An Ancient Threat

Chapters

The Good Life
A New Quest
History Lessons
From Crystal to Snow
Battle in the Blizzard
Meeting the Enemy
Found It
Failure
Revelations

The Good Life

The morning sun rose with a brilliant light that reflected off the dew that covered the grass. All across Ponyville, ponies began to awaken from their restful slumbers to start the day. Homes all across the town became filled with the noises associated with weekend mornings: the sound of alarm clocks ringing, of cereal hitting glass bowls and the pouring of milk, the sizzling of hay bacon strips on the frying pan, and of course the thud of ponies hitting the floor when they fell from their beds as they tried to rise.

A beam of sunlight shined through the window of a two-story home in the peaceful town, assaulting the still-sleeping eyes of a dark-brown unicorn stallion. Tacitus groaned slightly as he opened his emerald-green eyes and looked at the clock on the nightstand. Deciding now would be as good a time as any to get up, he stretched his back and his forelegs high into the air before heading to the bathroom to brush his teeth and comb his unkempt obsidian mane.

After finishing up in the bathroom, Tacitus went back to the nightstand beside his bed and put a gray and black flat cap on his head and wrapped a green and black plaid scarf around his neck. The cap and the scarf had belonged to his father and mother respectively, and he hardly ever took them off. His parents had died of illness almost a month ago, so the two articles of clothing meant a great deal to him, for he felt that they kept his parents close.

His parents’ deaths had affected him greatly; he had been constantly depressed and had given up hope of ever loving or caring about anypony ever again. That all changed when Tacitus met them. Six ponies of Ponyville had made it their mission to help Tacitus. Although he had initially resisted their attempts, he had finally broken down and told them his story. When they heard his tale, they had all embraced him and comforted him. They told him that they would be there for him and would take away the hurt.

No one had ever been as kind to him as they had been, and they had made him see that friendship is worth any risk, and that the pain of loss can be healed with true friends and with happy memories. He no longer mourned their death, he celebrated their life. He considered himself the luckiest pony in Equestria to have friends like them. He was happier than he’d been in a long time thanks to them.

As he finished putting on his attire, he picked up the photo of his parents that he kept by the bed. He smiled at it and kissed the picture.

“Love you guys,” he said as he placed the picture back on the nightstand.

He went downstairs and made himself a pot of coffee and a bowl of cereal. While he enjoyed his breakfast, he levitated a package that had been delivered late last night- the mail pony was almost always late with her deliveries- and began to open it.

The address said that it was from the History Museum in Canterlot. Before he moved to Ponyville, Tacitus had arranged with both the museum’s curator and the administration of Equestria University, where he had taught as a professor of history, that if any new artifacts should come in he would gladly study them and report his findings before sending it back to the museum.

Sure enough, inside the package was a statue that stood about a foot tall. It was of a unicorn dressed in armor and brandishing a gladius, a type of short sword. He could already tell a bit about what the statue was just by looking at it, but it still required further study. He smiled as he remembered telling Twilight about the arrival of the package and what it most likely contained. She was so excited when he asked if she wanted to help him study it the next day that he thought that she was going to pass out.

“Well, I shouldn’t keep her waiting.” He gulped down the last of his coffee before putting the statue in his saddlebag along with a few books before heading out the door.

The sight of the town now fully awake and busy was beautiful to Tacitus. He had come to love this town in the three weeks since he moved here, thanks in no small part to the fact that it was home to ponies he was glad to call friends. There was just something so soothing and peaceful about the town, like it was just a perfect paradise. To him, it was.

As he walked, he caught sight of something flying above him, if you could really call it flying. It looked more like a series of dips, falls, unnecessary turns, and just all-around ditzy movement. It looked as if it was flying while drunk. Tacitus knew exactly who it was.

“Good morning Derpy!” he called from below.

Not a moment later, a gray mare with crossed eyes wearing a mail delivery uniform crashed at his feet. She sprang up and seemed unaffected and she looked at him with a goofy smile.

“Hey there Tacitus! Sorry again about the late delivery. At least I didn’t break it. I didn’t break it right?” She looked at him with some concern.

He gave her a reassuring smile. “No, you didn’t break it. And as long as it gets to me, I don’t care if the mail is late.”

She wiped her forehead. “Whew! That’s a relief. I’m getting better at not breaking stuff. Hey! Do you want to get some muffins later?”

If there’s one thing he knew about Derpy, it’s that she loves muffins. “Sure, that sounds great. Meet me at lunch?”

“Sounds good to me. Mmmmm… muffins.” Drooling, she took off shakily back into the sky.

Still smiling, Tacitus shook his head slightly as he watched her go. She was a little off, but she had a good heart, and that was all he cared about.

As he continued to walk, he reflected on how many friends he’d made since moving here. He’d gotten to know many of the residents of Ponyville in the last few weeks, thanks to Pinkie (who seemed to know everything about everypony) and her amazing parties. He’d never imagined having any friends at all, let alone a whole town of them. But the ponies of Ponyville were all just so kind and friendly that it was impossible not to be friends with them. It truly was a paradise for him.

The street was filled with ponies he knew, and he waved to many of them, but he stopped at the sight of two foals running together through the street. One was a tan earth pony filly with curly red hair and pink eyes behind big blue glasses. She had a cutie mark of two candy canes joined together in the shape of a heart. The other was an earth pony colt who was much smaller than the average foal. He had a white coat with brown spots and a brown mane. His flank bore no cutie mark.

He smiled at them and waved. “Good morning Pip Squeak, Twist.”

Pip Squeak looked at him. “’Ello Mr. Tacitus. We’re going to the Cutie Mark Crusader meeting. Are you coming?”

Twist spoke up. “Yeah, it’s gonna be fun.”

Tacitus chuckled. “Not today, unfortunately. I have to go see Twilight. I promise I’ll make the next one though.”

“Okay Mr. Tacitus. We’ll see you on Monday,” Pip called as he and Twist resumed their trot and went past him.

“Don’t forget your presentation on the history of Saddle Arabia is due Monday!” he called to them as they sped off.

“We won’t!” they both called back without looking back at him.

Tacitus had become the assistant teacher to Ms. Cheerilee at the schoolhouse the first Monday after he’d moved to Ponyville. He taught history while Cheerilee taught everything else, although she was helping him branch out and begin to teach different subjects. He had been nervous the first day, but the students had welcomed him with open arms, especially after Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo told them how Tacitus had saved them from Timberwolves. He laughed as he remembered Pip Squeak drawing him with a cape and mask like he was a superhero. Once they had gotten to know him, they had taken to him even more.

He loved teaching at the school and he loved all the students, although two fillies named Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon had needed some disciplining for bullying. Although he loved all the students, he had to admit to himself that Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo each held a very special place in his heart.

From the moment he met them, they had left an impact on him. They were the first ones he willingly opened up to without any fear, and he was terrified when they had gone missing. There was just an unexplainable connection he had with them, one he could only think to compare to a big brother. Their determination to work hard and never give up in their quest to discover who they are greatly impressed him, and he had even helped them in a few of their pursuits. He was especially glad he was with them two weeks ago when they tried to get cutie marks as demolitions experts. Where they got that much dynamite, he would never know.

He continued on his journey for a few uninterrupted minutes before another set of familiar faces came into view. Mr. and Mrs. Cake, along with their young twins, were buying some ingredients from the local market. Tacitus had learned that they owned the sweets shop Sugar Cube Corner, where Pinkie lived and worked.

He waved to them. “Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Cake. How have you been?”

Mrs. Cake gave him a warm smile. “We’ve been wonderful. Thank you for asking. And thank you again for taking care of the twins last week when Pinkie was out of town.”

Now Mr. Cake spoke. “Yeah, you did a really good job with them. Would you be willing to watch them again if Pinkie isn’t available?”

Tacitus internally flinched. Like his mother, Tacitus loved foals, and Pound and Pumpkin were no exception, but he was still reluctant to look after them alone again. They were, without a doubt, the most difficult foals he’d ever met.

Pumpkin was a prodigy with magic. Tacitus nearly had a heart attack when he couldn’t find her anywhere in the house, only to realize that she had cast an invisibility spell and was in her crib the whole time. And Pound was already a proficient flier. Tacitus had collapsed in exhaustion after chasing him around the house to put him in the bathtub.

By the time he had put them to bed, he was exhausted, sore, and covered in all manner of filth. He shuddered at the memory, but then laughed to himself as he remembered playing peek-a-boo and other games with them. He was convinced that their giggle was one of the sweetest sounds in the world.

As if sensing his thoughts, Pound and Pumpkin began giggling and extending their tiny hooves out to him. That eliminated any doubt in his mind on what his response would be.

“Absolutely. Anytime you need me.” He smiled at the two infants and made a funny face that would have made his dad proud before continuing on his way.

He hadn’t walked far before he saw one of his more recently made friends headed in the direction Tacitus knew led to the town’s hospital. She was a zebra who was adorned with strange golden jewelry and an even stranger symbol as her cutie mark, and she carried a saddlebag filled with jars and vials that were themselves filled with different colored liquids. He caught up with her to greet her.

“Good morning Zecora. In town to sell some potions?”

She met his smile with one of her own. “A fine hello to you too. And yes, I’m here to sell my latest brew. With so many ponies getting sick, I thought my potions would do the trick.”

“Well, if anyone can make a cure, you can. I’ve got to get going to Twilight’s. Have a good day.” They waved goodbye to each other as Tacitus went back to his original path.

A lot of ponies had been getting sick lately. The doctors and nurses at the hospital had their hooves full. It was probably just the flu or a virus going around. Regardless, Zecora would take care of it.

After a few more minutes of walking, Tacitus finally arrived at Twilight’s castle. The first time he’d gone there, he’d been filled with dread. The castle and its resident princess had represented everything that had hurt him. Now, his joy only grew with each step he took towards the castle, for now it represented everything that he’d come to love.

“Twilight!” he called as he entered the castle.

Twilight emerged from the throne room upstairs and teleported down to the lower level so that she was directly in front of Tacitus.

“Good morning Tacitus. I’m so excited to see this artifact! Come on, let’s get right to work!”

She led him into the library, and he was about to pull the statue out of his bag when he heard a voice come from behind him.

“Hey Tacitus. How’s it going?”

“It’s going great Spike. Twilight and I were just about to start doing some research on an artifact the museum sent me. You wanna help?”

“No thanks. I just got the latest issue of Power Ponies and I’m dying to read it.”

“Did Mane-iac escape from the Asylum again?” he asked.

“Yup, and it looks like she’s teaming up with Charlie-Horse. This is gunna be good.”

Twilight shook her head at them. “You two and your comic books. I had my fill of Power Ponies when we got sucked into that messed up world.”

As Spike went to a bean-bag chair in the corner of the library, Tacitus remembered how comic books had really started his friendship with Spike.

* * *

Tacitus hadn’t spent much time with Spike, so a few days after he had told them all of his past, he had decided to spend some quality time with him.

Spike himself was really excited, for he had never really had another male friend. However, things weren’t going well. They didn’t have a lot of common ground and there were a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, which was only broken when Spike asked:

“So…do you like comic books?”

Tacitus beamed. “Heck yeah I do! You ever read Power Ponies?”

Spike gave him a smug look. “I haven’t just read it, I’ve been in it and I fought Mane-iac herself.”

Tacitus gave him a confused look and Spike began to laugh.

“Do I have a story to tell you.”

After Spike had told Tacitus of his and the friends adventure in the comic book world, to which Tacitus responded with amazement and jealousy, they spent the rest of the day discussing their favorite stories and debating who could beat whom in a fight. All in all, it was a very fun day.

* * *

After he finished reminiscing, Tacitus looked over and saw Twilight patiently waiting for him to finally show her the artifact.

“Sorry about that. Got lost in my own thoughts.” Tacitus pulled the statue out and showed it to Twilight. “It looks to be of Roamen design, but I’m not entirely sure who it is.”

Twilight smiled excitedly. “Well then, I’ll gather all the books I have on the subject and we’ll get started. This is gonna be sooooo fun!”

Tacitus smiled at her and he began to unpack some of the books he brought with him. He opened all of them with his magic and began to read, taking occasional glances at the statue as he did so. Twilight did the same thing.

As he read, he allowed his mind to wander a bit. Remembering his time with Spike led his train of thought to recall the time he had spent with his other friends. His best friends.

He remembered when Rainbow Dash introduced him to the Daring Do series. She was only exaggerating slightly when she had called it the “most awesome book ever.” The excitement, the adventure, and especially the discovery of historical treasures really made him connect with the books. He and Rainbow would spend hours geeking out over the books and wondering when the next one would come out.

In addition to her exceptional parties, Tacitus also discovered that Pinkie was an accomplished prankster. One particular morning found him sitting at his desk at the schoolhouse, only for a very loud and rude sound to emit from where he sat. His face went scarlet as the students started to laugh, but when Pinkie stuck her head through the window, Tacitus burst out laughing as well.

He recalled one day helping Rarity design a new line of clothes. He was surprised that she had asked him for advice, but she explained that she wanted to design some clothes based on ancient cultures and that she wanted him to tell her everything he knew about “the fashion of the ancients.” Her designs were beautiful, and they perfectly represented the clothing of the Roamens, Fillystines, and Equyptions. A few days later, Tacitus returned home to find her and the others waiting for him.

* * *

“Surprise!” they all shouted as he walked through the door.

He looked around and saw that the interior of his home had been completely re-done. The walls had been painted to look like a Roamen villa, the carpets depicted ancient battles like those seen on Roamen vases, and the curtains were embroidered with ancient symbols from various cultures.

Tacitus looked around the room with his mouth agape before looking at Rarity. “What is all this?”

“I do ever so hope you like it darling. This was just my way of thanking you for assisting me with my latest line. The girls all helped too. We even managed to convert that spare bedroom into a study like you always talked about doing. It has a desk, a new bookshelf, and a filing cabinet to store all those dusty scrolls and research papers.”

Tacitus didn’t know what to say. He was speechless for a moment before he finally managed to talk again. “Thank you. All of you. This is amazing.”

Rarity embraced him with one arm. “Oh, you’re ever so welcome sweetie.” She pecked him on the cheek, causing him to blush slightly.

* * *

Tacitus was snapped out of his memory by Twilight’s voice. “Tacitus, do you have Clover the Clever’s Myths and Mythology? I think this statue might be from some legend or maybe some kind of war deity.”

“Hm? Oh, yes. I have it right here.” He picked up the book in his magic and handed it to her.

“Thank you,” she said as she buried her face in the book.

Tacitus scribbled a few notes before looking at the statue again. He was missing something. The statue was much too detailed to just depict a random soldier, but he couldn’t place who it was. There was something oddly familiar about the pony that he couldn’t place.

He went back to his research and his mind wandered again, this time to Applejack. He recalled last week’s Ponyville Rodeo and cheering her on along with the rest of her friends as she won every blue ribbon. Tacitus had even gotten to participate in the rodeo himself as a volunteer. He regretted it immediately. There was no way in Tartarus he was ever going to get in a ring with a raging bull ever again. His heart threatened to beat out of his chest when he finally jumped to safety, but Applejack was impressed that he’d managed to stay in for fifteen seconds before bailing. So that was an accomplishment, he supposed. Even still, he enjoyed spending that day with her and the others at the rodeo.

And of course there was sweet Fluttershy. She had invited him to her home to help her watch over the animals, and he had gladly accepted. The only word he could use to describe that day was: serene. He enjoyed being introduced to the animals, learning their names, and watching her communicate with them. She truly had a special gift, he thought. They shared tea and sandwiches beneath the shade of a tree and talked as the birds sang for them. It was one of the most peaceful and relaxing days he’d ever had.

And now Tacitus was here with Twilight, sharing in his passion for history. Although they were quiet as they worked, the bond between them could still be felt. Two ponies who loved history working together. He had never done research with another pony before. He had to admit, he liked it.

Remembering all these fond moments that he has had with his friends, Tacitus thought once again about how lucky he was to have met them. They had brought him insurmountable happiness. It was a good life he lived. A very good life.

Twilight looked over at him and saw the smile on his face grow wider. “Found something?” she asked.

“Not yet,” he responded. “I was just thinking about-“ He stopped abruptly when something on the statue caught his eye.

He looked closely at the cross-guard on the gladius and saw a symbol that looked like a moon surrounded by beams of light. He immediately began flipping through pages in a particularly old book before he found what he was looking for.

“I knew that symbol looked familiar. The moon in front of the shining sun is the symbol of Emperor Solarus and Empress Noctus, the last rulers of the Roamen Empire. Or second-to-last, depending on who you ask.”

Twilight came up to him and looked at the book he held. “What do you mean?” she asked curiously.

“Well, another emperor ruled after them, but he was called the Usurper and the Great Betrayer, so there are historians that don’t recognize his rule as legitimate. Anyway, I think I know who our friend here is.”

Before he could elaborate any further, they heard a loud belching noise and saw a green flash of light. Spike walked over and handed a note from Twilight. “It’s from Princess Celestia,” he said.

Twilight took the letter in her magic and read it out loud.

Dearest Twilight,
Luna and I will be arriving at Ponyville Hospital soon and request that you and your friends meet us there. Please make haste, as this is of dire importance. I fear that Equestria may be in danger once again.
Your friend and mentor,
Celestia.

“This sounds serious. Looks like research will have to wait. Come on Tacitus, we need to gather the girls and get to the hospital. You’d better come too Spike.”

After Spike jumped onto Twilight’s back, the three of them set off to gather their friends and see what new threat Celestia has discovered.

Author's Note

Sorry this took so long to come out. Schools been keeping me pretty busy, so I haven't had as much time to write. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of my new story, which I hope to make even better than my first.

A New Quest

The last remnants of morning dew that clung to the grass was just about to evaporate before being trampled underhoof by the small procession of ponies, accompanied by a baby dragon, made their way toward Ponyville’s hospital. Concerned looks were plastered on their faces, except Pinkie who continued to smile and bounce the entire time, as they neared the building.

“Why do you think the princess asked us to meet her here?” asked Rainbow as she hovered above her friends.

“I’m not sure,” Twilight responded, “but a lot of ponies have been getting sick lately. Maybe that has something to do with it.”

Tacitus looked over at Twilight. “Yeah, that’s as good a guess as any. I saw Zecora earlier today, and she said she was going over there to help out.”

Applejack spoke up. “Whatever it is, it must be serious. Did the letter really say that Equestria could be in danger?” The look of worry on her face only intensified.

Twilight nodded. “She didn’t explain any more than that in the letter, so we’ll just have to see what the princess has to say. Honestly, I’m a little worried.”

Pinkie bounced over to Twilight’s side and wrapped a hoof around her shoulder. “Aww, come on Twilight! This isn’t the first time Equestria’s been in danger. We’ve fought tons of baddies and saved the day more times than you can shake a stick at. By the way, why would you shake a stick at something? If you shake a stick at something, are you mad at the thing you’re shaking the stick at or are you mad at the stick. But then, why would you be mad at a stick?”

“I think,” Rarity interjected before Pinkie could continue, “what Pinkie is attempting to communicate is that you have nothing to worry about darling. This isn’t the first time Equestria’s been in danger and it’s not the first time we’ve been charged with saving it. Whatever is wrong, I’m sure we can handle it.”

This reassurance caused Twilight and the others to relax slightly. “Still,” said Twilight, “we should treat this seriously. Whatever it is.”

As he listened to them, Tacitus couldn’t help but wonder at them and all they had done for Equestria. They were the Elements of Harmony, they saved Equestria from Nightmare Moon, Discord, the Changelings invasion (which he had witnessed), King Sombra, and even Tirek. They were heroes.

A feeling of self-consciousness and jealousy crept into his heart. They had done so much, and what was he? He wasn’t a hero, and yet here he was, walking with them as they went to receive what was most likely another call to be heroes. Did he even deserve to be there with them?

He looked at his friends sullenly. “Hey…is it alright that I came with you guys? You know, to see the princess?”

Twilight gave him a confused look. “Of course it’s alright. Why would you even ask that?”

Tacitus looked down at the ground. “Well, it’s just that…I feel like I’m intruding a little bit. You’ve all saved Equestria before, which is why Celestia asked for you. But I’ve never been part of your adventures and so I’m not sure I’m really supposed to be here.”

Tacitus felt an affectionate nudge come from Twilight. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she said. “Celestia asked for me and my friends to meet her, and you’re our friend. Ergo, you get to come along. We’re all friends first, and heroes second.”

Her words comforted him, and he was about to respond when the sight of the hospital doors cut him off. Twilight stepped forward and opened them, and the sight that greeted them caused a collective gasp.

