A Repentant Draconequus on the Equestrian Throne

by DungeonMiner

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Twilight Sparkle, Discord, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Human, Romance, Original Character, King Sombra
Length: 112746

Pendragon Alan Goldenhoof, after saving Equestria twice over, must now sit idly by as his world is destroyed piece by agonizing piece.

"It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy?[...] A new day will come."—Samwise Gamgee

Alan Williams Goldenhoof has been there and back again. He saved Equestria, saved an Empire, and even walked up to Death's door, shook his hoof, and then went on his merry way. He is loved in Ponyville, famous in Caterlot, and is considered to be a hero.

And now his heroics are about to end. Perhaps permanently.

With a shadow of arcane evil lurking in the back of his mind, and an old foe on a new battlefield, he has met his match. But no matter what they say, he knows the truth. He knows this guy cannot be trusted.

No matter what they say.

Book 3 of the Harmony for All Trilogy

Published 2014-07-21 02:50:05 UTC
Last updated 2015-06-05 19:20:50 UTC

2-Finding Your Way

Chapter 2

The five stallions and one dragon all lined up in front of the stump at Sweet Apple Acres.

The afternoon sun bore down on them as they fitted themselves for their yokes, all the while, puffing their chests out as their respective ladies cheered them on from the sidelines.

The mares stood next to several yet-to-be-opened barrels of cider as well as a rather generous spread of various apple-related treats. A large parasol, donated to the event courtesy of Rarity (who still wore a large hat anyway), had been set up for the mares and they gladly sat in its shade.

“Alright,” Alan said, as he weaved the rope through the yoke, “Thunderlane, Soarin, you’re going to give us some upward force. Spike, you’re with me and Silver to pull out. Big Mac, you’re the anchor. Any objections?”

They had none.

“Sounds good. Let’s go, stallions.”

They quickly lined up. Big Mac stood in the lead, followed by Spike, and then Alan and Silver standing side by side. Thunderlane and Soarin hovered in the sky above, double checking their harnesses as they waited for the signal.

“Ready…” Alan began, before waiting a beat. “Pull!”

The ropes snapped taut as the stallions pulled, hemp dust rising off of them as the puller’s hooves dug into the ground beneath them.

Soarin and Thunderlane were flapping their wings crazily, trying to get some upward force on the stump.

Big Mac took a slow step forward, and using everything he learned from the trees, became one with the earth, and perfectly immovable.

Spike’s claws dug deep into the earth below him, cutting long trenches into the soil as he struggled to get a foothold.

The stallions strained and grunted. Muscles rippled, veins bulged, they tugged and pawed at the ground while the stump popped as its roots were ripped to pieces.

And the mares just watched.

Women (as far as men know) don’t often indulge in ogling at eye candy. However, it has been confirmed that they do enjoy it occasionally, and the rippling wall of bulging muscle in front of them was just a little too sweet to pass up.

Rarity smiled around the straw she drank from as her eyes wandered over Spike’s large arms and shoulders. She drank her apple juice rather happily as Spike’s massive wings beat slowly as he tried to get some forward momentum.

Applejack was sneaking her looks at Silver, hiding them by cheering them on as she watched his sides and legs glisten with sweat.

Pinkie cheered on Soarin as he flapped his wings, and she took a moment to admire the wingspan, and the force coming off those wings. A force that she could feel from the ground.

Rainbow Dash likewise took a moment to admire Thunderlane’s wingspan.

Fluttershy, meanwhile stared in awe as Big Mac stood perfectly still. His yoke pulling back into his neck as the ropes strained. But he did not move an inch. The ground below him didn’t even give.

Twilight looked on lovingly, knowing from experience the strength of those arms.

As slack began to build between Spike and Big Mac, the farmer took a step forward before quickly becoming one with the earth again.

The stump groaned and popped as more roots snapped under the force.

Alan spoke through gritt teeth. “Silver, on three, pull with me. One. Two. Three!”

The two stallions pulled together, and the stump came loose, followed by more popping as the roots finally snapped.

A cheer went up from the crowd of mares, and the stallions grinned at their success, before finding a nice comfortable spot on the ground to rest on.

As the spectators came up to their respective pullers, Twilight hovered Orion up to her husband. “Look at how strong Daddy is! Yeah, see how strong he is.”

The blue bundle babbled happily, reaching out for his father with his little golden hooves.

Alan smiled as he slowly picked himself up from the ground to nuzzle his son, before turning to kiss his wife.

“Well, fellas,” Applejack said, before bringing a hoof down on a pry bar and opening a barrel. “You earned it!”

With the smell of fresh cider now floating in the air, the exhausted stallions slowly picked themselves up and migrated to the snack table.

And Applejack was already keeping Rainbow Dash at bay with a stick. “Let the stallions go first, Rainbow! They did the work!”

“They’ll get it!” Dash replied. “There’s enough to go around!”

“Which is why you can wait!” she said, before biting down on her tail and dragging her away.

“No! Cider! Wait for meeeeeeee!”

As the ponies drank deep and regained their breath, conversation began to spark through the little party. “Say, Al, where’ve you been the past couple of weeks?” Soarin asked. “I hardly see you.”

“That’s because whenever I go out, you’re off on a show,” Alan answered.

Soarin shrugged. “Still a Wonderbolt, got to please the crowd sometime.”

“Yeah, but I’m not a Wonderbolt,” Thunderlane added. “So what’s your excuse this time?”

Alan smiled. “Alright, alright, you caught me. Twi’s been trying to help me develop my magic skill, so while she has me go through all of the basic, picking up a ball and all that, I’m working on translating my shouts to spells.”

Silver spoke up. “Isn’t that kind of advanced?”

“Well, yeah...but, you see, I know how a fire spell works, and I know how my fire shout feels. The idea is, if I can make the connection between those two, I can recreate it for the other shouts.”

“Ah,” Spike said in understanding, “I see. That could work.”

Silver shrugged. “If you say so.”

“Yeah, well that’s the plan anyways, I’ve had mixed results so far, and no real breakthroughs.”

“Let me know how that turns out,” Spike said before sipping his mug. “You’ve got me interested in this now.”

“Will do, Spike.”

“Y’all want some fritters?” Applejack asked.

“Oh, yes.”

“Please.”

“Don’t mind if I do.”

“Eeyup.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Princess Celestia walked the empty hallways of Canterlot Castle. The loud clop of her golden shod hooves echoed as she walked through this hardly-visited wing of the castle. She had been hearing rather disturbing things about her nephew as of late, and with a little direction from Alan’s latest letter, decided that something should be done about it.

She stopped as she came upon the large doors to his personal chambers.

The two guards on the sides of the doors stood at attention, ready for any order that may be given to them.

She waited a moment.

Just a moment.

And then entered the room as softly, and as quietly as she could.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Prince Blueblood XVI frowned.

It had been three years now.

Three years since he had been humiliated publicly by that warmonger they call the Pendragon. Three years since he had his duty of planning the Grand Galloping Gala stripped from him. Three years since he had first walked into the Royal Libraries, searching for a spell that would rip that stallion’s insides to pieces.

Blueblood’s eyes flashed green and red.

Three years, and time was almost up.

He swirled the wine in his glass before taking another gulp, not bothering to savor the flavor of the three-hundred-year-old wine. He didn’t really care.

He was a powerful enemy, to be sure, but with this new power, it would be much easier.

He gave a feral grin at the thought of tearing apart that mare next.

Maybe she should go first?

As these dark thoughts filled his mind, he thought for a moment that the room got brighter.

He blinked, before the room returned to its regular darkness, and he growled. “I told them I did not want to be disturbed, peasant,” he sneered.

A soft, gentle voice answered. “Am I not allowed to walk in my own Castle?”

The prince jumped, leaping out of his chair at the sound of Celestia’s voice. “Princess! I—”

She smiled. “It’s alright, Blueblood. It’s alright,” she said, comforting her nephew.

“I...forgive me, Auntie…” Blueblood said. “I...I thought you were the help.”

Celestia gave him a firm frown. “And you refer to the help as peasants?”

Blueblood winced. “I...I...I do…” he admitted, figuring that lying would only worsen his situation.

Celestia sighed, before stepping toward her adoptive nephew. She draped her wing around him, and pulled him to the side. “Blueblood, Blueblood, Blueblood…” she sighed again. “What happened, Blueblood?”

The Prince furrowed his brow. “What do you mean, Auntie?”

She glanced down at the Prince. “What do you think I mean?” she asked simply.

“Well…” Blueblood began. “I...it’s all the Pendragon’s fault,” he answered in a huff. “Do you know what he did to me?” he asked. “He humiliated in front of everyone. He stole money from me, and ruined my reputation! He destroyed me! He—”

“I asked him to,” Celestia said simply.

Blueblood jumped out of the embrace of her wing. “What!?” he demanded. “You!? You betrayed me!?”

“I didn’t betray you, Blueblood,” she stated.

“You! It was you! I should have known! I should have known that I couldn’t trust—”

“Blueblood,” she interrupted, and the power in her voice stopped his rambling short. “I did not betray you. I was trying to help you.”

“Help?” he asked, anger rebuilding in his voice after being so quickly destroyed. “You were trying to help? And how exactly was destroying me helpful?”

Celestia hung her head. “The Gala committee had been talking about changing the planner the year before. They were getting tired of the same thing every year, Blueblood. The only ones who were really enjoyed your Galas were lesser nobles, the ones that made it a point to talk to you and tell you what a great job you had done. Nopony else enjoyed them.”

Blueblood blinked.

“This is the second time I tried to help you, Blueblood. I tried to get the Bearers of the Elements last time, but with the way you treated Rarity, they didn’t want to come back.

“The decision to replace you was cemented when the Pendragon replaced your Gala with what he did. They picked someone who enjoyed the changes, but still knew how to be refined. They wanted the middle ground between the two, and that was something you could have done, Blueblood.”

“I…” he began.

“And I know you can do that, Blueblood,” Celestia continued. “I know that you can be just as wild as the Pendragon because I’ve seen it.”

She gave a small smile. “I remember a little colt running around my chambers, holding a map of an imaginary land and talking about how he would be the greatest explorer Equestria had ever known. A colt who scoffed and ridiculed his etiquette teachers and,” she stifled a laugh, “made rather rude jokes about the royal physician.”

Her smile faded as she looked back at the stallion in front of her. “So I ask again. What happened, Nephew?”

“He grew up,” the Prince replied bitterly. “He grew up and learned how important etiquette was. He didn’t have the time to chase silly dreams of candy cane forests. He couldn’t go off and explore a useless land when he could be navigating a ball and becoming a VIP unlike any had been before.”

“Licorice,” Celestia said.

“What?”

“It was a licorice forest.”

“It is childish!” Blueblood roared. “It’s pointless, ridiculous, and a massive waste of precious time!”

“Blueblood…” Celestia began.

“Not like you would know what being grown up means! Between your practical jokes and your disgusting cake habit, you’re no better than a four-year-old! Here’s a thought, maybe if you actually acted your age, other countries would respect you enough that they wouldn’t go to war! It’s garbage! All of it is garbage!”

Celestia said nothing.

“Am I the only one that still knows how to act like proper royalty? Am I the only one with a brain, or is that a commodity too?” He asked, yelling.

He turned and stomped further back into his room, only to find himself without a place to walk off to.

Celestia sighed. “If that’s how you feel, Blueblood,” she said, before standing.

Blueblood did not face her.

She began to leave, before Blueblood heard the ring of magic, and the pop of teleportation. The unmistakable rustle of paper sounded behind him, before Celestia spoke again. “Goodnight, Nephew.”

And then the door closed behind her.

The room went silent.

Blueblood stared angrily at the wall, refusing to look at the table where Celestia had left her gift. He didn’t care what it was. He didn’t want to know.

He glanced back.

A newspaper hat, and a small sheet of parchment.

His eye twitched at the sight of the hat, and stomped over to it before ripping it apart. He shredded it, leaving no piece of paper larger than his bow tie. “Stupid! Childish! Imprudent! Wasteful! Pointless!”

His eyes turned to the sheet.

A childish map of some stupid, made-up country stared back up at him happily.

He snatched the map up, furious, and began to rip...it…

In half…

The land, a mythical country colored in bright ink, almost smiled at him. The word “Bluelandia” was written proudly across its face.

Greengrass Field had the majority of the land, stretching from Chocolate Milk Falls to the Licorice Forest.

A stray memory, one of a very young Blueblood came to mind.

“And then, if you follow the path of Rainbow Bricks, you’ll come to the Licorice Forest!” The young colt explained excitedly.

“The Licorice Forest?!” Celestia asked, smiling as she watched Blueblood explain the next continent he would explore.

“Yeah! The trees are made of licorice!”

“Really? But how will the trees last if they’re made of licorice?” Celestia asked, smiling all the way.

“The trunks of the trees are made of black licorice! Nopony would eat those!”

Celestia laughed.

Blueblood the stallion stared back down at the map, already sporting a large wound from his anger.

“It...it’s childish…” he muttered. “Childish and stupid…” he said before he continued to rip it again.

It was like trying to tear through steel.

The paper fluttered as Blueblood’s magical grip shook.

He stared at the map, the map he hadn’t seen since he was six. The happy colors and childish legend seemed simple at best, but…

The expertly drawn compass rose in the corner of the map was as much a signature as it was an accusation.

The Super Slide Tower and the Castle of Cool called to him, reminding him of the two most strictly enforced rules of the country, specifically, the “No School” and “No Brussels Sprouts” laws.

He...he sighed, and set the map down on his desk.

He stared at it, a nostalgic smile on his face and tears gathering in his eyes.

Then, he slowly opened one of his drawers, and blowing away the dust, began to pull out rulers and compasses, protractors, and various other drafting tools.

Finally, he took out another sheet of parchment, a quill and an inkpot.

He could not remember how long he sat there, scratching away at the fresh piece of parchment, but when he finished, he could not help but smile.

He had a new map, done professionally this time, with flowing script labeling the various landmarks. The coast was decorated perfectly and the forest was amazingly marked.

He smirked to himself. “You can still draw a good-looking map.”

And then he frowned.

“What am I doing?” he asked himself. He sat back down and stared up at the ceiling. “‘Navigating social scenes,’” he scoffed. “If I could miss the committee's wishes so easily then maybe not.”

He looked down at his flanks, and saw his Cutie Mark staring back at him. “So who am I, really?”

That was the real question.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Blueblood had stayed up the whole night, and he still did not have an answer.

However, in all of the pacing and thinking, he finally had a solution.

A large saddlebag, stuffed to the brim with surprisingly basic survival gear, sat by the door, ready to go.

He was almost ready. All that he needed to do was let his Auntie know.

He approached his desk, and took a fresh sheet. “Now…” he muttered. “How to start.”

He stared at the page for a long time, before he began to write, carefully sculpting each word, letter by letter.

“Dear Princess Celestia,

I’m sorry. It was not my place to say the things I said. I apologize.

Secondly, I wish to...express my gratitude for the conversation. It certainly has given me a lot to think about.

Too much, in fact.

I simply don’t know what to think anymore. I...I hardly know who I am. Am I the explorer I thought I was when I was a foal, or am I the politician I molded myself into.

I simply don’t know.

For the past fifteen years, I have been convinced that the social scene was my realm, and I have explored them well. Now, however, I feel that to give the other side of me a chance, I must go into the wild and learn the rules of the jungles and forest as I had for balls and galas.

So...so I will go. I’m going and I do not know when I am coming back, if at all.”

His quill shook as a smile began to grow across his face.

“And...and I find that exhilarating. That prospect of danger has gotten my blood to boil already, and I am still standing in my room!

Oh, I pity myself for not doing this sooner…

…

So...thank you, Auntie. Thank you for talking to me.

Maybe when I return, I will thank you for what you did to me, maybe I never will. I don’t know.

I don’t even know who I am.

And so, I’m off to find out.

Give my congratulations to Fancy Pants, perhaps he can plan a better Gala than I ever could. And...also extend an apology to the Pendragon and that unicorn mare for me. It is the proper thing to do, and I have been rather ill-mannered to not have done so already.

Wish me luck, Auntie. I’m sure you’ll find some way of contacting me.

Your Nephew,

Prin…”

He paused.

“Your Nephew,

Prin Blueblood.”

He finished, blowing on the ink to dry it, rereading what he wrote.

And then he smiled again.

“P.S. Your doctor is still a quack.”

Chuckling to himself, he rolled the scroll closed, and sealed it tight. And then, with a smile, he lifted his saddlebags onto his back, and grabbed a compass from off a nearby shelf.

He checked around the room once more.

“Yes...it’s time to go.”

And with that, he opened the door and left his room.

The guards saluted him, an Blueblood passed the scroll off to him. “Can you get this to the Princess? Make sure she reads it.”

“Yes, sir!” the Guard replied.

Blueblood smiled, and began to travel down the long hallway. “If anyone asks,” he said, not turning to face them, “Tell them I’ve gone on vacation. A very long vacation.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

None knew it, at the time.

They couldn’t.

Only Faust and the Angels of Paradise knew of this moment’s importance.

As Prince Blueblood XVI walked out of Canterlot that day, he altered the history of Equestria.

But not even the Angels knew if this was for the better, or the worse.

Alright, another chapter of set up, and then it’s going to be one crazy ride from there on out.

“How crazy?”

Ok, you know you?

“Me?”

Yeah.

“I guess?”

You on Red Bull, coffee and Kool-aid.

“Woah.”

Yeah.

“Well, until then, we’ll see you soon!”

Be sure to comment, fave, and all that other stuff!

“Bye~!”

3-A Pink Wedding

Chapter 3

“Oh today’s the day!” Pinkie sang. “Today’s the day! Today’s the best day of all days! Oh, how I’d love to be in that city, on today-ay of all days!”

Alan listened to Pinkie’s fourth rendition of “When the Saints” as they all sat in the train car, riding towards Canterlot.

Today was the day she had been waiting for for the past year. Today was her wedding day.

As she hummed the tune to herself for the hundredth time, Rarity was already working on fixing up Pinkie’s mane. Getting that thing under control was going to be an all-day chore, and she knew it.

“Pinkie, Darling, I need you to sit still, please,” she said, begging the pink ball of energy to sit still.

It was like arguing with a thunderstorm.

“I’m sorry, Rarity! But I’m just so excited! And nervous! Nervicited, even! I’ve never had a wedding party thrown for me, before! What if I mess it up?”

“Pinkie,” Twilight said, comforting the pink pony while holding her sleeping son, “I don’t think you can mess up as the bride.” She smiled. “I should know, Alan died during our wedding and it turned out fine.”

Alan glanced over at her. “Did you just hold the fact that I died against me?”

“It really ruins a dream wedding when the groom dies,” Twilight answered in a deadpan.

“Well excuse me,” Alan grumbled.

The other stallions smiled and chuckled, amused.

Soarin sat on the other side of the train car, opposite Pinkie, separated for the duration, and had a massive smile on his face. “Well, when you put it that way, all I need to do is not die and I’ll be golden.”

The crowd laughed.

“Another word out of you, Soarin, and we’re going to have a sparring match,” Alan said, before threatening, “and I will not go easy on you.”

“Oh, lighten up, Al,” Silver said. “He gets a few jabs today, wouldn’t you say?”

Alan shook his head. “Fine, fine,” he muttered before turning to look at his son. He smiled as he watched him, cuddled up in his blankets.

“Not to change the subject entirely,” Spike said, breaking the silence, “but I’m going to change the subject entirely, what is that you two kept saying you were going to do?”

Twilight groaned. “Spike! This is the third time we’ve told you. We're going to stop by Shining’s to see him, Cadence, and our niece, as well as to drop off Orion.”

“Joking about ruining the wedding aside,” Alan said, “we’d feel incredibly guilty if he woke up crying during the ceremony.”

“So you’re pulling his uncle into foalsitting?” Thunderlane asked.

“He deserves it,” Alan muttered. “Especially after he did the same.”

Twilight chuckled. “Alright, alright, that’s enough Al. So anyway, we’ll meet up with you guys a little bit before the ceremony.”

“Ooh! Ooh!” Pinkie said, waving her arm in the air.

Alan smiled. “We’ll bring some doughnuts.”

“Yes!”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Alan and Twilight took only a moment or two to locate Shining and Cadence’s apartment.

To be fair, it wasn’t hard. It was the only building that had a portable throne room next to it.

True, being in Canterlot did mean that she wasn’t going to be called on for court very often, but there was always somepony that needed to make a desperate appeal.

Alan knocked smartly on the door, his eyes scanning the tented throne room. Two guards flanked a wooden throne, a carefully carved heart sitting above it. Other than that, there were no trappings or decorations, just the throne and a pink tent.

The door opened before Alan could investigate further, and was instantly meet with that excited screech that only a woman could do.

“Twilight!” Princess Cadence greeted.

“Hey Cadence!” Twilight said before the alicorn quickly grabbed her and began kissing her cheeks with short, quick pecks. First the left, then the right.

“Careful, Principessa,” Alan warned, “your Bitalian is showing.”

The princess scoffed, waving a hoof. “I don’t get to give my baci anymore, let me have this,” she said before repeating the custom to Alan.

“Wait...what now?” Twilight asked.

“Baci,” Alan explained. “It’s how mares greet ponies in Bitaly. Stallions shake hoofs, mare give kisses.”

“Shining!” Cadence called as she lead the two in, “Shining, your sister’s here!”

“Twily?” Shining asked, poking his head out of the kitchen. “Twily! You’re here!”

“Hi, Shining,” she said with a smile, lifting the excitedly babbling Orion up and out of the way as the siblings hugged.

“What are you two doing here?”

“Pinkie’s getting married today,” Alan explained.

“Wait, really?” Shining asked. “I thought we would have been invited to that.”

“Everypony was invited,” the two deadpanned in unison.

“The post office has been flooded with invitations for the past week” Twilight continued, “It's alright though. There's no way that everypony could fit into the chapel anyway.”

“Besides,” Alan said, “it’s best that you two sit this one out.”

“We need someone to watch Orion for us,” Twilight explained.

“Um…” Shining began.

“Oh,” Cadence said, “so you’ve brought Orion over to see his cousin Skyla…”

“Um…”

Cadence took Orion from Twilight, nuzzling the little colt, who laughed. “How is my favorite nephew?”

“Um…” Shining interjected.

“Although...” Cadence said, holding the baby up next to her, “I think it’s only appropriate that I should be there at the wedding, give a blessing, especially after everything Pinkie did for my reception. So...is there anyway that I could go?”

“You could have Shining watch them,” Twilight suggested.

“UM!” Shining all but yelled.

“Sounds wonderful!” Cadence said.

“Cadence! Honey!” Shining said behind a really wide smile. “Don’t you remember the last time I had to watch them both?”

“Oh, you’re just overreacting, dear,” she said, handing Orion off to him, before grabbing her tiara. “I won’t be long, honey. You know how weddings are, short ceremony, and a long reception.”

“But I—”

“I’ll be back soon!” Cadence said, already out the door.

It shut behind her, leaving Shining alone with his nephew.

“Um...Hi, Orion...it’s me, your Uncle Shining! You like your Uncle Shining don’t you? You and Skyla don’t want to team up against me, do you?”

“Wala!”

“Is that a yes?”

Shining then noticed a small pink ball of fluff crawl into the room.

Skyla was a young alicorn filly with a pink and yellow mane, much like her mother, with pink fur and her father’s blue eyes.

She took one look at the room, saw her cousin, and her father, and got a big, evil grin on her face.

Orion saw his cousin, and shared the look.

Shining looked between them both, and got a sinking feeling in his stomach.

<<<|Ω|>>>

“You know, it occurs to me, Princess,” Alan said as the three of them walked side by side, “I’ve never seen you with any servants or anything, is there a reason for that?”

“Other than the fact that my Empire has been sealed away to who-knows-where for the past thousand years?” she asked.

“Uh…”

She gave a soft smile. “It’s alright. No, there were no servants outside the Empire when it fell.”

“How did it fall?” Twilight asked.

“Do you want the long version or the…” she glanced back at Twilight. “Nevermind, I’ll give you the short version.”

Alan chuckled.

“So, the Empire was essentially destroyed by a single pony,” Cadence began. “His name was Sombra. A creature of hatred and cunning, he laid siege to the empire for three days before he managed to steal the Crystal Heart.”

“Crystal Heart?” Twilight asked, eyes wide in interest.

Cadence smirked as she saw that familiar spark of curiosity in her sister-in-law’s eyes. “A perfect blue crystal,” she explained, “a crystal said to have been blessed by Faust herself to hold but a fraction of her love for her creation. Sombra knew that the power of the crystal would unmake him, so he stole it, hiding it somewhere until he could take the Empire by force.

“Once he had control of the castle, my family retreated. We would have taken another one of the servant families with us, but they stayed behind to try and distract Sombra from noticing our escape. Even our most loyal family, House Shade, stayed behind to help us make our escape.”

“Ah,” Alan said in understanding, “so that’s what happened.”

The princess nodded and continued. “When my family came here, they quickly told Celestia and Luna about the problem. They quickly left for the Empire, the Elements of Harmony in tow.”

“And down comes the rainbow beam of doom,” Alan said. “The End.”

“Sadly, no,” Cadence said. “The Elements were not enough.”

Alan stumbled and stuttered. “Wait, what?! The Elements, the Elements of Harmony were not enough?”

Cadence shook her head. “Sombra had found a way to work around them. The Elements failed.”

Alan blinked.

“In the end, it took their combined power to seal Sombra away, but, again, Sombra had beaten them. He had found a way to link his fate with that of the Empire. If he was sealed, then so was the Empire.”

Twilight stood, mouth agape. “Wow...so this Sombra beat both Luna, Celestia, and the Elements?”

Cadence nodded.

“And none of your subjects escaped?” Alan asked.

The Princess did not answer immediately. For a moment, she simply stared off into the distance, far to the North. “No,” she said finally. “Not one escaped his hatred.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

The three ponies walked up the castle steps, promised box of doughnuts in tow. They were quickly recognized by the guards and lead past the large line of confused ponies, all holding a pink invitation, and wondering why they had been called to the castle that day.

“Princess,” the guard greeted, saluting. “Ma’am, Sir.”

“At ease,” Alan replied.

“That’s a lot of security,” Cadence noted.

“Alan decided to bump it up a bit,” Twilight said, “after all, Canterlot doesn’t have the best reputation when it comes to weddings now.”

Cadence laughed for a second. “That’s terrible.”

“Still,” Alan said, his face going serious, “Pinkie is a general, and Soarin’s a wonderbolt. I don’t really want to take chances on that.”

“Both high-priority targets,” Twilight agreed. “Better safe than sorry.”

Cadence shook her head, smiling. “You two…”

“What?” they asked in unison.

She just shook her head and kept going.

The two ponies looked at each other. “What?”

Shrugging, they continued on, into the foyer of the castle.

“Cadence, Alan, Twilight!” a royal voice called to them. “There you are!”

The Pendragon turned his head, and saw Celestia and Luna standing off to the side. Alan smiled at the sight of them. “Your Majesty,” he greeted, giving them a short bow.

“I was wondering where you had gone to,” she said with a smile. “How are you three doing?”

“Doing well, your Majesty,” Alan answered. “We were just dropping off Orion at Shining’s house.”

“Aw...and I was hoping to see him again,” she said before smiling. “I trust you’ll rectify this, Sir Alan?”

“Absolutely,” Alan replied.

Celestia gave a gentle laugh. “I’m actually glad I found you here, Alan, I have something to tell you.”

“Yes, Princess? Is something wrong?”

“No, no,” she said, “It’s simply a message from my nephew Blueblood.”

“Oh…” Alan said, sounding ever-so-slightly disgusted.

“He has been questioning his own identity, and gone off to do some soul searching. However, in the meantime, he wanted me to deliver his apology to you and Rarity for his behavior.”

“And he didn’t give it to me in person?” Alan asked.

“I don’t know where he is,” Celestia explained. “All I know is that he is sorry enough to apologize, and for a pony with his pride, that is a great step.”

Alan gave a hesitant nod. “Fair enough.”

“You do not need to forgive him, Alan, but he has done his part, and that’s all that can be asked of him. If you are alright with him being in the right over you, so be it. For now, however, I believe we have a wedding to get to,” she said, before nodding forward.

Alan grumbled. “Fine, he is forgiven,” he said, turning to head towards the chapel. “But if he doesn’t change, I’m going to slap him around with the flat of my sword.”

“Alan…” Twilight scolded.

Cadence laughed.

The three ponies went on ahead, the Princesses falling behind.

Luna turned toward her sister. “I fear for him, sister. His visions are replacing his dreams, he is almost beyond my reach entirely now.”

“He will pull through, Luna. I’m sure of it. Mother would not give him those dreams to torture him.”

Luna nodded. “I know...but...still, this worries me. He submitted himself to my protection, but his dreamspace has almost faded to oblivion. Much further, and I will fail to safeguard him.”

“Don’t worry, Lu, Alan will be just fine.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

“Do you, Soarin,” Celestia said, as the wedding ceremony began to close, “take this mare, whose hoof you hold, to be your lawful wedded wife; and do you pledge before all of ponykind to love, honor, and protect her through sunshine and shadow alike; keeping yourself unto her alone until death shall separate you?”

“I do,” Soarin said, with a smile, dressed in his formal uniform with his medals adorning his chest. His feathers were preened to perfection, and his smile shone with happiness and pride.

Behind him, on his side of the aisle, sat the Wonderbolts, his mother, father, and a massive load of other invited guests.

“Do you, Pinkamena Diane Pie, take this stallion, whose hoof you hold, to be your lawful wedded husband; and do you pledge before all of ponykind to be to him a loving and true wife, through sunshine and shadow alike, keeping yourself unto him alone, until death shall separate you?”

“Yesarooni, Princess Celly!” Pinkie answered, dressed in her white dress with a pink sash, the hem decorated with brightly-colored hard candy. Her mane was straight, but still had all of the bounce it normally held, and was done up in a nice bun.

The Pie family sat behind her, faces impassive, but approving, if Soarin had to guess.

“I’ll take that as an ‘I do,’” The Princess replied. “Then by the power enthroned in me, by the power of Faust, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride.”

Pinkie all but launched herself forward, kissing him with gusto.

Soarin’s side of the aisle broke into applause, and cheers, as well as the ponies behind the Pies.

Pinkie’s family gave a gentle applause.

Alan smiled. “Went off without a hitch…”

He frowned. “Or did it go off with one hitch...since they...got...hitched…”

“What are you talking about?” Twilight said in his ear, having heard him over the noise.

“Nevermind.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

The reception was in full swing. Everywhere ponies were eating, dancing, laughing, and so much more as Vinyl and Octavia continued to work on their medley of classical and electronica music.

It was a reception that made Pinkie proud.

She stood in the middle of the hall, a smile as wide as a mile on her. Her hair was starting to loosen now, wild strands of hair rebelling and sticking out in random directions.

Soarin stood next to her, and gave her a kiss. “Was it everything you wanted?”

“Well…” Pinkie said. tapping her chin. “I really wish more ponies had shown up, but I don’t really mind today.”

“Yeah?” Soarin asked.

Pinkie smiled. “Yeah, because I have everything I need right here,” she said, tapping his chest.

Soarin smiled. “That cake over there sure does help though, right?” he asked motioning towards their wedding cake.

“Hm?” she asked, looking ever-so-slightly guilty.

“Don’t give me that,” Soarin said. “I’ve watched you eye that cake all day.”

Pinkie looked off into the distance, looking very guilty now.

“I was afraid you were going to marry him,” he said with a chuckle before kissing her again.

Pinkie smiled in return. “I’d hate to marry a cake. I’d never get to eat him.”

Soarin shook his head. “Come on,” he said, “We can’t have Ponyville’s Professional Party Pony sit out of her reception.”

She smiled as Soarin led them into the party, as the Wonderbolts flew overhead, writing in the sky with smoke trails. “Congratulations, Soarin and Pinkie!” they wrote happily, with hearts dotting the ‘i’s.

A song began to thrum over the speakers as the two passed the dance floor. Soarin looked up, and saw Alan standing next to the DJ’s set up, small white device in hoof.

The pegasus smiled. “You know what? Let’s take a detour.”

Before Pinkie could even blink, Soarin pulled her to the side, and directly into the middle of the dancing masses, just as the song started.

“Breathe and I'll carry you away into the velvet sky

And we'll stir the stars around

And watch them fall away into the Hudson Bay

And plummet out of sight and sound

The open summer breeze will sweep you through the hills

Where I live in the alpine heights

Below the Northern Lights, I spend my coldest nights

Alone, awake and thinking of...the weekend we were in love.”

As Owl City’s On the Wing played through the hall, Soarin spun Pinkie in a wild dance.

It took her half a second before she adjusted.

Dancing in a mind-bendingly slow tango, the two ponies glided across the floor, weaving through the crowd with ludicrous ease.

Alan wondered if Pinkie powers got transferred through marriage.

“I am floating away

Lost in a silent ballet

I'm dreaming you're out in the blue and I am right beside you

Awake to take in the view

Late nights and early parades

Still photos and noisy arcades

My darling, we're both on the wing, look down and keep on singing!

And we can go anywhere

Are you there?

Are you there, or are you just a decoy dream in my head?

Am I home or am I simply tumbling all alone?”

Soarin smiled as he danced, staring into Pinkie’s sky blue eyes.

It was almost as if he had never left Cloudsdale.

“Late nights and early parades

Still photos and noisy arcades

My darling, we're both on the wing, look down and keep on singing!

And we can go anywhere

Are you there?”

<<<|Ω|>>>

As the party wound down, the guests began to leave, heading home after wishing the newly weds well.

Cheese Sandwich, if you asked, would have taken one look at the sight, and said his work here was done. He then would have smiled as he left, hat on his head, and boneless rubber chicken riding his back.

Pinkie thought it was perfect.

Later in the evening, the Pie sisters had even gotten together for a bit of a reunion tour, producing an electric guitar, bass, and drum set from seemingly nowhere and rocking as though there was no tomorrow.

Soarin was pleasantly surprised to see that Pinkie rocking in a wedding dress looked rather sexy, even with her hair back to normal, having snapped whatever hair accessories Rarity had used to keep it in a bun.

Now it was only the thirteen; Alan and the guys, Twilight and the girls, and Cadence.

“Alright, alright,” Alan said, as he helped a guard clean up, “it’s time for us to go home now.”

“Aw...do we have to?” Pinkie asked.

Soarin whispered something into her ear.

“Oh, right! Can’t forget that part!”

Twilight shook her head.

“Hello, my little ponies,” Celestia’s voice called, and the small group turned to watch her approach.

“Princess,” Alan and the others greeted.

“Well Pinkie, was it everything you wanted?” she asked.

“And more,” Pinkie said with a smile.

“I’m happy to hear it. It’s nice for a wedding to go well in Canterlot for a change.”

Soarin snickered.

“If I may,” Celestia continued, “may I escort you down to the train station? It has been a while since I’ve taken a walk through Canterlot.”

Alan took a quick look around, and when he saw nopony objecting, he agreed. “We’d be honored.”

Celestia smiled and they all began heading for the main doors of the palace.

“Thank you all, really,” Celestia said as she walked, “for all the things you have done for us, you deserve more than what you’re getting.”

“Ah, shoot,” Applejack said, “I don’t mind none, I prefer it this way truth be told.”

Celestia nodded and gave a soft smile as she approached the door. “True, and that is perhaps our only saving grace, nonetheless—” She stopped as she opened the door, and all eyes went wide at the sight before them.

On the steps of Canterlot Palace lay a long, snake-like figure.

Four limbs, each one unique, lay sprawled in all directions, unmoving.

Ragged breaths escaped an equine head, before the draconequus slowly lifted his head up to see the Princess staring down at him, mouth agape.

Discord looked up at her, and she was surprised to see the two cerulean orbs that were his eyes meet her own.

And then, in a soft, weak voice, he whispered two words.

“Help...me…”

All aboard the crazy train. Choo-choo!

“Um…”

As in “it’s about to get crazy up in here!”

“Sure…”

Anyway, guys, let me know what you think. Go ahead and start giving me your crazy (and more often than not, incorrect) theories about what’s happening, they always make me smile.

“Quick Question, what's with the chapter title?"

Huh? Oh, that. Yeah, that's just to make the readers sweat a bit.

"You're weird."

I''m a writer.

“Anyway, we’ll see you all next time, bye!”

Bye!

4-Judge, Jury, and Executioner

Chapter 4

Evening was beginning to creep over Canterlot, and the moon was beginning to rise. The darker part of the sky, dressed in stars, was clear, only a handful of clouds floating across the twilight.

Despite the serenity of the scene, Canterlot was a different story.

The Elements of Harmony had been gathered, and the Bearers now surrounded the Draconequus in the palace.

Discord sat in the middle of the throne room, wrapped in massive chains. The chains, forged from a grey metal to form massive links, glowed green with the ghostly runes that had been engraved into them.

When Twilight asked, Celestia had told her that they had been forged in Tartarus by Death.

It wouldn’t hold him long, but it would be long enough to allow the girls to use the Elements.

Shining had been summoned. After the ragged looking stallion had passed of the infants to Cadence. After family matters had been taken care of he quickly put Discord under a bubble shield. Hardly a match, they knew, but if they could keep face, it would certainly keep the guards in line. Speaking of, just beyond the circle of the Bearers, the Royal Guard stood, spears at the ready.

Celestia and Luna sat in their thrones, staring down at Discord as he sat, chained, in the middle of the room.

Not once had he spoken.

Even when they had chained him, he hadn’t moved a muscle. He just sat there, silent and complacent.

Celestia glared down at him from her throne, while Luna looked on, a glare half-formed on her features. The younger Princesses’ eyes, however told a different story. There was quite obviously the glint of hatred and bitterness from the betrayal of Harmony, but at the same time, concerned curiosity began to rise up in her.

Discord did not act like this.

Even if it were some twisted trick, he’d be smiling about it.

Alan, who stood at the foot of the thrones, looked up to Celestia, waiting for a signal.

Celestia did not look down at him, instead her eyes stayed completely on Discord.

Silence hung over the room, and that silence was the only thing that kept panic and chaos from crashing down on the gathered guards.

When the Princess spoke for the first time, it was almost as if the throne room shook, startled at the sudden sound.

“Discord,” Celestia said, authority and power in her voice. “Why are you here?”

The draconequus lifted his head for the first time, showing off the cerulean orbs that were his eyes. “Harmony,” he corrected. “Or what’s left of him, at least.”

Celestia sneered, but kept her voice even. “Harmony? After all you’ve done you would dare to claim that name?”

Harmony sighed. “Am I to believe that this is my trial then?”

“Yes,” came the Princess’ simple reply.

“Then I am my own defense?”

“You are.”

Harmony sighed and nodded, before looking up again. His eyes crossed over Luna, before turning back to the floor. “Then may I begin my testimony?”

Celestia’s eyes narrowed as she stared at him. “Proceed.”

Harmony nodded, never making eye contact with the younger Princess. “Then I suppose I should start at the beginning.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

“No! No, no, no!” Harmony cried, tossing his papers to the side. He sat in the dark of his room, lights illuminating his desk as he threw out the latest series of calculations.

“It won’t work! Why won’t it work?!” he roared, his hooves flying through page after page of notes and research.

It just couldn’t happen.

For the longest time, unicorns had thought that their Council had control of the sun in the days before Celestia’s rule. The truth, though, was almost so embarrassing, that Celestia never could correct them. Their Council barely got the sun to budge, it was an alarm clock more than anything, they couldn’t even move the moon.

And that was his problem.

He needed to find some way to automate the moon. If he could do that, then Luna would be free of her responsibilities, and then they could be together without having to be drawn away all the time.

But...but it just couldn’t happen. He had tried everything, from starting his own council to take care of the moon, to using powerful spell gems. Even the gems which had come from the Tree of Harmony, the Elements of Harmony, a tree he had sworn Faust to protect.

Nothing could do it.

Only another alicorn could, and they all had their own duties.

He…

He sighed, and slumped in front of his desk.

He couldn’t do it.

All this time, and there was nothing.

He needed...he…

“Poor thing…” a voice whispered.

Harmony’s head snapped up, and his cerulean eyes fell down onto this small cloud. It looked like a section of the night sky, plucked from the Aether itself.

“Working so hard with no reward,” it spoke, sympathy filling it’s wispy voice.

Harmony took a long look at the cloud. Never before had he seen such a creature. “What are you?” he asked, curiosity in his voice.

“I am a living piece of magic,” the cloud said. “And I see that you are having problems.”

Harmony blinked. Living Magic? Faust...well...she always spoke of how her world was alive, perhaps she meant literally? “I have been,” he replied, “but what brings one of your kind here?”

“Sympathy. I have your answer, Harmony.”

An answer? After all this time?

It...it couldn’t be that easy, could it?

“Truly?” he asked.

“As true as I am before you,” the cloud replied. “I can give you the power to raise and lower the sun on a whim. The laws of the earth would be yours to write and rewrite, and in return, all I ask for is a home.”

“A home?”

“In order to give you my gift, I need to reside in you. Be one with you. Do this, and I can give you the answer to be with the one you love.”

Harmony looked down at the cloud.

It had to be a gift from Faust. It had to be.

<<<|Ω|>>>

“It was no gift,” Harmony said, “and if I had been thinking with a clear head, I would have known that. As the thing then entered me, it transformed me into what you see now. However, I was given one mercy yet, for he could not dominate me as he had planned. Instead, our minds were joined, and I lost myself as he had lost himself.”

Harmony sighed. “I am responsible for this,” he said. “All of this has been my fault, even when I held no control over the beast. And so, Princesses, I submit myself to your judgement.”

“So you had no control,” Celestia said, cooly, “yet you have perfect control now?”

“Not perfect,” Harmony said. “I had to fight for control, and I am not sure he is done fighting.”

“Then why didn’t you fight before?” Celestia asked, her mane smoldering slightly. “Why did you not fight when you betrayed my sister and I? Why did you not fight when the world was breaking at your own hand?”

Harmony cringed under the verbal assault, before saying simply. “I did not fight because I did not exist.” He looked up for the first time, staring at the Pendragon with sad, blue eyes. “But when the Pendragon wounded me with his blade, something happened in me. We were split again, myself and the cloud, and the creature you knew as Discord was no more. For the first time, I had the chance to fight.”

The others said nothing, and there was utter silence in the throne room.

Harmony dropped his gaze again. “That was the power the Elements of Harmony imbued his sword with. It has the ability to separate those that do not work together. That sword saved my mind, but also ruined me.”

“How did it ruin you?” Luna asked, speaking for the first time.

Harmony cringed at her voice.

The draconequus did not answer at first, but eventually, he spoke. “I am ruined, because now I must take responsibility of my mistake.” He looked up, at Luna for the first time since he had entered the room.

Their eyes met, and it seemed to Alan that a hundred words passed between them in that moment. A million apologies, and a thousand questions.

Harmony gulped. “All of my mistakes.”

Luna turned away from him, her face stoic.

Harmony dropped his gaze again, staring at the floor once more.

Alan and the gang stayed silent, looking between each other as a general sense of uneasy awkwardness came over them. Alan himself felt like a mouse sitting between three snakes, each waiting to strike the other, or him, if he stepped out of line.

Silence ruled over the throne room.

The elder sister continued to glare, her patience only a thread away from snapping and unleashing her fury on the bound creature before her. Then, with a snort, she stood. “Discord,” she said, addressing him by the older name. “You have been found...um…” Celestia trailed off as Luna suddenly walked past her.

The younger Princess walked past the older, approaching the draconequus with no small amount of caution.

But still, she approached.

“Harmony?” She called, only for their captive to flinch at the name.

He did not answer her.

“Harmony,” she said, sterner this time, standing directly in front of him.

He looked up at her, catching her in the edge of her vision, not daring to raise his head fully.

She brought her hoof up to his chin, forcing his to stare her directly in the face.

She stared directly into his eyes, her gaze boring into his soul.

Harmony looked back, tears welling up in his eyes. Her cyan eyes met his cerulean, and it seemed another conversation happened between their eyes.

Then she let his head drop, removing her hoof from his chin before turning to face her sister. “He is forgiven.”

Had the older sister been drinking, the resulting spit-take would be heard across Equestria. “What?!”

“He is forgiven, and absolved of his crimes,” Luna repeated.

“Luna!” Celestia yelled. “What are you talking about?! This is Discord! He is trying to tri—”

“Those are Harmony’s eyes,” Luna said, simply. “I have not seen those eyes in thousands of years, but I know them.”

“But—!”

“I forgive him.”

“He is a monster!” Celestia accused.

“So was I,” Luna replied quietly.

There was no rebuttal.

Celestia blinked, before taking a step back.

Luna stared at her sister, neither hate nor malice in her eyes. “I, too, was a monster. I, too, was mislead. I, too, had made mistakes, and I have not yet forgiven myself of it. So while you may wish to condemn him for his mistakes, I will not. If you can forgive me, then I can forgive him.”

Celestia opened her mouth, searching for some kind of argument.

Yes, there was truth in her words, but something in her bones told her that this was a bad idea.

She couldn’t let this happen, she had...had...too…

“Now, now, Celestia,” a voice whispered in the back of her mind. “If she is right, she’s right. And Faust always said you needed to learn mercy.”

“But...but this doesn’t feel right…”

“What would you do, Celestia, if it had been Death in those chains?”

The question snapped her mouth shut, and the fiery feather in here mane now seemed to weigh a ton.

She looked back at Harmony, bound in chains, who simply stared at the ground.

She looked back at Luna.

“Well, Celestia...what will you do?”

Celestia bit her lip.

“I...I…”

She sighed. “Very well, Luna.”

Alan moved to speak up. “Princess…”

And then a voice whispered in his head. “So quick to judge, Pendragon? After your lesson about second chances, I thought you’d be a little more open to the thought.”

Alan faltered.

“Let him go,” Celestia said, “Take the chains off of him.”

Harmony looked up. “Celestia, I—” He froze, before blinking. “Th-thank you…”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Alan and the others made their way to the train. Celestia walked next to them, their royal escort, as promised, even with this new player on the field.

Still, neither he, nor Celestia could not help but look back at the palace, half expecting it to erupt in macaroni flames, or something similar.

As they stepped onto the station platform, Celestia turned to them. “My little ponies, I’d hate to ask this of you right after your wedding, Pinkie, but...could would you mind coming back, and perhaps staying in Canterlot for a few days?”

The ponies looked to the newlyweds.

Soarin spoke for them. “I think we can make arrangements, Princess.”

Celestia smiled. “I cannot thank you enough, I will make sure that you have everything you need. All you’ll need is to ask.”

“It will be our pleasure,” Alan said.

As Celestia left, giving her thanks once more, the ponies began to file into the private train that she called for them.

“Well, there you go Soarin,” Alan said.

“What?” the pegasus asked, confused.

“Shining gets an invasion, I die, and you get the return of the possibly most evil thing seen by modern eyes,” Alan said, forcing a smile.

Soarin blinked, before giving a forced laugh. “Well, if they don’t say anything about Canterlot weddings, they should now.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Luna led Harmony through the castle of Canterlot. They did not walk together, Harmony simply followed as she led him in silence. She did not look back at him, nor did she speak. No guards walked with them, leaving only the clop of her hooves on cold tile floors sounding in the hallway.

Her face was as impassive as stone.

Harmony walked behind her, standing on his hind legs and never once speaking. His eyes merely stared at her back, watching as she moved with grace and elegance befitting a Princess.

As she came to the end of the hall, she opened a nearby door. “You are to stay here,” she said, her voice sounding ever-so-slightly cold as she gave the order. “Come and see us on the morrow when we break our fast, and then perhaps we can have some of the royal magicians to take a look at your body.”

“Yes,” Harmony said, quietly. “Of course.”

She did not turn to him as she stood by the door, but watched him intently as he entered his new room. He seemed incredibly out of place in the simple room, his long, miss-matched arms hovered over a desk as his eyes scanned the empty papers.

“Everything to your liking?” Luna asked.

Harmony turned to her. “Yes, thank you.”

She began to turn away, only to stop halfway through the door. Her profile left a pony-shaped shadow hovering over the floor, surrounded by a column of light. She kept the door open for a second or two, but did not say a word.

Their eyes met once more.

Neither of them said a word.

A long second passed.

And then, with just the ghost of a sad smile, Luna whispered. “It is good to have you back, Harmony.”

And with that, she turned away, and closed the door behind her.

Harmony sat in the darkness of his new room.

And then he smiled.

<<<|Ω|>>>

That night, Alan dreamed.

He dreamed of many things as he lay in his bed.

He dreamed of blades and spears.

He dreamed of screams and chokes.

He dreamed of blood and water.

He woke up screaming.

I know! I know! It’s a short chapter, I know!

“We want more! We want more!”

Pinkie?

“We want more! Yes?”

Where did you get that pitchfork?

“From your Uncle’s!”

But...my Uncle isn’t a farmer…

“Are you going to question a man about his pitchfork?”

I...um...no, I…

“Good! Now back to work!”

Ow! Alright! Alright! I’m going, I’m going!

“More will be coming soon! Pinkie Promise!”

See you all soon! Ouch!

“Bye!”

5-A Long Shift

Chapter 5

Alan stood on the walls of Canterlot Castle, and looked down into the garden.

From his perch, he had an almost uninterrupted view of Luna and Harmony, as they sat together in the shade of one of the large trees.

It had taken them only a few hours to move out of the library, mostly thanks to Twilight’s “Emergency Evacuation Checklist: Town Intact Version,” or EEC:TIV. So, leaving the library in Mrs. Daisy Chain’s, and her husband's possession for now, Alan and Twilight were quick to pack, and had been the first ones to arrive in Canterlot.

And now, Alan watched.

If he were being honest, he would say he was not sure what to do. Did Discord, or...Harmony, whichever, deserve a second chance? Absolutely. Alan had learned this. His most hated enemy, Ironclaw, had become one of his greatest allies because of second chances.

But…

But there was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. A small voice that was telling him that this was wrong.

Something was up.

But what?

Luna had given him her approval, which, really did say a lot about the draconequus, but he wasn’t so sure.

What if she was being blinded by her heart? What if she believed him to be reformed because she wanted him to be reformed? What if he was using her? What if?

Alan’s eyes narrowed.

No.

He did not like this.

Not one bit.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Twilight walked down the halls of Canterlot, Orion in her magical grasp. Beside her walked Celestia, who filtered through numerous stacks of papers, all either being carried by a number of scribe ponies, or her own magical grasp.

The element of magic sat on Twilight’s head, ready to be used at the slightest provocation

“Thank you, Twilight, for coming,” Celestia said, signing the latest stack of forms. “Really, it helps put my mind at ease.”

“Of course, Princess,” Twilight answered. “It’s an honor.”

As the Princess handed back the latest stack, she then said to her scribes, “I’ll take the rest of them after lunch.”

With a collective nod from the scribes, they scurried away, leaving the Princess, her student, and the child.

“Still,” Celestia continued, “you have no idea what your presence here means to me.”

“The Bearers are here to serve, Princess,” Twilight replied.

Celestia gave a sad smile. “Yes, I simply wish you didn't need to,” she said, simply.

Orion spoke up, babbling as he looked up at the big pretty pony across from him.

The princess smiled, approaching the babe and nuzzling his belly as he laughed. “And I’m very happy to see you, little Orion.”

The foal laughed as he felt the big warm, fuzzy face meet his body.

Twilight smiled at the sight.

“May I?” Celestia asked.

“Of course,” Twilight said.

With those two words of permission, Celestia swooped up the small colt, blowing raspberries into his soft belly.

Orion laughed some more.

Celestia laughed at the little colt’s joy before returning him to his mother. “I’m sorry Twilight, I just love my smallest subjects, so.”

Twilight smiled. “I understand, Princess,” Twilight said. “After all, who could resist this little guy?” She asked, nuzzling her son.

Celestia smiled. “Yes, children are such a joy,” she said.

Twilight looked up at her teacher, and was surprised to see a sad look in her eye.

Confused, Twilight opened her mouth to speak up.

As they came up to an intersection, however, they suddenly stopped. Luna and Harmony walked on by, crossing their path. “Good morning, Mrs. Sparkle, Celestia,” Harmony greeted.

“Greetings Twilight, Sister,” Luna said with a yawn.

“Good morning,” Celestia replied simply.

The two of them continued on their path, leaving Celestia and Twilight alone in the hallway.

Celestia made to take a step forward, before Twilight held out a hoof. “Hang on a second.”

Confused, the princess stopped, and was about to ask what she meant, when Alan came into her field of view.

He walked, a little low to the ground, eyes narrowed, and glared with enough power to kill a small animal.

He turned to them, smiling brightly, and waved. “Princess, Honey,” he said, greeting them, before returning to his death glare at the draconequus in front of him.

“Hey, Dear,” Twilight greeted back.

Alan sulked off, never letting the two of them out of his sight.

Celestia stared down the corridor after him, before finally speaking up. “Well...at least there is someone else here that shares my fears.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

“Sleep well, Luna,” Harmony said, standing outside her door.

“I’ll see you in the evening, Harmony,” she said, before closing the door behind her.

Harmony smiled, before he began walking away from the door. “And how was our chaperone?” he asked, passing by Alan.

Alan said nothing, but continued to watch.

Harmony stopped, standing in the hallway, facing the pony. “Do you not trust me, Pendragon?”

“Luna trusts you,” came his reply.

“That’s not what I asked,” Harmony pointed out.

There was silence for a moment.

“You may or may not be who you say you are,” Alan said. “You may or may not be trustworthy.” He glared up at the towering draconequus. “But Luna trusts you, so I will let you walk.”

Harmony nodded. “Wise,” he said simply, before walking away.

Alan followed.

He never saw the smile on his quarry’s face.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Weeks passed.

The Bearers waited, all at the ready, while the stallions took turns watching the intruder with caution.

But none watched as carefully as Alan.

Soarin was the first to start leaving the draconequus alone for short periods. After all, it isn’t so hard to distract a newlywed husband.

Big Mac was second to let them out of his sight. The farmer assured Alan that he couldn’t get away with anything in the garden, but it did not help his nerves.

Thunderlane, and Spike simply began to let him wander, confident that he wouldn’t do anything once the month was out, leaving only Silver, Alan, and Shining.

Dividing the day into three, eight-hour shifts, they never let Harmony out of their sight. Not once.

Alan’s shift was especially grueling.

From 4pm to midnight, when Harmony and Princess Luna were the most active, Alan watched them. This would not have been so bad, if it were not for the fact that they were almost always on the opposite end of the castle from his wife, only to return each night to find her asleep, tired from keeping Orion happy by herself all day.

And then, when he woke every morning, she was already gone, talking with the Princess or whatever else she was doing that day.

In the end, he saw her a few hours a day, if at all.

But he kept his vigil, watching the Princess and the draconequus went about their day.

He watched them now, staring up at the night sky as Luna showed him her newest constellations and plans for shooting stars.

It was almost midnight, and then his shift will be over.

He did not turn around as the sound of approaching hoofsteps sounded behind him.

“Sir, here to relieve you,” Silver said.

Alan nodded, wearily. “Thank you, Silver.”

The earth pony looked between the Pendragon and the couple on the garden grounds. “S...sir, permission to speak freely?”

“Go ahead,” Alan said.

“It’s...it’s been almost a month, sir, and Harmony hasn’t done anything. H-how long do you want to keep watching him?”

“As long as it takes,” he thought. As long as it takes for what? For him to act out? To prove himself guilty? That could be an eternity from now, assuming it actually was Harmony. Could he really stand guard that long?

“Until we know for sure,” he answered.

“And how long will that take?” Silver asked, unknowingly echoing Alan’s mind. “Sir, I’ve read the report. Discord was not patient enough to go without causing some chaos somewhere. Sir…” he paused. “Sir, Luna trusts him, isn’t that enough?”

“No,” came the mental answer. But he couldn’t tell him that. Not really. What would that say? The Pendragon has no faith in his Princess? Yeah, that would go over well.

He looked at the commander through tired eyes and over bags from lack of sleep. “Until I know for sure,” he said, firmer this time.

“Sir—”

“Am I going to have to take a twelve-hour shift, Commander?” he asked, no small amount of bite in his tone.

Silver blinked. “I...I’ll take the shift, sir. I’m just…I just worry about you, sir. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you haven’t had any sleep for the past few days, sir. You don’t look well.”

Alan sighed and turned. “I worry too, Silver…” he gave one last look at the couple under the canopy of stars. “I worry too.”

With those last words, Alan walked away, heading back home.

He walked, alone except for the occasional night guard, all saluting him as he passed.

“Evening sir!” Came the call of a familiar voice, and Alan wearily turned his head.

The Batpony that greeted him waved as she approached, and the Pendragon gave a smile. “Evening, Twinkle Drop.”

Twinkle gasped. “A superior officer using a first name? How scandalous!”

He gave a soft laugh.

Twinkle Drop frowned as she got closer. “Wow, sir...are you okay? You look pretty bad.”

“So I’ve heard,” Alan replied. “I’ve been watching Harmony for the past few weeks now…”

She gave a grunt. “Glad somepony is. I don’t trust the guy.”

“You too?” he asked.

“The part of me that wants to eat ponies likes him,” Twinkle explained, “and I learned not to trust that part.”

Alan nodded. “Good to know I’m not the only one.”

She nodded back, before a frown graced her features. “Look, sir…”

“What?”

“I...I was talking with Sunny earlier today, and...and he told me that your wife has been missing you.”

Alan nodded. “I know…”

“I...if I may suggest, I would like to say you should probably give it a rest, let someone else watch him.”

Alan shook his head. “Can’t.” He kept walking, back bent as though he was under a massive weight. “I need to keep them safe…”

<<<|Ω|>>>

“No…” Alan whispered.

It was all wrong.

The sky was red, and the ground was black, burned beyond all recognition.

Where the ground wasn’t black, it was red, slick with blood.

“No, no, no…”

Soarin’s body was a twisted lump of flesh, his mouth the last recognizable piece of his face, caught in a terrified scream.

A pink leg lay next to him.

“No! No! No!”

Shining and Cadence, held each other in their arms, their heads and lower halves gone completely.

Silver, recognizable only because of the heap of the metal that was his armor, was curled up into a mangled ball and a tattered stetson floated on the wind.

“No!”

Rarity hung, pinned to the wall by purple scales, Luna’s crown placed haphazardly onto her head.

The body of a wingless, cyan pegasus hung from a lamppost that had somehow survived the carnage, and next to her hung a headless Thunderlane.

Fluttershy, perhaps the most merciful, was simply turned to stone. However, Alan did not want to think about how she would act if she was reawakened with her arms and wings broken off as they were, or with Big Mac in pieces at her feet like a sacrifice to a pagan idol.

“No! No!” Alan screamed.

But in the middle of it all, was the worst.

A single body.

Her horn had been sawn cleanly off, down to the skin, and her mane and fur shaved off completely, revealing hundreds of cuts along her body.

It was almost impossible to recognize her, but Alan knew the scars on her chest. The ones he had put there with his corrosive touch.

And he knew those eyes.

Those eyes that stared up into the red sky, terrified of what she had seen in her last moments.

Those purple eyes that gasped and begged for release with the last glint of intelligence still in her.

Those purple eyes that even now, were still wet with the tears she had cried as she begged for the pain to stop.

Those eyes that had begged for the comfort of her husband before the end.

He tried to go to her. Tried to hold her. Tried to look into her eyes and see if there was any life left.

But his legs refused to obey him.

He was powerless.

Utterly helpless.

A hideous laugh echoed around him, and Alan looked up.

The dark silhouette of a massive, crazed draconequus loomed over the horizon. It laughed at him, at his powerlessness.

The laughing continued, even as a large lion’s paw came down on him.

Alan woke with a start, looking up into the darkness of his room.

He was alone. Twilight and Orion were outside, probably getting breakfast.

Alan sighed. Grabbing the covers, he then rolled over, and tried to forget the nightmare.

He really needed sleep...

<<<|Ω|>>>

Twilight sighed, staring at her son as he stuck the wrong end of a spoon in his mouth. She wished Alan was here to see this, really. She hadn’t seen him much, only a few hours a day before he went off to obsess of Harmony.

Obsess was truly the word for it. When he wasn’t asleep, he was thinking about Harmony. Be it the dastardly plans of his twisted mind, to the angle that he was working, Alan never once thought about something else.

It would be a rather large lie on her part to say that it didn’t bother her.

It bothered her a lot actually.

What, was Harmony so important that he mattered more than our family? Was he that important?’

“That’s not fair, Twilight…” her mind said, scolding herself. “You know he’s just trying to keep everypony safe.”

She took the spoon from her son, replacing it with a binky.

Still, she sighed, it didn’t seem right that he would just leave his family to—

“To what? Keep the country safe?” her conscious jabbed.

Safe from what? Harmony wasn’t up to anything. If he was, he would have done something by now, surely.

“He is a being as old as time itself, if not older. He has patience.”

Then why show up in our lifetime? Why now instead of sixty years from now?

Her mind did not have an answer.

See? He’s trying to keep us safe from a danger that doesn’t exist. He’s wasting time.

Precious time...time with her, time with Orion, time with their friends.

Did...did he even care?

“Of course he cares,” the logical part of her mind responded. “That’s why he’s out there, watching.”

She knew that, honestly she did.

It...it just didn’t help.

She gave a long sigh, and picked up her son. “What am I going to do with your father?” she asked.

Orion would have offered a rather deep piece of insight, had he the ability to speak, and the mental capabilities to properly understand the situation. As it was, however, he simply unleashed a string of gibberish.

Before another word was said, however, a new voice spoke up. “Good Morning, Mrs. Sparkle.”

The unicorn jumped, turning to find the source of the noise. There, right behind her, stood Harmony.

He stood tall, towering over her as he looked down, his eyes blue and mouth serious.

Flashbacks to the day where Discord ran rampant echoed in her mind.

“H-Harmony, hello.”

Harmony nodded, unperturbed by her hesitance. “Is something bothering you, Mrs. Sparkle?” He asked, his voice friendly.

“I...uh…” she said, uncertain for a second. “No...not really.”

Harmony’s cerulean eyes looked over her, and she shivered for a second.

“I think something does bother you,” he said, taking her muzzle in a gentle claw. “And as your friend, I simply must insist. What is it, Mrs. Sparkle?”

She was forced now, to look into his eyes, and as she did, she felt herself calm. Her uneasiness washed away like dust. Those cerulean eyes calmed her, swallowed her whole. There was no worry. No anxiousness. No fear.

“I...I worry about Alan…” she said, answering the draconequus.

“How so?”

“He is always watching you, spends all his time doing it. He’s even lost sleep over it. I just wish he’d just spend time with Orion and me. He belongs with his family.”

“Is that so?” Harmony asked.

Twilight nodded.

Orion reached out towards his mother, his baby talk sounding more and more concerned as he kept trying to get her attention.

“I hear the Grand Galloping Gala is coming up,” Harmony said. “Perhaps you two should take the night off and enjoy yourselves.”

Twilight nodded again.

Orion began to cry.

“Does that sounds good to you?” he asked.

“Yes,” she responded.

“Good!” Harmony said, letting go. “I’m glad we had this chat.”

“Thanks, Harmony!” she said, waving goodbye. “That’s a brilliant idea!”

Harmony nodded. “I’ll see you later, Mrs. Sparkle!”

Twilight nodded before turning to her son. “What’s the matter, Orion? Are you hungry?”

He was not hungry.

Orion was scared.

Another chapter done.

“They’re shooooooort!”

I know! I know! But trust me I’ll have too much to write about in the later chapters!

“I remain unconvinced!”

Well, fine! Be unconvinced, then! But the plot is thickening!

“Well stop eating so many sweets!”

…

Not...not that plot, Pinkie…

“...”

“Oooooooooooooooohhhhhh! I get it!”

Right...so, yes. I know it’s short guys, but, the good news is what is coming will be worth it. It will be awesome, and it will be long.

Just not yet.

Next chapter! A fun party, and a plot.

“What is with you and flanks today?”

*Sigh* Plan, plot. Pinkie. A plan.

“...”

“Oooooooooooooooohhhhhh! I get it!”

Really?

“Nope!”

*Sigh* Yeah, so anyway, party, plot, sense of dread, yadda yadda. We’ll see you next time!

“Be sure to leave a comment, guys! Seriously, some of you are slacking.”

Bye!

6-The Duty of a Husband

Chapter 6

“Friendship- my definition- is built on two things. Respect and trust. Both elements have to be there. And it has to be mutual. You can have respect for someone, but if you don't have trust, the friendship will crumble.”

― Stieg Larsson, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

<<<|Ω|>>>

Alan’s bloodshot eyes stared at the back of the draconequus, trying his best to give an intimidating glare.

It wasn’t really.

Nonetheless, he watched. He watched as though his very gaze would let this troublemaker know that he was watching.

It didn’t.

Luna and Harmony simply sat under the large tree in the garden, talking about ages long past, completely unperturbed by the watching unicorn.

Still, he had to watch.

“Sir?”

He had to watch, had to keep everyone safe.

“Sir?”

Had to keep them all safe.

“Sir!”

Shaken by the loud voice next to him, Alan blinked wildly, before his eyes settled on the guard next to him. Sunny, he realized. “Ah...um...Sentinel, yes...what can I do for you?”

“A letter, sir,” Sunny said simply, before handing him a letter.

Alan recognized the hoofwriting. His wife had written him a letter.

He sighed. She wrote him a letter, that was a bad sign. She had resorted to a written medium rather than talking to him herself.

His own wife had written him a letter instead of talking…

He shook his head, and opened the letter, muttering a ‘thank you’ as he took it.

“Dear Husband,” the letter read, an opening that Alan felt was both cold and should not have been necessary.

“I would like to speak with you, as soon as possible. However, due to both you being indisposed with your duty, and myself with our son, I have not had the opportunity for the past three days.”

Three days? She waited that long?

“However, I can’t wait any longer, as the due date of our decision is coming. Between your narcolepsy, and Orion’s own bouts of insomnia…”

Orion hasn’t been sleeping lately?

“...I haven’t had much time to talk to you myself. So, I took a few moments to find Sunny here, and he is under orders from me, to take your shift for the night. Please let him take your shift for the night, Alan. He’s even offered to do this off-duty, just so it won’t interfere with his other duties.

Please, Alan...come see me...I miss you.”

Alan sighed, and then looked over to Sunny. “You’ll watch him?”

“Like a hawk, Sir,” he said.

Alan looked at the guard, and sighed. “Alright, thank you, Sunny. Take the weekend off.”

“Yes, sir,” he said, nodding.

With that, Alan began to walk back to palace, heading for the rooms the Princess had lent them.

Sunny’s a good soldier, he told himself. He’ll watch Harmony for me.

His hoofsteps echoed in the evening air, the sun having just went down, and the guard were changing shifts for the night. He plodded along, in a constant state of weariness, and headed for his quarters, one of the empty foreign dignitary rooms.

As he walked under a covered walkway, he paused, coming to a stop under the moonlight.

He looked up, staring at the night sky.

So many stars, all staring down at him.

He sighed once more, before bowing his head. “Faust...I...I need some help. I can’t keep this up and be with Twilight. C-Can you keep her safe for me, when I can’t watch her? Can you give me strength?”

He did not receive an answer.

“Just...just be with me, please?”

Still no answer.

He wasn’t entirely sure what he was expecting, honestly. A voice from the sky? A whisper in his ear? A shout that shook the very foundations of the earth?

All the same, he might as well finish the prayer properly. “Your will be done. So be it.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Twilight paced along the room, holding Orion close to her chest. She rocked him slowly, singing as she walked.

“Baby mine, don't you cry

Baby mine, dry your eyes

Rest your head close to my heart

Never to part, baby of mine.”

She swayed as she sang, dancing softly to the tune as she rocked her little baby.

“Little one when you play

Pay no heed what they say

Let your eyes sparkle and shine

Never a tear, baby of mine.

If they knew all about you

They'd end up loving you too

All those same people who scold you

What they'd give just for

The chance to hold you.”

A soft, strong neck pressed against her back, and she knew her husband had returned. Together, they then took the little foal to his crib, and laid the sleeping child to bed.

“From your head to your hooves

You’re not much, goodness knows

But you’re so precious to me

Sweet as can be, baby of mine...”

Alan stood next to her, watching little Orion sleep.

They were quiet for a second, before Twilight nudged Alan over, and headed out of the room. Once they stepped outside, Twilight spoke up first. “So you got my letter?” she asked.

“Yeah…” Alan replied, sounding annoyed with himself. “I’m sorry you had to resort to that.”

“It’s alright, Alan,” she said.

“No it’s not,” Alan answered. “A lady should never have to talk to her husband through a letter. I should have been there…”

Twilight took a look at her husband, his back bent a though under a load, his eyes bloodshot and tired…

He looked sick and weary.

“Alan...look...I know that watching Harmony is your top priority right now, but…” she gave an exasperated sigh, “but you know you’ll run yourself into the ground if you keep this up, right? You know that, don’t you?”

Alan nodded, but spoke up. “I’m sorry, Twilight, but I have to watch—”

“Alan...please…” Twilight interrupted. “Listen, the Grand Galloping Gala is coming up in a few days, I’ve already gotten Princess Celestia to agree to keep Harmony in her sight the entire night, and we could go and enjoy ourselves. Dance, eat, rest, we could do anything that night.”

“Twilight…”

“Please, Alan?” she asked, looking up at him with sad, pleading eyes. “Please?”

He looked down at her. His wife, whom he had not had a proper conversation with for almost a month now. His wife, who had resorted to writing a letter to get in contact with him. His wife, who just wanted to go out to dance.

Alan sighed. “Alright, we’ll go to the Gala…”

Twilight smile and kissed him. “Thank you, Alan. Thank you so much.”

Alan nodded, all the while wondering if he didn’t just doom them all.

<<<|Ω|>>>

The two hundred and thirty-sixth annual Grand Galloping Gala opened with enough fireworks to launch somepony to the moon.

Alan watched with all with a raised eyebrow, curious at how a new air seemed to permeate the atmosphere. It seemed fresher, more casual, friendlier, even.

“By Celestia’s Summer Home,” Silver muttered as he followed Alan and Twilight into the palace foyer. “They’ve certainly changed things here…”

“I should hope so, dear,” Rarity said, dressed in her newest outfit. “I doubt we’d be let inside otherwise.”

Alan smirked at the thought.

“Alright, girls,” Twilight said, turning to the mares, her midnight black gown, decorated with stars, shimmering, “Alan and I have a lot of catching up to do, so we’ll meet you later,” and that was all of the interaction the Pendragon had with his friends before being pulled away by his wife.

It had taken a little bit of talking to get Shining and Cadence to babysit Orion, and once he was taken care of, the two were finally alone with each other. This did not last long enough for Alan’s liking, as they both had to get ready for the Gala.

Now, he was rather quickly being dragged along down several hallways, down to some unknown destination that she had in mind.

It was nice to see her smile, though…

He was practically pulled across the room, his wife not slowing down until a certain voice called out to her. “Twilight?”

She almost literally screeched to a halt, stopping just in front of three familiar figures. Princess Celestia stood on the left, followed by Harmony and then Luna, all in a row. A smile played on Celestia’s muzzle. “Having fun?”

“Princesses!” Twilight called, giving a quick bow.

Alan quickly followed. “Princesses,” he said with a bow, before giving a very neutral greeting to the draconequus. “Harmony.”

“Pendragon, Mrs. Sparkle,” he greeted back with a smile. “Enjoying yourselves?”

“We certainly plan to,” Alan replied, trying to keep the bite in his voice from showing.

Twilight nudged him.

“Well,” Celestia said, quickly trying to break the tension that was forming. “Have fun you two. Enjoy your night off!”

“Of course, Princess,” Alan said, before he began to lead his wife away, sending a passing glare at Harmony as he went.

