Luna wipes her forehead and sheathes her broadsword "Okay, one thousand vertical slashes. Now for one thousand horizontal."

She draws her sword and started slashing the air, counting in her head.

Celestia sighed and watched her sister work out "I get exhausted just looking at her..."

Luna walks towards Celestia's balcony and flew up to it, still swinging her sword "You get used to repetition if you think about other things. Like how much force is required to remain stationary while in flight and with a sword."

Celestia rolls her eyes "How is it that you can do all of that and not get tired?"

"Better stamina, mental training, lesser gravity, and an understanding of physics." Luna replies, levitating a green ball of dough from her pocket "And good, nutritious food."

Celestia sniffs the air "That's... please don't tell me that's one of those strange buns you made when we were younger."

"Then I won't tell you." Luna replies, taking a bite out of it "I just don't see why you don't keep in top form, sister."

She sighs "I stress ate while you were banished. And I was never one who enjoyed exercise."

Luna shrugs "Have you seen Discord?"

Celestia shook her head "No, not recently."

Luna sheathes her sword again "Neither have I... where is he?"

A bearded pony in a brown hooded tunic sighs into his cup of tea "Hmm..."

"Dizzy!"

Dizzy looks up from the tea and waves to the pony who'd called his name "Crop, nice to see you."

Crop, a brown Pegasus with white spots on his muzzle and hooves walks over to Dizzy "How've you been Dizzy Spell?"

"I've been doing well and good whenever I can." Dizzy replies, sipping his tea "How goes the market? I haven't seen your name in any of the agricultural rags."

Crop snorts "You talk like an old pony Dizzy, 'Rags'..." he sighs "Market's been steady, in all seriousness. Though there've been eddies in the water too."

Dizzy raises and eyebrow and sets the cup of tea onto the stained café table "Do tell..."

Crop inhales, readying himself to tell the story "Well, there's been a number of Parasprite sightings near a series of empty grain silos to the west, and what with how Parasprites multiply, storage is going to be near impossible until they get a proper band to draw 'em out."

Dizzy nods "Ah, so you're going to swoop in before they take residence, buy stock in the grain milling company, and sell it to get a maximum payback for stock that will lose a large amount of worth?"

"That's the plan, but I'm not some business pony who thrives on the misfortunes of others, I'm also going to suggest that they store it in the next town over, and charge half price to have my company deliver the grain."

"Half?" Dizzy asks, confused.

"Well, I know what it's like to deal with that kind of situation, so I think that they could use a break, but I still need to make money. I'll do more than break even, Dizzy. But it all hinges on Mother Nature."

Dizzy smiles, draining the last of his cup "That sounds like a pretty good gamble to me, Crop Duster. I have a friend waiting for me in the next town over, see you in the rags next week."

Crop snorts, watching his friend trot away "Again with the 'Rags'... swear he must've been living in a cave somewhere..."

Dizzy Spell fades into the crowd and looks up, pausing to marvel at the view of Canterlot "Soon, my friend, I shall return."

On a rock farm, bland and dull, a single bright blue object toils, mane and tail tied and sheared off crudely "... Three thousand!"

A dark purple-grey mare walks over to her, a pick in her hoof "That fast? You must be using your magic too."

The blue mare shakes her head "No, only when my hooves are too numb."

The other mare, obviously of a more positive temperament, hugs the blue unicorn "You don't have to be so monotone around me, Trix."

Trixie sighs, lightly hugging her friend "I know... but whenever I start thinking about saying something... I see their faces."

A solid grey mare with a mane that shined like spilled ink, walked over to the two "What's going on, Trixie break her hoof or something?"

"Marble! I thought you said you would more caring!"

"You do the caring for the both of us, sis." she sits on Trixie's other side, hugging the monotone unicorn "You want to take off? Get some sleep, kill a formation or two, get smashed like an outhouse in a mudslide?"

"Maaaarble!! Violence and drinking aren't the right solutions for emotional trauma, right Trixie?"

Trixie blinks and smiles at both of them faintly "S-sorry, I was... thinking... why do you both care so much, for a washed up magician like me?"

Marble smiles, brushing a lock of Trixie's silver mane away from her face "Because we love you, Trix. Why else do you think we like to get you all alone out here? Right Blinks?"

