Author's Note

Thanks for reading. This chapter will be the start of how. . .most things in the story took a wrong turn.

Remembrance

Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.

E.L. Doctorow.

''So. . .you. . .still stand, e-even after my s-song.~'' a pained voice laid their eyes upon a most teeth-grinding, unrealistic, shocking sight. ''B-But I get props for t-trying.~'' the blackened skies cried out in hunger, the desire being sated with booms of thunder and zaps of lightning. The very ground shook with trepidation, preparing to break apart at the very seams in a second. The world around the pair was once highly regarded as a safe haven, where all can express their individuality freely and without question, but the greed of others plummeted hopes.

''Yes,'' a low voice responded, emitting a guttural snarl that told of discomfort. ''Your toys were no match our soliders. The light in their hearts repelled your evil intentions with haste.''

''SILENCE!'' the figure rushed forward, blinded by rage. ''I will see to it everyone on this forsaken world bows to my will alone!''

Vzzzzt! Clang! Clang! Clang! Schklikt! Bang!

''Damn you, you whore! You dare pull these second-rate tricks on me?!''

''Never bring swords to a gun fight; yet you still slipped up.''

''Why, you-''

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Thump!

''A-A-A-ah, t-this will. . .guh,'' the figure collapsed to the floor, bloody and broken. Walking over, the figure set their sights on the fell body beneath them. Cocking their rifle, a fresh bullet was loaded into the barrel and poised to shoot. Using their magic, the downed figure's body was positioned so their face looked to the skies. Manipulating their magic, the sound of the outside began to whine down into nothingness.

''So, t-this is how you wanted to do things, eh? With you making me get on my knees and beg?! Is that what you want, because I would rather die taking my last breath for the chance to plunge my sword down your throat then to kiss your flank!''

''No. Because, not even Death herself would accommodate you a place at her table, for that would taking the easy way out and we both know it. So, in keeping in with the times, I figured to pay you back in kind for what happened back in Manehattan.''

''He. . .hehehehehe. . .you're still on that? You know, not even I can bring back the dead.''

''TELL THAT TO STEADY BEAT!'' silence took back over. ''She made me promise I would do what was necessary to not stoop to your level!''

''Hypocritical. And the award goes to. . .-''

''Which is why I will end this here and now!''

''Finally,'' the downed figure smirked.

''But remember. . .I will always hold you in my heart as you at once have,'' a lone tear found a way to the ground. ''My best friend. . .''

''I doubt that.''

A shred of doubt was not not present in Twilight Sparkle's mind. It was to be expected that nopony, specifically her should ever throw random assumptions of out thin air with no play to back it up. In a time of contemplation, you were expected to do the opposite as to not fall into the social repetitive norm. But this was a different kind of doubt. One that most would only think of at the last possible second.

It was simple, really.

But, it did always seem like, no matter what she did, it always seemed to posses a nature of grave importance with it. 'If she didn't get this' or 'fight this crime lord', then Equestria would be in peril. Again. Frankly, the idea of being a brave and victorious figure that saves lives was nice for the first few years, but then. . .it died down as the threats grew even more. It drove her nearly crazy if not for Sunset and Spike to help bring her back to reality. Something had to give.

She finally found the time to relax after a month of non-stop, back to back fighting and relief efforts to help give the Pegasi assistance after the fall of Cloudsdale. Though the rebuilding took years, what the trio endured was not by any means easy. The crap they endured for sake of money, books, and information sure could be put to its limits.

Now, as she and her companions relaxed in the soothing bath waters of the Canterlot Bath House, a hum of contentment left her mouth. She needed a break, and for pony's sake, she's getting one. Sparkling warm water cascaded from a marble statue of Princess Luna's most sacred pet, a large Great Horned Owl named Ben. A majestic raptor, with a dark blue plumage with marvelous grey feathers and piercing yellow eyes.

''Ah, this is relaxing, isn't it?'' Spike asked.

''Yea, it kinda of is.''

Or at least it would have been if not the hunger for answers began to peck at Twilight's mind.

''Why?'' Twilight asked herself, her eyes closed and body slowing swaying back and forth in the bath waters. ''I was certain that I accounted for every variable. . .what could I have missed?''

''Twilight. . .'' a voice faintly called. She immediately ignored it.

''Nothing could have survived ground zero, definitely at that range,'' Twilight felt warmth in her nostrils.

''Twilight. . .'' the voice called again, only a tad worried.

Twilight racked her brain from Canterlot to Dodge Junction, trying to formulate a type of viable answer to why the only thing that has only caused her only suffer the worst type of pain managed to resurface without a ounce of knowing why. In itself, it would only serve to make what she knows now to be-

''Sparkle-Buttt!'' a voice yelled, causing her to open her eyes, which she dipped beneath the water, struggling before Spike picked her out of the bath, cursing herself for not focusing. Water invaded her lungs as she coughed violently.