The waiting area, which was normally empty aside from a few ponies waiting to be admitted or for relations of patients, was now full of ponies, all lying in makeshift beds with curtains around them as nurses and doctors scrambled frantically around them. Groans of pain were the only sounds the patients made, while the hospital staff shouted panicked orders. The only empty space in the room was a pathway down the middle, in which stood Princess Celestia and her sister Princess Luna.

The princesses noticed their arrival and beckoned them forward.

“Thank you all for coming,” Celestia spoke before her eyes moved to Tacitus, who shifted his hat nervously. “Who is this you have brought with you?” Her face was serious, but kind.

Twilight motioned for Tacitus to introduce himself. Living in Canterlot, he had seen the princesses on numerous occasions, but he had never actually met them, let alone stood this close to them.

He bowed low to the two princesses. “My name is Tacitus, you Majesties. It’s a real honor to meet you both.” As Tacitus introduced himself, no one noticed Rarity walk over to one of the bedsides where Zecora stood.

They both gave him soft smiles. “It is good to meet you as well,” Celestia said before her face grew grave. “I only wish we met under happier circumstances.”

Twilight spoke up. “Princess, what’s happening? Why exactly did you call for us? Does it have something to do with all these sick ponies?”

“I fear it may be even worse than that, my faithful student. All these ponies-“ Celestia was cut off by a shriek of pain that caused their blood to curdle.

“OH GOOD HEAVENS!!!!” Rarity cried. Her friends saw her standing by a bed next to Zecora and rushed over to see what had caused the outburst.

When they saw the pony that was writhing on the bed, their eyes widened and they gasped at the sight. Fluttershy covered her eyes and the color seemed to drain from Pinkie’s face. Tacitus stood in horror for a moment, before backing away from the bedside and gasped for air as if a stone sat on his chest.

The pony was so emaciated that he looked as if he were slowly wasting away. He looked as if his skin had just been stretched over his skeleton, with no meat or muscle in between. His coat, which looked like it might once have been a beautiful light blue, now looked sickly, discolored, and slightly green. His mane was almost nonexistent, as even now patches were falling out as he continued to writhe. Despite all that, his eyes were the most horrific. Where the eyes should have been white, they were instead as black as tar.

Twilight looked at Zecora in horror. “Are they all like this? What’s wrong with them?”

Zecora nodded her head somberly and looked at them all with dismay. “I do not know what has caused their ails. Every potion I give them, it simply fails. Fever, aches, and pains severe. If given no cure, they will die I fear.”

“That is not all,” Luna spoke as she and her sister joined them. “I have seen their dreams, and they are terrible. Whether or not they are sleeping, they live in constant nightmares and my attempts to dispel the nightmares or bring them comfort have failed.”

Twilight forced herself to look at the sick pony again, specifically at his eyes. “I’ve never heard of an illness that traps ponies in nightmares, or ones that affect the eyes like that. What’s going on Princess?”

Celestia spoke now. “That is why I called you all here Twilight. Ponies all over Equestria have been affected with this terrible illness, but the biggest outbreaks are near the river that runs through most of the country. I fear that some form of vile poison has been introduced into the river.”

Twilight’s look of horror only worsened. “The river supplies fresh water for all of Equestria. If it’s been poisoned…” She shuddered at the thought of more ponies ending up like these.

“We have quarantined the river areas,” Celestia continued, “and we have our best doctors searching for a cure. But I fear that no known medicine will cure this disease.”

Applejack gave her a confused and concerned look. “Whada ya mean? Why can’t they find a cure?”

“Because I believe that dark forces are behind the sickness,” said Celestia. “There have been reports coming from the Crystal Empire. Reports of strange occurrences and disappearances near the old Roamen ruins of Nova Domus.” Tacitus’s ears perked up at the mention of the ruins. “Due to the northern most part of the river being close to the Crystal Mountains, I believe that these events are connected in some way. Twilight, I want you and your friends to investigate the ruins and discover the source of the sickness. Stop whatever forces may be working there and find a way to cure those that have been afflicted.”

Twilight looked worried. Despite all she’d been through, she had never bore the weight of ponies lives on her shoulders. But she had to try. She had to find a way to save them.

Despite the worry, a look of determination appeared on her face. “You can count on us Princess. We’ll find out what’s going on, and we’ll find a cure.” Her confidence inspired her friends. While before they were horrified and silent at the sight of the sick, they now shared her look of determination.

Tacitus, who had been silent aside from breathing heavily since seeing the pony, now spoke up. “Your Highness, with your permission, I would like to accompany them on their journey. I know Nova Domus better than anyone. I’m sure there’s something I can do to help.”

Celestia gave him a curious look before it turned into a kind smile. “I don’t see any reason for you not to go as well. I believe that Twilight will need the help of all her friends on this journey.”

Tacitus breathed a sigh of relief. He was glad that the princess had consented to let him go, but even if she hadn’t, he still would have found a way to go. It’s true that he wanted to help his friends and help the sick ponies, but there was a much more important reason for him to go. All the symptoms the ponies displayed were very familiar, but it still could have been anything. What had convinced Tacitus that it was the same were the eyes. They were the same sickly black eyes that his parents had when they were sick. He was positive that whatever was killing these ponies, had killed his parents. He had to find out where it had come from and what had caused it. He had to know.

Twilight spoke. “Okay then, let’s all get ready to leave.” She seemed to notice something and began looking left and right, as though looking for something. “Has anyone seen Fluttershy?”

The others began to turn their heads and search for her, until Tacitus noticed that the curtain of a window was shaking. He pulled it aside and saw Fluttershy standing there with her hooves over her eyes.

She uncovered her eyes and looked shamefully at her friends. “Oh…um…I’m not sure I should go. I-I don’t really like scary dark forces and scary dark ruins. Maybe you should all just go without me.”

Tacitus responded before anyone else could. “Fluttershy, we need you. I’ve been to the ruins before and there’s nothing to be scared of." He gave her a comforting smile. "Besides, I’ll protect you. We all will. Isn’t that what you all told me? That friends protect each other?”

Fluttershy’s shaking eased and she smiled weakly. “O-Okay, I’ll go. I really do want to help, I’m just a little nervous. But I’ll be okay as long as I have you all.”

They all smiled at her. She was stronger than she knew; she just needs a push in the right direction sometimes.

Neither Fluttershy nor anypony else knew just how much Tacitus meant the words he had said to her. He had come to feel a love for these ponies that he hadn’t felt since his parents died. He cared for all of them deeply, and he refused to let anything happen to any of them. That was another reason why he wanted so badly to come with them. He wanted to keep them safe.

Perhaps he was being too serious, too overprotective. More than likely, he thought, there wouldn’t be anything to protect them from.

If he only knew how wrong he was, if he only knew what they would find, he would have forced them to stay in Ponyville while he went alone.

Author's Note

I'm really sorry this has taken so long to come out, but college has been keeping me pretty busy lately and I haven't been able to write as much. Unfortunately, this will probably be a recurring thing. I'll try to post at least one chapter a week, but I can't be sure. Thank you all for being so patient. Enjoy the story!

History Lessons

The clock struck noon as the train sat at Ponyville station, patiently awaiting its passengers to board so that they could disembark. Six mares stood, with the exception of Rainbow Dash who was floating, and waited for the last member of their group to arrive. Twilight tapped her hoof against the ground, her patience beginning to wear thin as she keeps taking glances at the clock.

“Where is he?” she asks no one in particular. “I told Tacitus to be here at noon so we could get to the Crystal Empire before nightfall.”

Just as she finished her sentence, she sees a large figure approaching. It takes her a moment to see that it’s Tacitus, who was wearing an impossibly large saddlebag bursting with books, papers, quills, and even some statues and pottery.

Twilight looked at him in disbelief. “What in Equestria are you doing with all that stuff? I said to only pack the essentials.”

Tacitus looked back at her incredulously. “This is essential. I need all of this for research.”

A loud slap is heard as Rainbow face-hoofs. “Tacitus,” said Twilight, “you can’t bring all of that. We have to travel light.”

“Fine,” Tacitus said with a sigh of regret. He took two books, one quill, and a few sheets of paper from the huge bag and put them into his smaller saddlebag. He had to bring something with which to do research. He was thinking about how he was going to get the rest of his luggage back home when he heard a crash come from above him. He looked up and saw Derpy pulling herself free from the hole in the roof of the station that she had made when she crashed. He waved to her and she waved back before falling off the roof and landing in front of him.

“Hey Tacitus!” she said as she sprang back up after what looked like a nasty fall. “We still on for muffins later?”

Tacitus gave her a sad look. “I’m sorry Derpy, but I’ve got to go up north for a little while. I’m not going to be able to make it today. I promise we’ll have lunch as soon as I get back.” He gave her a small smile to show that he meant it.

One of her eyes looked down in disappointment while the other one went to the center of the eye. “Oh. It’s okay, I understand.”

Tacitus started thinking about how he could make it up to her when he saw the overstuffed luggage he had brought with him. He had an idea.

“Hey Derpy, can you help me out with something? The train will be leaving soon and I don’t have time to take this back home before it leaves. I need somepony that I trust to take it back to my house for me. Can you do that?”

She beamed at him. “Really?! You trust me not to drop it or break anything?!”

He hesitated for only a moment before swallowing loudly and smiled at her. “Of course I trust you.”

She saluted him. “You can count on me! I’ll get this stuff back to your home in no time!”

She dashed off as quickly as she could, grabbing the large bag and carrying it as she flew into the air…in the wrong direction.

Tacitus called out to her. “Derpy! My house is that way.” He pointed her in the right direction.

She changed her course. “My bad!” A few moments later, a crashing sound was heard followed by an “oops.”

Tacitus put his hooves together in a praying fashion and looked into the sky. “Dear Celestia, there are priceless historical artifacts in that bag. Please, please, PLEASE don’t let anything be broken.”

“I can make no such promises,” spoke the voice of Celestia herself, who now stood right behind Tacitus. He yelped and jumped in surprise at the unexpected response. He quickly regained his composure and bowed as low as he could.

Celestia just giggled. “I’m sorry for startling you Tacitus, but I just couldn’t resist. And you don’t need to bow every time you see me.”

Tacitus’s face was so red with embarrassment that he wanted to just keep bowing so no one would see, but he rose nonetheless. He still wasn’t used to being so close to one of the Royal Sisters who had ruled Equestria for millennia. That reminded him: he really needed to see if he could interview the princesses one day. Living as long as they have, they must have experienced countless historical events personally. The things he could learn from them.

Celestia looked towards Twilight. “Are you and your friends ready for your journey?”

Twilight nodded. “I believe we are. Tacitus, did you clear up everything with Cheerilee?”

Tacitus had needed to tell Cheerilee that he most likely wouldn’t be back by Monday in order to teach the class, and that he may miss a few more days after that.

He nodded to Twilight. “Yes, I did. She completely understands.” Tacitus thought about what a great boss Cheerilee was. When he had come to her and told her what he was doing, she didn’t even hesitate before telling him that he was covered. Part of him was disappointed that he wouldn't be teaching for a little while, and that he wouldn't be seeing his students either. He missed them already.

Twilight’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. “Alright then, everything’s settled. Let’s get going.” Just as they began to make their ways towards the train, they heard someone call out.

“WAIT! Wait for me!” Spike was running as fast as his legs could carry him, a backpack strapped to his shoulders.

When he finally reached them, he slumped over, panting heavily as he tried to catch his breath. After a few breaths, he straightened up and looked at Twilight. “I want to come too.”

“I don’t know Spike,” she responded, “it could be dangerous. Besides, I need someone to look after the castle.”

Spike looked at her with pleading eyes. “Please Twilight, please let me come. I wanna help, and Princess Celestia said you’d need all your friends to help. Please let me come with you.”

Spike gave her a puppy-dog gaze in a desperate attempt to change her mind. Tacitus felt the need to help his friend and joined in his stare with the best puppy-dog eyes he could muster. Pinkie also joined in, but whether it was to help Spike or simply because it looked fun was anyone’s guess.

Twilight gave a relenting sigh. “Fine, you can come along. Just promise me you’ll stay close to us.”

“Thanks Twilight! I promise I will.” Spike quickly made his way to the train, anxious to get aboard before Twilight changed her mind.

“Somepony still needs to be here to keep an eye on things while I’m gone.”

Twilight began to swat at a fly that was buzzing around her ear, but stopped when she heard it speak. “Watch it princess!”

Twilight gasped in surprise before she recognized the voice. “Discord! What the hay are you doing?”

A small sound like tiny fingers snapping was heard, and where the fly once buzzed, Discord now stood. “I couldn’t help over-hearing that you need someone to look after things while you and the others go off on your epic quest. I’d be more than happy to oblige.”

Twilight looked skeptical, but she agreed nonetheless. “Alright. I’m trusting you to keep an eye on the castle and on Ponyville.” She shot him a warning look.

“I promise to keep several eyes on it.” As he said this, dozens of eyes began appearing on various buildings, terrifying the ponies that saw them and causing them to run away screaming. Before Twilight could reprimand him, he snapped his fingers and disappeared.

“What have I done?” Twilight asked herself as she covered her face with her hoof.

“Don’t worry Twilight,” Celestia told her. “I believe that Discord means well and I trust him to watch over the town for a while.” She noticed something in Twilight’s eyes. “What else is troubling you Twilight?”

Tacitus looked over at Twilight and saw a much more worried look spread across her features.

Twilight looked at her teacher with nervous eyes. “It’s just…I…I know that we’ve gone on quests to save Equestria before, but…ponies lives have never been at stake before. If we don’t succeed, they’ll all…” She couldn’t bring herself to finish her sentence.

Tacitus walked up to her and put an affectionate arm around her shoulder. “I feel the same way Twilight. This is a huge responsibility, and it’s also my first time doing something like this.” As he spoke, the rest of the gang gathered around them and wrapped their arms around each other. “But I know that I can do it because I have all of you. And I know that you can do it because you have all of us. I know we’ll succeed Twilight.” He gave her a warm smile and the embrace between all of them tightened.

Twilight smiled back at him and looked at Celestia with fierce confidence. “We’ll be back with a cure and whoever or whatever is behind this before you know it Princess. I promise.”

“I know you will Twilight. You truly have some excellent friends.” With that, she disappeared in a blinding flash of golden light, leaving the group of friends alone on the platform.

***

The train sped through the open field, barreling towards its northern destination as smoke spewed from its top. Inside, the train’s eight passengers all busied themselves so as to pass the time until their arrival. Spike sat next to Rarity and read a comic book, while Rarity herself was sketching something on her pad. Rainbow Dash was reclining in her chair, shades covering her eyes, and was joined in her relaxation by Applejack, whose eyes were covered by her hat. Pinkie was coloring in a coloring book, making great use of the color pink. Fluttershy was watching the various birds and other wildlife that passed by as the train continued its trek, and Twilight had her nose buried deep in a thick book. Tacitus was anxiously looking out the window and bouncing in his seat like a moron.

“Are we almost there?” he asked for the twentieth time.

“No,” everyone responded for the twentieth time.

“Argh! Come on! Why can’t this train go any faster?!” Tacitus continued to bounce around anxiously.

Twilight closed her book. “Why are you so excited anyway?”

Tacitus gave her a dumbfounded look. “Are you kidding? I’m finally going to see the Crystal Empire!”

Applejack tipped her hat up so that her eyes could be seen. “You’ve never been there before?”

“Well, technically yes, but the last time I was there was before the Empire came back. I was actually on an expedition to find some Crystal Empire artifacts, but I ended up finding the ruins of Nova Domus instead. Found one empire while looking for another I guess.”

“But why are you so excited to see the Crystal Empire?” Twilight asked.

“Seriously?” he asked her. “Twilight, the Empire was gone for a thousand years and now it’s back. It’s a lost civilization that’s no longer lost, and it’s filled with ponies that lived a thousand years ago. This is a historians dream!”

Twilight thought on this for a moment. “Huh. I never thought of it like that. Unfortunately, we won’t really have time for historical studies.” Tacitus’s face dropped slightly. “We’re only going to stay long enough to get supplies and some information from Cadence and Shining Armor and then we’re heading out walking the rest of the way to the ruins.”

He ceased his bouncing but still looked excitedly out the window. “Still, to see a piece of history, to see ponies that lived a thousand years ago. I can’t wait.” He was silent for a few moments. “Are we there yet?”

“AAAAHHH!” shouted Rainbow as her glasses flew from her face. “Tacitus, if you ask that one more time, I can’t be held responsible for what I do! So please, for the love of Celestia, find a way to entertain yourself and stay quiet until we get there!” She settled back into her chair, although not quite as comfortably.

Tacitus gave an impatient sigh, before an idea donned on him. He had the perfect thing to keep himself entertained. He levitated his saddlebag and took out a stack of cards that were bound together by a rubber band. He looked at them excitedly.

“Anypony want to play some flashcards with me?” He waved the cards around and expected everyone to accept his offer in a heartbeat. However, all he heard was silence and murmurs of rejection. He looked disappointedly at the deck until he heard someone speak.

“I’ll play.” Tacitus looked and saw that it was Twilight who had spoken. He smiled at her. He knew she’d be game. She set down her book and took the seat directly across from him.

“Alright, so here’s how we play,” he said as he took the rubber band off the cards. “Each card has an important individual form history on it. You have to guess who it is.” Twilight nodded in understanding and Tacitus drew the first card. It depicted a short pony with a fancy blue military uniform and an oversized hat. He had one hoof stuck inside of his shirt.

Twilight answered almost immediately. “That’s Naponyon.”

“Correct!” He pulled out another card. This one showed an armored pony that had an arrow in its heel.

Again, almost immediately, Twilight answered. “Afillies.”

“Correct again.” This went on for a few more minutes with Twilight guessing correctly each time. It wasn’t until a card that depicted a goat wearing an ornate headdress and carrying a crook and flail did she not answer immediately. She sat there and rubbed her chin for a while before she finally spoke.

“I give up. I honestly have no idea who this is.”

“This is Ramses,” Tacitus explained. “The first and only goat to rule Equypt. He was the advisor to the previous pharaoh, Amanehotep, and was made his successor when he didn’t have any children of his own. A lot of ponies weren’t happy being ruled by a goat, but he proved himself to be a very effective leader. He’s even considered one of the greatest in their history. You know…” He stopped himself as he realized he was ranting. “Sorry,” he said in embarrassment, “I get carried away sometimes.”

Twilight just giggled at him. “It’s okay. I actually enjoy a good history lesson every now and again. But how about we move to a different subject now?” She levitated her own saddlebag over to her and pulled out, not one, but two stacks of flashcards. “I always bring them on long trips, but no one’s ever played with me till now. Let’s do science first.” She set one of the decks down and pulled from the other one a card that depicted an uppercase B and a lowercase e. “Which element is this?” Twilight asked.

Tacitus just stared at the card for a few moments before sighing. “I have no clue.”

Twilight looked a little surprised. “It’s beryllium. Okay, let’s try this.” She held up another card that showed: F= _ X a. “Force equals what times acceleration?”

Again, Tacitus just stared at the card, his mind utterly blank. “Twilight, ask me about any ancient civilization; their language, their culture, their great leaders, the wars they fought; and I can tell you everything. History is my passion, but in other academic subjects, I’m very average. Except science, which I am just terrible at.”

Twilight was undeterred. “Alright then, we’ll try astronomy.” She grabbed the other deck and pulled out a card showing a pattern of stars, that to Tacitus just looked haphazardly placed and formed nothing. “What constellation is this? Hint: it’s a famous hunter that wears a belt.”

Tacitus stared at the card, but this time it wasn’t due to him not knowing the answer. Instead of looking at the stars, Tacitus was staring at the darkness that made out the background. It was the same pitch blackness that covered the eyes of those sick ponies. The eyes of his parents.

His ears flattened against his head and his eyelids drooped slightly. “Hey Twilight, I’m sorry, but I don’t feel like playing anymore.” Without waiting for a reply, he turned away from her and went back to staring out the window.

Twilight put down the cards a looked at him with concern. “What’s wrong?” The others had noticed the shift in tone and were beginning to inch closer to him in their seats.

“Nothing,” he lied. “Just not good at astronomy is all.”

“Liar, liar, pants on fire,” said Pinkie.

“Tacitus, you can talk to us,” said Twilight. “I thought you would have known that by now.”

Tacitus looked and saw all of his friends looking at him, waiting for him to explain himself. He had to tell them. He sighed before he spoke.

“I was just remembering the eyes on those sick ponies.” A collective shudder overtook them all as they remembered the sight of the patients. “Those ponies had the same symptoms my parents had when they died.” He absent-mindedly grasped his scarf as he spoke. “The eyes, especially. They had those same black eyes. That’s why I wanted to come, because I want to know what it was that killed them. I want to know where the sickness came from.”

Twilight put her hoof on his shoulder. “I promise we’ll figure out what caused it and we’ll find a cure.”