Blinkie rolls her eyes "Yes, we love you, but no, I'm not trying to ambush you. You've got two someponies vying to make you happy, and nothing will change that."

Trixie smiles, blushing slightly "Thanks... both of you, I needed that."

"Hey, what are marefriends for?" they ask in unison, kissing both of Trixie's cheeks.

It wasn't an uncommon sight to see the three of them working, talking, or relaxing together, the Pie twins and the new worker/tenant Trixie. Very few ponies were aware of how deep their friendship and affections went.

They were a herd with three members, all mares and closed to anypony who might want in.

Trixie was technically the head, but she was so shy and usually only talked for periods where one or both Pies were present. She was likable, even though she dodged questions about her past.

Limestone was the happiest of the three, and had a pretty optimistic point of view on life. She was, of course, a rock farmer, but also a rather famous fashions model, mostly for work wear fashions.

Her twin, and older by seven minutes sister, Marble, was the grounded, practical of the three, usually suggesting ways to solve problems with a pretty predictable pattern; ignore it, get drunk, fight it, and stakeouts. A private investigator by trade as well as rock farmer, she's not a pony you mess with, and you're asking for it if you try to mess with her family or Trixie.

The few ponies who knew about the relationship were Maud Pie, the eldest of all the Pie sisters, Igneous Rock and Cloudy Quartz, the twins' parents, and Green Sleeves, an old adventurer who claims to have met Daring Doo, and the barkeep of the only bar in Boulder, Clouderado.

Maud Pie trundles by, her pet rock, Boulder, on her head "... You seem to have completed your share of today's work Trixie..." she pauses, as if thinking, but the twins could tell she was just pausing to make sure that Trixie hadn't hurt herself "... Mount says that you are going to be needed in a town called Ponyville soon. A mare's life is in danger, and only you have the knowledge to save her."

Trixie nods to Maud but does a double take "Po-Ponyville?! As in, the town your other sister lives in?"

Maud nods slowly "I'm sorry to cut your working hours here short, I know you enjoy the limited contact, but I feel that you need to cultivate some good faith there. Marble, Limestone, you two can come... if you want."

Both mares nod and lift Trixie off the ground and onto their shoulders "We're ready if you are, sis." Limestone chirps.

Maud pauses "She'll need her cart too. And..." she lifts Boulder off her head "Tellurium and lithium ore."

Trixie tried to protest, but a look from both of her marefriends meant that they wouldn't be swayed by anything she said, so she sighed and rested on their shoulders, dozing off.

Trixie yawned, the sound of hushed conversation rousing her sleeping mind to alertness "Marble? Limestone?"

"About time you woke up." Marble jeers, earning a glare from her sister.

Trixie yawns again, wiping her eyes and popping her joints "What's going on?"

Maud, silent for the whole trip, speaks "We're here."

Down hill Ponyville waits, and Trixie's heart drops "Oh... right."

Marble grins "Yup, Pinkie must live here, and I'm guessing... that giant gingerbread house over there is hers."

Trixie looks around her cart, and finds two bags "Are these the ores?"

Limestone nods "Yeah, don't know what they're supposed to do to help somepony, but whatever."

As if on cue, the sound of screaming fillies splits the air.

Trixie leaps off the cart, galloping towards the source of the voices.

Marble and Maud nod to each other, quickly removing the harnesses and following after Trixie.

Limestone, however, removes her harness and enters the wagon, looking for the medical kit she'd stashed before leaving the farm, following after the three other mares "And they said we might not need an aid kit..."

Trixie dives into a clearing and finds a terrifying sight, three fillies stuck to a tree by sap, the wreck of a glider strewn around the clearing's center. Crushing the ruins of the glider is something that Trixie had never thought she'd see.

"T-T-Timberwolf Alpha!!" she yells back where she came, charging her horn.

The hulking wooden beast turns to Trixie and howls at her, snapping it's pony-sized teeth at her.

It is times like this I regret looking after I jump, and not before... Trixie thought to herself "Agh, how do you kill a timberwolf agai- Aha!" she dims her horn and blows a raspberry at it "Hey, stink-breath! Your made of nothing more than rotten driftwood!!"

