The Old Orderby TheAnimericanChaptersChapter 1: The SummonsChapter 2: A Little ReunionChapter 3: The WarningChapter 5: Rarity's DayChapter 4: The MeetingChapter 1: The SummonsThe day started out peacefully in the city of Canterlot. Ponies were roaming the streets; going on about their daily lives. Ever since the attack of Lord Tirek and nopony noticed the time changes of Starlight Glimmer, everypony felt at peace. However, they knew not what was about to occur to remind them of the dangers that exist. Inside Canterlot Castle, Princess Twilight Sparkle walks side by side with Canterlot's Captain of the Guard. "I have the reports from the patrols over the last couple months your Highness. Forgive me for asking, but is there a reason why you wish to see them? I can assure you it has been nothing but quiet." "Nothing is wrong Captain" Twilight replies, "its just that...it has been, as you said, quiet. Maybe a little too quiet. I thought maybe one of the patrols might have reported something out of place." "Understood your highness. I shall escort you to-" Before the Captain could finish his sentence, a commotion can be heard from the down the hall towards the Castle Entrance. "What part of, 'You can't see the Princesses' don't you understand?," said one of the Royal Guards. "What you fail to understand is that this is a matter of great importance." A figure in a white cloak replied. The voice is of a male, but the hood covers most of their face. The Captain looks to Twilight, "Excuse me Princess, it seems I have other matters to attend to." "Of course Captain," Twilight replies, "but please be patient with him." "You have nothing to worry about Princess. I deal with ponies like these on a weekly basis." Twilight levitates the stack of reports from the Captain as he proceeds to the entrance of the castle. Not long after Twilight heads in the opposite direction to her quarters, she catches a glimpse of bright light from the corner of her eyes. Before Twilight was able to see the cause of the light, the light already faded away and all she saw was the Captain on his knees shielding his eyes. It was not just the Captain, but the Royal Guards at the entrance were groaning in the same position as well. The only one standing was the mysterious pony in the white cloak. "Wh-what did you do!?! I can't see!!!" "Forgive me, but I don't have time for this. Do not worry, the blindness is only temporary." The pony in white then starts making his way down the hall to the Throne Room. With his eyes still closed, the Captain screams an order, "Guards! Defensive Formation! Protect the Princess!" Not a second later, the sound of pounding hooves roar throughout the hall. A small group of the guard created a thin line in front of the Throne's doors, while the rest created a defensive line preventing the pony from continuing. After the formation was complete, the room fell completely silent. The stallion slowly came to a halt, but did not speak. Twilight has never seen such an event occur; a single pony to be so bold as forcing his way to a Princess with a castle of well-trained troops. At first, she thought maybe it was some crazy impatient pony who wanted to discuss something only he found important. Or perhaps he had a new invention to show the Princess that could benefit all of Equestria. As she studied him closer, she can see a calm and clear minded pony. He has shown no fear in front of the might of the Royal Guard. He stood there as if there was not a single guard in front of him. A uneasy feeling started to grow inside Twilight. "Surrender and come with us quietly!" A Sergeant of the Royal Guard broke the silence. The pony points his head to the Sergeant. "Please do not interfere. It is important that I must speak with the Princess. I do not want to hurt you." Although Twilight does not believe him to be lying, she felt those words to be empty. She felt the tone was neutral, as if he was not trying to show no hostility. However, she also senses a strange aura around him. Not of evil, but something that shines as bright as Princess Celestia. Despite this, she considers him to be dangerous. "First squad, take him!" First wave, consisting of ten earth pony guards, rush towards the pony in white. The pony did not even flinch, but remains where he stands as the guards form a circle around him. Each guard, equipped with spears, had their weapons aimed at the pony. Slowly they closed in on him, like a snake slowly curling up their prey with their body. It looks as if the pony admitted defeat, but the atmosphere quickly changed when the guards screamed in pain and dropped their weapons. Not only did they drop their weapons, but they quickly stripped off their armor. At first, almost everyone was confused as they saw nothing happen. Then one of the guards screamed, "Sergeant, our weapons and armor, they are too hot!" With that being said, there were no burn marks seen on the guards. The pony in white spoke, "I grow tired of this." He ran straight toward the guards without warning. Twilight was shocked as the speed would be enough to even impress Rainbow Dash. She dropped the reports and ran to the guards to lend her aid. The pony began to make a white glow and was closing in on the guards. The Royal guard quickly created a shield wall. Supporting them, unicorns of the guard created a barrier to hold back the attacking pony. The pony made contact with the barrier and was holding, but the impact was more powerful than expected. Not long after the impact, unicorn guards collapsed from exhaustion or their heads pounding. The guards of the shield wall dug their hooves in and prepared for the impact. Their effort is in vain as the pony smashed through the wall as if running through a thin bush. Guards were flying in the air; either creating hard impacts on the castle walls or landing on the floor. The pony was about to collide with the last line of defense guarding the Throne's doors. The Royal Guard was ready to fight, but deep in their hearts they knew it was futile. Twilight, however, threw herself in front of the guards in a fighting position. As she is preparing a spell to counterattack the mysterious pony, she was surprised and confused at what she saw next. The pony in white stops in his tracks before making contact with Twilight. Both Twilight and the pony were inches away from each other. Although most of his face was covered by his hood, Twilight could feel that he was staring straight in her eyes. Thinking quickly, she casted a spell to create energy restraints around the pony. The spell was successful and causes the pony to collapse to the floor. Seconds later, both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna enter the hall. "Twilight, what happened?" Celestia questioned, but Twilight could not answer. Twilight was distracted with the many questions that ran through her mind. Who is this pony? How could he have such power? Why didn't he attack her? Luna nudged Twilight, "Twilight Sparkle? Are you alright?" Twilight snapped out of her gaze and replies, "W-Wh-....Yes Princess I am fine, but..." She did not finish her sentence, but looked throughout the hall at the damage and destruction. Many badly injured guards lay on the floor groaning in pain and many others lie unconscious. "Who did this?" Celestia asked. Again Twilight did not answer, but looked to the trapped pony. "Explain yourself!" Luna asked. "At last, I get to talk to you...sisters." Chapter 2: A Little ReunionCanterlot Castle has very few holding cells as the crime rate was not high amongst the pony community. For many, the cells would be considered normal since most of their occupants would be thieves or con-artists. Each cell has a window with steel bars containing magic to prevent anypony from escaping. The beds provided are made with a wooden frame, layered with hay, and pillows filled with feathers. However, there are more well secured cells, separated from the others, by large metal double doors. Behind the doors, is a small dome shaped room, only illuminated by a oil lantern hanging from the ceiling. Inside, there are three cells; these cells were made with the hardest metal materials known to ponies. The cells contain magic symbols to suppress any sort of magic user. The walls are sound proof and no windows of the outside world are provided. For oxygen, there are a few small vents provided. The beds are of the same material as the standard cells, which seem to be the most comforting thing inside. Princess Twilight Sparkle waits inside the dome with a few guards equipped with spears. For inside one of these cells, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are questioning the mysterious pony. Seeing what happened to the Royal Guards, the purple pony could not help but feel worried for the two princesses. Their magic is no exception, as it also subdued within the cell. Although Twilight insisted that the princesses take a few guards with them, the mysterious pony refused to talk or give any information unless they were alone. As the time passes, she began to grow uneasy with the quiet. The fact that the guards were trained to concentrate on their royal duties and their silence made Twilight all the more uncomfortable. She was not sure about how long she has waited, but to her it has seemed like long hours. Twilight could not help but wonder if it was nearly time for the moon to be raised. Despite Twilight's curiosity, she decided that she was not being helpful waiting. She asked two of the guards to open the doors for her as they were too heavy for her to push. Being too close to the cells, her magic was not strong enough to open the doors herself. As the doors opened, she suddenly began to hear the sound of multiple ponies on the other side. "What do you mean we can't see her!?! That's our friend in there!!! You know who our friend is right? PRINCESS TWILIGHT that's who!!!" "Our orders are not to let anyone disturb the princesses! Now leave or we will escort you out by force!" Twilight recognized one of them to be a female raspy voice. "Oh my, maybe we should just wait. I'm sure she is fine." "Ah come on Fluttershy! We can't just leave her in there! What if something is wrong?" "Rainbow, will ya calm down! Y'all not helpin' anypony by gettin' us thrown out." "OOO OOO OOO!!! WE COULD HAVE A "WAIT FOR TWILIGHT TO COME FROM BEHIND THE DOOR" PARTY!!!" Although the door, was slightly cracked open at that point, Twilight was able to hear the sound a party cannon with some confetti getting through. "Pinkie, your confetti got in my mane!" Twilight could not help but give a slight giggle. The room on the other side grew silent and the doors finally opened. Out of that dark room was a shining atmosphere for Twilight. All her friends smiled at the sight of her. Without warning, they charged through the guards to give a group hug for Twilight. All the Mane Six were laughing at the rejoice. The embrace was warm, but short lived as it broke and Rarity was the first to speak. "Darling, we were so worried about you. Word quickly spread about the attack on Canterlot Castle." "How did you make it through? The castle is on high alert and guards are patrolling around the clock." Rainbow Dash hovers closer to Twilight, "It wasn't easy at first. The guards were such a pain in the flank and refused to let any of us in. Luckily we ran into Spitfire and Soarin. They got us inside by claiming we were suspects involved in the attack." "Easy enough since y'all acted suspicious by getting caught every single time you tried sneakin' in." Rainbow Dash blushed slightly at Applejack's remark. Fluttershy stepped in, "Twilight, is it true? Are we under attack from a big scary dragon?" A confused Rarity speaks, "Dragons? I heard it was Changelings coming back for revenge." "Oh, maybe it is Discord playing a prank and soon we can drink chocolate rain!