Felled

Chapters

Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V

Chapter I

“Rise, Dark Pike,” King Sombra growled, his voice low and hissing like a cloud of steam, almost like it pained him to breathe.

I used to wonder if her ever meant anger when he spoke like that, but I quickly learned that’s how he always sounded. He sounded old and embittered because that’s just who he was. But his voice also carried authority, resolve, and even wisdom. One just had to listen close enough to hear the true weight behind his tone. It’s empowering to hear his words directed at you, or terrifying, I suppose, depending on which side of the Empire one stood.

Beside me, Dark Pike rose. His fur was gray and shaggy, similar to His Highness’s but less so. His horn wasn’t nearly as threatening, nor were his eyes as sharp, and his hooves weren’t as sturdy, either. Yet, Dark Pike could’ve passed off for his son if I didn’t know any better. He certainly looked like a smaller, younger him. I wondered if that was the intention and of the implications if that were true. But it wasn’t right for me to speculate so. Whatever His Highness had in mind would be shown in time.

“Come closer,” His Highness said, reclined in his obsidian throne. He seemed to meld into solid crystals that rose around him, but his piercing eyes, the glowing red of his horn, and the silver of his regalia showed where he was.

Dark Pike stepped across the red carpet to the foot of his throne and stopped.

“How are the Empire’s defenses?” His Highness muttered.

Dark Pike steeled himself, then spoke. “The buffer shield surrounding the Empire is in place. Whenever it gets tripped, I’ll be able to instantly activate the main shields. I’ve infused my spells with the magic of the crystal heart as you’ve commanded, and smaller experiments have proven the shield’s tolerance levels to be effectively unbreakable.” He paused. “Our Guards are still in the process of being trained, however. It will be a few weeks at most until they’re properly skilled to hold back an Equestrian soldier, let alone carry the fight to one.”

“Inadequate,” His Highness mumbled, causing Dark Pike to wince. He stamped a hoof against his throne’s armrest. “Equestria can strike at a moment’s notice, and I do not feel safe having the Empire’s only security being a wall, however impenetrable it may be.”

“O-of course, Your Highness,” said Dark Pike, offering a quick and apologetic bow. “But our soldiers are still a bit... rusty, considering the Crystal Empire has been in limbo for more than a thousand years.”

“True,” he mumbled. His ever-present glare narrowed. “I want our troops to be combat ready by week’s end. See to it.”

Dark Pike bowed again. “Yes, of course.”

“You are dismissed,” he grumbled, waving a hoof dismissively.

Again Dark Pike bowed, and now I could see the wariness in his eyes and the hints of sweat on his brow. His motions were quick and I could tell as he turned and left, he only moved as fast as he dared. I couldn’t help but growl to myself because one of these days, His Highness won’t be able to tolerate his lack of discipline. Although I doubted His Highness would be so quick, there was an edge in his tone as he dismissed Dark Pike. Undoubtedly, he had plans for him—and myself—in the foreseeable future. Perhaps I should have a word with Dark Pike, because I’d hate to see trouble become of him. Being a soldier himself, one would think he’d understand his place by now.

The crystal doors shut noiselessly, and then His Highness turned his attention towards me. “Rise, Anmity.”

Obediently, I rose and walked to the foot of his throne. There was a glint of silver under his eyes, the hint of a smile.

“How is your training?” he asked.

“It’s going well,” I said, turning my head up. “I defeated Carbonate yesterday.”

He grunted. “Your instructor?” His Highness said, and I nodded. “He is the Empire’s foremost expert on peripheral-magic combat, you know.”

“Was,” I said as expressionlessly as I could. “I overpowered his offenses and broke completely through his defence. I had him carted away soon thereafter to the castle’s infirmary. I haven’t checked on him since, so I don’t know of his current state.”

He blinked, and for a moment he showed an emotion I didn’t know he could have: surprise. His smile disappeared but a moment later it returned, accompanied by some dry and winded chuckling.

“Very good,” he growled. A pressure inside my chest I hadn’t noticed vanished as soon as I heard those words, and my lungs greedily took advantage of the newfound space. But I remained stoic, looking up at His Highness as he smiled down at me, thinking quietly to himself. I didn’t know when, but he eventually stood and slowly descended the stairs leading up to his throne.

His hooves were noiseless as they bled into a black smoke, but still he walked. I took a step back and he stopped a rather uncomfortable distance away, grinning wildly.

“Show me,” he hissed.

I didn’t question my hooves as they pushed me back, and immediately a pillar of crystal rose up out of the floor where I’d been standing. It exploded a second later, sending a shower of needlelike shards in my direction.

