The Vagaries of Fate

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2.
Chapter 3.
Chapter 4.

Chapter 1

"Together," Twilight looks to her friends, "I think we have to do this together."

The six ponies turn the six keys--as one. The box responds with a rainbow of light, rays of magic shooting out to the Tree of Harmony, sending power to the individual elements embedded within. Within seconds, the power overloads, bathing all six ponies in its aura. Twilight Sparkle feels great strength fill her body. She peers over to her friends; all of them are being affected in the same manner. Her mane grows, new symbols appearing on her body, her cutie mark returns. She senses her friends going through the same transformation. The magic coruscates through the six, forming a globe of power. Twilight smiles, now knowing what to do.

Up, from the cave where the Tree of Harmony resides, the sphere encompassing the friends arises to confront the supercharged Tirek. He stumbles back in shock, then sends a furious beam of energy at the assembled ponies. The force from the overgrown centaur is shrugged off, the beam’s magic absorbed by their gleaming aura. His strength is nothing when compared to the power of their friendship.

"How is this possible?" he bellows, "You have no magic."

"You're wrong, Tirek," Twilight replies, her determination reverberating through her voice. "I may have given you my alicorn magic, but I carry within me the most powerful magic of all." With the last syllable still echoing off the surrounding hills, threads of their combined magic reach out, striking the centaur. The threads combine into a rainbow, stripping Tirek of his stolen magic. A rift opens before the centaur, one that looks into the depths of Tartarus itself. The would-be despot is deposited into a cage of his own, to be watched over by Cerberus in the depths of hell.

The magic of all the ponies of Equestria flows within their bodies. The six do what is necessary; dividing their task, they streak across the four corners of Equestria. They restore the magic to the Earth ponies, to the Pegasi, and to the Unicorns. Finally, they break the shackles created by Tirek in Tartarus, freeing the trapped princesses. In moments, they have returned to the cave containing the Tree of Harmony; where they witness the box break free of the tree itself, crashing up through the ceiling of the cave, arcing over the Everfree Forest, and ending up in Ponyville. The box sinks into the ground, causing the earth to shake. A massive crystal castle erupts forth. The ponies wind up there, not knowing that a small shard of Tirek was left behind within the forest itself. The power fades from their bodies, but is ready to be called upon again at need.

***A few days later***

My head throbs. My body aches. Oh dear, everything hurts. I put a hand to my head, what happened? I feel the nubs that are my horns, I feel my face, and run my hands down my body, feeling all four of my legs. I'm uninjured, I think. I get to my hooves, and look around. Where am I? All I see are trees, as far as I can see in every direction. I am finally able to walk, but my body is so weak. However did I wind up here?

I close my eyes, trying to search my memory, but nothing comes. No matter how hard I concentrate, I am only able to get small glimpses, some colors. That's all there is. I walk on, stumbling a bit climbing over the root of a large tree. I look around, what is that ahead? A few more stumbling steps. I squint, trying to see more clearly. It's a hut, someone's home. Maybe they can help.

Several minutes of stumbling and fumbling, and I'm able to get close to the door. My body hurts so much. My head is pounding with pain. It takes all the strength I have left, but I'm finally able to slap a hand on the door; the pain flares, consuming me, and I fall into the darkness.

***

I regain consciousness slowly. I'm lying on something comfortable, and I can feel something lying on top of me. I feel it with a hand; it's soft, a blanket. Somehow, I seem to be okay. What is going on?

My mouth is dry, but I try to speak anyway, "Hello?" I'm barely able to croak.

I hear hoofsteps on the wooden floor. A cup is placed to my lips, water pours down my throat. I keep listening, I hear others whispering. Concentrating, I can make out what they're saying.

"We defeated him so recently."

"I know, but this is a child."

"He was sent to Tartarus, we all saw it happen."

"She's the same species as him. Could she be related?"

"I don't know, but the timing of her appearance is suspicious; as is her arriving at Zecora's home, here in the Everfree. It's all very coincidental."

The cup is empty, I'm starting to feel a bit better. I'm able to open my mouth, "Who are they talking about?" I whisper.

My eyes peel slowly open. In front of me is a pony. She--at least I think it's a she--has a yellow face, a pink mane, and big, beautiful, sea-blue eyes. I'm able to smile slightly at her. My head still hurts, but my body is feeling a bit stronger. I shift my hooves under the blanket, relishing its warmth.

"Don't you worry there, sweetie. You look a bit like someone we had a very hard time with recently, but you can't be him. Do you remember anything?"

I put a hand to my head, shaking it hard, "No, all I remember is colors; a rainbow."

The pony's breathing stops for a long second. When it resumes, it's a lot faster, "A rainbow, you say?"

I nod, then look at the yellow pony, "That scared you," I blurt out.

She hides behind her mane, and whispers "Yes."

Another pony comes forward, peering at me intently, "Does the name Tirek mean anything to you?"

Searching through what few memories I have, I shake my head. The pony steps forward, shoving her face right into mine, "Do you know who Tirek is?"

The yellow pony puts a hoof on the other pony's withers, "Twilight, it's obvious she doesn't know Tirek."

The now named Twilight scowls at the yellow pony, then at me. Scorn is evident on her face, "It's just all too convenient. We only defeated Tirek a matter of days ago, and she appears here. Just look at her. She has the same coloring as him, she's a centaur like he was." She looks at the other ponies in the room, "I don't trust her."

The yellow pony moves off the bed and over to Twilight, "Twilight, she's just a child. She isn't Tirek."

A white pony, with a long indigo mane, moves forward, "Twilight, darling, look at her. Like Fluttershy pointed out, she's a child. Even with all of his power stripped away, Tirek didn't look like a child. He looked wizened, he looked old." She shudders at the memory, then smiles at me, "She is young, and she apparently has no memories of what happened to her."

Twilight huffs a bit as she looks at the white pony, "Rarity, how can you be taking her side?" A bit of plaintiveness enters her voice.

Rarity comes closer, and inspects me. I feel as though this pony is looking into my very soul. In time, she turns to her friend, "Twilight, I won't pretend I know all that you went through. We were merely captives, while you had to give everything you had to fight that monster. But, that…" her forehoof is raised, pointed at me, "that centaur is not Tirek."

