and stood her ground. Discord responded by laughing at her and then got up to his full length. “I already told you, it isn’t me who stole the elements.” He disappeared, but his voice remained and a shadow moved around Fluttershy. “It worries me that someone actually managed to do it, however. His power has to be equal of my own.” “W-w-what do you mean?” Fluttershy asked nervously and gave the room shifting glances. “Oh, don’t you get it yet?” Discord mocked, his head appearing up in the candyfloss clouds. “Then let me put it simple. The one who stole the element is an ancient manifestation of destruction, just like I am the manifestation of chaos.” Discord reappeared on his throne with arms resting on the supports. “Do you understand now? We’re talking about an incarnation of the most primal desire in little pony hearts, the one that makes kids kick sandcastles and adults wage war.” “How... how do you know all of this?” Fluttershy asked in disbelief and looked up at the draconequus in fear. “As delighted as I am to have you here, my fine feathered friend, I fear that your killing of the Gatekeeper has brought about some... unforeseen consequences.” A glass appeared in Discord’s left hand. A cloud descended to fill it with chocolate milk. “You didn’t answer my question,” Fluttershy said irritated. Discord gave a derisive laugh. “You must run a little errand for me. Just a small one, and I promise you that we can get to look for your precious element.” Discord swallowed the chocolate milk, then tossed the glass behind him where it exploded. “You will be going to Xedilian, one of my favourite places in my entire realm. With the Gatekeeper dead, ponies will try and enter this realm, some I’m sure that you know well.” The clouds twirled around beneath the ceiling until Fluttershy saw her own reflection. The blank surface rippled and then showed three anonymous ponies in red robes appearing on the hill where Fluttershy too had entered. The vision faded and she once again looked at the smirking Discord. “Running a world between worlds can be so tiresome sometimes. Until we can arrange for a new Gatekeeper, we will have to get Xedilian up and running again,” Discord said playfully. “What is Xedilian?” Fluttershy asked, afraid of the answer yet too curious not to know. “One of my earliest inventions. Quite a marvellous one at that!” Discord laughed, no doubt remembering something that only a twisted mind like his would find funny. “Suffice to say that it was an early attempt of mine to sift through those wishing to enter my realm.” “And how will I get there?” Fluttershy asked and hoped to prove a flaw in his plans so that she wouldn’t have to do this. “Oh, but Fluttershy, you’re already there!” “What?” She turned around to see what he could mean and found a large iron door behind her that had not been there previously. She looked ahead again and saw a long stretching hallway, Discord’s throne gone. In fact, she was no longer in New Discord at all, instead finding herself in a completely different building. Most likely Xedilian. She gave an angry little sigh and blew a lock of purple hair away from her eyes. *** Rarity put on her best smile as a dirty unicorn in grimy clothes handed her a bowl of porridge. For a pony that had always had food on the table and money in her pockets, Rarity now found herself in a very unfamiliar situation. Never had she thought that she would be sitting here among the beggars of Canterlot and enjoy a meal of unknown origin. But she was hungry and couldn’t deny the meagre meal, however revolting she found it. She nipped at it, the thick brown liquid passing her lips. At first just slurping, she ravenously downed the entire content of the bowl. She quickly licked the bowl clean and placed it beside her on the ground with a satisfied smile on her lips. “Everything tastes better when you’re hungry.” The pony that had poured for her smiled. “It is... quite something,” she replied unsure. Despite being poor, none of them seemed distraught. They were chatting merrily and had everything one could ask for. The wall around Canterlot provided them with shelter and food could always be found by those searching hard enough. Add to that the spirit of unity, and it felt more like a club than a dishevelled gang of tramps. It was midday and most of them were off inside the city to beg while the rest sat around the campfire exchanging stories. “There are just other places I’d rather be.” She looked up at the sky and allowed the sun to warm her face. “If only we could find the elements and get this whole thing over with. I’m tired of sleeping on dirty, cold, hard ground... and I miss poor Opalescence.” A zebra sat down next to her. The grey background of his skin stood in contrast with his pronounced black stripes. He had a long mane of black hair combed back, probably with the help of some sort of cream. Though not a pony in the strictest meaning of the word, he still had a cutiemark of sorts, but not one that made much sense to Rarity. It just looked like a bunch of squiggly lines forming a strange pattern. “I don’t think I got your name,” he said. “It’s Rarity,” she replied tiredly. “And you are?” “Armand. Would you mind telling me what you’re doing here? You look a little too clean to be doing this for the money.” His voice was inquisitive, like a small child’s “You’re not the only one to say that.” Rarity passed her bowl to the unicorn again and was served another helping from the pot stirring over the fire. “It isn’t something I wish to discuss, so suffice to say I made a bad decision and betrayed all my friends with nothing to show for it.” “I think I’ve seen you somewhere before... You said your name was Rarity?” Armand asked. Rarity didn’t reply and began to eat her second serving with more manners than her first portion. “I know! You’re the element of generosity, aren’t you?” With her mouth full of food, she opened her eyes wide and looked into his. She nearly choked and swallowed her mouthful as fast as she could and coughed. “I was... once. Now that the Elements have been stolen, I hardly think it matters anymore.” “The Elements have been stolen?” Armand leaned back and whistled. “Hoo-wee, what I wouldn’t give to shake the hoof of whoever pulled that one off!” “So you’re saying that the Thieves Guild had nothing to do with it?” Rarity accused. “Of course not. We’re only interested in money, and we would never be able to sell the Elements. Besides, those things were supposed to be too heavily guarded. Even I thought it impossible.” “Hm. Was there anything you wanted?” Rarity asked flatly and took another sip from her bowl. “You’re the newest recruit. If you want to stay in the guild, you will have to do jobs for us, and I have one just for you,” Armand said deviously. “Really?” Rarity said disinterested and quietly slurped her porridge. “Just a few hours ago, you told to me to wait till nightfall.” “That was before I remembered that I have a uh... situation that you might be able to help with. So what’d you say, huh?” he asked enticingly. Rarity sighed, putting the empty bowl down and wiped her mouth with her arm. “If I must, but just as long as it isn’t something too difficult. I’m a lady, after all, not a thief.” “That’s the spirit!” he laughed and clapped Rarity on the back. “The Grey Fox has asked me to take care of a problem, and I’m putting you on it. Shining Armour actually collected taxes from everypony living here outside the walls! Your job is to recover those taxes.” “S-Shining Armour?” Rarity had a sudden burst of interest and turned her head towards Armand. “You know him?” he asked curiously. “Well, just that he’s Celestia’s captain of the guard!” Rarity smiled widely and avoided eye contact. “How... noble of you thieves to care about the poor.” Armand gave an approving grunt and nodded. “The ponies outside the walls are very poor. Traditionally the city has not collected taxes from them, even though by law they could. The money the city would collect would barely cover the cost of collecting. The Grey Fox has always guaranteed protection to the poor outside the walls. He doesn’t want to let this injustice stand. It’s a matter of principle.” “And why exactly would this Grey Fox, as you call your leader, even care about the poor to begin with?” Rarity asked more confidently in an attempt to shift the subject. “The Grey Fox has led our guild for over three hundred years now. He has always guaranteed protection to the poor outside the walls. He’s a righteous stallion, not like that Shining Armour,” Armand explained admiringly and looked up into the sky, then hardening his voice. “That pony is a fool, a real law and order type with a grudge against the Thieves Guild and the Grey Fox in particular. Shining Armour has made it his personal mission to capture him, but the Grey Fox will outwit him.” “I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for this,” Rarity suggested, but Armand shook his head and got up on his hooves again. “Find out where he’s keeping the taxes and bring them to me. I’ll also need the tax records of what each citizen paid so we can return it.” Armand left her again, and she watched him walk away with distant eyes. “How could I have been so foolish?” she thought. “Of course Twilight’s brother lives here, I could have asked him for help instead of these thieves. They probably won’t even notice I’m gone.” With a plan forming in her mind, Rarity got up as well and left for the gates. First in a natural trod until she was inside the city, and then in a fast pace. “I wonder where he can be found though? What am I saying, he’s bound to be in the barracks!” The barracks of Celestia’s guards was placed on the palace grounds, tugged away in a corner where no pony usually came. A sign stood out front with the silhouette of guard holding a spear. The outside was a square white building with ivy creeping up the walls and a heavy wooden door. The floor and walls inside were of a red stone. Oval rugs in red and blue fabrics covered the floor, while small plants were fenced in to add to the inviting atmosphere. Benches had been placed along some of the walls where civilian ponies and guards alike sat. Here, Rarity slowed down. She had never been here before and she walked slowly through the room until she encountered a low-hanging sign on her right. It contained no text like most signs in Equestria, but simply displayed of a helmet. She recognised the shape as belonging to the captain of the guard, and she once again picked up her pace and rushed up the stairs where she emerged in a long hallway. Far on her right were the sleeping quarters of the guards and on her left was another sign with the helmet. The room beyond was large and the walls lined with impassive guards, all of them simply staring right ahead. In the middle of the floor stood a mildly raised platform with more plants like a small park and a bench on top. Shining Armour was not around, however, so Rarity proceeded through this room and finally came to a large office at the other end. There sat Twilight’s brother, looking tired and haggard, hunched over towering piles of papers that he was editing or signing with a quill. He wore his usual purple armour but without the helmet. He looked up and it took him a moment to comprehend who stood before him. “Rarity, right? Twilight’s friend?” he asked and suppressed a yawn. Taken aback, Rarity entered and looked around. His helmet had been placed on a shelf along with some other interesting artefacts and books, while a giant map of Equestria was displayed behind him. The most prominent feature was the heavy wooden desk that was cluttered really badly with papers. “Yes,” Rarity simply said with difficulty in finding her words. “How may I help you?” Despite obviously being buried in work already, he still asked the question. “Well, it’s silly, really. I accidently cut a hole in my pouch and then all my bits dropped out and now I don’t have the money to get a train home,” Rarity explained and shook it off with a laugh. “I don’t suppose you could help a lady out?” “I’m really sorry, Rarity, but I can’t spare a cent right.” Shining took the quill with his magic again and started scribbling. “But I’m only asking for the few bits it’ll take me to get to Fillydelphia!” Rarity smiled nervously and Shining responded with a frustrated sigh. “Look,” he said and ran a hoof through his hair, his voice shaking. “You don’t know what it’s been like here in Canterlot since Celestia’s death. The ministers have all assigned me so many new duties... I haven’t even been home with my wife and son in three days. And on top of that, they asked me to tax the poor outside the walls! Can you believe it?” “Well, it’s funny you should mention it,” Rarity said and smiled sheepishly. “Since I didn’t have any money, I may have accidently gotten involved with the Thieves Guild that may or may not have asked me to retrieve the tax money and the records of it.” Shining Armour opened a drawer in his desk and withdrew from it a leather pouch and a scroll of paper. He placed it on the desk before him, stood up and flexed his tired muscles. “I need a break,” he said and left. Rarity watched perplexed as Shining Armour left his office through a side door, and then looked at the things he had left behind. “Oh. Oh! Wait, I didn’t mean...” Rarity trailed off as the door closed behind Shining Armour. She hesitated for a moment before taking both paper and pouch into her saddlebags and left as well. None of the guard ponies outside stopped her, nor did they react to her clinking saddle. She roused no suspicion on her way back and when she arrived at the homeless hideout again, she found Armand to be waiting for her, standing by the campfire. She shrugged off her satchel and the leather pouch spilled out along with the scroll of paper. “Ah, the Gray Fox will be very pleased.” Armand nudged the pouch with his hoof and all the bits spilled out. His lips moved as sifted through the coins, but only a faint whisper escaped him. Finally he reared his head back in laughter. “Fifty-three bits! Can you believe that fool even bothered to collect this paltry sum? You know what, keep it. I merely wanted the guards to know they went too far, and... I think it’s time to promote you to Footpad. Congratulations on your new guild rank.” “Fifty-three bits?” Armand nodded and took the scroll in his mouth. He shook his head, still giggling, and went off on his own again. “Why that would be enough to get me home, even pay for a proper meal on the train!” The pouch was engulfed in a blue aura and flew back into her saddle. Rarity made a beeline for the train station, her gait giddy. She went out of the small area between the wall and the shanties and out into the road, but stopped up. Conflict screwed up her face and she looked up at the sky. “But is that the right thing to do? This isn’t my money. Do I really want to go back to my parents’ basement?” She paced the ground, talking to herself and throwing her head around. “It’s your own fault that you ended up like this. You could have stayed with Twilight or, better yet, believed your friends over a shady businesspony.” Once again she paused, looking from the train station in front and the homeless camp. “No, I must endure filth, dirt, even hobos!” Rarity said dramatically and took out the pouch. “I must find the Elements of Harmony, even if it means living with these... ahem, charming ponies.” Author's Note I've tried updating this chapter more to my current standards, but so many things were done differently. Make the best of what I have, eh? Well I'm done updating these chapters.