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie. "As fun as that sounds, I am quite innocent." Discord suddenly appears, sitting on top of Pinkie Pie's head. He grabs of chunk of Pinkie's curly mane and eats it. "Oh ho hoo, anypony else would like some cotton candy?" "OH I DO! I DO!" Pinkie whips her mane towards her face and start biting off her own mane. Strangely enough, she enjoys it the sugary goodness of her mane. "Discord!" Fluttershy shouted. "Oh very well." Snapping his claw, Pinkie's mane was restored, but she ended up spitting out a pink hairball. "Discord, did you have anything to do with this? If you did, we will not have our weekly tea time tomorrow." "But Fluttershy I-" "Wait Fluttershy," Twilight interrupted, "it was not Discord. The pony is being questioned by the princesses as we speak. His magic was powerful, but it was not in Discord's fashion. There was no disorder or chaos in his attack." "Twilight, that is one of the nicest things anypony has ever said about me." Magically appearing, the Mane Six are dressed up as if they were going to the Gala. The dresses could be compared to the styles of the Reneighssance Era. They sit around a white table with a bouquet of flowers in the center. Discord, on the other hand, wears a black beret, holding a drawing pad and drawing charcoal stick. "It makes me happy that you see the artist within me." "Yeah, that was not really a compliment." Rainbow Dash exclaimed. The Mane Six quickly get out of their clothes. "Wait a minute sugarcube. When you say, 'the pony' do you mean to tell us that only one pony attacked the castle?" Everypony, excluding the guards, had their eyes on Twilight. "Yes, it is true. He is no ordinary pony though. He is very powerful and he was able to fight off the Royal Guard." "But you seem to be okay. I guess your magic was too much for him. Huh Twilight?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. Twilight looked down for a moment before continuing her sentence. "Actually, I was only able to stop him because...well he just stopped." "What!?!" The rest of the Mane Six questioned in shock. There was a long pause before Rarity breaks the silence. "What do you mean he stopped?" "Well, after seeing the guards I couldn't just stand there. He was about to break the final line to the princesses. I was preparing a spell to counterattack, but...he just stopped." Discord puzzles at this light of new information, "Hmm...tell me Twilight, does this pony wear a white robe?" Twilight's heart starts to race as she is flabbergasted at the question. "How did you know?" Behind her, the doors began to open and the princesses came out. "I believe that you are about to find out." The guards, the Mane Six, and Discord bow at their royal presence. "Thank you for waiting Twilight. I see your friends are here as well." Celestia and Luna walk towards Discord. "Discord, we need to speak with you on the matter. As for you Twilight Sparkle, he wishes to speak with you...and your friends." "With me? But-" Luna interrupts, "He will answer all your questions. You will soon understand." Although Twilight was nervous, she was much more comfortable facing him with her friends behind her. They proceed through the double doors first and wait outside the mysterious pony's cell. Twilight turns to her friends. Looking quickly over all the them, Fluttershy is obviously more nervous than she is as her body is shaking in fear. Pinkie Pie and Rarity seem anxious to enter. As for Rainbow Dash and Applejack, they give the impression that they are ready for anything behind that door. "I am so happy that you girls came here for support. At first, I was scared to face him alone, but with all of you here I feel like we can handle anything." If there was any self doubt in any of the ponies, there was no trace of it left. Everypony looked to Twilight and nodded with a smile of confidence. Without saying another word, Twilight signals a guard to open the door and the Mane Six enter the cell. Inside, the cell is bigger than the others. There is no torch or lantern inside the cell, but the magic emblems within provide a light blue covered glow. In some ways, it resembles Luna's night sky and illuminates enough of the room. In the center, there is a pony cuffed on all four hooves with chains tied all around him. The pony has his head down with his hood still on. Twilight is the first to move forward and the rest of her friends soon follow. They stop a couple feet away. The pony's head is kept down; not making eye contact with any of them. "Hello? I am Twilight Sparkle. This is Appleja-" "I know who they are." The pony interrupts. He slowly begins to raise his head to them. The Mane Six are startled as they notice a small white orb underneath his hood. The white orb seems to be where his left eye would be. "What is your first question?" Chapter 3: The WarningThe room is silent as the Mane Six are not sure what to ask first. Twilight Sparkle breaks the silence, "Well you can start by telling us who you are." "My name would be...difficult for you to pronounce." "Well then...what should we call you?" "Whatever you see fit Princess." There was an awkward silence as Twilight was not comfortable just giving some random pony a name. She nor her friends knew anything about him. Also, they found the tone of the mysterious pony's voice odd. It is very similar to Pinkie's sister, Maud Pie, tone of voice; very plain and low. "How about you take off your hood?," Rainbow Dash suggests. "I'm sorry?," The pony questioned. "I prefer to talk to a pony muzzle to muzzle; eye to eye." "I see. If you wish, then I do not object. However...," The pony motions one of his front hooves as a reminder that his movements are limited by the chains. As Twilight is about to step forward, she is stopped by Rarity's hoof. "This could be a trick. If he was planning to harm the princesses in anyway, we can't risk him trying anything to you. You can't use your magic to protect yourself in here." Twilight put Rarity's words into consideration, "I don't think so. During the attack, he had the opportunity to strike me down, but he didn't." Twilight again moves toward the mysterious pony. She removes his hood and is startled at what she sees. "H-how? I can't believe it." The rest of the Mane Six are puzzled as to what Twilight could be startled by. Looking at the pony from a distance, the coat color was white as Rarity's, but not as clean. Marks of dirt can be seen around his muzzle and seems to continue down his neck. The mane is long, black, messy and covers one of his eyes. His visible eye is somewhat peculiar as it is plain white. His pupil, if there was any, seemed nonexistent. For most ponies, it would be both unusual and perhaps terrifying for foals and yearlings. However, these characteristics should not cause the questioning look given by Twilight. "Oh come now Darling. He might be filthy and his mane is an absolute mess, but nothing we can't fix." Twilight turns around and walks towards them, "That's not it! During the attack, he was using powerful magic but..." After regrouping with her friends, she turns around and points to him. "But he has no horn." The group gasps at the sudden realization. How could this pony cast powerful magic without a horn? Although there are alchemists amongst Pegasus and Earth ponies, there are no records of any who can or could have created anything like the power he displayed. "What are you? How could you use magic on that scale with no horn?," Twilight asked, with a hint of fear caught in her throat. "I was sent here by Father and Mother. To be more specific, the princesses Father and Mother." The Mane Six are in shock. Of course it is a normal cycle for somepony to be born to have parents, but the parents of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna was never something to be questioned. It was always believed that both Luna and Celestia have always existed; From the beginning to the end of days. "Th-the...princesses'...parents?" "OH! WE CAN HAVE A FAMILY REUNION! I WILL BAKE THE BIGGEST-" "NOT NOW PINKIE!!!," The rest of the Mane Six shouted at Pinkie. "Oops. Sorry. Carry on." Twilight returns her attention to the mystery pony, "Earlier, you called the princesses your sisters. You claim you are their brother?" "That statement is only partially true. Although we are not of the same blood, their parents raised me in the afterlife." "The afterlife?" "I am what you would call...an angel." The Mane Six could not believe what he just said. The thought of an angel standing right in front of them almost seemed impossible. Although there were stories of such beings, most considered them to be a myth and legends. Twilight became speechless at this discovery. As her mind was still processing, trying to take in this new information, Applejack stepped forward, "Now y'all look here, how do we know y'all ain't lyin'. The princesses have never mentioned this before." "They never told you because you were never suppose to know." "Why would the princesses not want us to know about their parents?," Fluttershy asked. "Oh, if you don't mind us asking." "You were all taught that in the past that it was only the two sisters, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, that existed to take care of their subjects and their kingdom. However, the truth is that there were many powerful gods and goddesses. Their parents are a couple of the many that exist to this day. There was a time when they made their appearances known. Within time, religions were formed across the land to appease the gods. This, however, began to create conflict. With too many religions, the many nations had disagreements amongst one another. As disharmony began to spread across the land, the gods decide that something had to be done." "So what did they do?," Rainbow Dash questioned, as if they were reaching the climax scene of a Daring Do novel. "They devised a plan to erase themselves from existent. Many nations had their faults; the Gryphon Kingdom with their greed, the Yak Kingdom with their short temper, the Changelings for their hunger. It was eventually decided that the pony nation would be the battleground." "The battleground?" "They first had to decide which nation would be considered the peacekeepers. The pony population covered most of Equestria and majority of the population were considered kindhearted. Without knowing, they would be the catalyst to peace across the land. After the choice was made, the plan went into action. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, offered themselves to stage the events of Nightmare Moon." Rainbow Dash interrupts, "Woah woah woah, wait a minute. What do you mean, 'Stage the events of Nightmare Moon?'" "The plan was for Princess Luna to turn into Nightmare Moon and rule the land with her night sky for a time. Princess Celestia was to defeat Nightmare Moon and restore balance to the land. In the process, 'restoring' her sister and both rule the land together. However, the plan almost failed when Princesss Luna was not able to control her dark magic and lost herself during her reign. Princess Luna had no intention of relieving the throne to her sister, and thus there was a battle between good and evil. Princess Celestia had no choice but to use the Elements of Harmony and banish her sister for a thousand years." The ponies remained silent. All this information was a lot to take in. In the end, Princess Luna was sacrificing herself for Equestria. The plan went wrong and Princess Celestia was forced to send her sister away. Pinkie Pie was the first to shed tears, but then followed by Rarity and Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Twilight looked down at their hooves; overwhelmed with feelings of sorrow. Applejack breaks the silence, "How in the hay was this plan suppose to erase the other gods and goddesses from existence?" "Because they did not intervene," Twilight answered. "Since Nightmare Moon reigned over Equestria for a time and none of the other powerful beings stopped her tyranny, all the nations felt abandoned and lost hope. Since Princess Celestia was the only one to appear and take a stand, it was believed that she was the only higher power. As the years went on, the many religions disbanded and the gods of old became a myth or a bunch pony tales." "Exactly. Within time, the conflict died down and peace was restored across the land." Rainbow Dash flew within inches in front of the mysterious pony, "What about all those times they have saved Equestria before? The fight with Discord? King Sombra?" "Those were unfortunate matters. Not all gods and goddesses were on the path of light." A look of worry grew on Twilight's face, "But if you are here...then something must be coming. If the gods of old wanted to be kept secret for over a millennium, then it must have become important for them to send an angel to us." "I come to you as a warning. An old enemy of the gods will return to Equestria and wreak havoc to recreate his empire." "Listen," Rainbow rudely interrupts, "I don't believe in any gods or angels, but what I can believe is that we can handle anything thrown at us. We stopped Nightmare Moon, Discord, Lord Tirek, and many other powerful enemies. I say, let this enemy of the gods come." "I am afraid you will regret those words Ms. Dash. As the enemy I speak of...is Typhon." While five of the Mane Six had no reaction to the name spoken, Twilight was the only one with the look of utter fear and collapsed to the floor. "No no no no no no that cannot be true." Rarity puts a hoof on Twilight's back to try and comfort her. "Twilight, what is wrong dear?" "After our little event with the poison joke, I began to read more on myths and legends. During my studies, I came across a text on Typhon. He is described as a dragon with a hundred head of snakes growing on his shoulders. Each head would give off a terrifying scream of different animals. Fire is constantly burning from his mouth and eyes." "Yes, but what those books left out was that Typhon was the former ruler of the land. Every living creature was living in poverty until Typhon's fellow gods turned on him. No longer were they able to stand idly by and watch the world suffer. They attacked Typhon, defeated him, and banished him to Tartarus." A look of excitement grows on Twilight, "Wait, if they were able to defeat him before, they can defeat him again right?" "Last time they fought Typhon, he was alone and off guard. This time, the gods are fighting an army under Typhon's rule. They are holding him and his army at bay at the Gates of Tartarus. They will not be able to help us..." Rainbow Dash descended to the floor upon hearing this. The Mane Six remained silent and sweat in fear. Fluttershy speaks up, "How are we suppose to stop him?" "We believe that the Rainbow Power you posses should be enough to stop him. Until then, I am assigned to protect all of you." "Protect us?," Applejack questioned. "We are sure Typhon will send agents to sneak out of Tartarus and target you. They only sent me to not arouse suspicion." "Why can't we just finish this whole thing and attack him now?," Rainbow asked. "Typhon's army is mighty and their numbers are unlike any you have seen. You would have a stronger chance at victory by gathering an army of your own." The Mane Six look at one another. Twilight looks to the angel, "We have to...think about all this." "Of course your highness." Turning towards the door, Pinkie Pie gave a few light taps on the door. The door opened and the Mane Six exited the cell. Twilight was the last to exit. Before the cell door shuts, Twilight looks back and makes eye contact with the angel pony. Both never break their gaze, as the door slowly shuts between them. Chapter 5: Rarity's DayRarity and Light walk through Ponyville, but try their best to keep a low profile. Also, Light was being very cautious. Rarity noticed that everypony they pass by seems to be uncomfortable. She then notices that Light's muzzle is fully concentrating on each pony that comes near them. Although his hood was covering his face, the tension was there. This made Rarity feel uncomfortable and they were getting attention that they tried to avoid. "Umm...Light?" "Yes Ms. Rarity?" Light answers without breaking concentration. "Why are you staring down all these ponies?" "For your safety, I am looking into the souls of each creature near us." "I see. Light, I am...flattered about how serious you are about protecting my friends and I, but what you are doing is causing a lot of attention." "It is?" Light breaks away to look at Rarity. "Yes. You need to be a bit more calm darling. Just be normal." "Ah, so I do not arouse suspicion to us I must be normal." "Exactly!" Rarity says with excitement. "Teach me." "I beg your pardon?" "Teach me how to be normal." Confused, Rarity never thought she would hear anypony having a problem about being normal. (Well, being normal in their own way anyway). "Well, being normal is not something you can teach. You just have to be yourself. What do you usually do in your free time?" "My free time?" "Yes, what do you usually do when you are not on...Angel duty?" "I pray with my brothers and sisters and do my normal training routine." "You mean you never had time to enjoy yourself? To spend time with friends, shows, or dine in a restaurant?" "...When you swear an oath to the Lord's Army, you are trained to lose your emotions and interests in lively activities. It is so that the soldiers does not get distracted or stir away from the light." Light stopped in his track after noticing Rarity fell behind. Rarity stood in silence; staring at Light with eyes of concern. "You can't feel anything or explore the joys of life? Why would you swear such an oath and put yourself through so much." Light stared at Rarity in silence. Rarity was expecting, or rather hoping, for an answer. Unfortunately, she would never receive it as Light turned away and continued walking towards her Boutique. Although Light did not show it, Rarity could not help but feel she offended Light in some way. Quickly reverting back to reality, she shouts to Light, "Light wait! We are not going to my Boutique just yet." Light stops to turn to look to Rarity with confusion, "I don't understand. I thought you wish to complete your orders." "Oh I do, but I forgot to mention that we all agreed that we needed to get you...uh...cleaned up." "Cleaned up?" "Yes. You see, being covered in dirt and your white robe is too...Obvious!" Rarity exclaimed, glad to have found the right words to explain to Light. "Yes! Anypony who wish to harm us can surely tell who and what you are!" "I see. Forgive me for being so careless." "Oh no no no, not at all Darling." "Where should I...clean up?" "Why the Spa of course!" "The Spa?" *** As soon as Rarity and Light entered, Lotus Blossom and Aloe, the Spa Ponies, appeared to greet them. "Hello Rarity! It is so good to see you again!" Lotus Blossom exclaimed. "The usual?" Aloe asked. "Oh how I wish, but today is going to be different." Rarity points her hoof at Light. "Today, I need you two to give him the works." "Oh I see," said Lotus, "Well not to worry. We will have him cleaned up in no time." "I would like you two to cut his mane that fits him. Oh and please be sure to give him the normal spa treatment with a massage. Put it all on my tab." "Cut my mane? A massage?" Light questioned. "Ms. Rarity, I find this all to be highly unnecessary." "You want to get cleaned up? This is the best way to do it darling! Now, be good while I am gone!" Rarity said with glee. "Gone!?! Where are you-?" Light was getting tugged away by Aloe and Lotus Blossom. "Come on Mr. Light, you do not want to disappoint Ms. Rarity do you?" Although Light was not comfortable with letting Rarity go wherever she pleased, he did not want to disappoint Rarity nor harm the Spa ponies. Using any magic of any sort, he felt it would cause too much attention. In the end, he was forced to succumb to whatever Aloe and Lotus had in store for him. *** Rarity soon busts through the door of the Spa in a beautiful dress. It was not as colorful as most of her dresses, but the dark violet colored fabric with small sized gems can be easily compared with Princess Luna's night sky. Along with her, she brought in a suit. "Yoo-hoo!" Rarity announced herself. Lotus Blossom went to greet Rarity. "Hello Rarity. Oh my, what an amazing dress you are wearing." "Thank you. How is my friend?" "Oh he is so polite. He did not talk much, but he was constantly asking and worrying about you when you ran off. You are so lucky to have a boyfriend like him that cares for you." Rarity blushed at Lotus' statement, "My w-w-what? Oh no no no darling, he is just my friend." "Oh? I'm sorry. I just that since he was so handsome and concern-" "Handsome?" Rarity interrupted. "Ms. Rarity? You have finally returned. You should have never ran off like that. You could have been in great danger." Rarity looks toward to where the voice was coming from. Light comes out of hiding from behind a 4-panel room divider. Rarity blushes at the sight of Light. Light was not wearing his normal white robe. He came out wearing nothing and his white coat is much cleaner than before. With his black mane cut, it was combed and much shorter. However, it seems the spa ponies saw it fit that he kept the look of having one of his eyes covered. The exposed eye has the iris color red, rather the complete white eye from before. "Is something wrong Ms. Rarity? You are looking feverish." Rarity quickly regains her composure and levitates the suit to Light. "Quickly put this on. We are going out to eat tonight!" "A show? What about your work?" "Oh, I finished all that while you were getting cleaned up." "Then should we not return to the Cas-" "Out of the question!" Rarity interrupted, "You are going to have time to enjoy yourself darling." Light looked at the suit with uncertainty. "Look, if it makes you feel better, the show is taking place near the castle. I would just like a true night out before going back." Light contemplates Rarity's idea, "Ms. Rarity, this goes against what I was taught." "You are not abandoning your duties. You said you would protect me and my friends from danger. You will be accompanying me as an escort. If you happen to enjoy yourself then consider that a bonus." With a moment to think, Light gives a soft sigh and looks to Rarity. "I am afraid I would not be the best company for you. However, I understand and will escort you to the show." Rarity smiles to Light, "Well hurry and get dressed!" "See Lotus! I told you they were dating!" shouted Aloe. Rarity and Light looked towards Aloe. Rarity's blush grew while Light remained emotionless. "A...date...?" Rarity thought to herself. *** "Hinny on the Hills?" Light asked. "It's a marvelous play. I went to see it with everypony during Fashion Week. It is also the time when I made a good friend, Coco Pommel." Light and Rarity are walking through the streets of Canterlot; on their way to see Hinny on the Hills at a theatre near the castle. "That must have been a very happy occasion." "Oh it was. I got to see a play, made a new friend, and won the Fashion Week competition." "If you have seen this play before, why would you want to see it again?" "Because I enjoyed the play. Plus, I would like to share this experience with you." For a moment, Light was silent , but responded, "Thank you Ms. Rarity. It is an honor to share this activity with you." "W-well of course Darling." Eventually, they made it to the theatre, purchased their tickets, and head inside. After finding their seats, Light noticed that Rarity seemed disappointed. "Is something wrong Ms. Rarity?" "Oh no. Well, it's just that this is not the best view of the play." Where they were seated, they were farther in the rear