I blindly teleported somewhere up and behind the blast. I should’ve expected this to happen, and I caught the edge of his eyes as they turned towards the ceiling, his grin even wilder than before. I splayed my wings and bolted for the farthest corner of the throne room, igniting my horn and reaching for the holster on my foreleg. The little device was released easily enough, and as soon as I hit the wall, I pressed my hooves against it and darted low.

I felt the wall upheave beneath my hooves, but I was already out of the way by the time it erupted. Debris rained down behind me as I came out of my dive low and with a roll. The device in my magic extended to full length, casting a blade of pure light that washed the crystal room with a blood-red radiance, and I held it outstretched as I rushed His Highness mere inches off the floor, going as fast as I possibly could.

He just smiled at me, and his gaze softened. Something was wrong.

I spun around and threw the sabre over my chest, just in time for it to absorb a bolt of magic. The impact threw me into the ground and tossed my mane all over my eyes, but I bounced up and redirected my charge, turning on a dime and rushing the far wall. He stood there smirking, and I could tell that dodge had made him proud. But he still wasn’t satisfied, I knew. He really wanted me to try and kill him.

I swung the sabre at him and he jumped high, carried by his smoke, and came crashing back down on top of me. I took the blow in stride and rolled across the ground, then threw myself up and around for another strike. This time he didn’t try to dodge, and instead I felt his magic wrap around my sabre’s handle and wrestle my own. It stung, but I pushed back the pain and came to a stop on the floor not even a meter away from him. The sabre hovered in the air between us, the handle aglow in a tangle of red and blue magic, twitching back and forth as we warred over its possession. His pressure was immense, and it took me my all for my legs to not give out beneath me.

And yet I took a step forward, and the resistance pushing back on me grew. Still he hadn’t moved, nor had the sabre, but I was now inching closer and closer, and the weight against me kept increasing. It felt like I was slogging through quicksand, and I was still going. Whether or not he was letting me, I couldn’t tell. The pain in my horn increased until it felt like a spike was being driven into my head. I got close enough to where I could stick my tongue out and lick the sabre’s handle if I wanted to, and on a whim I decided to do just that. Doing the unexpected is how one wins, after all. It’s how I defeated Carbonate.

Our tangled magic burned my mouth, but I took the sabre by the handle with my teeth and pressed forward. I think I started yelling at some point. I had my eyes clenched in pain so I didn’t know how close I was until suddenly I couldn’t push myself anymore. I opened them and found the sabre less than inch from His Highness’ neck, and his smile was as wide as ever.

I tried to push myself forward a final time and that’s when he relinquished his hold. I stumbled forward but caught myself, and when I looked up he was gone.

“Very good,” I heard him growl. I twisted around and slashed with the sabre, but he wasn’t there. Crystal shards littered the floor at my hooves. I parted the length of my mane from my eyes and glanced up to find him back on his throne, reclined leisurely, as if he never got up to begin with. “You impress me, Anmity.”

I turned off the sabre and sheathed it. “Thank you, Your Highness,” I said with a bow. I didn’t realize until I spoke just how winded I was. The desire to collapse right then rushed over me but I steeled my nerves.

“Now that I believe you’re ready,” he said, “I have a very important mission for you to attend.”

“Of course,” I replied, standing back up. A lump formed in my throat but I swallowed it easily. I’ve been training for nearly a month now, without any real tasks to settle. If this is what my training has been leading up to, then I’ve got to tackle it, to prove myself in the field.

“It’s only a matter of time before Equestria attempts to retake the Crystal Empire,” he hissed. “They will, without a doubt, use every means they can, seeing how foolish those princesses were to think so few ponies could hold me from my throne. I need you to disrupt their efforts, hinder their abilities. Ensure their ace-in-the-hole does not trouble us.” He grinned that twisted grin of his and tapped his hooves together. “Bring me Twilight Sparkle,” he hissed.

Time skipped for me. Words uselessly stammered out of my mouth, and I ended up parting more strands of hair from my eyes. “W-what?”

He stood, wearing a smug grin. “Without her, the Elements of Harmony cannot function! Remove the crux, and the whole body falls apart!”

I’d be lying if I didn’t hesitate to take a step forward. “You want me to kill her?”

He paused and then snarled, “No,” looking back down at me. “I want you to try and convert her to Empire’s side. That fool Celestia has already put our dark magic inside of her, where it festers. Tempt it. Make her succumb to it. You might need to fight her, perhaps some guards or the Elements themselves. One way or another, try and bring her to our side.”

