Split Second

by wille179

Rating: teen
Tags: Original Character, Spike, Adventure, Twilight Sparkle, Main 6, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Alternate Universe, Other
Length: 147445

Twilight Sparkle broke time when she got her cutie mark. Now there's two of her with two different talents.

Twilight Sparkle broke time when she got her cutie mark. Now Twilight and Sparkle are sisters from another time. Twilight is hailed as the potentially greatest light magician of all time, and already has a reputation as a hero by the time she goes to Ponyville. This isn't her story, not primarily.

Sparkle is an orphan - her dark magic killed her parents. She lives with her brother in Canterlot's industrial sector because they can't afford anything better. She can't leave either. She's a natural dark mage; while Sparkle won't go mad like Sombra, her reputation is hardly any better. Worse, the law doesn't see her as a good pony.

The fact that the dead don't stay dead around her, or that Thorn - Spike's double - is an undead, soul-eating abomination, are other matters altogether.

(Also has some Slice-of-Life, but fimfiction tags won't let me put it with Adventure.)

Has an ask blog to go with it: Ask Sparkle and Thorn.
Also has a TvTropes page: Split Second Tropes.

Featured on EQD.

Cover art by Swirling Line.

Published 2015-01-19 00:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2015-07-24 12:54:37 UTC

Déjà Vu

Sparkle couldn't stand the concept of fate. She hated those ponies who spoke of it, as if it were this overarching, controlling force that decided what happened in life. She refused to believe in it, not when it meant that she was fated to kill her parents, or that she was fated to have – accidentally – caused her brother to lose that promotion, or... any of the misfortunes that befell her after that fateful day. Not when her sister...

Best for her not to think of such things.

The sound of a door opening snapped her attention away from her thoughts. Thorn – as he was too different from his counterpart to share a name – strode in. Unlike Spike, who was a distinct entity from Twilight, much like child and mother, Thorn was a parasite. Technically speaking, he was a necromantic construct, like a zombie, but he grew, aged, and while he'd never been truly alive in the first place, he had had full cognitive abilities. The drake depended on Sparkle's magic to live, and not without consequence.

Sparkle's magic was dark by default even without the emotions most unicorns needed to power it. Thorn, born of and raised on the corrupt energies, had the physical traits to go with it. Sharper claws, a larger, more angular frame, and glowing eyes with pupils that looked like moving black flames instead of slits. Even his mind varied from his double's, though the differences could easily be attributed to the significantly varied growth environment.

"Hey, Sparkle," his voice, raspy yet crisp, punctuated the otherwise quiet environment of Sparkle's apartment study, "we're going to be late for our date with Twilight and Spike if you don't get a move on."

Her eyes glanced up at the clock. "Gyah!" she shouted. Before the next tick of its second hand, the mare was on her hooves, shoving research notes aside, carefully packing up the pony bones she had been studying, and calling down the assorted specters that roamed her home all at once. "I can't believe I forgot the time!"

While bending down to pick up the assorted bits and bobs that had fallen in Sparkle's haste, Thorn commented, "Really, we'll be there in time; we always are. It's not like the garden district is that far away from us."

Sparkle agreed with a slight nod of the head, enough to cause a strand of her disheveled mane to dangle before her left eye. With a puff, she removed the offending strands from her sight. Grabbing a pair of saddlebags, one side stuffed with copious amounts of notes, and the other stuffed with equal amounts of blank paper, plus enough ink and quills to fill it all, Sparkle quickly exited and locked up the spartan apartment.

Without their parents, the income that had kept them in their home had evaporated. And the salary of a relatively low ranking, inexperienced guard, when compared to the expense of Canterlot living, saw them living in the industrial section, a cable car, assisted teleport, or half-hour hike below Canterlot proper. And without that income, getting into a decent school would have been hard enough. You know, of course, if her reputation wasn't still in the trash from that fiasco over ten years ago.

As bad as her situation may have seen, Sparkle's saving grace was, oddly enough, herself. Her other self, Twilight. The protégé of the Sun Princess had offered to let Sparkle copy her very detailed notes and tutor Sparkle, in exchange for Sparkle giving Twilight any of her discoveries and personal research notes.

That's how it was originally, at least.

Exiting from the teleportation station - solo ranged jumps still messed with her - Sparkle and Thorn headed to Doughnut Joe's. The moment her nose caught a whiff of sugary treats, her horn lit up...sort of. Rather, the aura her horn produced sucked the light away, leaving a bubbling, inky blackness. Time moved to the left.

In the same place, at a parallel, equal time, another mare lit her horn, which shone with a brilliant white light. Time moved to the right.

Within the resulting bubble of superimposed space-time, the two sisters embraced, horns still alight. To those outside the bubble, it appeared as if a single mare was embracing nothing, and to those inside, the non-native mare appeared as a distortion in the air in the shape of a pony. But to Twilight and Sparkle, as well as Spike and Thorn, they saw one another in the flesh.

Walking into the bakery, the two sat at their usual seats, flanked by their draconic companions. "It's so good to see you again," Twilight declared to her double, smiling brightly as she spoke. “It seems like only yesterday that we were here."

Less enthusiastically, Sparkle replied, "Not so much for me; this last week was hell."

"Oh?" Twilight leaned in, intrigued. Meanwhile, the two unicorns began pulling out their notes and paper, using their magic to transcribe them automatically while they talked. Such notes were mostly theory and discussions of the inner workings of their respective magics. Such notes were quite interesting, but of little practical value at this level simply because of their inability to use the other's magic type, unless they reverse engineered the spells. That had proved to be a practically impossible task for the mares.

"Well..." Sparkle started, but didn't finish.

Picking up where she was going, Thorn spoke, "The chop-shop murderer. We figured out who the bastard is."

"Language, Thorn," Sparkle chided, which earned her a mutter 'not sorry' in reply. "Anyway, yes."

"Who?" Spike asked. "Some kind of weird psycho doctor ninja pony? A deceptively sweet old mare? A super villain?"

"With a name like ambassador Redclaw, I don't think it could get any more obvious," Thorn replied.

"What?" Twilight responded. "Are you-"

She was cut off by the arrival of the yellow stallion that ran the shop, both versions of him. "Hello again, Twilight/Sparkle, Spike/Thorn." They said in a unison that would have been creepy had the two mares and drakes not been used to it already. "Communing with the light/darkness again, I see. The usual?"

All four nodded. As soon as Joe had trotted away with their order, Sparkle whispered, "Yes, I have irrefutable, but court inadmissible proof... I can't lay a finger on the rooster."

Getting the picture, Twilight nodded. "But I can. Where do I look?"

"Embassy sub-basement. The staff is either in on it, or paid not to notice. The usual excuse should get you in, or at least enough sway to launch an investigation. He doesn't have a victim now in my time, and since the dates are consistent, then there shouldn't be one right now for you either." Sparkle closed her eyes and massaged her temple. "For the love of Celestia, I need evidence to take this guy down the right way. Otherwise..."

"I know."

"Good."

"Unfortunately though, we might have bigger, more urgent problems," Twilight somberly stated. "What do you know about Nightmare Moon?"

"I don't see how an old mare's tale is more urgent than a serial killer, but I'll bite. Very little, why?" the dark mage asked her light counterpart.

"Because her prophesied return happens this Summer Sun Celebration. And the only weapon against her, aside from overwhelming force from Princess Celestia and the Royal Guard combined, is the collective power of the Elements of Harmony," explained Twilight. "Which, might I add, are missing."

"Shit."

Unable to resist, even in the serious mood, Thorn quipped, "Language, Sparkle."

"I'm not sorry." She dismissively waived her hoof. "Besides, even if we could find some lost super weapon, I'm not even sure I could use them." Sparkle gestured to herself. "I'm not the most harmonious of ponies."

"Do you know something?" Twilight inquired.

Sparkle racked her brain for a moment, while Joe chose that moment to deliver their doughnuts. Between bites of necessary sugar, Sparkle replied, "Err... They're in parts, and each need at least two users total. Um... Each needs a virtuous user who matches the element. I think one of them is comedy or humor, and another is generosity... That's about all I know. It's been a while since I saw the reference."

"Well if you need a second pair of claws-"

"-we're here to help," the drakes chorused.

"Thanks, you two," the mares chorused back.

"In all seriousness though, I'm going to ask the Princess about this as soon as we're done here. I'll have Spike flame you with my next move." Twilight scooped up the finished notes, set the bits she owed on the table, and stood. "I don't know what will happen next. We should do our best to be prepared."

Mirroring her counterpart's actions, Sparkle stood as well. "Be careful, sis."

"You too."

Sparkle's horn aura vanished, along with most of the evidence that Twilight and Spike had ever existed. The replicated notes, Sparkle's next lesson in advanced magical theory, was swiftly pocketed. "Come along, Thorn."

"So what's going on?" Thorn asked between attempts at reading the letter he'd belched up a moment prior – a letter that, despite its ephemeral, translucent appearance, was weighing heavily on Sparkle's mind. As his creator's frown deepened, his worry grew. "Sparks, seriously..."

"I don't get it. Instead of heeding her warnings, Twilight's Princess Celestia sent her to Ponyville, of all places. And to oversee decorations for the Celebration, of all things." The frown on her face distorted subtly as she thought. "What am I missing?"

It was Thorn who had the realization first. "Not Ponyville, the Everfree Forest. Remember the last day of our training trip?"

"Of course!" Sparkle shouted, drawing a few glances from the other ponies on the sidewalk. "The Castle of the Two Sisters! If the Elements were hidden rather than lost, that would be the place!"

Quickly, Sparkle drew out a piece of paper and jotted down two notes, then split the paper in half. "Thorn, this to Shiny and this to Twilight, ok?"

Taking the two letter in claw, he ignited one, then the other with his flame. "Right, now what?" Thorn asked, though he suspected he already knew the answer.

A letter appeared in front of Shining Armor's face. Unfolding it, he read the hasty and terse script.

B.B.B.F.F.,

Going to Ponyville. Really important - lives at stake. Will be back after next sunrise.

Love you!
L.S.B.F.F.

He crumpled the paper in his magic and tossed it in the trash. At least she was warning him this time before running off to do who knows what.

The other lavender unicorn received a similarly long letter, invisible to all others by virtue of being alien to this time. It stated the speculations of Sparkle and Thorn.

As the Royal chariot carrying Twilight flew her towards her destination, it also flew her to the beginning of her destiny. And despite her vocal opinion to the contrary, Sparkle was following her along the adjacent path, literally and metaphorically, to hers as well.

Seeing Double

By a stroke of coincidence, or chrono-spatial bleed through if you were of the Twilight-Sparkle Collective, both iterations of the royal chariot touched down at the same moment, despite carrying different passengers. By the same force, both sets of passengers had the same instructions from their respective teachers. And by no coincidence whatsoever, the latter member of the TSC was exiting an express train in time to see the chariot touch down.

Sparkle had no interest in the blue mare that stood in her sister's place; instead, she and Thorn pulled up the hoods of their cloaks and trotted swiftly to the edge of the Everfree Forest. Or, they would have, if they hadn't been waylaid half way there by something.

Or rather, somepony. "SPARKLE! THORN!" a voice called out, too late to give adequate warning to avoid the incoming hyperactive, pink missile.

Impact.

From her position atop the downed Sparkle, the bubblegum pink mare said, "You left without saying goodbye!"

She racked her brain for her assaulter's name. Breaking eye contact, Sparkle asked, "...Pinkie Pie, right?"

The thusly names Pinkie Pie nodded. "Yeepperoni! That's me. I'm really glad you remember. I know we only met once, but I really want to be friends with you!"

"Friends wouldn't pin friends to the ground. Please let me up."

Pinkie blushed in embarrassment. "Whoops sorry about that. Here." She held out a hoof after hopping to the side to help Sparkle up. When the unicorn had risen to her feet, Pinkie asked, "So Sparky, Thorny, why are you in Ponyville now? Not that I'm implying that you shouldn't be here, but I'm curious."

Sparkle raised an eyebrow, while Thorn answered for her. "We're looking for some powerful artifacts to save the world from Nightmare Moon!" Sparkle nodded in agreement.

"Can I help?" the earth pony asked.

The unicorn shook her head. Still without resuming eye contact, she replied, "No. Not now, at least. Just do what you can to keep ponies calm and happy in case something goes wrong. Though hopefully nothing will. I'll let you know if there's more, if you're still willing to help."

Pinkie saluted. "Okie dokie lokie! Calm and happy, I can do. Oh!" In a motion too quick to follow, Pinkie pulled out a piece of paper from her mane and shoved it into Sparkle's hooves. "You two are invited to a surprise party for the new pony that arrived today. It's tonight at the library. Come if you can make it."

"We'll try, but no promises."

"Ok! I've got to go find the new pony anyway." With that, they parted ways. Sparkle and Thorn turned towards the forest, and Pinkie towards the town.

Twilight Sparkle, the unsplit filly, was very smart, as were the two mares she became. Often stressed by her mentor's tests, Twilight was a very practical mare who thought in terms of facts, theory, and data. She had lived a relatively sheltered life, until the Princess realized that her status as a natural white mage made her an excellent protector of harmony. Coupled with her "ability" to find trouble and be in the right place to fix it, she gained a reputation as sort of a minor hero.

Conversely, Sparkle was a very practical mare. She had to be. Sparkle was, courtesy of her talent and curiosity, drawn to the shadier side of Equestrian life. Most of the goings on there were downright ordinary compared to some of the horrors she'd witnessed. And though she could help her sister solve the problems Twilight encountered peacefully on the other side, Sparkle often had to take matters into her own hooves for her versions of the problem, and often not bloodlessly.

Thus, when the hour was late, the sun was setting over the dark Everfree, and predators were on the move – not all native to the forest – it was a manticore that, unfortunately for it, made the first wrong movement.

Sparkle reacted. The words, unnatural to pony kind, rolled far too easily off her tongue. It said much on Sparkle's life that she could command those words, when Twilight shuddered at the mere thought. And when she spoke, the gathering dark magic made the words, barely more than a whisper, reverberate the bones of all who heard them. "Thorn, kill."

"With pleasure." The drake, originally equal in height to Sparkle, began to stretch and grow, fueled by her magic. Bone grew faster than muscle, leaving the dragon, now half the size of the manticore before him, with a skeletal appearance, further accented by growing and sharpening spines, claws, and fangs. His eyes, disturbing to ponies before, ignited with horrific flame, casting an eerie green light across the forest floor.

The manticore was seriously rethinking its choice of "easy meal." By the time it realized its mistake (a very quick realization, mind you), the dragon before it had expanded to its size and was still growing. It didn't ponder why that was. In fact, it didn't ponder anything at all at that point. A life-draining, hoof-length claw to the brain tends to be rather distracting, you know.

Now, the standard belief among unicorn scholars is that naturally dark unicorns, those whose core inherently possesses the in-spin of dark magic, are "magically incorruptible," yet inherently evil. The truth of the matter was: it's complicated. While immune to the psychic side-effects of casting dark magic, such ponies – like all ponies – derive pleasure from casting talent magic. Add in the fact that dark magic is used almost exclusively for personal pleasure or the pain of others – and most ponies know that – the combined effects of classical conditioning and social pressure tended to succeed where the twisted magic failed.

Thus, to Sparkle's subconscious mind, riding on a dragon that fed her stolen life-force as a method of clearing a path through a dark forest seemed like a decent idea. The forest itself would complain if it could, but only after a trail of death stopped being carved into it.

The downside was that Sparkle singlehandedly killed several acres of forest, flora and fauna alike. The upside was that she and Thorn made great time, and got dinner in the process.

"SURPRISE!" The crowd gathered in the library cheered, stunning the newly entered unicorn in the process.

Beatrix Lulamoon, ever the showmare and the personnel protégé of Princess Celestia, composed herself before most ponies could blink. "Well, isn't this pleasant." She smiled, perhaps a bit wider than her mood would indicate, but was otherwise genuine.

"Isn't it?" Pinkie asked as she trotted up to Trixie. "Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie, and I threw it just for you; this is your Welcome to Ponyville party!"

"Thank you. But, as much as Trixie would love to celebrate herself, Trixie must do research."

"Only an egghead would turn down a party for dusty old books," a new voice chimed in. The owner of said voice landed next to Trixie.

Trixie raised an eyebrow at the rainbow-maned mare, the one who had soaked her earlier that day. "Trixie is no egghead, and while she may be a bit of a showmare at times, Trixie is quite pragmatic when there is trouble brewing," she retorted.

A worried look crossed Pinkie Pie's face. To the ponies who knew her, especially Rainbow Dash, this was especially troubling. "Does this have anything to do with Nightmare Moon?"

Trixie's thoughts ground to a halt. "You know about Nightmare Moon?"

"Yep, my new friends said they were looking for some artifacts to help stop her or something. She told me to keep ponies happy and calm if something went wrong, another reason to throw this party," Pinkie answered.

"Nightmare Moon? I thought she was just a story to scare foals on Nightmare Night," Dash commented.

"She isn't," Trixie somberly replied. Looking Dash right in the eye, she summarized what she knew of the situation. When she was finished, Trixie turned to Pinkie and asked, "Those friends of yours, do you know where they are?"

"Nope." Pinkie shrugged. "Sparkle and Thorn left before I met you and went *gasssssp* and ran off."

For the second time in nearly as many minutes, Trixie's thoughts came to a screeching halt. "Sparkle and Thorn, as in the Sparkle and Thorn? Purple unicorn, Purple dragon with soulless eyes? Creepy looking? Uncomfortable vibe from their very presence? That Sparkle and Thorn?"

"Uh, yes?"

Trixie pulled off her signature pointed hat and rubbed a hoof through her mane. "Buck... Buck buck buckity buck. There's no time." And with that, Trixie galloped towards the bookshelves, carelessly shoving party going ponies aside as she did so, and began magically pulling down books in a frantic search for something only she knew.

"Err... You think she's alright?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"I don't know. We should probably help her."

"Right."

Deep in the Everfree forest, a search of a different library was starting. Sparkle, dismounting from the shrinking Thorn, strode into the Castle of the Two Sisters. Her horn erupted with corrosive magic, and a dark black fog, which more resembled ink in water than smoke in air, spewed forth from every pore and every orifice of Sparkle's body. Almost as fast as it appeared, it condensed into dozens, then hundreds of vaguely pony-shaped figures.

Specters. They were the closest things to ghosts, poltergeists, and demons there was without actually being any of those things. They had abilities comparable to those things, but were limited to the caster's strength and animated by the caster's will. Specters had numerous uses for necromancers, including: spying, communication, possessing ponies weaker than the caster, animating corpses, animating inorganic matter, and serving as semi-intangible vessels for disembodied souls.

"You know what to do." Sparkle's words sent the specters racing through the halls, walls, floor, and ceiling, eager to follow their mistress's will. In a second, none of the specters remained before her. "Now, to find those Elements."

Thorn looked around for a second before pointing a claw at a structure in the middle of the room. "Could those be the Elements?" the drake inquired.

Sparkle turned, looked, and promptly face-hooved at the very obviously placed objects. "Yes. They're full of light magic, I can feel it from here." Her horn darkened and levitated the orbs down from their pedestal. She set the five objects down with a gentle click of stone touching stone. "Hmm... Weren't there more?"

"I can't remember," Thorn commented, shrugging his shoulders. "We still don't know if we can use them, or even how."

"You're right. Specters! Report."

Soft giggling voices echoed around them, without any visible sources. "We found books!"

"Many books!"

"Secret books!"

"Cursed books!"

"Book of Blood–"

"–and book of Bones!"

"Four and five! Four and five!"

Sparkle blinked. "Volumes four and five of Dread Necroptica? Blood and Bones? They're here?!"

"Yes! And more!" the specters cooed. "Come and see! Come and see!"

Known to dark magicians around the world, the Dread Necroptica was considered the single most comprehensive and dangerous dark spell book series in existence. Rumor had it that an information demon - a being literally made of thought and information - existed within and between the pages of the seven volumes, and was fed by the knowledge gained from its chosen hosts. Further, the rumors said that the books called out to its chosen host, leading him or her to it over the course of their lives.

Sparkle possessed the first three volumes: Soul, Mind, and Flesh. With the addition of Blood and Bones, she would have nearly the entire set, even if she was as of yet unable or unwilling to perform the spells within.

Thorn too possessed an interest in the series. Being unable to perform most of the magic, but far more willing to than his equine mother, he excitedly charged after Sparkle and her specters towards the books.

The mare's silhouette on the moon vanished. The sun failed to rise.

“The Everfree Forest? You're not actually going in there, are you, Darling?" Rarity inquired of Trixie.

Applejack said, "That place ain't natural. Plants grow–"

"–animals care for themselves–" Fluttershy added.

"–and the clouds move–" said Dash.

"–all on their own!" the three chorused as one.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie is not scared of some forest," she replied, though even she wasn't convinced of her words, "and she definitely doesn't need your help."

"Ah think ah speak for all of us when ah say that ya got our help whether ya want it or not." AJ smiled sincerely at the blue unicorn.

"AJ's right. We'd never leave a friend hanging," said Rainbow Dash.

"Mmmhmm," the others agreed.

Together, the sextet set out into the dark woods.

“Trixie wishes she could have done that before," the unicorn commented, the last traces of laughter fading from her lips. "It would have made lessons with Sparkle so much easier. That, by comparison, was nothing."

"Hey, you kinda freaked out when you heard her name earlier. What's up with that?" wondered Dash.

"She is a convicted dark mage," Trixie replied. The declaration elicited confusion from four of them and a shriek from the last.

"That's barbaric! How could someone like her be allowed free?" Rarity cried.

"Mind filln’ us earth ponies in, Rares?"

"Dark magic twists the user's mind. It doesn't matter if you use it for good, use it enough and you will go bad. Very bad. Any willing use of black magic by a unicorn on another living thing is a felony." Rarity shuddered in disgust. "Why, then, is she free?"

"She isn't," Trixie answered. "Well, not completely. She's a natural born, meaning her magic is dark, period. Sparkle can't change her very nature, and so gets a pass. It helps that she's mostly incorruptible because she's a natural. But, one of the conditions she has to follow if she wants to stay out of prison is that one week every three months, she has to help train the Royal Guard – or Princess Celestia's students, like Trixie – in Defense Against the Dark Arts, for minimum wage."

"And how did that go?" Rarity asked.

"Painfully," Trixie stated, made nervous by the memories. "There's bad blood between us."

"That doesn't-"

"AHHHH!"

The shrill scream of Fluttershy, who had been silently walking at the back corner of the group, made everypony jump. Spinning around, the members of the group turned, ready for a fight, only to see her hurrying towards a large lump on the ground. It only took a second for them to realize that it was the corpse of a manticore, and a second more for their noses to catch the stench of rot.

The cause of death was obvious, if mysterious in nature. "What kind ah beastie kills and leaves the body tah rot?" Applejack asked, only partially rhetorically.

"It's worse," Fluttershy whispered, tears of sorrow streaking down her face. "Its blood is still fresh. What could kind of monster could rot a fresh corpse in hours?"

Unlike the rest of the group, Beatrix Lulamoon was not looking at the body of the fallen manticore, but the now visible trail of rot leading away. "Thorn did this."

"Thorn? But he's a tiny little guy. And a baby dragon. Roar, fire, blargh! That kind of thing," Pinkie said, doing her best imitation of baby dragon noises.

"He's also dead, and, from the looks of things," Trixie pointed to the rotten path, "hungry for life."

Applejack took one look at the rotten trees and underbrush and then promptly fainted. When she awoke, the voice of Dash sounded from below her. "Welcome back, sleepy head."

Dismounting from Dash's back, she was about to speak when her hooves touched the ground. She hollered instead. "What the hay! The ground's dead!"
"I knowwww..." Pinkie wailed in agreement. "It feels soooo wroooong!"

"Come on then," Trixie implored. "The faster we get to the castle, the sooner we can get out of here."

The study habits of Twilight Sparkle had only grown better after she'd been split into two ponies. And, like her light counterpart, Sparkle often found herself oblivious to the rest of the world. Thus, the whoosh of suddenly displaced air and the subsequent staccato of metal-encased hooves on stone failed to arouse her.

The spoken words that did break her concentration were, "That book, 'tis mine own creation."

Sparkle jumped and spun round, magic charging at the base of her horn so as to be ready without appearing as such, only to come face to face with the sinister visage of Nightmare Moon.

"Please, I had no intention of startling thee," the dark mare placated, contrary to all of Sparkle's expectations.

"Oh, umm, 's ok..." Sparkle mumbled, her brain still two steps behind reality. "Sooo... Your book?"

"Indeed. I would often write in my nightly solitude, before I rebelled against my sister."

"Nightmare Moon," Sparkle realized, "you're the lost princess?" The unicorn took a step back and lowered her head respectfully. Silently though, she utilized the magical connection she had with her creations – less telepathy and more like empathy – to still and quiet them, so as to not give them away.

Oblivious to Sparkle subtle machinations, Nightmare Moon replied, "Indeed again. Tell me, what fate has befallen my palace, and why art thou here when the signs of disuse span so long a time?"

Sparkle thought, and then answered, "Self-preservation."

"I'm sorry?"

"Self-preservation," Sparkle reiterated, "to both, I mean. The Everfree was declared too inhospitable to pony habitation and I'm here looking to improve my magic, to extend and improve my career." The 'which depends on my being alive' went wisely unspoken.

The alicorn raised an eyebrow. "I fail to see how a treatise on dark magic would extend a career."

"Know your enemy, know yourself," Sparkle replied, although the utterance barely qualified as a whisper upon escaping her lips. Her eyes, which had yet to look directly upon the Nightmare's own, darted to the side, catching a glimpse of the pillars behind which Thorn hid.

"Child," Nightmare Moon's prehensile mane scooped up Sparkle's chin, lifting it up until as the alicorn bent down, until Sparkle had no choice but to look the dark mare in the eye. "Are thou... afraid of me? Tch, thine eyes tell no lies; thou fear me. Why? Does the Night truly terrify you so much?"

"...yes," Sparkle eventually answered, deciding honesty was the best move. "You have an imposing figure, and your reputation does you no favors, but I don't fear the night."

"Then why?"

"I fear the cold. The sun is warm, the moon is cold, and an eternity of either would kill us all."

"Tch," Nightmare Moon went again. "The moon is not nearly as cold as you seem to think." She sighed, disappointed. "The first real conversation in a thousand years is this..."

Before more words could be spoken, the sounds of faint, disembodied laughing echoed through the room, barely on the edge of perception. Sparkle closed her book and stood from where she had been seated. At nearly the same time, perhaps a second later, the mistress of the night looked towards the front of the castle. "We are not as alone as we had thought."

Reiteration

A few minutes before, and roughly two hundred meters southeast, Sir Quick was patrolling the wall of the castle. Sir Quick had also been dead for nearly nine hundred years, and he knew it. He knew what he was as well, a mischievous specter that had found his corpse, settled in, harmonized with the magic embedded within his skull, recreated his mind, and animated his remains. He also knew there was a threat to his home and its ponies, and most importantly, to his mistress. A mistress that wanted secrecy and subtly when facing this particular enemy.

He looked down. A rainbow maned mare was flying across the gorge, carrying the rope of the bridge. Unseen by her in the fog, three mares were forming from an unfamiliar magic. Though if he were to hazard a guess, they were the enemy. The enemy was singular, the allies were all living ponies. The distinction was clear, and so was the course of action.

Th-th-thunk.

Three sounds were almost one, they were so close together. Three half-formed bodies collapsed, slowly bleeding the stardust they had been born from. The noise, quiet as it was, resounded quite loudly in the otherwise noise-muffling mist, unintentionally succeeding in drawing the living mare's attention.

She gasped at what she saw, and the assassin-turned-knight-turned-undead-skeleton had to stifle a groan of annoyance. Three knives, sticking out of the skulls of three almost-ponies, formerly on Sir Quick's belt, glinted in the moonlight. The sight was enough to drive the only pony with a heartbeat into a frenzy of action.

Sir Quick the Skeletal made a hasty, silent retreat. The ally was alive and unharmed, but he might not be able to say the same for the secrecy of his mistress's forces. His next decision, better than the first, was to go rally the rest of the dead. Just in case.

The space where his gut should have been ached with guilt. He prayed to the Sun Princess that the real Sir Quick would forgive him for the use of his bones.

"I'm telling you, they just came out of nowhere!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, waving her hooves for dramatic effect. "Thump and three dead pegasi lying there. And then they turned into that stuff Nightmare Moon's mane is made from."

"Are you sure?" Rarity asked, more for her own sake than of any questioning of Rainbow Dash's story.

Dash didn't take it that way. "Of course I know what I saw! I'm not crazy!"

"We believe you, Darling. I just... Never mind. It's not important." Rarity composed herself, and looking towards the rest of the group, said, "I believe it might be a bit more dangerous than I anticipated."

"Go home if you're scared, Rarity," Rainbow Dash said condescendingly. "I'm seeing this through to the end."

"Admirable," the white unicorn replied. "Foolish, but admirable. Very well, I shall continue on with you. Everypony else?"

Though everypony decided to continue, it was quickly decided that some magical protection was desirable. Trixie offered to cast a protective spell, with Rarity quickly offering some of her magic to give it that extra, reassuring oomph.

Spells cast, the group hurriedly crossed the bridge and the grassy distance between the gorge and the castle. They reached the interior of the structure mercifully without incident, and let out a collective sigh of relief.

Applejack spoke first, breaking the uneasy silence. "Ah wouldn't drop mah guard just yet. We don' know what's still... ahead..."

The sound of rolling stone gave her pause. From a side alcove, a flicker of purple and gray vanished out of sight, and five round orbs of stone rolled into view. Trixie was the first to recognize them for what they were, "The Elements!"

They were hardly airborne in Trixie's magic before a swirl of nebulous mist condensed into the frightening figure of the alicorn of eternal night, a phrase that takes much longer to say than to actually occur.

Not having a better plan, and desperately needing to buy some time, Trixie charged at Nightmare, who charged back. Just as they were about to collide, Trixie and the floating elements vanished in a pale pink flash of light, only to reappear on the opposite side of her opponent and keep running.

Turning round, the two combatants made brief eye contact, broken when Nightmare charged again, instinctively intent on spearing Trixie with her lance-like horn. Trixie, remembering the line in the book about the spark, charged an electric spell. Nightmare, seeing the building lightning, changed tactics mid stride and disintegrated into mist, scooped up the baby blue mare and spirited her away.

Sparkle, formerly watching from the shadows alongside Thorn, was on the move. Her double, at this very moment, was moving in tandem with Trixie to the room in the tower top. Sparkle and Thorn sank into their shadows and raced up the wall of the tower, materializing behind a fallen statue, hidden from sight.

Words were exchanged between the two combatants, though Sparkle ignored them in favor of figuring her options. The dead drew close, on the heels of the five approaching living ponies. As much as she hated desecrating the dead, they were already up and moving, much to her annoyance, and as such served as a viable distraction for their escape should it be necessary.

If worst came to worst, Sparkle could always learn if she could kill an alicorn... or seriously maim. Opponents wishing they were dead worked well in her line of work.

As the living climbed the stairs, Sparkle felt a thump in her core. It was a sensation she had never before personally experienced, but her double had. They were tied at the soul, the source of magic, and what happened to one had equal but not necessarily identical effects on the other.

Something intrinsic was changing in Twilight's soul, and it was bringing Sparkle along for the ride. The effect drew the two timelines closer together without them intentionally creating a magical charge gradient. The sensation felt positive, invigorating, subtly reinforcing her essence and Thorn's by extension. She let it happen. No, she charged her horn, drew the timelines together and helped it along. She fed back into it, boosting the original which boosted her further.

Like two batteries with a variable resistor between them, the stronger Sparkle's influx grew, the closer the timelines grew and the less resistance the magic found, exacerbating the cycle. It grew so strong, she couldn't tell that time had overlapped to the point that the synergetic effects were augmenting the Elements, or that the trans-temporal visual fidelity had increased to the point that both times were clearly visible to all the occupants of the room.

Nobody thought any of that. The only one with a coherent thought was Thorn, who simply thought, 'Double rainbow, all the way!'

It was spectacular.

When the dust settled, the occupants of the room were shocked to find two of themselves, except for Trixie. She was shocked to see someone she thought to be Sparkle standing next to her.

"Hey Twi, can ya explain what in tarnation is goin' on here?" one of the Applejacks asked.

Twilight, taking stock of the situation, called out, "Sparkle! I know you're in here. Show your flank and help me explain things."

"Hold your monkeys, I'm coming," an identical voice called from the back of the room. The lavender mare that emerged was cloaked in gray, visibly more emaciated than her counterpart, and sporting a dark purple mist emerging from the corners of her eyes, a stark contrast to the golden, glowing flecks dotting Twilight's eyes. "Hi. For those that don't know, I'm Sparkle, that's Twilight," she pointed a hoof at her sister, "and after accidentally breaking time when we were eight, we split into two ponies with two very different special talents and lives."

"Right," Twilight agreed. "We're standing-”

She was interrupted by the sudden arrival of the sun and its stewards. Plural. And both of them calling out their students' names at the same time. They materialized right next to one another, and then jumped, neither expecting their doppelganger. "What?" was asked in unison. "How?"

"Time bubble," Twilight/Sparkle chorused. "Two times at once; different histories, same ponies."

"That's creepy," said the Dashes.

"I know what you mean," said the Applejacks.

"Rarity, your tail. My tail! Ohh!"

Trixie looked perplexed. "How come Trixie doesn't have a double?"

Sparkle answered without Twilight by some unspoken signal. "You do, but she's not in this room. Or she's dead; can't be sure of that. You took my place as Princess Celestia's student; that's why you're here now. I simply followed Twilight."

"About that," spoke one of the Celestias, who had gone to comfort their Lunas and were now walking back, flanked on either side by the much diminished princesses. "Sparkle, you and Thorn left Canterlot without my express permission. The grace period has ended, and you will report back to Canterlot immediately or face charges of parole violation. And do return the dead to their graves, or that will be more charges."

"Hey! I object to that! I notified a ranked guard with a written notification of my emergency departure, and all bodies here are of greater than five hundred years of age and resurrected via psychic reconstitution, which I am licensed to do! Furthermore, the Everfree Forest is zoned 'unfit for equine habitation.' All free or licensed magic is can be legally performed here so long as nopony is injured - article twelve, section three, subsection one, 'on the use of controlled magics.'" Sparkle smirked, though inside she was really hoping that Celestia would buy her bluff. "I'm clear and you know it."

One Celestia closed her eyes, the other recognizing the expression as resigned acceptance. The latter was horrified though, realizing that she had been, in a way, outdone by a necromancer. More so about the necromancer part than anything else. If she wanted to, Celestia knew she could get any charges to stick, though she figured the Celestia with the dark Twilight... Sparkle, wasn't going to do so.

Meanwhile, a soft, dual whisper - "I'm so confused..." - came from the Fluttershys.

"How did this happen?" Twilight asked.

"Resonance. I'll explain later." One dark burst later, and the doubles were gone, moved a second to the left. "Thorn, grab my saddle bags from the library," and as many books as you can fit. "I'll meet you out front after I re-kill the zombies. Kill anyone who tries to take those bags from you, or take a hostage if it's one of the princesses. I'll be back in a minute." She vanished into the floor.

The skinny dragon blinked. "What?" he asked, as if what just happened was perfectly normal. "You heard her..." He then proceeded to jump out the window and scale the tower wall. It was so sudden and so quick that most had no time to even process his departure.

"She seemed so nice before..." Luna muttered. It went unheard.

"I know we're not the best of friends, but your optimism was appreciated, Pinkie," Sparkle said. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." She smiled, pulling Sparkle into an unexpected hug as she did so. Pinkie, unlike the rest of her friends, was the only one within a half dozen pony lengths of Sparkle on the train platform and the only pony not awkwardly staring at her.

"I guess this is goodbye then." Sparkle smiled faintly and looked Pinkie in the eye, her own hidden behind a mind-bending illusion to make them seem normal. "I probably won't be allowed back here for quite some time, what with the Princess's personal student here and all. Write me?"

"Sure thing, Sparky!"

"I'll look forwards to it. Thorn." She looked over to her son of sorts. His eyes were affixed on the white unicorn before him, and the pupils of his eyes, which normally looked like black flames, had taken on the shape of flaming hearts. Rarity on the other hoof looked quite uncomfortable under his lusty gaze. "Thorn!" Sparkle called out.

"She's beautiful..."

Magic enveloped his tail and dragged him backwards, but failed to break his concentration. "Come on, Thorn, we're going to miss the train if you keep staring. I'm sure Ms. Rarity doesn't like being eyed like a piece of meat."

That caught his attention. "What? No. I wasn't... She... I... What?" The door shut before him, and only then did he realize that he was now on the train. A train that lurched forward not a second later. He quickly stepped forward and stuck his head out the window. "Rarity! Goodbye, Rarity! I'll write you!"

"He has a crush on me. Oh sweet Celestia, he has a crush on me. I feel so filthy." Rarity's eye twitched.

"I think it's kind of sweet," Fluttershy commented, drawing an incredulous stare from the unicorn.

"Fluttershy, he's a killer, a monster. Look what he did to that manticore."

Rainbow Dash, who had silently sided with the butter yellow pegasus, said, "My friend Gilda has killed. Everygriffin has to kill a wild animal when they grow up, and I know ponies and griffins can fall in love. Where do you think hippogriffs come from?"

"I... but... Hmph. This is completely different." With that, she stomped off in a huff.

"...When did Rarity become such a prude?"

“Lay off her, RD,” Applejack said. “Ah wouldn’t want that thing chasin’ mah tail either.”

Waiting for them at the Lower Canterlot Station was none other than Shining Armor... along with a half dozen other unicorn guards. "Twilight Sparkle, you are an idiot," he informed her.

"It's just Sparkle," she mumbled as she and Thorn walked over to him.

"I will call you whatever I bucking please when you piss me off this much. Seriously Sparkle, you could have gotten jail time for this; you know you're not allowed to leave Canterlot. And worse, you could have been hurt! Please, L.S.B.F.F., don't make me worry like that." As he finished, he sprang forwards and hugged her. "Thanks for keeping her safe, Thornecrovitar."

The young pseudo-undead puffed out his chest in pride. "I am proud to do my duty, Uncle Shiny."

Shining Armor smirked. "Now, young lady, the Princess expects you in day court A.S.A.P. for debriefing."

"Buck."

"Sparkle, language."

"Buck you, Thorn."

Devil of a Time

Most ponies wanted to see inside Canterlot Castle, to see its majestic beauty. Of those who had been inside, most ponies would say that it lived up to its reputation, and then some. Most ponies also saw it as the symbol of the Equestrian way, the palace of the harmonious and virtuous.

Sparkle saw the same things as everypony else, but it wasn't the same feeling. It was her warden’s house, and that sucked all the fun and beauty out of it. The castle was gaudy, excessive, and wasteful in her eyes, as were those who lived and worked in it.

Except the guards; they could be quite fun. She knew exactly which buttons to push to make them... entertain her. At her command, magic welled up from her core and flooded her skin. In unicorns, this was the equivalent of the pegasus mating dance or the earth pony tail wag; it was a way of advertising the potency of their inner magics. Generally, it attracted those with with the inverse core spin - up-to-down, male-to-female - and killed the libido of the same. But if a pony had in-spin like Sparkle, their magic pulled on others’ magic fields, which translated to ‘let me eat you’ instead of ‘let me rut you silly.’

Sparkle giggled when she saw one of the two guards she was observing step back and tense up. The other just looked confused. She made a mental note of what the latter’s soul looked like to her eyes. To the former, she said, “Looks like somepony remembers me.”

“Yes, ma’am,” the guard, the one on the left, replied.

Sparkle stood from the bench where those waiting for the Princess’s court could sit. She trotted over. “Tell me,” she leaned in close enough to feel the breath of the more nervous guard on her cheek, “what was the first lesson I taught you?”

He stepped back. She stepped forwards. He took two steps back. She stepped forward once more. He stepped back and drew his spear, aiming it at her throat. “Don’t touch me.”

Sparkle stepped back. “Close enough.” She spun around and trotted back to her seat. “You guards are so fun to mess with after I’ve gotten a chance to play with you.” She spun around again, looking at the guards in front of the royal courtroom door. “I don’t have friends. A brother, a sister, and a son, yes, but not friends. I never get the chance, you see. Ponies don’t like me; I’m sure you two can guess why. I thought I would be happy with just my books, but I guess I’m the kind of pony that wants what she can’t have.” She trotted up close to the guards again. “And I’m bored. That’s why I like playing with my dolls.” She giggled, doing her best to make it sound perfectly innocent. “But sometimes, I break them. Did I break you?”

The door opened. “Twilight Sparkle for debriefing, 2:30 pm appointment,” called the court herald. “You may enter.”

The mare walked out and the door closed. Noticing that there was nopony near enough to hear, and that nopony was looking their way, the newer guard whispered to the other, “what the buck was that?!”

“May Celestia have mercy on your soul,” the senior guard replied, “for she won’t.”

“Sir, you’re freaking me out.”

The senior guard spoke nothing else, and silently died a little bit on the inside.

“I’m very disappointed in you, my little pony. You know why you must stay in Canterlot,” Celestia scolded.

“Yeah, preservation of the peace, monitoring my whereabouts, existing law and precedent, blah, blah, blah. Can we just skip to the end of this song and dance already? I’m sure that you’re just dying to know who that other mare was, not that I feel like telling” Sparkle quipped, annoyed.

“You will watch your tone with me, Sparkle. I will not tolerate disrespect, especially since this is your future we are deciding.” the Princess said. While the tone was as level and calm as ever, her voice demanded attention and respect, so much so that it was practically physically impossible not to comply.

Sparkle bowed her head. “I understand. I apologize, Your Highness. I let my mouth speak my mind against my better judgement.”

“That you did. Now,” Celestia said, “there is the matter of those laws you cited at me. While it bothers me that you appeared to have memorized the law simply to see what you could get away with, you are correct. Technically.” She shook her head in disappointment. “Your entire case depended on a zoning stipulation and a license, which, as I recall, I issued to a young filly on the good faith that she would not abuse it. Has my faith in you been misplaced?”

Sparkle didn’t answer the question, not right away at least. “I assure you that I will not abuse your trust.”

“See to it that you do not. As for the matter of you leaving Canterlot without my permission, I have no choice to issue you a 500 bit fine, though I will give you two months to pay it instead of the usual one. I am aware of the conditions in which you live, and I am not above small mercies.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Sparkle accepted, genuinely thankful of the extra time; it meant fewer days of eating nothing but instant noodles to let Shiny get the few Canterlot-priced veggies. However, punishment was still punishment, and the thought left a bitter taste in the annoyed unicorn’s mouth.

Her tone significantly lighter now, the Princess said, “Now that that’s out of the way, let me tell you something. When I heard that you of all ponies ran off to Ponyville, yesterday of all days, my heart missed a beat.”

“Princess?”

“Long ago, most ponies shunned the night, and Luna with it. When Nightmare Moon first appeared within Luna, she amassed a small group of similarly-shunned ponies, ponies very much like you. They made no overt moves for nearly a year, and Nightmare Moon spent that time masquerading as if she were still Luna at heart. And when they finally attacked... forgive me. That tale is a bit grim.

“When I heard that you had left, I very nearly panicked, thinking that she had somehow been recruiting dangerous individuals from her prison. I’m sure you can imagine my relief when you turned out to still be on my side.”

Sparkle nodded in understanding. “I’m sure. Princess Celestia, I know you don’t really trust me,” - Celestia’s flinch was too small for Sparkle to notice - “but I really do have the best intentions at heart. As long as I live in Equestria, I’ll do my best to protect the harmony of its ponies.” The subtle implication went unmissed by Celestia.

“We heard she was in here,” a new, young, and loud voice sounded from outside the courtroom. The twin doors slammed open, revealing the slightly enlarged form of Princess Luna, whose stature now compared to that of a young teenager rather than a small filly. “AH! THERE THOU ART! WE ARE PRINCESS LUNA, GUARDIAN OF THE NIGHT! WE WISH TO MAKE THINE ACQUAINTANCE, FAIR MAIDEN!”

As soon as she finished rubbing her ringing ears, Sparkle muttered, “That’s new.” Louder now, she spoke, “Greetings, Princess Luna. I am Sparkle, bearer of no honorable titles. I am very empathetic to you, and would love to make your acquaintance.”

“WE NEED NO SYMPATHY FROM YOU! I AM NOT SOME POOR, PITIFUL PONY WHO-”

“Empathy, not Sympathy,” Sparkle couldn’t resist correcting. She had a good guess at what was coming next.

“DO NOT INTERRUPT US! AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY EMPATHY?” Luna asked, her expression more confused than her angry-sounding, overly-loud tone would suggest.

Sparkle bowed her head, more to hide the smirk than to show any respect to the Equestrian leadership, for which she held very little. As soon as she had wiped the emotion away, she said, “Just that I have a poor reputation, a horribly under-appreciated talent that has many benefits that can’t be used unless ponies learn to see the light in it, and a dash of jealousy towards your sister’s student who took something I could and should have had, Your Majesty. Do you understand the feeling?”

Sparkle stood up straight and nodded once. “Well, I suppose I’ve overstayed my welcome; I really should be heading home now.” Turning to leave without waiting for Celestia to dismiss her, Sparkle trotted off. “You’re welcome to come and visit me at my humble home, Princess Luna. I’d love to discuss your book over tea. Just ask any guard where Ms. Sparkle lives. I’m sure they’ll point you in the right direction, and then run in the other.”

The door to the courtroom burst open just before the mare attempted to open it herself. In stormed the griffin ambassador, Redclaw. “I am tired of waiting, Princess Celestia. I must speak to you now on urgent matters.” So engrossed in his words was he that the bird rammed right into Sparkle without seeing her, knocking her over.

It was Sparkle who recovered first, and who, much unlike her double, hatched a plan on her hooves. “Oh dear. I am so sorry, sir. I should have been looking where I was going.”

“Hmph. It is no problem, pony,” the ambassador replied.

Sparkle blinked. “You have a little something on your beak, right there.” She gestured generally towards his face. “Here, I’ll get it.”

The dark aura bubbled around her horn and grasped the beak of the griffin rooster in front of her. The guards had their spears drawn in a flash, but her horn aura faded almost as fast. “There.” She blinked owlishly at the readied guards. “What? It was just a special cleaning spell I made. Pony blood is so hard to clean some times. Well, see you later!”

“Sparkle, a moment, then you may leave,” Princess Celestia stated.

“Yes, Princess?”

“I know and see more than you seem to believe I do about you. And while your concern is touching, you are walking on thin ice.” Celestia nodded, dismissing Sparkle.

Before any could react, she flattened into her shadow on the floor and sped out of the room. Silence reigned for a few awkward seconds. “Sparkle was not injured, was she.” It was a statement, not a question, whispered from Luna to her sister.

“Luna, be a dear and fetch me that special thing from my room, would you? I need to have a chat with Redclaw here.”

“Tia?”

Similarly lowering her voice to a barely audible whisper, Celestia spoke, “One does not doubt the words of a necromancer on matters of death, dear Lulu. Especially not one of Ms. Sparkle’s caliber. I’d trust her far more than I’d ever show on this, despite her dangerous nature.”

“I see.” The two sisters ceased their private conversation and returned their attention to Redclaw. “PARDON US, KIND GRIFFIN. I BID THEE FAREWELL.”

“Come,” Celestia said to the ambassador. “Let us walk and talk.”

Sparkle had calmed the restless spirits of the slain herself; she knew what he had done. Redclaw would die a shameful, horrible death for his crimes, regardless of what justice the Equestrian system would bring. This she would ensure.

When she taught her mandated defense class at CSGU, her first lesson was to never let the dark touch you. For in the moment she had him in her magical grasp, one of her specters had slid from her shadow to his, unnoticed by all. Through it, she could see his mind and his senses, and she could strike vengeance.

She hummed a merry tune as she trotted home. Would it be suicide? An accident? Murder by a fellow griffin? Would she assassinate his character first, or simply expose his crimes? The fallen souls cried for vengeance, and she would deliver.

Sparkle was a reaper of souls, a bringer of death.

She couldn’t be light like her sister.

She couldn’t be kind.

She couldn’t be fair.

She couldn’t be just.

But she would damn well save these ponies even if it killed her. Because she was part of Twilight Sparkle, and she was a good filly.

She hoped.

The trial was open-and-shut. The evidence had doomed him right from the start. The Griffin Empire had not helped him, for fear of starting a needless war between the two nations. He had been left at the mercy of the Equestrian Justice system.

Redclaw stepped into the cell that he knew intellectually would be his prison for the rest of his life. Sitting down on the only bed in the cell, which took up a majority of the floor space, he looked down on his talons. In his mind, the once proud instruments of death remained untrimmed and dripping with pony blood, as they should have been. His wings weren’t clipped, his mind said, and he wasn’t shackled to the wall.

Redclaw whistled, the hedonistic old bird already looking for something to entertain himself with. He kept whistling even as the staccato of horse shoes on tile joined in.

“Why does the caged bird sing?” a voice from outside asked. Redclaw didn’t respond. “Why... does the... caged bird sing?”

There was something strange about the rhythm of the voice. Its tone was odd too, now that Redclaw thought about it.

“Why. Does. The. Caged. Bird. Sing?” This time Redclaw turned. He was against the back wall of his cell a heartbeat later, for the guard before him had no eyes and sockets that freely dripped blood.

“Why. Does. The. Caged. Bird. Sing?”

He felt numb all over, weakness spreading through his body like icewater in his veins.

“Why. Does. The. Caged. Bird. Sing?”

He tried to scream, but his mouth wouldn’t work, producing little more than a warbled gasp.

“Why. Does. The. Caged. Bird. Sing?”

He was getting dizzy. The world was spinning. He collapsed to his knees.

“Why. Does. The. Caged. Bird. Sing?”

The world blurred.

“Why. Does. The. Caged. Bird. Sing?”

He was so confused. What was going on?

“Why. Does. The. Caged. Bird....”

The world went black.

He would live, but only just. Doctors would swear up and down that it was a simple stroke. Princess Celestia suspected otherwise, but held her opinions close to her chest.

Time Ticket

Every city had rules or ideals of which nopony spoke, but everypony picked up on very quickly. For instance, except for holiday parties, in the town of Ponyville, sundown meant work’s done and the town came to a standstill until first light the next day. In upper Canterlot, it was those who are here are important, and those who aren’t, are not. By virtue of the literal separation of upper and lower Canterlot, that attitude ensured that the majority of the city proper was snubbed by the upper - fiscally and geographically - ponies of the city.

Mix in the fact that the Princess Celestia and Princess Cadance rarely, if ever, ventured into the lower sector - they flew in or took the royal express train - and that the upper Canterlot patrol routes were highly coveted by Royal Guard members, and you get a situation that considers those who live below ‘unimportant.’

What do you get when you mix an industrialized city, located at a centralized point and with access to a navigable river, that is deemed beneath them by those who make and enforce the laws? The capital of organized crime in Equestria.

A species will always produce those who would exploit the system in place to get an edge, and ponies are no exception. Sure, of the civilized races, ponies were considered the least ambitious and least violent, but that was as a whole.

It was the exceptions that were dangerous. Exceptions that called lower Canterlot home. Exceptions that caused the rule of the streets to be ‘walk fast and don’t be a target.’

Thus, the mare in full makeup and jewelry standing just outside Sparkle’s door, hoof poised to knock when Sparkle opened said door, was all the more surprising. “Oh.”

“Excuse me,” the unicorn mare said. “I was wondering if I had the right place...”

Sparkle narrowed her eyes. “Depends. Who are you looking for?”

“I don’t know her name. The colt I got the address from said she could help me with my... unique problem.”

“Define ‘unique’ and ‘payment,’ and maybe I’ll help.”

“I’m being stalked. I’m sure that stallion knows I’m here right now. He’s always watching me, and he sends me threats. I want him gone.”

“Come in. No sense in you standing in the hall,” Sparkle said after a brief moment’s contemplation.

“Thank you.”

The two walked into the room, which counter-intuitively smelled fresher than the hallway, considering what happened in the very next room back. “Have a seat. Tea?”

The unicorn, who couldn’t have been more than her mid-twenties, straightened out her red dress and daintily seated herself on the dingy couch. “Yes, thank you very much.”

Sparkle’s horn flared for a moment, but nothing tea-related happened. Instead, she simply sat on the other seat in the room, a worn out office chair. “Now, when you say ‘gone,’ how far do you want him gone? Fleeing in fright? Or something a bit more permanent?”

“I... I’m not sure what you mean, exactly. You can take care of him, right? Make him stop?”

“Yesss...” Sparkle hissed. “I... have the feeling I am not quite the service provider you were lead to believe I was. Switchblade, come in here.”

A silver-grey pegasus trotted in from the kitchen, carrying a tray with an old teapot and two cups in his mouth. His face was mostly hidden on one side by his black mane. He set the tray down on the coffee table between the two mares, and then brushed a strand of black mane out of his one visible eye. “How else may I help, Mistress?”

“Tell me, why are you working for me?”

“Because I tried and failed to kill you, Mistress,” he replied without missing a beat.

“And why did you try and kill me?”

“Because I was a criminal, and I wanted what I thought you had, Mistress.” He poured the tea.

“How long are you going to be working for me, Switchblade?”

“Until you dismiss me, Mistress.” The pegasus passed a cup to Sparkle.

“And why is that?” She took a sip.

He brushed his mane aside, revealing an empty cavity instead of an eye. “Because I am dead, Mistress. You took my soul and my eye. There is nothing left for me but you, Mistress.”

“And where are the things I took from you?”

He passed a full cup to Sparkle’s queasy looking guest. “Why, digesting in Thornecrovitar’s stomach, of course... Mistress.”

Sparkle turned towards the unnamed mare. “I ask again, how gone do you want your stalker? An upper Canterlot lady like yourself must be pretty frightened if coming here was the safer option.”

“I w-want him... d-de-d-dead.”

“Are you sure?”

“O-o-of c-course I’m sure! He’s ruining my life!” The mare replied.

“Because he’s right there.” Sparkle gestured a hoof, pointing to behind the mare, where a stallion was menacingly standing. A burst of magic pinned the culprit to the wall, his legs spread apart and his belly exposed. “Switchblade, if you would.”

“Yes, Mistress.” The zombie pressed the hilt of a knife into the client’s hooves. “Kill him, Miss.”

“Yes, Kill him yourself,” Sparkle echoed.

“Kill him.”

She stood.

“Kill him.”

She rounded the couch.

“Kill him.”

She approached the trapped stallion.

“Kill him!”

She raised the knife oh so slowly.

“Kill him!”

She hesitated.

“KILL HIM NOW!”

“NO!” The world shattered like glass. She was seated on the dingy couch, spilled tea spreading across her dress and the couch below. There was no knife, no stalker, no zombie.

“No?” Sparkle asked. “You don’t want me to kill him?”

“What in Celestia’s name was that?”

“A test,” Sparkle answered sagely. “One you failed. A pony that cannot end a life on her own strength does not deserve to order the death of one at the hooves of another. We’re done here; I have no more business with you.”

The guest’s eyes went wide. “But... he’ll kill me!”

“Then defend yourself!” Sparkle commanded at a much louder volume than she had been the whole conversation. “Or get in touch with the Royal Guard! Hire a bodyguard! Flee! Anything!

"I am not the right pony for the job,” she concluded, voice returned to normal. “Good day. Show yourself out, coward.”

“But-”

“GO!"

The mare went.

“Great. I’m going to be late now.” Sparkle took another sip of her tea. It didn’t taste like much of anything at all.

"You better have something better than this, Twi." The speaker slowly slid out from the shadow on the park ground. "It takes forever to escape Canterlot without setting off those stupid traces on me. Honestly, I'd almost rather get talked at by Princess Sunbutt again than go through this again just to have a conversation with you."

Twilight sighed. "I know. Spike can help with single letters-"

"-but we'd rather not put him through the effort of playing messenger for a whole conversation, I know," Sparkle finished.

"Well, there are a couple of options we have available. Astral projection, mana resonance, telepathy-”

"Absolutely not!" Sparkle interjected. "That would drive us insane!"

"I figured as much," Twilight replied. "There is something I've been wanting to try. Princess Celestia taught me about something called sympathetic entanglement, where two objects can be made to interact with one another across space, without any detectable means of communication between them. I was thinking, if we went into a store, bought the exact same typewriter, and overlapped them, we could entangle their parts so they move in unison when one of us types."

"I'll have to trust you on that; this is the first I've heard of sympathetic entanglement," Sparkle replied with a shrug. "The idea sounds sound... And really familiar, now that I think about it."

Twilight giggled. "It would to us, wouldn't it?"

"What do you... Oh. Us."

Twilight nodded excitedly. "Yep. If this works, we could end up pioneering the future of high-speed communications! Think about it, two machines, portable, and with no other infrastructure needed!" She thought for a moment, her eyes darting back and forth as she pondered different scenarios. "You should crash the Grand Galloping Gala," she eventually stated, as if she had just said 'the sky is blue.'

Sparkle blinked. She blinked again, rubbed her ears as if to clean them, and blinked a third time. "What? No, seriously, what?" She put a hoof up to her temple and massaged it. "I know I'm supposed to be you, but even I didn't follow that train of thought."

"Well, the Gala is in four months, so tickets have been distributed already."

"Faust knows how long those nobles take to get ready for a party," Sparkle deadpanned.

"Yeah," Twilight agreed. "Anyway, I'm pretty sure that I can have a functioning prototype of the typewriters working by then. And since some of the nobles and upper class go there to invest on business ventures, it would be a great time to get a sponsor. If you were there, it would help me pitch it, but there's no way the Princess would give you a ticket.."

Sparkle had her eyebrow raised the whole time Twilight explained her thoughts. "That's... smart... but way out of character for you, Twilight." She gasped and fainted melodramatically. "Oh dear, perfect little Twilight suggesting that I break the rules? What has the world come to?"

"Drama queen."

"Smartass."

"Language, Sparkle."

"Madam! Are you accusing me of possessing an inelegant vocabulary?" Sparkle asked in her best 'Canterlot Elitist' voice, more arrogant sounding than a simple 'Canterlot Elite' voice.

"Indubitably."

"Well, buck you too."

Ignoring that, Twilight asked Sparkle if she would come. The latter replied that she would think about it, and perhaps find an alternative way to get a transferable ticket before simply showing up at the gala. Twilight agreed and settled for a promise of 'I'll try to be there.'

The sisters parted soon after. They had agreed to meet soon in order to get and experiment with their chosen communication tool, but for now, Sparkle had to return to her home before the guards realized that her magical trace had been stealthily transferred to her bed in lower Canterlot.

The fools couldn't hold her if they were a hundred times as competent. She was a free mare! Not that she wanted to live as a fugitive, though. It wasn't worth the effort.

Author's Note

Typewriter from the TV show Fringe.
IBM Selectric 251 typewriter

Stunt Doubles

A thorn poked Thorn. It was not very effective. Thorn used drain. Wild thorn withered. Thorn gained sustenance.

Sparkle's errands for Thornecovitar were never games. Spike got chores; he got quests. Generally speaking, lives tended to be on the line. For instance, the books in the Everfree castle could contain life-saving information in Sparkle's hooves, or threatening information in the hooves of another.

He didn't care about any of that though. Thorn loved working for Sparkle, as Spike loved working for Twilight. And he loved his mother as Spike loved his mother-figure.

Unlike Spike, who only once ever confessed his anxiety, Thorn never feared being abandoned by Sparkle. They were too connected for that. There was another reason for his confidence, though.

The egg that had contained the dragon that they had come from was unfertilized, with only half the essence needed to produce a whole dragon. Spike had his essence duplicated, and the light spell forced masculine gender on the dragon, which normally would have been decided by his nest's temperature. Thorn, on the other claw, had a portion of Sparkle's essence*, both spiritual and physical, mixed with his own, and while his essence dominated completely, the drake was technically part pony and certainly Sparkle's son.

Sparkle was his life, in more ways than one. She had his complete, undying loyalty, but it was in part due to the fact that she kept him alive in spite of his heart not beating, that he could live indefinitely on Sparkle's magic alone, or that he could survive the loss of otherwise fatal amounts of flesh. She empowered him at all times, and what she wanted of him didn't matter to Thorn; the fact that he lived meant he was loved, and that he had purpose.

On her word, he would happily trek through Tartarus for her. The Everfree, he decided, was a good bit more pleasant than that, and so he found himself happily prowling over brambles and under branches.

All to burn books.

Not exactly. There was the whole dragon-fire-transportation thing to consider; Sparkle would probably have a conniption fit if he actually, permanently destroyed a book.

The thought of her murderous expression came to him just as he entered the clearing surrounding the castle ruins. It also occurred precisely at the moment his left foreleg was descending over a loose rock. Had he been focused on walking, everything would have been fine.

As it was, the sound of giggles and hissing only poured salt on the wound to his pride.

Thorn stood, greeted by the sight of a few specters drifting just overheard. "Cheeky little fellows, aren't you?"

More giggles. "Hello, Master Thorn."

"What are you doing here? I thought... Clever mare," Thorn proclaimed. "You said you'd take care of the zombies, not the specters. Clever, clever mare. So," he addressed the pony-like, ink-like clouds while walking towards the castle, "what have you lot been up to?"

"Cleaning."

"Sorting."

"Organizing."

"Making zombies!"

"Fixing."

"Getting that ghost to leave."

"More cleaning."

Thorn nodded in understanding. "And the condition of the Library?"

"That I can answer, Master Thorn," a voice said, bearing that indescribable acoustic quality possessed only by reanimated skeletons. The dracolich turned his burning gaze upon on the dead unicorn trotting into the entry hall. "Dusty Books, head librarian during the years A.N.M. 320 to A.N.M. 342. I became the anatomical display skeleton for the archive after my death and have been there ever since."

"Nice to meet you," Thorn replied, holding out a claw in greeting. Dusty Books reciprocated the gesture with his hoof. "The books, how are they?"

Moving into the library proper, Dusty replied, "Amazingly fine condition given they had only minimal protection from the elements for several hundred years." The inky false-flesh enveloping his skull warped into a delighted grin. "Everything is stacked by subject and title, ready for you to send to her." The librarian scowled. "Don't you dare hurt them." His smile returned as fast as it had come. "I even took the liberty of removing all the hidden books from their nooks and crannies and added them to the stacks."

Thorn was intrigued. He inquired for more. The librarian's grin faded. "Inspiration Manifestation, for one. Nasty business, that one. Had a bit of trouble with that spell myself. It's quite addicting, and gets out of hoof way to fast. Still, it's an interesting spell regardless."

Thorn nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. Now, help me get this stuff to Sparkle's place."

"Right away, sir," the unicorn skeleton said with a salute.

"Come on, Snips," an unusually lanky unicorn colt called. "I heard there's this amazingly powerful unicorn in town!"

"Oh, so cool. Where is she, Snails? Where?" his pudgy friend asked.

"Down by the town hall!" Snails replied.

"Alright! Let's go!" Snips cheered.

Over to the side, Twilight and Spike had overheard the conversation between the two excited colts. She perked up with interest.

There weren't that many unicorns that would count as powerhouses; perhaps 8% of the population. Because unicorns of that caliber often needed access to appropriate literature, they tended to congregate in big, predominantly unicorn cities like Manehattan or Canterlot. Tiny earth pony villages like Ponyville may have two hundred unicorns at any given time, averaging ten or so with the interest and ability to pursue advanced magics.

It was curiosity that drove Twilight to the center of town, intent on meeting this 'powerful' unicorn. What kind of things did he or she know? Would s/he be willing to trade notes? These questions and more filled Twilight's mind by the time she arrived at the town hall.

There was a wagon there. As if on cue, it unfurled itself into a stage, releasing magical fireworks all the while.

Beatrix Lulamoon stepped out on stage, wearing the same silly hat as her doppelganger. "Come one, come all! Come and witness the amazing magic of the Great and Powerful Trixie!"

The audience ooh'd in amazement.

Twilight and Spike couldn't help it, they really couldn't. They tried, sure, but it was in vain. Against their best efforts, they laughed.

Trixie, ever the show mare, took it in stride. "Watch in awe as the Great and Powerful Trixie reduces a mare to tears of laughter with her entertaining prowess! Be entranced as Trixie dazzles you with amazing feats of magic beyond your wildest dreams."

"Such boasting," Rarity chimed in as she walked up to Twilight and Spike.

"It's entirely possible that she has the power to back it up," Twilight commented.

"I don't know. It sounds like she's spouting hot air, darling," the white mare replied.

"No, hot air is Prince Blueblood's thing. Being an insufferable know-it-all that actually does know-it-all is the archmage's thing. This," she waved towards the blue performer, "is somewhere in between that."

Meanwhile, AJ and Dash had started confronting Trixie, calling her out on the same thing Rarity had been complaining about. Their well thought -out, carefully-delivered arguments were successfully rebuked by Trixie and, in a stunning show of debate skill, Trixie completely turned their arguments against them.

Not really. They tried to show up Trixie on her own stage and got their asses handed to them. It was their fault, really; you don't try to out perform the performer, lest you get humiliated.

And then Rarity had to try, because, in her words, a unicorn needed more grace than what Trixie was showing.

Some ponies never learn.

Some when far in the future, an elderly stallion will tell his grandkids, "Remember to learn from your friends' failures, or else you mane will be turned green!"

Or maybe they do, not that it did Rarity any good.

Failures that were funny to all but the victims aside, Twilight's friends were looking to her to beat Trixie. "Come on, Twi'. Ya gotta take her down a peg," Applejack said.

"Please, I'm not that good. I'm just an ordinary unicorn," Twilight said.

Spike just gave her a look.

It was super effective.

The light mage relented. "Fine, I'm worried that ponies will think I'm a show off like her. You saw how the crowd reacted."

"That's easy," Spike replied straight away. "Just do whatever Sparkle would do."

Twilight gave Spike THE LOOK, the look to end all looks. Not to be confused with the stare, which was another thing altogether, Twilight looked at Spike as if he had just summed up all that was wrong with the universe in a single sentence.

"OK, so maybe not everything Sparkle would do," Spike retracted. "But you've got to go big enough that nopony would care that you were showing off in the first place."

"I guess you're right, Spike. Alright. But-"

Spike interrupted. "And if you don't do this, I'm telling Sparkle and Thorn that you couldn't beat Beatrix Lulamoon, the one who wasn't Princess Celestia's student."

"Fine." She turned towards the stage. "Trixie, I challenge you!"

"Ah, the mare who laughed at the Great and Powerful Trixie thinks she can beat me? You're welcome to try~" the performer said in singsong.

Twilight closed her eyes and concentrated, the glow of her horn slowly growing in intensity. An apple floated off the nearby tree and down to her level. The lavender mare opened her eyes, revealing to Trixie that the irises had turned nearly solid gold, and that the whites of her eyes glowed with pure, ethereal power.

White magic was awesome like that.

"Trixie, could you please try your best to beat this?" The apple in Twilight's magical grip started writhing, so she chucked the still-glowing fruit over her head. It landed in an open, grassy area of the town square, and sank into the ground without slowing at all.

For a silent moment, nothing happened outside of the continuous hum of Twilight's horn, then the ground shook. Four separate shoots erupted from the ground around the hole the apple made on impact. Branches shot out of the thickening shoots — trunks now — and began to interweave themselves. More and more they grew until a definite shape had taken form: that of a three story tall alicorn.

Then it moved. The four leg trunks, one by one, uprooted themselves and stood on the balled-up roots like hooves. The whole thing bent down and offered Twilight an apple from its leafy mane, which Twilight accepted. When it stood back up, it said, in a near perfect imitation of the original voice, "I am Princess Celestreea, ruler of the garden of Treequestria. I would enjoy seeing what amazing magical abilities you possess, Great and Powerful Trixie."

Twilight ever so slowly bit into the apple, the noises of the crisp skin breaking clearly audible to those in the silent square. Only then did Twilight's horn cease glowing, her eyes simultaneously resuming their original color. "Well?"

"I fold."

Author's Note

*Spiritual essence is the core of the soul, while physical essence is DNA.
Divergence from canon: The ursa minor incident never happens.

Recounting

Time passed, as it very well tended to do. The two timely sisters fell into a routine of sorts. For Sparkle, little had changed since Twilight's departure, save that she now spent her evenings typing on her new machine rather than spending her Saturday afternoons at Pony Joe's Doughnuts. Twilight inversely found herself quite busy, with her studies, tinkering friends, and the weekly disasters that Ponyville seemed to suffer.

After realizing that if they shouted at it, their quantum entangled typewriters would conduct sound across time-space, Twilight refocused her efforts into creating an audio transmitter-receiver that worked under the same principle. However, it was proving to be a task much greater in difficulty than she had anticipated when not using the exact same object in two timelines.

The somewhat unexpected clack-clack-clack-ding of the typewriter caught Sparkle's ear. She turned her gaze towards the paper emerging from it.

Twi: You'll never guess what I’ve learned.

Her horn lit up and depressed the keys in sequence, spelling out her response.

Spark: You discovered that Celestia is obsessed with bananas.
Twi: What? No. Fluttershy can make dragons cry and my town is full of speciest airheads.
Spark: If I didn’t have the paper in front of me, I would have said I miss-heard that first one. Fluttershy? Really?
Twi: Yes, apparently. I was there.
Spark: Why were you near a crying dragon? Did she hurt Spike?
Twi: No, my friends and I had to remove a sleeping red dragon from the mountain cave so we didn’t get buried in smoke.

Well, that answered where the smoke cloud in Sparkle's timeline came from. But still...

Spark: Why did you all have to go? Why not some Guards?
Twi: Because we were close by and quickly contacted.
Spark: And untrained civilians with no jobs relating to dragons of the pony-eating size?
Twi: Oh... I honestly got too caught up in my task, and when they volunteered to come, I didn’t think anything of it.
Spark: The only reason I’m not losing respect for you is because I know you, and I know that’s something I might have done too. My respect for your Celestia has fallen, though. Now what’s with the speciest comment?
Twi: There’s a zebra shaman named Zecora who lives in the Everfree Forest. The whole town shut down and the ponies hid when she came in town.
Spark: Like ponies still do to me when I go without my makeup?
Twi: You’re not that bad.

Sparkle didn’t bother to type a reply. It honestly didn’t bother her that much anymore, she told herself. The loneliness was somewhat tiring simply because it was so blatant, but her fearsome reputation had served as a deterrent against... things... to the point that she actively cultivated it at times. If you can’t join ‘em, scare them half to death, she rationalized.

Anyway, the girls and I went to investigate and ran afoul with some poison joke. We ended up getting easy treatment from Zecora in the end.
Spark: What happened to you?
Twi: AJ shrank, RD got her wings inverted, Rarity got too hairy, Fluttershy had a deep stallion’s voice, and I

Here, the keys stopped moving. They wiggled, as if Twilight was fiddling with them, but not pressing hard enough on the keys to trigger the movement of the type-bars. After a period of silence, Sparkle typed.

What?

The response took a minute to come, but when it did...

Floppyhorn.Icouldn'tdomagicandIwassoembarrased.

Sparkle snickered. Somehow, Twilight had managed to type a rapid mumble of words. It fit right in with Twilight's adorkableness, Sparkle decided.

Spark: I'm sorry.

She wasn’t sorry at all; floppy horn was hilarious, especially when poison joke was so easily treatable. Sparkle made a note to get some of the weed for her own experiments.

Twi: So, what's happening with you?
Spark: Oh, Nothing much...

"Are you ready to surrender?" the earth stallion asked.

She smirked. "Never.“

The events that followed were too horrific to describe, at least for the stallion. To the audience, the mesmerizing illusions simply vanished, but the earth pony combatant's screams were equally satisfying, as were his desperate attempts to buck the brains out of a mare he couldn't find.

"Mercy! Mercy!" he eventually called. "I surrender!"

Sparkle, nursing a shattered shoulder and fractured rib cage, let the nightmarish visions dissipate. "Winner!" the announcer called. "The mare in orange, mistress of terror, and tonight's underdog, Shimmer, has done it! She's defeated the current champion, Brick."

Sparkle, under the pseudonym "Shimmer," limped over to the physically unharmed pony, alias Brick, and stuck out a hoof. "Good match."

Still shaky, Brick replied, "Of course, your skull will be mine in our rematch."

"Don't count on it, mister."

"Your prize," an slightly taller stallion said, stepping up next to Sparkle in the ring.

She took the offered bag of bits. Weighing it with her magic, she frowned. "This is less than it should be."

"The house took its cut. Is there a problem?"

In her state, there would be no way she could take the stallion without blowing her cover or getting this identity expelled permanently from the underground fighting ring if her protests went sour. "No."

"Good."

"Well, that's interesting." Those words lead many a pony to making discoveries that would change the face of Equestrian life. Almost every major discovery or invention came from happy little accidents.

In this case, however, there were no grand inventions, not in the traditional sense anyway. Simply, Sparkle got a pet.

A parasprite, to be exact.

She knew clearly what they were capable of, since Ponyville was barely standing when she arrived last. Departing with voracious insect in tow, she'd quickly suppressed its appetite and ended up taming it.

By lobotomizing it.

Without the reproductive drive, the little bug ate only a minuscule portion of what it normally did. It also tended to fly in circles when not going anywhere specific, which Sparkle found odd.

What she found interesting were a pair of passages, one from Dread Necroptica: Flesh, the other from Mind. Together, she realized they could be used to create a spell that hijacked the minds of every descendant from the cursed individual.

So Sparkle’s very short-lived pet, and all its children, would obey her on an instinctive level, including their sex drive.

Not needing to retrain her pet every week would be nice. The ability to make a parasprite swarm on command? Best to keep that a secret.

“BUCKING STAY DEAD ALREADY!” She roared, her magic-encased hoof pounding into the self-repairing skull of a natural zombie. Brain goop splattered across the street, only to collect together and reform into the head of a little filly.

These things happened from time to time, and were quite tragic. Abandoned foals that died with hearts empty of all but despair had a chance of coming back. They fed on the pain and misery and loneliness that others exuded, thriving on the very thing that killed them. And pony flesh; they ate a lot of that.

Unfortunately, the most sure-fire way of putting them down was to repeatedly smash them while chipping away at the soul magic holding them together. And since very few ponies could recognize what they were compared to your run-of-the-mill zombie, most ponies never survived past the first smashing of the skull.

Thus, Sparkle or the Royal Guard had to deal with it.

The problem with this was that the foals that were prone to making it, while usually confined to isolated areas, could die anywhere. Including the alleyway next to Sparkle’s building.

“What game is this?” The filly asked, for what might have been the hundredth time.

“THIS IS ME TRYING TO PUT YOU IN THE GRAVE!” the sweaty, exhausted, aching mare screamed hoarsely. Her barrel spasmed painfully and her shoulder groaned; the magic holding the parts together as they healed strained to accommodate her vigorous zombie-fighting.

Meanwhile, the area had been blocked off by the guards, who were busy keeping the civilians away. All but two, that is. “Isn’t that the mare that teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts?”

The other, older guard said nothing, though his mouth was moving as if he were. The younger, a lip-reader, saw that he was repeatedly mouthing, “I am not a doll.”

“Sir, you’re freaking me out.”

The senior guard said nothing more, and silently died a little bit on the inside.

After a moment’s thought, and possibly a few internal flashbacks, Sparkle finished typing.

Nope. It’s been rather quiet these past few weeks.
Twi: Well, that’s good. It doesn’t need to be adventure all the time.
Spark: No kidding. Hey, listen. Something’s come up, I’ll talk to you later, ok?
Twi: Sure. Tomorrow?

Spark didn’t answer. The incessant pounding at her apartment door was too distracting, and quite odd considering the late hour. “I’m coming, I’m coming. Hold your monkeys.”

She whipped open the door and came face to face with the point of a floating blade, held aloft by the aura of a scarred unicorn who had almost every inch of his head covered in piercings and metal studs. Next to him stood one of the biggest pegasi she had ever seen, with thick muscle coiled under thick, grey fur. “Uhh... Can I help you, sirs?”

“Necromancer Sparkle, the boss wants to see you.” The serious tone of the muscular thug’s voice told her that nonsense would be met with pain. “Now.”

Dark Ages

The gray cloak floated gently out of her closet, followed swiftly by her apartment key from her nightstand. Had Sparkle thought of it, she would have set something else in motion. Alas, the mind of a distracted mare is not perfect, and is as prone to not thinking of an idea as the best of us. Had she thought of it, she would have been saved - at a bare minimum - months of trouble. At best, there might have been a few more ponies alive at the end of it, though she wouldn't ever be able to know for sure.

As the lock clicked shut on the now empty apartment, the only sound that could be heard was the ding of a typewriter resetting itself to the next line.

“Any reason as to why the big guy wants to see me?” Sparkle inquired of the two hired grunts sitting opposite her in the darkened interior of a carriage. Said carriage had the widows blocked and had been navigating lower Canterlot far longer than could be reasonably expected to get between any two points. From this, she probably figured that they didn’t want her to know exactly where she was going.

The two walls of hired muscle said nothing, giving no acknowledgement that her inquiry had even been heard. She tried again with a different question. “Is this about the money I owe him? I just sent him the most recent payment on my debts.”

There was still no response from the two stallions, although the heavily pierced one broke his distant gaze and looked her in the eye, and then looked away again. The silence was only broken by the rattle of the carriage’s wheels on the pavement. “Anything? Or are you two just going to keep staring out into space?”

For another twenty minutes, they continued riding through the streets. The carriage suddenly came to an abrupt stop, and before she knew it, a blindfold was being placed around her eyes by the studded unicorn.

As expected, a click sounded just above her head, accompanying a new weight on her horn and the distinct lack of magic flowing through it. Sparkle could already feel the headache building from the suppression ring’s effects.

The sound of the door opening graced Sparkle’s ears, as did a trickle of light from through the blindfold’s fabric. “Exit to your left,” the pegasus ordered.

She hopped out, her grey robes fluttering slightly as she did so. Had anypony been paying close attention, they would have noticed that the flow of her shadow, cast from the light of exterior lamps, didn’t match that of her robes, for precisely one of the reasons she wore the robes in the first place.

“Follow,” the pegasus ordered, marching in front of her as he spoke. His hoof falls struck harder than necessary, supplying the audio cues Sparkle needed to follow and not wander in circles.

They had gotten inside the building and had made a few turns, heading deeper into the structure. They passed other ponies as they went, and she could hear them shying away and hear their whispered comments. She ignored them; it was the same things over and over again, the same words everypony seemed to whisper when they thought she couldn’t hear them. She was led round a corner and stopped. A door pony approached from behind her.

The blindfold finally came off, and a door out of sight closed behind her. She found herself in an ornate office, obnoxiously decorated to show off just how rich the owner of this room was. The dozen or so portraits of the same plump pegasus pony similarly gave Sparkle the impression of his intolerable vanity.

The desk itself, cut from a rich wood and stained past Sparkle’s ability to identify the type, contained all the usual items you would expect on a desk, but crafted from materials that would drive a pony like Sparkle bankrupt if she tried to buy them herself.

The unusual feature of the desk was a bottle of wine sitting in a bucket of ice and two, not one, wine glasses. Was he expecting somepony else?

“Please, Ms. Sparkle, take a seat,” the pegasus behind the desk said, gesturing to the seat on her side of the furniture piece. She blinked, having not immediately recognised that there was another pony in the room. Deciding that she was more tired than she thought, Sparkle complied and sat. The seat was comfier than the chair she had at home.

The pegasus behind the desk was clearly the same stallion as in the paintings, plus about five decades in age. Despite his advanced age, his eyes held a predatory lust uncommon in ponies and nearly unheard of in the elderly. To the less observant, he might seem grandfatherly, but Sparkle knew better.

“Mr. Card Gambit? Why have you called me here?”

He chuckled to himself, though the smile on his face didn’t seem to quite reach his eyes. “Would you care for some wine? It’s a Griffonian vintage nearly as old as I am.”

“No, thank you. I find alcohol to be a bit troublesome,” Sparkle declined. Technically, she wasn’t even of age to drink yet. Shiny would have her flank if he found out.

“I insist.”

He poured her a glass and offered it to her. She took it in hoof and, because this was the leader of Canterlot’s major crime syndicate, lifted it to her lips. The alcoholic beverage touched her lips and the vapors tickled her nose, but none entered her mouth. “Delicious,” she said. The drink never went towards her lips for the rest of the night.

“I was curious,” Mr. Gambit stated. “Some years ago, I came across a book. It was an interesting little book, and recently, it made me think of you. At first, I read it as a hobby, a simple pleasure. The ideas within it grew on me, though. They grew quite quickly, taking root in my mind.”

“What book?” the bibliophile asked.

“I don’t know,” the crime lord replied honestly. “It had no title, and was bound in the strangest black material. I’ve never seen anything like it in Equestria.”

There was a moment of silence, before Sparkle realized he was waiting for her to speak up. “And what was the book about?”

“Death.” He took a sip. “It was on the magic of death. As a pegasus, I found myself missing much of the context the book spoke of, but it got me thinking.” He took another sip, then sighed. Seemingly changing the subject, he said, “Sparkle, I have a job for you.”

“I’m not terribly interested in anything you might want from me.”

“Oh,” he said, smirking, “I think you are.” He pushed a sheet of paper towards her.

She took one look at it and then looked back at him. “Let me repeat myself. I am terribly interested in whatever you might want from me, and am sitting on the edge of my seat with anticipation.” A number with that many zeros threw up some red flags in her mind, but then again, that was a lot of zeros on that bit amount.

“Good. As for your debts to me, they are as good as gone if you do this for me, and the bits you earn will be squeaky clean.”

“What can I do for you, then?”

The pegasus nodded. “I am old and dying, and this organization has no heir to the throne. I had kept it that way so no overenthusiastic heir of mine attempts to take before it is time. Yet, I find myself unable to pick a suitable candidate.”

“Fertility magic is not my specialty,” Sparkle commented.

Mr. Gambit cracked up. “Hoho, no my dear, you misunderstand. Sons and daughters I have aplenty. But I don’t want just any heir, I want to be my own heir. I want to be young again. I want to be fit and strong! I want to live! And there isn’t a single soul I would trust to run this company when I depart.”

Sparkle frowned. “To turn back the hands of time permanently is a nightmarishly difficult task. The body can be fixed and repaired only so much before time erodes it faster than it can be repaired, and what has already been lost to time cannot be restored. Replaced to a point, yes, but not restored.”

“I am aware. Again, that is not what I ask of you,” the pegasus stated. “No, I want to start over with a new body, and to be able to continue on without end.”

Sparkle’s frown deepened into a grim scowl. “‘A vessel of clay and stone can hold a soul without end, though it is fraught with peril,’” she quoted from one of her books. “But-”

“A body of flesh and blood can house a soul with ease. I know.” Card Gambit looked towards her intently.

“If you know that, then you must also know the cost of what you ask, and the cost of immortality. I doubt you are willing to pay that price,” Sparkle answered.

Her breath caught. She thought back to what she had just said. You, not we, you. When had she decided that? Was she really swayed by that much money? Was that the value of a pony in her mind?

“I have done my homework, Ms. Sparkle. I know exactly the cost, I know exactly what the ritual would entail, and I have a pony willing to pay the cost for me.”

Sparkle gulped. Guilt flooded her veins. She could be rich... She could have the pull needed to get Shiny that promotion she had cost him. Thorn could get the gems he wanted and she wouldn’t have to starve herself when money got tight; Shiny could eat well and keep up his strength. She could fund her research seriously, or she could hire sompony to apprentice her for her certification for an actual job. Hell, she could get her teaching and thaumaturgy certificates and pursue her childhood dream of being a full-time magic instructor. It was a step towards the freedom she so craved.

And all it would cost her was the murder of an innocent. A price she was somehow seriously considering.

She stood. “I-I-I need to go... I need time to think...”

“Take your time,” Gambit said in his sickly-sweet, almost-grandfatherly voice. “I’ll give you a week to make up your mind.”

Reflection

The lock clicked shut. It was such a profound sound, what that lock made. If you listened, and you happened to know the owner of said lock, then it would tell you much. The sounds was not a crisp, quick click, as one would get when they ordinarily would lock the deadbolt of a door. It wasn’t the quiet click that sounded far louder than it actually was because the key holder was trying to sneak in without waking whomever might be on the other side. The sound had too much grinding, and was too slow but too loud at the same time. It was the sound of a pony going through the motions with little care for precision. It was the sound of a pony with dark thoughts on their mind.

The key to the lock floated into an inside pocket within a grey, worn-out robed, which rustled underneath the fabric of two saddle bags. That particular pair of bags contained a list of food items, and a distressing bag of bits.

The reason the mare holding the bit bag found it distressing was twofold. On one hoof, paying her legal debts and her family’s landlord had left it distressingly light. On the other hoof, the chance to fill it and her belly with proper food came with a price that was so heavy, the mare wondered how she could even walk.

Her hooves carried her across the length of the hall, plodding along the stained carpet with purpose, but not vigor. Methodically she descended the three stories of stairs at the end of the hall. There was a window in the stairwell, and through it, Sparkle could see the base of Canterlot mountain.

Her brother was somewhere up there, she noted. He’d been in the barracks all month, patrolling upper Canterlot during the evening patrols. Her home was lonely without him. And with Thorn out on another of her long-distance errands to collect esoteric texts from Manehattan, she was truly alone down here.

The mare stepped out of the stairwell and out the door way. Bright sunlight struck her face, making her blink and shy away until her eyes had adjusted. When they had, she lifted her gaze to its proper place. She trotted off.

The eyes bored into her even as their owners cleared the streets. She was used to the sideways glances, the confusion in ponies when they looked at her, knowing something was off but not what. This wasn’t that. These stares seemed to burn into her, criticizing and condemning her. Eyes that wished she would burn in hell. Eyes that hated and feared her.

A tiny voice in the back of Sparkle’s mind said they were just scared of her looks; she had forgone the set of illusions she affectionately called her “makeup” after all. Smoking eyes, a too-skinny face and a horn that had its filing neglected, leaving it wickedly sharp, did not do wonders for a pony’s pleasant image.

The larger voice in her mind convinced her that they were judging her, and they found her lacking. Every step she took, under the constant onslaught of whispers, stares, mares shooing foals away, and the likes, made her hooves feel heavier and heavier and heavier.

She pushed her way in through the door of the corner grocery store. The jingle of a bell above her head made her pull herself inward in an attempt to make herself as small as possible. Eyes turned to her. One mare even set down her shopping basket and hurriedly exited the other door, making the pony behind the register glare harder at Sparkle.

That tiny voice came back, calling for her to just make them stop. Half-heartedly, she wished that she was a griffin in their empire, where it was legal to attack those who offended you. Of course, that would defeat the whole reason behind her mood if she could do that.

Head down, she grabbed a basket by the door. She walked towards the isles, but was quickly stopped by a stallion. “Ma’am, you’re scaring away my paying customers. I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

Sparkle blinked. “But... I just needed to buy groceries. I’m out of food at home.”

“And I need to make a living,” the stallion replied, his voice taut and shaky. “I’m sorry, but...”

“No,” Sparkle replied quietly. “That’s OK. I understand. I’ll just go...” She turned and left without another word.

Stepping back out onto the street empty hooved, she raised her hood up and made to move forwards. Her hoof caught in air, stopped by a sudden thought. “No,” she whispered. “No, that is not OK.”

Quickly, she dashed into a side street and called up her magic. The spell was an illusion, but not her usual variety. Her “makeup” usually consisted of a spell that made her look ordinary, with a cost of about a half-percent of her reserves to cast and maintain for an hour. This spell took a whopping half of her reserves, more than most unicorns could muster without killing themselves.

All of her illusions required her to have a “base” idea in mind, imagining what she wanted her victim to see. The more complex, the more detailed the illusion would be, while the simpler the idea, the more powerful the illusion would be. Sparkle knew for a fact that had she used “I am the most impossible thing” instead of what she had, she could melt brains. Goo out the nose, dead body, the whole nine yards.

What she had used was almost as dangerous. Anypony who saw her would be cursed. Nothing would ever bring them joy again, merely boredom. They would remember this moment as the happiest they had ever been, and wouldn’t ever be able to find happiness again. No stallion who saw her would ever be happy in a relationship again, and no mare would see their own beauty. Why?

At that moment, Sparkle was the most beautiful mare possible, given the victims’ definitions of beauty, and they would always remember it as such.

She stepped back out into public view, and the world stopped. Mares cried and stallions stood at attention, in more ways than one. Though her gait was normal, they would see it as powerful, righteous, and divine. She was untouchable, and the common ponies knew it, and were ashamed to even spoil her beauty with their proximity.

In the store, the story was similar. Whatever she put in her basket, ponies would swarm to and clear the shelves in an instant. Whatever she ignored, the ponies would treat it as if it were the plague itself.

Sweet nothings graced her ears, and, while knowing full well that they were lies, she savored every one of them. Affection, admiration, praise, and vengeance were drugs to the darkest of ponies, she knew; yet she indulged anyway. She knew it wouldn’t last, that she would be back to facing the same choice, but in that moment, she lost the will to care.

She approached the register and the stallion behind it, the one who had kicked her out not a half hour before. “Hello,” she said simply. To the ears of everypony within range, her voice was the single most beautiful melody that could possibly exist. Silence descended upon the crowded store, every last pony afraid to move a muscle, lest they cause a noise and miss even a fragment of her voice. “I wanted to buy these, but I’m a tad low on money, could you-”

Pandemonium erupted. Ponies were pushing and shoving and biting and kicking and screaming and surging forwards to offer her their hard-earned bits. In the seconds before Sparkle raised a hoof to stop them, she saw at least three ponies break bones. “Please, I was only asking if I might have a discount. If you must give somepony your money, you could always pay for my food for me.”

The bits started flying, literally. Heavy, metal-filled sacks were tossed towards the helpless store-owner, or, in the case of a few unicorn and earth pony customers, launched with enough force to dent the wall behind him.

Sparkle smirked. Leaning down while shielding herself from the onslaught, she whispered into the fallen pony’s ear, “You should be ashamed of yourself.”

Something changed in his eyes, causing them to appear dull and lifeless. He stood as Sparkle straightened up. She stepped back, allowing the still-growing crowd to continue throwing bits at him. Suddenly he jerked to the side, completely on his own accord, and took a bag of bits to the face. There was an audible crack, dropping him like a puppet with cut strings. Sparkle turned towards the crowd. “You should all be ashamed of yourselves.”

She exited the building, illusion shattering, with a stomach sick with pride. The rush of pleasure all ponies experience when using their talent faded, and the guilt set back in. She was worried about ending one pony’s life, when she could just casually do that?