Twilight nudged him again.

As they walked away, however, Luna gave a low grumble. “He should stop wasting his time…”

Celestia said nothing.

Harmony smiled. “It’s alright, Luna. Better safe than sorry, after all…”

Luna merely watched the two go down the hallway, eyes narrowing.

<<<|Ω|>>>

They danced.

It was a dance unlike any other dance the palace ballroom had seen in years.

They swayed, spun, and twirled around the room, holding the rapt attention of the crowd around them.

Alan didn’t really notice.

All he saw was his wife, his wife who smiled and giggled as she danced after such a long time.

The song they danced to began to slow, and the dancers followed the tune, slowing...slowing…

And then they stopped.

They hung there, perfectly still, a statue in the middle of the room.

And then the applause woke them, stirring them to stand. They gave a bow, and took their leave, opening the dancefloor to the other couples.

“Marvelous,” a voice said, and Alan turned to face the source.

Before him stood a white-coated unicorn, with an azure mane, and a very tall unicorn mare by his side. “Absolutely marvelous,” he said again as he finished his applause. “A pleasure to see you again, Mr. Pendragon.”

Alan furrowed his brow. “Have we met?”

“Not properly,” the blue-maned stallion said, before extending a hoof. “My name is Fancypants, and this is my wife, Fleur Dis Lis, we were some of the ones that managed to stay at the Gala where you proposed.”

At that, Alan smiled. “Ah! Good to hear!” he said, taking Fancy’s hoof. “At least one of you here knows how to have fun.”

“A lot of fun,” Fleur added.

“I’ve actually been meaning to talk to you, you know,” Fancy said as he magically removed his monocle before wiping it clean with a handkerchief pulled from his tuxedo coat. “I’ve been given the honor of planning the Gala thanks to you, and that is no small thing.”

“Anything to get it out of the hooves of Blueblood,” Alan said with a smirk.

Fancypants chortled as he replaced his monocle. “Quite,” he said, before asking, “have either of you eaten yet?”

“Not yet,” Twilight said.

“Well you are welcome to our table,” Fancy said. “It would be an honor to have you both.”

“And we gladly accept!” Alan said, smiling as he spoke. “First, though,” he said, nudging up against his wife, “I still owe my little star, here, a few more dances.”

Fancypants nodded. “Of course, then we will see you at the table later?”

“Count on it,” Alan said, before they headed their separate ways.

They took a few steps away, before Twilight spoke up. “So, if you still owe me some dances, then why are we heading away from the dancefloor?”

Ala smiled. “Too crowded.”

“Oh, really?” she asked, a smile playing on her lips. “Plan to take the whole floor?”

“You could say that.”

Twilight looked up at him, nuzzled him as they walked. “I missed you, you know?”

Alan sighed. “I missed you too, Twi,” he said somberly.

The two unicorns continued walking in silence, enjoying each other’s company as they moved, until they came to a lone, empty balcony.

“This’ll do,” Alan muttered, before reaching into his jacket pocket to pull out a small white device, his iPod.

“Found another song?” Twilight asked.

Alan nodded. “Still don’t know how this little thing keeps updated without internet…” he said, before the song came up, starting with a slow guitar.

He smiled and set it down, before turning to his wife, hooves outstretched to take her in his odd way of dancing. “Just a little encouragement,” he said.

She smiled and stood on her hind legs just as the singer began.

“I was nineteen, you were twenty-one

The year we got engaged

Everyone said we were much too young

But we did it anyway”

Alan spun her slowly, dancing with her to the rhythm.

“We bought our rings for forty each

From a pawn shop down the road

We made our vows and took the leap

Now fifteen years ago…

We went dancing in the minefields

We went sailing in the storm

And it was harder than we dreamed

But I believe that's what the promise is for…”

She smiled as she looked up at him.

Yes, these past few days had been hard on the two of them…

“‘I do’ are the two most famous last words

The beginning of the end

But to lose your life for another I've heard

Is a good place to begin

'Cause the only way to find your life

Is to lay your own life down

And I believe it's an easy price

For the life that we have found

And we're dancing in the minefields

We're sailing in the storm

This is harder than we dreamed

But I believe that's what the promise is for…”

Alan and Twilight danced, no one but him, her, and the moon. He held her reverently, as though she were a gem far more precious than his own life; he held her tightly, as though she would just blow away in the evening breeze.

He was so precious to her, she could feel it.

“So let’s go dancing in the minefields

Let’s go sailing in the storm

Oh, let’s go dancing in the minefields

And kickin’ down the doors,

Let’s go dancing in the minefields

And sailing in the storms

Oh, this is harder than we dreamed

But I believe that's what the promise is for…”

<<<|Ω|>>>

The dinner table was stuffed with the most delicious food than Alan had seen in the past month. Dandelion pies, cheese-stuffed rolls, grass-garnish salads, and a dozens different kinds of pastry.

Heavenly was a perfect word for it.

After sustaining himself on nothing but granola and oat rations, the spread before him looked like a banquet fit for a King.

Which, coincidentally, it was.

As Alan kept trying to keep himself from drooling all over the table, Twilight spoke with Fancypants and Fleur. “So the committee just offered you the job?”

“Yes, it didn’t take much to convince them, either,” Fancypants said, “Social events are a bit of a talent of mine, you see?”

“So why didn’t you get the opportunity in the first place?” Twilight asked.

“Tradition, mostly,” Fancypants explained, sipping a glass of elderberry wine. “The Bluebloods have held the honor of planning the Gala for the past century. The latest prince simply didn’t have it in him.”

Alan gave a snort at the name, and continued to eat.

Fancy nodded. “Yes, our dear Prince simply isn’t who he used to be.”

“What do you mean by that?” Twilight asked.

“We used to be good friends, once upon a time. A lifetime ago, it seems,” he said with a frown.

“What happened?”

“He planned his first Gala,” the entrepreneur continued. “Once all of the brown-nosers then kissed his flank, he got it into his head that anything that was not prim and proper was childish, and therefore pointless. Which, meant of course, that I wasn’t worth his time anymore, that lazy—”

“Fancy,” Fleur warned, placing a hoof on his arm to calm him.

Fancypants sighed. “Apologies, it’s just that when one of your best friends leave you, it leaves scars.”

Twilight nodded. “I could imagine…”

Fancy smirked. “I hope you can’t,” he said, before sipping more of his wine. “Anyway, the Princess has told me he’s off on some spiritual sabbatical, and, maybe, just maybe, he’ll return to be the stallion I once knew…”

“I hope he does,” Twilight said.

“You’re one of the few,” Fancypants said. “Not many of ponies these days are willing to give somepony a second chance, especially to someone who’s wronged him.”

Alan paused his eating.

“It’s good to know that somepony here will give someone else a chance,” the mustached unicorn continued.

Alan put his food down.

“Well,” Twilight said, “truth be told, I get it from my husband.”

“What do you mean?” Fleur asked.

Twilight smiled, “Well, let me tell you about how we helped the Griffon King take back his throne from the changelings.”

Alan remained silent, while Twilight began to tell the story, including how the brave Ex-general Ironclaw sacrificed himself to save his nephew and the Pendragon.

“Um...Twilight,” Alan said, speaking up.

“”Huh? Yes, Dear?”

“I’m...I’m going to be right back, got to take care of something.”

“Oh, sure, I’ll be here,” she said.

Alan nodded, before excusing himself from the table.

He headed away, moving slowly as a war waged on in his mind.

Ironclaw...

Ironclaw redeemed himself, couldn’t Harmony? Couldn’t...couldn’t even Discord do it? Iron...Ironclaw had proven himself in far less time…

Was…

He...he should apologize.

Harmony hadn’t done anything to warrant this kind of suspicion, really. He has just been spending his time with Luna.

Just spending time with his special somepony.

...Like somepony else should be…

Sighing, Alan kept walking forward, searching for Harmony.

He needed to find him, apologize, and then get back to the table and enjoy the company of his wife.

He needed to end this stupid, silly cycle of—

“Is everything ready?” Harmony’s voice said from around the corner.

Alan froze, and leaned against the wall.

“Everything’s set,” a second voice said.

A chuckle floated from beyond the corner.

“Good…” Harmony said, “Celestia won’t know what hit her.”

And there we go, it should start picking up now.

“It better! I’m getting tired of waiting!”

I’m working on it!

“For now~! We get a break!”

And after that, Harmony’s plan comes to fruition.

“You’ve been waiting, readers! Chaos is coming!”

And it’s a storm.

“We’ll see you all next time!”

Bye!

7-The Duty of a Soldier

Chapter 7

Alan was silent, ears perked, as he listened to the two voices around the corner.

Throne room, 2 pm, Thursday, “it” would arrive.

Alan didn’t know what “it” was, but he did know that there was no way he could let Harmony get away with it.

He had to tell Celestia right away.

“Are you sure?” a voice asked from the back of his head.

Alan blinked.

Why…

Why wouldn’t he be sure?

“Are you sure you want to tell her so soon? When he can hide the evidence?”

The question hung in his head for a second.

I...I...

“Listen, we wait. We wait until the last moment, and then expose him. When he has nowhere to go, we will have proven ourselves right.”

Alan fidgeted.

“Just imagine, imagine what they’ll look like when their shining hero comes swinging into the throne room, and saves his Princess.”

It was not hard to imagine.

“Just wait a moment, Alan. Just wait until you can prove yourself.”

Alan slowly nodded.

Yeah, yeah...that made sense.

He’d wait.

Wait and then expose him.

Yeah…

With every ounce of stealth that he possessed, Alan began to move backwards, as silent as possible, back towards the grand hall. He dared not make a sound as he made his retreat, sneaking back to his table.

He crossed the hall, his mind churning with indignation and fury.

How dare he? How dare he lie and try to gain our trust? How dare he?!

Alan stomped forward, blind to his surroundings.

As he approached the table, Twilight turned to him and smiled. “Hey, Honey, you’re back. That was fast.”

“Yeah,” he said, trying to purge the frown from his face.

“Did you take care of what you needed?” She asked.

“No,” Alan said, “but don’t worry. I’ll deal with it later.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

She couldn’t believe it!

The next night, the very next night, he was not only back to watching Harmony, but he had gotten worse!

He was spending almost all of his time watching the draconequus, even when somepony else was watching him.

She grumbled angrily as she closed the door behind her, taking up her son in her grip. “So what are we, huh? Chopped oats?” she mumbled.

She scowled angrily, frowning as she prepared Orion’s meal of squashed peas.

So he’d just going to leave his family behind, huh? Just going to leave us behind?

A thought whispered in the back of her mind. A little lie that poked at her fears.

She froze at the thought.

A long silence stretched on in the room.

No...

No, of course he wasn’t. He was too busy watching Harmony for that.

He couldn’t be…

He wouldn’t…

Twilight shook her head.

“No, there’s nopony else,” she said, before growling. “He’s just married to his job right now.”

But that thought was there now.

It was there and it wasn’t going away.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Three days, in three days it would all be worth it.

Alan suppressed a yawn as he kept watch.

All the long nights. All the time away from home. So much time away from his family…

It would all be worth it.

They’d all see he was right, they’d see.

They’d all see!

Alan blinked, before giving a sheepish smile.

“Wow...that sounded really maniacal…”

<<<|Ω|>>>

The days ticked by, and Alan still kept his vigil. His plans did not stop there, though. He had begun training the guard harder, pushing them to faster and faster response times.

When the time came, they would be ready.

He had memorized the hallways around the throne room, in case the battle moved outside into the hallway.

Everything was set.

Tomorrow, at 1:45 pm, Alan would enter the throne room, startup conversations with the Princess, and wait for the arrival of Harmony.

It was all coming together.

One more day.

One more day.

<<<|Ω|>>>

1:44 pm.

Alan was up, despite being a little tired, and was heading to the throne room. Judgement sat waiting, slung around his withers. His armored duster had been brought up from storage, and his hat was proudly sitting on his head.

As he walked up to the throne room doors, the unicorns standing guards saw him coming.

Once he walked up to the doors, the guards nodded to him. “One moment, Sir Pendragon,” the one on the left said. “The Princess would be glad to take you once court adjourns.”

Alan nodded.

1:45 pm.

The door opened, and an earth pony with a scroll under his leg walked out with a smile. Alan thought he was certainly happy.

“Alan, is that you?” Celestia called from her throne.

Alan walked in. “It is, your majesty!” Alan said, before blinking. Next to the Princess sat a very familiar pony.

His wife.

“Twilight?” he asked, walking forward. “What are you doing here?”

“Princess Celestia invited me to sit in on the Solar Court,” she said. “Is that a problem?” she added with a grimace.

The tone of her voice stopped him. “Uh...no?”

“Good,” she said, curtly.

What was…?

No, he couldn’t think about it. His wife being here was an unexpected variable. He would need to be sure that the battle didn’t get too close to her before she was ready. Much less let her get hurt. At least Orion wasn’t here. Now, he needed to—

“Any reason as to why you’re here?” Celestia asked, smiling while trying to send a questioning glance at her pupil.

“I just felt that I was spending too much time on watch, needed a break from the monotony.”

“And you didn’t come to spend time with your family?” Twilight asked, accusingly.

“Dang it, Twilight! You’re ruining my cover!”

“You two were next on the list, Twilight,” Alan said.

“I’m sure,” she added with a huff.

“Not helping, Twi!”

He kept walking up towards the throne, wondering what was going on with her.

Still, he had a duty to preform. He had to save the country, then he could talk with her.

Yes, he was her husband, and he had a duty to her; but he was also a soldier.

A soldier who had the opportunity to save his Princesses and his home.

What kind of a soldier would he be if he let them fall?

He had a duty.

Two, in fact, but he had to choose between them. So he chose the one for the greater good.

He would complete his other duty soon.

1:50 pm.

Alan was trying to make small talk, being cut off by the occasional, angry comment from Twilight.

Celestia sat between them, feeling like she was keeping the latter from ripping out Alan’s throat.

So, she tried to make small talk, get the two to begin to try and share, try to resolve it.

“You seem tired, Alan, has something been troubling you?”

Alan shrugged. “A few things. They should clear up soon, though. What about you? Anything new happening in Equestria?”

Celestia shook her head. “Not really, just a bit of a rise in petty theft.”

Alan raised an eyebrow.

“Fluctuation in crime is a relatively normal thing, Alan. It comes with every decade or so, and then leaves the following decade,” she explained.

“Would you like me to look into it?” Alan asked.

“Because you need another job to do,” Twilight commented, bitterly.

Celestia turned an eye to her student. “Is something wrong, Twilight?”

“No, everything’s fine.”

Now, Celestia, being of the fairer sex, knew immedeatly what that meant. Alan had done (or not done) something, and Twilight wanted him to recognize that he had indeed done something to upset her.

Alan, being a male, recognized the age-old statement, knew that it meant that she was not fine, and had a sneaking suspicion what was wrong.

“Don’t worry, Twi. Everything’s going to work out.”

Celestia waited a beat. “You know, it has been a while since I’ve heard from Princess Cadence. Perhaps you two could check up on her for me?”

“Fine,” Twilight said, simply.

Alan nodded. He’d have all the time in the world shortly.

1:55 pm.

A knock sounded on the door across the room.

The three ponies all gave the door their attention as a certain draconequus walked into the room.

“Hello there, Princess,” Harmony said. “Ah, Mrs. Twilight, Mr. Pendragon, a pleasure to see you both.”

“Hello, Harmony,” Twilight said.

“Harmony,” Alan replied tersely, his muscles tensing as the newcomer walked forward.

“Hello, Harmony,” Celestia greeted. “Odd seeing you this early.”

“Yes, I was hoping to speak with you, if you had a free moment,” Harmony said, stepping into the room with purpose.

“I just so happen to have a minute. What is it?” She asked.

“Well,” Harmony began, “the past is not something I would like to bring up, but...I really feel as though I should apologize.”

“Why, thank you, Harmony, but I thought I made it clear that your apology was accepted. Didn’t I?”

“You did,” Harmony said, “but I’d like to make an effort while not bound in chains.”

2:00 pm.

“So, I’ve had this made for you, Princess.” Harmony said, before stepping to the side, revealing a large cake that was being wheeled in. “I hope you enjoy.”

The massive cake, being wheeled in on a cart, seemed to glisten in the early afternoon light, as a white, sugary glaze clung to the chocolate walls. A white frosting, topped with cherries and sprinkles, sat further up on a second layer, only to be topped by what seemed to be chocolate cheesecake.

Alan blinked, staring at the cake.

A cake? That was it? A cake?

A quick look to Celestia confirmed that she was definitely interested in the apology token.

He couldn’t believe it. It was a cake! He had come up here, ready to save the princess from some sort of assassination attempt, and—

His eyes went wide as Celestia got closer to the cake, and a terrible thought entered his head.

“Oh no…”

In that moment, everything Alan knew, every ounce of his training went into stopping the princess from reaching that cake.

Time seemed to slow, and Alan drew Judgement as he entered the Third Stage of Swordsmanship. He flew through the air, sword gleaming as he pounced, desperately trying to get to that cake.

He leapt past her, bringing his sword down on the cake. “No!”

“Alan!” The Princess cried, shocked at the incredible violent burst from her Pendragon.

“Alan!” Twilight echoed, sounding furious.

“Don’t eat that cake!” Alan cired.

“I’m sorry?” Harmony asked.

“What are you talking about, Alan?” Celestia asked, as Twilight stood, fuming.

“It’s poisoned! It has to be!”

“What?” Harmony asked.

“Don’t play dumb!” Alan roared, pointing his blade at the draconequus. “I heard you! I heard you scheming at the Gala!”

“What are you talking about?” Harmony asked, confused.

“I can’t believe you!” Twilight yelled, stomping down towards her husband from her seat.

“You are lying, treacherous scum!” Alan cried, pointing his sword at Harmony.

“Enough!” Celestia roared, her mane an inferno as a thunderous stomp echoed through the throneroom.

Everyone went silent at the outburst before Celestia pointed a hoof at the draconequus. “Harmony! Explain yourself!”

Harmony blinked. “Well...I...I had said something about this during the Gala...but—”

“You said, Celestia wouldn’t know what hit her!” Alan accused.

Harmony blinked. “That was the filling!” he said. “I had a molten chocolate filling put in! Just look!” He said, pointing back to the ruined dessert.

Alan followed the pointing finger, and saw a pool of warm chocolate forming on the floor.

“A likely story!” Alan said, recovering quickly. “Who talks about cake like that?! More likely you were trying to kill her!”

“With poison?” Harmony asked, before laughing. “Yes, let me kill the Princess who has immunities to poison with poison!”

Alan blinked. “Wait...really?”

Celestia sighed. “Yes...Alan...poison cannot kill me. It might not agree with me, certainly, but it will not kill me.”

“I…” Alan began.

Harmony sighed. “Mr. Pendragon, I understand your worry, and I understand your zeal to protect your home.” He shook his head. “Looking back, I probably should have spoken to you, so I suppose I am at fault here.”

“Absolutely not,” Twilight said. “Alan has been a little high strung lately. It’s no surprise that he’s become a little paranoid.”

Alan spun to face her. “Excuse me?”

Twilight took a step forward, coming with an inch of his face. “You have left me alone for the past month! You have done nothing but chase after Harmony, and have done so, poorly! It’s no wonder it’s gone to your head!”

Alan blinked, shocked at how she had turned on him. She…why?

“Well, excuse me for doing my job!” he yelled back, pain turning to anger.

“Yes, your beloved job. Shame you can’t take that to bed, huh?”

“Stop it!” Celestia said, standing between them. “You two are going to see Princess Cadence now!”

Harmony watched all of this, and gave a smile as he stepped back.

<<<|Ω|>>>

“You have left me for a job!” Twilight yelled.

“Well aren’t you a supportive wife!” Alan answered back.

Cadence sighed as she watched them argue.

Normally, at this point, she would simply hit them with her oxytocin spell, just to stop the bickering. It was one of her best spells, its effectiveness coming in at 99.9% successful.

Normally.

Here, she was unsure.

Two years ago, on her wedding day, she had seen Alan unleash a terrifying beast. Dark Magic, to be exact.

Her father had told her stories about it. House Shade, the most loyal of the bond houses, had been a bit of an expert on the subject. Sombra had taken her Empire with it. And now...now it shows up again in a good friend.

She didn’t know what would happen if she were to mix Love Spells and Dark Magic, and she was not going to risk finding out.

In the meantime, she watched them argue.

She wasn’t worried yet. Every couple argued. All she needed to do now was damage control.

She could do that.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Celestia sighed.

It was shaping up to be a long day.

The rise of the criminal scene was bad enough, but now her Pendragon and one of her Generals were going through marriage problems, and all the while, Harmony’s presence was a ticking time bomb one way or the other.

She needed a moment to talk with somepony.

Luckily, she had a sister.

As the evening moon began to rise, Celestia made the last of her rounds, coming to the lunar-themed doors of her sisters room. The thestral guards gave her a nod and salute, before allowing her entrance.

“Lu?” Celestia called, pushing the door open. “Lu, you in?”

“Oh, hello, Tia,” Luna said. “What’s happened?”

Celestia shook her head. “Oh, nothing, I just need to take a break.”

“Just a break?”

“Yeah,” The solar sister said, before easing over to her sister’s couch. “Perhaps a nap will do, a little venting wouldn’t hurt.”

“Venting?”

“Complaining about our problems before dealing with them,” Celestia explained. “It’s rather theraputic, you should try it sometime.”

Luna stared at her sister for a moment, before a growl escaped her throat. “Last time I did, you brushed it off.”

Celestia blinked.

There was silence for a second. “I...um…”

“I should try venting, sister?” Luna asked. “Very well, let me begin! For the first time in thousands of years, I have a chance with Harmony. Do you know how many days and nights I’ve spent wondering if I’d ever see him again? How often I wondered if the pony meant for me would ever come back?”

Celestia opened her mouth. “I…”

“You, at least, have a promise! You know you’ll see Death eventually, but me? What hope did I have? Where was the final word written by Faust that Harmony would hold me again? Where?!”

“Luna,” Celestia said, standing.

“And now that he’s back, he’s been nothing but hounded by your guard dog!”

“Luna!” Celestia said, shocked at how she would refer to Alan that way.

“Hounded, hunted and watched!” she continued. “As though he was some common criminal waiting to be thrown back to his cell! Is my word not enough? Is my own vigil lacking? Am I some foolish youth, unable to see the dangers?”

“No one said that…”

“Then call the dog off!” Luna shouted.

“Luna!” Celestia shouted back. “He is a hero! Offer him that respect at least!”

Luna said nothing.

Celestia stared back, her eyes sad and confused.

And then the younger Princess sighed. “Sorry. You’re right, of course. He has sacrificed much for us.”

“He’s just doing his job, Luna,” Celestia said.

“I know…” Luna said. “Just...please tell him he can leave us be, I am watching Harmony, myself.”

Celestia nodded. “I’ll let him know.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Alan took slow steps along the Canterlot walls, plodding in something of a slump.

He had been given his orders.

He had no choice now.

His duty had been stripped from him.

He was no longer allowed to watch Harmony, and no guard was to be posted.

Despite the free time to spend with his family, Twilight was no warmer. She constantly questioned him, wondering where he was going everytime he left the room. If anything, she was worse now, ironically forcing him out of the room at every opportunity.

This, in turn only lead to more questions and more suspicion.

He could hardly sleep in his own bed now. Could hardly stand being around her.

He hated it.

He wanted to be with her. He wanted to be a father to his son, and husband to his wife.

He had tried to do his duty, as both a father, husband, and soldier, and now he could no longer do either.

He sighed, trying hard not to enjoy the solitude.

It was wrong.

He loved her, to the depths of his heart, but she was forcing him away at every turn.

He sighed again, a verse from the Bible floating through his head. “A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but a disgraceful wife is like rottenness in his bones.”

He…

He didn’t know what to do.

He...he felt afraid about them, and he wasn’t sure what to do if he needed to save them.

Their don’t go to sleep angry rule had gone out the window, along with peaceful dinners, time with friends…

He didn’t know…

He just didn’t…

A gentle breeze blew by...

His ear twitched.

That...that was Harmony’s voice…

But...but he definitely wasn’t talking to Luna.

Alan paused on the wall’s walkway.

He...he had his orders.

Harmony was not to be watched.

But...but this was suspicious…

He…

He couldn’t disobey orders…

“But you could ‘Just so happen to walk by…’”

Alan bit his lip.

“One little peek couldn't hurt…”

The Pendragon edged towards the source of the voice, and slowly, the words became clear.

“You have the knife?” Harmony’s voice asked.

“Yes, M'lord.”

“M’lord?” Alan thought, worried.

“Is it prepared?”

“Yes, M’lord. Crafted of metal from the stars, stones from the abyss, and sharpened by shells of the depths. It will be able to pierce the Sun-Waker’s hide.”

“Perfect.”

Alan backed up, slowly, eyes wide.

“That...I couldn’t have heard that right!”

“It sounds like you heard him to me…”

“I...I have to tell someone…” he thought.

“Really? You’re going to tell them that you overheard Harmony? First, they wouldn't believe you, second, they would point out you were breaking orders.”

“So what do I do?”

“What else? Wait like last time.”

“But last time I was caught!”

“Because you misunderstood your target. Do you think you’ve misunderstood his intentions now?”

“Well...no...but…”

“Then what can go wrong?”

Alan stood stock still for a moment or two, the droning of the two voices going on just around the corner a buzz in his mind.

He…

He knew what he had to do.

Alright guys, here it comes, and with the passing of this chapter comes the beginning of the flow, I can feel it.

“What flow?”

Nevermind, Pinkie. It’s a writer thing.

“Whatever! Anyways guys, glad to see most of you were on the same page! I thought Miner’s head was going to explode from all the ego it was carrying.”

But, aren’t you technically an extension of my ego?

“Hush! You haven’t taken Psychology yet!”

So, yeah. Thanks for reading guys! Be sure to comment, I love them.

“And don’t forget to fave if you haven’t!”

We’ll see you all next time.

“Bye!”

8-Crossing a Line

Chapter 8

It was almost as if Alan had completely disappeared.

Twilight tried to keep herself from grinding her teeth as she was searching for that slime ball. Leaving her and Orion, how dare he?!

It was almost as if all he cared about was Harmony, and for his sake, she hoped that was the case. Mostly because she'd murder him if she found out there was another mare involved.

Continuing to stomp down the Canterlot hallways, her eyes scanned the walls as an unsettling feeling of being watched began to creep up on her.

Shaking her head, she refocused on her husband. She needed to find him for another one of those pointless marriage counseling meetings. Cadence wanted to talk with them today, and Twilight and Alan were going to sit down and listen, no matter how useless it was. It was a meeting, and Twilight kept her meetings.

“We’re going to be late…” she muttered.

“Late for what?” a voice asked beside her.

She leapt, startled as her eyes fell on Harmony, who stood, leaning against a wall.

“Oh, Harmony, hello…” she said as she gathered herself. “Sorry, you startled me.”

“My apologies,” he said, before coming around behind her, “but now, I’m curious....What are you going to be late for?”

“Oh...I have a meeting with Alan and Princess Cadence, but, Alan’s disappeared on me,” she said, adding the last bit with an annoyed tone.

“A meeting?” he asked. “What kind of meeting?”

“Just...it’s a little marriage counseling. We’re kinda in a rough spot…”

“Oh, don’t say that…” Harmony said. “That’s simply terrible.”

“It’s what happened,” Twilight said.

“How long has been missing?” Harmony asked.

“Since yesterday,” she grumbled.

“Yesterday?” Harmony asked with a smile.

“Yeah, he went on a walk the other night, and never came home.”

“How horrible,” Harmony said, smirking as he stood behind her. “How have you been making out, dear?”

She gave an irritable sigh. “I’ll be fine. He’s the one that’s going to be in trouble.”

Harmony smiled. “Do go easy on him dear...He’s just doing what he’s told…”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Alan walked forward, head down stalking his prey.

They’d believe him this time.

They’d have to.

The hero is always proven right on the second try.

They’d have to…

<<<|Ω|>>>

Day three of Alan’s disappearance was marked with an even angrier Twilight Sparkle.

She continued to stomp from one end of the room to the other, trying to get her day started, when a knock sounded on the door.

She grumpily walked over to the door, and was surprised to see Applejack standing on the other side of the door. “Howdy, Twi! Is Al here?”

“Um...hi, Applejack. No, he’s not here…” Her eyes narrowed. “Why?”

“Celestia wants to take us out for a brunch to thank us for stickin’ around and all that.”

“Hm…” Twilight began. “Well I haven’t seen Alan for the past two days. This is day three, now?”

Applejack’s brow furrowed. “Wait, really? ‘An yer not worried?”

Twilight sighed. “No. No, I’m not. Come on, let’s go see the Princess,” she said, before pushing past the farmer, Orion in tow.

“Uh, Twi, what about Al?”

“What about him?” Twilight asked, bitterly.

“Well, Ah mean, shouldn’t we go find him?”

“He clearly doesn’t want to be found, Applejack,” Twilight said.

“But...Twi, are you sure?”

She did not answer.

“Twi?”

The unicorn kept silent, walking forward towards the throne room.

“Twi?”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Cadence walked towards the throne room her mind clouded with worry.

It...it didn’t make any sense.

Alan and Twilight loved each other, she could feel it, and Alan would do anything for her.

So why didn’t he come?

Why didn’t he come to counseling?

Surely he wanted to keep their marriage intact, so why?

It didn’t make any sense.

“Something wrong?” Shining asked.

The Princess of love sighed. “I’m...I’m worried about Alan and Twilight. I think something bad’s going to happen.”

“You too?” Shining asked.

Cadence looked to her husband. “Yeah...what are you worried about?”

“Well, Al has been incredibly focused on Harmony lately. Too focused. You know how we haven’t seen him since the Gala?”

“Yeah?”

“I think that’s because he’s been watching Harmony the entire time.”

“Oh...wow…”

”Yeah.”

“That…” Cadence began. That would make sense…

She never said that aloud, though, leaving it to echo in her mind as she stepped into the throne room, where Princess Celestia waited.

She did not wait alone though. As she stood by her throne, Luna and Harmony stood with her, along with Twilight and her friends, the boys, and, well, everyone but Alan.

“And you haven’t seen him since?” Celestia asked.

“No,” Twilight answered in a deadpan. “Don’t worry. I’m sure he’ll turn up somewhere.”

The mares looked at each other worryingly.

“Well, very well, Mrs. Twilight. If you say it’s not a problem,” Harmony said.

“It won’t be,” she insisted.

“Let’s go then,” Harmony said, leading the herd out.

The others began to follow, heading down to the outdoor table Celestia had set up.

Cadence followed, keeping her eye on the odd creature before her. She hadn’t seen Discord when he reappeared in Equestria, and this was her first time seeing him up close. He was a strange thing, to be sure, made of odds and ends, but...there was something about him…

“You haven’t seen him either?” she heard the others saying behind her, whisper back and forth.

“Not for the past few weeks.”

“Where has he gone?”

“What’s with Twilight?”

She took it all in, in passing, focusing on the Draconequus.

There was something...familiar about him…

<<<|Ω|>>>

They all sat outside, enjoying the morning air as they ate brunch. Harmony sat near the head of the table, left Celestia and right to Luna.

He smiled as he watched the others eat, and checked the time.

It was almost time.

He took a second to look around at the table.

No one other than Cadence gave him a second look, and not even the Princess of love was going to suspect him of this.

Right about now.

“Please excuse me, I’ll be back in a moment,” he said, as he pushed away from the table.

As he did though, his eyes locked onto the back of Celestia’s head. His hand went back behind him.

“Stop right there!” A voice roared.

The crowd at the table spun, just in time to see Alan charge forward, sword drawn. He roared, bringing Judgement around, the blade digging into table next to the draconequus.

“Alan!” Celestia cried.

“Pendragon!” Luna roared. “Explain yourself!”

Alan ripped the sword out of the table as things quickly began to spiral in panic. “You are a liar and a traitor!” he roared, pointing at Harmony.

“Alan!” one of the ponies cried.

“Silence!” Celestia shouted, getting the attention of everypony gathered. “Alan! Explain yourself!”

Alan’s mane was a mess, hair sticking out in wild directions as his heavily bloodshot eyes danced crazily around the garden.

He also rank of three-day-old stallion.

“He wants to kill you! I have proof!”

“What?” Harmony asked, confused.

“Proof?” Celestia asked.

“He was speaking with a pony on the walls three nights ago, I was walking by when I heard him.”

“Were you spying on him?” Luna asked. “After we ordered you to cease?”

“Luna,” Celestia said, “later. Your proof Alan?”

“He has a knife! One he said was made from the stars, stones from the abyss, and shells!”

Celestia blinked. “D-do you have a knife, Harmony?”

“Um...not one made of...what was it again?” Harmony asked.

“He said it was a blade that could hurt Celestia!”

Luna glared at him, before saying in a deadpan. “Yes...because normal iron won’t do…So, Pendragon, other than a weapon from a fantasy novel, what other proof do you have?”

“He...he has the knife!” Alan said, confusion creeping into his voice.

“You are free to search me, Celestia, I have no knife.”

“He could have teleported it away!” Alan argued.

“I will be able to tell, Alan,” Celestia said as her horn began to glow.

Harmony was quickly surrounded by Celestia golden glow, but Alan’s brain didn’t wait, it had already given its verdict.

“They don’t believe you, Alan…”

“He has no weapon on him, Alan, and there is no residual magic either,” Celestia told him. “He doesn't have anything on him.”

“But...but I heard him! He said he was going to kill you today!”

Luna gave a growl. “Well perhaps you heard wrong.”

“They don’t trust you.”

“But...but…”

“He’s going to take everything, and no one will try to stop him.”

“He’s...He’s lying! Why can’t you see that?!”

Celestia’s eyes began to widen. “A-Alan…”

“They think you’re crazy.”

“I’m not crazy! I know what I heard.”

Shining stood, his eyes as round as saucers while keeping his voice calm and soothing. “Alan, Alan calm down.”

“They’re not listening to you.”

“Why won’t you listen?!” He roared, unaware of the purple smoke that was leaking from his eyes. “He’s evil! He’s still evil!”

Luna spread her wings, and got ready to pounce, slowly and cautiously circling the unicorn.

“Why can’t you see that?!”

“They’ve been turned to his side.”

“He’s turned you all against me!” Alan yelled.

The other stallions began to circle their friend while the mares began to back away.

“Why don’t you trust me?! Why won’t you listen?!”

“They question your motives.”

“I know what I’m talking about! I just want to keep you all safe! Can’t you see that?!”

“Alan…” Celestia said, her voice cautious. “Why don’t we all just take a deep breath and—”

“Calm?! I’m trying to save you! Trying to save all of you and you’re pushing me away!”

“Alan,” Celestia said, raising a hoof the the red-eyed, grey-coated stallion, “why don’t you just…” she laid her hoof gently on his shoulder.

Whap!

“Don’t touch me you ungrateful wretch! I-I...I…” Alan blinked. “I…”

The mana hand he just summoned faded away, leaving the red hand mark on Celestia’s face as the only evidence that it had been there.

“Princess,” Alan said, “I…”

He suddenly felt very small.

Her face snapped to his, and Alan withered under the furious gaze of his Princess. “Alan Williams Goldenhoof,” she said, her voice filled with power.

And anger.

“Your sword,” she demanded.

“Princess, Princess, I’m—”

“Your. Sword!”

Alan stopped.

Then, with the ring of magic, Alan’s mana hands carefully popped the buckle of his baldric, and he lifted Judgement into its sheath, before wrapping the scabbard in the belt.

He hesitated, looking down at Judgement before handing it up respectfully.

Celestia snatched it up, and took a step forward, towering over her Pendragon. “Alan Williams Goldenhoof,” she roared, “for your actions you are to be stripped of your titles, your privileges and your authority until such a time as you are proven worthy to wield them once more!”

Alan said nothing.

He had no defense.

He merely hung his head.

“Guards!” the Princess called.

Two guards quickly ran up, trying to keep the surprise off their faces.

“Take Mr. Goldenhoof to the dungeons. He may leave when I call him.”

They nodded, before approaching Alan tentatively.

He walked forward, not even looking up at the Princess as he passed.

There was utter silence as Alan walked away.

At least he walked away with dignity.

“Shining,” Celestia called, once Alan was out of earshot.

“Yes, Princess?” he asked.

“Make sure he’s taken to one of the nicer cells, and everything he needs is taken care of. He probably just needs some time alone.”

“Yes, Princess,” he said, before running off to follow the guards.

Celestia looked down at the blade she now held. She felt...wrong for taking it.

The sword felt like it was angry.

But...it was just a blade, wasn’t it?

She sighed.

Well, this completely ruined brunch.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Alan sat in his cell.

This was his new home until...well...whenever…

He glanced over at the cot along the left wall.

He was just so tired.

Three days without sleep would do that.

“Oh, Alan, you’re an idiot,” he thought to himself. “You should’ve gotten some sleep, should have been more collected. Instead…” he sighed, “instead you’re here…”

So far they had treated him well. Fed him, made sure he had everything, even gave him a rubber ball to bounce around to help pass the time.

Of course, he still had to wear the magic inhibitor ring, but they tried to let him keep his dignity.

He knew what had happened.

He had been played.

Harmony had been tricking him since the start. There was no surprise, and there was no knife.

And now, here he was.

Trapped.

No one would believe him now.

No one would listen.

He had done everything Harmony needed to get full reign of the castle.

Harmony had betrayed them all.

No...not Harmony.

Discord.

A door opened, and a guard walked down the hallway. The increasingly loud heavy clank of armor announcing the guards presence.

“Mr. Goldenhoof?” the guard said.

“Yes?” his voice croaked, tired from his long watch.

“You have a visitor.”

He knew who it was.

Everyone else had already come by to check up on him, ask him how he was.

All except her.

She was the only one left.

“Send her in,” he said.

The guard nodded respectfully, and backed away, armor chinking all the way.

The door opened, and there was mumbled exchange that Alan could hear before the door closed and the sharp clop of hooves could be heard coming down the way.

Alan tried to peek down the hallway, and managed to see his wife coming towards him.

“Twilight, I—”

“No!” she said, angrily. “Not a word out of you!”

Alan blinked, surprised at her viciousness.

“You left me! Honestly left me for three days without a word!”

“I—”

“Shut up! You left me, alone with Orion for three days to go off and come up with some stupid, fake proof that Harmony was out to get you!”

“But—”

“You were off in your own world while I walked down to our marriage counseling appointment! Did you forget about that while you were off in Middle-Earth?”

“No, I—”

“Oh! So I’m not worth it then?”

“No! Twilight, I—”

“No! No! I’m sick of it, Alan. I’m tired of you. I’m tired of not being able to trust you!”

“When have I not been trustworthy?” Alan asked.

“How about when you did this?!” She shouted, before pointing to one of the cowlicks of fur on her chest.

A scar.

One he gave to her.

Alan went silent.

“Or how about back during Shining’s wedding, when you broke the laws of war and murdered a surrendered changeling?” she asked.

“I…” Alan said, dropping his head.

“Or how about today? You know, when you slapped Celestia of all ponies?”

Alan hung his head, and did not look at her.

There was silence for a long second.

“You’re dangerous Alan. Too dangerous. I can’t trust you, and I’m sorry for not seeing it sooner.” There was silence for a second. “I just won’t raise my child in the same house as a ticking time bomb,” she said.

Ting! Ting….ting…

Alan’s eyes snapped opened as he heard the noise.

It was right there, right in front of his nose.

Her earring.

He looked up at her, mouth open wide as he looked at her.

And then he saw something horrifying.

Her eyes were grey.

“Goodbye, Mr. Pendragon,” she said, and then turned and walked away.

“Twilight! Twilight, come back! This isn’t you, Twilight!” Alan pleaded.

She did not hear him.

“Twilight! Twilight, come back! Please, Twilight, please!”

She did not turn around.

“Twilight! Twilight!”

The door at the end of the hallway slammed shut.

He kept calling, kept screaming, kept trying to make her come back and take her earring back.

She did not come.

And then a chuckle filled the air.

Alan’s head spun to the source of the noise as he heard a very familiar voice speak to him from the shadows.

“That was better than I thought it would be,” the voice said, before the draconequus stepped into the light.

“You!” Alan snarled.

“Correct, Mr. Pendragon, correct as you always were!” he said with a pleased smile. “It’s amazing how much ponies will trust you based on eye-color.”

“Discord, when I get out of here—”

“Wrong!” the monster said, closing the gap between them suddenly, and shoving his head through the bars. “I am not Discord! Discord is a layabout! A child playing games! I am something far worse than that disgusting mutt!” He paused, letting his anger subside for a second. “Discord is what happens when Harmony and I mix. Right now, he’s sitting in a cell not unlike yours in the back of my head, watching everything he loves getting torn away from him.”

The thing pulled his head back, regarding the pony before him. “If you insist on calling me anything, call me Chaos. Although, it won’t really matter since we won’t be speaking again.”

“Then why bother coming down here in the first place?” Alan asked, growling, and wishing that the ring was off his horn so he could stab this monster.

Chaos smirked. “Because watching your misery is simply too delicious. You know what that’s like, don’t you?”

A stray memory from when he tortured the changeling queen came back to him.

“Now, for dessert,” he said with a mirthless laugh. “I’ve come to let you know something, Pendragon. If it had not been for you, none of this would have happened! If your sword had not touched me, I would still be that child! But I am here now and I’m going to make you suffer for it!”

Alan gripped the bars, grinding his teeth. “You mean you haven’t already?”

“Not yet!” Chaos said.

“What more can you take from me?!” Alan yelled.

“Just wait! You think she’s gone now, just wait!” Chaos laughed. He turned and began to walk away. “Just wait, Pendragon! Your world is about to come to an end!”

“I’ll get you for this, Chaos!” Alan roared. “I will get you, do you hear me! I will get you!”

He roared and screamed for a long time. He didn’t know how long, but once he was sure no one was coming back, he turned back to the floor, and the small, golden earring that lay there at his hooves.

He picked it up slowly, and carefully, tears running down his face.

“I...I’m sorry, Twilight...I’m sorry…”

He clutched the earring tight, holding it close it his chest as he climbed onto his cot.

“I’m so sorry...please...please come back…”

And the spiral begins…

“Wow, Miner, that was just mean!”

So yeah, my dear readers, the train is about to leave the station and there ain’t no breaks!

“And you’re our crazy conductor?”

Yup!

“But I wanted to be the conductor!”

I’ll let you blow the whistle~

“Deal!”

Leave us the usual, guys!

“We’ll see you next time!”

Bye!

10-The Roar Echoing off the Mountain

Chapter 10

When asked about where to go to start hunting, Twilight Sparkle had been directed to the EUPPF. Their precinct in Canterlot was a large building, complete with their own armory, training facilities, garrison, kitchen, barracks, and access to the dungeons.

Despite the clout, however, the building seemed relatively...lifeless.

That’s not to say there was nopony there. There were plenty of ponies there, they just didn’t do anything. Mares and stallions dressed in armor sat at desks, playing with desk toys and watching glass birds eternally drink from a glass. Maps of Canterlot hung from the wall, several locations marked with pins, others marked with darts.

Or that could have been yesterday’s dart game, she wasn’t sure.

A light smoke filled the air, followed by the smell of overly-strong coffee and cheap whiskey. Orange light flooded into the room from the smoke-yellowed windows, lighting her way as she walked down a long hallway formed by desks.

She walked slowly, saddlebags stuffed with maps and books on psychology, as well as a dozen other knick-knacks she felt she needed. Orion was at Shining’s while she was back in town, and as far as she knew, that left everything in order.

Still, she did not like the look of this place.

She came to the end of the synthetic hallway, and stood facing a wall with a single door set into it. The door, which held but a single pane of glass was inscribed with three words. “Commissioner Golden Shield.”

Just so happened to be the pony she was looking for.

She knocked twice, and a gruff voice answered. “Come in.”

Opening the door with little more ceremony, she entered the large office, coughing as a cloud of cigar smoke wafted into her face.

“You must be General Twilight Sparkle,” the stallion at the desk noted. He was large, large for an earth pony, even, and his smoke-grey coat and messy blond mane spoke little for organizational skill. The real seller, though, easily had to be deadpan stare combined with heavy chewing on his cigar.

“Commissioner Shield, I presume,” she said, waving smoke out of the way.

The earth pony nodded, “That’s me.”

“You are aware that there is a law against smoking in government buildings, yes?” she asked.

“Some laws are meant to be broken,” Commissioner Shield said.

Twilight highly doubted that. Reaching into her bags, she began pulling out her maps. “Slow day?” she asked.

“Not really,” Shield said, standing to come see her maps. “Bunch of petty crime happening all around Canterlot city.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “So why aren’t you mobilizing anypony?”

“Because the guard’s always been making our business their business,” he grumbled, “so I’m letting them take it.”

Twilight nodded. That made sense.

“No it doesn’t,” a weak voice argued in her mind.

She didn’t hear it. “Fair enough, so should I bring hunting Alan to them too?”

Golden Shield smiled around his cigar. “Nah, I need to get these layabouts to do something.”

Twilight nodded with a smirk.

Finally, a stallion of action.

She gave the stallion a look. He wasn’t...unattractive...and he certainly was strong…

There was potential here.

She certainly knew she needed a father for her child, after all.

She took a moment, looking him over, her eyes dancing over the smoke-grey coat, blond mane and amber eyes.

Yes...

A lot of potential here.

The police Commissioner noticed her staring. “Mrs.Sparkle was there anything else?”

She waited a beat before smiling.

“Not yet, no,” she said. “Now, Mr. Shield—”

“Golden is fine.”

Twilight smiled. “Golden, if Alan is hiding somewhere in Canterlot it’s going to be not far from Harmony.”

“So the castle?” he asked.

“Yes and no,” she said. “He’ll be very close to the castle, at the very least, but we can’t be sure that he’s in the castle. Now, as you can see, I’ve already marked a few tactically advantageous places that Alan might be attracted to…”

And together, they went over the map.

His eyes as grey as her’s.

<<<|Ω|>>>

“Twilight’s here?” Spike asked.

“Eyup,” Applejack answered. “I saw her come by once the guards searched her house for Al.”

“Then why is she here?” Rarity asked, aloud to the gathered friends. “If she knows Alan is gone, why would she come back here?”

“Ah ain’t sure,” Applejack said, Silver standing next to her, “but Ah think she said something about tracking Al down.”

“She’s hunting him?” Thunderlane asked, “that doesn’t seem right.”

Soarin nodded, while Pinkie voiced their opinion. “That’s just wrong! Friends don’t hunt friends, and Twi and Al are bestest of friends!”

“That’s what Ah’m thinking,” Applejack agreed.

“Eyup,” Big Mac agreed.

“So what?” Rainbow asked. “We’re just going to walk up to her and tell her to stop? I don’t think that’s going to work, and I can’t think of anything else to do.”

“Well, surely it would not be beyond reason to try and talk to her,” Rarity said. “In fact, I personally think that would be best if we did talk. Twilight’s a smart mare, it is not beyond reason to believe she is doing this for a reason.”

Fluttershy nodded, before meekly adding. “I...I think that would be a good thing to do…”

“So we talk with her. figure out what’s goin’ on, but then what?” Applejack asked. “If Ah’m honest, Ah don’t like any of this. It don’t sit right with me at all.”

“I’m on AJ’s side!” Pinkie yelled. “Twilight should not be this serious!”

“Pinkie,” Rainbow said, rolling her eyes, “she’s always this serious.”

“Not like this though!” Pinkie said. “This isn’t your average, every-day serious. This is…” she quickly glanced around the room suspiciously, before whispering loud enough to be heard across the table, “advanced serious…”

“Sure…” Spike said.

“So what are we gonna do?” Applejack asked.

“Well,” Soarin said, “we can’t really tell her to stop…”

“What do you mean? Why not?” Thunderlane asked.

“Well, Alan’s escaped. He’s technically a criminal. To tell Twilight to stop would be aiding a criminal.”

“Oh, but...it’s Alan…” Fluttershy said in quiet protest.

“Right, but...well...we can’t be sure that it’s all Alan…”

Rainbow Dash groaned. “This is way too complicated.”

“I agree, darling. Perhaps it is best if we all go and gather our thoughts.”

Big Mac nodded. “Sleeping on it’s a good idea.”

“So we sleep on it, and then come to a decision, yes?” Rarity asked.

There was general nod amongst the group.

Sleep on it.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Twilight Sparkle was walking back towards the EUPPF precinct offices, along with a growing interest in the commissioner.

So far they hadn’t made much progress, but she was sure they were on the trail of her ex-husband.

He had not been found around any of the wilderness areas she had picked, that only really left the more populated areas of Canterlot. These would, of course, be harder to search, but with the police force working around the clock, and with no further distractions, it shouldn’t be that hard.

“Howdy, Twilight!” A voice said from her left.

She glanced over, and saw Applejack approach. “Hi, Applejack!” she said with a smile.

“Hey, where are you heading off to?”

“Just heading down to the precinct, the Commissioner and I will be working on finding Alan.”

“Are you now?”

She nodded.

“Applejack! Twilight! Darlings!”

Twilight spun her head to see Rarity and Spike approaching them. “Hi, Spike! Hi, Rarity!” Twilight greeted. “What are you two doing here?”

“Shopping, of course!” Rarity answered.

“Shopping?” she asked, looking around to see a hoofful of run-down, second-hoof stores. “Really?”

“Oh, yes,” Rarity, assured her. “There’s a little store down here I frequent that sells the best Maya blue thread.”

Twilight nodded.

“What about you, dearie?”

“She’s heading to the precinct,” Applejack said.

“Are you?” Rarity asked, before casting a discerning eye against her. “Hm, well you’re not going like that are you?”

Twilight blinked. “What do you mean?”

Rarity shook her head. “Oh, dear. Twilight, I’d thought you’d know better. Come on! Let’s go.”

“Wait, what?” Twilight said, before she was pushed off course.

“Now, Twilight, come now, at the very least, we need to get you a hat to wear.”

“Rarity, I—”

“Best do what she says, Sugarcube,” Applejack said. “She gets hard to resist when she’s like this.”

“Bu-but I have important work to do,” Twilight complained.

“And so do we, Twilight,” Spike said.

“What?” she asked confused.

Rarity quickly dragged her off to the side, down a small alleyway. “Consider this your intervention, dear,” she said, before pushing her against a wall.

Twilight blinked, confused, before her eyes focused onto her friends, all of whom were slowly closing in on her.

Her eyes danced around them, glancing between them crazily as she began to feel like a cornered animal. “What’s going on?”

“Calm down, Twilight,” Soarin said, “we just want to talk.”

She growled, getting ready to pounce. “So talk.”

“Listen, Twilight…” Applejack said. “We don’t think you should be hunting down Al.”

“Yeah!” Pinkie added. “Friends shouldn’t hunt friends.”

Twilight’s posture relaxed. “Is that what this is about?”

“Yes, dear,” Rarity said. “You really shouldn’t be doing this, Twilight.”

“Why not?” she asked.

“Because—”

“Because Alan is not in his right mind?” Twilight finished.

“Well—”

“The fact is, Rarity,” Twilight said, harshly, “is that Alan attacked Princess Celestia.”

“Attacked?” Spike said. “He slapped her, that’s hardly an attack…”

“Yeah, that’s what he did to her, his leader, the one he swore loyalty to. Now what about everypony else?”

There was silence.

“Alan slapped Celestia, and nearly killed me back in the empire. I am his wife, and she is his ruler. Now what’s to stop him from hurting anypony else?”

There was no answer.

Twilight looked around the gathered friends. “The truth is, I cannot trust him. Nopony can. He can turn on anyone at any time, and he can’t really stop himself. Right now, Alan’s little more than a rabid dog, and Fluttershy can tell you what you do with dogs like that, can’t you?”

Eyes turned to her, and she reflexively cringed at the attention. “You’d...um...you put him down…”

“You put him down,” Twilight repeated harshly. “Personally, I think hunting him down to stick him back into a cell is a nice, merciful solution. Now if you’ll excuse me,” she said, pushing her way forward and out of little crowd, “I have a dog to catch.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Celestia needed a break.

She sighed as she read yet another report from the EUPPF concerning Alan’s wearabouts.

So far nothing.

Her Guard would normally be helping them with this case, but right now they were bogged down with so many crime reports they could hardly get moving.

A stray thought popped into her mind that maybe something was going on between the two…

She sighed.

She’d look into it later, right now, she needed to focus.

Alan had escaped, confirming her worst fears.

He had been corrupted. He had been corrupted, and it was her fault. If she had been sterner in her warnings about Dark Magic, then maybe this wouldn’t have happened…

Focus.

With a sigh she had practiced for a thousand years, Celestia set her guilt aside for a moment.

Alan had escaped, and was running around Canterlot somewhere. Her guards were currently indisposed, and the only personnel working on the case were her significantly smaller police force, along with Twilight.

She still wasn’t sure how she felt about that last one.

She sighed again, putting the police report to the side, and put her attention back onto the crime reports.

She really needed a break.

Hm…

Maybe she could schedule a walk with Twilight and her friends...

<<<|Ω|>>>

It was a Friday.

Celestia walked, a smile on her face, next to her favorite ponies.

Twilight and her friends were on her left, Luna and Harmony on her right, along with Shining and Cadence walking behind.. Foals leaving school could be heard laughing, echoing off the mountainside along with the general hustle and bustle of her city.

This was nice.

“Thank you all for coming,” she said, enjoying the shade of her oak trees and the cool breeze that the pegasi had set up.

“It was not a problem, Princess,” Twilight answered, walking close to the Solar sister. “I’m rather glad for the break.”

“We’re happy you’re taking a break, too,” Spike muttered, while Rarity whispered to Cadence.

“It is indeed a wonderful day, sister,” Luna said, as they continued into the garden.

“Quite,” Harmony agreed, before his eyes scanned the garden.

Celestia nodded. “Yes, let’s just take some time to enjoy life. Walk the paths, smell the roses, relax, and let your problems wait until tomorrow.”

Yes...she needed this.

<<<|Ω|>>>

A unicron figure stood on a rooftop overlooking the garden.

He watched them all come in, one by one, into the palace yard.

His eyes locked onto the draconequus.

He frowned, and a silver blade of hard-mana formed next to him.

He slowly followed along the rooftop, singing as he went.

“Glory, glory what a hell of a way to die,

Glory, glory what a hell of a way to die,

Glory, glory what a hell of a way to die,

And he ain’t gonna jump no more…”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Harmony’s head snapped to the roofs, his eyes searching for...something…

“Harmony?” Luna asked. “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, yeah…” he said, turning his attention back to the younger Princess. “Just thought I heard something is all.”

Cadence trotted up to Twilight, eyes narrowed. “Twilight, can I talk to you for a second?”

“Sure! What did you want to talk about?”

“Well, I was just going to ask—” She froze suddenly, staring at Twilight. She blinked, and violently shook her head.

“What? What is it?” Twilight asked.

Cadence blinked. She...she could have sworn Twilight’s eyes looked grey there…

“I...I...wanted to ask you about Al…”

“Sure, what about him?”

Cadence blinked, regarding the unicorn carefully. “I...I wanted to know how you two have been doing?”

“We’ve been doing well,” she said simply.

Cadence nodded, not entirely convinced.

The suddenly clanking of ceramic shingles took the attention of the small herd, as each of their head swiveled to the rooftops opposite them.

“What was that?” Rarity asked, unaware that Harmony was slowly backing away from the far roofs.

Celestia’s eyes narrowed.

“I think—”

A single cry cut her off.

A single, frustrated, pained cry of a single word.

“Justice!”

The ponies turned, and the world seemed to slow.

Alan Williams Goldenhoof had leapt from the rooftops behind them, screaming his battlecry as he fell.

Visible dark spots hung around his eyes, and almost red, bloodshot eyes shone in the noon-day light.

A hard-mana sword floated next to him, held forward in a charge.

And his eyes were locked.

Locked on Harmony.

Harmony stared up at him, eyes wide as Alan fell straight towards him.

Alan charged, his sword glinting and eyes gleaming with fury.

Harmony stared, mouth open.

No one else had moved, their minds still trying to process what they were seeing.

The distance was closing.

And then, Harmony moved.

It was a quick, short action, a simple step to the left.

And that was all it took.

Alan’s blade shattered as it hit the ground, quickly followed by the meaty thud of a body hitting cobblestone.

For a few brief seconds, there was perfect silence in the courtyard.

Followed by a soft voice.

“A-Alan?”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Twilight saw him fall.

She didn’t care.

He was falling too fast.

She didn’t care.

He wasn’t trying to break it.

She didn’t…didn’t....care...

Her eyes widened.

She watched, almost as if it were in slow motion as the mana-sword shattered, followed by Alan’s back bending at an impossible angle.

The grey in her eyes shattered like glass.

A meaty thud echoed in her ears, and she would swear that she heard bones snap.

A-Alan…?

The body sat like that, back bent backwards at that horrifying angle, before it slid down, hitting the floor with a silent shuffle.

She...he…

There was silence in the courtyard for what seemed like an eternity, and in that eternity, all she could think about were her last things she had said to him.

“You’re dangerous Alan. Too dangerous. I can’t trust you, and I’m sorry for not seeing it sooner.”

She...she didn’t mean that…

She...Oh, sweet Celestia…

“Sweet Celestia...what did I do?”

“A-Alan?” she called, slowly gaining the attention of everyone there.

“Al...Alan?” she asked again, stepping forward towards the body.

No one said a thing.

“Alan? Alan?” she said, getting closer as her voice began to sound more worried. “Alan?”

She came up to him, and stared down with wide eyes and an open mouth. His mane was disheveled, and the rings under his eyes spoke of a week of restless nights.

His marriage ring hung from his ear, untouched.

“Alan?” she called, tears forming in her eyes, before carefully reaching out to him with her hooves.

His head careened at a disturbing angle, broken neck.

“Alan?” She whispered, trying to speak past the sob that broke through her throat. “Alan?”

She whimpered as she brought her hooves around his shattered spine, trying to say his name as her voice cracked and whined.

No pulse. No breathing.

Her mouth moved, unable to speak as tears began flow freely.

She began to rock back and forth, holding her ex-hus....her husband as she cried.

Her mouth kept moving, and finally, finally, she managed to whisper one word…

“Sorry…”

There was no life in his bloodshot eyes.

“I’m so sorry…” she whimpered.

And she wept.

<<<|Ω|>>>

The wake lasted three days.

Three days at Twilight’s insistence.

She...she kept hoping that something would happen.

Death coming and bringing him back, Faust coming down, something…

But there was nothing.

Alan just lay there in his coffin for three days, which was far, far too long.

Now…

Now he was to be buried.

That was it…

No final goodbyes, no last words, nothing.

He died and now he was being buried.

The funeral passed by in a blur, all of it, and before she knew it, Alan was being lowered into the ground.

His polished oak coffin was lowered by four golden ropes, one at each corner, by four members of the royal guard. Yet another guard stood nearby, playing “Taps.”

The coffin touched the bottom of the grave, and...and…

“Keep it together, Twilight…”

Not now, she promised herself she’d keep it together…

She choked back a sob, and tried to keep her wet face stoic.

She held Orion close, the poor colt was asleep, having cried the night before.

Everything about this was wrong.

She...she tried so hard to keep it together…

<<<|Ω|>>>

She stared at the fresh earth, along with the new tombstone the Princess had commissioned.

She felt sick looking at it.

It’s cold face displayed his name, birthday, day of his death, along with an epitaph calling him a war hero.

It didn’t do him justice.

The top of the stone had a great rendition of Judgement’s hilt, the blade disappearing into the top of the stone, forming a cross.

It mocked her.

This...this was all her fault…

All her fault…

Her fault.

Tears formed on her face once more, and she felt her legs go weak.

If...if she hadn’t said those things…

If she hadn’t left him…

She sat, before her forelegs gave, making her fall face first into the freshly dug dirt.

She wept.

She wept before Alan’s grave, and did not move from where she lay, turning the soft earth wet with her tears.

“If only I had done better. If only I had been a better wife...”

“T-Twilight?” she heard a familiar voice call. A voice that had comforted her a thousand times before. She sniffed, and looked back towards the source of the voice.

Celestia stood behind her, watching her student with concern. “Twilight, come on, it’s time to go…”

Twilight shook her head. She didn’t want to go.

“Twilight—”

“Just go away…” Twilight said.

Celestia looked like she had been slapped, recoiling at the rejection. She raised a hoof to reach out, but stopped, before slowly, quietly lowering her hoof. She sighed, and lowered her head.

Twilight turned from her, ignoring her teacher in favor of the lonely stone before her.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Hours passed.

Orion had been taken by his aunt and uncle, who couldn’t bear to see the little colt shiver in the cold as his mother stood before the grave.

She was hungry.

She was cold.

She sniffed, unable to cry anymore.

The sun had almost set if it wasn’t already.

She didn’t care.

She just didn’t care…

She wanted to die…

It had taken all of her willpower to keep from throwing herself into the grave and onto the coffin, but once she had, she had no doubt she would have begged to be buried with him right then and there.

“Miss?”

She just wanted to curl up into a ball and die.

“Miss?” A voice called, before a gentle hoof shook her.

She sniffed as she looked up, and the concerned face of a young stallion stared back. His dark grey coat was beginning to blend into the surrounding darkness and his soft, blue eyes bore into her soul. His red and yellow mane acted as a curtain for the latter, coming down across his face as though it were wet. “Miss, I’m sorry, but I’m gonna hafta close up the cemetery soon.”

She sniffed again, and nodded, pushing herself up onto her hooves.

“There ya go, love. On your hooves,” he said, helping her up.

She sniffed as she steadied herself, and the earth pony gave her a soft pat on the back. “That’s it, Miss. You’ll make it, love. You’ll make it.”

Twilight sniffed as she finally found her footing. “No...no I don’t think I will…”

“Oh, don’t talk like that, Miss. Life’ll go on.”

She shook her head, continuing to stare at the grave.

The gravekeeper looked her up and down for a second. “When did you last eat, Miss?”

She didn’t know.

“Come on, Miss. I’ve got some food back at the house. Let ol’ Grim take care of you before I send ya off.”

He led her away, Twilight following almost automatically, through the quiet, serene graveyard, to a small hut tucked off to the side of the cemetery.

Twilight didn’t really remember walking in, but when she regained her senses, she found herself sitting on a small couch, in front of a low table with a simple sandwich sitting in front of her.

“Who’s this, Grim?” she heard a voice from the kitchen. “You actually meetin’ ponies now?”

“Stuff it, Ghastly, she knows the new arrival. Been sittin’ in front of his tomb all day.”

“Ah, so that’s it. I was wonderin’.”

“I didn’t feel right letting her go without give’n her somethin’ to eat.”

“Right, right. I get ya.”

Twilight nudged at the sandwich. Radish, Lettuce, and Tomato. Her favorite…

She slowly lifted it and took a bite, chewing slowly.

The gravekeeper came back in, followed by an identical stallion.

If she were looking, it would have taken her a second to find the one differentiating feature between the two of them. Thier cutie marks. One had a grinning mask, the other a pained one, comedy and tragedy.

“You feelin’ better, Miss?” the tragedy pony asked.

She nodded, never taking her eyes off her food.

Tragedy nodded. “Alright, well, whenever ya come back, come by and be sure to talk with us. Ghastly and I will be hear to listen.”

“Well,” Ghastly, the comedy pony, said, “Grim will be here. I might be out during the day.”

Grim rolled his eyes.

Twilight didn’t really notice. She just stared at her plate and nodded.

Grim sighed, before moving to sit down next to her. He slowly put a hoof on her shoulder and said. “You’ll make it, Miss. You’ll make it.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

“You fool!” Sombra’s furious roar sent Chaos flying back into the wall. “Fffooooooooll!”

Chaos blinked as the room spun wildly, his master’s voice echoing in his mind.

“I needed him alive!”

“M-Master! There is no need for this!” Chaos said, bordering on pleading. “We can simply raise his body!”

“A body cannot be raised twice! This is a law of reality! My power cannot raise him a second time, and this is a rule that not even Faust would break! I needed him alive, you putrescent waste of flesh!”

Chaos winced at the mental attack, before the green-eyed cloud seemed to sigh.

“Be happy, you pathetic peon, that I have a back-up plan.”

“Of course, Master,” Chaos said.

“Blueblood will be less than ideal, but he will suffice.”

Chaos blinked, and held his mouth shut, not daring to tell King Sombra the truth.

“All I must do is reach out to hi—What? Where is he? Where is he?!”

“M-Master…”

Sombra’s voice was quiet and calm. A clever ploy, in all honesty. “What do you know, servant?”

“T-the Prince left Canterlot more than a month ago, your Highness.”

“What?!”

“But-but all is not lost, your Majesty! There is hope! There is hope, yet! There is Celestia.”

“Do you lack a mind as well as a spine?! Celestia is not—”

“I was able to get Luna, your Majesty. With time, Celestia could fall as well…”

There was silence for a moment, as the shadow’s eye narrowed to ponder this offer.

“I will give you one chance, my servant. Be wary, though. If you are discovered, then all is lost. While you do this, I will search for another potential body to take.”

“Of course, your Majesty, of course.”

“Do well, servant, or I will see you thrown to the Abyss.”

Chaos nodded.

The shadow faded away, disappearing from the room, and revealing three unconscious stallions changed to the opposite wall.

“As for you three, your job is about to begin.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

A knock sounded on Twilight’s door.

She looked up from her bed, her mane a mess, and eyes red.

She hadn’t left the room in three days, and only really got up from her bed to take care of Orion or her own basic needs.

She shook her head. She really didn’t want to get up.

The knock sounded again.

“Go away…” she croaked.

“General Sparkle!” an unfamiliar voice said. “I have a message for you! Please!”

Twilight sighed before crawling out of bed. Once she was on her hooves, she took five lethargic steps back towards the door.

Once opened, the door revealed a day that was far too sunny, and far too cheery. In front of that, however, was a lone guard, at full attention. “Ma’am!” he said saluting.

“What is it?” she asked in a deadpan.

The guard held out a hoof. “I received this, as well as a letter a few days ago, Ma’am. It had slipped my mind, Ma’am. It said to deliver it to you as soon as possible, Ma’am.”

Twilight sighed, before looking down at the outstretched hoof.

In it rested a small, golden earring.

Her eyes widened, and she shakily took it from him.

It was her earring.

New tears began to spring to her eyes as she held it up. A sob escaped her, before she took a breath to compose herself. Trying to keep calm, she then raised the little piece of jewelry to her ear, and clasped it shut.

Right where it belonged.

“Th-thank you,” she whispered. “You have no idea, how much this means to me.”

The guard nodded and walked away.

And then Twilight shut the door, and did not open it for a long time.

And there we go, now stayed tuned, guys. Things are about to get—

“You killed Alan! Again!”

*sigh* Yes, yes I did, and I have been waiting to write that for the past two-and-a-half years. Look, there are plans okay.

“So you’re just going to bring him back to life, huh?”

What? No. I’m not bringing a guy back to life twice.

“Then what are you doing?”

Well, my dear Pinkie, there’s a lot more to this world than Alan, and now we get to see how that world has been shaken by him. Trust me, this is going to be interesting.

“It better…”

Alright guys, we’ll see you all next time!

“Be sure to comment!”

Bye!

11-Elanor Rigby

Chapter 11

“Tell me, Luna, what do you see?” Chaos asked. “Do you see him?”

Luna lay on the floor of her room, her eyes staring blankly at the far wall. “I do not see him, his dreamspace is gone.”

“Gone?” Chaos asked, pacing the Princess’ bedroom.

“Completely. There is no Alan Goldenhoof in the land of dreams.”

Chaos cursed. Then he was gone. He was gone, and now he needed to influence Celestia and bring her under his Master’s will.

Taking the Empire of Gryphus would have been easier.

Chaos grumbled, before back to Luna. “Thank you, dear. Now I know for sure.”

“Of course, Harmony,” she said with a smile.

Chaos grimaced.

He turned his back to her, and waved his claw. She began to hum as an unseen lover caressed her, all the while Chaos ignored her, turning to his thoughts. He needed to wear Celestia down. Needed to get under her skin, needed to distract her and tear her mind down. He needed to…

His eyes went back to Luna, who kissed the open air.

There was...that.

He could do that…

He grinned evilly.

Yes, he could do that.

<<<|Ω|>>>

“Where do you think you’re going?!” Twilight heard her voice yell.

“Anywhere but here!” Alan had answered.

“Who are you talking to?”

“Not you, that’s for certain!”

“What are you doing?”

“My job!”

She sat there, on the brink of tears as she heard argument after argument. All those pointless fights they’d had...

She felt sick.

She couldn’t look around the room without seeing something that reminded her of her failures.

Why? Why did she do it?

Why couldn’t she just be happy?

Why did she do that?

She turned from the argument echoing in her head down to her son, continuing to feed him his meal of mashed carrots.

“Who are you going to see tonight, huh?!”

“Why does it matter?!”

“What were you doing out so late?!”

“The same thing I’m always doing!”

“Why won’t you tell me the truth?!”

“I am telling you the truth!”

A soft knock sounded on the door. “Twilight?” Celestia’s voice called. “Twilight are you in?”

“Go away,” she mumbled.

“Twilight?” The princess knocked again. “Twilight can I come in?”

With a glow of her horn, the deadbolt locked shut.

There was silence for a moment or two. “T-Twilight? Twilight, please, it’s been a week. Please come out…”

Twilight said nothing.

“I’ve…” she began. “I told the press that Alan’s death was an accident, he’ll have a little more honor that way...”

She knew that already. She had seen the newspaper. “Pendragon Dead! Deadly Accident Takes Military Leader!”

“Twilight...Twilight will you talk to me? Please?”

She didn’t want to talk.

“Please, Twilight?”

She did not answer.

“Please?” Celestia asked, as she leaned against the other side of the door, tears forming on her face. “Please…” she whispered, knowing it wouldn’t even carry through the door.

She slumped in front of the door. “Please don’t hate me, Twilight…”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Celestia sat in her room, strumming her harp.

It was an ancient thing, almost as old as herself. The strings had been replaced over a hundred times, and the body had to be reinforced once or twice, but it was still her harp, the one she had strummed as a filly.

She strummed it absent-mindedly, listening to the soft, sad notes that floated into the air above her.

Her student had refused her.

She did not want to speak, she did not want comfort. Twilight did not want to see her. “This...this is my fault…”

Yet another mistake.

She plucked the strings with care, letting the music flow through the air.

She had always been good with music, and after a couple of years worth of lessons, had almost mastered the harp. She hardly played though, mostly had been focusing on foreign and domestic affairs.

The last time she had really played was almost one thousand years ago…

She sighed, and hummed along with the tune, unknown words flowing with the song.

She just didn’t…

A knock sounded on her door. “Yes?” she answered simply.

One of her many loyal guards entered, saluting as he passed the threshold. “Your Highness, you have a visitor. His Majesty King Julius Ironblood form the Empire of Gryphus.”

Celestia stopped her playing, and sighed. “I’ll take him in the throne room.”

The guard nodded. “Of course, your Highness,” he said, before backing out of the room.

The Princess stood then, and took a deep breath. She set the harp down leaning it against her stand, and replaced the crown back onto her head.

Once her vestment had been brought back to its home, she began her slow trek to her throneroom.

This had been something she was dreading, truth be told. This had to much potential to go completely...what did Alan call it? FUBAR?

She needed to think about everything that could possibly be said and how to react to each one of them in a favorable way.

She got to her door before covering even half of them.

Entering the room, she quickly saw the griffon standing by off to the side, staring up at one of the many stained glassed windows that decorated the hallway. He wore his crown and golden bracers, along with a rich, flowing cape. He did not turn to face her.

Celestia gave a somber smile. “Greetings, Jul—”

“What happened, Princess?” Julius interrupted, cooly, still not looking at her.