It roars at her and she takes off "Let's see, upper area of the Everfree, so the closest lake is-whoa!" she leaps, her tail nearly bitten off.

"Hey! If anyone is biting Trixie's tail, it's going to be me!" Marble yells, darting out of the trees to kick one of the wolf's joints into the other, knocking it's head into the ground.

Maud appears next to her, her hooves glowing white "... Break." she leaps onto the Timberwolf's back and punches at the base of its neck, separating the body from the head.

Maud simply trundles off the rapidly crumbling body, each piece no longer held by the wolf's magic "That was fun."

Trixie smiles, hugging the two mares "Thank you! Now let's finish it off." her horn lights and she throws the yowling, panicked head through the air and into a pond, the green flames extinguished instantly.

Limestone enters the path, sweaty "Huff... huff... why don't I have your stamina?"

Maud shrugs and takes the kit, walking back towards the struggling fillies "Come on... we need to get them to town."

Marble salutes and kisses Trixie on the cheek "I meant what I said wand-booty, your tail is mine."

Trixie flushes and follows, Limestone's attention on reprimanding her sister.

Scootaloo hisses in pain when Trixie removes her helmet that had somehow filled with tree sap "So... what are your names?"

"Sweetie Belle." Sweetie replied, bowing her head and trying to fix her mohawked mane and tail.

Scootaloo rubs her mane, her hooves sticking to it "Scootaloo... ow!!"

"An' ah'm Applebloom." Applebloom says, her signature bow stuck to her flank.

"Well, the mare with the dark mane is Marble, the one with the grey is Limestone, and the last one in the frock is Maud." Trixie says "And I'm Bellatrix, we're rock farmers."

Scootaloo pauses, her hooves now stuck to her cheeks "Whaiph, ithn't Plinkie a rock farmerth?"

Sweetie nods, the spikes of her mane left alone "Yes, though I doubt that they're related to her."

"Yeah, an' besides, Pinkie said that she her whole family were Earth Ponies." she points at Trixie "An Bellatrix is a unicorn."

Maud pauses and reaches into her pocket, pulling out a crumpled piece of paper "We're here."

Trixie looks up and recognizes Sugarcube Corner, one of the places she hadn't been to "Well, I suppose if we ask arou-"

The door opens loudly, cutting Trixie off as a blur of pink shoots out from within. Reacting on instinct, she throws up a barrier around the cart that the blur slams into, baby blue eyes staring at her "Hiiiiiii..." the pink monster whispers, licking the barrier like it was a lollipop.

Trixie raises an eyebrow "What in the name of Luna is that?"

"Our sister." all three Pies say in unison and Trixie lowers the barrier "Seriously? You said your sister was different, but I didn't think special different."

Pinkie thrusts her hoof into Trixie's face "Hi!I'mPinkiePie!WelcomeToPonyville!IfeellikeI'vemetyoubefore-" Trixie casts a slowing spell on Pinkie "Come again?"

"Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie! Welcome to Ponyville! I feel like I've met you before but that's okay, I'll still throw you a 'Welcome to Ponyville' Party! Oh my gosh! Maud! Marble and Limestone too! What happened, is somepony getting married, are dad and mom okay, are you okay? Hi Crusaders!"

Trixie dispels the magic and Pinkie rubs her lips "Weird..."

Maud smiles at Pinkie "We're here to help somepony, or rather, help Bellatrix help somepony."

Pinkie gasps "Then it must be super-duper important! But I can't think of anypony who might need help!"

Maud nods and reaches back into her pocket, pulling out Boulder "Boulder knows the way."

Scootaloo scratches her head with Sweetie's spikes "Definitely Pinkie's sisters."

Twilight looked up from her book on heart defects "I wonder who'd knock to get in a library?"

Moondancer shrugs, sketching.

She opens the door and comes face-to-face with Maud, who blinks "Is there a pony who needs a rock farmer along with Tellurium and Lithium?"

Twilight blinks several times replaying the flat question in her head "Y-yes... why?"

Maud nods "Boulder was right. Where is the pony?"

Moondancer walks out of the Library, nudging Twilight aside "I'm her, how can you help me?"