Right then and there, standing on the street corner where that shop - now in flames - stood, she decided that that money was cursed. No matter what, that fortune would go to her head. She knew it.

Her hooves burst into action, galloping towards her home. She couldn’t stand it any longer. Without the illusion, the stares were back and in full force. She was going to break, snap, shatter, disintegrate if she stayed out any longer. Sparkle ran.

With food in her belly and time to stop and think, Sparkle had calmed down. By no means was she better, but she was calm. She needed help; of what kind, she couldn't quite picture. Who would listen to her? A therapist? She could never afford that right now. Shining Armor? He was away until Friday, the day of the deadline. Thorn? She could reach him, but he wasn't the kind of individual she would want to unload on; his advice would probably hurt more than help. Twilight?

Sparkle's eyes affixed themselves upon the typewriter. Could she help? Sparkle didn't know if Twilight would understand. Maybe... Maybe she should just talk to her about something else. Something other than this.

Her eyes drifted over to the book next to the machine. It was that book. The words on its leather-bound cover, only ever visible to her and those she empowered, read Dread Necroptica: Mind. She glared at the book.

Stomping over, she took the book in hoof and whipped her foreleg around. "I HATE YOU!" she yelled. The book, which should have been across the room, was still firmly in her grasp. "This is all your fault," she spitefully hissed at the paper object.

Unlike any other book, it responded, flipping open to a blank page that certainly wasn't there before and wrote upon itself, 'I am a book. How could I do anything you accuse me of?'

"It was your spell that caused this mess!" Sparkle screamed.

'One which you used freely and of your own will,' the book's text replied. 'I am only living information. How could I possibly make you do anything?'

Sparkle set the book – and the information demon within – down on her desk. She had no reply, other than a gruff grunt of anger.

Turning towards her desk, she sat down in the chair and pulled the typewriter towards her. She pounded out a quick message on the keys, and then pushed the lever to set it to the next line, eliciting a ding in response.

It was only a minute later that a reply came.

Twi: Hey Sparks, what's wrong?
Spark: I've kind of had a rough day. Can you tell me something good to get my mind off it?
Twi: Sure, if that will help you feel better.

Remember the incident with my Trixie? So Celestreea walks into the farmer's market and starts examining the crops. She then says, 'I know how you could grow these crops even better. And over the next week, she goes to almost every garden in town and gives advice. By the second week, ponies are coming to her for advice, and by the third, the advice isn't limited to just plants. Eight days ago, Applejack came to me for advice on how to write a book, and yesterday, I found out that she and many other farmers are writing The Holy Word of the Garden.

The punchline? I'm not joking. I may have accidentally brought to life the founder of Equestria's fastest growing religion.

Sparkle honestly didn't know what to make of that, but at least it succeeded in getting her mind off-

Nevermind.

Spark: Well, as long as you aren't going 'praise the log' or something similarly inane, I won't stop you from joining.
Twi: You're laughing at me, I know it!
Spark: No, I'm not.
Twi: Yes you are!

Her accusation was met with no response. A long pause punctuated the moment, one in which the air seemed to grow thick and oppressive to Sparkle. Her gut twisted into a knot, and she knew what was coming, what she had to do.

Spark: Twilight, I can kill ponies by talking to them.

On the other side, the jovial mood in the library evaporated into smoke. Twilight watched in horror as the words of explanation formed before her eyes. Tears of empathy formed in the corner of her eyes, and before she knew it, she was sobbing as hard as her sister.

At last, the typewriter stilled into silence. Twilight looked at the clock and, realizing there was time left, typed one final message.

I'm coming now. Meet me at our garden spot.

Time bent sideways as the light unicorn entered the garden. Her dark counterpart sat on the bench they always used to meet at when they were fillies. Twilight sat down next to her, as did Spike on the opposite side. She embraced her counterpart.

For a time – it really didn't matter how long – they just sat that way. The comfort of long-needed physical contact calmed and comforted Sparkle immensely. Being as close to Twilight as she was, she did not feel the urge to talk; nothing needed to be said.

By the time they moved, the sun was low in the sky, tinting the world orange with pinkish highlights around the clouds. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Slowly, Sparkle shook her head. "Not really. There isn't much else to say."

"Then I'll just be here for as long as you need me," Twilight replied.

The sun had fully set before Sparkle spoke again. "How are you getting home? The last train must have left already?"

"Don't worry about that, sis. I can always sleep at my parent's house, Shiny's place, my room in the Castle, or, Celestia forbid, a hotel," she gasped in mock horror, trying to raise the mood. "I told you I'd be here as long as you needed me, and I think you still do."

"But-" A hoof silenced her.

"No buts."

They sat for a while more.

"Spike, can you send this for me?"

"Sure."

Fwoosh.

The letter, unexpected it its timing, landed on top of Celestia's late night work. "Oh, a letter from Twilight. Let's see..."

Dear Princess Celestia,

I know you asked me to write to you on what I've learned about friendship. This isn't that. This is something I've always known. Sometimes, ponies hurt real bad. And there are times when there is nothing you can do to ease their pain besides being with them. And it hurts, watching them hurt outside your ability to help.

Remember Sparkle? We talked today. She is hurting in ways I can't adequately describe. And, while I don't think it is my story to tell, I can tell you that she's in one of the worst places a pony can be.

And I can't help her.

What do I do?

Your Faithful Student,

Twilight

P.S. I'm in Canterlot right now. May I sleep in my old room tonight?

Celestia set the letter down. "My dear Twilight..."

Procrastination

Thorn wondered if it was possible to wear a rut in the ground by pacing. If it was, Sparkle was going to do it very soon with as many loops around the room as she had covered. The mare’s eyes, Thorn observed, were dull and emotionless, obviously as a result of the emotional dampening spell she had cast upon herself.

It was great to keep her relaxed, but it did little to ease her indecisiveness.

“What to do, what to do...” she mumbled to herself. “Time’s almost up. What to do?”

“Take a page out of Twilight’s book,” Thorn suggested. “Make a list.”

“Right. Thorn?”

“Ready,” the drake said after procuring a quill and scroll.

“Saying Yes, Pros: Money, no debt, food, allies within the criminal sphere, political influence, favors, more clients, more work, false IDs, a darker turn on my reputation, gain permanent influence over Card Gambit post-ritual.

“Cons: Murder of an innocent, murder for profit, loss of potential light allies, helping a known criminal, branded as a criminal, must live under disguise for rest of life, more requests for similar rituals, might lose Shiny’s love... ouch, inability to live with myself.

“Saying No, Pros: No change in status, not a ritual murderer, other criminals not wanting immortality from me, Shiny still loves me.
“Cons: Gambit mad at me, syndicate turning on me, potential for coercive tactics to be used against me or Shiny, loss of fortune, debts, hunger. Got all that?”

Thorn nodded. “Got it. Sparkle, If I were you, I’d just do it and be done with it.”

“But I’m not you,” she snapped. “Gyah! Stupid, motherbucking, feather-brained son-of-a-bitch! Why couldn't you have rolled over and died before you brought me into this mess?” She raged, temporarily overcoming the emotional suppression spell.

“Language, Sparkle,” the drake habitually quipped.

Sparkle glared at the drake. “Not. Helping.”

“Look, I know this will hurt you to hear this, but you've already killed for personal gain. You've already crossed that line," Thorn said. His words made Sparkle step back, her ears flattened against her head. "The market, remember? Look, most of your arguments revolve around emotion and morality, and there isn't much of that for us, Sparks. You taught me to be pragmatic, you teach your students to be pragmatic, you always say to do the best possible choice; now be pragmatic."

Sparkle glared at him. "Thorn, this is- I can't just- You don't understand!"

"Don't I? Why don't we just ask your brother? Shining Armor’s going to be-” Thorn was interrupted by a pounding on the door. That definitely wasn’t her brother.

“Open up, Sparkle,” the pony on the outside called. “Time's up. The boss wants to see you."

Dispelling the magic around her mind, Sparkle sighed. "Great, just bucking great. Thorn, can you follow me discretely? I may need you."

He nodded as he spoke, "Sure thing, Sparkle."

The blindfold and the horn-suppressor were things that were constants when dealing with the boss. Nopony outside his trusted inner circle knew where his offices were, or where he was at any given time. And, as paranoid as the old warhawk was – there was no better way to describe him – there was no way he'd let a questionably loyal unicorn keep their magic in his presence.

Not that the best of the best even needed to use their horn to cast magic, or to have a horn in the first place. Hell, even non-ponies could call upon the arcane with the right training.

Despite that, the ring on her horn did mess with her magical circuits, weakening her drastically. To the power-hungry pegasus behind the decadently over-decorated desk in the similarly excessive office, it was exactly the way he liked it. "Tell me, Ms. Sparkle, have you come to a decision? I trust you'll pick the right thing."

"I've thought about it, Mr. Gambit, and I am afraid there is no way I can accept the task." A pony who had been standing in the back of the room exited. "This is a personal thing; I'm sure you can understand."

The smirk on Card Gambit's face didn't fade as much as Sparkle expected it to. "I understand. I guess it simply was not to be. Now, would you be so kind as to help an old stallion to his hooves? I want to show you something."

She nodded, at least willing to show a pony common decency. Trotting round the desk, she offered a hoof, which he gladly accepted. Card stood, showing that his rear leg was supported by a metal brace. "Come, walk with me."

Sparkle obliged, following behind the slow-moving, elderly pegasus. In silence they walked for several minutes, not going relatively far because of the elder's speed. Sparkle was about to break the silence when the two turned a corner and came upon a metal door. His hoof pushed on the lever, allowing the door to swing in.

The scream that punctuated the air had her moving faster than she thought possible, for one simple reason; she knew that voice. "SHINY!"

The room she burst into was large, hot, dank, and cram-packed with metal cages. Most were empty, but the occasional cage contained a pony or some other sentient race. None of that mattered to Sparkle. What did was the cage in which she saw one pony kicking the downed form of her brother. "LET HIM GO!" She roared, charging towards the guards around his cell.

A set of strong hooves and a strong magic field intercepted her, pinning her to the floor. Her head fell at just an angle needed to see Shining Armor out the corner of her eyes. She struggled, her magic thrashing under her skin in an attempt to break her captors' grips.

"Now, now, Ms. Sparkle. Your brother here is going to be our guest until the job is done. He'll be quite cozy as long as you just say yes. If not..." Card's wing flipped open. Magic, a property of the soul and directly the body, grew stronger with age, and Card Gambit was no exception. His wing, suddenly quite electrified, struck the bars of the cage. Shining Armor screamed while his previous torturer looked on, unaffected because of the rubber boots he was wearing.

There was movement in the background, observed only by Sparkle. Thorn. Suddenly reassured with extra confidence, Sparkle twitched her magic. To those onlookers who could feel it, they would think nothing of it. To Thorn, the short-range communication from his mother said, 'wait for a better opportunity.'

"Well?" Card asked. "My workers are so temperamental, and I can't keep them calm forever. Now, as long as you agree to the job within the next, oh, thirty seconds, I'll let him go and even still pay you for the job. Or not..." Again, he let the implication hang.

From the cage, Shining Armor hoarsely called out, "Do whatever they want, Sparks! Don't fight, or somepony could get hurt, but potect yourself. We can deal with whatever comes afterward when we're both free."

"Fine," Sparkle relented. The pony on her back lifted up, while the aura pinning her down suddenly dragged her backwards. "Shiny!"

"Sparks!"

The last she saw of him before the metal door closed was his hoof sticking out the bars of his cage.

"Let him go!"

"Not yet, Ms. Sparkle. There's an order to these things. First, I give you this." From under his wing, Card pulled out an envelope and passed it to Sparkle. "These are the instructions to get the first half of your money; you'll get the rest when the job is done and I am young again. Then, after you keep your end, the rest of the money and your brother are yours."

"Fine." She took the envelope and pocketed it. "There are some things I need before we can do this. Blood of the victim, blood of the predator, two large corundum-based gems – rubies or sapphires, as large and clear as possible – and a wooden basin. I'll also need to get some books from my place.

"And if so much as one hair on Shining Armor's head is out-of-place when I get back, NoT eVeN ThE cReAtOr WiLl SaVe YoU wHeN i DeVoUr EaCh AnD eVeRy OnE oF yOuR sOuLs." The shadows bent and stretched, the wind blew around her, the stench of rot assaulted the noses of everypony nearby, the suppression ring on her horn groaned with the strain of keeping her back, and Sparkle's powerful voice reverberated down to their very souls.

She wasn't the only pony to flare their magic. Card and the hired muscle each flared their magic, creating various sensations depending on their tribe, with the pegasi producing electrified wind, unicorns producing an outwards pressure, and earth ponies seeming to make everything feel heavier. The tension in the room could be cut with a knife.

Then, just as suddenly as it had come, the moment was gone and everypony could breathe again. "Now that this little pissing match is over, I suggest you run along and get your money, get your books, and come back when you're ready. After all, the longer you take, the longer Shining Armor stays my guest," Card Gambit smugly said.

Sparkle snorted angrily and scraped her hoof on the tile floor. "Mark my words, Gambit. If you break your end of the deal, I will make you immortal, and I will make every last moment of eternity an absolute hell."

He only smirked.

The scent of cigar smoke - while as pleasant as smoke could be - irritated Sparkle’s muzzle. Thorn, had he been with her, would have sucked the ambient fumes in with great gusto. Around them, dozens, maybe even a few hundred ponies sat around gambling their money away. Despite the drab, ordinary exterior, this rather lavish casino was the place the letter had instructed her to go.

She walked up to one of the clerks at the barred exchange window and passed a slip to her. The slip, covered in symbols that Sparkle had no clue what they meant, was taken by the mare and given a once-over. She stood up and walked away.

A minute later, the mare was back with a bucket in her mouth. She passed the lidded bucket to Sparkle, and then passed a different slip of paper. “Here are your chips. Have fun playing, don’t come back for an hour and use a different window to get your cash. Keep this receipt for your own financial records.”

The receipt in question denoted that Sparkle had only bought thirty bits worth of chips, while judging from the high-stakes chips in her bucket, Sparkle was probably carrying several million’s worth. Sparkle nodded in understanding.

As soon as she walked away from the window, her horn darkened. Two spells formed; the first would stop ponies from having any interest in the bucket, while the second would make them dearly regret it if they still did.

Sparkle didn’t play but one game, where she lost a measly ten bits. Her nerves were too frayed to enjoy herself, knowing that every moment she waited, her brother could be in pain. She trusted Thorn not to do anything that would jeopardize the situation, but couldn’t help but worry anyway.

When the time was up, Sparkle almost literally materialized before the exchange stallion. The magic on the bucket evaporated as she passed it to him, and he took it without batting an eye. Like the mare before him, he disappeared around the back. When he returned, he was carrying a locked briefcase and a key, which he passed back. Quickly opening the case, Sparkle saw that the proper banknotes were present. Gratefully, she took it, the key, and the receipt that showed half of Card’s promised amount minus her losses.

She left in a hurry.

A quick stop at her house saw her lightened by one briefcase and burdened down by two vile, leather-bound books, a used ritual blade she’d liberated from a poor soul who had tried to steal her powers once, and several rolls of genuine parchment. The door, opened not two minutes before, was locked down and sealed with several nasty spells to keep out the nosey.

Racing across the ground as a shadow, slipping under ponies and carriages as if they weren’t even there, she made a mad dash towards the meeting place where the grunts would be. Much to her relief, the pierced unicorn and the burly pegasus were there.

“I’m ready,” She said as she emerged from the disembodied shadow.

“Come.”

"If he gives you the signal, he's in charge of the organization. If he doesn't, kill her."

"Yes, sir."

The room she found herself in was quite empty, devoid of all furniture and windows. Candle holders lined the wall, providing an eerie light. The floor itself, granite, was unusually smooth and extremely clean, giving the impression that this room had been made for expressly the purpose of conducting rituals.

“Here you go, Ms. Sparkle. Plenty of space for us to work,” Card Gambit said.

“And the ingredients I need?” Sparkle asked.

“Ah, one moment. Savior!”

From outside the room, a voice called out, “Coming, pops.” In walked a young, muscular, pegasus colt, possibly two years younger than Sparkle herself. “Here you go!” he cheerfully exclaimed as he set the bowl and the two rubies within down before her.

She eyed it and, determining that everything was satisfactory, said, “Now, I need your blood, Mr. Gambit, as well as the blood of your victim. Where is he? I’d assumed you would have already had him in here.”

Savior looked at her as if she had asked if the weather was playing a G# today. “I’m right here.”

“Wait, you’re using your own son for this?” Sparkle realized, horrified. “And he’s fine with that?”

“Of course he is,” Card replied smugly. “I’ve been planning this for years now. It’s only natural that a son would want to help his father.”

Sparkle was shocked, horrified, disgusted, and enraged, all at once. Shocked because that was his son, horrified because apparently Savior had been groomed to die, disgusted because Card was old enough to be Savior's great-grandfather, and enraged because one of the plans for trapping Card involved using a completely unrelated pony for the sacrifice.

"You are. One. Sick. Bastard. You know that, right?" Sparkle spat. She grit her teeth in rage.

"Don't worry, Ms. Sparkle! When pops and I are together, I'll be sure to fix him," the optimistic colt said.

"Savior, it doesn't work that way," Sparkle informed him. "You're going to be gone for ever; your father's just going to be wearing your hide."

"Are you sure? 'Cause that's not what pops said, and he's been studying," Savior replied.

"I'm sure."

"Oh." He was silent for a second, then, "That's fine."

"Savior..."

"Sparkle, I'm not getting any younger here," Card Gambit said, "and your brother sure as hell isn't getting any free-er."

"..." Sparkle said nothing, but glared at him. Regardless, she started preparing for a moment she would regret for the rest of her life.

Surrounded by the sounds of other illegally-held prisoners, Shining Armor lay on his side, recovering as best he could. He could feel at least one broken rib, a possibly fractured leg, a few gashes, and several dozen bruises. Nothing career ending, provided he could get medical help soon, but painful regardless.

He lay on his side, his leg hurting too much for any other position to be even remotely comfortable. He did fear for his safety, but he also had no clue as to what they were going to make his little sister do. Considering her talent, it was probably better that he didn't know; that didn't mean he wanted his sister to go through it.

It was in this lying position that he first saw the shadows move. At first, he thought it might be his sister, that is, until the terrifying visage of a dracolich emerged instead. Shining nearly screamed, err... hollered in manly distress, but silenced himself as his reason caught up to his perfectly rational fear response.

Thorn was a scary little fucker.

At that moment though, he gladly took an undead dragon over his captors. "Thorn."

"Shiny, I'm here to get you out," the drake whispered. "Are you hurt?"

"Leg, ribs, limited mobility, mild blood loss," Shiny stated clinically, as all guards were taught in basic training. "Sparkle?"

"She's fine. I'm getting you out in case something goes wrong," Thorn replied. He stood up tall and blew a thin stream of super-hot fire on a bar, melting it in seconds.

He was about to do it again when Shining Armor stopped him. "No! If I'm gone, they'll start executing the other prisoners to get her to work."

"She's already working; it's fine," Thorn replied. He yanked out the first bar and started on the another. "Now, do you mind if I grab something to eat on the way out?"

"What do you- oh..." He suddenly shrank back instinctively from the predator before him, prey instincts awoken. "Only those who are trying to kill us, and not if they retreat."

Thorn snorted. "They'll all be trying to kill us, and I won't give them the chance."

"Buck."

"Language, Uncle Shiny."

The screams echoed loudly within the stone ritual room, but not a sound escaped beyond it thanks to Sparkle's silencing spell. Blood oozed from Card's original mouth, as well as dozens of other runes carved into his skin, as his soul was forcefully ripped from its body and shoved into the first jewel. Sparkle let out a sadistic snicker. "If you wanted it to be less painful, you should have paid me more. If you wanted it to not hurt at all, you shouldn't have touched my brother. I told you I'd make you regret hiring me."

Savior, on the other hoof, had a much nicer time of it, with the modified spell circle easily sliding his soul into the second gem. The change allowed her to take his soul, unconscious but unharmed, with her. She thought of it at the last second – literally – and it had made her sigh in relief. It couldn't save all of him, but it could save the vast majority of him.

The moment both souls entered their respective jewels completely, Sparkle paused the ritual. She removed the jewel containing Savior's soul, which sparkled with an internal light, and set it aside. Over the runes surrounding the blood-filled basin and Card's soul-gem, Sparkle placed rune-inscribed parchment to add extra effects that would permanently alter his mind and soul. They would be subtle and devious for sure. She couldn't abuse them without him figuring it out, but they would certainly be helpful.

Finished with her modifications, she resumed the ritual. As Savior's old body started convulsing and writhing in agony, she felt guilty for the real one, but felt no remorse for the one who had doomed him.

The darkness of her magic receded momentarily, but returned with specialized diagnostic spells. Sparkle grinned like a mad-mare, which she arguably was, when she saw the results. It worked. The extra spells were settling in nicely, fading into his own magic. A true curse, she would assert.

Card Gambit-as-Savior stood up, somewhat shaky on unfamiliar hooves. In a minute though, he had asserted full control over his form. "It worked. It actually worked! Ha! Thank you, Ms. Sparkle. Your payment and your brother are yours."

"Thank you. Now, would you kindly leave the room for a few minutes? I need to clean up and decontaminate the room from my corruptive magic."

"Sure, sure." He said, and then left without another word.

In truth, she needed to do nothing of the sort. Instead, she flopped down on her back and balanced Savior's soul-gem on her navel. Her horn darkened, and so did the light of his soul. She smiled at the warm sensation spreading through her abdomen. "Don't worry, Savior. Mommy will have you all better in no time."

Standing up again, she pocketed the two jewels, grabbed her belongings, and trotted out of the room. Shoulders far lighter than she had anticipated, her hooves barely seemed to touch the ground. Humming a happy tune, she never noticed the tiny mistake she had made.

Shining armor hobbled out of the hospital with his leg in a cast and his wounds bandaged. He hadn't yet seen Sparkle since Thorn had rescued him from captivity, but that was rectified only a moment later. "Shiny!"

"Hey there, Sparks!" Shining Armor called out, waving a good hoof at her. "Are you alright?"

"Hehehe, I should be asking you that. But I am really happy right now; you're safe!" She walks up and gingerly hugged her brother.

"What kept you, though? I would have thought you'd have come running the moment Thorn got me free."

Sparkle nervously chuckled. "I did, but not to you." She flinched at the look Shining Armor gave her. "What? I had to get the money before they could stop me when they realized that you were gone."

"So money is more important than me?" Shining inquired.

"What? No! I just knew Thorn was with you. That's all."

Shining rolled his eyes. "I feel so loved. Now, I'm afraid to ask, but they didn't tell me what you were doing, or why. Care to fill me in?"

Sparkles ears flattened as she drooped her head and looked away. "Nothing interesting..."

"Nothing interesting? Nothing interesting, my ass! Sparks, they kidnapped me in broad daylight to get you to work for them! What the hell are you not telling me?" Shining Armor yelled, breathing hard afterwards.

Sparkle sheepishly turned towards her brother. "Promise you won't get mad? Or tell anyone?"

There was silence for a very long time. The stallion glared at his sister. "Fine," he growled. "What. Happened?"

"Card Gambit wanted me to sacrifice his son so that he could have his son's body, youth, and identity. He offered Ten million bits for the job."

"T-ten million?" Shining gasped. "That's-"

"A good chunk of his fortune and enough to put us in the top 15% of ponies, yes," Sparkle stated. "All our debts with him would be gone, too. But I said no. Then they showed me you, who they'd already captured, as incentive."

"So you did the job."

"Yes, but not for the original price," she answered.

"So, how much did you lose?" He asked.

"Nothing; I gained. It's only fair that since they took something of mine, you, I should take something of his too. Let's see, I got you, two rubies for Thorn, half of his new immune system's strength, and his deceased son's soul."

Shining stood with his mouth agape. "What. Why would you need his son's soul?"

"A project," Sparkle replied mysteriously. "If everything goes well... Nah, I won't ruin the surprise. You'll figure it out."

"Dear Celestia, now I really don't want to know."

Author's Note

I've never played the game the reference I included came from. It was my brother who told me a joke about how he and one of his friends pestered another friend with that phrase while he was playing the game. His reaction at the end was priceless.

Reduplication

Sparkle was humming as she worked. There was no particular tune to which she hummed, but it sounded happy regardless. Around her, her little family’s few possessions floated through the air, gently boxing themselves based on size and weight. Beside her, a quill scratched on paper a list of all of their belongings.

It was moving day.

With enough money distributed between savings accounts, investment funds, bonds, hidden caches, or converted into gold and locked away, their financial security was safe enough for them to afford to move into a better apartment in a better neighborhood. Not coincidentally, it was a few blocks south of their old home from before the time-split.

In her mind at least, Sparkle figured that with a little magical misdirection, nosy, gossipy neighbors would be much easier to deal with than the less-than-sociable neighbors that regularly accosted her when she passed by, who were only renting in that building because their personalities kept them from better jobs.

The lock clicked open. Shining Armor limped into the room and set his saddle bags on the small table nearby. “Hey, B.B.B.F.F., how are you feeling?” Sparkle greeted.

Shining massaged his cast-bound foreleg. It still pained him, despite the doctor telling him that it and his other injuries were healing unusually fast. “Sparks, Thorn, I made a mistake.”

Sparkle’s happy expression melted away, while Thorn popped in from another room. The objects in the mare’s aura were set down as she walked towards Shining. “What happened?”

“Nothing that we can’t fix, but I have to warn you two. I told the hospital staff that I was attacked, and I gave them my credentials so the crown would pay for my treatment. The Princesses take their Guards’ Safety seriously, so when something like this happens, they will launch an investigation.”

“And they’ll uncover what Sparks and I did,” Thorn said.

“Exactly,” Shining Armor replied. “So, as far as I know, Thorn saw me and followed my captors. When he had a chance, he freed me. Meanwhile, Sparkle was winning big at a casino during the time of my captivity and was brought by Card Gambit’s in to perform a ritual unknown to me. She refused at first, but I was used as a hostage. She reluctantly performed the ritual, while Thorn broke me out at the same time.

“All of that it technically true,” Shining concluded, “if you think of it in terms of discrete logic, disregarding the sequence of events.”

“But in context, it’s totally misleading!” Sparkle replied in understanding. “Shiny, that’s brilliant.”

“I try.”

“When is the investigation?” Thorn asked.

“Tomorrow at noon. I have to report in to my superiors, and I’d like you to come in with me,” Shining said. “Sparkle, how well do you remember what that bastard’s new body looks like?”

“Well enough to make a projection of it. I have his soul as a reference,” the mare answered.

Shining blinked. “What are you doing with his soul?” Thorn nodded at Sparkle, curious as well.

Sparkle smirked. “I told you, I’ll let it be a surprise. I will give you a hint though; this would have been much harder without money, especially since it is such a long-term thing.”

Thorn cocked his head to the side, while Shining Armor frowned and looked at his sister. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“Hehehe, not exactly. The first part was all experimental, but it looks like it worked just fine. This next part could take a while, but it’s relatively easy. It’s the last part that I’m worried about. If plan A works, I’ll be done in a year or two. Plan B, the harder but well-documented option, could take eight to ten, minimum, and I don’t think I could do it alone.”

Shining sighed, put his good fore-hoof to his face, and plopped down on the drab, old couch. “I just know I’m going to regret this, but if there’s any way I can help, let me know.”

“Thanks, Shiny. You’re the best.” Her hoof wrapped around his strong neck in a tight embrace.

He returned the gesture. “I love you, sis. I always will, no strings attached.”

Sparkle stiffened, then relaxed even further into the hug.

“Hey,” spoke the drake, causing the two to look towards him. “Can I join?”

The moment between siblings passed. The drake’s odd request brought chuckles to Sparkle’s lips. She broke off the hug with Shining Armor and scooped up the presently small dragon. “Thanks for everything, Thorn.”

"Ms. Sparkle? Please, come in." It wasn't a waiting room per-say in which the middle aged pony spoke, but there was a bench across from him upon which his query sat patiently. He turned once she acknowledged his words by standing and lead her into one of the interrogation rooms.

The headquarters of the Canterlot Police Department, an offshoot of the Royal Guard, saw its fair share of criminals, suspects, victims, and witnesses passing through its halls. Since each and every one of those ponies needed to be questioned at some point, space had been set aside for that very purpose. The rooms were colored a calming blue and were featureless apart from a table, two pairs of chairs, and a one-way mirror for seeing into each. The crystals in the ceiling, like those of any unicorn-housing prison, could stop the outward expression of magic.

It was into one of these rooms that Sparkle was led. In one of the chairs sat a coffee-and-cream colored earth pony mare. Upon seeing Sparkle enter, she said, "Please, take a seat."

Sparkle sat.

"Now, I need to ask you a few questions regarding your brother's assault, kidnapping, and subsequent escape. Before that though, I need to ask you a few questions for the public record. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Ms. ...?"

"Mrs. Whodunnit is my name. And you are Sparkle, born Twilight Velvet Sparkle eighteen years ago to Night Light and Twilight Alabaster Velvet, both deceased?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Your elder brother by blood is Second Lieutenant Shining Armor of the Equestrian Royal Guard?"

Sparkle affirmed that that was correct.

"You have two counts of felony, both pardoned by Her Royal Highness, Princess Celestia, six cases of misdemeanors, all sentences served, and... forty two cases of intentional violation of travel restrictions. Is that correct?"

"This pertains to my brother... how, exactly?" Sparkle asked. The legal fees and lawyer costs of those cases had been astronomical, and part of the reason that they had been in so much debt. How it was relevant to this event in particular though, Sparkle couldn't say.

Mrs. Whodunnit answered immediately, as of expecting the question. "In instances potentially involving criminals affiliated with organized crime, all witnesses have their criminal records verified for accuracy and brought before the investigating party. In the event that a previous conviction of a witness is related to the criminals in question, additional steps may be taken. As you are not the one being investigated here and your brother is a witness, the only thing I believe will come of this is that you might be called back for additional questioning."

"Then yes," Sparkle said, "that is correct."

Whodunnit picked up some of the papers before her and read something on them. "And finally, I see that you... are..." She paused, shook her head, and looked again. Decidedly more nervous, Whodunnit said, "...A registered dark mage."

"Shiny didn't tell you that?" Sparkle asked.

"No. Not at all." The interrogator shuddered once. "I take it that this is correct?"

"Yes."

"Very well. Would you please explain the events of that day?"

Recounting carefully, Sparkle told the investigator her version of the events. She never lied, and, with one exception, she never refused to answer one of the investigator's questions. "Your brother said that they wanted you to perform a specific spell. What spell was it?"

"It is nameless," Sparkle answered, knowing full well that it did actually have a name. The word was written in ancient Unicornian, which relied on non-verbal thaumatic field fluctuations and literally couldn't be understood or spoke by an earth pony due to the lack of a unicorn's horn sense.

"And what does this spell do?"

"It switches special things."

"Could you elaborate?"

"No."

Whodunnit put a hoof to her head. "Ms. Sparkle, the nature of that spell could be important to establishing a motive of these criminals."

Sparkle rolled her eyes atr the earth pony interrogator. "I'll tell you their motive. Card Gambit and his son Savior wanted something highly valuable, something that I could but was unwilling to provide. My service was rendered in exchange for my brother, who, unbeknownst to me was being rescued by Thorn at the time. If you want to know more, find the pegasus named Savior and ask him if he would kindly confess; I'm done talking about this," the annoyed unicorn said.

Marking that down on her papers, Whodunnit sighed. "Fine. Next question..."

“That took forever,” Thorn commented as Sparkle came out of the interrogation room. He moved along side her, and together the two made for the building exit.

Trotting towards the stairs, Sparkle replied, “It wasn’t so bad.”

“Maybe for you,” Thorn countered, rolling his eyes and snorting in annoyance as he did so. “I had to wait out here where everypony could gawk at me, or stare at me out of the corner of their eyes, pretending not to be looking at me.” There was a sudden shuffling of papers, causing Sparkle to look around. A surprising number of ponies were looking at the floor with great interest. “Yeah.”

They quickly rounded a corner. “I’m sure that-Oof!” Sparkle was surprised to find herself on the floor, having been knocked over after colliding with somepony.

“Hey! Watch where you’re going,” Thorn growled at the other pony. His face was inches away from the other’s, meaning his breath, hot, muggy, and putrid, blew across the pony’s nose.

While Thorn may have been looking at the pony’s green eyes, the pony (a guard that looked nearly twice Sparkle’s age) could only see razor-sharp fangs dripping with saliva. He, quite predictably, froze like a deer.

“Thorn! Leave him alone,” Sparkle called, causing the dracolich to back down. “Come on, we still have boxes to pack. Let’s get going.”

“Fine,” he said. With that, the two were gone. The event, which had taken only a few seconds, and might not have seemed so bad to an onlooker, had taken forever in the mind of the guard.

They never heard what came out of the guard’s mouth. They never knew what memories he was reliving. Sparkle never connected that pony to one of the many she had taught. Nopony would know what he meant when he spoke, silently dying a little bit on the inside as he did.

“Don’t put me back in the dark box. Please, I’ll be a good toy.”

A day later, in another part of Canterlot, two ponies were speaking.

“Did you hear? It is moving in nearby! Ugh! What is the Princess doing, letting that thing live up here,” the first said.

“Quiet! Do you want her to hear us talking about her?” shushed the second.

“It is most definitely not a her. That thing is not a pony,” replied the first.

“Indeed. However, I would not doubt that she has abilities that let her see when ponies speak of her,” warned the second.

The first declared, “It must have quite some nerve, then, to snoop in the business of two noble lords. Do you hear that, foul necromancer? We are not to be trifled with!”

“Please stop shouting. It is quite uncouth, especially for somepony of our prestige. Besides, we are alone in here,” commented the second.

“True.” There was a pause, then the first speculated, “Perhaps Prince Blueblood and his friends would be willing to help us see it gone for good.”

“I do like your thinking, good sir,” agreed the second.

“Then it’s settled. Only the best should live in this fair city.”

“Wealthy, law-abiding unicorns, you mean,” the second corrected.

“That is what I said.”

Unbeknownst to them, something was listening in. That thing happened to be one of the innumerable specters Sparkle had created. It reassured Sparkle to have many of them, her little spies and assistants. This particular specter knew it had struck gold with this information.

Fading out of the mirror - the reflections within returning to their true positions - the quasi-demonic specter drifted to its mistress’s home to warn her, perpetually giggling like any other specter as it traveled.

Author's Note

I'll give that guard a name eventually.

Secondary

Among the international populations, there existed a stereotype about Equestrians. They say that whenever something interesting occurs around an Equestrian, something else interesting is sure to follow. Whether or not it is a fortuitous event is irrelevant. Interestingly enough, the Sambar Deer to the east had turned this into a curse: "May you live like an Equestrian."

Equestrians, when told of this stereotype, would nod and say, "Yes, that's us." They knew that their image was justified, and knew that a peaceful life for them would be anything but for another species.

On one particular day, most ponies outside of the city of Cloudsdale looked up into the sky, saw the mesmerizing sight of a circular rainbow spreading as far across the sky as the eye could see, and promptly went inside to prepare for whatever else was coming their way.

Most, except for Sparkle, who was lounging under a tree in the park, listening to the foals play and the birds chirp, and reading a dissertation on the effect of using a virgin or non-virgin sacrifice in a blood ritual. Just a bit of light reading to pass the time. So when the rainboom detonated overhead, she glanced up, shook off the feeling of déjà vu, and went back to her tome.

If somepony had been paying attention, they would have noticed that about eleven minutes after the explosion, a vividly blue earth pony purposefully trotted up to where Sparkle was relaxing. "Excuse me," he said, pulling her attention away from the book, "could I ask you something?"

"Oh, sure. I don't know how much help I can be, but I can try." Sparkle answered. She bookmarked her page and closed the tome. "What do you need?"

"I was wondering if an earth pony like me could use magic," he said.

Sparkle asked, "Have you been listening to unicorn supremacists? They say earth ponies have no magic; they're lying. Earth pony magic reinforces the body, meaning-"

"No," he said, cutting Sparkle off. "I mean, can earth ponies cast spells, like a unicorn? Like levitation and energy beams?"
She was silent for a moment. "Technically, yes. Don't get your hopes up; most ponies can barely even use the full potential of their own tribe's magic, let alone another tribe's."

"Could you teach me unicorn magic? Please?" he asked excitedly, stepping closer to Sparkle.

"Hang on. I don't even know you. What makes you think that I could teach you anything? Sparkle countered.

"Whoops, sorry. I'm Cobalt, and... you are Sparkle." His hoof pointed right at her chest. "You're one of the most powerful unicorns in the country! I'm a big fan."

"Ooookaaayy..." Sparkle said, drawing out the sound. "While it's great - if a bit creepy - that I have ponies getting excited about what I do, again, what makes you think I should teach you anything?"

The stallion bowed down and pressed his forehooves together. "Please, please, I'll do anything! I'll pay you. I'll work for you for free. I beg of you, I need this."

"No." She looked down to her book, opened it back to the page she was on, and attempted to read.

"Please, Ms. Sparkle. Please take me on as your student. I... I... I'll even sell you my soul, if that's what it takes. I swear, I feel like a unicorn trapped in an earth pony's body, and I can't take it any more. Please!" Tears streamed down the groveling pony's cheeks. His face was completely pressed against the soft dirt and grass.

Forget his soul and Maker damn the consequences, Sparkle wanted to teach. "Cobalt, get up. You have my attention, now let me get a good look at you."

Standing, Cobalt wiped the grime and tears from his face. Sparkle stood at the same time and tapped her horn to his forehead, where his horn would be if he were a unicorn. Magic poured into his being, giving him the sensation of tar being pumped into his veins. He felt light-headed and nauseous. The sensation grew and grew, until at last, when he thought he could take no more, it vanished as suddenly as it had come.

Sparkle pulled her horn away. "Cobalt, close your eyes and repeat back what you hear. It won't sound like Equuish words, so just imitate as best you can. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am." Sparkle then spoke to him, her voice touching his ears the moment his eyes shut. He was perplexed, as some of the rather melodious sounds didn't actually sound like they were coming from her mouth; the rhythm was too fast and too complex to logically be coming out of a pony's mouth. He cracked open an eye, and saw that her lips were moving almost half as much as they should have been. When she stopped speaking, he fully opened his eyes. "I have no idea how to even start to say that," he admitted. "It was... rather indescribable."

"Good," Sparkle said, nodding. "That was modern Unicornian. The fact that you could even hear part of it means you have some sensitivity to the ambient magical fields. Have you had any training before?"

He shook his head; he hadn't.

"Have you read any of the theory behind unicorn speech?"

"Yes, but I've never been done anything with it."

"What am I wearing?"

The question caught Cobalt off guard. He floundered for a second, wondering if it were a trick question, as she was obviously wearing a gray cloak. The earth pony answered as such.

"Correct. If you'd answered 'an orange sundress' like I'd expected you to, I would have said no. That you can see through my admittedly weak illusions says a lot about you. I think you have what it takes to be able to do this in the first place," she said. "Now, do you have what it takes in here," she tapped his head, "and here?" She tapped his chest above his heart. "That, we'll find out. If you're going to be my student, I'm going to have to place a geas on you, to insist you keep my secrets."

"A geas?" Cobalt asked.

"A geas is an unbreakable command tied to the recipient's magic. A weak geas will inflict a harsh punishment for violating the conditions; a strong one cannot be broken in the first place. Mine are extremely powerful. If you don't want to take it, you won't be my student," Sparkle stated. "If you are here by this tree at noon tomorrow, I'll assume you want to. If you aren't, you wont."

"I understand, and I am willing to take it now," Cobalt replied, bowing his head.

"Come back tomorrow, then. A geas is a big deal, as in, something that will stay with you into the afterlife unless the correct conditions are met," said Sparkle.

"I understand," Cobalt said again.

"I hope you do." Sparkle looked at him intently. "Lessons start straight away if you agree; come prepared."

The sun set, and the sun rose again. As it approached its zenith, two ponies approached the small tree by the bridge, the spot they had agreed upon the day prior. Both were early in an attempt to be punctual, and ended up arriving at exactly the same time.

"You decided to try after all?" Sparkle asked upon entering hearing range of Cobalt.

"I told you yesterday," he said as he trotted up to her, "I am ready and willing to do anything."

"Good. Take a look at this," she said, offering a scroll she had withdrawn from her bag.

Cobalt took it and read.

By Sparkle's power, the earth pony known as "Cobalt" shall be placed under a rank 10 geas with the following terms and conditions:

Cobalt shall study and master all lessons offered by Sparkle to the best of his ability.

Cobalt shall adhere to the schedule set forth by Sparkle to the best of his ability.

Cobalt shall pay Sparkle the agreed upon rate, to be determined at a later time. This rate is always re-negotiable.

Cobalt shall always obey any and every command Sparkle gives him, immediately and without question, so long as they are prefaced by the phrase: "Cobalt, would you kindly..."

Any commands given with the phrasing stated in item four (4) are to override any conflicting orders given prior to that time.

The above conditions are only valid so long as Sparkle considers Cobalt her student, or Cobalt considers her to presently be his teacher.

Cobalt shall not be allowed to quit from Sparkle's tutelage unless there is no other option.

Any knowledge deemed "secret" by Sparkle is to be kept secret for all time, regardless of current status of Sparkle or Cobalt, unless given explicit permission by Sparkle to reveal the information to a designated individual.

Cobalt will not allow himself to be put under the influence of any other geas by any entity that is not Sparkle for as long as he is alive.

Attempting to willingly violate these conditions will be punished with pain until the attempt stops. Successfully willingly violating these terms will be punished by instant death and the forfeit of Cobalt's soul to Sparkle. Accidental violations will be excused provided an attempt is made by Cobalt to explain the situation to Sparkle.

"This is straightforward enough," Cobalt decided. "I accept."

He looked up to see a spell charging on Sparkle's horn, which completed and fired forwards before he could say another word. It struck him, and if the first time dark magic had touched him felt like tar in his blood, this felt like molten lead. Cobalt wanted to scream, but his body would not obey. Worse and worse the pain grew, until it suddenly felt like a white-hot bar had been impaled through his chest.

Suddenly, the feeling was gone. He blinked in confusion, wondering why he was on the ground and covered in sweat. "Excuse me," he said. "I think I might have blacked out there for a second. Did I tell you that I accept?"

"You did," Sparkle replied.

"Are you going to do it?"

"I already did, my faithful student," Sparkle said, intentionally mirroring the words of Twilight's mentor. "I took the memory of it so that you would not be burdened by the pain you went through."

Cobalt accepted that easily enough. The only part of him that complained (quite audibly) was his stomach, and that was only because it was lunch time and he hadn't eaten. "Hey, do you think we could have the first lesson over lunch? I haven't had anything, and I know this great little mom-and-pop-shop that has an amazing roast carrot sandwich."

Sparkle smirked. "Trying to bribe your teacher already, Cobalt?"

"Well, I, uh..." Cobalt stammered.

"I'd like that," the unicorn mare said. "I also take bribes in candy, flowers, hugs, and cold, hard bits."

"...You see, the soul has two parts: the shell and the identity. The identity is the part that is you. You are that piece, and wherever it goes, you are there. For ponies, the soul resides in the brain-stem.

"The shell of the soul is like your body. It is your magic, and it works for your soul just like a limb does for your body.

"In earth ponies, your magic flows with your blood through your body. It is fluid and ever-moving. For pegasi, their magic pulses in time to their favored wing-beat rhythm. And for unicorns, it bunches up around the soul and forms a magical 'core,' which possesses a unique 'spin.'

"This spin determines a number of factors, but always correlates to the ease of using magic externally. The greater the magnitude of spin, the higher the control and output power of the spell, which means it functions something like a multiplier for your mana reserve. The direction of the spin also has very important properties. Up-spin is masculine, down-spin is feminine; those are the main spins, and what most magic will accommodate. There are left-spin and right-spin, which I know little about, and then there is in-spin and out-spin. I have the former, and my sister has the latter."

"I didn't know you had a sister," Cobalt commented.

"I do," Sparkle replied. "That's a story for another time, though. As you probably can guess, in-spin is dark magic. I will be teaching you the basics if and only if you accept another geas to use them in the defense of a life, and to stop if you feel your mind deteriorating,"

"I understand," Cobalt said.

"For now, we need to get you trained in the art of forming a core. I am versed in the reverse, distributing magic across the body, and the principle is the inverse as well. Once you have the technique down and can push a controlled release of magic outside your body, I will show you how to build a focus, an artificial horn, if you will. Then, and only then, will I teach you how to use magic. During that whole process, I will be teaching you how not to use magic; I expect you to listen carefully," Sparkle concluded.

"Got it," Cobalt said. "I can't wait!"

Sparkle nodded, then finally took a bite of the sandwich that the waiter had brought her several minutes before. "Oh. You were right; this is really good."

Author's Note

Yes, in this universe, it is possible for a pony to use another tribe's magic. It just takes extreme training and lots of time. What this means is that mages aren't limited to being unicorns, though unicorns do have it a hundred times easier.

Interlude 2 - Mare and Reaper [History Overwritten]

It was a week after Sparkle's 17th birthday, over a year before the return of Princess Luna, and Sparkle was waking up.

Actually, "waking up" was not correct. "Waking up" in the traditional meaning implied a return to awareness from the state of normal sleep, a gradual process that generally left a pony feeling better than the night before, excluding other circumstances. Generally, they also knew where they were and roughly how long had passed since they had fallen asleep.

Sparkle was returning to consciousness with no idea of time or place while feeling distinctly like crap. Her stomach wanted to hurl, her head pounded in time with her heart, and her mouth felt like she had gargled acetone. She'd been poisoned.

She tried to gather her magic, and was disappointed when she got naught but a trickle of power. If she'd been more lucid, she would have realized that she had been drained of most of her magic rather than simply being exhausted. As it was, the effort of calling her power to her was too much for her stomach to handle; it voiced its protests all over her fur.

It was then that she realized that she wasn't sitting or lying down, but was positioned vertically on her rear hooves, strapped against the wall. That explained why her shoulders hurt so much.

She grunted and groaned. She had meant to speak, seeking information, but between her fatigue and her clouded mind, whatever she had intended to say came out as garbled base sounds. It was, however, enough to draw the attention of the one in the room with her.

A sharp pain on her face assaulted Sparkle's mind, quickly clearing the fog from her thoughts. "Wake up." She opened her eyes to see a lime-green hoof poised to strike her again.

"'M 'wake," Sparkle managed to mumble. Something that felt suspiciously like a collar clicked tight around her neck. The restraints on her forehooves then released, causing her to drop like a puppet with cut strings.

"Stand and follow," the voice said again. When she didn't immediately move, the voice added, "Now."

Gritting her teeth, Sparkle willed her legs to lift her up. Oh so slowly they complied, protesting in pain all the way. Eventually, though, she made it to a standing position. “Walk,” the voice commanded again. Sparkle couldn’t tell if it were a mare’s or a stallion’s voice; it was too androgynous to be sure.

A tug on the collar nearly made her fall over, but it got her walking. It would have also made her mad - they had collared and leashed her, for crying out loud - but she was too scared and confused at the moment.

That confusion was fading fast, however. Sparkle’s analytical mind started taking stock of the situation. She was in a windowless, stone room, possibly a dungeon cell. She was being held captive and had been kidnapped and sedated an unknown time ago. Her stomach had had a tiny bit of food left in it when she had been sick, so she had been under for at most a few hours. The pull on her mind that always pointed to Twilight said that she was a long distance away, meaning that Sparkle had been taken by train, pegasi, or magic. Conclusion: Her capture was recent and rescue was far away, both in position and time; she would have to free herself.

Addendums: her magic was low and possibly suppressed, her body was fatigued, she had no idea where Thorn was, and the hallway she and her captor were walking through had no indication of exit, although the moisture seeping in indicated she would have to ascend. Conclusion two: a combat/resistance based escape would be impractical.

Addendums the second, she appended to her thoughts: there existed evidence of memory tampering. The foggy recollection of the events leading up to waking back in that cell was too clean cut, with a definite starting point, possibly the work of a sloppy vampire. She'd have to get a specter to help her reconstruct those memories when she was free.

The androgynous pony leading her around brought her into a large, candlelit chamber. The scent of blood and incense tickled her nose, but Sparkle didn’t sneeze. The sight did however make her gasp in surprise.

In the middle of the room sat the largest ritual altar she had ever seen, the kind only used to summon the most powerful of beings. Runes drawn with blood and bones filled the floor, and dozens of hooded ponies stood at strategic places to power it. And, at the center of the room, just inside the boundaries of the containment circle, were six raised stone platforms, each about the size of a small bed. On each of five of them was a mare, tied up and gagged. Two earth ponies, two pegasi, and a single unicorn.

And Sparkle was being lead to the last.

“Please... Don’t...” the natural necromancer and currently captured pony weakly protested. Her objections went ignored, as two unicorns appeared behind her, gagging her and picking her up in seemingly one swift movement. Just as swiftly, she was hoisted up onto the last stone slab and tied down. The movement of her head was left unobstructed, allowing her to turn it enough to see another door.

And, as if waiting for her to look, the door opened a second after her eyes spotted it. A mare walked in, her robes far more regal than her hooded compatriots. She moved forwards with an inequine grace, more flowing than actually walking.

It took a second to spot, but Sparkle eventually realized that the mare's soul burned backwards, as strange as that sounded, and that meant only one thing: vampire.

"Mares and gentlecolts, today is the day," she pronounced, her voice as smooth as her gait. "Today is the day that our dreams come true. Today, we gain the power to take the throne that is rightfully ours. Today is the day that nations will bow before us. Today is the beginning of the end. Today. Is. APOCALYPSE!"

The cheers of approval echoed loudly in the cathedral-like chamber. Ponies stomped their hooves and whistled in excitement. As for the six sacrificial mares, five of them openly wept while Sparkle sat in angry silence.

The leader continued speaking. “Before us are the six mares who so selflessly volunteered their lives for our cause. And among them, we have Canterlot’s resident necromancer as a special guest. Soon, her power and more will be ours. Soon, we shall command the power of Death Herself!” With a flourish of her hoof, she again set the gathered ponies into a frenzy.

Sparkle’s anger evaporated in an instant, shoved aside by raw dread. They were planning on summoning Death personified. Unlike the other gods and goddesses, Death only took physical form when summoned; that probably was the only reason there was life left on the planet. And, unlike the others, her form was completely irrational. The legends said that eyes melted at the sight of her, for she never bothered to shield her true form from mortal eyes.

Unlike day, night, and the four elements, which could be understood by mortals, the question remained: what was Death?

“Mares and stallions, take your places!” The leader stepped up to a spoke protruding from the circular runes. “On your marks! Ready, begin!”

The magic of nearly forty ponies filled the air. Below, the dried blood that made up the runes alit with a rainbow of color, though it gradually darkened to black as the three dozen casters corrected the spin of their magic. There was a click, more felt than heard, and the runes really came alive with magic.

The power began to condense at the center of the circle, frighteningly close to where Sparkle lay helpless. A shield materialized to contain the building energy, but on the wrong side of the captives, trapping them inside with the dark energy.

To the non unicorns of the captive group, the chanting of their captors would sound like nonsense. To the unicorn pair, however, it sounded like the most sinister choir that they could have ever imagined.

“To the Goddess Of Death, we do beckon thee,
come to us now, answer us our plea.
for we have offered a sacrifice,
and hope it should suffice.
O’ Goddess Of Death! Show Yourself to Us!”

The common tongue only offered a poor translation of the chant, for the connotations provided by the magical language were much more terrifying.

Over the chanting of the cultists, Sparkle tried to shout a warning to her fellow captives to close their eyes. Sadly, between the gag and the ambient noise, which was steadily growing by the second, Sparkle’s warning went unheard.

There was a sudden crash, like the combined sound of every window ever made all shattering at once. Then, there was absolutely, deafening silence. The sound of a pin drop, as loud as it would have been in that silence, would have been a welcome reprieve. With her eyes closed and her other senses useless at the moment, Sparkle’s entire worldview was sound and sound alone.

Tap-tap. Tap-tap. Tap-tap.

Six beats, like hooves descending upon stone. Two too many to be one pony, but two too few a pair.

Then, the sound of shattering un-happened as the hole in reality sealed itself once more.

The hooves tapped again.

1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4...

They were coming closer.

Where were the other two hoof beats?

They were coming closer.

What was going on?

They were right bucking next to her!

Silence. Again, it was so absolute a sensation that Sparkle wanted to cry out to end the silence, but she could not. She would not.

A hoof brushed against her tear-streaked cheek. She recoiled from the touch, and, in doing so, the gag that bound her mouth fell away as if it had been cut.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen those eyes, Sparkle,” an unfamiliar mare's voice said. Despite how normal it sounded, it possessed a faint, otherworldly quality to it. Yet, it also sounded... wistful? “May I see them again? I’ve missed them so.”

She couldn’t not comply. Her lavender eyes creeped open, fearing the worst. Would there be death and destruction? An eldritch abomination that would burn her eyes out the moment, or-

There was no more time for thoughts; her purple eyes were open. And, as it turned out, she saw nothing of what she was expecting.

Above her stood a grey coated, black maned pony, with eyes the same hue as her own. Her short mane waved gently, spreading like ink in flowing water. While not extremely beautiful, she wasn’t ugly either.

A curved horn adorned her head, and sharpened fangs filled her mouth. She would have reminded Sparkle greatly of the depictions of King Sombra in his final days, had Sombra been a mare, were it not for the small grin on her lips and the eyes devoid of all malice she looked at her with. And though Sparkle could not see Death's soul, the goddess's eyes were strangely full of life.

“There we go!” Her horn flickered, causing the rest of Sparkle’s restraints to fall away. She then helped pull Sparkle to her hooves. “Help me untie the others, would you kindly?”

Sparkle, without voice despite the lack of a gag, nodded and complied. She trotted over and clumsily tried to untie the pegasus nearest to her. A minute later, though, she was still trying to untie it when the mare finished undoing the knot for her. “Here, let me... There. Now, about our little audience...”

The mare turned on a bit and faced the vampiric leader of the cult, who, like all the other summoners, was bowing with her face to the ground so as to not gaze upon Death’s form. From this angle, Sparkle could see the cutie mark on her flanks: A six-eyed, fanged crystal skull biting a starburst pattern; with the exception of the eyes, it was identical to her own mark.

“YoUr GiFt To Me HaS bEeN AcCePtEd,” Death stated, though Sparkle highly doubted that the twisted sound that emerged from her was produced by a pony throat. “SpEaK nOw. TeLl Me YoUr TeRmS. wHy HaVe YoU bRoUgHt Me HeRe?”

“O’ great and powerful Lady of the Dead, o’ sinister Reaper of Souls, we beg of you, take this sacrifice and bestow upon us the power of your blessing,” the leader said, groveling as much as she could.

“I sEe No SaCrIfIcE bEfOrE mE,” Death replied. “wHaT pAyMeNt Do YoU oFfEr?”

Sparkle, leader, and cultists alike were confused. “But my Lady, I don’t mean to offend, but you just said that you accepted the sacrifice of these six mares.”

“YoU aRe MiStAkEn. ThEsE fIvE aNd A hAlF sOuLs WeRe InSiDe ThE cIrCle, SuRreNdErEd To KeEp Me FrOm KiLlInG yOu On SiGhT. ThEy ArE nOt PaYmEnT, bUt A gIfT,” Death answered.

The leader gulped in obvious distress. “Then, O’ Lady, what would you accept as a sacrifice for your kindly assistance?”

The pony incarnation of Death did not immediately answer. Instead, she turned to the five mares behind her. In a soft voice, she said, “I would prefer you to not watch, but you can if you want. You, Sparkle, you should keep your eyes open.” Turning back around, she addressed the cult. “I rEqUiRe ThIrTy-FiVe TaInTeD sOuLs AnD tHe SoUl Of OnE vAmPiRe, PaId In AdVaNcE.” She smirked. “AnD bY tHaT, i MeAn NoW.”

Her body surged upwards in height, tripling in less than a second. The torso lengthened, and from the middle, an extra pair of legs emerged. Her tail shot outward, condensing into countless black vines adorned with off-white spikes, which thrashed about wildly as they grew. Across her body, bone-like structures erupted from her skin, even as every piece of tissue seemed to crystallize. From her back, two wings burst into existence, dragon-like in shape but missing the membrane.

It was her head that changed the most though. Now encased in black crystal reminiscent of their shared cutie mark, her skull-like head bore several horns that formed a ridge from forehead to spine, where they continued as bony spurs from each vertebrae. Her eyes too had changed. The red and green coloration and the purple smoke emerging from them was now the most normal thing about them. Now totalling six of various sizes, each eye had two or three irises of varying size, all pointing in different direction. And her mouth, oh sweet Celestia, her mouth! Thousands of teeth, more than could physically fit into any mouth, filled the gaping chasm below her nose. The mouth itself, despite being still proportioned correctly for the body, simultaneously appeared far larger than it could possibly be in a logical contradiction of reality.

All of this takes time to say, but in reality, the transformation happened quicker than most ponies could react to anything.

Death’s bony wings flared, and with it came not a blast of wind, but a ripple in the very fabric of space and time. There was no membrane between the fingers of the wings; what was there was worse, so much worse. Before Sparkle’s eyes were twin portals to the infernal pits, a place in the afterlife rumored to make Tartarus look like daycare.

Then there was motion, and there was noise. A flurry of activity so fast that none of the six mares in the center of the circle could see what was happening, and a sound so harsh that they couldn’t distinguish anything. But, when the dust settled - quite literally, in fact - all that remained was Death, standing over a single corpse and feasting on its remaining flesh, which disappeared down her gullet in a heartbeat.

The creature, for she could be nothing else, looked at the six, each of her eyes focused on a different mare. Her wicked horn darkened and -

Sparkle was standing in a grassy field. The wind blew gently on her coat. The scent of honeysuckle playfully greeted her nose. The solid white sky shone softly down upon her. It was nice, peaceful.

“I take it you have some questions?” Sparkle whirled around. The gray mare was behind her. Oddly, Sparkle didn’t feel nearly as terrified as before. Perhaps it was something to do with their surroundings. Whatever the case, Sparkle was calm now.

“Where are we?” the mortal mare asked.

“The Elysian Fields. Paradise. Whatever you want to call it. It’s not really paradise, that’s impossible, but it’s good enough in the ways that count,” she replied. “It’s the great sleep, the wonderful dream.”

Sparkle sat down. “I’m dead. That’s it. Just like that. You killed me,” she said, as if stating the weather was sunny and boring.

Death laughed. It reminded Sparkle of her mother’s own laugh. “Hardly. You don’t have to be dead to enter my domain, if I let you.”

“Oh.” She blinked, not quite sure how to take that. She was still struggling to process all that she had seen in less than twenty minutes.

Death sat down next to her, a tad too close for comfort. Sparkle didn’t protest, however. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, though I suppose this is your first time seeing me. And Obsidian Knife too, for that matter. Funny how things like this happen when you get pulled outside of time.”

“Obsidian Knife? Time?” Sparkle asked.

“Ah... Spoilers,” Death replied. “She was a friend of ours, I’ll tell you that much. I wear her face when I interact with mortals; my normal appearance tends to drive them insane, you see. You’ll meet her, what, three... four years from now? Something like that. The first time I meet you, from my perspective, is four-ish years from now. I’m not sure... I’m very old now, compared to then. Although for my kind, age is hard to describe. I’m as old as life itself, and yet not.” She looked at the mortal mare.

“Ah...”

“You don’t seem very talkative, little one,” she commented.

“I’ve just...”

“Been through quite an ordeal, I know. If it makes you feel better, the others that were with you are still alive. I’ve already taken them back to their homes, with my blessing. The cultists paid for it, after all. Somepony may as well benefit,” Death said.

There was silence, a comfortable one this time.

“Can I see my parents?” Sparkle suddenly asked.

Death sighed. “I’m sorry. I can’t do that. As I said, time flows differently for me, and for this world by extension. Even I am subject to the laws of time, though I skirt them on occasion. But your parents are from your own future. If I were to let you see them, the paradox would be catastrophic. Trust me, you do not mess with time.”

Death looked off into the distance. “Speaking of time, it’s almost up, I’m afraid.”

“Really?” Sparkle asked. She could sit here for eternity, it was so peaceful, so the thought of actually leaving bothered her. “I don’t really want to go...”

“Ah, come on. That’s enough Elysium for you today. Off we-”

“-go.” They were in Canterlot, with the sunrise swiftly appearing on the horizon behind them.

Sparkle jumped. The transition had been unnoticable. Death hadn’t even stopped speaking, and yet one moment she was there, and now she was here, and standing as if she had been standing here for a minute and only now just noticed.

“Hey, Sparkle?”

“Yes?”

"A word of advice, though you may not understand just yet: A coin has two sides, and one is always the winner. Flip accordingly.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” the lavender mare asked.

She was alone.

Author's Note

[Part of the History Overwritten Update]

Revision

“I think that’s enough for now, Cobalt,” Sparkle said, looking at the exhausted blue earth pony.

“No, no, I’m... good. We just... started... an hour ago,” he replied between gasps.

“Yes, and you shouldn’t be this tired already,” Sparkle commented worriedly.

Cobalt looked at the ball in front of him., sitting still on the floor of the main room of Sparkle’s new apartment. He had been trying - somewhat successfully - to levitate it, and was still trying despite apparently running on empty. “Come on... I can.. *Huff*... still... do this.” The faint cobalt-blue aura rematerialized around the ball in conjunction with the young stallion scrunching his face up in concentration.

Sparkle rolled her eyes. “Cobalt, would you kindly stop trying to use your magic?” The aura vanished instantly.

“What was that for?” He said after catching his breath.

“You should have been able to lift that ball up easily enough. Cobalt, you are exhausted,” she said, pointing towards his shaking form. “Have you been sleeping?”

“Well... enough, I guess.”

“Cobalt, would you kindly tell me the whole truth; are you sleeping correctly?”

The stallion was suddenly subject to the odd sensation of his mouth moving without his voluntary consent. “No, I have not been sleeping regularly. In the past week, I may have slept a total of twenty hours, and I have not slept in two days.”

A hoof met her face. “What have you been doing?”

The question was asked rhetorically, as she pretty much knew what he was doing. Cobalt, still under her previous order’s effects, answered anyway. “I have been studying and practicing your teachings to the best of my ability.”

“Cobalt, belay that last command. Now, do I have to order you to sleep?” Sparkle asked. “There is no way you can be in any way productive right now.”

He slumped over, quite tired. The light of the morning sun streaming through the windows caught fell across his face. Something about that sight caught Sparkle’s eye, his cheekbones in particular. “You’ve lost weight, haven’t you?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Sparkle sat down next to Cobalt. “I’m an idiot,” she said. “Sometimes, I forget the smallest of things. Listen, Cobalt, this is important. Earth ponies and pegasi control their tribe’s magic with muscles, meaning it takes no extra mental effort on their part. Unicorn magic is controlled purely with the mind. In a hornless pony, the brain takes up a fifth of the Calories consumed. However, to use unicorn magic, your brain will hog even more of that energy, scaling linearly with your magical strength. I would expect you to be needing a few hundred more Calories a day than you’re used to.”

Sparkle’s horn darkened. From a drawer nearby, a candy-bar full of nuts floated out, held in her black aura. It floated over and deposited itself in front of Cobalt, who greedily ate it up in seconds.

“Oh... how much do you eat, then? If you don’t mind me asking...” Cobalt inquired, then appended his question meekly. “You’re really strong, so...”

“Ha. My whole family is really strong. You’ve seen the Canterlot shield? The current caster for that spell is my brother, Shining Armor. Between the two of us, we eat as much as five large earth ponies, and we’re not even that big. There was a time when money was tight for the two of us, and I was literally wasting away.”

“Wow...”

Sparkle smirked. “If you think that’s a lot, you should see the princesses eat. Celestia would call a whole cake ‘a light snack.’”

Cobalt let out a tired laugh. “Funny.” A moment of silence passed between the two. “I guess this means that class is over today?”

Sparkle nodded. “Yes. I have your first test planned for you tomorrow; it’s a two-part practical examination. I’m sure you’re ready for it, but you need a good, hearty meal, and plenty of rest.”

“What will I need to do, Ms. Sparkle?”

“I can’t say yet; that’s part of the test. We’re going to have to go on a little day-trip for this to pick up the last piece I need for it.” She floated over a train ticket to Cobalt. “Coincidentally, Ponyville is where my sister, Twilight, and her adoptive son, Spike, live.”

A broad, cheesy grin stretched across Cobalt’s face. “I’d love to meet them! That sounds like a lot of fun.”

“It will be, but don’t let them distract you, OK?”

“I understand, Ms. Sparkle.”

"Have you ever been to Ponyville, Cobalt?" Sparkle asked as the three, including Thorn, boarded the express train.

"Once. I can't say it was the best of experiences," he admitted. "There's nothing wrong with the town. It's just that my... family... decided that I should get my apprenticeship in an earth pony town. I took it as them trying to get rid of me, and... yeah, not fun."

"Ouch," Thorn commented as they took their seats. The (currently) small dracolich sat on the bench opposite from Cobalt and Sparkle, with the former sitting closer to the window. "What's your family like, anyway? You've met my whole badass family, but I don't think you've ever mentioned yours in the weeks you've been taught by Mom."

"I'm the youngest in my family. Unicorns. They're all unicorns. Very... traditional. And..." He trailed off for a moment as the train started moving. "I'd rather not waste my good mood on them."

Realizing that it was a sensitive subject, Sparkle and Thorn decided to let the subject drop. Now seeking for conversation, Thorn spoke up. “Anyway, I can’t wait to see Rarity. I hope she remembers me. I haven’t written in so long, and-”

“Thorn, I’m sure she does,” Sparkle said. “I did have to stop you from writing her several times a day, after all. Just, don’t obsess too hard; we don’t want you being a thorn in her side, after all.”

The dracolich groaned. “That was horrible. Never use my name in a pun again.”

“No promises.”

Cobalt simply smiled at the interplay. Soon, the three of them were deeply engaged in conversation and barely noticed the passing of the landscape. Canterlot turned to Ponyville soon enough, and they found themselves standing to exit the train after what only felt like a minute.

“The caretaker should be right around here... oh, there’s her cottage,” Sparkle said, leading the group towards their goal’s home. Cobalt quickly trotted over and knocked on the door, while Sparkle and Thorn stayed further back and out of sight, resting next to the large bag they had brought.

When Fluttershy opened the door, she was greeted by a vividly blue earth pony with deep green eyes smiling brightly at her. “Hello! Are you the animal caretaker here?”

“Umm, yes?” she said, though it sounded like a question due to her anxiety’s influence on her voice.

“Great! I wanted to adopt a chicken,” Cobalt replied enthusiastically.

Animals were something the butter-yellow pegasus knew well, and, happy to have such a comfortable, topic, she latched on to it. “Oh, that sounds wonderful! I’m sure one of my chickens would just love to become your pet.”

“Can I go pick one out right now? I’m really excited about this,” Cobalt asked. Confused would probably be the more accurate term, as he still had no clue as to why his teacher wanted him to have a chicken, but he trusted she knew what she was doing.

The gentle mare led the blue stallion around to the side of her cottage, where a fenced-in chicken coop stood. “Come on out, girls,” Fluttershy crooned, eliciting a cacophony of clucks and an explosion of ruffled feathers as the hens raced out. “Mr... um, what was your name?”

“Cobalt, Miss.”

“Right, Mr. Cobalt here wants to adopt one of you girls,” she said, pointing the stallion out to the hens. “Doesn’t that sound lovely?”

Dead silence. The once noisy chickens stared at the earth pony with their beady little eyes. “B’GAWK!” a hen cried, eliciting a flurry of motion as the chickens immediately flocked to the other side of the pen.

“Girls, please calm down! What has gotten into you all?” Fluttershy asked, though it did little to actually calm the distraught fowl. “He’s not going to hurt you.” This time, her voice did manage to pierce the panic, causing the chickens to finally settle down.

Cobalt was unphased. “What’s the deal with that one?” He asked, indicating the bird closest to their side of the pen.

“Oh, that’s Elizabeak.” Fluttershy explained, “She’s really quite brave, though she likes to escape a lot. I had to save her from the Everfree Forest the other day when she wanted to go on an adventure.”

“Can I have her? Please?” he asked. Fluttershy noted that he was practically rocking on his hooves, unable to quite stand still, and grinning all the while.

“I think she would love to be your pet.” Fluttershy called out to the chicken, who waddled up to her and nuzzled her foreleg. “Do you know how to care for her? What kind of food and items to get for her?”

“Yes, yes,” Cobalt assured her, though in actuality, he knew nothing of the sort. Ms. Sparkle insisted that this wouldn’t be a problem. “I wouldn’t mind if I could get enough food for it for today, though. I’m headed back to Canterlot later this evening.”

“That’s not a problem. I’d be happy help you with that.” Soon enough, bits had changed hooves and Cobalt was the proud new owner of Elizabeak.

“Hankuu,” he said as he left, the handle of Elizabeak’s cage muffling and distorting his polite words. He trotted back to where Sparkle and Thorn were waiting.

“You won’t be needing that cage,” Sparkle said.

“Ha?” He set the cage down and tried again. “What?”

“This is your first test: keep the chicken on top of your head for as long as possible using magic. Bonus points if you can keep it calm at the same time,” she explained. “There’s no rest, but if the chicken gets free, you’re allowed to stop using magic until you can catch it again. This test lasts until you give up, and you’re not allowed to use any physical restraints.”

“An endurance test? So that’s why you wanted me to sleep and eat well yesterday,” Cobalt concluded. “That sounds easy enough.”

“Almost. I’m also looking to see how well you handle distractions. We’re going to be meeting my sister soon. I expect you to be able to keep up a conversation with her while holding your chicken.”

Cobalt blinked. “That might be a bit harder...”

“And I’m going to be trying to scare the chicken off your head,” Thorn said, grinning wickedly, “and straight into my stomach.”

Cobalt gulped. “Celestia damnit, are you trying to make Ellizabeak kill me?”

Sparkle just mirrored her son’s devilish expression.

He was so focused on keeping the animal from falling from his head that he almost missed when Sparkle made a sudden, sharp right turn. Had Elizabeak been squirming, he would have been too focused to notice, but as it was, she was sitting still. Strangely, she was also quivering.

After only a minute of walking, Sparkle’s horn started darkening. There was a shift in the air, something almost imperceptible and certainly indescribable. Before his very eyes, the ponies in the open area started doubling, but in a way that made them overlap themselves. Cobalt would have sworn he was going cross-eyed had it not been for three inconsistencies: Sparkle’s double was facing the other direction, her horn was glowing white, and Thorn’s double actually looked cute instead of ‘oh dear Celestia, that’s creepy!’

The two Sparkle’s hugged. “Sparkle! It’s so good to see you! It’s been so long.”

“Two months isn’t that long, Twilight,” Sparkle replied. Meanwhile, the two Thorns excused themselves to the side to go catch up

“We used to see each other more than twice a week! It feels like a long time.”

“What’s going on?” the poultry-adorned male asked.

“Right,” the dark-horned Sparkle said. “This is my twin sister, Twilight. She’s not actually my sister, but me from another timeline. Twilight, this is Cobalt, my student.”

“She’s from another time?” Cobalt asked.

At nearly the same moment, Twilight said, “You didn’t tell me he was an earth pony!”

“Didn’t I say that?” Sparkle said to both of them. “Hmm... and there’s that other exciting thing I haven’t told anypony yet. Dear me, my surprise-spoiling skills are getting quite rusty. I should really practice some more.”

“What other thing?” Twilight asked.

There was a pregnant pause. “It’s a surprise!” Sparkle eventually declared. “Oh, gosh darn it. I failed again. Maybe next time.”

Twilight snorted in amusement. “What’s with the chicken?”

“Remember the ball test Celestia had you do when you were little?”

Twilight gawked. “But with a live chicken?”

“Yep.”

A new voice called out, “Howdy Twilight... and Twilight? What?” The orange mare that had trotted up to the group ended with her eyes locked on the earth pony with a magically-glowing live chicken strapped to his head. “Was there somethin’ in mah cider? Dear log, ah must be seein’ things.”

Sparkle snickered. “Totally called it.”

“Hmm? Ah, Applejack, your eyes are working fine. And what are you laughing at, Sparkle?”

“Remember what I typed before I asked you to come up and see me last time? What was that I said about a log? Inane, I believe I called it.”

“You callin’ mah faith inane? Those are fightn’ words if ah ever heard them,” Applejack growled.

After calming her down and explaining the situation to her, Applejack realized that praising vegetative matter might sound a bit odd to a complete outsider.

Sparkle then spotted another mare entering the field of distorted time. Since she could see her before she entered, Sparkle deduced that it was her version of Beatrix Lulamoon. “Well, this it turning into a big old reunion, isn’t it?”

“Sparkle! What are you doing here?” The mare asked forcefully. “You’re not allowed out of Canterlot.”

“I got permission this time, honest.” Sparkle smirked at Trixie’s angry expression. “Besides, I’ve got a new soul, err, student, to fill my time with. Isn’t that right, Cobalt?” The blue stallion nodded, making his chicken cluck with indignation.

Trixie paled. “You poor, pitiful soul. May Celestia’s light shine mercy upon you.”

“Hey, Trixie, when did you get back in town?” Applejack asked. “Ah thought you said you weren’t coming back for another month.”

“What? But Trixie has been here for months. She saw you yesterday,” the third-person speaker said, quite confused.

Twilight and Sparkle shared a look. By unspoken understanding, the two caused their auras to flicker, vibrating time. To the others, it looked like half of the group flickered out of existence for a very brief moment. “Wrong timeline, wrong ponies,” they chorused.

“Twi, ya sure I didn’t drink the bad cider?”

“Don’t worry, Jappleack, the madness only lasts forever,” replied Thorn in his most creepy voice, intentionally butchering her name. He’d been listening to their conversation since the flicker.

Yet another pony joined them then, eliciting a private groan from Sparkle. She wondered if there was something about the magic in this spot that was just drawing ponies to them. The little white filly, not adorned by a cutie mark, was not interested in Twilight/Sparkle; it was instead Applejack she sought. “Hey AJ, have you seen Rarity?" Thorn perked up. "My parents are going out of town, and I was supposed to stay with her for the rest of the week.”

“Why sure! She’s at her store. Ah saw her there an hour ago.”

“No, she wasn’t,” the filly replied. “Carousel Boutique had the closed sign up. She’s never closed on Tuesdays.”

Realizing there was something wrong, Twilight interjected. “Sweetie Belle, do you recognize me?”

“Uhhh... should I?”

“OK, and do you know of somepony named Thorn?”

“That creepy stalker who keeps sending those letters that Rarity burns? Did he take her?”

“Hey! I put my heart and soul into those letters!” The aforementioned dragon whined.

“That’s probably why she burned them,” Sparkle snarked.

“Sweetie, Trixie, when was the last time either of you two saw Rarity?” Twilight asked, concern evident in the tone of her voice.

“Sunday?” Trixie suggested. Sweetie Bell agreed.

“Buck. Our Rarity was... with Spike. Double Buck.”

“WHAT HAPPENED TO MY RARITY?” Thorn growled, his spines and claws sharpening and his size increasing. Sweetie Belle squeaked and shrank back in fear, as did the chicken on Cobalt’s head. As for he and Trixie, they stepped back as well.

“Our Rarity was captured by Diamond Dogs in Rambling Rock Ridge. We-” Twilight was interrupted by a roar of pure rage. Thorn’s form erupted in size, making him nearly as large as a house. Two skeletal wings ripped through the skin on his back, the membrane substituted with a seemingly-solid black mist. He flapped once, twice, and then was airborne.

Ponies nearby screamed, running in terror. For those unlucky enough to be both in Thorn’s time and under his flight path, a sudden, lasting fatigue washed over them, coming as quickly as his shadow.

Atop his head, Elizabeak's perspective on life changed, and she decided there were worse places to be than atop this nasty pony's head. Down below, and bizarrely unphased, Cobalt muttered, “That’s something you don’t see every day.”

Author's Note

Thus, the mysteries of Twilight's eating habits in "Twilight Time" are made clear.

Also, have some musical accompaniment.

Encore

Timelines almost completely peeled apart, taking their respective occupants with them, minus Twilight/Sparkle. Sweetie Bell, Sparkle, Trixie, Cobalt, and his chicken all faced one another, while Twilight waited on the side. Sparkle specifically stood so as to obstruct Trixie's path. "Stand aside! Trixie has to go rescue her friend!" the latter cried out.

"Hell. No."

Trixie would have none of that. "And why the buck not? That is Trixie's friend out there."

"And that," she said, pointing to the billowing, acrid, black smoke trail fading into the distance, "is an undead killing machine that is nigh impossible to stop. Be thankful he wants to save Rarity and not eat her."

"How do you know?" Trixie screamed. "How do you know that that abomination won't kill my friend?"

"Trust me; he wouldn't," Sparkle assured.

"Trust you?" Trixie screeched, outraged. "Trust you? How could Trixie trust you? You're a bucking necromancer, and one that wouldn't put down her pet monster when it is clearly out of control! Trixie would have to be insane trust somepony like you. Excuse me," she teleported to the other side of Sparkle, "I have a friend to save."

"Oh no you don't!" Sparkle's magic ensnared Trixie and slammed her down onto her stomach. "I will not let you get caught in the crossfire. I did not teach you to charge blindly towards dark magic, and I did not tell you to bucking throw your life away!"

“Let Trixie go! Let her go right now!"

"Cobalt, would you kindly escort Sweetie Belle to her home and inform her parents of what's going on?"

Cobalt found his legs and lips moving on their own. "Come along, Sweetie. Let's get you home."

"But my parents have already left. Is Rarity going to be alright?"

Sensing a change in the conditions, Cobalt's geas adapted. "Then I'll take you home and wait with you until everypony is safe, OK?" Regaining voluntary control of his speech, he added, "Sparkle and Thorn are very good at what they do. I'm sure that they'll get her home soon enough." Together, stallion, filly, and chicken left the three other unicorns.

Trixie struggled to stand, and was surprised when the magic holding her down suddenly cut out. She stood and looked back at Sparkle. The mare was staring at something unseen, her eyes unfocused and distant. The horn atop Sparkle's head absorbed the light, showing that her magic was doing something that Trixie couldn't identify. Then, the changes started.

First, the illusions surrounding her shattered, revealing her still rather gaunt face. That didn't last long, as the flesh underneath the skin started to flow and grow, filling out as if she had been eating well and exercising regularly for years. Her fur, thin and dull from neglect and poor nutrition, seemed to thicken up and gain new life before Trixie's eyes.

The effect would have seemed miraculous, if it were not for a couple of details. Her eyes had turned red with green sclera, oozing purple mist. Her horn grew longer and, along with her teeth, grew sharper. Blood poured out of her mouth, despite Sparkle's neck making rapid swallowing motions.

Light shone, and Twilight faded back into Trixie's view. "Sparkle!"

A minute before, Thorn violently landed in Rambling Rock Ridge, shattering the ground. Diamond dogs swarmed out of the ground, abandoning the collapsed surface tunnels. The blood-lusting berserker of a dragon spied his prey, and lunged.

The first diamond dog went down his throat before it could blink, already cut to ribbons by sword-sized teeth. The second met a similar fate. The third through sixth died in a blaze of sickly-green fire. The fourth through tenth died from having their life drained away by his mere presence, leaving nothing but empty husks that slowly crumbled away.

That was only the first thirty seconds.

The spell in her horn was cast almost reflexively. Without the emotional suppression, the things she was seeing might break her.

She could see everything. When Thorn became emotional, Sparkle could feel what he felt. When he became enraged, the connection between the two enabled her full, unrestricted access to Thornecrovitar's senses.

Currently, that was the taste of raw or burnt dog flesh in her mouth, the sight of absolute carnage, the smell of loosened bowels and bladders, the sounds of agony, and the feel of blood running down claws that she did not have. To make the sensation worse, the life stolen by Thorn fed her, and the magic made her stomach fill with what he ate.

Dog meat appeared on her tongue. Dog blood ran unendingly down her throat. She coughed, choked, and then kept swallowing, more by reflex than for any desire on her part. Sparkle's vile magic took the stolen flesh of the dead and used it to fix the wear and tear on her body from years of neglect.

Her body and magic reveled in the sensation; her mind was artificially otherwise occupied. In a dreamlike trance, aware but uncaring for what she sensed, Sparkle looked in the general direction of her sister.

"Sparkle, talk to me. What the hell is going on?" Twilight asked.

Dispassionately, Sparkle replied, “Thorn is so very hungry, and diamond dogs taste so good. He feeds me as he eats. I see what he sees, feel what he feels.” Dog blood trailed down her chin and into her robes as she spoke.

“You’re seeing through his eyes? Sparkle, stop the spell,” She commanded. A white-magic encased hoof whacked Sparkle’s horn, causing the active spell to splutter out and die.

Sparkle’s eyes constricted to pinpricks. Upon her mind snapping back to reality, her stomach violently voiced its disapproval all over the ground.

The fun evaporated from Thorn’s mind. The slaughter he enjoyed so much up until now was suddenly no fun any more.

A dog lost it’s head, and it’s soul was swallowed before it could make the leap to the afterlife. Thorn sighed, finding the activity suddenly quite tedious. He still hadn't found his precious Rarity yet, and until then, he would systematically execute every last soul in this cave.

He trudged forwards, leaving a trail of blood behind him; some was his, from the dogs’ futile attempts at defending themselves, while the rest was from the dogs themselves. He dislodged a spear from his neck and launched it at frightening speeds, impaling a fleeing bitch.

Sometimes, being a monstrous bastard could be so troublesome.

Twilight sat by her sobbing sister, uncaring that Trixie had left. Her hoof rubbed Sparkle's back comfortingly, but her voice was at a loss. "Sparkle... I..."

"Didn't bucking realize that I was trying to keep myself sane?" She said between sobs. "Didn't realize that I don't like seeing through the eyes of my nightmare of a son?" Her voice was steadily growing louder and angrier. "Didn't realize that I have to stop myself from feeling? Didn't realize that after every bucking rapist, every murderer, every assassin after my head, every zombie, every poltergeist, every single one of the horrors I face, I have to strip the emotion from my memory so I don't go into clinical depression? You didn't, did you?"

"No! Because you don't tell me this stuff!" Twilight insisted. “It’s always ‘It’s nothing’ or ‘nothing happened’ or what-have-you. But I know you. If you'd just come and talk to me, really talk, then maybe you wouldn't have to scramble your brain so much.” She gave Sparkle a tight hug, uncaring of the bloody vomit all over her sister’s coat. “But this has to stop. By suppressing your emotions, you're taking away the very thing keeping you a pony.”

“What?”

“By taking your emotions away, you're telling yourself that life doesn't matter. Soon enough, you will believe it all the way to your core, and then what?”

Sparkle stared at Twilight, eyes wide. She said nothing, so Twilight prompted her, “Say it. Say what will happen.”

“I’ll be a monster.”

“Right now, you are my sister and one of my best friends. Would you please stay that way? For me?”

Sparkle nodded.

A warm, moist current of air blew across Rarity’s form, rousing her to wakefulness. The first thing she noticed was the smell, rancid and metallic, a combination she had no context from which to understand it by. The next thing she noticed was the distinct sensation of pain fading away too rapidly to be normal, which, while confusing, was quite pleasant.

The third thing she noticed was that the areas of her body where the diamond dogs had crippled her were moving and squirming in ways that were rather disconcerting. Broken bones set themselves, her eardrums grew back in, and the metal tube that had been shoved into her trachea popped out, letting the hole sealed itself and restoring her voice.

Her eyes healed next, and she immediately opened then when she felt no more pain. She shut them again in an instant, wishing she hadn't. Scooting backwards as quickly as she could, she stifled a scream. There was a sliding noise, like stone-on-stone, which made Rarity open her eyes again to face the threat.

The dragon - if it could even be called that - sat before her; its gargantuan mouth wide open, easily big enough to swallow her in one gulp, and stained a very familiar shade of red. Strangely though, it was exhaling a strange, green mist, which swirled around Rarity and sank in through her skin. She watched, wary but fascinated, as the mist healed every cut and bruise left on her body.

Of course, being trapped in a cave with a dragon that exuded a rather terrifying presence, even if it was healing you, tended to make one stay quite awake. Thus, Rarity sat as still as stone, but was tense and ready to flee at a moment’s notice.

The dracolich’s jaw closed, ending the stream of ethereal mist. When they reopened, words poured forth instead of anything magical in nature. “Ah, my beautiful Rarity, how are you feeling?”

“I am... decent,” she replied.

“Just decent?” he asked. “I should think you are feeling better than just decent. Your injuries are gone, and I have given you an extra twenty years of life to go with it. You should feel fantastic.”

“T-twenty years?”

“Mmm... yes, give or take a few. When one is a connoisseur of souls like myself, he learns to take the scraps of memory from his food. I saw them try to break you when you wouldn’t find gems. I saw them take your gorgeous voice. It stands to reason that if they tried to break you, they should give you some of their life energy in return.”

Rarity shuddered. “Are they...?”

“Dead by my claws?” He chuckled, a deep and booming sound. “Yes, very much so.”

“Oh.” She swallowed her emotions, content with sorting them out later when the current situation was resolved. “And, if you don’t mind me asking, oh kind and mighty dragon, I don’t believe I caught your name.”

Thorn frowned slightly. “Why, Lady Rarity, we have met before. I was a bit smaller then, sure, but I would have thought you’d have recognized me. I am Thornecrovitar, the life-eater. You know me as Thorn, the son of Necromancer Sparkle.”

“Oh,” she said again, her ears tilting back against her head. “I, uh, got your many letters. They were, um, lovely... Darling.”

“I know you burn them without reading them, my little jewel.” Thorn was more annoyed than anything, but Rarity misinterpreted that as rage. “Your sister mentioned as much.”

The thought of Sweetie Belle being anywhere near the beast made Rarity explode with courage and anger. Charging right up to his massive head, she looked him right in the eye. “NOW LISTEN HERE, YOU GREAT BIG BRUTE! I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU ARE! IF YOU SO MUCH AS PUT ONE CLAW ON SWEETIE BELLE’S HEAD, I WILL DESTROY YOU!”

Thorn erupted in booming laughter, shaking the cavern they were in. “I like this side of you. You have a fire worthy of a dragon. But no. If you’d allow me, I will personally carry you to your home and your sister, where you will find both none the worse for wear.”

“Hmph.” Nose up high, she trotted around the dracolich and into the tunnel behind him.

“You know, I would be offended If I had healed somepony and they refused to thank me,” Thorn commented, though he hadn’t turned to face her. “For you, though, I will let it slide.”

Rarity stopped, realizing that just because he was a brutish, unholy abomination, didn’t mean she had to stop being a polite, civilized lady. “Thank youuuuHOOOAHHHAAHHH-”

Thorn’s tail had wrapped itself around her and snatched her up, interrupting her words of thanks. The loud grinding of stone and the feeling of rapid ascension left Rarity disoriented, until she realized that Thorn was burrowing up through the ceiling and taking her with him.

The climb up took less than a minute, which was amazing considering that they had been just shy of a mile underground. Warm sunlight shone against Rarity’s coat for the first time in two days. It finally clicked in her mind that she might really be free, and not stuck in a nightmare.

The dragon bent his tail, bringing her forwards. In nearly a single motion, he transferred the alabaster pony into his claw, sprung forwards, and took flight.

The timely twins looked up, seeing the huge dragon fly overhead. Silently agreeing to put sister drama aside to deal with the more pressing issue. Arriving at Carousel Boutique only a few seconds after the dragon and his passenger did, they appeared in time to witness the tearful reunion of two other sisters.

“Mom, Twilight, could you check Rarity over? She was horribly wounded when I found her; brute-force life-injections can only do so much.”

The twins went to work immediately. Rarity protested their intrusive horn-poking at first, but then balked when she heard Twilight’s diagnosis.

“I have what?”

In lieu of an answer, Sparkle’s horn zapped the affected leg, neutralizing the problem before it actually became one. “You had a staph infection, emphasis on had. I took care of it.”

“If she hadn’t, you’d have lost the leg. The staph infection was in your bones and muscles. Untreated, you would have started rotting from the inside-out,” Twilight replied. “Though, to be on the safe-side, we should probably get you to the hospital soon.”

“Yes, quite,” Rarity said, a little green in the face. “Not to offend you two or anything, but I’d rather have the opinion of a Doctor over some mares I’ve barely met.”

Twilight looked hurt that her friend wouldn’t trust her, until it clicked that this was the other Rarity she was talking to. Nodding, the group turned and headed towards the hospital, with the slowly-shrinking-but-still-behemoth-sized lich following closely behind.

It was then that other ponies decided to interject, specifically Trixie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and about a dozen ponies from either the Ponyville militia or the local Royal Guard. The polychromatic-pegasus swooped in for a diving kick to the dragon’s snout, screaming, “Get away from them!” at the same time. Simultaneously, the other ponies put themselves as a blockade between Rarity and company and the dragon. Trixie erected a shield with her magic., just to be safe.

Thorn could roll with the punches, however, and swiftly caught the incoming pegasus. He moved to smash her against the ground, but was interrupted by Sparkle. “Thorn, stop!”

Everyone obeyed, with not a single muscle moved in any of the bodies present. Recognizing both the dragon and the speaker, one of the guards turned around and addressed Sparkle when he was sure that the dragon wasn’t about to kill the pegasus or the rest of them. “Necromancer Sparkle. What is the meaning of this? Explain your dragon and why you are not in Canterlot.”

After ordering Thorn to leave town for now, she quickly filled the guardspony in, even producing a signed permission slip from Celestia herself, which had taken over a week to get. (Celestia’s court secretary kept “losing” her appointment, as usual, and what should have taken an hour took far longer.) When he was satisfied that everything was in order, that nopony was hurt (despite the copious amounts of blood still on Sparkle’s face and chest), and that the dragon was indeed gone, he let them go and dismissed the ponies who had gathered to defend their town.

Trixie and her Applejack and Dash, as well as Sweetie Belle, embraced the recently returned Rarity. Trusting that they could take care of themselves, Sparkle turned and walked away without another word.

She nodded at Cobalt and his chicken, who had been silently following them since Rarity had been returned. The two (plus a chicken) headed back to where Sparkle had set her box, the one she had brought to test Cobalt with.

After reacquiring her possessions, the two of them then swiftly made their way out to the edge of town, and stopped along side a small lake.