Chapter 5: The Princess’s DaughterThe ponies are preparing for the adventure of their lives. Some take it as comes while others find it hard to cope and adjust. However, they are all getting a step closer to finding their elements. Some have started a long time ago and some have only just realised the path they must take. But the battle for Equestria’s safety has only begun. With the mystery of Celestia’s daughter unravelled, do they stand a chance against the forces that threaten not just their lives, but their very history as well? THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY: THE EQUESTRIAN CRISIS CHAPTER 5 - THE PRINCESS’S DAUGHTER - Rainbow Dash woke with a jolt and nearly banged her head on the bed on top. She recognised the place as the Wonderbolt’s dormitory where all the new recruits slept. “Celestia’s assassination... it was just a dream,” Rainbow said and relaxed back on her pillow. “Heh, more like a nightmare really.” “You’re finally awake,” a voice said and a silver-haired Wonderbolt in full getup appeared next to her. No, something was wrong. It was evening now, which could only mean one thing. Alarm washed over Dash as she realised the troubling events that had knocked her out in the first place. “Is Ponyville all right?” Rainbow asked frantically and struggled to get out of bed. “That’s the first thing you’re asking me, recruit? Not how I am?” Silver Lining asked sternly. Dash ceased fidgeting with her sheets and looked up at him with surprised. A large smile cracked his face. “Ponyville is okay, all thanks to that earth pony. Applejack, I think she called herself.” “Applejack?” Rainbow asked hopefully and fidgeted harder than ever, knocking herself down to the ground. “She was very concerned about you. I barely even mentioned you before she just charged into that tower.” Rainbow Dash finally freed and threw the sheet on the floor. “Listen, there’s something you have to know! The Elements have been stolen! I didn’t get a chance to tell you, but...” “I already know,” Silver said with concern and bowed his head. “We are guards of Celestia after all. I’d wager we knew even before you.” “I have to talk to Spitfire!” Dash said urgently and went through her dresser. “We have to find the Elements immediately. Who knows what they can be used for in the wrong hoofs?” “I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” Silver Lining said mournfully. Dash caught the tone and peeked up from the drawer. “She and Soarin’ were closing another one of those gates outside Las Pegasus. Spitfire... she didn’t make it back outside.” “No.” Rainbow clenched her eyes shut, shivering slightly. “I will make them all pay,” she said and continued with finding her Wonderbolt uniform. “You will do no such thing,” Silver said sternly, but Dash ignored him and put on her uniform. “Soarin’ is doing his best as we speak to find the Elements. There’s nothing you can do now but to perform your duties. The Wonderbolts are busier than we have been in years.” “I can’t just pretend that all of this didn’t happen!” Rainbow shouted, her eyes watering slightly. She shook it off and brushed past Silver Lining. “You have no idea where to go or what to do, Rainbow Dash. Meanwhile, ponies out there are suffering and need our help. Will you ignore them?” Silver asked, making Dash stop in her tracks and looking up at the ceiling. “I have to get back to Ponyville,” she said, trying to control her voice. “And I won’t stop you,” Silver said softly and came up next to Dash. “But you also have a job to do. The police chief of Manehattan himself personally asked for our help. You handled yourself well in that wasteland, so I want you to take this opportunity. I won’t have to stress how important this job could be to us?” “No, sir,” Dash said solemnly and looked straight ahead. “I’ll go there as quickly as I can.” *** It was about evening when Pinkie arrived in Baltimare. It was still light outside and the city was alive with early evening activities. The air was filled with concerned chatter discussing the latest events. The news about the royal deaths weighed heavily on their minds and that only Cadence was left as an alicorn. The blame and guilt Pinkie felt from all of her killings made her nervous about contact and she walked furtively through the streets. No one paid any attention to her though. No one could know the murders that Pinkie had committed, but she was getting paranoid. It was a relief when she finally came to the abandoned house that she had been directed towards. The grass was unkempt with weeds growing uncontrollably, and all windows and the door were boarded up. As the planks had not been connected to the frame, the door easily swung inwards. The inside was in a similar state of disarray with overturned furniture and dust everywhere. The door to the basement only hung on half its hinges, and a wall down been broken down. A tunnel carved into the dirt and stone was bathed in a red light. At the end, Pinkie found a heavy iron door with strange images: a hoof adorning a skull on top with Luna raising the blessed Moon beneath and ponies revelling in its light. “What is the colour of Luna’s night?” the door asked in a deep voice. “Sanguine, my brother,” Pinkie replied quietly. The door swung open with no external help and revealed what looked like an old bunker with low ceiling and stone surfaces. A pegasus stepped forward, she with a lavender coat and chocolate brown mane smoothed behind and down her back. “Greetings! Greetings! I am Thunder Chaser, mistress of this sanctuary.” Her voice had strength to it, but was also welcoming. “Lace has told me all about you. Let me welcome you to the Dark Brotherhood!” Pinkie followed her inside as Chaser gave a tour of the facilities. “The training hall is on your left and the sleeping quarters on your right. I and the other high-ranking members are sleeping in our own rooms just down the corridor. If you have any questions, be sure to ask me or one of your new brothers or sisters.” “I’m sure I’ll be... happy here,” Pinkie said with her head bowed to the ground and lip quivering. Her many curls flattened and her slick hair fell down her shoulders. “Make yourself comfortable, Miss Pie. You look tired,” Thunder Chaser said and made to leave, but Pinkie stopped her. “Do you have any jobs for me now?” she asked hopefully. “I’m afraid not, my child. I handle contracts only for more experienced family members. Speak with Brave Soldier when you want to carry out the will of Luna.” “Will I ever be able to speak with her?” Thunder Chaser chuckled. “Only the listener can hear the whisperings of our Nocturnal Matron. Maybe she will have something to tell you if you carry out her will expediently enough.” “Can I ask just one more thing? The Elements of Harmony, do you know where they are?” “Yes, they were stolen,” Thunder replied mournfully. “Our Nocturnal Matron has charged us with finding them, but they are like swallowed up by the earth. Get some rest, Miss Pie; you look like you need it.” Thunder Chaser left her to her thoughts. A skeleton pony dressed in a black burlap sack shuffled past her and offered no comfort. She ventured past the wooden doors to the dormitory. The beds were all neatly made, but only one of them contained a bundle. It was a leather suit like the one everypony else here wore. Pinkie stuffed it into her accompanying dresser and then buried her head in the pillow. *** Rarity lay on the bedroll like she was back on her ottoman. The beggars brought her food and waved a palm leaf to keep her cool in the waning sun. Armand approached with a distraught look and messy hair, but smiled broadly upon seeing Rarity. He mockingly bowed to her. “If Your Highness isn’t too busy, then I have a matter of urgent concern.” “I only gave them my last payment,” Rarity said and got up. “It’s not my fault that they took it this well. What brings you here?” “The Guild has received a... request to obtain a unique statuette, a bust of Princess Celestia. You will be paid a modest sum. Do you want this job?” he asked hastily. “If I must,” Rarity said bored. “I AM expected to uphold the duty of my guild after all.” “Excellent. The beggars should know where to find it. Bring it to me once you have it.” Rarity was surprised to see him leave so soon again. She could feel something might be wrong and was about to call out to him when an old earth pony came up to her. Rarity recoiled as the old toothless mare got a little too close for comforts. “Yer looking for the bust of Celestia, are ye?” she asked, to which Rarity could only nod. “Then ye are in luck. It’s currently being stored in her crypt underneath the castle, madam.” Rarity’s face paled if possible even further than her already white coat. “C-crypt?” “Aye, madam. The bust is made ta commemorate the Princess and will be unveiled once the preparations have been made.” “Oh no, no, no, no, no, no. I couldn’t possibly steal from the Princess’s crypt. I mean, this is the Princess we’re talking about.” Rarity bit into her hoof and then looked up at the castle. The Sun was slowly setting behind the mountains and cast the white walls in a beautiful sheen of yellow. “But I must... I must! The Princess would understand that this is my chance to show the thieves what I can do,” Rarity argued and paced the ground her nervously. “They help me find the Elements and I steal a few things for them, simple as that. But it’s a bust of the Princess. I couldn’t... I must! But... no. I will do it, for her, for my friends and for the elements.” Rarity hurried into the city and up towards the castle, her dread growing the closer she got. However, she was reminded why she couldn’t get into the castle the first time around. Burly guards with spears blocked the only entrance and were less than happy to let anyone in. “The palace is off-limits to the public until further notice,” the left one said. “But surely you’d let a friend of the family inside?” Rarity said and turned on her charm. “I knew Celestia personally. Shining Armour can vouch for me.” “As we told you last time, anyone can make that claim,” the right one said. “Now be off before we throw you away.” Grumbling, Rarity descended the stairs again and crossed the plaza. She could go to the guardhouse at the other end, but Shining Armour was already drowning in work. She wouldn’t bother him now. About to leave, Rarity bumped into the earth pony beggar again. “Having trouble getting inside, have ye?” she asked with a cross-eyed leer. “Have you been following me?” Rarity asked and took a step back. “Course not, madam. Ah’m just checking up on yus is all.” “Well, I DO have a bit of trouble getting inside, yes,” Rarity said and laughed nervously. “Ye dun need ta go inside the castle fer the crypt, madam. Look!” The old mare pointed to the side of the castle where a pair of large doors stood like a storm cellar. Rarity approached and hesitantly opened them. A flight of stone steps led down into a dark, vaulted room. She looked behind her, where the old mare stood encouragingly smiling. Taking a deep breath, Rarity descended into the darkness. In niches stood stone coffins dedicated to various members of the court. Her steps echoed hollowly as she warily made her way across the room, looking about her nervously. Her coat prickled uncomfortably from the darkness, the cold and the gloom. At the very end stood a glass casket with a gilded frame. Inside she could see the restored body of Celestia, ready for public display. On top of it stood the bust that she had come here for, but Rarity could not proceed. She fell to her knees in front of the deceased Princess, bawling. “Why is all this happening? I just wanted to be reunited with my friends! To go back to how things were, to never have accepted that stupid deal. Why did you have to die?” “I know things are difficult,” the Princess replied, making Rarity jump on her feet in stark surprise. A brilliant hue surrounded the still body of Celestia. “I also know that I am asking a lot of you, but I urge you to be strong. Only if you all do your parts, no matter how meaningless they may seem, can Equestria be free again.” “But –” Rarity began. “Hush. I know why you have come, Rarity. Take the bust with my blessing, and may we not see each other again for a long time. When you meet the others, tell them how proud I am of you all.” The crypt went dark again, and the silence hung ever more oppressive. Rarity clenched her eyes tight and tears streamed down her cheek. She allowed herself to sit there mourning and lamenting for a while, but she also knew that she had a job to do. She wiped her eyes and grabbed the bust, exercising utmost caution in placing it in her saddle bag. It was heavy, but also relatively small. She hurried back outside the city and returned to the hobo camp. Armand wasn’t waiting for her as she expected, but someone else she knew did. “Emerald?” Rarity asked amazed and dropped her heavy satchel on the ground. “What are you doing here?” The lavender mare with her fine, lime green hair was slurping on the dredges of her soup. She put away her bowl and glared at Rarity. “The Thieves Guild gave me another chance, no thanks to you,” Emerald said with a snort. “I do apologise,” Rarity said sincerely and approached her. “You must understand I have nothing against you, but there is more at stake than just the two of us.” “It’s fine,” Emerald said, but her tone was as cold as ever. Rarity didn’t want to press the issue any further with one as stubborn as her, so she changed the subject. “Where’s Armand? I have the bust he sent me to retrieve,” she said matter-of-factly. “He’s in hiding,” Emerald snapped and looked away. “What? How come?” “Are you really that blind or just plain stupid? He’s just using you!” Emerald approached her threateningly. The beggars all suddenly had other things to do and quietly disappeared. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean,” Rarity said coldly, keeping her facade calm. “I see how Armand acts around you, but it’s me that he loves, you got that?” “You think I’m interested in him? Maybe you haven’t noticed, but our relationship is purely platonic.” Emerald looked like an angry bull ready to charge, but the two mares stood silently staring the other down. Finally, Emerald tensed down. “There never was a client that commissioned the guild to steal Celestia’s bust. Armand doesn’t care about you, he just used you to flush out an informant that infiltrated the guild.” “And you suspected moi?” Rarity asked hurt. “You were the new to the guild and you’ve been friendly towards Shining Armour, of course we had our suspicions. But not any longer. The beggars are out gathering information. We’ll know the true identity of the rat soon enough.” Emerald walked away from the camp with her nose in the sky. “I mean it,” Rarity said. “There is nothing between Armand and me.” “Good,” Emerald replied, then lowered her head. “I’ll hide the bust for now. Why don’t you get some sleep? No telling when you will have the chance again.” *** Trottingham, a peaceful city surrounded by forest and not much bigger than Ponyville. The architecture was also much the same, but with a stronger focus on stone as the basis. The streets were all cobbled, and the first floors of the houses were made of tightly packed stones. The school looked to have been built only recently. It contained few traces of growth on its walls and roof. The interior was largely wood from furniture to floor, apart for the walls of stone. A pegasus sat by a table and enjoyed some wine in the fading sunlight. He put his goblet away when he saw Twilight enter. “You are from the academy?” he asked hopefully and approached her before she could even close the door. He looked to be a fairly seasoned stallion with a light purple coat and lime green hair parted to one side. He wore a simple blue robe. “Yes, yes I am,” Twilight said proudly and put a hoof on her chest, then pointed at him. “And I take it you’re Thunder Flicker. Now what’s this problem you wrote about?” “Heart Treasure,” he said bitterly and turned away. “She’s my unicorn sister, and she does not care for academy regulations. Since I’m a pegasus, she errantly believes I cheated to get my appointment. And now I see that she is in town.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “Sir, you cannot call the academy for family matters. I came here because of a perceived emergency, not a sour family reunion.” “This IS an emergency, don’t you see?” He turned abruptly towards Twilight and seized her by the shoulder. “Though she has not approached me, I know she wants something. I would like you to find out what it is. Determine what she’s after, and how we may be rid of her. I do not want her here, spreading her lies.” “If I do this one small task for you, then will you agree not to bother the academy again unless it’s really, really important?” He nodded and Twilight ventured outside again. She had barely crossed the plaza in front however, before a unicorn came up to her. She was coloured like her brother though in darker colour, so it wasn’t difficult for Twilight to recognise her. “Finally, someone from the academy has come to resolve this little mistake,” she said. “Obviously it should be a unicorn like me that should lead a school for magic.” “Celestia’s Academy of Magic seeks to understand the magic inherent in all ponies,” Twilight explained passionately. “Pegasuses and even earth ponies all have magic in them.” “Oh, so you’re spouting that nonsense too,” she scoffed. “Look, I’m not here to discuss the academy’s insipid new regulations. I came to town to find a book, “The Hoof of the Mountain.” Maybe you’ve heard about it?” “I... can’t say that I have.” “No, of course you haven’t,” Heart Treasure said with a chuckle. “Such a tome would be far beyond your limited understanding. Say, maybe you would like to find it for me?” Twilight creased her brow in indignity. Spike could tell that she was about to blow a fuse and cut in between them. “What’s in it for us?” he asked. “So it can talk? Hmph, isn’t the honour enough? Well, if I can get it translated from whatever ancient pony language it’s written in, it should contain a bit of magic. But I seriously doubt one such as you would be able to wield it.” “We have a deal then,” Twilight said through gritted teeth, restraining herself the best she could. “Good. Here’s the location. Once you’ve got the book, find me at the inn near the city limits.” Heart Treasure hoofed her a small note from her blouse, then turned away from the plaza. Twilight waited until she was completely gone to return to the school. “We’re not actually going after the book, are we?” Spike asked and hopped back up on Twilight. “Of course not. We’ve done what we came here for; the rest is up to Thunder Flicker.” The headmaster was eagerly waiting for them and barely allowed them to step inside. Twilight explained to him shortly how everything had panned out, to which Flicker recoiled in horror. “What? Not only does it exist, but she knows where it is? Well, this is unacceptable,” he said and slammed a hoof into the floor. “That book needs to be in the safe-keeping of the Academy. I trust as a member of the Academy you would do the right thing and acquire this text before Heart Treasure does.” “With all due respect, sir, I have other schools I need to visit and I would like to get back to Canterlot soon,” Twilight explained, but Thunder went up in her face. “You have no idea what that book is capable of. It is ancient, dangerous magic. I shudder to think what she would want to do with it. Are we clear? Go to this place she has described, and return to me with the book. This is far more important than any petty sibling rivalry.” Gripped by the severity in his tone, Twilight could only nod at his behest. “Fine. But this better be your last request,” she said and poked his chest. “Maybe you could tell us where this place is then?” Spike asked and handed Thunder the note. It was almost dark by the time they reached Cloud Top, a crumbling ruin on a mountain shelf. An overgrown path led them to a pedestal surrounded by pillars. Nearby, they found the charred remains of a unicorn, the book by its side mysteriously intact. “Looks like this is it.” Spike bent down and picked up the book, but Twilight took it from him with her magic. Angrily, she opened the book and tore through the pages. “What are you doing?” Spike asked with concern at Twilight’s furrowed brow. “I am tired of all these so-called emergencies. Missing students and jewellery are not emergencies, and least of all a family feud. I’m going to have a long serious talk with Brawny Spirit,” she said and frantically skimmed the book. “But first I need to know whether I should impeach Thunder Flicker for taking advantage of his position.” “But that book is supposed to be highly dangerous!” Spike said frightened, taking a few steps away from it. “It’s just a book, Spike; it’s only as dangerous as the information written in it, and there’s nothing dangerous in here. It’s just an instruction of some kind... hmm, do you still have one of those gems we confiscated from Dark Scar?” “Uhm...” Spike said and nervously pawed the ground with his foot. “Well?” Her annoyed tone made him jump. He complied and reached into his pockets where he took one of the black gems. Twilight levitated the crystal on to the pedestal. She held the book up before her, then slammed it shut. “I can see why Thunder Flicker would be so eager to get this book away from the public.” She placed the book down on the ground and then took a step outside of the pillars. “If we’re not careful, this could have a horrendous backlash.” “Twilight, maybe we should just get back to Trottingham with that book,” Spike suggested nervously and pointed to the forest below them, but Twilight’s horn glowed again. “If done correctly and with the right type of crystal, however, we might actually see some result.” “I don’t think this is a good idea!” Spike shouted hysterically, but Twilight released her magic right unto the pedestal. The crystal spun alarmingly before rocketing up into the sky where it exploded. A jet of light escaped it and hit Twilight directly in the horn. Her eyes glowed white and her face cracked into a devious smile. Spike hopped behind a half-broken wall and watched fearfully as magic engulfed Twilight, lifting her up from the ground. As quick it had come, as quick did it go again. The magic released Twilight and the light show was over. “I was right!” she said with an exhausted laughter. “What was that?” Spike asked in disbelief, making his way back towards her. “You know better than anypony not to toy with unknown magic!” “I’m sorry that I got you worried,” Twilight said and nuzzled him. “Those gems are conductors of some kind, but not for any ordinary magic. I shudder to think what powerful, arcane magic they are used for.” “You scared me for a moment there,” Spike said, calming down. “I know, but I wasn’t sure what would happen. I mean, I had a pretty good assumption. but if I spent too much time thinking about it I wouldn’t have been able to see it through.” “Let’s just get this back to the school,” Spike said and clutched the book. “It seriously gives me the creeps.” *** The hallways were ill lit and Fluttershy crept along the walls. She met no resistance apart from her own fear. The dancing of shadows and rustling of banners made her stop and nervously look around her. Down long corridors, turning corners and up stairs she went. “What am I even doing here?” she asked herself. “Discord told me to activate this facility, but how am I supposed to do that? Oh Fluttershy, why can’t you be more assertive? “No Discord, I don’t want to help you.” I could have said that, but instead he sent me here. Oh...” She came to a large room that was brightly lit. Unseemly little creatures sat about burning logs, grunting to each other. They grabbed for clubs and spears when they saw Fluttershy walk down the stairs towards them, but made no movements. They were like slimy versions of Canterlot’s goblins, dressed in fishnets, hooks and barnacles. Their weapons were crude and made from stone wound around wood with reeds. They were ugly and communicated through guttural sounds, but allowed Fluttershy to approach them. “Uhm, I’m not here to cause any trouble,” she said meekly. The creatures looked at each other and grunted, then lowered their weapons. “I’m looking for a way to activate this place, so m-maybe you could help me?” Croaking wildly, the creatures started jumping up and down. An older one in robes stepped forward and handed a large crystal to a younger one. This one placed it before Fluttershy’s hoofs. “You want me to have this?” she asked surprised, to which it nodded. Fluttershy picked it up and smiled. “Thank you very much.” The creature hurried across the room, waving at her to follow it. It ran down the corridor with Fluttershy flying behind him. They got to another room where more of the creatures had also congregated. The one that had led her explained to the others, and an elder brought forth another crystal. Again he took off down the hall with Fluttershy right behind him. The process repeated one more time for a total of three strange gems. Her hoofs were full and she was using her mouth as well to carry it all. The last room was small with a large crystal from floor to ceiling. Her guide leapt back and forth, croaking and pointing at the crystal. Fluttershy approached and saw three slots. It didn’t take her many moments to guess what was required. Once placed the smaller crystals disappeared and the large crystal vibrated ominously, making dust fall from the ceiling. Fluttershy hid behind the creature, which placed a hand on her head. Blue light escaped the crystal in small waves, possibly a sign of working. Fluttershy thanked the creature with a hoof shake before going up the last flight of stairs. The goblin-like thing cocked its head in slight bewilderment, then turned about. She came to another small room. A raised tile on the floor contained an etched face sticking out its tongue. The silhouette pulsated with the same energy as the crystal. Fluttershy stepped up on it in curiosity and vanished in the light. She reappeared in a similar room, but here stood a unicorn shrouded in a red cowl. “Finally, Discord has sent someone to assist me!” he exclaimed and beamed at Fluttershy, then coughed. “But where are my manners? Ahem... must get into my professional tone... ahem... Welcome to Xedilian! I am the dungeon caretaker, Brilliant Paradise.” “P-pleasure to meet you,” she said weakly and backed away. Brilliant Paradise had a greyish-blue coat and a mane of the same colour. He was smiling exuberantly. “I hope the grummites didn’t give you much trouble? Ghastly things! They mistook the focus crystals for some sort of religious symbols, and removed them from their rightful place. Oh, forgive me, I tend to ramble.” “It’s okay,” Fluttershy said quietly. Paradise took it as a cue to continue. “Xedilian would normally have sent you back to the entrance when you stepped on the pad in the resonator chamber. Since you’re up here, I can only surmise that ponies are already entering the dungeon as we speak. The only thing we can do is let the adventurers complete a cycle through here. Come.” She reluctantly followed him out of the room. “Don’t be such a pushover,” Fluttershy muttered to herself. “I have to be strong, all my friends are counting on me. I can’t let them down. I won’t let them down.” Having not heard her hushed reprimand, Paradise resumed his explanation as he led her through. “The resonator works by drawing ponies to itself with a sort of magical siren’s call. Discord uses the resonator to find the cream of the crop as he calls them; the best of the worst to populate the Isles. Quite clever, eh? As the ponies make their way through Xedilian’s chambers, they will encounter choices that I make in these control platforms.” They came to a large room with open windows to the sides and in front. On the left she could see three ponies in red robes enter. They walked down the stairs and stopped at a large grate in the floor. They were equally mixed among the races with the earth pony holding a bow and the pegasus a large sword. They grumbled in dissatisfaction and looked around the room. “This is normally my job, but I think you should have the honour,” Paradise said and smiled. “Simply press one of the buttons and decide what will happen to them.” A happy face was painted on the right button and a sad face on the left. Fluttershy hesitated. She knew Discord best as a trickster and was reluctant to press any buttons here. But the ponies below her were dressed in the red robes of the assassins. They were of the cult that had assassinated Celestia. She took a deep breath and then pressed the happy face. The grate below opened and a small tree-like monster appeared. The assassins laughed derisively at the