Reign of Fire

Chapters

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten

Chapter One

The morning sun rose high above the eastern mountains and the sunlight crept across the wide rolling orchards of Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack yawned briefly and stretched her muscles as she trotted out to the apple trees, ready for a good morning’s harvesting and orchard checkup. She picked up a green apple that had fallen to the ground and sniffed it. Yep, it was still good. She tossed it in the basket that hung on her back and kept onward. Suddenly she stopped. A half-eaten apple core sat in the grass a few feet away.

“What in tarnation?” She picked up the core and frowned. “Must’ve been them pesky squirrels again. I gotta get Fluttershy to tell those varmints ‘bout keepin’ away from my apples.”

She shrugged and kept walking until she saw another. “Well now, this is a problem…”

As Applejack bent to pick up the other apple core, she saw a dark form dash behind a tree several yards away.

“Hold on there, it looks like we have an interloper!”

Dropping her basket, Applejack ran across the orchard to where the dark form had disappeared. Just when she was getting close, it took off again. This time she saw that it was a pony of some sort, dressed in a black hooded cloak. The dark pony was running through the orchard with surprising speed. As she galloped after the intruder, Applejack called out, “Get back here, ya apple thief!”

But the dark pony kept on, dodging trees and carts in an effort to get away. Applejack narrowed her eyes as she ran and reached behind her, pulling out her trusty lasso. “So, you wanna play tag, huh? Well yer it now!”

The lasso twirled through the air and went sailing towards the escapee in the way that only Applejack could. The rope wrapped around the dark intruder, causing the pony to trip and fall to the ground.

Applejack slowed to a walk and yanked on the rope, making sure that her captive couldn’t escape. To her surprise the dark pony didn’t struggle, but hid its face behind its black hood, crouching low to the ground. Applejack dropped the rope end cautiously and peered down at the mysterious pony. “Now what in tarnation are you doin’ stealin’ my apples? An’ who are you anyway?”

The other pony turned away and spoke in a soft, frightened manner. “Please…. just let me go.... I don’t want to….” Her velvety voice drifted off and she sat still as a stone.

Applejack cocked an eyebrow, puzzled, and bent down next to her. “Want to what? What’s wrong?”

The dark pony then turned her head and looked right into Applejack’s face. AJ blinked and stared back. She had never seen anypony quite like this one.

She was a unicorn pony, with a sharp horn piercing up through her straight-cut mane. Her body was a deep indigo and her mane and tail were jet black with purple streaks. Her eyes were black; a shiny, piercing black, as dark as a moonless midnight. As dark as obsidian.

Applejack gulped and instinctively took a small step back, but seeing the fear and sadness in the unicorn’s dark eyes, she bent forward and stuttered. “Eh, um.... you alright, sugar? You look plum tuckered out.”

The dark pony turned away and sighed. “No…. I’m fine….”

For a moment there was an awkward silence, then Applejack spoke again. “My name’s Applejack. I live just down the way at Sweet Apple Acres. Are you new to Ponyville?”

The other nodded.

“Well, then welcome! It’s always a treat to have new folks comin’ here. What’s your name?”

The dark unicorn paused, then said rather uncertainly, “Amethyst. M-my name’s Amethyst.”

“Nice to meet you, Amethyst. Let’s get you somewhere comfortable. Oh, and uh, sorry ‘bout the lasso. Just thought you might’ve been a thief.”

Applejack removed the rope from Amethyst, but the mysterious pony still sat, staring down at the grass. Applejack put out a hoof to help her up. “Come on, sugar. After we get you fed and watered I’ll take you to my friend, Twilight Sparkle. She’s real nice and I think she’d love to meet you.”

Amethyst turned her head sharply. “Twilight Sparkle? The Twilight Sparkle? The one who defeated Nightmare Moon and Discord?!”

Applejack was taken aback by the urgency in Amethyst’s voice. “Uh… yeah… that Twilight Sparkle. You’ve heard of her?”

Amethyst’s eyes were pleading. “She’s the one who can help me, then! With a warrior of the mystic arts like her, I’m sure I’ll be safe!” She stood and stared hard at Applejack, her eyes glinting. “Take me to her.”

Applejack blinked several times and shrugged. “Uh, sure thing. I don’t think she’ll be all that you’re expecting, though…. She’s not exactly a warrior type, but….”

“Oh I don’t care, I just need to see her! Please show me the way to her!”

Applejack wound up her lasso and started back towards the house. “Okay, sugar, if you’re so excited, then I’ll take you to her.”

Amethyst threw her hood up over her face and followed close behind Applejack, nervously looking back and forth through the trees, as though she expected something to attack at any moment. As they walked, the Earth pony glanced behind her at the mysterious newcomer. This Amethyst was a strange one for sure. Applejack had a foreboding feeling that something big was on the horizon for Ponyville. But what?

Chapter Two

“WAHOOOOOOO!!”

A jubilant shout ripped through the morning sky, followed by a streak of color and a blast of wind. Rainbow Dash was at it again, once again proving herself to be the fastest pegasus in Equestria. Rainbow lived for speed. The sensation of blazing through the air at speeds just shy of the speed of sound was the most wonderful adrenaline-pumping experience ever; or as she would put it: “Flat-out awesome!”

Her wings beat as fast as a hummingbird’s as she zoomed back and forth, dodging, whirling, and zigzagging with ease. Yep, this was the life. Rainbow slowed down for a moment to catch her breath, landing on the nearest cloud to rest a bit. She flexed her small but powerful wings and rolled onto her back, basking in the sunlight.

Suddenly she heard a smirking voice from above her. “That was some pretty fast flying there, darlin’. Bet I can go faster, though.”

Rainbow Dash popped up from her cloud and glared up towards the voice. “Oh yeah? And just who are you?”

A bolt of lightning hit the cloud that she hovered over, causing her to cover her eyes from the flash of light. She looked down and saw a young male unicorn standing on the cloud, a cocky expression on his face. His body was black with small streaks of yellow, and his slicked-back mane was a crackling yellow and bright blue. His sleek, sharp tail was of the same color. His eyes sparked with a monochromatic yellow glow.

“Name’s Voltspark, the fastest air-born creature in the world, nice to meet ya!”

Rainbow Dash dropped down a bit and continued to glare at him. “Fastest air-born creature, huh? Have you ever done a Sonic Rainboom?”

Voltspark grinned. “Speed of sound? Ha, I can go the speed of lightning, I don’t need any pathetic sonic-boom to prove my speed.”

Rainbow Dash was suddenly right next to him, glaring right into his eyes. “Pathetic sonic-boom?! You are one seriously damaged foal to think that a Sonic Rainboom is pathetic! I’ve seen three Rainbooms in my life…. And I did all of them! If you think that your little lightning is gonna be faster than me then you-“

She suddenly broke off and hovered back a bit, looking at the still-grinning Voltspark in sudden confusion. “Wait a minute…” She pointed to his head. “You’re a unicorn! How the heck did you get up here?”

Voltspark laughed and a pair of wings sprouted from his back. But they weren’t just any wings; they were made of pure electricity. Rainbow Dash was taken aback for a moment, and Voltspark shot up into the air in a burst of lightning, splitting through layers of clouds as he went. Rainbow growled in frustration and followed him up, blasting through the trail of cloud-holes.

Voltspark was suddenly right next to her, sneering, “It’s called magic, sweetie. I was born with this power infused in my horn.” He briefly motioned to the mark on his flank, which was the symbol of two crisscrossed lightning bolts. He then broke away from her and zipped downward, this time dodging the clouds. As he went by them, arcs of lightning sparked from his body to each cloud, electrifying them. Rainbow Dash had to dodge the clouds as fast as she could to avoid getting zapped, yelling at him as she flew, “Why you big jerk! I didn’t even know that was possible!”

He was suddenly right next to her. “Well, you learn somethin’ new every day, darlin’.”

“Stop calling me that!”

He shrugged. “Whatever you say. So, whattya think about a race? First one to the big sharp mountain over there wins?”

Rainbow Dash frowned. This loser was just asking for trouble. She snorted and turned away. “Uh, no thanks, I’ll pass. I don’t like wasting my energy on jerks like you!”

Voltspark smirked. “Heh, you’re just scared to lose….”

That was the last straw. Rainbow Dash flew right up to him and glared directly into his eyes. “That’s it, Coltsmark or whatever your name is! I don’t know where you came from and I don’t care what freaky powers or talent you have, but we’re ending this now!” She whirled around. “Onyourmarkgetsetgo!”

The wind behind her wings blasted in Voltspark’s face as she sped off like a comet. The unicorn grinned wickedly and took off after her, a trail of lightning following behind him.

Rainbow Dash smiled triumphantly as she zoomed through the sky. Clouds and birds zipped past in a blur. Her wings beat faster than ever, driven on by her rage at Voltspark and the desire to prove herself. She glanced behind her and laughed when she saw no sign of him. Of course the mighty Rainbow Dash would put that jerkface in his place!

Soon enough Rainbow Dash could see the tall spire of the dragon mountain up ahead. She grit her teeth and sped onward, unaware of the arcs of lightning that followed above her, leaping from cloud to cloud and beaming across the larger gaps.

The mountain’s edge grew closer and closer, and just as she was about to ram into it, Rainbow broke off and shot straight up, bursting through the clouds and into the sunlight, which shimmered off of her rainbow mane, casting the multi-colored light onto the clouds below.

Dash grinned and cheered, “Woohoo! Yeah, baby! Now that is how the real fastest air-born creature in the world wins a race!” She stopped and peered back along the open-air racetrack, then shrugged and smirked. “Heh, guess I left him in the cloud dust. Arrogant jerk.”

Directly below her, Voltspark chuckled quietly to himself and zipped back and up through the cloud cover where he had been hiding long before Rainbow Dash had arrived. But she would never know that.

Voltspark leaped up through the clouds, panting as though he had just completed a strenuous task. Dash turned to him and smirked. “Finally got here, eh? Only took you like, a whole lot longer than me!”

The high-voltage unicorn frowned and took in a deep breath as he landed on a cloud beside her. “Whew, yeah I guess I did. You’re fast, darling. Really fast.”

Rainbow Dash glared at him. “Don’t call me darling.”

Voltspark threw his front hooves up defensively, “Fair enough. What’s your real name though?”

The pegasus narrowed her eyes suspiciously for a moment. Strange that his attitude should change so quickly, especially since he lost the race.... But maybe he wasn’t as much of a jerk as she thought he was. She smiled cockily. “Name’s Rainbow Dash, the fastest air-born creature in the world, nice to meet ya!”

Voltspark grinned and folded in his electric wings. “Hah, nice one, Dashie. You’re a real tough filly, I can see that.” He muttered under his breath, “Good officer material, too…”

Rainbow hadn’t heard his last remark, as she was too busy flexing her wings and enjoying the compliments to pay attention. “Yeah, I get that a lot.” She paused and looked at him. “So where are you from, Voltspark?”

Voltspark shrugged. “Eh, I get around. Never really stay in one place. Always on the go, that’s me.” He suddenly unfurled his lightning wings and flew up a bit. “We should really hang out again sometime, Dashie. Maybe have another race or ten.”
Rainbow Dash snorted and laughed. “And you’ll lose every one of ‘em!”

Voltspark winked and started to fly off, but suddenly stopped and half-turned back. His voice was low and casual. “By the way, you haven’t happened to see a strange-looking black unicorn around here, have you? Dark coat, purplish mane, black eyes, might seem a bit skittish.”

Rainbow Dash thought for a moment, then shook her head. “Nah, never seen anypony like that around here before. Why do you wanna know?”

Voltspark shrugged. “Oh, not really a big reason. Except that she’s dangerous and has the potential to destroy all of Equestria.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened. “Woah…. Really?”

He nodded. “Yep. She’s very dangerous to be around, and I need to bring her in for safe keeping. So just let me know if you ever see her, kay?”

Rainbow raised an eyebrow pensively. “Yeah, okay. But uh, where can I find you?”

Voltspark smiled slightly. “Oh, I’ll be around, don’t worry about that.” He winked. “Later, Dashie.” Suddenly he was gone in a streak of blue and yellow lightning, piercing his way through the sky in the direction of the Everfree Forest.

Rainbow Dash blinked and stared after him. Now what did he mean by that? This Voltspark was a strange one for sure. Pretty cool, but strange.

Chapter Three

The bustle of Ponyville in mid-morning was just beginning as the citizens wandered to and fro throughout the town, talking, laughing, playing, and working in their peaceful harmony. Applejack glanced around a corner from the alleyway where she and Amethyst stood. She glanced back and forth for a few moments then turned to her companion. “The coast is clear, sugarcube. Just follow my lead.”

Amethyst nodded silently and slowly walked out of the alleyway after Applejack, throwing her hood up further over her face. Applejack bit her lip and continued to glance around nervously. If they could just get to Twilight’s house without notice, everything would be fine. The last thing that they needed was-

“Hi there, Applejack! Whatcha doing? Who’s your friend?”

Applejack winced and sighed. Pinkie Pie. The one pony that she was trying most to avoid. It wasn’t that she disliked Pinkie, not in the least, but Pinkie’s insane level of friendliness wouldn’t be good for Amethyst if she needed to keep incognito.

Amethyst shrunk back into her cloak as Pinkie Pie bounced up next to her, smiling cheerfully. “Hey there! What’s your name? Are you new here? Cause I’ve never seen you here before, and I know everypony in Ponyville!” she gasped. “So that must mean you are new here!” She started bounding and leaping with joy, making a circle around the shocked Amethyst. “I’ve got to make you a welcome party! We’ll have balloons and cakes and games and punch and everything! It’ll be great!”

Applejack grabbed Pinkie’s tail and pulled her aside. She put a hoof over the energetic pony’s mouth, quieting her as she whispered sternly, “Listen Pinkie, this here pony is new to Ponyville and she needs to find somepony to take care of her. You can throw a party for her later, but for now she just needs to settle in. So go get yer place ready for a party or whatever. I’ll let you know when she’s ready, okay sugarcube?”

Pinkie Pie blinked and stood staring wordlessly at her for a moment, then she grinned. “Okie dokie loki!”

Pinkie turned back to Amethyst. “I’ll throw you the biggest party EVER! I’ll have my welcome wagon there too!” She gasped again. “The welcome wagon! I should’ve brought it right now! I’ll be right back!”

She took off in a pink streak of light. Applejack helped Amethyst up and motioned for her to hurry. “Come on, Amethyst, we need to get you to Twilight’s before Pinkie gets back.”

Amethyst gulped and nodded, glancing around anxiously before they both trotted off.

Unbeknownst to either of them, a pair of suspicious eyes had been watching them carefully, and a pair of ears listening to everything they said. The creature to whom they belonged slunk back into the shadows of the alley, eyes narrowed in thought. Soon, very soon, she would make her move. And then the final step would be complete.