“I just wish someone had done that when my parents were sick.”

Everything was silent for a few moments, no one knowing how they should respond. Rarity finally broke the silence.

“Tacitus, since you’ve been there before, why don’t you tell us a little bit about Nova Domus? I’d love to hear the riveting history that it must hold.” She gave him a kind smile.

Tacitus smiled in return, thankful for the opportunity to change the subject. “It is actually a fascinating story. But, first you’d need a brief history of the Roamen Empire itself before you hear about Nova Domus.”

“Great,” said Rainbow. “A boring egghead history lesson. I got enough of that when I was studying for the Wonderbolts exam.”

The others glared at her, but Tacitus gave her a cheeky grin. “You know Rainbow, this story is pretty exciting. It has heroes and wars and intrigue. It’s kind of like a Daring Do novel.” She had taken his bait. Rainbow now sat upright and seemed to pay more attention than anyone.

Tacitus felt like he was back teaching in Equestria University, and he began to speak. “The area that was the Roamen Empire was a vast stretch of land that lied north of what one day would be called Equestria. It was a powerful empire that was almost constantly at war with its barbarian neighbors, but it was internally peaceful and stable. However, during the reign of the last true Emperor and Empress, the alicorns Solarus and Noctus, they were betrayed and murdered by their greatest general: Imperius.

“Imperius was a unicorn who was born with a strange mutation; some sources say two horns while others say three eyes, which gave him incredible magical power. He disappeared for five years and returned as a master of dark magic. Some say he was the first unicorn to use dark magic, and others even say he created dark magic. Regardless, he used that power to usurp the throne and raise an army of the undead to enforce his will.

“He attempted to kill the two princesses as well, but they managed to escape, although they became lost and were alone for centuries before they revealed themselves and took their birthright as rulers. Although they became the rulers of Equestria rather than Roam.”

“Hold on a minute,” interrupted Applejack. “Are you sayin’ that Celestia and Luna were the princesses of the Roamen Empire?”

Tacitus looked somewhat surprised. “Yeah, they are. I thought everyone knew that. Starswirl the Bearded confirmed from Celestia herself and wrote about it in his book on ancient civilizations.” He looked around and saw all of them, even Twilight, shaking their heads. “Well anyway, Imperius ruled with an iron hoof and destroyed anypony who got in his way. Immediately after he seized power, he decided he needed a way to scare the empire into submission; a display of his power that would destroy any thoughts of rebellion. So, he used his magic to cause the volcano Mount Vehoovius to erupt. It destroyed the city of Ponypeii and killed everypony in it.”

He paused for a moment to let that sink in. A horrified look was present on the faces of all his listeners. “However, it had the opposite effect. The citizens of Ponypeii became martyrs. To those that were unsure whether they should fight, they now knew that they had to, but they needed somepony to lead them.” Tacitus began searching through the deck of cards he brought with him until he found the one he was looking for. “Luckily, they found the perfect pony.”

He showed them the card, which depicted an armored unicorn wielding a gladius. “That looks just like the pony in the statue we were studying earlier,” said Twilight.

“That’s because they’re the same pony. This is Aeneighus, the Roamen Empire’s greatest hero and close friend to the previous ruling family. He led the rebellion against Imperius, but it took time to build up a sufficient force, gather intelligence, and pick the right moment to attack. Years went by as the rebels engaged in guerilla warfare with Imperius’s forces and various rebel spies infiltrated his ranks.

“During this time, a group of refugees attempted to escape from Imperius’s regime and fled south to the very edge of the Empire’s borders. They scaled the mountains, and on the other side established a city they called Nova Domus, which means ‘New Home.’ The refugees made contact with the rebels, and agreed to let them use the city as their base of operations. The city became a bastion and headquarters for Aeneighus and his allies.

“But they were discovered. Under torture, a captured rebel spy revealed the location of Nova Domus. Imperius sent a force of dragons that he had corrupted to serve him to wipe out the city. They succeeded. Fortunately, a series of tunnels built under the city allowed most of them to escape. Shortly afterwards, the rebels made their move.

“They attacked the Imperial City of Roam itself. Aeneigus faced Imperius in single combat and destroyed him, but lost his life in the process. Imperius was defeated and his army of the dead became dust.

“But it was hardly a happy ending. With the princesses still missing, there was no proper heir to the throne and the nobles began to fight amongst themselves. And with Aeneighus dead, there was no one who could unite the empire and the empire fell into chaos and civil war. Eventually, the Roamen Empire was no more and in its place were the Three Tribes. The rest, as they say, is history.”

His friends appeared to be enraptured as he ended his tale, even Rainbow Dash.

"That was actually a pretty cool story,” Rainbow said.

Tacitus grinned at her. “History is the greatest story ever told, and it’s completely true. More or less.”

“Pulling into Crystal Empire Station!” called the conductor.

The excitement of seeing the Crystal Empire returned to Tacitus and he grinned from ear to ear. “Yes! Finally!”

He and the others made their way towards the door of the train and stepped out into the Crystal Empire.

From Crystal to Snow

The Crystal Empire looked as beautiful as ever. The buildings glowed with a brilliant, almost blinding light from the reflected late-afternoon sunshine. The city was bustling with crystal ponies walking here and there, busily going about their day with their crystal coats glowing almost as brightly as the buildings.

Twilight and her friends walked towards the central building of the city: the Crystal Castle, where the rulers of the Empire, Cadence and Shining Armor, dwelled. They walked casually among the populace, taking in the beauty of the Empire that they never got tired of seeing.

Twilight began to look back and forth, noticing something, or someone, was missing from their group.

She looked toward her friends. “Has anypony seen Tacitus?”

The others began to glance around in the same fashion as Twilight, searching the area for their missing friend. They heard him before they saw him.

“So, what was life like a thousand years ago?” they heard him ask from somewhere behind them.

They turned around and saw him some distance back, talking to a crystal pony mare with a shining golden coat and an amber mane, a quill and stacks of paper held in his dark blue aura.

“How have things changed since then? Has technology improved very dramatically from your time to the present? Who ruled the Empire before Sombra? What was the Empire’s relationship with the other nations of the world at the time? Have you and other crystal ponies adapted well to the present?” All these questions he asked with an excited, almost insane look on his face. He eagerly awaited her to answer his questions.

The mare just gave him a blank stare. “Ummmm….” Her eyes darted back and forth, desperate for someone to pull her out of this awkward situation.

Luckily, Applejack granted her request. “Alright partner, that’s enough of that.” She walked over to him and yanked him by his scarf, dragging him across the ground as he desperately but futilely tried to resist.

“Applejack, wait!” he pleaded. “Just give me one minute! All I need is one minute to find out more about the Empire. Please?”

“Sorry Tacitus, not gonna happen,” she responded as she dragged him back to the group. Once they were reunited, Applejack let go of Tacitus and he stood back up, dusting himself off and fixing his scarf. He levitated his quill and paper back into his saddlebag.

“Great,” he sighed as he saw the mare he’d been interviewing had disappeared. “Now I have to find somepony else to interview.

Rainbow Dash frowned at him. “We don’t really have time for interviews right now Tacitus. We’re kinda in the middle of a mission, remember?”

“But-“

“Rainbow’s right Tacitus,” said Twilight. “We need to go see Cadence and Shining Armor to get some information about these strange happenings near the ruins, and then we’re heading straight out. Time is of the essence, so we can’t afford to waste any on historical inquiry.”

Although disappointed, Tacitus knew she was right. It was selfish of him to be concerned about research when there were sick ponies that were counting on him and the others to help them. Who knows how long they had left before they finally succumbed to the illness. A feeling of guilt overtook him as he thought of this. He silently promised himself he wouldn’t let himself be distracted again. He had to focus on helping those ponies.

“I’m sorry, you’re right.” He smiled at them, determined to help them in any way he could. “Let’s get going then.”

Now rejoined by Tacitus, the group resumed its trek towards the Castle. As they walked, Tacitus couldn’t help but admire the beauty of the Empire. The dazzling architecture and the exotic ponies were incredibly fascinating to him. He had never seen anything like the Empire, and knowledge of it was so scarce before its return. The sight of it, this magnificent city that was of historical myth, was breath-taking. To him, it rivaled even Canterlot in its regal beauty and majesty.

Once he saw the Castle, he was more amazed than ever. He marveled at the crystalline tower that reached high into the air, and his mouth was wide in awe as he beheld the Crystal Heart floating over a pedestal just outside the entrance. Although he wanted desperately to examine the Heart closer, he resisted the urge and followed the others toward the doors to the Castle.

Two crystal pony guards stood at the entrance, and upon seeing Twilight quickly snapped to attention and saluted her. She gave a warm smile and a nod to the guards and proceeded into the crystal citadel, along with the rest of her companions. They had hardly taken a few steps when someone shouted out to them. Well, shouted out to Twilight at least.

“Twily!” The shout was soon followed by the appearance of a white unicorn stallion with a sapphire blue mane and light blue eyes. He ran towards Twilight and enveloped her in a tight embrace. “It’s so good to see you sis! Feels like it’s been forever.”

Twilight returned the embrace. “It’s good to see you too BBBFF! You remember my friends, but I don’t think you’ve met Tacitus yet.”

She waved a hoof at Tacitus and her brother turned his gaze on him. Twilight had told Tacitus a lot about her brother, so he was both excited and somewhat nervous about meeting him.

Before Tacitus could properly greet him, Shining Armor turned back to Twilight. “So, is he your coltfriend or something?”

Tacitus’s entire face became the color of a tomato and he quickly moved to cover his face with his hat as best as he could. His friends began to snicker and giggle behind him, except Rainbow who was laughing loudly and clutching her sides. Twilight looked aghast at her brother.

“What?! No! That’s ridiculous! He’s just a friend and-“

She was cut off by her brother’s laughter. “Relax Twily, I was only kidding. Thou doth protests too much me thinks.” He gave her a smug grin, and Twilight glared daggers at him. Tacitus was still recovering from the embarrassment when Shining Armor approached him.

Tacitus tipped his hat and gave a slight bow. “It’s good to meet you Prince Armor.”

Tacitus’s hoof was suddenly seized in a firm hoof shake and Shining Armor beamed at him. “No need for the titles. Any friend of Twily’s is a friend of mine.”

After releasing his grip on Tacitus, he motioned for them to follow. “Come on, Cadence is waiting for us in the throne room.” They followed in his wake.

Twilight came to Tacitus’s side. “Sorry about that,” she said. “My brother thinks he’s a comedian.”

“Don’t worry about it Twilight, it’s fine.”

Tacitus’s face was still slightly red, and the fact that the girls were still giggling wasn’t helping in the least to alleviate his discomfort. He considered Twilight as a very close friend. Nothing more, nothing less. But for someone to insinuate something like that, even if it was only jokingly, was incredibly flustering to him.

They walked for a few moments before entering the throne room of the castle. There on a throne made of pure white crystal sat a pink alicorn with a vibrant mane of purple, pink, and gold and light purple eyes. She levitated stacks of papers in front of her and was signing each of them with a quill. She looked up at the sound of approaching hooves and smiled widely at her guests.

“Twilight!” she shouted with glee as she ran towards them, the papers and quill dropping to the floor as she unconsciously released her magic.

“Cadence!” Twilight responded in turn as she ran to meet her.

They both spoke simultaneously.

“Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!”

Tacitus watched in confusion as Twilight and Cadence did the movements associated with the words.

“What the hay are they doing?” he quietly asked Pinkie.

“It’s something they’ve done since Twilight was an itty bitty filly. It’s kinda like a Pinkie Promise.”

After finishing their greeting ritual, Twilight turned and waved towards Tacitus. “Cadence, this is our friend Tacitus.”

Tacitus removed his hat and bowed low. “A pleasure to meet you,” he said.

Cadence gave him a slight nod and a wide smile. “A pleasure to meet you too. It’s really good to see all of you again. Things have been…hectic around here recently.” The smile turned into a look of nervous concern.

“Does it have to do with why we’re here?” Twilight asked.

“Yes, unfortunately, it does,” Shining answered. “A lot of strange things have been happening at the old ruins. A few weeks ago, a pair of guards was on duty on the outskirts of the empire. According to his partner, one of them saw someone headed in the direction of the ruins and went to investigate. He never came back. We’ve sent nearly a dozen guards to that place and none of them have been seen since.”

Cadence chimed in. “Shortly after the first disappearance, the first ponies started to get sick. Every day, more and more ponies are being admitted into the hospital. We’ve been able to keep the citizens calm so far, but I can feel their fear and anxiety rising.”

A look of apprehension was present on everyone’s face, except Twilight, who remained undeterred.

“Is there anything else you can tell us?” she asked.

“No,” said Shining, “but we can give you supplies for the journey and an escort of guards to guide you there.”

“The guards won’t be necessary,” Twilight said simply.

“How do you expect to get to the ruins then?” Shining asked. “You’ve never been there before.”

“Tacitus has. He went to the ruins on a historical expedition, so he’ll be our guide.” Twilight flashed a smile at Tacitus, and he found that a sense of confidence and pride spread through him.

“At least take the guards for protection then,” Shining suggested. Tacitus saw a look of worry in his eyes, more so than the others.

“M-Maybe we should Twilight,” Fluttershy stammered. “I-I mean, you know, if that’s okay with everypony.”

Twilight shook her head. “We’ll be fine on our own. There’s nothing out there we can’t handle.” Tacitus couldn’t help but admire her confidence, but something in his gut wished she would accept the offer.

“Well,” Cadence said, “we still have these for all of you.” Her horn illuminated with a light blue aura and she levitated a couple of bags that appeared to be filled with crystalline fruit and bottles of water, and eight cloaks; seven were pony-sized while the eight was the perfect size for a baby dragon.

Each of them received a cloak, while Pinkie and Applejack opted to carry the bags of food and water. They each put on their cloaks, which were of a dark green color, except Rarity. She stared at her cloak for a few moments, a look on her face like she had a lemon in her mouth. Her horn glowed and enveloped the cloak, and in a few moments, her cloak was bedazzled with various gems and the edges were cut into an elegant design.

“Much better,” she said as she put on her cloak. She looked and noticed that her friends were staring at her, some of them shaking their heads slightly. “What? I can do yours too if you like.”

***

They all stood at the edge of the city, the green grass abruptly turning into snow-covered ground. They stood just inside the invisible barrier that kept the Empire green and lush in the frozen north, and only a few feet away was blistering cold and violent blizzard.

Shining Armor had joined them at the edge of the Empire and held Twilight in a tight embrace. His eyes were still filled with concern.

“Please stay safe sis. I don’t want you and your friends going missing too.” He reluctantly released her, and Twilight gave him a smile.

“Don’t worry Shining, I promise we’ll be fine. We’ll be back before you know it.” She turned and headed towards the snow, followed closely by her friends. Just as Tacitus began to walk as well, he felt a hoof grab on to his shoulder. He turned and saw that the hoof belonged to Shining Armor.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Shining said. “If it weren’t for my responsibilities here, I’d go with you. Please do me a favor and look out for my sister. Don’t let her get hurt.”

Tacitus nodded. “I will. I promise.” Shining smiled weakly and released his shoulder. Tacitus rushed to catch up with them, soon smacking into what felt like a wall of pure ice. Going from comfortably warm to freezing cold in a matter of seconds, Tacitus shivered as he continued to run until he caught up with his friends, who were waiting for him to lead the way.

“We need to start heading northeast,” Tacitus said. “With this weather, it’ll probably be a few hours before we make it to Nova Domus, so we better get moving.” With that, they began their long journey to the Roamen ruins.

***

Numerous candles provide the only illumination in the otherwise dark room. The room looks as if it is crumbling; broken structures and walls littered the snow-covered interior. A single pony, shrouded in a hooded cloak and his feature hidden in the darkness, waits patiently for his “guest” to arrive.

The sound of a door creaking open draws his attention, and from the door emerges two more hooded ponies, dragging a third between them. Unlike the others, the one being dragged had no cloak and his features were visible in the dim light. He was a green unicorn, although his horn had been broken off. He was covered in various cuts and bruises and was bleeding profusely. Tears of blood poured out through the socket that once held his left eye.

“Wake him,” the pony commanded. The unicorn that held the left side of the prisoner turned his horn towards the prisoner and sent an electric shock into his body. The pony writhed and screamed in pain as he regained consciousness, sparks of electricity dancing around his form.

“The last scion of the Sentinels. How disappointing. Your ancestors would be ashamed of you, being so lax in your duty. I can end the pain, if you but tell us where it is.”

The prisoner remained silent, staring at the floor and groaning in pain. The lead pony turned to the two that were holding him.

“Take the other eye.” One of the cloaked ponies immediately began to dig his hoof into the unicorn’s right eye. Amid the screams of pain, the prisoner was able to shout the words they wanted to hear.

“WAIT! WAIT! I’LL TALK! I’LL TELL YOU!”

The lead pony smiled and waved for them to cease. He leaned in close, excited anticipation clear on his face.

After a moment of catching his breath and letting the pain subside to a bearable level, the broken unicorn looked up.

“It’s in Mt. Vehoovius. But good luck getting past all the enchantments and traps. You’ll never get your hooves on it.”

“Enchantments and traps are of no concern, and you have outlived you usefulness.” He drew a dagger from his cloak and slid it slowly across the prisoner’s throat. After a grotesque gurgling noise and a few seconds of twitching, the prisoner was still. They dropped him to the floor and a pool of blood began to form around his head. The leader looked to his comrades. “The master will be very pleased.”

“I am indeed.” The rasping voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere. It echoed off the walls and sent chills up their spines. “Finally, after all these years, my power is within my grasp. But there is a disturbance.”

“More patrolling guards, my lord?”

“No, these are different. They are destined for Nova Domus. These ponies carry someone familiar among them.”

“What are you orders master?”

“Slaughter them.”

Battle in the Blizzard

Searing-cold wind buffeted against the cloaks of the travelers. They shielded their eyes from the oppressive wind and shivered despite their best efforts to stay warm. Rainbow Dash flapped her wings as hard as she could, but she was moving just as slow as the rest of her friends as they waded through the snow. Pinkie was the only one who seemed to not mind, as she bounced through the snow, sinking all the way to her chest before springing back up into the air.

“How does she keep so upbeat in such miserable weather?” Tacitus wondered as he continued to shiver, the cloak Cadence had given him only helping so much. His nose was beginning to go numb. He hated that feeling. Using his magic, he brought his scarf up so that it covered his muzzle and tightened it. “Thanks mom,” he thought as feeling began to return to his muzzle. His hat slightly helped to keep him warm as well, the area it covered being cozy compared to the rest of his body.

A sudden feeling of warmth and a bright green light caused Tacitus to look behind him. Small streams of fire escaped Spike’s mouth with every breath he took. He stood in the center of the group so that everyone could feel the warmth of his fire.

“Good thinking Spike,” said Twilight.

“Yeah,” Pinkie added. “Now we’re all nice and cozy.”

“If only you could melt all this awful snow,” added Rarity. “Or if this dreadful storm could subside. This wind is bad for my mane, and the cold snow is ruining my hooficure. Not to mention my new cloak is getting dragged through this filth.”

Tacitus leaned close to Applejack. “Does she always whine like this?” he whispered.

Apparently he didn’t whisper quietly enough. “Excuse me,” Rarity said indignantly, “but I am not whining, I am complaining. There is a difference. This is whining,” she took a deep breath, and began to speak in her whining voice. “Are we there yet? My hooves hurt. This saddlebag is heavy. Why is this taking so long?!”

The girls and Spike began to laugh and Tacitus smiled as he rolled his eyes. “I’m sorry Rarity,” he said before looking back at Applejack. “Does she always complain like this?”

Applejack giggled. “Yup.”

This caused another round of laughter, even from Rarity. Tacitus laughed with them before he heard a strange voice.

“Find it,” the voice said.

“Huh?” Tacitus looked around but saw nothing.

“You have to find it.” It sounded as if the wind itself were carrying the voice.

“Find what?” Tacitus asked to no one.

“Tacitus,” Twilight asked, “are you alright?”

“Don’t you hear it?” Tacitus asked them.

“Hear what?” responded Fluttershy.

Tacitus listened for a moment for the voice to speak again, but all he heard was the howling of the wind. “Nothing…I guess. It must have just been the wind. Come on, we’re nearly there.”

Tacitus continued to lead them forward through the blizzard, a large mountain shadowing them, until the old stone ruins built into the mountain range were just visible in the distance. That wasn’t all they saw.

Standing on a low hill were five ponies cloaked in black. Their faces were hidden under the hoods of their cloaks and they stood perfectly still in the freezing cold, watching Tacitus and his friends approach.

They all stopped when they saw the hooded figures, unsure of how to respond, until Twilight stepped forward.

