Chapter 15-Bastion

Bastion:

It was an unbearably hot day to be traveling through the Everfree forest. It was an even worse day to be traveling after learning that the pony that rules over the nation that you live in is stealing the lives of countless souls so that her own subjects can live long, happy lives. And to top it off it was as humid Discord’s but crack.

Indeed if a group could ever be in low as spirits as the six ponies trotting through the everfree, than they would most likely be on a death march. Ever since they had left the castle of the two sisters, with the Corpse in tow, the six ponies in the group had held their tongues to the point of complete silence, only the various sounds of the jungle filling their senses as they trudge along. Walking in single file down the overgrown path before them the five ponies each stew in their own thoughts as they count the seconds until their march is over. It was quite fortunate that Luna was able to show them the road out of the forest from the castle; otherwise the ponies most likely wouldn’t have made it back at all. So emotionally drained and mentally exhausted were they that the crusaders most likely would have succumbed to the winding nature of the forest and it’s multitude of traps long ago. Especially Twilight Sparkle, the mare who going into the forest was so full of life and vigor was now leaving it an emotional wreck ready to break down from the slightest stimulation.

The moment that Twilight was able to compose herself she has told them everything, the prophecy of their supposed death, the corpse’s refusal to lend her it’s power, and Celestia’s use of the corpse’s power to create a supposed paradise. Nothing could have hit Twilight and the group harder than that, than the knowledge her teacher was guilty of genocide. The rest of the group had been equally shocked, all save Luna who had expected it all along. Their minds and bodies being rejuvenated from their night of rest, every pony agreed unanimously that it was better to get back to Ponyville as soon as possible and after a small breakfast had left early that morning with all haste. And so for the past five hours the six ponies had been trudging down the broken path back to their town their spirits lower than ghastly gorge.

However despite the weight of the news upon their minds that had fallen like a heavy blow there were some in the group who still possess the strength to face the trails before them.

Rainbow though she was never one to trust blindly, especially in a faceless government engine, had trusted the princess unconditionally as a paragon of goodness. The news of Celestia’s plan had hit her the hardest in the group save perhaps Twilight. however rather than retreating into herself the Rainbow Mare seethed with barely suppressed rage at the fact that someone that she trusted so thoroughly could turn her back on everything Dash thought that she stood for.

Applejack, though daunted with the task at hoof still remained well grounded in the here and now, which for the moment was getting all her friends out of the Everfree safely. Though even her rock steady mind could not endure the thought of the monarch of the sun would doom those not in her land to perpetual suffering.

Fluttershy was emotionally torn by their ruler’s actions, on one hoof ponies were happy and safe, but on the other hoof some weren’t. Yet the yellow mare did not allow her feelings to show and worry her friends preferring to invoke her natural born talent of being silent.

Rarity always an expert at maintaining a proper poise was the picture of calm on the outside, even offering to carry Twilight’s pack so she could carry the heavy corpse herself.  Though she would never admit it to any pony in the group, part of her sympathized with Celestia’s plan, knowing that it would improve countless lives across the Empire of Equestria.

And then there was Pinkie, who had wisely decided to remain silent in the group’s return, her joy daunted by Twilight’s news. Pinkie just wanted to see her friends smile, and more than that so see her friend Twilight who was so despondent from the news of her mentor, happy again.

Yet all of her friend’s feelings were lost on the lavender unicorn that trod the path as if the entire world around her was falling apart around her. Worse yet, the weight of the corpse on her back seemed to grow heavier with each step, and though their path through the Everfree had cut back on their journey the sun was already beginning its descent back down from its zenith as Twilight plodded along.

Rainbow dash having caught yet another bug in her open mouth hacks uncontrollably as she clears her throat. The rest of the group turns their head towards the cerulean mare hacking in midair as she tries to clear her throat.

Applejack face hoofs “Aw for pete’s….. Dash ah told ya once and I told ya twice. There are all sorts of swarms of bugs an flies in the upper canopies, that’s why we’re walkin. If yawl are so insistent on flyin up their yawl are gonna get a mouth full of bugs, Now get down here!”

Dash’s love of flying finally gives way to not having bugs in her mouth and she lands on the ground clearing the remains of the insects from her throat. “All right so you were right about the bugs, I should have listened to you the first time. You don’t have to rub it in.”

Normally the orange mare would have rubbed it in the cerulean mare’s face, were she in a brighter mood. However as she was now she just wanted to get home and sort through the shifting thoughts running through her mind

“So……” Dash speaks up “We’re almost back in Ponyville right?”

Applejack sighs, glad that at least she isn’t asking that question every five minutes. “Yeah Dash, I reckon so. Least cordin to Luna that is.”

“Well despite your skepticism of the Princess I trust her word.” Rarity pipes up. “If she said that this road would get us back in Ponyville by sunset then I believe her.”

“Now I’m not sayin that ah don’t trust her an all.” Applejack defends herself “I’m just sayin that we’ve been goin rather slow. Ah just don’t want to get caught in this forest after dark.” The orange mare shivers “Yawl don’t want ta be trapped in this here forest after dark.”

“Well I’m Sooooooo sorry Applejack, that we’re inconveniencing you with our slow walking.” Twilight spits out with as much sarcasm as she can manage. Turning around the lavender mare’s bloodshot eyes come eye to eye with the farmer. “But you’ll have to excuse us for not having the brute strength and single minded determination that you have.”

“Now see here Twilight!” Applejack growls “Ah know yer depressed an all but that’s no excuse fer….”

“Can we PLEASE, stop arguing?!” Pinkie pie cries out, her shrill voice cutting off what most assuredly have been a friendship shattering argument between the two friends. “I don’t like it when my friends fight…..”

The entire group shuts up at that each pony holding their tongue as they all turn back to their walking. Twilight apologizes under her breath as each mare tries their best to put the thoughts of the argument out of their minds. Each pony focusing on the road ahead of them as if every rock and twig is of vital importance. They continue down their trail Pinkie Pie watches her friends nervously as she judges the happiness quotient of the collective group to be a negative seven. Hoping to steer the conversation in a more pleasant direction the mare clears her throat.

“Do you think she’s okay?” Pinkie asks

“Who Darling?”

“Well the princess.” Pinkie states “I mean she’s all alone right now, do you think that she’s okay?”

“I think that Princess Celestia is perfectly fine in her ivory palace Pinkie.” Dash says as she punches a tree in her way to let out her free flowing aggression.

“I wasn’t talking about Princess Celestia, I was……”

“Then please stop talkin Pinkie.” Applejack groans. “cause in case ya can’t tell, We don’t need another one of yer long winded rants right now.”

“Hey!” Dash yells, punching Applejack harshly in the shoulder “You can’t tell Pinkie to shut up, she can talk whenever she wants.”

Applejack recovers from her staggering with a scowl on her face “Yer just makin things worse Dash. Now why don’t ya just cool yer jets before ah have ta make ya.”

“I’d like to see you try, you country….”

“I WAS TALKING ABOUT PRINCESS LUNA!!” Pinkie yells at the top of her lungs. “I was wondering if Luna was safe!”

Both of the two mares stop short of blows at Pinkie’s voice reaches them. Both their angers smolder in an instant as the two mares watch Pinkie pie begin to cry, bubbly tears pouring down her face as both mares feel immense shame at their own actions. As both turn their heads away, Dash thinks about how they wouldn’t be fighting like this if Luna was with them.

‘She was a Goddess’ Dash thinks to herself. ‘I really didn’t want to admit it, but Luna was so awesome. And as much as I hate to admit it, she is way cooler than I am. She was brave confident and full of resolve.  She never seemed unsure or afraid, if she were here now we wouldn’t be like this. Even when she was leaving she was completely in control of herself….. why couldn’t she have come with us?’ Dash wracks her brain as she thinks back to her last encounter with the Goddess.

……………..

“Are you sure you won’t come with us?” Dash asks hopefully “I don’t say this lightly but you kick some serious flank. And we could really use an attitude like that back in ponyville.”

Luna fastens her own saddle bags to her back smiling back at the cerulean pegasus. “You do not need my help physically as you do mentally. And while we appreciate the thought that you would request my company, you have tasks ahead of yourself that require your utmost attention. You must keep the Corpse safe from those that would abuse its power, my sister included.”

Luna turns her head away from the group as she looks with melancholy off in the distance. “In fact I fear it is my task which is the hardest.” The Goddess says, face demonstrating a sliver of worry. “For I must do something that I have put off for over one thousand years.”

Rarity walks up to Luna levitating a few stray items into her bag as she looks at the Goddess of the night with worry. “Surely you do not mean that you’re going to..….”

“I must confront my sister.” Luna finishes for the ivory fashionista “But properly this time. Not with force and threats of damnation, but with words sincere and true. I must tell her what her abuse of her position and her magic has done to our ponies.” Luna says with worry. “And what she has done to me……”

“And if she does not listen to reason….” The princess says with worry in her voice. “Well at least I would have said my peace before I was sent back to the moon.” The princess laughs morbidly at the thought as she prepares to take off into the air.

“….You’re wrong.”

Luna stops her wings primed to flap as she turns to address the voice behind her. All eyes look at the previous silent Lavender unicorn with awe. Ever since she had finished telling them what the corpse had told her word for word Twilight had been as silent as death.

“Even if she did something….. Like that…… she would never hurt you.” Twilight says with certainty. Though her demeanor is still downcast a glimmer of light courses through her words. “You and Celestia are sisters, she would never hurt you, she loves you Luna don’t you ever doubt it.”

Luna looks to the lavender unicorn her face uncertain and confused. “How can you be so sure of that? We have each done….. terrible things to each other and all for petty reasons. How are you so sure that what we had can be repaired?”

“Because I too have a sibling; Shining Armor and I were always different but we were always together.” Twilight says as if it is the simplest thing in the world. “We may fight from time to time, and I may not enjoy everything he does. But I know that he will always be there for me, whenever I need him, and that he will always love me. After all……” the mare lets loose a small tear looking off towards Canterlot in the distance. “He’s all the family that I have left.”

No one else talks after that, no one else makes a noise, no pony knows what to say after that. As the mare brushes a single tear off her face the group looks at each other, each of their faces a stunned wreck.

“Twilight….” Luna says with the utmost sympathy. “We…. I did not know that…..”

“Don’t Luna.” Twilight snaps at the Goddess “Just don’t, I don’t have the patience to deal with it.” Twilight looks up at Luna with a soul rending look in her eyes. “Just please, promise me that you will make up with her, despite everything she loves you more than you know.”

……………….

Dash shakes her head clearing thoughts of Luna from her mind. “I really don’t need this right now. Come on Pinkie let’s just go.” Dash turns away from Applejack and trots down the path, trying to cover up her worry with her normal indifference.

Every mare in the group turns their eyes away from the sniffling Pinkie pie trying as they prepare to once again resume their quiet journey down the path home. Each pony begins to trot down the path ahead of them, all save Rarity who raises her hoof tensely as if mentally debating whether or not to take the next step. The fashionista watches as her friends leave her behind, sullen looks adorning her faces, as she suddenly comes to conclusion, the conclusion that this cannot continue.

“……. Alright this is not working.” Rarity says coming to a complete stop. With a look of frustration the ivory mare positions her flank and places herself right in the middle of the path. “I don’t know about you all but I simply cannot take another step.”

The entire group sighs at Rarity’s predictable spoiled behavior as Applejack reaches over to pull the ivory mare up. “Come on Rares, it’s not far from Ponyville now, just a mile er two more and we’ll be right as rain, now quit stallin and let’s get a move on.”

Rarity gently swats Applejack’s outstretched hoof away. “Applejack darling I’m not talking about rest.” Rarity waves her hoof around her “I’m talking about this. This ‘issue’ is tearing us apart. Now I don’t know about you but when there is an issue between friends I refuse to let it lie and fester like an old wound.”

Each mare stops and looks at each mare in the group, the surprise of the sudden bravery of the Ivory mare and the shame of their behavior seeping into their expressions. Clearing her throat Rarity continues with measured poise and grace. “Well frankly I’ve had enough of us tearing each other to pieces over this so I’m not moving another inch until we six get to the bottom of this and talk it out like friends should.”

The six friends look at each other as Rarity’s words ring true in their own respective hearts. Breaking from their self-induced spell of depression and hopelessness the six mares look at each other hoping for if not a resolution of the issue at hoof, a way to appease the gnawing hole in their souls.

Dash scoffs at Rarity “Oh that’s a wonderful idea Rarity!” She says with utmost sarcasm mimicking the fashionista’s tone of voice. “Let’s all just hold hooves and sing Cumbia together as one big group of friends I’m sure that’ll solve everything.”

“It’s nothing to get upset about darling.” Rarity’s states with utmost calm “I just think that we should talk about our problems before they…..”