"Now hold on a minute, Rarity," another pony interject. Just how many ponies does this small hut hold? The new speaker has an orange coat, a blonde mane, and some kind of hat on her head. She puts her hooves on the bed, looking at me severely, "This may not be Tirek, but Tirek had himself some pretty strong magic of his own." She scowls at Rarity, "This creature could easily be a danger to all of us." I risk a glance at Twilight, she nods her head slightly. Fluttershy tenses up. She climbs back onto the bed, and cradles my form.

Twilight finally turns to glare at me, "Applejack is right, can she do what he can? Can she take a pony's magic?" She looks at the pony protecting me, "Fluttershy, can she steal my magic? Can she steal yours? Tirek could, and did. Your cutie mark faded from your flank, mine disappeared as well. They were all gone, until we used the strength of our friendship to bring our magic back. We can't trust her, we can't trust any magic-stealer."

A blue pegasus with a shocking multicolored mane steps forward, her wings spread, "Twilight, if this child can steal our magic, all we have to do is turn those keys again, we will be able to kick her plot all the way back to Tartarus."

Twilight scoffs, "What if it doesn't work, Rainbow?" She turns, stalking slowly in my direction, her wings extending in anger, "What if this one can do worse than Tirek did?"

Fluttershy moves between Twilight and me, "Twilight, you need to go outside and cool down! Look at her," she points at me, "she's scared! She has no idea what you are talking about." I am indeed scared. I can feel my entire body trembling, as the purple pony looks like she wants to hurt me, and I have no idea why. I don't know who this Tirek is, though I have to admit my memory is so fragmented and broken that I can't remember anything at all.

Twilight looks at me very hard, then whirls away, "Fine, but I still think she's connected." She gallops through the door in a huff.

I look at the yellow pegasus, "Who is Tirek?"

Fluttershy smiles gently, then comes up and cradles me. She's quite a bit bigger than I am, "A very, very bad centaur. He stole our magic, and we were barely able to stop him. He and Twilight fought; it was a terribly nasty fight."

I watch Rarity and Applejack step outside, following Twilight. I turn back to Fluttershy, cocking my head to the side, "How bad?"

She shudders, "I was in a cage while they fought. But I could see the sky light up. I could hear the massive explosions. I saw the horrible mushroom clouds from their fight. He was able to convince a dear friend of ours to help him. To betray us. Then Tirek betrayed him, in turn."

"Why would he do that?"

"So he could steal pony magic."

"Why?"

"He wanted the magic, it made him more powerful."

"Why?"

She hugs me tightly, "Oh sweetie, you don't need to worry about why. He was defeated. We sent him to Tartarus, and he's still there."

I furrow my brow, "If he's still there, then why is Twilight so angry?"

"He hurt a lot of ponies. Twilight is worried about them getting hurt again. She's a princess, all ponies are her responsibility."

I feel tears starting to leak down my cheeks, "But I wouldn't steal magic. I don't even know how to."

She nuzzles me, "I know sweetie, I know."

I can hear arguing outside, voices are raised. I slip away from Fluttershy, and evade her attempt to grab me and bring me close to her. I scramble off the bed and run to the door. Sticking my head out, I see Twilight and Rarity talking to one another, both faces are flushed. I run as fast as I'm able to, grabbing onto one of the purple pony's forelegs.

"Twilight, I don’t know what's going on, but I'm not Tirek. Please, you have to believe me."

She looks down at me in shock, then back at Fluttershy, framed in the doorway of the shack, then back down at me, "I don't know if I can trust you."

"I can't steal magic, I don't know how. I don't want to!" I wail as I push my face into the soft fur of her chest, sobs wracking my body.

Twilight's voice is suddenly soft, "What is your name little one?"

I pull back and look at her through the veil of my tears, "I don't know. I don't remember anything."

To my great surprise, I'm nuzzled by the purple pony, "I believe you."

I sniffle, "Can you help me?"

She looks at Rarity, I glance back at the white pony, she's smiling tenderly at me. I look back at Twilight, there is a softening around her eyes. I know her answer. I hug her tightly.

"We will try, little one."

Chapter 2.

The walk to Ponyville is very tiring. So tiring that, eventually, I end up on Twilight's back. I nearly fall asleep on the purple winged-unicorn's surprisingly comfortable back. Her friends are with us. They spent quite a bit of time talking to the zebra. With her curious way of speaking, always in rhyme, I found that I liked this Zecora. I am almost fully asleep when Twilight's magic gently lifts me off of her. I blink my eyes several times, taking in my new surroundings. I look up, and up, at the building in front of me. This is a castle, and it's huge!

"You live here?" I gasp out.

Twilight smiles at the awe in my voice, "Yes, little one, I live here. And until we find your home, so do you."

My ears fall, "In this gigantic castle?"

She nods. The massive doors open, revealing unicorn ponies in golden colored armor. They bow to Twilight, though they eye me for a long moment, until Twilight clears her throat, causing them to jerk in surprise. I walk past the obvious guards, staying close to Twilight. I keep a hand touching her, mainly to make sure that she is still there. All of this feels like a dream. We walk through many hallways, with doors everywhere. This castle is amazing. All built of some kind of crystal. She eventually leads me to a throne-room. I look around, once again stunned. There are six thrones here, with symbols matching those on each of these six ponies' flanks. The ponies disperse, settling into each of the thrones. I turn, looking curiously at Twilight.

She smiles at the look on my face, "Little one, I am the Princess of Friendship," she giggles a bit. "What would a Princess of Friendship be, without her friends by her side?"

I subside. She seems to know what is going on in my head. A dragon pops up from a small throne next to the one with Twilight's symbol on it. "Twilight, so did you find what Zecora came into town all upset about?" He skids to a stop. Getting a good look at me, he yelps and runs back to the throne, hiding behind it.

Twilight tsks, "Spike." Her horn alights, and the dragon is lifted by her magic. He's set down in front of me, "This isn't Tirek. She was in the Everfree Forest. She somehow made her way to Zecora's house, so Zecora came and got us. It's that simple."

The baby dragon trembles in front of me, "She looks like him."

Twilight sighs, "I know Spike, and I have my own doubts," She looks at me severely, then her eyes widen as I wilt. She comes forward and nuzzles me. I grab her muzzle and hug her tightly, a bit of a laugh enters her voice, "She sure doesn't act like him."

Spike comes up, and he giggles as he hugs Twilight, "If you're sure, Twilight."

I feel her body tense up. "I hope so, Spike," she murmurs.