I raised a hoof. “And if I’m unable?”

“If?” He smiled curtly and said, “Then yes. Kill her. The Elements must be put out of the picture, either way. She’s just more useful to us alive.”

“I...” I bit my lip. I remembered my intent to chide Dark Pike over discipline, and here I am, lacking it myself? No, I had to show the example. I knew better. I raised my chin. “I understand.”

“Good,” he murmured, cusping his hooves together. “You will have to infiltrate Equestria by hoof, however. Can’t risk you being seen until you strike.”

“Of course,” I said, and bowed.

He smiled again. “Then you are dismissed.”

Chapter II

I didn’t need to take much. A few provisions would last me plenty until I made it into Equestria proper. From there, some petty theft or foraging would be more than enough to carry me deeper inland. I should be able to fly from dusk to dawn and rest the day away, in order to keep myself as unexposed as possible. That was the plan, anyways. When I actually made it to Twilight Sparkle... well, I’d rather cross that bridge when I got to it. Some things are best taken the moment they’re given. I had to be the unexpected.

I had taken a gray tunic from Dark Pike for a bit of warmth, but I still needed something to conceal myself. It confounded me to discover that of all the articles I owned, none were remotely utilitarian. Nothing served a purpose other than to impose my status. So, I went off to one of the Empire’s peasant tailors. Surely, I could get something special made in the castle workshop, but I concluded authenticity outweighed form. I needed to look unassuming, on the off chance I did run into an Equestrian commoner, so what better way to pass off as a commoner than with commoner cloth, hoof-stitched by commoner hooves?

There was a little ring as I opened the door to the tailor. I was carrying my saddlebag with me, and after this one stop I’d be gone. A crystal pony stood behind the counter and her face lit up upon my entrance. Whether it was with surprise or glee I couldn’t tell.

“Hello, Princess!” she said, her voice ringing just like the bell hanging above the door. It’s always charming to see my ponies so eager to greet me.

“Hello,” I said and walked up to her. “I need a cloak. Something thick and heavy.”

The pony blinked, and I might’ve questioned it if she didn’t turn around immediately. She looked at a chart on the wall behind her and hummed. “Well, I have the cloth. But something like that’d usually take me a few days. Can I ask what the occasion—”

I stamped my hooves on the countertop and she recoiled. “I need it now,” I pressed.

“Uh... uhm...” She darted back to the chart. “W-well, there is the commission I made for one of your scholars. I could—”

“I’ll take it.”

“But, uh...” she began, but her words faltered when her eyes settled on my own. They began to tremble, and then she blurted the words, “Just a second!” and she disappeared into the back room.

She came back out with a tall, earth-brown cloak. I took it from her with my magic and inspected it. Thick but not too heavy, and the fabric was soft to touch and ran over my hooves like a trickle of water. No doubt it’d wear out along my expedition, to give it the truly worn look I was after. It was perfect. Except that it was missing some holes for my wings. A quick fire spell took care of that. I put it on and it fit comfortably, like a blanket. I certainly wouldn’t mind sleeping in this.

“Uh, Princess?” the mare asked. I looked at her and she didn’t say anything, falling quiet.

I frowned at that. She’d been smiling earlier. “This is just what I needed,” I told her. That got the ghost of a smile out of her, but it soon faded. I found that frustrating, but I wasn’t going to stick around and bother cheering up one little pony. I had my orders to follow through with, and by the crystal heart, I was going to fulfill them.

I walked out the door and down the street, towards the outskirts of the Empire. The walk wasn’t tedious, as it was pleasant to see all the crystal ponies smiling along the way. I’d almost forgotten how easygoing everypony was. The strong morale of the Empire was truly a sight to behold. Unfortunately, the standing army was rather lackluster at the moment. Happiness would do my ponies no good if they didn’t know how to fight. I could only hope Dark Pike was seeing to his duties, or else His Highness would surely have his head.

However, he seemed to find more important things to do, like wait for me at the entrance to the Empire, where a magic veil was all that stood between our warm, green grass and the frigid, northern snow.

“What are you doing here?” I asked him. “You should be training our guards to defend our land.”

“I know,” he mumbled. He was fidgety, and couldn’t help but sneak glances back towards the castle. “I-I need to ask you, though. Before you go.”

“Out with it then,” I said, pulling on my cloak.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Admittedly, the question caught me off guard. It might’ve been the light, but he seemed brighter in color than he first looked. There was something in his eyes as well, but I shoved the thought aside. I furrowed my brow and snarked, “I’m doing what I’ve been ordered to do. Can you say the same, standing here, doing nothing?”