“What’s’ my problem?!” Dash leaps into the air her gear falls to the ground with a loud clatter “I don’t have a problem! I just found out that our supreme despot is guilty of genocide!!  That’s the problem!” Dash crosses her arms. “So yeah! Maybe I have a problem with ponies who butcher thousands of living breathing creatures for their own enjoyment! So sue me!”

“You think that she did it for her own enjoyment?!” Twilight shouts “That’s sick! Princess Celestia may have done bad things, but she did it for us!” Twilight points to her heart. “She did it so that ponies like us could live in peace, that we could live full lives without worry.”

“She might as well have killed them all herself! And as if it couldn’t get any worst she lied to everypony about it, taking all the credit for being the sole ruler of the greatest nation in the world.”

“How many times do I have to say it she didn’t do it for the fame, she did it for her little ponies. She lied to us because if the Corpse's power was known it would cause mass panic!”

“Yeah! They’d panic because everypony NOT in Equestria was dying a horrible painful death!”

Pinkie prepares to walk between to stop their fighting only for her to be stopped by a gentle hoof on her back. Turning around the pink mare comes face to face with Fluttershy who gives Pinkie a look telling her that ‘they need to get this out.’ So with heavy hearts the rest of the group watches on as the two friends yell at each other at the top of their lungs. The four ponies looking on as the two mares duke it out, physically manifesting the conflict within their own souls with harsh serrated words. Both Rainbow and Twilight respectively representing their pre-established conceptions of wrong and right and the power to save the ones you love.

“What is your Problem Twilight?! Were you just born kissing Princess Celestia’s flank or are you so in love with the Princess that you take the side of a murderer?!”

“I just think that there is some truth to what the princess is doing you doufus! I’m not taking her side I’m making a point! It’s very tempting not to try something if you have to power to do it!”

“Oh then EXcuuuussssseeeee ME! I didn’t know that having the power to kill ponies means that you should!”

“Would you shut up and think about things logically for once in your life Dash?! Pony kind has never experienced a war or plague or economic collapse In one thousand years! Think of how many lives the Corpse’s power has protected, how many ponies have lived long healthy lives! You have to agree that such a power is tempting!”

“Oh and I suppose that using a power that killed hundreds made sure that your parents lived long healthy lives?” Dash spits out with anger and spite dripping off of every syllable.

Dash is blasted out of the sky by a bolt of purple magic as the Lavender mare pants heavily at dash’s hooves. “DON’T You TALK about my parents! You don’t DESERVE to talk about family when your own father kicked you out of the house!!” Twilight yells as her repressed rage threatens to overtake her better judgement.

The group finally realizes that things have gone too far as they rush over to the panting and teary eyed Unicorn and the prone Pegasus. Applejack and Rarity work at holding Twilight back as Fluttershy and Pinkie pie Rush to Dash’s side. However much to the relief of the group Twilight’s blast though painful was far from damaging and Dash is only bruised for her trouble.  Recovering slowly from the sudden assault Dash is finally able to raise her head she comes face to face with Twilights’ hurt and pained expression. With the heat of the moment long past Dash begins to come to turn with how much her spite towards things beyond her control has hurt her friend.

“……I’m…… I’m sorry Twilight……” Dash whimpers as she tries to pull herself off the ground. Her impulsive irresponsible actions hurting her more than the sudden bolt of magic ever could. “….. I…… that wasn’t fair of me…… I went way too far…… “ Dash hangs her head in shame, the weight of her actions finally catching up to her “…..again……”

Twilight watches as the cerulean mare’s tears fall into the dust. Part of Twilight wants to blast Dash again, to give into her anger at her situation and her rage at being betrayed. However the larger part of Twilight, the good part of her knows that Dash is just as angry upset and torn up inside as she is and feels just as betrayed as she does. In her heart of hearts Twilight knows that despite her words Dash is a pony that she can count on no matter what and that she would never intentionally hurt her friends.

“I….. I’m sorry to Dash I shouldn’t have brought up your past like that.” Twilight states hesitantly honestly ashamed of her own actions “I know you’re impulsive sometimes and you say what’s on your mind.” Twilight exhales “But that doesn’t make you a bad pony.” Twilight smiles gently at the cerulean mare who is still sitting on her flank embroiled in her own regret.

“Look” Twilight rubs her horn as she tries to look at their situation logically. “I know what Celestia has done is wrong in a sense of the word. It’s just…… I’m trying to look at it from her perspective.” Twilight rubs her arm as she continues on “If I could use a magic that could bring back my parents, or insure that a plague that would wipe out tens of thousands of ponies would cease to exist, then I’d be pretty hard pressed to use a power that could save lives even if it hurt others.”

The entire group is silent wanting for some pony, namely Dash to interject, however for a few moments the trees are quiet and still. “Ah…..” Applejack speaks up removing her Stetson solemnly from her head. ”Ah know that feeling too Twi. Ah lost mah parents too, when ah was around Applebloom’s age.”

Twilight turns to the orange mare “Yes I know. I never wanted to intrude on your private life but I figured that they had been already passed away.” With great care the lavender mare places her hoof on the farmer’s shoulder. “You don’t have to say anything that you feel you don’t have to Applejack.”

Applejack nods as she wipes her sniffling nose. “It was a Manticore…… got into the south fields near the everfree and wandered into the main field……. Ah was in Manehattan at the time, so ah don’t know what happened exactly….. But when I heard, ah just didn’t want to come home at all.” The mare brushes more tears out of her eye, her voice unwavering as she pours out one of the most sensitive memories in her life.

Rarity lowers her head sadly. “They were very good ponies, far better than I was at that age.”

“So ah understand where ya are comin from Twi. And ah’m not sayin we use that corpse ta bring the dead back ta life and all that. That aint natural and ma and pa wouldn’t be happy like that.” Applejack gulps at the thought of her parents as Zombies. “But if it could stop what happened ta ma an pa…… then I don’t know if ah’d be able ta resist.”

A deep and reverent quiet fills the path that all four friends are standing on as each pony thinks back to things in their life that they would want to change if they had the power. Their minds fill of friends and loved ones, childish mistakes and long impacting decisions, and everything in between as they each think of how they could use a power like that. But at the same time lingering in the back of their minds like a bad secret between friends lies the inevitable truth that every good thing wrought with such a power creates something bad, and every life saved, is a life lost by another. It is literally a pyrrhic victory, ponies are dammed if you use the Corpse and dammed if you don’t. Everypony suddenly realizes the painful irony of their situation, whether they use the corpse or destroy it, each decision saves lives each one dams them to suffering. There really is no way to win, no easy problem that can be addressed or solved by one’s moral compass.

 “How is it……” Dash asks as she paws at the dirt with her hoof. “How is it that if this Corpse thing is supposed to make life so grand…..” Dahs punches the ground futilely “….That our lives are so bucked up right now?”

“I don’t’ know Dash.” Twilight says as truthfully as possible. “I just don’t know.” Trotting over to the cerulean mare twilight places her hoof around her barrel in a gentle hug.  “I think that really all life is give and take, good things happen, and bad things happen too. Celestia just wanted to fill our lives with more good things than bad.”

Just as Twilight is about to finish when a novel idea fills her mind her eyes sparkling with an unknown radiance.  The lavender librarian rises instantly to her hooves throwing Dash off her balance in the process. “But maybe…. Maybe that’s the problem!”

Fluttershy tilts her head “What do you mean Twilight?”

“Think about it. We want only good things in our lives and work so hard to avoid the bad that we forget that sometimes we have to suffer a bit for things to work out better. Maybe Luna was right about the Corpse’s power being evil, not because it makes others suffer, but because it offers good things without any sacrifice, without any effort.” Twilight conjectures “Maybe it’s that desire to be happy without doing anything that is truly evil, or the desire to see others happy without having them work for it.”

“WHOA! WHOA!” Pinkie gestures with her hooves as she jumps into Twilight’s field of vision “Let’s not go too far Twilight! I mean I love making others happy, throwing parties and making ponies smile is the best! I mean there’s nothing wrong  with making ponies happy and throwing parties and filling balloons with laughing gas…….. is there?”

“No Pinkie I didn’t mean that!” Twilight waves her hooves back and forth in a panic as she tries to keep herself from tearing her friend’s entire world view to shreds. “I just meant that maybe if we want to have the right to be happy and for things to work out, maybe we ourselves have to work for it rather than expect some magic or other pony to make us happy and fill our lives with meaning.”

“But Twilight!” Rarity speaks up her face contorted with worry “Not everypony can live happy lives, and it’s not sorely because of their own ineptitude or lack of ability. Sometimes….” Rarity’s voice stops, her words caught in her throat as she struggles to continue.

“…Sometimes all it takes is a wrong turn of fate to ruin everything you have ever worked for in your life. I mean if I caught an incurable illness or killed some pony by accident; it would still make ponies suffer no matter what my intentions were. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how much you do……” Rarity says sadly “Fate trumps all efforts and makes the foolishness of the best laid plans. Sometimes no matter what you do you can never beat your destiny…..”

Dash leaps to her hooves from her sitting position “Bull, there’s no way that’s true. I beat destiny when I performed the sonic Rainboom. And if I did it any pony can!” Dash crosses her arms crossly “And even if it was true that wouldn’t make what Celestia’s doing right.”

“……Not everypony can change the past Dash.” Rarity picks her dirtied hoof of the ground watching as drops of mud flow from the tip onto her pristine white coat. “To have your entire life ruined by a sole action outside your control, or even worse one of your own mistakes…… that is the definition of a disaster.”

Rarity says with a tone of complete finality “Believe me I don’t believe what Celestia is doing is right, but part of me believes that it……….is necessary. After all not everypony can be lucky enough to avoid misfortune, and to have a world without calamity…… Isn’t that what Celestia is trying to prevent?”

“Well that’s just….. I don’t………” Twilight a mare with a 160 IQ is stopped dead in her tracks at Rarity’s statement. The mare looks for any fallacy, any point that she can use to take apart Rarity’s arguments but is unable to find a single one.

‘Is she right?’ Twilight thinks to herself. ‘No matter what I do fate will always have the upper hoof, so doesn’t it make sense to fix the odds if it saves the lives of those I care about?’

‘No!’ Twilight shakes her head unwilling to lie down and accept eventuality so easily. ‘I can’t doubt myself now! I came all this way thanks to my friends I can’t afford to give up and let some arbitrary force take control of my life. Fate be damned! I have to believe in the path that I am taking, even if I can’t prove why. I have to believe that even if my resolve falters that I will never die, that no matter what happens that I won’t stop heading down a new path as I head into the future.’

Realizing she currently doesn’t have an answer to the question, Twilight resorts to a tactic that her mentor Celestia used on many an occasion; stall and hope the pony forgets the question. “Forget it; I’m too tired to think about this clearly.” Twilight fakes a groan and she begins to walk down the path again. “Let’s just get back home and sleep, we’re almost back to Ponyville anyways.”

Everypony looks at each other as Twilight trots hastily away from the scene of battle. And though each pony has not solved their own dilemmas about the corpse, the fact that they have finally been able to confront the problem has done wonders for their moods and more importantly their friendships.

Now in a much calmer but still sullen mood the six friends begin to trot more rapidly to get out of the haunted forest. Their journey though still quiet and surrounded by the darkness for the forest around them begins to take on a new pace and in no time at all the dark green of the canopy begins to thin out to make way for lighter hues. The forest begins to thin out around them, the leaves of the trees letting in actual sunlight for a change in place of the murky shrouded light they had grown accustomed to for hours. Soon the darkness gives way to the dying light of the sun, not yet red from sunset but getting there, as large beams of light cut through the shadows with ease.

Finally after what seemed like the longest and most difficult trek in the six mare’s short lives, the entrance of the forest presents itself off in the distance the entire group breathing a collective sigh of relief. As they begin the track to the forest’s entrance the group once again begins to talk about casual everyday things, their previous troubles losing relevance to their joy to finally be free of the Everfree Forest. However Twilight Sparkle taking up the head of the group narrows her vision as she looks past the forest’s entrance to a very peculiar sight.

As the rest of the group begins to trot rapidly out of the forest twilight trots behind the main pack to speak with another lagging friend “Rarity?” Twilight asks curiously,

“Yes Twilight?” Rarity asks while keeping pace with Twilight’s quick walking.

“Did you tell the Trixie and the others when we would be coming back?” Twilight asks “Did you tell them clearly when we would be coming back to Ponyville?”

“Twilight you know I did! After all you were there too, and you told them all yourself.” Rarity muses “So why would you ask me darling?”

Twilight points her hoof to the entrance of the forest at the large group waiting on them. “Because we currently have a greeting party and they’re a day early.”

With a dramatic halt the entire group of six comes to a stop at the very edge of the Everfree taking in the size of the large group of ponies apparently waiting for them. Even in the diminished light of the setting sun the reflective armor of the solar guard is clearly visible to all present. Their jaws lower as the six travelers realize that they have come face to face with an entire contingent of royal guards lead by none other than the great and Powerful Trixie.