threat and attacked it. It ignored the arrows and spells and quickly grew to an immense size. While the others kept their distance, the earth pony fell to the floor screaming. The giant tree swallowed him up and dissolved. He was still there. “Excellent choice! That illusion was meant to make ponies lose their grip on reality. Looks like the other two are still fine though. Moving on!” “Oh my,” Fluttershy said mortified and put a hoof to her mouth. She went to the front window where she could see the last two assassins gather around a caged treasure hoard. She wavered longer between the two buttons this time. Even knowing what those ponies were, Fluttershy was too kind to inflict them any pain. The happy button had caused so much hurt; maybe the sad button would be better in some kind of reversed psychology? The pegasus went up to the locked gate in the cage, shaking it. So when Fluttershy pushed the button, he was unhurt by the two beams of fire that erupted from the floor. The unicorn was not that lucky. There was nothing left of him but a charred body. “Oh no,” Fluttershy said tearfully amidst Paradise’s cheers and claps. “What’s going to happen to the last one?” Paradise asked excitedly and directed her towards the last window. “Death or insanity?” She could see the pegasus enter cautiously. He was shaking, but calmed down when he noticed the room was empty. “Oh... oh.” Fluttershy fretted, looking from one button to the next. She clenched her eyes tight, but all she could hear was Discord jeering at her, laughing as she languished. Whether real or imagined, Fluttershy was still moved by having to decide this pony’s life. She could not, and so she pushed both buttons at the same time. Below her, the assassin was screaming. He moved around erratically, panting and shrieking at unseen things. “Haven’t seen a discording for some time,” Paradise said and shook his head seriously. “He’ll be a whole new pony now.” Fluttershy peeked over the balustrade. The assassin was quieting down again, now sitting on his rump and smiling and singing. “You can use the teleport pad to get back now,” Paradise said with a smile and gestured towards the raised tile. “Will they be all right?” Fluttershy asked tearfully and entered the room she had come from. “Of course they will! Well, except for that unicorn. He’s most definitively dead. The others will enjoy a long life of Discord’s mania.” “I’m so sorry,” Fluttershy whispered over her back and stepped up on the pad. It engulfed her in light, but nothing happened. Instead of taking her away, the pad had carried something with it. Three ponies stood before them, clad completely in crystalline armour. They gave metallic clinks as they moved forward, pressing Fluttershy back. “You have some nerve coming here!” Paradise said angrily and drew a small dagger from his robes. The intruders didn’t reply, but drew longswords of the same material as their armours. Paradise proved to be a powerful magician. Lightning flared from his horn and struck his enemies. They advanced upon him, but he kept them at bay with Fluttershy by his side. It took him only a short while to dispatch the lot of them. They were only three, and Paradise was a deadly adversary. “Tell Discord... tell him that Order has come.” *** Applejack sat in the train heading for Trottingham, admiring her new armour. Unlike the plate armour she previously wore, this was a fine ring mail with a white tunic over it. It was a gift from the guard captain. She had been rushing to get out of Ponyville to the survivor camp, but he had stopped her on the lower floor. “So the Mayor is safe? Thank you; I shall make sure she is protected while we rebuilt Ponyville. Here, take this. I have no use for it; I’m tired of fighting. It may serve you well in days to come. And don’t worry; it won’t change your appearance like a normal guard’s amour.” Three young mares slept in a pile opposite her. The former Cutiemark Crusaders were still young and a lot had happened on this day. Still, Applejack found it surprising how quickly those three had dozed off. Must be the comforting shaking of the train and the warmth of the sun. She had led Scootaloo behind the tents. In retrospect, there were so many things she wished to have done differently. Some things to have left out, some things to have been added. She had pondered all the way from Ponyville to the survivor’s camp how best to do it, but the first thing that had escaped her lips had been: “Yer Celestia’s daughter.” Scootaloo had reacted as would be expected. Disbelief was first. “Princess Celestia? You think the Princess is my mother? No, you must have the wrong pony. I’m just a pegasus. My father was a farmer.” “The Princess asked me ta find ya, Scootaloo. Why would Ah be lyin’ about sumthing like that?” Applejack had been firm, she needed to be. The news she was bearing was not to be taken lightly and could easily be mistaken for a joke otherwise. Scootaloo had been rattled, but she took it rationally. Perhaps there had been something in the back of her mind all this time, a nagging doubt perhaps. “I don’t know. It’s strange... I think you might actually be telling the truth. What does this mean? What do you want me to do?” “We need ta get ya back ta the priory in Trottingham. The Amulet of Alicorns will draw out yer power and then we can counterattack the Prince of Destruction.” Scootaloo had looked away, thinking hard. “I guess this explains why I was never able to fly then? Why I never felt like I belonged anywhere? I was never a pegasus. I was an alicorn all along.” She had looked up with eyes full of adventure and glory. “You destroyed that gate, didn’t you? You helped them drive back the demons. Yes. I’ll come with you to the priory.” It was at that point Applejack noted the other two spying on their conversation. In their eagerness to eavesdrop, Apple Bloom had jumped up on Sweetie Belle’s back. This decision had resulted in Sweetie Belle tripping, making both of them tumble into the clearing. “Wherever Scootaloo goes, we go with her. Crusaders for life,” Sweetie Belle had said and embraced her friend. “Ya can’t stop us, sis. We’re coming along, no matter what ya say!” Apple Bloom had added angrily and embraced Scootaloo as well. “Yer right, Ah can’t stop ya.” “Huh?” Applejack had sighed and even now she regretted not being able to stop them. “Yer all old enough ta make yer own decisions. Ah can only warn ya’ll that this is gonna be extremely dangerous. If ya’ll understand the risks yer taking, then Ah can’t... then Ah won’t stop ya.” It had been doubly hard to say farewell to Big Mac and Winona then. Fears about the farm had clutched her tightly with only her big brother and her dog left. Everyone would be too busy repairing the city to help him. But she couldn’t abandon her quest either lest Equestria should fall into oblivion. She had done her best to explain the situation to the young mares. They had been full of questions and the only end to their curiosity was sleep’s warm embrace. Now things were too quiet. Pinkie had just up and vanished, leaving behind only a curious note. Applejack had held on to it, and she found herself drawing it from the tunic again. She felt alone, but knowing that Pinkie was on her own way towards an element comforted her. It would be some time before they reached Trottingham. Applejack tipped her hat and turned in for the day as well. *** Although middle of the night, Dash could not sleep. She had spent most of the day knocked out and she was filled with humiliation, determination and worry. Originally on her way towards Manehattan, she had instead stopped in Ponyville for a spell. The fires were all out, and most importantly, so was the gate. The soil around it was blackened and burnt, and weird claws protruded as an epitaph. But the Ponyvillians had fast begun the mending of their fair town. It was dark outside when Dash flew over familiar ground and most were sleeping in their tents outside of town. Some were lucky enough to have houses to return to, but the ghost town feeling made most stay in the camp. Rainbow didn’t stop until she came to Fluttershy’s hut. She landed with a splash in the mud. The ground was still wet and soggy from all the rain, but a few stains on her uniform was the least of her troubles right now. She found Fluttershy’s door hanging open and a sensation of dread almost paralysed her. She gulped and then rushed inside. “Fluttershy! Fluttershy, are you in here? FLUTTERSHY!” Dash tore through the many rooms on the ground floor, opening cabinets and lifting furniture. She disregarded the many frightened animals and made her way upstairs. Quietly whispering Fluttershy’s name, Dash went through the last room. The chamber was empty as well, the bed a mess like the rest of the hut. She sat down on the floor, tears creeping through her clenched eyes. A stamping sound. Dash looked up and saw a little bunny before her, tapping his foot impatiently. “Angel!” Rainbow exclaimed and embraced the bunny tightly. She twirled up into the air and held him out at an arm’s length. “Tell me, little guy, have you seen Fluttershy?” Angel gestured wildly, so Dash put him back down on the ground. “Are you saying Fluttershy went to a garden party? No, no, she was... swallowed by a whale? Abducted by aliens?” Angel slapped his face, then jumped down the stairs to the living room. Dash flew right behind and saw him draw on paper with a nugget of charcoal. The imagery was crude and Dash raised an eyebrow in bewilderment. “A... are you saying Fluttershy went into a gate?” Dash asked and turned the piece of paper around. “Was it black and fiery and really, really big?” Angel shook his head and tried to mimic something. “Faces? You’re saying the gate looked like a face?” Angel nodded fervently, and then put his paws on his side. Rainbow Dash galloped outside and down the road towards the forest. Angel came up next to her and fervently pointed to a spot in the grass. Although investigating it, Dash found nothing. She looked up into the dark sky with a rueful expression. “Fluttershy... where are you?” she asked quietly. A small alligator latched on to her tail and then continued biting her toothlessly until it came to a rest on her mane. “I take it you guys are hungry, huh?” Dash asked and wiped her face. Dash went back to the hut and rummaged through the kitchen. She found a large sack of dry food, slashed it open and tipped it over. The animals gathered around it almost before Rainbow could get out of the way. Only Angel stood behind with arms crossed and frowned. “I’m sorry little bud, I don’t have time to get you anything else,” Rainbow Dash said and went for the door. “I need to be in Manehattan by daylight for a very important job. I know Fluttershy has plenty of helpers, they’ll probably be around before long.”
Chapter 6: The Burning PrioryHaving found Princess Celestia’s daughter, Applejack must now escort her safely to the priory so the heir can assume her role and save Equestria from turmoil. But she is far from the only one doing her plight. Pinkie must use her newfound skills of murder to remove a high-ranking assassin pirate. Fluttershy has to endure the whims of the chaos lord. Twilight gets an assignment that will truly test her skills. Rarity turns on her charm to save the Thieves Guild. And Rainbow Dash is finally allowed in on the action with a task that proves more complicated than first presumed. THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY: THE EQUESTRIAN CRISIS CHAPTER 6 - THE BURNING PRIORY - It was still dark when Applejack arrived back in Trottingham. Three yawning mares followed her off the train and down to the platform. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo blinked their eyes lazily while the cool morning air nipped at them. The few ponies they passed were discussing worriedly in quiet tones. “My husband told me he saw smoke coming from the priory,” a pink unicorn said, standing under an awning. “No! Haven’t we had enough bad luck with the Princess’s passing and all?” a yellow pegasus replied horrified. Applejack overheard this and looked up at the forest surrounding the rustic village. “Ah have a bad feeling about this. If the assassins have found where we put the amulet, then the priory is in danger.” “Applejack, it’s too early,” Scootaloo said and rubbed her eyes. “Can’t we find a place to stay, just for a few more hours?” Sweetie Belle added. Apple Bloom remained silent. Her eyes were closed and her head was resting on her sister’s shoulder. “Ya wanted to come with me, so now ya have ta stick to mah orders. Giddy up ya’ll,” Applejack said and reared. “I’m awake!”Apple Bloom said and snapped upright again. She looked around confused and saw her two friends following Applejack through town. The place was virtually deserted in the wee hours between dark and light. The chilly air bit into their coats but their fast pace warmed them up. The forest swayed in the wind and a trail of smoke bellowed above it. The smell of burning wood carried with it and led them down the path. Applejack picked up the speed even further, making it difficult for the three Crusaders to follow behind. A unicorn came up the dirt path towards them with frenzy in his eyes. A pony in a red robe was riding hard behind him with a mace in its mouth. Applejack bit into the sword on her back and pushed herself to jump between the unicorn and the assassin. It took a surprised step backwards, but grabbed its mace with its hoof. Applejack took her sword in hoof as well and parried a quick strike. The assassin rained down the attacks on her but she stuck her hind legs into the dirt. This gave her the edge to jump the assassin and overpower it. It fell to the ground with only a slight moan escaping its veil, blood seeping from a wound on its side. “Help! You must help! They’re killing everypony at the priory!” the unicorn said and cast himself before Applejack’s hooves. “Consarn it,” Applejack said and slammed her hoof angrily into the ground. Three breathless little ponies caught up with her just as she again rushed ahead towards the priory. One monk lay on the ground while another was surrounded by three assassins. Applejack sprinted into action and took out one of them by surprise. A second one turned his head to see the attacker so the monk stabbed it in the chest with his katana. The last assassin gave a bigger fight and nicked Applejack’s cheek before it too fell. “Thank you,” the monk said and bowed. His coat was pale pink and he wore the simple brown tunic of his order. “Where is Brave Charger?” Applejack asked quickly. “Brother Charger was in the chapel praying to the departed Celestia when the assassins attacked. I haven’t seen him since,” the monk replied and shook his head crimson red mane. “Take care of these three while Ah check things out,” Applejack said. The three