***

Only a few hours later, I'm out hiking with Twilight. She doesn't seem to be in any hurry; taking her time, keeping an eye on me as I pad sedately along next to her. We make our way outside of Ponyville, me keeping a hand on the purple Alicorn. What is she going to show me? I keep my eyes peeled in curiosity as we journey. Eventually we come to an area of broken ground, where the grass is stripped away, the remnants of huge explosions. I gasp as we draw closer to the torn fields. I can feel the thrum of the magic that was used here. Looking closer, I get another surprise. Hundreds of ponies are working all around here; earth ponies, with shovels or other digging implements, as those curious symbols on their flanks, along with unicorns, and even pegasi. They are smoothing out the ground, taking jagged rocks and laying them down, or moving them around.

"They are repairing the damage done by the battle, since it was so close to Ponyville," Twilight answers my unasked question. Something in her voice makes me look up at her. Her eyes glisten with unshed tears.

"What is all of this, Twilight? What happened here?" I ask plaintively.

She looks around at the ponies industriously working for a long time. Finally, she kneels down to look me in the eye, "This is where Tirek and I fought."

I gasp, looking around with new eyes. I see where magical beams struck the ground, gouging out whole sections of earth, scattering it everywhere. Over one way, it looks like part of the work is done, and ponies are pulling carts behind them. There are ponies in the carts, scattering seeds around as they roll. Others walk behind them, every one having a plant of some kind emblazoned on their flank. Everywhere they walk, I see plants growing, behind them luscious grass pushes through the soil. Their magic hums, and it feels as though my own bones are vibrating in response to the magic all around me.

My musings are interrupted by a sob. I quickly turn, only to see tears streaming down the princess' face. I come up and hug her the best I can, "Oh, Twilight, I'm so sorry."

She rubs a fetlock across her muzzle, sniffling a bit, and peers at me, "I don't know if you are related to Tirek, but his greed, his desire for our magic, is what did this. I was forced to defend the ponies, and I did my best." She looks at those who are working for a long while, "But, my best, even with the combined magic of all of the Princesses of Equestria, wasn't enough. We fought to a standstill. I couldn't stop him, and he couldn't defeat me. So he used my friends as leverage." Fresh tears well up. I move closer once again, only to be waved away, "He offered me my friends, in exchange for the Alicorn magic."

I'm shocked, "Did you give it to him?"

She nods.

"But, how is it that you are here, and he isn't?"

She smiles sadly, "Because, there is a stronger magic, one that is greater than he ever could have imagined. The magic of our friendship. You've met the ponies that are my best friends. A lot of the other ponies in this town are my friends as well. We fought for them, we fought to save them. We defeated him, to protect them." She looks wistfully at the broken ground, then points at a nearby mountain, "You see the hole in that mountain?"

I look and nod. She continues, "He threw me, bodily, into that mountain, then flew at me. He barreled through the mountain, with me."

I shudder, tears welling in my own eyes, "But why? Why are you showing me this, Twilight?"

"I want you to know the devastation that he wrought. What he did to hurt us," her voice gets very quiet. "What he did to hurt me," she adds in a whisper, as a tear falls.

I nod seriously, "I don't know if it helps you, Twilight, but I'm sorry for what he did."

She sniffles a bit, and looks at me for a long time. Finally, she nuzzles me, "Thank you, Enigma."

"Enigma?" I ask, a little perplexed.

She smiles, "I've decided on a name for you, since you don't seem to know your own. I can't very well go around calling you 'little one', or 'hey you'. Enigma works." She stops, looking unsure, "Do you like it? I could think of something else if you don’t."

"I think Enigma works for me. Thank you, Twilight."

***

We are making our way back into town, when a voice calls out, "Hey there Twilight." She stops, watching as three fillies approach, one from each of the three pony tribes. The yellow one, with the red hair and pink bow on her head, is in the lead, smiling at the purple Alicorn.

"Oh, hi girls!" I watch her expression. She seems truly happy to see these foals. I step out from next to Twilight, making myself more visible to them as they trot up to us.

All three skid to a stop, as one. The white unicorn, with the purple and pink mane, squeaks out, "It's Tirek! He's back!"

They scramble to turn around and run away, only to be caught in the Alicorn's magical aura, "Girls, this isn't Tirek. We just found her, but she's not the monster that took away your strength."

The three calm down after another moment of struggle. Twilight sets them down, and they all approach me. I see that they are more my size as they pace around me.

"She's a centaur," The orange pegasus, with the purple mane, growls. She paws the ground, her wings extending.

"Are you sure she's not Tirek, Twilight? She looks an awful lot like him," the earth pony says.

"I think she's cute," the unicorn chirps.

They stop, the white unicorn pushing her face into mine, "What's your name?"

I gulp a little, and look at Twilight, who gives me an encouraging smile, "I don't know what my name is, but Twilight is calling me Enigma, so I guess that's my name now."

"Enigma," the unicorn sits down, saying the word a couple of times quietly. She seems to be trying to get a feeling for the texture of the word. Then she brightens, "I'm Sweetie Belle, and these are my friends: Scootaloo, " she points to the pegasus, "and Apple Bloom. I'm glad to meet you." She holds out a hoof.

I look at the outstretched appendage for a time, unsure of what she expects of me. Finally, I tentatively reach out a hand and shake her hoof. She smiles kindly at me, which draws a smile from my own lips. I glance down, "It's nice to meet you, too."

Apple Bloom seems to have gotten over her trepidation. She bowls Sweetie Belle over, both of them tumble end over end, laughing. Then Scootaloo gets into the mix, all three of them wrestling with each other. I can't help but laugh, as they keep play fighting. When they finally part, Apple Bloom chimes up, "We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders!"

I frown, "The what now?"

"The Cutie Mark Crusaders! We're on a mission!"

"A quest!" Scootaloo adds.

Sweetie Belle finishes with, "To get our cutie marks!" She squeaks a bit at the end, causing me to laugh in spite of myself.

They seem surprised by my confusion.

Apple Bloom comes up to me, "You do know what cutie marks are, right?"

Twilight steps in, "I haven't had time to talk to her about cutie marks yet, girls. I don't think centaurs get them. At least, Tirek didn't have one."

All three look crestfallen for a moment. "Oh, we didn't know," Apple Bloom says, somberly.

I smile, "Well, Cutie Mark Crusaders, if anyone deserves a cutie mark, I'm sure it's you three."