He shook his head. “No, that’s not what I—”

I pressed a hoof into his chest. “I’ve told you before, you need discipline. You have duties of your own to carry out, don’t you? Fulfill them! Fulfill your orders before His Highness decides he can no longer tolerate your insolence!”

“I-I know!” he snapped back, shoving my hoof away. “But I need to know why you’re doing this!”

“Doing what?” I asked, and frowned. “My orders? Because the safety of our kingdom depends on what I have to do! And here you are, putting the Empire in jeopardy by standing here, wasting my time with your asinine questions, when you should be out there, creating an army of our ponies!”

He took a step back. “I’m not!” he exclaimed.

“So you want to see Equestria lay waste to the Empire?”

He balked, but instead of growing pale his features darkened, like a shadow fell over him. It might’ve been my own; I wasn’t paying attention. “N-no! Of course not!”

“Then do what you’ve been told!” I barked.

“Yes, m-ma’am!” He gave me a quick salute before he turned and ran back towards the castle.

“Sometimes I wonder why I put up with you,” I muttered, watching him disappear beyond a hill. No matter, if he really wanted to feel the wrath of His Highness for his failure, then so be it. I shouldn’t be involving myself with his affairs, anyhow, especially when I have my own to take care of.

I threw on the hood of my cloak and walked towards the edge of the Empire’s shield. It tingled my skin as I phased through it, pulling on my legs like the Empire itself didn't want to see me go, but I shrugged the sensation away. I stepped out into cold snow, with the skies cast in a deep, black overcast. I smiled up at the sleet drifting down, and leapt into the sky.

Chapter III

The first few nights were uneventful. What few Equestrian townships I stumbled upon, I made certain to avoid. Even though I only moved in the cover of night, being noticed out here was a risk I didn’t want to take. I’m sure anypony would mistake for me some wayward pegasus anyways, but I took all the precautions I could. I stuck to the forests whenever possible, flying a hoof’s reach above the treetops. Across open ground, I just about hugged the surface as well. I was set on nothing distracting me from my mission.

When dawn inevitably came, I made sure to find a tree to make myself comfortable in. Somewhere deep within a forest, out of sight from any potential passersby. On the third night, just as I was beginning to settle into the branches of a great oak, I noticed a thunderstorm roll in across my intended path. I hoped it would clear up by the time I awoke, and that it would keep its distance. My clothing was meant to keep me unnoticed and keep me warm, but I doubted it would keep me dry.

When I did wake up it was to the crack of lightning. I shifted atop my branch and glanced up through the canopy; it was dark. It took me a second to realize that wasn’t because the sun had set, but because those were storm clouds blotting out the sky. I didn’t know how much rest I actually got, but a yawn suggested I didn’t get enough. Nonetheless, I had to get moving.

It hadn’t started raining yet, at least. I crawled my way up the web of branches until I could bring myself above the canopy for a clearer view. As if on cue, thunder rolled and I discovered the stormclouds spanned to the horizon. The storm hindered my flying time, but I wasn’t going to sit around and wait for it to pass, either. In fact, this was an ample opportunity. I’d already flown a great distance and Ponyville shouldn’t be that much further away. If I moved fast enough, this storm would provide the perfect cover for when I got there. I could only hope it persisted long into the night, but time was of the essence. There was still a lot of ground to cover by hoof.

I worked my way out of the tree and dropped to the forest floor. I only paused to gather myself, but a nagging sense made me linger. While not entirely silent, the forest was eerily quiet. Maybe all the animals were sheltering from the storm? I glanced around but saw nothing outstanding. Admittedly, I didn’t know what was normal for a forest, and my nerves were probably just getting the better of me. I threw my cloak’s hood up and trudged deeper into the woods.

About twenty minutes later, I heard it. An abrasive noise, like a stick being dragged in the dirt. I almost couldn’t hear it over sounds I was making myself, brushing through foliage and underbrush. But it definitely wasn’t my doing. I doubted it was a pony, but it was behind me, ever-present. Following me.

I stopped walking and the noise immediately stopped as well. I stood still, letting the winds and thunder roll across the forest, and with only their exception, everything else was silent.

As if fate were waiting for the perfect moment, lightning cracked over my head right then. I spared the sky a glance, the canopy leaves like splotches over the flashes of light, giving it all the appearance of a fractured window. I didn’t realize how dark it’d become, and I couldn’t tell if that was because the sun had set or not. Then the rain began to fall, steadily rising over the stormy ambience until the droplets starting leaking through the cracks and fell down on top of me. The winds were kicking up, too. Whatever had been following me, it was growing increasingly difficult for me to hear if it started moving again. Branches swayed and leaves rustled. But I couldn’t stay here; I had to keep going.