Maud shrugs "I don not know. Bellatrix is the pony who can do something about whatever your problem is."

"'Bellatrix'?" Twilight asks.

Moondancer quirks her eyebrow "Bellatrix Lulamoon?"

Trixie hops out of the cart, levitating the crusaders "Do you know who these- ah!!" she darts behind Marble and Limestone, cowering "That's Twilight Sparkle! She must hate me for what happened, I know she does!!"

Marble lifts her leg to look at Trixie "As much as I want you beneath me Trix, I'm pretty sure right now isn't the time or place."

Limestone nods "She's a nice pony, I can tell."

Moondancer rips Trixie out from her hiding place and sets her in front of her "You're Bellatrix Lulamoon, only daughter of Artemis Lulamoon, the missing magician next in line for Magus Supreme?"

Trixie winces "Y-yes... I am she."

Moondancer blinks "Huh, thought you'd be... impressive. Can you forge a magical heart engine?"

Trixie pauses "That... depends. What type of heart engine are you talking about? I can make one for a small auton, yes, but nothing like a dreadnaught-class golem."

Moondancer smirks "Let's talk inside."

Trixie follows her, then Maud and finally Marble and Limestone.

Twilight rubs her head "I'll... make tea, I guess."

Trixie sets her tea down and rubs her eyes, "You... what?"

"I'm your cousin, consequently, the only living member of the Dancer clan, like you are of the Lulamoon clan."

Marble grins her teeth "Hey, she may be a unicorn, but she's ours. I don't care what kind of money you may have to put her in some kind of harem so that your bloodline doesn't die, I will make you the late last of your clan, you get me?!"

Limestone gasps and slaps her sister on the back of the head "You just sat down, and drew that conclusion?!"

"What? You've read the same papers I do! 'Heiress buys local mare/stallion for name'."

Moondancer smirks "That isn't what I want at all."

"Okay then, use some kind of wicked dark arts to steal her family's power through her bloodline, or drain her life to prolong yours. I've seen that type of evil too many times first hoof, and let me tell you, Moondancer, I will put you out of your misery for trying to hurt Trixie or anypony else that you have on your list of victims." Marble says, her hoof glowing with magic.

"No, you misunderstand!" Twilight says "Moondancer does need Trixie's help to live, yes, but-"

"You're the one my father made the metal heart for, aren't you?" Trixie asks, walking out of the library "I have the plans for the replacement, but I haven't done it before. The plans are all in my head, but I need a foundry, lathe, a clockmaker's tools, a jeweler's tools as well, a forge and all of the ore we brought."

Maud quirks an eyebrow "I can help."

Trixie shakes her head "Thanks, but the plans require strictly unicorn magic, if it was for an Earth pony, that'd be a different story, but it will take at least two weeks to make."

Twilight hops from her seat but Trixie turns, holding up her hoof "I'm... sorry, but I swore to my father the night before he disappeared that I'd never show or teach anyone not related by blood what he taught me."

Moondancer hums in thought What a radical change in attitude, what I heard about her from ponies said that she was boisterous and spoke in the third pony. But she looked like she was afraid of Twilight and me... and now she's dead serious. How... interesting, I suppose she might suffer from a shattered ego or splintered personalities. This bears research. "Thank you Bellatrix, it means so much to me."

Trixie grins weakly, her meekness bleeding through again "I've never done anything like it before, but I'll try my best."

Celestia taps Luna's shoulder "What are you staring at?"

Luna looks up from her telescope "Progress. I have many social experiments and dominos. Soon, something amazing or horrible will awaken Equestria for the first time in a millennium." she sighs "To be honest, I am not too sure which one sounds the most entertaining."

"'Which one' what?"

"The horrible or amazing outcomes, the fruit of my experiments." Luna replies.

Celestia frowns "Luna, you're not manipulating ponies' minds, are you?"

"No, I am just manipulating what minor choices they decide, a little coercion, but the rest is out of my control. I set the dominos up, but it is up to them how they fall or if they fall at all. All I can do is hope that it doesn't kill me before the final outcome."

The white alicorn sighs "Luna, you're going to become a hermit at the rate you're going."

"I could go out and date somepony, I suppose, but there aren't that many free mares in Canterlot, less of whom I could relate to."