They all smile at me, then Twilight speaks up, "Alright girls, it's getting late, why don't you head for home?"

The three girls laugh, running off, jumping over each other, and bouncing around, always full of energy. Before they get too far, Sweetie Belle stops to call out, "Nice meeting you Enigma!" She smiles as I wave to them. And then, they are gone.

"They're nice. I like them."

She watches where the departing ponies went, "I like them too."

***

It's been a few days at Twilight's castle, and I've been her near constant shadow. I've met all the staff at this castle, and the guards that were sent by Princess Celestia. Best of all, I've gotten to meet Twilight's friends. I really like all of them, especially Pinkie Pie. That pony can make anyone laugh, and will do almost anything to make that laugh happen. I'm always happy when Pinkie Pie is around.

I'm resting comfortably, chatting with Spike. He's really happy today, since he's been able to introduce me to his comic book collection. I turn to look at a new arrival, my jaw dropping to the floor. The pony before me has to be the most regal being I've ever seen. Creamy white coat and feathers, pastel mane wafting in an unfelt breeze. I freeze, looking at Twilight. The purple Alicorn hops off of her throne, and canters over to the gleaming white Alicorn.

"Princess Celestia, you came!" she exclaims, nuzzling the other pony.

Princess Celestia, in return, shows just as much affection for Twilight. I actually smile in spite of myself, seeing how affectionate these ponies are. Princess Celestia's voice rings out, pure and beautiful, "Princess Twilight, you asked for me to come, so of course I came."

They spend a long moment catching up, then Twilight turns and looks at me, "And now, for the reason I asked you to visit." Her voice raises in pitch, and volume, "Enigma, would you please come here?"

I smile at Spike, who reaches out a claw, grasping my hand quickly. He and I have become pretty good friends over the last couple of days. I take a deep breath, then walk slowly to the Princesses.

"Princess Celestia, this is Enigma," Twilight introduces me.

The larger Princess stops and looks at me, for a long while. Finally, she speaks, "Greetings, young Enigma."

I attempt a curtsey, spreading my hands and kneeling with my forelegs, this brings a smile from the ethereal being.

Twilight steps forward, nuzzling me quickly. I think she can tell how nervous I am. She turns to the taller Princess, "She apparently found her way to Zecora's hut in the Everfree. Zecora came to us, and we ended up bringing her here. So far, she's really been a joy to have around. She's very smart, and is a voracious reader."

I blush at that. Without any memories to call my own, once Twilight showed me the library and introduced me to the books there, I was quite gratified to find that I could understand them. Since then, I've spent hours reading every day, along with the comic books that Spike enjoys so immensely.

"I was a little worried, after our encounter with Tirek. But she doesn't act like him." Twilight continues.

Celestia lowers her head to peer at me for a long time, then she smiles and looks at Twilight, "I'll admit I am wary as well, considering you found her in the Everfree Forest." She stops, continuing to look at me, a frown fixing itself on her muzzle. I find myself fidgeting under her scrutiny. I force myself to quiet my hands, to stand still in front of this member of royalty. Finally, she smiles again, "But I have faith in you, Princess Twilight. You and your friends found her, and I trust you to do the right thing by her."

I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding, and end up getting nuzzled again by Twilight. Celestia seems to notice her affection, "Like a daughter to you, right?"

Twilight blushes furiously. She looks at Princess Celestia for a long moment, "What do you mean, Princess?"

The white Princess steps close to Twilight. Surprisingly, her face is also flushed, "When you came to be my personal student, for the first time in your young life, you were going to be away from your family for an extended period. I must confess, I had more than a few maternal thoughts regarding the new unicorn taking up residence in my castle. I was able to watch you grow, to mature into the young lady you ended up becoming. Then I sent you that spell from Starswirl. You surpassed all of my expectations, and were able to complete that new magic, allowing for you to be raised to an Alicorn." Her smile becomes wistful, "And, you have been able to make a life here in Ponyville, you have gained friends. You have grown up under my care, Twilight Sparkle. And now, you have your own little one to care for. She may not be your child, but she is as important to you as any child you bore would be."

Twilight's brow furrows in thought. I look at her for a long moment, all of her concentration seems to be internal. Then, finally, she seems to see me, and she brightens. Once again, I'm the recipient of a nuzzle from the purple Alicorn, "You have a point there, Princess."

I look at Twilight, "I'm your child?" Still not understanding exactly what she means.

She hugs me tightly, "Both yes, and no, Enigma. You may not be my child directly, but I'm going to raise you." She sighs, "The best that I can."

I think about what was said for a long time, finally I jump and hug her, "I think I like that. I think I like that a lot."

Our moment is interrupted by a guard rushing in. The gray pony stops in front of the princesses. Bowing deeply, "Princess Twilight, Princess Celestia, I have news."

Celestia looks at Twilight, who nods slightly, the guard pony continues, "One of the staff has fallen ill."

Twilight looks confused, "They should be taken to the infirmary. Why bring this to me? Surely the staff doctor can handle this."

The guard looks bleak, "This isn't some common illness, Princess. His strength is gone, and his cutie mark has disappeared."

Princess Celestia's head jerks back in surprise. Then, to my shock, she takes a long look at me. "Let us check on this poor pony."

In moments we are galloping through the castle. I'm hot on Twilight's hooves, as we head to the infirmary.

Twilight takes the lead, Princess Celestia hanging back, watching her former student as she approaches the pony lying on the infirmary bed. The earth pony is covered, but seems to be in pain. I peek at him; he seems older than dirt. He coughs, and the unicorn doctor paces up, scanning the patient with his magic. He sighs, looking at Twilight. After a moment, he tosses his head, directing us away from the patient.

"I'm not certain what happened to him. He came in looking like all of his magic had been drained."

Twilight gasps, "Like when Tirek stole the pony's magic?"

He nods.

Twilight looks at me, her expression unreadable. Then she looks at Celestia. I think she's looking for guidance. Celestia's face remains expressionless. After a long time, Twilight looks at the doctor, "Please, do what you can for him."

We finally leave the infirmary. I find myself thinking furiously. I didn't do this, I know I didn't. I've only met that pony once, and that was when I was introduced to the staff. I remember that he is a groundskeeper for the castle. I don't even know how to steal the magic of ponies. But somehow, this pony's magic is gone.