I took two steps forward when the bush beside me exploded. Needles dug into my hoof and I might’ve yelled in trying to pull it back, only for it to be yanked in the opposite direction. It was all so sudden, I couldn’t think, I lost my footing, and my wings instinctively expanded to catch my fall. My head jerked to the side, just in time to watch a bunch of my feathers be torn from their roots.

I knew I screamed then. Pain shot up into my chest and strangled my lungs, and my heart just about exploded as a surge of adrenaline pushed it all back. Everything was pushed open; my lungs, my throat, my eyes. I saw where my hoof was being swallowed by some dark maw, and I reacted.

I threw my weight into my attacker and we both stumbled. I collided with what seemed like a thick bush, but I was able to tear my hoof away from its grip. My horn flared, basking my surroundings in blue light, and a rugged brown took up the space in front of me. Two narrow, yellow eyes glared back at me, sitting atop a snout of wood and sharpened canines.

It snapped at me and I threw my other hoof into its face. It hurt, but I didn’t care because the timberwolf did, and it stumbled back another step. I immediately withdrew my sabre, its glowering blade extended to full length, and I slashed upwards. The creature crackled and its shoulder completely disconnected from its body, the ends sizzling bright with raw embers. It staggered and I attacked again, this time slicing it cleanly in half just below the neck.

Thunder roared, and I was tackled from the side by another. It seemed to embrace me, digging its claws into the thick back of my cloak and biting down on my forehoof. We bounced into the wetting dirt and I almost lost control of my sabre, but the adrenaline kept me focused, and once we landed I cut the timberwolf in two from head to tail. I shoved its body off my chest and found another had me by the tail. I slashed at it, but only managed to lob off a solid chunk of my tail itself. No matter. I had enough of these accursed woods.

I rolled onto my hooves—splinters still embedded in my legs—and ran. My battered wing clung to my side, causing me to twitch whenever an outreaching branch or vine brushed against it. My sabre sheathed and my magic dimmed. The storm above continued to grow in intensity, the rain fell heavily, the dirt turned to mud, and sometime later I appeared beyond the treeline. I made several long strides before turning around, and fortunately nothing was staring back. However, I doubted it would stay that way.

But I just couldn’t go on like this. My forehooves felt like they burst into flame by how much they hurt, and I collapsed to my side—my bad side, as fate would have it—and squeaked at the pain. About two dozen shards of wood the size of nails stuck out of my hooves, oozing blood. I wasted no time pulling them out and tending to my wounds. I ripped apart a length of my tunic and wrapped my hooves in it, bandaging them as best I could. At least that’d stop the bleeding, and the rain would wash the blood away besides.

My wing wasn’t worth worrying about; it just hurt and I was going to have to deal with it. My tail, however... I should’ve cut that thing a while ago. It was a complete lack of foresight on my part to keep it so long for this journey. At least it was short now. But my mane draped like a curtain, frayed and limp with water and dirt, nearly down to the grassy floor. Without a second thought, I pulled out my sabre and hacked half of it away.

A large web of lightning broke out across the sky, illuminating the unobstructed ground like it was day for an instant. It was all I needed to see a pair of yellow eyes hidden inside the forest.

I held out the sabre and brought myself to my hooves. Rainwater sizzled off its red, illustrious blade, and I splayed my wings towards the sky—even the damaged one. They were both ragged, anyways, and would need a thorough cleaning before I could even think of flying. But I wasn’t going to run this time. My cloak flapped in the wind as I stared down that pair of eyes, and the several more that gradually appeared beside them. There must’ve been at least half a dozen of the things, hiding in the safety of their forest.

“Well?!” I spat at them. The storm above droned over me. “You want a fight? Come and fight! I’ll turn you all into kindling!”

A few of them blinked, but otherwise all the timberwolves were unmoved. More lightning flashed.

“What are you waiting for?!” I yelled at them, and took a step forward.

That spooked them, because the next second they all disappeared. I stamped a hoof in the mud and yelled again, but even I didn’t understand what I was saying then. I just yelled. I’d been doing that a lot lately, now that I thought about it. I wondered why, but in the end I didn’t care. I just had to get the anger out somehow. If those timberwolves hadn’t backed down, I surely would’ve slaughtered them. I almost wanted to do so even now.