Not a good sign. The Princess’ face went grim. “There was an accident, Julius. He fell.”

“That’s not what I heard,” he replied, anger rising in his voice. The griffon’s head turned to face her, and she could see the barely contained rage behind his eyes.

“What did you hear?” she asked.

He pointed directly at her. “You threw him in prison!”

“He acted out of line,” Celestia said.

“He had diplomatic immunity,” Julius seethed.

Celestia blinked.

“Our shared blood gave him the right to be tried in the Empire, just as much as it sealed our alliance.”

Celestia opened her mouth.

“No!” He roared. “You do not get to condemn my brother to death and then explain yourself away! Whether you want to admit it or not, Princess, The Pendragon is dead because of your actions. It’s your fault he’s dead.

“My people will weep for this! He was our hero as much as he was yours. You took him not only from your people, but from mine! You took him from us, and I want you to know what we would do about it, Princess. I want you to know that if it were not for my brother’s son, for the blood that runs through his veins, I would bring my forces here to burn Canterlot to the ground, no matter how foolish, or how many lives it would cost!”

Silence echoed in the room, Julius’ beak quivering as his claws tried to grip the tile beneath him.

Julius took a long, deep breath, and began to head towards the door. “Excuse me, Great One,” he said, pushing past the alicorn, “I must go and pay my respects. Creator knows he deserved more.”

As the griffon king stormed out of the room, Celestia said nothing.

She had nothing to say.

He was right.

Right at every turn.

The door slammed shut.

<<<|Ω|>>>

“Twilight?” Rarity said, speaking through the door. “Twilight, Darling, could you let us in?”

Rarity and the other mares all surrounded the door, knocking and waiting for their friend to respond.

“Twilight, dear, could you at least open the door?”

There was no answer.

“Twilight, please?” Rarity said again, while Rainbow began to fidget.

Still no answer.

“That’s it,” Applejack said, before shoving her way forward. Her hoof slammed against the door. “Twilight, either let us in, or come on out!”

“Applejack!” Rarity said. “Tact! It does, in fact, exist!”

“This ain’t healthy, Twi!” Applejack yelled through the door. “Now let us in, or we’re coming in!”

“Applejack!” Rarity cried, shocked at the farmpony’s outburst.

“What?” she said, turning back to the unicorn. “You’d rather she’d just sit in there are waste away?”

“Yeah, Rarity! What’s the deal?” Rainbow Dash said, hovering above them.

“Her husband is dead! This situation requires a delicate, sympathetic touch!”

“I-I agree with Rarity…” Fluttershy added quietly.

“She can’t stay in there!” Rainbow Dash said.

“I never said that,” the unicorn replied. “I simply think we should be a little more gentle with the matter!”

“We’ve been gentle!” Applejack said. “It’s nearly been two weeks, now! The Princess has tried, her brother has tried, we even got her parents down here, and they couldn’t help. Nopony’s helpin’ by being gentle, so Ah’m done with it.” She then reeled back, and slammed her back legs into the door with a powerful buck.

The door shook, but did not give.

“Applejack! You can’t just break down a door! Especially one that goes to the Palace’s guest rooms!”

“Course not,” she said, winding back for another buck, “it’s gonna take some work.”

Rarity pushed the farmpony, throwing her off kilter and forcing her to abandon her kick and recover. “Applejack, you’re not helping anypony!”

“Well at least Ah’m doing something!”

“Something? Yes. Anything good? No. Now stop it before you make everything worse!”

“Ah’m making things worse?” Applejack asked. “Ah’m going to get her outta that room, one way or another. All you’d do is talk until she starves in there!”

“I am trying to be delicate!”

“And Ah’ trying to get results!”

Pinkie suddenly stepped between them, breaking up the argument. “If you wanted to get inside, why didn’t you try the knob?” she asked, before quickly turning the doorknob.

The door opened without protest or complaint.

“It...it wasn’t locked?” Rarity asked, dumbfounded as Pinkie leapt into the dark room.

Applejack said nothing, but did adjust her hat to partially hide her face.

Rainbow flew into the room, checking things out behind Pinkie. “Um...guys? She’s not here.”

“Oh, dear,” Fluttershy said as she entered the room, followed by the farmer and dressmaker.

The room was empty, nothing being left behind to even hint at someone having lived in it. The bathroom was clean, Orion’s crib was gone, and the bed was perfectly made.

All of this made the letter that had been taped to the mirror all the more obvious.

Rarity approached it, taking it off the mirror with her telekinetic grasp. “To whom it may concern,” she read aloud. “If you have come to find me, I can tell you now that it was a wasted effort. Orion and I have gone home. I simply cannot stay here anymore. There are too many bad memories in these walls, too much guilt, and far too many distractions. I...I’m lonely right now, but even still, I need to be alone.”

“How does that even make sense?” Pinkie asked.

Rainbow Dash shushed her.

Once silence had returned, Rarity continued to read. “I’ve gone back home, maybe happy memories will help me more than the ones I have here. Let my friends know, I’m sure they’d want to try and comfort me…

“I just don’t know what to do.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Twilight walked through Ponyville’s streets, alone.

Almost alone.

Orion sat in her saddlebags, sucking on a bottle of milk, hungry and worried about his mother’s pain.

It was dark out, having taken the long train home, and hardly anyone was out right now, but nopony really stopped to speak to her.

She and her son were alone.

She came up slowly to the familiar tree that had been her home for so long…

Their home.

She came up to the door, slowly, stepping up to its familiar steps. She took a moment to look around, remember their time together. She then carefully reached for the knob of the door, only for it to swing open on its own.

Blinded by the light inside the library, she blinked, before two different ponies came into view. The first, a pale yellow unicorn mare with a white mane, the other, a red pegasus stallion with a yellow mane.

Daisy Chain and Dawn Flame stared at her as she returned.

Blinking, Twilight regained her composure. “H-hello Mrs Chain, Mr. Flame.”

The two shared a quick look.

“Th-” Twilight continued, her voice sounding dead to the world, “thank you for taking care of the library while we...while we were—”

The mare wrapped her in a hug. “I’m sorry, Dear. I’m so sorry…”

Dawn came up, and hugged her from the other side.

And then Twilight began to sob.

“I’m so sorry, Twilight…”

Tears began to flow freely once more.

“I’m so, so sorry.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Twilight Sparkle woke up in a bed that was too cold, too big, and too empty.

She lay on her side of the bed, staring at the far wall, wishing that the two powerful arms she knew so well would hold her.

Nothing did.

Finally, she rolled out of bed, and sighed. She had to open up the library, get it running again. Who knows? Maybe running it will distract her from her thoughts of Alan.

The smell of coffee wafted up to her nose.

“That’s...odd...I’m sure I saw Daisy and Dawn head home last night, they couldn’t have come back already, could they?”

She checked the clock, 6:32. A little early for her, but still…

Somepony was in her house.

Two completely different thoughts suddenly jumped into her head.

The first was worry. Who was he/she? How did they get in? What were they doing in the kitchen? Was Orion okay?

The second thought went something like this: Maybe...just maybe all of this was a dream, and Alan is simply making coffee for us.

The second pushed itself forward, and Twilight felt her heart flutter at the possibility.

She began to head down the stairs, sneaking carefully down the way, ears perked, and hearting beating at a mile a minute.

As she turned the corner, though, her heart fell.

Spike stood in the kitchen, cooking away.

“He was probably worried about me,” she thought. “It’s very sweet of him to come back. It’s just not...”

She didn’t even finish the thought. It was a silly hope, anyways…

“G-good morning, Spike,” she said, her voice sounding far too loud in her ears.

Spike spun, catching sight of her before quickly returning to the eggs he was cooking. “Good morning, Twilight,” He said, before sending a quick gout of flame over the frying pan. “Two eggs, cooked through; coffee, cream, two sugars; toast, lightly buttered on one side; and one apple juice chaser,” he recited, sliding her breakfast onto a plate and setting it on the table.

Twilight blinked, and came down to the table, a small smile growing on her face.

“I’ve prepared some new books that arrived while you were gone, Dawn and Daisy didn’t want to mess with your system, and after that, I’ve gotten some light reading ready for you.”

Twilight gave the drake a smile, perhaps the first smile she had had since Alan’s death. “Thanks, Spike.”

The dragon smiled. “Hey, I’m your Number One Assistant. It’s my job,” he said with a shrug.

Twilight nodded, and ate.

At least she had Spike.

<<<|Ω|>>>

It was dark.

It was dark and she couldn’t see.

She was running.

Something was coming after her.

She ran, ran as fast as she could.

Whatever was chasing her was still coming.

She didn’t know where she was going. Couldn’t see.

It was getting closer.

She needed to get away.

She ran until a large boulder, the only thing she could see, got in her way.

She couldn’t get over the rock. She couldn’t go forward.

She needed to keep going.

The thing was getting closer.

She had to go, had to go.

The sound of a loud hoofstep echoed in darkness, and she looked up to see a massive hoof having stomped onto the rock.

She followed the hoof, up the leg, and saw with wide eyes a silver, ethereal stallion. The heavily armor unicorn said nothing, his face covered completely by a large chamfron, revealing only two white, glowing orbs that served as eyes. His flanks and back were covered completely by plates of ephemeral metal, and his ghostly body faded in and out of sight.

Twilight gaped as she stared up at the silver stallion, his mane blowing in a non-existent wind.

The something was getting closer, Twilight could feel it. She turned, looking back into the darkness, as the thing got closer.

The Silver Stallion growled behind her.

She looked up, and watched as he pounced, flying ahead of her, wielding a ghostly sword.

The stallion and sword disappeared into the darkness.

And then she was alone.

And that was more terrifying than anything else.

<<<|Ω|>>>

“Ah!” Twilight yelped as her head jumped up from the book she had been using as a pillow. The library was dark and quiet, the moon was shining outside.

She checked the clock. 5 am.

“Wow...must’ve fallen asleep at my books.”

It had been a long time since that had happened.

Alan normally...got her…

She sighed, before closing up her book. She left it on one of her podiums and was about to head upstairs when something caught her eye as she passed by the window. A white figure standing alone in the streets, and on the figure’s hooves was the glint of gold.

It couldn’t be.

She looked out on the street again, watching the white figure in the darkness.

It...it couldn’t be…

She descended the stairs, moving towards one of the front windows. The figure moved from house to house, moving down the street, and its hooves were definitely glinting with gold.

There was no way.

“A-Alan?” the name came to her throat so easily.

It had to be.

She opened the door. “Alan?”

The figure did not hear her.

“Alan?” she called again, stepping closer.

Still no answer.

She began to run. “Alan?!” she called, and this time the figure turned to see her, wings spreading out in surprise.

Wings?

“Woah! Woah! Calm down, ma’am!”

Twilight paused at the obviously feminine voice. “H-hello?” she called, lighting her horn and bathing the empty street in a cool, purple light.

A beige pegasus mare stood opposite her, wearing a white coat with gold cufflinks. A pair of goggle sat under her muzzle, and her short-cut blue tail shone in the light. “Um...Hello?” she said, uncertain of Twilight’s sudden change in demeanor.

“I...who are you?” Twilight asked.

“I’m the new milkmare. What about you? Neighborhood watch or something?”

Twilight blinked, and sighed. “No...sorry. Just thought you were...somepony else.”

The milkmare just blinked, before sighing. “It’s...it’s alright, I guess...but you need to be careful miss, nearly gave me a heart attack.”

Twilight nodded, mumbled an apology, and began to head back home.

The milkmare sighed, and watched her go. “Nice meeting you too!” she said, sounding annoyed, before her face turned sad. She shook her head, picked up her crate, and continued on her way.

<<<|Ω|>>>

As Twilight closed the door to the library behind her, she gave yet another sigh.

Here she stood, in her big, lonely house.

She stood and stared at the center room, her eyes falling to the fireplace, where the two of them would read by fire light, and nuzzle each other.

She turned from that to the kitchen, where Alan had cooked her breakfast every day since the day they had been married, and how he had basically carried her everywhere across the room when she was pregnant with Orion.

Away from the kitchen, to her loft. So much time together had been spent up there.

She sighed.

At least the memories were better here...

<<<|Ω|>>>

A knock sounded on the door, and Spike was quick to answer it. Twilight didn’t really notice, though, trying to bury herself in her books to keep her mind off of…

That…

She turned the page, re-re-re-reading one of the Daring Do books, something light and easy for her to get through.

“Um, Twilight…”

Her ears perked at Spike’s voice, and she hesitantly put the book down, and was surprised to see Shining and his three friends from high school at the door.

“Hey, Twily!” Shining said, an awkward smile on her face. “We’re-we’re here for the game.”

Twilight blinked, before anger began to seep into her voice. “Shining—”

“Please, Twilight, just...just let us do our thing, please…”

Twilight stared at him for a long moment, before she turned away, leaving the four stallions. “Fine,” she muttered.

Finally having permission, 8-Bit, Gaffer, and Poindexter quickly went to work, setting up the table, mat, character sheets, and screen while Shining set up the seats.

Five seats, four of which filled.

Five bottles of apple-ale, five sheets, and five piles of dice.

One empty spot.

They all sat there, in silence,staring at the empty seat.

No one said a word.

Finally, Shining stood, hefting his bottle. “To...to the best Paladin I ever knew.”

8-bit followed. “To the stallion that picked my squishy sorcerer flank out of a dragon’s mouth.”

Poindexter stood next. “To the only Paladin I ever knew who didn’t get on my case for picking a lock.”

Gaffer stood last, raising his own bottle. “To the player that apologized when he broke my game.”

“May they sing of you in Valhalla,” 8-bit said.

“May they cower when they whisper about you in Hell,” Poindexter recited.

“And may the praise your works in Paradise,” Shining finished.

“Hail!” they said in unison, clinking their bottles together before taking a long drink.

Twilight heard it all, and could not help but weep.

He deserved better than that...

<<<|Ω|>>>

Canterlot City sat still and quiet under the moonlight. Not a word was spoken, not a pony stirred.

Well, almost.

A black-spotted, white unicorn stood, staring over the cityscape, a twenty-sided dice spun in the glow of bone-white magick.

Behind him, sat perhaps the most complicated map of the city anypony had ever seen. Red lines broke the city up into crazy, random shapes, while a dozen pipes and tubes hung above it, all with a single chute peaking the top.

“So what’s the word, Boss?” an earth pony said, walking into the map room.

“19, triangle, south-east side,” he said, before turning to face the newcomer. “There’s a jewelry store there, we should get a decent haul.”

“A 19?” the earth pony whistled. “We’re going to clean them out.”

The unicorn smiled. “That and much, much more…”

And there we go, the world’s about to be lit on fire.

“Not impressing me, yet!”

Cause I haven’t gotten to the impressive part yet, Pinkie!

“I guess I’ll wait for now…”

Of course you will, you literally cannot-not read the story as I write it out, word by word.

“Oh yeah? Watch me!”

*sigh* Okay, so while she does that, the rest of you, will like to know that by this time next chapter, you are going to have many more, very interesting questions for me, all of which I will only answer in the most vague way possible.

“We’ll see you next time!”

Bye!

“Dang it! I read that!”

12-Apophenia

Chapter 12

It was late.

Late enough that some would consider it early.

Some, in this case, including the dark grey pegasus that had gotten up for a 4 am heist.

This certain pegasus gave a short string of curses before muttering. “It too bucking early to get up.”

“Hush,” the blue unicorn next to him said. “We’re about to start.”

“Yeah, yeah…”

The unicorn and pegasus quickly cut across the street, hidden by the darkness of a Canterlot night. They were silent as they moved, before coming up to a single building on the corner of 14th and Gemstone. The store, a little jewelry shop called Crystal and Quartz, specialized in replacing gems and watch glasses, and was filled to the brim with small diamonds, gold, silver, quartz glass, and a dozen other items that could be sold for a decent amount of money.

The unicorn and pegasus both slid up to the door, before the unicorn’s horn began to glow.

The glow faded, and he spoke quietly. “Alright, Blackjack and Live Wire are in position.”

“So we break the window open?”

“No!” the unicorn hissed. “Live’ll open the door for us once they’ve got the shopkeepers tied up! Weren’t you listening?”

“It’s too early, man.”

The unicorn rolled his eyes.

They waited a moment, listening to the silence of the early morning. It didn’t take long before the two heard the sounds of a quick struggle, before the silence then returned.

The door popped open and a green unicorn stood on the other side, smiling. “Knocker, Getaway,” he greeted. “Glad you could join us.”

Getaway, the tired pegasus, yawned, and pushed his way into the room. “Shut up, Live.”

Live Wire grimaced, before stepping aside for Knocker. “Get in here.”

Knocker came in, and was then met with the sight of the Shop owners, Crystal Glass and Quartz Gear, bound, gagged and being held by the group bruiser, Blackjack.

Blackjack was a massive pony, his shoulders were as wide as two lesser ponies across, and his hooves were easily as large as Quartz’s head. The blackjack club on his flank said just about everything that needed to be said about their muscular wrecking ball of a pony.

“So where’s the boss?” Knocker asked, shouldering his club.

“Upstairs,” Blackjack answered. “He’s doing the last bit of the math.”

“Math-smash,” Getaway muttered. “Let’s just take it all. It’s easier that way.”

“That is not how we do things here, Mr. Getaway,” a soft, powerful voice echoed in the small shop.

Getaway’s eyes went wide as every head turned to the figure on the stairs.

A white, black-spotted unicorn stallion stood at the top of the stairs. A large book sat in his telekinetic grasp, his eyes never leaving the pages as he descended, step by step.

This new unicorn filled the room, up to the point where he seemed taller than Blackjack. His neatly pressed tuxedo jacket fit a little snugly, making him appear tall and lanky. His bright red tie appearing to be a trail of blood from his throat in the darkness. His face was long, with sunken eyes that glinted in any light they could find, making him seem cold and calculating. However, the most horrifying part of him was the matching scars that ran along his flanks, utterly destroying his cutie mark. He reminded Quartz Gear of a hundred different nightmares.

He did not say a word as he came forward, walking past the counter and register, before coming to a stop. His body faced away from almost every pony in the room, facing only the bound couple and his muscle. Finally, he lifted his eyes from the pages, and he turned his head to face Getaway, slapping the book shut as he did.

“We do things different, Mr. Getaway,” he said, his soft voice ringing in the ears of the gathered. “You follow my rules, and I follow fate’s rules. You agreed to do things my way, you sighed your life on it.” He opened his tuxedo jacket and pulled out three different knives. “Now, you do what I say, or I collect, Mr. Getaway. Do we understand each other?”

Getaway nodded.

The boss smiled, and one of the three knives slid back into his jacket. “Good,” he said, “you are to take seven thousand bits from the register, and fifteen items of varying worth each. Nothing more, and nothing less. Now… as for you two,” he said before turning to the bound ponies in the room. “Good morning, Mr. Quartz, Mrs Crystal, allow me to introduce myself.” The knives went under both their throats, and Crystal Glass whimpered as she felt the cold steel touch her. “My name is Mr. Domino, and I am an agent of fate.

“Fate decreed that this morning, myself and my colleagues would come in, and take all but five percent of your livelihood. Likewise, fate decreed that you two would be easy enough prey for us, and we would be having this conversation.”

Mr. Domino smiled. “Just think of how lucky you are for a moment. You had a five percent chance of my die landing on a nineteen, and only a 0.19% chance of it landing in your neighborhood. Very, very lucky indeed.” he pulled out the black d20 from his pocket. “Let’s see if your luck holds out, shall we?”

“On a two through ten,” Mr. Domino said, “I kill you, Mr. Quartz.”

Silence suddenly fell on the group of thieves, and they all stared at their boss with wide eyes and shocked expressions.

“On an eleven through nineteen, I kill your lovely wife,” he continued without missing a beat. “On a twenty, I kill you both. Then, if you are lucky, and it lands on a one, you both get to live. A ninety percent chance one of two of you dies, five that both of you die, and five where you both live. Sound fair?”

Quartz gave a feeble whine.

“Good,” Mr. Domino said, before throwing the die into the air.

Almost every pair of eyes locked onto the die as it soared through the air. Almost every pair but the grey eyes of Mr. Domino.

Clack! Clack, clack! Clack…

Mr. Domino looked down at the die that now lay on the hardwood floor.

He smiled. “Seems like you have someone looking out for you, Mr. Quartz,” he said, scooping up the black die, and pocketing it. “Very, very lucky indeed.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

She was dreaming.

She knew that, but it didn’t change how much she didn’t want to see this.

“Glory, glory what a hell of a way to die,

Glory, glory what a hell of a way to die!

Glory, glory what a hell of a way to die,

And he ain’t gonna jump no more!”

She was paralyzed, unable to move or speak as she watched Alan weave a rope through the branches of an old tree.

He kept singing that same song, the same verse, over and over again as he threaded the rope around.

The noose always in sight.

“Glory, glory what a hell of a way to die,

Glory, glory what a hell of a way to die!

Glory, glory what a hell of a way to die,

And he ain’t gonna jump no more!”

She didn’t want this.

She didn’t want to see this.

She just wanted all of this to stop.

He tied the rope off at one end, wrapping around the trunk multiple times, before walking up to the noose, and draping it around his neck.

“Glory, glory what a hell of a way to die,

Glory, glory what a hell of a way to die!

Glory, glory what a hell of a way to die,

And it is all your fault!”

The rope went taut.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Chaos paced his room.

It was a rather impressive thing, a large, round room with wooden floors and stone walls. Tapestries of ages long past hung along the walls, and a massive four poster bed sat empty to the side.

Chaos kept pacing, walking around the large carpet in the middle of the room.

Beneath it…

Beneath it, hidden under the floorboards was a sword.

The sword.

Celestia had taken it to the royal vault, and Chaos had removed it from there.

Harmony believed it would end them both, and if that was the case, then he could not risk it.

His hands still burned from holding the blade.

He paced around the rug that covered the weakened floor, not daring to get too close.

He kept telling himself there was nothing to worry about, no one was onto their plans. Everything was going to work out.

It was working out already.

Celestia was already being affected by Twilight’s supposed rejection of her, along with the rising crime that was beginning to take her city. The background crime, along with his own agents, would certainly help, and, along with his masterstroke, her fall would be guaranteed.

It was all going to work out.

Chaos paced out towards the balcony, trying to forget the sword that pulsated pain, and stared out towards the cityscape.

Some carnal part of him enjoyed watching the city, his new realm when his master ruled the earth.

It was such a simple pleasure, he had even come up with a little poem to go with it.

“Prepare my Court, little ponies,

Know that I’m watching all the time,

Ruling Canterlot behind the veil,

Behind every crook and crime.

I see you at your hearth,

I see you at your bed,

Bow down to me, my subjects,

Or prepare to lose your head.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Twilight moved around the library, slowly but surely replacing the books to their proper homes on the shelves.

On a good day, she could sort up to ten books at a time, today, though, she gladly settled for one book.

It was mindless, busybody work. She kept pausing as she worked, naming the books title by title as she put them up, just to keep her mind off things.

“How’s it coming, Twilight?” Spike asked, carrying a stack of newspapers and magazines.

“Alright,” she said half-heartedly.

Spike nodded. “Gotcha. Here’s the new newspapers and magazines for the archives, I’ve already got them organized, so they’re all ready to go.”

“Thank you, Spike,” she said.

The dragon set the stack down on the table before turning to stare up at his surrogate mother. “Hey, Twi?”

Twilight looked up from the books. “Yes?”

“Could you...will...will you be alright for a little bit?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well,” the dragon began, before fiddling with his claws. “I...you’re family, Twi, and while I’d like to...well...I want to make sure you’re okay, but…”

He sighed.

“Look, Twilight, will you be alright while I go see Rarity?”

The purple unicorn’s eyes widened in realization.

The poor boy had not left the library, he had been here the entire time, and as a result, was not spending time with the one he loved.

He was staying for her.

“Oh, Spike…”

“Now, hang on,” Spike said. “I can stay, don’t-don’t try to convince me to go if you can’t take it, I don’t want—”

“Spike…” Twilight began.

“—you doing more than you can handle right now, if you—”

“Spike,” she said again, stepping off the little step ladder and walking towards him.

“—don’t want to be alone, I can do that. It’s no big deal, really!”

A strong, magical grasp shut down around his snout, while yet another picked him up. “Spike. I understand. You can take the rest of the day off.”

“Ar you sureff?” Spike asked through the pressure on his mouth.

She gave him a smile. “Just get out there.”

And with that, she lifted him up and out of the doorway, and into the Ponyville streets.

As she released him, he was quick to get back to his feet. “Are you sure?”

“Yes!” She said, holding back a laugh, her first real laugh since Alan had died.

“Are you really sure?” Spike asked.

Twilight shook her head and closed the door, leaving herself in the library alone.

Almost alone, Orion was having a nap upstairs.

Still…

“No,” she said aloud to herself. “No, I’m not going to think about it. I’m not lonely, I am just alone right now. I will be fine.”

She moved back to the last stack of books, and quickly shelved them all by habit. “Just don’t think about it.”

And then suddenly she found herself without a distraction.

Her eyes quickly scanned the room, looking for something, any mindless, mundane, brain-killing—

Her eyes fell onto the tabloids in the pile Spike had brought in.

Perfect!

She snatched up a paper, and quickly read the headline. “Celestia Pregnant? Find Out Who the Father is!”

Maybe not that mind-numbing…

Sighing, she set that one particular issue aside, when another headline caught her eye.

“Ghost Sighted Near Cloudsdale!” Read the title, but once she saw the picture, it had her undivided attention.

The silver stallion from her dreams stared back at her, and next to him floated a perfect, hard-mana copy of Judgement.

She blinked, before reading the article. “Tuesday evening, the ghost known as the Armored Stallion was sighted again, this time near Cloudsdale. A local farmer claims that the ghost walked by his house early in the morning, seeming to be heading for Trottingham. He further claims that, as a serving member of the army, he recognized the figure, voice, and weapon of the ghost as having belonged to the late Pendragon. However, this theory is simply hearsay at this point...”

“Wait. Again?” Twilight asked again before searching more of the tabloids.

More headlines began to pop up. “Ghost Seen in Canterlot City!”

“Specter Spotted Along Southern Canterlot Line!”

“Apparition Appears in Ponyville!”

“Ponyville?” she asked, surprise.

She read closer, her mind skipping over the words as she read. “Sighted Thursdays...came across Main Street...stopped by library...witness says...knowledged of town...other witnesses claimed...nothing…”

She cocked her head in confusion.

Conflicting reports? Why? Nopony in Ponyville suffered from hallucinations to best of her knowledge, there shouldn’t be any actual conflicting accounts. You either saw something or you didn’t.

Unless it was a fake story.

But...but it couldn’t be.

Unless Luna sold the perfect description of the Silver Stallion to the newspaper from her dream, then they would not have been able to take that photo. But that seemed unlikely for her...

The photo had to be real. The positive account had to be real as well. This meant…

This meant that someone was lying.

Her eyes narrowed, before she quickly gathered up the newspapers.

This needed more research.

“Are you really going to believe in a ghost story, Twilight?” she thought to herself.

Of course not. Ghosts don’t exist.

“Then what do you believe?” her conscious asked as she began to descend into the basement.

She believed something impossible.

She believed that Alan was alive.

<<<|Ω|>>>

He was alive.

He had to be alive.

He was alive.

He had to be alive.

He was alive.

He had to be alive.

She repeated the mantra in her head over and over again as she continued to work on her conspiracy theorist's dream board.

All of the tabloid clippings were pinned to the corkboard in her basement, along with pictures of all of the witness of the accounts, as well as a little bio she had certainly not gotten from the Canterlot Police Station through less-than-lawful means...

This board was weeks in the making, perfectly complete and perfectly secret.

No one knew about this board, what with its red yarn plotting out the chronological order of the Silver Stallion sightings and photographs of the places he had been.

No one could know about the board.

Spike had been so happy to see Twilight leave the house, finding out that she had ulterior motives for her cross-country train rides would not impress him.

She was so close.

He was alive.

He had to be alive.

He was alive.

He had to be alive.

It had all come down to the Milkmare. Who was she? Where did she come from? What was the purpose of the goggles?

Twilight sat back on her flank, just she could get the scope of her entire plan.

Yes...yes.

It was all becoming perfectly clear.

She had gone completely bonkers.

She sighed, collapsing on herself as her accusatory thoughts echoed through her mind. She had just gone completely insane, and she knew it.

Alan was dead, she knew it.

Even if the ghost was real, Alan didn’t have the magical ability to create a translucency spell.

That could only mean…

She stared up at the board once more, and her eyes wandered over to the corner of the board, where a little note had been pinned.

It read a single sentence, a definition she had put up as a reminder.

“Apophenia: the experience of seeing patterns or connections in random or meaningless data.”

The word just seemed to pick at her.

She was crazy and she knew it.

She needed to remember that this...all of this was stupid.

Her lip quivered.

The board suddenly flew backwards, captured in her magical grasp as she bashed away at her work in anger.

It was stupid!

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

He was dead!

Dead! Dead! Dead!

Pins flew out of the board, papers scattered, and yarn whipped around crazily as she slammed into the board again and again.

It was just so...stupid.

She sighed, and slowly gathered the board, papers, and pins. She set the board back up, and slowly began to replace the map, articles, pins and yarn.

She needed the board.

It was the only thing that kept her sane, really. She smirked at the irony of it, going insane kept her lucid. Kept the nightmares away.

Didn’t Alan’s iPod sing something about that?

That stupid little thing had been giving random bursts of song for a while now, it was probably broken.

But it used to be his…

She finished putting the board back together, and took a step back.

No.

No more today.

With that ultimatum floating in her head, she left the board behind to head back upstairs where the normal ponies lived.

As she entered the main room of the library, her eyes quickly scanned the room.

Every wall, every shelf, every book reminded her of him. Every reminder only served to skewer her heart further as the thought of having been responsible for his death haunted her. There was nowhere in this house she could look for comfort.

What...

She couldn’t be here…

She couldn’t take living in her house anymore.

It...everywhere she looked she saw Alan, and whenever she saw Alan, she saw him fall.

And whenever she saw him fall, she heard her voice. Her screeching voice telling him that loving him was a mistake.

She needed to get away.

She needed to leave so bad.

A knock sounded on her door.

“Spike!” she called.

She didn’t get an answer.

Sighing, she turned to the door, and opened it. “Yes can I hel—”

Her question was cut off as two, lithe white, furry arms grab. “Oh, sweetie! I’m so sorry! I couldn’t even imagine!”

Blinking wildly as her personal space was suddenly violated, and sputtering as an unfamiliar mane was shoved into her muzzle, Twilight found herself in an overly tight hug.

“Fleur!” the shocked voice of a startled stallion cried behind her.

“Oh, just look at her, Fancy! She’s absolutely beside herself!”

“Fleur…” Fancy Pants said, as he began to pry the mares away from each other.

Fleur De Lis was very hesitant in letting the librarian go, however, once she had, Twilight began gulping down air like she had never breathed before.

“Forgive my wife,” Fancy Pants apologized, “she’s been absolutely frantic with concern for you after hearing the news.”

“It is perfectly horrible!” Fleur explained. “He was so young! To be taken in such a tragic accident! Oh, I can’t imagine your pain, Mrs. Sparkle.”

Something poked at her when she heard the word accident. Nonetheless, Twilight nodded.

“Fleur, please,” Fancy said. “Mrs. Sparkle...I...we come here with an offer for you.”

Twilight looked up at him.

“We are not aware of your current financial situation, and it is not my business to know. However, in any case, we would like to offer you a place in our home.”

“I insist!” Fleur said simply. “After you helped Fancy get his new position, it’s the least we can do.”

Twilight blinked, before taking a long look at the bookshelves around her.

The haunting memories of her husband stared back at her.

She looked back at the pair of ponies in front of her.

“Th-thank you…” she said. “I’d...I’d appreciate it.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Mr. Domino smiled.

It had taken almost a month, but finally, finally, he rolled a twenty. He stood before the stallion who ran the now empty store, and smiled as he lifted his knife. “You’re all alone…”

The stallion, a pegasus who was scared stiff, stared up at Mr. Dominio with wide, fearful eyes.

He lifted the d20 into sight. “Ever seen one of these? Most ponies haven’t.”

Blackjack stood behind the stallion, watching him with a smirk.

“I’ll tell you what, Mr. Lightning. If I roll a 20 for you, you get to live. If I roll a two through nineteen, I kill you. On a one, I kill you and your entire family. 5% you’ll live, 90% you die, and 5% that everything you love is destroyed. Sound fair?”

Gold Lightning did not answer.

Mr. Dominio rolled.

All eyes fell on the die as it bounced.

Clack! Clack, clack! Clack…

And then it went still.

“Ooh…” Mr. Dominio said with a smirk. “How...unlucky…”

And done! Sorry this took a while, guys been working on stuff around the house and for classes. You know the drill.

“So what’s the story, huh? Why do you keep moving Twilight around? What’s the deal with the ghost? What are all these notes on your desk that say operation rev—”

And that’s enough out of you.

“But the people need to know!”

Where’d you get that camera and press badge?

“You can’t silence the First Amendment! Or is it the second?”

Pinkie...just...just let me write my story, please?

“Fine! But I’m watching you.”

Forever?

“For-EV-eeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrr…”

Right.

Anyways, next time, Twilight moves to the Pants house, a meeting with a certain stallion, and a new hero makes the scene!

“We’ll see you all next time!”

Bye!

13-Chaos

Chapter 13

Celestia’s weary, red-rimmed eyes glanced between her papers. Chief among them was the newspaper with the headline to end all headlines.

A single word, one that had rocked the princess to her very core.

“Murder!”

Not in two thousand years had she seen this word.

Yet there it stood, plain as day.

What made it worse, though, had to be the stallion responsible for it.

Mr. Domino, as he called himself, had been kind enough to leave a photo at the scene of his crime, taking pride in the fact that he simply took an innocent pony's life.

Every part of her but one wanted to go out and hunt him down. To find him, utterly destroy him, and scatter his ashes to the four winds.

The remaining part reminded her that there was a judicial system, and circumventing it was only going to be the first step in a short march to become Tyrant Celestia, Queen of Evil.

Besides...last time she denied a pony trial, he wound up throwing himself from the top of a building.

She shook her head, and tried to refocus. This had not been the first time Mr. Domino had appeared. There had been, apparently, a sighting of him before hand. He had robbed two jewelers three weeks before, and he had given them everything. Name, face, intent. It was all there, and once the report had gone to the police, it had stayed with them.

Her police force had done nothing. Not even when this snake of a stallion had challenged her outright.

That was what this was. A challenge. He was telling her he could do whatever he wanted, and there was nothing that not even she could do.

She despised him for it.

Something needed to be done about him, and soon. There was no telling how many lives he would take, or how many others would—

“Sister?”

Celestia’s red, weary eyes glance up at her doorway, where Princess Luna stood.

“Sister, it is morning.”

Celestia blinked, and checked her western window, where the top of the moon stared back at her from over the horizon.

Already? It felt like she had just sat down…

Sighing, she stood. “Yes, of course, but a moment,” she said as her horn began to glow, her magic falling through the motions that she had gone through millions of times. The sun quickly rose, taking it’s place in the sky, before Celestia went back to her papers.

There was silence for a moment. “Sister...can I speak with you?”

Celestia looked back up from her papers, staring at Luna like a deer in the headlights. Finally, she blinked again, and her sister’s words finally registered. “Of course, of course,” she said, pushing the pile of reports and newspapers to the side. “What’s the matter, Lu?”

Luna hesitated a moment, before she straightened her back and spoke. “I want to abolish Nightmare Night.”

Celestia blinked. “We’ve been through this, Lu. You did this once before, and Alan and Twilight took you around and showed you that it was merely a good time.”

"To them yes,” Luna agreed. “I understand that their Nightmare Moon is but a caricature they project their fears onto before making her a harmless, candy-eating spook, but...but the fact remains, Sister, that it is a holiday to celebrate Nightmare Moon.”

“It’s fun, Luna,” Celestia said, “it’s nothing to be afraid of, just an excuse for ponies to scare each other.”

“And yet it continues to glorify an absolute villain,” Luna noted.

“Lulu,” Celestia said with an admonishing tone. “It’s not like that.”

“It matters not!” Luna said, getting louder. “The intent may have been forgotten, yet it is still there! It is a celebration of my greatest failure!”

“Luna, it’s not that.”

“It is!”

“Luna!”

“Perhaps I should enact a holiday that celebrates the Pendragon’s death?!”

There was no rebuttal.

Celestia stared at her sister, eyes wide.

Luna’s body was tense, wings flared in anger as her legs got ready to pounce.

And her eyes…

Celestia had seen that glint in her eyes before.

Seeing it again nearly ruined her.

And then Luna blinked, she let her body relax, and her face became sorrowful as the glint in her eyes vanished. “I’m-I’m sorry, Tia, it’s just…” she paused. “It’s just that it’s a monument to my greatest failure, and they celebrate it. I...nopony else here knows what that’s like to have your greatest failure continually thrown back into your face…”

Celestia stood, and took a careful step towards his sister.

Carefully, she brought a hoof around her sister’s shoulders, and pulled her into a warm embrace. “I understand, Luna, I really do.”

Luna doubted it.

“Come on, Lu,” Celestia said, “let’s talk about this over tea.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Twilight Sparkle’s new home was a nice place, a large room in a larger mansion, complete with rich and ornate furnishings.

It was also completely unfamiliar to her.

This was both a good and bad thing.

On the one hoof, it was her home’s familiar setting that had continued to remind her of her late husband. The smell of the bed sheets, the sight of the fireplace, all of them only serving to grind the pleasant memories of him into her conscious, where her guilt then began to attack her mercilessly.

On the other, while the pleasant memories stopped, the nightmares did not.

Luckily, Canterlot was eager to provide her more than a few methods to help her forget.

Her current method smelled of bleached-cleaned vomit and alcohol. A small, traditional bar without the annoying thud of modern music was the perfect place for her to enjoy a stiff drink. It many ways, she’d describe it to be a tavern.

Of course, with the brandy going down her throat, she wasn’t inclined to describe anything.

Slamming the empty glass down on the bar, she groggily ordered another, her eyes red and cheeks flushed.

The bartender hesitantly slid another glass her way.

Taking the glass in her hooves, her magic having become unreliable for fine control at the fifth glass, she immediately began the task of emptying it.

One of the other patrons, an earth pony who had taken one last draught of liquid courage, unsteadily stood and made his way over to the purple widow.

“Hey, baybee…” the stallion said, slurring. “Ya come here of-fffffiiiiiiinnnnn!?” he asked, the last word turning into a high-pitched squeal as a powerful magical grasp grabbed onto his family jewels.

He was then silenced as the same magic grabbed his head and slammed it into the bar, knocking him unconscious instantly.

“Not often enough for you to know better…” Twilight mumbled, before finishing her glass.

The bartender sighed. “Mrs. Sparkle, could you not hurt my customers? You’re scaring them off.”

Twilight slammed her glass down. “Then keep me sedated.”

The bartender rolled his eyes before sliding her another glass. “Now that’s your last one. I’m cutting you off after this.”

“Sure,” she muttered darkly, before sipping the glass, trying to make it last.

The brandy was smooth, if a little strong, but it was what she wanted, and what she payed for.

It did help, though.

Barely.

There wasn’t much time left to think, though, as a well-dressed unicorn entered the bar.

Fancy Pants took a quick look around, before his eyes settled on Twilight, and a sigh escaped his lips.

“Evening, Mr. Pants,” the barkeep said. “Want one to go, to help with the headache?” he asked, motioning towards the purple unicorn.

“Buck you,” Twilight muttered.

Fancy Pants sighed. “Tempting, however, I must decline, Mr. Mead.”

The barkeep shrugged.

“Mrs. Sparkle,” Fancy Pants said, exasperated. “I have already informed you of the massive contract your assistant Mr. The Dragon had me sign, yes?”

“That’s not his actual last name…” Twilight mumbled.

Fancy Pants ignored her. “That contract states I am going to be held responsible for anything that happens to you, including but not limited to; mental harm, bodily harm, emotional trauma, etc. Upon which, I am to pay him in blood.”

“And?” she asked, forgoing the sipping of her drink to throwing her head back.

“I don’t need to remind you of what a dangerous place Canterlot has become, do I?”

He didn’t.

The news had caught her completely off guard. A murder? In Canterlot?

Heck, the news that it had happened in Equestria at all was horrifying.

To make matters worse, it had only served to encourage local crime. Muggings were through the roof, grand theft carriage was at an all time high, and she had even heard of at least two stores being completely emptied.

It wasn’t safe to walk the streets of Canterlot alone anymore.

Hence Spike’s contract.

Twilight sighed. “No. Fine…” she muttered, standing as she left the glass, as well as a small bag of bits, behind.

Fancy Pants gave a grateful nod, and Honey Mead nodded to them as they made their way out.

As the door of the Soul Regret closed behind them, Twilight shook her head. The darkness just outside the bar was all-encompassing, held at bay only by the warm light cast by the buildings through the windows.

Twilight sighed. “It’s all just so wrong…”

Fancy pants nodded, and began to herd the drunk unicorn back home.

“Why did it all have to go so wrong?” she asked.

Fancy Pants shook his head. “I don’t know, Mrs. Sparkle.”

“It’s all my fault…” she groaned. “Why did I have to say that…”

“Say what, Mrs. Sparkle?”

She glanced back at him. Could she tell him? Could she repeat those words that had driven her husband insane?

“You’re dangerous Alan. Too dangerous. I can’t trust you, and I’m sorry for not seeing it sooner.”

If Alan had told her that, she would’ve gone crazy.

Crazy enough to throw herself off a building.

“Just...just forget about it.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

No…

Please no…

Make me stop…

I can’t stop…

Please!

A massive hoof slammed through a wall.

I need to stop.

Somepony stop me!

Somepony! Anypony!

Another hoof went through the wall, followed by a scream.

No!

No! Don’t hurt her.

His eyes found her, and rage flooded his every nerve.

She looked scared.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no!

The massive hoof picked her up.

Stop! Stop! Stop!

He hurt her.

No! No! Why?

He hurt her again.

Stop! Stop, please!

And then he hurt her in the worst way.

No! No, why?

He let the body drop, and slammed through the next wall.

A mirror stood opposite to him, and he caught a glimpse of himself.

Engorged muscles, red fur, his enormous, hulking mass barely fit in the mirror. His eyes were constantly shrouded in a red mist, and his mane hung long and wild.

What monster had he become?

The monster that had once been a pony roared, and another hoof smashed through the wall.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Twilight shook her head.

What had happened to the world?

A mare’s home had been broken into the night before, and she had been mercilessly beaten to death.

What’s worse, nothing had been stolen. Her home had simply been leveled, with no care or mind to anything. Had there been a point to any of it? Was there a reason? Or was it just mindless, pointless violence?

She sighed and stared up at the gravestone before her.

“Alan...the world’s gone crazy…”

The stone did not reply.

Twilight sat in silence, tears gathering in her eyes.

In a way, it was nice to be this close to him, but...it was still a bittersweet feeling.

“Ponies are getting killed. Innocent ponies. Crime’s getting worse...Ever-everything is just falling apart…”

Still the stone did not answer.

She shook her head. “I’m sorry, Alan...I...I should have stood by you. I should’ve been there for you…”

She sniffed.

“Like you were there for me…”

“Miss?” a new voice asked.

Twilight turned her head to see the gravekeeper, the one that had brought her in the night of Alan’s funeral.

The dark grey stallion with a red and yellow mane approached her, the tragedy mask on his flank sent a little spark into her brain as something important.

“Ah, ‘ello Miss! Ya doin’ better today?”

Twilight sniffed, and wiped her face. “Mrs,” she corrected. “And yes.”

The gravekeeper took a look at the tombstone, and nodded. “Ah...right. I see…”

They sat in silence for a moment.

“I’m sorry…” Twilight said, “but...but I’ve completely forgotten your name.”

“Oh, no worries, Miss, er...Mrs…You were a little distracted, I’m sure.” He stood and held out his hoof. “The name’s Grim, and me brother’s Ghastly.”

“Grim and Ghastly the Gravekeepers,” Twilight said, taking his hoof. “Fitting.”

Grim shrugged. “It happens.”

She gave a small smile. “Well, my name is Twilight Sparkle,” she said.

“A pleasure to meet ya, Mrs. Sparkl',” he said. “Just so ya know, you’re always welcome back to our home for a talk.”

Twilight nodded. “Thank you, Mr. Grim.”

“Please, Mrs. Sparkl'. Just Grim.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

The First Canterlot Bank stood proud that Tuesday evening. The sun reflected off of the pristine, marble walls and columns with perfect tranquility.

It stood proud, despite one horrifying thing.

It had been robbed.

The Royal Guard stood at the ready, securing the crime scene while the Police Force was still nowhere to be seen.

Still, the EUP went to work, isolating witnesses and collecting accounts. Sunny Sentinel was among them, helping with the investigation the best he could.

“So you’re saying a clown robbed the bank?” Sunny asked, looking up at the pegasus couple.

“Yes!” the mare insisted. “In broad daylight, nonetheless!”

“Any further description?” he asked.

“He was a pegasus, with a white coat, and a pair of wing blades,” the stallion said. “He also wore a suit.”

“A suit?”

The mare nodded. “A purple suit, with a green vest. It was such an odd combination.”

Sunny wrote that down. “Any associates?” he asked.

“Only the ones he killed,” the stallion said, confirming Sunny’s fears.

Along with the witnesses in the bank, there had been a total of eight dead ponies of various races, builds, and carrying various weapons. All had received the same wound, though; a slash to the throat.

The fact that all of them were smiling, though, really unsettled him.

“Alright, thank you for your time, so far, your story has checked out, you’re free to leave.”

The two nodded, and Sunny turned to head back to his superior.

“Alright,” the captain said, standing before his troops, “let’s recap. At 3 pm, a pegasus dressed as a clown, enters the bank with eight different accomplices. He then has the accomplices empty the vault while he holds the witnesses hostage with a TNT vest. Once the vault was empty, the pegasus then killed his accomplices, and set fire most of the bags, ruining the minting of the coins inside. Our last guy then leaves, carrying only two bags. Sound right?”

The guards nodded, the events matching up with the stories they collected.

“Right,” the captain said, “now...to figure out why our stallion robbed a bank, and then ruined most of the money…”

“Maybe he’s got something against the bank?” one of the guards said. “He’s making them pay out of pocket to cover the losses from the accounts?”

“Maybe, check to see if the banks foreclosed anypony lately, especially pegasi, or those with pegasi relatives.”

The guard nodded, before heading off to speak with the bankers.

“Any other ideas?” the captain asked.

The gathered guards checked between themselves.

“Alright, then! Finish your rounds, and head back home. CSI will be down here in the hour, and Spark Bow, I want you to stick around and brief them on arrival, understood?”

A general murmur of approval ripples through the guards.

The Captain nodded. “Good, see you soon, Gentlecolts.”

The guards nodded, and began to scatter, heading out into the city for the end of their patrols.

Now, Sunny Sentinel was never one to complain. He never made a fuss, never spoke out, always followed orders. Still, he found himself wondering what had happened to EUP police force. This was supposed to be their job. The guard was supposed to help if necessary, but the EUPPF was supposed to be here to begin with.

He sighed. This line of thought was distracting.

He looked up, and found himself down a dark alley.

Too distracting, apparently.

Sunny looked around, unsure of where he was.

He almost muttered under his breath.

A trashcan toppled behind him, and his eyes locked onto a shady figure that was now approaching him.

Sunny kept walking.

A box shifted, and another pony joined the first.

Sunny kept walking.

A third and then a fourth came out of the woodwork, and all the while, Sunny stayed quiet.

Three he could take. Four? Not without a serious injury, or some serious luck.

He took a left, trying to get out into the main, and well-lit street.

A large earth pony stood in front of him. “Well, well, well, what do we have here?” the stallion asked in a gruff voice.

“How original…”

“One of the high and mighty guards, huh?” The stallion asked with a sneer.

Sunny took a quick look behind him. The stallions were closing in. Turning, Sunny faced the stallion that had stopped him. “Please stand aside, citizen,” he said, trying to sound as authoritative as possible.

The stallion in front of him chuckled. “No, no, I don’t think so.”

Sunny almost cursed.

He spread his wings, only for one of the stallions behind him to latch onto his outspread limbs.

Pinned and with nowhere to run to, Sunny had no choice but to start fighting back.

Throwing his weight backwards, he slammed his attacker into the alley wall, only for two of the other stallions to grab him by the hooves. Sunny was quickly pinned, and a powerful buck kicked the wind out of him, catching him in the gut.

“Let’s have some fun, boys!”

The remaining stallions went to town, slamming their hooves into Sunny’s unprotected belly.

Four quick hits followed by another buck sent stars across Sunny’s vision as his world exploded in pain.

And then there was a pause.

“Um...boss? What’s that?”

Sunny groaned, before raising his head to look up.

A green mist hugged the ground.

“B-boss?” the stallion asked nervously.

A bank of mist rolled in, obscuring vision to but a few hooves.

“The buck—?”

A feminine voice then spoke, echoing in the mist. “I am the terror that flaps in the night!”

A flash of green, a terrified scream, and the attackers found themselves one pony down.

“I am the shadow that haunts your dreams!” the voice continued.

Another scream amongst the thugs, and another stallion was missing.

“The buck is happening?!” the boss yelled, before the sudden swirl of a purple cape engulfed him and pulled him into the mist.

Another flash of green, and the fourth stallion went down, leaving only the stallion that had pinned Sunny’s wings.

“I am Mare Do Well!”

And then, there she was.

A purple, wide-brimmed hat, with a dark-blue cape and cowl flashed before Sunny’s eyes as he was suddenly pulled forward, away from the wall and freeing the thug behind him.

There was not a sound.

Sunny’s world wheeled, having still not recovered from the blows to his gut, when the mist suddenly evaporated.

Five stallions lay scattered on the floor, bruised and bloodied from the swift, silent fight.

Sunny blinked, and forced himself to his legs. He looked around, dazed, before his eyes caught sight of the mare.

She stood, at the top of the building, looking down into the alley.

Sunny blinked.

Then, without another word, she reared up, and ran back, disappearing from view.

Sunny’s wing spread, and he took to the air. “Halt!” he cried.

He was too late. By the time he reached the top of the building, Mare Do Well was gone, invisible in the night.

<<<|Ω|>>>

She was dreaming.

Twilight knew that. It was the only time she ever saw Alan anymore.

He stood opposite her, separated by the aisle that she had walked down when they married.

“I built another temple to a stranger...” the disfigured, distorted voice of some singer she could not remember echoed through her mind.

Alan stepped toward her.

“I gave away my heart to the rushing wind…”

She stepped back.

“I set my course to run right into danger…”

Alan reached for her, only for the bone-white hoof of death stop him.

“Sought the company of fools instead of friends…”

Alan looked up at him, confused, while Twilight kept backing away.

“You know I’ve been unfaithful…”

A clawed hand grasped her withers.

“Lovers in lines…”

Harmony’s smirking face bent down next to her, and he smiled across the way.

“While you're turning over tables with the rage of a jealous kind…”

Alan tried to run towards her, only for Death to hold him back.

“I chose the gallows to the aisle…”

Twilight turned, and faced a set of gallows, a noose waiting for her.

“Thought that love would never find…”

She began her death march.

“Hanging ropes will never keep you…”

The noose draped around her neck.

It tightened.

“And your love of a jealous kind…”

A hand gripped the lever to the door beneath her.

She waited.

Waited still.

“Love of a jealous kind…”

“Twilight!”

Her eyes snapped open, and the lever was pulled.

She fell.

She awoke with a start, her eyes snapping open to see the haint blue ceiling of her new room.

She sat up, her eyes scanning the room.

Orion’s cradle sat in the corner, the baby fast asleep. The door was closed.

And then there was a faint, soft song as her ears floating in the air.

She got out of bed, searching for the source of the noise, when her eyes fell upon Alan’s iPod.

The song from her dreams kept playing from the machine’s small speaker.

“Trying to jump away from rock that keeps on spreading,

For solace in the shift of the sinking sand,

I'd rather feel the pain all too familiar,

Than to be broken by a lover I don't understand,

'Cause I don't understand…

You know I’ve been unfaithful,

Lovers in li—”

She turned it off.

She stared down at the small machine.

“Stupid thing…” she muttered.

She went back to bed.

But as she did, the words of the song echoed in her mind.

“I chose the gallows to the aisle,

Thought that love would never find,

Hanging ropes will never keep you,

And your love of a jealous kind…”

And chapter.

“Wait, wait, wait...now you’re adding Mare Do Well into this?”

Oh, you know it. There is not nearly enough crazy going on in this story yet.

“You are out of your mind…”

Not yet, I’m not!

“Alright, so...one more thing then...is the Silver Stallion the new hero, or is it Mare Do Well?”

I don’t know. *smugface*

*pinkie is unamused*

*smugface intensifies*

“I do not find this funny.”

I do.

“Anyways, next time, guys. Mare Do Well Rises! Why does that sound like a movie title?”

Because it should!

“We see you all then, guys!”

Bye!

14-The Footsteps of a Ghost

Chapter 14

Rarity had come a long way to talk about this.

The second she saw the article, she had closed up shop, grabbed Spike, and bought two tickets for the earliest train to Canterlot.

She had not spoken a word, had not greeted a soul, had not even explained herself to Spike, who remained perfectly confused as they rode the train car.

She did not pass go, she did not collect $200, she went directly to jail—I mean, Canterlot.

Once there, armed with a handful of directions, she marched straight to Fancy Pants’ mansion, climbed up the stairs, walked into Twilight’s room and asked one question.

“Was this you?” she asked, throwing a newspaper onto her balcony table.

Twilight blinked. “Well...nice to see you too, Rarity.”

“Please, Twilight,” she said. “I must ask you to forgive my little breach in protocol, however, this is very important.”

Twilight gave Rarity a glance. She had never seen her friend once barge into a room, much less speak without saying hello.

This was probably very, very serious.

Twilight picked up the newspaper, and her eyes quickly scanned the front page. “What am I looking for?”

“You’ll see it,” Rarity said simply as Spike found a wall to lean against.

Twilight scanned over the paper, reading about the usual things she had come to expect from Canterlot’s nightlife. Robbery, murder, nothing out of the ordin—

The headline jumped at her. “Mysterious Mare Halts Murder!” The picture of a very familiar silhouette told her far more however, as the sight of the the Mysterious Mare Do Well met her eyes. She blinked, looking at the picture before quickly reading the article.

“So…?” Rarity asked. “Was it you?”

“N-no...no it wasn’t…”

“Twilight,” Rarity said, sitting opposite the mare, “those outfits, my Mare Do Well outfits, were stolen.”

“What?”

“I don’t know how, and I don’t know when,” she said, her voice having dropped to a conspiratol murmur, “all I know is that when I went back to check on some fabric delivers five days ago, they weren’t where I had left them.”

“Five days ago?” Twilight asked

“At least,” Rarity confirmed. “But there was not a sign that anything was wrong, no locks were broken, no windows, it was almost as if a ghost had stolen them.”

The word clicked in Twilight’s head, but she kept her opinion to herself. Instead she turned back to the article. “Well...at least she’s helping ponies.”

“For now,” the fashionista said with disdain.

Twilight gave her a look.

“Twilight, it’s always the hero that directly breaks the law that you can’t trust.”

Spike furrowed his brow. “What do you mean ‘always?’ H-have you been reading my comic books?”

Rarity harumphed. “Don’t be ridiculous Spike. Nonetheless, my point stands. She may be helping us now, but given time, she might turn on us.”

Twilight said nothing.

The white unicorn took another look at the lavender mare, and sighed. “Sorry, Darling, I didn’t mean to give you nothing but bad news. Listen, why don’t we go shopping for a little bit today, I’m sure it would do you a world of good.”

Twilight raised her head, and gave a slight smile. “You know...that sounds kinda nice, actually…”

<<<|Ω|>>>

“Alright, guys!” the stallion said, as he watched the rest of the crew move their cargo. “Boss wants all of this back at base within the hour.”

“What are we stealing again?” a stallion asked, heaving a box around on his back.

“Don’t ask stupid questions, Heavy, just keep moving.”

Heavy Lifter rolled his eyes before setting the crate down on a cart.

A score of ponies, mostly earth pony stallions, were moving crates from an open warehouse to a cart. Almost no light shone in the wide street between warehouses, leaving only the warm brazier light shining from inside to illuminate the path.

A hoofful of other ponies, however, did not work, simply standing still with their backs towards the light, and their eyes facing the darkness. One pony in particular, a pegasus with a blue coat, twitched and trembled as he stared into the depths of the night.

The unicorn next to him kept giving him glances, before letting loose the loudest sigh he could manage. “Hey, Twitch, will you cut that out? You’re spooking me.”

“If you knew what was out there, you’d be twitching too,” he mumbled, searching with wide eyes for any sign of...something.

“What’s out there? What are you talking about?”

“It ain’t a good time to be a criminal,” Twitch muttered.

“Are you kidding?” a third thug butted in. “This is the best time to be a criminal! The police are lazy, the Guard is stretched thin, there ain’t nopony to catch us, thanks to the boss.”

Twitch gave a hollow laugh. “Yeah, safe from the guard. It’s her you need to worry about.”

“Her?” a guard two ponies down asked.

“Haven’t you heard?” the pegasus asked. “She calls herself the Mare Do Well.

“She’s a ghost. Everywhere and nowhere at once. You can’t hit her, can’t stop her, can’t cut her, can’t bleed her, but she will come after you. Some say that she’s the ghost of a mare that was murdered. Other’s say she’s an ancient spirit of revenge, awoken from her slumber now that the blood of the innocents call out for justice.

“Personally, I don’t know and I don’t care what she is. All I can say is if I see her, I’m running, and I pray she’ll let me go…”

The stallion three guards down laughed. “What? I’m sorry, but do you know how crazy you sound?”

Twitch didn’t even so much as look back at him.

“Please...’Mare Do Well’ that’s a joke if I’ve ever heard one.”

“Ooooooh! Look out for the Mare Do Well! She’s coming to get you!” Another thug laughed.

“Oooooh! I’m not really here! Or real at all for that matter!”

Laughs broke out among the guards, and chuckles echoed in the night.

Twitch stopped twitching.

“It’s nothing to be scared of Twitch,” the unicorn said. “It’s just some dumb story.”

Twitch did not answer.

“You hear me Twitch?”

Again Twitch did not answer.

“Twitch?”

The pegasus turned, and the guard speaking to him froze.

His eyes had been replaced with two orbs of pure white. His mouth opened and his tongue lolled lazily about in his head.

“The buck?!” the thug cried, falling onto his back, and into a green mist which hugged the ground and snuck past the guard.

And then Twitch spoke, but when he spoke, it was not his voice.

It was a mare’s.

“I am the terror that flaps in the night.”

The fog became thicker, and the gathered criminals found themselves surrounded b y it, unable to see even five hooves in front of themselves.

“I am the ghost that dances in the moonlight.”

“Buck! Buck! Buck! Buck! Buck! Buck! Buck!”

Twitch was gone, completely lost in the fog.

And then, once every pony there had their vision obscured, and their sense clouded, the final ultimatum went out.

“I am Mare Do Well!”

A powerful punch smashed through a thug’s face, knocking him unconscious instantly.

“It’s her!” A terrified cry went out. “She’s here for our souls!”

The unicorn thug scrambled in the fog, unable to see, but able to hear.

The flash and ring of magic, the cries of pained ponies, the snapping of bones all sounded in his ears as the Mare Do Well did her work.

“Get her! Get her! Bring her down!”

He saw her for a brief second, a flash of purple in a world of green.

Up came her foreleg, just in time to block the large wing blades of one of his fellow guards.

She did not even gasp.

“Why won’t you die?!” He heard, before the fog claimed the Mare Do Well once more.

“She’s over here!” another pony cried, and the unicorn thug was quickly treated to the sight of Mare Do Well again, this time on the far side of the cloud.

He blinked.

There was no way she could’ve crossed that much space in so short a time…

Another panicked cry went up.

And then there was silence.

Not a word was spoken in the mist.

There was not a sound.

“T-Twitch?” the unicorn called.

No answer.

“Iron?”

Still no answer.

“Jade?”

Nothing answered him.

“W-Where are you?”

And then he heard a whisper. The whisper of the North wind that sent a chill down his spine.

“Right here.”

He screamed.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Celestia looked at the mirror with a long-suffering sigh.

The stress was getting to her.

She could tell, not because of the bloodshot veins running through her eyes, the dark bags that hung beneath them, or even the fact that she had begun to wear a track through her very expensive rug.

No, there was something else that told her. It told her straight, and it told her true.

Her mane.

Not in six hundred years had she had a bad mane day, yet, here it was, a tangle in her otherwise ethereal mane.

It was the final warning sign.

When your mane become saturated in as much magical energy as Celestia gave off everyday, the magick-conductive properties become strong enough to transform hair into a half-mana/physical object hybrid. In the case of a mane, that makes it nearly impossible to be caught, tangled, curled, frizzy, or otherwise a mess.

Yet there it was.

An undeniable tangle sat right there.

Now many a thaumaturgist would comment how this particular tangle most probably represented a metaphysical knot in Celestia’s own magicka flow, which are typically caused by stress and long periods of annoyance. A magical cyst, if you will.

Celestia took a deep breath, a released it slowly. Another inhale, another exhale. Then, with a golden glow, her magick took a hold of her mane, and she slowly began to work the knot away.

It took her longer than she had wanted, but finally the knot came free, a temporary solution to a deeper problem, but it would suffice for now.

She sighed. Things were going very wrong, very fast. More and more crime was popping up in the city, and it showed no sign of stopping, and with the constant reports of the more violent crimes coming in from the Guard, Celestia soon found herself swamped.

This was why the police force had been made to begin with. The guard had a responsibility to report to her, the Police Force had their own bureaucracy to help with all of these papers. They were the ones who took care of the regular crime, and only brought the more serious crimes up to the guard.

There was really only one thing that had brought any good news to her ears of late, and that was the news of this Mare Do Well character.

Finally, there was somepony out there that was doing something.

Of course, if she ever was caught, She’d have to be brought in for acting outside the law.

Then again, if there was ever a meetup, Celestia could probably deputize the heroine.

Then, just for a second, she felt the room get colder.

A talon rested on her wither, and she heard Harmony speak. “Celestia, Dear. What troubles you so?”

She tensed. “H-Harmony?”

The talon began to massage her back. “Relax, Tia, Dear. Relax, and tell me all your troubles. Perhaps I can help?” he said, his voice dripping with honey.

The muscles in her back began to loosen, and her body began to relax.

“I...I…” she began, as the talon began it’s work.

The lion paw joined the talon, and Celestia began to melt under the Draconequus’ ministrations.

“It’s...it’s Twilight.”

“What about dear, Miss Twilight?” Harmony asked.

“She’s...Spike’s told me she’s gotten worse. She’s found somepony to take her in, and she’s shut everyone else out. All the work that I’ve put into making her friends has been completely reversed. She’s hardly seen her friends, she won’t talk to me, and Fancy Pants, the stallion that’s taken her in, has been telling me she spends most of her day either taking care of her son, mourning at the graveyard, or drinking her troubles away.

“Not to mention all the crime, and the way Luna’s been acting lately...” Celestia said with a sigh. “I just don’t know what to do…”

Harmony gave a wicked smile. “Oh, you poor, poor, thing...It seems to me that maybe your student has abandoned you.”

Celestia shivered at the thought while a dagger of ice plunged into her heart.

“It’s a shame that this has happened. Again.”

The knife twisted.

“But surely,” Harmony hissed, “it can’t be all bad. There must be some good news. Something that you can hang on to?”

“W-well...there is this Mare Do Well mare.”

A scowl flashed across Harmony’s face.

But only for a moment.

“Oh? The vigilante? That has the making of a scandal…”

“She’s the only hope I have right now,” Celestia explained.

Harmony nodded. “Yes, yes, I understand. Now, listen to me, Tia. Hold on to her, hold onto this Mare Do Well. If she is your last hope, then you must put your faith in her.”

Celestia nodded.

“Put your faith in her, Celestia, because if you do not, then you will despair, and if you fall far enough, you will not have strength to climb back out.”

The Solar Princess nodded. Yes. Yes, she needed Mare Do Well to succeed. They needed to meet, and soon.

Harmony nodded, and retreated from the room, as silent as a mouse.

But once the door closed behind him, his wicked grin returned. “Yes, Celestia, put your faith in the little hero. Put your dreams in her so that I may crush them.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Sunny Sentinel was surprised to see the EUPPF on the scene of the crime. Pleasantly surprised, even. Here they were, doing their job, rather than forcing the Guard to do it for them. He found himself wondering if there was hope for the Police Force yet.

This hope was quickly shattered once he heard Commissioner Golden Shield roaring his head off.

“I want her in chains!” he screamed. “I want that mare in the deepest, darkest dungeon we have!”

“Something the matter, Golden?” a voice whispered before a thestral formed from a cloud of mist.

Golden Shield jumped at the sound, and Sunny found himself on the brink of smiling as Twinkle Drop joined him.

Golden Shield swore as he spun to see the half-vampony behind him. “Yes, something’s wrong! We have a criminal on our hooves!”

“A criminal?” Twinkle asked, as Sunny approached. “Really? ‘Cause I count, like, twenty,” she said, motioning to the warehouse behind them where twenty-five ponies—each of various types, colors, and builds—lay bound in tight rope, ready for delivery.

“Not them you idiot!” Golden Shield growled, before throwing a letter at the thestral. “Her!”

Twinkle didn’t move, but Sunny did pick up the letter, and opened it. “Have a drink on me,” he read aloud. “Signed ‘M’”

“Oh!” Twinkle said in recognition. “That’s probably that Mare Do Well chick that saved you the other day.”

“She’s a menace!” Shield roared.

“A menace?” Twinkle asked. “The mare saved my coltfriend, how’s she a menace?”

“Ever heard of a vigilante? Morons who take the law into their own hooves?” He asked, spittle flying with every angry word. “This mare is exactly that.”

Twinkle growled in response, her fangs showing as she bared her teeth. “Well maybe, if somepony did their job, she wouldn’t have to take the law into her own hooves.”

Sunny took that as his cue, stepping between the two. “Sir, with all due respect, chasing after a single mare who delivered twenty-five ponies in the hooves of the police hardly seems worth the effort.”

Golden Shield growled. “That’s what you think, but there’s the problem with your little thought there. She’s helping us now, and we can’t trust her to keep helping us. Not to mention the possibility of somepony seeing this moron and deciding to copycat her. We don’t need that.”

Sunny thought differently.

Twinkle Drop brought herself up, laying across Sunny's back. “I don’t know, a little help in the area where you’ve been slacking would do us good.”

The commissioner leveled a glare at her. “And that’s why I’m the commissioner of the EUPPF, and you’re a bloodsucking Dusk Watch numbskull.”

Sunny’s eyes narrowed. “Do not say that again,” he hissed.

The commissioner grinned, as the thought quite obviously crossed his head.

He opened his mouth to give an ill-advised quip, when suddenly an officer called him. “Sir! We’ve found out what they were trying to take.”

“I don’t care what the thugs were after!” Golden Shield barked. “I want the Mare Do Well!”

“Good luck with that,” Twinkle said, a smile forming on her lips. “From my preliminary sweep over the scene, I found no traces of any teleportation magic, no conjuration, no illusion, but there is a magical signature all over the place, so we’re dealing with a pretty high-up magic user. And of course, if she’s that good, then she’s not going to be found.” She paused, and gave the commissioner a gaze through half-lidded eyes. “But what do I know? I’m just a bloodsucking Dusk Watch numbskull.”

Golden Shield glared at her.

She smiled back.

Golden growled before turning back to the scene. “Get me the magic division! I need an analysis of all the spells that were used here in the last three days!”

As the commissioner walked away, Sunny smiled.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Fancy Pants and Fleur both walked the city streets. It was getting dark, too dark for Fancy’s liking, but his wife had put her hoof down.

“I am not going to live in fear of every shadow that crosses my path, Fancy. And neither should you. It’s not befitting. Now, we are going to this opera, and we are going tonight!”

The theater was practically empty.

Now the two of them were making their way towards the graveyard to pick up Twilight.

Fancy swore that mare would be the death of him. She had gone from drowning her sorrows to spending the day on a therapy session with the gravekeepers.

She had even taken to bringing her son along.

It wouldn’t be so bad under normal circumstances, but the streets were not safe enough for staying out so late.

Speaking of.

“Come on, Fleur, I’d like to hurry, please.”

“Oh, calm down, Fancy, you may think otherwise, but a thief is not hiding in every shadow.”

Fancy didn’t answer that.

Fleur walked, tall and proud, down the abandoned streets, never once turning her head to search the shadows as she confidently made her way.

Fancy was a little less confident.

They took a left, heading down a small street that Fancy had walked a hundred times before. But this time…

They didn’t see them until they were halfway down the street. The empty lane was almost deserted and covered in shadow, half-hidden by darkness. The wind whistled in the empty street between the buildings, and then that’s when the couple spied the herd of shady-looking ponies heading towards them.

Fancy felt his heart began to race once he saw the flash of metal along one of the thug’s wings.

Fleur’s voice was calm and collected the entire time she spoke. “Fancy, we might want to take a detour.”

He took a sharp and sudden right.

Down an alley.

He instantly wished he had taken another left.

“Keep walking, Fleur,” he said urgently, pulling his wife along with a slight magic tug.

An earth pony got in front of them.

Fancy Pants was quick to turn around.

The other stallions were there, waiting for him.

Fancy Pants swallowed.

The stallions began to close in on them. “Looks like we’ve got a good catch,” a pegasus said.

Fancy Pants pushed his wife to the side, and against the wall, trying to get between her and the thugs. “E-evening, Gentlecolts, can I help you?”

“You can,” the pegasus said with a smirk, before flashing the wing blade hidden in his feathers. “Let’s start with the mare’s jewelry.”

Fleur nodded, and began to remove the pearls around her neck.

“Faster, lady,” the pegasus boss said.

The necklace came loose, and she handed it over.

The pegasus smiled, and threw it to a nearby unicorn. “Thank you for the assistance,” the pegasus said, before he hid the blade again.

The pegasus turned to leave, before stopping. “Oh...wait…one more thing.”

Fancy Pants swallowed again, his muscles tensing.

“You’re Fancy Pants, right?” the pegasus said. “That’s a bit of a shame...you see, my employer is willing to pay a lot of money to see you put down.”

The blade came back out.

“Nothing personal. It’s just business.”

The pegasus took one step.

And then the world erupted into flame.

Both ends of the alleyway were blocked off by a wall of fire, and the thugs were quickly thrown into a panic.

Fancy Pants moved, shielding his wife from whatever was about to happen.

“The buck! What’s going on?!” the pegasus screamed.

And then the thugs froze as a raspy, yet powerful voice spoke.

“Leave them be.”

The ponies all looked up, to the top of one of the buildings that formed the alley.

And what Fancy saw made his jaw drop.

A silver, translucent, armored stallion stood there, bearing down at the thugs as a silver sword hung next to him.

The thugs looked up in horror.

And then the ghost leapt down.

He landed between Fancy and thugs without so much as a sound, the sword glittering in the firelight.

The pegasus stared at the Silver Stallion with wide, fear-filled eyes. “Y-you…”

“Leave them be,” the ghost repeated, his voice sounding like the whistling wind.

The pegasus stared at the armored ghost, before lashing out at him. “Get back! Get back, do you hear me?!”

The blade passed through the ghost’s throat without so much as a grunt.

The Silver Stallion stood, unimpressed.

The pegasus began to shake at the apparition before him, before leaping into the air. “Get him! Get him!” he squealed, sounding not unlike a young filly.