of the theatre. If the actors and actresses were performing at that moment, they would seem like yearlings performing at a school play. Rarity notices Light was examining the room. She began to feel annoyed at the fact that he was still on guard. Also, it annoyed her that he was making it so obvious. "Wait here a moment." Light said to her before leaving. Rarity began to feel uneasy, believing that Light had found something to investigate. A few minutes later, an usher approached Rarity. "Excuse me miss. You are sitting in the wrong seat." "What? But I-," Rarity began to panic as she noticed that her ticket was somehow missing. "Not to worry miss," said the usher, "your date has your ticket. He asked me to escort you to your correct seating. He said you might have gotten lost." "My date? But he's not my-," "Please miss, the show will start soon. We need to get you to your seat before it begins." Without hesitation, Rarity got out of her seat and followed the usher. Rarity followed the usher with caution; thinking that this might be a trap. She was escorted out into the lobby, but then directed to the upper floors. She soon walked down a dimly lit hallway with curtains on her left side. The usher then stops at the second to last pair of curtains. The usher opens the curtain for Rarity and she slowly peaked her head inside. She sees that she is on a balcony, on the second floor, looking down at the stage at a much closer view than before. There are four seats before her. One out of the three was occupied by Light. She bowed her head to the usher and sat in the seat next to Light. "Light, where did you run off to? How did we get these seats?" "I noticed that these seats were unoccupied. I checked with the front desk and she told me that these seats were not taken. I...made some adjustments with our tickets. I hope you did not mind that I borrowed yours." "You mean...you bought these tickets for me...?" Rarity began to feel warm and her heart skips a beat. Although this was not suppose to be a date, Rarity could not resist the thought. She had always had this sort of dream with Prince Blueblood. "Well...I did not...buy the tickets." "What do you mean? Wait, did you steal the tickets?" "No of course not. I...used an illusion spell on the tickets." "An illusion spell? Let me see the tickets." Light gives Rarity one of the tickets. Rarity notices that the seats shown on the tickets were the previous seats. "Those are our original tickets, but to them they see the balcony's seats." At first, Rarity was silent. Light began to grow ashamed as he realized what he did was dishonest. "I am sorry Ms. Rarity, I will-" Before he could finish his sentence, he began to hear small giggles. He looked at Rarity and sees her trying to control her laughter. Her giggles were suppressed and her eyes began to tear up. "How could you laugh? What I did was dishonest. I thought you would be mad or disappointed." Finally able to control herself, she wiped her tears of joy and looked to Light. "Oh Light, yes it was dishonest, but it was so clever and funny. It has been a while since I laughed that much." Rarity, then placed her hooves on Light's hoof. "Also, it was very sweet of you to do this for me. Usually I am the one who tries to do things for others. It is nice to have the tables turned for a change." Rarity smiled and looked deep into Light's eyes. Slowly, her face began to draw near Light's. "Ms. Rarity, is something on my face?" Quickly, Rarity brought her hooves to herself and her mind began to scramble; trying to think of something to explain what in the name of Celestia she was doing. "What was I thinking!?! Was I...Was I about to...kiss him!?! I can't be...I just can't be in love with...could I...?" "W-w-well I was umm...just wondering...oh your eyes! Umm, how did you change your eye color to red? There was nothing before." "Oh I see. Well, I changed my eyes since you and the Mane Six found my normal eyes to be discomforting. Why are you asking me this now?" "Oh just curious." Rarity gave off a nervous chuckle. Under her breath she spoke, "...they suit you." Soon, the lights dimmed and the play started with it's opening song. Although Rarity had better seats and a better view of the play, she would not be able to concentrate the rest of the night. Chapter 4: The MeetingThe Mane Six approach Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Discord as they gather in the Throne Room. The Princesses signal the royal guards to leave the room for privacy. "We are sure you have many questions, but I am afraid our time must be kept short." Celestia stated. "Agreed sister." Luna looks to Twilight, "From what you now know Twilight Sparkle, how do you believe we should proceed?" "I...I don't know." Twilight looks to the floor in self-doubt. "We have been in many situations that made things seem impossible to overcome, but this is all too much. Discovering so many things in a matter of minutes." "He did say we should gather an army." Applejack cut into the conversation. "Maybe we should start with that." "A wise decision." Princess Luna stated. "We shall ask the neighboring kingdoms for their aid." "How can we possibly ask them for help against a dark army from Tartarus?" Twilight questioned. "Actually..." The Princesses look to Discord. Discords sighs. "We decided I will be the reason. The story goes that I used my chaotic powers to gathered forces to conquer Equestria." Fluttershy immediately breaks away from the Mane Six and embraces Discord in a hug. "Discord no! You have gained trust and friendship with so many. We can't ask you to do something like this." "Isn't there another way?" Twilight questioned. "We considered telling the truth, but we fear that if Equestria knew of a new enemy with great power, it may cause a world wide panic. Plus, the neighboring kingdoms may not agree to help us." "So we lie to them for their help!?!" Applejack protested. The room fell into complete silence. Both the princesses closed their eyes and lowered their heads in shame. Breaking the silence was the cries of Fluttershy, as she buried herself into Discord's embrace. "You are right." Princess Celestia agreed. "If we are to truly unite and defeat Typhon, then there should be no hidden secrets kept from our friends. We will tell them everything, but...I fear this will make things more difficult." Princess Celestia looks to Discord, "Discord, please forgive us." Discord magically made a handkerchief appear and wiped away Fluttershy's tears. "I was always alone and hated by everypony. For the first time in my life, I was ready to be serious and...help my friends. I was a fool to help Tirek and I wanted to make amends." Fluttershy looks up at Discord, "We have already forgiven you Discord. We just ask that you help us when the time comes." "Of course Fluttershy. You were the first to give me the chance. I will never betray that trust again." Discord then teleported away from Fluttershy into the air above everypony. However, he was clothed in casual attire, a baseball cap, and carrying a briefcase. "In the meantime, until that day comes. I am in need of a vacation. Ta ta everypony! I am going to visit an old friend!" With the snap of his fingers, Discord vanishes. "He has friends?" Rainbow Dash questioned, followed by a shove in the gut by Applejack. "How can he possibly think of a vacation at a time like this!?!" Luna exclaimed. "He said he will come and I believe we should trust him." Fluttershy replied as she regroups with her friends.. "Agreed. Now, about our guest..." Celestia changing the subject. "Our guest? What about gathering allies?" Twilight questioned. "Leave that to us. I will send word to Cadence and Shining Armor for their support as well. As for our guest however, he stated that he is sworn to protect all of you. He made a request to us that you all remain here in the castle, watched over by the guards constantly...and never leave until Typhon's arrival." "WHAT!?!" The Mane Six shouted in sync. "Who knows how long that is going to be! I will go nuts if I can't get outside to fly!" "My animals, I can't leave them alone." "My family! I need to help them on the farm!" "Mr. and Mrs. Cake will be worried. I have to babysit the little Cakes!!!" "I have to meet the deadline for my dresses. I must get back to my boutique!!!" "Everyone calm down!" Twilight shouted and then focused her attention to the Princesses. "Princesses, you can't expect us to remain isolated in the castle until the attack. He have responsibilities and it will only cause suspicion." "We already sent word to everypony that you are all my guest here in the castle. However, we have agreed that you will all take turns in going outside. With the condition that our guest will be your escort." Princess Luna replied. The Mane Six look at one another with looks of discontentment. However, they realize this was not up for debate and accept their roles. "Now then, who shall get the first-" "I WOULD LIKE TO GO FIRST!" The Princesses and the Mane Six look to Rarity with the mixed expression of shock and disapproval. "Oh come on girls. You have seen how he looks. I would very much like to get him cleaned up." "Well he was a little dirty." Fluttershy mentioned. "A little?" Rarity asked. "Okay okay he was real dirty." Rainbow stated. "I guess that makes sense. Okay, anypony against Rarity taking the first day?" Twilight questioned. There were no objections. "I got the second day!" Rainbow shouted. "Hold on there Rainbow," Applejack interrupted, "I need to help my family as much as I can on the farm." "But Big Mac can-" "It is almost Harvesting time and Big Mac can't do it alone. I have to be there for them." "Okay fine, I will get the third day." "Umm actually Rainbow Dash, umm..." Fluttershy muttered. "...Let me guess...your animals?" "I can't leave them alone for that long. I have to be sure I left enough food for them. I also need to ask somepony to look after them for me while I'm gone." "Fine fine I will take the fourth-" "Eh...hehehe." Pinkie Pie giggled with a forced smile on her face. "What Pinkie!?!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "Well, the Cakes need me to help them restock their shelves with tasty treats. I would also like to say 'Hi' to the Baby Cakes before I am trapped her forever and ever and ever." Rainbow Dash gives a loud sigh and then looks to Twilight. Rainbow Dash quickly changes her expression from frustration into a face of a filly, pleading for their parents to go outside to play with their friends. Twilight gives a smile to Rainbow Dash, "Don't worry Rainbow, you get the fifth day." Without warning, Rainbow Dash flew into Twilight and lifting her up in the air. "FINALLY!!! OH THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TWILIGHT!!!" Rainbow Dash shouted with excitement. "It is settled then. We ask that while you enjoy your day out, you are on your guard and learn more about our guest." said Celestia. "Are we ever going to give him a name? I don't think we should call him 'guest' all the time." Pinkie Pie questioned. * * * Back in the secured dungeons, the mysterious pony remains still in his dimly lit cell. His head is low and silently says his praryers. The door then opens and he raises his head to bring his attention to them. Twilight Sparkle enters the room with a guard. She nods to the guard and then he begins to unshackle the pony. After doing so, the guard then leaves the cell. Twilight is slightly uncomfortable as she looks to the pony. The pony's hood is once again covering his face and has shown no reactions to being set free. She slowly steps forward to the pony and takes a deep breath. "Since we do not know your name, we decided to call you...Light." "Light?" The pony questioned. "Do you not like it?" After a few seconds of awkward silence, the pony speaks. "It will do. Very well Princess." Light now bows before Twilight, "I swear, by King Sol and Queen Stella, I will protect my sisters and the Mane Six with my life."