Twilight Sparkle sat in her study, laboriously reading the large book sprawled in front of her. She bit her lip and turned a page, calling behind her, “Hey Spike, could you get me that one book, the uh, History of Almond Farming in Equestria?”

Spike looked up from the sofa where he had been resting. “Almond farming?” he asked incredulously. “Why would anypony need to know about that?”

Twilight turned and glared at him. “I do. Just go get it please.” Suddenly a knock sounded at the door. “Oh, and go answer the door. I’m rather busy at the moment.”

Spike mumbled something about useless information and jumped down from the sofa, walking over to the door. He opened it and smiled. “Hi Applejack! What brings you here?”

Applejack smiled back and glanced behind her. “Howdy Spike. I’ve just got to talk to Twilight for a moment. It’s really important.”

Twilight turned and got off of her chair. “Hi AJ. What did you need to talk about?”

Applejack took a deep breath as if she was about to answer, then sighed and motioned behind her. “There’s somepony here who really wants to meet you.” She lowered her voice to a whisper, “She’s... kind of antsy and nervous if you get what I mean. Just be careful around her.”

Twilight blinked in confusion and shrugged. “Well, okay. Come on in.”

Applejack trotted inside, followed closely by the cloaked Amethyst. Twilight and Spike stared at her curiously, while Applejack closed the door behind them. AJ turned and nodded to Amethyst. “Twilight, Spike, this is Amethyst. She’s new here and she really wants to see you. I’ll let her explain why.”

Amethyst stared flatly at Twilight and Spike for a few minutes, making them shift uncomfortably. Then she threw back her hood and spoke, “You are Twilight Sparkle, Wielder of the Elements of Harmony?”

Twilight blinked and stared with open mouth as she glanced over the mysterious dark unicorn in speechlessness. She shook her head to clear it and answered, “Well, yes I am. But I didn’t wield them all by myself, you see-“

Amethyst was suddenly right next to her, staring into her eyes imploringly. “Please, you must help me! They’re coming….. they’re coming to take the.... the….” Her voice trailed off and she lowered her eyes, staring silently at the floor, her dark mane flowing over her face.

Twilight glanced uncertainly at AJ and Spike before leaning down and asking softly, “Who’s coming? What’s wrong? What are they coming to take?”

Amethyst raised her eyes, now brimming in tears, and whispered brokenly, “I can’t do it. I can’t…. can’t help them do it. I must..... must…..” She lowered her head again and sank to the floor on her knees. “I just need to sleep.”

Twilight glanced again at AJ and Spike, who both stood staring wordlessly with wide eyes. She took a deep breath and helped Amethyst up, walking her over to the stairs. “It’s okay, Amethyst. I’ll take you to my room; you can sleep there.”

Amethyst did not reply, but let Twilight help her along the stairs, her head still lowered. Applejack and Spike watched them go into the bedroom, then looked at each other in silent wonder. What exactly was going on?

After a few minutes Twilight came back down, her face still wearing a puzzled expression. Finally she spoke, her voice not hiding her concern. “There’s definitely something wrong here.”

Spike frowned. “Ya think?”

She glared at him briefly before continuing, “She’s obviously either crazy, fatigued, or actually warning us of something very real.”

Spike scratched his head. “She talked about somepony coming and that they were going to take something. A group of robbers, maybe?”

Twilight began to pace back and forth, something she did while thinking hard. “Maybe. But her voice, it sounded….. genuinely scared or perhaps conflicted. Like she knew some disaster was coming.”

Applejack rubbed her chin and frowned. “She also said something ‘bout not helping them. I suppose that means that she was a part of whatever they’re doin’.”

Twilight sighed and stopped pacing. “Well whatever it is, we’ll get answers when she wakes up. But for now, her secrets do not leave this room. Do not tell anypony about any of this. Nopony at all.”

The other two nodded and crossed their hearts, their eyes still wide in apprehension.

Twilight stood still for a moment, then looked up and smiled slightly. “And don’t let this ruin your day. Just put it out of your mind for now and don’t worry about it. Applejack, I’ll let you know when she wakes up, if you’re curious to listen to her.”

Applejack shrugged and turned to leave. “Sure thing, Twilight. I’ve got a lot of work to do today, but I’ll try to get as much done as I can so I still have time to come back here. See ya’ll later.”

Twilight and Spike waved to her as she left, then turned to each other. Twilight smiled sadly and walked back to her desk. Spike glanced upstairs at the closed bedroom door and shuddered before going back to work. He picked up a book and turned to Twilight. “Do you still need the almond book?”

Twilight sighed and shook her head, staring blankly out the window. There was something about this that just didn’t seem right, even beyond the ominous warnings. It was something specifically about Amethyst that was different from most other ponies.... most other unicorns, if fact. The look in her eyes, the shape of her horn, the way she moved.... But all this would be answered in a few hours when Amethyst woke up. Now was the time to stop worrying and get back to her studies.

Little did Twilight realize that those few hours of waiting would bring about more trouble than she could ever foresee.

Chapter Four

The soft morning sunlight lay over the fields and woodlands around Ponyville, bathing it in a green glow. Everywhere that is, except for the Everfree Forest. While some bits of sunlight crept in around the edges of the forest and touched the tops of the trees, most of it remain dark and cool, as though it was perpetually dusk.

It just so happened that Voltspark hated this kind of atmosphere. He liked the open air with plenty of clouds and bright sun beams to crackle and spark around his electric aura. Sure he also enjoyed thunderstorms a lot, what with the abundance of water-soaked clouds and, of course, the electrical charges everywhere, but this damp, dark, spooky forest was much different. He hated it.

Voltspark cursed under his breath when he stepped in a damp patch of earth, muddying his normally glistening coat. He knew why his sister had chosen this place as a base of operations, but he still hated it.

As he was rounding a bend through a large clump of rocks and bushes, he heard a rustle in the shrubbery behind him. He crouched down and slowly glanced back, his horn beginning to spark and glow with electric energy. Literally as fast as lightning he shot up into the air just as a long, lithe form leaped out and hit the spot he had been just seconds before. He landed on a rock several yards away and glared at the attacker, his horn now fully energized. The creature turned its cat-like head towards him and hissed viciously, its forked tongue lashing about and its golden eyes glistening with a predator’s fury.

He snorted and smirked. “A tatzelwyrm, eh? This should be an easy one.”

The monster rose up on its long snake-like tail, as it had no back legs, and hissed again, suddenly charging forward at a terrifying speed. Voltspark grinned and bolted through the air, angling just above it. The tatzelwyrm slashed out with its long clawed forelegs, but Voltspark was far too fast. He zipped right by the creature and whirled in mid-air, diving back down at its neck, horn lowered. Before the tatzelwyrm could react, Voltspark’s razor-sharp horn pierced through the back of its scaly neck, at the same time unleashing a surge of electricity into its body. The monster shrieked and snarled in agony as it thrashed about, its body pulsating from the electric power. Voltspark ripped his bloody horn from its neck and flew up, watching as the tatzelwyrm writhed on the ground until finally it lay still, blood oozing from its neck and smoke rising off its burned body.

A smooth female voice drifted out from behind a rocky structure, “Impressive. Though I hope the news you bring me is even more so.”

Voltspark turned to the voice, grinning. “Hah, that was nothin’ and you know it, sister. I’ve taken down creatures way more savage than some lousy tatzelwyrm.”

The owner of the other voice stepped out from her hiding place, stalking quietly over towards her brother. She was a very tall pony, even taller than Voltspark, although her sharp mane added to the height. She stared at him impassively through eerie bright green eyes. Eerie, because they were the same type of eyes one might see on a dragon; cold, slanting eyes with a long thin pupil and lined retinas. Her coat, if it could even be called that, was of a dark green color, with some small patches of lighter green dabbled over it. Her body was covered with a weird mixture of fur and scales, predominantly the latter. Her green mane was tall and sharp, giving the appearance of spines. Her tail, while still sharp, was more flowing, slipping gracefully down between her legs like a snake. In addition to all this, a long sharp horn jutted out from her head and a pair of dragon-like wings lay folded on her back.

She continued to stare coldly at Voltspark while she spoke, her voice smooth and slightly hissing. “Of course. But what news do you have for me? Have you found her yet?”

Voltspark shrugged and wiped his blood-stained horn on a tree, muttering, “Nah, didn’t find her. But I did meet this interesting pegasus named Rainbow Dash. By Tartarus, she was fast! Not nearly as fast as myself though. I think she would make an excellent addition to our force.”

The dragon-pony frowned and narrowed her eyes. A small forked tongue flicked out from between her teeth as she hissed, “Well that’s just great. Once again you prove your incompetence. Can’t you ever do any mission without showing off to some mare?”

Voltspark rolled his eyes and snorted, electric sparks arcing off of him as he did. “Ah, I wasn’t showing off! I was just getting friendly with the locals, you know. I did ask Dash about it but she hadn’t seen anything.”

His sister smiled slightly. “Well fortunately for you I have actually had some luck. And by that I mean I saw her.”

Voltspark’s eyes widened. “You saw her? Where was she? And why the heck didn’t you tell me that in the first place?”

She grinned crookedly at him, only answering his first two questions. “Yes, I saw her in the town, along with another pony, an orange one wearing a hat; seemed like the country bumpkin type. They were going somewhere, but I didn’t know where exactly.”

She turned and started walking out towards the forest. Voltspark sputtered, “B-but why did you come back here?! Why not just follow them directly there?”

She glanced back and smiled coldly. “You were never one for subtlety, were you, Volty?”

He turned his head and grumbled. “Don’t call me that, Dracona.”

“Then don’t question my methods. I know what I’m doing.”

He looked up. “And that is....?”

Dracona turned to him and grinned, her horn glowing. She closed her eyes and suddenly her skin began to writhe and quiver, morphing and changing into something other than herself. Her horn melted off and her wings molded into her sides. While this would normally have been a shocking scene, Voltspark had seen it many times before, and he simply stared at his morphing sister with hooded eyes. Dracona then began to change color as well. Her stiff mane and lithe tail puffed out, turning a bright pink. Her body, now fully pony and much smaller, changed to pink as well.

Voltspark cocked an eyebrow and asked incredulously, “And who is that supposed to be?”

Dracona opened her eyes and smiled cheerfully at him. She had shape-shifted into a perfect likeness of none other than Pinkie Pie. Even her voice now matched perfectly as she spoke, “Why, I’m Pinkie Pie! I know everypony in Ponyville and I love parties!”

Voltspark grimaced. “Ugh, you sound absolutely revolting. Too happy and.... pink.”

Pinkie Pie (or rather Dracona) suddenly frowned and spat. “I know, but when going undercover I must take on my likeness perfectly. I saw this Pinkie Pie talk to the orange pony and they seemed to know each other. I followed Ms. Pie for a few minutes, studying her actions and mannerisms. Now I wish I had chosen somepony else.” She shuddered. “But a mission is a mission, no matter how difficult. I’m going to pay a visit to that orange pony and see what she knows, then I’ll go from there.”

Voltspark shrugged. “Whatever you think will work. By the way, what if she tells these ponies all about, you know, us? Won’t that blow the mission?”

Dracona rolled her eyes. “Oh please. As if they can do anything about it anyway. It’s not like they have direct connections with the Tyrant Celestia. Besides, we can easily take out any that try to get in our way.” She then turned and trotted off. “You stay here and keep a low profile. And feel free to kill any monsters you come across.”

Voltspark grinned and flew up to the rocky structure.

Dracona (alias Pinkie Pie) smiled to herself as she stalked along the forest floor. Soon, very soon, they would have her. And then the real mission would begin.

Chapter Five

Pinkie Pie skipped along merrily through Ponyville to her home in Sugar Cube Corner. This was going to be a great day! There was a new arrival in Ponyville, and that meant a welcome party. Every party was welcome to Pinkie. Applejack and other new pony had gone before Pinkie got back with her welcome wagon, but that didn’t matter. She would bring out the wagon during the party! This was going to be a great day!

As she bounded along she heard someone call out her name. Pinkie turned and saw a white pony with a dark blue and pink curly mane standing a ways behind her. Pinkie grinned. “Oh, hello Bon Bon! How are you today?”

Bon Bon smiled back. “I’m doing great, Pinkie! But I need to ask you a few things.”

Pinkie walked up to her. “Well, ask away!”

Bon Bon bit her lip for a moment before asking, “Well first, I heard about a party you’re having. Are you going to be working on it all day?”

“Yep!” Pinkie beamed. “This one’s extra special since it’s for a new pony in town!”

Bon Bon looked at her curiously. “Really? That’s nice; it’s always great to have new citizens. Where is she now?”

Pinkie shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know. Last I saw she was with Applejack, but she didn’t say where they were going.”

Bon Bon sighed and thought for a moment before replying. “Hm, yes. Where exactly does Applejack live?”

Pinkie Pie cocked her head at her curiously. “Over at Sweet Apple Acres, of course. I thought you would know that.”

Bon Bon laughed nervously and shrugged. “Oh yeah, haha, silly me.” She cleared her throat and smiled warmly. “Well, I hope the party is fun!”

Pinkie Pie grinned again and bounced up and down. “Oh yes, my parties are always fun! You can come if you want to! No, wait, you have to come! I insist!”

Bon Bon scratched the back of her head and grinned apprehensively. “Well okay, if you insist.... But I gotta go see Applejack now. Bye!”

Pinkie waved goodbye as she bounded off. “Okie dokie loki! See ya later alligator!”

Bon Bon stood watching her go before turning and slinking down an alleyway. Dracona shuddered as she morphed back into her normal form and groaned softly as she changed into Pinkie Pie. Hopefully she wouldn’t have to stay in this form for too long; the bouncy pink cheeriness of it might kill her.

Applejack could not concentrate on her work. The deadly secret of Amethyst had been churning in her mind for the past few hours, making her distracted. Who exactly was she trying to warn them about? Was it robbers like Spike suggested? Or was it one of their old enemies like the Diamond Dogs or the Changlings or- She shuddered. Or Discord.

But it probably was nothing to worry about; maybe Amethyst was just crazy or really tired. Applejack knew what that was like. She sighed and went back to work, but her mind kept straying to the many horrible possibilities of what might come to pass.

She jumped nearly three feet in the air when she heard a bubbly voice call from behind her. “Hey there, Applejack!”

After landing on the ground and dusting herself off, AJ turned and saw Pinkie Pie standing by the barn door. “Oh, it’s you Pinkie. Sorry ‘bout that, I’m just kinda jumpy right now, heh.”

Pinkie grinned. “Oh, that’s alright. Hey, I’m having a party tonight for the new pony! Do you know where she is, cause I wanna invite her!”

Applejack hesitated; did she dare tell Pinkie where Amethyst was staying? She was liable to spread the word about her even more, and the last thing they needed was everypony in Ponyville hearing about Amethyst’s warnings. It would cause mass panic. It would cause... chaos.