The thugs looked between themselves, before looking at the ghost before them.

The ghost’s sword floated before him.

The wall of fire fell, and the specter spoke once more. “Leave.”

The thugs ran.

“Get him, you cowards!” the pegasus squealed. “Get him! Get him now!”

The ghost looked up at the cowering thief, and the blade came up. “You were warned.”

The blade shot forward, catching the pegasus in the wing.

He screamed.

And then he fell.

The Silver Stallion then turned back to face the unicorn couple.

Fancy Pants stared at him with wide eyes.

The unblinking, blindingly white eyes of the ghost stared back at him. Then he spoke, and when he spoke, the windy raspiness of his voice disappeared, and it sounded as strong as it had in life.

Fancy Pants recognized it instantly.

“Take care of mine,” he said, “and I’ll take care of yours.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Orion was fond of a few things.

He loved his blanky, he enjoyed squashed peas, and he absolutely adored naps. He also loved his family. He loved his dada, even though he hadn’t seen him in a while, and he also loved his mama.

It really made him worried then, when his mama paced.

“It’s getting late,” she muttered. “Too late. They should’ve been here by now.”

Grim and Ghastly shared a look as their guest began to wear a track through their carpet.

Ghastly spoke first. “It’s prob’bly notin’, Mrs. Sparkl’. Mr. Fancy prob’bly runnin’ late is all.”

Twilight shook her head. “He’s been too worried about me to run late. Something must have gone wrong.”

Grim shook his head. “I wouldn’t worry ‘bout it, love. Not yet, leastways.”

Twilight paused in her pacing holding her son close to her. “Look, you don’t understand. Fancy Pants has been—”

Whatever else she had to say was immediately cut off, as the door to Grim and Ghastly’s little hut was blown in by a disheveled unicorn.

Fancy Pants locked bloodshot eyes with his unicorn charge, and immediately rushed over to her, monocle flying in the wind behind him. “Mrs. Sparkle! Mrs. Sparkle, are you alright?!”

Twilight looked at the unicorn worriedly. “Um...yes, I’m fi—”

“Are you hurt? Injured? Inconvenienced in any way?!”

“Um…”

“Was it them?!” he asked, pointing at Grim and Ghastly, accusingly.

Fleur De Lis stepped quietly into the room behind him, a string of pearls around her neck.

“Uh…”

“I swear, if either of you have so much as touched her, I’ll—”

“What is going on?!” Twilight asked.

Fancy turned to her, and blinked.

Slowly.

And then, as if suddenly becoming aware of his unsightly shape, he coughed, and began to gather himself. Running a hoof through his mane, and replacing his monocle, he then turned his attention to the purple unicorn and spoke. “Mrs. Sparkle, as of now, your safety and well being are my top priorities.”

Twilight blinked before rolling her eyes. “Mr. Pants, please, Spike’s contract—”

“This is not about Mr. The Dragon,” he said, interrupting her.

Twilight paused.

“Mrs. Sparkle,” Fancy Pants said again, hesitating for a second. “Tonight, I spoke with a dead pony, and he told me, in no uncertain terms, that I am to keep you safe.”

Twilight blinked. “What?”

Fleur spoke up this time, getting close to the unicorn mare to whisper in her ear. “Twilight, have you heard of the new ghost story, the Silver Stallion?”

Twilight’s eyes went wide, and her head spun to look at the other mare. “You…”

“We spoke with him, yes,” Fancy said, “and, in life, he had an affectionate eye on you.”

Twilight’s head was spinning.

They…

They had spoken to him…

“He wants us to keep you safe, Mrs. Sparkle.”

Her legs were going weak.

“And I plan to do that and more. Now come along, we need to get you home.”

Twilight wasn’t sure how she got back to Fancy Pants’ mansion. Nor was she sure how she got into bed, but as she stared up at the darkness hiding the ceiling of her room, she knew two things.

The Silver Stallion was Alan.

And he wanted her alive.

And that meant far, far more than she realized.

Alright guys, so I have some news.

“Oh that doesn’t sound good.”

What? Oh! No, no, it’s good news.

“Whew.”

So, I have heard the cries of a select few, and I want them to know I have heard. Something is going to happen, and it is going to happen much sooner than it used to be.

“Huh?”

I was able to condense some chapters so that hope is closer on the horizon and there will be less Twilight moping.

“Oh! Cool!”

Indeed. Of course, this is a two-fold thing. I may be writing some very long chapters in the future, but this will also mean that they might be further apart.

“The Writer’s Equilibrium.”

I don’t think that’s a thing.

“It is now!”

Well, anyways, guys. Hope you enjoy, and I hope you’re getting excited.

“Be sure to comment!”

Bye!

15-The Dragon Roars Again

Chapter 15

Lieutenant Ironshod was having a bad day.

Now, mind you, his past week had been pretty bad anyways, what with the rampant crime, useless police, and the commissioner out for the blood of a vigilante that was actually helping people.

He just wished his own ponies weren’t such massive chickens.

“What is the matter with all of you?” he asked, angrily.

The gathered guards huddled on one side of the room, facing the doors to the political dungeons on the other side.

“S-sir…” one of the guards said, saluting. “We...we’ve been hearing some noises in the dungeon, sir, but every time we’ve gone down there, there hasn’t been anypony.”

Ironshod gave him a look. “So what? You all are scared of some noises?”

The pony hesitated. “S-sir...we believe the dungeon may be haunted…”

Ironshod gave the guard a long, hard look.

The guard did not waver.

Ironshod blinked. “Haunted?”

“Y-yes, sir.”

“Are you kidding?”

“No, sir.”

Ironshod blinked slowly. Again. “I tell you what, Sergeant, I’m going to walk down, show you that there is no ghost, and you’re going to go back to what you were doing like a colt sleeping with a night light. Understood?”

The sergeant stepped aside, holding his hoof out as if to invite him to try.

Ironshod shook his head and stomped down into the dungeons.

“Morons,” the lieutenant muttered, walking down the stairs. “Haunted, please. What are they, four?” He kept walking down the stairs, and then paused at the landing.

All but one lamp was out.

Now, a burnt out lamp is not something to worry about normally, but…

These lamps, they had commissioned by Celestia herself. They did not run out of oil, they were resistant to wind and rain, they produced a minimal amount of heat, twice the light, and not an iota of smoke.

They don’t just go out.

Someone had put them out. All but one.

Someone...or...something…

Ironshod shook his head. “Don’t be ridiculous, Iron. Someone’s playing a joke on you…”

He continued forward, an eerie silence permeating the room.

That...that’s not odd...there’s just no one in here, that all…

Even if the dungeons below these are stuffed to the brim with loud prisoners.

Nope, nothing wrong there.

He got to the last, burning lamp, and released a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding as he stepped into the light.

“There’s nothing down here,” he muttered.

And then he noticed the cell.

The last, burning lamp was hanging directly in front of the late Pendragon’s cell.

It was still open.

He reached into the cell and closed it with a click.

The problem was he knew it had been closed.

And the sergeants were not allowed a key…

He shook his head. “Ghost, please...I ain’t afraid of no ghost.”

He turned, and suddenly found himself staring into the armored face of the Silver Stallion. The ghost stared at him with its unblinking, glowing white eyes. “So,” he said, “Who you gonna call?”

The scream Ironshod unleashed was said to echo in the dungeons for three years after the fact, and he would hold the record for fastest exit of the dungeons for the next six decades.

All the sergeant and the other guards saw was a white and gold blur that ran past them before they heard Ironshod latch onto the chandelier.

The sergeant looked up to the lieutenant hanging from the ceiling, and shook his head. “I told you, sir…”

<<<|Ω|>>>

A knock sounded on Twilight’s room door, and the unicorn gave an answer. “Coming!”

She quickly put down the spoon that had Orion’s squashed carrots, and quickly went to the door. “Coming, coming.”

She opened the door, and had a pink ball of fluff leap at her. “Twilight!”

“Yah! Pinkie!”

The unicorn then became very familiar with the ground.

“Twilight! Twilight! Guess what?”

“Pinkie,” the unicorn groaned, “how many times have I asked you not to leap at me?”

“Forty-seven.”

“Make it forty-eight,” she said, before pushing the pink pony away from her.

Pinkie giggled as she got to her hooves, and Soarin entered the room behind her. “Hi, there, Twilight, hope we didn’t interrupt anything.”

Twilight shook her head, “I don’t have anything to do,” she said.

“Great!” Pinkie said. “Then you can come with us to this!”

A flyer was shoved into Twilight’s nose, and she nearly fell backwards trying to recover from the attack.

Finally getting her bearings, Twilight grabbed the page fluttering in her face, and quickly read the title.

“Victory Day Memorial Celebration, remembering the heroes who made peace possible…” she read.

“They’ve invited all of us,” Pinkie said, “but Fluttershy won’t come, Rarity and Spike are going out for dinner, and Applejack says that these kind of parties are not for her.”

Twilight looked up at the pink partier. “A memorial?”

Pinkie nodded. “It’s being hosted by the Tart family.”

“The Tart family?” Twilight asked, the name sounding familiar.

“Yeah, you know, like Kiwi Tart, the mare that held Alan’s banner.”

A faint image of a yellow-coated mare with a green mane came to her head. “O-oh, right, Kiwi Tart…”

“She really wants you to come, Twilight,” Pinkie said, “she said that she wants Alan to be remembered right, and if anyone can give a good speech about Alan it’s you.”

Twilight went quiet, and did not reply.

“Come on, Twi, please?” Pinkie said, giving her the best face-splitting smile she could manage.

Twilight looked down at the flyer in her hoof.

“Well,” she said finally, with a sad smile on her face, “I guess I have a week to get ready.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Celestia stood at the top of the stairs, her guards behind her, and the dungeon’s below.

A ghost, they said, haunting the dungeons.

It took her a couple of days to hear about it, and once she did, she marched straight here.

She was going to end this foolishness.

“Princess,” a guard said, hesitantly, “are...are you sure you want to go down there?”

The Princess looked down at her guard with her bloodshot eyes. “I will deal with this,” she said, forcefully.

Besides, it would feel good to deal with a problem personally.

“Princess,” the guard continued, “I—”

She did not hesitate, and did not answer, instead taking the stairs down into the darkness.

“P-Princess!”

The guard called behind her.

Still, she did not answer.

The darkness did not slow the princess, in fact, she did not seem the least bit bothered by it as she descended into the inky depths of the dungeons. She took four, large, purposeful steps towards the only lit lantern, and stopped directly in front of the cell.

She was not completely prepared for what she saw.

A pony, made of ethereal silver sat on the cot, a mana-hand bouncing a small rubber ball against the far wall with a rhythmic “boomp.”

“Hello, Celestia,” the apparition greeted. “I’m glad you’re here.”

The Princess looked over the stallion, her eyes narrowing as she watched him throw the ball.

Boomp. Boomp-boomp.

She looked back up at him, and scowled. “That’s a fairly impressive spell, you have there.”

The ghost grabbed the ball and looked up at her. “Spell? What makes you think this is a spell?”

“Because, no matter what advances will be made in magic,” Celestia said, glaring at the ghost, “I know Death, and Death does not allow ghosts.”

The Silver Stallion looked her up and down, his face completely obscured by the chamfron on his head.

“I know who you’re trying to be, but the Pendragon is dead. You are a cheap imitation brought about by magic, and I will not stand for you besmirching the name of both the dead, and Death himself.”

There was silence for a second.

And then the Silver Stallion tossed the ball again. “Death doesn’t allow return trips either,” he noted.

Boomp. Boomp-boomp.

Celestia glared.

“Now, let us, for the sake of discussion, go ahead and assume that you are right, and I am not the spirit of your Pendragon. The question you should be asking is, why would I bother haunting your dungeon?”

Celestia’s glare did not lessen as the rubber ball continued to bounce. “To distract my already worn guards,” she answered.

“Do you really think so little of me?” the specter said, the tone in his voice suggesting a smile on his face. “Even after I’ve sent my mare to help you out?”

Celestia’s ears perked. “Your mare?” she asked.

“The Mysterious Mare Do Well, of course. Where did you think she got the idea?”

Celestia did not have an answer for that.

The spirit sighed. “Celestia, Princess, I understand if you don’t believe me. I understand if you question my motives. But I do want to help. I want to keep Equestria and it’s ponies safe, it’s what I’ve always wanted.” The ghost stood before her, and looked her in the eye. “I am on your side, and regardless of what my actions seem to say, I always have been.”

The ghost looked out, at the windowless wall, before sending her one last glance. “I am on your side, Princess, and you need to take a long second to figure out who else is.”

The Princess said nothing.

There was silence between them for a moment, and then the ghost spoke up again. “I’m glad you came, Princess. Is there anyway I can reach you easier if I need to?”

Celestia gave a small smile. “You could always be honest with me and tell me your name, then I can send you an enchanted journal.”

The ghost shook his head. “Now, now, Princess, no cheating.”

Celestia gave a soft laugh. “I suppose I might as well extend an invitation to my room.”

“That will be perfect, Princess. Even though I’d normally make you take me to dinner first.”

She shook her head, but smiled nonetheless.

“I’ll see you whenever I have something to report,” the apparition said, “don’t hold your breath, though.”

He turned, and began to head towards the wall, when Celestia spoke again, her voice cool, but not angry. “If you are my Pendragon, why haven’t you spoken to your wife?”

The Silver Stallion paused, standing before the wall before lowering his head. “Because I’m the world’s worst husband and father.”

And then he stepped through the wall, and disappeared from sight, leaving only the rubber ball to bounce along the floor.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza was in the backyard of what was essentially her apartment building, looking down the yard at the small target on the far end.

A bow, fit for a hoof, was strapped to her foreleg, and came with numerous balances, counterbalances, sights, quiver, and anything she wanted at any given moment.

She propped herself onto her rear legs, and gripped an arrow through hoof magic.

She always liked holding the bow in her hooves, it had a more satisfying feel.

Also, yes, she did practice Archery.

It had started back when she was young, one of the many talents her parents had her try her hoof at, next to tapestry making and basket weaving.

She let fly, the arrow striking true only half a hoof away from the bullseye.

She just really did enjoy this more.

Dropping back to three hooves, the one holding her bow still in the air, she grabbed another arrow with the ring of magic, and nocked it.

She stood again, lining up her second shot, just as a lavender unicorn rounded the bend, her young, blue-coated son on her shoulder. “Hey, Cadence!”

The princess did not immediately answer, instead she kept her pose, and then quickly let fly, the arrow burying itself almost directly next to the first.

She released a breath, and turned to Twilight with a smile. “Twilight! Hi! How have you been?”

“Better,” she said simply. “What about you?”

“Oh, you know, holding court, trying to take care of the family, never a moment to myself,” the pink alicorn said as she placed her bow on a nearby table. “What can I do for you?”

“I’ve been invited to a war memorial celebration as a guest speaker,” Twilight explained.

“Oh? Wow, congratulations!” she said, smiling. “Now, let me guess, let me guess, you need me to look over Orion for the night?”

“I’m sorry,” Twilight said instantly. “I understand if you can’t, it’s so last minute and I—”

Cadence stopped her with a gentle touch, and took her nephew from his mother. “Don’t apologize for a thing,” she said. “Skyla just loves it when her cousin comes over. Yes, she does, yes, she does,” she said, nuzzling his belly.

Twilight smiled. “Thanks, Cadence.”

“It’s not a problem, Twilight,” she said, hefting the colt to her shoulder. “I’m just glad to see you again. It’s been a while.”

Twilight lowered her head. “Yeah, I’m sorry, I just...It’s been hard.”

Cadence’s smile faded slightly, and she rested a hoof onto Twilight’s wither. “I can only imagine.”

Twilight nodded, before wiping the frown away and giving the Princess of love a smile. “I’ll be back for him by eleven. Not much later than that.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

The Memorial Celebration was much more fancy than Twilight was expecting.

Apparently, the Tart’s were quite an important family, or, at the very least, improbably rich.

They had rented out a massive ballroom, one with a domed, glass ceiling that gave the party-goers an admittedly breath-taking view of Canterlot’s cityscape, as well as three dozen waiters with some rather impressive catering, if the smell of their alfalfa and rice dish was anything to go by.

The crowd that had shown up was not a bad sample either.

Several of the patriarchs of some noble houses that Twilight recognized had come, complete with well-dressed, too-young-for-him trophy wives.

Other than the nobles, though, she didn’t see too many other ponies she recognized. In fact, if she had to guess, she’d have to say that maybe there were five soldiers actually there, not including Kiwi Tart, herself, Pinkie, and Soarin.

Speaking of, the pink earth pony was standing on the far side of the room, and, judging by the grin that had just appeared on her face, had just spotted the lavender unicorn. “Twilight!” she called, perhaps a touch too loud for the atmosphere that had been planned, before bouncing toward her in a pounce that expertly navigated the crowd.

The pink pony landed perfectly next to unicorn, and pounced her with a hug. “It’s so good to see you, Twi!”

“Hey, Pinkie,” Twilight said with a smile, hugging back.

“I’m so glad you made it!” Pinkie said, revealing the pink, slim dress she had chosen to wear that evening.

“Come on! Kiwi Tart wants to see you!”

Pinkie’s bounce, Twilight realized was a little...odd. Specifically speaking, she should not be able to navigate a crowd as easily as she did.

But then again, it was Pinkie.

“General Sparkle!” a mare’s voice cried, greeting her, and the yellow and green unicorn who owned it waved and saluted at her.

Twilight sheepishly saluted back, and approached her generous host, whose curly mane flowed down her neck. “Oh, I’m so glad you made it, General.”

“I’m glad to be invited, and please, just call me Twilight.”

“Yeah, we’re off duty!” Pinkie said. “No need to be super formal on us.”

“Even when it is a formal event,” Soarin noted, bringing up the rear.

Twilight smiled, laughing to herself.

“Well, it's good to know that you're doing well," Kiwi said. "I was so shocked when I heard the news about the Pendragon.”

Twilight's smile faded, and she gave a slow nod.

“But he's alive, Twilight. Or at the least, a ghost…”

She ignored that part of her brain.

“Well,” Kiwi Tart began, eagerly searching for a change of subject, “um...my father would like to meet you! Yes, come on, let me introduce you to Dad.”

Kiwi led her away, and Twilight began the first of an avalanche of greetings.

<<<|Ω|>>>

The party was in full swing now, the ponies all talking and mingling with each other as the band played quiet, if vaguely patriotic, music.

Twilight kept waiting for them to begin playing a fast-paced number she could dance to, only to remember that they weren’t going to do that because Alan wasn’t here to bribe them.

Still, it wasn’t a bad. It felt a little on the nice side to get out into the world and talk to ponies again.

All she needed to do was not going into a maddening spiral of mad mutterings about how her husband was secretly alive and waging a war on crime.

It was harder to do than she thought.

Still, before she knew it, she had been called up for her speech.

“Fillies and Gentlecolts,” Kiwi said as she stood on the stage, “please put your hooves together for tonight’s guest of honor, General Twilight Sparkle.”

A polite applause from the crowd sounded as Twilight walked up the stage. A spotlight fell on her, and she smiled before clearing her throat.

A silence fell onto the crowd, and Twilight quietly walked up to the small podium they had provided, and pulled out a set of flashcards.

Clearing her throat one last time, she began. “Good Evening, my fellow ponies,” she said, feeling her mouth go instantly dry. “Y-you know, it’s funny,” she fumbled, searching for an ice-breaker, “as I was walking up here I was thinking that we all have a lot in common today. None of us know what I’m going to say!”

A few restrained chuckles broke out.

There was, however, one pony who had thought it was hilarious, though, and his voice echoed rather loudly over the crowd.

Twilight smiled, her confidence returning. “Thank you, I’ll be here all week.”

The pony’s laughter was renewed. “Bwa-hahaha-ha!”

Once he settled, Twilight continued. “Thank you, it’s an honor to speak here tonight, among such great and upstanding ponies—”

“Ya-haha-ha-heehee-haha!”

Twilight gave a nervous laugh. “Haha...A-as I stand here, surrounded in the company of those my late husband called his brothers and sisters in arms—”

“Hahaha! Heehee-ha-ho!”

The rest of the crowd was silent.

Twilight waited a second before continuing. “As I stand in your company, I find myself awestruc—”

“Ya-heehee-he-haha-haa!”

“Will somepony shut him up?” someone said from the crowd.

The spotlight on Twilight spun, coming up to reveal the operator to be a white-faced pegasus in a purple suit with a daisy in his lapel. His wide, green eyes sparkled with madness as his grin, made to seem larger by the clown-like facepaint, let loose another laugh. “Why do that? The joke’s only just begun!”

Chaos erupted on the ballroom floor as the lights went up to reveal ten ponies, all dressed in Nightmare Night clown masks and armed with knives. Screams went up, followed by the metallic smell of blood as a pony fell with a knife in his back.

All of the ponies with military training were already up, moving to stop their attackers and defend the other ponies with their lives.

The Clown Killer flittered down to the floor, walking through the chaos as if he had been born in it. He walked towards Twilight, his smile never leaving his face.

The doors then suddenly blew open, having been torn apart by a massive blue pony with a clown mask like the others and carrying a large hammer.

The clown smacked his lips loudly. “Now, now, Kiddos, calm down. I need you all to set a good example for Sledge, here. Don’t want him to get all riled up. He’s has a terrible temper,” he said with a laugh.

“Hahahahahahaha!”

The fight began to slow, the soldiers standing between the thugs and the guests. That did not stop Twilight, though.

“Call them off, clown!” she growled, horn glowing.

“Now, now, Mrs. Sparkle,” he said, before his wings grabbed onto his suit coat, pulling them open to reveal stick after stick of dynamite, each stamped with a yellow smiley face, “Let’s not blow this out of proportion, now? Heh-heh-heh-haha…”

Twilight’s eyes went wide at the sight of the explosives, and her spell fizzled as the clown forced his way up to the podium.

“Have I mentioned the deadpony switch?” he asked. “It’s really simple, if I die, then it switches the whole crowd to dead ponies.”

The small herd now stood, frozen as the clown took the podium. “Good evening, Fillies and Gentlecolts. We’re tonight’s entertainment! And I am your host, Joe. Joe Kerr,” he said, grinning manically as he produced a top hat and cane. “Or Bad Joke, Ill humor and a dozen others…” he added, before a flick of the fetlock produced fifty-two business cards. “Pick a card, any card! Ha-hahahahahaha!”

Two more ponies came in through the open door, a large box hovering between them as it was held by their combined telekinesis.

“Welcome, welcome!” Bad Joke said. “Welcome to Joke’s Circus!”

The two newcomers set the box down behind the crowd, and the side slid away to reveal a tiger, worn thin by starvation, and chained to the side of the cage.

“Let the show begin!” Bad Joke said. “Ya-Hahahahahahahahahaha-haha!”

The tiger roared, it’s hunger-starved mind telling it to eat anything that came near it.

Twilight blinked, her mind racing to figure out how to work in this situation. She needed to deal with the pegasus, whom she could now see had a beige coat, only really revealed by his wings and hooves. She needed to get him away, and also disable him to—

A heavy hoof came down on her horn, sending the room spinning.

She felt herself being lifted up and then thrown into the crowd. All the while, Bad Joke spoke. “Now, now, Mrs. Sparkle. You know how a magic show works. No peeking.”

The crowd was now murmuring wildly, the mares panicking while the stallions muttered nervously.

Only the soldiers stood still, standing steadfast between the civilians and the criminals.

“Now,” Bad Joke said, waiting a beat for the audience.

The muttering continued.

Bad Joke cleared his throat.

The crowd was not silent.

Bad Joke frowned. “Shut Up, or I’ll rip out the throats of every single one of you!”

That got their attention.

The smile returned. “Better. Now, my captive audience, now that I have your attention, we can have a nice, long talk. And we are going to start with you,” he said, pointing a lone hoof, “General Pinkamena Diane Pie.”

Pinkie stared at him with wide, confused eyes.

“Me?” She asked, looking into the pegasus’ eyes.

Those wicked, green eyes.

Those eyes that bored into her soul and looked into the darkest places of her mind.

An older stallion, the one Twilight recognized as Kiwi’s father once the room stopped spinning, stepped forward.

“What do you want with us?”

Bad Joke’s head turned from Pinkie, and she released a breath she had not realized she was holding, and turned to the older stallion. “What do I want?” he asked, smacking his lips. “What do I want? Now that is a question.”

The clown stepped down from the podium, his wicked grin shining as he stepped closer.

“What in the wide, wide world of Equestria do I want?” he asked again, smacking his lips. “Heh, heh. Well, I can tell you I don’t want your money, I don’t want fame, and I certainly don’t want your pathetic little lives. No,” he said with a smile, “no, what I want is far more simple.”

They were almost nose to nose, now, Bad Joke and Kiwi’s father.

“I just want one, tiny, ittsy-bittsy, little thing,” Bad Joke told them. “I just want you all, to smile.”

A green cloud of gas shot forward from the daisy on the clown’s lapel, and Kiwi’s father caught the gas full in the face.

Kiwi’s father reeled, coughing as the gas filled his nostrils.

And Bad Joke smiled.

The stallion coughed, trying to clear his lungs as he fell to his knees.

And then he began to laugh.

Kiwi’s father began to laugh, low and slow at first, before rising. His laugh echoed through the ballroom and all eyes fell on him.

The old stallion turned, coughing, but never stopping that empty, hollow laugh.

A manic grin had spread across his face, and the laughter got worse, it was getting erratic and wild, followed by tears that were now streaming from his face as he struggled to breath.

“Hahahahahahahahaha-hahahahahahahahaha!”

He gasped for air, crawling as he smiled, unable to breathe.

“Hahaha-hahaha-hahahaha-hahaha!”

Kiwi stared down at her father in horror as he got closer, his eyes wide, his pupil’s terrified pinpricks, and the massive smile on his face.

“Haha-haha-hahahahaha! Ha ha ha! Haaaaa…”

Her father went still, and the laughing finally stopped.

But that smile never left his face.

“There!” Bad Joke said, picking up the old stallion, and holding him by the shoulder as if they were good buddies. “Look how happy he is! Yahahahahaha!” He let the stallion drop and turned back to the crowd.

“Now...where was I?” the crazed criminal asked, before his green eyes fell to the pink general. “Ah, yes...you, Mrs. Pie.”

Soarin stepped up next to her, body low and ready to pounce. “What do you want with her?” he asked in a growl.

“The honor of meeting my inspiration,” Bad Joke said, that smile never leaving his face.

Pinkie’s eyes went wide. “Inspir-what?”

Bad Joke took a bow. “How could you not? The pony that banishes fear with a laugh? The pony that says a joke can fix any problem? The mare who decreed that no pony should be without a smile on their face and a song in their heart? How could a pony like you not be my hero?”

Pinkie stared at him with a horrified expression on her face. “B-but you’re a meanie!”

“Aren’t we all?” Bad Joke asked. “Ponies are evil, Mrs. Pie. I’m just trying to fix the problem.”

“Well I’m about to fix you!” Soarin yelled, before pouncing the clown.

Bad Joke moved.

He moved far too fast.

Far too fast.

Twilight barely saw it, but she swore that Bad Joke grabbed the pouncing pegasus and buried his face into the ground. The knives in his wings spread out, and the blade went straight to Soarin’s throat.

“And you must be Mr. Pie,” Bad Joke said, his hooves pinning his wings and the knife pressing into flesh. The clown’s eyes went to Pinkie. “Tell me, Mrs. Pie, do you love him?”

Pinkie stared, frozen on the spot, staring straight at her husband.

Twilight knew that look. It was the look of a mare that had her heart gripped by fear.

“Y-yes…” Pinkie squeaked.

Bad Joke’s smile grew bigger. “Are you afraid?”

“Y-yes…”

“Then laugh, Mrs. Pie.”

“W-what?”

“I’m the ghostie, so let’s hear you giggle. I want to see you laugh at this. All of this!” he said, motioning to the crooks around them, the comatose stallion with the smile on his face, even as Kiwi Tart wept, and the tiger that strained against his chain. “Laugh, and your husband goes free.”

Pinkie stared at him.

Laugh?

Laugh at suffering and pain?

Laugh at the misfortune of others?

Laugh?

Bad Joke frowned. “Now!” he roared, before his hoof came down on Soarin’s wing.

The wonderbolt screamed as the bones snapped.

“Ha! Hahaha!” Pinkie said, trying to laugh.

“You call that a laugh?! I know you can do better!”

“Hahahahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahaha!” she laughed, tears falling from her face as she plead.

Bad Joke’s smile returned. “Better.”

Pinkie’s laugh turned manic, her mane going flat as tears continued to fall.

Bad Joke smiled, and his laugh joined hers.

“Yahahahahahahahahahaha-hee-hahahahahahahaha!”

And then the blade at Soarin’s throat moved.

Twilight had moved before she even knew it, but a magick sheath had wrapped around the blade at the last second, saving the Wonderbolt’s life.

Bad Joke looked down at his victim, confused at that fact that he was still alive.

Pinkie moved next, running forward and shoving the clown away from her husband.

The soldiers moved between them, even as the clown was recovering from the blow.

Bad Joke was frowning. “Which one of you saved him?”

The ponies glared at him.

“Which one?!” Bad Joke roared.

The ponies stayed silent.

Bad Joke snorted and screamed. “Kill them! Kill all of them!”

The thugs moved forward, brandishing their knives and blades.

And that’s when a geyser of green smoke shot up from behind one of the upturned tables.

All eyes turned to the gas, shocked at its sudden appearance.

Four more geysers popped, quickly filling the room.

And then a mare’s voice spoke.

“I am the terror that flaps in the night!”

Bad Joke smiled.

“I am the storm that hovers on the horizon.”

“Good,” Bad Joke said. “It was getting boring in here.”

“I am Mare Do Well!”

Chaos erupted.

Thugs dropped, a mare in a purple cape and hat spun in the clouds, visibility was reduced to a few hooves, and the noise of the battle roared around them.

Twilight stood, and began roaring orders. “Everyone get out of here! Head for the doors! Somepony grab Mr. Tart and Soarin!”

“You heard her!” One of the soldiers yelled. “Let’s get them out of here! Go! Go! Go!”

Twilight led the civilians, charging through the green cloud. “Come on! Follow me!” she cried, running towards the last place where she saw the doors.

Only to run almost nose-first into a mask-wearing pony with a knife.

“They're trying to escape!” the thug said, raising his knife to stab the lavender unicorn.

As he brought his knife down, though, a flash of green erupted to the right, and the Mare Do Well shot forward.

Twilight stared with wide eyes as the thug’s thrust pierced straight through Mare Do Well’s leg.

And not a drop of blood.

Mare Do Well twisted her foreleg, wrenching the knife from the thug’s magical grasp before turning for a kick to the face.

The two disappeared into the mist, and Twilight shook her head and stood again. “Come on! Let’s go! Everypony move!”

She ran to the door, the panicked ponies behind her being herded by the soldiers. “Come on! Let’s go! Move, move, mo—”

“Jotum!”

A dragon’s roar pierced the sound of battle, and the mist was blown back at the sound. On the floor stood Mare Do Well, facing off Bad Joke while all but three of the thugs lay on the ground, unconscious.

But Twilight didn’t see them.

No, once she had heard that shout, her eyes had immediately begun searching for the source.

And she found him.

There, standing on a buttress, high above the dance floor, stood the immaterial, armored figure that Twilight instantly recognized as the Silver Stallion.

Alan was here.

“So you finally came!” Bad Joke said excitedly. “I was starting to think that you didn’t exist!”

The Silver Stallion said nothing, but merely drew a ghostly replica of Judgement.

Bad Joke laughed. “Let the party begin!”

Twilight watched, wide-eyed as the ghost stepped off the buttress, and floated down to the ground, before standing on his hind legs to grasp the sword.

She knew that stance.

The other ponies were running past her, down the stairs, to escape from the crazed criminals, but Twilight kept watching.

There he was.

Right there.

Her husband stood not four cart-lengths away.

Well, her dead husband.

“Talk to him!” Her mind screamed. “Get over there and beg for forgiveness you stupid—”

Somepony grabbed her, and began pulling her down the stairs.

“No! No! Wait! I need to talk to him!”

The Silver Stallion disappeared from view, as she was dragged down.

“No! No! I need to talk with him! I need to!”

The pony holding her did not slow down.

An explosion rocked the building.

“The dynamite!”

“No!”

<<<|Ω|>>>

The Royal Guard had set up a perimeter around the building with the blown-out roof, glass littering the streets and wood splinters from the tables up above.

It was hard to tell from down here, but Twilight had to guess, as she was wrapped in a blanket, that only half the room had been caught in the explosion, the rest having been spared.

The Guards had already gotten her statement, but there were still many guests that needed to be interviewed, so she sat in silence off to the side, watching the Guard work.

Mr. Tart had been taken to the hospital, along with Soarin’ and Pinkie, the latter mostly because she wouldn’t be separated from him for more than a minute.

Twilight sighed.

She had been so close.

Still, at least she had seen him. She knew the Silver Stallion was real, at the very least.

It was comforting in a way.

She sighed, taking another look around and checking the star-filled sky above her.

They were out in full force tonight, and...and…

That star was moving.

Twilight blinked.

That...that wasn’t a star.

That was...that was the Silver Stallion.

She stood, letting the blanket fall away from her withers.

The ghost flew away above her, heading down to the ground.

And Twilight followed.

Alright, guys! One more chapter until the big moment! One to go, and the whole story will turn on it’s head.

“Uh...Miner...I’ve got a question.”

Sure, what?

“I’m just wondering why you put the Joker in the story.”

Oh, well...that’s mostly because, while Ledger did a wonderful job at the Joker, it wasn’t that great of a Joker.

“What do you mean?”

Ledger’s Joker laughs maybe three times during the whole movie.

“What? No he...I...um...does he?”

He does, and you and I both know that Joker is nearly nothing without his laugh, and the fact that Ledger made such a compelling character without that says something. That being said, I do think they missed some serious potential without using Joker Gas, that stuff was messed up.

Anyway, the point was that this was my chance to see those mistakes fixed. Oh, and before anyone asks, Bad Joke is voiced by Mark Hamill.

“Of course he is!”

Thanks for reading guys, and we’ll see you next time!

“Be sure to comment!”

Bye!

16-Going to the Grave

Chapter 16

A tale is told of an abbot, a man of God, who thought that everything God had made had a purpose to serve mankind.

Trees provided shade and shelter, the sun provided warmth and light, and the night provided the perfect environment for sleep.

Now this abbot had a charge, a youth of sixteen, and the abbot never gave the boy a moment to rest. “Keep to your studies boy. God gave you your mind to think, and I will not have you waste it.”

“Go do your chores, boy. God may have given man the earth, but you must take care of it in return.”

“Rest now, boy. God gives us night so that we may sleep. Do not waste the darkness.”

One night, however, he found himself wasting that very same darkness. Restless, and unable to sleep, he sighed and put on his robe, hoping that a walk through the orchards would calm him.

At first, the night was silent, as he expected from God's masterful creation, and his walk through the apple trees was beginning to calm him.

And then, he heard the stream. The flowing water was soothing to his soul, and a smile began to grow on his face.

And then he heard the crickets, a chorus of insects singing in the night, harmonizing with the stream that he could see, glistening in the moonlight.

As he saw all of this, the abbot became confused. Why? Why did God give such beauty to the night? The time where no man was awake to appreciate it? What was the purpose?

The Abbot continued to wonder, trying to understand this puzzle, when his eyes espied his charge.

The youth stood in the night, searching by the stream for something yet unseen.

At the sight of him, the Abbot felt a surge of rage. There he stood, obvious in his disobedience, and ignoring everything the abbot had taught him about respect.

Furious, the abbot took a single stomping step in the boy’s direction, and then was halted.

A woman, young, as the boy was, and beautiful beyond words rushed to him. The two met, and shared a kiss in the moonlight.

The Abbot blinked.

They whispered to each other, speaking in love-filled tones that caused the old abbot’s heart to ache.

And then it was as if the Lord opened his eyes. He saw them all, the crickets, the frogs, the stream, the trees, and the moon, all being there, for them, for these two lovers that held each other in their embrace.

The night, it seemed...was not just for sleep, and the beauty that hid in it was not wasted.

This was the abbot’s last thought as he backed away from the couple.

And he finally knew why God made the moon.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Twilight’s heart was on the verge of beating out of her chest. She ran as fast as she could manage, chasing down the Silver Stallion as he descended to the street.

She needed to talk with him.

She had to see him again.

She had a fundamental need to beg him to forgive her.

Forgive her for abandoning him, for doubting him, for leaving him stranded when he stood by her.

She ran.

The ghost was getting closer to the ground now, heading for a tucked-away alleyway, and still Twilight followed.

She turned a corner, following the specter’s decent with eyes wide and alert, following him with her eyes until he dipped under the roofs of the buildings.

She ducked down, coming into the alleyway, and stood stock still.

The Silver Stallion had his back to her, and was walking away.

“Alan!” she called, her voice almost echoing in the space between the buildings.

The ghost froze.

“Alan,” she said. “Alan, please.”

The ghost did not turn.

“Alan, listen to me, I’m sorry, Alan.”

The ghost began to disappear into the floor.

“No! Alan, please!”

The ghost said nothing, but continued to leave.

“I’m sorry, Alan! I’m sorry! Please! Please talk to me!”

Tears were beginning to fall from her face as her husband refused to talk. A part of her mind told her that she deserved it, that any coldness she received was worth the pain she had put him through.

She couldn’t take that, though.

“Alan! Alan, please! Please, forgive me! Speak to me please!”

The ghost then spoke, whispering to her. “Later…”

And then he went, completely gone from her sight.

“No!” Twilight called, before clawing at the stone he had gone through.

“No! Please, no! Alan, Alan talk to me!”

There was no answer.

“I’m sorry! Please! I’m sorry!” Tears began to flow freely.

“I’m...I’m so...so sorry…” She did not know how long she sat there, weeping. All she knew was that she was alone.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Morning came early, and Rainbow Dash was not happy about it.

For some reason, she had received a letter from the Canterlot Hospital with instructions to come immediately.

Apparently something happened to somepony, and they wanted to talk.

So here she was, at this ungodly hour of 8:30, standing in the sterilized hallways, wandering to try and find the ponies that wanted her.

Now, which room did the letter say? 232?

Yeah, that sounded right.

As she opened the door, though, the pegasus froze.

Pinkie was asleep, sitting in a chair in the corner, while Soarin lay in the gurney.

Spitfire, who stood next to the other wonderbolt, gave Rainbow a sad look before turning back to Soarin. “Alright, I’ll see you when you get out, alright?”

Soarin nodded.

Spitfire gave a nod back before heading out of the room, pausing as she passed by Rainbow. “He wants to talk with you,” she said, before continuing on her way.

Rainbow looked back confused at the wonderbolt captain, before turning back to her friend.

“Hey, Dash,” Soarin said, his wing cast poking out from behind his back.

“H-hey, Soarin, what up?”

Soarin’s smile disappeared, and a he gave a sigh. “Not great,” he said finally. “Some maniac broke my wing last night.”

Rainbow winced. “S-so I guess you’re going to be out of action for a while then, huh?”

Soarin looked up at her sadly. “He shattered my radius and ulna. Nearly pulverized the break.”

Rainbow blinked. That sounded almost exactly like what had happened to her mother.

“I’ll still be able to fly, but...my wing won’t be able to take the stress I’m normally used to.”

Dash dared not say a word.

“I’ve...I’ve had to quit...and I’m handing my position over to you.”

Dash blinked, staring at the now ex-wonderbolt in shock. “I-I...th—”

“Don’t...you don’t need to say anything…” Soarin said, before waving her over. “Just...just come here…”

She came closer to the bed, and Soarin gave her a smile. “Dash...Dash, I need you to promise me something.”

“Uh...sure, I guess...what do you hrk—”

She couldn’t get another word out as Soarin suddenly grabbed her by the throat. “Earn it,” he said with a hiss.

“What?” she managed to ask.

“When I sit there in the stands, and I watch you, I don’t want to hear a single critic say it was because of your position. I don’t want them to say it was because you were my friend. I want them to say that you were the best, like nopony ever was or could ever be. I want them to be awed by you, I want you to drop their jaws. I want you to earn it, do you understand?”

Rainbow Dash nodded, eyes wide.

“I want you to be the best, I want you to be the best Wonderbolt that ever lived. I want the records shattered, and the crowds awed. I want grandparents telling their grandchildren about how they saw you perform, and how there has not been a wonderbolt like you since.

“I want you to earn it, Rainbow. I want you to be the best, like I know you are…”

She looked at him, and felt herself wither under his emerald green gaze.

“I—”

“Promise me, Dash.”

“I...I promise, sir. I’ll Pinkie promise, even!”

Soarin let her go, and gave her a smile. “Good...glad to hear it.”

The pink mare in the corner groaned. “Soary? What’s going on?” she asked sleepily.

“It’s alright, Sweetie Pie, I’m just talking with Dash.”

“Oh, okay…” she muttered. “Hi, Dashie…”

“Hey, Pinkie…” Rainbow said.

“I…” Pinkie said with a yawn. “I’m sorry you had to get in this way…”

Rainbow nodded, before turning to Soarin. “Don’t worry, Pinkie, I plan on earning it.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Twilight wasn’t sure how, but she got her board back. The corkboard, complete with red yarn and photo clippings was now in her room, and she was staring at it with the intensity of a small sun.

Things weren’t adding up.

Everything made sense, but at the same time, nothing did.

Something was wrong.

Taking only a quick break to give Orion his baby formula, she then instantly turned to the board.

Alan would have spoke to her. He would have.

Unless he now finds you despicable after you left him.

“I can’t hear you!”

So that meant that he was hiding something. Something important.

“Something as important as the fact that he is still alive!”

“Yes...yes...it’s all coming together.”

You don’t have a thing.

“Still can’t hear you!”

“Now,” she said, aloud, “the Silver Stallion’s activity in the city has gone up drastically ever since he met up with Fancy Pants, and at that contact he said that he wants me alive. That means he either wants me alive while he’s dead, but that doesn’t make sense…”

Unless he doesn’t want to see you anymore.

“...so that must mean he’s alive and wants me to stay alive so we can get back together!” she said, grinning wildly.

You can’t prove that.

“Proof?” she muttered to herself. “I don’t need proof! I know my husband!”

Which is why you accused him of being a rabid dog that could not be trusted.

“Shut up,” she muttered to herself, before wrapping more yarn around yet more pins.

It is your fault, you know.

“We’ve established this,” she mumbled.

It only make sense that he doesn’t want you anymore.

“He wants me alive, he wants to be with me.”

Assuming he’s alive.

“Of course he’s alive! He wouldn’t want me alive if he wasn’t!”

Your logic seems flawed.

“Shut up! It makes sense!” she said practically yelling.

“Mrs. Sparkle?” A voice called.

Twilight stuck her head out the door of her room. “Sorry!”

Closing the door again, she turned to the board once more.

Truly, it was a monument to her insanity.

She needed come up with something. Some proof that she wasn’t as insane as her brain said she was.

She needed to prove that Alan was alive.

But how?

How could she prove that Alan was still there? Walking among the living?

She sighed, her mind turning as she stepped onto the balcony and into the afternoon light.

How?

How? How? How?

It was obvious that the Silver Stallion identity was a trick. A spell of some kind.

Which Alan, the pony who can’t even cast telekinesis, can apparently find, learn, and then use…

“Enough with the sarcasm,” she growled.

It was a spell. It had to be.

But how? How could she prove that Alan was still among the living? That he still walked in flesh and bon—

She stopped.

Then smiled.

Yes.

That would prove everything…

<<<|Ω|>>>

She had waited for nightfall. Once the sun had dropped below the horizon, and the scheduled rain storm began to unleash itself, she made her move.

She laughed as the shovel bit into soft dirt, lightning lighting her way and thunder hiding her laugh.

She was going to prove it.

She laughed again, lightning striking as she dug deeper into Alan’s grave.

“Why didn’t I do this sooner?” she asked, the shovel throwing more dirt up into the air. “This will prove everything!”

Lightning struck nearby, the thunder causing the teeth in her skull to rattle.

“I’m going to prove it!” she cried with maniacal glee. “Everypony will see it! He’s alive!”

The shovel came down again, water filling in the bottom of the hole that Twilight stood in, and yet again moved another shovel full of muddy slop into the air.

“They’ll all see it! Then he can drop the act! Then we can talk!”

She brought the shovel down once more, and this time it gave a hollow thud as it struck oak.

Twilight grinned. “There you are!”

She leapt out of the hole, laughing all the way as her horn began to glow. “You want proof?!” She asked, to no one in particular. “Well here’s your proof!”

With a mighty magical heave, she ripped the coffin from the dirt and slammed it roughly to the ground.

“Who’s there?!” a voice called out.

Twilight ignored it.

“Mrs-Mrs. Sparkl’?” Grim called out, holding a lamp in front of him.

“Everypony’s going to see!” She laughed. “Everypony will know! Alan’s alive!”

Twilight ripped the lid of the coffin, and smiled as she saw the empty cushions.

“HA!” she cried. “See! See! I told you!”

Grim ran up to her. “Mrs. Sparkl’! Mrs. Sparkl’! What are you doing?!”

“I’ve proved it!” she exclaimed, turning to the gravekeeper. “I proved it, see! Alan’s not here! He’s alive!”

Grim blinked, staring at her, bewildered, mouth agape.

And then he brought his hoof up to his face and shook his head with a groan. “Oh, Mrs. Sparkl’...”

Twilight’s grin faltered. “W-what? I proved it! It’s empty, see!” she said, turning.

And found herself staring at a body.

She blinked. “What?”

There was Alan’s body, laying there in the coffin, rigor mortis keeping him upright as an awful smell began to assault her nose.

She blinked again. “Bu-but…”

It was empty. He wasn’t there just a second ago…

She reached out and touched him with her hoof, and felt the stiff flesh.

She pulled back quickly.

He’s dead, Twilight.

Her lip quivered, and tears began to form in her eyes.

The rain kept beating down on the three of them, and lightning struck again.

He’s dead. He’s dead and you just desecrated his grave. Way to go.

Twilight tried to choke back a sob.

She failed.

He’s dead and he doesn’t want to see you anymore!

“But...but that doesn’t make sense…”

It makes perfect sense! He’s dead! You abandoned him! He doesn’t want to be around you anymore! It took you, what, a week before you were looking for a replacement?! I wouldn’t want to be with you, you sick, disgusting mare!

Twilight fell to her knees.

She started to cry.

Grim walked up to her, and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Come on, Mrs. Sparkl’. Let’s git ya home. Ghastly’ll take care of your husband.”

Twilight shook her head.

“Don’t worry, nopony’ll know,” Grim said, helping her to her hooves. “Just...just head home.”

And slowly, agonizingly slowly, she did just that.

<<<|Ω|>>>

When she finally got home, she wasn’t sure if she had run out of tears for the rain.

She made her way quietly through the house, careful not to wake either of her hosts.

It didn’t change the fact that she felt empty inside.

It was almost as if he had died all over again.

She stumbled into her room, and fell onto her bed, still wet and not bothering to dry herself.

“I’m so sorry, Alan…” she whispered into the sheets. “I’m so sorry.”

The silence in her room lasted a long second, before a song erupted from her bedside table.

“It’s too late to Apologize,

It’s too late…”

Twilight’s head came off the pillow, and her eyes fell on the glowing screen of Alan’s iPod.

She blinked at it, before scowling and rolling over in her bed. “Shut up,” she growled, hoping to silence the semi-sentient device.

A new sound bite went off.

“Shot to the heart! And you’re to blame,

You give love a bad name…”

“Shut up,” Twilight said again.

“You should’ve when you could’ve!

You're gonna miss my love, girl

You should, it would've been so good!”

“Shut up!” she said, standing up out of bed and staring down at the annoying machine.

“You’re as cold as ice!

You’re willing to sacrifice our love!”

“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” Twilight said, picking up the iPod with magic as it’s musical accusation rang out in the air.

“We are never-ever-ever,

getting back together!”

“Shut up!” she cried, compressing her magic and cracking the screen.

The screen flashed, and a photo, the picture of the two of them on their wedding day stared back at her.

The pressure stopped.

She froze, and stared at the little device, before slowly, gingerly, placing it down.

She sat down, looking down at it, with the picture of both of them staring up at her.

He had died that day, and came back to be with her.

He looked so happy.

With her.

She probably disgusted him now.

She carefully began to apply some tender mending magic, and the crack began to heal.

When the iPod sang next, it’s voice was quieter, and almost calmer.

“This was my hell living without You here...

Even Heaven is hell if somehow You were not there…”

Twilight gave a smirk. “You too, huh?”

The screen now healed, she held it close to her, before checking up on Orion’s crib.

Her son slept, despite the noise, and she gave a smile. “Sleeps like his father…”

She shook her head, and walked, head down towards her balcony.

She dropped her head along the railing, and sighed as she looked out on the scenery.

The city lights burned bright, revealing the hidden splendor of Canterlot.

And yet, her husband was dead, and the city was under siege by crazed criminals.

How could the world be so calm, when it’s heroes lie dead and evil rules the world?

“What went wrong?” she asked herself. “What did I do to ruin everything?”

“That is a complicated question, Little Miss Sparkle,” a voice said behind her.

Twilight spun, startled. There, before her, standing between her and door to her room, was Harmony.

The twisted smile on his face unnerved her.

“You didn’t do much,” Harmony continued. “You were only born.”

“H-Harmony, yo-you scared...what?”

Harmony’s smiled widened. “To put it simply, you stupid, blind pony, is that your late husband was right about me.”

Twilight blinked, confused.

“He was always right, which only made it easier to trap him. And you, my little darling, played your part perfectly.”

“M-my part?”

Harmony kept smiling. “You made it incredibly easy, what with the fears you had in your mind. I almost didn’t have to try to turn you on him.”

Twilight blinked. “What?”

And then Harmony’s arm shot forward, and grabbed her by the throat. She gasped as a vice-like grip tightened around her throat, and before she knew it, she was lifted bodily in the air.

She still gripped the iPod in her hooves.

Harmony’s face got closer to her, the smile still on his face. “Isn’t it a wonderful thought? All that pain you put him through in his final moments was only a shadow in your mind? One I brought to light?”

Twilight gurgled.

“Oh, but don’t worry, Mrs. Sparkle, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to apologize. After all, you’ll be meeting him soon.”

Harmony held Twilight out at arm’s length, over the street that was far below.

“And then, with you dead, not even the Elements of Harmony can stop me,” he said with a grin.

And then she fell.

She screamed.

And then there was silence.

Harmony smiled, and looked over the edge.

Her body lay splayed on the ground.

The door to her room burst open, and Fancy Pants, dressed in a nightgown, ran into the room. “Mrs. Twilight? Mrs. Twilight!” He ran to the balcony, and Harmony, invisible to him, stepped out of the way to allow the unicorn to glance over the balcony. “Oh, no…”

Harmony smirked, and walked back into the room.

Orion was crying.

“Fleur! Fleur! Call the guard! Oh, sweet Celestia! Call the guard!” Fancy yelled, running out of the room, and bounding down the stairs.

Harmony looked down at the crying babe. “We have plans for you, Little One.”

Orion kept crying.

“Special plans.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Twilight’s funeral was held the next morning.

Her friends were there.

Her parents were there.

Cadence and Shining were there. The former cradling two foals, one Skyla, the other, Orion.

Celestia was there, as well, and she wept.

The coffin that held the unicorn mare was slowly lowered into the ground, and closing remarks were made.

Cadence shook her head, her heart heavy. “Come on, Shining...let’s go.”

The Captain of the Guard nodded.

Celestia moved toward them. “P-Princess Cadence. A-a moment, please.”

The Princess of love looked up at her. “Auntie?”

Celestia moved forward, dressed in black. “Please, Cadence, please, let me take the child.”

Cadence blinked.

“I-I’ve...I’ve done so much...so much to this family...please, Cadence, please...let me try to make things right.”

The Princess of Love looked up, confused.

“Please, Cadence, I beg you. Let me try to make things right…”

Cadence looked down at the little bundle in her arms.

And she handed the little blue foal over to the Solar Sister.

Celestia took the child, and held it close. “I’m so sorry, Little One. I’m so...so, sorry.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Twilight fell.

She screamed.

Harmony. That snake, Harmony!

It was him! It was all him!

The cityscape of Canterlot blurred past her as she fell.

It was going to end.

And there was nothing she could—

Something caught her.

She flew sideways, and landed on an edge across the street.

Her world spun, and she saw something purple came into view.

It was Mare Do Well.

She looked back, at the balcony, and saw Harmony grin as he stared down at…

Her dead body?

“Wha—?”

“Sh!” Mare Do Well said, placing a hoof over her mouth. “Stay quiet, he’ll hear us.”

The heroine threw her cloak over the confused unicorn, and pressed her against the wall.

Harmony stepped aside as Fancy Pants peered over the edge. “Oh, no…Fleur! Fleur!”

Once both of them were out of sight, the Mare Do Well gave Twilight some air, and turned to her. “Come on, this way. Stay quiet.”

Twilight’s head was still reeling as they made their way down to the street. The masked mare then pulled a pony hole cover away to reveal the sewer. “Come on, quickly, before the Guard arrive.”

Twilight obeyed, still not sure what was happening.

Mare Do Well followed, and the two were in the darkness of the sewers.

The masked mare pulled her hat back to reveal a horn. A green light shot forward, revealing the tunnels around them, and the canal of sewage in the middle. “Come on, this way,” she said, leading her down along walkways.

Twilight blinked, but followed nonetheless.

A few dozen twists and turns later, and Twilight was completely lost.

Another turn, though, and she froze.

Three Mare Do Wells stood next to a pony hole cover, all poised to jump out.

A fourth walked past. “Mrs. Sparkle,” she said, waving. “This way.”

Twilight looked between the two groups, before continuing with her guide.

The deeper they got, the more Mare Do Wells Twilight saw. She had lost count of how many there were, and she had almost lost her guide for all of them.

Eventually, though, they found themselves before an iron door.

Twilight’s guide knocked three times, and a slit opened in the door. “Mission?” A voice asked.

“Operation: Let’s Get Dangerous.”

Twilight blinked. That sounded like…

“Status?”

“Um...I think...Launchpad McQuack?”

“Yeah, sounds right,” the one behind the gate said.

That was a reference. From a different world.

That meant…

A deadbolt slid, and the door cracked open.

She slammed the door open, closing it on the Mare Do Well behind the door.

“Alan!” she cried, before running down the stairs that the hallway revealed. “Alan!” she cried, passing even more Mare Do Wells.

“Let her go!” she heard behind her. “It’s okay!”

She ignored them. “Alan!”

She kept running.

If he was here.

If he was somehow here…

She ran through another door.

And froze.

She was in a cistern of some sort. The square room had smooth walls with a vaulted ceiling.

A table sat in the middle of the room, surrounded by four Mare Do Wells, and...and him.

There he stood, not in ectoplasm, not some ethereal material, but in the flesh.

His white coat shone in the darkness. His black mane hung loose around his head, and his golden hooves reflected the candlelight around the room.

He turned to her, his brown eyes shining.

Twilight stared back.

“H-hey, Twi…” Alan said.

Twilight opened her mouth, and then tears began to form. “I...I…”

Alan’s face softened, and he moved toward her, ready to hold her.

“I’m sorry...I’m so sorry, Alan. I didn’t mean it! I...I didn’t mean any of it…”

His arms held her, along with as many Mana-hands as he needed to begin massaging her.

“It’s okay, Twilight. It’s alright.”

“It’s not alright! It was never alright! I pushed you away!”

“You never pushed me away,” Alan said, rocking her back and forth. “I loved you then, I love you still. I always have, and always will.”

“Don’t rhyme…” Twilight muttered as she wrapped her arms around her husband. “It doesn’t seem real when you rhyme.”

Alan smirked, and turned his head towards the Mare Do Wells behind him. “You know your orders.”

They nodded, and headed out.

Alan turned back to his wife. “Come on, Twilight,” he said before lifting her. “It’s been a long two months.”

Twilight said nothing, but merely held onto her husband.

And the iPod, which she still held, began to sing once more.

“For nights like these when we dream of all eternity.

As the angels sing the twilight symphony.

They sing la-de-de-de-da-da

la-de-de-de-da-da tonight.

That's why God made the moon…”

“What!”

What?

“What!”

What?

“You said you weren’t bringing him back!”

Don’t need to bring him back, he’s been alive the entire time.

“But...but how?!”

Well, I could tell, or you could get it straight from the horses’ mouth.

*glare*

Sorry, couldn’t help myself. Look, Alan’s going to explain everything. Beginning from the next chapter, everything will start to make sense. I promise.

“It better.”

It will.

“Be sure to leave your comments guys.”

And we’ll see you next time.

“Bye!”

17-The Exilarchy of the Named Ones

Chapter 17

High above the green swath of wild land known as Everfree Forest, there floated a small cloud.

It was young, having newly formed from the aether, yet it was old, having been made from the same water that had been on this planet since the beginning of the world.

Regardless, the cloud was happy.

Well, as happy as a cloud could be, considering.

It got to be a wild cloud this time, unchained by the wills of pegasi, able to ride the winds as it so chose, and unleash it’s torrents when it wanted.

And then the cloud heard a voice.

The voice.

Apparently not so wild.

The cloud heard her though, and it could not disobey.

The voice spoke again.

Well, that wasn’t too bad…

So be it.

And with that, the young, small whiff of cloud began to make its way north.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Twilight Sparkle was happy.

Really truly happy.

Wrapped up in warm, fuzzy blankets, and a pair of strong arms she hovered between the realms of sleep and consciousness and was certainly in no hurry to pick.

Something stirred around her, but she did not move.

“My Little Star,” a strong, familiar voice said, “Twilight, it’s time to get up.”

Something nuzzled her jaw, and she smiled. “Not now, I’m having a wonderful dream.”

She could almost hear his smile. “About what?”

“I’m dreaming you’re alive.”

Another nuzzle. “It’s not a dream, Twilight...I’m here.”

“Then I’m dreaming that you’ll let me sleep for a few more minutes.”

There was a laugh, a gentle laugh that sounded like the roll of thunder in a summer storm to her. “Alright, ten more minutes, but no more.”

She hummed, content with this plan.

And then she fell back into the realm of sleep.

Around ten minutes later, she shifted, this time alone.

She yawned, and sat in bed, before checking the room around her. Light filtered into the air through what looked like a storm drain up at the top of the opposite wall, and sure enough she could hear the faint street sounds of Canterlot’s City life emanating from the hole. She then also noticed the numerous pine-scent air fresheners hanging from the ceiling of the small draining room they were in.

Well, ‘room’ was perhaps a little generous. It seemed closer to a sectioned off area of the street drain, closed off with wood and loose stone. A makeshift door, made from a plank of plywood hung from leather hinges, sitting slightly askew. The bed itself was a sad little fuuton, with hardly a mattress to its name.

Still, Twilight was willing to forgive it in light of the fact that her husband was alive.

She sat up, making sure to keep the blankets from touching the muddy cobblestone floor, and stretched.

She smiled again. Alan was alive.

A knock sounded on the door, and Twilight turned to the door. “Come in.”

Two figures entered the room. “Good Mornin’ Mrs. Sparkl’. ‘Ow you’ve been lately?” the first figure said.

“She’s doing better now, I wager, Grim,” the other figure said, following the first.

Twilight stared.

Before her were two Changelings, smiling at her with their fangs and bright, almost luminescent eyes.

They also had cutie marks on their black chitin. The comedy and tragedy masks that belonged to Grim and Ghastly.

She blinked.

The Changelings continued to smile, before the one on the left, with the tragedy mask, suddenly blinked, followed by a horrified look on his face. “Oh, no.”

“What?” the other asked.

“You bloody idiot!”

“What you on about?”

“‘E hasn’t told ‘er yet!”

“What?”

“”E hasn’t told ‘er we’re changelings!”

The comedy mask-ed one balked. “You sure?”

“Just look at ‘er! She ain’t got a clue.”

“Oh…” the comedy one said again. “Bloody Tartarus…”

“We’re sorry ‘bout that, Mrs. Sparkl’,” the tragedy one said. “We’ll uh...we’ll just get your husband, and—”

“Oh, right, that’ll help. ‘Ello, Miss! Here, let me show you someone who looks like someone you love. But don’t worry, ‘e’s real and we’re not going to eat your love, we’re changed, honest!”

“Well you come up with something, numbskull!”

“Oy! You were the one who wanted to know what she wanted to eat, shell fer brains!”

“Me? You volunteered for food duty!”

A cough interrupted them, and all three heads turned to the golden-hoofed stallion who stood in the doorway, a newspaper floating next to him.

“Uh...’Mornin’, Sir.”

“Good morning,” he said, his voice a deadpan.

“We just wanted to know what your lovely wife wanted fer breakfast…”

“Two eggs, cooked through; coffee, cream, two sugars; toast, lightly buttered on one side; and a glass of apple juice,” he said, never raising his deadpan glare from them.

“Right,” the tragedy changeling said, “You would know her favorite breakfast…”

“Of course you would, heh heh...” the other said.

There was silence for a moment or two.

“So! Grim! Let’s go get that!”

“Right behind ya!”

And with that, both changelings ran out of the room.

Alan sighed, and walked into the room, and turned to his wife. “Alright, hit me.”

She blinked again, still incredibly confused, with no real end in sight for any sort of relief. “What?”

“The spell you’ve been working on, the one to identify changelings? Go ahead and hit me with it.”

Twilight stared at him. “I...I don’t think that’s necessary...”

“Twilight,” Alan said, “I don’t want any doubts. I want you to know it’s me. Now, hit me with the spell.”

Twilight nodded, and quickly fired a blast of purple magick at her husband.

When the magick subsided, Alan stood before her, shaking off dizziness but otherwise alright.

He smiled. “There. No Doubts?”

“No doubts,” she said.

“Good, now, um, I guess you’ve learned by now, but I’m working with changelings. Speaking of, welcome to the afterlife,” he said, handing the newspaper over to her.

Twilight read the headline aloud. “Twilight Sparkle Suicide!” She skimmed the article, feeling odd as she read about her funeral planned for the afternoon, as well as slight embarrassment when she read about the guard finding her string board.

“They blame it on insanity,” Alan said, sitting down next to her, “probably because you were trying to prove that I’m alive.”

Twilight gave a laugh at that.

And then there was silence between them.

Twilight set the paper aside, and Alan didn’t look at her, hanging his head.

The lavender unicorn looked over at him with gentle eyes, and leaned on his shoulder. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked. Her voice was calm, and cool, without an ounce of hurt or anger. She had been through enough of both of those for long enough, now.

Alan sighed. “Let me start at the beginning.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Alan sat in his cell. It was the morning of the tenth day, and he was ready.

For three days, he had been checking his door, using hard-mana picks to work the tumblers in the lock. He managed to cut time to ten seconds to open the door.

Once the door was opened, he need to head down into the common prisons, but that was step two. First, he had to get out of here.

The door to the Guard rooms up above opened with a clang, and down came a guard dressed in golden armor. “Morning, Sir!” the pony said, as he slowly came into view.

“Morning, Brass Gleam,” the Pendragon said, greeting the guard as he came to drop off breakfast.

“How’ve you been, sir?” Brass asked.

“Well enough, I am in jail after all.”

“Not for too much longer, I’ve heard,” Brass said. “In fact, there’s a chance the the Princess will be coming down to see if she can’t get you released.”

Alan shook his head. “I doubt it.”

“Especially if Chaos has anything to say about it.”

“Oh, don’t be like that, sir. Sergeant Arrow’s even going to put in a good word for you.”

Alan smirked, and took his bowl of oatmeal with his hooves. “Tell him I appreciate it.”

Brass nodded. “Will do, Sir. See you at lunch!”

Alan nodded, and ate his breakfast, quickly.

He didn’t move yet. He needed to be sure that he was alone, and the guard normally did double back.

But he did need to get ready.

Taking a second to slash off a piece of cloth, Alan threaded a the makeshift cord through Twilight’s earing to make a small necklace.

Other than that...there weren’t too many things to take care of.

Sure enough, the guard doubled back within about ten minutes.

The door closed behind him, and that’s when Alan moved.

Ditching the ring and slipping on the simple necklace, Alan’s mana-picks got into the lock and quickly began working the tumblers.

One click and an open door later, Alan smiled. Ten seconds flat.

Now assured that Dash would approve, Alan then created a series of small platforms, and, using them as a temporary set of stairs, he quickly began his climb up to the ceiling.

Now, ever since he had arrived in Equestria, Alan had always been thankful for the greatest invention of man and pony kind, indoor plumbing. Now, however, with the exposed pipes that ran along the ceiling of the hallway he loved it all the more.

Grabbing onto one of the pipes, Alan then began to crawl along it, using his magic as a little extra support as he made his way forward. Stealth was the word of the day today.

Now, he needed to head to the police station.

<<<|Ω|>>>

That sneaky, low-down, snake-in-the-grass!

Chaos was here! Talking with the commissioner no less!

He had shimmed all the way down here and now Chaos was literally in his way.

Chaos stood before Golden Shield, oblivious to the the unicorn that hung from the ceiling a dozen feet away. “So, tell me, Commissioner Shield, what worries you?”

The commissioner stared forward as if he were in a trance. “The guard are still stepping into my jurisdiction, I feel like they are losing focus…”

“My,” Chaos said, staring into the pony’s eyes, “what a terrible thing. Maybe, though, perhaps, you should let them, if only to show them the error of their ways.”

The commissioner nodded. “Yes...that sounds like a good idea…”

Chaos smiled. “I know it does. Now you best get back to work, Commissioner.”

The commissioner nodded, and returned to his typewriter with grey eyes.

“Wonderful,” Alan thought bitterly. “The police aren’t an ally either…”

Chaos paused.

“Get down.”

Alan dropped, just as Chaos looked up at the pipe the Pendragon was using a second ago.

Pinning himself against the wall, Alan mentally cursed. His plan to leave through police station was now practically impossible, and Chaos was making his way here.

He needed an out, and he needed one now.

An image, a memory of a closet he had passed by, just around the corner, flashed in his mind.

Good enough.

Backing up quickly, Alan’s eyes checked the hallway. There was a turn, followed by a short hallway to the archway that led to the common prisons. Still no signs of the guards.

Sure enough, a broom closet door stood waiting for him.

“What was that?” Alan heard, the voice of Chaos following after him.

Alan dove for the closet, opening the door quickly and shutting the door quietly behind him.

Alan’s mind was a flurry of obscenities not suitable for print as he tried to hide behind a set of mops and brooms.

He needed to find a new way out. He needed to—

His hoof touched metal.

Looking down, Alan saw a metal panel labeled “Maintenance.”

That...that would be too lucky…

Hesitantly, he opened the panel, and blinked when he saw a ladder descending into the depths, and the stink of sewage wafted up from below.

A muffled voice sounded through the door. “I thought I saw something.”

And with that, Alan hesitated no longer, and dropped into the hole.

<<<|Ω|>>>

A leaf-shaped, hard-mana blade hovered next to Alan as he made his way through the darkness of the sewers.

The faint glow of his magick was the only light he had, and it was not much at that, but he made do.

Still, he was walking through a sewer, so things could certainly be better.

“Really wish I had a nose plug, at least…” The Pendragon muttered.

Silence answered.

Alan kept walking, his mind going through a dozen different thoughts, ranging from the police to the Princess to his...wife…

Oh, Twilight…

He looked down at the earring around his neck.

Oh, Twilight...what am I going to do with you?

He needed to get in contact with her, but...but she’d just turn him in again now that she was under Chaos’ influence.

But he couldn’t just leave her.

Ker-plunk!

Alan’s head came up, and ears perked.

The splash was then followed by a soft string of curses.

Alan went low, as if ready to pounce.

He wasn’t alone…

Dismissing the sword, Alan was engulfed in darkness, and began to crawl along the stonework towards the sound.

Eventually he saw two figures in the darkness, lit by an acidic green aura of magic holding up a pair of large rats.

Their black forms reflected the light, making it obvious it was neither skin nor fur, and the gossamer reflections of blue along their backs spoke of insectoid wings.

Alan’s eyes narrowed. Changelings...what are they doing here? Are they working with Chaos? Is another Queen after us?

His teeth grit at the thought of the two monsters working together.

They need to be stopped.

A smile crept on his face. Besides I’ve got a moment or two…

With that thought in mind, Alan followed them deeper into the sewers.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Alan’s quarry was easy to track. They were slow, and frequently misstepped, drenching a hoof in water and unmentionables.

Still, Alan wanted to be sure that there was no chance of being found.

He was almost half a block away, completely hidden in the darkness, and always watching the two of them.

Eventually, they stopped at a door and pushed it open without any sort of care at all.

They even left it ajar.

Alan pushed his way in, and descended a set of stairs.

Something wasn’t right. Changelings wouldn’t be this careless.

This was a trap.

Alan paused, halting at a landing.

He couldn’t go in there by himself, not unarmed and unprepared. He needed something…

He could make a blade, but it would make light and make him easier to detect. If there were expecting him, then that wouldn’t matter, but if this wasn’t a trap…

Alan made a small knife.

It would have to do.

He continued on, pausing at every intersection, and checking every hall.

It seemed perfectly emptied.

Finally, he came to a square room, a cistern by the look of things, and it was filled with changelings.

Alan dismissed the knife, engulfing himself in darkness, trying to keep himself hidden from the swarm inside.

A quick count revealed about forty of them, and Alan knew that there had to be more.

And then he noticed something.

They were all just...sitting there…

They all simply stared at the center of the room, toward the floor.

Finally one spoke up. “This One shall begin to split them.”

The other changelings nodded.

Alan kept silent, as the one who spoke up descended from view, lost in the crowd. And then small slivers of red meat began to get pass around.

Alan blinked. Were...were they eating the rats? And two of them at that? Surely they had more?

Still, only the small slivers went out, being passed changeling to changeling.

Alan watched, confused.

Surely they had more.

And then he saw her.

A changeling looked at him, and was definitely staring at him from across the room.

Her surprised stare was straight forward, straight into his eyes, and Alan practically felt the fear in her.

Her mouth dropped, and she let loose a horrified scream. “It’s the Queen Slayer! He’s come for us!”

The others turned, looking at where the changeling had pointed, and in turned screamed as they caught sight of the Pendragon.

The room erupted into chaos, and Alan formed a blade as he prepared for an onslaught.

That never came.

The changelings ran to the sides of the room, finding any nook and cranny they could fit into to hide from the terrifying form of the Pendragon.

All but one, who sat frozen in fear, staring at the Pendragon with wide eyes.

And then the cistern was empty, save for the single changeling, who was too afraid to move.

Alan stepped forward, his body moving without his mind as he stared down the changeling.

The thing cowered, throwing its hooves over its head as the changeling threw itself at the feet of the Pendragon. “Don’t kill This One, please. This One doesn’t want to die…”

Alan looked down at the changeling.

“Don’t kill This One, please.”

Alan said nothing, even as the image of the changeling he killed flashed in his mind. The one that surrendered all those years ago…

You can’t trust them Alan.

You have to get rid of them.

They’re dangerous.

“I…” he said. “I’m not going to kill you…”

The changeling looked up at him, hope flooding its eyes.

“...as long as you tell me the truth,” Alan said, giving a slight growl to sound threatening.

The changeling whimpered.

“What are you doing here?” Alan asked.

“We were sent here by the Queen. We were to be a forward attack swarm.”

Alan blinked. “You’ve been here for a year and a half?”

“Two years,” the changeling corrected.

“Then why are you still here? The Queen is dead, you know that.”

“We have no where to go…” the changeling whimpered. “We cannot go above, we would die. We cannot go back, our hive is gone. We can only stay here and die…”

“How many of you came?” Alan asked, still sounding firm.