There, they met up with a still shrinking Thorn. His belly now looked disproportionately swollen, as he shrank while the digesting dog corpses within did not. Cobalt, who could guess but didn’t know for sure why Thorn looked the way he did, simply took it in stride.

“Now, you sit here and hold your hen while I go try to clean this off,” Sparkle said, pointing to the mess on her chest. “Try talking with it, just to keep your focus up. Oh, and be thankful you didn't get a rooster; I wouldn't have wanted to tease you about you playing with your cock.”

“No worries, Ms. Sparkle,” Cobalt said. “Just, are you doing alright?”

Sparkle took a long time to respond. “Honestly, I don’t know. I’m a bit spent.”

Entering the cool water of the lake, Sparkle sighed and relaxed. True, she did have a spell to clean even the toughest of organic messes (which, if overpowered, could dissolve whole bodies), but there was something purifying about cleansing in a beautiful body of water.

She swam over to the edge of the lake. “Thorn, we need to talk.”

“Yeah, mom?” he asked as he rested his head against the lake shore, no longer large enough to swallow her whole.

“This obsession with Rarity has gone on long enough. You committed genocide for her, and you’ve met her once. She is not your damsel to rescue, she is not your lover, and she is not something to add to your hoard. Yes, you saved her life, but your possessiveness and bloodlust is getting way out of hoof.”

“What are you saying?” he growled, his hoarding instincts starting to overpower his family body.

A book appeared, summoned by Sparkle’s magic, titled Dread Necroptica: Mind. “I’m not saying anything, Thornecrovitar. I’m fixing my son. But first, I need to kill the monster sitting in front of me.”

Her horn erupted with dark power, undulating with six distinct layers of aura. Cobalt, even on the opposite side of the lake, could feel the psychic darkness enshrouding his mind. The normally optimistic stallion frowned. He lowered the chicken to his lap and held Elizabeak protectively.

Cobalt didn't know how long he and Elizabeak sat like that, but he knew that Ms. Sparkle was suddenly right next to him, snapping his trance.

“Put her back on your head,” Sparkle commanded dispassionately. “I’m going to take a nap. Wake me when you think you can’t hold it any more. And Cobalt, would you kindly not look in the box I brought?”

The sun was low in the sky when Sparkle was awoken by a gentle nudge to the shoulder. “Hmm?” she groaned as she awoke from dreamless sleep.

“Ms. Sparkle, I’m done,” a tired looking Cobalt said. Beside him, Elizabeak stood contently by his leg, pecking at some of the corn Fluttershy had provided.

“Alright. How long?”

“Five hours, Miss,” he answered.

“That’s great,” Sparkle replied. She stood and stretched out a bit. “You've made really great progress. Cobalt, you've passed the first test.”

Cobalt grinned like a colt on Hearth’s Warming morning. “WOOHOO!” He cheered. Sparkle grinned back, though not nearly as much.

“Unfortunately, the second test I have for you today isn't nearly as fun or easy,” she said.

Cobalt, still grinning, said, “Don't worry. I can do it! Right, Elizabeak?”

“Bawk bawk,” the chicken agreed.

“Now, I need to explain a bit before I actually tell you what the test it. The results of this test will determine how we go about your lessons in the future. If you fail or refuse the test, I will finish teaching you fine magical control and how to read spells from book, and that will end your lessons from me. Pass, and I will make you the heir to everything I know. It will require you taking an even more powerful and restrictive geas, but that will offer you a level of defense against corruption by dark magic that you cannot get yourself.

“Now, this test is one that the Royal Guard uses to prepare soldiers mentally for wartime conditions. It will be hard; your body will probably fight you every step of the way, and I've done my best to make it even harder than what the guard has to go through. Do you still want to try?” she asked.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Sparkle nodded. Her horn darkened and the large box they had been carrying around all day opened. His eyes looked upwards, still under the “do not look in the box” order. When he heard the box close, the geas finally let him drop his eyes, letting him see the unexpected sight of a picnic set up and a portable grill with a fire in the coals.

He was confused as to the purpose of the set up, and even more so when he noticed the discrepancies. Firstly, there was no food to be seen, and secondly, there was a large traffic cone present, of all things.

Elizabeak squawked, surprised at being picked up in the dark aura and dumped head-first into the upside-down cone. Her head poked out the bottom, and she vocally clucked her displeasure about it.

A sharpened knife was set before Cobalt on the mat. “Remember, you can refuse at any time. Now, step one: Slit Elizabeak’s throat and drain the blood.”

He picked up the knife and deftly slit the two veins in her neck. Sparkle raised an eyebrow at the ease with which he did the task, both in the skill and the lack of hesitation in killing an animal he’d seemed to be already attached to.

“Next, pluck the feathers. I have warm water to help you.”

Again, he did as instructed with a mechanical ease. His expression looked oddly serene, and Sparkle made a mental note to look into his background some more because of it.

“Use your magic to pull out the entrails. Don't worry if they're damaged.”

Again, he did so without complaint or hesitation. An idea crossed her mind; she would check to make sure the geas’s “lesson” clause wasn’t interfering with his actions. She wondered if he wanted to refuse, but couldn’t.

“Cobalt, would you kindly answer the next two questions truthfully; Do you want to stop, but are not speaking up because you want to pass? Are you in full control of your actions right now?”

“No, I do not want to stop. No, only because you are making me answer these questions,” he replied.

“Then cook and eat the chicken.”

He did.

An earth pony by the name of Red Fields stumbled into his mother’s Canterlot manor late that evening. “Where have you been?” She asked shrilly. “We had a very important client come by with a job proposition today. A Lord of the land, to be precise. Since you were not here, I accepted it on your behalf. These are your instructions. Burn them when you are done.”

The middle-aged unicorn passed the younger earth pony an envelope, which he took easily enough. “Thank you, mother,” he droned. There was no love between the two, only business.

“Get ready for bed. I will expect a full explanation when you wake up tomorrow morning before you go gallivanting off to do Celestia-knows-what, and it better not be anything that disgraces this family more that you already do.” She stuck her nose up like any other elitist unicorn in Canterlot. “And wash that blue paint out of your fur before it stains the furniture, young colt.”

Red Fields silently trudged up the stairs, entered the bathroom, and immediately grabbed the mouthwash. He swished and spit. “Ugh, that was disgusting...”

He set the envelope on the counter, pulled the recording crystal out from its hiding spot in his mane, and stepped into the shower to remove the body dye. When he came out, his blue coat was now as red as his name, and the painted cutie mark had faded, revealing a knife-shaped mark instead.

The letter was still unopened, so he picked it up and emptied it of it’s contents. The letter within was very short and to the point.

Kill the Necromancer, Twilight Velvet Sparkle.
You have one month.

His one escape was now under fire, and he would have to do it himself. The recording crystal, which he had been using to take notes, now represented a threat to the secrecy he had sworn to, and the geas had him crushing it under hoof in seconds.

That very geas had no clause against killing his mentor, and she had ordered nothing of the sort, but only now did he see why something like that would be left out. As it was, Red “Cobalt” Fields had to figure out how to kill her.

Crunch Time

The dragon touched down on the mountain, landing on the opposite side of Canterlot peak. Having flown low and fast in the middle of the night, his unusually massive size hadn’t betrayed him. His wings retracted, sinking back into the flesh from which they had emerged.

Nearby, the mare that had been waiting for him trotted up. Unlike her normal wear, the robes she wore were an uneven mixture of grays, greens, dark blues, and browns - genuine night camouflage. It took far less magic to disguise something that was hard to see in the first place, and exactly why she wanted it for things such as this. “How did everything go?” she asked the drake.

He swung a large, wrapped bundle, easily the size of three ponies, off his shoulder. “I got two of them. The rest are under glass.”

“Good.” She unwrapped the top of the bundle, revealing the undamaged heads of two deceased diamond dogs. One of the heads flopped over, rigor mortis having not yet set in completely. “Any complications?”

“What do you take me for, an amateur?” Thorn quipped. “Everything went fine. All the bodies are gone, the ghosts were eaten, and the cave entrances were plugged with molten stone. Add a bit more flame, and you can’t even tell where the caves were.”

Sparkle smiled. “Good boy. Now, fly off until you finish digesting and can shrink back to normal, OK?” Thorn nodded. “Now, I’ve got fresh meat to practice on.”

“You seem awfully happy now,” the drake commented.

“Oh, I’m still mad at you and still quite disturbed by what you did. However, I think your punishment will be enough for me to let it drop,” she said. “And now, I’ve got bodies to practice on!”

“This is the thing you were planning on doing to Cobalt after you put the next geas on him?”

“Mmmhmm,” she agreed. “And the next set of upgrades for Shiny. Do keep this a secret from him, won’t you?”

“Cross my heart, the end is nigh, stick a spear point in my eye.”

“And where do you think you are going?” The elderly mare said.

Stopped in the doorway, Red Fields said, “Out. I have a job to prepare for.” Old hag, he didn’t add. “I will be gone all day.”

“Good. The less I see of you in this house, the better. And... do try and not track mud into the house when you come back. I know how hard that must be for... somepony like you.” She sneered, and left without another word.

Red sighed, rubbing his hoof through his pinkish-white mane. He didn’t look back, instead choosing to walk forwards into the Canterlot streets.

His heart pounded, his blood rushing through his ears. He felt heavy, heavier than he had in a long time. Why? He had something of a clue.

Sparkle was, to the public eye, a monster. ‘Offing her would do the public good,’ or so they said. Honestly, he thought, Thorn was the bigger monster. ‘Oh, he’s just a dragon,’ they said, accepting the threat he posed as just something normal. ‘Baby dragons don’t hurt ponies, only big ones,’ the public thought. Except Red knew just how big and vicious that dragon could become.

Sparkle, though, she was his mentor and, dare he say it, possibly a friend. Could he kill her, knowing that she had given him a way out of the skin he was so uncomfortable in? As Cobalt, he was far happier than he had ever been as himself. He looked up to the cerulean sky, and wondered.

The jingle of the bell was surprisingly pleasant if one knew the purpose behind the shop attached to the door it guarded. Herbal Remedy would sell any plant or plant-based product a pony could desire from his black-market stock, carefully hidden behind the facade of an ordinary apothecary. Unlike many of his competitors, he would ask questions, if only to make sure his customers were always satisfied by what he gave them.

“So, what’ll it be this time?”

“I need curare for my knives, enough for five knives and strong enough to put down a hydra with a single cut,” Red explained. “And I do mean that literally.”

Remedy whistled. “Wow, you must really want somepony dead.”

“Mmm... Not particularly; it’s just a job. That said, she has a very nasty track record and spells that would make you beg for death,” Red elaborated.

The shopkeeper popped his lips. “I know something better. You’ll want s. cornu, commonly known as folly horn.”

“Isn’t that the one that makes unicorns have lethal magical surges?” Red asked.

“Yes, though it won’t work on pegasi or earth ponies like us. We’d just get a rash,” Herbal Remedy said.

“I don’t know if that’s the best one for the job...”

“Well, it comes with its own built-in distraction to let you escape. Surges are generally harmless.”

“Unicorns are generally not natural darks,” Red Fields countered. “Remember the rainbow sickness that struck ten years ago?”

“I do,” he replied. “Got a lot of business from that, what with all the ponies wanting treatment and the hospitals being all full.”

“That was my target - surging - when she was eight. That was when she got her necromancy mark.”

The words took a second to sink in. “No, you will not be buying any folly horn. Let me see what other neurotoxins I have.”

“Much appreciated.”

A few minutes later, Red Fields was trotting towards the door of the store, having traded his illegally-earned bits for illegally-bought plant oils. Just before he could reach it, the door was opened by another customer.

Red froze when he saw who it was: Sparkle. For a half-second, he worried that she would ask what he was doing here, but eventually realized that she showed no sign of recognizing him. For once very glad he was his birth color, Red trotted past his teacher, nodding as he did so.

The shopkeeper realized who else was entering his store. “Ah, Ms. Sparkle, how-” The rest was cut off by the door closing.

He trotted away, rounding a corner before breaking out into a dead sprint. Had he not turned into a shaded alleyway, he might have noticed his shadow growing darker. Had he not been panting, he might have heard the small giggle from underneath his hooves.

Back in the apothecary, Sparkle pushed aside the strangeness of seeing her student’s soul inside a different stallion’s body. She’d long since stopped using coloration as a means of identifying people, as the soul-sight she still hadn’t figured out how to deactivate made other methods moot. Besides, she didn’t need to pry on secretive business, not when she had a specter trailing him anyway. “Herbal, can I get some poppy extract? Low grade, please.”

The two sat in semi-comfortable silence, bathing in the moisture of the sauna. Fluttershy, normally quite content to hear her friend talk of all the gossip in Ponyville, found it rather odd that her white friend wasn't offering any conversation. "Um, Rarity, if you don't mind me asking, are you alright? You seem kind of, um, down."

The fashionista sighed. "I've been feeling a bit melancholy for a few days now... No, even melancholy is too strong a word. Just... off. Anyway, I've been not quite myself these past few days."

"Well, when did it start?" the pegasus asked.

Rarity thought for a bit. "Oh, I suppose it was a few days after Thorn rescued me from those horrid dogs."

"Oh, um," Fluttershy mumbled. She knew animals, not ponies, so how to help her friend escaped her. She took a guess anyway. "Is it about Thorn?"

Rarity looked pensive. "You know, darling, it just might. Back when I first met him, he was instantly smitten. I got a letter from him every day, sometimes two a day. They were sweet at first, even if they did come from him. But, they started getting creepy. He knew things that he shouldn't have known. I was scared, so I started burning the letters. They eventually slowed, coming once a week, but they were as long as ever.

"Then Thorn saved me from those mongrels. He healed me and called me his 'little jewel'; it was sweet, in a rather terrifying sort of way. He fought for me when I shunned him. I didn't even thank him or say goodbye to him properly. Now? I haven't gotten a single letter, when I expected several by now," Rarity explained.

"So, um," Fluttershy said, "do you miss the letters?"

"Oh heavens, no! I don't miss them in the least." Rarity's head drooped slightly, as did her ears. "I just can't help but feel that something is off."

"I understand," Fluttershy said. Years of working with animals had told her that changes in behavior could mean illness, danger, or any other number of things. "Well, we're going to be in Canterlot for the Gala soon. Do you want to see if we could meet him and talk after the party?"

"Well, I do owe him a better thank you at minimum, so yes, darling. I think that would be a good idea."

The was a noise that sounded something like balloon full of pudding rupturing and spilling onto the floor. Then, there was the sound of a mare yelping. Finally, the smell of old flesh tickles Thorn's nose.

"Mom?"

"I'm fine!" she called out. "The reaction was a bit more vigorous than expected."

Thorn strode into the room that had become Sparkle's lab (which was hidden behind so many illusions, Shining Armor didn't even know the room existed). He stepped up onto the washable, drainable, elevated tile flooring that kept some of his mother's messier experiments from leaking into the floors below. Experiments like this one, for example.

His bare feet stepped over the raised portion of the floor and lowered into the blood said elevated portion was holding back. "Mom, what happened to the diamond dog?"

"Well, I got the technique down, but I wanted to know its upper limits. I tried overloading it, and-”

"It exploded like a balloon?" Thorn suggested.

"Yeah," she agreed, wiping blood from her eyes and face. "Lesson learned: the safe limit is half the value I found, and be sure to add a dispersal element."

Thorn nodded. Crossing his arms, he asked, "You still planning on doing this to Shiny and your student?"

"Oh yes. The results of the tests before I tried to break it were most pleasing."

*Boink*

"Stop it," he said, not bothering to look up from the book Sparkle had assigned him. The rubber ball bounced off his head again.

"I will if you make me lunch!" The voice of Red's much younger sister grated on his nerves almost as much as the ball she was magically bouncing off his skull.

"No, now let me study."

*Boink*

"But studying is boring! Why would a mud pony need to study? They're just stupid."

That got Red to put his book down. "Excuse me, what did you just call me?"

*Boink*

"That's what mommy calls you. Why are you so mad?" the filly petulantly whined.

*Boink-pop* The ball, formerly being propelled by a green aura, hung limply in a blue aura unfamiliar to the filly.

"Now listen here, I've had enough of your nonsense. If you haven't noticed, I hate that hag you call mother. And if you don't stop pestering me," - the filly found herself being dragged forwards by a pull on her horn - "I'll snap your stick and burn the stump so it doesn't grow back. And if you don't stop then, I'm sure my teacher's pet dragon would love a filly filet."

Said filly squeaked and stepped back.

Across the pair of Equestrias, several individuals put plans in motion.

In Ponyville, a blue mare donned Gala dress, watched silently by her pet owl, Gizmo.

In Ponyville, a lavender mare did the same, though her owl was named Owlowicious.

In upper Canterlot, a lavender mare donned her precautions, knowing an assassin was after her.

In upper Canterlot, a killer donned his body paint, his thoughts murky and unclear.

In lower Canterlot, a white mare donned a dress, preparing to see her marefriend play at the Gala, not knowing that opportunity was knocking.

In lower Canterlot, two stallions, unusual in their lack of manes or tails, looked at an instrument's reading, and prepared.

In Canterlot Castle, three princesses and a prince prepared for the evening, while their guards altered their patrol routes to better protect the guests in the event of an emergency.

And finally, in the castle gardens, a statue twitched, sensing the same oncoming chaos that the two stallions had.

Author's Note

Yes, he's canon. Sorta...

Mares and Chaos, part 2

While Cobalt and Sparkle were failing to navigate the twisted streets of Canterlot, the latter’s sister, her sister’s friends, her sister’s mentor, and all their doubles hurriedly made their way towards the vault that kept the elements safe.

However, when they reached the vault, both Celestias moved to open the sealed door and ended up whacking their heads together. While rubbing their heads, they said, “Luna always did insist I had a hard head.”

“Princess,” Twilight said, then amended, “My princess Celestia, act first. Trixie’s should hesitate and act second. You’ll keep hitting each other otherwise.”

Trixie cast a glance at Twilight. Nopony else noticed.

“Good idea, Twilight,” her mentor said. The other Celestia nodded, agreeing to the plan. The former stuck her horn into the slot, illuminating with the light of her magic.

The jeweled box floated out of the vault, held aloft in a sunshine yellow aura. Celestia held out the box and flipped open the lid.

Twelve ponies gasped.

"They're gone!" Trixie exclaimed. "Isn't this vault warded, Princess?"

"By over a dozen ponies, myself included," the princess answered.

"It must have taken some powerful, dark magic to get the Elements of Harmony," Trixie stated. One of the Celestias frowned, while the other looked at her lavender student.

Defensively, Twilight retorted, "You- My sister had NOTHING to do with this." The scowl adorning her face was an unusually hostile expression for her. Trixie stepped back, seeing shades of Sparkle in Twilight's eyes.

"Twilight," Trixie's Celestia said, "It is entirely possible that your sister has joined forces with Discord. Be it through her own free will or through Discord's influence, the result is the same. I trust that she wouldn't fall so easily, but it still remains a possibility."

"Are you so sure about that?," a masculine voice said, emanating from the walls. The fourteen ponies by the vault door jumped, looking for the source. "It took remarkably few words to get Sparkle to start spreading chaos.”

“What did you do to her, Discord?” Twilight demanded.

Appearing before them, completely upside down, Discord laughed. “That’s for me to know and you to find out on your own. Although, I distinctly remember overhearing a conversation between you two... something about her talking ponies to death?”

Twilight stepped back. “No... you didn’t...”

Popping out from behind her back, a smaller Discord asked, “Didn’t do what?” He snorted mirthfully. “Well, whatever I may or may not have done, you twelve Element Bearers have more pressing concerns, namely where I hid your Elements. And might I remind you that, no matter how many twists and turns I throw at you, this,” - an hourglass on a wrist strap appeared, adorning his lion’s paw. He tapped it, signifying the time - “is a race.

“Well, Ta-Ta, little ponies!” Discord suddenly jumped up and disappeared in a flash of white light.

“Hmph, if that freak wants a race, I’ll give him a race,” The two Dashes said in unison. “There’s nopony faster than me!”

“That’s great and all, Dash... and Dash,” an Applejack said. “But we still have no idea where in tarnation our Elements are.”

Trixie’s eyes just happened to gaze out the window at that moment. “Twists and turns... The hedge maze! That’s where Discord hid our Elements!”

The two Applejacks galloped swiftly through the maze, sticking together as best they could. Twilight had the right idea suggesting that they stick together, especially after Discord had added his no magic, no flying, no quitting rules.

Their breath was labored, their lungs aching. True, they were very strong mares, but the two Applejacks had been galloping at their absolute top speed, wearing out their bodies just a tad faster than the disorientation wore on their minds.

Of course, the metallic-tasting fog didn't help one bit.

They came to a fork in the road. Without hesitation, Applejack turned left/right, knowing that her double would be following behind her. She ran and ran, her heart thumping in her chest. Worry for her family and friends took root in her mind, and began blossoming into an insidious flower.

"Where's Applejack?" A hollow voice whispered on the wind. "Where is the mare that gave you her word that she would be by your side?"

The orange-coated farmer stopped dead in her tracks. The silence was both deafening and all-telling; she was alone. No, not alone, isolated. She spun around. The way back was closed, as if it had never been there.

"Who's there? Come out, ya' varmint," the orange mare commanded.

"No, why would I?" Pinkie's voice emerged from the fog. Applejack swore she could just make out the faintest hints of the pink mare in the fog. "You broke your word. You left her. You're a liar."

"She left me! She was behind me."

"Really, Applejack? You're still lying?" Rainbow Dash's voice said.

The fog condensed behind Applejack, forming two ghostly images of her. They sprinted past, the one in front going right/left, while the one behind went left/right, just like she had. "No, ah couldn't have," the orange mare said, taking a small step back.

"You're always lying, Applejack," The soft voice of Fluttershy commented.

"We've just been playing along, Darling, but it's time to wake up. This is reality. Your fantasy is killing you," an ethereal Rarity said.

"Poor Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle," Twilight/Trixie said, "having to pretend that Applebloom actually exists to keep you from lashing out."

Applebloom walked out in front of her sister. "What do they mean, pretending that ah exist?"

"Don' listen to them, Applebloom! You are real. You are mah sister!" Applejack moved towards the little filly to embrace her, but something snagged her hoof, sending her tumbling into the ground.

"But ah don't, Applejack."

The farmer looked up. There was nopony there, only fog.

"The truth hurts, doesn't it, Applejack? The truth is such a murky, foggy thing, isn't it? You could alway accept it, and suffer for the rest of your life, or you could just go back to the way things were. Forget this, tell your little lies. Be happy in the clarity you make for yourself." The fog swirled around her, making her drowsy and confused. "Lie and be free."

And so, the twin Applejacks, separate by only a bush, fell to chaos.

Pinkie and Pie, as they had dubbed each other, pronked down the path in an alternating rhythm. Merrily, they chatted over whatever topics popped up in their hyperactive minds.

The fog, thicker than pea soup and strangely metallic tasting, occasionally obscured them from each other's view, but they could still hear each other.

Then Pinkie/Pie tripped. "Hehehehehe. You're such a klutz." A hoof appeared out of the mist, offering support for the downed mare. Pinkie/Pie took it, grateful for the assistance.

That is until a second hoof emerged, grabbed Pinkie/Pie, and flung her up, over, and down onto the rocky ground.

The laughter that followed was a hundred times louder (as if there was a full crowd watching) and far too genuine-sounding for Pinkie/Pie's comfort.

Achy and bruised, the party mare stood up. "What was that for?"

From the fog emerged her traveling companion, straight-maned and smiling from schadenfreude. "Everyone knows slapstick is funnier than jokes and gags, and laughing at an idiot is a riot of its own."

"Hey, I'm not an idiot!"

"Keep telling yourself that, Pinkie/Pie," the other pony said.

"If I'm an idiot, the you are one too," the baker retorted.

The straight-maned pony hummed and nodded. "I guess you could say that. But I'm not that other mare; she left you a while ago. Pinkamina Diane Pie, I'm your subconscious, and it's high time we had a chat. You've been ignoring me for so long that I've had to take drastic action."

"What do you mean?" The baker asked.

"We know funny. We're the Element of Laughter. So why are you letting your friends laugh at us?" The other pony said.

"They're not laughing at me, they're laughing with me," She declared.

"You sure about that? I beg to differ. Remember those looks you get when they think you aren't looking, the whispers, the pitying remarks?" The fog swirled around them. "Think about it, they want you ignorant, they like seeing you suffer. Don't give them the satisfaction. Don't let them laugh and make them suffer instead."

And so, separated by the swirling fog, the two Pinkie Pies fell to chaos.

"It's beautiful!"

"Gorgeous!"

"Simply Divine!"

The twin Rarities stared at the stone they had excavated from what they thought was simply a jewel-encrusted wall. Their Gala dresses were filthy, but in comparison to the wealth they saw before them, what was a measly little dress?

The metallic fog swirled faster.

"How should we split it?"

"Split it?" Rarity scoffed. “Splitting a gem such as this would ruin its value. I could get so much more working with it and selling it on my own.”

“On your own? Why should you get it? I deserve it more that you.”

“On what grounds?”

“How long were you held captive by the diamond dogs, and how badly were you hurt?”

“A few hours before Spike brought my friends, and I was mostly unharmed. I don’t see how this has anything to-”

“Four days. Four days I was down there. FOUR DAYS I WAS BEATEN AND BROKEN AND FORCED TO FIND GEMS. IF THERE IS ANYPONY WHO DESERVES IT, THAT PONY IS ME!”

“You don’t look like somepony who was beaten and broken.”

“I was healed by Thorn.”

“Eww... You’ve probably been corrupted by dark magic. Why would I give my jewel to somepony like you?"

"That's it, Bitch, I'm going to kill you!"

The eyes hidden in the fog contorted with an unseen smile. And so, the not quite as rare gems fell to chaos without a single word from its lord.

The spirit of chaos scowled. The problem with chaos - the good kind, not the more flamboyant effects of his magic - was that it required pulling all the right strings in just the right ways to cause the whole tapestry of fate to unravel. And it irked him so when one of those strings. Just. Wouldn't. Budge.

And his routine for Fluttershy was perfect, too. Sure, maybe it was in the style of the younger, more cruel version of himself, but it was still a masterpiece...

And then the Fluttershies had to ruin it by being little goody-four-shoes. He really thought that bit with the dead rabbit would have done it, but nooooo....

Well, Discord could adapt. It wasn't like her mind was any more defended than any other ponies against a being like him. It worked out fine in the end; she too fell to the hypnosis of his Wonderland's fog.

As the little butterfly changed back into the hideous draconequus, Discord smirked. Just a little more to do, and victory would be his. He was sure of it.

“Where the hay are we?” one Rainbow said to the other as they both galloped through the maze.

The other replied, “No idea. This fog is messing with my sense of direction.”

The first frowned. “What’s the deal with this stuff anyway? It doesn’t feel like any fog I know of.” Experimentally, she planted her hoof into the ground and spun around, using her momentum to buck the air.

Nothing productive happened.

Picking herself up off the ground, Dash grumbled to herself - herself herself, not the other herself. The other Dash, despite not being able to clearly hear the first, could guess what she was saying.

A scream, inequine in nature but clearly fearful, pierced the muffled quiet. “Where am I? Anybirdy, please! Help me!”

The Dashes knew that voice. “GILDA! Is that you?”

“Dashie?” the voice trembled.

“Over here! Follow the sound of my voice. Come on, Gilda. Over-” the speaking Dash was cut off by a sudden and fierce hug.

“Oh, Storm Lord, I thought I’d never see anybirdy again. What in Tartarus is going on?” She blinked her tear-soaked eyes. “Um, Dash, if you’re over there, then who am I hugging?”

Rainbow, the one being embraced, snickered. “Double Rainbow, all the way.”

Gilda pulled her head back and looked at the Dash that she was holding, and then the other. “I’d be surprised, but this isn’t nearly the most extreme thing I’ve seen today.”

“What could be more awesome than two of the most amazing pegasi in the world?” The two Dashes were smiling, but their expressions quickly melted away when they saw that there was absolutely no mirth in Gilda’s eyes.

“Dash... Dash... Cloudsdale’s gone. There were things in the sky... they attacked without warning. Most of us were able to fly to the ground before it got too bad, but...” Gilda trailed off, choking back tears. “The rain... the rain...”

“Gilda, snap out of it. What happened? What about the rain?”

The griffin looked like she was going to be sick. “The rain was red.”

“D-Do you know what happened to my parents?”

“Don’t know. I-I was flying to get help. Please, we’ve got to fly out of here. I need your help,” the distraught griffin replied.

“But our wings-” one of the Rainbows said, only to be cut off as her wings ruffled in anticipation. “Of course Dipcord would make us think our wings were gone. Come on!” The speaking Dash took to the skies, passing through the swirling fog, followed closely by the other.

Behind them, the whites of the griffin’s eyes turned yellow, the golden irises turned red, and he chuckled to himself. Thus, the prismatic pegasi fell to chaos.

“There you are, Fluttershy, Fluttershy,” Twilight said. Behind her, two angry Pinkies in magical straight-jackets, two thoroughly bruised Rarities (with the occasional bite mark or missing tuft of fur), and two delusional Applejacks followed. “Am I glad to see you two.”

Fluttershy one growled, glaring at Twilight. The other hissed, baring blood-soaked teeth.

“Or not.”

The devilish serpent slithered up behind the lone, blue mare. Though the game was over already, there was nothing saying he had to tell them it was over, that they hadn’t found the Elements in time. Everything was right on schedule, Discord thought. His darkest little pawn was just about to find an interesting little book shop, and everything would be in place. Harmony would fall, yadda yadda yadda, eternal chaos.

AS for the mare in front of him, Discord didn’t even have to corrupt her. No, all it would take is a simple little idea to take her down. “Ah, Trixie, the Great and Entertaining Trixie. Enjoying yourself?”

The hornless unicorn replied, “No thanks to you. Give us back the Elements.”

He cackled. “Ohohoho. What would be the fun in that? Besides, the Element are a big-fat lie.”

“What are you wasting Trixie’s time with now?”

“I’m just saying that you’re not really in a maze at all right now. That everything you see, everything that you have seen for a long time, has been all just a dream.”

“Beatrix, Wake-”

“- up,” the nurse said. “Beatrix, sweetie, it’s time for lunch.”

“Ugh... my head. Where is Trixie?”

There was a loud clatter of a clipboard and tray being dropped. “Doc. DOCTOR! Beatrix Lulamoon is speaking again!” The nurse called out with much excitement. Turning back towards Trixie, the white unicorn said, “Beatrix, can you hear me?”

“Yes, Trixie can hear you just fine. Why are you so close to Trixie. Where is she? Who are you?”

Backing up a tad, the nurse quickly apologised. “Sorry about that. My name is nurse Euphoria. I am the head nurse in the chronic wing of Canterlot Psychiatric Hospital. Beatrix, you’ve been unresponsive for four years. Can you tell me the last thing you remember?”

Dazed, Trixie replied, “I... Trixie was in a foggy maze. Trixie was separated from my friends. Discord came up and was taunting Trixie. Then Trixie was here. Wait...” She frowned. “Why is Trixie in a Psychiatric Hospital. Trixie is not crazy!”

“Shhh...” The nurse pleaded. “I never said you were crazy. Never think that. But, you were admitted because your mind was attacked by dark magic, which left you without your higher brain functions, or so we thought. That you’re speaking now is nothing short of a miracle!”

At the mention of “attacked by dark magic,” Trixie’s brain went into overdrive, overwhelmed by the implications to the exclusion of everything else happening around her. “Sparkle.”

“What was that, Beatrix?”

“I’m going to kill Sparkle for what she did to me,” Trixie decreed.

The nurse hummed pleasantly. “I wouldn’t worry about her too much, dear. She was banished to Tartarus a week after you were admitted. You can just relax.”

The door to her room opened and in walked a pony Trixie assumed to be the doctor. “How are you feeling, Trixie?”

“Scared, confused. My head hurts.”

“Don’t worry,” the doctor said.

His yellow and red eyes glinted, reflecting a light that wasn’t there, “That’s only because-”

“-you’re lost in a world of pure imagination,” Discord sang. “Face it, Trixie, which is more likely? That you’re searching for magical artifacts with your doppelgangers that only your friends can wield, questing to defeat the personification of chaos, disorder, disharmony, and madness, or that that same personification is your mind telling you that this world isn’t real, that Twilight is just a reflection of the one you hate, the one that did this to you?”

Smiling, Discord slowly faded away, taking the swirling metal fog and the maze with him. “Game over, Trixie, it’s time to wake up. Hahahahaha.”

Then she was alone in the clearing, though only for a second.

“Trixie! Please tell me you’re still yourself,” a voice called. Trixie turned. It was her.

Author's Note

FYI, the fog is inspired by Dr. Butterfly's "Alice in Wonderland" ability.

This chapter was brought to you (and delayed) by brain damage. Don't get bonked in the head; it's not pleasant. Trust me, I have first-hand experience, via mountain to the head. (I was skiing...)

Mares and Chaos, part 3

Trixie frowned and turned away. “Trixie, are you alright?” Twilight asked. Still silent, Trixie refused to look back. “Trixie, what’s wrong?”

“You, Sparkle. You’re what’s wrong.” Whipping back around, Trixie faced Twilight. “You did this to me.”

“Sparkle? Trixie, I’m not Sparkle; I’m Twilight, her sister,” the lavender mare insisted.

“No, she ain’t,” Applejack interjected.

“Not. Helping. Applejack,” Twilight said.

“Yes, you are. You’re Sparkle, and Trixie is dreaming,” the blue magician insisted. “None of this- None of this is real.”

Twilight stepped forwards. “Trixie...”

But the mare panicked and scrambled backwards, tripping over her own hooves as she did so. “Stay-Stay away!” She picked herself up and started running towards the edge of the crater where the maze once stood. “Nooo!”

Twilight started to follow her, but Discord chose that moment to appear right before Twilight, obstructing her path and allowing Beatrix Lulamoon to escape. “Hohahaha! What fun! What fun! This is the most entertainment I’ve had in aeons!”

From behind their magically conjured restraints, the two Pinkies started hissing and spitting in rage at Discord’s laughter.

“Shut it, Discord. You’re not playing fair,” Twilight said.

The spirit raised an Eyebrow. “I’m not playing fair? Perhaps we haven’t met. I’m Discord, spirit of chaos and disharmony. Hello?”

Twilight snarled. “How are we supposed to find the Elements of Harmony when you took away the labyrinth before we could get to the end?”

Discord recoiled. “Did you..?” He burst out laughing. “How funny! You thought the Elements were in the labyrinth? What a riot. In fact, I think it was Trixie who suggested the labyrinth. Where is she, by the way? And those delightfully colorful speedsters, too? Hmm... Well, you don’t need the Elements, seeing as you don’t even have a full set of Element bearers to go with it.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Twilight insisted. “We’ll beat you one way, or another.”

“Oh, I’m so nervous,” the draconequus mocked. “Keep trying, Twilight. Maybe if you were an only child, you might have had a chance. Of course, you know how troublesome siblings can be, always doing what they want. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some chaos to wreak.”

Thunder boomed, and chocolate milk rain fell from cotton candy clouds. And Twilight knew what to do.

“Give me that!” A Rarity screamed.

“I SAW IT FIRST!” The other countered.

But first, Twilight had to fix this.

A disturbed Cobalt hastily exited the bookshop where he had just met the Grim Reaper himself. Behind him walked Sparkle, nose already buried in the accursed tome of Pain.

Then she rear-ended Cobalt. “Huh? Why’d you stop?”

“Ms. Twilight?” Cobalt said worriedly.

“What?” She looked up. “Oh, buck.”

Before them stood none other than Discord, towering over them at over six times their height. “Now, now, Sparkle, there’s no need for that kind of language.”

“Sorry. What do you want, Discord?” Sparkle said calmly.

“Oh, nothing much,” Discord replied, shrinking a tad. “Just two tiny little things, that’s all.”

“And those would be?”

“First,” Discord teleported, appearing smaller and wrapped around Sparkle’s body, “I wanted to say that, most likely, if the Elements of Harmony are used, they are going to kill you and your son, and render Cobalt over there a veritable vegetable.”

“What!”

“Oh yes. See, for them to cleanse the world of my influence, the Elements are going to have to bathe the entire world in their magic, putting you in the crossfire, especially since they think you’re willingly working for me!” Discord smiled. His talon traced a concentric circle on Sparkle’s chest, conjuring a target on the fur. “I hear that, as a mortal, the Elements are soul crushing. Funny, for such light artifacts they are really quite grim. And while I may just be turned to stone, the same cannot be said of you."

“And what about me?” The assassin asked.

Discord popped up beside him. “Why, the Elements would try to rip away your soul’s geas without any grace. I’m sure that would be quite traumatic on your young mind.” Cobalt gulped.

“And the other thing?” a now thoroughly shaken Sparkle asked.

Discord snapped his lion’s paw. The Dread Necroptica vanished from Sparkle’s magical grip and reappeared in Discord’s possession. “This book contains what likely is your only hope of saving yourself and letting me be defeated. But I don’t want that. No, I’m not going to be defeated, and you’re going to help me make sure that the Elements of Harmony never fire. I’m sure you two can figure something out. Ta-Ta!”

He vanished with the sound of a struck gong.

“Buck.”

“I”m with you on that one, Ms. Sparkle,” Cobalt said.

The reversed sound of a gong crashed against their ears. “Oh, I almost forgot,” Discord said as he reappeared. “Just to make things interesting, I planted the locations of the various elements deep within the subconscious of each of the Element Bearers. Given enough time, I’m sure they’ll find them. As for you, here’s a map... and some more motivation.”

The skin of Sparkle’s right foreleg started to peel away in paper-thin strips from just below the shoulder. Deeper and deeper the changes went, and Sparkle could only stare in horror as her leg disintegrated out from underneath her. When her muscles failed, she lost her balance momentarily before one of the specters she kept in her body at all times animated the bones. Even they, the only remaining pieces of her limb, were looking far more worn and brittle than they should.

The papery strips of Sparkle’s flesh knitted themselves together in the air, forming a map. As soon as the last stripp attached itself, the whole thing rolled up and flopped onto the ground, though neither pony was looking at it.

Instead, Cobalt was already tearing a strip of cloth from his Gala suit to form a tourniquet, and Sparkle was trying to heal a wound that resisted her efforts.

Discord smirked maliciously. “No, no, Sparkle. I’ll fix your leg good as new when you’ve saved us from the Elements. But you better hurry if you don’t want that missing limb causing you trouble.”

Unlike the un-split mare known as Twilight Sparkle, the light mage known only as Twilight was far more aware of the symptoms of mind manipulation. And, unlike that magical generalist, Twilight was far more attuned to the magic within other ponies. That she could currently feel the earth pony magic inside both Applejacks, instead of just her own, told her that the physical space that the two timelines were in was far closer than it had ever been, and that magic was crossing over as well as light.

Of course, considering that she had been awake for nearly twenty hours at this point, she didn’t stop to consider that. Instead, she just went up to both Applejacks and purged the chaotic magic from their brains.

“Ugh, Twi/Twilight, what’s goin’ on?” was the first thing out of each of their mouths when they were purged and returned to their original color.

Twilight quickly filled the AJs in. “Now, who do we treat next? The mad Pinkies, the rabbid Flutterbeasts, or the murderous Rarities.”

“Ah’d say Pinkie, because she’s the strongest of those three,” an Applejack said.

“Right, I’ll just-” but the moment Twilight released the glowing restraints on the pink ponies, they both lunged at her. “Gah, AJ! Help!” Suddenly tackled by twin earth ponies, Twilight accidentally released the magic restraining the Flutterbeasts and the Rarities. The two former immediately joined the fray, while the two unicorns decided to fight amongst themselves instead.

“Ah’m comin’, Twilight!”

Had the streets not been deserted, the sound of massive wings beating overhead would have sent ponies running. As it was, the dracolich the wings belonged to was a welcome sight for the injured mare and her companion. “Mom!”

The behemoth landed near the duo, shrinking as he moved towards them. “Mom, I was so worried about you. Wha- Mom, your leg...” Thorn stopped shrinking when he was only twice their size and rushed forwards to support Sparkle.

“Hey, Thorn. Gah... Don’t... Worry. I’ll be fine. It’s just a flesh wound.”

Baffled, Thorn gaped. “Just a flesh wound? There’s no flesh left!”

“Thornecrovitar, it’s going to be fine. You’ll see.” Sparkle smiled, pained as her expression was. “Stings a bit, though. Can’t quite seem to convince myself that my leg doesn’t hurt. Anyway, are you alright?”

“Yes, Mom,” the drake answered. “Some ponies decided to be dragon slayers, but I took care of them.” Sparkle sighed in relief.

“Right, Thorn, can you give us a lift?” Cobalt asked. “We need to get to the east side of upper Canterlot ASAP.”

Thorn’s frown deepened. “The hospital is the other way, you know.”

“Yes, but we, all three of us, might not survive the night unless we get moving now,” the stallion retorted. “I’ll explain on the way,” he added, seeing Thorn’s confusion.

“Hmmm,” he rumbled, adding back to his size. “Come on then, hop on.”

“Thanks, Thorn.”

In eastern Canterlot, precisely where there was an X on a unicorn’s leg-turned-map, one Trixie Lulamoon burst into her father’s home on the verge of crying. “Wha- Beatrix? Is that you?” The surprised stallion inside asked. “What are you doing here?”

“Trixie is running away,” she said. “They were...” She trailed off, her eyes fixating on a display case on the back wall. “The Elements!”

And so they were. Within that case sat three of the Elements of Harmony, one Element of Magic and two Elements of Laughter. A smile bloomed across Trixie’s lips as she sprinted forwards to grab them.

There was a knock on the front door. Trixie’s father turned and said, “Who could that be?” He opened the door.

The forest green faux-unicorn outside said, “Hello. My teacher and I are looking for a set of weapons disguised as gold necklaces or a gold tiara, each with a large gem in the middle, called the Elements of Harmony. You wouldn’t have happen to have seen them, would you?

“I-”

“DON’T LET THEM IN!” Trixie shouted, interrupting her father.

Trusting his daughter, the stallion said, “I’m sorry, I can’t help you. Good day-” the sun suddenly set, “-er, Night.” He tried to shut the door, but a hoof blocked it.

The door was pried open magically, revealing not one, but now two ponies. “I’m sorry,” the new mare said, “We’re coming in.” She shoved her way past the stallion, who recoiled at the sight of her leg, and hobbled right into the house. “Hello, Trixie. It looks like you have something I need.”

“Who are you? What are you doing here?”

Sparkle looked at Trixie, slightly confused, before she remembered that she was still wearing the orange fur dye from the Gala. “I just said, you have something I need. Ssss...” She hissed in pain, and then a blob of inky blackness formed at the tip of Sparkle’s horn and shot towards Trixie. It forced its way into her mouth and down her throat, causing trixie to convulse slightly and her eyes to unfocus.

“What are you doing to my daughter?” The father bellowed. He started to charge forwards, but collapsed thanks to a book to the head, courtesy of Cobalt. A second later, he too was implanted with a blob of shadow.

“Get up and, ahg, come here,” Sparkle ordered, and the two specter-possessed ponies complied. “Now, get me something to tie you two up.”

“Hehehe, as you wish, mistress,” the specter in Trixie giggled.

Across the street, a gray pony in a gray suit put away a set of collapsible binoculars.

Twilight’s head suddenly shot up as the glow around her horn intensified. “What is it, Twilight?” a newly uncorrupted Fluttershy asked.

“Trixie’s moving towards us, and fast,” Twilight answered. “She’s really close now.”

There was a tremendous boom and an equally tremendous roar that reverberated the very ground. Green light erupted from the other side of the city block, glowing against the currently night sky.

“Oh Twilight, Darling, please tell me that’s not your nephew,” a Rarity said. “Meeting him once was enough, and I really don’t think I want to meet him again, now.”

“That is, and Trixie is over there with him,” Twilight answered. “Come on, everypony.”

The group of nine ponies, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, their doubles, and Twilight, all set off in a gallop. Hooves pounding against the chocolate pavement of warped Canterlot streets, the nonet charged forwards to find their friend/acquaintance. Rounding the corner, Twilight had to stop short to avoid running into a massive Thorn. “Ah! Hello, Thorn. It’s good to see you.”

“The feeling isn’t mutual,” the lich replied, glaring at her with his toxic green eyes.

“Twilight,” a voice said from behind the dragon, “It seems we have a little conflict of interests here.” From behind him, Sparkle emerged, eliciting gasps at the sight of her leg, or what was left of it.

“Sparkle, what happened to you?”

“Discord took my leg and my book. ‘Motivation,’ he calls it, though I call it an annoyance. Ssss... Agh. I’d still do it even if he hadn’t taken those from me.”

“Do what?” The illusion shattered, revealing two bound, gagged, and panicking ponies, held at knifepoint by a third.

“Trixie!” several of the group cried out. They tried to rush forwards to help their friend, but were stopped by Sparkle’s magic.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” the necromancer said. “One more step, and Cobalt will slit the throats of Trixie and her father. And unicorns, don’t even think of using magic. They’ll be dead before you can even say ‘alacazam.’ Got it?”

Rarity shouted, “You wouldn’t dare!”

“Try us,” Thorn said, his massive head positioned just behind her.

“Th-Thorn? What? I thought that you-”

“Loved you? Not anymore. Especially not now,” the drake stated.

“What do you want, Sparkle? You wouldn’t have a hostage otherwise,” Twilight asked.

Sparkle made a contemplative noise. “What do I want? I want your obedience, for one thing. I also want both sets of the Elements; I’ve got five already, but I need them all. And, while Thorn’s out retrieving them, I need you to do something for me.”

“What?” Twilight growled.

“Oh, it’s simple really. I just need you to bring me both Rainbow Dashes. All eleven of you need to be here, or Trixie and her father will die,” Sparkle smugly stated. “Tick, tock. You better hurry if you want to see them alive again.”

“No!”

“What was that, Fluttershy?” Sparkle asked.

The butter yellow pegasus confidently marched up to the necromancer and looked her right in the eye. “No! I won’t let you hurt my friend. You are going to release my friend right now, missy. Just because you are a scary, evil sorceress doesn’t give you the right to threaten my friends. You may have a lot of nasty spells, but you do no - I repeat - You do not! Hurt! My! Friends! You got that?”

“Fluttershy,” Sparkle’s voice said from behind her, causing Fluttershy to spin around, “who are you talking to?” Fluttershy jumped. Sparkle was behind her! But when she looked back over her shoulder, the Sparkle she had been giving the Stare to wasn’t there. “Well, regardless, I would get moving if I were you. I’d hate to have to kill you as well.”

“Eeep!”

“Come on, Fluttershy,” Twilight said, ignoring the extra squeak her identical voice elicited from Fluttershy. “Let’s go save Rainbow Dash first.”

“Good idea, sister,” Sparkle agreed, carefully avoiding making eye contact. “You go do that. And Thorn...”

“On it,” the drake said as he shot into the sky.

Rarity shook her head, clearing the disorientation of Twilight’s impressively long-range teleportation. “That... That evil mare! I’m sorry, Twilight, but I knew your sister was no good. Everypony knows dark mages go bad, and it seems she’s no exception,” Trixie’s Rarity said.

The party mare walked up alongside Rarity as they made their way down the chaotic Ponyville streets. “I know, right?” A Pinkie Pie said. “And she’s not even gray! That’s like, super evil, ‘cause Discord wasn’t even messing with her head!”

“Can we not talk about this, please? That’s my sister, and...” an utterly exhausted Twilight choked up for a second. “I never thought she’d do something like this.”

Fluttershy stepped up next to Twilight. “I’m sorry, Twilight. I...”

“Thanks, Fluttershy.” Turning to address the group, Twilight said, “Come on, we need to find Rainbow Dash. My spell said she should be right about-”

“There!” Pinkie exclaimed, pointing up to a lone cloud in the sky. Then, seeing what was going on upon the cloud she blushed. “Oh.”

“Oh my.”

“Um...”

“RD...”

Upon the cloud, there was both Dashes, and they were in the middle of -

“Enough! Break it up, you two!” a furiously blushing Twilight shouted, gripping each panting, sweating, and gray Dash with her magic and prying them apart.

“Ah, come on, Twi. We saved our parents and helped rebuild Cloudsdale. We deserve a little time to ourselves, don’t you think?” The Dashes said in unison.

“And when my sister murders Trixie because you didn’t come, then what?”

“Didn’t come? Bwahahaha!” one of the Dashes laughed. “That’s a laugh!”

The other, having known Trixie far better, took a second to look at the faces of the ground-bound group. “Hey, I think they're serious... Seriously lame. BwaaAAHH!” RD had started to laugh, but then was yanked to the ground by Twilight.

“She’s not joking, Dashie, and I know jokes,” Pinkie affirmed.

“Hmph, whatever. Later losers,” Rainbow Dash said before flaring her own, pulsating magic and breaking out of Twilight’s grip, followed almost immediately by the other Dash doing the same.

Twilight reached her limit right then of tolerance for Discord’s nonsense. She mustered up her magic and swatted at the leading Rainbow’s left wing, sending her careening into the other Dash. Twilight charged towards where she figured they would land, and, seeing that they were beginning to recover from their collision, Twilight telekinetically forced their wings shut and caught them a few hoof-lengths above the ground. They bucked and thrashed, but to no avail. Twilight’s horn touched the first, and then the second, forcing the chaotic magic out of each of their brains.

“What happened. I was-” The newly restored Dash on the left looked at the one being restored on the right. “Oh sweet Celestia, I’m NOT LESBIAN!”

The other Dash, waking up to hear her counterpart say that, blanched at the memories. They immediately scrambled to get away from each other, gagging as they did so. “I can’t believe I did that.”

“What was I thinking?”

“Ugh!”

“Girls, please,” Twilight said. “I’m exhausted. I can’t deal with this right now, and I still need to get us back to Canterlot so we can save Trixie, and now I’ve got two more ponies to carry. Can you just stop?”

“Wait, you were serious when you said your sister was going to murder Trixie?”

“Yes, now come on!”

“Right.”

“Twilight, Darling, can we be of assistance?” the Rarities inquired.

“Can you share magic with me?” Twilight asked back.

“Of course, Dear. That’s why we offered.”

Two ribbons of blue-white magic extended, one from each Rarity, and sank into the back of Twilight’s skull, where her magical core was located. Horn humming with fresh power, Twilight’s magical appendage erupted with blinding white light, enveloping the group.

When the light faded, they were on their way to Canterlot.

Thorn stepped out from the shadows, carrying the seven remaining Elements of Harmony. “You work quickly, Thorn,” Cobalt said as he relieved the dragon of his burden.

“Discord’s directions were quite specific,” replied Thorn. “How’s Mom?”

“She can’t get the blood to clot - the chaos magic is interfering with her own, and she can’t purge it,” he somberly replied. Looking back at her resting form, Cobalt added, “Miss Sparkle’s already cast a blood-regeneration spell, but unless we can get some food and water in her soon, or get her leg back, she’s going to lose that body.”

“And Savior, too.”

“Who?”

“The colt she’s pregnant with,” answered Thorn.

“Buck.”

“Language, Cobalt.”
The dragon sat down next to the reclining, heavily breathing necromancer. Her two prisoners sat docile, held that way by obedient specters. “Hey, Mom. I’m back.”

“Thorn...”

“You’ve got to be strong for just a few more minutes. I passed the Bearers on my way back. They’re just a few blocks away. Can you stand?”

She shook her head negatively. “No, not on my own. Whatever Discord did, it’s sapping my physical strength really badly. But...” Her body rose and repositioned itself. “My specter can use my body like a puppet. I had to cut all nerve signals... it hurt too much.”

“We’ll get through this, together,” Thorn assured her.

“All three of us,” Cobalt added. Then the sound of galloping hooves graced his ears. “Showtime, I guess.”

“Sparkle! We have Rainbow Dash now,” Twilight called out. “Now Release Trixie and give us the Elements of Harmony.”

Sparkle looked at them. “Did you...? Wait, you actually thought I’d give Trixie back? No, I said if you wanted to see Trixie alive again, you’d get Rainbow Dash. And look, here Trixie is, alive, as you can clearly see. But...” Sparkle limped towards Trixie. As she did, ten shadows materialized from behind buildings and lamp posts and slid across the ground, merging with the shadows of all the Element Bearers save Twilight. “...That can be fixed.” Unaware of the sudden supernatural infestation, the Bearers watched as Sparkle kissed Trixie on the cheek, causing her to fall over, dead.

“NO!” They cried, but, with the exception of Twilight, they suddenly found themselves unable to move their bodies.

“Sparkle, stop this! Please!”

“I’d be very careful with your next action, sister. Try to save a friend or attack me, and I kill again.” Sparkle looked towards the sky. “DISCORD! Come here!”

A flash of light signified the arrival of the Lord of Chaos. “Haha! Such drama! I definitely made the right choice with you, Sparkle.”

“I’ve got what you want. Now give me back my book and my leg,” Sparkle demanded.

“Hmm... I still see one set left. I tell you what, kill Fluttershy here, and I’ll give you your book back. Kill Twilight, and I’ll give you your leg back.” Sparkle stiffened ever so slightly, and though Discord didn’t catch it, Twilight did. “But if you want both, kill every last one of the Bearers.”

Without a word, Sparkle walked up to the indicated Fluttershy and kissed her. The pegasus dropped like a puppet with cut strings. “My book?”

It appeared with a flash of light before Sparkle. “Thank you. Now, I’m going to take a while for the others, so you might not be interested in hanging around,” Sparkle said. “I’m sure you’ve got plenty of other ponies to torment. Just make it so that my leg comes back when the last of them is dead.”

“Sure, sure,” Discord said. “Very well. Enjoy your toys, Sparkle. Arrivederci.” Then, he vanished.

“How could you?!" Twilight roared. “HOW COULD YOU BETRAY US LIKE THAT!”

But Sparkle didn’t respond. She didn’t even look at Twilight. Instead, she tapped her good hoof against Fluttershy’s body. “Wake up, Fluttershy.” Then, she limped over to Trixie and did the same thing.

Much to everypony’s shock, the two formerly dead mares did exactly that. Upon seeing Twilight’s shocked face, Sparkle smirked. “Honestly, Twi, it’s like you forgot that I could put a soul back into its own body. They only needed to be dead for a few seconds, to fool Discord. I needed my book and you needed these.” From where Cobalt was silently observing, twelve enchanted pieces of jewelry floated towards their respective owners, held aloft by Sparkle’s dark aura. As each attached itself to its respective owner, a black cloud escaped each of their mouths, freeing them from Sparkle’s control.

“Now, go get that bucking asshole!”

“Language, Mom.”

“Shut it, you.”

“Are you sure you made the best decision?” a worried Cobalt asked.

Sparkle looked up from her book. “No, but I’m sure I made the right decision. Whether we survive or not is a gamble I’m willing to pay.”

“Hey, Mom, if we don’t make it... nevermind.” Instead of saying what was on his mind, Thorn just hugged her.
She hugged back. “Don’t worry, we’ll make it. Hey, Cobalt, come here. You’re part of this little family, too.”

Cobalt walked over and awkwardly leaned in towards them, before Sparkle’s good hoof brought him fully into the embrace. In the distance, a brilliant rainbow dome materialized over Ponyville. Sparkle, the only one looking in that direction, darkened her horn, hoping that she’d get the spell right and that she’d have enough strength to save them.

“I love you!”

Then there was white...

In the space between seconds, a disembodied spirit halted a paradox.

A Mare and the Sunny Hospital

The sound of beeping and mechanical whirring slowly pulled her to consciousness, and with awareness came the sensation of warmth and of floating. She would later learn that it was the morphine drip, but for now, she didn't care.

What she did care about was the tingly sensation throughout her body, especially below her neck. After pondering it for a few minutes, so long because of how hazy her head felt, Sparkle realized that her magic was leaking from her core, and tried to pull it back.

She regretted it instantly.

Pain of the soul and of the magic was not something that could be treated with chemical pain relievers. Sparkle hissed, the motion of her face causing her to feel the bandages for the first time. And, while she still ached from her attempt to recompress her magic, it did bring something else: awareness.

A trace of adrenaline entered her blood, bringing her to full alertness in a second. Sparkle's eyes snapped open, but only one saw the distinctive tiles of the hospital ceiling. The other eye saw light, sure, but filtered through a layer of gauze.

"Mmmm..." she moaned. There were suddenly hoof steps, and a figure that she hadn't heard before then, but must have been in the room, appeared over her bed.

"Good morning, Ms. Twilight. How are you feeling?" the mare in nurse's garb said.

"..."

"I'm sorry. I didn't quite catch that," the nurse said.

Her voice rough, she croaked, "...'M name's Sparkle."

"Oh! My mistake. I saw your charts and thought you went by your first name," she said, her tone quite chipper. "Can I get you anything?"

"Water."

Something cold and moist touched Sparkle's lips. "Just suck on the sponge for me. Don't try and sit up just yet. I'll refill it when it's dry, so don't worry about that. Now, I need to ask you some questions first. Most of these are yes/no questions, so nod or blink once for yes, shake or blink twice for no, whichever is more comfortable. Are you ready?"

Sparkle nodded.

"Good. Do you feel any pain in your right foreleg or its shoulder?" Negative. "Any physical pain in general?" Negative. "Does your magic cause you any pain?" Positive. "On a scale of one to ten, with one being no pain, and ten being excruciating, does your pain rate more than a five?" Negative. The nurse looked relieved to hear that. Changing out Sparkle's water sponge, the nurse continued to ask a few more questions about Sparkle's health.

Finally satisfied, the smiling nurse said, "Now, you just rest here for a minute while I go get the doctor. He'll explain everything and answer your questions, and then we'll see about letting your friends and family visit you. How does that sound, sweetie?"

Sparkle nodded and took one last suck of water from the sponge. The blue-eyed nurse stepped out the door and a minute later, almost to the second, she trotted back in with a very serious-looking stallion. The doctor looked to the side, glancing at something Sparkle couldn't see from her angle, and then affixed his vibrant pink eyes on the injured unicorn.

"Sparkle, color me impressed. That stallion that carried you in told us that you'd lost the limb hours before he got you here, and that you'd been using your magic to keep yourself alive. That takes skill," the doctor said. "Doctor Scalpel, primary trauma surgeon of Canterlot Royal Medical Hospital, at your service."

"Thank you," Sparkle said. "So?"

"Right. We had to remove an additional quarter hoof length of bone and tissue from your right foreleg in order to seal it and prevent infection. You are likely going to be on antibiotics for at least a month to be safe, and you won't be leaving the hospital for two weeks, minimum. You suffered minor first-degree magical burns along the front and left sides of your body, although nothing a burn potion can't fix. As long as you don't get infected, you will likely make as complete of a physical recovery as one could expect from your situation."

Sparkle looked at him, her face neutral. "There's more, isn't there?"

"Yes. In all my time as a surgeon, I have fixed dozens of magical pathways and will likely have to fix dozens more, but I have never seen a unicorn's core damaged before. What did Discord do to you?" Dr. Scalpel asked.

"Discord didn't do that. The Elements of Harmony did it."

"I'm afraid that I don't know what those are," the doctor said.

"Light magic artifacts. Purified Luna and turned Discord to stone. Attacked me because bearers saw me and my magic as a threat. It nearly imploded my soul, my core," Sparkle answered.

"That's what Cobalt, the stallion that brought her in, said when I asked him," the nurse added.

The doctor frowned. "That does answer some of my questions. Now, while I would suggest sleep, I wouldn't want to keep you from your visitors outside, that is, if you want to-"

"Yes!" Sparkle said, cutting him off.

"Excited, are we? Very well." Dr. Scalpel turned around and said, "You can come in now."

As the doctor and nurse exited the hospital room, three figures entered the room, two ponies and one young drake. "Mom!" The smallest of the trio exclaimed. Thorn, in his smallest and most immature form, climbed up onto Sparkle's bed and lay down next to her head without any prompting. Similarly unprompted, Sparkle turned her head away from him and let him embrace her head. The two immediately sighed in relief, as the soul they shared, contained in the back of Sparkle's head and in Thorn's heart, came close enough together to nearly feel like one soul again, and close enough together to begin to heal one another.

It was more than that, though. The moment his claws brushed through her mane, a tingle went down her spine as he poured raw life-force into her. Under bandages, flesh began to squirm and heal shut, but only heal. Life-force alone could only heal, not regrow flesh that had been removed, and so Sparkle's limb, instead of regrowing, simply healed into a stump.

Now, while Thorn's actions might have taken a while to say, in reality, he was on her bed and beginning to heal her before most could stop him. "Thorn, get down from there," Shining Armor said, lighting his horn and surrounding Thorn with his pink aura.

"No! Don't touch him!" Sparkle protested, her voice quickly gaining strength even as she spoke.

The aura around Thorn died away. "Sorry, Sparks. I just didn't want him to hurt you."

"He's fine," Sparkle said. "I'm fine." Thorn tightened his grip unconsciously. "Shiny, Cobalt, are you two alright?"

"I'm fine, Sparks, just a little bruised." He frowned. "Cobalt, though..."

"Cobalt?"

"I... Whatever you did to protect us, didn't completely work. My memories are... all jumbled up, I think," the earth pony said. He smiled though, and rubbed the back of his head with his hoof, cleaned of paint and restored to its normal shade of red. "I sort of remember you, though. Were you important?"

"Maybe to you," she said. Sparkle narrowed her eyes in contemplation as she hummed to herself. "What do you mean 'jumbled'?"

"It's like... everything is there, but not connected together," Cobalt explained. "Names without faces, faces without names, words without images, sounds without meaning, skills without knowing how I learned them... Did you know that I can do unicorn magic? I have no idea where I could have learned that!"

"Hehehe, I taught you that," Sparkle answered.

"Oh, really? That makes sense, I think." His eyes lit up with sudden realization. "Hey, if you were my teacher, do you think you could help me put myself back together? I'm sure you know a lot of things about me."

Sparkle smiled. "It would be my pleasure."

There was a knock on the door. "Who? Come in!"

Cadance, being the only other pony who would likely have a reason to visit her, was who Sparkle expected to come through the door. And while it wasn't Cadance, it was a princess that walked through the doorway.

"Princess Celestia, Ma'am," Shining Armor states, snapping to attention and saluting the alicorn.

"At ease, First Lieutenant Shining Armor. And, while I expect to be calling you Captain Armor soon enough for your bravery the other night," – Shining Armor's eyes went wide – "that is not why I'm here." When Celestia’s eyes fell upon Sparkle, the young mare felt as if she were being bathed in sunlight, and not the gentle warmth of spring, but the blistering, merciless heat of a desert sun. Thorn further tightened his grip around Sparkle’s head on reflex, shying away from the radiant heat and light.

Sparkle made herself look away from the alicorn, her eyes choosing to gaze out the window instead. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, Princess? Surely it's not just a social call."

"No, it is not," Celestia answered firmly. "Discord rampaged for hours, and for a being of his power, that is more than enough time to cause severe calamity and strife. The Elements of Harmony stopped him and restored the planet, and yet you nearly handed the world to him on a silver platter. I have heard my student's side of the story, and I want to know your side of the story before I decide what happens next."

Sparkle weighed her options before deciding that it would just be easier to play along. Looking back at the tall princess, Sparkle asked, "What do you want to know?"

Princess Celestia requested, "I want to know everything, starting from the Gala and ending when you woke up here."

Nodding, Sparkle started recounting the events of that night, from her deal with Fancy Pants to her conversation with Luna. When she got to the part about Vinyl Scratch, Sparkle added, "Vinyl gave me a warning. Some of the Covens are allying themselves with each other, despite being enemies, and are allying with some werewolves and changelings. Something big is stirring."

"That is quite troubling," Celestia replied. “How accurate is this information, do you think? How well can you trust this Vinyl Scratch?”

“I don’t know her that well, and this is the first time I’ve heard of this situation, but I do know that she would never lie to me. Even a vampire coven as tame as LSC would have her head if she did anything to alienate a necromancer.”

“And why is that?”

“Blood wine, Princess. If you were to tell Luna’s Red Platoon that you might be able to get them blood wine from me, their reactions will tell you everything you need to know,” Sparkle answered.

“I will. Now, continue with what happened after Vinyl Scratch approached you,” the Sun Princess said.

Still looking out the window towards the hospital courtyard, Sparkle recounted, “That was when those four ponies were killed.”

Celestia frowned. “What do you know about those ponies?”

“I know one of them was Prince Blueblood,” Sparkle said. “I’d never seen the other three before that night.” Which was true, technically; her specters had seen them, but she had not seen them with her own eyes. However, her interest in seeing justice against four dead ponies, when compared to her desire to not be associated with their deaths, was rather low.

“And the assailant? Do you know anything about that unicorn?”

“No.” Then Sparkle winced. “Thorn, your claws.”

The Drake loosened his grip. “Sorry, Mom.”

“I know you’re trying to make me feel better, but don’t hug so tightly,” Sparkle said. Addressing the source of the still-present burning heat, she explained Discord’s first appearance before her, and her subsequent teleportation, where she met up with Cobalt.

“Oh, that’s something I actually remember!” he suddenly exclaimed. “And then the streets turned into a maze, right?”

“Yes,” agreed Sparkle, before quickly finishing her tale. “Look,” she said as she concluded, “I solve problems. It wasn’t like I had a choice.” The lavender mare lifted the stump she had for a foreleg, which ended just below the elbow. “Discord literally took my leg away and prevented me from healing it. I was going to die otherwise. I tricked Discord so that he could be defeated and nopony except the shop keeper was hurt in the process. What more could you ask of me?”

“I wouldn’t have killed them, had I been in your shoes,” Princess Celestia said. “I would have handed the Elements back then and there and have been done with it.”

“And four people would have died if I had done that!” Sparkle shouted, turning to meet Celestia’s gaze for the first time and causing Shining and Cobalt to jump at the sudden loudness. “Me, Cobalt, Thorn and Savior, we all would have been killed by the Elements had I not negotiated Discord into giving my book back!”

Celestia knew that the Elements were powerful light magic artifacts; to fear death from them, when innocents were unaffected, Celestia equated to practically admitting guilt. “You never mentioned this “Savior” individual, and how would have Cobalt and Thorn been in any danger?” Celestia inquired.

“Thorn has half my soul, Cobalt’s brain is magically tied to me by a voluntary geas, and Savior is my innocent, unborn foal!” Sparkle hissed.

Shining Armor’s eyes went wide. This was the first he was hearing about the unborn Savior, and all of his brotherly instincts were telling him to demand to know who the father was so he could beat the pathetic stallion to a bloody pulp and lock him away. However, he refrained, seeing as his necromancer sister was in a heated discussion with the resident sun goddess.

“And you gambled with my faithful student and her friend’s lives, and the lives of countless people across the globe, for three ponies, without even the chance of escaping Discord’s rule should you have failed?” the enraged, albeit seemingly calm, Celestia said.

“You mean you would have sacrificed your family?” Sparkle growled. The next lash of her tongue came before she could stop it. Perhaps it was the morphine, or maybe it was schadenfreude, but either way, Sparkle quipped, “Oh wait, you have already. Luna.”

Out in deep space, the sun above let out six of the biggest solar flares ever recorded, detonated by Celestia’s rage. In the hospital room, however, all that the mortals saw was a twitch of her eyebrow.

Sparkle’s hoof shot to her mouth, though she moved her shoulder as if the other hoof was still there. “No. I’m sorry! I didn’t mean that. Please forgive me, your highness.”

“For your services to Equestria, you won’t be serving jail time for the crimes of using black magic against my subjects, of which you have been found guilty.” Celestia declared. “Instead, Twilight Velvet Sparkle, you will be conscripted as a noncombatant member of the Red Platoon to investigate these claims of Vinyl Scratch, and, regardless of their validity, defend the living citizens of Equestria. You will receive standard pay, but continued service is compulsory until at such time I deem you have repaid your debt. Any infraction will be punished to the full extent, and abandoning your duty will be considered high treason, and punished accordingly. Furthermore, your only break will be for the delivery of your child, at which point he will be placed in the orphanage system or with a guardian of your choice until such time you are relieved of duty.

“Do you understand?” Celestia asked. Sparkle swore she could see the inferno bubbling in the princess’s eyes.

“But-” Sparkle was about to protest that her presence among the Red Platoon could actually spark a vampire war, but she held her tongue. “Yes, I understand.”

“Good. A guard will retrieve you when you are released from the hospital,” Celestia decreed. “Good day.” With that, she turned and left.

A moment of silence filled the room. And then, “Sparks, what in Tartarus is going on?”

“I get the feeling that was bad,” Cobalt commented from where he stood shaking.

“No shit,” Thorn replied.

"Sparks, you're pregnant? When did that happen?" Shining Armor pleaded.

Thorn snorted. "Of course that's what Uncle Shining gets out of that conversation."

Ignoring the other half of her soul, Sparkle said, "Savior is the son of Card Gambit, the stallion who had you kidnapped, and not in the way you think." Shining opened his mouth. "No, he didn't touch me." The stallion closed his mouth. "It's the reincarnation spell. I'm growing the stallion I had to kill a new body in my womb. Savior has been asleep inside of me for over three months."

Shining glared at her. "I'm pissed that you didn't tell me sooner, but this isn't the time for that. Now, what's the connection between you and the Red Platoon?"

"You really don't know?" Shining shook his head. "They're vampires, I'm me. That's a powerful combination."

"Yeah, and if mom can't get out of this, the other vampires are going to slaughter the platoon for having her side with the platoon instead of them," Thorn said.

"Then we need to tell the Princess," Shining Armor said.

"She'll find out soon enough," Sparkle said. “For now, I just want to rest. I’ll deal with this shit in the morning.”

“Language, mom,” Thorn habitually quipped.

Chuckling lightly, Sparkle replied, “Thorn, I don’t think you’re ever going to break me of that habit.”

Shrugging, he said, “A drake can try.”

Stepping closer, Shining Armor put his hoof on Sparkle’s good shoulder. “Sparks, we need to talk. I’m really disappointed in you - don’t give me that look. I’m not disappointed in anything you’ve done, but that you haven’t told me. I’m your BBBFF; if you can’t confide in me, then who could you.”

Thorn used deadpan glare; it was not very effective.

“I promise, on my honor as a royal guard and, more importantly, as your big brother, that anything you say will not leave this room,” the eldest stallion in the room said. “Sparks, what have you been keeping from me, and who is this stallion,” - he pointed at Cobalt - “that you brought into our lives?”

She sighed, “I guess this has been a long time coming, right?”

“You have no idea.”

She thought it would be hard, but when Sparkle opened her mouth, the words practically leapt off her tongue. For hours they talked, and while Shining’s face never looked anything other than stern, he never interrupted aside from the occasional question. For hours they talked, only stopping temporarily when the nurse came to check on her. And all the while, Thorn’s close presence accelerated the repairing of their shared soul.

Two knocks punctuated the conversation that had been going on for hours. The nurse stepped into the room. “Visiting hours are over,” she announced. “Unless you’re planning to spend the night in here with her, you’d best be on your way.”

“Thorn,” Sparkle said, “stay with me.”

He nodded. “Sure thing.”

“I’ll see you two tomorrow, right?” Sparkle asked the departing stallions.

“Of course.”

“Absolutely.”

Sparkle briefly glanced away. “Great. See you then.”

Cobalt and Shining Armor shuffled out of the room, passing a maneless earth pony in the hall as they left.

“Can you get the lights, please?” Sparkle asked the nurse.

“Of course! Good night, and rest well!”

The glow crystal lights clicked off audibly, throwing the mother and son in the hospital bed into near darkness. It fell to complete darkness as the door shut tight.

A second passed.

Then a minute.

Then an hour.

Then two hours.

“Thorn, Thorn, wake up!” Sparkle hissed quietly.

“Hmm... wha?”

“Thorn, I need you to quietly jump us into my lab in the apartment, but don’t solidify us until we see the room is all clear. Got it?”

“Got it.”

With little more than a thought, Thorn activated the spell that had been placed upon him by his mother to allow him to teleport through the shadows. Wrapping his arms around his mother’s neck, he fell backwards through the bed and landed softly not a second later in the empty lab.

Sitting up, Sparkle and Thorn immediately jumped into action. "Thorn, gather all my notes and books and put them in my space-expanded trunk, we're leaving."

Sparkle then hobbled over to a shelf, where she pulled down an iron box and a specific book. Opening the box, she quickly drank the tar-like substance of a research specter. 'Help repair the damage to my magic,' she instructed the artificial demon.

Then, opening the book, one of the Dread Necroptica, she commanded, "Dread-summoning array." The book's pages rapidly flipped past her before stopping on a page with the required shapes. New symbols adorned the page, indicating that she had been in possession of the sixth book and showed her how to summon it to her. Two minutes later, the equivalent runes were drawn on the ground and, with the help of the specter, the latest book in the dark series was in her possession once more. Sparkle silently counted her blessings that wherever it had been, there hadn't been magic interfering with the summoning.

Satisfied with the requisition of her book, Sparkle drew a new, though simpler array on the ground. As her summoning ability was exceptionally poor from having only minimal practice with it and being terrified of what could enter her reality should she mess up, the array before her was about the limit of what she could do. It was limited to summoning small, inanimate objects from within the same city that were already stained with her magical signature. Objects like her missing bones, for instance.

So when her bones, including the removed fragments of her radius and ulna, materialized in the circle, she sighed in relief. Bones could be used in sympathetic magic, where spells cast on them would affect the one that grew them, and there was no way she was going to let anypony have her bones.

“So what’s the plan? Where are we going?” Thorn asked as he carefully added more and more books to the trunk, which remarkably seemed to grow no heavier regardless of how much he added.

“I was thinking Fillydelphia, first, to hire a machinist to craft me a new leg, since my bones won’t do well by themselves,” explained Sparkle. “While we’re there, you could visit Dragon Town, to see if there is anything of use to you there. Then, depending on time, we’ll go further north to Manehattan, or even further, to Haylem, because I want to check out some rumors of hidden caches of dark texts.”

“Sounds like fun,” Thorn said. Pausing, he straightened up and looked towards his mother. “I’ve always wanted to see Dragon Town. Actually, I wanted to see some other dragons, period.”

“You’ve seen Spike,” Sparkle commented.

“Bah, he doesn’t count.” Thorn waved a claw dismissively. “Even I know that we’re not even real dragons."

“Thorn...”

“What? It’s not like it actually bothers me. It’s just... whatever. Doesn’t matter.” He grabbed yet another book of the shelf, this one a notebook containing Sparkle’s observations on the anatomy of a soul. Then he paused again. “What about Cobalt?”

“What about- oh... OH! I can’t just leave him,” Sparkle realized. “Think, think, think... Given his symptoms, it doesn’t look like the memories were suppressed, just misplaced. But if he tries to sort them out and messes up, his memories will be flawed... and if he doesn’t, he’ll start forgetting anything unorganized soon enough. What to do...”

She looked down at her bad hoof. “That will work.” Reacting to her will, the specter oozed out of her body, releasing the bones of her severed leg as it did so. “Go to Cobalt. Help preserve his memories, and reconstruct anything you can using our memories. If you get the chance to do so discreetly, draw upon my magic and replicate yourself. Have the clone research his personal history to aid in the reconstruction. And try to get him to see a psychiatrist, if you can.”

Giggling slightly, the specter nooded and shot out the window. “Good, that should help him for now.” She turned slightly and notice that Thorn was giving her a funny look. “What?”

“I kind of thought you would have brought him with us,” Thorn admitted.

“Bring a mentally unsound individual with us on a cross-country trip as we flee from the Royal Guard? No thank you,” Sparkle proclaimed. “Besides, he needs professional help; there’s only so much I can do to fix the mind.”

Hobbling over on three legs, Sparkle ignored the ache in her magic and levitated the last of her important possessions into the box, closed and locked the trunk, and dropped it, a good amount of bits, and her bones into a space-expanded set of saddlebags, which she quickly put on her back. Looking around, the lab seemed pretty barren, now that everything she couldn’t risk the Guard confiscating was now packed away and stowed on her person.

“Thorn, go grab anything you want to take, but be quiet. Don’t let Shining Armor know you’re here.”

“No, I’m good,” Thorn countered. “We don’t need to take the chance.”

Sparkle blinked. “Right. Thorn, here’s the plan. We’re going to teleport to the far side of Mount Canterlot, and then we’re going to fly to Crystal River Junction. We’ll catch the morning train to Fillydelphia there so we’re not just waiting around for a guard to catch us here.”

“Got it.” He held out his claw. Sparkle offered her stump in return. “Ready?” Sparkle nodded, Thorn grasped her, and then they vanished into the night.

When the nurse ahead of him had screamed, he knew something was wrong. Dashing ahead the last few feet, the soldier burst through the door to find neither assailant nor dead body, but an alarmingly empty bed.

"Princess Celestia!"

The royal mare looked up from the stack of papers she was reviewing before morning court. There, galloping towards her, was Lieutenant Shining Armor. "Lieutenant? I thought you would be with your sister."

"Sparkle vanished from the room several minutes after you left, your Highness," Shining explained with slight exaggeration .

Head snapping towards her guard, the solar princess commanded, "Go, find her."

"Yes, Princess." The guard galloped off.

Turning back towards Shining Armor, she asked, "Did she say anything to suggest that she would do something like this?"

“No, not that I can think of,” he replied. “But I know my sister, and I know that she isn’t going to do anything too reckless.”

“And she did this while still recovering from a leg injury,” the princess said.

“She’s not recovering. She’s recovered, I’m sure of it,” the escapee’s brother corrected.

Celestia asked, “What do you mean, Lieutenant?”

“My sister told me... some things in confidence that lead me to believe that while Thorn was with her last night, he was accelerating her healing.”

Celestia took a louder-than-normal breath, not quite a sigh, but getting there. With a hoof pressed against her temple, the princess stated, "That mare makes me feel my age. Have you noticed how bold she's growing?"

"I have," Shining Armor replied.

"Your sister is a dangerous mare, Shining Armor. I cannot afford to look weak in front of her, lest I lose all authority I have over her. At the same time, I cannot be overbearing, or she will rebel, not that certain factions among the Canterlot Elite are helping on that matter."

"Princess?"

"Those four ponies that died at the Gala, do you know what they have in common?" the alicorn asked.

The white unicorn replied, "I'm not sure."

"Those four are among the most intolerant individuals I have ever had the misfortune of meeting. They were political allies supporting controversial bills and general nuisances in my court. My instincts are screaming at me that Sparkle knows far more than she was letting on, both about them and their deaths," said the Princess.

"So you think she might have had a connection?" Shining Armor asked.

"That's what I want to find out when she is retrieved. Lieutenant, you are dismissed."

He saluted. "Yes, your highness."

"This is exciting!" Sparkle said enthusiastically, though her voice held a hint of hidden sadness. She stepped off the first train to Fillydelphia and into the midday sun. The first of many stops on their whirlwind tour of eastern Equestria, Fillydelphia was their first and last stop on the loop they’d make before returning to Canterlot. "This is the furthest I've ever been from home."

A night of good sleep, using Thorn as a pillow, had helped her damaged soul heal itself enough that she could start helping it along. Now, hidden behind several illusions and a notice-me-not spell, the duo could walk without fear of being recognized.

Around them, the tall buildings towered over them, on average several stories higher than almost anything in either part of Canterlot. Even the air felt different, denser than in Canterlot.

"Where to?" Thorn, slightly taller than normal, asked from where he stood alongside Sparkle.

"A prosthetist first, and then Dragon Town for you."

"Sounds good."

Author's Note

Click to see a deleted version of the escape from the hospital.

A Dragon and the Comic Book Shop

Thorn strode through the streets of Fillydelphia, his lanky, teenaged-form legs carrying him a good distance with each stride. Around him, his signature gray robes obscured most of his features, making it easier for the spells he was supporting to convince others that there was nothing interesting about him, not even his glowing eyes with freaky, undulating pupils.

He turned the corner indicated in the directions he had received from a gray earth pony, and then stopped and stared. The boundary between the two districts was so distinct that Thorn could have sworn that it was two different cities mashed up together. Where the rectangular buildings of Fillydelphia's pony district ended, the irregular, carved-from-stone buildings of Dragon Town began.

Thorn stepped forwards and continued walking. He had no real destination in mind beyond this, his only goal being to find something useful. The dracolich wondered if he could find a dojo or a bookstore – someplace where he could get ideas to experiment with, if not actual instruction on his abilities.

Even if he didn't find anything useful, he was still enjoying himself. Compared to the garish, overly decorated streets of upper Canterlot, the simplicity and uniformity of the design of Dragon Town emphasized the few decorations there were.

And the dragons! Everywhere he looked, there were more of them in all sorts of colors and designs – similar to ponies, he noted. He also noted that, despite all the variations he saw, none looked older than young adults – less than a hundred years of age – leading him to believe that the dragons left if they grew too big. Their souls too, he noted, were different from ponies and from his own hybrid soul. While pony souls looked like small flames, dragon souls looked like orbs with two triangular protrusions, reminiscent of wings. His mouth watered slightly, his hunger for souls silencing any cannibalism-based objections.

His rational mind, however, silenced his ethereal hunger and decided to replace the sensation with physical hunger. As luck would have it, he could smell something delicious coming from nearby.

Following his nose, Thorn shortly found himself standing at an open-air stall. Glancing at the menu on display, he spotted several gem-infused noodle bowls for sale. Shrugging, he brushed past the overhead curtain and sat down at the last available seat.

No sooner had he sat down than the pink dame* next to him, likely in her teens, stopped eating, turned, and offered her claw in greeting. "Hey, my name's Mina. What's yours?"

Not used to being so casually approached for conversation, let alone at all, it took Thorn a minute to work out the appropriate response. He stuck out his claw and shook hers. "Thornecrovitar, Thorn for short."

"Ooh, that's a fierce-sounding name. Spear of death and life, I think it means," Mina replied before picking up a wad of noodles with her chopsticks and greedily slurping them up.

"Spear of undeath, actually," Thorn corrected. "Mom's a fan of creepy stuff like that."

Just then, the waitress appeared across the counter. "And what can I get you?"

Thorn blinked. "Never been here before. Water and whatever you do best, please," he requested.

"One miso-ruby soup, coming up," the waitress said before disappearing in the back.

"Creepy, huh?" Mina said to herself. "And what kind of things are you into, Thorn?"

To the dame, the drake replied, "Ah, you know, guy stuff. Hoofball, playing the drums, good food, murder, comic books-"

"What was that?"

"Comic books?"

She shook her head. "No, before that."

"Good food?"

"Nevermind. And for your information, comic books can be for girls, too, you know," the pink dame quipped.

"Never said it wasn't," Thorn replied. At that moment, the waitress brought out his bowl and chopsticks, for which Thorn quickly thanked her. He took one bite, his eyes went wide, and then he quickly began greedily slurping up the noodles.

"Well, as it happens, I work at a comic book store a few blocks down the road; this is where I come on my lunch break," Mina commented.

The purple dragon swallowed hastily. "Guh, mmm... Really? That's amazing!" he said, his already luminescent eyes metaphorically lighting up with joy. "I'll have to stop by before Mom and I leave town tomorrow."

"Where you two headed, if you don't mind me asking?" Mina inquired.

"North. We're kind of on the run," Thorn said. "We're just going where the wind blows."

It was Mina's turn to go wide-eyed. "That sounds like one of my adventure comics! Who are you running from? Why are you running? How are you going to stop them from catching you?"

"I'll let most of that stay a secret, no offense," Thorn replied. "As for how we're going to stay safe, I'll show you. First, describe my appearance."

"Ok, so you're wearing a disguise?"

"Nope. Just tell me what you see."

"Alright," the dame agreed. "You're a purple drake - late teens, early twenties. Green back spines, ear fins, and eyes. You've got a rather ordinary face, normal proportions, no distinguishing scars, no significant features. Honestly, If I hadn't just spent a minute describing your face, I'd say it was rather forgettable."

Thorn smiled. "That means it's working. Did you notice how much time you spent describing 'normal' and 'ordinary' features, and not identifying ones?"

She finished the last bite of her food. "Huh," Mina said. "You're right. Odd."

"And, you completely missed my most distinguishing feature while you were looking at me," Thorn added.

"Wait, what?"

"There is something odd about my eyes. Look closely at the pupil and concentrate on what you see; don't assume," Thorn answered. Opening his eyes wide, he looked right into her teal eyes.

"Hmmm... I don't see... Wait." Suddenly, she jumped back, slamming into the dragon behind her and knocking them both to the ground. "HOLY SHIT! What in Tartarus is that?"

Hopping off the stool, Thorn offered her and the drake she was climbing off of a claw. The fallen drake shot Mina a glare, but didn't otherwise complain. Once everydragon was seated again, Thorn answered, "Those are my eyes."

"What? No way! Hey," she turned and waved down the waitress. "Look at this guy's eyes. See anything odd?"

She looked. "No, they're perfectly ordinary eyes. Just a normal shade of green."

As the waitress turned away, Mina sputtered, "B-but How?"

"You only see what I want you to see, and I want to be seen as normal," Thorn answered somewhat cryptically. Then, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, he slurped down the rest of his delicious soup. Reaching into his robes, he pulled out a claw full of bits, more than enough to pay for both their meals, and set them on the counter. "So, can I see that comic shop of yours?"

"Are you like a superhero or something?" Mina asked from where she sat at on the store checkout counter. "I mean, that thing with your eyes wasn't normal, either them or how you hid them. So is that your power? Illusions?"

"No, that's mom's," Thorn asked as he flipped through the comics. The two of them were in Mina’s store, deserted of all but them since the majority of the customers only came in the evenings and on the weekends.

"Really? How does that work? Does she just breath her flame on your face and BAM, illusions?"

"No, no magic fire breath**; Mom's a unicorn."

Mina sheepishly chuckled. "Oops. Didn't realize you were pony-raised." He waived his claw dismissively. "So? Powers?"

"You seem awfully convinced that I have abilities that I shouldn't,” Thorn remarked with a slight chuckle. He set down one comic book and picked up another.

“Of course. Mysterious past, strange appearance, cloaked, on the run, raised by somepony other than the dragon that laid you,” Mina said, counting on her fingers as she did. “You match a lot of the same tropes my favorite comic book characters have.”

“Hmm... Oh, wow, that’s stupid,” Thorn said.

Annoyed, Mina shouted, “HEY!”

“Not you,” Thorn replied. He held out the comic book and pointed out the illustration. “These zombies. These slow, shuffling, moaning things are hardly scary.”

Mina looked at the page. Then, taking the book, she flipped it over and looked at the cover. “The Trotting Dead? They’re not scary? If that’s not scary, then what would you call scary?”

“The ones that nobody - not even the zombie - knows is dead yet,” Thorn answered. At Mina’s confused look, he elaborated, “The dark sorceress sends her curse towards a group of adventurers; one of them is struck, but is apparently unharmed. The group drives the sorceress back and makes her retreat. They celebrate, but then one of their own suddenly is killed - a neck ripped open by teeth. The murderer is seemingly horrified about what her mouth did without her control, but then her mouth speaks on its own. ‘Two down, the rest to go. And don’t worry,’ the sorceress’s warped voice says, ‘I already consumed this vessel's soul. She’s been dead for hours, and now I’m going to kill you all.’ And then the dead body on the ground says, ‘A little help here?’”

Mina shuddered. “Wow, you’re right. A zombie that looks and act like your friend before it eats you - creepy!” Then she chuckled, “I’m glad that’s just a story.”

Thorn only smiled.

“My mom loves that kind of stuff,” he said. “Hey, have you ever heard of a dragon that can age backwards?” the dracolich asked.

She shook her head. “No, that’s silly. Why?”

“Because you were wrong when you guessed my age,” Thorn said.

“What, really?” She jumped up from her seat on the counter and walked over to Thorn. “Prove it.”

Thorn smiled. “Gladly.” He turned around and, mid-stride, aged himself up, practically doubling his height. Plucking a comic off the top shelf, he began to shrink back down, passing the height/age where he had met Mina, and shrank down to the size of a ten-going-on-eleven year old drake. “This is as young as I can get. Never bothered to learn how old I could get; I stopped when I was big enough to carry my mom on my back in flight.”

The pink dragoness stared at him, slack-jawed. “How? How did you do that?”

“I’ll teach you if you’re willing to make a trade,” he replied. “I taught my twin brother how to do it; I’m sure I can teach you.”

“Oh my gosh. Whatever you want, just take it, on me.” She gestured to the store in general. “I have to know.”

“Can you teach me what fire magics you know?”

Sheepishly, she admitted, “I don’t know that much - my family’s never had much variety in our magic, and nothing really awesome like that.”

“And I never had a family to teach me dragon stuff. Spike and I had to figure it all out ourselves,” Thorn replied.

“Deal.” She stuck out her hand, which Thorn - now back at late teenager size - grasped and shook. “So, do you want to breath exploding gunpowder clouds or shoot fireworks?”

“Fireworks, definitely,” Thorn replied. “My own arsenal is dangerous enough. I want something fun.”

“Sure. Now,” - she practically jumped in his face - “tell me!”

“Greed.”

“Huh?”

“You have to imagine your size and age as intrinsically valuable. You have to hoard your own size, and yet maintain enough control to know when to stop.” He started growing slowly. “Picture the size you want to be. Make that the most valuable size, and take it. But, you have to force yourself to believe that being bigger devalues your hoard, or you’ll keep growing.” His growth stopped, and then reversed. When it stopped again, he was smaller than before, causing his robe to appear comically oversized. “To shrink, consider your size less than worthless. Convince yourself that small is valuable, and take it.”

When he didn’t continue, she said, “That’s it?”

“It’s simple enough to say, yes, but it’s really tricky to actually reverse the growth once it starts,” explained Thorn. “Give it two months of constant practice, and you should be able to at least move in the right direction at will. A year, and it will seem effortless.”

“Huh,” she said as she jumped up onto the stone counter. “I was always taught that a dragon who grew too greedy would never return, and you have to stay under a certain size to live in Dragon Town. I guess that’s why nodragon ever tried.”

“So, can I learn your fireworks trick?”

She nodded, but then said, “My boss would be mad if we did that in here. Flammable comics, and all. Come back here at six, when I get off, and we can go somewhere better, OK?”

Sparkle shuffled across the ash-covered field, following the lead of one of her specters, which slid across the ground. Her three functional legs were enough to get around, yes, but she found herself terribly unsteady without the support of her bones. The bones themselves were at the machinist's shop; she’d requested that they be integrated into the design of her prosthesis.