The six mares though cautious at the sudden appearance of so much military might trust the presence of their friend (?) Trixie is a good sign and with measured steps they trot over to the large group coming to a trot past the edge of the Everfree. However despite the appearance of six brightly colored mares the Solar guard too occupied by their own conversations remain blissfully ignorant of the arrival of the very group that they have been waiting for at the foot of the most dangerous set of woods in the world.  The guards all talk amongst themselves, polishing their armor and weapons as they watch with interest the loud commotion coming from the center of their ranks occupying their attentions.  The six mares watch as Trixie talks loudly with a Zebra in a tight fitting black suit and a professional looking white coated solder, who from his armor appears to be the one in charge.  Though the Stardust Crusaders cannot make out the words spoken from their distance, the argument appears to be heated as the two ponies and one zebra debate amongst themselves arguing with both diction and body language in an attempt to make their points. The argument goes on for a few minutes until Rarity, unwilling to be ignored for another second (and far too used to being the center of attention) clears her voice loudly in an attempt to get the guard’s attentions.

“Um… Trixie Darling?” Rarity asks with caution as the entire guard turns with one movement to face the newly arrived group of ponies. All voices cease as Rarity gulps heavily. “I-I-It’s not that we don’t appreciate the thought. But WHY did you happen to bring an entire contingent of solar guards?” The ivory mare watches nervously as the large group of guards slowly advances on the group of ponies. “I mean I understand completely how a mare of such proper demeanor would require an armed escort however I assure you the thought was unnecessary.”

Though the ivory mare laughs at her own joke as the group of guards closes in, in a semi-circle shape around them, the guards remain serious and undaunted their eyes locking on the group. The six mares slowly give ground as they are pressed with their backs to the cursed forest; Trixie’s pained expression giving them all indications that the appearance of the guards is not a good one. Backed up against the forest half the group prepares to run at a second’s notice and the other half prepares to fight when a very strange thing happens to the most predictable pony in their group.

“Shiny!” Twilight shouts with a level of glee and excitement that would cause one to mistake her for Pinkie Pie.

“Twilly!” The White stallion shouts. The Purple mare leaps forward the white stallion who heads up the group takes off his official helmet revealing his multi colored blue mane. With suddenness that surprises both sides the two unicorns embrace in a loving hug.

“Shiney?” Applejack asks inquisitively “Yawl don’t think that’s……”

“Oh where are my manners.” Twilight apologizes turning back to face her friends “Everypony I’m very pleased to introduce the captain of the Solar Guard, and my BBBFF.” Twilight takes in a deep breath giving the precise amount of time to build up a dramatic pause. “Shining Armor!”

The stallion bows dramatically playing along with his sister’s well played exaggeration., hamming it up as he bows to imaginary applause from every pony in his presence. “Thank you, Thank you, you’ve been a wonderful audience, I’ll be here in ponyville (because I’m here on royal business as Captain of the Royal guard) all week!”

“…….”

“…………..”

“………………..”

“……Captain Armor?” A orange male Pegasus with dark blue hair coughs nervously. “I still respect your command and everything, but that was….. how do I put it……” The cadet struggles with his words fumbling with an attempt to put his feeling and no doubt the feelings of everypony in the clearing into polite words. “…..Well it’s just that we still respect you and all……”

“….But that was by far the lamest thing I have ever seen.” Lightning dust finishes with absolutely zero tact. “And I’ve seen Flash Sentry here attempts to pick up mares.”

“Yeah, that’s……Hey!” The orange stallion turns sharply around to face Lightning “For your information Lightning, that mare just happened to have previous obligations. It’s not like she was intentionally avoiding me!”

“Yeah that’s why she had ‘previous obligations’ every time she you asked her out.”

“…...It could happen…..”

“It could happen fifteen times in a row?”

Ignoring the conversation between the two guards Twilight’s friends begin to talk amongst themselves at the appearance stunning first impression of Guard Captain Shining Armor. “Give me a break, they're brother an sister all right.” Applejack comments. “Ah’ve never met two ponies with such a bad sense of humor before, they gotta be related.”

“Indeed.” Rarity comments “it is quite rare to find two ponies that have such a…… unique sense of what is humorous and what is not.”

“Ah’ll say.” Applejack tilts her hat forward obscuring her face.

“And what’s THAT supposed to mean?” Twilight asks as she levels her most powerful stink eye at the orange farmer and ivory fashionista. However in light of the appearance of her brother she quickly dismisses the farmer’s words. “You know what, it doesn’t matter, I’m just glad to have you here Shiny I have had the absolute worst day ever, I really needed you here now.”

The group visibly lets down their guard as they all breathe in relief and begin to relax. Every one of Twilight’s six friends relieved both By Twilight’s improved behavior and the unorthodox appearance of the Captain of the Royal guard greeting them. And if Twilight’s previously dismal mood could be improved by being in touch with her family, than all the better.

“Zecora!” Twilight smiles with newfound happiness as she trots up to the Zebra “What are you doing here? Did you come here to keep an eye on my hopeless brother?”

“Hey! I’m not that bad!”

“Please Shining.” Twilight grins “You probably wouldn’t have been able to find the way to Ponyville even if you had a map! You’re totally hopeless.”

Zecora snickers at Shining’s embarrassment for a moment as mirth fills her visage. However as soon as it appeared, the happiness vanishes, leaving both the Guard Captain and the Zebra with somber expressions on their faces. “Twilight sparkle.” Zecora begins sadly “as you might know. Our presence is important and though, we are happy to see you so, our news strikes deep as the arrow from a bow.”

Zecora’s tone instantly conveys to Twilight all the indication of something being is very wrong “Shining? Why are you here?” The lavender mare asks nervously as her hooves stand rooted to the ground. “I know that you are excited to see me but you’re the Captain of the Royal guard, you wouldn’t come here unless……. Unless something was wrong.”

Twilight gulps heavily as a dark creeping sensation passes through her bones. “T-This is….. what are you all doing here? Shining? Please, why are you here looking for me?”

Looking his scared sister in the eyes Shining armor sighs deeply “I-I’m sorry Twilly. I hate to see you like this but I come bearing bad news.”

“Bad news?” Twilight asks as she takes a step back “What’s the bad…woah!”

In that disastrous moment, a moment that will indeed change the world, taking a step back Twilight trips over a stray rock sending her falling to her rump. This accident may have changed nothing were it not for the fact that in tripping over the rock the large package of the corpse dislodged itself from her back sending it sprawling to the ground and revealing it’s gentle glow to every pony present.

Shining Armor’s eyes widen in dawning concern and worry at the sight of the hardened stone on the ground. Zecora audibly gasps at the sight at something so inherently beautiful as the stone’s radiance reflects off her stripes and muzzle her hoof covering her expression as she stares unflinchingly at the Holy Corpse. Trixie, the mare of one thousand snappy comebacks is struck mute her jaw hanging open like a bar door, as her mouth opens and closes gently in shock. And the entire Royal guard gasps as they back slowly away from the glowing stone. Twilight herself gives shining a look of equal shame and embarrassment, like the kind of look a fowl might have if they were caught with their hooves in the cookie jar as she realizes that there is no way this could end well.

“Twily…..” Shining Gulps “Where did you get that…. That much of the….” Zecora nudges the stallion causing him to snap out of his gaze. “Red Stone! Where did you get that much of the red stone Twilly? That’s way too much for you to carry around on your back.”

Shining Armor chuckles nervously as he surrounds the corpse with the pink aura of his magic. “So why don’t I take this off your hooves and we can talk about….”

“NO!” Twilight shouts. With a burst of her own magic Twilight causes her brother’s magic aura to fade sending the corpse once again crashing against the ground. With her own telekinesis Twilight deftly wraps the Large mass of fossilized flesh up in its’ protective sheath of cloth and places it on her back as she steps away from her brother with a look of betrayal in her eyes.

Shining armor originally prepares to raise his voice to chastise his sister to ask what she is thinking to assure her that he is on her side. But It is deadly clear by the look she has in her eyes that Twilight has no intention with parting with the object resting on her back. And more frightening of all, the look in his sister’s eyes tells the Captain of the Royal guard that she knows everything he has tried to keep from her for her entire life.

“I-I didn’t want to believe it Twily.” Shining lowers his head in worry “And even now I don’t.” Shining raises his face looking his sister in the eyes as he pushes down his own feelings of discomfort and regret for what he is about to do. “But you have just crossed the line. Now I’m going to give you one last chance hand over that, thing, on your back and come with us. Please Twilight don’t make this hard on yourself.”

Twilight though comforted by her brother’s words shakes her head back in fourth signifying her resistance. “No Shining I can’t hoof this over to you. I don’t know how much you know about the corpse or what it does, but you can’t hoof it over to Celestia. You don’t know what kind of power…..”

Twilight’s eyes widen as her brother’s reaction and his behavior around the complete Red stone course through her mind. In an instant the mare reframes her own brother’s his past behavior in a new light, leading her to a horrible conclusion. “…….oh sweet Celestia you know…….” The lavender mare’s legs shake as she falls to her hooves with a crash. “……You know what this is….. That’s why…. That’s why you’re trying to take it!”

“Enough of this!” Shining stomps his hooves “Twilight I’m begging you just turn yourself over. I’ll clear you of these stupid charges, but resisting arrest will only make you look more guilty!”

“Resisting arrest?!” Applejack shouts “What in Equestria are yawl talkin bout? Twilight aint done nothing worthy of bein arrested!”

“Yeah!” Pinkie shouts “And you can’t just go around telling ponies to listen to you just cause you’ve got a big fancy uniform! I know my rights! And I won’t be silenced. And you can’t’ arrest my friend for no reason! That’s a fact!” Pinkie shouts as she pulls the lavender mare in a tight hug as if unwilling to let her go.

“You’re right Pinkie.” Trixie states with a serious expression “Normally Twilight would be fine, no pony would dare touch the Princess’ student. But….” Trixie gulps back her worry as she manages to continue. “….But new information has just come to light, information that points to Twilight sparkle being the Traitor that has been tipping off criminal groups and terrorists to the location of troop movements and Red Stone caches.”

“And you think Twilight is this….. this Traitor, Trixie?” Rarity asks with her most offended tone of voice. “How could you even think that Twilight would be responsible for such horrible things?”

“It does not matter what Trixie thinks!” Trixie exclaims “The fact of the matter is that paperwork discovered that implicates Twilight of disclosing reports to third parties, the evidence does not lie.”

“Trixie speaks the truth.” Zecora nods “Though it feels as wrong as an ache in a tooth, Twilights’ actions with her stones has been most aloof.”

“Twilight? A Traitor?” Fluttershy gasps as her fear begins to give way to indignation at the Royal guards before her insulting her friend. “That’s….. That’s ridiculous! Twilight would never betray any pony! She’s the second most loyal pony I know.” Fluttershy exclaims as she turns to the rainbow hued Pegasus next to her. “Right behind Dash of course.”

“Yeah!” Dash yells itching for a fight “Instead of accusing Twilight of being this big bad traitor why don’t you back off and answer our questions!” Dash crosses her hooves “Or better yet how did you even know we were here! I you ask me you should be interrogating whoever blabbed our secrets of being this traitor, not Twilight!”

“It was easy to know you were here, for we had a friend that you trusted deer.” Zecora states as she turns to the light blue showmare. “Celestia sent Trixie to keep an eye on you, to determine of what is true, about the accusations that accuse, Twilight of being a Traitor.”

 “Trixie’s a spy?” Dash exclaims. “I knew it!”

“Trixie is a stand agent! Not a common snitch!” The showmare proclaims proudly. “It is my job to report suspicious activities to the Princess! Of course she would report the appearance of strange stones that appeared out of nowhere, and granted wishes!”

“Twilight.” Shining says with utmost seriousness as he tries one last time to assure his sister of his good intentions. “I know that you’re very confused about now. But you need to step away from that thing that fell out of your pack and come with me, as calmly as possible.”

Shining’s pleas are cut off as a Rainbow blur rushes the captain of the guard knocking him off his hooves. However with a dexterous flip the stallion lands back on his hooves with minimal damage as he locks eyes with the mare that knocked him over. Rainbow Dash demonstrating her innate desire to stand up to authority and protect her friends stands steadfast and firm in front of the stunned Lavender mare. “Like Buck you are! Twilight’s going nowhere with you, even if you are her brother!”

In an instant the entire guard readies itself only to be stopped by the wave of the guard captain’s hoof. “Stand down everypony.”

Murmurs fill the circle as Zecora steps up to place a hoof on Shining armor “Shining armor, I know that you trust in your sister’s innocence as do I, but….”

Demonstrating his normal confidence the stallion turns to address the Zebra mare “Don’t worry Zecora.” Shining turns to face the cerulean Pegasus with fierce eyes “I’ll handle this myself.”