crusaders collapsed in a pile in front of him and offered him no other choice. The chapel was a small stone building standing off to the right of the complex. She flung open the heavy wooden doors and saw the old earth pony pressed up against the altar. Several assassins already lay dead on the ground but there were still two left. Charger was panting heavily. Several superficial slashes had cut up his robe and darkened his already deeply purple coat. Applejack’s hoofs echoed loudly on the stone floor. The assassins turned away from the old stallion and pointed their weapons at her. They didn’t see Charger force his old body forward as well. “You’re making a mistake, turning your back on an old pony,” he said and drove his katana upwards. It pierced both armour and robe of the assassin so its steamy guts spilled out on the floor. The last assassin looked from Applejack to Charger, weighing its option in its head. It hopped across the benches and out to the wall on the left. Applejack followed but the assassin blocked with the mace in its hooves and then dashed at her. She rolled and the mace lodged itself into a wooden bench. Allowing no quarter, Applejack quickly hacked away at the assassin. The blade pierced an artery and a jet of arterial spray gushed from its wound. “You’re a natural!” Charger said and approached her. Applejack looked away gagging. “Don’t... don’t say anything,” she stammered before throwing up on the chapel floor. Her tears rhythmically followed the convulsions of her body. Heaving, she forced her head up and looked at the stained glass windows. They depicted the birth of Nightmare Moon, her later defeat and the conquest of Discord. Smaller replicas of those in Canterlot. “Why are things like this? Ah remember a time where conflicts were resolved by wits and talk. Ah have never thought in mah life that Ah would ever hold a sword.” “Our destinies are chosen for us but they are wide enough to make us think we’re in control,” Charger said and put a hoof on her back. “I fear the Amulet of Alicorns was the target of this attack. No cause for concern though, I keep it in a secret room inside the priory.” “We should check ta make sure anyway.” Applejack wiped her eyes and her face. “Don’t tell mah sister what Ah’ve done. It would only worry her.” It was quiet outside and the smoke was slowly dissipating. A small shed behind the priory had been reduced to smouldering ash. The monk had led the young mares past the stone fences where they couldn’t see the corpses of the assassins. “What happened to ya?” Apple Bloom asked and embraced her sister. “Yer all covered in blood!” “It’s all right, AB, it’s over now,” Applejack cooed and kissed Apple Bloom’s head. “Stop treating me like a little filly,” she replied and waved her sister off, her cheeks blushing. “Ya’ll always be mah little sister,” Applejack said and adjusted Apple Bloom’s bow. “You wait out here with the nice monk while Ah check inside. There might still be assassins around.” The front door had been smashed open and hung on its hinges. The ground floor was covered in blood and a few more assassins lay dead. Furniture had been toppled and food was spread around. “They must have used the fire to lure us out and separate us,” Charger said and looked with revulsion at the corpses. “They can’t have been that smart; attacking elite members of Celestia’s guard,” Applejack remarked and tried not to look at them. The head monk went up the stairs but it took only a cursory glance for him to assess the situation. “No... NO!” he shouted and rushed up to the first floor. A cabinet had been tipped; vases and bowls from its shelves in shards on the ground. The wall behind it had been broken down and revealed a secret room. A heavily locked chest inside had been splintered open with great force. “They’ve taken it! The Amulet of Alicorns is gone! The enemy has defeated us at every turn!” he exclaimed and kicked the busted chest over in frustration. “We still have Starfire,” Applejack said grimly from behind him. Charger looked up, renewed hope crossing his face. “That was one of ponies with you? Thank Celestia for that! We gained the heir and lost the amulet... She cannot stay here,” he said determined and rushed past her. “We have driven the assassins off, but they will be back once they learn of Starfire’s survival. Which they will.” “Her name’s Scootaloo,” Applejack pointed out and followed him downstairs. “And where could she possible be safe?” “Nowhere is truly safe against the power arrayed against us. But we must play for time at least. We’re going to the old castle in the Everfree Forest very near Ponyville. We should get moving.” *** Pinkie was dressed in tight black leather, her hair hanging lazily down her shoulders. She stepped down the stone corridor and pushed open the first pair of heavy wooden doors she met. Inside sat an earth pony with a gaunt face and eyes as red as blood. His coat was green like olives and his greyish blue hair was dragged into a ponytail. He was savouring a crimson soup and looked up at surprise when he saw Pinkie’s surly eyes. “You must be the newest member... Miss Pie?” he asked and smiled up warmly at her. “I trust Thunder Chaser has already mentioned me. I am Brave Soldier.” “Do you have any contracts for me?” Pinkie asked coldly. “My, my, so eager. It’s getting late and you should get some rest,” he said and dipped into the soup with his spoon. “I’m not tired,” Pinkie grumbled. “You look tired though,” he said and put down his spoon. “Very well, I indeed have something if you feel up to it?” “Just gimme,” she replied impatiently. Brave Soldier nodded and dabbed his lips with a white handkerchief, staining it red like blood. He looked at her with his kind eyes. “Here is what you must do then. Go to the area outside of Canterlot. There you will find a zeppelin named after Starswirl the Bearded. Board the ship and find its captain, Carnation Custard. He’ll be in his cabin. Eliminate Custard in any manner you see fit. The assassins have been moving a lot of cargo onboard lately. You may be able to smuggle yourself on board in one of the packing crates.” Without another word, Pinkie turned around and exited the room. Brave Soldier followed her with his eyes and shook his head. “What a strange one,” he remarked. It was morning when Pinkie got off the train again. The first rays of light stung her eyes so she lurked in the shadows towards the blimp. The Starswirl was anchored close to the station and was surrounded by wooden crates. Inconspicuous dock workers put them up on their backs and went inside, others returning empty-hoofed to start over. Pinkie sneaked off to the far left where empty crates stood with lids cracked open. She looked from side to side before entering and closed after her. A black dagger slipped out of her tail and into her mouth. For long moments she sat in the darkness. “You shouldn’t kill anymore,” a voice told her. “What does it matter? We’ve already done it twice now,” Pinkie replied and crossed her arms. “But those were just in self-defence!” “No, they weren’t and you know that. It was murder.” “But can you really trust the Dark Brotherhood?” “I don’t care,” Pinkie replied and snorted. “Hey, anyone remember this crate?” a deep voice bellowed. “Just bring it along. You know how the captain gets if we forget something.” She felt the crate lift from the ground and the voice groan with effort. For a while, the box rocked up and down rhythmically. Pinkie squeezed arms and legs against the sides until she came to a stop again. The pants grew distant along with the hoofsteps. Carefully she opened the lid again and peeked out. The cargo hold was stacked high with crates like a veritable maze. Fortunately, she had been placed by the entrance. Pinkie slinked into the narrow hall, the floor creaking slightly with every step. Sudden voices just around the corner made her freeze. Carefully she peered around and saw two sailors arguing. One was an old earth pony, the other a zebra. “What does he want with all these things?” the earth pony asked and breathed deeply. “I’m breaking my back carrying all these heavy crates.” “You’d better watch your tongue. Captain Custard hears you talkin’ like that, he’ll cut it out,” the zebra replied without a hint of humour. “I’d just like to know what the purpose is.” “How should I know? Now come on. We been gabbin’ long enough.” The two sailors parted ways, the zebra walking towards her. Pinkie pressed herself flatly against the wall with bated breath. The assassin began singing a shanty, too absorbed in own thoughts to notice her. She gave a sigh of relief and again crept down the hall. The lack of crew inside made it easy for her to stay unseen, past small rooms and up sturdy ladders until she came to the captain’s quarters. She pushed the hatch open and climbed into a small room at the stern that was finely decorated, in stark contrast to the measly dormitories of the crew. Captain Custard sat behind his desk with hooves up on the table, a strong earth pony with a coat like blood and hair like free-flowing fire. He snored like a bear when Pinkie entered his room but opened an eye at the creak of floor planks. Seeing Pinkie in her black leather outfit, he roared with laughter and sprang down to the floor. Pinkie hardened her cold stare and took a step back. “Well, well, if it ain’t the Element of Laughter! You uh... you don’t look as happy as I had imagined,” he remarked and scratched his beard. Pinkie glared him and strode towards him. She spat the black dagger into her hoof. “Tell me why you are doing this,” she demanded. “Oh, it’s very simple. You will either become part of the destruction or part of the recreation,” Custard replied and swiped a cutlass from the barrel next to the desk. “The Prince of Destruction will spare no one,” Pinkie said with murderous calm. “You hurt my friends and killed the Princess for nothing.” The Captain shrugged and put his hoof in the sword hole. “I don’t really care one way or the other, Miss Pie. The most important thing is to have fun doing what you love, am I right?” “You... you’re a monster!” Pinkie growled and took the dagger back into her mouth. “I’ve sailed the seven skies as a marauding pirate. I am the Mandarin’s most trusted lieutenant. What hope does a young trollop like you have of defeating me?” he asked and pointed the curved sword at her. “You may have experience and a sword, but I have the blessing of Luna on my side.” “Bahaha! Care to test that, little one?” The two stared each other down, none of them moving a muscle. The ship swayed ever so slightly in the wind, the wood moaning with each movement. She jumped forward suddenly but Custard was faster and sidestepped. She landed behind him and jumped again with the same result. Custard swung at her. Pinkie leapt back. Custard kept up his barrage and pressed her back. She came to the wall and used it as leverage, but the captain swiped her down with a single stroke. She tumbled along the floor and banged into the wall next to the desk. “The Mandarin will be very satisfied with me when he finds out I’ve killed one of the wielders!” Carnation laughed deeply and lifted the cutlass high into the air. Pinkie’s tail twitched erratically and she rolled out of his way. The cutlass missed her by inches and lodged into the wall. Custard jerked it hard from side to side while Pinkie scooted away from him. With a mighty pull, the sword came free. For a moment, the Captain’s face was one of triumphant glee. Right until a crest broke from its nail up near the ceiling. The heavy shield fell and landed on the Captain’s head with a sickening thud. He fell to the floor with blood pooling beneath him, the crest sliding off him. Pinkie sat on her rump and heaved violently, her head dropping back and coming to a rest on the wall. “This is enough, Pinkie,” a voice said in her mind. “I’m not Pinkie anymore. That mare is gone,” she replied and wiped her mouth for the saliva that was building up. “Then who are you?” Pinkie put up her hooves before her. They were shaking. “I don’t know.” “Captain! Captain Custard! Are you all right sir? We... We heard a clamour. Captain? We’re coming in!” “Shoot!” She grabbed her dagger that had fallen away from her during the battle, jumped up to the window behind the desk and climbed down the robes tethering the airship to the wharf. *** Fluttershy re-materialised again. She was confused for a moment, but she quickly recognised the tree throne at the end of the hall. She was back in Discord’s throne room. The draconequus himself was relaxing on his seat, his slender body spread out across the armrests. “I’ve activated Xedilian,” Fluttershy said timidly as she approached him. “I can tell!” he replied with a short laugh. “And...” Fluttershy hesitated and gulped. “There’s something I was told to tell you.” He looked at her only half-interested with a single eye opened. “Order has returned.” “Order? Never mind that.” “But it sounded like it was really important?” Fluttershy said concerned. Discord vanished from his throne and appeared behind her, a paw on her head nudging her. “Don’t worry about it! Why don’t you ever have a little fun?” Discord flicked his clawed hands and Screwball zoomed past them. He fell on his tail laughing, but Fluttershy gave him a serious glance. “I just want to find the Elements,” she insisted but Discord flicked his claw again. This time, Derpy appeared. She made a few loops around the room before disappearing in a cloud of bubbles. “Discooooord!” Fluttershy screamed quietly. He jumped back up on his feet and paced around her with a little smirk. “You know what your problem is? You are too meek for your own good. When I find the Element hidden within my realm, how will you retrieve it? You can’t just ask the bad guys nicely, you know?” She shrunk at his word but Discord tapped his chin with a smug smile. “But I think I know a way to make you more assertive.” “I don’t have good experiences with assertiveness,” Fluttershy said and slowly scooted away from him. Discord followed and rubbed his hands together. He placed a single finger on her nose and once more she vanished. The grass was tall and the sky was dark. An enormous tree towered up before her as the only thing for miles. Between its thick gnarled roots stood an opening covered with a thin membrane. Fluttershy looked from side to side, but could find no other place to go. She approached the hole but found the covering too thick for her to penetrate. “Not this again,” she muttered. Discord had once more left her on a task without telling her what to do, and once more the solution presented itself. The tree itself oozed a green slime out of its bark. The scent was irresistible and Fluttershy felt herself drawn towards it almost lustfully. She did her best to restrain herself, but with the first lick she found herself