Applejack shuddered visibly at the thought and replied, her voice tinged with nervousness. “Uh, I do know where she is, but uh.... I can’t tell you. It’s a secret.”

Pinkie Pie remained smiling cheerfully as she leaped over to Applejack, almost getting right up into her face, and causing AJ to step back slightly. Pinkie pleaded, “Oh please, Applejack! Pleeeeaaaase!?”

Applejack looked down at Pinkie’s faced, which was contorted into something akin to a smile while her eyes bulged and quivered like a wide-eyed puppy’s. Applejack bit her lip and stepped further back, “Uh, no can do, sugarcube. It’s a secret an’ I can’t tell anypony!”

For a horrifying moment, Pinkie’s face suddenly darkened. Her eyelids dropped into a vicious frown and her grin widened eerily, almost murderously. She whispered under her breath, “Oh really....?”

Applejack’s heart skipped a beat and she blinked in sudden horror, but as soon as she did, Pinkie’s face had reverted back to normal. A cheerful smile now lit up her features as she said, “I mean... Really? Why not? Can’t you tell your bestest of the best friend?! Huh, huh, can ya?”

Applejack had no idea of what to say. Pinkie Pie sure was acting strangely; just like that one time when nopony had showed up to her party... and Celestia forbid that should ever happen again. In a panic Applejack suddenly blurted out, “Twilight’s house! She’s at Twilight’s house. But she’s sleeping sound so don’t you dare wake her. Twilight will tell you what to do.”

Pinkie Pie sprung up and hugged Applejack. “Thank you Applejack! You can come to the party too if you want!”

Applejack laughed nervously and shrank back into the barn. “Oh eh, heheh, I’ll be there!”

Pinkie waved goodbye and bounced off joyfully.

Applejack sat down with a sigh and shuddered. Something really, really strange was going on. If only Amethyst would wake up soon and tell them what it was.

Hiding behind some shrubbery, Dracona glanced around and listened intently to hear if anypony was nearby. When all was silent she reverted back to her normal green form. She shuddered again and hissed. That was a close one. She had almost let her vicious dragon-like nature take the better of her and turn the happy Pinkie Pie into a savage torturer; like that would ever happen.

Dracona cracked her neck and flexed her legs and tail for a moment before taking on the likeness of Applejack. This honest, down-to-earth personality would be a whole lot easier to take on than the previous one. And hopefully it would be the last change before they had her, and everything they had planned for decades would be revealed at last. Now if she could just remember where this Twilight’s house was located....

Twilight. That name sounded so familiar.

Twilight Sparkle had finally put her worrying out of her mind and was ready to delve back into her books, when a knock came to the door. She jumped, startled, and went to the door. Spike had gone out to buy some more ink, so he wasn’t around to answer it. Twilight opened the door and smiled. “Hi there, Applejack. What are you here for?”

Applejack grinned back and shrugged. “Oh, I was just gonna check up on our guest. I made her an apple pie.” She motioned to a sack on her back.

Twilight frowned and scratched her leg. “Well, I don’t know if she’s awake right now. I haven’t checked myself, yet.”

Applejack trotted in. “Well I suppose I’ll check up on her then; if it’s alright with you.”

Twilight pondered for a moment. Applejack was the most trustworthy pony she knew, and the only one besides herself and Spike that knew of Amethyst. Besides, she had some study work to finish up. She shrugged. “Sure, go ahead. But be quiet and gentle; we don’t want to startle her.”

Applejack smiled and saluted. “Righty ho, sugarcube.” She proceeded to climb up the stairs and into Twilight’s bedroom.

Twilight sighed and turned to close the door. As she did, she saw Applebloom running by. Twilight waved cheerfully to her and the filly waved back, calling, “Howdy Twilight! Have you seen Applejack around?”

Twilight nodded and motioned inside. “Indeed I have, she’s in my house right now. Why do you ask?”

Applebloom was about to answer when she turned and shouted, “Oh, there she is! Hey Applejack!”

Twilight’s face went pale and her pupils dilated slightly when she saw Applejack come walking up the road towards her. No sack lay on her back, and instead of a cheerful expression she looked grim and worried. Twilight spun around and looked upstairs, calling, “AJ? You up there?”

There was no response. Twilight’s heart sank into her belly and her blood ran cold. Something terribly wrong had just happened.

Just as Applejack and Applebloom came up to the door, Twilight whirled around and tore up the stairs in a panic, her heart racing. She slammed open the door to her bedroom, but the moment she did, something long and scaly lashed out and struck her across the face, sending her hurtling back down the stairs. Applejack and Applebloom gasped when they saw her fall and ran to her side. Twilight groaned and Applejack pulled her up, asking worriedly, “What the hay just happened?!”

Twilight stared hard at her, her eyes telling everything. Applejack’s heart sank as well, knowing that something horrible had just happened involving Amethyst. They both raced up the stairs and leaped into the room, but it was empty.

Suddenly they heard a scream from outside and ran to the window. A large winged creature was flying away over town, carrying something in its claws. Somepony.

Twilight and Applejack ran back down the stairs and flew out the door, breathing hard. They tore through the streets in a mad rush, dodging and shoving confused ponies out of their way. They soon caught a good look at the creature; a green dragon-like animal with some definite pony features, flying fast towards the Everfree Forest; too fast for them to catch. Then out of the corner of her eye, Twilight saw their last hope.

“Rainbow Dash!! Stop that dragon-thing! Now!!”

Dash had been flying casually by and glanced down at Twilight before looking up and seeing the dragon-pony. “I’m on it!” She took off like a streak, quickly bearing down on the creature.

Suddenly something smashed into her like lightning, knocking her off balance. She shook her head and stared at what it was. Voltspark hovered next to her, smiling wickedly.

“Sorry Dashie, but you’re not going anywhere near them.”

Rainbow ground her teeth in rage and charged him, but the cocky unicorn dodged easily and blasted a small bolt of electricity down at her, knocking her head over tail.

Twilight was running so hard that she could feel her legs about to give way. But she mustn’t stop. She had to save Amethyst. In her blind focus she tripped and sprawled on the road, covered in dust. Applejack ground to a halt and flung her onto her back, snorting. “Git up here, sugarcube. I’ll take you in close and you knock ‘em down with magic!”

Twilight grit her teeth and focused her mind on her magic as Applejack tore along down the path, carrying Twilight. The dragon was almost into the Forest. If she could only get there a little faster.... She yelled down to Applejack, “AJ! Buck me into the air!”

Applejack ground her teeth and heaved forward with all of her might, hurling Twilight high up through the open air. Twilight closed her eyes tight and her horn glowed. There was a burst of light and she was right next to the flying dragon. She grabbed hold of Amethyst and teleported again before the dragon-pony could make a move. All three hit the ground with a thud, just yards away from the edge of the Everfree Forest. Twilight coughed and rubbed her head, looking up at her surroundings. Dracona snarled in pain and clenched her dragon-like claws, turning to Twilight with eyes smoldering. Amethyst had landed right next to Twilight, and she quickly tried to scurry behind her, but Dracona’s long dragon-like tail snaked out and wrapped around her, pulling her back.

Twilight glared at her and snapped, “Give her back, monster!”

Dracona grinned, pulling Amethyst in close and shielding her with her wings. “Try and take her back, pony!”

Just as Twilight was about to leap forward, a bolt of blue and yellow lightning struck the ground in front of her. Voltspark smiled evilly at her and made an upward motion with his horn. A wall of electricity formed a shield around the three of them, completely surrounding them. Twilight fired a beam of energy at it, but it did little.

By this time, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and a crowd of ponies had gathered around, wondering what the excitement was about. Rainbow Dash and Voltspark glared daggers of hatred at each other from either side of the electric barrier. Twilight could see Amethyst’s frightened face and knew that she had to be rescued.

Twilight frowned in anger and shouted at Dracona. “Let go of Amethyst, now!”

Dracona’s eyes lit up and she grinned down at the dark unicorn. “So it’s Amethyst now, is it? How quaint. I suppose you never bothered to tell them your real story and real name, now, did you?”

Amethyst looked down at the grass, letting her dark mane cover her face in shame. As Twilight and the others looked on in confusion, Dracona looked back at them and sneered, “Amethyst is not her real name, but what her real name is you are not worthy to know. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to take my little sister back home. She’s been a very naughty girl.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “Your sister?!”

Dracona smirked. “Yes, my sister. We are all three siblings, if you hadn’t noticed. But that is all you lowly creatures need to know.” She unfurled her leathery wings and grabbed the pony who was supposedly Amethyst in her wicked clawed hooves. An opening appeared in the force-field behind them, and she and Voltspark slipped out, soaring upward. Rainbow Dash leaped up to go after them, but Voltspark glared at her and flicked an arc of lightning off his horn. “I wouldn’t follow us if I were you, Dashie. You might get hurt.”

Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and the crowds of shocked ponies stared up in awe and horror as the three strange figures flew off over the trees of the Everfree Forest. AJ and Rainbow both looked despairingly at Twilight, who sat down in the dirt and stared up at the sky, tears brimming her eyes.

This was it. Those were the ones that Amethyst -or whatever her name really was- had tried to warn them about. But what was their plan? Why did they want her back? And why had she run away from them?

All she knew was that something very bad was going to happen very soon, and that Princess Celestia must be told immediately.

Chapter Six

Twilight Sparkle sat quietly in her seat on the train leaving for Canterlot, blankly staring out the window. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy all sat with her. Every one of them, even Pinkie, was completely silent in apprehension. The other three ponies had been informed of all that had taken place during that day, and all of them had expressed the same sense of dread that Twilight felt. Something was going down, and they were going to find out what.

Twilight glanced around at her friends. It was strange to be riding in the very same train that just a couple of months ago had brought them to the joyous celebration of her brother’s wedding. Now instead of cheerful excitement, they all felt only fearful anxiousness. Twilight desperately hoped that Shining Armor was back from his royal tour around Equestria with his bride. If there was anyone that could help defend Equestria and make her feel safe, it was him.

Soon enough the silence was broken when the train whistle blew and it heaved forward up the tracks. Pinkie Pie, as usual, could not stay depressed for long. She peered over her friend’s worrisome expressions and smiled cheerfully. “Come on guys, we don’t have to be so glum! Princess Celestia will take care of things when we get there, I’m sure of it!”

Applejack gulped and glanced sideways at Pinkie Pie nervously. She still hadn’t told them about her encounter with the shapeshifting dragon-pony-creature; after all, she had been the one who told it where Amethyst was. And after witnessing it impersonate a strange and corrupted version of Pinkie Pie, she was a little nervous and spooked around her; to think, that creature had also impersonated her as well! AJ shuddered and turned away to stare out the window.

Rainbow Dash sat in a corner, glaring moodily at the floor. That Voltspark really was a jerk after all. No, he was worse than a jerk; he was an evil kidnapper! But why did he try to get friendly with her? What did he see in her that was worth knowing if he was really evil?

Rarity agreed with Pinkie’s sentiment. “Pinkie Pie is right, we can’t let ourselves get all worked up over somepony we don’t even know. I’m sure that Celestia will take care of it all and we won’t need to worry about a thing.” She primped up her mane and looked at herself in the train window. “Besides, dourness is bad for the complexion.”

Twilight sighed and smiled sadly. She knew they were only trying to help and they were right about not being depressed, but she still couldn’t help thinking about Amethyst’s warnings. These two powerful ponies that had taken her were also trying to take something else; but what? What were they trying to accomplish? Were they alone in their scheme? Obviously they needed Amethyst for something, and the defeated expression on Amethyst’s face when they captured her made it obvious that their use for her was not pleasant. Twilight narrowed her eyes in thought. Rainbow Dash had talked about what Voltspark told her, about Amethyst having the power to destroy all of Equestria. But he was probably lying just to scare them; what one pony could do all that? Especially a seemingly helpless one like Amethyst? However, what if he was telling the truth? What if in fact, those two ponies claiming to be her siblings were the good guys and Amethyst really had a monstrous evil side like Princess Luna once had with Nightmare Moon?

Twilight’s head sank into her front hooves in despair. Why could there never been any peace for them for long? Enemies and troubles seemed to pop up everywhere now. If only they would a just go away...

Before Twilight knew it, she was fast asleep in her seat, the smooth bumping of the train carriage rocking her back and forth.

A soft hoof gently rustled Twilight’s shoulder and she raised her head sharply, blinking the sleep from her eyes. Fluttershy squeaked in surprise and jumped back, looking at the floor and apologizing quickly, “Oh Twilight, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you so rudely. But um, we’re here at Canterlot now so, um, you can get out if you want to....”

Twilight yawned briefly and smiled at the timid pegasus. “Oh, that’s okay Fluttershy, you didn’t wake me rudely. Thank you.”

Fluttershy smiled back at her shyly and trotted out the train car door. Twilight followed her out to where the others were waiting. They stood in a line, all staring up at Canterlot castle in anticipation. It felt very similar to the time Celestia had summoned them to fight Discord, and it was a feeling that none of them wanted to have again.

After turning to her friends and giving them a reassuring smile, Twilight strode up to the gate, the others following. The royal guards looked down at them and one asked sternly, “What business have you with the Princess Celestia?”

Twilight took a deep breath before replying as steadily as she could, “We are here to warn the Princess of a possible threat and to ask her advice on it.”

The guard’s raised their eyebrows and looked at each other. One turned back to her and answered, “What kind of threat is it?”

Twilight gulped and glanced back at her friends. Applejack stepped forward and said rather shakily, “Well sir, it’s about these two pony-creatures that-“

Twilight cut her off. “We need only to tell the Princess. It is vitally important!”

The guard frowned. “Who are you?”

Twilight rolled her eyes and sighed. “I’m Twilight Sparkle, brother of Prince Shining Armor and Student of Princess Celestia.”

A voice sounded from behind the guards. “Well in that case, come on in!”

The guards moved aside and Twilight’s heart leaped for joy when she saw her brother Shining Armor striding towards them. She ran towards him and they embraced warmly.

Shining Armor kissed her lightly on the nose. “Sorry about the guards, Twilie. I’ve put them on extra defense since the whole Changeling incident. It’s hard to know who to trust when shapeshifters are involved.” Twilight grinned nervously; didn’t she know it!

She then gazed into her brother’s kind eyes and spoke, her voice not hiding any concern. “Shining Armor, we need to talk to the Princess now. It’s a matter of extreme importance.”

Shining Armor frowned slightly. “Like, how important?”

Twilight bit her lip and lowered her voice. “We’re not sure. It could be nothing at all... or it could be a Changeling or Discord-level threat.”

Shining Armor stood up, his eyes hard. “Then go. Tell the Princess and let her decide how serious it is. If danger is coming, though, you can count on me to protect you and Canterlot with all of my strength.”