“Excuse me,” she called. “We’re here on a mission on behalf of Princess Celestia of Equestria. I am Princess Twilight Sparkle and these are my friends. Who are you and what are you doing here?”

The one that stood in the center of the unknown group spoke. “We come bearing the word of our master. That word is: begone.”

The strangers lit up their horns, revealing themselves to be unicorns. A loud rumbling echoed through storm, the world seemed to shake beneath their hooves. They looked and saw with horror a sheet of snow and rock rushing down the mountain and directly towards them at incredible speed.

Tacitus turned to where the strangers had stood, but found that they had disappeared. He turned back to the avalanche that threatened to crush them. The avalanche was mere inches from them when he turned his gaze away from the spot where the strangers appeared. There was no way they could outrun it, no way for them to all escape. Tacitus stood frozen as the snow fell upon them. He closed his eyes and waited for the end.

But the end didn’t come. He heard the snow crash into him, but he didn’t feel anything. He was still breathing and he didn’t feel as though he were covered in anything. Through the darkness of his closed eyes, he could see a faint pink light. He opened his eyes and saw a barrier of the same pink color separating him from the snow and stone. He looked around and saw his friends were in the barrier with him and Twilight’s horn was glowing brightly.

“Quick thinkin’ there Twi!” Applejack said. “I reckon you just saved our lives.”

“How positively rude!” Rarity exclaimed. “What kind of ruffians treat strangers like that?”

Twilight spoke up. “I’m guessing the same kind that are behind whatever’s going on at Nova Domus. Come on, we need to go after them.” Her horn glowed more intensely, causing the dome she erected to glow brighter as well. Just as the light became blinding, her magic exploded outwards, melting the snow that surrounded them and setting them free. Once they were in the open air, they began to run towards the ruins. As he ran with them, Tacitus was internally kicking himself.

“What the hay was I doing back there?! I could have put up that barrier, I could have saved us, but instead I just…froze up. If it weren’t for Twilight…we’d all be dead.” Tacitus continued to grow more and more frustrated with himself. “Why am I even here? They clearly could have been guided here by the guards, so what good am I?”

He looked over to his friends. Celestia had agreed that he should go with them, and they had wanted him to go. Twilight had even refused the military guide in favor of him. So why did he feel so useless? So helpless?

It wasn’t long before they were in the ruins themselves, surrounded on all sides by the crumbling fortress. But there was no sign of their assailants.

Once again, Twilight took charge. “Everypony start looking around for clues, but don’t wander too far.” They followed her instructions and began searching, looking for anything that might lead to the whereabouts of their attackers or anything else of importance.

The first time Tacitus had been here, when he’d first discovered Nova Domus, he’d been ecstatic. The ruins were peaceful and teeming with lost knowledge. Now, the ruins felt different. They felt threatening and…tainted somehow. As he sifted through the familiar, yet now unfamiliar, structure, his hoof knocked against something that felt as though it were made of metal. He looked down and saw something poking out of the snow. He used his magic to push aside the snow to reveal the object. He wished he hadn’t.

Laying there was the still-helmeted head of a Crystal Empire guard. Its eyes stared in blank shock, and clotted blood covered the area where the neck was severed from the body. Tacitus looked at it in horror for a moment before retching violently in the snow. Steam rose up as the warm puke connected with the cold snow. The others seemed to hear him.

"Tacitus what’s wrong? Did you find something?” It was Twilight who called. She and the others soon came to where he stood, staring into the distance.

“You alright there partner? Yer lookin’ mighty pale.”

“And what in Equestria made you-“ Rarity saw the head. “OH SWEET CELESTIA!”

The others now looked and saw the grisly sight. Pinkie looked like she was about to join Tacitus is losing their lunch, Fluttershy had her eyes sealed tight and pretended not to see, and the others simply had the shocked stare that Tacitus now had. A collective shiver ran up their spines.

A strange, unnatural wind blew through the ruins. Snow was blown away to reveal more bodies of more guards. Some had gaping holes in their chests, or deep lacerations across their barrels; all were dismembered in one form or another.

As they looked in horror at the mangled bodies strewn across the ground, the source of that unnatural wind revealed itself. Appearing to emerge from the stones themselves, the cloaked ponies that they had encountered before, along with five more so that they totaled ten in number, revealed themselves. Their horns were glowing from spell they cast.

“Take a good look. You’ll be joining them.” One of the unicorns charged his horn and sent a blast towards the group. It missed but succeeded in splitting them up. Their assailants fell upon them.

After jumping clear of the blast, Tacitus began to search around for his friends, trying to make sure they were safe. He heard a familiar scream and turned to see Spike getting chased by a unicorn that was shooting magical blasts at him. Spike turned and breathed a jet of flame at his attacker, only for the unicorn to block it with a conjured shield. While the unicorn was distracted, Tacitus shot a beam at his side and knocked him away.

“Are you alright?” he asked as he ran up to Spike.

“Yeah, I’m goo-“ Another unicorn suddenly teleported next to Tacitus, a sword held in his magic and ready to take his head off. Spike quickly shot a gout of flame at the unicorn, this time striking true and leaving him charred and unconscious.

“I think that makes us even,” Spike said with a satisfied smile.

Tacitus wasn’t listening. He was frantically scanning the area for the rest of his friends. A series of grunts drew his attention upward, where he saw Rainbow Dash being chased by two pegasi.

“Spike, find somewhere to hide and stay down.”

“But I-“ But Tacitus was already rushing away towards the remains of a destroyed tower.

In the air Rainbow continued to bob and weave, avoiding the arrows the pegasi shot at her. After gaining enough distance, she made an abrupt U-turn in the air and sped straight towards one of the pegasi. She slammed into him at break-neck speed and sent him hurtling towards the ground. She was about to repeat the process on the other pegasus, but with a flash of dark blue light, Tacitus appeared above the cloaked pegasus and shot him with a blast of magic before dive bombing him into the ground.

Rainbow gasped at the sight and flew down to the crash site. Tacitus was slowly rising, his face scrunched in pain.

“Whoa dude, are you alright? That was one heck of a drop.”

“I’m fine.” Tacitus winced as he put weight on his right hind leg, but he ignored it and took off once more. As he moved through ruins, he seemed oblivious to the magical blasts and arrows that flew past his head, only narrowly dodging and blocking them. All that mattered to him was that he find where his friends were. His eyes were frantic as they scanned the battlefield for them, finally resting on the sight of Pinkie and Applejack facing down a unicorn and an earth pony.

Applejack rushed at the earth pony and quickly spun around, bucking him hard in the chest. She continued to punch and kick at the hooded pony and had him on the defensive. Applejack was about throw another punch, but Tacitus teleported between her and the pony and blasted him point-blank.

“You…alright…Applejack?” The strain of rushing all over the place was getting to him. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead despite the cold.The pain in his leg was getting worse, but he still ignored it.

“Yeah, Ah’m fine. And Ah’m pretty sure Ah had the situation under control. But thank ya anyway, Ah guess.”

The unicorn turned his attention to Tacitus and Applejack, his horn charging a powerful spell. Tacitus positioned himself between Applejack and their attacker, ready to put up a shield. However, the unicorn was soon blasted into a rock by a stream of confetti, balloons, and other party supplies. Tacitus looked over and saw Pinkie standing behind a large blue cannon with pink wheels that had flower designs on them. Smoke was rising from the barrel.

“Pinkie, what the heck is that thing?” Tacitus asked.

“I never go anywhere without my party cannon silly! Now, WHO ELSE WANTS SOME?!” A crazed look overtook Pinkie’s face as she began to fire randomly in all directions, hitting a few more of their attackers.

With that done, Tacitus resumed his search for the others. He saw Twilight locked in a duel with another unicorn, and was about to help, when he heard another scream. He looked for the source and saw Fluttershy buck an earth pony in the face before running away, the earth pony and a pegasus hot on her heels.

“I’m coming Fluttershy!” Tacitus shouted as he ran towards her. He didn’t make it far before he was struck in the side by a magical blast. He heard someone shout his name, but he didn’t know who. He ignored it and kept running towards Fluttershy. Another blast hit him and he stumbled, but he continued to limp forward. A third blast hit him, and this time he couldn't remain standing.

He collapsed on the ground and saw Fluttershy trapped, the earth pony and the pegasus closing in. He sent a blast from his horn and managed to knock out the earth pony. He continued to crawl forward. He couldn't feel his right hind leg, and he could see blood in the snow.

A pair of unfamiliar hooves landed in front of him, and he could see the glow of an unfamiliar aura above his head. He looked up and saw a hooded unicorn charging up the spell that would end him. Tacitus tried to draw on his magic, but he was exhausted, spent. Fear overtook him as he waited for the blow.

A streak of rainbow suddenly slammed into unicorn looming over him. Tacitus heard a smash like something hitting stone hard, followed by the sound of hooves meeting flesh.

“Don’t. You. Touch. My. Friend!” Tacitus could hear Rainbow speak as each blow landed on his would-be killer.

He turned his attention back toward Fluttershy, who was still facing down the pegasus. Tacitus tried to resume his crawl towards her, but found he didn’t have the strength to move. He was too weak to even call out to her. He could only watch as she slowly backed into a wall.

Out of nowhere, Rarity emerged and struck the pegasus with a martial arts kick, leaving him out cold in the snow.

“Normally, as a lady, I protest violence. But nopony, and I mean nopony, lays a hoof on Fluttershy!”

Tacitus looked at the scene with relief. She was safe. He only hoped the others were too. His vision began to blur, but he could see his friends rushing over to him. They were all there. They were all safe.

“Thank Celestia,” he thought. “They’re all okay.” Tacitus could see their lips moving. Were they talking to him? He didn’t know. All he could hear were muffled noises. He could feel something wet and warm forming a pool beneath him. His vision continued to cloud, and everything started to go dark. The dark edges of his eyes were closing in. He heard one voice call to him before the darkness engulfed his vision.

“Find it.”

Meeting the Enemy

“Find it. Find it. You have to find it.”

Over and over, the voice spoke those words. It was all Tacitus could hear as he sat alone in the darkness. It was driving him mad.

“Find what?!” he shouted. “For Luna’s sake, what do you want me to find?!”

“Find it.”

“Great. Of all the voices that I could have in my head, I got the one that’s terrible at conversation.”

“Find it.”

“Shut it!”

Strangely enough, that seemed to work. All was silent. The voice no longer called out, and Tacitus was truly alone.

“Wow, I actually miss him now. If this is death, I’m really disappointed.”

That’s when it hit him. Was he dead? Was this it? Would he simply be stuck here, alone, for eternity? The thought sent shivers through his body. As he had lost consciousness, his one comforting thought was that he would see his parents again. Being alone in the dark, his heart began to fill with despair. He missed his friends. He wanted to see them again and tell them how much he loved them. He didn’t want to be alone again.

Just as the first tears of despair began to fall, a warm feeling began to spread through his body. Through the darkness, a bright light began to shine. He felt as if he was being lifted up and the light grew brighter, turning a very familiar shade of dark pink.

“Find it.”

***

Tacitus saw darkness again, but this was different. He could hear other voices; incoherent, but familiar. He could feel cold snow beneath him, but his body was surprisingly warm. His hearing slowly returned and he could make out what the voices were saying.

“Oh please be okay.” It was the sweet voice of Fluttershy

“Come on partner. You gotta get up.” Applejack.

He slowly began to pry his eyes open. At first, everything was blurry, but after a few blinks, his vision became clearer. He could see the hooves of six ponies, and the small legs of a dragon, standing close to him. The closest were a pair of purple hooves, and Tacitus could see the unmistakable light of Twilight’s magic above him.

He groaned as he craned his neck to look up at them. They looked at him with great concern, but upon seeing his movement a look of incredible relief spread through them.

“Hey guys,” he said weakly. He was immediately seized by his friends as they enveloped him in a group hug. “Ow! Ow! Ow! Still sore guys!”

They quickly released and Tacitus realized that his entire body ached. He attempted to stand, only for his right hind leg to give out from underneath him. Luckily, Twilight caught him before he fell.

He looked at Twilight as he began to panic. “I can’t feel my leg. What’s wrong with it?”

Twilight lifted him up and supported his body as he attempted to stand on three legs. “Among the other injuries, your leg was fractured. I knitted the bone, but it caused your leg to go numb. It should be wearing off soon.”

Tacitus tried to move his leg and felt some feeling start to return. He cautiously lowered the appendage and found that the numbness was indeed beginning to disappear. Soon enough, he was standing unassisted on his own four hooves.

“I didn’t know you were such a skilled healer Twilight. Thank you.” He looked at her with admiration and unspeakable gratitude. Twice now, she had saved his life. Why couldn’t he do the same for her?

“I’ve been studying healing magic for a while now. It’s a good thing too. If I hadn’t gotten to you in time…WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!” She exploded at him.

Tacitus was taken aback by the outburst. “I…I…”

“Why were you running around the place like a pony with a death wish?! The girls told me what happened, how you were throwing yourself at those ponies! Why didn’t you defend yourself? Don’t you have any concern for your own safety? Do you have any idea how worried we all were? You almost died Tacitus! You were getting hit and it looked like you didn’t even care!”

“I-I’m sorry…I just…”

“Is this about proving yourself? About showing that you’re a hero?”

“No…I mean…yes, but only…”

Now Rainbow joined in. “Look, I know about wanting to show off and be a hero, but that doesn’t mean you should do a suicide dive. That’s just reckless.”

“That’s not why I did what I did!” he shouted to make himself heard. “Yes, I want to show that I can help, that I can be a hero like the rest of you. But that’s not why I acted like I did.” He looked down at the ground, unable to meet their eyes.

“You have to understand, I wasn’t able to save my parents. I wasn’t able to protect them” He looked up at them. “But I will do everything in my power to protect you guys. I refuse to let anything happen to any of you.”

“Tacitus,” Twilight said softly, “you don’t need to put that burden on yourself. We all look out for each other. That’s what friends do.”

“I know Twilight. But even still, if I can do something to keep you from getting hurt, I will. I will keep you all safe, no matter the cost.”

“Tacitus-“

“Please Twilight. This is something I have to do. I won’t sit back and watch the ones I love die. Not again.”

Twilight sighed. “Alright. Can you at least promise to be more careful in the future? We don’t want to lose you either.”

“I promise to be more careful. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” He gave her a reassuring smile as he did the motions. Inside, he knew he was lying somewhat. If him dying meant they would be safe, he would accept it. Gladly.

This seemed to satisfy Twilight and the others, who smiled back at him and moved into a gentler group hug, glad that their friend was okay. He was glad he was with them again. That he wasn’t alone.

The sound of a groan caused them to pull away from the hug. The groan seemed to originate from one of the ponies that had attacked them. Tacitus looked and saw them strewn about the ruins. He had almost completely forgotten about them.

Twilight’s horn began to glow. “I’d better restrain them before they come to.” Multiple beams shot out from her horn towards the knocked-out ponies. Magical restraints binded all of their hooves, as well as the wings of the pegasi, and a bubble encased the horns of the unicorns.

Tacitus whistled loudly. “I’ve got to learn that spell.”

“That’s perfect Twi,” said Applejack. “Now we can question ‘em and see what the hay is goin’ on around here.”

Just as they began to move towards the first pony, all of their prisoners were violently lifted into the air. They were all wide awake and gasping for air, as if they were being choked. Their eyes bulged out of their head and they began to turn red.

“Pathetic weaklings!” A raspy voice echoed through the ruins. It seemed to come from everywhere at once and sent a chill up their spines. Tacitus couldn’t quite explain it, but the voice…hurt. It grated on his ears and his head began to throb.

“What use are you if you can’t even dispose of worms like these?”

“Master…please…” A sickening crunch was heard as his and his companions’ necks were snapped. They fell to the ground, their heads at unnatural angles.

Pinkie, Rarity, and Fluttershy all screamed and hid their eyes from the sight. Tacitus looked up from the scene and saw another cloaked figure standing atop a tower in the central building. The figure seemed to melt into the stone roof, disappearing from sight.

He quickly shook his friends out of their shocked states. “Come on, he’s in there.”

He led them to the structure, its ancient wooden door looming in front of them. They quickly burst through and began running down the wide hallway. They followed the path until they entered a large room that appeared to once have been the great hall.

As they entered the hall, they spotted the hooded pony standing on a balcony overlooking the room, his back to them.

“Stop right there!” Twilight shouted at him.

Suddenly, a wall of flame shot up in front of them, halting their advance. The flames reached to the ceiling and burned with a heat far greater than ordinary fire. A similar wall of flame appeared behind them, cutting off any chance of retreat.

As they frantically searched for a way out, they heard an unfamiliar voice speak. “You have no authority to command me princess.” The flames shrank just enough to reveal the pony standing on the balcony. He removed his hood, revealing himself to be a white earth pony with a deep brown mane. “I answer only to my master.”

“Who is your master?” Twilight demanded. “Is he responsible for poisoning the river?”

“Be silent,” he responded. “My master-“ His eyes fell on Tacitus for the first time, and his eyes turned the color of blood and his pupils became snake-like slits. “YOU?!” His voice had changed. It was that raspy voice that brought pain to those that heard it. The voice they heard before.

The pony grabbed his head and his face contorted in pain. Something began to emerge from his forehead. It wasn’t long before they saw that it was a horn. It was curved and sharpened to a point, and it radiated with a sickly green light. The girls and Spike stared at it in disbelief, looking like they had seen a ghost.

“HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY BE ALIVE?! I SAW YOU DIE MYSELF ALL THOSE MILLENIA AGO! HOW COULD-“ He stopped as he seemed to look closer at Tacitus. He chuckled to himself. “Forgive me, but you look remarkably like someone I knew from long ago. Still, despite that, there is still something familiar about you.” He rubbed his chin and stared at Tacitus curiously. “What is your name boy?”

“It’s Tacitus. Now why don’t you tell us who you are.”

“Tacitus? Hmmmm. So familiar. Perhaps Pranceius knows.”

“I-It can’t be,” Twilight stammered. “S-Sombra?”

The stranger looked at her. “Sombra? Ah, you mean the Tyrant of the Crystal Empire. Yes, I remember him. It seems he came across some of my writings, specifically the ones dealing with crystal magic. It’s such a shame he was destroyed. He would have made a powerful servant.” He turned his attention back to the group. “No, I am not Sombra. I am far greater than him. I am-“

“Oh, oh, oh!” Pinkie was bouncing and her hoof was waving in the air. “I know who he is!”

All her friends looked to her. “You do?” they all said together. The stranger raised an eyebrow and curiously waited for her to continue.

Pinkie took a deep breath before she began to sing.

He’s an evil enchanter
He says evil banter
And he mixes up potions in an evil decanter.
And then what will he do?
He’ll cast an evil spell on you
And he’ll put you in cages like a big evil zoo
Soooo watch out!

Her friends gave her a deadpanned look. “Really?” Rainbow asked.

“What? It’s a work in progress.”

The stranger began to chuckle again. “Amusing. It’s a shame the pink one has to die as well. She would make a good court fool.”

“Hey!” Rainbow shouted. “You’re not killing anyone buster!”

She rocketed off at full speed, flying over the flames and heading directly at the stranger. Just as she got within a few feet, she appeared to slam into some invisible barrier. A telekinetic blast sent her hurtling back towards her friends. Only Twilight’s magical grasp kept her from flying into the wall of fire behind them.

Rarity ran to her side. “Are you alright Rainbow Dash?”

Rainbow’s eyes rolled around in her head for a moment before they settled. “Yeah, I’m good. Ow.” She rubbed a lump that had formed on her forehead.

“Tsk. Tsk,” the stranger mocked. “Now, let’s be civil. Young Tacitus asked me a question and I aim to answer it.” He held himself tall and proud. “I am the most powerful sorcerer in history. I am the darkness that haunts the nightmares of demons. I am the rightful ruler of the Empire and I am the soon-to-be ruler of this world. I. AM. IMPERIUS!”

A collective gasp escaped from the mouths of Tacitus and his friends as they stared in disbelief.

“W-Wait,” Spike stammered. “Wasn’t Imperius the pony Tacitus told us about earlier? The one that conquered the Roamen Empire?”

“But that’s not possible,” Tacitus said. “That was thousands of years ago. And Aeneighus destroyed him.”

Imperius growled in anger, causing the wall of flame to rise and the ground to shake. “Damn that Aeneighus! He took from me what was mine by right of strength! But he only delayed the inevitable. It’s true that he destroyed my physical body, but my spirit, my power lived on. I inhabited the body of my most loyal servant, but I was too weak to communicate with him or manifest myself. For millennia I languished as a parasite, my spirit moving from generation to generation until finally I came to inhabit Pranceius here. Now, enough of my strength has returned to where I could make my presence known and Pranceius has served me faithfully since. Soon, I will regain my body and my full power, and I will rule over this world like I should have been for all these years.”