“Lousy things,” I muttered, and turned to the side. The treeline led into the distance, and beyond a distant hill I could see a pollution of lights in the dark. Ponyville. I gathered myself and made haste for it.

Chapter IV

When I reached the outskirts of the town, I appeared at the edge of a small cottage bordering the forest. The thunder and lightning had kept up, but the wind and rain had settled down a bit. They weren’t as harsh as they had been, but my fur had already been soaked and my hooves muddied. The cloak didn’t seem to do anything to protect me, but I still wore it to conceal myself in the darkness. Night was already here, because I could see the thick of the village ahead of me, and more than half of the buildings were lightless. The cottage, however, was still alive.

I stalked low in the grass on the edge of the property. Inside, there was a pegasus walking around with a bag of seed. She was probably feeding her pets. It took me a second to realize who she was, and another to remember she was one of Twilight’s closest friends. In addition, she bore one of the Elements of Harmony. His Highness didn’t give me any express orders about her. He wanted Twilight so the Elements of Harmony would be unable to function. But wouldn’t they collapse if I removed any one of them?

No, His Highness wanted Twilight specifically. I wondered if I could use her friend for leverage, to better convince her to join our side. But after some thought, I decided against it. She’d be an unnecessary complication, one way or another, especially if it came to bringing Twilight back. I should just do what I’d been told to do.

I think her pet—or one of them, I guess—spotted me, standing there on the windowsill. A little white rabbit with a hard look in its eyes. That was my signal to get going. I turned and left the cottage, heading straight into the town. Even though most of the buildings were quiet, that didn’t mean I couldn’t be noticed, an oddity against the flat streets and straight walls. Most of them probably wouldn’t think twice if they saw me, taking me for just another townspony minding their own business, but I made an effort to stick to the shadows anyhow. That reminded me to reposition my wings beneath my cloak, since alicorns are a bit of a rarity. I hoped nopony saw me before then. What is with my lack of foresight lately? I cursed myself and quickened my pace towards the center of town, where the library stuck out like the horn on my head. I snuck up to the front door to find it locked. As if that mattered; I waited for a crack of lightning and quickly teleported inside.

It was dark; Twilight was probably sleeping, if... if she was here, and not called in to Canterlot by the princesses to help with their planning. Regardless, I had to start somewhere. This was where she lived. I bet I’d find something here to point me to where she’d gone here, or could devise some reason to bring her back. An injured friend perhaps? Suddenly revisiting that cottage seemed like an appealing idea. But first, look around here.

I used a simple spell to light my horn, illuminating the foyer in a gentle blue light. I took the cloak off my back and started wringing the water out of it, and I took a few absent steps towards the center of the room, when suddenly all the lights came on.

“Cadance?”

I snapped my head back and blinked in surprise, but quickly steeled myself and turned towards her voice. Twilight Sparkle stood at the top of a staircase, her mane disheveled but otherwise she was wide awake. Her eyes were filled with just as much surprise as mine had, but unlike me she kept it, twisting the expression with a bout of confusion.

“What are you...” she started, struggling for words. “Why... ar-are you okay? Is something wrong?” she asked, concern clear in her tone. “What happened to you?”

Perhaps that was why I had kept my guard down lately; after some thought, I wasn’t expecting to fight. Of course Twilight would be so unassuming, as she always was. I didn’t turn my back on Equestria until His Highness showed me how bitter they truly were. As far as she knows, we were still the best of friends. Maybe we still were. But she was a threat to the Empire, whether she knew it or not, and one way or another, I had to ensure that changed. I parted my soaked mane out of my face and returned the wrinkled cloak to my back. I chuckled dryly and said, “Oh, I just had a run-in with a pack of timberwolves...”

But before I could continue, she had already descended the stairs. “Oh my goodness,” she interrupted, running up to me. “Are you hurt? Why are you—”

I extended a hoof and caught her at the breast. She stopped and nearly tripped into me. “Quiet, Twilight,” I hissed. “I am fine. But this doesn’t concern me. I’m here to take you home.”

“Home?” Twilight whispered, nonplussed, as if it was her first time saying the word. “I’m not... what? Cadance, what’s going on?”

“The Crystal Empire is under threat from Equestria’s princesses,” I told her, restraining myself. She frowned in confusion at that, but held her tongue, settling to stare at me quietly. I continued. “As you know, the Empire returned just a few short months ago.”

“We fought to safekeep the crystal heart from King Sombra,” Twilight said, her gaze stern but worried. “We won.”