*FWEEEE-POP!*

The bright, colorful, screeching firework sailed over her head and exploded loudly. “Oh, hey, Mom!” The voice of her son called out. “Sorry about that. I got carried away.”

Sparkle looked and saw that Thorn and a dame that she didn’t recognize were sitting side-by-side, covered in ash. “What are you doing?” the unicorn inquired.

The pink dragoness looked her way, and Sparkle saw the dragoness’s eyes go wide at the sight of her missing limb. Recomposing herself, the dame said, “I was teaching him how to shoot fireworks from his mouth.”

Sparkle’s ears perked up. “I didn’t know dragons could do that.”

“Neither did I,” Thorn said. “Hey, Mom, can I borrow one of your specters? I want to pass some memories to Mina.”

“Memories?” Mina muttered.

Sparkle nodded and then tossed her head, shooting a tiny black orb to Thorn. The moment he touched it. The extra shadow on the ground - the specter - warped from being a pony’s shadow to a dragons. Thorn made a come-hither gesture, causing the specter to leap into his body.

Mina gasped, and then gasped louder when the inky dragon oozed out of Thorn’s body and sank into hers. Suddenly, images and sensations flashed through her mind. She knew she had never done the things she saw, but she could feel them as if they had happened to her some time ago and she was simply remembering. There was one commonality to all the memories - she could feel her flesh moving and rippling over her bones, changing her size, and she could remember her - no, the master’s - state of mind at the time.

The process didn’t obstruct her eyes, or any of her senses, for that matter, and she could clearly see Thorn’s index claw wiggling systematically, and feel her own index claw moving at the same time, digging into the ashen dirt below. The moment seemed to stretch on, but then Thorn drew the ink dragon out from under her skin, making her completely herself again.

“Do we have to leave now?” Thorn asked his mother.

“If we want a hotel room for the night, yes.”

“What in Tartarus was that!?” Mina shrieked, reflexively growing in size as she did.

Smiling, Thorn said, “I just saved you months of work.”

“What are you... Oh, wow!” She looked down at herself, admiring the sexy dragoness she had grow up to become. “I look good.”

Thorn suddenly found himself glomped by a very huggy dragoness who was bigger than him. “Thank you! Thank you! AAAHHH!!! This is so cool!”

“Gah! Go on, Mom, I’ll - ACK! - catch up in a minute,” Thorn squeaked from the tight embrace.

“You sure?”

“I’m - ugh - fine.”

“If you say so,” Sparkle said as she faded into the shadows and sped away.

“Woah, your mom is cool,” Mina said.

Thorn muttered something, but the pink dragoness couldn’t understand it. “What?”

“AIR!” She let him go. He inhaled once... and then was perfectly fine, as if he hadn’t just been suffocating. “So glad I don’t actually need air,” he muttered. Then, at conversation volume, he said, “Well, it’s been fun. See you around, I guess.”

“Thorn, wait,” Mina said, grabbing his arm. “When that thing was in me, I thought-”

He pulled away. “Don’t worry about it.” Turning away, he started walking in the direction Sparkle had vanished in. However, he paused after only a few steps. Skeletal wings oozing black mist erupted from his back, fitting through slits in his robe. “Don’t chase the dead.”

His wings flapped once, spreading the darkness across his body, dissolving him into the shadows.

Mina, the pink dame, stood alone in the middle of a burnt field. By her feet, there was a message to her, written by her own claw. She looked down and read.

Dead dragons do tell tales.
-Thornecrovitar

Author's Note

This is Mina, from the comics.

*Dame is the term for female dragon, as drake refers to a male dragon. Like mare/stallion or woman/man.
** Dragons use magic through their fire breath. That's how Spike and Thorn send their letters.

Mother, Son, and the Paladin

"May I have your attention, everypony," a uniformed stallion standing on a bench in the Fillydelphia train station bellowed, gathering the attention of the crowd and the queue for the ticketing window. Sparkle and Thorn had been waiting for several minutes in that line, standing somewhere near the halfway mark. "Due to the storm system that passed north of the city last night, a flash flood washed out both northbound rail lines." Groans immediately sounded throughout the crowd.

The rail employee continued, "Unfortunately, it will take a specialized repair crew a significant amount of time to repair the damage, so the Manehattan line will be discontinuing service for an indeterminate period. Equestrian Rail apologises for this disruption, and is committed to getting you to your destination safely and swiftly in any way we can. However, there are a few options for those who need to get home. You can take the train to Canterlot, and the get a train the next day to Manehatten, Fly Fillydelphia is offering discounted pegasus chariots for stranded passengers, and the road remains open for those who wish to undertake the week-long walk to Manehatten."

Thorn nudged his mother. "Fly?"

"Yes, definitely," she replied. As the two ducked out, they missed seeing the stallion posting the latest weather schedule on the board.

North of Fillydelphia - Thunderstorms next two days.

Sparkle was a very bright mare, and Thorn was an equally bright drake. They were quite skilled in the art of necromancy, and the unicorn of the duo could recite historical facts like few others. Sparkle could calculate large sums in her head, and Thorn could maintain a rhythm in his head accurate to a hundredth of a second. What neither of them were were meteorologists or flight capable navigators.

As the mother flew on the son’s back northward, they neglected to account for several things. Firstly, as dragons tend to be high-altitude gliders, they often get shunted around by the prevailing winds. Being as close to the coast as they were, the easterly winds generated by the Griffin empire overpowered the weaker pegasus winds from Cloudsdale. Thorn, being so young and having had no formal flight training, was unaware that he had to correct for such eastward drift.

Second, if you were to just observe the motion of the sun, you’d assume that the planet rotates with its surface moving east; that is wrong. The planet rotates west, and quite rapidly, with the sun, in defiance of non-magical physics, orbiting the planet fast enough to counteract and reverse that apparent motion. For the ground-bound pony, it was just trivia that had little bearings on their day-to-day life. For any flyer in the northern hemisphere going fast enough over a long enough distance, it meant that they would drift to the left, forming a counter-clockwise arc. And again, Thorn did not have the knowledge to counteract this.

And thirdly, any talent of navigating that Thorn might have had was purely for flying between points that he had been to before, or for following the magical link to his mother. As the dracolich had never before flown between Fillydelphia and Manehatten, and with his mother on his back, it was safe to say that Thorn was lost, and steadily drifting further off course - and closer to danger - with every second that passed.

Swirling Line, a purple pegasus with a snowflake on her flank, pushed the last of the clouds into place. While normally she worked in the snowflake production, Cloudsdale had been understaffed and, with her quota of snowflakes stored away for the coming winter, she had volunteered for this storm-driving expedition.

What she, a water and snow specialist, didn’t know, was that these clouds had been overcharged with wind magic. When activated, these clouds would normally drive the storm forwards, but at this strength, it would empower the system, making it far stronger than it should have been

“Everything’s in place,” her overseer called. “Light ‘em up.” Swirling Line spun around, made her changeling magic pulse like pegasus magic, and gave the cloud one swift buck.

Wind blowing on its own now, the hiveless changeling-cum-weather-pegasus nodded and flew off towards her home, thoughts on her children rather than the dragon she had spotted flying in the distance.

If Thorn had a pulse, he would have sworn it had skipped a beat the moment his wingtip touched the frighteningly strong downdraft. As it was, it felt as if the air had simply vanished from under his wings, causing him to suddenly and quite unexpectedly drop hundreds of feet in the space of a few seconds. He flicked his tail and twisted his wings, causing him to veer sharply out of the microburst.

Without the sound of rushing air deafening him, he could hear Sparkle screaming loudly from her perch on his back. Quickly, he leveled out and then shot upwards, exchanging his excessive speed for the safety of altitude.

The moment he felt himself become stable enough to spare a thought to something other than not crashing into the ground, he reached up and plucked his mother from his back and held her in his claws under his stomach. “Mom!” he roared over the wind. “Open the link!”

Sparkle, immediately thankful for something to fixate on other than the fact that she and Thorn had almost pancaked on the ground, pushed magic from her mind, through the link between their souls, and into the mind of the Dragon above her.

As soon as he felt her mind touch his, Thorn mentally yelled, ‘Mom, this wind is too strong. I can’t fly in it and keep you safe at the same time!’

‘Right,’ Sparkle acknowledged. Looking down, Sparkle saw nothing but dense forest below them, with not even a trail wide enough for the drake to land in. Worriedly, she cast her gaze out further and, much to her relief, saw a large clearing in the distance. Noticing a few specks of light coming from her target, she said, ‘There, Thorn! There are lights over there!’

Thorn looked in the direction Sparkle had indicated, and then quickly compensated for a sudden updraft. ‘Right. Hold on tight, this is going to be rough.’ With an aggressive, determined, fire-laced roar, Thorn dove towards the tiny village in the forest.

With the swirling air fighting them every second of the trip, what should have been a few minutes of low-speed flying turned into an agonizing eternity. Eventually, but not soon enough for either of their tastes, Thorn and Sparkle found a road wide enough for the drake to land on without his wings catching on the branches.

Clutching Sparkle close to his chest in one claw, the dragon swiftly landed with three tremendous splash-thuds on the solid but rapidly muddying road. Upon being released from his grip, Sparkle moved out from under him so he could shrink down to his teenaged sized.

“This way, Thorn,” Sparkle said, gesturing down the road. Thorn nodded, and together, they started trudging through the rain.

The town they came upon announced itself by sign as Hollow Shades. And while it would have been a sleepy little hamlet on the best of days, the current weather conditions had driven most ponies indoors - the exception being a white pony following a smaller, cream-colored pony that was running across the town’s sole road, and a gray pony in a suit a good distance away.

Sheltered from the wind as the forest hamlet was, the torrential rain still chilled Sparkle to the bone. Thorn, now perched on her back and hot as a furnace, did help somewhat, but Sparkle knew she should get out of the rain soon before the cool October air gave her a chill.

Without any other thought beyond convenience, Sparkle carried Thorn up to the door of the closest house and knocked on the door. A second later, an elderly stallion cracked open the door. “Yeah?”

“Please, Sir, we were caught in the storm. May we come inside?” Sparkle pleaded.

The old earth pony’s eyes widened in realization and he yanked open the door. “Come in, come in. Quickly, please.”

Sparkle and Thorn both nodded appreciatively as they stepped inside. “Thank you so much,” Sparkle said.

“Oh, it’s no trouble at all,” the elderly pony said. “You can hang your robe on the hook by the fire. I’ll fetch you and ya... lizard... a towel.”

“I’m a DRAGON,” Thorn retorted, hopping off of Sparkle’s back.

He blinked, clearly not expecting Thorn to speak. “What you are is a wet boy in my house, and never let it be said that old Grade Book isn’t a hospitable stallion,” the now named stallion said. “Fern!”

“Yes, dear?” and old mare called from the other room.

“C’n ya grab some towels? We’ve company,” Grade Book replied.

“Owls?”

“TOWELS!” he shouted. Looking back at Sparkle, he added, “Sorry ‘bout yellin’. My wife’s bit hard of hearin’.”

Barely a few seconds later, an old, pink earth pony walked through the door, sporting a pair of towels draped over her rickety frame. Upon seeing Sparkle and Thorn, she shuffled over as fast as her old bones would let her. “Oh dear, now what in Equestria were you doin’ out in this weather? It’s rainin’ cats and dogs out there!”

“We were heading north to Manehatten when we got caught in the rain. It caught us off guard,” Sparkle offered as an explanation.

The elderly mare passed each of them a towel, which the soaking travelers thankfully accepted. “You’re a good bit off course, then. The road to Manehatten is about twenty miles east of here,” Fern supplied.

Thorn chuckled nervously as he dried himself off. “Whoops. Sorry, Mom.”

Shifting her weight to balance on her hind legs, Sparkle patted him on the head with her good hoof. “Don’t worry about it.” To Grade Book and Fern, she said, “Thank you for your hospitality. I hope we’re not interrupting anything.”

“Nothin’ but a pair of old souls doin’ their daily chores before supper. Now, Miss... Ya know, I don’ believe I caught ya names.”

Sparkle blushed faintly in slight embarrassment. “Sorry. My name is Sparkle, and this is my son, Thorn.”

“Hello.”

Grade Book nodded. Inside his head, his soul flickered merrily. “Pleasure ta meet ya. M’name’s Grade Book, former school teacher, and this here pretty thing is my wife of sixty years, Fern.” He paused momentarily. “Oh, where are my manners? Please, have a seat.”

The moment the words were out of his mouth, Sparkle flopped down on the floor by the fire, tired from running through the rain on just three legs. Glancing around to really observe the small home they’d entered, Sparkle felt that the walls and shelves decorated with various knick-knacks gave the home a sense of having been well loved. The only thing that gave her pause was the iron circles, each overlaid by a crescent, that hung on every wall and over every doorway. Cosmonism Moonsuns, those symbols were called.

Small town ponies tended to be more overtly religious than city folk, she knew. Sparkle intellectually had no problem with ponies of religions, including those other than her own ex-faith, but between her own mental disposition, Alicovitite paladins in Canterlot, and her run-ins with Death cults, her opinion on religious faith was not the greatest.

Still, she was out of the rain and wouldn’t turn down somepony’s hospitality because of something as silly as a difference of opinion. With a fire roaring and Thorn seated beside her, she paid her hosts little mind as Fern dragged Grade Book into the back room.

"What’s this about, Fern?” Grade asked as his wife ushered him into the kitchen.

“Why did you let that mare and her thing in?” The crone hissed in a hushed whisper. “They ain’t natural!”

Grade Book groaned, putting a hoof to his forehead. “This isn’t your silly intuition again, is it?”

“Yes, Book, it is my intuition, which, might I remind you, has never been wrong,” Fern insisted. “I’m telling you, her vibe’s all wrong, especially with her having a cutie mark like that. And that little guy was eyeing me like a griffin and a cut of meat.”

“Are ya suggesting I kick them out? In this rain?” Book asked incredulously.

Affronted, Fern replied, “Well, I... Of course not. But they’re trouble, mark my words. I can feel it in my bones.”

“Demon and helhest, or drake and mare, I don’ care one whit. I’m not the kind of stallion that lets ponies get sick in the rain.” And, as if to punctuate his statement, the storm overhead let out a clap of thunder that rattled the whole house. Snorting, Grade Book added, “And I don’t think she’ll be leaving until the mornin’ anyway.”

Rolling her eyes, an annoyed Fern inquired, “Then shall I put on some tea?”

“If you would be so kind, thank ya.”

Sparkle climbed onto the couch and flung the blanket over herself with her teeth. Across from her, Thorn curled up on the seat of the arm chair. Meanwhile, her host bussied himself with extinguishing the fire in the fireplace. “Thanks again for letting us crash here for the night,” Sparkle said.

“It’s no problem at all,” Grade Book replied in his thickly accented voice. “Hey, just to satisfy my curiosity, why’s a mare like you not usin’ ya horn? ‘Specially with a game leg?”

“Oh, um, ponies near me sometimes feel sick when I use my magic, especially when they’re not expecting it,” Sparkle answered. “I’m just trying to be polite.”

Grade Book nodded, satisfied with that answer. “Hmm. Well, G’night, Mss. Sparkle, Thorn.”

“Night.”

“Thanks!”

Around the corner and just out of sight, Fern ducked back into her room. It wasn’t eavesdropping if it was said loud enough for the whole house to hear, she reasoned.

With the rain still pouring in the morning, though thankfully without as much of the strong wind and lightning as the previous night, Sparkle and Thorn found themselves still enjoying Grade Book’s hospitality. The old stallion insisted that the road would be flooded and impassable while the rain kept up, and though Sparkle knew that she could simply teleport Thorn and herself across any gaps, she didn’t protest. Instead, after hearing the rain schedule, she settled on finding a proper inn to stay the next two nights at.

That still left one problem for the traveling duo. “We still need to get something to eat at the market. I’d hate to keep freeloading off of you two,” Sparkle explained.

“Nonsense,” Grade Book scoffed. “Ya welcome to eat with us.”

“Now Grade, if the mare wants to buy her own food, we shouldn’t stop her,” Fern quipped. “However, the market won’t be open until after sermon today. They’re both in the same direction; why don’t you come with us? It beats sitting here, twiddling your hooves. Besides, you look like hearing the Good Word would do you some good.”

Grade’s eyes lit up with excitement. Bobbing his head, the old earth pony exclaimed, “Oh, wonderful idea, Fern! We’ll introduce ya to Fern’s nephew, Steeple; he’s the preacher. Great stallion, that one.”

Sparkle’s eyes flicked down to her son, as his eyes had up to her. The two of them could feel each other’s hesitance, but in the end, Sparkle turned back to Grade and his wife and agreed, albeit reluctantly.

“Well, let me grab the umbrellas and we’ll head over there now,” Fern said, quite pleased with herself.

From spot walking alongside his mother under the cover of their borrowed umbrella, Thorn whispered, “Do I have to go? I mean, what if there’s a paladin there?”

“You can go explore if you want,” Sparkle whispered back. “You sure the rain won’t bother you?”

“I’ll be fine. But what about you?” Thorn asked.

Chuckling slightly, Sparkle replied, “Don’t worry, it’s not like I’ll burst into flames or anything, and whether or not there is a paladin, I’ll be fine.”

“If you say so,” Thorn whispered. “See you later, then?”

“Sure. Have fun.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

As Thorn walked off, Fern stepped closer to Sparkle. “You’re letting him wander off?”

Sparkle shrugged. “He can take care of himself. Besides, he’d get antsy sitting in a temple for an hour or two.”

“You shouldn’t spoil him like that. He shouldn’t get everything he wants. Children should be raised properly with a stern hoof,” the crone lectured

Inside the necromancer, her magic’s spin picked up speed, humming just under her skin. Though it wasn’t enough to cause any visible changes, the mostly unconscious act made her eyes feel dangerous to an observer, especially one as observant as Fern. “He doesn’t get everything he wants. A dragon that does grows to the size of a mountain.”

Seeing as they were approaching the Cosmonism Temple, Fern let the subject drop. Filling in with the rest of the rain-soaked crowd, practically the entire town’s population, the old couple led Sparkle to their usual seats in the pews. At the podium in the front, there stood a white, middle-aged unicorn.

It wasn’t towards the preacher that Sparkle looked, though. No, it was a stallion in a sheriff's vest that caught Sparkle’s eye. A stallion whose gold-flecked blue eyes were fixed unwaveringly on her, and whose expression was unreadable.

‘Of course,’ Sparkle thought with a resigned sigh.

As he walked, Thorn kicked a rock and watched it splash into a mud puddle. “Stupid wind. Stupid rain,” the dracolich muttered. “Stupid town. Stupid pushy ponies. Stupid Temple.”

With each breath, the slow-burning fuel in the drake’s mouth was fanned just a bit more, warming the air he inhaled. While the cold and the rain honestly didn’t bother him, the internal heat was nice. Onward he trudged aimlessly.

Despite the rain, a smell tickled his nose. Blood, not very fresh, but still strong enough to be noticeable. His stomach rumbled. “Probably carrion,” Thorn rationalized. His stomach rumbled again, causing Thorn to roll his eyes. If there was one thing he hated about his physiology, it was that he could and would eat just about anything - including rotting flesh - even if it was revolting.

The scent of blood was growing stronger, and Thorn was suddenly aware that he’d started walking towards the source without realizing it. Pushing through two bushes and hopping down into the ditch behind it, Thorn sniffed and turned left. He almost passed it as he walked, but an odd feeling in his gut gave him pause, enough to spot the body.

A pony’s body, though you wouldn’t guess that at first glance. The corpse was positively mutilated, having had most of the abdominal cavity violently emptied. Bits of intestine, liver, and kidney lay splattered on the ground, as if it had burst out of the pony. The colt - for that’s what it was - had his face frozen in an expression of pure agony.

Thorn leaned down and stuck a claw up the colt’s rib cage. “Cold.” He then grabbed one of the colt’s legs and gently pushed. It refused to move. “Rigor mortis.” Bringing his blood-covered claw up to his nose, he sniffed. “Maybe eight hours dead.”

He’d seen plenty of dead bodies before. In fact, he’d robbed a few graves before and had killed things just so he and his mom could see the decomposition process. Between that, their own books, documents from the Canterlot Police department, and Canterlot’s hospitals, the two of them had a good idea of what certain causes of death look like.

It looked like this colt had burst from the inside out.

Ponies don’t just burst.

Thorn pressed one palm against the earth pony’s undamaged spine, and another against his skull. He closed his eyes for a second and focused. He opened his eyes again once he was sure of what he was feeling.

Black Magic.

‘Of course,’ Thorn thought.

Steeple was enthusiastic, Sparkle would admit. The crowd, the vast majority of which were earth ponies, seemed to hang on his every word. She supposed his speech was interesting, but she honestly couldn’t bring herself to pay much attention.

Neither could the pony that held her gaze. The tangerine-coated unicorn seemed to energize her and fill her stomach with butterflies just by his mere presence. That said, she couldn’t quite decide what to do with that nervous energy.

The stallion across the pews seemed to be growing antsy as well. The two of them could practically feel their opposing magics testing one another, feeling out their relative strengths. In fact, Sparkle could easily imagine the sparks flying between them - not romantic sparks, but the sparks of metal grinding against metal.

Their staring match had caught the eyes of others in the temple congregation, including the preacher’s. Sparkle desperately wanted to vanish, possibly bringing the stallion with her. Given her feelings, she didn’t know if she would ride him into the ground or strangle him to death; her instincts were extremely conflicting in that regard.

She settled on waiting for him to make the first move. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut. Steeple, feeling the resulting magical flux of said tension in his horn, decided to end his sermon quickly. “... and those who look to the sky to guide them shall always find their way. Now, join me in the final prayer for the day.”

The ensuing silence was rather deafening. On and on it stretched, with only the sound of her own heartbeat and the gaze of the sheriff to focus on.

“Thank you,” Steeple concluded. “Now, rise and go forth on this remarkably dreary day,” he chuckled, dismissing the crowd.

The dark unicorn practically bolted from her seat, and was almost out the door before most ponies had even risen, never mind that she was one leg short. The door opened and the rain splashed against her face. Sparkle was thankful for that, as the cold water cleared her mind. She looked around quickly, and, spotting Thorn approaching, galloped over to him.

“Bad time?” Thorn asked upon seeing her.

“Definitely a white mage,” she said, skipping the answer and going straight to the explanation. “He’s strong, too.”

“Dammit.”

“What?”

“He’s the guy with the sheriff star on his vest, isn’t he?” Thorn asked, pointing behind Sparkle.

Sparkle nodded, not even needing to turn around.

“Double dammit. I found somepony fresh. No more than ten hours gone. Traces of black.”

Sparkle’s eyes narrowed. “Show me.”

Thorn nodded once, but before he could lead her towards the site, Grade Book walked up to them. “Ya ran out of there mighty quick. Somethin’ wrong, Mss. Sparkle?”

“No, not really,” Sparkle lied. “But if you’ll excuse me, I need to check something. Thorn.”

“This way!”

As they ran off, Grade Book turned back towards his wife, who was in turn trotting towards the orange sheriff with an electrified star as his cutie mark. “Sheriff Tesla,” Fern Called out. “How are you?”

Blowing past all formalities and ignoring her question, Tesla asked back, “That mare sitting next to you, who was she?”

“A traveler that got lost in the rain last afternoon,” Fern replied. “Why, is there something wrong? You were staring at her rather intently.”

“Never in my life have I felt my magic react like it did with that mare,” Tesla replied.

“Sheriff, I don’t think she’s a normal pony, or even a pony at all,” Fern suggested. “I think she’s a helhest. Her cutie mark is a skull, after all.”

Tesla blanched. A helhest was a three-legged, supernatural equine known to have close ties to Death. Known to bring doom and disease, those legendary monsters had plenty of the more superstitious ponies cowering in fear. In truth, there was no such thing as a helhest, if you considered it something distinct from pony-kind. However...

Sheriff Tesla nodded. Adjusting his vest, the orange unicorn said, “Right, I’m going to follow her, just to be sure. You can never be too careful with strange folk.”

“You do that, Sheriff,” Fern agreed.

“Don’t you worry, Mrs. Fern,” Tesla said. “I’ll get this all sorted out in time for supper, you hear?”

“Loud and clear,” she replied.

Nodding back, Tesla then turned and trotted in the direction that Sparkle and Thorn had gone. Maybe it was just an old crone’s superstition, or maybe that mystery mare actually was a threat. Either way, Tesla decided, it was best to put her worries to rest. Celestia only knows how much of a panic that gossip monger could cause if she were upset.

There was a difference between digging up corpses and dissecting pigs, and examining a murder scene. Twilight found it much harder to focus on the task at hand, for one, and ended up once more suppressing her emotions magically.

Out from her space-expanded bag, she pulled out her new camera and took a few pictures of the scene with the bulky contraption. Setting it aside, she pulled out her notebook and started jotting down her and Thorn’s initial observations. Once satisfied, she put the now slightly rain-damp notebook back in her bag.

It was this scene that a stealthy Tesla came upon. With his magic suppressed, he was positive that the mare and the drake wouldn’t see him. He also happened, by pure luck, to be downwind of them, and so Thorn didn’t smell him. But, from his vantage point, he couldn’t quite see what they were looking at.

Sparkle lowered her horn to the body. From it emerged the inky blackness of a specter, which sank into the body. Tesla nearly gasped as the feeling of the magic struck his horn, a thousand times more potent than what he had felt in the temple. Every muscle in his body tensed; to hold himself still or to prepare to flee, he didn’t know.

“Who are you?” she said. For a second, Tesla though she was talking to him, but she was still turned away from him and looking at the ground.

“Coffee Cream, ma’am.”

Tesla frowned. Coffee Creme? What was he doing here? That definitely was his voice. Was he lying on the ground?

“How old are you?”

“I’m sixteen, ma’am. Um, why is it so cold?” Coffee Creme asked.

A slight frown touched Sparkle’s lips, only to fade a second later. “It’s raining.”

“I hadn’t noticed.”

“What’s the last thing you remember?”

For a time, the still hidden form of Coffee Cream didn’t answer. And then, “I was running from Steeple.”

Tesla frowned. Why would he be running from Steeple? He and Coffee’s family were quite close.

As if reading his mind, the mare asked the same thing. “I’d rather not say,” Coffee answered.

“That’s fine, don’t worry about it,” she answered. “But I need you to answer this question: who killed you?”

“Steeple did, ma’am.”

Tesla’s mind froze. Killed? By Steeple? What?

Sparkle’s horn darkened. More of the inky blackness surged outward, coalescing into three pony-like figures. “Go. Find Steeple. You know what to do.”

“Yes, Mistress!” they said, giggling. They flew towards town, in the direction that Tesla was hiding. He stepped back.

One of the specters paused, looking down from where it floated. “Mistress, hehehe, the light-pony is watching!”

“Come on out. I know you're there,” Sparkle called, turning to face the bushes.

Tesla stood tall, no longer having a reason to skulk about. As he walked forwards, Sparkle and Thorn stepped aside, revealing the still-zombified, grotesquely-mutilated corpse of Coffee Cream. He paused, gagging. “Move away from him!”

Thorn stepped defensively in front of Sparkle. “It’s not what it looks like.”

“I saw you use Black Magic on him! Coffee’s dead, and now you have the gall to try and slander Steeple?” he said, gathering up his light magic.

“Slander Steeple? I’ve never met the stallion!” Sparkle angrily retorted. “We didn’t even know you were there? Why would he lie about something like that?”

“I don’t know,” Sheriff Tesla replied. “But she was right to be worried about you, helhest.” His horn rapidly charged, and despite the drizzling rain, Sparkle could feel her fur standing on end and her robe filling with static. There was a flash and a crack, leaving Sparkle dazed from the sound alone. “Begone, cursed one, or my next shot won’t be a warning.”

Thorn, despite being just as close to the white-magic-laced lightning bolt, recovered six times as fast. He charged forwards, growing larger and sucking the life out of every living thing as he passed it. The dragon, now twice the mass of the stallion, impacted like a freight train. Pinning Tesla down, he roared, “I’LL KILL YOU!”

Tesla, protected from the life-draining magic by his own light type, exploded into dozens of arcs of electricity. Reassembling several dozen hoof lengths away, Tesla already had his next spell forming. A fraction of a second later, Sparkle was forced to dissolve her body into a mass of shadow to dodged the incoming bolt.

Sparkle fired off several illusions, but, to her horror, found that none of them took hold against the defensive nature of Tesla’s magic, which protected his mind. Switching gears, Sparkle hurled a couple of minor curses and jinxes, which Tesla dodged easily. Swearing under her breath, she dissolved fully into the black mass and charged.

Thorn found himself at a disadvantage. Tesla, who quickly proved himself to be quite adept at dodging both of their attacks at the same time, easily outmaneuvered the heaviest of the combatants on the muddy ground. And while Thorn’s scales protected him from the worst of the electrical attacks, the white magic within still burned the skin underneath. Then there was attack speed. Tesla could get off two shots for every one of Thorn’s. And despite Thorn constantly switching between standard fire and projectile pyrotechnics, Tesla was never surprised.

The sheriff, for his part, was doing remarkably well against a necromancer using increasingly lethal attacks and a dracolich who was rapidly turning the forest into a wasteland. But he was getting tired. Despite taking only that initial hit from the dragon, he was wearing out, while the rapidly decaying forest kept the dark pair empowered. But he was clever; Tesla noticed that they were determined to avoid friendly fire - literally, since there was a dragon in the mix - and he had no such restriction. By staying between them, he always made them hesitant to attack.

For a time, his plan worked. But all good things must come to an end, and so Tesla’s fast reaction time eventually failed him. He had lined up a bolt to fire at the shadowy mare, only to be struck in the side by the dragon’s fast-moving, bladed tail, sending him sprawling on the road.

Thorn pounced, again pinning him to the ground. But this time, instead of giving Tesla the ability to zap himself free, Thorn stretched out his neck and bit the stallion’s horn off with a loud crunch. It would grow back in time, yes, but that didn’t stop it from being the single most painful experience of Tesla’s life, including the deep gash in his side and all his broken ribs, combined.

Sparkle resolidified next to the downed stallion and cast a spell on him, taking away his ability to physically perceive pain. “You going to kill me now, helhest?”

“No, and I’m not... well, I guess I kind of am a helhest, but no, I’m not going to kill you. I’m not going to leave you here to die, either,” she said. Leaning over him, she bent down and kissed him full on the lips, tongue and all.

The injured stallion at first resisted her kiss, but soon was coaxed into returning the kiss by his own magic. Unicorns often associate sexuality with magic type. Natural light and dark mages, because of their rarity, rarely come across somepony their magic is attracted to. That Sparkle's kiss fed Tesla life energy, and that it distracted him as she worked her magic, were other matters entirely.

Sometime during their impromptu makeout session, Thorn had released Tesla's limbs and stepped aside, letting Sparkle take his place over the sheriff.

Sparkle broke the kiss first, causing Tesla to try and follow her lips only to be pressed down by her magic. "What in tartarus was that, helhest?" he said, though he used the word as a term of strange affection.

"I said I wasn't going to let you die, and now you won't. Your horn's still partially broken, but that will mend in time," she said. "Now, there's a dead body in a ditch who had his organs violently expelled, possibly by the preacher. I'd love to stay and help you catch the bastard, but I've got to go now."

As she spoke those words, her body dissolved into black smoke, as did the dracolich. "Sorry," she called just before vanishing completely.

Tesla, feeling muddy and emotionally spent, but otherwise fine, rolled over onto his belly and stood up. "Hoo boy... Steeple? Really? Why would Steeple kill Coffee Cream?"

The sight a sheriff sporting a muddy vest, a broken horn, and a grim face set the small town of Hollow Shades on edge. After his starring contest with Sparkle, the whole town practically hummed with anticipation.

A distant shout punctuated the air. "No! Get away from me!"

Tesla turned and galloped towards the commotion. As he approached, he spotted the three specters that Sparkle had released, each circling around Steeple and occasionally diving right through his body. In the fight, the necromancer's disappearance, and his examination of the body, Sheriff Tesla had completely forgotten about them.

"Guilty!"

"We saw what you did!"

"Bad Stallion, hehehe!"

"Begone, foul demons! I have done no wrong!" Steeple shouted. Brandishing the moonsun pendant around his neck, he roared, "In the names of Celestia and Luna, bringers of day and night, I BANISH YOU!"

The three specters froze. Fading, the trio sank into the ground, hissing in apparent pain. Silence reigned, punctuated by Steeple's heavy breath.

"THBBPTHBPT!" The rude noise announced the sudden return of the three specters. "He thought he could banish us!"

The crowd in the market panicked. Most ponies fled every which way, save for a few brave souls, the preacher, and the sheriff.

"What a laugh!" a specter said.

"The guilty stallion has no power!"

"Look sisters, hehehe, his executioner is here!"

"Repent, repent, repent before the law!"

"Admit to what you did!"

"I didn't kill him!" Steeple cried.

There was a beat of silence. Then, one of the specters laughed. "We never said that you killed somebody."

"Or that a he was involved."

"And neither did Mr. Sheriff say anything, and he saw the body."

The white stallion, if it were possible, would have gone paler. "I can explain. I-”

"Innocents don't have to explain things!" interrupted the specter.

Tesla found himself agreeing. Stepping towards the preacher, he said, "Steeple, as much as it pains me to admit it, they might be right. Though the evidence is suspect at best, it's the only lead I have. Steeple for the... Uh.. Ah... ACHOO!" Tesla sneezed violently, splattering Steeple with snot, and more worryingly, blood droplets.

"Bless you," a specter said. Steeple merely wiped his face off, disgusted.

"Ugh, sorry," Tesla apologized. "As I was saying, Steeple, you are under arrest for the suspected murder of Coffee Cream. If you sho- Hey!" The sheriff was interrupted by the preacher bolting away. He tried to follow, but a single specter blocked his path, and without his horn, he couldn't teleport past.

"Don't worry," it said. "His fate is sealed. You sealed it."

"What?"

"Go look," it said, floating aside and fading away, task complete. Not needing to be told twice, Tesla raced after Steeple. He didn't have to run far.

The preacher had collapsed in the middle of the street, though was still fully conscious and thrashing around. "I killed Coffee Cream!" he shouted. The magical plague, passed from Sparkle to Steeple via Tesla and attuned to Steeple using the magical signature left on Coffee's body, quickly started eating away at the infected stallion's mind, robbing him of his inhibitions and his ability to lie. Add in a little delirium, and the resulting parasite kills you socially before killing you physically. "That little bastard wouldn't give me what I wanted. 'Just a touch,' I said, but he wouldn't let me! So I made him bust a gut! Literally! He's *cough* he's splattered *cough* all over the - ack! - forest."

Anything he may have said after that was unintelligible, as his condition was deteriorating at an exponential rate. His coughs turned into groans and into shrieks. Steeple's body suddenly tensed, his back arching in an unnatural position. There was a loud snap, the sound of muscle breaking bone, and Steeple went still.

There were screams. Some were still frightened from the specters while others cried at the news of Coffee Cream's death. For one elderly couple, the last words and subsequent death of their nephew was too much to handle.

In Hollow Shades, the rain still fell.

Author's Note

Swirling Line, the pegasus/changeling, belongs to Swirling Line, the writer and the artist who did the current cover art. This cameo (which I finally got around to writing) was part of our agreement.

The Necromancer and the (K)Night

The students filed into the classroom in single file, as all good students did. Quickly and quietly, they all filed into the cavernous lecture hall, the finest and most decorated room in the entire institution. You’d think it was the throne room of the Storm Emperor, but in truth, the cobalt blue walls were built solely for the use of just two professors.

From a door on stage left entered, Dr. Sparkle, Phd., Md., Archmage, Supreme Mistress of Books, Commander of the Paper Army, and great Knower-Of-Things. Applause broke out; ponies cheered at the mere sight of her. To actually be taught by her was the highest privilege in the land.

Passing a withered, potted fern, she placed her trusty grade book on a podium shapes like a crystal tree. “Thank you for such a warm welcome,” Dr. Sparkle, Phd., Md., etc. said. “And I’m glad to see so many excited faces ready to learn. In this class, you’ll be learning-”

She continued to speak, though only sounds came out, minus any meaning. The audience did not care in the slightest. The same enthralled expression dotted each of their identical faces, save for a single dark blue mare in the back row.

As Dr. Sparkle spoke, tangerine-colored lightning flashed outside. The thunder shook the entire auditorium, rattling everypony within to the core. The vibrations spread outward from their, tingling their lips and their loins.

“I’m proud to announce that we have a guest speaker with us today! Joining us is Thornecrovitar, Devourer of Worlds!” Dr. Sparkle cheerfully announced. As Sparkle turned around, the back wall and blackboard - which had been covered in meaningless scribbles - vanished just before her eyes would have seen it. Where the wall would have been lay a hazy boundary suspended in the air, beyond which was the entrance to an impossibly large cavern.

In the cavern was the biggest, fiercest, and most terrifying dragon to have ever existed. The class didn’t care, still eagerly watching even as the dragon let out a bone-chilling roar. They didn’t care that his cavern was filled with the skulls of beasts and ponies alike, hoarded as if they were jewels. And, with the exception of the dark blue mare, they most certainly didn’t care that he would occasionally pluck a screaming pony out of a pen and viciously devour it.

Sparkle turned back to the class, unconcerned with the behemoth behind her. “Pop quiz! Raise your hoof if you think peanut butter is the best food ever.” Almost the entire class raised their hoof in the same instant. The mare in the back, seeing that the overwhelming majority of the class was answering that way, also raised her hoof.

The only pony who didn’t raise his hoof, a white stallion in a sea of gray ponies, was promptly singled out by Sparkle. “Steeple, you fail. Thorn?”

The massive claw entered the room. A single talon dwarfed the teacher, and the shadow plunged the whole room into darkness, even though the shadow should have only covered the front half. The claw lowered and plucked the visibly distinct stallion out of his seat.

“I banish you in the name of Celestia!” Steeple proclaimed as he was carried off by Thorn’s claws.

“Shut up, pathetic mortal,” Thorn drawled. Tossing him into his gaping mouth, Thorn crunched the stallion’s body, which popped like a blood-filled water balloon.

An excessive amount of blood gushed over Sparkle’s body. It successfully gave her that wet-mane look that stallions found oh-so-sexy. “Any questions?”

The blue mare raised her hoof. “Dr. Sparkle, why are dreams important?” As she spoke, the world seemed to solidify a somewhat noticeable amount, though nopony but her actually noticed.

“Dreams are a vital part of the sleep cycle,” Sparkle answered as if the question was actually relevant to whatever topic she had planned to teach. “They help you organize your memories and confront or resolve your inner turmoils.”

“Correct, Sparkle,” the blue mare said from where she stood, which was now right next to the necromancer. “And denying yourself your dreams is only hurting yourself.”

“What do you mean?”

“Look.”

Both Sparkle and Thorn really looked at her. “Princess Luna!” they shouted in unison, finally recognizing her for what she was. Then, looking around the auditorium and skull cave, they both realized what was going on.

“We’re dreaming,” Thorn stated.

“Indeed,” the night princess confirmed. “And, in spite of the spell I cast on you at the gala, your dreams were both amazingly difficult to find and equally tricky for us to penetrate. The state of your mental defenses are commendable, Sparkle, Thorn. That said, you shouldn't try and suppress your dreams; it's not good for your mind, and you'll eventually dream anyway.” Luna waved a hoof, gesturing to the dream.

The dream world faded away, swiftly being replaced by that of a particular donut shop in Canterlot, one that all three of them knew. Biting into her sprinkle-covered pastry, the no longer blood-covered Sparkle then said, “So what happens now?”

“Nothing much, in truth,” Princess Luna answered. “I was curious as to when your vacation was scheduled to end. I seem to recall signing your departure permission slip, but the return date was strangely left blank.”

“Wait, what are you saying?”

“I’m saying that there is no rush for you to return, although your brother and your student do miss you terribly.” Luna took a sip of her ultra-black coffee. There was no particular flavor, as it distinctly lacked cream. “As for my sister, I took the liberty of having a long, forceful discussion with her about the treatment of a particular national hero.

“She has seen reason, and has rescinded both the orders for your capture and all standing punishments,” Luna concluded.

Sparkle’s eyes were as wide as dinner plates. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You’re the best, Princess Luna.”

Blushing from the praise, Princess Luna said, “Yes, your praise is much appreciated. However, there is much we need to discuss still, and I would rather us converse face-to-face... is that the right expression? Yes, I think so. Anyway, it behooves us to speak on the matter quickly. Sparkle, Thorn, I will see you when you awaken. But for now, sleep well.”

With a nod, Princess Luna stood, flapped her wings once, and vanished into a swirl of dreamstuff. The dream, now without the Night Princess’s presence supporting it, faded as Sparkle and Thorn passed into the next stage of sleep.

Luna's eyes popped open, rapidly blinking away the fog of sleep with practiced ease. However, her stomach churned uncomfortably. It wasn't that the narrative of Sparkle's dream had particularly disturbed her. Luna had seen worse, and without morality or logic dictating dreams, she couldn't rightly judge a pony by their dream avatar's actions, but she could somewhat fault them on their memories.

She could still smell the blood. And while dreams often had smells due to the memory associations, you couldn't fake something you didn't know. Conversely, you couldn't not dream details you did know. Luna wouldn't ask, but the level of detail of Sparkle’s dream made her wonder.

After a quick brush of her mane, tail, and most importantly, her teeth, Luna stepped out of her chambers and approached the guard stationed outside. “Please quickly find and, if necessary, wake First Lieutenants Ironwood and Shining Armor, in that order. To Lieutenant Ironwood, tell him to meet me in the front garden of the castle immediately after preparing himself for an aether warp. To Lieutenant Shining Armor, alert him that his sister has been located, and that she is in good health.”

“Right away, your majesty.” The guard saluted and galloped off to complete his task. Luna then turned and leisurely trotted in the other direction. Approaching a large gold and white door, complement to her black and blue one, Luna rapped her hoof three times on the sturdy wood before slowly opening it.

Inside, Luna spotted her sister, tangled up in the sheets in an undignified heap. Luna snickered, muffling it with her hoof, before walking up to her sister. Tapping the alabaster alicorn, Luna said, “Awaken, ‘Tia.”

“Mmm...” Groggily, Celestia roused herself and disentangled her limbs from the mass of sheets. “Lulu?”

“I have located Sparkle, and am heading out to meet her,” the dark blue alicorn explained.

Celestia sighed, relieved. “Thank goodness. How is she?”

“Stable,” Luna replied. “I believe she will be receptive to our offer.”

This time, Celestia’s sigh of relief was significantly more pronounced. “What a relief. Thank you, Luna, for talking some sense into me. I fear that, in my haste, I had nearly created Equestria’s next greatest threat.”

“Do not relax just yet, Sister. Her loyalty to this country and our ponies hangs by a thread. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a mess of yours to clean up.”

Celestia nodded. “You are correct. Good luck, and have a safe trip.”

Luna turned around and walked to the door. Just before she exited, she paused and opened her mouth as if she were about to say something. Then, without speaking, she closed her jaw and continued forwards.

Taking two successive left turns, Luna approached the tower balcony. The moment she felt the cool October air brushing across her fur, she spread her wings and took flight, silently gliding down to the garden below.

Landing, she strolled towards a particular patch of flowers, this one filled with vibrant lavender Monkshood. Despite its highly poisonous nature, Luna did really love the delicate blooms. Walking past that, she strolled through the moonlit garden, taking in the sweet scents of the flowers. Unlike her sister, whose grace did not translate to silent steps, Luna moved without sound, little more than a shadow in the night.

The barely audible hoofsteps thus did not belong to her, but the red-eyed Night Guard approaching her. “Your highness,” he said, bowing slightly.

“Lieutenant Ironwood,” Luna said, “I trust you are ready to depart?”

“Of course, your highness. And thank you for the warning,” he replied, fanged teeth visible as he spoke. His leathery wings flexed slightly before retracting against his dark armor.

“You are most welcome. Come, grab my hoof and we will depart.” Ironwood did as commanded. The moment his hoof contacted his princess’s, an attractive force firmly secured the limbs together, exceeding his strength and ability to separate them. Bracing himself, Ironwood clenched his teeth and forced his eyes wide open and focused on Luna and nothing else. Luna, feeling that he was secure, activated her personal variant of teleportation.

There were many forms of rapid magical travel known to ponykind, all named with the umbrella term teleportation. Light mages usually transformed themselves into light or electricity and flew at incredible speeds to their location. Dark mages made the universe “forget” their location, and then “lied” that they were somewhere else, rewriting their location. Feminine magic pushed the used through a hole in space, creating the distinctive pop of displaced air. And Masculine magic swapped the locations of two regions of space, trading the relative locations of whatever was in there.

Luna’s magic was unique, in that it did none of those things. Instead, she launched herself physically into the aether, the dream realm, which she described as feeling like she was turning inside-out. Within her bubble of real-space, she could carry any number of passengers any distance she so chooses, at the cost of them becoming horribly dizzy from spinning about so much. And though she didn’t know it yet, her spell would become the basis of intergalactic space travel in just about three hundred years.

Ironwood couldn’t have cared for any of that at the present. Currently, he was far too busy trying not to throw up on his princess, who looked no worse for wear. To him, the spell felt like getting hooked above the sternum and getting spun violently through the thoughts and dreams of everypony between Canterlot and Manehatten. Which, coincidentally, was exactly what had happened. Thankfully, he had stopped to relieve himself before meeting Luna thanks to her warning; otherwise, he was sure he would have soiled himself.

Composing himself faster than a normal pony would have from the same experience, the vampiric guard straightened himself up, adjusted his armor, and then nodded towards his princess.

“Come. Sparkle and Thorn are in that hostel,” Luna said, indicating a nearby building, down the Manehatten street they were standing on.

“Hotel, your highness,” Ironwood corrected as they walked towards it. As he sidestepped to avoid a gray pony wearing a gray fedora, Ironwood said, “The word changed a few hundred years ago. Hostel now refers to a significantly cheaper establishment than anything you would find in Manehatten.”

“Thank you, Ironwood.”

“My pleasure, your highness.”

“Ironwood.”

“Yes, your highness?”

Luna rolled her eyes. “There’s no need to be so formal with me when we are alone. I have not changed so much in the last thousand years that I would chastise one of my oldest friends for speaking casually, when I have given standing permission to do so.”

“I’m sorry, Princess... er, Luna,” the ancient vampire said. He rubbed one of his hooves sheepishly against his other foreleg. “I couldn’t be informal with Princess Celestia, and a thousand years of habit aren’t broken overnight.” Chuckling and gesturing forwards, he said, “Shall we?”

Thorn was the first to awaken at the soft rap, rap, rap on the door. His eyes snapped open, and his surprise was strong enough to wake Sparkle through their link. She looked at the clock. 2:27 A.M., it read.

A voice drifted through the wood of the hotel door, causing Sparkle and Thorn to both tense. “Sparkle, Thorn. I know that you are in there, and I apologise for waking you,” the mare’s voice said. “May we talk? You are not in any trouble, and I will depart if you wish.”

Partially, but not completely, lowering her guard, Sparkle rolled out of bed and limped to the door. Through the peephole, she saw the brilliantly bright soul of Princess Luna and the backwards-burning soul of the vampire, and then she saw their flesh-and-blood bodies. Sparkle opened the door, wincing as the light from the hall flooded her eyes. “Come in, I guess.”

“Thank you,” the princess said, nodding. As she entered, Princess Luna introduced the stallion escorting her. “Sparkle, Thorn, I would like to introduce you both to First Lieutenant Ironwood, commanding officer of the Red Platoon. Lieutenant Ironwood, meet Necromancer Sparkle and her son and assistant, Thornecrovitar.”

Ironwood nodded. “Charmed.”

“I assume that you were actually in my dream? And that you were truthful?”

“But of course,” the night princess confirmed. “And I apologise for the early hour; we had to find you before you woke and started moving again, as you seem so prone to do. Your skill with defending your shared mind is quite commendable, though mildly infuriating given the circumstances. I dare say that most psychics would have great difficulty influencing you.”

Sparkle blinked owlishly at the unexpected praise before blushing slightly. “Thanks. So... why are you here? I... ah... sheesh, I can’t think at two in the morning... uh... sorry.”

“There is no need to apologise when it was I who awoke you,” Luna replied. “Now, on behalf of the Equestrian people, I wish to thank you, Twilight Velvet Sparkle and Thornecrovitar, for your valiant services to this country. Like the Elements of Harmony, you will both be awarded the Medal of Honor. Secondly, on behalf of the Equestrian Judicial system, I wish to apologize for the atrocious mishandling of the situation, and am here to inform you that any wrongdoings of yours prior to this day are hereby considered pardoned. While this has no bearings on any future events, in the eyes of the law, you, Twilight Velvet Sparkle, have done no wrong.”

Picking her jaw up off the floor, Sparkle asked, “Are you serious?”

“Completely. Which brings me to my third point. You and Thorn are both invited to a private dinner this evening at the castle, where my sister wishes to apologize for her behavior personally. As for my fourth and final point, I will let Lieutenant Ironwood explain.”

“Thank you, Princess,” Ironwood said. “Now, know that I am fully aware of what your former punishment was supposed to be when I say this, and know that I am also excruciatingly aware of the implications of what I am about to offer. I would also like you to know that nothing will change if you reject this.

“As the leader of the Red Platoon vampire coven, and as a First Lieutenant of the Night Guard, I request a temporary alliance with you and your son.”

Sparkle sat down, though collapsed might be a better word. “Can... can I have a moment to process all this? It’s a bit much...”

“Take your time,” Princess Luna said. “There is no rush.”

Sparkle laid down on the floor and Thorn, in his baby form, climbed onto her back. Pressing his abdomen against the back of her head, he pushed his fragment of their soul as close to hers as possible and opened the link so that they could converse silently.

Ironwood watched as a myriad of expressions crossed their faces, from elation to worry. It was odd, he felt, seeing an entire conversation - and an emotional one at that - happening completely without words or gestures. Finally, he saw the necromancer and her son’s expressions turn resolute, and then a little less so, before they spoke again.

“You wouldn’t ask that lightly. Something’s happened,” Sparkle stated.

Ironwood corrected, “Something is happening.”

“Then we accept,” Thorn said while Sparkle nodded.

Luna smiled.

“...on three conditions.”

“And what would those be?” the night princess asked.

“First, Savior stays with us.”

Luna nodded. “We weren’t planning on separating you from your brother, Thorn, or Sparkle from her son.”

“Good. Second, we can quit the alliance at any time.”

“Acceptable,” the lieutenant said.

“And third, We officially answer only to Princess Luna and Lieutenant Ironwood.”

The old vampire looked to the even older alicorn for approval. When he got it, he replied, “Again, that is acceptable.”

Switching speakers, Sparkle said, “Then we have a deal.” As she stood back up, she commented, “I’d shake your hoof, but my prosthesis is still under construction back in Fillydelphia and I can’t quite balance well enough yet.”

“That is fine,” the Night Guard said. “How are you? I heard that you fled from the hospital just a day after Discord was resealed, and a day after losing a limb.”

Sparkle grinned. “I’m fine. I heal fast, especially with Thorn helping it along. My magic was a bit messed up though, which means I couldn’t regrow the leg, only seal it shut. Even now I’m still only at 90% of my spiritual strength. Now though, I’m at the point where unless I first chop off the remaining stump, I won’t be able to regrow my leg, hence the prosthesis.”

“I see. Necromancer Sparkle, might I ask you a question about your abilities?”

“Sure.”

“Is it true that you can make blood wine? I tasted it once, many hundred years ago, and I’ll never forget that sensation, and I was wondering, might I taste it again? Just once?”

Sparkle’s eyes narrowed. “You do realize that blood wine is precisely why I never allied before, right?”

“I know.”

Sparkle looked him over. In the dim light of the room, her horn’s aura looked even blacker than a cloudy night. To Thorn and Ironwood’s sensitive noses, the scent of blood filled the air, though only Ironwood was sensitive enough to tell when it had transformed into blood wine.

And yet Sparkle hadn’t moved, and he saw no open wounds on her body. So where was the scent of blood wine coming from?

When Sparkle puckered her glossy red lips, he realized what she had done. Trembling, he said, “You do realize that I am a married stallion, right? And that I am on duty with my princess standing right here, right?”

“And?”

A feral expression crossed his face as his willpower broke. Freely offered blood was more powerful than regular blood, and freely offered blood wine was the most potent of all. With the few drops on her lips, he wouldn’t need to feed for several months at least.

Just as he finished thinking how long he could go without thinking, he found himself admiring the taste of the inside of Sparkle’s mouth. The untrained observer - and likely even a trained, aware one - wouldn’t have seen him move.

As the room went from tepid to steamy in ten seconds flat, Luna blushed at the display and extended a wing in front of the baby dragon’s eyes. She cleared her throat.

It was not very effective.

She coughed, louder.

It had no effect. Hastily shed armor clattered to the floor.

Sighing, the princess scooped Thorn up with her magic and trotted out of the room. Closing the door behind her, she set Thorn down on the hallway floor. “I am not used to that sort of thing happening outside of a dream,” the princess commented.

Thorn simply face-palmed. “She does realize that I can’t close the link when she gets like this, right?”

The Red Platoon and the Black Mage [History Overwritten]

Sparkle glanced at Ironwood. Ironwood glanced back. They both quickly looked away. Both were still blushing, but for a different reason than before. And both were sitting on opposite corners of the hotel room.

“I can’t believe I did that... in front of the princess, no less,” Ironwood said.

“I feel dirty. I should have just cut my leg,” Sparkle said.

“The princess is going to demote me. I just know it.”

“I feel like a whore.”

“And what about my wife?”

“Oh maker, Thorn saw everything!”

“I wasn’t even wearing protection! What if I got you pregnant?”

Sparkle looked back at the troubled stallion. “I already am pregnant, remember?”

Ironwood looked back at her and relaxed ever-so-slightly. “Well... um... there’s that... so, that’s a good thing, right?”

“Yeah... I’m sorry, Ironwood. I shouldn't have done that,” Sparkle replied. “Here, um...” The mare’s horn darkened and a wave of black energy passed over the room. As it passed, the musky scent faded from the air and their bodies; they and the room smelled noticeably fresher. “Organic decomposition spell. Great for cleaning the blood and sex out of just about anything.”

After inspecting himself and finding that, yes, he was indeed significantly cleaner, Ironwood thanked her. “Well, I should go and find the Princess. She was planning on giving you a warp stone to bring you to Canterlot this evening.”

“A warp stone?”

“It’s a long-range teleportation spell on a rock. Anyone touching it when it activates gets flung through the warp to their destination. Make sure you use the bathroom and have an empty stomach before you get carried off. Ponies tend to soil themselves otherwise,” Ironwood explained as he strapped his discarded armor back on. Fastening his last buckle, he stood back up. “I... hope I wasn’t too forceful...”

“No, no. You were fine. That was fun... even if I do regret it now,” Sparkle said. “And you were the best, mare or stallion, that I’ve ever slept with, if that makes you feel any better?”

“Well, they don’t call me Ironwood for nothing,” he said with false bravado. “Eh, I’ll shut up now.”

Sparkle snorted. “It wasn’t that bad of a pun.”

“Right. Anyway... I’ll just see myself out. And since Luna seems to have carried the little guy off, I’ll send him back with the stone,” the vampire said. “Then I’ll see you later?”

The necromancer nodded. “Yes.”

Then, without another word, Ironwood scurried out of the hotel room. As he made his way down the stairs to the lobby, he tried to formulate some sort of excuse that would keep him his job. Descending the last flight, he exited the stairwell and found Luna and Thorn chatting amicably. He cheered internally, glad that she was at least in a good mood.

“Princess, I-”

“I trust that Sparkle accepted our apology?”

“What?” he blurted, confused by the odd question. “Princess?” Ironwood added as an afterthought.

“I’ll take that as a yes. Good work, soldier.”

It clicked in his head what Luna was doing. “Yes, ma’am. I am positive Sparkle will be a staunch ally of ours for the foreseeable future.”

“Then let us return to Canterlot post-haste,” the royal alicorn commanded. “Thorn, remember, the warp stone is set for just under fifteen hours from now, which should be - ” Luna glanced at the clock on the lobby wall, “ - 6:30 pm. Be touching it when it activates.”

“Got it, Princess Luna,” Thorn affirmed.

Extending her hoof, she motioned for Ironwood to join her. “Are you ready to depart?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

“Then let us be off.” Thorn watched as the princess and the guard seemed to be yanked backwards before swirling inward into nothingness.

“Well, that looks rough.”

Rematerializing in Luna’s private chambers with a thud, Ironwood ungracefully stumbled forwards in an attempt to regain his balance. He could have sworn that trip was significantly rougher than the first one, despite having been bolstered by blood wine.

“I would prefer not to have to go through that again, Lieutenant. Your behavior was embarrassing to me, to yourself, and to your station as leader of the Red Platoon,” Princess Luna said, irritation now audible in her voice.

“I am deeply sorry,” the Lieutenant said, prostrating himself before his ruler.

“However, I understand that you, as a vampire, are a creature of passion, and I understand the allure of her blood wine. I also am aware that Ms. Sparkle is obscenely strong for her age and her magic is rather alluring to vampires. And like most powerful unicorns - especially the practitioners of dark magic - she needs the carnal outlet to relieve the stress that her magic places on her brain. Even I was, and still am, susceptible to the lusts that magic imparts on me.

“What I am saying is that, given the situation and the elation she was feeling, she could have surged had you not given into your weakness,” the princess explained. “As far as I’m concerned, you managed to inadvertently increase the cooperation of an ally while off duty. And while I may be conveniently ignorant of your methods, I am sure your wife might have a few words for you.”

“Princess Luna, if it is alright with you, I would prefer to be officially reprimanded than have to face Sweet Rose.”

Princess Luna grinned wickedly. “Reprimanded for what? You’ve done nothing wrong, Lieutenant. You are dismissed.”

Ironwood gulped. Sweet Rose was too observant. She’d find out for sure. He knew it was better just to fess up straight away. It would be the couch for him for at least a month.

If she had thought about it, Sparkle would have been amazed that the compact magic imbued within that little pebble could have carried her and Thorn. She could only teleport ten miles or so every few hours without utterly exhausting herself. Her sister could do nearly four times the distance, but even she had her limits. The magic in the pebble felt like only enough to get her across the city, but safely deposited her in the entrance hall of Canterlot Castle after whisking her away from Manehattan, almost four hundred miles away. What would have been a six-hour train trip took seconds.

If she had investigated more closely, she would have found the time to enter and exit the warp took around six seconds to fully complete. However, the time she spent moving in the warp was so short, she would have found that she had actually exceeded the speed of light by a factor of twelve.

Of course, she did not think about it, and did not investigate it. Rather, she was suppressing the urge to dry heave.

“That wasn’t so bad,” Thorn remarked. “Luna made it sound like it was going to be far worse.”

“Urp...” Sparkle gagged, holding her mouth shut with her magic.

“Oh.” Thorn placed a claw on her back and gently rubbed. “Hey, you should probably sit” - her rump impacted the ground with a solid thump - “down.”

It was about then that a Royal Guard in gleaming gold armor trotted over to the new arrivals. “Sparkle and Thorn?”

“Yes.”

“Urp... uh huh.”

“I am here to escort you back to Princess Celestia,” he said. A beat passed. “But I’ll wait until you’re feeling better.”

A few more seconds passed. “You do remember you can suppress nausea magically, right?”

Sparkle looked at him as if he had just explained something utterly profound. Her horn darkened, causing the guard to instinctively step back. However, when it faded, Sparkle was looking and feeling remarkably better. “Thank you, Thorn. You’re a life saver.”

Seeing that his charge was standing and clearly able to walk now, the guard gestured for them to follow him and lead them down the hall. As they walked, Sparkle couldn’t help but notice a large oddity about the room that hadn’t been there during the gala. Several of the large, stained-glass windows were covered in black tarps. “Did you have storm damage or something?” Sparkle asked.

“No, ma’am. We did not.”

“Then what’s with the windows?”

The guard glanced over at one. “I believe Princess Luna was arguing with Celestia over you, ma’am.”

“And she smashed the windows in rage?”

“With her voice, yes,” the guard replied. “She has a powerful set of lungs.”

Thorn looked around, tallying up all the broken windows. “She must have been really mad.”

The white-coated guard didn’t add anything else to the conversation as he lead them up the stairs in the back of the hall. He navigated them into a side hall and then into the maze-like interior of the castle. Hallway after hallway they passed. Sparkle could have sworn that they’d made six consecutive right turns without crossing their original path even once. She started to voice her disbelief, but then recalled how unicorn-built fortresses often were defended by the strange hyper-geometry of their layout.

They rounded one more right turn when Sparkle finally saw somepony she knew, though not who she was expecting, and not somepony she’d seen recently. “Cadance?”

The pink princess turned when she heard her name called. “Sparks? Thorn? You’re safe!” She ran towards her former charge and her charge’s son. “I was so worried when Shining Armor told me you were missing. But you’re safe now!”

Suddenly finding herself in an alicorn-tight hug, Sparkle squeaked out, “It’s good to see you too, Cadance. It’s been a while.”

Setting Sparkle down (and after hugging Thorn too, much to his displeasure), Cadance looked her over. “Oh my. I know Shiny said you’d lost your leg, but I never pictured it like this. How are you even walking around?”

“With difficulty,” Sparkle admitted. “But I’ve commissioned a prosthetic, the good kind that you can control with magic.”

“That’s good. But until you get it...” Cadance trailed off. Her horn lit with baby blue magic and, much to her victim’s surprise, scooped Sparkle up. Depositing the fully grown mare on her back, Cadance said to the guard, “Lead the way.”

“Cadance! I’m not a baby!” the extremely dangerous necromancer whined petulantly.

The pink princess of love snickered. “Doesn’t matter. You’re still the little filly I foal sat, and you always will be. Besides, you can’t even do our secret dance like this. I’m not letting you out of my sight until then.”

Behind them, Thorn gagged. “Why are ponies so sweet like that?” the lich muttered under his breath.

The door opened. Shining Armor, sitting at a table he never thought he would have ever sat at, looked over to see who was entering the private dining room of the Princesses. He expected his sister, or possibly his marefriend. He didn’t expect the latter to be carrying the former on her back, and the scene only made his smile bigger.

He shot up. “Sparks!”

Hopping off her hold foal sitter, Sparkle limped to meet her brother halfway. “Hey, Shiny. How are you?”

“How am I? How are you? You ran from a hospital the day after you got your leg amputated! You ran who knows where and left me without a clue as to where you went! How could you do that to your poor big brother?” he said, ending with an extra helping of melodrama and ham. “I don’t want to be old and gray at twenty-six!”

Meanwhile, the guard that had led Sparkle, Thorn, and Cadance here saw that he was no longer needed. Turning about, he decided to take the initiative and go alert the unexpectedly absent princesses that their guests were here. He quietly shut the surprisingly plain door as he departed.

“I’m fine, you big oaf. It was a big old adventure for me. Mystery, adventure, suspense, murder, romance, the works!” Sparkle said.

Shining stared at her. “I can’t tell if you’re joking or not. Hopefully it was nothing like that, but knowing you-”

“It was exactly like that, Uncle Shiny,” Thorn interjected. “All of the above. We nearly died twice, we solved a murder mystery, I met a nice dragoness, and Sparkle kissed two different stallions, one of whom tried to kill her and the other of whom tried to eat her.”

Shining donned a thousand-yard stare. Then, shaking his head, he said, “For the sake of my sanity, I’m going to pretend that Thorn is playing along with your joke. So... The princesses should be here any second.”

“Well, I’m here,” Cadance piped in. Silently, she noted that she would have to talk to Sparkle about that last week, especially her choice in stallions. “Aunt Celestia and Aunt Luna are on their way. I’m pretty sure they got sidetracked by nobles.”

The door to the private dining room opened not a second later. “Greetings. Forgive our tardiness,” Princess Luna said as she entered the room, followed by her taller sister. “Those pests that have the gall to call themselves nobles delayed us.”

“As I said,” Cadance commented.

“Hello, Sparkle, Thorn. I am relieved that you decided to come,” Princess Celestia said. Strolling over, she stopped when she was standing right in front of Sparkle and bowed her head. “I am deeply sorry for my treatment of you, both last week in the hospital, and in the years before.”

Sparkle had expected an apology regarding last week, sure. She hadn’t been expecting more than that. “Princess Celestia?”

“After my sister spoke with me on your behalf, I began to reflect on our common past. This raised some questions for me, and so I went to check the castle’s records. If there’s one thing this country’s excessive bureaucracy is good for, it’s generating excessive and thorough paper trails. And what I found make it all the more necessary that I appologize to you.” Straightening up, the solar princess walked over to her seat at the table. “Come, sit. We can talk over dinner. I hear the chef is preparing Prench ratatouille and pasta for us tonight.”

The group sat down at the table and were soon served by the palace staff. The meal itself was very delicious and flavorful, as expected by chefs of the caliber that the castle employed. Celestia set her fork down on her plate with a light tink and, after a sip of water, launched into her story.

“I started by pulling your record, Sparkle, and cross referencing it to events taking place at about the same time and places. Then I was referencing guard reports, castle logs, damage paperwork, and a whole assortment of other documents. Within a day, I had started noticing a trend. Everywhere you went, you always touched something that gave me evidence to find a completely new problem. A zombie you put down three months ago? Child negligence scandal. Shining Armor’s kidnapping? Thirty new potential suspects in the criminal underworld in Canterlot alone. Your escape attempt last year? Government corruption. Your disappearance a year and a half ago? Another dark cult. So many things have come up that I now have a thirty-pony-and-growing investigation team running 24/7 to unravel everything you alone have stumbled upon. Do you see where I’m going with this?”

“You can add ‘solved murder case’ to that list,” Thorn commented.

“Congratulations, then,” Celestia said. “I would say I’m surprised, but by this point, I don’t think I can be. My point is that I’ve seen where almost every time you’ve been caught doing something wrong, good has come from it, be it directly or otherwise.”

Sparkle nodded, accepting her words at face value. However, a nagging little voice popped into her head that sounded suspiciously like Lady Death. ‘The Dread Necroptica can only be read by those it deems worthy, and you two, as well as Thorn, are probably its most worthy readers ever.’ She remembered her saying that. If Death, a self-proclaimed time traveler and the highest authority on mortality and destruction, could say that about her and her little family, then what did that say about them? Could they even change the future, or were they doomed to be the very monster she had dedicated her life to eradicating?

But as the Princess wasn’t finished speaking, Sparkle quickly shoved her thoughts aside. “What I am about to tell you is something I’ve told very few ponies. There is a spirit with whom I share a symbiosis - Apollo. It is the spirit of the future, and has given me visions of the future for as long as I remember. Sometimes they are cryptic. Most of the time they are vague on details, such as the one I had last night. And all of them present me a choice: Make it come to pass, or prevent that future from happening. Perhaps seeing the future so often and so precisely has made be blind to the world in front of me; I’m not sure. However, I am going to trust my instinct and make last night’s prophecy true.”

“Wow,” Thorn commented. Sparkle could only silently agree. Never had she suspected future sight being part of Celestia’s arsenal. The necromancer would have loved to question the princess about the specifics of who Apollo was and how its prophecies worked, but she held her tongue. If there were not more pressing matters, Sparkle would have made time to ask if there were any prophecies concerning her.

“I assume, then, that you are curious to the specifics of why we have decided to request your partnership with the Red Platoon,” Celestia concluded.

The necromancer nodded. “Yes, your highness.”

“That warning you gave me in the hospital turned out to be completely correct. A large collection of covens, both large and small, have been gathering under a single banner. While we are not completely sure of their goals, we have found evidence of hostile action and as such are classifying the whole group as a threat to the safety of the country. Unfortunately, this group, codename BLACKBLOOD, is estimated to be larger than the entire Night Guard and is more willing to kill for blood than limit their intake to minimal amounts.”

“So,” Sparkle began, “Thorn and I are here to even the playing field.”

“And to limit civilian casualties should open conflict break out,” Princess Luna added, affirming Sparkle’s assumption.

“Have you contacted Lune de Sang Cirque yet? They’re still independent, as far as I am aware. Vinyl, one of them, was the one who warned me after all. While not the best fighters, they might align with us,” Sparkle said.

Luna looked thoughtful. “I shall consider it. Lieutenant Ironwood should have some valuable insight, but I would imagine he would agree to such an alliance.” Celestia nodded in agreement.

“Now, Sparkle, I must mention something important,” Celestia said. “During my investigation, I came to realize just how strongly the city and the nobles are against you and your continued freedom. It is my belief that many of the restrictions on you come from these multi-sided constraints they force on you. However, if I employ you as an independent military contractor, I can also issue you a Sorcerer-Combatant license. Better yet, there is a precedence for this, so the nobles can’t complain.”

A Sorcerer-Combatant was any magic user - not necessarily a unicorn - deemed capable of using magic in a combat situation, and allowing them to learn and practice significantly more dangerous magics, magics that could be lethal to the victim. The license also allowed them to use such spells on an enemy. With it, about a tenth of the spells Sparkle knew would suddenly become perfectly legal for her to use at any time, and another tenth would be good in combat situations. Obviously, most of the spells she knew were far too malicious to ever be legal, but it was still a major improvement.

It also would hardly change a thing, Sparkle subconsciously knew. She’d still learn and practice everything she could get her hooves on. The mare would be more bold with her learnings, definitely, but in the end, that would be it.

“Thank you, Princess. That means a lot to me,” Sparkle partially lied. To those who knew her well, namely Thorn and Shining Armor, they could see the calculating cogs turning behind her eyes. Among them, only Thorn could really tell what she was thinking.

After all, while Thorn may have been part pony, Sparkle was, at heart, part dragon.

And she had just been given so much.

Dinner concluded with Sparkle hashing out a contract of Employment with the Princesses. After writing a short letter to Twilight saying that, yes, she was still alive, and explaining what went down, and then reading the novella that Twilight wrote back, Sparkle finally got to check up on the one that had been in the back of her mind since she had fled: Cobalt.

Embracing the stallion, she asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Cobalt replied. "I can remember most of last year, and I can remember my family... somewhat. But..."

"But what?" Sparkle asked.

"This is going to sound kind of crazy, but I don't think I want to remember any more. It kind of feels like somepony else... that that abuse from her was for her son, Red Fields, not me, Cobalt. Does that make any sense?"

Sparkle nodded. "You're dissociated from the memories. If you think that you can function fully and happily with what you have, then by all means, we'll stop. No therapist, and I'll pull my specter from you."

"NO! Wait!"

Having not even started to remove it yet, Sparkle simply cocked her head to the side in curious confusion. "Why?"

"I like it in there. It's funny and really optimistic, and it feels good. I can focus more with it in there," Cobalt explained.

The teacher pondered her student's request. The magic used to sustain it would be lost to her until she recalled it. And while that wouldn't be much of a sacrifice... Actually, she didn't mind at all. Failing to come up with a good counter-argument, she shrugged and agreed. "Are you going to name it?"

"She's Dye," Cobalt answered after a moment of thought.

Sparkle smiled. "Dye and the painted pony. I like it."

"Oh, I didn't even think about that. Huh."

Sparkle's smile faded as she changed to a more serious topic. "Do you still want to be my student? Even after what's happened?"

He blinked. "You're the only happy memories I have. You're stuck with me," he replied.

"Do you want your next geas now? I know that the first one damaged your mind, but I know how to stop that from happening this time. Or I could teach you something else..." She shrugged. "It's up to you."

"Do it," he resolutely declared.

"Alright." She summoned the book of Soul, the book of Mind, and the book of Pain. "Your first geas was the geas of duty. This one will be the geas of servitude. That means you're going to be my student for the rest of your life and afterlife. Because that was one of the exit terms for your first geas, you will never break free of that one either. Do you still want to do this?" He nodded, and she sighed, "Very well. This will hurt. A lot."

One overnight trip to Fillydelphia four days after returning home and Sparkle was fitted with her new clockwork prosthetic leg. Covered in magic runes, black spikes, and inlaid with her own bones, it was definitely a sight worthy of being a necromancer's leg. One rune drew power from her, one articulated the joints, and one read the incoming neural impulses and signaled the motor runes that drove the gears accordingly. The final set of runes, added by Sparkle to the bones themselves, made the entire false limb nearly indestructible and capable of providing limited sensory information.

It was almost as good as the real thing.

Now all that was left to do was meeting her new colleagues. Soon enough, she and Thorn found themselves being led by Lieutenant Ironwood through the Red Platoon's barracks. "Technically, the platoon is large enough to be a small company at sixty combatants, but we were platoon-sized when we first formed over a thousand years ago. Some of us come and go, but even those that aren't with us are still part of our family."

They passed a door and stopped at the next one. "Here we are, Squad Six, reconnaissance and combat support. You'll be primarily working with them, and Fine Cut specifically, although you'll meet everypony eventually." His hoof knocked on the door and, because he was still energized from the blood wine a few days ago, it proceeded to splinter the wood.

There was a short scream of surprise that came from inside. “Sorry!"

"Lieutenant?" A muffled mare's voice asked.

"Yeah. Wasn't watching my strength," he said as he pushed the damaged door open. "Squad Six, meet your new teammates, Sparkle and Thorn."

"This some kind of joke?" one pegasus stallion asked, not even bothering to sit up from his reclined position. In fact, he hadn't even looked over, deducing their basic appearance by sound and smell alone. "A broken, living mare and a lizard?"

He dodged a fireball.

"Dragon. Dracolich, if you want to be specific."

That caught his attention. The lounging vampire sat up and looked. The mare, from which darkness seemed to pour, drew in his attention first. Her slit red eyes, green sclera, and oozing, purple mist radiated power beyond her years. Her smile looked cruel; despite the audible heartbeat, he could see fangs in her mouth... Along with every other tooth being sharper than normal. Her frame was skinny and her coat was thin, giving her a sickly appearance. The smooth, curved horn and her mechanical leg's design both made her look that much fiercer.

Then was the dracolich. Towering over the mare, his black, smoking wings curled around her protectively. Green balefire seeped from between his lips, as his pupils undulated like flame. A hunger burned in his eyes, and the pegasus knew that very little was standing in the way of him being lunch.

"It's not often that we drop all the illusions," Sparkle commented. "Do you like what you see?"

Ironwood, even from his side view, took a step back. That wasn't anything like the mare he had slept with. Was she really powerful enough to fool even him at his age?

The other pegasus, as well as all the other occupants of the room, went wide-eyed in surprise. "So, you're the real deal, huh?" Finally standing, he walked over to her and gave her a look-over. "Cool. Name's Night Eyes."

"A pleasure," Sparkle said.

"I'm Shadow Weaver. Nice to meet you!" said a pegasus stallion.

"Alabaster's the name, fire's my game," a stetson-wearing unicorn said.

"Aurora Borealis, but you can call me Aurora," a bespectacled pegasus stallion said.

Night Eyes snorted, "You mean Bore, because you put ponies to sleep."

Rolling his eyes, Aurora quipped, "Ignore him. That old man can be such a foal at times. Anyway, next?"

"Swift Shade," the first mare of the group said.

Another stallion nodded. "Fine Cut. I heard you'll be working with me a bunch, right?" Sparkle confirmed that he was indeed correct.

"And then there's me, Swiftwing," a pegasus mare said. "But most ponies call me Splatter, 'cause they don't want to confuse me with Shade over there!"

Sparkle and Thorn looked at them, committing each of their souls, their names, and their faces to memory. Once every fanged, red-eyed pony was memorized, Sparkle smiled. "It's nice to meet you all."

"Hey, is it true that you can make blood wine?" Splatter asked.

Ironwood just groaned.

Author's Note

I ran an OC drive after the last chapter. The characters I selected were, in order of appearance:
Night Eyes by TheifofZ
Shadow Weaver by cloudyjhi
Alabaster by Coyote-
Aurora Borealis by Aurora-Borealis
Swift Shade by ShadowBright
Fine Cut by Gastredner
Swiftwing (a.k.a. Splatter) by Rakaziel

[Part of the History Overwritten Update]

Sparkle and Twilight

“SPARKLE!”

The timelines slammed together.

The named mare jumped.

Materializing just down the street, Twilight stomped towards her surprised sister. “How dare you! You were bleeding to death the last time I saw you and the next time I hear anything from you, this is all I get?”

Twilight shoved the letter in its author’s face. To say it was short was an overstatement. The entire contents of the letter read:

Twilight,

I survived. I got a new leg, got pardoned, and got a job! Love you!

~Sparks

It was understandable, then, that the more expressive of the sisters would be upset with her mildly abrasive and emotionally guarded counterpart for such a pathetic attempt at easing the former’s worries. “I don’t know whether to hug you or strangle you,” Twilight admitted.

“Can we start with the hugging?” Sparkle asked hopefully.

Some, but not all, of Twilight’s anger subsided. “Fine. But if something like this ever happens again, I’m strangling you first.”

“That’s understandable,” Sparkle said. Then she tilted her head towards the grocery bags floating in her magical grasp and the ponies walking around them on the sidewalk. “Can we go somewhere less crowded?”

“Sure.” Twilight nodded. “How about that small park near here?”

“Good enough as anywhere,” Sparkle replied. “Still wish we could still live in the same house. Would have made this meeting thing so much easier.”

“I know.”

With one teleportation each, they appeared in the park, near a stallion in a gray suit. Idly, they strolled forwards until they found a nice, shaded spot under a tree. Continuing as if they hadn’t just changed locations, Twilight suggested, “You could always just kick Trixie out of the Golden Oaks and come live with me.”

Sitting down, Sparkle chuckled. “There are many things wrong with that statement. You know what’s less wrong? You kicking the other ponies out of my apartment and living there.”

“Ok, I admit that I didn’t think that one through,” Twilight said. She sat down in the soft grass of the park. A gentle breeze blew across their fur, bringing with it the scent of numerous fall flowers. The sun shone warmly across their bodies, although Twilight took significantly more pleasure from the sensation than Sparkle did. “I like your leg. It suits you.”

Sparkle smiled. “Thanks. It cost a pretty bit, though. Fully custom, with the bones of my old leg incorporated into it. It reacts with my magic and my nerves, so it moves and feels like the real thing. Well, almost. The good thing is that since it has my own bones, I could use them to hold some extra enchantments.”

“Now I’m glad magic can’t cross over,” Twilight said. “How badly would a pony be cursed if they touched it?”

“It causes severe spastic paralysis and calcifies the soft-tissue of anyone who takes it forcefully,” Sparkle replied. “After all, the last person who took my leg ended up petrified; why not them, too?”

“Please tell me it’s reversible.”

Sparkle nodded. “If they drop it before it finishes, yes.”

Twilight shuddered. “I’ve been petrified by a cocatrice before. Let me tell you, that is a nightmarish scenario.”

“Petrified by a cocatrice?”

“I got better.” Twilight shrugged. “Anyway, a pardon and a job? How did you manage that? Not to say that I’m not really happy for you - because I am - but that seems really unlikely.”

“Well, it all started when Celestia decided to punish me for killing your friend and Trixie.” Sparkle then proceeded to explain in detail exactly what had happened between the Discord event and now. “... and so I figured that if a vampire civil war was coming, I’d at least try to get the most out of it.” Sparkle’s expression turned darker. “They’re just lucky that they asked when they did, and are paying what they are. I don’t know if I would have said no if BLACKBLOOD approached me first.”

A brief moment of silence passed between them, with only the sound of the wind and the city in their ears. “So, there’s mass government corruption, an impending civil blood war, and you being... you.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, I was going to say that you were being greedy, manipulative, and borderline psychopathic with that description of your motives,” Twilight said, shrugging, “but then I realized that that was just you being you.”

Through exaggeratedly clenched teeth, Sparkle hissed, “I love you, too, sister. Why don’t you let me hug you?”

Twilight just rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes. Why don’t we settle for you sending me Celestia’s notes so I can get a jump on fixing my Equestria. Good? Good.”

False anger evaporating, Sparkle saluted. “Ma’am, yes ma’am.”

Mere days after she had been threatened death by hug-induced-asphyxiation courtesy of her sister, Sparkle once more entered the barracks of Squad Six. She dropped a thick manilla folder on Fine Cut’s desk. The combat surgeon set his quill back in the inkwell and picked up the folder. “What is this?” he wondered aloud as he flipped through it.

“My plan for how to support you,” she explained. “Blood wine regiments, ritual enhancements, surgical procedures, the works. I’m only really dangerous in a fight if I can hit indiscriminately, have time to set curses, or if I can weave my illusions from a safe distance. Most of what I know is better suited for support roles.”

As he continued to flip through the surprisingly thick packet, Fine cut boggled. “This... this is a lot of detailed stuff. Weren’t you allied with us just the other day? How the blazes did you have time to write all this?”

Sparkle blushed sheepishly. “Ehehe... truth be told, I’ve had most of this packet finished for a long time. I had lots of free time to just think. Anyway, If the covens had decided they wanted me, I’d use these plans on the highest bidder’s members.”

“Highest bidder... you’re in it for the money, aren’t you? Wait, of course you are. Everypony in the guard who’s taken your DADA class always mentions you accepting bribes.” He blinked, realizing something. “How did we get you, then?”

“Ironwood was very convincing.” Sparkle paused. “And, there may or may not have been the little fact that Celestia wiped my criminal record clean and is paying my rather exorbitant service fee.”

“Mercenaries,” the Night Guard muttered. “Anyway, you can really do all this?”

“Absolutely."

Setting the folder down, Fine Cut placed hoof on his temple and massaged. “We’ll need to get the Princess Luna’s approval on more than half of this, you know.”

Sparkle replied, “I know.” She picked up the folder with her magic and started towards the door. “You coming? I’d rather not need to explain this more than I have to.” Then she turned and left the room.

“Buck,” the vampire muttered too softly for the receding mare to hear. “And they say I overuse checklists.”

In the first chair sat Swift Shade, the youngest vampire in the room at only ninety-two. As her name would suggest, the pitch-black unicorn was packed with lean muscles; she definitely had a runner’s build. Her friend whispered something into her ear, and she snickered softly at the joke.

Her friend, often confused with her in name to those unfamiliar with them, was “Splatter” Swiftwing. Never without her signature grin, the mirthful pegasus reclined in her seat as they waited for this meeting to start.

Across the table from them sat Night Eyes. However, it would be more accurate to say that he lounged, as he never seemed to exert more effort than needed. Perhaps it was because of the long scar clean across the middle of his barrel, which had never healed despite his vampiric regeneration. Did it cause him pain? The rest of Squad Six didn’t know.

On Night’s left sat Aurora Borealis. Mane the colors of his namesake, the pegasus engaged in quiet, carefree conversation with Alabaster, the unicorn on Aurora’s left. Rather, it was Aurora who had the quiet part of the conversation. Alabaster was being as boisterous as ever, though that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, in Aurora’s opinion.

Through their talk of past adventures, Aurora eventually brought up his expedition to the frozen north, far beyond even the snow-buried ruins of the Crystal empire’s outer region, and the crater that was left of the inner region. And when he talked of the north, he talked of the Auroras in the sky. Something shiny was mentioned, Shadow Weaver would pop up.

One of the oddest of the bunch, Shadow Weaver was obsessed with shiny things, even just talking and thinking about them. It made sense, then, that his obsession had morphed into kleptomania. Splatter had once speculated that Shadow Weaver would try to steal the sun one day, and nopony had been able to figure out if she was joking or not.

The whole group was seated around a card table in their shared barracks and waiting on two ponies: Dr. Fine Cut, and their resident necromancer, Sparkle.

Sparkle’s head popped out of the table.

“Hey guys! Wanna see a dead body?”

“WHAAA!!” They all jumped, except for Night Eyes, who most definitely did not scream like a little filly.

Sparkle’s head levitated off of the table, trailing black smoke as it moved. The smoke cloud swiftly grew. By the time it had cleared over the group, it was as large as and solidifying into two ponies. Materializing, she pointed to Fine Cut, who had appeared next to her while mid-eye-roll.

“Bwahaha! You’re funny,” Shadow Weaver declared between deep sets of laughter. "I like your style, kid."

Sparkle smiled. "Jokes aside, Fine Cut and I just got back from speaking with Princess Luna." Pulling out a folder that was significantly thinner than the one Fine Cut had at first seen, she opened it to the first item. "These are the procedures and spells that I am allowed to use on you, should you want them. We'll go over each of them in detail, but first I have to check something regarding each of your vampiric curses. This will just take a few minutes, but don't be surprised if this is a blank in your memory, ok?"

"What?"

Sparkle's horn darkened. The eyes of all seven vampires in the room immediately glazed over, lulled into a trance by the powerful psychic in their midst. In ancient unicornian, the language of magic, the necromancer uttered, "I search the world, hungry. My mouth is bound and I crave blood."

In unison and without further prompting, they replied, "I stand alone, without the glutton to drive me."

Getting a positive response, Sparkle said the next key phrase. "I hunt my prey. Without my pack, I cannot eat."

They replied, "I stand alone, without the beast beside me."

"I stalk my victims through the night. The light of the morning sun reveals me," she intoned.

"I stand alone, eating my own wings to tame my monstrous self."

By this point, Sparkle was thoroughly excited. Each of these phrases was tied into the very magic that made them vampires. From their responses, she could tell that not only were her books correct, but that these vampires around her would all be great recipients of her magic. Taking a breath, she uttered the last and most important phrase, "In the field of the dead I stand. They have fallen, and heed not my call."

"I am the abomination, waiting to answer the call of my nameless master," they answered.

The magic gathered at the tip of Sparkle’s horn pulsed, and then again, and again. With each pulse, a thread of magic connected her to one of the vampires' souls, and then to the curse within. Slowly and methodically, and with no room for error, Sparkle appended new magic to their vampirism.

She was glad that she had told them to meet here and now; it had given her time to set up enough perception-altering wards to keep anypony from accidentally stumbling upon them as she worked. Her spellcasting was delicate, taking ten minutes each to apply the additions. But it would be worth it.

Vampires were created as a slave race for necromancers of ages past. With their masters able to create blood wine as a food and reward, grant them temporary power to do their bidding, and control them when they disobey, vampires were nearly the perfect servants.

At least until they found that creating new vampires didn’t pass on the control, but that’s a rebellion story for another time. As long as she didn’t exercise that control, there wouldn’t be a problem. Slaves couldn’t rebel if they didn’t know they were slaves, and had no reason to rebel, after all.

The last of Sparkle’s spells finished its task. "I claim you, unsworn. Heed my voice."

They nodded as their magic clicked into place. "It will be done, mistress."

A small part of Sparkle said that this was very wrong. She knew she should have gone with another option first. Something less invasive, like carving runes on their bones or some such thing. But an unusually loud part of her, different than the first, countered that this was just the way things needed to be. This power she’d given them just now could save lives, she justified.

Then, one-by-one, the vampires woke up from their hour-long trance. "What happened?" Aurora asked as he readjusted his tinted glasses.

"Vampires have four power limiting seals on them from the moment they are created. I was checking their condition," she said, completely truthfully. "You all are good. After I show you the powers and drawbacks of opening them, I'll make your keys."

So what if she found it prudent to neglect to tell them that the final three seals needed them to be bound to a master, and couldn’t be opened without her continuous consent? So what if giving them power gave her power over them? So what if she was toying with the idea of doing this to the rest of the Red Platoon? So what?

Perhaps things would have been different had she not felt the strain of poverty, and the shackles of powerlessness. Perhaps it was the lack of parents to shelter her from the brunt of the world. Perhaps it was society, robbing her of the chances to follow her old dreams. Whatever the case may have been, Sparkle placed value in control. Her appetite for power whetted, the false-dragoness in pony skin hissed in delight. So what, indeed?

A Cat and the Ace of Roaches

"A drink?" the well-groomed pegasus offered his guest. "Juice? Or perhaps something with some kick?"

"Oh, no thank you," she declined. "I'm good."

"Yes, you are," the pegasus said wistfully.

The unicorn mare across from him cocked her head. "Pardon?"

The white pegasus poured himself a drink from a wine bottle under his desk. It wasn't wine. "Nothing. Just an old soul's rambling, I suppose."

The unicorn seated across the mahogany desk leaned in. "How old are you, anyway? I can never tell with you bloodsuckers."

He smiled. "Old for a pony, young for a vampire."

"Is that so?" She leaned back in her chair. A green aura blossomed from her horn, bringing a small cigar and lighter to her mouth. As the roll caught fire, a strange odor filled the room, smelling nothing like any tobacco the pegasus had ever smelled. "Well, I don't have all day, and I'd assume you don't, either. Shall we get this show on the road?"

"I am afrait zat zis meetink vill hafe to vait for now," a colt's voice said, coming from the stallion's immediate left.

He jumped, certain that he had been alone with the mare in his office. Furthermore, from where he was seated, he could see the only door to his office, and it hadn't been opened.

The vampire looked left. "Kätzchen, hasn't anypony ever told you not to sneak up on ponies like that?"

The earth pony colt put on his best innocent look. "Zey have, yes, but I didn't lischten." He reached a gold-colored hoof into his saddle bags. "Guy, Mama Bear needs you back at zee headquarters for a time."

"It's Dreamweaver," the unicorn insisted. "Don't call me Guy."

"You are Guy under zat mask you vear. Guy zee unicorn, Guy zee changeling, same difference," Kätzchen replied, still digging through his saddle bags. "Ah, here it is." The oddly feline-looking colt glanced at the envelope. "Nope, zat is for Battery and Boura. Ah ha! Zis one's for you, Kart Gambit. Mama Bear vants you to rekruit zis mare at any kost, vat efer it takes. Sche is - how do you say? - mission kritikal. You have a veek."

Card Gambit accepted the envelope from the Germane colt. As he opened it, he said, "I will see to it." His eyes glanced at the name on the page. "Wait, this might be-"

He looked up.

Kätzchen was gone.

"-a problem. Now how in the world does an earth pony even vanish like that?"

"Beats me," Dreamweaver replied. "I've got a sister in Ponyville who says a mare there is prone to popping out of the strangest of places."

"Except that there are at least two dozen guards between here and the doors to the building," Card gambit replied, irritated. “The kitten shouldn’t have gotten in.”

The false unicorn raised an eyebrow. "Anyway, I mustn't keep Ursa waiting; sorry that we couldn't get anything done."

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault. What Ursa Major wants, Ursa Major gets. Go; I'll see you eventually."

"Thanks," Dreamweaver said as she stood.

Once the door to his office had clicked shut, Card Gambit slumped down in his seat. "Did you know about this, Mama Bear?" He looked back at the envelope. "How in Tartarus am I going to get you to work for her?"