Twilight hugged him one last time and raced up the path towards the castle, followed by the other five ponies.

Princess Celestia stood out on her balcony, gazing up into the glimmering sunlight. Soon the sun would be setting and Luna would take over for her role for the night. A guard came up behind her and bowed. “Your Highness, you have several visitors who wish to speak with you.”

She turned and looked down at him. “And who are they?

“There is one Twilight Sparkle and five others. They say it is an urgent matter.”

Celestia nodded to him in gratitude and strode back inside. “Thank you. I’ll see what it is that Twilight is so urgent about.”

Twilight and her friends stood before Celestia in the long hallway where the Elements of Harmony resided. Twilight had just finished telling the Princess about all that had happened, with the others giving little tidbits and portions of information. When she had heard everything, Celestia turned towards a window, her face unreadable. The ponies looked up at her in anticipation, waiting for her response.

Finally she turned back to them and sighed. “I honestly don’t know what to make of this. I have never heard of such ponies in my life, although the one you say was a shapeshifter seems quite suspicious, given the recent Changeling incident.”

Twilight shook her head. “They weren’t Changelings, I’m almost sure of that.”

Celestia looked down at them for a moment, then turned and strode up along the hallway towards the chamber where lay the Elements of Harmony.

“Are... are we going to have to use those again?” Fluttershy wondered.

Celestia stopped at the foot of the small stairway leading to the chamber and turned back to them. “I don’t know, but if this threat is indeed a powerful one, you will need to take up the Elements once more. It’s best to be prepared for the worst.”

A sudden loud crackling sound erupted from the other end of the room, and everypony whirled around with a start to see what it was. A ring of dark purple magic energy slowly formed in the center of the room, growing larger at a quickening speed. As it grew, tongues of fire began to wreath around it, flickering outward with growing intensity. Everypony stared in awe as the ring of fire and energy grew larger and larger until it suddenly exploded in a huge burst of flames.

Fluttershy gave a small shriek and dove behind Rainbow Dash, cowering to the ground. Celestia leaped over the six ponies and landed in front of them, her wings outspread in a defensive stance.

The ring of flames was still there, hovering over the ground and casting a flickering light across the room, but now three figures stood in the center of the fire ring. Two of them were Dracona and Voltspark, each standing to one side and grinning wickedly. But it was the figure between them that was the most impressive.

He was a tall alicorn stallion, taller even than Celestia herself. His coat was a fiery reddish-orange that glistened and flashed in the firelight, making it look as alive as the flames themselves. On his neck and back he wore a long dark-purple cape with a high collar and two curved spikes jutting out from the sides and framing his neck. On his body he wore a very dark red and purple plated armor that covered his chest, sides, and upper legs. A long, razor-sharp spiraling horn pierced out from his forehead, sheathed in the purple magic energy. His eyes burned like red-hot embers from the depths of Tartarus with an eerie, orange monochromatic glow. But it was his mane that stood out above all else; a huge wreath of fire that rippled and roared out from his neck and streamed down his back, conjoining with a tail of flames that sparked and flickered down along the ground. A pair of huge fiery wings unfurled from his back, adding further to his dangerously regal appearance. All in all, he was a terrifying sight.

When Celestia saw him, her eyes grew wide in shock and she gasped, “Psyron!?”

The fiery alicorn smiled fiendishly and replied, his deep voice echoing and crackling ominously throughout the room. “Surprised to see me... sister?”

Chapter Seven

A sense of dread and shock hung in the room like clouds of smoke. Twilight stared in sheer disbelief at the ominous newcomer before turning to Celestia for answers. The Princess’s face was hard and impassive, glaring directly at the one called Psyron.

She spoke, her voice low and tinged with something akin to fear, “Psyron, you.... you’re alive?”

Psyron’s eyes burned white hot as he smiled back at her. “Indeed I am, dear sister. No thanks to you.”

Rainbow Dash suddenly gasped out what everypony was thinking: “He’s your brother?!”

Psyron turned his head slightly to look at Rainbow, a smug smile still flickering across his fiery face. “Why yes, I am. Her elder brother, in fact. But of course she never told you about me, did she?”

He turned back to Celestia. “I believe you have much to explain to your subjects, Celestia. You can’t keep them in the dark forever....”

Celestia’s breath came deep as though she were struggling to control herself as she replied, “Leave my kingdom now, Psyron. You have no power here.”

Psyron’s eyes lit up even more and his flaming mane writhed about as he laughed harshly. “Ha! I have no power here? I seem to recall that the deep magics of Equestria give the power of the throne to the eldest living alicorn of the royal family; which would be me as of now.”

Celestia stood stone-faced, narrowing her eyes as she glared at him. His grin widened and he briefly glanced at Twilight and her friends before looking back at Celestia. “Of course you knew this all along... which is why you attempted to have me murdered.”

For the second time that day, Twilight Sparkle could feel her heart drop into her gut and her mind buzz in shock. She, as well as the other five ponies all slowly turned to stare at Celestia in disbelief. He was obviously lying; he had to be lying! Celestia would never do such a thing! And yet, the Princess’s face remain as stone-cold as before. She was not denying it. Why wasn’t she denying it?!

Psyron spoke as if reading her thoughts. “You don’t deny it, do you?”

After a few tense moments, Celestia spoke again, her voice surprisingly calm. “But the assassin came back. He reported that you were slain.”

“And then he died a few days later, is that not correct?” Although he was still smiling, Psyron’s voice was deadly cold. Celestia nodded wordlessly and he snorted, flames blasting from his nostrils. “You were a fool to think that I, Psyron, Prince of Black Magic, could be defeated by some lowly worm of an assassin. All it took was a few simple spells to mind-wipe him, insert false information saying that he had succeeded, and implant a poison in him that would kill him several days later. Of course, when I realized your plan against me, I decided to fake my death and flee, biding my time to return.” He smirked. “Not a bad feat for back then, if I do say so myself.”

Twilight could not stand it any longer. She leaped forward and whirled on Celestia, shouting to her in a voice of pleading despair, “Princess, he’s lying, isn’t he?! Please tell me that he’s lying!”

Celestia didn’t reply or even look down at her. She simply stood, staring straight ahead at her brother, her sides quivering with either fear or anger. Tears flowed from Twilight’s eyes as she stared up imploringly at her mentor. Had everything that Celestia taught her been a lie, too? What else was she hiding from them? Why was she not defending herself?

Psyron moved forward for the first time, striding up to Celestia in a path of flickering flames and pulsating energy. He continued his monologue as if there was no interruption: “And then you attempted to get rid of our younger sister as well....”

It was then that Celestia spoke out, her voice loud, clear, and quivering with rage. “That’s enough, Psyron. I wanted you gone because your heart and will for Equestria was full of darkness. You wanted to create war when the land needed peace. Your penchant for the forbidden magicks did not help your cause either. And with you first in line for the throne, there was no other way to save Equestria but to have you killed.”

So it was true. Twilight drew back from Celestia as though she had transformed into a venomous monster. The Princess that she had respected and loved all her life had just truthfully revealed that she had committed the act of attempted murder.... and on her own brother! This sudden thought made Twilight wish desperately that Shining Armor would come in and save them....

Psyron narrowed his burning eyes. “And when you took the throne, the power went to your head and you tried to be rid of Luna also. Of course, seeing no evil within her, you instigated her infamous transformation into the being of darkness known as Nightmare Moon.” He strode up closer to her sister, eyes fixed on her. “This gave you a perfect excuse to banish her to the moon, leaving the reign of Equestria all for yourself under the pretense that you had saved the land from evil!”

Celestia slammed her hoof on the floor and snapped. “That’s a lie! It was Luna’s own feelings of despair and bitterness that changed her, not me!”

“Just keep on lying to yourself, Celestia.” Psyron spat out. “Maybe someday those lies will come true! No, you allowed the ancient Demon of the Night to possess Luna because you knew that you could defeat it. Of course, you would have banished her forever, but you lacked the adequate power to do so.” Celestia was about to retort, but he cut her off. “Then when she returned and was changed back with the Elements, you had to warp your plans of domination a bit and forgive her; whether out of sincerity or beguilement, I am not to judge, although I suspect the latter...” He suddenly stopped. ”Which reminds me... “

He turned and stared down at Twilight, who had been listening all the while, enwrapped in utter confusion. Twilight felt his fiery eyes burn into him and shrank back to join her friends, who, apart from Rainbow Dash, sat solemnly on the ground, clinging to each other in shock.

Psyron smiled warmly at them and asked, his voice suddenly more gentle, although it still echoed ominously, “You are the six ponies who wielded the Elements of Harmony against Nightmare Moon and Discord, am I not correct?”

As she nodded, a sudden realization slammed into Twilight. The Elements! They lay in this very room, waiting to be used against this new enemy. If they could only get to them, all of this trouble would be over! Bursting with sudden courage, Twilight stood up tall and glared at Psyron. “Yes, I am Twilight Sparkle, wielder of the Element of Magic.” She smiled defiantly. “You have just made a big mistake coming here, Psyron. You see, this chamber is where the Elements are stored, and all it takes is for us six to activate them and vanquish you for good!”

She looked up at Celestia. Even though Twilight had lost some respect for her, she was still the only one who could open the vault where the Elements lay. Celestia’s eyes moved and looked down at her, not daring to turn her back to her brother. She nodded once and her horn glowed. Twilight and the others turned and saw the vault at the end of the chamber open. Twilight gave a smug glare at Psyron and raced towards the vault, calling, “Come on girls, let’s show these invaders that they messed with the wrong ponies!”

As they ran, Dracona and Voltspark jumped up to go after them, but Psyron held out a flaming wing to stop them, whispering softly, “Not yet, my children. Just watch... and see what happens.”

The necklaces and tiara that represented the Elements of Harmony sat on the pedestal within the vault, each one glimmering and shining with beautiful power. Twilight picked them up reverently with her telekinetic horn and gave them to each respective pony. They all turned simultaneously and with a powerful flash, Twilight teleported them in front of Psyron. The alicorn stepped back into the ring of fire, his face unreadable. Twilight glared at him one last time before placing the tiara on her head.

Everypony watched as each of the Elements lit up in turn. Rainbow Dash’s Element of Loyalty; Applejack’s Element of Honesty; Fluttershy’s Element of Kindness; Pinkie Pie’s Element of Laughter; Rarity’s Element of Generosity; and finally, Twilight Sparkle’s Element of Magic.

Beams of lights began to shoot out from the gems, connecting together in a tall, spiraling rainbow that towered above everypony. Dracona and Voltspark stared in complete awe, cowering down slightly at the sudden display of sheer power. Psyron spread his wings over them in protection, his face still utterly without emotion. The six ponies closed their eyes as they floated up through the air, drawn by the powerful beams of light emitting from their Elements. Then Twilight’s eyes snapped open, now glowing pure white, and the rainbow-colored beam apexed at the ceiling of the chamber. As Psyron and his children stared up at it in amazement, it suddenly arced down in a beautiful blast of color, aiming straight for the three foes. Just as it hit them, Psyron’s horn glowed, and a shield of flame encased around them, but it was soon overwhelmed by the sheer force of the rainbow blast. The Elements continued to pour out power for several more seconds, bathing the entire room in its light and complexly covering all traces of Psyron’s fire.

Finally it subsided, and the six ponies slowly drifted down to the ground, their eyes still closed. Twilight stood with her head lowered, panting slightly from the exertion. She smiled and was just about to open her eyes, when she heard a slow clapping sound from across the room. She looked up sharply and her mouth dropped to the floor.

Psyron, Dracona, and Voltspark still stood where they had before, untouched and unchanged. The only effect that the Elements had done was to temporarily dispel the fire from the room. Psyron stood back, slowly clapping his hooves together, a smug smile on his face. “Well done, well done indeed. I never would have suspected that six ordinary little ponies would have been able to wield such power. Quite impressive.”

Twilight suddenly felt herself shake all over in disbelief. The Elements hadn’t worked. They had failed. She looked back at her friends, who all wore the same expression of shock. Fluttershy began to weep softly and Applejack sat staring at Twilight, her eyes telling of her sheer confusion.

Twilight then turned to Celestia pleadingly. The Princess looked down at her in sorrow and bewilderment. Apparently she had not expected this outcome either. In just one day, every hope they possessed had been torn apart. But why didn’t the Element’s work?

She found herself speaking this out loud, and Psyron answered, his voice tinged with amusement. “The Elements of Harmony were created to protect Equestria itself. The previous foes that you unleashed it upon had made direct changes to the very essence of the land, and thus were affected by the Elements. I, however, have not come to bring about eternal night or eternal chaos; I simply come to reclaim what is rightfully mine.” He grinned wider. “I don’t suppose the Elements are against justice, are they?”

Tears of rage suddenly built up in Twilight’s eyes and she whirled on Psyron, screaming, “Why are you doing this?! Why can’t you just leave us alone?!”

He frowned and stared down at her. “You don’t seem to understand, my dear. I am only carrying out justice; it is my right to be ruler of Equestria, and I am not going to let anything stand in my way!”

Suddenly the doors to the chamber flew open and a regiment of Royal Guards raced in, led by none other than Twilight’s brother, Shining Armor. Twilight’s heart leaped for joy when she saw her, but her exuberance was not for long. Psyron slowly turned his head and glanced at the guards, a smile playing about his mouth. Shining Armor stepped forward, his horn glowing with energy and a long spear at his shoulder. When he caught a glimpse of Twilight on the other side of the fiery alicorn, his eyes hardened and he ground his teeth, snarling at Psyron, “Get out of Canterlot and leave my sister alone!”

Dracona and Voltspark had also turned to face them, each crouching down and preparing for battle. Dracona’s hooves morphed into long-clawed hands and her tail into a scaly dragon-like one. Electricity arced over Voltspark’s body, leaping off of his horn and creating a field of lightning around him. Psyron smirked. “Now what made you think I was going to hurt anypony?” He made a slight upward motion with his horn and a wall of fire erupted between himself and the guards, completely separating them. He turned back to Celestia and smiled wickedly. “You’ve made two moves in a row, Celestia. Now it’s my turn.”

His eyes began to glow white-hot and purple energy spewed from his horn. Celestia leaped in front of the six ponies as the beam of magic energy shot out. She lowered her horn and formed a wall of her own magic before her, blocking the energy beam. Psyron laughed. “So, trying to fight back now, are we? Heheh.... how futile.”

He leaped high into the air, his gigantic flaming wings unfurled. Fire licked and wreathed around his body as he sat in the air, his eyes glowing brighter than ever. His voice crackled and resounded around the chamber as he laughed again, “I have been storing up spells for centuries, sister! My skill in the black arts is far beyond even your comprehension!”