Celestia sighs "Will you drop this 'I'm homosexual' act? I know that you are straight, like me."

Luna frowns "Oh? And what evidence to you have to prove your point?"

Celestia sighs "One, I've seen you stare at the guards as they work and train. Two, you have a large amount of interest in love, and what it means. And three, most of your male guards are what some would call handsome."

Luna snorts "Sister, you are wrong. Counter evidence: one, I stare at them, but I am also appraising them, learning how they fight and train in case they are needed for combat, there is nothing sexual or romantic in my appraisals. Two, I have a vested interest in the emotions of others, but only to understand why they act the way they do, I am not interested in love for its' own sake, but rather as a tool and a variable. And three, the guards that you speak of are the ones that are left of your night guard."

"... Ah." Celestia replies "I suppose I was wrong-"

"And I had a pet manticore when we lived in the old castle, I wore stallion's clothing whenever we went out, talked animatedly with the travelling theatre troupes, and the mornings when I'd return drunk? I had also enjoyed the company of mares whilst in disguise." Luna says, giving her sister a flat look "The only one it wasn't apparent to was you, Celestia."

Celestia backpedals slightly "I..." she sighs, her shoulders slumping "You're right, I was-"

"Too busy inspecting your own dock to the things happening around you?" Luna interjects, adjusting her telescope "You know, I never judged you for your homophobia, never assume that, I still believe that you consider it to be a choice over the truth, that I have no control over it."

"You're always so... so... right."

"Only in the sciences and the like, I still have trouble understanding ponies without the use of telepathy. Now, Ms. Raven is looking for you, you have an appointment with a dignitary from the Griffon Kingdom to the north."

Celestia nods and exits Luna's room, closing the door after her.

Luna taps her hooves on the floor twice and Midnight Rose descends from her hiding place on the ceiling "I delivered the message to Rarity, Luna. I also have the artifact you've chosen to 'Donate' to the museum."

Luna turns, nodding to the saluting Thestral "Good, Do you have it here?"

She nods and reaches into her armor, retrieving a golden eye "The eye of Maredas?"

Luna takes it and reaches into her torc and retrieves a wooden bit "Let's see if it still works."

Her horn sparks and the eye glows for a split instant, turning the bit to gold "Ahhh... I knew that plucking this from that mule-king was a grand idea. Thank you, and give them this letter."

Midnight salutes again and takes flight, gliding towards a large building.

Luna sighs, summoning a book "Soon, the 'virtues' of this gilded society will be shown the light, and revealed as the comfortable lies they are."

"Or you could just tell them yourself, Lulu."

Luna whips around, a sword in her magic "Who-"

Discord raises his hands in surrender "It's just me, Lulu."

Luna smiles and lowers her sword "Discord... hello."

Discord shrinks to her height and hugs her around the neck "Hello my dearest friend. How are you?"

"I'm fine, but where have you been? I've been looking for you through the ley lines, but you never show up."

Discord smiles "I don't, because you were using the harmonic network." he sits, coiling up to cross his arms "I was in a small, out-of-the-way town to the south of Canterlot, befriending ponies and the like there. You know I like the unpredictable, mathematical nature of commerce."

Luna nods slowly "Ah, so you were making friends?"

He nods.

"But there's something else, isn't there? I can tell." Luna asks, but it was more of a statement.

"... Yes, I have seen that while Ponies do have a great amount of empathy and compassion, they also have a great deal of obliviousness to their natures as well."

"And you find that surprising?"

"No, I just.. thought that ponies would be more inquisitive and curious. Ponies used to be afraid of the unknown, but now they don't even think about it or bat an eye. Luna, your plan may be doomed to fizzle out like a microscopic bomb." he sighs "I'm all for changing the status quo, I am, but there's a line between trying to evoke change, and just kicking up dust."

Luna nods "I am aware, but if I am afraid of failure, then there's no point in anything. I accept that possibility, but that doesn't mean I like it. I am going to see something change, something that will start a change to stop this stagnation ponies have gotten to believe is right." she grinds her teeth "I'm not going to let something like a false sense of peace turn ponies into a joke of the world."

"Even if it costs the lives of those very ponies?" Discord asks.