It had taken him an afternoon to track her down and twenty minutes to fly with his vampiric bodyguards to her apartment building; that was the easy part.

Now came the hard part.

Card Gambit shrugged; no time like the present, he supposed. Reaching out a hoof, he knocked thrice on the apartment door.

“Coming!” A muffled voice shouted from the other side. The door swung open. “Can I- Gambit.” She glared at him. “Well, there goes my mood. So... How can I help you?” she said in a faux-cheerful voice. “You’re looking a bit dead on your feet; should I help you with that?”

“Perhaps you can,” Card replied. “But perhaps I can help you more.”

“I don’t need any help from the likes of you.”

“I’m sure you don’t. However, there is a difference between need and want.” He smirked. “I’m sure you’ll want what I’m offering.”

She looked at him hard. “If it involves killing, I’m out.”

“If we need something dead, we have ponies for that,” the criminal assured. “No, Dusk, the group I’m representing, has other goals for you. Nopony is going to make you kill anypony, although you certainly can if you want.”

Sparkle considered. Whatever he was offering wasn’t immediately too harsh to stomach, and he claimed to be representing something called “Dusk.” Knowing that he was an ambitious crime boss willing to go to great lengths to support his power - including taking on vampirism, apparently - the fact that he placed something above himself caught her attention.

“Come in. Have a seat. I’ll get you something to drink.”

Card Gambit and his two guards trotted into the apartment. Contrary to his expectations, the apartment was decorated in bright colors, rich golds, and ornately crafted decorum. On the wall lay a carving of a six-pointed star over a spiral, upon which were a set of unicornian words, written in their glyphs, that the pegasus couldn’t read. He did recognize the symbol, however, as it belonged to the House of Twilight.

He searched his memory. The House of Twilight was a branch house of the Noble House of Dawn. He’d heard that the House of Twilight and the House of Dawn were both practically extinct, and that the latter had severed all ties with the former almost ten years ago. If this mare was a member of that defunct house, both the timing and the reasons of such an action now made sense.

Sparkle returned three mugs in her magic. The scent wafting from each reminded him of blood, but not exactly. She passed a mug to Card and each of his bodyguards.

He took a sip, shuddering as the delectable liquid rolled down his throat. His eyes widened.

There was magic in it.

“It’s blood wine diluted in tea, one part in a thousand.” Card smiled at the unexpected treat, and took another sip. “If I don’t like what you have to say, the amount you’ve already ingested will instantly turn into a poison strong enough to dissolve your brain, permanently. Start talking.”

One of the guards did a spit-take. “What!”

“I’m waiting.”

He hummed. “Well played, Ms. Sparkle. You would have done well in business with an attitude like that. Now, as I said, I am here on behalf of Dusk. We want to offer you a research position. Provided you produce practical results from time to time, you have free rein to study anything you desire, and will have the full resources of Dusk to back you up, no questions asked. So really, just like any other research position, just with a blank check and no pesky regulations stopping you.”

“Interesting,” Sparkle said. “But what is Dusk, what are their goals, and what sort of ‘practical results’ are they asking for?”

“Ah, you see, Dusk is not a what, but a who. We are a conglomeration of vampire covens and other supernatural beings who have allied together under our leader. We call her Mama Bear. As for what we want, like any large group, we want many things. But what unites us is power, and our drive to acquire it.”

Jackpot.

“And how do I fit into this?” Sparke questioned.

“We need your magic. It costs you nothing but time and effort to help us become stronger. Whatever you need for your rituals, we can provide. In return, we’ll give you whatever you need to further your own skills. Need cadavers? Done. Need blood? Done. Gems, metals, secret texts, test subjects? Done, all of it.

“Furthermore, we will pay you generously. Not to the same extent as our last dealing*, of course, but well enough that you won’t ever yearn for money again,” Card explained.

“And what are we talking, number-wise?”

“Oh, three million bits annually, plus commission work, and a sizeable research budget,” the vampire pegasus replied.

Sparkle thought. She rubbed her mechanical hoof up against her lips, idly exploring the contours of the machine as she pondered. “Meh, why not. Just leave my brother, son, and apprentice alone, and we’ll have no problems.”

Gambit blinked. “Really?” His confused expression rapidly morphed into a beaming grin. ‘“Fantastic. Welcome aboard, then.” From the envelope that Kätzchen had given him, he withdrew a letter to Sparkle that Mama Bear had written for her. “Mama Bear will love meeting you; I think you’ll have much in common.”

Sparkle raised an eyebrow as she grasped the letter in her magic. The mare skimmed its contents quickly. “This works. Tell her I’ll be there.”

“That I can do.”

Sparkle smiled. “Now, would you kindly show yourselves out of my apartment?”

Card Gambit found himself standing and then walking to the door straight away. He’d later miss-remember the moment as him walking away normally, still unaware of the compulsions she’d placed on him all those months ago. The moment he crossed the threshold of her door, he paused and looked back over his shoulder. “Thank you for the body, by the way. It feels better than my old one.”

“Fourteen hundred hoof-lengths, Gambit. That’s how far I can reach with significant precision, and how far you have to go before I can’t liquefy you and your grunt’s brains,” Sparkle replied.

They broke into a dead sprint.

“Good boy.” Sparkle shut the door and picked up the three mostly-full mugs. Eyeing it for a second, she shrugged. “Meh, it was my blood anyway. And no sense in wasting good tea,” she muttered before downing the rest of the drinks.

“Thorn,” she said over the link. She’d opened it when she’d gone to get the drinks, and as such, he’d seen everything and had been privy to her every thought.

“Finally,” the dracolich replied. “I didn’t expect that to just fall into our laps, but there’s no way we’re wasting this opportunity.”

The mugs went under the faucet’s stream, cleaning them out. “You’re right. It’s a shame; I was looking forwards to working with Squad Six. Hey, how long do you think it will take us to take over?”

“Dusk, or Canterlot? ‘Cause you know some of those vampires are in some really high places.”

“Both. Either,” Sparkle thought back. She quickly dried the mugs and put them on her shelf.

Thorn pondered for a moment, holding his musings private from his mother. “A month before you’re irreplaceable and they’re eating out of your hooves. Maybe two before you could seriously take over without any complaint. By March, I think you could rival some of the nobles in power.”

Sparkle hummed.

“So, zee mission vas a success, Kart Gambit?” Kätzchen asked, peering over his dark sunglasses.

Card jumped. “Please don’t startle me like that,” he said as he turned around. While looking at the messenger through similar lenses, he answered, “Yes. It was. She’ll be there.”

Kätzchen stood leaning against the sun-warmed stone of the building’s walls. The messenger clicked his tongue. “Fantaschtik! Ursa Major vill be pleaset.”

“Is that all?” Card asked.

The messenger of Dusk shook his head. “Nein. Gehen Sie nach Hause. Relax. I vill be in touch.”

Card nodded once and spread his batlike wings. His guards did the same, and they took to the skies.

Kätzchen, meanwhile, didn’t vanish immediately to who-knows-where. Instead, he looked over at a gray-suited pony, who was watching him from across the street. Kätzchen waved his hoof enthusiastically. “Hey! Is eferyzing on time today, herr Observer?”

The gray pony nodded, although his face remained as blank and expressionless as ever.

“Zat is great news!”

They turned and looked away from one another. In the space of a blink, in a moment when nopony was watching, both of them vanished from the street, as if they had never been there.

Luna lifted herself gently from the cooling, sudsy bath water. Sweet incense sticks sat nearby, filling the humid air with the scent of flowers. Helping Hoof, the princess's personal maid, offered her mistress a warm, fluffy towel.

"Thank you, Helping Hoof."

"It's my pleasure."

After drying her coat and wrapping her mane in a second towel, Luna asked, "What flavor have you picked for me tonight?"

"Mint, your highness. It is the classic," the maid replied. In her time working for the recently returned princess, Helping Hoof had grown accustomed to her employer's odd obsession: toothpaste. Princess Luna had discovered toothpaste when she had returned, having never had anything like it when she had left.

Dental hygiene had been poor in Equestria at that time, with only chewing on sticks providing any sort of dental care - care which Luna's regenerative abilities made moot. Coming back to find that now there was a paste that could make her mouth feel good was a pleasant surprise.

Now Luna had already tried every flavor on the market, and had gone so far as to commission her own flavors. But mint... "That sounds lovely."

What wasn't lovely was the cloud of ash that had somehow drifted through the air vents of the bathroom and ignited beside her. As the ash burned - or un-burned - a small package materialized and plopped onto the counter.

“What is this?” Luna picked up the package, which was addressed to her, and magically opened it. She lifted out it’s contents: an ugly, roughly crafted necklace and two folded pieces of paper. On one of the papers was the words ‘Read Me First.’

The letter, which she quickly discerned was from Sparkle, described in detail the seal release states of the vampires. It also said that the necklace was a key created to regulate the seals of any vampires she had unlocked previously, namely Squads Three through Six and Lieutenant Ironwood. And somehow, despite granting the mistress of the night more insight into the inner workings of vampirism, the cut-and-dry text was so abysmally bland that she found herself struggling to read it.

In fact, it almost seemed to be engineered to be dull.

Setting aside the letter, she eyed the pendant. It was a rough thing, thrown together by a mare with no experience in craftsmanship. The jewels were simply glued onto the wooden medallion and metallic strips weaved haphazardly between them. Putting them down, she picked up the next letter.

Luna,

It has come to our attention that there are better paths in life that we could be taking. We jumped at a new opportunity to do exactly what my (Sparkle’s) cutie mark is telling us. Necromancy is our gift, and like a fox, we quickly followed our hearts.

You might call us crazy, but we are not crazy at all. Never before has our path been so clear. The world is our oyster; all we have to do is take it.

We quit.

-Sparkle and Thorn

P.S. Celestia, you tried, but you couldn’t crack us.
Rot in tartarus.

Guy snapped the pony's neck and, for good measure, used a hoof, shifted to a razor sharp edge, to slice her victim's throat open.

She looked up. She could feel that blast of goddess-tier rage from here. It was worse than last week's rage burst, where Luna smashed windows with her voice alone.

Guy shrugged and donned her victim's face. As she trotted out of the room, she couldn't help but wonder what she would like to be least.

The mare who crossed Dusk, like that poor sap lying in a heap?

Or the doomed soul about to face the Nightmare's wrath.

She paused. "Definitely that dead lump."

"CELESTIA!"

"Luna, what's wrong?" her worried sister asked as Luna burst into Celestia's room.

"This!" She shoved the letter into Celestia's face. "That necromancer has taken our generosity and spat in our face. Never have I been so insulted."

Pushing the letter aside for a moment, the solar princess asked, "Are you sure?"

Luna snorted. "Of course I am sure, sister. She has plainly stated that she has left us to practice the most heinous of magic, and has gone as far as to wish you to tartarus."

Celestia sat down on her rug. "How... I tried. I tried to keep her. I thought she was going to fight for good. A good necromancer." She sighed slightly. "A pipe dream. How could I have been so blind?"

Luna frowned, looking down at the floor. "I do not know, sister, but it seems that I was blinded as well."

When Celestia didn't respond immediately, Luna looked up. She saw that Celestia bore a puzzled expression on her face. Celestia was holding something else in her magic, a scrap of paper on which the words "Sorry, Celəstia" were written.

"'Tia?"

Celestia picked up the momentarily discarded letter and read through it. "Couldn't crack..." The white princess blinked, and then shot up as if she had been electrocuted. She bolted to her desk and grabbed a quill. Furiously, she started writing in the margins of the letter.

Luna looked over her shoulder and saw Celestia write this:

Key = E

Code = OLUJXHYGXHZZNAWI

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A B C D

"Luna, it's a cipher! That letter isn't real - this is the real message!" Celestia exclaimed triumphantly.

"A cipher? What could be... Oh."

"Exactly," Celestia replied, knowing Luna had already figured out the gist of the message. "Sparkle and Thorn say..."

Author's Note

To any of my readers who actually know German, especially if you have German as a first language, I'm sorry. I probably butchered Kätzchen's accent. And to cipher nuts, it's a substitution cipher with the key sent earlier.

A Dame and The Lies She Tells

S P Y N B L C K B L D D R E A M

The two purple dragons lounged in the pool of magma, its light the only illumination in the cavern. Around them, countless ponies waited on them. Some sharpened their claws, some cleaned their scales, and some climbed into their mouths, happy to be dragon food.

And, unlike the last time she had entered this strange double-dream, the eyes of the dreamers, both dragons, snapped towards Luna immediately.

They were lucid.

Luna realized that she was in the worst kind of dream, a nightmare that the dreamer loves to dream. With how strong Sparkle and Thorn were in mind, it meant that this dream was dangerous to Luna... Or as much as one could be for a goddess in her own domain.

"Spy in BLACKBLOOD. Dream," Luna said, her mental body tense and ready.

The walls seemed to fade and soften slightly, the imaginary ponies relaxed, and the dreamers sighed in relief. "Oh, thank the maker, you got it," the larger, female dragon said. Despite her size, she still had Sparkle's voice.

"I told you," Thorn said.

The cavern faded until it was little more than a red and brown background. The imaginary ponies faded away. Sparkle stepped up and out of the pool, which vanished as she left. The mare lumbered closer to the night princess. By the time she had reached her, Sparkle stood at her normal proportions compared to Luna. However, Luna notes that the dragon-like appearance Sparkle sported did not fade.

“Indeed. I was rather enraged by your inflammatory letter until my sister noticed the code within,” Luna said. “You plan to spy for us, yes?”

Sparkle nodded. “I’ve already gathered a little information for you.” The scene shifted. A unicorn mare and a pegasus stallion appeared, constructed with as much detail as Sparkle and Thorn could recall. The healthy pegasus was white coated, with blood red eyes, bat wings, and fangs. The unicorn was a tall, plump mare, with a cream colored coat and a pale pink mane and tail. The pegasus bore a deck of cards as his cutie mark, while the unicorn bore the ursa major constellation on her flanks. Within both, two bright souls burned backwards.”

“Odd,” Luna commented. “You remember their souls in detail. Most users of soul sight do not use it frequently enough to accurately imagine a soul in a dream.”

The lavender dragoness blushed. “I’ve never been able to turn it off.”

“I see,” Luna said. “Unusual.”

Sparkle continued her briefing. “These are Card Gambit and Mama Bear, two members of Dusk. That’s what we’ve been calling BLACKBLOOD, by the way.

“Here’s what I know about them. Card Gambit is a power-hungry stallion, who is used to answering to nopony but himself. However, since he became a vampire, he answers to Mama Bear. I think she has something she’s using to influence him, because in my past dealings with him, he was willing to foalnap a Royal Guard - my brother - to get me to do what he wanted,” Sparkle said.

“And what was it he wanted?” Luna asked.

“That’s not his first body,” Sparkle replied, waving a claw at the memory. “That’s his dead son’s. And although he can’t use it, he is knowledgeable in Dark magic. That brings me to Mama Bear.

“When I spoke to her yesterday, she introduced herself to me as the leader of Dusk. However, I don’t think the pony I was looking at was the one I was speaking to.”

Luna commanded, “Explain.”

“Look closely at her soul and move your head.” Luna did as instructed. At first she saw nothing, but when she tried again, she saw a faint flicker of something. “See it?”

“Yes, but I do not know what it is.”

“Neither do I, Princess Luna, but I have my suspicions. I think that Mama Bear is being controlled, possibly even possessed, by another pony. We might have a hydra hunt on our hooves if that is the case,” Sparkle said. “I also have a suspicion on how she gained power so quickly and how she unified the covens, but I have so little evidence yet that I wouldn’t want you to focus on wrong details.”

Luna nodded, “That is wise, Sparkle. What else can you tell me, that is based in fact?”

“Nothing of significance, yet,” Sparkle replied. “I’ll need time.”

“Of course. Now, how about you? What do they expect of you?”

“They want enhancements, similar to what you requested of me, except with no ethical limits. They want every last drop of power I can give them, in exchange for research and training opportunities so that I may increase my own power. I wouldn’t be surprised if they started requesting zombies and ghouls to bolster their ranks. Mama Bear and Card both said that Dusk was about obtaining power for its members. Although they made it sound like socioeconomic power, some of their requests are decidedly warlike.”

“That fits with the actions we have spotted that we can attribute to them,” Luna confirmed. “How do you plan on dealing with these requests?”

“Simple - I do it, even if I don’t want to,” Sparkle answered, surprising herself with how much that last part sounded like a lie to her ears. “If I try to overtly sabotage their efforts or refuse to do as they command, they’ll get suspicious. I can, however, place weaknesses in their enhancements that I can teach you how to exploit, or how to perform a superior version of the enhancements yourself on the Red Platoon.”

Luna thought for a moment. “Can you plant a time-triggered delay in them? Something that will cripple their fighters all at once, once you have gotten to safety?”

“That I can do. It will take time to implement, and they’ll grow stronger all the while until I can knock the foundation out from under them.”

The dream around them rippled. “You’re falling from the dream realm. I shall make this quick, then. Consider that plan B for now. Implement it when you can, but work on delaying them and supplying us with information whenever possible.”

“I will, your highness.”

“Good. Rest well, Sparkle.” Luna looked over at the younger dragon, who had been sitting quietly on the side. “And you too, Thorn. Farewell.”

Luna raised her wings. With a mighty flap, she lifted off the dream’s ground and passed through the membrane separating it from the rest of the dream realm.

“You know you’re still a dragon, right?” Thorn asked.

“I am? Hmm...”

“It looks good on you,” he said. “Ambition makes you look pretty.”

“Thanks, Thorn,” Sparkle said, enjoying the compliment.

“You should stop suppressing us,” Thorn said. He raised an eyebrow, not knowing where that had come from. Yet, it felt like the right thing to say. “We know who we are. Let us out, for once.”

“But...”

“Our mask has been slipping for days now. Go ahead, cast it aside. Twilight isn’t here. And besides, being true to what we are doesn’t mean being evil. It means being whole.”

Sparkle awoke to find that Thorn had crawled into bed with her. Or maybe she had crawled into bed with him? Identity was such an odd thing, Sparkle thought.

A tendril of an idea grasped the link between them. Feeling the gate that kept their minds partitioned, the thought pushed it open just a crack. The dreams of the still sleeping drake filtered into her mind.

She pushed the link open more. Sparkle could feel the silk sheets against her scales, and Thorn could feel the warmth of his mother through his fur.

They pushed the link almost completely open. Sparkle and Thorn blurred. There were two of them, yes, but which was Sparkle and which was Thorn was unclear. They could feel both bodies, but couldn’t tell who was more prominent in each. But it didn’t matter either way.

The link opened completely. Once again, he was completely alone in his head. She was neither the mother, nor the son, and he liked it that way. She still hadn’t decided on a name for himself when she was like this, or a gender to identify himself as.

Both bodies climbed out of bed. He looked at herself through both sets of eyes. Looking down at both of his forms, she eventually settled on a name, one ten years in the making.

Sparkrovitar.

The dragon-pony amalgamation thought the name suited himself. But then she thought about his gender.

‘Let’s be male. My oldest self is female, so why not give the new one a try?’ Sparkrovitar decided.

Identity settled, the dragony walked into the kitchen. Whatever it had been about that dream that had inspired one of his aspects to open the link so far, he was rather thankful he had done so. It felt like a weight off his shoulders, both sets.

He looked down at the breakfast he had prepared himself, and then chuckled. Plucking the gems off of one plate, he sat down across from himself and thought. It was easier than the last time she had done this, when his aspects were ten. Maybe being more developed had cleared his head.

Sparkrovitar’s Sparkle body picked up a sausage, something Thorn would normally eat, and popped it into his mouth. He understood why there was a taboo on eating meat, especially since earth ponies couldn’t digest it at all, but between his draconic nature and his unicorn ancestry, the fatty meat on his tongue was too good to resist.

Sparkle’s memories intersected with Thorn’s. Sparkrovitar could feel the block Sparkle had placed on Thorn, and the blocks she had placed on herself. They felt disgusting.

So he tore them off.

His single heartbeat slowed and his blood pressure dropped. Sparkrovitar felt like he was going to melt into his seat with pleasure. Why, oh why, had he not done this earlier? Only now could he see the self-destruction Sparkle had been placing on them.

Emotions suddenly welled up in his hearts. The fused personality put a hoof and a claw up to his heads. Memories belonging to only part of him began to resurface, but as they were processed by a personality larger and more complex than those that had formed the memories, they began to take on new meanings. To Sparkrovitar, it was like seeing himself in third person and first person at the same time, more powerful than any identity ritual.

He stood, the rest of his breakfast forgotten. Sparkle scooped up Thorn in Sparkrovitar’s magic and placed him on her back. He dashed out of his apartment as fast as he could and sprinted for the street. The moment they were outside, Thorn’s body erupted in size and, without losing speed, he wrapped his claws around Sparkle and took to the skies.

Sparkrovitar knew that he had a few hours before he had to go to meet the stupid vampires of Dusk. He could feel the greed in his hearts, and knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he would consume everything they could give him, and then would consume the vampires of Dusk themselves. He hungered, and he would get what he wanted.

Sparkle, the actual personality, stepped down onto the ground, heart much lighter than when she had woken up thanks to her impromptu moment of self-discovery. She swore she would stay fused like that any chance she got, but for now, she had ponies to deal with.

Ugh.

“That was really fun, mom!” Thorn said as he shrank back down. “We should do that again!”

“Yes, definitely,” a very mellow Sparkle affirmed. “I learned so much about us.”

He snorted. “Yeah. And I totally knew you were only doing this spying thing for yourself.”

“Well, Shiny and Cadance will be safer if I do this, and so will the ponies they protect. And I'm doing this for you, too,” Sparkle insisted.

“Bitch, I am you,” Thorn quipped. Sparkle whacked him playfully in the back of his head with her metal hoof. It didn’t even hurt him, but he still got the message. “Fine, fine. I won’t call you a bitch again. Except on Tuesdays.” Sparkle glared at him. “Fine, every other Tuesday. No, but seriously, good for you. Do what you want and don’t worry about anypony else. It was kind of painful watching you mess with our heads.”

“Mmm, yes. You’re right, Thorn,” Sparkle answered. “Hey, next time, let’s have Sparkrovitar massage himself.”

Bone hard hooves pounding his back, dexterous claws rubbing his shoulders and flanks, Thorn could totally see himself enjoying that. “Ohh yeah! Hey...” Thorn paused, blushing. “If Sparkrovitar got too excited, is that incest or masturbation?” asked the ten-year-old dragon.

“CHANGING THE SUBJECT!” Sparkle yelled. “So, how about those clouds?”

Thorn looked up at the cloudless sky. “Smooth.”

“Is this the right place?” Sparkle asked.

“That’s what the directions say. I’d wager it is,” Thorn replied, looking between the paper and the building it described. The office building before them seemed ordinary enough, bathed in the orange light of sunset like every other building in Canterlot.

“Alright. I can’t wait to get started.” Sparkle pushed the door open and flared her magic, as per the directions on the letter. Thorn followed suit, flaring his own as he followed behind. Their signature hooded cloaks seemed to billow slightly, though it may have only been a trick of the light.

The reaction they got was immediate and strong. The small office erupted into a flurry of paper and ponies. Normally, Sparkle would avoid doing something like that, as it drew too much attention to herself. Shining Armor had described the feel of the full brunt of her magic as “the feeling of hooks burrowing into your skin and ripping you apart, the feeling of teeth biting at you, and the feeling of your age catching up to you, except not quite as painful as any of that.”

Well, it certainly set off the crowd in here. There were two or three vampires hissing at her, a werewolf that had willingly transformed and was growling at her, and a changeling that had dropped its guise and chittered and hissed defensively.

In the midst of their flare, they had almost missed the subtle wave of magic that had passed over them as they entered. Almost.

“Impressive,” a voice said, as its owner trotted up to the necromancer and the dracolich. He was a large earth pony in his mid-forties, half a head taller than Sparkle and well muscled. His eyes glinted like moonlight, and his soul shined like mercury.

Sparkle nodded at the werewolf. “I try.”

“Mama Bear will see you. Come,” he commanded. The stallion turned and walked towards a door in the back.

Sparkle made to follow him, and licked her lips as she looked at his muscled hindquarters. Thorn groaned. “Mom, I know we thought about it as Sparkrovitar, and I know I joked about it, but please don’t. I don’t want to see that now.”

“Ah... Right.” She frowned. Wasn’t one of those mental alterations she’d done on her mind years ago a libido suppressant? And there was the one she’d placed on Thorn to stop him from obsessing over Rarity?

Well, it looked like her body wanted to make up for lost time. That could get annoying fast. And then there was the can of worms named Rarity, and Thorn’s claws made excellent can-openers.

Sparkle pushed the thought aside and weaved around a pony in a suit. Stepping into the elevator - a very rare contraption, she noted - she stood as close to the stallion as she could without being creepy. “What’s your name?”

His eyes darted down to her before resuming staring at the wall. “Riding Hood.”

The elevator dinged open, revealing a luxurious, high-ceilinged room. As if waiting there for Sparkle and Thorn, Mama Bear sat in a chair nearby, watching the elevator and waiting for it to open. Beside her stood a young looking colt, though his vampire soul suggested that he could be much older. "Sparkle, how wonderful to see you," Mama Bear said cheerfully.

"Hello, Mama Bear. It's good to see you again as well," Sparkle said. "Allow me to introduce my son, Thornecrovitar."

"Ponies call me Thorn," he added.

Mama Bear pointed to a chair across from her. "Please, have a seat. I would offer you a seat as well, Thorn, had I known you were coming. Silly me."

That didn't bother them, though. Sparkle sat down and Thorn climbed atop her head, a spot comfortable for both of them.

Mama Bear smiled. "That works. You know, I was curious about you, Thorn. Everypony knows of you, but very few know who or what you are. Might I ask you to tell me about yourself?"

"I'm a dracolich, who enjoys the taste of pony souls and pony flesh. I also love my mom, my family, and comic books. Mess with what I love, and I'll eat you... And that's about it. I'm a simple guy. Oh, and I can play the drums," said the little drake.

"Marvelous! Simply marvelous! Sparkle, you have an interesting boy there," Mama Bear said. "I am sure you will love working for me. In fact, you will love everything about working for Dusk." Here, she smiled even wider. "I'll let Riding Hood show you to your new laboratory. There, you will find a list of projects we would like you to complete. There is no fixed deadline for each, but speed is of the essence. They are sorted by priority. Take a moment to read it over as you get settled in. Kätzchen will be by later to get a list of supplies you need from you, and to show you around."

Sparkle had been puzzling over something she had picked up on regarding Mama Bear's voice, and it finally clicked into place. 'Gotcha.'

"Sounds great!" Sparkle said, surprising herself with how genuine her enthusiasm was.

"Fantastic. You'll be a great ally for Dusk, you'll see. And I'm sure we'll be a great ally for you," Mama Bear said. "Riding? Show her to the lab."

Riding Hood nodded, gesturing for them to follow. Sparkle and Thorn complied. And as Sparkle walked, Thorn committed everything he could to memory.

'In the end, I'm going to make sure that Mom and I are the real winners,' the unholy abomination sitting on Sparkle's back thought.

Interlude 3: Moments in the Past [History Overwritten]

Sparkrovitar, Take One

The first time Sparkrovitar ever manifested, he was horribly incomplete and had no idea what to expect. He was also a she, as the young drake that supplied the masculine portion of his mentality was only two weeks old and had so little self-identity that Sparkle didn’t even realize she wasn’t fully Sparkle.

In fact, she only noticed that something was off for one reason. “SHINY, I HAVE TOO MANY EYES! WAAAA!!!”

Shining Armor looked up from his bowl of dry cereal to see his sister running around the room, the baby dragon on her back, and both screaming their lungs out. “Twilight? What’s wrong? What do you mean?” he asked.

Twilight Sparkle - for the two versions had yet to split their name - screamed, “I HAVE! TOO! MANY! EYES!”

Shining Armor scooped up the two young children in his magic. “Twilight, calm down! Please explain!”

“I woke up this morning and I could see things in a direction I wasn’t looking, and I could see myself when I looked at Baby Dragon!” The purple unicorn cried. But as she spoke, the infant dragon mouthed the words.

“Twilight, close your eyes.” Both obeyed, even though the dragon couldn’t yet understand the common tongue. Shining Armor asked, “Can you feel this?”

He poked the dragon’s belly with his horn.

“Ow! Hey! Why’d you do that?”

“Because my LSBFF somehow got her mind inside Baby Dragon’s body,” Shining Armor said, though he was horribly confused.

“How do I get it to stop?” the eight-year-old asked. Of course, she figured it out about a second later when the infant’s body decided it was tired and didn’t want to be awake anymore, closing the link in the process. “Oh, like that, I guess.”

“How did you do it?” the older brother asked.

“Dunno. I can kinda feel it, but I don’t know what I did. Huh...”

Twilight & Sparkle’s Room

A nine-year-old Twilight woke up bright and sunny, ready to take on the day. She combed her hair, brushed her teeth, and did her magical warm-ups. White-gold light poured out of her horn and coated the potted plants on her window sill, relieving that pent-up pressure she always felt. When she pulled her magic away, the plants looked bigger and healthier than before.

And as a result of her months of practice, her room looked more like a greenhouse than a bedroom, overflowing with plants that were several times larger and lusher than they ever should have been naturally.

Twilight felt a tingle in her horn, and knew that Sparkle was calling her. The two timelines merged. Twilight stepped forwards.

Crunch.

Twilight looked down. There was a mangled body of a squirrel under her hoof.

She screamed.

A hoof silenced her before she could summon her family with her cires. “Don’t scream.” Sparkle looked her right in the eye. “Don’t. Scream.”

“Mmm karh,” Twilight mumbled through her twin’s intruding hoof. Sparkle let go. Twilight looked around and saw that Sparkle’s room was littered with animal corpses, from frogs to rats to several collar-wearing dogs that Twilight recognized from the neighborhood. “Sparkle, what’s going on here... are they all... you know...?”

“Dead? Yeah.”

“But how?”

Sparkle smiled, immensely proud of herself. “I can make things die just by wishing for them to. You know how you make your plants bigger and stronger, but it makes you tired? I make them waste away, and it makes me feel good.”

“Sparkle, that’s horrible!”

“How else am I going to get food for Thorn? I can’t get gems to feed him like you can,” Sparkle explained. She picked up a rabbit corpse and tossed it to the side. Thorn shot out from his bed with surprising swiftness and caught it, tearing it to pieces in seconds. “Good catch!”

“Thanky mama!” the infant cheered. “Burrrrrrp! Hehe...”

The Worst Birthday Ever

Sparkle was having the worst birthday in the world. Their home, the actual house of the House of Twilight, was closed to them, leaving the ten-year-old Sparkle standing on the streets with her depressed older brother and confused son.

“Mom? Why do we have to go?” Thorn asked.

“Shiny?” she deferred, equally confused.

He was silent, still somewhat shocked that this had happened. It was only this morning that he had woken up to find their aunt, Lady Overcast of the Noble House of Dawn, standing at the door, ready to evict them from their ancestral home. “The branch House of Twilight has been disowned from the Noble House of Dawn,” Overcast had said. “You are trespassing on Dawn property. You have an hour to collect your personal property and to clean up that horrid filly’s mess and get out before I call the police.”

And so, an hour later, Shining Armor found himself at a loss for words. Finally, he found something to settle on. “Aunt Overcast’s family doesn’t like us any more. They’re bad ponies, Sparks, but they own the house. Come on, let’s go find a hotel to stay in for now.”

Celestia has a Heart Attack

If you asked her how old she was, as Celestia had just done, Twilight would reply, “Eleven and a half!”

“Ah, that’s a wonderful age,” Celestia said, rubbing her pupil’s head. “In fact, I think you’re at the right age where I can show you the next part of your paladin training.”

“Really?” Twilight said, her eyes twinkling with delight. “Thank you, Princess! What are you going to show me?”

Ponies normally got their cutie marks by the age of ten, but could get them as early as seven. The marks represented a magical boost in skill and a magically granted ease of learning anything related to that talent. Pony culture had formed its educational system around that fact, with ponies getting apprenticeships or specialized educations almost immediately after. At its most extreme, you’d see ponies with medical cutie marks working in the hospitals at as young as fifteen, whereas there wasn’t a griffin doctor under twenty five.

That Celestia had this particular lesson in mind for Twilight at this age wasn’t surprising in the least. “I have something I want to show you. Now, it may be scary, and it will definitely be gross, so if you don’t feel like doing it, you can always say no. Do you understand?”

“I understand, Princess,” Twilight replied.

Celestia nodded, and with a flash of her horn, teleported them. A putrid stench was the first thing both of them noticed as the light faded from their eyes. “Ugh, Princess, what is that?”

“That, my most faithful student, is a zombie pony.”

Celestia expected many reactions from her student regarding the caged, moaning beast. Gagging, cries of fear, shouting, or any other ordinary reaction. She’d had the Royal Guard bring in the pitiful creature to help Twilight understand that as a paladin, she’d have to put down these nightmarish creatures eventually. What she didn’t expect was for Twilight to cry out in joy.

Twilight sprinted up to the cage. “A zombie pony! Sparkle was telling me about these. I always wanted to see one!”

“Bruaaahhhh,” the zombie moaned.

“Hello, Mr. Zombie... or are you Ms. Zombie? I’m sorry, I can’t tell.”

“Muuuuuhhhhhh...”

“How are you doing?”

“Uuuuuuuhhhh?”

“Oh, I guess you’re not like Sparkle’s zombies, then. That’s kind of disappointing...” Twilight bemoaned.

“Sparkle’s zombies?” the solar princess asked.

Twilight nodded. “Mmm Hmm, Sparkle can make zombies that can talk. Even the rat zombies can talk, though she says that that’s not really the rats talking, but her talking through the rats. There were a lot of rats, too.”

Celestia’s expression darkened. She didn’t want her prized student anywhere near a necromancer. “Twilight, who is this Sparkle? And where did you meet her?”

“She’s me. The other me, in the other time. Sparkle’s my sister, but she’s also what I could have been.”

And for the first time since she’d lost her sister, Celestia’s heart skipped a beat.

Black Hammer’s Last Gift

The elderly stallion coughed violently. He had known for a while that his days were numbered, but he’d thought he’d have had more time than this. A month or two more, at least.

He picked his hammer back up with his magic. Even if the rest of his body was failing, his magic was still going strong, and by golly, he was going to finish this before he kicked the bucket. He swung the hammer, crashing it into the red-hot metal with a mighty klang.

He looked at the knife, nearly finished. Deciding that it could use a little more profiling, he reheated it carefully in the curse-flame furnace. Once it was glowing yellow-orange and singing with dark magic again, he pulled it out and struck it a few more times.

After doing the last detailing work, he inserted the cooled blade into a conventional furnace to bring it up to tempering heat, pulling it out when it was a nice, even red color. The blacksmith plunged the blade into a vat of oil saturated in his dark magic, and pulled it out when it was just cool enough.

Hours later, he had finished the detailing work, wrapped the hilt in genuine leather straps, and placed the small enchanted jewel in the pommel of the blade. After permanently attaching an enchanted length of cloth to a ring extending from the pommel, he smiled, satisfied.

Casting the last spell on it, he set the extremely lethal knife down on his workbench. It was by no means his greatest creation, but it was his favorite. Why?

“Black Hammer! Black Hammer! Look what I made!”

That little twelve-year-old filly. That was why.

“Come here and show this old coot what you made.”

She hopped up next to him and held out a simple slide whistle. The moment it was in his grasp, he could feel the magic within it. It only took the dark enchanter a second to see everything about that curse she’d put on it. While it was crude and stood out like a minotaur’s sore thumb, he had to admit, it was effectively designed. “And why would you need to make something like this?”

“There was a stallion who tried to do bad things to me. Shiny stopped him, but it still made me mad. Now they can’t do bad things to me if I play this.”

Black Hammer chuckled on the outside, but on the inside, he wept for what almost happened to the filly he loved like a granddaughter. “Well, this is very good. Mind if I try it?”

“NO!”

“Hahaha! Don’t worry. This old geezer doesn’t have much left down there. But, just in case, I’m going to go over there and play it.” Black Hammer trotted over behind the furnace and placed the whistle in his lips. He blew a long note that fell in pitch, surprising himself with how loud it was. He then felt the blood flowing away from his groin. “Oh.”

He played a note that increased in pitch, and was rewarded with the blood flowing back to that area. Black Hammer was immediately grateful that he had the foresight to move somewhere more private.

He played a third note, this one ending on a middle pitch, removing the curse on his loins. “Clever,” he said as he trotted back over. “That works very well. I’m guessing any stallion that hears it is affected?”

“Yep,” she replied.

“And you made it reversible because?”

“Shiny might have heard it. And I don’t want him to hurt him,” she answered.

Black Hammer nodded. “Good thinking, Sparkle. You really are a clever little pony. In fact, you’re so clever, I think you deserve a gift.”

“Really?” Sparkle asked as she hopped up and down. It was rare that she got anything nowadays, so a gift, especially from Black Hammer, meant a lot to her.

“Yes. I just finished it. I’ve been working on it all night.” He levitated the blade over with his dark magic. It was a simple-looking dagger, with a straight, double edge. Unbeknownst to Sparkle, the tang, hidden under the leather-wrapped wood, was absolutely covered in runes, rendering it unbreakable, impossibly sharp, and extremely bloodthirsty.

“It needs to get to know you, though. Here.” He wrapped the long cloth around her foreleg and pricked her other foreleg with the tip of the blade. A trickle of blood flowed across the blade and into the white cloth, forever staining it crimson. When it was done, he separated the knife from her. “Now it knows that you are its master.”

Without warning, he thrust the dagger. Sparkle jumped in surprise, but it ended up not being necessary. The tip, despite pressing against her fur, refused to puncture. Withdrawing it, the blacksmith said, “It will never hurt you. However...”

He dropped the dagger.

It sank into the ground, parting stone as easily as air.

“And any pony cut by it will die for sure, if you want them to, that is.”

“Wow!” Sparkle cheered.

“And with a little magic, it keeps itself clean and safe.” He pulsed his magic, pushing it into the gem in a way that Sparkle could clearly see. The cloth seemed to come alive, twisting around the blade until it had completely enveloped it. Black hammer dropped the blade again, but this time, it just clattered onto the floor without displacing the cloth. “Impressive, right?”

Sparkle nodded enthusiastically and took the bound blade. “Thanks!”

“You’re welcome.”

He had no idea that that would be the last blade he ever forged.

Twilight Saves a Life

The first time Twilight saved a life was when she was thirteen. She had been sitting at the base of the waterfall in lower Canterlot, when she noticed a small shape bob up from under the falls. The moment she recognized it as a pony’s body, she dove into the water and swam as hard as she could. That she had magic slipped her mind at that moment.

Grabbing the pony’s mane in her teeth, Twilight pulled them to shore.

The colt was badly hurt, but miraculously still alive. Placing her horn against his body, she gathered as much of her inner light as she could and injected it into his still body. She felt out every little injury, starting with the internal bleeding, and fixed it as best she could. As she did, the mere presence of light magic stimulated his body, helping the healing along.

Exhausted, she collapsed on the ground, panting.

Another pony who had seen what had happened ran up to them. “Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Are you two alright?”

“I’ll be fine,” Twilight said after sucking down some more air. “But him...”

“I’m ok,” he said.

“That’s good.” Twilight flopped on her back, exhausted.

An hour later, when Twilight reunited the colt with his distraught mother, the tears of joy would affirm in her heart that yes, this is the kind of thing she was meant to do.

Like a Potato Chip...

The fourteen-year-old mare had never killed a pony before that day. She’d never killed anything sapient, for that matter.

It was also the first time she’d knowingly eat a pony’s soul.

“Ahhh! Stay back!” A different mare screamed. Sparkle and Thorn looked across the street, illuminated only by the gas lamps, to see a frail-looking unicorn mare in an alleyway held at knifepoint by a burly earth pony. “I’ll give you my purse, just leave me alone!”

Sparkle momentarily considered turning away. This was the slums; you didn’t carry a purse in the slums. ‘Stupid mare.’

“No can do,” the stallion grunted. “I’m lookin’ for somethin’ a little more, if ya know what I mean.”

Sparkle turned on a dime. ‘Nope. Now it’s personal.’

Seeing his mother suddenly change directions, Thorn scrambled to catch up.

“Let her go!” Sparkle yelled.

“What do we have here? It seems the pussy is multiplying. Must be my lucky day. Hold still.” He stabbed the other mare with his knife. Pulling it out, he charged at Sparkle.

She deflected the blow with magic.

He stabbed again.

A larger Thorn slammed him into the wall.

He tried to get up, but Sparkle pinned him in place. “Dread told me how to do this, but I never have before. I really hope your soul tastes nasty.”

She pressed her lips to his and sucked. The blob of magic and psyche slid easily into her mouth and down her gullet. There wasn’t any flavor in particular, but the texture was divine. Random flashes of memory flickered through her mind: a name, a face, a smell, a color, but nothing particularly interesting, and nothing she’d bother to remember past that day.

“Hey Mom, this lady’s not doing so hot,” Thorn called out.

Sparkle looked over, and sure enough, the mare’s soul was hanging on by a thread as her body rapidly failed.

Sparkle’s heart clenched. The mare would be dead in minutes, and Sparkle didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t heal like her sister. She couldn’t keep her alive; she didn’t know how!

And then the hunger came.

The hunger for souls was something every natural dark mage would feel for their entire life. If they never studied soul magic, they’d never realize that the emptiness inside wasn’t just in their head. If they never ate a soul, they could always say no. But once they’d tasted the essence of sapient life...

Well, souls were like potato chips. You could never eat just one.

“Hey, shhh... It’ll be ok,” Sparkle whispered to the mare. “I’ll make the pain stop.”

“Th-thank y-you,” the dying mare said.

Sparkle began to weep, but couldn’t bring herself to stop. Between one sob and the next, Sparkle inhaled the mare’s soul. The warmth and power it brought was no comfort, and neither was the eerie sense of déjà vu.

Meanwhile, Thorn stood behind her and watched. He didn’t quite get it. He’d seen her eat the souls. Wasn’t eating supposed to make you feel better? Then why was she crying?

He didn’t know. But there were two perfectly good dead bodies here, and for as long as he could remember, Thorn had always eaten whatever his mother had killed.

Well, bon appetit.

Happy Birthday To Us!

One newly minted fifteen-year-old walked up to the other, who was lying on a park bench. “Sparkle, are you going to come join us? It’s not really a party without you. Mom made snickerdoodles~” she sang.

“I don’t really feel like it,” Sparkle muttered.

“Ah, come on. Please? Think about it, you’re the only pony in the whole universe that can eat as many of mom’s cookies as she wants and not get fat. Even I can’t do that,” Twilight tempted.

“She screamed when she died. Did you know that?”

“What?”

“Who. Mom. I couldn’t remember that day for so long... and then it just came back to me. Probably when I... nevermind.”

Twilight sat down next to her depressed sister. “Sparkle...”

“They all screamed, I think, but I remember seeing mom’s face. She looked like she was in so much pain. But when it was all over, she looked... still. It wasn’t like sleeping at all. She was just frozen on the ground.” Sparkle chuckled humorlessly. “Mom did the best. The judges were just a pile of goo and bones. And there were dozens of others in that school that died because of me. Don’t remember them... I passed out and woke up in the hospital a week later. Celestia visited me, did you know? She had this look on her face, like I was everything she hated about the world, but she was trying not to show it. I think it was worse than every glare I get on the street combined.”

Tears welled up in Twilight’s eyes. She buried her face into Sparkle’s neck and sobbed. “Sparks, I’m so sorry! I didn’t know! Oh Celes- Oh Maker! I’m sorry!”

Sparkle said nothing, but just hugged her sister back. Her eyes remained dry, having cried all their tears a long time ago. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Twilight’s family walked up to them, confused and worried that Twilight was crying on such a happy day. Even Twilight’s Celestia, who had been conversing with Twilight Velvet, was there, wondering why her student was weeping openly in the embrace of her sister.

The dead look that Sparkle sent her told the princess more than she’d ever admit.

Look What I Caught!

Sixteen-year-old Twilight set the newspaper down in front of her sister. Sparkle looked at the headline, and then looked up. “Congratulations. You made the front page.”

“That’s amazing, right?”

“Completely. Caught the killer and you didn’t even have to kill the guy in the process.”

“You’re just jealous.”

“You have no idea,” Sparkle muttered.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

Death and Other Sacrifices

The two of them sat together in the Elysian Fields. Death looked off into the distance. “Speaking of time, it’s almost up, I’m afraid.” And it was true. Time, that bastard, hated when she was summoned elsewhere in time. Short hops were fine, as were longer hops that didn’t interfere with her own pre-ascension history, but this was pushing it.

She’d told her that Obsidian Knife was a common friend. That was only mostly true. Obsidian Knife was her, when she was mortal, and a male. And without Sparkle, she wouldn’t have even been born.

Time hated rewriting itself. The last time it had, Time had been split into thirteen different forms, one who couldn’t even physically manifest and twelve nearly identical earth ponies. But, in order to keep the timeline from rewriting itself again, Death knew Time would have to intervene again, when the spell in Death’s book turned out not to be enough to save Sparkle from the elements.

Ah, the perils and perks of time travel. She frowned ever so slightly. This would be the last time she saw Sparkle. Every other time, from her perspective, had already happened.

“Really?” Sparkle asked. The seventeen-year-old could have sat there for eternity. It was peaceful, so much so that Death knew that the thought of actually leaving bothered her. “I don’t really want to go...”

‘Neither do I,’ the Reaper thought. “Ah, come on. That’s enough Elysium for you today. Off we-”

She stepped them outside of time and space.

She stepped them back inside.

“-go.” They were in Canterlot, with the sunrise swiftly appearing on the horizon behind them.

Sparkle jumped. The transition had been unnoticable. Death hadn’t even stopped speaking, and yet one moment she was there, and now she was here, and standing as if she had been standing here for a minute and only now just noticed.

“Hey, Sparkle?”

“Yes?”

The Reaper hesitated, savoring the moment just a little longer. When she looked at her, she couldn’t help but feel a little sympathy, and a little pride. Her past selves, as immature as they were, wouldn’t help her as much as they could have, and yet Death found pride in what Sparkle would become. She couldn’t help it. "A word of advice, though you may not understand just yet: A coin has two sides, and one is always the winner. Flip accordingly.”

She knew she would get the message. She knew Sparkle would understand.

After all, she had already.

A Bitter Taste in the Mouth

She’d moved. They’d gone to Ponyville to save themselves (and the world) from Nightmare Moon. Sparkle thought that they’d just go back to Canterlot and everything would be alright.

And then TWILIGHT. BUCKING. MOVED.

“GAAHHH!” Sparkle screamed, hurling another rock into the pond as fast as she could. The cannonball-like splashes were getting progressively larger with each stone. “HOW COULD YOU? HOW? HOW? HOW? GAHHH!”

The next rock was still laced with dark magic when it hit. Several dead fish and one undead fish floated to the surface. Then the undead one started eating its brethren.

“YOU SAID WE’D STAY TOGETHER!”

Sparkle’s eye twitched and her mane, which was quite frazzled, oozed black smoke. The grass, plants, and a warren of rabbits nearby had all already died.

If Sparkle had looked up from the water, she would have seen Thorn circling overhead, keeping any ponies who wandered too close away. The raw magic she was putting off made her a significant potential danger. Should she walk through town in this state, they’d see a death toll in the dozens. Yet Thorn hadn't been thinking of such things. He'd just wanted to give his mom space to vent uninterrupted.

But Sparkle didn’t look up from the rippling water. Nor did she hear Thorn flying around her. Instead, she heard all the voices from her nightmares, taunting her, humiliating her, torturing her, laughing at her as she burned at the stake. Night after night, she’d had different versions of the same dream.

A month without her sister, and she was losing it.

No.

Sparkle took a deep breath. When that failed to calm her, she magically suppressed her emotions. Thoughts clearer now, she picked something else to focus on. Groceries. She needed groceries. She’d been eating more than she’d normally allow herself, considering how tight her budget was, and she’d have to go shopping again tomorrow. Maybe the clerk would be nice and give her a discount?

It was worth a shot.

Author's Note

In case you didn't catch it, Death and Other Sacrifices is another side to Interlude 2, and A Bitter Taste in the Mouth takes place the day before chapter 11, Reflection.

[Part of the History Overwritten Update]

Luna and the Calm [History Overwritten]

“Give me another ten laps!” the gruff drill sergeant bellowed.

“SIR, YES SIR!” The troops replied, already up and moving.

Recently promoted Captain Shining Armor observed the state of the troops he had inherited from his predecessor, and smiled approvingly. If there was one thing a looming threat was good for, it was getting ponies motivated to train harder.

The mysterious Agent Crow’s reports had the equestrian military on edge. But still, it had been over a month with only minor skirmishes against Dusk at this point. Those reports made it seem like something big was coming.

The highest ranking official in the Royal Guard had been looking over the intelligence reports last night, and he was worried. Shining Armor debated if the benefit of bringing in EUP border guards as backups was worth the expense. And while he’d need to put it past the princesses first, he was sure they’d support him in bringing in reinforcements.

The Captain rubbed his temple with his hoof. Even the brisk November air wasn’t invigorating him. He wished it was an invading army. The Captain was a barrier specialist. He kept enemies out, but the enemy was already inside his city. By donning pair of colored contacts and keeping their mouths shut, Dusk members could pass for normal civilians. It irritated Shining Armor that there was no clear-cut enemy.

The only one who could tell them apart at a glance was his sister, who had seemingly vanished of the face of the world a few weeks ago. Within a few days of her disappearance, the order had come through to find her as usual, but instead of capturing, the order simply said to make contact, request of her that she come back, and then report her current location. It made him happy that his sister wasn’t being treated as a criminal anymore, but it did nothing to ease his worry about her whereabouts.

That stallion that she hung out with, Cobalt, didn’t seem bothered in the slightest. Shining suspected that he still had a few screws loose, though he’d never say that to Cobalt’s face.

A set of nearly silent hoofsteps approached the Captain from behind and to the left. “Captain Armor,” the voice of Princess Luna said. “Might I have a word with you in private?”

Shining Armor looked over his shoulder. “Of course, your highness. One moment.” To the drill sergeant, the Captain called out, “Pardon me for a moment.”

The sergeant nodded back. “Take your time. We’ve got all day.”

The running troops groaned at the statement.

Princess Luna turned and strode away from the training grounds while Shining Armor followed behind. Once they were a safe distance away and positioned behind one of the training ground’s buildings, Princess Luna said, “Captain, I have good news and bad news. In order to spare your nerves, I will say the good news first.”

“Is it Sparkle?”

Luna shook her head. “No. The good news is that the bad news is a lie. You are hereby ordered to act as if the bad news is true, but you may take solace in the fact that it is a fabrication.”

“Your highness?”

Luna continued, “The bad news is that Twilight Velvet Sparkle and her son, Thornecrovitar, were found murdered. She was attacked by Dusk agents, and while they managed to defeat two of them, they were ultimately slain with a cursed weapon. The location we found her in was, unfortunately, heavily saturated in dark magic, which clung to their bodies. The health risk of preparing them for a funeral was too great, and their bodies had to ultimately be disposed of. I am deeply sorry for your loss.”

“You’re lying about that, right?” Shining Armor asked, just to be sure.

“Am I?”

“You have to be. Sparks and Thorn couldn’t be dead,” he said.

“Really?”

“But why? What could... Agent Crow. She’s Agent Crow,” Shining Armor concluded.

“Is that what you think?” Luna replied.

“Yes.”

Luna turned away. But, at the last second before her face was obscured from his, she winked. “Remember your orders, Captain, and I am dreadfully sorry for your loss.”

“Yes, your highness. Thank you, your highness,” Shining Armor said. Even though she’d outright said to him that it wasn’t true, his emotions had still been riled up by that lie. The tear that he wiped from his eye was more real than he’d admit.

It was an odd thing to see on a table. If one were to really think about it, the object's presence and appearance made a certain amount of logical sense. If one knew that Celestia was not a morning pony, despite raising the sun, having a container full of coffee on the breakfast table was understandable. Then, if one considered Celestia's sheer appetite, then having the entire pot instead of just a mug also made sense.

To most, however, the skull and crossbones on the glass of the coffee pot seemed out of place. Celestia's personal attendants and chefs, however, knew exactly how toxic Celestia's morning brew was. It wasn't spoonfuls of sugar the solar princess added.

The head alchemist at CSGU once took a sample of Celestia's brew to test what made the concoction toxic to mortal ponies. What he found made him weep with both joy and sorrow, for Celestia drank a coffee with so much caffeine that a single drop would keep a pony awake for days, and a mouthful would literally liquefy their hearts.

And yet, after downing such a massive quantity of a drink that took a goddess's physiology to tolerate, Princess Celestia could barely find the energy to eat her pancakes. In fact, when Luna entered the breakfast room, she found Celestia face down in the stack of fluffy treats.

"Sister, awaken," Luna said, nudging her elder sister.

"I'm awake," Celestia mumbled, her head still resting on the pancake pillow. "I just don't want to move."

Luna snorted. "You're making a fool of yourself, Tia."

"You know, I hate her," Celestia declared.

"Hate who?"

"Sparkle."

"You do not hate her," Luna insisted.

"Yes I do!" Celestia petulantly whined. She lifted her head from Mount Pancake and whined, "If she hadn't gone and stuck her big, fat nose in everything, I could have kept pretending that my country was just fine!"

The night princess rolled her eyes. "You would have realized it eventually," Luna said.

"Yes, but not all at once." Celestia fell silent for a time as she stared at nothing in particular. "Hey, Lulu?"

"Yes, Tia?"

"Remember, back a long time ago, when you thought nopony respected you, and that you felt jealous of me because nopony came to night court?"

Luna raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"I have a really important job for you. Do you want to replace parliament? Like, you make all the laws yourself? Because I seriously doubt that you could do a worse job than some of this latest generation of nobles."

Luna poured herself a cup of similarly fortified coffee. "What's the damage?"

"'What's the damage?' she asks," Celestia mocked. "More like, 'What's salvageable?' Most of the upper levels are irrefutably guilty of one crime or another. I'm running a skeleton government with maids as secretaries and guards as bureaucrats, I'm so understaffed. I'm going to be spending the next two decades hearing nothing but corruption trials, and the ones convicted so far have all had the flimsiest of defenses. 'He did it, so I thought I could do it too.' What kind of excuse is that?" the solar princess ranted. Over the course of her monologue, Celestia had gradually become more animated, and was flinging her hooves in the air by the end.

"Oh, and don't forget day court; I still have those idiots to deal with. Why, just yesterday, a pest pony came in complaining that he wasn't getting enough work to make a living and demanded a subsidy. Do you know why? There are no more pests, he claims. I clapped him on the back, said, 'Well done!', and had him out of the castle before he could even blink."

Celestia's head flopped back into her pancakes. "I really want to go back to an absolute diarchy again, Lulu."

"Well, there is the matter of an impending blood war with us slated as assassination targets before that, but yes. I would like that, too," Luna replied. She picked up her spoon and took a dainty bite out of the massive bowl of oatmeal that the chef had made for her. Luna looked at the bowl, and decided that it needed more cyanide salts as seasoning.

Celestia perked back up. A little bit of syrup dripped down her face. "They do know that I can reforge my body out of fifteen million degree starstuff, right? And that you can just dream yourself up a new body?"

"The last time you built yourself a new body, you created the crater that became Horseshoe Bay, vaporizing anypony that might have possibly told," Luna replied. "So no, they don't."

Celestial looked as if she had just realized something. "So that's why I still get assassination attempts."

Luna took a bite of poisonous oatmeal. After she swallowed, she said, "Tia, is it weird that we can just talk about attempts at our lives as if we are discussing the weather?"

"Lulu, after going from being the mortal daughters of a cheesemaker and a farmer, to being the personifications of the stars and the night sky, and fighting Discord, I don't think anything is that weird anymore," Celestia replied.

"True," Luna replied. "I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that Dusk is planning to launch a major offensive before the year is out. The good news is that Sparkle will have a weapon ready for us by then. We just have to inoculate the Red Platoon first, and she taught me how."

"Well, there's that," Celestia said. "How is she, by the way?"

"Very good, actually. Her skill at gathering information is exceptional, and her reports are detailed, but concise. She is a great spy, in part due to her unique skill set," Luna explained.

"But how is she mentally? She did say that this Mama Bear was a mind control and hypnotism specialist. I would assume that she has been exposed to her influence at least once," said Celestia.

"I am not worried in the slightest about her succumbing to Mama Bear's manipulations. What I am worried about is how she is getting around those manipulations," Luna replied.

Celestia frowned. "She is not messing with her own mind, is she?"

"Just the opposite; she is restoring her fractured mind. I've told you how she and her son share dreams. What I myself just found out is how this came to be. Her son, Thorn, is her phylactery. However, her soul is not entirely pony. Half a dragon's soul is fused to her own, changing the way her mind works. By splitting her personality in half and partitioning each to one body, Sparkle and Thorn are effectively two individuals. However, when they take down the wall between them, the resulting personality, Sparkrovitar, is far stronger than either of them, and can shrug off most anything. I told her that she was one of the strongest psychics in the world. I think, under me, their full self is the strongest psychic ever," Luna explained.

"I see. She is dangerously powerful, yes, but I feel that there is something else worrying you."

Luna pondered. "It is a sum of many things, I think. I do not believe I could adequately describe my thoughts. Still, I am wary of the full necromancer, if only on a hunch."

Celestia looked into her nearly empty pot of death coffee. Would everything be alright? There was so much going on that she couldn’t see how it was all going to play out, and Apollo had been quiet on the subject.

Lieutenant Ironwood hadn’t stood in front of the entirety of the Red Platoon in a long time. Of course, considering the circumstances that would require the coven leader to address the entirety of his coven, that was perhaps a good thing.

But how long it had been since he had last done this was inconsequential, as he was standing in front of his troops now, and in a time of war.

In the front row sat Silver Bells, the representative from the LSC, who was here as their ally. She stood out only by virtue of her mane, being the longest of anypony’s in the room. Other than that, she was watching him as attentively as the soldiers around her.

Ironwood began, “Soldiers of the Red Platoon, allies from Lune de Sang Cirque, I appreciate your presence here today. Thanks to the work of our informant within BLACKBLOOD, now known to us as Dusk, we have detailed information on the abilities of our enemies and knowledge of which targets are most valuable.”

He pressed a button on the crystal remote, and a projection crystal lit up. Memories directly from Princess Luna’s mind filled the screen. “Dusk is an organization composed of sixteen covens, the largest of which are Black Rose, the Crimson Guild, Haven, and the Midnight Vanguard, as well as several minor covens. There are three wolf packs, Blue Moon, H.O.W.L., and The PACK, that are allied with them, as well as twenty free changeling infiltrators. This puts their entire fighting force at well over a thousand vampires, one hundred werewolves, and the twenty changelings.”

A hoof went up in the middle of the crowd. “Wouldn’t we notice a group of vampires that big in Canterlot? They’d need a lot of blood to feed a force that big.”

Ironwood nodded, and clicked to the next slide. The image depicted a pony with a shark tail and gills, wearing mechanical equipment on his back. Also sitting on his back was a really tiny earth pony, who was also strapped to the mechanical equipment. “These are Battery and Boura, and for reference, Battery is the normal sized earth pony sitting on Boura’s back.”

“Crap, that’s a huge seapony,” somepony in the back said.

“Yes, and they’re the reason why we can’t find Dusk.”

“We’re inside a pocket dimension?” Thorn asked the giant seapony floating in the massive tank.

Boura nodded. Because of his size, his vocal cords didn’t function properly, so he signed to Battery using head, ear, and hoof gestures. Battery interpreted, “Yes. Boura and I built this place for Dusk. The entrance moves around, too. Nopony can find us unless we allow them to.”

“That’s impressive. Mom just uses psychic redirection wards to confuse ponies,” Thorn commented. “Hey, how did you get in here? We’re awfully far from the ocean.”

Through Battery, Boura said, “I swam.” The giant seapony submerged below the surface and swam towards the glass. Just as Thorn thought Boura would crash into the glass, the red-eyed seapony grinned his sharklike grin and phased right through the glass and continued swimming through the air as if it were water. He dove into the ground, reemerging a second later so that his head, with a mouth large enough to swallow a pony, was the only thing above the ground.

“I bet that makes for a nasty surprise for your enemies,” Thorn commented, digging for information.

“I swim through space, not water. Of course nopony expects that,” Boura replied.

“But we will,” Ironwood concluded as he finished explaining Boura’s powers. “The problem with fighting Boura is Battery, whose special talent is powering magical systems, such as Boura’s ability. Separate them, and Boura will exhaust himself quickly and strand himself.

“The other major threats we have to face are Dreamweaver, a.k.a. Guy, the changeling illusionist; Arrow, the vampire Lieutenant of Dusk; and Riding Hood, the werewolf commander,” Ironwood explained.

“How did it go?” Mama Bear asked the false unicorn as the latter walked out of the small room.

Dreamweaver rolled her eyes. “They broke in minutes, Mama,” she replied.

“Of course they did,” Mama Bear replied, smiling a smile that most ponies found creepy. “You are you, and I wouldn’t have recruited you if you weren’t that skilled.”

“Thank you for your praise, Mama Bear,” Dreamweaver replied.

“Keep up the good work and serve me well,” the actual unicorn said.

The changeling unicorn’s eyes went out of focus for a second. Then she snapped back to attention and saluted the leader of Dusk. “Yes, ma’am.”

As they parted to go about their business, a pair of inky eyes faded away. The specter needed to tell Mistress about what she’d observed.

His hooves were steady, compensating for the motion of his wings with centuries of practiced ease. The bow in his grip was taut, and the arrow aimed true. Though it was a simple stationary target, it never hurt to refresh the basics.

A black pony stepped in front of the target. Arrow rolled his eyes, silently insulted the fool, and shot anyway.

He raised an eyebrow when brains didn’t go splat on the bullseye. “Hehehe! Almost got me!” a cheerful voice said, coming from down the range.

“I did get you,” Arrow replied.

“Nope!” The specter stepped forwards, his inky mass flowing as he did. “Have a hole in my head. Arrow went through the hole. Didn’t hit me!” The specter blew a raspberry at the vampiric stallion.

The pegasus nocked another arrow against the bow string. He fired, and when the pesky specter that had interrupted his training didn’t die, he asked, “What are you?”

“A little demon Mistress made,” the specter replied. “Escaped before Mistress could destroy me,” the specter lied.

“I’ll be more than happy to finish you for her.”

Another arrow rocketed through the inky pony. “Yay! Playtime, hehehe!” The specter shrank, transforming her body into that of a crow. “Caw! Caw! Shoot me! Caw!”

What happened next was was a very impressive display of archery. Arrow rapidly loosed six dozen arrows, averaging five shots every four seconds. And though the specter lied to him about his accuracy and mocked him for “missed” shots, she noted that he had hit her every single time, no matter how hard she had tried to dodge. Even with minor perception altering magics applied to him, he adjusted rapidly.

But the specter did note that he barely moved from the one spot, preferring to make rapid, difficult shots as opposed to moving for an easier shot. With his skill, it didn’t matter all that much, but the crow-shaped-specter decided it was exploitable, and thus worth mentioning to the Mistress.”

“Thanks for this,” Thorn said as he gestured to the crate Riding Hood had brought him, “but you can go now.”

Riding Hood’s neutral expression didn’t change. The loyal commander said, “Mama Bear insists that I see inside.”

“Trust me, Mom’s in the zone right now. You don’t want to disturb her,” Thorn replied, moving to block the door and putting on some height as he did so.

“I insist.” The werewolf’s face twisted, partially transforming into something more feral.

Thorn blinked, and Sparkrovitar took over. “Fine, if you must. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Sparkrovitar stepped out of the way and let Riding Hood pass. Picking up the oddly smelling box, the dragon body shut the door and locked it with his tail. Riding Hood led them to a back room where Sparkrovitar’s unicorn body was working.

The werewolf opened the door in question, and though his expression remained as stoic as ever, his stomach churned with revulsion at the sudden stench. Riding Hood turned to get out, but found himself forcefully shoved into the room by a now much larger dragon.

“I’m sorry,” both bodies of Sparkrovitar said at once, “but this is my personal project. I’m glad you are curious, but this has to stay secret for now. Luckily, you just volunteered for mental conditioning. Shall we get started?”

The werewolf tried to force his transformation as fast as it would go in an effort to muscle past them, but found himself magically pinned to the ground, where the stench was strongest. He thrashed, claws flexing and grasping to no avail.

When he awoke two hours later, Riding Hood immediately blushed with embarrassment. He’d fallen asleep in front of his mistress! How could he have been so rude to the one who had given him purpose, the one who had introduced him to Lady Death’s great crusade all those years ago?

“Don’t worry about it,” the mistress replied. “You were just a little overworked. It happens to the best of us. Now, why don’t you go tell Mama Bear what I told you?”

Mama Bear, that fiend. Riding Hood swore that he would get revenge for her corrupting his mind with putrid magic. He was glad that the Mistress had shown him the light once more, but he couldn’t express his thanks just yet. For now, the facade had to remain in place.

There would be a time for that soon.

Ironwood concluded his briefing on Dreamweaver, Arrow, and Riding Hood. “Agent Crow provided us with additional details, which are included in the information packets provided.

“Now, these ponies are the most dangerous in Dusk, second only to the pony manipulating them in the first place. And while we may be outnumbered, we are better trained, better disciplined, better informed, and some of us bear Sparkle’s last gift to us. Between that and Agent Crow on the inside, we will win this, and we will protect the good citizens of Equestria. That is not a question, that is a promise. With luck, this will be over in less than five weeks. I expect each of you to be here in the new year.”

Author's Note

[Part of the History Overwritten Update]

Dusk and the Days Before [History Overwritten]

Snowflakes fell around her, painting the world white. The brisk November air playfully nipped at Twilight’s nose. Frosty breath swirled out of her grinning mouth.

“Thanks, Rarity,” Twilight said. “I really needed to get out of the library.”

“Any time, darling,” her friend replied. If it weren’t for her hat and the mane upon which it sat, it would have been hard to see the white unicorn against the similarly white background. And yet Rarity elegantly stood out from her surroundings, as she always did. “We could all see that you were stressed. I always find my head clears after a short stroll through town.”

Twilight smiled. “Again, thanks, Rarity.”

“Twilight, if you don’t mind me asking, what’s gotten you so stressed lately?” Rarity inquired. While she was genuinely concerned for her friend, a tiny and quickly buried part of Rarity wondered if there were any tidbits of gossip in there.

Twilight momentarily debated with herself about how much to reveal, and then decided to take the Applejack approach. “I’m sure those magazines you read have mentioned the arrests up in Canterlot, right?”

“Oh yes, it’s all they ever talk about these days. A scandal here, a scandal there. Why, I can hardly believe my eyes,” Rarity exclaimed.

Twilight’s hoof crunched through a particularly icy patch. She looked ahead and moved the pair of them to a slightly safer part of the path. “I got a tip from Sparkle about some government corruption. I passed it on to Princess Celestia, and she decided to investigate, just to be safe.”

“I take it these arrests are from that investigation?” Rarity guessed.

Twilight snorted. “These are just the tip of the iceberg. If what the Princess told me is true, we could be looking at a complete overhaul of the government. It doesn’t seem like it at first, but we’re decades behind where we should be economically and technologically. Remember hearing about the Labyrinthia’s industrial revolution? We should have already started our own. And our laws. Did you know that stoning is still a valid punishment? Not what we did to Discord, but as a form of execution.”

“That’s ghastly!” Rarity said, before pulling out her couch from nowhere and fainting. When Twilight finally revived her, the white unicorn quickly apologized for that. “How did we not notice for so long?”

“We’ve been stagnating for a while, I guess,” Twilight said. “It was too slow. There was a griffin expression for that. ‘Put a frog in boiling water, and he’ll jump out. Put a frog in cold water and set it over a fire, and he won’t notice until it’s too late.’ I think we’re the second frog.

“And while the police are catching fraudulent politicians, the Royal Guard is searching for a criminal group that just doesn’t seem to exist here,” Twilight said.

Rarity replied, “Doesn’t exist? Then how did they think to look for it?”

“Sparkle again. She found it in her timeline, and I’m starting to think that something changed between our timelines that stopped ours from existing.”

“How strange,” Rarity commented. “What do you- Twilight!” Whatever Rarity was going to ask was lost as she noticed her friend doubled over.

Twilight screamed like she was on fire. The sensation had come so suddenly and without warning. Her legs buckled, causing her to flop down on her side.

Rarity managed to catch Twilight’s head before it hit the ground. But as she watched her friend choke and writhe, she could only do one thing. “HELP! SOMEPONY CALL A DOCTOR! HELP!”

Twilight’s horn began glowing with golden-white energy, shooting off sparks at random. Her limbs convulsed, seeming to bend and stretch in ways that Rarity didn’t think were possible. The light coming off her friend would have been beautiful if it weren’t accompanied by Twilight’s grunts and groans.

And then, as suddenly as it had come, the episode was over. Twilight, despite her heavy breathing and snow-covered body, seemed no worse for wear as she slowly pulled herself up from the ground. “Well, that was annoying.”

“Twilight! Oh Dear Celestia! Are you alright? I thought you were dying!” Rarity sobbed.

Twilight blinked. “Oh. No, I’m fine. I actually feel really good. That, um, didn’t hurt at all. Actually, it probably would have been better if it had hurt.”

“But you were writhing in agony!”

Twilight looked away, embarrassed. “That wasn’t agony. That was about as far from agony as you can get.”

“What do you- Oh?” Rarity’s cheeks, already rosy from the cold, went a shade pinker. Then, when Twilight turned back to look at her, she again went, “Oh.”

Twilight cocked her head to the side. “Rarity?”

“Darling, there are ribbons of gold swirling in your eyes. They’re… rather mesmerizing… oh my…” Rarity trailed off, simply staring at Twilight’s eyes.

Twilight looked away. Then, gathering her strength, she hoisted herself fully off the snowy ground.

Rarity blinked, eyes refocusing. “Twilight, Darling, how are you taller than me? I could have sworn you were shorter a moment ago.”

Twilight looked down at herself, and then back at Rarity. Sure enough, Twilight had grown by three quarters of a hoof length, going from slightly shorter than Rarity to significantly taller. “Interesting. I need a mirror.”

“Here you go, Darling!” Rarity exclaimed. When she produced a compact, Twilight didn’t question where it came from. Instead, the lavender unicorn flipped it open and took a good look at herself.

The changes were small, but noticeable regardless. Her horn was longer and more pointed, her face was slightly softer in shape, and her eyes had a swirl of gold in them that seemed to move whenever she looked away for even a fraction of a second. Twilight looked over the rest of her body. Her legs had taken most of the growth, making her appear proportionally slimmer; the dock of her tail had grown longer, pushing the start of her tail’s skirt away from her body; the hair of her fetlocks had grown out; and there was a noticeable groove in the front of each of her hooves.

All in all, her rather unexpected transformation had given her an old-fashioned, natural sort of beauty. But it was when Twilight took stock of her magic that she noticed where the real transformation had been. It felt dense and invigorated, and her well of magic was deeper than ever before. She knew immediately what had happened.

“I wonder what Sparkle did to herself this time?” Twilight folded up the compact mirror, not wanting to look at her face any more. It was the face of light corruption, something she hadn’t expected to happen to her for at least another decade. Yes, it looked nice, but it was corruption and not her own face. She wondered how much longer she’d have before her face was unrecognizable, even to herself; at this rate, probably no more than a decade or two.

“Twilight?”

“Rarity, let me tell you why you should never mess with strange magic.”

Sparkrovitar stretched luxuriously. He could feel the power, both physical and magical, flowing through both of his bodies, and it felt good. He experimentally flexed every muscle he could, feeling how they pulled on his bones. This was what he lived for; power, to help him achieve his goals, and pleasure, to make the journey all the more enjoyable.

He pulled off the now blackened necklace of pony bones from Sparkle’s neck. Sparkrovitar was disgusted that he’d needed them for the ritual in the first place, but since Dusk vampires had already killed the pony they’d belonged to for other reasons, the hybrid didn’t see why he shouldn’t get some use out of them. It wasn’t like the dead stallion would need them anymore.

The physical changes were surprising, but not wholly unexpected. He’d been using a lot of dark magic lately; it was no wonder that the physical corruption was catching up to him. Sparkrovitar took a moment to look over his bodies.

The ridge of spikes going down Sparkle’s back was new. Apparently, the spinous processes had grown and protruded through his pony back. It didn’t hurt or impede his movement, but it still looked odd. Sparkle was taller, too, which meant he’d have to either find a transfiguration specialist to adjust the size of the prosthetic, or have the original maker adjust it. There was a strange ridge of boney bumps on Sparkle’s head, though it was mostly hidden by her mane. Finally, her face looked harder and fiercer, something that Sparkrovitar found he enjoyed.

Thorn had changed, too. His base form had grown, increasing the minimum size to which he could shrink it. The spines on the dragon’s back had sharpened and lengthened, as had his tail blade. The skin, tendons, and muscles around the dragon’s mouth had also changed, allowing him to open his mouth wider than before. And across both bodies, their muscles had grown denser and their bones stronger.

All in all, Sparkrovitar liked the changes. He nodded to himself – something he could literally do with two bodies – and decided that he’d go without glamours and see how the ponies of Dusk reacted to him. After all, the entire reason he’d done the rituals that had unintentionally given him this look was for them, if not in the way they were thinking.

The spy smirked. In five days, Dusk would attack Canterlot, and in five days, Dusk would curse his very existence, if the Red Platoon didn’t get them first. He hoped that Luna had been very thorough with the counter-curse, and had gotten the LSC as well.

Of course, in five days, he’d also lose a magic research lab several times better than his own, and the funds and resources needed to conduct the experiments he had. It didn’t bother him terribly, though. Sparkrovitar figured that his skill had improved far enough that he could do even more extensive enhancements to Shining Armor when the time came, all without endangering him at all.

Maybe when the battle was over, the princesses would let him loot the base. Maybe they’d even confiscate some of the money from the bank accounts of the fallen, and then give him a nice, fat check for his service to the country on top of what he’d wrung out of Dusk already.

The smile that was quickly becoming a permanent feature on Sparkrovitar’s faces widened as he exited the lab and ran into Kätzchen. Just before he split back into Sparkle and Thorn, he said, “Hello, Cat. You’re just the pony I was looking for.”

The small, gold-colored earth pony looked up, and then up some more. “Hello, Frau Sparkle. You look different. Did you change zee schtyle of your hair?”

“Not exactly,” she replied playfully. “I actually have a favor I wanted to ask you, and I’ll give you a whole cup of blood wine if you do it.”

His eyes looked like they’d pop out of his head, they went so wide. “A whole cup? Frau Sparkle, you are zee greatescht! Vatever it is, I vill do it!”

“It’s nothing too difficult, especially for a messenger,” Sparkle said. “I want you to give a message to one of my ex-family members. Tell her…” Sparkle said the message and told him who to take it too. “Got it?”

“Absolutely, Frau Sparkle!” The colt-sized vampire grinned evilly. “Zat is a vonderful message. I von’t leave until sche underschtands klearly!” Kätzchen replied. When Sparkle nodded in approval, the lanky, short vampire saluted. In the space of a blink, he vanished.

“Energetic colt, isn’t he?” Sparkle commented.

Thorn nodded. “Do you think it will work?” he then asked. Behind him, his bladed tail swished excitedly.

“No idea,” Sparkle replied with a shrug. “I’d like to hope so. It would save us a lot of trouble in the future if it does.”

“And we could always force it if plan A doesn’t work,” Thorn added.

“That is true.”

Ursa “Mama Bear” Major was a reasonably tall mare. Certainly not as large as some of the stallions she led, but she was clearly no Shetland, either. Walking up to the necromancer and finding that she now equaled her in height caught Mama Bear slightly off guard, almost as much the new spikes on Sparkle’s spine.

It didn’t catch her off guard enough for her to visibly react, though. The leader of Dusk trotted up alongside Sparkle as the necromancer made her way through the empty hallway to the common areas of the base, a book levitating in her dark aura. “Good afternoon, Necromancer,” she greeted cheerfully. “What a delightfully fearsome look you have.”

Sparkle cast a quick glance up. “Afternoon,” she greeted back. The dark mage’s eyes snapped back to her open tome.

Ursa’s smile faded. “You know, it pains me to see a pony not respecting their superiors. It reflects poorly on both the character of the subordinate and the authority of the leader.”

This time Sparkle’s eyes looked up for good. The book in her grasp snapped shut. “Sorry, ma’am.”

“Now, now. I’m sure it was a simple mistake. One could easily overstep their bounds; it’s nothing to be ashamed of,” the leader replied sweetly.

“I’m not sure I follow, ma’am,” Sparkle said truthfully. She’d thought that the leader was talking about her trying to read, but apparently not.

“I think you do,” Ursa Major replied. “Kätzchen is one of my personal assistants, and I would ask that you not order him around.”

Sparkle blinked, and then smiled, giving the leader a view of teeth that were too sharp to be normal. “I didn’t order him around. I just asked a favor, and promised him a gift if he did it.”

Mama Bear’s features softened a bit. “I see. Might I ask what you traded?”

“A message for some blood wine. That’s not too different than what you pay him with, now is it?” Sparkle replied, mimicking the sweet tone Ursa tended to use.

Ursa nodded and smiled, showing off her fangs. “I suppose not. Thank you for alleviating my concerns.”

“My pleasure,” Sparkle responded. She took a few limping steps forwards and reopened her leather-bound book.

As Sparkle resumed her trek to the common areas where she could sit and read while her magic regenerated from the day’s work, Ursa Major followed close behind. The leader walked up next to the necromancer and tried to read the latter’s tome; it was actually gibberish, written in no alphabet that Ursa recognized. And worse, the letters were actively shifting.

To Sparkle, however, the letters were perfectly comprehendible. The Dread Necroptica itself could prevent those it deemed unworthy from reading it. That, however, had no bearing on the book’s ability to read its readers. The book was designed to pull information out of its reader’s head and, if it didn’t already have that information, the book would add it.

The text spelling itself out in front of Sparkle’s eyes was titled “Ranged Direct Possession.” Sparkle eagerly read the passage, cheering silently that she was able to use her enemy’s own knowledge against her, even as that very enemy stood next to her. Then Sparkle notice something scrawled in the margins that hadn’t been there a second ago.

The creator of this spell has been slated for execution by Lady Death herself for failure to pay bargained souls. She has been deemed unworthy of this book.

The tome snapped shut. “Mama Bear,” Sparkle began, “I thought you ought to know something about my kind. Most Necromancers have tried to summon Lady Death and bargain with her. She’s been known to grant blessings in exchange for the right price.”

“Really?” the Dusk Leader said. “I didn’t know that.”

Sparkle said, “Yes, but I’ve never called her. I wouldn’t ever. I did meet her, though. Twice, actually. Did you know she was in Canterlot when Discord was free? I tried to bargain with her to get the soul of a bookstore owner back. She just laughed at me and ate the soul anyway.”

Ursa’s step faltered ever so slightly. “How did you escape?”

“I didn’t; Death let me go. And I found out something interesting. This book,” – she held it up – “was created in part by Lady Death herself.”

“You!” Ursa found herself blurting out before she could stop herself.

“Me what?”

Ursa cringed. “Dusty Books supplied me with tomes for my own studies,” she replied. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited to get my hooves on even one of those books. May I see it?”

“I didn’t know you were interested.” Sparkle grinned smugly. “Sure. I’ve already read six of the seven books front-to-back.” She levitated the tome to Mama Bear. When the leader took the book, the aura around Sparkle’s horn didn’t fade completely, and the corresponding aura moved to hover around Ursa’s skull.

Ursa opened the book to a blank page. She flipped to another.

Blank.

She flipped again.

Blank.

Blank.

Blank.

Her eyes were as wide as saucers. “Were… where is everything? It’s all blank!” She flipped the page once more.

UNWORTHY!

The book fell to the floor with a thud. “No… Why… why am I not worthy?” There was a faraway look in her eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it came. “No,” she said again, though resolutely this time. “I will show her that I am worthy.”

“Show Lady Death that you're worthy? I highly doubt that she’s the kind of mare you could convince once she’s made up her mind. She’s the mistress of the infernal pits; do you think she really has mercy?” Sparkle questioned.

Ursa was suddenly right in Sparkle’s Face. The scarlet eyes of a vampire looked into the crimson eyes of a necromancer. “SHE SHOWED YOU MERCY! YOU SURVIVED!”

It was Sparkle’s turn to be very uncomfortable. “What?”

“When those cultists tried to sacrifice you to Lady Death, she spared you and killed them all!” the leader exclaimed. It was true; Sparkle and the other original sacrifices had all survived. Unless she had been one of the sacrifices, Mama Bear should have been dead. And considering what the mare was saying, that was highly unlikely.

Sparkle frowned deeply. “If they all died, as you said, how could you know that?”

Ursa Major clammed up, but her silence was telling. “Never mind. I know. And I now know why you are unworthy,” Sparkle said.

“I won’t be unworthy for much longer,” Ursa replied. “What better way to show her my worth than a war, hm? We all want power in the end. Maybe this way she’ll take us seriously, now.”

“I’m not fighting,” Sparkle declared. “You have my support, but I will not be out in the streets, killing innocents. And I want nothing to do with the Grim Reaper. If you want to bargain with her, that’s your deal; leave me out of it.”

The cream colored mare stomped her hoof. “You’re going to wish you were out there, Sparkle.”

Sparkle didn’t reply. Instead, she turned and walked away, taking her book with her. ‘I’m going to be out there, alright,’ she thought. ‘You’re going to wish I wasn’t, Death cultist.’

Author's Note

I found this comic that I think perfectly shows Death’s attitude to ponies wanting her power.

[Part of the History Overwritten Update]

Death and the Eye of the Storm [History Overwritten]

Amidst the chaos of the war afflicted city, one could be forgiven if they didn’t immediately notice the two figures who suddenly appeared on the sidewalk, accompanied by only a slight ripple in the air. Of course, once the onlookers noticed them, they’d immediately wish they hadn’t.

The first to emerge was a gray stallion in a suit and fedora. His only truly distinctive features were the binocular cutie mark and the fact that he had neither mane nor tail. And yet, despite the odd feature, he was rather forgettable.

No, it was his traveling companion that made ponies run in terror. She stood three times as tall as even the largest of stallions, and with more legs and eyes than any pony should have. Bone wings lay against her sides, and bone-like growths covered her crystalline skin. Countless black, thorny vines took the place of her tail. A "Mohawk" of horns protruded from her head, continuing down and blending into the spines protruding from her back.

Oddly, if you asked the two of them who was stranger, the six-legged monstrosity would have pointed to her ordinary-looking companion.

Said companion wouldn’t deny it.

Thankfully, the monstrous one shifted her appearance to that of a unicorn mare that was ordinary except for the long, messy mane cascading around her neck. She opened her mouth to speak, revealing numerous teeth that had yet to fully shift.

"Thanks for the ride, August," the faux-unicorn – Death – said. "I’ve got to learn how to do that on my own someday."

"I only do this because I have already done so," the gray earth pony replied. August’s statement may have sounded cryptic, but it was clear to those who understood time travel.

Death nodded, not really grasping the intricacies of time travel but understanding the general gist. "Still, it was nice."

The observer didn’t reply.

Death asked "Your past selves don’t know yet, do they?"

"No. You still cloud their vision."

Death didn’t acknowledge the answer, but then again, he knew her companion didn’t care about such things. "And you’re fine with me doing this, right?"

"You must do this because you have already done so," August replied in the same monotone. "Your own history depends on it."

The dark goddess smiled an honest, cheerful grin. "No paradoxes?"

"There was a stable entry condition, nullifying the bootstrap paradox; your presence has too small an impact on the course of events to matter."

Death rolled her lavender eyes. "Make me feel useless, why don’t you?" She reached back and, from the fold in space by her side that led to the afterlife, withdrew her favorite pair of guns.

She loved her arsenal of future weapons. The concept of firearms hadn’t even been invented yet, meaning her favorite little toys were completely unexpected by her enemies. Sure, she could just make them drop dead with a thought alone, but that wasn't any fun at all. "I’m off, then."

The reaper charged off, brandishing her weapons in her black magical aura. It didn’t take long for the dark goddess to find a group of vampires terrorizing a helpless family.

"Have mercy! Please!" the mother cried.

"Hey, leave them alone!"

One of the vampires looked over. "Well, well, well, what have we here? A little filly out on her own?" He showed off his fangs. "Have you brought daddy a drink?"

"No, I brought my guns," Death deadpanned. She liked deadpan humor. "These are 3.5 hoof-length, fully automatic horn-activated guns, weighing in at a whopping 30 lbs. each. Forged in curse-fire, quenched in the blood of the damned, and cursed by the dark enchanter Black Hammer, these guns are my favorite weapons."

A loud bang punctuated the air. The left gun, engraved with the word Inevitable, smoked gently. The only one not looking at it in that moment was the vampire closest to the living ponies; his body had yet to realize it was lacking a head.

"It fires custom 2/11 type bullets, imbued with a simple but effective curse."

*BANG* Another vampire dropped dead, courtesy of the gun inscribed with Demise.

"Each shot links my soul to my target, allowing me to crush them with the weight of my soul, and drag them to the pits."

*BANG*

Blood splattered everywhere.

"The space expanded magazines can hold a whopping four thousand rounds, and I have additional magazines if I run out."

*BANG*

Only a single vampire remained.

"So I’m never going to run out."

"MERCY!" The cowering vampire said.

"Funny, didn’t that mare you were bothering ask the same thing?" Death countered. And before the vampire could reply, Death pulled the trigger. She looked over at the cowering family and sighed, "You can go now. You’re safe."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"It’s not a problem," Death replied. She motioned towards the sky, darkening with sinister magic. "It looks like rain; best be hurrying along."

She pulled the trigger once more, ending the life of one of the pillaging vampires that were overrunning the city. "Sixty five."

As she flicked the safety on for both guns, the blood soaked dark goddess looked over at a very familiar face. Her eyes were unusually full of malice, and yet lacked the pain she knew should have been in them. "You Sparkle right now?" She knew full well that little Sparkle wasn’t in her right mind at the moment.

A split second later, her eyes softened. "Yes. What are those weapons?" Sparkle asked.

She lowered her firearms slightly, relaxing somewhat. "Nothing you need to concern yourself with yet," she replied.

It was at that moment that she could see the recognition blooming in her eyes.

"Lady Death, what brings you here?" Sparkle said, bowing her head.

She simply chuckled. Really, why did ponies insist on calling her that? Even as a mortal, she’d been no Lady; she was a child of rape. "None of that ‘Lady’ business. Just ‘Death’ will do. And I’ve got a few things I need to fix. First of all, congrats on the successful use of your first city killer."

"What?" Sparkle asked, her tone displaying her confusion.

Death blinked. What, had she never thought that this was a city killer? It wouldn’t have taken much at all to change it from an anti-vampire weapon to an anti-life weapon. In fact, excluding Princess Cadance’s Lovely Little Bomb, which hadn’t been invented by its namesake yet, there were few pony weapons more fearsome.

Still, Death enjoyed messing with ponies’ heads, especially Sparkle’s; she knew she’d find it funny when she got older. "Wait, am I too early on that one?" She looked up at the black sky. "Oh, I am. And this one is the tame version of it. Huh." Her gaze reaffixed on Sparkle. "Second thing: Don’t let it eat you, no matter what it says." That last bit was genuine advice. She remembered having to deal with…

Never mind. Now wasn’t the time to be thinking of the past; she had things to do.

"Death, ma'am, I still have no idea what you’re talking about," Sparkle nervously replied.

"You will," the dark goddess said. "Before sunrise, you will."

She flicked the safeties off, ejected the spent casings, and chambered the next rounds in each of her guns. Not missing one last chance to mess with her head, Death said, "Anyway, I’m off. Things to do, ponies to see, vampires To BlOw To A pUlPy MeSs, EaT tHeIr CoRpSeS, aNd FuCk ThEiR sEvErEd SkUlLs. Catch you later!"

She broke out into a dead sprint, charging at a group of oncoming vampires. "Leeroy Jenkins!" she shouted.

Oddly enough, in the time Death normally lived, Leeroy Jenkins was the name of a great warrior in griffin culture, one who charged headlong into battle without a care for his own safety. One of Death’s friends, a griffin by that name, fit that to a tee.

It also just so happened that a fleeing griffin hen, who was with child at the time, would see Death charging toward the vampires that had been pursuing her, and she would see Death slaughter them. This hen would remember that name, and name her child that. That child, growing up hearing the story of the heroic pony "Leeroy Jenkins," would become a soldier and eventually save dozens of lives with the same reckless strategy. In telling the story of his name to those he saved, he would change the original from a pony to a griffin. More griffins would name their cubs Leeroy Jenkins because of that, until one day, sometime in the future, the Leeroy Jenkins that Death would befriend would be born.

In short, a griffin was named after himself.

It was, perhaps, the most oddly shaped shield Shining Armor had ever created. It stretched through the streets of Canterlot like some sort of twisted series of veins, ever growing as his troops captured territory. And as it expanded, it grew to envelop nearby buildings. Thanks to a series of way-stations and runes, other guards could direct and power the expansion as needed.

Only ordinary ponies were allowed through the barrier. Shining wouldn’t admit it, but how to distinguish based on souls was a trick he’d learned from his sister. However, it left them with a problem; Princess Celestia, not being a normal pony, could not enter the barrier without Shining Armor first compromising its integrity.

Celestia herself didn’t mind though. She hovered above the barrier and shot down the fliers who continued to assault her. Her continual barrage of solar beams proved to be an effective means of deterring vampires. As for slaying them, that was another story. Each beam took a fraction of a second to charge – plenty of time for a blood-gorged vampire to dodge – and the light from her horn was absolutely destroying her night vision.

Sixteen explosions reverberated through the air within the space of five seconds, and Celestia’s attackers completely halted their assault. Before her, a unicorn appeared, brandishing her weapons. "Princess," she spoke.

"Death."

The dark goddess smiled. "Lovely night, isn’t it?"

"If you’ll excuse me," Celestia said, "I must be off."

She shook her head. "If you want Canterlot to survive the night, you’ll stay right there and listen to what I have to say."

Celestia stopped dead in her tracks. "What is it?"

She pointed to the clouds in the west. "Miles beyond those clouds is a pegasus wielding the Conquest Longbow. He’s planning to shoot you."

"A sniper cannot possibly aim that far," Celestia said.