"What was that for?" Twilight sputtered, wiping her eyes and thumping a hoof against her chest.

"Because you spaced out, once again," Luna commented with a snarky tone. "You ok?"

Twilight groaned, water dripping off her mane into the water. She rotated her neck and spoke in a low tone. "Not really. I mean. . .I really just want to be done with all this, but everytime I try, something else pops up and the cycle starts again. Spike and Sunset, I can't speak for you, but I just get so tired. . ." her breath hitched, her lips trembling. "Just so tired.~"

Luna silently agreed. She completely understood who was going through her head, but it wouldn't do much if she tried to lend a hoof where it wasn't wanted. Luna's experience always trumped Twilight's technique, but she always wondered who truly was the more strong; her or her student.

"Don't say that, Sparkle-Butt. It's a phase; just because it happens more than once won't mean that It's gonna be forever. You know that it could be a whole lot worse," Luna swam over, laying a hoof on her shoulder. "You know what I would say?"

"What?" Sunset asked, using her wings to sway the water back and forth.

"No idea, but I am sure that it would be cliche. Just tell me your troubles," Luna spoke calmly.

"Well. . .I guess I'm just so sick of the in-fighting. I mean, in one year, we've made a bigger quota in mission results than we normally should. We get the answers and things that we want, but it never seems to end-" Twilight swirled her hoof in the water, the rippling spreading outwards. "-How far can this go?"

"Yea," Sunset agreed, using her magic to poof up a report of the last month. "25 sucessful raids, 12 interrogations and 30 arrests. That's triple the normal amount, and there's only three of us. Something needs to give."

"Mmm-hmm," Spike agreed, looking over the report as well. ''I never thought things would be this bad.''

''Well, I probably know that feeling more than anybody else," Luna muttered, blowing bubbles in the water. "I can vouch a few hundred years of being alone, doing the job of two, and trying to stay out of the light of the people. It. . .gets hard; especially with tomorrow," Luna steeled her face for a moment, though she relented until the gaze of Twilight.

"What's that?" Spike asked.

"The anniversary of when I had to cast out my own sister."

Twilight frowned. ''Princess, you don't have to-''

''No,'' Luna said, holding a hoof in the air. ''You've all been here since the beginning, but I never told you why exactly you're doing this.''

''Because Celestia was out of line?'' Sunset asked.

''Partly. But the real reason was that she was cursed. And not your run-of-the-mill curse that can be fixed in a few days,'' Luna began to remember. "My sister and me were often matched in most ways, as you can imagine, we often bickered in where the other floundered.''

''But I thought you and your sister were near the same in almost all areas,'' Spike wondered, ladling some water on his back.

''Celestia was always a fool,'' Luna said with spite in her voice. ''She just did a better job at masking it then I did. Years and years passed by, dealing with her attitude at the world and what it was that she couldn't get. And then the scales leaned to one side when we had our fight. Words were thrown, insults made, the dead desecrated and made fun of, the Elements Of Harmony even being broken, even going so far as her almost driving a knife through my chest in blind rage.''

Twilight froze, thinking. ''I thought that Celestia was the one who you attacked.''

''Only in self-defense, Sparkle-Butt. I tried talking to her, but knowing as stubborn as she can be, then it basically was beating a dead tree,'' Luna sighed, splashing the water with a hoof, the droplets getting in her eyes. ''To this day, I still blame her for the ultimate act of disrespect.''

''And that was?'' Spike asked.

''Desecration.'' Luna said, the room going silent. ''I made a vow to myself that if there ever was a way to talk to her again in a clearer mind, that I would ask her why,'' Luna growled. ''But, due to the ravages of time, more and more, things between the two of us will deteriorate. . .''

Sunset Shimmer frowned, trying to find the right words to say. After a few moments, she steeled herself and spoke. ''Princess, I can't begin to imagine what it is you're going through, but I can understand to some degree the feeling of closure, as well as holding blame for some ponies, but is there anything that we can do to help?''

''Yes, there is,'' Luna said, teleporting out of the bath all dry, mane and tail styled back in her style. ''You three, along with L.E.A.F. You can help. In a time where even I am uncertain of what the next day brings, what you can is simple.''

''What is it, Princess?'' Twilight asked.

''Keep fighting the good fight. Survive.''

''Against what?'' Spike got up, narrowing his eyes. ''It sounds like she's behind all of these that have happening recently.''

''She very well may be, but I wouldn't know how when I personally had sealed her magic,'' Luna held her head up, sneering a bit at Spike and what he said. ''But, then again; anything is possible.''