"..." Luna sighs under her breath "I will try my hardest to avoid casualties, you know that. I will fight such an outcome, but death is something that has to happen sooner or later, and I accept that risk too, even if it makes my heart ache."

Discord nods and stands to his full height "Luna, you play a dangerous game, and it doesn't take a god to see that whatever happens in the future might be your fault. Maybe not entirely, but an amount that you'll be burdened with for the rest of your life."

"I know that. I carried the burden of failing you as a friend for a long time, but I still haven't forgiven myself, that is something that I may never be able to do, but I will accept what comes." her face calms "I am a warrior with a cause, and though war may break my body, it will not wound my spirit, that I promise you, Discord."

Discord smiles and sits down again "That's all I needed to hear."

Rarity watches Spike and Shining spar, deeply entranced "Fighting is much like dancing, it seems."

Night Light sits next to her, a whirring contraption to his side "That it is, I can't fight or dance, so that must make it true."

Rarity giggles "Yes, I've seen Twilight's 'Dancing', and at first I thought she was having an attack of sorts."

He laughs "Yeah, I can see that." he taps the contraption and scribbles something down "I can tell that you're a fighter and a dancer."

Rarity turns to him "How did you come to that conclusion?"

"Simple, you carry yourself with measured grace and no movement is wasted, like a dancer conserving their stamina. You're a fighter because your hooves have wear inconsistent with just sewing, that and you don't have heavy muscle meant for long-combat like my sons have, yours are lithe and limber, which denotes fast, short amounts of combat. And your mane, while immaculate, is styled to act like a shield for your eyes from debris." he smiles knowingly and Rarity suppresses a shiver "And I'm also in Princess Luna's employ."

So he works for Luna as well, how peculiar. Rarity thinks to herself "Well, that explains a few things about you, Mr. Light, but how are you contributing to the Princess' considerable plans?"

"I am the head of her Research and Development group." he replies simply, wincing when Shining lands a blow to Spike's collar bone.

Rarity nods slowly, processing the information This is a very unique collection of individuals she has. Midnight Rose is her direct guard and close-combat specialist. Moondancer is her battle magician as well as possibly the most well-read pony in the country. And now there's Night Light, a mad scientist who is also Twilight's father as her technical expert as well as possibly her weapons maker. Then there's me, her infiltration specialist... who else is working for her? And... what is she holding over their heads?

Shining flies through the air, thrown by Spike "That's good! You're getting faster!"

Spike grunts, rolling his jaw.

Night smiles "Good works son!"

Shining leaps and Spike tries to grab him but he teleports away.

Rarity's ear twitches and she whirls around, jabbing a hoof where Shining reappeared, hitting him in the chest.

"Whoa! Sheesh, that was faster than anypony I've seen!" Night says, clapping.

Shining, however, stares in equal parts amazement and apprehension "How could you-"

"I've been watching you teleport around for the past few minutes, Sir Armor." she retracts her hoof "And you always leave a sort of after image before you reappear."

Spike snaps his talons "Oh yeah, I wasn't sure if I was just seeing things or not."

Shining coughs "That's... really?"

Night nods and presses a button on his machine and it whirs to life "This is a compact, transportable recording projector. Watch."

A beam of gold light the same color as his magic flows from the projector and a miniature version of Spike and Shining fighting appears to float above the ground.

Rarity and Shining watch intensely and a split second before Shining reappears after teleporting, he shows up where he'll appear "Wow, but I could barely see that." he mutters.

"Yes, I'm afraid I haven't figured out how to slow it down yet, it records in real time."

"But this is still a great invention. It must take quite a bit of time to set up though."

He shakes his head, grinning "Not really, it's gyroscopic, it can start recording once it warms up."

"What are you going to call this contraption dad?" Shining asks, running a hoof through the image.

He shrugs "I'll leave that to other ponies, I'm not all that creative with names."

Spike shrugs and turns to Shining, "Shall we pick up where we left off, captain?"

Author's Note

It appears that all the players are coming together!

But what is Luna's end result?

Why is Night Light working for Luna?

Is someone close to our heroes and heroines observing for their own benefit?

I can't answer those questions, because like you, I haven't any idea.