Another beam of energy shot down and shattered Celestia’s shield. The ponies gasped in shock and Fluttershy fainted as an energy globe quickly wrapped around Celestia, encasing her in a bubble of flickering magic. She slammed her hooves, wings, and horn against it, trying to escape, but it was of no use. Psyron drew the energy prison closer towards him, a maniacal grin spreading across his face.

Before Twilight could react, Rainbow Dash shot forward like a jet, screaming, “LET HER GO!”

Voltspark too, blasted forward, but Rainbow was ready for him and dodged out of his way. She had almost reached Psyron when Dracona’s lithe tail lashed out and wrapped around her, yanking her to the ground. Twilight leaped forward, but Voltspark knocked her back into the others before forming an electric cage over them. Twilight teleported through the cage, but in her blind rage forgot the other ponies. Dracona hurled Rainbow Dash back across the room and through the cage, leaping through the air to grab Twilight. Rainbow screamed in pain as she flew through the electric barrier and hit the ground with a thud, now trapped inside. After helping up Rainbow, Applejack and Rarity glared up in hatred at Voltspark, who hovered above them, smiling evilly. Dracona slammed Twilight on the ground and pinned her down with her claws and tail, hissing viciously in her ear, “Make one move and I snap your neck!”

Psyron drew the trapped Celestia next to him until they were finally face-to-face. His smile had disappeared and he glared directly into her eyes. “Your day of reckoning has come, sister. Even if you have changed, your past sins are not absolved. It’s time for justice to prevail; my justice!” He paused and narrowed his eyes, glancing around the room. “It’s just a pity that our dear sister Luna could not be present as well. I’ve missed her so very much...”

As if on cue, a blast of blue light opened up in between Psyron and the six trapped ponies. Twilight’s eyes widened and her heart skipped a beat. There was one last hope after all.

Psyron hovered lower to the ground, his eyes curiously fixed on the swirling blue energy. A regal form stepped out of the portal, her mane swirling about her like evening mist. Her dark eyes peered over the room, taking in everything, then she spoke, “What is this sorcery we see before us? Who-“ She suddenly stopped and gasped in shock when she saw her sister trapped in the globe of energy and the very tall flaming alicorn next to her. Luna stepped forward menacingly, her voice now low. “Who art thou and why have ye attacked the Princess Celestia?”

Psyron smiled down at her joyfully. “Luna, my dear sister! It’s been so long since I’ve seen you! My, have you grown...”

Luna narrowed her eyes and stared up at him curiously. “Do I... know thee? Why do ye call me sister?”

Psyron smiled and dropped slowly to the ground, still holding Celestia in mid-air. “I am your brother, Psyron. Do you not remember me?” He paused and nodded as though suddenly realizing something. “Although I suppose being possessed by a demon and imprisoned on the moon for a thousand years would have some effect on your memory. That is understandable.” He glanced slyly back at Celestia, who simply sat, returning the glare.

Luna frowned and pointed a hoof at him. “But if thou art my brother, then why do ye hold our sister captive? If thou is here to bring about harm to her, then I can assure thee that I will fight thee to the end!” Her horn glowed slightly and the mist whirled around her.

Psyron stepped back and peered at her silently for a few seconds. It was then that Applejack took advantage of this and yelled, “Princess Luna! You’ve gotta help us!”

Luna whirled around and stared in horror when she saw the six ponies, trapped. She had not seen them at first upon entering, but now that she knew they were in danger, her anger boiled. She whirled around and faced Psyron, her wings outstretched and her eyes glowing dangerously. Psyron frowned and raised an eyebrow as she began to stalk towards him, her teeth clenched and mane swirling about furiously. The eerie monochromatic glow of her eyes made Psyron falter slightly, but his magical barriers still stood.

Luna’s voice was viciously low as she glared at him, her accent now gone. “You are going to let these ponies free right now or I will tear you to pieces; whether or not you are my brother!”

Psyron blinked and remained silent. Luna had become far more dangerous and powerful than she had ever previously been. That fusion with the Nightmare Spirit had given her great potential, even when released from it. This would definitely be worth looking into.

Then he smiled; a dangerously calm smile that Twilight knew could only mean trouble. Luna had kept on striding towards her brother, her deadly glowing eyes fixed upon him.

Psyron suddenly flew up into the air with his wings, whirling fire down at Luna. She gave a terrifying screech of rage and leaped through the flames at him, but a large beam of energy knocked her to the ground.

Psyron nodded to Dracona, who wrapped her claws around Twilight’s neck and squeezed, causing her to gasp in pain. Luna whirled towards them and Psyron spoke. Any trace of humor or smugness in his voice was gone as he growled, “I really don’t want to hurt you, Luna. After all, I have no vendetta against you personally. However, I must ask that you stand down and acknowledge the fact that I have the upper hoof. If you do not comply, then my daughter here will crush Twilight Sparkle’s neck. I really don’t think you want this to happen, and, quite frankly, neither do I; but harsh measures must sometimes be taken to ensure that justice prevails. Do you understand?”

Luna stood staring hard at Dracona and Twilight for several moments, remaining silent. Twilight gasped and struggled, but Dracona’s grip with strong.

Psyron spoke again. “Time is running short, Luna. Make your choice.”

Finally Luna turned back to him and replied, her voice still dangerous but not as threatening, “Very well. If you promise not to harm them, I will stand down.”

Dracona released her grip on Twilight’s throat, and she lay gasping for air.

Psyron smiled. “Good girl. Now, if you are smart, you’ll stay out of my way and let me carry out my justice.”

A dome of fire arced over Luna, trapping her inside. She remained calm, however, as though she had expected it.

Psyron then turned his attention back to Celestia. He spoke loud enough for everypony in the room to hear:

“Celestia, my sister, as the new Ruler of Canterlot and Lord of Equestria, I, Psyron, hereby decree that you be punished for your crimes against the deep magics of this land.” He paused for effect. “For attempted murder, usurpation, purposeful removal of the royal family-” At this he glanced down at Luna. “...and for lying to your subjects about these events for thousands of years, I hereby pronounce judgment upon you...”

The tension in the air at that moment was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Twilight stared up in fearful anxiety at Celestia, who still remained strangely calm.

Psyron continued, “...and decree that you be banished...” He briefly looked at Luna again. “...to the sun!”

Twilight bucked and struggled to break free as she screamed in despair, “NO! Noooo!”

Luna slammed herself against her fiery cage, her teeth clenched and eyes burning in pure anger.

Ignoring their desperate pleas, Psyron spread his wings out to their full length, his eyes closed and horn crackling and glowing with power. Celestia looked about her in desperation as the walls of her energy prison slowly caved in around her, changing to fire as they did. She struggled to escape the enclosing flames, firing bolts of magic energy around her, but it was all in vain. Psyron ground his teeth and shook with exertion, wreaths of flame and magic bursting from his horn. It was then that Celestia stopped struggling and turned to look upon her sister and the six ponies. Tears flowed freely from Twilight’s eyes as she watched the orb of magic fire envelop her mentor and ruler. Celestia’s face bore a surprisingly calm and regal expression, but her eyes were full of sorrow. Just as the flames enclosed her body completely, she locked eyes with Twilight and spoke, loud enough for her to hear:

“Be brave, Twilight Sparkle. I am sorry...”

A huge flash of light burst forth from where the Princess had been, swirling outward for a few seconds before imploding upon itself and disappearing into wisps of smoke.

Psyron gave a long rasping sigh and slowly dropped to the floor, folding in his fiery wings as he did. Twilight Sparkle huddled down as best she could and ground her teeth in sorrow. She was gone. Princess Celestia was really and truly gone.

Psyron strode over to where Luna sat glaring daggers of hatred at him through her tears. He sighed and looked at her with narrowed eyes. “It had to be done, Luna. I believe in royal justice, and such was that.”

She continued to glare at him as she replied, her voice soft and dangerously calm. “You will pay dearly for this treachery, Psyron. No amount of spells in Equestria will keep you from my wrath.”

Psyron stared levelly at her for a moment, his face slowly dropping into a frown. He snorted and turned away, rasping, “I really hoped that you would understand my plight, Luna. After all, you too know what it is like to have your own flesh and blood betray you and cast you out like a common criminal.” He turned back to her. “I thought you might actually appreciate the sense of poetic justice that I dealt during my judgment. But alas, it was not to be...” His horn glowed slightly and a small ring of smoke formed on the floor behind him, bunching together in a dark cloud. He stared directly into Luna’s eyes and continued. “I don’t hate you in the least, my sister, but if you will not join my kingdom, then I must put you aside for now. I can’t have you getting in the way of the path to a glorious new Equestria.”

He glanced behind him at the small cloud of smoke and smiled slightly. “You see, I have another ace up my sleeve that seals my dominance for good.” He stepped to the side and the smoke behind him cleared, revealing a figure standing beside him.

Twilight and Applejack both gasped simultaneously, “Amethyst?!”

The dark unicorn’s head remained bowed, her mane flowing down over her face and concealing it. Psyron looked over at the ponies and raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so you have met my youngest daughter, I take it? How interesting.” He strode over to Twilight and peered down at her, briefly glancing up at Applejack as well. “I assume that she told you of her plight? Of how her evil father planned to take over the world and she didn’t want to have any part of it? Of how she possesses the power to destroy all life as we know it?”

Twilight didn’t know what to say. After the many terrible shocks and tragedies that had taken place in succession, nothing surprised her. She looked over at Amethyst, who still stood mournfully gazing at the floor. Psyron narrowed his eyes, awaiting an answer, but none came. He shrugged and strode back to Amethyst, gently kissing the top of her head. He whispered to her, but loud enough for everypony to hear, “Obsidia my darling.... why don’t you do your father a favor and show these poor little foals what you can do....”

Amethyst, now revealed as Obsidia, raised her head and stared out before her. Her dark eyes, which had once been full of fear and desperation, were now cold and hard, matching the expression of her features. She placed one hoof forward and closed her eyes tight, shaking as she released magic energy into her horn. Twilight and her friends looked on in shocked wonder as Obsidia’s horn began to glow, and her body shuddered with power. Psyron stepped back and glanced at Luna, his eyes hard. Luna had been keeping her eyes fixed on her brother ever since Celestia had disappeared, but now she turned and stared at Obsidia. The little unicorn’s horn glowed with a black light, its energies swirling around her. Then something very startling happened.

A smooth crackling sound emitted from Obsidia as a slow but steady sheath of shiny blackness began covering her legs. Everypony watched in fascination as the wave of shimmering darkness encased her legs and spread over her body, ripping across her with a quickening pace. Soon her tail, neck, and head were also covered in the smooth blackness of obsidian. For a moment she remained still, frozen as through made of stone.

Then she moved. Her muscles writhed about, flexing out as if testing the encasement of smooth rock skin around her, and her eyes snapped open. No longer did they contain any hint of sorrow or fear; they were simply cold and emotionless, somewhat akin to a dead thing. As her eyelids lifted, the obsidian sheath coated over her eyeballs, completing her transformation.

Psyron spoke to her, his voice gentle, “Well done, my dear. Now focus your power towards your Aunt Luna.”

Luna stepped back cautiously as Obsidia’s cold gaze fell upon her. Her horn glowed again and the obsidian sheath rippled out from beneath her, coating the floor around her in its shimmering black glaze. Luna looked down in anxiousness as the wave of dark stone crept out towards her along the ground, crackling and shrieking against the floor as it went. It reached out along the floor, slipping under the dome of magic fire that surrounded her and creeping up towards her hooves. Luna looked down frantically and backed up as much as she could, trying to keep away from the reaches of the advancing glaze. Twilight and her friends could once again only watch helplessly as the smooth wave of black stone finally overcame Luna. She reared back in a panic as it encased her back legs, travelling quickly along her flanks and back, freezing her body in place as it went. She struggled desperately to break away from it, but onward it came, enveloping her shoulders, wings, neck, and front legs. As her eyes shifted back and forth in agony, Luna accepted her fate and took on one last expression of regal determination. The wave of smooth rock coated over her head until it joined together at the tip of her horn. The prison of fire crumbled down from around her and Obsidia gave a long gasp, sinking to her knees in fatigue.

Twilight Sparkle almost dared not look up at the frozen form of Luna, expecting the worst, but she gave in. She raised her head and stared upward, taking in every detail in the obsidian statue that was once Princess Luna. Her mane and tail had been captured in their perfect flowing shape, regally rippling out through the air as if blow by a breeze. She stood back on her hind legs, wings outspread as though arising to charge into battle. But it was her face that stood out. The expression of fearless power exuberated from her frozen features as though shouting out to all who looked upon her that she was indeed, a Princess of Equestria.

Twilight couldn’t help but feel admiration for Luna; even in the face of a terrible fate she had remained determined to fight on. Determined to find hope. In the midst of the seemingly endless trauma that had taken place this day, Twilight could feel the determination of hope rising within her, just by looking upon the regal face of the cold, solid black statue of Princess Luna.

Psyron walked over to his daughter Obsidia and lightly patted her head with his wing, whispering, “You have done well, my child.” He then turned and strode up to the statue of Luna, gazing at it with a strange mixture of sorrow and smugness. His voice was low and soft, but couldn’t hide a tinge of gleeful victory. “I am truly sorry, my sister. If there was any other way, I would take it, but alas, you chose to oppose me. How tragic. I will release you when the time comes, but for now, I have no need of you.”

Twilight’s eyes grew wide. Release her? So that meant that Luna was in fact, not dead? A small glimmer of hope flickered in her soul, but was quickly covered up when Psyron’s voice suddenly boomed out across the room.

“On this day the reign of two Princesses, Celestia and Luna, has ended, and a new era springs up in its place!” He turned and strode down the hallway, ignoring everypony he passed by. When he reached the great vault that had held the elements, he turned and rose up high, fire whirling around him.

“A new will grips the land! My will, my power, my destiny!” A maniacal grin slowly spread over his face once more and his eyes burned more intensely than ever. Magic flames burst and roared around him as his deep voice echoed out across the room, proclaiming to all of Equestria:

“The reign of Lord Psyron has begun!”

Chapter Eight

Despair. Confusion. Sorrow. Guilt. Rage. Fear. These were the emotions that overcame Twilight Sparkle and her friends as they sat in the room that had been given to them in Canterlot Castle. Lord Psyron had ordered that they be well taken care of and had given them a room in the castle to share. So much had happened in the past several hours that it all seemed a shocking nightmare of blurry memories. Celestia was gone forever. Luna was alive, but trapped in an obsidian prison. Psyron was now the ruler of Equestria. Ameth- Obsidia had joined her father’s conquest and shown her true power. And Shining Armor...

Twilight gave a shudder of sorrow at the faint remembrance of what had taken place. All she remembered was that Psyron had lowered the fire wall, allowing Shining Armor and his troops to storm in and attempt to rescue them. But they never got far, as Psyron had emitted some sort of psychic energy and paralyzed all of them. The rest was even more blurry, but she knew that Psyron had somehow taken control of all the guards’ minds because they had hollowly obeyed his orders.