Twilight drops back from her mentor as we walk, moving up next to me. She keeps her voice low, though I'm certain that Celestia can hear every word, "Enigma, I don't see how it would be possible, but have you spent any time around that pony?"

I shake my head, "No, Twilight. I only met him the once."

She thinks for a long time as we walk, finally she nuzzles me, "I know, sweetie, I just had to be a hundred percent sure."

Chapter 3.

"Now, don't give them too much, Enigma. We don't want to overfeed them," Fluttershy says in my ear, as I spread the fish food into the aquarium. I look back at the yellow pegasus. She smiles gently at me while I dump a little more food into the water. The small fish dart up to the surface to eat the tiny flakes of food.

I grin, watching their movements, "They are so cute!"

She giggles, "Yes, they are." She nuzzles me, which draws a giggle from me as well.

"Now, let's get the carnivores fed," she chirps happily. I frown; she stores meat to feed the pets that must eat the flesh of other animals. I'm not really a fan of that. I'm told that my species is omnivorous, but I've rather enjoyed eating what most of the ponies eat. Having to cut up and serve meat to the ferrets, and some of the larger cats that currently reside at her cottage, tends to turn my stomach. Fluttershy pulls out two knives, and we both get to work. I slice the meat into small cubes, and she hums as she works. We finish quickly, and soon are trotting outside.

Fluttershy calls out to her animal friends, and in moments a cheetah comes forward, eagerly taking the meat that I offer. A couple of ferrets slink forward to get their own helping of nourishment.

More animals come to me, and I hand out food to each of them in turn. I feel a wing settle over my back while I'm working, I look into Fluttershy's eyes, smiling as she does. This is a truly wonderful feeling.

***

"Can Enigma come out and play?" I hear a small voice call. I'm lying in my room, the voice is just outside my door.

Twilight's voice comes clearly through, "Of course, Apple Bloom."

I smile at the sound of her voice, bouncing out of my bed and rushing to the door. I brush past Twilight, "See ya later, bye!" I say in a rush, as we take off.

"So, how are you going to try to get your cutie mark today?"

She giggles in response as we head into the woods, towards the Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse, "I dunno, Enigma. Sweetie Belle says she's been working on something."

Playing with the Cutie Mark Crusaders has been an amazing amount of fun, these last few weeks.

***

"Enigma, I need you to hold still!" I'm scolded gently. The white unicorn has her red glasses perched on her muzzle, her horn is alight. Her cat is sitting next to us, holding a pincushion, while pins extract themselves from it, and slide gently into the dress she is working on.
I grumble a little bit, standing still for hours at a time is really boring. Add in the fact that Sweetie Belle is sitting across the room, making funny faces at me, it's not easy.

"Oh dearie, you have such unusual coloring, and trying to find fabric that compliments your colors," she exaggerates a sigh, "is so arduous. But, I think I can make it work. You are going to look fabulous!"

Something tickles the back of my mind, "Rarity, is that your natural accent?"

She rears back, "Why, whatever do you mean, sweetie?"

I look at her sister, then at her, "Well, I've talked to Sweetie Belle about your parents, and she says they don't have an accent like yours, so I was wanting to know, where did you get your accent from?"

The mare with the indigo mane titters a little bit, glaring daggers at her sister, who is inspecting the carpet in front of her as if it is suddenly the most interesting thing in all of Equestria.

Rarity turns back to me, "My natural speaking voice has much less accent," she blushes a little, "but I've always liked the Manehattanite accent, so I intentionally adopted it many years ago." She looks significantly at her sister, but smiles back at me, "Sweetie Belle makes fun of my accent from time to time, but I'm so used to it now, I would have to try really hard to speak without it." She giggles, "However, I like the way I talk, Enigma. Do you?"

I nod my head seriously, "Oh yes, I think you sound lovely."

Once again her face blooms in a blush, "You are too sweet." She calls over her shoulder, "Maybe you should learn from this one, Sweetie Belle."

Sweetie Belle sticks out her tongue at both of us, making me laugh, with Rarity quickly joining in.

***

The groundskeeper that got sick took several days recovering, but his magic did come back. Twilight got status reports on him daily, though she didn't share them with me. A few weeks have passed, and I've been playing outside quite a bit.

I have three new best friends: Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. We are in a big game of hide and seek. I'm it, and I've found my earth pony and the unicorn friends. Scootaloo has been the hardest to find. I keep walking around, looking up. I figure she's a pegasus, they always like to be up high. The trees in the White Tail Woods are the perfect place to look for her. We've been in the woods all day.

I keep looking, and after a long time, I finally have to give up. I enlist the other two to help me find her. We spend hours searching. We are calling out, letting her know that she won. There's no response. We walk around for what seems like forever, calling for her.

"Scootaloo!" Sweetie Bell screams.

"You won, come out, please!" I shout. I'm starting to get really worried.

Apple Bloom comes from another part of the woods, "Did you find her?" I ask, getting a shaking of her head.

I look at the two crusaders, "I think I should go get Twilight."

They both nod at me. "We'll keep looking while you get her," Apple Bloom replies.

I rush off to the castle. Twilight isn't in her room, nor is she in the throne room. The staff seems to have disappeared, I haven't seen so much as a guard yet. I stop in the entryway, thinking for a long time, "There has to be a pony somewhere!" I realize they must certainly always have a pony in the infirmary. I gallop over to that part of the castle.

I slowly enter the doors, and stop in shock. There are half a dozen ponies here. All seem to be feeling horrible. I look at one of the guards; his armor is lying on the floor. He tosses and turns in his sleep, kicking his covers off. I gasp, his cutie mark! I remember this guard, he's always been nice to me. His cutie mark is supposed to be a shield with two polearms crossed in front of it. Now, it's gone! I slowly move to one of the other ponies sleeping, lifting the blanket, this other pony is missing his cutie mark too! What is going on?!

A throat clears behind me, I whirl around. It's Twilight, on her face is a strained look. I rush forward and hug her, sobs wracking my form, "It's Scootaloo!"

She jerks, "Is something wrong with her?"

"We can't find her! We've been playing hide and seek. She's always been good at it, but we can't find her at all, not even with all of us are searching for her. So I came to get you."