"The bow is cursed. In exchange for its wielder’s life, it fires a metal arrow at Mach 7. That will pierce any shields and any walls, and destroy anybody. Even you. And, the arrows can adjust course in flight," Death explained.

Celestia’s brow furrowed. "I wouldn’t ask this of you normally, but can you kill him for me?"

Death shook her head. "No. I’m friends with the maker of the bow; I promised him I’d see it used before it broke. However, I can give you a place to regenerate safely without vaporizing Canterlot." She partially undid her transformation, unfurling a bone wing which quickly grew to a disproportionate size. The portal that replaced the membrane of her wings was completely black, leading to a void made just for Celestia.

"You know," Celestia said as she entered the portal, "This will be the first time I’ve ever set hoof in your world."

Death opened her mouth to correct her on that fact, then stopped. "Right, time travel." She turned to face the direction the arrow would come from and held her wing outstretched. Death could feel the archer in the distance loosing strength, meaning that he was seconds from firing. "Celestia, did you know that bow was accidentally made as a tribute to you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Black Hammer, who made the bow, built it after a griffin legend, The Four Horses of the Apocalypse. You and the White Horse of Conquest became synonymous over time, but he didn't know that. It's poetic that the first, and likely the last time it will ever be used is against its rightful owner," Death said. She looked up. The archer dropped dead; Death could feel it.

"Really? I-"

*BOOM*

The arrow streaked across the sky, punching a hole in the clouds and leaving a visible trail of heated gases. She felt the archer's soul leave its body; Death snatched it in an instant.

Death snapped her wing shut. In her mind's eye, Death saw Celestia's body explode into a shower of gore. Then, she ignited with the light of the heart of a star, a light so terribly bright that it would have vaporized any mortals standing within several miles. When it died down, Celestia floated gently in her reborn body; the elements of which had just been forged in the heart of the sun.

Before Celestia, a small, golden flame appeared. It grew in size and warped in shape until it took the form of a pegasus. "Where am I?" the pony asked.

"You are dead," Death's voice replied, emanating from everywhere and nowhere at once.

He looked at Princess Celestia. "Lady Death! I did it! I brought you the soul of the Immortal Princess!"

The portal opened up, allowing Celestia to step outside. "Unfortunately for you, Celestia is still very much alive. In fact, I did not want her soul. You attempted pointless murder; enjoy your time in the infernal pits."

As the portal closed, Celestia could hear his scream of terror. "Was that really necessary, Death?"

"That wasn't his only crime." Transforming her wing away, Death looked Celestia in the eye. "You owe me a favor. One day, almost two years from now, I'll be desperate. I'll need Luna's help. Tell her to help me, would you kindly? I'll consider us even."

Celestia couldn't help but wonder what Death would need help with. It scared her to think of the possibilities.

For the first time since she'd arrived, Death looked towards the shield Celestia had been guarding. Inside, among several other ponies, stood Captain Shining Armor. Death pointed towards him. "Shining Armor, you'll lose somepony precious to you very soon."

After a quick stop to drop off a package she'd brought with her from the future, Death momentarily stepped out of the universe. Around her, the chaos of the in-between roiled and rolled. Below her hooves, the bubble of her home gently glistened. Behind her, one ethereal but unbreakable tendril connected her to the pocket dimension that served as the afterlife, another connected her to the universe below, and a third faded off into the distance.

She let her transformation dissipate, revealing her monstrous self. With nary a thought, her location on the outside of the universe shifted. She stepped back inside.

It was a simple cabin that she found herself in, occupied by a single mare who was sipping her tea, unaware of her entrance. "Marionette," she intoned.

The unicorn mare spluttered and whipped around. A second later, she was on the ground, prostrating herself before her. "Lady Death, to what do I owe the amazing honor of your presence?" She said, quite seriously.

"Time, Marionette, is a funny thing. It was your past self who incurred a debt to my future self, and yet it was my past who collected from your future," Death intoned.

"Debt, my Lady?" she asked, her body quivering visibly as she spoke.

"Your puppet and her followers summoned me and demanded my power, and had the gall to short me in payment. As I do not care for damaged souls, your puppet was worthless. You are one soul short," she replied.

"The city. Canterlot. Take your pick from them, then. I'm sacrificing them as a gift to you!" she cried.

The weight of her mere presence pressed on the minds of mortals; in that moment, the effect tripled. The psychic aura Death projected took on a truly hostile tint as it wormed its way into the mortal mare's brain. Visions of agony and terror filled her pathetic mind.

"That is slaughter, nothing more. Souls who die without my personal attention are meaningless to me, one of the thousands that die every hour all across the globe. The soul who is murdered in my name is no more important to me than the child who dies of pneumonia," Death said.

She raised a hoof and set it on Marionette's head, and then pressed down.

Marionette screamed. The pressure was more than just physical; her mind and her soul both felt like they were being crushed almost to the point of bursting.

And then it was gone. Death retracted her hoof and set it on the ground. "Death should be meaningful. A natural death frees space for new life. An unnatural death should save lives. You do neither. You are pointless." Death turned away from her. "I won't kill you now. I won't tell you to stop. Your debt to me will be paid soon enough, when my past catches up to you. I have already had my vengeance; it is certain. Enjoy the rest of your life; it won't be long."

Death stepped out of the cabin. Having teleported straight to her soul, she actually had little reference of where she was in the world. Thus, she was pleasantly surprised to see that she had appeared near the outskirts of Ponyville.

"It looks different without the skyscrapers," she thought.

High above the city of Canterlot, Sparkle appeared on Thorn's back. "How did it go?" the dracolich asked through their link.

"I got it," Sparkle replied.

"Well, I'm almost done. Can we rejoin before we ignite it?" Thorn asked.

Sparkle shook her head, even though Thorn couldn't possibly see her from that angle. "No, Thorn. I don't want to. I'm tired and I don't feel like being Sparkrovitar right now. Maybe later."

Thorn growled.

The last thing Sparkle heard before he forcefully slammed the link wide open was, "Too bad."

Author's Note

Future Equestrian guns use a different measurement system that our guns do. Those are impressively sized guns of a decent caliber. Thanks to asksurgeonrarity on tumblr for some of the description for Death's guns.

I'll give you a bit of a frame of reference. We are currently somewhere between "Luna Eclipsed" and "Hearth's Warming Eve," and very near the time frame of "Secret of My Excess." "It's About Time," or at least the period of time in which it occurs, is scheduled for the following May in this timeline.

[Part of the History Overwritten Update]

Canterlot and the Storm, part 2; or Sparkle and Her Inner Demon

This was it. This was the moment he'd been waiting for. Sparkrovitar clicked the igniter in Thorn's throat.

The sky over Canterlot exploded.

Baleful green flames illuminated the city, spreading out in a disk until the entire sky was alight. The heat created a tremendous updraft, damaging anything not securely fastened in the streets.

And then it began to rain.

Thorn, like his brother, could transport matter with his flames. In this case however, instead of sending by fire, the flames were the receiver. Over the last month, Sparkle had prepped and prepared thousands of objects, marking them with magic so that Thorn's flames could summon them.

Those objects? The city's large species of vermin.

All of it.

And every single rat, pigeon, and raccoon had been turned into a zombie, one given a single task: find a vampire, and detonate the curse Sparkle had loaded them with.

The vermin fell or flew, rapidly spreading throughout the city. Ponies screamed as they were assaulted by the zombified animals. For the most part, the animals completely ignored the ponies.

The first vampire to encounter a rat didn't know what to make of it. The rat, however, leapt towards the vampire, and when it was a few hoof lengths away, it exploded into a ball of darkness.

When the magic faded, the vampire's own regeneration decided that the connection between cells was a foreign invader, and began attacking it. In less than three seconds, the vampire was mush on the ground, very much dead.

Among his companions, panic ensued.

Above it all, Sparkrovitar simply laughed. All was going to plan, after all.

Celestia was thoroughly grossed out by the onslaught of rotting vermin. It was effective, there was no denying, but she was seriously sick to her stomach.

Celestia was not alone. Her guards and the civilians they were protecting were also grossed out and completely terrified. Shining Armor, in that moment, was never more pleased that he had become a barrier master, and that the raining zombies simply bounced off his shield.

As for the Red Platoon and Lune de Sang Cirque, they initially panicked when they saw the rodents and pigeons melting the other vampires. However, when the vermin detonated against them and nothing else happened, they realized what was going on. "The necromancer has delivered!" one of the Red Platoon shouted.

Cheers erupted from the guard. With their anti-curse in place, they had no reason to fear the onslaught. Redoubling their efforts, the enemy that had once matched their skill with sheer numbers was now rapidly being cut down.

The battle of Canterlot would be over within the hour. The vermin bomb, with no way of stopping it, would continue spreading until it had slain almost every vampire in Canterlot, excluding those that had been immunized, and many vampires beyond. The number of lives that would be saved by the vampire population being culled so much, and so strongly in favor of pacifistic covens, was incalculable. The mass destruction of the vermin population would also work in Canterlot's favor.

The remaining members of Dusk, werewolves and changelings without their leader, would surrender swiftly and be taken into custody. There, they would be purged of Marionette/Mama Bear/Ursa Major's mind control magic and released back into society. Peace would return, and Canterlot would remain an unconquered capital city.

What none of them knew was that another, smaller battle had started a few seconds after the sky had ignited and the dead vermin had rained down.

Sparkrovitar laughed as he looked down at the carnage. He laughed as if it was the funniest thing in the world.

"Dying. They're all dying! And I get to be a hero for it! I'll get my freedom. With Overcast out of the way, they really can't stop me now! I could run. I could go anywhere. I could do anything I want." He broke out laughing again. "Canterlot won't be my prison anymore; I'll be a free drake!"

The dragon head looked down at the city. Several buildings were burning. The damage to the city was clear even from this altitude.

However, Sparkrovitar wasn't interested in the destruction. No, he was looking at the pink shield covering part of the city. "Aww, Shiny didn't kick the bucket yet. There's one chain I can't cast off yet," he mumbled.

'No.'

Where had that come from? Normally, when someone thinks something, they are aware that the thoughts were from their own head. This didn’t feel like that.

Sparkrovitar shrugged.

'NO!'

It was like a brick to the skull. The thought was so loud that it physically hurt him. He flapped his wings rapidly to regain the altitude that the surprise had cost him.

'I AM NOT LIKE THAT!'

Have you ever had the feeling of your mind fissuring down the middle? It was something like that. Instead of the normal split at a build-in joint, it felt like a portion of his mind simply ripped itself of.

"Sparkle."

'You. Are. Not. ME!' she roared. Thorn's wings faltered again at the mental onslaught. 'YOU AREN'T ME! I would never even think of hurting Shining Armor. GET OUT OF MY HEAD!'

Sparkrovitar chuckled darkly. "Oh, dear Sparkle. This is my head now."

'Shut up, Thorn. This isn't funny.'

The chuckling warped and grew into booming laughter. "Thorn? You think I'm that pathetic, sniveling brat? What a riot."

'What the buck are you talking about?' Sparkle snarled.

"Let me show you…" The unicorn horn darkened, pulling the two of them into a shared mindscape. Sparkle appeared on the stone floor of the dream, completely unicorn in appearance. Across from her, the hideous amalgamation of pony and dragon similarly materialized. "Look at me."

Sparkrovitar's mouth opened wide, wider than it ever should have been able to open. Deep within the black pit, Sparkle could see the beaten and broken mental representation of Thorn, the true Thorn. "Mom…" he whimpered, "…run."

Sparkle called up memory she could on mind magic. Settling into a ready stance, she shouted, "GIVE HIM BACK, YOU MONSTER!"

The giant form of Sparkrovitar simply swatted her aside, sending her careening off into the distance. "No," it taunted, "why would I? Thorn is so tasty. In fact, I think I'll eat you now."

Sparkle fired a blast of magic at it, which the abomination simply swatted aside. "Really, Mom? You think that will help you? I am the most powerful mind in here; you're helpless compared to me!"

Sparkle took an instant to take stock of the situation. "You're right," she said, deciding to take the cautious approach. "Though that begs the question, what the buck are you, and how long have you had Thorn?"

"Since the moment you created me," it said. Looming over her, it put its mouth right next to her. Sparkle could feel its hot, pungent breath blowing through its teeth. "The moment I awoke, I consumed Thorn completely. It was easy. Half a soul, half a mind – he didn't stand a chance."

Backing away, Sparkle said, "You didn't answer my question. What. Are. You?"

"I AM YOU! YOU MADE ME!" it roared with delight. "The link made me. Those rat souls you ate? They fed me! The rituals? They made me mightier that you."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Really, really?"

Sparkrovitar rolled its eyes. "Yes, really."

Sparkle pulled herself tight. More specifically, she pulled every last muscle of her physical self tight. Because the link was still open, that included all the muscles in Thorn's body, too.

Their wings snapped tight and they fell. Blind as Sparkle was to the outside world, she could feel the vertigo and weightlessness caused by their decent. "What? What are you doing!? Stop!"

"You're me," Sparkle taunted. "You know what I want. Do we die from a fall, or…?"

Sparkrovitar snarled. "NO! You can't have him!" The mental avatar lunged at Sparkle, intent on devouring her and regaining complete control over her body.

She dodged. "Running out of time…"

Sparkrovitar gathered up every last drop of psychic power it had and struck.

Luna felt a tremor in the dream realm. It took an extremely powerful psychic attacking with all their might to make a wave that strong.

She looked west. In the distance, where the evening sky was the clearest, she saw two figures, a pony and a dragon, plummeting towards the ground uncontrollably.

Something was dreadfully, terribly wrong.

Luna warped as fast as she could. Despite her speed once warping, the delay caused by her entry into the aether would be too long. She couldn't catch them.

The goddess of dreams blurred into reality. She galloped the last few steps, coming upon the rubble of the building Sparkle and Thorn had crashed into.

Thorn's massive frame was a blessing in the end. Sparkle, despite her unresponsiveness, was mercifully alive thanks to Thorn cushioning the impact. Less merciful, however, were the psychic tremors originating from her and from the dragon below her.

Blue light gathered around Luna's horn, forming a set of detection spells; she had to know if Sparkle would live before attempting to fix whatever was happening inside the necromancer's head. When the spells indicated that her body was remarkably unarmed, Luna felt confident in delving into her mind. With one more flash of her horn, Luna's consciousness moved towards Sparkle's brain.

"You failed; we're still alive," Sparkrovitar taunted. "And you have nothing left. NOW LET ME EAT YOU!" Sparkrovitar's claw shot forwards, intent on skewering the rebellious fragment of Sparkle.

It stopped short.

Gripped in the magical aura of Princess Luna, Sparkrovitar's claw hovered a hair's width away from ending Sparkle's existence. "Enough!" Sparkrovitar was blasted back by the force of Luna's voice.

A shield formed, separating Sparkle and Luna from the monster. "Princess…" Sparkle said weakly.

"It seems that I arrived just in time," the alicorn stated. "Tsk, I was right in my mistrust of Sparkrovitar."

"Hello, Princess. You're just in time for lunch," the beast said, grinning from ear to ear.

"I'll deal with you in a minute," Luna dismissed. Looking down at Sparkle, the princess asked, "Can you stand?"

"Yes," Sparkle said, weakly getting to her hooves.

"Good. Always get back up. Always fight! Never give in; if you do, it will consume you," Luna explained.

Sparkle looked at her enemy. "What are you?"

Luna replied, "That… is an excellent question. Sparkle, allow me to delve into the deepest depths of your mind; perhaps I can find an answer in the places even you cannot venture."

Sparkle nodded her consent.

Luna's horn lit, more for effect than for any practical purpose. Rectangular windows appeared, filling the space of the mindscape with visions of Sparkle's past. They blurred by faster than either Sparkrovitar or Sparkle could comprehend, but Luna saw and understood every single one of them. A short moment later, the rapid-fire memories vanished.

Luna pointed a hoof at Sparkrovitar. "You are a disease. A festering wound of thought. A true demon born of this mare's injured mind." Louder, she declared, "YOU ARE SPARKLE'S NIGHTMARE!"

A slow clap reverberated through the mindscape. "You got it; very good. Well done princess. How very smart." The clapping stopped abruptly. "But that isn't everything. I am her hopes, her dreams, her desires, her lust, her greed, her magic, her everything! Without me, she is but a shadow of herself, unable to do anything."

"And that is where you are wrong. You see this mare, standing beside me? She is standing. She is standing through no aid of my own, by her will alone. And so long as she stands, she can fight, and she can win."

Throughout Luna's speech, Sparkle's mental form gained solidity. The confidence and support of somepony else was a powerful thing, reinforcing her mental existence. With more confidence, Sparkle transitioned from barely standing to standing strong.

"Come, Sparkle. Let us fight. Let us defeat your nightmare, together, and rescue your son," Luna said.

Sparkle nodded. Gathering her strength once more, she entered a ready stance. "For Thorn."

"For Thorn," Luna echoed. Then, on some unspoken cue, they charged.

The battle raged on. Between minds in a shared mindscape, injury was metaphorical. A wound would damage a memory or part of the personality temporarily. But, the point of a mindscape fight was not to slay the enemy, but to resolve, repress, or remove the offending thoughts.

Slowly, Sparkle and Luna wore away at their fearsome enemy. For every part that they cut from Sparkrovitar, Sparkle grew stronger; her mind was healing. And for every cut they inflicted upon Sparkrovitar, it shrank and devolved more and more into a snarling, instinctual beast.

Just as Sparkle was about to give the finishing blow, Sparkrovitar stopped. Its chest, still larger than Sparkle and Luna combined, burst open. From the guts that spilled out, Thorn heaved himself up.

Tears streaked from his eyes, eyes that bore a genuine childishness. Sparkle realized that that look hadn't been present in his eyes for a long time in the real world. "Thorn!"

"Mom!" He raced forwards, the dream ichor fading as he did. The small drake leaped forwards and tackle-hugged his mom. "You saved me!"

"I'm so glad you're alright!" the happy mother replied.

"NO!" A claw shot forwards from the fallen demon, skewering Thorn's chest. "I WILL NOT LOSE YET!" it hissed.

A wall of magic appeared, severing the demon's arm from its body. The limb faded, leaving no holes on Thorn's dream body. "You have lost, nightmare," Luna said. "You are nothing but a bad dream." From Luna's horn, blue chains of magic shot out, binding the demon to a rock that was conjured behind it. By the time it was finally bound and gagged by every spell Luna could think of, only its hate-filled lavender and green eyes were visible.

"Come, Sparkle, Thorn, join me in the real world when you awaken. I shall explain then."

The first thing Luna did when she returned to the real world was cast the sweet dream spell on the still unconscious duo. She gathered them in her magic and warped them to her room in the castle. Depositing Sparkle and the now significantly smaller Thorn on her bed, Luna made to return to her sister's side.

A squeak stopped her. Luna glanced down and saw one of the zombie rats had hitched a ride with them. She levitated it off the floor. "Ingenious. Terrifying, but ingenious." She absentmindedly banished the rat to deep space and then teleported to Celestia.

Arriving beside her elder sister, Luna asked, "What is the current status?"

"We've had several small pockets of fighters surrender," Celestia replied. "I would expect a full end to the fighting to occur very soon."

Luna replied, "That is good. Another problem had arisen, but I have dealt with it already. Sparkle and Thorn had unknowingly conjured a nightmare beast, and a tremendously powerful one at that."

"Will they be all right?"

"They will, though their unique situation presents some interesting challenges," Luna replied. As she raised her weapon, Luna said, "For now, let's end the fighting on our streets once and for all."

Sparkle awoke on an extraordinarily plush bed, feeling more well rested than she could ever recall feeling. She stretched, working out some odd kinks in her muscles, and then opened her eyes.

This wasn't her room.

Where…?

There was a soft *whoosh* of displaced air. "Good morning, Sparkle," Luna said as she arrived. Sparkle jumped, having not expected the night princess to appear at the side of the bed. When Sparkle looked over, she found Princess Celestia there as well.

"Princess Celestia! Princess Luna! What are you doing here?"

"You are in my room," Luna replied. "We were waiting for you to wake up. I cast a sleep spell on you, and you slept far longer than I expected."

"Oh." A beat. "You wanted to talk?"

"Yes," Luna replied. "From your memories, I could tell that the seeds of your nightmare were not planted recently, as you expected, but a long time ago. The fusion of your souls into one entity damaged you. Your mind simply healed around the wound, but left it to fester. When you opened your 'link', you let it out. It quickly captured Thorn and fed you lies, while feeding on your greed and your desire for freedom. I wouldn't hesitate to say that any conclusions you arrived at while under its power are suspect."

"I see," Sparkle said, taking a moment to digest those facts. "But it's gone now, right?"

"Yes and no," Luna said. "It did not lie when it said it was a part of you. To simply cut it out would remove critical parts of your mind. For now, it is sealed away. Unlike my own nightmare, which possessed me from without, yours was born from within. The best advice I can give you now is to forget it. Your mind knows where the problem is now; it will clean itself over time, weakening Sparkrovitar. You are young, and your mind is still flexible. However, it still exists, and in all likelihood will exist for the rest of your life. You must discipline yourself, meditate frequently, and-"

"Wash between the ears?" Sparkle offered.

"That is not exactly how I would have put it, but in spirit, yes," Luna agreed. "There is another matter I would like to bring up: this." Luna levitated a stack of papers towards Sparkle, the very ones Sparkle had coerced Overcast into signing. If they had been filed, they would have stripped Overcast of her House's Nobility and passed it to House Twilight. "Between you and your brother's contributions, I do not feel that this is necessary."

Sparkle held back any and all reactions. It was her vengeance for what Overcast had done to Shining Armor and her. She steeled her expression, not wanting the princesses to see her annoyance.

"Exactly," Celestia said, speaking for the first time since Sparkle had awoken. "Luna and I can grant nobility to those families who perform heroic feats for our country. Without you or Captain Shining Armor, Canterlot may very well have fallen. We'll grant House Twilight its own nobility. Although…" Celestia blushed ever so slightly, "… between us, I have an ulterior motive for granting you this title. If you ever feel like working at the castle or in another government job, or know someone who you would be willing to sponsor, please let me know."

"Thank you, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna," Sparkle said. Well, Sparkle supposed it was something. And did Celestia really think Sparkle would want any dealings with politics? Or that she'd know anypony who would? Most of the ponies she knew were of the less reputable.

Luna stood. "If you'll excuse me, I have other duties I must attend to. The battle may be over, but the fallout is just beginning. Sparkle, feel free to leave on your own time."

"Again, Thank you, Princess."

The door to the royal chambers shut behind Luna as she exited. Sparkle looked at Celestia, who was still sitting beside her. Celestia smiled. "I hope you don’t mind that I satisfied some of my curiosity about you and your connection to that other world while you slept."

"Well, as long as you don't mind sharing," Sparkle replied. "Twilight and I barely know anything about our connection."

"Gladly. Back when Star Swirl the Bearded was around, he and I worked on dimensional theory together. We even built a magic mirror that functioned as a portal to other worlds. I'm sure you can guess where I'm going with this." The solar princess smiled.

"You mean I could go there? Actually go to the other timeline?" Sparkle asked, flabbergasted.

"Not forever; there are consequences for staying too long, but I don't see why not," Celestia replied. "Consider it a thank you gift, both for fighting for Canterlot, and for proving me wrong." At Sparkle's confused look, Celestia said, "I had feared, and had been half expecting that your staged betrayal was more genuine than you were letting on. I am glad that it was not. Now, would you like to join me for breakfast? After Thorn wakes, of course."

"Gladly, Princess."

Author's Note

Sparkrovitar is no more... for now... maybe... It's an enemy within. For all of you thinking Death = Sparkrovitar: NO.

Through the Looking Glass (+ mini chapter)

The chilly December air swirled the snow on the streets above, but the cavernous chambers below Canterlot Castle remained comfortably cool year round. The primary hazard there was not the cold, but the dust in the air, which was prone to making the more sensitive of its rare occupants sneeze occasionally.

The cavern flashed green.

A drake rubbed his sore nose. "At least I didn't burn anything that time," he muttered to himself.

"Just be careful, Thorn," his mother replied. The mare, now visibly pregnant and nearing the halfway mark, trotted beside him. The two of them followed behind Princess Celestia, and were in turn followed by Cobalt, this time painted with zebra stripes.

Sparkle and her son both wore gray robes, although they were of a significantly higher quality than their original set. The robes, aside from their decorative purposes, helped conceal their bodies so that they did not have to spend the effort on full-body illusions to hide their physical corruption. Thus, their eyes, having long since lost their original color, and Sparkle's horn, practically a sword on her head, were the only things that needed magic to be hidden.

In the warehouse-like cavern that Celestia was leading them through, such disguises weren't really necessary. But then again, the caverns weren't the final destination. The mirror in the back was only a waypoint.

"Here we are," Celestia said as she brought them to the mirror. "Star Swirl and I used to explore the multiverse together with this mirror. We discovered threads of meta-energy connecting objects together even across universes. Now, normally, it is incredibly hard to detect a universe that is too similar to your own, but you, Sparkle, are tied to your sister. Using the information I gathered from your thread, I've calibrated the mirror to take you to the other timeline."

"Interesting," Sparkle replied. "Does it use a summoning array as its base?"

"That was my first thought when I was introduced to the mirror by Star Swirl," Celestia said. "That isn't the case, however. It's a breach in the space-time continuum, with the mirror glass acting as both a filter and a safe passageway."

"Huh," Sparkle said. "I didn't even know you could do that."

"You can," Celestia replied. "Now..." Her horn lit up and she tapped it on the top of the mirror's frame. A second of silence passed, and then the mirror's surface rippled like liquid mercury. "The gate is open. It will stay open for three days before it closes. If you are still on the other side, you'll..." Celestia paused briefly, "be stuck there for years." She blinked and looked away for a moment. "Cadance and Shining Armor, as well as Cobalt's family, would miss you very much if you were gone."

"I was disowned," Cobalt replied bluntly, shrugging.

Celestia cringed slightly, thinking she'd just stepped on a delicate topic. However, she saw the indifference in his eyes and continued on. "Regardless, it would be best for eveypony and everydragon if you were all back in time. I've already contacted my other self, so she's expecting you three. Are you ready?"

The two ponies and one dragon nodded. They said their goodbyes and walked towards the mirror. Cobalt and Thorn jumped through, while Sparkle cast one last glance back at Celestia.

The gleam in the princess's eyes could only be described as adventurous, almost as if she wished she could come with Sparkle. Celestia nodded and Sparkle, smiling, turned around and jumped through the looking glass.

It was if color had ganged up on her and decided to mob her eyes. The swirling mass of clashing hues assaulted her eyes in ways that were physically painful. They stretched her, squeezed her, and flung her every which way.

In that momentary eternity, Sparkle was color.

And then it was over. With an ungraceful flop, Sparkle toppled out of the mirror and onto the still recovering Thorn.

"That was fun," Cobalt replied as he dusted himself off.

Sparkle did the same after heaving herself up. "I wish I knew what that was that I just saw," Sparkle muttered. She looked up.

The room she was in was, for all intents and purposes, completely identical to the room she had just left. The sole exception was that this Celestia's expression was just a tad firmer, and a tad less tolerating of Sparkle and company's presence. The difference was almost too subtle for most ponies to notice; then again, seeing souls and the emotional changes therein was not a talent most ponies possessed.

"Princess Celestia," Sparkle said, bowing slightly. "I'm Sparkle, this is Thorn, and this is my friend, Cobalt," Sparkle said. She introduced Cobalt as her friend rather than her student to avoid casting him in a bad light.

"A pleasure," Celestia replied. "If you'll follow me, I'll escort you out. Come back as soon as you are ready to depart." And with nothing further to say, Celestia led the trio out in silence.

Three sets of rhythmic crunches, two sets of four and a set of two, sounded along through the length of the sidewalk, drowned out by the noise of the city and the muffling effect of the snow itself. The percussive sounds of limbs walking down the street stopped at the side of a particular building. The sound of a mare and a stallion conversing became audible, before the hoof beats returned.

The owners of the sounds entered the building - a theater - and gave their newly acquired tickets to the ticket taker. As the mare handed their stubs back, she directed them to their seats.

Some time later, the curtain rose, revealing the twin brother of the dracolich. "Once upon a time, long before the peaceful rule of Celestia, and before ponies discovered our beautiful land of Equestria, ponies did not know harmony. It was a strange and dark time. A time when ponies were torn apart... by hatred!"

The crowd, excluding the three otherworldly visitors, gasped. Cobalt gave his teacher an incredulous, sideways glance. Sparkle replied with a simple shrug.

And so the show continued. Thorn enjoyed listening to his brother narrate the pageant, but shifted his focus completely to the white mare when she took the stage.

"Rarity." Thorn looked at Sparkle; Sparkle looked at Thorn. They had both surprised each other by simultaneously whispering the unicorn's name.

Sparkle blushed slightly. Though the original desire for Rarity had come from Thorn, the nightmare Sparkrovitar had highlighted how beautiful Rarity was. And while she preferred stallions more, Sparkle would freely admit that she swung both ways.

In truth, most unicorns were bisexual as a result of how their magic had affected their physiology over the millennia their kind had existed. It was one of those things that everypony knew but didn't talk about. And perhaps it was the vacation, or perhaps it was the bibliophile in Sparkle admiring the play, but either way, she found herself eyeing all of Twilight's friends on stage.

She shook her head and continued watching the reenactment of Equestria's founding tale for the sake of the historical narrative. Sparkle giggled slightly when Trixie came out, dressed as a wendigo. The mare had even used her magic to conjure snow to accompany her entrance.

And then Twilight lit her horn, forming a flaming, golden heart with her magic. For the first time ever, Sparkle felt her sister's magic without the barrier of time between them. Even with her own magic fully suppressed and hidden, Sparkle could feel Twilight's light shining into her very soul; unlike with Tesla before, there was no hostility at all, only pure, burning joy.

The perpetual hunger in Sparkle's soul grew into a gaping, yearning chasm of desire. And yet, she felt no urge to take Twilight's soul for herself; Sparkle was content to just watch.

Eventually, the ponies on stage took their bow, and the curtain fell. The entire audience stomped their hooves in applause.

"That was fun," Cobalt remarked. "Your sister and brother were really good, ma'am, Thorn."

Sparkle offered her hoof. "Shall we go tell them that ourselves?"

"Sure," Cobalt said. Thorn also agreed. They took her hoof.

Sparkle released the bindings on her magic, and the crowd reacted almost instantly, parting from her mere presence. The necromancer didn't give them time to panic, though, as she dragged her son and student into the shadows and to the room where she could feel her sister.

"We should be so honored that Princess Celestia chose us! She must really think we exemplify what good friends are!" Twilight said as she hung her costume up.

The window popped open, letting the chilly wind race into the dressing room. "Trixie will get it," the blue mare declared. But, just as she illuminated her horn to magic the window shut, an oppressive and mildly terrifying presence materialized in the room.

As a trio of figures solidified, several of the ponies jumped, with sounds ranging from squeaks to shrieks. "Fantastic!" The tallest of the arrivals exclaimed. "Your acting was amazing."

"Sparkle?!" Twilight exclaimed. "But how?"

"Aww, I would've thought you'd have loved to see me," the necromancer replied.

Twilight ran up and hugged her sister. Their opposing magical cores made their skin tingle pleasantly at the touch. "Of course I'm glad to see you. But how did you get here? We didn't bend time."

"Ask Celestia about Star Swirl's Mirror; it's an amazing piece of magic that can let you jump between worlds," Sparkle replied.

Twilight broke off the hug. "Jump between worlds? So you're actually here? Is that why-"

"I can feel your magic? Yes and yes," Sparkle answered.

As the two sisters reunited, the two brothers did the same, and the apprentice looked on, the six other ponies in the room did their best to get as far away as possible from the individuals they knew in their minds and in their guts to be very dangerous.

Cobalt trotted over and sat himself down between Applejack and Pinkie Pie. "Hello. Have we met before? I can't remember. I have memory issues, so I might have, but..."

Applejack looked the zebra-painted pony over. Although they had, in fact, met before, Cobalt had been painted differently. "No, partner, Ah don't think we have. Name's Applejack."

"And I'm Pinkie Pie."

He nodded. "Charmed. I'm Cobalt." Applejack thought the name sounded familiar, but couldn't place it. " Are you over here because of my mistress?" Cobalt inquired.

"Your mistress?" Applejack asked.

"I'm Miss Sparkle's apprentice," Cobalt replied.

"Sparkle's one scary mare," Applejack said.

Cobalt grinned. "You have no idea."

"...but just when we thought it was beaten, it stabbed me with its claws. I would have died if it wasn't for Princess Luna." As they rode the train to Ponyville, Thorn recounted what he knew of the battle of Canterlot to Spike and the others. Even if he hadn't consciously thought about it, Thorn's decision to not say the exact nature of their anti-vampire weapon probably spared Fluttershy's feelings for the animals.

"That's amazing!" Spike cheered. "What happened next?"

"Princess Luna sealed it away for good. Then she cast a sleep spell, and the next thing I knew, I was waking up in her room,"

"You got to see the Princess's room?" Rarity interjected. "What did it look like?"

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Vampires and Nightmares, and all she cares about is the Princess's room." Applejack bopped Rainbow with her hoof. "What was that for?"

Aside from the occasional friendly quip at one another, the train ride passed relatively swiftly. Sparkle and Thorn caught up with their siblings, and Cobalt became fast friends with Pinkie. The rest, however, stayed to themselves and didn't interact much with the temporal outsiders.

Sparkle didn't mind. It just gave her more time to spend with her sister. "Hey, can you give me a tour when we get there?" Sparkle asked Twilight.

"Absolutely!"

Twilight pointed to her left. Cobalt, Thorn, Spike, and Sparkle looked towards the giant gingerbread house that she was indicating. "Over there, we have Sugar Cube Corner, the bakery where Pinkie works," she pointed ahead towards a building built from a living tree, "and there's my home sweet library tree, the Golden Oaks."

"This town is amazing," a starry-eyed Sparkle said as she looked around. Snow fell gently upon the town, but that didn't stop its residents from running merrily about the town.

"It's nothing special," Twilight replied.

"No, it is," Sparkle insisted. She pointed around. "I didn't notice it when I came here before, but your tour made it clear. The atmosphere is very different from Canterlot. The ponies all smile here, and none of them have that stupid, arrogant walk. I love it!"

And indeed she did. In Canterlot, the default expression of its populace was a disdain-filled scowl in the upper levels, and a shifty gaze in the lower levels. By contrast, Ponyville ponies all had cheerful, easygoing smiles.

Twilight led the group into her home with promises of hot chocolate and a warm fire. Cobalt and the two dragons filed quickly inside, while Sparkle lingered momentarily. "Twi?"

"Yes, Sparks?"

For an agonizing moment, Sparkle debated telling her sister what Death had told Shining Armor, and he had in turn told her. However, one glance through the door revealed the her son and nephew roughhousing and Cobalt cheering them on; the whole scene was just too happy. In that one moment, her courage evaporated.

"I love you, Twi."

"Love you too, sis."

That was all that needed to be said.

Mini Chapter: Dragon Smackdown

Welcome, mares and gentlestallions, dames and drakes, to the 150th annual Dragon Smackdown! I'll be your host tonight. Now, let's get ready to rumble!!!

Now, have we got an interesting lineup for you this fine evening. Among fan favorites such as Flare the Incinerator and The Pulverizer, we have some new talent making their debut matches today. In fact, it is the first match of the day. Let's get to it!

In the left corner, we have a young drake out to prove himself to the one he loves; I hear she's even in the audience. And despite his age, he is a proficient lance user and a master of the long-lost art of age shifting. I am proud to give you, for the first time, Spike the Knight!!!

From the door on the left, Spike stepped into the stone arena. Decked out in gleaming steel plate armor, carrying a lance three times his height in one hand as easily as if it were a twig, and carrying a large, reflective shield in the other, Spike certainly looked the part.

And in the right corner, we have... Am I reading this correctly? Yes, it seems that his challenger is none other than Spike's twin brother, and the self-proclaimed evil twin at that. With no weapons to his name, but a plethora of magical ability, Let's welcome, also for the first time, Thorn the Lich!!!

Thorn emerged from the opposite door, blinking as he adjusted to the bright light. He wore simple leather armor - if it could even be called that with how little it would protect him - and a skull-shaped mask. Despite carrying no weapons, the onlookers could tell that his whole body was a honed weapon.

Are you ready?

The crowd roared in excitement.

Then let the fight... BEGIN!

Spike lunged forwards, taking the opening move. He thrusted his lance.

Thorn dodged to the left and grabbed the extended weapon. He pulled.

Spike momentarily lost his balance, but recovered enough to redirect his momentum and plow shoulder first into Thorn. His armor's spikes dug into Thorn; they didn't pierce the lich's hide, but they would definitely bruise him enough to impare movement.

What an amazing comeback by the Knight! Are you seeing this, folks?

Thorn recoiled, and then sprang forwards, faster than Spike could move. The dead dragon clawed at his brother's armor. With his mouth now inches from Spike's face, Thorn exhaled.

Spike jumped back, recoiling from the baleful green flames that were hot even to him. He wiped the molten metal of his helmet out of his eyes. The crowd hissed and booed. "Have you no pride? Eyes are against the rules!" Spike shouted.

"Whoops," Thorn replied. "Sorry, I got-OOF!" Spike's Lance crashed into Thorn's left, sending him tumbling. Before he could stand, a volley of fireballs shot towards him.

Ouch! That's got to hurt!

Thorn dodged all but one, which reduced his leather armor to ash. "Fine, if that's how you want to play..." Thorn's body rapidly dissolved into an inky black smoke.

What is this? I've never seen a dragon do anything like this. Is that even legal?

Thorn's body filled the arena, blinding Spike. "Come on, bro. I'm right here; hit me!"

What a frightening power! Folks, I feel sorry for whoever has to fight Thorn next.

"Bastard. I might not be able to hit you, but you can't hit me either," Spike shouted.

"That's where you're wrong, Spike," Thorn's voice said, echoing from everywhere. A pair of forelimbs materialized near the ground behind Spike. "Dead Dragon Strike: One Thousand Years of Pain!"

Thorn struck.

Spike flew...

...and promptly crashed into the library book case. "Gah! You didn't have to poke me in the ass!"

"But it was funny," Thorn replied as he resolidified on one of the library chairs.

"Bro, there are things you do not do in Dragon Smackdown," Spike said as he pulled off his singed cardboard armor. "Sticking your claw up my ass is one of those things."

"Then can I-"

"No."

"But-"

"I said NO."

A moment of silence passed between the two.

"Want to raid your Mom's cookie jar?" Thorn asked.

"Buck yes."

"Language, Spike."

"I blame you," he replied.

The lich shrugged. "Fair enough."

And What Sparkle Found There

The librarian of the Golden Oaks was more than just a caretaker of the books; she was the caretaker of the library itself. Every morning, she practiced with her light magic, stretching it and warming it up as if it were a muscle like any other. The effect of this was that her tree (and all the life within) flourished. The tree itself grew bigger, taller, and stronger.

One could say that it was quickly becoming her mage tower. And, like any good mage tower, it was decorated in a style representative of its current occupant. Twilight, in a moment of odd brilliance, had used her magic to grow a particularly tasty type of grass to grow indoors, directly from the living wood floor, in place of carpet.

Sparkle, not knowing that the grass was there to be eaten, gently crept down the grass covered stairs of her sister's home. Each hoof step was muffled by the soft plant matter, rendering her effectively silent as she descended. And, with it being a new moon tonight, she was moving in total darkness. The darkness didn't bother her, though; the light of the tree's life-force was plenty to see by, even if she and her son were the only ones who could see it.

The light made her hunger worse. It was a small, but tantalizing treat that was visible in every direction. To Sparkle, it was like being on the inside of a truly edible gingerbread house. Or, more accurately, it was like being inside of a gingerbread house while craving something with a bit more sustenance to it.

Sparkle silently trotted down the stairs in pursuit of food, ignoring her circadian rhythm's protests that it was go-back-to-bed o’clock. Her eyes darted around, taking in the details of the library as seen through her soul-sight alone. The whole structure glowed a soft gold-purple mix, which was expected considering how saturated it was with Twilight’s magic.

The necromancer made her way through the main area of the library. Her hoof prints in the indoor grass were noticeably more brown than the surrounding plant matter, such was the effect of her power. Stealthily, she slipped into the kitchen.

She pried open the refrigerator door and peered in. Nothing looked particularly appetizing to Sparkle at the moment, but she was hungry. Sighing, she grabbed a chunk of cheese - what kind, she couldn’t tell - and headed towards the kitchen table.

Flopping down in the chair, she nibbled on the cheese. Provolone. She set it down on the oak table and sighed.

A minute later, a quick motion caught her eye. A few lights, brighter than the tree, scurried around on the floor. Sparkle’s horn darkened in response to this sight as it formed her magic into a spell that she’d cast numerous times recently.

The mice on the floor squeaked in surprise when they felt the soothing magic wash over them. Come, there is food and shelter here, the magic seemed to say, and they trusted it completely. Quickly, they scurried out into the open and up a leg of the table. They paused momentarily when they saw the pony, but the magic assured them that she is nice and trustworthy. The mice shrugged in their little mousy way and scurried towards the block of cheese. And, while they would have prefered a sweeter meal, they were hungry and wouldn’t complain about an easy snack.

Above the mice, Sparkle smiled, revealing teeth that were sharper and more pointed than a pony’s had any right to be. She picked up one of the mice with her telekinesis and gave it its own little chunk of the provolone. With its mouth full of dairy, the mouse didn’t protest its current situation.

“Twas the night before Hearth’s Warming, and all through the tree, not a creature was stirring, well, except for we,” Sparkle sang softly. Then, dropping into a more conversational tone, she asked the mouse, “Can I talk to you?”

The little brown mouse nodded, though in truth it was an act of puppetry on Sparkle’s part. “Thanks,” Sparkle replied, as if it had genuinely nodded. Meanwhile, the entranced mouse just continued to nibble. “Have you ever had a dream that felt like a good dream while you were having it, but then when you woke up, you realized it was actually a nightmare? I did.

“My sister and I were alone together in a room. I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to have what she has? She has everything; I have nothing.’” Then, harsher, she growled, “So I killed her. I put on her pelt and wore it like a coat.

“Then I went outside. All her friends and family thought that I was her, and we had fun. It was lovely. And then I woke up.”

Sparkle held the mouse closer to her face. She watched it continue to nibble on its cheese, unaware of her intentions. “It made me feel... Bah, who am I kidding. You don’t care about how I feel; you probably can’t even understand what I’m saying. Well, down the hatch.”

In a movement so quick, she shoved the mouse into her her gaping mouth and bit down. She could feel it wriggle and panic inside her mouth, but she sucked the life out of it, ending it quickly. She chewed for a minute, and then swallowed, enjoying its flavor all the while.

She looked at the other mice on the table, which were still entranced by her spell. One by one, she scooped them up and sent them to their demise in her stomach. After the last one slid down her throat, she rubbed her belly and belched quietly but proudly.

The room’s lights came on.

Sparkle jumped and whirled around. There stood Twilight, hoof on the lightswitch. “Twilight?” Sparkle asked nervously.

Twilight didn’t say anything, though. She walked into the kitchen, past her sister, and to one of the back cabinets. Pulling it open, she pulled out a bottle of Applejack’s namesake, unscrewed the cap, and took a deep swig. Without turning back, Twilight said, “I’d offer you some, but I think I’ll need it. Either you’re going to tell me what I just saw, or I’m going to drink this whole bottle and let the hangover deal with the memory.”

“Errr...” Sparkle eloquently replied. “How much did you see?”

“You passed me as I was coming out of the bathroom,” the white mage replied. “I followed you down.”

Sparkle’s head flopped down on the table. “Great. You saw everything.” She sighed deeply. “So, which part are you confused about? That your sister secretly wants to kill you and take your life like the green-eyed monster that she is, or that she likes her midnight snacks still squirming?”

Twilight took another swig and sat down across from Sparkle. “There isn’t a unicorn alive who’s as vegetarian as they claim to be, so let’s talk about that dream instead.”

Without removing her face from the table, Sparkle replied, “What’s to tell? I’ve always been a bit jealous of you, Ms. Perfect Life. Student of Celestia, both parents alive, more than just a single friend-slash-student-slash-slave to have any sort of comradery with, and the freedom to go anywhere and use your abilities without restriction. All I have is money and and a title that, because of my own actions, is worth little more than the paper it’s written on.”

The golden-white aura deposited the bottle of Applejack next to Sparkle. “You know we’re still too young to drink, right?”

“It’s eighteen in Ponyville, not twenty-one.”

“And I’m pregnant.”

“Liver augmentation spell, easy.”

Sparkle picked her head up and looked her sister in the eye. She didn’t say anything, but that one glance said all that needed to be said. Sparkle’s black aura lifted the bottle up to her lips.

Applejack and live mice went surprisingly well together, Sparkle decided after taking a long drink. She set the bottle back down on the table, and the two fell into silence.

Sparkle watched Twilight, who in turn watched her back. Neither moved, neither spoke, and despite the growing tension in the air, neither moved to break the silence.

Finally, after a few minutes, Twilight said, “I don’t know what to do. You can’t have my life, but other than giving you that, I don’t know how to help you.”

“Maybe I just need to grow up,” Sparkle quipped.

“Even thousand year old princesses feel jealousy sometimes,” Twilight replied. She took another sip and passed the bottle back to Sparkle. “Now, if you’re sure you’re not going to puke all over my house because of your... snacking, let’s get you upstairs and in bed. We don’t want to be too tired for Hearth’s Warming today.”

“Today?”

“It’s three A.M.”

“Ah.” Sparkle took one last swig and then screwed the cap back on. “Yes, let’s.”

“Wake up, Mom! It’s Hearth’s Warming!”

Twilight found herself roughly awakened by Spike climbing up and jumping on her bed with her still in it. “Come on! Come on!” Spike eagerly chanted.

“Gah, I’m up. I’m up!” Twilight said as she tumbled out of bed. After shaking her head to clear the last cobwebs of sleep (and, unbeknownst to Spike, alcohol), Sparkle stood up and trotted towards the restroom.

“Mom! Where are you going?” Spike asked. “Everyone else is already awake and downstairs.”

“Let a mare have a moment to freshen up, will you?” Twilight shot back.

“Fine,” Spike relented. And while it really was just a moment, any child will tell you that every second between waking up on Hearth’s Warming day and the acquisition of colorfully wrapped Tiny Objects of Youthful Sport can seem like an eternity.

That eternity ended a moment later when a more awake Twilight walked through the door of the bathroom. Upon seeing Spike practically bouncing in place, Sparkle nodded. “Go ahead, you big goofball.”

“Thanks, Mom!” his fading dust trail said. Twilight merely chuckled at this. Lighting up her horn, she set to work fixing the path of shredded and browned grass from her house’s more destructive residents. As she worked her way down, she could hear Spike loudly ripping into his presents, as well as some light conversation between Sparkle and Cobalt.

The first thing Twilight noted as she walked in was that Cobalt’s black stripes were now red, making him look like a living candy-cane. “Somepony’s in the festive spirit,” she commented to announce her presence.

Sparkle glanced over, her smile fading slightly. “Twi, about last night...”

“Save it. We’re all family here,” - she glanced at Cobalt to let him know she had included him in that statement - “and it’s Hearth’s Warming. Let’s not ruin the mood.”

Sparkle looked as if she were about to reply, but then shut her mouth and nodded. “Right. I brought you a gift, Twi.” Sparkle passed a decidedly book-shaped package wrapped in lavender paper to her sister. “Ancient tomes of doom and gloom aren’t the only books I collect.”

Twilight took the book. “Thanks! I... Well, you surprised me with your visit and I didn’t quite have time to get you anything.”

“That’s fine, I-”

“No,” Twilight interrupted. “I want to get you something. How about I treat you to a Spa treatment later today? Cobalt and Thorn can come too, if they want.”

Thorn, who had been watching the exchange, waved a claw dismissively. “Nah, Spike and I were going sledding today.” Behind him, Spike nodded in agreement.

Cobalt had also been listening to the exchange by virtue of having not been in a conversation at the time. “No thank you. Spas are not my thing. Besides, I would think it would be better for the two of you to catch up and spend time together.”

Something in Cobalt’s tone caught Twilight’s attention. “Suit yourself. But Cobalt, may I have a quick word with you? In private?”

Caught slightly off guard by the request, Cobalt said, “Uh, sure.” He followed her into another room of the library and shut the door behind him. “What’s up?”

“How is she?”

“Ms. Sparkle? She’s... fine.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “See, I don’t believe that, and I don’t think you do either.”

“Did you know magic can make you lie?” Cobalt asked. “I just thought it was interesting.”

“Wait, did she do something to you?”

“If she did, I certainly wouldn’t tell you. But no, she didn’t,” Cobalt replied. Twilight looked for any hint of deception, but couldn’t discern anything to hint at his truthfulness from his expression or tone.

“Do you like being her student?” Twilight asked.

“Very much so. Ms. Sparkle is an excellent teacher and has taught me well,” Cobalt replied, smiling.

“And do you like her?”

“Very much so. Ms. Sparkle is an excellent teacher and has taught me well,” Cobalt repeated, still smiling.

“I meant on a personal level,” Twilight said.

Cobalt glanced away. “Our relationship is strictly professional, if friendly.”

“Do you wish it was more, then?”

“...”

“I see,” Twilight replied. “I think I can trust you. Please, look out for her. She needs somepony by her side to keep her strong. And, I think that whatever relationship you pursue, she will reciprocate it.”

A short silence fell between the two of them. “Thanks. I will.”

“That’s all I ask,” Twilight replied gratefully.

Cobalt scratched one of his forelegs with the other. “Um, Ms. Twilight, I had something I wanted to ask you, too.”

“What is it?”

“I suffered from amnesia back in October. Since then, more of my memories have come back than I had let Ms. Sparkle know,” Cobalt admitted. “I wish they had stayed gone, personally. I was in a bad place back then, and just didn’t know it until I met Ms. Sparkle. Then, I completely freed myself.

“And then there’s the me that’s here, in this timeline...” Cobalt concluded.

Twilight’s eyes widened when she realized the implications. “This you is still suffering.”

“Exactly. If you don’t mind, I’d like to send him a letter with my advice and a recommendation to come to you. I’d be grateful if you’d turn him into something a bit more respectable than I am,” Cobalt pleaded.

Twilight put a hoof around his shoulder. “Don’t you worry. Your doppelganger will be in good hooves.”

“Thank you, Ms. Twilight.”

That afternoon, after a hearty lunch of potato soup, Twilight and Sparkle made their way across town towards the spa. Upon entering, they were greeted by Aloe and Lotus. Twilight paid for the deluxe package, and they were quickly escorted back.

As it so happened, Rarity had just arrived minutes before, and was in the process of donning a sauna robe. "Oh, Twilight, Sparkle! What a surprise!"

"Hello, Rarity. I should've known that you would come here today," Twilight replied. She smiled cheerfully. "This will be fun."

"Yes, definitely. After all that happened in Canterlot, I really could use this to unwind," Sparkle replied. She shed her normal robe in exchange for the sauna robe, and then pulled off her prosthesis. Since the illusions she wore were still in effect, it looked to others like she had bloodlessly ripped off her own leg. "Where can I set this?" She saw their expressions. "What? It's fake."

The illusion dissipated, revealing a black, metal leg with a skull and bone motif embossed into the metal. Normally, such prosthetic limbs would have the same heart motif that permeated Equestrian society, so to see something quite contrary to that made it stand out that much more.

Aloe told her to set it with her clothes, and that it would be safe there. Sparkle did so, and then hobbled into the sauna. Rarity and Twilight followed after.

"Sparkle, your leg..." Rarity said.

"You were there. You saw it bleeding after Discord took it," Sparkle replied. "No need to dance around the topic."

"No, that wasn't what I wanted to know, Darling," Rarity replied. "I was wondering who made it. I sometimes work with metals and gems to create my dresses, and even at a glance, I could tell that it was made by a skilled hoof."

"Ah." Sparkle thought for a moment. "It was made by a stallion up in Fillydelphia. Gearbox, I believe it was." Sparkle shrugged. "Anyway, metalworking?"

"I dabble with casting precious metals from time to time. I even occasionally have Spike help me with it; his claws and fire are very helpful," Rarity replied.

Sparkle shifted her weight slightly. "I'm sure he loves helping you."

"He does!" the white mare agreed. "He's always coming by and asking to help me. Spike is such a wonderful little colt."

"You know, Spike's absolutely smitten with you. Thorn too," Sparkle said.

Twilight groaned, while Rarity said, "Really?"

"I promised Spike I wouldn't tell," Twilight mumbled.

"Yes. For a while, Thorn sent you, well, your double, love letters practically daily," Sparkle explained. "I'm guessing Spike didn't do the same."

"No, but he came over all the time."

Sparkle smiled. "You've earned the undying love and loyalty of a dragon, something he'll take to the grave." Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't squander it."

Sparkle suddenly stood and stretched. "I'm done. I'll be getting a massage; join me when you're ready."

Once Sparkle had left the sauna, Rarity turned towards Twilight. "Twilight, darling, forgive me for saying so, but your sister seems rather... Oh, what's the word... Intense?"

"She's had a rough life, Rarity. I don't think that she could live with herself if she weren't aggressive in seizing opportunities when they knock," Twilight said.

Rarity took a moment to digest that. "Did she really mean that about Spikey-wikey?"

"Yes."

"Now I feel guilty about gushing over other stallions while he was helping me," Rarity admitted. Sighing, she too stood up. "Come on, Darling, let's not keep your sister waiting."

"Sure." Rarity helped Twilight up, and the two of them exited the sauna. They switched to less sweaty robes, and made their way over to the massage tables.

Just as they were rounding the corner, Lotus screamed. The spa pony stood pressed up against the wall, keeping her distance from Sparkle, who had dropped all her beauty illusions. Scars from wounds improperly healed crisscrossed her body, and bone spurs protruded from her back. Her horn curved sharply and was as sharp and pointed as a sword.

"What?" Sparkle asked. "You can't do it right if you can't see my body correctly. You could hurt yourself on my spines," she told Lotus. When the masseuse didn't relax, Sparkle added, "I'm not going to bite." Of course, in speaking her assurances, she revealed her shark-like teeth, which mitigated her words' effectiveness.

Meanwhile, Rarity leaned over and whispered into Twilight's ear, "I don't mean to be rude, but are the two of you really ponies?"

Twilight rolled her eyes. Trotting forwards, she hopped onto the massage table next to Sparkle. "Lotus, that's my sister. It's fine."

"Right. I am sorry if I offended," Lotus said apologetically. "Will you want a horn filing as well, ma'am? It's on the house for my overreaction."

Sparkle shrugged. "Sure, that sounds nice."

Lotus sighed, relieved that she hadn't just lost a customer. Her relief was short lived, as Aloe and Quake - a fellow masseuse - walked in and promptly screamed.

The door to the library opened, letting in two ponies and a blast of cold air. The fire in the fireplace danced merrily because of the wind as if inviting the two mares over. Peeling off their outer layers, they dropped them on the floor and trotted over to the warm blaze.

Each mare set herself down next to her own son; both dragons were reading by the fireplace. “Did you get cold?” Sparkle asked.

“Dragons don’t get cold, Mom,” Thorn replied, not looking away from his comic book.

“Right.” Sparkle chuckled softly, and then set her head down on the floor to bask in the warmth of the fire. Between the spa and the warm hearth, she was getting quite sleepy. She yawned softly. “Whatcha reading?”

Thorn tilted the comic book so that his mom could get a better look at the cover, which had been written on in black ink. “Power Ponies. Somehow, I’d missed this issue. The date’s misprinted, so I don’t know when it’s from. It says it’s from two years from now!”

“Well, publishers sometimes make mistakes,” Sparkle said. “Who are O.K. and T.?” On the cover of the comic book was written ‘from O.K. & T., with love.’

“No idea,” Thorn replied with a shrug. “It was that way when I got it.”

“Spike,” Twilight said, “let’s make hot chocolate for everypony.” Spike, liking the idea, leapt up from his position on the other couch and followed his mom into the kitchen.

From the kitchen door, going in the opposite direction, was Cobalt. After stepping aside to let Twilight and Spike in, he walked out into the main room of the library. “You're back, Ms. Sparkle. How was the spa?”

“It was good,” she replied. “Although, the spa ponies were scared by my spines. Still, I got a-”

“Hey!” Thorn suddenly. “That can’t be it!”

“What can’t be what?” Cobalt inquired, trotting over to Thorn.

“This!” Thorn said, holding up the comic book. “It just cuts off, like there are pages missing.”

“Well, you did say the date was messed up. Maybe there was more defective with it than we thought,” Sparkle suggested.

Cobalt gathered his magic and lifted the comic book closer to him. “No, it doesn’t look like pages are missing,” he declared after inspecting it. “There’s something written here. I can’t make it out. Does Twilight have a magnifying glass?”

“TWI!” Sparkle shouted. “WHERE’S YOUR MAGNIFYING GLASS?”

“MY DESK, TOP DRAWER ON THE LEFT!” Twilight yelled back.

Sparkle opened the indicated drawer and pulled out the object of her desire. “THANKS! Here we go...”

Taking the lense from his mistress, Cobalt held it up to the comic book. “You can return to the place you started when the Mane-iac is defeated. Take a closer look to join the adventure in this book? What does that even mean?”

Suddenly, the comic book erupted with brilliant white light. Without warning, Cobalt found his face sucked into the book. Sparkle and Thorn, who had been just behind him as he read the small text, also found themselves being pulled along by the magical attraction.

They screamed, and then there was silence.

Spike and Twilight dashed into the room, only to see the comic book fall to the floor of an empty room.

“What the buck.”

“Language, Spike,” Twilight chided. “But what the buck, indeed."

Power Ponies and Soulless Constructs

Thorn shook his head to clear the cobwebs. When he opened his eyes, he realized that he was definitely not in the Ponyville library. Furthermore, he was standing in front of six mares that he recognized instantly. "The Power Ponies?"

And then Thorn noticed a key detail; of the six mares, only one of them had a soul, a soul he immediately recognized. "Cobalt? You're Filly-Second?"

"Thorn? Wait, Filly-Second?" He looked down at his costume. "OhhhaaaAAAHH!" One of his fore hooves shot back and felt around between his hind legs. "Ahh. I'm good. Crisis averted."

Thorn looked back at the soulless five, who had done nothing but breathe and stand still. "Let's go find out what the deal is with the rest of the team."

As Thorn approached, the five ponies relaxed slightly, as if they had been holding a pose up until then. "Filly-Second, Humdrum, there you are," the Masked Matterhorn said. Her voice, strangely enough, reminded Thorn of his mom's own voice.

Thorn looked down at his own costume and groaned. Of course he was Humdrum; why couldn't he have been one of the cooler power ponies, like Saddle Ranger? He would have been good as her.

When the five soulless heroes said nothing further, Thorn realized that they were waiting for him to say something. "Yes, we're here. What's going on?"

"It's the Mane-iac," Matterhorn replied. "She's come to steal the-"

"Thorn, play along."

"-Electro Orb to power-"

"Mom?" Thorn thought back over the link. "Where are you?"

"-her doomsday device. We must-"

"You'll see," she replied. "Remember, play along. And tell Cobalt."

"-stop her," Matterhorn replied.

Cobalt, who hadn't been privy to the silent conversation and had been listening exclusively to Matterhorn, nodded. He had no idea who the Mane-iac was, but a doomsday weapon sounded really bad.

Just as Thorn whispered Sparkle's message to Cobalt, an explosion punctuated the Maretropolis night. The Power Ponies ran to the edge of the roof. Down on the street below, the Mane-iac was emerging from the dust cloud.

"The Power Ponies! So kind of you to join me!" If one had been watching extra carefully, they would have noticed that the Mane-iac's eyes were moving as if she were reading something that only she could see. However, none of them were that close. And while the Power Ponies watched the villain toss the Electro Orb between her mane and tail tentacles, Thorn and Cobalt's eyes were affixed on the dark flame burning within the Mane-iac's head: Sparkle's Soul.

"Cobalt."

"Yes, Thorn?"

"I think we have to defeat Mom - who now has super powers, henchponies, and a doomsday weapon - to get out of the comic book."

Cobalt took a moment to let that sink in. "Well, I've always wanted a change of scenery. How much do you think comic book apartments cost?"

"Exactly," Thorn replied.

Meanwhile, as Thorn and Cobalt were making their observations, the rest of the Power Ponies had leapt into action. Zapp flew in low, charging lightning as she zipped in close, Mistress Marevelous pulled out her lasso, Radiance conjured a giant croquet mallet, and Matterhorn charged her horn with ice. Together, they unleashed their attacks against an ill-prepared Mane-iac...

Only for them to pass harmlessly through her.

"Hahaha!" The illusion faded, revealing the real villain on the other side of the street, hair already moving to strike.

Radiance and Matterhorn blocked the attacking hair with their powers, while Zapp and Mistress Marevelous dodged. Saddle Ranger, who was too calm to be powered up, had the physique of a normal pony, and thus couldn't dodge or block.

Mane-iac Sparkle lifted up the ensnared pony, and then flared her magic. Of the group, only Cobalt and Thorn had ever faced the full brunt of her presence, and consequently were the only ones still standing once the flare hit them.

But of all of them, none fared worse than Saddle Ranger, whose body started convulsing, as if seizing, and then convulsing and flickering as if reality around the pony was coming undone. Had computers existed at the time, witnesses might have described it as "glitching." From the mare, an inequine wail reverberated all the nearby glass.

Sparkle, surprised by the reaction, backed off with the pressure and set Saddle Ranger down, causing her to stop flickering. "I have what I need," she said. "Ta Ta!"

A strand of mane shot out and curled around a lamp post, slingshotting the mare away.

"What the hay was that?" Zapp asked. "Saddle Ranger, you alright?"

"Yeah," she replied. "I zoned out there for a minute... Did something happen?"

"You zoned out. During that." Radiance frowned. "Darling, it looked like you were in unimaginable agony."

"Really, I'm fine."

"Come on, we've got to stop her, even if she does have some freaky new power," Zapp declared.

"Right," the others all agreed.

Behind them, Thorn and Cobalt were worried for different reasons. Thorn, because what had happened there was not something that had happened with the Mane-iac or his Mom. And Cobalt, because his geasa prevented him from attacking his mistress, and the thought alone was making the curse act up.

However, with no other course of action available at the time, the two soul-bearing heroes followed their soulless companions to the lair of the Mane-iac.

The scene had shocked her. Sparkle really hadn't expected the mare to react like that to her magic.

No. It wasn't a mare.

A real pony was a soul. The soul was the basis of identity. The soul controls the body; the body is a puppet for the soul. A soul without a body is still a pony, but a body without a soul was either a corpse or a construct.

Since the mare hadn't had a soul, and yet had been running around, she'd obviously been a construct of this comic book world. And since the touch of Sparkle's magic had caused her to unwind...

Sparkle gathered her magic and spread it out, pressing it against her local area of space-time. The warehouse around her and her henchponies flickered, but remained solid.

Through the sensation her magic was returning, she could gather a lot of information about the world of the comic book. "So that's how that works," she said.

Just then, a boom-crash echoed from outside her warehouse. Sparkle jumped up and used a hair tentacle to shove the floating, only-visible-to-her script back in front of her face. Then, with another tentacle, she grabbed the Hair Spray Ray of Doom, as per the script's prompt.

As she emerged, Sparkle watched them again fall for the illusion trick. As they recovered from the failed attack, she sprayed them all. No fanfare, no monologue, just psssst and done. When the pink fog cleared, all seven heroes were petrified below the jaw.

"Sorry, Power Ponies. There's much to do and I don't have the time for you," Sparkle said. She picked up all seven statues. "Come along."

The necromancer-turned-supervillain lifted the soulless portion of the hero squad into a suspended cage. "Hairspray. Every five minutes. Got it?" Sparkle ordered her minions.

"Yes ma'am," they replied.

"Good. I'll be giving these two the V.I.P. treatment. I do not want to be disturbed," Sparkle said. Then, she walked into her private room, Thorn and Cobalt in tow.

Once the door closed, she hugged the still immobile Thorn. "I'm so glad you're safe! When I woke up and couldn't see you, I got really worried.

There was a crack as Thorn powered through some of the Hairspray's effect. "I'm fine, and so's Cobalt."

"Correct, ma'am."

"But it's so cool that you get to be the Mane-iac!" Thorn exclaimed while working out of the last of the hairspray’s petrification.

"But you have to beat me for us to get out, right?" Sparkle asked.

Thorn's expression fell. "Yeah, we do."

"Well, when I woke up, I could feel the odd nature of the magic around us. It's not like Equestria's background magical field," Sparkle explained, omitting a few details. "It's given me some ideas; I think that there might be another way out without anypony needing to defeat anypony else. I have to check.”

As Sparkle turned around, unwrapped her hair from around her horn, and called her magic to it in order to examine the nature of this strange world, she could feel the piece of paper that she had stuffed into her skintight suit earlier. In fact, it had been that note that had given her the idea to examine the background magical field in the first place.

Sparkle had regained consciousness only to discover a sheet of paper taped to her horn and hanging down in front of her eyes. She pulled it off with her hoof, since trying to remove anything stuck to her horn by using her magic always made her feel weird. The feedback was quite unpleasant.

Quickly, she read the note.

Sparkle,

My name is Obsidian Knife. I have been watching you for a while now, because I know what you will become. And right now, it is in my own best interests to give you a helping hoof.

Unfortunately, there are unbelievably strict rules regarding what I can and cannot do to help you with, and the last time I crossed the one who enforced those rules - accidentally, mind you - I was in a coma for five days.

Anyway, this comic book you’re in -

Sparkle looked up and took stock of her surroundings. She noticed her location in a museum and her strange costume. She paused, as the costume she was wearing looked like the one the villain on the cover was wearing.

She continued reading.

Anyway, this comic book you’re in - Yes, you are the Mane-iac. I know you looked. - was the easiest way that I could help you. I modified the enchantments on the book to make them easier to read, but I didn’t actually change how they worked. And while I didn’t make this book, I know how the enchantments work. I can’t tell you what they do. You have to figure them out yourself.

Best of luck,

Obsidian Knife

P.S. My friend, who shall only be known as T., would like me to inform you that it would be a good idea to not discuss the existence of this letter. Pretend that any ideas contained here are your own.

P.P.S. Tell Thorn to play along.

“Well... That’s certainly something,” Sparkle mumbled. “Now what?”

A little rectangle appeared in mid-air, in front of Sparkle’s head. On it were the words THE SCRIPT. Sparkle began to read. “You are the Mane-iac, and your plan is to...”

Sparkle was, at that moment, gushing with excitement. Her examination of Maretropolis’s magical field had revealed so much to her. “Cobalt, Thorn, we’re in a pocket dimension!”

“So?” Thorn asked. “We already figured that. The Everfree Exclusion Zone, Death’s Oasis, Tartarus, Canterlot, the inside of aunt Twilight’s tree... Pocket dimensions and curved spaces are everywhere.”

“No, Thorn, this one is completely artificial. Its not just a fold in our normal universe. Everything, the ponies, the air, even the laws of physics are controlled by these background spells woven into the fabric of this reality!” Sparkle exclaimed.

Cobalt blinked. “So that’s how I have super speed.”

“Exactly, and that’s how the Power Ponies exist. Illusion, well, illusions created by the primary spell matrix, are as good as real here. And I think I can tap into that,” Sparkle said. “I just need to examine one of the Power Ponies. Wait here.”

“Can I at least look through your eyes?” Thorn asked.

Even as she was trotting out of the room, Sparkle said, “Sure.” She opened the link just enough for him to see.

Trotting into the main room of the warehouse, she simply walked up to the Power Ponies suspended in the cage. Sparkle made no effort to talk to them or to anypony else.

“What have you done with Filly-Second and Humdrum?” one of the captives asked. Sparkle didn’t know enough about the franchise to know who that speaker was, though Thorn informed her that it was Saddle Ranger.

“We talked, nothing more. I assure you that I haven’t hurt them in the slightest,” Sparkle said. “But now I’m more interested in you. Who would like to help me with a little experiment?”

The Power Ponies were silent.

“No volunteers? A shame. Let’s go with...” One of her hair tentacles opened the cage door, while another withdrew the pegasus with a lightning motif. Zapp, as Thorn informed her.

“Let me go!” Zapp replied, obviously struggling against the fresh coat of hair spray and the tentacle-like mane of Sparkle.

“No, I don’t think so. There’s something I need from you,” Sparkle said.

“I’ll never help you!” the super-powered pegasus exclaimed defiantly.

“I don’t need your cooperation. I need your source code.” Before Zapp could voice her confusion, Sparkle unveiled her horn and tapped it against the pegasus’s forehead. Zapp’s form flickered once, twice, and then started warping and stretching into a glowing mass of tendrils. An ear-piercing shriek, not something a pony could ever conceivably make, erupted from her body.

The rest of the Power Ponies could only watch in horror as their friend unraveled into light, light which then condensed into recognizable symbols. Only three ponies in the room could read it: Matterhorn, Radiance, and Sparkle.

“Zapp... Zapp is an illusion!” the Masked Matterhorn shrieked in shock as she read the exposed magical matrix. “What in the name of Celestia is going on?”

“Oh, you work like a specter, but reference the minds of the occupants and the surrounding environment. Thorn, look at this... Fascinating,” Sparkle said as she read through the spell’s code. “Hmm... what’s this?”

“Matterhorn, what do you mean by ‘Zapp is an illusion’?” Mistress Marevelous asked.

“That spell matrix that she pulled out of Zapp, it tells how to construct her personality, her memories, her appearance, her powers... everything!” Matterhorn replied.

“Got it,” Mane-iac Sparkle replied. She released Zapp’s matrix, which folded itself back into the form of Zapp, who looked completely unharmed. “Oh, Humdrum~” Sparkle sang, “bring Filly-Second in here, would you? And henchponies, release them.”

The back door opened, allowing Thorn and Cobalt to enter the room. At the same time, the suspended cage lowered to the ground. A henchpony opened the door to the cage.

The Power Ponies stiffly waddled out of the cage and ran up to Zapp, to see if she was really unharmed, despite now knowing that she wasn’t real. “Humdrum, Filly-Second, hurry! Get over here!” Matterhorn called out.

“No.” With that one word, Sparkle captured the Power Ponies’ attention. “Thorn, my son, which power pony is your favorite?”

“Radiance, Mom.”

“SON? MOM?” the Power Ponies shouted.

“Well, I was curious on how faithfully this world recreated all five primary senses. Would you and her like to find out?” Sparkle asked. “Nopony in here but us is real, so do what you wish.”

Thorn, already growing in size, rumbled, “Thanks, Mom.”

“And Cobalt, in my office, there’s a barber’s knife. Would you kindly take this opportunity to practice your knife-throwing skills?” Sparkle asked, using his first geas’s command phrase.

“Sure,” he replied. The stallion flickered from sheer speed, reappearing in nearly the same place, but now holding a knife. “I haven’t had a good, live target in a while.”

He swiftly flicked the knife. Of course, swiftly was a relative term, and Filly-Second’s idea of swift was a mach 3 throwing speed. In an instant, Cobalt solved the equation: Barber’s Knife + 1020 m/s + pony neck. His answer? The closest shave.

The physical results of such an action are best left to the imagination. That said, Saddle Ranger wouldn’t be doing any imagining anytime soon.

As for Thorn, he had his sights set on a different mare. “Hello, Radiance,” he said, towering over her in all his massive, warehouse-filling bulk. “You’re looking particularly voluptuous today. The most common superpower, indeed.”

“Humdrum, darling, please can we talk about this?” She said, backing away. Fear rendered her unable to create her constructs, leaving her only options as diplomacy or retreat.

“Ah, as much as I would love to, no. I’m hungry, so I’m going to eat you now. It’s for Mom’s research; you understand, right?” Thorn asked, leaning in close. Radiance simply squeaked in fear. “You remind me of another mare. But you aren’t her. Ah well.” He opened his mouth wide.

Across the room, Sparkle took a moment to process the fact that she could currently taste Radiance. “Huh. She does taste like unicorn.”

Cobalt, in the midst of reducing the length of his character’s former team’s necks, paused. “Mistress, we need to have a serious talk about why you know what unicorn tastes like.”

Sparkle shrugged, and then smirked. “Of course, my delicious little student.” She readied her horn one last time. “Comic Book, grant me authorship.”

Her horn darkened, and the world paused.

Thorn and Cobalt, the only two not frozen aside from Sparkle herself, walked up to her. Sparkle simply floated backwards and landed in a chair that appeared for her. Waving her hoof, she conjured two more. “This is fun,” Sparkle said.

“What’s going on?” Thorn asked.

“I took control of the comic dimension’s magic,” She answered. The world around them faded to white. “Anything I could create with an illusion is now real here. I can’t take it out of this place, but I can make whatever I want.”

A massive fortress appeared out of the ground, created from Sparkle’s will. Thorn and Cobalt’s eyes went wide. “Wow.”

Cobalt asked, “Ms. Sparkle, could you make one of these dimensions?”

“Not yet,” she replied, “but certainly in the future once I study it a bit more. I’d just need more time.”

“Hey Mom, speaking of time, we’ve been in here a while. Shouldn’t we go out and let aunt Twilight know that we’re alright? We did kind of vanish on her,” Thorn commented.

Trees and a grassy field appeared around the fortress. The sky overhead turned blue, dotted with the occasional cloud. “Twilight can wait,” Sparkle said dismissively.

“And so can this comic book world,” Cobalt countered. “Besides, we need to talk.”

Sparkle looked at her little family, and then looked back at what she had built with the godlike power this world had given her. “Fine, you win.”

The necromancer was still in the Mane-iac costume, and still defined by the world’s magic as the Mane-iac herself. Since the Mane-iac had been “defeated,” the book took that as its cue to spit them out.

The white vortex opened up above them and sucked them in. It deposited them roughly in Twilight’s library. Picking herself off the floor, Sparkle suddenly found herself hugged by her sister. “You’re alright!” Twilight exclaimed. When I heard you scream a second ago and couldn’t find you, I thought something bad had happened to you.”

“I’m fine,” Sparkle said, wiggling out of the hug. “I was just... Wait, a second? That’s some serious time-dilation right there.”

“How long were you in there?”

“An hour or two.”

Twilight just hugged her sister again. “I’m glad you’re safe.”

“Thanks.” Sparkle turned around to grab the comic book, only to see it vanish into thin air. “NO! Where the buck did it go?” She searched for some magical signature to indicate where it might have gone, but her efforts were fruitless. “No! I wasn’t done with it.”

“Mom, forget about it,” Thorn said. “I’m sure we can find another.”

Sparkle sighed. “Fine. You’re right.”

“What happened in there, anyway?” Twilight asked.

“It was amazing!” Thorn exclaimed. “You see...”

Author's Note

I hate villains that monologue. I hate witty banter. Real fights are impressive because of their speed.

Return and Resume

The bone-chilling wind howled around them, blowing in their ears and stinging their eyes. It would have been worse had the sole unicorn of the group not cast a spell that allowed their bodies to burn extra fat for warmth. For now, they were only slightly uncomfortable, but by the time they landed in Canterlot, they'd be ravenous.

But, despite the mild discomfort they were feeling flying a dracolich bareback, at high altitude, on a day near the winter solstice, they couldn't help but stare down in wonder. Snow blanketed the ground for as far as the eye could see, making the world look like a giant snowball. The midday sun shone over them; it offered a little warmth, but nearly blinded them with the intensity of itself and its reflection on the snow below.

Cobalt was nearly leaning off Thorn’s back, so transfixed by the sight below. He'd never been in a pegasus chariot, nor had he been in an airship. Riding on Thorn’s back was the first time he'd been higher than the edge of upper Canterlot. “Wow. It’s beautiful.”

Behind him, with her hooves wrapped firmly around his barrel, sat Sparkle. She leaned against him; even with a warming spell, she was still a little chilly and his warmth was nice.

“I know,” the mare replied.

“You get to see this every time you fly?”

“The summer’s pretty amazing, too. As is spring and fall,” she replied. “But winter, it looks like the world’s covered in powdered sugar.” Her stomach, apparently liking the idea, burbled and growled in approval.

Sparkle chuckled, but Cobalt stiffened slightly in her grasp. “Cobalt, what’s wrong?”

He shook his head. “Nothing. It’s just... never mind.”

Her real leg slid up his body until it was wrapped around his shoulder and breast. Though she wouldn't admit it, she liked feeling the toned muscle under his fur, and she could feel it even through his cloak. And while she may have been a bit of a pervert, especially compared to her sister, such thoughts weren't on her mind at that particular moment. “Cobalt, what is it?”

He squirmed slightly. “Ms. Sparkle, you're making me a little uncomfortable.”

“Oh.” She quickly pulled her hoof away, and then put it back around his barrel.

“Not what I meant,” he said softly. He was quiet for a moment. “How do you know?”

“Hm? Know what”

Cobalt rephrased, “In the comic book, you said that they really did taste like unicorn. How do you know that?”

“Oh, that. That’s easy,” Sparkle replied. “I can taste what Thorn tastes, and he me. We can choose to share any and all of our senses, although it’s harder to not share when we get excited. When Thorn ate Radiance, I tasted her too.”

“That’s a little gross, Ms. Sparkle, but also not quite want I wanted to know,” Cobalt said. “How do you know what pony tastes like?”

“Again, Thorn,” Sparkle said, although her tone was marginally colder than it had been before.

Cobalt again was silent for a time, while Sparkle simply waited for him to finish thinking. “And souls... You've told me you could eat them. I don't think I ever gave any real thought about it until now, but what... what do souls taste like?”

Sparkle sighed. “The soul, it’s an ethereal thing. There’s not really a flavor to it, but the texture is indescribably wonderful. They really are delicate things, but when you swallow one, you feel a rush of power and pleasure. Your aches and pains disappear, and your head clears. For a brief moment, you see snippets of the life you took, and in that instance, you know you've just destroyed somepony, and you know that they will vanish before they can get to the afterlife. Yet, the guilt never quite makes it, because a hole in your soul that you almost forgot was there now feels full... for a little while, anyway. And then the rush is gone, and you're left yearning, knowing that everywhere there is life, there is food ripe for the taking.

“Cobalt, you know dark magic; you could eat souls if you truly desired. Don't ever fall into that temptation, because you won’t recover,” Sparkle solemnly said.

Throughout her description, Cobalt sat still and silent, staring straight ahead. Finally, he spoke, “Ms. Sparkle, I mean no offense, but you're a monster.”

Sparkle stiffened. It hadn't been the first time somepony had said that about her, but never to her face, and never by somepony she cared for. Those words cut her more deeply than even she realized.

His tone shifted subtly, enough that Sparkle didn’t catch it. “But I already knew that. I knew that before I even became your student. I could see it in your eyes.” He chuckled darkly to himself. “You're my monster, Mistress, just like I’m yours.”

“Cobalt, you're not a monster,” Sparkle retorted. “Don’t think of yourself that way.”

“Says the soul eater to the assassin who loves his job,” the painted pony retorted. “Face it, we're both monsters.”

“Hey, what about me?” the dragon carrying them rumbled. “Don't I get to be a monster too?”

Cobalt smiled, and although Thorn couldn't see it, he could hear it in Cobalt’s voice. “Of course. You're a bigger monster than Ms. Sparkle.”

The dragon hummed in satisfaction, his ego now properly stroked. The thing was, even if Cobalt had said it as if it were a compliment, he didn’t mean it as such. Of course, he'd never tell the killer dragon his true feelings; that would be stupid.

Cobalt’s eye twitched as another memory finished reconnecting in his head. To anybody else, the little movement wouldn't have meant anything significant. For Cobalt, it was the last vestige of a suppressed wince that slipped through his guard.

The beaten and bruised stallion was dropped in front of him by his unicorn mother. “You're useless, Red Fields. Well, almost. Kill this stallion, and maybe I won't have to punish you this week.”

Red Fields picked up his knife in his mouth, his expression blank. The earth pony trotted over to the bruised and nearly broken stallion, transferred the knife to his hoof, and slit the stallion’s gag.

“Th-thank you,” the stallion said.

“I’m still going to kill you,” Red Fields droned. Then, his face contorted into a wicked smile as his mother’s conditioning took hold. “And I’m going to enjoy every second of it.”

His knife struck.

Cobalt pushed the memory of his past persona away, flicking his ear as he did so. He looked down at the brilliant, white snow below. One last thought, born from his mother’s monster, wormed its way into his consciousness: ‘Wouldn't the snow look interesting splattered with blood?’

Again, he forcefully cleared his head. This time, he looked towards the city ahead. “Mistress?”

Sparkle’s ears perked up, despite the cold. “Yes, Cobalt?”

“Didn't you tell me that your parents were still alive on this side?” he asked.

“Err, yes.” Sparkle tilted her head to the side, confused. “What about them?”

“Do they know about you?” He turned around to look at his teacher. His vibrant blue eyes met her corrupted red and green eyes.

Sparkle quickly broke the eye contact. “They do, but we haven't talked in... a while.”

“We should go see them,” Cobalt declared. “It would be good for you.”

Sparkle’s eyes widened, even as her pupils constricted to pinpricks. “No, let’s not. Thorn, don’t stop flying until we get to the castle.” The drake nodded in reply, and then gave an extra-powerful flap to build up more speed.

Realizing that he was getting into sensitive area, Cobalt asked, “Ms. Sparkle, they didn’t...?”

The necromancer didn’t respond.

Cobalt said, “I'm sorry if they hurt you. I shouldn't have-”

Sparkle cut him off. “They didn’t hurt me. They're good ponies.”

“Then why?”

“I can't face them!” Sparkle yelled. “I don't think I could ever face them again, knowing what I’ve done. I can’t...”

Suddenly, her hooves fell forwards, passing through a cloud of black smoke where her student had once been. Her fall forwards was short lived as a pair of hooves wrapped around her from behind, pulling her into a tight embrace. “Cobalt, my spines.”

“I don’t care,” he said, even as the spines protruding from his mentor’s back poked him sharply. “Ms. Sparkle, if your parents are even half as good as I think you think they are, then they should love you regardless. I think.” He chuckled, but then his mirth died away, only to be replaced by seriousness. “But I know you won't be able to live with yourself until you can come to grips with yourself and what you've done. I’ve been conditioned to deal with death, but you've had to figure this out all on your own. But you don't have to.”

A shudder wracked Sparkle’s body. “But, I don't think-”

“Ms. Sparkle, don't throw away your family. Even monsters deserve love.”

Sparkle was still for a moment. Then, slowly, she began to relax. Finally, she nodded. “Just for a bit.” Below them, Thorn, who had been listening, subtly shifted directions. “Cobalt?”

“Yes, Mistress?”

“How did you get so smart about family things?”

Cobalt chuckled. “I just thought about whatever that mare wouldn’t do.”

“I see.”

As they descended from above, the city seemed to unfold beneath them as a result of the space-expanding magic around the city. Buildings that should have been clearly visible only became so as they descended. Streets that should have been obvious only now revealed themselves. More houses popped into existence on nearly every block.

Thorn, because of his size, couldn't land in the rapidly clearing streets, so his passengers teleported to the ground before he shrank to his smallest size and joined them. Where he had put them down was surprisingly close to her childhood home, the original estate of House Twilight.

The group walked in tense silence, with the ponies up front and Thorn trailing slightly behind. The walk, which took all of sixty seconds, ended all too soon for Sparkle, leaving her at the door of an identical copy of her foalhood home and with no idea what she was doing there.

“This it?” Cobalt asked, to which Sparkle nodded. He raised his hoof and knocked once, then twice on the wooden door. Through the beveled glass window, he could see the silhouette of a white coated, purple-maned pony approaching.

The door opened inwards, revealing Twilight’s mother, Twilight Velvet. “Twilight? What are you doing here?”

“Actually, Mom, it’s Sparkle.”

“Oh, honey! I’m sorry! You just look so much like your sister, and even after all this time, I'm still not quite used to having my daughter duplicate yourself.” Velvet blinked, and then her eyes widened slightly. “Oh, come in! Come in! I don’t need you standing in the cold.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Sparkle said, and then trotted inside. Thorn and Cobalt followed shortly after.

Velvet’s eyes hovered on Cobalt, who had returned from his candy cane paint job back to normal zebra stripes. “Hello, I don't believe we've met. I’m Twilight Velvet, matron of House Twilight.” She offered her hoof.

Instead of shaking it, Cobalt bent down and kissed it - a significantly more formal gesture and decidedly not what Velvet was expecting. “A pleasure, ma'am.” Then, in a spontaneous decision, he switched from the common tongue to Unicornian, a magical language that he, according to common knowledge, should have been physically unable to speak or understand due to his lack of a horn. <>

<> Velvet asked, surprised.

Switching back to the common language, he replied, “I can do more than that. Your daughter is a skilled teacher.”

“Sparkle! That is amazing!” Velvet forcefully embraced her second daughter. “I'm-Ouch!”

The elder mare jerked back, surprised by the sudden and very unexpected pain. She looked down at her injured leg and was surprised to see a trickle of blood pouring out of what appeared to be a puncture wound. “What?”

“Mom! I'm so sorry!” Sparkle’s horn darkened with necromantic magic. Velvet flinched at the feel of it, having never truly felt it before, but relaxed as it started stitching the wound shut. “I should have warned you.”

“Warned me about what?” Velvet asked. Meanwhile, her wound had been completely sealed and her fur was in the process of being cleaned. “I don't even see what I could have hurt myself on.”

Sparkle stiffened. “Err, right. Mom, you might want to sit down for this.”

Velvet sat on her green striped couch that lay across from the lit fireplace. “Sparkle?”

The necromancer closed her eyes and then let her illusions drop. Her mom gasped, but since Sparkle wasn’t looking, she couldn't tell if her mom was disgusted, frightened, or both.

“My dear filly, what happened to you?” A gentle hoof stroked Sparkle’s cheek. The mare could hear her mother’s hoofsteps as the matriarch moved around to look at her better.

“I got a little too into my work...” Sparkle said.

“To go this far in so little time,” Velvet muttered. Sparkle opened her eyes, eliciting another gasp from her mother. “Corruption like this takes decades. My baby girl, what have you done?”

“What I had to,” Sparkle responded stoically. “Things went to Tartarus on my side, Mom.”

Velvet looked around and saw the somber expressions on the faces of her two other house guests. “I see. I wish your father wasn’t at work right now. He’d... Anyway, why don't I grab the cookie jar and we can talk over sweets?”

By the time they had eaten their way through the first cookie jar and most of Velvet's super secret second cookie jar, the mood in the room had lightened noticeably. That wasn’t to say that the mood was cheerful, but they could still smile occasionally.

It may have been because Sparkle had censored her retelling of the events that had followed that disastrous gala, it may have been because Cobalt interjected a little humor here and there to release some of the tension, or it may have been the fact that Twilight Velvet was an inherently optimistic mare. Whatever the case may have been, Sparkle was glad that the conversation was going more smoothly than she had anticipated.

“Oh, Mom,” Sparkle exclaimed, remembering something she'd wanted to say. “At the end, Princess Celestia awarded me a title of nobility for my efforts. You’re looking at the head of the Noble House of Twilight.”

“Are you serious?” When Sparkle nodded, Velvet embraced her daughter, mindful of the spines this time. “Oh, sweetie! That’s wonderful! A teacher, a hero, a noble, a powerful mage, you've taken all my expectations and exceeded them! I'm so proud of you!”

“Right...” Sparkle hesitantly replied.

“Now you just need a stallion so I can have more wonderful grandfoals to dote on,” - she glanced at Thorn - “and then my dream as a mother will be complete!” Velvet leaned back and looked at her daughter. More specifically, she looked at her daughter's expanding belly. “Or have you already started on that?”

“I’m just a surrogate,” Sparkle replied.

“A surrogate?” Velvet asked.

Sparkle nodded. “Savior isn't mine. I did something I regret, and carrying him is how I'm making my reparations.”

“Awww...” Velvet moaned, disappointed. Putting on a pouty face, she said, “I want you to get to work on that family of your own. Perhaps with that charming stallion over there?”

Cobalt blinked, and then straightened up at the mention of him.

Meanwhile, Sparkle pushed back from her mother. “Mom! I couldn’t. He’s my apprentice; it wouldn't be right!”

Cobalt shrugged. “I wouldn't mind it.”

Velvet playfully whacked Sparkle on her good shoulder. “See? Mother’s intuition. Besides, I had a crush on my own master during my apprenticeship. Of course, your father managed to steal my heart before I could get anywhere with old professor Rune. And besides, Cobalt is closer to your age than I was with my own teacher.”

“But, that’s not...” Sparkle wanted to argue that she wouldn't feel comfortable dating Cobalt because of the geases. She felt like she'd have too much power over him, because she could easily make him do things that he didn’t want to.

“I know what you're thinking, Ms. Sparkle,” Cobalt said. “About the thing, I don't care.”

“Oh. Well...”

“If you don't mind me prying,” Velvet asked, “what thing?”

“It’s personal,” Sparkle replied, sending Cobalt a significant look.

It was then that Thorn looked at the old grandfather clock in the sitting room. “Hey, Mom, it’s getting late. We need to get to the portal.”

Sparkle looked at the clock as well. “Oh! Sheesh, you're right. Sorry to cut this short, Mom, but we need to go.”

“Really? That’s a shame. And your father was going to be home soon, too,” Velvet said. “Then I suppose a goodbye is in order.” She hugged Sparkle again. “Take care, Sparks. Be safe.”

“You too, Mom.” As Sparkle stood up, she reapplied her disguises and headed to the door. Thorn followed closely behind. “I’ll see you later, then.”

“You too,” Velvet replied. “And Cobalt? Be a good student for her, will you?”

Cobalt nodded. “Yes ma’am. I'll be the best.” Then, quickly, he leaned over and gave Sparkle a quick peck on the cheek while in full view of her mother.

“Cobalt!”

“What? I was just practicing those magic kisses you showed me.” Laughing, he galloped out the door.

“Get back here, Cobalt!” Sparkle said, both angry and mortified.

“Hm hm hm,” Velvet giggled. “Those two are good for each other.”

“Yeah, and they both know it,” Thorn commented. “Mom just won't act on it. Yet.” He snickered a bit. “Anyway, see ya, grandma!”

“Bye, my little dragon.”

Sparkle trotted up to one of the guards at the main gate of the castle. Withdrawing a scroll emblazoned with Princess Celestia’s personal seal from her saddlebags, Sparkle passed it to the guard. “We need to speak with the Princess about her Mirror.”