That was four hours ago. Now they all sat together in the luxurious castle bedroom, surrounded by the finery and color of a royal home. But it was all lost on them as they sat looking at each other, each with her own thoughts. Fluttershy had almost immediately gone to sleep; fortunately she had been passed out for a majority of the traumatic happenings, and thus had not witnessed as much shock as the rest, but it was still too much for a gentle-hearted pony like her to see such brutal takeover and to witness the Elements of Harmony fail to dispel their foe. That alone had affected all of them greatly and made them wonder. Maybe Psyron was right and he was just immune to the power of the Elements... or.... maybe the fault was with them. The last time the Elements had not worked, it was because Discord had sapped them right out of each pony’s personality, but not fully of his doing; they had also contributed to their descent into disharmony, and the thought that they could have done so this time crept into the corners of each of their minds.

Surprisingly enough, Rarity had been the first to recover from the shock. She bustled about the room frantically, checking the curtains and straightening the beds in her usual prim and proper manner. Twilight knew that this was simply her way of dealing with stress, but it still served as a small relief to her that they could in fact return to their normal selves and continue the good fight.

Pinkie Pie was also quick to recover, (although Twilight was never sure how much she had been affected in the first place). Pinkie had immediately begun concocting schemes on how to fight back at Psyron and save the Princesses, each one more hair-brained than the last...

“Oh oh, I know! Twilight can go and visit a weird old green creature in a swamp and learn powerful new magic to defeat Psyron!”

“No, wait, we need to take that one ring and toss it in a volcano! Then that’ll take him down for good!”

“Or waitaminute, we can find seven thingies that Psyron put his soul into and-“

Even though her antics were mildly amusing and did cheer Twilight up a bit, they soon began to annoy the others, namely Applejack.

“Pinkie, will you hush up over there for one dag-blamed minute?! I’m tryin’ to think here!”

Twilight suspected that Applejack had been feeling a sense of guilt about the incident regarding Amethyst (Twilight would never call her by any other name), as she had been the one who gave away Amethyst’s location to her wicked siblings. Sure they probably would have found out her location sooner or later, but the fact that honest Applejack had been a little too honest was most likely what bothered her the most. It didn’t take an interrogation to have AJ spill information; she was a horrible liar and when faced with questioning, she could never hold back for long. The fact that Applejack was the only other pony that really got to know Amethyst, however little it was, also didn’t help much.

Rainbow Dash had remained silent for a long time. She sat at the window, gazing blankly out at the starry night sky. Twilight knew that her Element of Loyalty would be hit the hardest out of all of them during the inevitable struggle. Was her loyalty to the Ruler of Equestria, or was it to Princess Celestia specifically? Or perhaps it was to Ponyvile or Cloudsdale. Or maybe it was all of them. Whatever the case, hers would be the most challenging battle of them all. Twilight had no idea what Psyron planned on doing with them, but it surely wouldn’t be good.

Psyron. There was more to him than first meets the eye, that was for sure. He definitely had an evilly regal air about him that evoked a dark sorcerer-king, (which is what he was); but there was something deeper in him as well. He didn’t do what he had done simply because he was evil and enjoyed it; he clearly thought of it as his own personal system of poetic justice, one where he was judge, jury, and executioner. He also seemed to truly care for his children: the shapeshifting, dragon-like mare, the electrically-charged young stallion, and Amethyst. Especially Amethyst. But if he cared so much for her, why had she run away from him in the first place? What had she feared so much in him when he obviously loved her? Or was it her power that he loved? The electro-colt had told Rainbow Dash that Amethyst had the power to destroy all of Equestria, and after seeing what she did to Luna, Twilight believed it. Perhaps Psyron was only using Amethyst for her incredible power and only pretended to love and fondle her so that she would stay with him and love him back. But what if he really did love her? What if-

Twilight’s thoughts were interrupted by a sudden knock at the chamber door. She jumped slightly and glanced around the room. Fluttershy still lay sleeping, Pinkie Pie was sitting in a corner bouncing a rubber ball against the wall and humming to herself, Rarity was busy combing her mane and staring into a mirror, Applejack sat on a bed, her face creased in thoughts and worry, and Rainbow Dash still sat in the same spot, silently staring out into space.

Upon seeing that nopony was going to the door, Twilight stopped her pacing and cautiously trotted over to it, calling out tentatively, “Um, who’s there?”

A low, stern voice answered, “Lord Psyron requests the presence of ones Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash.”

Twilight glanced back at Dash, who had for the first time turned her head and looked back, her face still wide-eyed and blank. Twilight took a deep breath before replying, “A-alright, we’ll be right out...”

She turned back to tell Rainbow Dash, but the pegasus was already beside her. Twilight opened the door to see a pair of royal guards standing stiffly outside. A strange light glinted in their eyes, and Twilight knew that it was because of Psyron’s mind-control.

They both stepped out the door and Twilight looked back at the other ponies who sat watching them leave. She smiled reassuringly at them and sighed. “Don’t worry, girls, we’ll be fine. Just get some sleep.”

They all nodded wordlessly. Twilight sighed again and turned back as one of the guards closed the door behind them. Then she and Rainbow Dash began the descent to meet their new Lord and Ruler.

It had only been a few hours since Psyron’s proclamation as Lord of Equestria, and already the new atmosphere of the castle made it seem like a totally different place. Gone were the pure white walls and floors of the many rooms and hallways, with their trims of gold and jeweled chandeliers. Now everything was coated in many dark shades of red, orange, and purple, with trims of black and indigo. It wasn’t outright evil or spooky, but it was a far cry from the shining brightness that had adorned the castle under Celestia’s Reign. Twiight suspected that the exterior of the castle had undergone the same changes, possibly even all of Canterlot. The guards too were decked out in different colored armor; more of it as well. Helmets now covered their eyes, concealing what Twilight knew to be the glinting effects of Psyron’s mind-controlling magic. Her eyes searched desperately for her brother, but Shining Armor was nowhere to be seen.

In addition to the darker color scheme, there seemed to be a theme of symbols throughout the castle. Celestia’s royal mark had been a shining sun, but now they had all been replaced by Psyron’s mark: a swirling tongue of orange fire with a purple arcing design piercing up around it, somewhat akin to the long purple spikes that adorned Psyron’s collar. Twilight shuddered at the thought of having to see this new mark of terrifying power everywhere she went, always reminding her that Celestia’s reign was dead, and this new reign –this reign of fire- had sprung up in its place. Twilight glanced at Rainbow Dash to see if she had been gazing around at the new décor as well, but the pegasus did not seem to notice it. She had been staring blankly at the floor the whole time, her face a picture of bewilderment and internal conflict. Twilight wasn’t sure exactly what she was puzzling over, but whatever it was would be revealed soon and in the presence of Psyron.

Soon enough they reached the throneroom. The heavy doors creaked open, the noise echoing eerily along the hall. At this, Rainbow looked up as though just realizing where she was, and both girls stared in awe as the chamber doors opened, revealing what lay inside.

The guards ushered them in and they walked down the long carpet that led to the throne, gazing in wonder at dark splendor around them. The same color and symbols were everywhere, but new designs and constructs were there as well. Huge, fiery torches lit up the room from either side, their eerie red flames flickering and licking the air. Long tapestries nd stained glass windows hung on the walls, all depicting the royal fire symbol and images of Lord Psyron and his children. Twilight wondered how they could have been made so quickly, then remembered that Psyron was a master of sorcery and could have created them himself in only a few minutes. Then she saw one tapestry that made her blood boil. It depicted the scene that had taken place only hours before, with a frightened, but also evil-looking Celestia trapped in an exploding ball of fire, while Luna stood frozen in obsidian on the ground and Psyron loomed above them, his wings spread in a regal pose of victory. The six ponies were not shown at all, and Twilight was somewhat relieved by this. Still, the obvious bias that showed Celestia as a horrible ruler made Twilight want to destroy the place in fury.

“Enjoying the décor, are we?”

Twilight whirled her head back to face the speaker. Lord Psyron sat upon his throne, which was now transformed as a larger, darker design, wreathed in flames much like the rest of the symbols of the castle; only these were real ones. A glass of wine hovered in the air beside him, held up by some invisible magic energy. He sat staring regally down at them, his eyes partially closed, although full of the same monochromatic fiery power as before. His mane of flames swirled slowly about his neck, making small crackling and whooshing sounds that only added to his impressive appearance. He smiled slightly and spoke again,

“Do you like it? I added it all myself, you know; it was quite simple, too. Of course, having thousands of years to come up with a perfect symbol and color scheme made it infinitely easier to create. I’m sure you would love to know the spells that I used to do this, wouldn’t you, Twilight Sparkle?”

Twilight gulped and stared up at his speechlessly, not having any idea of what to say in reply.

He took a small sip of the wine and looked over at Rainbow Dash, who stood staring up at him in awe. “I can tell that you are impressed, Rainbow Dash. Is it... ‘awesome’ enough for your tastes? Or does it need to be about twenty-percent cooler?” He smiled at her affably.

Rainbow obviously didn’t know what to say in reply either.

He sat staring silently back and forth between them for several minutes, making both ponies uncomfortable. Finally he broke the silence. “I suppose you both are wondering why I called for you, yes?”

Twilight nodded. Why did this alicorn have to be so confusing? One moment he was a raging fireball of vengeance and destruction, the next was calmly and casually chatting with the two of them as if nothing drastic had happened at all.

“Well then, to the matter at hoof...” He set aside his wine glass and sat up straighter in his throne attentively. “You two represent the Elements of Magic and Loyalty, respectively. In my opinion those are the two most powerful Elements, and the ones that conduct my interest the most as well.” He narrowed his eyes and asked them carefully, his voice low, “Do you know what I am going to do now that I have the throne? I didn’t take it just for the fineries, after all, because as you can see, I can create those at any time I choose.” He leaned forward slightly. “But do you know why I so desperately sought this throne?”

Rainbow Dash spoke for the first time in a long time. “So... that you could rule Equestria?”

“Partially, yes. But what I really seek... is conquest.”

He stepped down from his throne and strode towards them, his fiery tail swirling out from beneath his purple cape. He stopped at the foot of the stairs, directly in front of the two ponies. He looked down at them curiously as he continued, “You see, conquest is what a kingdom needs to be about. None of this endless insipid celebrating and partying and pleasing the commoners and aristocrats with their mindless galas and such...” (Twilight and Rainbow knew that Pinkie Pie would have something to say about that.) “No... The real purpose of a kingdom is to conquer and rule!”

He strode past them and over to one of the tall torchlights, staring into it with a strange fervency. His voice began to grow more and more viciously passionate as he went on. “To conquer and rule all other lands! To have the world tremble at the very mention of your name! To bring glory to our species; to let every other tribe know that we, the equines, are no longer a lowly, peaceful race! We are powerful, we are dangerous, and we will crush all who stand in our way!”

He whirled around suddenly, startling them both. His eyes burned with white-hot intensity, and his mane and tail flared up, whipping and whirling their flames about savagely. He smiled; a wide, psychotic, power-hungry smile that sent a shudder down both ponies’ spines. Twilight glanced at the chamber doors for moment and backed up slightly. This was getting far too dangerous for her liking; any moment now it seemed like Psyron could snap, and both she and Rainbow Dash might be incinerated in some insanity-fueled wave of fire. She nudged Dash, trying to get her attention, but the pegasus ignored her, staring at Psyron in pure awe.

Twilight saw that Rainbow was obviously in admiration of Psyron’s power, and that would not be good at all. She whirled on Psyron and shouted, “Alright, Psyron, what is it that you really want from us?!”

She immediately regretted being so bold when Psyron turned to her, his maniacal grin vanishing and a frown replacing it. He narrowed his eyes and glared at her. “As your ruler I am to be addressed as Lord Psyron. Did your precious Princess Celestia allow you to call her by her name alone?”

Twilight’s body shook with a mixture of fear and indignation at the slight he had given Celestia. She lowered her voice and bowed her head slightly, but only out of necessity. Psyron strode towards her and towered over her, his heat of his eyes and mane slightly diminishing. He spoke again, his voice a bit calmer, “I called you both here because I am in need of your power. Not just the power that your Elements wield, but the power within you both.” He pointed a hoof at Twilight’s cutie mark. “Your marks represent great abilities that you each innately possess.” He looked over at Rainbow Dash. “My son Voltspark reported to me that you are one of the fastest, most daring ponies he has ever seen.” He smiled slightly. “I hear you even beat him in a race. Very impressive indeed.”

Rainbow Dash blushed slightly and shrugged. “Eh, it’s a gift...”

“Of course it is. And that is my point. You possess the power of aerial speed; no creature in Equestria can come close to you in that aspect. But you are also fearless and bold. These are admirable qualities. Therefore, I am offering you a chance to join my army; not just as a soldier, but as a leader in my pegasi air force.” He smiled. “Do you accept?”

Rainbow Dash stared up at him in shock. He had just asked her to be the leader of an army! Sure, she was already the leader of Ponyville weather team, but an army! She almost fell over at the thought. Then something occurred to her. She narrowed her eyes and frowned. “Wait, being in an army means fighting, right? Who will I be fighting?”

Psyron shrugged. “Whoever dares to oppose my forces. If you’re worried about having to fight other ponies, you can forget about that, because all equines will be on our side. You will only be fighting those of lesser, barbaric species.” He asked again, looking her right in the eye. “So... do you accept my offer?”

Twilight looked at Rainbow worriedly and tried to catch her eye, but Dash remained fixed on Psyron’s offer and seemed to ignore her. Twilight sighed and bit her lip to keep from bursting out in disapproval; she would talk to Dash later, now would not be a good time to incur Psyron’s wrath again.

Rainbow Dash flickered her wings nervously and stuttered, “W-well, I...I...” She glanced at Twilight, who caught her eye and quickly shook her head. Rainbow frowned and turned back to Psyron, glancing back at Twilight as she did. Finally she answered. “I...I’m going to have to think about it, sir. I- I mean... Your Highness.”

Psyron pursed his lips and nodded, eyes narrowed. “Yes... I understand your hesitation. It’s not every day that you get a chance to become a renowned hero and prove your loyalty to your country.” He paused. “But I will give you awhile to think about this. I hope you choose wisely.”

He then turned to Twilight, staring down at her a bit less affably. “And as for you, Twilight Sparkle...”

She jumped in surprise and looked up, stammering, “Y-yes.... Your Highness?” It pained her deeply to say those words to the one who had killed Princess Celestia, but it had to be done.