“...correct,” I conceded after a pause. “But... no, no no. The Empire barely survived the—our defense, and it’s still but a figment of the majesty it once embodied long ago. We have yet to truly recover, to assemble a proper army, and were Equestria to attack us now, in all likelihood we wouldn’t stand a chance. So I need you, Twilight, to come back with me, to the Empire, and help ensure it never falls again.”

Twilight’s brow furrowed, her confusion seeming to deepen. “Why would Equestria attack the Crystal Empire?” she asked.

“To assure their dominance in the region?” I offered. “Whatever the princesses’ motives are is pointless. What’s certain is they won’t sit quiet until one of their surrogates sits atop the Crystal throne.”

“Surrogates?” Twilight asked, scrunching her nose. She shook her head and said, “But the Crystal Empire is already led by...” Her breath caught in her throat and she staggered a step back. “Kuh... King Sombra?”

I nodded, but I couldn’t help but frown at her reaction. “My loyalties lie with His Highness, and he is the rightful ruler of the Empire.”

“B-but we defeated him!” she exclaimed. “You defeated him with the crystal heart! He exploded and everything! How can he be back? He can’t! Why is he...!” Her pupils turned to pinpricks and she stared at me, her voice going quiet. “Where’s my brother? Why are you here?”

I took a step forward. “His Highness wishes for me to persuade you to come join us, Twilight. And if you can’t be persuaded...” I withdrew my sabre and floated it up off to the side. The red blade sparked to life. “Well, I’m really hoping I can persuade you.”

“What’s tha... How...” She stumbled backwards, searching for a thing to say. She tripped over herself and fell onto her rump, nonetheless she kept scooting back. “C-Cadance, snap out of it! You’re not yourself! This isn’t the pony I know!”

“My name is Anmity now,” I hissed at her. “I am only doing what is necessary! The Elements of Harmony are an insurmountable threat to the Empire, and one way or another, they must be removed from Equestria’s disposal. I will do whatever it takes to protect my Empire and His Highness.”

“King Sombra is gone!” Twilight yelled. I didn’t even think she knew what she was yelling at, seemingly on the verge of turning into a sniveling mess. She backed into the far wall and continued to ramble, “He’s gone! There’s no possible way he could have returned! How... how did you... how did he...”

“Twilight...” I mused, steadily approaching her, the tip of my sabre burning a line in the floor behind me. “His influence is already inside you,” I said, pointing a hoof at her. “You know this. The dark magic burns within you like an ember, waiting to become a fire.”

I think she bit her tongue. “Dark magic?” she whispered, and her eyes went wide. “N-no, that’s not... that’s...” She waved her hooves at me. “Under the throne room, there’s a door. Cadance, there’s a door. Did you a-at all open it?”

I frowned at her. “What are you getting at?”

“Y-you’re just sick!” she blurted. A shaky smile appeared on her lips and she tried to stand. “That’s it! King Sombra’s magic must still be infused with that door! You’re only seeing what he wants you to see! I-I—we just need to fix that and everything will go back to normal!”

I leveled my sabre at her, and she fell back against the wall. “I’m not playing games with you, Twilight. I still have a bit of heart for you, but insulting His Highness and trying to goad me into treason makes that heart run still.”

Sweat started trickling off her. “Cadance...” she murmured, glancing around the room. “Don’t do this, please...”

“I’m giving you one last chance, Twilight,” I said with a sigh. “Come join us or—”

If I hadn’t already had my sabre drawn, I probably would’ve been blown back against the room. Twilight suddenly gathered an enormous draw of magic into the tip of her horn and let all out in my direction in a single, awesome beam. I threw the sabre in front of myself and it absorbed the entirety of the attack, but all that power still pushed into me. I slid across the floor, leaving gouges in the hardwood with my hooves. As soon as the attack ceased, I could see the wild fear in Twilight’s eyes. She leveled her horn for another strike, but I was already running up to her.

I grabbed her by the leg with a hoof and tossed her at a bookshelf. But her spell turned into a teleport and she appeared right behind me, running. I dodged her easily and twisted, removing my cloak with a burst of magic and throwing it into her face. She stumbled and I pulled back on the cloak, causing her to trip and fall. Her head popped out from beneath, gasping for breath, and I kept the cloak wrapped around her neck and pinned her to the floor. Her legs waggled uselessly, fighting for traction but she just couldn’t even bring herself to stand.

“Quit squirming,” I hissed at her, walking up to the tip of her nose. Silence fell except for the sabre’s gentle hum and she froze, staring up at me as best she could with wide, trembling eyes.

“C-Cadance...” she quivered, and her eyes began to water. Her horn flared to life again and I immediately kicked it. She cried and the spark went out.