The Pegasus hovers in the air as her stand surrounds her hooves. Smashing them together in a small burst of color the Pegasus stares down the guard captain in front of her. “You may be fine with dragging an innocent pony to jail against her will but Twilight’s in no shape to put up with your garbage. You may be Twilight’s Brother, but if you think even for a second any friend of mine could be disloyal to any pony then you don’t know anything about her.”

Dash lands on the ground her wings flair In a display of hostility as she paws the dirt with her hoof ready to strike. “So I’ll give YOU one chance to back off. Despite everything you are Twilight’s family so I’d hate to have to have to send her only brother back to Canterlot on a stretcher.”

Shining grins back cockily “Sorry to say this, Miss Dash. But you’re one hundred years too early to even touch me. And even if you were a match for me, my resolve to protect my country is far stronger than anything that you could possibly possess.” The stallion digs in his hooves for the defense, his horn crackling with magic as he narrows his gaze at the Pegasus before him “Don’t you underestimate the resolve of a solder.”

“And don’t you underestimate me!” the cerulean Pegasus states as she rushes towards the captain of the guard her hooves poised to attack. Closing the gap in under a second the mare hits the stallion at full throttle as waves of power course across her frame. The ground ripples and fractures as the mare smiles in satisfaction from her strong left cross. Surely such a blow could rend mountains, yet standing completely unfazed protected by a dark purple shell the captain of the guard stands unfazed.

Dash’s mouth gapes open and closed for a moment as she ponders how her full force blow couldn’t even crack this stallion’s barrier. Stunned by the results of her attack, the rainbow maned mare barely notices in time as a larger purple bubble begins to take shape around her threatening to trap her. Placing all four of her hooves on the shield in front of her the mare flips off of the barrier trying to escape through the hole in the shield behind her. With not a second to spare the mare breaks through the single opening to the blue skies above as the mare breathes an immense sigh of relief staring down at the stallion beneath her.

“What….. the heck.” Dash states with no small deal of surprise. “That was my best attack! What are your shields unbreakable or something?”

Shining blinks in surprise as the mare’s statement hits a bull’s eye. “Actually yes. But you were wrong about one thing. It’s not a shield, it’s my stand”

extending his hoof the captain of the Guard manifests a single bubble in front of his eyes. “To create an unbreakable shield, a barrier that protects from every attack at every angle. An invincible defense that cannot be broken. That is the power of my Bastion. You may have an impressive attack, but against my defense you can do no harm.” Shining grins as he taps the bubble around him causing the bubble to let out a thumping sound. “After all sometimes the best offense is the good defense.”

“So what?” Dash cracks her hooves unwilling to accept defeat for even a second. “A good defense doesn’t make a good offense. Even if I can’t break through your shields I just have to wait for you to drop your shield so I can attack.” With trademark speed and precision the rainbow mare sprints around the barrier with rapid sharp movements as if goading the stallion into attacking.

“That’s’ only IF I drop my shield.” The stallion smiles as his shield ripples, causing several tinier bubbles, each the size of a basketball, to pop out of the shield encasing him. The stallion’s horn glows with magical power as his aura shrouds the individual bubbles each of them suspended in midair around the stallion. The stallion’s horn blazes with telekinetic energy as the individual bubbles rotate around his barrier like the sun and moon around the earth, their speed increasing as the stallion swings the shields at the flying prismatic mare. Yet the mare’s speed and reflexes are far too fast to be hit by the stallion’s circling spheres as she drifts around them, peppering the main shield with attacks from her own stand Valkyrie. the ground quakes from her assault, but once again Shining’s shields remain unfazed by Dash’s attack the mare backing off as Shining armor swings all of his projectiles at the mare like a flail as the bubbles smash into the ground with force.

“Not bad reflexes.” Shining comments as his projectile bubbles increase in size from about the size of a basketball to the size of a large exercise ball. “But how about we stop warming up now?”

With a flick of his horn the stallion sends all the bubbles soaring at the blue mare who weaves through his attacks with her natural flying precision. Directed by the stallion’s will the bubbles follow the mare around making up for their lack of speed with their ability to attack from Dash’s blind spots with their larger size. Shining grins as his Bastion slowly encloses around the mare her movements becoming even more forced as she is forced to dodge attacks from every angle at once, the captain of the guard increasing the frequency of his attacks as he presses his advantage.

Suddenly Dash ceases her rapid dodging hovering in midair. With a pained look she realizes that she has been boxed in, Shining armor’s spheres covering every angle around her that she could conceivably escape from. Shining savors the Dash’s shock as she realizes that she has nowhere to run. “Got you!” With a wave of his hoof all of his large spheres move in from every angle to attack the mare cutting off escape as the bubbles threaten to smash the mare to pieces with their size and force.

Yet just as all the bubbles enclose on the rainbow mare threatening to crush her, she spins around in a cyclone of prismatic color attacking every moving shield at once with a full force barrage.

“USSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!”

Spinning like a tornado the mare throws punch after punch kick after kick as she threatens to shatter the air itself with every explosive blow from her hooves. Yet this time the bubbles are blown back by the shockwaves from her hooves, the shields tossed aside by Dash’s superior barrage as the telekinetic aura controlling their movements begins to fall apart. Shining’s Telekinetic force surrounding the bubbles falls apart as they fall inert to the ground, All the ponies gaping at Dash’s superior display of physical strength and power.

“Ha I knew it!” Dash crosses her hooves confidently fluttering in midair “I knew your so called invincible bubbles weren’t so tough after all. Al I had to do was make a little wind with my Valkyrie and I just blew them all away.”

Dash fist pumps as she anticipates her victory “Defense is the best offense my flank! From where I’m hovering you can’t even touch….” The mare blinks as she realizes that the stallion is nowhere to be found. “Hey where did he go?”

“I’m right here.” With shock the cerulean Pegasus looks underneath her just in time to see the stallion purple bubble encase her in a dark purple sphere. Panicking at the fact that she has been caught, the mare quickly attacks the bubble only for it her best attacks to bounce off it like a fly against a pane of glass.

The stallion beneath her can’t help but chuckle at the mare’s humorous attempts to escape as he shakes his head condescendingly.  “That’s the weakness with fliers, it’s easy to knock them out of the air, and three hundred and sixty degree combat leaves a lot of room for blind spots. Which is why it’s textbook to attack directly underneath a pegasus where they can’t see you casting a spell.” Dash struggles even more against the barrier as she realizes with horror as the barrier is shrinking around her.

“You were right about one thing.” Shining admits “since no magic can pass through Bastion it severely limits my attack options.” The stallion states as the bubble shrinks around Dash even further.

“And I’ll give you credit where it is due, you are fast.” Dash presses her hooves against the wall of the shield as she struggles to keep the wall from closing in on her.

The stallion looks up at the mare watching as Rainbow Dash’s strength begins to give out. “But like I said you’re one hundred years too inexperienced to beat me. There’s a reason I’m Captain of the guard and I’d be lying if I said that it wasn’t in part of my stand power. Not even grade four teleportation can pass through it. Once you are encased in my Bastion there is no escape.”

The stallion claims as despite the Dash’s great resistance she is forced into the fetal position where the shield stops closing in completely immobilizing her. “In fact if I weren’t letting air in you’d be suffocating right about now or you would have been crushed to death due to the pressure. I never take a life needlessly or injure a pony when I don’t have to, unless they give me no choice.”

With a serious look on the stallion’s face he turns to address the rest of the five mares. “Now the rest of you stand down, this fight is over. Just hoof over the Corp…. I mean that large Red Stone and surrender Twilight to us and nopony else will have to be hurt.”

“Now you see here!” Fluttershy shouts as she readies her Stare against the contingent of guards. “Now you may be big and strong, but if you think just because you have a big fancy badge that you can take a pony away from her loved ones in the middle of the night. Well then you had better think again mister!”

“An if yawl think we’re just hoofin over the corpse so yawl can use it fer yer own benefit…” The country farmer straightens her hat as she digs her hooves into the ground. “….Then yawl got another thing commin.”

“Yeah No way we’re letting you put Twilight in a dark scary cell!” Pinkie readies her fists.

“I concur darling.” Rarity says as she readies her own stand “I may be a classy lady but I’m not one to sit back while a bunch of bullies badger my friends and rob them of their possessions like common thugs!”

The guards ready their weapons as the four mares step in front of Twilight in a clear statement of defiance. Both sides show absolutely no signs of backing down as they forces slowly begin to advance on the other. The guards ready their helms as the captain of the guard solemnly sighs at what their mission has brought them too. Yet even he readies himself as he prepares to fight, his eyes cold and steely as he too prepares for the inevitable clash. Yet Twilight’s friends are no less resolved, even Dash in her captured state levels a piercing gaze at the soldiers before them. Each of her friends surround the purple librarian as they prepare to fight to the death to defend their friend.

“Twilight.” Applejack whispers to the mare behind her. “We’ll hold them off, soon as the fighting gets startin then run back inta the everfree. Run for the palace of the two sisters an we’ll meet ya later. Just make sure ya get the corpse as far away as possible. Now get!”

Yet Twilight says nothing.

Twilight watches as a battle threatens to wage in front of her eyes clouding over as her mind struggles to process what she is seeing. In her mind’s eye she can see the future of the corpse unfolding as if with her waking eyes. As in a fever dream she can see hundreds of thousands of ponies raise banners in her name each one chanting for her as they march into battle against the might of the evil monarch of the sun. The two sides clash, each pony fighting screaming and dying all for the power and glory the corpse can offer her kingdom. She sees it with her waking eyes, the carnage, the bloodshed and the ruin that such a power can bring. And in a nightmarish vision of what the future can bring Twilight stares in horror at what the future holds, all her friends lying dead and blood spattered at her hooves as she alone holds the power of the Corpse. Canterlot stands sacked the palace despoiled as she alone sits on the throne of Equestria the cold dead husk of her mentor lying at her hooves. The mare visibly shudders as she snaps back to the present watching as her friends prepare to go toe to toe with an entire contingent of royal guards, all for the sake of the corpse.

“Stop it……” Twilight whispers as her friends ready their stands to fight their faces

“Please….. stop….. please….” Twilight watches in horror as the guards ready their spears and their own stands as they prepare for combat.

With burning hearts and a desire to fight both sides charge at each other, stands at the ready as they close the distance between each other in an all-out charge. The sound of their hooves echo like the drum beats to a dirge as they both prepare to fight to the death, for friend and for country.

“STTOOOOOOPPPPPPPPP!” The unicorn screams at the top of her lungs both sides ceasing as both sides stop their charge. Everypony turns towards the mare their bloodlust and desire for conflict dying as they look into the tear-filled eyes of the mare. “Please stop this! Please stop fighting!”

Twilight’s friends perhaps the most touched of all deactivate their stands as they look to the distraught purple mare; their resolve faltering in the face of their friend’s heartbroken appearance.

“But Twi!” Applejack says as she points her hoof towards the royal guards. “We can’t just hoof over somthin as powerful as that ta Celestia. We have ta fight if we want ta keep it from their hooves!”

“It may be worth fighting for.” Twilight admits hesitantly as she slowly rises to her hooves “But is it really worth dying over worth dying for?!” Twilight cries out, her voice filled with pain and sorrow.

Everypony stops. Everypony aged and young, big and small, mare and stallion puts aside their own preferences and skepticism to listen to the lavender mare. They all look on as the lavender mare tears speak to them as much as her words do. “What good is all the power in the world if it comes at the cost of the lives of those who you love?  What good is peace if it requires death? What good will hunting each other do now? How much more blood needs to be shed over this power?”

With heavy hooves the lavender mare picks the large body of the corpse off her back and with a casual throw hefts the corpse at the hooves of Shining Armor. “No more.” Twilight claims as she wipes the tears from her eyes. “I won’t let another pony suffer because of this power. I won’t let it cost me my friends, or my family.” Twilight leans down exposing her hooves to her brother, captain of the solar guard. “I surrender Shining. You win.”

In an instant all of Twilight’s friends rush around the lavender mare requesting that she stop, asking what she is thinking, and begging her to reconsider all at the same time. Yet despite her friend’s pleas and logic Twilight trots towards her brother with the certainty and resolve that awes her friends into silence. Frankly Twilight’s friends don’t know how she can trust her life and the Corpse to a minion of Celestia, even if he is her brother.  But in Twilight’s heart of hearts, despite the her own disagreements with Celestia’s methods, Twilight knows that her brother will always be on her side. She knows that no matter what he will always be her BBBFF and he will always be her family.

With a curt nod of his head Shining armor gives the order and a stand collar falls across Twilight’s neck blocking off not only her stand powers, but her magic as well. As the bindings fall across Twilight’s form Shining armor picks the corpse off the ground placing it carefully inside his Bastion, protecting both from itself and any pony that might try to claim it. Twilight’s friends watch on in fear and apprehension as they watch their friend be bound and taken away from them like a common criminal in front of their eyes. As if sensing the group’s angst at their own powerlessness Shining addresses them to calm their fears.