Chapter 1: The SummonsThe day started out peacefully in the city of Canterlot. Ponies were roaming the streets; going on about their daily lives. Ever since the attack of Lord Tirek and nopony noticed the time changes of Starlight Glimmer, everypony felt at peace. However, they knew not what was about to occur to remind them of the dangers that exist. Inside Canterlot Castle, Princess Twilight Sparkle walks side by side with Canterlot's Captain of the Guard. "I have the reports from the patrols over the last couple months your Highness. Forgive me for asking, but is there a reason why you wish to see them? I can assure you it has been nothing but quiet." "Nothing is wrong Captain" Twilight replies, "its just that...it has been, as you said, quiet. Maybe a little too quiet. I thought maybe one of the patrols might have reported something out of place." "Understood your highness. I shall escort you to-" Before the Captain could finish his sentence, a commotion can be heard from the down the hall towards the Castle Entrance. "What part of, 'You can't see the Princesses' don't you understand?," said one of the Royal Guards. "What you fail to understand is that this is a matter of great importance." A figure in a white cloak replied. The voice is of a male, but the hood covers most of their face. The Captain looks to Twilight, "Excuse me Princess, it seems I have other matters to attend to." "Of course Captain," Twilight replies, "but please be patient with him." "You have nothing to worry about Princess. I deal with ponies like these on a weekly basis." Twilight levitates the stack of reports from the Captain as he proceeds to the entrance of the castle. Not long after Twilight heads in the opposite direction to her quarters, she catches a glimpse of bright light from the corner of her eyes. Before Twilight was able to see the cause of the light, the light already faded away and all she saw was the Captain on his knees shielding his eyes. It was not just the Captain, but the Royal Guards at the entrance were groaning in the same position as well. The only one standing was the mysterious pony in the white cloak. "Wh-what did you do!?! I can't see!!!" "Forgive me, but I don't have time for this. Do not worry, the blindness is only temporary." The pony in white then starts making his way down the hall to the Throne Room. With his eyes still closed, the Captain screams an order, "Guards! Defensive Formation! Protect the Princess!" Not a second later, the sound of pounding hooves roar throughout the hall. A small group of the guard created a thin line in front of the Throne's doors, while the rest created a defensive line preventing the pony from continuing. After the formation was complete, the room fell completely silent. The stallion slowly came to a halt, but did not speak. Twilight has never seen such an event occur; a single pony to be so bold as forcing his way to a Princess with a castle of well-trained troops. At first, she thought maybe it was some crazy impatient pony who wanted to discuss something only he found important. Or perhaps he had a new invention to show the Princess that could benefit all of Equestria. As she studied him closer, she can see a calm and clear minded pony. He has shown no fear in front of the might of the Royal Guard. He stood there as if there was not a single guard in front of him. A uneasy feeling started to grow inside Twilight. "Surrender and come with us quietly!" A Sergeant of the Royal Guard broke the silence. The pony points his head to the Sergeant. "Please do not interfere. It is important that I must speak with the Princess. I do not want to hurt you." Although Twilight does not believe him to be lying, she felt those words to be empty. She felt the tone was neutral, as if he was not trying to show no hostility. However, she also senses a strange aura around him. Not of evil, but something that shines as bright as Princess Celestia. Despite this, she considers him to be dangerous. "First squad, take him!" First wave, consisting of ten earth pony guards, rush towards the pony in white. The pony did not even flinch, but remains where he stands as the guards form a circle around him. Each guard, equipped with spears, had their weapons aimed at the pony. Slowly they closed in on him, like a snake slowly curling up their prey with their body. It looks as if the pony admitted defeat, but the atmosphere quickly changed when the guards screamed in pain and dropped their weapons. Not only did they drop their weapons, but they quickly stripped off their armor. At first, almost everyone was confused as they saw nothing happen. Then one of the guards screamed, "Sergeant, our weapons and armor, they are too hot!" With that being said, there were no burn marks seen on the guards. The pony in white spoke, "I grow tired of this." He ran straight toward the guards without warning. Twilight was shocked as the speed would be enough to even impress Rainbow Dash. She dropped the reports and ran to the guards to lend her aid. The pony began to make a white glow and was closing in on the guards. The Royal guard quickly created a shield wall. Supporting them, unicorns of the guard created a barrier to hold back the attacking pony. The pony made contact with the barrier and was holding, but the impact was more powerful than expected. Not long after the impact, unicorn guards collapsed from exhaustion or their heads pounding. The guards of the shield wall dug their hooves in and prepared for the impact. Their effort is in vain as the pony smashed through the wall as if running through a thin bush. Guards were flying in the air; either creating hard impacts on the castle walls or landing on the floor. The pony was about to collide with the last line of defense guarding the Throne's doors. The Royal Guard was ready to fight, but deep in their hearts they knew it was futile. Twilight, however, threw herself in front of the guards in a fighting position. As she is preparing a spell to counterattack the mysterious pony, she was surprised and confused at what she saw next. The pony in white stops in his tracks before making contact with Twilight. Both Twilight and the pony were inches away from each other. Although most of his face was covered by his hood, Twilight could feel that he was staring straight in her eyes. Thinking quickly, she casted a spell to create energy restraints around the pony. The spell was successful and causes the pony to collapse to the floor. Seconds later, both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna enter the hall. "Twilight, what happened?" Celestia questioned, but Twilight could not answer. Twilight was distracted with the many questions that ran through her mind. Who is this pony? How could he have such power? Why didn't he attack her? Luna nudged Twilight, "Twilight Sparkle? Are you alright?" Twilight snapped out of her gaze and replies, "W-Wh-....Yes Princess I am fine, but..." She did not finish her sentence, but looked throughout the hall at the damage and destruction. Many badly injured guards lay on the floor groaning in pain and many others lie unconscious. "Who did this?" Celestia asked. Again Twilight did not answer, but looked to the trapped pony. "Explain yourself!" Luna asked. "At last, I get to talk to you...sisters."
Chapter 2: A Little ReunionCanterlot Castle has very few holding cells as the crime rate was not high amongst the pony community. For many, the cells would be considered normal since most of their occupants would be thieves or con-artists. Each cell has a window with steel bars containing magic to prevent anypony from escaping. The beds provided are made with a wooden frame, layered with hay, and pillows filled with feathers. However, there are more well secured cells, separated from the others, by large metal double doors. Behind the doors, is a small dome shaped room, only illuminated by a oil lantern hanging from the ceiling. Inside, there are three cells; these cells were made with the hardest metal materials known to ponies. The cells contain magic symbols to suppress any sort of magic user. The walls are sound proof and no windows of the outside world are provided. For oxygen, there are a few small vents provided. The beds are of the same material as the standard cells, which seem to be the most comforting thing inside. Princess Twilight Sparkle waits inside the dome with a few guards equipped with spears. For inside one of these cells, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are questioning the mysterious pony. Seeing what happened to the Royal Guards, the purple pony could not help but feel worried for the two princesses. Their magic is no exception, as it also subdued within the cell. Although Twilight insisted that the princesses take a few guards with them, the mysterious pony refused to talk or give any information unless they were alone. As the time passes, she began to grow uneasy with the quiet. The fact that the guards were trained to concentrate on their royal duties and their silence made Twilight all the more uncomfortable. She was not sure about how long she has waited, but to her it has seemed like long hours. Twilight could not help but wonder if it was nearly time for the moon to be raised. Despite Twilight's curiosity, she decided that she was not being helpful waiting. She asked two of the guards to open the doors for her as they were too heavy for her to push. Being too close to the cells, her magic was not strong enough to open the doors herself. As the doors opened, she suddenly began to hear the sound of multiple ponies on the other side. "What do you mean we can't see her!?! That's our friend in there!!! You know who our friend is right? PRINCESS TWILIGHT that's who!!!" "Our orders are not to let anyone disturb the princesses! Now leave or we will escort you out by force!" Twilight recognized one of them to be a female raspy voice. "Oh my, maybe we should just wait. I'm sure she is fine." "Ah come on Fluttershy! We can't just leave her in there! What if something is wrong?" "Rainbow, will ya calm down! Y'all not helpin' anypony by gettin' us thrown out." "OOO OOO OOO!!! WE COULD HAVE A "WAIT FOR TWILIGHT TO COME FROM BEHIND THE DOOR" PARTY!!!" Although the door, was slightly cracked open at that point, Twilight was able to hear the sound a party cannon with some confetti getting through. "Pinkie, your confetti got in my mane!" Twilight could not help but give a slight giggle. The room on the other side grew silent and the doors finally opened. Out of that dark room was a shining atmosphere for Twilight. All her friends smiled at the sight of her. Without warning, they charged through the guards to give a group hug for Twilight. All the Mane Six were laughing at the rejoice. The embrace was warm, but short lived as it broke and Rarity was the first to speak. "Darling, we were so worried about you. Word quickly spread about the attack on Canterlot Castle." "How did you make it through? The castle is on high alert and guards are patrolling around the clock." Rainbow Dash hovers closer to Twilight, "It wasn't easy at first. The guards were such a pain in the flank and refused to let any of us in. Luckily we ran into Spitfire and Soarin. They got us inside by claiming we were suspects involved in the attack." "Easy enough since y'all acted suspicious by getting caught every single time you tried sneakin' in." Rainbow Dash blushed slightly at Applejack's remark. Fluttershy stepped in, "Twilight, is it true? Are we under attack from a big scary dragon?" A confused Rarity speaks, "Dragons? I heard it was Changelings coming back for revenge." "Oh, maybe it is Discord playing a prank and soon we can drink chocolate rain!