sucking it lovingly. It was thick like honey but much bitterer. Instantly, the world around her exploded in an orgasm of colours. Her pupils shrank till they were no bigger than small dots, all the white replaced with swimming rainbows. The membrane gave off a sucking sound as it went inside the tree. She hovered in through the opening as if on command. The inside of the tree contained was a wide hall with glowing plants and moist walls, where bugs and beetles crawled everywhere. She couldn’t help but giggle at them and fluttered further inside. Not even a minute afterwards, Fluttershy crashed into the floor. She was cold sweating and shivering, her teeth gnashing and eyes bloodshot. The tree became much more menacing and the insects sounded like hammering as they crawled all around her. She looked frantically around until she saw more green goo sliding down the wall further ahead. She crawled as quickly as her quivering limbs could carry her. She slobbered up as much as she could and everything was fine again. The tunnels continued downwards in this way with Fluttershy stopping every few minutes to refuel. She dragged herself along the ground only to rocket through the air. The way stopped at a pond at the bottom. It had already been too long since she had last tasted the sap and she splashed helplessly into the water. The pool would surely have taken her as strength failed her but at the bottom she found that the goo was excreted and mingled with the water to make it green. She gulped as much as she could and found the energy to do anything. She swam through an underwater tunnel and surfaced again just as the effect was wearing off. For another undetermined while she walked. The darkness around her became oppressive and her wet coat was not helping either. The glowing plants became little puddles of safety as the goo always escaped the walls near them. The tunnel no longer slanted but continued straight ahead. She was deep in the ground but she had no mind to think about where she was. Out of the sylvan material came solid stone. Three steps led up to a pair of solid wooden doors. The effect of the sap was wearing off again. She was agitated and slammed the doors opened, rubbing her temple and moaning in pain as light exploded from beyond. She had come to a small room of large bricks adorned with elegant carpets and intricate wooden furniture. Other ponies of all races and colours shuffled around inside with empty looks in their eyes. Some stared off into the distance with drool coming down their cheeks, some lay in a pool of their own sweat muttering. “You have come a long way,” an earth pony said and approached her. He had a brown coat with a bright yellow mane. “You have a choice now.” Fluttershy tried to speak but her throat was too dry. She collapsed on the floor and the earth pony vanished from her sight. It seemed like an eternity before he returned. He carried a tray in his mouth that he put down in front her. A modest bowl contained more of the green sap and a ruby-encrusted gold chalice next to it contained plain water. “You must now make a choice. Eat from the bowl and have all your dreams come true. You will no longer have to worry about anything and you will be happy for the rest of your life. Drink from the chalice however and I must ask you to leave. In addition, you will never again feel the blessed effects of felldew.” Fluttershy struggled to get up on her hooves, but all her mind could think of was the sap. Her breath came in puffy clouds as she reached for the wooden bowl. Her hoofs had a hard time holding it in place, so she reached her face down to the jelly-like substance. She stopped when she Rainbow Dash in the pudding. “Fluttershy... where are you?” Rainbow Dash asked quietly and left. Fluttershy had to shake her head a few times before realising what she was doing. She dropped the bowl with Felldew back down on the tray and grabbed for the chalice. In it, a vision of Twilight appeared. “I am tired of all these so-called emergencies. Missing students and jewellery are not emergencies.” Fluttershy laughed a little and Twilight disappeared. She downed the entire content of the cup in one gulp. It tasted like plain water but her mind became instantly clear. The earth pony looked at her mournfully. “So this is how it must be. Then go. This is no place for you,” he said and took the tray in his mouth. A pair of wooden doors at the end of the room opened. Fluttershy went into the light streaming out and appeared back in Discord’s throne room. “I... really, really, really don’t like you,” Fluttershy huffed as Discord smirked down at her from his throne. “What would you have done if I had actually taken the bowl?” “Ha! Have you forgotten completely why I brought you here? You are impervious to the madness of my chaos. You have real strength within you, you just have to realise it. Now then, are you ready for another little errand?” Fluttershy snorted and looked away. “I’m through with your errands, Discord, and I’m done risking my hide playing your games.” “Well you’re free to leave any time.” Discord flicked his claws and a pillar of light erupted right before Fluttershy. When she could see again, Discord had vanished but his voice rang between the walls. “But your friends are working so hard to find the elements. Would you really turn your back on them?” The water in the trenches lining the room rippled and images appeared. Applejack was defending herself against assassins and Pinkie was duelling a pirate of some sort. Another image materialised of Rarity, but Fluttershy stamped a hoof through it. “You’ve made your point,” she grumbled. The gate of light disappeared and left the room seemingly darker. Discord was back on his throne, tapping his fingers together. *** Manehattan, the technological forerunner in Equestria with heaving and roiling machines. Primitive cars rumbled down the cobbled roads and past tightly packed houses built up into the sky. It wasn’t even light yet and an endless stream of ponies already wandered the streets each with their own business in mind. Spike looked up from the crowd, mesmerised by all the noise and smells. Twilight walked next to him with the scroll pressed up against her nose. “Why is this city so confusing!” she complained in frustration and reared her head. “It’s not that bad, Twilight. The roads are pretty linear and much better marked than in Ponyville. Why don’t you let me handle this?” Spike said superiorly and snatched the map from Twilight’s magic. He hopped on to her back where he had a better view and guided her easily. The magic school of Manehattan looked more like a university and occupied a much larger area than any of the other schools. It was built entirely out of grey stone with blue metal doors and red tile roof. “Still not as impressive as Canterlot,” Twilight said and stuffed the map back into her saddle. The interior was similarly grand with smooth tile floors, intricately woven carpets and heavy wooden furniture. “The headmaster’s a unicorn, right?” Spike asked. “Right, Crystal Charmer. Why don’t you get something to eat while I –” Twilight began but saw that Spike had already seated himself. Long tables had been set on either side of the room with finely decorated food bowls and bottles of nectar, but no pony were about at this hour. Twilight found Crystal Charmer behind a desk in the next room. She was older than most other headmasters, with a coat as red as raspberries and a mane like dark chocolate. She was reading a book, turning the leaves with a smile on her face. She adjusted her glasses and looked up at Twilight fleetingly. “Not accepting any more admissions, sorry.” “I’m Twilight Sparkle from the Academy,” Twilight explained. “Oh, well look at that. Back in my time, we would not have sent someone as green as you.” She put the book away and devoted her full attention to Twilight. “Unlike some frivolous tasks you may have been given at other schools, this is a serious matter with real consequences.” “You cannot imagine how glad I am to hear that,” Twilight said with a sigh. “But what you do mean by consequences?” “The city has entrusted me with resolving a situation along the road out of town. Several travelling merchants have been robbed there recently and you are going to help me put an end to this.” “I’m not sure what I could do, but I’ll give it my all!” Twilight said encouraging. “I like your spirit, Mrs Sparkle. You’re new to the staff so this may give you an advantage, as we believe the assaults are the actions of a rogue mage. You are to travel north to the Brina Cross Inn, the only common link between victims, and speak with Dapple Heart. She will give you further instructions.” Twilight nodded solemnly and called upon Spike again. She saved herself a lot of humiliation by hoofing the map to him from the start. Crystal Charmer quickly went back to her book again and let Twilight get to it. It was still dark when she arrived. Brina Cross Inn was a cosy half-timber house with thatched roof, standing just off the road some way away from the city. The furniture was largely wood and filled with cheering guests chatting over mugs of foamy cider. Twilight had trouble stifling a smile from the good mood as she sat down at a table with Spike on her right. A mare with a dark purple coat and corn blonde mane trotted among the guests, singing an upbeat song about revelry. The patrons all hooted at her, and she in turn winked at them. When the song was done, she sat down next to Twilight and brushed her curly mane away from her eyes. “Hello, stranger. What can I do for you?” she asked cheerfully. Twilight opened her mouth to reply, but the earth pony leant across the table and continued in a much more serious whisper. “Crystal Charmer sent you, didn’t she? Go and speak with the publican. Rent a room for the night. Once you have your room, get some sleep. I will meet you there later. If anypony asks, you are a travelling merchant, nothing more. Do not say otherwise to anypony.” Dapple Heart pulled her head back and laughed. “No, friend, I’m afraid I don’t know the way to Baltimare, but good luck in your travels. Please excuse me.” She left Twilight alone again with a wink and went to the other side of the room. An earth pony stallion clapped her on the behind. She wagged a hoof at him with a “Tsk, tsk.” “Well that was interesting,” Spike said and followed her with his eyes. Twilight yawned and stretched. “But not a bad strategy. The Academy’s paying and it can’t be all that expensive,” Twilight argued and smacked her lips dully. She jumped down again and went to the counter. The barkeep was a burly earth pony with a lavender coat. His lime green hair had receded to form a small ring around his crown. He looked up at Twilight with a weary smile. “Let me guess, travelling on business? You don’t look like you’re out for no stroll,” he said and rested a hoof on his chin. “Yes, just a travelling merchant out on merchant business... with my baby dragon... who’s also a merchant,” Twilight said with big smile. “Smooth,” Spike added, but the publican took no notice. “Ah thought so. We get many of yous merchants through here, well, we used to. Haven’t seen as many lately, what with the… well, you know. The robberies. Ah don’t like to talk about it much. Bad for business ya know. At any rate, would yous care for a bed for the night?” Twilight confirmed and was directed up the stairs to the last one on the right. She left ten bits on the counter and went to her room. While she collapsed on the bed, Spike sat down on the floor in front. He kept a vigilant eye for an hour or so before dozing off as well. The hours went by. Early morning light streamed through frayed curtains when the door creaked open again. Light hooves sneaked into the small room. The intruder looked over her shoulder and did not see Spike’s tail. He jolted awake from the pain and sprang to his feet, his arms punching around in the air until he caught sight of Dapple Heart. “Oh. It’s just you,” Spike said and yawned. “Wha... ?” Twilight asked and pushed the sheets away. Dapple Heart looked up at her enthusiastically and placed her hoofs on the bed. “Are you well-rested? Good. You need to continue along the road out of town, heading east towards Las Pegasus. I shall be following out of sight, along with a police officer. Make no attempts to speak to us; trust that we will protect you. Should you be confronted by this cowardly mage, do not hesitate to protect yourself by whatever means possible. Once the mage has revealed himself, we will step in and settle the matter quickly. Good luck!” Dapple Heart was gone again before Twilight could properly wake up. She looked about confused but Spike related the plan to her. When they got downstairs again, Dapple Heart was chatting up a tubby earth pony with an olive green coat. He was boisterously going through his many daring adventures with his mouth full of donuts while she laughed and poured him more coffee. She winked at Twilight as she crossed the room with Spike. “Subtle,” Spike commented and avoided eye contacts. “Hmm, how do merchants normally behave?” Twilight muttered to herself and clopped her muzzle. Spike shrugged. “Just try to look less suspicious.” Twilight assumed a wide grin and nervously watched her surroundings. “Less!” Spike reiterated and slapped his face. “Look, don’t try anything and just be yourself.” “But how do I usually behave?” she asked panicky as they trod outside. She was fidgeting with her hair when a loud bang froze her so that Spike walked into her and fell on his back. She looked up at the sky and saw the residues of a rainbow slowly dissipating. She closed her eyes for a moment and smiled naturally. “Come on, Spike. We got a rogue mage to catch.” Spike rubbed his temple and looked up to see what had caught Twilight’s attention, but the sky was only red from the rising Sun. He shook his head and followed beside her again. The dirt path was like a trench in the ground snaking it ways through grassy fields. They could see orchards in the distance and large bushes on either side of the road. There weren’t anypony out travelling though they could see the occasional worker in the distance. Twilight began to hum a little melody and enjoyed the warm embrace of the morning sun. Spike was more demure and kicked a pebble along with him. They turned a bend and a unicorn became jumped out from behind a bush, a red coated mare with a moody look on her face and a shoulder-length chocolate brown mane. “I’m afraid your journey ends here, traveller. I’ll be taking whatever you’re carrying. I do hope it’s more than the last few had. They were most disappointing.” The unicorn fired a purple spell right after ending her monologue. It hit an invisible shield that Twilight just had time to erect. She countered with a spell of her own that hit the unicorn