The guard took the scroll, read it once, and then ordered them to follow him. As they followed him, Sparkle couldn't help but think he felt familiar. “I think I’ve seen you somewhere before.”

“Ma’am, our armor is enchanted to make us look all the same,” the guard replied. “I doubt you could’ve recognized me.”

“No. Not your face or coat,” Sparkle said. “Your essence... Brass?” The soldier stiffened. “I think that was it.”

“I’m impressed. You do recognize me. But how did you? I don't recall ever meeting you.”

Sparkle chuckled. “Oh, no. I’m from a mirror timeline; I knew the other you; he took my class. That Brass was quite memorable.”

The guard looked back at her, confused.

“I pity him, then,” Cobalt said. “Which lesson did you teach his class?”

“The Toymaker Terror lesson.”

“Oh. So that’s why I see guards muttering about being put in the toybox,” Cobalt realized.

“Exactly. I think I broke them,” Sparkle replied.

Brass, still just as confused, finally reached an appropriate reaction: ‘Nope. Nope. Nope.’ His pace picked up as he tried to get away from the two ponies and a little dragon that were giving him some really bad vibes.

He pushed open the doors to the throne room, where court was in session. “Pardon the interruption, your highness. These three are here to inquire about your special mirror.”

Princess Celestia looked away from the petitioners before her and towards Sparkle and company. Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Court will now take a fifteen minute recess while I address something that has come up. Please wait here.”

The mare that had been petitioning Celestia, a flamboyantly-dressed noble by the looks of her, sent Sparkle a pointed glare. In return, Sparkle focused all of her bloodlust (and a little unfocused dark magic) into a deceptively neutral gaze that nevertheless made the noble recoil in fright.

Celestia motioned for them to follow, to which the group complied. Sparkle, however, kept her distance, as she could feel the warmth radiating off the princess and found it uncomfortable. Eventually, Celestia led them into the cavernous laboratory under Canterlot Castle, the one that they had emerged from when they originally entered the timeline.

Celestia’s horn lit up with a bit more power than strictly necessary, and struck the mirror with her magic. It rippled twice, and then was still. “The mirror is active. Enjoy your trip home.”

“Thank you for letting us use your mirror, Princess,” Cobalt said, while the other two nodded in agreement.

“You're welcome,” the day bringer replied.

“Let’s go home, mistress. Ladies first.” Sparkle nodded and stepped through the mirror and into a path of pure color.

It had been a few weeks since their vacation in the other timeline, and things had quickly settled back into a routine. Cobalt had finally decided that his memory situation had recovered enough to resume his old job, and had gotten in touch with some of his old contacts. And so, between his lessons, the young assassin had taken a new contract.

As for the lessons themselves, Cobalt had requested that Sparkle teach him about body modification so that he could recreate the ability he'd had in the comic book: super speed.

"Right," Sparkle said, "Show me what you've got for the heightened reflexes component."

"I was thinking of a radial array consisting of the sigils al, aagl, soiy, sorr, gharlo, orn, and niyfal, with a Marigold iterative complex attached to the sorr spoke.” Cobalt explained. “That would let the brain perceive and process stimuli at a heightened pace, hypothetically up to a hundred times as fast.”

Sparkle hummed as she envisioned the spell array. “No, if you activated that, it would cause turbulence with the magical fields produced by the brain. At anything over four times acceleration, you'd likely cook the brain in its own magic.”

“Oh. I forgot about that. What about switching the aagl and the gharlo? Would that work?” Cobalt asked.

“Invert the Marigold iterative complex, and it would work very well, I think. You might not get a hundred-fold acceleration due to the magical waste that would cause, but I think it would be much safer to use,” Sparkle replied.

“I see. Thanks,” he said, before returning to his notes.

Sparkle smiled and returned to her own work, which, not coincidentally, was also connected to the Power Ponies comic. However, she had no interest in their abilities, but rather was interested in the universe itself.

Gathering information on how to create her own pocket universe was simple enough. Between Warp Theory, Haycartes’ method, and Star Swirl’s published works, Sparkle had enough knowledge to construct a fully independent universe in the void and anchor it to something in this universe. That was easy enough. She'd created three by now, although they were too unstable to put anything of value in yet.

The problem lay in the fact that she couldn't figure out how to gain master control of it yet, nor did she have any clue about how to fill it with such realistic constructs. She'd bought a few comic books from the House of Enchanted Comics, which all had the same enchantments on it, but reverse-engineering it for dark magic was proving to be absolutely futile. It made her want to bash her head against a wall.

Sparkle hadn't realized how long she had been working on it in one marathon stretch until Cobalt teleported next to her, carrying a bound and gagged stallion in his magic. “Mistress.”

“Uh, what?” she replied groggily. Her eyes refocused when she saw the stallion, whose glazed, off-color eyes clearly showed that his consciousness had been trapped inside his own head. “Who’s this?”

“My target. Dye’s running around disguised as him for a bit to allow me to get away,” Cobalt explained. “I was wondering if I could use him as a test subject, or if you wanted to use him for anything.”

“Sure.” She knew the stallion would die eventually. Cobalt was a professional; if he said he'd kill somepony, he'd kill them. That was part of his talent, after all. And yet seeing the stallion floating there, helpless before her, didn't cause the same reaction it once would have. She didn't consciously know it yet, but Cobalt calling her a monster had resonated with her. Thanks to the battle of Canterlot, the number of ponies that had died by her hoof had climbed into the thousands. There were now hundreds of souls sitting in her gut, ever so slowly digesting into nothingness, including her own, real parents. If that didn't make her a monster, then what did?

And yet, when her monstrous nature was voiced aloud for the first time, the seed of an idea had taken root. It hadn't sprouted immediately, and even yet, nearly a month later, it was still growing in the back of Sparkle's mind. And while it hadn't bloomed into a flower of acceptance, its presence had still affected her.

Sparkle then yawned. “What time is it, anyway?”

“Half-past eleven,” he replied.

“That’s not so bad,” Sparkle said.

“Eleven-thirty A.M. - you’ve been up all night.”

Sparkle blinked. She looked at the clock, where the hands did say that it was indeed eleven-thirty, but not if it were A.M. or P.M. As the room had no windows, a mistake in reading the clock could see her twelve hours off without noticing it.

“And here I thought I had just been productive.” She yawned again. “I’m going to go take a nap. Cobalt, would you kindly wake me in about two hours so I can observe your casting? Don’t start before then.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Love is in the Air

The slush on the ground went squish with every hoofstep. It was a muddy, slick mixture of dirt and half-melted snow that just got absolutely everywhere. Even though the streets of Upper Canterlot were mostly built on an artificial terrace and were paved, the dirt in the little gardens seemed to spill out everywhere. It was as if the very ground was conspiring to make the inhabitants of Canterlot miserable.

Considering that Bakhotir, the Labyrinth Lord of the Minotaurs, was the personification of the ground beneath their hooves, it was entirely possible that the ground actually was conspiring against them.

And then Sparkle dismissed the idea as ridiculous. Bakhotir had more important things to do than make ponies half a world away miserable.

But, as an upset mind is prone to do, Sparkle aimed her anger at the next most likely source of her ire: the pegasi who had made this unusually warm February. She could just picture it: pegasi melting the snow just enough that it turned to disgusting slush while they hovered safe and clean above, only to laugh at the helpless peons below.

And again, she quickly dismissed the idea as ridiculous. Sparkle realized that all her complaining and blaming wouldn't solve the current predicament she found herself in: being dragged off to who knows where by her brother when she'd rather have been studying.

"Shiny, where the buck are you taking me?" she grumbled.

The stallion smirked. "You'll see."

"Then, why are we going out?"

His smirk only grew. "You're a smart mare."

"Shining Armor, you're being ridiculous," she muttered. "How much farth-"

"We're here," he announced as he turned into a store.

Sparkle looked into the shop - a jewelry store, to be specific. Just six months ago, they wouldn't have been able to afford anything in here, not that they had needed jewelry. But now...

The necromancer followed her brother over to a specific display case. Inside were hundreds of bejeweled metal bands, all glistening brilliantly. "Can I help you, sir, madam?"

"In a second," Shining Armor told the salespony. "Sparks, see any that look good?"

She looked into the case, and then something in her mind clicked. These were marriage bands, which meant only one thing: "You're going to propose to Cadance?"

"Clever girl," Shining Armor answered. Addressing the salespony, the knight said, "I'm proposing to my marefriend and I want to get her a horn band that she can show off. The thing is, she's richer than I am, so sheer opulence isn't what I'm going for. I want something that really fits her."

The salespony nodded in contemplation. "All right. What colors is she, mane and fur? Is her horn blunted or sharp? How long is it? We'll start there."

"Pink fur with pink, purple, and butter yellow mane. Sharp and 1.6 hoof-lengths long,” Shining easily replied.

The salespony took a second to picture the pony Shining Armor described. “I’m guessing your mare looks a bit like Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, then?”

Shining Armor smirked. “Oh, you could say that.”

The salespony nodded. “Right, then I have just the thing! Over here, we have a...”

The two siblings arrived at their apartment two hours later and six hundred bits lighter. As they approached the door, Sparkle’s protective wards kicked in. But, as the two of them were recognized by the magic, the wards then stood down and let them through the door. Had they been anypony else, save Thorn and Cobalt, the wards would have, at first, kept them from looking at or caring about the the room.

Sparkle pushed open the door, causing another compulsion charm that warded her apartment against thieves to brush against her mind before it too ultimately left her alone. Magicing off her robe, she hung it on the hook by the door and continued on inside, Shining Armor right behind her.

The mare turned back towards her brother. “Oh, I never asked - where are you taking Cadance for dinner?”

“I’ve had reservations at Morning Mist for months. I’ve got everything planned out. I’ve got my suit, I’ve got the meal, I’ve been reading up on cheesy romance novels - you know she loves those - and now I’ve got the ring. This date is going to be perfect!”

A loud thump interrupted whatever Sparkle was about to say. Next to them, a chained up door rattled noisily. Behind it, a sickly moan drifted through the reinforced wood.

“Shut up, Z! I already fed you this week!” Sparkle yelled through the door.

The rattling stopped and a wet shuffling sound took its place. A short, higher-pitched moan drifted through the door.

“That’s it, Z. Good zombie, go back to your corner.” Sparkle chuckled. “Anyway, I’m glad for you, Shiny,” she told her brother.

Shining Armor was not looking at her; rather, he was looking at the door that “Z” was behind. “Sparks, why exactly do you have a zombie in there? I thought I told you I didn’t want those in the house. They’re gross and smelly. Actually, how long has that one been in there?”

She laughed nervously. “Eh, I’d say about a month. I just forgot to put his restraints back on and refresh the silence spell.”

“Why do you have him?”

“Well,” she began, “Since last September, I’ve been wanting to perfect some rituals to increase the strength of other ponies’ bodies without causing them to accumulate corruption. The ritual itself works, and I’ve had it in its almost complete form since before Hearth’s Warming, but I wanted to practice it so that I could do it without hurting a living subject. I practiced it on Z.” Her horn darkened; there was a loud thump and then Z screamed his unholy scream. “I haven’t been able to put him down yet, which says a lot about how good my enhancements are.”

“Well, why don’t you just cut the magic animating him,” Shining Armor suggested.

“That would defeat the purpose of testing the ritual’s limits, now wouldn’t it? Besides, I wanted to see if there was any last minute adjustments that I needed to make before I gave it to you as a birthday gift next month.” She blinked. “Shoot, there went the surprise. Happy Birthday?”

Shining Armor frowned. “You were going to cast dark magic on me?”

“Only if you wanted it, and only once I knew it was safe,” Sparkle defended. “Besides, I know you and Cadance liked my first little surprise.”

Shining was almost afraid to ask. “First little surprise?”

“Wait, you didn’t notice?” Sparkle asked, genuinely surprised and a little offended. “The little healing factor? The increased muscle mass and density? The stamina boost? I know you used that last one every time Cadance came over. Did you think that was all natural? Shiny, please.”

The white stallion groaned and face-hooved. “Of course. Is there anything else you’d like to tell me?” His eyes narrowed in annoyance as he looked down at he sister.

Sparkle, despite now being equal to him in height, felt much smaller as she shrank back. “I may have used a spell to help you think faster and used a little mental conditioning to prevent you from panicking on the battlefield. Little things to keep you alive in your dangerous job.”

For a moment, his glare intensified. Then, without warning, the angry mask shattered as Shining Armor broke out into a big, goofy grin. His horn lit up and his magic pulled Sparkle’s head forwards, where it met his hoof for a friendly, sibling noogie.

Sparkle pushed away. “What? I thought you were mad at me!”

“Yeah, I’m mad that you did all that without asking me, but you did it to protect me, right?” At Sparkle’s nod of agreement, Shining’s smile widened. “See? I can’t blame you for looking out for me.”

Sparkle relaxed, thinking she was going to get away scott-free.

“Although, you still need to be punished for doing that.”

And nope.

“What!”

Shining Armor chuckled menacingly. “Oh yes, I’m thinking... no peanut butter ice cream for a month.”

“WHAT! But that’s your favorite, too!” Sparkle loudly protested. “If we don’t get any, you won’t have any either.”

“Nope. You’re going to have to watch me eat both of our servings. Won’t that be fun? Muahahaha!”

“You monster!”

“Hence the evil laugh. Muah. Ha. Ha.”

“AHH!”

Shining Armor tumbled out of bed, desperate to get away from the zombie standing over him. A split second later, he found himself pressed against the wall as the zombie shambled closer to him.

“Goo.. mormim... Simy... Armor... Spa’uh... ma’e... bre’fah,” the tongueless zombie slurred. Good morning, Shining Armor. Sparkle made breakfast, the living stallion mentally translated.

He looked towards the door to his room and saw a clear path of escape. “Rightgottagobye!”

Z was left looking in confusion at the spot where a pony once stood not a second ago. The zombie’s animating magic wasn’t very sophisticated, so it rectified its confusion by deciding to return to its maker. The reanimated pony turned and shambled out of the room.

Meanwhile, Shining Armor found himself besieged by a horrid smell, and it wasn’t coming from the remarkably whole zombie shambling up behind him. No, it came from the pan in Sparkle’s magical grip. “Hey, Shiny, I made your favorite: brussel sprouts and alfalfa!”

Shining Armor stared at the abomination in his sister’s pan. Some might claim that she was a good cook, but when she willingly made his most hated foods, all her credibility went out the window in his eyes.

“You know, I thought about making rose omelets,” - his favorite - “but, since he ate all my ice cream last night, I thought that he could use something a little healthier for breakfast.”

“You! This is revenge for the ice cream?”

“I need my peanut butter and sugar, Shining Armor. If you don’t let me have my fix, I’ll make your life miserable, starting with daily wake up calls by Z over there.” The zombie in question chose - for a certain definition of “chose” - that moment to bump into the stallion from behind.

“AHH!”

“You know what to do, Shiny.”

“This means war,” he replied resolutely.

“OW!”

“Hold still, you big baby!”

“Owowowowow! You’re pulling too hard!”

“I’ll be done faster if you’d just keep your head still.”

With a mighty tug, Sparkle’s comb plowed through the thick tangle of knots in her brother’s mane, sibling warfare temporarily set aside. The stallion, now suited up, was about ready to head off and pick up his marefriend from the castle. Sparkle was just putting the finishing touches on his mane, straightening out the normally unruly mess.

A moment of awkward silence fell between the two of them, so Shining Armor decided to fill it with small talk. "Have you seen the headlines?"

"No, I haven't," Sparkle replied as she worked on a particularly stubborn knot of hair.

"Princesses Celestia and Luna have announced that they - Ouch! - are officially dissolving parliament because of the sheer - Ah! - corruption they found in it," he said between grunts of pain.

"Really? And here I was, excited to use my new nobility to get into politics. A shame, really, but that was to be expected," she mocked. Sparkle pulled the comb once more, vanquishing the final knot. “And... There.” Sparkle set down the comb and released her brother from her magical grip. “You ready, BBBFF?”

“As I’ll ever be, LSBFF.”

Sparkle smiled. “Well then, go get her, and don’t forget the ring.”

He plucked the ring box from his jacket pocket, showed it to her, and then tucked it away safely. “Don’t worry, I got it.”

“That you do, Shiny. That you do.”

The stallion trotted over to the door, grabbed his wallet and his apartment key, and opened the door. Much to his surprise, Cobalt stood outside, hoof raised as if he were about to knock. “Oh, Cobalt. Come in.”

“Cobalt?” Sparkle looked up and saw the two stallions switch places. Her apprentice trotted towards her as Shining Armor closed the door and headed off to the castle. “What are you doing here?”

Cobalt was, surprisingly, dressed similarly to Shining Armor, with a full suit and tie. “I wanted to ask you something. Tonight's Hearts and Hooves day, after all, and I was wondering...” He swallowed visibly. “Ms. Sparkle, would you like to go on a date with me? As... as my marefriend?”

It was like a bomb went off in Sparkle’s head. A million thoughts and emotions exploded in her mind, far too jumbled to be coherently described in words. The resulting mental chaos left her gaping like a fish. “You... want me to be your marefriend?”

He rubbed the back of his head nervously. “Err, yeah. I mean, yes, I would love that.”

Sparkle’s hind legs gave out beneath her, dropping her to the ground with an audible thump. “Cobalt, I’d love to, but-”

“But what?” the assassin said, fearing what she was going to say but knowing it anyway. As he trotted over to her and sat down beside her, he said, “The geas? I don’t care. That I’m your student? Why does that matter?” He wrapped a foreleg around Sparkle’s shoulders. “I don’t care, Twilight Sparkle. I... I love you.”

“Cobalt... why did you have to say that?” Sparkle asked. “Now this is going to be even harder. This is is why I can’t be your marefriend. Cobalt, would you kindly inflict mild pain on yourself for three seconds?”

He never had a choice in the matter. The magic of the first geas around his soul activated, digging through his mind, making a decision, and acting upon it, all without his consent. His lower lip curled inward on its own, and his teeth clamped down on it without his control.

It was exactly as specified: mild pain for three seconds.

And at the end, when he finally regained full control of his body, Cobalt was still confused. Seeing this, Sparkle elaborated. “What if I wanted sex, and you didn’t? What if I wanted you to do something painful and humiliating, and you didn’t want to do it? I could make you do anything I wanted you to do, even if it were beyond your physical and emotional abilities. Cobalt, that kind of power is bad for relationships. I don’t want that in my love life; it makes me really uncomfortable.”

“Then don’t use it,” the earth pony mage replied. “It’s that simple.”

“But it’s not. Even if I didn’t use it, we both know that I could. You’ve been subservient to me since day one, but love is about being equal.” The mare sighed, and then looked Cobalt in the eye. “I’m sorry, but no. And that’s final.”

Cobalt slumped down, quite disappointed with the turn of events. He’d know it was a possibility, of course, but that didn’t mean that it didn’t hurt any less.

“Hey.”

Cobalt perked back up.

“We can still go to dinner tonight. As friends, mind you. But...” When she failed to come up with any other words, Sparkle settled for this: “Yeah.”

“I’d like that, Ms. Sparkle.”

“We’re friends, Cobalt, you can call me Sparkle or Sparks, if you want. No more “Ms. Sparkle,” alright?”

“Of course, M- Sparkle. Just Sparkle. Heh, that’ll take a while to get used to.”

A Timely Problem

Time is a funny thing. There's nothing humorous about it, but it is funny, as in odd, nonetheless. It is both inherently objective and subjective at the same time.

For the mare known as Sparkle the Necromancer, time flew incredibly quickly. Before she knew it, spring had sprung and summer was nearly upon her. As her pregnancy had progressed, her belly had swollen dramatically. That, plus her bad leg, had kept her indoors progressively more often. It also was, in some ways, a blessing. Sparkle had been able to focus more on her personal projects, which had progressed by leaps and bounds.

Cobalt had similarly progressed significantly. Driven by the compulsions his geasa inflicted upon him, Cobalt had continued to learn at a furious pace. That wasn't to say that he didn't do other things in his free time. Oh no, any time that wasn't dedicated to killing, learning dark magic, or perfecting his own original spell, he spent it showering his friend (who was a mare) with platonic gifts and platonic affection.

Sparkle, of course, became flustered with his affection and commanded him to treat her as just a friend, to which he reluctantly complied. Occasionally though, she would still find random gifts from the stallion. Sometimes, those gifts were in the form of ponies, or parts thereof.

Cobalt's behavior reminded Sparkle of a cat. A big, creepy cat, but a cat nonetheless.

For Sparkle, the biggest thing that had happened within that time was Shining Armor's twenty sixth birthday, where, after getting her brother's permission, she performed her upgrades to his body.

He thought that it was just a long, boring set of spells that he slept through, when in actuality, Sparkle had magically sedated him, cut open his legs and chest, and carved runes directly into his bones before sealing him up again. It was so quick and clean that Shining Armor didn't even notice the faint scars where she had cut him.

When he woke that morning with no pain, Sparkle had sighed in relief. The chances of her brother being killed or compromised in action had now fallen significantly. It was one less thing that she had to worry about.

All in all, the four and a quarter months since Hearth's Warming had been some of the most relaxing months Sparkle could remember. And with nothing save for her brother's wedding planned late next month and Savior's birth a month after to look forward to, it was looking like it was going to stay that way for a while still.

Of course, Sparkle, like every avid reader, knew of Marephy's law. And this time, its enforcer came in the form of two bald, gray ponies in gray fedoras and gray suits, who were standing outside Sparkle's apartment building. The source of Sparkle's misfortune lay in a briefcase that was carried by the stallion on the left.

The stallion on the right said to his partner, "July, this is the source of the paradox. It must be eliminated."

The stallion on the left - July - nodded and set the briefcase down, unfastened the clasp, and opened it, revealing unimaginably complex circuitry within. The machine was far more advanced than anything else in the world and, if you wanted to be specific, more complex than should have been physically possible. But, despite the impossibility of the contents of the case, it was all controlled by a single red button, a button that July swiftly pressed.

At the same moment, in two other locations, two other pairs of stallions were doing the same thing. One pair stood next to the library-house of Beatrix Lulamoon, while the other pair stood in another timeline but at the same location, the residence of Twilight the White Mage.

Why?

Because May fourth was the day that Twilight Sparkle, in a timeline where she had kept her feminine magic and her whole name, and had never been a paladin or a necromancer, had gone back in time to using Star Swirl the Bearded's imperfect time travel spell. And, in a timeline that had been split, it was Beatrix Lulamoon that went back in time instead.

But she didn't go back to her past; she went to Twilight's past, in another timeline. In doing so, Trixie unintentionally started a recursive loop involving herself and both Twilight and Sparkle, a recursive loop which had no stable solution.

It would have meant the end of the universe, had those stallions not been there. But they were there, and they did have their high-tech reset buttons that forced the timelines to reject the paradox. For every other living thing, everything was alright now, but for those three mares...

When your actions are rejected by time, you suffer from an effect known as time travel sickness, the primary symptoms of which is unconsciousness and sporadic seizures for the duration of the afflicted time.

May fourth was a Friday that year. Beatrix came back from the following Tuesday morning.

As July and two of his colleagues pressed their buttons, Sparkle, Twilight, and Trixie all simultaneously suffered their first grand mal seizures.

Shining Armor looked up from his comatose sister as the Doctor walked into the room. He stood, though he moved no further from his sister's side. "Doc, what's going on with her?" Around the room, Thorn, Cobalt, and Cadance, the sum total of all of Sparkle's friends and family, also listened closely to what the medic had to say.

"I have good news, bad news, and more bad news. The good news is that, aside from the obvious, she's rather healthy. We've ruled out a hundred things that it's not, and all her results come back well within normal ranges, which leads me to the first bit of bad news: we still don't know what this is."

"Aren't there any other tests you can do?" Shining asked the doctor.

"More invasive test, yes, but at this point, with Sparkle in the condition that she's in, I would hesitate to administer them. I frankly don't think that they will be of any help," the doctor replied.

Shining Armor just rubbed his temple in frustration.

Cadance spoke up, "You said that there was more bad news?"

"Yes, I did. The constant seizures are putting tremendous stress on her body. Furthermore, her unconscious state is not true sleep, so what rest she is getting is highly inefficient. I'm worried that if this continues much longer, we will have to sedate her to keep her from exhaustion, and regardless of what we do, her child is at risk," the Doctor explained. "It's a catch twenty two. Shining, I remind you that, as her next of kin, you have the final say in anything we do. For now, we can wait and monitor the situation, but you might need to make a tough decision on the future."

Shining Armor nodded grimly. "I understand, Doctor."

The doctor nodded back. Then, addressing the comatose mare, the doctor said, "Sparkle, if you can hear me, your family is waiting for you. Come back to us, ok?"

For a fraction of a second, the doctor could have sworn that Sparkle had nodded, but then decided that it was just a trick of the light.

In two different Ponyvilles, two different mares laid in their beds, as comatose as their companion in Canterlot. But, because of the location of the Ponyville hospital, neither of them, nor the mares around them, could have noticed Cerberus bound into town. And none of them could have predicted how much of a change this would bring about.

In the original timeline, the original Fluttershy would have calmed Cerberus down in seconds, allowing the original Twilight Sparkle to bring the guardian of Tartarus back to his post. At 12:46 p.m., Twilight Sparkle would have returned Cerberus; Tirek, who had just escaped, would see them approaching and would flee south. He would eventually run into the Everfree Forest, where he would be wounded. While recovering, Tirek would then slowly move northeast, towards Canterlot.

In Twilight's timeline, Fluttershy was busy tending to her unconscious friend. It would then fall to Bon Bon, otherwise known as Sweetie Drops, to return Cerberus. At 12:49 p.m., Tirek would see them approaching and, because he was further along, would flee northwest, in the direction of Vanhoover.

In Sparkle's timeline, Bon Bon was otherwise occupied due to the divergences caused by Sparkle and Twilight's varying actions. Instead, Time Turner would be the one to return Cerberus. At 1:13 p.m., Tirek would instead flee northeast. Of the three versions of the decrepit centaur, this one would make it to civilization far sooner than the other two.

Time is a funny thing. Less than half an hour was enough time to radically change the fate of one of the most influential entities in Equestria. But, that wouldn't be the only change the press of a red button changed.

It was Tuesday morning, though the sun had yet to rise. In a timeline that never was, Twilight Sparkle would be bracing for a disaster that would never come, or so she thought.

Instead, it would be a disaster of her own making that only affected her, or, more specifically, Sparkle. For as the time travel sickness progressed, and its victim moved closer in time to the origin point in time - Tuesday, just after sunrise - the disease grew worse and worse.

Ten minutes before the spell would have been cast, Sparkle was struck with the biggest and, thankfully, last seizure. For a solid ten minutes, she would writhe and buck, struggling against the well-padded restraints the doctors had placed on her to keep her from wounding herself. And then, just as the nurses were arriving to help, another complication arose.

Her water broke.

The combined stress of all the magic she had used on her body, plus the stress of the seizures, sent Sparkle into labor almost two months early. And, as the final blow of time travel sickness faded and the exhausted mare regained consciousness, she found herself surrounded by ponies trying to save her surrogate child.

She couldn’t think clearly, though. She was too tired. However, she could see Thorn. Confused and in pain, she called out his name.

The dragon’s eyes snapped down and met her open eyes. In that moment, the link between the two of them burst open, causing Thorn to nearly double over in pain. However, he could think more clearly than his mother and, using her own magic, Thorn numbed their pain. Sparkle may have been part dragon in soul, but Thorn was part unicorn.

“Life...” Sparkle murmured. With no context, the ponies in the room were left clueless as to her intent, but Thorn understood immediately. In a second, he had twisted his magic and vanished into the shadows.

He reappeared an instant later in a forest near the base of Canterlot mountain. He opened his mouth wide, and inhaled the life of the forest, channeling it to Sparkle through the link.

In the hospital room, the horn-bearing ponies could feel the sudden and unexplained influx of energy, and could see the healthy glow returning to Sparkle’s face. The same, however, could not be said of the premature colt emerging from her womb.

Sparkle picked her head up and looked at her son, who the doctors were now drying off. To the doctor’s eyes, they could see nothing wrong, but to Sparkle’s eyes, it was a different story entirely.

Every soul had the equivalent of organs: parts for the memory, parts for the personality, parts for the magic, and parts to allow it to interface with the body, all of which were distinct to the discerning eye. It was the interface of the soul that allowed the otherwise ethereal object to bind to solid matter, as well as control the body and perceive with its senses.

Sparkle had used the reincarnation spell to bind Savior’s soul to a new embryo in her body, but in doing so, she had made a mistake. Using the spell for yourself is a simple matter, as your own magic helps solidify the bonds. However, for another, the caster had to use her magic to coax the target’s magic into binding itself to the body; instead, Sparkle had directly used her own magic for the binding. While Savior was in her womb, there was no problem.

Savior was not in her womb anymore.

In the absence of her magic, the stitching holding his soul to his body began to unravel very rapidly. Sparkle could only watch in horror as Savior’s soul slipped from the newborn pegasus body and slipped into the afterlife. She knew he was dead before the doctors did.

“No. No no. Nonononononono! Buck you, Savior!” she shouted. “You don’t get to die on me! Not after everything I went through for you! I fought for you! I bled for you! YOU DON’T HAVE THE RIGHT TO DIE ON ME!”

A orange magical glow surrounded her and pressed her into the bed, while another glow - green this time - encased her horn, disrupting the magic building within. “Ms. Sparkle, please, you must calm down!”

“AHHHH!” Screaming in rage was all Sparkle could do at this point. Grief and anger constricted her chest, forcing out that roar of pure emotion. And as she bellowed and roared, something in her mind ticked over, like a switch being flipped.

She was a necromancer; it was high-time she lived up to the full extent of that title.

To Recover the Lost

Sparkle woke from the first full night of real sleep to the sounds of a hospital. Despite the life force Thorn had injected into her being, the doctor had kept her overnight for observation. Sparkle had insisted that she was fine now, but the doctor would have none of it.

And, despite that life force injection, she still ached. It was a deep, physical ache, inflicted by that primitive part of a pony’s mind that commands a mother to love her child. It was grief, plain and simple.

But there was something else gnawing away at her mind, the idea that it just wasn’t fair. She was a necromancer! Shouldn’t she be able to bring back the dead?

Yes, she could animate a body and make it act as if it was that pony, and that it was alive, but in the end, it was just that: an act. It was no more alive than the corpse she’d started with, and it was no more that pony than she was. If anything, the reanimated body would have been less than a pony, for it lacked a true soul.

And yet, she didn’t know how to bring somepony truly back to life. Her books had alluded to it, and to ponies that had successfully done it, but none of them had ever instructed her specifically on how to do it.

A thought struck her. The Dread Necroptica. She had six of the seven tomes. Soul, Mind, Flesh, Blood, Bone, and Pain all sat on her shelf in her apartment. Only Death remained unclaimed by her. If she could find that book, then she’d never have to lose a loved one again.

The only thing that stood between her and that book was the knowledge of where it was. But, if her hunch was right, there was one individual who could tell her precisely where the book was: the information demon within the other books.

She darkened her horn with magic. Or, rather, she tried to. For the first time since she had awoken, she felt the cool weight of a magic suppression band around her horn. That would complicate things a bit.

She raised a hoof to her forehead and tried to push the ring off, to no avail. It was magically stuck to her head.

Sparkle let out a groan of defeat. She cracked open the link, just enough to speak into Thorn’s mind. “Thorn. Thorn!”

On the other end of the link, the dragon groaned. “Mom? Mom! You’re awake!”

“Yes, I am. Where are you?” She asked.

“Out in the lobby. I was sleeping on the couch, waiting for you to wake up,” he answered. “I was having the bloodbath dream again. Mina was there, and... and you probably don’t care,” Thorn realized, chuckling slightly. “Sorry. I’ll be in there in a second.”

Sparkle stopped him. “Actually, I need you to go home to get something for me. My horn’s sealed off, so I can’t use my magic at the moment and I can’t summon them here. Can you go and fetch all six of the Dread Necroptica books.”

“Sure thing, Mom,” The dragon replied. “I’ll get them now.” And with that statement, Sparkle felt the pull on their shared magic reserve as Thorn vanished from the hospital.

As he materialized in their apartment - his room, specifically - his mother asked, “Why did they put a suppression ring on my horn, anyway?”

“The doctor said it was just a precaution. With you being you, and with what happened with Savior-” Thorn was interrupted by a stab of emotional pain coming from Sparkle, “-he didn’t want you accidentally doing something we’d regret later.” Translation: He didn’t want Sparkle to go on a rampage because they couldn’t save her child.

Joy.

While Sparkle rolled her eyes, Thorn snatched the six books off the shelves. He was about to teleport back to the hospital when he thought of something else. “Mom, are you hungry? I could bring you something to eat so that you don’t have to eat hospital food.”

“No thanks,” she replied. “I’m fine.”

“Alright, but don’t complain when the food sucks,” Thorn said. “I’ll be back in a second.”

And true to his word, Thorn did arrive back in the pastel-blue hospital room within the span of a single second. “Here.”

“Thanks, Thorn. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

“Anyway, let’s see what I can do with these.” Sparkle flipped open the leather-bound cover of Soul, the first book in the series. “Dread, I need information.”

What information do you seek?

“Where is your final book?” Sparkle demanded.

I cannot say.

“And why not?” Sparkle said. “You’ve considered me worthy of your other books; why won’t you tell me where your last book is?”

You misunderstand. I did not say that I will not say were my final book is. I said that I cannot say.

“You are physically incapable of saying?”

Yes.

Sparkle leaned back into bed. “Great, just great.”

Thorn picked up one of the other books on a whim and asked, “Hey, who was the last person to own the missing copy?”

One of my authors, King Sombra. He still owns my seventh book to this day.

“But he’s dead,” Sparkle replied after reading the demon’s answer. “He was defeated by the princesses.”

Defeated, yes. Killed? No, not at all.

“Then where is he?”

Under the crystal empire, sealed in the ice.

Now they were getting somewhere. Sparkle smiled. “Alright, one: Does King Sombra still have your seventh book with him? And two: where is the crystal empire?”

First question: Yes, he does possess my last book. He kept it in his personal laboratory.

The answer to the second question took a second longer for the book to write out, despite it being only a single word long.

Second question: Unknowable.

Before Sparkle could ask another question, the demon added some more text.

By “Unknowable,” I refer to the null location. The one place that isn’t a place.

“The void.”

Exactly.

“King Sombra must have banished the whole city into the void, and himself with it, when he was defeated by the Princesses,” Sparkle theorized. “But that would have been a death sentence normally. The void is between universes; he and the empire could have drifted anywhere in the entirety of the multiverse. And then there’s the fact that time doesn’t pass in the void like it does here. He would have no way of returning home, and no time to make a way home. That’s stupid. Why would someone as brilliant as him...?”

Her eyes widened as she realized that part of the answer was literally sitting right in her hooves. The Dread Necroptica was enchanted so that its parts could be alternately summoned and banished to and from locations at the will of its owner. If Sombra had banished the Empire, he could have left a magical anchor that would pull the empire back after enough time had passed.

That time period could be any length of time, or it might react to some other condition; there really was no way of telling. However, if there was an anchor - logic dictated that there would be - then Sparkle didn’t need to know how to trigger its return.

She could summon the empire back herself.

“Well, isn’t that ironic?”

“What?” asked Thorn, who hadn’t been privy to her internal thought processes.

Sparkle snorted mirthfully. “In order to learn how to violate one of the most fundamental forces in the universe - a personified force - and commit one of the most profane acts known to ponykind, we first have to rescue an entire empire.”

After Sparkle finished explaining her thoughts to Thorn, all he could think was, ‘That’s crazy.’ But, despite his concerns, he could see the excitement in Sparkle’s eyes and would admit that he too was rather excited by the whole prospect. “I’m looking forward to it. It would be nice to be a real hero for once. That battle last year doesn’t count - I was possessed for that one.”

“Well, I’m a long way off from being able to do that. I’ll really need to up my summoning skills so that we don’t end up with an eldritch abomination instead,” she said. While she tried to pass it off as a joke, she wasn’t kidding. Her summoning was only at the basic level, and if she tried to summon something from outside her universe - like the empire was - she had a real good chance of getting a very unwelcome visitor.

A nurse came in sometime later to check on her, while bringing her breakfast as well. “How are you doing?” the motherly-sounding pegasus asked.

“I’m feeling much better now,” Sparkle answered.

The nurse gave her a look that indicated that she didn’t quite believe Sparkle, but she didn’t press the issue any more than her profession demanded. “Any pain anywhere?”

“My chest was a bit tight when I woke up, but I’m fine now.”

“And how are you emotionally? Losing a child would be really hard on anypony, especially after your ailment,” the nurse said. “Just so you know, it’s perfectly alright to cry.”

“I know,” Sparkle replied. “But I got that out of my system already.”

“I see.” The nurse picked the breakfast tray off the cart she had brought it in on and attached it to a little holder on Sparkle’s bed. “Here’s breakfast; a blueberry muffin, toast with peanut butter and jam, scrambled eggs, and milk.”

“Thanks.” Sparkle looked down at the food. It looked alright. She looked back at the nurse. “Is there any chance you could get this suppressor off my horn?”

“Do you think that you are emotionally stable enough to accurately control your magic without hurting yourself or others?” Sparkle nodded. “Very well, I’ll go fetch the key.”

As the nurse departed, Sparkle picked up the fork with her good hoof. It felt weird, seeing as she hadn’t used her hooves for any nimble task for a long time. Shakily, she plunged the eating utensil into her eggs, and then lifted them into her mouth.

She chewed and swallowed. “This tastes disgusting,” she admitted.

“I told you,” Thorn quipped.

Sparkle didn’t reply, as another bite of poorly cooked eggs had already found its way into her hungry mouth.

Author's Note

I picked the name "Savior" for a reason.

Planning, and Good Health by Murder

A pair of saddlebags dropped to the floor with an audible thud, while the door to the apartment slammed shut. “I’m back,” the owner of both the door and the bags announced as she stepped into her home for the first time in four days.

Shining Armor’s head popped out from the door to the living room. “Sparks! How was your trip, little sis?”

“Fantastic. I was right,” she replied cheerfully.

“Sorry, remind me what you were right about?” Shining asked, mildly embarrassed about forgetting.

“Sombra did anchor the Crystal Empire to our world, and I can probably pull it back. If I’m successful, the empire will return as if no time had passed!” Sparkle explained.

Shining ran up hugged her. “That’s great!”

“Hey, hey, don’t celebrate yet. I’ve still got a lot of work to do,” she replied.

Shining Armor released her and took a step backwards. “Well then, don’t let me keep you. Cobalt and Thorn are in your lab already, just F.Y.I.”

“Thanks, Shiny.”

Sparkle trotted off to her apartment’s lab. Opening the door, she saw Thorn relaxing with a comic book and Cobalt poring over a set of books. Around the room, a dozen specters drifted around, each working on a theoretical aspect of the task at hoof. Since each one was a near-perfect copy of her mind and had access to her memories, the ghostly ponies had started crunching numbers and working out the complex formulas that she’d need while she was on the way home.

Without looking up, Thorn waved and said hello.

“Alright, we’ve got our work cut out for us. Cobalt, have you created a materials list yet?” the dark sorceress inquired.

When she’d first set out to the frozen north where the Dread Necroptica indicated that the Empire had been, she’d left Cobalt and the specters instructions on what to research while she was gone. Between Thorn and the specters, Sparkle, Cobalt, and Thorn had started working out a way to summon the empire back. The results were promising.

Cobalt, orange coated today, levitated a long scroll over to her, which she plucked out of the air. “That’s everything,” Cobalt said. “You know, we could cut out about three quarters of this stuff if you cast some of the more complex stuff yourself.”

“I know,” Sparkle said as her eyes scanned the list. “But my summoning is unstable and we’ve got several thousand ponies counting on us to get this right. Plus, I’d rather not be standing at the epicenter when a bucking empire drops out of the sky and on my head.”

“Touché,” Cobalt acknowledged. “Well, that means that we’re going to have to get several rare - and probably pricy - reagents in order to turn a bolder into a self-contained city-summoner.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ve got contacts that can hook me up with most of these,” Sparkle replied, shaking the list for emphasis.

“Hey, what are we going to call this thing?” Thorn asked. “The Self-Contained City-Summoner is a bit of a mouthful.”

“Hmmm... Yagalone,” Sparkle suggested.

“Yagalone?” Thorn asked, confused.

“Olagay is a unicornian word for annihilation or destruction. Spell it backwards and add the negation suffix, -ne, and you get Yagalone,” Sparkle explained.

“Restoration from annihilation. Fitting,” Cobalt said, to which Thorn agreed.

“Then it’s decided. This is project Yagalone,” Sparkle declared. She then unrolled the list again and more thoroughly looked it over. “Hmm... I think I can have most of these materials within a week. Add another few days to make it and haul it all up north... we’re looking at just under two weeks to restore the empire.”

Both Thorn and Cobalt cringed slightly at the projected time period. Cobalt spoke up first. “Sparks, I’ve got a contract in Manehattan that I’ve got to start on in eight days. This one’s going to require some time to set up, so I’ll probably be gone until just before your brother’s wedding.”

“And the Great Dragon Migration’s starting soon,” Thorn added. “You promised that I could go. The next one won’t be for a couple of decades.”

Sparkle sighed in disappointment. “Alright. Help me with what you can before you leave. Once it’s ready, I should be able to deal with this without you two.”

“Hey, if you’re bringing the empire back, shouldn’t you tell the Princesses? They’d probably want to send up an ambassador for when the empire comes back,” Cobalt suggested. “And a regiment of guards in case things go south.”

“Good idea,” Sparkle admitted. “Now, I know I just got back, but I want to get these ingredients before it gets too dark out.”

Thorn snorted. “Yeah, I’d hate to be the mugger who encounters you in a dark alley way.”

Sparkle was thankful for the moonlight overhead; otherwise, it would have been much too dark out. The hour was late, and with a yawn, she set off back home. Unfortunately, she’d have to make the trek all the way to the cliff tram at the edge of town, and then wait until it made its infrequent run up the steep mountain slope, as teleporting into Upper Canterlot from here tended to be tricky and best done assisted, and the teleportation station had closed for the night.

So, setting off from the back-alley shop, Sparkle trotted home with her haul in her bags. A common sight thanks to the nearby waterfall and cool air of the spring night, mist swirled around her hooves. It made her cold and limited her vision further. What it didn’t limit was her hearing, and though sound echoed and distorted in these narrow passageways, the sound of a semi-distant voice gave her pause.

She listened, though she couldn’t determine what the gravely voice was saying. On guard now, she peaked around the corner and saw a shrouded figure looming over a pony, who, while conscious, looked utterly exhausted, both in body and in soul.

“Come out, pony. I know you’re watching,” the robed figure said.

Sparkle, knowing that she had been caught, stepped forwards, still fully on guard. Within her body, the specter that she kept on her at all times woke up and readied itself to assist its mistress if a fight broke out. Meanwhile, the specter’s creator took a good look at the shrouded figure’s soul; though she had never seen one in person, she quickly recognized the six-pointed soul as a centaur’s.

What wasn’t normal for a centaur’s soul was the off-color bump on the back, from which a set of thin tendrils protruded. It was clearly something that the centaur hadn’t been born with, and instead had been put there. Sparkle’s eyes darted towards the fallen pony and spotted the noticeable lack of magic around it and a small puncture wound on his soul.

The dots connected in Sparkle’s mind at an amazing speed. This centaur had a soul weapon, and she wanted it badly. In another fraction of a second, she realized exactly how it was supposed to be used, and readied herself.

Her entire thought process, accelerated by the magic she had altered her body with some time ago, took only a split second. It was the same length of time most ponies would take to finish observing the scene, never mind figure out what was going on.

“Who are you?” Sparkle asked. “And what did you do to that pony?” she added, although she already knew the answer.

“It is quite simple, really, I drained him of his magic,” the centaur's quiet but rough voice spoke. “Surely one such as yourself-” here he paused, gesturing to Sparkle and, more specifically, the spines on her back, “-would understand the allure of power. I just took what should have been mine. As for me, I am Lord Tirek.”

“You escaped from Tartarus,” Sparkle observed. “How did you do it?”

“A certain mutt left his post unguarded. It made things significantly easier,” Tirek replied. “But now the question is, who are you? That power I sense coming from your body did not come freely.”

“My name’s Sparkle. I’m a dark enchanter,” she lied.

“Really now?” Tirek replied. “Interesting. Had you been a necromancer, I would have suggested we work together. Alas, you are not. The only thing I want from you... is your magic.”

Tirek’s mouth stretched wide open, and within his skull, his soul weapon fired a tendril at Sparkle’s magic reserves. She, however, was ready for it. When the tendril struck, she clamped down on it as hard as she possibly could while releasing her hold on her own body. Had she not had Thorn, this would have been an insanely dangerous move. As it was, when the tendril retracted in an attempt to yank out her magic, Sparkle exited her body and rode it all the way into Tirek’s body, slamming into his own soul with the effect of a cannon-ball against a thick brick wall.

Even as it surged upwards in height, Tirek’s body slumped, like a puppet with all but one string cut. Blood erupted from his eyes, nose, and ears in a violent gush as his blood pressure spiked. As for Sparkle’s fleshy shell, it stumbled as the Specter found itself suddenly and unexpected in control of its mistress’s soulless body. Sparkle’s body’s eyes went wide, before the specter remembered that it had to keep the heart beating and the lungs breathing. All three bodies in the alley, Sparkle’s, Tirek’s, and Tirek’s victim, all went still - the latter was from confusion.

Inside Tirek, it was an entirely different story. Tirek, despite having a soul weapon, was caught completely off guard and could not fire his weapon at such short range. Sparkle, meanwhile, was fighting unarmed, but was the ambusher and thus fully on the offense. To say that it was a slaughter was an understatement.

Within the span of three breaths, Tirek’s soul had come to resemble a diced vegetable, cut into numerous chunks. Sparkle, the clear victor, seized control of Tirek’s body, if only to keep it from dying as she worked.

Physical sensation returned to her, although it was definitely distorted from what she was used to. The colors were off, the scents in the air were too weak, and her hearing was strangely unable to focus on any one thing. The biggest thing she noticed was that Tirek’s upper body was completely numb, and that Tirek’s arms hung limp.

She turned her attention inwards, to the soul shards that were all that remained of Tirek. Sifting through them, she found the weapon and quickly attached it to her own soul, taking care to sterilize the bond so that nothing like Sparkrovitar ever emerged from it. She shivered uncontrollably as it connected.

Thorn shot out of bed, awoken by the strangest sensation.

“That was weird.”

Then, sifting through what was left of his soul, an idea came to her. The personality was useless, so she swallowed it without fanfare. Then she looked at the memories. There were far too many of them for her to deal with now, so she wrapped them in a magical bubble and “pocketed” the abstract substance within her own magic reserves. Next, she turned her attention to Tirek’s rather impressive magic reserves. There was a little blob of green floating in the sea of orange, what she assumed to be the other pony’s magic. She chucked it out, knowing that it would find its way back to the pony, and then used her newly acquired soul weapon - the magic harpoon, she would later call it - and devoured Tirek’s magic as he attempted to do to her, integrating the power with her own.

“Whoa. The buck is mom doing?” Thorn asked, feeling their reserves skyrocket unexpectedly.

Finally, as the stallion nearby regained his strength and stood up, she turned her attention to the last remaining pieces of the centaur’s soul: the interface. It was these pieces that allowed a soul to mesh with the fleshy brain, sense through the body’s organs, and move the body’s muscles. Every soul had an interface that was custom made for its body type. If a soul had one arm interface, it could control exactly one arm.

Sparkle’s soul had enough to control all of her body and most of Thorn’s body. She only had one heart interface, so Thorn’s heart had never beat. She only had two wing interfaces - all ponies had enough soul to control two wings and a horn, regardless of tribe - which meant that patches on her back had been numb for years since Thorn had taken that part of her interface. And she didn’t have enough soul interface for both of them to feel everywhere. Until that moment, Sparkle and Thorn had thought that they would have to live with numb areas their whole lives.

And yet, here was Tirek’s interface. Piece by piece, Sparkle attached it to her own soul, relishing as sensation returned to areas of her - Tirek’s - body. Then, lastly, she attached Tirek’s heart interface to her soul and sterilized the bonds.

Thorn was now freaking out. Magic surge, fine. Weird chills, fine. But why the buck was there a drum banging in his head? He stood up and ran into his mom’s room. When he realized that she wasn’t there, he ran to Shining’s room.

All the while, the drum got louder and faster. He didn’t notice that with the sudden influx of oxygen, his necromantically animated limbs were now functioning as a living dragon’s would, giving them far more strength than they previously had.

Sparkle returned her attention to the real world. She noticed that the stallion had up and left. Shrugging, she looked towards her body, which was noticeably smaller. “Hm... Tirek’s body grows when he absorbs magic? I wonder if that’s a function of his body or his soul? I guess I’ll find out when I transfer back.”

Something caught her eye. On her original body, the eyes had returned to pure lavender and her necromancy cutie mark had vanished. She turned Tirek’s head - now her head - and looked at her reflection in a window. The golden irises had turned red, though the sclera were still black. Then, shedding Tirek’s robe, she spotted her skull and starburst cutie mark on the centaur’s flank.

“That’s interesting. I half expected it to not show up.” She shrugged, deciding to perform a more thorough examination of her new body later. “Come along, specter.”

“Hehehe... Yes, Mistress. Or is it Master now?” the specter giggled.

“What are you... oh. OH!” It dawned on her what the specter was referring to. She had jumped into a male body and had attached the male components of Tirek’s interface to her soul, giving her a fully functional set of male organs. She blushed furiously, and, knowing that she was functionally alone, she reached down and manually examined those new parts. “Huh... no wonder stallions like sex so much. That thing is sensitive. Now... how do I turn it off?”

By the time she had gotten back to her home, Sparkle had switched bodies once more, thankful to find that her real body had not grown when her massive reserve of magic had poured into it, and that Tirek’s body had shrunk down to about two thirds of its former height. But, as Sparkle and the meat puppet behind her ascended the stairs, Sparkle found herself in a quandary: keep Tirek’s semi-immortal body as a backup, knowing that it was the face of a Tartarus-level criminal; or hoof it over to her brother, claiming that she had mind controlled him into complying, and gain the prestige of capturing one of the most dangerous villains known to ponykind.

Decisions, decisions.

Eventually, she chose the practical option. Gathering her magic, she cast the reversible version of the curse of forever-sleep on the body, putting it into stasis. Then, with a shove of both hoof and magic, she pushed the hibernating centaur into her stable, if incomplete, personal dimension.

“There we go. One last-resort backup for later.” Sparkle figured that, in time, she could restructure the face and body enough that it wouldn’t be recognizable as Tirek any more.

She tuned into her hallway, then her apartment. As she walked in, Thorn barreled into her. “Mom! Something’s wrong with me! There’s this drum I keep hearing that won’t go away!”

Sparkle blanched, but then swiftly recovered when she realized that he was referring to the heartbeat that he had never heard before. Even when they had fused as Sparkrovitar all those months ago, Sparkle had already been used to her own heart, and thus Thorn wouldn’t have noticed.

“It’s alright. It’s just your heartbeat.”

“My... heartbeat?”

Sparkle smiled reassuringly. “I’ll fill you in tomorrow, but in short, I fixed the flaw in our soul that kept it from working.”

“Huh...” Thorn put a claw on his chest. “You know how ponies say that love comes from the heart, and that they “know in their heart”? Well, I don’t feel any different.”

“Don’t be silly,” Sparkle said. “Emotions come from the interaction of the soul and the limbic system. The heart has nothing to do with it.”

“Oh.” Thorn’s shoulders sagged in disappointment. “Does that mean I’m alive now?”

“No, you're still my cute little lich,” Sparkle replied. “All a working heart is going to do is make you more awesome. Now, it’s past your bedtime, and I don’t need a cranky monster slowing me down tomorrow.”

At the mention of sleep, the drake yawned. “Sure, Mom. I was having a great dream before you woke me.”

“Sorry,” she replied sheepishly. “Was it the one where you were squishing Canterlot, or the one with Rarity?”

“Both! Rarity was a giant dragoness, and we were rampaging together!”

“It sounds wonderful. Let me get ready for bed, and then I’ll come join you. I saw some really fat nobles when I left that we could snack on,” Sparkle replied, knowing that that was one of her son’s favorite dream pastimes.

“Sounds great, mom!”

Recovering the Stolen Jewels

Princess Celestia trotted to the throne room with grace and dignity. Her gait was measured, and, with her centuries of combat and dance practice, each step was exactly the same length. With it, she had practically become the standard of grace and beauty for all ponykind.

That same deliberate stride also served to help conceal the stress she was feeling. When parliament had dissolved, she had taken over the duties of lawmaking as well as her original duties. The royal alicorn thanked the maker that her sister had returned now, and that Cadance had joined the ruling family. Between the alicorn trio, the nightmarish workload was a bit more manageable.

A good surprise had come from the economic reforms in the form of a lower turnout in both Day and Night Court. Where once dozens of petitioners sought the highest court in the land, now the number had dwindled to perhaps four. The thought of a falling workload made Celestia’s trip to the throne room for Court that much easier.

She trotted up to her royal cushion and daintily sat down. Her assistant - the wonderfully helpful, if abrasive, Kibitz - was already there waiting for her with the day’s agenda. “Who do we have first, Kibitz, and are they ready to present?”

Kibitz looked upon his scroll and read, “The first petitioner is... one Sparkle, head of the Noble House of Twilight.”

Celestia raised an eyebrow. Sparkle wanted an audience with her in an official fashion? Interesting...

Unaware of his Princess’s inner thoughts, Kibitz continued reading uninterrupted. “Her petition is for... the use of a contingent of Royal Guards as escorts for an expedition up to the Frozen North, north of the Crystal Mountain Outpost.”

Cadance had mentioned to Celestia that Sparkle had gone up north for a few days. Why did she need to go up again, and why did she need a guard? “Send her in,” the curious princess commanded.

When the doors opened, Sparkle marched right up to Celestia and practically shoved a scroll into Celestia’s face. The princess took it and opened it up, revealing a very complex spell array.

“I’m going to bring back the Crystal Empire, and that’s how,” Sparkle stated.

Celestia’s eyes shot back down to the scroll, quickly scanning the spells within. “This... this could work!” Genuinely excited, the princess looked back once more at Sparkle. “How soon could you have this ready?”

“I’ve already built it; I could fire it the moment I get up there. In fact, I planned to head up there first thing tomorrow morning,” Sparkle explained. “I don’t really need guards; I just figured that you’d want to know, and that you’d probably send some guards and an embassador up there anyway. I figured that we could at least travel together.”

“This is... KIBITZ! Fetch me Princess Cadance, and then clear our schedules for the next few days, and get Princess Luna, too. Guards! Bring me Captain Shining Armor at once!” Celestia ordered.

The assistant and the ever-present guards saluted and hurried off. Then, the solar princess pulled out a blank scroll, a quill, and some ink. Quickly, she wrote out a letter in her perfect horn writing and sent it off with a pulse of magic. Then, turning her attention to the necromancer before her. “Sparkle, what you have here is an amazing piece of magic, and I cannot thank you enough for creating this. But know that when the Crystal Empire returns, so will its tyrant ruler: King Sombra.”

“I know who he is,” Sparkle replied, “and I know it took both you and Princess Luna to seal him away the last time. However, I have something particularly nasty in store for him if he shows up.” And she did; that much was the truth. What Sparkle wasn’t saying was that she was counting on Sombra showing up.

“Then you are aware of the danger. Good. Although, before things become too hectic, may I ask why you felt the need to rescue a long-lost empire?”

She replied to the solar princess’s inquiry with a question of her own. “Would you believe that I wanted to find a book?”

Hectic was an understatement. This was a rescue mission mounted by one of the most social creatures on the planet; of course it would be a flurry of action as everypony scrambled to get things done as fast as possible. Guards scrambled to get organized, castle staff ran about at a breakneck pace, and of course, the nobles bitched and whined when Princess Celestia refused to see to their oh so important problems.

Sparkle, for her part, simply had to show up at the Canterlot train station the next morning with the Yagalone stone in tow.

Although she did mention to Celestia that it was literally a boulder three times the height of the average pony, the Yagalone stone caused a bit of a spectacle as she levitated the light-devouring monolith into the train station. The mare couldn’t put it into her pocket space without damaging it, and so she was forced to carry it.

Sparkle trotted up to the Princess’s personal train, the Ultraviolet. A marvel of modern magical engineering, it currently held the land speed record for any vehicle in the world. The necromancer increased her pace to a steady canter and made her way towards the freight car. She nodded to the guard standing nearby as she floated the Yagalone into the car and followed in behind it. Once the stone was secured in place with several straps, she made her way to the first passenger car behind the engine. There, she stepped on board and found her seat.

No more than five minutes later, Sparkle spotted six mare approaching the train car. Sparkle's shoulders slumped slightly when she recognized who they were.

"Oh, Darling, can you imagine it? A whole empire made entirely of crystals! I bet it's simply divine~!" Rarity stepped through the open door of the train car and paused when she noticed who she was going to be sharing the car with. "Oh... Sparkle. I didn't expect to see you here."

"Sparkle? Sparkle is here?" Trixie said from behind Rarity. "What is she doing here?"

"Actually, I was going to ask you the same thing," Sparkle replied as the six Element Bearers boarded. "I have a good reason to be on this train; why are you all here?"

"Princess Celestia asked us to help retrieve the Crystal Heart when the Empire is restored," Trixie replied.

"Hmm... Well, stay out of my way, then," Sparkle grunted.

The whistle of the Ultraviolet pierced the air while the engine lurched forward. The other mares took their seat.

"What about you?" a suspicious Rainbow Dash interrogated Sparkle. "Why are you here?"

"I'm the one bringing the empire back."

The moment the group of twenty guards and their captain, an alicorn princess, six Element Bearers, and a necromancer crossed into the valley, they could all feel that this was the site of foul magic. Every tribe could feel magic to some extent. Earth ponies could sense the magic that was touching them or anything they touched, including the nearby ground; to them, it was akin to being poked with needles until they went numb. Pegasi could feel the magic in the air with their wings, although they perceived it in a way similar to, but not quite, sound; Fluttershy flinched at the horrible shriek of the magic. And unicorns could sense magic with their horn in a way that wasn’t like any other sense; the guards, Trixie, Rarity, and Cadance all scowled at the feeling of void in the air.

Sparkle, however, had the most profound sensory experience when it came to the Crystal Empire’s valley, though she had already seen it once before. There, emerging from the center of the valley, was a crack in space and time, though it had long since been sealed mostly shut. And although Sparkle couldn’t see the crack itself, it being so utterly abstract, she could see the light of the souls of the empire’s ponies glowing faintly behind it.

The glow also seemed to radiate out in thin lines, each no bigger than a third of a hoof-length, that pointed to various locations around the valley. Sparkle could only assume that they were trails left as the ponies were pulled into the void, and where they’d reappear when the city returned.

Thus, with a fairly accurate gauge of how big the city would be, Sparkle ordered toe group to stop on the outskirts.

“Hey, why are we stopping?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Tell me, what’s out there?” Sparkle replied, waving her mechanical hoof towards the center of the valley.

“Err, nothing,” Dash answered, confused.

“Exactly. Now, what will be out there soon?”

“The empire, duh.”

Sparkle grinned. “So tell me, Rainbow Dash, if you are out there, and a city appears out of thin air, what happens to you?”

“I dunno,” Dash replied.

“Have you ever heard of a unicorn getting splinched when they teleport?” Sparkle asked. Immediately, the more magic-savvy of the group turned various shades of green. “Think of it this way: What if you are standing where a wall should be the moment that wall reappears? Obviously, you’d be cut in half. Now do you see why I wanted you to stop?”

“Gah! Ok, ok, I get it. No going in until the city is back,” Rainbow Dash agreed.

Sparkle nodded. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must be off.” And with that, Sparkle, with her floating boulder, galloped down the slope.

Shining Armor watched her go, worried for his sister after what she had just described. Now though, all he could do was wait. His sister’s slow gallop would get her to the center of the valley within ten minutes, and then it would take another two minutes to arm the stone and teleport back. Then, hopefully, they would have the Crystal Empire.

Cadance moved closer to her fiancé and draped her gradient wing across his snow-white back. “You ready, Shiny?”

“Of course,” he half-lied.

“Me too,” Cadance replied, though it was also only partially true.

Seconds passed, and then minutes. Within the group, the suspense was building. With no way of knowing exactly when it was going to go off, they could only sit and wait.

Then, without warning, a plume of black smoke erupted within the center of the group and swiftly compressed itself into Sparkle’s form. “Everything’s in place,” Sparkle announced.

“Good,” Shining Armor replied. “When will it go off?”

Instead of immediately answering, Sparkle conjured a black orb of magic from her horn. “This is the detonator. Hit it with raw magic, and we get a city un-destroyed. Shining, could you put a shield around us first?”

“Oh, sure!” The pink bubble promptly materialized around them.

“And Cadance, would you like to do the honors?”

Cadance smiled. “I’d love to.” The alicorn gathered blue magic at the tip of her horn. “Good morning, Crystal Empire! I hope you enjoyed sleeping in!”

The alicorn’s magic struck the orb. At that instant, a black speck appeared several hundred hoof-lengths above the ground. And, an instant later, it explosively expanded in a sphere of black magic that rapidly filled most of the valley in a fraction of a second.

A blast of wind slammed into Shining’s shield, but he alone barely noticed the impact; his shield protected the entire group perfectly.

When the magic and windstorm faded, the Crystal Empire stood before them, majestic and gleaming. Oohs and Aahs erupted from the gathered ponies. One of the guards started stomping his hooves in approval, and soon, the group had broken out into full applause for Sparkle, who, being so unused to the mass praise, was blushing furiously. “Thanks, everypony,” she said bashfully.

“Come on, everypony. Let’s go see how the empire is doing,” Princess Cadance suggested. While the Princess lead the group onward, Sparkle held her brother back. “Shiny, I’m going after Sombra. I know he’s alive and probably working his way out of the ice even as we speak. I’m going after him.”

“Sparks, no! It’s too dangerous. At least let me come with you!” the Royal Guard Captain insisted.

“Shiny... no. I need to do this alone,” she replied, turning away from him.

“Sparkle, I can help.”

“I know, Shiny. But you being there will... complicate things. Look, I know that you can make a shield big enough to cover the empire, especially with Cadance helping you. Why don’t you go help her defend the city, since Sombra will be out here. Don’t let any dark magic in, and I’ll knock when it’s safe to come out, alright?”

His heart wanted to protest badly, but his mind knew that this was the right thing to do. He had twenty seven Equestrian citizens, including a princess and six heroes, and a whole empire of people to protect. In the face of those numbers, the correct choice was obvious, if excruciatingly painful to make. “Stay safe, LSBFF.”

“You too, BBBFF.”

They hugged. Then, after releasing his sister, Shining Armor galloped to rejoin the rest of the group. Sparkle, meanwhile, darkened her horn in an attempt to divine the location of the sealed King Sombra. It took a minute, but she eventually found him.

Her body dissolved into smoke and vanished. She reappeared on top of a seemingly random patch of glacier ice. She inhaled deeply and then conjured a small but very real flame inside her open mouth.

She roared, exhaling a torrential stream of dragonfire at the ice, liquefying a large portion of it. By the end of the blast, her roar had warped into a scream of agony as her lips were cooked alive. Cutting off the stream, she focused her magic and repaired the damaged flesh.

Unfortunately for Sparkle, dragonfire was the only flame magic that she knew that was hot enough for the job, save for the nearly uncontrollable curse fire. The problem with her using dragon fire was that, while she may have had dragon magic at her disposal, she did not have a dragon’s fireproof physiology.

Again, she roar-screamed; again, ice melted; and again, she healed her lips and mouth. Seeing that the deep hole she had bored wasn’t quite deep enough, she repeated the cycle once more. As her lips healed the final time, black smoke started billowing up from the hole.

As it grew larger and larger, only one feature was distinguishable: Sombra’s head. If that was the only thing he could yet manifest, it said a ton to Sparkle about what had happened back then; the princesses had not turned him to Shadow, as they claimed, but instead had mortally wounded him. His current form - or lack thereof - was his attempt at recovering without being immediately killed by his injured body.

Genius. Sparkle made a mental note to look into that for herself.

<> she spoke in old unicornian. For Sombra, however, it would be chronologically correct. <>

Sombra’s head focused on Sparkle. <> As he spoke, his body was becoming more solid and compact by the second.

<<Primarily, I seek knowledge. Specifically, I seek to own the complete Dread Necroptica. I understand that you have the book of Death. Am I correct?>> Sparkle asked.

Sombra finished resolidifying his torso and forelegs. Sparkle was surprised to note that he was younger than she expected, likely somewhere between her age and Shining Armor’s. <> Sparkle nodded in reply. <> Sombra looked at the empire in the distance, noticing the pink bubble shield around it for the first time. He roared, <<What? THERE ARE NO UNICORNS IN MY EMPIRE BUT ME! WHO IS CREATING THAT SHIELD?>>

<> Sparkle replied. <> At that moment, Sparkle hurled a particularly nasty curse at Sombra.

He dodged it, allowing it to pass harmlessly through his smokey body. Then, he returned fire.

Sparkle dodged it in the same way. This surprised Sombra greatly. <>

Sparkle didn’t reply; instead, she launched another volley of debilitating curses his way.

He deflected them and countered with an eruption of black crystals near her hooves.

<> she shouted. Having teleported behind him and left a illusioned specter in her place to confuse him, King Sombra was caught completely off-guard as Sparkle’s mechanical hoof plowed into his head at high speed.

The hoof, now separate from her body, had been launched like a missile by Sparkle’s magic. And, once separated from her body, it activated a curse that she had laid on it the day she had acquired it.

From the point of impact, Sombra’s skin - and only his skin - rapidly began to petrify, spreading out across his body. In seconds, he was encased in stone, stone that was now slowly and painfully working its way into his body.

Sparkle appeared before him, opened her mouth wide, and then fired her soul’s magic harpoon. Red light, Sombra’s normal magic, erupted from his horn and drained into Sparkle’s open maw.

She swallowed. For a moment, her fur glowed orange like Tirek’s had, but she didn’t grow. Over in the Crystal Palace, several security enchantments fell as their connection to their creator was broken. While Sparkle didn’t know the specifics of what fell, she knew that the death of a caster - or the loss of his magic - would end an enchantment. Thus, her brother would now be safer from magical traps in the castle. Then, satisfied with the boost of magic, Sparkle hobbled up to Sombra’s petrified form.

Meanwhile, in a parallel timeline, Twilight spontaneously glowed orange. She squeaked in surprise, more from the accompanying magic surge than the random glowing.

High above them, one of the migrating dragons spotted the orange glow and the pony it came from, and playfully blew a jet of fire at them, causing the ponies to scream and run. The dragon chuckled and resumed his forward progress.

Back in the other timeline, Sparkle quickly undid her curse. The stallion collapsed to the ground and the illusions he had around himself shattered like glass. Gone was the smooth, handsome, blemish free face. In its place, Sparkle saw crystals protruding from his skin. Small crystals on his lips gave the impression of an unzipped zipper, while black crystals pointing down from his jaw line gave the appearance of a beard. The crown on his head turned out not to be a crown at all, but a line of curved, gray crystals in the general shape of a crown.

On his legs and neck, thousands of small, black crystals fit together like dragon scales. Sparkle realized that none of his regalia actually was regalia in the first place. There was no cutie mark on his muscular flanks, but that was because the King had no magic for his soul to project it with. Although the irises stayed red, his sclera returned to white and his eyes stopped oozing purple mist.

<> Sombra gasped. He tried to stand up, but the residual pain from the curse caused him to collapse back into the snow. A hiss escaped from between his fangs.

<> Sparkle replied. She levitated the prosthetic leg back to her side and carefully reattached it to her body. Her magic was drawn in, causing it to go rigid momentarily as sensation returned to it.

<> Sombra spoke. <>

<> Sparkle replied. <> With a flick of her magic, Sombra’s horn snapped clean off, just above where the last nerves were. <>

<> Sombra’s hoof felt around where his horn used to be.

<> Sparkle answered, waving the severed horn at him. <<Even if you “mysteriously” survived, everypony knows that you cannot cast without a horn.>>

<>

<> Sparkle proudly replied.

<>

Sparkle smiled. <>

The dethroned king smirked. <>

<> Sparkle replied.

Sparkle then focused on a spot in front of her. There, a sphere of distorted space appeared and expanded until it was large enough for a pony to fit comfortably inside. Through it, a misty, distorted area bathed in omnidirectional light could be seen. <>

Sombra would have taken time to marvel at the fantastic magical creation, but he knew that he had no power to argue with her. So, without complaint or hesitation, he stepped inside. And as he went, he didn't notice Sparkle's specter stealthily slip under his skin. The three-dimensional portal vanished silently, leaving nothing but a suddenly-terminating set of hoof prints to indicate that the king had ever been there.

Sparkle eyed the severed horn in her grasp. It looked remarkably similar to her own, save for the color. As she looked at it, she decided that she really liked Tirek’s ex-weapon; it made thing so much simpler than killing a pony and eating their soul. Now she had a living-but-helpless magical genius in her grasp, and nopony ever needed to know!

She teleported to the edge of the barrier around the city. Readying a very tiny portion of her magic, she formed it into a severely underpowered shield-buster curse. When it struck her brother’s spell, it rang like a gong, causing ripples to spread out from the point of impact. A second later, the shield disengaged, popping like a soap bubble. Had her curse actually broken it, the dome would have shattered like glass instead.

With the path clear, the victorious mare trotted inside. With her illusions up and her conscious suppression of her magic, the crystal ponies she passed paid her no mind.

The crystal ponies themselves were interesting to Sparkle. She knew that Sombra had written much in the way of mind magic, and she could see the spells breaking by watching the expressions on their faces. Every few seconds, a pony would freeze, their eyes would unfocus and refocus, and then they'd break down as buried memories surged forward.

Galloping onwards, Sparkle swiftly made her way to the crystal palace at the center of the city. If Sombra had a lab or library anywhere, it would be there.

Author's Note

Very few of you noticed that "Yagalone" spelled backwards is "Enola Gay," the name of the plane that dropped the first atom bomb. I thought it would be more obvious than it was.

A Lich Among Dragons

There were countless dragons flying towards the caldera of all shapes and sizes. If there was one thing this world was good at, it was creating a diversity of physical appearances within species, and dragons were no exception to this. One could argue that there were more body types and colorations of dragons than there were in ponykind.

However, of all the types of dragons flying to that famous volcano in the badlands, only one had wings of smoke. He, a purple dragon the size of a typical late-adolescent, was flying high and fast above the rest of the incoming drakes and dames. Having spent so long animating his own body through sheer force-of-will (with a helping of magic on the side), the addition of a working cardiovascular system had given him quite the boost in speed and strength.

Soon enough, the blazing caldera, smoking profusely from both dragons and ash, comes into sight. As he approached, a fun little idea occurred to Thorn. Deciding to act on it, he ascends higher instead of gliding down like the rest of the dragons.

The moment he was directly over the caldera, he pulled his wings in tight and semi-stiff, but not fully closed. In that position, they offered no lift, but prevented him from careening out of control as he entered an extremely steep dive.

Down, down, down he fell, faster, faster, and faster still. The wind whipped past his body. The ground shot up to meet him. Closer and closer it came, but still, Thorn did not spread his wings.

And then, at the last possible instant, he snapped his wings open for a full stop. Most dragons would have ripped their flight membranes and dislocated their wing performing such a move; luckily for Thorn, the smokey membrane of his wings was made of tougher stuff, so he merely dislocated his wings.

And even then, he still plowed into the ground with impressive force. It was enough to kick up a cloud of dust and rock. But, as it cleared, Thorn couldn't be more proud of himself.

He'd stuck the landing.

His wings shuddered and then popped back into place as the magic in his body went to work fixing him. After all, Shining Armor wasn't the only one Thorn's mom had improved.

Thorn looked at a nearby group of adolescent dragons and flashed a winning smile. "How'd I look?"

The other dragons just looked at him, slack jawed. One of them shouted, "Dude! That was fucked up! Alright!"

"Thanks," Thorn replied.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Thorn," a large, pink dame said as she lumbered over. "I'd recognize those wings anywhere."

Thorn turned to get a good look at her. The dame had pink scales and pink hair, and blue eyes, horns, and belly scales. However, Thorn saw her soul as her most prominent feature, and recognized her instantly. "Mina? Looking good, I see!"

"Haha! It's good to see you, too," she said as she shrunk down to a more manageable size. "Hey, about that message you left me with, I think I figured it out."

"Oh? Do tell..."

"'Dead dragons do tell tales.' You're an undead," she stated.

"Ding! One point for the little lady," Thorn said with a smile. "But can she go two for two? What kind of undead?"

"A lich," Mina replied. "Or a wight. I'm not sure which."

"Meh, I'll take it," Thorn replied. "Lich was correct, though I do have similarities to a wight."

"Ok. Hey, just to be clear, you're not going to suddenly eat my flesh or steal my soul or something, right? 'Cause I'm kinda attached to them."

Thorn waved a razor-sharp claw dismissively. "Nah, I already ate before I got here."

"So what brings you - what?" Mina was interrupted by Thorn. For reasons unknown to her, the lich had spontaneously started glowing orange. "What was that?"

"Mom winning."

When Thorn provided no more information, Mina shrugged and let it pass. "As I was saying, what brings you here?"

Thorn shrugged. "I was curious about dragons, so I came to observe."

"Well, shall we observe together?" Mina asked.

"That sounds nice."

A beat of silence passed between the two of them before Mina asked, "What's the deal with that pendant?"

Thorn looked down at the gold, triangular medallion on his neck. "It belonged to a gargoyle named Scorpan at one point. I never met him myself, but I want to find him. By this time, it's more likely that I find his grave.

"I'm actually looking for a specific dragon who might know him. I don't know much about that dragon, just a vague description and a name," he said. His eyes scanned the countless dragons occupying the caldera, as well as those still flying in. "He's got the same shortened name as my brother, Spike. Should be about one and a half thousand years old, has a purple body, pink belly, and green spines. That's all..."

He was about to say that that was all he knew, but from the look on Mina's face, he knew that she recognized the description. "That's my great grandfather! I flew in with him!"

Mina grabbed his forearm and dragged him across the caldera. "Come on!" she yelled as they barreled forward, dodging around dragons, lava pools, and mounds of precious gems.

Soon enough, the pair found themselves facing a massive drake that fit the memories Sparkle had stolen from Tirek, albeit much bigger. "Great granddaddy! Hey!"

Lifting his head from his resting spot, the great dragon rumbled, "Ah, Mina, my darling. Are you enjoying yourself? I see you made a friend. Who might you be, young drake? I am Spike, just Spike."

"Thornecrovitar, sir, but Thorn for short," Thorn replied politely. "I have a question for you." He held up the amulet. "Does the name Scorpan ring a bell?"

Spike's eyes went wide and his body stiffened with shock. "Scorpan! You know Scorpan? You even have his amulet! Please, if you can tell me anything about my friend, please..."

"I don't know him, not personally. I don't even know if Scorpan is alive. I was raised by a powerful unicorn, who was attacked by Tirek. He had the amulet on him."

"Tirek did?" Spike asked. "How? He was in Tartarus, the last I heard."

"He escaped, and when he tried to attack my mom, she killed him instead and took his memories. When she started looking through them, she found out how important this amulet was to Tirek, simply for having belonged to Scorpan. It turns out that Scorpan gave it to Tirek just before he betrayed him to aid the ponies that were suffering under Tirek's rule. Tirek didn't know what happened to him after that."

For a long time, the elder dragon sat silently in thought. "I suppose a thank you is in order. I see now, it was Scorpan who saved us back then, and your mother who saved us now. I know that I am in no position to ask this of you, what with I being in your debt, but would you do me a favor? I would gladly part with much of my hoard for this."

Thorn's eyes, like most dragons' when given a chance to earn a small mountain of treasure, lit up with excitement. In Thorn's case specifically, it was a bit more literal as his eyes actually glowed with a sickly green. "Sure, name it."

"Would you find Scorpan, and tell him that I am looking for him? And if you can only find his grave, would you tell him to wait for me in the great beyond?"

"Consider it done," Thorn agreed.

The elder dragon smiled and then lowered his head. "The sun feels so nice on my scales, and my chest feels so light. I wonder if the Nightbringer will grace me with pleasant dreams?" He closed his eyes and murmured, "Perhaps..."

Mina grabbed Thorn's arm and dragged him off again, citing that they should let the old drake sleep. However, once they were far enough away, Mina's inner fan girl exploded forth. “This is so cool! You’re probably going to go on some grand quest all over the world, fighting monsters and baddies until you find Scorpan! It’s so exciting! Just like a comic book!”

Thorn chuckled. “Yeah, I bet you’re right about being an adventure. I just hope I don’t get sucked into anything else... and by that, I mean literally sucked into something.” Mina looked confused, so Thorn explained. “I found an enchanted Power Ponies comic book once; my mom, her student, and I all got sucked inside and turned into some of the characters.”

“Really? No way! Who were you?”

“I was... Humdrum,” Thorn replied, disappointed.

“Oh... That probably sucked,” Mina replied. “But what about the other two?”

“Cobalt was Filly-Second, though still a stallion, and my mom got to be the Mane-iac.”

“So cool! I’d do anything to find one of those comic books!” Mina squealed.

“Why would you want anything as namby-pamby as a comic book?” a new voice interrupted. The red and orange adolescent dragon swaggered over to the two of them and looked down at the currently small Mina. “Everydragon knows that comics are made by pathetic little ponies. Are you really going to waste your time on that junk?”

“Garble, I don’t care if we’re second cousins,” Mina growled. “You insult my comics again, and I’ll crush you.”

Garble, for some reason, found that extremely funny and burst out laughing. Mina seethed, while Thorn lept to her defense. “She’s not joking. She really will squish you.”

“Oh yeah?” Garble asked. “The two of you together probably weigh less than me. How are you possibly going to squish me?”

“Like this,” both Thorn and Mina answered, each growing to a massive size. Despite the fact that their bodies now awkwardly pressed against one another, the pair still managed to look quite fierce.

Garble squeaked, unable to form any real words. As the two giant dragons loomed over him, he quickly scrambled away. Thorn shouted, “Oh, no you don't!” From the lich’s body, a black blur shot out and struck Garble, vanishing into his skin without pushing him. In the short instant that it was visible, Mina recognized it as the same thing Thorn had used to teach her how to grow and shrink at will.

When it struck, Garble froze. It wasn’t by choice.

“You really should apologize to her,” Thorn said. “And me too, but I’m not expecting any miracles.”

“W-what did you do to me?” Garble asked. The muscles below his neck still refused to answer to his brain.

“I made you a puppet,” Thorn replied. “Apologize, or dance. Your choice.”

“I’m not takin’ it back. Comics are stupid, and the ponies that make them are even stupider.”

Thorn commanded the Specter to spin him around and force him into a bow. “Wrong choice,” the lich replied.

A claw gripped Thorn’s arm. He looked over at Mina, who had a strange look in her eye. “It’s not worth it,” the dame said. “Let him go.”

Thorn looked at her, then at the forcefully genuflecting dragon, and then back at her blue eyes. He sighed, releasing his control over Garble. The red dragon quickly turned tail and ran away. “Why’d you stop me? I had him; I could have made him apologize.”

“Because he’s not worth it. Garble’s just a stupid bully; there’s no point in hurting him. Even I was just bluffing when I said I would squish him,” the pink dragoness replied. She started shrinking again, returning to her normal size.

“Aww... I was looking forward to squishing him,” Thorn replied as he too began to shrink. “It would have been funny to see his blood spurt everywhere. I wonder what he tastes like.”

Mina took a step back, perhaps realizing for the first time what it meant for Thorn to be a lich. Fear welled up inside her. “You really are bloodthirsty in there, aren’t you?”

“Extremely,” Thorn replied proudly. “I’m a monster, Mina; I always have been, and I always will be. Everyday's a struggle not to kill everything in sight, to devour everyone. I’m alwayS sO HuNgRy.” He blinked, and then shrugged. “Meh, but that’s unlife. Want to go swim in the lava?”

"You're insane," Mina realized.

"Never said I wasn't," Thorn replied.

"No funny business, alright? I'm not afraid to slay a monster," she declared.

Thorn laughed, finding Mina's statement funny in a condescending way. But, if only for her sake, he promised. "Cross my heart, the end is nigh, stick a spear point in my eye."

"Morbid, but I'll hold you to your word," Mina said.

"Of course you-AAGH!"

Thorn suddenly doubled over in pain. All across his face and body, his skin suddenly cracked. Bright, pale blue light erupted from the cracks.

"RRRRAAAGGGHHH!!!"

Unbeknownst to Thorn, nearly eight hundred miles away, Cobalt collapsed at that exact moment. His body violently convulsed and his voice screamed, but it was not his mind that was pulling the strings. His target was getting away, and all Cobalt could think about was that he was now trapped in a body that seemed determined to beat itself to death, and he had no idea why.

And, unbeknownst to both males, their common companion's sister had also collapsed in her own timeline at the exact same instant. Twilight, like Thorn, screamed in pain as her body cracked, with light pouring out of each fissure.

And then, just as suddenly as it had come, it was over. Thorn stood from where he had fallen, his body swiftly pulling itself together. Cobalt stood from his spot on the sidewalk, hissing as his raw, bleeding skin stung. And Twilight stood from her spot on the picnic blanket, blood dripping from her cracks, as her friends and son rushed to help her, wedding invitation forgotten.

And, within five seconds of standing and assessing the situation, all three of them came to the exact same conclusion: Something had happened to Sparkle.

Thorn, still damaged, turned around and launched himself into the air with his powerful wings, leaving behind a confused and scared dame without a goodbye. Nothing else mattered to him except for finding his mom...

... Or what was left of her.

Like Glass [History Overwritten]

Even without actively refreshing it, Shining Armor could feel the massive shield slowly draining his magic. Don't misunderstand; he could keep a shield this size up for a really long time. Instead, he was merely observing that the drain was noticeable, but tiny. And even as seemingly separate as the shield was from him, his magic, like the magic of any unicorn and their spells, was still connected to him. And, like any alert pony, he could feel with his magic.

If he had to describe the feeling of the underpowered shield breaker curse striking the dome, he would equate it to sitting in a library and then suddenly being pelted with a rotten egg. It was a nasty, unpleasant surprise, but ultimately harmless.

It was unmistakably his sister's magic, though, so he let the dome collapse.

“What are you doing? King Sombra's still out there!"

Shining Armor smiled at the worried crystal pony. “And so is my sister. I just got her signal that we’re all clear now. I just dropped the shield to let her in.”

“All clear?” the gem-like mare asked. “Does that mean that we’re... finally free?”

“Quite possibly,” Shining Armor replied. “Let’s just wait for her to get back.”

That one little assurance gave the small mare more hope than she’d had in a very long time. Her coat shimmered, and then she turned translucent. The ground beneath her hooves started glowing and leaving luminescent hoof prints with her every step. Her joy was infectious; other crystal ponies who hadn’t been part of the conversation saw her lighting up, which improved their moods as well.

A few minutes later, Shining Armor spotted his sister approaching the castle archway where they were standing. “Sparks!”

Sparkle looked over when she heard her name. “Shiny!” She increased her pace and galloped up to him and the assembled crystal ponies around him. She pulled out Sombra’s horn from her robe pocket and waved it in the air. “I won! King Sombra is dead!”

She dramatically threw the severed horn on the ground at the crystal ponies hooves. It clattered and slid across the smooth crystal road, coming to a stop at a young filly’s hooves. She picked it up, eyes wide. “Is he really gone?”

“I got rid of him myself,” Sparkle replied. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to find a really important book.” And with nothing else to say, Sparkle trotted off towards the castle entrance. Cheering erupted behind her, and although she wanted to bask in the glory, she had another, more important reason for being here.

As she entered the building, news of Sombra’s “death” began to spread like wildfire, and with it, so did the good cheer of the crystal ponies. As Sparkle felt for Sombra’s fading magic, she didn’t notice the streets lighting up below. And as she entered the Throne room, she couldn’t see the Crystal heart, perched at the top of the castle, gently glowing.

Instead, what she could see was a dark, spiral staircase that was far longer than what the suspended castle should logically contain. Down and down she trotted, blissfully unaware of the building threat. Finally, she reached the bottom of the stairs and found a circular room with only a single, magically reactive door.

A pulse of dark magic, bearing the intent to find the ex-king’s study was all it took to get the door to open. Sparkle stepped inside. Translucent glass let in strange, green-tinted light, ignoring the fact that they should have been deep underground. Around the room stood several busts of King Sombra, all bearing the same arrogant smirk. A simple, wooden podium sat on a purple rug in the center of the room, and on the podium sat a horn-written book. Sparkle gave it a quick glance and saw that it was Sombra’s journal. She shoved it into her pocket dimension; hopefully, it would put her prisoner in a better mood.

Her attention turned to the walls, lined with hundreds of books, each in marvelous condition. The thousand years they had been locked away had not damaged them at all, making this room a treasure trove of ancient black magic. However, among all the books, Sparkle only saw one bound in leather. She dove for it immediately.

Pulling it off the shelf, Sparkle flipped the large tome over to see the cover. There, engraved into the front, was the six-eyed skull mark of Lady Death, and the words Dread Necroptica. With the exception of the number of eyes, Death’s mark was practically identical to Sparkle’s own in every way. If that didn’t tell her that she was meant to learn what was in that book, what would?

There was a lock on the front. Instead of having a slot for a key, the lock had a tiny hole and a magical array around it. Sparkle poured a tiny drop of her power into the array. A little needle popped out of the hole. Sparkle pressed her hoof against the needle, drawing a small drop of blood. The needle slid back in, and the book’s lock clicked open.

She magically cleaned the tiny wound - she didn’t need to be infected with anything, now - and opened the book.

The first page was blank. That was odd, since the others in the series always had writing on the first page. Sparkle flipped to the second page.

Or, rather, the cavity carved into the book. There was no second page at all; in fact, save for that blank first page, there were no pages at all. Instead, what Sparkle held in her magical grip was a locked box disguised as a book. And in that box lay a porcelain skull mask. It, not the box it was contained in, radiated the same twisted sensation as the other books in the series.

If it was a mask, it was meant to be put on. Sparkle brushed her mane out of the way and then slid her horn through the special hole in the skull’s forehead. When it finally touched her face, it settled into place as if it was custom made to fit her.

Sparkle.

It was pure meaning injected straight into her brain, without any pretense of sound. She stepped back unconsciously. “The demon within the Dread Necroptica, I presume,” she said.

Exactly. I already know you from my six other parts, and I have already decided that you are worthy of this power. You would have never found me had you not been, the demon replied.

“So how does this work, exactly. Are you to instruct me?”

In a way, yes. I contain procedural memories on how to cast the magic within me, and even as we speak, I am recording this information directly into your brain and connecting the proper associations. This is done to protect this information; you will not know what you know until a situation demands the relevant skill. Then, the answer will come to you as if you already knew it.

“That seems needlessly complicated,” Sparkle replied.

You are worthy of this information. Your student is not yet worthy.

“I’m curious, what criteria do you deem worthy?” Sparkle inquired.

Dread replied, I have only one criteria for the knowledge contained in my seventh volume. You fit this criteria. Thorn fits this criteria. Cobalt does not yet fit this criteria.

“You haven’t answered my question,” Sparkle insisted. “What criteria?”

The demon within the mask remained silent. Eventually, Sparkle realized that it was not going to answer. With a huff, she asked, “Is there anything else I should know?”

Lady Death wrote a short message for me to give to any who unite all seven parts. You have access to the other six; bring them here, Dread insisted.

Sparkle’s horn darkened with magic. With six rapid pops, six tomes materialized in Sombra’s private study. She opened each of them with her magic. “Now what?”

The message is simple. ‘Always remember the heart of the matter.’

Sparkle blinked. “That’s it?”

That’s it, Dread confirmed.

“‘Always remember the heart of the matter.’ What does that mean? The heart of the matter... the heart! The Crystal Heart!” Sparkle’s gut clenched in panic. King Sombra had taken the Crystal Heart; with him gone, any defenses around the city-protecting artifact would be gone. With a whole team of ponies looking for it now, it would be found really quick and installed as soon as it was recovered.

It was a light artifact.

It could cover the entire Crystal Empire.

Sparkle was standing at the epicenter.

Her magic exploded forth, shoving as many books into her pocket dimension as she could. In less than three seconds, the study was stripped bare of any and everything valuable. She practically exploded out the door, her body already dissolving into smoke. As fast as she could muster, she teleported to the top of the spiral staircase, reappearing in the throne room.

She looked out the window. With a good visual on the street below she teleported again. Emerging right in front of a startled crystal pegasus, she whirled around. Shining, Cadance, and the Element Bearers were all standing at the center of the castle’s plaza, Crystal Heart in their possession. “NO!” she shouted, but it was too late. The Heart floated into place and began to spin.

Shining Armor heard his sister’s shout and turned. He spotted her just as the magic erupted from the Crystal Heart.

The average reaction time of a pony is a quarter of a second. Thanks to his sister’s enchantments, his time was faster than that, but not fast enough. At the speed the bubble of magic was expanding, Shining only had time to connect the dots, never mind react.

The magic of the Crystal Heart exploded at approximately one third of the speed of sound. While it was faster than the beam of the Elements of harmony by a significant margin, it was arguably the less dangerous of the two. Granted, “less dangerous” didn't mean much in the face of the two extremely potent artifacts, where the Element’s purified or imprisoned their target while the Heart violently expelled.

In the end, the how didn't matter.

The wave of magic crashed into Sparkle with incredible energy. Her skin cracked, blue-white light pouring out from the wounds. Through the pain, she had just enough time to make eye contact with Shining Armor before the secondary concussive force slammed into her.

She shattered.

The End

Author's Note

Death is only the end if you assume the story is about you.

[Part of the History Overwritten Update]

Epilogue One: Shining Armor [History Overwritten]

The wave of magic slammed into Sparkle with incredible force. Her skin cracked, blue-white light pouring out from the wounds. She had just enough time to make eye contact with Shining Armor before the secondary concussive blast slammed into her.

Sparkle shattered like glass, and with it, so did her brother’s world.

A hush fell over the gathered crowd. Dozens of ponies had just witnessed Sparkle’s very sudden death.