“That’s not gonna happen Imperius!” Twilight called. “We’re taking you down!”

Twilight’s horn lit up and a beam of magic shot from it. The beam struck Imperius, and his hooves and horn became bound in magic.

“Argh! Blasted alicorn magic!” A wicked smile replaced the look of anger on Imperius’s face. “But your power hasn’t fully developed has it? You’re still too weak!”

Now Imperius’s horn began to glow, a black aura enveloping it. The binds holding him shattered and a blinding light filled the room. Tacitus and his companions had to turn and shield their eyes from the intense light. Out of the corner of his eye, Tacitus saw something rocketing towards them. It was a pulsating ball of magical energy covered in sparks of black electricity.

It was heading directly towards Twilight.

“Twilight!” he called, his horn beginning to glow as he prepared to teleport in front of Twilight.

He wasn’t fast enough.

The ball struck Twilight in the chest and sent her reeling back. It was only after she was struck did the blinding light finally dissipate.

Finally able to see, her friends saw Twilight unconscious on the ground, covered in blood.

“Twilight!” they all shouted as they ran towards her.

Spike held Twilight’s hoof in his hand and was shaking her gently. “Twilight? Twilight! Come on Twilight, wake up.” Tears flooded down his cheeks when she didn’t respond.

Tacitus was the only one who was not beside her. He was frozen where he stood, his horn still preparing the teleportation spell. He felt as if an arrow made of pure ice had pierced his heart. He wanted to scream, but it felt like he was being choked, the scream trapped in his throat. He just stared at Twilight with eyes the size of pinpricks.

“Well,” Imperius’s voice broke the silence, “as much as I’d like to take my time and kill the rest of you, there’s someplace I need to be. I’ve waited thousands of years to return to my body, so I’m a little impatient. However, I will make sure you won’t leave here alive.”

His horn glowed once more and the floor on which Tacitus and his friends stood turned as black as night. Tendrils of darkness appeared from the darkened floor and wrapped around them, pulling them down into the floor. They began to sink into it as if it were quicksand.

“A slow death is always the most satisfying. You’ll eventually freeze to death down there. Or perhaps you’ll starve to death first. I wonder if you’ll start to eat each other. Oh, I wish I could see that. It’s been so long since I enjoyed that kind of entertainment. But, as I said, the key to my return is waiting for me and I hate to keep it waiting any longer. Farewell.”

Imperius seemed to engulf himself in shadows before he disappeared completely, leaving not a trace of his presence.

The others screamed and called for help as they sank into the darkness, but Tacitus remained silent. He continued to silently stare at the unmoving form of Twilight until the darkness overtook his vision.

***

Outside the ruins, as the blizzard continued to rage, a ball of swirling shadows appeared on a snow-covered tower. As the shadows receded, the form of Imperius became visible. He had a quizzical look and was tapping his chin with his hoof.

“Tacitus? Why does he seem so familiar? Praceius, do you have any knowledge of that boy and why I seem to know him?” He was silent as he listened to the response of the servant whose body he shared. “Really? Interesting. Very Interesting.”

Found It

Applejack continued to sink, unable to breathe through the tar-like substance. She thrashed and kicked, but to no avail. Just as she felt as though she were about to pass out, she suddenly found herself free of the blackness, falling through open air. She took in a long gasp of breath before landing hard on cold stone. She lay there for a moment, catching her breath.

Her eyes suddenly snapped open as she remembered. Twilight.

She quickly turned and saw her friends sprawled out after landing on the ground. They were slowly rising as they all seemed to share in Applejack’s realization. It took only a moment for them to find Twilight close to where the rest of them landed.

She lay unconscious on the ground. Blood flowed freely from open lacerations and bruises were already forming on her body. Spike was clinging tightly to her as tears flowed from his eyes, Twilight’s blood staining his scales.

They quickly came to her side. Her breathing was ragged and labored, but at least she was breathing. Rainbow Dash started to shake Twilight’s unconscious form.

“Come on Twilight! Wake up! Please.”

“Rainbow Dash, that’s not helping,” said Rarity.

“Well why don’t you do something then?!” Rainbow shouted in response. “Use your magic or something.”

“I can’t! My magic is only good for finding gems and making dresses! Only Twilight is good enough at magic to perform healing spells.” She looked to Twilight, then quickly turned away as her mascara began to run.

Applejack had a thought. “Wait, Tacitus is good at magic; almost as good as Twilight. He can heal her.” Then she noticed. Tacitus wasn't among the group that was now circled around Twilight. “Hold on, where is he?”

The sound of mumbling caused her to turn around. Tacitus sat on his haunches, his back to the rest of them, far from where the others stood. She walked toward him, and his mumblings became clearer.

“I failed. I failed. I couldn’t protect her.”

“Tacitus? Sugarcube? Are you alright?” She walked around him so that she could see his face and looked him in the eye.

He looked right through her. His eyes were wide open and his pupils had shrunk to the size of pinpricks. He seemed completely oblivious to her presence as he continued to mumble to himself.

“I failed. I wasn’t fast enough. All my fault. I couldn’t save her.”

Applejack grabbed Tacitus and shook him gently.

“Tacitus.” When he didn’t respond, she shook him harder. “Tacitus!”

“I failed. I failed.”

She finally slapped him. “Snap out of it!”

Tacitus shook his head and his eyes returned to normal. He looked at Applejack. The eyes acknowledged her presence but they seemed…dead, empty.

“Tacitus, Ah need ya to calm down. Twilight is hurt and needs yer help. Can ya do any healing spells?”

Tacitus blinked a few times, trying to rearrange his scrambled brain. “Yeah. My dad taught me some healing magic when I was younger. I could…I could try to…”

His eyes had wandered and had landed on the unmoving form of Twilight. His pupils began to shrink and he started to hyperventilate. Only the firm but reassuring hoof of Applejack kept him from lapsing back into delirium.

“Ya need to focus Tacitus. She needs you, and ya can’t afford to lose it.”

Tacitus nodded and Applejack released him from her grip. He made his way over to Twilight. Spike had released his embrace on her, but he still held firmly to her hoof. His purple scales were blotched with red, but he didn’t seem to notice or care. He may not have even noticed Rarity’s hoof wrapped around him. His focus was completely on Twilight.

As Tacitus approached her, Spike looked up at him.

“Please help her Tacitus. Please don’t let her die.”

“I-I will. I promise.” He'd said those same words to Shining Armor. He’d already broken one promise, would he break another?

Pushing that thought out of his mind, Tacitus charged his magic. His horn glowed with his dark blue aura as he focused on the magic his father had taught him so long ago. He lowered his head so that his horn was just above Twilight’s barrel. The blue aura surrounded her body.

“Come on. Come on,” Tacitus groaned through clenched teeth. Despite the cold, sweat dotted his head. His body was shaking with the strain of attempting to heal all of her injuries.

The blood that had pooled around Twilight and had stained her coat began to move, retreating back into the wounds. After her blood was restored, the wounds themselves began to close and the bruises disappeared.

Tacitus continued to hold the spell, straining for at least ten minutes before he was unable to continue any longer. He dropped the spell and gasped for breath, exhaustion clear on his features.

It looked to be a success. All of Twilight’s injuries were gone and she looked no worse for the wear. However, she had yet to wake up and her breathing had not changed.

The girls were elated. Smiles and sighs of relief filled the cave.

Rarity nuzzled Spike’s cheek. “See Spikey-wikey? Twilight’s going to be just fine.”

“Way to go Tacitus! Woohoo!” Rainbow and Pinkie cheered.

But no exclamations of joy, no look of pride or relief was present in Tacitus. He was silent, and his eyes were still dead and empty. Applejack noticed this and motioned to the side to speak privately.

“What’s wrong?”

Tacitus looked down. He couldn’t bear to look her in the eye. “I was able to heal the visible wounds. They really weren’t as bad as they seemed just rudimentary cuts and bruises. But…I saw through the spell that there was a lot of internal damage. The damage is too extensive and the magical strength required to treat it is beyond my abilities.”

Applejack’s face dropped. “So…does that mean she’s going to…” She couldn’t bring herself to finish that sentence.

“I don’t know. All we can do is wait. And hope.”

Tears in her eyes, Applejack went to tell the others of this. Tacitus didn’t hear her or their reactions. All he could hear were Twilight’s rattling breaths. Biting his lip hard enough to draw blood, he began to weep.

***

A small fire blazed in the center of the cave. They had managed to find a few scraps of lumber scattered about, and Spike had been able to set it alight. It was not much, but it kept the cold at bay. For now, at least.

Twilight’s still unconscious body laid close to the fire, her friends circled around her to share in the fire’s warmth and to share their body heat. The only one missing from the group was Rainbow Dash, who had gone to investigate further into the cave. Tacitus hoped she would be back soon.

As if on cue, Rainbow glided back into the view as the glow of the fire illuminated her form. She didn’t look too happy with what she found.

“There are twelve different paths up ahead, and each of those leads to twelve more paths,” she said in dismay. “This place is built like a maze.”

“We’re in the tunnels the rebels built underneath Nova Domus,” Tacitus said. “They designed them to be like a labyrinth so that they couldn’t be followed in the event they were attacked and had to evacuate. No doubt there are booby traps and enchantments spread throughout the tunnels as well. The only ones who knew the way out were the rebels.” A chuckle devoid of humor escaped him. “Not much of a chance we’ll be able to ask them.”

“Gee, thanks for the history lesson Professor,” Rainbow spat the title as if it were poison. “Way to boost morale. Big help you’ve been so far.” She added the last part quietly, but Tacitus caught it. It cut into him like a knife.

“That’s enough you two!” Applejack snapped. “We don’t need this right now.”

Rainbow just grunted and quickly turned away, but not quickly enough for Tacitus not to see the tears pooling in her eyes. Nor was she successful in her attempt to keep her body from shaking.

The sound of sniffles drew Tacitus’s attention away from Rainbow. The choked sobs came from Fluttershy, who was lying on the ground with her hooves covering her eyes.

“I don’t want to be here anymore,” she sobbed. “I want to go home.” Pinkie stood next to her and stroked her mane in an attempt to comfort her. Pinkie’s own mane had gone flat, and her color seemed to dull and darken. She had hardly said a word since they had been trapped down here, and the bounce in both her mane and her step was completely absent.

Tacitus turned his gaze back to Twilight. Spike had not left her side for a single moment. He still held firmly onto her hoof, and Rarity in turn held him closely to her as she gently stroked his head.

Finally, he turned his gaze to Applejack. She had been trying so hard to remain strong and confident for the rest of them, but she was beginning to break down like the rest of them. Tacitus could see it in her eyes. With each moment that passed by, she was losing hope. Twilight had yet to wake and the knowledge that her injuries were serious and untreatable hit her as hard as it did the others. In addition, they only had enough food and water to last them a few days. Add that to the fact that they were trapped in a labyrinth with no knowledge of how to get out, and the situation looked bleak to say the least. Hardly surprising that her composure was slowly ebbing away.

All in all, they were a downright miserable group to behold. The confidence with which they had set out on their journey was gone. They were cold, they were lost, and one of their closest friends was on Death’s door. What hope was left for them?

Applejack let out an exhausted sigh. “We should all try to get some sleep. We’ll…figure something out in the morning.”

Tacitus knew she had no idea what they were going to do. He didn’t know either; none of them did. Maybe Twilight would know what to do. If only they could ask her.

However, sleep was indeed the best thing they could think to do. Nothing else could be done for the time being. But how long could that last? How long would the fire burn and keep the cold at bay? Lumber was limited; in fact there was no more to speak of. And with Twilight in her current state, they could not move through the tunnels. Even if they could, they would never find their way through and would more than likely fall prey to the traps that lied in wait. The situation wasn’t bleak; it was hopeless.

Soon enough, they gathered close together around the fire and drifted into restless sleep. All except Tacitus.

Despite the protests and the insistence that he join them, Tacitus had opted to sleep separately from the group just at the edge of the glow of the fire. He didn’t feel he deserved their company or their warmth.

As he lay awake, Rainbows words kept echoing through his mind. They hurt because he knew they were true.

What good had he been on this journey? He had frozen like a scared foal in the face of an avalanche he could have stopped. He was too weak to protect his friends and himself and ended up helpless and in need of rescuing. He had failed to stop Twilight, the pony who had twice saved his life, from getting hurt. And now, when she needed him most, when the others looked to him to save her, he could do nothing. Was this what his life was destined to be? Had fate condemned him to constantly watch helplessly as the ones closest to him were taken away?

Why couldn’t he save anyone? Why couldn’t he do anything? Why couldn’t he protect the ones he loved?

Despite these thoughts and so many others filling his head, he could only deny sleep for so long. His eyes grew heavy, and he eventually joined the others in submitting to restless sleep.

***

“Find it. You have to find it.”

“Oh great. You again. Look, I’m really not in the mood to listen to a broken record. Just leave me alone.”

“You’re so close. Just a little further.”

“Well, that’s new. Glad to see you’re branching out on your dialogue, but you still haven’t told me what I’m supposed to find.”

“Follow the compass.”

“What? What compass?” Tacitus was starting to get annoyed. He was surprised the voice was finally saying more than just ‘find it,’ but it was still so infuriatingly cryptic.

“Wake up Tacitus, and find it.”

“Huh?”

***

Tacitus’s eyes shot open as he awoke from the dream. It was a dream wasn’t it? Ever since he first heard the voice, Tacitus thought it was just a figment of his imagination or was brought on by stress. Now he began to fear for his sanity.

It was at this moment of contemplating the soundness of his mental faculties that he noticed that a light brighter than the shrinking fire filled the cave. The light was coming from his horn.

“Well…that’s unusual.”

His horn had not done this since he was a foal, when he first discovered his special talent. Now, after all these years, his horn glowed of its own accord once more.

“’Follow the compass.’ Is this what the voice meant?”

Tacitus looked to his friends. They were still fast asleep, undisturbed by his horn’s unusual glow. After a moment’s hesitation, Tacitus raised himself up and set off deeper into the cave.

It wasn’t long before he came to the part in the cave that branched off into multiple different directions.

“Where now?”

Tacitus walked up to each of the different paths, watching to see which one caused his horn to glow the brightest. He eventually chose the third one on the right and pushed deeper into the tunnels. He continued to do this with every crossroads he came to, looking to the intensity of his horn’s glow to guide him just as he did in the desert all those years ago.

As he walked, unsettling thoughts entered his mind. “Where the hay is this taking me? How am I going to find my way back once I find…whatever it is I’m supposed to find? Why am I even doing this? I’m putting my trust in a mysterious voice in my head and following my horn to Celestia-knows where.”

Despite these thoughts, he kept moving forward, kept following the “compass” as he was told to. Maybe it was curiosity that drove him forward. Maybe it was the desire to see the artifact that the horn was leading him to. Or maybe it was a hope that whatever the voice was leading him to would somehow help him and his friends. Regardless of the reason, he kept moving.

Tacitus didn’t know how long he wandered through the caves. It could have been minutes or hours. But eventually, he saw where the horn was leading him.

To a dead end.

His horn ceased to glow. Tacitus looked desperately for something, anything, to be there. But there was nothing. Only a wall of ice. This had all been for nothing, and now his only method of navigation was lost to him.

He collapsed on the ground, shocked that all his efforts had been wasted. He tried to remember the path he had taken to get here. Fear crept into his heart as he realized he couldn’t recall.

But just as this fear gripped his stomach, the bright glow returned. It did not emanate from his horn, but from the wall of ice. Or rather from something inside the ice.

A bright golden light shined behind the ice, and once it had died down, Tacitus saw that the ice had gone from opaque to completely transparent. It now looked to be made of glass instead of ice.

Inside the clear ice, Tacitus could see something imbedded within it. Upon closer inspection, he saw that it was sword. A Roamen gladius to be precise.

“What in the hay…I guess it’s not weird to see a Roamen sword in Roamen ruins, but this feels…strange. I need to examine it.”

Tacitus charged his horn and set about blasting through the ice. After a few moments, the sword was almost free of the ice. Panting with the effort it took to get this far, Tacitus reached out with his hoof to grab the sword and wrench it free of its frosty prison. As he reached for it, the sword glowed bright.

His hoof touched the scabbard, and all went black.

***

“Ohhh…My head. Note to self: don’t pick up strange glowing objects.”

Tacitus rubbed his sore head and looked at his surroundings. He was no longer in the cave. He didn’t really know where he was. Everything was dark. It looked as if he were in the same place he was in when he had nearly died.

“Hello Tacitus.”

Tacitus jumped at the sudden, yet familiar voice. He whipped around and saw a pony standing before him in full armor. The pony’s voice matched the voice that had been speaking to him, and the pony looked remarkably similar to Tacitus. In fact, aside from the golden eyes and military style of his mane, he was the spitting image of Tacitus.

Not knowing his intention, Tacitus took a defensive stance. “Who are you?” he demanded.

The pony sighed. “How sad that the son of my sons does not know me. Has my family truly forgotten its legacy?”

Tacitus looked closer at the pony. His armor, his face. Just like the statue…

“Aeneighus?”

The pony smiled. “So you do know me.”

“Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean your family? I’m related to you?”

“Indeed. You are blood of my blood, my descendant and heir. I have called to you and led you here so that I may give you your birthright: this sword, so that it can aid you in your journey.”

Tacitus had so many questions. He went with the first one that could escape his lips. “Why is the sword so important that you needed to bring me all the way here?”

“This sword was forged by Emperor Solarus and Empress Noctus.” A pained look appeared on Aeneighus’s face when he said their names. “It was enchanted to magnify the magical power of its user. It can also only be wielded by myself and my bloodline, which is why you were able to find it.”

“But, I don’t understand. How are you here? How am I talking to you? You died thousands of years ago in the battle against Imperius.”

“I prepared for every possible outcome for that battle. Thanks to my spy network, I knew that Imperius might be able to survive his physical death and reform himself. We learned that he needed his armor in order recreate his body. I created an elite unit called the Sentinels, who after the battle would take his armor and either destroy it or seal it away and guard it.

“But I still feared for the safety of the future, and of the possibility of Imperius returning. So, as I lay dying, I cast a spell where I transferred my magical power and a part of my conciousness into the sword. It would then lay dormant until Imperius returned, and I would call to my descendant to take the sword and finish what I started.”

Tacitus was amazed. “All these spells. I’ve never heard of spells like these. How can such magic be possible?”

“Much knowledge was lost when the Empire fell. I fear that it will remain lost. But perhaps that is for the best.”

Tacitus could not disagree more. “Are you kidding? No knowledge should be lost. Think of the amazing things that can be accomplished with magic as powerful as that. Maybe you could-“

“No Tacitus. For a number of reasons. Understand that my time was one of constant warfare, which bred magics and weapons of unbelievably destructive power, and warriors equally as powerful. That power is best left buried, this sword included. But I fear that the peace that your time has been blessed with may also be its downfall. Not one among you could hope to stand against any of the warriors of my time. Especially not Imperius. I also fear that the Sentinels have been wiped out, years of peace causing them to falter and grow lax in their watch. But with this sword, you may have a chance.”

“’May have a chance’? That doesn’t sound very reassuring.”

“This sword is imbued with all of my power and amplifies your own tenfold. In Imperius’s current state, I’m confident that it will destroy him. But if he should regain his body…I don’t know if it will be enough.”

This was too much. “Aeneighus…I don’t think I can do this. I’m not like you. I’m not a warrior.” Tacitus thought back to his mediocre performance against the minions of Imperius. “I’m just…too weak.”

Aeneighus gave him a kind smile. “When you touched the sword, I entered your mind and saw all of your memories, your entire life. I know you Tacitus, and I believe that you have the potential to be more powerful than I ever was. You just have to use the power that I couldn’t”

“What power?”

Before Aeneighus could answer, his body became translucent, fading in and out like a flickering candle. He was beginning to disappear.

“The spell that binds me here is beginning to fade. I don’t have much time left. Listen Tacitus: you must make for Mount Vehoovius. That is where the armor is hidden and where Imperius is going.”

“But how do I get there?”

“I will impart you with the knowledge of how to reach it, and how to find your way through these tunnels.”

Aeneighus touched his hoof to Tacitus’s forehead. Tacitus’s vision was suddenly flooded with images. He saw the network of tunnels as if he were seeing them from above. He saw where the traps were, the dead ends, the loops. He saw a path that led through all of them to the other side. His vision changed. He saw snow and frozen trees rocketing past him as if he were traveling at the speed of sound. His vision rested of the image of a great mountain, smoke spewing from its top.