Twilight wastes no time. I'm gently grasped in her magic and placed on her back. In moments, she spreads her wings and takes off. I hold tightly as we wing our way to the White Tail Woods. We quickly find Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. Upon telling us they were unsuccessful while I was gone, they disperse, and I try to get off of Twilight, "Oh, no Enigma, you stay with me." I frown, but hold on to Twilight as she takes to the air once again. She flies up high, above the trees, and she keeps moving quickly. After a while, I spy a color other than green. I tug on Twilight's mane, and she spots what I saw. Very shortly we are hovering near a tree. I know I looked at it from the ground; Scootaloo certainly hid herself well. Now, though, she seems to be unconscious. Twilight's magenta aura envelops the small pegasus. Lifting her onto Twilight's back with me, I hold onto the foal as Twilight glides to the ground, calling out for the other Crusaders.

She sends them home and streaks off to her castle. I'm holding onto Scootaloo and Twilight for dear life as we speed to the castle. We land on a balcony, and in moments find ourselves in the infirmary. Twilight calls out for the doctor as she floats the unconscious foal onto an open bed. He trots up, horn already flaring.

After a long time of scanning Scootaloo, he sighs and looks at me, his eyes narrowing. Then he looks at Twilight, "She's the same as the others. Her magic has been drained."

Twilight looks at me, the look on her face scares me. She looks back to the doctor, "How?"

He shakes his head, "I don't know. I'm no closer to finding out how this is happening than I was with the first pony."

Twilight sighs, her magic picking me up and putting me on her back as she walks out of the infirmary. She walks very slowly through the hallways of the castle. "I don't understand, Enigma. The ponies have lost their magic, exactly how Tirek did it. But he's still in Tartarus, I've had Princess Celestia verify that he was there. But they're still losing their magic," She sighs.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because there is only one other cause, that I can see. It's you, Enigma. It can only be you."

I'm so shocked that I fall off of her. After a moment, I stand up, looking at Twilight, "But, I don't know how to take a pony's magic!" I wail.
She looks ready to cry, "I know you think that. At first, it was just ponies in the castle." A tear slides down her cheek, "But, Scootaloo was out with you, and now she has the same symptoms."

"I didn't do this, Twilight, you have to believe me!"

She sniffles, "I wish I could, Enigma. But, all of the evidence points to you."

I look at Twilight, then back at the door to the infirmary, then back at Twilight, "No! I swear, it wasn't me!"

Two guards come forward, at Twilight's gesture. More tears are shining in her eyes, "I'm so sorry Enigma." She turns away from me, "Take her into custody."

I back away from the unicorns, "No, Twilight, please! You have to believe me!"

The tears begin falling from the Alicorn's face, dropping silently to the ground. I look at the unicorns advancing on me. I feel something inside me snap. I open my mouth to scream, but nothing comes out. Instead, I feel something change, something inside of me. It's like an emptiness has opened up, and it's begging to be filled. The unicorns' lit horns now look to me like exactly what they are: sources of energy! I pull on that energy, and the magical auras of both unicorns slams into me, knocking me over. I place a hand on my head. I find I'm a good foot taller as I stand up. My horns have grown. The magic is now coursing through me. I look at the two disabled unicorns in shock. Twilight turns around and looks at me, her face a mask of fright.

"I'm so sorry, Twilight! I didn't mean to!"

She looks at the unicorn guards for a long time, then at me. Her tears begin anew, "And now... we have our answer..."

I rush forward, now almost as tall as she is. She picks me up in her magic when I try to grab her, to hold onto her, "Twilight, I promise, I didn't do it to those ponies!" I start to sob, "I only did it to these two because they were going to hurt me!"

Infinite sadness in her voice, "They weren't going to hurt you, Enigma, they were simply going to escort you to your room, to be held until we can figure out what is to be done with you. It was you that attacked them."

I look at them, then at Twilight. Her magic quiets. I stand there, in utter shock. I whirl around and gallop away, screaming, "I'm so sorry Twilight!"

I run through Ponyville as fast as I can, passing Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. They try to stop me, as they can see my tears, but I just brush past them, my tears continuing to flow down my face. They seem to follow me for a bit, but I'm easily able to outrun them, with my newly longer legs. Soon, I'm on the path to the Everfree Forest. I finally halt, at the edge of the forest. I look at the paths in front of me: one leads to Zecora's hut, and one leads around the edge of the forest over to Fluttershy's cottage. And, finally, there is the path that leads deeper into the forest, where Twilight says the castle of the two sisters is. I take a deep breath.

"Twilight hates me..." I collapse to the ground, my legs no longer wanting to support me. My tears continue to fall; what am I going to do? I look around. What should I do? I'm not welcome back at what has quickly become my home. My gaze falls on the castle in the distance.
"She thinks I'm a monster," I look down, I feel my hands clenching tightly, "Maybe I should be the monster that they fear."

Chapter 4.

***Apple Bloom***

After watching Enigma rush past us, Sweetie Belle and I try to catch up, but the now much larger centaur is able to get away from us.

"Where is she going?" Sweetie Belle asks.

I shake my head, "I have no idea, Sweetie Belle. She was at Twilight's castle. We should go there and find out what happened."
She nods and we whirl around, rushing through Ponyville, quickly making it to Twilight's castle. We walk through the huge castle.

"Where is everypony?" my friend asks.

"I don't know," we make our way to the throne room. Sweetie Belle sticks her head in, then backs up. She looks at me and shakes her head.
I sigh, we have to find Twilight, "We could try the infirmary, that's where they probably would have taken Scootaloo."

Sweetie Belle gallops off, with me hot on her hooves. In a matter of minutes, we are at the large doors leading to where sick ponies go to get healed. I push one of the doors carefully open with a hoof, and immediately spy my fellow Crusader. Her eyes are closed, and everypony is standing around her. My sister, Sweetie Belle's sister, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash is holding the filly's hoof, tears in her eyes. And, standing away from them all, is Princess Twilight Sparkle. They are all standing there quietly. I push forward, latching onto my sister. Applejack ruffles my hair, bringing me close. I let myself be held, while I listen to the ponies talking.

"I saw her do it myself. She took out two guards, without even trying hard."

Fluttershy speaks up, "But you had just told them to capture her! She was reacting to that. You can't blame her for that!"

Twilight stomps a hoof, "They wouldn't have hurt her!"

Applejack squeezes me tightly, "But, Twilight, she didn't know that. She was scared."

Rainbow Dash sniffs away her tears, she glares over the prone shape of Scootaloo, "If she hurt Scootaloo, we have to end her as a threat to Equestria."