“Two hundred. We are all that’s left.”

“What happened to you?”

“Starvation.”

Alan grimaced. So they were eating the rats.

“S-so you’re not going to kill This One?” the changeling asked, still bowed low before him.

Alan looked down at the changeling.

He…

He could use some allies…

Alan blinked at the thought. “The Changelings, though? These monsters? I can’t trust them.”

An image of a massive humanoid, made of shadow and holding the Queen of the Changelings by the mouth flashed in his head.

Be careful with the word “monster” Alan.

Alan looked back at the changeling.

He sighed, and dismissed the blade. “No, I won’t kill you.”

Its two tubular flaps of soft chitin that served as ear perked. “R-really?”

A dozen changeling faces poked out and stared at him from the darkness around the cistern.

“I-I can’t afford it mostly...” Alan added before speaking loudly. “Changelings! As Pendragon of Equestria, I have authority to grant you amnesty and I may petition to Princess Celestia on your behalf. Unfortunately, there is an enemy at the gates. If you help me bring him down, I will do everything in my power to make sure you are granted safety. At least, as long as you prove yourself worthy of it.”

The changelings all looked at each other, and apparently that was enough.

<<<|Ω|>>>

“After that,” Alan said to Twilight as they sat on the bed. “I managed to access some funds for them, and they went grocery shopping. It was enough to keep them from starving, but not really enough to get them fighting fit. They needed love for that.”

“I was wondering why were a couple of hundred bits short,” Twilight said, “despite the fact that you hadn’t shown up around any banks.”

Alan nodded. “So we set up shop down here, and we got to work. The changelings, or, Chess Piece anyway, have a knack for breaking down strategy, they were able to figure out Chaos’ angle, and we’ve been working at trying to stop that ever since.”

“Chess Piece?” Twilight asked. “He has a name?”

“She...she does now.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well…”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Alan nodded as he watched the last plywood board go up, forming the last wall to the last room. “Good job, guys,” he said, while the changelings began securing the walls in place with goo.

They were...kinda dull, if Alan were honest. The changelings had almost no character to them, they were simply bodies.

Of course, he had been told that. He had asked a changeling for something to call her by, and she simply responded with “Changelings do not have names.”

“Alright, I guess I’ll give you one, uh...what do you like to do?”

“Changelings have no character. We are simply plaster that fits to a mold. The Perfect Actor becomes his Character.”

“Well...what Characters do you prefer to play?”

The changeling just blinked, and then sat there, apparently deep in thought.

In fact, that particular changeling was still sitting there, in the middle of the cistern, staring off into space.

Alan was slightly worried that he broke her.

The others however, had gotten used to it, and began simply walking around her.

Still she did not move.

“We have returned with more food!” A cry came up from the stairs, followed by a changeling carrying a couple of more bags filled with grains.

There was no cheer, hardly even an acknowledgement they had done their job, as instructed, and that’s what was expected.

“Thanks guys!” Alan said, to which the changelings gave a nod.

Alan sighed, before putting on his scottish accent. “Ya’d find more cheer in a graveyard…”

And that’s when it happened.

“Sweet Mighty Celestia!”

Every pair of eyes fell on the changeling that had been sitting in the middle of the floor, and her...ear to ear smile…

“It makes sense! It all makes sense!”

The changelings looked at each other as the one in the middle began to babble.

“Painting! This One, no I! I like painting! I do! Not some random pony, me! Me! I’m a Me! Haha!” she laughed.

The others said nothing, but merely stared on.

“I like painting! I like oats! I love going to the opera!” She laughed again. “I love it! I love all of it! Comedy, color, the taste of fresh carrots! It makes sense now! It all makes sense!”

Alan blinked as he stared at her.

Yup. Definitely broke her.

“Oh you have to try this!” She said, grabbing a changeling by the shoulders. “You have to try being a Me!”

The changeling stared at her, confused.

“Think!” she insisted. “Think about it! That thing, that thing that you could just do forever! The thing that sings into your soul and speaks to your mind! That thing! Think!”

Alan blinked again, before a flash of white light emanated from the changeling’s flank, and a painter’s pallet sat there.

That changeling had a cutie mark.

“Th-This One…” the changeling she was staring into said. “C-carpentry?”

The Painter smiled. “Yes...yes!”

The other changeling blinked, before repeating itself. “Carpentry. Carpentry…”

And then a smile appeared.

“Carpentry!”

“Tell me!” the Painter screamed.

“Chisels! Boards! Screws! Fitting together with glue and nails! Working with my hooves to build something! Carving faces and animals!”

“What else!? What else do you like?”

“This...I like oranges! The citrusy taste, plucked fresh off the tree! Pulpy juice and delicious lemonade!”

“More!” the Painter screamed.

“The smell of fresh grass! Log cabins! Rosewood walking sticks!”

Another flash of light, and a chisel appeared on the Carpenter’s flank.

“We’ve got to show them!” The Painter yelled.

“I’m on it!” The Carpenter answered with a smile.

And Alan watched as they went, spreading the idea like a virus, and the cries began to fill the air.

“Comedy!”

“Tragedy!”

“Math!”

“Writing!”

“Chemistry!”

“Astronomy!”

“Cooking!”

“Suit making!”

The list went on, and Cutie Marks began to appear everywhere he looked.

And as he did, he could only think one thing.

“What did I just start?”

<<<|Ω|>>>

“By the end of the night, they each had their own names,” Alan told her. “Grim and Ghastly included.”

“So…” Twilight began. “So they were actually Grim and Ghastly?” she asked.

Alan smiled. “Had to make sure someone was watching you.”

“And the actual gravedigger?”

“Won an all-expenses-paid trip to the Empire of Gryphus.”

Twilight’s brow furrowed. “How did you manage that?”

Alan smiled bigger. “A Mailpony arrived with a package that had gotten ‘lost.’ It had the Pendragon’s signature and everything.”

Twilight smiled. “That’s illegal,” she pointed out.

“I’m dead,” Alan said. “Can’t try a dead pony.”

Twilight shook her head and nuzzled him, kissing his cheek.

Alan smiled and continued. “So, once they all had names, they decided that the Hive wasn’t their home anymore. So they came up with a new name to call themselves.”

“What?” Twilight asked.

“The Exilarchy of the Named Ones.”

Twilight smirked. “Really rolls of the tongue, doesn’t it?”

“They’re still kinda new at names,” Alan said. “It was their idea, and I wasn’t going to crush their dreams.”

Twilight shook her head.

“Anyway, soon after, we found ourselves having to make a move.”

Alright guys, that’s the first Chapter of Alan’s half of the story, and more are soon to come.

“There better be! Cause this only started explaining stuff.”

Oh trust me, there will be. Besides, we still need to get to the Mare Do Well Corps.

“The what?”

You’ll see. Anyways, next chapter, the Pendragon’s death! From the Pendragon’s side!

“We’ll see you all next time, guys!”

Bye!

18-The Pendragon's Fall

Chapter 18

Alan woke up the next morning to the sound of humming, singing, hammering and a dozen other sounds.

Getting up, he found forty changelings all in the cistern practicing their new found trade with glee.

Whittler was now building a table, using some wonderfully made dovetail joints to hold the sides of the tables together before bolting the legs to it.

Grim, Ghastly and Curtain Call stood on the far wall, performing for an unseen audience.

Another changeling, named Linguini was cooking up breakfast while Color Pallet, as she had taken to calling herself was painting away.

They really needed to slow down…

Still, they were happy, which was something they hadn’t really been through before.

“Ah! Buongiorno, Signore!” Linguini said with a smile. “Breakfast is only a few minutes away!”

Alan nodded, thankful for the meal.

“Sir!” A changeling said, running up to him, “Chess Piece would like to speak to you.”

“Chess Piece? He called himself Chess Piece?”

“Herself, sir.”

Alan blinked. “Oh, right the ear thing…”

<<<|Ω|>>>

“Wait, what?” Twilight asked.

“Hm? Oh yeah, it’s the ears,” Alan explained.

“It is?”

“Well...Even when you look at their more,” he coughed, “parts, it’s hard to tell. What with them having fake sets and all. So I asked if there was a polite way to tell, and they said the ears. Females have longer ears.”

Twilight blinked. “Huh…”

“Anyway…”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Chess Piece looked up at the opposite wall to the entrance of her small room, giving Alan an amazing view of the papers that had been pasted up there with notes scrawled into them.

The changeling herself, with her slightly longer than average ears and white Queen chess piece cutie mark stared up at the wall with intensity up until Alan entered.

“Sir!” She said with a salute.

“At ease,” Alan said from habit. “You wanted to see me?”

“I wanted to talk about Chaos,” she said, dropping the salute and turning to the maps. “From what you’ve told me, Chaos seems to be playing a political spy game, and using you as pawn in it. By using only a hooful of ponies under his indirect control he keeps just enough clout to be a threat himself while keeping blame off of himself. It’s brilliant in it simplicity, really,” she said.

“Thanks…” Alan muttered.

“But, as with any political plan, it can be worked around,” she said, dismissively, before turning back to the maps. “All we need to do is step off of his plane.”

“What do you mean?” Alan asked.

“Simple,” Chess said, “Chaos did the same thing to you. Rather than face you in combat, he simply changed battlefields, moving around you until he had complete control in the political sphere. Once there, you didn’t have many things to do other than move straight into his trap.”

“Again, thanks…”

“So all we need to do, then,” the strategist continued, “is move the battle to our own sphere.”

“And how are we going to do that?” Alan asked.

“I have a few ideas,” she said before smiling. “Yes I do…”

Alan waited.

Chess coughed nervously. “So...anyway, you have a couple of options, but the one I would suggest would be faking your death.”

Alan blinked. “Really?”

“The advantages of killing yourself are quite useful,” she continued. “Escaping a clingy lover, escaping trouble with the law, putting an old identity to rest, I’ve used it enough times myself to be a bit of an expert on the matter.”

Alan raised an eyebrow at her. “So you want me to off myself?”

Chess Piece smiled. “For you the advantages have just begun. Follow along, if you will. With you dead, what reason does Chaos have to keep your wife?”

Alan went silent.

“In fact, the sorrow alone might break the mind bending he has on her anyway.”

Alan nodded. “A-Anything else?”

“Well, besides that, if Chaos buys it, then we get his eyes off our backs, and we’d be even more free to move than he was with Luna in his corner.”

“So how do I get him to buy it?”

Chess Piece turned to him, staring at him in a deadpan stare. “You have forty changelings at your disposal and you ask how you’re going to fake your death?”

Alan blinked, before a blush crept onto his cheeks. “Right…”

Chess rolled her eyes. “Alright, I’ll get some of our actors together, see who wants to do this. How do you want to go?”

“Um...what’s easiest for you to do?”

“Falling deaths, typically,” she said.

<<<|Ω|>>>

“Wait. Falling?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah, you see—”

A knock sounded on the door to their little room, and a deep voice, reminiscent of an opera singer, echoed into the room. “Breakfast has arrived, sir.”

“Ah, speak of the devil,” Alan said. “Come in!”

In came a cart, ladened with food that made Twilight’s mouth water instantly. It was being pushed by a changeling that...Twilight guessed was male. He had average-looking ears.

She thought.

Maybe.

Back to what she did know. (S)he came in, smiling through his/her fangs, and other than the red curtain on his flanks was not in anyway noteworthy from the rest of the changelings.

“Twilight,” Alan said, “This is Curtain Call, this is the changeling that took my places for my death.”

“A pleasure to finally meet you properly, Mrs. Sparkle,” Curtain Call said with a bow.

Twilight looked up at the changeling and blinked.

“Go ahead,” Alan said. “Ask him anything you want.”

Twilight blinked, before speaking. “So...falling’s easy for you to fake?”

“Faking a death?” Curtain asked. “The easiest.”

“How?” Twilight questioned, confused.

“What do you mean?”

“Impact,” she said. “No matter what you’re doing you are going to be falling at 9.807 meters per second squared, which means that it takes very little time to reach a high speed. Impact is a measure of force as defined by mass multiplied by the change in velocity over change in time. If coming to a complete stop upon hitting the ground is your change in velocity, then the only thing that’ll save you from external and internal damage is to lessen the force by extending the amount of time it takes to come to a complete stop, which you can’t do if you’re trying to make it look like you’ve died!”

There was silence for a second or two.

And then Curtain Call laughed. “As clever as you are beautiful, Mrs. Sparkle.” he said, handing the mare her breakfast. “Yes, that is how it works, but changelings have a bit of an advantage when it comes to falls.”

“Again, how?”

Curtain Call smiled. “Exoskeletons.”

Twilight blinked again.

“Allow me to explain,” he said. “The changeling art of transformation is based around a simple secret. Are you familiar with shape-shifting theory?”

She nodded. “Mostly temporary, lasts maybe an hour or two before the object returns to normal.”

“Correct. This spell, however, is of little use to a changeling, who has to keep up a disguise for days, weeks, or maybe even years on end. So, what’s our secret? The answer is the manipulation of our chitin. Instead of changing ourselves entirely, all we need to do is alter the properties of our exoskeletons. Transforming our chitin to something soft and furry, at least, on the surface, is a far more efficient spell.”

“So you shapeshift by altering your chitin?” Twilight asked.

Curtain Call nodded.

“But what about the Queen? She transformed into Cadence, who was smaller than her. If it’s only altering the skin doesn’t that mean that you’re crushing yourselves in your own skin?”

“You’d think so,” the changeling said, “However, our lack of proper blood vessels and our miniscule organs means that we can even shrink our forms with only a slight amount of discomfort, and an increase in power expenditure the smaller you get. No, the real problem arises in becoming something larger.”

Twilight cocked her head. “Explain.”

“Gladly. The Law of Conservation of Mass.”

Twilight blinked. “You...you don’t actually gain the muscles to fill the form, so you become less dense.”

“And weaker, since our muscle mass is stretched thinner the larger we become. I can become a fully grown dragon with little problem, the issue arises when you blow at me and I fall down.”

Twilight nodded. “Okay...I’m following you. How do you survive a fall?”

“Well, I’m glad you asked about the...Ex-Queen. You see, as well as stretching and compressing our chitin, we can manipulate it around our bodies as well. So, with a simple little push, we can place a chitin cushion around the point of impact with our bodies, and further manipulate it to be firm, but just soft enough to allow for some life-saving penetration. Of course, it only works up to a certain point. After enough speed, it just doesn’t matter anymore.”

Twilight went silent for a moment, while Alan watched her think, eating away. “Is that how you made your neck bend like that?” she asked, remembering the terrifying angle Alan’s head hung at.

“Exactly, you’re catching on,” he said.

“Well...what about your pulse?” Twilight asked. “I didn’t hear your pulse.”

Curtain Call laughed. “And you never will. The truth of the matter is you can’t hear a changeling’s pulse through the chitin. We actually have to fake one with magic whenever somepony get’s too close to our chest. It’s really the biggest weakness of every changeling disguise in existence.”

Twilight blinked. “Really?”

He nodded.

“Of course,” Alan said, “that’s not the only problem we came across.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Curtain Call had volunteered to be the Pendragon for the all-important event, while both Grim and Ghastly had declined, and now the smiling actor was looking the Pendragon around.

Alan felt slightly uncomfortable as the changeling looked him over with quiet, all-encompassing eyes that studied him.

“Alright,” the changeling said, before erupting into green flame. “What do you think?”

Alan found himself staring at a perfect reflection of himself, from the mane to the tail.

The Pendragon then blinked. “Is my mane really that disheveled?”

Chess Piece nodded. “We can get someone to get a comb if you want.”

“Sure…” Alan said, as he kept going around.

He stopped at the flank. “Um...we might have a problem.”

Both Chess Piece and Curtain Call both looked at his flanks.

The problem became quite evident.

Curtain Call’s cutie mark sat in front of Alan’s making it appear that the shield was standing behind the curtains of a stage.

Curtain Call blinked. “Oh...dear…”

“That’s a problem…” Chess Piece confirmed.

“So…” Alan said.

Curtain Call blinked. “Um...well I can honestly say this has never happened to me before…”

“Okay, we need to fix this if we want it to work,” Alan said, looking over the mark.

“Any ideas how?”

Alan shook his head. “I need to think about this.”

Chess Piece nodded. “Alright, you figure this one out, we’ll work on finding the best place for you to fall.”

Alan nodded, and headed back to his small room. He needed to think about this.

<<<|Ω|>>>

It had been three days since Alan had gotten out, and still he hadn’t come up with an answer. Everything else had been ironed out, it was just the Cutie Mark issue.

It had shown up across the entire...hive, I suppose you could call it, the changelings could alter every aspect of the of their appearance, with the exception of their Cutie Mark.

Chess Piece said it was probably because they had identities now. They were somebody putting on a mask rather than nobody putting on a face.

Or something like that…

Regardless, with their imitation ability handicapped, it was going to make things difficult.

They did start making their own identities to walk around in, so they were happy, but still.

Alan shook his head, racking his brain for some solution to this problem.

The magic was beyond him, as was, practically all magic with a few exceptions. Still, there had to be some solution to the problem.

Alan shook his head once more and yawned. His ‘window’ up at the top of his room showed an empty street in the night, and he was becoming more tired by the second.

He kept thinking, even as he climbed into bed. There had to be something…

There had to be…

Something…

Something…

Something…

<<<|Ω|>>>

“That night,” Alan said, as Twilight ate her breakfast, listening intently, “I had a dream. Not a normal dream, but one of those dreams. I still don’t remember what happened in it, all I know is that when I woke up, I had an answer.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Alan’s eyes snapped open and he leapt out of bed. “I’ve got it!”

He ran out of the room, into the cistern, yelping happily. “I’ve got the answer!”

Chess Piece looked out the door to her room. “What? What’s going on?”

“I’ve got it! I’ve got the answer, Chess!” Alan said, grabbing the changeling by the withers and giving her a good shake.

“What? What? What?” she asked, hoping he’d stop before he shook her to pieces.

“Fake Cutie Marks!”

“What?” she asked, confused.

“Back in Ponyville! There was a filly! She used to be incredibly annoying, but that’s not the point! She had a fake set of cutie marks, velcro backed! We can do that!”

“What?”

“We need to buy some fakes of my cutie mark!”

“We can do that?”

“We are going to do that.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

It was a Friday.

It was not just any Friday, it was the perfect Friday.

Celestia and all the others had gathered here today, with Chaos in full view. It was now or never.

His eyes locked onto the draconequus and a hard-mana blade formed next to him.

A song popped into his head, and he began to sing to himself.

“Glory, glory what a hell of a way to die,

Glory, glory what a hell of a way to die,

Glory, glory what a hell of a way to die,

And he ain’t gonna jump no more…”

Curtain Call stood next to him, stickers on his flanks. “Ready?” the changeling asked.

Alan nodded. “‘Bout as ready as I’ll ever be…” Alan said.

Curtain Call nodded, and with a flash of green fire, Alan was facing himself again.

The Pendragon looked the disguised changeling over, before ruffling his mane. “Make the eyes look more tired.”

The false Alan’s eyes went bloodshot and grew dark rings under his eyes.

Alan nodded. “Good. You’re almost ready,” he said, before pulling out the small marriage earing, and handing it to the changeling.

Curtain Call looked down at it.

Alan smirked. “Don’t lose it, now.”

The False Pendragon nodded.

Alan hovered the hard-mana sword next to the disguised changeling. “Alright, I guess that this is the day I die…”

Curtain Call nodded, and made his way to the edge.

The first thing he felt was the magical backlash as his sword shattered on the hard ground below.

And then he heard the cry.

“Justice!”

And then he heard her call.

“Alan?”

He winced.

“Alan?”

“Alan? Alan?” she cried, her voice becoming more and more worried. “Alan?”:

He shook his head. The sound...the hurt in her voice…

At-at least...at least he knew...at least he knew she loved him.

<<<|Ω|>>>

The two morticians stood over the gurney, staring down at the body of the Pendragon.

“It’s sad,” the first one said. “This stallion saved my son’s life during the war.”

“Died young, too…” the other one said.

The first one shook his head, and with the ring of magic from his horn, picked up a scalpel.

“Alright, time to begin. Simple embalming procedure…”

A knock sounded on the door, and the unicorn doctors paused.

Opening, in walked in a guard and a doctor.

“Evening Gentlecolts,” the mare in the lab coat said. “Just come down from Her Majesty’s Medical Wing. The Princess wants me to do this.”

The doctors looked between the two of them.

The mare spoke up again. “I’m sorry, did you want to…”

The lead doctor shook his head. “No...no not really. It’s a shame, though.”

The mare nodded. “There’s a saying that the good die young. The problem is when they go and prove it right.”

The other doctors nodded, and began to file out.

The mare looked over to the guard, and once the doors closed, spoke. “Alright, get back to the barracks ASAP. They’ll notice the armor’s gone within the next thirty minutes.”

The Guard nodded, and took a running leap out the window.

The mare then turned to body on the sheet. “How’s it been so far, Curtain Call?”

The body sat up and rolled his neck. “So far so good. Just got to make it through the wake.”

The mare in the lab coat nodded. “Good luck, see you when you get back home.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

“What do you mean I can’t tell her?” Alan asked. “She’s free!”

“For now,” Chess Piece said, pleading. “We can’t guarantee that Chaos won’t find a use for her later.”

“You told me he’d let her go!”

“And he did!” the changeling said, angrily. “But we can’t risk any holes in this.”

Two mana-hands gripped the sides of Alan’s head as he tried to suppress a headache. “I wanted her to be free, but I don’t want her to be in pain like this…”

Chess Piece shook her head. “We’ve killed you, she has to be in pain. If she’s not...if she’s not then Chaos becomes suspicious and we need the utmost secrecy if this plan is going to work.”

Alan shook his head. “This better be worth it.”

Chess Piece shook her head. “I hope so too…”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Grim and Ghastly walked through the graveyard, shovels over their shoulders. Grim shook his head. “She was really torn up about this.”

Ghastly nodded. “Glad we asked the boss about her favorite foods.”

Grim nodded, and the two of them soon found themselves in front of the fresh earth of the Pendragon’s grave.

“To life,” Grim said, holding his shovel up.

“L'chaim,” Ghastly replied, clinking shovels together.

And they began to dig.

Two hours passed, and finally they hit the heavy oak of the coffin.

“Time to get up, no curtains for you, Curtain Call,” Ghastly said, prying the lid open.

Curtain Call the changeling gasped for air. “Thank Celestia!” He said, jumping into the air. “I thought she’d never leave!”

“Hurry up,” Grim grumbled. “We need to get this coffin covered before anypony notices.”

Curtain climbed out, freeing himself from the dirt as Ghastly shut the lid behind him. “You guys go ahead and do that,” he said, as his magic grabbed the earring on his ring. “I’ve got to make a delivery…”

<<<|Ω|>>>

The guard looked down at her as she stared out her door. She looked like a mess.

He sighed, and held out a hoof. “I recieved this,” he told her, “as well as a letter a few days ago, Ma’am. It had slipped my mind, Ma’am. It said to deliver it to you as soon as possible, Ma’am.”

Twilight sighed, before looking down at the outstretched hoof.

In it rested a small, golden earring.

Her eyes widened, and she shakily took it from him.

It was her earring.

New tears began to spring to her eyes as she held it up. A sob escaped her, before she took a breath to compose herself. Trying to keep calm, she then raised the little piece of jewelry to her ear, and clasped it shut.

Right where it belonged.

“Th-thank you,” she whispered. “You have no idea, how much this means to me.”

The guard nodded and walked away. And as he left, Curtain Call sighed.

This had better be worth it.

And chapter! It’s all coming together guys.

“Oh really?”

Really.

“All coming together.”

You better believe it, Pinkie.

“We’ll see, Miner...we’ll see…”

Anyway guys, hope you’ve finally started enjoy the story again, and I hope you enjoyed the little world building I did with changelings.

“About that…”

Okay, stop right there.

“What?”

I know what you’re going to say, and I really don’t want that subject dominating the comments.

“I just want to know what kind of set up you thought about.”

And curiosity killed the cat. Or in this case, my sanity.

“Just a hint? Please?”

...Fine. But only if you and the readers promise never to mention it again (or at least once and then never again).

“Promise!”

...Okay...how do I put this delicately…um…the...the males have a really deep sheath that looks suspiciously like something else.

“Oh. Ew.”

You asked.

“Anyway guys, next time, Mr. PervMiner will give you more secrets from the Pendragon.”

Hey!

“Be sure to comment, guys!”

Bye!

19-Weaving a Web

Chapter 19

“So what did you do next?” Twilight asked.

“Well, it’s a bit complicated,” Alan said, standing up from the bed and holding a hoof out. “We decided we needed an intelligence network, and I’ll tell you all about that in a second. First, I think the other changelings want to meet you.”

Twilight took his hoof with a smile.

And with a gentle pull, he brought his lovely wife up, off the bed, and into the cistern room.

Another table, this one having been hinged to the wall, had been pulled out, to make a makeshift bar. A handful of changelings sat at the bar, holding hard cider bottles and dressed in identical purple suits, hats, and blue capes.

“‘Ey! It’s the Boss and his plus one!” one of them said, getting the attention of the gathered changelings. The one that spoke up grabbed another couple bottle from a hidden cooler, and used one of the holes in his leg to pop open the bottlecaps.

“That’s a little hard this early, guys…” Alan said, looking at the bottles.

“It’s been a long night for us.” The changeling said, before downing a bottle.

“Really?” Alan asked.

“Well, we’ve been keeping Big Red out in the countryside, and that’s tough enough as is.”

“Big Red?” Twilight asked.

“I’ll tell you later,” Alan said. “Um, so, anyways guys, this is Twilight.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Ma’am,” the first one said, extending a hoof. “Name’s Whittler, head Carpenter of the Exilarchy.”

“Of course, that doesn’t really mean anything…” the changeling next to him said, with a slightly higher voice and slightly longer ears. “I’m Color Pallet,” she said, introducing herself, “and that apparently means that I’m the head painter of the Exilarchy.”

As introductions went around, Twilight began to feel slightly...uncomfortable.

They were just so friendly with her, so happy.

And she had at one time, killed changelings by the score.

It was somewhat surreal.

“So what about you?” Whittler asked. “How does the Purple Terror introduce herself?”

She blinked. “Um...my name is Twilight Sparkle, and...and I’m Ponyville’s librarian…”

“Librarian?” Whittler asked. “I used to be a librarian for a bit. Had to ditch it when I kept messing up the Dewey Decimal system.”

“Wait…” another changeling down the line said. “Our brothers got utterly destroyed by a librarian? Geez, we deserved being wiped out if a librarian can wreck us.” He followed the sentiment with a dose of hard cider.

Alan smiled. “Don’t get too down. I know the story of a gardener that frightened a garrisoned tower.”

“But that was a book,” another changeling said, taking a drink. “We don’t have an excuse.”

Alan chuckled.

“So what are your favorite things, Mrs. Sparkle?” Color Palette asked.

“Um...reading mostly. I also like to study, magic specifically.”

“Really?” she asked. “Well then I think you’ll like Blank Page, he spent some time acting as a writer and he’s trying to write a book now.”

“He was an author?”

“Yeah, Lee Foal or something. I heard that the actual Mr. Foal lost a couple of weeks worth of work because of it too.”

Twilight was not sure how to feel about that.

“Oh!” one of the changelings said. “Moonlight, the changeling that’s filling in for your funeral wanted to let you know that she really wants to talk about alchemy when she gets back. Do you know a lot of alchemy?”

Twilight blinked. “Um...no. My area of expertise is more thaumaturgic. I haven’t really...gotten into...alchemy.”

“Oh. Well, Moonlight’s going to be disappointed.”

“I told her it wasn’t going to work,” Alan said. “But she didn’t listen.”

“I can refer to her to a zebra I know that has a knack for it,” Twilight offered.

“Zecora? Yeah, I told her already, but she wanted to talk to you,” Alan said in a mocking whine, “because surely as a master of the arcane arts, you would know all about Alchemy. And I, your husband, certainly doesn’t know what he’s talking about when he says you don’t, because he knows practically nothing when it comes to magic.”

Twilight meanwhile was staring off to the side. “Maybe I should pick up alchemy as a hobby…” she muttered.

“Alright, guys,” Alan said, turning back to the changelings. “Don’t stay up too late, I need you hunting Mr. Domino tonight.”

“You got it, Boss,” Whittler said, before raising his bottle in a cheer.

“Have a good day,” Alan said, pulling Twilight along with him. “Come on, dear, nine down, thirty-one to go.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

They had gone through almost the entire roster. The only ones left were the changelings out in the field and Chess Piece herself.

She had her own room apparently…

Ever since Twilight had seen the communal sleeping area, complete with honeycomb-like holes carved into the walls, she was beginning to wonder why Chess Piece had her own room at all.

It only got worse when Alan wouldn’t answer her question.

As Alan led her up to Chess’ room and to her large, heavy door, he paused. “Okay, look Twilight,” he said. “When you see her, whatever you do, don’t freak out.”

“Freak out? Why?” she asked, concern growing in her voice.

“Just...don’t freak out.”

“Wh—” And that was all she was able to get out before Alan walked into the room.

“Hey, Chess!” he said.

“Hey, Boss,” came the answer.

Twilight sighed, annoyed that she was not getting her answer, before following her husband in.

And then she had the answer.

“Ah! Good Morning, Mrs. Sparkle!” Chess Piece said.

Twilight blinked.

“Found everything to your liking? For you know, a sewer?”

Twilight nodded, and stayed quiet.

Chess Piece gaven an awkward smile. “Um...Mrs. Sparkle?”

“Y-you’re...tall,” Twilight said eventually.

And she was tall. Not by an impressive amount like Celestia, or even Luna, but truth be told, she was only a few inches shy of Cadence.

Now, while that is, in fact, a perfectly normal height for the ponies of Equestria, it was not for changelings.

Every single changeling Twilight had ever seen was exactly the same height as the other, with the exception of half of an inch in the ear for gender.

In fact, as far as she knew, there were only one type of changeling that was different in anyway from the “Drone Standard” as she was starting to call it, were the Queens.

She really, really, wanted to freak out.

Chess Piece, to her credit, blushed, and gave a nervous laugh. “Um...yeah...funny thing.”

Alan stepped in. “The other changelings have started looking to Chess here for leadership, which means she’s sort of the psuedo-Queen of the Exilarchy.”

Chess visibly winced at the word “Queen.” “Yeah...funny thing about being a strategist...others tend to make you the leader.”

Twilight stared at her. “I...see…”

There was a second of awkward silence.

“W-were you always that tall?”

“Hm? Oh, no. No, this is a relatively recent development. Pheromones, you see…”

“Ah…”

Chess coughed. “So! Anyway, is there anything I can help you with?” She asked, turning to Alan.

“Just the regular report,” Alan answered.

“Well, Alpha and Bravo teams still have nothing to report, Ponyville’s still quiet; Your Trottingham agent is reporting all quiet, no surprise considering our intel; and Charlie team has the usual Mr. Domino and Bad Joke movements.”

“Let’s see,” Alan said, a mana hand open and waiting.

Chess filled it with a dossier.

“So...you’re...becoming a Queen?” Twilight asked.

Chess’ ears splayed across her head. “Um...sort of…I wasn’t exposed to Royal Jelly as a nymph, so I can’t become a true Queen like...the last one.”

“So what are you then?” Twilight asked.

“A...the term is Half-Queen,” Chess said, trying to focus on the table before her.

“What does that entail?” Twilight asked.

Alan coughed. “Twilight,” he said, admonishingly. “She really doesn’t like to talk about it.”

Twilight blinked, and stared at him for a moment. And then it was almost as if he could see the light bulb go off in her head as she suddenly backed away from Chess’ personal space. “Oh! Sorry...didn’t mean to pry.”

Chess knew this was a polite lie, but nonetheless gave Twilight a thankful smile.

“So, yes, Twilight this is Chess Piece, my lead strategist.”

“At least while we’re down here,” Chess Piece added.

Twilight turned to the table. “So, what are we looking at here?”

Chess sent a look over at Alan.

He gave her a nod.

“Well,” she said. “We have our information network.”

“Anything I can do to help?” Twilight asked.

“Of course!” Chess, said. “Here, could you take this letter and this page and decode this for me? It’s from one of the splinter hives in Baltimare.”

“Splinter hives?” Twilight asked.

Chess looked up, giving Alan a look.

“Um...I may not have gotten to that yet…” Alan said.

“Oh, well!” Chess said. “Um...how to put this...We...aren’t the only swarm that was sent into Equestria.”

Twilight blinked.

“We’ve been trying to bring them under, but a few of them need some work—”

Twilight held up a hoof. “I don’t want to know. In the past few hours I learned that my husband was not only alive, but he began working with changelings to fake his death and start a cold war with the draconequus that just tried to kill me last night. I don’t need to know.”

Chess nodded. “Sounds good.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

When Alan began his story again, he started two nights after his “death.”

Alan paced the cistern room as Whittler finished installing a bar that they apparently needed.

“I don’t like sitting here.”

“You’re breathing,” Whittler noted, “That’s better than most dead ponies.”

Alan rolled his eyes. “I need to do something!”

“Chess is setting up a network for you,” Whittler said.

“Lot of good it’ll do me,” Alan answered frustrated. “Now I get to know how Chaos is tearing the city apart.”

Whittler shook his head, before standing, and checking the hinge on his bar. “Alright, pretty sturdy…” he muttered.

Alan shook his head. “What can I do?” he asked.

“Well, unless you can transform, I’d suggest waiting,” Whittler said with a smirk. “The living world’s not ready for the living dead.”

Alan groaned. “That doesn’t answer my question.”

“It’s the truth of the matter,” Whittler offered. “Until you find a way to hide who you are without question, then you can’t really leave.”

Alan shook his head. “And that’s going to be hard, isn’t it?”

“You’re a public figure,” Whittler said, nodding. “Between your face and the fact that you have golden hooves, you’re pretty hard to miss.”

Alan brought his hoof up to stare at it, and grumbled. “Of course I am…”

Whittler shrugged. “I’m sorry, but it’s the simple fact of the matter, we can’t let you out because somepony would recognize you in a heartbeat, and we can’t let your friends know because we need them to act completely and totally natural.”

Alan sighed.

<<<|Ω|>>>

The Pendragon walked to his bed that night, the changelings buzzing happily around him as they went about their business, using their talents to help build up their base of operations.

He just...He felt useless...He couldn’t do anything. He died and had become a spectator of this horrid world.

The thought of respawning entered his head, and he smirked despite himself.

Yeah, he just needed to respawn.

The question was how.

Well, since you’ve got nothing but time now,you might as well see if you can’t get those shouts translated to spells.

Alan sighed. “Yeah...might as well…”

<<<|Ω|>>>

“How is that going, by the way?” Twilight asked, sitting back on the bed in Alan’s small room.

“The Spell translation? Um…well…” he began, “I definitely did something wrong…”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you know how the basic idea was to simply translate Fastali and Jotum into a force and a sound spell respectively.”

“Yes...and…”

“Well…”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Alan had spent three days focusing on the spells, spending most, if not all of his time on it.

And he had been making no progress whatsoever.

The spell would either fizzle or rush back into himself, leaving him with a headache at best, and complete and crippling fatigue at worst.

Still, he had nothing better to do.

So after another headache passed he stood once more, his horn glowing and at the ready.

He was going to figure this out.

It was all he really could do…

Now, magic was still a weird thing for Alan.

For starters, he was incredibly sensitive to it. He could taste a telekinesis spell at ten feet away, which, if Twilight’s analogy is to be believed, is the equivalent of hearing a clock tick at thirty feet.

Yet, despite his sensitivity to it, he found manipulating magic to be a different matter altogether.

His only two real spells, one of which came naturally to him while the other was gifted by what he would now describe as a demon, both came from a place he didn’t understand, through what he called tunnel 1, past canyon Q, and over river pi, before redirecting to either Terminal 1, or seventeen depending on the spell.

And he really had no idea how the rest of that worked.

What made it worse was that real unicorns didn’t even have names for the hundreds of pathways, they were, simply referred to as ‘this’ or ‘that,’ if at all.

The good news was that he had a framework for the flame spell, that he could work with.

Now all he had to do was figure out what Terminal F14 translated to.

So, trying once more, he began to weave his magical energies through all the little hoops, when something happened. Perhaps it was the fatigue, but Alan suddenly found that he had accidently went down river pi instead of over it.

His eyes went wide as he realized his mistake, and he quickly tried to correct.

And then, before he knew it, he was staring at his own body.

Alan blinked.

There he was, splayed out on the floor as though he had simply fainted.

His chest still rose and fell rhythmically, but he was, quite obviously having a literal out-of-body experience.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Twilight stared at him.

“What?” Alan asked.

“Are you telling me you rediscovered Zebra Soul Magic?”

Alan blinked. “Um...Am I?”

“Well, it’s not an illusion spell!” She said, angrily. “I can’t believe you! You can’t perform telekinesis, the litterally simplest spell in the book! But somehow! Somehow! You can create hard-mana constructs in your sleep, have access to an ancient word magic that isn’t practiced anymore, and now you’ve figured out the secret to the Zebra Arts of Soul Projection!?”

Alan blinked. “Um…”

“No. Just...no. Forget it,” Twilight sighed.

Alan looked at her. She seemed very upset, and, as with every time she got upset, he quickly reverted to his default and apologized. “Sorry?”

Twilight shook her head. “Okay, so your literal soul has been haunting Equestria, and that’s the secret behind the Silver Stallion?”

“Yes,” Alan confirmed.

“And you decided that this was the answer to your cabin fever?”

“Essentially.”

Twilight looked up at him. “I should be far more surprised than I am, I hope you know.”

Alan smirked. “Well, it was a pretty awesome trick, and it gave me a little pull.”

“Pull? Why would you need pull?””

“Well, while we could set up a changeling network with other splinter hives hidden around Equestria, we still needed some boots on the ground. So I needed someone to get in where they couldn’t.”

“What did you do?” Twilight asked, curious.

Alan smiled.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Trottingham was a small city, one that sported an impressive clock tower in the middle of town, almost perfectly equidistant from the fields to the thick forest that Trottingham sat between.

It was quiet, as was expected of the cold midnight. The griffin just wished he had the means to keep warm in it.

The griffon was in bad shape, and that was an understatement. He was missing both of his hind legs, as well as both of his wings. A single arm navigated the one-eyed griffon as he sat on a wheeled plank of wood.

Of all of that, however, the most notable feature of the poor mongrel was the sign he wore around his neck.

It read, in big bold letters, “My name is Coward. I murdered and maimed several ponies during the war, including the pony named Thundersight, so I have been maimed in kind. Do with me what you wish.”

It had been tough on the griffon, but he managed, scrounging on rats and leftovers thrown out by various shops.

He shook his head as he bit into a slightly burnt loaf of bread. It was still quite edible. Eighty three percent, if he had to guess. He wondered if the baker had just burnt it just enough for it to be unsellable. The baker would do that.

Pulling himself forward, he wheeled up to the alley that had been his home for so long now, and moved to a small corner to start up his small fire.

His one claw worked quickly, and he coaxed a flame to life.

Once he had secured his warmth, he wheeled himself over to the cardboard box that had become his shelter.

“Hello, Coward.”

The griffon froze at the voice. He knew that voice. He had heard that voice in his nightmares.

The griffon turned, and stared at the ghost that filled the alley way.

A sword hovered next to him, and the griffon knew that sword.

“Ah-ah....H-hail, Pendragon…” the griffon said, as he pulled himself into ball.

The Silver Stallion walked forward, naked sword brandished.

The griffon winced, hoping that the ghost would make it quick. “Please, sir...I’m sorry. The ponies here are kind, and they’ve shown me the gravity of my sins. Please, sir…”

The blade came close. “Look at my sword, Coward,” Alan said.

The griffon looked up, and he saw his own eye in the flat of the blade.

“What does it say?” Alan asked.

“J-justice,” the griffon answered, fearing for his life.

The blade spun. “And now?”

“M-mercy?” The griffon asked, hopefully.

“Now, Coward, I will offer you Mercy, but you must do as I say.”

“Anything, sir!”

<<<|Ω|>>>

“You hired the griffon that killed Thundersight?” Twilight asked bewildered.

Alan nodded. “I wasn’t crazy about the idea, but beggars can’t be choosers,” he said. “Besides, he’s done a good job. He’s given me the names and homes of the three different corrupted police members.”

“Chaos has gotten to Trottingham?”

Alan nodded. “He’s gotten everywhere, and I don’t know how. It’s annoyed me to no end.”

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, when a commotion sounded from behind the door.

“That must be Moonlight,” Alan said.

“Who?” Twilight asked.

“Your shadow, and your funeral double,” Alan said as he made his way to the cistern.

Twilight followed.

A small crowd gathered around as a changeling walked into room, a pair of star-shaped stickers draped on her back. “The fun has arrived!” she said in a sing-song voice.

“Took you long enough,” Alan said.

“Well,” Moonlight said, tossing the cutie mark stickers off to the side of the room, “if Grim and Ghastly were better at digging up corpses, I would have been back sooner.”

“Oh, sure,” Grim said, coming in behind her. “Blame us, why don’tcha?”

“But, now you don’t need to worry anymore, I’m...Mrs. Sparkle!”

“Um...hi?”

Moonlight crossed the distance in almost no time, and she quickly hooked her leg around the unicorn. “How did I do? What did you think? Was I dead enough? What about the Milkmare? Was that a good role? In your opinion does bloodpoppy or lichbalm make a better nausea reliever?”

“Um...huh?”

“Tell me how I did!” Moonlight whined.

Twilight blinked, bewildered.

Alan smiled. “Twilight, this is Moonlight, your shadow and number one changeling fan. She volunteered for the shadow job, seeks your approval, and wants to know everything about you. Have fun!”

“Wait, what? Alan! Alan, wait!”

He just laughed.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Chaos stared into the abyss.

His master stared back.

“You wanted to speak to me, my Lord?”

“Yesssss…” Sombra’s voice echoed. “I did. The time has come for our plans to move forward.”

“M-move forward?! But my Lord, Celestia is not yet ready for—”

“Then you failed,” Sombra said simply.

“But-but, I’m so close!”

“And in the time it has taken you to do this, I have already chosen a new vessel. I need you no longer, slave.”

Chaos felt his center go cold.

If...if he had no use for him, then he would be tossed aside.

“A-as you wish, Master…”

He...he needed…

“If I may, though…”

“Whaaaaaaaaaaat?”

“I have another vessel for you, for later use.”

“I need it not.”

“Not the body of the Pendragon’s son?”

There was silence between the two.

“I see...well done, servant. Bring the young one to me.”

“Of course, Master.”

Yet another chapter down.

“Wait stuff’s happening?”

Of course, Alan’s just getting her up to speed now. But stuff has to happen.

“So things are going to go down?”

Indeed. Just not yet.

“Sounds fun!”

Oh so much fun.

“Whelp, we’ll see you all next time, guys!”

Be sure to comment!

“Bye!”

20-The Birth of the Corps

Chapter 20

The cloud sighed.

To anyone who was not a cloud, it sounded like thunder.

He had heard the call, grown in size, and made his way for Canterlot.

He had obeyed at every step along the way.

Yet here they were, pegasi, coming to stop him.

“Alright, guys!” one of them at the front said. “Just a wild nimbostratus! Nothing we can’t handle!”

The cloud didn’t think so.

A bolt of lightning and the rumble of thunder erupted from the cloud.

“Come on, ponies, move! We need to get this guy back to Everfree now!”

But the cloud was not going to Everfree. It had a mission. It was going to Canterlot.

“I got it!” one of the pegasi yelled.

You have nothing.

A bolt struck the pegasi with fury, and her wings went stiff.

The voice spoke to him.

She won’t die...please, give me some credit.

The pegasi came around. “Someone catch Tigerlily! The rest of you, with me!”

The cloud rumbled at them again.

The pegasi may be masters of the storm, but Faust was Queen of them.

And the cloud would not disobey.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Moonlight had dragged Twilight into the depths, and into her own personal lab. Jar upon jar and beaker upon beaker lined the shelves and small pots of exotic flowers under bright sun lamps stood out against the grey walls.

Meanwhile, Moonlight cackled away.

Twilight watched as the changeling with the erlenmeyer flask on her flank began to finalize the work on her latest potion.

A pair of goggles sat on her face as she chuckled to herself checking and re-checking the last bit of work as her project came to fruition.

Twilight briefly wondered if this was how Spike and Alan felt when she worked on her spells…

“Alright,” Moonlight said, taking one final check. “Once the Sandberry juice mixes with the brushed lichbalm, it’ll make a nice paste. The paste, when then mixed with crushed spearoot, will then thin out the paste as well as nullify the toxic properties of the lichbalm. Then mixing this with both monkthistle and monkeycress, we should have ourselves the single best pick-me-up since coffee!”

Twilight nodded, not entirely sure how any of that was going to happen.

Moonlight smiled as she sat next to Twilight, her goggles up, her magick reaching out to grab a nearby lever. “This is going to be fun!”

It was?

Moonlight magic flipped the switch and the mess of apparti began to glow.

Twilight watched for a second, before speaking. “Should I have some goggles?”

“What?”

And then everything was white.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Alan shook his head. “No, no. She’s not a complete Ultramarine. I wouldn’t be able to stand her if she was. No, Twilight’s a mix of the Ultramarines and...well, and a bit like a chapter that a lot of people don’t care for…”

“Why? What’s wrong with them?” The changeling beside him on the bar asked.

Alan took a drink. “They were created for a game.”

“Isn’t the whole thing a game?”

“Yes, but...it was another game based off of a game, and they were breaking their own lore.”

“So? It’s their game isn’t it? I mean—”

“Look, North, you’re arguing with the wrong guy. I like the Blood Ravens. They’re like the uncorrupted Thousands Sons.”

“So why give them so much flak?” North Wind asked.

“It’s a habit. When you live in a world where your opinions are the determining factor in a relationship, you learn to be quiet in person and as loud and obnoxious as possible on the internet.”

Before North Wind could ask for some clarification on this mythical being known as the ‘internet,’ Twilight walked into the room.

Alan took one look at her, and pulled out another bottle. “Judging by the fact that your mane is now defying gravity, I take it Moonlight’s experiment went well.”

Twilight growled as she grabbed the bottle. “If I never hear the word ‘alchemy’ again, it’ll be too soon.”

North Wind finished his drink. “Sounds like it went very well. Alright, I’m going to turn in, have fun you two.”

“See ya, North.”

“North?” Twilight asked.

“Guy likes flying,” Alan said.

Twilight growled and sat down next to her husband, and he put a foreleg around her. “You’ll be alright.”

She sighed. “I know…”

Alan shook his head. “Tell you what, there’s some more story I want to tell you before we get caught up, interested?”

She gave him a look. “You are not bribing me with information you promised to tell me.”

“It’s not a bribe!” Alan said defensively. “I’m putting it into a different perspective to make you happier.”

She frowned. “It’s not working. Now spill it, buster.”

Alan smirked. “If you say so.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Alan got up, moving slowly as fatigue slowed his mind.

“We’ve got to do something!” he heard from down the way.

“We will but we won’t do that,” a slightly higher, but otherwise identical voice said.

“Do you have any other suggestions? Cause I’m listening.”

Alan became alert, flattening himself against the wall as instinct took over while he eavesdropped.

“Look, we’re not what we used to be,” the second voice said. “We don’t do that anymore. We’re better than that.”

“And that’s great! Really! I want this new leaf thing to take off, but we can’t keep living like this.”

“So what?” the second one asked, “What are you suggesting then? That we go out, do what changelings do best, take, no, steal other pony’s love and then turn around and say ‘but don’t worry about us, we’re good guys now,’ hm?”

“We cannot sustain ourselves on food alone. If we are going to help the Pendragon, we need magic, and I don’t need to remind you that our magic is powered by love. If we can’t get love, we’re done.”

“We have enough.”

“What? You mean Curtain Call? He has what he has because he was pretending to be the Pendragon at his funeral. He got mourner’s love, and that’s not enough for all of us. He’s up and ready, but we’re next to useless. We need love.”

The other sighed. “I know. I know we need love…”

There was a moment of silence between the two.

“We need love, Chess Piece. If we don’t get it, we won’t be of any help.”

“I know,” Chess said. “But I will not risk who we are, who the Exilarchy are, to do that. We are the Pendragon’s servants, and he does not want us stealing love. And that is final, Mapper.”

Mapper sighed. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“Don’t call me that,” Chess added.

Alan was sure he had heard enough, and, standing, gave a massive yawn before walking around the corner. “Morning, ladies,” he mumbled.

“Morning, sir!” Chess greeted, while Mapper made herself scarce. “Everything’s ready and waiting for orders, sir.”

“Progress report,” Alan said.

“Our network is suggesting a rise in crime, sir. Petty crimes, mostly, although we have an incident in Manehatten concerning a beating.”

Alan grimaced. “Chaos is up to something…”

“Sir?”

“Crime’s been on the rise since Chaos arrived. I’ve even talked to Celestia about it.”

Chess nodded. “Interesting. Why would he want crime to go up? Is he trying to destabilize the government? Is it a distraction for the guards?”

“That last one sounds plausible,” Alan said. “Considering he has the police chief in his pocket, it wouldn’t take much to get them to refocus their attention on pointless matters to fill the hooves of the guards.”

Chess nodded. “I’ll let our Canterlot branch focusing on the police and guard movements. Anything else?”

Alan looked up at her from the maps and blinked. “A-are you taller?”

Chess shifted nervously. “I haven’t noticed anything, sir.”

Alan blinked. “I...I could be wrong, I guess.”

Chess nodded. “So, anything, sir?”

Alan frowned. “How are our supplies? Are we missing anything?”

Chess avoided his gaze, going back down to the clipboard in her magical grip. “No, sir. Nothing.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Chess Piece walked, disguised as a simple brown, unicorn mare with green eyes, down the Canterlot streets, a bag of groceries hovering in her magical grasp.

Her mind was a mess of problems.

What was she going to do about the love situation? They would wither away if they didn’t get the love they need to sustain their magic. There was an issue of food, an issue of assignments, there was even the issue that every changeling in the entire Exilarchy was looking to her for leadership for some bizarre reason.

Her disguise felt tight.

And that was a whole different issue she didn’t even want to touch.

She sighed as she walked. “Why are they making me a Queen? I don’t want to be a Chrysalis. I like who I am! I don’t want to change again.”

She sighed.

Why did things have to be so difficult?

Her ear twitched.

Her head came up.

She heard something.

A strangled cry.

Chess blinked, her head turning to the right, where a darkened alley met her.

“Hel—”

Smack.

Chess Piece blinked, and then a thought struck her.

I need to do something.

She balked at the thought.

“Wait, me?! Why do I have to do it? Can’t someone else? Can’t somepony else do it?”

Do you see anyone else around?

Chess checked the empty street, and mentally cursed.

“I can’t get involved,” she said to herself. “It’s not my problem.”

Isn’t it?

Chess Piece bit her lip.

Well, she didn’t make herself a coward.

She just didn’t know she made herself a hero.

<<<|Ω|>>>

The four burly stallions surrounded the small mare, the unicorn holding a knife blade in his magick grasp.

The mare whimpered as the leader, a large earth pony grinned. “Alright, now, let’s do this nice and easy.”

The pony beside him smirked.

“We’ll start with your money and go from there.”

The mare threw her coin purse at them, and cowered with her back to the wall.

“Good,” the stallion said. “Now let’s see what else we can get.”

Tears began to stream from the mare’s eyes. “Please...I gave you the money, just go.”

“Oh, no. Not yet dear. Not yet.”

Glass shattered to their left, and the four stallions all turned to see the spinning remains of the top of a glass bottle.

And then the unicorn felt a hoof slam into his cheek from the right.

A black blur slammed into them, turning the muggers into a mess of fur and hooves.

The mare blinked, watching in shock as a completely black pony-like shape punch, kicked, and bucked through her attackers.

One of the stallions went flying, out of the fight and flat out on the ground.

The unicorn grasped the knife once more, and brought it down on the black blur.

The knife deflected to the side, almost as if the blur had been armored.

The blur answered with a kick to the face.

The mare watched on, staring wide eyed until one by one, her attackers fell.

And then it was her and the blur.

The blur had no defining features. No face, no mane, no horn, no wings, only a simple black coat that encased its entire being. The only thing that seemed to truly be definitive about it was the blur’s definately female figure.

The mare blinked.

The blur turned to her.

They stared at each other for a second or two.

And then the blur ran.

“Wait!” The mare called as the blur disappeared down the alley. “Wait! Come back!”

The blur did not wait.

“Thank you!” the mare yelled as the blur disappeared from sight.

<<<|Ω|>>>

“So,” Whittler said, holding up a bottle of cider. “What do you think?”

“It’s a good bar, Whittler,” the other changeling, Thimble, said. “I like it.”

The other changelings that had gathered in the room gave some mumbles in agreement.

“It’s a bar,” one of them said, sounding unimpressed.

The others turned to her.

Mapper stood, took a deep breath and said. “Look, it’s nice and all, but it’s pointless in the grand scheme of things.”

“Well be a Debbie Downer, why don’t cha, babe?”

“We have no love!” Mapper said. “We’re just going to wither away at this point! We need love or we’re going to die!”

The door to the Cistern slammed open and Chess Piece stood in the door, heaving as she wore the biggest smile on her face. “Mapper, I have your answer!”

<<<|Ω|>>>

“What now?” Alan asked.

“We’re going to become heros!” Chess said, smiling.

Alan blinked.

“Look, I know it sounds nuts,” Chess said, “but it solves all our problems!”

“All our problems?”

“Well, okay, two of them. Still! Look, we can get love from the populace, we can earn it.”

“Hero worship is love?”

“Bread and butter,” Chess said, “but it’s enough. We can sustain our magic with it, and we’ll be taking down the criminal element at the same time! It’s perfect!”

Alan sighed, and took a long look at beaming changeling.

He sighed again. “Okay, but if you’re going to be a hero, then you’re going to do it right.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

“So was it your idea to steal the Mare Do Well costume?” Twilight asked.

Alan took a second to examine his ceiling. “Steal is a harsh word…”

“Uh-huh…” Twilight said, utterly unconvinced.

“Anyway, I got to training them,” Alan said. “Guerilla tactics, ambushes, fighting with advantage, the whole nine yards. Meanwhile, Thimble was making a ton of Mare Do Well costumes, and before the week was out, we had a team of ten Mare Do Wells, waiting to get out into the field.”

“And I suppose they did well, considering the fuss she made in the paper.”

“Oh she did better than well,” Alan said with a smile, “Stronger than the average pony, impervious to blades, and able to produce their own smoke at a moment’s notice. They were amazing ninjas.”

“Actually, how did they do the smoke thing?” Twilight asked.

“It’s their goo,” Alan said simply. “They have a spell where they can cause a spark, and the goo just smokes as it burns.”

“So that’s it,” she said. “I was wondering.”

“Oh, it gets better than that, Twi. It get’s better than that.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Three thugs haunted the streets of Canterlot, sneaking in the dark silence of the night.

Their eyes were glued on a jewelry shop, Emerald’s Diamonds, that sat on the corner of Gold and Silver.

They had planned everything. Getting in, getting past the alarms, opening the cases, which jewels to take, getting out, the whole thing.

What they did not know, was that they were being watched.

Four changelings all stood on the roof of the building opposite them, Whittler at the head. “Alright, guys. This is it, Mare Do Well’s debut. Everyone got the voice?”

A mumble of identical voices agreed.

“Wonderful, we’re going to skip the intro this time, and go straight for taking them out.”

“Aw…” one of the Mare Do Wells moaned. “I like the intro.”

“Next time, I promise,” Whittler said. “There’s a window that open in the back of the store, that’s our way in, got it? Now, on my mark, we move, ready?”

More agreement, even as one started breathing deeply. “Alright, man, this is going to be tight…”

Whittler nodded. “Alright, on three. One, two, three.”

All four Mare Do Wells dropped to the street, landing with a green flash as they all transformed into rats.

“Hey!” One of the thugs said. “Didja see that?”

“What?”

“Something flashed behind us!”

“Hush!” the mare picking the lock said. “No noise. I almost got the door open.”

The rats went past them, heading to the back of the store and squeezing through a cracked open window.

Once all four had squeezed through, they all burst from their transformation.

“Ow...okay...that hurt,” of them said.

“Get used to it,” Whittler said, “we need those forms for the plan to work. Meantime, everyone move out, let’s get the smoke ready.”

The changelings nodded, and re-transformed. The rats quickly moved, heading to the storefront and spreading out, spitting up goo as they went.

The door clicked, and the rats froze.

“Alright,” the lockpicking mare said. “Let’s go, Hot Wire, get the alarm down, Brass, wait for the alarm before bagging the gems.”

Both stallions went to work as the mare closed the door behind them.

The rats moved slowly, sneaking around ponies, desperately trying to stay quiet and unnoticed.

“Alright,” one of the stallions said, Hot Wire, if Whittler had to guess, “let’s get rich!”

Whittler held his breath, and the three ponies went to work.

Then he took a deep breath, and mentally set off his goo.

Thick, green smoke began to fill the room and the other changelings took the cue, setting off their own good.

“The buck is happening?!” the mare yelled, as the entire room was filled to the brim.

And the Whittler moved first.

With a flash of green, he transformed, dressed in hat, cape, and cowl. He roared, his voice disguised, as he slammed his hoof into the mare’s jaw.

And then he transformed again, back into a rat, disappearing into the smoke.

Another changeling took that as his cue, performing his own hit-and run on Hot Wire.

They kept this up, transforming and retransforming with each strike, until all three of the thieves were beaten into unconsciousness.

And then they all transformed into their Mare Do Well forms, taking grateful breaths of air as they emerged from their tight forms.

Whittler immediately took charge. “Alright, get the rope, tie em up. We did good, guys.”

“Cool, can we use the intro next time.”

Whittler rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes we can.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

“And that’s how the Mare Do Well Corps was born,” Alan said with a smirk.

“So, what happened next?” Twilight asked.

“Well,” Alan said with a sigh. “Apparently Chaos was putting a lot of stock into this crime plan, because once we started pushing, he pushed back.”

“With what?”

“Supervillains,” Alan grumbled. “You’ve heard about them if not of them.”

“You mean Bad Joke?”

“Bad Joke, Mr. Domino, and Big Red. You probably haven’t heard of Big Red though, the second we found the guy, we did our best to get him as far away from civilization as possible.”

“That bad?”

“You know...oh...what’s she called? Saddle Rager, of the Power Ponies?”

“That comic Spike reads?”

“Yeah that’s the one, imagine her, but with no good side. Just pure muscle, pure rage, and a need to kill practically everything.”

“Oh.”

“Right.”

“So...that’s pretty much what we’ve been up to down here.”

“That’s it?”

“Well, I mean, yeah, it took months though for everything to get to this point, though.”

Twilight blinked. “So...what do we do now?”

“That, my dear, is a question with a long, convoluted answer.”

“I’m listening.”

Alan took a breath. “We’re...we’re going to launch an attack on Canterlot.”

Twilight blinked.

“I know that sounds bad!” he quickly said, coming to his own defense. “It’s not like that, though! If we’re going to stop Chaos then we need Judgement. Harmony, the real Harmony told me so, and Chaos took it somewhere, I don’t know where, and so I need to distract him long enough to get it back.”

“So what’s the plan?” Twilight said, interrupting his panicked speech.

“...so we—wait, what?”

“What’s the plan?” Twilight asked again.

“Y-you’re alright with this?” Alan asked, bewildered.

“Attacking Canterlot? Not especially, but if it’ll help us stop Chaos, I’m with you every step of the way.”

Alan gave her a small smile and a small sigh. “I’m glad to hear it.”

Twilight nodded. “Now, at the risk of repeating myself…”

“Right! The plan!” He said, before hunching his back and pulling her close for his conspiratorial whispers. “So, Chaos thinks you’re dead, and he thinks I’m dead. As far as he knows, that means both the Elements of Harmony, and Judgement cannot rise against him, as far as he knows. So, my plan is to bring both of those against him the second he makes a move.”

“Why not now?” Twilight asked.

“For the same reason I couldn’t convince everypony else that Chaos was not our friend,” Alan said. “We need to move when he has proven himself to be against us, and now that he thinks he can’t be touched he’s more likely to move, and far more likely to make stupid mistakes. With that on our side, you, me, and the Mare Do Well Corps are gonna strike hard and gonna strike fast. You are going to grab the girls, and get the Elements, and I’ll get the sword.”

“Are the girls in town?”

“Yup, I’ve had Mapper go around and keep them in after they got here for your funeral.”

Twilight nodded. “Okay, so I get the girls, you get the sword, and together we tag team Chaos into oblivion?”

“While the Mare Do Wells keep any other threats busy,” Alan said.

"Is that everything?"

"Well, with Shining and Cadence watching Orion, he should be safe...um...I don't think I missed anything."

Twilight smiled. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Night had fallen, and Pipsqueak lay asleep in bed.

So much had weighed upon the boy as of late, the death of his surrogate aunt and uncle, his adoptive sister Scootaloo’s recent behavior, and, most recently, nightmares.

His sleeping form squirmed as it lay there under the covers, his face twisting in anguish.

And then he woke with a start.

His chest was heaving as sat in bed, surrounded only by the darkness that filled his room.

That...that dream…

It was crazy.

It was stupid.

His eyes wandered to his window, one of the few that overlooked the town. There, in the center, stood the Golden Oaks Library and next to it, the floating shape of a sky yacht.

He’d be in so much trouble.

There was no way…

No way he could pilot it alone...

<<<|Ω|>>>

Cadence woke.

She took a moment to look around, her husband practically wrapped around her.

Something was going to happen.

Unwrapping herself from her husband's embrace, she stood up in the bedroom of the apartment.

Something was happening.

She knew it, in her heart of hearts, that something, something incredibly important was going to happen.

It was going to happen very soon.

"So..." she whispered to herself, still not entirely sure how she knew. "It will return in my day..."

<<<|Ω|>>>

Chaos smirked.

Things were almost ready.

The next night. That’s when his master wanted the plan to move forward.

So it should be.

“Isn’t it marvelous, Harmony?” Luna asked beside him.

Chaos smiled. “Of course, you stupid puppet. It is my plan!”

“Such a charmer you are,” Luna said, deaf to the insults so that only flattery would reach her ears.

“Quite,” Chaos said, looking up at the sky. “Now, my dear, let me ask you a question.”

“Of course, My Love, anything.”

“How do you feel about the ponies that scoff at your night?”

“Scoff?” Luna said, alarmed. “Who dares scoff at me?”

Chaos grinned an evil smile. “Who does not, my dear?”

Luna looked heartbroken at the thought.

Chaos chuckled as he planted a seed, and watched with delight as it grew.

Tomorrow night.

It would be the world’s last night of freedom.

The beginning of the End.

Alright, guys. The time has come!

“The end is nigh!”

Alan and Twilight are coming back into the world and back onto the stage.

“The dead will rise!”

Chaos will begin to make his moves and reveal his true colors.

“The sea will turn to blood!”

Stop paraphrasing Revelations!

“But it fits.”

Barely. Just...just stop, let the people read it.

“Then I guess we’ll see you guys next time then!”

Sounds like it to me.

“Bye!”

21-The Pendragon Awakens

Chapter 21

As has been stated, Death’s vigil over the gates of Tartarus was not perfect.

Imps, and such things were constantly escaping, and a few larger denizens would make their way out, when Death was away and Cerberus was asleep.

Still...there was one…

The one that Death would consider his greatest failure.

Hatred, King of Tartarus, had waited for millennia. He had sent out minion after minion to weaken the world, and bring him closer to his goals.

And then, finally he made his move.

Escaping into the world as a shade, past the sleeping dog, and Death who was away, he made his way and prepared his plan.

Umbra Shade, of House Shade watched over the Crystal Empire from his balcony. As he stared out into the distance, though, his heart felt heavy.

Worry wormed into his being, and the hazy future clouded his mind.

His duty to protect the Royal House of the Empire set him on edge, what with the echoes of a war with the Minotaurs floating in the wind.

His fear had driven him to study magics that no other pony had dared to delve into

It was here that Hatred found him.

“What troubles you, little pony? What aid can I offer?”

Umbra stood, thinking he had summoned the voice that now echoed in the room. “Creature! I need strength!”

“What strength do you need?”

“I need the strength to protect the Imperial Prince and Princess. I need the strength to keep them and the Empire safe from our enemies.”

“I could help you,” Hatred whispered. “I can give you aid. But it will come at a price.”

“Your price matters not, so long as my people are safe.”

“So it shall be.”

And the ponies were safe.

Safe under the iron hoof of a demonic tyrant.

<<<|Ω|>>>

The bed felt cold.

Twilight stirred, searching for warmth.

It had been there a second ago.

Her eyes snapped open.

“Alan!”

Her heart slammed into her throat, and a horrified thought ran through her head.

He was dead and it had all been a dream. She was still alone.

She sat up, searching the room, and found her husband, staring up at the makeshift window of their room.

Twilight let loose a tense breath.

It was real. He was alive.

They both were.

“Alan? Is something wrong?” she asked.

“A lot of things are wrong,” he said.

Twilight slid up to him, and nuzzled the crook of his neck. “What’s the problem, Alan?”

“My dreams,” he muttered.

“What about them?”

Alan sighed. “I’ve seen things...I’ve seen thing that will be, and things that will never be, things that were, and things that could have been. I’ve seen Canterlot burn in Chaos’ black flames, and I’ve seen rise into a Golden Age that makes my own world look backwards in comparison. I’ve seen my own death at the hooves of these changelings among us, and I’ve seen our son lay me in the ground a grandfather. I’ve seen our many times great-grandson stare down an army, proclaiming that he holds the ancient fighting techniques that have passed from generation to generation in our line.”

He sighed, again, feeling thirty years older. “I’ve seen us win, and I’ve seen us fail, Twilight. I’ve seen them both, and the failure is too great...”

Twilight kissed him. “We’ll be fine, Alan. You’ll lead us to victory, like you always have.”

Alan shook his head. “I hope so...I hope so, Twi…” he kissed. “Let’s just go back to bed, Twi. We need to be ready and alert.”

She nodded, and dragged her husband back with her.

Alan followed.

But he had not been perfectly honest.

He had seen something else.

He did not know who, but Alan knew that Chaos was not working alone.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Daisy Chain sighed as she came up to the librarian’s desk.

It seemed wrong, in a way.

Twilight had asked her to library-sit for her, and now...now it seemed like she would be running it for a while.

Dawn Flame came in, and set down a pile of books. “Got some more for you, dear.”

“Thank you,” Daisy muttered, before stamping the return date into the book’s return card.

Dawn shook his head. “I can’t believe they're both gone…”

“I know…”

Volo, Alan’s eagle was perched, despondent, joined by Owlowiscious, who had been equally depressed. Daisy shook her head, it just seemed so wrong.

As the two began to settle into the daily grind, somepony walked in through the door.

“Mom! Dad! You here?” Pipsqueak called, walking through the door as he was followed by Scootaloo and their friends.

“Pip, Scoots?” Dawn called. “What are you kids doing here?”

“It’s Diamond’s turn to pick the activity!” Pip said, pointing at the pink filly who gave a shy wave. “And since Scoots has been forcing us into some crazy stuff, she wanted to do something that wasn’t as physically challenging.”

“So we’re here to help you sort through the books!” Silver Spoon finished, smiling.

Dawn blinked, and looked over at Daisy.

Daisy blinked and looked over at Dawn.

And both of them looked to the bored-looking pegasus filly that stood behind her step-brother. “And you agreed to this?” they asked in unison.

Scootaloo sighed. “Yeah...it’s only fair…"

The parents looked at each other once more. “Well…” Daisy said. “We...could use some help going through the returns…”

Dawn looked down at Scootaloo, mouth open, before closing it.

He took a long look at his daughter.

“O...kay…” he said. “You...do that…”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Alan and Twilight sat at the bar, finishing the last of their oatmeal.

So far, the day had passed without too many issues, in fact, so far it had seemed quiet. And while that did fill Alan with a sense of foreboding, he was happy to keep the peace around for as long as he could.

As the dead couple finished their breakfast, sitting in the cistern room of the hidden base, a changeling approached them.

“Morning, sir!” the changeling said.

Alan turned, and smiled. “Ah! Anvil! How are you doing this morning?”

“I’m doing well, sir,” Anvil said.

“Twilight, you remember Anvil, don’t you?”

“Of course!” Twilight said. “He’s the armorer. You made a point of him being an armorer, and his secret project.”

“Speaking of, how’s it coming?” Alan asked.

“Actually, sir, I just finished.”

“Oh! Sweet,” Alan said.

“If you’ll both follow me,” Anvil offered.

“Lead the way,” Twilight said.

Anvil smiled and led the way.

They made their way down a set of stairs, and into a simple room that has a fire pit dug into the center.

“Not much of a smithy, is it?” Alan asked.

“It’s better than Thimble’s loom,” Anvil said. “Besides, when you do what I do, you do not need much.”

“And what do you do?” Twilight asked, interest peaked.

Anvil smiled. “Chitin smithing.”

Both ponies blinked.

“What?” Alan asked.

Anvil chuckled, as he led them to two figures that lay hidden under some ratty sheets. “Well, considering that we had quite a few volunteers show up from the starvation before you showed up, sir, I’ve had quite a lot of material to work with.”

“Oh…” Alan said. “Lovely.”

“Well,” Anvil said. “If you’re willing to get over the discomfort, I have these for you,” and with that, he ripped the sheets aside to reveal two, old, beat ponyquins.

But the armor they were wearing was spectacular.

The first set, Twilight realized, seemed to be a silver and black version of the Silver Stallion’s, complete with face-shrouding chamfron and flank-obscuring plates. The only real differences seemed to be the newly-minted, black plate that sat in the chest, stamped with a silver image of a rampant dragon, and the diamond that sat beneath the horn opening.

The second set was for a slightly slimmer figure, made of silver and lavender plates that would cover the neck, barrel, back and shoulders. A circlet-shaped helm, set with a star-shaped amethyst sat proudly on the ponyquin’s head, and a skirt of what looked like cloth shimmered green as it’s hem sat just below the flank.

“Chitin,” Anvil said, “specifically changeling chitin is ten times harder than steel, and a fraction of the weight. There is not a blade on this earth, magical or otherwise, that can cut or pierce this hide. That, and there’s normally just enough residual magic in the plates to allow for altering texture and colors to make each piece perfectly unique.”

Alan nodded, impressed as he began to look over the armor.

“Each piece is made completely out of cleaned and recycled changeling chitin, carefully molded and designed to keep you protected in all of the major areas. I even have a heavier set for you, sir, that will even keep your joints safe.”

“No, no...this...this is good…”

Anvil nodded, smiling wider and wider as both ponies stared wide-eyed at their pieces. “Now, Miss, Sparkle,” he said, turning to Twilight as she looked at her armor. “I had to take some liberties for your armor, as I am not really familiar with your fighting style, so I had to go with the traditional battlemage armor design.”

Twilight nodded, staring at her piece and trying not to have a gaping mouth.

“No objections to the design, then?” He asked.

Twilight shook her head in silence.

Anvil smiled. “Wonderful. I’ve also take the time to enchant the pieces with a magic resistant enchantment in the gems, just as an overall blanket spell to keep you safe.”

The two ponies circled their armor once more, before Alan finally spoke. “Wow...Anvil...you weren’t kidding when you said you had a talent for armor.”

“No, sir!” Anvil said with a smile, pleased at the reception.

“Well...I...I’m definitely wearing this when the time comes.”

“It’s an honor, sir,” Anvil said with pride.

The door to the armory slammed open. “Sir!” the entering changeling said, running down to they smithy floor. “Sir! Chess Piece needs to speak with you immediately!”