right in the chest. It forced her on her knees, her face an image of pain. Twilight ventured nearer while Spike remained standing. The unicorn forced herself up again and cast another spell. Surprised that her spell was so quickly broken, Twilight had no time to defend herself. She was forced back while the unicorn kept pelting her with the spells. Spike jumped in from the side and grabbed the rogue mage around the neck. Unable to push him off, the unicorn instead reared and bucked. Spike’s grasp loosened and he was flung into a bush. “ENOUGH!” the unicorn exclaimed and approached the panting Twilight. “You’re not a merchant at all, are you?” “No,” Twilight said with a defiant smile. She wiped the blood from her cheek and fired a spell of her. The unicorn formed a shield to deflect it. “Twilight Sparkle,” the unicorn said surly and spat at the ground. “I knew you would come sooner or later if I just kept doing this. The Mandarin will be most satisfied with me when I kill you here.” “Just try it!” Dapple Heart shouted, running up the road towards them with the chubby cop a little distance behind her. “So you’ve got reinforcements? No matter, you will see why Diamond Charmer is a name feared even among my own.” She fired a spell at the newcomer who simply jumped to evade the spell. Diamond aimed her horn again at Twilight but Spike came up from behind and yanked her tail. The spell went flying up into the air and dissipated under the Sun’s light. Twilight used her first spell again at point-blank range. Diamond winced in pain and the tubby cop jumped up on top of her. He pulled a ring from his coat and placed it on the dazed unicorn. Though she tried, no magic came from her horn anymore. Dapple Heart gave a sigh of relief and turned towards Twilight. “You have done well and this road should be a little safer now. You should return to Manehattan and let Crystal Charmer know the work is complete. We’ll remain here and clean things up.” “Come along and don’t try anything funny,” the cop said brusquely and jabbed Diamond in the side. “Wait. Tell me about the Mandarin,” Twilight said and placed a hoof on the cop’s chest. Diamond simply smirked at Twilight. “I’m not telling you anything, Twilight Sparkle, but the Mandarin has many more mages under his command. You’ll meet them soon enough, don’t worry.” “Don’t worry, ma’am. A minute with me and she’ll sing like a bird.” The cop tipped his hat and moved Diamond along. “I’ll notify the Academy once I’ve squeezed her.” Spike removed twigs and leaves caught on his spikes as Twilight watched her being taken away. “What do you think she meant with that?” he asked. “I don’t know, but I just came to be grateful of these little errands,” Twilight replied. “We still have two more cities to go. Next stop... Ponyville.” Twilight swallowed a lump in her throat as icy dread travelled down her spine and made her coat prickle. *** “Wakey, wakey! It’s time for action.” Rarity blearily opened her eyes. “What? What’s going on?” she asked and tried to focus on the lavender blob in front of her. “I’ve planted the bust in the snitch’s house. Now you just need to go tell Shining Armour that Vanilla Marshmallow is the thief.” A mischievous smile formed on the blur and Rarity yawned. “You do it,” Rarity said and turned to lie on the other side. “Why should he believe me?” Emerald replied and went to face her. “You seem to know him and you’re loyal to the guild. I’m still not sure what to make of it, but better use this connection while we can.” Rarity smacked her lips and stretched. Guards wandered around the area outside the wall, carrying their long spears and swords by their side. There was nothing focused about their walk nor did they seem to be patrolling. They were simply walking between shanties and campfires while keeping a vigilant eye. Shining Armour stood out on the road in the middle of it all, looking first up to the city walls and then down towards the train tracks and blimp docks. Rarity got up on her hooves, the chill air kindling her to life again, and went straight for him. Hs purple armour and blue mane was unmistakable in the light of a nearby torch. She rubbed her eyes to get the last sleep out of her system. “You’re still here,” he said with concern, noticing her before she could approach him completely. “I couldn’t very well keep the money!” Rarity said aghast then stuck her head close to his head, whispering: “I know where you can find the bust.” “You know where the bust is hidden?” Shining asked in disbelief. “It was Vanilla Marsh –” Rarity began but a yawn interrupted her. The eyes of Shining Armour popped open in surprise. “Vanilla Marshmallow? Are you sure? That can’t be right. She’s my... I mean she doesn’t seem to be the type.” “Well, if you don’t believe me, you could always check out her house,” Rarity said and began to walk away. “I will. And you’d better be coming with me. This is a serious accusation.” Rarity froze as Shining waved two guards to flank him. Smiling sheepishly, she followed behind him and coughed to regain her posture. Shining stepped up on the front porch of one of the sturdier-looking houses off to a side. He knocked thrice until the door opened slightly and a yellow-orange unicorn head peered out through the crack. “This citizen is accusing you of stealing the bust of Celestia from the castle crypt. Will you allow me to search your house?” he asked, but it felt more like an order. The unicorn stammered with a reply until she had caught sight of Rarity, her eyes widening. Her tongue loosened as she realised what was going on. “That ‘citizen’ is actually the guild member that was hired to do the theft!” “Do not trust her,” Rarity said and went up next to him, turning on her charm. “She’s only trying to lead the suspicion away from herself.” “Lies and slander!” Vanilla spat. “Then you won’t me if we searched your hut?” Shining pressed. “Go ahead! You won’t find any busts here, least of all of princesses.” Vanilla jerked the door completely open and stepped aside. The guards entered the single-room squalid house and went through the little furniture. Shining stood on the porch outside and observed. The guards lifted the mattress of a dirty bed, opened drawers and cupboards and checked the floor for loose boards. Vanilla watched with them with a smug smile, already assured of her victory. Rarity on the other hoof was more concerned, contemplating the possibility of Emerald betraying her. Her fear was quickly swept aside. Opening a large closet standing up against the right wall started an avalanche of clutter that completely buried the hapless guard. Shining went to the pile where a pair of white legs protruded, twitching. He sifted through broken brooms, holed shirts and a few callipers before a marbled head peered up at him. He turned at once towards Vanilla, all of the colour in her face draining. “How do you explain this?” Shining angrily took the bust with his magic and levitated it right in front of her face. “O-o-obviously it was planted!” Vanilla stammered and laughed nervously. Shining glared at her so instead she pointed towards Rarity. “It was her! I saw her steal it with my own eyes!” “I am not going to believe a thief over a personal friend.” Shining cast his head towards the door and the other guard dragged the kicking and screaming Vanilla away. He then followed them but stopped to look at Rarity. “I cannot know which one of you is right, but let me give you an advice. Disassociate yourself with the Thieves Guild. You’re only going to bring trouble on yourself. Take this bounty for finding the bust and clear yourself of any debt you may have here.” Shining took a pouch from his purple armour and dropped it down on the floor. The last guard brushed the clutter off of him and retreated as well. Rarity waited until they were all gone before she checked the contents. She had to go through it twice to comprehend just how much she had been left with. “Ten coins a ten bits... One hundred bits in all! Wa-ha-ha!” she exclaimed surprised. She couldn’t suppress a giggle, prancing around the pouch with a skip and a jump. “You’re a welcome sight!” a deep voice said behind her. Rarity stopped in midair, her cheeks flushing scarlet as she quickly turned around. Armand entered the modest shack and gave her a warm smile. “I know I used you in this matter without consulting with you first, but I couldn’t be certain that you weren’t working with Vanilla.” “You knew it was her all along?” Rarity said startled and picked up the gold. “Of course. Hers was the only name missing in that ledger you stole from Shining Armour. I’m also promoting you to the guild rank of Bandit. Good work!” “T-thank you,” Rarity said quietly. She hesitated for a moment before putting the pouch into her satchel. “I don’t know what to think of you, little miss Rarity. Of your connection with Shining Armour or of your sincerity,” Armand said. Grinning, he wrapped a hoof around her neck. “But you diligently carried out your assignments AND made it easier for us to operate in Canterlot. I did not spend my time idly in hiding. Though I couldn’t find any info on the missing Elements, I know somepony who may be of more help.” “Really?” Rarity asked hopefully, her eyes swimming. Armand nodded and let her go. “You should go see Storm Chaser in Fillydelphia, an old friend of mine. You’re still a thief and she WILL put you to work as she snoops around. Just comply with her demands and you’ll get along famously.” “F-Fillydelphia?” Rarity stammered nervously. “Don’t worry; you can come back to Canterlot anytime you want. In fact, I’ll keep this hut empty for you and who knows; maybe I’ll even find a few misplaced items to spruce it up with.” Armand went outside again with one last nod and was greeted by Emerald. She waved her fluffy green tail teasingly up against his face as she passed him by. He followed her into the late night darkness and left Rarity biting her lip. “If I go back to Fillydelphia, I’d have to confront my parents.” Hesitating, Rarity too walked outside and closed the door behind her. A clinking noise made her pause to investigate the source only to find that it was her saddle. She magicked the leather pouch out with refreshed memory and smiled impishly. “But I don’t have to confront my parents if I can afford to live somewhere else!” She flailed her front hooves giddily before hurrying towards the train station across the bridge. “Oh, but I would have to send for Opal. I can’t imagine how badly the poor dear must be missing me by now. Well, everything at its time, Rarity. First I have to get to Fillydelphia.” *** Rainbow Dash flew as fast as she could but the early morning light was breaking across the horizon. “I can’t be late for my first official appointment as a Wonderbolt!” she said panicky and looked around her. There were no ponies outside and the grasslands, fields and forests were virtually devoid of any life. She flapped her wings faster and her speed increased, but this was not all that she could do. Manehattan was just a small speck on the horizon and the sun was slowly making its way up into the sky. Dash went faster and faster and higher and higher up. When she had gone past even the clouds, she descended again at a slanted angle. She was aiming with her hooves towards the distant skyline. Wind blew past her like the roar of a mighty beast. Her gums and eyelids flapped but she pushed herself harder. Her body was freezing cold from the high altitude and the late season, but the friction warmed her up. With an explosion of sounds and colours, all barriers disappeared. She was wrapped in a blanket of rainbows and all she could see were colours rushing past her. She zipped out of the rainbow vortex, Manehattan just in front of her. Dash looked around to make sure no one had been hurt from the blast. There was an inn far below her but the early morning meant no one was outside. Just a purple unicorn that seemed startled. Dash had no time to worry about that. She zoomed into the expansive city, jaw dropping from the sheer size of it all. Dash was surrounded on all sides by skyscrapers. Primitive cars rumbled across the asphalt below her. Earth ponies of all colours and sizes wandered around on the streets. They were too absorbed in walking and talking to notice the trail of colours she left in her wake. She paid no mind to them either. She was headed for an ornate white building further down the streets. It was part of a larger neighbourhood of similar manors surrounded by sparsely vegetated grounds. A large tree loomed in the background and cast a large shadow on to the cobbled road. Dash landed in front of the few stairs to the blue double doors, looking up at the building with apprehension. She had to swallow a lump, the weight of her duty suddenly hitting her with great force. A large sign dangling in front of the metal doors proclaimed “Manehattan Police Force.” She was at the right place. The inside was a chaos of blue-garbed police officers running around among shouting civilians. There were waiting benches padded with black cushions but few used them other than to deposit baggage. Dash walked inside, trying to get the ears of one of the officers but was constantly cut short. There was always somepony else demanding attention and Dash was shoved back. Her temper slowly neared a boil. She was about to blow a fuse when she felt a tap on her shoulder. A large zebra in a white uniform and a yellow badge on his chest stood behind her with a small smile. His black hair was shaved almost bald and the swirls on his flank looked almost three stars and a moon. “You must be the Wonderbolt I’ve been expecting. Come, this way.” The zebra pushed through the masses easily with his size towards a staircase on the other end of the room. Dash took the easier route and flew above their heads. He led her up through a desk area with its own canteen and further up to a large office. The room was airy and contained a small waiting area with a round table, a chair and a bookcase with some reading material. “The name’s Azzan,” he explained as he went to his desk at the other end. “Things are little hectic these days, as you can see.” “It’s a great honour for the Wonderbolts that you would commission us –” Dash started, but Azzan waved a hoof. “Spare me the dribble, kid. You probably won’t think it’s such a great honour when you hear the details.” Azzan lifted his hind legs up on the desk and leant back in his seat. “Things have been strange here in Manehattan, in all of Equestria, the last couple of years. If I didn’t know better, I’d say the harmony has been sucked right out of them. Neighbour squabbles, petty theft, lawsuits... the list goes on.” “So where do I fit in?” Dash asked and shifted her weight. “Straight to the point! I like that.” Azzan lowered his hooves again and bowed over the desk. “All right, I