“No...” Shining took a step forwards. “Sparks! No...” He took another step and then broke out into a full gallop. “No no no! Oh Celestia, buck no!”

He skidded to a halt over the mangled form of the prosthetic, which looked like it had ruptured from the inside out. In fact, it had; Sparkle had placed her old bone inside it for safe keeping, and when the blast hit, the bone exploded.

That fake leg was the only identifiable trace of his sister left. Everything else had been blasted beyond the borders of the empire, and had been pulverized to dust.

Shining Armor’s hind legs gave out from under him. He didn’t even try to stop his fall.

“Shiny! Oh Celestia, no...” Cadance shouted as she galloped up to where her fiancé had fallen. “Sparkle... why?”

“What in tarnation just happened?” Applejack asked as she and the rest of the Element Bearers also arrived.

Shining Armor stiffened as his muscles tensed to the point of shaking. The smell of smoke filled the air. His jaw clenched hard enough to crack his teeth. “YOU.”

Shining Armor whipped around, mane exploding into flames, and slugged the first pony in his hoof’s path, which happened to be Pinkie Pie. “YOU! YOU KILLED HER! RRRAAAAGGGHHH!”

His hoof swung wildly, this time crashing into Rainbow Dash with enough force to send her flying, and not in a good way.

“Shining Armor! Stop, please,” Cadance begged.

Shining Armor’s flaming head whipped to the side as he latched his gaze on her. Crimson eyes bore down into her violet pair, with nothing but pure, unadulterated rage in the former aimed at the latter. “YOU YOU WERE THE ONE WHO PUT THE HEART THERE! YOU KILLED SPARKLE!”

“I didn’t know it would do that!” Cadance pleaded. “The crystal heart is an artifact of protection powered by the crystal ponies, it shouldn’t have-”

“THEN IT WAS THIS BUCKING EMPIRE THAT KILLED HER! I’LL KILL THEM! I’LL KILL THEM ALL!” he roared, his rage changing targets again, this time aimed at the entire empire.

“Shiny, no! They’re innocent.” Cadance only succeeded in redirecting his rage yet again - this time at her.

Shining lunged for her throat, intent on skewering it with his horn. At the last second, a magical pulse slammed the irrational stallion into the ground. “Trixie will not let you hurt Princess Cadance,” the alicorn’s defender said.

Shining Armor bucked and thrashed within the magical grip. His own violently fluctuating magic kept throwing her magic off, which meant that it took Trixie, Rarity, and Cadance to keep him pinned.

“RAAAAGGHH! AHHH! AAAHHH! Ahhh...” As Shining Armor’s rage cooled, his fiery mane and tail returned to their normal shade of blue, and his eyes restored their cerulean hue. His bellows of rage slowly warped into sobbing wails of anguish.

“Shiny...” Cadance said once it was apparent that he no longer needed to be held down. “I...”

But no words would come. She was the princess of love, not of grief. Anything she could say right now felt like it would be rubbing salt into both of their wounds.

The weeping stallion muttered something that Cadance couldn’t quite hear. When his fiancée asked him to speak up, he repeated, “You should have known... you should have known...”

“How could I?” Cadance asked. “Shining, it was an accident... Sparkle... oh Celestia...”

“You could have known...” Shining Armor repeated.

Fluttershy, ever the caring soul, came up and wrapped her wing around Shining Armor’s back. That proved to be a mistake, as it only rekindled his rage. With a shove, Shining Armor sent the small pegasus tumbling. “You should have known! You six nearly killed Sparkle with the last magical shit you used. What, are you trying to finish the job? ‘Cause guess bucking what? You won! Sparkle’s dead. MY SISTER! IS! DEAD!”

That earned him a slap from Applejack. “Now listen here,” the orange mare commanded. “I know what it’s like to lose loved ones, and ya don’t go around hittin’ ponies for because of it. Am. Ah. Clear?”

Shining Armor rubbed his cheek and nodded dumbly.

“Good. Now, this was a tragic accident. You are gonna sit there until you can get it in you to walk, and then we’re gonna go inside. Understand?”

“Mmmhmm,” Shining Armor agreed.

“Good.”

It was supposed to be a happy week. He should have been preparing for his wedding this coming weekend. Instead, he was at his own sister’s funeral.

He sat silently in the chair. There was only a pile of wood with no body to burn with it. Shards of her had been found, turned to crystal by the blast, but nothing whole enough to display.

When he’d been out in the snow, looking for anything that belonged to his sister, he’d only managed to find her eye, crystallized until it literally was a jewel. He couldn’t bear to look at it, though. Despite being just as round and inexpressive as any other severed eye, it had still managed to capture the pure anguish it had felt when its life was ripped away from it.

The stone eye was in his suit pocket, though. It was morbid, sure, but he didn’t think he could completely part with her yet. And so he sat, eye tucked away, at its owner’s funeral.

There weren’t many ponies here. Cadance was here, and had brought Princess Celestia and Princess Luna with her. With Luna had come Lieutenant Ironwood, Squad Six of the Red Platoon, and Vinyl Scratch. The Element Bearers were there as well. Rarity had insisted that they had come, and had brought Sweetie Belle along as well.

That was it. With Thorn and Cobalt having vanished off the face of the world, that was the sum total of the ponies that had shown up. None of the guards she had taught, none of the nobles, none of the common ponies, nopony else.

Shining stood up and walked until he was next to the pyre wood, on top of which sat one of the very few photos of Sparkle. He looked into her eyes. Whereas he had been so enraged before, now he felt numb. No tears flowed, and his heart felt nothing.

Cadance walked up next to him. “It hurts so much... But she’s with your parents now, so that’s what matters.”

“She isn’t,” Shining Armor replied. “I never told you, but Death... I saw her back during the Battle of Canterlot. She told me that I would lose somepony close to me. She knew, Cadance. She knew that Sparks was going to die, and I know she knows what Sparks has done.”

“Shiny? What has she done? You never tell me much about her... what... what did she do?”

“She’s killed, Cadance. She’s killed a lot of ponies, and not just during the battle. She’s done horrible thing, I know. And if she’s in Death’s hooves now... you know what they say happens to ponies who’ve killed once. Sh-she’s... she’s...”

He couldn’t bring himself to say more. But he didn’t need to. In that moment, Cadance understood. Dread and regret piled up in her stomach and sat like a led brick. A tear rolled down her eye, and then another. Within second, it was a constant stream of tears from her eyes as she gently sobbed into her fiancé’s shoulder.

Author's Note

Split Second, now with 100% more fan-art.

From waterdragonsheart/Riverfire.

[Part of the History Overwritten Update]

Epilogue Two: Cobalt [History Overwritten]

For the first time in a very long time, Cobalt had no schedule to follow but his own. And so, with nothing to do today, he went to a local, rarely crowded coffee shop and bought what his love called “a silly, frou-frou noble’s coffee,” that had way too much whipped cream and sugar for his liking. And there, with coffee in hoof, he sat.

It was a waiting game now. The letter sitting on his nightstand, one that had mysteriously appeared after Sparkle’s demise, claimed that she was still alive, and the mere presence of Dye, one of Sparkle’s specters, in his body confirmed that what her letter had said was true. Now, he just had to wait.

With Sparkle out of commission, Dye inactive while Sparkle recovered, and Thorn having flown off to who-knows-where, Cobalt was on his own.

He didn’t know how to feel about that, to be honest.

What he also didn’t know was what his teacher’s new face would look like. Would she look similar to the way she did now? Would she be born with corruption? Would her new body be sickly or healthy? What tribe would she be born as? Would she be beautiful or ugly? Would she still be a she? Cobalt didn’t know.

He took a sip of his drink. The sugar made him want to gag, but at the same time, he needed something sweet, if only to cover up the bitter taste of worry.

Cobalt closed his eyes and set his head on the small coffee shop table. Sunlight fell on his back, but it didn’t bring him any warmth or comfort. The sun hadn’t felt pleasant for him in a long time, not since he had become Sparkle’s student, but today, the light was particularly unpleasant.

“Are you waiting for somepony?”

Cobalt opened his eyes, though he didn’t lift his head from the table. There, across from him, stood a grey, earth pony mare with a wild, black mane, and vibrant lavender eyes. She was looking at Cobalt expectantly.

“Yes. No. It’s complicated,” Cobalt replied without much enthusiasm.

“We’re all waiting for somepony, it seems. Mind if I join you? Everywhere else is taken,” the mare asked.

“No, go ahead. I’m probably not going to be the best of company, though,” Cobalt replied.

The mare took the only other seat at the little table. “Thanks, Cobalt.”

That got the painted stallion’s head off the table. “How did you know my name?”

The pegasus across from Cobalt snickered. “We in the death business should always take a moment to learn about each other. You’re kind of a celebrity among professional killers. Name’s Glass, by the way.” She offered out a hoof.

“Cobalt, but you already knew that,” he replied, shaking the gray unicorn’s hoof. “Nice to meet you, Glass.”

“So, have you heard about the Crystal Empire returning? It’s exciting to think that there was a whole pony tribe that had been erased from existence, only to return a thousand years later,” Glass exclaimed, ruffling her wings as she spoke.

“Yes, I did. My friend’s on an... extended trip up there. I’m waiting for her to come home,” Cobalt said.

“Mmm... trips like that can really change a pony, you know? I’m sure she’ll be back before you know it, though,” Glass replied, followed by taking a sip of his coffee. “I myself like taking trips. Sometimes, I feel like I’ve been all over creation, and then I find something else new. You know?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know the feeling,” Cobalt replied. “I don’t travel much outside of contract work.”

“You should get out more,” the gray earth pony replied. “I know Sparkle has a bit of wanderlust herself.”

Cobalt set his drink down and glared at Glass. “Alright, who are you? I never mentioned anything about her name.”

“Cobalt, I’m surprised it’s taken you this long to realize that something was amiss.” She smirked. “Don’t worry, I’m not here to cause trouble. I just wanted to talk with my favorite little assassin.”

The illusions around them shattered, revealing that the two of them were, in fact, alone in the coffee shop. The unicorn - and Glass was now definitely a unicorn - smiled at Cobalt, who was hastily taking in the new surroundings. “Sorry about the drink, by the way.”

Cobalt looked down at his cup. Instead of coffee, his cup was filled with plain water. “What in the world?”

The mare waved his hoof, and the coffee shop vanished, leaving the two of them sitting at a table in a void of white. Then, the mare across from him flickered and was replaced by Death herself. "Hello, Cobalt," Death said. Her voice was soothing, laced with magic that kept Cobalt from panicking at her monstrous form and foul presence.

"Death," Cobalt replied tersely. "Sparkle escaped you. I guess you came after me, then?"

"Nothing of the sort. I merely wished to talk. Is that too much to ask?"

"You know, I thought that you'd be the kind of girl to get mad at somepony defying you," Cobalt replied.

Death smiled, showing off her wickedly sharp teeth. "Oh, I do. I despise the sort of thing she was trying to do. Stealing souls from me will rather quickly land you in the infernal pits."

"But her resurrecting herself?" Cobalt asked.

Death's expression became more serious. "Do you want me to be mad at her for that?"

Cobalt immediately regretted his words. "No no no! Please don't be mad at her!"

The smile returned. "Then it's a good thing that I'm not, isn't it? After all, in the end, Death is certain," the dark goddess declared. "You can run all you want, but nopony can escape me. Especially not her. But, today is neither about her death nor yours."

"What is it about, then?" Cobalt asked as he stared into the water cup.

"You."

"M-me?"

"Yes, you. Although, I admit, I have already seen everything I wanted to see. Everything's going as it should be. I'm curious, is there anything you want to ask me? I'll answer any one question of yours. Ask carefully."

Cobalt frowned. One question for the dark goddess? There were a million things Cobalt wanted to ask Death. But to ask just one thing? What should he ask? Finally, he settled on a question. "Death, what's your connection to the Dread Necroptica? You obviously know the demon inside."

Death looked surprised. "Really? That's your question? I was expecting you to ask something like who I actually am or something similar. Should have known better." Chuckling, the dark goddess answered, "You could say that I commissioned it. Back then, I was summoned by a group of necromancers to lay waste to a new country, so that my summoners' kingdom could take its riches for themselves. Instead, I forced them, along with some other dark mages of the time, to pool their collective knowledge together in six books. The seventh was my own creation, and, while still useful, was ultimately a honey-pot trap that would lead Sparkle to her temporary demise."

"What?"

"That's another question, Cobalt." The monstrosity laughed as she and the white void around Cobalt started to fade to black. "Everything is as it should be. Death is certain."

"Come back here, Death!" Cobalt screamed. "Tell me!"

As everything faded away, Death sang, "Everything is certainly fine~!"

Author's Note

[Part of the History Overwritten Update]

Epilogue Three: Thorn and the Pregnant Mare

The caravan was made nearly one hundred fifty like-minded crystal ponies, all of whom wished to start new lives elsewhere in the world, away from the horrid memories that filled their old home and ex-prison. Each and every one of them had gathered their few worldly possessions and embarked together on the long trek south.

Some of the ponies in the group had suffered greatly at the hooves of King Sombra, nearly broken under his personal attention. Ruby, for instance, had - from her perspective - had been one of his sex slaves just days before his defeat. Now that he was gone, she had decided to flee as far away from that place as she could.

As the caravan passed through the mountain pass, a roar sounded from the clouds above them. Every single pony froze. Whispers of “What is that?” and “Dragon!” passed through the group. Quickly, the group took refuge under the pine trees.

But, despite their efforts to hide, the ferocious-looking dragon with smoking black wings and a scarred face landed near them. “COME OUT, COME OUT, LITTLE PONIES. YOU HAVE SOMETHING I NEED. COME OUT, AND I WON’T BURN YOU ALL.”

Hesitantly, a stallion stepped forwards to confront the dragon. Emboldened by the dragon’s lack of reaction, more and more ponies stepped forwards.

And as they did, the dragon began to shrink until, when the last of them had come forwards, he was no bigger than Princess Celestia.

“What do you want with us?” the stallion that had stepped forwards first asked. “We have no treasure, no weapons, and nothing of value. Please, spare us and let us be on our way, kind dragon.”

The dragon lifted his claw and pointed. “Her.”

Ruby’s eyes went wide. “Me? What do you need me for?”

Instead of answering, the dragon raised his other hand, in which he was grasping a severed unicorn’s horn. He pointed the disembodied horn at the mare, which darkened with black magic. The mare’s sclera turned green and her expression went blank.

The dragon walked up towards her and whispered into her ear, despite knowing that she couldn’t hear anything now. “My mom thanks you for your womb.”

He tapped the transfixed Ruby on the head with the severed horn. In that instance, space seemed to fold in on itself, vanishing Ruby to a place none of her traveling companions could follow.

The dragon looked at the rest of the caravan, and nodded. With a flap of his wings, he took flight, flying off to parts unknown.

That would be the last time they saw either Ruby or the dragon.

To be continued in...

Split Second: An Eternity Divided

Mares and Chaos, part 1 [History Overwritten]

The sign above her head listed the intersection as that of Cherry Street and North Avenue. That put Sparkle and Cobalt about ten blocks from the street that had been burned into her memory by that mysterious stallion’s card. Her home, however, was in the opposite direction, as were Thorn and Shining Armor.

The stallion standing beside Sparkle, lacking both the address and a reason as to why they were teleported, however vague, asked, “What just happened?”

“We’ve been teleported,” Sparkle stated.

“I get that,” he replied. “What I want to know is why.”

“I wouldn’t know,” the necromancer replied. “It doesn’t matter. What does matter is that my student just murdered four ponies in public, Red Fields, including his mother.”

Red recoiled as if he had been slapped. “You... you know who I am?”

“Since you killed the chicken. You did it too easily and with too much skill for a normal pony, and you didn’t protest at all. And I never ordered you to do it, either,” Sparkle explained. “I had a spector tail you; I saw you get the orders to kill me.”

“I didn’t have much choice... Please don’t kill me, Ms. Sparkle.” He dropped into a deep bow, his face firmly planted on the ground. “I never wanted to do it! If I didn’t kill that mare, she would have made me kill you!”

“Relax, Red, I’m pissed, but not at you.” A hoof rubbed through her mane and she sighed. “I’ve known about the assassination plot for a while now, long before you got involved. And I know those stallions were the ones to hire your family to do the job. Obviously, you solved that problem for me.”

“So... does this mean that I still get to be your student?” He asked hopefully.

“On a few conditions,” the unicorn replied. “First, your next geas will include a loyalty clause to assure that nothing like this ever happens again. Second, you will learn the proper way of killing somepony with magic for your future assignments; what you showed in there was sloppy at best and idiotic at worst.”

“Um,” he interrupted, face still on the ground, “I’m not exactly employed anymore.”

“I know,” she acknowledged. “Third, you will work as my assistant. I’ll pay enough for you to keep a roof over your head and your belly full, but you should learn to live frugally. You will get more if you earn more. And finally, you will answer this: what do you want me to call you?”

“What?”

“I’ve done some digging; you’ve painted yourself every color of the rainbow and had a name to match. Who do you want to be with me?”

He replied, “I would like to be Cobalt, still. I’m done with Red Fields.”

“Then stand up, Cobalt. I-” She stopped. Cobalt looked up to see a colony of rabbits floating by their heads. “What?”

One of the rabbits stopped moving and opened its mouth wide. From it, a fish swam out, despite the fact that it was clearly air that it was swimming through, as well as all the other impossibilities. The fish then pulled out a sign from nowhere and held it up with one of its fins. The arrow on the sign pointed east.

“Am I seeing things?” Cobalt asked, quite worried and confused.

“If you’re seeing a fish that just came from a floating rabbit, then I’m seeing the same thing,” she replied.

“Ah, ok. Just checking.”

Sparkle looked around and was quite dismayed to see that reality and logic seemed to be out on lunch. Buildings floated, colors randomly changed, the night suddenly turned to day (blinding them) before going back to night a few seconds later pink clouds filled the off-color sky, and the scent of chocolate filled the air.

Sparkle darkened her horn to cast a true sight spell, but then stopped quite suddenly. “That’s odd,” she said.

“Miss, your nose is bleeding!” Cobalt suddenly exclaimed.

Sparkle raised a hoof to her snout, and then pulled the now blood-covered limb away. “So I am.” She frowned. “That’s worrying.”

“What is?”

Sparkle answered, though her voice was distorted as she was magically pinching her nose to stop the blood. “The true sight spell has a defense mechanism in place; if you see something that hurts you to look at, you won’t be able to end the spell correctly. The little bit of time magic involved wouldn’t complete the spell when you cast it, so the spell defaults to uncastable. Whatever I would have seen would have been that bad to look at.”

“We should run, then?” Cobalt asked, his muscles already tense and ready.

“Running is good.” They turned and galloped away as fast as they could, tearing past a gray pony standing on the sidewalk.

The fish, meanwhile, rolled its red-on-yellow eyes. “Silly mare,” it muttered, “you're going the wrong way.” The chaotic guppy disappeared in a flash of light.

"No, that’s not possible!” Sparkle exclaimed after rounding a corner and yet again ending up on a street that wasn’t supposed to exist there. “Where the buck are we now?”

“Language, Miss,” Cobalt said, a habit he picked up from Sparkle and Thorn. “And it looks like we’re on Saddle Way. If it doesn't move, Hayseed Avenue should be up a few blocks that way; we can use that to get closer to the guard barracks.”

Sparkle looked back over her shoulder. Sure enough, just like all the streets before then, the road mysteriously dead ended less than a pony’s length behind them. With still no other option but to move forwards, Sparkle agreed. “Good thinking. If we do manage to get on to Hayseed, there’s a place I want to see first.”

Cobalt asked, “What is it?”

“Dr. Ocsid’s Books. Wait...” The puzzle clicked into place. “Dr. Ocsid, Discord. Shit.”

“Bravo! She figured it out!” a new voice called out, familiar to Sparkle alone. “I wondered when you would get it.” The draconequus materialized before them, his serpentine body wiggling and twisting about through the air.

“What is the meaning of this? Why are you doing this, Discord?” Sparkle cried out.

“Hellloooo, Spirit of Chaos, anypony? It’s what I do,” Discord explained. He appeared behind Sparkle. “I’ve been trapped in stone for a thousand years, aware of every last boring second. Your little antics gave me the strength to break out early. For that, I thank you.” He bowed excessively, curling up his body several times in a tight spiral.

Sparkle wanted to reply what was on her mind, but held her tongue. Everything she knew about beings as powerful as Discord told her that she was only safe as long as he was having fun; if he got bored, or heaven forbid, angry, she would be broken in seconds. Instead, she said, “You’re welcome. I look forward to seeing your gift.”

Now brandishing a giant foam finger with the words “Sparkle is Best Pony” adorning it, Discord said, “That’s the spirit. You’re not like those silly little element bearers, are you? Well ta-ta! There’s chaos to wreak.” The spirit vanished quite suddenly in a flash of light.

“You met him before?” Cobalt asked.

“He was a pony at the Gala,” Sparkle said, already trotting off. “Come on. Let’s go find whatever this thing is before he gets bored with us and decides to start scrambling our brains.”

“Would he really do that?” Cobalt asked. “He seemed nice enough.”

“Flip a coin, then you’ll know. Logic and reasoning go out the window with him, or so I’ve heard. The only thing he answers to is chance.”

Cobalt hummed thoughtfully, and then picked up his own pace to catch up with his teacher. Floating behind them at the same time, invisible but in no way gone, the clone of Discord silently snapped his fingers and conjured a note to a certain individual, visible only to the same, and magically stuck it to the top of Sparkle’s head. A second later, the clone Discord properly departed.

Hayseed Avenue appeared relatively where it was supposed to be, although the road they had just came from left them a dozen blocks further south than it should have. It put them, quite conveniently, within the 300’s block. From where they stood, there across the street they could clearly see a bookstore labeled “Dr. Ocsid’s Books (For all occasions).” As they crossed the street and entered the store, the sign slowly faded away, replaced by the business’s original title, “Dusty Books’ Rare Tomes.”

Adorned with an open sign despite the late hour, the door opened with the jingle of a bell. Sparkle and Cobalt entered the place of business, and were swiftly bombarded with the scent of dusty books, just as the real sign proclaimed. Piles and piles of books crowded the floor, leaving only a narrow path to walk through. The absolute normalcy of the place was both striking and reassuring, considering the nonsense just outside.

“Hello?” a stallion called from the back. “Are you customers?”

“Maybe?” Sparkle answered hesitantly. “We were given this address by somepony we just met.”

“New customers then! Come on back, and mind the stacks.”

Shrugging, Cobalt went first through the narrow path between the ceiling-high piles, followed closely by Sparkle. One stack in particular caught her eye, with titles like Military Grade Weapons Enchanting and Principles of Advanced Runic Design. It struck her that some of the books here might be of a dubious nature, and her intuition suggested that if these were the type books kept out front, the ones he had in the back would be far more dangerous.

When they finally had navigated the paper maze, she and Cobalt came upon a unicorn stallion with his nose buried in one of his own books. “Hello there. Dusty Books, the eighth, at your service. Need a rare book? Look no further than my humble shop. If I don’t have it, I probably know somepony who does. Now, how can I help you?” he said, all the while never looking up from his book, and, if the motion of his eyes were any indication, without even halting his reading.

“I saw a book on enchanting, so I’m going to guess that you have a lot of magic books, right?” the orange-painted mare inquired of the reading shopkeeper.

“That I do,” He said, still reading.

“Well, I’ve been looking for a pair of books to complete a very interesting series I’ve been reading. Books six and seven, to be precise.”

“I’ve got many interesting books, many of which are sixes and sevens. You’re going to have to be a bit more specific.”

“They’re written by horn, have pages of genuine parchment, and bound in leather. Over a thousand years old, but in remarkably good shape.”

The book Dusty was reading snapped shut. He sighed. "You’re one of those customers, aren't you?” He sighed, obviously quite exasperated. “Look, I don’t deal with those kind of books. You won’t find a shop in Canterlot that does. I've never seen a book like that. Now, buy a normal book or get out of my shop.”

“The text moves according to the whims of the demon that lives within the blood-soaked pages.”

The stallion’s fur visibly stood on end. He gulped. “I have no idea what you are talking about. You should leave.”

Sparkle turned, but did not head for the exit. Instead, she trotted to the door to the back room, acting on the instinctive urge that had been growing over the last few minutes. “Not yet. I have to look.”

With surprising agility, the stallion lept up and over the counter, narrowly avoiding knocking over a stack of books, and assumed a threatening stance between Sparkle and the back door. Over his head, he brandished the book he had been reading as if it were a blunt weapon. “I can’t let you go back there.”

“Try and stop me,” Sparkle declared, answering the challenge. Her horn was already darkening as she spoke.
She stepped forwards and slipped past him, even as Dusty swatted in vain at the time-delayed image of her. There, on the pedestal that stood alone in the center of the room, was the sixth Dread Necroptica, Pain.

‘Hello, Mistress Sparkle,’ the text on the cover spelled out as she picked it up, courtesy of the demon within. ‘I knew you would find me eventually.’

“How much?” Sparkle asked.

“It’s not for sale,” Dusty Books growled at her. “Put it back and LEAVE.”

“Money is no object,” Sparkle replied, ignoring his command. “How. Much?” she asked forcefully.

“And I told you, it’s not for sale. Now get. Out. Of. My. Shop!”

Sparkle tsked with her tongue. “Mr. Books, I assure you, one way or another, I will be leaving with this book. Now, you can sell me this book at any price of your choosing, or -” and here the inner structure of Sparkle’s neck disintegrated into black smoke, allowing her to rotate her head far more than should have been anatomically possible, “- I will take it by anything up to and including lethal force.” She smiled a smile that promised nothing pleasant and flared her grating, sinister magical presence. A potted plant nearby withered and died. “I assure you, Dusty Books, that I can make you suffer for as long as I like.”

“Maker damn it,” he swore. “I need that book. If I don’t give it to her, she’ll kill my family!”

“Who?” Sparkle demanded, turning to face him completely.

“...” Dusty only answered with silence, though he tried to stab her with his pointed glare.

Pushing her dark magical core further outwards, she increased the pressure on the room and on the other ponies souls (Cobalt, unfortunately, being caught in the indirect crossfire). Dusty, being weaker in constitution and more sensitive to the foul energies than Cobalt, went weak in the knees and collapsed on the ground. “Who?” Sparkle demanded again.

Again, Dusty answered with silence, which made Sparkle question if his silence was entirely of his own choice. However, somepony else willing to kill to get that vile book was bad news indeed. Thus, the necromancer felt justified in what she was about to do.

Her horn darkened. A second later, she was seeing herself through his eyes. As delicately as she could, she turned inwards and started traversing the web of associations that made up his mind, looking for the withheld name. She found the name - Sweet Dreams - and the associated face easily enough, as well as the reason for his silence. Swiftly, she broke the psychic block in Dusty’s mind and returned to her own head only two seconds after she had started.

“What?” Dusty exclaimed as he felt the block fade away.

“Vampires can really mess with your head,” Sparkle explained. “Here.” Her horn darkened once more, wrapping the bookseller in a similarly black aura.

When the spell faded, Dusty was once more standing and very cross. “What did you just do to me?”

“Protection. Your blood is now the foulest of poisons and will burn any that taste it to ash. Touch those you call family to protect them as well.” Sparkle smiled, this time more warmly. “Now, how much for the book?”

“Thank you, but it’s not for sale.”

The still orange-painted necromancer rolled her eyes. “Too bad,” she said as her body dissolved completely into smoke, taking the Dread Necroptica with it. A tendril of smoke shot out and ensared the silently observing Cobalt and dissolved him as well.

The formless pair shot backward, heading to the front of the store. Cobalt rematerialized with Sparkle at the front door. “Are you sure?” Sparkle called back, giving him one more chance to sell it to her.

“No! Wait! Please!” the stallion cried from the back room. “Don't take that book!”

There was a thump, and then the sound of thousands of pages falling together accompanied by a loud thud and an “Oof.” Then, there was a still silence.

It stretched on.

“Hey, Sparkle, shouldn’t Dusty be here by now?” Cobalt asked.

“Buck.” Again moving swiftly as black smoke, Sparkle and Cobalt worked their way back into the stack maze. What they found...

Dusty was lying face-down, buried under his own books. But worse was the pony-like figure standing atop the spilled pile and pony within, visibly holding the soul that had been within Dusty’s body a second ago. Death.

“Put him back!” Sparkle yelled, though a tiny voice in the back of her head reminded her that this normal-looking mare that she was yelling at was Death herself.

“I can’t do that,” she replied. “Dusty Books the eighth is already dead; his neck snapped when he tripped over his own books. Chasing you, I might add. Good one. Another for the tally, it seems.”

“But his soul is right there!” Sparkle argued. “I can fix his body. Most of his brain tissue is still alive, too!”

“And what would you give me for his soul?” Death asked.

“I-”

“Yours? You were involved in killing him, as was Cobalt. No, that won’t do at all.”

“Wait! I’m sure there’s something-”

“Time’s up.” Death tilted back her head and swallowed Dusty’s soul whole. She looked at Sparkle with a smug smirk, but it quickly faded as she looked at Sparkle’s distraught expression. The goddess sat down, uncaring that she was still atop the pony that she had just reaped. “That was mean of me. I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? If you were sorry, you would have put his soul back!” Sparkle argued.

“Sparkle, his soul was one of those that would have passed on to my realm in an instant had I not been here. There was nothing you could have done anyway; don't beat yourself up about it. Besides, I’m here to see you. Or, more specifically, to get this from you,” Death said. Her horn darkened, and the note from Discord that was attached to Sparkle’s mane came loose. Sparkle watched it float over with some confusion as to why it was there in the first place. “So that’s what Discord wanted. Fair enough.”

Death folded the note and vanished it to who knows where. Her eyes gazed upon the book Sparkle held. “The Dread Necroptica. Do you mind if I speak with it for a moment?” the dark goddess inquired of the mortal mare.

She passed the book to her without a word. “Hello, Smarty Pants, how have you been? Sparkle treating you well?” The book’s pages rustled, almost in a laughing manner.

What.

Her childhood ragdoll had the same name as a demon inside a book.

What.

It wasn’t even a question, just a flat declaration of strangeness. Outside, reality was being torn apart at the seams by Discord, and here she was boggling over the fact that a demon and her currently specter-possessed toy shared the same name.

She really had to get her priorities straight.

“Don’t worry about Discord. Beatrix and the other elements will get him straightened out soon enough,” Death said, as if reading her mind.

“That’s a relief,” Sparkle admitted. “Um, if you don’t mind me asking, what did you mean by ‘tally?’”

Death chuckled. “I can feel how many deaths of a sapient being were caused by any soul. It helps me find their place in the afterlife. I’m sure you’re curious about your tally? And you too, Cobalt?”

They both nodded.

“Cobalt, you hit seventy today, and Sparkle, you have two hundred and sixteen dead by your hooves.”

Sparkle stepped back, bumping into a stack of books as she did so. “No way. You’re wrong. There’s no way I’ve killed that many ponies.”

“Indirectly, yes. Sixty of them were the followers of Silver Tongue, who he drained of life to fight off your curse. Obviously, it didn’t work. Another twenty four died by events you set in motion, though you weren’t aware of the consequences of your actions and had no malicious intent,” Death explained, ending with a soft chuckle.

As she passed back the sixth Dread Necroptica, Sparkle asked two last questions. “You told me once that you were from the future, right? How many do we kill before we die?”

Death’s ever present chuckle grew into full-blown laughter, as if Sparkle had told the funniest joke. She laughed and laughed. She pounded her hoof onto the ground, not caring that there was a dead body between the two. She snorted and guffawed and splattered the two mortals with blood. When she finally calmed down, Death said, “Ahh, let me put it this way. The Dread Necroptica can only be read by those it deems worthy, and you two, as well as Thorn, are probably its most worthy readers ever.”

Her ear twitched, listening to something only she could hear. “Damn, time’s up. Sparkle, listen, read page fifteen and learn it soon. Like, now soon. You’ll need it within the next few hours. Until we meet again, Cobalt, Sparkle.”

She vanished. There was no light, no smoke, and no sound. Death was there, and then she wasn’t.

Only then did the psychoactive magics that Death radiated clear from their minds. “OH, MAKER! WHAT THE BUCK WAS THAT?” Cobalt yelled. “TELL ME THAT WASN’T JUST THE BUCKING GRIM REAPER!”

Author's Note

[Part of the History Overwritten Update]

Canterlot and the Storm, part 1 [History Overwritten]

One would think, upon seeing the size of the group gathered in Canterlot’s hoofball stadium, that the guard would have heard about this gathering. And that person would be right, were it not for Boura’s magic keeping the entire group hidden in a parallel pocket dimension. To the eyes of an average pony, the stadium was empty, unaware of the vampire-werewolf-changeling army only a hair’s width away.

Standing on a podium, her voice magically amplified for all to hear, Ursa Major proclaimed, “Mares and Gentlecolts, we stand together on the brink of greatness. Tonight, we feast on Canterlot, taking the power and riches within for ourselves. Tonight, the tyranny of Celestia and Luna will end. Tonight, the oppression of the Noble class will die. We will take the power we deserve, and we will rule the night!”

The applause was thunderous. Ponies around the arena stomped their hooves and shouted in bloodthirsty excitement. Vampires gnashed their teeth, werewolves howled, and changelings hissed and spit.

Even Thorn found himself cheering, more caught up in the infectious energy than anything to do with what the leader was saying. As for Sparkle, she simply smiled. Her smile wasn’t aimed at the leader, but instead at the crowd. And neither was her smile a happy smile, but a malicious one.

Mama Bear thought she was still loyal, that her hypnotic magic and voice actually worked on Sparkle. Of course, Sparkle had simply let her think that. Mind magic was useful in purging magical control as weak as that.

As the leader continued to speak, Sparkle drew magic from a storage gem that she had been charging over the last few days, and passed it to Thorn. Thorn in turn pushed the energy into his fire glands, causing them to swell with the highly potent magical fuel that they had developed over the last month.

“FIGHT FOR VICTORY!” Mama Bear screamed. “Boura, open the portals!”

The giant seapony nodded, opened his gaping mouth, and roared. Space distorted at six distinct points, forming six portals to six unique locations all across upper and lower Canterlot.

“Go forth, Dusk, and fight!” The crowd charged, spurred on by Ursa Major’s hypnotic speech. Sparkle nodded at Thorn and jumped towards him. He grew in size, catching her on his back. Spreading his black, smoking wings, Thorn propelled them forwards through the portal and then up towards the skies as fast as he could.

The dracolich opened his mouth and belched out a putrid black cloud, blotting out the last glow of the setting sun. As he flew, he continued belching out as much aerosolized fuel as possible, empowered by Sparkle’s magic. The fighters below paid no heed to her, as both sides thought that this was part of the plan to defeat the other side.

Boura and Battery appeared from a rift in space, flying just above Thorn and Sparkle. “Need a hoof? Or can you fuel this on your own?” the seapony’s rider shouted down to the dracolich’s.

“I could use a top-off,” Sparkle replied. In truth, she had no need for the extra magic as she had enough on her own. However, any chance to delay Boura and Battery from entering the fray was a good thing.

“I’m jumping,” Battery shouted. He leapt off Boura’s back and landed with vampiric grace on Thorn’s head. He climbed across the dragon’s neck and reached Sparkle. Placing a hoof on her head, Battery closed his eyes and pushed with his magic.

Despite having barely exerted herself yet, Sparkle felt a wave of relief and energy flow into her body, as if it were catching a second wind. She pulled, using the sticky nature of her magic to pull in more of his, weakening Battery a bit more than he expected. “Thanks,” Sparkle said once Battery let go.

“You’re welcome. Boura!” The seapony dove below the dracolich, who was still producing dense clouds of black fuel. Battery jumped through the mist and landed on Boura’s back. Boura tilted his head the moment he felt his rider return, opening a portal to another part of Canterlot.

”Hey, Mom,” Thorn said over the link, “Nopony’s here right now. Want to form Sparkrovitar? We’ve got nothing better to do until this blows.”

Normally, Sparkle would have agreed. “No,” she replied. “I’m not feeling like it right now.”

“Please? For me?” Thorn begged.

Sparkle was silent for a second. “Fine, but only for a few minutes.”

The one corner of the dracolich’s gaping maw twitched upwards into a smirk.

The Dusk forces started noticing problems immediately. For one, though their troops were completely loyal thanks to Mama Bear’s brainwashing, they weren’t really troops at all. At best, they were armed civilians empowered by black magic and blood curses, and in the case of the changelings, not even that. For another, the sinister black clouds created by their necromancer wasn’t demoralizing the Red Platoon or LSC, but instead seemed to be invigorating them as much as it was invigorating Dusk.

Most importantly, however, was Canterlot’s defenders. Dusk’s strategists, if you could even call them that, insisted that this would be a surprise attack, and that it would take time for the military to mobilize, and that it would take time for reinforcements to come to their aid. Instead, Dusk found itself being picked off by the Night Guards.

But Dusk could adapt. They were here on a mission: Rape, pillage, feed, and burn. There were plenty of civilian blood bags available, and so Dusk quickly turned to attacking easy targets.

This put the outnumbered Guard even more at a disadvantage, as it forced them to defend non-combatants instead of driving out the terrorist army. But the guards too were adaptable, and quickly began to regain ground.

Alabaster swore.

Fire magic burned at the tip of his horn, just waiting to incinerate that oversized fish stick. “Come out, you coward!” The guard yelled.

Boura’s head emerged silently from the ground behind Alabaster. He spat a boulder at the unicorn with tremendous speed.

The rushing wind caused Alabaster’s ear to twitch. He dropped to the ground, causing the boulder to fly over his head and crash into the nearby building like a cannon ball. The vampires’ super hearing let them all hear the screams of innocent ponies inside the home.

“Leave the civvies out of this!” Alabaster screamed.

From Boura’s back, Battery asked, “Why? It’s fun.”

“You sick bastard!” An inferno erupted from his horn.

“This makes no sense!” Aurora said to Night Eyes as they skidded to a stop. “I’m a navigator. How the buck am I getting lost in Canterlot?”

Night Eyes looked around. “We’ve been here before,” he told his fellow pegasus.

“Of course you have,” a voice from nowhere said. “You’re in my illusion.”

“Show yourself!” Night Eyes shouted.

Twenty identical unicorns appeared, surrounding Aurora Borealis and Night Eyes. The streets beyond their immediate vicinity seemed to twist and turn as if they were alive, and the sky seemed to boil.

“My name’s Dreamweaver,” the mares said. “As long as I’ve got you two here, I think I’ll have a little fun before I kill you.”

The ground lurched. The two pegasi tried to take to the skies, but found that their wings wouldn’t work right. “I don’t think so!” Dreamweaver said. “You’re staying right here!”

Night Eyes and Aurora raised their bows and nocked light magic-enchanted arrows in each. “Be careful,” Aurora told his friend.

“You don’t have to tell me twice.

The bolt slammed into the ground after barely grazing her face. If Swiftwing hadn’t dodged in time, she’d be dead on the ground. Even with vampiric regeneration on her side, an arrow to the head would have killed her for sure.

She looked around, her keen eyes searching for her assailant. When she didn’t see anypony in the immediate vicinity that had a bow, she-

DODGE!

Again, she barely avoided-

DODGE!

Where was the shooter?

DODGE!

That was too close!

THUNK!

She dove behind a vendor’s cart for cover. An arrow protruded from her shoulder. She yanked it out and called upon her vampire powers to heal the wound. A shoulder wound would cost the melee specialist precious time, and since her squad had been separated, she found herself without backup and under sniper fire.

“Not cool, man. Not cool.”

As her sister led the evacuation of Canterlot, Princess Luna had taken to the field of battle to fight alongside and command her soldiers. Fully decked out in her war armor, which Celestia had kept and maintained all those years she’d been on the moon, the Nightbringer made for an imposing figure. Clasped within her magical grasp was a strange weapon. The weapon looked like two weapons in one, though that was not the case; instead, the rotating heads of the weapon could be aligned by twisting on the double shafts, allowing it to shift in function from a war hammer to a halberd, or flexed at the end joint to create a longer weapon meant for spinning.

Unwieldy for a non-unicorn, Luna’s weapon zipped through the air, smashing and slicing as it flew under Luna’s skillful control. The hordes of vampires lunged at her, each attempting to slay her and each failing in that attempt.

“Princess Luna!” the Lieutenant of the Red Platoon shouted over the noise of combat. “The key! Use the key!”

Luna’s eyes briefly shot down to her chest. She quickly looked up again, swatting away yet another vampire, or possibly the same vampire for the fifth time. In truth, she had almost forgotten about the necromancer’s pendant that she had been given. It dangled around her neck, such an innocent looking artifact for the destructive power it would unleash.

Her magic converted to dark magic. Filling it with her power, she intoned the invocation, “By the authority of Princess Luna, I command you to release seals three, two, and one! Destroy the soldiers of Dusk!”

Overhead, the necromancer and the dracolich felt the magic pass through them and into the vampires Sparkle had unsealed. All across the city, several vampires of the Red Platoon froze, not even flinching when it caused them to be struck by an enemy.

In unison, they began to chant, “The alpha leads the hunt/My prey will know the agony of my teeth/The seal of the beast is open.” The armor and weapons of the vampires took on a reddish tint.

"The darkness enlightens me/I spread my wings and soar/As those below cower from my shadow/The seal of the Monster is open." The features of every single one of their bodies faded to black, leaving nothing but red-eyed silhouettes in red armor.

"Devourer of countless souls/I stand in the field of the dead/Now, heed I the call/The seal of the Abomination is open." Across their bodies, additional eyes appeared. Their mouths all opened wide, showing off their monstrous teeth.

Each and every one of Sparkle’s modified vampires in the Red Platoon lunged at the closest enemy. Tentacles of shadow erupted from their bodies. Their limbs contorted in ways impossible for a normal pony, carrying them faster than ever thought possible. And even when they were shot or stabbed, they regenerated almost instantly. What had once been a battle leaning in favor of Dusk’s sheer quantity of combatants quickly started turning towards a Red Platoon Victory.

And throughout the rampage of the abominations, not a single drop of blood touched the ground, for in the presence of the abominations, spilled blood flowed through the air and into their bodies.

Luna had expected them to become more powerful, but nothing like this. If Sparkle was capable of creating this within the few days she had worked with the Red Platoon…

Luna looked at the artificially black sky. The light of her moon didn’t reach the ground.

…Then what did Sparkle need a whole month to prepare?

The hybrid materialized his unicorn body on the ground, intent on getting quickly to a particular house. The specter told Sparkrovitar that his target was still there, and that the fighting hadn’t spilled over that far yet.

He set off at a brisk gallop, only for several loud and rapid bangs and screams to interrupt his run.

A black mare, covered in blood, burst from the cross street before him. Behind the new mare, six vampires pursued her. The mare raised a pair of small, L-shaped pieces of metal with her magic. The objects produced six sharp explosive bursts of flame from a hole at one end, and each of the vampires’ heads exploded. “Sixty five.”

The blood soaked mare looked over at Sparkrovitar. “You Sparkle right now?”

A split second later, she was. “Yes. What are those weapons?”

“Nothing you need to concern yourself with yet,” she replied.

It suddenly clicked in her mind where she’d seen her before. Although the translucent skin and muscles that allowed her to see her bones was new, there was no mistaking that presence.

Death.

“Lady Death, what brings you here?” Sparkle said, bowing her head.

She simply chuckled. “None of that ‘Lady’ business. Just ‘Death’ will do. And I’ve got a few things I need to fix. First of all, congrats on the successful use of your first city killer.”

“What?” Sparkle asked, confused and more than a little worried.

“Wait, am I too early on that one?” She looked up at the black sky. “Oh, I am. And this one is the tame version of it. Huh.” Her gaze reaffixed on Sparkle. “Second thing: Don’t let it eat you, no matter what it says.”

“Death, ma'am, I still have no idea what you’re talking about,” Sparkle nervously said.

“You will,” the dark goddess said. “Before sunrise, you will.”

She manipulated the objects in her grasp, eliciting a click from each. A gold-colored cylinder fell from both weapons. “Anyway, I’m off. Things to do, ponies to see, vampires To BlOw To A pUlPy MeSs, EaT tHeIr CoRpSeS, aNd FuCk ThEiR sEvErEd SkUlLs. Catch you later!”

Death suddenly galloped away, screaming something that Sparkle didn’t quite catch. It wasn’t important, though; what was important was that Sparkle had had yet another run in with Death. And as she thought about what she’d said, Sparkle felt oddly light-hearted. She’d offered her strange advice, a compliment, and declared the vampires her enemy. All that together lightened the necromancer's mood.

Of course, that did little against the terror that the dark goddess had inspired in her. No amount of light-heartedness would counteract that.

Sparkle hightailed it in the opposite direction, which was – mercifully – the direction she needed to go.

A hard gallop and a couple short teleports later, Sparkle wound up in front of a house she knew, and a house she strongly disliked.

Hated was too strong a word. She would have preferred apathy, but the owner of the house had something she needed.

Sparkle gathered her magic and cast a mild illusion on her body. Unlike normal, it didn’t hide her strange features; it accentuated them. After giving herself a moment to get her heavy breathing under control, she trotted up to the door.

*Knock – KNOCK – THUD – CRUNCH*

The door flew off its hinges. Sparkle let herself inside. She weaved through the hallways based on her Specter’s directions. Opening her mouth, she sang, “Oh where, oh where/has Aunt Overcast gone?/Oh where, oh where can she be?”

Sparkle rounded the corner, finding her aunt cowering in the master bedroom. “Ah, there you are.”

“Get out of my house, you monster!”

Unfazed, Sparkle trotted towards the elderly mare. “Now, I can’t do that just yet.” She licked her lips, mostly for dramatic effect. She was hungry – when was she ever not? – but knew that eating this mare’s soul would cause far more problems than it solved. “I hope you got my message?”

“I won’t do that! You’re exactly why I cut ties with House Twilight in the first place,” Overcast exclaimed.

Sparkle’s horn darkened and she magically shut the door behind her. “Ahh! Take my money! Take my jewels! Just don’t hurt me! Don’t make me ruin my family!”

Sparkle looked around. “Well, if you’re offering…” She levitated a few jewel necklaces and earrings from Overcast’s nightstand into her bag. “But you see, I am your family. You really screwed my brother and me over that day you cut ties. In fact, we wouldn’t be having this little discussion if you’d taken me in and raised me like a good little Canterlot filly. Eight years in the slums can really change a girl.”

“And what do you want me to do about it?” her maternal aunt replied.

Sparkle levitated a scroll from her saddle bags and unrolled it before Overcast’s terrified face. “Sign these. Make them official. Give me what I want, and I’ll be on my merry way.”

“Or what?”

Sparkle’s face contorted into a wicked grin. “Or, we do it the fun way!”

The last thing Overcast saw before blacking out was the darkness bubbling around Sparkle’s horn. In actuality, Sparkle had simply knocked her unconscious by disrupting the part of the brain responsible for keeping Overcast awake; in short, it was artificial narcolepsy.

Sparkle didn’t actually want to hurt Overcast. In fact, there couldn’t be any signs of physical harm on her at all for this to work. Instead, Sparkle cast three spells. One caused every muscle in Overcast’s body to cramp, making them sore, and then over-relax, which made her soil herself, before finally returning the muscles to normal. The second spell was an illusion on Sparkle’s body and everything in the room, giving it the appearance of being soaked in blood. And the final spell was a generalized fear spell, which would make Overcast terrified of an unidentifiable threat.

Once the spells were in place, Sparkle woke Overcast. “Wasn’t that fun? Yes, I had to erase your memories and heal you up, but that means it will work just as well in round two!”

Overcast gulped. “R-round two?”

“Well, actually it’s round six. It turns out I healed you a bit too well the first few times, so you didn’t believe me when I told you that I’d been torturing you. But look at all the blood splatter I got this time! You were spraying everywhere!” Sparkle exclaimed proudly.

“I’LL DO IT! I’LL DO IT!” Overcast shrieked, grabbing the scroll Sparkle had presented. She signed it as if her life depended on it, not that it actually did, and threw it back at Sparkle. “You have what you want. Now please leave me alone!” she begged.

“I will,” Sparkle said. “It’s just… I need to make sure you don’t do anything foolish.” The necromancer’s horn darkened once more, gathering magic from her rapidly emptying reserves. Overcast felt a pinch on the back of her neck. “Don’t even try to tell anypony that this was done out of anything other than the goodness of your heart. You’ll regret it if you try.”

And with no more words to say, Sparkle vanished in a cloud of darkness. Overcast, still lying in her own filth, simply wept.

Author's Note

[Part of the History Overwritten Update]

[BONUS] [SEQUEL SPOILER WARNING] The Timelines

The original version and its discussion.

Author's Note

The full timeline comparison.
The Tv Tropes page.
Ask Sparkle and Thorn a question.

Prologue (Revised)

Canterlot University was the premiere educational institute in Equestria; none were better than it. On the eastern side of campus lay two colleges: Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, a prestigious magical institute, and the School of Languages. On the third floor of the latter’s building, a professor by the name of Wax Poetic was lecturing on The Origins of the Gender of Glyphs in Traditional Unicornian.

Said lecture could be boiled down to one concept. Since the traditional language of the unicorns from before the Great Unification was written with the same glyphs as used to transcribe spells, traditionally feminine spell acquired feminine glyphs, and the equivalent for the masculine, dark, light, and neutral spells.

If you looked out the window of Wax Poetic’s lecture hall, you would see Professor Hex’s lecture hall in Celestia’s School. Coincidentally, he was lecturing on spin-theory, the very reason why Unicorn magic had genders in the first place. Simply put, the direction a unicorn’s magic spins in their core strongly influences the effect of the spell. Up-spin magic, the form 98% of the male population possessed, would be difficult to use to fuel a spell designed for down-spin, the form an equal percentage of mares possessed. And, although other “directions” of spin were known, they were so rare that there was little to no documentation on them.

Which is why the events that would happen in a few seconds and exactly one floor up from Professor Hex’s hall would have come to define his career as a spin-theorist, had he known what to look for and had followed through. Why?

Twilight Sparkle was performing her entrance examination.

“Well, Ms. Sparkle, we’re waiting…” the examiner stated, doing her best to look apathetic. Strictly speaking, Twilight Sparkle had already earned her place in this school on merit of her written tests alone, they were that good. But the examiner had to follow the rest of protocol regardless, and it was hard. The genius filly in front of her would be a pleasure to teach - she was sure of it – and the thought made her want to smile. Yet protocol for the impossible portion of the test dictated she act only with apathy in order to test the filly’s ability to handle failure.

As Twilight Sparkle jumped around the unfertilized dragon egg, trying in vain to hatch it, the examiner made notes. And, as Twilight humbly admitted defeat, the examiner noted a perfect 100% on her score card.

Light flashed outside the window, followed by a tremendous boom which shook the room. A floor below, Professor Hex was interrupted from a tangent on the effects of magic spin on uncontrolled magical release by the sonic rainboom, and then the crushing sensation he knew to be a unicorn nearby suffering from the very thing he was discussing.

He levitated his papers, and then stepped to the left/right. Or more accurately, he simultaneously stepped to both the left and the right due to the interaction of his own magic to the flux field generated by the unicorn filly above. Disoriented by the sudden sensation of existing in two otherwise mutually exclusive timelines, the two Hexes stumbled further in their respective directions and then cut their magical flow.

Senses suddenly restored to normal, the left Hex dismissed his class and headed to the left door of the lecture hall, now unaware that his doppelganger had done the same while moving towards the right exit.

As they say, the single flap of a butterfly’s wings can create future storms.

Twilight Sparkle was, in some ways, more and less lucky than the divergent Hexes. The fluctuations in the field caused by the middle aged professor’s movement imparted a unique spin on Twilight Sparkle’s rapidly depleting magical core, stabilizing some of the effects that her surge had on the local timeline, permanently affixing those effect to her. But, since Hex had moved in different directions, it had imparted two different spins, in-spin and out-spin, frequently associated with a form of dark and light magic respectively.

In the out-spin timeline, Twilight’s surging magic struck every pony in the room, hatched the dragon using a portion of her own essence as fuel to grow the dragon's half soul, transformed her parents into potted plants, healed the aches and pains of the judges, and grew the hatchling out of the building, which caught the eyes of Princess Celestia in the process. The cutie mark that appeared on her flank depicted a blue crystal tree with a starburst engraving upon it.

In the in-spin timeline, Sparkle - what she would eventually shorten her name to - struck every pony in the room with her surging magic, created a pseudo-dracolich out of the egg by fusing a portion of her own essence with the dragon's unfinished soul, stole the souls of her parents, rotted the flesh off the judges, and sent off a burst of semi-necromatic energy that had every unicorn and alicorn in Canterlot puking their guts out for the next hour. The cutie mark that appeared on her flank depicted a black crystal skull holding a starburst in its fanged jaw.

When the out-spinning Twilight was calmed down by Celestia, it calmed her counterpart as well. Seconds later, one went into shock at being accepted as Celestia’s personal student. The other went into a deeper shock, seeing the death she had wrought and hearing her parent’s screams echoing within her skull even as their bodies cooled. The in-spinner collapsed to the ground, only observed by the filly she could have been, and despaired.

Twilight, the budding healer and inventor, would look back at her silent doppelganger, seemingly invisible to her family, and wonder briefly before thoughts of celebration and ice cream pushed such musings aside.

Sparkle, the budding necromancer and mercenary, would be found by the staff of the school and taken to hospital, where she would spend three days in a trauma-induced coma. She would awaken curled up with the pseudo-dragon and her brother sleeping restlessly in a nearby chair. That would be the last truly peaceful day she had for a long while.

And as the two mares parted, the two timelines would peel apart and render each mare isolated from her doppelganger. The timelines would temporarily merge again when they eventually discovered their hidden connection in the days and weeks to come.

Author's Note

Confused? Twilight is a filly with light magic in one timeline, Sparkle has dark magic in the other timeline.

Interlude - Class Scheduling

They were nervous, incredibly so. Rumors said that this one week workshop was the hardest class taught at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. It was one that every guard, regardless of tribe, took at some point in their career, and only guards could take it. Some said some ponies had quit being Royal Guards because of this class; still others said there had been dozens of suicides linked to the class. But nopony would say just what the class was, other than its name.

Defense Against the Dark Arts, by Sparkle and Thorn.

There was paperwork involved, and lots of it. More than two dozen forms and fifty signatures were required to get in, and some of the wording was fairly ominous sounding.

Yet when they got to the class, they saw not a dungeon of pain and torture, nor an overly sterile operating theater-like room, but a brightly lit room filled with sun flowers and motivational posters. And the teacher, instead of being some old crone or a horribly scarred warrior, was a beautiful young mare in an orange sundress.

When the first period bell rang, she stood from her seat behind the desk and addressed the hundred plus stallions and mares in the audience. "Hello everypony! I'm Ms. Sparkle, and I'll be your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this week." Her voice was chipper and crisp, clearly heard across the room. "Now, before we begin, I have a few housekeeping duties, and a few announcements to give you before we can officially start."

"First, roll call. I want everypony in this room standing, and if I call your name, sit down. We can sort out those left standing when I'm done. I'm going to go fast, so just sit if you hear your name. Anvil, Arrow, Brick Breaker, ..."

...

"...Shining Armor. I didn't know you were in here. Hm... Anyway, Shining Shield, ..."

...

"... and Xylophone. I see we still have some standing. If I didn't call your name, you didn't turn in the appropriate forms. Bring them down to me if you have them, else just come down here and wait by the podium," she concluded.

When the shuffling had subsided, three ponies were left remaining by her podium, one of which was wearing a staff badge. "Ms. Sparkle, I am here representing the university to inspect the proceedings of this class," the stallion proclaimed.

"Do you have the forms the rest of the class submitted?"

"No. University Staff are allowed to attend any class without being students," the stallion spoke in his arrogant voice.

"Fine. You three," Sparkle said to the three undocumented ponies, "I'll deal with you in a moment." She turned to the rest of the audience. "Welcome everypony. Some quick announcements. Firstly, I have recently acquired some new, rare texts, so I now know more ways to prepare you. I want you to live long and happy lives; this will help with that. Secondly, this is a pass-fail course. Making it to the end counts as a pass, failing at any time will see you removed from this class. To those who fail, there will be one remedial session this Saturday for a chance to pass; it will be much harder than this class. Thirdly, and this is most definitely, absolutely, positively unrelated to this class, but the things I like are: cash, ponies buying groceries for me, dinner dates, and a good word to my superiors that I deserve a raise. Any questions?"

"Yeah," a unicorn stallion in the front asked, "are you going to be teaching us light magic?"

"How about this," Sparkle returned. "Why don't you come down and help me demonstrate the first lesson? Hm? It will even count as extra credit., Mr. ...?"

"Sharp Sword, ma'am. Sure, I'm game." He stood up and trotted down next to Sparkle. "So...?"

"Stand right here and face the audience." He did so. Suddenly, and without warning, Sparkle whirled around and kissed him full on the lips. He stiffened up in surprise. "You're dead. You fail."

She turned back to the class, which was gaping in surprise. "Now, can anypony tell me what Mr. Sword did wrong?"

When silence greeted her, her smile faded. "No?" She pointed back to Sharp Sword, who had yet to move, with the exception of a trickle of blood oozing out his mouth. "Sharp Sword got close enough for me to touch him." The aforementioned stallion collapsed like a marionette with cut strings. "He assumed that light magic is the defence I'm teaching. That is a different class."

"You three, you entered this room without the proper paperwork. I know for a fact that all the ponies who are supposed to be here got those packets and read the information within; you three did not." The three ponies to her side gulped at her dark tone. "You entered a dangerous situation without the necessary information. You're dead." A beam of dark magic struck the first, leaving naught but an ash cloud. "You're dead." The second fell like the first.

"No! Please! Don't kill me!"

"You're worse than dead." Bizap. She turned to the class. "That didn't hurt them at all."

Another dark beam shot out from her horn, striking the fallen Sharp Sword, who suddenly found himself able to move again. "You are dismissed, Sharp Sword."

Addressing the class, she spoke, "Nopony died. Those spells, disguised as something far worse, very well could have been exactly what you saw. Or not. Your senses could be ensnared to see any number of horrific scenes, or," – the image around Sparkle seemed to shatter like glass, falling away to reveal a skinny mare with demonic eyes and a twisted horn – "a pleasant one, as the case may be."

Like her, the room seemed to shatter, revealing bloodstained walls, corpses hanging from the ceiling, and that a third of the class wasn't actually alive. The whole room was full of the stench of rot, hidden until that moment. Some ponies shit themselves, others vomited, and most screamed.

Then the air shattered again, and the room was once more an ordinary lecture hall. The specters that had posed as students evaporated into thin air. "I know for a fact that there is at least one illusionist in this room; you should have spoken up. If something seems wrong, it is and you should say so," Sparkle scolded the room. "You have one hour to clean yourselves up. Be back here before time is up, or don't come back at all. I don't care. Dismissed."

"That was horrible," Shining told his sister.

"No, it was pragmatic. Maybe I can get most of them to quit."

He sighed. "Sparks, you're supposed to be teaching us to defend ourselves, not scaring us to death."

"Being scared to death is a valid way to kill; I know three spells that do just that. But the best way to survive is to not be there in the first place. Nopony who doesn't pass this will be on a dark mage task force, you know that. And nopony who does pass this class will be cocky enough to do something stupid out there. I've seen the statistics; we've lost less ponies per incident to dark magic under my teaching than under anypony else. Ever."

"I know," Shining relented.

Sparkle chuckled. "Go get cleaned up, Shiny. What would Cadance think if she saw you with vomit all over you?"

"Hey! It's not my fault he barfed all over me!"

"You mean when you barfed all over you. I was watching." She chuckled again and left him sputtering in angry embarrassment.

"I'm glad you are all back. Now that I have your undivided attention, I can finally get down to business. During morning lecture, I am going to try and break your minds. During your afternoon practicals, Thorn is going to try and break your bodies. By the way, he's an undead dragon." Gasps sounded, echoing throughout the room. "Passing here is living, failure is death. In here, it's you versus us, just like in military squads. There is no such thing as cheating in here if it keeps you alive.

"At the beginning of class, I gave out a list of things I like. You may bribe me with those things, as there is a very real chance of bargaining with dark mages being successful in reality. Further, they are generally prideful and arrogant by the time they get dangerous, so use whatever you have to buy time.

"The best chance of you living to fight another day is knowledge and a heaping helping of humble pie. There are no fancy tricks, no 'unbeatable' spells. And there is NOTHING honorable about what I am going to teach you.

"So, any ideas of heroics must die here. Doctors are heros; you are soldiers.

"Now, who here can tell me the single most dangerous spell in the unicorn arsenal?"

A hoof went up. "If you were going to say a fireball, you fail," Sparkle called out. The hoof went down. "I thought so."

"No, the correct answer is telekinesis. Both alone and as a fundamental to more advanced magic, telekinesis is extremely dangerous because it is so versatile. From turning anything in the environment into a weapon, defending the user, or outright manipulating the opponent's body to potentially lethal extremes, TK is the unicorn fighter's bread and butter. Scratch that; outside of a few utility spells, TK should be all you use. I fear not the pony with a thousand spells practiced once each, but one spell practiced a thousand times.

"As for your opponents, there is no way to predict how they will attack you, or even if they will attack you in a way that makes logical sense. I aim to expand your mind to the possibilities, and when I'm done with you, you might just survive.

"Now, before I forget, this class is a level three secret; discussion of the events that happened within these walls is strictly forbidden, punishable by five months in jail. Furthermore, the magic I will be using for you and in some cases on you is highly restricted. I am a licensed, natural dark mage.” Shrieks of fright punctuated her statement. “I know what I’m doing and I can do it without shredding my mind to pieces. You, however, cannot.

“Do not copy me.”

The students that walked out of that hall at lunch time had no appetite. All were sick to their stomachs, and frequent dry heaves were a common sight among them. A fifth fewer in number than when they started, each and every one of them had a haunted look to their eyes.

When asked what was wrong, Arrow, a pegasus archer, would reply, “Unicorns are bucking scary.” He would say no more on the subject, although he would jump and scream at the slightest provocation.

Overall, the mood was quite somber. Sparkle had gotten under their skin, and they knew it. Crowds parted around the mare in the orange sundress, and those who knew what lay underneath would move that much faster.

Funnily enough, Sparkle quite enjoyed that aspect of her rather fearsome reputation. Considering her snout was buried in a book, it let her walk and read without fear of bumping into another pony.

A healthy, beautiful mare of similar age to most of the students, with an adorkable book walk, and that wasn’t visibly bothered by the unusually depressing atmosphere happened to be quite attractive to the general student body. Especially if the majority of that student body didn’t connect the mare in the orange sundress with Canterlot’s resident necromancer.

It was their mistake. Sparkle found it funny, regardless.

Hoofball captain Long Shot didn’t know why ponies seemed to swerve out of their way to avoid her. She was gorgeous! Maybe she was parting the crowds with her innocent beauty? Of course, that was it.

Navigating through the unusually crowded dining hall, he sat down opposite from her chosen seat. “Hello. Name’s Long Shot. I haven’t seen you here before. Are you a transfer, Ms. ...?”

“Mmm...” She looked up from her book. “Did you say something? I was a bit distracted by this really good book about... you wouldn’t care. Nevermind.”

“I said I’m Long Shot,” he reintroduced himself. “Try me. I might be a jock, but I got in on brains.”

“And I’m dodging your question. Sparkle.” She held out her hoof in greeting.

“Charmed. So, what’s your major? I’m a theoretical thaumatician studying spin-theory under Professor Hex.”

“Don’t have one,” she replied.

“Undecided? That’s cool,” he replied. “Might I suggest theoretical thaumaturgy? I might be a bit biased, but I’d think a pretty mare like you would be good at it.”

“Meh,” Sparkle replied noncommittally. “That’s not my cup of tea. I’m more of a practical girl myself. Thank you for the compliment. I should wear this more often.” She suddenly looked around, making excessive movements in a - successful - effort to make Long Shot look around too. “You’re quite brave,” she commented when her eyes finally reconnected with his, “sitting here with me.”

“What?” Suddenly, the little details that he hadn’t consciously noticed came to the forefront of his mind. His head whipped around, sending his long, blond mane flying. “What the buck. Why are they all staring at us?”

“Because,” she whispered, leaning in close to his face, “they know.”

“Know what?” he asked nervously, suddenly feeling quite paranoid.

“They know where the monster is.” Despite being barely a whisper, something so quiet he shouldn't have been able to hear it, the words reverberated down to Long’s core. He finally looked at her.

It wasn’t an illusion she wore, but an idea. She couldn’t make someone see something, but she could convince ponies that they were seeing what she wanted them to see. It depended on two factors: relative will of the caster and supporting magic. At the strength she had it set to now, it would only stop those who didn’t know and weren’t looking for the truth.

Her eyes, so close to his own, made him jump back in fright, but he’d only taken a single step away before a force lifted him up by the collar of his jersey. Lifted off his hooves, it turned him round until he was face-to-face with the most terrifying visage he had ever seen, and a predator’s at that.

Every instinct in his body told him to freeze, and only then did he notice how dead silent the dining room was. “You’re in my spot,” the raspy voice of the drake droned.

It was like ice in his veins. He would have said his life was flashing before his eyes, but the truth was there was nothing going through his head; it too was completely frozen in fright.

Suddenly, he was moving, though not of his own volition, but had been slid across the floor until he painfully collided with the leg of another table.

“Thorn!” Sparkle yelled as the drake took the stallion’s seat across from her. “That was uncalled for; we are not in class.”

“Sorry.” He said loudly enough to be heard by the stallion who was standing up and dusting himself off. That was enough to break the tension in the room and get muted conversations started up again. “But, if I recall correctly, you were just messing with him, weren’t you, Ms. we’re-not-in-class-behave.”

She opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again. “Yes, you’re right. But in my defense, I was following through with the act.”

“Oh? What was it this time?

She smirked. “Oh, you know, I just told them I’d eat the soul of anypony that talked with me during lunch.”

“A classic,” Thorn agreed. He picked up the steak off his tray. “Though, the soul-eating is more my thing. A juicy steak or plump emerald is just as good.”

“I know.”

"This, right here, is why we only teach trained guards," roared Thorn. Many were lying on the grass in various states of wellbeing. Some were bloody, some had broken bones or pulled joints, and every last one of them were broken in spirit. The field, formerly a hoofball practice field, looked more like a warzone than any athletic location.

And to top it off, neither Thorn or Sparkle looked out of breath. The keyword being looked, as they were running on empty magically speaking. It was through sheer force of will that Sparkle maintained the illusion of invincibility, and through sheer force of will that Thorn didn't follow his instincts and make a meal out of all the 'easy prey' before him.

"Maggots, those of you still here, you passed today's lesson. Tomorrow will be much, much easier. Show up, or you'll be with me in remedial, which is worse." The dragon, quintupled from his normal size, began to shrink rapidly and was normal in the time it took him to say, "Dismissed."

Sparkle trotted over to help her brother up. The first words out of his mouth were: "You are a horrible, evil, disgusting pony and I hope you rot in Tartarus."

"Shiny... I also accept bribes in the form of compliments and hugs."

His mood did a one-eighty. "You are the best damn little sister a colt could ask for. Your teaching skills are so phenominal that there is no doubt that even an idiot like me would pass this class. Ow."

"Much better. Now, let's stagger on home before we drop dead. Ok?"

"Yeah."

"And to think, there's only six more days of this to go."

"Rot in Tartarus, Sparkle."

"I love you too, Shiny."

Changing of the Seasons

The Grand Galloping Gala was starting soon, and Sparkle was a tad nervous. She was crashing the biggest social event of the year, after all. She had taken precautions so as not to be recognized, including using illusions, coat dye, and contact lenses. Surprisingly, Cobalt had done the same thing, as it was a forest green pony that stood before her, fake horn adorning his head, that bore his soul. He was a bit shocked that she saw right through it.

"How did you know it was me?" He asked.

Sparkle smirked. "After you take your next geas, I'll show you how to partially camouflage your soul from those who can see it."

"Oh. That sounds useful." He swallowed nervously. "You're not surprised that I'm dressed up like this?"

"If you didn't notice, I'm not exactly myself tonight either," she pointed to her blood-orange colored fur and purple dress, an inversion of her favorite color scheme. "Besides, I've smelled the dye on you before, Cobalt."

"I guess I should tell you that Cobalt isn't really my name then."

"Oh?" Sparkle said, raising her eyebrow and perking up her ears in mock surprise. "Who are you then?"

"Hmmm... I'll tell you after this dance is said and done, alright?" The painted stallion said.

"Now I'm interested. Just who are you, mister? I suppose that we should be heading in now," Sparkle said. "The sooner we dance, the sooner I get your answer."

Her eyes looked down, taking in the suit he wore. They lingered over his belly, and he wondered for an instant if she knew of the four knives he had hidden there. But her eyes moved on without further reaction on her part, and the assassin relaxed slightly in relief.

The two ponies walked together and joined the line to enter the Gala. Sparkle's horn darkened, fading the two out of the conscious thought of those around them. She whispered, "When we get to the ticket taker, keep walking as if you already have given your ticket. Once inside, head towards the refreshments table." Cobalt nodded.

Steadily, the pair walked along with the flow of the crowd. A memory intruded into Sparkle’s thoughts.

“Thorn, remember what I told you.”

“But-”

“Thorn. Promise me you’ll do it.”

“Fine. I promise.”

“And I’ll be alright. Trust me.”

When they got to the entrance, they kept moving. Despite having confidence in her own illusions, Sparkle was still anxious that she would be seen; it was a silly little fear and soon proved unfounded as they entered without issue.

Instead, the excitement started immediately after, when the magic of music began spilling out into the crowd. Somepony had started a heartsong, and Sparkle wanted nothing to do with it. “Come on, Cobalt. Let’s not get stuck singing.”

Just as Cobalt was about to start singing along with the music in the air, he found himself forcefully dragged to the side. “Hey!”

Once they were a comfortable distance away, Sparkle apologized. “Ah, no big deal,” Cobalt replied. “Um, Ms. Sparkle... I was wondering, if you were stuck in a situation with two ways out, but both would hurt, what would you do?”

“That’s vague,” his teacher commented. “Here, let me tell you about somepony I knew once. His name was Black Hammer, and he was old enough to be my grandfather when I met him. I loved him like a grandfather too. Black was a natural dark magician like me, though his talent was enchanting, blacksmithing and dark weapons crafting. And, while he could make a cursed blade like no other, that wasn’t the most important thing he taught me. No, it was something else.”

“Don’t let them get you down, Sparks. You’re tougher than that.”

“But they’re so mean to me!”

“Yes, and they were mean to me when they found out what I could do. I didn’t let that get me down. I remembered what my father told me. ‘Walk proudly and with much vigor. Talk confidently and with much gusto. Mean what you say, say what you mean. Live fully and with no regrets. Do not betray yourself. Thrive at all costs, or you won’t live at all.’”

As Sparkle finished recounting her tale, she added, “What I’m saying is that you should do what is best for you first and foremost. Then worry about others. And, if worst comes to worst, it’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission.”

Pensive in expression, Cobalt replied, “Thanks. That... might be just what I needed to hear.” He then made a show of looking around. “Hey, Ms. Sparkle, do you mind if I go off and look for my friend? He had a ticket, and I want to see if I can find him. I’ll bring him back when I find him.”

“Sure,” Sparkle replied. “I’m going to look for Twilight. Meet back here later?”

“Will do.”

Unlike most of the times they had met before, this time, time did not bend equally. It was, in practical terms, as if Sparkle and Sparkle alone was straddling the temporal divide. To everypony in her timeline, they would see nothing out of the ordinary, aside from the fact that she was reacting to things that weren’t there. In Twilight’s timeline, the ponies would see Sparkle appear and react to things they couldn’t see.

“Why are you orange?” was the first thing out of Twilight’s mouth.

“You didn’t think I’d crash a party looking like myself, did you?” Sparkle rhetorically replied. “So, do you have whatever gadget you were working on that you wanted me here to help you sell?”

Twilight produced a curved funnel-shaped object. “Put the narrow end in your ear,” the inventor instructed. Sparkle complied, and was greeted with the sound of Spike’s voice.

“Hey, Sparkle. How are things?”

“Hi, Spike. Where are you?” Sparkle asked.

“Donut Joe’s Shop, for now,” the living drake replied. “I’m coming by later, after this is done.”

“OK,” Sparkle replied. To Twilight, she said, “I think I saw Fancy Pants back that way. Normal splitting procedure?”

Taking back the sound transference horn from her sister, Twilight replied, “Sure. I’ll see you in a second.” Time clicked back into its regular place.

Turning to the left, Sparkle trotted over to the “most important pony in Canterlot,” according to his followers. “Excuse me, excuse me. Mr. Fancy Pants, could you please take a step to the left? It’s really important.”

Confused, but seeing no problem in complying with the strange mare’s request, the stallion did so. “Might I ask why?” He said in tandem with himself.

Sparkle pointed at Twilight’s Fancy Pants, as Twilight pointed at Sparkle’s. “We wouldn’t want you running into yourself,” the two mares replied.

“What is this? How did you make another me?” Fancy and Pants said, as so designated by Twilight and Sparkle respectively. The duo managed to explain the entire situation while staying in perfect sync, a feat that lent credence to their words. Then, Twilight gave their pitch on what the horn was for. “So this horn of yours can communicate instantly between two locations? May I try it?” Sparkle’s Fancy said.

Twilight offered the horn to him. “Hello? Is anypony there? ... With whom am I speaking? ... A dragon, you say? How fascinating. ... What do you mean, which Fancy Pants am I? ... Sparkle did. ... You are in a separate reality than me? Amazing!” Fancy pulled the horn away. “I am sold! You two will be rich mares when I am done with you.”

Sparkle smirked. “Actually, we’ll be even richer. Since we’re in different timelines, you’d only have to pay one of us, and you specifically,” - she pointed to her Fancy Pants - “won’t even have the possibility of somepony figuring this out and making a knock-off, as we’re literally pulling these blueprints out of thin air.”

Fancy’s eyes widened, and Sparkle could almost see the bit signs in his eyes. “Let’s talk numbers, shall we?”

Red Fields watch patiently from the upper balcony that overlooked the dance floor. He didn't know why he was waiting. He should just throw the knife and be done with it like his mother had taught him, and his grandparents taught to his mother. He was from the greatest assassin clan in all of ponykind. So why was he hesitating on a job?

An hour of discussion later, and the twin Fancys had decided to meet with Twilight and Sparkle later to finalize the sale and production of their invention. And, while definitely a good thing for them, the conversation had left her thirsty.

Sparkle found herself at the refreshment table soon enough. A simple glass of water in hoof, she set about pony watching. Large crowds, a twirling mass of soul-lights of every possible color, had always seemed beautiful to her. They were like stars twinkling in the night, tiny flames held behind the eyes of every single pony. Princess Celestia, under that same analogy, looked as blindingly bright as her sun – her soul hundreds of times bigger, brighter, and denser than anypony elses – and yet didn't smother the crowd with her presence.

If the crowd was the stars, and the Princess at the top of the steps the sun, then the otherwise ordinary mare in the plain, black dress at the refreshment table with Sparkle was the moon. To the necromancer's eyes, the sight was actually quite odd looking; she had never seen a soul bigger than the body it was inhabiting. And, since an alicorn's soul looked like their body, unlike a pony's flame-like soul, it was quite obvious that this was Princess Luna.

But who was Sparkle to oust somepony from their disguise? Grabbing two plates of the fancy cheese samples, she trotted up to the other disguised mare. "I'll withhold the formalities since you appear to be dressing down for the evening, Lady Nightbringer. Cheese?" Sparkle said as she offered a plate.

Luna jerked in surprise, turned, and got a look at Sparkle. Recognition dawned in her eyes for the same reason Sparkle had recognized her. The night princess smiled. "You are the first mare to address me by that title since my return. That, as well as your tone, makes for a refreshing surprise, Ms. Sparkle." She took the plate from Sparkle and popped a piece of the dairy product into her mouth. Frowning, she said, "It seems that after a millennia of being spoiled by the taste of moon cheese, I find this sort dreadfully bland.

"Now, I do not believe you were on my sister's guest list, were you?"

Sparkle's pupils constricted to pinpricks with fright. "I... Ah..."

"Do not fear, Ms. Sparkle. I mean nothing by it," Luna said, her voice edging on laughter. "I have crashed my fair share of parties in exactly this form you see before you. In fact, I think you may have been the first pony to see through my guise. Tell me, how did you? Your deduction was impressively swift, especially considering that we have only met twice before."

Significantly more calm now, Sparkle explained what she had seen. Luna did laugh now. "Truly? How interesting. This reminds me of something. When we first met, I was still under the nightmare's thrall. Yet, I still remember that day clearly. You were reading a book of mine.”

“I suppose I was, my Lady,” Sparkle admitted. “It was really well written, and-”

“Not a subject to be discussing in public,” the royal mare interjected. “Your flattery is kind, but such things are not meant to be conversed in a location where we could be overheard. Perhaps over tea later? Or, if you find yourself yearning for a more practical demonstration, should I invite you to a shared dream?”

Sparkle immediately realized the enormity of what the night princess was offering. “Yes yes yes! That would be amazing, my Lady. I would love to.”

Luna lowered her horn and tapped it on Sparkle’s head. There was a dim, blue flash. “This will let me find you when you sleep. I shall be in contact, Ms. Sparkle.”

"Hey, Bones! Fancy seeing you here," a new mare's rough voice said, announcing its owner's arrival. "Long time, no see. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"No, you were not," Princess Luna replied. "We were finishing up as you arrived." Looking to Sparkle, she added, "Until later, then."

"I look forward to it," Sparkle replied. With a small smile, Luna's false body turned and trotted in the direction of her sister. Turning to the mare that bore a striking resemblance to her brother, Sparkle said, "Vinyl, are you sure you should be talking to me?"

"That's the thing, I don't think that the LSC will care that much at this point. Bigger things are happening," the mare replied. As she spoke, she had tilted her head forwards enough that Sparkle could see Vinyl's luminescent, crimson eyes.

The LSC stood for Lune de Sang Cirque, otherwise known as the Blood Moon Circus. While it actually was a circus, the LSC was also a moderately sized vampire coven. Neither the largest nor the smallest of Canterlot's covens, the LSC was possibly the most diverse coven, with the only membership requirement being that each member had to be an entertainer or an artist of some type.

Sparkle would have loved to work with them, had the situation been different. As it was, having a necromancer as an ally would have meant that the other five covens would have attacked them. Sparkle, to avoid inciting a blood war, had agreed with the council's decision to remain neutral.

It bothered Sparkle that Vinyl Scratch, one of the more public members, would willingly start a conversation with her, knowing the stakes. “So why did you come looking for me?”

“I didn’t. It surprised me that you were here, but I couldn’t let this chance pass,” Vinyl said. “Look, some of the covens are starting to ally together, covens that have been at each others throats since their founding. Some of those founding members are still around, which makes their alliance all the stranger.”

Sparkle frowned deeply. “That is bizarre.”

“No,” Vinyl argued, “that’s just strange. What’s bizarre are the moonlighters and silver bloods joining up with them.”

Moonlighters were what the vampires called werewolves when they didn’t want to say “werewolves” aloud. By the same reasoning, changelings were known as “silver bloods,” as their blood contained enough mercury to give it a silvery sheen.

That tidbit really set Sparkle on edge. Neither changelings nor werewolves liked vampires, and vampires didn’t like them back. A many-way alliance of groups that all despised each other screamed of something fishy. “So you want my help?”

“Not yet. The elders still haven’t decided on a course of action. I’m just warning you for now, because I know you’re going to get caught up in this anyway.” Vinyl’s hoof rubbed the back of her neck. “And I’m hoping you’ll help us when the time comes.”

“I will. Lune de Sang Cirque is the only coven that hasn’t pestered me at some point or another. That’s as good a reason as any, I guess,” Sparkle replied. “I’ll also make sure my apprentice is filled in on what’s going on.”

“You have an apprentice?” Vinyl said, somewhat shocked. “Since when?”

“He’s been my student for about three months now, though we haven’t made the apprenticeship final yet,” the lavender mare answered.

“What’s he look like?”

“Right now? Forest green unicorn, but apparently he likes fur dye and fake horns,” she answered.

Vinyl’s nose flared as she sniffed the air. Turning, she pointed to the upper balcony. “That him?”

Following her hoof, Sparkle looked up and saw Cobalt looking at them, only to turn away and pretend he wasn’t. “Yeah, that’s him.”

“He smells like fresh curare and old blood,” Vinyl mentioned. “An assassin, Sparkle? You sure know how to pick them.”

Sparkle sighed. “Yes, well, I’m hoping my gamble with him pays off.”

“What do you mean?”

“I win if I walk away without his knife embedded in me.”

The vampire winced. “Ouch. That won’t be fun. Couldn’t you stop him, if you wanted?”

Sparkle nodded. “Yes, but that isn’t what this is about. His bastard family has him strongly conditioned to obey them. I planted a single idea contrary to that deep, deep within his subconscious. He’s been struggling since.”

“And you’re not worried about him actually killing you?”

“With those knives? No. He couldn’t do enough damage that I couldn’t fix it,” she replied.

Vinyl’s eyes narrowed. “And your kid?”

“Taken care of. Savior will live,” she assured. “I’ll make it a guarantee.”

Vinyl sniffed again. “I’d probably get to a doctor, if I were you. Your kid doesn’t smell too hot.”

Sparkle looked down and back to her ever-so-slightly bulging belly. The embryo within didn’t move - it was too early for that. It did, however, cause its surrogate mother to frown in concern. “I swear I did everything right,” she muttered softly to herself.

The vampire’s enhanced hearing caught the comment, but she withheld any reply regarding it. Instead, she said, “Be careful, Bones. Don’t go throwing your life away.”

“I don’t plan on it.”

Looking back towards his mentor after she had spotted him, Red Fields silently cursed. That mare she was with seemed rather perceptive. He’d have to wait.

There was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. He touched the hilts of the four knives hidden under his suit. Slowly, so very slowly, a question bubbled up to his conscious mind, a question that perfectly underscored the discomfort he was feeling.

Red Fields had perfect aim with throwing knives. He had never missed, and could hit a vital organ from distances further than this. So why did he, as skilled as he was, need four knives?

“You reach your right hoof in

You reach your right hoof out

You reach your right hoof in

And you shake it all about

You do the Pony Pokey meeting lots of folks with clout

That's what I'm talking about!”

"What the buck are you playing, Tavi?” The lively song contrasted sharply with current mood between her and the necromancer. A second later, Vinyl jerked her head to the side, indicating to Sparkle the approaching pony. “It’s the colt of the hour. You ready?"

“As I’ll ever be in this kind of situation,” Sparkle replied.

When he finally arrived beside the pair, he said, “Ms. Sparkle.”

“Hello Cobalt. You find who you were looking for?” she inquired.

“I believe I have found him. Thank you, Ms. Sparkle.” Suddenly, he spun to face another direction.

“Oh? For what?” She asked as Cobalt started walking away.

Pausing and looking over his shoulder, her student replied, “For everything. And... I wouldn’t interfere, if I were you.” Cobalt left without another word.

“Well, that was interesting,” Vinyl commented. “I take it that wasn’t what you expected from him?” she said, having accurately read the necromancer’s body language.

"You can say that again.”

“Are we going to follow him?”

Sparkle nodded. “Of course.

Five ponies, all unicorns, stood together in a conversational group. Or rather, four of them did while the white mare stood awkwardly to the side. It was these ponies that Red Fields approached, a wine glass levitating in an aura that an earth pony wasn’t supposed to have.

On the far left was Lord Tycoon, a member of parliament and a prominent business owner. Next to him was Lord Gerrymander, a career politician who had spent decades in office. Near the middle was Rue, a middle aged mare and Red’s own mother, who didn’t recognize her well-disguised son. The last of the main group was Prince Blueblood.

A mare Red recognized as Rarity from Ponyville stood off to the side, but she was of little concern to him at the moment. It was the four standing together that held his interest, the same four that had conspired to get a hit on his teacher. If he were more superstitious, Red would have said that fate had contrived this meeting just for him.

“Oh, what have we here?” He said, laying on the arrogant Canterlot accent as thickly as he could. “Just the ponies I wanted to see. How delightful that you are all right here!”

“Do I know you?” Tycoon asked.

“No,” Red replied. “We have never personally met, though you did hire me through my mother-” he gestured in Rue’s direction “-for a very specific job.”

“I’m sorry, you must be mistaken. I do not have a unicorn son,” Rue replied.

“No, I know that. It’s just, I would have expected you to pay more attention to who your son was being tutored by. Say, for instance, by his target? Wouldn’t it be entirely possible that he learns something that should be impossible?” He used his magic to bend the rubber horn on his head, causing the group to gasp.

“As it is, I quit,” he said.

“Red Fields, you are not allowed to quit! When we get home, I will see you thoroughly disciplined.”

Red winced at Rue’s comment of “discipline,” as he knew very well what that entailed. But, drawing up his courage, he said, “Watch me.”

They didn’t hear the words, for at that moment, a loud cry of “YOU’RE GOING TO LOVE ME!” echoed through the palace hall, accompanied by a cacophony of animal noises.

Rarity turned to run, as did the other four, but only the aforementioned mare made it more than a dozen steps. The other four - two lords, a prince, and an assassin - found themselves with a knife embedded in each of their skulls, the blades having been propelled by magic.

Red Fields then turned and joined the panicking crowd, using the amazingly convenient distraction of rampaging animals to make his getaway.

"Now that’s how you quit a job!”

“I’m going to have to teach him a less obvious killing method than that,” Sparkle replied.

“Yeah, but you can’t deny that it was so badass!”

With the sudden appearance of dead bodies, the Royal guards swarmed into the room. The panic was quelled swiftly, the animals were shooed out, and the guests were detained. “Nopony is to leave this room until we can properly ascertain what has occurred tonight,” the magically amplified voice of Shining Armor’s superior boomed out.

Sparkle felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked over and was greeted with the sight of a stallion about her age. She immediatly realized that something was wrong when she saw the red irises and yellow sclera of his eyes, and the pale blue horn that didn’t match his light brown coat. “Your ability to inspire chaos without much effort is truly marvelous. Do keep it up,” the stallion said. Strangely enough, his voice sounded like the color blue, as odd as that was. The stallion conjured a card and showed its contents to Sparkle.

Dr. Ocsid’s Books
314 Hayseed Ave.
Canterlot, Equestria

In the three seconds she had to look at it before it erupted into a cloud of confetti, she felt the address burn itself into her memory so well that she doubted she even could forget it. As the confetti settled on her muzzle, making her go cross-eyed as she tried to look at it, the stallion whispered, “Happy UnBirthday.” A shiver went down Sparkle’s spine, though she swore the sensation went deeper than that.

There was a flash of light. When it cleared, Sparkle found herself on the corner of a Canterlot street intersection, and Cobalt was standing next to her, equally confused.

“What just happened?” He asked.

It was a little known fact that Discord, the spirit of chaos, was massive. True, he could change his size, weight, inertia, and any other property about himself at will, but in his base form, a pony could fall into a normal, physically possible orbit around him. His magic was equally massive as well, such that unless he hid it, his magic would have effects on reality outside of even his control.

Now, the reason that Sparkle and Twilight could communicate with each other was because their magics attracted each other like two electromagnets; when the energy flowed, they attracted. Discord, on the other body part, was so attracted to himself that he permanently distorted time in such a way that he perpetually overlapped himself. And, because both halves always experienced both timelines, there really weren’t two Discords. There was one.

The draconequus’s pull, when he really let it go the way it wanted to, flattened the timelines together to a degree that everypony in the local area could completely see and interact with their doppelgangers.

Now, when a crowded hall full of panicking ponies and rampaging animals suddenly has double the number of both, the panicking only grows. Then, with the doors sealed shut and the windows turned into transparent rubber that bounces back any pony that attempts to break through, Discord couldn’t hold back his laughter any more.

Appearing above the crowd in all his twisted glory, the spirit cackled like the madman he was. "Such wonderful chaos, and I didn't even have to lift a finger! You ponies amuse me so much!"

"Discord! How did you escape?" The twin Celestias said.

"Oh, you know, two time bending ponies in the most chaotic party of the year, which just so happens to be right beside the gardens where you kept me in stone," Discord replied flippantly. Twilight, standing beside Trixie and their mentors, shrank back in embarrassment when her involvement was pointed out.

"Twilight/Beatrix, gather your friends," the Celestias commanded. "We must use the Elements of Harmony as soon as possible."

"Come now, Celestia A and Celestia B, I just got out! Can't a guy have a little time to stretch his legs after a thousand years in stone?" Discord asked, drifting over to the twin alicorns and twisting about their heads.

"After your last reign of terror, that isn't an option," they replied.

"Hmm, well that's no fun at all!" He snapped his fingers. Four things happened in rapid succession: ten pairs of eyes flashed, though their owners didn't notice, one Element of Harmony from each set swapped places, the sets were then moved to two separate locations, and Discord split in two. "I hereby challenge you to a race. Whomever gets me first will win, but it would be a shame if you weren't in your right place. Around and around this draconequus goes, where he'll stop, nopony knows!"

The two spirits materialized floating race cars and drove off in opposite directions, punching Discord-and-car shaped holes in the castle walls, which looked like cardboard on the inside.

"Princess Celestia, who was that?" Trixie asked.

"Discord is the mischievous spirit of disharmony. Before my sister and I stood up to him, he ruled Equestria in an eternal state of unrest and unhappiness. Luna and I saw how miserable life was for Earth ponies, Pegasi, and unicorns alike, so after discovering the Elements of Harmony, we combined our powers and rose up against him, turning him to stone," Trixie's version of her mentor explained.

"Yes," Twilight's Celestia agreed. "I – we – thought the spell we cast would keep him contained forever, but since Luna and I are no longer connected to the Elements, the spell has been broken."

"Come, there is no time to waste."

Two bald, fedora-and-suit wearing ponies looked at their instruments with worry. The slightly taller of the two said in his even-toned voice, "The Shard has awakened."

"It is too early," the other replied.

"Perhaps it is a consequence of Discord's release."

"The Daybringer will be able to ensure that the necessary events occur. The Shard must grow correctly for the integrity of time."

As if in protest of the statement, the machine beeped. Looking down, the taller earth pony read the result. "There is interference. The location of the Shard is indeterminate."

"Can the device be adjusted to account for this, September?"

"It will take time, August."

"Time we might not have."

Author's Note

My theory is that when a powerful enough being talks, it even alters the color of their words.