“What’s the problem?” Alan asked.

“They’re all coming to Canterlot Castle, sir!”

“They?” Twilight asked.

“The Big Three! All of them!”

Twilight blinked, confused, and turned to Alan to ask what exactly that meant, only for Alan to sprint up the stairs. “They’re what?!”

Twilight followed quickly after, trailing the bounding form of her husband. “Alan! Where are you going?!”

She knew the answer to that, really, there was only one place to go.

Alan burst into the war room, where Chess sat, poring over maps and reports while changelings buzzed around her.

“Chess, what’s going on?!” he asked. “Are the Big Three on the move?”

Chess nodded. “Yes, sir. The reports just came in,” she said, standing. “Big Red stopped his rampage, and then turned around, heading straight for the center of the City. Shortly after that, we received word about both Bad Joke and Mr. Domino. Their heading for the castle as we speak.”

“Mobilize all changelings!” Alan barked. “I want every member of the Mare Do Well Corps dressed and ready within the hour! Initiate Operation First Born! I want the Stallion Seven armed and warned yesterday!”

“Sir! Yes, sir!”

“Shadow! Quickstep!” Alan called.

“Sir!” two changelings answered.

“I need the locations of the Elements of Harmony and Judgement in my hoof ASAP! Understood?!”

“Sir! Yes, sir!”

“Alan,” Twilight called. “What’s going on?”

“Big Red doesn’t move,” Alan explained. “He wanders. For him to move anywhere with any sort of purpose means he’s up to something. And as far as I know, there’s only one thing that can order Big Red.”

“Chaos…” Twilight said.

“Exactly, and if all three of his minions are heading to the same place?”

Twilight nodded, following the mental breadcrumbs her husband was leaving. “Then he’s up to something.”

Alan nodded. “Something big.”

It seemed they’d be wearing that armor much sooner than he thought.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Silver Pauldrons walked the streets of Canterlot, a frown on his face.

It had been bad.

First Alan had kicked the bucket and now Twilight too? It was just too much.

Applejack, the pony who could take anything, had even been affected. She couldn’t even get out of bed today.

So here he was, getting food for the two of them until Applejack felt better,

It was just too much.

“E-excuse me! Mister!”

Silver looked up.

“Mister! Hang on a second!”

Silver checked behind him to see a young unicorn stallion walk up to him. “Sir! You dropped this!” The stallion said, waving a small folded piece of paper.

Silver furrowed his brow. “I don’t think—”

“Here you go, sir!” the young stallion said, slapping the page into his hoof. “You need to be more careful, sir, that looks important.”

“But it’s not—”

“Well, have a good day, sir!” the unicorn said, before he began he turned and began walking away.

“Hey! Wait! This isn’t mine!” Silver yelled after the escaping colt.

The young stallion never stopped.

“Hey! Come back here! You’ve got the wrong stallion!”

And then it was too late. The young stallion turned a corner and was gone.

Silver grumbled.

Great, now he had to go and find who this note belongs to, and all that jazz.

Sighing he opened the note.

“Silver,” the note read.

“Get your hammer out. You might need it soon.

—Al.”

Silver blinked.

And his bag of groceries hit the ground.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Spike had grown lethargic.

He knew this day would come.

He knew one day he’d have to bid Twilight, his sister/mother good bye.

He just didn’t think it would be this soon.

He needed to be alone.

Alone so that no one, not even Rarity, could see the tears the dragon would shed.

His sleep was riddled with nightmares, torturous dreams where he could have done something.

He had tried to be with her after Alan left, but...but it wasn’t enough…

It just…

Maybe he could have done something.

Maybe there was nothing he could do.

The best that he could do was not think about it.

A knock sounded on the door to the apartment, the one he and Twilight had lived in so long ago, before Nightmare Moon returned.

“Go away!” he roared, his voice echoing in the emptiness.

It was quiet for a moment, and then the knock sounded again.

Spike growled. “Didn’t they hear me?” he mumbled to himself, anger rising in his voice. “Don’t they know when to leave a dragon alone?!”

He got out of bed and stormed down to the door, causing the room to shake with each step.

He grabbed the door in his powerful claw and ripped it open. “What do you want!?” he roared.

At...no one in particular…

He looked around, and snorted. “Better,” he grumbled, before his eyes set down on a small box that sat in front of the door.

Perhaps it was curiosity, perhaps it was something else, but Spike picked up the box, and inside the box, were four things.

Two of them were his pistols. The little firearms that he had wielded so long ago as a smaller version of himself during the war.

The third was his bullet belt.

All three of those items had been secured in a safe in Canterlot’s vault.

Spike blinked.

The fourth item was a letter.

“Spike,

We need our number one assistant.

Make sure to bring both of yours.

—Al.”

Spike blinked again.

There was no way.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Soarin sighed.

“Featherbrains,” he muttered. “My wing's what broken, not my legs. They don’t need to keep me bedridden.”

“It’s okay, Soary,” Pinkie said, sounding not quite as bubbly as normal.

“No, it’s not alright,” Soarin growled. “I missed the funeral because these Thunderheads wouldn’t let me go!”

“Sh, it’s okay,” Pinkie said. “It wasn’t something I really wanted to go to either…”

Soarin sighed. “I know, Pinkie. Still, I wanted to pay my respects…”

There was silence between the two for a moment.

“Hey...Pinkie?”

“Yes?”

“Could you get me something to drink? They never bring me enough water when I ask…”

“Sure, Soary. I’ll be right back,” Pinkie said, before walking out of the room.

Soarin sighed.

“Everything alright, Mr. Soarin?” A nurse said, walking into the room.

Soarin sighed. “No, but I’ll live.”

The nurse smiled, and came in. She then quickly moved around her patient, fluffing his pillow, checking the monitors, and all that, before she smiled and spoke to him. “Alright, there you go! Do you need anything else?”

“No,” Soarin grumbled, “I’m fine.”

The nurse smiled, before leaning in and quickly whispering in his ear. “Keep your eyes open,” she said, before dropping his phoenix amulet into his hoof, “The Pendragon will need you soon.”

Soarin blinked, confused, and the nurse quickly backed out of the room.

Soarin looked down at the amulet, before looking back at the empty door.

“I...um...what?”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Night was beginning to fall.

Daisy Chain walked in on the small group of foals in the backroom, and smiled. “Wow, kids, I have to say, I’m impressed!”

The Crusaders, along with Rumble, and Featherweight all looked up from the books they had been sorting all day.

“You have really done a lot of work today!” She said, very impressed with the children.

“Not a problem, Mom,” Pipsqueak said with a smile.

The other foals beamed.

Except Scootaloo, who looked like she was half dead, and wishing for the end to take her now.

“I’m so impressed, in fact, that I’m going to take you all out for ice cream!”

And the beams faded.

Daisy looked slightly confused at the signals she was getting, which only compounded as every foal then looked to her son. Even Scootaloo looked to him, fear clearly written on her face.

“Um...well...uh…thanks, Mom...but we…” Pipsqueak said.

Applebloom bit her lip.

“We...uh...we’d rather stay here and...uh…”

Daisy’s eyes narrowed. “Pipsqueak...what are you not telling me?”

“I...uh...we...um…”

“Mrs. Chain,” Diamond Tiara said, standing suddenly. “We have to admit we haven’t been totally honest with you.”

Sweetie Bell looked like she was going to faint.

“You see, your son had an ulterior motive tonight,” she said, moving up beside the mare.

“Oh, did he?” she asked.

“Tiara!” Silver Spoon whispered harshly.

“The truth is, he emptied his entire piggy bank to pay us for the work.”

Daisy’s head snapped to the pink filly. “He did?”

Diamond Tiara nodded as the other foals stared at her with wide eyes. “Oh, yes. You see, he’s been worried about you and Mr. Flame lately, and he wanted you two to go...do whatever is you grown-ups do at night, so he hired us to help him close the library up for you, so you could enjoy yourselves. It was supposed to be a surprise.”

“Really?” Daisy asked, tears in her eyes, as she looked at her son.

Pip nodded emphatically.

“Oh, honey! That’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever done for me!” she said, grabbing onto her son in a hug.

“N-no problem, Mom,” he said.

“Alright,” she said, releasing Pip. “I’ll go take your step-father, now. But tomorrow, you all are getting ice cream, alright? No buts.”

“No, Ma’am!” Applebloom said.

“Thank you so much, kids,” she said, before leaving and closing the door behind her.

A collective breath was released from the foals.

“Good thinking, Tiara…” Pip said.

“It’s what I do.”

“Alright!” he said, taking the lead once more. “You know your mission, let’s go.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Night was beginning to fall.

Alan took a long, shaky breath as he stood before his armor.

All of the stallions had been warned, the Elements of Harmony had been located, but Judgement eluded them still.

He needed to find that blade.

In the meantime, he could not let Chaos run unopposed.

A pair of mana-hands grabbed the back piece to the armor, and lifted it above his head.

“Here,” Twilight said, adjusting Alan’s path down onto his back. With her help, he began to dress, and once all but the chamfron had been put on, he turned to help her dress.

“So this is it, huh?” Twilight asked.

Alan nodded. “Don’t worry, it’ll just be like taking down Discord.”

“We lost the first time,” Twilight noted.

“So we did,” Alan agreed.

“So, if we follow the pattern we’ll win this time,” she said with a smile.

Alan chuckled. “Yup, that sounds right to me.”

Twilight sighed. “Oh, Celestia, I hate the waiting…”

Alan nodded. “We’ll make it.”

“I hope so,” she said finally.

And with that, both were almost completely armored. All but the headpieces.

Alan grabbed his chamfron.

Twilight grabbed her circlet.

“Alright,” Alan said. “Time to face this together.”

“Like we always should,” Twilight said.

“And always will.”

The put their helmets on and began to head up.

They were about to make their debut.

Alan pulled out his iPod. “Alright, buddy. Gimmie a song to walk to.”

The iPod gave a boomp, and began to play a slow sounding song.

“I'm not the same as yesterday

Ooh...It's hard to explain

How things have changed

But I'm not the same as before

And I know there's so much more ahead

I can barely believe that I'm here

And I won't surrender quietly

Step up and watch me go…”

They walked, moving along, and a Mare Do Well joined them.

Suddenly the song burst into harsh clash of chords and rough lyrics.

“Break down, ya really want it?

Wanna make a scene?

Show me what ya mean

Let's get it started

Let me see whatcha got

Can ya take it up a knotch?

Don't think you got it

Can't handle the pressure?

Get, off, stop talkin' about it

Gotta make this count, let's go.”

More and more changelings joined them walking next to them as they made their way up, to the land of the living.

“When we move

We camouflage ourselves

We stand in the shadows waiting

We live for this and nothing more

We are what You created.”

They made their way up and out onto the street now surrounded by forty Mare Do Wells, all of which stood ready.

One came up to them and spoke in Chess’ voice. “I’ve contacted the splinter hives. We’re getting some reinforcements.”

Alan smiled. “Glad to hear. We can use all the help we can get.”

Chess nodded. “I like the song, by the way.”

Alan smirked. “Alright, let’s go. Canterlot needs us.”

“When we move

We camouflage ourselves

We stand in the shadows waiting

We live for this and nothing more

We are what You created.”

They broke the surface, and Alan quickly formed a disk for himself and Twilight to stand on.

The Mare Do Wells bounded up into the air, jumping onto the buildings as they prepared for their assault on Canterlot.

“When we move

We camouflage ourselves

We stand in the shadows waiting

We live for this and nothing more

We are what You created.”

Alan landed on the building.

He stood, staring at the castle.

The Corps stood behind him.

And Twilight, his Twilight, stood beside him.

The time had come.

Alan took a deep breath.

“Jotum!”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Night was beginning to fall.

And Chaos smiled.

The time had come at last.

The pitiful puppet Luna was already on her way, and his minions were closing in on their locations.

The End was about to begin.

“Are you ready, servant?” His master asked.

Chaos turned to see Sombra, Hatred made flesh, and bowed.

“We are ready, my Lord.”

Sombra smiled, and opened his mouth letting his tongue unroll from the depths of his stomach.

And at the end of it, sat a key.

The key was forged of a green, almost blue metal that glimmered even in the deepest darkness. Every face of it was decorated by jeweled skulls, and the teeth of the key had taken from Tiamat’s own mouth.

“Take the key, my servant,” Hatred ordered. “Take the key of Tartarus and open the floodgates of Hell.”

Chaos took up the key.

The Key of Tartarus, one of the three stolen from Faust herself.

He took the key, and laid it before him, lining up the key to the chalk keyhole drawn into the ground.

It turned with a click, and the room went dark.

Sombra smiled. “Goooooood…” he said. “Soon all the world will bow to my true armies.”

“As you wish, my lord,” Chaos said with a bow as the key began to work it’s magic.

Suddenly a dragon’s roar echoed through the stillness of the night, and both figures looked out to see the source.

“Well, well…” Sombra said. “It seems that the Pendragon is not as dead as you thought, servant.”

“He’s not?” Chaos asked, trying to suppress the fear edging into his voice.

“No...no he’s not.”

The cloud of smoke stared out to the horizon, where a herd of ponies gathered, standing on the roofs and led by a pony dressed in silver.

“Perhaps I can fix your mistakes yet, servant.”

“M’lord?”

Sombra’s eyes narrowed and his smile grew. “Bring me the boy.”

The fight has begun! Ladies and gentlemen, the time is now.

The end is about to begin!

“You’ve said that four times already, they get it!”

Alright, alright, I’ll lay off it.

“Good, now we can—”

But the end of the book is coming.

“—move on…”

Seriously, though, this is the last arc of the book and after that…

Well…

“Anyways guys, thanks for reading! Here's the song that played if any of you were interested.”

Be sure to comment and stuffs.

“And we’ll see you next time.”

Bye!

22-The Floodgates of Chaos

Chapter 22

Pipsqueak was in so much trouble.

He was dead, simple as that.

When his parents found out, no ifs about it, he was going to be grounded forever.

Why? Oh, why did he decide to do this? This was dumb, so incredibly dumb.

The Victory pulled forward slowly, inching away from the Golden Oaks library, a crew of pre-teens running along the deck.

This was so dumb, so dumb, so dumb…

Pip took the the helm.

It was...still dumb.

But it needed to be done. “Okay, guys!” He said, hoping nopony heard his cry. “Let’s get some altitude. Once we’re clear of Ponyville, we’ll hit the engines. Got it?”

“Aye, aye. Cap’n!” Rumble said with a salute.

Pip nodded. “Then let’s go, all hooves on deck.”

The foals scattered, each heading to their own duty.

Pip’s hooves grabbed onto the helm.

It was dumb.

But, by Celestia, he was going to love every second of it.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Silver heard the roar.

The dragon’s roar.

Applejack’s head popped off the bed. “What was that?”

Silver stood, getting off of the couch in the small room they were renting. “I have two theories. Either way, we need to go.”

“What?” the farmer asked. “What’s going on?”

Silver reached under the couch and pulled out a wooden box.

“Silver?” Applejack asked, confused.

He pried the crate open and pulled out Dustmaker, before pulling out a bladed chain with his other hoof.

“Silver, what in the hay is goin’ on?!” Applejack, having crossed the room as Silver finished retrieving everything from the crate.

Silver stood, and threw the coiled chain onto Applejack’s back. “I don’t know. I just know we need to go. Now.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Spike also heard the roar.

He had gone out for the first time that day, and Rarity had been so excited that he was up. So excited in fact, that they had gone out to dinner.

Once they got back Spike’s old apartment, however, he broke the news to her.

Something was up, and he was sure it was happening tonight.

It wasn’t the news she was expecting to hear that evening, but it was interesting news nonetheless.

And then they heard the roar.

Rarity entered the large library of a living room, dressed in a small necklace with perhaps a few too many gems. “Is it time?”

Spike nodded, and grabbed his belt. “It sounds like something to me.”

She nodded, and her horn rang to life. The gems around her neck flared and rearranged, forming some armor and a blade. “Then I suppose we must be off.”

The dragon smirked. “What? We’re not going to be fashionably late?”

“It’s rude to be late to your own party, dear.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Shining heard the roar, too.

After that odd colt ran up to him with a letter the other day, he had done his best to go on high alert.

And if anything was a cue, that was it.

“Shining?” Cadence asked, looking up from the bed as Shining got up.

He smiled. “Don’t worry honey, just a little trouble, I'll be back before you know it.”

Cadence sat up. “What’s going on?”

“Just go back to sleep, Dear, I’ll be fine. Promise.”

Shining smiled, and made his exit.

And once she was sure she was gone. Cadence got out of bed. “Oh, Shining, mi amore, you really need to learn that that excuse isn’t enough for me.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

The hospitals heard the roar.

Fear gripped them, and they quickly dispatched their nurses to check the numerous patients around the grounds.

One nurse, by the name of Sweetheart, was walking down the hall towards her last two rooms, thanking Celestia that nopony seemed to be missing.

She opened the door to the next room and checked her patient.

Monitors were operational, the IV was stocked, nothing seemed wrong. “Are you alright, Mr. Bullet?”

The stallion in the bed nodded. “Yes, I’m fine. What’s going on?”

“We don’t know, but we do ask you to remain calm. We’re going to take care of this.”

He nodded, and Sweetheart quickly backed out of the room and headed to the last one. The room of Soarin, the Wonder...ex-Wonderbolt.

It was still so shocking to hear. Soarin, the fastest Wonderbolt, maybe the fastest in Equestria, had lost it all in a single night. It was kinda surreal in it’s own way.

She opened the door. “Mr. Soarin, I—”

He was gone.

The cot was perfectly empty with it’s messy sheets being the only evidence that it was occupied.

Well that, and the little balloon-covered stationary that read “Thanks for keeping us safe. --P&S.”

Sweetheart blinked, before looking at the open window.

She sighed. “Third escapee this week. We really need to get bars on the windows. Bucking pegasi…”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Thunderlane and Rainbow Dash heard the roar.

It had then taken them less than a few moments to take to the sky, flying over Canterlot.

“Do you see anything?” Thunderlane asked, coming up slightly behind the polychromatic speed demon.

“Not yet!” she yelled back, banking left as they came around a tower. She suddenly screeched to a halt, freezing in the air. “Whoa…” she muttered.

Thunderlane pulled up next to her, and looked down at the city below, and the wave of purple-clad figures leaping across the rooftops.

“Wow...uh…” Thunderlane said.

“I...I’m having horrible flashbacks…” Rainbow muttered.

Thunderlane blinked. “I-is that Twilight?”

Rainbow’s head snapped to him, “What?”

“There!” Thunderlane said, pointing to a lavender figure leaping across the rooftops. “That looks like Twilight.”

Rainbow blinked.

It...did look like Twilight.

“It can’t be…” she whispered, before diving down to the roofs.

Thunderlane followed.

Rainbow shot forward, coming down until she was neck and neck with the purple unicorn. “Twilight? Is that you?”

“Hey, Rainbow!” She replied, leaping forward onto the next roof.

“What are you doing?” The flyer asked. “You’re dead!”

“Yup!” Twilight said. “Long story, I’ll tell you on the way, come on.”

“Wait! What’s going on?”

“No time, Rainbow!” Alan yelled back. “We don’t have much time.”

Rainbow looked up. “Alan?!”

“Let’s go!” he said.

Rainbow blinked, as she kept flying. “Do you get round trip tickets when you die, or something?”

Alan smirked. “Don’t be silly. But if I die three more times I get a free coffee.”

Twilight rolled her eyes.

A figure pulled himself onto the roof ahead of them, followed by another.

“Looks like we got ourselves some farmers,” Alan said.

“Silver! Applejack!” Twilight called out. “Let’s move!”

“Twi?” Applejack asked.

“Yes! I’ll explain later, but now we need to move!”

“Let’s go, soliders!” Alan yelled, as the Mare Do Wells leapt silently beside them.

“Al?”

“We’ll get to that.”

“Rainbow? Applejack? Is that you?” A refined voice asked from above.

The ponies looked up to see Rarity riding on the back of a familiar dragon. “Rarity!” Rainbow yelled up. “It’s Twilight! And Alan!”

“What?!” Spike roared.

“I’m sorry, Spike!” Twilight yelled, apologetically. “I’ll explain everything later, I promise.”

“And what’s wrong with now?” Spike asked.

A shriek shook Canterlot, and all eyes turned toward the castle.

“That’s what’s wrong,” Alan said. “Now move!”

The herd began to move, charging forward.

“Hey guys!” another voice said as Pinkie suddenly cleared the buildings they were running across, before disappearing back under the lip of the building. “What’s up?” she asked, appearing just over the building again.

“No time to explain!” Alan said. “Especially for the fourth time! Just get up here and help us!”

“Okay!” she said, leaping up again, before disappearing once more. When she came up again, however, she was accompanied by Soarin, his wing in a cast.

“Alright,” Soarin said, hitting the ground running. “So we’ve got most of the crew, and we seem to have two zombies with us. Something up there shrieked, and unless we stop that, we’ll all die, right?”

“Close enough!” Alan said.

“Great!” Soarin said.

“You took that rather well,” Rarity said.

“It’s possible I’m hopped up on painkillers…”

“He’s high, and I’m Pie!” Pinkie laughed, bouncing with them.

Alan smiled. “Man I missed you guys…”

“Um...hello? What’s going on?” a soft voice called.

Big Mac and Fluttershy both cleared the roofs, before Pinkie swept them up in a whirlwind of pink.

“We’re off to save the world again!” She said.

“Oh...okay...let’s go then,” Fluttershy said, slightly confused.

“Wait…” Rainbow Dash said, looking west. “There are more of them?”

Alan checked.

Another swarm of Mare Do Wells was fast approaching.

“Here come the splinters…” he whispered.

“That’s nice dear,” Rarity said from Spike’s back. “But what is that?!”

Alan and the others screeched to a halt, and they all looked up to see a wave of darkness coming down on them.

Alan saw them.

His mind, the mind that had seen the world before the world, recognized them.

“Sweet Faust…” Alan muttered. “They’re demons…”

They screeched, coming at them.

“Everypony brace yourselves! Brace yourselves and pray!”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Chaos brought the baby before his master, who simply smirked as he watched his forces move forward in a wave of corruption and death.

“It amuses me,” Sombra said, speaking mentally to his servant. “He brought an army of Changelings…”

Chaos thought carefully of what to say next. “Perhaps we can turn them against him, they share demon blood, after all.”

Sombra smiled. “Yeeessssss…” he said. “Watching the hope drain from his eyes as his allies leave him would be delicious indeed.”

“Shall I give the order, M’lord?”

Sombra thought a moment. “No, it will not be necessary. Simply have them leave the Pendragon for me.”

“Of course, my lord.”

“Now, I suppose it is time to summon him,” Sombra said, turning. “Shall we?”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Celestia had heard the roar.

She had heard the roar and then feared for her subjects.

Dressing herself, for the first time in a long time, she burst out of her room where she had been sleeping just moments before, and galloped to the throne room.

The doors slammed open ahead of her, forced open by her powerful, panicked magic. “Luna! Luna, its—”

Luna wasn’t there.

“L-Luna?” Celestia asked.

No answer.

“Luna?” she called again.

A lone guard wandered in, confusion on his face. “Princess?”

“Yes! Guard...um...Quickbolt!”

“Yes, ma’am?” he asked.

“Where is my sister?” The Princess asked.

“I’m not sure, Princess,” Quickbolt replied. “She dismissed us for the night and then retired, but she didn’t say where to.”

Celestia sighed. “Thank you, Quickbolt,” she said, before turning back an running down the hallways.

Quickbolt watched her go.

Celestia careened around a corner, all decorum gone, as she searched for her sister. “Luna!” she called, running through the abandoned corridors. “Luna?”

She skidded to a halt, sliding on the tile floors, before her horn began to glow. She quickly cast her Find It spell, and ran, following the tug on her hron.

“Why?” she thought to herself. “Why did Luna cancel night court? She’s never cancelled night court! Even when she was turning into Nightmare Moon, she had night court!”

Her horn tugged towards the left.

“She loved night court! She loved it when the...occasional pony came through to ask her favor. Why did she cancel night court?!”

She ran, her heart beating faster as her hooves clacked against the perfectly tiled floor.

A tug to the right, and up the stairs.

“She wouldn’t cancel night court! She never would! It makes no sense for her to cancel night court! She wouldn’t cancel night court unless—”

She froze.

Her horn had led her here, to a lone balcony overlooking the city. Two waves of figures were making their way forward, one purple, the other blacker than night.

And before her, sitting in the middle of the balcony, obscuring the point where the two waves would meet, sat Luna.

“Luna…” Celestia said, “there you are! What’s wrong? You cancelled night court.”

Luna did not answer.

“Well, look, Luna...it doesn’t matter right now. What’s going on? We need to get down there and—”

“Nothing has changed,” Luna said.

Celestia paused. “Luna?”

“Not in a thousand years has it changed,” she said.

“W-what do you mean, Luna?”

The younger Princess stood and turned to her.

And Celestia’s heart jumped into her throat.

Her eyes…

Luna’s eyes…

They were eyes that had haunted Celestia’s nightmares for a thousand years…

The draconic, cyan eyes bored into the elder sister’s heart and soul, and Celestia felt her heart freeze.

“Nothing has changed,” Luna repeated. “The world still ignores me.”

“L-Luna...that’s not true…”

“Our subjects still do not care.”

“That’s not…”

“You don’t care.”

“I care, Luna, I do! I—”

“Nothing! Has! Changed!” Luna roared, her magic flaring, and the night blue color of her fur peeling like paint with it, revealing the blackness beneath.

Celestia’s heart began to shatter.

“But there will be change, Celestia. I will bring it.” The blue of her fur peeled more, and the blackness continued to reveal itself. “There will no longer be Princesses of Equestria!” she cried as she flared her wings. “There will be a Queen! And as my first act as Queen, I will destroy those who would take my throne from me!”

The moon glinted, and something like a falling star shot forward to her side.

It was her glaive.

“Goodbye, Celestia,” Luna, no, Nightmare Moon said, before bringing the blade around and slamming it into the Solar Princess’ side.

Celestia took the hit.

It still didn’t hurt as much as her heart did.

Celestia fell, spinning through the air as her wings failed to properly catch the air around her.

She hit the ground hard.

Stones scattered as she landed, creating her own little crater as she made impact.

She stared up into the air, tears in her eyes.

Luna…

She was gone…

Again…

She’d lost them...lost them all.

First it was Harmony, then Luna, Sunset, Alan, Twilight, and now she’d lost them all again.

They were gone…

All gone…

A voice bounced around in her head. The voice of the ghost that had visited her not so long ago. “I am on your side, Princess, and you need to take a long second to figure out who else is.”

Who was on her side?

Well, it was obvious who was not.

There was only one who could turn Luna like this. There was only one source of the creature known as Nightmare Moon.

There was only one thing to do.

A smoking hoof gripped the lip of the crater, and Celestia pushed herself up.

There was only one thing that could take her sister from her.

And she hated him.

Purple smoke leaked from Celestia’s now red-and-green eyes, and her mane sparked and crackled.

Then she roared, and the castle shook at her cry. “Discord!”

She shot into the air, a streak of white, gold, red, and purple, her wings building speed.

Only for a black and silver streak to slam into her.

“Your fight is with me, Celestia,” Nightmare Moon said, wielding her glaive. “Now fight.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

When Faust stood above the world, and looked down at her new-born creations, she smiled.

“My children, across all the world, how I love thee.”

Death stood in witness then, when she then began to give her gifts to those she loved.

“To the Minotaurs,” Faust said. “I give strength unending. No mountain can stand before them, and no yoke shall sit on their neck.

“To the Griffins, the princes of the sky, I give courage unending, so that even when faced with the darkest of works, they will stand.

“To the Ligers, I give the ability to endure. They will outlast any threat, and out wait any attack. Nothing will hold them long.

“To the Zebras, I give unmatched wisdom. The depths of their minds will reach into the realm of magic, and their leaders will be known as the wisest throughout all the land.

“And to my little ponies, my first born, I give a special gift. Whether through hoof, horn, or wing, they shall wield magic. The very forces of the earth, and a fraction of my power. No power of Tartarus shall stand against them, and no plan of evil shall endure.

“This is my will, and my word,” Faust said. “With this decree, I give my gifts, may they use them as they see fit.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Shining was not sure what had happened.

One second, there was a roar, and then the next, there was the sky of Canterlot was filled with every nightmare and horror that he could imagine.

Imps laughed and shrieked, screaming while winged devils carrying chains screeched and howled, and all the while, they chanted a single chorus. “First the Guards! Then the Men! Then the Women! Then the Children! First the Guards! Then the Men! Then the Women! Then the Children! First the Guards! Then the Men!...”

Shining ran, keeping his sword up as he followed the cloud of evil.

He needed to do something.

He had no idea what, but he had to do something!

Ducking under a cover patio, Shining ran towards when he heard the roar come from.

Again, he wasn’t sure why.

“First the Guards! Then the Men! Then the Women! Then the Children!”

The sound of a magical discharge caused him to come to a halt, and Shining looked up to see three magenta bolts of energy slam into the cloud above him. “Go back to where you came from!” he heard someone say.

He knew that voice.

“They’re weak to magic! Spellcasters at the back! Defenders up front with me! Hit ‘em hard, guys!” he heard another voice call.

He knew that voice too.

He looked up to the edge of the building, where yet more bolts of magic and sounds of battle were coming from.

It...were they...?

An imp came flying over the edge, slamming into the ground and sporting a hole in its chest.

“Is that it?!” he heard again. “Is this all you have!”

Shining quickly formed a disk to get up, and, upon clearing the building, felt his jaw drop.

Surrounded by imps, devils, and demons alike, twelve figures stood, dealing death to those that came at them.

Even Applejack and Fluttershy, who he knew were hesitant about spilling blood during the war, were both ripping through the attackers with ruthless blows.

But the two that caught his attention the most was the lavender mare firing spells from her horn and the stallion that wielded a blade. “Twily? Al?”

Both stopped their sprees for a second, and turned to see the Captain of the guard. Twilight spoke first. “Shining, hi! Look, long story, but we’re alive. Al was right about Harmony, and he’s the one who's done this.”

Shining blinked.

“The good news is that everyone’s here, though,” Alan said, “so here’s the plan. Stallions, you’re with me, we need to find Judgement. With that blade, we’ll be able to take him. Ladies, you need to get the Elements. You’re the backup plan, alright?”

He got a nod.

“Alright then, glad we’re all the same page. Now—duck!” he yelled, throwing his sword right above Big Mac’s head and skewering an imp on it. “Now...um...where was I…?” Alan asked, bringing his blade back. “Uh...oh! Before we break, Shining.”

“Yeah?”

“Orion, how’s he doing? I haven’t seen him for a few months, so…”

“Um…” Shining said. “He looked fine when we handed him to Celestia…”

Twilight and Alan both stared at him. “You what?”

“Um…”

“Change of plans!” Alan said. “Girls, get the Elements, guys, the sword. I’m getting Orion!”

And with that, Alan ran, heading for the Castle even as the demons above raged.

Alright, guys. That’s another chap.

“We’re getting close.”

Very close. Leave the usual guys.

“We’ll see you next time!”

Bye!

23-The Price of Black Magic

Chapter 23

A twenty-sided die hovered in the air, rolling in the loose grip of bone-white magick.

Mr. Domino stared down at the destruction that was being wrought before him, a wave of demons slamming into the guards that were still on duty as well as the army of purple-clad figures that had appeared from the darkness.

His face was impassive as he watched the imps fly into the homes of the guards that were not yet up. He said nothing as the guards were dragged into the streets from their beds. His eyes betrayed no emotion as they struggled and fought off the monsters that had wakened them.

“Ain’t it beautiful, Dom?” a voice said behind him, and he turned to see Bad Joke poking through the abandoned bar. “All these ponies about to die, all this chaos about to flourish?” he asked, popping the cork off of a bottle of scotch.

“If it is fate’s will that they die, then so be it,” Mr. Domino said.

Bad Joke rolled his eyes. “Oh, come now,” he said, pouring himself a glass. “We both know those Mare Do Nitwits have been a pain in the flank for the two of us. You can’t tell me you don't want to see them die.”

“If fate wills it, then so be it,” Mr. Domino repeated.

Bad Joke replaced the cork and sighed. “You’re no fun,” he said, before tossing the bottle behind him, where it shattered against the wall.

Mr. Domino returned his attention to the field before him. “The mortals seem to be doing well.”

Joke downed the glass before tossing it to join the bottle. “Really? After Dear Ole’ Dad talked up the legions of Tartarus as much as he did, I expected a massacre.” Joke laughed and smiled. “Heh-heh-hahaha...Good thing it’s a free event. Otherwise I’d want my money back.”

“Chaos was prepared for this,” Mr. Domino said. “He suspected that pony magic might hold the demons at bay. That’s why we’re here.”

“Yeah, yeah. I heard,” Joke said before getting far too close to Mr. Domino’s ear. “It does beg the question, though. Where is our brother dearest?”

Mr. Domino’s ear flinched, but otherwise he was unmoved. “The Beast is on his way, it will be within a few minutes. Just remember, we move—”

“—only after he arrives, I know, I know,” Bad Joke replied with disgust. “If I didn’t know, I’d already be down there.”

Mr. Domino said nothing.

Bad Joke grumbled, stepping over the body of the dead rich pony that once owned the penthouse suite they were now using. “Next time we pick a place with better alcohol. This idiot wouldn’t know a good drink or a good joke if it bit him in the flank.”

Mr. Domino gave Bad Joke a sideways glance. “Your punchline was slicing his throat.”

“His voice was cracking. I was just trying to cut a smooth edge,” Bad Joke said, before a deranged smile split his face. “Heh-heh-ha! Ha-ha-ha! Hahahahahahahahahaha!”

<<<|Ω|>>>

“Alright, girls! Let’s move!” Twilight ordered. “We know where the Elements of Harmony are, we just need to get there!”

“The good news is,” Shining said, bringing his sword around and slicing at the neck of an insectoid, spear-wielding monster that had a grip that felt like the harsh, winter winds, “chances are Alan’s sword is up in the castle too. You girls are getting an escort.”

“Lovely!” Rarity said, still riding Spike’s back as she thrust her gem rapier into the eye of a chain-wielding devil. “It would perhaps then be beneficial to go now, yes?”

Twilight nodded. “You heard her! Let’s go!”

The twelve figures charged, running across the rooftops, moving as fast as their hooves could carry them. “Alright!” Twilight said. “Here’s the plan! We get to the Castle and break, girls with me, heading to the West tower to get the Elements, and the guys going East to find the sword. Once we get the Elements, we’ll start looking for the sword one the West side, and we’ll meet in the mid—”

A roar echoed, and Thunderlane looked back, gaining altitude so that he could spot the source.

“Sweet Celestia’s Sun!” He cried, before diving back down to the group. “We need to get off the roofs!”

“Why?” Rainbow asked.

“Because there’s a massive red pony following us!” Thunderlane yelled.

“What?”

Twilight’s eyes went wide. “Buck! It’s Big Red! We need to move!”

“Who?” Fluttershy asked.

“Nopony we want to mess with!” Twilight said. “Just run!”

<<<|Ω|>>>

The Mare Do Wells were moving quickly through the streets, dispatching demons with well-placed strikes and slamming into them from behind as decoys and traps were set for them.

Chess Piece led her own squad through the streets, throwing herself at the demons that were trying to force guards from their homes. “Let’s move Mare Do Wells!” Chess Piece said, leaping off the back of another demon. “We have more work to do than this!”

They leapt up, using their hidden wings to make massive leaps. “Go, go, go!”

They flew forward into the night, when Chess Piece suddenly skidded to a halt.

Before her stood the Canterlot EUP Police Force.

Commissioner Golden Shield was at the head.

“Buck…” she thought.

“Get them!” the Commissioner yelled.

Chess Piece leapt into the air, and the other Mare Do Wells scattered.

“Get them! Get them, get them, get them!” Golden Shield screamed.

Chess Piece cursed in her head. “Really? This moron is going to do this now? ‘Let’s attack the one helping us instead of stopping the literal demons that are flying around.’ Idiot.”

She ducked into an alleyway, slamming her hooves into an imp as she ran.

“Wait! Stop!” a pony called behind her.

Like that was going to happen.

She leapt again, hitting a wall hooves-first, and began running up the wall with all her might.

Lifting the bottom half of her mask, she spat out a glob of goo which attached to the wall. Her horn began to glow and the goo sparked, erupting into a thick green smoke.

“Wait! No!”

She wasn’t waiting.

She yanked her mask down again, before leaping up and clearing the roofs.

“Dang it! I wanna talk!” the police pony cried as Chess made her escape.

“Talk do you?” a voice said, and the police officer spun to see a huge four-armed creature behind him.

The larger arms ended in massive crab pincers, while the smaller arms ended in a fleshy hand that gripped tightly to a mace. It’s canine face grinned wickedly while the horns on his head gleamed and the massive saurian legs stomped excitedly.

“You want to talk instead of stopping her? I’m afraid that breaks the deal.”

The police officer gulped as the massive glabrezu stepped towards him.

“And while normally I don’t care so much for deals, I find the fact that you’ve broken this one...very interesting.”

The police pony took a step back.

And then a glob of goo slapped into the demon’s eyes.

The glabrezu had just enough time to reach up to the goo before it suddenly burst into green flame.

The scream of pain the monster unleashed caused the buildings around him to shake.

This was cut off by a hoof slamming into the glabrezu’s face.

The police officer looked on, only for a second, before charging in, aiding the Mare Do Well that had returned to save him.

“Ancient Eastern Saying,” Mare Do Well said. “When facing a larger enemy, go for the eyes. No one can train one’s eyes.”

The demon howled as his eyes continued to burn.

The officer grabbed the mace from out of the creature’s hand and proceeded to slam it into the demon’s head.

The mace came down four times before the police officer was confident that the monster was dead.

Mare Do Well took a long look at him, before she began to move.

“Wait! No! Wait! Hang on!” the police officer cried after the fleeing figure.

She paused this time.

“Listen. When demons let you walk by their side, you know you’re not working for the right ponies.”

Mare Do Well said nothing.

“So...officially, we’re here to arrest you. Unofficially, where do you want us?”

Mare Do Well smiled.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Twilight and the mares ran.

They had to abandon the rooftops, forced down both the massive pony following them as well as flying perytons and the oozing otyughs that now occupied the spaces above the streets.

“Come on!” Twilight said. “We’ve got to hurry!”

“We know, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash said. “Geeze, we get it!”

Twilight sent her a glare.

“What?” she asked, “I mean it’s not like—”

A roar cut the pegasus off as a large, muscle-bound, red-furred monster of an earth pony slammed into the corner of a building in front of them, ripping the roof and part of wall off the building. In a cloud of dust and debris, the red pony landed before them, eyes both grey and bloodshot.

The twelve ponies charging them screeched to a halt, halting before the massive pony.

The massive pony was breathing heavily, his eyes snapping between the mares and stallions before him.

“So that’s why he’s called Big Red…” Rainbow muttered.

Big Mac looked around, before his attention fell on a potted plant nearby.

“Alright,” Twilight said, “here’s the plan, we’ll split into six groups of two, and slowly—”

Big Mac took a step forward. “Nope.”

“B-Big Mac?” Fluttershy squeaked.

“Y’all go on ahead. Ah’ll take ‘em.”

“Yer gonna do what now?” Applejack asked.

Big Mac removed his yoke, letting it hit the cobblestone with a thump. “AJ, ya remember the time young Eduardo thought he was the big bull in the pen?”

Applejack did, in fact, remember the young bull, and the phase he went through where he charged everything that came into his corral.

She also remembered that every time he charged Big Mac, the draft pony knocked him out cold.

“Ah reckon Ah do.”

Big Mac nodded. “Ah just gotta put another bull in its place.”

The ponies looked between themselves.

“Big Mac, I—” Twilight began, only to be cut off as the draft pony brought one of his massive hooves down onto the ground.

A massive rock, a mess of cobblestones and concrete dislodged itself from the road, and Twilight blinked at the size of it. “Y’all best be goin’ now,” Big Mac said. “Ah’ve got some work to do.”

Twilight nodded. “Uh...alright then...c-come on, this way!”

They quickly began to move to the side.

Big Red’s eyes followed them.

And then Big Mac bucked the boulder in his face.

Big Red roared in pain, and leveled his stare at the the farm pony.

Mac watched his friends disappear, before speaking to the flower that stood off to the side in it’s pot. “Ya better be right, daisy.”

The massive monster charged.

Big Mac spread his legs, and crouched, close to the ground.

The monster’s hooves slammed into the ground, sending up dust, dirt, and cobblestones.

Big Mac became one with the Earth.

Red had began to run like the wind.

Mac gained the strength of the mountain.

Red was a cyclone of power.

Mac was a tower of stone.

The unstoppable met the immovable.

And the unstoppable went flying.

Red crashed into the storefront behind Mac, and the latter turned without so much as a scratch on him.

The farm pony dusted off his shoulder and spoke. “Is that all y’all got?”

Red picked himself up, and narrowed his eyes at the puny stallion that challenged him.

Big Mac crouched low, standing ready to pounce.

Big Mac didn’t fear the massive thing.

The earth feared nothing.

And he was one with the earth.

<<<|Ω|>>>

“This way!” Twilight called, “I know a shortcut.”

Ducking into an alleyway, the herd followed the unicorn at their head, moving as fast as they could.

Fluttershy looked backwards, looking for someone.

Applejack noticed. “He’ll be fine, Sugarcube. He’ll be just fine.”

Fluttershy nodded.

They made a left, before freezing once more, with yet another figure standing before them.

Mr. Domino stared at them impassively, die floating above him, and a hundred knives behind him.

His suit jacket was perfectly pressed, his tie was straight and shining, and his eyes were dead and grey.

“Good evening,” he said.

The ponies began to spread out, gauging the stallion before them.

Shining’s eyes fell on the die.

“I am under the impression that you are attacking my master’s forces,” he said, “and this is a problem. One I will have to rectify quickly.”

The knives came down and leveled at the party.

“So, unless one of you wants to volunteer to go first, I suppose that—”

A mana-shield slammed into Mr. Domino’s face, and Shining stepped forward. “Ha! Now you’re marked and have a negative two to attack anypony but me!”

Mr. Domino blinked, and stared at him. “What?”

Twilight looked between the two, before motioning the others to follow.

“Oubliettes and Ogres, 4th edition,” Shining said, “The standard Fighter power is to mark an attacked opponent as a taunt. You’re marked.”

Mr. Domino stared at him, and his eye twitched.

For a moment, his eyes went blue. “What kind of moron plays 4th! 4th was the worst piece of gaming Mages of Shore ever released! Everypony knows that 2nd edition was the best!”

“2nd?” Shining balked. “You liked THAC0? Are you out of your mind?”

“I—” Domino began, before blinking.

His eyes returned to their grey color, and he looked back to where the others had once been. “Ah. Very clever, Mr. Armor. Very clever indeed. I suppose now I must deal with you, then.”

Shining smiled as he readied his pattern-welded blade. “Like I said, marked.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Twilight and the others kept moving, with Twilight hoping that no further interruptions would arrive.

“Okay, we’re down three,” Twilight muttered to herself as she lead the others up to the castle. “Alan’s probably already facing Chaos now,” she said, before looking up at the sky to see two bright figures streaking over the city. “And the Princesses are having their own problems, wonderful.”

The herd moved forward, cutting across a large plaza, towards a building that towered over its neighbors.

“Alright, girls!” Twilight cried. “That building has an entrance straight into the Castle courtyard, we get through there, and we’ll have a straight shot!”

“Roger that!” Rainbow called, as she flew over the charging herd.

Twilight hoped they’d make it.

A roar called, and the stallions and mare all turned to see an otyugh, a monster with a body that was mostly mouth and three tentacles; two of them ending in poisoned barbs, while the third held all of its fifteen eyes.

That tentacle was looking straight at them.

“Faster, guys!” Soarin said, running next to the others.

Thier hooves thundered as their legs pumped, bringing them closer and closer to the building that offered them sanctuary, but still the otyugh lumbered after them, closing the distance much faster than it should.

The air around them turned foul, stinking of smoke, sour apples, and wet mushrooms, while it’s massive mouth opened revealing row after row of teeth, both flat and needle-like.

“Run, run, run!” Soarin yelled.

The tentacles reached forward.

And then a wave of Mare Do Wells slammed into the monster, sending it to the ground.

A squad of police ponies followed, firing spells and prodding with spears.

Twilight thanked anyone and everyone who was listening.

They ran into the building, leaving the glutton behind them, and pushing their way forward.

“Alright!” Twilight said with a smile. “Good work. Now all we need to do is get through here, through the courtyard, and into the castle. We’re almost there.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

The second they got outside, they were met with a laugh.

A laugh that Pinkie hated.

Coming around from a statue not far from the entrance to the courtyard sauntered the purple-dressed, cutiemarkeless, beige pegasus with a wide smile and smacking lips.

“Well, well, well...look who’s here.”

The ponies tensed at the sight of him.

“Now, here’s the thing,” Bad Joke said, sitting on the pedestal and smacking his lips loudly. “Dear Daddy, the one you know as Chaos, or Harmony, or whatever, wants me to stop you. The truth is, though, is that I can’t really be bothered.”

His green eyes landed on Pinkie, and she shivered as he smiled. “The problem about that, though, is I get bored really easy. So, all I want from you before I let you go, is a pony or two to keep me company. Heh heh ha hee...”

Twilight looked at her group. If they really started cutting into their pony power, there would be less ponies looking for Judgement. Less ponies looking for the sword, higher chance of Alan not making it out alive.

“We, uh…” she began, only for a geyser of smoke to interrupt her.

“We are the terror that flaps in the night,” a voice said, as three Mare Do Wells dropped from the walls. “We are the shadow that hides in your mind.”

More dropped, and one stood at the lead of the swarm. “We are Mare Do Well,” the leader said, “and we’ll take care of you.”

Bad Joke smiled. “Sounds fair to me.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Alan had ran straight to the castle, and he was rather worried with how he got there.

Not a single demon had bothered him.

They simply avoided him like the plague.

Which, considering he wasn’t dressed head-to-hoof in holy symbols meant they were avoiding him on purpose.

Nonetheless, he moved forward.

The castle seemed abandoned, with not a single guard in sight, and not a demon to be seen.

He went through, swiftly and silently, armed with a mana-sword, searching for his son.

He had already been to Celestia’s room, and found it empty, other than the crib that had been moved in.

He had been to Luna’s room, only to find nothing, and anywhere else Alan had looked, he had the same problem.

Orion was nowhere to be found.

There was only one place left to go.

And so, he found himself standing before the doors of the throne room, armed only with his sword and wearing only the armor Anvil had made for him.

His son had to be in there.

Orion and someone else.

Alan hesitated a moment before the doors, before taking a deep breath.

And then he pushed the doors open.

Darkness filled the room, the room that Alan knew too well, the first room he had been in when he visited Equestria.

The room was lit only by pale moonlight, the moon having darkened while the Princesses fought on above.

And there, just on the other end of the room, sat Chaos on the throne.

And the repentant Harmony trapped inside him.

“Well, well, well,” Chaos said, clapping slowly, “I must admit, Pendragon, you have surprised me. Here I thought you would make some move with your futile fights and complaints. Instead, you deemed it better to abandon your country to my whim, only to return once they would hail you as a hero.”

“I’m not here, to talk, Chaos,” Alan said. “I’m here for my son.”

“Is that so?” Chaos asked, as the room around them seemed to melt. “Just here for your own before leaving Canterlot once again? I suppose we can accommodate that.”

The throne room was gone, and Alan and Chaos were on the top of one of the massive towers above Canterlot.

“So you want your baby boy,” Chaos said with a smirk as he got up from his throne, “now, where did I put him…” he said, before patting his sides as if he had pockets.

Alan was unamused.

“Oh, yes! That’s right!” Chaos said, before snapping his fingers. “He’s right here.”

Orion appeared in a ball of light, wailing. He was still wrapped in his blanket, but it did little to shelter him from the whipping winds this high up.

“Now, I suppose I could negotiate his release, but I believe someone else would like that privilege.”

Alan narrowed his eyes. So it was finally time to meet the brains behind the operation.

“Peeeendragoooon,” a familiar voice said.

Alan’s eyes went wide as he turned to find the voice in his head was not in his head anymore.

Before him was a cloud, a cloud of the blackest smoke with two burning red and green eyes. “It has been a long time coming, has it not?”

Alan blinked, and took a step back. “I…”

“Yes? Did you have something to say?” the cloud asked. “Perhaps you would like to know who I am, perhaps? I am Sombra, King of Crystal Empire, and Lord of Tartarus.”

Alan blinked.

“Now, I am willing to release your child freely, and in good health, for but a single thing.”

“W-what?” Alan felt himself asking against his will.

“If I am to rule, I need a vessel. A physical body that the fools of this world will bow to. Give me your body, and I will ensure that your child will live the rest of his natural life in relative luxury and comfort.”

Alan’s mind began to whirl.

“All you must do, is use my gifts, use my magic, and the deal will be complete.”

Alan looked up at the cloud that now grinned evilly at him, having grown a mouth.

And then he looked at his son, the crying babe in Chaos’ arms.

“I…” He began, his mouth having gone dry.

“Perhaps a little more incentive will help you make a decision. Servant!” Sombra called.

“Yes, M’lord?”

“How high is this tower?”

“Very high, M’lord.”

“Would either the child or the Pendragon survive the fall?”

“Not unless the Pendragon has some magical aid.”

Alan knew it.

He knew this tower, it was one of two that had a flat roof, and it overhung a massive drop.

If they went over…

It would be over.

“Thank you servant. Drop the child.”

Alan’s eyes went wide, and he turned just in time to see Orion fall over the edge.

Fear filled his heart.

Alan dispelled his blade and ran, leaping over the edge after his son.

Sombra smiled. “Too easy…”

Alan fell, his heart leaping into his throat as he saw his only son fall to earth.

“Oh, Sweet Faust…” he thought.

He’d never catch the foal in time.

Even if Alan could save himself, he wouldn’t be able to reach his son.

He needed to fall faster.

“I am right here…” the voice called.

Alan’s stomach twisted into knots before twisting on itself once more.

“I can help you save him.”

Alan shook his head, tears in his eyes, from wind or his heart, he could not tell.

“All you need do is…”

“Save him Alan…” a second voice whispered, quieter, yet somehow louder than the first.

“...accept my gift.”

“Save him.”

Alan blinked at the second voice.

It...it sounded like...Faust.

But, was it? Really? Or was it the demon playing tricks on him?

Or was it just his own head?

“Time is running out.”

Alan shook his head.

He didn’t…

He couldn’t…

Oh Faust…

Oh, Faust.

“Forgive me.”

And then his world went black.

The stallion falling to the ground transformed into a bolt of smoke, that quickly caught up with the falling foal.

The two landed on the cobblestone below, the foal crying while the stallion stood motionless, smoke clinging to his form.

His coat was ash grey, and his mane an incorporeal black that wafted through the air. His cutie mark was a shield shattered by a red sword, and his eyes were neon green with red irises, with purple smoke bleeding from his eyes.

The pony smirked before looking down at the foal in his hooves. “Well, well, well, my little boy. Let’s go say hello to your mother.”

It is a half-hour past midnight upon completion of this chapter.

A half-hour past, and every single second was worth it.

“You are silly, you know that?”

Silly, crazy, and everything in between.

“Next chapter, a meeting between the wife, and the King.”

And so much more.

“We’ll see you all next time!”

Bye!

24-When Angels and Serpents Dance

Chapter 24

Celestia’s eyes narrowed.

Nightmare Moon was becoming an annoyance.

Celestia’s wings beat, sending her forward towards her castle.

Oh, the things she was going to do to that fool of a draconequus.

The purple smoke bleeding from her eyes was making it hard to see, the peripherals of her vision completely obscured, creating a pseudo-tunnel vision that brought Discord and only Discord into her sight.

He sat on top of her tower, sitting on her throne, attacking her ponies, and turning her sister against her.

The things she was going to do to him.

Her mane had erupted into fire, and she flew, a streaking star in the sky. There was no way he didn’t see her.

There was no way he didn’t know.

No way he wasn’t smiling.

She was going to wipe that smile from his face.

She flew forward, diving down at the tower with all of her fury.

Only to be slammed in the side by a lunar glaive. “Do not disregard me, Celestia!” Nightmare Moon screamed. “You have ignored me for too long! I will not have this any longer!”

Celestia’s flight path was thrown, and she went screaming to earth.

The things she was going to do to her…

Him…

<<<|Ω|>>>

Big Mac stared down his opponent.

Something was wrong with the boy.

Well, something beyond the blackout rage and need to kill anything and everything in sight.

Every now and then Red would shake his head, his eyes would clear for the briefest moment, and then he’d return to his maniacal charging.

Something was distracting the boy from his rampage.

All Big Mac needed to do was bring that back to his attention.

Red roared, bringing a hoof around to punch Big Mac.

Big Mac took it, deflecting the blow to the side with a simple swipe of his hoof. The punch went wide and slammed into the ground, throwing up dirt and rocks.

The question was, how was he going to the boy to start thinking about it.

Red ripped a rock out of the ground, lifting it above his head before bringing it down on Mac.

Mac grabbed it from the air, twisting the boulder in his hooves as the trees had taught him, before completely altering the stone's momentum and launching it back at Red without losing speed or force until it slammed into the hulking pony’s face.

Red roared as the stone splintered in his face, sending shards flying through the air.

Mac smirked. “Didn’t yer mama teach ya not to throw things, boy?”

Red roared, before charging, bringing his massive hooves down on the immovable pony.

Big Mac raised his own hooves to meet them.

They met with the crack of thunder.

But Mac did not move.

Red pushed down with the pressure of a thousand volcanoes, erupting with rage and power. Mac grunted, but stayed strong, before looking up into the eyes of the beast. “What’s on yer mind, boy? What’s going on in yer head?”

The rage on his face did not waver for a long second as both ponies strained against the other. And then his face went clear, and his eyes became lucid.

The boy, for he was surely just a boy in the body of a stallion looked down with horror on his face. “S-stay away!” the boy called out. “Please stay away!”

And then the rage returned, and the monster bellowed before bringing one of his hooves up from underneath, catching Mac in a vicious uppercut, and sending him into the air.

His connection with the earth was broken.

Big Mac went flying, soaring through the air before slamming into the ground once more.

Before Mac could roll back onto his hooves, Red was upon him, kicking him up into the air.

Mac felt his bones rattle as the second blow slammed into him, his strength having been sapped from him as his connection with the earth was severed. He landed hard again, his spine shaking as he hit the ground.

“Ow…” He muttered.

In a moment, Red was above him, ready to bring a heavy hoof down on his head.

Big Mac’s eyes went wide, and he rolled, just barely missing getting squashed by the massive pony.

Red’s hooves shook the ground beneath him, while Mac’s roll got his hooves back under him. The connection with the earth was regained, and he stood back up to catch another downward blow.

Both of Red’s hooves slammed down onto Mac’s legs, and the force simply traveled through him to the ground.

“Come on, boy! Focus!” Mac yelled. “I know you can do better than this!”

“I…” he said as his eyes cleared once more. “I don’t want to kill anymore!”

“You don’t have ta,” Mac said, even as the boy’s eyes began turn red.

“No! Stay with me, boy!” Mac said sacrificing a leg so that he could grab the colt’s face.

The lucidity fought back.

“You stay with me, and you’ll be fine.”

The boy shook his head. “I’m not fine…”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Before he was Big Red, he was Morning Dew.

Morning Dew was a young colt, learning business. His father had been in business, his grandfather in business, and after getting his Cutie Mark, it looked like he was going into business too.

Morning Dew was good at business. He did his job with exemplary speed and attitude, performing perfectly, with just one issue.

Every morning, as he got into work, there was a stallion.

He never even really knew the pony’s name.

Everyday that stallion would come in, drink all the coffee, and then would not fill the pot.

It was such a small thing. Small but infuriating.

And everyday Morning Dew lived with it.

It wasn’t a real issue.

But still, everyday he’d come in, watch the stallion drain the pot, and then leave, without so much as a question.

And Morning Dew wanted to strangle him for it.

Then he’d shake his head, remember that it was wrong and not acceptable in society for him to do that.

This continued, for years.

Everyday, the stallion would drink his coffee, leave the pot empty, and Morning would fantasize about killing him for his horrid behavior.

But it was just a fantasy.

That’s all it was.

All it was ever meant to be.

And then one night, he dreamed.

Dreamed that he was chained to a wall, and a massive dragon creature looked down at him. “As for you three, your job is about to begin.”

He woke up the next morning, and something had changed.

That morning, when Morning Dew saw the stallion drink the coffee before leaving the pot unfilled, he fantasized, as usual.

And then something snapped.

He stood, walked out of the break room, and then grabbed the stallion by the throat.

His anger began to rise.

His world went red.

The stallion looked up at him, eyes wide with confusion and fear as his lungs begged for air.

Morning got angrier. “Next time,” he said. “Fill the Celestia-damned coffee pot!”

“Mornin-Woah! Morning! What are you doing!?”

Someone tried to pull him away.

But Morning wasn’t done strangling the coffee drinker.

“Morning! Morning! Stop!”

They tried to pull him away, but they couldn’t. They weren’t strong enough.

He was stronger than any of them.

The stallion was already dead, his windpipe crushed.

“Stop it, Morning! Stop it!”

But Morning didn’t stop.

He was not fine.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Knives flew through the air, smashing against Shining’s shields, but the Captain of the Guard would not let some punk 2nd edition-er get through his magical defense.

The knives hit and bounced against Shining’s shields, while the Captain tried to move around to find the attacker, trying to figure out how to work with his opponent.

There was obviously something wrong with him, and if the brief moment of clarity that was brought on by his little moment of nerd rage was any indication, then the poor guys was in a bad way.

“Stand still, you miserable beast!” Mr. Domino said through grit teeth. “It is by Fate’s decree that you shall fall to me today!”

Shining rolled his eyes.

If he had to guess, nerd rage could probably break the mental control again, for a little while. Much like his duty had fractured Chrysalis’ hold on him.

It was his guess anyway.

Well, at least he had a bunch of material to criticise 2nd edition.

“I can’t believe you liked second edition!” Shining said, bringing up a dome to catch the incoming weapons before inverting it, catching the knives in the dome. “It was a complete mess of rules, and the whole THAC0 was just plain dumb.”

Mr. Domino said nothing, but he did growl.

Another wave of knives came in.

“Not to mention to the stat progression, cause that made sense, right?”

Another growl.

“Then rolling low for ability checks but high for saving throws, cause you want to confuse your players every other roll.”

Domino barred his teeth.

“And then, when the rules weren’t overly complicated, they were overly simplified, up to the point that it was almost insulting.”

“It was a role-playing game!” Domino yelled. “You weren’t supposed to be some dumb hack-and-slash idiot! You were supposed to play the role!”

Shining smirked as he watched a few knives falling from the sky.

“It didn’t matter if the combat rules were clunky as full plate! The point was playing the role!”

Shining slid in, bringing a shield up into an uppercut against the criminal, sending the stallion flying through the air.

Domino’s world spun crazily, and Shining stood above him, quickly grabbing the knives that lay around the plaza before encasing them in small domes.

Target disarmed.

“Now, are you ready to come quietly?” Shining asked.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Before he was Mr. Domino, he was someone else.

Now, he’d be too ashamed to tell you who he was.

That’s why he cut out his cutie mark.

Before he was Mr. Domino, he was a simple pony, a pony who ran a game shop down in Baltimare.

He was a good gamer. He liked his second edition, feeling that third simply made things too hack-and-slash, as well as a bit overly simplified.

But he did have a nasty gaming habit.

You see, every now and then he’d have a run of bad luck.

There were nights, as he sat with his friends around the old O&O table, where he simply couldn’t roll anything under a ten, and when he did, it was almost always in the case of saving throws, which, he needed a high number for.

Now every player is bound to have some bad luck. It’s common as well as expected.

But this stallion couldn’t live with that.

So he lied.

Every now and then, upon rolling a natural one, he’d nudge the dice for a nineteen. Or, if he needed to roll low, he made sure that a two was never too far away.

He lied, and cheated, frequently.

And then he had a dream.

“As for you three, your job is about to begin.”

The next morning, he woke up in a strange place, with only a die, a knife, and a pony that hung chained across the room. He was told that only one of them would get to leave.

He rolled for it.

And then he lied about his roll.

<<<|Ω|>>>

“Let’s go, girls! Let’s go!” Twilight cried, bursting into the Vault of the Elements. The six mare spread out, securing their Elements as quickly as possible.

“Necklace! Necklace! Necklace! Necklace! Necklace! Big Crown thingy! Let’s go!” Twilight said, as she and her friends grabbed the Elements and ran, putting them on while on the move.

“Alright!” Twilight said, “Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy! Head up to the towers and work your way down. Applejack, Rarity! Find some more towers and work your way up! Pinkie! Use that memory of yours and check the Great Hall look for anything out of the ordinary! I’ll head out and check the gardens! Any questions?”

“Clear as crystal, Sugarcube!” Applejack said as they ran down the hallways.

“Once you’re done head back to the center of the castle. We’ll meet up with the stallions there. Understand?”

“Read you loud and clear, Twilight!” Rainbow said,

“Good! And break!”

The mares split with almost practiced precision, each heading to their own destination with the utmost speed.

Twilight burst into the gardens, throwing the doors open and sending animals running.

Hooves slamming into the ground, she ran straight for the middle of the garden grounds. “Okay, Twilight, if I were to hide a sword here, where would I put it?” she asked herself aloud as she ran.

She kept running, searching for an answer to her question, before she suddenly came to a halt, her hooves digging into the ground as she skidded to a stop.

A stallion sat before her.

He was silent, and had his back turned to her, but she knew that figure.

She also knew something was very, very wrong.

“A-Alan?” she called.

The armor he had been wearing was gone, replaced only with a darker coat, and a flowing mane as black as the void.

He slowly turned his face towards her, revealing his red-and-green eyes the ran with purple smoke.

He smiled, revealing a fanged mouth. “Ah, Mrs. Sparkle. We finally meet.”

Twilight took a step back. “Y-you’re not Alan.”

“How incredibly astute of you, Mrs. Sparkle,” the stallion said with a roll of his eyes. He stood, turning then to reveal Orion, hovering in a magical aura close to the stallion’s chest. “I am not your husband, however he has certainly made himself useful.” He smirked. “Now, allow me to introduce myself. I am Sombra, Emperor of the Crystal Empire, Conqueror of Canterlot, and King of Tartarus itself.”

Twilight blinked. “Wh-what did you do?”

“I made a deal with your husband, I saved your child, and he gave me a wonderful new body,” he said with a smile.

Twilight looked down at Orion, who did not seem to be responsive.

“Oh, don’t worry about your boy,” Sombra said. “You see, sadly, your husband’s body will fail me in time. However, if he is any indication, then your son will be an excellent successor.”

Twilight took a step forward.

Instantly, an ugly red hard mana blade hovered over the babe. “Excellent, but ultimately expendable.”

Twilight froze.

“Glad to see we have come to an understanding.”

“Wh-what are you...what do you want from me?” Twilight asked.

“Only to watch utter despair fall upon your face,” he said, simply. “Nothing else.”

“What?”

Sombra smiled.

“The denizens of Tartarus live for pain. And as king, I want to cause you pain. And there is no pain greater than knowing that your son will live in a world where the name of Faust means nothing. Where cutie marks are non-existent, where ponies, zebras, minotaurs and the like will live, die, and go directly to my realm.”

Twilight blinked.

“It’s a grand plan,” Sombra said, with a smile, “Millennia in the making, actually. And I can see that it’s going straight over your tiny, mortal mind, so I will explain slowly. I win. From here on out, every mortal born on this miserable planet, is doomed to Tartarus. Faust will be forced to send her own children to me, and I will be ruthless. You, your son, everypony and everyone you have ever loved will die and burn in my domain. And Faust will have to watch.”

Twilight looked back down at Orion.

“I win, and you are on the losing side, simple as that.”

“So what are you going to do?” Twilight asked.

“First, I’ll break the guards,” Sombra said. “That way, when the ponies that depend on them watch as they do nothing at their pain, their hope will die. Then the fathers, so that when the wives cry for their husbands, no one will answer. Finally the children, because when neither mother nor father come to their rescue, they will lose all faith.

“As for you, however,” Sombra said, as a blade formed next to him. “You will be one of the first to join my realm, or, perhaps, one of the last to enter Paradise.”

The blade leveled at her neck, and shot forward. “Goodbye, and good riddance,” Sombra said.

Twilight leapt to the side, trying to dodge the blade, only for the blade’s path to correct as it flew straight to her throat.

And then a streak of blue shot down from above, and shattered the sword in an explosion of red and blue magic.

A pink figure landed suddenly, between Sombra and Twilight, her wings spread wide and her crown stood proud on her head.

In front of her, hung a recurve bow, and a fiery blue arrow sat nocked on the string.

“Sombra, Bane of Shade,” Princess Cadence said as her eyes fell upon the figure before her. “Mio vecchio nemico…We finally meet.”

“C-Cadence?” Twilight said, surprised.

“You, young lady,” Cadence said as she stood on her hind legs as she grabbed her bow, “have a lot of explaining to do. Right now, though, I have some business with you,” she said, turning now to Sombra.

The stallion frowned.

<<<|Ω|>>>

“Hold the line, stallions!” Police officer Silver Crest cried as the demons swarmed in front of them. “Hold the line!”

The wave of darkness writhed before the guards, threatening to swallow them whole, kept only at bay by the magic that rested in their hooves.

Even so, they would not last long. Injured ponies lay off to the side, nursing wounds that bubbled with black pus.

“Hold the line!” Crest roared again, before turning to a nearby stallion “Start evacuating the civilians, and get any member of the guard that is up and ready to go on this line! We need all the support we can get!”

The stallion nodded, and ran, galloping down the street as the demons hissed and roared.

“Stand, stallions! Stand!” Crest roared, even as he slammed his hooves down on a demon. “Stand now! Stand for those you swore to protect! Stand!”

The ponies pushed, forcing the darkness back.

“Push! Push!”

They forced them back, kicking with legs and biting with teeth.

“Push them back into Tartarus!” Crest yelled. “Send them back!”

Another push and the wave broke, sending demons flying this way and that as they tried to rally and regroup.

A cheer went up from the ponies, even as off-duty guards ran up to reinforce the line.

“Stay strong! They’re coming back!” Another officer yelled.

“They will not break us!” Crest yelled. “We will stand strong! We will stand firm! A thousand years will not move us, a thousand demons will not shake us! We...” he paused. “We...we will…”

Total silence fell over the line of ponies.

A massive foot crushed the ground before them twenty feet away.

It’s folded wings stretched from one side of the street to the other. It bore no weapon, nor did it need one, for its claws seemed to rip the air before them, and his horns gleamed in the darkness.

The Fiend of the Pit walked forward, the ground groaning and weeping under his steps.

Crest felt his throat go dry.

The Pit Fiend smiled. “First the guards, then the men, then the women, then the children!”

The imps whooped and cheered behind the ember-eyed monster.

Then there came the sound of distant thunder.

The sound of cracking stone, however, brought all eyes up, and they watched as a cannonball bounced after the side of tower and the masonry come loose, falling down straight onto the fiend.

The Pit fiend looked up, and only managed to stare wide-eyed at the falling stone, before being crushed beneath it.

Crest looked behind him, and was shocked to see a small aircraft flying through the air, an air yacht shaped not-unlike a lionfish.

He smiled. “We have air support! Keep going, stallions! The night is not over yet! The dawn comes still!”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Applebloom pulled out the spent fuse from the hoof cannon. “Hit confirmed! I need a new ball!”

Rumble rolled a new cannonball down while Silver spoon carried the charge.

Pipsqueak stood at the helm, smiling as he saw the massive creature go down. “Good shot! Now hold until we get closer, we need more accurate shots, and that was far to far for my liking!”

“Aye, aye!” Applebloom called, before she began to reload.

Pipsqueak began to turn, his eyes scanning the deck. “Tiara! To the cannon off port bow!”

“Where?” the filly asked.

Pip rolled his eyes. “For the last time! Starboard is right, Port is left, Bow is the front, and the Stern is the rear! Now get your stern to the bow, before I throw you off the port!”

Tiara scurried over to the cannon,and grabbed it, searching for a target.

“Captain!” Scootaloo cried from the side of the envelope before swinging down to the deck. “We have a massive storm to the north, and it looks like the imps are coming towards us!”

Pip gripped the helm, looking out towards the horizon where a cloud of imps began to move toward them. Then his gaze turned north.

The cloud rumbled as lightning lit its core.

He smiled.

“I am a leaf on the wind,” he said, not knowing why. “Watch how I soar.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

The tower, the one that had just been shot, was not something to forget.

You see, that was not just any tower.

That specific tower, had been Chaos’ room.

The same room where Judgement had been hidden.

And now the sword was perched precariously on the last remaining support, barely balancing in the wind.

It waited a moment, sitting there in the sky, before it began to topple.

Backwards, off the remains of the tower, before slamming, pommel first into a wall. Then, instead of falling forward and into the street where the Pit Fiend now lay dead, it fell backwards toward a small guard house inside the castle.

It slid down the guard house roof, and spun as it leapt down to the small courtyard inside.

There it dug into the ground, blade first, with a perfect view of a swarm of Mare-Do-Wells all fighting a single, laughing pegasus.

"Discalimer: DungeonMiner does not hate 2nd edition. The arguments found in this story are just stuff he found on a forum somewhere."

Alright, guys, we're getting closer and closer to the end of this, so a short note for today.

"Aw..."

Oh, hush. Next time, the war of the mind, and the redemption of the lost.

"We'll see you all next time!"

Bye!

25-Redemption

Chapter 25

Chaos smirked as he walked in the Canterlot Gardens. He could smell the hellfire already, and he smiled at the thought of the groaning souls that would weep under him after hope had been broken and their spirits shattered.

Oh, to rule the world. To rule over Faust’s pathetic weaklings and break them under her gaze.

There was no sweeter thing.

“I can think of a few…” a voice said next to him.

Chaos’ head snapped to the source, and he saw an emaciated alicorn walk next to him.

Death gave him a sideways glance, and his scythe hovered next to him.

“Ah, Death…” Chaos said, recovering from his surprise. “I suppose you’ve heard our call? After all, you still must collect the souls that come to us, no?”

Death said nothing.

“Yes, I think this is about to go quite well for us.”

Death remained silent.

Chaos gave him a look, before a smile crept on his face. “It must be so hard for you. First to watch the monsters you were sworn to keep despoil the land of the living,” he said, checking Death’s face.

He remained impassive.

“Secondly, to watch your beloved Celestia succumb to her own darkness, to watch her as she devolves into a blithering, bloodlusting monster.”

No reaction from Death as they continued to walk through the garden.

“And finally, being unable to stop me,” Chaos said. “Because anything you do to me, will hurt your precious brother.”

“Almost anything,” Death said.

“Pardon?”

“Almost anything I can do to you will hurt my brother,” the alicorn with bone-white hooves corrected.

Chaos paused. “Oh really, what can you do then?”

Death smirked. “Do not count your victory before all pieces are on the board, demon. You might find yourself surprised.”

“Please,” Chaos scoffed. “If Faust could have stopped us, she would have. The fact of the matter is, is that she is simply not the omnipotent being of this world any longer.”

“So you say.”

“I do say, and my word is now law,” Chaos said. “Now, go, you despicable debt collector, go and bother me no more,” Chaos said as he turned his back on the coal black alicorn.

“I’m not here to collect,” Death said.

Chaos blinked, and spun. “What?”

Death smiled.

“What did you say?”

“I said two things,” Death said. “I said I am not here to collect. I also said that almost anything I could do to you would hurt my brother. There is one thing I can do.”