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie. "As fun as that sounds, I am quite innocent." Discord suddenly appears, sitting on top of Pinkie Pie's head. He grabs of chunk of Pinkie's curly mane and eats it. "Oh ho hoo, anypony else would like some cotton candy?" "OH I DO! I DO!" Pinkie whips her mane towards her face and start biting off her own mane. Strangely enough, she enjoys it the sugary goodness of her mane. "Discord!" Fluttershy shouted. "Oh very well." Snapping his claw, Pinkie's mane was restored, but she ended up spitting out a pink hairball. "Discord, did you have anything to do with this? If you did, we will not have our weekly tea time tomorrow." "But Fluttershy I-" "Wait Fluttershy," Twilight interrupted, "it was not Discord. The pony is being questioned by the princesses as we speak. His magic was powerful, but it was not in Discord's fashion. There was no disorder or chaos in his attack." "Twilight, that is one of the nicest things anypony has ever said about me." Magically appearing, the Mane Six are dressed up as if they were going to the Gala. The dresses could be compared to the styles of the Reneighssance Era. They sit around a white table with a bouquet of flowers in the center. Discord, on the other hand, wears a black beret, holding a drawing pad and drawing charcoal stick. "It makes me happy that you see the artist within me." "Yeah, that was not really a compliment." Rainbow Dash exclaimed. The Mane Six quickly get out of their clothes. "Wait a minute sugarcube. When you say, 'the pony' do you mean to tell us that only one pony attacked the castle?" Everypony, excluding the guards, had their eyes on Twilight. "Yes, it is true. He is no ordinary pony though. He is very powerful and he was able to fight off the Royal Guard." "But you seem to be okay. I guess your magic was too much for him. Huh Twilight?" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. Twilight looked down for a moment before continuing her sentence. "Actually, I was only able to stop him because...well he just stopped." "What!?!" The rest of the Mane Six questioned in shock. There was a long pause before Rarity breaks the silence. "What do you mean he stopped?" "Well, after seeing the guards I couldn't just stand there. He was about to break the final line to the princesses. I was preparing a spell to counterattack, but...he just stopped." Discord puzzles at this light of new information, "Hmm...tell me Twilight, does this pony wear a white robe?" Twilight's heart starts to race as she is flabbergasted at the question. "How did you know?" Behind her, the doors began to open and the princesses came out. "I believe that you are about to find out." The guards, the Mane Six, and Discord bow at their royal presence. "Thank you for waiting Twilight. I see your friends are here as well." Celestia and Luna walk towards Discord. "Discord, we need to speak with you on the matter. As for you Twilight Sparkle, he wishes to speak with you...and your friends." "With me? But-" Luna interrupts, "He will answer all your questions. You will soon understand." Although Twilight was nervous, she was much more comfortable facing him with her friends behind her. They proceed through the double doors first and wait outside the mysterious pony's cell. Twilight turns to her friends. Looking quickly over all the them, Fluttershy is obviously more nervous than she is as her body is shaking in fear. Pinkie Pie and Rarity seem anxious to enter. As for Rainbow Dash and Applejack, they give the impression that they are ready for anything behind that door. "I am so happy that you girls came here for support. At first, I was scared to face him alone, but with all of you here I feel like we can handle anything." If there was any self doubt in any of the ponies, there was no trace of it left. Everypony looked to Twilight and nodded with a smile of confidence. Without saying another word, Twilight signals a guard to open the door and the Mane Six enter the cell. Inside, the cell is bigger than the others. There is no torch or lantern inside the cell, but the magic emblems within provide a light blue covered glow. In some ways, it resembles Luna's night sky and illuminates enough of the room. In the center, there is a pony cuffed on all four hooves with chains tied all around him. The pony has his head down with his hood still on. Twilight is the first to move forward and the rest of her friends soon follow. They stop a couple feet away. The pony's head is kept down; not making eye contact with any of them. "Hello? I am Twilight Sparkle. This is Appleja-" "I know who they are." The pony interrupts. He slowly begins to raise his head to them. The Mane Six are startled as they notice a small white orb underneath his hood. The white orb seems to be where his left eye would be. "What is your first question?"
Chapter 3: The WarningThe room is silent as the Mane Six are not sure what to ask first. Twilight Sparkle breaks the silence, "Well you can start by telling us who you are." "My name would be...difficult for you to pronounce." "Well then...what should we call you?" "Whatever you see fit Princess." There was an awkward silence as Twilight was not comfortable just giving some random pony a name. She nor her friends knew anything about him. Also, they found the tone of the mysterious pony's voice odd. It is very similar to Pinkie's sister, Maud Pie, tone of voice; very plain and low. "How about you take off your hood?," Rainbow Dash suggests. "I'm sorry?," The pony questioned. "I prefer to talk to a pony muzzle to muzzle; eye to eye." "I see. If you wish, then I do not object. However...," The pony motions one of his front hooves as a reminder that his movements are limited by the chains. As Twilight is about to step forward, she is stopped by Rarity's hoof. "This could be a trick. If he was planning to harm the princesses in anyway, we can't risk him trying anything to you. You can't use your magic to protect yourself in here." Twilight put Rarity's words into consideration, "I don't think so. During the attack, he had the opportunity to strike me down, but he didn't." Twilight again moves toward the mysterious pony. She removes his hood and is startled at what she sees. "H-how? I can't believe it." The rest of the Mane Six are puzzled as to what Twilight could be startled by. Looking at the pony from a distance, the coat color was white as Rarity's, but not as clean. Marks of dirt can be seen around his muzzle and seems to continue down his neck. The mane is long, black, messy and covers one of his eyes. His visible eye is somewhat peculiar as it is plain white. His pupil, if there was any, seemed nonexistent. For most ponies, it would be both unusual and perhaps terrifying for foals and yearlings. However, these characteristics should not cause the questioning look given by Twilight. "Oh come now Darling. He might be filthy and his mane is an absolute mess, but nothing we can't fix." Twilight turns around and walks towards them, "That's not it! During the attack, he was using powerful magic but..." After regrouping with her friends, she turns around and points to him. "But he has no horn." The group gasps at the sudden realization. How could this pony cast powerful magic without a horn? Although there are alchemists amongst Pegasus and Earth ponies, there are no records of any who can or could have created anything like the power he displayed. "What are you? How could you use magic on that scale with no horn?," Twilight asked, with a hint of fear caught in her throat. "I was sent here by Father and Mother. To be more specific, the princesses Father and Mother." The Mane Six are in shock. Of course it is a normal cycle for somepony to be born to have parents, but the parents of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna was never something to be questioned. It was always believed that both Luna and Celestia have always existed; From the beginning to the end of days. "Th-the...princesses'...parents?" "OH! WE CAN HAVE A FAMILY REUNION! I WILL BAKE THE BIGGEST-" "NOT NOW PINKIE!!!," The rest of the Mane Six shouted at Pinkie. "Oops. Sorry. Carry on." Twilight returns her attention to the mystery pony, "Earlier, you called the princesses your sisters. You claim you are their brother?" "That statement is only partially true. Although we are not of the same blood, their parents raised me in the afterlife." "The afterlife?" "I am what you would call...an angel." The Mane Six could not believe what he just said. The thought of an angel standing right in front of them almost seemed impossible. Although there were stories of such beings, most considered them to be a myth and legends. Twilight became speechless at this discovery. As her mind was still processing, trying to take in this new information, Applejack stepped forward, "Now y'all look here, how do we know y'all ain't lyin'. The princesses have never mentioned this before." "They never told you because you were never suppose to know." "Why would the princesses not want us to know about their parents?," Fluttershy asked. "Oh, if you don't mind us asking." "You were all taught that in the past that it was only the two sisters, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, that existed to take care of their subjects and their kingdom. However, the truth is that there were many powerful gods and goddesses. Their parents are a couple of the many that exist to this day. There was a time when they made their appearances known. Within time, religions were formed across the land to appease the gods. This, however, began to create conflict. With too many religions, the many nations had disagreements amongst one another. As disharmony began to spread across the land, the gods decide that something had to be done." "So what did they do?," Rainbow Dash questioned, as if they were reaching the climax scene of a Daring Do novel. "They devised a plan to erase themselves from existent. Many nations had their faults; the Gryphon Kingdom with their greed, the Yak Kingdom with their short temper, the Changelings for their hunger. It was eventually decided that the pony nation would be the battleground." "The battleground?" "They first had to decide which nation would be considered the peacekeepers. The pony population covered most of Equestria and majority of the population were considered kindhearted. Without knowing, they would be the catalyst to peace across the land. After the choice was made, the plan went into action. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, offered themselves to stage the events of Nightmare Moon." Rainbow Dash interrupts, "Woah woah woah, wait a minute. What do you mean, 'Stage the events of Nightmare Moon?'" "The plan was for Princess Luna to turn into Nightmare Moon and rule the land with her night sky for a time. Princess Celestia was to defeat Nightmare Moon and restore balance to the land. In the process, 'restoring' her sister and both rule the land together. However, the plan almost failed when Princesss Luna was not able to control her dark magic and lost herself during her reign. Princess Luna had no intention of relieving the throne to her sister, and thus there was a battle between good and evil. Princess Celestia had no choice but to use the Elements of Harmony and banish her sister for a thousand years." The ponies remained silent. All this information was a lot to take in. In the end, Princess Luna was sacrificing herself for Equestria. The plan went wrong and Princess Celestia was forced to send her sister away. Pinkie Pie was the first to shed tears, but then followed by Rarity and Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Twilight looked down at their hooves; overwhelmed with feelings of sorrow. Applejack breaks the silence, "How in the hay was this plan suppose to erase the other gods and goddesses from existence?" "Because they did not intervene," Twilight answered. "Since Nightmare Moon reigned over Equestria for a time and none of the other powerful beings stopped her tyranny, all the nations felt abandoned and lost hope. Since Princess Celestia was the only one to appear and take a stand, it was believed that she was the only higher power. As the years went on, the many religions disbanded and the gods of old became a myth or a bunch pony tales." "Exactly. Within time, the conflict died down and peace was restored across the land." Rainbow Dash flew within inches in front of the mysterious pony, "What about all those times they have saved Equestria before? The fight with Discord? King Sombra?" "Those were unfortunate matters. Not all gods and goddesses were on the path of light." A look of worry grew on Twilight's face, "But if you are here...then something must be coming. If the gods of old wanted to be kept secret for over a millennium, then it must have become important for them to send an angel to us." "I come to you as a warning. An old enemy of the gods will return to Equestria and wreak havoc to recreate his empire." "Listen," Rainbow rudely interrupts, "I don't believe in any gods or angels, but what I can believe is that we can handle anything thrown at us. We stopped Nightmare Moon, Discord, Lord Tirek, and many other powerful enemies. I say, let this enemy of the gods come." "I am afraid you will regret those words Ms. Dash. As the enemy I speak of...is Typhon." While five of the Mane Six had no reaction to the name spoken, Twilight was the only one with the look of utter fear and collapsed to the floor. "No no no no no no that cannot be true." Rarity puts a hoof on Twilight's back to try and comfort her. "Twilight, what is wrong dear?" "After our little event with the poison joke, I began to read more on myths and legends. During my studies, I came across a text on Typhon. He is described as a dragon with a hundred head of snakes growing on his shoulders. Each head would give off a terrifying scream of different animals. Fire is constantly burning from his mouth and eyes." "Yes, but what those books left out was that Typhon was the former ruler of the land. Every living creature was living in poverty until Typhon's fellow gods turned on him. No longer were they able to stand idly by and watch the world suffer. They attacked Typhon, defeated him, and banished him to Tartarus." A look of excitement grows on Twilight, "Wait, if they were able to defeat him before, they can defeat him again right?" "Last time they fought Typhon, he was alone and off guard. This time, the gods are fighting an army under Typhon's rule. They are holding him and his army at bay at the Gates of Tartarus. They will not be able to help us..." Rainbow Dash descended to the floor upon hearing this. The Mane Six remained silent and sweat in fear. Fluttershy speaks up, "How are we suppose to stop him?" "We believe that the Rainbow Power you posses should be enough to stop him. Until then, I am assigned to protect all of you." "Protect us?," Applejack questioned. "We are sure Typhon will send agents to sneak out of Tartarus and target you. They only sent me to not arouse suspicion." "Why can't we just finish this whole thing and attack him now?," Rainbow asked. "Typhon's army is mighty and their numbers are unlike any you have seen. You would have a stronger chance at victory by gathering an army of your own." The Mane Six look at one another. Twilight looks to the angel, "We have to...think about all this." "Of course your highness." Turning towards the door, Pinkie Pie gave a few light taps on the door. The door opened and the Mane Six exited the cell. Twilight was the last to exit. Before the cell door shuts, Twilight looks back and makes eye contact with the angel pony. Both never break their gaze, as the door slowly shuts between them.
Chapter 5: Rarity's DayRarity and Light walk through Ponyville, but try their best to keep a low profile. Also, Light was being very cautious. Rarity noticed that everypony they pass by seems to be uncomfortable. She then notices that Light's muzzle is fully concentrating on each pony that comes near them. Although his hood was covering his face, the tension was there. This made Rarity feel uncomfortable and they were getting attention that they tried to avoid. "Umm...Light?" "Yes Ms. Rarity?" Light answers without breaking concentration. "Why are you staring down all these ponies?" "For your safety, I am looking into the souls of each creature near us." "I see. Light, I am...flattered about how serious you are about protecting my friends and I, but what you are doing is causing a lot of attention." "It is?" Light breaks away to look at Rarity. "Yes. You need to be a bit more calm darling. Just be normal." "Ah, so I do not arouse suspicion to us I must be normal." "Exactly!" Rarity says with excitement. "Teach me." "I beg your pardon?" "Teach me how to be normal." Confused, Rarity never thought she would hear anypony having a problem about being normal. (Well, being normal in their own way anyway). "Well, being normal is not something you can teach. You just have to be yourself. What do you usually do in your free time?" "My free time?" "Yes, what do you usually do when you are not on...Angel duty?" "I pray with my brothers and sisters and do my normal training routine." "You mean you never had time to enjoy yourself? To spend time with friends, shows, or dine in a restaurant?" "...When you swear an oath to the Lord's Army, you are trained to lose your emotions and interests in lively activities. It is so that the soldiers does not get distracted or stir away from the light." Light stopped in his track after noticing Rarity fell behind. Rarity stood in silence; staring at Light with eyes of concern. "You can't feel anything or explore the joys of life? Why would you swear such an oath and put yourself through so much." Light stared at Rarity in silence. Rarity was expecting, or rather hoping, for an answer. Unfortunately, she would never receive it as Light turned away and continued walking towards her Boutique. Although Light did not show it, Rarity could not help but feel she offended Light in some way. Quickly reverting back to reality, she shouts to Light, "Light wait! We are not going to my Boutique just yet." Light stops to turn to look to Rarity with confusion, "I don't understand. I thought you wish to complete your orders." "Oh I do, but I forgot to mention that we all agreed that we needed to get you...uh...cleaned up." "Cleaned up?" "Yes. You see, being covered in dirt and your white robe is too...Obvious!" Rarity exclaimed, glad to have found the right words to explain to Light. "Yes! Anypony who wish to harm us can surely tell who and what you are!" "I see. Forgive me for being so careless." "Oh no no no, not at all Darling." "Where should I...clean up?" "Why the Spa of course!" "The Spa?" *** As soon as Rarity and Light entered, Lotus Blossom and Aloe, the Spa Ponies, appeared to greet them. "Hello Rarity! It is so good to see you again!" Lotus Blossom exclaimed. "The usual?" Aloe asked. "Oh how I wish, but today is going to be different." Rarity points her hoof at Light. "Today, I need you two to give him the works." "Oh I see," said Lotus, "Well not to worry. We will have him cleaned up in no time." "I would like you two to cut his mane that fits him. Oh and please be sure to give him the normal spa treatment with a massage. Put it all on my tab." "Cut my mane? A massage?" Light questioned. "Ms. Rarity, I find this all to be highly unnecessary." "You want to get cleaned up? This is the best way to do it darling! Now, be good while I am gone!" Rarity said with glee. "Gone!?! Where are you-?" Light was getting tugged away by Aloe and Lotus Blossom. "Come on Mr. Light, you do not want to disappoint Ms. Rarity do you?" Although Light was not comfortable with letting Rarity go wherever she pleased, he did not want to disappoint Rarity nor harm the Spa ponies. Using any magic of any sort, he felt it would cause too much attention. In the end, he was forced to succumb to whatever Aloe and Lotus had in store for him. *** Rarity soon busts through the door of the Spa in a beautiful dress. It was not as colorful as most of her dresses, but the dark violet colored fabric with small sized gems can be easily compared with Princess Luna's night sky. Along with her, she brought in a suit. "Yoo-hoo!" Rarity announced herself. Lotus Blossom went to greet Rarity. "Hello Rarity. Oh my, what an amazing dress you are wearing." "Thank you. How is my friend?" "Oh he is so polite. He did not talk much, but he was constantly asking and worrying about you when you ran off. You are so lucky to have a boyfriend like him that cares for you." Rarity blushed at Lotus' statement, "My w-w-what? Oh no no no darling, he is just my friend." "Oh? I'm sorry. I just that since he was so handsome and concern-" "Handsome?" Rarity interrupted. "Ms. Rarity? You have finally returned. You should have never ran off like that. You could have been in great danger." Rarity looks toward to where the voice was coming from. Light comes out of hiding from behind a 4-panel room divider. Rarity blushes at the sight of Light. Light was not wearing his normal white robe. He came out wearing nothing and his white coat is much cleaner than before. With his black mane cut, it was combed and much shorter. However, it seems the spa ponies saw it fit that he kept the look of having one of his eyes covered. The exposed eye has the iris color red, rather the complete white eye from before. "Is something wrong Ms. Rarity? You are looking feverish." Rarity quickly regains her composure and levitates the suit to Light. "Quickly put this on. We are going out to eat tonight!" "A show? What about your work?" "Oh, I finished all that while you were getting cleaned up." "Then should we not return to the Cas-" "Out of the question!" Rarity interrupted, "You are going to have time to enjoy yourself darling." Light looked at the suit with uncertainty. "Look, if it makes you feel better, the show is taking place near the castle. I would just like a true night out before going back." Light contemplates Rarity's idea, "Ms. Rarity, this goes against what I was taught." "You are not abandoning your duties. You said you would protect me and my friends from danger. You will be accompanying me as an escort. If you happen to enjoy yourself then consider that a bonus." With a moment to think, Light gives a soft sigh and looks to Rarity. "I am afraid I would not be the best company for you. However, I understand and will escort you to the show." Rarity smiles to Light, "Well hurry and get dressed!" "See Lotus! I told you they were dating!" shouted Aloe. Rarity and Light looked towards Aloe. Rarity's blush grew while Light remained emotionless. "A...date...?" Rarity thought to herself. *** "Hinny on the Hills?" Light asked. "It's a marvelous play. I went to see it with everypony during Fashion Week. It is also the time when I made a good friend, Coco Pommel." Light and Rarity are walking through the streets of Canterlot; on their way to see Hinny on the Hills at a theatre near the castle. "That must have been a very happy occasion." "Oh it was. I got to see a play, made a new friend, and won the Fashion Week competition." "If you have seen this play before, why would you want to see it again?" "Because I enjoyed the play. Plus, I would like to share this experience with you." For a moment, Light was silent , but responded, "Thank you Ms. Rarity. It is an honor to share this activity with you." "W-well of course Darling." Eventually, they made it to the theatre, purchased their tickets, and head inside. After finding their seats, Light noticed that Rarity seemed disappointed. "Is something wrong Ms. Rarity?" "Oh no. Well, it's just that this is not the best view of the play." Where they were seated, they were farther in the rear of the theatre. If the actors and actresses were performing at