Tacitus blinked and his vision returned to normal. Aeneighus was just barely visible, his features becoming more and more obscured as the seconds passed.

“I can do no more Tacitus. The rest is up to you.”

“Aeneighus wait! I still have so many questions! How can I do this without you?! How can I stop something you couldn’t?!”

Aeneighus gave him another kind smile. “You are my descendant, heir to a great bloodline. But more than that, I have seen your mind and your heart. I have faith in you. Goodbye Tacitus.”

With that, Aeneighus was gone. The last traces of him had faded into the dark, and Tacitus was alone.

***

“Aeneighus!” Tacitus shouted as his eyes shot open. He quickly looked around and saw he was back in the cave. “Was it just a dream?”

Tacitus felt something heavy in his hooves. He looked down and saw the sword clenched in his grasp, still giving off a faint glow. He could feel its power.

It wasn’t a dream.

***

Tacitus came barreling back into the part of the cave where his friends rested, the knowledge of the tunnel system Aeneighus had given him making finding his way back easy.

As he came into view, he saw that all of them were awake. Except for Twilight.

Applejack saw him rushing towards them. “Tacitus! Where’ve you been? And where’d you get that sword?”

“I’ll explain later! Let me get to Twilight!” He rushed over to Twilight, using his magic to pull the sword from its scabbard. Rainbow saw this and, with terror in her eyes, flew at Tacitus and tackled him to the ground.

“Have you gone nuts?!” she exclaimed. “What do you think you’re doing?!”

“Get off me Rainbow! I’m trying to help her!”

“By cutting her open?!”

“No! Please, just trust me. You know I would never hurt her. Just give me a chance.”

Rainbow looked over to Applejack, who after a moment’s consideration gave her a nod. Somewhat reluctantly, Rainbow removed herself from Tacitus and allowed him to walk over to Twilight.

Twilight’s breathing was even more labored than before. She was barely hanging on. Spike was still at her side, holding her hoof. He looked at Tacitus with apprehension, but did not say anything.

Tacitus’s horn began to glow, the blade glowing with the same dark blue aura. He lowered the tip of the blade so that it almost touched her skin. Her body began to radiate with his aura.

“Please work. Please work,” Tacitus pleaded to himself as he worked. He noticed that he didn’t exert nearly as much effort as he did before. With the sword, this felt almost...easy. He just hoped he wasn’t too late.

Tacitus released the spell. He had done everything he could. He hoped it would be enough. Seconds felt like hours as he waited, each moment passing causing him to lose hope.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, her breathing returned to normal. Twilight’s eyes slowly opened.

She let out a long yawn. “Tacitus? What-“

She didn’t get a chance to finish. Tacitus wrapped his arms tightly around her as tears fell from his eyes. “You’re okay. Thank the gods. You’re okay.”

Soon, the others joined Tacitus in embracing their friend, immense relief overtaking the gloom they had felt just moments before.

Twilight pulled away just enough to where she could be heard. “Guys, what happened? Where are we?”

After a quick account of what had transpired in the ruins and the description of their current location, Twilight looked at her friends with worry.

“So we’re trapped here?”

“No,” said Tacitus, drawing their attention to him. “I know where we have to go.”

Failure

The girls clawed at the sealed doorway, trying desperately to move the heavy stones. They strained and pulled, but the boulders were slow to move. It would take time to clear the entrance. Time they didn’t have.

“Girls,” spoke Twilight solemnly, “we can’t keep this up. We have to find that apothecary and the cure.”

“Are you serious?!” Rainbow shouted. “We can’t just leave Tacitus!”

“The poor dear is trapped in there with that horrid fiend,” said Rarity as she continued to dig through the rock, ignoring her chipped and dirty hooves. “We can’t abandon him.”

Pinkie was blasting at the rocks with her party cannon, but made little progress. “Tacitus is all alone with that big meanie. We have to help him.”

“But we may not have much time,” Twilight responded. “We need to find the cure before it’s too late.”

“How do we even know Imperius was telling the truth?” inquired Spike. “He could have been lying about the apotha-thingy to get us to not follow him.”

“He does seem like the type who would be a liar,” spoke Fluttershy.

“But if there is even a chance he was telling the truth, then we have to try. Those ponies will die without a cure, and this is our only lead.”

“I’m with Twi on this one,” said Applejack. “As much as I hate to leave Tacitus alone, this might be our only chance of getting’ a cure.”

They all looked to one another, internally fighting with themselves over what they had to do. None of them wanted to do it, but they all knew they had to.

“The sooner we find the cure, the sooner we can get back and help Tacitus,” Twilight tried to assure them. They still didn’t like the idea of leaving their friend, but they slowly stopped digging and turned to follow Twilight as she headed east, to where the supposed apothecary resided.

Twilight took one last glance back at the sealed passage, a sharp pain in her heart. “Please be safe Tacitus. Just hold on, we’ll be back.”

***

Adrenaline pumped through Tacitus’s veins as he ran through the dark tunnel, the glow of his sword lighting the way as he pursued his target.

His lungs burned, his legs ached, his whole body was telling him to slow down, to rest. But he would never rest, not until he tore Imperius apart.

As he ran, his scarf caught onto a jagged rack. Tacitus felt the material tug, and came to a stop as quickly as he could. He gingerly removed the beloved scarf from the rock and examined it closely, relief flooding through him when he saw that it was undamaged. He stared at the scarf for a moment, before clutching it tightly in his shaking hoof.

“I wouldn’t be wearing this, or the hat, if it weren’t for him!” Tacitus thought. “If it wasn’t for Imperius, they would both still be…”

He jaw was clenched so tight it threatened to crack his teeth, anger burned like fire in his stomach. Never in his life had Tacitus felt such intense hatred, nor had he ever had such murderous thoughts. Tacitus wanted to kill him. He wanted to make him suffer, to watch him squirm and writhe in pain like he had forced his parents to. He wanted revenge.

“I will kill you Imperius!” Tacitus shouted, his call echoing through the darkness. “Do you hear me?!”

Tacitus ran on, the only response to meet his ears being rasping laughter.

***

Imperius heard Tacitus’s call, but only cackled in response. Tacitus’s reaction had been everything he had hoped it would be. Few things brought him greater pleasure than breaking somepony. This was a good start, but he wasn’t anywhere near finished breaking Tacitus yet.

“Master,” spoke the voice of Pranceius, “why did you tell them about the apothecary? What if they discover the cure?”

“I am confident that he will be dead long before they find him.”

“And if he is not? If they find him before the poison takes him, what then?”

“It matters not. Enough of them have already been infected to where any resistance they put up will be pitiful at best. Besides, they will die in the end either way, either by the toxin or by the sword. Once my powers are restored, no force on this earth will be able to stop me.”

Imperius halted his advance. Even in this weakened state, he could sense the ancient magics before him. He could feel the traps and enchantments that had laid dormant for millennia. Most importantly, he could feel his armor, its dark power radiating through the stone. It was calling to him.

“These traps are nothing to you master. They should be simple enough to disable.”

“True, but I have a better idea. Let’s leave them for young Tacitus to stumble into.” His vile grin spread wider as his horn began to glow. “And maybe I’ll leave a few surprises of my own.”

***

Twilight didn’t know how long they had been searching. They had traveled five miles east, or at least she hoped they had, but so far had found nothing. The wind and snow made everything difficult, including navigation, so she could only hope she was correct in her calculations.

They had fanned out in groups of two, with the exception of Twilight herself who flew alone in search of any sign of the alleged apothecary.

Doubt and fear crept into her heart as she continued to find no sign of any living thing. Had she made the right decision? Was Imperius lying? Even if he wasn’t, what if the pony they were looking for was already dead, or had no cure?

Guilt weighed heavily on her heart as well. She had made the decision to leave Tacitus to chase after what might be a fruitless endeavor. She prayed that he was okay. The fact that he was alone with that monster was not the only thing that worried her. His reaction, his anger, had shocked her and the others. She caught a glimpse of his eyes before he dashed into the mountain after Imperius. They were filled with a blind rage that she had never seen in anyone before. It had terrified her.

“Please just stay alive until we get back,” she pleaded. “Please be okay.”

Just as she finished her pleading, something below her caught her eye. At first she took it as simply another rock jutting out form the snow, but then she saw a faint glow emanating from it. She landed next to it, and saw that it was a small stone building, candles burning dimly inside.

Twilight sent up a magical flare into the sky, alerting the others to her position. It wasn’t long before the girls and Spike had joined her outside the cottage. Although cottage was strong word. The building looked more like a pile of stones haphazardly formed into the shape of a house. It was amazing it hadn’t collapsed in on itself.

“Ya think this is it?” asked Applejack. “Think this is where we’ll find the cure?”

“I hope so,” responded Twilight as she moved toward the door of rotting wood. It opened with a loud creak, revealing an interior not much more pleasing to look at than its exterior. Most of the space was occupied by what looked like alchemical equipment. Flasks, jars, vials, and all sorts of herbs and potions littered the floor. The only furniture was a desk where piles of paper with notes scrawled on them and more potions resided, and a ragged bed of straw.

On that bed of straw, moaning quietly under a thin blanket, was an earth pony. His coat, at least what was left of it, was the color of rust. Whatever mane he might have had was gone, its remnants strewed about the area where his head rested. He looked emaciated, his breath came in rasping gasps, and his sclera was pitch black. The poison had indeed taken hold of him.

The girls rushed to his side, but as soon as they came close, he began to thrash and scream. He batted at them as much as his weakened arms could allow, trying desperately to keep them away.

“Go away!” he shouted. “Please, no more torture, no more nightmares! Just let me die and end my torment!”

They backed away as he continued to weakly flail his arms, unsure of how to proceed. Only Fluttershy kept going toward him, cautiously approaching the writhing pony.

He tried to bat her away, even landing a blow on her, but the arm was so weak she may as well have been hit by a pillow. The pony screamed louder, shouting at her to go away.

“Shhh, it’s alright,” she said kindly. “We’re not here to hurt you. We’re here to help.”

She sat next to him and gently put her hoof to his head. She stroked his head slowly, humming a soothing tune as she did so. His thrashing and screaming subsided, and even his breathing seemed to improve. Fluttershy’s mere presence seemed to lessen his pain. There was a reason she was the Element of Kindness.

“What fresh horror is this that disguises itself in such a fair form?” He spoke with the voice of a pony that had given up all hope. “Please, don’t offer me comfort only to make the coming pain worse. Vision, spirit, demon; whatever you are, I beg you to end this sick game. Please show some small measure of mercy, and let me die.”

“We’re not visions,” Fluttershy said in her soothing voice. “We’re real and we want to help.”

The rest of the group slowly approached them, careful not to frighten him. He looked at them with cautious eyes, and began to shift uncomfortably beneath his retched blanket. However, Fluttershy’s hoof at his cheek seemed to relax him, and he let them near without a fuss.

“I suppose it doesn’t matter if you are real or not. Whatever comfort you give is welcome, even if it is only temporary.”

Twilight approached. “What is your name?” she asked. “Are you an apothecary?”

He stared at the ceiling, as if he was straining to remember. “My name? It has been so long since I heard it. It was taken from me when i was in the darkness. For so long, I have only been called Slave. It is the only name I know. But yes, I am an apothecary by trade. I made potions, meant to heal. Then, I was forced to make this vile poison.”

“Other ponies have been infected with the poison,” Twilight continued. “Is there a cure?”

A groan of pain, more from the heart than from any physical pain, escaped his lips.

“Then I am a murderer. How many suffer now because of my creation.” He looked to the girls, their faces the only kind ones he had seen in Celestia- knows how long. A glimmer of hope seemed to shine in those miserable eyes. “But perhaps there is time to correct my mistake, and save others from this fate.

“When that…monster…had no more use of me, he forced the toxin down my throat and left me to die. But I was determined to find a cure. As the poison slowly spread through my body, I poured into research and experimentation to find the antidote. I was able to find it, but by that time the venom had already done its work. I was too weak to move.

“On the shore of a frozen lake not far from here is a flower called Solarus’s Sun. Ancient and powerful magic resides in it, and has allowed it to survive in this harsh environment. How ironic, that the cure was so close but became forever beyond my reach. You must take this flower and boil it into a tea. That is the cure.”

The pony coughed violently, blood spewing from his mouth and splattering against the wall. All the pain seemed to come rushing back at him at once. He wailed in torment and writhed on the straw bed. Fluttershy clung tightly to him and spoke comforting words as he struggled through the pain.

His writhing lessened some, but the pain was still clear in his wide eyes and gasping breaths. He shuddered before looking at Fluttershy, her eyes still looking at him with compassion. He could see her concern for him, her desperate desire to help him. He knew he wasn’t long for this world, but she and her friends had helped more than they could possibly know.

A strained smile spread across his face. “Thank you for your kindness and for giving me hope that others will not die because of my work.”

He began to convulse, blood flowing from his mouth, nose, and even his eyes. His chest heaved, his eyes widened, and a horrible gurgling noise escaped from him.

The rest of the girls averted their eyes, unable to watch the macabre sight. But Fluttershy did not look away. She held him close and stroked his head until he shuddered and was still.

***

They buried him behind the cottage. Fluttershy and Applejack had stayed behind to dig the grave and bury the apothecary while the others went in search of the frozen lake and the flower that would serve as a cure.

It wasn’t hard putting him in the ground, his body being so thin and light. They wanted to say a few words, but none came to mind. They had only known him for a few short minutes. They really knew nothing of him save his wretched suffering under the toxin.

They didn’t even know his name. But they would remember what he did in his last moments. Countless lives would be saved because of him. All they have to do is find this flower, and they will be saved.

Saved from the poison, at least. There was still Imperius to worry about.

As Fluttershy and Applejack dug the grave, the search for the Solarus’s Sun was already underway. The hardest part was finding the lake, as its frozen surface had been buried beneath a sheet of snow. They had actually passed by it without even realizing it was there, until Rainbow noticed a beam of sunlight reflect across a bit of bare ice.

Some clearing away of the snow indeed revealed a large lake of ice, and on the far shore was a single flower. It was shaped like a sun, and in fact looked remarkably similar to Celestia’s cutie mark. It shined with a golden glow, and it was surrounded, not by snow, but fresh green grass, as if its aura kept away the cold and allowed life to flourish.

“That’s it?” Applejack asked as Twilight showed her the flower. They had plucked it and returned to the cottage to inform Fluttershy and Applejack of their find. “One flower? How is one flower gonna make enough tea to cure everypony?”

“One flower is all we need,” Twilight assured her. “I can use a duplication spell to make as much as we need.” She placed the flower in a small wooden box before storing it carefully into her saddlebag.

A sound of rumbling assaulted their ears. “Uh, guys,” said Spike, “I think we may have a problem.” He pointed to Vehoovius looming in the distance, even more smoke spewing from its top and the unmistakable glow of magma visible even from where they stood. Something wasn’t right.

“We need to get back and help Tacitus. Fast.” Twilight tried desperately to think of a faster way to get back to the mountain.

“Hey,” said Rainbow, "I’ve got an idea. It’s crazy, but I think it’ll work.”

“Let’s hear it then,” said Applejack.

“Okay, so, I’m faster than all of you guys. I can get back to the mountain in almost no time.”

“Rainbow,” said Rarity reproachfully, “this is hardly the time for boasting.”

“Hold on, I’m not finished yet! Anyway, I think I know how I can get all of us there really fast. Twilight, do you remember that spell you cast when we fought Discord? The one where you put all of us in a bubble to keep him from turning all of us into jerks again?”

“Yeah. Where are you going with this?”

“Do that spell again. Make sure all of us are in the bubble.”

Twilight did as she was asked and cast they spell. All seven of them were floating inside of the raspberry colored sphere.

“Alright, I cast it. Now what?”

“Now,” rainbow responded, “you hang on hope this dumb idea works.”

“Oh! Oh!” Pinkie exclaimed excitedly. “I know what she’s going to do! This is gunna be fun!”

And with that, Rainbow launched herself forward, pushing against the edge of the bubble and propelling them forward as fast as she could go. The others were thrown backwards, screaming in fear, or excitement in Pinkie’s case, as they rocketed through the snow-covered landscape.

In less than half the time it took them to get to the cottage, they were already fastly approaching the mountainside. Too fast actually. They were about to crash into it.

“Uh oh,” said Pinkie

"Rainbow! Slow down!” Twilight shouted.

“I can’t! I stopped pushing it, but it just keeps going!”

“Then fly in the other direction and try to slow it down!”

Rainbow flung herself at the other side of the bubble and began to fly against it. She could feel it slowing down slightly, but it was still far too fast. They could see the collapsed entry way mere feet away. They braced themselves for impact as they slammed hard into the stone.

Dust and rocks were flung into the air on impact, stones lay strewn across the ground as the girls and Spike slowly began to rise.

“Is everypony alright?” Twilight asked as she gingerly rubbed her sore head.

“Ah think so,” Applejack called back as she dusted off her hat. “Rainbow, we ain’t ever gunna do that again.”

“Awww,” Pinkie complained. “I thought it was fun.”

Another rumble from the mountain, much more violent than the last, shook the ground beneath them. More magma and smoke erupted from the mountaintop.

“Something’s wrong,” said Twilight worriedly. We need to move now.”

Fortune seemed to smile on them. Their impact had cleared most of the stone that blocked the entrance, and the shaking mountain had removed whatever else remained to block their way into the mountain. They surged into the doorway, delving into the mountain.

***

Tacitus jumped back as another spike shot up from the floor, nearly impaling him. How many traps was that now? Twenty? Thirty? He’d lost count. Almost every step he took seemed to spring to life some new machine designed to end his. Only through the sword’s power and sheer luck was he able to avoid death.

“Aeneighus told me how to avoid the traps in Nova Domus, would it have been so hard for him to show me how to avoid these?!” Tacitus thought angrily as darts shot past his head.

He was panting now, the effort of chasing after Imperius and avoiding these infernal devices wearing on him. He was tired, thirsty, and hot. As he went further into the mountain, the heat became more and more unbearable. He began to see small streams of lava drip from the stone walls.

He ignored his weariness. He wouldn’t allow himself to collapse in exhaustion, not until blood had been paid with blood. His fury, his bloodlust, drove him forward, deeper into the sweltering tunnels of the mountain.

Strangely enough, no more traps assaulted him. His advance was undisturbed and unchallenged. It gave him a bad feeling, like something much worse than traps laid ahead.

The whispers he heard confirmed this fear. He could hear them coming from all around him, from the walls and the darkness that was ahead of him. He couldn’t make out what they were saying, but they were incessant and unsettling. The whispers crawled over him like creeping insects. Then they stopped, only to return a moment later. He could understand them now.

“Failure.”

“Weakling.”

“Pathetic worm.”

“Failure.”

They repeated over and over, at first in unfamiliar voices. Then, the voices changed. These were much more familiar to Tacitus.

“You’re nothin' but a failure, a pathetic nobody,” said the voice of Applejack.

“Why would I be friends with a loser like you?” added the voice of Rainbow.

“You don’t deserve our friendship.” Fluttershy.

“You don’t deserve any friends at all.” Spike.

“Shut up,” Tacitus growled. “I know this isn’t real.”

“Did you really think we’d ever like you? You really are stupid.” Pinkie.

“Why would we ever be nice to someone like you? You were just an easy target, somepony we could use and throw away when we were done.” Rarity.

Tacitus swung at the air, trying to dispel whatever had come over him. “Get out of my head!”

“You’re useless, a spineless coward who has to be saved like a helpless foal. You were too weak to protect me, so what good are you? You are nothing and you will always be nothing.” Twilight.

“I said get out!”

The voices stopped, and the room became dark. No more was there a glow of magma streams illuminating the carved halls. Even his horns glow failed to pierce the dark veil. Then another voice, or rather two voices, called out.

“Tacitus.”

A chill ran up his spine as he recognized the voices. He turned, and with a look of horror on his face beheld two figures horribly familiar to him. There, the only thing he could see in the darkness, were his parents. They appeared as they had just before they died, their bodies emaciated and their coats ragged and patchy. The scleras of their eyes were black as coal, and blood flowed from them freely like crimson tears.

“No,” Tacitus shook his head in denial. “You’re not here. This isn’t real.”

The horrid figures of his parents spoke as one. “Why did you let this happen to us Tacitus? Why didn’t you save us?”

“You’re not real. You’re not real!” Tacitus clenched his eyes shut. He couldn’t look at them.

“You could have helped us, but you didn’t. Why? Why did you let us die?”

Tears seeped from his tightly-shut eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“You failed us Tacitus, and now you even fail to avenge us.”

“No!” he shouted. “I will avenge you, I will make him pay for what he did to you! I promise.”

“No,” they responded, “you will fail. And you will fail to protect your friends just like you failed to protect us.”