“Don’t worry she’s in safe hooves with me.” Shining assures with the authority only a truly noble pony can muster. Rising back up to his full stature the stallion gives a confident grin to the group, not the cocky full of themselves grin an arrogant noble might possess but the calm reassuring smile of a self-made stallion. “I know you are all worried. But I can Promise you that no harm will ever Befall Twilly as long as I draw breath. Of this you have my word.”

 “Captain Armor!” an orange Pegasus recruit snaps a sharp salute “What should we do about the others? They don’t appear to be a threat……..”

“HEY!” Dash yells from inside Shining’s barrier “I take offense to that!”

“…….But protocol states that they are accomplices to the accused. Do we take them in as well?” The guard asks as Shining Armor looks over the rest of the group.

Applying years of tactical experience and investigative knowledge the military stallion comes to a quick decision. “That won’t be necessary First Sergeant Flash.”

A decision that makes him few friends within his own unit. “Captain Armor I object!” Lightning dust lands to the side of her captain. “They tried to assault you, and were in the possession of some serious contraband. It’s obvious that they’re our enemy.”

“For once I agree with Sergeant Lightning.” An orange Pegasus male says trotting next to his superior officer. “It’s obvious that they know something they should be brought in for questioning as well. I know that they are friends of your sister Captain Shining, but we can’t leave a single possibility to chance.”

Shining armor gives the ponies in front of him another once over, looking at the imprisoned Dash and the rest of his sister’s Friends before waving his hoof dismissively. “No, I don’t think that I’m going to do that, Instead….” Shining gestures over to the blue showmare “They will all be released under the observation of Trixie Lulamoon, for their own safety and so that they won’t try anything ‘dangerous’.” Shining smiles as he turns to the blue showmare “Can I count on you to accomplish this task Trixie Lulamoon?”

The blue unicorn blinks in surprise for a single moment before snapping into a hasty salute “Sir. You are currently the highest ranking officer aside from Celestia herself. Would you ask Trixie to impale herself you could count on her to accomplish the task. I will insure these hayseeds are safe from harm, you can count on me to keep them in line sir!”

Shining rolls his eyes at Trixie’s over exuberance. “Yeah…. Just don’t go impaling yourself any time soon. That’s a lot of paperwork right there.” With reluctance Shining armor turns to the rest of Twilight’s friends and with a glow of magic Dash is freed from her prison landing safely on the ground. “There you have it Trixie will insure that you are safe and accounted for as well as insuring the fact that you will stay out of trouble.”

Dash rises shakily to her hooves as she takes in long deep draughts of fresh free air. “But-But Twilight….. We can’t let you have Twilight.”

“Please, don’t worry about me guys.” Twilight says sorrowfully, her face a mask of concern. “I’ll be fine and I Trust Shining Armor and if he says that he’ll clear me of these charges than I believe him. Just wait for me in the Library and fill in Trixie on what’s’ going on until I can clear this mess up.” The mare levels her gaze at the more impulsive members of the group “And I don’t want to hear any plans of breaking me out or endangering the lives of the solar guards. Are we clear?”

The rest of the group nods emphatically under the piercing gaze of Twilight sparkle, knowing just how fierce the mare can get and knowing that any disobedience will not be tolerated.

Shining armor snickers under his breath at how his little sister has bred fear into such an impulsive group of mares. Their job complete Shining gives an immense sigh of relief for the fact that they were able to complete their mission without major bloodshed. “Don’t worry about Twily.” Shining armor assures them once again. “This isn’t the first time that she’s gotten in trouble. We’ll keep her safe while we get to the bottom of this mess.”

Dash raises her voice eager to get in the last word. “Yeah I bet she’ll be real safe in a prison cell.”

Shining visibly bristles at the mention of putting his sister in a cell. “She’ll be out before you know it. Just sit tight and leave this to the guard. I promise you that this entire mess will be resolved in ten seconds flat.” Shining grins mockingly at the blue pegasus

Dash’s eyes widen “Wait a second….. how did you know that was……”

“Trixie’s reports.” Shining armor finishes.

“Then do you know about how when I got my stand and…..”

“Oh yeah.” Shining grins as he makes it abundantly clear the level of blackmail he has on the Pegasus, as well as what he could do with said information in just two words.

Rainbow dash gulps heavily at the implications of what the Royal guard has on her as Shining Armor motions to the group of guards. Responding as if by clockwork all of the soldiers line up in formation around the captain of the guard as he places his helmet curtly on his head. “The rest of you are all free to go. Trixie will insure that you get to the library safely.” Shining armor’s horn blazes with light as his teleportation spell begins to reach its zenith

“And stay safe.” The stallion states as if an afterthought. “There’s trouble in this town that I can’t place my hoof on.”

The light of Shining’s horn grows to magnificent proportions as the stallion encompasses the entire contingent of royal guards in a field of pulsing magic power.  Before any one of Twilight’s friends can protest, the entire group of Guards vanishes in a scale of teleportation that would be impossible for any normal unicorn as the six remaining mares shield their eyes from the brilliance of the light. In a moment Lightning dust, Zecora, Shining Armor, and their friend Twilight as well as the Corpse all disappear in a flash of light leaving all of the other ponies gaping at the empty spot where their friend once stood. Trixie left behind by her superior officer trots up to the rest of the group however she is unable to speak a syllable in light of the situation as she joins the rest of the group in staring at the empty spot on the field where Twilight once stood. Everypony wracks their respective brain. Each one questioning their actions and words. Each one wondering if this was really the best way, if there wasn’t another way to help their friend, to save the corpse, to do something other than just sit there watching as their friend was taken into custody.

They each wonder whether or not what they did was right as a beautiful sunset begins to fall across ponyville.

“So….” Pinkie asks the rest of her friends a look of deep concern on her face. “What do we all do now?”

…………….

“……..What you do now is you tell us everything that you know!” Lightning dust slams her hooves into the table as Twilight flinches from the impact. “The reports that got almost fifty of our men killed and caused fifteen of our best stand agents to wind up missing came from your little base of operations!” Lightning dust slams her hoof into the table again. “Not only that but you seem to have recruited some ‘bodyguards’ to help your little operation in these parts. Your actions have been suspicious from day one; even the princess can see that!”

For the past thirty minutes it had been like this for Twilight. The moment she had arrived in the police station where the royal guards had currently made their base of operations, she had been tossed in her bare smooth walled cell and had an anti-stand collar placed on her that suppressed her magic. The room was a combination interrogation chambers and bunking room with its bed locked against the wall and had a single table nailed to the floor that Lightning dust was in the process of reducing to scrap metal. The chairs were cold and uncomfortable, probably on purpose, making it difficult for Twilight to focus on the details of Lightning’s words.

Her brother’s assurances had been reassuring and she knew that at least she had friends working to get her out of this mess. Zecora was probably updating the princess on the status of the Corpse Twilight recovered from the Everfree, Trixie was taking care of her friends, and her brother if nopony else was probably working frantically to free her from her cell. And then there was Lightning Dust, who had been drilling her for any information that she could, egging her on to slip up and reveal the slightest hint of incriminating evidence. However Twilight if anything was used to pressure, all she had to do was keep her cool, answer any questions as simply and truthfully as possible.

“And I am telling you that I don’t know what you are talking about.” Twilight says calmly and confidently. Yet even she has to admit she is beginning to crack under Lightning Dust’s pressure. Calmly the unicorn composes herself as she waits for help to arrive. “Look I did receive some reports of stand users dispatched to several towns. But I never had access to that many files, and the files that I did receive never left my specially designed magical safe. They were perfectly secure.”

Lightning dust sneers as she throws a heavy file on the desk. “Well this file fresh from the princess’ desk says otherwise.  It says that you requested several highly classified files from several ‘questionables’, and the fact that you say your safe was so secure makes it even more likely that you’re the leak. So, If I were you, I’d work on a better story than ‘I don’t know’ or you’ll be up river without a paddle so fast you’ll be begging the princess to spare your traitorous hide by the time she arrives tonight.”

“Then the file is wrong.” Twilight states with certainty pushing the fact that the princess will arrive soon into the back of her mind. In her heart Twilight hopes that Celestia will arrive soon to bail her out of this mess, but on the other hoof that would mean confronting her knowing what she has been doing for the past one thousand years. ‘Keep cool Twilight, don’t think about Celestia, you just need to hold out a little longer’ Twilight thinks to herself.

Lightning Dust as if expecting Twilight’s response rolls her eyes. “Oh then excuse me I didn’t know that the immortal monarch of our land was prone to making mistakes of this magnitude. My apologies, I should have known that you were completely innocent and all this evidence is completely circumstantial. I’ll go get the keys so we can let you out of this nice little cell, and you can be on your merry way.”

Twilight sits unfazed by Dust’s nagging sarcasm. “You know that isn’t what I meant.”

Lightning slams her hooves into the table grabbing the unicorn’s collar. “Then cut the garbage and tell us what we want to know or so help me…….”

“Lieutenant Lightning!” A loud authoritative voice causes Lightning dust to drop the unicorn immediately. “That is enough! Stand down!”

‘And good old Shining Armor. Right on time.’ Twilight breathes a sigh of relief as her brother strides into the room an angry look on his face.

The mare snaps a sharp Salute “Captain Shining I was just…..”

“Dismissed sergeant.”

“Captain?” Lightning dust asks “But I was just about to….”

“I said DISMISSED.” The captain utters in a tone that brooks no argument.

The mare considers arguing for a moment, but only for a moment, as she scowls and gets out of her chair making her way out of the room. On her way out of the room Lightning dust leans in and whispers in her senior’s ear. “I don’t think she’s intentionally leaking information.” The mare whispers. “But she’s still hiding something. I’m going to check on her other friends, they might be connected with Melodia and be extracting the information from her with a stand power or other method.”

Shining takes a stern look at Lightning letting her know that her normal roughhousing behavior will not stand, before giving her an affirmative nod. A brief smile crosses Lightning’s face as she salutes and trots out of the room sparing Twilight one more cautionary glance.

The moment Lightning leaves the room shining breathe a sigh of relief very similar to his sister’s, as her props up the interrogator’s chair as he sits comfortably down in front of Twilight. “Sorry about that, I know that you’ve worked with Lightning before, but her behavior just now was out of control.” Shining looks at the two way mirror sadly. “We’ve lost a lot of good men to these gangsters and thugs, nowhere near our max number of guardsmen but it’s putting everypony on edge. But enough about me and my boring life.” Shining says as he turns to his sister. “Can I get you anything? Glass of water? Cushion? A good book perhaps?”

Twilight smiles, realizing her brother hasn’t changed a bit. “So…. Good cop routine?”

“No Twilight.” Shining armor states “Big Brother routine.”

“Oh….”

“You better believe ‘oh’ what were you thinking Twilly? Going into the Everfree forest alone? Forget these bogus allegations against you, that was stupid.”

Mustering all her little sister pouting abilities Twilight crosses her arms in feigned frustration. “I wasn’t alone, I had five very capable stand users going with me, besides some pony had to discover what was going on with the stran…… I mean what some pony was doing with the corpse.”

Shining shuffles in his seat uncomfortably. “The Corpse?” Shining feigns “What kind of corpse? Did you discover some application that the Red Stones in the Everfree? Is it some kind of ambient magic from the Everfree that’s affecting the Red stones?”

The lavender mare’s eyes widen suddenly as a look of comprehension crosses her face. A look that she quickly suppresses as she continues on as if nothing ever happened. “Oh yes, if you found that large piece of ‘Red Stone’ in the everfree. That’s why you were acting so surprised that you reacted strongly to me finding it.”

Shining shuffles even more in his seat rubbing the back of his neck. “Well you know, Red Stones are dangerous when not in the right hooves. I’m sorry that I overreacted like that; I didn’t mean to hurt your friend Dash either.”

“That’s fine Shiny, Dash is a little impulsive sometimes, let’s just continue talking about some other surprising things.”

“Really?” Shining plays coy “Like what little sis?”

“Welllllll……..it was very surprising to see you waiting for me the moment I came out of the forest, I mean you’re captain of the solar guard, and there are a thousand more important places you should be!” Twilight comments nonchalantly “However the most surprising thing I’ve found out lately would probably have to be Celestia’s Arcanum.”

As if the military’s stallion’s poker face couldn’t get any worse he begins to break out sweating. “Celestia’s Arcanum? Oh, you mean the circle she used on Nightmare Moon right?”