“I see you’ve made your choice,” I droned. “But still, I hesitate.” I stepped on her horn, forcing her head onto its side. I brought my sabre over and slowly drove it into the floor all the way to the hilt. The wood flashed with a tiny flame as I dragged it across, stopping inches from the base of her horn. “I’m giving you one last chance, Twilight. Come willingly or don’t come at all, but I will make sure the Elements of Harmony do not threaten the Crystal Empire. You get to decide how that happens.”

Seconds passed by and she said nothing. She only sobbed. I sighed; she’d never last with such a lack of discipline, anyhow.

But then she did something unexpected. Her hooves reached up and grabbed at my legs, and she hugged them as best she could, trying to pull me down on top of her. Her grip was tight and her eyes were full of water, and as she stared up at me she whispered quietly, “I love you,” repeatedly.

I stood there frozen, completely caught off guard by the gesture, when a bit of movement caught my attention. I glanced aside, and up the stairs sat Spike, his claws over his mouth and tears in his eyes. We stared at each in a moment of silence, then suddenly he coughed up a spark, and everything went white.

Chapter V

Everything was white.

I awoke with a start, my lungs burning for breath and with my fur dripping with sweat. Something held me down but I forced it off and sat up, only to find myself in a plain white bed. My coat shone beautifully, clean and fresh. My mane had fallen over my eyes but it was soft, not at all ragged or soaking wet. My eyes were wide and pained, but I could see, and it hurt too much for me to think so I just let myself see and not think. I stared at the creamy marble walls opposite me, and the heavy curtains flapping to a gentle breeze, and the window between them that opened to the night world beyond, and the blue sky and the rising sun high above the horizon, and the northern mountains...

A bit of color entered my vision and my throat clenched. I turned to my side and found Princess Celestia herself sitting on a throw pillow at my bedside, her mane waving to a breeze of its own, quietly looking out the far window and sipping tea. After a long moment, she set her cup down and said, “I’m sorry.”

I blinked at her. My horn felt heavy. “I’m sorry?”

She smiled, tilting her head my way. “No, I am sorry,” she said. “We both are, Luna and I. We thought we sealed that accursed door months ago, but evidently, the spell we used was not strong enough to suppress what dark magic of King Sombra’s remained. I question whether or not you were even aware of its presence, and for that, you have our deepest regrets. It was a complete lack of oversight on our part, and I ask for your forgiveness.”

“My forgiveness?” I asked, the words coming out with too much effort. I tried again to speak, but those words failed to come, because my breath solidified inside my lungs as Princess Celestia’s words finally registered to me. And with them came a surge of memories, of the past month of work in the Crystal Empire, of King Sombra staring at me with a malicious grin from atop his throne, of timberwolves, Twilight... oh my goodness, Twilight. What have I...

Princess Celestia must’ve seen my expression, and her smile faded. Before I could even make a sound, she said, “You have nothing to be sorry for. You were under an influence and your actions were far beyond your control.”

“But I—”

“But if you insist on apologizing, then you are forgiven to the fullest extent.”

“I-I...!” What thought I had fizzled and I suddenly didn’t want to think it. “H-how... how’s Shining Armor? The Crystal Empire? I didn’t do—”

“Everything is fine,” Princess Celestia cooed. She placed a hoof on my own and gently squeezed it. “Shining Armor is doing well, and I believe the current plan is to bring him back to Canterlot to be with you in recovery. In fact, my sister is in the Crystal Empire as we speak, making sure everything is in order.”

“What about Twi...” I murmured. Everything slowly started to become blurry and my cheeks turned hot.

Princess Celestia smiled sweetly. “She is fine,” she said, nodding to the other side of the bed. I followed the motion and my heart nearly sunk; Twilight lay curled up on a pillow of her own, fast asleep. Celestia added, “Somehow, she convinced herself she’s to blame. I expect you two will have a very heartfelt reunion.”

A lump formed in my throat and I just about choked on it. “Please, Celestia, I don’t think I understand.”

“Then get some rest,” she whispered softly. She stood as if to leave. “I’m sure there are many things that confuse you. But you’re tired, I can tell. Please get some more sleep, and we’ll discuss everything in a bit of time.”

“Princess...” I muttered, reaching out towards her. She paused and tilted her head, nonetheless she leaned in close, and I was able to wrap my forelegs around her neck and pull tight. She looked startled, but after I started crying into her soft fur, she smiled and warmly returned the gesture.

written by, RazgrizS57
special thanks to: JohnPerry, RedSquirrel456, and Csquared08