Tacitus shut his eyes tighter and put his hooves to his ears. “Stop it.”

“You cannot save them. You cannot save anyone.”

“Stop it!”

“They will die, and their blood will be on your hooves. Just as our blood is on your hooves.”

Tacitus could feel something warm and wet on his hooves. He looked at them and shrieked as he saw that they were covered in blood. He tried to wipe them off, but nothing would remove the stain.

“Everyone and everything will die, and it will be because you failed. You’re a failure son, and the world will suffer because of it.”

“ENOUGH!” Tacitus shouted. The sword reacted to his emotions and let out a blast of magic. The forms of his parents, as well as the surrounding darkness, shattered like glass. Tacitus was back in the mountain, panting heavily with terrified eyes as he beheld a pool of magma mere centimeters away. How far had he walked under the spell, and what would have happened if he hadn’t broken free when he did?

His legs were shaking, and he had broken out into a cold sweat. He slowly looked down at his hooves, and breathed a shaking sigh of relief as he saw no blood. A sudden violent shake within the mountain broke him from his stupor, and almost sent him tumbling into the magma pool.

He steadied himself before a sick, twisting knot formed in his stomach. Something was wrong. Very wrong. Tacitus used the sword’s magic to raise stone platform to cross the river of flame and, with the haunting words of the illusions still echoing in his head, pushed forward into an open rotunda.

***

He was so close now. Every step brought Imperius closer to his restoration. Even the mountain could feel how close he was. As he grew ever closer to his lost armor, the mountain shook and spat fire in response. He could only imagine the glorious eruption of flame and stone that would accompany his return to power.

He entered a large rotunda, and that’s where he saw it. Resting atop a raised pedestal was his armor. He rushed up to it and inspected it thoroughly. The ravages of time had done little to it. It still shined as if it were polished yesterday, no sign of rust, and even the spikes on the shoulder guards were still sharp to the touch. He could feel power ebbing from the armor.

“Finally,” he breathed, “after all these countless millennia, I finally have it.”

“This is it master. The moment we’ve been waiting for.”

“Yes Pranceius. This is it.” He took hold of the armor and spoke in an ancient, dead language. “Recurrunt, qui fuit. Redde rationem, ita ut regnum suum!”

“Imperius!” A shout came from the entrance. He turned and saw the familiar form of Tacitus galloping into the rotunda.

The armor glowed bright in Imperius’s hooves. He could feel the power resonating through him, electrifying his arms and spreading through his veins. He gave a maniacal cackle as the power intensified and began to burn his hooves.

“You’re too late, far too late! My return to power begins now!” A black aura, crackling with electricity, surrounded Imperius. He shouted in painful triumph as magic shot through his body, morphing and distorting it.

“Oh no you don’t,” Tacitus said as he shot a blast at Imperius. The blast just bounced harmlessly off. He sent another blast, and then another, but nothing worked. “Why won’t you just die?!”

“Tacitus!” He turned and saw his friends quickly approaching. How had they gotten here?

“Argh!” The cry came from Imperius. He was writhing within the barrier as his body continued to morph. “Master,” spoke the voice of Pranceius, “what’s happening? You promised I would serve you in the new world.”

“And you will, loyal Pranceius. You will serve me by providing me with my new body. In a way, you will serve me even beyond your death.”

“No! No, this isn’t what I wanted! Argh!”

The aura grew darker, becoming a sphere of pure blackness. Tacitus, charging his sword, took aim at the sphere. He built up the energy in the blade until he felt he could hold it no longer

“This is for my parents, you bastard!” He shot the beam. It struck the sphere and a massive explosion erupted from the point of impact. The blast sent Tacitus and the others flying backward, and they landed hard on the stone floor.

Tacitus raised himself and rubbed his sore shoulder. Dust was everywhere, but he could not see the magic sphere or Imperius. He allowed himself a victorious smile, pride and savage joy swelling within him.

And then he heard the laughter, and his heart sank.

It wasn’t the raspy, grating laughter he heard before. It was deep and booming, echoing through the mountain. It resonated with strength and authority.

The dust cleared and he saw a stallion, almost as tall as Celestia herself and much more strongly built, standing before him.

His coat was the pale grey of a corpse, and he wore a set of black armor in the style of the Roaman Empire. His mane was a sickly pale green, and it seemed to be made of flame instead of hair. The mark on his flank was of a sword piercing a broken crown, his pupils had serpent-like slits, the sclera was black, and a green haze came from the edges of his blood red eyes. Two horns, curved and sharpened, and glowing the same pale green as his mane, protruded from his head.

“Poor Pranceius,” he said in his new, booming voice. “He really was a faithful servant, but it couldn’t be helped. You can’t create a new body from nothing after all. Something must serve as a base for the reconstruction.” He looked to the group of ponies, as if just now acknowledging their presence. He looked at them how one might look at an ant, and flashed a smile to reveal a mouth full of sharpened fangs. “You should consider yourselves lucky. You are the first to witness me in all my majesty. Bow to your Emperor and despair.”

Tacitus was the first to respond. All of the fury came rushing back when he saw that arrogant, vile face. Steam seemed to erupt from his nostrils as he glared daggers at Imperius, his vision turning red.

“Die, damn you!” he shouted as he raised his sword and fired. Imperius just batted it away with flick of his hoof. Tacitus fired again, only for Imperius to become like shadow, the beam passing harmlessly through him.

Before he could fire again, the floor beneath Tacitus turned black and a spike of pure darkness shot up from the floor aimed directly at his throat. The spike stopped just short of killing him, the point digging into his throat and causing blood to trickle down his neck.

Imperius moved like smoke, teleporting himself so that his face was mere inches from Tacitus. “I could kill you right now, crush you like the insect you are. But I have something much better in mind. I want you to see the full extent of your failure. I want you to walk among the burning ruins of your home. I want you to see the corpses of the ones who trusted you with their lives. Then, once you’ve gone mad with grief and beg me to let you join them in death, will I grant you that mercy.”

He moved away from Tacitus and levitated up to the ceiling. The ground beneath their hooves began to shake, and they could hear the mountain erupting.

“Witness my glorious return and the desolation that I will leave in my path!” He wrapped himself in darkness and exploded through the top of the mountain, sending chunks of rock flying through the air as he went to prepare for his domination of the earth.

***

Imperius landed on the snow-covered ground, a cruel and excited smile on his face. His horns glowed black and the ice beneath him began to crack and shake.

“You have rested long enough. Now is the time to rise and do my bidding!”

For miles around, the snow and ice exploded outward, and from the gaping chasm beneath came legions of undead abominations. Ponies, griffons, minotaurs, even dragons and various other creatures emerged from the cold ground and were given new life. Their bodies were a patchwork of exposed bones and muscles, some more so than others. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers now covered the land, all of them standing in tight formation and facing their master.

One of them, a pony whose face was only half-covered by skin and who wore the armor of a Roaman officer, approached Imperius.

“Ah, General Decimus,” said Imperius. “It is good to see you again.”

Decimus saluted. “It is good to be back and serving you once more my liege. What are your orders?”

Imperius’s horns glowed once more, causing several large swirling portals to appear before the massive army.

“Order the troops to march. The conquest and purge of this world begins now.”

Revelations

Multi-colored lights pierced the veil of darkness that enveloped the tunnels. Lights of pink and of blue, both light and dark, illuminated the path ahead of the group. At the head of this group, Tacitus strode forward confidently, his horn glowing brightest as he lead the way through the labyrinth.

They had been traversing the tunnels for some time now, following Tacitus as he took them from one turn to the next with seemingly no hesitation. He had told them of his conversation with Aeneighus and what he had learned from him, which included the knowledge of the path to the exit. Now, it was only a matter of time before they were free of this accursed place.

“We’re almost there,” said Tacitus. “Just a little further.”

Something caught their eye. Just up ahead, a bright light was shining at the end of the tunnel.

“There it is!” Rainbow shouted excitedly. She immediately took off full speed in the direction of the light.

“Dash wait!” Tacitus called. Rainbow quickly came to a screeching halt, but not quickly enough.

Just below her, something in appearance akin to a rune to began to glow. The sound of stones shifting was heard, and not a second afterwards, spears shot out from the walls directly at Rainbow.

Dash felt something come over her, and she was violently pulled away just before the spears impaled her, landing hard on the ground in front of the rest of the group.

“You alright there Dash?” Applejack asked as she helped her back up.

“Yeah. I’m good.”

“Mighty good thing Tacitus pulled ya out in time. Otherwise you mighta ended up lookin’ like Swiss cheese.”

“No kidding.” Rainbow looked to Tacitus. “Thanks by the way.”

“No problem. But you need to be more careful and stay close from now on.”

“But I saw the exit! It was right…” Rainbow looked to where she had been headed, and saw that there was no light shining like there had been. Behind the mass of spears was just a dead end. “But how…?”

“This place is enchanted and filled with booby traps,” Tacitus reminded her. “It was an illusion meant to draw pursuers into a trap. Like I said, you need to stay close.”

They continued on, the lesson being taken to heart as the group moved in tighter and closer to Tacitus. Tacitus himself made a point of sticking close to Twilight in particular, whom he was still worried about after her near-death experience.

As if justifying his action, Twilight stumbled. Tacitus reacted quickly and caught her, supporting her as she lifted herself back up.

“You’re still pretty weak,” Tacitus told her. “Maybe we should stop and rest.”

“No, it’s alright,” Twilight protested. “I can keep going.”

Twilight seemed to stand taller than she had before and strode forward with greater confidence. That’s one thing that Tacitus really admired about her. She was so strong and kept pushing forward no matter what obstacles stood in her path.

“So strong,” Tacitus thought. He began to wonder…

“Twilight, I want you to try something.”

"Hmm? What is it?”

Tacitus unsheathed the sword from the scabbard that was strapped to his back. He held it in his magical grasp and presented it to Twilight.

"I want you to have the sword Twilight,” said Tacitus. “You’re more powerful than me when it comes to magic, so the sword will be more useful if you use it instead of me.”

“But Tacitus, didn’t Aeneighus-“

“Just try Twilight. Maybe he was wrong.”

Twilight slowly nodded, charging her horn and enveloping the sword with her aura, mixing it with Tacitus’s. Tacitus released his grip on the sword, and it dropped like a ton of rocks, the sound of the impact echoing throughout the caves.

Twilight struggled and sweated as she attempted to lift the sword, but it would not budge. Panting, Twilight released her grip on the sword.

“Let me give it a try,” said Rainbow as she wrapped her hooves around the hilt and tried to lift, only for the sword to remain stationary.

“Lemme help,” said Applejack as she took hold of the blade in an attempt to assist Rainbow, but it was futile. No matter how hard they tried, they could not lift the sword.

“Um, I don’t think it’s going to move,” said Fluttershy.

Applejack and Rainbow released their grips on the sword, exhausted by the effort. The sword had not moved an inch.

“That darn thing weighs a ton,” Applejack complained.

Tacitus set his horn alight and lifted the sword effortlessly, swinging it back and forth and finding it no heavier than a quill.

He gave a disappointed sigh and sheathed the sword. “I guess Aeneighus was right. I’m the only one who can use it. Thanks for trying anyway guys. Come on, let’s keep moving.”

They continued on, Tacitus absentmindedly guiding them as he became lost in his thoughts. He was afraid that Aeneighus had not been mistaken when he said that only his bloodline, in other words Tacitus, could wield the sword. He hoped that if Twilight could use it, it would boost her power far beyond anything he was capable of. But, unfortunately, it was impossible. He was stuck with the sword.

Then another thought struck his mind. This sword gave him incredible power. Just holding it, he could feel the enormous amount of magical energy it contained. When he held it, he felt as if the energy of the sun itself was in his grasp. With this power, he could do incredible things. He could finally keep the promises he made. He finally had the power to protect his friends.

This thought brought a small smile to his face. He wouldn’t be helpless anymore. He would face the danger, not them. He would use this power to stand between them and the darkness. The smile faded. This power, and the burden it carried, was his to bear. He hoped they would understand what he was about to ask them to do.

As the smile faded, as he thought on what he had to do, he was somehow aware that they were almost at the end. They were almost free.

He finally began to actually look where he was going, and at the end of the tunnel was a bright light, illuminating the darkness far better than the glow of their horns.

“Another illusion?” Rainbow asked.

“Not this time,” Tacitus said happily. “That’s the exit for sure.”

Tacitus quickened his pace as he approached the exit, the smell of fresh air and the howling of wind telling him of how close freedom was. The others soon joined him, eventually galloping at full speed towards freedom.

They were blinded momentarily by the sudden brightness of daylight, and their hooves finally left the cold stone and touched snow. Once their eyes had adjusted, they could see the wide field of snow, the mountain range stretching for miles on either side of them.

Their cheers of excitement echoed through the mountains. They jumped up and down and embraced one another, joyful that they had escaped that horrid place.

Only Tacitus was still. He shifted his hat nervously as he tried to think of how to say what was on his mind. As they settled down, the others seemed to notice his discomfort and moved closer to him.

“Are you alright darling?” Rarity asked. “Why aren’t you celebrating with the rest of us?”

The others looked at him, waiting for his answer. He took a deep breath before he spoke.

“This is where we part ways.” Tacitus ignored their shocked stares and kept going. “There should be a pass back through to the other side of the mountains a few miles west of here. You can use that to get back to the Crystal Empire. It was the path the Three Tribes used to get into Equestria.”

Spike was the first to respond. “You’re telling us to leave? But why? Why now?”

“The only reason I’m asking you now is because this was the only way out of the tunnels. If there was an exit on the other side, I would have taken you there so you could all go home, but this was the only one.”

“You’re not seriously suggesting we just go home are you?” Rainbow asked. “What about Imperius? We need to stop him!”

“I have to stop him,” Tacitus corrected her. “I have the sword, so Imperius is my responsibility. There’s no need for you all to put yourselves in danger.”

“You really think we’re just gunna up and abandon you ta face that maniac on your own?” Applejack asked him. “No way sugar cube. That ain’t happenin’.”

The others nodded their heads in agreement. Tacitus looked to Twilight.

“Twilight, please. You know what he’s capable of. You almost got killed. I’m just trying to protect you. Don’t make me put my friends in harm’s way.”

Understanding and sympathy on Twilight’s face, she gave him a somber shake of her head.

“I’m sorry Tacitus, but we’re not leaving. I know you want to protect us, but you have to learn to trust that we are capable of protecting ourselves and let us help you.”

Tacitus’s heart was in his stomach. He looked desperately to each of them, silently pleading for them to reconsider. His gaze fell on Fluttershy, who was looking at the ground and shifting nervously.

“Fluttershy, you said in the caves that you wanted to go home. This is your chance. Please.” Tacitus held to a desperate hope that, if she left, the others might follow.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the company looked to Fluttershy, wondering what her answer would be.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Fluttershy gave her response.

“N-No. Friends don’t abandon friends. I-I’m not leaving.”

Most of her friends greeted her with warm, proud smiles, while Tacitus’s face dropped. Not even Fluttershy would listen to him.

“Isn’t there anything I can say to convince you?” They all shook their heads, and he gave a disappointed, weary sigh. “Fine…let’s just go.”

Twilight wrapped a hoof around him.

“We know your heart is in the right place Tacitus, but we made a promise that we would never abandon you, and we’re going to keep that promise.”

She and the others gave him the warm smiles that he loved to see, and this brought him some comfort. He smiled back at them.

“Come on then. Let’s get going.”

He had relented, and they would all journey together. He loved them for not wanting to leave him, but deep down he wished more than anything that they would.

***

A lone figure marched through the harsh wind and snow, his cloak billowing and flapping violently behind him. He struggled to march against the strong wind and the deep snow. A scowl was present on his face as he took in his surroundings.

“These were once green fields,” Imperius said. “The mighty walled citadels of the Empire dotted this land like beacons of power and order.” The scowl intensified. “Now it’s nothing but a frozen tundra. A wasteland unfit for my rule.” A frightening howl drew his attention skyward, so that he looked directly at the ghostly Windigos galloping through the storm clouds. “This is their empire now.”

“But you’ll have a new land to rule master,” the voice of Pranceius spoke from within his mind. “A new Empire for a new age. An empire where I’ll finally have power. Where I’ll finally be somepony.”

“Indeed you will, my faithful servant. You will have a place in the Empire of great importance, as reward for your service and loyalty.”

A tingling in the back of his head made Imperius stop cold in his tracks, a look of surprise frozen on his face. He could sense Tacitus.

“He survived? He found a way out of that labyrinthine deathtrap?” A wicked smile replaced the flabbergasted look. “This boy just keeps getting more and more interesting. How about one more obstacle to see what he’s made of.”

His corrupted horn glowed sickly black, the surrounding snow and ice cracking beneath his hooves and black light shining through the fissures. After a moment, Imperius seemed to find what he was looking for.

“They’ll do nicely,” he said as he intensified his power, struggling somewhat as he cast the spell. After the trap had been set, he released the spell with a gasp of breath, weariness clear on his face.

“Damn your weak earth pony body Pranceius! This is hardly a fraction of what I could do. But I suppose it’s not your fault, and the trap should be a sufficient test for the boy.” He turned his gaze to the distance, in the direction where Nova Domus stood. “Come find me Tacitus. Survive this, and earn your reward.”

“Reward master? What kind of reward?”

“The best kind of reward, dear Pranceius. Knowledge. Information. And if I am correct, this reward should make him an even more entertaining individual.”

Anticipation filled him and the wicked grin grew wider as he contemplated the events to come. He silently hoped that Tacitus would survive. He wanted to see how the “reward” would change him.

***

Stinging wind blew against Tacitus’s face as he struggled to push his way through the snow. The cold was almost unbearable. His body shivered violently in an attempt to keep itself warm. The others were fairing no better, as even Pinkie’s usual bouncing movements were slowed and labored as she fought against the cold and snow.

“A coffee,” Tacitus said to himself. “My kingdom for a coffee.”

“Or some hot chocolate,” Spike added from his position atop Twilight. The snow had become so deep that the young dragon could no longer walk, and had to hop onto the back of his friend. He had resumed using his fire breath to try to keep himself and the others warm, but it was not nearly as effective as it had been before.

“This weather ain’t natural,” said Applejack as a particularly fierce wind blew past them.

“Indeed it isn’t. Look!” cried Rarity over the howl of the wind.

The group looked up to where she pointed, and realized it was not the wind that had howled. A shiver that had nothing to do with the cold passed through them all as they saw the Windigos circling above them, their cries turning their hearts to ice.

Despite sharing their fear, Twilight attempted to encourage the others.

“Don’t worry,” she said, “they won’t bother us so long as we stick together.”

“Let’s keep moving then,” said Tacitus. “We can’t be too far now.”

The group soldiered onward, weariness beginning to show its effects in their slow strides and tired faces. They had traveled all day the previous day, and then had stopped to eat and rest for a few hours before continuing on their journey. They could see the mountain in the distance. They were so close now.

Something below Tacitus’s hooves began to glow bright. The snow in the surrounding area scattered as if blown away by an unnatural wind. The ice below the snow cracked and broke apart, a thick black aura pouring through gaps and swirling about the company.

Something burst out of the snow, the sheer force of which hurled them backwards. They landed hard on the snow, some of them sinking several feet into it.

Shaking their heads to regain their senses after being tossed, the group to their horror beheld five great wolves and an enormous bear standing before them. They were a gory sight to behold, for they only had patches of skin still attached to their bodies. Some areas were devoid of skin, exposing the torn and rotting muscle tissue beneath, while others were merely bone with no skin or muscle to speak of.

The abominations roared in challenge of the group, and began to lick their lips in anticipation for their first meal of their second lives.

The girls and Spike prepared to meet them, ready to defend themselves against the new threat. Before they could move, they found themselves surrounded in a very familiar blue aura that formed itself into a bubble. They were lifted high off the ground and became suspended in mid-air, far out of reach of the grisly pack.

They looked below and saw Tacitus, his sword unsheathed and glowing bright, standing alone against the creatures. They began to beat against the bubble, and Twilight attempted to dispel it, but to no avail.

“Tacitus!” Twilight called. “Let us out of here right now!”

“I’ve got this,” he called back to her. “You all just stay where it’s safe.”

Tacitus crouched low, his muscles tense and ready to spring. He had never fought with a weapon before, but he had spent most of their resting period the previous day practicing with the sword. Now it was time to see if it had paid off.

Tacitus made the first move. He channeled his energy through his horn as he had done countless times before, but now the sword glowed bright along with his horn. A beam of energy much stronger than anything Tacitus had unleashed before erupted from the tip of the blade, the recoil causing him to stumble back a few steps.

The beam struck the ground where the undead beasts stood, the resulting explosion failing to destroy any of them, but did succeed in separating them.