“No not that one shiny! I’m talking about the Other Arcanum!” Twilight smiles and nods. “I was really surprised to find out that even after it was blown to bits Celestia’s Arcanum had saturated into the corpse’s pieces giving them the power to displace harmful phenomenon. Though I shouldn’t be surprised since the corpse was used to perform that same magic for over a thousand years.” Twilight’s piercing gaze cuts through Shining Armor letting him know exactly how far his lies are getting him.

In Less than half a second he somber expression on Shining Armor’s face gives way to a brief chuckle, as he realizes that any chance he had of downplaying his sister’s suspicions has failed utterly. “Heh, I can’t put anything past you little sis. You could always read me like an open book.”

“So,” Twilight straightens in her chair as she tries to hide her own disappointment “You knew. And you didn’t tell me.”

“Your orders were to get the Red Stones and address any abnormal issues in Ponyville. As long as you kept yourself safe and out of harm's’ way you didn’t have to know.”

The unicorn looks up at her brother with a hurt expression in her eyes “Did you really think that I wouldn’t find out? Am I really such a baby that you had to hide something so important from me? Shining if you know me there is one thing I hate, and that’s being lied to.”

Shining sighs at his sister’s anger. “I know Twilly. And that’s why I’m coming clean now.” Shining smiles reassuringly as he materializes a cup of coffee for her; pushing it towards her with his hoof. “I know that I haven’t given you a lot of reason to trust me, but I’m on your side.”

Twilight looks from the cup of coffee (Canterlot Black, her favorite) and her brother sitting right in front of her and without a doubt Twilight knows that she can trust him. Taking a deep swig of the coffee the mare addresses the stallion in front of her. “All right then, first question, just how long have you known about the existence of the Corpse?”

“That’s probably the easiest Question that you’ve asked today.” Shining declares. “It was when I made Sergeant major, just after I had perfected my stand’s force field abilities. You were, let’s see fourteen at the time and I was I had finished my rising through the ranks when Celestia and a few Higher levels of the military let me in on the real reason our country was so prosperous. The knowledge of the corpse is known to all the ponies of Celestia’s inner circle: ponies sergeant or higher in the military, the Arch-Ministers of the magic Academy, any high ranked ponies in the RSD and a few ponies in sensitive government positions. At the time of our appointments we were all told the general idea that the Red Stone was used to bring prosperity to our country but at the cost of inflicting misery on others.”

Shining smiles as he tops off his sister’s coffee. “Then we were given the two options. Option one was have our memories wiped of this knowledge and keep our rank and status in whatever branch we were in. And option two was to take this knowledge to our graves and become part of Celestia’s inner circle of her most trusted ponies, using the power of the corpse to insure prosperity for our country.”

 “And?” Twilight asks her voice filled with skepticism. “How did you react to this knowledge? How did it make you feel when you found out?”

Shining rubs his fore hooves together staring down at his strong muscular arms. “Well to tell you the absolute truth Twilly, I felt the same way you probably feel right now. Betrayed, confused, surprised, you name it. It was way too much to take in. It still is.”

The stallion stops fiddling with his hooves as he tries to make sense of his own answer “I mean I had just been told that a dead body was responsible for upholding our country’s peace. And that this same body was stopping plagues and war by sending it in a package to whoever was outside our own country borders. And to top it off…….”

Twilight looks at her brother as she places her hoof on his own. “Shining. I’m sure all this is very interesting but you’re still not answering my question. You’re still not answering the question that I really need to hear Shining.”

The stallion smirks “And the million dollar question is?” Shining asks with his normal charm.

“Do you think it’s right?” Twilight asks sincerely, her voice both serious and tender at the same time. “Do you think that it’s fair to make others suffer so that we can live long happy lives?”

The stallion looks up from his hooves, a funny look on his face as if he was unable to tell his own mood. But in time it quickly gives way to an even funnier response, serious smile. “Yes, Yes Twilight. I believe what I’m doing is the right thing.”

If Twilight’s world could get any more chaotic she might have suspected that Discord came back from Tartarus just to mess with it. “WHAT?!” the mare sputters “How could….. why… could…….. How could you say that Shining?!”

“I never said that it was easy!” Shining armor shouts, stunning his sister.  “No pony could be responsible for taking a life and just brush it off like it was nothing!” Shining grips the table as if he were a stallion clinging to a life raft in a raging storm.  “But…..”

With the discipline instilled in him over years of combat experience Shining armor calms himself stealing his voice. “But I am a solder Twilight. And as a soldier I am more often than not required to inflict harm on others to protect the ponies, and the nation that I love. Even if it means that other ponies have to suffer for it.” The stallion turns to his sister frightening even her with big resolve. “I want you to know Twilight that this is not a decision that I made easily, but when Mom and Dad….. When they died I realized that ponies need someone or something watching over them.”

“Shining….” Twilight says as her eyes begin to tear up.

“It was how I got my cutie mark Twily.” Shining says with a resolute look on his face. “I’m not trying to hurt others, I’m just trying to do my duty and make sure the power of the corpse is used responsibly and not abused by the villains that I fight against every day.”

Shining brushes an errant tear from his sister’s eyes “And believe me Twilight I don’t ever believe it is right to hurt others under any circumstance. But in order to protect the ponies that you love sometimes you have to make sacrifices. And if it meant someone else getting hurt so that my little sister could grow up……” Shining rubs the top of her mane with brotherly affection “…..then I’ll fight for you any time.”

Twilight looks up at the stallion she most respects in her life, her admiration for Shining Armor just short of princess Celestia herself. In her heart she wants to believe what her brother is saying is the right thing, and she does. Protecting the ones you love is part of being a pony, of being any living creature, but what happens when these living creatures have to fight and kill each other for their own happiness?

“If that was the case…..” Twilight states, her courage driving out her fear and giving weight to her words. “…..If peace had to come at the cost of the lives of innocent ponies, then I wouldn’t want it. If I were in your hooves Shining I would fight for a world where ponies wouldn’t have to sacrifice each other. That’s my wish.”

In the time it takes to blink, Shining Armor entire argument is matched by a single sentence. A single sentence spoken by his little sister had floored Shining Armor’s entire well-thought-out argument that he had honed over his entire life. Part of the stallion wanted only to reject such a simple answer and go back to his life of duty and protecting others at a cost. However the larger part of him could only smile at how grown up his sister had become.

“Well then, maybe you can make that kind of world a reality Twily.” Shining grins back. “But if you were to try it you’d have to beat me, and believe me Twilight I’m no push over.” Shining bends his bicep “I’m strong like a bull, immovable as the mountain, I’m not going to help you with your crazy quest just cause you ask. Besides Celestia would be pretty upset if I let you take the Corpse for yourself on the grounds that ‘you’re my sister’.”

Twilight chuckles at Shining’s’ comic display, no doubt an attempt to cut the tension in the room and relieve the distraught mare. However something Shining says does give the mare pause. “And how does Celestia feel about this…. This, corpse usage?” Twilight asks tentatively “I still care about her Shining, but…..”

Shining grins as he leaps from his chair. “Then when she gets here tonight you and her will have lot to talk about.” Shining gives his sister a genuine and encouraging smile “You just sit here like a good little filly and let your big brother handle this mess. I promise Twilly it’ll all work out, just sit tight for a bit.”

“I will BBBFF. Just hurry up will you?” Twilight smiles back “You weren’t exactly known for your speed, and you have put on a little weight.”

Shining opens the door to leave giving her one last smile as he turns back to face her “Hey I’m still in as good as shape as I ever was. I’ve just had to battle more paperwork than dragons lately.”

Both siblings give each other a small wave as the door closes behind shining armor. Twilight ceases her waving as she realizes she is once again alone, only the two way mirror for company. Yet despite her situation the mare can’t help but be optimistic about her future. “Shining Armor, why you always have to have the last word?”

Looking over to her now opened cot the mare is surprised to find a thick tome Laying on top of the bedding ‘Indiana Colt and the Chamber of One thousand Snakes’ to be exact. The mare squees at the appearance of the book and without wasting another second she jumps on top of her bed snuggling into the covers of the prison cot as she reads the first page of a sequel she has been waiting for. “He he, Shining Armor you really are the best big brother best friend forever……”

Her big brother Shining watches with joy as he watches his sister snuggle in with a good book on the bed all her troubles forgotten, lost in a world of literature. The stallion smiles at how such a simple gift could make her so happy. True it had been a pretty big favor to get the book early, but the look on her face when she saw that he left it for her had been priceless. Brushing a single tear of joy from his eye the stallion tears himself from the heartwarming view before him as his gaze narrows to one of resolve.

“Now all that’s left is to get her out of there.” Shining states to himself as he trots over to his temporary offices just down the hall.

The door opens to the room inside as he finds Zecora already going through several different files at once looking for any signs and contradiction. “Shining Armor! Is Twilight holding up well?”

The stallion pulls up a chair “As well as could be hoped Zecora, she knows everything.”

The Zebra stops with a single file dropping from her mouth as she gapes at the stallion. ‘Everything? What do you mean by everything?”

Shining looks up at the Zebra with a look of annoyance on his face “I mean everything Zecora, the Corpse, Celestia’s Arcanum, one thousand years of peace. Everything.”

The stallion begins to look through the paperwork completely oblivious to the Zebra’s gaping mouth. “E-Everything? But how? Twilight is more intelligent than any mare I have ever met I shall admit. But how ever could she found out about the ‘IT’?”

“Twilight is smart.” Shining states as he flips through more of his paperwork “Other than that I have no idea. But that doesn’t matter now. Now we just have to get Twilight out of there and find the real traitor.”

Shining looks up from his paperwork at the Zecora. “Speaking of witch, when will Celestia arrive? I’ve placed my Bastion around the Corpse so it’s not going anywhere, but I’d still like to know when she’s going to arrive. With Nightmare Moon still on the lose I don’t’ want to take any chances.”

Zecora coughs as she readjusts her mood. “I sent Flash Sentry to deliver the news personally since Scrying at the palace seems to be out.”

“Again?” Shining asks as he slams his hooves against the papers on the desk. “That’s the third time this week, ever since this whole mess started communications have been unreliable.”

“That is precisely why I sent a runner.” Zecora nods “True scrying is faster however if there is any chance of our message getting out it is better to be safer.” With a cautious glance the mare looks over across the glass door out into the hall. “Until we find this traitor no news is reliable. And given the size of the corpse that Twilight has recovered it is far better to make it as safe as possible. Should news of a corpse fragment this large escape, then I shudder to think of the danger that we shall be in.”

Shining stops looking through the papers as his head lowers in worry. “Yeah I know Zecora. But right now I’m more worried about Twilight. Twilight may have hid the corpse fragments from Celestia but I think it was because of her curiosity, not negligence. It’s not right to hold her like this on these bogus charges, can’t Celestia see that?”

Zecora places her hoof on the stallion’s shoulder “I know. But that is not the work of her, but this Traitor. This ruse is a petty attempt to draw attention away from himself and It means that we are close to finding this coward. I only hope that we are on the right path and that Celestia will arrive as soon as she can.”

“Don’t worry Zecora, we’re doing the right thing.” Shining gives his assurances “No matter what they may say protecting ponies is always worth our efforts and time. Twilight is innocent and soon everypony will see it that way.”

With a deep sigh the zebra rises from her chair as she trots over towards the door. “You seem to have these reports in hoof, greater progress will be made if we divide our work. I shall check Twilight’s reports for discrepancies with the falsified reports as well as her alibis for times that these reports have been sent. Hopefully that should prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Twilight is innocent.”

“Good idea Zecora you stick with that. I had a copy of Twilight’s reports brought to the lower offices just in case.” The stallion taps his hooves to the multitude of files on the table. “Meanwhile I’ll stick with these false reports maybe I’ll be able to find out who this traitor really is.”

With a curt nod and a friendly smile Zecora leaves her friend to his troubles as the stallion stares at the mass of papers before him. “I only hope that Trixie is having better luck handling Twilight’s Friends, than I am with fishing out this leak………” The stallion remarks as he looks out the window at the Golden Oaks library in the distance.

…………….

WACK

The showmare falls to the ground from Rainbow’s sudden Punch her hat flying off her head from the force of the blow.

“Okay, The Great and Powerful Trixie Probably deserved that…..” Trixie says as she slowly rises to her hooves.

“No that was just to make me feel better. “Dash states as she picks up Trixie by her cape for another punch “This if for betraying us.”

WHAM

This time Rainbow’s bow is stopped by Trixie’s quickly manifested stand which parries Dash’s blow with its’ hardened elbow. “Enough of this, Trixie grows bored of being a punching bag.” With two deft punches the showmare sends the Pegasus sprawling to the ground smiling as Dash tries to pick herself up again.

“I just hit you once you arrogant jerk!” Dash exclaims as she rises to her hooves “Unless you really would like me to turn you into a punching bag!”

Trixie readies her stand it’s cape bristling in the aether. “Bring it on, you windbag.”