"I wouldn't go that far, Rainbow Dash," Rarity says, nuzzling her sister. She looks seriously at Rainbow Dash, "There has to be a reasonable explanation for all of this. Perhaps she was telling the truth, that she didn't hurt these other ponies. Maybe she didn't do anything to hurt Scootaloo."

Rainbow Dash growls at Rarity, "Look at her! She is in the exact same boat as those two unicorns, those that tried to take Enigma into custody. You can't deny the evidence, Rarity."

Twilight steps forward, "We really don't know the whole story, but the facts speak for themselves. We need to find Enigma, we need to capture her. By any means necessary."

Gasps from all around, "You don't mean..." Fluttershy asks.

Twilight nods, "Yes. We need to call on the Rainbow power."

Rarity puts a hoof on Twilight's withers, "But, she's a child! You are an Alicorn. Perhaps you could simply overpower her?"

Twilight shakes her head, "I can't risk that. What if she is already strong enough to take my power? What if she is able to use my magic, the way Tirek did?"

"I don't think that will happen, Twilight," Fluttershy answers.

Twilight whirls on the yellow pegasus, "Can you be certain of that, Fluttershy? Can you be certain that no other pony will have to go through what these ponies have already gone through?"

Fluttershy cowers in response. Twilight nods, "I thought not." She moves close, to nuzzle her friend, "Fluttershy, we all like Enigma. In the short time she's been with us, it's been wonderful." A single tear leaks from her eye as she talks, "She's made friends with all of us, and she was friends with all of us, as well as with you two, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. I don't like this, I don't like this at all. But, what choice do we have?"

I have to say something, "Twilight, she couldn't have done this to Scootaloo! We were playing hide and seek, and Scootaloo was well hidden. Enigma found me first. She couldn't have done that."

Twilight lowers her head to look in my eyes, "Was she always in your view, Apple Bloom? Was there any time where she could have done that to Scootaloo, and then found you?"

I look down, "I don't think so, Twilight. I mean, it's possible, but we've gotten to know her! I don't believe that she is capable of stealing magic like that. She's not Tirek."

Twilight sobs for a moment, "Can you honestly say that to the two guards that tried to take her into custody? To their families?"
That silences me. I get a last squeeze from Applejack, before all of the mares file silently out of the room, Rainbow is last to leave, pausing to hold Scootaloo with her wing for a long moment. She nuzzles the prone form, then trots to catch up with her friends. A few minutes later, the castle vibrates, they are off to hurt my other friend. I really don't know what to think about that.

"Ugh, wha happen?" A small voice says. I rush forward, hugging a slowly waking Scootaloo.

"What was the last thing you remember, Scootaloo?" Sweetie Belle squeaks.

The pegasus looks down as she thinks, "I was looking at a spider that was climbing on my foreleg. Then everything hurt." Her head pops up, "And then I woke up here."

"A spider?" I say.

She nods, "Where's Enigma?"

I feel tears form in my eyes, "Twilight and them are off to catch her."

Her eyes narrow in confusion, "Why?"

Sweetie Belle and I take a few minutes to catch her up on what's been happening.

"But she never found me. She couldn't have done it."

I shudder, "I know, and now Twilight is off; they are going to use the Rainbow power on her."

Scootaloo jumps out of bed, "We have to go stop them!" She takes two steps and face plants. I run to help her up, "Owww, maybe not..."

We are interrupted by the doctor's office door opening, he gallops towards us, "Where is Princess Twilight?"

"They went off to get Enigma."

He sighs, "I was able to find a bite on all of the victims. It looks like some kind of spider bite, though this is a new species that I've never heard of before. But, apparently, their bite drains a pony's magic. That's why the first pony to get hit was a groundskeeper."

We look at each other, "Oh, no! Twilight is about to make a huge mistake!"

***Enigma***

The timberwolf snarls at me. I grin. The creature is magical, I can feel that magic, and I can take it. My jaw opens, I pull as hard as I can. The timberwolf howls as the magic within it rushes out of it, and into my body. I smile, growing a little larger, and watch as the timberwolf falls into a heap of dead sticks.

"That was all too easy," I mutter. I need a better source of energy. I break into a gallop. There have to be more magical creatures around here. I need more.

My gallop is interrupted by a sound I've heard before, but due to my lack of memories, I can't immediately identify what it is. I move under a tree, and look up. Twilight Sparkle is there, along with her friends. They are encased in magic, flying together. Their manes have added colors, and there are new symbols all over their bodies. Seeing that terrifies me, for some reason. Something surfaces in my mind, something that tells me that is very dangerous to me: I need to stay away from them. I stay under cover and watch them fly. They seem to be searching. Are they searching for me? Oh no! As they pass, I rush forward. I need more strength. If I'm to withstand what that seething mass of magic can do, I have to get more magic. And it can't just be the weak creatures in this forest.

I'm stopped on my way out by a manticore. I sneer, not even giving it a chance to attack. It's magic becomes mine, and it falls to the forest floor. "You are unworthy."

I turn, looking in the direction of Ponyville. I need pony magic. That is the only way for me to survive. But, my friends are there. Can I do that to them? I shake my head. No, I can't do that. They betrayed me, but I won't betray them. However, there is another place in that direction. I hear a horn whistle in the distance. The train! I use my newfound magic to aid my speed, and soon I'm at the railroad tracks. I know a train is coming, and there it is! I hide in the bushes as the train approaches, and when it passes, I grab onto the side of one of the carriages. A few moments of effort, and I'm on top of the car. Canterlot, here I come!

***

The train finally pulls into the Canterlot station. It is time. I leap mightily off the roof of the train car. Catching the ponies unaware, I pull their magic into me before they even know what is happening. A dozen ponies drop to the ground as I walk through the streets. A guard charges up to me, his horn flaring. I grin savagely, and his magic is added to mine.

I've decided: I'm going to take the magic of the Princesses.

Canterlot is a great place to feed. Ponies aren't even aware of me at first. Soon, hundreds of ponies are lying prone, their power now mine. I can do anything with this power! It's so amazing! I don't need to hurry. These silly little ponies can't do anything to stop me. A dozen guards come at me, weapons held in their magic. Moments later, those weapons fall to the street, as useless as the ponies that once held them. I smile as I look up at the castle ahead of me. I see Princess Celestia standing on a balcony, looking down upon me. I laugh as I step forward, only to have a spear embed itself into the ground in front of me.