“Still need to work on the aim and recoil,” Tacitus said aloud as he readjusted himself. He saw the creatures rushing at him, their rotten teeth barred and their maws filled with sickly green bile. “Right, worry about that later.”

Tacitus took aim at one of the wolves, sending another beam straight at it. This one struck true and shattered the wolf to pieces.

His small victory was short-lived. The rest of the pack was fast and soon they were upon him. They slashed at him with bloody claws and snapped at him, hoping to crush his neck in their jaws.

Tacitus was on the retreat, teleporting out of the way, only to find another wolf waiting to strike at him. He was getting desperate, he hardly had time to cast spells before one wolf or another was inches from his face. He saw they were trying to circle him while leading him toward the bear. He had to do something quick.

A wolf leaped at him, trying to deliver a final blow. In a desperate move, Tacitus swung the sword at the airborne wolf. The sword cleaved through the wolf’s neck, severing its head and sending the body careening into another wolf.

That attack broke the momentum of the pack and gave Tacitus an opening. He teleported as quickly as he could, getting some distance between him and the monsters. He saw the headless wolf and the wolf it had crashed into begin to recover and attempt to rise. Tacitus had an idea.

“Please work,” he silently pleaded as he readied the spell and raised the sword. He stabbed the sword into the ground, causing a fissure in the earth that headed straight towards the two wolves. The ground opened up beneath them and swallowed them. Tacitus then closed the fissure, crushing the wolves trapped in the ground.

“Nice. Check that off the list of spells I’ve always wanted to do.”

Tacitus had little time to congratulate himself. The bear was charging at him from one side, while another wolf sped toward him from the other.

He waited patiently, not moving an inch from where he stood. Seeing this, his friends shouted at him with renewed zeal, calling for him to move. But he continued to simply stand there, the two beasts nearly upon him. The wolf pounced; the bear raised its paw to strike down at him.

Just before their strikes connected, Tacitus teleported. Instead of striking Tacitus, the bear struck the wolf, shattering it and crushing its bones to dust.

Some distance away, Tacitus allowed himself a cocky smile. The bear had its back to him, and he was readying the sword to fire another blast at it and end this.

The smile dropped when he heard the menacing growl come from behind him. He could smell its foul breath, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He had miscounted. There was one wolf left.

He whipped his head around to see the undead creature charging at him, its jaws open and ready to taste flesh for the first time in centuries.

In his shock, Tacitus absentmindedly swung the sword, the blade still charged with magical energy. The unintentional slash sent, not a beam, but a curved blade of energy from the sword directly at the charging wolf.

The energy headed towards the wolf’s open jaw, cutting through it like a hot knife through butter and leaving the creature horizontally bisected. The areas where the energy had connected glowed red hot, as if a blade of magma had cut through it.

“Huh,” said Tacitus as he studied the results of the spell, “that’s new.”

Tacitus was so distracted by the discovery, he failed to notice the bear approaching from behind. The bear snuck as quietly as it could, it’s teeth barred and bile dripping from its mouth.

His friends, still in the protective bubble he placed them in, desperately tried to get his attention. They shouted as loud as they could, but the magical bubble muffled their cries.

Twilight cast a spell to amplify her voice, and shouted in a volume that made the royal Canterlot voice seem a mere whisper.

“TACITUS! BEHIND YOU!”

Alarmed, Tacitus did a quick about-face. He looked and saw the bear’s gnarled paw swiping, head right towards his head.

Reacting as quickly as he could, Tacitus dodged just enough to keep the attack from killing him, but the claws still made contact. They drew across his cheek, leaving a scar dripping blood.

Ignoring the small injury, Tacitus charged the sword once again. He filled the blade with energy before slashing the air several times, sending numerous blades of energy hurtling towards the undead bear.

The energy slashes cut the bear to pieces, it’s chopped up remains falling to the ground and lying still.

Tacitus didn’t let his guard down. He cautiously searched each of the creatures to make sure they were truly dead. Once he was satisfied, he relaxed and set about lowering the bubble he had placed his friends in back to the ground before dispelling it.

“Well,” said Tacitus as he sheathed the sword, “that certainly-“

“What’s the matter with you?!” Applejack shouted at him.

"Yeah!” rainbow added. “What’s the big deal trapping us and fighting on your own?”

Tacitus had suspected they might react like this. “There was no need for any of you to put yourselves in danger. I had the situation under control, so I didn’t need your help.”

“Oh really?” Rarity asked, just as angry as Rainbow and AJ. “If we hadn’t warned you, you would have ended up with a lot worse than just a scar.”

Rarity pointed to the ugly scar on his face. Blood still flowed from the fresh wound, but it seemed Tacitus had completely forgotten about it. He used the sword’s power to perform a healing spell, causing the scar and all traces of it to disappear completely.

“This is nothing,” protested Tacitus, ignoring the fact that he may well have lost his head were it not for their warning. “The point is, this sword makes it my responsibility to face these threats, not yours.”

“Ah can’t believe you!” Applejack hollered. “You still don’t trust us! After everything we’ve been through, you still think being alone is better than letting others help you.”

"Trust has nothing to do with it!” Tacitus shot back, starting to get aggravated. “I just want you all to be safe. If anything, this attack proves that I was right and that this mission is too dangerous. So I’m not asking this time, I’m telling you: go home.”

“Who died and put you in charge?” Rainbow asked incredulously.

“Twilight almost!” Tacitus shouted, anger rising inside of him. “I’m done letting you all put yourselves in danger for something that isn’t your responsibility! I told you before, I have the sword and the power, so it is my duty to stop Imperius. This is not your fight and this is not a discussion. Go home. Now!”

"Please don’t fight,” Fluttershy squeaked just loud enough to be heard.

"Yeah, come on guys,” Spike agreed. “You need to calm down.”

The fight hurting their friendship was not the only thing that worried Spike. Windigos, attracted by the fighting, were beginning to congregate around them. The air grew colder and the wind blew fiercer, but the bickering ponies seemed not to notice.

"This is our fight,” Applejack argued. “Imperius is a threat to all of us, and we’re goin’ to help you stop him whether you like it or not. We’re not leavin’, so you’d better just get used to it!”

Tacitus was seething. He spoke through gritted teeth. “Go. Home. Now.”

Rainbow pushed her face right up against his. “Make us.”

They stared each other down, pressing harder against each other to make the other back down. Tacitus was about ready to take her up on her suggestion and find a way to force them to go home. They were so caught up in their fighting, they didn’t even notice the ice forming around their hooves.

“Enough!” Twilight shouted, breaking the intense silence and the Windigo’s ice both. “This isn’t the time to be fighting and it isn’t the time to be separating! No one is going home and we are all going to stop Imperius together. No more discussions, no more arguing, no more fighting.”

Tacitus was about to protest, but Twilight held up a hoof. “That’s a royal order.” The tone of her voice left no room for discussion, and the look on her face chilled him more than any Windigo could.

She took a deep breath to steady herself. “Let’s keep moving. We still have a ways to go.”

They did as she said and moved on, but they moved in a huff. Tacitus was furious at the stubbornness of his friends, just as they were furious at his stubbornness. He walked silently with a frown on his face. The others, aside from Pinkie, Spike, and Fluttershy, did the same.

The next hour was filled with this angry silence. Pinkie had tried to lighten the mood, but her friends refused to be cheered up, the stress and cold getting the best of them.

Unable to pull her friends out of their stupor didn’t mean Pinkie herself allowed them to get her down. She found ways to keep her spirits up, and hoped her good mood would rub off on them.

After the blizzard had died down somewhat, Pinkie started taking up catching snowflakes on her tongue. She darted to and fro, savoring each snowflake and swearing that each had a unique flavor. She claimed every flavor to be delicious, until the last flake touched her tongue.

“Blech!” she exclaimed, spitting violently to get the taste out of her mouth. “That snowflake was disgusting! That didn’t taste like snow at all.”

It was then that she noticed that the snow falling around her was an unusual color. Instead of pure white, it was gray. She looked down and saw that the snow beneath her was the same color.

The others had also noticed the change, seeing the grey snow stretch almost endlessly in front of them.

“How odd,” said Rarity. “Why is the snow such a strange color?”

“Because it’s not snow,” said Tacitus, his voice hollow. “It’s ash.”

The others looked to the huge mountain looming before them, and saw the cloud of smoke and ash rising from its top. After all these millennia, Vehoovius still rained ash down upon the land.

They walked through the valley of ashes, choking coughs echoing as the still warm flakes blew into their faces. A sense of uneasiness and dread filled them with each step they took. This place seemed wrong to them, as if Death itself resided there.

They weren’t entirely wrong.

It was when Tacitus saw the tops of stone structures and building, all that remained of a city long gone, that the realization hit him. There was no doubt where they were now.

“Welcome to Ponypeii,” he said, more to himself than anyone else. “Or at least what’s left of it.”

Tacitus loved ancient ruins. They were his passion. They were filled with history and knowledge. He was overjoyed whenever he discovered an artifact or an abandoned city. He now stood atop the remains of a grand city lost for thousands of years, filled with artifacts and treasures of priceless historical value. By all accounts, this place should have brought him overwhelming excitement. But it didn’t.

Tacitus felt no love at the sight of this place, nor joy. The excitement that filled him whenever he found a place of historical significance was nowhere to be found.

This was no great tomb or temple, where the dead were buried and honored. This was no city that was swept away by natural cause or the decays of time.

This was the site of a massacre. An entire city and all its inhabitants snuffed out by a mad emperor who wanted to make an example of them. All the tomes and artifacts buried beneath could do nothing to erase the taint of this place. How many ponies lay buried under a ton of volcanic ash? How many ghosts cried out in terror and pain beneath his hooves?

The sight of what appeared to be two petrified hooves sticking up from the ash and clasping each other caused Tacitus to shudder. Was his mind playing tricks on him, a rock or statue seeming to be more than it really was? It didn’t matter. The image of two ponies embracing one another as they were smothered by ash was ingrained in his mind.

“Let’s get out of here,” said Tacitus, desperate to leave the horrid place. “Imperius must be close by.” The sound of that vile name caused anger to rise inside of him. He was the one responsible for this desolation, and countless other horrors. He had almost caused the death of one of his closest friends. Tacitus, by nature very calm and forgiving, began to know what hate felt like.

They drew closer to the fiery mountain. They could see a red glow emanating from its top, streams of magma still flowing from its peak.

A noise like shifting rock grabbed their attention. They picked up their pace, heading towards the source of the commotion. Tacitus unsheathed his sword, readying himself to face what he suspected to encounter. The others did likewise, preparing themselves in their own way to meet the threat.

It wasn’t long before they caught sight of him. There stood Imperius, his horn was aglow and a doorway was beginning to appear in the side of the mountain. It continued to slowly open for him until it was large enough for a pony to walk through. He was about to step through when he heard the ponies approach.

“Hold it!” yelled Tacitus as he made his way to the front of the group, positioning himself between Imperius and his friends.

“So, you made it,” Imperius said with a grin on his face. “It certainly took you long enough.”

Twilight stepped forward. “Surrender yourself peacefully Imperius. We’re taking you to Canterlot to answer for your crimes.”

Imperius raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised to see her. “I sensed that young Tacitus had survived, but I’m honestly surprised to see you alive after my spell hit you. It seems the years have caused my talent for killing alicorns to become a bit rusty.” A savage grin overcame his face, and his horn glowed black. “Let’s remedy that, shall we?”

Imperius sent a blast at energy at Twilight. As quick as lightning, Tacitus leapt in front of her and swung his sword. He batted the blast away, sending it off harmlessly into the distance.

“What?!” Imperius shouted in shock. He sent more blasts, this time aimed at Tacitus. Tacitus batted each of them away before sending a blast of his own at Imperius.

Imperius dodged the blast, but was surprised at the power behind it. The boy was different from the last time they met. Imperius didn’t have time to think much on it. Tacitus sent numerous energy slashes at him, forcing Imperius to go on the defensive.

Imperius was growing increasingly frustrated. The battle wasn’t going his way. How could he be losing to a weakling like this?

Suddenly, Imperius realized he had lost sight of Tacitus. The stallion was nowhere to be seen. Imperius decided to switch up tactics and target his friends, maybe use one as a shield.

His plan was never put into action.

Tacitus teleported directly in front of him, sending a shockwave that sent Imperius flying into the side of the mountain. He slammed into the stone hard, and before he could move, Tacitus put the blade of his sword against his throat.

“What is going on?” Imperius thought to himself. “The blade is keeping me from performing spells. What kind of sword is that?”

Imperius took a good look at the sword, realization donning in his eyes. After a moment of shock, Imperius let out hysterical laughter.

“The Sword of Aeneighus!” he said between laughs. “So you are of his bloodline! You are just full of surprises.”

Imperius looked at Tacitus, his face serious and his eyes burning.

“Oh, now why are you so upset?” Imperius asked in mock concern. “Is this because I left you and your friends to freeze to death, or is it because of the skeletons? Gack!”

Tacitus pressed the blade harder against his throat. “Don’t push me,” he said in a low voice. “I’m in a foul mood.”

Imperius smiled. “Good.”

Twilight and the others walked closer. “Calm down Tacitus. We still need him.”

Tacitus reluctantly eased the blade back somewhat, but still kept it close to his throat. What would he do if he tried anything though? Would he kill him? Tacitus had never killed anypony before. Timberwolves and undead monsters were one thing, but this was a living pony.

And yet, part of Tacitus actually wanted to do it. After what he’s done, both in the past and in the present, shouldn’t he deserve death? Even now, Tacitus could feel his anger rising just looking at him, his smug grin taunting Tacitus. His disregard for the lives he took, his attempts to murder him and his friends, his complete lack of remorse; it infuriated Tacitus. But could he kill him?

“Uh, Twi,” Applejack said, “how exactly are we gonna get him to Canterlot? We ain’t exactly got a cage or somethin’.”

“We’ll figure something out,” responded Twilight. “We have to get him back for questioning.”

“But why wait?” Imperius’s rasping voice grated against their ears. “You have me at your mercy right now, so why not question me here? I’ll gladly answer any questions you have. Surviving as you have, you’ve certainly earned that courtesy.” A vile grin spread across his face. “Besides, those poor sick ponies are running out of time. Just imagine how many of those unfortunate souls will die during the time it takes to get me back to the capital. You need a cure as quickly as possible.”

Tacitus and his friends looked at each other, conferring in silent deliberation. No matter what they thought though, Twilight had the final say. She nodded slowly.

“Fine,” she said. “We’ll question him here.”

“Start talking buddy,” Rainbow said in the most menacing way she could manage.

The grin never left Imperius’s face as he talked. “Gladly. Why not start with the question you asked back at Nova Domus, about me being the source of the poisoned river. I am indeed responsible. I…persuaded…a talented apothecary to create a toxin imbued with dark magic. I need not explain its effects to you, for you have seen them for yourself.

“The reason for it is that I wanted to weaken the population of Equestria so that my armies could sweep in virtually unopposed. However, judging by the strength you all posses, it might not even have been necessary. It seems peace will be your undoing. However, the poison still has a use. I consider the poison to be a mercy. Those that are infected should consider themselves lucky.”

Tacitus pressed his sword hard against his throat. “Lucky!” he shouted. “Do you have any idea the suffering you’ve caused them?! Do have any idea of the pain that poison brings?!”

“It’s still a mercy. They have never seen the ravages of war. Weeks of suffering in a bed is preferable to slaughter my army will reek in one day.” Something glinted in Imperius eyes, like he was excited for something. “But more on that later. Why don’t I move on to the big picture, the ultimate goal I have in mind?”

“Let me guess,” said Rainbow. “You want to take over the world. You’re not exactly the most original villain in history.”

Despite the insult, Imperius continued to smile. “You’re only half right child. I do intend to be the ruler of this world, but I have been a ruler before. I have learned from my mistakes and I will not repeat them. I will never allow another rebellion.

“The natural order is that the strong rule the weak, thus order and peace will be established. However, no matter how much power I have or what I do to inspire fear, there will always be those that will fight against me. This will always be so long as free will is allowed to exist. Thus I must eliminate free will. To do that,” the smile grew wider, “I must eliminate all life.”

Shock. Horror. Disgust. Anger. All of these and more flooded through them as they heard his plan.

“You’re insane,” said Tacitus. “If you wipe out life, you’ll be the emperor of nothing.”

“Ah, but you forget boy. You forget what my specialty in the field of magic is.”

“Necromancy,” Tacitus whispered, kicking himself for forgetting.

“Correct. Once I’ve purged the world of life, I will simply raise them from the dead. The perfect subjects: loyal, obedient, and no thoughts of rebellion. I shall rule an empire of the dead, and the world shall be as it should.”

“You really are insane,” said Tacitus, anger continuing to boil inside of him from listening to his schemes.

“What about a cure?” Twilight demanded. “What is the cure for the poison?”

“In good time,” said Imperius. “First I have something especially for young Tacitus here.”

“What are you talking about?” he asked.

“Oh come now Tacitus. You seem a smart boy, surely you’ve made the connection? Then again, perhaps you not knowing will make telling you all the more fun.”

“Talk sense!”

“Very well. A toxin such as the one I used is unique, never seen before. When I first created it, its affects were unknown to me. So, I needed to test it before mass producing it and introducing it into the water. While there were numerous subjects here to choose from, I wanted my subjects to be special.

"I wanted subjects from Canterlot, so that I could show that I could strike at the heart of your nation and so that the ponies of Equestria got a small taste of what was to come. I randomly chose two ponies to infect with the poison and observe its affect on them. Can you guess who they were Tacitus? They were very close to you.”

Tacitus mouth was agape as horrible realization spread across his features. Tacitus knew he’d seen the effects of that poison before. There was no doubt now. The poison that was killing the ponies had killed…

“My parents…”

“That’s right Tacitus. They were the lucky chosen. That’s how I knew you. Through Pranceius’s eyes I saw the toxin eat away at them, saw it give them unending nightmares and excruciating pain. And I saw you stand by them the entire time, foolishly hoping they would recover. Needless to say, I was very satisfied with the results. I’m even happier now that I know that I killed Aeneighus’s descendents. Strange how fate works.”

Imperius looked closely at Tacitus. Pure shock was all that could be seen, his eyes seeming to stare straight through him. He hardly seemed to be breathing.

“How did it feel Tacitus? How did it feel to see your beloved parents suffer and die while you sat helplessly doing nothing? And how does it feel now, standing face to face with the one responsible for their deaths? Are you angry? Do you want revenge?” Tacitus still stood in silent shock. Imperius’s face turned into one of disappointed disgust. “Pitiful. Too much of a weakling to avenge the ones you loved. Or perhaps you didn’t love them at all. Maybe I did you a favor in killing those worthless pieces of trash.”

That broke him.

Tacitus eyes were wild and burned with fury. His blood boiled and his body shook with pure rage. Hatred, murderous in its intent, filled him for the first time in his life.

“ARGH!” he screamed in fury as he raised his sword high above his head. “I’LL KILL YOU!”

This was what Imperius was waiting for. With the blade removed from his throat, he was free to cast spells. He teleported away just before the blade struck him. It instead struck the mountain, taking a huge chunk of rock out of it.

Tacitus searched wildly for Imperius, the ash beneath him clearing and the ground cracking from the intensity of his enhanced power. As soon as he saw his target, he sent blast after furious blast at the source of his hate.

Anger made him sloppy however, and Imperius dodged or blocked each one before teleporting into the doorway he had opened in the mountain. He sent a blast into the mountainside, causing rocks to fall and begin to black the entrance.

“One last piece of information before I leave,” called Imperius over the rumble of the stone. “The apothecary who helped me create the poison still lives, but not for much longer. Seems he took a bit of his own medicine. He resides in a hut five miles east of here, and he is the only one who knows the cure. So either chase after me, or find the cure. Your choice.”

With that, and with the grin still on his face, Imperius ran into the mountain, disappearing into the darkness.

The entrance was almost completely sealed. They had to make a choice.

For Tacitus, there was no choice.

He dove for the entrance, running as fast as his rage-fueled state could push him.

“Tacitus wait!” Twilight called desperately. She and the others ran after him, trying to stop him.

They weren’t fast enough.

Tacitus jumped through the last remaining opening, just before the falling boulders sealed the entrance.

“IMPERIUS!” Tacitus shouted the name with all of his hatred behind it.

The call echoed through the mountain as Tacitus chased him through the darkness. It was all he heard.

He couldn’t hear, or perhaps he chose not to hear, the desperate calls of his friends behind the sealed entrance.

The call for revenge was all he heard.

Author's Note

Finally! Sweet Celestia, I can't believe it took me almost three months to get this chapter out. Hopefully you guys find it worth the wait, and hopefully I'll get the next chapter out before 2016.