Psyron stepped back a bit and continued to look at her levelly. “I know that you were a student of the previous ruler and that you had a special relationship with her. But let me tell you this; whatever she told you, whatever she said that could seem to benefit her in any way, it was probably a lie. She was a very crafty creature, was Celestia. Everything she said must be taken with a grain of salt, and everything she did was for her own benefit, however....” He paused and looked at Twilight curiously. “There is one thing she told you that is very, very true: You possess a great potential for magic, Twilight Sparkle. The power infused within your horn is capable of growing beyond that of any ordinary unicorn in Equestria.” He paused yet again to watch the expression on Twilight’s face. Her reaction was a bit different than Dash’s, and although she felt a tinge of shyness and pride at being complemented so, she couldn’t help but feel indignation at Psyron’s insulting and defiling of Celestia. But she supposed she would have to get used to it, seeing as how their new ruler had no love lost for his fallen sister in the least.

Twilight frowned slightly and blinked up at Psyron, not saying a word. He returned the blank stare and continued, “What I am offering you is similar to what I offered your friend Rainbow Dash. I am giving you a chance to be in my army; obviously not in the air force, but as my chief battle mage on the ground. I already know that you possess fine leadership skills, as seen in your previous dealings, and thus the chance to be my chief mage. What do you say to that, Twilight Sparkle?

She blinked again at him, her face impassive. Then she looked down at the floor and sighed. “I appreciate the offer, sire, but... I’m going to have to think about it as well. I’m rather tired and I need to get some rest.”

Psyron narrowed his eyes and nodded. “Yes, I understand...” He turned and strode back up to his throne, sitting down once more and pouring himself another glass of wine. After taking a sip, he spoke to them. “I just want you both to realize that I see great power within you. You both have the potential to be mighty warriors and heroes, leading your troops on with sheer inspiration and force of will!” He smiled again. “Now leave, depart to your room and have a well nights rest. Perhaps sleep will help you to make the right decision.”

His horn glowed slightly and the chamber doors opened. Two guards came in and stood by Twilight and Rainbow Dash, ready to escort them out. Psyron raised his glass to them and smiled wider. “Have a good night sleep, my little lieutenants. Big things lie in store for your lives; it would be best not to miss them.”

He nodded to the guards and they nudged the two ponies to lead them out. As they turned to leave, Twilight suddenly remembered something that she had been meaning to ask. She turned back and asked fervently, “Where is the captain of the guard: Shining Armor?”

Psyron smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry my dear, he’s alive and well. I would never harm a useful soldier such as him.”

Twilight breathed a sigh of relief. Now at least she knew her brother was safe. Unless he was lying. But right now, she didn’t want to think about such a possibility.

As she was turning her head to leave, something caught her eye that she had not seen before. A dark statue stood to the right of Psyron’s throne, pushed back a bit and hidden in the shadows. Twilight’s heart skipped a beat when she recognized it: It was Luna.

Twilight looked quickly back at Psyron and saw him sitting on his throne, still smiling. However, his smile had changed from one of reassurance and affability, to a smug, cunning, almost wicked grin. He knew that Twilight had just noticed the statue. Her heart shuddered as he continued to lock eyes with her until she stepped out of the throneroom and the doors closed behind them.

Chapter Nine

When Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash entered their room again, they found that Rarity and Pinkie Pie had both joined Fluttershy in slumber. Applejack, however, remained awake, sitting slumped over in a chair and staring at the wall. When she saw them come through the doorway she lifted her head and blinked tiredly at them, asking in a low voice, “So how’d it go? What happened?”

Twilight groaned and flopped over on one of the beds. She rubbed at her tired eyes, sighing before she replied. “Oh he just wanted to talk to us about... about....”

“About joining his army as commanders!” Rainbow Dash exuberated quietly, “I honestly can’t think of anything more awesome than that!” Rainbow was obviously too excited to sleep. She paced and leaped about the room, a wide grin on her face.

Applejack’s eyes widened and she glanced at Twilight. “He... wants us to be in an... army?”

Twilight sighed again and nodded sadly. Applejack cocked an eyebrow. “Why is tarnation would we need to join the royal guards? Don’t they have enough soldiers?”

Rainbow stopped jumping around and looked at her. “Not the royal guards; a real army! An army to go out and fight monsters and barbarians and... and...” She grinned and almost did a flip. “And I’m gonna be the leader of the pegasi air force!”

Applejack blinked in confusion and looked over at Twilight, who still lay on the bed, her forelegs covering her face. “An...an... army? To fight monsters? Twilight, what the hay is goin’ on here?”

Twilight mumbled something incoherently and Applejack walked over to her, nudging her up with her snout. Twilight sat up and blinked. “What? Oh yeah... L-Lord Psyron wants to conquer the world and he wants us to help him...” She glared at Rainbow Dash. “But we aren’t going to, are we, Rainbow Dash?”

Dash paused from her jubilance and frowned at Twilight. “Wait, what? I said I’d think about it and I did! I mean, can you imagine anything more awesome than leading an army and fighting monsters?! Seriously Twilight, you need to look at the bright side of things! He sees power in us and likes us! Why shouldn’t we do what he wants?”

Twilight leaped off the bed and ground her teeth. Her tired mind and body was not helping her temper. “No, Rainbow! We are not going to obey the one that killed Celestia and locked Luna in stone! I can’t- won’t do it! And neither should you!”

She strode over to Rainbow, still glaring at her. “You’re the Element of Loyalty, Rainbow Dash. I thought you would be a bit more faithful to Celestia, but nooo! You just go and want to follow some psychotic megalomaniac that offers you an ‘awesome’ job!”

Rainbow Dash glared back at her and stomped a hoof on the ground. “Well what else are we gonna do, huh? I loved Celestia as much as you, but now she’s gone forever and there’s nothing we can do about it!” She hovered up in the air and held her hooves out in confusion. “Sure, I’m the Element of Loyalty, but who am I supposed to be loyal to? I tried my best to help Celestia and failed. Now Psyron’s on the throne and he’s our ruler. Who says I’m not supposed to be loyal to the ruler of Equestria, no matter who it is?”

Twilight’s heart sank. Obviously Rainbow Dash had been pondering the same problems that she had been pondering earlier, and she was taking the wrong side on them.

Rainbow continued. “If we don’t join Psyron, what else are we gonna do? Fight him? Even Celestia and Luna couldn’t beat this guy. Heck, even the Elements of Harmony couldn’t beat this guy! What are we supposed to do on our own against him, huh?”

Twilight didn’t know what to say. What Rainbow was saying made sense logically, but in her heart Twilight knew that it was wrong. She frowned and gazed blankly at the ground, muttering the last argument she could think of. “What if he makes you fight other ponies? Would you be able to fight and maybe kill your own friends?”

Rainbow blinked and stared at her in shock. “Of course not! But he said we would be fighting monsters and barbarians, not other ponies!”

Twilight looked up. “He said we’d be fighting all those who dared to oppose him. What if some ponies oppose him, huh? What if there’s a résistance and he sends you out to fight them? What then, huh?”

Rainbow sat hovering in the air, silently staring down in frustration. Finally she rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Well if anypony is stupid enough to fight against their ruler, then they deserve to be taken down.”

She sighed and glided over to a chair, slumping down in it. Twilight stared at her in horror. What had happened to Rainbow Dash that made her so careless and disloyal? Why... what... how...

Before Twilight knew it, she had fallen over on the floor in fatigue, her eyelids flickering. Applejack nudged her gently. “You wanna get on a bed, sugarcube?” The unicorn shook her head weakly. It was all too much for her to take. Everything happening so fast... so often... so shockingly...

She barely felt the blanket cover her before she fell into a deep sleep, her tired and broken mind whirling in sheer confusion.

Applejack looked down at the sleeping Twilight and sighed. She turned to Rainbow Dash, who now sat sleeping in the chair, her wings twitching about in slumber. AJ shook her head sadly and walked over to the windowsill, gazing out into the black night. So much had happened so fast. Nothing was the same anymore. And if even loyal Rainbow Dash was giving in, perhaps it was time to finally accept their fate and adjust to a new life. Perhaps... perhaps...

Applejack laid her head down against the window and drifted off to sleep.

In another room within the castle, a different kind of conflict was being played out. Voltspark sat at a table in the middle of the library room, casually flipping through a book on lightning and storm systems. His sister Dracona, however, was not so calm. She paced back and forth through the room, muttering and fuming under her breath, which her brother mostly ignored. She finally spoke loud enough for him to hear:

“I hate her.”

Voltspark glanced up at her, his features showing his boredom. Here they went again. “Hate who?”

Dracona stopped pacing and growled menacingly under her breath, “You know who I mean.... Our little sister. I hate her with every fiber of my being!”

Voltspark blinked and continued to stare at her impassively, carrying on with his standard reply. “Why so?”

Dracona formed her front right hoof into a clawed hand and slashed at the air viciously, snarling, “It’s our father; he cares for her far more than he does for us. And all because she’s his precious little secret weapon...” She hissed and unfurled her dragon-like wings. “He only keeps us around because of our powers, you know that as well as I!”

Voltspark closed the book and leaned back in his chair. “Yeah, so what are you expecting, a father to tuck you in at night and read you a bedtime story?”

She glared venomously at him. “Don’t you dare mock me, Voltspark!”

“Then stop getting your tail in a twist and quit your whining! After all these long years we’ve finally won, so just bask in the glory while you can!”

Dracona stood glaring at him for several seconds, the tempo of her breath rising in pent-up anger. Her voice was low and riddled with savage fury as she stalked towards him, hissing, “I don’t need glory, brother, I need respect! I need to be treated like a normal pony, not some half-breed freak of nature!”

Voltspark snorted. “Oh come on, that’s just your special power. I can shoot lightning from my horn and turn into living electricity and I’m not complaining about it!”

She whirled around and strode up to a nearby mirror, glaring at her reflection intensely. “But at least you can walk around freely like any normal pony, while I have to become somepony else to avoid being seen as a monster!” She slammed her clawed hoof against the mirror, knocking it backward and cracking it. Voltspark wisely refrained from making a seven-years-bad-luck joke as his sister continued her tirade.

“I’m a freak, a mutated creature that only lives on the lives and personas of other ponies!” She dropped to her knees and hissed brokenly. “I don’t even have any power mark on my flank... I’m not an individual, I’m a population.... A population of other lives, other personalities, other voices.... other souls....” She looked up at her brother, tears of bitterness stinging in her reptilian eyes. “You have no idea what it’s like! And neither does our father... and especially our sister!” She spat derisively and laid her head down, folding her wings in around her like a filly cuddling a favorite blanket.

Voltspark continued to stare down at her, his face still impassive. He had seen Dracona suffer an emotional breakdown such as this many times before, and so it rarely affected him. He opened up the book on storms and began to read again, but was interrupted when another book was hurled across the room and hit him in the face. He grunted and looked up just in time to see Dracona looming over him. She had now taken on the form of a fully-fledged dragon; not nearly as large as one, but just as dangerous and imposing. She wrapped her long lithe tail around his throat and drew him in close, snarling in a low, raspy voice, “Lisssten to me, brother... we are only here because father hasss need of our powersss.... once we are of no ussse to him, he will toss us aside like any other common sssoldier!” Voltspark gasped and winced as her grip tightened and her eyes hardened. “I ssswear to you that ssssoon, very sssoon, I will sssatisfy my thirst for ressspect, but only after I rip the throat out of our dear little ssssister and drink her blood!”

She threw him back into the chair, where he sat gasping and rubbing his throat. She stepped back, clenching her claws into fists. Her long fangs gnashed together and a growl issued from her throat, causing Voltspark to cringe in apprehension. Dracona suddenly swung her tail out and knocked over a tall bookcase, spilling books, maps, and ornaments everywhere. Voltspark ducked as a portion of the shattered bookcase flew over his head, and only got up when the dust had settled. He peered cautiously over the table and stared in shock at what he saw.

Dracona now lay on the floor in the exact pose that she had been before, only this time, it was not her. She had taken the form of their sister Obsidia and lay staring into the broken mirror before turning her head to look at Voltspark. A chill ran down his spine when she smiled eerily at him, at the same time slowly morphing back into her normal dragonesque form.

When her transformation back had completed, she laid her head back down and whispered, her voice now normal as well, but still bearing a tinge of vicious sentiment. “Someday, brother... someday I will gain the respect I deserve. I will become my own individual, my own creature; not a copycat of some other pony’s body, but a brand new one... Someday brother... someday....”

Chapter Ten

The early morning sunlight filtered in through the bedroom window and beamed across Applejack’s face, causing her to stir and blink tiredly. She slowly raised her head and peered out the window at the castle grounds and walls below. At first she had no idea where she was and thought that she was still dreaming, but then the past day’s events fell upon her memory like an anvil. She sighed, stretched, and turned to look about the room. All of the other ponies still slept soundly; Fluttershy and Pinkie on one bed, Rarity on the other, Rainbow Dash in the large chair, and Twilight on the ground where she had dropped the night before. AJ rubbed her eyes and looked out the window again. The castle walls, grounds, and barracks no longer sparkled brightly in the sunshine, but instead gave off a dull, flickering glint due to their new coloration. The Royal Guards were also more out in force than usual, patrolling the walls and training for battle on the grounds below. There seemed to be more of them as well.

Applejack shook her head sadly and stepped away from the window. Things sure had changed overnight. She wondered what would happen to Ponyville now, as well as the Apple family farm. Unfortunately Psyron would probably try to recruit Big Macintosh for his army, seeing as he was a strong and competent stallion, and AJ certainly didn’t want that to happen anymore than she wanted Twilight and Rainbow Dash to join.

Fluttershy made a small sighing sound and rolled over, her eyelids flickering open. She sat up slowly and looked around for a moment, blinking her large teal eyes in the sunlight. “Wh-where am I? Is this...” she looked around. “...is this Canterlot?”

Applejack turned to her and smiled warmly. “Sure is sugarcube. We spent the night here, remember? I just gotta go get us some breakfast.”

Fluttershy briefly looked down at the snoring Pinkie Pie before looking back up at AJ. “Oh, I don’t really remember coming here, but if Princess Celestia is okay with it then, um, I suppose it’s okay...”

Applejack turned away and bit her lip. Fluttershy didn’t remember the past day’s events; AJ wasn’t sure of whether that was a good thing or not. She would have to find out sooner or later and-

AJ winced when she heard Fluttershy gasp. “Oh my, why is the room so dark and... and...” Her eyes widened in sudden horror as the memories of yesterday hit her like a tidal wave. Her body started to shake all over and she slipped under her covers, whispering fearfully, “I...I... remember that fiery creature and the Elements of Harmony not working but... but...” Tears leaked from her eyes and she huddled down deeper in the blankets. “...I thought it was all a bad dream...”

Applejack’s heart shivered in sympathy for the frightened pegasus and she walked over to her bed, gently resting a hoof on Fluttershy’s shaking head. “Now now, sugarcube, there’s nothin’ to be afraid of. We’re all safe and bein’ well taken care of, so there ain’t nothin’ to worry about.”