that moment, they would seem like yearlings performing at a school play. Rarity notices Light was examining the room. She began to feel annoyed at the fact that he was still on guard. Also, it annoyed her that he was making it so obvious. "Wait here a moment." Light said to her before leaving. Rarity began to feel uneasy, believing that Light had found something to investigate. A few minutes later, an usher approached Rarity. "Excuse me miss. You are sitting in the wrong seat." "What? But I-," Rarity began to panic as she noticed that her ticket was somehow missing. "Not to worry miss," said the usher, "your date has your ticket. He asked me to escort you to your correct seating. He said you might have gotten lost." "My date? But he's not my-," "Please miss, the show will start soon. We need to get you to your seat before it begins." Without hesitation, Rarity got out of her seat and followed the usher. Rarity followed the usher with caution; thinking that this might be a trap. She was escorted out into the lobby, but then directed to the upper floors. She soon walked down a dimly lit hallway with curtains on her left side. The usher then stops at the second to last pair of curtains. The usher opens the curtain for Rarity and she slowly peaked her head inside. She sees that she is on a balcony, on the second floor, looking down at the stage at a much closer view than before. There are four seats before her. One out of the three was occupied by Light. She bowed her head to the usher and sat in the seat next to Light. "Light, where did you run off to? How did we get these seats?" "I noticed that these seats were unoccupied. I checked with the front desk and she told me that these seats were not taken. I...made some adjustments with our tickets. I hope you did not mind that I borrowed yours." "You mean...you bought these tickets for me...?" Rarity began to feel warm and her heart skips a beat. Although this was not suppose to be a date, Rarity could not resist the thought. She had always had this sort of dream with Prince Blueblood. "Well...I did not...buy the tickets." "What do you mean? Wait, did you steal the tickets?" "No of course not. I...used an illusion spell on the tickets." "An illusion spell? Let me see the tickets." Light gives Rarity one of the tickets. Rarity notices that the seats shown on the tickets were the previous seats. "Those are our original tickets, but to them they see the balcony's seats." At first, Rarity was silent. Light began to grow ashamed as he realized what he did was dishonest. "I am sorry Ms. Rarity, I will-" Before he could finish his sentence, he began to hear small giggles. He looked at Rarity and sees her trying to control her laughter. Her giggles were suppressed and her eyes began to tear up. "How could you laugh? What I did was dishonest. I thought you would be mad or disappointed." Finally able to control herself, she wiped her tears of joy and looked to Light. "Oh Light, yes it was dishonest, but it was so clever and funny. It has been a while since I laughed that much." Rarity, then placed her hooves on Light's hoof. "Also, it was very sweet of you to do this for me. Usually I am the one who tries to do things for others. It is nice to have the tables turned for a change." Rarity smiled and looked deep into Light's eyes. Slowly, her face began to draw near Light's. "Ms. Rarity, is something on my face?" Quickly, Rarity brought her hooves to herself and her mind began to scramble; trying to think of something to explain what in the name of Celestia she was doing. "What was I thinking!?! Was I...Was I about to...kiss him!?! I can't be...I just can't be in love with...could I...?" "W-w-well I was umm...just wondering...oh your eyes! Umm, how did you change your eye color to red? There was nothing before." "Oh I see. Well, I changed my eyes since you and the Mane Six found my normal eyes to be discomforting. Why are you asking me this now?" "Oh just curious." Rarity gave off a nervous chuckle. Under her breath she spoke, "...they suit you." Soon, the lights dimmed and the play started with it's opening song. Although Rarity had better seats and a better view of the play, she would not be able to concentrate the rest of the night.
Chapter 4: The MeetingThe Mane Six approach Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Discord as they gather in the Throne Room. The Princesses signal the royal guards to leave the room for privacy. "We are sure you have many questions, but I am afraid our time must be kept short." Celestia stated. "Agreed sister." Luna looks to Twilight, "From what you now know Twilight Sparkle, how do you believe we should proceed?" "I...I don't know." Twilight looks to the floor in self-doubt. "We have been in many situations that made things seem impossible to overcome, but this is all too much. Discovering so many things in a matter of minutes." "He did say we should gather an army." Applejack cut into the conversation. "Maybe we should start with that." "A wise decision." Princess Luna stated. "We shall ask the neighboring kingdoms for their aid." "How can we possibly ask them for help against a dark army from Tartarus?" Twilight questioned. "Actually..." The Princesses look to Discord. Discords sighs. "We decided I will be the reason. The story goes that I used my chaotic powers to gathered forces to conquer Equestria." Fluttershy immediately breaks away from the Mane Six and embraces Discord in a hug. "Discord no! You have gained trust and friendship with so many. We can't ask you to do something like this." "Isn't there another way?" Twilight questioned. "We considered telling the truth, but we fear that if Equestria knew of a new enemy with great power, it may cause a world wide panic. Plus, the neighboring kingdoms may not agree to help us." "So we lie to them for their help!?!" Applejack protested. The room fell into complete silence. Both the princesses closed their eyes and lowered their heads in shame. Breaking the silence was the cries of Fluttershy, as she buried herself into Discord's embrace. "You are right." Princess Celestia agreed. "If we are to truly unite and defeat Typhon, then there should be no hidden secrets kept from our friends. We will tell them everything, but...I fear this will make things more difficult." Princess Celestia looks to Discord, "Discord, please forgive us." Discord magically made a handkerchief appear and wiped away Fluttershy's tears. "I was always alone and hated by everypony. For the first time in my life, I was ready to be serious and...help my friends. I was a fool to help Tirek and I wanted to make amends." Fluttershy looks up at Discord, "We have already forgiven you Discord. We just ask that you help us when the time comes." "Of course Fluttershy. You were the first to give me the chance. I will never betray that trust again." Discord then teleported away from Fluttershy into the air above everypony. However, he was clothed in casual attire, a baseball cap, and carrying a briefcase. "In the meantime, until that day comes. I am in need of a vacation. Ta ta everypony! I am going to visit an old friend!" With the snap of his fingers, Discord vanishes. "He has friends?" Rainbow Dash questioned, followed by a shove in the gut by Applejack. "How can he possibly think of a vacation at a time like this!?!" Luna exclaimed. "He said he will come and I believe we should trust him." Fluttershy replied as she regroups with her friends.. "Agreed. Now, about our guest..." Celestia changing the subject. "Our guest? What about gathering allies?" Twilight questioned. "Leave that to us. I will send word to Cadence and Shining Armor for their support as well. As for our guest however, he stated that he is sworn to protect all of you. He made a request to us that you all remain here in the castle, watched over by the guards constantly...and never leave until Typhon's arrival." "WHAT!?!" The Mane Six shouted in sync. "Who knows how long that is going to be! I will go nuts if I can't get outside to fly!" "My animals, I can't leave them alone." "My family! I need to help them on the farm!" "Mr. and Mrs. Cake will be worried. I have to babysit the little Cakes!!!" "I have to meet the deadline for my dresses. I must get back to my boutique!!!" "Everyone calm down!" Twilight shouted and then focused her attention to the Princesses. "Princesses, you can't expect us to remain isolated in the castle until the attack. He have responsibilities and it will only cause suspicion." "We already sent word to everypony that you are all my guest here in the castle. However, we have agreed that you will all take turns in going outside. With the condition that our guest will be your escort." Princess Luna replied. The Mane Six look at one another with looks of discontentment. However, they realize this was not up for debate and accept their roles. "Now then, who shall get the first-" "I WOULD LIKE TO GO FIRST!" The Princesses and the Mane Six look to Rarity with the mixed expression of shock and disapproval. "Oh come on girls. You have seen how he looks. I would very much like to get him cleaned up." "Well he was a little dirty." Fluttershy mentioned. "A little?" Rarity asked. "Okay okay he was real dirty." Rainbow stated. "I guess that makes sense. Okay, anypony against Rarity taking the first day?" Twilight questioned. There were no objections. "I got the second day!" Rainbow shouted. "Hold on there Rainbow," Applejack interrupted, "I need to help my family as much as I can on the farm." "But Big Mac can-" "It is almost Harvesting time and Big Mac can't do it alone. I have to be there for them." "Okay fine, I will get the third day." "Umm actually Rainbow Dash, umm..." Fluttershy muttered. "...Let me guess...your animals?" "I can't leave them alone for that long. I have to be sure I left enough food for them. I also need to ask somepony to look after them for me while I'm gone." "Fine fine I will take the fourth-" "Eh...hehehe." Pinkie Pie giggled with a forced smile on her face. "What Pinkie!?!" Rainbow Dash shouted. "Well, the Cakes need me to help them restock their shelves with tasty treats. I would also like to say 'Hi' to the Baby Cakes before I am trapped her forever and ever and ever." Rainbow Dash gives a loud sigh and then looks to Twilight. Rainbow Dash quickly changes her expression from frustration into a face of a filly, pleading for their parents to go outside to play with their friends. Twilight gives a smile to Rainbow Dash, "Don't worry Rainbow, you get the fifth day." Without warning, Rainbow Dash flew into Twilight and lifting her up in the air. "FINALLY!!! OH THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU TWILIGHT!!!" Rainbow Dash shouted with excitement. "It is settled then. We ask that while you enjoy your day out, you are on your guard and learn more about our guest." said Celestia. "Are we ever going to give him a name? I don't think we should call him 'guest' all the time." Pinkie Pie questioned. * * * Back in the secured dungeons, the mysterious pony remains still in his dimly lit cell. His head is low and silently says his praryers. The door then opens and he raises his head to bring his attention to them. Twilight Sparkle enters the room with a guard. She nods to the guard and then he begins to unshackle the pony. After doing so, the guard then leaves the cell. Twilight is slightly uncomfortable as she looks to the pony. The pony's hood is once again covering his face and has shown no reactions to being set free. She slowly steps forward to the pony and takes a deep breath. "Since we do not know your name, we decided to call you...Light." "Light?" The pony questioned. "Do you not like it?" After a few seconds of awkward silence, the pony speaks. "It will do. Very well Princess." Light now bows before Twilight, "I swear, by King Sol and Queen Stella, I will protect my sisters and the Mane Six with my life."