The two mares stand in the confines of the library all their friends watching on as Trixie and Rainbow Dash prepare to once again duke it out. However this time the fight between Dash and yet another fight is cut off by Fluttershy waking between the two of them “Both of you just stop it! We’re friends we shouldn’t be fighting like this. Violence won’t solve anything so the two of you just stop and talk things out like normal ponies before I have to use my Stare.”

Trixie and Dash glare at each other for a few more seconds before giving into Fluttershy’s pleading demands. Trixie quickly reverting back to her smug persona “in case you forgot….” Trixie reminds the Cerulean Pegasus “It was not Trixie’s reports to the princess that got her arrested. It was the falsified reports that accused her of revealing her knowledge of key troop locations and hoofing off red and strange stones to a third party.”

Trixie takes a step towards the Pegasus to make her point causing Dash to fall on her rump. “Your anger would only get Twilight in more trouble, it wouldn’t help her in the slightest! Trixie’s decision to come clean and allow Twilight to go with her brother will insure that she is cleared of these audacious charges.”

Trixie laughs “Or did you forget were it not for Trixie that you would be locked up in a cell with her instead of under house arrest?”

Dash jumps to her hooves defensively. “So what? You still lied to us and blabbed to everypony that would listen about our most intimate secrets! What, was your loyalty to Twilight and the rest of us so weak that you would sell us out at the first sign of trouble?” Dash spits off to the side “Some friend you are……”

“In case you forgot Dashie.” Trixie says mockingly. “It’s Trixie’s job to send reports to the princess. And if you were hiding something from her, like say the existence of the Corpse fragments, then it’s Trixie’s job to report it.”

The showmare lights her horn as she picks her hat off the floor placing it squarely on her head. “She is not here to be your friend. And her loyalty to the princess is greater than any loyalty she has to a hayseed like you.”

Rainbow is about to counter her argument when she is stopped by Applejack placing a hoof on her shoulder. “That’s enough Rainbow ah think that ya made yer point. But in case ya fergot. We still need ta tell her about the Corpse and all that stuff we went through in the everfree.” Applejack looks over to the showmare. “Trixie seems ta know all bout government pro-ced-ures, and all that stuff so maybe she’d be able to help us clear Twi.”

Dash looks back and forth between Applejack and Trixie. On one hoof, she would probably rather eat dirt that work together with Trixie at this point. However on the other hoof Twilight was in trouble and if there was a chance that this mare could help her……. Dash sighs “Alright Trixie, do you have any ideas on how to clear Twilight?” Dash asks “cause you see Celestia was keeping this big secret! See the Strange stones that we were collecting are actually part of this government conspiracy. So do you know if we can, like sue Celestia or something? You know, like when that hack of an author J.K. Yearling tried to rip off Indiana Colt?”

Trixie’s eyes narrow at the Pegasus her patience stretched thin by the pegasus’ grating behavior. “Explain.”

“Well you see….” Dash rubs the back of her head “How do I put this. Well Celestia used this Red stone of Aja to make Equestria all happy and all that, but it was secretly making other ponies miserable and which was really not cool. So when the Red stone exploded and everything, the pieces in the middle of the stone that allowed the stone to do that rained down across Equestria along with the red stones.” Dash takes a deep breath drawing in the air needed for the rest of her rant. “And the reason that these strange stones could grant wishes and everything is because they were actually…….”

“….. pieces of the Holy Corpse, Trixie knows.” Trixie finishes with utter seriousness. “You forget Trixie is a Stand Agent, a secret agent that answers directly to the crown. Of course she would know about the existence of the Holy Corpse.”

“WHAT?!” Dash yells “So you knew about the corpse all this time? And you didn’t tell us?”

Trixie nods “True Trixie did not know the details of the Corpse’s power, such that it causes other ponies not in Equestria to suffer….. She was only told that it was key to Equestria’s security when she was inducted as a Stand Agent.”

Trixie tells the truth with a degree of caution. “However that does not change her mission or the Corpse’s importance to Equestria. Without the Corpse’s power Equestria would fall into ruin, its existence is tantamount to the safety of this country. Therefore even if it did cause others to suffer Trixie would still use it in the same way that Celestia has used it.”

“Trixie….” Fluttershy says as small tears begin to drip down her muzzle. “How could you….”

“What?” Trixie asks oblivious to Fluttershy’s and the rest of the group’s previous conversations on this topic. “How could I support using a power that kills others? It’s called survival of the fittest Fluttershy. If it came down to it any other nation would use a power like that like a weapon and probably kill billions for the heck of it. Celestia has used its power to give all of ponykind a future. Pony kind exists in the form it is in because of the Corpse, we survive because we possess something our neighbors do not. “ Trixie narrow her gaze on the Pegasus “Or do you think it’s wrong for ponies to live a long happy life?”

Fluttershy shakes her head “No, not just that…. Trixie how could you lie to us like that…..”

Trixie looks at the saddened expression of Fluttershy and sighs heavily as if the burden of telling an excited filly that Santa hooves isn’t real. “Fluttershy, I Trixie Lulamoon, am a spy, I lie to everypony save my superiors. And to top it off I am a showmare, I make two livings off deceiving others, it is part of my job to lie.”

Trixie looks down at her hooves in shame. “I wish I could tell you that I regret lying to you and reporting your movements to Celestia. But I do not. I do what I do so that ponies like you can live in peace. I make the hard decisions that normal ponies can’t so that you live long happy lives.” Trixie states as she straightens her hat “So no, Trixie does not regret lying to you, nor does she think that the use of the Corpse’s power to insure Equestrian’s prosperity is ‘unjust’. The ends justify the means Fluttershy, so if Trixie can accomplish her mission by lying to you or if Celestia can bring peace by causing suffering then so be it.”

The group goes completely quiet from Trixie’s statements as the Blue mare proudly raises her chin confident that she has won over the rest of the group with her eloquent words and diction. Trixie is so engrossed in her own apparent success that she is unable to notice the disappointed looks on every pony’s faces as they are forced to stare at the pompous showmare before them.

“Well.” Dash says rising to her hooves “I don’t’ know about you guys, but I’m out.” Dash says as she walks over to the library’s well-worn door.

Just as Rainbow Dash throws open the library door to leave, Trixie finally is able to respond “W-Wait a second you hayseed! You are under Trixie’s government mandated protection. If you leave house arrest, Trixie will be in serious trouble. You can’t just leave me…….”

Stopping with a single hoof out of the door Rainbow turns her head and looks the showmare in the eyes. “Well then, sucks to be you…..” with a single majestic flap of her wings the prismatic mare rockets into the sky leaving only a thin prismatic trail as proof that she was there.

“Well, ah really don’t want ta get ol Trixie here in Trouble…” Applejack says sarcastically. “But I figure after she just lied to us an reported all our little actions ta the police, I figure that ah need ta get some shut eye in mah own bed and eat dinner with mah family.” Adjusting her Stetson on her head the orange farm mare walks out the door.

And straight into another pony, causing both of them to fall to the ground. Rubbing her head Applejack looks on at the pony before her who has already rising to his hooves and is apologizing profusely.

“OH! I’m so sorry!” The bulky earth pony stallion quickly bows to the ground, brushing his dark brown mane out of his eyes as he apologizes profusely. The stallions’ cutie mark, one of three blue horseshoes contrasts well with his light brown, almost caramel colored coat and gives him the impression of a young hardworking stallion. Yet despite the stallion’s size being only slightly smaller than Big Mac’s the stallion’s gaze was one of disconcerting appearance, seemingly staring straight through the mare’s mannerisms.

Before Applejack can even respond, the light brown earth pony stallion brushes the mare’s coat free from dust. “But I was in the neighborhood and I saw that this is a library so I was wondering if I could borrow a….” The smooth talking stallion’s attempt to get into the library is stopped by Applejacks’ sturdy hoof.

“Library’s closed.” Applejack states with a sense of finality that stops the stallion dead in his tracks.

“Oh my mistake then!” the stallion bows politely. “Well then if the library isn’t open I really need to leave! Excuse me.” And just as quickly as he appeared the stallion disappears running off into the distance with a level of speed one would not expect from a stallion with as much bulk as he possesses.

“That was weird.” Applejack says scratching her hoof. “Anyways Trixie, Yawl need ta adjust yer bad attitude, Twi may have said ta fill ya in and all that. And that fella shining Armor may seem like a good pony even though he had ta take Twi in.” The farmer looks at the blue showmare with utter contempt in her eyes. “But what ya did, and the fact that ya don’t feel sorry fer it means that there somthin real wrong with ya.”

Applejack tips her hat in a polite goodbye as she trots away leaving the library even emptier than before. As Trixie mouth begins to gape at the accusations that the farmer leveled against her as she struggles to come up with a counter argument for a pony that isn’t there.

Fluttershy dries her eyes and having gained resolve after watching two of the most resolute ponies that she knows, she rises to her hooves and begins to make for the door. The delicate yellow mare wipes the last remnants of the tears from her muzzle as trots gently out of the door. “I-I’m leaving too. I need to prepare for my veterinarian job in the morning…. So if you will excuse me….”

Trixie reaches out as if to hold the mare back desperate to keep the yellow mare from leaving. “Fluttershy! Trixie does not permit you to leave!“

The butter yellow mare turns around to face the blue showmare as a final sorrowful tear falls from her face. “Goodbye Trixie Lulamoon….. and farewell……” The yellow mare leaps into the sky flying away from the library as the blue mare is left alone.

An awkward silence fills the library as Trixie’s eyes water, a deep depression falling over the showmare as she watches powerlessly as Fluttershy vanishes out into the distance. A depression that quickly turns to anger at the irritating sound of a mare tapping her hooves together.

Turning around the showmare confront the offending sound with all of her anger “WHAT?! Who dares disturb the great and distraught Trixie?!”

Rarity taps her hooves nervously together. “Well if it isn’t so much trouble Darling. I left my best work just lying around in my boutique waiting to be finished.” The ivory mare turns her nose from the showmare in feigned indifference. “And even I have to admit that your actions in monitoring Twilight and the rest of us warrant a slightly more appropriate punishment. I think letting us leave would go a bit of a ways towards making up for your atrocious behavior.”

“Yeah Trixie!” Pinkie shouts “I mean we’re all still your friends and everything. I mean at least I’m still your friend. And definitely Twilight since she still seems to trust you for some reason, and maybe Fluttershy too. But that’s beside the point how many friends you have now because spying on others is super wrong! I mean you were Living at Twilight’s place this whole time you were spying on her! I bet you were watching her every movement, when she was eating breakfast, when she was reading a book, when she was alone in bed and thought no pony was watching her! I mean I know you’re like a super spy but even I’d have to draw the line at….”

“The Great and Powerful Trixie wasn’t spying on all of you all the time!” Trixie exclaims as a slight blush of embarrassment crosses her muzzle. “That would be far too creepy for a mare of class like Trixie. Trixie was only following her orders to spy on Twilight and keep you from discovering the truth about the stones and reporting your actions to…. Mmmupttt.”

Pinkie places her hoof over the show mare’s mouth. “……But you really need to apologize and say that you are really sorry for spying on us, cause Dash and Applejack and the rest of us are really big on trust. Cause if you can’t trust what your friends say than they’re not really your friends right?” Pinkie asks with her best cute and pleading eyes. “After all the surest way to lose a friend is to lose their trust. So if you want us to be good friends then you have to earn some trust.”

Trixie is stopped by Pinkie’s pleas for a second as she looks at the pink mare and think about the ponies that she has met in her time in Ponyville, as well as the effects her actions have had on them. For a moment Trixie actually begins to question her place in the world, and what her job and her actions are really costing her. Suddenly the memory of the bandaged stand returns to the forefront of her mind and it all becomes clear. ‘I’m not doing this for friendship, I’m doing this for Justice!’ Trixie reprimands herself  ‘I’m doing what I do so that what happened to me doesn’t happen to others. I am called to a higher cause, And if they can’t understand that, then they are no friends of mine!’

In an instant her anger returns as rips Pinkie’s hoof off of her mouth, her anger beginning to fume up again. “Well fine!” Trixie yells “If you don’t care if Trixie gets in trouble and don’t respect my position enough to stay then…. Then….. Then Trixie is leaving too!” With a huff of anger the blue mare puts her hat and without another word she barges out of the door leaving the other two mares reeling in the wake of Trixie’s response.

Though the showmare put on a truly marvelous show of anger, fooling even a large part of herself, if one were to watch the mare storming out of the library muttering curses under her breath they might be able to make out the small pitter patter of tears dripping down the mare’s face as she runs off into the distance completely alone.

………………………

Darkness has fallen across Ponyville, the beautiful sunset having given way to night over the course of Twilights’ return. Yet Shining Armor was dead right about one thing, in the dark of the night trouble that one could not place a hoof on stirred like a festering wound, seeking to accomplish it’s dark ambitions.