"You will stop, foul creature," an imperious voice calls. I look up, and gasp. A midnight blue Alicorn is streaking towards me. She slams to earth in front of me, shattering cobblestones under her hooves.

"Not one more step!" she calls out. I smirk, taking said step, and am rewarded with a glare from the Alicorn. This must be Princess Luna.

I smile, "Do you really think you can defeat me?"

The spear is wrenched from the ground, and flashes towards me. A quick burst of my magic reduces it to ash, melting the blade into a puddle that sizzles on the ground. I look at it, then at her. The look of determination on her face sends a thrill of fear up my spine. Suddenly, I realize something: she's close. I think she's closer than she would like to be. I open my mouth, and begin to draw on her power. She gulps and retreats a bit, cutting off the flow. Now I really want this Alicorn's power. I don't know everything I'm doing with my magic, but it seems to come instinctually. I teleport forward, she lifts into the air.

She conjures blades, and sends them at me furiously. I'm able to deflect most of them with my magic, but a couple slice across my arms, and my torso, drawing a hiss of pain from me. I send a blast of magic at her, but she's so fast. I growl, throwing blast after blast of magic after the Alicorn of the night. Then, I realize, she's trying to tire me out.

A quick look around, and I teleport to the roof of a building. I look over the edge. She's standing where I was a moment ago. I think she's trying to figure out where I've gone. Well, I don't want her to feel as though I've forgotten her. With a mighty leap, I land on her, crushing her to the ground. She teleports away, conjuring more blades to fly at me. I make a better shield, and all of her blades stop dead when they get close. I smile, "Come on Luna, you can do better than this."

That may have been a mistake. Rage is in her eyes, and in her voice as she screams. I find battering rams of air slamming into me. After a really good hit to my head, I'm dazed.

"You think you can take on the Princess of the Night?" she intones, "You are not Tirek. You are nowhere near as powerful as he was. I will defeat you. I will end you as a threat to Equestria, and my little ponies."

My dizziness increases, I think she's using some kind of spell, making my senses unreliable. So, I close my eyes, concentrating. I feel her; her magic is calling to me. She thinks me defeated, I see no reason to disillusion her. I put my hands to my head, groaning.

I hear her voice, very close to me, "See, you can be vanquished."

I hear her soft hoofsteps, she's very close. My hand flashes out, grabbing onto her forehoof. My eyes open and my lips curve upward into what I'm sure is an unsettling smile, "You got too close, dear Princess." I snarl as I pull her magic. She shrieks and attempts to teleport away, but I have a grip on her, cancelling out her magic. In moments, her magic belongs to me. Finally, her struggles cease. Her crescent moon cutie mark is now gone, her eyes have turned gray. I reach down, grabbing her muzzle, "Your magic is now mine, Luna."

I stand, "Enigma, please stop!"

I turn to look at Twilight, and her friends, hovering behind me. Still covered by the power they hold. I feel a thrill of fear. That magic can defeat me, can it? I snarl at Twilight, "You wanted to lock me up."

Twilight moves closer, a bit away from the other ponies, "Enigma, come with me. We can keep everypony safe."
I slam a fist into the wall of the building next to me; brickwork and glass shatter from my blow, "By sealing me off from everypony? I'm sorry Twilight, but I have no desire to be sent to Tartarus."

She flinches at my words, "No Enigma, I don't think you need to go there, but we need to get you away from the ponies, to keep them safe."
I shake my head, "And have me lose my friends?" I sigh, tears starting to leak once again from my eyes, "But, I've already lost them, haven't I?"

She comes even closer, "No, Enigma, you still have me as a friend, you still have all of us as friends."

This gets a smirk from me, "Really, Twilight? Here you are, ready to use your most powerful magic to defeat me." I start to shout, "To defeat one you call friend!"

This really makes her to flinch. The tears stream down her face, "Please, Enigma, please. I need you to come with us. We need to keep everypony safe."

I sigh, "But not every centaur." I start to draw magic from the Alicorn, she gasps and retreats, cutting off the flow. Wow, I really want that magic, now that I've had a taste. I try to draw again from her, but the magic of that rainbow power surrounding them blocks me. The rainbow power is like glass, I can't find a way to pull at it. I furrow my brow in concentration, and try again. Still, I get nothing.
"Please, Enigma!" tears are streaming down her cheeks, "I don't want to send you to Tartarus, if I don't have to. Please, give the ponies their magic back. Then we can go home."

"I wish I could believe you, Twilight. But you wanted to confine me, you wanted to lock me away, and I didn't take those pony's magic." I look down at the incapacitated Luna, and growl, "But, I did take hers, and I will take yours."

Twilight looks sadly at me, then at her friends. I take a moment to look at them. Rainbow Dash is furious, Pinkie Pie is impossible to read. A look at Rarity, Applejack and Fluttershy shows that none of them are really wanting to attack me. And Twilight herself, she can barely make herself look at me while she bring her friends close.

"Ready girls?" She asks.

I square my shoulders, "Do your worst, Twilight Sparkle."

A thread of the power reaches out to me, then a second, then all six are reaching for me. I brace to get hit by their magic, but it never comes. I didn't even realize I had closed my eyes. I open them, and look. Confusion on every face in the power. I chuckle, "Looks like your weapon of last resort has failed, Twilight Sparkle. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have Alicorn magic to take." I charge up the magic I've gained, and hit them with a blast, blowing all six ponies back to Ponyville. They scream as they are hurled away from the city on the mountain.
I turn away from them. Only to have a pegasus slam into me, blades on the pony's wing slice into my flank. I grunt at the blood spattering to the pavement. Three pegasi are standing there, their wings spread, determination on their faces.

"The Wonderbolts will finish you." The golden one in the center snarls as she leaps forward.

This is too easy, I catch her by her throat, bringing her close, "You actually injured me, I must commend you for that." I pull her magic, and the magic of the other two Wonderbolts. I turn to look at Celestia, who is still watching from her tower, "Is that all you have, Princess?" I shout.

I walk down the street, always towards the castle, always towards my goal, I keep gathering magic from the ponies, when I come across them, "Princess Celestia, your magic is mine."

Author's Note

The story competition had a limit of 15k words. This prompt deserves far more than that. So I'm leaving this with a cliffhanger. I do have eventual plans for writing a sequel to continue the story, but I've got other projects to finish before I even consider it. Either way I hope you enjoy.