“What?” Chaos asked nervously.

“Stall you.”

The draconequus’ eyes went wide as he quickly spread his wings to fly.

And then his world erupted into pain.

He face slammed into the ground, and he turned to see his tail pinned by the vicious blade of Death’s scythe.

“It’s a shame you’ll be stuck here for a bit,” Death said. “Your master could certainly use your help in a few minutes.”

Chaos clawed at the dirt, trying to move forward.

“It’s almost as if it were some integral part of a grand strategy or something…” Death muttered with a smile.

Chaos turned, leaping on the scythe to try and remove it from his tail.

It would not budge.

“Now, Chaos. For the next fifteen minutes, you and I are going to be good friends.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Alan hovered in nothingness.

The world was black and empty. A void so cold that it could only be a demon’s soul. He wanted to cry, honestly he did. The only thing that stopped him from weeping was the fact that tears didn’t exist in the void.

So his consciousness merely lay there in the darkness, trying to curl on itself as he tried to find some sort of warmth in the darkness.

He never knew he could be this lonely.

Even when he was in the changeling pod, separated from Twilight, he had at least felt some companionship, but here…

It was so quiet, but it wasn’t silence. Silence has it’s own golden pleasantness about it, no, this...this was a deafening, maddening, soul-wrenching quiet.

He was so alone, so cold, and silently sobbed as he thought of his son and his wife.

Oh, what had he done?

And then, he heard something in the quiet. The voice was muffled somehow, but he was sure he heard something.

He stopped his sobbing, and looked up into the darkness, sniffing. “Hello?” he called.

“H-hello?” a voice echoed.

“Is someone there?” Alan asked.

“Hello?”

“C-can you hear me?”

“Are you real?”

“I-I’m real. Are you real?”

“M-maybe? I don’t know anymore...”

“Who are you?” Alan asked.

“Who are you?” the voice echoed.

“I’m...I’m Pendragon Alan Goldenhoof of Equestria. I think?” he said, muttering the last two words.

“Equestria? I...I think I know that name…maybe...it’s been so long.”

“How long?” Alan asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Who are you?” Alan questioned again.

“I...my name...my name is Umbra Shade. I think...maybe.”

“Umbra? Where are you, Umbra?”

“I’m here.”

“Can you come here?”

“I think…”

“Come here.”

He came, and the two got close, sharing barely enough warmth.

It was all they had.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Princess Mi Amore Cadenza glared down at the monster that now inhabited the body of her brother-in-law, bow in hoof, and a magick arrow ready.

Sombra looked up at her, his head cocked.

Twilight looked between the two, watching as a slew of invisible blades seemed to clash where their gazes met.

There was silence between the two for a long time, until the dark king sniffed, and then smiled. “You smell of the royal’s blood,” he observed before smiling. “My, my...it has been a while.”

“Silenzio, Mostro,” Cadence hissed, as she grabbed the arrow. “You will speak when I say you can.”

Sombra raised an eyebrow. “Feisty.”

An arrow slammed into the ground, inches from his hoof, and a new one was on the string faster than you could blink an eye. “Test me again, and I will show you feisty,” Cadence said.

Sombra simply smirked.

“Now, Monstro, tell me. What brings you here?”

“If you are wondering about your precious empire, I’m afraid it is still lost. Perhaps one day I will release it, perhaps not. Now, however, I am going to focus on destroying the last few things that can slow me down.”

“The Elements?” Cadence asked.

“Very astute, Princess. With such perception, you’d make a wonderful ruler,” Sombra said, smirking sarcastically.

Cadence smirked herself. “As if the Elements were the thing you had to worry about.”

Sombra didn’t seem to hear that. “Once the elements are gone, then the only thing left to worry about is Celestia herself.” He smirked. “Of course, Luna is doing her job and keeping her busy quite nicely, and once Celestia does what needs to be done, I imagine she will make a wonderful commander for my armies.”

Cadence rolled her eyes. “For all the years you had to come up with a plan, Sombra, I must say I’m disappointed.”

Sombra sneered. “Please, mortal. My plan is beyond you.”

Cadence shook her head, and smiled. “Do not think you’ve gone unnoticed. Your servant was practically reeking of your scent, and had I known you better, I would have recognized your foul stench.”

“Oh, well done. You’ve smelled me out,” he said, as a new blade began to form. “Now let’s see if your sense of smell will protect you against my blade.”

Another arrow flew through the air, shattering the blade. “I think my bow will be fine.”

Sombra growled.

But Cadence smiled. “Of course, there is one tiny problem to your grand, grand, plan, Sombra. Something that you forgot.”

“Oh really?” Sombra asked as yet another blade formed. “And pray tell, mortal who forgets the location of your keys, what have I forgotten?”

Cadence smiled, as she strummed the string of her bow. “You forgot love.”

Silence returned full force. It hovered over the garden with a vengeance while the two stared each other down, Cadence with a smirk while Sombra leveled a deadpan glare at her. Twilight looked up at her foalsitter, confused, before her eyes were drawn to her son, still in the magical grip of Sombra.

She looked between the two before her horn began to glow.

Sombra, meanwhile only rolled his eyes, before gagging. “Spare me the sap, mortal. Keep your repulsive love to yourself, you disgustin—”

The pop of teleportation sounded, and Sombra looked down to see himself holding nothing.

An arrow shot past him, flying past his chest.

Another arrow followed the first, only a fraction of an inch from his chest, and Sombra leapt back, just in time to see yet another arrow dig into the ground where he once stood.

Twilight began to back away, Orion in her magical grasp, while Cadence fired arrow after arrow at the creature in Alan’s body.

“Stay still, Sombra.” Cadence yelled. “Stay still and I’ll show you what love can do!”

<<<|Ω|>>>

“So these are the mighty Mare-Do-Wells, huh?” Bad Joke said, rolling off the back of one of his attackers. “I was expecting a little more out of you.”

The changelings whized around Bad Joke, trying to take him down as the pegasus masterfully kept them at bay.

“We’re going to give you one chance to surrender, Joke,” one of the Mare-Do-Wells cried.

“Surrender? Hahaha! Now that’s a good joke!” the criminal cackled. “I can’t surrender, and I don’t want to!”

Chess Piece leapt backwards. “You can’t?”

Bad Joke flipped over yet another Mare-Do-Well, wing blade dragging uselessly along a covered carapace. “Yessirree, Miss! Mind’s a little bent you see,” he said, smiling. “And not in the way you’re thinking.”

“What are you talking about?” Chess asked as the other Mare-Do-Wells disengaged and began to reposition themselves.

“What? Did you think I was born with this kind of fashion sense?” Bad Joke asked. “As with everything else, Ol’ Man Chaos got us together, and he showed us who we really are.”

“What do you mean, who you really are?” Chess asked.

Joke smiled. “You know the pony back there that looked like he skipped leg day a couple of times? He was just some punk. Then our father showed him that he was a murderer. All it took was holding his hand for a bit, and he went all out. After that, the boy went bonkers, and that’s coming from me. Heheheh-heehee.”

The Changelings continued to spread out, surrounding the pegasus.

“Then you’ve got good ole’ Doms. Chaos showed him that he’s actually a lying, sniveling coward with that dice roll, and ever since he’s left things to ‘fate,’ which is just his way of passing the blame so he doesn’t feel the incredible guilt that made him rip off his own Cutie Mark.”

Chess blinked.

“So, why don’t you save your talks about surrender and redemption for those guys. I saw who I am when Chaos showed me. The only difference between them and me, though, is I liked it.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

The boy once known as Morning Dew sat in the darkness and shook his head.

The stallion he was fighting was good. Very good. With any luck the stallion would kill him.

Faust knows it was the best that he deserved.

“Come on, boy! Stay with me!” the stallion said.

But Dew shook his head. He had already been lost, and all the stallion was doing now was screaming into a roaring face of fury.

Dew turned away, unable to watch as he fought the stallion.

He hoped the stallion would be merciful and killed him quickly, despite what he deserved.

If he had any sort of control over his body these days, he would have let the stallion destroy him by now. Unfortunately, as part of his madness, he signed over control to a force that was beyond him.

He sighed, and layed down on the floor.

He was a murderer.

He deserved to die.

“Stay with me, boy!” Mac yelled. “Ah ain’t gonna leave you!”

Dew shook his head. He didn’t know why. He was a monster. He didn’t deserve it.

“You don’t?” A new voice asked, and Dew looked up to see a tall pony, covered muzzle to tail in a dark grey cloak. Her voice was soft, smooth, and oddly comforting, even in the nothingness that surrounded them.

“No…” Dew said. “I don’t.”

“Why don’t you deserve mercy?” the cloaked pony asked.

“Because I murdered somepony.”

“Did you?” she asked, almost as if she couldn’t believe it.

Dew tried to curl into a ball. “All it took...all it took was the promise that I wouldn’t get into trouble...that’s all he needed to say…”

“And now you’re in trouble…” the cloaked figure noted.

Dew shook his head. “I’m in trouble…”

The cloaked figure moved closer, before laying down next to the poor colt.

“Please, don’t…” Dew said, shuffling away from her.

“Why do you scorn my touch?” she asked.

“I...I don’t deserve company. Just...just leave me be…”

“Leave you? You’re going to push me away without hearing what I have to offer?”

“I don’t deserve your company,” Dew explained. “I’m a horrible pony that deserves no mercy and no company.”

“But I offer them,” the cloaked pony said.

“And I do not deserve it,” Dew repeated.

The cloaked figure sighed. “Morning Dew, gifts are not a matter of what you deserve, and neither is mercy. I offer you these gifts, not because you deserve them, but because you do need them.”

Morning looked up at her.

“Now, may I sit with you and make my offer, or will you keep pushing me away so that you may wallow alone?”

Morning blinked slowly, and looked forward, but he did not send her away.

The cloaked figure smiled, and he knew it, despite being unable to see her face for the cowl.

She shifted next to him, and a massive white wing stretched out and wrapped around him gingerly.

As the wing touched him, he shivered, before relaxing into her.

“There,” the cloaked figure said, as she nuzzled him.

“I don’t know why you’re wasting your time…” Morning said.

“Because any time I spend saving the ones I love,” Faust said, “is time worth dying for.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

“Stay with me, boy!” Mac roared again as he struggled against the massive pony.

Only the bloodlusting eyes of Red stared back at him.

“Come on!” Mac struggled, as if his own will could bring the boy back.

The monster roared, before the cry caught in his throat.

Mac felt the pressure on his legs lighten, and the face of his opponent softened, and transformed, even as the colt’s body began to shrink.

It was almost as if he deflated, shrinking as he fell to the ground.

And then, before Mac’s eyes, Red was gone, leaving only a young colt who sobbed happily as he lay on the ground. “I’m free…” he muttered. “I’m finally free…”

<<<|Ω|>>>

The Victory burst through another cloud bank, sailing through the air as lightning flashed and thunder roared through the massive storm cloud.

All along the deck, Pipsqueak’s crew of pre-teens ran this way and that, grabbing ropes and aiming cannons, trying to keep the cloud of demons that were coming after them at bay.

Scootaloo swung back down to the deck, landing next to Pipsqueak. “They’re getting closer, there’s no way we can outrun them at this pace.”

“We don’t need to outrun them,” Pip said, before spinning the helm. “We just need to stay out of sight.”

A crack of thunder bellowed in the sky, shaking the ship and causing the glass in the windows to rattle.

“Are you sure about this, Pip?” Scootaloo asked.

“No,” the captain said, turning again as the ship began to dive back into a cloud bank.

Lightning cracked behind them, and a swarm of demons flew into the darkness after them.

"But it's what we've got."

<<<|Ω|>>>

Cadence, Twilight, and Sombra all danced around the garden, the Princess firing arrow after arrow as she tried to pin Sombra. Twilight ran, trying to keep her son away from the monster chasing her, trying to awaken her boy from whatever spell he was under.

Sombra, meanwhile, had blood shining in his eyes. Yet another blade had formed, Hatred using the borrowed power of his host to hunt down Twilight.

“Oh, Sombra,” Cadence called, “stay still! I have an arrow that calls for your black heart!”

Twilight looked up at her flying foalsitter, surprised by the venom in her voice.

Sombra laughed. “So much for love.”

“Is love furyless?” Cadence asked, letting loose another arrow. “Is love passionless? Do not speak of love when you know nothing of it, Demon!”

Three arrows thudded into the ground in quick succession around Sombra as he skidded across the perfectly manicured grass, leaving long, muddy trails marring the surface.

Twilight looked around, biting her lip in worry.

If Cadence wasn’t careful, she’d seriously hurt him, and thereby, Alan.

Another arrow shot forward, and Sombra ducked out of the way of the streak of blue fire.

Cadence growled, before she swooped down and landed. “Face your judgment, Sombra!” she said, glowering at him with the bow by her side, “Face your judgement either at my hooves or Faust’s.”

“I take my judgement from Faust, and she has let me go unopposed,” Sombra taunted.

“Unopposed until now!” the princess cried, as she spun the bow up loosed yet another arrow.

Thwip! Thuk!

Twilight gasped staring with wide eyes at Sombra.

Sombra blinked.

And Cadence smiled as she finally hit her target.

Sombra looked down at his chest, and the flaming blue arrow that stuck out of his chest.

He blinked.

And the he laughed.

“Is that it?” he asked. “Is that all the power you can muster?”

Candece kept smiling, before setting her bow down on the ground.

“Is that the extent of your abilities? Is that all love can do?” Sombra laughed as he grabbed the arrow in his chest with his own magic, corrupting the color to a blood red. “Is that it?” He asked as the arrow snapped and faded out of existence.

Cadence walked up, next to Twilight, and spoke softly. “That is the beginning, Sombra.”

“Oh is it?” he asked, smugly as a blade formed. “Your precious love has done nothing. Love has not conquered me.”

“Love does not conquer,” Cadence said. “Love overwhelms. It surrounds and encompases,” she said.

“Save your preaching for the dead,” Sombra said as he leveled the blade at her. “They’ll be the will be the only able to hear you.”

The sword flew forward, and Cadence stood, waiting for it.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Alan and Umbra sat in the void.

“Is it always this dark?” Alan asked, even though he knew the answer.

“It has always been dark,” Umbra answered.

Alan would have nodded, maybe he did, it was hard to tell. He figured, he just needed to break the quiet.

He blinked.

And this time, he knew he blinked. “U-Umbra, do you see that?”

“See? What is there to see?”

“I...I see a light…”

“Y-you do?”

“Y-yeah…” he said.

“Is it a trick?” Umbra asked.

Alan shook his head. “I...I don’t think so…”

Warmth began to seep into his consciousness, radiating from the light.

“I…” Alan began. “I think I need to follow it…”

“Y-you’re going to leave?” Umbras asked, fear in his voice. “Y-you can’t leave! I can’t be alone again!”

Alan paused. “I...I think I have to, Umbra.”

“No! No! Please don’t leave me here!”

“I…” Alan began, before the words just seemed to pop to his mind, “it’s my duty, Umbra…”

Umbra paused. “I...p-please?”

“Umbra...I have to go,” Alan said, as he stepped away from the only other thing in the void. “But I won’t...I will do everything I can to make sure you get out of here, okay? You’re not going to be stuck here.”

“I...please…”

“I’ll come back for you,” Alan promised. “I swear I’ll come back for you.”

“Why are you leaving?”

“I’ll come back. I just need to save my family first.”

“D-don’t go…”

“I’ll be back!”

<<<|Ω|>>>

The blade halted in mid air, inches from Cadence’s neck.

Sombra blinked.

The blade had simply frozen in the middle of the air, sitting before the Princess with an empty threat, but not much more than that.

Cadence looked down at the blade, and smiled. “Let me guess, this hasn’t ever happened before?”

Sombra blinked before a new blade formed and shot forward, only to halt next to it’s brother.

Cadence smiled wider.

Sombra grit his teeth as a third blade leapt for her throat.

And again the sword froze.

Twilight stared with wide eyes.

“What did you do to me, witch!?” the king demanded.

Cadence smiled. “I thought witches were your domain,” she taunted. “I told you, Sombra, love overwhelms. It has overwhelmed and overcome your spell, it shined in your darkest darkness, and led Alan back to the light. I gave him a path, and he has kept me safe in return.”

As she finished her speech, the red magick of the blades began to ripple and distort. Then, before the eyes of the gathered, it began to peel away, not unlike a banana skin, revealing the perfect, silver blades beneath.

Sombra’s eyes went wide, and Twilight saw the fear in them.

“N-no! You cannot do this! I am the master here!”

The silver blades shook free of their red skins, and turned on their master.

“N-no! Stop! I co-c-c-c-command you-o-ou-u-u-u!” Sombra said, his voice breaking as his face twisted between a hundred different features.

“I-I-I W-wi-wiw-wo-wo-ill win-in-in-nn-n-n! I muh-muh-uh-uh-uhst!”

There was an explosion of light that flooded the garden, and all eyes throughout Canterlot stared up as a second sun rose at the castle.

When it cleared, a white stallion, armored in silver, chitin armor with golden hooves lay prostrate on the ground, while a black smoke trailed off of him into the air.

Alan used his front legs to prop himself up, and smiled at the sight of Twilight and Orion. “Hey, honey…” he said with a smile, before nodding to Cadence. “Princess.”

“I’m happy to see you, Pendragon,” she said, as Twilight rushed to him and encased him a loving embrace.

Alan held her tight, before smiling. “Now...let’s go kill some hellspawn.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Chaos scraped and pulled, trying to move forward.

He had heard his master’s call, but Death had held him fast.

The draconequus could not move under the scythe of Death, no matter how desperately his master called.

And then there was a flash of light.

And then silence.

Chaos’ heart froze at that terrible, terrible silence.

His master was still alive, he could feel the oppressing presence of the King even as he lay under the hoof of Death, but to be denied his vessel, to have this victory stripped from him?

This was something he had not prepared for.

“Very well, Chaos,” Death said, before dragging the draconequus back by the wound in his tail, and throwing him back to wall behind him. “I’ve had my fun. You may go now.”

Chaos looked up, confused, before taking to the air, searching for his master.

Death watched him go with narrowed eyes. “Yes. I may have had my fun. But my revenge is about to begin.”

Alright! Only a few more chapters to go, guys.

“Nuuuuu! I don’t want it to end!”

That’s what a lot of people are saying…

“So you’re going to continue the story indefinately, for ever and ever? Or even forever? Which, is like, four evers.”

No, Pinkie...that’s...I’ve got other stuff I’ll write.

“Oh, okay, can I come with?”

Um, sure? I guess? It depends on if the readers want it, so maybe.

“Oh, ok! Gotcha.”

Anyways, guys, the battle is about to reach its zenith, and the Plan is about to come to fruition.

“Next time! Meet up! The battle against Tiamat! Celestia against the Moon! And Chaos takes the field!”

All of this, and more.

“We’ll see you then, guys!”

Bye!

26-The Dragon Crown

Chapter 26

The circle that opened the floodgates of Tartarus sat untested. Demons poured from the hole in time and space, eager to feel real air against their skin and the taste of mortal flesh on their tongues.

Lately, though, as the war dragged on, fewer and fewer demons came through. Certainly, this was not due to a lack of devils that lived in the lower planes, so there had to be some other reason for it.

Unfortunately, that reason would make itself apparent very, very soon.

The tower shuddered as something began to make its way through.

Stones began to rock loose, and the walls began to bulge.

A red, dragon head burst from the tower, followed by another four, each of a different color. The tower shattered and fell, destroying the circle and floor beneath her.

The dragon’s roar echoed across creation, and every draconic ear that heard it shook at the sound.

Tiamat the Queen of Dragonkind looked out over the world.

So this was hatred’s plan? This was his grand design?

Her eyes looked over the world.

“My, my…” she said to herself. She smiled.

“Mine…”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Spike ran down the hallways of the castle, searching the rooms for any sign of the sword.

His claws were digging into the carpet as his body coiled and sprung as he ran on all fours, wings pinned against his back for extra speed.

The roar echoed through the castle, shaking him to the bone as the he heard the call.

He rounded another corner, skidding as he turned.

A shadow was following him.

“Spica,” he heard the voice of Gaafnirlass, the father of dragons, echo in his head, “have you not heard her?”

“How could I not hear her?” Spike asked, digging a deep gouge through the carpet as he launched himself forward.

“You must stop her, Spica,” Gaafnirlass said, his shadow running along the floor behind the drake.

“I need to find the sword,” Spike answered.

“Find the sword, and doom the world,” the elder dragon said. “Spica, you must stop Tiamat, and you must do so now.”

“Our choices currently are doom the world by demons, or doom it by dragons. At the least we can take dragons.”

“All of them? All at once?”

Spike’s gait slowed to a walk.

“If Tiamat goes unchallenged, then she will bring every dragon here, and they will answer, and they will obey. If Tiamat is not challenged, then Equestria will burn in dragonfire.”

Spike stopped, and the shadow moved ahead of him, staring up at him from the floor with it’s burning red eyes. “And you, the Last of the True Dragons, are the only one who has the right to challenge her.”

Spike stared down at the eyes that floated on the floor. The eyes of the closest thing he had to a father. The firm, yet, pleading eyes of the Umbral dragon.

Spike sighed. “I just hope that I don’t condemn the world by trying to save it.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

The dragons heard the call.

All around the world, dragons, wyverns, drakes, linnorms, jabberwocks, pseudodragons, dracolisks, dragon turtles, and tatzlwyrms poked their heads out of their lairs.

The Mother of all dragonkind had called them.

There was no questioning her call.

And so dragons around the world were roused, emerging from the dark places of the world, and spreading their massive wings.

There was no denying her call.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Big Mac and Morning Dew, the latter still sobbing with joy as Mac carried him, made their way forward, trying to find the others.

As Mac came to a plaza, however, he was surprised to see Shining tying up another pony.

“Shining,” the farmpony called.

He turned. “Hey, Mac. Just finishing up here.”

“What happened?”

Shining finished the knot before shrugging. “I dunno. He just gave up all of a sudden.”

Mr. Domino simply sat there, tears in his eyes.

“Same here,” Mac said, nodding to the pony on his back. “Boy lost all the fight in him.”

A roar echoed across the city, and both ponies looked up to see the five headed dragon that now rested in the tower.

“Oh, that’s not good…” Shining said.

“Nope…”

“We need to go,” the captain said.

“Eeyup,” Mac said as he dropped Morning down next to Mr. Domino. “Stay here, boy, we’ll be back for ya.”

Morning shook his head, and smiled. “I’m not going anywhere…” he said.

“Come on, let’s go,” Shining said, before the two stallions ran towards the castle.

Morning Dew smiled, before turning to Mr. Domino. “So,” he said with a laugh, “did She talk to you too?”

Domino looked up at him, and gave a small smile. “Yeah, yeah She did…”

Morning smiled. “We really screwed up, huh?”

“Yeah...yeah…”

Morning sighed. “We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, don’t we?”

A weak smiled danced on Domino’s lips. “Yeah…”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Shining and Big Mac both broke into the courtyard at a dead run, and were quickly met with the sight of a dozen or so Mare Do Wells fighting a single pegasus who danced between them like a madpony.

Mac’s head swung sideways, as though being called, and he called out. “Shining, is that it?”

Shining looked over to where the farmpony was pointing, and blinked at the sight of the naked blade of Judgement, which stood point first in the ground.

He blinked. “How did…?” He shook his head. “That’s it! Let’s get it up to Alan!”

The stallions ran, Shining scooping up the blade as they made their way towards the castle.

Meanwhile a single, reptilian figure stood on the roof of one towers, staring down the massive dragon.

Today, there would be war.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Celestia and Nightmare Moon slammed into the ground, tearing a deep gouge into the earth. The lunar glaive followed close behind, lunging for the solar sister’s throat before a blast of dark magic shot forward into sky, slamming past Nightmare Moon’s face and the glaive, sending the latter spinning into the air.

A powerful kick dislodged the darker mare, freeing Celestia, who stood with her eyes smoking.

“Leave me be!” Celestia growled.

“You will be alone when you’re dead!” Nightmare Moon yelled before leaping back on her, her glaive coming up to pierce her.

Celestia flew sideways, moving at incredible speeds as black magic flooded her veins. Dodging the strike, Celestia brought her hooves around, slamming them into Nightmare Moon’s face.

The glaive came in, slashing at Celestia, who barely got away with only a light cut across the belly.

“Is this what it took, Celestia? Is this what it took to get your attention? And now that I have it, this is how you treat me?”

“Be silent!” Celestia roared. “Get out of my way!”

“I will not let you ignore me again!”

Nightmare Moon shot forward, slamming into the elder, glaive first.

With a sidestep, Celestia brought her horn down along the shaft of the glaive, parrying the polearm to the side as the sisters met in full force.

Slamming into each other, the two alicorns went tumbling, down to the ground as they fought for some kind of advantage.

Rolling in the grass and dirt, they bucked, kicked and bit at each other, trying to win their fight.

And then the strangest sound, a cross between a buzz and a screech, echoed across the clearing.

Both alicorns blinked, and looked to side, where a tall blue box suddenly...well it didn’t appear, it just sort of existed there all of a sudden.

That’s when the door opened, and a pale purple mare with a blonde mane golden eyes stepped through, armed with a long, cylindrical tube of some sort.

“Good evening, Nightmare Loon,” the unicorn said, “You owe me some third grade Nightmare Night candy.”

The alicorns blinked, and looked at each other, before Nightmare Moon opened her mouth. “Do I know yo—”

Wham!

The last words of whatever she was going to say was completely cut off as a large, warm, and surprisingly hard muffin slammed into her face at almost supersonic speeds.

Nightmare Moon went flying, sailing through the air while Celestia sat up, completely confused, the purple smoke in her eyes dying.

She looked back to the box, and saw a wall-eyed grey pegasus smile behind the muffin-firing mare. “Alright! That’s it! Now come on, we’ve have three more critical points to visit tonight.”

“Wait...that was it?” the unicorn asked as she turned toward the door. “Geez, Mom! You make it sound like we have to go through a three day battle for the sake of all Equestria, and then we get here, and it takes one single muffin to do the job!”

“Don’t worry about Luna, Princess,” Derpy said as she hung out the door. “She’ll be just fine when she wakes up from her nap.”

“I mean, seriously! You kept telling me, ‘Oh this is super important, Dinky, there’s no way we can’t—’”

Her rant was cut short by the slamming door, and that sound erupted from the box once more, until the box was simply gone.

Celestia sat and blinked, her eyes having cleared as she looked between the spot where the box had just been, and where he sister now lay.

There was silence for a while.

“What, by Mother’s Sweet Glory, just happened?” she asked herself.

An earth-shattering roar echoed around her, and Celestia looked up at her castle.

“Oh Sweet Mother…” she muttered, as the view of Tiamat emerging from her tower met her eyes.

Her eyes narrowed. “Discord can wait,” she thought to herself. “I need to deal with this.”

She paused a moment to look down at the sight of Nightmare Moon, sprawled out across the grass.

“Be okay, sister. I can’t lose you again…” she said.

And then her wings snapped up, and she was off.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Tiamat laughed.

Oh, this pathetic world.

It would bow so easily.

There would be no stopping her.

Nothing could.

There was no demon, no god, no mortal and no creature that could dare challenge her.

Hatred would give into her, and his lapdog would follow soon after.

This world would be her new horde, and nothing would halt her long claws from taking it.

“Tiamat! Spawn of Evil!” A voice said, speaking in the tongue of ancient dragons. “I challenge you for the Right to Rule!”

Tiamat looked down the length of her five noses at the whelp that challenged her.

He was a pathetic thing. A tiny hatchling of a dragon. A tiny, purple, meaningless worm.

And yet she feared him.

“Who are you, to challenge me?” she asked, her voice steady.

“I am Spica Draconis!” Spike yelled. “Named the Last of the True Dragon’s by Gaafnirlass, Master of Shadows! I am the keeper of the Emerald Flame, born of Magic and Fire, and I will lay you low!”

She knew who he was. In thirteen thousand years, there had not been a drake that resisted her charms like this one. Never had a wyrm thrown away the glint of gold, and not once had a mere dragon thrown her to the side such as this one.

She knew...and if it were not for her demonic scales that could not be pierced by any mortal attack, then she would have recoiled in fear.

As it was, she snorted, sending puffs of acid, smoke, frost, and electricity into the air. “I will humor you, enemy mine. And I will eat your scales and swallow your bones.”

“I will make my boasts when I stand over your corpse,” Spike said as he spread his wings, and took to the sky. “And when you have been laid low, I will see your remains scattered.”

Tiamat snorted again. Unimpressed.

Then she struck, like a viper made of lightning, biting down on the place where Spike had been but a second ago.

Spike, in turn, unleashed a gout of of emerald fire, that engulfed the black head that struck at him.

Tiamat roared in pain.

The emerald flame, it seemed, was not just a mere relic that allowed paper to teleport between two points.

It was also a demon killer.

Tiamat howled, and green flame flew past her scales and cooked her flesh, and brought her heads back in rage.

“You will pay for your insolence!” the white head of the dragon roared, before the four uninjured heads drew back, and unleashed their furious breaths.

Fire, lightning, clouds of acid and frost shot forward and engulfed the form of Spike. A bright column of energy that burned against the sky.

And then, a shadow, large and draconic in shape, reared back, and like a massive head, bit down on the energy that flew towards the small drake.

The breath split, and Tiamat let the attack die in shock.

This...this wasn’t possible. This shouldn’t be possible.

And yet, even as the fire and electricity died around him, she knew somehow, it had come to pass.

Spike’s eyes glowed red and the skin in his wings seemed to trail a shadow.

Somehow, he had become Gaafnirlass.

And this scared her more than anything before.

<<<|Ω|>>>

The dragons that had been approaching stopped.

Tiamat had just roared in pain, and the ancient challenge floated to them on the wind.

This was...unprecedented.

No dragon that had ever challenged Tiamat had caused her pain before…

The dragons looked at each other, searching for some kind of cue as to what to do.

Yet no one moved.

They simply hovered there, looking at each other.

They knew not what to do.

Another cry from their draconic mother rent the air.

Perhaps it would be best to wait for this one…

<<<|Ω|>>>

Spike crawled along the neck of Tiamat’s red head, the others trying desperately to bite him off without hurting her own neck.

But the purple speck on the long, red neck was fast, dodging out of the way of the massive teeth and snapping jaws of the four other dragons.

He leapt, latching onto one of the curved horns of the beast and swinging sideways onto the red’s face.

He stared straight into the yellow orb of the fire breathing head, and drew one of the pistols at his side. “This is for all the suffering you’ve put us through,” he said before firing a ball straight into her eye.

The scream that echoed from Tiamat’s throat was heard across the world.

“Spike? Spike!” A voice called, and the dragon looked up to see Celestia flying slightly to the side.

“Attend to your ponies, Princess. This is dragon business,” He said, before leaping to the next head, which desperately tried to shake him off as the red head writhed in pain.

Celestia looked down at the dragon, the creature she raised like a son for years was about to make a claim for draconic royalty.

She looked down, where there ponies she loved were being swarmed by demons, and mentally cursed. “Stay safe, Spike.”

“I will be safe, Princess. Just leave this one to me!”

Celestia nodded, and dropped to join in the fray.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Scootaloo swung around the ship, holding onto the rope for dear life as she kicked an imp off the deck of the Victory.

A silver spoon, thrown by the pony of the same name, dug into the chest of another, sending him head over heels over the rail.

Pip stood at the helm, standing tall and proud as he piloted the airship beneath him. “Get off my ship!” he yelled, before making a hard starboard. “Well...Uncle Alan’s ship…” he muttered the last bit.

Scootaloo swung again, coming around before landing next to Rumble. They stood, back to back, throwing Karate strikes at the incoming demons.

“Never thought I’d be using the lesson you got me so soon,” the purple-haired pegasus said.

“Never thought I’d be using half of these moves!” Rumble said, sending a kick into an imp’s head.

“Think we’ll make it out of here?” she asked.

“So long as nothing bigger than these guys comes at us,” Rumble answered.

Just as the words left his mouth. A demon, three times taller than they could hope to be, landed on the deck.

The foals gulped.

“You-you had to say it, didn’t you?” Scootaloo said with a nervous laugh.

The demon hulked over them, growling as saliva dripped from his long fangs.

It raised it’s claws.

And was suddenly bodyslammed by a pegasus, off the deck.

The demon went flying off and over the edge, and the pegasus, followed by a squad of more, landed on the deck. “Sir!” one of them said. “We’re here to re...infor...ce...you.”

Pipsqueak nodded. “Good! I need two of you on the envelope, and at least two down here. The rest of you can head to whatever needs the help.”

The pegasus guard blinked as he stared at the foal ordering him.

Pip blinked, and then smiled. “Please?”

The guard sighed. “Taking orders from a foal,” he muttered, before turning to the other pegasi. “You heard the colt! Get up there!”

Pip smiled, and pulled the ship back, heading out of the cloud. They had more important things to do.

To be fair, so did the cloud.

<<<|Ω|>>>

The mares and stallions met back in the foyer after the allotted time, worry growing on their features as they found that no one had returned with the sword.

So far, Alan, Twilight, and Spike had not returned, not to mention Shining and Big Mac, who were probably still fighting the monsters outside.

“Oh...where are they?” Rarity asked, fidgeting.

Soarin shrugged, starting to crash from his high.

Two ponies burst into the room, and both chitin-armored unicorns ran in. “Alright! Form up!” Twilight yelled. “Did anyone find the sword?”

Applejack bit her lip. “Ah ain’t seen—”

The door behind them opened, and Shining and Big Mac came galloping in.

“We’re not late are we?” he asked, holding Judgement up.

“Right on time,” Alan said with a smile as a magick hand grasped the familiar hilt of his blade. “Oh, and Shining?”

“Yeah?”

“Next time we leave Orion in your charge, keep him in your charge!”

Shining winced, before speaking up. “Where is he now?”

“Cadence has him,” Twilight answered. “Now come on, we’ve got to stop Chaos!” she said as they began to lead the way, up and out.

“Wait,” Pinkie said, following along, “I forgot, who’s Chaos?”

“Discord!” Twilight answered back. “But without any of the fun-loving!”

Pinkie gasped. “That’s horrible!”

As Twilight began to fill in the others on what was going on, Alan looked down at his blade.

The word “Justice” faced him.

Alan smirked. “Yes, my old, old friend. The time for Justice has come.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Chaos landed in the garden, and looked around the small clearing where his master had called.

There was no sign of them.

No sign of any of them!

No soldier!

No wife!

No son!

They were gone.

All gone.

“Curses…” he muttered as he searched the clearing. “Curses, curses, curses! Damnation to all these cursed ponies!”

A crash sounded, and Chaos looked back, and growled as he saw twelve ponies walk into clearing, led by Alan.

“It’s time to face Justice, Chaos.”

Chaos growled.

“You,” he seethed. “You...you have no idea what you’ve done, do you!?”

Alan braced himself as the elements began to spread out, surrounding him.

“You’ve ruined centuries of planning! You’ve ruined all of it! All of it! Die!” he roared, as he leapt into the air. “Die! Die! Die!”

Alright, guys. Man, this is writing fast…

“How fast is it writing?”

Pinkie, I appreciate the setup, but I have no idea how to make that a joke.

“Aw…”

Yes, so anyway, Tiamat has closed the portal behind her, and Spike is making his bid for the throne. Nightmare Moon took a muffin to the face (baked with love, of course) and the pure oddity of the situation may have just beat the evil (or literally the hell) out of her. While Celestia is about to unleash her sunshine clean up (lemony fresh) on the demons. And then finally, Alan’s about to go for the final showdown with Chaos. Sound about right?

“Eeyup!”

Awesome. And while that’s a sad excuse for a parody catch up—

“I knew you’d make it a joke somehow!”

—it’s what I’ve got. So! Next time!

“The battle of the millenia!”

Chaos vs. Pendragon!

“Eeeeeeeeeeepic Sword Battles of Historyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!”

Alright, alright...enough of that.

“We’ll see you next time guys!”

Bye!

27-The Battle of the Pendragon

Chapter 27

“First the Guards! Then the Men! Then the Women! Then the Children!” the demonic chant continued.

“Hold the line!” Silver Crest roared hoarsely. He had been issuing orders and yelling encouragement since the beginning. “Stay strong, stallions! Stay strong!”

A squad of Mare Do Wells had joined the fray, and together they were keeping the demons at bay.

Still, the demons continued their assault, singing their chant with their grating voices. “First the Guards! Then the Men! Then the Women! Then the Children!”

“Excuse me,” a voice said, and the demons quieted at the sound.

They turned, and saw Celestia standing behind them. “You must be mistaken. For you will not touch my little ponies.”

The demons screamed. “It’s the Firstborn! Run!”

They scattered, running for their lives as Celestia walked up from behind them. She almost smiled as they ran, and she was happy to see that the demons still knew how to fear her. “My ponies,” she said to the guard.

“Princess,” Silver Crest said with a relieved smile and a bow.

“Please,” Celestia said, motioning him to stand. “The time for formalities will come later.”

“Ma’am! Yes, Ma’am!” Silver Crest said with a salute.

“Now, I must ask you to begin evacuating the citizens.”

“Already on it, Ma’am!” Officer Crest said proudly. “We were here to make sure the evacuation teams had the time to get out of here.”

Celestia smiled. “And you have done well. For now, however, I need you to aid them. Leave the demons to me.”

“Yes, Ma’am!” Crest said before bounding off, leaving Celestia and the squad of Mare Do Wells.

“As for you,” she said, turning to the Mare Do Wells, “I have been trying to speak with you.”

The disguised changelings shifted nervously. “Um…”

“Of course, had I known there were so many of you, I would have tried a little harder to get at least one of you in for an audience.”

“Audience?” one of them asked.

“Of course. I would be happy to meet anypony that would so gladly aid her fellow citizens.”

The Mare Do Wells shared a quick look between each other and smiled. “Uh...glad we could help, Your Highness.”

She smiled. “Now, if I may have the pleasure. I would like for you to join me. I have a lot of ground to cover tonight, and not much time to do it.”

The Mare Do Wells looked between themselves once more. “We would be honored.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

“Die! Die! Die!” Chaos roared as he hovered over the small herd of ponies beneath him. An orb of necrotic magic, swirling green and purple, hovered above the crazed draconequus.

“Die, Pendragon! Die now!”

He slammed the orb down, throwing it down with all of his might.

The orb bit into the ground, and spread out, rippling and crackling as bolts of magic ripped into the ground.

“You will all burn!”

What rose from the liquefying ground, however, was not flame.

Skeletal figures, armored ponies, rose from the ground. Their armor was gold and tarnished silver, as unicorns brought ancient blades up into the air. The armor appeared ancient, decorated with bestial devices and timeworn, near-illegible runes. Small black scales lined the back, neck, and legs of the revived warriors,

The dirt flowed off of them like rivers of soiled quicksilver, pooling at the hooves of the skeletons.

Alan growled, his eyes glued on Chaos.

The draconequus held his hands out, as if puppeteering the skeletons beneath him.

“Girls! Get the Elements ready to take him down!” Alan ordered. “Stallions, keep those skeletons off of their backs. I’ll—”

Another figure began to rise from the muck.

A skeletal hand, not a hoof, pushed against a floating path stone.

A golden circlet, with a single point cresting the center sat on a round, human skull.

A chestplate, an English design of an era long passed.

A shield, three gold crowns on an azure field.

A sword, a hand-and-a-half monstrosity of a blade, made of bone, stone, and crystal. A poor mockery of Judgement.

There was no question in Alan’s mind who this was. No question as to what he had to do.

As he stood on his hind legs, Judgement was lowered to his hooves, which gripped the blade with a confidence born of years of practice.

“I’ll take the tall one.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Roughly 1500 years ago…

Celestia and Luna stood, somber as the rain pelted their faces.

The courtyard was silent.

A dozen ponies, dressed in the dragon-scale armor of the Commander’s Honor Guard stood at attention, surrounding the stone casket.

In the casket lay a figure. One that had not been seen in Equestria before, and would not be seen again for a millenia.

King Arthur Pendragon lay in the coffin, his brilliant blue shield laying across his chest, and a circlet on his brow.

White hair flowed from his head, and his eyes were closed peacefully.

“My little ponies,” Celestia began. “On this day we have lost one of our greatest treasures. We have lost our Commander, Sir Arthur Pendragon, a King in his own land. He passed peacefully the night before, and now it is our duty to lay him to eternal rest.”

“Faust hold him,” the Honor Guard recited.

Celestia bowed her head, and together, she and her sister lowered the coffin down into the ground.

“Rest now, Commander. Know you will not be alone long.”

“As in life, so in death,” the Honor Guard answered. “We shall guard you.”

“You shall be laid here, in your castle, and we shall name it in your honor.”

“That you may be remembered.”

“So be it,” she said, with finality.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Luna stirred.

Her head was spinning and she had a splitting headache. Her stomach fluttered like it had butterflies, and the taste of bile was strong on her mouth.

She took a moment to try and settle her stomach before she raised her head.

She was in the middle of a little clearing. A park of some kind.

She narrowed her eyes as she tried to sort through a blur of half-formed memories, but nothing solid came through. It was just a mess.

Propping herself up onto her forelegs, she looked up and tried to get her bearings.

As her eyes scanned the clearing, her gaze fell onto a broken fountain, and she felt her throat creak in dryness.

Dragging herself to the fountain, she quickly dunked her head and drank deep, letting the cool, clean water wash away the bitter dryness in her mouth. Once she had her fill, she broke the surface, gulping down air.

She felt ill.

Cracking open an eye, she stared out onto the rippling water, watching as her stars seemed to form along the surface as it stilled.

Her brain thudded in her skull, sending spikes of dull pain slamming into her head.

“What happened…?” she muttered.

And then her eyes fell onto her own reflection.

She practically leapt backwards from the well, panting hysterically at the sight of Nightmare Moon staring back at her. She looked up, and ripped the helmet from her head throwing it across the clearing with all her might.

“No…”

Looking down at her chest, she saw the blue, ornate chestpiece, and quickly tried to remove it. She fumbled and slipped until her magic grabbed it and almost rent the metal in two at the back. Finally free, she threw it, letting it crash into the helmet with a clang as she looked down at her hooves, hyperventilating.

“No, no, no…”

She tossed the horseshoes with the tall, leg protection.

“That’s not me…” she said, panicked. “That’s...that’s…”

She remembered.

Everything.

She...she had been played.

She...she had gone back to...to that…

She...Oh, Sweet Faust, she sent the Pendragon to his death.

She...Oh, Faust, she...

She retched.

She fell to the ground, curling into a ball as tears fell from her eyes.

“That’s not me...that’s not me…” she whimpered.

She shuddered as a breath of cold air washed over her.

“Please don’t let that be me…”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Across the garden, the stallions were locked in combat.

Ancient blades were blocked or parried as the stallions moved to protect the Bearers of the Elements behind them.

Yet still, even as the battle ebbed and flowed, there were two figures that seemed completely set apart. Two unmistakable figures that were artists of war, and this field had become their canvas.

They moved different, they fought different, they were everywhere and no where at once, fighting only each other as the battle raged on around them.

The Pendragons fought, the world moving around them at a crawl.

Strike was met with counter-strike, counter-strike met with reversal, reversal met with parry, and parry with strike once more. A cycle of attack after attack, coming back to the start without a hit landed on either.

Arthur was obviously the more experienced fighter, his style, cuts, and form were impeccable. Never once did his blade falter, and not once did it waver from its path.

Alan, however, was faster. Able to correct in the time it took for Arthur to make good his strike, the living Pendragon was able to match the skeleton blow for blow.

Arthur was using his shield as well, moving it forward with each strike to cover his would-be-exposed side.

In response, Alan conjured a silver shield of magick, to do the same, but kept both hooves on the blade, allowing the shield to float freely.

Again their blades met, and again, Alan began the counter.

Foible met Forte, as Alan brought the flat of his blade up to counter. Twisting the blade around, he then pivoted his blade around the Mezzo, making a strike at Arthur’s head.

Arthur brought his sword back up, catching Alan’s blade with ease before making his own counter.

Again Alan blocked, as they both danced around the battlefield. He wasn’t sure he could keep this up.

Arthur’s defense was flawless, and Alan knew at any moment, his own form would falter somewhere along the line. Already he had to disengage twice to protect himself against Arthur’s perfect form, and both times, Arthur was able to press the advantage.

Both times Alan had been able to bring it back to a stalemate, but it was only a matter of time.

Alan made his counter, and Arthur took it in stride, making yet another strike, this time towards Alan’s belly.

Alan leapt back, almost floating in the thick air of the world of the third stage.

Arthur was already closing the distance between them.

Alan took a quick look sideways, and he watched the Elements glow.

Almost there.

Just need to hold out a little longer.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Twilight bit her lip in worry.

She wasn't sure Alan would make it. He and Arthur were at each other’s throats.

Leaping and dancing around the other combatants, they struck at each other with blinding speed. Judgement flashed in the darkness, leaving a rainbow-colored streak behind it, while the necrotic blade of Arthur seemed to glow with the green and purple necrotic magic that Chaos had slammed into the ground below him.

But she had seen Alan disengage, three times now, and that was starting to worry her.

It was better than the alternative, she was sure, but, by Faust, she did not need Alan to die now, not after almost losing him for the third time.

She looked up at the crown on her head, its star-shaped gem glowing brightly.

“Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up,” she whispered, to the jewel. “Please.”

As if to answer her, the jewel flashed.

Her heart soared as the Elements began to sputter to life, and a beam of rainbow-colored light shot forward into the dark.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Spike ran along the last of the five heads of Tiamat, the black, the only one that had not yet been blinded.

Desperate, she tried to throw him off, shaking and writhing to try and dislodge the offending dragon while the other four, blind heads rammed into the neck repeatedly. Better to hurt herself with her own head and jaws then become blind at the hands of this tiny, insolent gnat.

The white slammed ahead of him, and Spike barely had the time to stop as she rammed herself.

He leapt sideways, running up, and towards the last head.

As he got closer, the head became more erratic, and the red head actually came down with its mouth open wide, and her teeth bit into her own neck.

Spike smirked as the heads shrieked in pain.

He leapt again, latching onto Tiamat’s horn, and firing another bullet into her eye.

And then he took off, flying into the sky.

The lone head began searching frantically for him. “Where are you? Where are you, you pathetic whelp?!”

Her lone eye searched the sky, but the shadows of Gaafnirlass kept him hidden against the night.

He suddenly appeared in the middle of her sight, inches from her eye.

“Your last eye is safe. I’m not going to take it just yet.”

Tiamat glared at him for a moment, before roaring, letting all five heads unleash their breath at him.

Spike answered with fire.

Emerald flame met the onslaught of energy, and the fire was quick to stop it. Frost melted, while acid combusted, and lightning and fire were consumed utterly.

As the fires died, Tiamat’s one remaining eye went wide.

Spike had disappeared once more.

Her vision impaired, she tried to move her head around and find him, when her chest was suddenly lit on fire.

She roared as emerald flame licked at her scales, and nearly lost her grip as something slammed into her.

“No!” she cried, as she felt her scales being pushed aside.

“No!” she screamed, as she felt him dig deeply into her flesh.

She did not scream when he reached her heart.

She did not scream as she slowly began to fall backwards, into the rocky face of the mountain.

She did not scream as the life began to fade from her eyes.

She did not cry when Spike burst from her chest.

And all she did was lie there as he approached her eye.

“The last thing,” Spike said, “that I want you to see, is your kingdom crumble.”

And then the unthinkable happened.

Tiamat died.

Spike then turned and roared to the sky. “I claim the Dragon Crown by right of combat! My order unto you is to return to your homes! This is my word!”

No answer came to him, but he needed none.

“You have done well, my son,” Gaafnirlass said, as a shadow on the floor.

Spike nodded. “Thanks, but now I need to help Alan.”

The shadow looked off into the distance. “That might be wise.”

Spike turned to follow his gaze, and saw a rainbow shoot up into the sky.

He spread his wings and took off.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Celestia did not smile as the imp struggled under her hoof.

She was simply taking out the trash.

“No! No, no! Please! Mercy! Mercy!” the imp wailed.

She stared at the imp. “You torture souls for eternity.”

“Well...yeah?”

“Consider this mercy,” she said, before her hoof came back down on him, smashing him into oblivion.

She looked up, and stared out over her city. The sky was finally clearing now, and she could see the stars and the moon grace the night sky once more.

“Princess!” a voice called, and she turned to see a Mare Do Well approach her. “The demons are breaking! It looks like we won the night.”

She nodded. “Some good news at last.” She gave a small smile. “Make sure they keep away from the evacuees, beyond that, we can chase them another day.”

“Yes, Princess!” The Mare Do Well said with a salute, before leaping away.

Celestia nodded to herself. "Alright, now that that’s done, I should check up on Spi—"

A roar caught her attention, and she looked up to Tiamat’s chest engulfed in flame.

Before her eyes, Tiamat stumbled and fell.

She could feel the change in the earth as Spike claimed the crown.

"Okay, he’s fine, so I suppose—"

Something caught her eyes, and she turned to see the rainbow beam of the Elements of Harmony as they made their strike.

Celestia’s eyes narrowed.

"Discord."

<<<|Ω|>>>

Luna wasn’t sure how long she lay there, but when she did eventually move, her muscles felt stiff.

Uncurling from where she lay, Luna slowly got her hooves under her, and dunked her head back under the water of the fountain.

Whether this was an attempt to drown herself or to get a drink would be something she was unsure of.

When she broke for air again, she took several deep breaths, before looking up at her sky.

The stars were singing to her, and slowly, but surely she felt a hint of her strength return to her.

She took a deep breath through the nose, and exhaled through her mouth.

A roar echoed across the sky, and she looked up at the castle, and saw what could only be Tiamat fall to the ground, clutching her chest as emerald flame died around it.

"So they’ve already started fixing my mistake," she thought grimly. "And I was here, lying uselessly while it happened."

She gave an angry snort as she saw a beam of rainbow light rise into the sky.

“They will be without me no more.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Alan parried, countered and began to make his own attack.

Sweat was pouring down his brow as his focus was solely on the skeleton in front of him.

Alan blocked a sideways strike, and moved to begin a new strike, when the skeleton suddenly brought his own blade forward.

Alan’s eyes went wide as he watched Arthur abandon his own defense for an attack, exposing the entire right side.

The problem was that he was going to die long before the attack would have made a difference.

His only hope was to try and leap out of the way, but even then he would have to outrun the sword coming at his exposed belly.

He saw the point of the blade, millimeters from his stomach, when his world erupted into a multi-chromatic spectrum of magic. Rainbows flew around him, slamming into the skeletons from above. Arthur flew backwards, sent sprawling as the Elements slammed into him, and Alan took a quick look around to see that the other skeletons had been hit, and many of them were crumpling under the attack.

His eyes went up to Chaos, and he saw that the draconequus had not been targeted by the Elements.

"He needs us," the voice of Judgement said, and Alan turned to face his blade.

“So he does,” he muttered, before turning to yell at the draconequus. “Chaos! The time of your judgement is come!”

Chaos did not answer, he only pointed down at the hunched over form of Arthur, the only remaining skeleton, and screamed. “End him! End him now!”

Arthur did not move.

“It’s over, Chaos! You’re done!”

“It’s not over!” he yelled back. “It will never be over! As long as one of you petulant, disgusting, revolting mortals live, we will we not rest! You will all burn!” he shrieked.

“I doubt it,” a voice said behind him, and Chaos turned to see Celestia hovering there.

Chaos hissed at her.

“Indeed,” another voice said, and Chaos spun his head around to Luna.

“I think this is the end for you,” another said, and the draconequus spun to see Spike not far away.

Chaos growled as he looked between the two, and Alan himself readied his blade.

And then Arthur moved.

Alan’s eyes snapped to the Pendragon, but he was surprised to see the skeleton merely holding out his hand.

The empty sockets of his eyes seemed pleading.

Alan offered a hoof.

And Arthur launched him, using the last of his might before he crumbled.

Alan flew up, into the air, Judgement following close behind, getting closer and closer to chaos with each passing second.

He raised his sword.

And unleashed his battle cry.

“Justice!”

Chaos spun, but too late to move.

The enchanted blade bit into flesh.

And the world erupted into light.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Harmony’s eyes fluttered.

The world around him was spinning, and he raised a hoof to settle his vision.

He froze.

His eyes.

His hoof.

He pushed himself up, and stretched his wings.

Popping his neck, he looked up, into the sky, and his eyes fell on Luna.

His Luna.

She stared back at him, eyes wide and covering her mouth with her hooves.

He smiled.

And then his eyes fell on the other three figures that lay around him.

Alan was picking himself up, eyes searching the figures.

A glob of night sky was trying to form across the way, and between them…

Between them lay the small body of a draconequus.

There would be time to deal with him later.

Now they had a different foe to face.

There is only one chapter left.

“No...”

Yes.

“No.”

Yes.

“No!”

Yes, but!

“Ooh. But.”

...but...the epilogue is going to be huge.

“Huge?”

Like, three parts, huge.

“Why would you do that?”

Because story?

“Hm...I’ll let you go this time…”

Thanks?

“Anyways! Next time, guys! End of line.”

Yup. It’s been fun guys.

“We’ll see you then!”

Bye!

28-Harmony for All

Chapter 28

Bad Joke was smiling as wide as he could as the Mare Do Wells kept fighting him.

These guys were horrible at dogfights. Dodging through a dozen or so tackles from the incoming heroes, Bad Joke laughed as he flew up into the air, rolling once more. “Is this the best you got?”

Another Mare Do Well leapt up at him, and his knives once more dragged uselessly against her chitin.

To be fair, they had landed a few good blows on him, and he was getting more and more tired by the second, but they really didn’t know how to fight in the air.

“Come on, I expected more out of—”

A sudden burst of light erupted from behind him, and he turned to see the space where Chaos had been only a moment ago.

“Whelp. So much for that,” he muttered before turning back to the Mare Do Wells below him. “Well, ladies, it’s been fun, but I’ve got to head out!”

“You’re not going anywhere!” one of them yelled.

“What? Are you going to stop me?” he asked, before reaching into his suit pocket. “Because I’m sure that those guards that have been helping keep the demons in check would have a hard time keeping their sides from being split while their sides are splitting,” he said with a laugh as he tossed a few gas pellets into the air.

The Mare Do Wells slowed down, hesitating at the edge of the his reach, waiting for the crazed pegasus to make a move.

“So, if you don’t want them to go down, you’re going to let me go.”

Chess Piece ground her teeth at the thought, still no one made a move.

“I’m glad we could come to this understanding,” Bad Joke said as he began to fly backwards, up and away from the disguised changelings. As he crested the wall, he laughed. “Heehee-heheh…Unfortunately, you have to learn not to trust the villain,” he said, before tossing the pellets behind him and over the wall. “Have fun! Hee-Hahahahahahahahaha!”

“Save the civilians!” Chess Piece ordered, even as she watched Bad Joke take to the air.

The changelings leapt over the wall, diving into the clouds of gas, searching for civilians that had now breathed in the gas.

Civilians that had already been evacuated.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Alan shook his head. “I was not aware that draconequui were explosive…”

As he slowly sat up, his eyes went wide.

Three figures now lay ahead of him, the first and closest being a draconequus. He looked exactly like Discord in every way, with the exception of the fact that he was no taller than Applebloom.

He simply lay there, curled up around his own tail like a baby.

The figure to his left was odd, though, a blob of night sky. Yet, it seemed wrong somehow.

It seemed more like the mane of Nightmare Moon. Or, at least, what he remembered about it all those years ago.

And the the figure on the right simply took his breath away. Propping himself on a long, oakwood staff, a tall, golden alicorn began to get his hooves under him.

His wings stretched, opening to a massive wingspan, and two cerulean eyes met him.

He looked down at his hooves, and how they dug into the ground, and lowered his head to smell the grass.

“It has been too long,” he said with a smile, before turning to face the cloud of night sky. “Too long since I’ve been free of you.”

No one else made a move, they merely stared at the three figures before them.

Harmony took a long step forward, standing above the small draconequus and leveled his glare at the blob. “Show yourself, you vile fiend. In the name of Faust, show them what you truly are.”

As though compelled, the blob quivered and shook, transforming before their very eyes into a wintery ghost.

A wendigo.

The demon glared at him, before hissing. “I hate you.” It’s voice sounded like a winter wind, and chilled the gathered ponies to the bone.

“I should have known,” Harmony said. “Your need to cause hatred and suffering, the chill in your voice when we first spoke. The real question, though, is how did I miss one of your miserable kind?”

“I hate you,” the wendigo repeated.

“The feeling is mutual,” Harmony noted. “And now I shall finish the duty given to me six thousand years ago.”

The wendigo hissed, before launching into the air. “You will not destroy me!” it cried. “Do you know who I am?”

“You are a pathetic weakling of an era long passed, the last of your kind, and the one I missed when I came to end the monsters like you,” Harmony said without a hint of mercy.

“I am Chaos!” the winter monster replied, floating into the air as the north wind began to blow. “I have been absorbing your power for millennia! Your power is mine to command!”

Harmony shook his head and began to hobble towards Alan.

The wind began to howl and screech. “Faust fears me! My power is unmatched by all! There is no one on this planet that can stop me!”

Harmony ignored him, before looking down at Alan. “Sir Pendragon,” he called.

Alan blinked as he looked at him.

“I need your help, Pendragon.”

“W-with what?” Alan asked.

“The Spirit is willing, but my body is weak. My friend, I would ask you for your strength, that together we might bring our fury to the monster that separated us from our loved ones.”

Alan looked at him, and then smiled. “I can do that.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

“I am the end of all mortal kind!” the wendigo screamed, even as a freezing wind whipped about him. “I will not be stopped by the likes of you! I am unstoppab—!”

Once more the world exploded in light.

Only this time, the ball sustained itself, standing in the middle of garden, and blinding anyone that looked too deep into its center.

Forced to look away, the wendigo found itself looking to the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. They all looked to their elements, which were beginning to glow almost white with power.

And then came the voice.

A voice of the great host of angels, a choir of heavenly voices singing simple words into the air and minds of those gathered.

“Kindness,” the voice called, and Fluttershy stared with wide eyes as the element around her neck began to shake before coming loose entirely, flying towards the ball of light like a pin drawn to a magnet. “So that peace and stillness may follow wherever your hooves may tread.”

There was the sound of metal armor clasping shut, and Twilight could just barely make out the form of armored legs at the lower half of the light.

“Honesty,” the voice called again.

This time, the necklace around Applejack began to shake in answer. It also came loose and flew forward, this time encasing the center of light into the body.

“For the Truth will set you free, and you will fly on the wings of eagles.”

From the body the raised not one, not two, but three majestic pairs of wings.

“Generosity,” the voice called, and Rarity’s necklace answered the call, clasping around the flanks like a belt, complete with long strips of leather that ran down the sides. “For giving oneself creates the bonds that will hold a friendship together for a lifetime.”

“Laughter,” the angelic choir sang, and Pinkie’s Element leapt up to the head, crowning the dual-horned head of a white and gold alicorn. The large, crested helm sat snugly, with a large gem at its center. “For when Fear and Darkness hide your path, laughter shall light and lead your way.”

“Loyalty,” the armored alicorn spoke, and Rainbow Dash’s Element flew forward. With a flash a large, circular, golden shield formed, with a burning red, fiery gem as its device. “For when friends stand side-by-side, no force can break them.”

And then the alicorn turned, his fur shimmering from white to gold to white again, before his eyes fell on Twilight.

She gasped as his eyes flashed from Harmony’s Cerulean to Alan’s brown. “Magic,” he said, his voice echoing across the garden.

As she was expecting, her crown flew forward towards the light, but she was surprised to see yet another streak shoot forward.

When they came together, what was left sent her jaw to the floor.

Judgement’s blade stood proudly against the night sky, with the six pointed star at the base of its hilt. Where the blade ended, though, it seemed the crown began. The arms of the crown had twisted, now spiralling around the oak shaft that was once Harmony’s staff to created one of the most beautiful spears she had seen.

“The spark that keeps us together.”

And then the alicorn turned back towards the wendigo.

“Un...unstoppable…” it muttered.

The alicorn smirked. “You were saying?”

“I...I’m…”

Anything further that could have been said was then cut off by the alicorn stretching his six, powerful wings and launching into the air.

His spear hovered next to him as he stared the demon in the eyes. “We have let you stay in this world long enough, monster. And now we shall rectify this mistake.”

The wendigo bristled angrily. “I am your superior! I am not some gnat for you to push aside! I am—”

Wham!

The spear slammed into the side of the wendigo's head, sending the demon sprawling along the grass as it slammed into the ground. “Be silent, worm. Now fight us, or go to the abyss quietly.”

The wendigo growled, as it picked itself off the ground. “Winter shall tear you apart,” he said, before he opened his mouth, his jaw distending to unleash the long breath of winter.

The alicorn was quickly engulfed in a freezing fog, obscuring him behind a mist of blue.

And then the mist exploded.

Icy streams were sent sideways as red walls of energy cut through it.

The wendigo's eyes went wide, and a gasp escaped his lips, cutting off the stream of chilling mist.

As the cloud dissipated, revealing the large, round, golden shield sitting before him.

“Is that all?” the alicorn asked in Alan’s voice, as he lowered the shield. “I expected more out of you.”

“Now, now, Alan,” the alicorn said again, this time in Harmony’s tone. “Be polite. I felt a chill, at least.”

They all laughed together, their voices coming together in that heavenly song.

The wendigo growled, before launching itself forward. “I will eat your soul!”

The laugh got louder, and as the choir sang, it began to cause the ground to shake.

As the wendigo began to close the distance, a sudden blast of light and sound erupted from the alicorn’s mouth, and shook the demon to its core, shredding its wispy skin apart with the unadulterated power of joy.

Shreds of wendigo hit the ground hard, scattering across the grass before they began to gather and coalesce.

“You seem to be holding back…” Harmony’s voice noted from the alicorn.

“Im trying to restrain myself,” Alan answered. “I do not dare let dark magic make me vulnerable again.”

The alicorn nodded. “Admirable, yet ultimately unnecessary,” Harmony said. “Hatred and fear are mere emotions, emotions given by Faust. They are the most easily corruptible, but they are harmless in and of themselves.

“The secret lies in your target. Turning hatred on ponies, the work of Faust, will lead you down a dark path. Fear, if no action is taken, will lead to despair. Despair will lead you down that same path, while offering false promises of power. Instead, turn your fear and hatred into a driving action. Fear and hatred are to be turned to against evils and injustices, and are to drive you to right these. Turn your hatred against the evils in the world, Alan. Turn it there, and you will need not fear.”

“Are you sure?” Alan asked.

“Here, let me show you.”

The alicorn nodded, and purple smoke began to leak from his eyes.

And then it suddenly burst in a flash of light as the smoke turned blue his eyes became a heavenly silver.

The gathered ponies landed, moving closer together as the wendigo finished collecting itself. “I...I am not finished yet…” the demon said groggily. “I will not be so easily stopped...I will be—”

Wham!

The alicorn slammed into the ground where the wendigo had been, moving at a blinding speed.

The ground shook at the impact, and the second of silence was suddenly cut short by the scream of the wendigo as it was sent flying into the air.

The alicorn shot up into the air, following the demon as it flew, screaming all the way. When they met in the air, the alicorn reared back with his hind legs and kicked him forward.

Again the wendigo went screaming across the air, only for the spear to suddenly shoot forward ahead of him, and bat him away with a crack.

As if flew, it tried to correct, rolling around until it righted itself, and slowed, hovering in the air. He shook his head, trying to reorient himself, when he was quickly run over by the trampling, armored hooves of the alicorn.

Somehow trampled against empty air, the wendigo felt it’s being crushed, and it knew if it had bones they would have been pulverized.

Still, the onslaught did not stop. The haft of the spear, trailing beams of shimmering white, rainbow magic, slammed into the monster’s chin, dislocating the jaw and leaving it’s belly exposed to the sky.

And that’s when the spear ran him through.

It crashed the the ground, pinned to the earth by the spear as it writhed in pain against the magical blade.

The alicorn lowered itself down to the demon, and stared at it with cold, shimmering, gold and silver eyes.

The wendigo looked up, twitching as holy light filled his body and ate away at his being. “How?” he asked. “We were so close...so close to winning…”

“You were never going to win,” the alicorn said in the choir that was its voice. “You were only allowed this much so that Faust’s plan may come to fruition. Through your actions, you have saved a species from Tartarus, you have brought a family closer together than ever before, you have released Harmony from his prison, brought three ponies so far from darkness that they will only speak of the light, and far, far more.”

The alicorn brought his hoof up to the end of his spear. “Go now to the abyss, and know that all of your plans were only noise at the gates of paradise,” he said, before he drove the spear straight through his chest, and into the ground with a flash of light.

“So has Faust spoken.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

As the flash settled, Twilight tried to look in, searching for her husband amongst the light.

She blinked as the after image stung her eyes before slowly, ever so slowly, the world came back into view. Alan and Harmony stood, staring down the empty crater where the demon once lay.

The elements sat, spread out around them as Harmony held his staff, and Alan held Judgement.

They shared a look, and nod between them, before turning back to crowd gathered behind them.

They smiled.

Harmony looked up to Luna, who had not taken her gaze from them for a second. “Hello, Luna…” he said, as tears began to form in his eyes.

She said nothing, but she did take a slow, unsteady step towards him. “Ha-Harmony?”

“It’s me. Only me this time…” he said as he took step towards her.

No more words were spoken between them. She merely ran to him, and he took her into his embrace.

Alan meanwhile, walked up to Twilight, and hugged her close. “It’s over,” he said. “It’s finally over.”

She smiled, and hugged him tighter.

“Sir!” a voice called from the left, and Alan looked up to see a small swarm of Mare Do Wells approach. “Sir,” Chess Piece said again as she led the charge. “I have changelings reporting that the demons are heading out of Canterlot, heading West and South, what...are...your...orders…” she said, trailing off as she realized what she just said in front of the Princess.

“Changelings?” Celestia asked concerned.

Chess looked to Alan.

Alan shrugged. “You might as well let her know.”

Chess Piece looked to the swarm behind her.

They all took a step back.

She looked up at Celestia, who was caught between grilling Alan for an answer and asking the masked mare before her.

Chess sighed, before straightening her back, and holding her head high. With the crackle of green flame, her mask disappeared, revealing the slender face of Chess Piece the changeling. “Your Majesty, Princess Celestia, my name is Chess Piece and I…” she paused before sighing, keeping her posture all the while. “I represent the Exilarchy of the Named Ones.”

“Exilarchy?” the Princess asked.

“Yes, we come in peace, yet do not represent any other changeling hives. As a matter of penance, we have taken it upon ourselves to aid Equestria in this dark hour.”

Celestia blinked, but nodded. “That’s—”

“Hang on!” another voice cried, and Celestia watched as Rainbow Dash suddenly landed between them. “Princess!” she said, spreading her wings in defiance. “If you even think about banishing them, then I want you know I’m going with them!”

Celestia blinked again, confused by the sudden outburst. “That’s...you seem to feel quite strongly about this, Rainbow Dash. May I ask why?”

“I owe my life to a changeling,” she said, “and if I can’t return the favor, then I’m going to do everything I can to help them,” she said, staring Celestia in the eye.

The Princess blinked, before smiling. “I suppose I have no choice then,” she said, grinning wider. “I’ll just have to offer the Exilarchy sanctuary.”

Chess let loose a breath of relief. “Oh, thank you, Princess. That’s good to hear.”

She nodded, before turning to the clearing, where Harmony and Luna stood. “Harmony, it is good to see you again.”

“It is better than you know,” Harmony said as the two approached her.

“I have to wonder how, though?” she asked.

Harmony smiled. “That would be Alan’s blade. The Elements infused a touch of their magic into Sir Alan’s sword. It has the power to separate beings from each other, body, mind, and soul. And it has, seperating me from the demon, and separating us,” he said before motioning down to the baby draconequus, “from Discord.”

“What?” she asked.

“This is Discord,” Harmony said, while Luna walked up to his side. “Separated from my knowledge and the demon’s malice. This is the child of our souls.”

Luna regarded the creature with disgust as she spoke. “Then this creature is demonspawn that must be dealt with.”

“No, Luna,” Harmony said with a gentle smile as she turned to him in surprise. “He is to remain, as a reminder to myself that your duties are yours, and my own are my own. He shall serve as a cornerstone of my mistake, that I might never forget.”

Luna said nothing, but merely stared at the sleeping form.

Celestia looked between the two. “I’ll...I’ll take care of him.”

“Thank you Celestia,” Harmony said. “It is appreciated.”

She nodded before turning to Alan. “Now, now that I’ve got all of that out of the way, how are you two alive?”

“Changelings,” Alan answered while Twilight gave an embarrassed smile.

“Alright, that’s the how,” she said, rolling her eyes. “By why keep silent?”

“That, Princess, is a long story,” Alan said. “One that I’m sure everyone here would like to hear, so shall we head inside?”

She gave a tired sigh, but smiled. “Sounds marvelous.”

“Come on, everypony,” Alan said with a smirk. “You’re finally about to get your answers.”

“Well it’s about darn time,” Applejack said, as the gathered began to make their way inside, Harmony gathering the Elements and Celestia swooping up the young Discord.

A laugh floated among them for a second, and Alan smiled.

A burst of black smoke stopped him, and he stared in horror at the face at its head. “Deeeeeeeeath!” it cried before slamming down on him.

With an explosion of black smoke, both the face, and Alan were gone.

“Alan!” Twilight called as her horn lit up with magic.

“Where’d they go?” Rainbow Dash asked, searching the area.

“It was a weak teleportation spell!” Twilight said, having identified the magic around the point where they disappeared. “Look around, they haven’t gone too far!”

“There!” Fluttershy said, pointing at one of the towers, where a massive worm of smoke was seen, silhouetted by a massive storm cloud.

“I’m on it!” Rainbow yelled.

“No,” Harmony said, earning the stares of the gathered. “Leave him be.”

“What?!” Twilight asked, sounding angry.

“Worry not, Lady Sparkle,” Harmony said. “This is a part of the plan.”

“The plan?” she asked.

Harmony nodded. “I said three ponies have been saved from the darkness, but only two have come to the light so far.”

“Harmony?” Celestia asked.

The golden alicorn smiled. “He’s about to save the third.”

“Okay…” Twilight said, “but, alone? Does he have to go alone?”

Harmony smiled once more. “Do now worry, he’s never alone.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Sombra threw Alan, sending him and Judgement sprawling across the tower roof.

“Worm!” Sombra said into his mind. “Weakling! Coward! Caitiff! Half-Wit! Freak! Wimp!”

Then he spoke a single word. “Yyooooouuuuuuuu...”

Alan rolled onto his hooves, grabbing his sword as he got ready.

“Do you know what you’ve done?! Do you realize what you’ve ruined?!”

“I know enough to know that it needed to be stopped,” Alan said.

“You have stopped nothing!” Sombra raged. “I may not have the power now, but I will take this world! I will rule, and I will make your life a living Tartarus!”

Alan raised his blade. “What else is new?”

Sombra stared him in the eye.

(⏀)<<<

Alan saw it.

He saw it all.

This was what Sombra had in mind.

Celestia and Luna lay dead, and the world was shrouded in darkness.

Canterlot had been thrown down, and an ugly throne of black crystal stood in its place. Demons flew across the sky and ponies laboured under heavy chains for as the eye could see.

“They will labour for their entire lives, and nothing will come of it. One team will undo the progress of another, and in turn, the first will be undone. There will be no respite, and no progress. There will only be toil and pain.” Sombra said into his mind

A light blue stallion, armed with a blade, walked between the columns, staring wearily out with brown eyes.