In the darkness of the night a dark cloaked figure wrapped in a black shroud trots down the obscured street it’s presence unnoticed to the entire world. Blending into the shadows as well as a wraith the cloaked figure comes across a small inn on the outskirts of town with a silent gait. Glancing only once at the sign in the window to confirm that he has reached the right abode the figure trots towards a well-kept but quiet inn with the demeanor of a predator. Reaching the door the figure places its ear against the grain for a few seconds listening for anything out of the ordinary before trotting into the light of the building. Careful to make sure that his cloak obscures its appearance and that the light of the room does not cut through the specially made cloak, the figure spies the inn around him. The small entryway and open desk accentuate the large roaring fireplace in the middle of the room and the cute mare watching the flames.

Sitting at the front desk is a tan manned yellow earth pony with the cutie mark of a dark blue bed and a rising sun behind it tapping her hooves on the desk impatiently. Content that there are no major signs of danger the figure allows the door to close cutting of his exit as he walks up to the desk. As the doorbell on the front door rings the mare immediately snaps to attention as she looks at the cloaked figure before her. “Welcome to the Pony’s Haven stranger! My name is Early Riser! Are you looking for a room? Cause we’ve got a lot of those here seeing as this here inn’s almost empty right now! All our regulars sales ponies are out travelin so we’ve got plenty of soft warm beds! Da ya need anything?”

Ignoring the peppy pony in front of him the cloaked figure cautiously scans the empty foyer, its ears listening to the slightest sounds to be made. “Is there nopony else here?” the dark figure asks.

“Welllllllllllll.” The mare taps her chin cutely “It has been a slow night here in Ponyville, there were a lot of guards that arrived earlier today. But they’re all staying at the Law enforcement center, they have a barracks there doncha know! I mean my inn’s good but you can’t beat free! But that means we’ve got lots of rooms for tired travelers like yourself since there’s nopony else here today! In fact I could even give ya a special if you are staying for more than a week!”

The cloaked figure throws a bag of bits on the counter causing the mare’s eyes to widen. “I was told.” The dark figure places its hooves on the counter “That there would be a pony waiting for me in room seven of this hotel. Would I assume that statement is correct?”

The filly takes one look at the bag of bit before sweeping it under the table “Oh so you’re that pony. Well then head on up! I’m not one to judge if you want a little ‘private time’ with your special somepony away from prying eyes! Don’t worry I have good earplugs so I won’t hear a thing! You go on ahead and have a good night and if there’s anything you need don’t hesitate to ask!”

The cloaked figure shudders in rage at the oblivious tan manned mare’s accusations as it looks up the curling stairs that lead to the upper levels of the inn. “Very well I’ll be on my way. In fact…” the cloaked figure states as if an afterthought “I do have a request; that is if you don’t mind.”

The mare smiles cheerily.  “Anything sir you just name it! Extra pillows? A room with a view? Anything except alcohol, this isn’t a pub after all. In fact that’s probably why ponies don’t come here as often as they should. Maybe I should consider getting a bartender’s license.”

“If it wouldn’t be too much trouble…” The cloaked figure states “I would very much like you to hang yourself.”

“All right then! Will that be….. um I’m sorry sir did you say….”

“Hang yourself.” The cloaked figure states with a tone of annoyance. “I wouldn’t’ want anypony to know that I was having this little meeting now would I? And since you were so nice to offer me anything I desired I would be a fool not to take you up on your offer.” The dark figure extends its hoof towards the now frightened mare “I should also like my bits back.”

The mare in front of the cloaked figure blinks as her eyes widen in terror. For a moment it looks as though she is torn between screaming, running for her life and punching the figure in front of her with all her might. However after a few tense seconds the mare extends her hoof under her table and hoofs the bag of bits back to the figure. “Well sure thing there. If yawl want your bits back ya can have them. now about that hanging what should I use for it? Do you want me to get a rope from the store or try and find one around here or…..”

“Just use a bed sheet. I don’t really care.” The figure states as he places the bits back in his cloak.

“Bed sheet it is!” the yellow mare chuckles as she reaches under the front desk for a long and strong blanket. As if unable to believe her own body is obeying such a terrible command her hooves shake furiously as the mare twist the long blanket into an improvised but solid rope.

“That’s good just make keep it quiet and make sure you don’t make any unnecessary noise.” The dark figure states as he begins to trot up the stairs. “One more thing, destroy the guest registry before you off yourself. We wouldn’t want anypony to know that my friend was here now would we?”

“No we wouldn’t!” The mare cheerily admits as she ties the nose with her hooves her face dripping with tears as she tightens the end of the makeshift rope to a key hook beside her desk.

“Very good my dear you follow orders well, just don’t forget to smile on your way out, we wouldn’t want you to go out sobbing like that.” The hooded figure trots up the stairs as nonchalantly as a pony would if they were taking a walk, uncaring of the mares’ obvious suffering.

“O-Okay, W-Whatever you s-s-say mister…..” The mare states as she throws the large book in the fireplace her face streaming tears as her body refuses to obey her. The dark cloaked figure lets out a soft and terrible smile as it watches the mare’s plight from the banister at the top of the stairs.  The mare sobs to herself as she ties the noose around her neck doubtless crying out in her own mind for any pony to help her.

Yet the cloaked figure is not there to help her, it came to this inn with a purpose and so it trots up the final few steps to the rooms above uncaring of Early Riser’s last seconds of life. Trotting past room five and six the figure reaches door seven just as a sharp cracking sound fills the inn giving way to an evil silence that signifies something being horribly wrong.

Slowly the silence of the building is forgotten as the dark cloaked figure slowly smiles, his face the picture of contentment and happiness one might have after crushing a cockroach or killing a diseased animal. With a small chuckle the figure opens the door to the room, closing the door behind him as the room is encased in darkness. The cloaked figure’s eyes pry the room for any sign of the pony he is meeting its dark eyes searching for any sign of life as it takes in the Spartan arrangements of the room. Bed, Wardrobe, table and lamp are all that fill the room and those are only visible due to the light of the moonlight streaming into the room from the only window.

The figure sighs as it turns over to the corner “Are you always this paranoid that you have to hide in dark corners whenever somepony enters the room?”

From the darkness of the furthest corner of the room a pair of beady green eyes opens gazing upon the cloaked figure with unmeasurable malevolence. “Considering what has brought us here, being cautious is of the utmost importance.” The dark grating voice of the figure states “Though I am glad to see that you have arrived. Given your reputation I had suspected you might be foolish enough to try and betray me and that this was all an elaborate trap.”

The cloaked figure chuckles darkly “If I wanted to kill you you’d already be dead. Besides I have no intentions of ending your existence. Are we not allies? Have I not given you all the information that was necessary for you to recover fragments of the Corpse?”

The dark figure in the corner narrows his gaze on the cloaked one. “I admit though your help has been... appreciated. Yet you yourself are quite untrustworthy, your motivations, your true stand power, all a mystery to me your most trusted ally.” The figure with glowing green eyes leans out of his dark corner to come muzzle to muzzle with his partner in crime “Tell me… why would you of all creatures would betray your country and its’ ponies? Wealth? Power? Or do you just like seeing the world burn down around you?”

“That.” The cloaked figure states with no small amount of venom in its voice. “Is none of your business.”

The figure narrows his gaze at the cloaked figure before him gauging his reactions as if a lion would gauge the strength of his prey. “So be it.” The dark figure backs off from the cloaked one “you want to talk about business? Let us talk business.”

“Very well.” The cloaked figure states coldly “let us convene, I have precious little time before those fools recognize my absence and I would prefer to keep this meeting as quick as possible.”

The dark figure with green eyes leans against the wall unwilling to relax even the slightest amount in front of the cloaked figure before him. “On to our plan then. We both know why we are here, to claim the Corpse and tie up some ‘loose ends’.”

The stallion in the corner comments “However due to your….” The pony clears his throat “….position, you cannot blow your cover and must rely on my superior strength to recover the corpse so that you might escape blame. I escape with the corpse, Twilight and her friends take the fall for its disappearance, and the evidence insures that she is hung as a Traitor, everypony wins.”

“NO.” The voice booms. “No more half measures or loose ends. The Royal guards, the pesky stand users, but most importantly, Twilight Sparkle, put them all to the sword.” The cloaked figure states with a tone of ultimate finality “Everything that happens tonight must be pinned on Twilight Sparkle’s dead body. She must die a traitor to her country so that I might operate freely once more.”

The cloaked figure looks out the window as the moon parts through the clouds in the horizon. “Still I cannot believe that Twilight would hoof over the corpse so easily. The fool.” the dark cloaked figure growls “Giving up the infinite power of the corpse all because she was afraid of a little bloodshed, she herself has proven that she is unworthy of its infinite power. How ironic that because of her pathetic attempts to avoid conflict that she has orchestrated the deaths of all of the ponies in this town.”

“All of them?” the dark figure in the corner asks skeptically.

“ALL of them.” The cloaked figure confirms “Any pony that knows anything significant about the Red stones or the Corpse must be dead by night’s end.” Reaching into the dark folds of his cloak the figure throws a paper scroll at the hooves of the stallion in the corner. “All the names, locations and stand powers of everypony in town are here on the list. I trust you can swat a few files without failure?”

The dark figure in the corner scoffs as he stuffs the scroll into the folds of his dark billowing mass. “You underestimate my power?”

“I underestimate your competency and your resolve. Were it not for my false information Celestia would be here by now and the corpse beyond our reach.” The hooded figure chuckles. “Given my ‘skills’ it was a simple matter to send a false report luring her to a trap I placed in the deepest catacombs of the crystal mines. If all goes as planned the monarch of the sun will be dead before she has a chance to raise her precious sun.”

The darkness surges as a deep red light illuminates from horn of the figure revealing his beady glowing eyes and purple misty eyes. “I thought we agreed Celestia was mine!”

Undaunted by the figure in the corner’s sudden rage the dark cloaked figure continues. “And upon delivering the corpse to the preselected location her bloody corpse will be yours in exchange for hoofing the corpse over to me. You wanted her dead; don’t fret on the details of my plans, while yours remain unaccomplished.” The dark hooded figure snaps. “Celestia is out of the way and communications and reinforcements have been cut off from this town. All that remains is for you to recover the corpse and eliminate the ‘completion’. If you can even call the trash that populates this town that.”

The glow from the horn of the figure in the darkness dies down as the figure smiles with vampiric teeth. “Taken care of. I already have two of my best ranking stand users in this town, their talents are…… unique…… they will be useful in helping me eliminate my foes and recover the Holy Corpse’s power.”

“You mean OUR foes.” The hooded figure corrects. “Were it not for my information you would not have known that Celestia had lost her possession of the Corpse. In addition had I not revealed the movements of the army to you would have never acquired as many of the Corpse fragments as you did. For all your muscle and talk you are nothing but a powered thug, it is only thanks to me that this operation is possible.”

The room grows quiet only the sound or rusty pipes and flowing water filling the room. Coming out from the darkness of the corner a voice speaks. “Your information has been beneficial to me, Traitor. And as we both share an enemy in Celestia and a desire for the corpse I have consented to working with you.”

 In a single moment far too fast for an eye to perceive in the darkness of the room around them a grey hoof grabs the cloaked pony by the throat. “But do not dare to presume to be my better. And do not dare underestimate my power. What I do is not for your benefit, I am not one of your tools that is to be used for your own ends. And the moment that you betray me you will most certainly die…….”

Reaching out from the shadows a dark stand of heart chilling appearance takes form from its user’s twisted psyche. Adorned in the most desiccated roll of bandages that one could imagine that stretch from hoof to head the Stand appears to be the victim of agonizing torture that could never be spoken of. The rusted black nails sticking out of its body and blood stained bandages only one part of a frightening whole. In addition to the jagged nails several spikes of what looks to be red crystal seem to have sprouted from the stand’s hooves and back forming serrated spines that glint in the moonlight. And bringing the rest of the picture together is a red crystalline mask, devoid of any features save the fact that it is divided into two parts. This gap between the upper half of the mask which hides the face and the lower one which protects the jaw, allows room to showcase the stand’s impressive and sharpened set of teeth as well as its several serpentine tongues. The crystal Red mask reflects the moonlight from the window, the dark figure smiling with a toothy grin as it squeezes the Traitor’s throat.

“….After all no pony that has seen my stand, Black Nirvana, has lived to tell the tale!” Releasing his hold on the hooded figure’s throat as the figure walks out of the darkness to back in the moonlight streaming in through the window. The moonlight glints off his sharply pinstriped suit jacket as the stallion’s serrated teeth gleam in the moonlight. The stallion grins at the moon outside his window as his smoky dark eyes and sharpened crystal red horn refract in the moonlight. With malevolence to match the stallion stares out his window at the town before him like a predator out for the hunt as he anticipates the carnage that is to come.

“The ruler of the new world is me SOMBRA! And no pony will change that!”