Just then there was a loud knocking at the door. Twilight woke up with a start, looking around and blinking tiredly. “Wha-what? Uh, wh-who’s there...?”

Applejack gave Fluttershy one last hug before trotting to the door. She opened it cautiously and peered out. “Who’s there?”

“Lord Psyron has requested that you all be served breakfast.” Applejack opened the door and a unicorn maid stepped in, telekinetically holding six trays of food. She set them down on a small table and sharply turned away, walking back down the hall as though in a trance. This commotion awakened the other three ponies, who got up groggily, taking in their unfamiliar surroundings. Applejack lifted the lid of one of the trays to see a delicious assortment of breakfast foods: toast, oatmeal, slices of apples and oranges, and an alfalfa and blueberry smoothie. It was strange how Psyron seemed to be treating them so well. Perhaps he wasn’t as bad as they had thought...

The moment she saw the food, Pinkie Pie bounded from her bed and pranced over to the trays as though she had not a care in the world. Twilight rubbed her aching head and shuffled over to the table, inquiring to Applejack, “Who gave us this food?”

AJ took a bite of apple and frowned slightly. “One o’ the maids did, but apparently Psyron gave ‘em the order to do it. I wonder why he’s treatin’ us so nice-like?”

Rainbow Dash stretched her wings and hovered over to the table, picking up her tray. “Probably cause he’s a nice guy and doesn’t want his top general to starve.”

Twilight moaned and grit her teeth. Rarity paused from brushing her mane to stare at Rainbow in puzzlement. “Top general? Whatever do you mean, darling?”

Rainbow Dash tried to speak through a mouthful of toast, but Twilight answered for her, “Last night Psyron offered me and Rainbow Dash positions as his chief battle mage and air force commander, respectively. He gave us the night to think about it, but Rainbow seems to be abandoning her Element and siding with him.” She glared at Rainbow Dash, who ignored her and continued eating.

Rarity pursed her lips in thought. “Why would you ever want to join an army? That requires a commitment to constant fighting, and that could eventually lead to you-“

Twilight cleared her throat and stared hard at her. “Ahem! Why don’t we change the subject...”

Fluttershy’s timid voice sounded from under the covers of her bed. “Oh, I hope he doesn’t ask me to join an army...”

Rainbow Dash turned to her. “Nah, Lord Psyron knows better than to choose a shy little weakling like you.”

“Rainbow!” This time it was Applejack who glared at Rainbow Dash. “Fluttershy’s already scared and confused enough as it is; you don’t need to go makin’ her feel bad even more!”

Rainbow Dash snorted and turned away with her food tray, remaining strangely silent. Twilight narrowed her eyes and stared at her for a few moments, then shook her head wearily and walked over to Fluttershy. “Don’t worry Fluttershy, if we all stick together in this, everything will be just fine, you’ll see. We just have to rely on the elements within us and not the ones that we can wear.”

Fluttershy smiled slightly and Twilight telekinetically brought a food tray over to her. “Now go ahead and eat some breakfast; let the rest of us sort this all out.”

Pinkie Pie burped and shoved her plate away spotless, giggling. “I’m just glad Mr. Fireface didn’t change the good food! Even evil overlords know tasty treats when they see them!”

The others smiled and chuckled, except for Rainbow Dash, who simply sat brooding over her food.

When they had all finished, Twilight stacked the trays and called the other ponies to attention. “Alright girls, listen up. Expect everything you know about Canterlot and this castle to be drastically changed. I don’t know exactly what Psyron has done, or what he has in store for us, but I do know that if we stick together and remain loyal to each other-” She glanced at Dash. “-then we can get through this, no matter what happens.” She paused for a moment before continuing carefully and with a quieter voice. “Now, I kind of know what Psyron’s plans are in the long run, and they’re not good. He seems to think that we equines are superior to all others and that every other tribe and race should be conquered by us.” She paused again and looked at Applejack. “This probably includes those such as Chief Thunderhooves’s buffalo tribe. I don’t think that they’ll take too kindly to being conquered, and will definitely fight back, so somepony needs to get to Appleoosa and warn the tribe.”

AJ nodded slowly and then motioned over to the window. “You’re right there, but it’s probably easier said than done. There’s more guards crawlin’ ‘round here than ants on a candied apple.”

The ponies all went to the window and stared down in awe at the castle grounds and walls, now transformed into a fortress for battle. Rarity shook her head in disgust. “Look at it; once the center of aristocratic beauty and elegance now turned into a filthy house of war. Simply despicable!”

At that moment there was another loud knock at the door, startling everypony. Twilight answered, “Come in!”

The door opened and two guards stepped in. One of them looked at Twilight and spoke flatly, “Lord Psyron had requested an audience with you...”

Twilight sighed and motioned to Rainbow Dash. “Come on then, Rainbow. It’s time to face the music.”

She stopped in her tracks as the guard continued: “All of you.”

Psyron stood out on a balcony of the castle, overlooking the grounds below and smugly watching his troops marching and practicing maneuvers below. His dream would finally be fulfilled; after thousands of years of planning, preparing, and waiting, it had all come down to this. It was a good thing that he had practiced the psionic cloning spell for years on end, as the royal guard count had been disappointingly small. A knock sounded on the doors behind him and he opened them with his magic, smiling to himself as he spoke cheerfully, “Ah, so glad that you could make it. I trust that you have all been enjoying your stay here thus far?”

The six ponies stepped out on the balcony, flanked by the two guards. Twilight decided to play it safe and replied, “Yes we have, sire. The room and food that you gave us were most wonderful.”

Pinkie Pie grinned. “The food was more than wonderful; it was yummylicious!”

Psyron turned around and smiled warmly at her. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. I had my chefs prepare the best food only for you.”

His gaze panned across the six, watching them closely and taking in their reactions. Twilight remained calm and composed, looking up at him without fear. Pinkie Pie smiled and looked up at the morning sky cheerfully. Applejack stood back a bit nervously. Rarity tried to keep her composure as well, holding her head up elegantly. Fluttershy crouched back behind Applejack, staring anxiously at the ground. And Rainbow Dash stared up at Psyron in awe and admiration. Perfect...

Psyron smiled again and turned back around, motioning to the grounds below. “Do you see that?” They all peered over, gazing in wonder and apprehension at the myriads of soldiers down below. “That is my goal for Equestria: To have my armies spread throughout, keeping the law and order in my name and conquering all other creatures who do not submit to my throne.” He sighed jubilantly and turned back to them. “But I digress. I suppose you’re all wondering why I called you here, yes?” Without letting them answer, he continued, “All of you have gifts and powers that are very important to me. I wish to use these abilities to my advantage, while also providing you with the care you need.” He briefly glanced at Twilight before turning to Applejack and Pinkie Pie. “You two earth ponies, Applejack and Pinkie Pie I believe, will return to your home in Ponyville.”

The other four turned to look at Applejack and Pinkie, who simply stared at Psyron in shock for a moment. AJ stuttered, “W-why thank you kindly, Yer Highness...” She pointed to the other four ponies. “But will they be coming along with us?”

He shook his head. “No. I have need of them here. Ponyville is to be a headquarters for my army, as well as an important rationing station. It has come to my knowledge that both of you prepare food for a living, and that Applejack in particular lives on an apple farm, is this not correct?”

AJ nodded and Pinkie scratched her head. “You want me to make cupcakes for your army?”

Psyron shrugged. “I care not what food it is, just that it is done. You two will be leaving for Ponyville today, along with a squadron of my soldiers. Life as you know it there will be drastically changed, but all for the better.” He then turned to Rarity and Fluttershy. “You two represent the Elements of Generosity and Kindness, and although those traits are useless and even detrimental in war, you will both be having a very important task ahead of you.”

Rarity smiled as best she could and bowed, “Whatever you ask of us, sire. What exactly are we to do?”

“You are to watch over and care for my youngest daughter, Obsidia. She is a very delicate creature and requires constant soothing and protecting.” His eyes narrowed and his voice lowered. “You see, the power that she wields is incontinent; once she unleashes it, she cannot control it. I have always been with her to help aid her in controlling and subduing her power, but on her own she cannot stop it. If left unchecked, the wave of obsidian glaze that she releases could potentially encase all of Equestria, killing everything in its wake.”

He let that horrifying notion sink in for a moment, then pointed a flaming hoof at Rarity and Fluttershy, causing them both to start. “It is your job to make sure that she stays in a composed state of mind and soul. I will be occupied with the coming battles, and thus will not have time to control her; you two must do this for me. Do not let her become overly upset, angered, frightened, or emotional in any way. Comfort and care for her as though your lives depended on it. Do you understand?”

Rarity gulped and nodded. She was certainly glad that Psyron was not tasking them with anything too difficult or uncomfortable, but the way he put it, it seemed as though the fate of Equestria could be resting in the hooves of herself and Fluttershy. She looked back at the timid pegasus, who stood back, quivering slightly and staring up at Psyron in anxiety. The unicorn walked over to her and placed a comforting hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder before turning to Psyron and answering boldly, “We will accept your most generous orders, sire. You can be sure that we will not disappoint you and will follow your instruction to the letter.”

Psyron nodded. “Good. Very good.” He turned away from them and once again faced the grounds below. “The four that I have already spoken to may leave my presence to attend to your duties. A train is departing for Ponyville in fifteen minutes, so you’d best be ready.”

They all stood still for a moment, pondering his instructions, then Applejack spoke up, “Wait a minute, are you sayin’ that you’re splitin’ us up fer good? Uh, Yer Highness...”

He turned to her with narrowed eyes. “Yes, I am. Is there a problem with that?”

AJ glanced around at the others and caught Twilight’s eye. Twilight shook her head slightly and AJ bit her lip and frowned. “Uh, no Yer Highness, I was just wonderin’ is all.”

“You will see each other eventually, but for now you will do as I say and attend to your duties. Now go.”

The ponies looked around at each other in sorrow. Two guards came up to AJ and Pinkie to escort them away. AJ tried to blink away tears as she waved goodbye to the others, “Ya’ll take care of yourselves, y’hear! We’ll tell everypony back home that you’re safe an’ well.”

Tears sprayed from Pinkie’s eyes as she hugged each of the others in turn, sobbing, “I’ll miss you guys so much!” She turned to hug Applejack goodbye, but AJ shoved her off. “Pinkie, I’m comin’ with you!”

“Oh yeah! Haha, silly me!”

They waved their last goodbyes over their shoulder as the guards led them out. Rarity and Fluttershy were next to leave, and they hugged Twilight and Rainbow Dash goodbye. Twilight patted Fluttershy’s hoof gently and smiled, “Don’t worry, Fluttershy, we’ll be seeing each other often, I’m sure. After all, we’re staying in the castle as well.” Fluttershy smiled sadly and followed Rarity out the door along with another pair of guards.

When the doors had closed, Twilight and Rainbow turned back to Psyron, who still stood with his back to them. There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment, then he spoke, his voice now low and tinged with the same dangerously calm air as the night before. “I assume that you had time to think about the offer I gave to you last night.”

Twilight suppressed a shudder of anger before replying calmly, “Yes, we have. And we have made a decision.” She glared hard at Rainbow Dash, who glanced at her briefly and turned her head away.

Psyron smiled slightly to himself before turning around to face them. “And what might your decision be?”

Twilight took a deep breath to muster up her courage and answered with a hard voice, “We are not going to serve in your army and fight others to prove superiority. We can help in other ways, but I refuse to take part in a useless war against the rest of the world. We decline your offer.”

There was a long, terrifying silence that followed. Psyron’s burning eyes gazed down at Twilight with white hot intensity, his face unreadable. Rainbow Dash sighed and looked strangely at Twilight before turning away again. Twilight bit her lip and shifted uncomfortably a little, but remained firm. Suddenly Psyron smiled. It was the same deadly, maniacal grin that they had seen the night before, only this time it seemed directed at her. The flaming alicorn chuckled darkly under his breath, sending a chill up Twilight’s spine.”

“Oh, I don’t think you quite understand. This was never a matter of whether or not you were going to serve me; it was a matter of whether you were going to do it willingly.”

The emphasis on this last word made Twilight’s heart sink and her eyes widen in horror. Psyron laughed harshly and bent down to face her. “I am going to ask you again: Are you going to serve in my army to help me conquer Equestria and the land beyond?”

Twilight had no idea of how to respond. She looked quickly at Rainbow Dash, who simply stood by, looking around as though nothing strange was happening at all. The sudden realization hit Twilight like a bolt from the blue. She leaped forward and snarled at Psyron, “What did you do to Rainbow Dash?!”

Psyron rose up again and stared flatly at her, his wings unfurling slightly for intimidation. “I knew from the moment that you tried to use the Elements against me, that Rainbow Dash here would be the most difficult to win over, given her intense loyalty to Celestia. So ever since then I have been implanting small psychic pins of information into her mind, slowly but surely convincing her that her loyalty rested in me alone.” He looked at the pegasus and grinned. “As of now, her mind belongs fully to me. She will soon be leading my air force.”

Energy began to spark off of Twilight’s horn as she glared hatred at Psyron and ground her teeth, whispering menacingly, “Let go of her mind. Now.”

Psyron looked down at her and snorted derisively. “Or what? You’re going to blast me with some magic bolts? Please, don’t embarrass yourself.”

Twilight couldn’t stand it any longer. With a yell of rage she fired out the beam of energy at Psyron. He raised a hoof slightly and a small pillar of fire shot up from the floor, blocking the beam with ease. At the same time, Twilight leaped over to Rainbow Dash and grabbed her, horn glowing again as she prepared to teleport out. They disappeared in a blast of light, but soon reappeared right where they had been before.

Psyron stepped closer to them and sneered as a dome of magic energy materialized around the balcony, completely sealing them in. “There’s no way for you to escape, my dear. Please just accept your fate one way or another.”

Rainbow Dash pulled herself away from Twilight and flew over beside Psyron, glaring at Twilight as she did. The unicorn stared in despair at them, sweat dripping from her brow and energy crackling weakly from her horn. Psyron’s question came again. “Will you join my army?”

The purple unicorn lowered her head and squeezed her eyelids tight, her body shuddering uncontrollably. After a long, tense moment she raised her head and opened her eyes, glaring at Psyron with pure defiance.

“No.”

The flaming alicorn’s face remained stern and impassive as he nodded slowly. “Very well then. Rainbow Dash, subdue her.”

Before Twilight could move, Dash hit her like a cannonball, throwing her backwards and knocking her to the ground. Twilight lay there on her back, the wind knocked out of her and her body aching. She watched helplessly as Psyron loomed up above her. He placed a hoof firmly on her belly, pinning her, before lowering his head, horn glowing ominously. “I am afraid that you leave me no choice, Twilight Sparkle. Welcome to my army.”

His horn lowered down further and gently touched the tip of Twilight’s own horn. There was a flash of magic energy and then.....

.... blackness.