“That is your son,” Sombra said, “forced into my service as my right hand. He had hopes once, hopes of assassinating me and freeing his brethren. Yet he is cursed by those he wishes to save and his will is failing and soon he will fall into my will. His mother, your wife, is a broken old maid, unable to offer comfort and struck dumb so that she might not give counsel. She withers away while your son wanders aimlessly.”

A slave spat at him.

“You will die, Pendragon, if you fight me. You will die, and your son will walk fatherless. He will be hated and spat upon, he will be cursed and despised. When the people speak of your son, they will only speak of his failures and unending misery.

“But…” the voice said, slowly calming, “but if you join me, I will see him spared. Turn your back on your god, and I will offer you safety. Your family will not suffer my wrath. Join me and—”

A sudden burst of light cut him off.

(⏀)<<<

Sombra was suddenly forced backwards, reeling as Alan stood, staring him in the face, his eyes gold and silver with blue smoke trailing from them.

“They will say many things about my son,” Alan said, staring him in the eyes, “but they will never say he had a coward for a father.”

Sombra growled, not noticing the thick mist that now hung around them. “You will die alone!” He roared, as magic began to gather around him.

Lightning struck, slamming into column of smoke, and disrupting his cast, when Thunder flooded their ears.

“He’s not alone!” another voice said, and Sombra wheeled around to see something he was not expecting.

Behind them stood the gates.

The Gates.

The Gates of Tartarus itself.

And before the gates, stood six, ghostly figures.

The first was a minotaur, dressed in marvelous armor, he towered over the others, with his gauntleted arms crossed. His horns, when they weren’t see through, shone in the green light of the gates, and his smirk was a mile long.

The second figure was a liger. His regal, red mane was safely tucked away underneath a neatly tied turban, and a silk sash was tied around his striped side. He stood proud, and his stocky frame spoke of a creature that took pride of his body.

On the other side, stood a zebra. His face betrayed no emotion, but his eyes sparkled with a hint of excitement of an ancient promise about to be fulfilled.

Next to the zebra stood a griffon, and after a second look, Alan’s eyes went wide.

He knew that griffon.

That was Markus.

He stood, a smile on his beak, his face devoid of scars, and the silver bands on his talons shone with a polished sheen.

Next to Markus stood a changeling. One that Alan was not sure he knew. He couldn’t remember if there was ever a changeling with a trio of green beetles as a cutie mark.

And finally, standing at the head of the small group, was a familiar pegasus.

“He’s never been alone,” Thundersight said.

“What-what are you doing here?” Sombra asked.

“We were promised vengeance, beast,” the Minotaur said with a deep rumbling voice.

“Vengeance for all of us,” the liger said. “Every death in every war, every murder, and anywhere your taint has touched.”

“And we’re here to collect,” Markus said with a smirk.

“What do you…?” Sombra asked.

The gates flew open, and a thousand souls leapt up at him.

Minotaurs, griffons, zebras, ponies and ligers all leapt up at him, gripping each other with interlocking arms, forming a chain of souls.

“We’re here,” Thundersight said, as he stretched his wings out, “to drag you back into hell.” The pegasus then leapt up, joining his brothers in the wave of souls.

Alan watched as the souls began to cover him, dragging him to the ground and back to the gate.

Sombra struggled in their grip. “You fools!” he roared. “You can’t take me to Tartarus! I am it’s king!”

And then it began to get brighter.

“You have done well, Alan,” a voice said behind him.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Their view has quickly been covered by a thick thundercloud, and Twilight was beginning to get nervous.

“A-Are you sure?” she asked Harmony for the third time.

He nodded. “He will be fine, Mrs. Sparkle. There is nothing that can touch him.”

She nodded, before looking back at the cloud.

“Are you positive?” She asked once more.

Harmony held up a hoof, signalling her to wait.

Suddenly the cloud exploded into light, and the shadow of a large alicorn figure was just barely hidden in the cloud.

“If you want you can ask her,” Harmony said with a smirk. “But don’t really. Seeing that much of her will do more harm to you than good.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Alan turned, and saw Faust, who slowly sauntered up behind him.

He stared at her, her glory manifesting as a blinding light that he could barely see through.

Sombra’s eyes went wide. “Wh-What are you doing here?!” He asked, panicked.

Faust looked at Sombra with disgust. “Bringing justice.”

“Y-You wouldn’t!” he cried. “You would doom one of your innocent ponies to Tartarus!”

Faust nodded. “In your current state, you are correct. But I have my champion.”

Alan blinked, before it dawned on him.

She was trying to save Umbra…

He looked down at Judgement.

Sombra noticed his glance. “What? That?” he asked. “That puny weapon can’t unmake me! I am greater than the power of those pathetic gems!”

Faust smiled. “True enough.”

And then the alicorn transformed, changing into a ball of light that shot into the sword.

“No…”

Alan looked down into the blade, and the face of Faust smiled back at him.

“No.”

Alan smiled, his eyes still gleaming with purified magic.

“No!” Sombra cried, struggling against his bonds, trying to throw off the souls that bound him tight.

Alan brought up the blade, which left an after image of blinding, multi-colored light.

“No! No! No!”

Alan looked down at Sombra, and said one word. “Justice.”

He thrust Judgement forward, straight into the forehead of the cloud, who screamed in pain as he began to splinter and shatter from the light.

“Nooooo!” Hatred, not Sombra screamed as light erupted from him and the chain of souls began to reel backwards into the gates.

The gates slammed shut.

The light in Judgement was gone.

The cloud rumbled, and began to blow away, leaving only two figures on the roof of the tower.

The first, was Alan.

The second, was a black-furred unicorn, who lay sprawled across the ground, breathing heavily.

Alan walked over, and lightly slapped his face. “Umbra...Umbra is that you?”

The unicorn’s eyes fluttered open, revealing two emerald green eyes. “Is this...is this reality? Am I free?”

Alan smiled. “You are, Umbra. We brought you back. Come on, let’s get you inside…”

<<<|Ω|>>>

“No!” Hatred screamed as the chain of souls pulled him deeper and deeper into Tartarus.

They dropped him, throwing him to the ground without any sort of ceremony.

Landing hard, Hatred rolled across the rough ground of Tartarus, and cursed as he looked up into black void above, and saw the chain of souls fly across and over the abyss.

He yelled at them, screaming into the sky. “Do you know who I am? I am Hatred! Faust herself fears me! I am the master of Tartarus and the king of all Evil! I am a being beyond any of you!”

He cursed them, but they were far beyond his reach.

He shook his head. “I can’t believe this...all that work now useless.”

He smirked. “Well, no matter. I’ll simply try again.”

“No, you won’t,” someone said behind him, and Hatred froze at the sound.

He turned, and he quickly regretted it.

Before him stood none other than Faust, and Tartarus couldn’t stand it. The soul stone beneath her, once red, jagged, and ugly, now reformed itself into beautiful white tiles at the touch of her hooves.

“W-What are you doing here?!” he asked. “You can’t be here! Perfect beings aren’t allowed here!”

Faust smiled. “Correct, luckily, I happen to be carrying the sins of trillions of mortals, present, past, and future, and those sins must be punished.”

“But...but you can’t…”

“I most certainly can, Hatred,” she said with a hint of anger in her voice as she took a step towards him, “I can, I have, and as per the Law, I am here until you release me.”

“Well you’re free to go!” he said, taking a step back and hunching over his frame.

“Thank you,” she said, taking another step forward. “I’ll take that under consideration, but as for right now, I have some unfinished business with you.”

“B-business?” he asked, trying to step away.

“A matter of stolen property,” she said, having closed the distance between them, towering over the demon before her.

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

“Hatred,” she said, glaring at him. “Give me the Keys.”

“What keys?” he asked.

“Do not play with me!” Faust said, lightning flashing from her body as her eyes became flames. The thunder of her voice rocked all of Tartarus, and deafened Hatred as she stood over him. “The Keys! The Keys of Paradise, Tartarus, and the Lake of Fire! The Keys that you stole from my gates when you tried to lay siege to Paradise! Now, do I need to explain myself further, or do you understand me clearly?!”

“Oh…” Hatred whimpered. “You mean these keys…” he said, offering the keys up to her.

She snatched them up, calming almost instantly.

And then Faust stared at him.

Fire was burning in her eyes.

“A day is coming,” she said, “when all will be fed, and disease will be washed away. A day is coming where there will be no hatred to endure, no wars to fight, no orphans, no prisoners, and no slaves. A day is coming when I will remake the world into perfection.”

She glared at him, and took a step forward until she loomed over him. “And when that day comes, I will make sure you get every moment of justice that you deserve.”

Hatred stared up at her.

“I will throw you out if this holding cell you call your kingdom and into the lake of fire. There you will receive every inch, every speck, and every twinge of pain you have caused me and my creations.”

“Y-you...I...I can try again! You won’t stop me!”

“You’ve already been stopped,” Faust scoffed. “When I leave, I will lock the gates behind me, no more will you be able to send in your spies and servants, and until your judgement comes, you are not going to leave this place again.”

“But...but I’ll…!”

“You have lost the war, Hatred,” she said. “If you wish, you can continue to fight your battles. But you have lost. There will be harmony for all.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Alan sighed as he sat outside the tower.

Here he was, sleeping in the room where he had stayed when it all started, and standing on the balcony just outside his door. “It has been a long night,” he said.

“Too long,” Twilight agreed, coming up next to him.

“We’ve got a lot of stuff to fix,” Alan said.

“Easy fixes,” she said with a smirk as she nuzzled him.

“Easy?” he asked.

“Easy compared to stopping a demonic invasion,” she said.

“Or overthrowing a usurper alicorn?” he asked.

“Or uncovering a plot to kill a king?”

Alan smiled, and kissed her. “We’ve been through a lot, haven’t we?”

“And we’ll go through much more, I’m sure.”

He sighed. “We’ve still got to hunt down Bad Joke, he’s going to make a mess if we let him go.”

“Don’t worry, sir,” another voice said, and Alan peeked over the edge of the balcony to see a Mare Do Well clinging to wall. “We’ll take care of that one.”

Alan nodded. “Good luck, guys.”

“Thank you, sir,” the changeling said, before diving away.

“We have a lot of work to do,” Alan said, watching the changeling fly off towards the east as the sun slowly began to rise.

Twilight nodded. “At least we have friends to help us through.”

Alan nodded, before kissing her head. “At least we have each other.”

And that, Ladies and Gentlemen, is the story of Pendragon Alan Williams Goldenhoof.

“Aw...it’s over…”

It is indeed, Pinkie. It is indeed.

“Expect the epilogues soon guys. They’ll be coming out shortly.”

Bye!

Epilogue Part 1: The Knight

Epilogue: Part 1

Orion still remembered the day his mother had become an alicorn.

It had started like any other day. He woke up, went downstairs, ate his sugary cereal, and went into the main room to enjoy his comics.

That’s when a knock sounded on the door, and his day went weird.

He opened it, and saw almost every single one of his “uncles,” the ones not related to him by blood.

They all looked at him and Uncle Spike simply said. “Orion, where’s your mother?”

Apparently, his aunts had all swapped cutie marks, and his mother needed to fix it, as usual.

Once his mother had left, he went back to his comic books, and practiced fighting with his dad.

Then evening came and she blew up the living room.

It wasn’t the weirdest day he had in Ponyville, but it certainly was up there.

Not long after that, his mother had come down in a brilliant star, with wings.

To this day, he remembers word-for-word the conversation his parents had as soon as she came down.

“So, uh...wings…and uh...I’m a princess now...” Twilight said, chuckling nervously.

Alan simply blinked, before his horn rang, and a series of cards flew up to him. Clearing his throat, he then began to read. “What do you call it when Princess Sparkle finishes using the bathroom? A royal flush!” He flung the card aside, picking another one. “What is it called when Twilight Sparkle improvises a plan? Going out on a wing!”

Twilight glared at him. Wings drooping as she gave him a deadpan. “Alan…”

“Twilight Sparkle went to the dentist. He said, ‘I have bad news, miss, we’re going to have to get you a crown!’”

“Alan…”

“Apparently Red Bull’s not the only thing that gives you wings!" Another card. "Poker players across Equestria, rejoice! We can finally have four of a kind!”

“Alan…” Twilight said, hoofing her face.

“I will never be able to sleep with Twilight on a cloud, because no matter how much I beg, Twilight Sparkle does not give a flying fu—”

“Alan!” she screamed.

Orion wouldn’t get that one until many years later.

Alan laughed, and threw the flashcards aside. “Yes dear?”

She shook her head and smiled. “You are incorrigible…”

“Only to you, my Little Star…” he said, giving her a kiss.

“So,” Orion said. “Is Mommy like cousin Skyla now?”

Celestia, who stood nearby nodded. “Yes, yes she is…”

That seemed like forever ago.

Now, here he stood, for what could be one of the biggest moments of his life.

He stared in the mirror, and let out a shaking breath. His armor, a simple piece that came around his chest, decorated with a single white dragon scale that covered his back. “Well...here we go…”

A knock sounded, and he checked the door. “Yes?”

The door opened and a pink mare walked in, leaving her bodyguard at the door. “Hey, cuz.”

Orion smiled. “Hey, Skyla, Umbra.”

The princess smiled as she walked up to him and gave him a hug, while the bodyguard gave him a nod. “Big day, huh?”

“Yeah…not gonna lie, I’m kinda nervous.”

“Well, it could be worse,” she offered. “You could be getting crowned princess of love or something.”

Orion sighed. “Is your only purpose in life to just one-up me all the time?”

“No, I have others,” she said with a smirk.

Orion rolled his eyes, adjusting his armor once more.

“Another one I have is bringing loved ones together,” she said, before stepping to the side.

Pumpkin Cake stood in the doorway, sporting a slight blush. “You’re horrible,” she said.

“Just doing my job!” Skyla said, with all of the enthusiasm of her mother’s friend Rarity. “Have fun you two!” she said, stepping out of the door before poking her head back in. “But not too much, you’re on in ten minutes.” With that, she stepped aside, and disappeared around the corridor.

Pumpkin shook her head. “How do you live with her?”

“By keeping her at a distance…” Orion said. “The Crystal Empire is a long way away from here.”

She shook her head as she walked in, getting closer to the armored stallion. “So...you nervous?”

“A little…” Orion admitted. “I mean, I’ve practiced with Dad a hundred times now, I just hope I don’t forget anything.”

Pumpkin nudged him. “Hey, don’t worry. You’ll do fine.”

Orion sighed, before taking a deep breath. “I hope so.”

Pumpkin brushed up against him. “You are an amazing, wonderful stallion. You will do fine.”

Orion smiled, and kissed her. “I am so lucky to have you.”

“Luck has nothing to do with it,” Pumpkin said, going back in for a long, deep kiss.

They held each other for a long moment, letting only silence accompany the kiss, when another voice spoke up. “Now slip her some tongue.”

Orion sputtered, turning beet red while turning to the door. “Skyla!”

The princess laughed as she ran down the room, her mission a success.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Alan stood next to his wife’s throne as they stood in the throne room of Crystaltree Palace. Around him, where the other five thrones, the Bearers, and their husbands, and beyond the thrones stood the witnesses.

The Dragon Guard, dressed in black dragon-scale armor (donated from a certain demon corpse), stood with the spears at attention, and their heads held high.

A few other soldiers stood nearby, most notably his head scout, his sister, and his wife, the head of engineering.

Those three had come a long way.

He breathed a sigh and ran a hoof through his greying mane, smiling as his wife laid a hoof on his shoulder. It was almost time.

The doors slowly opened and Orion, his son, slowly approached the thrones.

He stood in the center of them, the eyes of the generals and captains laying on him, but he stood proud.

Alan stepped forward. “Name thyself,” he said.

“I am Orion Goldenhooves, son of Alan Goldenhoof, Pendragon of Equestria.”

Alan nodded. “What is your purpose?”

“To relieve my father of his position,” Orion answered carefully.

“On what grounds do you claim this?” Alan asked.

“On the grounds of courage, skill, and leadership.”

Alan stared down at his son. “Can any who stand among us attest to these?”

There was silence for a moment, before a large, spotted stallion stood forward, a massive hammer on his back, and ship’s helm on his flank. “I can bear witness to his courage,” he said.

Alan did not look at him, but only kept staring at his son. “Speak, Pipsqueak, Son of Thunder.”

“I have taken the boy on many journeys,” The head scout said, “and he has faced many hardships. Each time he has faced them with a stout heart and steadfast soul.”

“Would you stand by his side?” Alan asked.

“I would stand at his back, that the world may never overtake us,” Pip said.

Alan nodded. “Who then can attest to his skill?”

“I can,” said Scootaloo proudly. She had grown into quite the mare as time had passed. She was now a machine of lean muscle, able to go toe to toe with a minotaur anyday. A hoof on wings decorated her flank, earned on the same night as her step-brother. The fact that that was the night the demons invaded was no small coincidence.

“Speak, then, Scootaloo, daughter of Flame.”

“In his travels I have watched him. He has faced several creatures, and defeated them, using both body and mind.”

“Would you tell stories of his victories?”

“I would sing them in any hall with a tankard in my hoof,” Scootaloo said, she paused. “Well, I wouldn’t sing personally, but I could get Sweetie Bell to do it.”

A chuckle rumbled through the crowd.

Alan remained impassive, and Orion tried to keep himself from smiling.

Pinkie did giggle the loudest, though.

When the crowd quieted, Alan continued. “Who then will bear witness to his leadership?”

“Ah will,” Applebloom said.

“Speak, Applebloom, Master Engineer.”

“I have watched him in Canterlot and Ponyville, and seen him lead with decisiveness and ingenuity. He has been cautious, but quick, and has led wisely.”

“Would you follow him into battle?”

“I would follow him into Tartarus itself,” Applebloom said.

Alan nodded. “How do answer to these witnesses, Orion, son of Alan?”

“I will lead if others will follow,” Orion answered.

“Then make your oath,” Alan said.

Orion knelt before his father and the throne of his mother, before he took a deep breath and prepared to speak the oath that he and his parents had worked hard to write.

Yet when he opened his mouth, the only thing that came out was something he really shouldn’t have said.

“In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night.

Let no evil escape my sight.

By Luna’s Grace, and Celestia’s Light.

May they fear my blade, Pendragon’s Might.

Until my Lieges release me, or Death take me. So be it.”

He heard his mother stifle a laugh, and just knew his father was glaring at him.

Yeah, that was a mistake.

“You went down as a mere stallion, and now, by the ponies you lead, you have risen to a Pendragon. You hold the lives of them in your hooves.”

As Orion rose, his father reached back, and slapped him. “And may this pain remind you of it.”

Orion was sure that his father was a little bit harder thanks to his oath choice, but he probably deserved it.

“Now, Pendragon, let me hear you roar.”

Orion took a deep breath and faced upward, and together, he and his father spoke.

“Fastali Vistes Jotum!”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Pendragon Orion Goldenhooves shook his head.

For the past few months, his mother had been getting worse.

The stress had just been ruining her heart, and now, well...the doctors had not provided good news.

His sister, Amber Gleam, had taken the throne of friendship in the meantime, but he just couldn’t sit by.

Unfortunately, this was not an enemy that could be defeated with blade or spell.

His uncle Spike, his mother’s oldest friend, sat next to him while his wife, Pumpkin Cake sat on the other side.

The sharp clop of hooves sounded, and he looked up from his seat to see the doctor walking towards him.

He looked up, hopeful.

The doctor shook his head. “I...I have bad news, sir.”

Orion sighed. “Well...give it to me, then.”

“Our latest tests have come in, and...we...we don’t think she’s going to last the night.”

Spike swallowed, tears in his eyes.

Orion nodded. “I...I see…”

“She...she still conscious, so you could go see her now if you want to.”

“I...uh...I’d like that.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Orion sat, sleeping in the corner of his mother’s room.

The old, wrinkled mare lay sound asleep, practically oblivious to the world.

Only Alan was awake, who's tired bloodshot eyes stared at his wife’s sleeping form.

He had not left her side but for moments, only taking time to eat.

It wouldn’t be long now.

Her eyes fluttered opened, and she looked over at him with her brilliant purple eyes. “Alan...Alan…” her voice weakly called.

“Yes, my little star?” he asked, running a hoof through her grey hair.

“Tell me...you saw paradise, didn’t you?”

“I did,” Alan answered. “A part of it, at least.”

“What was it like?”

Alan smiled. “I saw a never ending field of flowers, bright and colorful. Each one was different, and each one was perfect.”

“And beyond that?” she asked.

“Beyond that was a hill, and beyond that hill was everything. Everything I could have ever wanted, and a light so brilliant that the sun could fall from the sky and nopony would notice. There would be no hunger there, no thirst, and no weariness. There would only be smiles, laughter, and contentness.”

Twilight nodded. “I...I think I see it,” she said, as her eyes began to cloud over, no longer seeing the world around him.

Alan gave her a soft smile. “I’m sure you do.”

“I...I see the flowers...oh, they’re so beautiful, Alan…”

Tears began to form in Alan’s eyes. “Aren’t they?”

“I...I see the hill…”

Alan nodded. “Go...go see it,” he said, his voice choking.

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“Yeah, go on ahead…I’ll be right behind you.”

“Oh...oh, Alan...there’s...there’s a sea...a perfect, silver, crystal sea…and...and there’s a boat.”

“Listen to the boat pony, Twilight. If he tells you to come, come.”

“I...okay...I’ll wait for you on the other side…”

“You better,” Alan said. “Sleep now. Rest your weary head…” he sniffed. “Go...and cross the sea.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Orion soon found himself sleeping in a hospital room once more.

It had taken him a couple of years, but Alan was soon in the hospital, his body having broken down, almost beyond repair.

He sat in almost pure darkness, leaving only a single light on to read by. A pair of tiny glasses sat on the end of his muzzle, as his weak eyes grazed over the page before him.

That’s when he noticed a shadow dance across his wall.

Looking up from his book, he smiled and set it aside.

An aura of magic grabbed the glasses, a trick he learned in the later years of his life, and set them on the book.

He looked back up into the darkness and simply said two words. “You’re late.”

An emaciated black alicorn, with a boat cutie mark walked into the light. “I have been accused of many things, Pendragon, but late is not one of them, I must admit.”

“I’m not the Pendragon anymore…” he said. “That’s my son’s job, now. I’m retired. But yes, late. You told me sixty to seventy years until we’d see each other again, it’s been seventy two years, and you know it.”

Death smirked, and chuckled. “Thinking like that is probably not healthy,” he said.

“Good health only means more years in a retirement home,” Alan said, “I’m done with healthy.”

Death laughed.

Alan smiled, before holding out a hoof. “It’s good to see you, my old friend.”

Death met him in a hoof bump. “It is good to see you too. Any regrets?”

“Nah, I’ve done well. My son and daughter are good ponies,” Alan said, before looking over to his sleeping son in the corner. “They’ll do fine.”

“Are you ready then?” Death asked.

Alan nodded. “He’s been afraid that I’ll pass in my sleep for the past few days. We’ve had many good, long talks. There’s nothing left to really say.”

Death nodded. “Come on, then. Your wife is waiting.”

Epilogue Part 2: The Dragon

Epilogue: Part 2

Spike just couldn’t feel anymore.

It had been like any other day, he had walked downstairs, about to get Rarity’s station ready, when he had just heard a crash come from the kitchen.

He ran in, and there she was.

Rarity lay on the floor, the ioun stones that had been hovering around her head for almost eighty years sat, inert and scattered across the floor.

It had just been so sudden.

She was healthy, alive, and beautiful, and then suddenly...she just...died…

That was it.

As he stood there, on the massive memorial to the Bearers that would become their graves, Spike simply stood and shook his head.

It sounded selfish in his ears, but...somehow he had wished she had been the last to die.

Old Granny Applejack, as she had been come to known as, hobbled up next to him as he stared at the diamond-shaped tombstone. “Ah’m sorry Spike…”

“It was bound to happen,” he said, with a sigh. “She’s mortal, and I’m...less so.”

Discord walked up to him, laying a talon on his shoulder, but said nothing.

Spike was glad that he didn’t.

He sighed. “I...I don’t know what to do...I’ve...I’ve just been dreading this day,” he said, before staring at the small, round, pearl-like stone in his hand.

“This...this dumb stone...I...I don’t know…”

“What do ya mean, Spike?” Applejack asked.

“Would it have been better if she never found it? Would I have at least been more prepared if she had spent her last days in a bed?”

“You know she wouldn’t have been happy with that, Spike,” Applejack said, moving slowly for the arthritis in her hind legs. “She was more happy standing next to you.”

Spike stared at the stone.

“I just don’t know.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Centuries passed.

To his credit, he tried. He tried very hard, but once stories of great-great-great-grandaunt Rarity just became cautionary tales about how you should settle down with a normal stallion and have a family of your own, Spike just couldn’t take it anymore.

So he left. He just left Ponyville behind and found a mountain to sleep on.

He kept a little contact in the first few decades, helping Celestia with various dragon problems, and keeping them at peace with Equestria.

But eventually, he just...laid there.

He just...he didn’t want to deal with them.

He sat up there, alone for centuries, unmoving, but growing all the while.

Which is why, when a young filly approached his mountain, he wasn’t really prepared for what was about to happen.

Spike sighed, for what was perhaps the twelfth time that day, when he felt something tiny and small poke him. “Um...hello?”

Spike slowly raised his head, and looked down on a small white filly.

She looked up at him. “Um...hi, Mr. Dragon!”

He blinked.

“Um...sorry to bother you, but I had a couple of questions.”

“You’ve,” Spike said, in a deep rumbling voice, “come all the way up, to the top of my mountain, to ask me a question?”

“No,” the filly said, shaking her head. “I’ve come up to ask several of them.”

Spike blinked again, before a sigh escaped his lips, and he put his head back down to the ground in front of him.

“So…” the little filly said, with her simple, green mane, “how long have you been up here?”

“A long time,” Spike responded.

“Were you born up here?” she asked.

“No,” he answered in a deadpan.

“Is it true that you’re a fire breathing monster that’s only moments from snapping and burning Ponyville to the ground?”

“First part yes, second part no.”

“Is it true you knew the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony?”

Spike blinked, and turned to face her. “Where did you hear that?”

“Oh, it’s always kinda been a legend down in Ponyville.”

“Is that so?”

“Yup!” she said, as she skipped in front of him. “There are two legends about you, the first is that you’re going to kill everyone. The second is that you were the best friend of the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony, and you’re just really lonely. But I don’t believe that one!”

Spike blinked. “Excuse me?”

“Oh, I don’t believe you’re out to kill us all, I just don’t believe that you were the friend of the Bearers!”

“And why don’t you believe that?” Spike asked, annoyed.

“Because if you were the friend with the Bearers, then you would be the best at making friends, instead of staying up here and alone all the time.”

Spike stared at her.

“I mean, they were the best at making friends, and they knew that having friends was something very important. So if you were their friend you should know that having new friends is more important than not having friends. So I don’t believe that you were their friend.”

Spike blinked.

He opened his mouth, closed it, and stared at the filly, before he did something he had not done for a long, long time.

He laughed.

He laughed for a long time, before he finally began to calm down. “Oh...oh dear...And wisdom was found in the mouth of the child…” Another chuckle. “Tell me, dear, what’s your name?”

She told him.

He smiled. “That’s a lovely name. Now, dear, let me ask you something, what if I could get you proof that I knew the Bearers?”

“You can?” she asked.

Spike nodded.

“How?”

Spike smiled. “Tell me, have you ever had a dragon ride?”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Celestia had been enjoying a simple cup of tea, when the reports came in.

A massive dragon had been spotted flying over Ponyville and heading north, panic had erupted across the populace, and requests were flooding in for military support.

She had asked only one simple question. “What color is it?”

When she finally got her answer, she informed her servants that she would be taking her lunch on the balcony that day.

So, after a needlessly long interruption, she went back to enjoying her cup of tea.

She smiled at the thought of everyone still running around, panicked.

“Your majesty!” A pony wearing red dragon scale armor said, running up to her. “We have reports that the dragon will be here within three minutes. Where do you want the defenses placed?”

“Pendragon Shining Hooves,” Celestia said, setting her cup aside, “did I say anything about defenses?”

“Um...no Ma’am, I…”

“This dragon is an old friend of mine, Pendragon. He’s our guest.”

Shining Hooves blinked. “He’s...what?”

“Our guest,” Celestia repeated.

“I...um…”

Celestia smiled. “Why don’t you join us, Shining Hooves? I’m sure he would like to meet our latest Pendragon.”

“Is...um..is that an order, Ma’am?”

“I don’t want it to be, but I would much rather you be here.”

Shining Hooves looked between the table and the door, before slowly, hesitantly walking to the table.

That’s when Spike arrived.

Celestia could hear the panicked screams of the populace already, and snickered at how her previous warning that everything was fine had been completely ignored.

His massive wings could hide a quarter of the city, and his long trailing tail whipped around in the sky.

The beat of his wings echoed in Celestia’s ears, and as the large dragon approached she could feel the wind whipping around her already ever-flowing mane.

As Spike came into land, he planted his feet at the base of the castle, while his hand latched onto the balcony.

Shining Hooves felt the world pitch.

Spike’s voice rumbled. “Hello, Princess.”

“Hello, Spike,” she greeted, hugging his massive nose. “And you know better than to call me Princess.”

“Yes, Mom,” he replied sarcastically.

Celestia laughed. “That’s better.”

Shining stared, and desperately tried to keep his jaw from dropping to the floor.

“So, what brings you out here?” Celestia asked, rubbing the end of his nose.

“Actually, I need you to settle a bet,” the dragon said.

“Really?”

Spike nodded. “Let me introduce you to my new friend,” he said, before reaching behind an ear fin.

From behind the fin, he pulled out a young, windswept filly who had the biggest smile on her face. “Ohmygosh! Are you Princess Celestia?!”

The Princess laughed. “I am, little one, and what’s your name?”

“My name’s Rarity!” She said.

Celestia blinked, and smiled. “That’s a lovely name.”

Spike nodded. “It is a lovely name…”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Spike went on to live for millennia, and, as the King of Dragons, did much to help both his own people, and the dragons.

A long-standing alliance had been set up, and through some careful study, a discovery had been made.

It was the cure.

The cure to greed.

And Spike was the first to jump on.

In many ways, it was a perfect match.

There is one thing that can be both hoarded and shared, and that is knowledge. In the later years of his life, Spike the King of Dragons was famous for owning the largest library on the planet. Ponies, ligers, griffons, and minotaur scholars all across the world made pilgrimages to the Great Draconic Library, and never once did Spike close its doors.

As he gained more and more knowledge, he became more and more powerful, until no dragon could best him on the field of battle. He held the crown for his entire life, and many dragons, in an effort to take the crown for themselves, imitated him until they too learned that greed was a lesser form of power.

Spike had done much in his life.

He had many friends, and had done much for the betterment of both races, for many, he was a pinnacle of righteousness, and an inspiration to many.

That’s why, when he awoke one morning, and knew his time had come, the public began to panic.

The doors to the Great Draconic Library closed for the first time in millennia. They had closed, and would only open for one pony.

Celestia walked into the large library, accompanied by no one. As she passed by the rows upon rows of books, she couldn’t help but think that Twilight would have loved this place.

Finally she came up to the main atrium, where Spike lay curled around his old, greying scales.

“Spike?” she called out.

The dragon slowly turned toward her. “Ah...hello, Celestia. You look as young as ever.”

She gave him a soft smile. “Well, at least you have aged since then. You even seem to be a respectable dragon these days.”

Spike gave a slow chuckle.

Celestia gave him another smile, before she launched herself into the air and glided down next to him.

“Today’s the day, Celestia.” Spike said. “I feel it in my bones. The fires of the earth call for my flesh and the hour of my death march grows close upon us.”

Celestia nodded. “You have lived a long time, my friend.”

Spike nodded. “We only wait for the stallion of the hour himself,” he said, slowly standing and turning towards a large bookshelf. His massive claws grabbed onto the shelves, and began to pull the open, like massive doors, revealing a long, carefully cut tunnel beyond. “No one ever checks the mathematics section…” he said with a smirk.

Celestia laughed.

And they let time pass. A few hours at a time, talking about ages long past, they spoke and laughed and joked.

And then, as the sun reached its peak, Death finally arrived.

“Ah, Most Honorable Death,” Spike said, greeting him, “right on time! I was afraid we’d have to start without you.”

“Forgive me, King of Dragons,” Death said, “I had to stop to bring someone with me.”

Spike brow furrowed. “Pardon?”

Death smiled and stepped aside.

And Spike’s eyes went wide.

“Oh my, Spike...You grown quite a lot since I’ve been gone, haven’t you?”

Spike blinked. “R-Rarity?” he asked.

The ghost of the unicorn glided up to him, and gently kissed his nose. “Hello, my little Spikey-Wikey.”

Spike blinked. “W-what are you doing here, Rarity?”

“Well, Spike,” the ghost said, as she looked around the room, “You may not remember because you were a little delirious at the time, but I made a promise. I promised that I would be with you when you died. And a lady always keeps her promises.”

Spike stared at her, tears forming in his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Darling, I mean no offence, but could we get started? It’s just so drab in here…”

Spike nodded. “You know, you used to tell me it wasn’t healthy to be in a hurry to die…”

“Health is overrated, dear,” Rarity said, as the two began to walk down the tunnel. “Honestly, though, I think if Pinkie has to wait another hour before giving you your death-day party, she’s going to blow up.”

“A death-day party?”

“It’s the new birthday, dear, and Pinkie has been waiting for yours for a long time.”

The four began to walk down the path, matching the ancient wyrm’s gait.

They marched slowly, Spike making his death march, smiling, listening to the soft, sweet voice of his once-wife.

“And the colors, Spike! Oh you wouldn’t believe! There is actually a color there that goes with lemon green! It is still hideous, but they go together!”

Spike almost didn’t notice the depth, and the wall of fire that would entomb him.

As they got closer, though, Death finally spoke. “Noble Spica Draconis, the hour is upon us. The time for last good-byes has come.”

Spike regarded him for a moment, before turning to Princess Celestia, who stood there, tears in her eyes. “I suppose it is time, isn’t it?”

Celestia fluttered up, hugging the dragon’s snout and kissing him. “I’ll miss you, my little egg.”

“You still have your sister, Harmony, Death, and Discord, rebellious child that he is.”

“Yes,” Celestia said. “But I will miss you, my first child.”

“Of all my mother's,” Spike said, “I never had one more tender or loving as you.”

Celestia smiled. “You always were so sweet.”

They hugged one last time.

And then Rarity and Spike walked into the fire.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Celestia stared into the flame and sighed.

Removing her horseshoe, she stuck her hoof in, letting the flames lick at her, but never being hurt.

Death stood next to her, a wing draped over her back. “Your time will come, Celly.”

“It still hurts,” she said.

“I know,” he answered.

“I suppose I must go up there and let the people know,” she said, pulling her hoof back, from the flames.

They walked up together in silence, crossing the distance faster now.

When they reached the doors, Celestia turned back, and slid them shut, hiding the tunnel from sight.

Death sighed. “Your turn will come, Celly, it will come soon.”

Epilogue Part 3: The Princess

Epilogue: Part 3

Celestia groaned under the weight.

It was almost time.

She had seen it all pass.

It had started with Luna’s death.

The moon had simply begun to get farther and farther away from Equestria, and as it got further away, Luna became weaker.

She quickly deteriorated, getting sicker and sicker by the day, until one day, she simply passed away.

Not long after that, Harmony disappeared.

After that, things got worse.

The tides died without the moon, and the soon after the seas went stagnant.

Fish around the world died, leaving massive heaps of stinking, rotting bodies along the coasts.

With death came disease, and with the disease came plague.

Those were dark days, and many people all over the world died.

And then the sun grew weak.

It had been going for many years, and with every passing year, Celestia looked older and older.

Eventually, the sun could not support plant life. Forests, fields and meadows all began to shrivel in the harsh, red light of the dying sun.

That’s when things truly fell apart.

Famine struck the land with the beasts of the world becoming more and more desperate for food, and attacking defenseless children.

They were truly the last days.

Soon there was no one left.

Nothing left.

Nothing but her.

She groaned once more, lifting the massive blight on the sky that was her angry, red sun.

“It’s...almost...time…” she said, throwing the sun across the sky.

How long had it been now?

She couldn’t remember.

It was somewhere between three weeks and twelve years.

She didn’t know.

She didn’t care.

She just had to do her job until it was her time.

Up came the sun.

And down it went.

Up.

Down.

Up.

Down.

“You’re almost there, Celly,” Death said, sitting next to her.

“Almost,” she groaned.

Up.

Down.

Up.

Down.

“It’s almost time,” Death said.

“I’ve waited so long…” she said.

“Only a moment longer.”

Up.

Down.

Up…

“There…” he said.

And the sun went super nova.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Celestia’s eyes went wide.

It...It had just ended.

And...and now…

She looked out at the millions of flowers.

And among the flowers stood a million ponies, ponies she knew.

At their head stood Alan, who smiled as he drew his blade. “Pendragons! Atten-shun!”

The ponies snapped to attention.

“Pre-sent arms!”

A million blades flashed in the light, and together, they divided into columns, presenting a long, single corridor for her to walk down.

She took a moment, straightened herself, and walked forward with practiced grace befitting of a Princess.

Halfway through, this was cut off by the a sudden cry. “Dogpile!”

Celestia’s eyes went wide as every single one of her Pendragons from Alan on down leapt up into the air to tackle her, blades lying forgotten in the flowers.

Then they began to laugh.

They all moved off of her in a mess of golden hooves, before finally she was finally offered a hoof to pull her up. “Sorry Celestia,” Alan said. “But Faust says we're all Princes and Princess here. So no special treatment from us, alright?”

Celestia’s head spun, still dizzy from the sudden attack.

And then she looked down at him and smiled. “I think I’ll manage.”

He nodded, and then he looked backwards, toward the crest of the hill.

Celestia followed his gaze.

“And there stood Faust, on the top of the hill, slowly walking down with a book and quill, dictating as she wrote and walked.”

Celestia blinked, watching her mother come toward her.

“The quill moved quickly, never breaking for ink and not once slowing as she spoke. As she moved closer, Celestia then realized that this book, the one Faust wrote in, was the book of the world. The story of reality.

“And then Faust looked up at her daughter, her firstborn. The one who had suffered the most of the four, and she said two words. Welcome home.”

Celestia smiled.

“And then Faust turned back to the book, dictating as she went, and wrote these final words: Thus ends the story of this Equestria, and while many more exist, those stories are not recorded here. And then with a smile, she slammed the book shut.”

Alright, guys, that's it. That's the story. I'm going to keep writing, but not this. This is done.

Here's the next project, but I'm going to take a long break first.

The above story is a work of Fanfiction, using the characters and setting of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic as created by Lauren Faust and owned by Hasbro. I do not own the characters of the aforementioned property, and I am in no way benefiting financially from this work. Please support the official release.

1-It's a Wonderful Life

Chapter 1

“We are terrible parents,” Twilight said.

Well, actually, she was yelling it. She had to so that she could be heard over the rockslide they were riding to escape the Hydra they were trying to get out of Froggy Bottom Bog.

Alan Goldenhoof, an integral part of the afore-mentioned ‘they,’ laughed. “You kidding?” he asked, riding a surfboard made of hard-mana. “he loves it!”

Orion, their new-born son, agreed as he laughed from Twilight’s saddlebags.

“This is stupid and dangerous!” Twilight argued as she leapt from rock to rock, before landing on Alan’s board.

“But, oh so much fun,” Alan finished with a smile.

The hydra, which previously had four heads and now had nine, roared behind them.

“Well you could have at least not cut its heads off,” Twilight complained.

“I thought my Firebreath would have been strong enough to cauterize the necks,” Alan explained.

“Which is why, once it failed, you tried again on the other two!”

“I had to try the spell too!” Alan argued.

The surfboard swung around the hillside, Alan carefully piloting them into Ghastly Gorge.

“Incoming,” he added.

A large boulder came flying at them from behind, and Twilight’s horn began to ring in response.

The boulder smashed into her hastily-erected shield, shattering to pieces.

Orion laughed.

“This is definitely not good for his psyche…” Twilight muttered.

“Nonsense!” Alan said. “This way, he’ll know how to handle an emergency.”

“Other parents do not train their foals like this!” Twilight argued.

“When other parents have a take your kid to work day, they wind up stuck in an office cubicle for hours on end. For us, we have to go negotiate with a dragon.”

Twilight shook her head.

Orion was now holding a large, shiny rock shard, which was then quickly taken away by his mother. As tears were beginning to well up, however, it was returned, now perfectly round. He laughed again before sticking a small part of the smooth stone into his mouth.

“This is still stupid,” she said.

Alan laughed, before leaning forward.

His horn began to glow, and a wall of fire began to erupt beside them, directing the Hydra down and into the gorge.

“See them yet?” Twilight asked.

“We’re almost there!” Alan assured her.

Alan pulled up, leveling out his board to send it flying forward into the gorge. “Come on, Ugly!” Alan yelled, at the large water dragon. “Hurry up! Dinner’s getting away!”

The Hydra roared, chasing the small family down into the ravine. He flew forward, weaving through unseen obstacles before suddenly pulling to a stop.

The Hydra chased them, running down mouths open wide.

“And three…” Alan began, as the Hydra barreled down on them.

“Two…” Twilight said.

“Dabaaaaaa!” Orion cried.

A massive eel shot forward, its jaws snapping tightly down on the Hydra’s neck, and with a rather visceral rip, tore the head right off.

Twilight already had her hooves over her son’s eyes.

Another eel joined the fray, ripping another head off as it went in for the kill.

“Dinner is served,” Alan said.

Six eels later, the Hydra lay on its side, the weight of its heads pinning the body down as the eels continued to feast on the unlimited supply of food.

“At this rate, the Hydra will not have enough blood to support all of those heads within the next thirty minutes. It will become permanently unconscious, take massive brain damage, and will not be an issue any longer. There is now one less Hydra in the world, and the eels are now well fed. I think our work here is done.”

Twilight shook her head. “At the very least it’s efficient,” she mumbled as Alan piloted them up and away.

“So what are we doing for dinner tonight?” Alan asked as they floated away.

“You’re thinking about dinner? After watching that?”

Alan shrugged. “It’s meat. I’m still kind of a fan of meat.”

Twilight shook her head. “Look...I don’t feel like cooking...how does Hay Burger sound?”

“Sounds good,” Alan agreed, before looking over at his son, who was still happily sucking on the rock he had found. “Did you bring the mashed carrots for Orion?”

“What, now? You want to eat now?” she asked.

“I’m hungry,” Alan replied.

“It’s five in the afternoon!”

“That’s close enough to dinner time...”

“In the grand scheme of the universal timeline!”

Alan rolled his eyes.

“Don’t roll your eyes at me, Mr. Black hole for a stomach!”

Alan chuckled. “Alright, alright,” he conceded as they pulled into air over Ponyville. “You head home, grab the carrots, and I’ll meet you at Hay Burger. I’ve got a few quick errands to run, and that should eat enough time so that we’ll dine suitably late. Sound good?”

She sighed and smiled. “Sure, sounds good.”

They pulled up to their home, a hollowed-out oak tree, known simply as the Golden Oaks Library, and Twilight and Orion hopped off the board.

"One for the road?" Alan asked, before the mother and father shared a quick kiss between them.

“See you soon,” he told her.

“See you there.”

As Alan then surfed away on the currents of the wind, Twilight lifted Orion in front of her. “Yeah, we’ll see Daddy again soon, won’t we? Yes.”

Alan watched the two walk into the library, before flying away to the market, and stepping down onto the packed dirt floor.

“Well, Howdy, Al!” Applejack greeted from her stand.

“Evening, Boss,” Silver Pauldrons echoed, standing next to the farmer.

“Evening, you two,” Alan greeted. “Been behaving?”

“Sir, yes sir,” Silver said, “Got those forms you requested earlier, and we got the delivery on those training weapons.”

Alan smiled. “Good to hear. Where are the forms now?”

“Your desk back at the Outpost,” Silver told him.

“Great, good luck, you two.”

“Have a nice day, now!” Applejack called.

“Yeah, yeah, will do,” Alan agreed. “Hey, AJ.”

“Yeah?”

“Is Big Mac where he normally is?”

She smiled and nodded. “Eeyup.”

“Alright then, see y’all later,” he said with a wave before heading out towards the edge of town.

He walked along, greeting the many ponies he knew by name and saying a simple “hey” to those whose names he could not remember.

He smiled as he walked, before suddenly hearing someone call his voice.

“Hey, Al!”

Alan turned, and smiled. “Spike! How’s it going, man?”

Spike walked forward, escorting Rarity, who was never seen without a hat these days. ‘It’s going well, Alan. Where’ve you been?”

“Me?” Alan asked. “Well, Twi and I just took care of the Hydra that was in Froggy Bottom Bog, and that took forever, other than that, haven’t really done anything else important, once I check up on Mac, I’m going to head over to the Outpost and pick up some forms to request a unit transfer so that we can get a little more help down here.”

“That’d be nice,” Spike grumbled. “We need some new guys to come in to take out all the paperwork you never got around to.”

“How is Mac these days?” Rarity asked.

“He’s been...weird…” Alan said, hesitantly. “Been sitting around trees a lot lately, talking to bushes and stuff.”

“Do you think something’s wrong?” Spike asked.

Alan hesitated for a second. “I...have no idea,” he admitted. “Truth be told, I think it makes him happier, and Fluttershy loves it when he talks to her animals, so, if nothing else, it’s great for their relationship.”

Rarity cocked her head. “Hm...odd. Adorable, and sweet, but odd.”

Spike turned to her. “Rarity, I love you, but I’m not talking to plants for you.”

“Wouldn’t expect you to, dear,” she said, patting his shoulder. “Say hello, for me, would you, Alan?”

“Will do,” Alan said, before turning to head out. “See you guys!”

“Bye Al!”

“Goodbye, Darling.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Big Mac stood in a little clearing that sat between Fluttershy’s cottage and Sweet Apple Acres.

Closer to Fluttershy’s, but it wasn’t too far away from either.

He had decided to put a little winter cabin here, and had already started laying a foundation.

Stu Barker, the large maple that was going to be in his front yard, spoke. “So, what’re you going to build it out of?”

“Wood,” Big Mac replied as he laid some brick down along the edges of where his cabin would be.

The trees around the clearing shivered.

“Um...not anytree you know, right, Mac?” Woody Knott, the birch across the way, asked.

“Eenope.”

The trees breathed a collective side of relief.

Russell Bush, a young raspberry vine, spoke up. “So, why here? Why build here?”

Barry Berry, a much older blackberry bush on the other side of the clearing spoke up. “Why do you care? I’m just happy he isn’t tearing us all up to make room.”

“Woah, woah, easy there, Barry,” Hazel Nut said. “Our job is to provide, if that means space, then so be it.”

“Oh, come off it! You don’t get to be so high and lofty, I know you purposefully dropped that branch on that beaver to save yourself.”

Big Mac shook his head, trying to block out the sounds of the argument that was starting to break out amongst the flora.

Admittedly, his first foray into communicating with nature had wound up with Big Mac wide-eyed and opened-mouthed as he was suddenly filled with more knowledge than he was ready to take.

Trees were surprisingly wise.

Still, he got used to it. He sat and listened until he had learned many new things.

He now knew how to becoming one with the earth itself, how to listen to the wind and speak to the ground.

“Someone comes this way,” another tree said. “It’s the pony with the golden hooves.”

Barry gasped. “Oh no! Not him! Keep him and his ‘weeding’ magic away from me!”

Big Mac shook his head.

“Hey, Big Mac,” Alan said, entering the clearing.

“Howdy, Al,” Mac said. “How’ve you been?”

“Been good, just coming to check up on you.”

Big Mac shot him a glance.

“Fluttershy asked me to, alright? She said she would’ve done it herself, but she had an errand to run.”

Big Mac nodded in understanding. “Gotcha,” he said, before laying down another brick.

Alan nodded, before scanning the grounds. “You sure you want that blackberry there?”

“YES! YES YOU DO!” Barry yelled.

Big Mac chuckled. “It’s fine where it is.”

“It is?” Alan asked. “I mean, no offense but I’ve seen a ton of vines like that back where I used to live, and they were just nuisances.”

“I AM NOT A NUISANCE!”

“It’ll be just fine, Al,” Big Mac said. “I’m actually looking forward to some good berries from him.”

“I don’t know why,” Hazel said. “Knowing Barry they’d be sour.”

“Oh, go pollinate yourself, you overgrown weed!”

Big Mac shook his head. “Oh, speaking of pulling things out of the ground.”

“Yeah?” Alan asked.

“We got an old stump back on the farm, and I’m going to need some help pulling her out.”

“Should I bring the rest of the guys?”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac said, “I’ll bring cider and snacks.”

“Sounds good. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some forms to pick up, and then I’ve got a date to keep.”

“Date?” Big Mac asked.

“Well, it’s more going out to eat with the family because Twilight doesn’t want to cook, but I’ve got to do something to keep the romance alive,” he explained with a smile.

Big Mac shook his head, and went back to work.

All was silent in the clearing again.

And then Barry spoke up. “I hate that guy.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Scootaloo flew through the air, carried by her kick off the ground as she and Rumble went head-to-head in a spar.

A crudely carved stick was held in her mouth as she snarled at her opponent.

She was going to get a cutie mark in swordsmanship, and that was final.

Rumble blocked her incoming strike, pushing it to the side as he came around, underneath her for an uppercut.

“Scootaloo,” Applebloom said from the side lines as the stick was knocked from the peagsus’ mouth. “Scootaloo, Ah don’t think this is really…”

Scootaloo ignored her, jumping off to the side to grab her sword again, while dodging her opponent’s attacks.

On the sidelines, the remainder of the Cutie Mark Crusaders watched and sighed.

Diamond Tiara spoke up. “When are we going to pick our next...er…”

“Activity?” Sweetie Belle offered.

“Whatever.”

“Who knows?” Pipsqueak, the only male member of the Crusaders, who had endured many unspeakable trials, asked. “Scootaloo has practically taken over ever since Sweetie Belle got her Cutie Mark.”

Silver Spoon shook her head. “Well, don’t worry too much. Once she runs out of ideas, we can get to work on the backlog of activities I’ve planned.”

“Yeah…” Applebloom said. “We just need to wait until she runs out of ideas.”

The foals all shared a look.

“Yeah, that ain’t happening,” Pip said.

Applebloom sighed. “Alright, I’ll talk to her once she’s done here. Try to get somepony else to pick something.”

The foals watched on, before a suddenly vicious strike by Rumble sent the filly flying.

The Crusaders cringed.

“Ow…” she moaned.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Rainbow Dash soared and twirled, flying through the clouds as she directed her weather team. “Hurry up, Blossomforth! I’ve seen glaciers melt faster than you work!”

Thunderlane watched her, his eyes following her as she dove through a few cumulus clouds.

“Cloudchaser, come on, now! We needed that raincloud out over reservoir three hours ago!”

Thunderlane shook his head as he, Soarin, and a dozen other pegasi shared a massive cloud. They were carefully pushing the large cumulonimbus over towards the southern end of town to try and form a wall of cloud to keep any weather for Everfree floating in. It meant that the southern end could wind up with a little extra rainfall, but with fall rolling in, it wouldn’t be a bad idea.

It would certainly help Applejack’s cider.

Thunderlane looked back up at the pegasus as she led the crowd with the cloud.

“She’d be a good catch, wouldn’t she?” Soarin’s voice said next to him.

“What?” Thunderlane asked, snapping his head to the Wonderbolt, blushing all the way.

Soarin shrugged. “Smart, good leadership, important military pony, nice figure,” he said, “I’m just saying, if I weren’t getting hitched soon, I would...well...that would be inappropriate to say of a superior officer.”

Thunderlane’s ears were burning, and his face was turning a shade of crimson.

Soarin went back to the cloud. “Take my advice, Thunders, If you have any interest in that mare, you better get her before someone else does.”

Thunderlane blinked, staring at Soarin as the Wonderbolt happily went back to work.

“Hey! Thunderlane!” Rainbow yelled. “Quit napping! That’s my job!”

Thunderlane sighed. “Yes, Ma’am.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

As Alan walked into the Hay Burger, his nose was filled with the smell of fried horseshoe fries and greasy hay patties.

It wasn’t quite the same as Wendy’s but it was close enough.

Twilight waved him down from her table, Orion sitting in his collapsible high chair.

“Hey there, beautiful,” Alan said, walking up to her. “Come here often?”

She smiled, and they shared a kiss. “I got you the usual.”

“Extra pickles?”

“Always.”

Alan smiled. “You’re awesome, Twi.”

“Don’t let Rainbow Dash hear you,” she said with a smirk as her burger lifted in front of her, “she might get jealous.”

“She should be jealous,” Alan said, simply.

Twilight shook her head, and smiled.

“So,” Alan began, “Big Mac’s invited all the guys over for a stump pulling.”

“Really?” Twilight asked, before the sudden pop of teleportation brought in her schedule. “Is it an event?”

“Eeyup,” Alan said, biting into his burger.

“Alright, and don’t forget Pinkie’s wedding is—”

“The twentieth, I remember,” Alan finished. “It’s hard to forget when she continually posts banners across main street to invite all of Ponyville.”

“Just thought I’d say something,” Twilight said. “I know you can miss a date or two.”

Alan rolled his eyes. “It was one time Twilight, geeze. Crucify me, why don’tcha?”

“I’m just saying…”

“Well you don’t need to—”

“Daba!” Orion said.

Alan’s head snapped towards his son.

Twilight sighed. “He’s not old enough to talk yet,” she said.

“But he was so close!” Alan said.

“Still not old enough to talk,” Twilight said, before eating a few fries.

“Nonsense!” Alan said. “He’s smart! I mean just look at his genes!”

Twilight sighed and shook her head, before smiling.

<<<|Ω|>>>

His body was flying through the air.

He was about to go do Evil.

“No!” he screamed, before slamming himself into the ground.

He couldn’t. He mustn’t.

“Yes!” He roared, taking off again.

“No!” He slammed into the snow.

He had to stop himself.

“Let go! Harmony!” He cried, his wings beating as he took off.

"Never!” He roared, diving to the ground, and digging his claws into the soft earth.

He rolled on the ground, desperately trying to stay from going airborne.

He couldn’t. He just couldn’t.

Even...even if he could trust himself to stay who he was, he could never face her again.

Not her.

“Let go!”

“No! You let go!”

“I am master of this body! You cannot keep it long!”

“I will keep whatever I want for however long I want to!”

“It’s mine!”

“Mine!”

“Let go!”

“You let go!”

Oh, by Faust above, he wished he could stop himself.

It was that blasted sword! If he had never been hit this wouldn’t have happened! He would still be some crazed force of nature instead of the monster he had become.

Oh, Faust help him.

She was the only one who could.

And hello, people!

“We’re Baaaaaaaaack~”

“Back? It’s been what? Two weeks?”

Back with the last piece of the puzzle.

“So you’re actually going to explain yourself?”

Yes, the big picture is coming at last.

“Well, let’s stop talking about it, and get on with it!”

Alright, alright! I’m movin’! I’m movin’!

“And here. We. Go!”

9-"I will not sit idly by..."

Chapter 9

Twilight stood in the library, smiling to herself as she reshelved the library.

This. This was how it should be. Just her, her son, and her books.

Nothing and nopony else.

She finished her last shelf and stepped down from her ladder, smiling at her work.

Volo the eagle shifted nervously, her eyes scanning the room as she searched for Alan. She didn’t understand why he wasn’t here.

Twilight and Alan were never apart long…

It was the fourth day of Alan’s incarceration, by Twilight’s count, and things were already looking up.

Since it was obvious that Harmony meant no harm, she had elected to go back home to Ponyville. Almost no one else came with her, worried about Alan, she figured. No, the only ones to follow her back seemed to be Applejack and Silver, but that was perfectly logical. Applejack’s down-to-earth common sense would dictate that Alan was either too dangerous, or not worth worrying about.

Orion cried out, and Twilight immediately dropped everything. She rushed over to the crib that held her young son, and held him close. “Sh, Sh, Orion. It’s alright. I’m here.”

Orion continued to cry.

“Aw, what’s the matter? Are you hungry? Do you want your bottle?”

But Orion didn’t want his bottle.

He wanted his daddy.

<<<|Ω|>>>

It was morning of the fifth day, not that Twilight was counting. Honestly, she didn’t care about Alan anymore. It didn’t matter.

She simply went about her business, getting her coffee, reading her books, eating lunch, all when she wanted, how she wanted. Never once did she need to ask what another pony thought, what they wanted. It was just her, and Orion.

This was the life.

A knock sounded on her door.

Ears perking, she looked up from her book, and stared across the main room from where she was sitting..

The knock sounded again.

Getting up, she crossed the room, and opened the door. “Oh! Applejack! What are you doing here?”

The Farmer stood at the front door, staring into the library with a frown on her face. “Ah...uh...just thought I’d check up on you, is all,” she said.

“Oh, well, I’m doing fine, thank you,” she said. “Was there anything else?”

Applejack fidgeted. “Well...no...it’s just...are you sure you’re alright, Surgarcube?”

“I’m fine, Applejack,” she repeated with a smile. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well, Ah mean...Ah just can’t imagine you’re alright with Al just being tossed in the Big House like that.”

Twilight frowned.

She hadn’t really told the girls yet. It wasn’t something she was going to enjoy telling them, either. Alan was their friend as much as he used to be her’s. Telling them that they were no longer married was sure to cause waves.

That and probably another dozen doorway conversations.

The bigger problem was they were going to notice—

“Twi...where’s yer earring?”

That.

“Look, Applejack. When I went to visit Alan he...he still wasn’t quite himself,” she said. “He was acting erratic, dangerous even, and despite the inhibitor ring, managed to get some of his Dark Magic through the gate. It damaged my earring, so I had to take it to a jewler’s.”

Applejack blinked. “Really?”

Twilight nodded. “He calmed down again, and said to give him a few days. He’ll be fine, he just needs to sort some things out.”

Applejack took a long, hard look at her friend.

“Alright, Sugarcube, but y’all let me know how he’s doing.”

“Of course!” she said, before beginning to close the door. “Now, I hate to do this to you, AJ, but I’ve got a lot of work to do. See you later?”

“Eyup. Ya sure will,” she said.

Once the door had shut, the farmer scowled and began to walk away.

“So how’s she doing?” Silver Pauldrons asked.

Applejack shook her head. “Either she’s fine or she’s hiding something, and Ah don’t think she’s fine.”

Silver walked up beside her. “So what are you going to do?”

“Ah don’t know,” she said, “but as sure as Ah’m the Bearer of Honesty, Ah’m gonna find out.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Celestia walked down the hallways of Canterlot Castle alone.

She walked with purpose and power. Yet despite her confidant gait, something was bothering her.

First and foremost, was Alan. She knew Alan fairly well, had a decent grasp on his personality, and something just wasn’t adding up.

Alan wouldn’t have lied about Harmony to get to him.

Now, yes, the massive flow of Dark Magic could mean he was being corrupted. It was certainly no stretch to see that, but…

But, if, hypothetically, he was telling the truth, and Dark Magic had not corrupted him, then…

Then that means Harmony was at fault.

The problem with that was Harmony wouldn’t do such a thing either, which meant it had to be Discord.

To make matters worse, she received a letter from Applejack, telling her about Twilight’s seemingly uncaring attitude towards her husband.

Now, both of these were certainly something that Discord would do, but...but Luna was just so sure.

Adamantly sure.

So it came down to Luna.

There was another thing that was bothering her, but the sword could wait.

Right now, she needed to talk with her younger sister.

She strode into the Lunar wing of the castle as the sun began to set.

She crossed the hall with nine powerful steps, and found herself standing at her sister’s door, flanked by two of the Night Guard.

“Is my sister awake yet?” Celestia asked.

“She is, your majesty,” the one to her left confirmed.

“Thank you,” she said, before knocking on the door. “Lu, Luna can I speak with you for a moment?”

A muffled voice answered from behind the door. “Come in.”

Opening the door, and stepping inside, she was quick to spot Luna at her vanity, brushing her ethereal mane.

The younger princess’ eyes caught her in the mirror. “What did you wish to talk about, sister?”

Celestia took a moment as she walked in to enjoy the room. It was nice to see it lived in again, nice to have her sister back, which was only going to make the following conversation that much more difficult. “Luna...I...I need to talk to you about Harmony…”

Luna stopped brushing her mane, and calmly set down the brush with a sigh escaping her nostrils. “This again…?” she asked, sounding annoyed.

“I am just worried, Luna. It seems neither Alan nor Twilight are of their right minds, and, knowing Discord’s power—”

“But this is Harmony,” Luna interrupted, “not Discord.”

“As far as we know,” Celestia finished.

“No, I know that this is Harmony,” Luna said, “I’m certain.”

“You may be certain, Lu, but I’m not. I have no idea, and I wonder at how you do. I...I just want to know how you are so certain.”

“I know Harmony,” Luna answered simply. “That is Harmony.”

“But how do you know?!” Celestia asked. “I just want to know how, Luna!”

The Princess of the night stood, turning to face her sister. “Harmony was made for me, and I was made for him, I know him like nopony else. Is that not enough for you, sister?”

“And you don’t have doubts? Not a single one?”

“Not a one,” she repeated.

Celestia stood, waiting.

Luna sighed. “Alright, alright...I...I looked into his mind.”

Celestia blinked. “You did what?”

“I...my ability to walk in ponies dreams is not limited to when they sleep. I...I can walk in the minds of those who look me in the eyes,” she admitted.

“You can do that?” Celestia asked.

Luna nodded. “I do not admit to having this power, nor do I use it. It is not my place to know the thoughts and secrets of our subjects. The truth is, since I returned, I have used this power only once, and that was when Harmony lay chained in our throne room. I saw into his mind, Tia. I saw how he struggled for the past month, fighting off a second presence in his mind for control of his own body.”

There was silence between the two sisters, Luna’s eyes piercing into Celestia’s own gaze.

“I looked into his mind, and I saw Harmony,” Luna said. “I saw Harmony, and that’s all I saw. That’s why I have no doubts.”

Celestia nodded.

“Now let us not talk about this again,” she said, before turning back to her vanity.

Celestia nodded, and began to walk away.

“So,” Celestia thought, “That’s that, then…”

She closed the door behind her and began walking away, back towards her own room.

“Well, that’s one less thing to worry about…” she thought. “Right?”

<<<|Ω|>>>

It was the seventh day.

Maybe noon, if Alan had to guess.

It was hard to tell.

He sat on his cot, throwing the little rubber ball against the wall, singing to himself. His voice sounded tired and weary, yet he sung anyway, it was fitting.

“Falling in the black,

Slipping through the cracks,

Falling to the depths, can I ever go back?

Dreaming of the way it used to be.

Can you hear me?

Falling in the black,

Slipping through the cracks,

Falling to the depths, can I ever go back?

Falling inside the black.

Falling inside, falling inside the black.”

The ball bounced up, and Alan batted it away with a hoof, slowly humming as he came to the verse to the song.

The ball bounced wildly, landing out in the hallway, out of hoof’s reach.

His eyes followed the ball, and he sighed.

It was going to be a few hours before a Guard came by to check on him, so no ball-throwing until then.

He sighed again and rolled onto his cot, where Twilight’s earring sat.

He took it, holding it gingerly with his hoof, and mumbled to it. “I’m sorry, Twilight. Please come back.”

He sighed, when he thought he heard his ball bounce. He brought his head up, and looked around his cell, in confusion.

He blinked, as he watched his ball roll across his cell floor.

Confused, he stood, and picked up the ball.

As he brought it to his face, however, his eyes went wide as a glowing message stared at him.

“Stay quiet, Chaos is sleeping.”

Alan blinked, before setting the ball down. “H-Hello?” he whispered out to the darkness beyond his cell.

“Stay quiet, Pendragon, I implore you. If Chaos wakes, then we are both in trouble.”

Alan raised an eyebrow. “W-Who are you?”

A figure stepped into view. A tall, serpentine figure with four, mismatched legs. “I am Harmony.”

Alan growled, his ears folding back against his head. “I’ve heard that one before.”

“Please, Pendragon, I’m being honest, please!” Harmony whispered, urgently.

“Why should I trust you, again?” Alan asked.

“Because we both want the same thing,” he said, before passing a key through the bars. “We both want to see the ones we love back to their normal selves.”

Alan’s stance relaxed a touch as he took the key. “What’s this to?”

“Your inhibitor ring, I couldn’t get the key to your cell, but you should be able to recreate a key with your magic,” Harmony whispered.

Alan looked up at the draconequus. “What do you mean, we both want the same thing?” he asked. “Who is so important to you?”

Harmony looked up at him with sad eyes. “Luna...Chaos tricked me into thinking I was free, and used me to lure her to trust me. He’s been manipulating her ever since.” He sighed. “He’s locked us both in cages, Pendragon, and he’s tearing our loved ones away from us.”

“Then how did you get out, huh?” Alan asked angrily. “Why are you telling me this instead of Luna, or Celestia, hm?”

“Please, stay quiet, please! I can only take control when he’s asleep! He knows that! He’s set up magical safeguards to wake him whenever we get near to either Princess. Please, Alan, you’re my best and only hope…”

Alan glared into Harmony’s eyes.

He couldn’t trust him.

Not an inch, not a mile.

But…

No. He couldn’t trust him.

Couldn’t trust him.

Not...one…

He sighed.

“What do you need me to do?” Alan asked.

“Escape and find your sword. I don’t know how or when, and it’s best I don’t know. Once you leave, Chaos will try to take the information from me. Just find your sword. That is the key to everything.”

“What do I do with it?” Alan asked.

Harmony hesitated a second. “You...you’ll have to kill me.”

Alan blinked. “What?”

Harmony shook his head. “From what I know it’s the only way. This world is better off without the two of us, anyway…” he trailed off, before looking Alan in the eye. “Best of luck, Pendragon. Faust will be with you.”

Harmony backed up into the shadows, leaving Alan alone.

He stood there in his cell for a moment, and looked down at the key in his hoof.

“I shouldn’t trust him,” he thought to himself.

The key stared up at him.

“I shouldn’t…”

He brought up his other hoof to search for the tell-tale keyhole, and found it quickly.

The key fit in perfectly, and with a click, he felt the ring loosen and his magic flow freely.

The draconequus certainly made a good case, though.

He shook his head. “I don’t know if I can trust him,” he muttered to himself, “but I will not sit idly by and let my home and family down.”

He would not sit by and do nothing.

<<<|Ω|>>>

Celestia walked down the stairs to the dungeons, her guard walking next to her.

“How has he been?” she asked, wondering how Alan has been these past ten days. She was coming down to visit, try and get a grip on Alan’s mental state. If he was doing well she might even be able to convince Luna to let him up.

She kept insisting that it was too soon.

“Oh, he’s been a model prisoner, Princess. He’s been polite to his guards, never talked back, ate everything we gave him, it almost be a shame to see him go.”

Celestia nodded, appreciatively.

There was a beat of silence.

“He will be leaving, won’t he?” the guard asked.

Celestia nodded. “Of course, of course,” she said, reassuring him as they came around the bend. “He just lost his cool for a moment. All he needed was to take a few days to cool down.”

The guard nodded, before they came up to a lonely wooden door.

It was quickly opened, and the guard saluted, letting the Princess walk unhindered to the hall.

She took a step inside and paused. “You can close the door, Daring Arrow. I’ll only be a moment.”

Sergeant Daring Arrow nodded, before closing the door behind the solar Princess.

Celestia smiled, before she turned to face the darkness before her.

Now...was it the fourth cell down, or the fifth?

“Alan…” she called, “Alan, where are you?”

She received no answer.

“Alan?” she spoke again as she made her way down the aisle.

No answer.

“Alan? Alan, are you alright?” she asked, walking past empty cell after empty cell.

Only darkness answered.

“Ala—” the name died on her lips as her eyes came across Alan’s cell. A rubber ball sat in the corner, and the cot was made and fixed with sheets and pillows, a book had been brought in, and an empty bowl sat in the corner.

But all of that meant nothing compared to the door that hung ajar, and the distinct lack of the Pendragon.

She blinked, staring into the cell.

He’s escaped.

She blinked again.

He’s escaped.

Her body began to move, heading back to the heavy oak door.

“He’s escaped!”

The door slammed open, and Celestia yelled at the guards. “He’s escaped! Start up a search! He can’t have gone far!”

The guards took beat to get started, but as soon as they began to move, Celestia found herself in the middle of a sea of motion.

She looked back into the dark hallway.

“What’s happened, Alan? What’s happened to you?”

<<<|Ω|>>>

A knock sounded on the library door, and Twilight was slow to answer it.

Applejack just wasn’t leaving her alone, asking questions all the time like it was her business to know she had been spending her week.

Still, basic manners dictated opening the door, so eventually, she wandered over. “Yes?” she asked, annoyed, when her eye widened at the sight of the four guards beyond the door.

“Ma’am! General Sparkle, Ma’am!” The lead guard said. “We have received news that your husband has recently escaped incarceration, and we have been ordered to search the premises.”

Twilight stepped aside. “He escaped? How?”

“We are unsure,” the lead guard continued as the other three flooded into the library, “but we’re trying to find him as fast as possible.”

Twilight nodded. “Of course.”

“We’ll be gone as soon as we’re sure he’s not here—”

“And then I’ll follow you to Canterlot,” Twilight said.

The guard blinked. “Uh...ma’am?”

“I’m going to help you catch him,” she said simply.

“You...are?” he asked.

She nodded, before she began to head upstairs. “I understand that you can’t accept my help directly, but I can play an advisory role, can’t I?”

“W-well,” the guard stammered, “yes...It’s just that I haven’t really had experience in having a wife give up her husband…”

“Alan is not quite in his right mind,” Twilight said as she formed her lie. “He’s suffering from some hallucinogenic side-effects of using some less-than-ethical magic. If he’s loose, he’s a danger to everypony. Once it wears off, he’d thank me for getting him somewhere safe.”

“So it’s temporary?” the guard asked.

Twilight paused at the door to her room. “Yes, yes it is.”

<<<|Ω|>>>

Harmony was slammed against the wall of his mind.

“Where is he?!” Chaos asked, picking up Harmony again. “How did he get out?!”

Harmony smirked. “I don’t know where he is…”

“Liar!” Chaos roared, before slamming Harmony into the floor of their shared mindscape. “Where is he?!”

Harmony choked out a laugh. “You can check my memory yourself, Chaos, I don’t know.”

Chaos roared as he quickly pulled up Harmony’s last memory.

“What do you need me to do?” Alan asked.

“Escape and find your sword. I don’t know how or when, and it’s best I don’t know. Once you leave, Chaos will try to take the information from me. Just find your sword. That is the key to everything.”

Chaos roared in fury, before he tossed Harmony back against the wall. “He will not save you, Harmony! He can never save you!”

Harmony smiled. “He doesn’t need to save me, he just needs to stop you.”

“What do I do with it?” Alan asked.

Harmony hesitated a second. “You...you’ll have to kill me.”

Chaos growled. “I will be sure he won’t!”

Harmony laughed as he picked himself up off the floor. “Truly, a master of the verbal argument. Evidenced further by your choice of name.”

“Shut up!” Chaos yelled, before disappearing into the void to take control of the body they shared.

Harmony chuckled. “He’ll stop us, he’ll stop us both. I know it.”

“Alright, everypony! Time to take a break! Miner’s got to write the next chap and—”

Done!

“Wait, what?”

Chaps done, get to work, guys.

“Bu...but it’s only been a week!”

I am in the flow, Pinkie!

“But I—”

In. The. Flow.

“Uh...okay…”

Just go, guys! Go! The audience has already read it by now! Go!

“Um...uh...ok! Comments, faves, all the basic stuff! We’ll see you next time!”

Bye!