think I got something for a rookie like you. A unicorn over on the west side has a problem with her rats.” “A rat problem?” Dash asked and raised an eyebrow in suspicion. “Yes, rats. I’m sure she can explain it to you better than I. Her name’s Czarina and she’s kind of a big deal around here, so don’t muck this up!” Azzan passed her a note with directions and further information. When Dash headed for the stairs, he stopped her once again. “You’re a pegasus, are you not? Just use the window and you won’t have to go through the chaos downstairs.” The window in question sat in the hollow between waiting table and working desk. It reached from floor to loft and offered a magnificent view of the city bathed in the rays of early morning light. She spread her wings and jumped out into the nippy morning air. “I can’t believe I’m stuck doing this when I could be out looking for the Elements,” she mumbled, but gave a sigh. “No, Soarin’ is counting on me. And besides, Silver Lining would have my hide if I screw this up.” Her instructions guided her towards a part of Manehattan that was covered with small two-storey houses scattered across a meadow. Large slabs of stone made trails between houses and the bigger road to the east. The sea was visible further west and beyond that the mountains. Czarina sat on a bench outside a blue house with dark red tiles. She was an elderly unicorn with a dark purple coat, fading mint green hair slicked up and wearing a burgundy dress. She was dabbing her eyes on a handkerchief, but perked up when she saw the Wonderbolts uniform on Dash. Dash barely had time to land before Czarina ran up to her. “Ah, you must be from the Wonderbolts! Good. Something has been killing my rats in the basement. It’s horrible!” Dash took a surprised step backwards. “You have rats in your basement?” “Oh, my poor babies,” Czarina said and sank to her knees. “You must do something! I don’t know what I’d do without them. Their little pink noses, their scaly little tails. Please, get to the basement and find out what’s happening.” “So the problem is that something’s KILLING rats?” Dash slowly reiterated, uncertain she had comprehended everything. “Yes, that’s just what I said! Aren’t you going to take care of this?” Czarina looked up at her with fresh tears welling up in her eyes. Dash assumed a confident expression as she put a hoof to her chest. “Don’t worry, ma’am. As a Wonderbolt, it is my duty to take care of any situation regardless of its nature!” “Then don’t just stand there! Get to it.” “Ugh, this is SO not what I signed up for,” she mumbled and entered the house. The hallway was short with a staircase at the end, a kitchen on the left and a living room on the right. Growls could be heard from behind a wooden door next to the stairs. Dash opened it and trod into the semidarkness. Sweat poured from her brow as the sound of tiny scurrying feet accompanied her downwards. A pair of hungry, yellow eyes flared up. A snarling mouth followed along with paws stepping across stone. “You want to do this? Let’s do this!” Dash taunted and raised herself up on her hind legs. The animal approached her warily, hissing back at her. It ventured closer, but Dash jabbed it on the nose. Her eyes got used to the dark and a form appeared. She wasted no time and punched at the animal again. It retreated from the beatings, slowly at first before turning away. It disappeared through a hole at the other end. Sunlight streamed through and illuminated the animal for a brief moment. It was a big feline with tan skin clinging to its bones, like a rag thrown over it. “A starved mountain lion?” Dash asked and looked up into the daylight beyond. Bricks had been carefully removed and earth dug away. She shook her head and checked the extent of the damage. Cages stood on top of crates and large rats moved around inside, cowering under hay and food bowls. “It’s all right, little guys, the lion is gone.” One of the cages lay on the floor with the hatch broken off. There was no rat inside. All Dash could do was put it back on the box where it had stood and then go back outside again. Czarina was waiting for her and grabbed her shoulders. “Well, what have you found? Did you take care of my babies? What was going on down there?” she asked frantically and shook Dash back and forth. “Most of your rats are fine, ma’am, but I think a mountain lion may have gotten to some of them.” “A mountain lion? In my basement? Oh... no.” Czarina slumped all heartbroken to the ground. Dash looked away annoyed and made to leave. Her tail was caught in a spell before she could even spread her wings and she was heaved back. “Where there’s one, there will be more. Trusty Hooves lives just down the road. He’s a hunter and knows this area inside and out. He’ll know what to do.” “Yes ma’am,” Dash said through gritted teeth. She kicked up a small cloud of dust as she hovered up into the air, looking from one house to another. They were all quite similar to Czarina’s home, tall and slim with a small garden surrounding and a stone fence separating them. No pony was out in the early morning and very little activity could be spotted through the windows. At the end of the row of houses, however, stood an earth pony on his hind legs and with bow drawn. His arrows each hit a bale of hay a hundred meters away, every time in the designated red spot. He didn’t flinch as Dash landed next to him but continued to hit his mark. His short sleek mane hung lazily down his cherubic cheeks, as olive green as his coat. A bow with a drawn arrow was this earth pony’s cutie mark. “Trusty Hooves, hunter, woodspony and markspony at your service. What can I do for you, neighbour?” He nocked another arrow, holding the bow with his left hoof and drawing the string with the right. The projectile whooshed away and hit the bale of hay. “I hear you’re an expert hunter,” Dash stated, hovering vertically in the air behind Trusty. “Hehe, that’s right!” “And maybe this expert hunter would like to help me find a den of mountain lions?” Trusty had drawn another arrow but lowered the bow. He put it back and slung it around his shoulders, falling down on all fours again. “Mountain lions? Here? Odd. But if they’re around, I guarantee you I can find them!” He turned around to face Dash with a wide grin and waved with his hoof to follow him. “Come with me. Now what made you believe there were mountain lions in Manehattan?” “I saw one in Czarina’s basement,” Dash said neutrally and flew next to him down the road. “You must excuse me, neighbour, if I want to verify that for myself.” Czarina was no longer found outside but stared at them with concern through a ground floor window. They went around to the backyard where Trusty quickly noticed the hole in the wall. Though it had been covered loosely with planks, they had been shoved aside. Almost on purpose. Trusty stuck his head inside the hole and sniffed. “Definitely mountain lion, but I smell something else. Bait? Curious.” With nose at ground level, Trusty followed an invisible trail. He picked up speed as they got further and further away, up the road and completely out of Manehattan. The sea became visible far in the distance with a few scattered sights of civilization visible. Trusty looked up from the grass, his nose pointing to a large landfill. “In there?” Dash asked with disgust and stuck out her tongue. “Poor critters. Astray from the mountains and starved, probably lured by the smell of garbage.” Trusty wiped a single tear from his cheek. “I can’t imagine there would be more than four of the critters. Let’s take care of this quickly.” Trusty sped through the mesh gate while Dash simply flew over the wooden fence. Piles of refuse had been stacked high, dirty socks and banana peels sticking out along with food wrappers and even an old chair. Dash’s airborne advantage made her spot the lions quickly. She hailed Trusty and pointed down. A small heap had been excavated and four felines crept out from safety. “I’ve got this!” Trusty bellowed. Dash contented herself to watch, perched on a broken toilet at the top of the largest pile. The lions approached him warily, but Trusty was undaunted by their bared fangs and claws. “Easy now. I don’t want to hurt you.” The closest lion snarled, but Trusty’s eyes were steel, his bulky form blowing up to increase his size. The lion took a step back and its fellows joined it. Trusty went closer and closer until he could touch one of them. His hoofs ran down its cheek. The lion was a powder keg waiting to go off. For several long moments, the two stared each other down until it finally gave in and licked his face. Trusty embraced it and, having gained one lion’s trust, the others lay down around him. “That’s amazing!” Dash said impressed and landed down next to him. The lion in his embrace growled at her and she retreated a few paces. “Well, don’t try it at home. I’m what you call an expert,” he said and chortled. “Well, I’d better get back to Czarina and tell her things have been handled.” Dash smiled nervously at the lions and it snorted back. She was off so fast that she didn’t see Trusty raise his hoof. Dash landed again by Czarina’s home and found the lady in question pace nervously on the dirt road. “What’s the matter?” Dash asked surprised. “The mountain lions have all been taken care of.” “ALL of them?” she shrieked in a dangerous tone and pressed her face up against Dash. “ALL OF THEM? Then why do I still hear noises from basement?” “Relax!” Dash raised her hoofs in defence and retreated. “How about I take one last look before heading back, then?” “See to it that you do! If anything happened to my poor babies...” She sobbed into a handkerchief and blew her nose, leaving Dash with no other choice. She entered the house again, across the hallway and down the sleek stone steps. There was a definite snarl of a beast but it was too dark for Dash to see. She waited on the stairs for her eyes to get used to the darkness, but the glowing eyes were unmistakable. The rats squeaked in panic and ran around in their little cages, but were ice cold and unmoving. The lion knew it had been spotted and watched its opponent carefully. Dash made sure not to make any sudden movements. She inhaled air to make herself seem bigger, her eyes hardened despite the severity of the situation. The lion moved closer. Dash blew herself up a little more. The lion was hesitant, waiting. For a moment that could have lasted forever, the two locked their eyes. Whatever the result may have been, none of it came to pass. A rotund pony leapt out of nowhere and tackled the lion. “Nearly missed one!” Trusty said. The lion snapped at him, but he stroked it gently down the neck. “Lively bugger, ain’tcha! Shh, shh. It’s okay.” Dash let out all of the air again in a deep sigh and wiped her brow. “What are you doing here, Trusty? I mean, I appreciate it and all, but how did you know?” she asked relieved. “The others told me of course,” he replied and patted the lion on its back. The rats were backed as far into their cages as they could. “I tried to warn you, but you were in a right hurry to get back.” “Yeah. Sorry about that.” Dash looked away and felt her cheeks blush. “Thank you.” “No problem! To tell you the truth, I was more worried about the lion than you.” He gave a short, loud laugh and pushed behind the lion. Together, they disappeared up along the hole with it. Something fell as he wriggled his sizable posterior through the opening. Dash was quick to retrieve it and held it up against the sunlight. “Pellets of...” she said and gave the small orbs a whiff, “animal fodder?” She dropped them back on the floor and zoomed out of the house the proper way. An exalted Czarina caught her with her magic as Dash flew through the door. “I cannot thank you enough!” Czarina said and shook Dash’s hoof. “I know I can be a bit irrational when it comes to my babies, but you understand. Thank you, thank you, thank you.” “You’re very welcome, ma’am. Just doing my job,” Dash replied and wrestled herself free. She flew high above the houses where she had a good view of the whole neighbourhood. Her eyes wandered around as Czarina went back inside. Dash was looking for something and it didn’t take her long to find it... in the neighbour’s backyard. A dark purple pegasus dragged a sack around her house. It was bigger than her and took a lot effort to move. She brushed her short bright yellow mane away from her eyes and pushed it with her head. Suddenly the sack wouldn’t move at all. She looked up to see if she had run into something and stared directly into Rainbow Dash, perched on top of the sack. “W-what do you want?” she asked nervously and stood back. “What have you got in here?” Dash asked and tapped the linen. “Nothing!” the mare replied quickly. A few salmon coloured pellets fell out of a hole in the top left corner. “That’s a heavy sack of nothing,” Dash said calmly, picking up the little pebbles that had fallen out. “You know, I found this exact type of fodder in a hole in your neighbour’s wall. What a coincidence, huh?” “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about. I would never go skulking about...” the pegasus insisted but Dash hardened her stare. “Fine. You’ve got me, okay? I just figured if I left some fodder outside, the nasty little things would come out and the police would condemn the place.” “Didn’t you know the rats were locked in cages? And that your little stunt attracted mountain lions?” Dash reproached and reared to cross her arms. “Mountain lions! In her basement? I just wanted to lure her vermin outside! I didn’t mean to hurt anyone, except the rats. Please, don’t tell her!” The pegasus fell to the ground with hooves clutching her head. “Where did you get this sack of bait?” Dash asked and stroked the coarse linen. “It was a gryphon, ma’am Wonderbolt ma’am,” the pegasus said and looked up. “He came up and told me had the solution to my problems.” “And you didn’t think to question how he knew about your situation? Or why he would even care?” “Well yeah, to begin with, but I was sold on the idea immediately.” Dash gave a long sigh and turned horizontal in the air. “If you get rid of all this fodder and never try anything as stupid as this again, then I won’t make a case of it.” “Oh thank you so much, kind ma’am!” Tears of joy rolled down her the pegasus’ eyes. She was about to add something but Dash was already on her way. The promises of a reward were uninteresting to Dash. She flew straight back to Azzan’s office through the opened window and found the zebra still sitting behind his desk. “I was just told Czarina plans to make a generous donation to the police station. Looks like we can get some decent coffee for a change.” He grinned loudly but Dash remained impassive. “A job well done, kid. Hey, don’t go anywhere yet. I have another one for you while you’re at it.”
